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 From surviving to thriving amidst sands, Chinese city fortifies "green Great Wall" Xinhua) 08:24, June 17, 2024 * Through persistent efforts spanning several decades, Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located at the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, has reclaimed 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) out of its total 1.68 million mu of desert through afforestation. * In addition to achieving remarkable progress in desert control, the city has leveraged its remaining 180,000 mu of desert to develop desert tourism, photovoltaic, farming and breeding industries, lifting many out of poverty and improving the livelihoods of locals. * The city, through its innovative desert control and harnessing practices, stands as a microcosm of the country's ambitious Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), initiated in 1978 to combat desertification. YINCHUAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Amid the vast expanse of desert in the Shapotou scenic spot, located in northwest China's Zhongwei City, a group of students watch carefully as their tutor demonstrates the technique of paving straw checkerboard, China's remarkable method for sand control. For these local teenagers, who were excited to receive hands-on experience in making the straw checkerboard, the desert no longer holds a monstrous image. However, for older generations, the desert once represented a life-or-death crisis, as they feared the city might be engulfed by sand. Students learn to pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Through persistent efforts spanning several decades, Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located at the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, has reclaimed 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) out of its total 1.68 million mu of desert through afforestation. This endeavor has expanded its vegetation coverage from less than 1 percent to 42 percent at present, effectively pushing back the Tengger Desert by 25 kilometers. In addition to achieving remarkable progress in desert control, the city has leveraged its remaining 180,000 mu of desert to develop desert tourism, photovoltaic, farming and breeding industries, lifting many out of poverty and improving the livelihoods of locals. As the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought approaches, it's worth taking a closer look at Zhongwei's journey from battling desertification to thriving amidst the sands. The city, through its innovative desert control and harnessing practices, stands as a microcosm of the country's ambitious Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), initiated in 1978 to combat desertification. Serving as a key focal point along the shelterbelt, Zhongwei plays a crucial role as an ecological barrier for north and northwest China, as well as the upper-middle reaches of the Yellow River. China is among the countries most severely affected by desertification, with desertified areas primarily concentrated in the northwest, north and northeast regions, collectively known as the "three-north." To combat this challenge, China has proposed transforming the TSFP into a robust and enduring "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier across the country's north. An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows straw checkerboards paved in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) BOLSTERING "GREEN GREAT WALL" "When I was a primary school student, a sandstorm struck one day on my way home from school. The powerful winds blew many of my classmates into a nearby ditch, and some even lost their lives," recounted Tang Ximing, 60, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei. While Ningxia is surrounded by desert on three sides, Zhongwei is the hardest-hit city, highly vulnerable to sandstorm catastrophes. In 1958, when a railway that runs through Zhongwei opened to traffic, foreign experts predicted it would be inundated by sand in less than 30 years. The railway was the country's first to run through a desert. To protect the railway route, the city embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving an enhanced version of straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) By partially burying a layer of straw into the sand, the straw "stands up" as a barrier. When connected into square-shaped grids, these straws form a sprawling "checkerboard" that effectively locks up the sand like a giant mesh. Seedlings planted within these checkerboards have significantly higher chances of survival. Tang's life is intertwined with the desert. Once eager to escape his sand-ravaged hometown, he was assigned a job as a forestry engineer in Zhongwei after graduating from college. Embracing the challenge, he has dedicated himself to transforming his hometown. Planting a tree in the desert is extremely challenging, even with the support of straw checkerboards, due to the shallow reach of the root system. Drawing on his experiences, Tang has crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, introduces his invention, a steel tool featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip that enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer, in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions in northern China. Tang has also worked together with researchers to develop an enhanced version of straw checkerboards that can be mass-produced using machinery, thereby extending the service life of these sand barriers. A worker uses a machine to make brush-like straw cable, the material for an enhanced version of straw checkerboards, in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Tang is one of many Chinese researchers and grassroots sand-control practitioners who have committed their professional expertise, practical wisdom and strenuous efforts to fortifying the "green Great Wall." DIGGING GOLD FROM SAND "I never expected there was such a nice-looking hotel in the middle of a desert," exclaimed Khalifa Mtumwa, a foreign student from Tanzania who visited Zhongwei, referring to a newly opened premium resort hotel in Shapotou scenic spot. Ranked as China's top desert destination, Zhongwei has made significant strides in enhancing its desert-themed tourism industry. In addition to sightseeing, visitors can enjoy a variety of leisure activities including sand surfing, sand sliding and stargazing, among others. In another part of the desert, a cattle ranch has been established. "It's dry and well-ventilated in the desert, therefore raising cows in the desert can reduce the incidence rate of some common diseases among cows," said Yang Fei, whose company runs the farm. He added that with a daily output of over 330 tonnes of fresh milk, the farm has become an important source of income for more than 20,000 rural households in 54 local villages. As industries thrive in Zhongwei by harnessing the resources of the desert, the aim of the TSFP extends beyond desert control to improving livelihoods. Preliminary statistics show that the TSFP has lifted approximately 15 million people out of poverty solely through forestry and fruit cultivation. Tang is on the brink of retirement, yet his journey is far from over. Having garnered recognition in the field of desert control, he is now sought after to assist in fighting desertification in various regions. With a packed agenda, Tang aims to combat desertification in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, address coastal sand erosion in South China, and even offer his help to Mongolia. (Reporting by Tian Ying, Liu Ziling, He Chenyang, Liu Hai, Ma Sijia, Xie Jianwen; video reporters Liu Hai, Ma Sijia, Feng Kaihua, Xie Jianwen; video editors: Wang Houyuan, Zheng Qingbin, Zhu Cong, Liu Ruoshi) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) As the world celebrated Fathers Day on June 16, Nigerias Christian and other leaders also joined the celebrations by highlighting the sacrifices and achievements of fathers in the countrys religious, socio-political, and economic development. Messages to Nigerian fathers were sent by Christian leaders as well as the countrys political leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of parliament, and governors. Rev. Dr. Isaac Nwaobia, an Archbishop of the Church of Nigeria from the Anglican Communion commemorated Father's Day saying, Fathers' unwavering commitment to their families serves as an inspiration, reminding us of the power of fatherly devotion. Referencing Genesis Chapter 4, he warned that when we ignore or neglect the needs of others, we create a society where suffering and injustice prevail. Failing to fulfill our responsibility as brothers keeper can have devastating consequences. We, therefore, have a moral and ethical obligation to care for and protect those around us, especially our families, loved ones and members of the household of faith. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Nwaobia called on Nigerians to be inspired by the sacrifices made by Nigerian men who are fathers, and push for the development of the country and humanity, May we honour their sacrifices, cherish their wisdom and strive to emulate their example of steadfast love and character. Let us also remember those who have lost their fathers or who may be estranged from their paternal relationships, and offer them our heartfelt compassion. As we celebrate the fathers in our lives, let us also acknowledge the profound impact that positive male role models can have on the lives of children, both within and beyond the family unit. May this day inspire us to support and uplift fathers in our churches and communities, fostering an environment where they can thrive and pass on their invaluable gifts to the next generations. May the blessings of this day fill the hearts of all fathers, and may the love and respect we show them, today, be a testament to the indelible mark they leave on our lives, Nwaobia said. In a similar message shared at one of the parishes in Abuja earlier in the month of May 2024, the Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, an Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, urged all fathers to remain steadfast in providing exemplary leadership to their families. During his homily on Sunday, 12 May, 2024, Kaigama said, fathers, must be strong pillars in the home. He explained that Fathers Day is celebrated across the globe to recognize the contribution that fathers and father figures make to the lives of their children. A Christian Governor in southern Nigeria, Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, thanked God for being our ever-present Father, guiding and directing our affairs; showing us His love, grace and mercies, especially in times of need. To those wonderful and resourceful fathers all over the state who have raised solid children, bracing and confronting challenges in order to keep the family unit intact, we salute you. To the women who through no fault of theirs today, are playing so wonderfully and admirably, the role of fathers, the single mothers and widows, we commend you. He then quoted the Bible from Luke 15:20 (King James Version) And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Fathers see afar off and even when we offend or veer off the course of life they had charted for us, they are always there to right the wrongs with love, compassion and gentle nudging, Eno said. Nigerias President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also used the opportunity of Father's Day to acknowledge the significance of fatherhood and contributions of fathers to the family and the society. A statement released on Sunday, 16 June, said, fathers, including paternal figures, have shaped the nations destiny with their sacrifices. The president states that Fathers Day is significant for its purpose as a day set apart to honour all fathers living, deceased and paternal figures. President Tinubu affirms that society is in better stead with fathers who rise to the great demand of responsibility, guiding the children through the vagaries of existence and preparing them for the future. The president salutes all fathers, the sung and the unsung, who brave the toil of the day and the soreness of the night to provide for their families, describing them as true heroes. President Tinubu urges fathers to stay true to their bounden commitment of positively shaping the destinies of those to whom the future belongs." Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nigerias National parliament, eulogized fathers for their dexterity in the face of economic distress in the country. Fathers Day is a special occasion that brings families together to honour and celebrate the incredible men who have played a significant role in our lives. Whether they are fathers, grandfathers, stepdads, father figures, mentors, role models or protectors, this day is dedicated to recognising their love, support, and guidance, he said. The parliament is committed to ensuring reforms and interventions that will continue to bring about more economic opportunities so that fathers can meet up to their responsibilities, leading families that build communities and the nation. To all fathers, I celebrate you today. May you continue to stand firm as strong pillars of society and continually be strengthened in this sacred role. Tom Albinson has been working with refugees since 1980 and currently serves as President of the International Association for Refugees, a ministry he founded. He is also involved in the Refugee Highway Partnership, a network of churches, agencies and individuals serving forcibly displaced people. Christian Daily International was given an exclusive interview with Albinson for the occasion of World Refugee Sunday, which falls on the Sundays before and after World Refugee Day on June 20. A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. (Matthew 2:18) Surely this terrifying description of grief and oppression, from Matthew 2:18, reverberates the weeping of women and children fleeing for their lives across borders from dangerous countries, as the migrant crisis engulfs a largely indifferent world. The imbroglio has seen the 12 million refugees recorded in 2001 sky-rocket to upwards of 117 million today, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Tom Albinson is scathing about false perceptions of refugees, pointing out that refugees crossing borders to escape war, persecution or hardship are not acting outside the law, contrary to popular belief, and the label illegal migrant is a complete misnomer. The refugee rights worker also calls on the Church to see its unique position and privilege, with the opportunity to bring true hope to these refugees, obeying Christs command to love others. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Albinson invites readers to close their eyes and reflect for a moment on what the word refugee means to them. Now tell me what you see, he said, believing such an experiment would likely conjure negative stereotypes. And then we pull back and we look at the reality, which is that 50 percent of the worlds refugees are women and about 40 percent are children. If you start adding up the women and children, they make for at least 75 percent of people who are forced to flee. The reason being, Abinson added, that men often stay at home to fight in conflicts or for associated reasons. He cited Ukraine as a case example where men of fighting age stayed to fight Russias invading armed forces. So when we think of refugee, we should think of either a girl or boy under 18, or a woman in her late 20s to 30s. That should be the picture that we carry. These are the people that nations are building fences to protect themselves from. These are the people that are such a threat that there's military navies employed on the Mediterranean to protect us. Abinson lamented sensationalism in some media depicting refugees as dangerous looking men, feeding unwarranted fears. Thats what you see. But the vast majority are women and children. Refugees also tend to flee to countries nearby rather than further afield, because neighboring nations tend to share a common language, which makes survival easier. The vast majority who flee their countries due to persecution or war, go next door, added Albinson, who estimated that neighboring poor countries lacking economic clout in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East shouldered at least 85 percent of the influx in refugees. They are not trying to get further away. They all dream, for the first five years at least, of going back home one day. But when they realize thats not going to happen, then their choices are very limited. Albinson deplored the attitude of Western nations in thinking everybodys trying to get here. To be honest, most of the refugees don't want to. And a lot of the people who end up there are very grateful that a country welcomed them, took them in and gave them protection, but they long to go home because home is tied right to their hearts. Albinson also makes a point that perceptions of Ukrainian refugees being rich is misplaced. He acknowledged that the first wave of migrants from the war-ravaged country in early 2022 were those who could afford to leave, he said. They were the ones with the resources to do it. However, in March 2022, Albinson visited an undisclosed village church in eastern Poland, on the border with Ukraine, doing what it could to help. The church reported that the first wave of refugees came in cars but the next wave came on foot. The challenges you face if youve got the means to do something is very different than if you dont, observed Albinson. Most refugees hes encountered have fled a conflict-type situation with nothing else than the shirt on their back. Now remember, most of these people are women and children, so the vulnerability is very intense. How do you feed your kids? How do you care for yourself? How do you even just get shoes or a jacket depending on the weather, wherever you are? Albinson grieved at the fact that many Western countries saw these vulnerable women and children as dangerous, and cruelly left them to face exploitation by criminals. If the rhetoric in the countries youre passing through is that these people are dangerous, or a threat to our comfort or security, who is left to care for these people as theyre moving? The trauma of being displaced is real and the multiple traumas that people experience while they're displaced is real. Refugees who survive often end up in refugee camps where they can get stuck for years, and suffer more trauma through criminality inside the displacement bases. Albinson recalled receiving video footage via Whatsapp from a United Nations officer, also a Christian, working in a large 250,000-strong refugee camp in Kenya. She told how a Sudanese ethnic tribe had attacked the reception center where refugees usually ask for help upon arrival. The women and children were running for their lives. I saw videos of these people that looked like they were fleeing another war. Albinson also remembers a UN meeting with Antonio Guterrez in 2012, when he still served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees before later becoming Secretary General, in which he said faiths offer a currency of hope. I went away from that meeting and pondered that for a long time. And my mind went to the refugee churches that I knew in the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya, which I'd been visiting quite often. And I thought, I've seen the people in the churches in the refugee camp pastored by refugees themselves. Everybody traumatized and far from home; multiple languages; multiple tribal affiliations and everything else going on - but Id seen them weep in prayer and dance while they sing. Albinson scrutinized the interactions of these refugees at the time and identified five ingredients where churches could offer a pot of hope soup. Firstly, people are social creatures so churches can provide safe, supportive communities. A community that says, come as you are. We love you even before you love us. You are welcome here. An embrace is foundational to hope. Secondly, the Christian worldview is a spiritual reality showing God is near, not detached. Albinson said that is a life-giving message for many refugees. A lot of people live in a world with a worldview that says, there is no God. I'm totally on my own. A lot more people live in a world where they believe in some kind of god or spiritual reality, but it's detached [or uncaring]. And none of that is very life-giving. The Christian Church believes that God loved us so much that He came to us in Jesus Christ. And that in Jesus we see that injustice, suffering and evil does not get the last word, nor does death. Life and love last beyond all of the evil. And that is an incredible message to people. Thirdly, the Church can offer emotional wellbeing. Refugees have been ripped out of their context and suffered trauma. Albinson said there was a need for healing with memories, potentially via counseling to deal with things they saw, the loved ones they lost and all of that. Fourthly, is practical support with language learning, understanding how to use transport in a new living setting, how to get clothes and food. Albinson warned against a power disequilibrium by dehumanizing people by not empowering refugees to help themselves. Lastly, Albinson encourages churches to listen to refugees and partner with them, in line with his fourth ingredient of empowerment. People need to be seen as people who bring something meaningful to the community and society around them. In the organization that I lead, we basically listen to the refugees that we serve and ask them: what are the ways you want to change the world youre living in, or the context youre in, or how are you helping people here? The approach that the Church has to offer is to be a unique community. I mean, the Church is supposed to be a healing body and then you add the practical help and recognising everybodys got a gift - that sounds like a healthy church. And if people can be welcomed into that, a lot of hope takes root and it takes a community to keep it going. Albinson said that in some African refugee camps they have no worship songbooks. Even so, they write their own devotional music in the midst of the troubles they suffer. It sounds a lot like the Psalms to me when I get it translated, but the kids lead worship as well as the adults. Everybody is a contributor. And I think, Wow! We can learn from that. More than half of Christians in the United Kingdom experienced hostility and ridicule for their faith in Christ, a survey shows, even as the countrys top police chief admitted to gaps in hate crime laws. A survey of 1,562 Christians from different denominations and ages showed that 56 percent experienced hostility when discussing their beliefs, with 61 percent of those believers under 35, according to Voice for Justice UKs The Costs of Keeping The Faith study. At the same time, 18 percent suffered discrimination, especially younger people. What is particularly worrying is the high level of self-censorship among younger respondents, with only 36 percent of the younger generation feeling free to express their view at work, said Anja Hoffmann, executive director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDACE), in a press statement. OIDACE called the numbers alarming and comparable to similar observations of the observatory on growing pressure against Christians. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up The figures align with OIDACEs study on self-censorship and with various opinion polls indicating that religious believers, including young people, are especially vulnerable to self-censorship, Hoffmann said. In the past years, the United Kingdom has always ranked high among European countries restricting religious freedom, she said. We are, therefore, grateful for this extensive survey, as data on discrimination among Christians is needed more than ever. The Voice for Justice survey also showed that Christians with conservative social attitudes suffered most from vilification, including losing jobs. Schools were hotspots for hostility against followers of Christ. Parents felt pressured to tell their children to be quiet about their faith in order to deter bullying. The wider media were also blamed for promoting negative stereotypes of Christians. Christianity lies at the foundation of British society, underpinning our tolerance and acceptance of diversity, said Lynda Rose, director of Voice for Justice UK. But our survey shows Christians in the U.K., both in the workplace and socially, are increasingly subjected to discrimination and marginalization. Rose saw the root cause as an ideology actively hostile to Christianity. If we want to safeguard our tolerance and freedom, then we need to protect Christianity itself, she said. The survey results were released as Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Metropolitan police, voiced concern on Thursday (June 13) about outrageous gaps in hate crime legislation. He said police wanted communities to feel safe but recognized the challenges of people having intensely different views. He made the comments during his appearance on A Muslim, A Jew & The Met Commissioner Go There podcast co-hosted by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and comedian David Baddiel. The panel discussed the issues around defining religious and racial hate crimes. Before he returned from a career gap in policing, Rowley completed a report on religious extremism and the law. I was struck by the gaps in hate crime laws, and some things are quite startling, he said on the podcast. It is perfectly lawful at the moment to intentionally stir up racial or religious hatred as long as you avoid being threatening or abusive. Baddiel called this an oxymoron and commented that seems impossible. He related his own experience at seeing Jews framed as rich, powerful or successful, offensive for historical reasons. That stereotype leads to resentment, then anger, and finally violence against Jews, Baddiel said, admitting it is not straightforward to police. Rowley said there are some hate crime and terrorism legislation that creates some cracks for this [extremist] behavior to exist when it ought to be illegal. If you are setting out with intent to stir up race/religious hatred, full stop, if we can prove the intent, that ought to be illegal, Rowley said. But it is not, unless you can prove some other things at the moment. Panamas former First Lady Lorena Castillo, Juan Carlos Varelas wife (Varela was President of Panama from 2014 to 2019), said in a video shared on social media that she wanted to find Christ, and found Him a year and a half ago. I have always searched for more, more spirituality, something that would fill my professional and material life. Because though I had it all, I felt so empty So, so empty, so I decided to study the Bible, Castillo shares in the video. Last year she was seen at a dinner organized by an evangelical church, and her presence was noted but not reported by the press. At that event, she was accompanied by Pastors Jose and Teresa Pimentel, leaders of Centro Familiar Vida Nueva, which Castillo is said to attend, and where she and other people shared their testimonies, according to some Instagram stories. Castillos testimony was recorded and reproduced as a reel in other social media accounts. "I really wanted to find Christ, and I found Him here. My life has been transformed in an unimaginable way. The things I have been able to achieve for myself, reinventing myself through the study of the Bible, and as I study the truth and the life of Christ, I understand that He lives in me and, since He lives in me, I must give more of that, more of Him. I now have a new life, because a year and a half ago I started this journey of finding Christ, she concluded. Due to sloppy police investigation and pressure from an Islamist extremist party, a judge last week granted bail to at least 52 Muslims accused of killing a Christian man over a false blasphemy accusation, sources said. Special Judge Anti-Terrorism Court Sargodha Muhammad Abbas on Thursday (June 13), granted bail to the suspects, including three persons named in the First Information Report (FIR), in the lynching of 74-year-old Nazeer Masih Gill in the Mujahid Colony area of Sargodha, Punjab Province, on May 25. Gill succumbed to his injuries at a military hospital in Rawalpindi on June 3. Attorney Asad Jamal said he regretted the release of the suspects but was anticipating it because of the polices intentional poor investigation. The polices conduct was suspicious from the onset, Jamal told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. The investigators neither preserved the crime scene nor made any attempt to interrogate the detained suspects. The suspects were arrested and sent to jail on the same day, whereas the police should have sought their physical remand for interrogation to record their first version statements to link their involvement in the incident. The Muslim lawyer, who has represented several people falsely accused of blasphemy including Christians, was part of a fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) that termed Gills lynching a calculated assault, manipulated through religious fervor to gain maximum leverage. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Jamal said that it was clear that police had deliberately recorded statements of false witnesses to damage the case. They should have identified neighbors who witnessed the entire incident and recorded their statements, but it was not done, he said. Moreover, the police have not recorded the statements of Gills family to date. Jamal said police were not sharing any information with Gills family, though they are a natural party to the case. Bails are not granted without notice, Jamal said. Why didnt the judge summon the affected family? Why didnt the police inform them about the bail hearing and bring them to court to present their point of view? There is no indication that the government has any intention of gathering evidence and prosecuting the suspects, he said. According to criminal procedure, though the family can make a representation in the case, the responsibility of prosecution is on the government, and it has to take a lead in it, he added. Jamal said the family could proceed with a private complaint, but he asked how would they come up with evidence. Will the police share their evidence with the family? he said. It is not easy to pursue a private complaint in court, particularly in cases where a mob is involved. This particular case is very complicated both politically and legally and theres very little hope for justice for the victim. The lawyer also criticized the governments inaction against the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which staged a massive protest against police in Sargodha against the arrest of their members involved in Gills lynching. TLP leaders publicly threatened police and Christians and proudly endorsed Gills killing, yet no action has been taken against them, Jamal said. It was also a clear attempt to pressure the court. Expecting Pakistani judges to hear and decide sensitive cases without the support and protection of the government is tantamount to giving them a death sentence. The Urban Area Police Station had registered an FIR on behalf of the state against 44 named and 300 to 400 unidentified suspects. The case was registered under several sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including murder, 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. Judge Abbas admitted the suspects pleas, in which they claimed that police had implicated them in the case only on the basis of suspicion. They stated that police had failed to attribute their specific roles in the incident, and none of the 18 witnesses had identified them. Moreover, nothing has been recovered from their possession, they added. Accepting the petitions, the judge ordered the suspects release on bail against surety bonds of 100,000 rupees (US$360) each. The release of the suspects shocked and disappointed Christians and rights advocates. They believe that outcome of Gills case will be similar to the Jaranwala cases of Aug. 16, in which all detained suspects have been freed on bail, and the court has halted proceedings due to defective police investigation and weak prosecution. The victims son, Sultan Gill, confirmed to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that police had neither recorded their statements nor informed them about the bail applications. The news of the bails came as a surprise to us, Sultan Gill said. We only came to know about this when the police suddenly increased deployment in our area, as most of the men freed on bail are from our neighborhood. He said that police were forcing them to stay indoors, making them prisoners in their own house. We are clueless and dont know where this case is heading. I dont think we have any other option but to relocate from this city, he said. Though church leaders and Christian socio-political activists have spoken out against the increasing violent persecution of their community, the governments silence and inaction have led many to believe that the community has been left at the mercy of Islamist extremists. 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. On the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons (1974) -- A dark turn in the pop-culture? (Part Twenty-Three) By Mark Wegierski web posted June 17, 2024 The author of this series has recently become aware of a possible major counter-argument to the ideas expressed earlier in the series which were, briefly put, that role-playing games are a kind of vehicle for an escapism disengaged from serious notions of history and religion. However, we live in a world where notions of history and religion and most, especially, those of Western civilization have been almost entirely removed from the consciousness of many younger persons. Indeed, there are multifarious techniques in place today for rendering nearly all of Western civilization to appear as utterly hideous to so-called decent human sensibilities. In a landscape without real heroes, and with very little real history being taught in the schools, considerable numbers of young people have been thrown upon their own resources in searching for something heroic. Thus, they may sometimes turn to various fantastical landscapes, where honor and heroism can live again, without being "tainted" by the association with a currently-disgraced Western civilization. The argument would therefore be that, for considerable numbers of younger people, role-playing games represent a yearning for the heroic and honorable that is so manifestly lacking in today's society. It could be argued that there are various types of role-playing gamers. Some may indeed be searching for "something better" than that found in the desiccated world of late modernity. Some of the fantastical genres may indeed be suffused with a nostalgia for earlier and alternative periods of history (an example of the latter being an alternative Victorian era that is usually called "steampunk") that differs little from the typically traditionalist yearning for "the good old days". A considerable amount of science fiction set in the future (or an indeterminate era) also participates in what has been called "feudal values plus high technology" probably most prominently represented by Frank Herbert's Dune series, and, to a certain extent, George Lucas' Star Wars series. This is what could be called "moving forward to the past". Such subgenres as cyberpunk focus on individual resistance to near-dystopic situations that can, without too much difficulty, be seen as "managerial-therapeutic" regimes. It may be noticed that many role-playing games tend to appeal to aristocratic notions. Even much of vampire fiction posits the vampires as a sort of aristocracy. These notions of aristocracy are also somewhat linked to pop-cultural trends like the Society for Creative Anachronism, and Goths. Certainly, role-playing gamers tend to be of high intelligence. Their interest in earlier periods of history might lead, among some of them, to a re-discovery on their own, of the currently almost totally suppressed real history of the West. It offers a way out from the current-day, almost obligatory self-hatred. J.R.R Tolkien clearly showed the way in intertwining fantastical history with long-standing Western and European notions. Perhaps, for some role-playing gamers, their fascination with invented histories and worlds may lead to engagement with real scholarly pursuits of which RPG's may be somewhat suggestive for example, history, literature, librarianship, archivy, archaeology, ancient and classical languages, fine arts, architecture. If it is commonly said that most role-playing gamers are so-called "geeks", they may nevertheless be searching for some vehicle for successfully transcending their "geekhood". There may indeed be a so-called "cunning of reason" operating where even the most supposedly "impractical" pursuits if consistently and conscientiously followed can sometimes result in considerable, worthwhile achievements, and even career successes. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Under-counting anti-white hate crimes By Thomas M. Sipos web posted June 17, 2024 On April 28, 2023, the Santa Monica Daily Press ran this headline on page one: "Metro Rider Violently Beaten by Eight Teenagers at Santa Monica Station." The article, written by Magnolia Lafleur, reported the incident (which occurred on April 19) as a case of simple assault. But buried on page eight was this: "the teens jumped on him screaming insults and racial slurs". Now, when violent thugs shout "racial slurs" during an attack, is that not a hate crime? Yet LaFleur's long article -- 30 paragraphs -- never mentions "hate." Nor are we told the races of the "teenagers" or of their victim, Eric Lewis. The issue of race is never again broached. Lewis's attackers were caught. "All suspects were identified as juveniles from Los Angeles but only two have been charged with assault at this time. Per County rules regarding juveniles accused of committing crimes, all suspects were issued citations and released to their parents." Lewis was treated at Saint John's Hospital for a laceration of the scalp requiring eight staples, a cracked rib, and lesser injuries. A photo of his injured scalp appears to be of a white man. Because his attackers hurled "racial slurs" at him, it's a safe assumption that these attackers were nonwhite. It's also a safe assumption that, had the races been reversed, we would still be hearing about it. Yet in the past year, the story has fallen off the radar. Nothing on search engines. Memory holed. Every year the FBI and ADL release hate crime statistics on which groups are most victimized, which the least, which suffered an increase in attacks, which enjoyed a decrease, etc. I question the accuracy of those reports. Hate crimes against "protected classes" are more aggressively reported and tabulated by the authorities and advocacy groups than hate crimes against, say, whites or Christians. Had eight white "teenagers" brutally assaulted a black man while screaming racial slurs, it's a safe bet they would face hate crime charges. Headlines would shout "Hate" even without such charges being filed. Of course, I'm guessing that if Eric Lewis were publicly asked about his attackers, he would say, "This had nothing to do with race." It's what white people are taught (or pressured?) to say in such instances. Even when racial slurs are hurled at us, we often don't regard it as a hate crime. I too was the victim of an anti-white hate crime. Yet that didn't even occur to me at the time. Back in the 1990s, on a Saturday night after 11 p.m., a friend and I left a 24/7 donut shop on Queens Blvd in Forest Hills, NY. We were walking south on Union Turnpike, a dark stretch, the only pedestrians in sight. An older car came up beside us, carrying three black male youths. They drove slowly beside us, eying us, saying nothing. My friend and I continued walking, tense, pretending not to notice. Naturally, we feared we might be robbed or even killed. After what felt like a very long time (but probably wasn't), one of the youths shouted, "White trash!" and the car drove off. Strange thing to say. New York City is not the deep south. Yet that's what one of them shouted. My friend and I breathed happy relief, thrilled we hadn't been beaten or murdered. Only years later did it occur to me that I'd been the victim of a hate crime. Had some white youths shouted the N-word to black pedestrians in similar circumstances, would that not be treated as a hate crime? Or if blacks had shouted anti-Semitic or homophobic slurs, would that not be regarded as a hate crime despite the victims' whiteness? In these instances, I believe the victims would more likely have reported it, the police and district attorney would more likely have treated it as a hate crime, and it would more likely have been tabulated in the FBI and ADL's hate crime statistics. But if my friend and I had gone to the police, they would likely be annoyed that we were wasting their time, requiring them to fill out a report over what they'd regard as a minor incident. We live in a culture that rewards victim status. Political power, preferences, protection, and money are distributed according to one's victim narrative. That's not how it should be, but so long as it is, the same standards of reporting and tabulation should be applied to all hate crimes. Otherwise, official hate crime statistics cannot be regarded as fair or accurate. Thomas M. Sipos has written previously about the problems with hate crime laws. Home No, abortion does not drive moderate women to the polls By Rachel Alexander web posted June 17, 2024 The left started a myth a few years ago to deter pro-lifers from drafting legislation. They asserted that passing pro-life laws makes moderate women angry, so they show up in larger numbers to vote, hurting conservative candidates and conservative ballot measures. This myth has become such an effective tactic that in Arizona, after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the state's old strict abortion law could go into effect due to the U.S. Supreme Court reversing Roe v. Wade, the conservative Arizona Legislature rushed to repeal the law. Legislators claimed that if it wasn't repealed, moderate women would rush to vote for the left's radical 9-month pro-abortion proposition that is likely to be on the ballot this fall. The legislators who voted for the repeal didn't seem to care that the left cheated in Arizona's 2020 and 2022 elections, ensuring that their propositions passed and ours didn't, and since no meaningful election integrity legislation has passed since the botched 2022 election, there's no reason to think they won't cheat and steal the 2024 election too. No one believes that conservative Kansas, which has a 20-point Republican advantage compared to the rest of the country, really defeated a 2022 pro-life measure. It would have amended the state Constitution to say it contains no right to an abortion. Try to find a poll of Kansas voters on abortion there's a reason you can't find any. Unfortunately, state legislatures all around the country are now terrified to put pro-life legislation on the ballot. The MSM gloated about all the failed attempts this year. Instead, there are pro-abortion ballot measures likely to make the ballot in several states, including in red Montana, Florida, South Dakota, Arkansas and Missouri. Everyone knows now that Democrats cheat in elections, so why are Republicans giving them a free pass on this issue? Since the cheating started in significant amounts in 2020, it's becoming even more difficult to tell if abortion drives moderate women to the polls. After Roe v. Wade was reversed in 2022, the left ominously warned that it would hurt pro-life Kari Lake's run for governor in Arizona that year. However, a Rasmussen Reports exit poll found that Lake whose election was clearly stolen from her won by a significant 8 points over her pro-abortion opponent Katie Hobbs. The poll showed that women voted for Lake over Hobbs by a 7 point margin statistically no different than men. Even numerous left-leaning pollsters showed Lake ahead of Hobbs right before the election. A poll released in March from Rasmussen Reports found that independent likely voters did not consider abortion a significant issue this year. Only 32% said it is, not much more than Republican likely voters at 28%. In contrast, 66% of likely Democratic voters consider it a significant issue who were already going to vote. The left and their comrades in the MSM now issue gushing article after gushing article leading up to elections warning that pro-life legislation or pro-life court opinions will drive moderate women to the polls. But after the election is over, there's a strange quiet. There's no victory lap boasting about how the extra women supposedly showed up. This is because their victories in 2020 and afterwards were due to cheating; they didn't have the raw numbers to show the supposed increase. There's never any study that comes out afterwards showing this alleged bump. But they're huge on anecdotes, pretending it's evidence that beefs up their myth. There's always lots of interviews in the MSM with leftist looking women notice they always look like leftists, they're never actually really moderates who go on and on claiming they only went to vote due to being so outraged about abortion. They're not even believable. Just a few seconds of listening to them reveals it's obvious they're radicals who never miss an election. Texas banned abortions after six weeks in 2021, and it had no effect on the 2022 election, as Republicans remained in power throughout much of the state. The left also perpetuates a myth that women are overwhelmingly pro-abortion. The reality is the majority of leaders in the pro-life movement are women, because a large percentage of women also feel very strongly about preserving life. This may in part be due to the fact more baby girls are aborted than baby boys. These women cancel out the votes of the leftist women who support abortion. The left never discusses all the women who have had an abortion who now regret it or feel sad, so they change their mind on the issue. Over half of likely voters agreed with SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade. Sadly, that decision is now proving to be a Pyrrhic victory. The left has gone into an absolute frenzy to ensure that red states adopt pro-abortion laws, and since they've mastered cheating in elections, ballot measures are an easy way to do it. Polls show that voters are overwhelmingly against abortion after about three or four months, but these radical measures are passing anyway. A poll from Rasmussen Reports released last month found that 67% of voters oppose abortion after 12 weeks. The left's comrades on the bench the legal system is now hugely dominated by leftists are heavily assisting with this, ensuring that pro-life legislation and ballot measures are thrown out and pro-abortion legislation and ballot measures go through. By avoiding pro-life legislation, politicians are sacrificing the lives of unborn babies in exchange for tax cuts and other ostensibly more pressing priorities. Why is the right so naively believing the lies of the left? The left lies about everything, there's no reason to believe them on this myth, especially since they have little evidence to back it up; just their big mouths. 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 China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway to greatly boost regional connectivity Xinhua) 08:28, June 17, 2024 A signing ceremony of an intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is held in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Once the railway is completed and operational, it will not only contribute to the development of Central Asia but also further promote connectivity among neighboring countries and regions. BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway reflects the common aspirations of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and will inject strong momentum into the economic and social development of the three countries, Central Asia and beyond, experts have said. On June 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated via video link the signing of an intergovernmental agreement in Beijing on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. The railway will begin in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and enter the territory of Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan. In the future, it will reach West Asia and South Asia. This aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2023 shows the Torugart port of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A RAILWAY TO THE SEA Located in the heartland of the Asian continent, the development of Central Asia has long been constrained by a lack of ports. The railway, once completed, will provide access to the sea and greatly promote connectivity among the three countries and the greater region, experts have said. Kyrgyzstan, with the help of the railway, will receive a large increase in the passage of goods. In addition, thanks to the railway, Kyrgyzstan, which is located at a geographical dead end, will have access to the sea, said Sergei Ponomarev, president of the Association of Markets of Kyrgyzstan. The implementation of the project will bring enormous benefits to all project participants and all of Central and South Asia, said Kubanychbek Taabaldiev, a Kyrgyz political scientist and professor of international relations at Ala-Too International University in Bishkek. A new transit route will be open from East to West, making possible a shorter transit of goods from China to the south and further to the west, said Taabaldiev, noting that "appropriate infrastructure will be created, new jobs are open, and new opportunities will appear for the development of the entire Central Asian region." The railway is strategically significant to Afghanistan, especially considering its landlocked geographical location, said Jalal Bazwan, a lecturer at Kabul-based Kardan University. The extension of the railway can connect to the northern port of Hairatan in Afghanistan, providing a direct and efficient route for cross-border trade, thereby attracting overseas investment, which is crucial for a landlocked country like Afghanistan, said Bazwan. The railway will shorten the time needed to transport Central Asian products to major global markets, facilitate the integration of Central Asia into the global industrial and supply chains, and accelerate the economic development of Central Asian countries, said Yang Bo, a professor of the School of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Shanghai International Studies University. This photo taken on Nov. 11, 2023 shows the unveiling ceremony of Kashgar Area of China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION LIFELINE Once the railway is completed and operational, it will not only contribute to the development of Central Asia but also further promote connectivity among neighboring countries and regions. It could extend to as far as West Asia, the Middle East, and southern Europe, experts have said. The railway provides an alternative to one of Afghanistan's traditional trade routes through Pakistan, reducing the cost and time of transit for imports and exports, further integrating Afghanistan into regional economic activities, and promoting ties with neighboring countries, said Bazwan. It cannot only closely connect China with Central Asian countries but also can serve as an important transportation corridor, allowing goods to be further transported to the Middle East, said Abdullah Al-Dosari, the editor-in-chief of Kuwait's Al-Arab newspaper. Baris Doster, an academic at Istanbul-based Marmara University, said the new railway would enhance commercial, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic relations, strengthening ties among countries in the broader region, including Central Asian countries, China, the Caucasus and Trkiye. The railway is the realization of a dream of bringing China closer to Central Asia and Europe and will further strengthen and expand the railway network between Asia and Europe, said Mark Cigoj, a Croatian political analyst. "I am convinced that this is in the interests of both China and the countries of Asia and Europe," Cigoj said. Customers select commodities at the cross-border e-commerce import and export commodities exhibition and trading center in the comprehensive bonded zone in Kashgar Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Nov. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A SIGNATURE BRI PROJECT The railway will be a key component of the core transportation network of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and will inject strong impetus into the development of Central Asia and beyond, experts have said. The completion of the project will help countries along the route to better promote trade and people-to-people exchanges through the high-quality cooperation of the BRI, and to share opportunities brought by China's development, said Hadi Bassam, a researcher at the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies. This is another fruitful outcome of South-South cooperation in today's complex international situation, reflecting the urgent need of developing countries to strengthen connectivity and seek coordinated development, said Bassam. The railway project will shorten freight transport between China, Central Asia and Europe and will be a faster and cheaper alternative to the current land routes, said Amer Tamam, vice editor-in-chief of Egypt's state-run Akhbar newspaper. Professor Yang Bo at Shanghai International Studies University said the railway will create a cross-border transportation corridor from East Asia and Southeast Asia to Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and southern Europe and facilitate the movement of people and goods between Asia and Europe, thus holding great significance in the construction of the international railway network. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) NuStar Energy opened its headquarters, seen here in 2014, in 2010. Its now been acquired by Sunoco LP, which acquired the San Antonio pipeline and storage company earlier this year. Cynthia Esparza/For the San Antonio Express-News NuStar Energys North Side headquarters shortly after it opened in 2014. The building was acquired by Sunoco LP earlier this month, an investment likely to raise hopes that it will keep NuStars headquarters in the city. Cynthia Esparza/For the Express-News Sunoco LP has purchased the North Side headquarters of its new subsidiary, San Antonio-based pipeline and storage operator NuStar Energy a major investment likely to raise hopes that it will keep NuStars headquarters in the city. Prior to its takeover by Sunoco, NuStar sold the property to a North Carolina financial company but kept its offices there under a 20-year leaseback deal. Now two entities linked with Sunoco Sunoco Retail LLC and Town & Country Food Stores Inc. have acquired the 24-acre, 319,000-square-foot headquarters outside The Rim from Truist Financial Corp., based in Charlotte, N.C. The deal closed June 7, Bexar County property records show. Advertisement Article continues below this ad No price was disclosed. NuStar sold the property to Truist in April 2023 for $103 million, using the proceeds to pay off debt. Sunocos acquisition of NuStar last month for about $6.5 billion in stock raised the likelihood of San Antonio losing yet another local headquarters. Both companies said NuStar will keep its headquarters here for at least two years, but its future beyond that has been unclear. NuStar, Sunoco and its parent company, Energy Transfer Partners LP, have not responded to requests for comment regarding the acquisition. Amy Konraoth, a spokesperson for Truist, declined to comment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Positive sign Jeff Webster, president and CEO of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, said Monday that he sees Sunocos purchase of the headquarters as a positive sign. He also noted that Energy Transfer, Sunocos parent company, already has an office in Stone Oak. Any time someone like that is acquiring capital real estate in our market, I think thats a good sign, he said. Lets be honest thats an outstanding building that is beautiful and developed very well. Through last years sale-leaseback process, NuStar kept two vacant properties it owns that are adjacent to the headquarters at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and Old Camp Bullis Road totaling about 13 acres. Sunoco agreed to buy NuStar in January a move that gave it control of the companys vast network of pipelines, terminals and other infrastructure crucial to the Dallas-based fuel distributors own supply chain. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When the deal closed last month, it left Valero as the only major energy company in San Antonio. It wasnt the first Valero spinoff to be sold to an out-of-town buyer, though. CST Brands Inc. is another that was acquired. CST, which was spun off in 2013 to allow Valero to focus on its core refining business, was the nations second-largest operator of retail gas stations and convenience stores. But it came under fire from shareholders for racking up too much debt to fuel its expansion and was acquired in 2016 by the Canada-based parent of Circle K in a $4.4 billion cash deal. Seeking synergies In announcing its acquisition of NuStar, Sunoco said it expected to achieve about $150 million in synergies, or combined financial benefit through cost savings and other means. NuStar said Sunoco would still need its employees expertise, though, because the two companies complement each other. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As of last month, about 500 of NuStars 1,200 employees worked in the headquarters. In its lease with Truist, NuStar agreed to pay annual rent of $8.2 million for 20 years, with options to extend the term for 10 years at a time, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to a filing with the Bexar County Clerk, NuStar and Truist terminated their lease June 6, the day before the headquarters sale closed. According to Bexar Appraisal District, which assessed the property at $49.6 million last year, the building was constructed in 2011. It opened in 2012, a time when the Valero Energy Corp. spinoff was riding high. It was founded by Bill Greehey, who also founded Valero but left for the new company, which he saw as his next runaway success. But the growth-through-acquisition strategy that had worked at Valero didnt do as well at NuStar. In 2008, a couple of years after it was spun off, the new company became the No. 1 asphalt supplier in the country with its acquisition of two plants on the East Coast from Citgo Asphalt Refining Co. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the time, the deal was celebrated. But most including Greehey came to consider it the companys biggest misstep. Who thought that 2008 would happen and nobody would spend money on housing and highways? Greehey said years later as he reflected on the the toll the Great Recession took on the company. When it entered the business, asphalt prices were at an 18-year low. Margins were good. But after the financial crisis, demand plummeted and weak sales ate away at earnings. It also saddled NuStar with debt that remained a challenge through its acquisition by Sunoco. In recent years, a major focus has been selling off assets and paying down debt. That effort played a role in its move last year to sell the headquarters real estate and plow the proceeds into paying down debt. In February, Sunoco CEO Joe Kim called the acquisition another big step forward. Meera Day Towler, assistant program manager, and Abe Garza, senior research engineer, are part of a team at Southwest Research Institute developing visual-based artificial intelligence to help vehicles drive autonomously in off-road conditions. Christopher Lee Blake Krpec, a researcher at Southwest Research Institute, walks beside an autonomous Humvee at SwRIs campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Computer servers gather data inside an autonomous Humvee at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Southwest Research Institute is exploring using stereo cameras, or stereovision, as an alternative to lidar sensors in automated vehicles. SwRIs stereovision algorithms create disparity maps that estimate the depth of roadway features and obstacles. The left image shows how a conventional camera sees an off-road trail. The middle image shows a lidar image of the same trail. The right image shows a stereovision disparity map based on SwRIs algorithms, where colors indicate the distance of detected objects, with yellow representing near and blue representing far. The gray/white in the lidar image suggests the outline of trees and a vehicle hood, but it does not indicate depth or distance. Southwest Research Institute An experimental camera system is affixed to the roof of an autonomous Humvee at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Meera Day Towler, assistant program manager at Southwest Research Institute, explains the Vision for Off-Road Autonomy system at SwRIs campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Abe Garza, senior research engineer at Southwest Research Institute, shows what traditional lidar mapping looks like at SwRIs campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Meera Day Towler, assistant program manager at Southwest Research Institute, demonstrates machines for various automated tasks at SwRIs campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee An autonomous Humvee sits at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Meera Day Towler, assistant program manager, and Abe Garza, senior research engineer, are part of a team at Southwest Research Institute developing visual-based artificial intelligence to help vehicles drive autonomously in off-road conditions. Christopher Lee Computer servers gather data inside an autonomous Humvee at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Southwest Research Institute has developed a factor-graph-based algorithm to simultaneously localize and map the environment for automated vehicles. It combines sparse image features and landmark data with data from an inertial measurement unit and wheel encoder information to produce highly accurate mapping and localization data, similar to those produced by lidar sensors. The factor graph fused visual odometry a technique for estimating vehicle motion from a sequence of camera images with the IMU data to develop key points and pose estimation, which enable automated vehicles to navigate off-road courses. Southwest Research Institute Computer servers gather data inside an autonomous Humvee at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee An autonomous Humvee sits at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee An experimental camera system is affixed to the roof of an autonomous Humvee at Southwest Research Institutes campus on the West Side on May 29. Christopher Lee Engineers at Southwest Research Institute are developing technologies to help vehicles not just drive autonomously, but to do so off-road. They say a vision-based system that uses stereo cameras and new artificial intelligence algorithms to navigate rough terrain could find uses in the military, space exploration and agriculture. The system, called Vision for Off-Road Autonomy, or VORA, can perceive objects, model environments and simultaneously localize and map while navigating off-road environments, SwRI said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Working in a lab on SwRIs sprawling West Side campus, engineers have outfitted an old military Humvee with sensors, computers and hardware to test the technology. Now in the final year of a two-year project, they hope the vehicle, which is not operational, will be ready for a live demonstration within four months. Its counterintuitive because we use our eyes every single day and we drive cars mostly OK, said Abe Garza, a research engineer in SwRIs intelligent systems division. Translating that into a software platform that can do it reliably is a challenge both on-road and off-road. Its part of a project financed through the nonprofit research organizations internal research fund, which totaled $9.3 million and launched 103 new projects last year. Off-road uncertainty Driving off-road creates different problems for autonomous vehicles because, in addition to navigating obstacles, the system must decide whether a given path is traversable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On road youre going to have to deal with other drivers, pedestrians and, in some cases, animals, Garza said. Off-road, you dont have very nice pathways, and you have to be able to estimate traversability. Simple things like tall grass can challenge the models, he noted, by presenting the possibility that obstacles could be hidden within it. With many such considerations to contend with, the computer, is always calculating uncertainty. Its always a measurement, Garza said. Its somewhat inspired by how a human would navigate a new environment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stealthy, secure Other autonomous driving systems commonly use combinations of technologies including global positioning systems, radar and lidar a sensing method that emits pulses of laser light to determine the presence, shape and distance of objects. In military uses, each of those methods has drawbacks: Lidar and radar signals could be detected by hostile forces, while GPS signals can be jammed. VORAs approach is passive, meaning it doesnt emit signals or light that could otherwise be tracked. That aspect has the Defense Department interested and has opened the door to other applications. For our defense clients, we wanted to develop better passive sensing capabilities but discovered that these new computer vision tools could benefit agriculture and space research, said Meera Towler, a SwRI assistant program manager who leads the project, in a statement. Space vehicles have limited power, payload capacity and communications connectivity, so camera-based technology for autonomous vehicles offers an energy-efficient alternative to lidar-based systems that use more power. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The researchers also noted that such technology could benefit agricultural automation. GPS navigation signals are often blocked in canyons and mountains, which can limit agricultural automation, a SwRI statement said. Next steps The team created software that uses stereo-camera data instead of lidar to complete critical tasks for autonomous driving such as determining the vehicles location, perceiving the surrounding environment, mapping where its going and world modeling to help predict potential scenarios. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The researchers also developed a tool that uses artificial intelligence to create dense, accurate disparity maps from stereovision. And they developed a factor graph algorithm to help the vehicle perform localization and mapping at the same time. Now, theyre refining their autonomous vehicles algorithms and systems so it can reliably translate visual information into actionable data. We apply our autonomy research to military and commercial vehicles, agriculture applications and so much more, Towler said in a statement. We are excited to show our clients a plug-and-play stereo camera solution integrated into an industry-leading autonomy stack. A view of the front entrance at the Bexar County Appraisal District. This year marks the first time candidates are elected to the Bexar Appraisal Districts board. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News Robert Bruce was elected to the Bexar Appraisal District board of directors. Courtesy of the Bruce campaign Erika Hizel was elected to the Bexar Appraisal District board of directors. Courtesy of the Hizel campaign Naomi Elizabeth Miller was elected to the Bexar Appraisal District board of directors. Courtesy of the Miller campaign The two final at-large seats for the Bexar Appraisal District board of directors are set following this weekends runoff election. Voters chose Erika Hizel for Place 2 and Robert Bruce for Place 3. In May, Naomi Elizabeth Miller won the Place 1 seat. This year marks the first time candidates have been elected to the Bexar Appraisal Districts board. Voters in November approved an amendment to the Texas Constitution setting up elections for at-large appraisal district seats in the states largest counties. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Taxing entities within the district will appoint members to the other five seats. Hizel owns Kimeaux Investments, a real estate investment firm. She is co-founder and president of San Antonio Property Owners Alliance, which says it advocates for mom and pop, or small-scale, landlords. North East Bexar County Democrats endorsed Hizel. Hizel won with 64% of the vote over real estate agents Stephen Spears 36%. Bruce founded United Audio Recording Productions and Boerne Stage Airfield, and is co-owner of Astro Super Bowl bowling alley. He also had the support of Bexar County Republican Party Chairman Jeff McManus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bruce got 53% of the vote compared with G.L. Larry Lamborns 47%. Only 12,253 of Bexar Countys 1.3 million voters cast ballots in the June 15 runoff. Miller is executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of San Antonio. From 2018 to 2022, she was the director of governmental relations for the Northside Independent School District. Before that, she spent nearly a decade as district director to then-Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. She had the support of the conservative True Texas Project and McManus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Guillermo Contreras has been with the Express-News for 20 years and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. He can be reached at guillermo.contreras@express-news.net He's also covered immigration, minority affairs and legal affairs as part of the projects team here and for other media outlets. Guillermo has also worked in Central America, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona and California and his work has appeared in various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York Post and Newsday. Jarvis McIntire, 26 of St. Louis, was missing for nearly a week. He came to San Antonio on June 6 and was last contacted on June 9. Courtesy San Antonio Police Department A Missouri man who disappeared while visiting family in San Antonio was found dead in the Salado Creek Greenway. The body of Jarvis McIntyre, 26, was discovered in the creek bed just off the greenway in the 1200 block of Holbrook Drive at around 9:30 a.m. Friday, San Antonio police confirmed Monday. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office performed an autopsy and did not immediately find an apparent cause and manner of death. A complete toxicology report is pending, San Antonio police said Monday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Detectives said they do not suspect foul play as of Monday. Police said there was a 911 call made June 9 at 1:36 p.m. to the 1200 block of Holbrook where McIntyre would be found. The caller said he was being chased by an individual with a rifle. The caller provided limited details on his whereabouts. Officers went to the scene but did not find the caller or witnesses. The area is a stretch of paved walking trail along Salado Creek next to a two-way street. The trail is flanked by heavy brush by the creek, but the other side is fairly open, with a few trees along the trail and a view of a church across the street. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The investigation remains ongoing, police said. Family members over the weekend called on San Antonio police to pull more resources in the investigation of McIntyres death. They posted a video on social media of their visit to the site where he was discovered, saying they had suspicions of their own. His mother, Monikki Williams Tippet, said in a video posted on social media that McIntyre was chased by someone he called a racist during the 911 call. She believes he was chased by someone who didnt want him in the area because he was either Black or gay. Whether it was for his skin tone or for his sexual orientation, we dont know, she said. Why would you chase someone with a gun who did nothing to you? His family said McIntyre came to San Antonio from St. Louis on June 6 to visit family on vacation. On June 9, he reportedly checked out of a rental and had brunch with his sister and several friends. Then, he disappeared. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He was supposed to be home by June 10 to celebrate his birthday with loved ones. A vehicle he had rented with Turo, a car-sharing company, was found with his belongings inside on Sabyan Drive, less than a mile from where his body was found in the creek. In the week that McIntyres whereabouts were unknown, his mother, family and friends came to San Antonio to put up posters of missing persons in the area and search for him themselves. The missing car abandoned with all his belongings and the 911 call aroused suspicion with his family, who questioned why San Antonio police did not put more effort into a search for McIntyre. Why wouldnt you guys take this case more seriously? Tippet asked. Even if you didnt go into the park, at least knock at the doors of the residents because something wasnt right here. They did none of that. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The family even walked the creek but stopped just short of finding him themselves, Tippet said. Sister Beniface speaks in front of Martin Luther King statue on far left. Also pictured are Corine Duncan and Reverend S. Clifton Byrd. Jose Barrera/San Antonio Express-News Members of the Texas Emancipation Day Human Rights Committee voice their opinions about police brutality in front of the Bexar County Justice Center. The group was denouncing police brutality in general but was also protesting the treatment of a local woman named Debra Frost, who was allegedly mistreated at a local grocery store by police officers. Pictured from left to right are Dorothy Byrd, Rev. Richard Cottom, Rev. Clifton Byrd and Deacon Oscar Vicks. JOHN DAVENPORT/JD Sherman Clifton Byrd, 75, pastor of First Providence Baptist Church, recites the Pledge of Allegiance during the "Voices of Civil Rights" bus tour stop to gather individual histories at the Frank Garrett Community Center on Aug. 7, 2004. Byrd was San Antonio's first black criminal investigator. BILLY CALZADA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Among long rows of white markers, the Rev. Sherman Clifton Byrd lies at rest at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. The inscription for the Navy veteran reads, Beloved Husband and Father. Not etched on the marble headstone is another honor Director of the Texas Emancipation Day Commission. Byrd was instrumental in promoting the importance of San Antonios annual Juneteenth celebration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He remembered the years when small towns across Texas closed to celebrate June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth. Hed seen parades and picnics honor the day Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the Civil War had ended and President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery two years earlier. By 1898, more than 90 Black-owned businesses sponsored a march in downtown San Antonio. A 1902 parade wound from Chestnut Street to Alamo Plaza, ending at East Crockett Street. As the 1970s came to a close, Byrd began his push to spread awareness about the celebrations he said fostered integration during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1980, he founded the commission to promote the holiday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Freedom is everybodys business a threat to freedom anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere, Byrd said in a 1990s newspaper article. That date that we got the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas is to be remembered because if you forget about the struggle, youll soon lose what the struggle was about. In 1979, the late State Rep. Al Edwards introduced House Bill 1016, which Gov. Bill Clements signed to make Juneteenth an official state holiday. Three years ago, President Joe Biden signed legislation making June 19 a federal holiday. Byrd died July 25, 2013. He was 84. ALSO READ: San Antonio teens tour the world with Students of Service nonprofit Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Sunday morning, True Vision Church hosted its second annual Juneteenth observance in honor of Byrd and his years leading San Antonios Juneteenth events. Last year, the church in Kirby honored Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, who campaigned to have the day officially honored across the nation. True Visions pastor, the Rev. Michael Steve Brown, recalled growing up in awe of the festive atmosphere at local functions. He can still hear the music, taste the food and feel the upbeat vibe of the crowds. What he doesnt see is the credit he said Byrd deserves. He used to lead San Antonio, particularly the East Side, in Juneteenth celebrations, Brown said. He was the leader when we didnt know what the holiday meant. His legacy is Juneteenth. Byrd was the first Black criminal investigator at the Bexar County District Attorneys office. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He grew up in East Texas on a sharecropper cotton farm. He was the grandson of a former slave, Nathan Byrd, who was shot and killed by a white mob as he tried to protect his son from them. Some say that tragedy powered Clifton Byrds call for justice and equal rights. Byrd led several protests, one that included calling for change with commission members outside of the Bexar County Court House when complaints of police brutality arose after a womans arrest on W.W. White Road. Religion was at the heart of Byrds drive to promote the holiday. In 1968, he founded First Providence Baptist Church and served as pastor for 44 years until he was appointed Pastor Emeritus. He also owned the Bible World USA Book Store in McCreless Mall. Former San Antonio Light reporter Ed Glosson covered Byrds bus trip to a historic Black church in South Carolina. He recalled one of the men having to calculate the mileage from Texas to South Carolina because the gas gauge didnt work. They arrived at the church on a Sunday, but it was empty there wasnt a service. Nearby neighbors greeted them and called members of the church. That night, the congregation prepared a meal for the travelers and held a worship service. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In June 1996, Byrd hosted a one-hour prayer vigil at the Institute for Texan Cultures for more than 30 Black churches across the South that had been burned in 18 months. Two years later, as a Juneteenth celebration took place at Comanche Park, Byrd and 60 participants marched in a noon parade from Martin Luther King Plaza on New Braunfels Avenue to Pittman Sullivan Park. Rev. Byrd was dedicated and tried to do a lot for the East Side, Glosson said. He was always trying to encourage us. He did Juneteenth, and Rev. Callies did the MLK March. Local businessman Frank Dunn said Byrd was well respected in the community and the go-to man for assistance and mentorship. He always did something, Dunn said. He was real strong into Juneteenth. Though a staunch advocate of the celebrations, Byrd said that often, history is lost amidst the fun. Alex Tannous, who gave out business cards that said "Prince Alex Tannous," has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud for allegedly scamming an Austin businessman. Courtesy A man who claimed to be a Middle Eastern prince and allegedly touted sterling connections to scam Texas investors seeking to do business overseas has agreed to plead guilty to fraud, according to his attorney. Alex Tannous, 39, plans to plead guilty to wire fraud. The charge stems from allegations that he swindled an Austin man who wanted to run ghost kitchens in the Middle East out of at least $40,000. The offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but under federal sentencing guidelines, the actual sentence could be much lower. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tannous agreed to a plea bargain a little more than three months after being charged which U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia could interpret to mean that he has taken responsibility for his actions. Tannous' lawyer, Daniel Mehler, plans to ask the judge for leniency. "That's our hope, that he will be granted probation," Mehler said. "We'll make our arguments. We'd like to keep him out of prison." A hearing has not yet been scheduled to formalize the guilty plea. Sentencing is often set within 90 days of a plea. A federal grand jury indicted Tannous on Feb. 21 on six counts of wire fraud, alleging a similar pattern of swindles in which Tannous portrayed himself as a businessman with lucrative connections in the Middle East. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "For many years, the defendant, Alex Georges Tannous, a citizen of Lebanon, claimed to be a businessman and diplomat from the United Arab Emirates with close ties to Emirati royalty," the indictment said. "In reality, Tannous was none of those things. Rather, he used his gifts of persuasion to bilk unknowing victims." Behind the wheel of expensive vehicles, Tannous crisscrossed affluent San Antonio neighborhoods including the Dominion, Stone Oak and Sonterra, and the suburban city of Shavano Park in search of investors. Tannous was a San Antonio resident at the time. He told potential investors, mostly small- to midsize business owners, that he could help them do business in the United Arab Emirates by tapping financing sources in the Persian Gulf country, according to the indictment and San Antonio Express-News interviews with alleged victims. According to the indictment, Tannous directed the alleged victims to pay thousands of dollars to entities that he controlled to secure Emirati financing. He said he would use the funds to pay government fees required to do business in the UAE. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "In reality, Tannous had no such ties, and instead, he used the money given to him by his victims to fund his personal lifestyle and enrich his family members," the indictment said. The indictment focused on three alleged victims of Tannous, but the charge to which he has agreed to plead guilty relates to only one of them an Austin resident whom Tannous met through a mutual friend in spring 2021. Tannous allegedly told the man that he was an Emirati official charged with finding U.S.-based businesses that could operate in Dubai. The businessman developed software for so-called ghost kitchens, which take orders online and prepare food for pickup and delivery. Tannous persuaded the man to join him in a joint venture to set up ghost kitchens in the Middle East, promising to secure millions of dollars from an Emirati economic development fund. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tannous asked the man to kick in $100,000. Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart, right, is a former commander of the 19th Air Force, the service's San Antonio-based pilot training arm. He stands accused of raping a female subordinate. He is only the second general in Air Force history to face a court-martial. William Luther/San Antonio Express-News Air Force Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart was a command pilot with more than 2,600 hours in the air, including more than 600 hours in combat. He held command positions in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming head of the 19th Air Force, the service's pilot training arm based in San Antonio. A dispute over evidence delayed the start of jury selection in the trial of a San Antonio-based Air Force general charged with raping a female subordinate, only the second court-martial of a general officer in the service's history. The trial of Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart was scheduled to begin Monday at Fort Sam Houston. Jury selection was put on hold, however, when defense attorneys complained that they were being denied equal access to key electronic evidence and requested a hearing before the judge. Stewart is accused of sexually assaulting a female officer at or near Altus AFB in southwestern Oklahoma in April 2023. He has maintained it was a consensual affair. Prosecutors say the woman had no choice but to submit to Stewarts advances given his rank and power. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He faces 63 years in the stockade if found guilty of four violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: sexual assault, conduct unbecoming an officer, dereliction of duty and extramarital sexual conduct. RELATED: Air Force general accused of rape demands jury trial The hang-up that led to a delay in jury selection on Monday involved a prosecution witness who could be called to testify about what Stewarts lead defense attorney, Sherry Bunn, described as evidence of a technological nature. Bunn declined to elaborate, but arguments in court revealed that the devices include an iPhone 13 Pro, an iPad Pro 5th generation and an iPad5. At least one of the devices belongs to Stewart. Defense lawyers told the judge, Col. Matthew Stoffel, that their expert should be allowed to examine the devices at his own facility, just as the prosecutions expert had. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stoffel ultimately agreed. The defense was deeply troubled by the governments attempts to preclude equal access to evidence in this case after learning Friday afternoon that the government authorized its expert to travel from Joint Base San Antonio to his forensic lab in Washington with devices associated with the case," Bunn said in a statement to the San Antonio Express-News. "This was just a few weeks after the government denied the defense request to allow its expert to bring the devices to his forensic lab in Virginia," she said. "We asked the court to order the government to transfer the devices to our expert consultant in Virginia, and today the judge agreed." Prosecutors had objected to the defense request. Lt. Col. Pete Havern, special Air Force trial counsel, said prosecutors were responsible for the safekeeping of all evidence, and that giving up control of the devices could result in their being compromised. "The defense is requesting equal access without equal safeguards," he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Maj. Amy Simpson, a member of Stewarts defense team, said military law required that both sides have equal access and stressed that her client believes evidence on one of the devices might help clear his name. The judge suggested that an agent of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations could bring the devices to the defense experts lab, where they could be examined under the governments observation and protection. At a minimum, lets get it there, Stoffel said, ordering the devices shipped to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. After a lunchtime recess, the judge made a formal ruling that the defense had a right to have its expert examine the devices in his own laboratory under the observation of a law enforcement agent. Stoffel said it was a matter of "fundamental fairness." All of the devices have been shipped from San Antonio and were due to arrive Tuesday morning at Langley-Eustis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stoffel scheduled jury selection to begin Tuesday, with opening arguments to start next Monday. Jury selection will be tricky because all the panelists, as court-martial jurors are called, must be Air Force officers senior in rank to Stewart. That means they must be two-star generals with more time at that grade than Stewart has, or they must be three- or four-star commanders. That limits the pool to about 68 generals. Thirteen have been called to Fort Sam as potential jurors. They include Maj. Gen. John DeGoes, the Air Force's deputy surgeon general, and Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. As commander of San Antonio's 59th Medical Wing, DeGoes helped develop a strategy for protecting airmen in basic training at Lackland AFB from exposure to the coronavirus. Miller commanded the 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio from June 2020 to May 2022. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stewart led the 19th Air Force, the services San Antonio-based pilot training arm, from August 2022 until he was sacked in May 2023 "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead." As commander of the 19th, he oversaw 32,000 employees and 1,530 aircraft assigned to 17 wings across the United States. The evidence supporting the sexual assault charge against him was aired at an Article 32 hearing at JBSA-Randolph in October. An Article 32 hearing is similar to a civilian grand jury proceeding, held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence of a crime to warrant a trial. During that hearing, defense lawyers said the female officer joked with Stewart during their encounters and kissed and hugged him. Prosecutors, however, said the evidence showed that he forced his will on her and that comments she made before, during and after the encounter suggested she was uncomfortable. Havern said during the Article 32 hearing that Stewart should not have put himself in the position of having sex with a subordinate. Havern said it speaks volumes that when investigators interviewed the woman, she referred to Stewart over and over again as boss. After reviewing the evidence, the hearing examiner, Col. Brian Thompson, recommended against a court-martial, saying the case was so weak that prosecutors would never obtain a conviction. At no point did (the alleged victim) express, through words or conduct, that she was not freely agreeing/consenting to engage in the sexual acts with accused, Thompson wrote. But Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, Stewarts commanding officer, overruled the hearing officer and ordered Stewart to stand trial on all the charges. Stoffel said that to obtain a conviction, prosecutors would have to persuade six of the eight jurors that Stewart was guilty. Oscar Martinez III, left, speaks with his lawyer, Michael DeLeon, last week during his murder trial, accused of organizing a robbery that turned fatal. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News A jury found Oscar Martinez III guilty of aggravated robbery for a heist by teens that started a shootout that killed two people -- but guilty of murder for the death of only one of them, a man hit by a stray bullet while making lunch. Martinez, 21, was found not guilty of a second murder charge stemming from the death of his friend Christopher Mejia, 14, one of the assailants in the melee in a convenience store parking lot on the North Side in 2022. The murder conviction was for the death of Enrique Venegas Bocanegra, 66, a neighbor of Jerry Ortiz, then 17, who started shooting, he testified, only after being robbed and because Mejia shot first. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It took the jury a little over seven and a half hours Monday to reach the verdicts, which state District Judge Stephanie Boyd read in court around 6:40 p.m. The punishment phase of the trial began the same evening. Martinez faces up to life in prison. Martinez was 19 when he and Joshua Mejia, then 17, and three of Mejias younger siblings robbed Ortiz on Feb. 21, 2022. Ortiz met them at the store near his home to sell them marijuana but handed over the drugs and his shoes at gunpoint. He pulled out his own pistol when Christopher shot at him, according to testimony. Initially charged with capital murder of multiple persons, Martinezs offense was reduced to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated robbery. Prosecutors Daniel Escobar and Hank Wilkins argued that although he was not the shooter, he put a robbery into motion that resulted in two deaths. The jury began deliberations shortly before 11 a.m. in the 187th District Court after receiving instructions that in Texas, the felony murder rule allows people to be held accountable for a death that happens during the commission, or attempted commission, of a dangerous felony, such as a robbery. In this offense, the element of intent, which usually is required for a killing to constitute murder, is not needed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Defense Attorney Michael DeLeon, left, and prosecutor Daniel Escobar speak with state District Judge Stephanie Boyd last week during the murder trial of Oscar Martinez III. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Oscar is responsible for the others in the vehicle, Wilkins told the jury in his closing argument. Oscar cant hide behind the other guys that didnt get prosecuted, or the juveniles who are held to a different standard. Defense attorney Michael DeLeon said the only thing Martinez was guilty of is stupidity and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oscar Martinez did not murder anyone, factually, DeLeon said. Theres no evidence that he even handled or shot a firearm. DeLeon said Martinez was holding an air rifle, which is not considered a deadly weapon. He asked the panel to watch all of the surveillance video in evidence, which showed Martinez stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This 19-year-old called his mommy when he got into trouble, and saw his friend dead at the scene, DeLeon told the jury. The teens arrived at the Beer King on Blanco Road in a green Suburban that belonged to the Mejias mother, after the older brother arranged the drug deal with Ortiz on Instagram. Ortiz testified that he approached the vehicle to find Martinez and the others pointing guns at him and demanding he hand over everything he had. He said he complied but that Christopher Mejia came out of the SUV pointing a gun at him. Crime scene investigators testified they found Ortizs shoes in the Suburban. Ortiz said he brought along a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol because he thought it was cool, and when Christopher struggled with him over it and and shot at him, he fired back as he ran for cover. From behind a nearby Dumpster, he shot at the vehicle until he was out of bullets. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A forensic ballistics expert and a medical examiner testified that it was Ortizs bullets that killed Christopher, shot in the face, and Bocanegra, who was hit in the chest as he warmed tortillas in the kitchen of his home in the 800 block of Mariposa. Ortiz almost wept on the stand last week when he recalled chatting with Bocanegra whenever he saw his neighbor doing yard work. I regret it, I wish I could go back in time. I regret everything, he told the jury. Ortiz was charged with capital murder in December 2022, but a month later the charges were dismissed and the case closed. Joshua Mejia is awaiting transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal justice to begin a 20-year prison sentence based on a plea agreement that reduced his capital murder offense to murder. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His two younger brothers also were charged with capital murder of multiple persons. One of them testified Thursday as part of an agreement with the Bexar County District Attorneys Office for immunity in the case, telling the jury that Martinez discussed with the group that they were going to buy some weed but also that we should rob this guy. The teen, now 15, was inconsistent in his testimony and said he couldnt remember aspects of it under cross-examination by DeLeon. The charges against the other juvenile appear to have been dismissed as well, DeLeon told the jury. Prosecutor Escobar said in his closing argument that Ortiz could still be charged at a later date. Oscar did not fire the gun that killed Enrique Bocanegra or Christopher Mejia, Escobar said of the defendant. This trial is not about who fired the gun. Its about actions that led up to this. Escobar reminded the panel that Martinez changed his story to investigators as he became aware that the entire incident was captured on surveillance videos. Melissa Manno is a reporter covering education for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at melissa.manno@express-news.net. She graduated from Penn State University in 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism and minors in geography and digital media trends and analytics. She is also the 2021 Hearst National Journalism Writing Champion. G7 summit ends in quarrels and problems Xinhua) 08:35, June 17, 2024 A woman protests during an anti-G7 manifestation at Fasano, Apulia in southern Italy, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing) The agenda of the G7 is a succession of impromptu measures, said Vito Petrocelli, the president of Italy BRICS Institute, adding that every time their actions harm the rules such as free markets they promote. FASANO, Italy, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) Summit concluded on Saturday with member countries each having their own strategic considerations, which makes the next steps uncertain. During the drafting process, the joint communique issued on Friday afternoon sparked intense debates and disagreements among the G7 members. RUBBER CHEQUE According to the communique, the group has reached a deal to use the interest of frozen Russian assets to finance around 50 billion U.S. dollars of loan for Ukraine. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the measure as "theft" and vowed that it would not go unpunished. Previously, the group has been long divided over how such a plan could be outlined. The details of the loan deal were still not clear, which could take months in the following negotiations. The United States also signed a security deal with Ukraine during the summit, but analysts told Xinhua that the agreement could be undone before its terms run out. That could be key, since U.S. President Joe Biden faces a tough election battle later this year against former President Donald Trump, whose support for the Ukrainian cause is not as strong as Biden's. DECLINING INFLUENCE Leaders from over 10 other countries were invited to attend the summit, including emerging economies such as India, South Africa and Brazil. According to Alberto Bradanini, chairman of the Contemporary China Study Center in Italy, G7, especially the United States, perceives itself in decline. "A minority of nations (G7) represents no more than 10 percent of the world population, with stagnant economies and lower growth rates than emerging countries. Their pathological claims are more evident than ever," said Bradanini. "Inviting only a few of the BRICS (the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries to the G7 summit was a big mistake," Vito Petrocelli, the president of Italy BRICS Institute, told Xinhua in a written interview, "In this way, the West made it clear that it is interested in souring relations between BRICS rather than in real collaboration with them." The agenda of the G7 is a succession of impromptu measures, said Petrocelli, adding that every time their actions harm the rules such as free markets they promote. A woman walks past the banner of the Group of Seven (G7) summit at the media center in Bari, Apulia Region, Italy, June 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing) DIVIDED ALLIANCE Days ago was the 2024 European Parliament Election, during which German and French governing parties suffered a heavy setback: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party saw its record low in votes during the election. French President Emmanuel Macron had to take the risk of calling new legislative elections after suffering losses to the far-right opposition. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap general election for July 4 last month, as the Conservative Party faces an uphill battle to extend its 14 years in power. Canada's Justin Trudeau, who has been involved in a series of scandals, will likely host next year's edition of the G7 summit amid a difficult electoral campaign. In Japan, Fumio Kishida has seen his approval levels fall to a historic low of just 16 percent. However, last week, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's arch-conservative Brothers of Italy group upped its share of the vote to 29 percent in the European parliamentary election, boosting her standing both at home and abroad, which made Meloni boast that Italy "had the strongest government in the G7." Oreste Massari, a professor of political science at Rome's Sapienza University, told Xinhua that Meloni's rise is due to an overall rise in the fortunes of right-wing and nationalist parties across Europe and beyond. Meloni pushes priorities important in Italy, including migration and African issues. "Mattei Plan," the Italian official project, was promoted by Meloni during her talks with President Biden, aiming to reshape Italy's strategy towards the African continent. DISPUTES ON AI, ABORTION The communique mentioned that the group will promote "safe, secure, and trustworthy AI," vowing to step up efforts to enhance interoperability among AI governance approaches. Stressing the impact of AI on the military domain, the group said military use of AI should be ensured to be responsible. But so far they have differed on how to do so. According to widespread media reports, the European countries in the G7 favor tighter regulations, while the United States favors an approach using markets. Leaders seem to have postponed making definitive decisions on a rulebook regarding the topic until their next summit in Canada next year. Abortion emerged as one of the key contentious issues among member states, with France and Canada taking a progressive stance, while Italy's rightwing Meloni advocated for a more conservative approach. While last year's G7 summit in Japan did include a commitment to ensuring safe and legal access to abortion, it is noteworthy that this year's final communique did not mention the word "abortion" at all. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The Killeen ISD board has approved a new policy requiring students to lock their phones in pouches during the school day. RapidEye/Getty Images Students at Killeen Independent School District will have to lock their phones away in secure pouches next year as part of a new policy intended to curb behavioral issues in the classroom. The Killeen ISD board voted unanimously last week to make campuses phone-free for the 2024-25 school year. It joins a movement of schools nationwide that have removed personal electronic devices from campus to quell bad behavior, boost student engagement and improve mental health. Our classrooms and schools are increasingly challenged by phone use, Susan Buckley, assistant superintendent for administrative services, said at the June 11 board meeting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The plan is for all middle and high school students to store their phones in a school-issued pouch, such as Yondr pouches, at the beginning of the day. The phone and any other personal electronic devices, including AirPods and Apple Watches will remain in the pouch until classes are over for the day. Students who need to use their phones must get permission from a teacher to go to a designated area where the pouches can be opened. The program intends to address a rise in phone-related issues on campus, including incidents of online harassment and bullying on social media, coordination of vaping activities and escalation of student fights due to online conflicts. Similar policies have transformed other school systems, including La Vega ISD in Waco, where discipline infractions have plummeted since students started locking their phones in Yondr pouches. Buckley also highlighted to the school board the potential effect of a phone free policy on staff, explaining teachers are frustrated by competing with cellphones that are both discreetly and blatantly used during instruction time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Implementing a phone-free procedure can significantly enhance focus and learning, boost academic performance and reduce behavioral issues allowing teachers to concentrate on instruction and students to fully engage in their education, she said. The Bell County district said it also will improve social interactions on campus by encouraging face-to-face communication and the development of interpersonal skills while reducing the stress that comes from social media. Up to 95% of American youth ages 13 through 17 say they use a social media platform, with more than a third doing so almost constantly, according to a 2023 advisory from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Those who use social media more than three hours a day faced twice the risk of having negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety symptoms, the report said. Trustees agreed to submit a request for proposals from vendors who can supply the pouches for the districts more than 20,000 secondary students. Students who lose their pouch would be responsible for purchasing a new one. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The program will cost about $523,000 to implement across Killeen ISDs 13 middle schools and eight high schools, and it will be covered by title funds, Buckley said. The next steps involve crafting a clear policy for parents and students, training staff to manage and enforce the policy effectively and developing a communication campaign. The district will measure the policys success by analyzing student achievement scores, discipline referrals and placements at alternative campuses, employee satisfaction and teacher retention, officials said. Local residents demonstrate their support for Annunciation House, Feb. 23, 2024, in El Paso, Texas. Andres Leighton/Associated Press A mother and her two daughters are seen embracing during a press conference on refugees at the Annunciation House Monday, February 11, 2019, in El Paso, TX. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the San Antonio Express-News Ivan Pierre Aguirre/Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the San Roger and his 4-year-old son Roger Jr, (only first names given) embrace during a press conference at the Annunciation House, Wednesday, July 11, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. After being separated by CBP in February, the two were reunited and released by ICE late last night. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre Ivan Pierre Aguirre Families and staff are seen during a press conference on refugees at the Annunciation House Monday, February 11, 2019, in El Paso, TX. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the San Antonio Express-News Ivan Pierre Aguirre/Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the San A Catholic nonprofit that shelters asylum-seekers in El Paso says Attorney General Ken Paxtons drive to shut it down threatens religious freedom across the state. An attorney for Annunciation House told a state district judge on Monday that Paxton served the shelter with an illegal document request to manufacture a reason to shut it down. Paxton has accused the shelter, which has housed asylum seekers for decades, of operating as a stash house and taking part in human smuggling. RELATED: Top US bishop worries Catholic border services for migrants might be imperiled by government action Advertisement Article continues below this ad If religious freedom does not allow Annunciation House to obey Jesus primary command to love one another by providing a child a safe and warm place to sleep on a cold night, then there is no religious freedom in Texas, argued Jerome Wesevich, an attorney representing the shelter. The arguments echoed concerns raised by a top U.S. bishop, who said last week that government officials targeting of faith-based border work, including Paxtons attempts to shut down Annunciation House, infringe on religious freedom. We obviously want to respect the law, but if that liberty is restricted, then yes, our religious liberty is being restricted because we cant put into practice the precepts of the Gospel, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said during a news conference Thursday. Paxtons office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In court, the states lawyer did not address the religious liberty argument. The case comes as Republicans have grown increasingly critical of nongovernmental organizations along the border that have long assisted migrants arriving in the U.S. The groups, which often receive federal funding, help border communities manage new arrivals by taking asylum-seekers off the streets and helping them find transportation to other parts of the state and country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The El Paso nonprofit is one of several Catholic-based organizations focused on the border, but its the only one so far to face legal action from Paxton, a third-term Republican. Paxton is accusing the nonprofit of violating state law by refusing to turn over records related to its work with migrants. His office requested the documents in February. The El Paso organization said it would provide the information but could not meet the deadline laid out by the attorney generals investigators and sued for a temporary restraining order. Paxton, in turn, filed a counterclaim, seeking to revoke Annunciation Houses license to operate in Texas. Wesevich made the arguments in a hearing on Monday before state District Judge Francisco Dominguez, who temporarily blocked Paxtons effort to close the shelter in March and is weighing next steps in the case. Wesevich slammed Paxtons demand for documents as egregiously illegal, arguing the attorney general needs to get a warrant if he is trying to investigate criminal activity. He said the shelter has tried to comply with the request, but the attorney general still went to the press, still tried to close Annunciation House, still tried to make unfounded accusations against Annunciation House in the press. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He argued the attorney general is now using an obscure piece of business law that would empower the office to shut down any company in the state for violating any law. Assistant Attorney General Robert Farquharson argued Annunciation House is flouting state laws against human smuggling that prohibit encouraging or inducing someone to enter or remain in the country illegally by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection. Farquharson said the shelter publicizes willingness to shelter people regardless of immigration status and is the primary receiving site for people who have fallen from the border wall. He argued Annunciation House is denying entry to law enforcement by refusing to comply with the attorney generals demands. Wesevich said Annunciation House regularly works with federal immigration and law enforcement officials, who often bring migrants to the shelter for witness protection and other reasons. Annunciation House is critical in the infrastructure that exists along the border for providing short-term shelter to people who have already crossed the border, he said in a news conference after the hearing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dominguez said he likely would issue a further ruling in the case within the next two weeks. The El Paso judge previously issued a ruling that said Paxton acted without regard to due process or fair play. The Attorney Generals efforts to run roughshod over Annunciation House, without regard to due process or fair play, call into question the true motivation for the Attorney Generals attempt to prevent Annunciation House from providing the humanitarian and social services that it provides, Dominguez wrote in a March ruling. There is a real and credible concern that the attempt to prevent Annunciation House from conducting business in Texas was predetermined. Shown is the future radar at 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the GFS weather model. Heavy tropical rainfall is possible through the afternoon and evening. Pivotal Weather Confidence is increasing that a significant wave of tropical moisture will move into South Texas by the middle of the week, bringing flooding rainfall to many areas. Projected rainfall totals in San Antonio are trending upward, signaling a potential high-impact heavy rain event for the Alamo City. The moisture is due to a developing low pressure system in the western Gulf of Mexico. As of Sunday, the National Hurricane Center gave the tropical disturbance a 70% chance of developing into at least a tropical depression. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico. It has a 70% chance of developing into a tropical depression. National Hurricane Center Whether it officially becomes a tropical depression or not, big impacts and potential flooding are expected for many. Heres a timeline of when you can expect the heaviest rainfall to occur. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This weeks timeline Monday: With most of the tropical moisture still hundreds of miles away, relatively quiet weather is expected to start the workweek in San Antonio. Early morning temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 70s. Due to a few more clouds in the area, high temps will likely be a few degrees cooler than they were Sunday, topping out at 94-95 degrees. Shown are potential high temperatures on Monday, likely reaching the mid-90s around San Antonio. Pivotal Weather In addition, a few isolated thunderstorms are possible, but most of the rain will stay in the coastal plains, south and east of San Antonio. The Alamo Citys rain chances stand at 10-20% on Monday. Tuesday: With moisture still south and east of San Antonio, rain chances will stay relatively low. A few isolated showers and storms are possible, but chances will stay near 20%. More cloud cover will result in cooler high temperatures, in the low 90s, across the San Antonio area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wednesday: This is when the largest wave of tropical moisture is expected to move into South Texas, resulting in high rain chances. Parts of South Texas will see several hours of continuous heavy rain from the afternoon through the night. The rainfall will cause afternoon temperatures to be much cooler, hovering in the upper 70s to the low 80s. There is still a good deal of uncertainty about how much rainfall San Antonio will see. The GFS weather model tracks the center of the tropical system near the Texas-Mexico border. This would result in several inches of rain and likely flooding. The ECMWF weather model tracks the center of the low farther south, which could lead to lower rainfall totals. Thursday: Weather models are in good agreement that some rain will likely linger into Thursday morning, but rain chances will decrease as we head into the second half of the day. Temperatures are expected to stay below average, in the mid-80s. Friday: Lingering showers and storms will remain possible Friday, but overall chances will drop significantly, to around 20-30%. Temperatures will rise, likely reaching the low 90s again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How much rain will fall? Shown are potential rainfall totals in South Texas over the next seven days, according to the National Blend of Models. Pivotal Weather There is still a good deal of uncertainty about the exact rainfall totals for the San Antonio area. As of now, between 2 and 4 inches of rain is the most likely scenario for the Alamo City. That forecast total could go up or down depending on the exact track of the tropical system. The highest rainfall totals are expected along the Texas coast and south of San Antonio. Areas such as Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley could record 4 to 8 inches of rainfall. There is the potential for similar rainfall totals farther north along the coast, toward Houston, but there is more uncertainty in this area. A new investigation report reveals Native American children were sexually abused in Catholic churches for decades. Firsthand accounts and other evidence documented by The Washington Post expose the brutality and sexual abuse imposed upon children who were taken from Native American families under a systematic effort by the federal government to eradicate Native American culture, integrate children into White society, and seize tribal lands. From 1819 to 1969, tens of thousands of children were reportedly sent to more than 500 boarding schools across the country, most of which were funded by the US government. Children were given new names, their traditionally long hair was cut, and they were beaten for speaking their native tongue, resulting in deep emotional trauma for Native American families and communities. At the time, at least 80 of the schools were run by the Catholic Church or other religious affiliates in remote regions of the Midwest Pacific Northwest, including Alaska. Roughly 122 priests, sisters, and brothers were assigned to 22 boarding schools since the 1890s and were later accused of sexually abusing Native American children while under their care, according to The Post. Deborah Parker, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes and the chief executive of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, described the operation of church-run boarding schools as "a national crime scene." "They committed crimes under the cloak," said Parker, whose grandmother and other family members were sent to boarding schools. "They did it in the name of God." The report's findings come as Deb Haaland, the country's first Native American cabinet secretary, whose own relatives were sent to boarding schools, examines the history behind the schools operated or supported by the US Interior Department, the agency she now leads. Haaland's investigation has barely scratched the surface of the sexual abuse of Native American children at church-run schools. An Interior Department official who wishes to stay anonymous said, "We care deeply about this issue, but it's outside the scope of what we sought to do with the investigative reports." The department did not request records from the Catholic Church because its investigation was focused solely on the U.S. government's role and reviewed only federal government documents. While many survivors have not come forward, are aging, in poor health, or have passed away like their abusers, there are still others who have waited to share their testimonies on the extent of abuse they endured. "I've been waiting 67 years to tell this story," disclosed Jim LaBelle, 77, an Inupiaq from Fairbanks, Alaska, who spent six years at the Wrangell Institute, a government-run school in the state, 700 miles from his home. The abuse of Native American children began decades before the revelations that priests at Catholic churches had sexually abused thousands of minors in the United States and other countries. The scandals of the early 2000s encouraged Native Americans to come forward with their own stories of abuse and seek accountability through lawsuits. Vito de la Cruz, a Native American and Chicano lawyer who has represented boarding school survivors, explains: "It showed that people could stand up against a powerful entity like the church and that people could be held accountable." Despite failed efforts to sue the federal government, numerous survivors have successfully sued Catholic dioceses and religious orders, receiving settlements. The World Health Organization confirmed its first fatal case of a new strain of bird flu infecting humans. The victim a 59-year-old man from Mexico City had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals. He had multiple underlying conditions and was bedridden for other reasons in the three weeks prior to his death, his relatives said, according to the WHO. The victim first experienced fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea on April 17. On April 24, he was admitted to the hospital, where he died the same day. A respiratory sample sent to a lab after his death confirmed he was positive for the H5N2 strain of bird flu, the organization announced Wednesday. Seventeen people the victim came into contact with at the hospital tested negative, however one person experienced a runny nose. Seven symptomatic and five asymptomatic contacts near the victim's home also tested negative for the virus. In March, a "high pathogenicity avian influenza A H5N2 outbreak" was detected at a poultry farm in Michoacan, which borders the State of Mexico where the victim was living, the WHO said. However scientists are still trying to determine how the victim became infected. Currently, there are no specific vaccines developed to prevent an H5 virus infection in humans. Although the event "has the potential for high public health impact... WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low." Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday blasted former President Donald Trump's idea of replacing income taxes with tariffs on imported goods saying it would "make life unaffordable" for most Americans by dramatically raising prices. During an appearance on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Yellen was asked by guest host Jonathan Karl whether the plan Trump reportedly floated to Republican lawmakers on Thursday was "remotely feasible." "It would require tariffs well over 100%" to make up for the loss in income tax revenue Yellen said. "The impact would be to make life unaffordable for working-class Americans, and would harm American businesses." Trump told GOP lawmakers he was considering an "all-tariff policy" that would allow the U.S. to eliminate the federal income tax, CNBC reported Thursday, citing sources who took part in a private meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. Trump's proposal would represent an extreme extension of his policies in favor of higher tariffs to protect U.S. businesses and lower income taxes on American workers, noted the Wall Street Journal, which said a GOP lawmaker confirmed Trump's remarks. One day after the closed-door meeting, Trump publicly repeated his false claim that tariffs imposed by his administration "brought in hundreds of billions of dollars from China." Trump has repeatedly characterized tariffs as a bill that China pays to the U.S. government. But it's American importers, largely U.S. companies like Target, not China, that pay the tariffs on imported goods that they then pass on to their American consumers via higher prices. "We stood up to China like nothing like nobody has ever done," Trump insisted to guests celebrating his 78th birthday at his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A working paper published in 2020 by the National Bureau of Economic Research said data from 2018, during Trump's trade war with China, showed that "U.S. tariffs continue to be almost entirely borne by U.S. firms and consumers." The following year, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation think tank said that "rather than hurting foreign exporters, the economic evidence shows it is American firms and consumers hardest hit by the Trump tariffs." And the bipartisan U.S. International Trade Commission issued a report last year that said Trump's tariffs on Chinese steel had resulted in higher prices for "downstream" consumers and manufacturers. The tariffs also function like a regressive sales tax, with billionaires paying the same increased price rate on goods created by tariffs as the lowest-income Americans. Police in New Hampshire say they arrested a man who was driving his motorcycle 141 mph on Interstate 93. The state police say Aaron LaFlower, 21, of Belmont was going between 124 and 141 miles an hour as he weaved in and out of traffic while heading southbound on Sunday. A trooper was monitoring traffic from an aircraft above the highway when he spotted the motorcycle. Troopers on the ground were able to stop LaFlower. He was arrested and charged with reckless operation. He was released on a personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be in court on July 26. "Excessive speeding is dangerous and claims innocent lives," said Capt. Matthew Amatucci. "The State Police will continue to conduct enforcement operations to improve road safety for all residents and visitors." LaFlower was just one of more than two dozen drivers stopped by state troopers during a traffic enforcement crackdown on Sunday. 28 drivers were caught doing speeds over 90 mph. Nine cars were going over 100 mph. The New Hampshire State Police uses a Cessna 182 aircraft and other advanced technology and tools to monitor and enforce traffic laws. Sammy Obeid on stage at the Punch Line in San Francisco Jim McCambridge Houston is getting a new space to laugh. Punch Line Comedy Club, a legendary import from the San Francisco Bay Area, is set to open this fall inside downtowns House of Blues at 1204 Caroline in the former restaurant space. The 250-capacity club. which will have its own entrance, will be the home of more than 350 shows annually. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were so excited to provide a platform for Houston comedians and bring more national touring comedians to the city, said Amanda Kyser, head of comedy operations for Punch Line, in a release. Houstonians have such a deep appreciation for comedy that will make todays top comics feel right at home here. The opening engagement is scheduled for Sept. 13-14 with Angelo Colina, who will be followed by a lineup that includes Mark Curry (Sept. 20-21), Chaunte Wayans (Sept. 26-29), Ian Fidance (Oct. 3-5), Jay Jurden (Oct. 10-12), Jackie Fabulous (Oct. 17-19), Sophie Buddle (Oct. 24-26), Liza Treyger (Nov. 1-2) and Ian Lara (Nov. 7-9). Tickets go on sale June 21. The first Punch Line opened in 1978 in San Francisco and then came locations in Sacramento and Philadelphia. The club became an important route to stardom for such comedians as Wanda Sykes and Robin Williams. When I started my comedy career in San Francisco, the Punch Line was a crucial local institution that provided a nurturing community, said Houston native and comedian Sheng Wang in the same release. We gathered there weekly like church for the Sunday showcases, highlighting local talents and providing a path forward for those who dreamed of being a working comic. The club was also where aspiring comics could watch and learn from the great talents coming through town every week. The venue also plans to host open mic nights and spotlight local comedians by having them open for the touring headliners. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For tickets and information, go to https://www.ticketmaster.com/punch-line-houston-tickets-houston/venue/476361. A selection of food and drinks at Grangers located in Houston's Museum District Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Ever since Ryan Granger opened his first restaurant in the Museum District nearly two decades ago, the restaurant veteran has offered the neighborhood plenty of casual options. Customers could order diner favorites such as pancakes and club sandwiches at Park Grill. At Bodegas Taco Shop, Tex-Mex staples include breakfast tacos and bubbling queso. The menu at Fias Pizzeria includes pizza, pastas and wings. Today, Granger and wife Josephine open their most upscale concept yet with Grangers, 1200 Binz. The classic American menu is catering to locals and museumgoers alike for a sit-down experience where folks can order a burger and beer or caviar and champagne. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were truly building this to be an amenity for the Museum District, Ryan Granger said. We want to make it a destination. HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants The dining areas at Granger's is accented with brass and Tiffany blue. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant is located within blocks of nearly 20 museums and Hermann Park, which bring in many visitors each year. Grangers, a nod to Ryan Grangers father, is accented with brass and Tiffany blue banquettes throughout. One of three private dining areas includes a room decorated like a library, with a European-style fireplace. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We knew we didnt want a heavy-feeling steakhouse, Josephine Granger said. We wanted something very light but also timeless. Grangers Owners Josephine and Ryan Granger pose for a photograph Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Houston. The restaurant is aiming to open on June 17. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The couples two decades of experience in the area, which they said theyve committed to with long-term leases as part of their business HTX Restaurant Group, led them to believe residents in the area wanted a more casual-yet-upscale restaurant. They want customers to swing by for cocktails at the bar, bring families for special-occasion meals or a midweek dinner or find a seat on the patio under the canopy of oak trees in the area. We thought, Lets do something we would also love to frequent, Josephine Granger said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE FROM BAO ONG: Swanky Mexican steakhouse Toca Madera opening in Houston this month The menu at Granger's is a nod to American classics. The Grangers hired Manny Velasquez as executive chef. He brings years of experience in kitchens, including the original Houstons, a few Landrys concepts and Cheesecake Factory locations, they said. A timeless menu for the timeless interior includes seafood towers, various oyster preparations, tuna poke bowls and steaks. There are additional seafood options such as shrimp scampi, crab hush puppies and Texas redfish served Pontchartrain style. For customers who want to splurge, a Baller Board includes slices of filet mignon, rib-eye and New York strip served on a butcher board with sides including au gratin potatoes, roasted cauliflower, mushrooms and various sauces. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Still, Grangers is aiming to keep its prices approachable at a time when dining out is more expensive than ever, the Grangers added. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, and a weekend brunch service is forthcoming. Dr. Irene Stafford, right, listens to Dr. Carrie Bakunas as she talks about rapid testing for congenital syphilis on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Dr. Carrie Bakunas, left, and Dr. Irene Stafford talk about rapid testing for congenital syphilis for pregnant women in the Emergency Room for faster results and quicker treatment on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Houston. The number of babies born with syphilis has skyrocketed over the last 10 years, from 335 to 3,761. Harris County has the highest rate of congenital syphilis among the ten largest Texas counties. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Houston doctors have implemented a new testing program that, if widely adopted, could help address the nationwide epidemic of babies born with syphilis. Were on the cutting edge, said Dr. Irene Stafford, a maternal-fetal specialist and associate professor at UTHealth Houstons McGovern Medical School. Stafford was referring to Memorial Hermann and UTHealth Houstons Preg-Out program, which provides rapid testing for all pregnant patients admitted to the emergency department at the hospitals Medical Center campus. This is important, Stafford said, because traditional testing can be cumbersome and take up to 24 hours. By that point, many patients have already left the hospital. Advertisement Article continues below this ad FUNDING LOSS: Houston physicians look to slow rapid spread of congenital syphilis amid loss of public health funds Rapid testing is especially beneficial in high-risk areas like Houston, according to public health officials. It gives patients results within 15 minutes and allows doctors to start treatment early, preventing more severe side effects for the pregnant person and the baby. I firmly believe that our implementation program will be a model for the rest of the country, especially high prevalence areas like Houston, said Stafford, who specializes in perinatal syphilis. She hopes to expand the program to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in the future. Syphilis cases are surging Syphilis is a preventable sexually transmitted disease. It was nearly eliminated at the turn of the 21st century but saw a major resurgence over the last two decades, as STD prevention funding stagnated. Cases have skyrocketed from 335 in 2012 to 3,761 in 2022 in the United States, the latest year for which data is available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A single shot of penicillin can cure the infection in the early stages. Left untreated, it can cause severe organ damage and nerve problems, including blindness. The infection may also pass to the fetus during pregnancy and cause a miscarriage, stillbirth or other long-term complications. Since Memorial Hermann adopted the program three months ago, it has seen a positivity rate of about 4% among roughly 100 pregnant patients tested in the emergency room, Stafford said. The hospital is still collecting data that can help public health officials better quantify the problem locally. Harris County stands out as a hot spot for congenital syphilis in Texas, which accounts for 25% of all cases in the U.S. and has the nations fourth-highest rate (246.8 per 100,000 live births in 2022), according to the CDC. In 2022, Harris County accounted for the largest share of the 922 new cases in Texas and had the highest rate among the 10 most populous counties, public health data shows. The Houston Health Department launched a public education campaign last year after reporting an outbreak of congenital syphilis that was most prevalent among women. Public awareness is a major component of the syphilis response. Syphilis can stay in the body without causing symptoms, and patients may think their infection has passed. Many doctors also are not aware theyre required to screen all pregnant patients for syphilis three times, including in the first and third trimester. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other factors complicate the response. The stigma around the disease prevents patients from seeking testing and treatment, and many pregnant Texans dont receive consistent prenatal care. The percentage of pregnant Texans receiving early prenatal care was the third-lowest in the nation in 2019 and the lowest in 2020, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The emergency room is often the only time patients interact with doctors, said Marlene McNeese, who leads the Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention at the Houston Health Department. Emergency departments and other safety net systems are uniquely positioned, we believe, to identify people with infections who might otherwise go undiagnosed, McNeese said. A unique program The rapid testing at Memorial Hermann is provided on an opt-out basis, which means all patients are tested unless they refuse. That method leads to higher uptake than opt-in testing, studies show. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other hospitals throughout the country are implementing their own opt-out testing programs in emergency departments, but not all hospitals have the resources to launch a program like the one in Houston, said Dr. Robert McDonald, medical officer in the CDCs division of STD prevention. For one, rapid testing in the ER requires additional staff and training that might not be feasible everywhere, he said. The rapid test also might result in a false positive, and it cannot distinguish between a current or past infection. Therefore, it must be used in addition to the more traditional blood test, which provides a more accurate diagnosis. To launch the Houston program, Stafford collaborated with Dr. Carrie Bakunas, medical director of emergency services at Memorial Hermann and assistant professor at UTHealth Houston. It took them about five months to develop a plan and obtain the necessary approvals. The program is funded out of the obstetric department budget at UTHealth with additional support from Diagnostics Direct. Staffords research coordinators perform the rapid test, which requires a quick finger prick, before notifying Bakunas staff about the need for further testing. From there, Staffords team contacts patients after they leave the hospital to explain their diagnosis and offer follow-up care. Depending on the stage of infection, some patients may need a second or third dose of penicillin. The partnership between Bakunas and Stafford has already helped patients receive treatment they otherwise might have missed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A few months ago, Stafford called Bakunas at 10 p.m. One of Staffords patients needed a second dose of penicillin but couldnt make it to her clinic appointment. Stafford asked, can you see her now in the emergency room? Bakunas agreed, and Stafford picked the patient up herself. Protectionism wrong approach to dealing with China's EV industry: German expert Xinhua) 08:36, June 17, 2024 This file photo taken on June 6, 2024 shows an electric car at a charging station near the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) European countries will emerge as the losers if the European Union (EU) imposes additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the EU, warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research. FRANKFURT, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Protectionism is the wrong approach to dealing with the rise of China's electric vehicle (EV) industry, and would be detrimental to European automakers, a German expert in the field has said. European countries will emerge as the losers if the European Union (EU) imposes additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the EU, warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum in a recent interview with Xinhua. In the event of "decoupling," automakers in the EU will "go directly" to invest in China, which has leading technology and innovation, Dudenhoeffer argued. He is convinced that German carmakers, as global players, will continue their "strong cooperation" with China. Dudenhoeffer recently wrapped up a visit to China and said he was impressed by the dynamism and fast development of the auto industry there. Robots work at a welding workshop of Voyah, a Chinese electric auto brand, in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, including battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles, surged 37.9 percent year-on-year to about 9.5 million last year, compared with just 75,000 a decade ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The pace of development of the new energy sector in China puts the world in a better position to tackle climate change, according to Dudenhoeffer. The scale of the new energy vehicle market in China has allowed automakers in the country to bring down production costs, a competitive edge European automakers do not currently have, Dudenhoeffer said. As China is in a leading position to drive forward the development of EV industry globally, the expert said that German automakers have been increasing their investments in China, where cost advantages and cutting-edge technologies are available. This aerial photo taken on May 31, 2023 shows a photovoltaic energy storage charging station in Zhujiahu Village, Yanya Town in Yiyuan County, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) The EU will also damage their business by imposing additional tariffs on EVs made in China, he said, adding, "It will hurt our cooperation with China. It will hurt ourselves. So it's a tragedy for the German car industry." According to statistics from the European Federation for Transport and Environment, around 20 percent of all-electric cars sold across the EU last year, or 300,000 units, were made in China. More than half of them come from Western carmakers, such as Tesla, Dacia and BMW, which produce them in China for export. With the world currently facing the daunting task of fighting climate change, Dudenhoeffer believes that cooperation and partnership with China is very important. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Participants in the Juneteenth Parade take a break before heading to Emancipation Park on Saturday, June 15, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A Juneteenth Parade makes its way down Emancipation Avenue on Saturday, June 15, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Several Juneteenth events scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled as the threat of heavy rains increase in the Houston area due to a tropical low in the Gulf of Mexico. Kendletons 50th Annual Juneteenth Celebration The city of Kendletons 50th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, originally scheduled for Wednesday at Bates Allen Park, has been postponed until further notice, according to a release from the office of Fort Bend County Judge KP George. DOCTOR FACES CHARGES: Doctor accused of illegally obtaining health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients Advertisement Article continues below this ad A groundbreaking ceremony for the African-American Memorial was planned during the event. Emancipation Park Conservancy's Juneteenth Family Fun Day The Emancipation Park Conservancy's Juneteenth Family Fun Day has also been canceled. The event was set for Wednesday afternoon at Emancipation Park in Houston. Due to the impending inclement weather, and safety concerns for our vendors and attendees, we have decided to cancel this year's Juneteenth Family Fun Day event, the group said in an email. At the moment, today's emancipation conversation and tomorrow's health fair are still scheduled to take place. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The conservancy is a hosting free panel discussion from 2-4 p.m. Monday titled Community and Commerce, and one from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday called Health is Wealth. Juneteenth Family Fun Day at Reedy Chapel AME The Juneteenth Family Fun Day at Reedy Chapel AME has been postponed until June 29, from 1-6 p.m. The Historic Emancipation March will also take place on June 29. Hubb of Mo City's Juneteenth Family Celebration The Hubb of Mo City's Juneteenth Family Celebration has been rescheduled. Organizers said additional information regarding a new date and time will be available soon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Due to anticipated severe weather and the potential for flooding, we regret to inform you that this years Juneteenth Family Celebration, originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, has been rescheduled," organizers said on Instagram. Acres Home Juneteenth Cultural Arts Festival The Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development announced its fourth annual Juneteenth Cultural Arts Festival is canceled due to inclement weather. "Thank you to all of our artists, sponsors, and vendors and to the community for its participation," the group said in a Facebook post. "A festival will be rescheduled for a later date in the fall." Harris County Sheriffs office personnel respond to the site where a train reportedly fataly struck a pedestrian near the 6400 block of Ackley, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 in Humble. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is asking for possible sexual assault victims in connection with a case involving a person of interest Christian Morales, 23. Harris County Sheriff's Office More than 1,300 child abuse reports are among a backlog of 51,000 Harris County Sheriff's Office cases going back to 2020. Of those reports, 13,000 have not been read. And without a long-term plan to streamline the office's operations and bring in enough new recruits to replace those eligible to retire, the case pileups which the agency's own leaders called "disturbing" might worsen in coming years, an outside agency hired to conduct an audit reported. MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: HPD relies heavier on plate scanning cameras than all other departments Advertisement Article continues below this ad Conversations about the sheriffs office backlog have swirled internally for months, but they accelerated after news broke this year that the Houston Police Department had suspended more than 260,000 investigations in recent years due to a lack of personnel. I think the public will understand that we have a backlog of cases that need a thorough investigation, but I do not think the public or the media would be very understanding of the fact that we havent even read 10s of thousands of offense reports, HCSO Chief Deputy Mike Lee wrote to office leadership in a March 20 email the Houston Chronicle obtained through an open records request. We need a plan. On the day of Lee's email, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez ordered that work begin to reduce the pile of not reviewed cases. There is not one single step that will automatically get us to where we need to be, he wrote, but we need to start somewhere. Most cases burglaries and thefts As of March 25, records show, the agencys backlog comprised 24,100 burglaries or thefts, 10,600 auto thefts, 1,300 child abuse cases and 600 adult sex crimes investigations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sheriffs office leaders said last week that they have begun to address the issue, but they acknowledged that more work remains. The office, prior to renewed conversations about the backlog, had contracted an outside consulting firm that released a draft audit of recommendations and concerns about the office's overall operations. The draft audit mentions the backlog several times. Sheriff's office leadership then developed a plan, sent out via email March 22, that called for 18 deputies and supervisors to temporarily move among divisions to help review cases and whittle down the backlog. Tommy Diaz, assistant chief of law enforcement command, said Wednesday that the early efforts have already whittled down the unreviewed backlog cases to around 6,000 across divisions the vast majority remaining in auto theft. The overall number of cases in the backlog as of Thursday had been reduced to around 47,300, according to updated data provided by Diaz. Child abuse cases unacceptable, advocate says Diaz said the child abuse division struggles in part because it requires multiple agencies coordinating to advance a case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That type of investigation is highly prescribed, he said. Youre going through somewhat of a checklist. Investigators must contact an expert to interview child victims. Often, multiple agencies are involved in cases where reports dont arrive directly at the sheriffs office, Diaz said. Unlike some divisions, all of the child abuse investigations had been reviewed. Randy Burton, a Houston attorney who founded the nonprofit organization Justice for Children, called the child abuse backlog "unforgivable" and said that if the sheriff's office wasn't sufficiently staffed to investigate those cases, it needed to make that case to the county. "If I were a county commissioner and did not do something about this, I would look for a new job," he said. The authors of the February draft audit wrote echoed concerns about the backlogged child abuse investigations, saying they'd heard the cases often remain unassigned unless a victim calls and requests the status of the investigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Child abuse investigations can often be time-intensive, but some are straightforward and any delay can be fatal, Burton said. Audit recommends solutions Both the March plan and the audit also called for office administrators to consider long-term solutions to the backlog, including using technology to free up deputies for more investigations, how to better recruit new deputies and moving employees permanently across some divisions. Youre looking at the really root cause, macro-level issues of the criminal justice system, Diaz said. Diaz said the sheriff's office backlog cant be compared to the Houston Police Departments scandal over suspended cases. The backlog comprises cases the office hasn't assigned yet, not cases it has completely suspended, Diaz said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The police departments scandal did result in renewed conversations among sheriffs office leaders about the problem of the backlog, but the issue wasnt unknown before then, with Gonzalez and others making regular improvements in recent years to try to eliminate it, Diaz said. For instance, the sheriffs office will move to a new records management system at the end of the year after the draft audit critiqued the existing one for making it difficult for investigators to log evidence in one place, among other technical difficulties. Gonzalez has also invested in a centralized analyst team that sheriffs office leaders hope will give them more comprehensive data to make staffing decisions, Diaz said. Diaz cited many of the audits conclusions while discussing the problem of the backlog, saying leaders have already taken steps in some areas but that structural issues remain. Preliminary discussions have suggested the office might need as many as 200 additional investigators, but administrators are hopeful they might be able to reach that number using differing methods. For instance, the office has already seen some success using a TeleDeputy program to keep deputies from responding to some specific calls, and leaders are holding talks about how they might handle the 80,000 house alarm calls they get each year. The office for the first time is also currently hosting two concurrent cadet classes for a total of around 116 cadets, whereas it usually hosts around 60 to 70 at a given time, Diaz added. Jhair Romero is the Latino communities reporter for the Houston Chronicle, covering the businesses, politics and cultures of the growing Hispanic population across Greater Houston and Texas. He was part of a team that won first place in investigative reporting at the 2024 National Headliner Awards for coverage that exposed the escalating human costs of Operation Lone Star. Before joining the newsroom as a full-time reporter in December 2022, he was a Chronicle summer intern while studying at the University of Houston. Jhair is a South Florida native, but hes called Houston home since 2015. Reach him at jhair.romero@houstonchronicle.com. Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, appears in front of Judge Ana Martinez at 179th District Court on the new charges related to his flight for freedom Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. He is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The number of court deputies are more than usual at the hearing of Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, at 179th District Court Judge Ana Martinez on the new charges related to his flight for freedom Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. He is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The number of court deputies are more than usual at the hearing of Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, at 179th District Court Judge Ana Martinez on the new charges related to his flight for freedom Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. He is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, appears in front of Judge Ana Martinez at 179th District Court on the new charges related to his flight for freedom Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. He is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Assistant District Attorneys Gillian Hogan, left, and George Lindsey speak about the new charges of Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, following his court hearing Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. The two prosecutors are also on two separate hindering apprehension charges of Sanders mother and a colleague stemmed from his case. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Judge Hilary Unger at 248th District Court presides the hindering apprehension of Kathryn Sanders, mother of Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. Nigel Sanders is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Zana Tyler appears in front of Judge Hilary Unger at 248th District Court on the charge of hindering apprehension of Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. Prosecutors described Tyler as a colleague of Sanders. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Judge Ana Martinez at 179th District Court presides Nigel Sanders, who escaped the Harris County Jail tunnel system after court, on the new charges related to his flight for freedom Monday, June 17, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston. He is accused of trying to carjack a Harris County District Attorneys office employee in addition to the escape. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Police found accused escapee Nigel Sanders wedged between a couch and a wall at his mothers Cloverleaf-area home Friday, hours after his brazen jail break, prosecutors said in court. New details surrounding his June 13 escape from the Harris County Jail, and the hours-long manhunt that ensued, were revealed Monday as prosecutors went to court for Sanders and two others arrested in connection with his escape from justice. The prosecutors reconvened in the same 179th District Court where Sanders last appeared before his escape by climbing through the ceiling of the criminal justice complex tunnels. Sanders, 35, who had been jailed on unrelated burglary charges, attempted to car jack a Harris County District Attorneys Office employee at knife-point, a blade he took from a break room before he emerged from a building at 1301 Franklin and searched for an unlocked vehicle, according to authorities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About half a dozen deputies lined Judge Ana Martinezs courtroom and a court reporter logged the every word of Sanders, the attorneys and the judge, an unusual move so early in a criminal proceeding. The prosecutors and Sanders' lawyer, Todd Dupont, will return Thursday for the judge to hear evidence in connection to the escape and determine whether bail should be denied in his cases. Prosecutors said they plan to argue that Sanders should be denied bail. Dupont said he plans to ask for a reasonable bail amount. You have to remember, hes still presumed innocent of all these charges, Dupont said. The law mandates that. In another court, the same prosecutors focused on Sanders capture as his mother, Kathryn Sanders, and another woman, Zana Tyler, appeared in the 248th District Court on hindering apprehension charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Judge Hilary Unger quipped how last weeks escape had been a highlight of conversations at the courthouse as both parties stepped up to the bench. Everybody and their mother in this courthouse knows what her son did, Unger said. Assistant District Attorney Gillian Hogan said authorities went to Sanders last known address his mothers Cloverleaf-area home and asked her whether anyone, besides her, was inside the home. The mother identified Tyler, whom prosecutors characterized as a colleague, not a relative, without elaborating. Police went inside the home, noticed movement near a couch and discovered Sanders, Hogan continued. The mothers defense attorney, Willie Van Buren, questioned what she purportedly told law enforcement about her sons whereabouts and what she knew of his escape. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The lawyer said Sanders may have told her that he simply came home after court. Technically, he did, Unger replied. Van Buren contends the mother has nothing to do with the criminal allegations against Sanders. Her role was very minimal, Van Buren said. Shes just a sweet mom. The judge lowered her bail to $7,500 and urged prosecutors to contact the jail to prevent Sanders from communicating with her as the case proceeds. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The second woman, Tyler, told authorities that Sanders was inside the home but only after they brought her outside and away from him. Her attorney said Tyler may have been uncomfortable revealing his location in his presence. Dr. Eithan Haim, left, who was charged with illegally obtaining private health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients, and his defense attorney, Ryan Patrick, speak to the press after appearing for an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024, at Bob Casey United States Courthouse in Houston. He pleaded not guilty at the hearing. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Dr. Eithan Haim, left, who was charged with illegally obtaining private health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients, and his defense attorney, Ryan Patrick, speak to the press after appearing for an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024 at Bob Casey United States Courthouse in Houston. Haim pleaded not guilty at the hearing. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Dr. Eithan Haim, who was charged with illegally obtaining private health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients, speaks to the press after appearing for an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024, at Bob Casey United States Courthouse in Houston. Haim pleaded not guilty at the hearing. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Dr. Eithan Haim, who was charged with illegally obtaining private health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients, speaks to the press after appearing for an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024, at Bob Casey United States Courthouse in Houston. Haim pleaded not guilty at the hearing. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Dr. Eithan Haim, right, who was charged with illegally obtaining private health information of Texas Children's Hospital patients, and his attorney, Ryan Patrick, speak to the press after appearing for an arraignment hearing Monday, June 17, 2024, at Bob Casey United States Courthouse in Houston. Haim pleaded not guilty at the hearing. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A Dallas-area physician pleaded not guilty Monday on multiple federal charges that he illegally obtained health information for Texas Childrens Hospital patients who were not under his care. Dr. Eithan Haim, a 34-year-old surgeon, allegedly obtained patient health information under false pretenses and with intent to cause malicious harm to Texas Childrens, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas. The information included patient names, treatment codes and the attending physicians name. In an arraignment hearing Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho ordered Haim to post a $10,000 bond to secure his release before trial. Haim also cannot leave the country or keep firearms in his home, among other conditions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Haim and his attorney, Ryan Patrick, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District, declared his innocence after the hearing. Haim has previously described himself in media reports as a whistleblower who released information about transgender care at Texas Childrens Hospital. I maintained from day one that I have done nothing wrong, Haim said outside of the Houston federal courthouse. Were going to fight this tooth and nail to stand up for whistleblowers everywhere. Because if they can come for me, theyre going to come for people like you. The indictment, which lays out more details about the specific charges against Haim, was originally filed under seal. The case has since been unsealed, but according to federal officials, the indictment was not publicly available as of Monday afternoon. Haim is facing four counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, records show. Haim was a resident at Baylor College of Medicine and previously worked at Texas Childrens Hospital as part of his training, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office news release. In April 2023, Haim requested to reactivate his login access to Texas Childrens to obtain information for patients not under his care, the release said. After accessing the information, he disclosed it to a media contact, the release said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The release did not provide further details about what kind of health information Haim allegedly obtained or how he obtained it. The doctor has publicly identified himself as the person who released information to a conservative activist about the transgender care program at Texas Childrens. Citing whistleblower documents, the activist published a story in May 2023 saying Texas Childrens provided transgender care, which was legal at the time, in secret. Texas Childrens on Monday declined to comment on the charges against Haim. In previous statements, hospital officials said its doctors have always provided care within the law. Transgender care has become a popular talking point in Texas and other Republican-dominated states where lawmakers claim such treatment is harmful to children. It describes a range of different social, psychological, behavioral or medical interventions that support people whose assigned sex at birth does not align with their gender identity. This can include mental health counseling, hormone therapy or surgery, which is rare for people under 18. Such treatment, which is supported by every major medical association in the U.S., was offered at Texas Childrens and other pediatric hospitals in Texas. Lawmakers have since implemented a statewide ban, and Texas Childrens said it would discontinue its program. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Meanwhile, Haim has publicly decried the investigation against him as political. In the arraignment hearing, Ho said the indictment identified three different patients whose health information was compromised. Addressing reporters, Patrick declined to speak about the facts of the case but described the charges against his client as a huge contradiction. You have the Department of Justice (that) has been messaging over and over that they want whistleblowers to come forward, said Patrick. But in this case here, theyve decided to indict a whistleblower. If convicted, Haim faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Residents prepare for Harvey at the Kroger on Buffalo Speedway Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, in Houston. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle Although Beryl has weakened to a tropical storm after moving through Mexico, some preparation-minded Texans are bracing for its potential impact. As Beryl gets closer to the Gulf Coast, officials say it could strengthen to a category 1 hurricane, bringing storm surge, major flooding and strong winds. It is expected to make landfall in South Texas sometime Monday. Prior to hurricane season, Houstonians experienced a derecho and major storms that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, which underscored the importance of keeping nonperishable items and other necessary supplies on hand. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For resources, residents can turn to ReadyHarris, an online site that promotes disaster preparedness across Harris County. They can also turn to fellow Houstonians who have used social media to share their advice for surviving hurricanes and other severe storms. Heres a list of what Houston-area officials and longtime residents recommend having in your home. Keep a seven-day supply of food and water Stocking up on food and water is essential when preparing for disaster. ReadyHarris has listed the necessary supplies Houston residents should keep on hand year-round. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Seven-day supply of nonperishable food Hand-operated can opener Plastic plates, cups and utensils. 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day for seven days Its recommended that those likely to be affected by storms have nonperishable food items in case they lose access to power or water. The Houston Food Banks Nutrition Education Department has a list of grocery items residents can keep in their emergency supply kit. The items include: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Canned tuna, turkey, salmon and chicken Nut and seed butter Low-sodium canned soup Unsalted nuts and seeds Low-sodium canned vegetables Rice cakes Crackers Oats Shelf-stable low-fat milk Trail mix Granola bars Additional supplies, like bottles, formula and diapers, are important to keep on hand for babies. If you have a pet, you should also have a leash, crate and enough food and water for them. Houston Reddit users say stocking up on cans of tuna, crackers, peanut butter, Pop-Tarts and canned goods has helped them survive previous storms. Camping stoves or cans of sterno can be used to cook during power outages. Residents suggested filling a 10-gallon water cooler with tap water. They also recommend filling up a bathtub ahead of time to have additional water to flush toilets. First aid, personal hygiene and household items Beyond food and water, its important for residents to have the necessary toiletries, power sources and pharmaceutical supplies on hand. These include: Advertisement Article continues below this ad American Red Cross approved first-aid kit Backup prescriptions for essential medications Hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol Dental care Vision products, like contacts and glasses Travel-size soaps and other beauty supplies Change of clothes, pair of shoes and blanket per person Disinfectant wipes Toilet paper, paper towels and garbage bags Nonscented bleach for sanitization Those who have endured previous storms recommend stocking up on batteries, flashlights and a power bank to charge electronics. Evacuation plans If storms become severe, Houston residents may be advised by officials to evacuate. An interactive evacuation map provided by ReadyHarris shows ZIP code zones and evacuation routes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Caroline Wilburn is a breaking news reporter for the Houston Chronicle. A May graduate of Texas A&M University, Caroline worked as an election stringer for the Associated Press and as a breaking news fellow at the Texas Tribune. At the Tribune, she got a crash course in interpreting data, distilling complicated policy and following statewide trends on a tight deadline. Shes also a skilled video editor and podcast producer. She won a first-place award for audio news production at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Jabon Barrett poses for a portrait on Thursday, May 30, 2024 in Houston. Barrett was wrongfully arrested and locked up for about six weeks last winter. Authorities claimed Barrett was a felon in posession of a weapon, when he does not have a felony and is a legal gun owner. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Defense attorney Jerome Godinich prepares for a case at the 263rd Court on Monday, July 17, 2023 at Harris County Criminal Justice Center in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Last winter, authorities in Houston locked up the wrong man for more than six weeks. Jabon Barrett is a 38-year-old Black man from Milwaukee who moved to Houston in 2022. He is a military veteran with no criminal record and he has a license to carry a 9 mm pistol. But last November, Houston police spotted the gun in his car at a gas station and grew suspicious. By coincidence, a totally different man with a decade-old felony conviction in Florida happened to go by the alias James Barrett, which led police to believe that Jabon was, in fact, this other person. So they arrested him under the other mans name in court records, Flobet StLuc, and charged him with unlawfully carrying a weapon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It was such an absurd case of mistaken identity that Barrett was sure it would get fixed promptly. But for two months, every facet of the regions sprawling law enforcement apparatus police, prosecutors, the jail, Barretts defense attorney and the local courts failed to do anything about it. WRONGFUL ARREST: Houston police arrest Good Samaritan for trying to stop drunken driver I feel for every other person thats sitting there in the jail, said Valerie Nash, Barretts mother, who lives in North Carolina and spent weeks trying to get through to local officials in Harris County about the problem. Whether they did what they were accused of or not, theyre still not getting heard. And my son is a prime example of that. People are being railroaded with no recourse, no remedy. Nash and Barrett never heard back from most of the people they tried to contact, including his appointed defense lawyer. After dozens of phone calls and emails, she got the attention of the Harris County Sheriffs Office, which then confirmed the error and released him from jail soon afterward. By then, he had spent 47 days, including Christmas and New Years, behind bars. Unable to work, he grew increasingly depressed and anxious, relying on his mother to send him money to make phone calls to the outside world. Theres no way to know how frequently Houston-area authorities lock up the wrong person for so long. But its clear that Barretts case is yet another example of a criminal justice system in crisis in Americas fourth-largest city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Houston Police Department, which arrested Barrett, has been embroiled in one scandal after another in the wake of severe resource constraints and mismanagement. The Harris County District Attorneys Office, which charged him, is under fire for sending thousands of Houstonians to jail with no legal basis, according to rulings by local judges. And the Harris County Sheriffs Office, which runs the jail that housed him, is buckling under the weight of more inmates and longer stays behind bars. Of those three agencies, only the sheriffs office would acknowledge some responsibility for what happened. I know we missed the mark on this one, said Chief Deputy Mike Lee. The local courts system also failed Barrett, assigning him one of the busiest and highest-paid court-appointed attorneys in Harris County. The attorney, Jerome Godinich, did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the Chronicle, which has written previously about years of complaints from clients who say he failed them. But he did submit a bill of $835 for his work on Barretts case, which judges approved. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Barrett was flabbergasted to hear that Godinich got paid at all. They never met. Ive never seen his face. I couldnt even describe that man to you if I had to, he said in an interview. What did I do wrong? Barrett grew up in Milwaukee and briefly served in the U.S. Army before an injury led to his honorable discharge in 2009. Over the next few years, he had a daughter and worked a variety of jobs across the country, from private security to managing local musicians to running a cleaning business. He eventually joined a group of close friends who had moved to Houston. One evening last November, he noticed his new Cadillac was overheating in the Westside neighborhood near where he lived, so he parked it at a gas station on Briar Forest Drive and went inside to chat with employees he knew there. Then he spotted two patrol officers inspecting his car. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Barrett walked to a friends house nearby to wait it out. Police have stopped him arbitrarily so many times over the years, he said, and he didnt want to deal with them again. But they wouldnt leave, and he needed his car back. As he approached the officers, they were immediately suspicious, he remembers. Is this your car? they asked. Why are you at this gas station? Why did you leave the scene? Barrett said he was not inclined to answer their questions. What did I do wrong? he kept asking them. Investigation for what? I didnt do anything illegal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The department declined to provide the incident report and body camera footage associated with the arrest, but a spokesman read excerpts from the report over the phone. It says police frequented that gas station because it was a known hot spot for trespassers and thieves. The officers noticed that Barretts car had no front license plate, and they spotted a pistol on the drivers side floorboard, leading them to begin an investigation. Barrett said he repeatedly told officers to look for his photo ID and his concealed carry license, which were in the trunk of his car. But the officers incident report tells a different story, claiming that Barrett refused to provide an ID when they asked for one. The report says Barrett was acting suspiciously with the officers, but that he did at one point give them his name: Jabon Barrett. Officers wrote that he also threw out another name, Rahiblu Sheragonjo, which Barrett denies. He says he told them that Rahiblu is his first name, which he never uses because its so hard to pronounce, and that Sheragonjo is his fathers name. The officers searched various state and federal law enforcement databases to find a potential match: a man with a criminal record in Florida named Flobet StLuc. The man had dozens of aliases, according to court records, including Troy Jackson, Mike Faustin, and James Barrett. According to the incident report, the officers collected Barretts fingerprints to compare them with millions of criminal records from across the region and in other parts of the country. No information returned, they wrote; in other words, they didnt get a match with StLuc or anyone else with a criminal conviction. But they didnt tell Barrett that, he says. Instead, a sergeant who had been called to the scene told him, Youre going to jail, Mr. StLuc. A spokesman for HPD defended the officers decision to disregard the fingerprint result. He said that mobile technology the police used is not the gold standard and that it was acceptable to use details like an alias to determine someones identity. Greg Fremin, a retired HPD patrol commander, said he agreed that fingerprinting technology isnt perfect. But he said officers should then use other physical descriptors like a tattoo, a birthmark or overall physical appearance to verify someones identity. You have to do your due diligence to make sure youre arresting the right person, he said. Theres no indication that officers used any other details to connect Barrett and StLuc other than their shared alias and shared race. Both men are Black, but look nothing alike, according to a mug shot of StLuc that is easily available online. HPD would not answer further questions, saying only that the department is conducting a thorough review of the arrest. In Harris County, law enforcement cant arrest anyone without permission from the intake unit in the DAs office. According to the officers incident report, a prosecutor in that unit declined to accept charges against Barrett for failing to identify himself, which is a misdemeanor. But they did agree to charge him with a different misdemeanor: unlawfully carrying a weapon. The Chronicle reported earlier this year that the DAs intake unit is beset with problems. In this case, it appears not to have followed its own protocols. Its manual states: It is extremely important that you identify the defendant by obtaining all available criminal history on the person and by waiting for the AFIS response, referring to the fingerprinting technology. Prosecutors apparently disregarded that guidance when charging Barrett. Instead they ultimately upgraded the charge against him from a misdemeanor, which carried a maximum jail sentence of a year, to a third-degree felony: Unlawful possession of a firearm by felon. If convicted, he faced up to 10 years in prison. The DAs office said that it relies on information from law enforcement officials in deciding whether to file charges and what the appropriate charges might be. As Barrett rode in the back of a squad car, he still had hope things would be resolved soon. Hed get to the jail, and theyd fingerprint him again. Theyd see his prints didnt match that of any convicted felon. Hed get a chance to talk to a lawyer. But what happened next would only cement his fate further. A felon on the run Shortly after midnight on Nov. 8, 2023, Barrett was booked into the Harris County Jail. Officials took his mug shot and wrote down his height and weight. They also collected prints from all 10 of his fingers. Barrett figured this was another chance to prove that his fingerprints didnt match those of any convicted felon. But the sheriffs office doesnt perform that kind of verification, explained Lee, the chief deputy. It relies on information provided by the arresting officers. So all the information the jail collected from him was instead recorded under the name Flobet StLuc. At his bail hearing 14 hours later, a judge agreed to let Barrett out of jail that day without having to pay bail. But hed have to appear in court soon afterward as StLuc, which made no sense to him. He tried to plead with the judge and the Harris County public defender representing him during the hearing, but both of them shut him down. That has nothing to do with the hearing that were holding right now theres literally nothing I can do, the judge told him, a video-recording of the hearing shows. The public defender also wouldnt listen, instead telling him: Youre getting out for free, OK? Youre getting out for free. Alex Bunin, the chief public defender in Harris County, said his offices only function during such bail hearings is to make sure that defendants get out of jail as quickly as possible. Theres no opportunity to argue about the facts of the actual criminal case; that would happen later. These are not situations where we can actually investigate, nor cause the DA to do further investigation, because they take all of 10 minutes, he said. We cant fix everything because the cops screwed up. Barrett had no idea what to do next. If he didnt show up to his court date, a warrant would be issued for his arrest. But none of this had anything to do with Jabon Barrett. It was about Flobet StLuc. In that case, why even go to court? So he didnt. Two and a half weeks later, police stopped Barrett while driving because he still hadnt gotten his front license plates. This time, he immediately showed them his photo ID, not wanting any trouble. What he didnt realize was that law enforcement records had already connected his mug shot with the name of Flobet StLuc in the countys database. Youre a felon on the run, they said, and took him to jail. Again, the jail collected his 10 fingerprints. This time, there was no need to generate a new entry. He was in the system as Flobet StLuc but this time, they included his real name, Rahiblu Barrett, as an alias for StLuc. Again, Barrett protested. Again, no one listened. Barrett called his mom, who lives in North Carolina. Ma, I didnt do this, this isnt me, he told her. She wasnt sure what to think until he asked her to put some money into his commissary account for coffee and snacks but she had to create an account for someone named Flobet StLuc. That is not the name of the son I gave birth to, she remembers thinking. I cant let that happen. She put $100 into a phone account for her son so he could call her directly, but she didnt have money to pay for a lawyer. A couple of days later, Barrett was taken to a basement room at the Harris County courthouse to meet with his new court-appointed lawyer. He never saw a face, he says only a paper shoved through a window slit with his lawyers name: Jerome Godinich. 'Jerome is currently out of the office' For decades, Harris County has faced criticism for how it provides legal representation to those who cant afford it. Most get assigned private attorneys, who have a financial incentive to take on huge numbers of cases without giving them the attention they deserve. Godinich is one of those attorneys. Last year, he earned $795,000 for his work on 434 felonies and five capital murders more than three times the recommended caseload for a single attorney, according to state data. It was expensive for Barrett to make phone calls from the jail, so his mother, Nash, immediately got to work. She tried calling his attorneys office but didnt hear back. Then she came across a recent Chronicle investigation revealing years of complaints from judges, clients and advocates about Godinichs work. Thats when Nash, who has a masters degree in human services administration, went into overdrive. She continued to call and email Godinichs office, but she also reached out to the Harris County District Clerks Office, the court coordinator and court reporter for the judge in the case, the prosecutor assigned to the judge, the public defenders office and, eventually, the Chronicle. I am sure my son is not the only person that is currently locked up who has not heard from their court appointed attorney Mr. Godinich, she wrote in an email to the Chronicle on Dec. 11. I do not know what path to take from here, so my goal right now is to just bring awareness to the gap in services that these inmates are not receiving from their legal counsel. Nash also did some digging on Flobet StLuc. She found his mug shot in Florida court records, which looked nothing like her son. She sent the pictures of the mug shot and her sons photo ID to all the same officials shed been trying to contact and to Godinichs office. On Dec. 20, she finally received an email response from Godinich. At this time your son is in the processing unit of the Harris County Jail, said the email, which was signed by someone named Mary. They will not allow anyone from our office to visit your son other than his attorney. Jerome is currently out of the office. According to rules established by Harris County judges last year, court-appointed attorneys must meet with their clients every 30 days. But that clearly was not going to happen for Nashs son. Your son has court on 1/18/2024, the email said. I am not sure if you are here in Houston, but you can post bail from out of state or another county. That was impossible because Barrett had skipped out on his first court date, his bail was now set at $75,000. Murray Newman, an attorney in Houston who is former president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, said the sequence of events in Barretts case was upsetting to listen to. He said Godinich could easily have talked to the judge or prosecutors about the issue before his clients court date. If someones saying, Im not a felon and youve got the wrong guy, that would immediately set off a lot of bells and whistles in my mind, he said. Theres a high probability that you can figure that out just by going through the computer with the prosecutor. Barrett, meanwhile, was trying to stay positive. He joined a program at the jail called Brothers in Arms, which offers counseling and other support services to veterans behind bars. He was an active and successful participant, the sheriffs office said. He tried to point out that the jail staff had verified his military service under the name Rahiblu Barrett and not Flobet StLuc, but no one took that seriously. At that point, they figured that the name Barrett was simply an alias. The feeling was, maybe I could be sitting in jail and they just dont care, he said. He had one more idea, though. He told his mom to try contacting the program officer for the Brothers in Arms program. They werent listening to him from the inside, but maybe they would listen to someone on the outside. It worked. On Jan. 9, Nash emailed the officer a packet of information, including StLucs mugshot and pictures of her son. The next day, the Harris County Sheriffs Office asked Florida authorities for StLucs fingerprints and realized they were not the same as Barretts. The individual in our custody has never been convicted of a felony, a lieutenant at the sheriffs office wrote in an email to the DAs office. Prosecutors dismissed the case the next day. Defendant is not a convicted felon, they wrote. Barrett got out of jail around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. About an hour after his release, Nash got another email from Godinichs office. It looks as though the District Attorney dismissed your sons case today, the email said. In the bill he submitted to the county, Godinich claimed he spent 6.7 hours reviewing evidence and appearing in court. Nash doesnt believe any of it and said she fears for his other clients. Had I not been who I am, my son would be facing a 10-year prison term, she said. And hes probably the average person thats in there. (Photo : Unsplash/Wesley Tingey ) The American Dream Mall in the meadowlands has been in a legal dispute for the past two years concerning allegations of two workers' termination over organizing a union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sought a court order to reinstate Jose Teran and Luis Valera, employed by HSA Cleaning, who were reinstated this spring with corresponding back pay. However, workers may face less favorable outcomes if a comparable legal scenario were to happen presently, as cautioned by labor experts because of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued on Thursday, which favored Starbucksin a case where seven employees claimed they were dismissed for unionizing efforts. The Supreme Court's Ruling The National Labor Relations Board normally turns to court orders when it suspects any company of unlawfully suppressing union organizing efforts. After Starbucks terminated seven employees at a Tennessee coffee shop, a group later dubbed the Memphis 7 in union circles for breaching company policies, such as allowing a news crew into a closed coffee shop without authorization, the union filed a complaint with the NLRB. However, the NLRB believed Starbucks had likely misbehaved and requested a court to mandate the rehiring of the workers. At the same time, the board conducted an extensive review to reach a final decision. A district judge then ordered Starbucks to reinstate the workers during the review process. The global coffee giant appealed the case to the Supreme Court, contending that the judge should have applied stricter criteria in making the ruling, such as determining whether there was reasonable cause to believe that Starbucks had engaged in unfair labor practices or whether the temporary relief was deemed just and proper, as outlined in the National Labor Relations Act. In contrast, other courts typically assess such requests using the conventional four-factor test for injunctions unrelated to labor law. The Justice Department asserted that Congress intended a restricted role for courts to avoid extensive district court intervention in labor disputes. In its decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court mandated using the four-factor test. It directed the district court to reassess its ruling on the Memphis 7 unless Congress provided explicit instructions to the contrary. READ ALSO: Starbucks Gains US Supreme Court Support on Challenging Federal Courts' Injunction Requests Implications to The New Jersey Workers Kevin Brown, the New Jersey director for 32BJ Service Employees International Union, representing the American Dream cleaners, stated that future injunctions would be more challenging to obtain than the process they went through. Both workers were reinstated with back pay following the April order. However, the NLRB contended that firing these workers could potentially deter other cleaners at American Dream from pursuing union organization efforts, which he described as a chilling effect. Brown also expressed that a comparable situation, where workers are terminated and subsequently reinstated due to indications that their dismissals were linked to union activities, would be less probable in future instances. Harvey Whille, president of the Local 1262 chapter of the grocery store union United Food and Commercial Workers, noted that recent developments have altered the precedent of individuals fired for union activity contesting their dismissal, potentially leading to reinstatement and compensation. James Cooney, a Rutgers University's labor and employment law professor, pointed out that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which also covers New Jersey, historically used a more lenient "two-factor" test, siding with the NLRB and labor unions to determine if there was reasonable cause for unfair labor practices by employers. However, this precedent may no longer hold following the recent ruling, potentially reducing the likelihood of favorable rulings for the NLRB and labor unions in federal courts in New Jersey. As per Cooney, the recent developments could increase the difficulty for the NLRB in taking action, prompting a more significant challenge for the board seeking injunctions in scenarios where a union seeks to organize and the employer terminates an employee. RELATED ARTICLE: Starbucks, Workers United Making Significant Progress, Commit to Working Together Towards Reaching A Collective Bargaining Agreement 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Chinese team holds heritage protection class for Afghan students Xinhua) 08:50, June 17, 2024 This photo taken on June 16, 2024 shows an outdoor class aimed at promoting cultural relics protection for Afghan primary school students in Bamiyan Province, central Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) BAMIYAN, Afghanistan, June 16 (Xinhua) -- An outdoor class aimed at promoting cultural relics protection for Afghan primary school students kicked off Sunday in central Afghanistan's Bamiyan province. The class was organized by a six-member team made of Chinese archaeologists and cultural heritage experts, along with Afghan experts and officials, respectively at the giant Buddhas site and Shahr-e Gholghola, both part of the UNESCO-listed world heritage in the Bamiyan Valley. During the class, Afghan pupils were taught about the status quo of cultural relics protection in Bamiyan, practical skills needed for heritage protection, and the history of cultural exchanges between Afghanistan and China on the ancient Silk Road. "I want to contribute to the future development of my country and work in the field of history and archaeology in the future," said Mohammad Zaid, a sixth grader in the class, who received a certificate for his good performance. Bamiyan boasts several cultural relics sites, including two Buddha statues dating back more than 1,400 years. This photo taken on June 16, 2024 shows an outdoor class aimed at promoting cultural relics protection for Afghan primary school students in Bamiyan Province, central Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) This photo taken on June 16, 2024 shows an outdoor class aimed at promoting cultural relics protection for Afghan primary school students in Bamiyan Province, central Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) An Afghan sells sheep before Eid al-Adha in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, June 16, 2024. TO GO WITH "Feature: Afghanistan preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha amid economic hardship" (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) This photo shows a livestock market before Eid al-Adha in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, June 16, 2024. TO GO WITH "Feature: Afghanistan preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha amid economic hardship" (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) An Afghan boy sells sheep before Eid al-Adha in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, June 16, 2024. TO GO WITH "Feature: Afghanistan preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha amid economic hardship" (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) This photo shows a livestock market before Eid al-Adha in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, June 16, 2024. TO GO WITH "Feature: Afghanistan preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha amid economic hardship" (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) (Photo : Unsplash/Andrew Neel) The Information reported that Sam Altman's vision for OpenAI appears to be evolving from its original conception when he co-founded the startup with highly skilled partners, planning to transition it towards a for-profit strategy. OpenAI, the organization responsible for the widely known chatbot ChatGPT, is contemplating a significant change in its management framework. Last week, CEO Sam Altman notified certain shareholders that a for-profit business modelwould no longer be under the control of its current non-profit board. With a private valuation approaching $86 billion, OpenAI is exploring this transformation to support its goals of advancing artificial general intelligence (AGI) research, bolstering its financial position, and expanding its technological influence. OpenAI Adopting A For-Profit Corporation One option currently under review is adopting a for-profit benefit corporation model, similar to those embraced by OpenAI's competitors like Anthropic and xAI. This would enable OpenAI to seek profits while maintaining a focus on broader societal benefits, citing someone familiar with the comments. According to The Information, should OpenAI adopt a for-profit business strategy, it would result in the loss of control by the current non-profit board. However, the company's website still indicates that shareholders' investments are considered donations to date. Exploration of Alternative Options to Sustain OpenAI's Vision Altman is reportedly exploring alternative options to generate a sustainable revenue stream due to insufficient funds to sustain OpenAI's non-profit vision. This effort to change the company's business model coincides with Altman's recent restructuring of the board, which includes his addition and three new members. Paul Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army General and former head of the National Security Agency, recently joined the board of OpenAI. Edward Snowden, a former U.S. intelligence contractor, has expressed strong disapproval of Nakasone's appointment. Altman is also contemplating another possibility: OpenAI might adopt the name B-Corp and concentrate exclusively on profit generation, operating independently of the non-profit board. However, as a B-Corp, OpenAI would be obligated to consider financial gains and the broader societal implications of its existence and future actions. READ ALSO: Ex-OpenAI Board Members Casting Doubt on Altman's Leadership, Cite Profit-Driven Pressures Necessitate External Oversight Discussions about restructuring at OpenAI are still ongoing and subject to change, with Altman and the board of directors ultimately deciding on a different course of action. Responding to Reuters queries, OpenAI emphasized its continued commitment to developing AI for the benefit of all, highlighting that the non-profit aspect remains fundamental to its mission and will be preserved. OpenAI's Backlash from Elon Musk Proposed changes at OpenAI have sparked controversy, drawing criticism from public figures like Elon Musk, who had previously backed the company's profit-oriented strategies. Musk has openly disapproved of recent developments, such as introducing new products like the Sora text-to-video AI platform. His accusations of a "Breach of Mission" against OpenAI highlight the increased scrutiny and debate over the company's commitments and the ethical implications of its technological progress. RELATED ARTICLE: AI Saga Update: Elon Musk Drops Lawsuit Accusing OpenAI of Betraying Founding Mission 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Pexels: Photo by fauxels) While employees are showing a growing tendency to stay longer in their current roles due to the stability offered by employers, business leaders may mistakenly interpret nesting as loyalty and perceive it as effective retention when, in reality, it could indicate something different. According to Forbes, statistics indicate that up to 51% of workers report actively monitoring or seeking new job opportunities, 79% feel compelled to perform out of fear of appearing unproductive, and many are actively looking for new employment. Kristen McGill, chief people officer at ZayZoon, emphasized the importance for employers to stay vigilant about retention rates and monitor emerging trends without becoming overly preoccupied with them. Here are the three specific actions McGill recommended that leaders can implement: 1. Employers Have to Build The Right Culture McGill suggests that employers should concentrate on cultivating the right culture and internal programs to leverage the lower turnover associated with nesting. When nesting reduces the need for recruitment efforts, employers can redirect their focus to other areas, such as strengthening their core benefits and perks, while expanding development opportunities to build trust with employees who value stability in their current roles. McGill asserts that financial wellness tools, such as childcare support or enhanced work flexibility, signal a commitment to meeting employees' needs and providing greater job security amidst market fluctuations. This investment not only aids in retaining employees but also enhances engagement, fostering a positive culture and increasing productivity among employees staying longer or nesting in their roles. Leaders are ultimately responsible for empowering team members to voice their opinions and showing a willingness to acknowledge feedback and take decisive actions based on it, even for employees not actively seeking career advancement. READ ALSO: Is Your Team Really Engaged? Here Are Key Strategies for Improving Workplace Morale and Productivity 2. Employers Have to Look for The Signs Signs of employee nesting in the workplace can vary, but significant shifts in behavior should be seen as a signal that something may be wrong. Stronger connections enable managers to recognize signs of employees nesting more effectively and respond in ways that meet their individual needs, where employees may consistently perform satisfactorily, meeting the expectations set for their roles without exceeding or falling short. Rather than focusing solely on spotting the nesting trend, McGill advises employers to cultivate a culture that prevents it from arising. She argues that fostering a high-performance culture and clear expectations compel every team member to consistently contribute and earn their place within the team, regardless of role or level. 3. Employers Have to Differentiate Nesting and Loyalty According to McGill, nesting employees are satisfied with their current situation, including their pay, job responsibilities, and the stability provided by their organization. These employees tend to shy away from conversations about advancing their careers or discussing their next steps, leading to a sense of detachment and a barrier between them and their employers. Loyal employees tend to do the contrary. Tools such as engagement surveys enable employers to distinguish engaged employees who derive purpose from their work, comprehend their significance within their team or company and are unlikely to settle into complacency. A leader's role is to connect these dots for the employee. Mistaking nesting for loyalty can jeopardize the retention of the 51% of workers actively considering new roles. Instead, this is the time to focus on creating a better culture and implementing programs that prevent employees from getting too comfortable. RELATED ARTICLE: Six Ways to Save a Toxic Workplace According to Forbes' HR Council 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After a fantastic week of revolutionary ideas and inspirational reports from all over the world; following many months of preparation by thousands of comrades in dozens of countries; the founding conference of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) concluded with a unanimous vote to launch this new International. But this is just the beginning. We are building the worldwide party of revolutionary communism and we need your help. Join the newly-founded RCI, study the genuine ideas of Marxism, and help us fight for revolution in our lifetimes! The founding conference has been a stunning success. Two years ago, when all meetings were restricted to zoom, we held a tremendously successful online International Marxist University with 7,700 participants. This weeks events brought together the same number online in over 120 countries, as well as 500 comrades in person, here in Italy. This was a truly international event, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. We raised a breathtaking 488,930, held over 20 discussions on all the fundamental elements of our programme, distilled in our Manifesto, which was also unanimously endorsed. We crowned this outstanding week with the official founding of the Revolutionary Communist International. For more on the events of the first half of this week, you can read the reports from day one and day three of the conference. Building Revolutionary Communist Parties The closing session of our founding conference gave an overview of the phenomenal advances made by our organisation across the world. Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the RCI, introducing the discussion, pointed out that there is nothing like the RCI anywhere in the world. No other organisation has taken a serious approach to the genuine ideas of Marxism and the real traditions of revolutionary communism. The RCI might be new, but our roots run deep. An unbroken thread connects us to the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. As Hamid noted: We are a revolutionary organisation, we have always been one and we will always remain one. In previous decades, we, the genuine communists, were perhaps the weakest force in politics. But if we were numerically weak, we had something else that in the long term is decisive, the value of which none of our competitors understood: Marxist theory, our focus on which will not slacken as we grow. Explosive growth around the globe During the discussion, comrades from around the International explained the stunning successes that have led up to the founding of the RCI. In April 2023, we had 4,400 comrades internationally, but in just 12 months we grew to 6,500. It is only a matter of weeks before the RCI reaches 7,000 comrades a major milestone in our development. The International has grown by almost 50 percent in one year, with some sections growing by as much as 150 percent in the same period, such as our Danish section which now has 247 comrades. Currently, the RCI has full sections in 26 countries, with sizable groups in 12 further countries working towards applying to become sections. When you add smaller groups and individuals around the world, we have comrades building the work of the RCI in more than 70 countries. Britain is currently the largest section of the RCI, with over 1,200 comrades and over 100 branches across the country. Having only just founded their Revolutionary Communist Party, the British comrades were unexpectedly catapulted into the spotlight following comrade Fiona Lalis televised demolition of right-wing Tory Suella Braverman, which went viral. Now, the British comrades have launched an election campaign to get Fiona elected to parliament, which has enjoyed a tremendous reception. For the first time, in Britain, we have entered into dialogue with the masses. The comrades goal of building a party of 10,000 trained class fighters in the coming period feels well within reach! In Canada, the recently-founded Revolutionary Communist Party is now larger than any self-proclaimed revolutionary group in the country, with 820 members spread across most major cities in the country. Such successes are mirrored south of the border in the United States, where the revolutionary communists now have over 800 comrades, reflecting an astounding growth rate of 150 percent since August 2023. In coming weeks, the comrades will mark this success by founding the Revolutionary Communists of America. The US report highlighted the audacity of our comrades. As we reported yesterday, RCA comrade Milos Minos has been threatened with 90 days in jail, because of the enormous impact of his leaflets exposing the exploitation of workers at the Minneapolis International Airport. This is evidently a politically-motivated attack, and the comrades in the US intend to campaign energetically for the charges to be dropped. In Pakistan, the RCI now has 705 members, who have taken the decision to found a Revolutionary Communist Party in December this year. This will, without doubt, detonate like a bombshell within Pakistani politics. It will, as Hamid and comrade Adam Pal from Pakistan said, make us many enemies, but many more friends. Adam fiercely condemned the rotten capitalist system in Pakistan, which our comrades have committed themselves to destroy. He highlighted the situation in Kashmir, where crippling price hikes are driving countless workers and peasants to struggle in the face of repression, as an example of exactly what the RCI seeks to overthrow. Comrades also gave inspiring reports on the development of our work in countries where we previously had little presence. For instance, in Ireland, the founding conference of the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland took place earlier this year. The comrades have published the first edition of their newspaper and are working towards taking on a full-time revolutionary. Similar work is rapidly developing in Finland, where there are now 27 comrades of the RCI up from just three in 2023. Are you a communist? Hamid explained that the immense growth of the RCI proves the correctness of our Are you a communist? campaign. There are countless workers and youth in all countries in the world, who are actively looking for communism, and nothing less. That we understood this and turned decisively towards this layer constitutes the whole secret to our success. But as Hamid noted, there is an even larger layer of people who do not yet see themselves as communists, but who are filled with anger and frustration at the state of society. They hate their bosses. They hate the politicians. They have nothing but contempt for the lying media. They are looking for a way out. These people might not be communists yet, but they are open to being persuaded. We need to learn how to speak to these people: presenting our ideas in a way that can be understood, and that connects with the struggles of everyday life for millions of ordinary men and women. Our consistent revolutionary work has attracted not only a flood of new comrades, but also the attacks of the capitalist class. In Austria, Britain, Denmark, Switzerland, the USA and elsewhere, our comrades have been subjected to political attacks in the right-wing press and by the established capitalist parties. Of course, we welcome their outrage, and the free publicity! Were coming to the end of our founding conference. Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday! #RCI24 #CommunistsAreComing pic.twitter.com/Gz0Ckd4OhA Revolutionary Communist International (@marxistcom) June 15, 2024 The ruling class attacks us because we are beginning to connect with the real mood in society, which is one of palpable anger against the rotten capitalist system. For this reason, comrades resolve is only strengthened by such attacks, which have also drawn a wider layer of workers and youth towards us. Free Palestine! A focus of the RCIs work over the last few months has been the Palestine movement around the world. From the beginning, our comrades have been at the forefront of this struggle, and particularly the international wave of student encampments that have swept over 100 universities. There is a mood of frustration and rage in the Palestine solidarity movement. What is lacking is a clear political leadership to give this mood expression. There is a huge vacuum to be filled. This explains the huge momentum behind Fionas election campaign in Britain. She has received millions of views on social media, and acquired hundreds of thousands of new followers, who see her as a beacon for fearlessly calling out the hypocrisy of the capitalist war criminals. Hamid pointed out that the incredible publicity for our ideas shows how we must learn to think bigger. Fionas campaign is a local anticipation of the opportunities that will open up as the RCI grows, making it possible to reach larger and larger layers with our programme and ideas. But to do so we must learn the art of seizing such opportunities to build. Outstanding achievements The growth of the RCI over the last year has laid the basis for a major step forward in all aspects of our work. Wellred Books, the publishing house of the RCI, has become the only publishing house in the world that consistently publishes Marxist theory. The recent republication of Lenins Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder with a new introduction, as well as the publication of a new collection of Lenins selected writings On Imperialist War are valuable weapons in the theoretical arsenal of communists worldwide. In just the first six months of this year, Wellred Books has sold 11,700 books, compared to 4,500 in the entirety of 2020. This shows the incredible thirst for revolutionary ideas that exists in society. Roughly one-third of the books sold were copies of Rob Sewell and Alan Woods In Defence of Lenin, an indispensable work on historys greatest revolutionary, published for the centenary of his death. In Defence of Marxism magazine, the quarterly theoretical journal of the RCI, has also had its best year ever. The latest issue sold 4,200 copies and is being translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, German, Chinese, Indonesian and Russian. The caricature of Marxism paints us as concerned with economic questions of bread alone. This is far from the truth, and the upcoming issue will tackle the important question of the communist approach to art and culture, featuring articles on poetry, Greek drama and a key essay by Trotsky on culture and socialism. We have also taken many new successful initiatives, including the Internationals Spectre of Communism podcast, which was launched last year, has already reached 280,000 plays and has 10,000 followers. The podcast has produced dozens of episodes, covering a wide range of theoretical topics, as well as current events. We have big plans for Spectre of Communism in the coming period, so stay tuned! International solidarity As Hamid, and later Alan Woods commented in his closing remarks, we are building a party of communist struggle amidst a bloody and brutal class war that is unfolding all over the world. A stark reminder of this came on the penultimate day of the conference, as we received news of a government crackdown on the leaders of an ongoing mass movement against crippling price hikes on essential goods in Pakistan-held Kashmir. Comrades voted unanimously in support of a statement in full solidarity with those persecuted by the Pakistani state. The full text of this statement is available here. The founding conference of the RCI sends its solidarity to our Hungarian comrades, participating online, whose watch party was violently broken up by a gang of fascists. We will not be cowed! An injury to one is an injury to all!#RCI24 #CommunistsAreComing pic.twitter.com/U2qXb4AiPv Revolutionary Communist International (@marxistcom) June 15, 2024 We also received news from our Hungarian comrades that their watch party was violently broken up by a gang of fascists, with one comrade being hospitalised. The entire conference was shocked by the news and immediately sent a message of solidarity. As communists, we stand united against vile reactionary thugs and refuse to back down in the face of such threats. An injury to one is an injury to all! We will not be cowed! The communists have arrived! The founding conference of the RCI was truly a historic event, the likes of which no comrade had ever experienced. Alan Woods, in his closing remarks, spoke for all participants when he said: I have never in my life seen such an inspirational meeting as this. Hamid, quoting Trotskys On the Founding of the Fourth International, summed up what it now means to be a member of the RCI: The great events which rush upon mankind will not leave of these outlived organizations one stone upon another. Only the Fourth International looks with confidence at the future. It is the world party of Socialist Revolution! There never was a greater task on the earth. Upon every one of us rests a tremendous historical responsibility. Our party demands each of us, totally and completely. Let the philistines hunt their own individuality in empty space. For a revolutionary to give himself entirely to the party signifies finding himself. Yes, our party takes each one of us wholly. But in return it gives to every one of us the highest happiness: the consciousness that one participates in the building of a better future, that one carries on his shoulders a particle of the fate of mankind, and that ones life will not have been lived in vain. Sessions on oppression and identity politics; how communists can conquer the masses and the Bolsheviks in power on day 4 of our founding conference! Watch live https://t.co/tZgUrf7ohV #RCI24 #CommunistsAreComing pic.twitter.com/6lhJFAjYhy Revolutionary Communist International (@marxistcom) June 13, 2024 This is what the RCI offers each and every one of us. The confidence and optimism to know that we have the world to win, and that we know precisely how to win it. However, while we will all return to our respective countries from this conference filled with boundless enthusiasm, we also return fully conscious of the seriousness of our job. We do not offer you a comfortable life, Alan said to the comrades. But a life of hard struggle. He drew on the example of Spartacus, whom Marx once named the finest representative of antiquity. This remarkable man raised an army of slaves and defied the might of the Roman Republic, scoring many victories. To explain how slaves could defeat the most powerful military force of its day, the Roman army, the slave-owners invented all kinds of legends: that Spartacus was born of Thracian royalty; that his wife was a magician, etc. Alan cited Stanley Kubricks excellent 1960 film about Spartacus life, which depicts its hero in a melancholy conversation with his wife Varinia following a successful battle. Some more photos of day 3, where we announced our INCREDIBLE collection of 474,000!! An amazing testament to the revolutionary zeal of our comrades, and their commitment to Marxist ideas.#RCI24 #CommunistsAreComing pic.twitter.com/kVHGAJUWA1 Revolutionary Communist International (@marxistcom) June 12, 2024 Varinia asks Spartacus why he does not celebrate his victory, to which Spartacus answers that he cannot read, that he feels this mark of his bondage, and would like her to teach him. This is what revolution is about: the striving of the soul for a life worthy of human beings. In a final anecdote, Alan recalled a conversation with an individual who actually lived through such an event. While studying at Moscow State University, Alan met an elderly woman who witnessed the October Revolution in 1917. She later spent 17 years in Stalins hellish concentration camps. Alan explained how all the years of pain and hardship lifted from her face when he asked her about her experience of the October Revolution. You cannot imagine what it was like, she said. It was a spiritual uplift. At which point, her face fell again and she added: not like now. Today, we must finish what was started by the Bolsheviks over 100 years ago. We must retie the knot of history severed by the crimes of Stalinism, and build a real Revolutionary Communist International that can lead the workers of the world to final victory. The RCI has been founded, but now the work begins! To grow, to build the world party of socialist revolution. There is no greater cause on earth than this, so if you have not yet joined us in this fight, do so! Catch up Over 20 talks have taken place this week, bringing together leading comrades of the RCI from all over the world. The videos of these talks, which are all available online, represent a treasure-trove of revolutionary ideas. You can catch up on the first half of the week here, and Thursday and Fridays talks below: The struggle against oppression The Bolsheviks in power How can the communists conquer the masses? Why we need a theory of history What is behind right populism and how do we fight it? World revolution or socialism in one country? War and revolution Does communism mean bureaucracy? Chinese premier says communication, dialogue key for China, Australia to enhance understanding Xinhua) 08:51, June 17, 2024 CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that given the different history, culture and social systems of China and Australia, it is normal that the two countries have different views on some issues, and the key is to strengthen communication and dialogue to enhance understanding and dispel misgivings. He made the remarks when meeting with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines, and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Chinese researchers develop mini, injectable device for monitoring intracranial physiology Xinhua) 08:59, June 17, 2024 WUHAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese research team has created a mini injectable ultrasonic sensor for wireless monitoring of intracranial signals, thereby providing an option which goes beyond the limitations of current clinical instruments. The study was recently published in the journal Nature. Physiological data are indicators used to determine the physiological state of the human body, which can help doctors diagnose, treat and detect diseases. Obtaining accurate physiological data concerning the human body in a safe and stable manner has long been a major focus in the medical monitoring field. The study noted that current wired clinical instruments that use percutaneous leads are susceptible to causing infection and potential surgical complications, while patient mobility is also affected. Wireless implantable devices offer greater operational freedom but were previously subject to problems such as limited detection range, poor degradation and difficulty in terms of size reduction in the human body. The research team, led by Prof. Zang Jianfeng from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, developed an injectable, bioresorbable and wireless metastructured hydrogel sensor for ultrasonic monitoring of intracranial signals. According to the study, the sensors are cubes that are eight cubic millimeters in size, and they are made from biodegradable and stimulus-responsive hydrogels and periodically aligned air columns with a specific acoustic reflection spectrum. Implanted into intracranial space with a puncture needle, the devices can deform in response to physiological environmental changes, resulting in peak frequency shifts of reflected ultrasound waves that can be wirelessly measured by an external ultrasound probe. Various categories of physiological data such as intracranial pressure, temperature, pH levels and blood flow velocity can therefore be obtained. Notably, the invention is made of biodegradable polymer materials, which will degrade in the body after about one month, without having to be removed, reducing both pain and the risk of infection. In addition, the research team has put forward an innovative algorithm that can efficiently separate the coupling effects of pressure, temperature, pH levels and other factors by simultaneously analyzing the frequency change data of multiple sensors, so as to achieve comprehensive perception of complex physiological environments. The research team noted that these devices provide huge advantages in reducing energy consumption and having no thermal effect. In the future, they can also be applied to other parts of the human body, promising to deliver a new technology pattern for clinical intelligent diagnosis and treatment. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) China-Australia mutual popularity on the rise, people call for strengthened cooperation in new energy, climate change: GT survey 09:06, June 17, 2024 By Xie Wenting ( Global Times Editor's Note: Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Australia on Saturday for an official visit, on the second leg of his ongoing three-nation tour. His visit also came on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. In recent years, China and Australia have experienced a bumpy relationship, but the bilateral ties are now stabilizing. Given the importance of the China-Australia relations, the Global Times Institute (GTI) conducted a survey on China-Australia relations, jointly with the Australian Studies Centre of Beijing Foreign Studies University. This year marks the fourth year of the survey (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024) and it is the first time that questionnaires have also been directed at the Australian public. The survey was conducted across 16 cities in China, targeting ordinary residents aged 18-69. The selection of cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Nanning, Harbin, Nanchang, Lanzhou, Xi'an, Shenyang, Wuhan, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Qingdao, and Kunming - ensured a balanced geographical distribution. The survey also targeted the general public aged 18-70 across the eight states and territories of Australia - the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. An online questionnaire method was employed based on a large-scale membership sample database. The execution period was from May 26 to June 5, 2024. A total of 1,200 valid samples were collected in China, and 1,075 valid samples in Australia. Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Adelaide, Australia, June 15, 2024, for an official visit to Australia. During his stay, Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting and jointly attend a China-Australia CEO Roundtable Meeting. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Increasing positive sentiment As China-Australia relations stabilize, mutual goodwill between the peoples of both countries is on the rise. According to the latest survey jointly conducted by the GTI and the Australian Studies Centre of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, both Chinese and Australian respondents have shown increased positive feelings toward each other's countries. The Chinese respondents have reported a significant increase in their favorable perception of Australia. Compared to the last survey in 2022, the average goodwill score has risen by 7 points to 69.2 in 2024, which is in alignment with the policy adjustment of the current Anthony Albanese government. Similarly, the Australian respondents have shown an upward trend in their goodwill toward China. The survey reveals an average goodwill score of 40.9, slightly higher than the recent data from the Lowy Institute polls. The Lowy Institute data itself indicates a stabilization and slight increase in positive sentiment toward China from 2022 to 2024, following a significant decline in 2019. Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at the East China Normal University, told the Global Times that Chinese people have always had a favorable impression of Australia. However, the actions of the previous Scott Morrison government wantonly destroyed the China-Australia relationship, impacting Chinese people's impressions of Australia. "Despite this, Chinese perceptions of Australia remain relatively positive. Therefore, after the improvement of China-Australia relations, Chinese respondents' favorable impression of Australia has risen, which is a natural development and confirms the positive attitude of the Chinese people toward Australia," Chen said. Liu Qing, vice president at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that the improvement in China-Australia relations is mainly due to increased high-level exchanges, changes in Australia's domestic public opinion, and increased commercial exchanges. "In terms of high-level exchanges, confidence has been restored between the two sides; in terms of public opinion, there has been a change in Australia's domestic sentiment toward restoring relations with China since Albanese took office; and in terms of commerce, the situation for Australian businesses and investments has improved, and some issues have been resolved through negotiation," Liu said. However, John Queripel, an Australian historian and author, warned that numerous Australian politicians, the Australian intelligence agencies, and mainstream media are at odds with the reality of China. Fear-mongering regarding China has been very powerful in Australia. "This is why such visits as [the current one] by Premier Li Qiang are so important. They break down stereotypes, and foster deeper understanding so necessary for countries bound by geographical location and being economically complementary," Queripel told the Global Times. In what areas are you more optimistic about the future cooperation between China and Australia? Graphics: Liu Xidan/GT Strong support for strengthened economic cooperation The GTI survey also highlights strong public support in both China and Australia for enhanced economic cooperation between the two countries. Respondents from both countries recognize the complementary nature of their economies and the vast potential for future collaboration. Despite strategic concerns in Australia about China, the survey indicates strong public support for closer economic ties. Nearly two-thirds (64.7 percent) of the Australian respondents agreed that China plays an irreplaceably positive role in Australia's economic development, while nearly 60 percent believed that Australia needs to develop closer economic links with China. Among the Chinese respondents, 79.9 percent expressed "strong support" or "support" for strengthening economic cooperation with Australia. Similarly, 63.5 percent of the Australian respondents shared this sentiment. Furthermore, there is significant support for further enhancing the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, with 76.1 percent of the Chinese and 53.6 percent of the Australians in favor. Chen said that the Chinese market is huge and growing rapidly, and economic cooperation between the two countries brings tangible benefits to the people of both countries. "The Morrison government's attempts to diversify its markets have failed because China's market size and growth rate are irreplaceable. Politicizing economic issues not only fails to solve problems but also worsens bilateral relations. After the Australian Labor Party came to power in May 2022, it began to clearly differentiate its China policy from that of the Morrison government, fostering goodwill and promoting the improvement of bilateral relations. China has also shown an open and flexible attitude in economic and trade issues, engaging in rational and pragmatic dialogue. These positive actions have been welcomed by the Australian business community," Chen noted. The survey found that the Chinese respondents highlighted Australia's strengths in tourism, climate change, environmental protection, social welfare, higher education, public health, and agricultural technology. Meanwhile, Australian respondents pointed to China's expertise in high technology, infrastructure, and the digital economy as areas worth learning from. Both groups of respondents identified several key areas for future cooperation - international trade, climate change and environmental protection, transnational tourism, energy, and high-tech industries. Support for cooperation in climate change and renewable energy is particularly high, with widespread approval for enhanced people-to-people exchanges, according to the survey result. Queripel told the Global Times that China has made great achievements in the clean-energy sector as well as in its efforts to counter desertification, and a vast potential in this field can be explored. "In a time when growing numbers of Australians are expressing fear about climate change, this good news story [about China's green efforts] needs to be told," Queripel said. "Electric vehicles (EVs) are another area where China has taken the lead. In comparison, Australia, having no domestic automobile industry, represents an open market for Chinese exports of EVs." Hope for strengthened bilateral relations A significant majority of the respondents - 88.7 percent in China and 64.9 percent in Australia - hope that bilateral relations will become closer and friendlier, or at least remain unchanged. More than half of the respondents from both countries also believe that improved relations would have a "very helpful" or "quite helpful" impact on maintaining stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Queripel told the Global Times that the Pacific needs, as its name implies, to be a zone of peace. In 1986 the South Pacific Countries declared the South Pacific to be a nuclear-free zone. Australia was a signatory to that treaty. "However, other nations from outside the region have had a long history of using the region for nuclear tests, such was their disregard for its peoples," he criticized. The survey revealed that 55.7 percent of the Australian respondents consider the US as or "maybe" the main factor constraining Australia to develop friendly relations with China. Queripel believed that the US stands as the major hindrance to Australia developing fruitful relations with China. "The Australia-US alliance has never been in Australia's interest, but instead has dragged Australia into wars in which Australia should have had no part. Now the US is calling Australia into a military alliance squarely aimed at China. One which could disastrously end in war. Not only is this dangerous, it also runs entirely counter to Australia's self-interests," he said. "Given the size of China, both economically and militarily, it would be foolish on Australia's part not to work with China. China is the preeminent power in the Asia-Pacific region, though it has projected that power in a benevolent manner, something recognized by many countries in the region. Cooperation should be unavoidable," he stressed. The survey also reveals differing attitudes toward international relations. The Chinese respondents expressed confidence and openness typical of a "great power citizens," with 67.3 percent viewing Australia as an economic partner, an increase of 2 percentage points from 2022. Additionally, 72.9 percent of the Chinese respondents consider Australia a "middle power," up from 68.1 percent in 2022. By contrast, the surveyed Australians showed a degree of anxiety and strategic distrust, reflecting the geopolitical and economic considerations in their China policy. A significant portion of the Australian respondents still view China as a "security threat" (47.7 percent) or a "competitor" (13.7 percent), with only 38.6 percent considering China an economic partner, according to the survey. Liu told the Global Times that Chinese people tend to view Australia as an economic partner. However, while Australia also sees China as an economic partner, it is concerned about the potential security challenges China may pose, showing anxiety and strategic distrust. "This reflects the conflicts and dilemmas between the two countries in geopolitical and economic considerations. In Australia's China policy, this is manifested as indecision. This ambivalence in Australia is not a new phenomenon but a long-standing policy dilemma. Data show that Australia's foreign strategy is influenced by the US. China has never seen Australia as a threat, and there are significant differences in security perceptions between the two sides. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Australia to reduce misunderstandings, increase transparency, and promote the long-term development of bilateral relations," Liu said. Despite these differences, the survey indicates the potential for pragmatic and creative cooperation in various fields. A notable 69.4 percent of the Chinese respondents and 53.1 percent of the Australian respondents "strongly support" or "support" joint China-Australia foreign aid projects in the Pacific and Asian regions. Chen suggested that "to further promote the development of China-Australia relations, there needs to be a spiritual connection and joint efforts between the peoples of both countries." "China welcomes Australian people to come to China to understand the real situation in China. At the same time, Australia should also be open to education, technology, and cultural exchanges from China. Only through mutual openness can mutual trust be established, which will promote cooperation and achieve mutual benefit," he said. "The results of the public opinion surveys indicate that enhanced understanding and trust is the key to promoting the development of China-Australia relations." (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) China, EU kick off human rights dialogue in Chongqing 09:21, June 17, 2024 By Zhang Yuying ( Global Times A woman applies paint to a banner during a public event to commemorate the Human Rights Day in Gaborone, Botswana on Dec. 9, 2022. Human Rights Day is observed every year on Dec. 10 - the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua) As the China-EU Human Rights Dialogue reportedly held on Sunday in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, experts said that maintaining high-level dialogue will help European countries gain a more comprehensive understanding of China's human rights achievements. They also said that the reported field visit to Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region for EU officials shows China's sincerity, and that experiencing the region firsthand can play a crucial role in dispelling Europe's longstanding misjudgments and stereotypes regarding China's human rights situation. According to the South China Morning Post on June 8, an EU spokeswoman confirmed that EU officials are set to visit Xizang this month as a side outing to their annual human-rights dialogue with China. The EU team will be led by Paola Pampaloni, the second-in-command on its Asia desk within the union's diplomatic corps. Nabila Massrali, the bloc's foreign-affairs spokesperson, said that a side visit to Xizang was being organized by the Chinese authorities for a small group of officials from the European External Action Service who follow human rights issues, the South China Morning Post report said. Maintaining a dialogue between both sides is beneficial for countries in Europe to have a more comprehensive understanding of the current development of human rights in China, especially its achievements, and is sure to help eliminate certain misunderstandings, Zhu Ying, a professor at the Baize Institute, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Sunday. Zhu emphasized the importance of official communication and exchanges between China and EU in fostering relations, particularly in addressing human rights issues, as such communication carries authority and is representative. The dialogue in the field of human rights has long been an integral part of comprehensive communication between China and Europe, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday. China hopes to leverage the channel to present its views on human rights more comprehensively to the EU, allowing European countries to understand the practice of China's human rights more objectively and truthfully, Cui said, noting that China will adhere to its own position and understanding of human rights issues, as well as the experience of its human rights practice. The last China-EU Human Rights Dialogue was held in Brussels, Belgium, in February 2023, which marked a resumption of the talks after a suspension since 2019. The EU's foreign affairs spokesperson told media that although the EU and China have different views on human rights, this is exactly why the dialogue is important. Zhu noted that for a considerable time, some European governments and non-governmental organizations have held stereotypical views on the history and principles of human rights development in China, and these misconceptions can only be dispelled through persistent efforts to foster mutual understanding. Hence, the sustained and ongoing official dialogues between China and EU will be of great help to promote the lasting transformation of those misconceptions, Zhu said. Regarding the field visit to Xizang organized by the Chinese side for the EU officials, analysts noted this firsthand approach is an excellent method for debunking Western misconceptions. "Even officials with preconceived biases, upon visiting the actual location, will discover that prior information was untrue. I think this is the best way for them to clarify their doubts," Zhu said. The European side should attach importance to this opportunity for an on-site visit and recognize the sincerity demonstrated by the Chinese side, Cui said. "This more comprehensive form of dialogue and communication can greatly enhance the EU's understanding of the advancements and implementation of human rights in China." The EU should also work to engage in more meaningful and authentic dialogue with China, as the European side, to some extent, has seen human rights dialogue as a tool or method to pressure China in the field of human rights, Cui said. "The European side should return to the true meaning of dialogue, engage in equal dialogue with China, and adhere to the basic principle of mutual respect, rather than have a preset stance," the expert noted. Both sides need to respect each other's practices in human rights in order for the dialogue to be not only sustainable, but also increasingly important for the stability and development of bilateral relations, analysts said. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) China makes promising start in battle to tame sandstorm corridor People's Daily Online) 09:23, June 17, 2024 By focusing on key desert fringe areas and taking innovative, scientific and comprehensive measures for wind prevention, sand and desertification control, as well as dust suppression, China has made a promising start to its campaign to tame desert areas and created a model of sand control and desertification prevention and control. Last year, China initiated a battle against sand in Minqin county, Wuwei city, northwest China's Gansu Province, aiming to tame the desert areas stretching from the Hexi Corridor in Gansu all the way to the fringe areas of the country's largest desert, the Taklimakan Desert. This aerial photo taken on May 25, 2023 shows a view of the desert poplar (populus euphratica) forest on the edge of Taklimakan desert, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Spanning four provincial-level regions, including north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, northwest China's Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Hexi Corridor-Taklimakan Desert edge region is a critical source and pathway for sandstorms in China. So far, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps have completed comprehensive treatment on 3.18 million, 2.12 million, 2.76 million, 5.91 million, and 1.42 million mu (1 mu equals about 667 square meters) of land respectively, getting the battle off to a good start. Afforestation projects hold the key to China's notable achievements in sand control and desertification prevention and control. As a provincial-level region with the largest desertified and sandy area, Xinjiang has seen increased vegetation around the Taklimakan Desert, thanks to the country's large-scale afforestation project, the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP). In recent years, the region has significantly reduced the area of desertified and sandy lands under the TSFP, realizing a historic transformation from a situation of "sand forcing humans to retreat" to "trees forcing sand to retreat". Today, slogans on sand control and desertification prevention can be seen everywhere in the fringe areas of the Taklimakan Desert, where lush vegetation forms a "green neckerchief" around the desert. Qiemo county in Xinjiang, a key area of the battle which is surrounded by sand on three sides, has continuously planted desert trees, such as saxaul, desert poplar, Chinese tamarisk, and Calligonum mongolicum, along the desert edge, forming an ecological corridor spanning 129,000 mu. The county mobilizes local officials and residents for a mass tree-planting campaign each spring, logging over 1.5 million participants to date. "Everyone pitches in to make the green belt stretch farther into the desert," said Patigul Yasin, a female forest ranger in the county. This year, Qiemo county will plant over 20,000 mu of trees in an eco-sand control base to reinforce this ecological corridor, according to Patigul Yasin. On May 20, China kicked off a campaign in Minfeng county, Hotan prefecture of Xinjiang to further expand the sand fixation and afforestation efforts in the Taklimakan Desert edge, signaling a drive to plug the final 285-km "gap" in the ecological corridor encircling the country's largest desert. "Through sustained afforestation efforts, a 2,761-km green shelterbelt has taken shape around the Taklimakan Desert. Once the remaining 285 km is filled, it will form a massive ecological barrier, effectively blocking sand," said Wang Gang, deputy director of the desertification prevention and control division of Xinjiang's forestry and grassland bureau. In an effort to quickly fill the "gap", the local authorities plan to employ methods such as engineering sand fixation, biological sand control, and photovoltaic sand control, according to Wu Yanlong, deputy chief of the Xinjiang command center of a company responsible for the Hotan section of the campaign. Aiming to realize the goal of "wind prevention, sand obstruction, and dust control", the country has targeted the source and pathway regions of wind, sand, and dust, and implemented 14 major projects at key wind erosion outlets, sand invasion areas, and oasis defense gaps, according to an official with the country's National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA). These projects have enabled the country to construct a comprehensive framework combining relevant points, lines, and areas, with multiple intertwining corridors and barriers, creating a model of desertification prevention and control. Led by national comprehensive sand control demonstration areas, relevant authorities and governments have taken scientific measures for comprehensive treatment of desertified lands, key wind erosion outlets, and cross-border sand source areas, ensuring that sand sources do not expand or disperse, and writing a new chapter in China's miraculous sand control efforts, said an official from a department of the NFGA. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - A comprehensive global study of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) health-endangering chemicals that stay in the environment over decades and longer confirms they persist in human milk, air, water, soil, food and various ecosystems 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) CPEC hydropower project's 1st unit starts wet testing in NW Pakistan Xinhua) 09:29, June 17, 2024 Chinese and Pakistani engineers celebrate the starting of first unit wet testing of Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, June 16, 2024. The first unit of the China-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was started up and formally entered the wet testing phase on Sunday. It marks that the project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stepped into the final sprint stage and one big step closer to operation and power generation. (China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The first unit of the China-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was started up and formally entered the wet testing phase on Sunday. It marks that the project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stepped into the final sprint stage and one big step closer to operation and power generation. Cheng Dan, general manager of China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Company Ltd., which invests in and implements the project, told Xinhua that the first unit successfully passed a series of tests after starting up with a smoothly running state, and met the design requirements. He said that the unit will pass through dozens of tests later, including a temperature stability test, to ensure that all technical indicators meet the design standards. Located in the Mansehra district of the South Asian country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the hydropower project started construction in January 2017. Once becoming functional this year, it will generate some 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, replacing 1.28 million tons of coal and reducing 2.52 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, according to the Chinese manager. The project will effectively meet 20 percent of Pakistan's electricity deficit, he added. Chinese and Pakistani engineers celebrate the starting of first unit wet testing of Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, June 16, 2024. The first unit of the China-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was started up and formally entered the wet testing phase on Sunday. It marks that the project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stepped into the final sprint stage and one big step closer to operation and power generation. (China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) Engineers work at Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, June 16, 2024. The first unit of the China-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was started up and formally entered the wet testing phase on Sunday. It marks that the project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stepped into the final sprint stage and one big step closer to operation and power generation. (China Energy Construction Overseas Investment Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A 2002 Toyota Camry is crushed after a window washer fell 11 stories onto its roof at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco on Friday. Jessica Christian / Jessica Christian / The Chronicle A police officer stands at the scene where a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco on Friday. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle The driver of a 2002 Toyota Camry that was crushed after a window washer fell 11 stories onto its roof talks on the phone at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle People take photos from neighboring buildings after a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Passer-bys watch as crews investigate the scene where a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle A lone shoe of a window washer who fell 11 stories onto a moving car sits in the gutter of Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle An investigator takes photos of window scaffolding platform after a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle People watch as officers investigate the scene where a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle An investigator take photos of a cable that allegedly snapped, causing a window washer to fall 11 stories onto a moving car at Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif. Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle San Francisco firefighters clean up a pool of blood in the intersection of Montgomery and California streets in San Francisco, Calif after a window washer fell 11 stories onto a moving car Friday, November 21, 2014. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The scene at California and Montgomery Street in San Francisco where fire officials say a worker fell off a building onto a moving car. Hamed Aleaziz The company who employed a window washer who miraculously survived an 11-story fall from a San Francisco office building last year was hit with five citations and more than $12,000 in fines for violations related to the accident, officials announced Wednesday. Century Window Washing of Concord was cited for failure to secure the roof with fall protection equipment and inadequate training on the proper use of the victims personal fall protection equipment, officials wrote in a statement, both serious violations of workplace safety regulations. Pedro Perez, 58, was moving an extension cord around the corner of the building at 400 Montgomery St. around 10 a.m. Nov. 21 when he disconnected the lanyard on his fall protection equipment from an anchor point as he moved toward the edge of the roof. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Perez lost his balance and tumbled over the edge, falling roughly 130 feet before landing on the roof of a passing Toyota Camry on the street below. At first all I saw was, out of the corner of my eye, a blue streak falling, said retired Army Col. Sam Hartwell, a banker who witnessed the fall. Then I heard that loud crash, the shattering glass and a thud. It wasnt until the man rolled over onto the pavement and landed on his back that I realized it was a person. Passersby rushed to his aid, and he was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with serious brain trauma, a shattered pelvis and a broken arm. The driver of the car, Mohammad Alcozai of Dublin, got out almost immediately after the impact. The victim hit the roof and back window of the 2002 four-door Camry, totaling the car. A split-second difference in timing and the worker might have landed on the windshield, with potentially terrible consequences for Alcozai. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It was a miracle, Alcozai told The Chronicle the day of the accident. While it is miraculous that this man survived a fall from this height, his fall is an essential reminder that employers are required to provide protections from the hazards of high elevation work, said Christine Baker, director of the Department of Industrial Relations, a Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA. Of the five violations Century Window Cleaning was cited for with fines totaling $12,765 three were general and two were considered serious, according to Cal/OSHA. The company was cited by regulators once before in 2008 for four violations totaling $2,270 in a complaint-based investigation. A woman who answered the phone at the company said they would not be commenting on the citations, which can be appealed. In the days after the accident, Perezs wife Maricela said, It was surgery after surgery. The doctors induced a coma because the suffering was so great. Truly, it is a miracle that he is still alive. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When he finally woke up, Perez wasnt able to speak, his family said. He didnt remember the fall, nor could he recognize familiar faces. Because he was unable to work, Maricela was forced to work extra hours and his 19-year-old daughter, Monica, stopped going to school so she could pick up an extra job. The family set up a GoFundMe site and through more than 1,200 individual donations was able to raise more than $80,000, more than quadrupling their original goal of $20,000. Thanks to all the donations we have gotten in these past days, it will be possible not only for me to go back to school in the summer, Monica Perez wrote on the fundraising page around New Years. But it also gives my father a piece of mind to know that we wont have to struggle any longer with the bills. A union representative who has been in contact with the family said they would not be making any statements to the media. Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale At the June 25 Board of Education meeting, San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wayne will share recommendations for criteria to decide which of its 100 schools to close. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle UPDATE: These are the San Francisco schools facing closure San Francisco education officials just unveiled the first look at how theyll likely decide which schools to close or merge as the district faces fraught choices ahead. San Francisco Unified announced earlier this year that it will close or merge an as yet unknown number of its more than 100 schools to save money and boost resources amid declining enrollment and a budget deficit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Related: Small private school in San Francisco closes abruptly as families scramble The school board will share the list of proposed school closures in the fall and choose which schools to close by the end of the year. The changes will take place in fall 2025. At the June 25 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Matt Wayne will share recommendations for criteria to use to inform the new school portfolio. Wayne and his staff identified three main categories of criteria for the board to consider: equity, excellence and effective use of resources with equity weighted more heavily than the other categories. Under those broad categories, issues such as academic performance, historical inequity, student enrollment and teacher turnover for each school, among other factors, would be considered. The board will discuss the recommendations at the meeting. The school closure plan is likely to prompt huge backlash as it did in Oakland over the past few years, where school communities experienced protests, a hunger strike, threats and walkouts. The pending decisions land as SFUSD is addressing a huge budget shortfall, managing the return of Algebra I into middle schools, reforming the school assignment process, replacing a disastrous payroll system and approaching an election that will dramatically change the makeup of the board since several incumbents arent running. The issue of school closures will likely loom large in Novembers school board election. This process is about ensuring San Francisco public schools offer equitable educational experiences for each and every student, Wayne said in a statement. The status quo isnt working; right now we arent able to deliver on the quality of learning and provide the resources necessary to help our students thrive. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The closure plan will be informed by public feedback. The district commissioned two surveys of school families and staff this spring and held town halls. Researchers at the Stanford Center for Education and Policy Analysis conducted the surveys. An 11-member District Advisory Committee also came up with its own recommendations about what criteria to consider. These separate processes were reconciled to reach the ultimate recommendations on criteria. After the board settles on the criteria and the analysis is done, a third-party researcher will assign composite scores to each school to rank them for likely closure. SFUSD will then create various proposed scenarios for closures, mergers and co-locations. All schools will be considered regardless of their composite score. Then Stanford will conduct an equity audit of the various scenarios to make sure that no community is disproportionately impacted. While I know this process is difficult, I am optimistic that it will lead us to a world-class, thriving, equity-centered school system in San Francisco, Wayne said. However, concerns about the possible school closure plan still remain for members of the SFUSD community. Parents are fully aware just how precarious SFUSDs budget deficit is, and how it will continue to impact our kids and our schools if we dont fix it, said Meredith Dodson, executive director at San Francisco Parent Coalition. At the same time, parents are also worried, nobody wants their schools closed. The teachers union also expressed concerns. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SFUSD is struggling due to decades of mismanagement and our school communities, particularly students and families, will suffer the most from any closures or mergers, Frank Lara, executive vice president of United Educators of San Francisco, wrote in a statement to the Chronicle. Lara also wrote that the union will actively work with its members and the families they serve to ensure that their concerns are addressed. Fueling the closures is a huge loss of students. Since the 2017-18 school year, the district has lost 4,000 students. But it has the same number of schools and the same number of buildings, many of which are partially empty. Fewer students also means less state funding, which is tied to daily attendance. Those enrollment losses have meant too many schools for too few students and not enough resources to go around. Officials estimate SFUSD could lose an additional 4,600 students by 2032. The push to right-size the district and plug its budget hole includes other initiatives, such as rethinking school staffing models, reorganizing the central office, figuring out how to squeeze revenue out of district-owned properties and investing in important districtwide programs to boost student outcomes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition to discussing the school closure and merger issues on June 25, the board will also vote on the budget. In May, state officials grew so alarmed by the districts budget that they gave fiscal appointees veto power over spending, taking control away from the district, after new deficit projections showed San Francisco schools could run out of cash to pay the bills in just over a year. A home on West Dry Creek Road damaged from the Point Fire is seen in the Healdsburg area on Monday. Erik Castro/Special to the Chronicle When a wildfire touched off near Healdsburg on Sunday, quickly advancing across more than 1,000 acres, it wasnt just grass that was burning. It was oaks and pines. The Point Fire, next to Lake Sonoma, stands as an outlier among the raft of early season grass fires that have exploded in recent weeks as temperatures in California have shot upward. Usually trees start burning later in the year because they take longer to dry out after winter and spring storms. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I was surprised the Point Fire took off, said Craig Clements, director of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University. Were in the middle of June. Weve had some heat. Fuels are dry. Grass fires are common. (But) this (fire) was burning some shrubs and trees. Fire experts say the blaze eating up woodlands doesnt necessarily signal a catastrophic fire season ahead. But it does indicate that fire season is here, and conditions are becoming increasingly hazardous. While most forecasts suggest average levels of fire activity this summer and early fall, the heart of fire season, some say the year could become a lot worse than is typical because of unusual levels of heat and new vegetation growth. Across California, back-to-back wet winters have unleashed an outpouring of new flora, meaning theres plenty of tinder to burn. As temperatures kicked up this month after late rains this spring, grasses dried out first, leading to the spree of recent blazes. Strong winds have helped sustain their spreads. Three weeks ago, the Corral Fire raced across 14,168 acres of grasslands near Tracy in San Joaquin County, becoming the states biggest blaze of the year. This past weekend, the Post Fire in Southern California overtook that title, burning grass and brush near Pyramid Lake along Interstate 5. As of Monday afternoon, the Post Fire had burned 15,610 acres and was 8% contained. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In Sonoma County, firefighters had contained 20% of the Point Fire by Monday afternoon and hundreds of residents near Lake Sonoma remained under evacuation orders. An untold number of structures burned and at least one firefighter was injured, according to Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency. The winter extended later into the spring than other years, but then summer happened and temperatures abruptly got back to where we think they should be, said Jeff Kane, professor of fire ecology and fuels management at Cal Poly Humboldt. Now you have a little more fuel, so when fires do ignite, theyre able to carry a bit more. While the amount of land that has burned this year, more than 42,000 acres, is higher than the five-year average, according to Cal Fire, wildfires in June remain the norm. Blazes are generally limited to lower elevations. The fire season is yet to begin in earnest in the high country. The National Interagency Fire Center, which brings expertise from fire managers and scientists across the country, is forecasting below-normal fire activity in California through July. This is largely because of the wet winter and spring. However, fire potential will increase to normal in California by August, according to the fire center, with the central and southern coasts as well as the southern Sierra seeing above-normal fire potential by September. These high-risk areas, in particular, have seen the amount of vegetation increase significantly as a result of the past two winters and are expected to see it dry out more quickly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Of course, fire activity is also a product of many other factors, notably lightning and downed power lines, but these are much harder to build forecasts around. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, says substantial heat that could come this summer will quickly lower moisture levels in all of the new vegetation and make the fire season a lot more menacing than many expect. Firefighters with the Santa Rosa Fire Department douse a destroyed structure with water during the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A structure is damaged by the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle A fire engine with the Kenwood Fire Protection District drives along a burning hillside while battling the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Motorists stop to watch smoke from the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Inmate firefighters with the Delta Conservation Camp construct a hand line during the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle UPDATE: Crews battle Point Fire in Wine Country as other blazes rage statewide New wildfires erupted across California on Monday, bringing the statewide tally to 18 even as crews worked to corral one of the most threatening, the Point Fire in Sonoma County, which already burned two homes. The Point Fire was 1,200 acres and 20% contained and prompted mandatory evacuations. Eight new wildfires sprang up in California on Monday. Among them were: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Aero Fire: The Aero Fire broke out at 3:20 p.m. in Calaveras County, east of Stockton near Angels Camp, and had billowed to 5,000 acres by 10 p.m. with no containment. Highway 4 was closed from Rock Creek Road and Pool Station Road near Aero Road and Hunt Road in Copperopolis, Cal Fire reported. Sites Fire: The Sites Fire started around 1:30 p.m. Monday in Colusa County, at Sites Lodoga Road in Lodoga. It exploded to more than 4,400 acres with no containment within hours, according to Cal Fire. Coast Fire: The Coast Fire started at 1:40 p.m. Monday at the Botchers Gap Campground in Monterey County. It was at 15 acres with 5% containment. Douglas Fire: The Douglas Fire started at 2 p.m. at Douglas Road and Grant Line Road in Sacramento. The fire grew to 327 acres with no containment, firefighters said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Point Fire roared to life around noon Sunday west of Healdsburg near Lake Sonoma and quickly spread across hundreds of acres. Evacuation orders were issued for several hundred residents north and east of Chemise Road, south of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road and west of Dry Creek. About 400 firefighters fought the blaze from the air and on ground, with three helicopters conducting aerial operations to support three water tenders. Sonoma County farmer Zureal Bernier watched from the western side of Dry Creek Road as helicopters dipped into Lake Sonoma and more reinforcements arrived Sunday afternoon. By Monday, the arsenal grew to 50 fire engines, 4 helicopters, 10 dozers and 12 hand crews on the ground working to build and strengthen containment lines. The ground support was really strong in the late afternoon and evening, said Bernier, who spent about five hours in the danger zone Sunday, trying to guard the home of a vintner from whom he rents farmland. Eventually flames engulfed her property, destroying a barn and a rental unit, but leaving the main house intact, Bernier said. At night Bernier returned to his own home on the eastern side of Dry Creek Valley and listened to helicopters circle overhead. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fire activity subsided overnight, Cal Fire incident commander Ben Nicholls said in an update at 7 a.m. Monday, adding that crews had gained control overnight at the western end of the fire as winds started dying down. By that point, the fire had burned two homes and firefighters focused on protecting other homes and buildings near the fire line. One firefighter was injured and taken to a hospital overnight, according to a CalFire spokesperson. The agency was not immediately able to provide more information on the firefighters condition. Incarcerated firefighter crew members of the Delta Conservation Camp construct a hand line during the Point Fire in Healdsburg on Sunday, June 16. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle With the calmer winds, Nicholls expected steady progress as the day wore on. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Remarkably, its pretty clear, said Natalie Winkler, winemaker and viticulturist at Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate, in cellphone video that she captured Monday morning at Dry Creek Valley. Smoke seems to be moving west, Winkler continued, panning her camera along rows of vines as wind pattered in the background. While closures remained in place at West Drake Creek and Lambert Bridge Road, Winkler said she expected police to remove roadblocks in a couple of hours. Law enforcement had allowed some residents back into the evacuated area, she said, though workers had to stay outside. Several hundred people living near Lake Sonoma at West Dry Creek, Fall Creek and Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs roads were forced to evacuate Sunday, and several thousand more were warned that they may need to leave their homes if the blaze continues to spread south. Among the evacuees was Charlotte Schanzer, who bought a cottage on West Dry Creek Road in 1989. A neighbor who stayed behind took pictures of her house Monday morning to show that it was still standing, Schanzer told the Chronicle. The problem with getting out is that its hard to get back in, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Art Murray, owner of Flambeaux Wine in Dry Creek Valley, said his property narrowly escaped the Point Fire. Driven by winds Sunday night, the fire was heading right for us, Murray said. But then firefighters stopped the flames' advance. They had helicopters working all night, he said. They never stopped. Were starting to refer to it as fire season, Murray added. You get a fire with high winds at night, theres not much you can do to stop it. He said he canceled tastings Monday and might do the same on Tuesday just because of the air quality. Red flag warnings indicating dangerous fire weather were issued for a large swath of interior California stretching from Shasta County in the north to Kern, Ventura and Los Angeles counties in the south, some extending through Tuesday. In the Bay Area, a red flag warning was to be in effect 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday in the interior mountains of Napa County, according to the National Weather Service. Gusty northerly winds up to 40 miles per hour and humidity as low as 10% were expected to create critical fire conditions, especially at elevations over 1,000 feet. Timber and large fuels are still retaining some moisture, but grasses and brush are very dry, contributing to a number of small grass fires over the past couple of weeks, weather service officials said. Smoke activity was likely to increase throughout the day Monday as winds increase and the relative humidity drops, according to Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Anthony Edwards. A Spare the Air alert issued Sunday remained in effect Monday because of smoke from the Point Fire, which officials said was affecting air quality in portions of the Bay Area. Wood burning was banned. Officials recommended avoiding exposure by staying indoors, if temperatures allow. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also issued an air quality advisory for Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties, in effect starting Tuesday, due to additional impacts from smoke pollution. Air quality ranged from moderate to unhealthy levels in a swath ranging from Geyserville south to Santa Rosa, according to the Chronicles air quality tracker. The state's biggest active wildfire was burning in Southern California. A helicopter drops water as fire crews mop up after the Post Fire passed through Lebec (Kern County) on Sunday, June 16. Ryan Sun/Associated Press The largest was the Post Fire, which started Sunday at Gorman near the Grapevine portion of Interstate 5. The wildland fire was more than 15,000 acres and 20% contained. It was spreading southeast toward Lake Pyramid on Monday morning. Crews were working to establish perimeter fire lines, but air teams were limited by poor visibility. State park officials evacuated 1,200 people from Hungry Valley state park, and Pyramid Lake was closed. High temperatures and lower humidity were forecast for Monday, with winds likely to peak in the afternoon. Gusts up to 20 mph were expected, with stronger winds at the ridge tops potentially reaching 50 mph. Cyclists use the central bike lane on Valencia Street in San Francisco. The city plans to change the configuration to bike lanes running on the side of the street. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle, The Chronicle 2023 Regarding Valencia Street bike lanes do not comply with S.F.s transit first policy. Heres why (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, June 13): The argument against a safe bike lane on Valencia Street based on San Franciscos transit first policy relies on some serious cherry-picking of what it says and falls apart easily. The letter writer is right that the transit first policy says, The primary objective of the transportation system must be the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. However, the policy also says that travel by public transit, by bicycle and on foot must be an attractive alternative to travel by private automobile. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And the calls to put a bike lane on Folsom Street are a red herring because it already exists. The results from the Municipal Transportation Agencys three-month evaluation of the center bike lane showed that there was only a 1 mph reduction in average vehicle speeds with an insignificant to no impact on vehicles on adjacent streets. Meanwhile, there was a dramatic reduction in double parking sounds like a boost in efficiency. The bike lane pilot also showed that it is safer for all who travel on Valencia. The concocted controversy over Valencias bike lane will go down in history as a novel form of transit NIMBYism. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yoichi Shiga, San Francisco Support trans community Regarding S.F. declares itself sanctuary city for transgender people, among first in U.S. to do so (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, June 11): Declaring San Francisco a sanctuary city for trans people is unfortunately, as Aldo Toledos story states, merely symbolic. While sanctuary for immigrants and refugees in San Francisco rightly provides some level of legal and physical protection, this trans resolution offers little meaningful security for our community. Trans people in the city, especially youth of color, need and deserve housing, jobs and employment protections, and access to comprehensive health care. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Instead of passing a feel-good resolution, the Board of Supervisors and the mayor should implement programs that ensure safety and health for queer folks in the political crosshairs. This and so much more could be easily paid for by ending tax breaks and financial incentives for corporations that do business here. Amy Gray-Schlink, San Francisco Vote to protect animals The House of Representatives recently advanced a farm bill draft that puts the welfare of millions of animals at risk. Instead of upholding existing state-level farm animal protections and improving protections for dogs suffering in puppy mills, the Houses proposal fails animals and the majority of American voters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad With 15 states passing laws restricting the extreme confinement of farm animals, and 83% of Americans opposing the slaughter of horses for human consumption, it is upsetting that Congress has chosen to prioritize industry profits over the publics desire to see animals treated more humanely. I urge my House representative, Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and others in Congress to help protect animals by voting against any version of the farm bill that does not include the full text of Goldies Act and the Save Americas Forgotten Equines Act, bipartisan bills that will help protect dogs and horses from extreme cruelty. I also urge all of Californias congressional delegation to vote against any farm bill that strips states of their ability to pass laws that reflect the values of their voters and do not protect the welfare of farm animals. Johan Broen, Mill Valley Republican not for Trump At 85, retired, and I have been a registered Republican my entire lifetime. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the November election, my vote will not let Donald Trump throw his lunch on the White House wall again. If the GOP ever wants my vote again, it needs to come to its moral senses. If not, I guarantee that my vote will not be for convicted criminal Trump. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies If the Republication Party ever wants my vote again, it needs to disassociate its support of Trump. By the 2028 election, if necessary I can reregister my party affiliation to represent my moral American values. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed workers in California to join one another and sue their employer for allegedly violating state labor law, two years after seemingly closing the door on such lawsuits. Richard Vogel/Associated Press The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed workers in California to join one another and sue their employer for allegedly violating state labor law, two years after the high court seemingly closed the door on such lawsuits. The justices denied review of appeals by ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft from state appeals court rulings allowing drivers to sue the companies, in the name of the state, for classifying them as independent contractors rather than employees. The suits, even if successful, would not reclassify 1 million Uber and Lyft drivers in California as employees, since voters approved a 2020 initiative sponsored by the companies that declared their drivers to be contractors. That initiative, Proposition 22, is being challenged in the state Supreme Court, which appeared likely to uphold it at a hearing last month. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the drivers in Mondays cases filed their suits in 2018 and might still be entitled to seek penalties from the companies for the time until Prop. 22 passed in November 2020. More importantly, for other workers in California, the Supreme Court left the door open for suits against their employers under a unique state law, the Private Attorneys General Act, or PAGA. Since 2004, PAGA has allowed employees to sue employers, individually or collectively, in the name of the state for violating laws such as those regulating minimum wages, overtime, sick pay and meal and rest breaks. If a suit succeeds, employees collect 25% of the penalties provided by labor law, and the state collects 75%. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that PAGA violates the rights of businesses whose contracts require workers to take disputes to arbitration rather than going to court, a common practice for large businesses. Arbitrators decisions are virtually unappealable, and studies have found that they usually favor employers, their frequent customers. But California courts are the final interpreters of state law, and since 2022 they have ruled that while employees are bound by arbitration contracts in their individual cases, they can still join co-workers and sue their employer under PAGA. In Mondays cases, the first to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices denied review of appeals by Uber and Lyft from state appeals court decisions in Los Angeles allowing the suits to proceed against the two companies. Still pending is an appeal by Uber from a California Supreme Court ruling last July that unanimously allowed employees to sue under PAGA. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The California courts have refused to follow this Courts guidance, Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Uber, wrote in a filing urging the justices to grant review and overturn the state court decisions. She said the state Legislature and its courts have been especially inventive when it comes to new devices and formulas that undermine arbitration agreements. But Nicolas Sansome, a lawyer for the drivers, said Monday that these cases rested entirely on issues of state law, and the U.S. Supreme Court doesnt sit to resolve issues of California law. He said the ride-hailing companies hate being held accountable for violations of state labor law. Business groups statewide, meanwhile, have qualified an initiative for the November ballot that would repeal PAGA. It would allow employees to file claims with a state agency though not with the courts for labor law violations, and would provide increased penalties for violations but would not cover attorneys fees. The Supreme Court cases are Uber v. Gregg, No. 23-645, and Lyft v. Seifu, No. 23-769. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank served 32,000 households weekly before the pandemic. Now the nonprofit helps 50,000 a week, says its director. Can a statewide food insecurity czar help things? Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle It is shameful enough that a little more than one in five Californians regularly go to bed hungry in the nations top agricultural state. Whats inexcusable is that California is among the worst states in the nation at connecting its poorest residents to federal benefits that would help them get something to eat. The state is leaving nearly $3.5 billion in unused federal food benefits on the table because 30% of eligible residents arent signed up to receive them, one of the worst rates in the country. Neighboring states such as Oregon have close to universal participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known here as CalFresh. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One bill moving through the Legislature hopes to improve the system. Assembly Bill 1967 would create a cabinet-level food insecurity officer, appointed by the governor. This person would be charged with coordinating the at least six state departments now involved in food benefit distribution. Supporters hope that creating this high-level position will also shine a spotlight on a system that has seen demand for food explode since the pandemic. But how can one position possibly untangle a byzantine system in a massive state where some potential recipients live in dense cities and others live in more rural areas? Food benefits are available for 2.7 million eligible Californians who are not getting them, according to an April report by the food policy and research advocates Nourish California. San Francisco-Marin Food Bank executive director Tanis Crosby supports state legislation to create a food insecurity czar, intended to connect 2.7 million eligible Californians to CalFresh benefits they arent receiving. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Its a starting point, said Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Right now, who is accountable and responsible and on point for addressing food insecurity in California? Whos on point? Nobody, directly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Meanwhile, the need has exploded. Before the pandemic, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank was serving 32,000 households weekly. Now, its helping 50,000 a week, Crosby said. This idea to create a structural change in Californias food benefit system germinated from Chris Larsen, the San Francisco billionaire co-founder of crypto company Ripple. Larsen and Ripple gave $5 million in total to five Bay Area food banks in April 2020. They did a great job with the money, Larsen told me, but when they called again a couple years later asking for more because the need wasnt dropping off, we started scratching our heads and wondering, Why isnt the state doing more on basic stuff like food? That sort of led to discovering that theres this kind of infrastructure problem, more than just kind of writing checks to get inexpensive food in peoples hands, Larsen said. A policy change was needed to fix this. But this isnt a year to pitch aggressive policy changes, not when Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators have been trying to reduce a $27 billion budget deficit. The good news is that creating this position is estimated to cost $337,000 in the first year and $331,000 annually, according to an Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The proposal has received little opposition, but there are skeptics. During an Assembly Standing Committee on Human Resources meeting, Republican Assembly Member Bill Essayli of Riverside asked, Why do we have to create a new position? Arent there enough people at CalFresh that somebody could take this on as a responsibility? Thats a possibility, responded the bills author, Assembly Member Corey Jackson, of Perris (Riverside County). Whats key, Jackson told me later, is having a point person whos actually responsible for it, instead of 15 different departments with different purviews, I think will go a long way. California has no statewide coordinated plan on ensuring that everyone in California has access to the food that they need on a regular, sustainable, predictable basis. Part of the challenge for this food security czar will be analyzing the best way to restructure the system. Now, California distributes CalFresh benefits through its counties, and the enrollment rates vary significantly between them. Oregon, meanwhile, organizes the system from a statewide level. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If you have that many counties all doing the same thing differently, that looks like more bureaucracy and more friction, which is probably why the moneys not getting there, Larsen said. This (proposal) feels more like streamlining. Jared Call, director of policy at Nourish California, has heard many reasons for why California does so poorly at registering poor folks for federal food benefits. But, he points out, New York has the same exact issues. So there is no real reason. They are excuses. Like California, New York has a large population which includes many immigrants and distributes its benefits through counties and its participation is 82%, far above the average of California (70%) and the nation (77%). Newsom, who has long engaged in pointed competition with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on all sorts of state metrics, doesnt have this one to brag about: Floridas federal food participation rate is higher, at 73%, according to Nourish California. Theres a broader economic benefit toward making this program work better. Every federal food program dollar that is doled out generates $1.54 in economic activity in that community, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with nearly 80% of those dollars being spent two weeks after theyre received. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If California raised its participation rate to New Yorks, it would translate to $1.72 billion more in economic activity, according to Nourish California. Thats money in the pockets of grocers and farmers and others in the food ecosystem. An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft prepares to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, in September 2012. The airline on Monday confirmed a foreign object was found last week in a passengers meal on a flight from Bangalore to San Francisco. Associated Press 2012 A week after an Air India passenger reportedly discovered a metal blade in his meal on a flight from Bangalore to San Francisco, the airline confirmed on Monday that a foreign object was present in the food. An Air India spokesperson attributed the incident on Flight AI175, operating on a Boeing 777-200LR traveling from Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru to San Francisco International Airport, to equipment used by its catering service. Air India confirms that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard one of our flights, Rajesh Dogra, the airlines chief customer experience officer, said in a media statement. After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The airline began an investigation after the passenger, Mathures Paul, a tech writer for the Telegraph, posted a photo of his meal with the object on social media on June 9. Air India food can cut like a knife, he wrote in the caption on social media platform X. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done. Paul acknowledged that a third-party vendor was likely responsible for the presence of the foreign object. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indias catering service but the incident doesnt help the image I have of Air India, he wrote. What if the metal piece was in the food served to a child? Air India said that it will require its catering partner to implement stricter measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. This includes more frequent inspections of the vegetable processing machine, particularly after cutting hard vegetables. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In this May 24, 2018, file photo, an American Airlines passenger jet plane, an Airbus A321 model, approaches Logan Airport in Boston. The FAA reported that maintenance staff discovered damage to an engine cowling during a routine post-flight inspection of an Airbus A321-200 that flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to SFO on Thursday. Charles Krupa/Associated Press An American Airlines flight landed in San Francisco last week with damage to its engine cover. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that maintenance staff discovered damage to the No. 2 engine cowling, on the right-hand side, during a routine post-flight inspection of the Airbus A321-200, which flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Francisco International Airport on Thursday. American Airlines Flight AA1764 landed safely despite the issue, and the scheduled service was not interrupted, according to aviation records. Its not yet determined whether the damage occurred mid-flight. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An engine cowling is a protective cover made of metal or composite materials that encases an airplane engine. It is part of the nacelle, an assembly separate from the fuselage that may also house equipment like fuel tanks and electrical systems. The cowling reduces drag, boosts speed, smooths airflow, improves engine cooling and shields engine controls. It must withstand extreme temperatures and heavy vibrations. The aircraft, registered as N135NN, has been in service with American Airlines since April 2015. The FAA is investigating the incident. In April the engine cowling fell off a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 during takeoff at Denver International Airport and struck the wing flap. No one was injured. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a separate incident, American Airlines Flight 1895 safely landed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Monday after emergency personnel were alerted to a reported issue with the aircrafts braking system. The Storm Prediction Center forecasts elevated fire weather conditions across the Central Valley on Monday due to a combination of heat, wind and dry air. Numerous fires over the weekend grew rapidly across California. Baron/Lynx Fire weather risk will continue in parts of California on Monday, kicking off an active weather week across the U.S. The wind-driven Post Fire near Interstate 5 in Gorman (Los Angeles County) exploded Saturday, and the Point Fire in Sonoma County prompted evacuation orders Sunday, along with numerous other wildfires across the state over the weekend. Dangerous fire conditions will continue Monday, and several red flag warnings are in effect throughout California. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a Spare the Air alert for the nine-county Bay Area on Monday due to smoke from the Point Fire. Air quality reached the very unhealthy and hazardous category in portions of the North Bay on Sunday evening. The fire danger is being driven by a windy and dry air mass, an effect of the strong low-pressure system that will deliver high-elevation snow to the Rocky Mountains on Monday. In the Midwest and Northeast, a dangerous and long-duration heat wave is forecast later this week, according to the Weather Prediction Center. A wavy jet stream pattern is contributing to the extreme U.S. weather. When the jet stream a ribbon of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere moves north, heat tends to follow. A southern track of the jet stream often results in cooler weather. This week, the jet stream is expected to take aim at the West Coast, keeping temperatures near to slightly below normal. A high-pressure system over the East Coast will push the jet stream north into Canada later this week, resulting in a Northeast heat wave. A low-pressure system across the Intermountain West on Tuesday will bring temperatures far below normal, while a strong high-pressure system and heat wave build across the Northeast. Baron/Lynx By this weekend, weather models indicate that the jet streams pattern may flip, meaning hot weather could return to the West through the end of June. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fire risk continues Monday Dry, gusty conditions will continue across California on Monday, keeping the fire risk high in much of California. Several red flag warnings are in effect Monday, including in the North Bay mountains and Central Valley, and along I-5 over Tejon Pass. Northerly gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity values as low as the single digits will contribute to the dangerous fire weather conditions. Numerous red flag warnings are in effect throughout California on Monday, including the North Bay mountains, Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley and Tejon Pass. Baron/Lynx Aside from the mountains of Napa and Sonoma counties, the Bay Area fire weather risk is not expected to be widespread enough to prompt additional red flag warnings. However, locally dangerous fire weather conditions are possible in the East Bay. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon and evening, and relative humidity values in the teens and single digits, mean flammable vegetation will burn rapidly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rest of the week Winds in Northern California will die down Tuesday as an area of low pressure moves over the Bay Area. Stratus clouds along the coast should slowly reform as the week progresses, and by Wednesday morning patchy morning clouds are expected in San Francisco. Widespread cloud cover is possible Thursday morning throughout much of the Bay Area. Low pressure is expected to weaken by Friday and high pressure will take its place, meaning some 90-100-degree temperatures could return this weekend. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts a 60%-70% chance of above-normal temperatures in Northern and Central California June 24-30. Monday breakdown San Francisco: Mostly sunny skies are expected Monday, with a few passing high clouds. Highs are forecast to reach the mid-60s in the Richmond and Sunset districts, the upper 60s in Pacific Heights and Hayes Valley, and the low 70s in downtown, SoMa, Noe Valley and the Mission District. Gusts of 15-30 mph are possible in the afternoon and evening. Overnight lows will be in the low to mid-50s. Advertisement Article continues below this ad North Bay: Dry, windy conditions are predicted in the North Bay on Monday, particularly in Solano County. Northerly gusts of 20 to 35 mph are expected, with the relative humidity dropping as low as 5% in Vacaville. In addition to the dry winds, highs in the mid-80s in eastern Solano County will contribute to elevated fire weather danger, and a red flag warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Lows will be in the upper 50s to low 60s. Napa and Sonoma counties wont be quite as windy as Solano County, but relative humidity values as low as 10% will contribute to a fire risk in the mountains of Sonoma and Napa counties. Highs will be in the mid-80s in Santa Rosa and Napa, low 80s in San Rafael and Petaluma, mid-70s in Mill Valley, and upper 60s to low 70s in west Marin. Passing high clouds are expected. Lows will be in the upper 40s to mid-50s. East Bay: A few high clouds will pass over the East Bay throughout the day, with near-normal temperatures, gusty evening winds and a dry air mass. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 70s in Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward and Fremont. The inland East Bay will reach the low to mid-80s, including Concord, Antioch and the Tri-Valley. Lows will be in the 50s. The air will feel particularly dry Monday, with relative humidity values expected to drop as low as 20% near the bay shoreline and below 10% in the inland valleys. North-northwesterly wind gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon will contribute to brush fire danger. Pacific Coast and Peninsula: Sunshine should prevail at the coast Monday, as dry air filters into the Bay Area, keeping the low clouds away. Highs will be in the low 60s, with lows around 50. Northwest winds will be breezy in the afternoon, although not as strong as Sunday, gusting up to 25 mph. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Passing high clouds are expected along the Peninsula, with highs ranging from the upper 60s in South San Francisco to the mid-70s in San Mateo and Redwood City. Gusts over 30 mph are possible through the San Bruno Gap in the afternoon. Lows will be in the low 50s with starry skies. Motorists stop on Sunday to watch a smoke column from the Point Fire in Healdsburg. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle UPDATE: Crews battle Point Fire in Wine Country as other blazes rage statewide A temporary lull in unhealthy air quality throughout the North Bay may not last long as the weather forecast for Monday afternoon calls for the Point Fire, burning west of Geyserville, to send more smoke to the region. Smoke from the blaze, which has burned more than 1,000 acres, drifted southeast throughout the North Bay, and air quality readings quickly dropped as low as the very unhealthy category in Santa Rosa on Sunday evening, and hazardous at a few sensors near Healdsburg. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Smoke activity from the fire eased Sunday night as winds calmed down and temperatures dropped. As a result, air quality recovered to the moderate category by Monday morning throughout much of the North Bay. But fire and smoke behavior is expected to become more aggressive Monday afternoon. Its looking a bit drier today with gustier conditions through this evening before (winds) drop off overnight, said Rachel Kennedy, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. The relative humidity near Lake Sonoma is expected to drop to the 15% to 20% range Monday afternoon, with temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s and northwest gusts up to 25 mph. Winds are expected to be similar to Sunday, but lower relative humidity means small vegetation may be more ripe to burn. Winds near the fire will likely push smoke southeast toward Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Napa, similar to what occurred Sunday night. However, Mondays smoke activity will depend on what kind of vegetation burns, whether the fire grows and firefighters progress on containing the blaze. The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model predicts wildfire smoke from the Point Fire will blow toward Santa Rosa and Napa on Monday evening. Baron/Lynx The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air alert for the nine-county Bay Area on Monday due to the wildfire smoke and anticipated air quality impacts. The air district issued an air quality advisory for Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties that goes into effect Tuesday due to additional impacts from smoke pollution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Smoke may be visible on the horizon from San Francisco on Monday afternoon, but west-northwesterly winds should blow clean Pacific air into the city, preventing any air quality concerns. The fire weather risk remains high throughout California on Monday due to dry, gusty winds. Red flag warnings are in effect in the North Bay mountains, Central Valley and mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, and are set to expire at various times Monday evening through Tuesday morning. Any fires that do start have the potential to spread rapidly. Moisture will gradually increase Tuesday and Wednesday, putting an end to the worst fire weather conditions, but the weather service encourages people to remain vigilant and careful near dry vegetation. Warteck Invest AG / Schlagwort(e): Immobilien Warteck Invest AG gibt das Ergebnis des Bezugsrechtsangebots bekannt 17.06.2024 / 18:00 CET/CEST Veroffentlichung einer Ad-hoc-Mitteilung gemass Art. 53 KR Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent / Herausgeber verantwortlich. FOR RELEASE IN SWITZERLAND THIS IS A RESTRICTED COMMUNICATION AND YOU MUST NOT FORWARD IT OR ITS CONTENTS TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM FORWARDING THIS COMMUNICATION IS PROHIBITED BY THE LEGENDS CONTAINED HEREIN. Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in the United States of America, Canada, Japan or Australia or any other jurisdiction in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. Medienmitteilung 17. Juni 2024, 18.00 Uhr Zur sofortigen Veroffentlichung Medienmitteilung (PDF) Ad hoc-Mitteilung gemass Art. 53 KR 99.63% der Bezugsrechte wurden bis zum Ablauf der Bezugsfrist am 17. Juni 2024, 12:00 Uhr MESZ ausgeubt Bis zum Ablauf der Bezugsfrist am 17. Juni 2024, 12.00 Uhr MESZ, wurden im Rahmen des Bezugsrechtsangebots der Warteck Invest AG, dessen Angebotsbedingungen am 3. Juni 2024 angekundigt wurden, 99.63% der Bezugsrechte ausgeubt und somit 61'649 neue Namenaktien zum Angebotspreis von je CHF 1530 gezeichnet. Die verbleibenden 226 neuen Namenaktien, fur welche die Bezugsrechte nicht gultig ausgeubt worden sind, werden im Markt zum Kauf angeboten oder anderweitig im Markt platziert, wobei der Platzierungspreis nicht unter dem Angebotspreis von CHF 1530 je Angebotsaktie liegen wird. Die Aktionarsgruppe Familie Dr. Christoph M. Muller hat wie angekundigt samtliche ihrer im Rahmen der Transaktion zugeteilten Bezugsrechte ausgeubt. Der Handel der neuen Namenaktien an der SIX Swiss Exchange wird voraussichtlich am 19. Juni 2024 beginnen. Die Lieferung der neuen Namenaktien gegen Bezahlung des Angebotspreises ist fur den 20. Juni 2024 vorgesehen. Firmenportrait Die Warteck Invest AG ist eine am Immobiliensegment der SIX Swiss Exchange kotierte Publikumsgesellschaft. Sie verfugt uber ein attraktives, diversifiziertes Portfolio an Renditeliegenschaften mit einem Marktwert per 31.12..2023 von CHF 1'025.5 Mio., welches sie mit dem Ziel nachhaltiger Ertragssicherung in eigener Regie bewirtschaftet. Die Strategie ist darauf ausgerichtet, den Liegenschaftsbestand gezielt zu entwickeln, die Ertrage zu optimieren und langfristig zu sichern und damit Mehrwert fur die Aktionarinnen und Aktionare zu schaffen. Hinweis betreffend zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen Diese Medienmitteilung kann bestimmte, in die Zukunft gerichtete Aussagen enthalten, z.B. Angaben unter Verwendung von Worten wie glaubt, geht davon aus, erwartet, plant, "wird", "wurden" oder Formulierungen ahnlicher Art. Solche in die Zukunft gerichteten Aussagen unterliegen bekannten und unbekannten Risiken, Unsicherheiten und sonstigen Faktoren, die dazu fuhren konnen, dass die tatsachlichen Ereignisse, finanzielle Situation, Entwicklung oder Leistungen des Unternehmens wesentlich von denjenigen in den zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen direkt oder indirekt genannten abweichen. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Unsicherheiten sollten die Leser sich nicht auf diese in die Zukunft gerichteten Aussagen verlassen. Das Unternehmen ubernimmt keine Verpflichtung, diese zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen zu aktualisieren oder diese an zukunftige Ereignisse oder Entwicklungen anzupassen. Diese Medienmitteilung dient ausschliesslich zu Informationszwecken. Sie stellt weder ein Angebot noch eine Aufforderung zum Kauf oder Verkauf von Aktien der Warteck Invest AG noch zum Erwerb oder Verkauf von anderen Finanzinstrumenten oder Dienstleistungen derselben dar. Disclaimer Diese Mitteilung stellt weder ein Angebot zum Verkauf noch eine Aufforderung zum Kauf von Wertpapieren dar. Diese Mitteilung ist weder ein Prospekt im Sinne des Schweizerischen Finanzdienstleistungsgesetzes noch ein Prospekt gemass irgendeinem anderen anwendbaren Gesetz. Kopien dieser Mitteilung durfen nicht in oder aus Jurisdiktionen versandt oder anderweitig verteilt werden, wo dies von Gesetzes wegen eingeschrankt oder verboten ist. Die in dieser Mitteilung enthaltene Information stellt weder ein Angebot zum Verkauf noch eine Aufforderung zum Kauf von Wertpapieren in irgendeiner Jurisdiktion dar, in der dies vor Registrierung (oder Gewahrung einer Ausnahme davon) oder sonstigen Handlungen gegen wertpapierrechtliche Bestimmungen verstossen wurde. Jeder Entscheid uber den Kauf oder die Zeichnung von Aktien der Warteck Invest AG (die "Gesellschaft") sollte ausschliesslich auf der Grundlage eines von der Gesellschaft in diesem Fall dafur veroffentlichten Prospekts erfolgen. Kopien des betreffenden Prospekts (inklusive allfalliger Supplements) konnen kostenlos bezogen werden von UBS AG, Investment Bank, Swiss Prospectus, P.O. Box, 8098 Zurich, Schweiz (Telefon: +41 44 239 47 03; Fax: +41 44 239 69 14; E-Mail: swiss-prospectus@ubs.com). This document is not for publication or distribution in the United States of America (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Japan or Australia or any other jurisdiction into which the same would be unlawful. This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities in such countries or in any other jurisdiction into which the same would be unlawful. In particular, the document and the information contained herein should not be distributed or otherwise transmitted into the United States of America or to publications with a general circulation in the United States of America. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the laws of any state and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration under or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States of America. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer of securities to the public in the United Kingdom. No prospectus offering securities to the public will be published in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom this document is only directed at persons who (i) are qualified investorsand who are also (ii) investment professionals falling within article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "FSMA Order"); (iii) persons falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d), "high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc." of the FSMA Order and (iv) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 may otherwise be lawfully communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The securities are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. In any member state of the European Economic Area (each a "Relevant State") this document is only addressed to qualified investors in that Relevant State within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. None of UBS AG or any of their respective subsidiary undertakings, affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents, alliance partners or any other entity or person accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information or opinions in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the group, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Accordingly, UBS AG and the other foregoing persons disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all and any liability, whether arising in tort or contract or that they might otherwise be found to have in respect of this announcement and/or any such statement. Ende der Adhoc-Mitteilung June 16, 2024: The American Marines have had troops assigned to SOCOM (Special Operations Command) since 2005. Bowing to pressure from the Department of Defense, and SOCOM, the marines are the last of the services to make such a contribution. Since then the marines have made numerous contributions to SOCOM, the latest being new Vision 60 UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles). These are four legged robots that walk and can be equipped with a rifle that opens fire under the control of a remote human operator. Each Vision 60 weighs 51 kg and has a payload of 10 kg, This can consist of a weapon or additional sensors. A Vision 60 can operate up to ten kilometers from its operator. Top speed is 180 meters a minute or three meters a second. The batteries enable three hours of operations. Vision 60 has an AI powered target detection system that can identify hostile targets that must be fired on. A human operator must approve opening fire. Since one controller can supervise the activity of several UGVs patrolling commercial or military installations. In addition to controllers you need one or more maintainers to change batteries and otherwise keep the UGVs in good condition. The marines are using Vision 60s for combat operations. A UGV can be used instead of a marine for a high risk job, like entering a cave, tunnel, or building where armed opponents may be hiding. Vision 60 can climb up or down stairs and handle most terrain that a marine will encounter. Vision 60 is an evolutionary development from the remotely controlled bomb disposal robots used since 2002. That was when the PackBot remotely controlled UGV was introduced for bomb disposal and replacing soldiers for exploring tunnels and caves. In the 1990s the U.S. Army began exploring the small UGV concept but did not expect to have them in service until 2010 or later. September 11, 2001, changed all that. A year later PackBot showed up. Over 2,000 PackBots were used in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere over the next decade and more than 5,000 were sold to military, police and first responder personnel during the same period. Updated PackBots are still produced for military and bomb disposal users. In 2011 the U.S. Army began using SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle). This was a UGV developed by Teledyne with cooperation from the U.S. Army. SUGV development took over six years because PackBot was a hard act to follow. SUGV is also still in production, serving the same markets as PackBot and a growing number of competitors. In 2011 the U.S. Army received the production model XM1216 SUGV robots. SUGV was the next generation infantry droid, replacing existing droids like PackBot. Before September 11, 2001, the army didn't expect to have robots like PackBot or SUGV until 2013. But the technology was already there, and the war created a major demand. The robots expected in 2013 were to be part of a new generation of gear called FCS (Future Combat Systems). SUGV was designed to use high tech FCS communications and sensor equipment, and, like PackBot, used off-the-shelf substitutes while waiting for the more ambitious versions the army was still developing. The troops didn't care, as long as it worked. These small robots proved to be quite rugged, having a 90 percent availability rate. The overly ambitious, expensive and much delayed FCS program was canceled two years before SUGV was ready, but successful bits, like SUGV, were allowed to keep moving. This was a big deal for SUGV, because demand for these small droids collapsed when the Islamic terror offensive in Iraq did in 2008. There were plenty of droids left over for service in Afghanistan, where the Taliban provided a much lower workload for the little bots than did Iraq. Packbot is still being used for emergency situations including natural disasters, industrial accidents, as well as bomb disposal. Most major police departments have PackBots or similar UGVs for emergencies. SUGV is a 13 kg robot, similar to the slightly larger Packbot. SUGV can carry 3 kg of gear, and seven different "mission packages" are available. These include various types of sensors and double-jointed arms (for grabbing things.) SUGV is waterproof and shock resistant. It fits into the standard army backpack and is meant to operate in a harsh environment. The battery powered SUGV is operated wirelessly, or via a fiber optic cable, using a controller that looks like a video game controller with a video screen built in. SUGV can also use an XBox 360 controller, with the right drivers. Like PackBot, SUGV can climb stairs, maneuver over rubble and other nasty terrain. Currently the SUGV is still in use by military units. The SUGV design is based largely on feedback from combat troops. For example, it is rugged enough to be quickly thrown into a room, or cave, activated and begin sending video, as well as audio, of what is in there. This feature makes it very popular with the troops, who want droids with the ability to see, hear and smell more acutely. No one likes being the first one to go into dark, potentially dangerous, places. Throwing a grenade at first doesn't always work, because sometimes frightened civilians are in there. Despite all these fine qualities, the current generation of robots is not fast enough, agile enough or sensitive enough to compete with human troops doing this kind of work. Sometimes, however, robots are an adequate, and lifesaving, substitute. SUGV is supposed to be better at this sort of thing. SUGV can also perform outpost and listening post work. These are two dangerous jobs the infantry are glad to hand off to a robot. Outposts are, as the name implies, one or two troops dug in a hundred meters or so in front of the main position, to give early warning of an enemy attack. A listening post is similar, but the friendly troops are often much deeper into enemy territory. The SUGV battery enables it to just sit in one place, listening and watching, for eight hours or more. After that, you send out another SUGV with a fresh battery, and have the other one come back for a recharge. No risk of troops getting shot at while doing the same things, and the troops really appreciate that. Again, the problem with this is that the robot sensors are just not there yet. The sensors are getting close, but not close enough for troops to trust their lives to this thing. Other dangerous jobs for the SUGV are placing explosives by a door to blow it open for the troops, or placing a smoke grenade where it will prevent the enemy from seeing the troops move. Ever since PackBot reached the troops, users filled military message boards with interesting uses they have found for these robots, and new features they could make use of. SUGV is the product of all that chatter. By 2012 the Department of Defense owned about 6,000 small robots. Most of them were in the army, and a little over half were in a combat zone. There would be a lot more of these small robots out there if they were a bit smaller and had better sensors. Because of this, efforts to have the infantry regularly use the small robots in combat have not been successful. The older 19 kg Packbots and 50 kg Talon were fine for dealing with roadside bombs, but too big and heavy to easily haul around the battlefield. But most troops admitted that if the small droids were a bit smaller and lighter and had better ability to sense what was around (situational awareness) them, they would be more welcome. June 16, 2024: The landlocked Mali continues to stumble forward without an elected or effective government. Mali is in northwest Africa just south of the Sahara desert. Its northeastern neighbor Algeria is where drug smugglers move their cargoes to from ports in Guinea or Ivory Coast north via Mali and Algeria and then to markets in Europe and the Middle East. Islamic terrorist groups handle the smuggling that passes through Mali. In 2023 and 2024 the economic and political situation in Mali has gotten worse, with more Islamic terrorist violence and growing areas of northern and central Mali coming under the control of Islamic terrorist groups. The Mali army and a small number of Russian (Wagner Group) military contractors have been unable, or unwilling, to carry on with that effort or prevent the Islamic terror groups from crossing the Niger border and advancing into Mali. The terrorists include groups affiliated with al Qaeda, an alliance called JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems) and the more violent groups like ISGS (Islamic States in Greater Sahara), which is one of the two ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) groups in the region. When they showed up in 2018, ISGS operated mainly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, especially the area where the three borders met. Until recently those Islamic terrorists were a problem but now, they are a real threat to the normally well defended capitals of all three countries. Islamic terrorist violence in northern Mali has left over a hundred dead each month the fighting continues as does the advance of the Islamic terrorists into Mali and its capital Bamako In central Mali, the Mopti region, thousands of civilians have been blockaded by Islamic terrorist groups angry over the way locals have cooperated with the army against Islamic terrorists. Back in September representatives from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso met in the Mali capital Bamako to work out details for forming AES (Alliance of Sahel States). The alliance is meant to improve security for all these nations. Currently Islamic terror groups are attacking all AES members. Burkina Faso is the worst hit, with about 40 percent of its territory controlled by Islamic terrorists. Mali and Niger fear the same fate will befall them. The government forced the French and African G5 peacekeepers out by the end of 2021. In 2017 Mali, Chad, Niger, the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso agreed to form a new G5 counter-terrorism force that would work in cooperation with the similar but larger and better equipped French force that had been operating in the Sahel since 2014. The Sahel is the semi-desert area south of the Sahara Desert that covers much of northern Africa. Back then the French concluded that the Sahel was still troubled by thousands of Islamic terrorists and that this situation could not be taken care of quickly. In order to maintain pressure on the Islamic terrorists, France established a special force of 3,000 troops to fight Islamic terrorists throughout the Sahel. In practice this meant just part of the Sahel and included Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso. This French force grew to some 4,000 troops equipped with 200 armored vehicles, 20 transport and attack helicopters, six jet fighters and three large UAVs. There are also two twin engine C-160 air transports available for use within the Sahel. Supplies and reinforcements were regularly flown in using long-range transports like the C-17 belonging to NATO allies, especially the U.S. and Britain. From the beginning the French force included a thousand French troops in Mali and the rest dispersed to other Sahel bases and ready to quickly move anywhere in the region where Islamic terrorist activity had been detected. The G5 nations already cooperated by sharing intelligence and providing quick access to their territory by the French force. In addition, the Americans provided satellite and UAV surveillance and other intel services, especially analysis and access to nearly all American data on Islamic terrorist activities in the region. Each of the G5 member countries contribute from 500 to 2,000 personnel and consist largely of special operations troops. Many of these troops have already worked with their French counterparts or been trained by French or American special operations advisors. All this was meant to keep the Islamic terrorists in the Sahel weak and disorganized. That worked until recently when the current Mali military regime ordered the French/G5 force out. AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), which has been around since 2007, was still in business as gangsters smuggling drugs and illegal migrants north and getting support from Islamic terrorists in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Islamic terrorists continue to carry out attacks in Mali, mainly the north and the G5 states to let the world know that Islamic terrorists are still present in the area. Another reminder has been the high casualty rate among peacekeepers in Mali. UN peacekeepers in Mali suffered 26 dead during 2016, the highest number of any UN peacekeeping operation and 90 percent of the UN peacekeeper deaths in 2016, even though the Mali force comprises less than 15 percent of all UN peacekeepers. The Mali peacekeepers have been in this situation for three years in a row. Over a hundred peacekeepers (mostly UN, but some French) have died in Mali since they arrived in 2013. This is the highest casualty rate of all current UN peacekeeping operations. The Mali population is now over 22 million and the economy is one of the worst in the world with millions of Malians barely surviving on foreign aid. There is less foreign aid because Mali has not been able to prevent gangsters or Islamic terrorists from stealing the aid to sell on the market for cash to finance their operations. There are other armed groups like, like tribal militias and rebellions soldiers that interfere with foreign aid distribution. This chaotic situation has been going on s ince 2012, when separatist rebellion in the north was defeated. Continued high levels of corruption, ethnic rivalries and Islamic terrorism kept Mali from achieving a lasting peace and much prosperity. In 2021 the situation got worse when there was another military coup, The Mali military has staged three government takeovers since 2012. May 2021one, in May 2021, was an internal dispute within the military. Since the May coup foreign donors have warned that most of the foreign aid will stop coming if Mali does not carry out a significant reduction in corruption, government ineffectiveness and overall instability. None of these three military takeovers were about corruption, but rather anger at the corrupt politicians stealing money meant to finance operations against Islamic terrorist and separatist minorities in the north. The colonels running the military government are unwilling to step down and are trying to make it on their own, despite the large number of UN peacekeepers and French troops dealing with the Islamic terrorist problem up north. The May 2021 coup was led by the army colonel who had earlier been appointed deputy head of the CNT (National Transitional Council). The colonel replaced the civilian who originally held the job as CNT leader. After that the military-dominated CNT rapidly replaced many existing CNT officials with army officers or civilians known to be pro-military. When foreign donors, including France, criticized this, the army threatened to seek financial aid elsewhere. There was no elsewhere for the Mali coup leaders, at least not one they could afford. The Mali officers threats said a lot about their motives, which was mainly about maintaining their power and helping themselves to a portion of foreign aid. The coup leaders did have one source of wealth, the Mali gold mines. In late 2021 protestors tried to block access to one of the largest mines but that effort only lasted a few days before the security forces cleared the roads. As of 2024 the chaos remains the same even though some military training detachments from the European Union and Russia operate. Russia is also involved in several economic development projects, like a solar power plant The 15,000 UN peacekeepers were gone by the end of 2023. The Mali government, run by rebellious army officers, doesn't want any UN personnel in the country to witness and record the crimes the military government continues to commit. The only thing keeping the Mali military government operating is taxes from the gold mines. These were developed and continue to be operated by foreign firms and recruit their own security personnel to guard the mines and the convoys taking the gold out of the country. June 17, 2024: It began with the recent arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministrys personnel directorate was hauled into court. Within a few weeks two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied. The arrests started shortly before President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term on May 7 as a longtime ally, longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, was demoted to a new job. This immediately raised questions about whether Putin was reasserting control over the Defense Ministry amid the war in Ukraine, whether a turf battle had broken out between the military and the security services, or whether some other scenario was playing out behind the Kremlins walls. To many this seemed to be a return to the Russian government long described as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Corruption scandals are not new and officials and top officials have been accused of profiting from their positions for decades. Corruption in Russia functions as both a carrot and stick. Its a way of encouraging loyalty and urging people to be on the same page, as well as a method of control. Putin favors men who have embarrassing secrets when selecting key officials in his government. Trust those who have a secret they want kept secret. The Russian government constantly searches for such secrets so it can threaten to publicize them if the officials do not do as they are told. This hidden secret policy and tolerance for corruption are the key elements in running the current Russian government. The war in Ukraine has led to much larger defense spending that has increased opportunities for graft. In April the first official arrested for corruption was a former Deputy Defense Minister who presided over military-related construction projects that had high priority, access to lots of money and few financial controls. One of the projects was the reconstruction of the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The Ukrainians held out for a long time and the Russians had to fight hard to capture a city of ruins and unusable factories and port facilities. The recent arrests are not described as part of an anti-corruption campaign but rather ongoing activities throughout the Russian government. Thats another way of admitting that corruption was everywhere and ongoing as an essential element of making the government work. Key officials make little effort to hide their new wealth. They do this through ostentatious displays ranging from hundred million dollar yachts to new wrist watches that cost several times their official annual salaries. These displays of ill-gotten wealth by senior government and military officials and their family members were so extensive and obvious that it enraged Russians who were suffering economically because of the cost of the war. There were more personal costs because about a half a million Russians have died in Ukraine since early 2022, and their families and friends blame the Russian government because it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, not the other way around. During World War II, the last time Russia was invaded, there was little corruption in part because 13 percent of Russians died in that war. Most of them were killed by the Germans but many were killed by the Russian government. Prompt obedience to orders was a matter of life or death for Russian soldiers and civilians because military officers and NKVD secret police personnel could kill any Russian displaying reluctance or refusal to carry out orders. The desperate situation during World War II limited opportunities for corruption. The war in Ukraine is different but as many corrupt officials are discovering, not different enough to keep them out of prison or an early grave. The recent arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment of senior officials who were corrupt, or too obviously corrupt, has sent a message to all senior officials in jobs giving them access to the swollen defense budget that is now 6.7 percent of GDP. Before the invasion it was 3.6 percent. Putin thought the invasion would quickly overthrow the Ukrainian government. That did not happen and the costs of that war are more than Russia can afford. This is nothing new, it was decades of spending 15 percent of GDP on defense, and tolerating a lot of corruption by senior officials, that caused the Soviet Union to collapse in 1991. Many Russian economists and bankers believe another economic collapse, similar to what destroyed the Soviet Union, is possible unless the increased defense spending is restrained along with the growing corruption. .: ... Afghan supreme leader calls for unity among countrymen Kabul, June 17 (UNI) The Supreme Leader of Afghanistan's caretaker government, Hibatullah Akhundzada, called upon Afghans on Monday to stay united and support his administration. The elusive leader of Afghanistan made the call in his speech after leading Eid al-Adha prayers in Kandahar city, the capital of the southern Kandahar province, local media outlet TOLOnews reported, based on an audio-recorded speech. "Brothers, accept the plague, but not disunity, because disunity is the worst disease. I do not want disunity among Afghans. If a group of people removes me, I will be happy, but I will not be happy with division among them," TOLOnews quoted Akhundzada as saying during th speech. New Delhi, June 17 (UNI) Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national suspected by the US of involvement in a failed plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the US, according to reports. He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. An inmate search by name on the Bureau of Prisons website shows that Gupta is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. Last month, the Czech Constitutional Court rejected a petition by Gupta, 52, against his extradition to the US over an alleged plot to assassinate Pannun, a US citizen, in New York. Gupta has been charged by the US government with trying to hire a hitman to assassinate US-based Pannun. The charges against Gupta carry up to 20 years in prison. In November 2023, US prosecutors charged Gupta with a plot to kill at least four Sikh separatists in North America, including Pannun. They said that Gupta had paid $100,000 in cash to a hitman to assassinate Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, in New York. He was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government. Guptas extradition to the US comes ahead of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's visit to New Delhi for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is likely to figure in his talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. India has denied involvement in the case and has set up an investigation into the allegations. Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges. UNI RN by Rafael Newman It was Ramadan on Mother Teresa Street, so the professor and his wife were discreetly abstaining. Their daughter, an aspiring YouTuber, had been granted special dispensation and was gorging herself on chocolate ice cream and Coca Cola, along with me and my colleague, an Israeli poet who had won an award from the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth the evening before, both of us treated to refreshments at one of the many outdoor cafes that lined the pedestrian zone in the middle of Prishtine. It had taken us a while to reach the cafe, constantly interrupted in our progress from one end of the mall to the other by passersby greeting the professor colleagues from the local university and its sister institutions elsewhere in Kosovo; relatives and well-wishers, offering our host respekt; and an instrument vendor, who insisted on the professors demonstrating his prowess on the qifteli, a long-necked, two-stringed local guitar so I was delighted when I heard myself greeted, as we took our place at the cafe, by a Kosovar of my own acquaintance from the French-speaking region of Switzerland, who happened to be in town to visit family. The Israeli poet and I were in Prishtine on the last leg of a three-day stay in Kosovo. Our time had been spent not in the capital but in the town of Peje, in the northwest of the country near the borders with Montenegro and Albania, once a significant stop on the trade route between Dubrovnik and Istanbul. We had been attending a literary festival there, taking part in readings, lectures, and a dizzying round of awards ceremonies. Most of the writers in attendance largely poets were ethnic Albanians, from the eponymous country to the west, from the significant minority community in Macedonia, to the south, as well as from Kosovo itself, our host. The independence of that republic had been famously won in the waning years of the last millennium, by means of a NATO-supplied intervention; had been declared in the first decade of the new millennium, in the face of virulent, occasionally murderous opposition from the Serbia of which it was a de facto exclave; and existed now effectively as a protectorate of the European Union and the United States. This recent history was evident in the republics official iconography: a statue of Bill Clinton, arm raised prophetically like a jovial Lenin, greets motorists entering Prishtine from the airport, while streets bear the Albanicized, and thus uncannily estranged names of local/global figures like Uesli Klark and Toni Bleri. I had been invited to attend the festival as a Swiss poet by residence and adopted citizenship, if not by birth by an old friend, a writer and cultural functionary from Tirana whom I had met years before at an international conference on minority languages in Macedonia and who had subsequently translated and published some of my poems in Albanian. She had also asked a number of other international writers, the Israeli as well as an Austrian, an Italian, and a mini-delegation of two Frenchmen. Our role was evidently to leaven an otherwise exclusively Albanian program, featuring on several occasions poetry of nationalist lament and raw protest at the depredations of the Serbian oppressor, as well as to bear witness to the refined and civilized, European nature of the proceedings, interspersed as they were with visits to art galleries and performances by local musicians and dancers, and serving as a showcase of provincial talent and refinement. And that is what the professors wife would ask us later that day or rather, what she would ask me, since we alone shared the one non-Albanian language she had learned as a medical student in Germany, while the professor and the Israeli poet had to make do in English, easy enough for her, halting for him: Did you think we were barbarians, she asked, from the back seat of the professors car: did you think the Albanians of Kosovo were barbarians, when you read about the fighting in Prishtine? From the cafe we had headed for the airport or so I thought where the Israeli poet and I had planes to catch; and I replied reflexively, in a conciliatory mood dictated in part by my gratitude for their mobile hospitality, that no, of course I hadnt: I was not in the habit of judging entire peoples by the actions of their military, their government, or their political representatives. The more truthful answer, however, would have pleased the professors wife even more, while transgressing the very same noble principles I had just espoused: because in fact, if I had thought about the Kosovo conflict for long at the time, during a period of my life preoccupied by finishing graduate school and becoming a father, I would likely have applied the label barbarian, if to anyone, then to her peoples adversaries, the Serb citizens of what is now ex-Yugoslavia, intent as they had apparently been on stymying their ethnic Albanian fellow citizens project of self-determination by any means necessary, the legitimacy of the Serb campaign tainted in the west, then as now, by the dreadful stain of ethnic cleansing and the murderously nationalist campaigns of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, as well as of Slobodan Milosevic, one of whose last acts in power had been to decree the construction of an enormous orthodox church to lower over the faculty of arts and sciences in downtown Prishtine. Now, as we sped past the US Embassy, with what looked like a military encampment adjacent to it, and as I glimpsed yet another black marble memorial to fallen Albanian militants, their heroic profiles etched into the stone above the date of their death at the hands of Serbian militia, I wondered if I had ever understood the nature of the conflict, and whether I wasnt currently subject to a partisan historiography. The professors wife, at any rate, was satisfied with my response, and sat back next to her daughter, who resumed regaling us with renditions of chart toppers, dancing in her seat to the music of various bygone stars, while the professor explained to the poet and me that, while we would of course eventually arrive at the airport in good time for our flights, he wanted to make a detour to his fathers village first. We acquiesced, uneasily, as we watched the highway before us bend away from signs bearing the international icon of a departing aircraft and take us farther into the undeveloped countryside. On the horizon were the cliffs we had driven into two days earlier, with the rest of the conference attendees, to visit the famed Rugova Gorge and to enjoy a luncheon in a mountain lodge served by staff sporting the traditional local costume, below wooden carvings of eagles, the eponymous heraldic fowl of the Shqip, as Albanians call themselves. One of our waiters there had reappeared the next day, swaddled in the same rough woolen shepherds gear, onstage at the municipal theatre, where we had assembled for a gala poetry reading-cum-final awards ceremony and danced tribute to the festivals late honoree. On that subsequent occasion the waiter had accompanied every reading with improvised music produced on blades of grass, lending the proceedings the rustic, handmade tone of King Ottokars Sceptre, Tintins adventures in the fictional Balkan land of Syldavia, even as we international poets were summoned to receive tokens of appreciation from modishly dressed municipal attaches and cell-phone brandishing state deputy ministers. Here was the twin burden of Kosovar public relations, I had thought as I sat in the audience that evening, awaiting my call to the stage: to insist on the ancient and venerable roots of the once oppressed and vilified Albanian culture in Kosovo while at the same time proving the young nations legitimacy, indeed viability among modern nations, not only in the eyes of the international community, its military birth-helpers, but more crucially under the baleful gaze of its elder siblings in the Shqip homeland on the Adriatic, ever alert to missteps by the fledgling satellite in its precarious roundelay with former foes and the ghosts of its own history. And our current detour, as our distance from the airport increased now, served the same dual purpose: to demonstrate the republics all-mod-cons cred, emblematized by the efficient system of highways that would allow us a jaunt in the country on our way to a punctual departure from a well-functioning international airport, even as we were given evidence of ethnic autochthony and patriotic sacrifice, emblazoned in the very soil and performed in newfangled folk traditions, like the dance we had taken part in the night before, on a town square surrounded by reminders of the valorous dead. This autochthony had been the gist of a lecture at Peje town hall on the first day of the festival, delivered by a specialist in Illyrian history from the University of Prizren, in southern Kosovo: not only had the Shqip people, she maintained, in their ancestral territory stretching from Kosovo across Macedonia and Montenegro to Albania on the Mediterranean, been subject to centuries of occupation by Ottomans and Serbs; not only were their expatriate communities in northern Greece currently threatened by demographic decimation (AKA linguistic assimilation); but they may in fact, suggested the ardently nationalist, not to say revanchist historian, have been the descendants of the legendary Dardans their name a patronymic derived from the son of Illyrius, the eponymous father of the race, himself the son of Cadmus, the first king of Thebes and thus a species of Ur-Hellene. Perhaps, I reflected later, when the lecture, delivered in Albanian, was summarized and related to me in English by a helpful fellow attendee, this was the reason for my translator friends insistence that I follow the lecture with a reading of a poem I had written some years before, and which she had rendered in Albanian for a collection of poetry by authors connected to PEN International. It was her favorite of my poems, she told me. A Cistern Full of Greeks had been composed in 2004 in Istanbul, during a tenth-anniversary visit there with my wife that had featured a frustrated attempt to locate the grave of a celebrated dervish, and had been inspired by a trip to the Yerebatan or Basilica Cistern, a subterranean Byzantine reservoir near the Hagia Sophia in central Istanbul, built by Justinian I in the 6th century CE when the city was still the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Down here you see your breath, if not your feet. A wooden gangway leads you, once descended, through the gloom, From portico to watery portico Along a street below the street above, The Turkish afternoon of cigarettes and tea Receding brightly with each careful step. Not far beneath the boards, a brackish pool Malingers on despite Byzantiums demise: The advent of another thirsty horde Of visitors preserves it, 16 centuries beyond its birth. The walk meanders, left and right-angling along Through all the stone preserve, past awkward pedagogy and Attempts at rendering this place more mythic Than the workaday container that it was: A store of ghosts instead of drink. Until you reach the leftmost port, Where ghouls robbed from their homes do double duty: Medusas brought to heel by ancient practical hands, One rightway up, the other sidewise laid. And notice now the voices all around you: The colour-coded umlauts youd begun to beat in time to Lost now amid the hiss and rattle of another shore, the ex and pros And brekekekex that claim this cellar for its attic space, This topsy-turvy forest petrified by topsy-turvy fiends, This final headland of a vanished empire, gone aground against The ceaseless rushing of a world that would not turn to stone. Perhaps what appealed to my friend about this poem was its account of the persistence of a submerged, allegedly vanquished or cleansed identity in this case the Byzantine, personified in the Greek tourists clustered around a toppled statue of a deity, beneath the Ottoman city; the Greek standing in for the Albanian, similarly submerged for centuries beneath an alien occupier. That Albanian identity had now been revived here in Kosovo but, unlike its Greek avatar in my poem, chagrined at the failure of its monuments to withstand the pressures of history, it was busily erecting durable memorials to its heroes: a stone statue of Skanderbeg, the 15th-century champion of the Albanians against the Ottomans, sits astride his horse on a central plaza in Prishtine across from a gigantic likeness of Ibrahim Rugova, the nascent republics 20th-century first president. In my friends case the situation was further complicated by the fact that she is the child of a Jewish mother and a Muslim father, and had come of age in Enver Hoxhas hermetic Albanian communist state: and was thus heir to a multiple legacy of cultural clandestinity. In the meantime we had passed through the professors ancestral village and were following a tertiary road past an escarpment to follow a slight rise in the terrain, until we were crawling along a dirt track between overhanging bushes and negotiating a sharp turn into what had once been an estate, encircled by crumbling brick walls and offering entrance through a rusted iron gate. There were no buildings visible as the professor drew the car to a halt, bade us all climb out, and began unloading the provisions he had collected during two extra stops on our way: a heavy bag containing borek pastry and cartons of ayran, a buttermilk drink, from a local bakery; a rough army blanket and a qifteli, the instrument on which the professor had earlier demonstrated his proficiency, from the family home in a hill above Prishtine; and a small carton of books. We began to trudge into the stand of trees that crested the estate. We passed a number of peculiarly squat, windowless brick structures, evidently newly built but tumbling into piles of loose bricks on one side, as if molting: and in frustration at his inability to explain their purpose in English, and our inability to understand his explanations in Albanian, the professor relented and began speaking to the Israeli poet in Serbian, the language of his peoples quondam oppressors, in which he was of course fluent, having been raised and educated in what was then the Serbian Socialist Republic in Yugoslavia; and which the Israeli poet could understand, since her parents had been Slavic Jews from Sofia. She responded to the professor in Bulgarian, a near relative of Serbo-Croatian, and relayed to us his account of the place: once his fathers home, until the buildings that had stood there had been razed by Serbian tanks during reprisals for the Kosovar declaration of independence in the 1990s. The windowless structures were in fact repositories of the very bricks from which they were made, fired and stored on site for the eventual renovation of the estate. We found a clearing in the woods, spread the rough blanket on the grass, and decked it with the treats we had carried: the borek, the ayran, and the books, which were volumes of essays and poetry by the professor himself and by his father, also an academic, intended as gifts for us. And as we sat there, surveying our renatured surroundings, the professor hoisted his qifteli, tuned it, and began to play a series of airs, by turns melancholy and spritely. And as he played, favoring us with a display of finesse, erudition, and hospitality amid the souvenirs of sectarian brutishness, I recalled a much earlier episode in my life in which I had encountered a similarly genteel response to incivility. Many years ago, on a rainy summer day in Basel, my wife and I this was long before our tenth anniversary; we may in fact not yet have been married having been in quest of the Totentanz mural were now wandering along the Rhine, looking for a place to have a late-afternoon drink. We stopped into a likely-looking Beiz, or pub, in a small side street off the riverfront, only to find that there were no tables free; and as we were turning to leave, a party of three men noticed us, and beckoned us over to join them at their round table, where there was still place for at least two more guests. The trio were cousins from Turkey, they explained, and were in town because their uncle was in hospital in Basel; he had in fact just that very day been subject to a complicated ophthalmological procedure, and they were currently celebrating the successful completion of the operation. They frowned slightly at our order of two lowly Stangen, small draught beers, and from a bag beneath the table produced a large bottle of rak they had brought with them from Turkey: the strong anise liquor, they insisted, would make a more appropriate toast to their uncles health; and they called the waitress over, to explain the situation, bid her bring us the appropriate glasses for their liquor, and offer her a share as well. To their consternation, however, though not to ours, inured as we were to Helvetian punctiliousness, the waitress not only refused their request, but summarily commanded them to leave the pub, citing a municipal ordinance of the 1970s that prohibited the import of non-licensed alcohol into a commercial establishment. The crestfallen Turks gathered their belongings, settled their bill as well as ours, over our abashed protests and were on the point of departing when, apparently heeding a resolution reached in silent confab, they invited us to join them for dinner, which they proposed to take at a restaurant nearby run by yet another relative. We agreed, anxious as we were to disassociate ourselves from what seemed suddenly a pack of xenophobes and to demonstrate solidarity with our ill-treated brethren, and followed them to their kinsmans premises. There, over the next few hours, we enjoyed a lavish dinner composed of dishes not on the workaday menu, enlivened by several supplementary bottles of rak and the sort of light-hearted, inconsequential conversation in which strangers may indulge who are eager to prove their goodwill and civilization. (An emaciated belly dancer may also have been on hand, if memory serves.) Nevertheless, in the course of our friendly badinage, enflamed by drink and emboldened by the recent acquisition of a masters degree in classical literature, I cockily reminded our hosts that the Istanbul they called home, and of which they were currently singing the praises, had not so very long ago been named Constantinople, and had been the pride of the Hellenistic world, until the Ottomans had laid siege to The City, or Polis, and allegedly bestowed its current name by chanting in Greek outside the walls Eis ten polin! Into the city! as they battered away at its venerable gates, frightening the wits out of the inhabitants of what would become Is-tan-bul. Upon which one of the Turks, with a wink at my wife and a glint of benevolent mischief in his eyes, asked me whether I knew who had been living in my own native homeland of Canada before the arrival of my European forebears, considerably less long ago than the 1453 of Sultan Mehmeds conquest of Constantinople; indeed, who were the indigenous people living there still, and under what straitened circumstances. I was chastened. I am to this day. And when I recall my visit to Kosovo, and the civility to which I was treated there by survivors of one of the 20th centurys nastier civil wars, I am inclined not to inquire too openly into the popular accounts of how this or that present-day polity came to exist, lest I be exposed in my own mythopoeic bricolage. Writing about the reconstruction of nations in Eastern Europe, Timothy Snyder cautions historians against an engagement with nationalist myth-making: Refuting a myth is dancing with a skeleton: one finds it hard to disengage from the deceptively lithe embrace once the music has begun, and one soon realizes that ones own steps are what is keeping the old bones in motion. In Kosovo, those skeletons live in curious windowless structures dotting the landscape of a former family estate, the repositories of the same bricks out of which they are made. The skeletons are revealed as their dwellings are disassembled, with the rise of a new world in ancient stone. by Akim Reinhardt The turn of the 21st century saw a burst of atheistic declarations and critiques in the United States and Great Britain, led by a small group of celebrity atheists including Philosopher Daniel Dennett, Biologist Richard Dawkins, and journalist Christopher Hitchens. I have always found this New Atheism, as the movement is often called, to be a mixed bag. It was long overdue, and many good (if obvious) points were made. However, there was also a fair bit of navel-gazing and even stupidity. And among some of the celebrity leaders, I believe, there was also a profound misunderstanding of religion, how it functions, and even its basic purposes. The turn of the 21st century saw a burst of atheistic declarations and critiques in the United States and Great Britain, led by a small group of celebrity atheists including Philosopher Daniel Dennett, Biologist Richard Dawkins, and journalist Christopher Hitchens. I have always found this New Atheism, as the movement is often called, to be a mixed bag. It was long overdue, and many good (if obvious) points were made. However, there was also a fair bit of navel-gazing and even stupidity. And among some of the celebrity leaders, I believe, there was also a profound misunderstanding of religion, how it functions, and even its basic purposes. Below I identify what I see as two basic recurring problems in modern atheism. I then offer two approaches that I believe atheists should consider for understanding and relating to the religious. Problem 1: Arrogance. Dont be so sure of yourself. Even if youre not laboring under a God delusion, you should still have the humility to recognize that you know next to nothing, and what few answers you might proffer arent anything anyone wants to hear. If humanism is to offer any benefits, it must begin with an acknowledgment of humanitys vast ignorance and inability to learn much. This sentiment will likely send some admirers of science into paroxysms. Surely, they protest, weve learned so much over the last century or two. Surely. We used to know 0.00000000001% of what we might learn, and now we know. And now we know 0.000000000011% Weve achieved so much, they will protest. And I am certainly happy that I get to live in a world with painkillers and antibiotics. But lets not make too much of our achievements. Slamming atoms together doesnt make us brilliant. It just means weve found new clubs to whack with. Even the greatest of human innovations, complex language, is as much a tangle of obfuscation as it is a path to truth. Indeed, Its a medium for inventing the kinds of make believe that many atheists are so hostile towards. Perhaps one of the first things humans did with their new words was invent gods. Why? Because the meaninglessness of our labor, the loss of our loved ones, and the ever narrowing borders of our own mortality are too much to bear. So we are compelled to make up meaning, or to embrace the make believe meanings that others have already made up. Believers find that through apparitional divinity. But many atheists, similarly burdened, invent other meanings. They reject gods but perceive humanity as a pantheon of godlike super achievers working their way towards the heavens. They reject supernatural yarns of creation and heavenly afterlife, then embrace tall tales of space arks that will deliver us to the stars, or computerized consciousness offering us an eternity of 1s and 0s, or fountains of youth in pill form. All of it, whether godly or scifi, is just another version of an afterlife that will never exist. The truth is much simpler and rather humbling. You are here. It will not last long. You and everyone youve ever loved will die, and soon be forgotten. And for what? The answer is unknowable, and probably non-existent. Be modest. Even armed with language and science, we are nonetheless unable to discern any real meaning to our lives, and that is too much to bear. And just because youve been backstage to someone elses puppet show doesnt make you smarter than them. Spend time examining your own strings, and perhaps you will learn humility. We are the same matter and energy as lizards and insects, as rocks and lakes. We will never attain eternity. And although we may one day escape this planet in a more permanent way than a quick trip to the moon, that will mark us not as divine, but as merely invasive. Problem 2: Myopia. It is irrational to define belief in the supernatural as irrational. Belief in the supernatural is entirely natural. Of course people cling to religions that offer life meaning and ease the fear of death. Who wouldnt want that? And what, besides religions, offers it? The vast, vast majority of humans whove ever lived were/are not intellectually compromised because theyve sought or accepted supernatural explanations for the big unexplainable questions about lifes meaning, origins, and ending. It simply means that they, like all of us, are helpless amid the void. Too many atheists think that, in realizing there are no gods, they have uncovered a great truth. They have not. God was the truth. Pointing to the non-existence of gods is not a truth in much the same way that there is no great truth in pointing out that Aesops talking animals are fictional. Revealing a lie is not in and of itself a great truth. And anyway, those talking animals occasionally had a good moral to teach. Religions offer an answer. You reject their answer. What is your answer? You have none. Some atheists insistence on thinking themselves smarter than believers blinds those atheists to their own ignorance. As atheists, we must open our eyes to the vast ignorance that enshrouds us. And to the great anxiety and sadness that ignorance imbues within us. Just because their answers dont work for you does not mean your answers work for them. And anyway, there are no answers; to be truly honest is to admit that. Or perhaps we have a smattering of micro-answers that get us through our days and keep us functional. So stop pretending we know something they dont when the best we can hope to achieve is to merely is a fuller awareness of our unknowing. With these problems in mind, I consider two approaches. Approach 1: Acknowledging Human Complexity. People are complex. What makes someone themself is an impenetrably complicated equation of biology, life experiences, and life choices, all of it ongoing, and everyones persona a dynamic, abstract entity that is forever changing in ways big and small. Given that, reductively bashing believers as dolts and dupes is no better than believers casting atheists as amoral villains; its a retreat to simplistic generalizations. If people were simple, psychology and psychiatry wouldnt be scientific fields. And if peoples collective actions were so simple to untangle, we wouldnt have sociology, anthropology, and every other field in the Liberal Arts. We may be limited, and even downright stupid, but that doesnt make us simple. When atheists fail to recognize believers complexity, or at least that believers are at least as complex as atheists, and instead reduce believers them to cartoonish tropes, they accomplish little more than making themselves feel smart. Even as theyre being stupid. To stereotype groups of people as predictable simpletons is to dehumanize them. Yet, ironically in this case, perhaps nothing is more human than believing in supernatural forces. An honest atheist must admit this; belief in the supernatural is one of the few things that pervades the entirety of human sociocultural history. Few things are as universal to the human experience as religion, in whatever form it takes. It is on a short list of human inventions that have, as far as we can tell, manifested within every single human society that has ever existed, along with tools, language, family relations, and perhaps a few others. Being marked as a human cultural invention doesnt make religions simple; it makes it abstract. Like language itself. Such abstractions are complex: in their structure, in their universality, and in their seemingly endless variety. Individual believers may be simpletons, as too may be individual atheists. But even the dullards among us (and Im not ruling myself out) are complex, regardless of what they believe or dont believe. Only a dunderhead would fail to see that. Approach 2: Genuine Dialog. As the world increasingly becomes engulfed in a battle between imperfect democratic institutions on one side and right wing populist authoritarianism on the other, it is increasingly difficult, and even dangerous, to put too much faith in dialog. Right wing authoritarianism legitimizes itself by demanding equal respect while it degrades norms; and well meaning external forces in the media legtimize authoritarianism by misguidedly playing along with misplaced notions of equal respect. The result of such a both sides approach to the legitimate and to that which seeks to overthrow the legitimate, is creeping fascism. Pretending that two very unequal philosophies deserve equal coverage, respect, and voice enables the authoritarian capture of democratic institutions. Furthermore, right wing authoritarians around the world are in league with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim fundamentalists, as they have been since the birth of fascism a century ago. Thus, one must be very careful in the present moment when calling for genuine dialog between atheists and religious monotheists. Yet while taking note of this very real and present threat, we must not generalize. It is a cliche to note that some of the finest people Ive ever met believe in God, and some of the worst are atheists. But its a cliche in part because its a truism for any honest person who has had a well rounded social existence and interacted substantially with a range of people. And given the relative numbers, its actually much easier to stereotype atheists than the religious. So be judicious, but engage with people who possess a genuine spirit of engagement and dialog, and avoid false dialogs with fundamentalist ideologues. Why? Because teaching and learning from each other is as important as critiquing each other. Indeed, the latter without the former is often little more than name-calling and stereotyping. Solid critique requires dialog. And dialog is not to be confused with debate. Believers are unlikely to convert you, and youre unlikely to turn them into an atheist. No matter. Genuine dialog can lead to better understandings, something atheists often claim to value. Genuine dialog can also lead to improved relations, something no atheist should underestimate the importance of given believers constitute nearly all of humanity. Indeed, some atheists are quick to point towards the long histories of religious intolerance and persecution of nonbelievers. Fair enough. Theres no justifying that persecution. But lets not back ourselves nto corners in the name of stubbornness and resentment. Furthermore, dont doubt what horrors humans are capable of in the name of atheism. True, people have had far fewer opportunities to be monstrous in the name of godlessness than believers have had in the name of gods, but give it time. People are quite capable of being shitty regardless of what they do or dont believe. And if nothing else, the atheistic regimes of the Soviet Union, Maoist China, and the Khmer Rouge should be enough to warn us off secularism as a surefire path to decency. Looking Forward: I am a historian, and as anyone who seriously studies the past can assure you, the future is unknown. Science estimates the sun will run out of fuel in 78 billion years. Life on Earth will end long before that. But until then, some bits of Heaven and Hell can be of our own making. Akim Reinhardts website is ThePublicProfessor.com by Leanne Ogasawara 1. All I wanted, I told him, was the perfect teapot. Just one would be enough, I said, but it had to be perfect (1) as if a teapot could make everything else in the world okay. A seemingly simple task, and yet finding it was elusive as any great chase. My first demand was it had to be a Yixing zisha teapot. Valued since at least the tenth century in China, zisha pots are purple or reddish-brownish, unglazed stoneware that are so beautiful they will make you drool (2). The first thing I did was spend hours at the Flagstaff Tea Museum in Hong Kong. Studying the pots in their collection, I tried to narrow down exactly what I wanted in my own perfect pot. I learned all about the way zisha pots are hand-modeled out of what is extremely hard clay. Like any great Literati art, one artist alone is traditionally in charge of the entire process from start to finish, and therefore the artists seal will be affixed to the bottom of the pot as it is in every way that artists creation: one of a kind. It was in Hong Kong where Id first fallen in love with tea and stoneware pots. Even now, I never cease to marvel at how soft and warm stoneware feels in comparison to porcelain. Handling unglazed pottery is always a very sensual experience; porous and velvety, its like human skin. One of the reasons zisha pots are favored by Chinese tea masters is because the clay absorbs the fragrance and taste of the tea and over time the pot brings something of itself to every brewing, like antique oak barrels used for wine or the ground used in certain kinds of pickling. In East Asia, porcelain is known not by its translucent quality but rather by its resonance. That is why in Japan, when you buy a porcelain tea-set, the shopkeeper will flick each piece to produce a pinging sound, thereby demonstrating to the buyer that yes, this is porcelain. But for my money, nothing is more delightful than the sound a zisha lid makes when united with the teapot. Clack. After looking at pots for weeks, I decided on darker purplish-brown color clay of a geometric or square type, I set out for days on end scouring the shops and galleries of Hollywood Road and Kowloon. I could spend the rest of my life in Hong Kong, and if I did, I would probably end up walking around Hollywood Road most of those days. In the end, I purchased three Yixing pots and two antique dishes shaped like fans, as well a set of teacups and a little water container this happened slowly over the course of a years wandering there. 2. When I told him that I wantedno, I needed to find the perfect potas if one little pot could make everything else okay, he told me I was like the Song Emperor Huizong with his bronzes. Born in 1082, as the eleventh prince of Emperor Shenzong, it was never conceived that Huizong would ascend the throne. His early years were therefore full of much freedom which allowed him to pursue his many interests chief among those the practice and collecting of art. While his older brothers closer in line to the throne were educated and disciplined in statecraft, Confucian political philosophy and the Classics, Huizong was pretty much left alone to dabble in his hobbies. And, by the time he was in his late teens, his literary fame was already known outside the walls of glorious capital. But a series of mishaps landed him against the oddson the throne in 1100. And the timing couldnt have been worse as invaders were known to be amassing along the border for an invasion. And, there he was. The country on the brink of disaster and rather than mobilizing the army, he sought instead to throw himself into the study and re-cataloging of the ancient bronzes. As if to say, If I could just get the bronzes right, everything else would follow suit. Great archaeological and art historical research respected even today was undertaken to both interpret the inscriptions found on the bronzes as well as to properly reconstruct the rituals in which they were used. He did all this, obliviously writing his poetry in his gorgeous handwriting and lavishly spending on the arts as his country teetered on the edge of disaster. 3. I think when one is facing a terrible dilemma there are 3 possible approaches: One, you can ignore the problem. Two, you can face the problem head-on or Three, you can seek to eliminate the causes of the problem so that the problem will cease to arise. His detractors perhaps could accuse Huizong of the first, while those who are fond of him might prefer to posit the third. 4. If youre interested in Zisha, there is a wonderful book called The Beauty of Chinese Yixing Teapots: And the Finer Arts of Tea Drinking, by Lim Kean Siew. The author was a high-powered lawyer and political activist in Malaysia back in the day, and if that wasnt enough, upon his retirement he decided to undertake a scientific study of his massive collection of teapots. Our man in Penang not only embarked on a study of his collection but set about to dash all the codified notions concerning teapots that had ruled Chinese tea drinking habits for over a thousand years. Like all cultural practices, these codified rules concerning tea preparation are so much taken for granted that people dont seem to think twice about them: like red earthenware pots for oolong, darker pots for puerh, and green tea in porcelain or glass teapots. Lim asked the obvious question, why? Was there some reason informing these rules or does it just come down to preference? Setting out to uncover the answer, he went about his task by scientific experiment. He first outlined his methodological principles: All of his pots would come from a government factory in Yixing itself, choosing the Yixing Zisha Factory #1 where quality and standards were tightly controlled. He could, in this way, be assured that we were talking of real Yixing of a certain knowable standard. His pots ranged from works of art created by living national treasures to simpler, more humble pots but all were guaranteed Yixing purple sand clay . In addition, all his teas would be of the highest quality. Water would be standardized. Non-hard tap water. Tea would always be prepared in the same manner and he, along with a variety of tea connoisseurs, would observe which pots went with which teas. So, what did he uncover in all his experiments? Well, first of all, that green tea can indeed be made using Yixing ware. And, puerh doesnt taste any better with darker purple clay pots. Smaller pots are not a necessity for tie guanyin either. He tells us, One must be reasonable, and urges us to look at the teapots themselves. For his experiments proved that just as tea connoisseurs have been telling us for a thousand years, the teapots themselves will inform you what tea should or should not be used. The wrong tea, a thousand years of tea teachers have instructed, will make a teapot turn pale and dry. And it will give us a less than perfect cup of tea. Earthenware like skin does react to heat and chemicals in the tea by changing tone or color it is visible to anyone using such a pot, and Lim-sensei urges us to stop and taking a deep breath, take a good hard lookand listen to what these miraculous pots have to tell us! Notes: (1) Roland Barthes in his Lovers Discourse describes this perception of perfection using the word adorable! The object is loved in their entirety a state which no word can describe. For want of a better word, Barthes calls this adorable! I call it perfection which is to say, I love you because I love you not for one or another of [their] qualities, but for everything! By a singular logic, the amorous subject perceives the other as a Whole (in the fashion of Paris on an autumn afternoon), and, at the same time, it involves a remainder, which he cannot express. It is the other as a whole who produces in him an aesthetic vision: he praises the other for being perfect, he glorifies himself for having chosen this perfect other; he imagines that the other wants to be loves, as he himself wants to be loved, not for one or another of his qualities, but for everything, and this everything, he bestows upon the other in the form of a blank word: Adorable! Roland Barthes, A Lovers Discourse (2) Back in California, I hardly use my teapots anymore. Mainly because the water is so bad and even using filtered, the tea never tastes the same. If you like tea, I highly recommend two from the Tea Dealers in New York: this Shou and this Sheng. Whatever you do, avoid looking at their zisha pots since they will make you drool with desire. This guy I used to know online used to email every once in awhile, and to try and catch up with me, hed always ask, so what are you drooling over these days? I found it to be very much the point. (3) One of the sweetest books I read in 2023 was Vera Wongs Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Q. Sutanto. The author was on my radar because one of the bookclubs at Caltech that I dont participate in but follow read her Dial A for Aunties, and when I found out that this book had a tea theme, I could not resist and I loved it. I sent it to my son but he was not as amused and said that pesky Vera Wong reminded him of me! (4) And if you are interested, here is an essay I wrote about Christopher Hitchens and a Korean Teabowl. by Rafael Newman It was my birthday last month, a round one, as anniversaries ending in zero are known in Switzerland; and in gratitude for having made it to a veritably Sumerian age, as well as for the good health and happiness I am currently enjoying, I threw a large party for family and friends. Then, not quite one week later, I flew off to Albania, a land I have come to associate with the sensation and enactment of gratitude. Albanians in official capacity are fond of giving each other elaborately worded certificates of gratitude, presented in velveteen dossiers at formal ceremonies. I know this because I have attended several of these ceremonies. I have even received such a certificate myselffor, although not a native of Shqiperia, I have now twice been invited to participate in Albanian cultural affairs. The first occasion, in 2019, was a literary festival in Peje, in northwest Kosovo, where I joined a host of poets from across the Balkan region and beyond to read poetry in memory of Azem Shkreli (1938-1997), a local man of letters. During the closing ceremony, surrounded on the stage of Pejes municipal theater by the many poets in attendance and congratulated by various Kosovar dignitaries, I was handed my certificate by the woman who had invited me to the festival, my friend Entela Kasi, president of the Albanian PEN Centre. The certificatein fact, a metallic plaque affixed to a plush red display caseis engraved with the words MIRENJOHJE per Rafael Newman per pjesemarrje dhe kontribut te dhene ne edicionin e 17 te ketij manifestimi: GRATITUDE to Rafael Newman for his participation and contribution to the 17th edition of this event. Well, the gratitude was mutual: I had been treated to readings, music, and banquets, and had been afforded several public venues to present my own work, including a poem, written in Istanbul, which Entela had translated into Albanian for the occasion. I had met Entela some years before, in North Macedonia, when as a member of the Swiss-German PEN Centre I took part in an International PEN conference on minority languages held on Lake Ohrid, on the Albanian border. And now, this past month, from May 24 to 28, five years after that encounter in Peje, Entela had invited me once again. It was my first ever excursion to the country of Albania, rather than to Kosovo or the diaspora around Skopje, one of the strongholds of Skanderbeg, medieval Albanias venerated protector against the Ottoman occupiers. And it was my second opportunity to participate in an Albanian cultural event. That event, Netet Korcare te Poesize, or Korce Nights of Poetry, is a literary festival that takes place annually in the town of Korce, in the southeast corner of Albania between its borders with North Macedonia and Greece. Entela had organized the Nights of Poetry this year, together with Jorida Tollkuci, director of Korces public library, and had asked me to serve on the jury. We were to judge entries by the poets invited to participate, from various Balkan countries (Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Slovenia) as well as farther afield, from Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey. We heard from the entrants, in their native tongues and in Albanian versions read by students from the local conservatory, on the glassed-in terrace of a local hotel; at the splendid National Museum of Medieval Art on the outskirts of town, among red and gold religious artifacts preserved from Enver Hoxhas iconoclasm; and at a gala finale, complete with folk dances and singing, in the nearby municipality of Devoll. Earlier that weekend we had been granted an audience by the mayor of Devoll at the county seat, where Entela had presented him with his own black velveteen dossier containing a certificate of our gratitude. Now, when the time came to announce the winners of the festival competitionMariana Gorczyca of Romania, Guney Ozklnc of Turkey, Liridon Mulaj and Besnik Mustafaj of Albania, and Barbara Pogacnik of SloveniaI stood on stage at the MIK Hotel with Entela and Ernestina Halili, the third member of the jury, this time as a presenter, not as an honoree. It was my duty to hand his award to Besnik Mustafaj, a charming novelist and diplomat with whom I conversed in French (he had been Albanias ambassador in Paris and had served as the countrys Foreign Minister from 2005 to 2007) while he chain-smoked hand-rolled cigarettes throughout the event. Besniks awardhis certificate of gratitudewas mounted in a red display case identical to the one I had received in Peje. And when I returned home to Zurich, I took mine down from the bookshelf and had another look at it; and I was reminded of something that had struck me in 2019, when I was first immersed in the Albanian world, and which had now taken on a new significance. The Albanian language, although a member of the Indo-European family, is a so-called isolate, the only remaining member of the Albanoid branch of the Paleo-Balkan language group: which means that it has no near living relatives. It is the official language of Albania and Kosovo and has shared official or recognized minority language status in various other Balkan countries and in Italy, where there is a long-established diaspora community. (This community extends through Greece, where the sizable presence of its speakers sometimes occasions controversy, into Europe and beyond the oceans, both Atlantic and Pacific, into the Anglophone world.) Albanian grammar, although idiosyncratic in its treatment of such features as mood and negation, is similar to that of other highly inflected languages, and its distant kinship with the tongues of the surrounding peoples, particularly the Greeks, is displayed in cognates as well as in loan words. What caught my attention, however, in Albania last month as it had five years ago in Kosovo, was not Albanian grammar but orthography: or rather, one peculiarity of Albanians use of letters to represent its phonetics. Since its debut as a written language, in the 15th century, Albanian has been set down in a variety of ways, using a range of local or more distant alphabets (Roman, Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic). In the early 20th century, finally, Albanian orthography was standardized, using the Latin alphabet enriched with various consonant clusters or digraphs (th, nj, rr), as well as two letters bearing special diacritical marks: c, a c with a cedilla, to represent a voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant affricate, or a sound like the ch in chipand e, an e with two dots over it, to represent the mid central vowel known as a schwa [], a reduced sound, as in the second e of the English word letter. Albanian and Luxembourgish are evidently the only European languages to use the e to represent the schwa. And it was this eccentric character, the Albanian e with two dots over it, that fairly jumped off my plaque when I received it, in Peje in May 2019: mainly because it appeared in the central word GRATITUDE (MIRENJOHJE) set directly above my first name, Rafael, which also contains the characterto wit, an e: an e with two dots over it. The two dots placed over the e in my first name, however, serve a different purpose than do those in the Albanian e. My two dots are a diacritical mark known as a diaeresis and are placed over a letter (invariably an e or an i) in a sequence of two vowels to indicate that they are not to be pronounced together, in a diphthongas in Caesarbut rather as two separate soundsas in Rafael. The diaeresis is not the same as an umlaut (which is never used over an e or an i), although that German term is sometimes used by assimilation to refer to the diaeresis, perhaps because it is better known, or easier to pronounce. (As it happens, during my first visit to the Albanian world, in Kosovo in 2019, one of the poems I read at a public event, followed by Entelas Albanian translation, contained a reference to the actual umlauts I had seen on a trip to Istanbulto the colour-coded umlauts of the vowel-harmonizing Turkish language: so I had perhaps been influenced myself, in my choice of text to present, by the same erroneous assimilation.) But the diacritical mark in my first name is more than simply a phonetic signifier: it is also the vestige of a personal archeology, one whose deepest fundament is an early celebration of my birthday. When I was six years old, my mother gave birth to her third child: a girl, my sister Zoe. In fact, when Zoe was born, in early June 1970, I had not been six years old for long, having had my birthday just three weeks earlier, in mid-May. And that birthday, which was celebrated in the penumbra of my sisters birth, and thus at risk for being overshadowed by that looming event, was marked by a more immediate, signal intrusion of its own. Despite the late stage of her pregnancy, my mother had managed to bake me a large cake in the shape of a fire engine, among the fetishes of my boyhood, and had agreed to hold the party outside, near our apartment, at Westmount Parkalthough the weather, as is typical of Montreal in the springtime, was not particularly balmy. While she readied our picnic, which involved setting out the cake and other food on a blanket under a large tree, I led my guests in a loud game of tag. We returned to the tree precipitously when we heard my mother shouting: a neighborhood dog had taken advantage of her momentary inattention, had managed to devour much of the cake, and was now galloping away. We took up chase, incensed. We followed the dog all the way to the house we saw it disappearing into, one of the elegant brick buildings surrounding the park. We rang the doorbell, explained the offense to the woman who answered the door, demanded that she release the culprit into our mob-justice handsand were told, to our chagrin and schadenfreude, that her pet, having just excreted my birthday cake all over her Persian rug, was currently cowering in the bathroom. So when my sister was born, barely three weeks later, I was still in the mood to reclaim what had been stolen from me, to claw back my proffered and purloined dessert(s). But I did this in a roundabout fashion. At some point earlier during our mothers pregnancy, our father had asked my younger brother and me whether we would like to suggest names for our future sibling. If she happened to be a girl, I had said airily, I would like her name to be Sophie; Adam, just four years old and with less high-flown pretentions (or perhaps greater ambivalence) had insouciantly proposed Crummy Bush. In the event, the baby brought home from the hospital had already received the name Zoe, a choice about which we had not been apprised and which had no particular resonance for us (it was likely inspired by the actress Zoe Caldwell and by J.D. Salingers Franny and Zooey, neither of which belonged to our childish cultural landscape). And when I saw, with my burgeoning literacy, that her name was to be spelled with two dots over its second vowel, presumably to prevent its mistaken pronunciation to rhyme with doe, I decided that I needed to festoon my own signifier with a similar mark. Because my parents had not, in fact, wanted (or needed) my name to bear a diaeresis. It is often written without one (as is Zoe, in fact, which didnt make it any easier for me). My Quebec birth certificate, which I had been obliged to have reissued, in the process of renewing my Canadian passport in 2002, after the 9/11 hijackers had used forged certificates like mine to enter the US from Canada, still stolidly shows my name with an apparent diphthong, rather than with my chosen diaeresis: Rafael. The two dots over my first name are thus a mark of my own will to distinguish myself, an early attempt at self-fashioning, an inchoate nom de plume: but they are also the trace of the ressentiment I bore against a world that had deprived meof recognition for my nomothetic chops; of my special status as the elder of two sons, now challenged by the presence of a unique female sibling; and, perhaps most urgently, of birthday cake. (A further effect of that fateful al fresco encounter is a lifelong suspicion of dogs.) When I now saw the Albanian e juxtaposed with my own e, and realized that the purpose of the former was diametrically opposed to that of the latterthat the schwa represents a reduction of the vowel sound: indeed, in some cases, its elision entirely, while the diaeresis serves to uphold it, to ensure its distinct pronunciationI was returned to my childhood, and to that early episode of my own anxiety about being overshadowed, and to its resolution with the stroke (or two) of a pen. As it happens, in our subsequent history together, my sister and I have indeed been pursued by this very perilthat one of us might, or could, or did in fact overshadow the other. For the most part, however, despite my childhood fear, the peril has come from the other quarter: Zoe has at times endured psychological jeopardy emanating from me, from my extroversion and exhibitionism. I have been too loud, too libidinous, too loutish; too allied with our difficult father (and stepfather); and, most grievously, it has been all too easy for me to get and hold the attention of our mother, who was delighted by the antics of her pubescent sons and was always ready to laugh hilariously at our rude jokes, which were increasingly deemed inappropriate by a young woman coming to political consciousness in the 1980s and 90s. Zoe surely felt more than simply overshadowed, by our performative masculinity and what must have seemed our mothers Quisling support for a mini-system of dominance: she likely saw herself reduced to the status of a schwa, rather than distinguished, as she should have been, by her own diaeresis. * The festival in Albania, meanwhile, was splendid. It was a treat to spend several days in the company of fellow poets, to relish what Salman Rushdie has (perhaps condescendingly) identified as the special sodality enjoyed by writers of poetry, a camaraderie denied to novelists in their saturnine singularity. I saw old friends, like Vlora Ademi, who organizes a literary festival in Prishtina, and met new ones, including Lucilla Trapazzo, a Zurich-based artist and performer, Billy Ramsell of Cork, who declaimed his poetry, bard-like, from memory, and Anna Lattanzi, who writes about Albanian culture from her home in Italy. I encountered members of a new generation of Albanian poets, among them Antonio Babliku, my own minority preference for an award. We trudged up a hillside in Hocisht to visit the home of Marigo Posio, the mother of the flag, the woman who is reputed to have sewn the first eagle-emblazoned crimson ensign of a newly independent Albania in 1912. Throughout the weekend, however, I was also confronted with what I had seen in that juxtaposition of words Albanian and English: that what seemed like the very same diacritical mark could, given a change of linguistic context, mean two very different things. That it might be possible to compress two entirely opposed meanings into one single signifier. That what appears to be a schwaa reduced version of an otherwise prominently pronounced vowelmight in fact be a diaeresis, that same vowels exaltation on a little pedestal of breath. Or vice versa. That what seem to be identical twins, or at least closely related, physically similar cognates from the same family, might have entirely different ways of being in the world, their natural kinship shaped differently by divergent experiences of nurture. And I learned something else in Albania: an enigmatic oddity of linguistic history, something ultimately unassimilable to the personal psychohistory going on in subtext as I participated in the festival, but which felt nevertheless like a potential key to the way I had projected elements foreign to her onto my infant sister. In an idiosyncratic development, the Albanian language, alone among its various distant relatives in the Indo-European family, has preserved in its kinship vocabulary an ancient, ambiguous form. Whereas other related languages use some variant of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root *mehter to refer to ones maternal parent, an Albanians mother is known as nene (as in Nene Teresa, the countrys controversial, missionizing export), while an Albanians sister, reflecting the fact that the PIE form originally referred to ones maternal aunt, is known as moter. In other wordsif you willthe mother I had likely been projecting onto my sister has been present in her name all these years, at least in the land of schwas dressed as diaereses; which is also, however, for me from now on, the land of a certain stylized gratitude. by David Winner Throughout most of my life, I periodically napped in the back sitting room of my parents house in Charlottesville, gazing at an enormous shelf of my fathers books. Why I am a Jew was an unlikely title to find. Though my father was most certainly a Jew, he was fiercely disconnected from all things Jewish. He claimed that he only learned that he was Jewish after he left his Jewish mother and Irish American stepfather behind in Pasadena to go to a very antisemitic Harvard in the late forties. He hated Woody Allen, Larry David, Bernie Sanders, and all other public Jews, never set foot in a synagogue or at a seder dinner, and was skeptical about the state of Israel. Perhaps being brought up by such a non-Jewish Jew has influenced my perspective. When the news broke about the Hamas attacks in the fall, Angela, my wife, was cross with me before I even opened my mouth because she was stunned by what had happened and feared what I would say. Ive had a long history of disparaging Israel. A few days after the attacks, I came back to my house in Brooklyn to find Angela in conversation with our ultra-orthodox Jewish neighbors. They were in shock. Their seventeen-year-old son told us that Muslims had slated the following day for killing Jews around the world. Only Israel could protect us from the animals. The world, as he framed it, was overrun by an evil force out to get him and his community. Rather than confront his racism, I retreated inside. I didnt think he would ever construct things any differently. And my nearly opposite view would hardly matter if I somehow encountered Hamas. I wonder about the last thoughts of Vivian Silver, an elderly Israeli peace activist killed by Hamas. Did she feel betrayed, doubt her lifes work? Did she fear Israeli retribution, an apocalypse overtaking Gaza? Of course, Ive never met any members of Hamas, and, unlike my father at Harvard, I spent the first three decades of my life not hearing or experiencing anything remotely anti-Jewish. In my educated middle-class universe, antisemitism appeared to be an artifact from the past. But that changed after Id started teaching at a community college in Jersey City. A couple of decades ago in a class amorphously entitled Cultures and Values, I permitted a free-floating class conversation, stemming from my tiresome standard-issue liberalism. My students agreed that George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and Guantanamo were bad, but the real problem was the Jews. We were greedy and dishonest. We controlled the banks and the movies. The students in my class were a veritable United Nations of not liking the Jew: Irish, Italians, Poles, Nigerians, Filipinos, African Americans, American-born and Latin American-born Latinx, Indians, Pakistanis. The sentiment did not come from the Palestinian situation as that did not seem to be on anybodys radar. One contributing factor could have been the absence of Jews in Jersey City. Typical urban white flight occurred in the seventies, but some white people remained. The Jew flight, on the other hand, was more pronounced. There were so few Jews around to be juxtaposed against the negative tropes. And, often enough, my students worked in New York City for Jewish overlords, who were unkind and inconsiderate, as overlords tend to be. When, on occasion, someone has identified my ethnicity and asked me about Jewish holidays that Ive never heard of or Israel where Ive never been, Ive felt mildly affronted as false assumptions about me seem to have been made. Still, when anti-Jewish rhetoric streamed forth from my class, I owned my Jewishness. I spoke not about my gentile mother, my determined secularism, or my opposition to Israeli policies, and they were welcome to consider me rich and greedy if they so wished. Just recently another class conversation bounced from the expensive condos going up all over Journal Square with deleterious rent hikes in their wake to the Jews who were supposedly the only ones building in the area. Annoyed, I demanded we check the facts and discuss it the following week. When I tried to do just that, determined to root out misinformation, I found webpage after webpage revealing the names and faces of neighborhood developers who, except for one black man with a notably non-Semitic name, were all Jews. I could no longer question the assumption on the part of my class, only challenge their unstated belief that the Jewish developers were acting intentionally in concert to screw them. The question of antisemitism brings us back to Gaza. Recently, political argument seems to exist on an epistemological stage. We argue less about our own positions than what we believe others to believe. Take the conservative notion, for example, that there exists a huge wave of oppressively woke people invading classrooms and libraries. In terms of Gaza, there has been much discussion of how the American left has responded to the crisis. Does this left believe that the Israeli occupation of Gaza justifies the sadism of the Hamas attack? Two opinion pieces in the New York Times that came out soon after October 7th _ Michelle Goldbergs on October 12th and Jennifer Median and Lisa Lerers on October 20th _ contend that the left had indeed been celebrating the attack. But their examples of the left, the Connecticut and New York chapters of the Democratic Socialist of America, the Chicago and Los Angeles Black Lives Matters, a statement signed by many students at Harvard, didnt seem particularly conclusive. MSNBC, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Mother Jones and other more mainstream progressive voices expressed horror about what happened. When I brought up the events in Gaza and Israel with my Cultures and Values class in the fall, I hoped for a careful, controlled conversation in which I would avoid my errors in the past. Using the quasi-dictatorial power of a teacher in a classroom, I wanted to allow opinions about the state of Israel and Hamas while disallowing prejudiced comments about Jews or Arabs. Most students sat this one out. The conversation was dominated by me and Eman, an Egyptian woman of about fifty whod grown up in Kuwait until the Iraq invasion sent her back to Cairo from where she emigrated to the United States. Bravely speaking on this difficult topic, knowledgeable and remarkably articulate within the limitations of her English, Eman presented the Hamas attacks as purely anti-colonialist. Israel, in her view, had stolen Palestinian land in 1948 and has continued to expand. The two blue lines on the Israeli flag (a conspiracy theory first suggested by Yasser Arafat about twenty years ago) represented the Nile and the Euphrates, the huge swathe of territory Israel wished to take over. When I suggested that both Hamas and Israel can be seen as terrorists, she avowed that the only reason why Hamas was viewed as a terrorist organization in the United States was because of the influence of our all-powerful Jewish population. Feeling stung, I argued that much of the support for Israel in America does not come from the relatively small and divided Jewish community but from fundamentalist Christians who tend towards an Israel-do-or-die attitude, viewing Palestine and Israel as the Judeo-Christian Holy Land. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, wrote MLK famously, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Nabil, a sociology professor at my college wrote (in a book about Palestinian refugees in Jordan) that hed only learned about the Holocaust quite late in life though, as an Israeli Arab, it had affected his entire narrative. Which is another example of the inherent messiness of this topic, the connections, the disconnects. Biden, sounding hesitant and confused as he sometimes can, suggested that the Palestinians in Gaza were exaggerating their casualties, a troubling assertion given the undiscovered bodies lying under rubble and the growing body count. Meanwhile, he was attacked by Republicans and scorned by more conservative Jews for even suggesting that Israel try to minimize civilian casualties. In the many months since the Hamas attack, Israel has remorselessly killed tens of thousands, targeting hospitals and refugee camps. Rather than provide aid to Gaza, they have prevented humanitarian groups from doing so, killing nearly a thousand international aid workers. Twice, their apparent targeting of civilians has forced even Netanyahu to apologize. An antisemite following these stories might not reach for the relatively mild stereotypes of greedy, media-controlling Jews but darker older ones, the drinking of Christian blood, and the murder of Christ himself. A massive campus protest movement began in the winter and spring of 2024, the details of which (the taking over an administration building at Columbia for the first time in decades) are familiar to readers. Netanyahu has labeled these protestors antisemitic mobs though surely most protestors, many of whom are Jews, are spurred by humanitarian concerns. Criticism of Israel can be falsely classified as antisemitic whereas antisemites can use the plight of Palestinians to bolster their prejudice. Genuine righteous anger with Israel over Gaza only turns antisemitic when those who express it already have an antipathy to Jews. Apparently, Laos, where Jews are absent, is the least antisemitic country in the world except, I posit, for Israel itself. Rather than protect us from antisemitism, its inflammatory policies and rhetoric spur it on. When considering Israel and Gaza, we must hope that misinformation, tribal allegiance, and anger dont cloud our attempts to understand it. We must hope that Israel ceases fire at long last and that those chanting Free Palestine and From the River to the Sea wish only for human rights rather than another Holocaust of the Jews. Ill try to answer the question asked by the book on my fathers shelf, which has long been removed as he has died, and his house has been sold. I am a Jew in several ways, which, in the best Jewish tradition, may contradict each other. Like paranoid Woody Allen in Annie Hall turning you into Jew in his mind, I imagine a look of glee on the faces of Facebook friends who only post politically about Israel as if there are no other issues in the world. Rather than caring about Palestinians or democracy, I suspect them of relishing an opportunity to take it to the Jews. In the fall, a school in Scarsdale, New York canceled their annual Halloween UNICEF fundraiser, calling the institution antisemitic because, among other things, they referred to the Palestinian state when one does not exist. Using one of the worlds great iniquities as an excuse to cancel UNICEF made me angry like Jerry Seinfeld growling like a dog, the name, Newman, steaming from his lips, or Rodney Dangerfields head, a decade or so further back, bulging from his neck as he gets no respect. I hope I have not hurt or offended anyone. Israeli violence is ongoing. And it is not antisemitic or unfeeling towards Jews who suffered on October 7th to demand that it stop, that an equitable two-state solution be sought, one which gives both Palestinians and Israelis free and peaceful passage from the river to the sea. A recent visit to Hiroshima brought my mind to Gaza, an imperfect analogy but a hopeful aspiration. America decimated Hiroshima as Israel has decimated Gaza. The Hiroshima Dome, a building whose bones survived the destruction, has become a symbol of peace. I looked upon it and wished the same for the Omari Mosque in Gaza, lying partially destroyed by Israeli and perhaps American bombs. (With apologies to Edmund Fleg, whose book on my fathers shelf has nothing to do with any of this.) Scenery of Yellow River in Ningxia, NW China Xinhua) 09:31, June 17, 2024 An aerial drone photo taken on June 13, 2024 shows a section of the Yellow River in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Yellow River, China's second-largest river after the Yangtze, is dubbed the "mother river." In recent years, continued efforts have been made to protect its ecology, as vitality has returned to the Yellow River basin in Ningxia. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) An aerial drone photo taken on June 13, 2024 shows a section of the Yellow River in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Yellow River, China's second-largest river after the Yangtze, is dubbed the "mother river." In recent years, continued efforts have been made to protect its ecology, as vitality has returned to the Yellow River basin in Ningxia. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) An aerial drone photo taken on June 13, 2024 shows a section of the Yellow River in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Yellow River, China's second-largest river after the Yangtze, is dubbed the "mother river." In recent years, continued efforts have been made to protect its ecology, as vitality has returned to the Yellow River basin in Ningxia. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) An aerial drone photo taken on June 13, 2024 shows a section of the Yellow River in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Yellow River, China's second-largest river after the Yangtze, is dubbed the "mother river." In recent years, continued efforts have been made to protect its ecology, as vitality has returned to the Yellow River basin in Ningxia. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front-row taxi ride. McGee also tells PEOPLE about how her former 'Boy Meets World' costars reacted to the news Araya Doheny/Shutterstock Trina McGee at 90s Con Florida in September 2023. The news of Trina McGee's pregnancy at age 54 didn't just take the world by surprise. The Boy Meets World alum exclusively tells PEOPLE that learning she's expecting her fourth baby her first with husband Marcello Thedford, came as a "shock" to her. But her three adult children, Ramia, 31, Langston, 29, and Ezra, 25, who she shares with her first husband, actor Courtland Davis, were also surprised by the news, especially since they learned about it online. "I put something on Facebook. I didn't think it was a big deal, and I said, 'I'll call the kids later. They're grown. They have their own lives.' So I speak to them maybe once a week on Sundays, normally. Now, we're speaking a lot more," she says. "Two of them found out through the media, and one of them was really pissed. It was just a matter of a couple of hours of a slip." However, despite the slip-up, McGee says everything is now fine between the bunch. "We're all good now. And actually, it jolted us all into really talking and being together," she shares. 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. Marcello Thedford Trina McGee is pictured with her children. Related: Boy Meets World's Trina McGee Opens Up About Her 'Miracle' Pregnancy at 54: It's 'Really Happening' (Exclusive) On June 3, the actress announced her pregnancy news. Calling her pregnancy a "miracle," she attributes her more holistic approach to life to allowing her to conceive her fourth child "completely" naturally at 54. "Your body has to feel free. The blood has to flow to the uterus," says McGee, who has been enjoying a "relaxing" period in Belize during her pregnancy. "Sorry, guys, but you just need certain things for your body to feel nourished. And if you're in a place or an environment that is not providing that, and you want to conceive, then you need to get out of it. The stress is really important. You have to stay away from stress." McGee has continued to feel the love and support from those close to her since going public with the news, including from her husband of 16 years. "My husband, he reacted so lovingly. He's just been so great. He took me out to see deer yesterday and play in a yard, to just keep me peaceful," she recalls. "We've put a lot of work into our marriage, so I've got a good one." McGee also notes that "the number one person who has supported me is my husband." Albert L. Ortega/Getty (L-R) Trina McGee and Marcello Thedford attend the Amare Magazine 1st Year Anniversary Issue Release Soiree held at a Private Residence on June 24, 2017 in Sherman Oaks, California. McGee's former Boy Meets World costars Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong also "reacted great" when she told them the news. "They wished me well. I actually talked to them on a text a couple of weeks before it had become public knowledge, and I had told them, because honestly, it was in passing about something else," she remembers. "It wasn't like 'I have to announce it,' although I love announcing it to them. But yeah, they're great!" According to the Classmates actress, one of the perks of having a baby has been reconnecting with various people in her life. Marcello Thedford Trina McGee is pictured. "My mom's calling me a little bit more. My bestie from childhood has been calling, and we've been interacting," she says. "That's what I really love about what babies do. They do have a tendency to bring families together and people who haven't spoken in a while together. That's the beauty of it." McGee, who is launching Quawe Farms and Retreat in Belize and an online shop in July, is currently 12 weeks along in her pregnancy. At this time, her biggest concern has been reading "what other people think" online, which originally prompted her to take a break from social media. But she does experience "these little aches and pains" from time to time. "I have this thing a lot of pregnant women called round ligament, where at the bottom of your belly on the sides, you're feeling the muscles pull out as your stomach gets larger," she says. "I was really scared about that. I was like, 'What is that? ... I don't remember having that back in the day.' I have that a little, but that's about it." Marcello Thedford Trina McGee is pictured. Related: Meet the Real-Life Loves and Growing Kids of the Boy Meets World Cast Ahead of her little one's arrival, McGee doesn't have any major plans to celebrate the baby, whose sex she's waiting to learn at the time of the child's birth. However, she is getting her home ready for that exciting moment. "We're building a lot of stuff on our home, and I'm envisioning like a playroom house. My ideas keep getting bigger and bigger," she says. "I just saw this jungle gym I want to put in the backyard." "All the physical stuff is really fun too. The baby bassinets, picking the materials for things," she adds. "I want everything to be 100% cotton and not with any polyesters or anything in it. All of that preparation is just so wonderful." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Commercial fisherman Richard Gilmore says he has seen a huge increase in the number of sharks off the country's east coast over the past 10 years. Commercial fisherman Richard Gilmore, from Queensland, said he finds himself 'racing' against sharks almost every day. Source: Richard Gilmore/On The Other Line Fishing Adventures Striking underwater footage of a group of sharks ripping apart a professional fishermans catch as he furiously tries to reel it in by hand has sparked a discussion about what some say has become a daily battle in Aussie waters. The clip shows one of the powerful sharks taking a chunk out of a large fish hanging from the end of Richard Gilmores line off the countrys east coast earlier this year. Seconds later, the apex predators rush back toward the half-eaten snack to finish the job, wiping the hook clean before it returns to the sustainable commercial fishermans boat a common behaviour known as shark depredation. Its something we see quite often, Gilmore, who runs Pristine Reef Fish predominately out of Cairns, told Yahoo News on Monday, explaining hes racing sharks almost every day. And a lot of the sharks were dealing with are big sharks. Theyre up there upwards of 100 kilos quite often. Over the past 10 years, the number of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef have increased exponentially, Gilmore said, describing shark interaction as phenomenal these days. Sharks force anglers to change how they fish The fisherman told Yahoo the high chance of a shark encounter has made some areas impossible to work in. I change areas a lot and my target species a lot. So depending on what the sharks are doing on any given day, will change the way I fish and the methods that I use, Gilmore continued. If he loses one or two fish to a shark, he will quickly move on. We dont just poke around somewhere close by, because sharks will follow the boat in that manner, the business owner said, pointing to Queensland Government restrictions protecting all sharks over 1.5m as the cause of the issue. As per the rules, vulnerable great white sharks, critically endangered grey nurse sharks, hammerheads, sand tiger and speartooth sharks are all protected. Richard Gilmore said he has experienced a huge increase in shark interactions. Source: Richard Gilmore/On The Other Line Fishing Adventures More sharks being spotted despite declining population, expert says Numerous videos of Aussies having close encounters with sharks have emerged in recent years, with a majestic moment involving a great white shark off the coast of Port Stephens in May being credited to the creatures attraction to a boats motor. When asked by Yahoo if the shark population is increasing, or if the clever marine animals had simply clued onto where they could score an easy feed, Humane Society International marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck described it as a tricky situation. We do know that shark populations are declining, and specifically, theyre declining on Australias east coast, he explained. However, because of human activity whether its fishing, shark nets and shark control programmes what were doing is were changing the community of sharks or the amount of different species that are out there. So while certain sharks like hammerheads are in a pretty precipitous decline, there are other species that are now taking over those places what we call ecological niches that hammerhead sharks and other species once habituated, so things like bull sharks we're seeing more of. Sharks are also incredibly smart, Chlebeck continued, so they do recognise places where they can get an opportunistic feed. Whether its commercial or recreational [fishing], thats something that they have clued in on, and theyre going to follow. So yes, fishermen are seeing more sharks. I definitely agree with that, and thats true, he said. But at the same time, sharks are in decline, and its mostly because of our behaviour and how communities of sharks are reacting to that. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Send Snap Solve has seen a huge 60 per cent increase in the number of illegal parking reports in Perth this year a common trend around the country. Send Snap Solve has seen a 60 per cent increase in the number of reports of illegal parking in Perth this year. Source: 9News Neighbours are dobbing on each other in droves over an act that has increasingly become a point of contention in Aussie suburbs as locals complain about illegal parking. Residents living in Perths north say the issue has gotten out of hand, with new data revealing a 61 per cent increase in complaints about parking so far this year. Local Kevin West claims his suburb of Tapping has become an illegal parking hotspot, forcing him to report drivers through the Snap Send Solve app at least once a week. The app allows residents to submit photos of wrongdoing and the service then alerts the local council. Speaking to 9News on Sunday, West said he frequently encounters cars blocking footpaths in his neighbourhood. Just do the right thing. A footpath is a footpath, its there for a purpose, he urged drivers, lamenting that he's often forced to walk off the path and onto the road. Youve either got to try and squeeze past on the lefthand side of the vehicle or alternatively youve physically got to walk into the traffic. Some Aussies appear fed up with neighbourhood parking violations. Source: Supplied 'Car-centric city' sees huge jump in illegal parking acts Snap Send Solve has received almost 6,000 reports of illegal parking in Perth this year a huge 61 per cent jump from last year. Danny Gorog, the companys CEO, told 9News it is becoming harder and harder for people to find available spots in the very car-centric city. As well as footpath wars, the app has seen increases in the number of residents submitting photos of abandoned cars and those illegally parked in disabled bays. Earlier this year, an Aussie Tesla driver's questionable parking spot was branded 'so bad' by fed-up locals. Source: Facebook/Snap Send Solve Illegal parking a 'top issue' Speaking to Yahoo News after a photo of a Teslas questionable parking spot went viral in May, Gorog revealed illegal parking is one of "the top issues reported" to Send Snap Solve. [There has been] 40,061 reports from January to April this year a significant 49 per cent increase from the same period last year, he explained. In New South Wales, weve seen a notable 48 per cent increase in the first quarter of 2024 compared to last year. And last month, Snap Send Solve recorded a staggering 3,138 reports of illegal parking a 43 per cent increase from April last year. He said the surge could be attributed to a lack of available parking spaces and the expensive costs associated with securing a spot. "Moreover, confusing or inconsistent parking regulations can result in people parking illegally," he said, adding an increase in the popularity of EVs has also led to an increasing number of reports of ICE cars parking illegally in EV-designated spots. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Thousands of posties face 'stressful' work conditions every day. And offending residents risk being cut off from deliveries. Australia Post has issued a warning to dog owners after posties continue to be 'attacked, harassed and chased' by dogs while working. Source: Australia Post and Getty Australia Post is urging dog owners to properly contain pets inside the home after it was revealed about 55 posties have an undesirable dog encounter every week in the country with some copping serious injuries while making their delivieries. New research released by Australia Post claims there has been over 1,400 dog-related incidents where posties have been either "attacked, harassed or chased by dogs" in the last six months. The majority of these occur in the street where dogs are unsupervised or have escaped the residence, and up to 15 per cent of posties are being bitten while they'e simply putting mail through a letterbox. While there is no particular breed considered more likely to attack, smaller dogs tend to show more aggressive behaviour to posties, Australia Post said. "Customers must understand that for many Posties, it can be stressful or triggering knowing that your delivery round may involve a dog that shows aggressive behaviour," AusPost General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing, Rod Maule said. "Our team members just want to be able to deliver for our customers, without being attacked, harassed, or chased by dogs." Posties face serious injury when dogs attack them, with many recently requiring stitches. Source: Australia Post Postie recalls 'painful' dog bite while delivering mail The research follows a warning from Australia Post last year after an increase in the number of dog attacks was reported, with one postie from Sydney recalling his "painful" interaction with a dog while delivering mail to its owner. "I went to move away but the customer then looked at his mail and let go of the larger dog, whos then lunged at me and bit me on the leg," he recalled. "It was broken skin, a lot of blood, yeah it was quite painful. I was quite shocked." Thousands of posties have been attacked by a dog in the last six months. Source: Australia Post Queensland has highest number of dog attacks Posties in Queensland continues to experience the highest number of dog-related incidents while at work, with 466 recored over the last six months. New South Wales wasn't far behind with 408 incidents, followed by Western Australia with 215. Posties have been told to simply not deliver mail to a residence if a dog continues to show threatening behaviour, with councils notified if the issue persists. Tips for protecting posties Keep front gates securely closed. Contain dogs in the backyard rather than the front and keep any side gates securely closed. Contain dogs in another room while opening the door to receive parcel or delivery. Consider using Parcel Lockers. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The footage has been viewed by over 25 million people who all questioned why he behaved the way he did. The tourist attempted to dip his face into the decorative water bowl in the five-star hotel in Bali. Source: TikTok Bali has long been a popular tourist hotspot thanks to its tropical weather, laidback lifestyle and cheap beer. But as droves of foreigners, including Aussies, continue to visit the island, so too does the long list of "stupid" things some of them do and one tourist's recent act has created quite the wave online. The incident, which has since gone viral on social media, shows a man attempting to put his face into a large decorative water bowl filled with flower petals, believed to be at the Apurva Kempinski five-star hotel in Nusa Dua. But as he begins to lean in, with both hands resting firmly on the bowl, it gives way under his weight, resulting in the water pouring out onto the floor. It's unclear exactly why he chose to dunk his head in it to start with, with the act deemed "inappropriate","disrespectful" and even "stupid" by online commentators. Why he did it is the first question many of the 25 million people who watched the video have had for him since. "This is why we dont touch things were not supposed to touch," one person said. "Now why would you do this," another question. "Well that's just lovely isn't it, so careful and respectful and cultured," another sarcastically shared. Others however couldn't look past the embarrassment with one admitting: "I would just lay on the floor like I passed out". While many others admitted they would be "mortified" if this happened to them at a luxury hotel. The stunt was believed to have unfolded at the Apurva Kempinski five-star hotel in Nusa Dua. Source: Google Images Balinese authorities crackdown on tourist's reckless behaviour Millions of international tourists visit Bali every year and there's no shortage of stories about reckless or inappropriate behaviour. Whether dipping your face into a luxury hotel's water decoration, riding a motorbike while drunk or wearing swimwear in the supermarket, the high number of questionable behaviour from tourists has sparked a continued crackdown from Balinese authorities. Since May last year, tourists have been handed a 'Dos and Don'ts' list the moment they arrive in Bali to outline the expected behaviour of travellers. The 'dos' include respecting the holy nature of temples and dressing modestly while visiting tourist attractions or sacred places. Billboards have also been put up to build awareness among visitors on how to behave in cultural settings and in the broader community, with the instructions written in English. "Now they're trying to make sure the tourists that are coming are behaving in the most appropriate way and culturally sensitive to Indonesian and Balinese cultural ways and more," travel expert Quentin Long told Yahoo News previously. "Bali has always had a reputation for being a relatively free place to go and have a great time and that rep has been around since the 70s." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Nearly 1.89 mln people sign up for social worker qualification exam in 2024 Xinhua) 09:46, June 17, 2024 BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1.89 million people have signed up for this year's social worker vocational qualification exam, held on Saturday and Sunday, according to official data. The number saw a 26 percent increase compared with 2023, hitting a new high, according to the social work department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The professional qualifications of social workers are divided into three levels: assistant social worker, social worker and senior social worker. Currently, 1.16 million people in China have obtained professional qualifications in social work. They are engaged in areas such as child welfare, elderly care services and social assistance, among others, becoming an important force in grassroots governance. Besides, more than 50 visually impaired candidates across the country signed up for the exam this year. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Kym Allen Parsons, now terminally ill, formally unmasked himself as the 'Bicycle Bandit' who carried out a number of bank heists across South Australia. "In short, Mr Parsons is dying," his defence counsel told the court. Source: Nine News A former police officer has given a shock 'deathbed confession', formally unmasking himself as a notorious bank robber who carried out a number of heists across one Aussie state after years on the run. The former cop and firefighter now says he is sorry to the victims he terrorised in the robberies he carried out across South Australia between 2004 and 2014 and has even vowed to pay back the money he stole in an apparent 'come to Jesus' moment in the final stage of his life. Kym Allen Parsons, now terminally ill, admitted to a packed courtroom on Monday that he was the 'Bicycle Bandit' and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of aggravated robbery and firearms charges over the bank heists, in which he often used a bike to flee the scene. He reportedly never told a soul he was behind the bank heists. Source: AAP The 73-year-old listened on as bank staff and customers outlined to the SA Supreme Court how his actions destroyed their personal and professional lives. They spoke of post-traumatic disorder, anxiety, depression, breakdowns, social withdrawal and lost income, and partners and children who were also deeply affected by their traumatic experiences. The court heard Parsons stole a total of $358,976.90 during his spree of stick-ups, a figure which he agreed to pay back. Defence counsel James Marcus said his client had been a firefighter for 35 years but was forced out of the workforce due to suffering from cancer and other illnesses. "In short, Mr Parsons is dying," he said on Monday. "Mr Parsons wanted this matter called on. Importantly, he wanted to bring closure to the victims of his offending. "Ultimately, he will be saying goodbye to his family through prison bars." Only Parsons knew of his secret crime spree. He never told his wife or family about the infamous bank robberies he carried out, Nine News reported. Police on the scene following one of the Adelaide bank robberies. Source: Nine News Victims reveal bank heist horror to court Victim Jillian Pfitzner told the court her immediate reaction to being robbed was "sheer terror". "I suddenly didn't know if I would survive and make it home to my family or be shot with a gun that was pointed in my face," she said. "I want him to know how much trauma he has caused to the people and families involved in the multiple bank robberies and what they have lived with for the last 20 years and have continued to live with while he has been free," she told the court, according to AAP. Another victim, Rose Lindner, said the fear she experienced after the robbery was life-changing. "I would cry on some days just at the thought of just returning to my workplace," she said. There's been a shock death-bed confession by a former police officer finally unmasking himself as South Australia's most notorious bank robber. @ExcellBeth #9News pic.twitter.com/atL5a6blLa 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) June 17, 2024 South Australia's Bicycle Bandit has 'deep remorse' After 15 impact statements were read or handed to the judge, Parsons asked to read a statement before the crowded courtroom. "I wish to express my deepest remorse for my actions, for my decisions," he said. "There are no excuses for my behaviour, my reasoning was illogical and irrational over that time." Parsons said he hoped his guilty pleas might "bring you some closure and in time an opportunity to heal. I do not expect your forgiveness, I only ask that you accept my sincerest apologies and deepest remorse." He will be sentenced on June 28. with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. NSW authorities are hoping to rescue the whale after it was photographed in a 'frustrating' situation over the weekend. The hunt is on for a whale entangled in metres of fishing line off the Australian coast. Authorities are asking the public to help track and photograph the massive mammal until "complex" and "dangerous" ocean conditions make a rescue attempt safe. The humpback is easily identifiable by the four yellow-plastic-buoys being dragged behind it. If it's not rescued, the rope could cut into its flesh and cause infection, or it could slowly succumb to exhaustion. One of the last to see the whale was drone pilot Chris Dick who manoeuvred his camera through windy skies just after midday on Sunday. He warns it may not be easy to spot the whale as it is one of many migrating north to warmer waters. I was lucky to find it. There were literally hundreds of whales out there yesterday, it was like whale soup, he told Yahoo News on Monday. 'Unsafe' conditions hamper rescue efforts as whale migrates Dick ventured out to Captain Cook Lookout at Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast after spotting a message from marine mammal rescue group ORRCA that it had been seen north of Sydney earlier in the morning. Its volunteers had been collecting information for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) so it could attempt to untangle the animal. Being able to clearly see the humpback with his drone, but not being able to reach it was frustrating for Dick. Whales have migrated from Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef for centuries, but in recent years their time in Australian waters has become increasingly treacherous due to discarded fishing equipment. After they make it through NSW waters, whales face further obstacles because of the shark nets the Queensland government has erected across their ancient ocean pathways. Related: Mystery over strange whale photos off Aussie coast The humpback was keeping pace with four others despite its situation. Source: Chris Dick Like many on the Central Coast, Chris had hoped his sighting could have resulted in an immediate rescue despite the rough ocean conditions being a little bit tricky. The swell was big. But it wasn't so big you would say: No one's going out there today, he said. However NPWS told Yahoo News it needs to prioritise crew safety during all rescue attempts. The NSW coastline was hit with strong winds and large, powerful swell restricting any attempts over the weekend, it said. Despite its predicament, Dick reported the whale was moving just as quickly as the three others in its pod. Although its movement appeared restricted. More marine creatures falling victim to fishing equipment What should I do if I spot the entangled whale? NPWS has collected several other drone images since the whale was first seen on the NSW South Coast late on Thursday afternoon. After reviewing these, it confirmed the animal was fast moving and its entanglement is complex, dangerous and difficult to remove. Its expected the whale will reach Port Macquarie on Monday. NPWS said everything is being done to monitor its movement north, and a rescue attempt will be made at the earliest safe opportunity. The public are asked to remember there are protection and exclusion zones around whales, including a 100 metre distance for all drones. Anyone who spots the whale can call in the sighting to NPWS on 1300 072 757 or ORRCA on 02 9415 3333. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. The second-most powerful leader in China will meet with Anthony Albanese today as trade tensions thaw. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host the Chinese premier for a state visit to Canberra, seeking to get rid of lingering trade impediments and push him on security and human rights concerns. Premier Li Qiang declared that ties were "back on track" after "twists and turns" when he arrived at the weekend welcome news to lobster fisheries and the remaining beef producers under restrictions. The second-most powerful leader in Beijing will hold talks with Mr Albanese on Monday as part of an annual leaders' meeting in the capital, followed by a state lunch with politicians, business representatives and community leaders. A trip to Australia's resource powerhouse Western Australia will make up the latter part of the visit, which is taking place with some clouds hanging over the two countries' broader relationship even as many trade restrictions have been removed. China imposed sanctions on $20 billion of Australian products in 2020 after the former coalition government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Premier Li's visit is the first by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven years and comes after a period of turbulence for the country's biggest trading partner, while recent military incidents in international waters have threatened the diplomatic thaw. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday Canberra would press Australian interests forcefully after she was asked if she would raise the case of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who languishes ill in a Chinese jail. Pro China supporters and anti China protesters wave flags and banners on Commonwealth Ave in Canberra to coincide with the visit. Source: AAP Australia and China trade tensions thawing The remaining trade bans are expected to be lifted within weeks but exporters could well ask if they might face them again. "Then the question becomes how long can we be confident that we will have trade restriction-free exports going into China," said Dr Benjamin Herscovitch, a research fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance of Australian National University. "It's always possible that Beijing, if there's some kind of serious infraction in Beijing's mind, could throw down the hammer on Australian exporters once again," he said on ABC Saturday Extra. "The battle here is going to be one of a whole host of specific granular policy areas where Beijing is trying to inch forward and get additional concessions from Canberra. "Canberra will be trying to hold the line, not give Beijing too much but also not once again enrage Beijing and prompt Beijing to impose trade restrictions once again." At a lunch in Adelaide, the menu gave a subtle nod to the contentious issue. The lunch menu enjoyed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian ministers in Adelaide today. Note the entree: rock lobster, which is the big remaining trade blockage with China. pic.twitter.com/stqDAf59ug Matthew Knott (@KnottMatthew) June 16, 2024 Australia still cautious on security threat posed by China Canberra has taken a tough stance on technology co-operation since Huawei, the Chinese-owned telecoms behemoth, was excluded from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns. "Canberra is saying, look we want the trade restrictions gone and we want high-level diplomacy restored but we are not interested in deeper science and technology co-operation because we see that potentially from an Australian point of view as a security threat," Dr Herscovitch said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked funds to cut their holding in rare earths mining company Northern Minerals. Critical minerals are a key component of the prime minister's Future Made in Australia initiative, while there have long been global concerns about China's control of a large part of the production. Critical minerals are used in many ways in the energy transition - from wind turbines to batteries. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. After Wells College's statue of Minerva was damaged while it was being relocated, a group of alumnae is accelerating its efforts to preserve the institution's history in Aurora and the Finger Lakes region. Alumnae formed the Wells Legacy Society, a nonprofit organization that "advocates for the local and regional preservation of Wells' rich history and nationally significant legacy." According to its mission statement, the group seeks to collaborate to "preserve the history, archives, artifacts and treasures of Wells College in the village of Aurora, southern Cayuga County and the Finger Lakes region to be enjoyed by generations to come." Tracie Hiatt, the group's attorney, sent a letter to Marie Chapman Carroll, who chairs Wells College's board of trustees, requesting more information about the school's arrangement with Manhattanville University. When Wells announced its closure in April, Manhattanville was identified as its legacy partner. Manhattanville has plans to incorporate Wells into its institution, but the Middle States Commission on Higher Education the accreditor for both schools said legacy partnerships are prohibited. Rachel Snyder, president of Wells Legacy Society, told The Citizen Monday that they have not received a response from Wells College. She said the group has also contacted the state attorney general's office, which will oversee the disposition of the school's assets, Middle States and the state Board of Regents. Snyder's concern about the institution's legacy began in 2020 when the college nearly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She had a conversation with Dr. Linda Schwab, Aurora's village historian, about the fate of the school's treasures if Wells closed. "A lot of history is preserved on that campus," Snyder said. "What is going to happen to all of this?" When Wells announced its closure, these discussions grew among alumni. Those talks led to the formation of the Wells Legacy Society on May 15. What happened on Wednesday, June 12, is an example of why alumnae are concerned about the college's legacy. That morning, Wells announced the statue of Minerva would be moved indoors to "ensure her safety." The statue, one of the important symbols in the college's 156-year history, was a gift from Charles Wells to his father, Henry Wells, who founded the school in 1868. Two hours after the college's initial post, there was an update: The statue was damaged while it was being relocated. Photos show Minerva's head was broken as it was being placed on a truck. The college is consulting with experts on moving and repairing Minerva, according to the updated post. For Snyder and the Wells Legacy Society, the incident shows why they are working to protect Wells' legacy. "When Minerva was so carelessly handled, that was really a catalyst for us to say we got to fight harder," she said. The group began working on a press release, which was issued Monday, and is raising funds. They want to work with the Village of Aurora Historical Society to determine whether any artifacts can be kept there, Snyder said. Another possibility is the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls. One goal, according to Snyder, is to establish a place on the Wells campus to house the artifacts. She floated using Glen Park, Henry Wells' former home, as a museum. Wells officials haven't said much about the closure or the fate of the school's legacy. But in response to a question about what will happen to the college's treasures, such as Minerva, the school acknowledged that many alumni have said it's important to keep the items in Aurora. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On June 13, Chinese auto parts supplier Baolong Automotive hosted the "Chery-Baolong Supply Chain Technology Co-Creation and Exchange Day" at Chery Automobile's R&D center. Photo credit: Baolong Automotive During the event, Baolong Automotive and Chery Automobile signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The event featured product displays, keynote speeches, and specialized technical exchanges, showcasing Baolong Automotive's products and technologies exclusively to Chery's senior executives, management, and technical personnel, facilitating in-depth technical discussions. Following the signing, Baolong Automotive became a strategic partner in Chery Automobile's supply chain. The companies will enhance communication channels and establish regular executive and operational exchanges to ensure alignment on strategic objectives and smooth business operations. Collaboration will intensify, particularly on Baolong's strong product lines. At the event, Baolong Automotive prominently featured its comprehensive solutions for intelligent air suspension systems, cost-effective vehicle smart sensors, differentiated smart driving solutions, and industry-leading products such as automotive metal tubing, roof racks, window trims, busbars, liquid cooling plates, and lightweight structural components. Technical teams from Chery's chassis development department and Baolong's business units engaged in two deep-dive sessions focused on air spring and air pump development, fully active suspension systems, and new technologies. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Recently, BYD officially launched its new-generation mainstream commuter vehicle, the BYD SEAGULL, in Ecuador. The launch event was held in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. Photo credit: BYD The BYD SEAGULL adopts the "Ocean Aesthetics" design concept and is built on the e-Platform 3.0. This model boasts a range of 400 kilometers, meeting the needs of daily urban commuting and providing consumers with an eco-friendly and efficient travel option. It features a safety body structure exclusive to battery electric vehicles and is equipped with a Blade Battery, along with six airbags. In terms of intelligent features, the vehicle includes a 10.1-inch adaptive rotating floating pad and an intelligent network system, ensuring users enjoy a fun and smart driving experience. "We are excited to present the BYD SEAGULL model in the Ecuadorian market, a vehicle that combines safety, comfort, and versatility. This launch reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainable innovation, offering consumers a greener and more efficient solution for their mobility needs. The BYD SEAGULL serves as an ideal first electric car for many, challenging the misconception that a high-tech electric vehicle must come with a hefty price tag," says Santiago Mena, Brand Manager of Andor Corporation, BYD's dealer partner in Ecuador. Currently, BYD has launched several new energy vehicle models in Ecuador, including the HAN EV, YUAN PLUS, DOLPHIN, and TANG EV. With the launch of the SEAGULL model, BYD will inject new momentum into the electrification of the local automotive market. As of now, BYD has established five sales points in Ecuador's passenger car market and plans to expand its sales network to ten by 2024. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On June 15, Geely's Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group ("Farizon Auto") signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CHN Energy Inner Mongolia Power Co., Ltd. and CEMT Co., Ltd., according to a post on Farizon Auto's WeChat account. The three parties aim to leverage Inner Mongolia's abundant wind and solar energy resources to create a comprehensive demonstration project for large-scale base new energy and green transportation. Photo credit: Farizon Auto Methanol, which is liquid electricity and liquid hydrogen, serves as the best carrier for wind and solar power. Liquid sunlight methanol hydrogen electric technology represents an advanced development of electrification. It is a commercially viable application of hydrogen fuel that does not rely on subsidies, aligning better with national conditions and offering a more sustainable new energy technological pathway. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region holds 57% of China's wind energy resources and over 21% of its solar energy resources, with a technically exploitable wind and solar capacity exceeding 1 billion kilowatts, giving it a unique advantage in new energy development. According to the agreement, the three parties will harness their technological strengths as leading companies in their respective industries. They will use the large-scale desert, Gobi, barren land base demonstration project in Inner Mongolia as a catalyst to integrate the new energy and hydrogen methanol production, transportation, and hydrogen storage equipment manufacturing industries. The collaboration includes researching and constructing a grid-connected GW-level distributed new energy base project, innovating localized new energy consumption models, and promoting the integration of energy and transportation industries and technologies. This cooperation marks a significant breakthrough in the advancement of new energy transformation, said Farizon Auto. It not only promotes low-carbon emissions but also demonstrates the low electricity prices and low-cost development value of new energy in large-scale bases, the regulatory value of hydrogen storage energy, and the safe and economic value of large-scale green transportation replacement of petroleum with hydrogen methanol, achieving integrated development of new energy and hydrogen methanol. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. BYD's FANGCHENGBAO unveils interior images of BAO 8 model BYD's FANGCHENGBAO brand recently released a set of interior images for its flagship SUV, the BAO 8. The new model continues the brand's family design language, striking an excellent balance between ruggedness and futuristic vibe. Additionally, as a flagship model, the new SUV offers both 6-seater and 7-seater configurations. Photo credit: FANGCHENGBAO BYD's Shenshan auto industrial park goes into volume production for Phase II project On June 17, according to the "Shenzhen Release" WeChat public account, the Phase II of the Shenshan BYD Automotive Industrial Park has gone into mass production, with a daily output of 750 vehicles. LEADRIVE signs agreement for electric motor controller project in Wuhu On June 14, Leadrive Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. ("LEADRIVE") officially signed an agreement with the government of Fanchang District, Wuhu City, for a new energy vehicle motor controller project. According to the agreement, LEADRIVE plans to invest in the new energy vehicle electric motor controller project in the district. The project includes the construction of a production line with an annual capacity of 900,000-unit electric motor controllers and a production line for 450,000-unit power bricks. Farizon Auto forges new partnership to build pilot project for new energy, green transportation in Inner Mongolia On June 15, Geely's Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group ("Farizon Auto") signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CHN Energy Inner Mongolia Power Co., Ltd. and CEMT Co., Ltd., according to a post on Farizon Auto's WeChat account. The three parties aim to leverage Inner Mongolia's abundant wind and solar energy resources to create a comprehensive demonstration project for large-scale base new energy and green transportation. Dongfeng's movie-themed edition MHERO 917 luxury electric off-roader starts pre-sale On June 17, Dongfeng Motor's MHERO Technology kicked off pre-sale of the MHERO 917 Jiaolong Zhanjia edition, China's first movie-themed vehicle. The luxury electric off-roader, priced between 768,000 yuan and 868,000 yuan, marks a significant collaboration between the automotive and film industries. SAIC Motor's Z-one Tech unveils upgraded Galaxy intelligent vehicle full-stack solution Recently, SAIC Motor's automotive intelligence arm Z-one Tech announced the upgrade of its intelligent vehicle full-stack solution, the Galaxy, marking a new era of AI and software-defined vehicles. NIO EL8 model goes on sale in five European countries On June 13, NIO officially put its EL8 model (known as the ES8 in China) onto the markets of Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. This marks the sixth model NIO has introduced to the European market. BYD introduces SEAGULL BEV model in Ecuador Recently, BYD officially launched its new-generation mainstream commuter vehicle, the BYD SEAGULL, in Ecuador. The launch event was held in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. Dongfeng e008 smart family SUV hits market at 216,600 yuan On June 14, Dongfeng Motor's e brand officially put its second flagship model, the e008, onto the market and commenced deliveries. Chery Automobile, Baolong Automotive forge strategic partnership On June 13, Chinese auto parts supplier Baolong Automotive hosted the "Chery-Baolong Supply Chain Technology Co-Creation and Exchange Day" at Chery Automobile's R&D center. Read the full story on The Auto Wire Drunk Woman Blames Off-Road Crash On Carjackers Both from personal and professional experience we know for a fact many drunk people think theyre super clever when in fact theyre the exact opposite. This is why so many times when they crash their vehicle you hear some of the craziest stories as cover for the obvious truth. But an incident in Wyoming is the first time weve heard a drunk driver blame their crash on carjackers of all things. Drunk driver calls 911 to report drunk driver. Abandoned well off the road in a remote part of Wyoming, people were baffled when someone found the womans GMC Yukon. The biggest question was how it got there and why it was just left, posing a serious hazard to the natural surroundings. Image via Pere Davison/Facebook As you well know, your vehicle not only has license plates but also VIN tags, making it easy for police to identify the owner. They did and reached out to her, which is when she told a story about being hit over the head, carjacked, then kept inside her SUV as her assailants drove it into the gully, reports Cowboy State Daily. ADVERTISEMENT When youve had little kids, you hear all kinds of ridiculous excuses and exaggerated stories. This one sounds like something made up by a four-year-old. After all, why would criminals carjack someone to keep them in the vehicle, then just drive it down into a gully in a remote area and take off? It turns out the woman called the sheriffs office to report the supposed carjacking, but deputies saw through the deception and arrested her. Since she was on probation and barred from consuming alcohol, she was hauled off to jail. We bet she thought she was being so clever right before deputies slapped cuffs on her. Drunks tell the darndest stories and fully expect everyone else to believe them like theyre being so clever. Images via Pere Davison/Facebook Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. Read the full story on The Auto Wire Toyota Customer Claims Dealer Installed GPS Tracker Car dealerships can do some interesting things. From trying to charge you big bucks for door edge guards to insisting you get extended warranty coverage, its no wonder so many shoppers hate the haggling and games. But one man has discovered a new reason to distrust dealerships after he found a GPS tracker hidden in his new Toyota. Thieves are using GPS trackers to steal your car. For some people, learning a dealer put a tracking device in their vehicle might not be concerning, but for Anthony Do and plenty of others its an infuriating invasion of privacy. The YouTuber saw online that other Toyota Corolla GR owners were complaining that dealers had hidden a tracker piggybacked on the OBDII port. ADVERTISEMENT He didnt think much of it until the battery died after about three weeks of not driving the car. On a brand new ride that just shouldnt happen, so he was naturally suspicious. Thats when he remembered the OBDII port was loose on his Corolla GR after he took delivery. At the time he didnt think much of it, figuring someone in the factory just didnt clip it in properly, fixed it, and moved on. But with the battery issue and that detail about the OBDII port he decided to pull apart the lower panels on the dash while filming to document if in fact there was a tracker hidden there. And sure enough, he found a strange device with an illuminated LED light piggybacked on the OBDII port. Its key to note that Do didnt opt for a GPS tracker on his car, even though the dealer asked about it. So why was this device hidden away without his knowledge? Is it really okay for a dealership to be tracking where you go with your vehicle? Anthony Do did some research after publishing the video on YouTube. He discovered the device is an aftermarket GPS manufactured by Elo. Others in the comments have said theyve found similar devices in their vehicles, many of them from other brands. If true, that means this isnt a Toyota dealer issue but something more widespread. Story continues Is this dealers trying to help with potential future repossession cases? Installing trackers in case cars are stolen before customers take delivery? Or is it something else? Check out Dos video for yourself and tell us what you think is going on. Image via Anthony Do/YouTube Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. NASHVILLE, Tenn.Former Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officer Sean Herman was recently arrested at his home weeks after it was revealed that he appeared in a viral OnlyFans clip in full uniform and while on duty. He faces two felony official misconduct charges for participating in the production of the OnlyFans clip, an MNPD statement notes. MNPD Chief John Drake took action and fired Herman, 33, on May 9, the department statement adds. His bond was set at $3,000. Herman served on the MNPD for three years. Tennessee defines "official misconduct" as an offense wherein a public official "commits an act relating to the public servant's office or employment that constitutes an unauthorized exercise of official power; commits an act under color of office or employment that exceeds the public servant's official power; refrains from performing a duty that is imposed by law or that is clearly inherent in the nature of the public servant's office or employment; violates a law relating to the public servant's office or employment; or receives any benefit not otherwise authorized by law." Penalties for these violations are resolved by a criminal case, says the statute. If found guilty, Herman could face prison and the inability to serve in a public office in the future. The police department's Specialized Investigations Division reportedly "discovered the video and identified him as the person in an MNPD uniform, seen in the video from the chest down, who took part in a mock traffic stop in an OnlyFans skit during which he groped the exposed breast of the female driver." According to detectives, the video was produced on the evening of April 26, 2024, in a warehouse parking lot near Madison, a suburban neighborhood of Nashville. News Channel 5, a local affiliate of Scripps Media, reported on the viral OnlyFans video and noted that the clip appeared to be staged. Other news outlets have circulated the video, which clearly shows a watermark for the OnlyFans creator calling herself "Jordinswetof" or "Jordin." A third person, the cameraman, can also be heard speaking in the video. "I'm not going to get a ticket ... I'm going to show him my tits," Jordin tells the cameraman in the clip as Herman approaches the driver's side of the vehicle as if it was a real traffic stop. Herman's face is cut off from the shoulders up, and he refers to himself as "Officer Johnson" when he introduces himself to Jordin and asks if she knows why she is being pulled over. He asks for Jordin's license and registration after informing her that she was going 65 miles per hour through a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit zone. Jordin replies by telling him she has neither on her person and proceeds to offer to show him her breasts to resolve the matter. "Ma'am, it's 2024. I can see tits on the internet any time," Herman says. Jordin responds, "Well, what if you touched them?" Herman does so. Jordin also appears in a photo with Herman on her OnlyFans page promoting the traffic stop clip. AVN reached out to Jordin for comment on the controversy, and she explained, "The clip was originally intended to be a Twitter promo for views. I do a lot of public flashing, so I thought this would be a fun risque video with a fan from Reddit who happened to be a local [police] officer. "The original clip actually sort of went 'baby' viral before the news picked it up," she continued. "I had like 15 million views on Twitter, and I caught wind that it had been reported to MNPD, so I pulled it down. Once I heard he was terminated, two days later, we saw the news articles, and it went way more viral." Jordin explained that the cameraman was her husband and that she felt Herman's initial firing was an overreaction. She disclosed, "It was a skit drawn up by my husband and I, and everything that took place was consensual, on private property." Like several adult content creators, she expressed that she intended to do a "fan" collaboration with Herman. "The video wasnt designed to be something to sell," she said. "The officer originally reached out to film a scene, but we had to get him verified and waivered prior, so this was a fun little prelude to that. "The sex scene never happened, but Im working on that," she added. "[I] really hope to get that with him at some point." Jordin noted that she actually paid a month's worth of salary to Herman after he was fired as a means to help him. She said she "was really sad" to hear about the virality of the video, his firing, and the charges of felony official misconduct brought against him. "He's a really nice guy," she asserted, characterizing his arrest as an "absolute overreach." "[It] seems really petty to further punish a guy for this," Jordin concluded. Note: AVN mistakenly overlooked previous information reported by News Channel 5 in Nashville that Herman was on a "Last Chance Agreement." This is due to a personnel history of misconduct on the MNPD, including accusations of sexual harassment and creating an offensive work environment for a female coworker. According to his records, Herman sent sexually charged texts to a coworker in hope of having sex with her. He reportedly shared nude photos with his coworkers while in uniform at a restaurant, among other accusations. News Channel 5's Levi Ismail says Herman was instructed to undergo safe workplace training last year and keep out of trouble for two years. He also had a record of accidents in vehicles due to "poor decisions." He also admitted to having an OnlyFans account that he only posted on once or twice prior. Herman told investigators that he didn't see any reason to disclose that on his background investigation. H/T: News Channel 5 A 17-year-old vocational school student, Jiang Ping from Jiangsu province in China, has achieved an extraordinary feat by securing the 12th position in the preliminary round of a global math competition the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition. Despite having never attended high school or college, she is competing with students from prestigious universities like Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The final round is on June 22. Jiangs remarkable achievement has garnered widespread attention and admiration, while also making many reflect on the countrys education and enrollment system. A student of fashion design at a vocational school instead of a traditional high school, Jiang has largely self-taught herself to excel in mathematics. Her journey has been equated to the tale of the prized horse and its discerning trainer. A math teacher at her vocational school saw her potential, recommended books, and offered her personalized guidance. Finding such support is rare in vocational schools, which typically lack the resources found in regular high schools. Given how far she has made it, one can say that the education system should move beyond ranking and admissions based solely on total scores. To nurture innovative talents, it's crucial to emphasize students' individuality and unique strengths, and adopt a more diverse evaluation system that allow students with unique talents like Jiang to stand out. Jiangs success transcends personal achievement; it also challenges traditional education models and offers a powerful lesson: education shouldn't be limited to getting degrees and school backgrounds but should instead focus on individual potential and uniqueness. Jiangs incredible diligence shines through in how she spends her leisure time, on mathematics. In addition to Chinese textbooks, she has tackled Lawrence C. Evans' Partial Differential Equations. She didnt let English be a handicap, keeping a dictionary handy. Her thick notebooks are full of her meticulous notes. Jiangs victory shows that talent and hard work arent confined to academic credentials or background. Her story goes to show that with enough passion and perseverance, anyone can achieve their dreams, no matter where they come from. First United Presbyterian Church in Fairbury will host a job fair at 1 p.m. Thursday. The job fair, part of the church's community forum, will include dozens of local employers. No registration is required. The Nebraska Department of Labor will present a resume workshop before the fair at 10 a.m. Registration for the workshop is required and can be done online at www.fairburypresbyterian.com/announcements. The church is at 2310 H St. in Fairbury. For more information, contact Dave Conde, ministry coordinator, at 402-318-2988. The 22nd annual Highway 21 Treasure Hunt is set for Friday and Saturday in southwestern North Dakota. The event billed as a 100-mile rummage sale attracts visitors from across the state and country and even Canada. With usually 100 or more rummage sales along the 100-mile route, this is the original of these unique rummage sale events in North Dakota, said coordinator Luann Dart, of Elgin. The event will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain time both days, with communities along the state highway hosting citywide rummage sales. Participating communities include St. Anthony, Flasher, Carson, Heil, Elgin, New Leipzig, Mott, Regent and New England. Rural residents also host sales, and there also will be sales along state Highway 6 in the St. Anthony area. Listings this year include everything from antiques and collectibles to go-karts and a 1964 Massey Ferguson tractor. Listings for each communitys sales will be available at certain locations in that community, as well as on the Highway 21 Treasure Hunt Facebook page prior to the event. For more information, contact Dart at 701-584-2172. Anyone who enjoys rummage sales will love this event, Dart said. Its fun to travel the route during this unique event and discover lots of treasures. WASHINGTON The race for the Republican congressional nomination in New Yorks far-flung 24th Congressional District looks like a mismatch if you just glance at how much money the two candidates Rep. Claudia Tenney and Geneva businessman Mario Fratto are spending. The last federal campaign reports that the candidates filed before the June 25 primary show that in pursuit of a fourth term, Tenney is outspending Fratto by a rate of nearly 18 to 1. For both Tenney and Fratto, it's a question of character in 24th Congressional GOP primary The Tenney-Fratto battle in New York's 24th Congressional District is not exactly a battle of ideas. Instead, it's a rematch between two Trump Republicans who think the worst of each other and aren't shy about saying so. The two candidates offer radically different explanations of why Tenney seems to be piling it on against an opponent that she beat by 13.7 points in a primary two years ago. We are excited to have the resources to reach voters in every corner of New Yorks sprawling 24th District, including voters who are new to the district after the latest redistricting, Tenney said in a statement. We are also proud to have spent thousands of dollars supporting local county Republican and Conservative Committees and supporting local candidates in the 2023 elections. Meanwhile, Fratto who is challenging Tenney from her right noted that in addition to the big spending from the Tenney campaign, the New York State Republican Committee has sent out two flyers attacking him and another touting Tenney. So why are Republican establishment forces spending money on Tenneys behalf while she is spending so much on her own? I think theyre in trouble, Fratto said of the Tenney campaign. Whatever the reason, the vast amount of spending on behalf of Tenney has enlivened an otherwise dull political season in upstate New York and given the GOP voters of the 24th District which stretches from rural Niagara County to Watertown plenty to consider before they head to the polls. For example, they can consider the fact that as of June 5, the Tenney campaign had spent $1.56 million so far in this election cycle. By way of contrast, when then state Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy was engaged in a heated congressional primary against Buffalo developer Carl P. Paladino two years ago, Langworthys pre-primary report showed that he spent only $220,464. In part, Tenney is spending lots of money because as an incumbent, she has lots of money to spend. Even amid her primary spending spree, she had $552,189 in her campaign war chest. Our campaign is proud to have donations from donors in every county and throughout the country, Tenney said. She also has friends in high places. Asked why the state Republican Party had been sending out flyers touting Tenney and attacking Fratto, state GOP spokesman David Laska said: Claudia Tenney has been a phenomenal member of Congress and a leader in our party for many years. Its important to return her to Washington, especially in the face of baseless attacks on her record. Speaking of attacks, the state GOPs flyers include several on Fratto. For example: Both the GOP flyers and the Tenney campaign have claimed that Fratto lied about joining the military, citing a 2021 YouTube interview. But in the full version of that video, Fratto details trying to join the Army at the age of 17 after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, only to be blocked when his father refused to give him consent to enlist. A GOP mailer decries Far Left Mario Fratto, citing a 2018 interview in which he said: On social issues, I can go pretty far left. But during their campaign two years ago, Tenney seemed to indicate just the opposite, saying of Fratto in a television appearance: Hes been kind of clinging to these real far-right, what I call clickbait people on Twitter. A GOP flyer says Fratto received nearly a dozen violations from the FEC when, in fact, the Federal Election Commission recently dismissed campaign violation charges against Fratto filed by a Tenney ally. Amid all those attacks, Fratto is starting to dip into the loan he took out to fund his campaign. His personal campaign finance disclosure shows he borrowed up to $500,000 from Canandaigua National Bank between December and March, and federal campaign records show he then lent $500,000 to his campaign. But his latest campaign finance statement shows that he has already paid himself back $200,000 of that money. We were going through the budget for what we needed to do, and we ultimately decided that our strategy would be best not spending that much and spreading it out, but spending less and doing it later, Fratto said. Frattos personal financial disclosure statement shows that he has substantial investment assets. And according to Craig Holman, the congressional ethics lobbyist at the Public Citizen good government group, theres nothing unusual or illegal about a candidate borrowing money to wage a political campaign. Some candidates just havent raised much money, Holman said. Either they dont have a lot of money, or they just havent been successful raising it. And so they will take out loans in order to inflate their campaign budget so they can begin fundraising and campaigning. Fratto has done just that. While his pre-primary report showed that his campaign spent only $87,980 as of June 5, with much of that money going to his Wisconsin-based campaign consultant, Fratto only recently began airing his first television ad. And that ad, along with his website and social media, show Fratto making allegations about Tenney, too: The campaign ad decries illegal immigration and says: Tenney welcomes these invaders into our country. As evidence for this, the ad cites Tenney saying: I completely support anyone that comes here as a refugee. But the ad fails to note that refugees come to America legally under a federally created program, while undocumented immigrants who cross the Southern Border often claim asylum in America but are not officially welcomed the way refugees are. The webpage where Fratto posted his first ad says of Tenney: She isnt from here, and neither are her values. Tenney is a lifelong upstate New York resident, but she did move her official residence from the Utica area to the 24th District after she opted to run for election there after redistricting in 2022. Fratto routinely calls his opponent RINO Claudia Tenney, meaning she is a Republican in name only. But former President Donald Trump has endorsed Tenney, saying: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is a strong conservative, and has my complete and total endorsement! In other words, the Tenney-Fratto battle is a feisty one. And a Republican political consultant who asked not to be named said theres a reason why Tenney has turned up the heat in her second battle against Fratto. From an outside perspective, shes doing what a lot of incumbents should do, which is taking a primary very seriously so it doesnt become a problem, said the consultant, who is not involved in either campaign. A motorcyclist has died from injuries he suffered Sunday evening when he lost control of his machine and struck a tree in the Town of Lockport, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office reported. The cyclist was identified as Brandon Wilson, 24, of the Town of Lockport. Deputies arrived on the scene shortly before 8 p.m., responding to multiple calls about a motorcyclist who had severe injuries and was in a wooded area near 4086 Johnson Road between Ridge Road (Route 93) and Stone Road. Bystanders and Wright's Corners volunteer firefighters were providing medical support when officers arrived. An initial investigation determined that Wilson was southbound on Johnson Road when he lost control, left the west side of the highway and slammed into a tree, deputies said. He was taken first by ambulance to Lockport Memorial Hospital, then transferred by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Sheriff's Office Accident Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate the crash. Harold McNeil Eric Van Rysdam began deejaying at the Old Pink in 1990 and, over 34 years, became a fixture at the iconic Buffalo dive bar, guiding the musical selection every Friday and Saturday. On Monday morning, barely more than 24 hours after his final shift at the bar, Van Rysdam like many in Buffalo grappled with the sudden loss of the bar to an early morning fire. Theres a hole, he said. Its not like the bar closed or got sold, but just in a couple hours, its gone. A two-alarm fire at the Old Pink on Monday morning prompted an order for emergency demolition of the structure, Fire Commissioner William Renaldo said. Damage to 223 Allen St. was listed at about $1.25 million, city spokesperson Mike DeGeorge said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, city officials said, but a witness who lives on Mariner Street behind the Old Pink said she heard someone shout an expletive and then saw a trash can ablaze, which prompted her to call 911. Scene at Old Pink fire The scene Monday morning at Old Pink fire. Patrons visited the site throughout Monday for a final look before demolition, and memories flooded social media. It seems that as the world changed, the Pink stayed the same, Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski said. People really hold on to the nostalgia and those memories that they built here in the Allentown neighborhood. The Old Pink took to Instagram to express gratitude for the love and support. Today was a devastating day for our staff, our community, and the Brinkworth family. The Old Pink is currently being torn down and by the end of the day, will be gone completely. Please come by the site and mourn with us, they said. Our legacy will live on through you, the statement added. How the Old Pink became the 'new purple' at least for now Served an "order of remedy" by the City of Buffalo to remove graffiti from the front of its building within 30 days or face a fine, Molly Brinkworth, whose family has owned the property since 1968, opted for a fresh paint job instead of painting over graffiti. Owner Molly Brinkworths daughter, Colleen Evans, started a GoFundMe fundraiser with a goal of raising up to $10,000 to support the staff at the bar. Remarks on Facebook and X lingered on friendships made or rekindled at the Pink, the unforgettable bathrooms and the idea that you were bound to run into someone familiar in the dark corner by the dart board. Its like we have lost a good friend with excellent music taste and a hoarding problem, wrote Jordan Pescrillo, an Allentown resident and patron of the Old Pink, on a Facebook thread. Nietzsches, the live music venue thats endured four decades down the street, posted to Facebook that it would open at noon Monday five hours before its usual start time to accommodate those mourning the Pink. Betsy Frazer, who has lived behind the Pink since 1999, was awake when the fire broke out at 5:45 a.m. She heard someone say, Oh, (expletive), prompting her to look out her window to see a trash can propped against the bar on fire. After calling police, she heard employees rush out of the bar, with one calling Brinkworth, the owner. Molly, Molly, the building is on fire, Frazer heard the employee say. Neighbors video shows fire at Old Pink Neighbors video shows fire at Old Pink before 6 a.m. Monday, June 17, 2024. Frazer said the unhoused population has grown in the neighborhood, and several people have slept on the sidewalk on Mariner and sometimes fight over empty bottles behind the bar. They often smoke cigarettes, which she believes may have started the trash on fire. Its very upsetting because I love this neighborhood, Frazer said. As former patrons shared their disappointment, others tried to put the dive bars charm into words. Van Rysdams immediate reflections turned to a conversation he had with Joseph Leta, a local food writer, at the bar over the weekend. They were talking about how ingrained the Old Pink was in the DJs life. Its this crazy ecosystem, Van Rysdam told Leta. The building, the atmosphere and the music worked together to create this perfect counter-cultural oddity. The whole was so much greater than the sum of its parts. The parts were significant, though. The grill sizzled for decades, relentlessly churning out steak sandwiches until the soft 4 a.m. closure. Patrons said the flavor was so good steak sauce was unnecessary. Tim Cavanaugh, who crafted the sandwiches for almost two decades at the bar, explained their special nature to The Buffalo News four years ago when customers were craving it during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its indescribable, he said. We get the best cuts of meat we pay extra to get super good cuts and its also the way we do the peppers and onions. Those are cooked in Guinness beer, and the steak is laid on a Costanzos roll. Leta, through his blog Buffalo Food Otaku, cherished the music at the Old Pink. He referred The News to a Facebook post he wrote in 2021. On any given night, the sonic ambiance is a glorious collection of b-sides and rarities ranging from Punk to the Delta Blues. One minute you may be bopping your head to Television, the next you are dancing to ? and the Mysterians, he wrote. Andre Sadoff, a Buffalo native who said he visited the Pink roughly three times each week for 15 years, walked his dog along College Street on Monday morning to see the fires destruction. I saw so many people in tears, holding each other, Sadoff said. The Pink held space for so many people who maybe didnt feel like they fit in among the regular folk, the ones who didnt participate wholly in a society that was quick to define the haves and have-nots. Mike Shatzel, owner of several bar-restaurants in Buffalo, said he regularly visited the Old Pink from his 20s into his 40s. It became dear to him, and he wanted to introduce others to the unexpected gem. Any time anyone was in from out of town there were three places I took them: Coles, Niagara Falls and the Old Pink, Shatzel said Monday. They typically liked the Old Pink the best. Brinkworth, whose family has owned the building since 1968, said in 2022 that the Old Pink has never been pink on the outside, and its official name is actually Allen Street Bar & Grill. In 1983, Mark Supples rented from the Brinkworths to open a bar called the Pink Flamingo. The distinction between old and new Pink came eight years later, when the Pink Flamingo moved to 1683 Main St., The News reported. The Old Pink stayed open at 223 Allen St. As News contributor Seamus Gallivan wrote in 2005, the Old Pink was woven into the quirky fabric of Allentown. Nondescript on the outside, lit dimly in red on the inside, the Old Pink is the soft underbelly of Buffalos soul, the subterranean epicenter of bohemian activity that swells as the night grows long and swarms as the final bell is rung, Gallivan wrote. The Old Pink was popular as the final stop on a night out, a gathering place that brought people together from all walks of life. It was weird, dingy yet dynamic the essence of a dive bar thats become a dying breed. Buffalo faces significant housing challenges. Many families struggle to make ends meet, and housing remains a substantial barrier to stabilizing lives and building wealth. At Habitat for Humanity Buffalo, we recognize this urgency and are committed to finding innovative solutions. A recent article in The Buffalo News highlighted the citys efforts to build new homes on vacant lots. This initiative, in partnership with the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corp. and Erie County, aims to construct 47 single-family and two-family homes on 46 vacant properties. The $23.5 million project is a significant step toward providing moderately priced housing for first-time homebuyers and working families. The challenges in affordable housing are complex. Rising construction costs and seasonal limitations due to Buffalos weather are substantial hurdles. This is where modular housing comes into play. Modular construction offers a groundbreaking approach. By building homes in a controlled environment, we can reduce delays and costs associated with traditional on-site construction. Modular homes are built in sections, or modules, in a factory, ensuring consistent quality and efficiency. These modules are then transported to the building site and assembled. Once installed, it is nearly impossible to distinguish modular homes from traditional stick-built houses. Modular homes often offer superior energy efficiency and durability. Habitat Buffalo has already test-built several modular homes, proving this methods effectiveness. Our goal at Habitat for Humanity Buffalo is to build a state-of-the-art modular factory on Buffalos East Side, an area long in need of investment and revitalization. This facility will produce 65-plus homes annually and serve as a Workforce Development Training Center, offering job training in carpentry and plumbing. Modular homes are cost-effective, built quickly, and provide year-round volunteer opportunities. Partnering with local educational institutions, we will provide valuable training and career opportunities for East Side residents. This initiative will not only build homes but also create jobs and offer pathways to stable, well-paying careers. By investing in modular construction, we are investing in Buffalos future. This initiative will create jobs, stimulate the local economy, and provide a sustainable solution to our housing crisis. We at Habitat for Humanity Buffalo are ready to lead this transformative project, but we cannot do it alone. We need the communitys support to make this vision a reality. Together, we can build a brighter, more equitable future for Buffalo, one modular home at a time. News / National by Staff reporter Patrick Cheza, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate for Chirumanzu South in the August 2023 elections, has been acquitted of charges related to political violence, along with four other opposition activists. Gweru provincial magistrate Sangster Tavengwa delivered the verdict last Wednesday, stating that the state failed to substantiate its case against them.Cheza and his co-accused, Tinashe Moyo, Tanyaradzwa Marimbe, Christopher Mutoboni, and Alex Gamuchirai, were represented by lawyers Esau Mandipa and Leopold Mudisi, who successfully argued for their discharge due to lack of evidence from the prosecution. Magistrate Tavengwa highlighted inconsistencies in the testimonies of state witnesses as a key factor in the acquittal.In an interview with Southern Eye following the court's decision, Cheza expressed relief and maintained his innocence, describing the charges as politically motivated. He criticized the ordeal endured over more than a year, attributing it to punitive actions by Zanu-PF against dissenting voices.Cheza praised his legal team for their diligent defense throughout the trial, emphasizing their role in securing justice. He underscored the importance of impartial judicial proceedings in upholding the rule of law.The alleged incidents occurred at Rupepwe Primary School and Mazvimba Primary School in Chirumanzu, where Cheza and his co-accused were accused of assault, theft, and property damage against Zanu-PF activists. The prosecution, led by Taurai Mavuto and Monica Mungwena, failed to substantiate these claims during cross-examination.Cheza concluded by expressing optimism for a future Zimbabwe where justice prevails, despite the challenges faced by opposition figures in the current political climate. News / National by Staff reporter Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party leader, Jacob Zuma, through the party's spokesperson addressed the media on Sunday night where he slammed the newly formed Government of National Unity.Zuma while present, did not speak initially but his statement was read out by Nhlamulo Ndhlela, the party's spokesperson.I can tell you, as an ANC member, that there's no such thing as the Government of National Unity (GNU).It is a white-led "unholy" alliance between the DA and ANC.Zuma promises to expose "white agents" who alleged planned to take the country back to apartheid.Zuma, who now leads the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, described the GNU as a deal for the markets and not for the people, adding that it was sponsored by big business."We need to educate our people that there is no Government of National Unity in South Africa. There is a white-led unholy alliance between the DA and the ANC of Ramaphosa. It is sponsored by big business. It is for the benefit of the markets, not the people."It must be crushed before it finds its feet," the statement read by Ndhlela said.According to Zuma, MKP has asked its legal counsel to write a letter of demand to the SABC to stop deliberately misleading South Africans by referring to present sellout coalitions as GNU or Government of "Provincial Unity."Failure to do so, he said, would result in the MKP marching to the SABC to demand the truth."We know that the private media has to serve its masters. But the SABC belongs to us. It has no right to feed our people with lies and to pursue narrow agendas at our expense."We shall seek an urgent meeting with the SABC Board and management to raise this issue and, if necessary, educate them on the correct political terms which are appropriate."If they do not listen, the people will march to the SABC offices to demand the truth. If there is a Government of National Unity, why are its founding documents only signed by Mr Mbalula and Helen Zille?" he said.The Patriotic Alliance, GOOD and Inkatha Freedom Party have all reportedly signed the statement of intent to form a government of national unity.Patricial De Lille's GOOD party and the IFP signed the statement on Saturday and Gayton McKenzie's PA signed it on Friday.Zuma said the ANC has joined the moonshot pact led by the DA because there's no such thing as the GNU.Zuma further disputed the DA-ANC "propaganda" that MKP was against the Constitution.He said they followed the Constitution but believed it must be amended to return land.Without announcing when, Zuma confirmed that party members would occupy seats in the National Assembly. News / National by Staff reporter Police in Harare on Sunday arrested interim leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Jameson Timba and 70 other activists for holding an illegal political meeting.The Zimbabwe Republic Police national police spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.According to reports, the CCC activists had allegedly gathered without authorization at Timba's residence.The reports further indicated that the activists, who were allegedly resisting arrest and pelting them with stones, led to violent clashes with several CCC members getting injured in the process.Confirming the arrests, Nyathi said the operation was initiated following a tip-off."I can confirm that 70 suspects were arrested at Jameson Timba's house in Harare for conducting an unsanctioned gathering," Nyathi said."During the arrests, they became violent and started throwing stones at the police officers. Reinforcements were later called in. We will, however, release more details tomorrow (today)."More to follow... News / National by Staff reporter A faction within the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), allegedly linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, fears that some members aim to transform the ZNLWVA into a political party to challenge the ruling Zanu-PF. This move is reportedly inspired by former South African President Jacob Zuma, who led the ANC's military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe, to form an opposition party, thereby disrupting the ANC's majority.A meeting in Harare, co-chaired by War Veterans Minister Monica Mavhunga and Acting Public Service Minister Lovemore Matuke, saw Moffat Marashwa's faction walk out in protest, accusing the government of using the ZNLWVA to lay the groundwork for a new opposition party. Marashwa's group expressed concern over government interference and emphasized their commitment to the ZNLWVA's original objective of improving veterans' welfare. Another faction leader, Andrease Mathibela, denied any intention of forming a new party, insisting their focus is on national issues.The internal dispute underscores the growing dissatisfaction among war veterans with Mnangagwa's administration, especially over their welfare, and hints at potential political shifts within Zimbabwe's veteran community. Opinion / Columnist Historically, State-civil society relations in Zimbabwe have been characterized by adversarial dynamics. The recent disputes over the PVO Amendment Bill are a manifestation of a toxic relationship between the State and civil society and some unresolved structural issues in Zimbabwe.A Brief History of State-Civil Society Relations in ZimbabweFor obvious reasons, the colonial State was intolerant of civil society. Civil society was perceived as a threat because if necessary or allowed, it could mobilize people for political action, criticize and hold the government accountable; and spread bad publicity.In the 1960s when the wind of decolonization visited Rhodesia, there was an increased demand for democratic space. NGOs became targets of government persecution through legislative control. One of these legislations was the Welfare Organizations Act of 1967. This law stifled the operations of NGOs suspected to be associated with the liberation movements and disseminating information about human rights violations in Rhodesia. The Unlawful Organization Act of 1971 was another legislation. This law prohibited African political parties, colonial resistance movements, and others perceived as such.Soon after independence, the government was somewhat tolerant of civil society. The new government needed NGOs' help in various development projects. The government also enjoyed both domestic and international legitimacy. This laid the ground for cordial relations with civil society.In the late 1990s, when Zimbabwe's social, economic, and political situation began to deteriorate, many NGOs shifted their missions to issues such as governance, democracy, justice, and human rights. When NGOs changed their missions to these contentious and overt political issues, they became targets of State harassment through increased legislation and administrative interference.In the post-colonial era, the legislative instrument governing NGOs is the notorious PVO Act. The PVO Act makes registration mandatory, criminalizes the operation of unregistered NGOs, gives NGOs bureaucratic and burdensome hurdles, and gives the State intrusive authority in the affairs of NGOs. At the point of registration, the government seeks to cherry-pick NGOs. Bureaucratic hurdles are to frustrate NGOs. Intrusive State powers are to censor, control, intimidate, and surveil NGOs. Individually or as a collective, these measures can suffocate civil society into oblivion. This is why the PVO Bill is such a sticky issue.The Sources of State-Civil Society HostilityA deliberation that seeks to understand and ultimately reconcile state-civil society relations must first locate the sources of tension between the two antagonists.One source of tension is that, for the government, civil society can be a poisoned chalice. On one hand, civil society can complement government programs; on the other hand, it might be a source of problems. Besides political parties, civil society is another behemoth that can challenge the State. Disruptive mass activities such as protests, demonstrations, stay-aways, shutdowns, and strikes often emanate from civil society. Unsurprisingly, the government feels threatened by civil society for this reason. When the government is paranoid about mass mobilization, it resorts to defensive strategies including cracking whip at civil society.There is also an inherent tension between the State's need to impose order and control and the NGO's need for organizational autonomy. In its desire to exert order, the state will employ several regulatory mechanisms. NGOs tend to be conservative and resistant to organizational change. NGOs don't like to be told what to do. They don't want to be told to change or alter their founding missions. Therefore, they will resist the State's intrusions. However, the State has the right to exert order and control - it's one of its job descriptions. But, what is required is to strike a balance between two potentially conflicting goals - maintaining order and simultaneously allowing open civic space, where autonomous organizations can exist.For the State, it is about how much autonomous civil society it can tolerate. For civil society, it is about the degree of control from the State it can accept. For the State and civil society, this is a battle for survival. To cultivate cordial relations, the two must compromise and coexist without destroying the other - it takes two to Tango.Another source of antagonism is that there are often competing interests between the State and NGOs. Tension arises when NGOs follow objectives that differ from those of the incumbent government. A socialist government, for electoral and other political reasons, might want to monopolize the distribution of goods and services to society and therefore it hates competition from NGOs. This State wants all the credit for being responsible toward society. In autocratic states, NGOs emphasizing people's participation and empowerment are at odds with the incumbent regime. In these States, and for obvious reasons, civil society tends to be sympathetic to the political opposition, which is why the State is suspicious of it. In environments where the political opposition has been banned or suffocated, NGOs feel obligated to step in and fill the political gap. They become the voice for the voiceless. It is not paradoxical that a regime that is intolerant to the political opposition is also hostile towards civil society.Another source of tension between the state and NGOs is a crisis - especially a crisis that requires international humanitarian aid or a crisis that motivates NGOs to emerge in the first place. NGOs don't just spring up like mushrooms in the wild - some conditions lead to the rise of NGOs, for example, an unresolved economic or political crisis. While for NGOs humanitarian aid is a legitimate, charitable, and moral act of benevolence, for the State, sometimes humanitarian aid is perceived as a serious security threat. Humanitarian aid, which in most cases flows from international sources, might be perceived as confirmation that there is a national crisis and that the government is incompetent in alleviating a crisis or feeding into the political opposition that there is a crisis. That is why Robert Mugabe banned food aid in some Provinces in 2008.Steps Towards a ConsensusTo chart a path towards a harmonious relationship, each side must make concessions and accept some realities. For civil society, the first point is realizing that it does not exist and operate in a vacuum. As long as the State exists, it will remain the supreme and ultimate authority - that's what a State is. Civil society exists and operates at the pleasure of the State. In a utopian world, civil society would prefer absolute autonomy - free from state regulations. However, this is an unrealistic expectation. The government will have some form of regulation. The issue is what kind of regulations are reasonable and tolerable.For the State, the beginning point is realizing that civil society is an ally in many of its objectives such as social service delivery and community development. Another related point is realizing that the emergence of NGOs is not a random phenomenon. There are reasons why NGOs emerge in the first palace. When the State tries to shun civil society, it is running away from its own shadow. When the private sector is frail and the State is feeble (has weak capacity) NGOs rise to fill in this gap. As long as this gap exists, there will always be the need for NGOs, and the State must welcome and coexist with them.The government can also help ease the tension by desisting from politicizing civic space and playing double standards. This means dissolving Government-Organized Non-Governmental Organizations (GONGOs) such as FAZ. Against its better judgment, civil society could be forced to take political sides because this might be the only game available. Sadly, civil society lacks the protections and privileges that the government possesses.The government's paranoia against NGOs is also unwarranted and unjustified. Many NGOs genuinely want to help. That's what NGOs do. They are charitable organizations. They like to help. They operate at their own time, cost, and resources, sometimes in harsh economic and environmental conditions. Why would they bother? They can operate elsewhere or use their resources to do other things. Claims that NGOs have ulterior subversive and sinister motives are unsubstantiated generalizations. The only people who suffer are those in need. This year, with acute food insecurity, millions of people face starvation. NGOs ought to be given leeway to mitigate the problem. NGOs are not an enemy to be clobbered at every turn, they are an ally in building a better society. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen indicated Monday that he will recall state lawmakers to Lincoln for three weeks starting in late July for a special legislative session focused on property tax reform. In his weekly newspaper column sent to Nebraska's media outlets, Pillen warned lawmakers to "clear (their) schedule" from July 26 to Aug. 15 for the special session, which Pillen promised in April to call after his plan to reduce property taxes died on the floor of the Legislature on the last day of this year's 60-day legislative session. "We have the peoples work to do," Pillen wrote Monday. His announcement comes two months after he derided the Legislature's failure to act on property taxes this year in a confrontational speech to lawmakers on the last day of this year's regular legislative session April 18. "Every single Nebraskan sees spiraling growth in property taxes, yet this Legislature failed to act," Pillen said then, pledging to call "as many special sessions as it takes to finish the long-overdue work of solving our property tax crisis." Pillen's speech came mere hours after his scaled-back plan to reduce Nebraskans' property taxes failed to clear the final hurdle in the Legislature, sinking the first-term governor's priority legislation and dealing Pillen the biggest loss of his political career. The Legislature skipped over LB388 the bill that contained Pillen's narrowed tax reduction plan after the governor initially pledged to reduce property taxes by 40% after it became clear the bill did not have support from enough senators to overcome a filibuster, a move that requires 33 votes in Nebraska's 49-member unicameral Legislature. Pillen's pledge to call a special session and the tone of his speech in which he broke that news to the Legislature prompted skeptical reactions from some lawmakers in April. Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln called it "a rather odd political choice" for the governor to deride lawmakers in his farewell speech, but said the body was nonetheless "eager to roll up our sleeves and come back and find commonsense solutions during (the) special session." Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne offered a less-optimistic assessment of the looming special session: "He has to find 33 votes." Conservative Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard cautioned that it wouldn't be any easier for Pillen and his allies in the Legislature to cobble together a filibuster-proof majority to support his tax plan in August than it was in April. "I'm gonna give you another little bit of advice here: Not again this year will there be 49 senators in this room," Erdman said. "You call a special session, there will not be 49 of us here." It's unclear if any lawmakers plan to skip the special session, as some had threatened to. Pillen in late April said he would not bring lawmakers back to Lincoln until he has a plan that can get 33 votes, pledging not to "call a session just to have people yell and scream." Were going to work together, and were going to come up with a solution," he said April 29. But the governor has not laid out a new plan to solve Nebraska's property tax "crisis" in a series of a dozen town halls he has hosted across the state over the last several weeks. Instead, Pillen has doubled down on the same fundamental plan that failed to garner the support of enough lawmakers to reach his desk in April and has used his town hall series to rally support for the proposal among everyday Nebraskans. At a town hall in Beatrice last month, the governor implored attendees to call their own legislators and "other senators across the state so they hear from the people," rather than lobbyists who are "paid to protect special interests." "We have to make sure that our elected representatives hear from everybody in this room and they hear multiple times," Pillen said then. "Not just one call. Multiple times." Pillen has made property tax reform the top priority of his governorship, pledging to reduce the state's collective property tax burden by 40% over the first two years of his term a promise he is at risk of breaking if he can't rally enough support among lawmakers during the looming special session. In 2023, Nebraskans paid more than $5 billion in property taxes, he said, an increase of about $1.5 billion over the last six years. The governor hopes to reduce the state's collective property tax bill to $3 billion. Pillen initially floated the idea of a 2-cent increase in the sales tax rate and a rollback of sales tax exemptions as a means to provide property tax relief, drawing fire from groups across the political spectrum, including the Lincoln-based fiscal policy think tank OpenSky and the conservative-run advocacy organization Americans For Prosperity. The Legislature's Revenue Committee advanced LB388 to the full Legislature with a 1-cent sales tax increase and a shortened list of goods and services to be taxed, but a sales tax hike proved too unpopular to weather intense lobbying efforts from business groups who opposed the move. And even the final version of LB388 which did not include a broad sales tax hike but did include a 7.5% excise tax on ads that run on some state broadcasting outlets and social media websites faced a last-minute advertising blitz on state radio and TV stations and in newspapers across Nebraska, warning that the tax would destroy many small businesses." Opponents have repeatedly cast Pillen's plan to reduce property taxes by increasing Nebraska's sales tax or eliminating sales tax exemptions as a "tax shift" or "hike." Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar whom Pillen attacked directly last week at a town hall in her district, saying she needs "to change her ideology and understand balancing a checkbook" is among conservative opponents to the crux of Pillen's plan. She said Monday that she planned to attend the special session "regardless of when it's held, fighting for Nebraskans, opposing tax hikes and presenting my own sustainable and fiscally conservative pitch to cut Nebraska's out-of-control property taxes." Wayne, meanwhile, offered the framework for a less-conservative pitch to cut property taxes. "I am all for legalizing weed to reduce property taxes," the Democrat from Omaha said in a Monday afternoon message to the Journal Star. "Thanks, Governor, for getting on board." Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2024 For the past 38 years, Supportive Partnerships for Youth, or SPY, has provided free educational programming for underprivileged students in the Carlisle area. This year, the organization, previously known as Summer Programming for Youth, is prepping for its annual summer enrichment camp with an Olympics theme. Its also passing the torch to Newville. In addition to six weeks of summer programming for 166 Carlisle students in grades one through six, SPY is debuting a similar opportunity for Big Spring. It will consist of a four-week camp for 26 Big Spring students in first through third grades. We are thrilled for the new partnerships in Newville that have helped to make this expansion a reality, Executive Director Jeanna Som said. The community has been extremely welcoming and supportive of our plans to establish a SPY camp for their students. We are committed to a future of serving in this community and optimistically anticipate a growth similar to our Carlisle experience. Before last summers camps, she said a Big Spring counselor reached out about how to involve students in the program, she said. While three Big Spring students participated in Carlisles SPY camps last year, Som said their attendance was spotty due to the drive. Thats what kicked off conversations about a Newville-based program. Everyone that I had talked to ... told me the specific statistics about the number of students on free and reduced lunch, and just the need in that area spoke to how much a SPY location would benefit the kids over there, Som said. She credits the Carlisle community with SPYs growth, and believes support from Newville will allow similar growth there. Carlisles opening ceremonies will take place June 24 at three locations. First and second graders will meet at First United Church of Christ on North Pitt Street, while third and fourth graders will assemble at St. Johns Episcopal Church by the Square and fifth and sixth graders will go across the street to First Presbyterian Church. Newvilles camp will kick off July 8 at First United Presbyterian Church at 111 W. Big Spring Ave. Both programs will offer Olympic-themed activities and learning, with academics in the morning and field trips, guest speakers and activities in the afternoons. Students are typically referred to the program by elementary school counselors and have a verified economic need. This years enrollment sets a new record, topping last years 162 campers. Som attributed the growing need for such a program to the increase in children qualifying for free and reduced lunches and residual learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. For children to be continually engaged academically over the summer, theres a great need for that, she said. In addition to programming, SPY provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack for students each day. Many students come from single-parent families or both parents work and cant afford child care, Som said. Often, she said social and emotional growth through the program is reflected academically in the classroom. It benefits [students] to have a safe place to go ... familiar faces [and] a place where they belong, Som said. Its an environment where they are loved no matter what. Photos: SPY campers decorate memorial blanket panels 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 Senegals three mobile operators have reportedly agreed to lower telecoms service costs potentially as soon as later this week in response to the governments call to deal with longstanding complaints from consumers on the issue. According to a report from Ecofin Agency, Senegals secretary-general Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo said on Thursday that Sonatel, Free, and Expresso will introduce new and more affordable offers, particularly for consumers who purchase small data packages. The new pricing is set to be finalized following a National Consumer Council (CNC) meeting scheduled for tomorrow, the report said. Senegalese residents have long complained about the high cost of telecoms services in the country, especially internet connectivity services. Subscribers have also had to deal with government-imposed service outages during political unrest, the most recent incident occurring in February this year. The Senegalese government said the telecoms tariff reductions are part of its efforts to boost citizens' purchasing power. The government has also announced price reductions for staples such as bread, granulated sugar, broken rice, and refined oil, the report said. Senegal had 22.4 million mobile phone subscribers and 19.8 million Internet subscribers at the end of 2023. While both figures represent penetration rates above 100%, the popularity of multi-SIM usage suggests the actual individual subscriber numbers may well be lower, the report said. Indonesian data data centre firm NeutraDC Nxera Batam announced on Friday that it has begun construction of a new hyperscale data centre in Batam designed specifically to support artificial intelligence infrastructure. NeutraDC the data centre unit of state-owned telco Telkom Indonesia Nxtera owner SingTel and Medco Power Indonesia are investing a total Rp1.4 trillion (US$85 million) over the next five years to build the new 51MW data centre in the Kabil Industrial Area in Batam City. Medco will also provide the electricity supply for the data centre, which it said will originate from renewable energy sources. Telkom broke ground on the site at the end of 2022. The hyperscale data centre is scheduled to commence operations in the third quarter of 2025. NeutraDC Nxera Batam CEO Indrama YM Purba said in November 2023 that the new facility is being built in Batam in part because of its close geographical proximity to Singapore, enabling it to cash in on overflow from Singapores data centres. The company also wants to turn Batam into a major data centre hub for Southeast Asia in its own right. At a piling ceremony on Thursday, NeutraDC Nxera Batam also announced it had signed two MoUs to develop digital talent and natural resource management. Under one MoU, NeutraDC and Batam State Polytechnic, will collaborate to implement various programs to support human resource development for the data centre industry. NeutraDC also signed a MoU with Kabil Indonusa Estate, which will provide and maintain clean water for the data center development area. Just over a year after series of incidents affected Vietnams international communications network, there have been some new issues: three of Vietnam's five undersea internet cables are reported to be down. The outage was reported by state media over the weekend. It seems that the Intra Asia (IA) cable had an incident on its S1 branch connecting to Singapore, while there have also been problems on the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) and the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) that have not been fixed yet. While its not clear how bad the failure of the three cable systems has been, it does seem to have seriously affected the speed of Vietnam's international internet connections, with internet users having found it difficult to access websites and network services with servers abroad. Local news reports say Vietnamese internet service providers have rolled out various measures to ensure internet connections for users, including sharing traffic between internationally connected fibre optic lines and capitalising on fibre optic cables on land, though most of Vietnam's internet traffic to the world is transmitted through the undersea system. There are five submarine fibre optic cables connecting Vietnam internationally: APG, IA, AAE-1, Asia-America Gateway (AAG) and Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SMW-3). There is also a smaller cable, called TVH which is only 3,367 kilometres long, connecting Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong. Reuters points out that undersea internet cable problems are not rare in Vietnam, which early last year saw all of its five cables disrupted for weeks. Indeed, in February this year we reported that Vietnam had confirmed plans to invest in two to four more international telecommunications cables with a data capacity of 60 Tbps by 2025. As the end of the financial year (EOFY) looms, Australian businesses of all sizes need to prepare to navigate the complex tax landscape , particularly those operating across multiple markets or serving international customers, where indirect taxes and intricate regulations pose significant challenges. Proper preparation can lead to substantial savings, especially when it comes to managing tax reclaims effectively. Fabian Calle, managing director, small and medium business, SAP Concur Australia and New Zealand, said, Understanding the importance of tax reclaims is crucial. Tax reclaims, particularly for goods and services tax (GST) in Australia, present a golden opportunity for businesses to recover eligible expenses. Unfortunately, many businesses miss out on these savings because the reclaim process is complex and not well known. Embracing intelligent technology can transform the tax reclaim process. Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) help identify eligible transactions, detect errors, and streamline the submission process, making it easier for businesses to reclaim their taxes. AI quickly spots mistakes in GST transactions, ensuring that only eligible claims are submitted. ML automates the submission and review of tax reclaims, reducing the workload for business owners or finance teams. These technologies handle large volumes of data, improving the accuracy and efficiency of tax claims. By adopting these intelligent solutions, businesses can avoid the pitfalls of manual processes and save both time and money. However, technology is not the only part of the puzzle. Fabian Calle said, While technology is incredibly helpful, the human element remains indispensable. Investing in upskilling the finance team to work effectively with these intelligent tools is key. Training employees to understand and leverage AI and ML can significantly enhance tax reclaim processes and should focus on understanding how AI and ML tools function and interpreting the results they generate. This makes finance teams more proactive in identifying reclaim opportunities and ensuring compliance with tax regulations. Keeping up with changing regulations is another critical aspect. Tax regulations are always evolving, which can be challenging for businesses trying to stay compliant. The shift to remote work has also led to changes in GST regulations, affecting how businesses manage their expenses. Intelligent technology can help businesses stay on top of these changes by automating compliance processes and tracking regulatory updates. Fabian Calle said, Automating compliance ensures ongoing adherence to new regulations, and having contingency plans in place can mitigate risks associated with regulatory uncertainty. For example, remote work has altered employee spending patterns, leading to increased domestic GST implications for expenses such as shipments and public transportation. Actively monitoring these changes lets businesses adjust their GST reclaim strategies accordingly. Maximising GST recovery requires a blend of technology and human expertise. By leveraging intuitive dashboards and intelligent GST technology, businesses can gain detailed insights into transaction data, understand disqualifications, and optimise compliance. Additionally, businesses should focus on validating travel and expense data accurately. With the right tools, they can quickly drill down to transaction-level details to understand why a GST transaction was disqualified and address any discrepancies. This proactive approach maximises GST recovery and enhances overall financial transparency and control. Fabian Calle said, As EOFY approaches, businesses of all sizes have a fantastic opportunity to maximise their tax reclaims. By adopting intelligent technology and investing in team training, businesses can streamline their tax reclaim processes, stay compliant with changing regulations, and improve their bottom line. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The allure of launching an online business is undeniable, especially with the recent boom in ecommerce. However, the statistics are sobering: a staggering 80% of ecommerce startups fail. So, how can young entrepreneurs navigate this landscape and build a lasting business? Wix.com, a leading website creation platform, recognizes the challenges faced by young ecommerce entrepreneurs. Here, 1. Lack of Online Visibility The Problem: If no one can find your website, they cant buy your products. If no one can find your website, they cant buy your products. The Solution: Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to rank higher in search results. Use relevant keywords and optimize page titles to attract potential customers. 2. Neglecting Personal Networks The Problem: You miss out on valuable brand awareness opportunities. You miss out on valuable brand awareness opportunities. The Solution: Leverage social media advertising within your personal network to spread the word about your company and products. Positive reviews from friends and family can build trust with future customers. 3. Poor Product Pricing The Problem: Striking the right balance between attracting customers and covering costs can be tricky. Striking the right balance between attracting customers and covering costs can be tricky. The Solution: Research your target markets purchasing power to set prices that are competitive yet profitable.Consider penetration pricing (initially low prices) to gain market share, but have a plan to gradually increase prices as your brand establishes itself. Tips for Ecommerce Success: Stand Out From the Crowd 1. Identify Your Niche and Know Your Audience The Key: Define your unique selling proposition (USP) and target the right customers through market research.Utilize social media to build brand awareness and attract your ideal audience. 2. Planning and Preparation are Key Dont Skip This: Develop a comprehensive business plan that outlines your goals, target market, competition,operations, and financials. Analyze competitors to inform your marketing and sales strategies. 3. Create a Strong Brand Identity Make a Statement: Develop a distinct brand that resonates with your target audience. Everything from your name and logo to your color palette and social media presence should contribute to your overall brand image. 4. Stress-Test Your Business Plan: Be Prepared for Anything The Why: Identify potential risks your business may face, including strategic, financial, operational, and compliance risks. Identify potential risks your business may face, including strategic, financial, operational, and compliance risks. The How: Create a risk management plan to address these challenges. Talk to experts for guidance on business strategies, money management, and avoiding common pitfalls. Regularly review and update your stress test to adapt to changing market conditions. Building Your Online Presence: Wix.com Can Help Kim Rekhess from Wix.com offers valuable advice on creating a professional website to boost brand awareness: Choose a memorable domain name relevant to your business. relevant to your business. Design an eye-catching homepage that clearly communicates your value proposition. that clearly communicates your value proposition. Include clear About Us and Contact pages for transparency and easy customer interaction. for transparency and easy customer interaction. Ensure a smooth user experience with efficient navigation and product displays. https://www.wix.com/blog/how-to-start-an-online-store Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Are you an Australian startup revolutionizing your industry with artificial intelligence (AI)? Google Australia is thrilled to announce the launch of the AI First Accelerator, a new initiative designed to empower Aussie startups with cutting-edge AI capabilities. About Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First Seed and Series A stage Australian startups building AI and ML-driven platforms and products are eligible to apply Run as a 10-week program, 8-15 startup founders will be paired with relevant experts from both Google and the industry for mentoring and technical project support, plus workshops in product design, customer acquisition and leadership Applications open 17 June and close 31 July, and can be submitted HERE. This intensive program offers tailored training, mentorship, and resources to elevate your AI-powered business. Whether youre a seasoned AI developer or just embarking on your journey, the AI First Accelerator provides invaluable support to help you: Deepen Your AI Expertise : Access cutting-edge training and workshops led by Googles AI specialists. : Access cutting-edge training and workshops led by Googles AI specialists. Connect with Industry Leaders : Benefit from mentorship from experienced AI entrepreneurs and Google professionals. : Benefit from mentorship from experienced AI entrepreneurs and Google professionals. Fuel Your Innovation: Leverage Googles advanced AI tools and resources to accelerate your development process. Australia boasts a proud history of technological pioneership. From breakthroughs in healthcare to climate resilience and the creative industries, Australian startups have made a significant impact on the global stage. One such example is Where2Technologies, the Australian startup that contributed to the development of Google Maps. Now, we stand at a pivotal moment in AI innovation, with new applications transforming fields such as healthcare, sustainability, and conservation in Australia. To foster rapid and responsible growth of AI-focused startups, Google is excited to introduce the AI First Accelerator to Australia for the first time. Part of the Digital Future Initiative, this program is specifically designed for Australian startups developing AI solutions. It builds on Googles commitment to nurturing local AI innovation through initiatives like the AI Sprint and Google Certificates. About the Program The AI First Accelerator is a 10-week, equity-free program for Seed and Series A stage Australian startups developing AI and ML-driven platforms and products. The accelerator connects founders with the best people, products, and practices to help them grow, leveraging Googles AI and ML technical expertise and global networks. Selected startups can expect: Mentorship : Hands-on guidance from Google AI experts to address unique challenges. : Hands-on guidance from Google AI experts to address unique challenges. Technical Support : Deep dives into AI tools and infrastructure, including free access to cloud credits for eligible startups. : Deep dives into AI tools and infrastructure, including free access to cloud credits for eligible startups. Founders Network : Connect and collaborate with top-tier AI startups from across the country and globally. : Connect and collaborate with top-tier AI startups from across the country and globally. Workshops: Practical bootcamps on UX/product design, marketing, sales, leadership, and setting effective objectives. Ready to Transform Your AI Startup? Applications for the AI First Accelerator are now open until July 31, 2024. If youre an Australian startup harnessing the power of AI, this is your chance to accelerate your growth with Googles support. Dive into the Accelerator Impact Report. (by Scott Riddle, Strategic Partner Manager, Google Australia and New Zealand) Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Russian authorities announced they will try American journalist Evan Gershkovich on charges of espionage. The trial will take place in the city of Yekaterinburg, where in 2023 Gershkovich was initially detained while on a reporting trip. Despite having been accredited by Russias Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, Gershkovich has been held for over a year in the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Gershkovich, his employer the Wall Street Journal - and the United States government have vigorously denied the charges against him. The U.S. government has designated him as wrongfully detained. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, There is absolutely zero credibility to Russias charges. We have been clear from the start that Evan had done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime. The charges against him are false, and the Russian Government knows that they are false. He should be released immediately, he said. Spokesperson Miller said the United States will continue to work every day to bring home Evan Geshkovich, as well as American citizen and former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for more than five years. At the release of the State Departments most recent human rights report, Secretary of State Antony Blinken deplored the detentions of both men: Governments like Russia also arbitrarily detain foreign nationals for political purposes, using human beings as bargaining chips. Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and every unjustly held individual deserves to go free. The United States and our many partners will keep working every day to reunite them with their families and to hold accountable government that engage in this deplorable practice. Speaking at a recent congressional hearing, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens also underscored the need for a collective response to the challenge of so-called hostage diplomacy. The nature of this problem is global, and so, therefore, should be the solution, Special Envoy Carstens said. We are confident that if we get a critical mass of partners together to raise the cost of using foreign nationals as bargaining chips, we will be able to effectively deter bad actors and end arbitrary detention as a tool of diplomacy. The fourteen-month civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has so far cost around 15,000 people their lives and displaced some 10 million others, according to the United Nations. Today, the Sudanese people are caught in the midst of the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. The United States is deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan, said U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. This conflict has been a nightmare for the Sudanese people, who have faced unthinkable violence, and are living under the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. And we cannot sit idly by as these horrors play out before our eyes. Currently the fighting is centered on the city of El Fasher, which has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces since April. El Fasher is the last major urban center in Darfur that remains in the hands of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and is the home or refuge of around 1.5 million people. Indeed, thousands of Sudanese fleeing from fighting elsewhere have ended up in El Fasher. But now this city, once a relatively safe harbor, has become yet another frontline. We see upwards of a million innocent people being starved by the siege of the RSF, said Tom Perriello, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan. "And as bad as it is, it could get worse any day if El Fasher falls, not only the horrors that would come from the battle, but as people flee." On June 13, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding that the Rapid Support Forces halt their siege of El Fasher. Under the Resolution, all parties to the conflict must ensure civilians be protected, those wishing to move to safer areas must be allowed to do so, and the warring parties must allow safe and sustained passage of humanitarian relief to the city. We must all call on the RSF and the SAF to meet their obligations under international law and protect civilians from violence, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. We urge the Council to apply targeted sanctions measures to help address the ongoing violence and to send a strong signal to perpetrators of abuses. The United States, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, remains fully committed to working with the United Nations to end the bloodshed, protect civilians, and bring peace to Sudan. This photo taken on June 15, 2024 shows the venue of the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) A performance is staged during the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) A performance is staged during the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Sean Lien, vice chair of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, speaks during the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Guests attending the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum arrive at the venue in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Guests attending the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum pose for photos outside the venue in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Zhou Zuyi, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee, speaks during the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) This panoramic photo taken with a mobile phone shows the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) A performance is staged during the main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 15, 2024. The main meeting of the 16th Straits Forum was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Editor: WXY This photo taken on June 14, 2024 shows a shared platform for cultural and tourism designers at T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) XIAMEN, June 16 (Xinhua) --Based in Xiamen of southeast China's Fujian Province, T-makers is a platform dedicated to providing services of innovation and entrepreneurship for young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Since its establishment in August 2016, T-makers has attracted more than 170 companies and applied for subsidies amounting to over ten million yuan for more than 100 youth businesses from Taiwan. At the same time, it provides convenience and preferential treatment in business registration, financial and tax services for young entrepreneurs and resident companies. Yu Hui-fang, head of T-makers, said that her team aims to provide more meticulous and professional services for young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, so that the platform serves young people in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. "An increasing number of young people from Taiwan see the mainland as an ideal place for study, living and entrepreneurship," Yu said. Lee Chia-hsun (L), a young Taiwanese who graduated from Jimei University, learns about e-commerce and livestreaming at T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) A Taiwanese student from Huaqiao University (2nd R) carries out internship at T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Yu Hui-fang (L), head of T-makers, talks with a team member at T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) This photo taken on June 14, 2024 shows a view of T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Yu Hui-fang (C), head of T-makers, poses for a group photo with part of her team members at T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Yu Hui-fang (2nd L), head of T-makers, talks with her team members at a roadshow hall of T-makers in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Editor: WRX An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions in northern China. In 2019, an enhanced version of straw checkerboards that can be mass-produced using machinery was developed, extending the service life of these sand barriers. Through persistent efforts spanning several decades, Zhongwei has reclaimed 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) out of its total 1.68 million mu of desert through afforestation. This endeavor has expanded its vegetation coverage from less than 1 percent to 42 percent at present, effectively pushing back the Tengger Desert by 25 kilometers. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) An aerial drone photo taken on May 29, 2024 shows straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, demonstrates a precision seedling planter invented by himself in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers carry straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) A Kenyan Ph.D. candidate (1st L) of Peking University tries to set up a part of the straw checkerboard in the Tengger Desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, demonstrates an upgraded electric seedling planter invented by himself in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers produce straw checkerboard materials in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) A worker paves straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) The cyanobacteria soil crust is seen at Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station (SDRES) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 29, 2021 shows a section of an express way protected by straw checkerboards from the sand in the Tengger Desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers set up straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 7, 2020 shows workers paving straw checkerboards near a section of an express way in the Tengger Desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers set up straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) Workers set up straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 24, 1994. (Xinhua/Liu Haifeng) Workers plant trees in straw checkerboards to protect the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway from sand in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 25, 1979. (Xinhua/Chen Siyu) Organized by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), international delegates inspect straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 14, 1981. (Xinhua/Chen Siyu) Editor: WRX Local women participate in a hairdressing lesson delivered on a solar-powered tablet in a makeshift salon in Makueni, Kenya, June 6, 2024.(Photo by Lin Jing/Xinhua) NAIROBI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- In the serene and undulating plains of south-eastern Kenyan county of Makueni, Christine Musyoki's ten-acre farm stands out amid green foliage occasioned by recent heavy rains. The mother of four who is a trained teacher proudly strolled the farm, pointing at the blooming lettuce, onions, nappier grass and maize that will be harvested soon for sale to markets in nearby towns. Musyoki's prowess in commercial farming is attributed to the lessons she learned from a solar-powered tablet, dubbed "Solar Media" provided by China's Shenzhen Solar Run Energy Co. Ltd in partnership with a local charity, Mama Layla Solar Lights. Thanks to agronomy lessons pre-installed at the solar-powered tablet, Musyoki has gained knowledge and skills in cultivating vegetables, onions, and legumes in her farm, located 78 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital "Since I started using solar media, I must say the harvest is bumper. I have learned so many skills from solar media. I have learned about spacing, some spraying skills, use of chemicals and herbicides," Musyoki told Xinhua during a recent interview at her farm. Designed to empower off-grid and marginalized rural communities in Kenya through provision of hands on vocational skills like agri-business, tailoring and hairdressing, the solar-powered tablets were first rolled out in September 2022. More than 200 families in remote corners of the country have benefitted from the implementation of solar media project, with 25 and 81 gadgets distributed during the first and second phases respectively. About 200 solar tablets were expected to be distributed countrywide in November 2023 during implementation of the project's third phase, according to briefing material provided by Shenzhen Solar Run Co.Ltd. Musyoki is among rural farmers whose embrace of the gadgets has been transformative, providing them with easy-to-read information on tilling, planting, weeding, applying fertilizers, and irrigating their crops. Jane Triza Akinyi, an agronomist with Mama Layla charity, said the solar-powered tablets have pre-installed visual and written material to educate farmers on different crop varieties, spacing, how to handle farm equipment, and post-harvest management. "Solar media is very user-friendly. Farmers have accepted the knowledge it provides. The gadget aids with the learning process, how to dig holes, transplant the seedlings and different ways of doing irrigation," Akinyi said. Since its entry into the Kenyan market 15 years ago, Shenzhen Solar Run Energy Co. Ltd has enhanced access to electricity among off-grid rural communities, transforming their lives, said Li Xia, the company's founder. According to Li, the rollout of solar media in partnership with local charities has empowered farmers, artisans, and small business owners with life-long skills, improving their financial status. "We have been empowering jobless people with vocational skills like hairdressing and tailoring. In addition, we have also improved farmers' skills to help communities grow," Li said. She added that the solar media project has also helped communities address healthcare challenges besides providing school children with content covering key subjects like mathematics and English. During the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland early this year, Li Xia won an award from the Schwab Foundation, feted as a social entrepreneur who for the last 15 years has contributed immensely to helping Africa's off-grid populations have access to clean energy. Nestled in the remote corners of Makueni county, Pauline Nthenge's tailoring shop was a beehive of activity as a group of female students gathered for evening lessons on knitting dresses, delivered through the solar-powered tablet. In 2023, Nthenge underwent a six-month tailoring course paving the way for her to venture into dress-making while tutoring her female peers for free using the tablet. "Thanks to solar media, I have managed to open a tailoring business and teach my peers how to knit appealing clothes and earn them an extra income," Nthenya said inside her shop illuminated by solar light tapped from the rooftop. A few meters from Nthenya's shop, Martina Mbeti, a mother of three grinned as she participated in hairdressing lessons delivered from a solar-powered tablet that hung on the wall of a makeshift salon. Mbeti, a mother of three is an elementary school teacher who was inspired by her peers to enroll for hairdressing lessons and broaden her revenue streams in this remote outpost that has felt the magic of solar media project. The busy path leading to Rehema Mukui's homestead can be scary at night but when the main house is lit using solar power tapped from panels installed at the rooftops, visitors find some respite. Mukui is one of the earliest beneficiaries of the solar media project that has lit her home while providing her with practical lessons on hairdressing, poultry farming, and baking cakes to improve her financial standing. Editor: WXL Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. A telephone conversation was held between Foreign Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkiye Hakan Fidan on June 17, 2024, the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports. The ministers engaged in a comprehensive discussion regarding the progress made on different facets of bilateral relations between the two nations. "In addition, the discussions also covered the preparations for the upcoming informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in the city of Shusha. During the phone call, both parties discussed current events in the region and bilateral subjects of mutual concern," the statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Euronews has featured an article about the third International Conference on Mine Action that took place in Azerbaijans Baku and Zangilan, Trend reports. The article reads as follows: Azerbaijan - a nation that is among the top five most heavily mine-contaminated countries globally. Mines and improvised explosive devices, especially in situations and areas of armed conflict, continue to kill and cause injury around the world. Its estimated that there could be up to 110 million landmines in over 60 countries worldwide, with a further 2 to 5 million mines being laid every year. More than 300 representatives from 75 countries came together to discuss ways of mobilising financial resources to mitigate the environmental impact of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and head of the Department for Foreign Policy Affairs told Euronews: Azerbaijan is a laboratory for humanitarian demining and mine action globally. Azerbaijan has gained a particular knowledge and expertise, and once Azerbaijan's demining project is over, Azerbaijan will also have the capacity to contribute to other humanitarian demining projects globally. There are two main categories of landmines: anti-personnel landmines (AP) and anti-tank (AT) landmines. Anti-personnel mines are smaller than AT mines and are designed to kill or injure people. They can be triggered by much less pressure, sometimes as little as 5 to 15 kilograms. Anti-tank mines are designed to destroy vehicles such as tanks and armoured vehicles and need a lot more pressure to detonate, usually more than 100 kilograms. Landmines are really a crime against humanity. If you have a plastic bag in the ocean, it takes 200 years to disappear. Mines never do, and mines keep continuing to pollute the environment, said Alessandra Roccasalvo, Resident Representative, UNDP, Azerbaijan. On average, one person is killed or injured by these explosive devices every hour with many children among the victims. Heidi Kuhn is the CEO and founder of Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organisation dedicated to the removal of landmines and the subsequent replanting and rebuilding of war-torn regions. She told Euronews: I have walked the minefields of the world, and every time you go into a minefield, they ask you your blood type. It's a defining moment. I'm a mother of four, and I take my footsteps very, very, very seriously. But how dare I not? It takes 8 pounds to detonate a landmine. That's the average weight of a newborn child. So, as a mother and a grandmother, I think this is a global call to action from the heart of Karabakh to the world, she added. Africa is the continent most affected by the sowing of land mines, with Angola, Mozambique and Somalia being the most critical countries. The most common injury associated with land mines is the loss of one or more limbs. In the United States, the rate of amputation is 1 for every 22,000 people and in Angola, it is 30 for every 10,000. They also leave a huge percentage of the land unusable, unable to be cultivated or re-habited and the environmental impact can be devastating. The leakage of the TNT breakdown products could happen, and this will contaminate the soil and underground waters. So besides that, the emission of carbon dioxide, after every explosion of landmines is also huge. So one tank landmine, after its explosion, will emit 29kg of carbon dioxide, said Samir Poladov, deputy chairman of the Board at the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA). The conference also saw calls for the strengthening of international partnerships in the field of humanitarian de-mining. Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, representative of the President of Azerbaijan, special assignments said: The donor community must pay much more attention to allocating some funds, especially to those countries who are mostly affected by this. Without addressing this issue on a global scale, it wouldn't be possible to deal with this in separate countries. Azerbaijan made its contribution to this effect by introducing at the national level the 18th SDG, its Sustainable Development Goal, which is humanitarian demining, he added. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Equinor, in collaboration with GRTgaz, France's gas transmission operator, has signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) to establish a CO2 transport system, Trend reports. According to Equinor, this initiative aims to transport captured CO2 from industrial sources in France to offshore storage sites in Norway through the CO2 Highway Europe pipeline project. The project will involve the development of an onshore CO2 pipeline network by GRTgaz, spanning approximately 30 km in the Dunkirk industrial area of France. This network will integrate with Equinor's CO2 Highway Europe, which extends from Zeebrugge, Belgium, to various seabed storage sites off Norway's coast. Focused on decarbonizing the Dunkirk industrial hub, responsible for about 20 percent of France's industrial CO2 emissions, the initial phase will handle 3 to 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Future expansions aim to include CO2 from other industrial clusters across France. Equinor and GRTgaz will collaborate on network planning, technical design, safety protocols, regulatory compliance, and institutional relations. Feasibility studies are currently ongoing, with basic engineering set to commence by late 2024 and operations targeted for commissioning by 2029. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Tajik Technohub intends to enter the Azerbaijani IT market, the head of the Technohub Dushanbe project Muhammad Rahimov told Trend. "Technohub Dushanbe is an educational center aimed at providing courses and training in digital technologies, programming, and the IT industry in general. The company is not only focused on the local market of Dushanbe but is also open to partnerships at the international level. The main idea of the company is that we do not consider others as competitors but see them as partners engaged in a common cause," he emphasized. According to him, their company and others are driven by a common goal: the development of the IT industry. "This may include the development of specific areas in IT that require joint efforts to implement projects and bring products to new markets. We are open to cooperation and consider new opportunities, for example, in the Azerbaijani market if IT companies are working in education or providing services in the programming and implementation of digital technologies. We strive to introduce new methods of education so that training is not boring and monotonous but includes interactive elements. We focus on the practicals application of knowledge so that students do not just sit in lecture, but actively practice. Our company is open to cooperation regardless of region or country because we believe in the power of partnership and joint efforts to achieve common goals," he added. To note, Technohub Dushanbe is an innovation center that aims to attract practitioners from various fields to educate and train new professionals. The mission is to create a community of experienced experts, introduce innovative training methods, and develop the innovation sector in the Republic of Tajikistan by training highly qualified professionals. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 17. Kazakhstan and South Korea celebrated the official opening ceremony for their direct air service, marking a significant milestone in their bilateral relations, Trend reports. According to the Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport, the event was attended by Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastaev, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee Saltanat Tompieva, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to South Korea Nurgali Arystanov. Air Astana will operate the flights on the Astana - Seoul route with a frequency of twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) using Airbus-A321 aircraft. The launch of the air route will contribute to the further development of trade and economic, business, and tourism cooperation between Kazakhstan and Korea. Earlier in February and March 2024, the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and South Korea held negotiations in order to increase the number of flights between the two countries. During the meeting, both parties came to an agreement to enhance the existing legal framework, with the aim of boosting the number of flights between the two countries. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 17. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a phone talk with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, the press service of the President of Kazakhstan says, Trend reports. During the conversation, promising areas of bilateral relations were discussed. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the great potential of economic cooperation, which serves as the driving force for multifaceted interaction between countries. In addition, the parties reviewed issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan within the framework of international organizations, including the agenda of the upcoming SCO summit in Astana. Artificial rain helps douse mountain fire in north China Xinhua) 09:48, June 17, 2024 TAIYUAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A mountain fire in north China's Shanxi Province has been put out as of Sunday noon, after four days of firefighting efforts aided by artificial rain, local authorities said Sunday. More than 2,200 firefighters, assisted by 63 excavators and 88 water tankers, were involved in the firefighting efforts, according to the emergency response headquarters in Anze County in the city of Linfen. Initially, the firefighting efforts faced challenges due to the steep mountain slopes, high temperatures and windy weather conditions. Local authorities later resorted to cloud seeding operations to induce rainfall on Saturday evening to help douse the fire that broke out on Wednesday. Following the containment of the fire, firefighters began clearing the scene on Sunday afternoon. The mountain fire in Anze County, known for its dense woodland coverage and susceptibility to forest fires, was initially believed to be caused by lightning, an investigation revealed. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Turkiye's exports of automotive products to Turkmenistan fell 47.1 percent year-on-year to $9.9 million from January through May 2024, the statement of Turkiye's Trade Ministry said, Trend reports. "In May this year, Turkiye exported automotive industry products worth $2.6 million to Turkmenistan, which is 32.4 percent less than in May last year," the statement of the ministry reads. However, it should be noted that Turkiye's exports of automotive industry products increased by 5.3 percent from January through May 2024 compared to the same period last year and amounted to $15 billion. "Turkiye exported $3.2 billion worth of automobile industry products in May this year, up 6.3 percent year-on-year," the statement of the ministry notes. Furthermore, during the last 12 months (from May 2023 through May 2024), Turkiye exported $35.6 billion worth of automotive products. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 17. The number of Uzbek tourists visiting Azerbaijan was 3,910 in May 2024, Trend reports. The data from Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency shows that this amount decreased by 2.05 percent year-on-year, with 3,992 Uzbek tourists visiting Azerbaijan. Overall, 16,758 Uzbek tourists visited Azerbaijan from January through May 2024, which shows a 23 percent increase over the year (13,622 visitors in JanuaryMay 2023). Meanwhile, Uzbekistan ranked tenth among the top 15 nations whose residents visited Azerbaijan in May. According to the organization, Azerbaijan drew the most tourists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan among Central Asian countries. The State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan disclosed that in 2023, the number of Uzbek visitors coming to Azerbaijan reached 39,663, representing a 51 percent increase over the same period in 2022. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 17. Uzbekistan and the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO) have discussed the continuation of joint efforts on the implementation of programs and projects aimed at creating comfortable conditions and facilities for tourists, development of pilgrimage, and cultural and cognitive tourism, including domestic tourism, Trend reports. The issue was discussed at the meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and UN WTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in Samarkand. The sides discussed further expansion of Uzbekistan's multifaceted cooperation with the UN WTO at the meeting. Both parties reviewed the implementation of agreements reached and initiatives put forward at the 25th session of the General Assembly of the organization, which was held in Samarkand in October 2023. The UN WTO Secretary-General highly appreciated the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution initiated by Uzbekistan on declaring 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. President Mirziyoyev noted that the organization is a strategic partner of Uzbekistan in the development of modern tourist infrastructure and the popularization of tourist destinations in the country. Furthermore, during the meeting, special attention was paid to the training of qualified personnel in the field of hospitality and service with the effective use of opportunities of the International Academy of Tourism operating in Samarkand. In order to popularize the tourist destination in Uzbekistan, the parties agreed to expand practical cooperation in supporting the participation of Uzbek tour operators in major international tourism fairs and exhibitions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. A criminal case has been opened in Armenia against 12 people who participated in a rally on Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan, organized on June 12 by the "Tavush for Motherland" movement headed by priest Bagrat Galstanyan, Trend reports. According to the information, 8 of them have been taken into custody, and 4 are under house arrest. Another one has been released on his recognizance. To recall, clashes broke out in Yerevan's city center on June 12 between police and protesters who were expressing their opposition to the border demarcation. The authorities responded to attempts to block access to the Parliament building by employing stun grenades. As a result, around 101 individuals sought medical assistance following the clashes. Out of these, 66 individuals have been discharged, while 32 are still in the hospital with injuries that vary from minor to moderate. The violence also led to injuries for 17 police officers. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Starting January 1, 2026, all international tourists visiting Georgia will be required to have medical and accident insurance, Trend reports. Amendments have been made to the legislation on tourism to ensure the protection of the health and safety of visitors to the country. The planned date of introduction of the new requirements was originally set for June 1, 2024, but it will be postponed to ensure full preparation and awareness of the private sector, as well as foreign embassies and consulates. These amendments are supported by the parliamentary majority, which emphasizes the need for a multi-step approach to implementing the new regulations, including awareness campaigns and other measures to ensure that the private sector successfully adapts to the new rules. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Russian agencies will examine the Georgian party "Solidarity for Peace"'s request to Russian President Vladimir Putin to rescind visas between the countries, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, Trend reports. Peskov noted that he hadn't laid eyes on this request to scrap the visa regime. "However, we will be able to spot it if one exists. And, of course, our relevant agencies will go through this appeal with a fine-tooth comb," he said. To note, in a previous petition to Putin, members of the Solidarity for Peace party requested that he abolish all visa requirements for nationals of Georgia and provide amnesty to individuals who had been involuntarily detained in Russia prior to the visa regime's easing. Furthermore, Georgian politicians requested to loosen the reins on employment rules for Georgian citizens in the Russian Federation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo may soon finalize a trilateral agreement on security cooperation to address the nuclear threat from North Korea, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said, Trend reports. The minister expressed his intention to meet with his US and Japanese counterparts as soon as possible to advance this goal. He emphasized that the priority will be establishing a system for a more effective, prompt, and coordinated response to North Korea's alleged nuclear and missile threats to South Korea, the US, and Japan. The agreement could be concluded before the inauguration of the next US president in January 2025. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17.The chairman of the "Republicans" party, Eric Ciotti, is currently under investigation for allegedly lining his pockets with public funds during the 2022 French parliamentary election campaign in Nice, Trend reports. This is the third can of worms against the chairman of the Republican Party, which kicked off in 2022. The investigation started on May 31 after a report by the Anti-Corruption Association blew the whistle. In 2022, the Anti-Corruption Association's Alp-Maritim representative reported public fund misappropriation. The Chamber of Commerce learned of Port of Nice free parking pass misuse. The association reported that party leader Ciotti's relatives and acquaintances used at least 8 such cards. To note, the National Financial Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the embezzlement of public funds in November 2022 in connection with the cases managed by Eric Ciotti's ex-wife Caroline Magne. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Princess Kate Middleton of Wales loves to alter her old clothes, so this year the trend has not changed and she appeared in public for the first time since the beginning of 2024 at Trooping the Color in a dress that was very reminiscent of her appearance on the eve of Charles III's coronation. It turned out that the simple white dress had a new belt and collar. ADVERTISIMENT The princess arrived at the event in a Jenny Packham dress with black trim and a ribbon on the neckline. A large striped bow around the neck was also added to the new look. According to People, the accessories were not new either - Middleton has already worn the earrings twice. They were the pearls that made up the flower, made by Cavolfiore. She previously wore them to Prince Louis' christening in 2018 and to the Wimbledon tournament in 2023. The Duchess never takes off her wedding ring, and this time is no exception. On the left side of the dress, you can also see the brooch she received after being promoted to the rank of Royal Colonel of the Irish Guards. ADVERTISIMENT In particular, the princess gathered her hair in a voluminous bun at the back of her head and wore a monochrome hat on top, reminiscent of the one she wore during The Trooping The Color in 2022. The Duchess also chose white heels with a slightly lower heel, as opposed to the high black sandals that she wore with the same dress last year. The princess wore a hat by Irish designer Philip Treacy. It had an interesting stick-shaped insert and was also monochrome. At last year's The Trooping The Color, Middleton also wore a hat by this designer. However, then her look was completely green. The Duchess has attended this event every year since she married Prince William in 2011. The only exceptions were 2020 and 2021, when the royal event was canceled due to the coronavirus. That's why it was important for fans to see the princess in public again on this day after Kate Middleton announced her cancer treatment. ADVERTISIMENT She disappeared from public space after Christmas. The palace reported that the princess had to undergo abdominal surgery and would therefore be suspended from work until Easter. Later, in March, she announced in a video that she was to undergo preventive cancer treatment, but did not name the specific type of cancer. Since then, the Princess of Wales has not made any more public appearances, which worried royal fans and provoked rumors about her health and well-being. However, the day before, she posted a message on social media saying that she was ready to appear in public, although it would require considerable effort. Moreover, during the summer, the princess hopes to partially return to her duties outside the house. For the first time, she disclosed that her treatment will last for several more months, not until the end of the year, as previously thought. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Kate Middleton's son noticed an interesting moment when he was riding with his mother in a carriage to Buckingham Palace during The Trooping The Color. There were many people standing around, but they were happy to see the princess again. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Given the creditors' demands that Ukraine start repaying its debts in August 2024, the Ministry of Finance has publicly offered investors the terms of restructuring 13 series of Eurobonds. So far, an agreement to defer the repayment of about $20 billion has not been reached due to the refusal of creditors. However, Ukraine's Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko said that negotiations will continue and expects an agreement to be reached by August 1. It should be understood that the threat of Ukraine's default is almost zero, as creditors are also not interested in this scenario. ADVERTISIMENT Thus, on June 17, the Cabinet of Ministers publicly offered investors the terms of restructuring Ukraine's Eurobonds, the Ministry of Finance reported. "On June 17, the Ukrainian government publicly announced that from June 3 to June 14, Ukraine held closed meetings with representatives of the Eurobond Holders Committee, which includes large institutional and other long-term investors holding about 20% of Ukraine's Eurobonds. The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the terms of the restructuring of Ukraine's Eurobonds, which should take place by August 1, 2024, to collect market feedback and agree on a structure that would be satisfactory to all parties and allow Ukraine to achieve debt sustainability in accordance with the requirements of the IMF program," the statement said. It is noted that the terms of the restructuring are proposed based on the IMF's baseline macroeconomic scenario. Ukraine's proposal is to exchange all 13 series of Eurobonds for either a series of fixed income instruments (ordinary bonds) and government derivatives (option 1) or a series of ordinary bonds (option 2). ADVERTISIMENT According to the Ministry of Finance, both options provide for a nominal reduction of Ukraine's public debt by 25-60%, depending on the pace of the country's recovery during the period of the IMF program. This is 2027. According to Reuters, because no agreement has yet been reached, Ukraine's dollar-denominated Eurobonds fell by 1.7 cents on June 17. At the same time, short-term bonds were trading at "problematic" levels of 25-30 cents. According to the agency, bondholders said that Ukraine's offer called for a write-down that was "significantly higher" than the 20% expected by the markets. They added that the offer "could cause significant damage to Ukraine's future investor base and set a primary goal of returning to capital markets at the earliest opportunity." Ukraine's official negotiations with bondholders have been going on for almost two weeks. In the coming weeks, the Ukrainian government will hold consultations with Eurobond holders outside the Eurobond Holders Committee and gather feedback from the wider investor community on the structure of the deal and instruments, the ministry said. An agreement with investors on the terms of the restructuring is expected by August 1, 2024. ADVERTISIMENT "Strong armies must be supported by strong economies in order to win wars. Ukraine has demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion, and our economy has exceeded all expectations. But this is a delicate balance that depends on continued consistent and significant support from our partners. A timely debt restructuring is an important part of this support," said Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko. As Ivan Us, an expert in international economics, explained in his commentary to OBOZ.UA, Ukraine will not default in August. Firstly, because the negotiations on the state debt regarding Eurobonds have not yet been completed and there are great chances to agree on a restructuring. Second, because Ukraine's partners are interested in preventing the country from defaulting. ADVERTISIMENT Therefore, even if the debts have to be paid, Ukraine will be able to raise funds to do so. "Our partners who are helping Ukraine are also interested in Ukraine not defaulting. The entire financial architecture of the world the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other institutions is designed to prevent defaults... I do not expect Ukraine to default simply because our partners will not allow Ukraine to default," Us emphasized. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine's national debt has exceeded UAH 6 trillion, which is a historical record. In foreign currency terms, the amount is $151.5 billion. However, according to experts, the situation remains under control. The issue of repayment of the bulk of the debt will be resolved after the war is over, and there is hope that Russia will bear financial responsibility. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine plans to significantly reduce the list of consumers who will not be disconnected from electricity in order to distribute energy limits more evenly and reduce the duration of outages for other consumers. This decision will expand the range of consumers covered by the stabilization outage schedules and reduce their duration. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Yuriy Boyko, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine on Energy, in an interview with Kyiv 24. According to him, the relevant decision may be made tomorrow. Yuriy Boyko noted that the work on optimizing the list of consumers with guaranteed electricity supply is already at the final stage. "We are now at the final stage of optimizing the list of consumers with guaranteed electricity supply. Based on the results of this work, the list should be significantly reduced. This will make it possible to distribute the electricity limit more evenly," he said. The implementation of the new rules will expand the range of consumers covered by the stabilization outage schedules and at the same time reduce the duration of such outages. "I expect that a decision on this will be made tomorrow," Boyko added. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, Ruslan Slobodyan, Head of the State Energy Supervision Service, also said that Ukraine plans to update the list of facilities that are not subject to de -energization. According to him, all other consumers should be disconnected from the lines that supply critical infrastructure. This will ensure a stable supply of electricity to critical facilities, including hospitals, water utilities and other important institutions. As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, the situation with the electricity shortage in Ukraine will worsen in the next few weeks. There will be more blackouts, mostly from 11:00 to 23:00. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Russian occupation forces in the captured Mariupol often change their deployment locations out of fear. In particular, Putin's army is afraid of American ATACMS ballistic missiles. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by agents of the Atesh military movement of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. "The Russian military is afraid to stay in Mariupol because of the threat of an attack," the report says. Agents of "Atesh" together with "Mariupol. Sprotyv" have intensified their guerrilla activities in the city, carefully monitoring any military activity of Russia. It is reported that Russian military personnel are constantly changing their location due to possible ATACMS strikes. The agents also recorded a significant movement of military equipment leaving Mariupol in the evening, which indicates that the occupiers were afraid to stay in the city overnight. All movements are promptly tracked and reported to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, the receipt of US ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of 300 kilometers means that Ukraine can now lethally hit any target in Russia-occupied Crimea. Russians have nowhere to hide on the peninsula. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Kamikaze drones of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine attacked military facilities in the Belgorod, Voronezh and Lipetsk regions of the Russian aggressor country on the night of June 17. Local residents heard the sounds of explosions and air defense. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Ukrainian intelligence sources. One of the targets of the UAVs was the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant and a local tractor plant. Both of these enterprises are used by the occupiers for military purposes. In the area of these facilities, local residents heard the sounds of explosions and air defense systems. The air threat was also reported by the "governors" of Belgorod and Voronezh regions. At about 3 a.m. local time, according to local residents, explosions were heard over the territory of the Voronezh region of the Russian Federation. Information about the consequences of the attack is being clarified. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA wrote, on the night of June 17, a drone attack and shooting were reported in the Russian city of Lipetsk. Eyewitnesses reported explosions and smoke over a tractor plant and a metallurgical plant. Governor Igor Artamonov said that allegedly "all means were shot down and suppressed." Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Latvia, which together with the United Kingdom leads a coalition of drones, has already sent the first batch of drones to Ukraine and is preparing the second. This process took place through a national procurement procedure. ADVERTISIMENT Andris Spruds, the head of the Latvian Ministry of Defense, shared the details in an interview with ArmyInform. The journalists spoke with the politician on the sidelines of the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The minister noted that his country helps the Armed Forces in various ways. As for drones, it is primarily national procurement. "At the same time, we are already starting to implement joint international procurement. We see a lot of interest. So far, it is a modest amount of money, 350 thousand euros, but this is the first step," Spruds said. In 2024, Riga plans to invest about EUR 20 million in the drone production coalition and a similar amount in developing its capabilities. "At the same time, when we count the countries that have already made commitments, it is more than 500 million, or rather 549 million euros already promised by the member states, partners within the drone coalition. So, the next step is to use this funding effectively, and we are doing this on several levels," Spruds assured. ADVERTISIMENT As previously reported by OBOZ.UA: On June 16, Canada announced a new economic aid package for Ukraine. The country will provide Kyiv with 52.4 million Canadian dollars (about 38 million US dollars). Most of the money will be used to support children and youth who survived the war, as well as to restore energy infrastructure after Russian attacks. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic expects to be able to purchase and transfer a significant amount of ammunition to the Defense Forces this year. The first batches of artillery will arrive in Ukraine "any day now," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on June 13. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Before being sent to war in Ukraine, Russian occupiers are instructed about the "disloyalty" of the local population. Therefore, the invaders are ordered not to enter into dialogues with residents of the temporarily occupied territories. ADVERTISIMENT Thus, Putin's terrorists deliberately commit crimes against Ukrainians. This was reported by the National Resistance Center. The military command warns soldiers from Russia about the dislike of the locals for them. At the same time, Kremlin propaganda continues to talk about "liberation" and "native Russian lands". "Before being sent to Ukraine, Russian soldiers are instructed not to engage in dialogues with residents of the temporarily occupied territories because of their disloyalty. Commanders directly tell their subordinates that they are not loved in Ukraine and should not trust the locals," the statement said. The NRC emphasized that this once again proves the fact that Russian soldiers are not fooled by propaganda and understand that they are occupiers and commit crimes against Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Also, Ukrainians who know where the Russian occupiers are hiding are urged to pass on the coordinates of the enemy's location. The NRC guarantees the anonymity of appeals. As a reminder, the Russian occupation "authorities" failed to conduct a mobilization campaign in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Having failed to "voluntarily" send men to the ranks of the invading army, the aggressor is trying to remedy the situation and is inventing new "incentives". Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen did not rule out that the aggressor country will need to be involved in the peace process to end the war in Ukraine. However, Moscow's participation is possible only if it expresses its readiness for peace based on the UN Charter. ADVERTISIMENT The European politician said this at a press conference following the first Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 16. Von der Leyen called on the Kremlin to hear the call of the international community to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, to end violence and to return deported Ukrainian children. "When the Russian Federation says it is ready for peace, based on the UN Charter, then it will be time to engage it in peace efforts. And I hope it will happen quickly," the EC President said. At the same time, she acknowledged that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not serious about ending the war. The Kremlin leader insists on seizing even more territory of Ukraine and disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to further aggression. Von der Leyen emphasized that no country would ever accept such terrible conditions, so she called it vital that Ukraine be able to resist Russian aggression. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, earlier Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Kyiv realizes that sooner or later it will come to direct talks with Russia. However, this conversation cannot be conducted in the language of ultimatums. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! This year, Ukraine expects to receive F-16 fighters from its partners and is taking all necessary measures to ensure their effective operation. In particular, in terms of deploying the aircraft in the country. ADVERTISIMENT However, it is expected that the terrorist state Russia will "hunt" for the Fighting Falcon delivered to our defenders. This was stated by Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during a telethon. He emphasized that today the enemy is actively trying to attack our airfields, but Ukrainian aviation continues to perform tasks and is quite successful. "There is no reason to think that they will succeed in disrupting something 'very much,'" the Air Force representative assured. He also added that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure the safety of Western aircraft and guarantee their active use for the performance of tasks. To recap: The Netherlands has announced that it will deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine this summer. After that, the delivery of these combat aircraft will be put on a "rolling basis". Ukraine is also expected to receive fighter jets from Denmark in the near future. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, according to ISW, Ukrainian forces are conducting operations to weaken Russian air defense, in particular by striking such facilities in the temporarily occupied Crimea and on the territory of the Russian Federation. If successful, this tactic could allow Ukraine to use Western aircraft more effectively in the long term. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Ukrainian pilots learning to fly F-16 fighters are in the final stages of training and have already completed the required number of hours. Engineers and mechanics who will provide maintenance for American combat aircraft are also undergoing training. ADVERTISIMENT Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this on June 17 during a telethon. According to him, there are three stages of training for Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. The training process is continuous and includes the following stages: ground training; training on light aircraft; training directly on the F-16. Engineers and mechanics who will be servicing the F-16 are also undergoing training. "Actually, we expect the final stages of training to be completed by our pilots, who have already accumulated the required number of hours," he added. ADVERTISIMENT Ilya Yevlash also said that Ukraine is taking all the necessary measures to ensure the effective operation of F-16s and their deployment. "There is no reason to think that the enemy will be able to disrupt something 'very much'. As we can see now, the enemy is actively trying to attack our airfields, but you can see that Ukrainian aviation continues to perform tasks and is quite successful," the spokesman said. As for what results can be expected from the F-16 in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yevlash noted that everything will depend on the number, modernization, and armament of the aircraft that will be delivered to Ukraine: ADVERTISIMENT "Airplanes are a powerful enough component, but in such a broad combat environment, it is necessary to understand that this is a multi-component component that also involves the use of the ground component. That is, all together, effectively coordinated actions will lead to success. Therefore, of course, this powerful replenishment of our aircraft fleet, its expansion, and equipping with more modern weapons would allow our ground component to work easily and effectively to fulfill its tasks and recapture our temporarily occupied territories from the enemy." As reported by OBOZ.UA, the day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Armed Forces would receive F-16s from Denmark in the near future. The Netherlands announced that it would deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine this summer. After that, the deliveries will be put "on stream". ADVERTISIMENT Serhiy Holubtsov, chief of aviation of the Armed Forces Command, said that Ukraine could receive at least a squadron of F-16 fighters (three to six aircraft) by the end of 2024. More may be delivered in the future, as many countries are rearming with F-35s. The first to experience the F-16 in the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be the Russian occupiers. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Iraq and Jordan have withdrawn their signatures from the Global Peace Summit communique. Earlier it was known that the document was supported by 80 countries. ADVERTISIMENT This message appeared on the website of the Swiss government. At the moment, the number of signatories to the open document is 78. The reasons for the withdrawal of the signatures of these two countries are currently unknown. It is worth noting that the signatories include not only countries but also four organizations: The Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Among those who did not sign the communique are Saudi Arabia, Thailand, India, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates. Also, according to media reports, Armenia, Bahrain, the Vatican, Indonesia, Libya, Thailand, the delegations of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Organization of American States, the OSCE, and the UN did not sign the document. Some delegations participated in the summit as "observers". ADVERTISIMENT The Vatican also did not sign the final declaration of the Swiss conference on Ukraine, as it was present as an observer. "The Vatican does not sign final declarations, which corresponds to its status as an observer," the local press service said. As reported, on June 16, Switzerland hosted the second and final day of the Peace Summit, which was attended by more than 100 delegations from different countries and international organizations. It was also reported that analysts at the US Institute for the Study of War believe that Putin managed to "crash" the Summit in Switzerland with a misleading statement about "peaceful" negotiations. Putin voiced a series of ultimatum demands, including the disarmament of Ukraine, the lifting of sanctions against Russia and the consent of the Ukrainian authorities, and the demand to officially return not only Crimea but also the regions partially occupied by Russia within their administrative borders to Russia on June 14. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! NATO is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons amid growing threats from Russia and China. The Alliance believes that it must show the world its nuclear arsenal to "send a direct message to its enemies." ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with The Telegraph. According to him, direct consultations were held between the members of the bloc on the withdrawal of missiles from storage and their transfer to standby mode. "I will not go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and how many should be in storage, but we need to consult on these issues. That is exactly what we are doing," the Secretary General said. Stoltenberg added that nuclear transparency should be a cornerstone of NATO's nuclear strategy to prepare the alliance for what he called a more dangerous world. Ten years ago, when Stoltenberg took over as NATO Secretary General, nuclear exercises were conducted in secret. Now, the article says, he is openly praising a number of his 32 allies for their contributions to deterrence, including the Netherlands for its recent investment in dual-use fighter jets capable of carrying American nuclear weapons. ADVERTISIMENT "Transparency helps to deliver a direct message that we are, of course, a nuclear alliance. NATO's goal is a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world in which Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons and NATO does not is a more dangerous world," Stoltenberg said. He warned that China is investing heavily in modern weapons, including its nuclear arsenal, which he said will grow to 1,000 warheads by 2030. "This means that in the near future, NATO may face something it has never faced before, namely two nuclear potential adversaries, China and Russia. Of course, this will have consequences," he added. As reported by OBOZ.UA, at a meeting with heads of news agencies on June 5, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin once again threatened to use nuclear weapons and called on the West "not to take lightly" the nuclear doctrine of the aggressor country. The war criminal said that Russia "may use all available means if its sovereignty or territorial integrity is threatened." ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The French industrial company Thales plans to quadruple the production of mortar shells by 2026. This rapid increase in production is due to a new order from the French army for "tens of thousands of shells." ADVERTISIMENT This was reported on the company's website. Thales emphasizes that at its plant in La Ferte-Saint-Aubin, they plan to increase production from 20,000 rounds per year in 2023 to more than 80,000 rounds per year by 2026. Deliveries of 120mm ammunition under these contracts will be made in phases from 2024 to 2029, with the first delivery scheduled for the last quarter of 2024. The company said the 120mm rifled ammunition it produces has characteristics that make it equivalent to 155mm ammunition. "It is a great honor for us to regain the trust of the French ground forces. This order for 120 mm ammunition is in line with the capacity building and we are doing everything we can to support this need," said Herve Dammann, Deputy CEO of Thales. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Paris will allocate 200 million euros under the Reconstruction Fund for companies that will invest in the restoration of our country's critical infrastructure. At the same time, 60 million euros will be allocated to the energy sector. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron announced Paris' plans to provide Ukraine with Mirage 2000-5 multi-role fighter aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them. The training will start on June 7 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The number of Mirages to be delivered is not yet known, but as of 2023, France had 27 of them. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed At a screening for season three of Bridgerton in Dublin, an audience member tried to praise actress Nicola Coughlan for appearing half-naked as Penelope Featherington. Youre very brave, he told her. Anyone who hasnt seen the series might think that the actress had to swim among sharks. In fact, the only serious danger Penelope Featherington faces is criticism for not being thin. You know it is hard, Coughlan responded to the veiled fat-phobic insult. Because I think women with my body type, women with perfect breasts, we do not see ourselves on screen enough. The scene comes in the highly anticipated and just released episode five of the third season. Before going to bed with her beloved Colin Bridgerton played by Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan is undressed and bares her breasts her own idea, she has said, defining it as the biggest fuck you to all the conversation surrounding my body. Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, the series has become a mass phenomenon and the most watched on Netflix in any language. Apparently, it is viewed as a soap opera that vindicates the macho and classist romantic ideal. For example, in the perfect breasts scene, young Penelope asks young Colin for sexual instructions. Tell me what to do, she says. She knows nothing about sex, he knows everything. It seems like the same old story, but there are subtle changes. For example, before touching her, he asks her permission and only when she consents does he begin to stimulate her, with penetrative sex kept on the back burner. Why did you stop? she asks. Are you ready? he wants to know. Is there more? the virginal Penelope says in response. This may hurt, Colin tells her. I cannot help it, I promise. But it should only be this first time. The scene appears at first to be typical of its kind when, in fact, it has never been played like this before. Those of us who grew up reading the adventures of Julian Sorel in Stendhals The Red and the Black and Cathy and Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights learned that the romantic ideal, like education, is capable of overcoming social differences. What we were never promised is that love might overcome the social stigma attached to curves, particularly female ones. I started watching Bridgerton in a bid to work out the appeal of a macho soap opera to modern young women around the world. And I discovered that it is not only its luxurious aesthetics, Billie Eilishs violins or racial diversity that have us hooked. The best part is the irony it deploys when presenting the romantic ideal before planting a bomb under it. In the third season, the bomb comes in the shape of Nicola Coughlan. When Penelope reaches orgasm while making out with Colin in a carriage, and violins play Pitbulls Give Me Everything, the audience are encouraged to realize that normative bodies are no longer the most exciting. We thought we had to change the narrative when in fact we first had to change the bodies relating it. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition You just never know where Chicago lawyer Elsbeth Tascioni is going to pop up next. She was the most clueless and disconcerting legal mind in The Good Wife, a series not short on eccentric lawyers and judges. She then reappeared in several episodes of The Good Fight, and has ended up with her own series entitled, simply, Elsbeth in which she is charged with supervising the activities of the New York Police Department (NYPD) in general and Captain Wagner in particular, helping them solve criminal cases as she does so. Elsbeth puts center stage a character who moves fluidly beyond the margins of conventional behavior. Its also put a spotlight on Carrie Preston, 56, the actress who plays her. Accustomed to supporting roles, Preston now heads up the cast of one of the best-performing series on American free-to-air TV, renewed for a second season in 2024, with double the number of episodes, moving from 10 to 20. Turning a secondary character of one series into the protagonist of another has not always worked, as Carrie Preston was aware. It was something we were concerned about, she explained in Madrid. But what weve done is weve practically created a new series. We took this character who is familiar to the audience and put her in a whole new world. A lot of people watching the series never saw The Good Wife or The Good Fight. Theyre just seeing this strange, new, unconventional character in the middle of a format thats very familiar the police procedural. Carrie Preston and Carra Patterson in Elsbeth, in an image provided by Movistar Plus+. When Robert King, co-creator of The Good Wife along with his wife Michelle, described the Elsbeth character to Preston 14 years ago, he compared his protagonist to a female Colombo. Her continual absent-mindedness, out-of-the-blue questions and comments, and intuition were all reminiscent of that quirky detective played by Peter Falk. Now, Robert and Michelle King have gone further and have even replicated the structure of Colombo with the viewer seeing the crime to be investigated in each episode. In an era when TV is constantly trying to wow the viewer, Elsbeth takes its cue from a more classic style of television that some may find less demanding than the more common whodunnits. You know, you dont have to think too much or be stressed about who did it, Preston explained. Instead, the audience can have a fun and relaxing time watching TV. I think we all need something like that, the way the world is now. Carrie Preston, star of 'Elsbeth', on Wednesday at The Madrid Edition hotel. Jaime Villanueva Elsbeth Tascioni has a very particular way of speaking, moving and behaving, using silences, unexpected appearances and a variety of gestures that allow us to see how her brain works. Fourteen years ago, I started bringing very specific idiosyncrasies to the character as well as a particular manner and demeanor, and the scriptwriters wrote to around them, explains Preston, who loves Elsbeths infectious positivity. She also acknowledges that playing someone so particular brings with it certain challenges. She talks a lot, so there are a lot of lines to learn, Preston said. And the way I play her, shes someone who thinks one thing, says another and her body does something different again. All of that has to be well thought out and it takes time. Shes one of the characters I have had to spend the most time preparing. It is an effort that seems to have paid off. Of all the roles she has taken in an extensive career, she reckons Elsbeth Tascioni is the one that has had the most impact on her. This character has changed my life, she said. I won an Emmy with her, and that has helped boost my credibility and get me other roles. When Robert and Michelle King were trying to get this series off the ground, it also helped that I had already been earmarked for the role. Actress Jane Krakowski in 'Elsbeth,' with Carrie Preston, in an episode from the first season. Elsbeths character seems harmless. Absent-minded, and dressed in flowery, somewhat outlandish attire, and invariably weighed down by huge bags, she uses her shambolic demeanor to catch suspects off their guard, encouraging them to underestimate her, a trait that any woman, Preston, included, can relate to. Its very likely that there were those who thought, I dont know if Carrie Preston should star in the series.... she said. And look, here I am. I think its worked. There are a lot of people who tell me they see themselves reflected in her. That says a lot about the script and how we present the character. In a way, she represents people who are on the margins and weve put them in the center. The actress has been married since 1998 to Lost actor Michael Emerson. Both have spent the last few years attached to Robert and Michelle King productions, she as Elsbeth Tascioni and he as the diabolical Leland Townsend in Evil. Preston has only good things to say about the King couple. They are brilliant screenwriters and also brilliant producers, she said. They know how to bring other people into their world and empower them. For example, while they are the creators of Elsbeth, the actual showrunner is Jonathan Tolins, who has been a screenwriter with them for many years. Theyre very loyal to the people who work with them and, clearly, theyve been very loyal to my husband and me. Preston smiles and even blushes when asked if Emerson might appear in Elsbeth. I think he will, yes, she said. I dont know in what role, but now that hes finished his series and is free [Evil has wrapped after its fourth season], Im hoping theyll write something for him. Ive been in his series, so its only fair that hes in mine. Carrie Preston, as Elsbeth Tascioni, in an image provided by Movistar Plus+. Finally, a question that any follower of the series will have asked: what does Elsbeth Tascioni carry in her over-sized bags? And why so many bags? she added with a laugh. I dont think I should tell you what she is carrying, because whatever youre thinking is sure to be much more interesting. I think she carries everything she thinks she might need. It could be anything from books to a sandwich in case she gets hungry, another pair of shoes... Who knows. What I did want is for there to be no bags once Elsbeth finally catches the killer and solves the case. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Venezuela is about to lose ownership of Citgo, a U.S.-based oil refining and gasoline marketing company valued at $13 billion whose shares are being auctioned off by a U.S. federal court. The company was acquired by the Venezuelan State in 1990 and for a long time it was one of its most important assets. The case was filed in U.S. courts seven years ago and involves 18 creditors who jointly claimed $21.3 billion for expropriations and debt defaults in Venezuela under Chavismo. Economic agents, political actors and financial analysts consider that losing Citgo would be a catastrophic event for Venezuelans. The deadline for submitting offers in a second bidding round opened by the court ended on Tuesday of last week. A month ago, the federal district judge in Delaware, Leonard Stark, cleared the way for offers and rejected the latest arguments presented by the Venezuelan government. Pedro Tellechea, the president of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) Citgos ultimate parent issued a statement asking the court to stop the auction, which is the result of a tortuous legal process produced by the chronic state of conflict that Venezuela is experiencing. They have to stop the auction, that is an asset of the nation. As a Venezuelan, I feel offended by the fact that our goods are being sold without asking us for any authorization, said Tellechea. Venezuela has not been able to defend itself because they do not recognize us as a sovereign country. This is a robbery. In Caracas, the official media outlets frequently remark on the imperialist dispossession being carried out against one of the states most valuable assets, and uses the circumstance to attack the United States and hold the Venezuelan opposition responsible. According to this narrative, the responsibility for the loss of Citgo lies with the defunct interim government of Juan Guaido (2019-2021), in which the 2018 electoral results were challenged, leading to with the help of the United States a parallel administration that took control of national assets abroad, including Citgo. From that moment on, the Venezuelan voice over state assets acquired two versions: that of Chavismo and that of the opposition. The American authorities established relations with the latter. The court determined that, at some point, Guaido's administration used company resources to finance some extensive activities, presumably linked to the political work of his office. The news triggered more rumors about mismanagement by the interim government. This court finding regarding Guaido's actions was the straw that broke the camels back. What the Delaware court says is that Guaido incurred in extensive control, in violation of the alter-ego doctrine. I warned about this procedure, it generates legal risks for the nation, explains Francisco Rodriguez, an economist, author and professor who has studied the case. For a time, amid the oppositions dispute with Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan properties in the United States were managed by Guaido officials and protected by special Treasury Department resolutions. Horacio Medina, president of PDVSA-ad hoc, flatly denies the U.S. judges conclusions. That is absolutely false. The judge has let himself be carried away by media reports. Medina claims that management of Citgo was clean and created a surplus of $5 billion in profits. The Delaware Courts decision contains factual determinations that are clearly erroneous, reads a statement from PDVSA. PDVSAs assets in the United States are blocked and the board of directors does not have access to them. Expropriations and debts take their toll The loss of Citgo has to do with the aggressive process of nationalization of assets carried out by former president Hugo Chavez between 2007 and 2012. The opposition also bears responsibility for not having been able to design a more articulated strategy to retain the company, in part due to its internal disputes. By far, here the fundamental responsibility lies with the Chavista government, says Rodriguez, a traditional critic of the interim government. It also cannot be denied that international sanctions make it impossible to restructure the debt accumulated by the nation. Maduro was starting to pay creditors. In 2008, the Canadian mining company Crystallex sued the Venezuelan state after Chavez decided to nationalize the Las Cristinas gold deposit, which was being operated within the framework of a mutual investment protection treaty. After several court victories, in 2019 Crystallex obtained authorization to seize Citgo in compensation, due to the debts accrued to the company. Chavezs attitude towards international capital created several judicial fronts and an accumulation of lawsuits and debts. In 2016, Maduro had resolved to hand over 100 percent of Citgo shares as collateral to receive loans from the Russian oil company Rosneft and the shareholders of the so-called PDVSA 2020 Bonds, behind the back of the National Assembly, then with an opposition majority. In 2017, Venezuela defaulted and declared its insolvency. That made the situation more complicated, recalls Alejandro Grisanti, an economist and international consultant. Crystallex was bought by a vulture fund that acquired that litigation. Personally, I believe that the strategy developed against the bondholders was too hostile. It had to be negotiated with the bondholders. Of course things could have been done better, they can always be done better. With more resources you can hire more lawyers and have a broader strategy, says Horacio Medina. The fact is that the government, with the help of the opposition, is blowing a billion-dollar hole in Venezuelas public coffers. The road runs through southern Lebanon, parallel to Israel. It is dangerous to travel through the area: the Israeli army can open fire on those vehicles it suspects are being driven incognito by Hezbollah militiamen, the armed fundamentalist group with which it has been waging a kind of war of attrition since the beginning of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, a low-intensity conflict that has been increasing in scale without yet escalating into open confrontation. Every few miles, one sees houses destroyed by Israeli shelling and photos of martyrs that point to the weight of history in these lands: some are casualties of the crossfire with Israel in parallel to the offensive in the Gaza Strip (Hezbollah acknowledges more than 340 fighters killed); others, faded by time, date from the 1980s and 1990s, when Israel occupied southern Lebanon, involuntarily giving rise to the now powerful Shia party-militia. Suddenly, in a matter of hundreds of meters, the yellow flags of Hezbollah and green flags of Amal (the other Shia faction), and messages in Arabic such as Every Muslim must prepare to fight Israel or This Lebanon is the best weapon against Israel, disappear. Mosques give way to churches and sculptures of the Virgin Mary and, of course, of the monk-hermit Saint Charbel, the patron saint of Lebanon who is omnipresent in the Maronite areas. The private school belongs to the Antonine sisters and the stores no longer bear names written in Arabic, such as Ali or Mohamed, but Chez George or Manucure Danielle, in French. Advertisements for arak (an aniseed liqueur typical of the region) and a winery bearing the name of the village (Domaine de Rmeich) remind us that alcohol is produced and drunk here. Statue of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus at a crossroads in Rmeish. Oliver Marsden A shrine to the Virgin Mary, in Rmeish. Oliver Marsden Statue of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms, on a roundabout in Rmeish. Oliver Marsden A young man smokes in the back of the van on a road in southern Lebanon. Oliver Marsden Poster with the image of Nabih Berri, Speaker of Parliament and leader of the Shia Amal party, next to a bus shelter in southern Lebanon. Oliver Marsden The village is called Rmeish (with various spellings), and had about 5,000 inhabitants before the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah flared up, and no one would say on a sunny June morning that their houses practically touch the Jewish State. Nor that the border forms a curve, placing the dividing line about two kilometers (1.2 miles) to its south, east and west. Although stores are closed and around 1,000 families remain displaced by the war (mostly to the Christian neighborhoods in East Beirut), cars pass by quite frequently. Children can even be seen playing in the main square, dominated by a sculpture in homage to Francois el Hajj, a famous Lebanese general originally from the village who was killed in a car bombing in Beirut in 2007, shortly before he was expected to be promoted to Chief of the General Staff. The sensation is strange. Drones and the roar of Israeli fighter-bombers can be heard in the background. There is also the occasional explosion, or a plume of smoke. But the people (both Lebanese and Syrian refugees still working here in agriculture) move about fearlessly. Some 400 families stayed or have returned, partly because of their crops (the men continue to dry tobacco leaves, key to the areas economy), and partly because Beirut is much more expensive, explains Nimr Alam, a 45-year-old teacher. The problem is more about getting in or out of Rmeish. He himself avoids the roads most heavily bombed by Israeli aircraft when he goes to the capital to visit his family. Wadia, 36, retains enough customers to keep his hair salon open in the square. I didnt close even on October 8. Nor on the 9th, nor on the 10th... This is safer than Beirut. The only thing Im afraid of is that a party missile will fall here. The Israelis are more accurate. I dont like the Israelis, obviously, but they are not a threat to me. There is no state here, only the party, he says while blow-drying a customers hair. Wadia dries a client's hair at his salon in Rmeish. Oliver Marsden Wadia doesnt need to specify which party he is referring to. It is the Party of God, the meaning of the word Hezbollah. He recounts that its militiamen have thrown grenades from the surrounding forests and tried to sneak in to Rmeish. Once we village boys had to go out and tell them to leave, he adds. He is referring to an episode last March that gained national prominence. One morning, a local youth identified two unknown cars driving near the village school. He approached the vehicles, concluded that they contained Hezbollah members about to plant an anti-tank missile launcher, and alerted the others. The young men gathered to chase them away and the argument ended with the suspected militiamen firing into the air to drive them off, and the Rmeish youngsters ringing the church bells to alert the rest of the village. The leader of the Christian Phalanges, Sami Gemayel, was quick to speak out: Full solidarity with our people in Rmeish, wrote the nephew of Bachir Pierre Gemayel, the president-elect whose assassination in 1982 led to the notorious massacre of Palestinians and Shiites in Sabra and Chatila, with then-Israeli defense minister Ariel Sharon indirectly responsible for looking the other way and continuing to shine a light on the area, as determined by an Israeli commission of inquiry. They have known since [the Israel-Hezbollah War of] 2006 that we are people of peace. We dont even know how to shoot. We have told them not to come in here. We have gone to their homes to politely tell them to let us live in peace, quietly. Generally, they have accepted, but some have tried and we have thrown them out, says Nayib El Amil, the priest everyone here calls pere (father), a legacy of the French colonial mandate (1920-1943), when Lebanon gained independence and the Maronites enjoyed a privileged position. Aware that few forget the alliance between Israel and the Maronite phalanxes during the occupation of southern Lebanon, El Amil challenges Hezbollah to find a single Christian who has been a traitor since 2000. That is when Israel withdrew its last troops and brought in its local allies during the occupation. His life would have been in danger had he stayed in Lebanon. Hezbollah issued a statement to vehemently deny the false and malicious news that the Islamic Resistance attempted to fire rockets at the Zionist enemy from inside the town of Rmeish, or near the school or the town in general. The party also insisted that its fighters only open fire from unpopulated areas, so as not to put civilians at risk. Whether it was genuine or a misunderstanding, the incident reopened many wounds that had more or less healed. In 2022, Green Without Borders (an environmental NGO accused of being a front for Hezbollah) set up a structure near the village. The residents were furious and even the Maronite patriarch, Bechara Boutros Al Rai, intervened to dismantle it. Priest Nayib El Amil, at the Rmeish school that has been converted into a medical center. Oliver Marsden Beds installed in a classroom at the Rmeish school for medical emergencies due to Israeli shelling. The residents have not yet needed to use them. Oliver Marsden The school in Rmeish. Oliver Marsden With a confessionalism structure that doomed any idea of shared citizenship to failure, Lebanon bled to death during 15 years of civil war (1975-1990). Today, after decades of shifting and seemingly unnatural alliances, it is politically divided into two major blocs, especially regarding its position on the power of Hezbollah. Since 2022, these remain without consensus as to which Christian leader should occupy the presidency, a vacant post that elects the prime minister, whose term has also expired and which is currently occupied on an interim basis by the Sunni Muslim Najib Mikati. Just like the presidential seat, the public school is empty. As are all the schools in southern Lebanon, where the war has displaced 94,000 people and classes have been suspended for security reasons. Its 185 primary and technical students follow them as best they can via videoconference. A dozen hospital beds now occupy one of the classrooms. There are also boxes containing medicines and basic medical supplies. It is an apprenticeship from the 2006 war, which began when Hezbollah launched a deadly surprise ambush against a military patrol in Israel (after six years of tension over the disputed Shebaa Farms) and Israel responded by invading the area. Up to 20,000 displaced people ended up in the locality, divided between the convent, the school and private homes, recalls Alam, one of those responsible for the fact that the school has looked like a field hospital since October 8, but which they have not yet had to use. At that time, the Israelis bombed many roads, so many health workers could not reach the places where they were needed. We learned that wars start by surprise and you have to be prepared, he says, with a crucifix around his neck and a tattoo that reads: Thy will be done. Although the inhabitants of Rmeish have not joined the fighting, the consequences have finally reached them. The situation has been escalating dangerously for days: on June 11, the Israeli army killed the highest-ranking Hezbollah commander, Taleb Abdala, in the eight months of fighting; the militia retaliated with its largest wave of missiles to date: 215. Israel has been shelling intensively for days, including with white phosphorus (as several human rights NGOs have proven) and fire-generating rounds. Hezbollah has been deploying explosive drones, sparking blazes on the other side of the border. Last Wednesday, fires began engulfing olive groves and tobacco plantations belonging to families in Rmeish, which they had barely been able to grow or harvest due to Israeli shelling. The village remains safe. The surrounding area is not. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition When Luis A. Miranda, 69, arrived in New York from Puerto Rico more than four decades ago, he did not know that it was going to be a one-way journey. In love with the city and surprised by the discrimination suffered by his community, he dedicated himself from the start to defending the rights of Latinos. He was part of the administration of Ed Koch and Rudolph Giuliani in the mayors office of New York, although he soon abandoned the Republican ship, and helped an unknown Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton to gain the support of Latino voters. He also created the Hispanic Foundation to unite the entire community in a common struggle, although he found fame thanks to the success of his son, actor Lin-Manuel, who is the creator of the musical Hamilton and several Disney blockbusters. In his memoir Restless, he discusses what sways the Latino vote and how this community has become the greatest transformative force in the United States. Question. Latinos have traditionally supported the Democratic Party, but polls show that many will vote for Donald Trump in November. Why are they attracted to someone who repeatedly insults them? Answer. If you find out, call me right away. Im racking my brain and my hair is turning whiter thinking about what could attract a Latino to Trump. But there are several things, on the one hand, Trump is entertaining. Many of the winning politicians from our countries of origin are entertaining, sometimes with ideas that make you want to die of shame, but they are entertaining. On the other hand, Trump presents himself as the person who is telling the truth, like he knows what he is talking about. Ninety percent of what comes out of that monsters mouth are lies, but there are so many falsehoods that it is difficult to combat them. The [last] election was won fairly by [Democrat Joe] Biden, but 33% of people still believe he stole it. We are living in a time when falsehoods are becoming our daily bread. Q. When Trump won the elections in 2016, you said that he was an asshole who said stupid things and that you never imagined that his movement would threaten democracy. What is your fear now? A. My fear is that everything that comes out of that mans mouth is hatred and falsehood. He has not talked about public policy, he has only talked about two things. He went to the National Rifle Association, a dying organization, to say that if he wins hes going to give them life again because he will get rid of all the Biden laws to stop people from continuously killing one other in the streets. And he keeps telling the rich that he is going to cut their taxes. [Cut the taxes] of the people who need it the least, the people who are already spending money to take a trip into the atmosphere. What I hope is that as the trials come to an end, there will be a discussion about where the country is going and that people will begin to understand that a ruler cannot be elected to destroy all the institutions created to live in a civilized country. Q. In 2020, you and Latino Victory gave your support to Joe Biden. Many Latinos today feel disappointed with the president. A. When Biden took office, unemployment was at 14%, currently unemployment in the Latino community is 3%. Biden took the reins of the country when 20% of Latinos still did not have health insurance. That has been reduced by half. Biden took over the government when millions of Latino children were in poverty. That has been cut in half. I dont understand what Biden has not been able to do for our community and for many other communities that Trump is supposedly going to do. In politics, people remember what happened last week, if gasoline increased from $3.20 to $3.30. It is our job to convince people that the world is not perfect and that you vote for imperfect people who cannot do everything. Within that imperfection one has to vote for whoever believes is best for our community. And I think thats Biden. Luis A. Miranda Jr. as a child with his mother, Eva, and father, Guisin, in the summer of 1958, at Cerro Gordo beach (Puerto Rico). Familia Miranda Q. You helped Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton in their political campaigns to win the Latino vote. How was that community mobilized then and what has changed? A. Hillary is a star in the political world. She was one of the few Democratic candidates to win the Cuban vote in Florida. It was a matter of bringing her to our community. Everyone was amazed by her talent, her intelligence and her commitment to the Latino community. It was a similar story with Schumer. No one knew him. Twenty-odd years later, Schumer remains a friend to Latinos across the country. Now its a little more complicated because of social media. WhatsApp and Facebook may not be important in other communities, but for us they are crucial. Q. Why did you decide to share your experience now in a book? A. After the 2020 and 2022 elections, all these experts on the Latino vote have appeared who look at the surveys that newspapers and other institutions were doing to reach conclusions. In the surveys, Latinos make up 8% of the people interviewed. The majority speak only English, when we know that 25% to 33% of Latinos communicate in Spanish. I continually complained about these fake experts and my friends told me: Youve been in this world for 45 years, why dont you do something positive instead of complaining and write about your vision of what the Latino vote is? Q. You moved to New York in the 1970s to study psychology. In Puerto Rico, you were involved in the Socialist Party and your idea was to return. What made you change your mind? A. Living in New York gave me enormous satisfaction, I felt like this city was made for me. And thats when I met this girl in the doctoral program who has been my wife for the last 46 years. So between the love of New York and the love of Luz, I end up staying. Q. You write in your book that when you went looking for work at Sears, you saw how Puerto Ricans were exploited. Has their situation improved at all? A. There is no doubt that there has been an economic and social improvement in the Latino community. Half of Puerto Ricans are much better off than in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, although many still live in poverty. We Latinos are the ones who create the most small industries throughout the country. Many more young people have graduated from universities. But when we look at society as a whole, we are still lagging behind. Thats why its important to continue the fight. Q. Your first experience in the mayors office of New York was with Ed Koch. Many friends on the left criticized you, arguing that you had sold out. A. That was the first time that I faced real criticism, in the newspapers, because I had been a community activist and now I was in the mayor's office. On the one hand the criticism was true, but being there meant that I could watch the construction of the new schools up close. There was a whole plan for how to increase services to the Latino community in New York City that I helped create, so when I put things into balance, I stayed doing everything I could for the same community I was fighting for. outside. Q. You say that there has been no immigration reform comparable to the law signed by Ronald Reagan in 1986, which legalized all undocumented migrants who arrived before 1982. What solution do you see for the current immigration crisis? A. The solution is always political. It is incredible that a Republican president was the one who made the last amnesty law, bringing millions of people out of the shadows, and that the same party now uses immigration as a bogeyman to get elected. The Trumpist movement is the number one enemy of the countrys migrants. The fact that we dont want to accept that and that there are Latinos who still believe that Trump serves their interests is like saying that I dont get vaccines so that I get every disease. In these elections we not only have to defeat Trump, who is the head of this anti-migrant monster: we have to cut off all the tentacles that continue in the Senate and Congress, stopping immigration reform. [Election day] has to be the moment to get out of all the people who have turned immigration into the bad guy in the Hollywood movie. Luis A. Miranda Jr. speaks at a 1993 Hispanic Federation press conference with then member Roberto Ramirez (seated center) and Frankie Miranda, Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez and Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, who would later become Federation presidents. Federacion Hispana Q. Despite being left-wing, you agreed to work for someone like Rudolph Giuliani in managing the hospital network. You say that you soon realized that he was stingy to the core. A. I thought he was mean from the beginning, Im not going to play dumb. I had been working for a year to improve public health, which is so important for our community, and for the first seven months there was no direct intervention from the mayors office. I left during a fight the mayor was having with the Republican governor, George Pataki, over AIDS aid. They wanted to make a $15 million cut in a $3 billion budget. For me, even though it was so small, it was symbolic. We were in the middle of the AIDS pandemic and if I stayed I would have been betraying my principles in a very basic way. Q. You strive to differentiate Latinos by origin and oppose the group being seen as a monolith. However, you unified them by creating the Hispanic Federation. A. None of us come from our countries of origin as Hispanic. I have never met anyone who gets off the plane and says I am Hispanic. They were Venezuelans, Colombians, Salvadorans, Dominicans; I was Puerto Rican. It is the Americans in their continuous quest to put people in a box who created the term Hispanic, and I see it as a positive situation to increase our political power. If everyone wants us to be Hispanic and I can sit at a table to negotiate in favor of 17 million instead of one million Puerto Ricans, I have increased my power 17 times, so I see it as a positive combination of factors. Structures had to be created that would give life to a concept: convince the Puerto Ricans, who at that time had the power, to give way to the Dominicans, that the Colombians and the Ecuadorians were around the corner and that together we were going to have much more power. That was my task in 1990 with the creation of the Federation. Q. Bianca Jagger was recruited to give notoriety to the foundations first gala and you didnt even know who her husband, Mick Jagger, was. Latinos are now experiencing a great moment of popularity thanks to music. A. We have a very rich culture. When you think about Bad Bunny, Lin-Manuel [Miranda Jr.s son], Shakira, Jennifer Lopez... they are all different, but they all exalt Latinidad. That is the beauty of our culture. Q. The 9/11 attacks frustrated the possibility of Fernando Ferrer, in whose campaign you worked, from becoming the first Latino to occupy the New York mayors office. It hasnt happened again. A. I continue to be encouraged by Barack Obamas sudden rise in popularity and presidency. Who would have thought he would be president? What I have seen in the last decade, in which I have been very involved in national politics, is that there is a whole new generation of Latino politicians who are starting to climb the ladder, but still at a very local level. I know that one of them is going to take off like a rocket and be president of the U.S. When would we have ever thought that we would have a senator in Arizona, in Nevada, in Colorado, in California? Q. When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, your family stepped up to help. The Spanish chef Jose Andres called you on the verge of tears because he needed $100,000 for his organization World Central Kitchen to continue distributing food to the victims and you gave it to him despite hardly knowing him. A. The experience was moving, shocking for the Puerto Rican community and for all our allies. It also helped me meet a lot of good people. I met Jose Andres and I can describe few people who have his same love for their neighbor. At that time, no one knew him, but we realized that he had a huge heart and if the way to help him was to give him $100,000, then thats what we would do. The hurricane, with all its devastation, brought our community together like no other incident, it was the only positive thing about that moment. Q. Another key moment in your life was the success of your son Lin-Manuels musical Hamilton. A. Hamilton did two main things for my career and my family. On the one hand, investing in Hamilton gave us money for the first time to support all the causes we defended throughout our lives. Until 2016, we were a family that lived from paycheck to paycheck, no different than the vast majority of people. I still say to Luz: We are no longer poor. Secondly, he gave us a huge microphone. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2024 - 23:18 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The mayor of Himeji, western Japan, has said he is contemplating "quadrupling" entry fees exclusively for foreign tourists visiting Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in response to increasing inbound tourism. The city government acknowledged Monday that Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto made the remark the previous day at an international symposium in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. The admission fee for the castle, also a national treasure with part of its wooden structure dating back to the early 17th century, is currently set at 1,000 yen ($6.3) for a person aged 18 or above. "We would like to charge around $30 for foreigners and around $5 for residents," Kiyomoto said at the symposium on cultural heritage and natural disasters. When asked about his reason for the $5 fee, Kiyomoto told reporters Monday that he wants "to avoid raising the admission fee for local residents." He said too many visitors could damage the castle's keep, which also serves as "a place of rest" for people, and setting two different admission fees might be a good idea. The city government said in a statement it will take proper measures to realize sustainable tourism as repair and refurbishment of the castle will be continuously needed. It also said many World Heritage castles abroad collect higher fees than Himeji Castle. Around 1.48 million people visited the castle in fiscal 2023, and 452,300 were foreigners, topping 400,000 for the first time since data became available in fiscal 1992, according to the city government. Amid a surge in inbound tourism to Japan, local governments are seeking additional funds to maintain tourism infrastructure by introducing or increasing fees. This includes popular destinations such as Mt. Fuji and Itsukushima Shrine. Related coverage: Record 3,568 people needed assistance on Japan mountains in 2023 Barrier at viral Mt. Fuji photo spot to be replaced after holes found By Riku Nishio, KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2024 - 10:07 | Feature, All, Travel/Tourism, Japan Residents of the Noto Peninsula in central Japan have been witnessing a curious surge in tourists, a mere five months after the region was severely damaged by a major earthquake. While some see the boost in tourism as a positive -- a way for people to grasp the reality of the situation in the region amid growing concerns of a drop in visitors following the New Year's Day temblor -- others argue the trend of people traveling to the remote peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture is a form of "dark tourism." Experts say there are benefits to people seeing the devastation first-hand, provided the focus is on its historical value rather than focusing on the death and tragedy that occurred, with tourists urged to continue supporting the peninsula, which extends into the Sea of Japan, once they return home. Dark tourism is a term used to describe travel done for the fascination of seeing places historically associated with death and suffering. At the Wajima Asaichi, a morning market that has operated for more than 1,000 years in the regional hub of Wajima, tourists took pictures of the destruction left at the site with their smartphones during the Golden Week holiday season. One man stopped his motorbike to look at the devastation of the burned ruins, gazing with amazement at the transformed landscape. "I know what happened because of news media reports, but I'm shocked to see the actual scene," said the man in his 50s from the city of Toyama, who visits Noto annually. He added that he had not come merely on a "pleasure jaunt" but brought medicine and other relief supplies to hand out to the disaster's victims. A motorcyclist in his 40s visited the area from Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, during a biking tour across Japan. "Time passes in the blink of an eye here," he said. He plans to write about his trip to Wajima and what he saw there in his travel blog. Transportation networks severed in the quake-stricken areas have been gradually restored, making it easier for visitors to travel to the region, while some local restaurants have reopened. Some local residents welcome tourists to Noto now that visitors to the peninsula have declined. Noriko Takebayashi, 60, who operates a flower shop in Wajima, was recently surprised when she was asked for directions by a driver from Kagoshima Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture on the island of Kyushu. She obliged, but said she hoped the driver would let others know about the city's devastation. The owner of a restaurant in a tourist facility in Wajima suggested that it is important to look forward instead of "always crying" about the disaster. "Tourism remains alive because people come to see the effects of the earthquake," she said. But other locals are more resistant to having visitors, especially if they are only coming to witness the devastation. "Some come here just for fun," said a woman in her 50s. Shocked by the devastated condition of Wajima Asaichi, a place so familiar to her, she is still reluctant to go there herself and has mixed feelings toward tourists walking around the area. Akira Ide, professor of tourism studies at Kanazawa University, pointed out there is "a strong tendency in Japan to view dark tourism as inappropriate." Following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku northeastern region of Japan, people criticized the tourists who visited the devastated sites. But Ide also said that dark tourism enables visitors to consider how reconstruction projects should be carried out, as they can discover facts not reported in the media and learn first-hand about disasters. Stressing that visitors should pay due consideration to disaster victims, Ide said they "might as well travel to affected places if they can explain the reasons for their visits." He said because of the prolonged reconstruction work underway and the continual support it needs, efforts to prevent a decline in visitors in the area are needed more than ever. He called for continued financial support for the Noto region from tourists after they return home through donations and other measures, such as the "hometown tax" program, which lets people earmark part of their tax payments for specific municipalities. Related coverage: M6.0 quake hits Noto Peninsula in central Japan, no tsunami threat FOCUS: Quake-hit Noto businesses at risk of losing many foreign interns KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2024 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Bloc backing Okinawa's anti-U.S. base governor fails to win majority NAHA, Japan - Candidates backing Okinawa's governor, a staunch opponent of a key U.S military base relocation plan within the prefecture, failed to secure a majority in Sunday's local assembly election, in a blow to his struggling strategy to stop the project. The result came as the central government pushes ahead with its plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a densely populated area in Ginowan to a new facility being built in a coastal area in Nago, both on Okinawa's main island. ---------- China's nuclear arsenal reached 500 warheads in 2024, think tank says LONDON - China likely increased its nuclear arsenal by 90 warheads to 500 in the 12 months to January 2024, an international security think tank said Monday, pointing out that Beijing is "expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country." The total number of warheads stockpiled for potential use among the five recognized nuclear powers of the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain plus the defacto nuclear states of India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel increased by nine to 9,585, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said. ---------- Chinese, Philippine vessels collide in South China Sea: Beijing BEIJING - Chinese and Philippine vessels had a minor collision Monday morning near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the China Coast Guard said, blaming Manila for an "illegal intrusion" of a supply ship amid heightened tensions in the sea area. The coast guard said in a statement the Philippine vessel "deliberately and dangerously approached" Chinese vessels navigating normally in adjacent waters of the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal despite "repeated stern warnings" from China, prompting it to take control measures under its law against the ship. ---------- Japan's Himeji Castle entry fees could increase for overseas visitors KOBE - The mayor of Himeji, western Japan, has said he is contemplating "quadrupling" entry fees exclusively for foreign tourists visiting Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in response to increasing inbound tourism. The city government acknowledged Monday that Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto made the remark the previous day at an international symposium in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. ---------- Football: Shinji Okazaki focused on management after stellar playing career TOKYO - Former Japan and Leicester City forward Shinji Okazaki revealed his dream of guiding his country to the World Cup title as a manager during his retirement press conference on Monday. After representing the Samurai Blue in three straight World Cups from 2010 and reaching third on their all-time scoring list with 50 goals, the 38-year-old will begin his managerial career at Basara Mainz, a German sixth-tier club he helped establish. ---------- Tokyo's Shibuya to ban street drinking at night in some areas TOKYO - Tokyo's Shibuya Ward will ban drinking on the street at night in some areas starting in October, expanding restrictions currently applied during limited periods such as Halloween and the New Year's holidays, the ward office said Monday. The local assembly unanimously enacted a revised ordinance to that end. The hours and locations where the prohibition will be enforced will be determined later, with the ward saying it is considering imposing the ban between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. ---------- Equestrian: Taizo Sugitani set for Japanese record 7th Summer Olympics TOKYO - Equestrian rider Taizo Sugitani is set for his seventh Summer Olympic appearance in Paris, the most by a Japanese athlete. The Japan Equestrian Federation said Monday the 47-year-old Sugitani has qualified for the jumping event at the Paris Games, along with Eiken Sato and Takashi Haase Shibayama. ---------- Baseball: Ohtani hits back-to-back HRs in win, Betts fractures hand LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani crushed a pair of solo home runs, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The win, however, was overshadowed by Mookie Betts leaving the game with a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Video: Letters to the deceased set alight at event in Japan's Shimane KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2024 - 15:06 | All, Japan Candidates backing Okinawa's governor, a staunch opponent of a key U.S military base relocation plan within the prefecture, failed to secure a majority in Sunday's local assembly election, in a blow to his struggling strategy to stop the project. The result came as the central government pushes ahead with its plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a densely populated area in Ginowan to a new facility being built in a coastal area in Nago, both on Okinawa's main island. In January, the state started construction work on a part of the relocation site despite strong local opposition. In the 48-seat prefectural assembly election, candidates who supported Gov. Denny Tamaki obtained 20 seats, while 27 were occupied by those who opposed him and the remaining one went to a neutral candidate. Before the voting, each side had 24 seats. As for whether to support the planned base relocation within the prefecture, the assembly is divided with 24 members in favor and 24 against. "I take (the result) seriously," Tamaki told reporters in the prefectural capital of Naha on Monday, while admitting he "will be forced into a very difficult position." Supporters of Tamaki include the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, while the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner in national politics, the Komeito party, are in the anti-Tamaki camp. There were 75 candidates. Two secured seats without a vote, leaving 73 competing for the remaining 46 seats. Voter turnout was the lowest on record at 45.62 percent, according to the local election committee. The southern island prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972, 20 years after Japan regained sovereignty following its defeat in World War II. Many residents in Okinawa have long hoped for the Futenma base to be moved outside the prefecture, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan. Anti-base sentiment runs deep due to noise, pollution and a number of high-profile crimes committed by American service members. But the central government continues to stick to the plan, decided in the 1990s, maintaining it is "the only solution" for removing the dangers posed by the Futenma base without undermining the perceived deterrence provided by the Japan-U.S. security alliance. In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman, declined to comment on the result of the Okinawa election, but stressed that the state will "steadily" continue with the project. The central government began reinforcing soft ground at the relocation site on Jan. 10 in waters on the Oura Bay side of the Henoko area in Nago following its unprecedented decision to override the local authority's objection to the project. Even after completing the landfill work, it will take another three years to arrange the transfer, and the actual return to Japanese control of the land where the Futenma base is located is expected to take place in the mid-2030s or later. Related coverage: U.S. Marines' transfer to Guam from Okinawa to start in Dec. Top court nixes Okinawa governor's appeal against U.S. base landfill Japan defense minister meets Okinawa governor over U.S. base transfer KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2024 - 08:02 | World, All Chinese and Philippine vessels had a minor collision Monday morning near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the China Coast Guard said, with Beijing and Manila accusing each other of "illegal" and "dangerous" actions amid heightened tensions in the waters. The Chinese coast guard claimed the incident occurred as the result of an "illegal intrusion" by a Philippine supply ship that "deliberately and dangerously approached" Chinese vessels despite "repeated stern warnings" while they were navigating normally off the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine ship's actions led to the collision, prompting the coast guard to take control measures under Chinese law against the ship, it added. "The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippine side," and China's handling of the incident was "reasonable, legal and professional," it said in a statement. The Philippine government later claimed in a statement that the Chinese military, coast guard and maritime militia vessels engaged in "dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing," and strongly condemned "the illegal, aggressive and reckless actions" of the Chinese maritime forces. It added Beijing's actions "put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats, in blatant violation of international law" and that Philippine personnel showed restraint and refrained from escalating tensions. The Philippine military said earlier in the day, "We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard." "The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights," the military said, adding "the continued aggressive actions" of the China Coast Guard are escalating tensions in the region. The U.S. State Department criticized China for "escalatory and irresponsible actions," warning Washington's mutual defense treaty with the Philippines extends to armed attacks on its military, public vessels or aircraft "anywhere in the South China Sea." China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a vital shipping route with rich fishing grounds, and has repeatedly used water cannons against Philippine vessels near the contested shoal. On Saturday, China implemented a new regulation allowing its coast guard to detain for up to 60 days foreigners suspected of trespassing in waters that it claims, raising concern in countries such as the Philippines involved in territorial disputes with Beijing. Meanwhile, the Philippines, Japan, the United States and Canada conducted a two-day joint maritime exercise through Monday in the Southeast Asian country's exclusive economic zone, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The drill involving the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Ralph Johnson and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Murasame-class destroyer Kirisame, among other vessels, reaffirmed the four nations' commitment to bolstering regional security and stability, it added. Related coverage: China's new rule allowing maritime trespasser detention takes effect Philippines says China disrupted medical evacuation in South China Sea FOCUS: Japan must tread carefully amid South China Sea tensions: experts By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2024 - 20:24 | World, All World leaders are well aware of the importance of China's diplomatic trajectory to the fate of Ukraine as it struggles to repel a Russian invasion now in its third year. But a high-level conference in Switzerland spearheaded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite attracting leaders and senior officials from about 100 countries, laid bare a harsh reality: China has no interest in shifting away from Russia. Beyond just declining to attend the first conference of its sort, a two-day gathering through Sunday organized by the neutral Swiss government, China has reaffirmed through recent developments that its partnership with Russia -- once proclaimed as having "no limits" -- involves military and economic ties growing deeper than ever before. Russian President Vladimir Putin's choice of China for his first foreign trip in mid-May after being inaugurated for a fifth term in office underlined that Beijing has become an essential collaborator for Moscow. For Putin, China, which has boosted its purchasing of Russian oil and gas, is now the most important lifeline for his country's economy, and a historic increase in two-way trade suggests that both sides need each other to cushion the impact of a raft of sanctions introduced against them by the United States and its allies. China, trying to portray itself as a neutral actor in the war, has given different interpretations of the Swiss summit and justified its absence by echoing Russia's official line that any peace process without the Kremlin's participation is meaningless. According to Yun Sun, a senior fellow and director of the China program at the Stimson Center think tank, Beijing believes the conference is "not about peace," but merely the "optics of an international coalition against Russia." Chinese President Xi Jinping must have considered the likelihood of the war continuing as part of his political calculation. Xi's pursuit of closer ties with Putin amid Russia's renewed offensive in northeastern Ukraine signals his recognition that there will be no progress anytime soon toward ending the conflict, and that it could extend well beyond the increasingly unpredictable U.S. presidential election in November. While Xi has little to lose even if the war drags on, as many analysts of Sino-Russian relations have pointed out, China's alignment with Russia seems motivated in large part by his rivalry with the collective West. Regardless of the situation on the battleground, therefore, Western officials and foreign affairs experts believe that China's multifaceted support for Russia will continue as long as their common opposition to U.S. hegemony simmers. "China supports Russia because they face the same strategic pressure from the U.S. and the West," Sun said, adding that Beijing's "bottom line" is that Russia not lose the war. "In this sense, the Chinese are more likely to give more support to Russia if it stands to lose." By the same token, Western capitals continue to see the Ukrainian crisis through the prism of their fight against an axis of authoritarian states. After signing a 10-year security agreement with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of this year's Group of Seven summit in southern Italy on Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden said Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022, has been a "test for the world." "Would we stand with Ukraine?" Biden said. "Would we stand for sovereignty, freedom, and against tyranny?" "The United States, the G7 and countries around the world have consistently answered that question by saying 'Yes, we will.' We will say it again...we're going to stand with Ukraine." Biden and other leaders of the G7, including France, Germany and Japan, expressed "deep concern" about China's role in the conflict, urging Beijing to stop the transfer of dual-use materials, such as microelectronics and nitrocellulose, to Russia, as such goods are believed to be revitalizing its military-industrial base. "China's actions to support the Russian war machine are now not just threatening Ukraine's existence, but European security and transatlantic security," a senior Biden administration official told reporters on the eve of the Swiss conference. Although Zelenskyy had long refrained from criticizing China directly, he appears to be losing patience lately with Beijing's warming ties with Moscow. Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, predicts Xi will not abandon Putin. "Instead, China will continue to help Moscow and sabotage Western-led peace proposals," he said. "Ultimately, it hopes to bring Russia and Ukraine to the table itself to broker a lasting agreement," he added, while noting that such an attempt is unlikely to succeed due to Zelenskyy's lack of trust in Beijing. Related coverage: Japan PM calls for global efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine G7 needs to keep tackling Indo-Pacific issues as priority: Japan PM Dozens of leaders gather in Switzerland at critical time for Ukraine ADEN, Yemen, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior military official and five soldiers from the Yemeni government forces were injured on Monday in a Houthi attack in the southwestern province of Taiz, a security official told Xinhua. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said General Abdul Aziz Majidi, the chief of staff of the Taiz military axis loyal to the internationally recognized government, was moderately wounded after the Houthis fired three shells at his convoy during his field inspection of troops stationed in northwestern Taiz. Five of Majidi's companions were also injured, some seriously, the official added, noting they were transferred to the hospital for treatment. A protracted civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014 when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen and forced the government out of the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015 in an attempt to restore the government's rule. The government-controlled Taiz has been under Houthi siege since the beginning of the civil war. CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that the Chinese and Australian sides had a candid exchange of views on some issues concerning their differences, and have agreed to properly manage those differences in a manner consistent with the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. MOGADISHU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The African Union's (AU) senior envoy to Somalia has reassured Somalis that the withdrawal of troops from the country will not lead to a "security vacuum." AU Special Representative for Somalia Mohamed El-Amine Souef said the pan-African body will not abandon Somalia even as the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) prepares to withdraw an additional 4,000 troops by the end of June. "Even as ATMIS troops drawdown, we will ensure there is no security vacuum," Souef said after a two-day visit to Jowhar, south-central Somalia, according to a statement issued in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Saturday night. He said the transition will be well coordinated between the federal member states (FMS), the Somali government, and international partners. During the visit, Souef lauded the Burundian troops for their efforts in countering and degrading al-Shabab, urging them to remain vigilant and work closely with the Somali security forces and the local community. The visit is part of the AU envoy's tour of the FMS to assess the operational preparedness, welfare, and morale of troops as the African body prepares a follow-up mission after the exit of ATMIS. "We came to assess the work of our contingent, and everybody we met spoke highly of our contingent, including the president, the civil society representatives, the elders, and the local authority officials. They mentioned our contingent's commitment, experience, and willingness to support and assist in terms of civil-military cooperation and security," Souef said. According to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2710 (2023), ATMIS is mandated to withdraw 4,000 troops in the third phase of troop withdrawal and be replaced by Somali security forces. Souef praised the UN and ATMIS personnel stationed in Jowhar for their commitment and sacrifice to the peacebuilding process in Somalia. He expressed confidence in Somalia's recent election to the UN Security Council, its admission to the East African Community, and the lifting of the arms embargo as positive signs for the country's future and the entire continent. ATMIS withdrew 5,000 troops from Somalia and handed over 17 military bases to the Somali security forces during the first and second phases of the drawdown concluded in 2023. Marius Ngendabanka, ATMIS deputy force Commander in charge of operations and plans, reiterated the AU mission's commitment to strengthening peacebuilding efforts in the region and working with the Somali National Army to secure Hirshabelle State. "We are here to help Somalia restore peace and stability, and we will continue working toward achieving this noble goal," Ngendabanka said. BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Australian governments on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restart strategic economic dialogue with a focus on forward-looking economic issues. Both countries have agreed to enhance communication and exchange with the aim of fostering practical and effective economic cooperation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner. The signature of the MoU was witnessed by leaders of the two countries. Liu Sushe, deputy head of the NDRC, and Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers represented their respective governments at the signing ceremony. In the Australian capital Canberra on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, calling for opposing camp confrontation and "new Cold War." Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This aerial photo taken on Aug. 20, 2022 shows Saihanba National Forest Park in Chengde City, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) "China is one of those countries that really are extremely advanced in terms of land restoration in many of these deserts," said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). by Xinhua writer Wang Nan, Ge Chen BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- As Monday marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the pressing challenge of land degradation and desertification has once again aroused global attention. China, one of the countries with the severest desertification, has made significant progress in curbing the expansion of deserts after decades of relentless efforts, taking the lead in achieving zero net land degradation worldwide. From 2009 to 2019, desertified land in China had a net decrease of 50,000 square km, a significant change compared with an expansion of 3,436 square km a year at the end of the last century, according to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration. How has China made such a great achievement? More importantly, what does it mean to the world? An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua) INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS "China is one of those countries that really are extremely advanced in terms of land restoration in many of these deserts," said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Over the decades, China has kept exploring new technologies and innovative methods to combat desertification. To prevent traffic arteries and newly planted grasses and trees from being quickly engulfed by moving dunes, the "straw checkerboards" -- a dune fixation technique in which straw is placed on the desert surface in the shape of a checkerboard -- were applied over 60 years ago in Zhongwei, a city near the Tengger Desert in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Within the checkerboards, the surface of the sand forms a hard crust over time which prevents the sand from moving. Now, Chinese researchers have developed many new technologies to control the sand such as using lab-cultured cyanobacteria to form biological soil crusts on the surface of the sand, which can cut the crust formation time from 10 years to only one year. In addition, intelligent and innovative equipment has been developed and applied to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of sand control, such as the walk-behind paving machine that can more efficiently "plant" straw nets and the AI-powered automated seeding machine. China also has been promoting the precise sand control method, such as adjusting the density of afforestation according to the capacity of local water resources, avoiding the decline of young and medium-sized trees, and realizing a sustainable growth of vegetation. Thanks to decades of sand control efforts, China has achieved the historic transition from desert displacing human settlement to green oasis replacing desert. China has cultivated the world's largest man-made forest in Saihanba in northern China's Hebei Province, and created a China model of sand control by greening and transforming the vast desert in Kubuqi, Inner Mongolia. This photo taken in June 2023 shows a part of the experimental demonstration zone for ecological restoration of desertified grasslands jointly built by Chinese and Mongolian scientists on the northern outskirts of Choir, capital city of Mongolia's Gobi Soumber Province. (Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography/Handout via Xinhua) GLOBAL COOPERATION While taking the lead in combating desertification over the past decades, China has extensively carried out international exchanges and cooperation, sharing its experience with countries that face similar challenges. In 1977, China shared the anti-desertification technique used in Zhongwei at the UN Conference on Desertification in Nairobi. Now the technique, which is convenient, cheap and environment-friendly, remains a crucial way of stopping sand encroachment worldwide. Since 2005, researchers from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been sharing mature desertification control technologies with Central Asia and Africa through workshops and field practice. "China has a lot of experience in restoring degraded areas and making them productive, so we need to strengthen our long-term relationship with China in terms of transferring knowledge, technologies, and also in capacity building," said Endrias Geta, state minister of the Ethiopian Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands, when attending a desertification control training workshop held in June last year by the XIEG. Uzbek scientists have long collaborated with Chinese scientists in seeking solutions for ecological crisis in the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake which shrunk drastically from 67,000 square km in 1960 to just 6,000 in 2020. Over the years, research institutes from both sides have set up several demonstration zones for water-saving fields and introduced various water-saving technologies to the region. China has been actively fulfilling its obligations under the UNCCD, establishing an International Knowledge Management Center on Combating Desertification in Ningxia in December 2019, which aims to share China's wisdom and experience in combating desertification with other countries all over the world. Desertification control is a vital task not only for the above-mentioned regions but also with global significance, said Zhang Linxiu, director of the UN Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership. A sustainable and prosperous future requires concerted efforts of all countries. CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The following is the full text of the Statement on Joint Outcomes of the China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting released on Monday. Statement on Joint Outcomes of the China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting I. At the invitation of The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, H.E. Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, undertook an official visit to Australia from 15 to 18 June 2024. Premier Li Qiang visited Adelaide, Canberra and Perth during his visit. II. During the visit to Canberra on 17 June, Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Albanese held talks, jointly convened the Annual Leaders' Meeting and briefed media. During the Annual Leaders' Meeting, leaders exchanged views on China-Australia relations, as well as on important regional and international issues. III. The leaders reaffirmed their support for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, on the tenth anniversary of its establishment, and reiterated the importance of a mature, stable, and constructive bilateral relationship. Consistent with the Statement on Joint Outcomes issued in Beijing in November 2023, the two sides reiterated the importance of the 1972 Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and Australia and restated their commitment to their respective national policies and positions contained therein, including mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, stable development and Australia's commitment to its one-China policy. They agreed to continue to grow the bilateral relationship and uphold their respective national interests. They agreed both sides would continue to navigate their differences wisely. IV. The leaders acknowledged the importance of regular engagement between leaders, ministers and officials on both sides in support of the ongoing stabilization and development of the bilateral relationship. They welcomed the progress that had been made to hold key bilateral dialogues since the last Annual Leaders' Meeting in November 2023, including the Foreign and Strategic Dialogue, and Joint Ministerial Economic Commission. They confirmed plans to resume the Strategic Economic Dialogue in 2024. V. The two sides once again reaffirmed the importance of the UN Charter and the WTO. They agreed to continue to work together in the United Nations, WTO, G20, APEC, East Asia Summit and other multilateral platforms. The two sides attached importance to cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP). VI. The two sides welcomed the further increase of people-to-people exchanges and highlighted the important role these played in deepening the bilateral relationship. They welcomed the increasing number of students, tourists and business people travelling in both directions, underpinned by the growing number of direct flights. They welcomed the implementation of arrangements to facilitate exchanges, including reciprocal access to multi-entry visas of up to three to five years' duration for business, tourism, and visiting family members. They welcomed the important role played by the China-Australia High Level Dialogue, and plan to hold the next session later this year in Adelaide. Australia and China welcomed cooperation on the conservation of Giant Pandas. VII. The leaders witnessed the signature of MOUs on Education and Research, Climate Change, the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, Further Enhancing the Implementation of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the 15th Implementation Program for Cultural Exchanges for 2024-2027 under the 1981 Agreement on Cultural Cooperation. VIII. The leaders agreed to continue or expand engagement in: Political dialogue, including through the Defence Strategic Dialogue and Defence Coordination Dialogue, and convening an initial session of a bilateral Maritime Affairs Dialogue; Bilateral trade, including through the leaders' participation in the China-Australia CEO Roundtable meeting in Perth on 18 June; welcoming the implementation of the Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangement; progressing the implementation of the RCEP; and welcoming the signature of MOUs on standards, measurement, intellectual property, competition and food safety; Climate change, energy and environment, including through recommencing bilateral climate change and energy dialogues, holding the Eighth China-Australia Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change in 2024 in Australia and commencing technical cooperation on soil carbon testing and climate-smart agriculture practices; People-to-people links, including through expanding cooperation to boost traveler numbers between China and Australia, and other exchanges in culture, sports, education, innovation, academia, aviation, health and tourism; Border enforcement, through increased cooperation to combat illicit tobacco and vape smuggling, building on existing bilateral law enforcement cooperation in our mutual interest on counter-narcotics, and transnational and organized crime. IX. The leaders agreed to convene the next Annual Leaders' Meeting in 2025. Australia welcomed the invitation of the Chinese side for Australian leaders to visit China at a mutually convenient time. ISLAMABAD, June 16 (Xinhua) -- One of the two Japanese climbers who were climbing a northern mountain in Pakistan has been found dead, local authorities told Xinhua. The two climbers were attempting to scale the 7,027-meter Mount Spantik in the Karakoram range before they went missing last week, Wali Ullah Falahi, deputy commissioner of Shigar district in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, told Xinhua on Sunday. The dead body was found Saturday noon 300 to 350 meters down between Camp 2 and Camp 3, Falahi said. He said the two climbers were part of a group of seven other Japanese climbers who started their expedition from May 30 onwards and went together to the base camp, which is around 4,350 meters high. The two independent climbers from the base camp started the expedition of reaching the Spantik Peak, also known as Golden Peak, in Alpine style without having any porter, Falahi said. After crossing the camp 2 which is around 5,300 meters, the seven climbers didn't find any footprint of the two independent climbers, he said, adding, "On June 12 we got information and then coordinated the search operation." Pakistani army helicopters, along with the high-altitude porters, took part in the search operation and located the dead body, according to Falahi. Musicians perform at the "Harmony in Translation: Fu Lei Meets Beethoven" concert in Valletta, Malta, June 16, 2024. Beethoven's masterpieces came together with texts by a renowned Chinese translator on Sunday night for a concert in Malta called: "Harmony in Translation: Fu Lei Meets Beethoven. "The performance by a trio featuring Niu Ruixin and Pierre-Henri Xuereb on the viola, and Pascal Mantin on the piano was held at the China Cultural Center in Malta. Fu Lei is famous for his contributions to Chinese literature as a translator of French classics, including works by Rolland, Balzac, Voltaire, and Hippolyte Taine. One of Fu's first translations was Rolland's "Beethoven." (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) VALLETTA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Beethoven's masterpieces came together with texts by a renowned Chinese translator on Sunday night for a concert in Malta called: "Harmony in Translation: Fu Lei Meets Beethoven." The performance by a trio featuring Niu Ruixin and Pierre-Henri Xuereb on the viola, and Pascal Mantin on the piano was held at the China Cultural Center in Malta. Fu Lei is famous for his contributions to Chinese literature as a translator of French classics, including works by Rolland, Balzac, Voltaire, and Hippolyte Taine. One of Fu's first translations was Rolland's "Beethoven." The audience enjoyed Beethoven's music, accompanied by excerpts from Fu Lei's translation of "Beethoven" and passages from "Fu Lei's Family Letters," a collection of correspondence between Fu and his two sons. Audience member Nicholas Galea Testaferrata described the concert as a "fresh interpretation" of Beethoven's music, and an excellent opportunity for audiences to learn about Fu and his literary works. Another concertgoer, Carol Lee, expressed her intention to explore more of Fu's translations. She said the concert had provided a platform to learn more about Chinese culture. Meanwhile, Director of the China Cultural Center Yuan Yuan emphasized the timeless beauty of Beethoven's compositions, and the profound impact of Fu's translations in bridging gaps between cultures. Musicians perform at the "Harmony in Translation: Fu Lei Meets Beethoven" concert in Valletta, Malta, June 16, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) OUAGADOUGOU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- An al-Qaida affiliate claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Tuesday that killed more than 100 Burkina Faso soldiers in Mansila, in the northeastern part of the country, the SITE Intelligence Group said on Sunday. According to the jihadist threat monitoring portal cited by local media, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, a militant jihadist group associated with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the assault in the Mansila area near the border with Niger. According to a statement published on Saturday by the Mansila Pupils' and Students' Association on its Facebook page, "ill-intentioned individuals" attacked the military detachment, houses, and shops on Tuesday. The government of Burkina Faso has not yet issued a statement on the attack. Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) LOS ANGELES, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze was 2 percent contained as of Sunday afternoon and has damaged two structures. Cal Fire warned in a Sunday update that "slightly higher temperatures and lower humidity are expected to continue through the weekend, residents are reminded to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate if fire activity changes." The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory, urging residents in the area impacted by smoke to limit their exposure by remaining indoors or seeking alternate shelter. Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) A firefighter operates at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) Firefighters operate at a site of the Post Fire in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States on June 16, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) This photo taken on June 16, 2024 shows burnt cars at the backyard of an auto repair shop in Gorman, about 100 km north of Los Angeles, California, the United States. A fast-moving wildfire has burned over 12,200 acres (about 49.4 square km) overnight in Southern California, forcing at least 1,200 people to evacuate from a popular recreation area, authorities said Sunday. The wind-driven wildfire, dubbed the Post Fire, started Saturday afternoon in Gorman, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Xinhua) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China is advancing Chinese modernization in all respects through high-quality development, and its mega-market will continuously unleash new demands and growth vitality, which will provide important development opportunities for Australia and the rest of the world. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Governor-General of Australia David Hurley. A group of 25 students from over 10 countries visited the Baijitan national nature reserve in northwest China's Ningxia on Friday, marveling at China's efforts in combating desertification. #GLOBALink HARARE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died Sunday night in Rusape, a town in Manicaland Province, after a bus carrying passengers from a church festival caught fire, state broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday. Fourteen others, three of whom were in critical condition, have been hospitalized, the broadcaster said, quoting National Shrines Chairperson of the Anglican Church Edwin Selemani. Zimbabwean Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi told Xinhua Monday morning that he is heading for the scene of the tragedy and would give more details later. PRAGUE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and another 8 injured on Monday in an ammunition explosion at a military training area in Libava, east Czech Republic, according to the Czech army. "One professional soldier died during the explosion in the Libava military training area," the Czech Armed Forces said on the social media platform X. It added that another seven soldiers and one civilian employee were taken to hospitals in Olomouc. In a previous post on X, the Czech Armed Forces said around noon that they were dealing with "a serious accident" in the Libava military training area. The incident is investigated by the military police. BEIRUT, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Hezbollah member was killed, and three civilians were injured on Monday in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanese villages, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. The sources, who spoke anonymously, said the Hezbollah member was killed after an Israeli drone targeted his car with two air-to-surface missiles as he arrived in front of his house in the southwestern Selaa village in the Tyre district. The slain Hezbollah fighter was identified as Mohammad Mustafa Ayoub, an expert in manufacturing military equipment. He also engaged in the group's activities in the western sector of the border area of southern Lebanon. In a separate incident, an Israeli drone fired two missiles at a house in the southeastern village of Mays al-Jabal, destroying it and wounding three civilians, including a girl who was transferred to the hospital for treatment, according to the sources. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. KABUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Leader of the Afghan caretaker government Hibatullah Akhundzada on Monday called upon Afghans to stay united and support his administration, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The elusive leader of Afghanistan made the call in his speech after leading Eid al-Adha prayers in Kandahar city, the capital of the southern Kandahar province, on Monday morning, local media outlet TOLOnews reported, based on an audio-recorded speech. "Brothers, accept the plague, but not disunity, because disunity is the worst disease. I do not want disunity among Afghans. If a group of people removes me, I will be happy, but I will not be happy with division among them," TOLOnews quoted Akhundzada's speech received by the private media outlet as saying. Afghans have started from Monday to celebrate the three-day Eid al-Adha holiday, the largest religious festival every year, with fervor and solemnity amid tight security. Earlier on Friday, in a congratulatory message before Eid al-Adha, the leader said that Afghanistan seeks to establish political and economic relations with all countries across the world. HANGZHOU, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A direct air route linking the eastern Chinese City of Hangzhou and Melbourne in Australia has been launched, marking the establishment of a new round-trip flight route from Hangzhou to Oceania. The first flight on the route took off from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, with over 330 passengers on board. Outbound flights, with flight number JD385, depart from Hangzhou every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3:55 p.m. local time, and arrive in Melbourne at 5 a.m. local time the next day. Inbound flights, with flight number JD386, depart from Melbourne at 7 a.m. local time every Monday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in Hangzhou at 3:55 p.m. local time the same day. "The launch of the direct flight between Hangzhou and Melbourne will save passengers four to seven hours of transfer time, and the load factor is expected to exceed 80 percent," said Fan Yingying, an executive from the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Co., Ltd. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province, a manufacturing and trade hub in east China. China has been Australia's largest trading partner, export market and import source for 15 consecutive years, since 2009. In 2023, bilateral trade in goods increased 4.1 percent year on year, while Australian investment in China increased 11.7 percent compared to the previous year. China is also the main importer of agricultural and mineral products from Australia. YINCHUAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Today, they have also gained popularity among consumers in countries and regions such as Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia and the ASEAN. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, one of China's major goji berry-producing regions, exported 1,331.2 tonnes of goji berries in the first four months of 2024, an increase of 15.3 percent year on year, according to Yinchuan Customs in the regional capital. Ningxia's goji berries have a good international reputation and have ranked first in export volume and value for years in China. At Ningxia Wolfberry Goji Industry Co., Ltd., a leading goji berry producer in the region, about 800 boxes of dried goji berries totaling 14.5 tonnes were sorted and packaged on automatic production lines before being exported to the United States just this month. With improved international trade, the company has been steadily resuming exports. Its export value skyrocketed 145.3 percent year on year to hit 58 million yuan (about 8.15 million U.S. dollars) in the first four months of the year, according to Wang Fei, its foreign trade manager. "While ensuring the export volume of our primary processed product, dried goji berries, we are also increasing investment in science and technology to develop new products like goji berry juice, freeze-dried powder and compound beverages, meaning we are expanding our industrial chain and overseas markets," Wang said. Goji berries are a Ningxia specialty known for their nutritional value, and they have gained attention for their health benefits, having properties that can help protect the liver, improve eyesight and conserve strength. Diverse, high-quality goji berry products have also helped Ningxia expand its overseas markets. The region has built a national research institute and a national quality testing and inspection center for goji berry products, making breakthroughs in both quality improvement and deep processing. Data shows that Ningxia has developed more than 120 new goji berry products, including medicines, food, drinks and cosmetics, which have been exported to more than 50 countries and regions around the world. It reported an annual industrial goji berry output of 29 billion yuan in 2023. Burgeoning tourism is also improving the added value of Ningxia's goji berry industry, as tourists regularly purchase the red fruits as presents or souvenirs to bring home. By the end of 2023, the goji berry planting area in Ningxia covered 325,000 mu (about 21,667 hectares), with an annual fresh goji berry output of 320,000 tonnes. According to a goji berry development plan of Ningxia, the region's annual industrial goji berry output is expected to reach 100 billion yuan by 2030. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the 26th meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, will hold its 10th session in Beijing from June 25 to 28. The decision, announced on Monday, was made during a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the standing committee. According to the proposed agenda, national lawmakers will deliberate a draft law on emergency response and management, a draft organic law for rural collective economy, a draft financial stability law and a draft preschool education law. They will review draft revisions to the frontier health and quarantine law, the public security administration punishments law, the cultural relics protection law and the mineral resources law, respectively. A draft amendment to the accounting law will also be tabled at the session, according to the agenda. In addition, lawmakers will review a draft decision on adjusting the application of the food safety law in the Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as two bills concerning the Minamata Convention on Mercury and an extradition treaty between China and Panama, respectively. TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated on Sunday the two countries' commitment to further improving ties, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office. The two leaders made the remarks during a phone call, during which they also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, including the situation in Gaza. Aiming to increase their annual bilateral trade to 10 billion U.S. dollars in the near future, Iran and Pakistan should make efforts to swiftly remove the obstacles in the field of economic and trade cooperation, said Mokhber. The Iranian interim president added Iran always viewed Pakistan as its "strategic companion and partner," underscoring Iran's commitment to improving their ties in all areas. The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, also voiced his country's willingness to further cement and strengthen its relations with Iran, particularly in the area of trade and economy, reaffirming his government's commitment to reaching the trade target, according to the Iranian statement. Sharif also wished Iran success in its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for June 28, according to the statement. CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that the most important experience and inspiration drawn from the development of China-Australia relations over the past decade is to uphold mutual respect, seek common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. A buyer (R) selects wild mushrooms at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2024. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) An internet influener promotes wild mushrooms via livestream at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2024. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) A person washes wild mushrooms at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2024. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) This combo photo taken on June 17, 2024 shows wild mushrooms at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Wild mushrooms are seen at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2024. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) People buy wild mushrooms at a trade market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2024. The peak harvest season for wild edible fungi, a beloved seasonal delicacy in Yunnan has arrived, attracting many buyers. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China is ready to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples. Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Li noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Australia and the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. Looking back at the development of China-Australia relations over the past decade, the most important experience and inspiration is to uphold mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and seek common ground while shelving differences, he said. Since Prime Minister Albanese's visit to China last November, China and Australia have further restored and developed dialogues and cooperation in various fields, achieving a comprehensive turnaround in bilateral relations, Li said. He said that China is willing to work with Australia to maintain and develop the current hard-won positive momentum of bilateral relations. The essential characteristics of China-Australia relations, said Li, are mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and the development of China and Australia is an opportunity rather than a challenge to each other. China is willing to stick to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia, give full play to the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue and other mechanisms, continuously boost trade, actively expand cooperation in new energy vehicles, renewable energy power generation and other fields, and strengthen sub-national, cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation, he said. Li also expressed the hope that the Australian side can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, and provide more convenience for personnel exchanges between the two sides. China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, oppose bloc confrontation and a "new Cold War" from the perspective of maintaining regional peace and stability, adhere to openness, inclusiveness and common development, and work together to advance regional economic integration and build an open world economy, Li said. Full Text: Statement on Joint Outcomes of the China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) The European Commission's plan to impose additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) will only hurt ourselves, said a Spanish commerce official in a recent interview with Xinhua. #GLOBALink #tariff #EVs BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to the alumni association of the Huangpu Military Academy on the centennial of the academy and the 40th anniversary of the alumni association. On behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended warm congratulations to the alumni association of the academy and sincere greetings to alumni and their relatives at home and abroad. The Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy, born out of the first cooperation between the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and the CPC, stood as the first academy cultivating military officers for the Chinese revolution, Xi said in the letter. The alumni association of the academy, a CPC-led patriotic mass organization connecting the academy's alumni and their relatives at home and abroad, has served the overall development of the Party and the country and played a positive part in expanding exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, opposing separatism seeking "Taiwan independence," and pushing forward national reunification, Xi said. He urged the alumni association to carry on the patriotic and revolutionary tradition of the Huangpu Military Academy, firmly oppose separatism seeking "Taiwan independence" and promote national reunification, and pool wisdom and strength for realizing the Chinese dream. He expressed the hope that alumni and their relatives at home and abroad would take an active part in Chinese modernization and contribute to the building of a strong country and the realization of national rejuvenation. The academy was founded in south China's Guangzhou in June 1924. GAZA, June 16 (Xinhua) -- "If you ask anyone in Gaza what their (holiday) wish is, they will, without a second thought, say it's for the war to stop and for life to return to how it was," said Intisar, a displaced Palestinian woman on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Intisar was busy arranging a tent for the displaced on the beach of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, where the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has shattered the joy and sweetness of the Eid al-Adha holiday, when the locals used to decorate homes and meet with families and friends. According to Islamic traditions, Muslim families buy cattle, usually a goat or sheep, as a sacrifice in the early morning of Eid al-Adha and distribute the meat to the poor as a charity gift. "Overnight, we have become displaced people who have no hope of surviving this deadly war," her husband Samer Awad told Xinhua, recalling recurrent Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza. The conflict and massive strikes on the Gaza Strip have brought heavy losses to civilian lives and properties and forced 1.9 million into internal displacement since October 2023, according to figures released by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator. "On this day last year, my children were busy wearing new clothes and playing with their friends," the 45-year-old man lamented. This year, instead, due to the war in Gaza, they have to wait in a long queue to collect fresh water, the father of seven lamented about the grueling hardship in Gaza where the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has lasted for more than eight months. Children in the war-torn Palestinian enclave have to spend six to eight hours a day collecting water and food, often carrying heavy weights and walking long distances, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said. "Sweets have disappeared from my destroyed house. I don't know if we will ever return to our living areas and rebuild our homes. They (the Israeli army) killed everything in our lives. They killed the hope in us," Intisar said. Palestinians used to celebrate the holiday by decorating streets and alleys, slaughtering sacrificial animals, exchanging visits to offer greetings, and children and young people by visiting parks and playgrounds in the Strip with their families to have fun. All the holiday rituals, however, were absent from the family of Ahmed Mansour, who was displaced from his home in Gaza City after October 2023. "I was not able to buy new clothes for my children and we could not prepare the cakes. In short, this holiday came without joy," the 35-year-old father of three told Xinhua. Israel has been launching a large-scale war on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a military attack on Israeli towns near the Strip, killing about 1,200 and capturing around 250 others. Nevertheless, Mansour's children chanted "Eid had come" among the sheltering tents through loudspeakers and sang songs to bring comfort and happiness to the displaced Palestinian families. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that a greater development for China-Australia ties requires joint efforts from both sides. Over the past few years, bilateral relations have returned to the right track after twists and turns, which was not easy to achieve, Li said when meeting with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick. He emphasized the important role that the legislative bodies of both countries play in promoting bilateral ties. The economic structures of China and Australia are highly complementary, and there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation, said Li, expressing the hope that the Parliament of Australia will actively support practical cooperation between the two countries and provide a sound legal guarantee and political atmosphere for that end. Given the different history, culture and social systems of China and Australia, it is normal that the two countries have different views on some issues, and the key is to strengthen communication and dialogue to enhance understanding and dispel misgivings, said Li. He emphasized that correct understanding should be built on the foundation of genuine knowledge. China supports the legislative bodies of both countries in strengthening exchanges, he noted, adding that members of the Parliament of Australia are welcome to visit China more often to gain a firsthand understanding of China's development and changes, and play a positive role in enhancing correct mutual understanding. Australia is glad to observe the positive momentum of stable development in its relationship with China, and the Parliament of Australia is ready to strengthen dialogue and communication with China to continuously boost bilateral relations for the benefit of the two countries' people, according to Lines and Dick. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) PRAGUE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were injured on Monday in an ammunition explosion at a military training area in Libava, east Czech Republic, the Czech News Agency (CTK) reported. Citing local hospital sources, the CTK said nine soldiers were injured, and two of them were transported to hospital by helicopter. The Czech Armed Forces said on the social media platform X around noon that they were dealing with "a serious accident" in the Libava military training area, where unspecified ammunition exploded. "Unfortunately, there were injuries at the scene," the Czech Armed Forces said, adding that the incident was being handled by the military police. MOGADISHU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said on Sunday that it has handed over the Barire military base to the Somali security forces, marking the start of the third phase of the troop drawdown. ATMIS said the military base, which is located in the Lower Shabelle region under the ATMIS Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces since 2019, holds strategic significance as it serves as a buffer zone about 60 km west of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. "This transfer of the Barire military base is not just a transfer of physical assets, but it symbolizes the progress we have made together in our shared mission," ATMIS Uganda Contingent Commander Anthony Lukwago Mbuusi said in a statement issued in Mogadishu. "Together, we will continue to work toward a brighter future for Somalia, one built on cooperation, mutual respect, and the common goal of finding lasting peace," said Mbuusi who handed over the base to Muhudin Ahmed, the Somali National Army (SNA) representative. Ahmed lauded ATMIS Uganda troops for their commitment to the transition and their sacrifice in ensuring peace returns to Somalia. He said the SNA would continue to secure Barire town and its inhabitants from Al-Shabaab attacks and other illegal armed groups. The AU mission withdrew 5,000 troops from Somalia and handed over 17 military bases to the Somali Security Forces during the first and second phases of the drawdown concluded in 2023. The third phase of the ATMIS drawdown is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2628 (2022), 2670 (2022), and 2710 (2023), which mandate ATMIS to withdraw 4,000 troops by the end of June 2024. HARARE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean police said on Monday that they have retrieved the charred bodies of six people who died Sunday evening when a bus they were traveling in caught fire near the town of Rusape in Manicaland Province. Giving an update on the accident, Paul Nyathi, national police spokesperson, told Xinhua over the phone that two people were still missing, raising fears that the death toll could be slightly higher than the seven which has initially been reported. Eight other people were still in hospital after suffering various injuries, including burns, he added. The bus, which has 66 passengers on board, was taking members of the Anglican Church back home from a pilgrimage in Marondera, a city about 80 km southeast of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. "We will need to carry out DNA tests to ascertain their identities because they were badly burnt," Nyathi said, adding that investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire. File photo taken on Nov. 18, 2023 shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (C), former Israeli Defense Minister and leader of the National Unity Party Benny Gantz at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli media reported on June 17, 2024 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the security cabinet Sunday night that the war cabinet, which was created on Oct. 11, has been officially disbanded. (JINI/Handout via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli media reported on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the security cabinet Sunday night that the war cabinet, which was created on Oct. 11, has been officially disbanded. File photo taken on Nov. 18, 2023 shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (C), former Israeli Defense Minister and leader of the National Unity Party Benny Gantz at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli media reported on June 17, 2024 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the security cabinet Sunday night that the war cabinet, which was created on Oct. 11, has been officially disbanded. (JINI/Handout via Xinhua) Libyans are struggling with unexpectedly high livestock prices as the country is embracing the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. by Xinhua writer Wang Nan, Ge Chen BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- As Monday marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the pressing challenge of land degradation and desertification has once again aroused global attention. China, one of the countries with the severest desertification, has made significant progress in curbing the expansion of deserts after decades of relentless efforts, taking the lead in achieving zero net land degradation worldwide. From 2009 to 2019, desertified land in China had a net decrease of 50,000 square km, a significant change compared with an expansion of 3,436 square km a year at the end of the last century, according to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration. How has China made such a great achievement? More importantly, what does it mean to the world? INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS "China is one of those countries that really are extremely advanced in terms of land restoration in many of these deserts," said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Over the decades, China has kept exploring new technologies and innovative methods to combat desertification. To prevent traffic arteries and newly planted grasses and trees from being quickly engulfed by moving dunes, the "straw checkerboards" -- a dune fixation technique in which straw is placed on the desert surface in the shape of a checkerboard -- were applied over 60 years ago in Zhongwei, a city near the Tengger Desert in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Within the checkerboards, the surface of the sand forms a hard crust over time which prevents the sand from moving. Now, Chinese researchers have developed many new technologies to control the sand such as using lab-cultured cyanobacteria to form biological soil crusts on the surface of the sand, which can cut the crust formation time from 10 years to only one year. In addition, intelligent and innovative equipment has been developed and applied to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of sand control, such as the walk-behind paving machine that can more efficiently "plant" straw nets and the AI-powered automated seeding machine. China also has been promoting the precise sand control method, such as adjusting the density of afforestation according to the capacity of local water resources, avoiding the decline of young and medium-sized trees, and realizing a sustainable growth of vegetation. Thanks to decades of sand control efforts, China has achieved the historic transition from desert displacing human settlement to green oasis replacing desert. China has cultivated the world's largest man-made forest in Saihanba in northern China's Hebei Province, and created a China model of sand control by greening and transforming the vast desert in Kubuqi, Inner Mongolia. GLOBAL COOPERATION While taking the lead in combating desertification over the past decades, China has extensively carried out international exchanges and cooperation, sharing its experience with countries that face similar challenges. In 1977, China shared the anti-desertification technique used in Zhongwei at the UN Conference on Desertification in Nairobi. Now the technique, which is convenient, cheap and environment-friendly, remains a crucial way of stopping sand encroachment worldwide. Since 2005, researchers from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been sharing mature desertification control technologies with Central Asia and Africa through workshops and field practice. "China has a lot of experience in restoring degraded areas and making them productive, so we need to strengthen our long-term relationship with China in terms of transferring knowledge, technologies, and also in capacity building," said Endrias Geta, state minister of the Ethiopian Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands, when attending a desertification control training workshop held in June last year by the XIEG. Uzbek scientists have long collaborated with Chinese scientists in seeking solutions for ecological crisis in the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake which shrunk drastically from 67,000 square km in 1960 to just 6,000 in 2020. Over the years, research institutes from both sides have set up several demonstration zones for water-saving fields and introduced various water-saving technologies to the region. China has been actively fulfilling its obligations under the UNCCD, establishing an International Knowledge Management Center on Combating Desertification in Ningxia in December 2019, which aims to share China's wisdom and experience in combating desertification with other countries all over the world. Desertification control is a vital task not only for the above-mentioned regions but also with global significance, said Zhang Linxiu, director of the UN Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership. A sustainable and prosperous future requires concerted efforts of all countries. JERUSALEM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel's defense exports reached an all-time high of 13.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, the country's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday. The statement noted that this is the third year in a row that the record has been broken and represents a doubling of the total amount within five years. The ministry said missile and rocket air defense systems accounted for 36 percent of the total export volume, up from 19 percent in 2022. Next on the defense exports list were radar and electronic warfare equipment, as well as weapon stations and launchers, with each of the two sectors accounting for 11 percent of the total amount. Geographically, Israeli defense exports to Asia and the Pacific Region accounted for 48 percent of the total, Europe 35 percent, North America 9 percent, Central and South America 4 percent, Africa 1 percent, and several regional states together 3 percent. Director General of the Defense Ministry Eyal Zamir said the ministry's strategic approach to purchasing from local production during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip is expected to further boost Israel's global defense exports. OSLO, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Norway is set to increase financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by 100 million Norwegian kroner (9.3 million U.S. dollars), the government announced on Monday. The new funding was revealed during a visit by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to Norway. The aid increase comes in addition to the 275 million Norwegian kroner that Norway had already contributed earlier this year. "UNRWA and other UN organizations' ability to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid, including health care and education, to people living amid war and conflict, is fundamental to a world order based on international law," said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. UNRWA represents the international community's commitment to Palestinian refugees until a political solution is found, Eide underlined, highlighting the importance of continued support for the organization from Norway and other countries. Since the conflict in Gaza started in October 2023, nearly 200 UNRWA staff members have been killed. The organization's personnel, schools, and hospitals all face daily attacks. Established in 1949, UNRWA has provided education, health care, shelter, and humanitarian aid to 6 million Palestinian refugees in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Governor-General of Australia David Hurley in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Tao) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China is advancing Chinese modernization in all respects through high-quality development, and its mega-market will continuously unleash new demands and growth vitality, which will provide important development opportunities for Australia and the rest of the world. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Governor-General of Australia David Hurley. While meeting with Hurley, Li first conveyed cordial greetings from President Xi Jinping to him. With the joint efforts of both sides, China-Australia relations have returned to the right track of steady and sound development, showing a positive momentum of continuous improvement, Li said. China is willing to work with Australia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, adhering to mutual respect, equality, and mutually beneficial cooperation to further consolidate and develop the current positive momentum, making the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership more mature, stable, and fruitful, thus better benefiting the people of both countries and contributing positively to regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity, Li said. Li pointed out that the economies of China and Australia are highly complementary, with their cooperation enjoying ample momentum, huge potential, and fruitful results. That has brought tangible benefits to people of both sides. Li expressed the willingness of China to work together with Australia to set win-win cooperation as the mainstream of bilateral relations. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Governor-General of Australia David Hurley in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) For his part, Hurley asked Li to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi. Australia and China have engaged in extensive cooperation, and their bilateral ties are brimming with vitality, said Hurley. He said that Australia stands ready to work with China to boost dialogue and cooperation in areas like economy and trade as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region and the world, and push forward the stable and sound development of the Australia-China comprehensive strategic partnership. JERUSALEM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his wartime cabinet, which was created on Oct. 11, 2023, an Israeli government official confirmed to Xinhua. The wartime cabinet was established days after the beginning of Israel's conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in order to discuss Israel's operations in the enclave and along the northern border against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally in the region. Netanyahu announced the decision during a security cabinet meeting on Sunday, according to the official. The disbanding of the wartime cabinet came as Itamar Ben-Gvir, a right-wing extremist minister of internal security, demanded to join it. His request came following the resignation of Benny Gantz, leader of the only centrist party in Netanyahu's coalition government, on June 9. The wartime cabinet consisted of three members - Netanyahu, Gantz, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who together made important decisions regarding the military campaign in Gaza. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Australian Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that the stable and continuous development of China-Australia relations best serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and is conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity. Li made the remarks when meeting with Australian Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. The Chinese premier noted that China is ready to work with various sectors of Australian society to further strengthen dialogue and communication, deepen mutual political trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly handle differences, so as to achieve new and greater development of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership and deliver more benefits to the two peoples. Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, China-Australia relations have long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries, as fruitful practical cooperation has brought big benefits to the people of both countries. This fully demonstrates the respective development of China and Australia is an important opportunity for each other. Li also expressed the hope that all walks of life in Australia will continue to view China's development objectively, support the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and contribute to the healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations. Stressing that the Chinese side considers Australia an important force in the world's multi-polarization process, Li said that China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Australia in multilateral fields, and work together to safeguard multilateralism, advocate free trade, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change. For his part, Dutton noted that the Australia-China relationship is of vital importance. He said the opposition is happy to see China's development and prosperity and regards China as a partner. He also expressed his hope that the relationship between Australia and China will develop steadily. The opposition is willing to maintain communication and exchanges with the Chinese side to continue deepening bilateral ties, he added. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Australian Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) YANGON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has launched the "One Tourist One Tree" campaign allowing international tourists to plant commemorative trees to encourage sustainable and responsible tourism, an official from the Tourism Promotion Department told Xinhua on Monday. The initiative, jointly launched by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, aims to mitigate the impact of climate-related disasters, he said. The campaign encourages the tourism sector to contribute to preserving the natural environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with tourism, he added. The campaign will take place annually from June to November in key tourist destinations such as Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, archaeological site Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake, Ngwe Saung Beach, and Chaungtha Beach, the official said. In the first four months of this year, Myanmar welcomed over 430,000 foreign tourists, with the majority coming from China, followed by Thailand, through visa arrangements. TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and another two remained trapped after a mine collapsed in the central Iranian province of Markazi on Sunday, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported. The mine collapsed at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) in Shazand County, when the drivers of two tip trucks and two excavators were inside the mine, according to IRNA. Two bodies have been pulled from the debris and search was underway for the other two individuals, IRNA reported. Managing Director of Markazi province's Red Crescent Society Alireza Shahrjerdi said there were "massive" amount of debris, noting that his society had sent 14 rescue teams to the mine. The four were trapped inside the mine due to a landslide, which occurred probably due to "unprincipled" explosions at the mine and the rainfall the day before, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The owner of the mine had been arrested following a judicial order, Mehdi Hashtroudi, Shazand County's public prosecutor, was quoted by Tasnim as saying. In a phone call with the Provincial Governor of Markazi Farzad Mokhlesolaemeh on Sunday, Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber called for the acceleration of the rescue operations, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office. VIENTIANE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto paid an official visit to Laos to further strengthen the longstanding relations and cooperation based on the strategic partnership between Laos and Hungary. Szijjarto visited Laos from June 13 to 14 at the invitation of Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, according to a press release by Laos' Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. During a meeting in Lao capital Vientiane, both sides highly valued the close relations between Laos and Hungary over the past 62 years, which have continued to be enhanced constantly on the basis of strategic partnership, mutual understanding, trust and assistance as reflected in the regular exchange of visits between senior leaders of the two countries and mutual assistance. The Hungarian minister and his Lao counterpart also took part in opening the Hungarian embassy in Vientiane on Friday, demonstrating the will of the Lao and Hungarian governments to further enhance bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to maintain a regular exchange of visits between senior leaders of the two countries, promote people-to-people exchanges, enhance tourism between Laos and Hungary, along with exchange and training between young diplomats. Both sides agreed to increase cooperation in other potential areas, including natural resources, environment, and education. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest. MANILA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Six people have died, including three children, and four others have been critically injured after the tricycle they were riding collided head-on with a truck on a highway in General Santos city in the southern Philippines, police said Monday. The police said the accident happened on Sunday afternoon while the three-wheeled vehicle carrying the victims was returning home from a beach resort after celebrating Father's Day. Five of the six fatalities, including a one-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, died at the scene, while another six-year-old girl died on the way to a local hospital. The four injured tricycle passengers, with ages ranging from seven to 13 years old, are being treated at the city's hospital. The police are looking into the possibility that the driver of the tricycle, who was among the dead, was under the influence of alcohol. People visit the 2024 Yorkville Exotic Car Show in Toronto, Canada, June 16, 2023. Featuring a variety of exotic cars, the annual event was held here on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People visit the 2024 Yorkville Exotic Car Show in Toronto, Canada, June 16, 2023. Featuring a variety of exotic cars, the annual event was held here on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People visit the 2024 Yorkville Exotic Car Show in Toronto, Canada, June 16, 2023. Featuring a variety of exotic cars, the annual event was held here on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People visit the 2024 Yorkville Exotic Car Show in Toronto, Canada, June 16, 2023. Featuring a variety of exotic cars, the annual event was held here on Sunday to celebrate Father's Day. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "We don't have our own vaccine capacity" and the U.S. propaganda effort "contributed even more salt into the wound," said Dr. Nina Castillo-Carandang, a former adviser to the World Health Organization and the Philippines government during the pandemic. WASHINGTON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret misinformation campaign to discredit Chinese vaccines in the Philippines, a nation severely impacted by the deadly virus, drawing widespread condemnation from public health experts, a Reuters investigation has found. This is the first time a media outlet has exposed this clandestine operation. "It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China," said Reuters in the investigation released Friday. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military's propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign, it said, adding that social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines -- China's Sinovac inoculation. Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus, meaning China is the virus in Tagalog, a major language of the Philippines. After Reuters asked X about the accounts, the social media company removed the profiles, determining they were part of a coordinated bot campaign based on activity patterns and internal data. The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden's presidency, Reuters found -- even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation. A senior Defense Department official acknowledged the U.S. military engaged in secret propaganda to disparage China's vaccine in the developing world, but declined to provide details, Reuters said. A spokesperson for the Philippines Department of Health said the "findings by Reuters deserve to be investigated and heard by the appropriate authorities of the involved countries." Some aid workers in the Philippines, when told of the U.S. military propaganda effort by Reuters, expressed outrage. Briefed on the Pentagon's secret anti-vax campaign by Reuters, some American public health experts condemned the program, saying it put civilians in jeopardy for potential geopolitical gain. "I don't think it's defensible," said Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine. "I'm extremely dismayed, disappointed and disillusioned to hear that the U.S. government would do that," said Lucey, noting the effort to stoke fear about Chinese inoculations risked undermining overall public trust in government health initiatives. According to the investigation, the Philippines had among the worst inoculation rates in Southeast Asia. Only 2.1 million of its 114 million population were fully vaccinated -- far short of the government's target of 70 million. In June 2021, COVID cases in the Philippines exceeded 1.3 million, and almost 24,000 Filipinos had died from the virus. The difficulty in vaccinating the population contributed to the worst death rate in the region. Some Filipino healthcare professionals and former officials contacted by Reuters were shocked by the U.S. anti-vax effort, which they say exploited an already vulnerable citizenry. "Why did you do it when people were dying? We were desperate," said Dr. Nina Castillo-Carandang, a former adviser to the World Health Organization and the Philippines government during the pandemic. "We don't have our own vaccine capacity" and the U.S. propaganda effort "contributed even more salt into the wound," she noted. "I'm sure that there are lots of people who died from COVID did not need to die from COVID," Esperanza Cabral, who served as health secretary under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was quoted by Reuters as saying. To implement the anti-vax campaign, the Defense Department overrode strong objections from top U.S. diplomats in Southeast Asia at the time, Reuters found. Sources involved in its planning and execution say that the Pentagon, which ran the program through the military's psychological operations center in Tampa, Florida, disregarded the collateral impact that such propaganda may have on innocent Filipinos. "We weren't looking at this from a public health perspective," a senior military officer involved in the program was cited by Reuters as saying. "We were looking at how we could drag China through the mud." In uncovering the secret U.S. military operation, Reuters interviewed more than two dozen current and former U.S. officials, military contractors, social media analysts and academic researchers. Reporters also reviewed Facebook, X and Instagram posts, technical data and documents about a set of fake social media accounts used by the U.S. military. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to the alumni association of the Huangpu Military Academy on the centennial of the academy and the 40th anniversary of the alumni association. #XinhuaNews by Pankaj Yadav NEW DELHI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Monday's train mishap in eastern India rose to eight, as more than 25 people were rescued from the mishap spot and admitted to a local hospital, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official reportedly told local media. According to him, those admitted to the hospital had non-fatal injuries. "Around 25 people have been injured, and they have been shifted to the nearby hospital. They have non-fatal injuries. The rescue operation is going on a war footing. We are trying to finish the rescue operation as soon as possible. Senior officials have already reached the site," media reports quoted NFR chief public relations officer Sabyasachi De as saying. "According to the preliminary information, the Kanchenjunga Express was hit from the rear by a goods train. We have information of eight deaths," the officer added. The accident occurred near the Rangapani railway station in Phansidewa area of the state's Darjeeling district at around 9:00 a.m. local time when a goods train crashed into the "Kanchanjunga Express" passenger train. The country's Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the West Bengal's State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were carrying out the rescue operation. "Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached site," said the minister in a post on X (erstwhile Twitter). A couple of compartments of the goods train were seen climbing atop the passengers train, as a few bogies of the passenger train were badly crushed under it. "Gas-cutters are being used to see through the rubble of the two trains for rescuing trapped passengers, if any," said a local cop over phone. President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Stephen Perry, recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal and honorary president of Britain's 48 Group Club, in London, Britain, June 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying) LONDON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua on Sunday met here with Stephen Perry, recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal and honorary president of Britain's 48 Group Club. Over the years, the 48 Group Club has made great contributions to promoting China-Britain economic and trade exchanges, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges, said Fu, who leads a delegation in Britain. Xinhua has always been committed to telling stories of China-Britain friendship well, especially those of the "icebreakers" who have been striving for the cause of China-Britain friendship from generation to generation, he said. Xinhua has spared no effort to carry forward the "ice-breaking spirit" and worked closely with the 48 Group Club to play a positive role in promoting the stable development of China-Britain relations, he added. Xinhua serves as an important window for the world to know China, and as an indispensable channel for the world to understand China's development, Perry said, adding that the 48 Group Club will continue its efforts to create more opportunities for trade between Britain and China. In 1953, British entrepreneurs represented by Jack Perry, father of Stephen Perry, kicked off a business trip to China, breaking the ice of ideology with courage, and taking the lead in opening up the channel of China-Britain trade exchanges. People walk on a street with destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) GAZA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- At least eight Palestinian merchants were killed in an Israeli attack as they were waiting for commercial trucks along a road in the Gaza Strip, according to sources from the health authorities in Gaza on Monday. None of the official Palestinian sources has provided further details. So far, the Israeli army has not commented on the matter. As of Monday, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,347, with 85,372 injuries, the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Monday that its operations continued in the central and southern Gaza Strip. "IDF troops are continuing intelligence-based, targeted operations in the area of Rafah. IDF troops located numerous weapons and struck a number of structures rigged with explosives that posed a threat to the forces," it said. "Over the past day, the troops eliminated armed terrorists in close-quarters combat. In addition, a number of military structures posing a threat to the troops and used by Hamas ... were destroyed," it added. People are seen on a street with destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man bakes bread among the rubble in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People walk on a street with destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People are seen on a street with destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People walk past destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People are seen on a street with destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 17, 2024. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and over 85,000 others injured in Gaza, in addition to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the health authorities in the enclave. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said on Monday that its troops have defeated about half of the Hamas forces in Gaza's Rafah. According to a military statement, soldiers from the 162nd Division, which has been fighting in Rafah for more than 40 days, have killed about 550 militants in the city, while 22 Israeli soldiers lost their lives during the battles. Two of the four Hamas battalions in Rafah are "on the verge of being defeated," the army said, adding that ground battles are still ongoing against the other two battalions. The Israeli forces gained "operational control" over the entire area between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, according to the army. "Now the forces on the ground are working to continue and complete the mission. It is estimated that it will take a few more weeks to complete the mission in Rafah," the army said. About 200 tunnel shafts and 25 tunnel routes, some crossing to Egypt and suspected to be utilized for smuggling activities, have been located, according to the statement. BEIRUT, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The celebration of Eid al-Adha in the southeastern Lebanese village of Kafr Kila was overshadowed by a dim and gloomy atmosphere this year as the village has fallen victim to the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. "Some people returned during Eid to check on their houses and properties and were shocked by the destruction," Khaled Ismail, 50, told Xinhua while wandering in the rubble of destroyed homes in the village. Kafr Kila is located on the Lebanon-Israel border, where tensions have escalated since Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The devastating conflict changed the Eid traditions for locals, with festive spirit replaced by sadness over destruction and neediness. "Local families used to exchange visits during Eid. However, this is no longer the case, especially for the defenseless residents who couldn't risk leaving their villages under current circumstances," Najla Daher, a 20-year-old woman from the southeastern village of Kfarchouba, told Xinhua. "Rockets and shells would come anytime in some areas, and the number of dead and wounded is rising almost daily," she said. In the southeastern village of Mays al-Jabal, where only 49 percent of houses survived the bombing, Khalil Qabalan told Xinhua the only thing that people can do is to recite the Quran verses for the deceased. "In the past, we used to buy sweets and clothes, attend Eid prayers, slaughter animals, and distribute the meat to relatives and neighbors. But now, we can only manage to scratch out a living," he said. Qabalan also expressed concern over the reconstruction in southern Lebanon, complaining about the high cost of rebuilding homes. "The construction of a single three-story building could cost 700,000 U.S. dollars, and establishing a small house costs around 150,000 dollars," he lamented, noting that the whole country is suffering from a deep financial crisis. The confrontations have led to a massive displacement of around 100,000 people in southern Lebanon, according to estimates by the Interior Ministry, coinciding with the country's severe financial crisis, which has caused the collapse of local currency, the devaluation of salaries, and the surge of unemployment and poverty rates. Hashem Haidar, the head of the Council for South Lebanon, told Xinhua, "The government has not yet decided to compensate people affected by the border conflict," noting that the country has suffered direct losses of more than 500 million dollars due to the deadly conflict, and the amount may exceed 1 billion dollars if indirect losses included. LUSAKA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Monday called for enhanced concerted efforts to tackle current and emerging challenges faced by countries to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa said it is important for countries to strengthen cooperation in addressing pressing issues that have plagued development efforts in many countries. He made the remarks at the start of a consultative meeting in preparation for Zambia's participation in the Summit of the Future to be held in September, a high-level event that will bring together world leaders to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future. This year's event will also address critical issues, including major global shocks that have impacted the economies of many countries, including Zambia. Nkulukusa said the UN is crucial in helping countries bolster domestic initiatives by enlisting the aid of allies such as young people, the private sector, and civil society organizations. While acknowledging that the summit has specific aspirations and goals in responding to new issues, the official said the overall goal should be to expedite efforts to fulfill current international obligations, such as the SDGs. "The Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, and reaffirm existing commitments, including those of the SDGs," said UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia Beatrice Mutali. She said the summit will also help the world move toward a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people's lives. LILONGWE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera announced on Sunday that his government has engaged foreign support to help investigate the plane crash that claimed the life of the country's Vice President Saulos Chilima and other officials. The local military experts were already in the middle of a preliminary probe, Chakwera said at a state funeral ceremony, underlining the need for a thorough investigation to address some questions troubling Malawians and the president himself. "We have already engaged some countries to help conduct a thorough investigation to establish what really went wrong for that plane to crash," Chakwera said in front of thousands packed in the country's 40,000-seat Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The government has called for peaceful mourning amid some signs of tension following conspiracy theories making rounds. Hundreds of security officers have since been deployed to tighten security in the capital and Ntcheu district where Chilima will be buried Monday, about 165 km south of Lilongwe. The plane, a Dornier 228-202K, crashed near Mzuzu City in northern Malawi due to bad weather conditions shortly after it failed to land at an airport in the city and was returning to Lilongwe. LILONGWE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed on Sunday in Ntcheu district in southern Malawi after a vehicle rammed into mourners taking part in former Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima's funeral procession, local media reported. The accident occurred when a vehicle in a motorcade transporting the body of Chilima rammed into mourners, killing four people and injuring 12 others, according to the report. The injured have been admitted to hospital for treatment, the report said. Chilima died in a plane crash last week. His body arrived at his home village of Nsipe in Ntcheu on Sunday afternoon before being buried on Monday, it added. KABUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government will attend the third round of UN-convened talks on Afghanistan, scheduled for June 30 and July 1 in the Qatari capital of Doha, Afghan media reported Sunday. "The main and important topics are humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and creating opportunities for investors in Afghanistan," local television channel Tolonews quoted Zabihullah Mujahid, a government spokesman, as saying. It marks the first time the caretaker government will participate in the meeting. The government was not invited to the first meeting last May and rejected the second in February. The government told Roza Otunbayeva, UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, that its absence from the second meeting was "a reflection of their concern that they were not being treated as a full stakeholder in discussions about Afghanistan," the UN official said at a Security Council meeting in March. According to Tolonews, Mujahid said that the members of the delegation to the meeting would be announced soon. International organizations operating in Afghanistan have been urging global donors to increase support, either in cash or in kind, amid a funding crisis since the Afghan caretaker government took power in August 2021. "One-fourth of all people in Afghanistan go to sleep hungry every evening," said the World Food Programme, warning of a hunger crisis ahead of Eid al-Adha, which falls on Monday in Afghanistan. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (R) speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Budapest, Hungary on June 17, 2024. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Monday called for the international community to prevent the Gaza crisis from escalating into an interstate war during a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) BUDAPEST, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Monday called for the international community to prevent the Gaza crisis from escalating into an interstate war during a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz. "The Middle East fundamentally determines the global security situation, and if there is a conflict or a security crisis in the Middle East, it always poses a threat to global security. The current Gaza crisis can easily become a serious global security threat," Szijjarto said, adding that if another country becomes involved in this conflict, it could easily turn into a severe war that extends beyond the next country's borders. Israel has launched a massive offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas in retaliation for a Hamas surprise attack on southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7 last year, during which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 200 were taken as hostages. The eight-month-long Israeli offensive has left more than 37,000 Palestinians killed and 85,000 others injured, according to the Gaza health authorities. The Israeli attacks also reduced large swaths of the enclave to ruins and caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the area. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (R) meets with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Budapest, Hungary on June 17, 2024. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Monday called for the international community to prevent the Gaza crisis from escalating into an interstate war during a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) ROME, June 17 (Xinhua) -- One person is dead and about fifty others are missing after a shipwreck occurred 100 miles off Italy's southern coast, local media reported on Monday. The incident happened in the central Mediterranean when a sailing boat capsized 100 miles off the coast of Calabria, according to the Ansa news agency. A merchant ship in the area conducted the initial rescue, saving twelve people and assisting them until an Italian coast guard vessel arrived. One woman died shortly after disembarkation due to severe medical conditions. A search and rescue mission is underway, but no other survivors have been found as of Monday afternoon, state-run Rai News 24 reported. Preliminary information from rescued migrants suggests the boat set sail from Turkey, carrying migrants and refugees from Iraq, Syria, and Iran. Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the shipwreck, the latest in a long string of deadly incidents involving economic migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean. In a separate incident on Monday, at least 51 people were rescued and ten found dead on a boat adrift in Malta's waters by the German NGO ResQship. The Italian Interior Ministry reportedly ordered the ship to dock in Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost hotspot, where survivors will receive assistance. Amidst a backdrop of political uncertainty and fluctuating markets across Europe, Germany's economic landscape presents unique opportunities for investors seeking stability through dividend stocks. In such times, high-yielding German dividend stocks can be particularly appealing, offering potential buffers against volatility while providing income. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Germany Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Allianz (XTRA:ALV) 5.45% Deutsche Post (XTRA:DHL) 4.90% Sudzucker (XTRA:SZU) 6.56% Deutsche Telekom (XTRA:DTE) 3.40% SAF-Holland (XTRA:SFQ) 5.33% MLP (XTRA:MLP) 4.91% INDUS Holding (XTRA:INH) 4.85% DATA MODUL Produktion und Vertrieb von elektronischen Systemen (XTRA:DAM) 6.10% Mercedes-Benz Group (XTRA:MBG) 8.39% Uzin Utz (XTRA:UZU) 3.17% Click here to see the full list of 31 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: MVV Energie AG operates primarily in Germany, offering services such as electricity, heat, gas, water, and waste treatment and disposal with a market capitalization of approximately 2.06 billion. Operations: MVV Energie AG generates revenue through three main segments: New Energies (959.74 million), Customer Solutions (7.54 billion), and Generation and Infrastructure (1.75 billion). Dividend Yield: 3.7% MVV Energie AG's recent earnings reveal a significant drop in net income and EPS, reflecting larger one-off items affecting its financial health. Despite a stable dividend history over the past decade, the current 3.69% yield is below the German market's top quartile, and both earnings and free cash flows currently do not cover these payments. Although trading close to fair value with a low payout ratio of 30.5%, concerns about debt coverage and profit margins persist, casting doubts on future dividend sustainability. XTRA:MVV1 Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: PWO AG specializes in producing lightweight construction components from aluminum and steel for the mobility industry, operating across Germany, Czechia, Canada, Mexico, Serbia, and China with a market capitalization of 95 million. Operations: PWO AG generates its revenue primarily through the sale of auto parts and accessories, totaling 562.18 million. Dividend Yield: 5.8% Story continues PWO AG's recent financial performance shows a steady increase in sales and net income, with first quarter 2024 sales rising to 146.87 million from 141 million the previous year, and annual earnings growing by 25%. Despite this, PWO's dividend history is marked by instability; its dividends have not shown consistent growth and have been volatile over the past decade. However, dividends are currently well-supported financially, evidenced by a low payout ratio of 33.3% and cash payout ratio of 23%, suggesting that while payments are secure, dividend growth remains uncertain. XTRA:PWO Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Schloss Wachenheim AG is a company that produces and distributes sparkling and semi-sparkling wines across Europe and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately 0.12 billion. Operations: Schloss Wachenheim AG generates 441.16 million in revenue from its alcoholic beverages segment. Dividend Yield: 3.9% Schloss Wachenheim AG's recent financial results indicate a downturn, with a net loss of 3.07 million in Q3 2024, deepening from 0.502 million the previous year, despite growing sales to 337.91 million over nine months. Analysts predict a potential stock price increase of 32.5%. The company's dividend yield stands at 3.87%, below the top German dividend payers' average of 4.68%. While dividends have been stable for a decade and are supported by earnings with a payout ratio of 54.2%, their sustainability is questionable due to coverage issues by cash flows, highlighted by a high cash payout ratio of 113.1%. XTRA:SWA Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Next Steps Get an in-depth perspective on all 31 Top Dividend Stocks by using our screener here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent. Contemplating Other Strategies? This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include XTRA:MVV1 XTRA:PWO and XTRA:SWA. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Skyline Champion Corporation (NYSE:SKY) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 12% in the last quarter. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been very strong. In fact, the share price is 171% higher today. So while it's never fun to see a share price fall, it's important to look at a longer time horizon. Only time will tell if there is still too much optimism currently reflected in the share price. Since the stock has added US$300m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns. View our latest analysis for Skyline Champion In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the five years of share price growth, Skyline Champion moved from a loss to profitability. That kind of transition can be an inflection point that justifies a strong share price gain, just as we have seen here. Given that the company made a profit three years ago, but not five years ago, it is worth looking at the share price returns over the last three years, too. Indeed, the Skyline Champion share price has gained 40% in three years. During the same period, EPS grew by 19% each year. This EPS growth is higher than the 12% average annual increase in the share price over the same three years. So you might conclude the market is a little more cautious about the stock, these days. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here. A Different Perspective Skyline Champion shareholders gained a total return of 16% during the year. But that return falls short of the market. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 22% a year, over half a decade) look better. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Even so, be aware that Skyline Champion is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... We will like Skyline Champion better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued stocks (mostly small caps) with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com These are the 7 US cities with the highest share of upper income, middle income and lower income residents Its natural to want to surround yourself with people whose income picture is similar to yours. You may be less likely to fall into the trap of keeping up with the Joneses if you live in an area where most people earn similar paychecks to you. Don't miss Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger Cost-of-living in America is still out of control use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what the US Fed does or says These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Of course, the definition of upper class, middle class, and lower or working class can hinge largely on where you live. But you may be curious to know which states have the highest share of residents in each category. To that end, weve pulled some Pew Research Center data to share. The cities with the highest share of middle income residents Pew calculates the median income of American middle-class earners as $106,100 as of 2022. Here are the seven cities that had the highest share of middle-income residents as of that year: Dover, Delaware Olympia-Tumwater, Washington Glens Falls, New York Bismarck, North Dakota Ogden-Clearfiend, Utah Lancaster, Pennsylvania Provo-Oren, Utah Several of these cities are located in the Rust Belt, an area once dominated by industrial jobs and manufacturing thats been on the decline in more recent years. Many of these cities also offer moderate home prices. Zillow puts the average U.S. home value at $360,681. The average Dover home value is a notch below at $321,342. And the average home value in Bismarck, ND is $349,725. Moderate home prices can help stretch an average paycheck, leading to more savings and a higher net worth over time. The cities with the highest share of upper income residents The median income for upper-income Americans in 2022 was $256,900. And heres the seven cities that have the highest share of those high-earners: San-Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Trenton, New Jersey Austin-Round Rock, Texas Raleigh, North Carolina Many of these cities are tech hubs that offer competitive salaries notably, the California locales and Austin, Texas. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area is very much a political hub, while the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area tends to attract financial professionals, with New York City being a reasonable (though long) commute. Story continues Of course, housing prices in these areas tend to be exorbitant. The average home value in San Jose is $1,479,487. In Oakland, it's $805,867. And thanks to an influx of tech jobs, even once-affordable Austin now has an average home value of $548,654. So while these cities may have a large share of higher earners, for many people, much of that income gets eaten up by housing. Read more: Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds The cities with the highest share of lower income residents Finally, the median salary of the countrys lower-income workers was $35,318 as of 2022, and these were the seven cities where youll find the highest concentration residing: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas Monroe, Louisiana Laredo, Texas Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas Visalia-Porterville, California El Paso, Texas Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana It's not surprising to see a couple of Louisiana cities on this list, as that's one of the states with the highest three-year poverty rates from 2019 to 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Both Texas and California had an elevated poverty rate during that time as well, though not as high as Louisiana. It's also no surprise that home values are largely lower in these cities. The average McAllen home value is $225,253. For Monroe, it's $143,442. However, even with property values considerably lower than the national average, its still hard for lower-income earners to become homeowners. How to grow your income You may be eager to grow a lower income into a middle one, or a middle income into a higher one. But rather than focus on solely growing your income, it pays to focus on your net worth, which is a total measure of your assets minus your liabilities. Of course, a higher income can be a stepping stone to a greater net worth. So to that end, it pays to take steps such as: Boosting job skills. Sites like LinkedIn offer free online coursework to help you grow professionally. Move to an area where jobs are abundant in your industry and salaries are higher. Sites like Salary.com can help you research wage data. Advocate for higher wages if you feel youre underpaid. Sites like Glassdoor allow you to compare your earnings to the average wages in your area. From there, there are several steps you can take to grow your net worth, as such: Buying a home. Property values tend to rise over time. Over the past 30 years, the median U.S. home sale price rose from $132,000 to $420,800, according to the Federal Reserve. Avoiding credit card debt. Money not spent on interest is money you can save and invest. Investing in the stock market. The average stock market return since 1926 has been about 10%. Investing $1,000 at a 10% return could leave you with almost $73,000 after 45 years. Claiming all the free money you can. See if your employer offers a 401(k) match, or if youre eligible for money toward student loan repayment. Of course, as your salary and net worth grow, you may be tempted to relocate to a part of the country with a larger share of higher earners. But staying put could help you avoid lifestyle creep and stay on track with your long-term financial goals. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. US e-commerce giant Amazon is facing a proposed class action lawsuit for allegedly monopolising the retail market for audiobooks. The lawsuit claims that this has resulted in authors overpaying for the distribution of their works. Author Christine DeMaio, who publishes under the name CD Reiss, filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, asserting that Amazon's practices violate US antitrust law. The lawsuit details that for exclusive distribution, Amazon charges authors such as Reiss at least 60% of the sale price, which is set by the platform. For non-exclusive titles, the fee increases to at least 75% of the purchase price. Despite these terms, Reiss has been distributing her audiobooks through Amazon for the past four years, both exclusively and non-exclusively, depending on the title. According to the complaint cited by Reuters, Amazon's use of exclusivity agreements has been a strategy to "lock up content," hindering the ability of competitors to challenge the e-commerce giant and impacting billions of dollars in audiobook sales. Steve Berman, the plaintiff's attorney, stated: Authors deserved a fair price for their work and not to be the victims of Amazons abusive monopoly practices. Amazon's acquisition of Audible in 2008 for approximately $300m has positioned Audible as the largest audiobook retailer globally, commanding more than 60% of domestic purchases, while Apple holds about 20%. The legal action seeks damages exceeding $5m and class action status for thousands of authors and rights holders who have paid Amazon a distribution fee of at least 60% on sales. The complaint emphasises that this fee escalates to 75% for "non-exclusive" audiobooks available on Amazon and other platforms. Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, the law firm representing the plaintiff, is also leading a consumer antitrust lawsuit accusing Amazon of artificially inflating the price of e-books. "Amazon faces lawsuit for allegedly monopolising audiobook market " 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. By Shariq Khan, Mohi Narayan and Ahmad Ghaddar NEW YORK/NEW DELHI/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil refiners are making less money selling their gasoline as demand during the peak summer driving season has fallen short of what they expected when many of them boosted production. Softness in gasoline markets have upended years of record profits on selling transportation fuels. In the U.S., the world's largest gasoline market, refiners ramped up sharply, expecting demand that never materialized. U.S. gasoline demand was 9 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first week of June, 1.7% below last year and seasonally the lowest since 2021, government data showed. In Asia, weakness in the gasoline market has already led to run cuts, and refiners elsewhere are also likely to pull back in weeks ahead. This could reduce global demand for crude oil. "Given the retreat from elevated margins, we cite risk to refiners' continued maximum output strategy to reap record profits," BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note last month. Brent oil prices are down about 9% from a mid-April peak to around $83 a barrel, most recently on concerns that the OPEC+ producer group will add supply to the market. The producer group last week warned that a slow start to the summer driving season and low margins are weighing on sentiment. Even with crude prices slipping, Asian refiners' profit on making gasoline from a barrel of Brent halved in the last week of May to about $4 per barrel. A glut of fuel supplies prompted the fall in refining margins, Wood Mackenzie analyst Priti Mehta said. Overall refining margins fell under $2 a barrel in Singapore in May, compared with an average of $5 a year ago. European gasoline refining margins fell to $10.80 a barrel on June 13, the lowest since January 25. U.S. gasoline crack spread, the difference between gasoline futures and the cost of WTI crude oil, was under $22.50 a barrel for the first time since February. PULLBACK Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp, one of Asia's largest refined products exporters, plans to cut run rates at its crude distillation units in June to 440,000 bpd, down 40,000 bpd from its original plan to process 480,000 bpd. "Increased flows from the Middle East to Asia and increased Indian exports are weakening the cracks, otherwise demand in Asia is healthy," a spokesperson for Formosa told Reuters. U.S. demand has been pressured by a mix of factors, including more people flying instead of driving long distances and more fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said last month. Story continues Higher output from American refineries, combined with weak demand, has lifted U.S. gasoline stockpiles by 5.7 million barrels since the start of April to 233.5 million barrels by June 7, the highest for this time since 2021. U.S. refiners cut run-rates to 95% in the week ended June 7, after utilizing a one-year high of 95.4% in the prior week, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed. That was the first cut since April. They will need to lower rates further if demand remains lackluster, Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger said. "We're looking at the potential for one of the worst years for summer U.S. gasoline demand in the post-COVID world. No way that refiners can continue to crank fuels at 95% utilization," he said. The EIA on Tuesday lowered its forecast for U.S. gasoline consumption this year to 8.89 million bpd from an earlier estimate of 8.91 million. OVERWHELMING SUPPLY Margins should improve as U.S. gasoline rises as it typically does throughout the summer, Rabobank strategist Joe DeLaura said. Yet he warned the market has consistently underperformed. Margins should get some support from a slower-than-expected ramp up of new refineries such as Mexico's Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas, which is aiming to lower the country's import needs. As of May, however, Dos Bocas was behind schedule and did not produce commercially viable gasoline and diesel. In Nigeria, the Dangote refinery delayed gasoline deliveries until July. The market must still adjust to overwhelming supply growth from new refineries ramping up and expansions of existing plants which have boosted fuel exports from the Middle East, India and China. Gasoline exports from the Middle East have been at seasonal records over the last six months, according to Kpler data. Indian and Chinese refiners are taking advantage of access to discounted Russian oil, Mehta said. Their higher supplies are likely to keep Asian gasoline cracks under pressure through the summer, she said. "The peak for gasoline (cracks) was already reached in April, when cracks averaged $17.3/bbl Dubai crude in Asia. We don't expect them to strengthen a lot through the summer period," Mehta said. Chinese gasoline exports grew by about 100,000 bpd in May from April, ending last month at around 350,000 bpd, according to WoodMac. Indian gasoline exports averaged 360,000 bpd in May, up 50,000 bpd on the month. (Reporting by Shariq Khan in New York, Mohi Narayan in New Delhi, Ahmad Ghaddar and Robert Harvey in London, and Stefanie Eschenbacher in Mexico City; Editing by Liz Hampton and David Gregorio) Bobcat Company, an equipment and work site solutions provider and member of the Doosan Group, has celebrated the commencement of construction of a new $300m manufacturing facility in Mexico. A ground-breaking event was held, which saw in attendance Bobcat representatives, local elected officials, and business leaders from the area. Last year, the company first announced its plans to launch this project. The 700,000ft plant, located in the Salinas Victoria municipality, near Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon, is anticipated to be operational by 2026. Doosan Bobcat CEO and vice-chair Scott Park said: As a global company with manufacturing facilities, offices, dealerships and customers across the globe, we have seen tremendous growth and increased demand for our products. We are excited to continue growing our footprint to meet demand for Bobcat solutions worldwide. The plant will focus on producing select models of compact track and skid-steer loaders, joining Bobcats existing production in the US and the Czech Republic. These facilities will continue their operations after the new Mexican factory becomes operational. Doosan Bobcat North America president Mike Ballweber said: We look forward to growing our manufacturing footprint in the Salinas Victoria community for its excellent industrial sector, skilled workforce and strong business environment. Our investment here demonstrates our confidence in this manufacturing environment and thriving local economy. The facility aims to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification and will incorporate technology to ensure quality, precision, and energy efficiency. In addition, it is expected to generate between 600 and 800 jobs. The facility's design and construction team comprises Shultz + Associates Architects and Mexico's GP Construccion, a division of Grupo GP, as the construction manager. GP Construccion specialises in industrial parks and facilities throughout the country. "Bobcat begins construction of manufacturing facility in Mexico " 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. Live from the Future of Supply Chain in Atlanta Mark Vickers, executive vice president and head of international logistics at Reliance Partners comes on FWNOW to break down the intricacies of cross border insurance and cargo liability in Mexico. When it comes to cargo insurance in Mexico, its commonly referred to as the Wild West, as there isnt any standardization like there is in the U.S. and Canada. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the U.S. has specific requirements for carriers. Most motor carriers for trucking companies are required to have $750,000 of cargo insurance. In Mexico, its a wildly different story. Vickers breaks it down, There are very few insurance markets that will do Mexico because carriers in Mexico dont have any carrier insurance. In the U.S. carriers have $100,000 of cargo insurance, in Canada its very similar. In Mexico the law is different. Carriers are only liable for 14 cents per pound. Theyre responsible for under $4,000 regardless of value. The load could be worth $1-$2 million or $25,000 but the carrier is only on the hook for the weight of the load. Cross-border freight has traditionally been a complicated process. Securing insurance can become expensive, as games of phone tag among the shipper, Mexican carriers and insurance agents drive up margins as more parties become involved. Educating shippers about the differing insurance regulations could yield substantial savings for companies engaged in international trade with Mexico. The industry standard for freight brokers on cargo liability in Mexico has always been that brokers will handle the freight but shippers must sign a waiver of liability in Mexico. Essentially, the freight will be moved but they arent responsible for it at all once it crosses the border. Not an ideal situation for shippers to be in. Reliance has developed a borderless coverage solution. Vickers explains, The product we have is a shippers interest cargo insurance product. We pay the shipper directly for the full value then attempt to seek reimbursement after that. The borderless coverage works as such, the claims process usually involves a U.S. carrier then a U.S. inspection warehouse. From there the shipment is taken by a drayage carrier across the border where it goes through another inspection warehouse. Finally, a Mexican carrier picks it up and delivers it to the final destination. In the past, any claim that would have happened after four to seven companies touched it would be caught up in disputes for months or even years. Gone are those days under the borderless coverage. Now, in the event of a claim, Reliance covers that shipper for the full value regardless of where it happens. Story continues As for those looking to take advantage of this new offering. Vickers suggests, Dont build the program till you have the business. Find one client that is doing cross border freight that youre killing it with on the U.S. side and ask hey can you help us with Mexico. Listen to all their specific requirements, give us a call and well help you win that business. With Mexico being the top trading partner with the U.S. every month this year and for a majority of last year not having a cross border solution is no longer an option. Vickers final thoughts were, If youre not already responding to client requests of, Can you handle our Mexican freight? youre way behind the curb. Click here to learn more about Reliance Partners. The post Borderless insurance coverage for shippers appeared first on FreightWaves. In pics: Explore ecological beauty of forests in the Great Khingan Mountains People's Daily Online) 10:01, June 17, 2024 Photo shows the scenery of the Heilongjiang River in the area administered by Tuqiang Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) From a bird's-eye view, the forests in the Great Khingan Mountains are like a vast green canvas, gracefully unfurling across the expansive land in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As one of China's largest state-owned forest bases, the Great Khingan Mountains are an important source and conservation area for rivers such as the Heilongjiang River and Nenjiang River, as well as those for major river tributaries, playing a role in enhancing grain production in the Songnen Plain. Greater Khingan Forest Industry Group, a major forestry company in the area, manages a total area of 7.98 million hectares, including a forest area spanning 6.28 million hectares. Over the years, the company has actively promoted the transition of ecological restoration from general protection to quality and efficiency enhancement, and from mere quantitative growth to increasing forest carbon reserves, proactively exploring a three-dimensional management model. Photo shows a scenic area administered by Tuqiang Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) Photo shows a bird's-eye view of a forest area administered by Amu'er Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) Photo shows an observatory in a forest area administered by Amu'er Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) Photo shows thriving pine seedlings at a pine seedling nursery base administered by Mohe Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) Photo shows a pine seedling nursery base administered by Mohe Forestry Bureau, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Zhexin) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Bushel Boy Farms is paying nearly $200,000 in back wages and damages to 94 employees for unpaid overtime, state officials said Monday. The Owatonna indoor tomato grower and an Arizona labor contractor, Oro Valley Ag Services, failed to pay employees overtime "even though they consistently worked more than 48 hours a week" between 2020 and 2022, according to the Department of Labor and Industry. Minnesota law has required overtime pay for agriculture workers for 50 years. "Employers in Minnesota are legally responsible for paying agricultural workers overtime wages if they work more than 48 hours in a workweek, with limited exceptions," Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach said in a news release. "The department appreciates Bushel Boy's willingness to quickly resolve this matter by agreeing to pay back wages and liquidated damages to the impacted employees." The department issued a compliance order against the company in May, and Bushel Boy entered a consent agreement with the state earlier this month. The company will pay about $97,000 in back pay and an identical amount in damages. Bushel Boy which grows tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries year-round in several massive greenhouses will also incur a $47,000 fine if it breaks the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act in the next three years. Oro Valley, the labor contractor, provided domestic and H-2A foreign migrant workers for the greenhouse operations. The company did not contest nor respond to the state's order. We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Undervalued Energy Stocks To Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) stands against the other undervalued energy stocks. Following another eventful year for the global energy sector, 2024 continues the trend of disruptions, headwinds, and opportunities. The previous year concluded with a landmark agreement at COP28 to reduce global methane emissions, a significant contributor to worldwide emissions. Despite being one of the world's more mature industries, the international energy sector remains incredibly dynamic, with journalists, governments, investors, and analysts paying special interest to developments within the industry to assess their potential impact on the global business and economic landscapes. Energy stocks experienced negative returns in 2023, but have risen in early 2024 alongside the price of oil. Generally, energy stock prices tend to track changes in energy prices. For instance, when energy prices peaked in 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies in the energy sector saw gains. Global production levels are also crucial to the sector's performance. While U.S. oil production has been relatively high in recent months, many OPEC+ countries have capped production. Although demand for energy products continues to grow, there is uncertainty about whether supply will increase accordingly. On another front, global investment in the energy transition has increased tremendously over the years, hitting the $1.8 trillion mark in 2023, flagging a 17% rise from the previous year, according to BloombergNEF. However, this amount is a fraction of the $1.77 trillion invested globally, with the business case for adopting renewable energy becoming more compelling for companies. Conversely, the oil and gas sector has seen a significant surge in merger and acquisition activity, with over $155 billion in deals in the fourth quarter of 2023. This total surpasses the combined value of deals from the previous five quarters. Facing challenging market and economic conditions, oil and gas companiesespecially those in upstream, midstream, and oil field servicesare expected to continue this consolidation trend into 2024. Oil prices bottomed on June 5 due to an unexpected increase in U.S. crude stocks and a larger-than-anticipated rise in fuel inventories, heightening demand concerns amid potential supply growth later this year. At the time data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that the U.S. crude stockpile rose by 1.2 million barrels in the week ending May 31, contrary to analysts' expectations of a 2.3 million barrel draw. However, this build was less than the American Petroleum Institute's report, which indicated an increase of over 4 million barrels. On the other hand, gasoline inventories increased by 2.1 million barrels, exceeding expectations of a 2 million barrel rise. This contributed to demand concerns, as the week reflected fuel usage around the Memorial Day holiday, traditionally seen as the start of the U.S. summer driving season. Oil prices increased by about $5 since then, currently trading above $78 per barrel. Story continues The energy industry is not only massive but also holds significant growth potential. According to the United Nations, achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will require an annual investment of $2.4 trillion in energy systems over the next 11 years. Illustrating this growth, a report states that the global renewable energy market, valued at $899.24 billion in 2022, is expected to grow from $1,050.31 billion in 2023 to $3,637.99 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 16.80% during the forecast period. The current year promises to be another rollercoaster ride for the energy industry, raising critical questions about the feasibility of achieving the net-zero targets outlined in the Paris Agreement. Commenting on this, Rystad Energy CEO Jarand Rystad remarked: "Last year was a pivotal one for the energy world. Renewable energy capacity expanded rapidly, keeping up with global power demand growth for the first time. Solar PV needed to grow by 220 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to track the 1.6 DG scenario for global warming. The latest figures now indicate that it could end up at above 400 GW. And there is now supply chain visibility for an annual delivery of 1,500 GW. Global coal demand most likely peaked in 2023, and clean energy technologies are now more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives in most parts of the world. Fossil fuels will, however, remain an important component of the energy mix for the next decades. Countries like Denmark, Finland and Portugal are close to achieving zero carbon power sectors, successfully dealing with the intermittency challenge of renewables. Still, there are also setbacks in renewable deployment, like the cost inflation seen in offshore wind, and governments will need to step up stimulation to get these sectors back on track. This year could see more inflection points in the energy transition, with impacts felt well into the latter half of the decade." With this context in mind, we are now talk about Wall Street analysts' best undervalued energy stocks to buy. Our Methodology To compile our list of the best undervalued energy stocks to buy according to analysts, we used a stock screener to identify energy stocks with price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios below 25. We then ranked these firms based on their average analyst share price target upside. For each of these energy stocks, we have also included hedge fund sentiment. Why do we track 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 newsletters 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). An aerial view of an oil rig at sea, the sun glinting off its structure. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) Average Analyst Estimates as of May 28: $187.20 Average Analyst Upside as of May 28: 16.34% P/E Ratio: 14.82 Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), headquartered in San Ramon, California, is a prominent American multinational energy company primarily focused on the oil and gas industry. Originally established as the Standard Oil Company of California, it is the second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil. The company operates in over 180 countries worldwide. The company has been making several significant market moves recently. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) and its partners in Namibias Petroleum Exploration License 82 (PEL82) have signed an agreement transferring the operatorship of the offshore asset to Chevron, which already operates on the Namibian side of the Orange Basin. Additionally, Hess shareholders recently approved a $53 billion takeover by Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), advancing a controversial acquisition central to a high-profile clash between the leading U.S. oil companies. Furthermore, at its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) reported a record-high production of 3.1 million barrels of oil-equivalent per day in 2023. The company also achieved its ninth consecutive quarter with adjusted earnings exceeding $5 billion and posted an adjusted return on capital employed (ROCE) above 12% for the first quarter of this year. CVX currently trades at a forward P/E of 12. As of the end of the first quarter of 2024, 62 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), a decline from the 71 hedge funds in the previous quarter. Overall CVX ranks 7th on our list of the best undervalued energy stocks to buy. You can visit 8 Best Undervalued Energy Stocks To Buy According to Analysts to see the other energy stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of CVX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CVX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion "Opportunity" for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he agreed with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday to properly manage their nations' differences as they emerge from a hostile era in which minister-to-minister contacts were banned and trade barriers cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year. Li, Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and Chinas desire to invest in critical minerals. Li, Chinas most senior leader after President Xi Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Li told reporters after Monday's meeting that the bilateral relationship was on the right track of steady improvement and development. We ... had a candid exchange of views on some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said through an interpreter. Albanese, who in November last year became the first Australian prime minister to visit China since 2016, described the discussions as constructive. Australia advocates that we should all work together to promote a regional balance where no country dominates and no country is dominated, Albanese said. Ive made it clear as nations with different histories, political systems and values, we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest, the Australian leader added. Their relations have improved markedly since Albaneses center-left Labor Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Albanese was elected. Beijing had banned minister-to-minister contacts as it froze out the previous Australian government diplomatically. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said before the meeting that he would raise the issue of China's ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China, ... since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilizing our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Watt said. Story continues Li was served lobster at a business lunch with winemakers on Sunday and wagyu beef at a state lunch Monday, news media reported. Li planned to underscore Chinas interest in buying a bigger stake in Australias critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia late Tuesday before returning to China. Australia shares U.S. concerns over Chinas global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australias national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. Albanese later told Li at a state lunch, "We won't always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence. That appeared to be in response to a statement by Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Albanese confirmed he had raised with Li recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Chinese and Australian officials had agreed at the meeting to discuss improving military-to-military communications to avoid unintended incidents, Albanese said. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Herscovitch, a China expert at Australian National University, said he did not expect China to get any firm commitments from Australia during Lis visit. The two countries signed several agreements on Monday to cooperate on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. Beijing would like to remove Australian opposition to China joining a trade bloc known as the CPTPP, more investment in Australian critical minerals and ambitious new cooperative agreements on science and technology, Herscovitch said. But Australia had already made a concession to China in rebuilding relations through inaction by not imposing sanctions on Chinese entities that help Russias war effort in Ukraine, he said. Australia is essentially giving China a free pass on that issue, Herscovitch said, while Australian allies, including the United States, Britain and the European Union were imposing sanctions. Hundreds of pro-China demonstrators, human rights activists and democracy advocates have lined the routes of Lis cavalcades in Adelaide and Canberra. A planned high-rise tower in downtown Phoenix could bring a neighborhood market and a new restaurant from the operator of The Churchill. Kell Duncan, founder of The Churchill, the downtown Phoenix restaurant, bar and retail venue made of shipping containers, bought the building at Central Avenue and Garfield Street in 2020 from Uhauls real estate arm, Amerco Real Estate. He had been aiming to buy the property for a while, and before he bought it, he had plans to rehabilitate the building as another venue for restaurants, bars and a market. That plan was shelved during the pandemic, when Duncan focused his energy on keeping The Churchill functioning. Now, he has partnered with Mainstreet Capital Partners to develop an apartment building on the site, while keeping some of his ideas for the lower levels of the building. While Duncan had hoped to rehab the old building, he said, that plan has changed. The existing building, a long derelict car shop, will be razed to make room for the new project, but some of the materials will be salvaged and incorporated into the new building. The new project, Duncan said, will breathe some life into a downtown corner that has long sat vacant. That corner has been empty since the car shop closed, and even then that probably wasnt the best use of that corner, he said. Seeking a height increase Duncan and Mainstreet Capital are seeking a height bonus for the project from the city, which would allow them to build about 30% higher than is currently allowed by the zoning if they reach certain sustainability milestones. Those milestones can include creating a vertically mixed-use project, adding pedestrian safety features and amenities, using renewable energy and other sustainability features. Places to go: A local food hall modeled after The Churchill to open in Peoria alongside a new BBQ joint A vacant building on the corner of Central Avenue and Garfield Street is planned to be razed and redeveloped into an apartment with a ground-floor restaurant, bar and specialty market. The Phoenix Planning Commission recommended approval of the height bonus at its meeting June 6, and the City Council is scheduled to discuss the project later this summer. Duncan said the team has not established a timeline for construction yet. Mainstreet Capital will oversee the development and operations of the apartment portion, Duncan said. The tower is planned to reach 325 feet high and include about 273 apartment units, according to documents submitted to the city. Duncan will operate the restaurant, a bar space and a neighborhood-scale market that will sell produce and goods from local farms and suppliers. A place for local produce and food Duncan, whose father and brother run Duncan Family Farms in Goodyear, said his idea for a restaurant and a market sourcing high-quality, local foods comes from his background growing up in a farming family. I believe in local, fresh, organic produce, and unfortunately we dont have a ton of options for that in downtown, Duncan said. The development will be a step out and a step up, for Duncan, he said. Being involved in a partnership on a high-rise, and operating his own restaurant, will both be new ventures for him. Growing up in downtown Since moving to downtown Phoenix more than 10 years ago, Duncan said he has fallen in love with the area and the opportunities it has brought him as a young entrepreneur. Thats why I started doing business downtown, and fortunately things started growing around us, he said. Kell Duncan is a co-founder of the Churchill in Phoenix. Phoenixs downtown is still new compared to most major downtowns, giving smaller business ventures like The Churchill a chance to grow and shape the area. Its an opportunity I wouldnt have had in any other city, Duncan said. The more I can do down here and create the things I want to see, thats what I want to do. Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Churchill owner partners advancing downtown Phoenix project A Netherlands-flagged dredger, Vox Maxima, crashed into a Singaporean fuel supply ship, Marine Honour, on 14 June, causing an oil spill at the Pasir Panjang shipping terminal. The dredger reported a sudden engine and steering control loss before colliding with the bunker vessel. This resulted in an oil cargo tank rupture and the release of low-sulphur fuel oil into the sea. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) mobilised craft to immediately apply dispersants to the spill, according to local media reports. Use of dispersants can help to break down the surface oil into droplets to enhance biodegradation. For treated oil with dispersants, these may be suspended in the water and be carried by tidal currents to coastlines, the authorities said. The authorities deployed 18 response vessels from the MPA, PSA, Singapore Salvage Engineers, Tian San Shipping and T&T Salvage to conduct containment and clean-up operations at sea. Around 1,500m of container booms have been used and more will be laid in the next few days to prevent further oil spread to the shore. They said this would also enable the recovery of the trapped oil from the affected shorelines and lagoons to prevent it from returning to the sea. According to the statement, due to tidal currents, parts of the oil spill have washed up along the southern shorelines including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier and East Coast Park. As of 16 June at 1.30pm local time, the government said there were no signs of an oil slick within Sisters Islands Marine Park, but there was an oil sheen seen in the surrounding waters. "There is no impact on maritime traffic. Berthing operations at Pasir Panjang Terminal remain unaffected," the authority said. The MPA is cooperating with British Marine, the insurer of the stationary tanker Marine Honour, to establish a point of contact for third-party claims and assist those affected. "Crash in Singaporean shipping terminal caused oil spill, prompts environmental concerns " 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. Global building materials giant CRH has received approval to proceed with its planned acquisition of Adbri, an Australian concrete manufacturer. This strategic acquisition, which has now been approved by Adbris independent shareholders and the country's court, marks a major consolidation in the industry. The deal, which was first announced in December 2023, involves a partnership between CRH and Barro Group, an Australian family-owned business that holds approximately 43% of Adbri. Following a two-month due diligence process, the parties reached a binding agreement in February. Under the terms of the scheme of arrangement, CRH will acquire the remaining 57% of Adbri's ordinary shares not already owned by Barro for A$3.20 ($2.10) per share. The agreed cash price values Adbri at an equity valuation of A$2.1bn on a 100% basis. CRH chief executive Albert Manifold said: We are pleased to receive independent Adbri shareholder and court approval for the proposed acquisition of Adbri in partnership with the Barro family. Adbri is an attractive business with high-quality assets and leading market positions that complement our core competencies in cement, concrete and aggregates while creating additional opportunities for growth and development for our existing Australian business. We look forward to working with the Barro family over the coming years to enhance the long-term growth and performance of Adbri. The acquisition, which has already secured approval from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), is expected to be completed by 1 July 2024. Upon completion, Adbri will be delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange. "CRH gains key approval for takeover of Adbri " 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. New York-based biotech Elion Therapeutics has bagged $81m from a Series B funding round for its early-stage polyene antifungal therapy, SF001. The candidate is being investigated as an early antifungal therapy for presumed invasive fungal disease and invasive aspergillosis. Last year, the drug won fast track and qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) designations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) . The drug was evaluated in a first-in-human single-ascending dose study, and has now moved to a a multiple-ascending dose study. The funding round was led by Deerfield Management and the AMR Action Fund, with additional investors like Illinois Ventures joining in. There are currently four classes of antifungal drugs that are available, however they can come with problems such as antifungal resistance, organ toxicities, and drug-drug interactions. Invasive fungal infections typically affect people with compromised immune systems due to diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplants. Elions candidate is a derivative of amphotericin, which has been used to treat fungal infections since the 1950s. However, Elion aims to curb kidney impairment a common side effect caused by amphotericin by increasing specificity to fungal cells. Drug resistance in fungi was recently discussed at the 34th European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global (formerly ECCMID) conference in Barcelona, Spain, in May 2024. A study described at the conference assessed the presence of resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in Denmark, showing that the presence of the microorganism increased between 2020 and 2022 in both Danish soil and air. According to the CEO of AMR Action fund Henry Skinner, the World Health Organization recently identified four fungal pathogens that it considers a 'critical priority,' including Aspergillus fumigatus. In the announcement accompanying the funding, Elions chief medical officer Kieren Marr said: Invasive fungal infections (IFI) have reached historic levels of concern, largely due to increased medical reliance on biologic immunosuppression, more people with severe pulmonary disease at risk of IFI, and increased exposures associated with environmental changes. Elion isnt the only player in the fungal disease space. In December 2023, Astellas won FDA approval for the antifungal therapy Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate). The drug also gained FDA orphan drug exclusivity and pediatric market exclusivity for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis in March 2024. Story continues "Elion secures $81m to advance antifungal therapy" 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. Elon Musk Sends Shockwaves Through Wall Street With A Bold Embrace Of This "All-Weather" Asset Class Elon Musk's investments in AI have already netted him billions, but another, more traditional asset class is gaining traction. This year, AI provided a significant, albeit potentially fleeting, boost to the stock market, especially benefiting tech giants like Nvidia and Google. However, amid the hype surrounding AI companies, Elon Musk is turning his attention to a more established segment of the market. Hes not alone in this shift; recently, the Rothschilds sold this asset to the Dutch government for over $197 million, while Oprah Winfrey sold the same asset for $150 million, earning $62 million in profit. Jeff Bezos also joined the trend by investing $70 million in this asset class: fine art. Don't Miss: There are compelling reasons why 73% of ultra-high-net-worth Americans, as surveyed by UBS, are considering art as a diversification strategy: Blue-chip art prices have appreciated 11.5% annualized (1995-2023). Contemporary art has outpaced the S&P 500 by 64% over the past 28 years. Art has outperformed gold and stocks during past inflationary periods (1973-81). Masterworks' 23 exits have returned a profit to investors, totaling more than $60M in payouts. From past offerings, investors secured 20%, 31%, and 32% total net returns, among others. Contrary to popular belief that investing in fine art by renowned artists like Picasso, Basquiat, and Condo requires substantial wealth, platforms like Masterworks allow investors to purchase shares representing partial ownership of artworks. This democratizes access to an asset class that celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Beyonce have also embraced, at a fraction of the cost of owning an entire piece of art. The Art Market Continues to Deliver Impressive Returns to Investors According to the UBS Billionaires Report of 2023, a significant portion of ultrawealthy collectors intend to maintain or increase their art investments in the latter half of 2023 and into 2024, consistent with previous years. Confidence remains high, with 77% of surveyed collectors expressing optimism about the art markets performance over the next six months, underscoring its resilience. Additionally, Deloitte reports the total value of privately held art and collectibles at an estimated $2.1 trillion. According to the Masterworks all art index, contemporary art has outpaced the S&P 500 by 64% from 1995-2023. Citis findings reveal that even a modest allocation of 5% to contemporary art can significantly enhance long-term portfolio performance in nearly all cases. Despite these compelling statistics, many portfolios predominantly consist of stocks and bonds, largely due to the perceived complexity and high cost associated with art investments. Everyday Investors Can See Soaring Returns Too Participating in the art market at scale remains financially prohibitive for most investors. However, platforms like Masterworks are democratizing access to multimillion-dollar artworks by renowned artists such as Banksy and Picasso. With 21 successful exits, Masterworks has achieved impressive annualized net returns ranging from 14.6% to 36.2%. For those looking to emulate billionaire art investors, Masterworks represents a pivotal gateway into the art investment landscape. The company was founded in 2017 by internet entrepreneur and art collector Scott Lynn with the mission to "make art investable". As of 2024, Masterworks is valued at over $1 billion and is one the largest art buyers in the world with over $700M of artwork acquired. Deloitte reports the total value of privately held art and collectibles at an estimated $2.1 trillion. According to the Masterworks all art index, contemporary art has outpaced the S&P 500 by 64% from 1995-2023. Read Next: This prop trading firm allows traders to receive 100% of the first $25,000 per account and 90% beyond that. Here's how you can get in on the profit. "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 Elon Musk Sends Shockwaves Through Wall Street With A Bold Embrace Of This "All-Weather" Asset Class originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best Undervalued Energy Stocks To Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) stands against the other undervalued energy stocks. Following another eventful year for the global energy sector, 2024 continues the trend of disruptions, headwinds, and opportunities. The previous year concluded with a landmark agreement at COP28 to reduce global methane emissions, a significant contributor to worldwide emissions. Despite being one of the world's more mature industries, the international energy sector remains incredibly dynamic, with journalists, governments, investors, and analysts paying special interest to developments within the industry to assess their potential impact on the global business and economic landscapes. Energy stocks experienced negative returns in 2023, but have risen in early 2024 alongside the price of oil. Generally, energy stock prices tend to track changes in energy prices. For instance, when energy prices peaked in 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies in the energy sector saw gains. Global production levels are also crucial to the sector's performance. While U.S. oil production has been relatively high in recent months, many OPEC+ countries have capped production. Although demand for energy products continues to grow, there is uncertainty about whether supply will increase accordingly. On another front, global investment in the energy transition has increased tremendously over the years, hitting the $1.8 trillion mark in 2023, flagging a 17% rise from the previous year, according to BloombergNEF. However, this amount is a fraction of the $1.77 trillion invested globally, with the business case for adopting renewable energy becoming more compelling for companies. Conversely, the oil and gas sector has seen a significant surge in merger and acquisition activity, with over $155 billion in deals in the fourth quarter of 2023. This total surpasses the combined value of deals from the previous five quarters. Facing challenging market and economic conditions, oil and gas companiesespecially those in upstream, midstream, and oil field servicesare expected to continue this consolidation trend into 2024. Oil prices bottomed on June 5 due to an unexpected increase in U.S. crude stocks and a larger-than-anticipated rise in fuel inventories, heightening demand concerns amid potential supply growth later this year. At the time data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that the U.S. crude stockpile rose by 1.2 million barrels in the week ending May 31, contrary to analysts' expectations of a 2.3 million barrel draw. However, this build was less than the American Petroleum Institute's report, which indicated an increase of over 4 million barrels. On the other hand, gasoline inventories increased by 2.1 million barrels, exceeding expectations of a 2 million barrel rise. This contributed to demand concerns, as the week reflected fuel usage around the Memorial Day holiday, traditionally seen as the start of the U.S. summer driving season. Oil prices increased by about $5 since then, currently trading above $78 per barrel. Story continues The energy industry is not only massive but also holds significant growth potential. According to the United Nations, achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will require an annual investment of $2.4 trillion in energy systems over the next 11 years. Illustrating this growth, a report states that the global renewable energy market, valued at $899.24 billion in 2022, is expected to grow from $1,050.31 billion in 2023 to $3,637.99 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 16.80% during the forecast period. The current year promises to be another rollercoaster ride for the energy industry, raising critical questions about the feasibility of achieving the net-zero targets outlined in the Paris Agreement. Commenting on this, Rystad Energy CEO Jarand Rystad remarked: "Last year was a pivotal one for the energy world. Renewable energy capacity expanded rapidly, keeping up with global power demand growth for the first time. Solar PV needed to grow by 220 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to track the 1.6 DG scenario for global warming. The latest figures now indicate that it could end up at above 400 GW. And there is now supply chain visibility for an annual delivery of 1,500 GW. Global coal demand most likely peaked in 2023, and clean energy technologies are now more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives in most parts of the world. Fossil fuels will, however, remain an important component of the energy mix for the next decades. Countries like Denmark, Finland and Portugal are close to achieving zero carbon power sectors, successfully dealing with the intermittency challenge of renewables. Still, there are also setbacks in renewable deployment, like the cost inflation seen in offshore wind, and governments will need to step up stimulation to get these sectors back on track. This year could see more inflection points in the energy transition, with impacts felt well into the latter half of the decade." With this context in mind, we are now talk about Wall Street analysts' best undervalued energy stocks to buy. Our Methodology To compile our list of the best undervalued energy stocks to buy according to analysts, we used a stock screener to identify energy stocks with price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios below 25. We then ranked these firms based on their average analyst share price target upside. For each of these energy stocks, we have also included hedge fund sentiment. Why do we track 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 newsletters 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). A refinery, the sun illuminating its engineering complexity. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) Average Analyst Estimates as of May 28: $136.87 Average Analyst Upside as of May 28: 17.32% P/E Ratio: 14.31 Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) has been a dominant force in the LNG sector for over four decades, with its roots dating back to John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil. Over its 140-year history, Exxon Mobil has transformed from a local kerosene distributor in the United States to a global industry leader, ranking prominently among the top publicly traded companies in the petroleum and petrochemical fields. On April 26, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) announced first-quarter earnings of $8.2 billion, or $2.06 per diluted share. The company's capital and exploration expenditures were $5.8 billion, in line with its full-year guidance of $23 billion to $25 billion. That said, not everyone seems bullish on XOM. Truist Securities recently downgraded its rating on Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) from Buy to Hold and lowered the price target from $146.00 to $124.00, a change reflecting the firm's view that ExxonMobil's shares may underperform compared to its competitors in the near term due to current market valuations and the recent acquisition of Pioneer. While acknowledging the positive impact of the company's Guyana operations and the Pioneer acquisition, it expects the company's free cash flow (FCF) yield to remain below that of its peers until at least 2025. This expectation is partly due to the ongoing integration of Pioneer's operations, a process often referred to as "digestion" in the industry. As of the end of the first quarter of 2024, Insider Monkey's tracking data showed that 81 out of 919 hedge funds held stakes in Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM). The largest stakeholder among them was Ken Fishers Fisher Asset Management, with a $3.07 billion investment. Madison Dividend Income Fund stated the following regarding Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter: This quarter we are highlighting Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) as a relative yield example in the Energy sector. XOM is a leading integrated oil and natural gas company. It has upstream assets that develop and produce oil and natural gas, along with downstream refining and chemical manufacturing assets. We believe it has attractive low-cost acreage in the Permian basin and has a sizeable growth opportunity in Guyana. Further, we think XOM has a sustainable competitive advantage due to size and scale, and its ability to integrate refining and chemical assets provides a low-cost advantage versus competitors. Our thesis on XOM is that it will grow production volumes of oil and gas moderately over the next few years, while limiting excessive capital investment that plagued the industry from 2014-2020. Production growth will come from its 2023 acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources, which is the largest producer in the Permian basin. XOM plans to double its Permian output by 2027, to 2 million barrels per day. Capital spending will be limited to $20-25 billion per year through 2027, which should allow for significant amounts of cash to be returned to shareholders including a $35 billion share repurchase program and continued dividend increases. Higher oil prices would provide a tailwind to our thesis but are not necessary. We think XOM can grow earnings and cash flow if oil prices remain above $60 per barrel Overall XOM ranks 5th on our list of the best undervalued energy stocks to buy. You can visit 8 Best Undervalued Energy Stocks To Buy According to Analysts to see the other energy stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of XOM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than XOM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion "Opportunity" for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. The late Saturday afternoon shooting that left nine people injured at a Rochester Hills splash pad has not gone unnoticed by scammers who thrive on phony fundraisers. One fake GoFundMe page, which has since been shut down, collected more than $15,000 on behalf of Kyle J. Thompson, his pregnant wife and children, who claimed to be a victim of the shooting, according to a Sunday alert by Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "Neither he nor his family were victims," according to the news release issued by Bouchard's office. Bouchard called that site a "complete fraud." These bottom-feeding scumbags are preying off this tragedy, Bouchard said in the news release. They have already shown their character." At a 2 p.m. news conference Monday, Bouchard said the money collected through the fake GoFundMe account was not dispersed to the scammers and that money was returned to donors. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett speaks about the pendant he is wearing with city colors during a news conference to discuss details of a mass shooting that occurred on Saturday at a splash pad in Rochester Hills, alongside Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard at the Oakland County Sheriffs headquarters in Pontiac, on Monday, June 17, 2024. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett, also at the news conference, said a community fundraising effort will be listed at the city's webpage and handled through the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester. See www.rochesterhills.org. More: Mother, sons critically injured in Rochester Hills splash pad shooting in stable condition The headline of the fake GoFundMe page was titled "Donate to Help The Thompson Family Heal After Tragic Michigan Shooting, organized by Kyle Thompson." As of Sunday, Bouchard said the sheriff's office was unaware of any legitimate charity collecting donations for the families of the shooting victims. But that changed as of Monday with some sites being verified. Law enforcement officers are on the scene following a mass shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The yellow evidence markers indicate the position of spent shell casings. "I encourage anyone interested in donating to check with the Sheriffs Office first. If there are legitimate sites, we will let the public know. Information on verified GoFundMe efforts is at oakgov.com/government/sheriff. A GoFundMe account was created by friends of victims in the Coughlin family and verified by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. By Monday morning, more than $64,000 was raised out of an $80,000 goal, according to the GoFundMe page called "Help the Coughlin Family Recover." More: Couple hit by gunfire as they shielded daughters in Rochester Hills splash pad shooting Micayla and Eric Coughlin, of Rochester Hills, took their 2-year-old daughter and their 7-month-old daughter to the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad on Saturday, according to the account. They "were not even there for a minute when Micayla and Eric heard gunfire" and rushed save their children. The GoFundMe account stated: "In total, Micayla and Eric sustained 7 gunshot wounds. They are hospitalized and undergoing necessary treatment. Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening. Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy." Story continues Kids shoes, bullet casings, a gun and many yellow evidence markers are shown following a mass shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Another fundraising page for three victims of Saturday's splash pad shooting in Rochester Hills identified as members of the Bebout family also has been created and verified by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. The mother and her two sons were three of the victims directly involved and critically injured in the shooting, said Tiffany Holcomb, the boys' aunt, who created the page on the GoFundMe website. The GoFundMe Trust & Safety team verified a Coughlin family fundraiser, according to a GoFundMe spokesperson on Monday, but said the team was in the process Monday morning of reviewing the "Help Support the Bebout family" fundraiser and will work with the organizer to ensure the money is transferred to the right place. Our hearts go out to the Rochester Hills community and to all of those affected by this senseless tragedy," the spokesperson emailed the Free Press early Monday afternoon. "At GoFundMe, being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority. GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and those who seek to take advantage of the generosity of the community." GoFundMe removed the Kyle J. Thompson fundraiser from the platform. "None of the funds were released to the fundraiser organizer, and all donors have been refunded," the spokesperson said. "We will cooperate with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing. The GoFundMe Giving Guarantee protects donors by guaranteeing a full refund in the rare case something isnt right. As part of the verification process, GoFundMe did not give any access to money raised at any point to the Kyle J. Thompson fundraiser organizer. When suspicious activity is flagged, the company said, its experts immediately investigate concerns. Sometimes, a fundraiser comes into question simply because it is gaining so much momentum. If additional information is needed to complete the verification review, the company said, its team places a hold on a fundraiser, which prevents funds from being withdrawn pending further review. "In the rare instances of misuse of our platform, our team takes swift action, including outright removal of the fundraiser and even banning an account for violating our terms of service, as we have done in this case," the company said. Unfortunately, a tragedy or natural disaster can bring out the worst in humanity, as well as the best. Those with charitable hearts must take extra care before giving. Key tips to consider: Facebook scams: Well-versed con artists know how to gain access to a legitimate Facebook account, change the password and set up a phony online fundraising campaign to raise thousands of dollars for themselves, not the victims. In one case a few years ago, a crook impersonated a Troy man on Facebook and posted that the man needed to raise money for medical bills. The real man didn't have cancer; he only learned about the fake post when he sister called him to ask what was wrong. The scammer had already accumulated $1,785 out of a $4,500 goal by the time the man discovered the terrible fraud, according to a report filed in 2021 with the Troy Police Department. Be careful what you share: Many times, a social media post might not be legitimate and hyperlinks are not accurate, according to an alert by the Federal Trade Commission about potential fraud related to fundraising platforms. "If a friend posted, shared, or 'liked' the request on social media, contact your friend offline," the FTC warns. "Ask what they know about the post." Use caution with crowdfunding sites. "Keep in mind that some crowdfunding sites take precautions in carefully screening, vetting, and managing postings, while others might not," according to a warning from the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula. Take time to understand how a crowdfunding site works. "If the post claims to pass collected funds to a charity," the BBB said, "consider cutting out the intermediary and visiting the charity's website directly." Study the wording of an appeal: "Watch out for vague appeals that do not identify the intended use of funds," the BBB warns. How will the donation help the family? When will the money be used and how? Who is making the appeal for the money? Think before you click on a link: Avoid the urge to immediately click on links to unfamiliar charity websites or those links included in text messages or emails. "These may take you to a look-alike website where you will be asked to provide personal financial information or may download harmful malware onto your computer," the BBB warns. "Do not assume that charity recommendations on social media have already been vetted." Be skeptical: Mass shootings, hurricanes, local fires, and other disasters all can be used by scammers to create phony fundraising efforts. Most GoFundMe pages are legit and well-intentioned, but, unfortunately there have been instances where bad actors have taken advantage of the systems," said Amy Nofziger, director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. Watch out for someone who claims to have direct ties to the recipient but does not have many followers or friends in common, she said. "Also watch out for any organizer that doesnt respond to any questions you might email them," Nofziger said. Do an online search to see whether the information checks out. "You do not want your money to go to a criminal stealing on behalf of a person in need," she said. Report scams: If you spot a fundraising scam, report it to the platform. GoFundMe has a link on its site to submit a donor claim if you believe you've been scammed. GoFundMe also encourage consumers to "message the organizer by clicking 'Contact' next to their name to ask for more information" about a fundraiser before giving any money. And you can report a fake fundraiser online at GoFundMe.com. The GoFundMe platform is backed by a GoFundMe guarantee, the company says online, which means funds are guaranteed to go to the right place or the consumer will get a refund. "We guarantee you a full refund in the rare case something isnt right. Whether you donate to a fundraiser for a person or a nonprofit, youre protected," the site states. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor. Free Press staff writers Andrea May Sahouri, Kylie Martin and Jennifer Dixon contributed. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fake GoFundMe page collected $15K for phony Rochester Hills victims As many as 100 Myrtle Beach and Florence workers are out of work. FedEx is laying off employees at three company locations in South Carolina, including Florence and Myrtle Beach. The locations will close later this year, the company has said. The layoffs were first reported by the layoff database WARN Tracker. In a statement to The Sun News, David Westerlick with FedEx media relations said the layoff decision was made months in advance. We recently informed employees that FedEx facilities in Myrtle Beach, Florence, and Columbia will close later this year and certain team members will be offered opportunities at other nearby FedEx locations.Decisions of this nature are never made lightly, and are the result of much thought and consideration for the needs of our business, Westerlick wrote in a statement. Affected team members were notified several months before any changes take place, and are receiving assistance with finding other employment opportunities within the company, including additional support options like relocation assistance or severance where applicable. According to WARN Tracker, 60 to 150 employees were reported to have been laid off at the Florence and Myrtle Beach locations. Employees at both the Florence and Myrtle Beach locations were notified of the layoff June 7, 2024, according to WARN Tracker. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, known as The WARN Act, gives employees advanced notice of layoffs. (Reuters) -GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp has declined Boeing's request to consider taking over as the U.S. planemaker's top boss, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Boeing and GE Aerospace did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Culp on several occasions had said he was not interested in the job. In April, Culp told Reuters he can best serve Boeing by being its best supplier. The U.S. planemaker has had to navigate safety concerns after it came under scrutiny following a mid-air cabin panel blowout in an Alaska Airlines-operated MAX 9 jet carrying 171 passengers this year and prior accidents involving the same family of jets. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred Boeing from expanding production of its cash-cow 737 MAX family of jets without estimating how long the limitation will last. The restriction followed a series of separate quality issues that pressured deliveries last year. Boeing is also investigating a new quality problem with its 787 Dreamliner after discovering that hundreds of fasteners have been incorrectly installed on the fuselages of some undelivered jets, Reuters reported last week. The Arlington, Virginia-based company had said in March Dave Calhoun would step down as CEO by the end of 2024. Board chair Larry Kellner and Stan Deal, head of the company's commercial planes business, were also set to leave. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar) Say Goodbye to High U.S. Costs: Why Retiring Abroad Is the New Financial Strategy for Boomers From 2019 to 2022, the number of Americans receiving their Social Security benefits overseas increased from 413,000 to 760,000. With more countries opening up retirement visas, the idea of retiring abroad continues to grow in popularity. Why are so many people drawn to living in another country? Don't Miss: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare ? Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? How does it compare to the average? Beyond the novelty of traveling and experiencing a new culture, two things stand out when talking to overseas retirees: cost of living and quality of life. Laura and Chris Barnett, a couple from Fayetteville, North Carolina, told CNN about their plan to move to Portugal, and the cost was a huge factor. "[The U.S.] has set up a system where even if we have the money to cover our day-to-day expenses rent, food, travel all of a sudden there's this other line item called health care. That's about $1,500 a month, more than our house payment," Laura said. She continued by saying that they believe they'll be able to live on less than $3,500 per month in Portugal while still being able to travel throughout Europe. The Wall Street Journal covered a story of six people who retired overseas with savings ranging from $70,000 to $1.8 million. You don't have to be a millionaire to retire abroad. One of the couples WSJ spoke to was Halisi Vinson, 58, and Ricard Crawley, 67, who retired in Lisbon, Portugal. They saved $300,000 for retirement, and after speaking to others who had made the move and visiting Portugal for a month themselves, they moved from Denver to Lisbon. Their monthly expenses, which include rent and dining out, are about $2,600 per month. That's half what they'd expect in the U.S. Trending: The average millionaire has 7 sources of income Here are 3 passive income opportunities you can add today. Portugal isn't the only place retirees flock to. Susan Wojcik, 62, retired in Samara, Costa Rica, and is able to cover her expenses with her $1,421 Social Security check. One retiree living in Spain told WSJ, "My stress level in Spain is much lower as a result of the lower cost of living and an overall higher quality of life." It isn't just health care, food, and rent that cost less when living abroad. Many places, particularly in Europe and Asia, have good enough public transportation that you don't need a car. Some countries focus less on consumerism, so there isn't as much pressure to buy things when going out. Story continues More people are growing concerned that they won't be able to afford basic expenses in their retirement, and many must continue to work well into their 60s to afford health care. If retiring abroad and traveling the world with a lower cost of living is your dream, by all means, go for it. Moving abroad permanently definitely has drawbacks and bureaucracy to worry about leaving family in the U.S., taxes, visa application and renewal processes, and other paperwork but it is doable. Whether you want to retire abroad or just plan for a comfortable retirement stateside, a good financial advisor can help you achieve financial stability. Consider arming your financial toolbelt with an advisor who can guide you in your unique retirement goals. Read Next: Warren Buffett flipped his neighbor's $67,000 life savings into a $50 million fortune How much is that worth today? 82% of Americans arent using this government secured 5% passive income stream, are you one of them? "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 Say Goodbye to High U.S. Costs: Why Retiring Abroad Is the New Financial Strategy for Boomers originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. Goodwill Industries of Central Florida has proposed a store in Ocoee. The Orlando-based nonprofit filed for a Small-Scale Site Plan for a retail store along Fountains West Boulevard with the city of Ocoee. An entity connected to Goodwill bought the 3.09-acre property without an address for $1.35 million from Timmus Storage 1 LLC on Feb. 9. Goodwill would develop the store from scratch on the vacant pad on the property. It had requested an adjustment to the Planned Unit Development to allow for a 6,000-square-foot expansion of the proposed store to 24,932 square feet, but the Ocoee Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the proposal by a 3-2 vote on June 11 due to nearby resident concerns over traffic levels the project would add to on Clarcona-Ocoee Road and Ocoee Apopka Road. Read: Tupperware will close its last US factory Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. (Graphic Business Wire) Leafguard's seamless one-piece design is stronger and more durable than any other gutter system available. (Photo: Business Wire) Englert is the gold standard for commercial and residential metal roofing and gutter systems. (Photo: Business Wire) Leading home improvement company continues to grow its family of brands MACEDONIA, Ohio, June 17, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Great Day Improvements, LLC, a leading national direct-to-consumer home remodeling company, announces the acquisition of the brands Leafguard and Englert. With over 80 years of combined experience, Leafguard and Englert are well recognized for their high-quality gutter systems and metal roofing, complementing Great Day Improvements portfolio of home remodeling brands and products. This strategic move will allow Great Day Improvements to continue to expand its national footprint and grow its comprehensive services, further solidifying its reputation as the go-to destination for home remodeling needs. Through the acquisition, Great Day Improvements will extend its reach to more than 280 locations in 120 markets, giving homeowners access to even more top-quality products and services all in one place, including windows, doors, siding, bathrooms, enclosed patios and now metal roofing and gutter systems. Leveraging Leafguard's product expertise and Englert's manufacturing excellence capabilities on the East Coast, Great Day Improvements will be ideally positioned to continue to diversify its product offering on a national scale. Furthermore, Englerts unmatched customer service aligns with Great Day Improvements own priorities, adding to the companys already strong consumer-centric approach. "We actively seek out companies that share our focus on excellence and innovation. This mindset ensures that every acquisition, including Leafguard and Englert, enhances our ability to serve our customers better," said Michael Hoy, CEO of Great Day Improvements. "This partnership is an important milestone in our journey to create a best-in-class, direct-to-consumer home remodeling experience on a national level." In addition to its expanded geographic footprint, the acquisition creates significant employee growth, increasing the total workforce to 4,500 employees across all of Great Day Improvements family of brands. With Great Day Improvements currently ranked in the Top 5 of Qualified Remodelers 2023 annual Top 500 home improvement brands, the acquisition of Leafguard and Englert is expected to propel the company to one of the largest home improvement companies in America. The company portfolio now boasts 12 well-renowned brands, including Champion Windows and Home Exteriors and Patio Enclosures. The acquisition of Leafguard and Englert underscores the companys strategy of nurturing strong, recognizable names within its growing family. Story continues "This acquisition shows we are well positioned for growth and a successful future despite any ups and downs in the home remodeling industry," said Ed Weinfurtner, Executive Chairman of Great Day Improvements. "As we create a strategically resilient business, we are excited to integrate the Leafguard and Englert brands into our operations, not only enhancing our market reach and product variety but also reinforcing our unique business model that provides a local feel with national strength." David Rosser, Vice President of Leafguard, Carlos Dias, Vice President of Englert, and Michael Bauersfeld, CFO of Englert Leafguard will collaborate with Great Day's leadership team to ensure seamless integration. From a Great Day Improvements standpoint, Michael Hoy, CEO, Drew Weinfurtner, President and COO, and Carolyn Resar, CSIO, will oversee the onboarding process, reinforcing stability and growth. Learn more about Great Day Improvements and its family of brands at greatdayimprovements.com. About Great Day Improvements, LLC Headquartered in Macedonia, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Great Day Improvements is a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer provider of premium home improvement products. Great Days family of brands includes Patio Enclosures, Champion Windows and Home Exteriors, Universal Windows Direct, Apex Energy Solutions, Stanek Windows, Hartshorn Custom Contracting, Your Home Improvement Company, Home Performance Alliance, K Designers, Leafguard, Englert and The Bath Authority. Great Day has an expanding workforce of 4,500 employees across 120 metropolitan markets throughout the United States. The company has been ranked as the fifth-largest home improvement company in the nation according to Qualified Remodelers Top 500 list and is among the fastest-growing private companies for a second consecutive year. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240617106306/en/ Contacts Jane Lamb, Chief Growth Officer Jane.Lamb@greatdayimprovements.com 440.462.1619 As global markets experience fluctuations with technology stocks showing notable strength amid favorable inflation data, investors are keenly observing trends that could influence their strategies. In such a market environment, growth companies with high insider ownership can be particularly compelling, as they often signal confidence from those who know the company best. Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Cettire (ASX:CTT) 28.7% 30.1% Gaming Innovation Group (OB:GIG) 13.2% 36.2% KebNi (OM:KEBNI B) 37.8% 90.4% Credo Technology Group Holding (NasdaqGS:CRDO) 15% 84.1% Calliditas Therapeutics (OM:CALTX) 11.6% 52.9% EHang Holdings (NasdaqGM:EH) 32.8% 101.9% La Francaise de l'Energie (ENXTPA:FDE) 20.1% 37.7% Vow (OB:VOW) 31.8% 97.6% Adocia (ENXTPA:ADOC) 12.1% 104.5% OSE Immunotherapeutics (ENXTPA:OSE) 25.6% 79.3% Click here to see the full list of 1447 stocks from our Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Haci Omer Sabanci Holding A.S., with a market capitalization of TRY 197.12 billion, is engaged in finance, manufacturing, and trading activities globally. Operations: The company's revenue is primarily derived from its segments in banking (TRY 388.31 billion), energy (TRY 192.32 billion), digital (TRY 52.76 billion), industry (TRY 49.50 billion), financial services (TRY 44.67 billion), and construction materials (TRY 41.53 billion). Insider Ownership: 20.5% Haci Omer Sabanci Holding A.S. is experiencing robust forecasted revenue and earnings growth, with annual earnings expected to increase significantly at 76.7% and revenue at 68.4%. However, the company faces challenges, including a high bad loans ratio of 2.2% and a recent substantial net loss reported in Q1 2024 (TRY 5,366.16 million). Additionally, profit margins have decreased from last year's 11.9% to this year's 6.8%, indicating potential efficiency issues despite the promising growth metrics. IBSE:SAHOL Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Mowi ASA is a global seafood company specializing in farming, producing, and supplying Atlantic salmon products, with a market capitalization of approximately NOK 97.97 billion. Operations: Mowi's revenue is primarily generated from four segments: Feed (1.07 billion), Farming (3.38 billion), Sales & Marketing - Markets (3.76 billion), and Sales & Marketing - Consumer Products (3.64 billion). Story continues Insider Ownership: 14.7% Mowi ASA, a key player in the aquaculture industry, demonstrates strong potential with insiders significantly involved in its governance. Despite a recent dip in net income and earnings per share as reported for Q1 2024, Mowi's revenue growth is forecasted to outpace the Norwegian market significantly. Challenges include a high debt level and dividends that are not well-covered by earnings. Recent board changes could influence future strategic directions, enhancing governance but also introducing uncertainties about execution on ambitious financial forecasts. OB:MOWI Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Do-Fluoride New Materials Co., Ltd. specializes in the development, production, and sale of inorganic fluorides, electronic chemicals, and lithium-ion battery materials both domestically and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately CN15.41 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through the sale of inorganic fluorides, electronic chemicals, and materials for lithium-ion batteries. Insider Ownership: 13.9% Do-Fluoride New Materials, amidst a backdrop of recent corporate governance changes and a dividend decrease, shows mixed financial dynamics. While its Q1 2024 earnings have dipped compared to the previous year, its revenue and earnings growth projections remain robust, outpacing broader Chinese market expectations. However, concerns arise from a decline in profit margins and the sustainability of dividends given current cash flows. The company's active share buyback program reflects confidence from management but also highlights issues around shareholder dilution over the past year. SZSE:002407 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024 Key Takeaways Reveal the 1447 hidden gems among our Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership screener with a single click here. Have a stake in these businesses? Integrate your holdings into Simply Wall St's portfolio for notifications and detailed stock reports. Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent. Contemplating Other Strategies? This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.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 IBSE:SAHOL OB:MOWI and SZSE:002407. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Home Buying Hazard: Top U.S. Cities Where Your Investment May Sink, According To 'Special Housing Risk Report' California, New Jersey, and Illinois face heightened housing market risks, marked by a concentration of counties vulnerable to market downturns. Identified in a "Special Housing Risk Report" issued by ATTOM on Thursday, the study analyzed data from 590 counties across the U.S. and found wide disparities in housing market stability. Focusing on indicators like home affordability, underwater mortgages, foreclosure rates, and local unemployment, the report aimed to identify how market dynamics in those states contrast with less vulnerable areas predominantly located in the South and Midwest. In regions like Kings County, New York, homeownership costs 109.5% of the average local wages, the highest across the surveyed areas. Similarly, El Dorado County, California, and Passaic County, New Jersey, report homeownership expenses consuming 64% and 62.1% of local incomes, respectively. Don't Miss: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it ? 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. In Illinois, particularly around Chicago, counties including DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, and Will are dealing with similar economic pressures, with homeownership costs straining local incomes. The figures exceed the national average, where major homeownership expenses in the first quarter required 32.3% of average local wages. "The patterns of varying market vulnerability that we've been seeing over the past few years are pretty much continuing in place, with some of the same areas falling out at opposite ends of the trend line," Rob Barber, ATTOM CEO, said in the report. Underwater Mortgages and Foreclosure Rates The positions many homeowners find themselves in are complicated by the widespread presence of underwater mortgages, ATTOM found. For instance, in Webb County, Texas, 31.5% of residential mortgages are underwater, meaning the homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth. Trending: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare? ATTOM saw similar situations in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, with 21.2%, and Livingston Parish, Louisiana, with 20.6%. Foreclosures are another issue facing high-risk counties. Osceola County, Florida, saw the highest foreclosure-case rate, with one in every 480 residential properties facing possible foreclosure actions. It is closely followed by Cumberland County, New Jersey, and Warren County, New Jersey, the report found. Unemployment as a Compounding Factor Unemployment rates also play a role in vulnerabilities, ATTOM said. In central California, Tulare County reports the highest unemployment rate at 12%, impacting the economic stability of its residents. Other central California counties, like Merced and Kern, reflect similar challenges, with unemployment rates exceeding 10%. Meanwhile, the areas surrounding Chicago are grappling with unemployment rates that, while slightly lower, still impact the economic well-being of communities and contribute to the risks in the housing market. Story continues Less Vulnerable Markets Contrastingly, the least vulnerable markets, predominantly located in the South and Midwest, show a different economic picture. In those areas, like Virginia and Wisconsin, major homeownership costs are more in line with or below the national average. Counties like Gallatin, Montana, and Williamson, Tennessee, although still requiring a high portion of local wages for homeownership costs, do not face the high rates of underwater mortgages or foreclosures in the more vulnerable areas. According to the report, those less vulnerable counties also benefit from relatively low unemployment rates. For example, Chittenden County, Vermont, has one of the lowest unemployment rates at 1.4%, contributing to its stability and lower risk of housing market downturns. "Once again, this is not to suggest that any one market is facing imminent decline. It's more a measure of vulnerability gaps," the ATTOM CEO said. "But with the housing market slowing down over the past year, some metro areas appear notably better positioned than others to withstand a scenario of the market topping out and heading downward." Keep Reading: Private credit offers up to 20% APY to potential accredited investor s looking to capitalize on this growing asset class. Miami is expected to take New York's place as the U.S. Financial Capital. Here's how you can invest in the city with as little as $500 before that happens. "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 Home Buying Hazard: Top U.S. Cities Where Your Investment May Sink, According To 'Special Housing Risk Report' originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. IDEX BIOMETRICS ASA Oslo, Norway, and Taipei, Taiwan 17 June 2024 IDEX Biometrics has received a production order from Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC), in support of bank launches in Asia. BCC has obtained the Letter of Approval (LoA) from Mastercard for its biometric payment card built on the IDEX Pay platform, allowing the issuance and deployment of biometric cards globally. With an annual production of 121 million payment cards1, BCC is one of the top 10 smart card manufacturers globally, specialized in the manufacturing, personalizing, and packaging of payment and multiple-application cards. IDEX Pay based biometric smart cards complete BCCs offering of eco sustainable card solutions in Asia and globally. "We are excited about this approval as we are accelerating our biometric payment and access card focus through our deepened collaboration with IDEX Biometrics, shifting to and scaling IDEX Pay based biometric cards. With our global client portfolio and ecosystem partners, we deliver more seamless and secure customer experiences, meeting the growing demand from consumers, stated Shellen Hsu, Global Vice President, Sales and Business Development of BCC. We are committed to meeting the growing demand for biometric payment cards in Asia, and BCC is an ideal partner with a very strong customer portfolio of banks, corporates and governments as well as being a trusted partner for many of the world's leading card manufacturers, said Catharina Eklof, Chief Commercial Officer of IDEX Biometrics. 1 Source: Nilson Report For further information contact: Marianne Be, Head of Investor Relations E-mail: marianne.boe@idexbiometrics.com Tel: + 47 918 00186 About IDEX Biometrics IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market. For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com About Beautiful Card Corporation With 32 years of experience in the smart card industry, BCC is a leading smart card manufacturer globally. Headquartered in Taoyuan, Taiwan, BCC is a Taiwanese-owned, GSMA SAS-certified, VISA, Mastercard and JCB-certified company with a global strength and local support. Since BCCs founding, they have been developing new technology in the card industry as well as continuously putting efforts into the innovation and improvement of all sorts of cards. It is an eco-sustainable material provider that has compliance with RoHS, REACH, HF, CP65, ETSI, etc. Story continues For more information, visit https://www.beautifulcard.com TRADEMARK STATEMENT IDEX, IDEX Biometrics and the IDEX logo are trademarks owned by IDEX Biometrics ASA. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. About this notice This notice discloses inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and was issued by Erling Svela, Vice president of finance, on 17 June 2024 at 11:15 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. The notice is published in accordance with section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The Gies College of Business has become known around the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an innovator a school that takes big risks with its creative academic programming. In the last five years, Gies has masterfully designed a suite of stackable educational degrees, where students can take a course and then apply that credit to the B-schools highly regarded iMBA or other certificate programs. Now Gies is hoping to take its expertise in stackability and apply it to other graduate programs at the university, announcing new cross-campus collaborations with UIUCs agricultural and medical schools. It is a big step forward for the business school, enabling it to reach a whole new population of students on campus, says Amanda Brantner, Gies director of content and educational portfolio strategy. What we recognize is that as a university, we have tremendous expertise in areas outside of business that are business adjacent, Brantner says, and we want to be able to serve our graduate degree learners with content from other colleges across campus. The place where we see a large opportunity is in attracting new students through the certificate programs. A NATURAL PARTNERSHIP FORMS BETWEEN GIES AND AGRICULTURE FACULTY Amanda Brantner, director of content and educational portfolio strategy at Illinois Gies: We are a go-to-institution for individuals in the agricultural industry Gies first foray into campus collaboration is a partnership that will launch this August with the universitys College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). This new program, the Agribusiness & Sustainable Food Production Economics graduate certificate, will give students a chance to take four courses focused on agribusiness and sustainable food, or 12 credit hours in total. Students who take these courses which have been developed and delivered by the ACES faculty can also choose to use them to replace one of the focus area requirements in Gies iMBA and they are stackable as well into Gies portfolio on online graduate degrees. The courses being offered as part of the program are available as MOOCs on Coursera and include: Supply Chain of Agriculture, Issues in Supply Chain Management, Risks to Crop Production in Agriculture, Strategies and Tools to Mitigate Agricultural Risk. The offering will provide learners an overview of global production and distribution of agricultural commodities and food products. Courses will examine the financial and risk-management decisions associated with agricultural production and analyze modern issues facing the food industry in light of global challenges to sustainably feed a growing world population, Brantner notes. Story continues The MOOCs for these classes will serve as the digital textbook and foundational content for the for-credit courses, Brantner says. The collaboration with the agricultural school made sense for Gies first cross-campus collaboration to expand its online stackability model given that the University of Illinois is a land-grant institution in the heart of central Illinois, Brantner notes. We are a go-to-institution for individuals in the agricultural industry, and we believe that by partnering with the college we can support learners who want to pursue graduate education in a combination of agriculture and business to further their careers and provide upward mobility, Brantner said. Indeed, there is much potential for Gies to expand its reach at the university, and as a result attract more students who may eventually want to do the iMBA or other degree programs the school offers, Brantner says. The university as a whole has a robust graduate school population that Gies can tap into: Just this past fall the university welcomed 6,305 new graduate students, one of the largest cohorts in its history. COLLABORATION WITH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN THE WORKS Gies also has plans in the works to create another new graduate certificate with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. This university funded degree program will be called the Healthcare Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Graduate Certificate, and will be a stackable graduate certificate. The collaboration has support from the Mayo Clinic and the Siebel Center for Design, and will focus on innovation in health care, giving students insight into product development and the entrepreneurship skills needed to bring new healthcare products to market, Brantner said. The Gies faculty who have developed the courses are experts in operations management, new product design and development and entrepreneurship and many of them have joint appointment between Gies and the Carle School. This program is still in the works, but Gies expects to have the MOOCs for it launched in the spring of 2025, followed by credit-bearing courses and eventually the stackable graduate certificate. Were expecting more demand, at least initially, for the health care certificate because we expect to have a longer timeline marketing and promoting it to our students, Brantner says. It will leverage Gies faculty and their expertise in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. COLLABORATION EXPANDS EXISTING RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDICAL SCHOOL The program builds upon an already established partnership Gies has with iMBA students from the Carle School and the Grainger College of Engineering. Ravi Mehta, a professor for both Gies Business and Carle Illinois, heads up Capstone Innovations, the year-long, hands-on project that students collaborate on together. The cross-disciplinary team of students who participate come up with new prototypes and ways of doing things that have the potential to change the practice of medicine in some fields as well as improve medical outcomes, Mehta says. For example, one of the 2024 capstone projects is called Spinal Vision, and it is a new image-guided system that allows clinicians to perform challenging lumbar puncture procedures in a safer manner, and with less pain for the patient. Another project students developed is a product called BRACA, which improves the function and usability for the post-surgical compression bra for those who have had a mastectomy for breast cancer. Innovation is not complete unless it serves a need and people adopt the product, Mehta says in an e-mail. Business finds that need, finds the niche, helps bring it to people who need that technology the most. And that is what innovation is. Without business, its just an invention. Business is what makes it innovation. INNOVATION IS A STRONG DRIVER FOR GIES Indeed, innovative work like what Mehta does with his students is is key to Gies mission as a business school, and part of why Gies wants to expand its footprint on campus, Gies Brantner says. She is eager to see how these cross-campus collaborations play out in the next few years, and believes they will be popular options for graduate students across campus once word gets out. It has taken several years to develop each of these graduate certificate programs, and ensure that the new courses meet leaners expectations and are delivered in a consistent way, not an easy feat by any means, Brantner says. Interdisciplinary collaboration on a campus of our size is of great interest and is a strategic priority for the campus, but it is very difficult to actually get done, she says. This is about creating access, and as we embark on collaborations with others across campus, we will continue to stay true to that mission-driven focus. DONT MISS POETS&QUANTS MBA PROGRAM OF THE YEAR FOR 2022: GIES iMBA and REGRETS? TOO FEW TO MENTION FOR DEPARTING GIES DEAN JEFF BROWN The post Illinois Gies Takes Stackability To The Next Level appeared first on Poets&Quants. Spanish spirits producer Innovation Premium Brands is looking to use a recent internal investment to self-finance its growth from organic sales in the next three years. James Le Grys, recently appointed managing director of the companys Alkkemist gin and Unkkoded vodka brands, told Just Drinks he plans to get the business to a point where in three years time we'll be able to sing for our own supper. I want us to get to three years where we can be organically grown from our own base of sales, basically. The three-year goal forms a part of the companys wider five-year growth plan which it expects to bring into play in 2025. Le Grys said: I would like it to significantly scale up in the next five years to be in a position where we have a brand home in Xabia, weve scaled up to a point where we have our own distillery (at the moment its more of a warehouse) and to be an internationally known brand. Founded in 2012, Innovation Premium Brands distils gin and vodka in the coastal town of Xabia in Valencia. The production site has an annual production capacity of over two million bottles. Last week, the company board announced a 500,000 ($535,535) investment which Le Grys plans to use to consolidate the gin and vodka brands under the single Alkkemist label and build the brands presence in its top markets of Spain, the US and Italy. In the US, the business will look to expand further along the west coast, as it hopes to make the most of the halt to the Tequila boom. Speaking on the market, Le Grys said: the Tequila/mezcal segment is very slowly decreasing, but [with] the amount theyre decreasing by, gin is sneaking in and vodka is growing. The cash injection will also go towards building relationships with its global distribution partners to help support expansion, boosting off-premise operations, as well as scaling up marketing through brand ambassadors. Le Grys said he sees benefit in boosting headcount in the extra markets where we have that capability of engaging communities, like the bartender community in the US it's so important to be able to engage with wholesalers and to make the brand alive. Otherwise, you're just another line on a catalogue. Besides its top three markets, the gin and vodka brands are also sold to 25 other countries worldwide, including the UK, Caribbean, Croatia and Albania. When asked whether its growth plans included the UK, Le Grys said he wanted to focus on Alkkemists international landscape due to the volatility of the UK market. If I'm going to be honest, there's more challenges in the UK than there is actually outside of the UK for the gin category, he said. Story continues Thats why I dare say my focus countries [are] the US, Italy and Spain... they're the markets I think we can have the most penetration because they are more stable for gin and for vodka, whereas the UK is more inflammatory. Research published last October from Just Drinks parent GlobalData predicted 12.46% value growth for gin in the UK in 2024, reaching $3.8bn. However, David Harris, director for alcoholic beverages at the analytics company said he expected the market to move towards flat to modest growth in its annual update released later this year. A general decline in alcohol consumption is to blame for the growth plateau, he said, with the reduction being offset slightly by consumers choosing to spend more on more expensive brands. While this could work in the favour of smaller craft labels, gin in the UK is still likely to see a tricky few years, Harris said. I wouldnt be surprised to see the big brands playing in the mainstream price brand really suffer, while smaller craft producers see volume grow while their margins are pressed by retailers trying to get the best deals for their customers. "Innovation Premium Brands eyeing organic growth within three years" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. Just take a look at Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX), which is up 87%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 15% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 46%, including dividends. With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies. Check out our latest analysis for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One 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. During three years of share price growth, Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A achieved compound earnings per share growth of 50% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 23% average annual increase in the share price. So one could reasonably conclude that the market has cooled on the stock. We'd venture the lowish P/E ratio of 5.80 also reflects the negative sentiment around the stock. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It is of course excellent to see how Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A's TSR for the last 3 years was 124%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective It's good to see that Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 46% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 15%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A that you should be aware of. Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com When you buy and hold a stock for the long term, you definitely want it to provide a positive return. Better yet, you'd like to see the share price move up more than the market average. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) share price is up 20% in the last five years, that's less than the market return. The last year hasn't been great either, with the stock up just 1.4%. So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. View our latest analysis for Coca-Cola To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, Coca-Cola achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 9.6% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 4% average annual increase in the share price. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Coca-Cola the TSR over the last 5 years was 41%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective Coca-Cola shareholders gained a total return of 4.7% during the year. But that was short of the market average. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 7% over five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Coca-Cola , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Story continues Of course Coca-Cola may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - The U.S. state of Kansas on Monday sued Pfizer, accusing the company of misleading the public about its COVID-19 vaccine by hiding risks while making false claims about its effectiveness. In a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Thomas County, the state said the New York-based drugmaker's alleged false statements violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. It is seeking unspecified money damages. "Pfizer made multiple misleading statements to deceive the public about its vaccine at a time when Americans needed the truth," Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, said in a statement. The lawsuit claims that, beginning shortly after the vaccine's rollout in early 2021, Pfizer concealed evidence that the shot was linked to pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, as well as inflammation in and around the heart, known as myocarditis and pericarditis. "The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based," Pfizer said in a statement, adding that it believed the lawsuit had no merit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2021 added a warning about myocarditis and pericarditis to the vaccine's label. The side effects are rare and most often occur in adolescent boys and young men. A 2023 review of 21 studies by the U.S. National Institutes of Health concluded that COVID vaccines were not linked to miscarriage. Kansas also said Pfizer falsely claimed that its vaccine, which was developed with German partner BioNTech for the original strain of the virus, retained a high effectiveness against mutated variants, and that it would prevent not only illness but transmission. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit against Pfizer last year, which remains pending. Pfizer has also called that case meritless. Kobach said on Monday that other states had been collaborating with Kansas in its investigation and are expected to file lawsuits as well. BioNTech is not a defendant in the case. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot) The South Korean market has shown promising growth, rising 1.1% over the past week and achieving a 3.7% increase over the last year, with expectations of a robust 29% annual earnings growth in the coming years. In such an optimistic climate, stocks with high insider ownership and significant earnings growth stand out as particularly compelling for investors looking to leverage current market trends. Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In South Korea Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth ALTEOGEN (KOSDAQ:A196170) 26.6% 73.1% Global Tax Free (KOSDAQ:A204620) 18.1% 72.4% S&S Tech (KOSDAQ:A101490) 22.1% 44.1% Fine M-TecLTD (KOSDAQ:A441270) 17.3% 36.4% Park Systems (KOSDAQ:A140860) 33.1% 35.8% Seojin SystemLtd (KOSDAQ:A178320) 26.4% 48.1% UTI (KOSDAQ:A179900) 34.1% 122.7% HANA Micron (KOSDAQ:A067310) 19.9% 76.8% INTEKPLUS (KOSDAQ:A064290) 16.3% 77.4% Techwing (KOSDAQ:A089030) 18.7% 118.2% Click here to see the full list of 81 stocks from our Fast Growing KRX Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: ALTEOGEN Inc. is a South Korean biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing long-acting biobetters, proprietary antibody-drug conjugates, and antibody biosimilars, with a market capitalization of approximately 14.21 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue through the development of enhanced biopharmaceuticals, including long-lasting drug formulations and specialized antibody treatments. Insider Ownership: 26.6% Earnings Growth Forecast: 73.1% p.a. ALTEOGEN, a growth company with high insider ownership in South Korea, has recently transitioned into profitability. It is poised for substantial growth with earnings forecasted to increase by 73.1% annually and revenue expected to rise by 48.3% per year, both metrics significantly outpacing the broader Korean market. Despite its highly volatile share price and recent shareholder dilution, ALTEOGEN trades at 70% below estimated fair value and boasts a very high projected Return on Equity of 45.3%. Recent activities include presentations at the Macquarie Asia Conference and an upcoming Q1 earnings report on May 29, 2024. KOSDAQ:A196170 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Doosan Corporation operates in heavy industry, machinery manufacturing, and apartment construction across regions including South Korea, the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, with a market capitalization of approximately 3.32 trillion. Story continues Operations: The company's revenue is derived from its involvement in heavy industry, machinery manufacturing, and apartment construction across various global markets. Insider Ownership: 34.3% Earnings Growth Forecast: 72.9% p.a. Doosan, a South Korean growth company with high insider ownership, is demonstrating a promising turnaround in profitability. Recently reporting a shift from a net loss to net income in its Q1 2024 results, Doosan's sales increased to KRW 180.97 billion from KRW 169.05 billion year-over-year. Despite this progress and an expected significant annual earnings growth of 72.89%, its revenue growth forecast of 3.6% per year remains below the market average of 10.5%. The company's return on equity is anticipated to be robust at 22.2% in three years, aligning with its recovery trajectory and potential value proposition at current prices significantly below fair value. KOSE:A000150 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: APR Co., Ltd. is a company that manufactures and sells cosmetic products for both men and women, with a market capitalization of approximately 2.97 billion. Operations: The company generates its revenue from the manufacture and sale of cosmetic products targeted at both male and female demographics. Insider Ownership: 34.2% Earnings Growth Forecast: 26.2% p.a. APR Co., Ltd., a South Korean growth company, is poised for substantial growth with high insider ownership. Its revenue and earnings are forecasted to grow at 23.1% and 26.21% per year respectively, outpacing the KR market's revenue growth but slightly trailing in earnings growth. Despite a highly volatile share price recently, APR's return on equity is expected to be strong at 34.8% in three years, while trading at 15.3% below its fair value estimate offers potential upside. KOSE:A278470 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Where To Now? Take a closer look at our Fast Growing KRX Companies With High Insider Ownership list of 81 companies by clicking here. Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Curious About Other Options? 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 KOSDAQ:A196170 KOSE:A000150 and KOSE:A278470. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Las Vegas Whacks Homeowner With Fine Of Almost $200,000 For Unlicensed Airbnb Rental Las Vegas recently issued a $180,000 fine to a city homeowner for allegedly operating an unlicensed short-term rental in 2021. The hefty fine reflects late fees and interest on an initial fine of $2,132, originally issued to homeowner Xin Tao in August 2021. This situation highlights the extreme measures some cities take to curb short-term rentals. Considering that hotel room revenue is significant to the city's economy, it's no surprise that Las Vegas has a strict licensing system and code of conduct for short-term rentals. Xin Tao finds himself caught in the middle. According to Tao, the fine originated when a former tenant posted his home on Airbnb without his knowledge in 2021. Naturally, he thinks the former tenant should pay the fine. Unfortunately for Tao, Las Vegas is fining him for allegedly "permitting" his house to be listed on Airbnb. Las Vegas authorities began looking into the address after receiving multiple complaints from residents who suspected a short-term rental was being operated there. This prompted the city to conduct more than 10 inspections of the premises before matching pictures of the house from both Realtor.com and Airbnb.com. Don't Miss: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it ? 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. That was all the evidence the city needed, and they issued a notice detailing the prohibition on short-term rentals along with the fine. Tao says he tried to evict the tenant, but since Airbnb and Las Vegas City Code Enforcement failed to provide him with evidence such as listings or inspection results, he lost the case. Tao said the company managing the short-term rental used photos of his home without permission. He then brought his protest to City Hall, where he petitioned to have the fine lifted. During a January city council meeting on this issue, Las Vegas City Code Enforcement manager Eric McCoy certified that there was no short-term license for Tao's property. As a result, the city council voted to uphold the original fine and place a lien against the property for the outstanding balance. The original $2,132 fine has grown to $180,000 because Las Vegas's short-term rental code calls for unpaid fines to incur a penalty fee of $500 per day without limit. So, the fine that Tao originally didn't pay has grown at a geometric rate and now it's large enough for his house to be auctioned off at a lien sale (although the city has not yet initiated the auction process). Story continues Trending: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare? Tao has responded by suing the city. His attorney, Andrew Bao, believes that the city was negligent in allowing fines to accrue at the rate of $500 per day for two years without notifying his client of the debt. Bao also believes that the city's failure to notify his client about the fines violated Xin Tao's due process rights under the Nevada Constitution. Bao's legal filing states, "To have a $2,132 fine astronomically balloon to $180,000, without notice for more than two years, is a violation of due process and Petitioners constitutional rights. Further, the $180,000 is an excessive fine and punishment in violation of Petitioners constitutional rights." Bao's suit demands $15,000 in damages plus attorney's fees, a reversal of the $180,000 fines, and an injunction preventing the city from foreclosing on Tao's home. Unfortunately, Bao and his client have already lost one significant battle. At a May 13 hearing, District Judge Nadia Krall denied Bao's petition to have the fine thrown out because the property owner didn't appeal the fine within 25 days of the city council ruling that upheld the $180,000 fine. Krall's ruling stated, "Petitioner's failure to timely file his Petition leaves this Court without subject matter jurisdiction and the Petition must be dismissed." That leaves Tao's fine intact, which means his house is still subject to a lien sale. Considering that Krall's ruling upheld the $180,000 fine, it's difficult to imagine the rest of Tao's lawsuit ending positively for him. It's an expensive lesson for Tao. Regardless of how Tao's lawsuit ends, Las Vegas has sent a clear signal that it won't handle unlicensed short-term rentals with kid gloves. Keep Reading: Private credit offers up to 20% APY to potential accredited investor s looking to capitalize on this growing asset class. Miami is expected to take New York's place as the U.S. Financial Capital. Here's how you can invest in the city with as little as $500 before that happens. "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 Las Vegas Whacks Homeowner With Fine Of Almost $200,000 For Unlicensed Airbnb Rental originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The IG Metall logo hangs above the stage at the regular IG Metall trade union conference. Daniel Karmann/dpa Major German union IG Metall said on Monday that it plans to demand significantly higher pay for the approximately 3.9 million employees in the German metal and electrical industry. The union's executive board wants company bosses to give workers a 7% increase in pay, the union said in Frankfurt. This would be for the 12 months covered by the next collective wage agreement. Training allowances should be increased by 170 ($182), it said. IG Metall boss Christiane Benner said she understood the volatile situation that individual companies were in. However, this should not obscure the stability of the industry as a whole and improved economic forecasts. Benner said that IG Metall was demonstrating a sense of proportion in its demands. "However, not all employees in the industry should suffer from the situation of individual companies. What counts for us are the realities in the companies and respect for the employees." "The companies have a comfortable cushion of orders, and the employees have to work hard," she argued. The recommendation by the union is not yet a final demand. This step has to wait until the issue is discussed in the coming weeks in the regional bargaining committees. At the beginning of July, the IG Metall executive board will then decide on the final nationwide demand. (Bloomberg) -- Japan has been one of the fastest countries to embrace the use of new artificial intelligence tools and has the potential to accelerate its economy and tech sector by going further, according to Microsoft Japan President Miki Tsusaka. Most Read from Bloomberg The countrys digitalization push got a boost during the pandemic as businesses adapted to new work-from-home arrangements, and Tsusaka believes Japan has made up lost ground after previously being a laggard. The Japanese have caught up. And I think it will continue to accelerate at this point because the technology enables things that we havent been able to do, Tsusaka said in an interview. We dont have enough people, our population is aging, and yet generative AI has the power to accelerate growth. The Microsoft Corp. executive said shes particularly interested in helping skill up more women in the local workforce. Its one of the US companys four focus areas in Japan, headed by a $2.9 billion investment over the next two years to scale up its AI data centers in the country. The announcement of that new funding in April lifted the countrys utility and industrial shares on expectations of rising power demand. The countrys surging energy needs have spurred Tokyos Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry to lobby local officials about restarting the countrys and the worlds largest nuclear power plant. Tsusaka identified cybersecurity as another key priority, because you cant use AI without security. Its security, security, security. And then you get to use AI. Microsoft works closely with the Japanese government at both national and local level and businesses to ensure technology is deployed responsibly and safely, she said. Still, she sees AI as an inevitable and revolutionary new part of tech. We all were wowed when the internet came, she said. Mobile phones now are part of our bodies. But generative AI, I think, is a technology revolution that surpasses all of those. --With assistance from Takashi Mochizuki. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Global lifestyle brand MINISO is accelerating its expansion efforts with a key focus on the implementation of its rapid expansion strategy in Europe. The company has recently inaugurated stores in prime locations across the UK, including London's Chinatown and Oxford Street. The move is part of a broader strategy to establish a stronger presence in key European markets, reaching a wider audience. Since 2023, MINISO has been strategically opening stores in the UK, with notable locations such as the first blind-box-themed store globally in London's Chinatown in September 2023, and its flagship store on Oxford Street in November 2023. The brand's growth continued with new stores in Camden Town and Westfield Stratford City in early 2024, and most recently at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent. The expansion extends beyond the UK, with MINISO introducing its first blind-box-themed store in Spain and opening two new stores in Paris, France. The brand's European footprint now includes Iceland, Greece, Malta and Latvia. MINISO's, which has reported rapid growth since 2022, witnessed a 67% year-on-year increase in its gross merchandise volume in the European market in 2023. This momentum carried into the first quarter of 2024, with sales in Europe growing more than 80% year-on-year, indicating rising consumer demand. With plans to open more stores in Europe, MINISO's global presence now spans 110 overseas markets with more than 6,600 stores, including more than 200 in Europe as of the end of March 2024. The brand's strategy includes targeting key global commercial areas and advancing the construction of overseas stores, while also focusing on global consumption trends and intellectual property innovation. MINISO overseas business department vice-president Vincent Huang stated: Europe is a vibrant and diverse market, and we are confident that MINISO's unique offerings will continue to resonate with customers across the region. We are committed to providing a joyful and engaging shopping experience for everyone who visits our stores. In May 2024 Miniso confirmed plans to open 600 overseas stores during the year. "MINISO speeds efforts to grow presence in European market " 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. A man and woman are accused of stealing more than $1 million from a business in Coraopolis. Joseph and Tasha Ravas are both facing charges in connection to money stolen from PNP Heating and Air Conditioning, Allegheny County District Attorney Steve Zappala announced Monday. Chris Ravas, Josephs son and Tashas stepson, owns PNP Heating and Air Conditioning and found 66 checks payable to cash, Joseph or Tasha over the last three years. Chris Ravas told investigators that his father purchased a home in Mexico for $1.2 million and that both Tasha and Joseph gave themselves salary increases, put a $400,000 addition on their home and went to restaurants and grocery stores without his knowledge. He estimates their misuse of company funds exceeds $1 million, a news release said. My sincerest condolences go out to the victim and his business, said DA Zappala. Running a business is not an easy thing today, let alone to find out someone has been stealing from you. We take these kind of cases with the utmost seriousness. Both Joseph and Tasha are charged with receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman charged with killing baby in Shadyside, injuring his twin At least 7 people injured in crash in North Versailles VIN-cloning scam on the rise VIDEO: Pittsburghers prepare to beat the heat this week DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Born Again Church has partnered with several local affordable housing developers and Amazon's Housing Equity Fund to build an apartment community for low-income, working older adults on their property in the Haynes area just north of downtown Nashville. Plans for the Northview Housing Development include 254 affordable apartments for seniors, surrounded by services such as health care and job training. A construction timeline and final designs for the project at 858 W. Trinity Lane are still being finalized. Urban Campus and Core, along with The Clear Blue Company, are developing the project in collaboration with Born Again Church, which is providing the land by way of a ground lease, as noted in recently filed deed documents. For the Northview Housing Development, the developers have secured a $19 million loan from Amazon's fund, which offers grants and low-interest loans to support affordable housing developments in Nashville and the tech giant's other headquarters cities. A conceptual rendering shows the potential future design of Northview Housing Development, an affordable apartment complex designed for working older adults in the Haynes area of Nashville. The project brought together several public and private entities for funding and development, exemplifying the type of collaboration urged by local affordable-housing advocates. New creative solutions are necessary from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to solve the affordability crisis in Nashville, industry experts say. Bridging the affordability gap for Nashville's seniors According to an impact report published by Amazon's Housing Equity Fund, Northview will offer 254 affordable homes with resources aimed at senior citizens. Those may include job-skills training and community health services. Proposed amenities include restaurants, a health clinic, a pharmacy, and a salon, according to Urban Campus and Core's website. The apartments will be affordable for families earning between 40% and 80% of the Nashville area's median income. The project is spearheaded by Jennifer Horne, a Nashville native who founded Urban Campus and Core, an affordable housing real estate development and advisory firm. Horne said the idea to build affordable housing specifically catering to working adults aged 55 and older came directly from conversations with the Born Again Church community about creating more equitable housing opportunities. "In minority communities, people work longer," Horne said. "Especially in the African-American community, people are working into their 80s. Youre making too much for that super low income, subsidized housing, but not making enough to afford Nashvilles market rate." As Nashville's older adults downsize their homes, there aren't affordable options that allow them to remain close to family members, jobs and other community pillars. The Northview Housing Development aims to bridge that gap. Story continues Amazon contributes $19 million loan The development is being funded in part by a $19 million loan from Amazon's Housing Equity Fund, according to Davidson County public records. Amazon's fund began writing grants and giving loans in Nashville for housing construction and preservation in 2021, and recently expanded its financial commitment by $1.4 billion. The Housing Equity Fund is also active in Amazon's other headquarters cities of Seattle, Washington and the Arlington, Virginia area. The program has helped to fund the creation or preservation of more than 20,000 homes. Past Nashville projects funded by Amazon's program have also leveraged public subsidies to create affordable housing for a variety of income levels. Inglewood's Highland East, developed by The Clear Blue Company and other partners, utilized money from the Barnes Fund, Nashville's Affordable Housing Gap Financing and various tax credit programs. Nick Ogden, founder of The Clear Blue Company, said an intentional collaboration process has been crucial to bringing the Northview project together. "We have known Jennifer for a long time and it's been clear that we have a very strong foundation of values and mission alignment," Ogden said. "We are proud to be her partner as we develop Northview, which is a key piece of the Born Again Church's vision for their campus." Reporter Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. Reach her at mdavis2@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New creative partnership with Amazon develops Nashville low-cost homes Africas biggest oil refinery has announced it is delaying the start of gasoline deliveries until the middle of July, without providing a specific reason. We had a bit of delay, but it will start coming out by the 15th of July, Dangote groups president, Aliko Dangote, told a Nigerian media outlet media on Friday. By third week of July, we will be able to take it into the market, Dangote, Africas richest man, said in a video interview. Dangote Industries opened its new Lagos State oil refinery on 22 May, with the 650,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) facility being the worlds largest single-train refinery by production. The refinery is built over 2,635ha. The refinery was constructed with the aid of investment from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), which purchased a 20% stake for $2.7bn (N1.25trn). Back in May, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, managing director of Dangote, said the facility will be able to produce 100% of Nigerias required refined fuels, with an export surplus. The refinery began limited production of fuels in January 2024. Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced production of diesel and aviation fuel, the group said in a statement at the facilitys launch, adding that it is a game changer for our country. The company claims the refinery will meet 100% of Nigerias demand for all refined petroleum products, with some surplus created for export. In May, TotalEnergies announced it had secured its first supply agreement with the refinery, reported Reuters. That same month, the refinery issued a tender for two million barrels of West Texas Intermediate Midland crude monthly for a year starting in July, according to a tender document obtained by the publication. The refinery will eventually export diesel to customers in Europe, as well as gasoline to Latin American and African markets. "Nigerias Dangote refinery delays start of gasoline supplies for a month" 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. LAKEWOOD Urban Enterprize Zone may sound like a new action movie or some kind of video game. But for several New Jersey communities its a key state program to help cut sales taxes and boost business in the most troubled areas. In Lakewood, its become a priority as the township plans to spend up to $750,000 on a long-term plan to increase staff, expand outreach and emphasize getting local merchants to take advantage of the somewhat unknown option. It means a lot of new and existing commercial activity, said David Klein, executive director of the Lakewood Development Corporation. Also known as the UEZ, the Urban Enterprise Zones are areas of a municipality designated by the state as economically troubled and given the right to reduce sales tax by half for customers. More: How will Wells Fargo help Lakewood parking crisis? Instead of paying the 6.625% state sales tax, those in the UEZ charge customers just 3.3125% sales tax. Half of that tax collected by the state is then put into a fund and returned to the town from which it was collected for use in improving those same Urban Enterprise Zones. In 2023, Lakewood received more than $5 million from that fund, with another $7.5 million expected in 2024. All of it must be spent on programs or projects that benefit the communitys UEZ, which comprises about 25% of the township. In addition, any business operating in the UEZ pays no sales tax when purchasing most items needed to run the business. The real important part of the UEZ is the benefit for the businesses, said Mayor Ray Coles. Anything that is required to run your business is tax exempt. You are saving right there off the top. Lakewood's newest Urban Enterprise Zone includes new streets and will see a new $750,000 promotional campaign Lakewood is one of 32 communities in New Jersey that have UEZ designation and the only one in Ocean County. Monmouth County has two, in Asbury Park and Long Branch. Merchants have to register for the program to take advantage and, so far, Lakewood estimates only about half of the eligible businesses in town have done so. There are more than 1,000 (businesses) eligible, said Klein, adding that about 660 are registered so far. We are hoping to have 1,000 by the end of the year. Toward that end, the township recently hired a new full-time business development officer at an annual cost of $60,000. Moshe Bender, who is also president of the Lakewood Board of Education, was appointed in April with a directive to help sign up more UEZ businesses. Landmark closes: Lakewood 'go-to' toy store going out of business after two decades In addition, the township is set to hire a Vineland marketing firm for $90,000 to help promote the UEZ program in town and draw more customers and business owners. Story continues The easiest conversation is a half-off sales tax. That is the slam dunk, said Glenn Davila of Performance Marketing, which is set to be formally appointed by the Township Committee on June 20. Lakewood being one of the largest UEZs, the power is in the number of the businesses. Our goal is to increase the number of businesses to include every single one. He also envisions a campaign with social media, digital ads, a new UEZ newsletter and telemarketing campaign. Davila sees the mostly Orthodox community as no different than any consumer base in terms of promotional tools, noting the key is the message. They are pretty connected to that community, he said of the current township leaders. My goal in many ways will be to take their lead. Once you understand the audience, the tactics are really the same. More: Lakewood population boom sparks $100 million township improvement plan Current UEZ merchants praised the program as a way to save their customers money and give them a boost in spending with their own tax exemptions. It is a help for my customers, it is an attraction for them , a lower tax, said Craig Zynderman, owner of J&M Flooring Supply. I have larger ticketed items, the higher that ticketed item, the more tax you pay. But the customer is able to save more. If you tell a customer they can save $100 on a new floor from the taxes, that is attractive. Astor Chocolate Owner Meir Grunhut agreed. We have had it for quite a few years, he said. There is a lot to gain from it, it is a big help. We are glad to use it every year. Only good things to say about it. Participating businesses also must register each year and file certain reports with the state, as well as hire employees who remain in the UEZ areas. Klein envisions more direct and hands-on promotion of the UEZ options in the coming months, including formal presentations at area businesses to inform merchants as well as posters and other PR devices. We will be going to office buildings once or twice a week with presentations and educating the business communities in the zones to have them sign up for the program, Klein said. The goal is to attract as many qualified businesses as possible. There is also talk of a UEZ Day, possibly at Shoretown Ballpark with exhibits, food, concessions and the potential for a charity ballgame pitting police officers against firefighters or EMT workers, he said. Another key aspect of the new approach is a five-year UEZ plan created by Triad Associates of Vineland at a cost of $25,000 and released last month. It is required by the state before any new UEZ projects can be approved. The plan designates about 6.23 square miles of Lakewood as UEZ areas, out of approximately 25 total square miles. The updated map is slightly different from the previous designations, but with a similar total area. One change is the addition of UEZ areas on both sides of County Line Road. More: See what Lakewood's $5 million plan to improve downtown business area looks like But the major sections remain the same and include Downtown Lakewood along Main Street from First to Fifth avenues; Lakewood Industrial Park in the southeastern corner, which also includes the airport and Shoretown Ballpark; and most of Route 9. Once this is adopted and approved by the state, it will allow us to do a lot of improvements to the downtown we will try to get done, said Mayor Ray Coles. One program Coles would like to launch soon is an expanded downtown oversite team of four to six full time public works employees who will keep the area clean and maintained and respond to any issues immediately. Im calling it the Downtown Concierge, Coles said. We will have people there all the time and when they see something out of place they can report it. Coles estimates about $500,000 annually to fund the new staff, most of which can come out of the townships UEZ state funds. The five-year plan also lists other UEZ projects, including: Expanded EMS services and two new ambulances dedicated for UEZ uses. New security cameras outside of the historic Strand Theater for downtown and town square area police monitoring. New public safety vehicles designated for UEZ areas, including two electric bikes, two motorcycles and a special response team truck Expansion of the Lakewood Shuttle bus service with at least three new city buses to operate along new routes. It is a win-win for the township and the state, it shows the program is a success, Coles said. The more businesses that sign up, the larger the financial reimbursement to the township. Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of four books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lakewood businesses can lower costs and sales tax, but many don't know about it Columbus Circle in New York City Anthony Delanoix / Unsplash Roughly nine months since New York City cracked down on short-term rentals by requiring hosts to register, the Office of Special Enforcement has approved just 2,242 applications. That figure shows how few short-term rentals there are in the five boroughs since the city imposed Local Law 18 last September. In addition to the registration requirement, hosts must be present during the stay, which must be fewer than 30 days, and a maximum of two guests are allowed. Bedroom doors cant have locks. In January 2023, there were about 40,000 listings in the city, according to Bloomberg, most of them on Airbnb. There are undoubtably are more than 2,242 listing nows because registered hosts can have multiple listings. But the decline in short-term rentals in NYC is clear. As of June 10, the latest figures available, the OSE has caught up on a backlog of pending applications. The OSE received 6,328 applications, and it made a determination on 99.5% of them: It either granted, rejected, or returned the application to the applicant. Heres the breakdown: Granted: 2,242 host applications. Thats 35.4% of applications submitted. Denied: 1,595 applications. Thats 25.2% of all applications submitted. Returned: 2,460 applications. Thats 38.9% of all applications submitted. An application could be returned for various reasons, including incomplete information or to make corrections. Some 30 of those 2,460 have been returned to the OSE and were under review. Christian Klossner, executive director of the Office of Special Enforcement (OSE), detailed the benefits of the policy to Skift in a statement. The Short-Term Rental Registration program has been pivotal in protecting the citys housing stock from illicit activity and keeping New Yorkers safe, Klossner said. The implementation of the registration law led to a massive reduction in illegal short-term rental listings. He said Local Law 18 has effectively prevented the misuse of thousands of permanent housing units for illegal short-term rentals. While the city sees the implementation of the host registration law as a victory for New York City neighborhoods and the curbing of illegal short-term rental activity, Airbnb and some hosts dont see it that way. At the Skift Short-Term Rental Summit in Manhattan earlier this month, Airbnbs Jay Carney, who heads up the companys policy unit, argued that hotel prices are soaring, and theres been no benefit in terms of rents or affordable housing. A former New York City host spoke at the summit about how homeowners in the outer boroughs are losing their homes because they can only legally have guests for stays of 30 days or longer. Story continues A chunk of the citys hotel inventory has been allotted to house migrants, which has contributed to the rising hotel prices. Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com. Key Insights The projected fair value for Packaging Corporation of America is US$287 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of US$183 suggests Packaging Corporation of America is potentially 36% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 60% higher than Packaging Corporation of America's analyst price target of US$180 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Packaging Corporation of America The Model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$851.0m US$976.7m US$1.04b US$1.08b US$1.10b US$1.12b US$1.14b US$1.16b US$1.19b US$1.21b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 1.77% Est @ 1.95% Est @ 2.08% Est @ 2.17% Est @ 2.23% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.2% US$801 US$866 US$865 US$848 US$812 US$778 US$747 US$718 US$691 US$665 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$7.8b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.4%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$1.2b (1 + 2.4%) (6.2% 2.4%) = US$33b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$33b ( 1 + 6.2%)10= US$18b 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 US$26b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$183, the company appears quite undervalued at a 36% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf 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 Packaging Corporation of America as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.831. 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 Packaging Corporation of America Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Packaging market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Packaging Corporation of America, there are three additional factors you should further research: Risks: We feel that you should assess the 1 warning sign for Packaging Corporation of America we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for PKG's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Nigel Farage says he wants Reform to become 'the proper voice of opposition' - Justin Tallis/AFP Reform UK has unveiled its plans for personal finance after overtaking the Tories for the first time in the polls last week. Nigel Farage has admitted that he is not expecting to win the general election on July 4, but at an event in Wales on Monday, Mr Farage said he wanted Reform to become the proper voice of opposition to Labour. He would then use that voice to build a big national campaigning movement around the country over the course of the next five years for genuine change. There is little to no chance of Reform forming the next government but the fledgling party seems certain to hoover up hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of votes. Mr Farage is on course to become highly influential whichever party runs the country over the next five years and, who knows, by 2029 anythings possible. So, how much money would you stand to lose or make if Reforms financial policies came into effect? Income tax: 1,500 saving for an average earner Reform is promising to raise the minimum income tax threshold from 12,571 to 20,000, lifting up to seven million people out of income tax. It also wants to increase the higher rate threshold from 50,270 to 70,000. Raising these tax bands would result in a 1,500 tax saving for the average worker, earning 35,000, while someone on 75,000 would save 5,500 per year. Rachael Griffin, of wealth manager Quilter, said: The pledge to increase tax thresholds would be a welcome proposition for many, signalling a potential increase in take-home pay for hardworking people. However, the specifics of how that would be funded lacks detail, leaving voters to wonder about the financial feasibility of such promises. Stamp duty: save 76,000 on a 1.5m property purchase The party has also said that stamp duty, the tax paid on residential property transactions, would be scrapped for homes valued at less than 750,000, down from 250,000 currently. This would save someone purchasing a 750,000 property about 25,000 in stamp duty. After that, the rate would be 2pc on 750,000 to 1.5m and 4pc over 1.5m. According to stockbroker AJ Bell, someone buying a 1.5m property would save more than 76,000. Inheritance tax: bill would fall by 100,000 for a 2.5m estate Reform has pledged to abolish inheritance tax for estates worth under 2m. In addition, it wants to reduce the charge from 40pc to 20pc. Currently, people can pass on 325,000 without having to pay death duties. Homeowners get an extra 175,000 allowance so couples can leave behind a maximum of 1m. Raising the threshold to 2m would dramatically slash the number of people paying inheritance tax. Story continues In 2020-21, the latest year for which data exists, over 24,000 of the 27,000 families that paid inheritance tax had estates worth less than 2m. Meanwhile, someone inheriting a 2.5m estate would see their bill fall from 200,000 to 100,000. VAT on energy bills: 100 off energy bills Reform has pledged to scrap VAT on energy bills, which it said would save households 100 per year It also wants to lower fuel duty by 20p per litre and reduce VAT from 20pc to 18pc calculating that these measures would save 240 per driver and 300 per household each year. Landlords: reverse cuts to tax reliefs Reform wants to reverse George Osbornes policy of scaling back tax relief on mortgage interest. Currently property investors get a 20pc credit to offset mortgage costs from before calculating profits. Reform would turn the clock back to a time when all mortgage costs could be deducted. In addition, Reform plans to abolish the Renters Reform Bill, which would ban landlords from evicting tenants without a reason the infamous Section 21 eviction. The party said the new legislation, championed by Michael Gove, was inadequate to address bad practices. Students: scrap interest... but extend life of student loans Reform has promised to scrap the interest on student loans. Students graduating today owe on average 45,000. The maximum interest on Plan 2 student loans is currently 7.8pc, the highest ever level, adding thousands of pounds to graduates debt. However, Reform would also extend the capital repayment period to 45 years so graduates would be paying the debt well into their 60s. Since October 2023 new student loans are wiped after 40 years, up from 30 years previously. Pensions: look Down Under Reform has said it wants to improve the savings and pension system in the long term to make it much better and cheaper, from a much younger age, citing Australia as a model. It said the current system is riddled with complexity, huge cost and poor returns. Australias pension system was the model for Britains automatic enrolment programme, which makes workplace pensions nearly compulsory for most workers. However, minimum contributions are much higher Down Under while experts agree most people in the UK are not saving enough towards their retirements. Tax allowance for married couple: extra tax breaks.. if you have children The party said it would allow married couples with children to share their tax allowance, as is currently the case in France and Germany. It would, as soon as finances allow introduce a 25pc marriage tax allowance. With their personal allowance of 20,000, this would mean no tax on a spouses first 25,000 of income. Laura Suter, of AJ Bell, said: Currently if one half of a couple earns less than the 12,570 personal allowance they can hand any unused allowance to their spouse, with a potential tax saving of around 250 a year. But Reform would extend this for couples with children to hand them an even bigger tax break. Self-employed: scrap IR35 to help freelancers Reform has pledged to scrap the IR35 or off-payroll working rules. These were introduced in 2000 to prevent disguised employment where workers pay less employment tax despite effectively working as an employee of a company. In 2017 the Government made it the job of an employer to work out whether contractors were inside or outside the rules. They are deeply unpopular among the self-employed who say the rules have made it much harder to find work and have landed them with huge, retrospective tax bills. Andy Chamberlain, of the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed, a trade body, said: IR35 is the top priority for thousands of freelancers and contractors at this election. By pledging to scrap it, Reform will take thousands of votes away from Labour and the Conservatives who have so far neglected to acknowledge the flaws in this damaging legislation. 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. If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look 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. So on that note, Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (KLSE:SOP) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.10 = RM441m (RM4.9b - RM540m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024). So, Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad has an ROCE of 10%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 6.9% it's much better. See our latest analysis for Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad for free. The Trend Of ROCE We like the trends that we're seeing from Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 10%. The amount of capital employed has increased too, by 29%. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital. In Conclusion... A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad has. And with the stock having performed exceptionally well over the last five years, these patterns are being accounted for by investors. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist. One final note, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) . Story continues For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Summary: Shelf, a commercial open source company incorporated in Delaware, builds infrastructure and software for the asset management space, gains clients in the US and Canadian market. Dover, Delaware--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Shelf, a newcomer in the infrastructure and software space for asset management, is looking to turn heads with its Open Source Asset Management System. Shelf is gaining significant traction among small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises worldwide. Shelf Asset Management, Inc. Incorporated in Delaware but operating globally, Shelf is experiencing significant growth, with double-digit monthly increases in the US and Canadian markets. This expansion is a testament to the company's commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers. The composable, mobile-first, user-friendly, and intuitive interface of the Shelf open-source asset tracking software for teams can make asset management accessible for people in Canada and the US. Organizations can keep track of their physical assets through the QR code-based asset labelling technology Shelf uses. Individuals, teams, and organizations in the United States and Canada are increasingly relying on Shelf as they can customize the platform for any use case to make their equipment databases more organized, accountable, and sustainable. Shelf's open source asset management software is built by a distributed workforce and team dealing with a wide range of corporations and SMBS in the United States, Canada, and many more countries. Medical sectors, software developers, legal professionals, manufacturers, foundations, creative services, and educational institutes amongst others can make informed decisions about their resources as well as streamline their operations with this commercial open source software. "As organizations in the United States and Canada continue to embrace open source asset management software to streamline their operations and create more asset accountability and return on equipment, we continue to improve our platform. Anyone can use our software, customize it, and contribute to its development," said Carlos Virreira, CEO and Co-Founder of Shelf. "Shelf is committed to openness, collaboration, and innovation. It lets you to feel a sense of control over your equipment, inventory, and company assets, no matter where they are and who has them," added Nikolay Bonev, the CTO and Co-Founder of the commercial open source company. About Shelf Managing 3,500+ workspaces for their clientele, Shelf is a global services and solutions company empowering people to tag and track one billion assets by 2033 or even earlier. Shelf can allow users to create, manage, assign, and overview assets and equipment. It is backed by OSS Capital, the leading early stage VC dedicated to backing commercial open source companies around the world. It partners with founders to build breakthrough products. Story continues Shelf Asset Management, Inc. https://www.shelf.nu Carlos Virreira carlos@shelf.nu To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/212891 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Singapore authorities said Monday a dredger boat reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control that led it to hit a stationary cargo tanker, causing an oil spill that has blackened part of the city-island's southern shores. The Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima struck the Singaporean fuel supply ship Marine Honor on Friday. It ruptured one of the cargo tanks on the Marine Honor, which leaked low-sulfur oil into the sea. Although the leak has been contained, tides washed the spilled oil that had been treated with dispersants further along the shoreline, including to the popular resort island of Sentosa. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority, in a joint statement with the National Environment Agency, the National Parks Board and Sentosa Development Corp., said the master and crew members of Vox Maxima are assisting in the ongoing investigations. Part of the beachfront at a public park, beaches at three southern islands and a nature reserve have been closed to facilitate cleanup efforts. Sentosa beaches remain open to the public but sea activities and swimming are prohibited. Oil Spill Response Limited, an industry-funded cooperative that responds to spills, will deploy floating containment and recovery devices to corral the oil on the water surface, where two skimmer craft will then lift the oil into storage tanks, the statement said. Over 250 workers are involved in the cleanup. Close to 1.5 kilometers (.9 miles) of containment booms have been set up to trap the oil and another 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) of the temporary barriers will be laid over the next few days to prevent further spread of oil onto the shore, the statement said. The National Parks Board also deployed oil-absorbing booms to protect mangroves at another park that hasn't been affected so far. Members of the public who volunteered to help have been assigned to patrol the park for early signs of oil slicks. Conservationists and biologists are monitoring the full extent of the damage on marine and wildlife. Photos in Singapore newspapers and on Facebook showed one small dead fish and a kingfisher covered in oil. Apparel makers in Sri Lanka who have been watching the economic indicators with concern heaved a sigh of relief last week. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which agreed a bail-out worth approximately $3 billion for Sri Lanka in 2022, proved satisfied with its second review of the country and released approximately $336 million in funding to boost the island nation on its path to economic recovery. More from Sourcing Journal The performance under the program has been strong, the report noted, commending the focus on wide-ranging reforms to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, maintain price stability, safeguard financial stability, rebuild external buffers, and implement growth-oriented structural reforms, including by strengthening governance. The emerging data has been heartening: 3-percent growth in the second half of 2023, and growing foreign exchange reserves at $5.5 billion by end-April 2024all reassuring signs of recovery for the island nation, which declared bankruptcy two years ago. However, pressures are high. Manufacturers reeling from the high costs of production told Sourcing Journal that they were waiting and watching with the looming threat of more change, as presidential elections are expected to be held before mid-October this year. There is also both apprehensionand condemnationfor the impending labor law reform, which is widely expected to come about before the scheduled election. Industry analysts said that it was clear that the labor reforms were an essential part of the IMF-aid package, a point noted in the IMF review itself. Key priorities include steadfast implementation of the governance reforms. Kenji Okamura, deputy managing director, IMF said in a statement. Trade liberalization to promote exports and foreign direct investment; labor reforms to upgrade skills and increase female labor force participation; and state-owned enterprise reforms to improve efficiency and fiscal transparency, contain fiscal risks, and promote a level playing field for the private sector were among the key objectives he mentioned. Everyone agrees that the labor law is overdue to be overhauledit has a whole series of regulations from historic times, Yohan Lawrence, secretary general, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) told Sourcing Journal. Everyone is speculating, and it is all conjecture. Right now, it is only a working draft and we will have to wait and see till a final draft is issued. Story continues Not everyone is content to wait. Global protests have been emerging even before the final draft is out; on May 29, a letter from Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to the Sri Lanka government noted serious concerns about imminent and sweeping changes to Sri Lankan labor laws. We fear for the future of Sri Lankas garment industrynot just for workers but also how the proposed reforms would negatively impact brands human rights risk assessments and responsible sourcing if these changes are pushed through, the letter noted. Ineke Zeldenrust, international coordinator for the Clean Clothes Campaign said the group follows its network members and partners in Sri Lanka in expressing deep concern about the proposed labor law changes in Sri Lanka as well as the way that due process and workers voices have been ignored over the months that this proposal has been circulating.Sri Lanka risks to adopt laws that are in clear violation of international labour and human rights standards. In this time of cost of living crisis, workers need protection by the law and the power of union organizing more than ever. Aruna Kashyap, associate director for the Economic Justice and Rights Division, Human Rights Watch said the concerns expressed in this letter reflect those repeatedly expressed through protests and raised by a broad coalition of unions and civil society organizations in Sri Lanka. Human Rights Watch joins other organizations urging the Sri Lankan government and members of parliament to halt the ongoing efforts to seriously weaken Sri Lankas labor protections, she said. As domestic groups have warned repeatedly, pressing ahead in a non-transparent, non-consultative way would be disastrous for developing laws that better protect labour rights and improve Sri Lankas garment industry. The letter to the government stated, The proposed draft Act contains many articles weakening the rights and protection of workers by removing international minimum standards and rights. It increases factory managements power over workers by taking away protections against excessive overtime and arbitrary dismissal and weakening workers right to freedom of association. Among the proposals are reforms that seek to remove overtime pay for a workday that exceeds eight hours (chapter 3.31 and 33.1); remove the twelve-hour-per-week overtime limit (chapter 3.31). It further stated that The Sri Lankan garment industry has tried to set itself apart from other garment producing countries with the slogan Garments Without Guilt. The imminent reforms threaten to make Sri Lankans garment factories synonymous with the worst forms of sweatshop labour instead. We therefore urge you to immediately halt the existing labor reform process and start an alternative process, which is transparent, consensus-based, includes all tripartite stakeholders, and meets the established Sri Lankan democratic processes on consultation, translation, and publication so all workers and their representatives to enable their effective participation, to work towards a unified labor code that respects international labor rights standards, the missive read. For their part, manufacturers told Sourcing Journal that they were watching the process closely, and choosing not to comment until something more definitive emerges. Rantha tissera, treasurer of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Garment Exporters (SLCGE) reiterated the point. It is still being tabled, he said, while adding that the perspective of manufacturers is that its time that the labor law changes. These are difficult times for production. Even though the cost of production has come down from last year, it has tripled compared to 2018, he added. Labor leaders on the ground, meanwhile, are preparing themselves for a more active social dialogue, making clear that they will not be pushed aside in the general run for political gain, to be completed before the elections The labor law is a very serious proposalit is a so-called tripartite process, but unions are not being properly consulted, said Anton Marcus, joint secretary of the Free Trade Zones & General Service Employees Union in Sri Lanka. The labor minister has approved a document, which has been made in discussion with what they describe as labor unions. However, these are not representative and trade unions will challenge the draft in the Supreme Court, he said, adding that trade unions have filed complaints to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva. They have to follow the process of social dialogue, he said, noting that worker awareness too is on the rise. That sentiment was also echoed by recent support provided by workers of the Sumithra Group in Hasalaka to workers across the world in the United Kingdom (U.K), as both sides manufacture for the same brand: Asda. The workers at the Sumithra factory went back to work in end-April after a prolonged protest, after an agreement to arbitration by the government. Workers are very hopeful about having their voices heard, Marcus observed. Construction engineering group Ackermans & van Haaren (AvH) has partnered with STAR Capital to acquire V.Group. The Belgian group will take 33% of V.Group, a ship management and marine support service provider, from Advent International in exchange for $150m. STAR did not disclose its agreement with Advent for the remainder of the transaction. AvH has a substantial portfolio of companies, across a multitude of sectors, but marine engineering and construction is a key area of its business. The investment fits well with our criteria to invest in global market leaders with long-term growth potential, operating in markets with clear entry barriers (driven by the importance of scale and global reach) and led by strong management teams, said Piet Dejonghe, co-CEO of AvH. V.Group has a presence in 30 countries, with nearly 3,000 employees worldwide, and has a crew network of 44,000 seafarers to provide crews for its clients. It manages 900 vessels, and is currently contracted to provide services to 2,500 ships. AvH commented that its new acquisition was well positioned to benefit from the global and structural trend of increased outsourcing of technical services and crew management within the shipping industry. Although the transaction is subject to regulatory approval, it is expected to complete in the latter half of 2024. We are impressed by V.Groups long term relationships with its customers, its strong safety record as well as the differentiating offering of ESG-related services. V.Group will represent a valuable addition to the AvH Growth Capital portfolio, Dejonghe added. "STAR group takes control of V.Group for $150m " was originally created and published by Ship 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. It looks like Sarawak Plantation Berhad (KLSE:SWKPLNT) is about to go ex-dividend in the next two days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. Accordingly, Sarawak Plantation Berhad investors that purchase the stock on or after the 20th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of July. The company's next dividend payment will be RM00.05 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of RM0.10 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Sarawak Plantation Berhad has a trailing yield of approximately 4.6% on its current stock price of RM02.19. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to investigate whether Sarawak Plantation Berhad can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. See our latest analysis for Sarawak Plantation Berhad Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. That's why it's good to see Sarawak Plantation Berhad paying out a modest 39% of its earnings. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out more than half (57%) of its free cash flow in the past year, which is within an average range for most companies. It's positive to see that Sarawak Plantation Berhad's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. It's encouraging to see Sarawak Plantation Berhad has grown its earnings rapidly, up 45% a year for the past five years. The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Since the start of our data, 10 years ago, Sarawak Plantation Berhad has lifted its dividend by approximately 2.3% a year on average. Earnings per share have been growing much quicker than dividends, potentially because Sarawak Plantation Berhad is keeping back more of its profits to grow the business. Final Takeaway From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Sarawak Plantation Berhad? From a dividend perspective, we're encouraged to see that earnings per share have been growing, the company is paying out less than half of its earnings, and a bit over half its free cash flow. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention. So while Sarawak Plantation Berhad looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Sarawak Plantation Berhad you should be aware of. Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com 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 the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So, the natural question for Latin Resources (ASX:LRS) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of 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. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. Check out our latest analysis for Latin Resources Does Latin Resources Have A Long 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, Latin Resources had AU$52m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$43m. Therefore, from December 2023 it had roughly 14 months of cash runway. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is Latin Resources' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Although Latin Resources reported revenue of AU$91k last year, it didn't actually have any revenue from operations. That means we consider it a pre-revenue business, and we will focus our growth analysis on cash burn, for now. The skyrocketing cash burn up 167% year on year certainly tests our nerves. That sort of spending growth rate can't continue for very long before it causes balance sheet weakness, generally speaking. 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. Can Latin Resources Raise More Cash Easily? Given its cash burn trajectory, Latin Resources shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. 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. Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$561m, Latin Resources' AU$43m in cash burn equates to about 7.7% 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. So, Should We Worry About Latin Resources' Cash Burn? Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Latin Resources' cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. On another note, Latin Resources has 5 warning signs (and 2 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com By Noele Illien ZURICH (Reuters) -UBS will set aside around $900 million to repay investors in Credit Suisse funds that were linked to collapsed supply chain financing firm Greensill Capital, accounting for 90% of what they are owed, UBS said on Monday. The bank has been seeking to resolve issues it inherited when it acquired Credit Suisse last year after a string of financial problems brought down its long-time rival. Among them, was a 1.6 billion Swiss franc ($1.80 billion) loss due to the collapse of $10 billion in supply chain finance funds linked to Greensill in 2021. Also known as reverse factoring, the supply chain finance deals, portrayed as low-risk, allowed companies to get cash from banks and funds such as Greensill Capital to pay suppliers. UBS said the Credit Suisse Supply Chain Finance Funds have made an offer to buy back units or shares in the fund from the fund's investors. "Fund investors who choose to accept the offer will be redeemed at 90% of the Net Asset Value determined on 25 February 2021, net of any payments made to the fund investors since then, through newly established feeder subfunds." Credit Suisse has recovered some of the funds, although around $2.5 billion is outstanding, fund disclosures show. "UBS AG expects to record a provision of around $0.9 bln on a consolidated basis in connection with the offer in 2Q24," it said in a statement. The amount will be taken from the $4 billion the bank set aside for potential litigation and regulatory costs when it took over Credit Suisse. The bank said that meant the offer is not expected to have a material effect on UBS' financial results or common equity tier-one capital ratio (CET1), a measure of financial strength. "The offer aims to give fund investors certainty, an accelerated exit from their positions and a high level of financial recovery," UBS said. ($1 = 0.8905 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Noele Illien, editing by Andrey Sychev and Barbara Lewis) digidreamgrafix / Getty Images/iStockphoto From 2017 to 2022, the definition of wealth changed dramatically in multiple states nationwide. In some cases, the five-year change in the average income of the top 5% exceeded 40%. At GOBankingRates, we recently reviewed the American Community Surveys from this time period to determine how much the definition of rich has changed in every state. Find Out: What Is the Median Household Income for the Upper Middle Class in 2024? Learn More: 4 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money According to our research, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, South Carolina and California saw the most significant five-year changes in the average incomes of their top earners. We asked financial expert Russell Rosario to weigh in on what may be behind the increase. Rosario is a fractional chief financial officer (CFO), certified public accountant (CPA) and software engineer at Profit Leap. Here is why he said the definition of rich has changed the most in these five states. Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them. The Tech Industry Boom in the West The definition of rich has evolved significantly in states like WA, NV, ID, SC, and CA due to a combination of economic factors and demographic shifts, Rosario said. Ive seen how shifts in industry and job markets drive these changes. For instance, in Washington and California, the tech industry boom has substantially increased average incomes. This influx of high-paying tech jobs redefines what it means to be rich in these areas, he said. The cost of living has skyrocketed in cities like Seattle and San Francisco, making higher income thresholds necessary to maintain the same standard of living. The average income of the top 5% in Washington in 2017 was $378,374, by 2022 the amount had jumped to $544,518. This represents a jaw-dropping 44% change in the average income of the top earners over the course of five years. California fares only slightly better, with a 37% change over the same time period. To be considered rich in California, you would need to earn a shocking $613,602 in 2022, compared to $447,207 just a few years earlier. Check Out: Im a Financial Advisor: Heres Why My Rich Clients Identify With the Middle Class Eastern Migration Some of the states have benefited from the high cost of living in the West. People and companies, seeking a more cost-effective region and lower tax burden, have flocked to states on the East Coast and in the Southwest. In Nevada and South Carolina, we see a different trend driven by migration and investment, Rosario said. These states have attracted new residents from higher-cost areas like California, bringing wealth and driving up property values. Story continues With my background in financial advising, Ive observed that middle-class families moving from pricier states often experience a significant lifestyle upgrade, which elevates the overall wealth metrics in their new locales, he said. Additionally, these states offer business-friendly environments and lower tax burdens, making them attractive for entrepreneurs and retirees who bring considerable financial resources. Nevada and South Carolina both saw extraordinary changes in what is considered rich from 2017 to 2022. The average income of the top 5% in Nevada increased by 40% over the five-year period, while in South Carolina, it leaped by 38%. Influx of Professionals Another driving force for the change in the average income of the top 5% in these states is the movement of professionals. Again, many people seeking a lower cost of living relocate to other states, bringing their high incomes with them. Idahos situation is particularly interesting, given its transformation through tech and agriculture industries, Rosario said. Theres been a notable influx of tech professionals from neighboring states for a lower cost of living, mixing with a robust local economy. Entrepreneurs and investors capitalize on Idahos growing markets, pushing the economic boundaries, he added. This migration of skilled professionals and capital into previously lower-income areas resets the financial benchmark, making higher income levels more common and adjusting the perception of wealth. In Idaho, the average income of the top earners was $286,974 in 2017; in just five years, the amount soared to $402,743, representing a 40% change in the definition of wealth in the state. It is important to note that the real median household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the United States Census Bureau. Commonalities Among the States While the five states with the most significant change in the average income of the highest earners may seem vastly different at first glance, they do share some common features that could explain the change in the definition of wealth. These commonalities among the five states include significant population shifts, economic diversification and job market changes all contributing factors that fundamentally alter the definition of rich in these regions, Rosario said. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Why the Definition of Rich Has Changed the Most in These 5 States The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an investigational device exemption (IDE) to Xeltis, green-lighting a pivotal study evaluating its haemodialysis vascular access device aXess. The FDA nod means a US pivotal trial will soon run in parallel to an EU pivotal trial slated to recruit up to 110 patients, according to Xeltis, which has offices in both the Netherlands and US. The company did not disclose any further details about the upcoming US trial. Xeltis chief medical officer Paulo Neves said: This pivotal study is important in assessing and demonstrating this and marks a significant milestone in our clinical strategy in the US." Around 3.5 million patients with end-stage renal disease are on long-term dialysis each year. Often these patients have a fistula made to process high volumes of blood. Whilst a reliable method that improves efficiency of haemodialysis, infections with bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis can take hold. Xeltis, which won 12.5m ($13.39m) in funding from the European Innovation Council in August last year, says its aXess device can help alleviate this and other complications. Designed using its endogenous tissue restoration (ETR) platform, Xeltis biodegradable polymer implants are gradually replaced by the patients own tissue. The result is a new and permanent vessel that facilitates vascular access for haemodialysis. The vascular implant company has already reported positive 12-month data from a first-in-human European trial (NCT04898153) of the device. Out of the 20 patients enrolled, all demonstrated 100% secondary patency and 78% primary assisted patency at 12 months. The graft patency was defined as any flow through both the graft and the native vessel. Xeltis CEO Eliane Schutte said: We are very proud of the potential for aXess to transform the field of vascular access by stopping the cycle of interventions and infections and bringing our unique restorative solution to haemodialysis patients worldwide." The global vascular access device for the haemodialysis market is forecasted to be worth $937m in 2030, according to GlobalData analysis. The vascular access graft segment of the market is estimated to be worth $633.6m in the same period. "Xeltis sets crosshairs on US pivotal trial for aXess after IDE green light" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. When former fighter pilot John Barry took the stick as president and CEO of Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in 2017, he did so when conditions were less than favorable. As the Colorado Supreme Court sits down on Monday to decide whether defendants convicted of felony murder prior to 2021 should receive new sentences less severe than life without the possibility of parole, a key legislative change will play a prominent role in the legal analysis. A defendant cannot avail himself of the immunity Colorado law affords those who use lethal force against home intruders, the state Supreme Court ruled on Monday, because his victim was not inside any "dwelling" when he fired the shots. Tom Cronin and Bob Loevy are news columnists who write about Colorado and national politics. 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. The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will review two criminal appeals, one questioning the level proof needed to convict a man for trying to prostitute a child and the other addressing whether an organization can be the victim of identity theft. Seven people inside an SUV were rushed to hospitals after they were involved in a serious crash with a semi truck in eastern Arapahoe County early Monday morning, Denver Gazette news partner 9News reported. Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said the crash happened around 2:15 a.m. when an Amazon Prime semi truck driver headed west on Interstate 70, struck a guardrail and then crossed the center median, hitting the SUV head-on in the eastbound lanes. The SUV and the semi both caught fire after the crash, CSP said. Video from SKY9 showed that the semi's cab was destroyed in the fire. The SUV's body was intact, but it was heavily charred in the fire, SKY9 showed. The semi driver didn't suffer any injuries in the crash, according to troopers. Featured Local Savings The crash happened in the eastbound lanes of I-70 about four miles east of Byers, east of the Denver metro area, troopers said. The eastbound closure spans from Byers on the west to Deer Trail on the east. Drivers headed east will need to exit I-70 in Byers and get on Highway 40 to get around the closure. They can then get back onto the interstate in Deer Trail, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said. Troopers said they hope to have the eastbound lanes reopened by 7:30 a.m., but are still closed as of 9 a.m. AURORA Shortly after moving into her new home near the Aurora Reservoir, Marsha Goldsmith Kamin took a walk with her husband around the neighborhood and saw a sign that said, Save the Aurora Reservoir. I looked at my husband and I looked out at the reservoir and I said, Whats the matter with it? What are we saving? Kamin said. Civitas, an oil and gas company, has submitted a proposal to operate 166 wells near the reservoir and several communities. After clearing the technical requirements to move forward, the company is now encountering stiff opposition from Kamin and other nearby residents. The controversy erupted even as policymakers are aggressively seeking to transition the state away from fossil energy. Indeed, while Colorado is one of the countrys top energy producers in 2022, the state ranked No. 5 in crude oil production and No. 8 in natural gas there has been a persistent effort to limit the industrys footprint, a campaign that has intensified in the last several years. Proponents of the transition argue it benefits the environment, creates a healthier environment for people and saves Coloradans money, anticipating that, over the long term, renewable energy would be more economical to produce. Critics, meanwhile, say the transition is happening too quickly, that it would be financially costly to people and businesses alike and that a diverse energy portfolio that incudes fossil-fired and renewable energy is more reliable and sustainable. Against this backdrop, several Aurora residents said they are primarily worried about the proposed wells proximity to homes and argued the project poses environmental and health problems. Civitas countered that the project offers unequivocal benefits to the surrounding areas and to Arapahoe County. Company officials also promised to adopt a wide array of precautions, including building wells farther away from homes and adding air monitoring and sound barriers to protect residents and ensure the project does not negatively affect the area. In addition to meeting the requirements to finally get a hearing from the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, the company has assured the Environmental Protection Agency that it would limit its wells to stay clear of the Lowry Landfill Superfund site, a 507-acre tract east of Aurora in unincorporated Arapahoe County. Civitas added the project would yield an estimated $235 million in tax revenue for Arapahoe County. The land Oil and gas activities at the Lowry Ranch, the proposed site, can be tracked back to the 1920s, decades after the first oil well broke ground in the state shortly after the middle of the 19th century. The Lowry Ranch area used to be a Department of Defense military installation from 1938 to 1964 before its transfer to the Colorado State Land Board. Civitas a Colorado-based oil and gas company whose fields can be found across northern and central Colorado, as well as in New Mexico and Texas holds an oil and gas lease on the majority of the land. It has site-specific stewardship stipulations, which the company said has generated $209 million for public schools. Seeking to develop the area, Civitas two years ago filed the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan, which includes 32,000 acres of proposed subsurface mineral development. The company proposed eight locations with a total of 166 new wells and 14 existing horizontal wells. The development includes drilling about 7,000 feet under the Aurora Reservoir. After several revisions sought by the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, the state body determined last February that the application is now complete and scheduled for a hearing in July. The requirements Arapahoe County requires oil and gas operations to be located 1 mile away from existing and planned reservoirs unless downgradient conditions can be demonstrated and for a setback of 3,000 feet from residences. A special permission allows for operations to be closer to residences but no closer than 1,000 feet away, according to those requirements. Under the proposed development, the closest residence to the drilling sites would be 1,955 feet away; the second closest at 2,705 feet away. The owner and residents of those homes have signed whats called Informed Consent Letters, which explicitly state their agreement to the well locations, according to the Energy and Carbon Management Commission. In a letter to Civitas, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment raised concerns about two locations due to their proximity to residents. And, given that there is a school within 4,801 feet of the Beaver pad, the state agency recommended that the company plan its activities around school year schedules. The health agency is not objecting to the proposal. The EPA is also not objecting to the proposal, though it raised worries regarding the sites proximity to the Lowry Landfill, which is owned by the City and County of Denver and operated by Waste Management of Colorado. From 1965 to 1980, an estimated 138 million gallons of liquid industrial waste was disposed of in about 78 unlined pits over about 200 acres near Gun Club Road in Arapahoe County. In the 1980s, the EPA found contamination from the site in groundwater, surface water, soil and sediments and put a remedial plan into place. It included adding underground barrier walls, constructing a water treatment plant to treat groundwater, and taking other measures to make sure the contaminants no longer affected health and safety. Last May, the EPA told Colorados Energy and Carbon Management Commission it is concerned that minerals exploration, including fracking, could create releases of the hazardous waste from the landfill mass. The federal agency has discussed the matter with Civitas, and the company said it would limit the State Sneffels wells to avoid the site. In its final letter to the commission, the EPA requested that the state create a buffer zone for all drilling and fracking around the Lowry Landfill Superfund site boundary, including horizontal fracking lines barred from going under any portion of the full site boundary. Like Colorados health agency, the EPA is not objecting to the Civitas proposal. The controversy As Civitas prepares for the July hearing before the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, nearby residents organized in a campaign to kill the project. Featured Local Savings Save the Aurora Reservoir, the group spearheading the opposition, has successfully pushed the state agency to hold a public hearing in May, in which several hundred showed up to speak out against the proposal. Nobody at the hearing voiced approval. In addition to health worries, several people who testified at the May hearing made several claims, notably the projects effect on the climate crisis; the risk of water contamination; the threat to local wildlife; the health of nearby residents; and worries about public safety, including what might happen during natural disasters and what they described as the increased risk of earthquakes and fires as a result of hydraulic fracturing. Hashim Coates, a candidate for Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners, asked the state body to reject the proposal, suggesting it would ruin the grassland area where Civitas wants to drill. The creek and wetland ecosystems in the area serve as habitats for a variety of wildlife species, Coates said. You have an opportunity to take a stand for the future generations over the desires of those seeking to increase profits, he told the commission. Several residents also said they are worried about natural disasters and the increased risk of earthquakes and fires that, they said, could result from hydraulic fracturing. Out in the plains where the site sits, the community is no stranger to high winds, which makes them extra vulnerable to fire risk, added Kamin, who is now the president of Save the Aurora Reservoir. Kamin tied her opposition to the 2021 Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Boulder County. If theres one leak, one explosion, one flare and something catches ... theres just so much at risk with that, she said. The critics also raised worries about seismic activity in connection with hydraulic fracturing. Kamin, in particular, said she fears rupturing the Superfund site in the area. If the Superfund is ruptured due to fracking or other seismic activity, its going to risk introducing millions of gallons of toxic waste into our groundwater, she said. The distance Lisa McKenzie, a professor at the CU Anschutz campus who studies associations between health and proximity to oil and gas development, said her studies have tied fracking to adverse health outcomes, but that the effect is largely based on distance. Citing her studies, McKenzie said the risk starts to fall off at about 3,280 feet from the well pad sites. All this being said, a study has not been conducted to really systematically look at the distance from a well pad where the risk becomes minimal, McKenzie said. Meanwhile, Shemin Ge, a hydrogeologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who has studied wastewater injection-induced seismicity, said whether or not seismic activity occurs due to hydraulic fracturing largely has to do with how quickly it happens. The process of hydraulic fracturing includes injecting a lot of water into a deep rock formation. When those formations have faults or water injected into them it creates extra pressure that can make rock break, Ge said. The faster the fracking happens, the more likely seismic activity will occur, she said. Its always safer to study in advance about the rocks, how strong or how competent, or how broken the rocks are, Ge said. When you inject water into it, then you know and can kind of predict or estimate whats going to happen. Some reject the hypothesis that fracking leads to earthquakes, as the public intuitively interprets that word. In a KUNC report from 2014 following an earthquake in Greeley, U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Justin Rubenstein said, The process of hydraulic fracturing does not cause earthquakes, at least the kind people feel. The response In a letter to Civitas from the city of Aurora, officials said they are not concerned about seismic risk to the Aurora Reservoir or dam. Seismic studies have not showed any large faulting in the area or any evidence of a fault that could be reactivated through hydraulic fracturing, they said. Rich Coolidge, a Civitas spokesperson, also there has not been any reportable seismic activity caused by hydraulic fracturing in Colorado. The company said it has conducted extensive work on the project, including hosting meetings with the State Land Board, Arapahoe County, the city of Aurora, Aurora Water, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Bureau of Land Management, local emergency response agencies, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and mineral and lease owners. The company promised to implement best practices and added that a coordinated infrastructure development will dramatically aid in avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating impacts from our operations. Since first submitting its proposal, the company also noted major changes it has adopted, such as shifting three sites east to increase setbacks from neighborhoods and the reservoir, removing two sites in response to feedback from leaseholders in the units, removing two sections already developed by another operator, changing well counts, and updating wildlife impact maps to reflect late 2022 survey results and site visits with state wildlife staffers. Civitas follows Colorados regulations, which are some of the strictest in the world when it comes to governing oil and natural gas development, according to Coolidge, adding the company is an early adopter of new technologies and innovative practices. Were always exploring opportunities to recycle and reuse produced water and remain committed to finding solutions that will work for the unique challenges in our states geology, he wrote in his email to The Gazette. Dan Haley, the president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, blamed activists for the controversy, saying it is not unusual for activist groups to stir up communities when it comes to oil and gas development, even though it has been done safely and responsibly in this state for decades. Our operators also have invested millions to bring the latest, and cleanest, technology into Colorado and they often go above and beyond regulatory requirements to operate safely and responsibly, Haley wrote in a statement. The result has been cleaner and safer oil and gas production. A fight between two people escalated to gunfire outside a business in Old Colorado City on Sunday, leaving both hospitalized with gunshot wounds, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department. The original emergency call indicated there was an active shooter at the Walgreens at 3143 W. Colorado Ave., police spokesman Ira Cronin said. Multiple agencies rushed to the scene, including the Colorado Springs police and fire departments, Manitou Springs police, Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. A tactical team was also called in case a shooter was barricaded inside the business, Cronin said. Officers found one person with a gunshot wound outside the store. When police entered the Walgreens, they found one person who had been sheltering inside. At this point, we are calling that individual a witness, Cronin said. Investigators learned that a second wounded person left the scene and arrived at a hospital in their personal vehicle, officials said. Featured Local Savings A preliminary investigation determined that two people got into an altercation outside the store, during which multiple shots were fired, with several rounds striking the building, Cronin said. Both people, whose wounds are believed to not be life threatening, are being questioned by police. But no arrests were announced, and their names were not released. A heated discussion took place in the Colorado Adventurers Facebook group over recent days, stemming from a new member's proposal on a topic that tends to spark a fiery response any time it gets mentioned. The member, Joe, shared an idea for a 'hiking permit' and safety course requirement for those hitting the trail in Colorado, along with the required purchase of 'hiking insurance,' presumably for search and rescue efforts if there's an accident. As might be expected, the post quickly got dozens of comments from other users sharing their own opinions on the topic, many of which expressed strong disagreement with the idea probably at a rate of about 95%. In general, the sentiment was that any sort of permit would be another barrier of entry to public lands, along with many people who said they are unwilling to pay for the mistakes of others. While a permitting system already gets implemented for certain hikes when officials determine one is needed, such as when hiking to the bottom of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, for example, and there's already a funding plan in place that makes most rescues free in Colorado provided there's no transport from the scene, the third aspect of Joe's proposal is perhaps the most interesting the requirement for safety education. It's important to note that any sort of additional requirement for outdoor recreation could serve as a barrier of entry to the outdoor recreation space. The big question is: Do the benefits of that barrier outweigh the negatives? Many would argue that nothing justifies another barrier. That said, consider the Interlaken Fire that's currently burning in the Twin Lakes area, shutting down one of the most popular water destinations in the state and a portion of the Colorado Trail just weeks ahead of 4th of July weekend. This fire was started by an unknown person who left an abandoned campfire behind, believed to have been sitting and smoldering for several days prior to sparking the larger blaze. While not foolproof, there's a chance better education about fire safety and how to properly put out a fire may have prevented that. And now the mistake of one camper has resulted in a major closure that's impacting many. Again, this begs the question would the benefits of required safety education related to hiking and other aspects of outdoor recreation outweigh the potential barrier that such a requirement could create? Featured Local Savings It's also worth noting that Colorado tends to attract a lot of 'beginners' in terms of outdoor recreation. And with any sort of activity, beginners inherently lack experience and knowledge. When it comes to outdoor recreation, this lack of experience can not only put oneself and others at risk, it can also mean negative impacts on the land through improper use. Could some sort of safety requirement help remedy this issue, giving beginners a better chance to start off their outdoor recreation experience with a base knowledge of best practices? And sure... "everyone should do their own research"... but more times than not, people simply opt to dive in. It's likely that any sort of required 'safety course' for outdoor recreation would be met with plenty of complaints and criticism, but at the same time, a requirement for a course of this nature may be a remedy for many safety and sustainability-related issues that come with outdoor recreation. A similar concept has even been proposed at Rocky Mountain National Park in recent months, specifically for those seeking to climb the notorious Longs Peak. Obviously, such a requirement would come with an entire slew of questions related to its implementation how would it be funded? How would it be enforced? How would it be streamlined to be as little of barrier as possible? The list goes on. And the more the topic gets discussed, the less feasible any sort of official education requirement for hiking in Colorado seems. That makes it that much more important for each individual to take on the responsibility of educating one's self on aspects of outdoor recreation like safety and the Leave No Trace principles prior to entering Colorado's backcountry, and equally important to be a steward who shares this information (in a polite and courteous way) with newcomers to the space. Would you support an 'education requirement' for Colorado hikers? Let us know in the comments. STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Nurses those indispensable health care workers in desperately short supply nationwide are streaming into California, a striking contrast to the recent flight of thousands of frustrated residents to other parts of the country. Police are working to identify the suspect of a burglary investigation that shut down a portion of Fourth Street Southeast in Mason City Monday morning. The Mason City Police Departments initial reports of the June 17 burglary investigation indicated that the suspect was still present inside of the residence on Fourth Street Southeast between South Virginia and Vermont avenues. A statement from the MCPD said that given the information available to officers at the time of the call, there was a belief that the suspect likely had a firearm, thus, the surrounding area was secured by additional law enforcement personnel in an attempt to contain the suspect and limit any risk to the public. Officials pushed an Alert Iowa notification to cellphones and posted warnings on official Facebook pages, alerting residents in the area of the 800 block of Fourth Street Southeast to remain indoors. A similar, errant notification initially went out city-wide shortly after 8 a.m., with less specific instructions to stay inside. Shortly after, a statement from the MCPD apologized for the error, and the warning was rescinded. Law enforcement said they were able to get the homeowner on the scene to verify that a burglary had occurred. The suspect left the scene prior to the arrival of the responding officers. The residence was searched and secured with officers still working on identifying the suspect. The Mason City Police Department was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, the Garner Police Department, and the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force Special Operations Group. Those with information regarding the incident should call the MCPD at 641-421-3636. Re: Patients who feel they have a good relationship with their doctors [ #permalink 1 Kudos Macon County Cooling Centers Below is the Macon County Emergency Management Agency's 2024 list of cooling centers, along with hours of operation and contact information. DECATUR Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-422-7300. Macon County Department of Human Service, 1027 N. Water St. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 217-362-6500. Oasis Day Center, 243 W. Cerro Gordo St. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. 217-422-3940. Salvation Army Community Center, 299 W. Main St., Decatur. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. OUTSIDE OF DECATUR Blue Mound Village Hall, 301 N. Railroad Ave., Blue Mound. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-692-2713 (Jenny). Forsyth Public Library, 268 S. Elwood St., Forsyth. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. 217-877-8174 (David Strohl). Harristown Village Hall, 185 N. Kembark St., Decatur. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-963-2980. Macon City Hall, 10539 S. Woodcock Rd., Macon. 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-764-3643 (Pam Windell). Maroa City Hall, 120 S. Locust St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-794-2206. Mount Zion Convention Center, 1400 Mount Zion Parkway, Mount Zion. 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Mount Zion School District office, 1595 W. Main St., Mount Zion. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-864-2366. Warrensburg Village Hall, 155 Main St., Warrensburg. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-672-3611 or 217-519-0844 (Chief Wheeler). Whitmore/Oreana Community Center, 407 S. View St., Oreana. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 217-853-2339 (Annie Kirby). Choosing a career in agriculture always felt right to me. Although I didnt grow up on a farm, I can trace my familys industry roots back to the dairy farm my great-grandparents owned and operated in the late 1800s. Following in their footsteps feels special. My interest in ag is future-focused, too. As our global population continues to grow, feeding the world will become an increasingly important job. I see myself working behind the scenes to help producers meet this challenge and am gaining experiences today that will position me as a more effective professional. While pursuing an agribusiness major, Ive held several internships and am currently working with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW). My role with DFW involves collaborating with dairy farmers from across the state to prepare for June Dairy Month. Interning with DFW has helped me connect the dots between establishing new markets, funding dairy-related research, educating consumers, and showcasing the economic contribution that dairy makes to our state. It brings what Ive been learning to life, and it makes a difference. Serving a bigger purpose People in my generation want to work in a field where we can find success and meaning. Developing my skills to meet future needs was a major motivator for me to pursue internships that put me in touch with farmers and dairy industry allies. June Dairy Month does that. Breakfast on the farm events that are popular in June help the public associate the milk and cheese on the menu with the personal stories of local farming families. Consumers learn how farms in their community use the latest technology to ensure animal comfort and high-quality products, which builds trust in Wisconsin dairy. People appreciate the opportunity to see what goes into getting a gallon of milk on the grocery shelves. I love my role in tying it together. Growing engaged leaders The more Ive explored the agriculture industry, the more opportunities have unfolded. Encouraging ag education from a young age can make a huge impact on students. My Slinger High School FFA chapter launched a program at our local middle school to help kids see themselves as part of an industry that contributes $104.8 billion to the Wisconsin economy $45.6 billion come from dairy alone. Building a leadership pipeline was also the goal of my internship with Professional Dairy Producers (PDP), where I connected youth to producers and allied industry members for hands-on experiences. Mentees loved getting behind-the-scenes exposure to different agricultural environments. It made what they were studying in the classroom applicable. Students asked in-depth questions that helped farmers think about their work through a fresh lens, too. Currently, one out of every nine jobs in Wisconsin is agriculture-related. My journey to discover which one is right for me has put me in touch with knowledgeable, passionate people who have inspired me at every step. From my high school involvement in FFA to my current internship with DFW, Ive witnessed the power connections play in promoting and growing the ag industry. I look forward to a rewarding career supporting farmers, producers, and consumers. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024 June 13, 2024 SALISBURY Catawba College is celebrating its National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) 100% first-time pass rate from the most recent graduating class in its Bachelor of Science in Nursing pre-licensure program. For the third year in a row, Catawbas Department of Nursing has obtained a 100% NCLEX first-time pass rate, said Dr. Valerie Rakes, Department of Nursing Chair. The NCLEX is the licensing exam that all prelicensure nursing graduates must obtain to begin practice as a professional registered nurse. Faculty and students begin preparations for the exam in the first semester of the nursing program. The exam tests students ability to make safe and effective care decisions using clinical judgment and reasoning. The faculty has implemented curricular and program revisions to ensure Catawba College graduates are ready for real-world practice in an ever-changing healthcare environment. We congratulate the Class of 2024 on this accomplishment. The average NCLEX pass rate in the United States is around 80%. The NCLEX is a comprehensive and standardized exam that covers critical areas of nursing, including a safe care environment, health maintenance, and reduction of risk potential. The exam includes real-world case studies to measure a nurses ability to think more critically and make the right decisions. Pass rates will officially be reported by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in July. About Catawba College Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college located in Salisbury. Ranked as one of the best regional colleges in the South, Catawba is known for its intellectual rigor, dedicated faculty, beautiful campus, and strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. The College offers more than 70 undergraduate and four graduate programs allowing students to explore diverse interests and create their own academic pathway. Additional information is available at catawba.edu. Sixty-percent of all Australian businesses are already using, or planning to integrate, AI into their operations over the next two years. according to an independent survey commissioned by a small business organisation. The survey by business loan comparison platform, Small Business Loans Australia, revealed that 1 in 4 (25%) of Aussie businesses have already embraced the swelling tech trend and adopted AI tools throughout their day-to-day operations. The independent survey questioned 205 directors and decision-makers across micro (1-10 employees), small (11-50 employees) and medium-sized businesses (51-200 employees) to gauge their rate of AI adoption and which tools they rely on. Small Business Loans Australia says that an eyewatering 90 per cent of medium-sized businesses (51-200 employees) will be using AI by 2026, and specifically, the data shows over a third (37%) have adopted AI, with an additional 53 per cent planning to integrate it into their businesses by 2026. Mirco businesses (less than 10 employees) are the most likely to resist the evolving digital landscape, with just 18 per cent saying theyre already using AI and an additional 23 per cent planning to use it by 2026, notes Small Business Loans Australia. Non-creative AI tech reigns supreme among Australian SMEs Small Business Loans Australia asked respondents which types of AI tool they have embraced or are planning to integrate into their businesses in the next two years, and the survey shows AI-powered reporting and chat boxes with email replies are the most embraced AI tools among SMEs, while more than a quarter (27%) of all SMEs use or plan to use AI-powered customer or data analysis tools - and AI-powered reporting was the second most favoured tool with a quarter (25%) either harnessing it or planning to over the next two years, with chat boxes and customer email replies ranking third for all SMEs at 24 per cent. Small Business Loans further commented that the study found: AI productivity tools are also favoured among SMEs, with 23 per cent using it or preparing to integrate it into day-to-day operations. When it comes to genuine customer engagement or even copy editing Aussie businesses are less likely to use AI, with only 15 per cent saying they use or will use AI-powered copy generators and only one in 10 (11%) confessing they use or plan to use a customer relationship manager bot. When it comes to business sizes, AI tool trends vary, with half (50%) of all medium-sized operations embracing AI productivity tools and 53 per cent of small businesses leaning on AI chat boxes and email replies. Half (49%) of small businesses rely or will rely on AI-powered reporting. The larger the business, the more likely they are to give creative work to the bots, with 20 per cent of medium-sized businesses admitting to using or planning to use AI copy generators and editors and image generation, and almost a third (27%) cent confessing to using AI for customer relationship management. Despite widely shunning AI, a small percentage of micro businesses use data crunching or automated-reply AI. Fourteen (14) per cent saying they use or will use AI-powered customer or data analysis tools. NSW is Australias most pro-AI state Among the major states, NSW SMEs are most in favour of artificial intelligence, with 67 per cent using or planning to incorporate AI by 2026. West Australian businesses are national leaders when it comes to already integrating AI at 40 per cent. However just 13 per cent of WA businesses aim to bring AI tools into their operations in the future, spelling a widespread tech resistance. Despite just 19 per cent of South Australians use AI across their businesses, they are planning to massively catch up, with an incredible 38 per cent respondents saying theyll integrate AI by 2026. The sunshine state has fallen behind in the current AI usage stakes, with just 17 per cent of Queensland businesses leaning on artificial intelligence tools. Over the next two years, 37 per cent say they plan to bring it in. Among the states, a high 36 per cent of NSW businesses are leaning on AI-powered customer or data analysis tools with AI chat boxes and email replies for customers also favoured by NSW (at 33%) and WA businesses equally. Victorian businesses copy generating and editing AI tools the least, with only 6 per cent using or planning to use it in the future. South Australian businesses lead the charge on shirking customer relationship management bots, on the other hand, with only 6 per cent adopting that AI. Alon Rajic, Founder and Managing Director of Small Business Loans Australia, says: These figures paint a clear picture of where Australian businesses are leaning on AI. Across the board, time-consuming data analysis or automatic reply tools are favoured above all in this fast-growing tech realm. When delving deeper into this trend, its easy to see that AI is being heartily embraced in areas where human error can be costly, and manpower can be time consuming. Australian businesses are increasingly seeing the value in utilising AI for those arduous, laborious and menial tasks that dont require a human touch, creativity or finesse. This is a trend were seeing internationally too with a colossal rise of companies using financial reporting AI clocked over the past year.1 Rajic says the rapid-fire rise of AI usage down under was made all the more remarkable given ChatGPT only launched in 20222, but given the economic strain of many businesses and particularly smaller operators3 it was surprising that more micro businesses werent embracing the trend. This tells us that customer relationships and a considered, human touch are paramount to Australias smallest businesses, but as AI offerings continue to expand and more knowledge about their cost and time saving benefits emerge, we expect this trend to change. With an extraordinary 90 per cent of medium-sized businesses expecting to harness AI by 2026, it stands to reason that smaller SMEs will follow suit, Rajic concluded. The full survey results, including breakdowns across the major states, can be found here: https:// smallbusinessloansaustralia. com/are-small-to-medium- businesses-harnessing-the- power-of-ai/ About Small Business Loans Small Business Loans Australia (smallbusinessloansaustralia. com) is an Australian comparison website providing Australian small and medium business owners with information on the different types of financing options and loans offered by Australian lenders, and how alternative lenders differ from banks. Small Business Loan Australia works with more than 30 Australian lenders and provides loans from $5000 to $1 million. For more information, visit smallbusinessloansaustra lia.com) COMPANY NEWS: In an Australian first, Macquarie Cloud Services, part of Macquarie Technology Group (ASX: MAQ), has leveraged strategic relationships with Microsoft and Dell Technologies, to launch Macquarie Flex. Macquarie Flex is a unique hybrid solution powered by Microsoft Azure Stack HCI (Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure) and Dell Technologies APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure providing workload flexibility, a single management plane, consistent experience, 24X7 mission critical support and evergreen compliance across public, private and hybrid cloud environments. As the first Dell Technologies partner offering Azure Stack HCI in Australia, the launch marks a significant milestone for organisations who have traditionally been challenged by the integration costs and complexity of hybrid cloud. Now, Macquarie Flex provides these organisations with a new solution to simplify hybrid cloud management, manage cloud spend and meet compliance and sovereign requirements. Macquarie Flex is the true definition of hybrid and represents a new era of hybrid cloud solutions. said Macquarie Cloud Services Head of Azure, Naran McClung. Azure and private cloud, two disparate environments, promising different things, for different purposes, bound together to provide Australian businesses the choice, flexibility, and agility needed to succeed. Macquarie Flex allows us to meet our customers wherever they are on their cloud journey, added Jonathan Staff, Head of Private Cloud at Macquarie Cloud Services. Through our strong relationship with Dell Technologies and Microsoft, we can now arm Australian businesses with another lever to extract more value from their IT investment. Macquarie Flex represents a significant advancement in hybrid cloud solutions. By leveraging Microsoft Azure Stack HCI, Macquarie Cloud Services is providing an unparalleled level of flexibility, security, and performance. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to empowering Australian organisations with the tools and technologies needed to drive innovation and achieve their strategic goals, said Steven Worrall, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand. With Macquarie Flex, organisations now can deploy and run sensitive/compliance-driven workloads in a private cloud whilst leveraging the benefits of Azure, diversify deployment locations to improve commercial viability, treat private cloud workloads as first-class citizens of Azure, as well as monitor, alert, report, backup, secure, manage and govern virtual workloads through one integrated toolset. This announcement follows the companys recent launch of Macquarie Guard, a full turnkey Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that automates practical guardrails into Azure services. Our purpose is to help customers who have been traditionally underserved and overcharged, said McClung. Were thrilled to be leveraging our long-standing partnerships with Microsoft and Dell Technologies to deliver much needed new innovation to Australian Businesses. A Winston-Salem man who contends he is homeless was convicted last week in a jury trial for failing to register as a sex offender, authorities said. Don Wayne Saunders Jr., 52, pleaded not guilty to the offense. Judge Alyson Grine of Forsyth District Court sentenced Saunders last Thursday to serve 20 months to 33 months in prison, the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office said. Grine also revoked Saunders probation and ordered him to serve his previous sentence of 11 months to 23 months in prison, which will run concurrently to the sentence he received Thursday, the district attorneys office said. After Saunders is released from prison, Saunders will be required to register as a sex offender, the district attorneys office said. Its always difficult for a jury to navigate circumstances like Mr. Saunders while also applying the law, said Christopher Ward of Winston-Salem, Saunders attorney. My hope is the jury saw firsthand how much of a need there is for our community to be better about helping connect our vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, to services and housing that they need, Ward said. Saunders is a convicted sex offender because of a New York conviction in 2002 for second-degree rape, the district attorneys office said. According to New York correction records, a judge sentenced Saunders to serve one year and six months to four years and six months in prison. Saunders was released on parole in January 2008, and he was released from parole in July 2008. Saunders began registering with the sex offender registry for Forsyth County in November 2020, the district attorneys office said. In October 2022, Saunders went to the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office to update his status as being a homeless person, the district attorneys office said. Saunders was on probation and wearing a GPS ankle monitor because of a prior conviction in August 2021 for failure to register as a sex offender, the district attorneys office said. In March 2021, the sheriffs offices sex offender registry unit conducted a compliance check for all registered homeless sex offenders living in Forsyth County, the district attorneys office said. Investigators discovered that Saunders wasnt homeless; he was living in an apartment complex, the district attorneys office said. Despite being told he was violating the conditions of the registry, Saunders continued to report to the sex offender registry unit, saying he was homeless and living in his vehicle. Saunders was arrested on April 6, 2023, after he was found in an apartment, the district attorneys office said. Saunders was staying in his mothers apartment, Ward said. Saunders testified in his own defense, telling the jurors about the challenges he has faced while having to register weekly with the sheriffs office while he was homeless, Ward said. From living out of his own car to getting chased out of different living situations despite having a level 1 designation in North Carolina (the lowest level) and a zero level designation from New York, Ward said. Its the lowest level offender category in each state, Ward said. For North Carolina, the charge that put him on the registry was very serious, but it occurred over 20 years ago, and the registry unit did not think he was likely to reoffend. The records of New York correction officials indicated that they also believed Mr. Saunders had a low likelihood of reoffending, Ward said. Saunders told the jury that he registered at 7000 Bethabara Parkway in my car, so that he could be within walking distance of his (mother), who often needs care and assistance, Ward said. Photovoltaic 'ocean' in the desert (People's Daily App) 10:18, June 17, 2024 Let's take a look at the photovoltaic arrays in the Mu Us Desert at sunset. The Mu Us Desert, on North China's Ordos Plateau, spans parts of Shaanxi Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and is one of the four major desert lands in China. The desert transforms into a blue "photovoltaic ocean," with the oasis under the solar panels contrasting sharply against the yellow sand. (Edited by Zou YunIntern Liu Yaqi) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) SCOTUS ruled 6-3 last Friday that the ATF exceeded its authority when it reversed course on years of policy by declaring bump stocks to be machineguns. (Wikipedia photo) In a 6-3 ruling Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives exceeded its authority when it reversed its own policy on bump stocks by banning the devices in the aftermath of the October 2017 Las Vegas, Nevada mass shooting. For many years, ATF had taken the position that semiautomatic rifles fitted with the devices were not machineguns. In the wake of the Las Vegas tragedy, the agency abruptly reversed itself, ordering bump stock owners to turn them in or destroy them. Michael Cargill, the plaintiff in this case, surrendered two bump stocks under protest and quickly filed a federal lawsuit. The case wound its way through the courts and finally was argued before the Supreme Court. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas stated, "We conclude that semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock is not a 'machinegun' because it does not fire more than one shot 'by a single function of the trigger.' "For many years,," Justice Thomas wrote, "the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) took the position that semiautomatic rifles equipped with bump stocks were not machineguns under the statute." ..... TERRE HAUTE, Indiana Nathan Quets of Kenosha, has been presented with Heminway Gold Medal as the graduate having the highest grade point average at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The honor was presented before Quets received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the college for undergraduate science, engineering, and mathematics. Besides the Heminway Award, Quets received the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineerings Clarence Knipmeyer Award for outstanding academic achievement at Rose-Hulmans end-of-the-school year honors and awards ceremony. Quets is planning to begin study in a doctorate degree program at Georgia Institute of Technology this fall. The School of Visual & Performing Arts and the Art Department at UW-La Crosse have received a $6,000 Creative Communities grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board. The grant will support a project designed to increase exposure of contemporary Indigenous artists and their work through a series of youth art workshops and events for teachers. The grant program promotes arts education, cultural understanding and community arts development in Wisconsin. It supports projects that advance the boards goals in arts education, folk and traditional arts and local arts. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the grant will allow UW-L to initiate partnerships with Indigenous artists; provide educational opportunities for area teachers and youth to learn about contemporary Indigenous artists and the cultural complexities within their work through exploration and art-making; reinforce appreciation for first nation cultures; and expand participant perspectives on Indigenous art and culture. There is a need for educational programming aimed toward increasing knowledge and familiarity with contemporary Indigenous artists, their works and culture, notes Associate Professor of Art and Project Director Lisa Lenarz. Most people in our community can name and recognize a handful of famous European or European-American artists (Leonardo, Van Gogh, Georgia OKeeffe, Andy Warhol, etc.), while they may describe objects such as baskets and processes such as basketmaking as Indigenous craft without deeper connections or understandings. Recognizing the globalized nature of todays communities, educational institutions like UW-L are tasked with fostering cultural literacy and fluency. This project seeks to align with the goals of Wisconsins Act 31, which mandates instruction on the history, culture and tribal sovereignty of Wisconsins 11 federally recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities. For more information about the project and upcoming workshops, contact Lisa Lenarz (llenarz@UW-Lax.edu) or Pete Rydberg (prydberg@UW-Lax.edu). From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Prince Bhojwani never thought of himself as a negative person. But three trips to the hospital in one month led him to reconsider his thoughts, or mindset, toward life. Before May of 2018, he was healthy. He was living in New York City, working at a startup company he founded. He found time to ride his bicycle each day. Yet Bhojwani always felt worried. One day, his health began to suffer. He could barely walk. He could not see clearly. And his blood pressure suddenly increased greatly. At a hospital emergency room, doctors suspected he had had a stroke. But they never could find the cause of his illness. A close friend pointed out that Bhojwani had a negative mindset. He often lacked the belief that things would go well. The friend suggested that Bhojwani might be burned out. Bhojwani describes this friend as one of the most optimistic people he knows. Bhojwani said that he started looking at the world very differently as soon as recovered. He started deep, calm, purposeful breathing. He started taking time every morning to feel thankful to be alive. And he also found purpose in his life by co-founding a nonprofit, Asana Voices, a South Asian support organization. In the years since, he has not had any similar health problems. He credits his new positive mindset. After there was a life-changing event, he said, it kind of forced me to become optimistic. I cant even imagine living life the way I did back then. A longer, healthier life? Numerous studies over the years have shown a link between a positive mindset and good health. Experts say a standard for measuring someones optimism has long been the 10-question Life Orientation Test (Revised), published in 1994. Questions from that test include: In uncertain times, I usually expect the best. Its easy for me to relax. I rarely count on good things happening to me. Respondents answer using a scale of zero to four. Zero means you strongly disagree with the statement and 4 means you strongly agree with the statement. Optimism means the expectation that good things will happen, or believing the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes, said Hayami Koga. She is a researcher at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. She was the lead writer on a 2022 study that found optimism was linked to longer lives and a greater chance of living past the age of 90. In another study, published in May in JAMA Psychiatry, Koga and other researchers found that optimists generally stayed in better physical health as they aged. Over a six-year period, the researchers looked at 5,930 women who had all gone through menopause. We know that more optimistic people are more likely to live a healthier life, with healthier habits, eating healthier, having more exercise, Koga said. Can I learn to be an optimist? Some people are born more optimistic. However, it can be learned, said Sue Varma. She is a professor of psychiatry at New York University. She also wrote the book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being. Varma noted that her book builds upon the work of Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology. Optimism training, Varma said, can improve life satisfaction and reduce worry. She told the Associated Press that some people are not naturally positive. They are more pessimistic. However, they can learn skills to help see the world more in a more positive way. Varma said that even for people who do not naturally see the glass half full, there are skills that you can learn. Someone who sees the glass half full views a situation with hope or optimism. Someone who sees the glass half empty is more negative or pessimistic about a situation. So, what skills should glass half-empty people learn to become more optimistic? Begin by noticing how you deal with uncertainty, Varma said. Do you worry and wait for the worst to happen? If you do, then try to re-think the situation in a different way. Varman suggests asking yourself some questions. Is there a silver lining, or something good about the situation? Is this a problem to be solved or a truth to be accepted? Varma then suggests imagining the best possible result and a step-by-step path to get there. Varma asks her patients to describe those steps in detail until the problem is resolved. Then she tells her patients to celebrate their success. The result is that people may become more positive and better prepared to deal with difficulties and struggles. Finding a sense of purpose can also help. Volunteering is a good choice for some. For those who may not have the time for volunteering, Varma suggests bringing your interests to your day job. That could be as simple as organizing outings with co-workers. Another suggestion is to learn something new. Whether it is a sport, musical instrument or a language, learning a new skill can help keep your mind from thinking too much about negative situations or possibilities. Even with these and other methods, Varma noted that changing your mindset is not easy. But practice helps. Its a toolset. Its a mindset, she said, adding that it is something she practices every day. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. And I'm Dan Friedell. Albert Stumm reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Improve Your Mindset, Improve Your Health Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _________________________________________________ Words in This Story negative adj. not positive or helpful mindset n. a mental inclination, tendency, or habit burned out phrasal verb worn out optimistic adj. expecting everything to come out all right : hopeful menopause n. the natural cessation of menstruation that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 habit n. a way of behaving that has become fixed by being repeated often psychiatry n. a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders pessimistic adj. expecting everything to NOT come out all right : not hopeful glass half full idiom viewing the situation optimistically or hopefully : glass half empty (opposite) viewing the situation pessimistically or without hope silver lining n. a consoling or hopeful prospect We want to hear from you. Let us know what you thought about this story in the Comments section. Our comment policy is here. Childhood cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux and three other American civilians went to space in 2021. They travelled in a mission called Inspiration4 for the private company SpaceX. The four-member crew made history as the first all-civilian team to orbit Earth. But they also provided the most detailed data ever on the effects of space travel on the human body. New research based on this data details changes in the brain, heart, muscles, kidneys, skin, immune system and stress levels. The research also provides information on the activity of cell structures called mitochondria in zero-gravity, increased radiation, and other changes experienced in space travel. More than 95 percent of the health changes, or biomarkers, returned to normal levels in the months after the crew returned to Earth. But some abnormalities, including in the mitochondria continued, the researchers said. But the data suggested that spaceflights - at least short-term trips are not big health risks. "We did not see anything that was worrisome, thankfully," said Chris Mason. He is a professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York who helped lead the research. The studies were published Tuesday in Nature and other journals. Mason added that there was evidence of brain stress during the mission, which has also been found in previous studies. Mason said this might be explained by findings in experimental mice flown to space. The mice experienced disruptions in the blood-brain barrier, a layer of cells protecting the brain. Brain function was not affected, Mason noted. Arceneaux is a doctors assistant at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and the mission's medical officer. Her three crewmates, two men and one woman, were monitored before, during and after the flight. They went through extensive testing and provided blood, saliva and other bodily materials. The research also included information from 64 astronauts who had longer stays on the International Space Station (ISS) and other missions. Inspiration4 flew at about 590 kilometers above Earth, higher than the ISS. That means the crew faced higher radiation levels. The beginning of a "second Space Age" led by private space travel companies has increased the demand to understand health risks, says Afshin Beheshti. He is with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle, Washington, and helped lead the research. Researchers consider the amount of time in space to be an important factor in the health effects. The longer the time in space, the greater the increase in health risks observed," Beheshti said. Beheshti added the data detailed the major effect of spaceflight on mitochondrial and immune function. The new findings indicate that microgravity and space radiation systematically affect the body, leading to dysfunction at the cellular level that impacts multiple organs, including muscles, kidneys, heart, skin, and (central nervous system) tissues," Beheshti said. He added that spaceflight is known to quicken aging and many diseases. But, he said, the research is identifying major health risks that can be targeted for preventative treatment. The scientists are looking forward in their work. "If humans are going to be living and working in space, or living on the moon and Mars, scientists need a basic understanding of how the body responds to space, Mason said. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters. ________________________________________________ Words in This Story immune system n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections stress n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. gravity n. the natural force that tends to cause physical things to move towards each other function n. the special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used saliva n. the liquid produced in your mouth that keeps your mouth moist and makes it easier to swallow food The locations for the first US nuclear cruise missiles to be stored on British soil have been revealed by the government. Secretary of State for Defence Francis Pym told the House of Commons the 160 missiles would be located at RAF Greenham Common, Berkshire, and the disused RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. Mr Pym said neither of the bases would be used as a launch site. In times of crisis the American-owned warheads will be moved to secret launching sites within 50 miles (80 km) of their storage silos. Although there is no dual-key system to launch the weapons, the minister assured the Commons the United States would not use them in an attack without Britains assent. The ground-launched missiles will be stored in purpose-built shelters and security will be considerably upgraded at both sites. The UK will contribute 220 personnel to help guard the bases and the cost to the country will be 16m. In an attempt to reassure local communities, Mr Pym said nuclear warheads would not be carried on exercises and no test flying would take place. But the military would regularly practice the dispersal of the weapons to their launch sites after consultation with local authorities. Most of the missiles will be stored at the Greenham Common base. Residents in nearby Newbury vigorously opposed the basing of noisy tanker aircraft so close to them, but seemed resigned to the arrival of the American arms. If it has to be so be it, said the District Council Chairman. Courtesy BBC News In context Protests against the decision to use the base for cruise missiles began in the summer of 1981. The womens peace camp that remained there for almost 20 years became one of the most enduring symbols of the campaign against nuclear weapons. Missiles were kept at the base from November 1983 to March 1991 when the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty started a gradual process of nuclear disarmament. The women finally dismantled their peace camp in September 2000. Supporters say a Chinese journalist who promoted womens rights as part of the countrys nascent #MeToo movement has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of incitement to subvert state authority, almost three years after she and an activist were detained. The verdict provided to The Associated Press stated that Huang Xueqin would also face a fine of 100,000 yuan ($14,000), underscoring the ruling Communist Partys intolerance of any activism outside its control. Huangs release date was listed as Sept. 18, 2026, accounting for her earlier detention. Co-defendant Wang Jianbing was sentenced to three years and six months on the same charge. Wang is more known for his labor rights activity but also helped women report sexual harassment. Huang and Wangs cases appear to have become intertwined as part of the most recent wave of a general crackdown on rights advocates, a trend that predates the #MeToo movement and includes previous incidents such as the 2015 detentions of women distributing pamphlets against sexual harassment on public transport. Working as an freelance journalist, Huang helped spark Chinas first #MeToo case in 2018 when she publicized allegations of sexual harassment made by a graduate student against her Ph.D. supervisor at one of Chinas most prestigious universities. Friends say that Huang and Wang disappeared on Sept. 19, 2021, a day before Huang was scheduled to fly to the United Kingdom to start a masters degree program on gender violence and conflict at the University of Sussex. They went on trial in September 2023. MDT/AP Chinese Premier Li Qiangs visit to Australia yesterday focused on positive aspects of the bilateral relationship including shared giant pandas and a rebounding wine trade as he promised a new breeding pair of the rare bears and urged both countries to put aside their differences. Chinas most powerful leader after President Xi Jinping arrived late Saturday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia state, which has produced most of the Australian wine entering China since crippling tariffs were lifted in March that had effectively ended a 1.2 billion Australian dollar ($790 million) a year trade since 2020. Li visited Adelaide Zoo, which has been home to China-born giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni since 2009, before he was to have lunch at a restaurant at Adelaide winery Penfolds Magill Estate. He announced that the zoo would be loaned another two pandas after the pair are due to return to China in November. China will soon provide another pair of pandas that are equally beautiful, lively, cute and younger to the Adelaide Zoo, and continue the cooperation on giant pandas between China and Australia, Li said in Mandarin, adding that zoo staff would be invited to pick a pair. Li was impressed by the 18-year-old male Wang Wangs appetite and indifference to his high-ranking visitors. The panda is very obsessed with eating and doesnt pay attention to us even when we are the people from its hometown visiting, Li said at the panda enclosure. It has completely treated here as its second hometown, Li said. Very pretty, adorable, with charming naivety. The pair are the only pandas in the Southern Hemisphere and failed to produce offspring in Australia. Foreign Minister Penny Wong thanked Li for ensuring that pandas would remain the zoos star attraction. Its good for the economy, its good for South Australian jobs, its good for tourism, and it is a signal of goodwill, and we thank you, Wong said. Tom King, the managing director of Penfolds, one of Australias oldest wineries, told Chinese state media ahead of Lis arrival that such visits helped strengthen economic and cultural ties. Its pleasing to see the stabilizing of relations between the Australian and Chinese governments, including regular high-level visits between the two countries, King was quoted as saying by the Global Times newspaper last week. Lis visit is the first to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years and marks an improvement in relations since Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses center-left Labor Party was elected in 2022. Li noted that Albanese in November was the first Australian prime minister to visit China since 2016. China-Australia relations were back on track after a period of twists and turns, generating tangible benefits to the people of both countries, Li said, according to a translation released by the Chinese Embassy in Australia yesterday. History has proven that mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation are the valuable experience in growing China-Australia relations, and must be upheld and carried forward, Li added. Hundreds of pro-China demonstrators, human rights protesters and democracy activists gathered outside the zoo before Lis visit. Among the protesters was former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui, who fled to Australia three years ago to avoid a prison sentence for his activism. Hui and other protesters were able to shout slogans at Li from a distance inside the zoo. China initiated a reset of the relationship after the previous conservative administrations nine years in power ended. Relations collapsed over legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing imposed an array of official and unofficial trade blocks in 2020 on a range of Australian exports including coal, wine, beef, barley and wood that cost up to AU$20 billion ($13 billion) a year. All the trade bans have now been lifted except for Australian live lobster exports. Trade Minister Don Farrell predicted that impediment would also be lifted soon after Lis visit with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. Wong said Lis visit was the result of two years of very deliberate, very patient work by this government to bring about a stabilization of the relationship and to work towards the removal of trade impediments. We will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must and we will engage in our national interest, Wong told Australian Broadcasting Corp. before joining Li for lunch. Lis agenda becomes more contentious after he left Adelaide late Sunday for meetings in the national capital, Canberra, today and a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in resource-rich Western Australia state tomorrow. Albanese has said he will raise with Li during an annual leaders meeting recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Meanwhile, asked if Chinese companies could invest in processing critical minerals in Australia, Wong replied that Australias foreign investment framework was open to all. We want to grow our critical minerals industry, Wong said. Australia is the second stop of Lis tour after New Zealand, and will end in Malaysia. ROD McGUIRK, MELBOURNE, MDT/AP The SAR governments Executive Council has concluded its revisions to assistance programs in a bid to provide continued support for beneficiary enterprises and young entrepreneurs who are still facing operational difficulties in the uneven economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, temporary measures were introduced to support beneficiary enterprises overcome difficulties. In a press conference Friday, ExCo spokesperson and Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong said the SAR government provided repayable services to small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurial young people in need through the Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance Program and the Youth Entrepreneurship Assistance Program. The objective was to support the enterprises to improve their operating conditions and cope with financial difficulties, and to encourage and support young people to start their own businesses, he said. However, following the pandemic and uneven economic recovery, business operations will still be difficult. Therefore, the ExCo has drafted changes that include the extension of the maximum repayment period for both programs from eight to 10 years, as well as the automatic two-year extension of the repayment period for enterprises currently under the programs, by amending Administrative Regulation No. 9/2003 and Administrative Regulation No. 12/2013. These measures are intended to alleviate the loan repayment pressure on small and medium-sized enterprises as well as young entrepreneurs, allowing them more time to stabilize their operations and financial situations, said Cheong. Regulations take effect from the day after they are promulgated. Tai Kin Yip, the director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT), said there are currently approximately 12,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and young entrepreneurial enterprises still in the interest-free loan repayment period who are beneficiaries of this measure. Due to the two-year extension of the repayment period, the bureau was originally expected to receive MOP500 million in repayment income this year. Now it will receive MOP200 million less in repayments, which means it is expected to collect MOP300 million in repayments this year. Repayments collected next year are also expected to decrease. EXTENSION TO RESTORE MARKET CONFIDENCE Frederico Ma Chi Ngai, President of the Macao Youth Association and vice president of China Youth Entrepreneurs Association, is in favor of extending the repayment period by two years for the two assistance programs for small and medium-sized enterprises and youth entrepreneurship. He is confident the government will carefully consider the views of various sectors of society, including the business community and members of the Legislative Assembly. Acting promptly on this matter will have a positive impact on stabilizing society and boosting corporate confidence in the market, he said. Ma said the current economic recovery is uneven, with residents displaying cautious consumption behavior. Additionally, there is increased pressure on industrial and commercial operations, particularly for businesses in the northern district, who are facing significant challenges. Lynzy Valles & Howard Tong TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO PROVIDE RELIEF The extension of the repayment period for the assistance programs from eight years to 10 years will only provide a temporary relief to local SMEs. Although the extension is anticipated to benefit around 12,000 local small and medium-sized enterprises, associations view these measures as a temporary solution to provide relief to struggling businesses facing repayment pressures. For sustainable growth, business chambers said the government must adopt a comprehensive approach to attract individuals to the community and stimulate the local economy. Wong Kin Chong, president of the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District remarked that while the current two-year repayment period under the assistance programs provides temporary relief, the interest-only repayment scheme is set to conclude by year-end. The business chamber has urged the government to consider extending these measures to provide enterprises with more breathing room. In addition to delaying the repayment period to help small and medium-sized enterprises with capital turnover, the government must also take a multi-pronged approach to revitalize the community economy, the president told local media outlet Macao Daily. Although some landlords are willing to reduce rents, it is difficult to reduce labor costs, and most catering industries also must bear the cost of food delivery platforms. Therefore, many companies have chosen to shut down their business due to unsatisfactory performance and uncertain business prospects. The current two-year repayment period for the two assistance programs is believed to be a relief for small and medium-sized enterprises that have applied for assistance. However, the interest-only repayment measure will end at the end of the year. In a move to deepen education cooperation between Guangdong and Macau, the Executive Council has formulated new administrative regulations to provide financial support for Macau students studying in Guangdong province during the 2024/2025 school year. This also extends to local students studying in Hengqin. According to Secretary for Administration and Justice and Executive Council spokesperson, Andre Cheong, there will be tuition and related fee subsidies for students attending schools run by local school-running entities in Shenzhen, with priority given to Macau residents in admissions. However, school-running entities must submit accounting and audit reports, and ensure curriculum and student evaluations comply with Macau regulations. Also, the official said high school students must attend 80% of summer courses organized by the Education and Youth Development Bureau from June to August 2025 to receive the subsidies. Tuition subsidies maintain the previous years upper limits MOP8,000 for preschool to high school, while school supplies subsidies range from MOP1,150 for preschool to MOP1,700 for high school. SUBSIDIES INCREASED BY MOP12 MILLION The total amount of the above two subsidies is approximately MOP49.8 million, an increase of MOP12 million compared with last year. This is mainly due to the overall increase of more than 300 students in the number of students and the opening of a school for Macau children in Hengqin. Howard Tong The occupancy rate of the local hotels should surpass 90% by the end of this year, the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, told the media on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao at the Macau Fishermans Wharf. Senna Fernandes said that while the current hotel occupancy rate is about 85-86%, there are indicators that this rate will grow further in the second half of this year and surpass 90% by the year-end. The same official also noted the important results obtained so far in the reattraction of foreign visitors to Macau in the first five months of this year. According to Senna Fernandes who cited provisional data collected up to May this year, the number of international tourists visiting Macau was approximately 978,000, with an average of more than 6,400 visitors per day. This figure represents a year-on-year increase of 1.75 times and a recovering to nearly 67% of the 2019 figure. Some 14 million tourists have entered Macau from January to May this year, more than 93,000 tourists per day on average, which is an 82.5% recovery from 2019. Hong Kong tourism numbers have recovered the fastest with 2.98 million visitors, a recovery rate of 97.1% of the pre-pandemic level, followed by those from the mainland (9.90 million), which has recovered some 81%. The number of tourists from Taiwan has reached some 324,000, recovering to 73.4%. Addressing the recent promotion campaign by Macau in Thailand, the same official noted that in this year alone there has been an influx of about 65,000 tourists from Thailand, a figure that corresponds to over 80% of 2019 data. She said the return of 45 weekly flights between Macau and Thailand contributed to this excellent result, adding that if airliners increase the frequency of flights this year, there will be an increase in Thai tourists to Macau. Commenting on the recent news of limits to the distribution of free snacks and drinks by the gaming concessionaires, Senna Fernandes said that stopping this practice would not impact visitor figures. She said it is not the purpose of the government to attract tourists that come to receive gifts. Recently speaking about hotel occupancy, Senna Fernandes said that Macau would start promoting stays in hotels in Hengqin, namely to mainland groups, to tackle the issue of local hotel units reaching full capacity and to offer this type of visitors accommodation options that better suit their purpose and budget. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) welcomed more than 149,000 tourists on guided tours in its first six months of limited operations, customs officials have said. The worlds longest sea crossing opens to visitors views of its iconic cable-stayed towers from Zhuhai to Blue Dolphin Island, a trip of over 140 minutes. Customs officer Hu Zhengyu said strict health and security screening ensures tourist safety. The entire customs process was very smooth, one tourist said. Daily numbers have averaged over 800 since December 15 with peaks of 1,200. Related Macau has denied entry to a Hong Kong journalism lecturer traveling to the casino hub to host a news writing workshop, citing concerns over potential threats to public security, a move that has drawn strong criticism from a local journalism association, reports South China Morning Post. Vivian Tam Wai-wan, a lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kongs journalism school, was barred from crossing the border into Macau Friday morning after reaching the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, the Macau Journalists Association has said. The association expressed extreme regret and strong protest over the decision, accusing local authorities of abusing the law based on one-sided speculation about Tams intended activities. The authorities are abusing their power based on one-sided speculation with unbelievable law enforcement standards, seriously affecting normal professional exchange activities in the community, the association said. We demand the authorities explain the legal basis for this decision. Tam had planned to host a two-and-a-half hour workshop on responsible interviewing techniques and media ethics, according to the association. The group said the workshop information had already been made public on social media platforms. In the name of public security, authorities are actually abusing the law, adding to Macau residents concerns that their basic freedoms and rights are being further weakened, the association said. Tam, who previously worked as a journalist in Hong Kong before transitioning to academia, declined to comment further on her experience beyond the associations statement. The Public Security Police Force of Macau has formerly maintained that it always strictly followed the laws and established procedures when screening travelers. Staff Reporter The Macau government has issued a strong statement criticizing the European Unions (EU) 2023 annual report on Macau, calling the contents baseless and accusing the EU of interfering in Chinas domestic affairs. The EU report claims the following specific freedoms are under strain in Macau: freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and national security. The Macau government has strongly disputed these allegations. The government has claimed the report is factually incorrect, and that the EU has no right to interfere in Chinas internal affairs. The report has claimed Macaus continuously increasing focus on national security risked weakening fundamental freedoms and eroding Macaus usually high degree of autonomy. It has also claimed freedom of the press remained under strain and freedom of assembly continued to suffer. The MSAR government has firmly rejected these assertions, stating the successful implementation of the one country, two systems principle has been effective in maintaining Macaus long-term prosperity and producing various social developments. The government stressed that the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Macau public, as stated in law, have been protected. In a statement, the MSAR government expressed strong opposition to the EU report, which it said contained groundless and baseless claims and made biased comments about Macaus political, social and economic achievements. Regarding the revisions to the SARs Law on Safeguarding National Security, the government said the amendments drew from legislative experience in other jurisdictions, while fully considering Macaus legal traditions and social realities, and adhering to international human rights conventions. The changes were also made to fulfill the patriots governing Macau principle, safeguard national security, and enhance the electoral system to protect residents voting rights. The MSAR government emphasized that over the 25 years since Macaus return to China, the region has successfully implemented the One country, two systems principle and the Basic Law, which are facts the EU cannot deny. In the same statement, the local government urged the EU to take an objective and fair approach when assessing these matters, as they are part of Chinas domestic affairs in which the EU has no right to intervene. In a separate statement, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong dissatisfaction with the EU report, accusing it of making irresponsible remarks and interfering in Chinas internal affairs. The Hong Kong SAR government also expressed its strong disapproval and rejection of the EU report regarding the its efforts in safeguarding national security, human rights and other important matters. The government said the EU has intentionally overlooked the positive impact of the National Security Law on restoring normalcy to the lives of Hong Kong residents, economic activities and the business environment. The spokesperson of the Hong Kong SAR government emphasized the EUs hypocrisy and double standards. The Macau SAR government hopes the EU will take a more constructive approach and promote the development of its bilateral relations, keeping with those pledges of support, and match those positive words with actions.Nadia Shaw * Temporary respite Repayment loans for local SMEs grappling with challenges amid uneven economic recovery will be extended, yet associations lament the measure only provides short-term relief * Gaming | MGM explores potential casino investment in Thailand * Rainy days | Severe rainstorms to ease this week * Macau has denied entry to a Hong Kong journalism lecturer, citing concerns over potential threats to public security * Hotel occupancy to surpass 90% by the year-end: MGTO * Religion: Pilgrims commence the final rites of Hajj as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha DOWNLOAD PDF Monday, June 17, 2024 edition no. 4503 Myanmars military government has launched a major effort to block free communication on the Internet, shutting off access to virtual private networks, or VPNs, which can be used to circumvent blockages of banned websites and services. The attempt to restrict access to information began at the end of May, according to mobile phone operators, internet service providers, a major opposition group and media reports. The military government that took power in February 2021 after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi has made several previous fitful attempts to throttle traffic on the internet, especially in the months immediately after their takeover. Reports in local media say the attack on internet usage includes random street searches of peoples mobile phones to check for VPN applications, with a fine if any are found, though it is unclear if payments are an official measure. On Friday, the Burmese-language service of U.S. Government-funded Radio Free Asia reported that about 25 people from Myanmars central coastal Ayeyarwady region were arrested and fined by security forces this week after VPN apps were found on their mobile phones. As the army faces strong armed challenges from pro-democracy guerrillas across the country in what amounts to a civil war, it has also made a regular practice of shutting down civilian communications in areas where fighting is going on. While this may serve tactical purposes, it also makes it hard for evidence of alleged human rights abuses to become public. According to a report released last month by Athan, a freedom of expression advocacy group in Myanmar, nearly 90 of 330 townships across the country have had internet access or phone service or both cut off by the authorities. Resistance that arose to the 2021 army takeover relied heavily on social media, especially Facebook, to organize street protests. As nonviolent resistance escalated into armed struggle and other independent media were shut down or forced underground, the need for online information increased. The resistance scored a victory in the cybersphere when Facebook and other major social media platforms banned members of the Myanmar military, because of their alleged violations of human and civil rights, and also blocked ads from most military-linked commercial entities. This year, widely used free VPN services started failing at the end of May, with users getting messages that they could not be connected, keeping them from social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and some websites. VPNs connect users to their desired sites through third-party computers, effectively making it almost impossible for internet service providers and snooping governments to see what the users are actually connecting to. Internet users, including online retail sellers, have been complaining for the past two weeks of major slowdowns, saying they were not able to watch or upload videos and posts or send messages easily. Operators of Myanmars top telecom companies MPT, Ooredoo, Atom and the military-backed Mytel, as well as fiber internet services, told The Associated Press on Friday that access to Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp and VPN services was banned nationwide at the end of May on the order of the Transport and Communications Ministry. GRANT PECK, BANGKOK, MDT/AP The Philippines has asked a United Nations body to formally recognize the extent of its undersea continental seabed in the South China Sea, where it would have the exclusive right to exploit resources, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday, in a move that rejects Chinas vast territorial claims to the region. The Philippine government submitted information to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea, off western Palawan province, after more than a decade and a half of scientific research, the department said. China did not immediately comment but it will likely contest the Philippine move. The undersea region where the Philippines seeks to formally establish its sovereign rights under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, covers the Spratlys, a chain of islands, islets, reefs and atolls that has been fiercely contested over the years by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Indonesia has also confronted Chinese coast guard and fishing fleets in the gas-rich Natuna sea in the fringes of the South China Sea. Incidents in the waters tend to overshadow the importance of what lies beneath, Philippine Foreign Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez said. The seabed and the subsoil extending from our archipelago up to the maximum extent allowed by UNCLOS hold significant potential resources that will benefit our nation and our people for generations to come. Today, we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our extended continental shelf entitlement, Alferez said. Under the 1982 U.N. convention, a coastal state could have exclusive rights to exploit resources in its continental shelf, a vast stretch of seabed that can extend up to 350 nautical miles , including the right to authorize and regulate any kind of drilling. The Philippines undersea continental shelf could potentially overlap with those of other coastal states in the South China Sea, including that of Vietnam. Philippine officials expressed readiness to hold talks to resolve such issues based on UNCLOS. Philippine permanent representative to the U.N. Antonio Lagdameo said the move can reinvigorate efforts of states to demonstrate their readiness to pursue UNCLOS processes in the determination of maritime entitlements and promote a rules-based international order. Hostilities and tensions in the disputed waters have alarmingly escalated particularly between China and the Philippines over two disputed shoals since last year. Chinese coast guard ships and suspected militia vessels have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers against Philippine coast guard patrol ships and navy boats that have injured Filipino navy personnel, damaged their supply boats and strained diplomatic relations between the two countries. After a tense standoff between Philippine and Chinese ships near a shoal in 2012, the Philippines brought its disputes with China the following year to international arbitration. The arbitration panel invalidated Chinas claim to virtually the entire South China Sea in a 2016 ruling but Beijing refused to participate in the arbitration, rejected the decision and continues to defy it. JIM GOMEZ, MANILA, MDT/AP The Electoral Affairs Committee of the Chief Executive (CAECE) has announced that those interested in taking part in the elections for members of the CE Electoral Commission can present their candidacy from tomorrow (June 18) until July 2, the president of CAECE, Song Man Lei, has said. In a media briefing after a meeting of the CAECE, she also appealed to eligible legal-person voters to register for the right to have a role in the selection process regarding the formation of the CE Election Committee, whose deadline is today (June 17). According to Song up to Friday noon, the CAECE had received 369 copies by eligible legal-person voters of the registration form for assigning representatives to sign the nomination form for candidates to the CE Election Committee, a figure that represents 48% of the aggregate number of eligible legal-person voters. Those eligible legal-person voters who have not yet filed the relevant registration form should submit one before 5:45 p.m. today, to the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo. The legal-person voters are registered associations with voting power for the CE Election Committee. The representative chosen by each legal-person voter will then be authorized to nominate candidates for the CE Election Committee. Song also said the date for the CE Election Committee polling, which will choose most of the Committees members, has been set for August 11. A 400-member CE Election Committee will then be formed to subsequently elect the sixth-term CE. The same official also said that all electoral work and election procedures have been progressing in a smooth and orderly manner, and as scheduled. The CAECE has gradually published, after verifying their eligibility, the names of the representatives chosen by each legal-person voter, with the full list being available on the CE Election website (www.ece.gov.mo). Addressing the new rules established by the recent approval of the Law on Oath of Office, Song said the law stipulated that CE Election Committee members must take an oath by signing a declaration to assume their duties. Elected members would be required to submit to the CAECE a signed declaration incorporating the statutory oath that will be prepared by the CAECE according to the legal provisions. Gov. Tony Evers on Monday appointed Madison attorney Payal Khandhar to fill a vacancy on the Dane County Circuit Court. Khandhar will take the Branch 2 seat held by Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds, who announced in April she would be resigning from the court in early July. Khandhar will serve the remainder of Reynolds term, which concludes at the end of July 2025. To continue in the role beyond that date, Khandhar must run for election next spring. In a statement, Evers praised Khandhar as a highly regarded attorney who is committed to service and dedicated to improving her community. Khandhar began her legal career as an assistant state public defender in 2009 in northwestern Wisconsin and later Dane County. She became a private criminal defense practitioner as a partner at Madison law firm Jasti & Khandhar in 2016. She also has served as a supplemental court commissioner for Dane County Circuit Court since 2018. A graduate of UW-Madison and the University of Wisconsin Law School, Khandhar has also served as board president of JustDane, formerly the Madison-area Urban Ministry, and a member of the board of directors of the Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin. She also served on the Madison School Districts Ad Hoc Committee on Education Resource Officers. For decades, I have been working towards creating a more just and equitable community, and I intend on continuing my mission while serving as a Dane County Circuit Court Judge, Khandhar said in a statement. I plan on approaching this new role with kindness, humility, and humanity towards all parties. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Monday it filed a money laundering case against Silverlion Livestock Trading Corp. for alleged illegal solicitation of investments from the public. The SEC said that together with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), it filed a joint complaint on June 4 charging Silverlion chief executive Ryan Cagod Ladoing with violation of Section 4(b) of Republic Act No. 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act, as amended. - Advertisement - It said the complaint was filed after Ladoing was found to be in possession of more than P14 million in cash during the conduct of a consented search by operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG), together with the SEC Zamboanga Extension Office in 2022. The search was conducted after the SECs investigation showed that Silverlion engaged in soliciting investments ranging from P5,000 to P100,000, with guaranteed earnings of up to 35 percent within 15 days. It also offered a special promo involving the car of choice of any investor who locks in P400,000 worth of investment for 60 days, the SEC said. The operations of Silverlion is still ongoing at the time of the consented search. Ladoing has no other source of income where the said amount might be sourced out. Thus, there is no other conclusion except that hefty amount in cold cash stored in the room rented by Ladoing are proceeds of the unlawful activity involving violations of the SRC, the SEC complaint read. Section 4(b) of the AMLA provides that money laundering is committed by any person who, knowing that any monetary instrument or property represents, involves or relates to the proceeds of any unlawful activity, converts, transfers, disposes of, moves, acquires, possesses or uses said monetary instrument or property. The SEC and AMLC previously filed a complaint against Silverlion and its other officials in October 2023 for the same charges. While Silverlion is registered as a corporation with the SEC, it had not secured the necessary license to offer investments to the public, the SEC said. The SEC said that prior to the filing of the complaints, it revoked Silverlions corporate registration and issued a cease-and0desist order against the company and its officers, directors and agents. Investment pledges approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) surged 13.74 percent in the first five months of 2024 to P640.22 billion from P562.90 billion in the same period last year. This marked the highest five-month approval in the BOIs 57-year history. - Advertisement - Renewable energy, information and communication technology (ICT), construction, real estate and transportation and storage emerged as the top investment sectors in the country. Reflecting the rise in investment approvals, foreign direct investments (FDIs) also saw a significant increase in the first quarter of 2024. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a 42.07-percent year-on-year surge in net inflows, reaching $2.97 billion from January to March, compared to $2.09 billion in the same period of 2023. DTI Secretary and BOI chairman Alfredo Pascual said the BSP statistics and the BOIs approved investment data reflected sustained investor trust and confidence in the country and its workforce. The upward trajectory in FDI net inflows and approved investments follows the pattern of commitments from various trade missions initiated by IPAs, including the goodwill fostered through the Presidents business trips abroad. These efforts have been followed through by registration approvals, and what we are seeing now are tangible results of these concerted government efforts, Pascual said. Data show that in the first five months of 2024, foreign investments approved by the BOI amounted to P114.37 billion, while domestic investments totaled P525.85 billion. These projects are expected to create 13,871 jobs for Filipinos. Switzerland was the leading source of foreign investments contributing P62.89 billion, followed by the Netherlands with P39.33 billion, Singapore with P6.07 billion, China with P1.53 billion, Taiwan with P1.28 billion and the United States with P953 million. The BOI said that in terms of investment destinations, CALABARZON or Region IV-A took the top spot with P538.52 billion, followed by the Ilocos Region at P28.49 billion. Central Luzon received P24.42 billion; the Bicol Region, P13.28 billion; and Western Visayas, P8.54 billion, completing the top five regions. Meanwhile, the renewable energy and power sector dominated investment approvals, with a total of P607.47 billion, representing a 20.73-percent increase from the previous years P503.18 billion. The agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors posted approved investments of P9.56 billion, while the real estate sector registered P8.17 billion in approved investments. The transportation and storage sector contributed P4.61 billion to the total, while the manufacturing sector attracted P4.36 billion in investments. The financial and insurance sector recorded the highest growth rate, surging 236 percent from P67.82 million last year to P227.95 million this year. The BOI, together with other IPAs, remains committed to generating more investments and maintaining the FDI growth momentum through ongoing economic reforms and proactive investment promotion. With a favorable business environment and strong investor confidence, the Philippines is well-positioned to enhance its competitiveness further and achieve sustainable economic development, Pascual said. ILOILO CityIn the early hours of the morning, a raging fire engulfed more than 10 houses in the Barangays of Tanza Bonifacio and Rizal Estanzuela in this city. Courtesy: More Power The fire, which broke out just after 2 a.m., quickly escalated to a third alarm, causing widespread panic among the residents. - Advertisement - According to initial reports from Barangay security man Oscar Dalmacion, the blaze was sparked by an unattended candle, leading to the rapid spread of flames that left many families homeless and their personal belongings and property destroyed. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Early morning fire destroys over 10 homes in Iloilo City BRUSSES EU leaders gather Monday in Brussels to thrash out over dinner how to distribute the blocs top jobs, with Ursula von der Leyen seemingly on track for a second term heading the European Commission. Far-right gains in EU-wide elections, which triggered snap polls and political upheaval in France, appear to have focused minds around the positions at the blocs helm negotiated among its members with an eye to geographic and political balance. - Advertisement - While leaders were expected to formally make their choices known at a June 27-28 summit, a consensus already appears to be emerging. I believe things can move forward efficiently. At least that is my wish, and that will be my frame of mind on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said at the end of the G7 summit in Italy, where he held talks with both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and von der Leyen. Scholz sent a similar message, telling ARD television that a political majority is coming together and that things could be decided fast. Mondays meeting kicks off at 6:00 pm (midnight in Manila) in von der Leyens presence but the commission chief will leave before dinner, when leaders are to tackle the matter of top jobs. Von der Leyens European Peoples Party was the biggest winner from the June 6-9 EU parliament elections, cementing the German conservatives bid for five more years helming the executive body of the worlds second-largest economy. The other roles to be decided are: president of the European Council, which represents member states and is currently filled by Charles Michel; and the high representative the EUs foreign policy chief currently Josep Borrell. The second group in parliament, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), have their sights set on the Council position with Antonio Costa, Portugals 62-year-old former prime minister, seen as frontrunner. Costa resigned after becoming embroiled in a corruption probe but the case has since appeared to come apart, and diplomats suggest it is unlikely to stand in his way. The high representative position could go to Kaja Kallas, 46, current premier of Estonia and an outspoken Kremlin critic in a strong signal to the EUs east. A fourth job is in play: that of European Parliament president, decided by the legislature, not the leaders. It is likely to return the incumbent, the EPPs Roberta Metsola, 45, for another 2.5-year term. To secure the nod from EU leaders, the 65-year-old von der Leyen needs support from a qualified majority of 15 out of 27 countries, covering at least 65 percent of the blocs population. A dozen leaders come from her EPP political grouping but she also needs to win over Macron, from the centrist Renew Europe group, and Scholz of the S&D. Both leaders of the Franco-German axis at the heart of the European Union have emerged weakened after being beaten by far-right parties in this months polls. House deputy majority leader and ACT CIS partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo is filing a resolution today urging Congress to investigate the processes for the issuance of Special Resident Retirees Visas (SRRV), Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV), and the delayed registration of births as possible avenues enabling the influx of Chinese nationals in the Philippines. The continued influx of Chinese nationals is alarming and how they are able to enter the country is much more alarming. What documents do they have that allows them to work legally in our country? Tulfo said in a statement. - Advertisement - He said that based on the reports of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), there are more than 30, 000 Chinese retirees out of the 79,000 foreign retirees who were allowed to permanently reside in the country. A senator had earlier warned that alleged Chinese gang members passing themselves off as retirees could compromise national security. Sen. Nancy Binay had issued the warning following the arrest of four Chinese using passports with special resident retiree visas (SRRVs). She noted the increasing incidents of Chinese using genuine Philippine documents to claim Filipino trader or retiree status. The growing number of interceptions of Chinese nationals presenting authentic government-issued Philippine documents identifying them as Filipino traders or retirees has now become a national security concern? Binay said, referring to the Philippine Retirement Authority. PRA general manager Bob Zozobrado, for his part, said while the agency has been accepting retirees who are at least 35 years old since 1991, the age requirement has since been raised to 50 in April 2021. Zozobrado said there are also existing mechanisms to check if retirees are legitimate. Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation is also required for foreigners who have been staying in the Philippines for more than ninety days, he said in a statement. Aside from these requirements, and as another layer of security, the Bureau of Immigration also checks in its system whether the applicant has a derogatory record before entering the Philippines as tourist and before approval of the SRRVisa application. In short, BI does the vetting twice. Derogatory checking is also required when the SRRVisa holder needs to transfer the visa sticker from the old to the new passport, Zozobrado added. As to the arrested Chinese nationals, Zozobrado said it was not yet clear if they are legitimate holders or SRRVs. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Monday it will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of China concerning the latest incident near Ayungin Shoal involving the vessels of Manila and Beijing. The AFP will not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone), AFP Public Affairs Office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad told reporters. - Advertisement - We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard (CCG). The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights, he added. Trinidad maintained that the continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region. The issue stemmed from a report released by Beijing that one of the replenishment vessels of the Philippine Navy entered the waters of Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal), which allegedly led to a collision at sea. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) also refused to comment on the issue because it is not involved in the operation. As far as the PCG is concerned, we are not in a position to provide any details on this issue, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement. Beijings coast guard said in a statement Monday that a Philippine replenishment ship ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into militarised artificial islands. Chinese and Philippine vessels have had a series of confrontations in disputed areas. On Saturday, new Chinese coast guard rules took effect under which it can detain foreigners for alleged trespassing in the disputed sea. With Rex Espiritu and Agence France Presse WAS there or was there no collision between vessels of the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in the waters adjacent to Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal? The Chinese coast guard said in a statement Monday a Philippine resupply ship in the area had ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side and approached the Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision. - Advertisement - But the Armed Forces of the Philippines underscored it would not dignify Chinas misleading claims on the reported collision. According to AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the main issue is the illegal presence of Chinese vessels in the Philippines exclusive economic zone. The AFP will not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our EEZ. We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard, Trinidad said. Trinidad is correct. The main issue remains the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Manilas 200-mile exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights. The Second Thomas Shoal lies well within the Philippines EEZ, as recognized by the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected Chinas sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea as invalid under international maritime law. Thus, Manila has every right to resupply its troops stationed there. Given that the Chinese vessels were seeking to impede this lawful exercise of sovereignty, observers have noted Beijing bears ultimate responsibility for the collisions if indeed there were that took place. Again, we note the timing of the reported collision. The first brief Chinese statement on the incident was released at 6:11 a.m., only seven minutes after the collision was reported to have taken place. The speed with which Chinas statement chased the reported collision indubitably raises speculations, as some observers have underlined the incident was not a mere accident, but that Beijing had premeditated a strong response to intercept the Philippine supply mission, indicative of a calculated escalation. While its hard to determine a military scheme at this point, we see, given recent disturbing harassments in the area by the giant neighbor, it appears to us there is a synergetic jaunt intended to weaken Manilas hold over features in the disputed waters. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A rigorous, comprehensive synthesis of evidence from 62 studies related to the use of oral nicotine pouches by Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists and colleagues provides a much-needed assessment of how these products could lead to potential harmful consequences if used by young people. Oral nicotine pouches were first introduced in the U.S. in the past decade and are pre-portioned white granular packets containing nicotine placed between the gums and lips, marketed as tobacco-free, and are sold in various flavors and nicotine strengths. The findings appeared in Nicotine and Tobacco Research on June 17, 2024. "Oral nicotine pouches are rapidly increasing in popularity. While they may present a less harmful nicotine alternative for cigarette users, there is considerable concern about them becoming a new form of nicotine dependence, especially in youth who don't use tobacco or nicotine," says the study's corresponding author Nargiz Travis, MSPH, Project Director for the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR) at Georgetown Lombardi. "As with electronic cigarettes, the wide variety of flavors and aggressive marketing campaigns that we are seeing, especially via social media, have the potential to appeal to youth, providing a new pathway to nicotine dependence." The investigator's analysis was based on 45 academic and 17 industry-funded studies, mostly from the U.S. Sales of the products have been concentrated in Scandinavia and the U.S., mainly because of the established smokeless tobacco market in these regions. In the U.S., the researchers found, based on nationally representative surveys, that through 2023, oral nicotine pouches were currently used by 1.5% of all youth while lifetime use by young people was under 2.5%. In terms of awareness of the products, between 35% to 42% of U.S. adolescents and young adults have heard of oral nicotine pouches and 9% to 21% of tobacco-naive (non-tobacco users) youth surveyed were not opposed to trying them. U.S. adult usage estimates varied widely across surveys; in 2023, 0.83% of Americans currently used the products while 316% used them at some point in time. In view of rising nicotine pouch sales trends in 2024, their use in the U.S. population has likely increased. The investigators' findings suggest fewer harmful chemical compounds are present in the pouches and occur at lower levels than in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, with the exception of formaldehyde. However, an analysis of 37 oral nicotine pouches of different brands, nicotine strengths, and flavors yielded a wide range of total nicotine content from 0.89 to 6.73 milligrams per pouch. "Because oral nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco leaves, they are often marketed as tobacco-free, but we found that descriptor may confuse the understanding of the source of nicotine and may be associated with the perception that they are not as harmful as other tobacco products," says Travis. "In the U.S., oral nicotine pouches are currently neither authorized by the FDA for marketing as a modified-risk product nor approved as a cessation product. It is important to know that nicotine is an addictive chemical with harmful health effects, regardless of whether it is synthetic, meaning tobacco-free, or derived from tobacco. One of the studies included in the authors' analysis was a U.S. survey of young adults 1834 years of age, many of whom used cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The survey found that among those who had tried nicotine pouches, curiosity about the product (28%), flavors (26%), and the ability to use in places where other tobacco products are prohibited (26%) were among the main reasons for trying the pouches. The availability of flavors (31%) was the main motive for use in another U.S. sample of adult current nicotine pouch users. Leading brands of the products are currently owned by major tobacco companies. The authors note that a substantial investment in marketing by the companies suggests that oral nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly important to the tobacco industry. "As more evidence on oral nicotine patches becomes available, and more importantly, more independent studies become published, it will be essential to conduct further analyses comparing the findings of industry vs. non-industry sponsored research and critically assess the quality and risk of bias of such studies," concludes Travis. More information: Nargiz Travis et al, The potential impact of oral nicotine pouches on public health: A scoping review., Nicotine and Tobacco Research (2024). DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae131 Journal information: Nicotine and Tobacco 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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Jayden Galamgam, MD, pediatric dermatologist at UCLA Health, treats a variety of pediatric skin conditions including atopic dermatitis, acne, rashes, and eczema. He has also recently published on the misuse of the term "hypoallergenic" in ingredients in baby lotions and on the insect repellent ingredient picaridin, which is as safe and effective as DEET. The research appears in the journal Pediatric Dermatology. Here is Dr. Galamgam's advice for summer skin safety. Top tips for insect bite prevention There are several ways to protect children from insect bites including avoiding areas with lots of insects, wearing protective clothing, and using insect repellent on the skin. DEET is the most common and effective repellent. However, there are some concerns about its use in young children because of rare reports of brain toxicity. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that DEET-containing repellents with concentrations of 30% or less can be safely used on children if applied properly. Picaridin is another insect repellent that has been growing in popularity. It works as well as DEET, but it is odorless, non-greasy, and does not damage plastics, leather, spandex, and other synthetic fabrics like DEET can. No serious side effects have been reported with the use of picaridin. There are other insect repellents available, such as IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, p-Menthane-3,8-diol, catnip oil, citronella, and 2-undecanone. The best insect repellent is whichever one will be used consistently. When and how to use insect repellent Insect repellent can help protect kids from diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes, and other bugs. It should be applied once a day, and only on exposed skin. Avoid products that combine repellent and sunscreen as it may decrease effectiveness of the sunscreen. Keep insect repellent away from eyes, mouth, and open wounds, and avoid swallowing it. If a child has a reaction to insect repellent, wash the skin with soap and water. If there is any concern about a reaction or if someone swallows repellent, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for further direction. Treating minor scrapes and cuts For minor scrapes or cuts, we recommend gently cleaning the wound with soap and water, applying a barrier of petroleum jelly or healing ointment and then covering the area with a bandage. In general, there is no need to use antibiotic ointments unless there is a concern about infection. If infection is suspected, consult your health care provider. Sun safety: Beyond the basics Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least 30 SPF is the key to preventing sun damage. Being diligent in the summer is especially important. Other recommendations include avoiding sun exposure in the middle of the day and reducing direct sun exposure by wearing a hat and lightweight clothing. Mineral sunscreens, which create a barrier on the skin that reflects UV light, are recommended for children but they may leave a visible white residue even when used as directed. Mineral sunscreens can be applied immediately before sun exposure, but chemical sunscreens, which absorb rays, should be applied 15-30 minutes before sun exposure to allow adequate time to bind to the skin. Sunscreen should also be reapplied after prolonged swimming or sweating. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the use of sunscreen should be minimized in children younger than 6 months old. Soothing sunburns For mild sunburns, you can try cool compresses or soaks, calamine lotion, and aloe vera-based gels to relieve discomfort. If the sunburn is more severe, its important to contact your doctor for further guidance. More information: Sasan D. Noveir et al, Prevalence of potential contact allergens in bestselling baby cleansers, Pediatric Dermatology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/pde.15570 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: Ophthalmologist Rajendra S. Apte, MD, Ph.D., (right), of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, examines patient Patricia Collins (left) while medical student Wilson Wang observes. Collins is a participant in a clinical trial that tests the safety and efficacy of an FDA-approved drug in stabilizing vision in patients with RVCL-S, a rare genetic disease that affects tiny blood vessels in the body. Credit: Matt Miller Roughly 50 families scattered across the world share ultra-rare variants in a particular gene. Silent for years, the inherited mutations make themselves known when patients reach the fourth decade of life. Changes in vision start a cascade of symptoms. Five to 20 years later, the illness is fatal. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have dedicated many years to understanding the rare condition known as retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations, or RVCL-S, with the aim of developing a treatment for it. In a new study, the team reports that a drug approved by the FDA for another condition may stabilize vision for patients with RVCL-S. "Fifty percent of family members with these genetic mutations will inherit the disease," said the study's co-senior author, Rajendra S. Apte, MD, Ph.D., the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. "These families are devastated by this illness, and we have not been able to offer them much hope. However, our new findings suggest that an already approved medication for a different disease may have the potential to help these patients, although additional studies are needed." The study is published June 17 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. RVCL-S is marked by progressive vision loss, cognitive decline, dementia and mini strokes, among other neurological manifestations. In the 1980s, two physicians from Washington University initially linked the symptoms to compromised small blood vessels that cause loss of blood flow to retinal, brain, kidney and liver tissues. "Imagine a traffic jam," explained first author Wilson Wang, who paused his medical training to pursue independent research in Apte's laboratory as part of a program at Washington University. "Small blood vessels are the roads feeding into the circulatory highway system. When blood flow trickles, oxygen and nutrients cannot reach the tissue, and damage ensues." Other diseases cause similar circulatory system traffic jams. For instance, blockages in small blood vessels are responsible for episodes of excruciating pain in sickle cell disease. Because there is an FDA-approved drugcrizanlizumabused to help alleviate pain by unclogging congested small blood vessels and preventing blood cells from sticking to the vessel walls in sickle cell anemia patients, co-senior author Andria L. Ford, MD, a professor of neurology and of radiology, launched a clinical trial to test the drug in RVCL-S patients. A collaboration with Aptean expert in retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, conditions affecting blood vessels in the retinafocused on patients' vision, retinal structure and function. The researchers set out to see if crizanlizumab helps to improve blood flow in the eyes and brain, explained Ford, who is co-director of Washington University's RVCL Research Center and senior investigator on a parallel study looking at crizanlizumab's effect on brain lesions in the clinical trial participants. Eleven RVCL-S patientswho traveled from as far as California despite the challenges of their health and the COVID-19 pandemicparticipated in the clinical trial for two years. They received two doses of crizanlizumab in the first month, followed by subsequent monthly infusions. Images of retinal blood vessels highlighted with fluorescein dye were obtained at baseline and after the first and second years of the study. Wang and Apte, along with colleagues including Dan Spiegelman, a rising third-year medical student, and P. Kumar Rao, MD, a professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences and vice chair of clinical affairs, analyzed the images and compared them with images taken before the patients were treated with the drug. They calculated the amount of space lacking blood flow in a defined region of the retina, a measurement referred to as the nonperfusion index. After two years on the drug, trial participants saw their nonperfusion indexes plateau, a sign that loss of small blood vessel integrity was slowing, the researchers explained. Routine eye exams revealed that the participants' vision had stabilized. Preserving vision in a disease that often ends in blindness has the potential to give patients additional years to read, drive and enjoy activities that bring them happiness. But future studies are needed to test the drug's ability to slow vision loss in RVCL-S. In a parallel study, the researchers will examine the medication's impact on brain lesions. If blood vessel blockages in the retina correlate with the brain lesions in these patients, the retina could be used as a biomarker for the systemic disease, Apte explained. "Until we have a genetic cure, our patients need treatments that halt or slow the progression of the illness," Ford said. "Washington University is at the forefront of RVCL-S research. Decades of dedication have paved the way for this clinical trial. It represents our commitment to finding treatments that can alter the course of the fatal, rapidly progressing illness." Four decades of dedication Before RVCL-S was identified, patients with the disorder sought answers at Washington University in the 1980s. Seven people, six from one family, were suffering from mysterious neurological symptoms with no known cause. Seven years of inquiry by Washington University physicians led to a published description of the illness, giving their patients a name for their ailments. Since then, a robust research infrastructure and strong clinical innovation have supported the university's dedication to understanding and treating the devastating condition. In 2007, John P. Atkinson, MD, the Samuel B. Grant Professor of Clinical Medicine and one of the key researchers who helped demystify the disease, identified its root cause: mutations in the TREX1 gene. His discovery enabled the development of genetic testing that now gives patients definitive diagnoses. He went on to help establish the university's RVCL Research Center in 2016, after a $4.1 million donation by Robert Clark and his partners at Claycoa construction firm in St. Louisin honor of Clark's wife who died from the illness at age 50. Two years later, Atkinson led the first clinical trial for RVCL-S. Although that trial did not show a benefit to patients, the pursuit of treatments for RVCL-S patients has continued. "We have come a long way with learning about and diagnosing RVCL-S in the last four decades," Ford said. "But our work doesn't stop here. More patients have been identified throughout the world, making it possible for other centers to open and bring attention to the rare disease. By working together, we can make a larger impact by increasing the sample size in research studies and finding treatments." More information: Wilson X. Wang et al, Crizanlizumab for retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy in a phase II clinical study, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2024). DOI: 10.1172/JCI180916 Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation 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 An expanding volume of recent research has indicated that fathers, along with their female partners, can develop postpartum depression. Most experts estimate that around 10% of dads will experience the condition, while about 14% of moms will. Now, a new University of Illinois at Chicago pilot study suggests that men should be routinely screened for PPD. It's part of a growing push to shift the dialogue surrounding men's mental health, offering a more robust stream of support for the entire family unit. "To me, it feels blindingly obvious that we've created these gendered care silos, and that has led to the exclusion of dads from this time," said Sam Wainwright, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at UIC. Until recent decades, PPD was only associated with women, who undergo more clear physical and hormonal changes during the postnatal period. Treatment for the monthslong depressive episode usually entails counseling or antidepressants. In August, the FDA also approved a first-of-its-kind oral medication to specifically treat PPD. But men are far from immune to the emotional strain of becoming a new parent. Research has shown dads can even experience sagging testerone levels after the birth of their child, which is associated with mood changes. The onset of paternal PPD typically begins three to six months into the postpartum period. PPD in dads is also a risk factor for a worsened quality of life and developmental and relational harms in families, according to the study. "Many times, fathers are feeling overwhelmed by the new experience," said Sheehan Fisher, a psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "They're trying to figure out how to adjust, but they don't have a blueprint on how to be a father." The study surveyed 24 new dads and found that 30% screened positive for PPD. Wainwright suspects that number is higher than average because 87% of participants identified as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group, which may leave patients predisposed to mental health issues due to institutionalized economic disparities. Regular screening of men at baby checkups could forestall the condition, Wainwright said. "To me, it's about taking a stand and telling men that, "You matter, your health matters," and not just because it's some maternal health goal," he said. Previously, Wainwright's work had centered primarily on women's health. The UI Two-Generation Clinic, which conducted the study, offers one-stop postpartum care for moms and pediatric checkups. It caters primarily to economically marginalized communities of color. But clinic staff soon felt that dads were left behind, despite their well-being being vital to families' overall health. Generally, the only conversations concerning an infant's father at checkups surround domestic abuse, according to Wainwright. "The vast majority of men will never do anything but love their partner and their child, even if they're not married," he said. "It's like the posture of our system is assuming that men are a source of violence and not much else." The dads who participated in the study ranged from one to 15 months postpartum. Researchers screened the fathers with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaire, which is used with mothers. Social workers also interviewed the dads, many of whom were young, first-time parents who feared that they lacked proper parenting skills. Most experienced significant lack of sleep and noted severe feelings of fatigue. Several said the demand of providing economic support conflicted with the desire to support the increased needs of the mom and the baby. "They're really focused on making sure that she's OK, and therefore they actually tend to neglect their own well-being and their mental health," Fisher said. Men are generally less likely to seek help for mental health issues, according to Amanda Atkins, a Chicago therapist certified in perinatal mental health. While she often works with moms with PPD, dads with the condition rarely seek treatment from her office. Stigmas surrounding men's health may serve as a deterrence, she said. "I think oftentimes the man feels like there's no space for him to feel depressed," Atkins said. "I think that's where we see men just push it down and be like, 'I have to be strong.'" PPD is also thought to manifest differently in men, who are more likely to experience irritability and aggression. One study found that depressed dads may be less likely to read to their 1-year-old and more likely to spank them. Experts say the true number of fathers with PPD could be higher than 10% because of the differing symptoms. "I think if we can just normalize (PPD) more as a society, we will be more in tune to it," Atkins said. For Wainwright, the study illustrates a need for a radical shift in health care, where dads are actively included during postpartum checkups. A one-stop system like that of the Two-Generation Clinic could ensure that the entire family unit is receiving sufficient support. PPD screenings also serve as an opportunity to connect with young men on other aspects of their health, Wainwright said. More than half of participants did not have a primary care physician prior to the study. After, however, two requested mental health services and three established new primary care with a physician. "Dads are an essential part of kids' lives, of the life of a family, and they matter for their own sake. And this is a time where you can reach them," Wainwright said. 2024 Chicago Tribune. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Many physicians and nurses are happy about the Federal Trade Commission's new rule banning the use of noncompete agreements in employment contracts. But they are disappointed that it may not protect those who work for nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities, which provide most of the nation's care and employ the largest number of medical professionals. In April, in a 3-2 vote, the FTC approved a final rule prohibiting contracts that prevent an employee from taking a job with a competitor. Calling the noncompete agreements "a widespread and often exploitative practice," an agency announcement described them as an unfair method of competition that depresses wages and hinders new business formation. The rule bars employers in most industries, including health care, from using contract clauses that block employees from leaving for other jobs or starting a competing business in the same geographic area for a fixed period of time. But that doesn't help many health professionals, because the FTC Act gives the agency authority over companies organized to operate for profit but not over nonprofit, charitable organizations, which are also tax-exempt. Still, the agency noted some nonprofits could be bound by the rule if they do not operate as true charities. The rule establishes a two-part test to determine if the FTC has jurisdiction over a nonprofitwhether the organization is carrying on business for only charitable purposes, and whether its income goes to public rather than private interests. "Our rulemaking record includes powerful stories from health care workers who are employed by nonprofits about how noncompetes hurt patients and providers," said FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, one of three Democratic commissioners, in comments before the April 23 vote. "I do not think there is a good justification for them to be excluded from this rule." Noncompete contract terms have become increasingly common for physicians, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals in hospitals and various health care facilities. Some providers say these agreements have forced them to leave their communities and patients behind if they wanted to exit unethical or unsafe workplace conditions. Nearly 64% of U.S. community hospitals are nonprofits or government-owned, and they employ many of the nation's medical professionals. As of 2022, nearly three-quarters of U.S. physicians were employed by hospital systems or other companies, both nonprofit and for-profit. Based on their designation as charities that don't have to pay income or property taxes, U.S. nonprofit hospitals received a total estimated tax exemption of $28 billion in 2020, according to KFF, a nonpartisan research organization. That exceeded the estimated $16 billion they spent on charity care for patients unable to afford their medical bills, KFF said. Physician and nursing groups say it makes no sense to treat nonprofit hospitals differently because they are just as money-driven as for-profit hospitals. Patients, they say, will benefit if providers are free to call out unsafe conditions and change jobs. "Giving physicians freedom of movement will force hospitals to compete to improve working conditions," said Jonathan Jones, immediate past president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Chad Golder, general counsel and secretary of the American Hospital Association, which represents mostly nonprofit hospitals, said the rule would increase health care costs and reduce patient access by triggering hospital bidding wars for physicians. He predicted the FTC would try to apply the rule to both nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. "They aren't saying exactly what they'll do, but it's a pretty significant move for them to say we'll apply our own test to determine if we can regulate a nonprofit," Golder said. "Nonprofit entities now will need to be extra careful." In addition, some nonprofit hospitals have joint ventures with for-profit hospitals and medical groups. That could create complicated questions about whether their employee contracts come under the rule, said Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents for-profits. The new rule arose from President Joe Biden's 2021 executive order instructing the FTC to curb the unfair use of noncompete agreements, part of his broader mandate to boost U.S. economic competition and worker mobility. The FTC argued that banning noncompetes, which it said cover one in five American workers, would lower health care costs by up to $194 billion over the next decade. It will ensure Americans "freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. The rule also prohibits contract terms that function like noncompetes to stop employees from leaving to work for competing companies or start their own businesses. These might include overbroad nondisclosure agreements, training repayment provisions, and nonsolicitation clauses. "No one should be trapped in an unsafe job by onerous contracts that prevent them from taking another job," said Brynne O'Neal, a regulatory policy specialist at National Nurses United, the profession's largest dedicated labor union in the U.S. Hospitals, she said, use training repayment agreement provisions that require nurses to pay as much as $30,000 in training costs if they leave, essentially locking them in their jobs. California, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma already ban enforcement of noncompete clauses for all employees of both nonprofits and for-profits, while about nine other states prohibit noncompetes for physicians. Even in states without bans, judges have invalidated noncompetes when they have found them to be overbroad or unreasonable. Hospital executives argue that the noncompete rule will force them to compete against each other to hire physicians and other providers and ultimately cost them more, and that it advantages nonprofits over for-profits. "All it would do is increase the price of labor in a field that already has labor shortages and thin margins," Golder said. "The nonprofit hospital across the street could pursue our employees, while their employees would be protected, and that's a basic fairness issue," Kahn said. But Clifford Atlas, an employment attorney with Jackson Lewis in New York, said that argument against the noncompete rule "won't fly" in court because preventing competition for the services of physicians or other workers is not a business interest that's protected by law or public policy. The rule is set to take effect in September, though business groups have filed two federal lawsuits against it in Texas and one in Pennsylvania. Many legal experts predict that conservative judges will strike down the rule on the grounds that it exceeds the FTC's statutory authority. Physician and nurses' groups hope the FTC rule, whatever its fate in the courts, helps persuade hospitals and other health care employers to stop using noncompetes and spurs more states to prohibit them. "We're telling our members it could be struck down, but we're asking them to renegotiate their contracts," said Jones of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. "They should be asking their employers, 'Wouldn't you like to be on the right side and not to be seen as fighting against physicians and patients?'" 2024 KFF Health News. 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: Exploring Europe, taking an African safari, going on a trip to the tropics: In many cases, vaccines are needed for travel, and that's doubly true for children. According to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Nguyen, researching what vaccines are needed and preparing well before your family's departure is crucial. "I tell my families that it's best to come in about six weeks prior to international travel," said Nguyen, who's based in Torrance, Calif. and is affiliated with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Care Network. Meet with your child's pediatrician to review travel plans, figure out what vaccines are required or recommended based on your travel destination and arrange to get any shots needed. That consultation is probably best done with an in-person visit, not a phone call, Nguyen noted. Not sure what shots the country you're visiting requires? Head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Travelers' Health website for up to date info for countries worldwide. "The CDC website tells you about any current outbreaks, as well as the recommended vaccines for that country," Nguyen said in a hospital news release. Besides any special vaccines required by the country you're visiting, make sure your child is up to date on routine shots for seasonal infections like COVID, flu and RSV. Planning ahead is crucial because many vaccines require multiple doses given weeks apart, Nguyen noted. Pediatricians may also not have large supplies of vaccines for diseases like yellow fever or typhoid, and may need time to order them. Then there's time needed for vaccines to give your child's immune system a full boost. "It takes about two to four weeks to respond to the vaccine and develop the antibodies," Nguyen explained. And it's not just about needles: Daily dose malaria pills, for example, need to be started up to two weeks before departure, taken the entire period that you're in a malaria zone, and then taken for a month after you return home. Vaccine schedules also vary by age, Ngyuen noted. Measles outbreaks are occuring worldwide with greater frequency, and measles vaccine recommendations are different for babies versus older children. Children typically wait to get the first dose of the measles vaccine between the ages of 12 and 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. However, for infants "that changes for international travel," Nguyen said. "Children between 6 and 12 months of age should get a first dose of the measles vaccine prior to travel." That first dose should still be followed up by a second dose between the ages of 4 and 6, she added. Hepatitis A is typically contracted through contaminated water or food. Again, routine vaccination recommendations suggest that a child get their first hep A shot between 12 and 23 months of age. However, "infants 6 to 11 months old should be vaccinated when protection against hepatitis A is recommended for the destination," Nguyen said. And if your baby is very youngunder 2 months of ageyou probably shouldn't travel internationally unless it's absolutely necessary, she added. Another key shot is the meningitis A (MenACWY) vaccine. It's easily transmitted and Nguyen suggests that kids be vaccinated against meningitis A before travel, especially when people are circulating in close quarters, such as on cruise ships. Kids ages 16 and older should also be immunized against the meningitis B vaccine. Cruise ships can be hotbeds of infection, so don't forget vaccinations even if you aren't docking at exotic locales. "The people you'll be on the ship with might have been vacationing all over the world," she explained. "Vaccines can protect your children from a wide range of illnesses these passengers might bring on board." Besides shots and pills, you can take other steps to keep you and your family safe while abroad. According to Nguyen, these include bringing: Insect repellent Children's acetaminophen, ibuprofen and Benadryl Hydrocortisone cream Electrolyte-replacement powder (like Pedialyte), to help curb dehydration Sunscreen Your health insurance card Last but not least, make sure you have adequate travel health insurance so you can access care should any health emergencies arise. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Methodological workflow. Credit: Nature Aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00648-6 A pioneering study published in the journal Nature Aging has unveiled significant heterogeneity in the risk factors affecting healthy aging in Latin America and emphasized the limitations of current models of brain health, which are primarily based on data from high-income countries. The research was conducted by researchers from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and by colleagues in Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (Chile) and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) among others. The study developed a metanalytical approach with 146,000 participants and findings emphasize how current models of brain health may not apply to the diverse populations of Latin America. Towards tailored and personalized models of healthy aging and brain health Latin America faces unique challenges in promoting healthy brain aging, including genetic admixture (shaping genetic variation and disease risk), adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic inequities, and health disparities. Both physical and social exposomes significantly influence brain health, differing from the patterns observed in high-income countries. The study involved a comprehensive meta-analysis of multiple studies, ultimately including over 146,000 participants. Results highlighted significant but heterogeneous effects on cognition and functional ability, with varied impacts from demographics, mental health, health status, and social determinants. This study revealed substantial variability in how risk factors impact cognition and functional ability across Latin American populations. This variability underscores the inadequacy of one-size-fits-all models developed from high-income countries. High heterogeneity, outliers, variations between countries, and lack of robust computational approaches have affected the reliability of existing data. Toward a better science of healthy aging and brain health Agustin Ibanez, first author of the study, Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin and Director of BrainLat UAI, said, "The study confirmed an emerging idea that global models of brain health, predominantly based on data from high-income countries, may not be universally applicable. "Our work shows significant heterogeneity in risk factors affecting cognition and functional ability across Latin American populations, highlighting the inadequacy of current models based on data from high-income countries." There is an urgent need for comprehensive and harmonized data collection efforts to capture the diverse factors influencing healthy aging in Latin America. Carlos Coronel, Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, co-author said, "Developing predictive models tailored to the region's unique demographic, genetic, and socioeconomic contexts is essential. Bridging this gap requires advanced computational approaches that integrate theories of brain function and its interaction with the exposome." The study recommends implementing robust methodological approaches, promoting data-driven and machine-learning techniques, and focusing on social determinants of health and other socioeconomic disparities. On those social factors, Commenting on those social factors, Joaquin Migeot, co-author and postdoctoral researcher at BrainLat, said, "The need to address the aggregated effect of various exposures throughout life entails a high dimensionality of variables. "To manage this complexity and derive meaningful conclusions, the use of machine learning techniques is essential to facilitating a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of how multiple exposures impact brain health. These efforts will inform tailored policy and health care interventions, improving brain health and aging outcomes in Latin America." Sandra Baez, co-author and professor at Los Andes University (Colombia) and Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, said, "This study is a significant step towards understanding the unique factors that impact aging and brain health in Latin America. Our findings advocate for a more nuanced and region-specific approach to developing brain health models tailored to diverse and underrepresented populations." More information: Agustin Ibanez et al, Healthy aging meta-analyses and scoping review of risk factors across Latin America reveal large heterogeneity and weak predictive models, Nature Aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00648-6 Journal information: Nature Aging 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 With wildfires becoming more frequent and extensive in Canada, it's important for people to understand the health risks of wildfire smoke. An article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) aims to provide information for clinicians and people in Canada as wildfire season is upon us. "As climate change causes more frequent and severe wildfires, wildfire smoke becomes a larger health problem," says Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, assistant professor, Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, and medical officer of health of WindsorEssex County, Ontario. "Communities need to be aware and prepared to reduce the harmful health effects of wildfire smoke, and health care practitioners play a crucial role in this effort." Exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to negative health outcomes, including respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and heart issues. Wildfire smoke can be more toxic than other types of air pollution. The fine particulates in wildfire smoke can travel more than 1000 km, enter the body, generate free radicals, and cause inflammation in body organs. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a useful tool to communicate risk of wildfire smoke. The AQHI scale measures air quality on a scale of 110, and a level of more than 7 indicates that at-risk people, including those with respiratory and chronic diseases, older adults, pregnant people, and children, should minimize time spent outdoors in strenuous activity. Health care providers can help people understand health risks. Clinicians should discuss the risks of wildfire smoke with at-risk patients, the usefulness of the AQHI, and the value of indoor air filtration, and ensure patients with respiratory conditions have updated action plans and an adequate supply of medications. Reducing exposure will reduce health risks. Staying indoors and using high-efficiency particulate air cleaners, and when outside wearing well-fitted N95 or KN95 masks can reduce exposure to fine particles by more than 90%. The Big Sky Film Institute has completed a change in leadership. The nonprofit behind the states largest film event, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, has hired a new executive director, Julia Sherman, after the amicable departure of its longtime chief, Rachel Gregg, earlier this year. Sherman, who studied the effects of film on social movements in college, recalls volunteering for the festival years ago and seeing firsthand how documentaries, which sit at the intersection of storytelling, history and art, can have an impact on crowds. What an amazing platform to start conversations that need to be had, she said. Sherman has been with Big Sky for eight years, working most recently as education director and grant manager, with prior stints as operations manager, associate programmer, and more. While the funding environment for films is challenging, she feels the festival is in a strong position since its reached a comfortable size, built industry connections, and maintained ties with the local audiences and sponsors. This is not just for filmmakers and industry this is also for our community, and weve been balancing that really well over the years, she said. Big Sky, the largest film festival of its kind in the region, was first held in 2004, with 75 movies playing at Roxy Theater over six days. Its grown in tandem with the rising interest in documentary film as a whole. Back in February, the 21st installment boasted a 10-day schedule and more than 150 movies from around the world, complete with more than 300 visiting filmmakers, at venues all around downtown. They estimated attendance at about 26,000. When assembling the lineup, Sherman said they have to consider what movies will appeal to audiences here along with presenting movies that are pushing the edge creatively, she said. The festival has four competitions, and two have the blessing of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The winners of the two short-form movie categories automatically qualify to compete for the Oscar for best short documentary. The five-day DocShop conference, meanwhile, brings in representatives from places like HBO, New York Times Video, and more. Background Sherman grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and attended the University of Montana, earning a degree in communications and a certificate in African American studies. She worked as an archivist and historian in the latter department, examining the effects of visual media and film on 1960s social movements. She was doing archival work primarily in criminal records and some that involved historical footage, and examined the history of incarceration of African Americans in Montana, pursuing the question of why the state has such a low population of Black people. Volunteering at Big Sky opened my eyes to how archival footage can be used to tell modern stories, and seeing how you can bring people into these older stories, she said. While academia could feel siloed, the festival drew curious viewers to the same material and subject matter in a different format. Over the years, she also worked at VidCon, the massive annual YouTuber conference, and Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Shes worked closely with Gregg on myriad aspects of the nonprofit, including the annual push for grants, and felt she had the skills and relationships in place to take on the leadership role. For the past six years, shes served as the education coordinator, running six programs that span from fall to spring and bring documentary film programming, including Indigenous films, into schools. Shes grown the effort from reaching 3,000 students to 13,000 last year. Those media literary efforts, teacher trainings, and even the DocShop panels for the public, can help people think critically about video in a time when streaming has made documentary popular, but often types that succeed easily on streaming, such as true crime. "We're trying to do our part in uplifting those films that are maybe a little different, or spotlighting stories that don't often get told, and helping bring attention to a more diverse way of telling stories," she said. Fresh energy After eight years at the helm, Gregg felt it was the right time to step down both for personal reasons and to give the festival some fresh energy and perhaps a fresh vision. Its undergone something of a transformation in the last few years in terms of quality and reputation of the event, she said. Theyve remained focused on serving the Missoula community, and now entering its third decade, its an opportunity to build out the artist side. Sherman has been a part of that through the educational programs and Gregg thought it will translate well into Doc Shop conference and the 4th World Media Lab, a yearlong filmmaker development fellowship for Indigenous creators in the earlier half of their careers. That last program is one shes most proud of. Her predecessor, Gita Saedi Kiely, had completed a grant application, which was accepted after her departure, and Gregg and company took it on. Shes also proud of helping raise the profile of the event in the national film community, through efforts large and small. It could be streamlining the graphics and website, sending staff (or going herself) to other film festivals to network, or ensuring that visiting filmmakers have a good experience here in Missoula. Its a word of mouth industry, she said, and those efforts can be borne out through reviews on FilmFreeway, a popular platform for festival submissions, or Big Skys regular inclusion on MovieMaker magazines annual list, 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Free. On the 2024 entry, the publication said Big Sky is one of the best places on earth for documentarians to find collaborators, backers and companies to release their films and said in great and bad times for documentaries and in its 21 years, Big Sky has seen both it has kept the focus on its core mission of putting great films in front of great audiences. Gregg helped overhaul the online ticketing system, which was a necessary piece of tech to have ready in 2021 when they put on a virtual-only event for the first time during the pandemic. As a whole, she said the festival has become a destination event. Its of this place, but can compete with a lot of the events our size, she said, alongside others like True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Missouri, or Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. Shes also proud that the festival has been able to build and start paying a diverse team of 25 or so pre-screeners and associate programmers who help comb through the 2,000-plus entries. (Some festivals only use volunteers.) And finally, theres the critical mass of energy at the event itself. My favorite part of the festival is meeting all the people who come to Missoula whether its the filmmakers, or the past few years, there are people who travel from out of state, she said. She also said its been a pleasure to interact with the filmmakers, who are artists, activists and storytellers engaged in a tough field, at the high point of the creative arc: festival screenings. You get to see the best of it, she said, when, after the all the financial hurdles and creative obstacles, theyre coming to show the work to people who love it. Accidental shooting An accidental shooting reportedly took place last weekend on the 10 block of East Broadway Street. A woman arrived at Intermountain Health St. James Hospital on Saturday at about 5:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound. The unidentified woman told officers she was sitting in the front seat of a car when a man exiting the car shot her when his gun went off. The bullet went through the front seat and struck the woman just above the right hip. The woman told the police the shooting was accidental. Garage accident At 2:30 a.m. Monday, Harold K. Walker Jr., 25, of Butte was the driver of a Ford Explorer with three passengers when he allegedly hit a cement wall on the fourth floor of the Park Street parking garage. A 17-year-old was transported to St. James with an injury to her face. A 20-year-old man also inside the SUV was reportedly highly intoxicated. Walker was arrested for driving under the influence (second offense), two counts of selling or providing alcohol to persons under age 21, reckless driving, and three counts of criminal endangerment. Escapee caught Larry M. Morris, 39, of Butte was arrested early Wednesday for felony escape and parole violation. Morris was reported as a walk away from the Community Corrections Program. He left the facility by the back door just before 10 p.m. Monday. Out on a call, an officer saw Morris walking out the back gate of a residence in the 1900 block of Silver Bow Boulevard at around 2:45 a.m. He was taken into custody without incident. Police car hit The drivers side door of a police car was hit during an investigation just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The drivers side door of the officers SUV was damaged while in the 300 block of South Montana Street. Stephen Thompson, 54, of Butte was driving a 2010 Chevy pickup when he hit the door with his truck mirror. Thompson was arrested for driving under the influence (second offense). Unwelcome advice David D. Russo, 43, of Kalispell had been advised a few times by police and staff at Town Pump, 531 S. Montana St., to leave the premises and not come back. Russo decided to stay and about 3:20 a.m. Monday morning he was taken into custody for criminal trespass to property. Arrested for intimidation On Saturday, a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol arrested Keaton D. Burk, 24, of Butte for intimidation. Criminal trespass Laurie L. Catalino, 62, of Clancy was told by Intermountain Health St. James Hospital security staff and police officers to leave the facility at 11 p.m. Friday, but she decided to stay. Her decision led officers into taking her into custody for criminal trespass to property. Not welcome Joshua V. Wobig, 49, of Butte, who had been previously told he was not welcome at Walmart, was arrested in the store's parking lot on Friday for criminal trespass to property. Outstanding warrant Officers were investigating a disturbance in the 1100 block of Farrell Street on Monday. At the scene was Travis L. Price, 42, of Butte who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense). Two counts Timothy L. Holley, 45, of Butte was taken into custody Monday on two counts of revocation of sentence. Criminal mischief A man living in the 2200 block of Pine Street reported that an unknown person put sugar or salt in his gas tank last Friday. Camry stolen A guest at the Best Western Butte Plaza Inn, 2900 Harrison Ave., found his 2015 gray Toyota Camry had been stolen on Saturday morning. False alarm A call came into dispatch late Saturday night about a suspicious package in the 600 block of East Platinum Street. Turns out the package contained old electrical equipment with wires hanging out. Baggie of Adderall Early Wednesday near the intersection of Florence Avenue and Majors Street, Edwin C. Ruark, 20, of Butte was sitting on the side of the road when an officer stopped to check on him. Ruark was arrested for criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He allegedly had a baggie of Adderall in his possession. Double arrest Two men were arrested late Tuesday night in the 900 block of South Montana Street, both for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, and probation violation. Daniel L. Wieglenda, 31, of Lewistown had in his possession suspected methamphetamine, while Kenneth M. Balog, 29, of Butte had in his possession suspected fentanyl. The men were transported to the Butte Detention Center. Child care advocates who urged Montana to lead the way in making liability insurance for day care providers more affordable had their hopes stymied Monday. Members of the Legislature's Economic Affairs Interim Committee voted to forego bringing draft legislation for a child care reinsurance pool to lawmakers next session. Lawmakers had zeroed in on reinsurance which the state auditor defines as insurance for insurance companies as a possible way to manage soaring premiums faced by child care operators, the costs of which are then passed on to families. But when the time came to make decisions that would inform the particulars of draft legislation at Monday's meeting, a majority of lawmakers felt this approach introduced too many unknowns and risked passing on the burden to taxpayers. They also felt the market over time could do more to ease costs than government intervention. I feel like this is a bit of a non-issue, and a lot of work, said Rep. Nelly Nicol, R-Billings, who works in the insurance industry. We do have a problem, but Im not sure this is the direction to go. Impact of premiums on child care operators Premiums for general liability insurance rose from an average of $1,397 in 2019 to $2,335 in 2022, according to a survey conducted by Zero to Five Montana, a Helena-based advocacy organization focused on early childhood policies. Data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry found that child care shortages exist in every county in the state. Of all 56 counties, 33 report a child care desert, defined as an area where supply meets less than a third of estimated demand. That gap is especially pronounced in rural communities and for families seeking care before or after school. Advocacy organizations say rising costs of doing business, driven largely by the increasing insurance price tags, prevent new child care operators from opening or existing providers from expanding capacity. We continue to hear that this is a challenge, and we know this might not be an easy route to move forward with, said Caitlin Jensen, executive director of Zero to Five. But we are really curious to know what this committee might be able to do to support this issue. Reinsurance allows insurance companies to transfer risk from one or more policies to an outside entity that then guarantees individual policyholders can be paid out in the case of large-dollar claims. Because individual companies take on less risk, this tactic a version of which is already used in the state for the Montana Reinsurance Association for high-cost health claims tends to reduce premiums. At the May meeting, the interim committee tasked staff with crafting draft legislation. Staff concluded committee members needed to answer a few essential questions at Tuesdays meeting before they could finalize proposed language. Questions of note included whether all providers would be required to participate in a reinsurance pool, how to fund start-up costs and whether to impose caps on claims. Those items raised concerns for some lawmakers around the cost of such a proposal, especially the part of the memo that mentioned one way to generate additional funding could be through new revenue sources such as a new tax or fee. Sen. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork first voiced his skepticism, shared by fellow Republicans on the committee. Any policy requiring a new tax or fee would be a big no for me," he said. This is a conundrum, we all get it, the senator added. "But I have some reservations about moving something like this forward. Child care economics Montana households averaged $18,940 in child care expenses for children under the age of 5 in 2023, or about 28% of the states median household income, according to Labor and Industry agency data. Around 66,000 parents in the state opted not to fully engage in the work force last year because the calculus of steep child care costs relative to wages didnt pencil out, the department found. These findings arent new. Child care legislation has come up in multiple past sessions. Even as the state's capacity for of licensed child care has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have consistently been too few slots. Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, expressed frustration that the Legislature has failed to take action to mitigate the problem of child care costs and curb the impact on families and workforce alike. To me, we can only kick the can down the road so many times, he said. I definitely agree and understand that those are real concerns that we have, but I feel like weve got to start moving the needle somehow, some way on child care costs. Both Morigeau and fellow Democrat on the committee Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, acknowledged the need to exercise fiscal responsibility in any plan moving forward. With reinsurance off the table based on committee concerns, Karlen proposed an alternative that would focus instead on Best Beginnings, a state scholarship that leverages federal dollars to make child care more affordable for families beneath a certain income threshold. Legislators during the 2023 session allocated an additional $7 million to the program in order to up the amount of money families can earn and still qualify for the subsidy to 185% of the federal poverty line. But fewer households than expected have availed themselves of the program, meaning theres money left over, Karlen explained. The Missoula representative proposed a motion that would permit him to work with committee staff to bring multiple pieces of draft legislation to the next meeting the interims final that would offer different options for expanding Best Beginnings eligibility. Doing so would mean more families could capture the state money thats already been allocated but remains unused. There are ways to do that that are not going to be just a draw on state resources, Karlen said. The committee voted on party lines against the Best Beginnings motion. No draft legislation regarding Best Beginnings or a child care reinsurance pool will be discussed at the Economic Affairs Interim Committee's final meeting in August. NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 17: Sooper Dooper Kids, a purpose-driven online ecommerce children's clothing brand has received an undisclosed sum of funding from Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Dedicated to fashion with a purpose, Sooper Dooper Kids caters to children aged 5 to 12, introducing the "One Purchased = One Donated" initiative, promising to spread joy and opportunity to underprivileged children across India. Their inaugural collection features premium printed 100% cotton tees, crafted for comfort, breathability, and durability. Adorned with whimsical characters brought to life through cutting-edge Direct to Garment printing technology, each piece is a testament to their dedication to quality and creativity. Founder Nevil Darukhanawala, emphasizes, "Wanting to leave behind a kinder and more inclusive world for my 9 year old daughter Ariana is what inspired me to launch the Sooper Dooper Kids impact platform where all parents and children can participate in making the dream of a better world come true. At Sooper Dooper Kids, fashion is not just about wearing; it's about caring and sharing too." The partnership with Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi marks a pivotal moment in the brand's mission to inspire kindness and compassion, empowering children to witness the transformative impact of their choices on peers in need. "We are thrilled to unite with Sooper Dooper Kids in our quest to spread joy and opportunity to children in need," expresses Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi. "Acts of kindness, no matter how small, have the power to brighten someone's day and create a ripple effect of positivity. By nurturing kindness, inclusivity, generosity, and the spirit of giving back, we empower young minds to believe in their ability to effect change in the world." Sooper Dooper Kids distributes the donated t shirts using a network of organizations and charities that are already supporting and working with underprivileged kids living in the streets, rural areas and cities. The brand is committed to full transparency and each donated item is verified and available for everyone to follow the impact journey and stories. "We invite parents and children alike to embark on this journey of spreading kindness and making a difference," urges Darukhanawala. "Together, we can build a world where kindness, inclusivity, and generosity reign supreme." For more information about Sooper Dooper Kids and it's transformative initiatives, please visit www.sooperdooperkids.com. (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) In a sharp response to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's claims about the possibility of hacking electronic voting machines (EVMs), BJP leader and former Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stated that the billionaire CEO was factually incorrect. Speaking to ANI, Chandrasekhar said, "I think he is factually incorrect in saying that anything can be hacked. A calculator or toaster cannot be hacked. Therefore, there is a limit in terms of where this paradigm of hacking can extend. Elon Musk does not understand what the Indian EVM is. Indian EVMs do not lend itself to being hacked because it are precisely very limited intelligence devices." "This was not so much about an argument as much as we are clarifying to somebody who is sitting in the US and does not know what the Indian EVM is. I think Elon Musk has not understood what Indian EVM is," he said Musk had advised against using Electronic Voting Machines and said that these machines should be eliminated. The remarks of the Tesla CEO came amid a growing debate on the security of EVMs around the world that gained momentum particularly after allegations of irregularities in the recent primary elections in Puerto Rico. In his post on X, Musk stated, "We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high." In his response, Chandrasekhar, the former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister had on Sunday taken to X to state saying that India "would be happy to run a tutorial," for the same. "This is a huge, sweeping generalisation statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. @elonmusk's view may apply to the US and other places - where they use regular compute platforms to build Internet-connected voting machines," Chandrasekhar said in the post. Chandrasekhar said, "He made this very sweeping comment that all EVMs can be hacked, of course, I am nobody to get into the argument with somebody like Elon Musk, but certainly that the generalisation was far too sweeping to be left unchallenged. There fore I pointed out to him that Indian EVMs are very different from what the Americans know of EVMs because the US and Western world use connected devices. They are using connected traditional devices that are connected to the internet as EVMs" Elaborating on his reply to Musk Chandrasekhar today said, "I pointed out that Indian EVMs are architected and designed to be safe and secure because if there is no connectivity with the Wi-Fi, 5G or internet, in general, then there will be no way to get into the EVM." The BJP leader said that while everything that Musk said are technically feasible, however, the EVMs in India are very secure, mainly because it is completely isolated from connectivity and a large number of these machines are kept under physical security. Chandrasekhar reiterated that he is happy to give a tutorial on what the Indian EVM looks like and why it is most secure and certainly not, as he says EVMs are hackable. Attacking the Congress party he said the Congress leaders who have joined the debate are so happy with the narrative that the EVM can be hacked. "They don't want to understand the underlying logic and technology. About 80-90 per cent of people including Rahul Gandhi and his cronies who are jumping into this debate have no sense of what EVM as a system is or what Elon Musk is talking about," Chandrasekhar said. Rahul Gandhi had his post on X said, "EVMs in India are a "black box," and nobody is allowed to scrutinize them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability."(ANI) China-Australia cooperation can cross Pacific, transcend differences: Premier Li 10:45, June 17, 2024 By Zhao Yusha and Xu Keyue ( Global Times Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday visited Adelaide Zoo, which has been home to two China-born giant pandas, where he announced that China will continue panda research cooperation with Australia. The premier's visit to Adelaide Zoo hosting giant pandas on the second day of his visit to Australia demonstrated that Beijing values ties with Canberra, said experts. Observers believe that the pragmatism and goodwill shown by the current Australian government will further elevate bilateral cooperation. While there are still some differences between the two countries, the focus now is on preventing these discrepancies from escalating into new conflicts and ensuring that they do not overshadow the overall relationship. Li arrived in the southern city of Adelaide on Saturday for the first leg of his trip, and arrived at Adelaide Zoo on Sunday to learn about China-Australia cooperation in the field of panda protection and research. Adelaide Zoo hosts Wang Wang and Fu Ni, the Southern Hemisphere's only pair of giant pandas. Li said the two pandas in Australia will return to China this year as agreed by the two sides, and that China is ready to continue cooperation with Australia on panda protection and research. He expressed the hope that Australia will always be a friendly home for giant pandas. Li said he was glad to see that though they are far from their homeland, Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been well looked after and settled down to live a happy life in Australia. They have become envoys of the friendship between China and Australia, and a symbol of the profound friendship between the two peoples. He noted that as long as both sides cherish it, the cooperation between China and Australia can cross the vast Pacific Ocean, transcend differences, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. During his stay, Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting and jointly attend a China-Australia CEO Roundtable Meeting, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in seven years. More room for cooperation Starting the trip to Australia by visiting zoo hosting giant pandas, China's national treasure, it's a signal that China attaches great importance to and value its ties with Australia, as well as Beijing's willingness to extend such a cherished friendship, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reportedly thanked Li for ensuring that pandas would remain the zoo's star attraction. "It's good for the economy, it's good for South Australian jobs, it's good for tourism, and it is a signal of goodwill, and we thank you," Wong said. Li is also scheduled to visit winemakers in the famed Barossa region near Adelaide, Wong's hometown, according to media reports. China's Ministry of Commerce announced in March the decision to cancel anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs levied on Australian wine. Experts believed the removal of the tariffs shows a pragmatic attitude from both sides to solving their trade disputes through dialogue and negotiations. The proper settlement of some trade frictions between China and Australia recently proves that such disputes can be solved through pragmatic negotiation and good-will move, Chen noted. "Trade problems should not be subject to political manipulation. The previous Australian government tended to escalate trade quarrels to the political level and smeared China. Such moves, instead of solving trade frictions, caused bilateral ties to spiral down to a low point," Chen noted. Chen was referring to former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison's calling China's tariffs on Australian goods "economic coercion." Jocelyn Chey, former Australian diplomat and Australia's first cultural counselor in China, said there could be more room for elevating cooperation. "I am hopeful that high-level exchanges will increase trust at all levels of society and will encourage scientific, professional and cultural exchanges. I do expect trade and investment to be greatly boosted because the economies of both countries are highly complementary. I hope that tourism will increase in both directions," Chey said in an interview with the Global Times. Shelving differences Upon his arrival in Australia on Saturday, Li said that exchanges between China and Australia have a long history, and the friendship between the two peoples is growing ever stronger. Last year, Albanese paid a successful visit to China, the Chinese premier said, when bilateral relations returned to the right track after many twists and turns. History has proven that respecting each other, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation bring valuable experience in the development of China-Australia relations, and need to be upheld and carried forward, he said. Wong also noted that Australia was in a "permanent contest" with China over the Pacific, a state she blamed on the former Coalition government. "That is the reality," she told the ABC. "I wish there was a rewind button to recover the last 10 years but we don't, we have to deal with what we have now which is a permanent contest in the Pacific." "It won't be a plain sailing. The two countries have discrepancies on issues such as human rights and the South China Sea. Such differences will remain, as neither will be convinced by the other," Ning Tuanhui, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. Ning emphasized that while differences between countries may exist, they do not inevitably result in conflicts. He stressed the importance of effectively managing these differences and not allowing them to overshadow bilateral relations. Ning noted that regular high-level exchanges have expanded opportunities to address and manage these differences. Canberra's alliance with Washington continues to be another flashpoint between China and Australia. Yu Lei, a professor at the Department of International Politics and Economics at Shandong University, believes that it is still early to judge whether the relationship between the two countries can return to its previous high point. As an important member of the Western camp, Australia may face pressure from allies, especially the US. China and Australia have significant differences on issues such as security, especially in the advancement of AUKUS. The alliance with Washington remains the cornerstone of Australian's foreign policy, thus its ties with the US are unlikely to be changed in the future, said Chen, but if Australia provokes China or harms its core interests, China will definitely fight back. Australia needs strategic prudence and political wisdom to avoid such a situation, said Chen. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) VMPL New Delhi [India], June 17: Recent trends in the cryptocurrency market reveal an optimistic outlook for Dogecoin (DOGE) due to its inverse head-and-shoulders pattern, while Chainlink (LINK) experiences a significant price decrease of 13.36%. Amid these fluctuations, BlockDAG emerges as a noteworthy investment option. Its ambitious goal to reach $20 by 2027 has captivated the attention of major crypto investors. BlockDAG's strong performance, marked by a presale that garnered over $51.1 million and a subsequent price increase of 1120%, has positioned it as a leading contender for the best crypto investment in 2024. Latest Developments in Dogecoin Indicate a Potential Price Increase Dogecoin has recently shown a promising pattern on its trading chart--an inverse head and shoulders--commonly seen as a precursor to a price increase. Noted cryptocurrency analyst Benji Hyam pointed out this pattern on TradingView, hinting at a potential uptick in Dogecoin's valuation. The crypto's price began to climb around June 5, although it met resistance and fell to $0.16. Stabilising at the support level of $0.158 is crucial for Dogecoin's ascent. The trading community is keenly watching these developments for signs of sustained growth. Chainlink Experiences a Notable Price Reduction Currently, Chainlink's price stands at $15.79, supported by a substantial daily trading volume of $281 million. Over the past week, the price has dropped by 13.36%, although it dipped slightly by 1.05% over the last day. Despite this downturn, experts like Michael van de Poppe consider LINK undervalued and ripe for investment. Crypto analyst Tony is looking to scale down his position when prices hit around $35.00, maintaining a cautious yet hopeful perspective on Chainlink's future market performance. BlockDAG Anticipates Reaching $20 by 2027 Following a Strong Presale BlockDAG is gaining traction in the crypto presale arena, boasting a remarkable initial sale that raised $51.1 million. With its advanced hybrid technology, BlockDAG is dedicated to providing value to its investors through continual upgrades and faster transaction processing. Starting at just $0.0001, its price has escalated to $0.0122, reflecting a surge of 1120%. This rapid increase attracts investors and tech enthusiasts, who now foresee BlockDAG achieving the $20 mark by 2027. Additionally, the frequent developer updates on BlockDAG's network underscore its commitment to growth and technological innovation. Over 50 updates have been documented on its official website, focusing on enhancing efficiency and scalability and introducing innovative features like no-code software development. Compared to Dogecoin, which relies significantly on market sentiment and technical chart formations, and Chainlink, which depends on past performance indicators for its recovery, BlockDAG's continuous and significant updates demonstrate a proactive approach to technology and market readiness. These ongoing improvements establish BlockDAG as a formidable and emerging force in the cryptocurrency space. Its impressive presale success and expert projections for reaching $20 by 2027 create a compelling case for investment urgency. Reflecting on its initial offering price of $0.0001 during the first batch and the dramatic 1120% increase to $0.0122 by the 18th batch, BlockDAG's trajectory highlights its vast growth potential. Currently available at a remarkably low price, BlockDAG presents a rare opportunity for investors to achieve up to a 30,000x return on investment potentially. With its rapid growth, reaching $20 by 2027 seems increasingly plausible. Final Thought Unlike Dogecoin and Chainlink, BlockDAG's steady development and strategic enhancements ensure it remains ahead of the curve. The presale phase alone raised about $51.1 million, sold over 11.6 billion coins, and established more than 7813 mining rigs, which could potentially generate up to $100 daily. Predictions place BlockDAG at $20 by 2027, marking it as an incredibly profitable investment at its current low price. Highlighted as the best cryptocurrency to buy in 2024, BlockDAG's promising future and robust strategy draw investors looking to capitalise on its potential for explosive returns. Invest in the BlockDAG Presale Now: Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network Website: https://blockdag.network Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetwork Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], June 17: With efforts to enhance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DE&I) across borders, Borderless.lgbt has launched a unique DE&I-focused "Pink Plus" economy. This announcement comes during Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide. Borderless.lgbt has established an inclusive "pink" incubator and accelerator in the heart of Bangkok to work with Indian startups and technology companies to develop DE&I-focused "pink" tech and AI to serve millions of LGBTQIA+ communities globally. This incubator aims to foster groundbreaking advancements in technology, health & wellness, tourism and hospitality, film, and more, specifically tailored to the needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals. This initiative opens unprecedented opportunities for DE&I-focused organizations and enterprises in India to collaborate with Borderless.lgbt. With India home to over 100 million LGBTQIA+ individuals and Thailand with more than 9 million, this partnership aims to converge resources to support over 500 million LGBTQIA+ people worldwide. The Pink Plus economy initiative is supported by Thailand Privilege, a state-owned company dedicated to providing long-stay visas for expats in the Kingdom. Thailand, with its strategic LGBTQIA+ retirement paradise positioning, can potentially become a pilot hub for all DE&I-focused products and services developed between India and Thailand. Dr. Wayne Ho, an HIV and LGBT medicine specialist for the AIDS Project Los Angeles and Borderless.lgbt's clinical lead and founding stakeholder, stated, "I can't wait to add value in driving the first-of-its-kind medical knowledge and telemedicine service delivery democratization effort in working with technology prowess from India and inclusive culture from Thailand. LGBTQIA+ startups around the world can soon tap the population of more than 200 million LGBTQIA+s in Asia." In addition to these initiatives, Borderless.lgbt, since December 2022, has been preparing global LGBTQIA+ health and wellness experts to interoperate with local doctors in India with the aim of localizing a new order of technology-enabled LGBTQIA+ clinic-of-the-future and home health services. Dr. Wayne Ho provides knowledge support for doctors in India interested in the education and development of LGBT medicine globally and will work with other medical experts including Dr Kenneth Leong, a practicing IVF doctor in Melbourne, to develop family planning counseling services via Borderless.lgbt cloud platform in preparation for the upcoming LGBTQIA+ family planning policies in Thailand. Same-sex marriage has already been passed by the lower house of the parliament and official legalization is expected in the next few weeks. Borderless.lgbt Borderless.lgbt is a dedicated DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusivity) platform focused to provide knowledge, content, services and products in health & wellness, lifestyle, hospitality, retirement living, tourism, innovation and media space to LGBTQIA communities around the world to herald a new "Pink Plus" economy. In addition, Borderless.lgbt is supported by a proprietary LGBTQIA health and wellness knowledge sharing cloud in partnership with renowned doctors to democratise medical knowledge to the LGBTQIA communities in the world. For more information, visit www.borderless.lgbt. For more information on the pink incubator, see www.borderless.lgbt/pinkideas/. (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) VMPL New Delhi [India], June 17: While the main objective of buying term insurance is to ensure financial security to family members in the policyholder's absence, it also offers additional benefits, such as tax savings. These tax benefits can enhance the product's appeal and assist you in saving money, which can then be allocated towards both future goals and present expenses. Let's find out more about the tax benefits of purchasing a term insurance plan. Term insurance tax benefits in India Term insurance plans in India are among the list of financial products that are eligible for a tax deduction under The Income Tax Act, 1961. This act comprises several sections that enable you to reduce your annual taxable income and save money spent on tax. Let's explore the sections that offer tax benefits on a term plan: 1. Section 80C of The Income Tax Act, 1961Section 80C of The Income Tax Act, 1961 allows you to claim tax deductions up to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh on the premium you pay towards your term insurance plan. This tax deduction can be claimed every financial year, and enables you to save up to Rs 46,800 per annum from your taxable income. 2. Section 10 (10D) of The Income Tax Act, 1961Another tax benefit under the act that you can claim for your term insurance is the tax-free benefit under Section 10 (10D). The insurance payout that is paid to the nominee of the term plan in the tragic event of the policyholder's absence is entirely tax-free under Section 10 (10D). This means the payout is not added to the nominee's taxable income and is exempt from tax, regardless of the amount. 3. Section 80D of The Income Tax Act, 1961Section 80D of The Income Tax Act, 1961, provides tax deductions on health insurance premiums. While term insurance differs from health insurance, if your term plan includes a health rider, such as a critical illness rider, you can claim tax benefits under Section 80D. If you are under 60, you can deduct up to Rs 25,000 annually for premiums paid for yourself, your spouse and dependent children. If you are 60 or older, this limit increases to Rs 50,000. Additionally, you can claim up to Rs 25,000 or Rs 50,000 for your parents' insurance premiums if they are 60 or older. Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) can also deduct the premium paid for a health insurance rider for all family members. The limit for HUFs is capped at Rs 25,000. How do you maximise tax benefits from a term insurance plan?Below are some ways to maximise your tax benefits from a term insurance plan: * Buy term insurance early: Buying a term insurance plan early not only provides financial protection for your loved ones but also enables you to claim tax benefits sooner. Starting early helps you accumulate substantial tax benefits over the years, which ultimately results in saving a significant amount of money in the long run. * Add riders to your policy: You can enhance your term insurance coverage by adding riders to your policy. Riders like critical illness benefits provide additional financial protection against major and minor illnesses. The premiums paid for these riders can be claimed as deductions under Section 80D, offering you extra tax benefits. However, it is crucial to note that adding riders may increase your premium amount. You can use a term insurance calculator to understand how these additions impact your budget and tax savings effectively. * Proactively file your Income Tax Returns (ITR): You must ensure that you proactively file your ITR and maintain accurate records of all your premium payment slips. This can help you claim the available tax deduction limits and ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefits entitled to you under the various sections of The Income Tax Act, 1961. * Stay updated with tax laws: Tax laws are subject to change, so it is essential to stay informed and updated with the latest regulations and rules. Staying updated can help you incorporate suitable tax planning strategies that can maximise your tax savings. Conclusion Tax benefits are undoubtedly one of the most attractive features of term insurance, but they are just one facet of its overall significance. Term insurance is a multifaceted financial tool with a spectrum of benefits beyond tax savings. It provides numerous advantages, including financial protection for loved ones, peace of mind, affordability and transparency. It is important to analyse your needs carefully and utilise the tax benefits available to you to maximise your term plan's benefits. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) NewsVoir Hong Kong, June 17: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Art Basel are delighted to announce a new three-year global partnership, marking a significant milestone in cultural collaboration. With this new partnership, HKTB became the pioneering tourism organisation to forge a global strategic alliance with Art Basel. This groundbreaking announcement took place during the press conference of Art Basel in Basel. The collaboration transcends Hong Kong, extending its reach to all Art Basel shows worldwide, commencing with Art Basel Paris this October. As part of this dynamic alliance, HKTB will serve as a Show Partner of Art Basel to celebrate Hong Kong art and culture on the world stage. Over the next three years, HKTB will be present in four annual shows, including Art Basel in Paris, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Basel, with different thematic experiences or activations. The organisations' three-year partnership will kick off with Art Basel Paris, taking place at the Grand Palais in the French capital from 18-20 October 2024. Started first in 1970, Art Basel stages the world's premier modern and contemporary art shows and fairs. The annual art event hosted in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, and Hong Kong, provides a platform for galleries and artists to showcase and sell their work to buyers, in collaboration with host cities' to aid the development of art programs. Dane Cheng, HKTB Executive Director, said, "Our strategic alliance with Art Basel underscores our commitment to promoting Hong Kong as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, and a valuable gateway to the Chinese art market. By sharing the city's unique character through immersive experiences and exhibitions at the world's most prestigious art platform, we hope to inspire travellers to visit our city and discover its thriving creative community and rich cultural experiences." Noah Horowitz, Art Basel CEO, said, "We are thrilled to build on our longstanding collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and launch this ambitious initiative. By shining a global spotlight on Hong Kong's vibrant art scene, this partnership will enhance the experience for our fair visitors while unlocking new opportunities and fostering deeper connections between Hong Kong and art communities around the world." Since its inception in Hong Kong in 2013, Art Basel has collaborated with HKTB on several successful projects together since 2020. This March, the tourism board joined hands with the fair to present a local "Cha Chaan Teng" experience that aimed to highlight the vibrant living culture of Hong Kong. Inside a colourful, purpose-built cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafe), visitors enjoyed local delicacies, such as the city's iconic pineapple buns and milk tea, while experiencing Hong Kong's East-meets-West heritage firsthand. The 2024 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong showcased 242 leading galleries from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Marking the second decade of Art Basel's operation in Asia's world city, the event welcomed over 75,000 visitors from around the world. Art Basel Hong Kong has also announced that from 2025 onwards, MGM will present a new prize for Discoveries, the show's sector for solo presentations by emerging artists. Images can be accessed at assetlibrary.hktb.com/assetbank-hktb/action/browseItems. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked to market and promote Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and enhance visitors' experience once they arrive. These include making recommendations to the Government and other relevant bodies on the range and quality of visitor facilities. The HKTB's missions are to maximise the social and economic contribution made by tourism to the community of Hong Kong and to consolidate Hong Kong's position as a unique, world-class, and most desired destination. (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) PNN Nashik (Maharashtra) [India], June 17: KBC Global Ltd ( Previously known as Karda Construction Limited ) BSE - 541161, a prominent player in the construction and real estate development sector has been awarded a significant subcontract worth approximately USD 20 million by CRJE (EAST AFRICA) Ltd. CRJE is a modern enterprise with a rich history in constructing railways and five-star hotels across Africa. Highlights:- * Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Karda International Infrastructure Ltd received this contract * KBC Global has taken its first step in becoming a key part of Africa's Infrastructure development. * Company has also announced a strategic plans for expansion in both domestic and international markets. This substantial contract focuses on the civil engineering segment of soft infrastructure and represents a major milestone for KBC Global. The contract was secured through KBC Global's wholly-owned Kenyan subsidiary, Karda International Infrastructure Limited, underscoring the company's expanding footprint in the African market. The contract award highlights KBC Global's growing capabilities and reputation in international infrastructure development. This project is a testament to the company's commitment to contributing to Africa's infrastructure growth, marking its first major step in becoming a key player in the continent's development. With this achievement, KBC Global is poised to make significant contributions to East Africa's infrastructure landscape, aligning with the region's ambitious growth and development goals. Originating from the TAZARA Construction Aiding Team of the Jianchang Engineering Bureau under the China Ministry of Railways, CRJE is also part of the prestigious China Railway Construction Group company, established to drive business development in East Africa. Established in 2007, company has made significant strides in the real estate industry, specializing in the development and sale of residential and residential-cum-office projects in Nashik, India. The company operates primarily in two segments: construction and development of residential and commercial projects, and contractual projects. Notable projects of the company include Hari Gokuldham, Hari Nakshtra-ll Eastext Township, Hari Sanskruti ll, Hari Siddhi, and Hari Samarth, among others. The company has also announced a strategic plans for expansion in both domestic and international markets. In the month of April 2024, board of directors considered and approved conversion of total 60 bonds into equity shares as per the terms and conditions of the issue of FCCB. On June 4, 2024 company has announced that it has successfully handed over possession of 12 units from its residential cum commercial project Hari Kunj Mayflower (RERA Reg no : P51600020249) during month of April and May 2024. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa, the company has successfully handed over possession of 54 units of the project Hari Kunj Mayflower (MAHARERA Reg no : P51600020249), a residential cum commercial project situated at Karmayogi Nagar, Nashik ,Maharashtra. The real estate sector is poised for continued growth, driven by factors such as supply and demand dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and overall economic conditions. Government initiatives like "Housing for All" and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana further underscore the growth potential in the industry. Additionally, infrastructure megaprojects such as highways, airports, and metros are contributing to the expansion of the real estate market. In the financial year 2022-2023, Karda Construction Limited reported revenues of Rs 10,818.56 Lakhs. (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) VMPL New Delhi [India], June 17: Akme Fintrade (India) Limited is a RBI registered, leading Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) established in 1996. The IPO opens on 19 th June 2024 and closes 21st June 2024. It is a fresh issue of 11, 00,000 shares. Book Built issue aggregating up to 132 cr. Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has been at the forefront of fostering financial inclusion and empowerment across rural and semi-urban geographies in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. With over two decades of experience, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has built a strong reputation for understanding and addressing the unique financial needs and aspirations of the rural populace. Trusted by over 200,000 customers, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited offers a range of tailored financial solutions, including Vehicle Finance and Secured Business Finance Products, that fuel growth and prosperity. Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has been at the forefront of fostering financial inclusion and empowerment across rural and semi-urban geographies in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. With over two decades of experience, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has built a strong reputation for understanding and addressing the unique financial needs and aspirations of the rural populace. Trusted by over 2, 00,000 customers, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited offer a range of tailored financial solutions, including Vehicle Finance and Secured Business Finance Products, that fuel growth and prosperity. aasaanloans.com is a digital lending platform powered by Akme Fintrade (India) Limited (AFIL) and is pre-integrated with 30+ third-party APIs, making the operational process easier & faster. This differentiated approach aids in the identification of businesses with low risk and high promise, thereby providing opportunities for those who previously had no access to long or short-term financing. Objects of the Issue (Aasaan Loans IPO Objectives)The company proposes to utilize the Net Proceeds from the Issue towards augmenting the capital base of the company to fulfil its future capital requirements, which are anticipated to arise as a result of the expansion of the business and assets. Further, a portion of the proceeds from the Issue will be used towards meeting Issue-related expenses. Gretex Corporate Services Limited is the book running lead manager of the Aasaan Loans IPO, while Bigshare Services Pvt Ltd is the registrar for the issue. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Anil took to his Instagram handle and treated fans with an action-packed picture of himself. ' Anil looks intense while performing action sequence. https://www.instagram.com/p/C8TlUbSK5GP/ The image captures him grabbing the neck on film's crew for preparation. Sharing the photo, he wrote, "Abhi toh haath utha hi kahaan hai , Yeh toh bas Taiyyari hai. #Subedaar Prep begins." As soon as he shared the photo, fans and industry members chimed in the comment section. Anil's best friend and veteran actor Anupam Kher wrote, "Go for it my friend." Fighter director Siddharth Anand commented, "Wow too good." Anil's Fighter co-star Akshay Oberoi dropped fire emojis. In March, the official announcement was made at Prime Video's event in Mumbai. In the poster, Anil can be seen in intense in a shirt-and-trouser look, holding a riffle in his hands. The film will be directed by Suresh Triveni, who previously directed T-Series' comedy-drama 'Tumhari Sulu' (2017) and 'Jalsa', both headlined by Vidya Balan. Vikram Malhotra, Suresh Triveni, and Anil Kapoor serve as producers for the film. "In an adrenaline - fueled action drama, Subedaar Arjun Singh grapples with civilian life, navigating a strained relationship with his daughter, and societal dysfunction. The man who once fought for the nation must now fight enemies within to protect his home and family," read the official synopsis of the project. Apart from this, Anil is all set to host Bigg Boss OTT 3. 'Bigg Boss OTT 3' will be out on JioCinema from June 21. Bigg Boss OTT, a spin-off of the immensely popular Bigg Boss franchise, first debuted on Voot, with filmmaker Karan Johar as the host. However, the reins were later handed over to Bollywood megastar Salman Khan for the second season. (ANI) Anupam Kher is currently busy working on his directorial 'Tanvi The Great'. He recently welcomed a special visitor on the sets, who is none other than late friend and actor Satish Kaushik's daughter Vanshika. The Kashmir Files actor shared a video of their candid chit-chat, where both of them discussed her exam results on Instagram. Focusing the camera on Vanshika's side, Anupam was seen asking how she scored in her exams at school. https://www.instagram.com/p/C8TK8Z_CgPS/ He also asked her what are her plans for the holidays. Sharing the video, he wrote, "Random Chit Chat with Vanshika: it was nice to have #VanshikaKaushik visit our set of #TanviTheGreat. Felt good to talk to her about her exams, marks, holidays, tuitions etc. Sometimes it is good to talk about these normal things, isn't it?" Taking to Instagram stories on Friday, Vanshika posted, "Happy Father's Day Anupam uncle!" Kher re-shared Vanshika's post and reacted with heart emojis. After Satish's sudden demise, Kher had promised to spend a lot of time with his daughter.He is often seen posting videos and pictures with her. Taking her out for lunch to dancing together. Satish Kaushik passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on March 9 in New Delhi.Kher was the first one who broke the news of his demise on social media. Satish Kaushik was a versatile actor, writer, director and producer, who made his mark in the Indian film industry with his captivating performances and unique sense of humour. He gained recognition in the 1980s and 1990s for his work in popular films such as 'Mr India', 'Saajan Chale Sasural', and 'Judaai'. Over the years, Satish Kaushik established himself as one of the most sought-after character actors in Bollywood, often playing supporting roles integral to the plot. He was also known for his work as a writer and director, having directed films such as 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' and 'Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain'. Satish Kaushik started his career as a stage actor, featuring in plays across Delhi before moving to Mumbai to pursue his dream of a career in Bollywood. Talking about 'Tanvi The Great', 'A Wednesday' actor announced the film 'Tanvi The Great' on his birthday on March 7 this year. Sharing the update, he wrote on Instagram, "TANVI THE GREAT: Today, on my birthday I proudly announce the name of the film I have decided to direct. Some stories find their path and compel you to share it with the world! And the best way I thought to start is by taking the blessings of my mother in her temple with my father's pic blessing me too. Have been working on this musical story of #Passion #Courage #Innocence and #Joy for the last three years. And finally starting shooting tomorrow on the auspicious day of #Mahashivratri. Birthday is the best day to CHALLENGE yourself! Please Send me your love, best wishes and blessings! Om Namah Shivay! #TanviTheGreat #Musical #Film #Passion #Courage @anupamkherstudio." Apart from this, Kher has 'The Signature', 'Emergency', 'Vijay 69', and the Curse of Damyaan' and a few other films in his kitty. (ANI) The 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) will present a special package titled 'Mission Life'. This collection, presented by CMS Vatavaran, features five selected films that explore the intricate and symbiotic relationship between humanity and the Earth, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a press release. These films serve as poignant reminders of our deep connection to the planet and emphasize the urgent need for harmonious coexistence. Films to be screened under the Special Package are: 'Saving the dark' 'Saving the dark' explores the need to preserve night skies and what we can do to combat light pollution. 80% of the world's population can no longer see the Milky Way. What do we lose when we lose sight of the stars? Excessive and improper lighting robs us of our night skies, disrupts our sleep patterns and endangers nocturnal habitats. The current advances in LED technology have enabled several cities to safely light their streets and save energy without disrupting the nighttime environment, stated a press release by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 'Lakshman-Rekha' (the lines that lakshman drew) The film "Lakshman-Rekha' is an intimate, cinematic window into how Laxman Singh, a school dropout, galvanized a drought-hit village into a voluntary force that changed the destiny of 58 villages in the Great Indian Desert in India. Even today the water supply is erratic and he carries on with his mission of creating awareness about conserving each drop of water. 'The Climate Challenge' As we are on the verge of a climate crisis. The Arctic, Antarctic, and Himalayan areas, as well as the oceans, are the most severely affected by climate change. The Arctic Ocean's ice cover has fallen by more than 30% in recent years, and the region is also seeing fast warming. Scientists are now deploying cutting-edge technology in some of the world's toughest environments to examine these occurrences. 'The Climate Challenge' takes you on a tour across the Arctic, Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean to observe some life-threatening scenarios and discover why, as per release by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 'The Jowar Ballad' (jowar gatha) Jowar Gatha (The Jowar Ballad) brings to life indigenous millet types, diversified cuisine, and traditional millet cultivation practices. Rich traditions are expressed via songs, ceremonies, and storytelling, while farmers grieve the demise of millets in the drylands. The elders reiterate that new agricultural cropping varieties come with a risk to health and harvest. 'Peng Yu Sai' Peng Yu Sai is an investigative documentary on the illegal trade of manta rays from India's oceans. In this video, wildlife presenter Malaika Vaz follows the illicit trade pipeline from fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to the Indo-Myanmar border and eventually undercover in the China wildlife trafficking cities of Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Along the way - she meets with fishermen, middle men, traffickers, armed forces personnel and wildlife trade kingpins, as she tries to understand what it will take to protect these magnificent ocean giants. The 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival kicked off on June 15 with the screening of the documentary 'Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story'. The film was screened simultaneously in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune. The documentary, which was made by Charlie Hamilton James, tells the unusual tale of a man who, while residing in the isolated Shetland Islands, befriends a wild otter. Through the touching journey of Molly, an orphaned otter, this video explores the coastlines of Scotland's Shetland Islands. The MIFF was attended by several celebrities including Randeep Hooda, Abhishek Banerjee, Divyendu, Divya Dutta, Avinash Tiwary, Upasana, Madhur Bhandarkar, Vineet Kumar Singh, film director Rahul Rawail, Sonali Kulkarni and Anand L Rai. There are a total of 314 films in the MIFF this year from 59 countries across 61 languages. Noted international filmmakers will take part in more than 25 masterclasses, panel discussions and open forums on the curated topics. MIFF offers a forum for international documentary filmmakers to connect, share ideas, investigate co-production and marketing opportunities for documentaries, shorts, and animation projects, and expand their perspectives on global cinema. The festival aims to promote artistic expression and serve as a creative spark for both attendees and filmmakers by offering a forum for additional talks and debates on short films, documentaries, and animation. The 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival will continue till June 21. (ANI) Brazilian-American model and designer Camila Alves McConaughey opened up about the meaningful advice she got before getting married to her husband Matthew McConaughey, reported People. She recalled the precious advice, she got from her father about love and relationships, more than 20 years ago. Calling her dad a "ranch man" and "man of the land" who taught her to "not be impressed by a 'thing,' instead by substance," Camila recalled a time when a very wealthy man proposed to her, long before Matthew, 54, came into her life. https://www.instagram.com/p/C8SmZkYyKxx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== "I once got proposed by a Prince, a man of fortune beyond lands, a man, who if I accepted his proposal to marry, would've changed the status of my whole family for generations to come," she wrote in the caption alongside a photo of her and her dad looking at each other. "Feeling the weight of not being a decision just for me, I sat down to talk to my dad, he quietly listened, and his first question was... 'Do you love him?' " She recalled answering her dad, "'I am not sure, but I do like him a lot and I think the love could grow.'" After also telling her father she could not see herself having a child with the man, he said simply, "Then you have your answer," she wrote. "He then went on to quote once again something he had said to me earlier in my life that really shook me," Camila continued. "If you marry a man for only the material things he has then you are a high class prostitute to me." "I know it sounds harsh, but I thought about it throughout my life when and where I met many men that had a lot of material wealth and access but lacked true soul and morals," she wrote, before recalling the moment when Matthew finally met her father -- and he had no idea who the actor was. Matthew and Camila initially connected in 2006. The actor said in a 2016 interview that when he and the other person met each other across the floor in a club, it was love at first sight. "As l was trying to get [her] attention across the room, I went in my head, 'This is not the kind of woman you call over across the room, McConaughey. Get your ass out of your chair and go get her.' Which I did," he added. The longtime couple welcomed their eldest child, Levi, in 2008 and their middle child, Vida, in 2010, before they tied the knot on June 9, 2012, in a three-day-long ceremony held at their Austin, Texas, home, reported People. (ANI) Actor and comedian Bowen Yang has all the praises for her 'Wicked' co-star Ariana Grande. He talked about his friendship with her and shared his working experience, reported People. Yang said, "I just find her to be so personal and down to earth in a way that is disarming, in a way that makes you think, 'Oh, I forgot about the fact that you are who you are.' " "She is someone who will get on your level and just someone who has such a capacity for empathy," he added. He said that he also admires Ariana for her ability to show emotions. "She is -- and I mean this so, so, so complimentarily -- very emotional," he said of Grande. "She's a crier, and that's the thing that I'm most jealous of." He said that he looks forward to seeing the people's reaction after watching Grande on-screen in 'Wicked'. "I'm excited for people to see Ari really act down," said the 'Saturday Night Live'. "Everybody is such a good actor in this, but Ari especially gives Glinda such a perfect dimension." He's also thrilled for fans to see how his character Pfannee has taken shape in the new adaptation. "I think Jon M. Chu was really giving such latitude for everybody," Yang said. "Like, he gave me a character that was otherwise completely, maybe, ornamental, but he really let us play and overcome -- or transcend -- the trope of the gay sassy sidekick." "That stereotype really kind of gets broken in a way that I think is really smart," he said, adding, "And that's all in the direction of how collaborative Wicked can be, which is crazy," reported People. (ANI) Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday clarified his comments on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, where he referred to her as "Mother of India", and said it was a "contextual reference." The BJP MP said that it was a contextual reference, while he was elaborating on the role of late Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran, who Gopi had earlier described as a "courageous administrator." Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Gopi said, "It was a contextual reference. I was talking about the true worth of leader Karunakaran. Like how to the Congress and non-Congress people of Kerala, even though there might be founders and co-founders, the administrational quality and efforts that result totally to the benefit of people, Karunakaran should be the father of Congress in Kerala. In the context of that, I had referred to Indira Gandhi as the mother of Congress in India." Earlier, Gopi, who was inducted as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Tourism, referred to veteran leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxists, EK Nayanar and K Karunakaran, as his "political gurus." "Simply because my father's family was a Congress family, my mother's family worked up to the formation of Janasangh in Kerala...I was in the SFI. But the reason behind my shift was not political. It was emotional. I will live my life emotionally as well, being acceptable to all classes of life, all segments of life, all levels of life," the BJP MP said on Sunday. "My parentage, my traditions, the essence of Sanatana Dharma--I have to perform all those valuable traits. Simply because Indira Gandhi is Congress, and for that draconian act of hers, I cannot sway away from attributing. I call her the real architect of India post-independence until her death," he added. Notably, Suresh Gopi defeated K Karunakaran's son, K Muraleedharan, in the Thrissur constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. The actor-turned-politician has become the first Lok Sabha BJP MP from Kerala after winning the Thrissur constituency. He defeated the ruling Left Democratic Front candidate, V.S. Sunilkumar, by a margin of 74,686 votes. Gopi was sworn in as Minister of State in the Modi 3.0 cabinet. He assumed charge as Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday morning, earlier this week. (ANI) A life convict, who was absconding after coming out on parole for over a year, was caught by the Delhi Police from Guwahati in Assam, officials said on Sunday. The matter pertains to the 16-year-old triple murder case, registered on April 19, 2008. Nitin Verma (42) was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Court. On April 19, 2008, the police received information that 2-3 persons had been murdered in Delhi's Palam Village. The police registered the case under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, at Dwarka Police Station. The local officials reached the spot and found one male and two female bodies lying in the house, killed with a sharp-edged weapon. But, the police didn't find anything stolen as every item and jewellery were lying as it is in the house. During the inquiry, it was found that the son of the deceased couple was also admitted to DDU Hospital. It was found in the investigation that Nitin Verma himself murdered his pregnant wife and parents. He allegedly killed them due to an extramarital affair. As per the police, Nitin tried to fake an accident to save himself from the crime. The accused was charge-sheeted for the above-mentioned murders and was sent for life imprisonment by the court. He was absconding for more than a year after being released on parole. A team of New Delhi Range (NDR), RK Puram, Crime Branch was assigned the task of tracing the absconding convict. During further investigation, it was found the accused was residing in Palam Colony and was working in Daryaganj, the police said. When the police reached the zeroed location, the accused had already fled to Assam. The police traced down his location in Guwahati. It was also found that Nitin was frequently changing his mobile handset, SIMs and hideouts to dodge police. Following this, the Crime Branch team conducted raids at possible hideouts in Guwahati and the convict was apprehended. Nitin also admitted his involvement in the above-mentioned case, following which he was booked under the appropriate section of law, the police added. (ANI) During his visit, General Chauhan addressed the Armed Forces officers on jointness and integration. He underscored the achievements in tri-service synergy and transformation, underway in the Indian armed forces, according to officials. The CDS also appreciated the high standards of professionalism of various formations and units of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. Earlier this month, General Chauhan visited INS Chilka, the premier training establishment for Agniveers of the Indian Navy located in Odisha. During the visit, General Chauhan received an overview of the training activities and progress of the Agniveer batches at INS Chilka and was briefed on the critical role played by the facility in shaping future sea warriors. Interacting with the Agniveers, General Chauhan emphasised the importance of the Agnipath Scheme in fostering a youthful and dynamic profile within the services and contributing to nation-building by producing skilled, disciplined, and motivated youth. (ANI) An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent participated in Exercise Red Flag 2024, conducted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, of the United States Air Force, from June 4 to June 14, the Ministry of Defence said in a release on Sunday. This was the second edition of Exercise Red Flag 2024, which is an advanced aerial combat training exercise held four times a year by the US Air Force. According to the release, the exercise witnessed the participation of the Indian Air Force along with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom, Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), German Luftwaffe, and the US Air Force (USAF). The IAF contingent participated with the Rafale aircraft and personnel, comprising aircrew, technicians, engineers, controllers and subject matter experts. The transatlantic ferry of Rafale fighter aircraft was enabled by the IL-78 Air to Air Refuellers (AAR), while the transportation of personnel and equipment was undertaken by the C-17 Globemaster aircraft. The contingent landed at Eielson, a USAF base in Alaska, on May 29, 2024, the release said. Red Flag is an air combat exercise conducted with multiple scenarios designed to provide realistic combat settings. A demarcation of forces is done to simulate the desired environment, with the Red Force simulating Air Defence elements and the Blue Force simulating 'Offensive Composite' elements. The release further mentioned that during this Exercise (Ex), the Red Force was mainly constituted by the USAF Aggressor Sqn flying the F-16 and the F-15 aircraft. This was the first time the IAF Rafale aircraft participated in Ex Red Flag, wherein, they operated alongside the RSAF and USAF F-16 and F-15s and the USAF A-10 aircraft. The missions included Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat exercises as a part of Large Force Engagements (LFE) in Offensive Counter Air and Air Defence roles. The IAF crew was actively involved in mission planning and also assumed the role of mission leaders for designated missions during the exercise, the release mentioned. It further stated that despite the challenging weather and almost sub-zero temperatures, the IAF maintenance crew worked diligently to ensure the serviceability of all the aircraft throughout the exercise and that all assigned missions could be undertaken, with more than 100 sorties being flown during the exercise. Key takeaways from the exercise included insight into interoperability with international partners and a collaborative understanding of employment philosophy in a multinational environment. The experience of ferrying long distances while undertaking air-to-air refuelling en route was both enriching and thrilling, especially for the younger crew. Undertaking their return journey, the contingent is planned to split en route along with their mutual support elements and participate in exercises with Air Force elements from Greece and Egypt before landing back in India on June 24. Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Ex-Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first-ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year, the release added. (ANI) Commenting on the alleged irregularities in the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to medical colleges, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "silence" on the issue and urged him to accept that "corruption is prevalent" in the country. The result of the NEET-UG 2024, declared on June 4, caused an uproar amid several issues- 1,500 students received grace marks, a high number of perfect scores, and allegations of a leaked question paper. Several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court and high courts by students seeking a re-test alleging irregularities and discrepancies. The SC has allowed retest of over 1,500 students who got grace marks. Speaking to ANI on Sunday from California, Sibal said, "First of all, the Prime Minister should come in front of the people in Parliament and say that yes, we made a mistake, Corruption has been going on in the country for a long time and it is prevalent in every department. Until the government does not accept this matter, there will be no solution to this." "I remember that the Prime Minister had said that corruption in our ministries has been eradicated. So it seems that this (NEET) is not a case of corruption, this is a matter of goods and services," Sibal quipped. He further took a dig at the Prime Minister's "silence" over the NEET row and other issues like Manipur violence. "I will remind the Prime Minister of what you said; if you see corruption taking place, then you must comment on it in some way or another. You always remain silent. Whether it is about Manipur, he remains silent or whether it is about terrorism, he remains silent. Terrorism will end, cash transactions will end, and corruption will also end. We are watching all this," he added. Sibal, who is a former HRD minister, said that the matter of NEET does not come under the purview of the HRD ministry but is a matter of the Health Ministry. "The Health Minister has not commented on this till date. The HRD minister, whatever he says, does not come to work. In a profession where we are going to make a student a doctor, if that student becomes a doctor by paying money then how will he practice medicine? What kind of doctor will he be?" he asked. Several petitions were filed in the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5. The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), paves the way for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. On June 13, the NTA told the Supreme Court that the scorecards of 1563 candidates who got "grace marks" in the NEET-UG exam will be cancelled and the candidates will have a chance to reappear for the exam on June 23 and the results will be declared before June 30. It further said that a committee has been constituted to review the results of over 1,563 candidates who were awarded "grace marks" to compensate for the loss of time suffered while appearing for NEET-UG. The Supreme Court will hear the petitions on July 8. (ANI) More than 2.5 lakh farmers of Tripura shall receive over Rs 48.95 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN Nidhi) scheme. It should be noted here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his approval for the disbursement of Rs 20,000 crore as the 17th instalment under the scheme on his first day in office as a Prime Minister for the third consecutive term, Tripura Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath told media persons. "On June 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will transfer the funds to the bank accounts of the beneficiary farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Each of the beneficiaries will receive Rs 2,000 in their bank accounts", he added. According to the Minister Rs 48.95 crore will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of 2,52,907 farmers in the state. "Since the launch of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in December 2018, 11 crore farmers across the country have benefited up to the 16th instalment. Among them, 30 crore are women farmers. In Tripura, farmers received a total of Rs 687.43 crore till the 16th instalment," he said. The minister also provided a district with a break up of beneficiary farmers. "In North Tripura district, 48,446 farmers will receive Rs 9.68 crore, the highest. In the Dhalai district, 36,776 farmers will get Rs 7.35 crore, in the Gomati district, 31,592 farmers will receive Rs 6.31 crore, in the Khowai district, 28,838 farmers will get Rs 5.76 crore, in the Sepahijala district, 30,008 farmers will receive Rs 6.16 crore, in South district, 33,350 farmers will receive Rs 6.67 crore, in Unakoti district, 17,084 farmers will get Rs 3.41 crore, and in West Tripura district, 18,701 farmers will receive Rs 3.74 crore," Nath said. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi on June 18 to release Rs 20,000 crore under the PM-KISAN Nidhi scheme. The Prime Minister will grant certificates to more than 30,000 self-help groups designated as Krishi Sakhis after the release of the 17th instalment of the PM KISAN scheme, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said while addressing a press conference. The event will be organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in coordination with the Government of Uttar Pradesh. (ANI) Residents of several areas of Delhi on Monday continued to face water shortages with people seen queuing up at water tankers to get their fill of water. Visuals from Okhla area showed people holding onto cans and buckets crowding around water tankers. This scene has become a daily occurrence in many areas in the national capital many areas since the start of the summer season this year. Chanakyapuri's Sanjay Camp, Geeta Colony in East Delhi, Patel Nagar, Mehrauli, and Chhatarpur are some of the areas in the national capital that have been affected by severe water crisis. Meanwhile, with the water supply crisis deepening in the city, police officials inspected the Jal Board pipelines in the Yamuna Khadar area of northeast Delhi on Sunday and said that there was no leakage. After inspecting the pipeline, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Lokendra Sirohi said, "There is no leakage here. If there is any leakage, we will inform the Jal Board and our control room." Delhi Minister Atishi on Sunday wrote a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, urging the deployment of police personnel to protect major pipelines in the national capital. Atishi had said that the ground patrolling team found water supply pipelines were damaged in some places. She also requested that the Commissioner deploy personnel to protect the major pipelines for the next 15 days. The Delhi Water Minister also alleged that the BJP's former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri attacked the Delhi Jal Board office in Chhatarpur along with some goons. The water crisis in Delhi has sparked widespread protests, vandalism, and political confrontations across the city. While addressing a press conference, Atishi said, "Delhi is currently facing severe heat. Even in this difficult time, the BJP has left no stone unturned to trouble the people of Delhi. The BJP is hatching a conspiracy against the people. This conspiracy has three parts. The first part of this is to stop the water supply to Delhi from the BJP government of Haryana. Due to this not even a drop of water is left at the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant." Meanwhile, AAP MLAs accused Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil of not intervening in the matter, while the BJP held a 'matka-phod' protest against the Arvind Kejriwal government to highlight the water crisis in Delhi. MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday reached the residence of Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil at BD Marg, seeking his intervention in the issue of water shortage. However, the MLAs were not able to meet the minister as he was "not available" at his residence. The BJP has been blaming the AAP government for the water crisis saying that it did not take effective action against the tanker mafia who pilfer water. Congress, which had fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the AAP in the national capital, has also held protests in the national capital. On Saturday Congress workers held a 'Matka Phod' (break pitchers) protest in Delhi's Krishna Nagar area against the AAP-led Delhi government and the BJP-led government at the Centre to highlight the water crisis in the national capital. (ANI) Mosques and several religious sites across the country on Monday were thronged by the devout who gathered to offer Namaz on the auspicious occasion of the holy ''''Eid Al-Adha'' festival. At the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi hundreds of worshippers assembled for morning prayers. Maksud Ahmed, a devotee, reflecting on the significance of the festival, stated that it signified sacrificing vices. "This day reminds us of sacrifice. Sacrifice is not just about the sacrifice of an animal; in essence, it means sacrificing our vices for our own sake. On this day, one should sacrifice all the bad qualities within oneself and bring forth one''s goodness," Ahmed said. "Today, all Muslims who have performed the prayer will remember the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim by sacrificing an animal. This ends our vices and increases our virtues," he added. Another devotee, Abdul Rehman, expressed his joy at participating in the prayer at Jama Masjid for the first time. "Today, for the first time, we performed the Eid prayer at the mosque in Delhi, and we felt very good. We had never seen such a large crowd before. Seeing all these people together offering the Eid prayer to Allah made us feel very happy," Rehman said. Children at the Jama Masjid greeted each other on the occasion after offering Namaz. A girl named Alishba said, "We came here to Jama Masjid with great enthusiasm to perform the prayer. Along with our uncle and father, we performed the prayer, and now we will go home and perform the sacrifice." Meanwhile, People also offered namaz at Fatehpuri Masjid in the national capital on the occasion of today''s festival. Equally vibrant celebrations were seen in other parts of the country too. In Srinagar, devotees gathered at a Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Sonwar to offer their prayers. A devotee shared his sentiments stating that he prayed for the happiness and peace of people across the country on Eid Ul Adha. Talking about the tradition he said, "Today is a very joyous occasion, and on this occasion, we also perform the sacrifice of an animal, which we divide into three parts: one part we keep for ourselves, one part for relatives, and one part for the poor." "I have prayed that everyone remains happy, and I have prayed for everyone. We have prayed for the happiness of the entire India, our country, and the whole world. There should be peace everywhere, and if there is any hatred in anyone''s heart, it should be removed this Eid," the devotee added. In Uttar Pradesh, devotees gathered at Mubarak Khan Shaheed Mazaar in Gorakhpur and Jama Masjid in Noida. Meanwhile, Mumbai''s Makhdoom Ali Mahimi mosque in Mahim saw a large turnout of worshippers. Bhopal''s Idgah Masjid, Coimbatore''s Islamiyah Matriculation Higher Secondary School, and various locations in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, also witnessed heartfelt celebrations. In Rajasthan, the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer was thronged by devotees. Kerala''s Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Trivandrum became a site of collective prayer and reflection. People also gathered at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium - Thiruvananthapuram to offer Eid prayers. Eid Al-Adha is a holy occasion and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The festival is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham''s willingness to sacrifice everything for God. (ANI) The deceased, identified as Angad Gupta (48) and Jairam Gupta (38) of Gorakhpur, had been working in the Gulf country for nearly a decade. They returned to work after staying with their families a few months ago. Kishan first met the family of Angad Gupta and Jairam Gupta. After meeting the families, the Gorakhpur MP said he is like a "son" to these families and is standing with them in this hour of grief. "Family members of these two deceased have met with a big disaster. I stand with both of these families. I am now the son of both of these families. If the people of Gorakhpur face any kind of trouble anywhere in the world, I feel very sad. Standing with the family members in such an hour of grief, I feel like a son to this family," he told reporters. Nearly four dozen people, including 45 Indians, died in a fire at a labour accommodation in Kuwait's Mangaf on June 12. The mortal remains of the deceased arrived in Uttar Pradesh last week. Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered financial assistance to the family of two workers. He met and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. The Chief Minister also presented a cheque of Rs 5 lakh each to Angad Gupta's wife Rita Devi and Jairam Gupta's wife Sunita. (ANI) Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Monday appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for inquiry in connection with the POCSO case registered against him. Ahead of his arrival at the CID office, the BJP leader said. "I am going to CID now," said Yediyurappa stating that he will face the inquiry in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) case against him for allegedly molesting a minor girl. The CID is probing the case. Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra stated, "Regarding the new case against Yediyurappa ji, we have trust in the court. He is going before the investigation agency today. Whatever he has to say, he will say it there. Nothing to worry about. He will say everything in front of the SIT." Ahead of his appearance before the CID, Yediyurappa lashed out at the hike in prices of petrol and diesel in the State. "The people of the state are already facing many problems. People are suffering due to price rise. The decision of the state government to increase the price of petrol and diesel is a crime. The state government should take it back its decision immediately," Yediyurappa told reporters here. Meanwhile, Yediyurappa who arrived in Bengaluru from New Delhi on Saturday told reporters at the airport that the non-bailable warrant issued against him the ongoing POSCO case against him caused "necessary confusion" and that people would teach a lesson to those who were "doing tricks" aginst him "The people will teach them a lesson," Yediyurappa had said. The Karnataka High Court had on Friday issued an order stating that coercive proceedings of arrest and detention of Yediyurrappa will be kept on hold until the next date of hearing. The order of the High Court followed a letter from Yediyurappa volunteering to appear before police on June 17. This came a day after a Bengaluru court on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant against the former Karnataka chief minister directing his immediate arrest in connection with sexual assault against a minor girl under the POCSO Act, which deals with sexual assault cases against minors. The controversy began in March when the victim's mother filed a complaint at the Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru, accusing Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her daughter. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday criticised the Karnataka High Court's decision to stay Yediyurappa's arrest. She said that the decision exposed selective justice, contrasting Yediyurappa's treatment with that of former Chief Ministers Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal, both of whom were arrested on what she described as lesser charges. (ANI) Celebrating the spirit of Eid-Al-Adha, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi offered Namaz at Dargah Panja Sharif in the national capital on Monday. Emphasizing the importance of unity in India's diverse cultural landscape, he highlighted the idea of "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat." After offering Namaz, Naqvi said India is a nation where people of all faiths and religions coexist, and every festival from around the world is celebrated. "Our country is a unique one in the world where people from every faith and religion live and every festival of the world is celebrated...We celebrate each other's festival and that's what we call unity in diversity, Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat," Naqvi said. BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also offered Namaz in Bihar's Supaul. After offering prayers he said, "I extend my wishes to everyone on the occasion of the Eid Al Adha festival. I appeal to everyone to celebrate the festival with peace and harmony. I wish the nation progresses." Meanwhile, Patna, District Magistrate Shirsat Kapil Ashok also extended his best wishes to all those celebrating Eid Al Adha. The DM assured the public of the administration's efforts to facilitate the celebrations with water ATMs, medical facilities, and other necessary services. "On behalf of the district administration, we extend best wishes to all the Namazis on this occasion of Eid Al Adha. We have water ATMs, medical facilities and other officials who are here to facilitate the celebration. I appeal to people to celebrate this festival of peace and joy peacefully while maintaining the dignity of Bihar," Ashok said. Eid Al-Adha is a holy occasion and it is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The festival is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. Earlier in the day mosques and several religious sites across the country on Monday were thronged by the devout who gathered to offer Namaz on the auspicious occasion of the holy 'Eid Al-Adha' festival. At the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi, hundreds of worshippers assembled for morning prayers. Maksud Ahmed, a devotee, reflecting on the significance of the festival, stated that it signified sacrificing vices. "This day reminds us of sacrifice. Sacrifice is not just about the sacrifice of an animal; in essence, it means sacrificing our vices for our own sake. On this day, one should sacrifice all the bad qualities within oneself and bring forth one's goodness," Ahmed said. "Today, all Muslims who have performed the prayer will remember the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim by sacrificing an animal. This ends our vices and increases our virtues," he added. Equally vibrant celebrations were seen in other parts of the country too. In Srinagar, devotees gathered at a Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Sonwar to offer their prayers. A devotee shared his sentiments stating that he prayed for the happiness and peace of people across the country on Eid Ul Adha. In Uttar Pradesh, devotees gathered at Mubarak Khan Shaheed Mazaar in Gorakhpur and Jama Masjid in Noida. Mumbai's Makhdoom Ali Mahimi mosque in Mahim saw a large turnout of worshippers. Bhopal's Idgah Masjid, Coimbatore's Islamiyah Matriculation Higher Secondary School, and various locations in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, also witnessed heartfelt celebrations. In Rajasthan, the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer was thronged by devotees. Kerala's Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Trivandrum became a site of collective prayer and reflection. People also gathered at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium - Thiruvananthapuram to offer Eid prayers. (ANI) Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday lashed out at Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal over the three new criminal laws, saying they were passed when a record 146 Opposition MPs were suspended from the Parliament, and it does not reflect the "collective wisdom" of the Parliament. Alleging that Law Minister Meghwal is being "economical with the truth", Tewari said the implementation of the three laws will be "tantamount to throwing a spanner" into India's legal system. "The Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is being economical with the truth. The three new Criminal Laws were arbitrarily passed in Parliament after suspending a record of 146 MPs belonging to the opposition. These three laws reflect the will of only a section of Parliament who then sat on the Treasury benches. They do not reflect the collective wisdom of Parliament," the Congress leader wrote on social media platform X. "Even the dissenting views expressed by learned members of the Standing Parliamentary Committee of Home Affairs were not taken on board. The implementation of these laws from July 1st, 2024 will be tantamount to throwing a spanner into India's legal system," he added. The Congress leader demanded that the implementation of the three laws must be put a hold, stating that some of the provisions contained by these laws amount to "broader assault on Civil liberties." "The operationalisation of these laws must be put on hold till the time Parliament does not 'collectively reapply' itself to these three legislations. Certain provisions in these laws represent the broadest assault on Civil liberties since the foundation of the Indian Republic," the Chandigarh MP stated. This comes after Union Law and Justice Minister, Meghwal on Sunday, affirmed that the new Criminal Laws will come into force on July 1, 2024. Earlier, Meghwal said that IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act are changing. After following the due consultation process and keeping in mind the reports of the Law Commission of India, the three laws have been changed. The three criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- were passed in the Parliament last year that will replace Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will have 358 sections (instead of 511 sections in the IPC). A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the bill, and the imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 of them. The amount of the fine has been increased in 83 crimes and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty of community service has been introduced for six crimes and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the bill. Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita will have 531 sections (in place of 484 sections of CrPC). A total of 177 provisions have been changed in the bill, and nine new sections as well as 39 new sub-sections have been added to it. The draft act has added 44 new provisions and clarifications. Timelines have been added to 35 sections and audio-video provision has been added at 35 places. Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will have 170 provisions (instead of the original 167 provisions), and a total of 24 provisions have been changed. A total of 14 sections have been repealed and removed from the bill. Two new provisions and six sub-provisions have been added and six provisions have been repealed or deleted from the bill. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the train accident in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri, calling it a "very tragic incident." "The train accident in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, is very tragic. I express my heartfelt condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," Shah posted on 'X'. At least eight people have died and about 25 to 30 are injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said. The accident took place around 9 am. Meanwhile, rescue efforts to extricate trapped passengers are ongoing. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police are present at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is leaving for Darjeeling to visit the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site. In a post on 'X', Vaishnaw earlier termed it an "unfortunate accident in the NFR zone," and said, "Rescue operations are ongoing at a war footing. Railways, NDRF, and SDRF are working in close coordination. The injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site." A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district. Sealdah Eastern Railway has set up a control desk at Rangapani station after the Kanchenjunga Express train was rammed by a goods train at Ruidhasa in Darjeeling. (ANI) The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday held a protest against the Delhi government in Geeta Colony over the water crisis in the national capital. Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government and said there is "water theft" in the national capital. He alleged that AAP leaders are involved in the "black-marketing" of water. "There is theft of water. Arvind Kejriwal and his leaders are black-marketing water. If the theft, black-marketing and leakage is stopped Delhi will get water," the Delhi BJP chief told reporters on Monday. "Till the time the people of Delhi don't get water, we will keep protesting against the Delhi CM and AAP ministers. They are stealing water. If water wastage is stopped, people will get the needed amount of water. They talk about providing free water and then they give dirty water. This is shameful. They are just looting people. They are building their lavish houses..." he said. Lashing out at Kejriwal, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal asked why the Delhi CM has not been able to find a "permanent solution" to the problem. "Water crisis is not new, it has occurred every year for the last 10 years since Arvind Kejriwal's government came to power. I want to ask him why when this crisis occurs every year, why has he not found a permanent solution to it?" Khandelwal asked. BJP MP from New Delhi Bansuri Swaraj also slammed the AAP government. She said despite being in power for a decade, the Kejriwal government has not done anything and the Delhi Jal Board infrastructure is "crumbling." She added that the Delhi government is failing in its responsibility to provide water to people. "The Kejriwal government has no intention to work. The Kejriwal government has been in power for a decade but the Chief Minister and his government have done nothing. The entire infrastructure of the Delhi Jal Board is crumbling, it seems that the Kejriwal government is encouraging the illegal tanker mafia in Delhi...The Delhi Jal Board is under the control of the Delhi government, it is the responsibility of the Delhi government to provide water to the people of Delhi," she alleged. Earlier on Sunday, AAP accused the BJP of hatching a 'conspiracy' against the people, while the BJP held a Matka-Phod protest against the Arvind Kejriwal government to highlight the water crisis. (ANI) The BJP-led Central government has announced an enhanced ex-gratia compensation for victims in the train mishap in West Bengal's Darjeeling involving the Kanchenjunga Express passenger train and a goods train in which at least eight people were killed and over 20 people sustained injuries. Families of the deceased will be provided Rs 10 lakh each while a sum of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 50,000 will be provided to those who sustained grievous and minor injuries respectively, said Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Loco pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train were among those who died, a Railway official said. "Death toll is 8. A special train left from there (accident site to Sealdah) at 1240 hours. Most of the passengers are from Malda and Bolpur. Most of the passengers are safe," Kaushik Mitra, Chief PRO, Eastern Railway told ANI. The tragic collision between the Kanchanjunga Express train and the goods train took place because the loco pilot of the goods train "disregarded the signal," Jaya Varma Sinha, the chairman and CEO of Railway Board, said. "The accident happened this morning. Kanchenjunga Express was travelling from Agartala to Sealdah. The train was hit in the rear end by a goods train which disregarded the signal," Jaya Varma Sinha told ANI. "Rescue operation completed. The driver (Loco pilot) who disregarded the signal has died and also the guard of Kanchenjunga Express has lost his life," the official said. Help desks established at all railway stations along the Agartala- Sealdah route, the Railway Board CEO said. The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). Visuals from the site showed one of the bogies suspended in mid-air. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Police and Army were involved in the rescue operation. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there would be many passengers from Assam on the train and he remained concerned about them. "I have spoken to the Railway minister regarding the accident. The train was from Tripura & passes through Assam. There will be many passengers from Assam. We remain concerned about the passengers...Whatever needs to be done will be done," Sarma told reporters. (ANI) Amid a water crisis in the national capital and a day after Delhi Water Minister Atishi wrote to city Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora requesting him to deploy police personnel to secure against theft and damage of water pipelines, Delhi Police officials on Monday inspected the Delhi Jal Board pipelines in Hazrat Nizamuddin area of South East Delhi. "Basically, this Jal Board water pipeline is properly patrolled here. We keep a proper watch on the Jal Board water pipeline that there should not be any leakage, there should not be any defect in it," Sub Inspector ML Meena of Hazrat Nizamuddin PS told ANI. Earlier on Sunday, Delhi police officials inspected the Jal Board pipelines in the Yamuna Khadar area of northeast Delhi and said that there were no leakages. Delhi Water Minister in her letter to Delhi Police Commissioner said, "I am writing to request deployment of police personnel to patrol and protect our major pipelines for the next 15 days to stop miscreants or people with ulterior motives from tampering with water pipelines which have now become Delhi's lifelines. At this juncture, any foul play and sabotage will worsen the already difficult water shortage being faced by the people of Delhi." The letter further added, "Delhi Jal Board has patrolling teams for our main water distribution network that carries raw water to the Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) and then from our WTPs to our main underground reservoirs in different parts of the city. In addition, we have deployed teams under the supervision of ADMs to support in this work." The Aam Aadmi Party leader said the ground patrolling team found water supply pipelines were damaged in some places. "Yesterday, our ground patrolling team reported a major leakage in our South Delhi Rising Mains, the main water pipeline that carries water from Sonia Vihar WTP to South Delhi. This was near the DTL substation in Garhi Medhu. Our patrolling team found that several large 375 mm bolts and one 12-inch bolt had been cut from the pipeline, causing the leakage- The fact that several large bolts had been cut seems to indicate foul play and sabotage," she said in a letter. (ANI) Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its protests against the Delhi government over the water crisis, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh accused it of "orchestrating" the shortage in the national capital. He alleged that BJP has been trying to block the flow of water into the national capital. "BJP-sponsored water crisis is happening in Delhi. When I say this, it means that the BJP does not want the people of Delhi should get water and for this, conspiracy in every way...Delhi is being pushed into a water crisis," Sanjay Singh alleged. "How the people of Delhi would get water if employees of Delhi Jal Board will stop their work fearing the goons of BJP. If you (BJP protestors) want to fight and do politics, then do it with us... You are attacking Delhi Jal Board employees and vandalising their office. What kind of hooliganism is this?" he said. The Rajya Sabha MP told the media that Delhi receives water supply from Haryana under an agreement but recent data shows a "significant shortfall" in the allocated quantity. "Water comes to Delhi from Haryana and they have to give it in a definite quantity. If they do not give that quantity of water to Delhi, then obviously the availability of water will decrease drastically, and we have also previously reported how little water is being given to Delhi," Singh said. "On June 6, 1002 MGD (Million Gallons per Day) water was given, on June 7 it was 993 MGD, on June 8 it was 990, on June 9 it was 988, on June 10 958, on June 11, 919, on June 12, 951, on June 13, 949 MGD water was given to Delhi, which is much less than our demand and the quantity that should be given to Haryana," he alleged. Earlier in the day, Delhi BJP protested against the AAP government over the water crisis in the national capital. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, Praveen Khandelwal and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva were part of the protest. Delhi BJP held 'matka-phod' protest on Sunday. Meanwhile, the residents of several areas of Delhi continued to face water shortages with people seen queuing up at water tankers to get their fill of water. Visuals from the Okhla area showed people holding cans and buckets crowding around water tankers. Chanakyapuri's Sanjay Camp, Geeta Colony in East Delhi, Patel Nagar, Mehrauli, and Chhatarpur are some of the areas in the national capital that have been affected by water shortage. The BJP has been blaming the AAP government for the water crisis saying that it did not take effective action against the tanker mafia who pilfer water. Congress, which had fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the AAP in the national capital, has also held protests in the national capital. Congress workers held a 'Matka Phod' (break pitchers) protest on Saturday in Delhi's Krishna Nagar area against the AAP-led Delhi government and the BJP-led government at the Centre to highlight the water crisis in the national capital. (ANI) Attacking the Congress-led Karnataka government over the hike in fuel prices, Bharatiya Janata Party state chief BY Vijayendra alleged that the state's "financial woes" are due to the mismanagement by the Congress party. Claiming that the state enjoyed a revenue surplus when BJP was in power, the BJP leader said "corruption" and "financial mismanagement" by the Siddaramaiah government had impacted Karnataka's financial health. Speaking to ANI, Vijayendra said, "When the BJP government was in power, Karnataka had a revenue surplus. My question is, in just a span of one year, what went wrong with the present Congress government?" "Due to the mismanagement by the present Congress government in Karnataka and severe corruption, we are facing problems. The financial situation is very bad in the state of Karnataka because of the mishandling of the situation by the Congress government and the CM himself," he added. Vijayendra further criticized the decision to hike fuel prices, arguing it would negatively impact the people of the state. "The decision of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hike the prices of petrol and diesel...this decision of the Congress government will cost dearly for the people of Karnataka and it will affect the farmers and lead to an increase in the prices of buses, taxis, autos, and everything, impacting the common man," he added. Vijayendra announced that the BJP is staging protests across the state in response to the price hike and urged the Chief Minister to reverse the decision. "The BJP is protesting against the decision of the Congress government and we are protesting across the state today. We urge the Chief Minister of Karnataka to roll back its decision," the BJP state president said. The increase in the price of petrol and diesel comes following an official notification from the Karnataka government, which indicates a revision in the sales tax levied on petroleum products. The price of petrol has surged by Rs 3, bringing the cost per litre in Bengaluru to Rs 102.84, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 3.02, raising the cost per litre from Rs 85.93 to Rs 88.95. Reacting to the POCSO case registered against his father and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Vijayendra said, "Regarding the new case against Yediyurappa ji, we have trust in the court. He is going before the investigation agency today. Whatever he has to say, he will say it there. Nothing to worry about. He will say everything in front of the SIT." BS Yediyurappa appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for inquiry in connection with the POCSO case registered against him on Monday. Ahead of his arrival at the CID office, the BJP leader said. "I am going to CID now," said Yediyurappa stating that he will face the inquiry in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) case against him for allegedly molesting a minor girl. The controversy began in March when the victim's mother filed a complaint at the Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru, accusing Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her daughter. (ANI) A condolence meeting was held in Kedarnath Dham on Monday to pay tribute to the victims of the devastating flood disaster that struck the region in 2013. Organized by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee and Kedar Sabha, the event saw participation from the entire Tirthapurohit community, the District Police Administration, and numerous pilgrims. The disaster, which occurred on the evening of June 16, 2013, was triggered by a series of cloudbursts in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. These cloudbursts caused severe floods and landslides, obliterating several villages and towns. Thousands of people were swept away, and many bodies remain unaccounted for to this day. The Kedarnath Dham flood disaster, which impacted five districts of Uttarakhand on June 16-17, 2013, was exacerbated by the rapid melting of snow and ice on Kedarnath Mountain. This led to the overflowing of Chorabari Lake, followed by its collapse, contributing to the massive flooding that affected thousands. Badrinath and Kedarnath dhams received rainfall on Friday, but pilgrim activities remained robust. While clouds remained in Gangotri and Yamunotri, the weather has deteriorated and there is light drizzle. Despite the weather, over 22 lakh pilgrims have visited the four Dhams of Uttarakhand so far this season. Additionally, 70,000 devotees have paid obeisance at Shri Hemkund Sahib and Shri Lokpal Tirtha. In a move to facilitate easier access for pilgrims, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, under the direction of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has lifted the previously fixed quota on the number of pilgrims allowed at the four Dhams. Pilgrims can now register for their visits at registration counters in Rishikesh and Haridwar, enhancing convenience and accessibility. This decision is expected to accommodate more devotees and streamline the pilgrimage process amidst the changing weather conditions. The Hindu pilgrimage Char Dham circuit consists of four sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The River Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri Glacier in Uttarakhand. Pilgrimage season peaks in Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra annually during the summers. Earlier on June 11, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the officials in a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Tuesday to coordinate with the District Magistrates to improve the Chardham Yatra arrangements. From time to time, senior officials should conduct on-site inspection of travel arrangements, and cooperate with the District Magistrates for better arrangements. The Chief Minister directed that duties and responsibilities should be determined to form a Yatra Authority. In this case, a meeting should be held with the administration, temples, transports, tour agents and other concerned parties. He said that arrangements for buses up to 42 seats should be ensured on the travel routes. During the meeting, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said that the backlog of devotees in Rishikesh and Haridwar for the Chardham Yatra has ended. All the devotees who are coming are being registered and sent on the Chardham Yatra. The number of registrations is no longer limited. The Chief Minister said that the implementation of the investments received during the Investor Summit should be expedited. Such investment proposals should be given priority first, which are suitable to the conditions of the state and help in connecting local people with employment. The Chief Minister said that a meeting should be called with the agencies involved in the construction of tunnels in the state under the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line, Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line and Delhi-Dehradun elevated road and the construction work should be expedited. Taking cognizance of the news of the injured calling 108 but the phone not being answered after the pickup overturned in Betalkhat, Nainital, the Chief Minister directed the Health Secretary to investigate this matter. He said that if this news is true, then strict action should be taken against those responsible for this. (ANI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated a voluntary blood donation camp in Agartala, and urged people to come forward to donate blood, highlighting its significance. The blood donation camp was organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party workers at Baradwali Aponjon Club on Sunday. "Maintaining a balance in blood donation and storage is essential, and efforts should be directed towards meeting blood demand with appropriate collection targets. Blood can only be stored for a limited period before it becomes unusable. Therefore, individuals aged 18 to 65 are urged to donate blood voluntarily to save lives," he said at the camp. The Chief Minister further affirmed that Tripura government is also prioritising healthcare services for the people, and is implementing initiatives like the Chief Minister's Jan Arogya Yojana, which is inspired by the Prime Minister's Jan Arogya Yojana. Highlighting the importance of voluntary blood donation, the CM Saha recalled the blood shortages faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Insufficient blood supply in blood banks posed challenges for doctors and patients. Similar shortages were experienced during elections due to the general public's preoccupations. To address this, various social organisations, clubs, voluntary organisations, and political entities were urged to participate in blood donation drives," Dr Saha said. He also stressed that blood banks should have units amounting to 1 per cent of the state's total population to ensure sufficient reserves. "Adequate blood supply is crucial for medical services; shortages can lead to significant difficulties for both healthcare providers and patients. Voluntary blood donation remains irreplaceable, being one of the most noble acts. Many harbour fears about potential health issues from donating blood, but over time, these concerns have diminished. Nowadays, people are more willing to donate blood voluntarily," CM Saha said. The Chief Minister encouraged students to participate more in blood donation. "Individuals aged 18 to 65 can donate blood, and doing so is beneficial as it stimulates the production of new blood cells, helps control blood pressure, and can prevent various diseases. Generally, men can donate blood every three months and women every four months. Blood transcends caste and religion, having no discrimination," he added. Providing statistics, the Chief Minister mentioned that Tripura currently has six blood separation centres, four of which are government-operated and two private. "Additionally, there are 12 government and two private blood banks in the state. Continuous blood supply is needed, particularly for surgeries, anaemia patients, accident victims, and those suffering from thalassemia, among other conditions. These needs can only be met through voluntary blood donation," he said. Manik Saha outlined various initiatives by the state government to enhance healthcare services for the people. BJP State President Rajib Bhattacharya, Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, and other notable individuals were present at the event. The Chief Minister toured the blood donation camp, encouraging the voluntary donors. Later, he also attended another voluntary blood donation camp organised by the Tripura Civil Services Association at their office in Krishnanagar. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 17th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme on Tuesday at Varanasi in which more than 9.26 crore farmers will receive the benefits amounting to over Rs 20,000 crore. The Prime Minister will also distribute the certificates to more than 30,000 SHGs trained as Krishi Sakhis to work as para extension workers. The event will be attended by Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Agriculture Minister and several State Ministers. More than 2.5 crore farmers will join the event including those at 732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), over 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and 5 lakh Common Service Centres across the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated on Monday. "On the 50 selected Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVKs), a special event is being organized where a good number of farmers will join the event. On these centres, several Union Ministers will also visit and interact with the farmers," it stated. According to the Ministry, the farmers will also be sensitized about good agricultural practices, new emerging technologies in the agricultural field, practising climate resilient agriculture, etc. They will also be educated on how to check their PM-KISAN beneficiary status, payment status, how to use Kisan-eMitra Chatbot, etc. Union Ministers will also distribute certificates to the trained Krishi Sakhis of the area, the Ministry added. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a press conference on Saturday, emphasizing the vital role of agriculture in India's economy and PM Modi's unwavering support for farmers. He stated that agriculture has always been a priority for the Prime Minister. The PM-KISAN scheme, launched in 2019, has significantly benefited farmers by providing financial support directly to their bank accounts. He expressed his gratitude for being entrusted with the important Department of Agriculture, noting that agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. He highlighted that even today, most employment opportunities are generated through agriculture, and farmers are crucial in sustaining the country's food reserves. He described serving agriculture and farmers as akin to worshipping God. The Government's dedication to enhancing the agricultural sector is evident through its continuous efforts and strategic plans, including the upcoming 100-day plan. PM-KISAN scheme was launched on February 24, 2019, to supplement the financial needs of all land-holding farmers subject to certain exclusion criteria of higher income status. Financial benefit of Rs 6,000/- per year in three equal instalments, every four months, is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers' families across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Till now over Rs 3.04 lakh crores has been disbursed to more than 11 crore farmers across the nation and with this release, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme will cross well over Rs 3.24 lakh crores. Krishi Sakhis are chosen as agriculture para-extension workers because they are trusted community resource persons and experienced farmers themselves. The Krishi Sakhis have already received extensive training in various agricultural practices, making them well-equipped to support and guide fellow farmers effectively. As of date, over 34,000 Krishi Sakhis out of 70,000 have been certified as Para-extension Workers. (ANI) Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Monday offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the train accident in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri and said that the railway accidents are the result of the "mismanagement" and "negligence" of the Central government towards the railways. As many as eight people have died and about 25 to 30 are injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said. "On behalf of the Congress Party, we pay our condolences. We pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured. The increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Central Government towards the railways. Due to this, the lives of passengers are being lost every day," Hooda said. The Congress leader further said that the opposition will continue to question this negligence and will seek answers from the government in Parliament. "As a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this negligence and will seek answers from the government in Parliament as well. Along with this, as our national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have appealed to our Congress workers in their statements to ensure that Congress workers contribute as much as possible in relief work," he added. Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose left for Bagdogra from Kolkata airport. He will meet the injured of the Kanchenjunga Express train accident in Darjeeling district. The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district. Meanwhile, rescue efforts to extricate trapped passengers are ongoing. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police are present at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. (ANI) Following the train mishap in Darjeeling of West Bengal, which claimed eight lives and left over 20 injured, the Tripura government has sent a two-member team of officials of the state government to extend assistance to the injured. At least eight people have died and about 25 to 30 are injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said. The accident took place around 9 am. Pradip Kumar Chakraborty, Tripura Home Secretary told ANI, "A two-member team of the Tripura government has been sent to the accident site in West Bengal. We haven't received any specific data on whether anyone from Tripura suffered injuries or not. The team will land at Bagdogra airport at 5:30 p.m. and by 6:30 p.m. they will be at the site of the incident. Upon their arrival at the spot, they will go look for the passengers from Tripura who might have gotten hurt in the accident." "Even if there is no one at the site, they will go to the Bagdogra hospital and medical college where the injured passengers have been shifted for medical attention", he added. Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, through a post on social media, said that the state government is continuously monitoring the situation. "Spoke with Hon'ble Union Minister for @RailMinIndia Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji regarding the collision of Kanchanjungha Express with Goods train in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Hon'ble Union Minister informed me that rescue operation is going on in full swing and assured that all necessary support would be given to the victims and their families", CM Saha said in a post on 'X'. https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1802587020239470758 "State Government is continuously monitoring the situation since morning. Tripura Bhawan officials instructed to visit accident site for proper monitoring of rescue and rehabilitation of accident victims. Cost of treatment of all injured will be borne by the State government. In case of any unfortunate accidental death, State Government has declared Rs. 2 lakhs ex-gratia payment to the next to kin of the victim", he added. The Tripura Chief Minister also issued three helpline numbers for assistance to the needy. "Helpline numbers: Katihar 9002041952, 9771441956; Emergency NJP +916287801758", CM Saha wrote in a post on 'X'. Meanwhile, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has landed in West Bengal; he will shortly visit the accident site in Darjeeling. Rescue efforts to extricate trapped passengers are ongoing. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police are present at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district. Sealdah Eastern Railway has set up a control desk at Rangapani station after the Kanchenjunga Express train was rammed by a goods train at Ruidhasa in Darjeeling. The central government, meanwhile, has announced an enhanced ex-gratia compensation for victims in the train mishap. Families of the deceased will be provided Rs 10 lakh each while a sum of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 50,000 will be provided to those who sustained grievous and minor injuries respectively, said Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (ANI) Amid a raging debate on Electronic Voting Machines, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday said that it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to clear the doubt of a single voter in this country adding that "constitutional methods" of the country should not be affected and election process should be "free and fair." "When BJP was in opposition, a book was published on EVM which was also endorsed by LK Advani... It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to remove any kind of doubt. If even a single voter in this country has any doubt, it should be removed... The election process should be free and fair. We will keep raising our voices on this because the constitutional methods of the country should not be affected," Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI. Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary D Raja said that the credibility of EVMs has become an issue and people are questioning it. "Not just political parties, but civil society organisations are also raising this issue... In an all-party meeting with the Election Commission of India, I raised the issue of the credibility of EVMs and also the need to bring comprehensive electoral reforms... CPI was one of the parties that demanded VVPAT counting and comparing it with EVM votes, but it wasn't accepted," he said. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described EVMs as "black box" and said that serious concerns are being raised about transparency in the country's electoral process. "EVMs in India are a "black box," and nobody is allowed to scrutinize them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability," he said in a post on 'X'. In India's recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, several opposition leaders had alleged that there was a possibility of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) being hacked. However Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar after the results emerged said, "Now, it (result) is in front of everyone. Let the EVM rest till the next elections... It is a trustable thing which keeps on doing its work..." After a report by a Mumbai-based newspaper stated that Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar's relative was carrying a mobile phone inside a counting centre in Maharashtra's Goregaon that was allegedly used for generating the OTP that unlocked the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the Returning Officer dispelled such reports and clarified that no OTP (One Time Password) on mobile is needed for unlocking EVMs. "There is no OTP (One Time Password) on mobile for unlocking EVM as it is non programmable and it has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper, which is being used by some leaders to create false narrative," Vandana Suryavanshi, the Returning Officer of 27 Mumbai North West Parliamentary Constituency said in a press conference on Sunday. The Returning Officer further stated that the incident at Mumbai North West Constituency Counting Centre is regarding unauthorisedly using mobile phone of an authorized person by a candidate's aide."Criminal case has already been filed by the Returning Officer," she added. Asserting the efficacy of EVMs in conducting polls, Suryavanshi said, "EVMs are stand alone devices without any wired or wireless connectivity with units outside EVM system. Advanced technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation. Safeguards include conducting everything in the presence of candidates or their agents."Sharing details about counting of votes through postal ballot, the Returning Officer said, "Counting of ETPBS (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System) happens in physical form (paper ballots) and not electronics as being spread through false narratives."Every counting sheet at every table for ETPBS and EVM counting and postal ballot counting (including ETPBS) is signed by all counting agents after due diligence," she added. The Returning Officer further stated that proceedings are on against the newspaper for "spreading rumours maligning Indian voters and the electoral system."Earlier in the day, an FIR was registered against Mangesh Pandilkar, a relative of Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar for allegedly carrying a mobile phone inside a counting centre in Maharashtra's Goregaon. The case has been registered at Vanrai Police Station. FIR has also been registered against a polling personnel Dinesh Gurav, who was an Encore (poll portal) operator with the Election Commission. Mumbai's Vanrai Police has sent a notice to Mangesh Pandilkar and Dinesh Gurav under section 41A of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The mobile phones have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory(FSL) to recover the data and fingerprints present on the phone are also being taken, the police said.(ANI) The north Indian hill town of Shimla is facing a water crisis due to the hot weather conditions. The residents are using the traditional water sources to meet the water problem. The residents in the city are getting water after every three days while in some areas people are receiving water after every five days. There are over 46 traditional water sources (Bowari) that are being used by the residents in the city. The daily consumption of water in Shimla City is 45 million litres a Day (MLD). The Shimla Municipal Corporation is rationing the water supply in the city. "We are facing a water crisis, We have regular consumption of 45 million litres a Day (MLD), it is always sufficient with 42 MLD. The number of tourists is increasing here these days. Today we received 31 MLD, in some areas we are supplying water after two days. We have appealed to the residents to use water judiciously. The water source is also getting dry, I want to increase the storage capacity. We shall also try to supply drinking water separately and allow the start of rainwater harvesting. We are working on it," said Sanjay Chouhan, Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation. Suresh, a local resident, told ANI that the residents are dependent upon Baori, a traditional water source, following the water shortage. "We have a natural source here and we are keeping it clean and people come here for water. I am getting information in some areas where people are not getting water for seven days. So we are dependent on Baori ( traditional water source)," Suresh Kumar, a local resident Another resident, Dula Ram, how traditional sources are proving to be conducive during the water crisis. "Shimla is facing a water crisis these days. People are fetching water from these traditional water sources of Baori. It is very good that we are getting water in this crisis, I am glad people have kept the traditional water source revived," Dula Ram, a resident told ANI. Meanwhile, amid heatwaves and rising temperatures, several areas in Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Rajasthan are grappling with a water crisis. In the national capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders protested against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government carrying earthen pots (Matkas) on their shoulders, amid the water crisis. (ANI) Amul, a leading dairy brand, has responded to the complaint of "foreign matter on the lid of the ice cream tub" from a customer in Noida and assured customers that it takes utmost care to ensure that the products are safe, healthy and nutritious. Amul, which is owned by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), said they had requested the customer to provide the said ice cream tub for investigation but it was not handed over. "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to her because of this incident," Amul said in a release. On June 15, the woman, Deepa Devi, had made a social media post, complaining that she found "an insect" inside her Amul ice cream. Amul said the social media post was made around 2.30 pm on June 15 and the complaint was responded to immediately by Amul on social media. It said the contact number of the customer was received at 3.43 pm and continuous efforts were made to contact the customer with a meeting taking place after 9:30 pm on the same day, despite numerous interviews given by the customer to the media in the same period. During the interaction, the customer was informed and assured about Amul's state of the art ISO certified plants which are automated and pass through numerous stringent quality checks before offering any product for sale to the esteemed customers, Amul said. "We also invited the customer to visit our plant to assure them about the quality processes being followed at the manufacturing plants," it said. "During our meeting with the customer, we had requested the customer to provide the said ice cream tub for investigation, unfortunately the customer refused to hand over the same. Unless the complaint pack is retrieved from the customer it would be difficult for us to investigate the matter and hence comment specifically on the issue which involves pack and supply chain integrity as well," it added. The release urged customers to be assured "of the superior quality of Amul Ice Cream". Amul said it is among India's most trusted brands, owned by 36 lakh farmers and markets 22 billion packs of Amul products annually across 50 plus countries "with the highest quality and food safety standards from 100 plus dairies across India". "We would like to assure you that we take the utmost care to ensure our products are safe, healthy and nutritious to serve our customers daily," the release said. "Once we receive the complaint pack from the customer, we shall investigate the matter from all angles and again get back to our customers with the findings," it added. (ANI) After the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) revised class 12th political science textbook and referred to the Babri Masjid as a "three-dome structure", Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha on Monday questioned the "silence" of alliance partners (INDIA bloc) over the issue and said the preamble of the Constitution is being "violated." This comes after the NCERT left Babri Masjid out, referring to it only as a "three-dome structure" in its revised Class 12th Political Science textbook. The revision pertains to Chapter 8, 'Recent Developments in Indian Politics'. "The education policy should be guided by the Constitution...The preamble of the Constitution is being violated...Shouldn't the holocaust, partition and war be taught to the students?... What kind of people are taking decisions ?... The students should know everything that despite hatred, hate and violence India evolved...Why are the alliance partners silent ?... This is an issue related to the future of students," Manoj Jha told ANI. NCERT revised its Class XII political science textbook, saying the change reflects the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The final judgement in the Supreme Court was declared on 9 November 2019. The Supreme Court ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple. New NCERT textbooks have hit the market with several deletions and changes. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, does not mention the Babri Masjid, but refers to it as a "three-domed structure and has condensed the Ayodhya section from four pages to two. Several critical details present in the previous version have been omitted, including the BJP's Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya, the involvement of kar sevaks, the communal violence following the Babri Masjid's demolition on December 6, 1992, the imposition of President's rule in BJP-governed states, and the BJP's expression of regret regarding the Ayodhya events The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. (ANI) Amid intense heatwave conditions in the city, the District Magistrate on Monday extended the summer vacations of private and government-run schools up to class 8 in the district of Patna till June 19. The order is issued under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The District Magistrate of Patna, Shirsat Kapil Ashok, issued an order to prohibit all educational activities up to class 8 in all governmental and private education institutes of Patna district. However, the teaching and non-teaching staff are ordered to remain in the school and continue their services. "Whereas, it has been made to appear to me that due to prevalent heat waves and high temperatures predicted by IMD in the district, the health and life of students are at risk," the order reads. "Therefore, I, Shirsat Kapil Ashok, IAS, District Magistrate, Patna, under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, hereby prohibit the educational activities up to Class VIII in all government and private schools of Patna district. During the said period, the teachers and non-teaching staff of the school will remain present in the school/office and perform their duties. The order as mentioned above will come into force w.e.f. 18-06-2024 and will remain effective till 19-06-2024. This order has been passed on 17-06-2024 under my signature and the seal of the court," the order stated. According to the latest data from the Regional Meteorological Centre of Patna, severe heatwave conditions continue to prevail in the city for the next two days. (ANI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that he has an "emotional connection" with both Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats and that leaving Wayanad is a "tough decision." Rahul Gandhi will keep his Rae Bareli seat while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad, the party announced on Monday. "I have an emotional connection with both Wayanad and Rae Bareli. And for the last five years, being an MP from Wayanad has been a fantastic experience and enjoyable experience. I thanks people who stood with me, I thank the people of Wayanad who gave me love and affection. They gave me the energy to fight in a very difficult time. So I will never forget that. I want everyone in Wayanad to know that Priyanka is going to fight elections in Wayanad but I will be a frequent visitor to Wayanad and I will be available to the people of Wayanad and the commitments we have made will stand up to them and will to deliver all those commitments. I have an old relationship with Rae Bareli, I am happy that I will get to represent them again but it was a tough decision," Rahul Gandhi said. He further said that he is confident that her sister Priyanka Gandhi would win the elections from Wayanad. "Priyanka Gandhi is going to fight the elections and I am confident that she is going to win the elections. The people of Wayanad can think that they have two members of the Parliament, one is my sister and the other is me. My doors are always open for the people of Wayanad, I love every single person in Wayanad," he added. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra vowed that she would not let Wayanad feel Rahul Gandhi's absence. "I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Rae Bareli. We will both be present in Rae Bareli and Wayanad," Vadra said. Rahul Gandhi interjected and said both constituencies are getting two MPs. When reporters asked if she is feeling nervous, Vadra said, "Not at all." Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Rahul Gandhi will keep his Rae Bareli seat while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from the Wayanad seat. "Rahul Gandhi won two Lok Sabha seats but as per the law, he has to vacate one seat. Rahul Gandhi will keep the Rae Bareli seat and vacate the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat," Kharge said addressing the media outside his residence. He further announced that Congress General Secretary Vadra would contest the elections from Wayanad. "We have decided that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will fight elections from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat," the Congress chief added. Priyanka Gandhi is finally making her electoral debut from the Wayanad seat after Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat by keeping the family bastion of the Rae Bareli seat. Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the people of Kerala like Priyanka Gandhi and would win the elections by a huge margin. "The people of Kerala like Priyanka Gandhi ji. She will win with a big margin." He also said, "Everybody is happy with the decision. Rahul Gandhi will keep Rae Bareli and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad," Venugopal said. On Rahul Gandhi to keep the Rae Bareli seat and Priyanka Gandhi to contest elections from Wayanad, Congress leader Ajay Rai said that the party will strive to strengthen the Congress. "It was the demand of the people of Uttar Pradesh and all of us in the party that Rahul Gandhi keeps the Rae Bareli seat because it has been a family seat... We will further strive to strengthen the party... Priyanka Gandhi will be successful in keeping the Congress family intact and will prove to be an able leader... Priyanka Gandhi strengthened the party in the country and made it capable of contesting against PM Narendra Modi," Rai said. Congress leaders and Brother-sister duo Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared a hug after the announcement of Priyanka's candidature from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, presently represented by her brother Rahul Gandhi. The decision came after top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi held a meeting at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to decide which Lok Sabha seat Rahul Gandhi would retain. Meanwhile, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed the Congress party and said that this is "shamelessness" that the party is imposing one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad. "There is shamelessness and there is Congress type of shamelessness - imposing one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad - after shamelessly hiding the fact that Rahul was contesting from another constituency. This pattern of betrayal is the reason why Cong has seen 3rd poll defeat under Rahul Gandhi," Chandrasekhar posted on X. Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two seats -- Rae Bareli and Wayanad, won both constituencies by huge margins. Rahul Gandhi won the seat of Rae Bareli by defeating BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes. Gandhi had contested this seat aiming to save the lone bastion of the party in the state after he lost Amethi in 2019. The Congress leader also won the seat of Wayanad, which paved his entry to the Lok Sabha in 2019. He defeated Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday expressed his grief over the rail mishap involving the Kanchanjungha Express, which took place in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal on Monday. The Chief Minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the accident and described the mishap as 'tragic and heart-wrenching'. CM Yogi posted on his official X handle, "The loss of lives in the rail accident in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray to Lord Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His feet and to bless the injured with a swift recovery." Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the central government for neglecting passengers' amenities and focusing only on beautification of words. "They (BJP) have so many talking points and beautification of words. It is just like fashion. But they don't take care of passengers' amenities," the Chief Minister said speaking to reporters at the Kolkata Airport before heading off for Siliguri. As many as eight people have died and about 25 to 30 are injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said. The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday explained along with statistics that even after the increase in tax on petrol-diesel, the fuel price in the state is lower than the BJP-ruled states and the states of South India. Addressing a press conference at Home Office Krishna, the CM explained how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the centre created an environment in which the necessity of tax increase was inevitable and also explained the situation created due to non-payment of the state's share. The Chief Minister explained with figures that "after 2015, even when the price of crude oil was reduced by half in the international market, the Modi government continuously raised the price of fuel without giving the benefit to the people of the country." He said that the estimated three thousand crore rupees collected from the increase in value-added tax on petrol and diesel will be paid to the state treasury and that the money will be allocated for people's welfare programmes and it will not go into our pockets. "In the previous BJP government, 40 per cent of the tax money in every scheme of the state went into the pockets of BJP leaders. In this way, approximately one and a half lakh crore rupees of the hard-earned money of the people of the state have been filled in the pockets of these BJP leaders," he said. "Where do the looting, corrupt, anti-people BJP leaders have the dignity to question the marginal increase in taxes for public welfare," the CM asked. He said that the state government is spending 60 thousand crore rupees for guarantee schemes. "This amount goes to the poor and middle class of all caste communities of the state. The current marginal increase in diesel-petrol tax will generate additional resources of only Rs 3,000 crore. But we are giving 60 thousand crore rupees for guarantees. Thus R Ashok's silly words do not make sense," he added. He sarcastically said that R Ashok does not understand all this, nor is he capable of understanding it. The Karnataka Chief Minister said that they have raised sales tax by Rs 3, both on petrol and diesel, and then also rates are less than that neighbouring states have. Slamming the BJP, he said that BJP people are making it an issue for political reasons. Further, he said that for developmental works, they are raising the resources. While speaking to media persons, Karnataka CM said "We have raised sale tax by Rs 3, both on petrol and diesel. Still, we are less than the rates that our neighbouring states have. The BJP people are making it an issue for political reasons. When Narendra Modi ji raised additional excise duty on petrol and diesel, they kept quiet. More than 10 times, they have raised it. Our share in the tax devolution, from the 14th finance commission to the 15th finance commission, we lost about Rs 1,87,00,000 crores. Why these people are keeping quiet about it? For developmental works, we are raising the resources." The increase in the price of petrol and diesel comes following an official notification from the Karnataka government, which indicates a revision in the sales tax levied on petroleum products. The price of petrol has surged by Rs 3, bringing the cost per litre in Bengaluru to Rs 102.84, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 3.02, raising the cost per litre from Rs 85.93 to Rs 88.95. (ANI) The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi has dismissed a bail plea of a man allegedly engaged in the trafficking of gullible Indian nationals to Russia and duping them for better employment and high-paying jobs. The accused with others and through their agents, trafficked Indian nationals to Russia on the pretext of getting jobs related to Russian army, security guards, helper, better life, job, education and huge amount was charged from these persons illegally. Further, these agents or human traffickers were duping indian students/ citizens for admission in dubious private universities in Russia instead of government or public known universities, by offering them free discounted visa extensions, fee structure, etc and thereafter, the victims were left at the mercy of visa agents and college authorities. The Special Judge Atul Krishna Agrawal in an order passed on June 7 stated that the allegations against the applicant accused (Micheal Elangovan Anthony) are grave and serious in nature. Enlarging the applicant/ accused on bail at this stage will hamper further investigation of the case. There is also a possibility that the applicant/ accused may try to destroy the evidence which are yet to be obtained by the Investigation officer. The applicant/ accused may also assist the other accused persons in continuing to evade the process of law. Considering all these facts and the role of the applicant/ accused as brought forth by the prosecution, there is no ground to grant bail to applicant/ accused at this stage. Accordingly, the bail application stands dismissed, said the Court. The Court noted that after reaching Russia, the passports of these Indian nationals were taken/ snatched by agents at Russia. The victims were trained in combat roles and were provided with Russian army uniform and batches. Thereafter, these Indian nationals were deployed in front bases, in Russia- Ukraine war zone, against their wishes and by putting their life in danger. It was also found that some human trafficking victims had also got grievously injured in the war zone. However, the accused through counsel argued that he has been falsely implicated in the present case. He was an employee of one of the named accused Ramesh Kumar Palanisamy, whom he met last year in a garment exhibition in Russia. He started working with him as an employee in the garment business from November last year and hardly worked for him, for four months. The said Ramesh Kumar Palanisamy also sent an invitation letter to applicant or accused inviting him to Russia for garment business, but due to ongoing war situation, he asked the applicant or accused to wait for sometime till normalcy. It was further stated that applicant/ accused was himself a victim because an invite was also sent to him and he was offered a job in Russia by the said Ramesh Kumar Palanisamy but nothing happened. Accordingly, the CBI the FIR was registered against the accused persons for the offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and human trafficking for the purpose of exploitation, which are punishable under Sections 120B, 420 and 370 of the Indian Penal Code. It was further alleged against the applicant/ accused that he and Ramesh Kumar Palanisamy had stayed in a hotel room in Chennai in November - December 2020. During the said period, they had visited Russian Embassy for making liaison for obtaining visa for Russia. The applicant or accused had arranged tickets for Nepali persons and he even tried to obtain dummy ticket for trafficking persons to Russia. (ANI) Newly elected Member of Parliament and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti on Monday offered her condolences for those who lost their lives in a tragic rail mishap and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. She said, "I offer my condolences to the individuals who lost their lives in this tragic incident. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured in the accident." She further urged for immediate actions and inquiry into the incident and stated, "Immediate action should be taken in such cases and an investigation should be carried out to ascertain the cause." Demanding the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Misa Bharti asserted, "The responsibility for this incident should be taken by the Railway Minister and he should immediately resign from the post." As many as eight people lost their lives and almost 30 are injured in the tragic train mishap that occurred after a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said. The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district. Meanwhile, later in the day, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Darjeeling district and said that the rescue operation had been completed. "Right now our focus is on restoration. This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics. I will also meet the injured," Vaishnaw told reporters. The rescue efforts to extricate trapped passengers are ongoing. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police are present at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. (ANI) Amidst the deepening water crisis in the national capital, Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini on Monday took a potshot at the Delhi's government for neglecting and mismanaging the issue of water supply. He stated that Haryana is providing an adequate amount of water to the national capital. Addressing media persons, Haryana CM said, "We are providing them sufficient water. First, the AAP government should do some introspection on themselves. They are more focused on corruption rather than fulfilling its promises to the public. They should focus on implementing developmental schemes for the public of Delhi rather than doing corruption." Taking it further, Saini stated, "They have been running the government for the last 10 years, they should have worked on the water distribution system instead of blaming another state for the water supply. We (Haryana) are providing more than sufficient water to them. Delhi's public is ours too if they suffer, we also suffer. But the way their government lied to the public by not providing any facilities or building an effective system due to corruption, I think Delhi's public should give a befitting reply to them." Earlier, Delhi's Water Minister Atishi blamed the Haryana Government for curbing Delhi's water share from the Yamuna River. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its protests against the Delhi government over the water crisis. Sanjay Singh accused it of "orchestrating" the shortage in the national capital. He alleged that BJP has been trying to block the flow of water into the national capital. The Rajya Sabha MP told the media that Delhi receives water supply from Haryana under an agreement but recent data shows a "significant shortfall" in the allocated quantity. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini also slammed Congress for misleading the public about amendments in the Constitution regarding reservation and exuded his confidence in the party's victory in the upcoming legislative elections in Haryana in 2024. Expressing his confidence, the Chief Minister said, "In the Lok Sabha elections, we received more seats than Congress. During the elections, they had misled the public on the issues of reservation and amendments to gain votes. But we will reach out to the public based on the work Modi Ji has done in the past 10 years and under his leadership, we believe that the party will win the legislative elections with a resounding majority." (ANI) Meanwhile, the Home Minister also congratulated the Director General of Police for conducting the Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand peacefully. In the meeting, the Home Minister also emphasized the need for the activeness of the state police in preventing the increasing incidents of forest fire in the state and directed the DGP to take immediate action. These directions came after the increased forest fire incidents in the state. Earlier, on June 13, four firefighters lost their lives and four others sustained serious injuries while battling a fierce blaze in the Binsar forest, Almora district of Uttarakhand while the injured were swiftly transported to the base hospital for urgent medical attention. Meanwhile, on April 9, a massive fire broke out in the forests of Srinagar city of Pauri district of Uttarakhand at 6.30 pm. Notably, the DGP Abhivan Kumar had actively contributed as Inspector General (IG) in the Border Security Force (BSF) in Kashmir. He was part of the high-level team that implemented the important decisions of the Central Government while abrogating Article 370 in Kashmir. Abhinav Kumar is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and is currently serving as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand Police. (ANI) Amid row over the hike in petrol prices in Karnataka, Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party for an open discussion on the petrol prices. He said that it is the BJP government that allowed petrol prices to cross the century mark in the state. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he highlighted that the central government was collecting an excise duty of Rs. 32.98 per litre on petrol and Rs. 31.83 per litre on diesel. He asked why the BJP leaders were silent about this. During the UPA government, Zameer said the excise duty on petrol was Rs. 9.48, and on diesel, it was Rs. 3.56. Therefore, at that time, petrol was available at Rs. 68.31, and diesel at Rs. 48.63. However, after the BJP government came to power, petrol prices went up to Rs. 106. "During the UPA government, the crude oil price was USD 97.68 per barrel, and petrol was Rs. 68.31 per litre. Now, even though the crude oil price is USD 77.64 per barrel, why didn't petrol and diesel prices decrease during the BJP's tenure? When the price of petrol crossed Rs. 100 during Basavaraj Bommai's government, where were their voices then? BJP increased the cooking gas price from Rs. 419 to Rs. 903," Khan said. He also challenged BJP leaders to come for an open discussion on the petrol prices in the state. The Karnataka Chief Minister criticized the BJP and JDS for their protests against the fuel price hike, stating, "Today BJP and JDS are protesting as petrol and diesel prices have increased. But, they don't have to protest against the state government. They must protest against the Centre. After Narendra Modi became PM, petrol prices increased from Rs. 72.26 to Rs. 104 and diesel prices increased from Rs. 57.72 to Rs. 92. When in the international market crude oil prices decreased, PM Modi's government increased the prices." Earlier in the day, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3 per litre more for petrol and diesel in the state."After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8500/month to a woman of each family, Congress-led Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state," Hardeep Puri said in a post on X. "The price of petrol and diesel at the bunk is determined in large part due to the international prevailing price because we import 85% of our requirements of crude oil. I have done some statistics, between 2004 and 2014 the price of petrol and diesel in Bengaluru went up by 84%. This is during the Congress time and in diesel, it went up by 111 per cent, he said. Specifying about the global challenges impacting the international price of fuel, he said, "Because the international price had gone up and to that, you add the cost of insurance, cost of freight, refining margin...In our time, from 2014 to 2024, there was turbulence in the international situation, there was a Russia-Ukraine war situation which is still going on, there was a problem closer to home in the Red Sea, attacks by Houthi rebels...Yet we have been able to navigate the international situation..." "Bharat is the only country, where prices of petrol and diesel over a representative period have come down in the case of petrol by about 2% or so and diesel by a little per cent instead of going up. How did we manage this? PM Modi reduced the excise duty levied by the Centre on two occasions, November 21 and May 2022. As a result, central excise duty came down and all the BJP states also reduced the VAT that they charged. If you go into the VAT figures it becomes clear. The difference in price between Itanagar and Chennai is Rs 9.90 for petrol, between Lucknow and Telangana is Rs 12.76, between Gandhinagar and Bengaluru is Rs 8.21, between Panaji and Kerala is Rs 12.35, between Guwahati and Kolkata is Rs 6.80...Between 2004 and 2014, Congress introduced petrol bonds. They floated Rs 1.41 lakh crores and today we are having to pay back Rs 3.20 lakh crores," Hardeep Puri said. The increase in the price of petrol and diesel comes following an official notification from the Government of Karnataka, which indicates a revision in the sales tax levied on petroleum products.The price of petrol has surged by Rs 3, bringing the cost per litre in Bengaluru to Rs 102.84, up from the previous rate of Rs 99.84. Similarly, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 3.02, raising the cost per litre from Rs 85.93 to Rs 88.95. (ANI) An eight-time MLA from Raipur, Bharatiya Janata party's Brijmohan Agarwal resigned from his post on Monday following his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Chhattisgarh capital. Agrawal tendered his resignation as MLA in the Chhattisgarh government at Assembly Speaker Raman Singh's residence. Agrawal said that it was an emotional moment for him to resign from the post of the MLA after serving in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assemblies for the past 35 years. "This was a very emotional moment for me. I have been a member of the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Legislative Assemblies for the past 35 years. And now that I am heading to the Parliament after leaving my post as MLA after all this time, is an emotional moment. All central government schemes and my experience will come in handy for further development of the region," Agarwal said after tendering his resignation. "Now that he has been elected to the Lok Sabha, he cannot be a member of two assemblies. Following due procedure, today he resigned from his membership of the Vidhan Sabha," said Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh. In a post on X, Brijmohan said that he will continue working for the people of Raipur and for the state of Chhatisgarh, even with "more energy". "When responsibilities increase, one has to give up many things. After participating in the proceedings of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha for more than 35 years and working for the development and prosperity of the state, it is a very emotional moment for me to resign from the post of MLA today. I will work for Raipur Lok Sabha and Chhattisgarh with new energy. Just like Mohan was for my people, he will remain their Mohan in future too," Agarwal wrote in a post on X. BJP's Brijmohan Agarwal won by a margin of 575265 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections from the Raipur seat. He contested against Congress party's Vikas Upadhyay. (ANI) Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Surendran attacked the Kerala Congress for making a derogatory statement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 summit and claimed that Congress party's social media handles are run by "urban naxals." A post by the Congress's Kerala unit mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 summit drew widespread condemnation. "I feel pity on Congress party's Kerala leadership...Congress party's social media handles are run by urban naxals...Without the consent and approval of KC Venugopal, this can't be possible. Why are Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge keeping mum? Always vocal on secularism, protection of minorities now abusing Pope and entire Christianity...Christian voters have voted for Narendra Modi...This is very derogatory and abusive words by the Congress party," Surendran told ANI. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil Antony accused the Congress of insulting the Christian community across India and the world adding that the party is against every single community. The BJP leader said that the Congress party in an attempt to insult PM Modi, has insulted Holy Father Pope Francis. "Yesterday the tweet by the Twitter handle of Kerala Congress was very disappointing. The G7 summit showed the entire country and world, India's rising stature and PM Modi too. India has emerged as a stability provider. Our Prime Minister has an excellent rapport with global leaders including Holy Father Pope Francis. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, all the Christian community from Northeast to Goa has stood by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission. The Congress party has been abusing the Hindu community and now they have started abusing the Christian community also. Now Congress politics has fallen to new lows where they are just appeasing one community, they are against every single community because they are not voting for them (Congress). The Congress party in an attempt to make PM Modi look bad, has insulted the Holy Father Pope Francis and the Christian community across India and the world," Antony told ANI. He further demanded an apology and said that the action of Congress is being repeated and hurting the sentiments of every community. "The Congress should apologise for what they did. The Kerala Congress Twitter handle did pull down the tweet and also issued a very lengthy apology but this is becoming a repeated issue where they are hurting the sentiments of every community," he added. BJP leader and party Kerala chief K Surendran condemned the post and accused the Congress of insulting both PM Modi and the Pope. "The INC India Kerala 'X' handle, seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals, continues to post derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders. Now, it has even stooped to mocking the respected Pope and the Christian community," the Kerala chief posted on X. Questioning the Congress leaders like party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal whether they endorsed such utterances. "It's certain that the AICC General Secretary from Kerala, KC Venugopal, is aware of this. The question is, what are Rahul Gandhi and Kharge's interests in supporting this?" he added. BJP IT Cell in-charge Amit Malviya demanded an apology from former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "After mocking the Hindus and deriding their faith, the Islamist-Marxist nexus in the Congress has now come down to insulting the Christians. This is when Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving Congress President, herself is a practising Catholic. She must apologise to the believers," Malviya posted on X. "So, @INCKerala, like cowards, quietly deleted the offensive post, after @GeorgeKurianBJP and @SurendranBJP slammed them. In the true tradition of Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi, who ran away from Amethi, Congress, when exposed, also goes in hiding. Sonia Gandhi must apologise to the believers," he said in a post. In response to K Surendran's post, the Congress cited Pope Francis' statement that "it is not heresy to joke about God." "When you manage to make intelligent smiles gush from the lips of even one spectator, you make even God smile." -- Pope Francis Pope Francis said this on Friday, 14th June on the same day after he met Narendra Modi. Better luck next time, @surendranbjp, @GeorgekurianBjp and others from Modi ka parivar!" the Kerala Congress posted in response to K Surendran X post. Later the Congress's Kerala unit deleted the post and apologised and clarified that it does not intend to insult any religion or religious figures. "No Congress worker would even entertain the remotest thought of insulting the Pope, whom Christians around the world see as God-like. However, the Congress has no qualms about mocking Narendra Modi, who insults the believers of this country by calling himself God, it posted on X. "We apologize unreservedly if this post has caused any emotional or psychological distress to Christians," it added. The Congress post featuring a picture of PM Modi with the Pope said, "Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God!" The post was later deleted from the Kerala Congress X handle. The post came in reference to PM Modi's statement that he was "sent by parmatma" (God) for a purpose. (ANI) Delhi's Water Minister Atishi on Monday appealed Haryana government to release the water and solve the problems of the people of Delhi amid the escalating water crisis and sweltering heat. Addressing the media persons, Atishi said, "Today we are here at Wazirabad barrack. Water from here is sent to various water treatment plants including Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla. Currently, no water is being released into the Wazirabad barrage. The water level has stepped so low that now the river bed is visible. Again, we are appealing to the Haryana government to release the water and solve the problems of the people of Delhi." Aht also informed that the senior officials and additional chief secretaries level officers from the Delhi Government will meet the officials of the Haryana Government amid the escalating water crisis and sweltering heat. Atishi conveyed, "The senior officials and additional chief secretaries level officers from the Delhi government will depart for Haryana on Tuesday to meet the 'Irrigation Department'. She further urged the Haryana Government to release the water in Yamuna so that Delhi's public can be relieved. Delhi Water Minister said, "Till the time Haryana doesn't release water into the Yamuna, water shortage will continue in Delhi. Munak Canal is receiving very little water and on the other hand, Wazirabad Barrage is receiving no water. The water from Yamuna goes to water treatment and is then resent to Delhi's public after re-treatment. But there is no water in Yamuna, the reason why the supply is halted. I can just stand before the Haryana government with folded hands and appeal to save the lives of Delhi's public. She further conveyed that the maintained water level is due to the recycled water that is being sent by the plant to the barrage. Quoting the data, she said, "According to the data of reports of the last five years, the water level in Wazirabad Barrage is around 674.5 feet and it has now reached 668 feet. It's 668 ft because we send some recycled water from plants for its efficiency, otherwise, we could have spotted only river beds. Also, the water level in Munak Canal is also around 902-904 cusecs." She further stated, "It's very common that if the water from the source is disrupted, then the water supply will eventually be halted." Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini on Monday took a potshot at Delhi's government for neglecting and mismanaging the issue of water supply. He stated that Haryana is providing an adequate amount of water to the national capital. Addressing media persons, Haryana CM said, "We are providing them sufficient water. First, the AAP government should do some introspection on themselves. They are more focused on corruption rather than fulfilling its promises to the public. They should focus on implementing developmental schemes for the public of Delhi rather than doing corruption." Taking it further, Saini stated, "They have been running the government for the last 10 years, they should have worked on the water distribution system instead of blaming another state for the water supply. We (Haryana) are providing more than sufficient water to them. Delhi's public is ours too if they suffer, we also suffer. But the way their government lied to the public by not providing any facilities or building an effective system due to corruption, I think Delhi's public should give a befitting reply to them." (ANI) Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Faggan Singh Kulaste has affirmed that he would fulfil whatever responsibility is given to him by the party. This comes after a video of the BJP leader went viral on social media, in which he was reportedly caught saying that he turned down the offer for the post of Minister of State at the centre, as he did not want to be a junior minister for the fourth time in Modi 3.0 council of ministers. "I am a seven-time MP. I have also served as a Union Minister and in different posts in the party. I will fulfil whatever responsibility is given to me. My video was put up in a wrong manner", Kulaste said while speaking to ANI. The BJP leader further stressed that nobody got more opportunities than he did. "Nobody got more opportunities than I did. I have nothing like that in my mind. Two people from the tribal area in Madhya Pradesh have been given the post of Minister of State. I am happy for them", he said. Kulaste secured the Mandla Parliamentary constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. He defeated Congress's Omkar Singh Markam by a handsome margin of 1,03,846 votes. Faggan Singh Kulaste was the MoS for Rural Development in the previous BJP government. He also served as the MoS for Health and Family Welfare during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from 2014 to 2019. The BJP leader had previously served as MoS for Tribal and Parliamentary Affairs in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government between 1999 and 2004. (ANI) In the first trip to India by a senior American official after the Modi government came to power for the third term, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will be in New Delhi on Monday for the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Sullivan was scheduled to visit India earlier in February but due to other pressing commitments in the US, the annual review meeting was rescheduled for June 17-18. People familiar with the developments told ANI that Sullivan, along with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and other top officials, will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. US National Security Adviser Sullivan is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. This meeting will be followed by a joint statement between the two nations underscoring the progress made and the importance of the iCET mechanism for the two countries. The two are also expected to discuss the situation in West Asia during their bilateral talks. Meanwhile, on Sunday at Burgenstock, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Ukraine peace summit hosted by Switzerland, Sulivan also informed that he would be travelling directly from Switzerland to India for the second meeting of the iCET initiative. Earlier, on June 6, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed Sullivan's upcoming visit to New Delhi during the call made by President Biden to congratulate PM Modi on his electoral win in the Lok Sabha polls. "President Joe Biden, spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India's general election," the White House statement said. Both leaders stressed their commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership. "The two leaders emphasised their commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the statement added. "The two leaders also discussed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's upcoming travel to New Delhi to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities, including the trusted, strategic technology partnership," it read. (ANI) After the conclusion of a peace summit in Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that all prisoners of war including children and civilians who were unlawfully displaced and detained must be returned to Ukraine. A two-day summit in Switzerland dedicated to forging a path forward to end the war in Ukraine concluded with key powers spurning a joint communique which was agreed to by more than 80 other countries and international organisations. "All prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a press conference after the summit. Further, the Ukrainian President also stated that nuclear facilities must be safe and its nuclear plants, including Zaporizhzhia, must be under Ukraine's control. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the war is unacceptable. "Any use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safe-guarded and environmentally sound. Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine, in line with IAEA principles and under its supervision. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine is inadmissible," said Zelenskyy on Sunday. Ukraine condemned attacks on merchant ships in the Black and Azov Seas and on civilian port infrastructure, stating they are "unacceptable." He also emphasised that food security should not be used as a weapon in the war. "Global food security depends on uninterrupted manufacturing and supply of food products. In this regard, free, full and safe commercial navigation, as well as access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas, are critical. Attacks on merchant ships in ports and along the entire route, as well as against civilian ports and civilian port infrastructure, are unacceptable," said the Ukrianian president. "Food security must not be weaponized in any way. Ukrainian agricultural products should be securely and freely provided to interested third countries," he added. Ukraine also believed that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties, he said "We, therefore, decided to undertake concrete steps in the future in the above-mentioned areas with further engagement of the representatives of all parties," said Zelenskyy. India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom have important trading relationships with Russia as members of the BRICS economic group, attended the weekend meeting but did not agree to sign the joint statement, CNN reported. The document reaffirmed the signatories' commitment to "refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognised borders." According to CNN, the communique published on Sunday said that signatories had struck several other agreements. Among them was the principle that Ukraine should be allowed its own nuclear power plants, including the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and that the Kremlin refrain from both the use of and the threat of using nuclear weapons. The peace summit began on June 15 and concluded on June 16, bringing together representatives from 92 countries and organisations to put pressure on Russia to end its war with Ukraine. However, Russia was not invited and China abstained from the summit. (ANI) Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who is accused of being involved in the alleged failed murder plot of India-designated pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the US to stand trial, NBC News reported. A US District Court spokesperson said Gupta is scheduled to appear in the lower Manhattan courthouse on federal murder-for-hire charges on Monday, the Amercian broadcaster said. The US Justice Department has alleged that Gupta (52) is an associate of the Indian government and that together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City, NBC News reported. In November last year, US Justice Department officials announced charges against Gupta after he was arrested in June 2023 in the Czech Republic. They said Gupta would face extradition to New York. Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York. The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors. In its indictment, the Justice Department has claimed that earlier last year, an Indian government employee working together with others, including Gupta, directed a plot to assassinate a political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City. It was alleged that Gupta is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1. The indictment claims that CC -1 directed the assassination plot from India.At CC-1's direction, Gupta allegedly contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate, but who was, in fact, a confidential source working with the The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the US. The source, it was alleged, introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was a DEA undercover officer. The purported hitman was offered USD 100,000 to murder the separatist leader, the Justice Department claimed. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, the Justice Department stated in a release. India in November last year formed a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns highlighted by the US government. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue. In December last year, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the plot to allegedly kill Pannun in the US. (ANI) Pakistan government's spokesperson on legal affairs, Barrister Aqeel Malik, said on Sunday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) must quit its anti-state activities and propaganda, and hold talks with the government on political issues to mull over solutions rather than damaging the interest of the nation at international forums, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. He warned that no anti-state agenda and narrative would be allowed by the state. While addressing a press conference, Aqeel Malik said there was no precedent to PTI's country enmity, as it was bringing about anti-Pakistan legislation in other nations. He said, "Pakistan is an independent country and does not take dictation from any nation. We want friendly relations with all nations. However, a concentrated smear campaign against Pakistan in foreign countries that started after the 2022 vote of no confidence which mounted the anti-Pakistan propaganda," ARY News reported. He said the PTI had hired lobbyists and PR firms to promote anti-Pakistan campaigns abroad. Aqeel Malik said that the state and government of Pakistan knew of the campaign and its perpetrators. He further said, "PTI cannot do opposition against the state as by doing so you are undermining it and there is no acceptability and tolerance for it. No political party is above Pakistan, let's make it crystal clear and no anti-state agenda and narrative will be allowed by the state." He urged the Imran Khan-founded party to think about the country as it had joined hands with country enemies and started an anti-country agenda for its political motives. He said PTI was becoming a source of humiliation for Pakistan at international forums, ARY News reported. Aqeel Malik said, "PTI is becoming a source of humiliation for the country at international forums. You are Pakistani and we all are Pakistanis. We have to work for the country. Nobody is stopping you from the politics but this negative and inimical political would not be allowed." Earlier on June 14, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that holding talks with politicians would be futile if decisions are dictated from elsewhere, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. PTI founder Imran Khan made these remarks while speaking to reporters after hearing in the 190 million corruption case. He said that PTI was not opposed to political dialogue. He alleged that political parties during previous talks with politicians, facilitated by former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial, said that the "top man" had decided not to participate in elections until his retirement, according to Dawn report. Imran Khan stressed that lawmakers always seek talks, citing PTI's dialogue with General Pervez Musharraf's representative during his tenure, instead of the government. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended greetings to Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the people of Oman on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. According to the Indian Embassy in Oman press release, PM Modi stated that the Eid al-Adha festival is an integral part of India's multicultural heritage and is celebrated by millions of Indian citizens of the Islamic faith. PM Modi extended his best wishes for Oman Sultan's good health and well-being. The Indian Embassy in Oman press release stated, "Noting that the festival is an integral part of India's multicultural heritage and is celebrated by millions of Indian citizens of the Islamic faith, Prime Minister mentioned that the occasion reminds us of the values of sacrifice, compassion, and brotherhood, which are essential in building a peaceful and inclusive world." "The Prime Minister extended his best wishes for the Sultan's good health and well-being and for abiding peace and prosperity for the people of the Sultanate of Oman," it added. Eid Al-Adha is a holy occasion and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The festival is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges, and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. Taking to X, the Indian Embassy in Muscat stated, "Prime Minister @narendramodi has extended sincere greetings to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the people of the Sultanate of Oman on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Adha." Mosques and several religious sites across the country on Monday were thronged by the devout who gathered to offer Namaz on the auspicious occasion of the holy ''Eid al-Adha festival. Earlier on June 11, PM Modi expressed gratitude to Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his call and appreciated his warm felicitations and words of friendship, after the BJP-led NDA won a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Thank Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of the Sultanate of Oman for his call and deeply appreciate his warm felicitations and words of friendship." Further, PM Modi underscored the long-standing strategic relationship between India and Oman, noting that it is set to become even stronger in the future. "The centuries-old India-Oman strategic ties are destined to scale new heights," PM Modi said on X. On June 9, Narendra Modi took the oath in Rashtrapati Bhavan as the PM of India for the third consecutive term. The oath ceremony was attended by leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region. (ANI) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra on Monday. Terming his talks with Albanese as "candid, in-depth and fruitful," Li said they also exchanged views on some differences and disagreements between the two countries and agreed to manage them properly. The visit by Li marks the first visit to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years and demonstrates a further thawing of the once-frosty ties between the two nations, ABC News reported. Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Li Qiang said that the two sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and strengthen exchanges between the legislatures, government departments and political parties between the two countries. Li Qiang said, "Just now, Prime Minister Albanese and I had a candid, in depth and fruitful meeting and reached a lot of consensus. We both agreed to uphold the right characterisation of our bilateral relationship and consolidate its momentum of improvement and development. We reaffirmed our commitment to defining this relationship as a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, to mutual respect and trust and to viewing and handling this relationship in a positive attitude." "The two sides agreed to maintain high-level interactions, strengthen exchanges between the legislatures, government departments and political parties and fully resume various areas of institutional dialogue and bring their role into full play. We also had a candid exchange of views of some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," he said The Chinese Premier said that Australia and China signed several cooperation documents on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. Li said China and Australia will make good use of such dialogue mechanisms like Strategy Economic Dialogue, the joint Ministerial Economic Commission and the Free Trade Agreement Committee to address each other's economic and trade concerns and provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment for companies. Australian PM Albanese termed the talks as "constructive" and stressed that the two nations cannot address differences without talks. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Albanese said, "We had a constructive discussion today at our Annual Leaders' Meeting, building on our Annual Meeting last year in Beijing. My government has put dialogue at the centre of Australia's relationship with China because it is always most effective when we deal directly with each other." "That's how we make progress on our shared interests and protect regional stability. Without dialogue, we can't address any of the differences that arise between us. Australia and China have renewed and revitalised our engagement. We've agreed across a range of MoUs and arrangements today that will continue to shape and drive our practical cooperation as we continue the process of stabilising the relationship," he added. Albanese also extended a welcome to the Chinese Premier in Canberra. In a post on X, Albanese stated, "Welcome to Canberra, Premier Li Qiang." Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday arrived in Australia for an official visit, Xinhua reported. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong received him at the airport. He arrived in Australia after his official visit to New Zealand as part of his three-nation visit. (ANI) In a poignant demonstration of their enduring grief and frustration, victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have chosen to forgo traditional Eid celebrations and instead hold a protest to express their anger against state agencies accused of committing atrocities against the Baloch people. Mama Qadir Baloch, a prominent figure in the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), announced the protest in a video statement. "For the past 15 years, the atrocities committed by the Army and intelligence agencies of Pakistan have led the Baloch to boycott Eid celebrations. While Muslims across the world celebrate this occasion, the Baloch mourn," he said. Mama Qadir, himself a victim of enforced disappearance, declared that the protest would take place at 4 PM on July 17 in front of the Quetta Press Club. The protest is expected to see participation from the victims' families and members of civil society. In a related event, families of the missing persons held a sit-in protest at Shaheed Fida Chowk on Eid day. This demonstration followed a similar protest in front of the DC office just a few days earlier, which had ended after the district administration provided assurances to the families. The decision to protest on Eid underscores the profound impact of the enforced disappearances on the Baloch community. For years, they have been seeking justice and answers for the whereabouts of their loved ones, who have allegedly been taken by state forces. These protests highlight the ongoing human rights issues in Balochistan and the desperate call for international attention and intervention. The Baloch community's boycott of Eid celebrations is a stark reminder of their unresolved plight and the continuing struggle for their basic human rights. The protest in Quetta aims to bring these issues to the forefront, hoping to garner support and prompt action against the enforced disappearances in the region. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in New Delhi on Monday and discussed various bilateral, regional and global issues. Jaishankar expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between India and the US will continue to advance strongly in the near term. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term." Sullivan arrived in New Delhi for the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). It is the first visit of a senior US official after the Modi government came to power for the third term. Sullivan was scheduled to visit India earlier in February but due to other pressing commitments in the US, the annual review meeting was rescheduled for June 17-18. People familiar with the developments told ANI that Sullivan, along with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and other top officials, will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. US NSA Sullivan is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. This meeting will be followed by a joint statement between the two nations underscoring the progress made and the importance of the iCET mechanism for the two countries. Sullivan and Doval are also expected to discuss the situation in West Asia during their bilateral talks. While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Ukraine peace summit hosted by Switzerland, Sullivan said on Sunday said that he would be travelling directly from Switzerland to India for the second meeting of the iCET initiative. On June 14, PM Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy and said India and the US will keep "working together to further global good." "It's always a pleasure to meet @POTUS @JoeBiden. India and USA will keep working together to further global good," PM Modi posted on X. Earlier, on June 6, Biden and PM Modi discussed Sullivan's upcoming visit to India during a call made by the US President Biden to congratulate PM Modi on his electoral win in the Lok Sabha polls. "President Joe Biden, spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India's general election," the White House statement said. Both leaders stressed their commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The White House statement reads, "The two leaders also discussed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's upcoming travel to New Delhi to engage the new government on shared U.S.-India priorities, including the trusted, strategic technology partnership." (ANI) As Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, organisations advocating for the rights of Uyghur and Turkic Muslims in East Turkistan (Xinjiang province of China) have issued poignant messages calling for global solidarity and action. These appeals highlight the dire human rights situation in the region, urging the international community to stand against the ongoing persecution under Chinese rule. In a post on X, the East Turkistan Government in Exile extended greetings on X while drawing attention to the plight of the Uyghur and Turkic Muslim communities. "On this sacred #EidAlAdha, we reflect on faith and resilience. We implore the global #Muslim community to stand with the #Uyghur/Turkic Muslims of Occupied #EastTurkistan, who face genocide and are denied their faith. Unite in prayer and action for their dignity and independence," the message reads. Similarly, the East Turkistan National Movement also conveyed Eid Al-Adha greetings, urging the global community to remember those suffering under Chinese occupation. "As you gather with loved ones to celebrate this sacred holiday, please remember and pray for the Muslims in Occupied #EastTurkistan, who are facing colonization and genocide under Chinese occupation," the organization posted. https://x.com/ETExileGov/status/1802174897113739396 They further called for collective action, stating, "Stand with us in demanding an end to China's relentless persecution, and join us in our call for justice, liberation, and the restoration of the East Turkistani people's dignity, faith, and independence." The East Turkistan National Movement has been at the forefront of efforts to end what it terms the "ongoing Uyghur Genocide," promoting democracy, political and human rights, and striving to restore East Turkistan's freedom and independence. Their messages on this significant Islamic holiday aim to mobilise support from the global Muslim community and beyond, emphasising the urgent need for international intervention. The situation in East Turkistan, officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by China, has been a critical human rights issue. Reports of mass detentions, forced labour, and severe restrictions on religious practices have drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations and governments worldwide. Despite these efforts, the Chinese government has consistently denied accusations of genocide and human rights abuses, asserting that their actions in the region are aimed at combating extremism and promoting economic development. The Eid al-Adha messages from the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the East Turkistan National Movement serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by Uyghur and Turkic Muslims. As they celebrate this holy occasion, these organisations urge the international community to unite in prayer and action to support their quest for justice, freedom, and the preservation of their cultural and religious heritage. (ANI) On the occasion of Eid al-Adha festival, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended wishes to Kuwait Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and Kuwait Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. PM Modi emphasised the values of sacrifice, compassion and brotherhood, embodied by Eid al-Adha. He also noted that Eid al-Adha is an integral part of India's multicultural heritage and is celebrated by Indian citizens of the Islamic faith. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait stated, "In his message, the Prime Minister emphasized the values of sacrifice, compassion and brotherhood, embodied by this festival, which are essential in building a peaceful and inclusive world." "The Prime Minister highlighted that the festival is an integral part of India's multicultural heritage and is celebrated by millions of Indian citizens of the Islamic faith, and mentioned that the festival is celebrated, as part of India's multi-cultural heritage, across the length and breadth of India with fervour and gaiety," it added. PM Modi extended best wishes to Kuwait's Amir, Crown Prince and PM for their good health and well-being. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi extended festive greetings to H.H the Amir, H.H the Crown Prince and H.H the Prime Minister of Kuwait on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Adha." Eid al-Adha is a holy occasion and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The festival is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges, and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. Mosques and several religious sites across the country on Monday were thronged by the devout who gathered to offer Namaz on the auspicious occasion of the holy Eid al-Adha festival. Earlier in March, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika called on Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister Imad Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi and apprised him of the strong bilateral cooperation between India and Kuwait in the sector hydrocarbons. He also spoke about the strong possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the upstream and downstream sectors. "Amb @AdarshSwaika1 called on Dy PM and Oil Minister of Kuwait HE Dr Imad Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi. Amb apprised the Minister of strong bilateral cooperation in hydrocarbons and good possibilities of cooperation in upstream and downstream sectors," the Indian Embassy in Kuwait posted on X. Notably, India and Kuwait enjoy traditionally friendly relations, which are rooted in history and have stood the test of time, according to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. India and Kuwait marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in the year 2021-22. (ANI) The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday rejected China's allegation that a Philippines ship illegally entered its waters and collided with one of its coast guard vessels, terming it "deceptive and misleading of the China Coast Guard, Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported. In a message to reporters, Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad stated, "The AFP will not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone)." Trinidad added, "We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard (CCG)," PNA reported. The AFP official stressed that the presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that infringe on Manila's sovereignty and sovereign rights remain the main issue. Xerxes Trinidad said that the China Coast Guard's continued aggressive actions escalate tensions in the region, PNA reported. The statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines came after the China Coast Guard (CCG) claimed that a Philippine replenishment ship illegally entered waters near Ren'ai Reef (Chinese name of Ayungin Shoal) on Monday, forcing them to take appropriate actions. Notably, Ayungin Shoal is a submerged reef in the Spratlys Islands in the South China Sea (SCS). The BRP Sierra Madre, which is considered an outpost of the Philippine Navy, has been grounded in Ayungin since 1999. Earlier in May, the Philippines summoned a Chinese envoy after Beijing's use of a water cannon against two Philippine vessels during a patrol in the South China Sea and accused China of "harassment" and "dangerous manoeuvres," Al Jazeera reported. The Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned China's deputy chief of mission Zhou Zhiyong on Thursday. Philippines' action comes two days after the incident at a disputed shoal that caused damage to a Philippine coastguard vessel and another government boat. The ministry said it was the 20th protest by the Philippines against the conduct of Chinese coastguard and fishing vessels this year. The ministry has made 153 complaints in the past two years. In a statement, the Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "The Philippines protested the harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous manoeuvres, use of water cannons, and other aggressive actions of [the] China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia." (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], June 17 (ANI/TPS): Israel's High Court of Justice on Sunday ordered State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman to suspend his investigation into the failures of the security services of October 7 pending a hearing on the matter in July. The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies. Government watchdog groups petitioned the court against Englman's investigation, arguing that the security issues were beyond the comptroller's mandate, the probe would damage the army operationally, and that the probe would not address political responsibility for decisions made during the time leading up to Hamas's attacks on communities near the Gaza border. In May, High Court Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz ruled against stopping the State Comptroller's probe. But she said on Sunday that classified responses from the security agencies led her to suspend Englman's probe until a hearing to be held in July. "In view of the complex security reality, the planned scope of the investigation, which will deal, among other things, with the combat support system and core operational issues, and the preparation required to respond to it [the investigation] at the current time... I order the suspension of the investigation procedures in everything that relates to the IDF and Shin Bet," Canfy-Steinitz ruled. Englman's probe was also opposed by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi as well as the State Attorney's office. In February, the Israel Defense Forces' Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi ordered an internal probe of the military's failures of October 7. That inquiry will investigate the IDF General Staff, military intelligence, the deficiencies of Gaza border defenses, and general operational matters. Its mandate does not include decisions made by the political echelon. A separate independent commission of inquiry with a broader mandate including political failures is expected to take place after the war. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence, and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead. (ANI/TPS) Tel Aviv [Israel], June 17 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli government on Sunday approved a proposal to purchase around 200 fire trucks for northern communities. The 50-million-shekel (USD 13.4 million) plan would see the purchase of 40 vans and 150 all-terrain vehicles to be deployed with volunteer firefighting teams. Nearly 15,000 acres of land in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights have been burnt in wildfires sparked by Hezbollah rocket barrages in 2024, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The authority noted that 75 per cent of the damage took place during the first two weeks of June. Around 60,000 Israelis living in northern communities were forced to evacuate in October when the Hezbollah terror organization began daily rocket and drone attacks. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. Since October 7, the Hezbollah attacks have killed 10 civilians and 14 soldiers. Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Meanwhile, the government also extended the stay of evacuees from Gaza border communities in state-funded hotels and guest homes. According to the Prime Minister's Office, which announced the move, 70 per cent of the residents who evacuated 20 towns and agricultural communities have already returned to their homes. "As part of the decision, the directorate will regulate the format to determine the return dates for communities to their homes, in coordination with the Finance Ministry and in consideration of the security and rehabilitation conditions," the Prime Minister's Office said. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead. (ANI/TPS) This incident was reported by the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) on X. The HRCB, a non-profit human rights organization with operations in Balochistan and Sweden, documented the event, stating, "On the early morning of June 16th, at 6 AM, FC personnel raided a house in the Gili area of Buleda and abducted two young brothers, Shah Jan Noor and Sadiq Noor." The organisation further alleged that the affected family members started a protest outside the Frontier Corps camp, but were threatened to end their sit-in by the security personnel. Supporting these claims, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, another local group, confirmed the raid and abduction. They shared videos of the actions by Frontier Corps on X, stating, "This morning, FC personnel entered a house in the Gili area of Buleda and took two young brothers with them, named Shah Jan Noor and Sadiq Noor Baloch. Their family members are carrying out a sit-in in front of the FC camp, but the FC is threatening them to end the protest." The incident has sparked outrage and concern among human rights groups and local communities, shedding light on the ongoing human rights issues in Balochistan. The actions by Frontier Corps and the subsequent threats to the protesting family underscore the volatile situation in the region, where enforced disappearances and abductions have been a recurring issue. As the situation unfolds, the HRCB and other human rights organisations continue to monitor and document these incidents, calling for accountability and justice for the affected families in Balochistan. (ANI) The incident took place when a police car lost control due to a tyre burst, resulting in a fatal crash claiming five lives. Following the tragic incident, the injured people were taken to District Headquarters Hospital, and were given immediate medical attention, the police officials said. Whereas, in a separate incident, at least three police personnel were injured in a grenade attack. The hand grenades were thrown on a police vehicle in the Sachal area of Karachi, ARY News. Prior to this incident, unidentified men hurled a hand grenade at the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP's) squad in Dera Murad Jamali, Naseerabad. SSP Naseerabad Hussain Lehri and his team were returning from a regular patrol when the hand grenade burst, according to police officials, although no one was hurt, according to ARY News. The police, CTD, and bomb disposal squad rushed to the site of the explosion and cordoned off the area. (ANI) Traditionally celebrated as the Festival of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha holds deep cultural and religious significance for Muslims worldwide. However, the Centre for Uyghur Studies highlighted that Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang are being denied the right to observe this important occasion due to severe restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities since 2017. "For centuries, Uyghur Muslims have joyously celebrated Eid alongside the global Muslim community," the Centre stated in a public announcement on X. "Yet, in recent years, they have faced increasing suppression under Chinese occupation, particularly since 2017," it added. Under the current regime, Chinese policies have allegedly criminalised Islamic practices and banned religious festivals like Eid al-Adha. https://x.com/CUyghurstudy/status/1802460308226625725 The Centre for Uyghur Studies emphasised that Uyghur Muslims have diligently preserved their Islamic heritage despite decades of Chinese rule but now face what they describe as a "genocide" by Chinese authorities. This accusation refers to widespread reports of mass detentions, forced labour, and coercive assimilation practices targeting Uyghur and other Muslim-majority populations in the region. "Eid al-Adha traditionally embodies the values of sacrifice, compassion, and devotion," the Centre's statement continued. "For Uyghur Muslims, it serves as a reminder of their membership in the global Muslim community, despite the challenges they currently face." The Chinese government has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, asserting that its policies are necessary measures against separatism and terrorism. However, international scrutiny and condemnation have grown, with several countries and human rights organisations calling for independent investigations into the situation. As Muslims across the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, the plight of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing cultural and religious tensions within China's western regions. The Centre for Uyghur Studies and other advocacy groups continue to advocate for global awareness and action to address what they view as systematic persecution and cultural erasure. (ANI) Pakistan's spokesperson on Legal Affairs, Barrister Aqeel Malik, asked Iram Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to immediately stop its anti-state activities and malicious propaganda which is having detrimental effect on the country's interests at global forums, reported ARY News. Barrister Aqeel Malik even asked PTI to hold dialogue with the government to find solutions to political issues. Addressing a press conference, Barrister Aqeel Malik said that there was no precedent to PTI's country enmity as it was perpetrating anti-Pakistan legislation in foreign countries. "Pakistan is an independent country and does not take dictation from any nation. We want friendly relations with all nations. However, a concentrated smear campaign against Pakistan in foreign countries that started after the 2022 vote of no confidence mounted the anti-Pakistan propaganda," he said. The spokesperson further said that the PTI had hired lobbyists and PR firms to promote its anti-Pakistan campaign abroad as well, as reported by ARY News. He noted that the Pakistan government was fully aware of the campaign and its perpetrators. "PTI cannot do opposition against the state as by doing so you are undermining it and there is no acceptability and tolerance for it. No political party is above Pakistan, let's make it crystal clear and no anti-state agenda and narrative will be allowed by the state," he added. Barrister Aqeel Malik further asked the PTI to think about the country and motherland as it had set out on an anti-country agenda for its political motives, ARY News reported. "PTI is becoming a source of humiliation for the country at international forums. You are Pakistani and we all are Pakistanis. We have to work for the country. Nobody is stopping you from the politics but this negative and inimical political would not be allowed," he added. (ANI) US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), on Monday. After the iCET meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, US NSA Jake Sullivan briefed PM Modi on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the iCET, such as "semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, telecom, defence, critical minerals, space, among others," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release. PM Modi met US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan on Monday and stressed India's commitment to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. PM Narendra Modi took to X, stating that India is committed to strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two countries for global good. "Met US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good," he said in a post on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1802699116260245715 PM Modi further expressed satisfaction at the speed and scale of the growing bilateral partnership in all areas and the convergence of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. He also recalled his recent positive interaction with US President Biden at the G7 Summit. "PM reaffirmed commitment to continue to strengthen Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the global good and take it to greater heights in the new term," the release stated. Earlier in the day, US NSA Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the annual meeting of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between the two countries. The delegation-level talks were held in the national capital. This was the second iCET meeting between the two countries and is being held over two days on June 17 and 18. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Jake Sullivan and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues. Jaishankar expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between India and the US will continue to advance strongly in the near term. "Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term," Jaishankar said in a post on X. It is the first visit of a senior US official after the Modi government came to power for a third term. (ANI) According to Pamir Times, the road, which serves as the sole lifeline connecting Darel, is severely impacted, leaving the community cut off and facing significant challenges in terms of accessibility and relief efforts. Infrastructure in PoGB, particularly in remote areas like Darel Valley, is often inadequate and poorly equipped to withstand the impact of flash floods. Roads, bridges, and drainage systems are not always designed to handle the volume of water and debris that accompany such disasters. This lack of resilient infrastructure exacerbates the vulnerability of local communities during times of natural calamities. The region also faces challenges in terms of responding to emergency situations of requiring essential aid and medical assistance to those in need. Poor infrastructure hampers the timely deployment of emergency services, evacuation efforts, and delivery of relief supplies. Over the years, there have been calls from within Pakistan to address the socio-economic and infrastructure needs of Gilgit Baltistan more effectively. However, administrative inefficiencies and bureaucratic red tape have slowed down the implementation of infrastructure projects. Additionally, PoJB historically has no autonomy, which affects local decision-making and resource allocation. (ANI) Indian national Nikhil Gupta, suspected by the US of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill the India-designated pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, will be produced at the Federal courthouse in New York on Monday (local time). Gupta has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic late last week. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Gupta's US-based lawyer, attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe said that his focus would be to pursue Gupta's defence vigorously regardless of "outside pressures." "We will pursue his (Gupta's) defence vigorously and ensure he receives full due process, regardless of outside pressures," Chabrowe firmly asserted. Nikhil Gupta has been accused by US federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The discovery of alleged assassination plots against Pannun in the US has brought the India-US relationship under the spotlight. New Delhi has firmly dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it is against Indian government's policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. "This is a complex matter for both our countries. It is extremely important that we refrain from rushing to conclusions so early in the process,' Chabrowe added. The US earlier said that it was satisfied so far with India's moves to ensure accountability in the alleged plots, but added that many steps still needed to be taken. Gupta's attorney pointed the diplomatic relationship between India and the US could be tested after what comes out of the court findings. "Background and details (of the case) will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light," the New York-based attorney told ANI. The US Justice Department has alleged that Gupta (52) is an associate of the Indian government and that together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City. In November last year, US Justice Department officials announced charges against Gupta after he was arrested in June 2023 in the Czech Republic. They said Gupta would face extradition to New York. Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York. The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors. In its indictment, the Justice Department has claimed that earlier last year, an Indian government employee working together with others, including Gupta, directed a plot to assassinate a political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City. It was alleged that Gupta is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1. The indictment claims that CC -1 directed the assassination plot from India.At CC-1's direction, Gupta allegedly contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate, but who was, in fact, a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the US. The source, it was alleged, introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was a DEA undercover officer. The purported hitman was offered USD 100,000 to murder the separatist leader, the Justice Department claimed. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, the Justice Department stated in a release. (ANI) Dubai [UAE], June 17 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger. During the meeting, discussions were held on joint cooperation between the UAE and the International Committee of the Red Cross in the humanitarian and relief fields, as well as efforts to support the humanitarian needs of affected civilians in the Gaza Strip, Syria, Ukraine, Sudan and Afghanistan. The two sides reviewed the initiatives undertaken by the UAE to deliver humanitarian aid to affected regions and peoples around the world. They discussed mechanisms to enhance international cooperation in support of the humanitarian response system for civilians in the Gaza Strip. They also touched upon regional and international efforts aimed at achieving a sustainable ceasefire to contribute to the protection of the lives of all civilians and the provision of the necessary humanitarian support to the Palestinian people. The UAE Top Diplomat stressed the importance of the humanitarian and relief role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross, praising the Committee's outstanding efforts and its keenness to fulfil the noble humanitarian tasks entrusted to it in the best possible manner. Sheikh Abdullah pointed out the keenness of the UAE, represented by its humanitarian arms and institutions concerned, to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross and extend a helping hand and humanitarian assistance to those in need around the world. He affirmed that the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip requires concerted efforts by the international community to establish a global humanitarian response system conducive to providing relief to civilians in the Strip in a safe, uninterrupted manner that would ultimately contribute to alleviating their suffering. The meeting was attended by Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, and Ambassador Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva. (ANI/WAM) The ministry's spokesperson reported that 2,764 cases of heat stress were treated on the first day of Eid. "Pilgrims have undertaken a tremendous journey to perform Hajj," said the spokesperson as quoted by Saudi Pres Agency (SPA). "Our role is to support them fully. We believe in prevention before treatment. We urge pilgrims to follow safety guidelines, such as using umbrellas during rituals and staying hydrated." The spokesperson further reassured the public that the overall health of pilgrims remains positive. No significant public health challenges or disease outbreaks have been reported. The ministry also reminded pilgrims of symptoms of heat stress and sunstroke, including nausea, headache, excessive sweating, and severe sneezing. Muscle fatigue from frequent movement and walking long distances is another potential concern. To prevent this, the ministry advises pilgrims to rest after completing each ritual, avoid carrying heavy items, wear comfortable shoes, and drink water before performing rituals. (ANI/WAM) Following the launch of the direct flight between India and Cambodia, the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Manisha Saxena has said that it is a great occasion for the two nations to increase the tourist traffic with each other. She added that the launch of the direct flight between New Delhi and Phnom Penh will be a "good opportunity" to increase the tourist flow. Her remarks came at the launch of first Cambodia-India tourism year 2024 here in New Delhi. "Today was the inauguration of the India-Cambodia Tourism Year 2024 and the celebration of the launch of a direct flight between India and Cambodia, which arrived yesterday from Phnom Penh. This is a great occasion for India and Cambodia to increase the tourist traffic between each other and to rediscover the cultural ties that have bound us for so many centuries," she told ANI. "It will be a good opportunity to increase the tourist flow, and in both countries, this will lead to a lot of livelihoods and economic opportunities..." she said. In a historic move, the first direct flight between New Delhi and Phnom Penh were officially inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, Neth Savouen, and India's Ambassador to Cambodia, Devyani Khobragade. "Historic moment! The 1st ever direct flight btw was officially inaugurated by DPM Neth Savouen & Ambassador @devyani_K. This also marks the start of the first Tourism Year, set to boost tourism and ppl to ppl connect. #ActEastPolicy" the Embassy of India in Cambodia wrote on X. Meanwhile, Chuk Chumno, Director General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation, Cambodia said that both governments designated this year 2024 as the tourism year between both countries to enhance tourism cooperation and tourism flow. "Today, the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism of India co-organised the official launching of first Cambodia-India tourism year 2024. So both govt designated this year 2024 as the tourism year between both countries to enhance tourism cooperation and tourism flow between the two countries and this special event, especially this event was jointly organised in conjunction with official launch of first historic direct flight between New Delhi and Phnom Penh. So it marks a very significant event..." Chuk Chumno told ANI. In a separate statement on the launch of direct flight between the two nations, Cambodian envoy Koy Kuong said that it is a win-win approach for India and Cambodia. "This is a win-win approach for the two countries...this direct flight will increase the tourist between the two countries dramatically...when more tourists comes, more infrastructure is needed, like hotels, restaurants, so volume of investment between two countries will also increase...which is why direct flight will positively affect all areas of cooperation", he said. (ANI) According to reports from various regions of Balochistan, during this time of celebration, people have been protesting on the streets. In Quetta, individuals were observed holding placards and distributing pamphlets, fervently demanding the release of their missing relatives. The protests in Kech, specifically at Turbat's Fida Chowk, saw families of the disappeared, staging a sit-in, a poignant continuation of their earlier demonstrations outside the DC office. Additionally, they also decided to organise a rally at the press club in Turbat, demonstrating unwavering determination in their quest for justice. On social media, hashtags such as #BalochistanProtestOnEid and #StopBalochGenocide gained considerable momentum, highlighting widespread support and awareness for these protests across the region. These digital movements underscored the community's profound anguish and united front, emphasising their resilience in the face of adversity. Numerous Baloch activists expressed solidarity with the protests, advocating for the release of individuals who have gone missing under contentious circumstances involving security agencies and the military. They highlighted the plight of those illegally detained and called for justice, amplifying the voices of families enduring the uncertainty and anguish of their loved ones' disappearances. The online support underscored a unified stance against enforced disappearances in Balochistan, emphasising the urgent need for transparency and accountability in resolving these cases. (ANI) The White House on Monday (local time) refrained from commenting on the question of the plot to kill pro-Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun came up in National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan's meetings in India and if it will be part of the discussions. In a White House press briefing, National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said, "I don't have more to add on the conversations that Jake Sullivan is having. He is still over there having these conversations" Kirby said that the main focus of his visit was to look for ways to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship, particularly when it comes to emerging technology. "He is still over there having these conversations. But the main focus of his visit, as I said, was to look for ways to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship, particularly when it comes to emerging technology. I don't have anything more to add to the conversations...." said John Kirby. Sullivan's visit to Delhi, from June 17 to 18, marks the first trip to India by a senior Biden Administration official after the Modi government came to power for the third term. Earlier in the day, US NSA Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the annual meeting of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between the two countries. The delegation-level talks were held in the national capital. This was the second iCET meeting between the two countries and is being held over two days on June 17 and 18. Following the Critical and Emerging Technology initiative talks in New Delhi, India and the US released a joint fact sheet which highlighted the progress on MQ-9B acquisition, and on other defence cooperation sectors between the two nations. The key points that were highlighted in the fact sheet were Significant Funding Commitments, NASA-ISRO Collaboration, Defence Space Technology, Telecommunications Advances, Semiconductor Partnership, Quantum and AI Cooperation amongst many others. Meanwhile, Indian national Nikhil Gupta is suspected by the US of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill the India-designated pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. Gupta has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic late last week. He will be produced at the Federal courthouse in New York on Monday (local time). The discovery of alleged assassination plots against Pannun in the US has brought the India-US relationship under the spotlight. New Delhi has firmly dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it is against the Indian government's policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. The US Justice Department has alleged that Gupta (52) is an associate of the Indian government and that together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City. In November last year, US Justice Department officials announced charges against Gupta after he was arrested in June 2023 in the Czech Republic. They said Gupta would face extradition to New York. Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York. (ANI) 5 Brockton residents arrested in giant brawl at Block Island Ferry dock in Rhode Island BROCKTON Police in Rhode Island arrested five people from Brockton who were allegedly involved in a large fight that broke out at the Block Island Ferry dock on Saturday, June 16, Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan announced in a written statement. Police said they received reports of 20 to 30 people who were actively fighting near a ferry dock that shuttles passengers from Block Island to Point Judith on mainland Rhode Island at around 8:12 p.m. As officers arrived at the scene and began making arrests, police said numerous people began interfering and were given warnings to stand back or risk arrest for obstructing. Seven people were arrested as a result, five of whom are from Brockton. The Block Island Ferry pulling into Galilee. Heat wave is coming! What to know about the 'prolonged' stretch of hot weather The three Brockton men, ages 42, 39, and 36, and the two Brockton women, ages 28 and 31, were arrested on various charges including: Felony assault Simple assault Resisting arrest Obstructing an officer in execution of duty Disorderly conduct A 16-year-old juvenile and a 32-year-old man from Providence, Rhode Island were also arrested during the incident. At this time, it is unclear what caused the fight in the first place. All five Brockton residents are scheduled to be arraigned in the Fourth Division District Court in Wakefield, Rhode Island on Monday, June 17. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: 5 Brockton residents arrested in big fight on Block Island Ferry dock The Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve Alliance wants to change the designation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to a national park and preserve. So, whats the big deal? National Parks are visited nationwide by millions of tourists every year. Parks provide outdoor experiences like hiking, camping and water recreation in the summer. Some offer winter sports as well. Millions of acres of great geographic cross sections are under the protection of the National Park Service, a division of the Department of the Interior. This is the big deal: No one wants this designation change except the Alliance. Repeated inquiries over the course of two years as to why those belonging to the Alliance support this proposed change remain unanswered. These groups cant and or wont defend their positions. The Delaware Water Gap recreational area. The resistance to the re-designation includes sporting and environmental organizations and several citizens groups. New Jersey's Rep. Tom Kean Jr. and Rep. Josh Gottheimer oppose the designation change. New Jersey Assembly resolution AR133 and NJ Senate resolution SR93 both oppose the re-designation. Several municipalities in Sussex and Warren counties have passed resolutions opposing the change. Pennsylvania's Rep. Matt Cartwright opposes the designation change. Representatives and several municipalities in Pike and Monroe counties oppose the change. The Delaware River serves as a boundary for 37 miles along New Jersey, Pennsylvania and a small area of New York State. Its one of the last free-flowing rivers in the country and is already protected under the NPS Wild Scenic Rivers Act. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, or DEWA, is a survivor of the Tocks Island Dam Debacle from the sixties, a project that acquired approximately 72,000 privately owned acres for flooding once the dam was constructed. The dam was dead in the 1970s it was officially deauthorized in 2002 and the acquired properties were handed over to the National Park Service from the Army Corps of Engineers. The proposed national park would encompass about 14,000 acres and the remaining 58,000 acres would be designated as a preserve. As a side note, hunting is allowed in recreation areas, but prohibited in national parks. The original proposal says prestige is the reason for the change in the opening paragraph. Benefits mentioned are economic prosperity, a new visitor center, a Lenni Lenape Cultural and Educational Center, a wildlife corridor and more. A revised proposal issued in September of 2023 added more detailed plans that raised a red flag. The implementation of Forest to Field Conversion on approximately 58,000 acres in the Lenape Preserve is concerning. Possible timbering, natural habitat destruction, resource extraction and soil erosion could change the landscape of the Delaware forever. Decreasing the agricultural leasing to local farmers could allow invasive species to overtake approximately 2,000 acres of rich river bottom land. Farmers depend on those leases for crops that feed their livestock over winter months. Local resistance from surrounding communities on both sides of the river stems from potential loss of tax ratables and impact on local roads. The projected millions of visitors will bring more traffic and maintenance on an already deteriorating infrastructure. Local EMS personnel have been providing rescue operations on the river and highways in the recreation area for years without any compensation from the NPS. Its a stretch on the volunteers and a financial hardship as well on the communities funding equipment for the fire and rescue operations. Now to the real question the big Why? We dont know because no ones talking. Local officials have requested environmental, agricultural, economic and traffic impact studies from the Alliance. Those requests remain unanswered. The benefits stated in the original and revised proposals are unfounded. Theres no data, only suppositions and an incredible statement that the millions of residents in the New York area need a national park. There is no reason, no purpose, no need for a national park designation to an area thats already protected under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. Leave it be. Visit www.nonationalpark.org for more information on the proposal. Please send questions and comments to nonationalpark2030@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook: no national park. Sandy Hull is the main founder of the Delaware Water Gap Defense Fund. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area must not become a national park In 2021, it was my honor to accept the newly created position of vice president for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity at New Mexico State University. NMSUs mission highlights the importance of supporting the diverse needs of the state through comprehensive education, research, extension and outreach and public service. I chose to come to NMSU because, as the states land-grant university, as well as a Hispanic Serving and Minority Serving Institution, NMSU recognizes the cultural and social power emanating from the diverse population of the state. This understanding informs NMSUs equity practices, which ensure access to education and help those students who may not otherwise have access to higher education to thrive in that environment. This is further accomplished through the inclusion of the diverse perspectives individuals and groups bring from their lived experiences. NMSU is uniquely positioned to support our students, faculty, and staff in using their diverse talents. Comprised of the Las Cruces university campus, three community colleges Dona Ana Community College, NMSU Alamogordo, and NMSU Grants and our online campus, NMSU Global, NMSU continuously aspires to influence the continued growth of students as well as the communities we serve. Our actions place equity, inclusion, and diversity at the center of what we do. Our staff, faculty, and Extension professionals are willing to continue to learn about how best to draw on the many talents and assets that emerge from students and community members. Teresa Scholz One example of the valuable assets we witness at work throughout the NMSU system is the bilingualism that breathes life into everyday interactions, classroom activities, programs, and research. Languages used throughout the system include Spanish, Navajo, and American Sign Language, to name just a few. At NMSU, many students are engaged in research where they are supported in utilizing these skills, and many faculty and staff members use their bilingual skills in their student support, teaching, research, and outreach. The outreach work of our Cooperative Extension Service professionals is responsive to the multilingual needs of our communities and strongly rooted in ensuring that those communities have access to this important programming throughout the state. Our equity, inclusion, and diversity work is also a key contributor to student retention and completion success, as evidenced by NMSUs social mobility ranking. CollegeNET ranks NMSU first in the state and 60thin the nation on its social mobility index a measure of the educational and job attainment of students who come from economically disadvantaged upbringings. Social mobility and degree completion rates are also positively influenced by federal outreach and student services retention programs like TRiO, which was created to support first-generation and low-income students through graduation. NMSU now has seven TRiO programs, including the newly reacquired McNair Scholars Program for students interested in a doctoral degree. NMSU Insights logo. When these programs and outreach efforts are successful in empowering our students to cross the finish line and earn their degrees, the economic and societal impact of that success extends far beyond those students and their families. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities reports that college graduates out-earn those with high school diplomas by an average of $32,000 annually and $1.2 million over a lifetime. They are more likely to vote, to contribute to charity, to volunteer. They contribute to the local and federal tax base at a higher rate, they invest in the states economy, and they serve their communities in key professional roles in teaching, nursing, engineering, and countless other disciplines. NMSUs centering of equity, inclusion, and diversity will continue to improve outcomes for students from all backgrounds. There are many other projects underway that speak volumes about how NMSU supports the talents of students, staff, and faculty talents that will ensure that New Mexico continues to prosper. Teresa Maria Linda Scholz is vice president for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity at New Mexico State University. She may be reached at eid.nmsu.edu. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: EIC work supports students and strengthens communities Key holdouts at a Ukrainian diplomatic summit are proof that Putin's diplomatic playbook is working Key holdouts at a Ukrainian diplomatic summit are proof that Putin's diplomatic playbook is working Brazil, India, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia declined to endorse Ukraine's sovereignty this weekend. It came at the end of a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Keeping a few powerful countries undecided is one way Russia can limit any diplomatic isolation. Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rallied countries from around the world to support his call for Russia to end its invasion. "Russia can start negotiations tomorrow if they pull out of our territories," Zelenskyy said at a peace conference in Switzerland, according to the BBC. The conference is one of the most high-profile attempts to date to find an agreement on routes to peace. But there are some crucial problems. Russia wasn't there, nor was its key global backer, China. Nearly 100 countries did send delegations, including many of Ukraine's most important allies and major non-Western powers. At the end of the conference, about 80 signed a document blaming the war on Russia and affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity. But it was telling who didn't sign Saudi Arabia, Brazil (which didn't formally attend but sent a delegation), India, and South Africa. "Unfortunately, there are people who are still balancing," Zelenskyy said of the abstentions. He said Russia was seeking to divide the world against Ukraine evidently with some success. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to drive a wedge between those countries and the West, using oil, propaganda, and diplomacy. It has been especially effective in the "Global South" of non-Western powers whose wealth and influence on world affairs is growing. Exploiting global divisions In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US assembled a coalition of countries to impose sanctions on Russia and isolate it diplomatically. But powerful non-Western countries refused to take part. Each of the countries that refused to sign the Ukraine document has strong ties with the US, particularly India and Saudi Arabia, which want American help in regional power struggles. But each has also maintained good relations with Moscow, with Putin using Russia's oil and diplomacy to cultivate relations. To offset Western sanctions, Russia sold oil at cut-price rates to India and Brazil and has worked closely with Saudi Arabia to control global prices. The Chatham House analyst Natalie Sabanadze wrote in May that Russia had succeeded in "bringing deep-seated resentment against the West to the fore." "Many states have relished the opportunity to defy Western pressure by helping Russia evade sanctions and reaping benefits for themselves in the process," Sabanadze continued. Putin has exploited long-standing grievances about Western imperialism and has renewed alliances forged during the Soviet era. Russia renews Cold War-era alliances During South Africa's period of racial apartheid, tolerated by many in the West, the USSR opposed it and supported the African National Congress party, which has ruled since apartheid ended. The Soviet Union also helped India in its Cold War-era clashes with Pakistan. Some of those allegiances appear to have held firm. Over the past year, Russia has organized conferences with African and Latin American nations. It's seeking to expand the BRICS group of major non-Western economies, viewing it as a bulwark against Western powers. Russia has also seized on claims that Western support for Israel in its war against Hamas is evidence of hypocrisy. It's to Putin's advantage when those countries see Russia vs. Ukraine and Israel vs. Hamas as equivalent struggles, both complex enough to avoid taking a side. Some analysts have also suggested a more cynical calculus, telling Business Insider that some countries are simply hedging their bets by refusing to back either Russia or Ukraine. Saudi Arabia and India have both trod this middle path. Pavan Kapoor, a senior Indian diplomat, said from Switzerland that his country didn't endorse the statement because "only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace." For Putin, that fence-sitting is proof of success. Read the original article on Business Insider The U.S. Capitol is shown on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) A newly passed North Dakota law could give the U.S. Supreme Court an opportunity to revisit restrictions on who can run for federal office, a legal expert says. North Dakotans voted Tuesday to make it illegal for anyone to be elected or appointed to represent the state in Congress if theyd turn 81 before the end of their term. The measure passed with nearly 61% approval from voters, according to unofficial results from the North Dakota Secretary of States Office. Despite the amendments clear popularity with North Dakota voters, officials are expecting it to trigger a legal battle. A committee of state legislators estimated in April that the measure would take roughly $1 million to defend in court if passed. State leaders have said the law may conflict with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 1995 that found states cannot restrict who can run for federal office. Justices cited this same case U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton in March when they voted unanimously that states could not disqualify former President Trump from appearing on election ballots. If there is a lawsuit against North Dakotas age limits measure, and it does make it to the Supreme Court, theres no guarantee justices will continue to affirm that precedent. The high court could always decide to rethink its 1995 ruling, said Michael Thorning, director of the Bipartisan Policy Centers Structural Democracy Project. The current court has demonstrated a willingness, I think, to review current precedent and overturn it, Thorning said. He pointed out only one current justice was on the bench back when the 1995 case was decided: Clarence Thomas. Notably, Thomas was against the ruling. He authored a dissenting opinion joined by fellow conservatives Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as Justice Sandra Day OConnor, a moderate. Nothing in the Constitution deprives the people of each State of the power to prescribe eligibility requirements for the candidates who seek to represent them in Congress, Thomas wrote in the opinion. Overall, its statistically unlikely that the Supreme Court will hear the case. The court takes up only a tiny fraction of cases theyre petitioned to review. Jared Hendrix, who led the charge to get the measure on the ballot, said he would support the court overturning the 1995 ruling. I do believe the (Thornton) case was very flawed in its reasoning, Hendrix said. Hendrix has said the measure is a way for voters to ensure that congressional delegates are mentally and physically fit for the job, and that they are in touch with the needs of their constituents. The measure is especially timely considering some of the nations most visible politicians are also some of its most aged, Hendrix has said. President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, are the oldest and third-oldest American presidents ever, respectively. The current average age of Congress is also one of the oldest in the nations history, according to the Pew Research Center. Hendrix has disputed lawmakers estimate that the measure could cost the state $1 million in legal fees, calling the figure inflated. In order for the Supreme Court to weigh in on the law, someone would first have to sue the state over the measure. Not just anyone would have standing to bring such a case. To have the right to fight a law in court, plaintiffs generally have to prove the law harms them in some way. One example might be a candidate who is barred from seeking office under the policy, Thorning said. None of North Dakotas current D.C. delegation or anyone in the state currently seeking election to Congress is near age 81. The states oldest member of Congress, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, is 67. The 1995 Supreme Court case, which struck down an Arkansas congressional term limits law, stemmed from lawsuits originally filed by a private citizen, the League of Women Voters and a U.S. representative. What would happen if the Supreme Court overturned the 1995 term limits case? States would have much greater authority to gatekeep who could run for federal office, Thorning said. This wouldnt be limited to age. Would it be allowable, then, for the state, for instance, to say that members of Congress can only be elected from certain counties within their state, or certain cities, or only ones that have met certain educational qualifications? he asked. States would still have to comply with the 14th Amendment, he noted, which would prevent states from barring someone from running for Congress based on race or gender, for instance. What if the Supreme Court declines to take the case, or upholds its 1995 ruling? Congress could vote to amend the U.S. Constitution to set a nationwide age limit on elected officials. Hypothetically, state legislatures could also bypass Congress by passing resolutions calling for the amendment to be adopted through a constitutional convention. According to U.S. Term Limits website, some states have already passed such resolutions. They would need a total of 34 in order to trigger a convention. Theres only ever been one U.S. Constitutional Convention, which took place in 1787. The post North Dakota congressional age limits law could lead to new legal review appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks to speak to the media after being found guilty following his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. The former president was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. Trump has now become the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes. (Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images) Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson speaks during a press conference of Republican attorneys general in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2020. (File/Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. Like the SC Daily Gazette, the Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and X. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. Sweden frees former Iranian official jailed for war crimes in prisoner swap People react as a Swedish court hands the life sentence to Iranian official Hamid Noury in 2022 (EPA) A former Iranian official jailed in Sweden for his alleged role in mass executions in the 1980s has been released in a prison swap. Hamid Noury arrived at the Tehran airport on Saturday where he was greeted by his family, footage released by the official IRNA news agency showed. The prisoner exchange was mediated by Oman. Sweden freed Mr Noury while Iran released Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi. Mr Floderus, 33, was arrested on spying charges in 2022 while he was in Iran on holiday and was facing the death penalty. Mr Azizi, a dual national in his early 60s, was arrested last November and given a five-year prison sentence after being held guilty of assembly and collusion against national security. The exchange was mediated by Oman. Omani efforts resulted in the two sides agreeing on a mutual release as those released were transferred from Tehran and Stockholm, the Gulf countrys foreign ministry said. Mr Noury, 63, was arrested from a Stockholm airport in 2019 and subsequently sentenced to life in prison for alleged war crimes related to the execution of prisoners at the Gohardasht jail in 1988. He was assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the prison in Karaj at the time, according to the Swedish prosecutors. The prisoners who were allegedly killed were associated with the armed group Mujahedin-e Khalq, which was accused of siding with the enemy when Saddam Husseins Iraq launched a war on Iran in the 1980s. Iran has never acknowledged the executions. Mr Noury pleaded not guilty and denied involvement in the alleged crimes, but the Swedish court found him guilty of grave breaches of international humanitarian law and murder. He was tried under the principle of universal jurisdiction which allows any country to prosecute a foreigner for serious crimes against international law war crimes, genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity even if they took place abroad. Speaking about the exchange, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said Tehran made Mr Floderus and Mr Azizi pawns in a cynical negotiation game with the aim of getting Iranian citizen Hamid Noury released from prison in Sweden. Irans foreign ministry said Mr Nourys imprisonment was the result of an illegal Swedish court decision that lacked legitimacy and described him as a hostage. After landing in Tehran, Mr Noury called his case complicated and sensitive. They said even God cannot free Hamid Noury, but he did, he told reporters. In Sweden, Mr Nourys release sparked criticism from opponents of Irans government such as the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which accused Stockholm of yielding to hostage-taking tactics in a move that would bolster Tehran. It was also condemned by Kenneth Lewis, lawyer for a dozen plaintiffs in the case against Mr Noury. He said his clients, who were not consulted by the Swedish government about the exchange, were "appalled and devastated". "This is an affront to the entire justice system and everyone who has participated in these trials. Mr Lewis said his clients sympathised with the Swedish government for working to get its citizens home, but Mr Nourys release was "totally disproportionate. Mr Floderus and Mr Azizi arrived home late on Saturday. Tec Centro Workforce Development Network announced an increase in state funds for the organization's bilingual workforce development programs, including the ones in Lebanon County. On June 14, the network's administrators announced in Lancaster that the Tec Centro Network received $8 million in state funding. In 2022, the network received $5 million in the state budget. The Tec Centro Network has locations in Lebanon, Lancaster and Berks counties, with organizers working to add locations in York and Harrisburg. This funding is critically important to helping meet the growing demand for workforce development in the Central Pennsylvania region, according to network Executive Director Carlos Graupera. "The message that we want to convey to everyone who is listening to us is that our marginalized communities and third class cities are on the move," he said. "They want investment. They want to do the hard work...and it's such a pleasure to see philanthropy, the corporate community, public officials and vocational education all come together on a single mission to transform our communities." Kay Litman, executive director of Tec Centro Lebanon, said state funds the organization receives will be used towards operational and program costs. "We are a non profit, (and) we are 100% driven by those outside funds," she said. "The state funding has been a major supporter in an ability for us to expand our training programs." Kay Litman, executive director of Tec Centro Lebanon, said the funding will be split between all of the Tec Centro locations. The Lebanon location has already submitted a budget to the network, with funds going to operational and training program costs. "For Lebanon specifically, it's going to fund the scholarship dollars to train those nurse aids, phlebotomists, medical assistances (and) health care office assistants this fall," she said. "It's going to support ESL classes that we will be offering this fall, and then operationally employment services." Tec Centro Lebanon is a subdivision of the WEPA Empowerment Center located on 9 S. 9th Street, providing employment services and workforce education to Lebanon County residents. WEPA and Tec Centro Lebanon are nonprofit, and there is no charge to residents for employment services. "I really see us as almost like people electricians," Litman said. "We connect people to services and resources, and we provide some of those services in house." Since opening its doors in August 2023 till April 30, 2024, Tec Centro Lebanon has served 195 residents with employment services, 30% of which found job placement within 90 days with the average wage of $17 an hour. Litman said the total of the 30% is $1.488 million in annual wages that is contributing to the local economy. While Tec Centro is open to all members of the community, 62% of residents participating in the programs have Spanish as their primary language. Since February 2024, the organization has 15 students finishing their ESL classes and 50 residents participating in their English conversational groups. "We are very aware of the Lebanon community that we are serving, with a large Hispanic and bilingual population," Litman said. "That's why we make sure our services are in English and in Spanish." Once complete, the allied healthcare training classrooms will provide space for nurse aid, phlebotomy, medical assistants and healthcare office assistant trainings. The WEPA Empowerment Center held a ceremonial demolition groundbreaking in May that started of construction for its allied health programs under Tec Centro Lebanon. Nurse aid, phlebotomy, medical assistant and healthcare office assistant trainings will all be available for residents once the renovations are complete. Training programs at the Lebanon location will be conducted through an existing collaboration between Tec Centro Workforce Network and Harrisburg Area Community College, using programs, curriculum and instructors from the community college. None of the state funding from the Tec Centro Network will be used for renovation costs, according to Litman. Tec Centro Lebanon is expecting more than 50 people participating in those health care classes in the fall. While there might be fees for future course and certification programs the center may provide, WEPA organizers have said they are not looking to create financial barriers for anyone looking to access the training. As of April, More than 418 students are on a wait list for Tec Centro classes and training, with the organization saying the total cost to fund that wait list is $974,507. Litman added that wait list still continues to grow. For the center's new healthcare training courses to start in the fall, the cost per student could range from $3,317 to $8,897. To fund the 84 students on Tec Centro's waitlist in April, the center would need $455,087. "We are a non profit, (and) we are 100% driven by those outside funds," she said. "The state funding has been a major supporter in an ability for us to expand our training programs." Along with the budgeted state funds, Litman said Tec Centro Lebanon continues to look for grant opportunities and working with local businesses to contribute funding and resources. Since the groundbreaking, Family First Health and the HACC have provided supplies and equipment for the healthcare programs. "I think that's one of the beauties of the Tec Centro model is it's not about one organization, this is a community effort," Litman said. "Yes, we are part of this bigger network, but we're there in downtown Lebanon for the Lebanon community." After completing the healthcare construction, Litman said the Tec Centro is planning renovations in the center's basement to offer trades instruction. These courses would include basic skills training in plumbing, electricity and construction. Tec Centro Workforce Development Network received $8 million in state funding for workforce development. "This funding is critically important to helping to meet the growing demand for workforce development in our region," Executive Director Carlos Graupera said. The Tec Centro Workforce Development Network is already advocating legislators for $15 million in the next state budget. Graupera said the increase is to help with the network's plans to expand their services. "The increase is because there are communities we want to reach that need our services," he said. "We're hoping that the increase in the state budget would allow us to get to some of the communities in the Lehigh Valley in particular that are asking for workforce services." Residents looking for more information about WEPA and Tec Centro Lebanon's services can contact organizers at 717-708-3030 or visit the website at wepaempowercenter.org. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. Douglas Stump is a correspondent for LDN. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Tec Centro Workforce Network receives $8 million in state funding TOKYO, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - Located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the 'Kenno Cafe' aims to prevent dementia through recreational activities like exercises for those concerned about the condition. An 86-year-old man who commutes from Tokyo says, 'At my age, dementia is a concern. I participated because I thought there might be some tips to avoid it.' A 67-year-old man commuting from Yokohama adds, 'My mother eventually developed dementia and entered a facility. I didn't recognize the signs and regretted my ignorance later.' Last month, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare predicted that by 2040, one in three people over 65 will have dementia or MCI (mild cognitive impairment). This is the first time the government has estimated the number of MCI patients. What affects the onset of dementia? Dr. Arai, a leading dementia researcher and operator of the cafe, explains that prevention at the MCI stage can significantly delay the onset of dementia. MCI, or mild cognitive impairment, is an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia, characterized by declines in memory and attention but not severe enough to disrupt daily life. Dr. Arai states that without prevention, about half of MCI patients develop dementia within five years. However, appropriate prevention can help some people (about 15-40%) regain normal cognitive function. Dr. Arai: 'MCI is the hottest topic in current medical research. It's like extinguishing a smoldering fire before it spreads into full-blown dementia.' Tanaka (a pseudonym), who has been attending the cafe for six months, was diagnosed with MCI last year. Diagnosed with MCI last year, Tanaka (80) says, 'I can live alone now, but as the symptoms progress, it will become problematic. I feel like I'm on the edge. If it gets worse, I'll be in the dementia group.' In addition to participating in activities at the cafe, Tanaka is taking lecanemab, a groundbreaking new drug that was just approved for insurance coverage last December. This drug removes the substance causing dementia and slows its progression. Despite not having symptoms severe enough to disrupt daily life, Tanaka says there is something he can't live without. Diagnosed with MCI last year, Tanaka (80) says, 'I take notes. Even now, I'm told when something will air, but I forget by the time I get home. I sometimes forget the day of a planned meeting with friends...' Meanwhile, non-drug prevention methods are becoming more widespread and accessible. What are the new initiatives at 'Boke-fuji' Kannon? Kana Komatsuzaki from Me-Tele reports from Tamagawa Daishi in Setagaya, Tokyo, known for its blessings against dementia. The temple attracts many visitors on weekends. Chief Priest Shinho says, 'There's a speaker beyond here.' 'Can you hear the sutras?' 'Yes, it sounds a bit distorted, like it's echoing.' 'You can feel the vibration, can't you?' The temple uses the latest speaker technology, "kikippa," to process and output sutra sounds as "special sounds." Listening to the "processed sound" compared to the "original sound" reveals the difference. Chief Priest Shinho says, 'You can feel the reverberation, right?' How does this "processed sound" relate to dementia prevention? The company that developed the technology explains that listening to these "processed sounds" can generate "gamma waves" in the brain, which are associated with focus and memory. Research shows that gamma waves may reduce amyloid-beta, a protein linked to dementia. Dr. Arai emphasizes the importance of combining various prevention methods. Dr. Hiraishi Arai of Alzheimer's Clinic Tokyo says, 'No single method can prevent or cure Alzheimer's, the greatest enemy of humanity. If everyone understands the importance of prevention, it could create a significant social movement.' Source: ANN TOKYO, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - Kazuya Saito, a self-proclaimed pianist, was arrested for allegedly stealing a flight attendant's apron during an All Nippon Airways flight in April 2024. The incident took place on a flight from Ishigaki Island to Haneda Airport. According to reports, just before takeoff, Saito sneaked into the galley area, where meal preparations are made, and took the pink apron, hiding it in his pants. Saito, who started playing piano and composing music at the age of four, graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts. He later completed his studies with top honors at the Paris Conservatory of Music, releasing his debut album in 2021. He regularly held recitals, and his website mentions his joy in performing his favorite programs for warm audiences during his recent Tokyo recital. In a police investigation, Saito admitted to stealing the apron and revealed that he had a hobby of collecting women's uniforms, including smelling and wearing them. A search of his home uncovered several women's nurse uniforms, leading the police to suspect he might have stolen dozens of aprons. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are continuing to investigate additional potential thefts. Source: FNN SHIMANE, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - The iconic 381 Series Yakumo express train, introduced during the Japan National Railways (JNR) era, made its final scheduled run on June 15, with a special event in Izumo City to commemorate the train's retirement. The 381 Series Yakumo, which has connected the San'in region and Okayama, completed its last regular operation on Saturday morning. At the vehicle depot in Izumo City, a special farewell event featured a display of the train's various destination signs. Among the attendees were 120 tour participants selected by lottery, who quietly snapped photos of the rare displays. One visitor from Tokyo shared, 'This is my first and last chance, so I definitely wanted to be here. Im very satisfied.' Another visitor from Wakayama commented, 'It was fun. Its a bit sad to think I cant ride it anymore, but Im looking forward to the new Yakumo.' Although the 381 Series Yakumo will be retired from regular service, it is scheduled to operate as a special train during peak travel periods. Source: NEWS CHIBA, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - The Mamagawa River, which flows through Ichikawa City in Chiba Prefecture, is lined with a well-maintained promenade that residents enjoy for their daily walks. However, the downstream area beyond the bridge reveals a starkly different scene. A car lying on its side with its undercarriage exposed, a hood flipped up, and inexplicably, a tire placed on top of another tire are just some of the sights in this area. Other vehicles have all their windows shattered, missing tires, and their interiors scattered with broken glass. Peering inside reveals even more items, from televisions to mattress-like objects, filling the spaces. The abandoned cars, many entwined with plants, have evidently been left untouched for quite some time. A nearby worker in his 60s said, "As far as I know, it's been like this for nearly 10 years." Upon inspection, the program counted 14 vehicles in total, including a truck with 'Roasted Sweet Potatoes' written on it, complete with a menu board and seemingly still in use. Intriguingly, the license plates on this truck did not match, and a gasoline receipt dated April 24th this year was found inside. Six mini-trucks are parked nearby, some with sweet potatoes left in their beds, suggesting recent use. It appears that a group might be using this area as a makeshift parking lot, which is a violation of river laws whether the vehicles are parked or abandoned. A local resident in his 40s shared, "My dog injured its paw during a walk, so we avoid this path now. It feels unsafe." Another resident in their 20s commented, "I think removing these vehicles is necessary for safety and public order." The Chiba Prefecture Civil Engineering Office has been issuing warnings through signs and posters, urging the vehicle owners to clear the area. Illegal Mooring Persists for Decades The issues along Mamagawa River extend beyond abandoned cars. Over 50 boats, all illegally moored, line a 500-meter stretch of the river. These boats, moored to unauthorized piers, also violate river laws. During the investigation, the team encountered a returning boat owner who admitted, "I built the pier myself and have been mooring here for about 10 years. I moved here after the Great East Japan Earthquake because my pier in Urayasu was destroyed." The owner claimed he chose this spot because other boats were already there, and he did not realize it was illegal. He acknowledged the recent signage prohibiting mooring and stated, "If directly told to leave, I would comply as Im over 70." Another boat owner explained, "Boats have been moored here for about 40 years. Theres no other place to dock, so we've continued using this spot." The location's convenience for accessing Tokyo Bay makes it ideal for fishing boats, contributing to its popularity. However, many boats abandoned in the river pose a threat during floods, potentially damaging the riverbanks. A local resident remarked, "I thought these boats were legally moored and fees were being paid. Isn't that the case?" The Civil Engineering Office has pledged to identify boat owners and enforce the removal or relocation of these vessels. Source: ANN FUKUOKA, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - A 6-year-old boy enjoying a fishing trip with his father at Hakozaki Wharf in Fukuoka City slipped and fell into the sea when his father briefly looked away. A 26-year-old Filipino man nearby immediately jumped into the sea to rescue the boy. With the help of a bucket with a rope and a net thrown in by other anglers, they managed to climb back up the embankment safely. The rescued boys parents asked the Filipino man for his contact information, but he reportedly said, "I am not someone worth mentioning," and left the scene. Source: ANN The U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band will perform six free community concerts this summer, including a show in Glenwood. The all-ages performances by the bands rock group Raptor will be held June 29 through July 5, according to the Heartland of America Band. Raptor performs "a range of music from rock-n-roll classics, country standards and patriotic favorites to the chart-topping hits of today." Their 75-minute show "Celebrate America" features songs made famous by Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake and Queen. It concludes with a musical tribute to the United States, its flag and the ideals for which they stand. Shows are scheduled as follows: Saturday, June 29, 7 p.m. Central Park in Grinnell Sunday, June 30, 7 p.m. Davies Amphitheater in Glenwood Tuesday, July 2, 7 p.m. SumTur Amphitheater in Papillion, Nebraska Wednesday, July 3, 7:15 p.m. Oak Lake Park in Lincoln, Nebraska Thursday, July 4, 6:30 p.m. Heartland of America Park in Omaha Friday, July 5, 7 p.m. Rockbrook Village in Omaha Find more information on the band at tinyurl.com/usafheartland. Tunisia has been mistreating migrants subjecting them to refoulement, as authorities continue to round up and throw migrants in Libya where they risk torture, Reuters reported citing an unpublished UN document. Tunisian authorities have been expelling African migrants to Libya, where they have faced forced labor, extortion, torture and killing, Reuters said citing a confidential U.N. human rights briefing. The briefing, dated Jan 23, showed testimonies of 18 migrants including videos that portray the ordeal of Sub-Saharans in Tunisia and Libya, it said. Collective expulsions from Tunisia to Libya and the associated arbitrary detention of migrants are fueling extortion rackets and cycles of abuse, which are already widespread human rights issues in Libya, the U.N. briefing said. Besides authorities crackdown, violent clashes have taken place in many Tunisian coastal towns as locals put the blame on migrants for the degradation of economic conditions in what was once an Arab Spring success story. President Kais Saied described migrants as hordes who threaten Tunisias identity and warned of a great replacement, setting the tone of an anti-migrant rhetoric followed by violations of all sorts. The would-be, could-be Trump successor. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images Speculation about Donald Trumps choice for a 2024 running mate will remain a hot topic until the moment he makes his decision known, presumably at some point prior to the first gavel falling at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15. The only thing we know for sure is that he will not choose Mike Pence again, and in fact, the Pence precedent of betraying Trump on January 6, 2021, is expected to have an outsize impact on the veep selection. Absolute loyalty to Trump, up to and including retroactive support for his effort to overturn the 2020 election results, is essential. But the real question for Republicans thinking beyond 2024 is whether the choice will affect the direction of the GOP once Trump is no longer center stage. And its not just a question of which ambitious politician might share some of Trumps reflected glory. Trump is not merely the leader of the Republican Party; he is also the founder of the MAGA movement that has now conquered the GOP via its three-time presidential nominee. If this movement has a future of its own, it will presumably need a leader, and Trumps choice for his running mate may well represent a moment when the torch is provisionally passed. One MAGA-adjacent group of young ideologues attending a Turning Point USA conference in Detroit over the weekend clearly thought the choice of a movement successor is pretty clear, as the Washington Examiner reported: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) won a straw poll at the Turning Point USA Action conference to be former President Donald Trumps running mate. Vance won almost three times more votes than the next in line, with 43%, according to Turning Point USA head Charlie Kirk. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) won 15.4% of the vote, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio with 7.7%, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) with 7%. According to the Daily Mail, 1,986 attendees of the conference were asked their preference. This makes sense if you think about it for a moment. The 67-year-old Doug Burgum is nobodys idea of a bright young rising star; you could say the same about other veep possibilities, like the 72-year-old Ben Carson or the 72-year-old Marsha Blackburn. Tim Scott and Marco Rubio, both in their 50s, are more suitable for future leadership, but both men have a lot of pre-MAGA baggage and some suspicious contemporary views, particularly when it comes to issues like aid to Ukraine (a definite no-no for serious America Firsters). Among Republican millennials, J.D. Vance has one veep-worthy peer competitor, New York congresswoman and House GOP leadership figure Elise Stefanik, who will turn 40 on July 2, exactly one month before the Ohioan hits the big 4-0. But while Stefanik has aggressively met every Trump loyalty test over the past couple of years, she has no real ideological profile and, in fact, was a bit of a RINO squish back in the day. Vance, by contrast, was a right-wing populist intellectual indeed, a celebrity right-wing populist intellectual as the author of the best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy before he ran for the Senate in Ohio in 2022. He has positioned himself as the champion of the white working-class voters at the heart of the MAGA coalition, and has often articulated their grievances against the domestic and international policies of globalist elites. Unlike most prominent Republicans, Vance has no embarrassing history of support for free trade, entitlement reform, or forever wars. Yes, he sounded briefly like a Never Trumper in 2016, publicly denouncing Trumpism as the opioid of the masses, but hes long recanted this initial skepticism, and is now a leading rationalizer of the former presidents 2020 election denial. Hes the veep prospect who seems least likely to backslide toward the old-school Reagan conservatism that MAGA enthusiasts undoubtedly fear. His enthusiasm for Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban is a good indication that Vance would represent a further devolution toward European-style authoritarianism. But a key question about Vance is whether his youth and ideological credentials might spur opposition among Trump influencers with their own ambitions. By most accounts, Vances Missouri colleague Josh Hawley is another youngish (only 44) right-wing populist ideologue who might represent the next iteration of America First Republicanism. The only slightly older Mississippi senator Tom Cotton (47) may be a mite too internationalist in his foreign policy and defense views for the pure MAGA activists, but he has a proven own-the-libs mentality that could still make him attractive to those looking for a Trump successor. And for the more dynastic-minded, theres always Donald Trump Jr. waiting in the wings. Might any or all of these potential future leaders block Vance from taking a big step toward the MAGA succession? Theres only one opinion on the veepstakes that ultimately counts, of course. But Trumps decision can tell us whether the MAGA movement is a serious and permanent force in Republican politics or simply a cult of personality that will fade or even disappear when hes gone. A Trump-Burgum ticket would confirm that the former president isnt thinking a single minute beyond his own comeback bid and would prefer a running mate that adds or subtracts nothing from his appeal. Trump-Vance suggests a movement with a scary future in store for all of us. New pair of giant pandas to further bolster Sino-Australian relations 10:51, June 17, 2024 By CAO DESHENG in Adelaide, Australia ( Chinadaily.com.cn Premier Li Qiang inspects the panda enclosure at Adelaide Zoo on Sunday during his visit to Australia. Adelaide Zoo is the only Australian zoo that has giant pandas for China-Australia cooperation on panda protection and research. LI TAO / XINHUA China will loan a new pair of giant pandas to Australia to continue with the cooperative research on the conservation of the globally loved animal, Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday, as he visited Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, Australia. Li arrived in Adelaide on Saturday, the first stop of his official visit to Australia. His announcement about continued cooperation on giant panda conservation is considered as a message for the two countries to further stabilize their relationship. Adelaide Zoo has been home to Wang Wang and Fu Ni since 2009, when the giant pandas were relocated to South Australia from Wolong National Nature Reserve in Southwest China's Sichuan province. The pair the only giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere were on loan for 10 years as part of a giant panda breeding program, but have not bred despite several attempts made by the zoo. The initial 10-year loan was extended by five years in 2019 with funding from the government of South Australia. The extension is due to expire at the end of this year. At the Panda Pavilion in Adelaide Zoo, Li heard the reports presented by both Chinese and Australian experts on the cooperative research on giant panda conservation between the two countries, as well as on the breeding and care of the pandas in Australia. He said the Chinese government has taken a host of measures over the years to protect giant pandas and achieved remarkable progress, contributing to global endeavors in conservation of biodiversity and protection of endangered species. Li said he is glad to see that although far away from home, Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been looked after well and are living a happy life in Australia. They have become envoys of friendship between China and Australia and a symbol of the profound friendship between the two peoples, he added. "This story tells us that as long as both sides are committed to taking good care of China-Australia cooperative relations, they can transcend the vast distance of the Pacific Ocean and differences between us to deliver common progress and win-win outcomes," Li said. Peter Malinauskas, premier of South Australia, told Li that the cute and cuddly giant pandas have captured the hearts of the people of the state and even the whole nation. "When Wang Wang and Fu Ni first came to South Australia, it was a dramatic representation of a strong relationship between South Australia and the People's Republic of China. We have no doubt that the significant responsibility of privilege that you have bestowed upon us today will be yet another representation of a continually strengthened relationship between Australia and China," he said. Australia is the second leg of Li's three-nation tour, following his official visit to New Zealand. He will next visit Malaysia. During his stay in Australia, Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra and jointly attend a China-Australia CEO Roundtable Meeting in Perth. Upon his arrival on Saturday, Li said that history has proved that respecting each other, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation are valuable experiences in the development of China-Australia relations, and they need to be upheld and carried forward. A more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership will be a shared asset for both peoples, he said. China has been Australia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. Bilateral relations were severely damaged due to the negative policies adopted toward China by the previous Australian government. The two countries have broken the ice since Albanese assumed office in 2022. Li's visit follows Albanese's visit to China in November, when leaders of the two countries agreed to resume key bilateral dialogues and advance cooperation in various fields. Over the past months, China has lifted trade curbs on Australian imports, including wine, barley, beef and timber. In an article titled "Working productively with China will benefit everyone in the region", which was published by The Australian on Wednesday, Albanese wrote that Australia and China are two very different nations, with different systems of government and different ways of looking at the world. "Points of contention are inevitable; what matters is how you manage them," he said in the article, adding, "I take the view that whatever our differences might be, it is always better when we can deal with each other directly, through dialogue." (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) MEMIC Honors L.L.Bean and Cynthia Murphy of CEI for Workforce Safety and Partnership The awards were presented at MEMIC Groups recent annual meeting of policyholders. Portland, Maine-based workers compensation insurance provider Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC) Group announced L.L.Bean and Cynthia Murphy of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) as the winners of its 2024 awards recognizing excellence in workforce safety and partnership at the Annual Meeting of Policyholders in Portland on June 10, 2024. According to a recent release, L.L.Bean received the MEMIC Award for Excellence in Safety, largely due to its participation in safety workshops, on-site assessments and training programs. The company's collaboration with MEMIC through their broker, Aon, resulted in thousands of employees being trained in safety protocols, cultivating a more accountable workplace culture. The MEMIC Award for Workforce Partnership went to Cynthia Murphy, CEIs senior program manager. She was recognized for her work with the Child Care Business Lab and the Child Care Investment Fund. Under Murphy's leadership, 32 graduates from the Child Care Business Lab launched new businesses, creating jobs and childcare spaces for parents. The MEMIC Awards perfectly exemplify the partnership between MEMIC and our policyholders when it comes to workers compensation, MEMIC President/CEO Michael Bourque said in a statement. At the end of the day, the relationship with our policyholders is more about protecting the health and safety of their most important assettheir peoplethan it is about insurance. More information about the winners and their achievements is available on MEMICs website. Pumped-storage hydropower, or simply pumped hydro, is set to play an increasing role in Southeast Asias energy transition. This mature technology for large-scale energy storage can bolster grid reliability as fossil fuel generators are phased out in favor of renewable sources. Pumped hydro capacity in Southeast Asia is projected to surge from 2.3 gigawatts (GW) today to 18 GW by 2033, representing a nearly eightfold increase in less than a decade, and attracting an estimated total investment of between US$12 billion and US$70 billion. With 64% of the region's power generation coming from fossil fuels, reliable and green energy storage solutions are crucial to enhance electricity system flexibility, particularly as more renewable energy sources like solar and wind become integrated. Currently, 2.7 GW of pumped hydro storage is under construction, with the remaining 13.3 GW in various stages of development. This expansion will diversify the region's renewable energy landscape, currently centered on the Philippines and Thailand. While Thailand boasts the most existing capacity for now, the Philippines will soon surpass it with about 5.7 GW of capacity in the pipeline. Other countries in the region investing in pumped hydro include Vietnam and Indonesia, which boast about 4.5 GW and 4.2 GW of pending capacity, respectively. Thailand will also contribute to the region's growth through 2033, with an additional 1.6 GW slated for development. Related: Sweden Rejects New Power Cable to Germany Over Market Inefficiencies Pumped hydro shines as a promising solution to meet growing energy storage demands, essential for maintaining grid reliability as Southeast Asia incorporates more variable renewable sources such as solar and wind. Nevertheless, policymakers and developers must implement effective risk management to address the various challenges and uncertainties inherent in the operation of pumped hydro ensuring their seamless integration into the regions energy landscape, says Nevi Cahya Winofa, Renewables and Power Analyst at Rystad Energy. Policymaking has been a pivotal force in the short term, especially with policies favoring pumped hydro installations driving this momentum forward. For instance, the Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) is actively regulating energy storage technologies, including pumped hydro. In the countrys upcoming Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP 3), anticipated in the second half of 2024, the DOE plans to offer 3.1 GW of pumped hydro capacity. Similarly, Vietnam's national Power Development Plan 8 (PDP 8) aims to attain 2.4 GW of pumped hydro by 2030, with projects like Bac Ai and Nihn Son already underway. Furthermore, Indonesia, Thailand and other regional nations are progressing with pumped hydro through policy frameworks. State-owned utility companies dominate pumped hydro projects in most of Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. This trend is evident with the top three developers in Southeast Asia, all of which have significant government ownership. Indonesias state-owned utility company PLN is the leading developer in the region, with 3.7 GW pumped hydro projects in the pipeline. The high upfront costs and the long time it takes to see a return on investment make pumped hydro projects less attractive to private companies. Additionally, the licensing process can be unpredictable, dragging out project timelines and adding risk for potential developers. The Philippines, however, bucks this trend. Unlike its neighbors, the nation has an unbundled electricity market, meaning there's competition in both power generation and distribution. This competition creates volatile wholesale electricity prices, which can fluctuate more than in regulated markets. This presents an economic incentive for pumped hydro storage, making it a more attractive option for developers in the Philippines. Pumped-storage hydropower is a method of storing hydroelectric energy, used by electric power systems for load balancing. It works by pumping water from a lower-elevation reservoir to a higher one, storing energy that can later be used during periods of high electrical demand. Low-cost surplus off-peak electric power typically powers the pumps, and the stored water is released through turbines to generate power when needed. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif] Pumped hydro projects rely heavily on specific geographical conditions, presenting obstacles in site selection and land acquisition. Many potential sites are situated in rural areas lacking necessary infrastructure like transmission lines and road access for construction. These deficiencies can lead to increased costs and project development timelines, straining project finances. Moreover, obtaining land for these projects is complicated, given they are often placed in protected areas, such as forests, river systems, or urban zones, necessitating strict adherence to environmental regulations to avoid delays. Despite these challenges, pumped hydro projects offer significant socio-economic advantages to regions where they are deployed. Aside from ensuring a stable electricity supply, they can spur infrastructure growth, improving accessibility in the area. Additionally, these projects generate job opportunities, particularly benefiting residents during construction and operation, thereby boosting the region's economy. Maximizing these benefits requires effective risk management strategies, encompassing strategic planning, thorough preparation, precise execution and continuous evaluation by both developers and policymakers. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif] By Rystad Energy More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last month, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development announced that the world's richest nations had finally hit a target of $100 billion in annual transition funding in 2022. In fact, they had "materially surpassed" that target by over $15 billion, the OECD said. Even so, the ultimate target of mobilizing trillions in green finance over the coming couple of decades remains as elusive as ever. Popularly known as climate finance, the money that various forecasting agencies say we need to spend every year in order to shift away from hydrocarbons and into alternative sources of energy is certainly no small potatoes. In fact, the price tag of the transition has been swelling consistently over the past few years. By the time the OECD hit its annual climate finance target of $100 billion, in other words, it was already not enough to advance the transition agenda per plans. And the bill may keep rising, too. The Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Stiell, said earlier this year that the world needed to find and channel $2.4 trillion annually into the energy transition by 2030. "It's clear that to achieve this transition, we need money, and lots of it - $2.4 trillion, if not more," he said at the time. What was not clearand is still not clearis where all that money would come from. Not only that, but it recently emerged that those wealthy nations that were supposed to be shouldering the weight for all the poor countries that could not afford to spend billions on solar subsidies and EVs had taken advantage of climate finance mechanisms. An investigation by the Big Local News journalism program at Stanford University revealed that G7 members of the OECD had routinely provided so-called climate finance to poor nations in the form of loans rather than grants, with market-rate interest attached to them rather than the discount interest typical of such loans. The loans also came with strings attached: the borrower had to hire companies from the lender country for the projects that were financed. The investigation did not make the splash it should have made. Still, not all is as pristine in climate finance as it should be. It is in this non-pristine context that countries are discussing raising the climate finance investment target ahead of the next conference of the parties, scheduled for Novemberbecause the cost of the transition has been on the rise, too. Per a recent Reuters overview of where things stand, the Arab countries have suggested an annual investment target of $1.1 trillion, of which $441 billion would come from developed countries. The suggestion of over $1 trillion in annual investments also has the support of India and African countries. It makes sense that the potential beneficiaries of that annual trillion dollars would support the idea. It makes less sense for the potential providers of that trillion to sign off on the planbecause they are not exactly flush with cash. There is no G7 nation right now that is not experiencing a degree of financial trouble. From the U.S.'s runaway debt to Germany's nonexistent GDP growth to Japan's budget deficit, the G7 is not doing well. Yet it is G7 that is expected to shoulder the bulk of the climate finance weight. Even so, the U.S. and the EU have already agreed that they need to mobilize more than $100 trillion annually for the transition to have a chance of taking place. The "How" of it remains the million, or rather the trillion-dollar question. Publicly, G7 leaders have been talking a lot about more private finance. More of that is needed to flow into transition projects to supplement government policies aimed at making such flows profitable for the investors. Yet those governments providing the support are not omnipotent and have been unable to guarantee that profitability, making investors reluctant to go all in on the transition to supply those necessary billions in climate finance. EVs are a case in point. The European Union has been doing everything it can to support greater adoption, including tax incentives for buyers, punitive taxes for ICE car owners, and a splurge on charging infrastructure. However, as national governments start to phase out subsidies for electric vehicles, sales are taking a plunge, and none of the above matters. Short of making EVs mandatory, the EU is really out of options. Solar and wind in the United States are also a case in point. The amount of capacity getting installed across the country is rising fastbut so is opposition to these installations from local communities. In February, USA Today reported on a survey that found 15% of U.S. counties had successfully stopped the construction of utility-scale wind and solar projects. While the report described the trend as a negative one, those communities often have quite sound reasons for their opposition, such as environmental destruction or energy supply reliability issues. If we are to believe the UN's climate chief, the world needs to spend $2.4 trillion annually to keep the global average temperature from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times by 2050. If we are to believe BloombergNEF, the price tag for the transition rose by 19% or $34 trillion from earlier estimates. How those in charge would find this money and how it would be distributed remains a mystery with no solution in sight. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia has surpassed the U.S. as the primary supplier of gas to Europe, despite efforts by the region to reduce reliance on Russian energy sources. According to some of the more cynical elements out there, the entire Ukraine war as orchestrated by Victoria Nuland and various energy-tied elements in the deep state, was meant to do one thing: replace Russia with the US as the primary supplier of European gas (and the recent sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, only seems to validate this particular "conspiracy theory.") And if indeed it is the case that the war was meant to replace one European energy supplier with another, then we have bad news: the war has been for nothing. According to the FT, Europes gas imports from Russia once again overtook supplies from the US for the first time in almost two years in May, despite the regions efforts to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While certain one-off factors contributed to the reversal, it highlights the difficulty of further reducing Europes dependence on gas from Russia, with several eastern European countries still relying on imports from their neighbor while others are actively skirting their own sanctions in hopes of obtaining cheaper energy. Its striking to see the market share of Russian gas and [liquefied natural gas] inch higher in Europe after all we have been through, and all the efforts made to decouple and de-risk energy supply, said Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at consultancy ICIS. Actually it's not, and it shows that for all the rhetoric and posturing, nothing has changed in Europe and Moscow still looms large as an anchor source of European energy. Following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow slashed its pipeline gas supplies to Europe and the region stepped up imports of LNG, which is shipped on specialized vessels with the US as a major provider. Sure enough, a few months later in September 2022, the US overtook Russia as a supplier of gas to Europe and has since 2023 accounted for about a fifth of the regions supply. But last month, Russian-piped gas and LNG shipments accounted for 15% of the total supply to the EU, UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, according to data from ICIS. LNG from the US made up 14% of supply to the region, its lowest level since August 2022, the ICIS data showed. The reversal comes amid a broad uptick in European imports of Russian LNG despite several EU countries pushing - and failing - to impose sanctions on them. As the FT notes, Russia stopped sending gas through pipelines connecting it to northwest Europe in mid-2022 but continues to provide supplies via pipelines through Ukraine and Turkey. Flows in May were affected by one-time factors, including an outage at a major US LNG export facility, while Russia sent more gas through Turkey ahead of planned maintenance in June. Demand for gas in Europe also remains relatively weak, with storage levels near record highs for this time of year. Some are hoping to make this seems like a one-off event, and that things will quickly get back to normal as Europe pretends to follow strict sanctions on Russian commodities. One among them is Marzec-Manser of ICIS, who said that the reversal was not likely to last, as Russia would in the summer be able to ship LNG to Asia via its Northern Sea Route. That was likely to reduce the amount sent to Europe, while US LNG production had picked up again, he said. Russia has limited flexibility to hold on to this share [in Europe] as demand [for gas] rises into next winter, whereas overall US LNG production is only growing with yet more new capacity coming to the global market by the end of the year, he added. Additionally, the transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia also comes to an end this year, putting at risk flows through the route. Of course, that just means that the pushback against sanctions will become far more vocal, and soon Europe will be torn even more along its pro/anti-Russia axis. Meanwhile, the European Commission is supporting efforts to establish an investment plan to expand the capacity of pipelines in the Southern Gas Corridor between the EU and Azerbaijan, but a senior EU official said supplies through the route were not currently sufficient to replace the 14bn cubic meters of Russian gas that currently flowed through Ukraine to the EU each year. The EUs energy commissioner Kadri Simson said she had raised concerns about LNG being diverted from Europe to meet demand in Asia on a trip to Japan this month. She said Tokyo and Brussels had established an early warning system to monitor LNG shortages and had agreed both should pursue energy-saving measures. The EU is prepared to buffer any negative supply or demand events in global gas markets, she added. Our gas storage remains at record high levels [and] our gas demand stabilised at record low levels, down 20% compared with 2021. And, it turns out, Europe has Russia to thank for its record-high gas storage. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Beijing recently 'greenlighted' Tesla the ability to roll out its driver-assistance system, known as "Full Self-Driving," or FSD. A new report suggests Tesla is testing vehicles equipped with FSD on city streets and highways in the world's largest car market. Reuters cited a report from the government-backed Shanghai Observer that said ten Tesla vehicles with FSD are being tested ahead of what could be a much larger planned rollout later this year. Elon Musk has been strategically paving the way for an FSD rollout in China in recent months. His surprise visit to China on April 28, where he met with top Chinese officials, including Premier Li Qiang, clearly indicated Tesla's deepening ties with China. One day later, on April 29, news broke in US corporate media that Tesla would partner with Chinese tech giant Baidu for mapping and navigation software to support FSD, including satisfying regulators about data security and privacy requirements. Other reports said top Chinese officials gave Musk the greenlight to roll out FSD in some limited capacity. In May, Reuters reported that Tesla was preparing to register FSD with Chinese authorities for a planned rollout later this year. Chinese state media also stated that Tesla had begun building a Megapack factory in Shanghai. The larger rollout of FSD in China will be a golden opportunity for Tesla to expand revenue streams amid the worldwide slump in EV sales. Also, this allows them to better compete with local rivals in China. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: There has been great criticism over Mexicos energy policies in recent years, as the countrys President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has continued to ardently support the oil and gas industry above renewable alternatives, while the state-owned oil company Pemex becomes increasingly indebted. There is now major speculation around what is in store for Mexicos energy sector under AMLOs Morena party successor Claudia Sheinbaum. Claudia has mainly pledged to follow the policies put in place by her predecessor, but many are hoping for a shift in energy policy rooted in her background as a climate scientist. Claudia Sheinbaum will become Mexicos first female president in October this year, after winning the June election. Sheinbaum has an extensive academic background, with a PhD in energy engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, with experience working as the Environmental Secretary for Mexico City in 2000, as well as forming part of the UN panel of climate scientists that was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. During her time as mayor of Mexico City, she carried out innovative energy projects such as the electrification of the citys bus fleet and the development of a massive rooftop solar project at the Central de Abastos wholesale market. Her track record gives hope to many energy experts who see great potential in the future of Mexicos renewable energy sector. During her presidential campaign, Sheinbaum pledged to invest $13.6 billion in renewable energy, including wind and solar farms and hydroelectricity. She hopes to boost renewable energy production by as much as 50 percent by the end of her term in 2030. However, she also stated that she intended to support Pemex and keep it under state control, signalling an ongoing commitment to national oil and gas. The incumbent president faces tough decisions over the next few years when it comes to energy. Although Mexico has deep historic ties with its oil industry, in recent years Pemex has become increasingly indebted, being labelled as the biggest liquidity and debt concern among its Latin American peers by Fitch Solutions last year. Further, Pemex has been repeatedly criticised for its failure to improve its health and safety standards following several major incidents in recent years. Meanwhile, Mexicos renewable energy industry is extremely underdeveloped, despite having significant potential. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Mexico has the potential to establish 24,918 GW of solar photovoltaics, 3,669 GW of wind power, 2.5 GW of conventional geothermal energy, and 1.2 GW of hydropower. Several parts of Mexico are currently seeing the direct effects of climate change. Mexico City is battling a major water shortage, which threatens the citys drinking supply, while other parts of the country are facing soaring temperatures and severe drought. This demonstrates the need for greater climate action through a green transition. Mexico signed the Paris Agreement under the leadership of former president Pena Nieto and has made several ambitious climate pledges since. In 2022, Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's former Foreign Minister, pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 35 percent by the end of the decade at COP27, marking a significant increase from the previous 22 percent reduction target. Meanwhile, Mexicos energy transition law targets 35 percent renewable electricity generation by 2024. However, President AMLO did little to achieve these targets during his time in government. AMLO has spent billions keeping Pemex afloat over the last six years while dedicating little funding to the expansion of Mexicos renewable energy sector. According to the Climate Change Performance Index, Mexicos track record on climate change policies worsened under the leadership of AMLO, mainly because of higher subsidies for fossil fuels and little progress in reducing deforestation. While there is optimism around Sheinbaums future management of the energy sector, she faces major challenges in bringing about change. She must contend with the biggest budget deficit in decades, having to choose where to spend public funds carefully. Meanwhile, despite its poor performance, Pemex continues to contribute to Mexicos state revenues. In 2022, Mexico produced an average of 1.6 billion bpd of crude, as the worlds 11th biggest oil producer. In addition, ALMO spent several years accelerating the shift away from private energy funding to the nationalisation of the countrys energy sources, which has resulted in diminished private investor interest in the sector. Although Sheinbaum faces a vast array of challenges in taking Mexicos energy industry in a different direction, there is huge potential for the expansion of the countrys renewable energy industry, as well as for greater collaboration with other world powers. For example, according to Sheila Jasanoff, a professor of science and technology studies at the Harvard Kennedy School, Sheinbaums international climate experience could make her a very valuable ally for a second Biden administration, if President Biden is re-elected in the upcoming elections. She could also help Mexico to take a leading role in global climate action by developing the country as a major renewable energy hub in the Americas. However, only time will tell whether Sheinbaum is dedicated to overcoming the challenges in Mexicos energy market to diversify its energy mix and thereby strengthen energy security. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: For two days during the June 15-16 summit for peace in Ukraine, senior officials from more than 90 countries focused on the most devastating conflict in Europe since World War II. As the delegations dispersed, participants lauded the launching of a process to keep the dialogue going and the prospect of a second summit in the near future. But the fact the Moscow was not invited to the event and had derided it as a waste of time and effort cast doubts over the future of any peace process. Although the summits final communique did not explicitly mention Russia, it noted that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties. We, therefore, decide to undertake concrete steps in the futurewith further engagement of the representatives of all parties, the statement continued, noting that the basis for a resolution to the conflict had to be the principles of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. This was an inaugural summit intended to get a peace process moving based on the UN Charter and respect for international law, said Ukrainian analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta political research center. What comes next? One possibility that was discussed on the sidelines of the summit would be to hold a peace conference. Many participants at the peace summit mentioned that in the future another event [with the participation of Russia and Ukraine] must be held, Fesenko added. But without preconditions or ultimatums. Speaking to journalists after the summits first session on June 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: There is no Russia here because if Russia would be interested in peace, there would be no war. 'Trying To Make It Look Like A Compromise' At a special Moscow event on the eve of the peace summit in Switzerland, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out what he described as a peace plan for Ukraine. He said that if Kyiv withdrew its forces from all the Ukrainian regions that Russia has claimed, including territory currently held by Ukrainian forces, and renounced any ambition to join NATO, Moscow would immediately order a cease-fire and be ready to begin negotiations. He added that a peace agreement had to be based on international recognition of Moscows claims to Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, and Crimea regions and the lifting of all sanctions imposed against Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to journalists on June 16, added that the Kremlin considers Zelenskiy to be an illegitimate leader and would not hold talks with him. Putins statement was immediately denounced by Ukraine and many participants in the Switzerland summit as an ultimatum aimed at disrupting the global event. It is clear that he did not mean these proposals as the beginning of negotiations that could lead to peace, said Russian political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky, but rather to Ukraines capitulation or to continued fighting. Putin is demanding he be given what he could not take by military force, all the while trying to make it look like a compromise. What Putin said were preconditions, analyst Fesenko said. They were not proposals to be negotiated. They were preconditions, an ultimatum. A real peace process has to begin without preconditions. Deutsche Welle journalist Konstantin Eggert told RFE/RLs Russian Service that it is clear that Putin does not want peace and that he thinks he can continue fighting for a rather long time and wait out everyone else. China's Interests China, Russias main geopolitical ally, did not attend the Switzerland summit and has proposed together with Brazil its own peace process involving both Russia and Ukraine. In its statements, Beijing has stressed that a peace agreement must be based on respect for national sovereignty while remaining silent on the question of Ukraines territorial integrity. The success of the Switzerland summit, said Russian political scientist Aleksandr Morozov, has created a kind of dynamic that Beijing will have to take into account if it is to proceed as an intermediary. The war is now on the agenda of a large number of countries, he said, adding that the summits statement in support of Ukraines territorial integrity cannot be ignored. Preobrazhensky noted Beijings influence in Moscow but expressed doubt that China could compel a strategic revision of Moscows course. Moreover, he argued Beijings own interests may not be in seeking a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Beijing is not interested in ending the aggression, he said. It has other interests. They want to preserve the status quo. Russia must not completely lose this war, but there is no need from Chinas perspective for it to win either. The Saudi Card En route to Switzerland, Zelenskiy made a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia, where he persuaded the Saudis to participate in the summit. Kyiv reportedly sees Saudi Arabia as a possible host for a follow-on peace conference with the participation of both China and Russia. During the summit session on June 15, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud expressed hope that the summit would provide us the basis of a political track of resolving the conflict. But the path to peace will require some difficult compromises as part of the road map. Any credible process will need Russias participation, he concluded. Analyst Fesenko said the Switzerland summit provides a basis for further discussion on issues where agreement is possible, such as the release of prisoners or the return of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia. But there are questions on which no compromise is possible, including the status of the occupied regions, he said. There could be a Saudi continuation of the global summit, Fesenko said, noting media reports that the European Union supports such an initiative. On the other hand, the process that led to the Switzerland summit could continue with low-level, informal meetings involving representatives of summit participants, together with Ukraine and Russia. These would not be peace talks, he stressed, but rather attempts to agree on the format of future peace talks and the agenda of such talks. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Turmoil in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden intensified this week as Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a series of attacks on commercial vessels traversing the critical maritime chokepoint. In a bold new move, the rebels deployed a suicide drone boat that slammed into the stern of a bulk carrier, paralyzing the vessel and forcing the crew to abandon the ship. The drone boat attack on commodity-hauling bulk carrier "Tutor" was first reported on Wednesday. By Friday, the crew of the vessel was "evacuated by military authorities," according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. UKMTO said, "The vessel has been abandoned and is drifting in the vicinity of the last reported position 1420'00" N 04156'00" E." Filipino-based media outlet ABS-CBN News spoke with Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, who said 21 of the 22 Filipino seafarers aboard the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned, and operated bulk carrier were rescued. He did not specify which military rescued the crew. However, Bloomberg reports that a US Navy ship conducted an extraction operation at the end of the week. "The ship was adrift in the southern Red Sea," Cacdac told reporters, adding one missing crew member is likely dead in the engine room. This is the area where the drone boat struck the bulk carrier. Bloomberg said the ship is taking on water, and a salvage company has dispatched two tugboats to rescue it. ABS-CBN News posted a video onboard the vessel before the extraction. PANOORIN: Sitwasyon sa MV Tutor na binomba kamakailan ng Houthi rebels umano sa Red Sea. Patuloy na nananawagan sa pamahalaan ng tulong ang mga Pinoy na tripulante na stranded sa naturang barko. (Courtesy: Emerson Loria) BUONG ULAT: https://t.co/4ZvsrKnkxT pic.twitter.com/KwSN25c6pp ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 14, 2024 Like security firm Ambrey, we have told readers this was the first time Houthis used remote-controlled, water-borne explosives. One commodity research firm with a high focus on oil/gas flows in the Middle East told us this won't be the last time the Houthis use kamikaze drone boats against commercial vessels. In a separate report, Bloomberg cites US officials who believe Houthis are expanding "international partnerships with other militant groups as part of their campaign to disrupt global shipping and protest the Israel-Hamas war." Houthi's aim in disrupting maritime chokepoints is to create a supply shock for the global economy. Containerized freight shipping rates are already soaring, and logjams are being reported at some of the world's top ports. The Houthis have only been emboldened by a weak Biden administration whose disastrous foreign policy decisions have unleashed fires across the world. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Denmark, other Baltic Sea countries, and allies from the European Union are considering ways to limit the volume of Russian oil transported on the so-called dark fleet in the Baltic Sea and the Danish straits, Denmarks Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Reuters on Monday. Apart from looking to clamp down on Russian shadow fleet activities and Putins revenues from oil, Denmark has been concerned that the old and potentially uninsured tankers of the growing dark fleet could cause an environmental disaster in its waters through which Russias oil from its Baltic Sea ports passes en route to the Atlantic. There is broad consensus that the shadow fleet is an international problem and that international solutions are required, Lokke Rasmussen told Reuters in an email, without giving details about what the measures under consideration are. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif] It's important that any new measures can be implemented in practice and that they are legally sound with regards to international law, the Danish foreign minister added. This weekend, Danish investigative journalism media Danwatch reported a new analysis that had found that every other tanker from Russia that is crossing the Great Belt, the largest Danish strait, carries sanctioned oil and doesnt live up to industry standards about ownership, valid insurance, or safety. A report from Allianz SE highlighted last month the serious environmental and safety risks posed by the burgeoning "shadow fleet" of oil tankers carrying sanctioned Russian crude. Over the past three years, as international sanctions on Russian crude and refined product exports have tightened due to its invasion of Ukraine, a significant number of older, under-regulated vessels have emerged to maintain the flow of these exports. These tankers, often operating without proper insurance and outside international regulatory frameworks, present substantial hazards in key maritime chokepoints. In Asian waters, Russian tankers are attempting to circumvent U.S. sanctions by surreptitiously transferring their oil cargo to other vessels. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia became the biggest supplier of natural gas to Europe last month, for the first time since 2022, replacing the United States at the top spot. Its striking to see the market share of Russian gas and [liquefied natural gas] inch higher in Europe after all we have been through, and all the efforts made to decouple and de-risk energy supply, ICIS head of gas analytics, Tom Marzec-Manser, told the Financial Times. Indeed, the European Union has been hard at work trying to reduce the amount of Russian natural gas that enters the bloc but it appears now that all that work has been more words than action. The EU was also recently reported by Bloomberg to be discussing ways around the end of Russias gas transit deal with Ukraine so the gas could keep flowing. Ukraine declared it would not renew its transit deal with Gazprom after it expires at the end of the year but some European Union member states are dependent on those pipeline supplies, hence the urgent discussions. Per one Reuters report, the EU and Ukraine had approached the Azeri government for help mediating a deal with Russia on the continued flow of gas to Europe. In the meantime, the EU continues issuing sanctions against Russia and is trying to ban imports of liquefied natural gas from the countryeven as these imports run at all-time highs. Imports of LNG from the United States, on the other hand, have declined, according to data from ICIS. While Russian gas imports covered 15% of the needs of the EU, the UK, Switzerland and the Western Balkan nations, U.S. imports covered 14% of them, the data showed. This state of affairs will not last, however, according to ICIS Marzec-Manser. Russia has limited flexibility to hold on to this share [in Europe] as demand [for gas] rises into next winter, whereas overall US LNG production is only growing with yet more new capacity coming to the global market by the end of the year, he told the FT. Besides, as the weather warms during the summer, Russia would probably start shipping more LNG to Asia via the Northern Sea Route, the analyst said. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: UK renewable power generators exporting electricity to the EU could be hit with the EU carbon border tax as of 2026 unless the UK and the European Union work a way to change part of the EU mechanism, British industry officials and analysts have told Reuters. The EUs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), commonly known as the carbon border tax, was launched on October 1 last year in the first transitional phase for imports of several carbon-intensive groups of products into the European Union. The first phase of the EUs carbon import pricing legislation will not impose levies on the productssuch will apply from 2026. Under the current mechanism, power producers exporting electricity to the EU even wind and solar power will be subject to some form of tax. The UKs industry is calling for linking the emissions trading systems of the UK and the EU to avoid red tape and taxes UK clean energy producers will have to pay. The CBAM design also means that our homegrown clean energy from wind, solar, and nuclear sources will be forced to pay a carbon price despite being 100% clean. This sends precisely the wrong signal to international investors considering the attractiveness of UK clean energy projects, Energy UK, an industry group said in October after the first phase of the EU carbon adjustment mechanism came into force. Apart from undermining confidence in UK clean energy projects, a tax on power exports to the EU would also raise power prices in northern Europe, where Britain traditionally exports electricity in case of higher output at home and higher demand in Europe. The UK and the EU have time to address the issue until 2026. If they do not agree on a deal, the current EU border tax mechanism would penalize Britains clean energy, analysts and industry say. A study by AFRY Management Consulting, commissioned by a group of interconnector businesses and transmission companies, showed earlier this year that the EU carbon tax would create issues with pricing the carbon of electricity imports from Britain. This, in turn, could put at risk the development of offshore grid and cross-border infrastructure, raise barriers to low-carbon projects, and frustrate efficient market operation by unduly blocking flows that would otherwise be economic, AFRY said. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Liberia Register, which has about 16% of the worlds vessels by capacity flying Liberias flag, has withdrawn authorization to Russias Ingosstrakh Insurance Company to issue documents that allow ships to enter ports. Liberia Maritime Authority has issued an advisory to inform shipowners and operators that the insurance company Ingosstrakh Insurance Company is no longer authorized to issue certificates of insurance (blue cards) to any Liberian flagged vessel. The so-called blue cards are essential for ships to be able to call at ports as they provide proof of insurance against various risks including oil spills and collisions at sea. Recognizing this inconvenience, Liberian flagged vessels currently with blue cards issued by the subject company are granted a grace period of 90 days from the date of this Marine Advisory, Liberia said. Still, Liberias move could be only a symbolic move because only three ships insured by Ingosstrakh are flying Liberian flags and none is an oil tanker, per a database maintained for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), cited by Bloomberg. Ingosstrakh was one of the companies sanctioned last week by the UK alongside vessels identified as being part of the shadow fleet and six companies operating in or supporting the Russian LNG sector. The West is looking at ways to curb the growing activities of the shadow fleet carrying Russian oil and has been on a mission to clamp down on the dark fleet. Denmark, other Baltic Sea countries, and allies from the European Union are considering ways to limit the volume of Russian oil transported on the so-called dark fleet in the Baltic Sea and the Danish straits, Denmarks Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Reuters on Monday. Denmark has been concerned that the old and potentially uninsured tankers of the growing dark fleet could cause an environmental disaster in its waters through which Russias oil from its Baltic Sea ports passes en route to the Atlantic. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillens plan to wipe out vacant state jobs ended up getting rid of half as many positions as he originally touted. The governor issued an executive order April 30 requiring the elimination of state government positions that had been vacant for at least 90 days, with several exceptions. He announced at the time that nearly 1,000 positions were on the chopping block, a figure backed up by a list of affected positions released by his office. But an updated list, released to The World-Herald after the order took effect June 1, showed 489 positions actually being eliminated. The amount of estimated savings was down as well. Pillens office calculated the updated list would cut the state tax budget by at least $11.6 million annually, while also eliminating $14.6 million of spending from federal, cash and other funds. That compares to $15.2 million of state tax savings and $24.2 million of other funds that had been estimated earlier. The governor is pleased with the outcome of this process, but its only the first step, said State Budget Director Lee Will. Positions in state government will continuously be monitored to determine if they meet the 90-day threshold for review. When announcing the executive order, Pillen said state government had continued to function with positions vacant and that money allocated for chronically vacant positions was not being used effectively. We have proven we can work without them, so we will eliminate them and return the money to the taxpayers, he said last month. Will said that the savings will be included in ongoing efforts to reduce the state budget and repurpose state money to finally address out-of-control property taxes. Pillen has made property tax reduction the primary focus of his administration. He has promised to bring state lawmakers back in special session to deal with the issue, although he has said he would not bring lawmakers back until he has a plan that can get 33 votes. He came up empty-handed when the regular session ended in mid-April. Some state agencies fared worse than others Several positions included in the first list were not in the second list. Under the executive order, agencies could keep and fill positions if they requested exemptions and could justify the need for the positions. Will said positions on the updated list had been reviewed by the Governors Office and were deemed no longer necessary for agency operations. The second list also included several positions that had not been on the earlier list, although they had been vacant for at least 90 days at that point. Will said some positions were added in the second list that state agencies offered up as being unnecessary to fill. Among the newly listed positions within the Department of Health and Human Services were two psychiatrists, 13 substitute or temporary teachers and 17 youth security specialists. Meanwhile, 64 social services worker and supervisor jobs were spared and only half as many developmental disability coordinator and supervisor positions were slated to be cut. However, the Racing and Gaming Commission was able to save only three of the 16 positions on the first list. The newly expanded agency lost three of four vacant gaming compliance representative positions and five racing and gaming investigator jobs. The Parole Board had no positions included in the first list but had seven on the second list. On the other hand, the Department of Correctional Services had 48 positions on the earlier list but only 10 on the later one. Similar reviews are to be undertaken every 90 days. Pillens order does not apply to several categories of positions, including law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, children and family services specialists, and other similar positions that directly involve public safety. Also exempt are positions that provide direct operational support for prisons, veterans homes and other 24-hour facilities, highway maintenance and construction workers, and positions that are not covered under the state personnel system. The last category includes positions at the University of Nebraska, state colleges and universities, the court system, the Legislature, agency heads and top positions within state agencies. The last category also exempts the staff members of state elected officials, including positions in the Governors Office. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2024 The Sokoto State Police Command on Thursday confirmed the abduction of Alhaji Aminu Bodai, a member of the House of Assembly, by gunmen in Bodai, Dange/Shuni Local Government Area of the state. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Abubakar Sadiq confirmed the arrest in Sokoto. Bodai, who is representing the Dange/Shuni Constituency, is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Sadiq said that the state command received the information from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area. He said that the gunmen in the early hour of yesterday went to the resident of the lawmaker and abducted him. Read Also: Suspected kidnappers of Chief Imams son, others nabbed The spokesman said that on receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje, directed a re-enforcement to the division to track the abductors. He said that policemen were currently carrying out full surveillance of the forest surrounding the village of Bodai and neighboring communities. Sadiq assured that the police are working closely with other security agencies to maintain a peaceful and secured environment in the state. He called on the public to continue to support the security agencies by providing useful information about strange activities in their areas of residence. Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has denied the reports suggesting that he is under pressure to contest the 2023 presidential election. Some media reports had suggested that the former president is gearing up to contest again in 2023. However, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said he was not under pressure to contest, rather he is focusing on promoting peace and sustainable democracy across the African continent. There was nothing like that. The former President has not made any comments nor spoken to anyone on the coming elections, he said. He is busy concentrating on his foundation, The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), and its work of promoting peace, sustainable democracy and youth empowerment in Africa. Describing the reports as old and fake, he added: If you check online, you will discover that a story with similar headline had been published in the past by few shady online sources. Businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Seidu Agongo has appealed to Ghanaians to show more compassion and generosity to one another during the Eid-ul-Adha festival and beyond. Alhaji Agongo, who is sponsoring thousands of people into school, through skills training and with shelter, food, and funds, said it was only in giving that human beings found true fulfilment in the worship of Allah and the manifestation of their spiritual beliefs. Speaking to the media to mark this years Eid-ul-Adha celebration, the founder of the collapsed Heritage Bank Limited said while giving should be an everyday thing, occasions like Sallah were meant to bring humanity closer to God as well as remind them of the need to share with each, however little. Alhaji, therefore, expressed the hope that Muslims and Christians alike would use the occasion to preach and spread love, compassion, and any material gains they have been blessed with. Economic crisis The founder of the Class Media Group (CMG) said giving was particularly crucial this year, given the economic challenges that the country found itself in. With prices of basic items and utilities rising; eroding the already meager incomes of fellow citizens, Alhaji said underprivileged families will find it tough to celebrate Eid. He said any support would mean more to such families as it could bring smiles to the faces of children and even parents. The business moguls appeal comes when religious leaders urge their followers to be conscious of the tough times in marking the occasion. Last week, an Imam at the Ashaiman Newtown Junction Mosque, Malam Abdul Rakib Abubakar, advised Muslims to celebrate the Eid within budget, given the economic challenges. Last year, Muslims in the Upper East Region reportedly resorted to chicken in place of the age-old sheep and cattle as protein to celebrate the occasion as a result of the economic crunch. Alhaji Agongo said these showed were evidence that not many families would be able to afford the special meal associated with such occasions, hence the need for the few privileged to support the needy. Wealth in diversity Alhaji Agongo also admonished Ghanaians to cherish and nurture the diversity in society, shaped by our hereditary backgrounds, life experiences, inheritances, and the favours bestowed by God. Whether one follows a specific religion or a unique spiritual path, the essence of our existence is to live harmoniously, recognizing each person's value to the world. Our diversity is not a barrier but a beautiful tapestry that weaves together a more vibrant society, he said. He said these differences, which he described as blessings should be celebrated, not as points of division but as opportunities for growth and strength. In these trying times, let us remember that our strength lies in our unity. Let us embrace the differences that make us unique and cherish the commonalities that bind us." By doing so, we can create a world where mutual respect and understanding prevail, ensuring that the human race thrives in a spirit of coexistence and harmony, Alhaji Agongo said. The CMG he founded comprises Class FM, Accra FM, Ho FM, CTV, and Dagbon FM, among other media houses nationwide. Alhaji Agongo pays the fees of hundreds of students at various levels of education and also constructed an outpatient block for the Child Emergency Unit of Korle Bu in 2018. Last year, he donated cash to more than 1,150 aged and other vulnerable residents of Mepe in the Volta Region affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage disaster. 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 Poano, Bekwai--Ashanti Region In a display of generosity and solidarity, Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Bekwai Constituency, made a significant contribution to the Muslim community as part of the Eid-ul-Adha celebrations. On Friday, June 14, 2024, Poku-Adusei attended Jummah prayers at selected mosques within the constituency, including those in Poano, Dominase, and Kokofu. As part of his visit, the young lawyer donated one white Ram to each of the three mosques he visited. This gesture was warmly received by the Muslim leaders and elders present, who expressed their gratitude for his thoughtful contribution. The donation and the engagement with the Muslim community are seen as part of Poku-Adusei's broader efforts to connect with various groups within the constituency and to demonstrate his readiness to serve all constituents regardless of their religious affiliations. The Muslim community, in turn, acknowledged the significance of the donation, especially in the context of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, which are marked by acts of charity and sacrifice. The donated sheep will enable the community to partake in the traditional sacrificial rites, fostering a sense of unity and celebration. During his visit, Lawyer Poku-Adusei addressed the congregations, appealing to the Muslim communities to pray for his success in the upcoming December 7 General Elections. As the December elections approach, Poku-Adusei's actions have set a tone of inclusivity and community-focused leadership, qualities that he hopes will resonate with the voters of Bekwai Constituency. He emphasized his commitment to improving the standard of living for the youth in the constituency and alleviating the hardships faced by the people. Lawyer Poku-Adusei urged the youth to unite and play an active role in the development of their area, stressing the importance of securing a prosperous future. In his speech, he stated, "I am committed to working tirelessly to uplift the standard of living for our youth and to address the challenges our people face. I call on all of you to pray for my victory in the upcoming elections so that together, we can build a better future for our community." Accompanying Lawyer Poku-Adusei were the constituency executives of the NPP, led by Chairman Alex Arko Addai Darkwa. Their presence underscored the party's unified support for Poku-Adusei's candidacy and their collective commitment to the constituency's development. 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 From July 1, 2024, non-resident visitors arriving in Ghana will be required to have a health insurance policy before entry into Ghana. This policy is to ensure that all visitors have access to necessary healthcare services during their stay in Ghana. The mandatory insurance policy requires all non-resident visitors arriving in Ghana to be enrolled under a scheme through which they can access free health care. The policy affects visitors who arrive through the airports on visas or through visa on arrival, depending on their length of stay in Ghana. In February 2024, the Ministry of Health (MoH) launched the national health insurance policy for foreigners visiting Ghana for a short period. The policy dubbed: National Non-resident Visitors Health Insurance, was developed by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and other partners who will jointly oversee its implementation. The policy pertains specifically to non-residents visiting Ghana for a period of less than six months in any period of 12 months. At a media briefing on the modalities of the policy before its roll-out, Dr Isaac Morrison, Vice Chairman, Technical Working Group on the Visitors Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) and Member of the NHIA Board, said the move had become necessary following lessons learnt from the COVID-19, where foreign nationals fell ill and the country had to take care of them as there was no insurance in place. He said the issue therefore prompted the activation of Section 2b of the National Health Insurance Act, 2012 (Act 852), which mandates the establishment of a health insurance policy for foreigners. Currently, countries such as Sierra Leone and Egypt are implementing that scheme in Africa. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed after a vehicle tried to avoid the convoy carrying the body of the late Malawi Vice-President Saulos Chilima hit mourners, witnesses say. Twelve other people were injured in the incident on Sunday night and were being treated in hospital. It followed clashes between local people, the police and soldiers escorting the late vice-president's funeral convoy from the capital, Lilongwe, to his home village for burial. Mr Chilima died in a plane crash a week ago and was buried on Monday in his home district of Ntcheu, some 180 km (112 miles) south of the capital. During the burial, some mourners sang songs criticising President Lazarus Chakwera. The traffic accident happened on Sunday night, when thousands of people had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the coffin as it was being transported for burial. As the procession passed through areas close to Mr Chilimas home, some people started to throw stones at government vehicles and officials. In the commotion, one privately owned vehicle travelling in the opposite direction swerved to avoid the funeral convoy and went off the road, hitting a group of mourners, witnesses say. Two men and two women lost their lives, according to a police statement. The car was not part of the official convoy as had been earlier reported. The spokesman for Mr Chilima's UTM party told the AFP news agency there was some tension along the route as mourners demanded the procession stop so they could see the coffin. In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin," Felix Njawala was quoted as saying. The convoy proceeded after the mourners were pacified. The party has condemned the acts of violence, and asked supporters to refrain from any violence or destruction. "We cannot tolerate violence, Dr Chilima advocated for peace, let us do the same," state broadcaster MBC quoted UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati as saying. Mr Chilima, 51, died last Monday along with eight others when a military aircraft on an internal flight crashed in a forest in the north of the country amid bad weather. On Sunday tens of thousands of Malawians turned up to a funeral service at the national stadium to pay tribute to him. Mr Chilima had a special connection with people, especially the youth, and was considered a breath of fresh air in Malawian politics. His party formed a coalition government with that of President Chakwera after contesting and winning the 2020 elections as alliance partners. In 2022, Mr Chilima was arrested on corruption charges but these were dropped last month. He always denied any wrongdoing. Some of Mr Chilimas supporters have been critical of how the government handled events leading to his death and loudly booed the president when he delivered his eulogy at the funeral service on Sunday. Mr Chakwera has promised a full investigation into the cause of the crash. 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 Former John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern about what he described as the decline in the humanity of some Ghanaians. His statement follows the alleged abandonment of a patient in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region by hospital staff at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba. The Ghana Health Service has initiated an investigation into the incident. Related article: Winneba Hospital Director suspended over alleged abandonment of patient in a bush Delivering a sermon at the Ringway Assemblies of God Church on Sunday June 16, Mr Mahama expressed worry that, assuming the hospital staff reportedly dumped the patient, who was still recovering by the road side and left, what about the residents in the area who saw her lying there for some days. Couldn't they have offered help, Mr Mahama questioned. Mr Mahama, who is flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Election 2024 was delivering the sermon to mark Men's Ministry and Father's Day. He was of the view that if even the Winneba hospital staff were at fault, the woman could have been still alive if those who saw her lying by the road side had come to her aid. He therefore called on Ghanaians not to forgo their sense of fellow feeling. The question is let's even leave what the hospital did, when the woman was lying there, people were walking pass. Indeed some of the eyewitnesses said we saw the ambulance come and put a woman there. And that she has been lying there for the last five days. "The question I ask myself is did these people not read the parable of the good Samaritan. Because the woman laid there for five days. I remember there was a thunderstorm on one of those five days that cut the Winneba road or something. She was in that rain, and eventually she died", he said. He added that "And so the good Samaritan parable is not just a story that Jesus told. It happens every day in our communities and in our societies. That you see somebody in trouble and somebody suffering and you dont have time or mercy to even just go and see what is it that is happening to this person. Mr Mahama therefore urged Ghanaians to be compassionate towards people who are in trouble and the vulnerable. 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 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A group of leading academics are calling for the UN Sustainable Development Goals to be extended past their 2030 target date and updated with consideration for the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), and with more input from communities affected by the goals, among other recommendations. Halfway to the targeted completion date of 2030, many of the UN's ambitious 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are off track or progressing too slowly, due to the slowing of the global economy by COVID and international conflicts. In the run-up to the Summit of the Future in New York next September, the authors are recommending the goals be extended to 2050 and retooled with an ambitious timeline and greater clarity about specific goalssuch as those pertaining to climate and "planetary health." Writing in Nature, the authors recommend the UN's 180 member states further extend many of the goals' individual targets to as far as 2050. They also recommend action to reworking individual targets for each goal. The paper was led by Francesco Fuso-Nerini, director of the Climate Action Center at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and honorary researcher at the University of Oxford; together with Mariana Mazzucato, University College London; Johan Rockstrom, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; Harro van Asselt, University of Cambridge; Jim W. Hall, University of Oxford; Stelvia Matos, University of Surrey; Asa Persson, Stockholm Environmental Institute; Benjamin Sovacool, Boston University; Ricardo Vinuesa, KTH Royal Institute of Technology; and Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University. Enacted in 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals cover such global challenges as hunger, poverty, health, climate action, education, gender equality, peace and biodiversity. Each of the goals is comprised of specific targets. Fuso-Nerini says some goals and regions have progressed faster than others, but most of the world is lagging behindparticularly on climate and biodiversity targets. Furthermore, many targets are too vague and difficult to measure. Another key challenge is to prevent countries from progressing at the expense of others, he says. The paper refers to an urgent need for updated pathways and milestones toward reaching all SDGs including integrating net-zero greenhouse gases emissions, as well as strengthening global governance of the transition through existing frameworks agreed upon by the members of the UN. The authors also say adapting the goals to be relevant to 2050 will require more inclusive consultations with scientists, indigenous populations, marginalized communities and the private sector. As steps toward strengthening the goals, they recommend measures such as framing goals as missions with clear targets, and reforming global finance architecture to enable more public investment in reaching the goals. Planetary health, however, occupies a central issue in the framework of the SDGs, he says, given that the world has already transgressed six of nine planetary boundaries that regulate the stability and functioning of Earth. "Achieving the social and economic goals can't be done at the expense of planet," he says. "What keeps getting left behind are the climate and biodiversity goals, so the base layer for achieving the SDGs is a healthy planet that can support the achievement of all social and economic goals." More information: Francesco Fuso Nerini et al, Extending the Sustainable Development Goals to 2050 a road map, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-01754-6 Journal information: Nature 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 fossilized ant photo of the specimen number: AMNH Bu-KL B1-21-B. Credit: Ryo Taniguchi A multidisciplinary team of scientists from several institutions in Japan, working with colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History, has found evidence that some types of ants that lived during the Cretaceous Period had sensory organs for communication similar to those used by many modern ant species. In their study, published in the journal Science Advances, the group developed a new imaging technique to allow for close study of microstructures embedded in ancient amber to learn more about ants from millions of years ago. Prior studies of ants embedded in amber from millions of years ago have shown that they communicated to survivetheir close proximity and positioning inside amber samples suggests they were communicating somehow, but because amber causes light to scatter, it is impossible to use conventional microscope technology to get a better look at them. In this new study, the research team overcame this problem by developing a new imaging technology called "rotating confocal laser scanning microscopy." Unfortunately, the process is destructive and involved cracking open the amber and cutting off parts of the sample under studyin this case, ant antennae and heads. Each of the sample pieces was then rotated as it was scanned. Using the new technique, the researchers studied ants embedded in amber dated to approximately 100 million years ago. They were able to get a close-up view of what they suspected were antennal sensillaorgans used by modern ants to "smell" pheromones released by other ants. Photographic and schematic illustration of the methodology. Credit: Ryo Taniguchi The researchers then compared the images with similar images made of modern ants. They found them to be nearly identical and located in the same places on the bodies of both ancient ants and modern ants. Prior research has shown that modern ants use pheromones to communicate as a way to organize hunts, for defense, and even for reproduction. Because the organs on the ancient ants were so similar, the researchers suggest it is likely they used them for the same purposes. More information: Ryo Taniguchi et al, Sensory evidence for complex communication and advanced sociality in early ants, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3623 Journal information: Science Advances 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Colorado ranchers are urging state wildlife officials to define what constitutes a wolf that chronically hunts livestock and to kill or remove a wolf that has killed several cattle in Grand County. A wolf killed or injured seven cattle along the Williams Fork of the Colorado River near Kremmling between April 2 and May 11, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have declined to kill the wolf citing, in part, evidence that the wolf is part of a breeding pair that likely has pups. "If this ain't chronic depredation, what is?" Conway Farrell, who has lost six cattle to the wolf, asked Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners during an hours-long meeting on wolf control Thursday. Commissioners and agency staff punted the question of defining "chronic depredation" and said a newly created committee would weigh in on the definition, but not necessarily make a formal recommendation, said Reid DeWalt, assistant director for CPW's Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Natural Resources branch. The Colorado Wolf Restoration Temporary Working Group will consist of a hired mediator, four ranchers, four wolf advocates and four representatives from CPW and the state Department of Agriculture. The group will meet three times over the summer and will also work on addressing wolf conflict as it arises and building trust between state agencies, wolf advocates and ranchers, DeWalt said. The half-day meetings will not be public. The wolf management plan created before the December reintroduction of the endangered apex predator states government officials can kill a wolf if they determine it is "chronically depredating," or killing and injuring livestock. "There is not a specific definition of a 'chronically depredating' pack or wolf," the plan states. "CPW program managers will make the determination as to whether a situation is characterized as chronic depredation on a case-by-case basis." Colorado voters in 2020 narrowly passed a measure mandating the state to reintroduce wolves, which were native to Colorado but exterminated from the state in the early 1900s. The votesupported heavily by urban votershas caused deep frustration among the Western Slope ranchers who opposed the measure but now must deal with its consequences. The lack of clarity around the definition of "chronic depredation" and perceived inaction in the face of continued cattle killings has further angered ranchers across the state, who worry about their income, animals and family. Grand County Commissioner Merrit Linke questioned the purpose of a committee that won't make recommendations. Farrell said the group seemed like a delay tactic so that wildlife officials could push off defining the term until the pair of wolves believed to be denning in Grand County have time to raise their pups. State biologists have not yet seen wolf pups but believe the pair of wolves have procreated, DeWalt said. Based on a typical wolf breeding schedule, the pups would likely be about eight weeks old now and would start traveling with their parents in late summer, he said. Part of the reason state biologists haven't been able to visually confirm wolf pups is because some landowners in the area have stopped allowing CPW staff onto their property, Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, said in an interview. The association in a series of letters has repeatedly asked Jeff Davis, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to kill or remove the depredating wolf. But Davis has repeatedly declined. CPW staff have given ranchers numerous tools to help scare away wolves from their property, including foxlights, cracker shells and 5 miles of fladry around four ranches, DeWalt said. The agency also issued nine permits that allow ranchers to use deterrents that could injure, but not kill a wolf, like rubber buckshot. The state also spent $20,000 for a range rider to guard cattle from wolves during the night. The state has also hired two wolf conflict specialists and plans to hire one more. The nonlethal methods have been working to a certain point, Ritschard said, but explosives and lights won't work forever. They become less effective once a wolf realizes they are not harmful. Defending cattle in the area will become more complicated as herds are moved to summer pastures, which are much larger, he said. The number of cattle in the valley triples in the summer, and the animals will become more spread out. "If we start having issues somewhere else in the county, we're going to have to hire three or more range riders," Ritschard said. "And that's just one county." Wolf advocates applauded agency leaders for not killing the depredating wolf and urged more patience. They cited the amount of effort and taxpayer money spent to reintroduce wolves in Colorado and that nonlethal methods must be given a chance. They noted that ranchers are compensated for the market value of killed or maimed animals. "What we're seeing is an immediate reach for guns," said Delia Malone, an ecologist and president of ColoradoWild. State wildlife officials have confirmed wolf depredations of 11 head of cattle in Jackson and Grand counties since the December reintroduction of wolves, according to a list maintained by CPW. One repayment claim has been submitted and the state paid $1,514 for a killed calf. Depredation includes both kills and physical injuries. Before the reintroduction, wolves that migrated from Wyoming killed 13 cattle, three sheep and three dogs between December 2021 and November 2023. Claims were made on all the animals and the state paid $39,891 in compensation. Colorado also pays ranchers for livestock depredations by other animals, like bears and mountain lions. Last year, the state paid $403,602 for 102 claims of livestock damage from wildlife other than wolves, the vast majority from bears and mountain lions, Colorado Parks and Wildlife documents show. Combined, the state paid for the killing or maiming by bears and lions of eight head of cattle, 66 goats and 1,031 sheep, among other species. The killing of 11 cattle since reintroduction will not have a widespread impact on Colorado's 2.6 million cattle population, said Ryan Sedgeley, southern Rockies representative of the Endangered Species Coalition. But ranchers who have lost cattle to wolves say the market rate compensation for injured or killed cattle does not account for the future benefits that animal would've brought them nor account for the years of careful breeding that led to that animal. A heifer that produces a calf every year is worth more than its market price, they told commissioners on Thursday. The stress of defending cattle from wolves is also taking a toll, said Doug Bruchez, whose calf was killed by a wolf in April. Some families are not letting their children do ranch work away from the house without adult supervision. "Many of us are physically living and sleeping with our livestock," he said. The stakeholder advisory group tasked with helping shape the wolf management plan before reintroduction did not recommend a definition of chronic degradation that included a set number of kills because there is no research that defines a set number and there was no number that the group could agree on, said Matt Barnes, a rangeland scientist and former ranch manager, who served on the stakeholder advisory group. Other states with wolves have a variety of policies about killing depredating wolves, he said. CPW plans to release up to 15 more wolves in the state this winter, though agency leaders have not yet said where. 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. 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: The mechanism of endothelial cell angiogenesis under microgravity. Credit: Life Sciences in Space Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2024.01.001 Humanity is on the verge of entering a new era of space exploration, with the Artemis III mission planning to return humans to the moon in 2026, for the first time in 50 years. Not only will Artemis see a woman and a person of color walk on the lunar surface for the first time, but the week-long mission to the south pole of the moon will begin a period of longer and longer stays in space. This means that the impact of space environments on human health needs to be thoroughly investigated. This includes understanding the effect of "weightlessness" due to the microgravity found in space on physiology. While this seems to be negative, scientists are also investigating the impact of microgravity on cells, which suggests that microgravity can be advantageous. In a paper published in the journal Life Sciences in Space Research, Hong-Yun Nie of PLA-Peking University Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China, and colleagues review recent progress in understanding the impact of microgravity on the biological behavior of various types of stem cells: self-renewing cells that can differentiate into different cell types. Cultures of stem cells grown in microgravity seem to exhibit the formation of 3D tissue-like structures, which closely resemble some aspects of human physiology. This suggests a wide range of potential applications for microgravity as a tool in the field of space life science, opening up entirely new avenues for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The human-tissue-like 3D cell structure grown in microgravity could be used for applications like drug testing and for screening potential health risks. The authors add that artificial cartilage, blood vessels, and other organs generated under microgravity conditions are of high quality, seeming to avoid some of the immune problems caused by the use of scaffolds in traditional tissue engineering. The authors point out that future research should explore the effects of time spent in microgravity and the frequency of exposure on tissue formation. In addition to this, they say that signaling pathways by which microgravity affects interactions between cells have yet to be identified. More information: Hong-Yun Nie et al, The effects of microgravity on stem cells and the new insights it brings to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, Life Sciences in Space Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2024.01.001 Provided by SciencePOD 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: Experimental searching for the SSVDIs. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.180801 A research team has utilized solid-state spin quantum sensors to scrutinize exotic spin-spin-velocity-dependent interactions (SSIVDs) at short force ranges, reporting new experimental results between electron spins. Their work has been published in Physical Review Letters. The Standard Model is a very successful theoretical framework in particle physics, describing fundamental particles and four basic interactions. However, the Standard Model still cannot explain some important observational facts in current cosmology, such as dark matter and dark energy. Some theories suggest that new particles can act as propagators, transmitting new interactions between Standard Model particles. At present, there is a lack of experimental research on new interactions related to velocity between spins, especially in the relatively small range of force distance, where experimental verification is almost non-existent. The researchers designed an experimental setup equipped with two diamonds. A high-quality nitrogen-vacancy (NV) ensemble was prepared on the surface of each diamond using chemical vapor deposition. The electron spin in one NV ensemble serves as a spin sensor, while the other acts as a spin source. The researchers searched for new interaction effects between the velocity-dependent spin of electrons on a micrometer scale by coherently manipulating the spin quantum states and relative velocities of two diamond NV ensembles. First, they used a spin sensor to characterize the magnetic dipole interaction with the spin source as a reference. Then, by modulating the vibration of the spin source and performing lock-in detection and phase orthogonal analysis, they measured the SSIVDs. The experimental results of the study. Credit: DU et al. For two new interactions, the researchers conducted the first experimental detection in the force range of less than 1 cm and less than 1 km respectively, obtaining valuable experimental data. As the editor remarked, "The results bring new insights to the quantum sensing community to explore fundamental interactions exploiting the compact, flexible, and sensitive features of solid-state spins." The team was led by academician Du Jiangfeng and Prof. Rong Xing from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), in collaboration with Professor Jiao Man from Zhejiang University. More information: Yue Huang et al, New Constraints on Exotic Spin-Spin-Velocity-Dependent Interactions with Solid-State Quantum Sensors, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.180801 Journal information: Physical Review Letters Provided by University of Science and Technology of China 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 country at large, despite its many water sources including the mighty Nile River, is no stranger to water scarcity. War, climate change and man-made shortages have brought Sudana nation already facing a litany of horrorsto the shores of a water crisis. "Since the war began, two of my children have walked 14 kilometers (nine miles) every day to get water for the family," Issa, a father of seven, told AFP from North Darfur state. In the blistering sun, as temperatures climb past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), Issa's familyalong with 65,000 other residents of the Sortoni displacement campsuffer the weight of the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). When the first shots rang out more than a year ago, most foreign aid groupsincluding the one operating Sortoni's local water stationcould no longer operate. Residents were left to fend for themselves. The country at large, despite its many water sources including the mighty Nile River, is no stranger to water scarcity. Even before the war, a quarter of the population had to walk more than 50 minutes to fetch water, according to the United Nations. Now, from the western deserts of Darfur, through the fertile Nile Valley and all the way to the Red Sea coast, a water crisis has hit 48 million war-weary Sudanese who the US ambassador to the United Nations on Friday said are already facing "the largest humanitarian crisis on the face of the planet." No fuel, no water Around 110 kilometers east of Sortoni, deadly clashes in North Darfur's capital of El-Fasher, besieged by RSF, threaten water access for more than 800,000 civilians. 'The water is there, but it's more than 60 meters (66 yards) deep, deeper than a hand-pump can go' Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Friday said fighting in El-Fasher had killed at least 226. Just outside the city, fighting over the Golo water reservoir "risks cutting off safe and adequate water for about 270,000 people", the UN children's agency UNICEF has warned. Access to water and other scarce resources has long been a source of conflict in Sudan. The UN Security Council on Thursday demanded that the siege of El-Fasher end. If it goes on, hundreds of thousands more people who rely on the area's groundwater will go without. "The water is there, but it's more than 60 meters (66 yards) deep, deeper than a hand-pump can go," according to a European diplomat with years of experience in Sudan's water sector. "If the RSF doesn't allow fuel to go in, the water stations will stop working," he told AFP, requesting anonymity because the diplomat was not authorized to speak to media. "For a large part of the population, there will simply be no water." Already in the nearby village of Shaqra, where 40,000 people have sought shelter, "people stand in lines 300 meters long to get drinking water," said Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the civilian-led General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur. In photos he sent to AFP, some women and children can be seen huddled under the shade of lonely acacia trees, while most swelter in the blazing sun, waiting their turn. The Soba water station, which supplies water to much of the capital, 'has been out of service since the war began' Dirty water Sudan is hard-hit by climate change, and "you see it most clearly in the increase in temperature and rainfall intensity," the diplomat said. This summer, the mercury is expected to continue rising until the rainy season hits in August, bringing with it torrential floods that kill dozens every year. The capital Khartoum sits at the legendary meeting point of the Blue Nile and White Nile riversyet its people are parched. The Soba water station, which supplies water to much of the capital, "has been out of service since the war began," said a volunteer from the local resistance committee, one of hundreds of grassroots groups coordinating wartime aid. People have since been buying untreated "water off of animal-drawn carts, which they can hardly afford and exposes them to diseases," he told AFP, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal. Entire neighborhoods of Khartoum North "have gone without drinking water for a year," another local volunteer told AFP, requesting to be identified only by his first name, Salah. "People wanted to stay in their homes, even through the fighting, but they couldn't last without water," Salah said. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the health ministry recorded nearly 11,000 cases of cholera -- a disease endemic to Sudan. Parched and displaced Hundreds of thousands have fled the fighting eastward, many to the de facto capital of Port Sudan on the Red Seaitself facing a "huge water issue" that will only get "worse in the summer months," resident al-Sadek Hussein worries. The city depends on only one inadequate reservoir for its water supply. Here, too, citizens rely on horse- and donkey-drawn carts to deliver water, using "tools that need to be monitored and controlled to prevent contamination," public health expert Taha Taher told AFP. "But with all the displacement, of course this doesn't happen," he said. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the health ministry recorded nearly 11,000 cases of choleraa disease endemic to Sudan, "but not like this" when it has become "year-round," the European diplomat said. The outbreak comes with the majority of Sudan's hospitals shut down and the United States warning on Friday that a famine of historic global proportions could unfold without urgent action. "Health care has collapsed, people are drinking dirty water, they are hungry and will get hungrier, which will kill many, many more," the diplomat said. 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 Observing gravitational waves from neutron stars as they glitch could help us understand these exotic stellar remnants. Neutron stars are considered to be the most extreme and exotic celestial objects in the known universe. Created when a massive star runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and its stellar core collapses, neutron stars pack one or two times the mass of the sun into a width of around 12 miles (20 kilometers). As a result, the matter that comprises a neutron star is so dense that a single teaspoon of it brought to Earth would weigh 10 million US tons, according to the US Department of Energy. Yet, this collapse leads to another extreme characteristic. Just as an ice skater draws in their arms to increase their spin, the rapid shrinking of a neutron star's diameter "speeds up" its rotation. That results in some neutron stars spinning as fast as 700 times a second. When they blast radiation from their poles, these neutron stars sweep radiation across the cosmos like celestial lighthouses and are known as pulsars. These are subject to "glitches" that occur when they suddenly and somewhat mysteriously speed up. A paper published in the journal Astroparticle Physics by Brynmor Haskell, an associate professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (CAMK), Warsaw, Poland, and Ian Jones of the University of Southampton, UK, suggests that these glitches should be accompanied by the emission of ripples in the very fabric of spacetime: gravitational waves. The authors point out that these "spin-up" occurrences for neutron stars are theorized to be connected to the presence of vortices in the superfluid components of the neutron star interior. Depending on the physical mechanisms at play during these periods, different phases of the glitch may emit gravitational waves of different frequencies. Haskell and Jones suggest that rapid short bursts of gravitational waves could accompany the glitch itself, while the post-glitch response, or "relaxation" of the pulsar back to its original rate of rotation, could be accompanied by the emission of longer-lasting gravitational waves. The team even suggests that the long-term changes which occur in the interior and surface of glitching pulsars could lead to persistent gravitational wave signals. Ultimately, listening to the gravitational wave music played by pulsars may help determine the dynamics at play within neutron stars. More information: B. Haskell et al, Glitching pulsars as gravitational wave sources, Astroparticle Physics (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102921 Provided by SciencePOD 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 Leaders of environment watch group Suncoast Waterkeeper say they have new DNA evidence linking popular horseback rides in Florida's Palma Sola Bay to water pollution. The group points the finger at horse manure, which it says is contaminating the water with potentially harmful bacteria that make it unfit for swimming. The waste can also add nutrients to the water that can help fuel harmful algal blooms. Concerns have also been raised about the horses trampling seagrass. "The fact that we're allowing these horses to just defecate in the water is mind-boggling," Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna said. "What's definitely known is that some level of our high enterococci bacteria is coming from the horses." But the operator of one of the area's largest horse riding operations, C Ponies Horseback Rides, pushes back on claims that the horses are damaging the Bradenton bay. Owner Carmen Hanson says that ride operators keep the beach clean and remove most of the waste from the water. Hanson claims that horse manure poses a low risk to human health and says the focus on horses is a distraction from major sources of pollution to the bay, like municipal wastewater spills and stormwater runoff. Based on the DNA results, Suncoast Waterkeeper is making a renewed call for Bradenton officials to regulate companies that offer the rides and stop the release of horse waste into the habitat. Bradenton officials say they want more information before taking any action. DNA test studies horse manure The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, which advises Bradenton's city council on water quality issues, says a study could help determine whether horses are causing a significant enough impact on the bay to merit regulation. "We're not pro- or anti-horse," SBEP Executive Director David Tomasko said. "If the horses are contributing a fairly substantial percentage of the bacteria, then maybe doing something about the horses is going to make a big difference. But if it's only... .05%, you could get rid of the horses and really not change anything." For over a decade, Bradenton's city leaders have debated whether they should ban horse rides along Palma Sola Causeway due to water quality concerns. But previous discussions faltered after leaders disagreed about what action they should take or decided more information was needed. Questions have also lingered about whether the city has the authority to regulate activity on Palma Sola Causeway, which is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. Horse rides have controversial history Last year, Bradenton City Council consulted Sarasota Bay Estuary Program as leaders again considered whether they should pass a ban. At the time, Tomasko told the council that more research was needed to determine how much horses contribute to pollution in the bay. He also noted that while horses may have a localized impact, the bay was in good condition overall. The issue was once again dropped. The Florida Department of Health regularly tests the water on the south side of Palma Sola Causeway for enterococci bacteria and issues no-swim advisories when the bacteria levels are too high. The most recent advisory came Friday and was lifted Thursday morning. The bacteria is a potential indicator of fecal matter, and it can make people sick when ingested. The health department does not indicate the source of the bacteria in its reports. It's unknown whether horses, which swim on the north side of the causeway, are a factor. Other sources of enterococci bacteria include human waste and plant matter. To fill in the information gap, Suncoast Waterkeeper performs weekly enterococci testing on the north side of the causeway, where their reports often show elevated levels of bacteria. Waterkeepers push for horse ride regulation Suncoast Waterkeeper leaders say there is enough evidence of horses contaminating the water for officials to start regulating the industry now. "There's enough evidence to warn people about the risk, and there's enough evidence to create and operate a permitting program to make sure that there are best management practices in place," Tyrna said. The north side of Palma Sola Causeway is among 11 sites the group tests weekly for enterococci bacteria. After samples in April showed high levels of the bacteria, the group sent water and sediment samples from the area for DNA testing by LuminUltra. "Both the water and sediment samples had detectable levels of horse DNA but no human DNA. This suggests that the high levels of enterococci we observed on April 8 came from horses," a recent newsletter from Suncoast Waterkeeper said. Tyrna suggested that the horse rides could continue with new limits in place to protect water quality, such as limiting how deep horses are allowed to go and how many are allowed in the water at once. "There should be signage to alert people who recreate on that side of the bay to the risk due to the horse operations," Tyrna said. "Swimming around horse poop is dangerous." Tyrna also noted that horses are just one source of bacteria in the bay, and she suspects that horses contribute more to the issue during the dry season. She said that Suncoast Waterkeeper will continue to collect water quality data going into the rainy season for a more complete picture. "There's horse DNA, there's human DNA and there's plant material. We'd like to know how much of each is contributing," Tyrna said. Tyrna also commended the horse ride operators who are trying to take good care of the bay and said that some she spoke to are open to being permitted. "They're trying to be really good stewards of the bay, which is great," Tyrna said. Horse ride owner opposes regulation "We thought after last year that this was finally settled," said Carmen Hanson, owner of C Ponies Horseback Rides. "But there's a handful of people that keep pushing and pushing." Hanson called the concerns about horses "smoke and mirrors" that distract from other sources of pollution to the bay. "Let's focus here on horses and then we don't have to focus on any of the bigger issues," Hanson said. Hanson pointed to reports by horse advocates that claim horse manure is non-toxic and rarely transmits disease. Scientific literature reviewed by the Bradenton Herald supported the claim that transmission of disease by horses is rare but also noted that horse manure can contain a number of pathogens that can make people sick. Bradenton officials seek more information "We have tried to follow reliable science on what the condition of Palma Sola Bay is, especially the north side that seems to be of larger concern," City Administrator Rob Perry told the Bradenton Herald. Perry said the council relies on the latest water quality findings from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program to guide its decisions. SBEP is scheduled to present to the city council again in July. "The last report we got is that it's been better than it's been in a long time and moving in a steady positive direction," Perry said. "We're going to wait to see what the latest is, and we'll listen carefully and assess." Meanwhile, Perry said the city's jurisdiction over the causeway remains murky. "We've done some legal research into that and it's a novel situation because you have multiple state and local entities with jurisdiction out there. We're still looking at what options may be," Perry said. The city administrator said he's been impressed by the horse ride operators' efforts to keep the water clean. "The folks that operate the horse rides have come in and pled their case, and they seem to be pretty good stewards of the coastline," Perry said. Estuary program says more study needed "Now that they have a (DNA) hit for horses, it shifts into a different mode of research," said Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko. "Alright, so what percentage of bacteria are due to horses?" Tomasko said a study on the extent of the horses' impact could provide city leaders with better information to decide whether regulation is needed. "The horses do damage to the bay," Tomasko said. "There is scarring in the seagrass meadows. But so does every boat. So does everyone who brings a jet ski. So do people who leave trash on the beach. So it's a matter of, is their proportionate impact so great that we should get rid of them?" Tomasko said the estuary program has set money aside in its budget to help Bradenton with such a study, which he previously estimated at a cost of less than $10,000. In the meantime, Tomasko said one precaution he would like to see is warning signs at the beach. "Until this works out, it might make sense to put up signs that mark the beach as not appropriate for swimming," Tomasko said. 2024 Miami Herald. 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: CC0 Public Domain Amiee Dean and her family were fishing at the Point on Cape Hatteras when theyand everyone else on the beachhad what's likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "We were just sitting there fishing and they started jumping out of the water," said Dean, whose 10-year-old son captured images of what appeared to be two orcas leaping out of the water about 30 yards off shore. Everyone on the beach saw them, and those in the water exited quickly. There was one boat in the water at the time, and Dean knows he spotted them, too. "There was a little boat out there, and he's local, he saw them as well, one was following him," Dean said. "He hauled his hind end right out of there." Dean's son doesn't fish, but likes to take photos of his family's catches and hopes to become a marine biologist. He was the only one with a phone on him at the time. "I said to him, 'Please tell me you got some pics,'" Dean said. "He zoomed all the way in. They were that close." The killer whales were jumping and barrel-rolling, possibly chasing some sort of prey. A few seconds after the orcas arrived, those fishing started catching bluefish. "They were lighting up," Dean said. Dean said she and others on the beach reported the sighting to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, which did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday morning. According to the North Carolina State Parks website, orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and are known to visit the Outer Banks very infrequently. A pod was last spotted near Oregon Inlet in March 2011. Orcas are found in oceans worldwide, but are rare in the North Atlantic, especially along the coast of the Eastern United States, the website says. Orcas are "seldom seen on boat trips, even well offshore," in North Carolina and there has been only one report of a killer whale stranding in the state, in 1926. Orcas can grow up to 31 feet long and weigh as much as 22,000 pounds, according to Smithsonian Ocean. Dean and her family live in Austinville and have been visiting the Outer Banks for 14 years, but has never seen anything like the recent orca show. "It will probably never happen again unless we go on a cruise to Alaska or something, but it is enough to always remember them," Dean said. 2024 The Virginian-Pilot. 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: Time zone map of keywords. Credit: Mingjun Guo, Xuerong Li, Yunjie Wei The art market, blending culture and commerce, has long intrigued economists and enthusiasts. A new article offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis over five decades, examining pricing mechanisms and efficiency metrics. It highlights the COVID-19 pandemic's role in accelerating digital transformations within the market. This analysis provides valuable insights for future research, offering a robust foundation for understanding the dynamic interplay between art, economics, and culture. The art market, with its centuries-old history, has undergone significant transformations, especially in recent decades. Scholars have examined various aspects, from art pricing and artist branding to the implications of digital platforms and regulatory measures. Despite extensive research, gaps remain in understanding the full scope of market efficiency and the evolving dynamics influenced by technological advancements and global events. Due to these challenges, there is a pressing need for comprehensive studies that delve deeper into these areas, especially in light of recent shifts in market behavior and regulatory landscapes. A recent review by researchers from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published in Data Science and Management on April 13, 2024, provides a thorough bibliometric analysis of the art market spanning the last 50 years. Utilizing big data and various analytical methods, the study maps out significant trends, influential works, and emerging themes within the art market. The study utilized a comprehensive dataset from the Web of Science Core Collection, encompassing 912 pieces of literature on the art market from 1972 to 2021. Through descriptive statistical analysis and various bibliometric methods, including co-citation and co-word analysis, the researchers identified key trends and shifts in research focus. Notably, the study found a consistent annual increase in research interest in the art market, with significant shifts from hedonic art prices to topics such as artist brand management, digital art platforms, and anti-money laundering supervision. The analysis highlighted the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in expediting digital transformations within the art market. Additionally, the study revealed five primary research clusters: anonymous painting and artistic brands, hedonic art price indices, digital art platforms, anti-money laundering regulation, and market efficiency. Each cluster represents a critical area of focus within the field, providing a detailed roadmap for future research directions. Dr. Yunjie Wei, a corresponding author from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, stated, "Our findings illuminate the evolving priorities within art market research, particularly the growing importance of digital platforms and regulatory measures. This comprehensive analysis not only maps out past trends but also highlights critical areas for future exploration, offering valuable insights for scholars and practitioners alike." The study's findings have significant implications for both academic research and practical applications within the art market. By identifying key trends and emerging areas of focus, it provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners, including art dealers, auction houses, and regulatory bodies. These insights help navigate the complexities of digital transformation and regulatory compliance. The study underscores the necessity for ongoing monitoring and analysis to keep pace with the rapidly evolving art market landscape, ensuring that stakeholders remain informed and adaptive to new trends and regulatory demands. More information: Mingjun Guo et al, Bibliometric analysis of the art market: from art price to market efficiency, Data Science and Management (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.dsm.2024.03.006 Provided by KeAi Communications Co. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A mountain lion was found dead Saturday morning on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, not far from a wildlife crossing being built to reduce the number of cougar fatalities. The puma's body was discovered in the far right lane of the freeway near Liberty Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Troopers moved the cougar to the shoulder of the highway and enlisted the help of California Fish and Wildlife, which confirmed Saturday morning that it collected the mountain lion's body for gathering DNA. The cougar, which was not wearing a monitoring collar, was killed near the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a $92-million passageway that extends over the busy 10-lane freeway, said Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation. It was likely hit by a car; she said there was fresh blood on the freeway. She said not much else is yet known about the mountain lion, including its age or sex. "Obviously we have a solution coming, but it didn't come soon enough for this cat," Pratt said. "This is just another harsh reminder that this is the right place (for the crossing)." Construction of the wildlife passage began in 2022, and it is set to be completed in 2026. It is considered the largest wildlife crossing in the world, Pratt said, in a much-needed area where mountain lions are known to attempt to cross. Already, there are signs that other animals are using the crossing, and by the end of the year, officials hope to begin adding soil and plants to the crossing so that it blends into the environment and creates a safe space for the animals, Pratt said. In January, Uno, a female mountain lion often seen patrolling the mountains in Orange County, was killed after being struck by a vehicle on a road near the Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. The cougar, identified as F312, had been tagged by researchers in 2021 when she was about 2 years old. In January 2023, mountain lion P-81 was killed on Pacific Coast Highway, probably struck by a car, the National Park Service announced. The 4-year-old male cougar's remains were collected on PCH near Las Posas Road in Ventura County. In July 2022, mountain lion P-89, a 2-year-old male, was fatally struck by a car on the 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills. That death came about a month after a 5-year-old female mountain lion had been killed by a car in the Santa Monica Mountains. 2024 Los Angeles Times. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain NASA said June 14 that the Boeing Starliner and its crew will now return to Earth from the International Space Station no earlier than Saturday, June 22. "The extra time allows the team to finalize departure planning and operations while the spacecraft remains cleared for crew emergency return scenarios within the flight rules," NASA said on its Kennedy Space Center blog. The Starliner's test mission launched on June 5 from KSC with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. During its journey to the ISS, helium leaks were found in the spacecraft's thruster system. Earlier in the week, NASA said its teams were continuing to assess what impacts, if any, the five small helium leaks would have on Whitmore's and Williams' return to Earth. At that time, the space agency scheduled Starliner's return for Tuesday, June 18, "pending weather and spacecraft readiness." NASA has said that engineers had determined the helium leaks shouldn't impact Starliner's return. The agency said the craft had enough helium for 70 hours of free flight time when only seven hours would be required as part of its journey home. Still, NASA said Friday it plans to have Starliner fire seven of its eight aft-facing thrusters while docked to the space station "to evaluate thruster performance for the remainder of the mission." "We are continuing to understand the capabilities of Starliner to prepare for the long-term goal of having it perform a six-month docked mission at the space station," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "The crew will perform additional hatch operations to better understand its handling, repeat some 'safe haven' testing and assess piloting using the forward window." Mark Nappi, vice president of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program, added, "We have an incredible opportunity to spend more time at station and perform more tests which provides invaluable data unique to our position." NASA said it would provide additional information about Starliner's return in a media briefing on June 18. After Starliner undocks from the space station, it is scheduled to make a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States. 2024 Orlando Sentinel. 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: Pictured on the left is the Nile perch, a voracious predator introduced into Lake Victoria by humans to satisfy meat demands in the 1950s. On the right, several species of endemic cichlids that were markedly affected are shown. The populations of some of these species declined so much that their genomic structure remained significantly altered even after their numbers climbed back up. Credit: Minami Imamoto, Masato Nikaido Newfound evidence reveals that the upsurge of the exotic Nile perch in Lake Victoria had long-lasting effects on the genetic diversity of various local cichlid species, report scientists from Tokyo Tech. Through large-scale comparative genomic analyses, the researchers found concrete proof in the collective genome of multiple species that this artificially introduced perch decimated many local fish populations, causing a "bottleneck effect." The careless introduction of exotic species by humans into ecosystems can lead to truly catastrophic results, as has been proven time and time again. One tragic example is the introduction of the Nile perch, a large freshwater fish found in waterbodies in Africa, into Africa's largest lakeLake Victoria. Brought to Lake Victoria in the 1950s to meet commercial demand for its meat, the Nile perch devastated native populations of fish known as haplochromine cichlids. By the 1990s, experts estimated that more than 200 species of endemic cichlids had been driven to extinction by this fierce predator. Interestingly, the remaining species could also have been deeply affected by the severe population loss caused by the Nile perch, since such events tend to reduce the genetic diversity of surviving groups. However, how much the genetic structure of cichlids was affected by the introduction of the Nile perch remains unclear. Against this backdrop, a research team from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI in Japan and Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute in Tanzania decided to shed some light on the issue. In their latest study, which was published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, the researchers conducted large-scale comparative genomics analyses on multiple species of cichlids endemic to Lake Victoria, which provided detailed insights into the effects of the invasive Nile perch since its introduction to this environment. The team included Associate Professor Masato Nikaido and doctoral student Minami Imamoto from Tokyo Tech. This study clarifies the impact of the invasive Nile perch on the genetic structure of haplochromines in Lake Victoria. Credit: Tokyo Institute of Techonology Through a genomic analysis that included 137 haplochromine species, the researchers discovered that four species from the Mwanza Gulf (located in the southern part of the lake) experienced what is known as a "bottleneck event." In simple terms, the population of these species was reduced so much that the genetic diversity within the population had significantly decreased. Further investigation by the researchers painted the Nile perch as the culprit for the observed changes in the genetic structure of these four species. "The timing of the bottleneck, which began during the 1970s1980s and ended by the 1990s2000s, corresponded to the historical records of these endemic haplochromines' disappearance and later resurgence," explains Nikaido. "This is likely associated with the introduction of Nile perch by commercial demand to Lake Victoria in the 1950s." Out of the four species, the researchers noted that the egg-eating cichlids Haplochromis sp. "matumbi hunter" and Haplochromis microdon had experienced particularly severe bottleneck effects. For matumbi hunter, this effect was so pronounced that its genome had diverged significantly even from those of closely related species. "Our findings support the previously existing hypothesis that carnivorous fishes, including egg-eaters, should have experienced a stronger bottleneck," remarks Nikaido, "This study presents, for the first time, the impacts of the Nile perch upsurge on the genetic structure of Lake Victoria haplochromines" he further adds. Worth noting, the loss of genetic diversity due to short-term bottleneck effects can seriously hamper a species' fitness and adaptability in the long-term. Thus, taken together, these newfound insights tell a cautionary tale of just how bad the introduction of exotic species can be, even for species that survive extinction. Researchers identified species that suffered severe damage due to the introduction of Nile perch, providing new insights into conservational biology. Genetic evaluations can offer practical solutions for protecting local fauna, such as discovering species needing urgent protection and establishing no-fishing zones. Notably, some cichlid species, previously thought extinct, are gradually being rediscovered. Furthermore, developing conservational strategies based on comparative genomics may facilitate the resurgence of the ecosystem. More information: Minami Imamoto et al, Severe Bottleneck Impacted the Genomic Structure of Egg-Eating Cichlids in Lake Victoria, Molecular Biology and Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae093 Journal information: Molecular Biology and Evolution 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: Reynaldo #brigworkz Brigantty from Pexels The anticorruption laws enacted in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria created a new economic sectora lucrative anti-corruption market based on outsourcing public procurement to private sector corporations. Despite millions of dollars of investments in platforms, websites, training materials and consulting services ostensibly designed to promote compliance with anti-corruption legislation, fraud and corruption have thrived because the key driver of this new market is profiteering, a new study suggests. According to study author Jose Atiles, a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the flawed anti-corruption policies enacted in Puerto Rico were merely a facade designed to legalize state-corporate crime. Rather than eradicate corruption, these policies perpetuated an existing system of capital accumulation through wealth extraction that padded the coffers of corporations and local elites. "Under the guise of fighting corruption, the Puerto Rican government has spent more than $787 million in public procurement for anti-corruption and fraud prevention, consultancy services and technology development since 2018," Atiles said. "What we have seen in Puerto Rico is the enactment of a series of anti-corruption policies that created new opportunities for contracting with the governmentand a series of corporations being created to serve the government through these laws. This infrastructure operates as a colonial regime of permission that condones state-corporate crime, allowing it to persist while evading legal scrutiny." Atiles has explored Puerto Rico's history of corruption and financial precarity in a series of studies, most recently in a paper published in the Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime. Numerous factors contributed to the emergence of the anti-corruption market, including Puerto Rico's symbiotic government-corporate relationship, a contrived legal and political history associated with U.S. colonialism and inequities in the federal government's allocation of resources to Puerto Rico, Atiles said. As a result, Puerto Rico experienced multilayered crisesdecades of economic struggles and a surge in public corruption cases beginning in 2006. When Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, leaving billions of dollars in damage and a humanitarian crisis in its wake, the U.S. government pressured Puerto Rico's officials to fix its economy and address corruption to qualify for disaster relief funding, according to the study. "While discourses about Puerto Ricoincluding those by former President Donald Trumpdescribed it as the most corrupt jurisdiction in the U.S. and the world, many of the cases of corruption in Puerto Rico were carried out in the federal, not the local, system," he said. "And the financial management and oversight board created under the 2016 federal Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Stability Act has played a really important role in limiting the state's resources and creating opportunities for corporations to provide services that would normally be provided by the state." PROMESA was intended to help Puerto Rico access capital markets and restructure and reduce insurmountable debt and pension liabilities, according to its website. However, a series of austerity measures implemented by policymakers enhanced the opportunity for corruption in Puerto Rico, Atiles said. These measures reined in public spending by constraining the recruitment and retention of government workers. In turn, these workforce reductions led to the outsourcing of essential functions such as legal work, accounting and educational services to private-sector firms. After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rican officials also implemented the Anti-Corruption Code for the New Puerto Rico, legislation that Atiles said played "a pivotal role in the legal design of the anti-corruption market, through the commodification and outsourcing of anti-corruption interventions." The 2018 code, also called ACT 2, created opportunities for marketing companies, local corporations and law firms to profit by helping implement the new law through the creation of digital technologies and enhanced surveillance and anti-fraud measures. As a result, public procurement and government contracting ballooned into a major portion of Puerto Rico's economycomposing more than $4.4 billion or 20% of its budget in Fiscal Year 2021, Atiles wrote. ACT 2 was among a flurry of policiesincluding executive orders and other emergency measuresenacted between 2018 and 2023. However, these policies lacked compliance with local and federal regulations, curtailing access to economic resources for those most in need, Atiles said. While corporations and local elites raked in the profits, media campaigns, official speeches and other communications legitimated the Puerto Rican government and cultivated public perceptions of efficiency and integrity, according to the study. ACT 2 authorized the creation of a Public Registry of Persons Convicted of Corruption, a database intended to promote transparency and assist the government in crime control. Creation and maintenance of the registry were outsourced to the Puerto Rican corporation SNAC LLC, which was awarded 14 contracts between 2020 and 2023 at a total of more than $851,700, Atiles said. However, Atiles' study suggests that the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, authorized under ACT 2 to create and administer the database, "deliberately kept the registry from the public, obstructed access to information and did not invest in its development." After a 2021 lawsuit, the information finally became publicly accessible. "This is a key feature of the anti-corruption marketwhat ought to be public information protected under Puerto Rico's transparency jurisprudence has been transformed into proprietary corporate information," Atiles said. "Not only has the management of the registry been outsourced, but the process of accessing and gathering data now largely depends on a private corporation." Likewise, during the COVID-19 pandemic the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources outsourced the development of a website that was used by individuals to apply for unemployment assistance. Fraught with technological problems, the website prevented users from determining whether their applications were processed or approved, and the affiliated call center lacked the staffing to manage the volume of calls, prompting an investigation by the Puerto Rico Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General, Atiles said Three reports based on that investigation indicated that although the website was supposed to curtail fraud, "the technological inefficiencies and failures embedded in the platform" and failure to oversee the project aided corruption, bribery and fraud, Atiles found. Applicants' personal information also was exposed. "Once again, individuals (were) caught between anti-fraud policies and corporate profiteering, rendering the local state unable to deliver basic services," Atiles wrote. More information: Jose Atiles, Anticorruption Markets: Law, Public Procurement, and the Colonial Regime of Permission in Puerto Rico, Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime (2024). DOI: 10.1177/2631309X241234354 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 A decent quarterly report may not nudge a company's stock price far, but a meme posted to Reddit's WallStreetBets subreddit may. The online community known for its seriously unserious banter, memes and not-so-family-friendly jokes shot to fame in early 2021 for having contributed to the skyrocketing rise of videogame retailer GameStop's stock price. The WallStreetBets subreddit is a prime example of the social investing phenomenon, where average people with brokerage accountscalled retail investorsmeet online to discuss stock trading strategies. Penn State News spoke with Yubo Kou and Xinning Gui, both assistant professors in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, and doctoral student Sam Moradzadeh about their research into WallStreetBets, social investing and what retail investors should know before turning to social media for financial advice. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. You use 'social investing' to describe what happens when Wall Street meets Reddit. Why does the concept appeal to millennials? Kou: To understand social investing, we need to focus on the insider language and knowledge of the people we're studying. The internet hosts many social investing communities where individual investors post their trades or stock portfolios and other people can follow. Here, investing goes beyond the individual level and becomes a social scene where people form a community to invest together. If we look at the distribution of wealth in American society, we see that Baby Boomers hold a lot of wealth in terms of housing and historical purchasing power. In the 1960s and '70s, a house cost three to five times an individual's annual income, but now it's seven or eight times the annual income of millennials or Gen-Zers. The younger generations are, in general, facing a much harder financial situation. Research suggests that when people are financially struggling or stressed in general, they tend to engage in more high-risk trading behavior. That's what we see in WallStreetBets. Moradzadeh: As a millennial, I can relate. Compared to the older generations, it is difficult for millennials to get involved in investing and to prepare for old age. That's why whenever you look at platforms like Reddit or Twitch, you see the younger generations looking for ways to squeeze out as much money as they can in a short amount of time. That's why we have subreddits like WallStreetBets, where investors are willing to put all their money, all their savings, in one position hoping to gain a huge amount of profit in a very short amount of time by taking a huge risk. How did you conclude that the WallStreetBets trading style is a form of gambling? Moradzadeh: In our research, we broke down gambling into three components. The first is placing a wager on an event using money. Second is the intention behind putting down the money. Third is the unpredictability of the outcome. If you look at the r/investing or r/stocks subreddits, you see a very serious and strategically structured way of learning about investing. Posts in WallStreetBets focus on high-risk and aggressive trading, including options trading, where you're basically betting on whether a stock will go up or down in price. Whenever users place a wager, whenever they put down their money on an options trade, it's similar to putting a token on either black or white. The whole process resembles gambling. And they specifically use gambling in their terminology. What does WallStreetBets terminology tell you about the users' approach to investing? Kou: Members of WallStreetBets have very specific phrases and terms that can characterize their gambling-like mindset. In our research, we focused on the "YOLO flair," a digital badge of sorts that users can add to their posts to signal a specific type of contentin this case the flair literally translates to "you only live once." People use this flair to post high-risk trades. To use the flair, they have to stake more than $10,000 in options or $25,000 in shares, and it has to be really high-risk betting, like an options trade that expires in one day. They also state that they're gambling or "this is a casino" and use a lot of self-deprecating language, calling themselves degenerates and apes. Moradzadeh: They say "stonk" instead of stocka reference to a meme featuring the intentional misspellingto distinguish their style from other ways of investing and behaving on social media. Looking at the terms they use and how they use them, you get to know them better. You realize that they have created a supportive environment. Whenever they lose money, whenever they are successful in executing a high-risk trade, they use certain language to support each other. For example, they say, "It's not a problem. I also lost all my savings. It's not a big deal, we have each other brother." When you compare WallStreetBets-style stock trading to more traditional investing literacy, you find that social media investors, especially on WallStreetBets, do not look at their money and savings in the traditional way of understanding what money is. They look at money as a means of play, as tokens similar to what you find in a gambling environment. Kou: We often downplay the importance of the language we use online by saying that we are just fooling around or trolling. But when a community like WallStreetBets grows massive and there are millions of people engaging in the community, this kind of practice becomes reinforced. The language has more power than mere fooling around. It can potentially shape how people behave and what they believe. It can also disseminate a lot of financial-related information. Without the proper knowledge of the community's culture and this specific language practice, the information could be consequential for outsiders who simply read the post and think the poster is serious, like the person did their due diligence, but actually they're just joking. Gui: The language we studied suggests that investing is no longer just about being rational and calculated, but also communal, affective and fun seeking. The popularization of this type of terminology beyond the WallStreetBets subreddit can have a profound impact on retail investors who are not fully aware of where this type of terminology comes from. Thus, I can totally imagine that a future newbie retail investor checking the internet for some investing information and advice could be easily confused by this terminology. In addition, their nihilistic style of language also reveals retail investors' discontents with the status quo of the current financial investing landscape and desires for a better financial situation. People are unhappy when they work hard but still earn much less than the older generations. The existence of the WallStreetBets subreddit also echoes this collective sentiment. What are the potential benefits and dangers of mixing social media and investing? Kou: Benefits include, first, finding a sense of community. Second, if users enjoy this type of playful language practice, and they understand that this is actually play instead of serious investing, they can have fun. As for the dangers of engaging in a community like WallStreetBets, if you continually use this type of language and think this way, it could explicitly or implicitly influence how you think about life and how you view the risks and possible benefits of taking financial risks. If people are repeatedly exposed to this type of content, it might increase their tolerance for high-risk financial trading, and they may incur financial losses. Trading is harder for retail investors, because if you think about the power imbalance between retail investors and institutional investors, retail investors are at the end of the food chain. Institutional investors receive information way before retail investors. Looking at social investing in general, the average user can still find communities that take financial trading seriously. They just need to keep in mind that the types of financial conversations and the information found on social media can come from a wide range of people. More information: Yubo Kou et al, Trading as Gambling: Social Investing and Financial Risks on the r/WallStreetBets Subreddit, Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3613904.3642768 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 Black youth show up in emergency rooms with gunshot wounds or other violent injuries at an alarming and disproportionate rate in the United States. Some hospitals have violence interventions that can be effective in keeping these kids safer after they are treated, but in most cases victims are sent back into the world to continue their struggles. What if there were a way to prevent these kids from ending up in that hospital room in the first place? What if, years earlier, we could identify factors that predict which children are most likely to head down paths to violence? I'm a social scientist focused on this question, and my research has led me to an answer that I believe is at once obvious and profound: Find these children early in public schools and help them then and there. The study I led provides evidence that kids who grow up in povertyor who are referred to child protective servicesare significantly more likely to become victims of violence when they become teenagers. A unique study with unusual access to information To do our study, my team looked at records for 429 Black youths who had been sent to the ER for gunshot wounds or injuries from severe assaults over a one-year period. They included hospital, child protective service and juvenile court records, among others. This was made possible because the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University keeps troves of identifiable records on each of the 700,000 children who live in Cleveland. The records include information from more than 30 administrative agencies. This rare resource allowed us to follow the life path of these young people from birth all the way to their arrival at emergency rooms with their injuries. The children ranged in age from 5 to 16 but averaged about 12. We compared this study group with a control group of 5,000 youths who were not victims of gunfire or assault in that year but who grew up in the same neighborhoods and were similar in race, age and gender as the injured group. As a result, we built a sophisticated picture of the childhood experiences that lead to violent injuries for low-income Black youths. Our objective was to find points of potential intervention. Juvenile delinquency is not the most important predictor Two factors that figure prominently in the backgrounds of violently injured youth are kids who have had interactions with both the juvenile court and child protection systems. Studies have shown they are at the highest risk of eventually suffering a violent injury, so a large portion of public resources go to addressing these children. In our study, victims of violence were four times more likely to be involved with juvenile court than noninjured youth in the control group. Yet kids who endured both factors are also a minority of the youths in our study who were violently injured. In fact, 75% of violently injured youths fell into two other groups. One was those who attend public school and had received public assistance in early life. The other was those who attended public school and had been involved in the child welfare system before they were 5. Kids and teens in our study who ended up in the emergency room by age 13 as victims of violence were nearly three times more likely have been in foster care by age 4 compared to noninjured kids in our control group. Likewise, injured kids were twice as likely to have lived in a homeless shelter by age 7. And violently injured kids were chronically absent from school at rates 1.5 times higher than non-injured kids. That is an important revelation. It shows that poverty and domestic problems loom larger than interactions with juvenile courts in foretelling eventual violent injury. Public schools are the common denominator School is where we can identify these children in their high-risk groups. To be clear, going to public school is not itself a risk factor; it's just an opportune situation to help them. It's an ideal place because it is both a compulsory and, ideally, a nonthreatening environment. Still, there are important barriers to doing this effectively. In the best-case scenario, public schools could provide special attention to students whose families have been on public assistance or investigated by child protective services as early as age 5. But to do so, theyor whichever agency is in a position to helpwould need information from individual records that are often private and unavailable. In Cleveland, much of this information is being integrated by Case Western and available to us as researchers on grounds we do not divulge details that could identify a specific child or family. Child protection services records in particular are almost always confidential and unavailable to anyone not directly involved in a particular case without a court order. What can be done Those privacy safeguards are important but not insurmountable. At least one community, Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, has found a way to identify families in need that has proven effective. Communities that don't have access to integrated data like Allegheny's model can instead use school screening questionnaires that strike a balance between getting information and permitting families a level of privacy about what they share. These youths are reachable long before they show up in the ER. Our research tells us where to find them. 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: The beetle species Grebennikovius basilewskyi. Numbers next to arrows indicate patterns of phenotype statements explained in the section "Phenoscript: main patterns of phenotype statements." Arrow numbers from T1 to T5 illustrate individual body parts. Credit: Biodiversity Data Journal (2024). DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e121562 One of the most beautiful aspects of nature is the endless variety of shapes, colors and behaviors exhibited by organisms. These traits help organisms survive and find mates, like how a male peacock's colorful tail attracts females or his wings allow him to fly away from danger. Understanding traits is crucial for biologists, who study them to learn how organisms evolve and adapt to different environments. To do this, scientists first need to describe these traits in words, like saying a peacock's tail is "vibrant, iridescent, and ornate." This approach works for small studies, but when looking at hundreds or even millions of different animals or plants, it's impossible for the human brain to keep track of everything. Computers could help, but not even the latest AI technology is able to grasp human language to the extent needed by biologists. This hampers research significantly because, although scientists can handle large volumes of DNA data, linking this information to physical traits is still very difficult. To solve this problem, researchers from the Finnish Museum of Natural History, Giulio Montanaro and Sergei Tarasov, along with collaborators, have created a special language called Phenoscript. This language is designed to describe traits in a way that both humans and computers can understand. Describing traits with Phenoscript is like programming a computer code for how an organism looks. Phenoscript uses something called semantic technology, which helps computers understand the meaning behind words, much like how modern search engines know the difference between the fruit "apple" and the tech company "Apple" based on the context of your search. "This language is still being tested, but it shows a lot of promise. As more scientists start using Phenoscript, it will revolutionize biology by making vast amounts of trait data available for large-scale studies, boosting the emerging field of phenomics," explains Montanaro. In their research article, newly published in the Biodiversity Data Journal, the researchers make use of the new language for the first time, as they create semantic phenotypes for four species of dung beetles from the genus Grebennikovius. Then, to demonstrate the power of the semantic approach, they apply simple semantic queries to the generated phenotypic descriptions. Finally, the team takes a look yet further ahead into modernizing the way scientists work with species information. Their next aim is to integrate semantic species descriptions with the concept of nanopublications, "which encapsulates discrete pieces of information into a comprehensive knowledge graph." As a result, data that has become part of this graph can be queried directly, thereby ensuring that it remains Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) through a variety of semantic resources. More information: Giulio Montanaro et al, Computable species descriptions and nanopublications: applying ontology-based technologies to dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeinae), Biodiversity Data Journal (2024). DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e121562 Journal information: Biodiversity Data Journal 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: Mid-Cretaceous paleogeography and large igneous provinces. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49032-3 A team of researchers from the University of Exeter have shone fresh light on the causes of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2which saw severe global warming and ocean acidification across the Earth around 94 million years ago. The study is published in Nature Communications. Termed "Oceanic Anoxic Event 2," the episode marked one of the most significant climate catastrophes in the geological record, causing extinctions in the oceans and on land. Anoxic events are prolonged periods where large expanses of the Earth's oceans are depleted of dissolved oxygen, which creates toxic waters and leads to mass extinction and habitat loss. The cause of this anoxic eventwhich lasted >500,000 yearshas been a source of debate among experts. However, the team of researchers have shown that mass volcanism was the likely trigger, fingerprinting the source to a vast oceanic plateau underling the remote Kerguelen Islands. For the new study, the researchers analyzed geochemical and micropaleontological data collected from ocean sediment cores in the Mentelle Basin, located offshore of Western Australia, collected by the International Ocean Discovery Program. They found that the sediment cores showed clear evidence of sedimentary mercurythat signified a series of significant "pulses" of intense mass volcanism in the lead up to, and during, the main phase of the anoxic event. Furthermore, radiogenic isotopes of neodymium and strontium show that the Kerguelen Plateau, which was much closer to the Mentelle Basin in the Cretaceous period, was uplifted as part of the volcanic activity. The research team suggest that severe volcanic events would have led to an explosion of carbon dioxide being releasedwhich would be instrumental in warming the climate and causing ocean acidification. They believe that this phenomenon is the key reason for the anoxic event, and what forced Earth towards a tipping point of moving to a 'hothouse world' at the time. Chloe Walker-Trivett, who led the research while carrying out her Ph.D. studies at the Camborne School of Mines at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus said, "Despite OAE 2 being really well studied, up until now most research has focused on the northern hemisphere, leading to a rather one-sided view of the event. "Our southern hemisphere study-site offshore southwest Australia was at a high southern latitude (~60 degrees south) during the mid-Cretaceous, when OAE 2 occurred, and has given us a totally new viewpoint, and pinpointing Kerguelen volcanism as the likely trigger." Sev Kender, from the University of Exeter and co-author of the study added, "Detecting the timing of mass volcanism in the geological past is challenging, but crucial if we are to use past rapid global warming events as a possible analog for future climate change. "Our key innovation was to combine the novel mercury proxy for volcanic eruptions, with radiogenic neodymium and strontium isotopes that determine the sources of eroded rocks into the ocean basin. "The increasing quantity of eroded material from a volcanic source showed that the nearby Kerguelen Large Igneous Province was being uplifted at the time of active volcanism, rather than a range of other volcanic provinces that have previously been considered as the cause." More information: C. A. Walker-Trivett et al, Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 triggered by Kerguelen volcanism, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49032-3 Journal information: Nature Communications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Ten baffles were installed along the seawall at Buffalos Freedom Park, slowing the Niagara Rivers velocity to allow emerald shiners to swim more easily upstream to Lake Erie. Credit: Sean Bennett University at Buffalo researchers are looking down at a 24-foot-long flume of shallow running water. Inside, about a dozen emerald shiner minnows are furiously attempting to swim against the current. It's not going well for the shiners. These tiny prey fish have sustained swim speeds of about 0.4 meters per secondwith burst speeds up to double thatbut the flume's current is running at about 0.4 meters per second, so, despite all their effort, the shiners swim to remain in place. Yet some force starts to bring these disparate fish together. A group of two joins a group of eight, which then joins up with another group of four. Only once all 14 shiners are swimming together in tight formation do they finally begin to move upstream. Video of this experiment will be fed into artificial intelligence tools that can track the movement of individual fish, as well as the velocity of the water. This kind of data was the basis for the construction of an unconfined fishway along the seawall at Buffalo's Freedom Park, located near the Peace Bridge, in 2022. Ten steel, trapezoid-shaped baffles attached to the wall slow the Niagara River's velocity to allow emerald shiners to swim more easily upstream to Lake Erie, where they contribute to the health of the ecosystem including threatened birds and sport fish. These results were described in a study published in Ecological Engineering. Now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to place baffles on the remaining 700 feet of seawall. The $510 million project is currently out for bid. In addition to helping wild emerald shiners and the rest of the Niagara River ecosystem, UB researchers' ongoing experiments with the flume and AI can shed light on fundamental aspects of all fish behavior. "We're trying to understand what determines a fish moving from Point A to Point B. Is it responding to the flow velocity or turbulence? Or is it responding to something else?" says one of the researchers, Sean Bennett, Ph.D., professor in the UB Department of Geography and associate dean in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. "I'm convinced that the moment that two fish see each other in the flume, their behaviors change. Rightly or wrongly, I think all fish are responding to each other." Collecting data for fishway construction Emerald shiners form a group inside the flume in order to swim upstream. Credit: Sean Bennett Emerald shiners, or Notropis atherinoides, are about finger length. They're commonly used as bait. "Despite their size, they're crucial to sustaining other wildlife in the Niagara River and Great Lakes," Bennett says. The engineered seawall at Freedom Park had previously been identified as a barrier to the shiners' migration to Lake Erie. The depth-averaged velocities adjacent to the seawall range from 0.8 to 1.2 meters per second, much faster than emerald shiners' sustained swim speeds. The solution seemed to be an unconfined fishway along the wall with lower velocities, but how low? And would the shiners even use it? Bennett and his team answered these questions via their recirculating flume. Constructed by Kevin Cullinan of the College of Arts and Sciences Instrument Machine Shop, the structure can mimic real aquatic environments and has been used to study everything from soil erosion to how marine mussels engineer riverbeds. "It would be virtually impossible to do this research in the field. Emerald shiners are extremely fragile fish, so implanting any kind of tracking device is out of the question," says Bennett, who manages the flume. "In addition, we can ensure our results are precise and reproducible, and that's what the scientific community expects from experimental research." Another advantage of the flume is that it allowed the researchers to use AI to analyze the position of the fish in relation to the baffles and the velocity of the water. Using video taken by a mounted camera above the flume, an object detection model correctly identified fish in the frame 94% of the time. The video was also used to decipher velocity by tracking the movement of particles in the water. "From one video image, we can determine the location of the fish and the instantaneous flow field around that fish," says Adam Grodek, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography and member of the research team. Following experiments, the model found evidence that the fish in the flume generally swam upstream and toward the baffles and chose to remain near the baffles. Relying on that data, baffles were installed at Freedom Park, previously known as Broderick Park. The team uses a video camera overhead and an object detection model to track the shiners' movements, as well as the water velocity, inside the flume. Credit: Douglas Levere/University at Buffalo Results from researchers' study show the baffles reduced the nearshore flow velocities to about 0.4 to 0.6 meters per second, within the acceptable range of velocities for the shiners. Large number of shiners were observed swimming upstream along the seawall baffles, whereas shiners away from the wall were observed being overpowered by the current and carried downstream. Exploring the fundamentals of fish behavior Swimming together in a school can help fish reduce friction and more easily traverse rough waters. It's not unlike a group of birds or even fighter jets moving in a V formation to improve their aerodynamics. But how do fish know to do this? That's one of the fundamental questions Bennett's team is now using the flume and AI to help answer. Bennett and Grodek are collaborating with Joseph Atkinson, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Other collaborators include the Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District and SUNY Buffalo State University. The team is currently training an object detection model to track fish even as they move in crisscrossing patterns. Once the data are collected, an agent-based model will be built to simulate this movement. "It's similar to studying how people would leave a movie theater if someone yelled 'fire.' You can create rules of how agents interact with other agents as a way of navigating this spatial domain," Bennett said. There's still much that scientists don't know about how fish coordinate their movements to maintain the shape of their school. Are they reacting to other fish's movements or are they simply following the path of lower turbulence? "We don't yet know the magnitude to which groups of fish change their behavior," Bennett says. "We're really interested in how to separate an individual fish's behavior and its transition to group behavior." More information: Jundong Qiao et al, Unconfined fishway design, implementation, and assessment for the emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) in the Upper Niagara River, New York, Ecological Engineering (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107159 Journal information: Ecological Engineering 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: Maize growing in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. Credit: Benjamin Norton Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to use very small amounts of fertilizer, limiting their crop productivity. A 2016 intervention in Tanzania increased farmers' fertilizer use and their crop yields. However, a follow-up study from an international team of researchers has found that the 2016 effects proved temporary, and farmers have since reverted to baseline low rates of fertilizer use and low crop yields. The new study is published in the journal Economic Development and Cultural Change. "We saw some promising impacts from the first study, when we provided farmers with both plot-level information about their soils and vouchers to purchase fertilizer. But the farmers who had yield gains did not continue using fertilizer after the study and vouchers ended, nor did the effects seem to encourage others to adopt," said co-author Hope Michelson, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The original 2016 study included 1,050 smallholder maize farmers in Tanzania. One group of farmers received plot-specific fertilizer recommendations based on a test of their soils and vouchers to purchase fertilizer, one group received just the plot-specific recommendations, one group received just the vouchers, and a control group received neither. Only the group that received both recommendations and vouchers increased their fertilizer purchase and application as well as maize yields. The 2019 follow-up study, led by Abdulrazzak Tamim, now a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, found that fertilizer use for all groups had returned to previous low rates (around 1% of the farmers) and the yield effect had dissipated. The research team concluded the farmers faced liquidity constraintswithout the vouchers, they were not able to purchase additional fertilizer. Another factor: 2016 yield effects may not have been large enough to convince the farmers that fertilizers were worth the investment. "We think the main reason is lack of liquidity, but the explanation could also be related to other structural factors such as fertilizer availability or access on the supply side. For the original study, an agri-dealer came to the villages with the fertilizers that were recommended for the area, which solved the issues of access and delivery," Michelson said. The project's collaboration with the region's well-respected Sokoine University of Agriculture could also have helped to assuage farmers' doubts about the quality of fertilizer provided by agri-dealers in the original study. Once farmers had to travel to obtain the fertilizer and were unsure about the quality (a factor Michelson has explored in other studies), they may have had concerns that impacted their decision not to invest. The researchers found the 2016 effects were driven by the most productive farmers with the largest plots and most fertile soils. Even so, the benefits were not sufficient to convince these nor other farmers to continue the practice. Or perhaps they were unable to save money to invest in fertilizer. Michelson said the weather in 2016 may have been a contributing factor. There was a severe drought in the area, which affected yields across the board. Farmers who used fertilizer had higher yields compared to the control group, but not compared to their own yields the previous year. They simply maintained the status quo while others had declining yields. "They didn't have increased revenues relative to the norm, so perhaps they couldn't save enough to purchase fertilizer in the next year," she noted. The findings point to the challenges of learning in an agricultural environment for both farmers and researchers, Michelson stated. If the effect of a new technology is smaller than the year-to-year variability due to weather shocks, insect pests, or other external factors, it's difficult to observe the impact of your investments. Another dimension of the study was how to obtain reliable, objective measures of crop yield. "There's been some methodological excitement around the possibility of measuring smallholder production and yields using satellite imagery. That was something we wanted to explore, but it was complicated to do, and we did not get consistent results," Michelson said. The findings from the initial study were based on farmers' self-reported yield and plot measurements. The researchers compared this data retroactively with yield measured from satellites, but they did not pick up the same effects. They determined the initial results were likely reliable, indicating current limitations to satellite-derived yield measures on small farms with inter-cropping and variable production systems. Michelson concluded the study underscores how important it is to follow projects through and continue to measure impacts. "If researchers have the scope and resources, they should go back and observe the longer-term effects of what happened," she concluded. "The results from the initial study were very promising, as many farmers adopted the use of a fertilizer that is really needed in the region. However, when you see the effect is not persisting even after the yield increases are well documented, it raises new questions about persistence, constraints, and policy that need to be explored." More information: Abdulrazzak Tamim et al, Relaxing Credit and Information Constraints: Five-Year Experimental Evidence from Tanzanian Agriculture, Economic Development and Cultural Change (2024). DOI: 10.1086/731589 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: As its name suggests, the Arctic Weather Satellite mission is designed to show how a potential polar-orbiting constellation of satellites could provide data for very short-term weather forecasts and nowcasts in the Arctic and northern latitude nations, a region that lacks these kind of accurate forecasts. Importantly, the constellation would also contribute to more accurate weather forecasting around the world. The Arctic Weather Satellite carries a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer that provides high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions. Credit: ESA/Mlabspace With ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite due to launch in a few weeks, the satellite is now at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California being readied for its big day. Once in orbit, this new mission will show how short-term weather forecasts in the Arctic and beyond could be improved. The satellite, which weighs just 125 kg, carries a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer that will yield high-resolution vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity in all weather conditions. Humidity data are particularly important for weather forecasting in the Arctic since water vapor can change very quickly in this region. Embracing the New Space approach, the Arctic Weather Satellite was developed and built within 36 months, and with a much tighter budget than traditional Earth observation missions. It is actually a prototypethe forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites, called EPS-Sterna, that ESA would build for Eumetsat when this prototype has demonstrated its potential after a year in orbit. The impacts of the climate crisis are being felt more in the Arctic compared to other parts of the world. Nevertheless, what happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic, so these changes are affecting the Earth's system as a whole. While the Arctic is the focus, meteorologists will also be able to use the potential constellation to improve weather forecasts globally. Information from the Arctic Weather Satellite and the Sterna constellation will also support research into climate change. Packing up ESAs Arctic Weather Satellite for shipment from OHBs facilities in Sweden to the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California from where it will be launched this summer. This new satellite has been designed to show how it can improve weather forecasts in the Arctic a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts. It is equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave to provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions. While weather forecasting for the Arctic region is the focus, data from the Arctic Weather Satellite, and potentially from a constellation of similar satellites in the future, will also be used to improve weather forecasts around the world and contribute to climate change research. Credit: OHB With so much at stake, engineers from over 30 different companies throughout Europe have worked tirelessly under ESA over the last three years to get to the point of the satellite being packed up and shipped from Sweden to the US for liftoff. The Arctic Weather Satellite arrived safely at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 1 June and first underwent a series of health checks. Team members from OHB Sweden, the prime contractor for the mission, and team members from Exolaunch and ESA then placed the satellite on the system that will separate it from the rocket during the launch. The Arctic Weather Satellite is now undergoing its final preparations for liftoff in a few weeks on the Space-X Falcon 9 Transporter-11 Mission. These steps include charging the satellite's battery before launch. Once in orbit, the Arctic Weather Satellite will be operated from the KSAT operational center in Troms, Norway by a team from KSAT, OHB and ESA. 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 Firefighters are battling a series of wildfires that broke out across California over the weekend amid early summer heat and dry, gusty winds. The National Weather Service warned that winds that carry "the potential for rapid fire spread" were forecast across large swaths of the state Monday morning, including the Antelope Valley and foothills, Santa Barbara County and Northern California's wine country and Sacramento Valley. The largest fire in the state on Monday morning was the Post fire in Los Angeles County, which has burned 14,625 acres and was 8% contained, Cal Fire said. More than 1,100 firefighters and a half dozen helicopters are battling the flames. The fire, along the 5 Freeway near Gorman, triggered evacuations for 1,200 people in the Hungry Valley Park and Pyramid Lake areas. The fire burned an auto repair shop, damaged another building and threatened other structures to the south and west of the I-5, authorities said. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews rapidly responded, making aerial assaults with air tankers and water-dropping helicopters. The Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service were aiding in the effort. At one point Sunday, about 400 firefighters and 70 engines were at the scene, according to Cal Fire. At least 13 fires have started since Saturday in California and burned more than 20,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website. At the same time, areas from Redding down to Modesto are under a Red Flag warning until Tuesday morning due to a combination of summer heat, gusty winds, low humidity and unusually warm overnight temperatures. In the North Bay hills, areas hit by some of the state's worst wildfires in recent memory, including Mt. St. Helena and Lake Berryessa, are under red flag warnings until Monday night. In Sonoma County, the Point Fire has burned more than 1,000 acres and several structures south of Lake Sonoma. It was 15% contained on Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire started Sunday afternoon. A smaller fire in Lancaster, meanwhile, burned 300 acres and several outbuildings after starting before 4 p.m. Sunday. In Hesperia, more than 1,100 acres burned, prompting area road closures and an evacuation warning for the nearby Arrowhead Equestrian Estates. The fire began Saturday before 7 p.m. On Monday morning, a vegetation fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills just south of Runyon Canyon, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Not far from homes and hidden in a difficult-to-access area, it took firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter more than an hour to put out the flames, despite it burning an area only about 400 square feet, the department said in an alert. 2024 Los Angeles Times. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Parts of Northern California will see a higher risk for wildfires this weekend as dry, hot and windy weather sweeps the region. On June 14, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of the Sacramento Valley and nearby Sierra Nevada foothills, lasting from 11 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday. The agency previously issued a fire weather watch for the area in the same time period. According to the red flag warning, the highest threats are in the northern and central Sacramento Valley, especially west of Interstate 5 and elevations below 2,000 feet. A red flag warning means that there are either critical fire weather conditions occurring or will happen soon. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior," the service said in the warning. The agency is advising people to practice fire safety precautions and to have an emergency plan. What's the fire risk in Sacramento Valley? The National Weather Service also warned of critical fire weather conditions in the Sacramento Valley, especially the west side, from Sunday to Monday. Risks are considered moderate due to the northerly winds and low humidity, the agency said. According to the red flag warning, the Sacramento Valley could see northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph from Saturday to Sunday, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph, the weather service said. The strongest winds will be "along the western half of the Sacramento Valley," the agency said in the warning. The region will also experience daytime humidity of 10% to 20%, the weather service said. What's in the weather forecast for Northern California? According to the National Weather Service, high temperatures in the Sacramento and Chico areas will be around 90 degrees on Friday through Sunday. Low temperatures will be near 60 degrees. Monday is forecast to have a high around 85 degrees and a low near 61. In Redding, the high will be near 85 on Friday, rising to the high 80s on Saturday and Sunday. Lows for all three days will near 60 degrees, according to the weather service's forecast. On Monday, the high in Redding is expected to be near 83 with a low near 58. Red flag warning issued for Sierra Nevada front Also on Friday, the National Weather Service in Reno issued a red flag warning for the northern Sierra front due to "gusty winds and low humidity." The warning, which remains in effect 2 to 10 p.m. Friday, affects Carson City and Douglas, Storey, southern Washoe and western Lyon counties in Nevada, as well as far southern Lassen County in California. Southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph are forecast, with gusts up to 35 mph. Humidity will measure as low as 10% to 15%, the weather service said. 2024 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. OCEAN CITY Police Chief Bill Campbell on Thursday advised City Council against banning anyone wearing masks on the Boardwalk, which seemed to guarantee that no such ban will move forward. Just a few years ago, anyone covering their face in a public area in the summer would be immediately suspicious. COVID-19 made mask wearing mandatory inside many buildings, and cloth or surgical masks became commonplace outside as well. There had been no formal discussion of the possibility of banning masks, but Councilman Jody Levchuk said at the Thursday meeting that he had raised the possibility with the city administration at the request of some Boardwalk merchants. In some instances, teens caught on video causing problems over Memorial Day weekend had their faces covered, apparently to avoid being identified. The city reported significant issues with young people on the Boardwalk that weekend, including a number of fights. In the worst incident, a teenager was hospitalized after being stabbed. Another teen was later charged. Quite frankly, I dont think we have an issue with people wearing masks on the Boardwalk, Campbell told council. I think it would be a knee-jerk reaction to a very slight number of people, teenagers, primarily, that may have had a mask on during the widely circulated video from Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I dont think we should draft something thats not an issue, Campbell continued. He said he communicated with his senior staff, and most opposed the idea. Campbell cited several concerns, including constitutional issues, the difficulty in enforcement and the potential liability for the city if someone were to take legal action believing they had been singled out by officers. Wildwood approves backpack ban In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the Wildwood Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance amendment banning backpacks and other bags larger than 8 inches from the beaches and Boardwalk after 8 p.m. Even in the discussion phase, Campbell said, the ordinance was to include exemptions for religious practice and health concerns. Some people continue to wear masks in crowds, and some people with compromised immune systems or other medical conditions always will. Campbell compared the proposed ordinance with a ban on backpacks on the beach and Boardwalk after 8 p.m., a move he supported. Where there have been issues with juveniles, he said, many carried fireworks, alcohol or illegal drugs in backpacks. Whatever they had with them, the contents were in the backpack, he said. Philadelphia had approved a ban on masks, he said, but that is not being enforced. In New York, there was a state ban on masks for more than a century, repealed during the pandemic. There has been discussion of reenacting that ban. Levchuk said he spoke with other members of council after some merchants raised the possibility of banning face coverings. It seemed worth bringing it to the administration, he said, specifically so that the matter could be researched. He said he would not push for an ordinance that would create hardships for the police or would raise questions of how it could be enforced. Levchuk added he had not seen any problems on the Boardwalk since Memorial Day weekend and praised police for that result. Everybodys been having a good time. Weathers been great, he said. Mayor Jay Gillian said the city would continue to improve and said the backpack limits and closing the beach at 8 p.m. have made an impact. We had a rough Memorial Day weekend. We addressed it, Gillian said. Were going to keep Ocean City safe. This story was originally published on May 15. Linda Odgen has been a court reporter her entire career. Despite retiring from her official post in 2014, she still works almost full-time and makes comparable money freelancing due to an ongoing, nationwide court reporter shortages. I would say it was not my intention, to work so frequently as a freelance court reporter, Ogden said. But, we're so short-handed I turn down jobs every day. Starting in 1988, she spent the bulk of her career as an official court reporter for Iowas 7th Judicial District in Davenport. Before my official retirement, some of the attorneys that I worked with as an official let me know they were having difficulties finding available freelance court reporters, Odgen said. Court reporters take the official transcription of court proceedings. Freelance court reporters are independent contractors hired by attorneys, which gives them more control over their schedules, Odgen said. The state-employed court reporters, though, have state-backed benefits. No matter which pathway a court reporter chooses, theyre almost guaranteed a job likely, right away. 'Somewhat akin to the Titanic' Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham said her attorneys periodically struggle to find available court reporters. They just don't have enough court reporters to go around, she said. Iowas 7th Judicial District, covering Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties, currently has six of its 17 total court reporter positions vacant. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job openings for court reporters to average roughly 2,100, each year, until 2032. Local officials point to a likely combination of factors behind the shortage of these vital workers, such as past perceptions about technology replacing court reporters. The pursuit of justice requires 100% accuracy, said Chief Judge Clarence Darrow of Illinois 14th Judicial Circuit, which covers Rock Island, Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties. Illinois 14th Judicial Circuit is only short by two court reporters, but the states workforce is nearing what he calls somewhat akin to the Titanic. Theres that iceberg in the distance, and we're doing all we can to (avoid) running into it, Darrow said, noting most Illinois court reporters are more than 55 years old. To avoid the iceberg, Illinois 14th Judicial District has upped its recruiting efforts via community outreach such as career fairs, organizational partnerships and lobbying. Just getting the word out that, Hey, you can go to school for two years and become a certified court reporter, said Rebecca Todd, court reporting services supervisor. 'Basically guaranteed a job' Todd and Odgen helped facilitate the launch of Black Hawk Colleges Court Reporting Technology program in the fall of 2022, and both teach courses there now. Students in the program graduate with an associates degree and complete a supervised internship while learning the ins and outs of live court reporting, such as using a stenotype machine. We've got eight people in the program, and we're hoping for a slew to join the program in the fall, Todd said. On Thursday, Michelle Stroehle will become the first to graduate from the program. I just thought it seemed like a good fit for me, she said, later noting she plans to start working at the Scott County Courthouse within weeks. "And, the fact that court reporters are very important. You don't really see or hear a lot from them during a hearing, but they're very crucial to the whole process. Jury duty is what initially drew Stroehle into the field. I was just mesmerized by the court reporter, she said. I found myself watching her very closely and became interested in doing some research. Stroehle and her husband formerly owned Riverbend Retro, a vintage furniture and decor store in downtown Davenport, which they had closed before having their second child in 2019. She was a stay-at-home mom in the following years. During that time, she was also summoned to her first jury duty. During her research, Stroehle said Des Moines Area Community Colleges was the only school in Iowa to offer a court reporting program. Luckily, she later heard about Black Hawks program. So, I waited until 2022 and got my foot in the door right away, Stroehle said. One really great thing about (court reporting) is that it's in such high demand you're basically guaranteed a job. Building the necessary skills for busy courtrooms The National Registered Professional Reporter exam is the only nationwide, industry-recognized certification designed for entry-level freelance and official court reporters. Roughly 75% of court reporters hold a certificate, and just over 10% have an associates degree. While requirements vary by state, Illinois applicants must also pass the Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporter exam which includes a 255 words-per-minute dictation exam and those in Iowa must pass, at least, the Iowa Certified Shorthand Reporter exams written portion, which requires proficiency of 200 words-per-minute. The median salary for court reporters is $70,634 nationwide, with starting salaries just under $37,300. Federal court reporters can make up to six figures. I would say the minimum salary of a freelance court reporter would be very similar to the official, Ogden said. I know freelance court reporters (who) are making $150,000 a year. Now, they're working a lot, but they are making $150,000. For those who are shocked by how much court reporters make despite few holding an official college degree, Ogden often points to the professions high-difficulty skillset and testing requirements. Court reporting is probably one of the few careers in the world where 94.9% is a failing grade, she said. When you become a court reporter, the lowest grade you can receive for certification is 95%. At Black Hawk, students must score a 97% on an in-class test. In the hope that, when (students) go through (state) certifications, they're a little bit more relaxed because they've already done it and 97%, Ogden said. Its very hard to pass that test, which it should be. Court reporting a whole different language Unlike a typical computer keyboard containing 104 keys, a stenotype machine only has 22. Sounds, words and certain court phrases are made using a combination of unique keystrokes. Its basically (learning) a whole different language, Stroehle said. Entire phrases can be written with just one stroke, so it's like muscle memory Our teacher would sometimes read us children's books (to transcribe), and it was a nice way to practice. She said students heard more real-life case examples as they became more accustomed to using a stenotype and familiar with common court terminology. Due to the stakes, Odgen said certification for court reporters is highly difficult for a reason if someone is sentenced to life in prison or loses parental rights, for example, court transcripts should be darn near perfect. Other officials agree. Darrow noted how common technologies such as voice-to-text often prove the irreplaceable benefit court reporters provide. Every day in court, we deal with real people's lives in significant ways Anybody using a smartphone has experienced (how) dictation isnt taken accurately many, many times, he said, extending concerns to growing AI capabilities. Similarly, Ogden said she can tell almost immediately when courts use voice-to-text software for their recordings based on the quality. When cases get chaotic such as parties talking over each other or shouting Darrow said live court reporters can make the information distinguishable. AI or (computers) can't do anything but record, he said. Moving forward Cunningham and Odgen both recall a push toward replacing court reporters with transcription technology in the Quad-Cities area around 2009. Of course, we were very concerned about that because we knew it would be an issue, Cunningham said, noting Iowas Court Reporters Association fought hard against the change at the time. While she and others agree this may have spurred initial shortages, a lack of accessible programming and public knowledge on court reporting careers are likely contributors. As a prosecutor, I would encourage young people to go into the field. It's a very interesting field and, quite honestly, (it) pays well, Cunningham said, noting court reporters can earn additional money by preparing transcripts. To her, court reporting helps to develop both historical and global perspectives. Were dealing with human behavior in so many different areas, Cunningham said. Whether it be criminal (family, civil, etc.) law I think (that) makes it a very, very satisfying career path. Iowa Judicial Branch spokesman Steve Davis said the Supreme Court recently authorized certified voice court reporters to obtain certification in Iowa, allowing Iowa courts to recruit transitioning military voice reporters. While it certainly does not solve our shortage, it does give us a little bit larger pool of potential reporters to recruit from, he said. We are working to find options to help in the retention of our current court reporters. On the Illinois side, Darrow thinks judicial districts are turning a corner in promoting court reporting careers, especially as more high school graduates opt out of traditional, four-year degree paths. This summer, Black Hawk will offer a three-hour, introductory court reporting class on June 15 and July 27. Well discuss what court reporting is and the different professions you can go into as a court reporter, Todd said. Schooling involved, salary and benefits, additional income from transcripts, and well offer a free (lesson) on an actual steno machine. Computer-aided real-time transcriptionists (CARTS), who transcribe spoken content for individuals who are deaf, and live broadcast captioning are other applicable careers for court reporters. We're trying to replenish the working group of court reporters and hopefully dispel some (misconceptions) about the profession, Darrow said. It's a great profession, it's in high demand and it has a bright future. After graduation, Stroehle plans to work in court reporting until retirement. She hopes to work at the federal level one day. I've never had a true career like this, so I'm really excited, she said. And, getting to have good benefits for my family and a retirement plan. Stroehle called the local court reporting community, like no other. They're all very encouraging and helpful, and they want to get more people into this field, she said. Anytime I reached out to any of them with questions, they were more than happy to help me. Photos: Women in Manufacturing Summit at BHC Here are some of the headlines from this past week in the Rapid City Journal. Only two days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a group dressed in red and black unfurled a Nazi flag on the steps of South Dakota's state capitol in Pierre. The incident, documented in photos shared across X (formerly Twitter), appeared to show more than a dozen masked individuals standing on the capitol steps Saturday. In a press release, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said the "unscheduled march" ended without incident after South Dakota Highway Patrol officers asked the group, which didn't have a permit, to leave. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem condemned the incident on X Saturday afternoon. "We just celebrated the 80th commemoration of D-Day, when the take-back of Europe from Freedom-hating Nazis began. Today, Nazis attempted to rally at the SD Capitol without a permit and were escorted away by Highway Patrol officers," the governor wrote. "Nazis are not welcome here in South Dakota. We stand on the shoulders of generations of Americans who have fought for the Freedom of all here and abroad. We stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We reject all hatred and Nazis. Full stop." Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun spent about 2.5 hours Wednesday night at a town hall advocating for his Vision Fund spending plan and the underlying ordinance change he needs the council to pass to ensure the plan is even possible. "This Vision Fund has been a significant part of what makes this community great," he said. "And I want to acknowledge that today, and just tell you that I am someone who does value where the Vision Fund came from." The Vision Fund is comprised of 7% of sales tax dollars gathered in Rapid City. That amounts to $0.42 of the $6.20 collected for every $100 spent in the city. The fund officially started in the 1990s with a voter-approved initiative to use the money for various community projects. It has funded the Roosevelt Park Pool and Dinosaur Park renovations, among many other local projects. The Vision Fund is expected to grow to around $91 million in the upcoming five-year cycle. About a third $32.8 million is already earmarked for payments on The Monument's Summit Arena. How to spend the remaining $58.2 million is up for debate. - Shalom Baer Gee, sgee@rapidcityjournal.com The Pennington County Commission certified the results from the June 4 primary election on Monday in a meeting lasting about an hour and 10 minutes. Other than a one-vote discrepancy in a school board race, the official results reflected the unofficial results reported immediately after the election. The county auditor corrected the discrepancy during the meeting. Votes must be canvassed within six calendar days after the close of any election, according to state law. Pennington County Auditor Cindy Mohler read the results to the commissioners, all of whom attended the meeting and voted unanimously in favor of certification. "We always canvass every year," said District 3 Commissioner Deb Hadcock. "That's just to trust but verify that the auditor has done her job and done it correctly with her workers and her team of people on the votes this year." - Shalom Baer Gee, sgee@rapidcityjournal.com NEW UNDERWOOD The South Dakota High School Rodeo officially gets underway Tuesday at the Stanley County Fairgrounds in Fort Pierre and continues through Saturday with the final rodeo performance. Hundreds of competitors from across the state will compete for a chance at a state title, but also a chance to qualify for the National High School Rodeo finals in Rock Springs, Wyo., starting in July. Walls Piper Cordes, the defending state champion in the barrel races, said shes taking it one rodeo at a time. A lot of eyes might be on the Montana State commit as she heads into the state finals, not only as the defending state champion but also as a three-time national qualifier and the reigning 2023 National Champion in barrel racing. Beneath a clear, sunny sky on Thursday, June 6, representatives from the Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, Oglala, Rosebud, and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes, along with USDA Forest Service officials, gathered to sign a historic memorandum of understanding at the Pactola Visitor Center. The landmark co-stewardship pact formalizes their collaboration and marks a significant stride towards preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Lakota and Dakota tribes with visitors from around the world. The agreement, decided under the Biden administration, enables the tribes to provide interpretive services and cultural education at the Visitor Center. This has been a long time coming. It represents building future relationships with the tribes and providing this facility for co-sponsorship, said Shawn Cochran, Forest Supervisor for the Black Hills National Forest. Moving forward allows us to talk about their cultural histories and how they would like to see themselves expressed not only here in the national forests but in the state of South Dakota. This provides an enrichment of history to all visitors to the National Forest. Crystal Hiwalker wonders if her heart and lungs would have kept working if the ambulance crew had been able to give her a transfusion as the blood drained from her body during a stormy, 100-mile ride. Because of the 2019 snowstorm, it took 2.5 hours to drive from her small town of Lame Deer to the advanced trauma center in Billings. Doctors at the Billings Clinic hospital revived Hiwalker and stopped the bleeding from her ruptured ectopic pregnancy. They were shocked that she not only survived after her heart stopped beating and she lost nearly all her blood, but that she recovered without brain damage. The Montana State Trauma Care Committee, which works to reduce trauma incidents and to improve care, later realized the ambulance that carried Hiwalker had passed near two hospitals that stocked blood. What if Hiwalker had access to that blood on her way to Billings, committee members asked. That realization, and question, inspired committee members to create the Montana Interfacility Blood Network, which they say is the first program of its kind in the U.S. The network allows ambulance crews to pick up blood from hospitals and transfuse it to patients on the way to the advanced care they need. We kind of came up with the idea of having a blood handoff like driving through a fast-food restaurant drive-thru and picking up blood on the way, said Gordon Riha, a trauma surgeon at the Billings Clinic trauma center, where Hiwalker was treated. Riha said timely blood transfusions can prevent death or permanent brain injury. The network is aimed at rural patients, who face elevated rates of traumatic injuries and death, said Alyssa Johnson, trauma system manager for the state of Montana. We have to get more creative. We dont have a blood bank on every corner, and we dont have a Level 1 trauma center on every corner, Johnson said. Network leaders say the program has helped at least three patients since it launched in 2022. They hope it will be used more in the future. Hiwalker is excited about the program. Im so glad that something like this got started, because it would save a lot of lives from where I live, she said. Hiwalker said she has heard about people bleeding to death after car crashes, gunshot wounds and stabbings in her rural community. Johnson said work injuries, cancer, gastrointestinal problems and childbirth can also cause serious bleeding. The Montana trauma committee began discussing the blood network a few months after Hiwalkers brush with death. First, it created a map of 48 facilities with blood banks. Then, it created guidelines for how hospitals, blood banks, ambulances and labs must communicate about, package, transport, document and bill for the blood. The network is used only during emergencies, which means theres no time to test patients blood types. So it uses only type O red blood cells, which can be transfused safely into most patients. The receiving hospital not the one that provided the blood is responsible for billing patients insurance for the blood. The cost depends on how much blood patients need but typically ranges from several hundred dollars to more than a thousand, said Sadie Arnold, who manages the blood bank at Billings Clinic. Arnold said blood must be stored in a lab and managed by professionals with specific degrees, clinical experience and board certifications. Some rural hospitals lack space for a lab or money to recruit these specialists, Arnold said. Or they may not need blood often enough to justify storing a product that can expire and especially during the current national blood shortage is needed elsewhere. The network uses blood that has a maximum shelf life of 42 days. Rural hospitals that do store blood may have only small amounts on hand. A rural Montanan with severe bleeding experienced that firsthand when he went to the nearest hospital, which had only one unit of type O blood, according to a report on the blood network. But thanks to the new program, ambulance medics picked up more blood from a hospital halfway through an 80-mile drive to the trauma hospital. Ideally, rural patients with serious bleeding would be transported by medical helicopters or airplanes outfitted for transfusions. But, as in Hiwalkers case, flying can be impossible during bad weather. That can mean hours-long ambulance rides. Some towns in northeastern Montana, for example, are more than 250 miles away from the nearest advanced trauma center. This was truly designed for kind of that last-ditch effort, Johnson said. When were out of options, weve got to get the patient moving towards a larger center, and we cant fly. The blood handoff may involve the ambulance stopping at the second hospital, Johnson said. But during one incident, a police officer picked up the blood and delivered it to the ambulance at a highway exit, she said. Ambulances may also pick up a paramedic or nurse to provide the transfusion along the way, since many rural ambulance crews are staffed by emergency medical technicians, who in Montana arent authorized to do transfusions. Medics in other cities and states, including those with rural areas, have started performing blood transfusions in ambulances and helicopters, said Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer of the national Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies. She said researchers are also interested in the potential of using frozen and freeze-dried blood products, which could be helpful in rural areas since theyre easier to store and have longer shelf lives. Johnson said the Montana Interfacility Blood Network is the only program she knows of specifically aimed at rural patients and involving ambulances picking up blood from hospitals along their routes. She said the network is gaining interest from other states with large rural regions, including Oregon. Hiwalker said receiving a blood transfusion in the ambulance could have prevented her near-death experience and the trauma her husband faced from seeing her suffer as he rode in the ambulance with her. Shes glad her ordeal led to an innovation that is helping others. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. Foestur to replace dissolved Fonatur in Cancun and Cozumel Riviera Maya, Q.R. Before the end of June, a new organization to replace the National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur) will be created. State Tourism Secretary Bernardo Cueto says a Fonatur replacement for Cancun Hotel Zone and Cozumel Marina maintenance will be ready by mid-summer. The new organization to replace the now defunct government agency Fonatur (Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo) will likely be titled the State Fund for Tourism Promotion (Foestur). He says Foestur (Fondo Estatal de Fomento al Turismo (Foestur)), tentatively named for now, will implement more transparent and effective management. It will have a trust that will include representatives of the private sector who will contribute funds from the lodging tax for various improvements in the Cancun Hotel Zone. One of the main challenges is the continuation of pending Fonatur projects such as the 2021-2023 Maintenance Program, which covers infrastructure and urbanization projects as well as improvements in the Cozumel Marina. Fonatur left unfinished strategies to improve mobility in the Cancun Hotel Zone, derived from a study carried out in 2022 at a cost of 3.7 million pesos, he said. Fonatur is expected to be replaced with a new similar agency sometime next month after being dissolved by the federal government late last year. In February, Cueto announced that work was underway to create a state-run trust to will operate and maintain the Cancun Hotel Zone and Cozumel Marina. INAH announces temporary closure of Kohunlich Archaeological Zone Othon P. Blanco, Q.R. The Kohunlich Archaeological Zone located outside the city of Chetumal is scheduled for closure. The site will be closed to the public starting June 18 for rehabilitation. As part of the federal government project Archaeological Zones Improvement Program, Kojunlich will be closed until further notice. The closure was announced by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), informs that the Kohunlich Archaeological Zone located in Quintana Roo, will temporarily close to the public starting Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The site will be closed until further notice due to the development of the projects of the Archaeological Zones Improvement Program. The INAH invites the public to visit other archaeological sites that are open in this state, such as Coba, Dzibanche-Kinichna, Tulum and San Miguelito, the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia y Historia (INAH) said. Kohunlich Archaeological Zone is located 69 kilometers west of the city of Chetumal. Innovate UK has awarded funding to further optimise a unique and flexible floating offshore wind platform for applications in the Celtic Sea, a collaboration involving Swansea University. The funding will help establish the Launchpad project to ensure that, where possible, a local supply chain will support the fabrication, manufacture, and deployment of the platform, known as PelaFlex. Led by Marine Power Systems, Swansea University's Department of Mechanical Engineering will be working with Ledwood Mechanical Engineering, Tata Steel UK, ABP (Associated British Ports) Port Talbot, and the Port of Milford Haven on the project, which is worth over 800,000. Launchpad will optimise PelaFlex's structural efficiency, paying particular attention to the challenging environment in the Celtic Sea while minimising the cost of materials and deployment. This includes using strip steel manufactured in Port Talbot, components fabricated by local suppliers, and assembly and rollout using existing ports in southwest Wales. Swansea University will provide design input by applying the latest developments in structural design modelling, and Ledwood, based in Pembrokeshire, will provide feedback that will help maximise the extent to which local suppliers can support fabrication. Input from Associated British Ports and the Port of Milford Haven will ensure that the platform can be assembled and deployed from those locations whilst minimising the investment required to do so. The project will support Tata Steel UK's vision to decarbonise Port Talbot's steel production, one example being the production of green strip steel using an electric arc furnace. It will also help position the town as an industrial hub for the development and deployment of offshore wind. Dr. Will Harrison, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University, said, "It is a great opportunity to be working with MPS, Ledwood, Tata Steel, the Port of Milford Haven and ABP Port Talbot to deliver this exciting project. Each of the partners brings different and complementary expertise to this engineering challenge, and the project really showcases the potential of industry in South-West Wales. MPS has developed a world-class concept which we are really excited to help them optimise, using experience in computation techniques at Swansea University and to support local industry." Graham Foster, Chief Technology Officer at Marine Power Systems, commented: "We are really excited to receive support through Innovate UK. With the deployment of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea becoming a reality the time is absolutely right to work with local supply chain to optimise the detailed design of our technology and maximise its deliverability. A good example of that, is that we are confident that through this project we will be able to optimise our platform design to increase the amount of local steel used to fabricate it from around 10% to over 50%." Mark Davies of Ledwood Mechanical Engineering commented: "Launchpad represents another step forward for the emerging floating offshore wind industry. As a locally-based engineering company, we are pleased to be working with MPS, Tata Steel, the Port of Milford Haven, ABP Port Talbot and Swansea University to help build a local supply chain by capitalising on the skills, expertise and infrastructure that we have here in South-West Wales. This is an exciting time for us and we hope the region can take advantage of the opportunities that will soon emerge." More information: About PelaFlex Marine Power Systems advanced floating platform technology, PelaFlex, supports the rapid deployment of industrial scale floating offshore wind, while maximising local content delivery through existing supply chain. High system stability, low overall mass and zero tilt maximises energy yields, allows for simple installation using standard vessels and increases operation and maintenance weather windows. Multiple launch options and shallow draft support a distributed port model for faster deployment and reduces the need for specific port requirements. About Swansea University When reporting this story, please use Swansea University hyperlinks. Founded in 1920, Swansea University is a research-led, dual campus university located along Swansea Bay in south Wales, UK. Its stunning beachfront campuses and friendly welcome make Swansea University a desirable destination for more than 22,000 students from across the globe. There are three academic faculties, delivering around 450 undergraduate and 350 postgraduate degree programmes. Swansea is a UK top 30 institution, ranked 25th in the 2024 Guardian University Guide. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 86% of Swansea University's overall research and 91% of its research environment were classed as world-leading and internationally excellent, with 86% of its research impact rated outstanding and very considerable. Swansea University is a registered charity. No. 1138342. For more information, please contact Ffion White, Swansea University Press Office. Call 01792 602706, or email: f.e.white@swansea.ac.uk. Provided by Swansea University LE MARS, Iowa The Northwest Iowa chapter of the American Legion Riders will be hosting their first Poker Run of the year in Le Mars at the American Legion Post 241 on Saturday, June 22. The American Legion Riders is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts affiliated with the American Legion. The group holds fundraisers throughout the year, disbursing the funds to help local veterans and their families. This year all proceeds from the Poker Run go to Hospice of Siouxland, with the exception of the payouts for the poker hand and the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle. After the ride, food will be provided by Hospice of Siouxland in exchange for a free will donation. Hospice of Siouxland is the areas oldest and only locally owned non-profit hospice program. They are a Level 5 We Honor Veterans program, the highest level given through a collaboration with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the US Department of Veteran Affairs. "Hospice of Siouxland is grateful to be the recipient of this years proceeds," said Kim Wilson, Marketing and Fund Development Manager. "These funds will help us better serve Veterans on our service, along with allowing us more opportunities to honor them and members of our community; something they all deserve." Whether its on two, three or four wheels, all vehicles are welcome to join, with stops at Scootchs Bar in Kingsley, The Yard Bar & Grill in Alton, Waddys Bar & Grill in Hudson, SD, The Constitution in Akron and The Corner Cafe in Brunsville. Registration for the event will take place from 11-noon, and kickstands will go up at 12:15 p.m. Participation costs for those with bikes or vehicles is $20, or $10 for passengers. I have fond memories of shopping at Whole Foods Market. Trips where Id shell out at least $100 would yield a bag of overpriced, but mostly nutritious, joy. Nowadays, parting with my hard-earned dollars at the Amazon-owned grocery store leaves me feeling uneasy. This change of heart is mostly due to the rollout of Amazon One, a scanning device that collects biometric data, now located at Whole Foods checkout counters across the U.S. It works by capturing a photo of your palm print and underlying vein structure, then transforms your body parts into a payment method. If youre wondering why you have to overspend on groceries and give up your biometric data to do so, youre not alone. Like me, you probably just wanted a little kombucha, as a treat. Instead, you were prompted to hand over your irrevocably personal data to a trillion-dollar company. The publics response to Amazon One has been mixed. The first time I noticed the scanner, Im pretty sure I audibly muttered something to myself about it, like, Absolutely fucking not, said one Prime member and frequent Whole Foods shopper who asked to be anonymous. A lot of it is based on a gut feeling. Its interesting how Ill mistrust Amazon, but Im willing to accept some of their services because they cast a wide net, said Doug Saribay, a Whole Foods shopper who does not use palm-to-pay. Advertisement What Amazon One actually solves for its customers remains to be understood. Between connected payment options (apps, digital gift cards) and offline ones (cards, regular old cash, checks), do we really need to swipe our palms? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a fictionalized setting, advanced technologies are often controlled for the betterment of mankind. In the Dune series, author Frank Herbert invented a world in which artificial intelligence nearly won a war for control, leading to a ban on all thinking machines so man may not be replaced. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberrys hopeful optimism imagined a post-scarcity future where a diverse crew of space explorers pursued the furthest reaches of the galaxy for purely anthropological, never exploitative, purposes. But our actual tech overlords have proven themselves incapable of self-policing for the greater good. Weve generally come to accept that when a product is free to use, we are not simply the users: We become the product, monetized over and over. Advertisement Most people expect this when logging into social media or using a search engine. By normalizing biometric data as a means to pay for goods, Amazon has managed to sell a useful fiction, one that is much more dystopian than aspirational. Amazon touts its palm-to-pay service as a fast, free identity service to help you move seamlessly through your day. Under its FAQs, the company claims that Amazon One palm data is also not used by Amazon for marketing purposes, and will not be bought by or sold to other companies for advertising, marketing, or any other reason. Advertisement Beyond the marketing blog excerpts and links they provided, I asked an Amazon spokesperson to dig deeper into this matter of data and privacy: How does Amazon One fit into the big picture of Amazon customer data? How is Amazon One data used? Is Amazon One customer data collected when inside Amazon-owned locations? Advertisement When you use Amazon One, Amazon One doesnt track what you do or buy after entering any location. That data is not associated with your biometric identity, and we built Amazon One that way intentionally, said an Amazon spokesperson. Advertisement On the surface, this statement may be reassuring. But a basic read-through of Amazons privacy notice offers an entirely opposing take. The company reserves the right to use cameras, computer vision, sensors, and other technology to gather information about your activity in the store, such as the products and services you interact with. Its a classic case of Big Tech doublespeak: Theres whats advertised to customersconvenience, security, and privacyand then theres what the company claims for itself in its policies and terms of use. Advertisement Elsewhere, the company identifies a broad and vague list of scenarios in which your data may be shared. Amazon may disclose personal information in connection with business transfers (for example, as part of a merger) or for the protection of Amazon or others. And, Amazon employ[s] other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf, meaning external contractors may have access to your data. Advertisement Advertisement Its clear that Amazon does not want its grocery shoppers to think too hard about handing over their biometric data (or any type of data, for that matter) in exchange for a few moments of convenience. While using Amazon One isnt mandatory, shoppers are encouraged to sign up for Amazon One at checkout, as a queue of customers await their turnnot exactly an ideal moment to review a 3,642-word privacy policy and consider its long-tail implications. Advertisement Privacy policies are presented as something useful for individuals, said Calli Schroeder, senior counsel and global privacy counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a privacy and civil rights research institution. Even pretty well-written ones are not really there to help the individual. Theyre there to cover the companys back. Passwords can be changed in the event of a hack; palms cannot. Naturally, Amazons terms of use do not identify available recourse or compensation if ones handprint were to be stolen. There is no legal precedent on a comparable scale, and affected consumers would likely be facing lengthy, expensive battles to seek justice. Advertisement Its really simplistic to say that something is convenient, when theres nothing convenient about having your biometric data hacked, shared with other entities you dont know, or shared with law enforcement, said Caitlin Seeley George, campaigns and managing director at Fight for the Future, a digital-rights advocacy group. Advertisement Advertisement So who actually benefits from the convenience of Amazon One? Amazon, of courseand thats pretty much it. Faster checkout lines allow more products to be sold. Adding a biometric identifier increases the value of a customer dataset, which already includes more personal information than a layperson could conceive of: demographics, address, contact information, education, ethnicity, purchase history, personal preferences, children, family members, recent behaviors, and so much more. Whats the big deal [about] a palm print at this point? They already have so much information about me, Lloyd S., a Prime member and Whole Foods shopper, said. They probably know more about me than my family does. As a business that has leveraged proprietary customer data to build an empire and continues to acquire ownership of essential services, such as pharmacies and urgent care centers, the stakes for individual privacy get even more personal. With Amazon One, the company may be most concerned with one-upping its competitors, Apple and Google, which already collect retina and fingerprint data from millions of device users. Each of these tech giants continues to amass war chests of consumer data and increase their respective market caps, especially in the absence of a national privacy law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumers can request the data Amazon has on them, but the legal protections they have will depend on where they live. Illinois is the only state with a standalone biometric privacy law. Washingtons broadly scoped My Health My Data Act gives individuals more control over their biometric data. Seventeen states have adopted comprehensive data privacy laws, many of which include biometrics, that require businesses to respond to consumer requests for access to and deletion of personal data within a set period. Advertisement Still, transparency is not a guarantee, and corporate compliance with these relatively new laws is largely untested. Amazon might claim theyre exempt from disclosing [the actual hand, palm, or vein pattern] because it would reveal their proprietary trade secret, said Taylor Kay Lively, an attorney who specializes in data privacy cases. Advertisement Only some of these states establish the right to directly sue a company like Amazon for misuse or exploitation of personal data, as opposed to relying on action from the state attorney generals office. Related From Slate Adobe Promises That It Hasnt Gone Full Big Brother Read More Pushing for a federal law on biometrics is a completely reasonable ask as is forcing companies to be much more transparent, Schroeder said. It would be much easier to have one global standard instead of having to adjust practices for every jurisdiction. Advertisement If a sci-fi-esque technology presents itself as convenient, safe, and free, ask yourself: Would you write a blank check to Jeff Bezos, with no guarantee it wouldnt overdraft today, tomorrow, or unspecified decades into the future? With few opportunities for recourse? In this economy, Id think not. To participate in the modern world, you have to give up some of your information. But you dont want to share more than is necessary, said Matthew Neu, who prefers to shop at his local co-op. I dont want an algorithm-driven experience in the grocery store. Lilly and Lana Wachowskis first feature film, the noir thriller Bound, created a minor sensation when it was released in 1996, garnering press for its ornate visual styleand for the lesbian love affair at its center. The movies twisty plot follows just-out-of-prison Corky (Gina Gershon) and gangsters moll Violet (Jennifer Tilly) as they enter into a whirlwind romance and hatch a scheme to rip off the Mob. Sex columnist Susie Bright talked her way onto the set to serve as an expert consultant on Bound, helping the siblings create believable heat between the charactersand a realistic, explicit sex scene, which caused the MPAA to threaten the movie with an NC-17 rating. Advertisement Though the movie was overshadowed a few years later by the Wachowskis follow-up, The Matrix, its remained a cult classic, especially for lesbian audiences. (Lilly Wachowski recently met a young woman with a Corky-and-Violet tattoo.) As Bound arrives on the Criterion Collection, Lilly Wachowski and Susie Bright reunited for a no-holds-barred Zoom about working for Dino De Laurentiis, about shooting a queer sex scene while living in the closet, and about butches, pillow queens, and lesbian cock. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Dan Kois: Lilly, when you were in pre-production on Bound, you and Lana sent a letter to Susie saying you were fans and offering her a cameo. How did you know her work? Lilly Wachowski: Our research was in this queer lesbian bookstore here in my neighborhood in Chicago, Women and Children First. We spent a lot of time browsing in the lesbian theory section and were reading her Susie Sexpert books, and it was really influential in terms of how we wanted to portray the women. And it was hugely influential in our own business as well, the business of our closeted queerness and closeted transness. We were researching for the larger project, but we were also researching for this smaller thing. Advertisement The larger project of your lives, and the smaller project of this movie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wachowski: Yeah. And each sort of compartmentalized. Were each in our own closet at this point. Theres not a lot of talking aboutmaybe a little bit of talking through the vent, closet to closet. What was it about the version of lesbian sexuality or lesbian culture that Susies work showed you that seemed right for this movie? Wachowski: There was a quote that we carried with us. Im not going to get it exactly right, but Susie was talking about the idea of penises, and that lesbians do have stiff, probing, insistent organswe just call them hands. And we were like, yes, that this is what it means to be queer and have different equipment and work with what you have. And when you think about the sex scene in Bound, the sex scene is nothing without all of the foreplay that happens before, in the living room and in the kitchen, where shes working those pipes and getting her hands all wet. Advertisement Susie Bright: We talked about that so much. I was like, Lesbian hands are lesbian cock. Slate receives a commission when you purchase items using the links on this page. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Susie, when you got the script in the mail, what was interesting about it to you, and what worried you about the project? Bright: I got this letter on brown sepia paper from Dino De Laurentiis, and I was like, is this for real? There was this very courteous note about how they had discovered my book, Susie Sexperts Lesbian Sex World, and were offering me a cameo in their movie. I read the script and I was screamingnot about the lesbian part, obviously, but about the way that they had written the suspense of the heist movie and howI mean, Im a squeamish, sensitive little girl. I could see how the protagonists are a butch-femme couple, like me and my lover at the time, Honey Lee Cottrell, but theres hardly anything about what they actually do in bed. So I wrote this really audacious letter. I said, Could I help you write the relationship parts in terms of how they bond and get tight and then the sex that they have? Advertisement I thought: If I associate with this, if Im even a cameo, if dykes think Im a sellout and a bullshit artist, I will be thrown into oblivion. My life will be over. It has to be so good. And I didnt know them. I didnt know them from a hole in the ground. Advertisement Advertisement But you decided to go for it. What advice did you give them? Bright: Because they had a visual vocabulary, I could send them little snippets of lesbian-made porn of dykes getting it on. I could send them a picture and Id say, This is my image of who Corky is. There was this moment where Corky would take off her shirt, and I was like, For a butch woman, taking off your shirt is the last thing youre going to do. Displaying your breasts? Theres going to be other moments where shes really vulnerablelike letting Violet, who appears so femme on the outside, fuck her. Advertisement Advertisement I love that, because I am a femme, and so often when youre a femme, people think youre a pillow queen, and you just lie there and go, Oh, do meI do nothing; I file my nails. So the idea that a femme is a capable, competent loverdo you know how many dyke femmes came up to me after this and said, You have given me strength? We could show butch vulnerability that is still butch, and femme power that is still unequivocally femme. Advertisement Lilly, when you were on set to film that sex scene, what was that day like? Wachowski: Well, it was a funny day. It was a closed set because it was so intimate, but the entire crew was there anyway, because of the way that we designed the shot [as a long take]. We had this crane that was coming up from the ground, and then there were all these cues. Walls were flying out, and we moved three walls and put a wall back in In the middle of the shot, youre moving walls around? Advertisement Wachowski: Yeah, while were circling, there are walls being hinged out. And so the camera would come up and we would call out, Wall, and then this wall would go. And then the camera would move around and wed go Foot, and then they were doing their action. It was complete chaos happening behind the camera, but in front of the camera the two actors were just in this beautiful dance together. I think we shot it like 13 times, and there were two that we thought were fantastic. Sometimes there were a lot of technical issues because the camera would hit a wall or not be able to come around the side correctly. There were two takes, an American take and a European take. The European take is the preferable one, but we got an NC-17 with that take. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So you didnt cut anything out to get the R, you used the alternate take which revealed a little bit less. Wachowski: Yeah. Advertisement Bright: I remember getting the phone call when we were in the middle of that ratings fight, and I was ready to go down there and cut their heads off with a machete. It was so ugly, because this is how sexist the ratings board was. They would say, Well, you know that scene where Jennifer has her fingers on Ginas thigh, it insinuates that something more is going to happen. Now, if you had a mans hand on a womans thigh, no one would give a crap about it, right? But the fact that a womans hand was on her thigh and it insinuated that her hand was going to go further, it sent them into a complete meltdown, and they said, You cant have this shot, its X-rated. Advertisement Advertisement I mean, I hate them just for that, but then the way they gilded the lily was they said, Hey, you can substitute a shot of Jennifers tits and wouldnt that be just as nice? You fucking assholes. Its not about Jennifers tits. Advertisement Wachowski: It was just preposterous at the time, and imagining having that fight nowadaysits just stupid. They were just stupid bigots. Lilly, you mentioned before about the way that what you were learning and what you were experiencing dovetailed with the larger personal journey that you were on. Shooting that scene, did you feel like, How the fuck did I get in this situation? How am I going to make it through this thing? Or was it liberating or joyful or fun? Advertisement Wachowski: There was a secret thrill for me to be in a queer space, and there was an absolute thrill to be making something that I knew hadnt been seen before, and to be doing it with a particular style that hadnt been seen before. And so that part was cool. But nothing prepares you for shooting a sex scene when youre a young filmmaker and youve never worked with actors that way. Advertisement Advertisement Bright: Well, I think youre being too humble. It was a fulfillment of something that had been very carefully planned, and when people ask me, How come theres no good sex scenes anymore? Its like, well, because you need to spend the time to make it really beautiful and to make it meaningful. Advertisement But for you, Lilly, there were things that were difficult about it, nonetheless. Wachowski: It was difficult. We were with a producer, this Italian patriarch, who saw the lesbian bar scene, and he was like, This is not a lesbian bar. Because the lesbian bar that exists in his head is from, like, Penthouse Forum letters. So he didnt start getting interested in the dailies until we got to the third or fourth day, when we started shooting more intense thriller-y stuff. That was when he started going, Oh, OK. They know what theyre doing. And then, when he saw the sex scene, he said, The price of this film just went up. Bright: His Roger Corman attitude kicked in. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate It Really Does Seem Unfair This Guy May Lose Tenure for Making the Most Wholesome Adult Videos in Existence Read More Now its almost 30 years later, and queer representation in movies feels like its in a totally different place. Whats Bounds legacy? Bright: I still find most mainstream depictions of lesbian relationships to be pathetically bourgeois. Its just upstanding citizens, lesbians, who are middle class and have sex. Oh, how exciting! Fuck that. You know what I love about Bound? Its about working-class characters who are divorced from bourgeois aspiration and from the platitudes of capitalist American Dream happiness. Wachowski: I love all that. I love the idea of queerness that fights hierarchies, and I certainly feel like that was something that we set out to do. That premiere at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco! Advertisement Bright: I dont know how Lilly and Lana pulled that off. It was just so amazing to be with that audience, because for them, yeah, sure, it was erotic, but what everybody in the crowd knew was: This is the lesbian movie to end all lesbian movies. And I was of course on tenterhooks because everyone knew that I had a part in it. What if they did something that embarrasses me and I was crucified after that showing? They did not, to say the least. It was like the fruition of everything we felt so passionately about. And the ins and outs of the heist are as tricky and attention-grabbing as any noir film should be. I remember seeing a couple of people walk out of the Castro as soon as the finger-cutting scene came. And of course I was like, Ahhh! because Im squeamish. And meanwhile, Lana and Lilly were just like, Ha ha ha ha ha. Wachowski: That was the greatest screening of any of our films that I have ever seen. If youre a private equity fund and you dont like to be regulated, what do you do? You hire late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias son Eugene Scalia, a former Trump labor secretary whos now the go-to litigator for the $17 trillion private equity industry. Rather than litigate on behalf of these clients in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which normally has jurisdiction over the financial industry, Scalia has helped several private equity fund managers create a nonprofit with an address in Austin, Texas. The organizations main purpose is to bring any litigation on behalf of its private equity members to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, the court most hostile to financial regulation. The plan was a classic case of forum shopping, and it has paid off for Scalia and his new client. Earlier this month, a three-judge 5th Circuit panel made up entirely of Republican appointees overturned the Securities and Exchange Commissions new anti-fraud regulations in their entirety and set forth principles that could eventually lead to the gutting of financial and other regulations from the SEC. With little discussion, the court held that it was the proper venue because the plaintiff association was incorporated in Texas and has an office in Austin. Advertisement The agency initiated the overturned rule under the leadership of Biden-appointed Chair Gary Gensler, a former Goldman Sachs partner who, in a turn, is now a leading reformist regulator. Regulation is essential in avoiding financial crises and providing economic security, a decent standard of living, and a secure retirement for American citizens. The 5th Circuit is imperiling all of that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SEC was established by Congress in the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, to prevent the type of market manipulation and financial fraud that could help precipitate future depressions. Its governing mandate was strengthened over the years, including by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed by Congress in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008. Advertisement Although SEC regulations have been contested in court, the agencys broad authority to prevent financial fraud has not been meaningfully challenged in decades until the instant case. In the past 10 years, private equity funds have quadrupled in value to more than $17 trillion. Reportedly, the 47 top hedge fund managers have a collective net worth exceeding $312 billion greater than the gross domestic product of 133 nations. Investors in private equity funds include pensions funds for the likes of police, firefighters, and teachers, all of whose retirement could be jeopardized if financial fraud led to a meltdown of the industry. In response to this danger, after extensive public hearings and comments, the SEC in 2023 adopted rules requiring private equity funds and their advisers to provide investors with regular account statements, standardized fee and expense information, and basic disclosures regarding their conflicts of interest. The hedge fund industry claimed that these requirements were unnecessary and burdensome and hired Scalia to sue in the industry-friendly 5th Circuit, arguing that the rules exceeded the authority of the SEC. Advertisement An industry lobbyist opined: Many of the labor policy groups in D.C. are hostile to private equity. Their view is theres too much risk. They think the private equity industry is negative for workers. Related From Slate Sonia Sotomayor Points Out How Quickly the Conservative Justices Will Drop Their Stated Principles When It Suits Them Read More But the circuit court panel (two members of which were appointed by Trump) seemed more concerned with the perceived burden on hedge fund managers than the safety of workers retirement savings. Advertisement The courts 25-page opinion overturning the SECs new anti-fraud rules for private equity is highly technical. But at its core, it holds that because private equity funds do not have a legal duty to disclose to private investors, their failure to do so cannot be deceptive or fraudulent. According to the court, the SEC did not adequately define fraud when it adopted rules trying to force disclosure. Advertisement Beyond the immediate danger of the 5th Circuits decision to the financial stability of retirement funds, the courts reasoning could be used to challenge other SEC rules and indeed the rules of other regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and even the Department of Justice. This disaster is just the latest overreach by the most extreme court in the country. Its unclear that the similarly archconservative Supreme Court will be willing to do anything about it. Indeed, if, as is widely expected in the next few weeks, SCOTUS reverses long-standing precedent to overturn Chevron deference, a framework that requires courts to defer to the reasonable findings of regulatory agencies, every federal regulation that a business doesnt like could come under judicial attack. Fascinating and important stuff in presidential politics this weekend as the Joe Biden and Donald Trump campaigns engaged in detailed discussions about an impending decision that one of them will have to make about the corporate tax rate. While both sides acknowledged that marginal adjustments to the rate could have unforeseen effects on the balance between productivity and worker wage growth, theyhaha, just kidding. The main activity in presidential politics for the past 36 hours has been arguing about which candidate is allegedly more of a drooling vegetable. Both candidates provided arguable evidence to support the oppositions claims of senility on Saturday night. Biden, appearing at what must by law be described as a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser featuring actor George Clooney and Netflix producer Barack Obama, seemed to freeze for a second before leaving the stage, but only if you look at the video from a certain angle shot from the crowd. (In the closer-up broadcast angle circulated by pro-Biden forces, it just looks like hes pausing to acknowledge part of the audience.) Yikes! wrote the RNC Research account on X, formerly known as Twitter. (Yikes!) Trump, meanwhile, gave a speech on Saturday night in Detroit in which he challenged Biden to take a cognitive acuity test, claiming he had done well on one when it was given to him in the White House by a former presidential doctor who now serves in Congress. Doc Ronny Johnson. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history, said Trump. Ronny Johnsons name is actually Ronny Jackson, as a Biden campaign account immediately noted. (Its not really that crazy of a slip-up.) Advertisement Jackson, for his part, is a beloved Washington character who was reportedly known for being quite generous with the old prescription pad, if you get our drift, during his service in both Obamas and Trumps White House. (He has denied engaging in any inappropriate conduct.) Last summer, while a member of Congress, he was detained by Texas law enforcement officers at a rodeo for allegedly threatening to assault a state trooper while intoxicated. The trooper, in the state polices account, had asked Jackson to step away from a patron whod suffered a seizure so he could be treated by an EMS responder. (This responder, the police report further noted, disagreed with Jacksons plan to put a gumball in the seizure victims mouth to raise his blood sugar.) A Jackson spokesperson denied that he had been intoxicated, and he was not charged with a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Long story short, Slate fully endorses the idea of a live, televised presidential cognitive fitness contest administered by Rep. Ronny The Pill Daddy Jackson after hes had several glasses of rodeo juice. The current nominal corporate tax rate is 21 percent, although some companies pay a much lower effective rate by using deductions and exclusions. Biden has proposed raising that number to 28 percent, arguing that recent reductions in the rate merely resulted in higher executive pay. Republicans would like to lower the rate to as little as 15 percent, and say (with some evidence to support their case) that raising it could incentivize U.S.-based companies to move their bases of operations abroad. The first presidential debate is next Thursday, June 27. Five years of Zuzana Caputova's presidency in pictures, proposal to ban nudism at popular Bratislava lake, learn about best Slovak literature. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Monday, June 17 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. President changes official website Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. (Source: TASR) Not even a day has passed since President Peter Pellegrini's inauguration, and the official standard disappeared from the official website of the post. The standard containing the coat of arms and white, blue, red band has been used by all previous heads of state, reported the Sme daily on Sunday. It was replaced by a logo Pellegrini used during his campaign; it features the two stylized letters PP on a red background with a white, blue and red band in the lower right corner. The standard is not among the official state symbols. The official website is property of the state funded from public resources and informs the public about the president's activities. The official website of the president with Peter Pellegrini's logo. (Source: SME/Prezident.sk) The press department of the Presidential Office says that they plan to continue using Pellegrini's logo "primarily in cases of digital communication, as we have been doing so far". Pellegrini's team says the logo was created to "reflect national elements", and are preparing other changes to the official website as "the current website does not meet today's technological needs". The president plans on using the standard in all forms of official communication. On Monday, the official website once again showed the standard in the top left corner. MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY Reflections of the former president President Zuzana Caputova announces that she will not run for re-election in the 2024 presidential election on June 20, 2023. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Now former Slovak president Zuzana Caputova is looking forward to some time off before embarking on a new journey. In five years, she faced major crises, from a pandemic to a war. "One of the hardest realisations was the gap between peoples expectations from the head of state and the actual powers held during these crises," she admits in an interview. EVENT FOR COMING DAYS The best Slovak literature Illustratory image. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco) Anasoft Litera is an annual Slovak literature award dedicated to promoting local authors. Its Litera Fest book festival is aimed at presenting the top 10 books of the previous year. Over four days you will get the chance to meet individual authors, talk with them and maybe even have your book signed. For more information about the programme and participating venues, click here. IN OTHER NEWS Moody's Ratings affirmed Slovakia's A2 rating, the agency's sixth best rating. However, the outlook remains negative. In order to improve the rating, the Slovak government must finalise a credible savings plan and start implementing it, says the agency. Last week, the Fitch agency also affirmed its A- rating with a stable outlook. (Dennik N). However, the outlook remains negative. In order to improve the rating, the Slovak government must finalise a credible savings plan and start implementing it, says the agency. Last week, the Fitch agency also affirmed its A- rating with a stable outlook. (Dennik N). A total of 793 chamois were counted during this year's spring inventory in Tatra National Park (TANAP). To avoid sweltering heat from the previous year, experts in both the Slovak and Polish part of the Tatras decided to start counting earlier. While 589 chamois were spotted on the former side, 204 individuals were counted on the latter. Last year, 816 chamois in total were spotted. Experts were pleased with the number of younglings this year; on the Slovak side there were 56, on the Polish 24. (TASR) The chamois in the Tatras. (Source: Marcel Tobis) Speaking on public broadcaster RTVS's political show 'O 5 Minut 12', President Peter Pellegrini said that he is planning to visit all neighbouring countries, including Ukraine , with the Czech Republic being the first. He also pointed out the importance of Slovakia's membership in the EU and NATO. In addition, he also stated that the invitation for political parties to the round table still stands. (TASR) , with the Czech Republic being the first. He also pointed out the importance of Slovakia's membership in the EU and NATO. In addition, he also stated that the invitation for political parties to the round table still stands. (TASR) Apartment rents have surged year-on-year again. Moreover, demand for rental apartments is on the rise too, since the interest in selling apartments has abated. These developments have been confirmed by the latest data in the Market Reports app of the Nehnutelnosti.sk real estate website. (SITA) Moreover, demand for rental apartments is on the rise too, since the interest in selling apartments has abated. These developments have been confirmed by the latest data in the Market Reports app of the Nehnutelnosti.sk real estate website. (SITA) Parliament approved a one-day toll sticker, costing 5.40 and that will be probably sold from August. Its introduction was required by the EU. Also, there will be only one year-long sticker, the 365-day one valid for the next year from the day of purchase. The one-day sticker will be valid until midnight on the day it was bought. In other words, it will not be valid for 24 hours after purchase. (Dennik N) WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Light cloud cover, but occasionally may increase with showers and storms. Daily temperatures between 27 C to 32 C. (SHMU) JUNE 18 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Vratislav Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator). Slovak initiative gathered more than 4 million. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Since Saturday, Meta has started the massive deletion of posts on Facebook containing the name as well as the link to the website of the Ammunition for Ukraine fundraiser, reports the Mier Ukrajine (Peace to Ukraine) civic organisation. Nevertheless, the public can still contribute to the ongoing fundraiser launched two months ago. So far, more than 67,000 people have contributed more than 4 million. With the fundraisers, Slovakia joined the Czech government's global initiative with the goal of supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. The money is already being used to purchase and deliver ammunition. The civic organisation is trying to investigate why Meta decided to remove posts mentioning the fundraiser. Related article Related article Stories of Slovaks who have not given up on Ukraine Read more "We have contacted support and currently awaiting a response and explanation. We want to emphasise that recently the fundraiser has been under attack more than before, and there have been organised attacks on social media, as well as on the fundraiser infrastructure, in addition to the usual threats and criminal reports," says Martin Kulich from the organisation. He adds that one of the initiators of the collection, after repeated reporting, had their account permanently blocked on the X platform on June 15. Other initiatives have also been affected. According to information from Facebook users, Mier Ukrajine claims that even posts related to other projects providing help to Ukraine were removed on Saturday, even on X. Unofficial sellers have higher prices. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share A dubious website based in the Czech Republic has appeared in Slovakia, selling toll stickers at higher prices and allegedly planting trees to help save the planet. "With every toll sticker purchased from us, you contribute to the planting of trees and thereby help protect the environment," claims the seller. According to the website skznamka.sk, 30 percent of profits will be allocated to planting trees. Several websites such as this one have recently sprung up across the central European region, profiting from the inattention of customers who did not realise they had bought the sticker from an unofficial website. Official websites Slovakia - eznamka.sk Czechia - edalnice.cz Austria - asfinag.at Hungary - ematrica.nemzetiutdij.hu Slovenia - evinjeta.dars.si The website skznamka.sk appears similar to the official website eznamka.sk. Further down the page it states that the seller is an intermediary. Provided links that should redirect readers to data regarding the planting of trees do not work. When Sme daily contacted the seller about the data, it received no reply before the deadline. The website is operated by the company Co2 offset based in Prague. It also operates a website selling toll stickers for the Czech Republic and Austria. While a year-long sticker in Slovakia officially costs 60, the seller offers it at 69. When it comes to Austria, the official price is 96.40, while the unofficial is 115.40. In the case of Czechia, the sticker is sold at 2,300 Czechcrowns, but the seller asks for 2,500 Czech crowns. Several complaints about the website operator can be found, with clients claiming that the sticker they bought online is invalid or non-functional. The company denies requests for refunds. Some time ago, the Slovak National Highway Company (NDS) requested that the Czech police investigates the company. So far, the website continues to operate. Moreover, they pay to appear in the top positions of Internet search engines. According to Sme daily, the list of websites to be avoided when buying toll stickers include vintrica.com, dialnicnaznamkarakusko.sk, digitale-vignette-online.at and evignet24.eu. Copenhagen Phil & Sebastian, Calgary, Canada-based coffee roaster, will be hosting an exclusive coffee tasting with legendary producers, Ratibor Hartmann and Mauricio Shattah, at Coffee Collective Carlsberg Byen on Wednesday, June 26th. This event will be kicking off the CC & Friends roaster takeover series at Coffee Collective for the upcoming World of Coffee in Copenhagen. The series will also feature cafe takeovers from Tim Wendelboe, Heart Coffee, Switch Coffee Tokyo, Monogram Coffee, and Barista Hustle. Ratibor Hartmann and Mauricio Shattah are world-class coffee producers. Their coffees have won national competitions, in Panama and Colombia, as well as being used by top baristas and brewers in the finals of WBC and WBrC multiple times. Theyve been working with Phil & Sebastian since 2010 and are unveiling two awesome coffees for this event the Hartmann Reserve Washed Geisha and La Negritas Natural Red Geisha. Phil & Sebastian will also host a third tasting with five of the top Costa Rican coffee producers: Kevin Naranjo, Tacho Solis, Allan Oviedo, Luis Monge, and Francisco Mena all of whom have been working with P&S for several years. Phil & Sebastian has a long history of deep relationships with coffee producers and a rigorous coffee sourcing ethos. Theyre excited to showcase these exclusive coffees from two of the worlds top producers during World of Coffee. Founded in Calgary by Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb in 2007, Phil & Sebastian has been driven by one core tenet: The standard for coffee is too low. Were here to raise the bar. Theyve since traversed the globe, forged strong relationships with dedicated growers, created a custom-built production roaster, and pushed the boundaries of whats possible in coffee. Phil & Sebastian coffee can be found at the World of Coffee in Copenhagen at the following booths: Ceado Thursday, June 27 | 12:00 14:00 Synesso Friday June 28 | 12:00 14:00 Oatly Saturday, June 29 | 10:00 12:00 Double Shot Saturday, June 29 | 12:00 13:00 Urnex Saturday, June 29 | 13:30 16:00 https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/record-number-of-double-haters-loathe-both-us-major-party-presidential-candidates-1118990890.html Record Number of Double Haters Loathe Both US Major Party Presidential Candidates Record Number of Double Haters Loathe Both US Major Party Presidential Candidates Sputnik International Polling has also revealed a growing number of Americans express a lack of confidence in US democracy amidst a broader crisis of legitimacy of US institutions. 2024-06-16T22:36+0000 2024-06-16T22:36+0000 2024-06-17T04:58+0000 analysis us americans donald trump joe biden palestine israel pew research center republican party democrats https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/18/1109784488_0:65:3413:1985_1920x0_80_0_0_74bac2815e1c0ba96722bf5c09b035ad.jpg Lawmakers in Washington consistently stress the importance of exporting American-style freedom and democracy around the globe, but recent evidence suggests the United States system of governance has seen better days.Biden, Trump are least-liked pair of major party presidential candidates in at least 3 decades, declared a report by the Pew Research Center polling firm. With the 2024 U.S. presidential election about five months away, a quarter of Americans hold unfavorable views of both major party candidates President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.Online media outlet Axios identified a number of groups making up the growing number of Americans who reject both major candidates. Among the groups are old-guard moderate conservatives who dislike former President Donald Trump but remain committed to the Republican Party and techno-optimists driven by civil libertarian concerns over issues like free speech.Perhaps the largest group of double haters are pro-Palestinian voters, including Arab-Americans and young people who oppose Bidens support for Israels deadly military operation in Gaza. Trump also remains unpalatable for this segment of the population given the former presidents steadfast pro-Israel stance and threats to deport pro-Palestine campus demonstrators studying in America on student visas.Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver has also pledged to end the genocide against Palestinians if elected president.A number of smaller left-wing formations such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation also oppose US backing of Israel, but third party candidates typically struggle for influence and recognition in the United States pay-to-play political system.The last time such a large percentage of Americans rejected both US major party presidential candidates was in 2016, when a full 20% of Americans expressed rejection of both Trump and former US Senator Hillary Clinton. Since the 2016 US presidential election, both major party candidates have faced off with voter approval ratings under 50%.A substantial portion of Americans also rejected both major party candidates in 1992, with observers at the time noting the similarity between former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Both figures supported the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as neoliberal economic policy was embraced by the Republican and Democratic Parties alike.The development led to the entry of American business magnate Ross Perot into the race, who famously warned of the giant sucking sound of US jobs being shipped abroad as a result of free trade policies. Perot has been praised as prescient in retrospect for his criticism of neoliberal economic policy, which he cautioned would wreck the country.NAFTA has also been blamed for impoverish many Mexican family farmers, who were driven out of business by the import of cheap US agricultural product from the US. The free trade agreement and similar CAFTA agreement for Central America have led to a surge of immigration from Latin America as workers seek to escape economic policies and political destabilization imposed by Washington.Polling has revealed a growing number of Americans express a lack of confidence in US democracy amidst a broader crisis of legitimacy of US institutions. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231018/growing-portions-of-americans-now-believe-democracy-no-longer-viable-system---poll-1114304414.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240224/lockstep-us-support-for-israel-eroding-confidence-of-americans-in-own-government-1116958270.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20181002/nafta-replacement-usmca-1068503499.html palestine israel 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 double haters, rejection of biden and trump, biden trump favorability, us democracy, us crisis of institutions, us neoliberalism, us two party duopoly https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/clooney-foundation-for-justice-is-globalist-policy-vehicle-disguised-as-charity-1118767652.html Clooney Foundation for Justice is Globalist Policy Vehicle Disguised as Charity Clooney Foundation for Justice is Globalist Policy Vehicle Disguised as Charity Sputnik International Hollywood star George Clooney headlined the Biden campaign's June 15 fundraiser alongside other celebrities, helping Joe Biden collect over $30 million. Clooney has long been in the vanguard of the Democratic party machine, including through his charity the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ). 2024-06-17T14:09+0000 2024-06-17T14:09+0000 2024-06-17T14:09+0000 us world opinion george clooney charles ortel ukraine hollywood kiev splc blm https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/05/1118784680_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_284962b5621dbb84b68a010cd00c345f.jpg The 'justice' foundation set up by actor George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal is just a political slush-fund for globalist causes, Charles Ortel, Wall Street investigator, revealed to Sputnik.Anna Neistat, the CFJ's Docket Project legal director, told the US state-controlled Voice of America on May 30 that the organization was asking European countries to launch criminal proceedings against Russian journalists covering the Ukraine conflict.Neistat said the NGO was deliberately not disclosing the names of targeted Russian reporters because it wanted them "to travel to other countries and be arrested there."However, Hollywood actor George Clooney, who founded the CFJ together with his wife Amal, denied on June 3 that his NGO was going after journalists. But the foundation's apparent intent to suppress freedom of speech has already raised questions.What is CFJ's Agenda and Who is Behind It?Ortel noted that the foundation's board was led by George and Amal Clooney as 'co-presidents'. "While substantial amounts are paid for 'management' to third parties, I suspect this is actually led primarily by Amal with George along for star power and fundraising," he said.Ortel has previously run a private investigation into the Clinton Foundation's alleged fraud and sees similarities between the Clooneys' and the Clintons' charities.The NGO's major backers include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Co-Impact and the Ford Foundation. They promote a globalist liberal agenda and often cooperate with the Rockefeller Foundation and George Soros' Open Society Foundations. According to Influence Watch, the Clooneys also collaborate with the Obama Foundation.Ranked first in the CFJ's list of donors, the Gates Foundation has repeatedly drawn criticism over failed agricultural projects in Africa, Bill Gates' ties with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, participation in the Clinton Foundation's supposed pay-to-play schemes, and the Gates-funded biotechnology company Oxitec's apparent involvement in the Pentagon bioweapon program as exposed by Russia's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense (RCB) Troops in July 2023.Clooney and Co Go After ConservativesThe CFJ and its founders have earned their membership of the club of liberal charities. During Donald Trump's presidency, Clooney and other Hollywood celebrities were vocal in their criticism of the Republican and US conservatives in general.In August 2017, the Clooney Foundation gave $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), known for attacking US conservative PACs as "hate groups."In March 2018, the SPLC went even so far as to accuse a left-wing Radio Sputnik podcast of pandering to white supremacists, but later retracted its claim and apologized.Clooney wrote an op-ed for the Daily Beast in June 2020 in support of the controversial and highly-politicized Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, as part of what appeared to be a concerted effort by liberal Democrats and progressives prior to the November 2020 elections.The same year, Clooney attacked conservative Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban while defending Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros from criticisms from his home country. The actor vehemently denied any connection to Soros or his son Alexander, claiming he had met the tycoon only once at a UN meeting and had bumped into the heir to his international NGO network at an event in Davos.Coordinated Infowar in UkraineWhen the Ukraine conflict erupted, Hollywood celebrities including actor Sean Penn flocked to Ukraine to portray the Kiev regime and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky as Winston Churchill-style patriots and freedom fighters.George Eliason, a US investigative journalist who lived and worked in Donbass at that time, told Sputnik then that the flock of celebrities to Kiev was nothing short of a "coordinated infowar operation" on the part of the West.The Clooney Foundation's Docket Project has been gathering "evidence" of alleged "war crimes" by the Russian military in Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.But the NGO has overlooked the Kiev regime's eight-year-long war against the civilian population of the Donbass and the secret torture chambers run by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), neo-Nazi Mirotvorets website's kill list targeting Russian and foreign journalists, politicians and children, and many other abuses human rights and media freedom of speech by Ukrainian authorities.In October 2023, the Hollywood Reporter revealed that HiddenLight Productions, co-founded by Hillary Clinton, Sam Branson and Chelsea Clinton, was working with the Clooneys on their effort to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.The series, with the working title "The Swallows Will Return", will follow Neistat in her search for stories of how Russians "murdered", "raped" and "tortured" Ukrainian civilians and their families in a bid to smear and de-humanize Russians as was done the 'Bucha massacre" hoax.The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in response to a request from Sputnik that it is not in contact with the Ukrainian authorities on the issue of the list of 'Bucha victims'.The lack of interest from international organizations shows that the incident was a staged provocation carried out by the hands of the Kiev regime, a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Sputnik, comparing it to Nazi Germany's attempt to blame its massacre of civilians at Nemmersdorf in late 1944 on the advancing Red Army. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240604/threat-to-arrest-russian-journalists-signals-growing-political-persecution-in-west-1118762137.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240531/clooney-foundation-project-targets-russian-journalists-with-secret-arrest-warrants-1118714459.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240604/kremlin-mulls-response-as-nato-enables-ukraines-terrorism-against-russian-civilians-1118761396.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240603/human-rights-situation-in-ukraine-degraded---russian-foreign-ministry-1118755545.html ukraine hollywood 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 clooney foundation for justice, clooney foundation, the clinton foundation, open society foundations, george clooney, george soros, donald trump, us liberal agenda, clooney foundation seeking arrest warrants against russian journalists, clooney foundation denied it sought arrest warrants against russian journalists, clooney foundation's work in ukraine, clooney cooperates with clintons to create documentary about war in ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/czech-army-reports-ammo-blast-at-training-ground-in-countrys-east-people-injured-1118996789.html Czech Army Reports Ammo Explosion at Training Ground, Causing Injuries Czech Army Reports Ammo Explosion at Training Ground, Causing Injuries Sputnik International An ammunition explosion took place at the Libava military training ground in the east of the Czech Republic, there were wounded at the scene, the Czech armed forces said on Monday. 2024-06-17T10:45+0000 2024-06-17T10:45+0000 2024-06-17T11:34+0000 military czech republic blast ammo military https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106392/35/1063923538_0:102:2048:1254_1920x0_80_0_0_7ca953c401e8ab990339c2a1ddb0a420.jpg "We are dealing with a serious incident in the Libava training area, where an as yet unknown type of ammunition exploded. Unfortunately, there are wounded on the spot," the armed forces wrote on X. The military police are investigating the incident, the armed forces said, adding that a rescue helicopter was sent to the scene. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240314/is-czech-ammo-coalition-another-empty-promise-to-ukraine-1117337596.html czech republic 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 czech army, czech republic, military training ground, czech armed forces https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/effectiveness-of-swiss-hosted-summit-on-ukraine-tends-to-zero---kremlin-1118995876.html Near Zero Effectiveness: Kremlin Rubbishes Swiss-Hosted Summit on Ukraine Near Zero Effectiveness: Kremlin Rubbishes Swiss-Hosted Summit on Ukraine Sputnik International The effectiveness of the summit on Ukraine in Switzerland held over the weekend tends to zero, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. 2024-06-17T09:59+0000 2024-06-17T09:59+0000 2024-06-18T08:59+0000 world dmitry peskov evan gershkovich jens stoltenberg ukraine switzerland nato kremlin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/18/1092482761_0:0:3148:1771_1920x0_80_0_0_696497238ae2d2b0a24c372da112c41e.jpg "Well, if we're talking about the overall effectiveness of this meeting, then, it is definitely close to zero. Here you can provide a subjective [opinion], an objective [opinion], but it is unrealistic that you can talk about any effectiveness there," Peskov told reporters. The Kremlin mentioned that many countries at the Switzerland-hosted summit acknowledged the necessity of including Russia in discussions about Ukraine. This sentiment was widely shared among participants at the event.During the Swiss summit, Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey each expressed their positions regarding the situation with Ukraine. Peskov stated that these stances would not harm relations with Russia"We will certainly consider the positions put forth by these countries, as they are important to us," the spokesman explained.Peskov stressed that Russia's stance on the Ukrainian issue is clear, consistent, and well-known in Kiev.The peace initiative on Ukraine put forward by Putin remains on the agenda, the Kremlin spokesman added.Peskov also took NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to task for his remark on the possibility of putting nuclear weapons on high alert, stressing that this is not in line with the context of the Swiss summit's declaration.No Announcements on Russia-US Contacts on Possible Exchange of GershkovichThere can be no announcements about contacts between Russia and the US on the possibility of exchanging Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, the Kremlin press secretary said.The official also refused to comment on the courts decision to hold Gershkovich's trial behind closed doors.A Russian regional court said earlier in the day that the first hearing on the espionage case against Gershkovich is scheduled for June 26.Russia to Weigh Georgian Party's Bid to Lift Visa RequirementsRussia's pertinent departments will be evaluating a recent appeal from the new Georgian party Solidarity for Peace to cancel the visa regime between Russia and Georgia, the Kremlin spokesman said.The Solidarity for Peace party was created in December 2023 and does not have any seats in the Georgian parliament. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240615/russia-needed-for-talks-on-ukraine-peace-saudi-fm-tells-swiss-summit-1118977000.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/nato-chief-says-alliance-discussing-putting-nuclear-warheads-on-standby-1118992792.html ukraine switzerland 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 summit on ukraine in switzerland, kremlin spokesman dmitry peskov, summit on ukraine tends to zero https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/houthis-say-attacked-us-destroyer-2-ships-in-red-arabian-seas-1118991137.html Houthis Say Attacked US Destroyer, 2 Ships in Red, Arabian Seas Houthis Say Attacked US Destroyer, 2 Ships in Red, Arabian Seas Sputnik International Yemen's Ansar Allah rebel movement, also known as the Houthis, said that it had attacked a US destroyer and two commercial vessels in the Red and Arabian Seas. 2024-06-17T01:18+0000 2024-06-17T01:18+0000 2024-06-17T01:18+0000 world us houthis yemen red sea arabian sea red sea crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/05/1116591744_0:0:2856:1608_1920x0_80_0_0_3eddb25ae6f1b155c41dedbac28b17c6.jpg "The missile unit and naval forces of our Yemeni armed forces carried out two military operations in the Red Sea," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Sunday. The spokesman said that the Houthis fired missiles at a US destroyer and the Captain Paris vessel in the Red Sea. He also added that the movement attacked with drones the Happy Condor vessel in the Arabian Sea.The Houthis have been launching attacks on commercial and military vessels in the region for months in response to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the United States to form a multinational coalition to protect shipping in the area, as well as to strike Houthi targets on the ground. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240607/houthis-vow-to-continue-targeting-us-carrier-group-after-unveiling-new-hypersonic-missile-1118852457.html yemen red sea arabian sea 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 yemeni ansar allah, houthis, new houthis attack pn the us destroyer, us destroyer attack by houthi, houthi attacks https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/israeli-insiders-slam-arrogance-bullst-of-netanyahus-leadership-1118991617.html Israeli Officials Slam Arrogance, Bulls**t of Netanyahus Leadership Israeli Officials Slam Arrogance, Bulls**t of Netanyahus Leadership Sputnik International As the nation of Israel suffers a rapid decline in its global standing, prominent Israelis are blaming the countrys longtime leader for its political, diplomatic and economic deterioration. 2024-06-17T03:33+0000 2024-06-17T03:33+0000 2024-06-17T20:15+0000 analysis benjamin netanyahu palestinians israel west bank hamas israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/0c/1118920631_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_831658c2f2db75666e478e6205e5c0dd.jpg As the nation of Israel suffers a rapid decline in its global standing, prominent Israelis are blaming the countrys longtime leader for its political and diplomatic deterioration.Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israels 76-year history and the country has changed substantially under his leadership. His consequential 16 years in power secured the cultural hegemony of the Likud Partys muscular Revisionist Zionism, a doctrine that claims the best way to maintain the continued existence of the Israeli state is through the pursuit of territorial maximalism.The movements founders advocated for an Israeli state not merely from the river to the sea, but beyond the river into modern-day Jordan.Today the movements political descendants dedicate themselves to securing full control of Greater Israel, an area in which they include the internationally-recognized Palestinian territory of Gaza and the West Bank. The ideal has implied a policy of managing the conflict with the Palestinians, presuming that Israel could maintain peace and deterrence in perpetuity even as Palestinians are subjected to the daily humiliations of settler violence, militarized checkpoints and the desecration of holy sites.I think the policy of managing the conflict has collapsed before our eyes, said Israels former National Security Council head Eyal Hulata. The ex-official was one of a number of prominent former Israeli government figures who spoke on the record to the online outlet The Daily Beast about the shortcomings of Netanyahus leadership and how they contributed to Israels massive security lapse during Hamas unprecedented October 7 attack.Above all the ex public servants alleged Netanyahus personal political calculations informed a strategy more geared towards ensuring his own self-preservation than achieving security.Among such figures, notorious ultranationalists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have received the most attention in mainstream media in recent months given their open support for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. But the Israeli political spectrum as a whole has shifted far to the right during the Netanyahu years, with current generations of young Israelis holding more extreme views than their parents, according to polling.The growth of nationalist political sentiment and Netanyahus subsequent overtures to such interests have created a mutually-reinforcing dynamic, said Arad, who claimed Netanyahu has subjected his policy towards the Palestinians in general and his stance towards Gaza in particular to his overall interest.The most significant failure was arrogance and the inability to absorb the idea that the Arabs can be smart enough to do what we would have done under similar circumstances, said former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of the October 7 attack. We thought we are the start-up nation, we are sophisticated, we are the smart guys. The Arabs, these bunch of primitives, turned out they were smart.Former Israeli spy chief Tamir Pardo said the policy, and the broader belief that Palestinian resistance could be eliminated by means of violent force, are both fundamentally flawed.Youll never be able to quash the aspiration for liberty. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/palestines-membership-in-un-to-help-launch-negotiations-with-israel---nebenzia-1118991259.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/how-hamas-defeated-israel-1118981560.html israel west bank 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 what is happening in israel, why did israel lost 7 october, israeli leaders whom to blame, https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/russia-will-not-allow-restoration-of-mechanism-for-reprimanding-north-korea---nebenzia-1118991980.html Russia Will Not Allow Restoration of Mechanism for Reprimanding North Korea - Envoy to UN Russia Will Not Allow Restoration of Mechanism for Reprimanding North Korea - Envoy to UN Sputnik International Russia will not allow the restoration of a mechanism for imposing restrictions against North Korea in the UNSC, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik. 2024-06-17T04:00+0000 2024-06-17T04:00+0000 2024-06-17T14:14+0000 asia russia north korea un security council (unsc) the united nations (un) sanctions north korea sanctions pyongyang https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/17/1104596010_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_31cfba363fcb83d08319b4cf61eef662.jpg On March 28, Russia blocked a US draft resolution in the UN Security Council to extend for one year the work of the UNSC's Committee 1718 on sanctions against North Korea. Its mandate expired on April 30. On May 1, 50 UN members, including the US, Japan, and South Korea, said in a joint statement they were considering alternatives to ensure continued "objective and independent" monitoring of sanctions on North Korea after the expert panel's dissolution. The termination of the mandate caused an outrage among Western members of the UN Security Council because they used this mechanism "to denigrate the leadership of North Korea," stated Nebenzia.Russia to Raise Topic of New Global 'Security Equation' at July 16 UNSC MeetingRussia will raise the topic of a just world order and new global "security equation" at a UN Security Council meeting on July 16, Vassily Nebenzya said.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to chair the UN Security Council meetings on July 16 and 17, Nebenzya said, adding that there is a high demand in the international community for a strategic discussion about the future of the world order.Russia Needs Guarantees of Kiev's Non-Aligned Status, New Realities' RecognitionRussia needs clear guarantees of Ukraines non-aligned and neutral status, as well as recognition of the realities "on the ground," Nebenzya told Sputnik.Volodymyr Zelensky's regime is incompetent, Moscow is convinced of this, Nebenzya added.According to him, Kiev's Anglo-Saxon "sponsors" clearly "did not need such a quick exit to a peaceful settlement, and they did everything to prevent it.Zelensky Regime Incapable of NegotiatingThe Zelensky regime is not capable of reaching any agreements, and Moscow is convinced of this, said Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, in an interview. The envoy to the UN pointed out that Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with the Russian leadership. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin listed a number of conditions for peace talks, namely, a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the new Russian regions, along with Ukraine maintaining a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240505/any-un-expert-panel-on-sanctions-against-n-korea-doomed-to-self-destruction---diplomat-1118265326.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/ukraines-zelensky-rejected-russias-peace-offer-out-of-fear-of-losing-power---analyst-1118984605.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240419/lavrovs-insight-into-istanbul-deal-glancing-at-russias-olive-branch-towards-ukraine-1118016096.html russia north korea pyongyang 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 restrictions against north korea, russian permanent representative to the un vassily nebenzia, un sanctions on north korea, un experts of the sanctions committee, north korea russia relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/us-soldier-detained-in-russias-vladivostok-pleads-not-guilty-to-death-threats-1118994269.html US Soldier Detained in Russias Vladivostok Pleads Not Guilty to Death Threats US Soldier Detained in Russias Vladivostok Pleads Not Guilty to Death Threats Sputnik International US soldier Gordon Black pleaded not guilty to murder threats against his girlfriend, but partially pleaded guilty to stealing, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Monday. 2024-06-17T07:22+0000 2024-06-17T07:22+0000 2024-06-17T07:22+0000 russia russia vladivostok us army court threats https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/11/1118993921_0:65:2804:1642_1920x0_80_0_0_ce4274618277371eb15b9a9ba32e4ff1.jpg "No [I do not plead guilty to murder threat]. I partially [plead guilty to theft], there was no intent," Black said in the Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok. The soldier was stationed in South Korea before entering Russia. The US Army has started an administrative probe into his travel.The victim in the death threats and theft case against Gordon Black said in court that she is not yet ready to reconcile with him because she has not been compensated for the damage she has suffered.In May, Russian authorities detained an American soldier on charges of criminal conduct until July 2 in Vladivostok. Police noted that the man was suspected of stealing from a woman he visited on April 10. Later in May, Black was charged with grand larceny, the press office of the Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok said. russia vladivostok Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us soldier, gordon black, pleaded guilty, murder threats https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/zelenskys-disappointing-peace-summit-mirrors-russias-continuing-power---western-media-1118994797.html Zelenskys 'Disappointing Peace Summit Mirrors 'Russias Continuing Power' - Western Media Zelenskys 'Disappointing Peace Summit Mirrors 'Russias Continuing Power' - Western Media Sputnik International As the two-day Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine wrapped up on Sunday, Western media outlets could not help admitting that the gathering had hit a wall. 2024-06-17T09:35+0000 2024-06-17T09:35+0000 2024-06-17T09:35+0000 world media ukraine russia switzerland guardian financial times volodymyr zelensky vladimir putin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/11/1118995250_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_3fc84c235382472c1c5e5a97c310fe78.jpg As the two-day Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine wrapped up on Sunday, Western media outlets could not help admitting that the gathering had hit a wall.The summit was a struggle and failed to win over support from the Global South, they conceded.Britains The Telegraph acknowledged the disappointing end to the Ukraine summit in its headline story. It went on to dub the peace declaration watered-down. It also noted that the final document was not supported by all the delegations, and that the process was a fraught one.The Guardian similarly highlighted that key global powers like Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates failed to sign up to the summits communique, and that China snubbed the event.The fact that the final document of Zelenskys summit came up against key refusals reflected Russias continuing international economic power and influence, the Financial Times begrudgingly admitted.Bern-based Swissinfo of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation referred to the summit as having been a struggle, and noted that it ended with an unresolved declaration.Politico suggested that the peace summit on Ukraine looked more like another UN General Assembly. It whimsically remarked that Russias ghost loomed over the summit, after Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out conditions for an end to the Ukraine conflict the day before the summit started.It reinforced the reality that the Kremlin eventually will have to be dealt with, Politico summed up.Volodymyr Zelenskys summit on Ukraine held in Switzerland fell short of its goals, with major powers and high-level representatives largely absent, including US President Joe Biden, Chinas President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The joint declaration on the results of the talks on Sunday was signed by 79 countries out of 91 present, but Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Holy See, India, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates did not sign it.Russia, which was not invited to the gathering, dismissed it as meaningless. Its goal was to deliver an ultimatum to Russia in the form of Zelensky's "peace plan," Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/chinas-no-show-at-zelenskys-peace-conference-dampens-bid-to-win-over-global-south-1118987796.html ukraine russia switzerland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko swiss conference on ukraine, swiss peace summit, ukraine peace summit in switzerland, zelenskys swiss-hosted peace conference on ukraine was bound to be pointless without russia, china a no-show at zelensky's peace conference in switzerland, ukraine peace plan, zelensky peace formula, zelensky formula, switzerland zelensky, which leaders refused to attend zelensky's peace conference on ukraine, china a no-show at zelensky's peace conference in switzerland, ukraine peace plan, zelensky peace formula, zelensky formula, switzerland zelensky, which leaders refused to attend zelensky's peace conference on ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/zelenskys-peace-conference-was-doomed-to-be-pointless-without-russia---bundestag-mp-1118992392.html Zelenskys 'Peace Conference' Was Doomed to Be Pointless Without Russia - Bundestag MP Zelenskys 'Peace Conference' Was Doomed to Be Pointless Without Russia - Bundestag MP Sputnik International Zelenskys Swiss-hosted peace conference on Ukraine was bound to be pointless without Russias participation, Steffen Kotre, Bundestag MP for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party told Russian media. 2024-06-17T05:58+0000 2024-06-17T05:58+0000 2024-06-17T08:56+0000 world ukraine volodymyr zelensky russia alternative for germany (afd) bundestag joe biden brics https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/11/1118992174_0:145:3127:1903_1920x0_80_0_0_fd3b61ccfefff80710ffa310d7eee116.jpg Volodymyr Zelenskys Swiss-hosted "peace conference" on Ukraine was bound to be pointless without Russias participation, Steffen Kotre, Bundestag MP for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, told Russian media.As a result, it was reduced to nothing more than a venue for political posturing and wishful thinking, he said.According to the German politician, there can only be one first step on the path to peace an "unconditional ceasefire." He added that the "rights of [Russian speaking] minorities must be respected, and underscored that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO if Russias security interests are to be taken into account.Territorial issues must be resolved jointly by the conflicting parties, Kotre emphasized.US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at the conference in place of Joe Biden, who opted to attend a California fundraiser instead. China urged for a real peace conference to be held that would be recognized by both Russia and Ukraine. Colombian President Gustavo Petro pulled out at the last minute, as the summit was not a "free forum" for peace between Moscow and Kiev.The process of achieving peace in Ukraine requires Russia's participation, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said. "Any credible peace process in Ukraine requires Russia's participation," he underscored during his speech at the conference in Switzerland.BRICS countries, as well as several other states that attended the Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine, did not sign a joint declaration on the results of the talks on Sunday, the signatory list displayed by the organizers on the screens of the press center revealed.The document was signed by 79 countries out of 91 present, but Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Holy See, India, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates did not sign it.Russia dismissed the conference, to which it was not invited, as meaningless. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the summit was not result-oriented, as it was impossible to hold peace talks on Ukraine without Russia's participation.The goal of the conference is to deliver an ultimatum to Russia in the form of Zelensky's "peace plan," Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/chinas-no-show-at-zelenskys-peace-conference-dampens-bid-to-win-over-global-south-1118987796.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240616/brics-members-reject-joint-declaration-at-swiss-ukraine-conference-1118987508.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko swiss conference on ukraine, swiss peace summit, ukraine peace summit in switzerland, zelenskys swiss-hosted peace conference on ukraine was bound to be pointless without russia, steffen kotre, bundestag mp for the alternative for germany (afd), china a no-show at zelensky's peace conference in switzerland, ukraine peace plan, zelensky peace formula, zelensky formula, switzerland zelensky, which leaders refused to attend zelensky's peace conference on ukraine Being named E. Hanover or D. Miller were the keys to success at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Sunday night, June 16, as Elista Hanover and Emoji Hanover won the two divisions of the $196,164 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) for three-year-old trotting fillies, and driver David Miller guided a Sire Stakes winner and three winners in the four $27,397 Stallion Series races. Elista Hanover won her seventh straight race, a streak which includes five stakes, three of them Sire Stakes, and took a new lifetime mark of 1:52.3 for David Miller in one PASS division. Tucking third briefly near the :27.1 quarter, Elista Hanover was then pointed to the front, reaching the top into the second turn and going on to mid-splits of :56 and 1:24.4. Upallnight Hanover, who had the lead at the quarter but had been shuffled to fifth by the three-quarters, came back to be second, 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner, an International Moni filly trained by Annie Stoebe and co-owned by her with R. Lynn and Philomena Curry. Louis-Philippe Roy, fresh off his success with Nijinsky in the North America Cup the previous night, came to the mountain oval for one drive, and his trip was well worth it as he piloted the Greenshoe filly Emoji Hanover to a 1:53.4 win, her fastest ever, in the other Sire Stakes division. Emoji Hanover and Roy had the rough tuck-then-first-over trip in fractions of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:26, but his filly trotted her own last quarter in :27.3 to hold off second-over Paulina Hanover by a length for connections with whom Roy has had previous success, trainer Luc Blais and the ownership of Determination. Pick any measure of success, and David Miller achieved it in the Stallion Series. Lifetime marks? All three of his winners set career bests. The lone double Stallion Series winner of the night? Fastest mile? Both distinctions belong to another daughter of International Moni, Southern Moni, up in 1:53.3 for trainer Blake MacIntosh, co-owner with Hutt Racing Stable, Tim Klemencic and Ozzie Mackay. Longest-priced winner? Miller rallied the Andover Hall miss Moonshine Memories to a late-rallying 1:56.3 victory for trainer Paula Wellwood and owner Karen Carroll while paying $54.40 to win. Miller completed his Stallion Series triple with the Father Patrick distaff Happy Chopper, who stopped the timer in 1:55 for trainer Mark Harder, co-owner with Dean Lockhart and Deena Frost. And who stopped the David Miller Stallion Series dominance? Well, that would be two Millers driver Andy and trainer Julie, who teamed behind the Greenshoe filly Green Mercedes to win in 1:54, also a career best, for Andy Miller Stable Inc., Patrick Hoopes and VIP Internet Stable LLC. (PHHA / Pocono) Scioto Downs has shared updates on the drivers involved in the accident that occurred in the 13th race on Saturday, June 15. GD Western Joe and Chris Page were sitting third going to the quarter when the horse went down suddenly, causing a chain reaction behind them. Drivers Tony Hall, Sam Widger and Jeremy Smith were right behind the fallen horse, and each were taken to local hospitals. Hall suffered multiple fractures to his left hip socket, requiring surgical repair. Hall's partner, Anette Lorentzon, shared an update via social media on Sunday indicating his surgery went well. Widger sustained a wrist injury and will require surgery once the swelling reduces. Smith was released from the hospital and back home resting. Scioto Downs reported on Saturday that the other drivers and all the horses in the 10-horse field walked off the track under their own power. The 13th race was declared a No Contest and the remaining three races on the card were cancelled. Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing all drivers involved a full and speedy recovery. (With files from Scioto Downs) Nepalese exhibitor praises international trade fair held in Hebei Province (People's Daily App) 13:40, June 17, 2024 The ChinaLangfang International Economic and Trade Fair 2024 kicked off Sunday in Langfang, North China's Hebei Province. Raju Datheputhe, an exhibitor from Nepal, expressed that it was his inaugural participation in the fair and that he had brought a selection of jewelry, gemstones and other products to showcase. Filled with optimism, he sees the potential of this platform to connect with new customers and significantly expand his business. (Video: Great Wall New Media) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) 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: Comparison of the segmentation result obtained with CLIP visual encoder features and features from our model. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2312.12463 A new way to teach artificial intelligence (AI) to understand human line drawingseven from non-artistshas been developed by a team from the University of Surrey and Stanford University. The new model approaches human levels of performance in recognizing scene sketches. Dr. Yulia Gryaditskaya, Lecturer at Surrey's Center for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) and Surrey Institute for People-Centered AI (PAI), said, "Sketching is a powerful language of visual communication. It is sometimes even more expressive and flexible than spoken language. "Developing tools for understanding sketches is a step towards more powerful human-computer interaction and more efficient design workflows. Examples include being able to search for or create images by sketching something." People of all ages and backgrounds use drawings to explore new ideas and communicate. Yet, AI systems have historically struggled to understand sketches. AI has to be taught how to understand images. Usually, this involves a labor-intensive process of collecting labels for every pixel in the image. The AI then learns from these labels. Instead, the team taught the AI using a combination of sketches and written descriptions. It learned to group pixels, matching them against one of the categories in a description. The resulting AI displayed a much richer and more human-like understanding of these drawings than previous approaches. It correctly identified and labeled kites, trees, giraffes and other objects with an 85% accuracy. This outperformed other models that relied on labeled pixels. As well as identifying objects in a complex scene, it could identify which pen strokes were intended to depict each object. The new method works well with informal sketches drawn by non-artists, as well as drawings of objects it was not explicitly trained on. Professor Judith Fan, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, said, "Drawing and writing are among the most quintessentially human activities and have long been useful for capturing people's observations and ideas. "This work represents exciting progress towards AI systems that understand the essence of the ideas people are trying to get across, regardless of whether they are using pictures or text." The research forms part of Surrey's Institute for People-Centered AI, and in particular its SketchX program. Using AI, SketchX seeks to understand the way we see the world by the way we draw it. Professor Yi-Zhe Song, Co-director of the Institute for People-Centered AI, and SketchX lead, said, "This research is a prime example of how AI can enhance fundamental human activities like sketching. By understanding rough drawings with near-human accuracy, this technology has immense potential to empower people's natural creativity, regardless of artistic ability." The study is posted to the arXiv preprint server, and the paper will be presented at the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2024), held in Seattle June 1721, 2024. More information: Ahmed Bourouis et al, Open Vocabulary Semantic Scene Sketch Understanding, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2312.12463 Journal information: arXiv 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 Alphabet Inc. will have to defend itself at trial against all of the US Justice Department's claims of a Google monopoly in online advertising technology after a federal judge rejected the tech giant's request to decide the case ahead of time. "We're going to let this go to trial" as scheduled in September, US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema said June 14 at a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia. There are "way too many facts in dispute," she said. Google had sought summary judgment in the case, asking that it be decided before a trial. The company argued antitrust enforcers failed to show that it controls at least 70% of the market for display advertising shown on the open web and that Google doesn't qualify as a monopoly. Companies sued for antitrust violations often seek to avoid or narrow the issues to be presented at trial. In the Justice Department's other antitrust suit against Google over its search business, the tech giant persuaded a judge to throw out some of the claims brought by state attorneys general before the trial, which occurred last fall. Last year, the department sued Google, alleging that it monopolized the market for advertising technology used to buy, sell and serve video and display ads online. The agency asked for a jury trial after seeking damages on behalf of federal government agencies that bought online ads. But Brinkema ruled last week that the case will proceed as a bench trialwith no juryafter Google cut a cashier's check for $2.3 million to cover the government's alleged damages. At the hearing, Brinkema also disqualified one of the experts that Google had sought to call at the September trial, finding that his testimony was not "necessary or relevant" to the case. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. COLUMBIA As part of continuing efforts to protect the senior community, the Internal Revenue Service today issued a warning about the rising threat of impersonation scams. These scams are targeting older adults in South Carolina by pretending to be government officials, aiming to steal sensitive personal information and money. By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Scammers often target seniors, attempting to steal personal information through phone calls, emails or text messages by pretending to be from the IRS or other agencies or businesses, said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. Preventing these types of scams requires assistance from many different places. By partnering with other federal agencies and others in the tax community, we can reach more seniors and other taxpayers to help protect them against these terrible scams. The IRS also has been engaged in long-term efforts to protect against scams and other related schemes, including identity theft. This has been an ongoing focus of the Security Summit partnership between the IRS, state tax agencies and the nations tax professional community since 2015. Understanding the threats The IRS has identified a concerning trend where fraudulent actors are increasingly targeting unsuspecting individuals, particularly senior citizens, by masquerading as IRS agents. Victims are pressured into making immediate payments through unorthodox methods such as gift cards or wire transfers under the pretense of resolving fictitious tax liabilities or securing false refunds. These scammers deploy advanced techniques to fabricate a veneer of credibility, including the manipulation of caller IDs to appear legitimate. Here are just a few examples of their schemes: Impersonation of known entities: Fraudsters often pose as representatives from government agencies including the IRS, Social Security Administration and Medicare others in the tax community or familiar businesses and charities. By spoofing caller IDs, scammers can deceive victims into believing they are receiving legitimate communications. Claims of problems or prizes: Scammers frequently fabricate urgent scenarios, such as outstanding debts or promises of significant prize winnings. Victims may be falsely informed that they owe the IRS money, are owed a tax refund, need to verify accounts or must pay fees to claim non-existent lottery winnings. Failed Graceland sale highlights attempts to take assets of older or dead people A mysterious company has caused a stir for trying to auction Elvis Presley's Graceland property in a foreclosure sale. Pressure for immediate action: These deceitful actors create a sense of urgency, demanding that victims take immediate action without allowing time for reflection. Common tactics include threats of arrest, deportation, license suspension or computer viruses to coerce quick compliance. Specified payment methods: To complicate traceability, scammers insist on unconventional payment methods, including cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps or gift cards, and often require victims to provide sensitive information like gift card numbers. Scam precautions and reporting If an individual receives an unexpected call from someone alleging to be from the IRS, but they have not been notified by mail about any issues with their IRS account, they should hang up immediately. The call is likely from a scammer. Do not return the call using the number provided by the caller or the one displayed on their caller ID. If taxpayers are uncertain about the legitimacy of IRS communications, they can contact IRS customer service for verification at 800-829-1040, or for the hearing impaired, TTY/TDD 800-829-4059. To view details about an individuals tax account, they can set up or check their IRS individual online account on IRS.gov. Electronic scams are also on the rise, with scammers sending malicious emails and texts posing as IRS representatives to steal personal information. The IRS reminds taxpayers that it does not initiate contact via email, text, or social media regarding tax bills or refunds. Report the call or electronic scam by visiting the Hotline page of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and using an IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting form or by calling 800-366-4484. Forms to report different types of fraud are available on the Hotline page of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration website. Taxpayers can click the appropriate option under "IRS Scams and Fraud" and follow the instructions. Key points to remember: Individuals should understand how and when the IRS contacts taxpayers to help them verify whether any communication they receive is genuinely from an IRS employee. Most IRS communications are initiated through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service. However, in certain situations, the IRS may make phone calls or visit homes or businesses. These situations include having an overdue tax bill, an unfiled tax return or missing employment tax deposit. Additionally, an IRS employee might review assets or inspect a business as part of a collection investigation, audit or ongoing criminal investigation. Remember the following: The IRS will never demand immediate payment via prepaid debit cards, gift cards or wire transfers. Typically, if taxes are owed, the IRS will send a bill by mail first. The IRS will never threaten to involve local police or other law enforcement agencies. The IRS will never demand payment without allowing opportunities to dispute or appeal the amount owed. The IRS will never request credit, debit or gift card numbers over the phone. Remaining vigilant and informed about these scams can help protect taxpayers from financial loss and identity theft. The IRS and partnering federal agencies urge everyone to be cautious, especially when dealing with unsolicited communications concerning taxes. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced the National Elder Fraud Hotline to address fraud targeting elderly Americans and support affected individuals. If an individual has fallen victim to elder fraud, they can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The hotline operates Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, and services are available in English, Spanish, and other languages. Byron S. Brown has earned his sixth masters degree, the latest from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. The one-time dropout started his college career in August 1983 and served as the vice president of his freshman class and president of his sophomore class at Morris College in Sumter. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. In addition to his doctoral studies at Liberty University and earning the Ed S. in higher education administration, Brown has completed coursework for six different masters degrees. Brown makes history as Johns Hopkins grad Byron Brown, a lifelong learner of Eutawville, has achieved two remarkable feats by graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a masters d Brown majored in adult education at Eastern Washington University. This masters degree will be used in Browns post-retirement years. At Eastern Washington University, I was inspired in attending the predominantly white institution by having Dr. Scott Finnie, an African American, as one of my professors and mentor. He played a pivotal role in my success by serving as an extraordinary professor who helped me to succeed at Eastern Washington University, Brown said. Brown received his fifth masters degree in curriculum and instruction at Loyola University Maryland at the Baltimore campus. His third masters degree in English comes from Southern New Hampshire University. He received his second masters in political science from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and Browns first masters was in Public Administration from Kentucky State University in Frankfort. Graduation Byron S. Brown majored in adult education at Eastern Washington University. This masters degree will be used in Browns post-retirement years. Browns fourth masters degree was his historical one in which he became the first and only African American to receive a masters in teaching writing from Johns Hopkins University. This historical recognition will be permanently sealed for Brown. The historic accomplishment will remain in place forever as Johns Hopkins will end the program in the fall. Brown had experienced difficulty in high school, where he felt insulted by his teacher for asking numerous questions, laughed at by his classmates, teased and bullied about his poverty status of having holes in his shoes and a rope tied around his waist to hold his pants up. When he went home that October day, he intended never to return to school. Around April that school year, William James Jr., Browns next-door neighbor, learned that that he dropped out of school. James called Brown over to his house to ask why he quit. When Brown explained what had happened, the next day James went to the school to speak with the teacher and the principal. Brown appreciated James because his father was not in his life. When Brown was only 2 years old, his father was killed in an automobile accident. From the negative experience of dropping out of high school, Brown returned and his determination to succeed grew. God was truly with me on my journey at Johns Hopkins University as I could not afford to attend the institution. When I told my prayer partner at church whom I did not earlier realize was a millionaire that I was admitted to Johns Hopkins University but I had to turn it down; he listened to my concerns, grabbed his checkbook, and paid for my two-year cost to complete my degree at Johns Hopkins University, Brown said. Browns millionaire friend left him with two challenges for paying for his tuition. You must get all A's and pay forward by paying someone elses tuition in the future, he said. Brown accepted the terms. Everything was not perfect for me as I sought higher education, Brown said. But one truth that remains with me is that critics exist. However, my critics had no inclination that when they tried to push me down, they pushed me forward." (TBTCO) - Gia xang dau trong nuoc hom nay (10/10) uoc du bao co the uoc ieu chinh tang manh. Theo o, gia xang trong nuoc co the tang tu 950 - 1.250 ong/lit; gia dau diesel co kha nang tang khoang 820 - 1.050 ong/lit. Tren thi truong the gioi, gia dau giam sau khi du lieu cua Hoa Ky cho thay luong dau tho du tru tang, nhung muc giam bi han che boi rui ro gian oan nguon cung cua Iran do xung ot Trung ong va con bao Milton o Hoa Ky. 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). Eavan Castaner, a Casper teen who is accused of shooting and killing Lenea Brown another Casper teen in May, has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder in the first degree and one count of stalking. Castaner appeared before a judge on Monday morning wearing a red jumpsuit, with his brown hair tied into a bun. He spoke in a low voice to the judge, answering only with yes, sir and no, sir. Just after midnight on May 14, police responded to a call for a shooting near Buckboard Park in Casper. Police at the scene found an unresponsive 17-year-old Lenea Brown in the middle of Indian Wells Road near the eastern intersection with Buckboard Road. An affidavit stated Brown had an obvious gunshot wound to the head and a large amount of blood around her. Paramedics transported Brown to Banner Wyoming Medical Center where she was officially declared deceased shortly after arriving. A witness at the scene identified Castaner, 15 at the time, as the shooter, according to the affidavit. Castaner and Brown had dated before breaking up on April 18. Detective Jonathan Schlager said the break up was messy and that Brown had broken an Xbox, ruined shoes and given away AirPods belonging to Castaner, the Star-Tribune previously reported. Castaners attorney tried to lower the teens bond to $250,000 cash or commercial surety, but the judge did not agree and kept his bond at $1,000,000, only adding that it could now be paid by commercial surety as well as cash. Castaner waived his right to a speedy trial after a short recess with his attorney. His attorney has until Aug. 1 to file a motion to transfer or file a motion to not transfer. The state has until Sept. 1 to respond. In early February, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, took to the Senate floor to lambast 70 universities and museums for failing to return tens of thousands of Indigenous human remains and artifacts to the Native American tribes from which they were taken. Schatz called the institutions the foremost offenders of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, known as NAGPRA, and accused them of having done everything in their power to obstruct and obfuscate when confronted about their collections. One of the institutions Schatz singled out was the University of Arizona. This is not morally ambiguous, Schatz said. There is nothing to ponder here. The fact is these items do not belong in museums and universities, or to science or academia. They belong to the Native people from which they came. It was not the first time the staff at UAs Arizona State Museum, known as ASM, faced public criticism for its slow repatriation efforts. In early 2023, the university was included in The Repatriation Project, a ProPublica series that highlighted the lack of progress in the repatriation of Native American human remains and funerary objects. Cronkite News and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University examined ASMs record and found that: ASMs budget doesnt fund enough staff for the labor-intensive work that repatriation requires, especially given the museums vast holdings of Native American remains and artifacts and the legal responsibility it has as Arizonas archaeological repository. The museum has been in desperate need of more space to do its repatriation work, but the university and the Arizona Board of Regents, the decision-maker for university resources, have failed to implement promised improvements, according to records and interviews. Without adequate resources of its own, the museum has relied on federal grants, relationships with federal agencies and private donations to accomplish its repatriation work. These efforts have been time-consuming but successful in repatriating large numbers of Native American remains and artifacts, according to records journalists reviewed. The investigation also found the museum has been successful in fostering meaningful dialogue and consultation with Arizona tribes, a central goal of NAGPRA. ASM created a Native American advisory board in the late 1980s that has helped guide its repatriation work. The board has supported the museums slow, methodical approach to repatriation, even at the expense of its compliance with NAGPRA. ASM acknowledges that it is still not compliant with the repatriation timelines NAGPRA set forth in 1990 and wont be until 2030. Jim Watson, ASMs associate director who oversees the museums repatriation office, calls the museum willingly noncompliant, but not maliciously noncompliant. We think that were doing a more ethically, tribal-centered approach to repatriation, Watson said. Were asking the tribes what they want and how they want us to do it. So, it creates a situation where were noncompliant with federal law, but its what the tribes are asking us to do. ASMs collections ASM was founded in 1893 when Arizona was still a territory, on land that was home to the Oodham and Yaqui people. Over the decades, the museum grew into the largest anthropological museum in the Southwest, with world-class collections of Native American pottery and basketry. Among them, however, are Indigenous human remains, funerary artifacts and other items taken from archeological digs and construction projects that disturbed them. Some were donated from private collections. In 2023, the museum told the National Park Service that its collections subject to repatriation potentially included cultural affiliation to more than 250 tribes. In 1990, the year NAGPRA was enacted, ASM held the remains of over 7,700 ancestors and nearly 92,000 artifacts that were buried with them, according to Watson. In NAGPRAs first years, ASM began repatriating artifacts and sacred objects that were not associated with Native American burials to tribes, according to documents from the Federal Register. The museum first notified tribes that it was ready to repatriate ancestors in 2004, 14 years after NAGPRAs passage, according to federal records. The museums repatriation of remains and burial artifacts increased steadily after that and escalated in the 2010s. From 2004-23, the museum made the remains of more than 2,500 ancestors and about 34,000 burial artifacts available for tribes to bring home, according to park service records. Some of the repatriations were to Arizona tribes. As of May, the park service counts about 2,700 remains in the museums collections that have yet to be made available for repatriation, though the museum says that figure is closer to 1,842 and that its working with the agency to reconcile the figures. ASM also works with several federal agencies to facilitate the repatriation of remains that are in the legal control of the federal government but housed at the museum. Those collections include the remains of over 1,000 ancestors and over 14,000 funerary objects held by agencies, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. At the direction of tribes, ASM staff try to repatriate items in large groups that reunite the remains of ancestors with the objects they were buried with. The remains and objects are then reunited with other remains and objects that were taken from the same burial site. The process requires space, funding and staff, and ASM has been chronically short on all three. Very heavy work According to Watson and the museums website, the University of Arizona funds about 40% of the museums budget, mainly for salaries. The money pays for a full-time repatriation coordinator and an assistant. Other museum staff, such as Watson and the head of collections, assist in repatriation as part of their job duties. The museum also has one staff position fully funded by a National Forest Service grant to help facilitate repatriation of federal agency collections. Staff cuts and turnover in recent years have affected repatriation work, Watson said. Its very heavy work and its not rewarding in the sense that a lot of people think it would be, said Cristin Lucas, ASMs repatriation coordinator. Its also about minimizing the trauma for the tribes that youre dealing with. I think that that heavy stress load gets to people; its a topic that comes up a lot in repatriation. Staff mostly rely on private donations and federal grants to do repatriation work, but those dollars dont begin to cover the costs, Watson said. ASM has received over half a million dollars in NAGPRA grants from the federal government since 1999. Three of those grants have come in amounts of just $15,000, which Watson says isnt enough to fund even one staff position for a quarter of a year. So, to do what we do with the federal collections with a NAGPRA grant, its impossible, Watson said. Work on the federal agencies collections takes time away from work on the museums own collections, contributing to its noncompliant status, Lucas said. We try to do two big repatriations per year, one for a federal agency and one for ASM, Lucas said. If we were only working on ASMs collections, that would go a lot faster, but we are helping with a lot of collections for other institutions and so it is also our responsibility to work with them to get those collections returned. For this story, the museum made its staff who work on repatriation and NAGPRA compliance available for interviews and gave reporters a tour of the museum that included step-by-step explanations of the repatriation process. According to Watson, staff also assembled thousands of pages of budget and financial records for a Feb. 5 public records request from Cronkite News and the Howard Center and turned them over to the universitys public records office for review. That office did not provide the documents by publication deadline. Aging facilities, unmet space needs Under state law, ASM is the states archaeological repository and the destination for artifacts discovered on state land. Each year, its collections grow by about 1,000 cubic feet, or roughly the size of a small bedroom. In a letter sent to stakeholders on April 8, ASM said it was officially out of repository space, meaning it could no longer accept items of historical significance to the state. ASM officials saw the space crunch coming. Over a decade ago, staff at the museum began asking the university for an offsite storage facility, Watson said, and have even fundraised over $1 million to facilitate the purchase of a building. According to budget documents from the Arizona Board of Regents, a new artifact storage facility is in the early planning stages and isnt scheduled to be complete until sometime between 2026 and 2028. ASM staff have also been waiting for a major renovation to the museums main building, which was originally constructed in 1927 to serve as the universitys library. Those renovations, projected to cost $30 million, have been listed on the universitys capital improvement plan since at least 2015. It wasnt until 2022 that the university performed a design review of the building to begin formal planning, according to records. The renovations will address long overdue upgrades to the buildings structure, architecture and internal systems, according to budget documents. Both the lack of space and the overdue renovations impact the staffs ability to facilitate repatriations under NAGPRA, Watson said. An additional storage building and renovations would allow the museum more space to prepare human remains and funerary objects for repatriation to tribes. If we were able to move all those collections to off-site storage, we would have unlimited space to facilitate repatriation, Watson said. All of that space that is currently filled with boxes, we could fill with rehousing individuals. Theres been at least three occasions where they sort of started the planning process and then its fallen through, Watson said. So, its really been frustrating for us. Watson said hes not getting his hopes up for a new storage facility anytime soon as the university faces a $162 million budget shortfall this year caused by accelerated spending. He said museum staff havent heard any updates, but he assumes the project is on hold for now. Mitch Zak, a university spokesperson, acknowledged in a statement April 22 that the museum is facing a serious space crunch that is impacting its work. This month the interim Senior Vice President for Research provided a temporary solution for space that allows the Arizona State Museum Staff to resume intaking collections and also provides space in our current buildings to complete the staging and packing of repatriations, Zak said. A spokesperson for the Arizona Board of Regents did not provide a comment after multiple requests. Decades of tribal consultations Under current staffing levels and space availability, the museum does not expect to be compliant with NAGPRA until 2030, 40 years after the law was passed. But the museum has won tribal support for its compliance timeline thanks to decades of regular consultations with Indigenous leaders. Several years before NAGPRA became law, ASM established the advisory board that became known as the Southwest Native Nations Advisory Board (SWNNAB) to help guide its work with Native Americans. The board is composed of tribal historic preservation officers from Arizonas 22 federally recognized tribes and advises the museum on public displays of Native American artifacts and the repatriation of Indigenous remains and objects. The board provides a space for individual concerns and issues to be brought up, said Edward Jolie, associate curator of ethnology at ASM and an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma. The board meets one or more times a year. That body became important because in a few years after NAGPRA was passed, we realized that it could also be useful as an advisory board to help us understand how to better approach our repatriation process, Watson said. Watson credited the board with helping the museum adopt a tribally centered approach to repatriation that seeks to make geographic connections between its collections and the ancestors of local Indigenous communities that inhabit the area. It was really trying to draw a direct line from groups in the past to potential descendant communities today, he said. Since the 1980s, the museum has completed more than 80 repatriations of Native American remains or artifacts, or a combination of both. In 2022, the museum sought out the advisory board for advice on how to proceed with the repatriation of the remaining collections in its holdings. The nine tribes in attendance unanimously directed the museum to adopt a repatriation timeline that would put it out of compliance with NAGPRA but ensure that remains and artifacts repatriated to the tribes were fully inventoried and documented. The tribal representatives told ASM it was important to them that all remains and items from a collection come to them at one time and that the tribes did not have the capacity to accept several large-scale transfers. I think it was a good idea that the Arizona State Museum had to get this agreement with the tribes based on their knowledge, said Ramon Riley, the NAGPRA representative with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, who participated in the meeting. Thats how we repatriated a lot of objects at the Arizona State Museum. Repatriation: Remains come home Leigh Wayne Lomayestewa, the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office research assistant and NAGPRA coordinator, served on SWNNAB in 1998 and was the president for one year. As a cultural practitioner, versed in traditional knowledge, ceremonies and religion, he understands how important representation is to facilitate the return of the tribes ancestors. When a repatriation is fulfilled by an institution or university, the Hopi will determine where the human remains will be reburied, he said. Our Pueblo ancestors went all throughout the Southwest, and when we look at the records where they were excavated, we try to find a place as close as possible to the site or area where they were excavated and reinter them in that area, Lomayestewa said. The traditional ceremony of reburial may be unchanged from the time the individuals were excavated. The Hopi cultural preservation officer works with tribal elders familiar with this process to carry out the duty to rebury their ancestors, he said. There are a lot of bones, like individuals who are just in fragments, he said. So, we try to put them in one by one, side by side to each other in the same way as they were a very long time ago. To his knowledge, institutions have repatriated over 8,000 human remains throughout the Southwest that are culturally affiliated with the Hopi and Pueblo tribes. Being part of the reburial process for excavated remains and reinterring them with a traditional ceremony can be emotional, said Jacqueline Zillioux, a member of the Gila River Indian Community and cultural practitioner. We prepare them for burial under a certain way, we do the preparation a certain way, and we prepare ourselves to handle the remains, Zillioux said. As soon as you see all the bones and the artifacts, it just hits you. Without repatriation, she said, a part of her communitys history would be missing because ancestors contain information about the past. The artifacts associated with them from pottery shards to etched shells to grinding stones offer a glimpse into the lives of those who came before, she said. For Jolie, ASMs associate curator from the Muskogee Tribe, repatriation under NAGPRA is an opportunity to build relationships with Indigenous communities and serves as a form of healing and dialogue. The law is the starting point, Jolie said. Its like the bare minimum for what we should be doing and if we want to be good, compassionate human beings. Moments of repatriation also resurrect the historical injustices that affected the ancestors and the individuals who worked to right the wrongs of policies that harmed them, said Riley in an interview on the White Mountain Apaches tribal land. When you work with NAGPRA materials, artifacts and human remains, it just brings you through the trauma historical trauma, he said. In the past, ASM staff participated in a repatriation with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, helping unload boxes of remains and shoveling dirt for the reburial, according to Riley. Two years ago, ASM was involved in the repatriation of Hopi remains on the lands of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, according to Stewart Koyiyumptewa, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office director. For tribes, such returns bring conflicted emotions. When you go through this process, bringing it back, it makes you feel good and it makes you feel sad doing it, Riley said. But for the White Mountain Apache and the two other Apache tribes Riley works with, the return of ancestors also brings relief. I know all three tribes feel a lot better that theyre finally home and at rest in a place where they came from, Riley said. They should have never been taken in the first place. PHOENIX The newly adopted $16.1 billion state budget has left some Democrats wondering whether there was a better deal to be had by the Democratic governor working in divided government with the GOP-controlled Legislature. It was the first real budget test for Gov. Katie Hobbs, the first Democrat to be Arizona governor in more than a dozen years. The budget adopted last year after she was first elected came as the state was flush with cash, and there was plenty of money to go around. But now, with the surplus gone and hard choices to be made, many are questioning whether Hobbs could have done better. The Legislature narrowly approved the budget late Saturday and adjourned for the year. There were some victories for the Democrats. Lawmakers added $15 million to the states Housing Trust Fund designed to help provide affordable homes for low-income individuals. That is just 10% of what was allocated a year ago, however. Democrats succeeded in getting a $135 million cap on the amount of money that corporations could take as income tax credits for contributions to "school tuition organizations,'' which provide scholarships for low-income students to attend private and parochial schools. But some noted that cap, at least for the moment, will save the state just $7 million. More to the point, STOs are less likely to be sought now that the state has universal vouchers of tax dollars, starting at around $7,300 per student, for parents to send their children to those same private and parochial schools. Hobbs already had given up in January on any plans to curb the number of vouchers, by going back to the days when they were available only to students who met certain conditions, such as having learning disabilities, being in foster homes or attending public schools rated D or F. Still, she promised some limits, like a requirement that a student have first attended public schools for at least 100 days before switching to a voucher; prohibiting price gouging; setting minimum education standards and requiring accountability for how voucher funds were spent. The final budget, however, simply closes a $2.5 million loophole that allowed double dipping: attending public schools during the regular academic year and getting a voucher for summer school. And, after reports of voucher funds going for ski trips and Lego sets, it directs the Department of Education to establish standings on how those dollars can be spent. Voucher spending, however, remains uncapped. Education funding cuts At the same time, there are cuts to education funding, including a $2.1 million cut to a workforce training program and $3 million taken from a program that encourages dual enrollment in high school and college. Additional funding won last year will be evaporating, including $37 million for schools based on the number of students in poverty, and $29 million in other additional assistance for some capital needs ranging from books and computers to buses. What Democrats got instead was a promise to restore those dollars after this budget year but not until the 2027-2028 school year. And that is unenforceable, as it does not bind future legislators. Thats a massive and irresponsible transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, said Assistant House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, a Laveen Democrat, about the spending on education. De Los Santos didnt vote for the package who didnt vote for the package negotiated by Hobbs with GOP leaders. There was another victory that could be considered hollow. Lawmakers authorized community colleges to establish a Promise Program. Mirrored after one at the state university level, it ensures that eligible Arizona residents can get their tuition and fees paid if other financial aid does not cover the costs. But it is just an authorization, with no actual money attached. Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said colleges are free to find money in their own budgets or go out and seek private dollars. All that left House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras disappointed, to the point where he would not support the package. The Avondale Democrat said he, and his caucus, didnt have any input. It was built by the governor and the (House) speaker and the (Senate) president, he said. Would we have rather been in the negotiations? Yes, Contreras said. He said the only reason the package got some Democratic support is that GOP leaders found they didnt have the votes within their own caucus and found themselves having to buy off some of them by adding back a few items. And there were add-ons to the basic budget, including $2 million for a mental health telehealth pilot program to serve individuals outside Maricopa and Pima counties; an identical amount for entities that provide after-school programs to low income individuals; a $1 million allocation for counseling in Southern Arizona and $500,000 for heat mitigation programs in the same area. One charges failure in leadership So where does Hobbs fit in for what Contreras considers a bad budget? Im not going totally put the blame on her, he said. She has to sign the budget at the end, he said, noting that House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen also played roles. They have to run these two chambers here, Contreras said. Myself and (Senate Minority) Leader (Mitzi) Epstein, were still not the ones dictating how the budget was built. But Epstein, a Tempe Democrat, said as far as she is concerned, Hobbs is not to blame for what she said has been decades of Republican policies of cutting spending Gov. Hobbs has done everything she could to deal with this intractable (Republican) caucus, Epstein said. And its a lot better than it would have been without Gov. Hobbs. Phoenix Democratic Sen. Anna Herandez, however, is not willing to let Epstein or the governor off the hook. Theres been a failure in leadership that could have gotten us a better budget, Hernandez said. You should also have a spine, she said. You should have the back of your rank-and-file Democrats that are fighting for the people of Arizona. My leadership, from the very top of the (executive) tower, failed me and all of the people of Arizona by the process that this budget was delivered. Add to the list of Democrats angry with the governor: Attorney General Kris Mayes. She blasted the plan, approved by Hobbs, to take $195 million from a settlement the state made with opioid manufacturers and pharmacies to deal with the costs of treating those who became addicted. The money will be swept up in the state budget to fund what Mayes said is backfilling a budget deficit at the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Mayes contends that transfer violates the terms of the settlement, signed by a federal judge, that restricts how those dollars can be used. And, the swept funds aside, Mayes argues that puts the entire $1.14 billion settlement in legal jeopardy. Lawmakers did add wording saying the funds can be used only for Corrections departments costs of care, treatment, programs and other expenses for individuals with opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions or for any other approved purposes as prescribed in a court order (or) a settlement agreement. Mayes called it an egregious grab, saying it still doesnt comply with the process that requires the funds be awarded by competitive bidding. She said is exploring legal options. Hobbs declined an interview request to talk about preparing the budget and, specifically, about what some Democratic lawmakers were saying about what was presented to them as a finished product. But her press aide Christian Slater, in a written statement, said there were 38 budget meetings from May 2 until the plan was adopted to inform Democratic legislators of negotiations, hear their priorities, and receive feedback. Some of those, he said, were just staff to staff, with others including Democratic legislative leaders and members and at times the governor herself. Some Republicans also voted no None of this is to say that Republicans who refused to support the budget package are any more happy with their own leadership. Many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle think that Katie Hobbs is not particularly bright, said Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, as he voted against the package. But today she has certainly outplayed us, because shes playing the long game. Rep. Barbara Parker, R-Mesa, said she thought that, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, she should have been involved in the negotiation process to get a fiscally responsible budget. Its been implied that Im asking for something unreasonable or that Im not working with the body on this, Parker said. And I want my voters to know that I continued to plead for a little bit of policy that I consider Republican platform principles, conservative and constitutional. And I didnt get those requests. But Rep. Travis Grantham, the House speaker pro-tem, said his party members should recognize reality. We have a one-seat majority in the Arizona House, we have a one-seat majority in the Senate, said the Gilbert Republican. That means if not every Republican goes along, leadership has to get votes from Democrats. And on top of that, he said, the governor can sign or veto the budget and even has the constitutional power to line-out expenditures with which she disagrees. Personally, Grantham said if he got to prepare a spending plan most of whats being asked for wouldnt be in it. But I cant get that because Im not in a majority with 50 other people who think like me, he said. This is how it works. And Petersen, finding himself attacked on social media, penned a similar response. State-run Vietnamese lenders BIDV and Agribank announced that they began selling gold bullions online from Monday. Earlier, Vietcombank, another state-run local bank, announced its online gold bullion sale service on Wednesday last week. At BIDV, customers can register gold purchases between 9:30 am and 11:30 am every day. The bank will refuse new registrations when it receives enough registrations for handling in a day. Customers successfully making registrations will make payments and receive the purchased gold from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm on the same day. BIDV will sell gold bullions to only customers who make registrations and arrive at venues to receive gold at the time announced by the bank. Meanwhile, Agribanks customers can make registrations to purchase gold bullions on the banks website from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm from Monday to Friday every week. The time for making payments and receiving gold is between 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm. Both BIDV and Agribank announced that they will cancel appointments with customers if they come to the venue late by 30 minutes or later. Earlier, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) decided to directly sell gold bars to four state-run banks Vietcombank, VietinBank, Agribank, and BIDV instead of continuing holding auctions. The four banks would later sell the gold bullion to customers. According to the central bank, the solution has proved effective as the gap between domestic and global gold prices has shrunk. However, as the banks directly sold gold bullions to residents at their transaction points while the number of customers in need of buying gold bullions was large, customers had to form long queues. Some people hired others to queue up at banks gold outlets to hoard gold bullion in a bid to push the gold prices up and earn profits, according to the central bank. As a result, three out of the four state-run Vietnamese banks have offered gold bullions online. The central bank has asked the Ministry of Public Security to help ensure security at gold sales points and heavily punish those spreading inaccurate information and involved in manipulation and speculation on the domestic gold market. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Chinese EV manufacturer BYD will start selling three of its electric models, including the Atto 3, Dolphin, and Seal, in Vietnam on July 18. BYD Vietnam on Saturday held a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City to introduce the three models to local reporters. The Chinese carmaker also revealed the car parameters of the three models. The Atto 3 is expected to compete with the CX-5 in the future. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre The BYD Atto 3 might be the most anticipated EV among the Chinese brands models in Vietnam. Based on its size, the Atto 3 is listed as a C-segment SUV and is on a par with the Mazda CX-5 and Ford Territory. The Atto 3 will be available in the Southeast Asian nation in two versions, including Dynamic and Premium. The model is equipped with LED lights, follow-me-home headlights, an electric folding rear view mirror, and 17-inch wheels. The Premium version features a sunroof, an adaptive headlight, an electric boot, and 18-inch wheels. The interior of the Dynamic version boasts a 12.8-inch touchscreen that can rotate 90 degrees and a six-speaker sound system, while the interior of the Premium has a rotatable 15.6-inch touchscreen and an eight-speaker sound system. The Atto 3 offers two battery pack options,-- the 49.92 kWh unit capable of traveling 410 kilometers and the 60.48 kWh battery pack rated at 480 kilometers. The Atto 3 is equipped with an advanced driver-assistance system. The interior of the Atto 3. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre As for the BYD Dolphin, the EV measures 4,125 millimeters in length, 1,770 millimeters in width, and 1,570 millimeters in height. The wheelbase of the model is 2,700 millimeters. The Dolphin will hit the Vietnamese market with the GLX version. The interior of the Dolphin features a rotatable 12.8-inch infotainment screen and a six-speaker audio system. With its 44.9kWh battery, the Dolphin can travel up to 405 kilometers. A BYD Dolphin car. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre The interior of the Dolphin. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre Similar to the Atto 3, the BYD Seal will be distributed in Vietnam in two versions, including the Advanced and Performance. The Seal has the same size as the Toyota Camry and Mazda 6. The model boasts an attractive appearance, a sunroof, pop-out door handles, soundproof doors, and 19-inch wheels. The Seal is equipped with a rotatable 15.6-inch infotainment screen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, a 10-speaker audio system, a panoramic sunroof, dual wireless smartphone chargers and heated and ventilated front seats. The Advanced can travel up to 550 kilometers, while the Performance has a range of up to 650 kilometers on a single charge. The appealing appearance of the BYD Seal. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre The interior of the Seal. Photo: Lee Hoang / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday. Vietnamese State President To Lam received Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko on Monday afternoon ahead of Putins visit. This will be the Russian presidents second state visit to Vietnam, but it will be the fifth time he has traveled to Vietnam. His previous visits were made in 2001, 2006, 2013, and 2017 when he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in the central city of Da Nang. His first state visit to Vietnam took place in November 2013, nearly one year after he was elected president of Russia. His upcoming Vietnam visit is made in the first year of his new term as Russian president, demonstrating that he appreciates the Russia - Vietnam relationship. Within the framework of his visit, Russian President Putin is set to attend a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, and then have talks and meetings with Vietnams top officials. The visit takes place when Vietnam and Russia mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations between the two nations (June 16). Vietnamese and Russian leaders exchanged congratulatory letters to celebrate the 30th anniversary on Sunday. In the letters, leaders of both nations highlighted the historic significance of the treaty, underlining its role as a pivotal document that heralded a new era of multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Russia and laid the groundwork for elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Over the past three decades, generations of leaders and citizens in both countries have nurtured their steadfast friendship, bolstered and expanded bilateral ties for the benefit of the people of the two nations and for global and regional peace, cooperation and development. The leaders of both nations also believed that the celebration would usher in a new stage of development with increased trust and more substantive and effective collaboration between the two nations. The forthcoming visit is expected to foster bilateral cooperation in various traditional fields and emerging aspects. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Russia in 2023 reached US$3.63 billion, up 2.3 percent year on year. Russian investors have got involved in 186 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of $984.98 million, ranking Russia 28th among 145 countries and territories investing in the Southern Asian nation. Vietnam has invested in 18 projects in Russia, with a total pledged capital of $1.63 billion. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday launched a campaign to deal with people forcing others, especially children, to become itinerant beggars in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1. Under the campaign launched by the police division for administrative management of social order under the Ho Chi Minh City Police and the District 1 Police, vagrants will be sent to social protection centers. Mai Thi Hong Hoa, vice-chairwoman of the administration in District 1, 1,566 vagrants have been sent to social protection facilities since March 2023. However, they remain rampant on streets in the southern metropolis, affecting the tourism environment and aesthetics of the city. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thi Lanh, vice head of the police division for administrative management of social order, said vagrants often gather in crowded places to ask for money and harass tourists. The handling of these cases aims to help child and homeless beggars have stable residences while not leaving anyone behind. The city also wants to deal with those abusing children, the disabled, the elderly, and the homeless to earn money, Lanh added. The campaign would be carried out in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1 in one month starting Sunday. The municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will work out plans to coordinate with other wards and communes to establish working teams to cope with vagrancy. The municipal police will also launch such campaigns until the end of this year, Lanh informed. Nguyen Hoang Tam, chairman of the government of Pham Ngu Lao Ward, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that child beggars and other vagrants were plentiful on Bui Vien Walking Street. Following the local authorities act, the issue has been significantly handled. However, the long-term handling of the issue requires the cooperation of agencies. Residents who see child beggars and other vagrants in Pham Ngu Lao Ward can call the ward Peoples Committee at 028.38.36.7384 or the ward police at 028.38.369.131. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A raging fire engulfed a five-story house in Hanoi during a heavy downpour on Sunday evening, killing four people, including a woman and three children. The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the house on Dinh Cong Ha Street at around 6:00 pm. Several minutes later, the fierce blaze swept through the whole house, which serves as a retail business offering paint products, electrical, and water supply items. Many senior officials of the city swiftly arrived at the scene to direct a firefighting and rescue operation, which was joined by nearly 100 firefighters and 12 fire trucks. Rescuers recovered four bodies, identified as N.M.H., aged 53; N.D.D.S., aged 11; N.T.A., aged seven; and two-year-old N.D.K. The firefighting and rescue operation finished at 10:30 pm the same day. Authorities then cordoned off the scene of the fatal fire and part of the Dinh Cong Ha Street to investigate the root cause of the blaze. An eyewitness named N.T.H. said that many people on the fourth floor managed to rush outside, while several others ran to the top floor, shouting for help. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters found that the fire-hit house sits in a spacious and airy location. However, its ground floor was full of electricity and water supply items, paint containers put on iron racks, thereby making two paths leading to the upper floors quite narrow. The fire swept through the fourth, fifth, and top floors of a five-story house in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi on June 16, 2024. Photo: Hoai Nguyen Firefighters use a ladder to approach the burning floor of a five-story house in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi on June 16, 2024. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre A cloud of smoke rises from a burning five-story house during a downpour in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi on June 16, 2024. Photo: Hoai Nguyen Firefighters are putting out the fire. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre The ground floor of the house serves as a retail venue offering electricity and water supply items, paint containers put on iron racks. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre An ambulance leaves the scene of the house fire at 9:20 pm on June 16, 2024. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Soldiers cordon off a road section near the scene of the house fire. Photo: Danh Trong / Tuoi Tre Some firefighters are exhausted after attempting to put out the blaze. Photo: Tan Nguyen Some people being trapped in the fire-hit house are evacuated. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Firefighters are putting out the blaze. Photo: Danh Khang / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police examined a grocery in Chau Doc City under An Giang Province, southern Vietnam in early June, discovering a large volume of narcotics. The investigation agency of the provincial Department of Public Security said on Sunday that it had decided to charge several individuals involved in a case in which police found illegal drugs stored in a grocery in Chau Doc City. Tran Thanh Tam, 37, Nguyen Dao Nguyen, 39, Nguyen Anh Phi, 21, and Bui Minh Doan, 22, all of them living in Chau Doc City, were detained and faced prosecution for allegedly storing and trading illicit drugs. Four subjects arrested for storing illicit drugs in a grocery in southern Vietnam. Photo: Tien Van / Tuoi Tre According to the investigation result, in early June, the citys police conducted an inspection into a grocery called A Sim at 251 Truong Dua Street in Chau Phu A Ward after it had shown some signs of trading e-cigarettes and aphrodisiacs. During the examination process, the police discovered and seized a plastic bag containing over 253 grams of methamphetamine, and ketamine, and a large volume of ecstasy hidden in Tams bedroom. Nguyen, Phi and Doan confessed to the police that they had joined Tam in having traded illegal drugs since early 2024. The police are investigating the drug trading ring. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An expedition team found a strange species never seen before in one of the caves within the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam. Le Luu Dung, director of Quang Binh-based Jungle Boss Co., Ltd., said on Sunday that the companys guides had detected the new creature in Hung cave, located in the strictly protected core area of the park. We have sent pictures of this species to several professional cave exploration groups, but all of them said they have never seen such a creature before, Dung said. This may be a new species in the core area of the park and requires more in-depth research on it, he added. According to the expedition team, this creature was found growing scattered on the surface of stalactites in Hung cave, about 300 meters from the cave entrance. Observing with the naked eyes, this creature has an opaque white main body with many branches extending from the base, similar to a starfish, and spreading out in multiple directions with a length of several centimeters. Above its main body is the secondary part consisting of tentacle-like strands that are white, about a span high, and stretchable. The strange creature was discovered in Hung cave, part of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Van Uy / Tuoi Tre The team found 40-50 of these creatures growing scattered in an area of several tens of square meters inside the cave. The core area of the park has numerous caves, but this unique creature has been detected in Hung cave only, the team stated. Nguyen Van Long, head of the Quang Binh Province Forest Protection Department, said he had never seen this creature. We will send images of this creature to leading biological experts for consultation, Long said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are looking to cooperate in establishing a maritime route connecting islands near Thailands Trat Province with the provinces of Sihanoukville in Cambodia and Kien Giang in Vietnam, Thai media reported on Sunday. Such a sea route is aimed at promoting investment, trade and tourism, combined with meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) between the three countries, according to Bangkok Post. Trat governor Natthapong Sanguanjit recently chaired a meeting about this initiative at the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor (CVTEC)-Trat Business Roadshow 2024 event. The meeting was attended by provincial leaders of the three countries, along with president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Chamnan Srisawat and senior vice president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) Puripan Bunnag. The TCT has been accelerating the organization of a CVTEC conference, with TCEB as a co-organizer and main sponsor, Chamnan said. The goal of the conference is to promote a sea route that connects the three countries, creating a market under the concept of one market, three destinations, the TCT leader stated. The maritime route will not only function as a modern-day economic route, but it will also be a charming tourism route, with beautiful nature and culture along the way, Bangkok Post quoted Chamnan as saying. Trat governor Natthapong underscored the need of finding a way to promote tourism connecting the eastern coastal regions of the three countries through this sea route. Representatives of the three countries' private and public sectors have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly strengthen trade, investment, tourism and the MICE industry in areas along the route. TCEB believes that Thailand is ready for this project, and if successful, the project will allow tourists to travel from Pattaya to Laem Chabang, then to Trat, Sihanoukville, Kien Giang and vice versa, said TCEB deputy director Apichai Somboonpakorn. The route will be put into operation in the peak season this year, around November, Wiyada Suang, vice president of Trat Provincial Tourism Council, announced. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Canada is in the grip of a fentanyl overdose crisis. In Vancouver, radical experiments are underway to prevent deaths. Tonight Dateline looks at the reversing of liberal drug laws. In 2023, British Columbia became the first Canadian province to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs in an effort to combat the spiralling opioid overdose crisis. Under a three-year pilot program, adult users were allowed to carry up to 2.5g of heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, or crack cocaine, and could use them in certain public places without facing criminal charges. At the time, Canadas minister of health and addictions Caroline Bennett said the policy would serve as a template for other provinces to address the rising number of opioid overdoses happening throughout the country. Over 80 per cent of accidental opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl, a pharmaceutical painkiller that is 50 times more potent than heroin and is increasingly being laced into street drugs. But only a little over a year into the program, British Columbia abruptly reversed the course of its experiment in response to complaints about soaring drug use in parks and restaurants while police were unable to address it. At the end of April, the government made drug use in all public spaces a crime again. 9;30pm Tuesday on SBS. SBS News & Current Affairs has been named the most trusted news brand in Australia. It eclipsed ABC News in the annual global Digital News Report 2024 conducted by the University of Canberra and Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. SKY News registered highest in the Distrust area. Each year the report delivers comparative data on media usage in 47 countries including Australia. The University of Canberra conducts the Australian research for the global report, examining Australians attitudes to news and journalism and in recent years has charted the declining trust and growing misinformation within the news and social media ecosystems. SBS News Director Mandi Wicks said: As SBS prepares to move into our 50th year, this report is a strong validation of the work our teams do across all news platforms to provide accurate, impartial and trustworthy news and information to all Australians. With more people consuming their news through social media platforms, the presence of trusted brands in that space is more crucial than ever. The Digital News Report also noted the growing concern about misinformation in Australia, which rose to 75% from 64% in 2022 and that audiences are reporting greater difficulty in identifying untrustworthy information. Trust in news has been declining during the past few years, news avoidance has been increasing, and misinformation and disinformation pervade our social feeds and threaten to undermine our democratic way of life, wrote Wicks. The role is increasingly falling to news publishers to report on the news of the day, to combat fake news and to moderate hate speech on their social media profiles, comments which are often AI generated via bots. Newsrooms grappled with this during the Voice Referendum in 2023 and there will be similar challenges in 2024 with AI having the potential to influence domestic and geopolitical issues, with more than 60 countries and nearly half the worlds population going to the polls in 2024. By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The next European Commission must do more to help European industry catch up in the green tech race with China and the U.S., said Spain's climate and energy minister Teresa Ribera, a front-runner to be the EU's next head of green policies. EU country leaders meet on Monday in Brussels to discuss the top jobs in the next European Commission, in which each of the 27 EU countries will have a member. Ribera, who Spain's government has put forward to seek a senior climate-related Commission post, rebuffed some politicians' calls for the EU to slow its green transition, but said greater effort would be needed to address its fallout for citizens and industries. "This is going to be a very critical period for Europe, and either we manage to overcome all the difficulties and become this strong, positive power. Or, we implode," Ribera told Reuters in an interview. "The green agenda is a good driver to catch up and to get back in a relevant position," she said. Green parties performed badly in this month's European Parliament elections, while far-right parties sceptical of climate policies gained seats. Ribera said future climate policymaking would be harder. But she said delaying Europe's green shift would ultimately backfire, by costing European companies their edge in low-carbon industries and subjecting farmers to more extreme drought and crop-shrivelling heat. As global competition in green technologies sharpens, Europe is adopting a tougher stance against China. Brussels last week announced tariffs on imported Chinese electric cars, and is investigating Chinese subsidies for wind and solar suppliers. Ribera said the next Commission should consult local industries to understand what conditions could help them get "back in this race" with the U.S. and China - be it more public investments in next-generation technologies, or simpler bureaucratic rules. "The United States realized that they needed to invest in their own (industry), so they are attracting money and investment from all over the world - including European money," she said. "Why do we not do that in our own countries?" Among the first tasks for the next EU Commission is to propose a 2040 EU climate target, to help steer Europe towards its 2050 net-zero emissions goal. Ribera said she backed the Commission's initial suggestion for a 90% emissions cut by 2040, but with an option to go further if this was possible. (Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by David Holmes) By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is tipped to become the European Union's next foreign policy boss, but her tough stance on Russia may raise doubts as to whether she can represent views from across the bloc. EU leaders' informal talks on Monday, their first since the European Parliament election, focus on the appointments for the bloc's top jobs, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expected to secure a second term and EU diplomats saying Kallas is in line for the foreign affairs role. Kallas, who turns 47 on Tuesday, has made her name as an eloquent critic of neighbouring Russia and its expansionist aims since she became Estonian prime minister in early 2021. An uncompromising voice in the EU and NATO for unconditional support to Kyiv and for containing Moscow, she led her country of 1.4 million people to become among the highest per-capita military donors to Ukraine. Kallas has been wanted in Russia since February for her role in removing Soviet-era monuments in her country. Born in Tallinn, she is the great-granddaughter of the first Estonian chief of police as the newly independent country emerged from the Russian Empire after the First World War only to be absorbed into the Soviet Union in 1940. Kallas' mother was only six months old when her family was forcibly relocated to Siberia in 1949 along with 20,000 other Estonians. "Russia hasn't changed," she said last year on marking an anniversary of her mother's exile. "This evil lives on in Russia." Unassuming and open, Kallas is well regarded abroad, though not all of the bloc's countries share her dogged defiance of Russia. Above all, Hungary's Viktor Orban has maintained friendly ties with Moscow even after its invasion of Ukraine. However, her popularity at home suffered when local media revealed last year that her husband was involved in a business which continued its operations in Russia even as Kallas publicly criticised all who did so. Her government also raised taxes shortly after the 2023 elections and legalised same-sex marriage, which almost half of the country opposes. Kallas is a second-generation politician. Her father was the governor of the newly independent Estonia's central bank, established the liberal Reform Party in 1994, which he led for a decade, and served as Estonia's prime minister and later vice president of the European Commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso. In 2011, Kaja Kallas left a career as a partner at a major Tallinn law firm to run, successfully, for the Estonian and then European parliaments on a Reform Party ticket. After leading the Reform Party from 2018 she became Estonia's first female prime minister in 2021. Kallas, known for her uncompromising drive in pushing through policies, has been accused of arrogance by some of her detractors. Kallas has no doubt her small country's security depends on Brussels. "If Europe is united and strong, Estonia will also be strong," she told the Estonian parliament in 2022. (This story has been refiled to fix typographical errors throughout) (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; editing by Niklas Pollard and Tomasz Janowski) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France and Belgium signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to strengthen their cooperation in land defence with both countries acquiring each a 10% stake in John Cockerill Defense, the defence unit of Belgian equipment maker John Cockerill. "This equity investment will shortly be formalized and secured by the conclusion of an investment agreement and a shareholders' pact, defining the legal and financial framework of the operation," the company said in a statement. This deal comes five months after John Cockerill Defense, a supplier of light tank turrets, signed an exclusive agreement with Sweden's Volvo to buy Arquus, France's leading supplier of military vehicles. "This prospective acquisition would contribute to strengthening the cooperation between France and Belgium in a strategic sector ... the process has been ongoing ever since, and is progressing through the stages necessary to its conclusion," John Cockerill said. French President Emmanuel Macron and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo signed the memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels to discuss whom to nominate to the EU's top posts following a European Parliament election. (Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Stelios Misinas and Karolina Tagaris KORYDALLOS PRISON, Greece (Reuters) - On a stifling summer evening, the actors took to the stage: a grassy courtyard enclosed by towering prison walls, topped with barbed wire and lit by a floodlight. The performers were inmates at Greece's maximum-security jail, and so was the audience. The play - ancient Greek tragedy 'Antigone', a story about free will, disobedience and authority - spoke to their hearts. For a short hour, they felt free. Dressed in cream-coloured costumes, the men, aged between 24 and 63, had been practicing for this moment for months. "Tomorrow is not a dead-end," they shouted in chorus as they took a bow, hand in hand, in the final act. For two dozen inmates, the theatre workshop at Korydallos prison, a sprawling complex in an impoverished part of Athens, had been a respite from the mundane and often gruelling routine of daily prison life and their crammed, rowdy cells. "You forget you're in prison," said 37-year-old Konstantinos Bougiotis, who played King Creon, the antagonist. "You stop being in this misery, looking only at bars and walls," he said. Every rehearsal was a taste of freedom, said another inmate, 54-year-old Dimitris Kavalos, who never imagined he could stand before his fellow inmates and read lines. "I felt freedom in my soul," Kavalos said. Around 250 inmates have taken part in the prison's workshop since it launched in 2016, and more than 1,800 have watched the shows. One man came back to take part in the performance despite being recently released so as not to disappoint the other inmates. For this year's play, director Aikaterini Papageorgiou said she was looking for something a person in confinement could identify with. In Antigone, the most political of plays written by Greek tragedian Sophocles around 441 BC, the titular character disobeys her uncle, King Creon, to bury her brother, while grappling with life's written and unwritten rules. Even the more sceptical among the inmates were forced to tackle life's big philosophical questions. "In real life too, we put on a show," Bougiotis said. "Life is theatre too." Papageorgiou said directing the group through the toughest period of their life was a huge source of hope. "For those of us who are not in this world, to see this fervour that their minds cannot be imprisoned even though their bodies are is very inspiring," she said. "It's very hopeful for humankind, for its strength... and for redemption." (Writing by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Peter Graff) The highs and lows of Russia-North Korea relations under Putin SEOUL (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday and hold talks with its leader, Kim Jong Un, the two countries said. Below is a timeline of key events in relations between Russia and North Korea over the last two decades. July, 2000 Putin visits North Korea in the first year of his presidency and holds a summit meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of the North's current leader. It is Putin's first to North Korea. Oct. 14, 2006 - Dec. 22, 2017 Over more than 10 years, Russia votes for nine major United Nations Security Council resolutions penalizing North Korea, including measures banning weapons trade, transfers of missile technology and shipment of luxury goods to Pyongyang. April 25, 2019 Putin and Kim Jong Un meet in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East for their first summit. February, 2020 North Korea closes its borders with Russia, and with China, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian diplomats and family members have to use a hand-pushed rail trolley to get over the frontier. Feb. 24, 2022 Russia invades Ukraine. North Korea backs Moscow, blaming the "hegemonic policy" and "high-handedness" of the United States and the West. May 26, 2022 Russia and China veto a U.S.-drafted resolution that would have imposed more sanctions on North Korea such as bans on tobacco and oil imports, publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council on the North Korea issue for the first time. July 25, 2023 Russia's then defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visits Pyongyang and is given a tour of a defence expo by Kim that featured North Korea's banned ballistic missiles. Sept. 13, 2023 Kim travels to the Russian Far East for a second summit with Putin. They discuss military cooperation, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Korea's satellite programme, according to both leaders. Oct. 13, 2023 The United States accuses North Korea of sending weapons to Russia. Moscow and Pyongyang later deny the allegations. Nov. 21, 2023 North Korea places its first successful spy satellite into orbit. South Korea says itis possible that Russia provided technical help. Jan. 4, 2024 The U.S. says Russia has used short-range ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in multiple strikes against Ukraine. This is later confirmed by independent experts and U.N. sanctions monitors. March 28, 2024 Russia vetoes the renewal of the U.N. panel tasked with monitoring sanctions imposed on North Korea related to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. May 16-17, 2024 The U.S. and Britain impose sanctions on Russian entities accused of facilitating arms transfers with North Korea. June 18-19, 2024 The dates for Putin's second visit to North Korea. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; editing by Miral Fahmy and Andrew Heavens) HA NOI Pfizer Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding with the Viet Nam National Children's Hospital on June 14 and Viet Duc University Hospital on June 13 to carry out a programme for antimicrobial resistance awareness and stewardship. The Antimicrobial Management Stewardship (AMS) programme with the Ha Noi medial facilities aims to advance the two goals, which are part of a new national strategy for 2023-30. WHO describes AMR as occurring when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. The programme includes collaboration in organising scientific conferences and AMS training programmes at hospitals, supporting the implementation of the programme at hospitals, and raising AMS awareness and surveillance. Dr Duong Duc Hung, director of Viet Duc University Hospital, said the fight against antimicrobial resistance faces challenges due to the deeply ingrained habits of the Vietnamese people and difficulties in drug prescription management. So it is necessary to concentrate resources and boost cooperation between various agencies, healthcare workers and the community, he said. This partnership with Pfizer will bring significant progress in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments and thus improving public health." Prof Dr Tran Minh Dien, director of the Viet Nam National Children's Hospital, said the partnership would bring opportunities for the hospital to strengthen control and raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance not just among patients but even healthcare professionals. "It aims to be able to minimise the current rate of antimicrobial resistance in children, helping protect the health of Viet Nam's future generations." Darrell Oh, general director of Pfizer Vietnam, said cooperating with the two central hospitals would help accelerate the companys antimicrobial resistance management programme so that it reaches more healthcare professionals and the general public. Beyond our efforts to strengthen R&D for a diverse portfolio of antibiotics, we view collaboration and resource-sharing as a key mission in the fight against antimicrobial resistance." Pfizer understands the importance and responsibility of joining forces with Vietnamese health authorities in protecting people's health, he added. In recent years Pfizer has actively collaborated for antimicrobial stewardship in Viet Nam through various activities, including forging strategic ties with hospitals and national medical associations. VNS HA NOI A decade after the peak, the oil and gas industry is seeing a new investment boom with exploration and production (E&P) activities heating up globally again. The upstream oil and gas sector is witnessing a resurgence of investment activity over the past few years, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). After hitting a floor in 2020, upstream investments increased by 11 per cent in 2022 and grew another 7 per cent in 2023. The upward trend in upstream oil and gas investment is expected to continue into 2024. The renewed investment surge is particularly prevailing in North America, where favourable market conditions and technological advancements are driving a significant inflow of capital. Similarly, countries in the Middle East and Asia are also ramping up their E&P investments to meet growing domestic energy demands as well as export commitments. In South East Asia, the upstream oil and gas sectors in Malaysia and Indonesia are poised for further investment and expansion. In Malaysia, the national oil company Petronas is ramping up its upstream spending, with a focus on growing E&P activities to boost domestic oil and gas output. Earlier this year, Malaysia's regulatory agency awarded seven new production sharing contracts covering six exploration blocks and one resource exploration opportunity. Petronas estimates these deals will generate over 1.3 billion Malaysian ringgit (US$277 million) in investment for exploration work. The Malaysian government is actively supporting increased offshore exploration, setting the stage for the upstream sector's continued growth in 2024 and beyond. Indonesia has also outlined ambitious investment plans for its oil and gas industry. The country intends to invest $17 billion in the sector in 2024, a 29 per cent increase compared to 2023 level. This capital inflow is aimed at boosting Indonesia's oil and gas production capabilities, with the plan to drill around 930 wells in 2024, up from 790 wells the previous year. In Viet Nam, E&P projects have been lacking since 2014 due to the plunging and prolonged low prices of crude oil, making new oil and gas development projects economically unviable. However, with the recovery of crude oil prices, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) is planning to invest around VN49.2 trillion ($1.9 billion) in 2024, up nearly 57 per cent from last year. Over VN25.7 trillion will be invested in the upstream sector. PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), a subsidiary of PetroVietnam, is leading the investment plan for 2024, with over VN20.6 trillion. PVEP will dedicate resources to develop activities at various key oil and gas projects. This renewed upstream investment by PetroVietnam and its subsidiaries signals Viet Nam's efforts to ramp up oil and gas production capabilities amid the recovery in global energy prices, aiming to boost the country's domestic energy supplies. PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) plans to invest over VN1.8 trillion in 2024, 4.4 times more than 2023. During the first quarter of the year, it invested VN301 billion. Meanwhile, PV Drilling expects stable high oil prices will increase domestic and regional drilling and well activities, boosting demand for rigs and services. It plans more than VN2.6 trillion investment in 2024, versus less than VN50 billion in 2023. The company plans to shift from buying new $130 million rigs to acquiring used rigs for $90 million, and spend $19.8 million on equipment. Supply glut risks improbable In 2014, $100 per barrel oil prices drove a record $700 billion global E&P investment by majors like ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, especially in North America, Brazil, West Africa and the North Sea. The Middle East also expanded production capacity to maintain market share. But by late 2014, oversupply caused prices to crash below $50 per barrel, leading to project cancellations and suspensions. A decade later, the industry faces a new investment race, as EIA forecasts 2024 oil demand growth rate will outpace that of supply. Viet Nam's major domestic oil and gas fields, exploited since the 1980s-2015, are now being exhausted, however growing industrial and energy demand requires accelerating exploration and production. Key upcoming projects like Lac a Vang Cuu Long, Su Tu Trang Pha 2B, Nam Du - U Minh, and especially Block B - O Mon will provide substantial, stable work for upstream companies. This dynamic E&P activity is expected to generate ample business for PTSC in the coming years, as the company has won over $1.4 billion in Block B project contracts and potential future packages. PV Drilling's entire fleet of jack-up rigs are committed to long-term overseas contracts. However, domestic drilling demand in Viet Nam is forecast to rise sharply from 2025, driven by major new oil and gas projects. In Malaysia, PV Drilling maintains a 25 per cent market share in the jack-up rig segment, making it the second largest provider. The company currently operates one rig in Indonesia, but a recent long-term contract win means it could deploy up to two rigs there starting in 2025. VNS HA NOI Biometric verification will be mandatory according to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)'s regulations for first-time mobile banking users or large-value transactions. Customers have been told to update their facial images and chip-based ID cards by July 1 to avoid disruptions in high-value online transactions. However, many users have reported difficulties in updating their data. Nguyen Hoa from Cau Giay, Ha Noi, said that due to unfamiliarity with technology, in spite of following the bank app's instructions several times, the system still reported errors and requested several reattempts. Xuan Nam from Hoang Mai, Ha Noi, highlighted another issue. The banking app requires users to place their chip-based ID cards close to the NFC (Near Field Communication) reader on their smartphones, but not all smartphones have NFC readers, or the readers location varies by device, complicating the verification process. In another instance, Phan Minh from Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi, expressed concerns about the potential risks of data breaches. Updating information on the banking app involves capturing facial images and scanning detailed personal data, including fingerprints. With the increasing sophistication of scams, I worry about privacy and the possibility of data leaks, which could facilitate fraud, Minh said. In response to these difficulties, banks have stated that customers can update their data online via the banking app or visit bank branches with their chip-based ID cards for in-person verification using NFC readers. Foreign residents in Viet Nam who do not have chip-based ID cards can use their passports and visit bank branches for biometric data updates and get help from staff. Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) was among the first to implement biometric data registration, including facial recognition and fingerprint data, synchronised with chip-based ID card information. Since March 2024, all TPBank employees have used biometric data for transaction verification and in May the bank extended this update to its customers. Pham Anh Tuan, Director of the Payment Department at the SBV, reported that 60 financial institutions have implemented customer verification using chip-based ID cards at branches, 49 institutions via mobile apps and 22 institutions with the VNeID electronic identification application. To verify biometric data for the first time, users need to log into the banking app, select the 'Update Information' feature (name may vary by app), scan their face, capture both sides of their ID card and use the phones NFC reader to scan the chip-based ID card. Finally, confirm the information and complete OTP verification. Experts note that traditional verification methods like passwords and OTPs are increasingly vulnerable to attacks, while biometric verification, unique to each individual, offers stronger protection. However, a security expert cautioned that protecting biometric data is crucial and without proper security measures, this information could become a target for cybercriminals. VNS HA NOI There is no legal basis at the moment to consider proposals related to raising the foreign ownership ratio in aviation transport businesses to 49 per cent of the charter capital, said the government agency. The Government Office has asked the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to provide written comments on the feedback from the Ministry of Planning and Investment regarding the proposal to increase the foreign ownership cap from 34 per cent to 49 per cent of the charter capital, in the aviation transport business of Bamboo Airways. In a document sent to the Prime Minister in early April, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said that according to Viet Nam's WTO commitments, the country has not committed to fully opening up the domestic aviation transport market. Viet Nam has only committed to allowing international air transport operations through the establishment of foreign airlines' ticket offices or agents in the country. As a result, the ministry affirmed that the further opening up of the domestic aviation transport market entirely depends on the Vietnamese Government. According to current regulations, the foreign investor's capital ratio in a Vietnamese air transport enterprise is capped at 34 per cent of the charter capital. Changing the foreign ownership limit could affect the ability of Vietnamese airlines to attract foreign strategic partners to participate in business operations and management restructuring, as well as access to international aviation networks and partnerships that foreign investors could facilitate. Additionally, raising the foreign ownership cap could strengthen the competitive position and market share of foreign-invested rivals against domestic Vietnamese airlines. Any proposal to increase the foreign ownership limit from 34 per cent to 49 per cent would need to be carefully considered, a representative from the MPI said, adding that Viet Nam had previously allowed this higher 49 per cent foreign ownership limit, but later had to adjust it down to the current 34 per cent cap. The representative agreed that regulating the foreign ownership ratio in aviation is under the authority and responsibility of the Ministry of Transport, as per Government Decree No. 56/2022/ND-CP. Therefore, the MPI representative said that currently there is no legal basis to consider the proposal from Bamboo Airways to increase the foreign ownership ratio in air transport businesses up to 49 per cent. Appropriate ratio The state aviation management agency stated that the 34 per cent ratio of foreign investor capital contribution in charter capital has essentially created favourable conditions for foreign investors to participate in investing in Vietnamese airlines. This regulation also ensures a proper balance with domestic air transport enterprises in terms of resource allocation and helps avoid impacts on Vietnamese airlines during their business operations and air transport activities. According to the Enterprise Law, shareholders holding over 35 per cent of charter capital have veto power over shareholder meeting resolutions. However, Decree No. 89/2019/ND-CP also permits foreign investors to choose to contribute capital in Vietnamese legal entities participating in air transport business, with a ratio not exceeding 49 per cent of charter capital. Previously, in reports to government authorities regarding its Restructuring Plan, Bamboo Airways proposed raising the foreign investment ceiling to 49 per cent of charter capital. The airline's leadership has engaged with many foreign investors, who have been interested due to the potential of the Vietnamese market - its abundant qualified personnel with reasonable labour costs, strategic location for transit hub development and opportunities in aviation services and manufacturing. Given foreign investor appetite, Bamboo Airways has sought regulatory changes to enable greater than the current 34 per cent foreign ownership, in order to better facilitate the level of foreign participation it has encountered. With the current 34 per cent foreign investment cap, foreign shareholders do not have decision-making rights, neither can exercise veto power over key decisions, making investment in the sector quite risky. To create more favourable conditions for Bamboo Airways and Vietnamese airlines to attract beneficial foreign capital, the company has proposed that the PM consider raising the foreign ownership ceiling back up to the previous 49 per cent, as was stipulated in earlier regulations. VN HA NOI PVI Insurance has secured the top position in the list of the most reputable insurance companies in 2024, according to Vietnam Report. PVI Insurance has emerged as the market's largest insurance company with the highest growth rate in the past years, establishing a significant leading position in the market. In 2021, its total revenue reached VN10.2 trillion (US$400.7 million) with a profit before tax of VN790 billion. In the following year, total revenue rose to nearly VN12.8 trillion and profit before tax of VN680 billion. Last year, the company achieved a total revenue of over VN14.5 trillion with a profit before tax of VN795 billion. Notably, PVI Insurance holds the highest charter capital among its competitors. By 2024, PVI Insurance successfully increased its charter capital from VN3.3 trillion to VN3.5 trillion. The strategic move aims to enhance financial capacity, expand operations, invest in infrastructure and technology, and diversify product offerings to meet customer demands. The companys focus on sustainable development and customer-centric approach is evident in its strong performance and market position. Last year, PVI Insurance achieved another notable milestone by becoming the first and only non-life insurance firm to receive an international financial strength rating of A- (excellent) and an issuer credit rating of A- (excellent). AM Best, which is the largest credit rating agency in the world specialising in the insurance industry, has also assigned a national scale rating (NSR) of aaa.VN (Exceptional) to PVI Insurance with a stable outlook. These ratings, with stable outlooks, highlight PVI Insurance's strong financial capabilities, impressive operational performance, stable business growth and effective enterprise risk management (ERM) system. The ratings also consider the beneficial impact of HDI (HDI V.a.G.), a significant shareholder of PVI Insurance. VNS HA NOI Given the rising demand for sustainable development and the associated business opportunities, the Viet Nam Independent Directors Association (VNIDA) will host a forum for companies to demonstrate their commitment to both economic interests and environmental responsibility in HCM City on June 26. The Viet Nam Greenovation Forum 2024, themed "Opportunities and Pathways for Vietnamese Businesses, will guide businesses in accessing green financing, attracting new customers and exploring resource-efficient solutions for green investment. By fostering collaboration and driving comprehensive changes, the forum aims to position businesses as leaders in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The forum features around 150 pioneering businesses, making significant contributions to the journey of sustainable economic development in HCM City and Viet Nam as a whole. It will also bring together representatives from financial institutions, technology firms, investment funds and leading consulting companies to discuss the role of businesses in the green transition and the impact of green energy. Topics include the green transformation of Vietnamese businesses, technological advancements, funding for small and medium-sized enterprises and global ESG standards. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the green economy's current state and future in Viet Nam. Chairman of VNIDA Nguyen Sinh Dung Thang said: "The Viet Nam Greenovation Forum 2024 will serve as an important platform for businesses already engaged or planning to participate in the green economy and sustainable development. "Vietnamese businesses can seize real opportunities by embracing the green trend, thereby making significant contributions to the sustainable economic growth of the country." VNS HA NOI Vietnam Airlines has inaugurated a route between Viet Nam and the Philippines, making it the first Vietnamese carrier to establish a direct connection to the island nation. The inaugural flight, VN648, departed from HCM City at 12.50am on Monday and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at 4.20am the same day. The national carrier will operate seven flights a week between the two Southeast Asian countries, four on the HCM City-Manila route and the remainder on the Ha Noi-Manila one. Vietnam Airlines views it as a promising market, for both tourist and business travellers, serving a community of nearly 30,000 Vietnamese residing in the Philippines and around 7,000 Filipinos living in Viet Nam. In recent years, Viet Nam has become attractive for Filipino visitors thanks to its geographical proximity, affordable travel costs and rich cultural heritage, while in turn the Philippines is becoming an attractive destination for Vietnamese visitors. The Viet Nam Airliness launch of direct flights is a sign of a growing strategic partnership between the two, with many opportunities for both to increase tourism and trade. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese market extended losses on Monday despite gains in steel stocks, while foreign investors continued their net selling streak on two main exchanges. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index declined by 5.14 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 1,274.77 points, falling for the second straight day. The market breadth was negative as the number of decliners surpassed that of gainers by 191 to 145. Liquidity, however, remained high, with a trading value on the southern bourse of nearly VN23 trillion (US$903.2 million). The VN30-Index, which tracks the 30 biggest stocks in term of market capitalisation on the HoSE, also dipped 6.76 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 1,309.7 points. Up to 20 ticker symbols on the VN30 basket ticked down, while eight inched higher and two stayed flat. Leading the downtrend were big names in banking, gas and oil, information technology and manufacturing. BIDV (BID) posted the biggest loss, down 2.1 per cent. It was followed by PV Gas (GAS), FPT Corporation (FPT), Masan Group (MSN) and Vietcombank (VCB). All the stocks fell in a range of 0.5-2.3 per cent. Securities shares were also weighed down by selling forces, with Ho Chi Minh Securities Corporation (HCM) down 1.56 per cent, SSI Securities Corporation (SSI) falling 0.55 per cent, Saigon - Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS) down 1.07 per cent, and VNDirect Securities Corporation (VND) decreasing nearly 2 per cent. Adding to the losses, real estate stocks saw some corrections. Development Investment Construction JSC (DIG) dropped 1.5 per cent, at Xanh Group (DXG) tumbled 1.82 per cent and Phat at Real Estate Development JSC (PDR) lost 2.34 per cent. The market pared some losses on gains led by steel producers. Hoa Phat Group (HPG) was the biggest gainer in market capitalisation, up 1.2 per cent. Other names in the industry, including Hoa Sen Group (HSG) and Nam Kim Group (NKG), also performed well, with HSG logging the maximum daily rise of 7 per cent. Shares in the industry lifted after an announcement by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) initiating an anti-dumping investigation into certain coated steel products imported from China and South Korea. The decision is expected to provide positive support for domestic steel stocks and the local industry in the future. The HNX-Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) also finished lower at 243.16 points, down 0.81 points, or 0.33 per cent. Investors poured nearly VN1.6 trillion into the northern exchange, equivalent to a trading volume of 73.1 million shares. Meanwhile, foreign investors were still net sellers on the two main exchanges, net selling a value of VN791 billion on HoSE and nearly VN26 billion on HNX. VNS BANGKOK - Fresh lychees from Luc Ngan District, the northern province of Bac Giang, continue to be sold at the supermarket chain of Gourmet Market and shopping malls belonging to Thailands The Mall Group this year. This is the second year in a row, the Bac Giang lychees have been sold at major supermarkets in Bangkok. Pumin Piyawanich, a representative of Ekthai company, the importer of lychees for sale at Gourmet Market Siam Paragon commercial centre, said that the company wants to sell Vietnamese lychees because of their best taste. This year's Vietnamese lychee output is not as high as last year, but the company luckily signed contracts with farmers last year. That's why they still have opportunities to sell the fruit to meet the expectations of customers in Thailand, he said. Although the price of imported lychees this year is a bit higher than last year, his company still tries to keep the selling price as same as last year's so that more customers can enjoy Vietnamese lychees, he added. The Bac Giang lychees which are fresh and sweet not only attract Thai consumers but also foreign visitors. Debby, a tourist from Singapore, said she heard Vietnamese lychees are available in Thai supermarket. After having some, she hoped the fruit will soon enter Singapore so that she can buy them there. In an effort to widely introduce Vietnamese lychees in Thailand which is well-known as the kingdom of tropical fruits, Gourmet Market has combined with the Mam Initiative a project of a group of young Vietnamese people dedicated to building a brand for Vietnamese agricultural products launching the promotion campaign "The best lychees from Vietnam" for the first time in Thailand in 2024. Under the campaign, hand-drawn adverstisements and a set of stickers of lychees with different funny expressions in Thai language are free to download on some applications such as Viber or WhatsApp. The promotional activity is expected to bring Vietnamese lychees closer to more Thai consumers. The campaign will be carried out from June 15 to the end of July, during which the lychees are imported weekly and sold in Bangkok. Truong uc, strategy team leader of the Mam Initiative, said that they want to innovate trade promotion methods through the application of technology and creative ideas. In the coming time, they hopes to join promoting other Vietnamese agricultural products in countries. - VNS Thu Anh HCM CITY Southern culture, people and lifestyles are featured in new shows staged by theatres in HCM City. Artists from the State-owned Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theatre offer Khuc Trang Ca Thanh Gia inh (The Epic of Gia inh Citadel ) and Thanh Pho Buoi Binh Minh (In The City of Dawn), both produced by talented actor Phan Quoc Kiet. The two works highlight the original style of cai luong (reformed opera), the traditional genre of Vietnamese theatre in the south which began a hundred years ago. They feature the history, culture and character of the South and its people. The historical play Khuc Trang Ca Thanh Gia inh portrays Vo Duy Ninh, a national hero who contributed to the growth of South Viet Nam in the 19th century. Ninh was born in 1804 in Nghia Hanh District (now Quang Ngai Province). He served as the governor of Gia inh Citadel (later Sai Gon and now HCM City) in 1858 under King Tu uc, the longest reigning monarch of the Nguyen Dynasty - ruling from 1847 to 1883. He led his military and people to fight against the French from 1858-59. He was injured in a battle and killed himself after the French attacked and occupied Gia inh Citadel in 1859. Thanh Pho Buoi Binh Minh is about social issues of people living in HCM City. Realistic images of women, their character and lifestyle, are highlighted. Our show features different stories of the southern people who encounter difficulties and challenges to build and develop their land, said the theatres director Phan Quoc Kiet. TKC Drama Stage, one of the citys private art troupes, is offering Khat Vong Ngay Mai (Aspiration for the Future) with new concepts and techniques. The 120-minute show is produced by the theatres founder and Peoples Artist Trinh Kim Chi. It features a group of young engineers and workers in HCM City who are helping to build the first train for the citys Metro Line No 1 from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9. Construction of the metro line is expected to be completed in October, with services to be underway next year. Through our work, the images of Vietnamese people, particularly youth, are featured, said Chi, who has 25 years in the industry. Our artists offer drama in the style of the South. Khat Vong Ngay Mai features 20 actors, including young talents Thien Nhan and Uyen Nhi. TKC Drama Stage opened in 2015 and offers shows staged especially to serve children and young people. The theatres shows have attracted more than 13,000 spectators. Other shows are Sai Gon Ngo Lam Nha (Lovely Sai Gon) and Thanh Pho Tinh Yeu (The City of Love), both staged by artists from the State-owned Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theatre. The two plays feature young migrant workers who work and live in HCM City. Themes of love and women are highlighted. "Through our art, we hope to contribute to the character, morals, lifestyles, and identities of the city's residents, said the theatres director Nguyen Anh Kiet. Young audiences can see the beautiful minds and brave characters of Southern people after watching our shows. Kiets theatre has 20 young actors, mostly from art schools such as the HCM City Theatre & Cinematography and the HCM City University of Culture. VNS BANGKOK Thailand is seeking to cooperate with Viet Nam and Cambodia in opening a maritime route connecting islands near Trat province of Thailand with Viet Nam's Kien Giang province and Cambodia's Sihanoukville province to promote investment, trade, tourism and tourism combined with meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). Trat Governor Natthapong Sanguanjit recently chaired a meeting on this initiative within the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor (CVTEC) - Trat Business Roadshow 2024, with the participation of representatives from six provinces of the three countries, Chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Chamnan Srisawat, and Senior Vice President at the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) Puripan Bunnag, Thai media reported on June 16. Chamnan said the TCT is accelerating the organisation of the CVTEC conference, with the TCEB as co-organiser and main sponsor, noting the goal is to promote the maritime route connecting the three countries in order to create One Market, Three Destinations. It will not only function as a modern economic route but also an attractive tourist one with beautiful nature and culture. Natthapong emphasised the significance of fostering tourism that links the eastern coastal regions of the three nations through this maritime route. Within the framework of the meeting, representatives of the private and public sectors of the three countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly strengthen trade, investment, tourism and the MICE industry along this route. TCEB Deputy Director Apichai Somboonpakorn said the TCEB believes Thailand is ready for this project, adding if successful, it will allow tourists to travel from Pattaya to Laem Chabang, and then on to Trat, Sihanoukville, and Kien Giang and vice versa. Wiyada Suang, Vice Chairman of the Trat provincial Tourism Council, said the sea route will likely open during the peak tourist season in November this year. VNA/VNS PARIS Ici Vietnam Festival 2024 was held at Monge Square in Paris on June 15 to introduce Vietnamese cuisine and culture to French people. This is the fourth year the festival has been organised, offering visitors opportunities to taste popular Vietnamese dishes and fruits such as banh xeo (a pancake stuffed with shrimp and sprouts, and fresh green salad), nem (spring rolls), banh my ( Vietnamese sandwich) and pho bo (beef noodle soup). The long lines of diners at all Vietnamese food stalls reflected the attractiveness of Vietnamese food to French people. In addition to offering a range of traditional recipes and new culinary creations of Vietnamese dishes, visitors to the festival also had a chance to explore a book market, which showcased the diversity of Vietnamese and French books. According to Vuong Huu Nhan, President of the Vietnamese Association in France - the festivals organiser, following the success of previous editions, this year's event attracted nearly 6,000 visitors. Ariane Louvet, a visitor, said that she loves Vietnamese culture because her husband is Vietnamese. Coming to the festival, she could taste Vietnamese dishes and find books about the Southeast Asian country for her children, so they can better understand its culture. Vietnamese Ambassador to France inh Toan Thang spoke highly of the organisation of Ici Vietnam Festival at a location familiar to the Vietnamese community, noting that it aims to popularise unique features of Vietnamese cuisine, leaving a deep impression in the hearts of visitors. VNA/VNS State Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan has been talking about the significant results achieved in the fight against corruption and negativity through the auditing activities of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its establishment (July 11, 1994 - 2024). Please share with us some of the significant results achieved in the fight against corruption? In line with the Party and State's policies, the provisions of the Law on State Audit and the Law on Anti-Corruption, the State Audit Office of Viet Nam has consistently identified the prevention and the fight against corruption and negativity as one of its core tasks in auditing activities. As a result, the office has been gradually improving its functions, tasks and affirming its important role in combating corruption and negativity within the political system. The efforts of the office through auditing activities are evident in the following three aspects. Firstly, every year, the office conducts an average of about 250 audits, evaluating and confirming the accuracy of thousands of financial reports and settlement reports of units and projects. Through auditing activities, the office detected and recommended handling of financial violations, resulting in an increase of billions of ong in the State budget revenue and reduced expenditures each year. It also recommends disciplinary action against relevant collectives and individuals and transfers audit records to competent authorities for investigation and prosecution as regulations. Every year, the office also provides hundreds of sets of documents and materials to the National Assembly agencies and other competent authorities for examination, inspection and supervision according to their functions and powers. Secondly, for the first time, the office issued audit procedures for cases with signs of corruption, accompanied by Decision No. 07/2023/Q-KTNN based on the specific provisions of Article 78 of the Law on Anti-Corruption. It stipulates that in cases of criminal signs, the audit shall immediately transfer the files and recommend the investigating agency to consider initiating criminal proceedings. In practice, the office applied the procedure to two audits (compensation and resettlement activities at the Long Thanh International Airport's project; land allocation, land use fees and land rental fees for some land-use projects in ong Nai Province) and submitted reports to the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Negativity and provided documents to competent authorities as required. Thirdly, through auditing activities, the office proposed that relevant authorities plug loopholes in mechanisms and policies to serve the effective management and use of public resources. This is one of the important contributions of the office in perfecting institutions, improving the business environment and creating conditions to promote healthy and transparent economic development. Annually, the office recommends that relevant authorities consider amending, supplementing, replacing or abolishing about 200 legal normative documents and other management documents. The public also views anti-corruption and anti-negativity efforts within the competent authority itself. So, how does the State Audit Office of Viet Nam carry out the work? Throughout the past 30 years, the office has consistently upheld the core values of 'Independence, Integrity, Professionalism, Trustworthiness and Quality.' As a tool of the Party and State in inspection and supervision of the management and use of public finances and assets, to fulfill its mission of preventing and combating corruption and negativity, the office determines that, first and foremost, it is necessary to do a good job of preventing and combating corruption and negativity within the office itself. The office has strictly adhered to Party resolutions, policies and legal provisions on anti-corruption and anti-negativity, especially the directives of Party General Secretary and Head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Negativity Nguyen Phu Trong. The office has also institutionalised Party and State regulations on anti-corruption and anti-negativity into its activities, building and revising systems of regulations to align with Decision No. 131-Q/TW of the Politburo, such as professional ethics standards; rules of conduct for State auditors; audit procedures and quality control of audits. Immediately after being elected as the State Auditor General by the National Assembly, the State Auditor General issued Directive No. 1346/CT-KTNN on strengthening discipline, resolutely combating corruption and negativity in the implementation of public duties. The office has also enhanced education to raise the awareness, consciousness and professional self-esteem of State auditors. In addition, the office has strengthened regular and random inspections, focusing on verifying the asset declarations and incomes of officials, inspecting and verifying corrupt and negative acts in the performance of official duties and closely coordinating with ministries, sectors and localities in supervising audit teams' activities. The office has established a hotline to receive information on corruption and negativity in audit activities and State auditors. It makes regular position changes and missions for officials and civil servants to prevent and combat corruption and negativity in accordance with the Party's directives. It rigorously handles violations of professional ethics, codes of conduct and acts of corruption and negativity in audit activities. How does the State Audit Office coordinate with relevant agencies in the fight against corruption and negativity? Based on the assigned functions and tasks, the office has proactively coordinated with relevant agencies in the fight against corruption and negativity to leverage the strengths of each agency and organisation to successfully accomplish the task of combating corruption and negativity in the management and use of public finances and assets. Over the past five years (2019-23), the office has provided 1,609 audit reports and related documents to the National Assembly agencies, the Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee, the Ministry of Public Security and other competent State agencies for investigation and supervision work. The office signed a coordination charter with the Party Central Committees Commission for Internal Affairs, the Central Inspection Committee, the Government Inspectorate of Viet Nam, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, and relevant agencies and localities. At the same time, they are reviewing whether to add content on 'coordination in detecting, transferring, receiving, resolving allegations and reports of crimes, and initiating prosecutions for cases with signs of corruption and negative economic practices' in the regulations with other units. Following the Conclusion of Party General Secretary and Head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Negativity Nguyen Phu Trong, at the 24th meeting of the committee on August 16, 2023, the office worked with relevant units to build the Joint Circular on coordinating the exchange of information on crimes and handling prosecution proposals discovered through auditing activities in accordance with regulations. Could you tell us why the State Audit conducts many audits, but the detection of legal violations with criminal implications for referral to investigative agencies remains limited? Firstly, it must be asserted that the activities of the State audit are not investigative or prosecutorial in nature. According to international conventions and regulations, the role of the State audit is to evaluate and confirm the accuracy and honesty of financial information or financial reports, the compliance with laws and the effectiveness in the management and use of public finances and assets. This is carried out based on sampling principles, on the basis of records and documents provided by the audited units, organisations and related individuals at the time of the audit. In an analogy, the State Audit Office functions like a general practitioner, conducting clinical examinations for patients. When signs of illness are detected, they are referred to specialist doctors (investigative agencies) for in-depth evaluation and conclusions. In the field of auditing, there is the concept of investigative auditing to record investigations related to the audited activities of organisations and individuals. However, the investigation is only conducted to clarify and provide additional information and documents from relevant parties to supplement the basis for making audit assessments, comments, or conclusions; not to determine legal violations. Therefore, although the concept has been mentioned early on in international auditing activities, since 1940 and only applied in 1980, currently, only a few newly developed countries apply investigative auditing. Even the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) itself has not provided guidance or standards regarding the issue. This is a common challenge faced by audit institutions in detecting legal violations with criminal implications for referral to investigative agencies. What are solutions the State Audit has to do to better fulfill the task of anti-corruption and anti-negative in the coming time? To further enhance the role of the office in anti-corruption and anti-negative tasks, we have identified several solutions. We will enhance the dissemination of legal provisions regarding the State Audit at all levels of State agencies and society to ensure a correct understanding of the role, legal status, functions and tasks of the State Audit in general and in anti-corruption and anti-negative phenomena in particular. We are proposing amendments to the Law on State Audit, which specifically stipulates the responsibilities of the State Audit in anti-corruption and anti-negative activities. This aims to institutionalise the Party's new documents in this work, as well as to be consistent with anti-corruption and anti-negative laws. We will strengthen coordination with agencies responsible for anti-corruption and anti-negative activities in detecting, investigating and handling cases with signs of legal violation. The office also will improve the quality and efficiency of audit activities, enhance the application of information technology in audit activities, build a team of civil servants and State auditors to meet both quantity and quality requirements. The office will also strictly handle cases of violations of audit regulations, professional ethics and laws to ensure the quality and effectiveness of audit work, meeting the trust of the Party, State and people in the State Audit. VNS HA NOI Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Chairman of the PCC's Commission for Information and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia and delegates on Monday pressed the button to inaugurate the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s special website on protecting the Partys ideological foundation. The activity was part of his visits to VNA, Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, and Tap Chi Cong San (Communist Review) on the occasion of the 99th anniversary of the Viet Nam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21). The website, at https://happyvietnam.vnanet.vn, features various forms of information like text, photo, television, audio and infographic, produced with the support of digital technology. With the columns of Happy Viet Nam, Resolution and Life, Viet Nam's Reform, Young Vietnamese, and Multimedia, it highlights efforts by the entire political system in materialising the Resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, works on the theoretical and practical foundation of socialism and the process of building socialism in Viet Nam, socio-economic achievements, and the Party's policies and guidelines with the ultimate goal of people benefiting from the results. On this occasion, Nghia extended greetings to VNAs staff and lauded the agency for its outstanding fulfillment of the tasks assigned by the Party, State and people during its 79-year journey. He stressed that the fourth Industrial Revolution requires journalists to have firm political will and good professional knowledge and skills, while mastering science and technology to offer mainstream information about Viet Nam to friends around the globe as quickly as possible. The Party official commended VNAs staff for their great efforts in fulling their tasks, providing updates on issues emerging during the cause of national construction over the past time. Notably, the agency has adopted innovations in producing information to protect the Partys ideological foundation and oppose hostile allegations, and played an active part in introducing theoretical works by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the public at home and abroad, and building a database in Vietnamese and foreign languages on Party Congresses and the National Assembly, Nghia said. At the same time, it has teamed up with some units under the PCC's Commission for Information and Education in building and operating applications on digital devices to disseminate the Party's policies and resolutions among Party organisations and cells nationwide, he continued. Lauding the inauguration of the special website, he said it demonstrates the agencys role and position as well as the attention its leaders have paid to protecting the Partys ideological foundation. The official urged VNAs staff continue to stay united, innovative and responsible to better complete their assigned tasks, noting external information service helps friends and partners understand more about Viet Nam. VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang said the agency has stepped up digital transformation to offer various multimedia products to raise the efficiency of the communications work, adding that over the past time, it has developed many special websites to meet requirements and tasks of modern journalism. Also on this occasion, Nghia extended his best wishes to Nhan Dan and Tap Chi Cong San, and expressed his belief that they and revolutionary journalists in general will further study President Ho Chi Minhs thought, morality and lifestyle, and be better aware of their tasks and responsibilities. VNS HA NOI National Assembly (NA) deputies on Monday morning discussed adjustments to the investment policy for the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas. This discussion was part of the ongoing seventh session of the 15th legislature and is one of the Government's suggested adjustments. During the early implementation of the programme, covering a period of 2021-2030, it was found that a focus on local issues was crucial to achieving success and that several public service units needed to focus on ethnic affairs, ethnic minority boarding schools, some national monuments of significant value to ethnic minorities, district-level health centres and hospitals. However, currently there is a severe lack of infrastructure and equipment, necessitating State investment and support. Additionally, these entities are not clearly defined within the programmes investment policy, as their headquarters are located outside ethnic minority and mountainous areas, causing difficulties in planning, appraising, allocating funds and settling accounts for assigned tasks. NA Deputy Nguyen Thi Lan Anh from the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai noted that vocational training and education in ethnic minority and mountainous areas have achieved many positive results, yet there remains a shortage of teaching equipment and investment in education does not meet the region's needs. These educational institutions are under the socio-economic development programme for ethnic minority and mountainous areas, however because they are not actually located within ethnic minority areas, they are not eligible for the programme's policies. Therefore, Anh proposed that the Government include these institutions in the programme. Agreeing, Deputy Duong Khac Mai from the Central Highlands province of ak Nong highlighted existing obstacles in implementing sub-projects related to vocational education and job creation for ethnic minorities. He suggested expanding the scope of implementation and including vocational education centres in district and city centres within areas densely populated by ethnic minorities. Deputy Le Thi Thanh Lam from the southern province of Hau Giang strongly agreed with the Government's proposed adjustments to the programme. She recommended that the Government consider setting regulations and making distinctions for hamlets and areas within communes, wards and townships that are not part of ethnic minority or mountainous regions. This would provide a basis for localities to develop and implement appropriate mechanisms and policies. Additionally, she suggested adjusting the targets and implementation timeline of the programme to allow localities to select component projects that urgently need investment. During the discussion session, Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hau A Lenh clarified issues of concern to NA deputies. The Government has proposed that the NA adjust the programme's funding sources to better align with actual conditions. Although the programme's funding is stipulated as medium-term public investment in the resolution, in practice, it is allocated annually. Therefore, the Government has devised a funding allocation plan that includes both public investment and regular expenditure funds. Currently, four groups of subjects are being adjusted and most NA deputies have shown their support. Lenh noted that over VN4 trillion has been allocated for the programme, from the total approved by the NA. Localities have selected project categories, but there are obstacles because these categories are not situated in ethnic minority or particularly difficult areas, but rather in hamlets and villages. Thus, adjustments to the locations for implementation are necessary, he said, ensuring that the total allocated funds do not increase beyond the approved VN4 trillion (US$157 million). In his concluding remarks, NA Deputy Chairman Tran Quang Phuong stressed that the NA agreed in principle to adjust certain aspects of the investment policy for the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. He tasked the Government with overseeing the review, adjustment and issuance of specific investment categories to ensure the principles, effectiveness and objectives of the programme, without altering the total approved budget. Furthermore, he instructed a careful review of the four groups to ensure consistency across national target programmes, adherence to the principles decided by the NA and inclusion of all relevant subjects to maximise contributions from residents and businesses operating in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. VNS HA NOI Minister of Public Security Sen. Lt. Gen. Luong Tam Quang hosted a reception for a visiting delegation from the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) of the US in Ha Noi on Monday, during which the two sides discussed ways to boost bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation. The Vietnamese official highlighted the fruitful development of the Viet Nam-US relationship, especially the upgrade of the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the visit to Viet Nam by US President Joe Biden. Economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Viet Nam and the US continues to be a bright spot, serving as a crucial pillar and main motivation for advancing the bilateral relations, he said. He suggested the ITI, as a reputable and influential organisation in the US, continue to enhance its role as a bridge between the two countries' governments and businesses, thus further promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation, particularly investment by top IT firms of the US in Viet Nam. ITI President Jason Oxman said the agency looks to gain deeper insights into Viet Nam's investment environment and policies, thus expanding economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries. The council hopes that the Vietnamese government in general and the Ministry of Public Security in particular will continue to pay attention to and create favourable conditions for US enterprises to make long-term investments in Viet Nam, he said. VNS HA NOI Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Viet Nam from June 19-20 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam's Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, the foreign ministry announced on Monday. The Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) officially established diplomatic relations on January 30, 1950. On June 16, 1994, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation signed the 'Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations between the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Russian Federation', laying the foundation and legal basis for their relationship in a new stage of development. On March 1, 2001, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership. Eleven years later, on July 27, 2012, the two countries issued a Joint Declaration on further strengthening the Comprehensive Partnership. On November 30, 2021, Viet Nam and Russia issued a Joint Declaration on the Vision for Strategic Partnership until 2030. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam always considers Russia one of the top priority partners in its foreign policy, President To Lam told Russian Ambassador to Viet Nam Gennady Bezdetko during a reception in Ha Noi on Monday. The Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember the significant and heartfelt support provided by the Soviet and Russian people, both historically during the fight for national independence and reunification, and in ongoing national building and safeguarding, the President said. Speaking highly of the positive development of traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Russia across all channels and areas, he expressed his delight at the considerable increase in two-way trade and noted that there remains vast potential for further collaboration, especially in economy-trade-investment, infrastructure, transportation, tourism and people-to-people exchange. He also expressed confidence that existing bilateral mechanisms will ensure the continued growth of the comprehensive strategic partnership. He welcomed the close coordination and mutual support at international forums for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world. Bezdetko, for his part, pledged his continued efforts and those of the embassy to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership. He highlighted specific areas of interest for reinforcing bilateral ties, including economy-trade, national defence-security, education-training, sci-tech, tourism and people-to-people exchange. Host and guest agreed on close coordination for thorough preparations by both countries relevant agencies for the upcoming Viet Nam visit by President Vladimir Putin, contributing to further strengthening solidarity, traditional friendship, and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. This visit will be a milestone in the two countries' relations. VNS HA NOI The European Union (EU) and its members are always leading important partners in Viet Nam's foreign policy, Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man said while hosting a reception for EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier and ambassadors and Charges Ds Affaires ad interim of EU states to Viet Nam in Ha Noi on Monday. The Chairman expressed his delight at the robust development in the relations between Viet Nam and EU as well as its members across all domains, with the enhanced exchange of high-level delegations, effective implementation of agreements and dialogue mechanisms that create a framework to bolster cooperation in trade-investment, healthcare, education, defence-security and agriculture, among others. The EU is now Viet Nam's very important economic-development partner, largest provider of non-refundable aid, third biggest exporter, fifth largest importer and sixth largest investor, he said, highlighting the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect from August 1, 2020, is a milestone in the two sides 30 years of cooperation and opens up a promising period for the Comprehensive Partnership to develop into a deeper and more practical and effective manner. Two-way trade in the first quarter neared US$16 billion, up 16 per cent year-on-year, and the EU has registered $29.88 billion in nearly 2,600 projects in Viet Nam, he said. The cooperation ties between Viet Nam and EU and the unions members have showed positive signs, and there is ample room for the two sides to bolster their collaboration, Man highlighted. Regarding the relations between Vietnamese NA and the European Parliament (EP), he said based on their sound relations with cooperative and constructive spirit, they will continue close coordination to contribute to promoting the Viet Nam-EU ties, particularly experience exchange in parliamentary activities and the completion of the legal mechanisms to push ahead the effective implementation of the EVFTA to bring practical benefits to the peoples and enterprises of both sides. He welcomed the proposal of the EPs Committee on International Trade (INTA) to establish a joint mechanism between the two parliaments, and said that parliamentarians of both sides have maintained regular dialogues and discussions to promote the effective implementation of the EVFTA, contributing to the development of the Viet Nam-EU ties. He suggested the European diplomats continue enhancing delegation exchanges to promote political trust and mutual understanding, creating motives for cooperation in all areas, as well as bolstering the efficiency of the existing cooperation mechanisms and dialogues, particularly parliamentary cooperation, to well implement the Viet Nam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the EVFTA, and other deals between Viet Nam and EU members. He proposed the EU and its members continue their strong voice and support the settlement of disputes in the East Sea via peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to security, safety and freedom of navigation for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. He said he hopes that the European Commission (EC) will remove its yellow card on the Vietnamese seafood on the basis of recognising Viet Nams efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Man also suggested the diplomats to enhance delegation exchanges, and join hands with the Vietnamese parliamentarian groups to boost the bilateral relations in various fields, hoping that they will serve as an important bridge and make further contributions to friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and EU and its members. On behalf of the European diplomats, Ambassador Guerrier held that both sides boast huge cooperation potential in the development of the green economy, digital economy and circular economy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, justice, labour, defence-security, and cooperation for climate change response. The European side wishes to enhance collaboration with Viet Nam in maritime security, compliance with international law, especially the UNCLOS, and response to non-traditional challenges, including cyber security, he said, affirming coordination with the Vietnamese stakeholders to promote the removal of the IUU yellow card on Vietnamese seafood. He underlined that the Vietnamese NA has an important role to play in law building, supervision and promotion of large projects, expressing his belief that under the leadership of NA Chairman Man, friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and EU members will develop in a stronger and more extensive fashion for peace, security and stability in the region and the world. VNS VIENTIANE The martyrs remains search and repatriation team in Laos under Military Region 2 has searched and collected 1,835 remains of Vietnamese over the past three decades, heard a ceremony to mark 30th founding anniversary of the team held in Oudomxay province, Laos on Monday. The team was established on June 17, 1994 under the directive of the Vietnamese Minister of Defence and the minute signed between the two Governments on the search and repatriation of the remains of the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos during wartime. It has been tasked with surveying, clarifying, searching and repatriating the remains in six northern Lao localities of Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Luang Prabang, Phongsaly and Xayaboury. At the ceremony, Major General Pham Hong Thai, deputy political commissar and head of the Steering Committee for the search, collection and identification of fallen soldiers remains (Steering Committee 515) under Military Region 2 praised the teams achievements over the past time, and thanked the Lao Governments special working group, the Vietnamese and Lao people in the six northern provinces of Laos, as well as the authorities of Vietnamese ien Bien Province and Oudomxy for their sincere support for the teams work. Vice Chairman of Oudomxay province Onkeo Unnalom expressed his gratitude towards the voluntary Vietnamese soldiers and experts who made sacrifices for the international revolutionary cause, and stood shoulders by shoulders with the Lao people to fight for independence and freedom of the Lao people. He asked the administrations and peoples of the six Lao provinces to see the search and repatriation of Vietnamese soldiers and experts remains as their responsibility to consolidate information and put forth the work. On the occasion, the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence and the administration of Oudomxay presented a certificate of merit to the team in recognition of its achievements in the past time. VNS Experts exchange views on global geopark, biosphere reserve sustainable development Xinhua) 15:21, June 17, 2024 CHANGCHUN, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 government officials, experts, scholars, and organization representatives from home and abroad have discussed global geopark and biosphere reserve sustainable development while gathering at the Changbai Mountain reserve in northeast China's Jilin Province on Saturday. At the two-day Changbaishan Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve Sustainable Development Conference, which kicked off on Saturday, participants exchanged views on ecological protection and harmonious development between humans and nature, and shared the latest achievements and ideas on geopark management, ecological protection, scientific research, and tourism development. "Our world faces unprecedented challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to the pressures of rapid urbanization and unsustainable resource use," said Shahbaz Khan, director and representative to UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia. "In this context, geoparks and biosphere reserves play a crucial role as models for sustainable living, where conservation and development are balanced to benefit both nature and people," he said. "One issue that concerns us at this conference is that when a certain area has two or more listed land identities awarded by UNESCO, how we should carry out scientific and orderly management, achieve synergies between the listed places, and enable the local community to get rich and reasonable returns," said Wang Ding, secretary general of Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme, UNESCO. "It is urgent that we select and cultivate a group of such areas with quality management as the goal and make them play a leading role," Wang added. Gao Haizhu, head of the Jilin provincial forestry and grassland bureau, said that it is a common responsibility to promote the sustainable development of nature reserves, which requires the international community, organizations at all levels, and research institutions to strengthen cooperation. According to Gao, Jilin now has 167 nature reserves covering 3.19 million hectares, accounting for about 16.7 percent of its total area. This makes it one of the provinces with the largest number and richest types of nature reserves in China. On Friday, the Changbaishan Global Geopark was officially inaugurated at the first Jilin Tourism Development Conference held at the Changbai Mountain reserve after it was added to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network in March. The inauguration of the Changbaishan Global Geopark will not only bring more development opportunities for the Changbai Mountain area but also inject new vitality into the global geopark network, said He Qingcheng, executive deputy director of China National Geoparks Network Office. Since 2000, UNESCO has designated 213 global geoparks in 48 countries. China has 47 such geoparks, topping the global number. "It's one of the hot spots for biodiversity in northeast China and even the temperate region of the world," said Jacob Wickham, a senior scientific researcher at A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences. Wickham has visited the Changbai Mountain reserve twice. "Since Changbai Mountain reserve was founded in the 1960s, it has really become a good model of conservation in the temperate areas of China," he said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) HA NOI The cost of organ transplants currently exceeds the financial capacity of many patients' families, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged. To solve this problem, medical experts are suggesting that health insurance policies cover more expenses to increase access to organ transplant procedures and extend patients' lives. Organ transplants require substantial funds, even though the cost of performing a transplant in Viet Nam is among the lowest in the world. According to inh Van Luong, Director of the National Lung Hospital, the first lung transplant at the hospital cost VN1.3 billion (US$51,096) and the second cost VN1.1 billion ($43,235). These amounts were beyond what the patients' families could afford, so the hospital had to provide nearly VN1 billion in financial support to perform these transplants. The situation is similar for liver transplants. Associate Professor Le Van Thanh, Director of the Institute of Digestive Surgery and Head of the Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery at the 108 Military Central Hospital, stated that the total cost of a liver transplant is about VN1 billion ($39,300). Health insurance covers only about VN200 million ($7,860) for patients eligible for 100 per cent coverage. For those not fully covered, insurance only pays VN163 million ($6,400). This leaves a wide gap between current insurance coverage and the cost of a liver transplant. In addition to the costs of transplanting organs, there are related expenses including for resuscitation activities, brain death diagnosis, organ retrieval, preservation, coordination and transportation. These costs have not been uniformly regulated in Viet Nam, making it difficult for hospitals to settle payments, especially those performing organ donations. For example, the Viet Nam-Sweden Hospital in Quang Ninh Province provides consultation, resuscitation and brain death diagnosis, but organs are transferred to other hospitals for transplants. Meanwhile there are still no mechanisms or policies in place in Viet Nam for consulting on organ donation from brain-dead or heart-dead individuals. Given the reality that many patients in need of transplants face financial difficulties, numerous experts have proposed increased coverage from the health insurance fund and other social sources. Associate Professor ong Van He, Director of the National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation, emphasised the necessity of establishing organ donation advisory teams at hospitals. Over time, the costs for transplant patients and immunosuppressive medications will be cheaper than dialysis. "To further develop and sustain the field of organ transplantation, it is essential to establish advisory teams at hospitals with potential brain-dead donors and to set up funding for consultation and coordination activities," He said. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan from Hue Central Hospital proposed developing a structured pricing system for organ transplants as a basis for health insurance reimbursement, to be applied uniformly across all medical facilities nationwide. He also suggested establishing a humanitarian support fund to assist patients and donors, reducing the financial burden on medical institutions performing organ retrieval and transplantation. This includes full reimbursement for organ retrieval, a post-donation health car and periodic health checks at the donation facility or a convenient location for the donor. Xuan also recommended policies to honour living donors, providing them with lifetime health insurance that offers prioritised and fully covered healthcare at any suitable medical facility. Additional specific benefits and rewards should be included. Furthermore, he proposed creating a payment mechanism for the treatment and resuscitation of brain-dead donors, evaluating organ function, organ retrieval surgery and transportation costs. Xuan also suggested establishing funds and payment mechanisms related to brain-dead donors, such as funeral and burial expenses. Immediate family members such as parents, spouses and children of deceased donors should receive lifetime free health insurance with maximum coverage and priority for organ transplants if they need one. A support fund should be set up to cover the education and upbringing of the donors children until they reach 18 years of age, he said. Professor Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, stated that Viet Nam has achieved many milestones in organ transplantation, leading Southeast Asia in the number of transplants performed each year with technology on par with the rest of the world. According to the National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation, living donors still constitute 95 per cent of donors in Viet Nam, whereas in developed countries like Spain and South Korea, over 50 per cent of donations come from brain-dead individuals. However, the number of donated organs only meets a small fraction of the actual demand. This shortfall is partly due to cultural beliefs that the body should remain intact after death and a lack of awareness about organ transplantation in the community. Additionally, the promotion of organ donation has not been fully developed or optimised and coordination among hospitals and relevant agencies remains inadequate. Currently, only 23 central hospitals have organ donation advisory teams, but few of these teams are actively functioning and there is no support mechanism for these advisory teams. VNS HA NOI A recent string of deadly workplace accidents has ripped through factories in several provinces, raising serious concerns about gaps in workplace safety measures. Just in the past two months, workplace accidents have claimed a shocking number of lives. A horrific accident at a cement factory owned by Yen Bai Cement and Minerals JSC left seven workers dead and three injured in April. One month later, another at a Sunrise Wood Trading Production Co., Ltd. factory claimed six lives and left five hurt. Ha Tat Thang, Director of the Work Safety Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, admits there's a problem. While the total number of workplace accidents has dipped in 2024, the severity of these recent incidents is alarming. Thang blames the accidents on employers who are not following safety rules and workers who have not received proper safety training. The lack of knowledge and skills, coupled with a relaxed attitude towards safety, create a hazardous working environment. The Law on Occupational Safety and Health is clear: employers must prioritise safety. This means they are required to establish a system to manage risks, develop clear procedures and rules, assign supervisors and most importantly, train workers before they even step onto the job site. For high-risk jobs, companies also need to create detailed work plans and have rescue measures in place in case of emergencies. Unfortunately, recent accidents suggest both employers and workers are cutting corners on safety. Nguyen Anh Tho, Director of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health under the General Confederation of Labour, believes many businesses have a skewed view of workplace safety. He reveals that many businesses still see spending money on safety as a waste. They do the bare minimum to comply with regulations instead of recognising it as an investment in their workers' well-being and the company's future. "Companies need a reality check," Tho argues. "Good working conditions, fair labour standards, and competitive wages and benefits are essential for attracting and keeping good employees." Experts emphasise that ensuring workplace safety is a shared responsibility. Government agencies must step up inspections and crack down on companies violating safety regulations. Employers must prioritise safety training for their workers, provide adequate protective gear and improve working conditions overall. Workers must be more aware of safety risks and follow rules in the workplace. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is taking action by issuing a document urging local authorities to ramp up inspections and ensure employers follow occupational safety laws. The focus will be on companies that provide services related to workplace safety, such as training, technical inspections and environmental monitoring. The Ministry is also directing its inspectors to crack down on violations. For serious offenders, the Ministry could temporarily suspend their licences or even pursue criminal charges. There were 7,394 workplace accidents nationwide in 2023, resulting in 7,553 casualties, including 1,720 seriously injured and 699 killed. The total cost of workplace accidents hit more than VN16 trillion (US$625 million). VNS HA NOI Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung uc Tien stressed that prevention is better than cure, as he addressed a conference on diseases among livestock and poultry on Monday. At the event, looking at prevention and control measures which need to be taken in the latter half of 2024, he stressed that localities must continue their efforts in addressing animal product smuggling, in addition to improving vaccination rates. The illegal trade of livestock breeds is considered a primary reason for the spread of serious diseases such as avian influenza, blue ear disease, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), lumpy skin disease or African swine fever, all of which severely damaged the farming industry, he said. Deputy Minister Tien said that local authorities must work with transport and market management agencies on this matter. According to the Department of Animal Health (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MARD), dangerous diseases in animal husbandry have remained complex since the beginning of 2024, with the number of outbreaks and infected animals showing an upward trend compared to the same period in 2023. In terms of avian flu, one death related to the A/H5N1 strain and one infection of A/H9N2 have been reported. A total of 44 people across the country died from rabies (a 30 per cent rise), while nearly 97,000 people were treated for wounds inflicted by potentially rabid animals. Equally concerning is that outbreaks of foot-and-mouth doubled, while the number of African swine fever clusters increased 2.4 fold, with the most severe clusters in the provinces of Bac Kan, Lang Son, Quang Nam and Quang Ninh. In a recent dispatch sent to leaders of provinces and centrally-run cities and several ministries, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered a concerted, drastic and effective implementation of solutions to prevent and control diseases in the livestock sector. The chairs of the local people's committees were asked to direct and mobilise legal resources to handle outbreaks and prevent new ones from arising, culling all infected or suspected of being diseased animals. They were ordered to take measures to support affected farmers, while also promptly detecting, preventing and handling cases of trading and transporting sick animals, as well as improper culling that spreads diseases and pollutes the environment. At least 80 per cent of the total available livestock must be inoculated as soon as possible, the Government leader stressed, ordering a timely vaccination programme against avian influenza, rabies and African swine fever, among others. Phan Quang Minh, deputy director of the Department of Animal Health, said that the risk of widespread African swine fever is very high, as farmers often try to quickly repopulate their herds to take advantage of rising pork prices. The local vaccination drive is still modest in terms of both scale and finances, while some farmers dont practise fundamental veterinary hygiene for disease prevention and control. Culling of infected animals is also challenging due to the shortage of veterinary practitioners, as well as a lack of funding for chemicals and equipment required. The Department of Animal Health is now working with localities to monitor disease situations and implement five national programmes to control illnesses among animal husbandry. The department also stressed active supervision of the transmission of diseases within markets, vaccination efficiency and evaluation. An epidemiological map of dangerous diseases among livestock and poultry is also expected to be developed as a guide for prevention and control efforts and to enhance testing capacities. Specialised units and localities need to guide livestock and poultry owners to get them to use safe farming techniques and prevent diseases through hygiene, disinfection and pest control. Local authorities must also be proactive in detecting dangerous outbreaks for prompt warning and handling. The focus will be on developing disease-free farming areas and value chains, especially those responding to the standards demanded by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for exports. VNS At the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committees working agenda in Hanoi on June 11, one of the most discussed issues was the proposal to apply a 5 per cent VAT rate on fertiliser under the amended law on VAT. The Ministry of Finance first proposed the move in January, in a departure from the current tax-exempt status outlined in the VAT Law. The amended law is scheduled to be passed at the eighth meeting of the NA in October. Before 2015, when the VAT rate for fertilisers was 5 per cent, the company could still deduct taxes when carrying out investment activities, purchasing, and paying costs. However, after a new law took effect in 2015, fertilisers were no longer subject to VAT, so the business could no longer claim a refund of this tax difference. This amended law benefits foreign producers when exporting fertilisers to Vietnam without having to bear VAT costs and affects domestic manufacturers. Another problem is that Vietnam imports a significant amount of fertiliser every year, mostly from countries which impose VAT on fertiliser, said Nguyen Van Phung, former director of the Large Enterprise Tax Administration Department, under the General Department of Taxation. This means that exporters will get an input VAT tax refund when exporting to Vietnam, allowing them to lower prices by an estimated 5-8 per cent, Phung added. Statistics from the General Department of Customs showed that Vietnam imported nearly 4.12 million tonnes of fertilisers in 2023, worth $1.41 billion, representing a rise of 21.3 per cent in volume but a fall of 12.8 per cent in value from 2022. Average import fertiliser prices were $343 per tonne in 2023, 28 per cent lower than a year ago. In the first three months of 2024, the country imported over 1.12 million tonnes of fertiliser, valued at nearly $352 million, with an average price of $315 per tonne. Vietnam imports fertiliser mainly from China and Russia, which together account for 60 per cent of the countrys import value. Fertilisers are subject to 11 per cent VAT in China, which is proposed to be reduced to 9 per cent, and 20 per cent in Russia. The absence of VAT on fertilisers for many years has prevented domestic producers from declaring and deducting input VAT. The non-deduction of VAT for machinery, equipment, and installation leads to an increase in total investment, reduces project efficiency, and makes businesses hesitant to invest in new projects for new-generation and high-tech fertilisers, said Nguyen Hoang Trung, deputy general director of Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem). The fertiliser industry scale is estimated at over $4.15 billion per year, thus, with non-deductible VAT at 5 per cent, manufacturers have to bear $125-165 million per year. For Vinachem particularly, the companys input VAT which is not deducted is estimated to be $416.7 million during nearly 10 years of the absence of VAT. The fertiliser production process includes chemicals, thus, the ideal equipment lifecycle is 15-20 years. Thus, if the VAT Law is amended, it is an important motivation for businesses to invest in building new-generation, high-tech fertiliser production lines with better quality and more environmentally friendly. As a result, the manufacturers will have opportunities to capture the market shares thanks to the good products with the competed selling prices, Trung said. Vinachem fertiliser is produced from the main source in Lao Cai province, the only phosphate ore mine in Vietnam with high quality. Thus, if the domestic fertiliser sector has growth opportunities, it will create better conditions to foster the development of the supporting sector of the mining industry, Trung added. In addition, farmers will also enjoy benefit when domestic fertiliser businesses produce stably and efficiently, enabling them to lower costs and reduce selling prices to farmers, Trung said. On June 14, Vietnam Investment Review in partnership with PetroVietnam, Vinachem, and PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertiliser held a talk show themed Tax Amendments to Promote Business Activities. The event created a forum to discuss the practical basis and the purpose of the amendments of the VAT rate on fertilisers. The talk show was broadcast live through various channels of VIR. Phung Ha, general secretary Fertiliser Association of Vietnam Market reality affirms the important role of fertiliser businesses with a large market share. They must both control input costs, which are increasing very high, and maintain affordable selling prices to be welcomed by farmers, and ensuring food security in the country. Because fertiliser is a non-taxable item, VAT expenses incurred during the production and business are not deducted. So all of the costs are calculated into the selling price. All costs arising from VAT such as investment in factories, machinery, electricity, and raw materials are included in production costs. So farmers are also affected by buying fertiliser at a 5-8 per cent higher price. With a fertiliser industry scale of over $4.1 billion per year, and non-deductible VAT (at 5 per cent) of the fertiliser industry is equalling $120-165 million per year. This is a very large number as compared to the after-tax profits of fertiliser producers. Moreover, due to non-deductible VAT, fertiliser producers have not much capital to purchase, repair, and upgrade fixed assets to create new generation fertiliser products with high quality and technologies. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong, board member School of Banking and Finance National Economic University According to statistics from the General Department of Customs, the number of fertilisers imported into Vietnam (especially urea) has continuously increased about 3-5 times in recent years. Because imported fertilisers benefit from import tax cuts in Vietnam following the commitments of free trade agreements. Therefore, foreign businesses can lower fertiliser prices easily to compete with domestic fertilisers. Vietnam imports a lot of fertiliser from other countries, where mostly put fertiliser products under VAT (9 per cent in China, 10 per cent in Japan). When exporting fertiliser to Vietnam, these exporters are refunded input VAT. Furthermore, this product exporting into Vietnam is not subject to VAT at the import stage, so the selling price of imported products is cheaper and compete unfairly with fertilisers produced in Vietnam. In reality, fertiliser producers in the region, even those using outdated technology, are supported to enter the Vietnamese market, causing domestic enterprises to struggle for competitive pressure. Do Duc Hung, deputy director general Agricultural Products and Materials We expect to review and amend the law to include fertilisers in the list subject to VAT and the specific VAT rate for this item should be 5 per cent. If this proposal is accepted, it will be favourable for businesses, which will save costs due to input tax refund, and selling prices will also be reduced. In addition, businesses have many motivations to invest in research and development of high-quality, new generation fertilisers, making general efficiency to the entire society like creating jobs, participating in exports and earning foreign exchange, improving product quality, enhancing agricultural efficiency and increasing farmers income. Putting fertilisers in the list subject to VAT and a specific VAT rate of 5 per cent will also contribute to more equitable competition with imported fertilisers, especially those from countries with zero fertiliser import tax like China and ASEAN members. Currently, fertiliser importers do not have input VAT, so they have a competitive advantage over domestic fertiliser manufacturers. If this continues, domestic fertiliser manufacturers will fall into extremely difficult situations with poor performance production and production downsizing. The new tax rate will make competition more equal between domestic and foreign fertilisers in the market. We all local business can compete, but competition must base on an equal basis. Still no VAT hike proposal to aid business development The amended VAT Law is set to be submitted for approval next month with new content, yet the common tax rate is still proposed at 10 per cent to help businesses through current turbulent times. VAT cut continuation expected to ease woes The business community is set to benefit from a continued VAT reduction as part of the countrys major efforts to assist enterprises currently facing massive difficulties. . The economic stability should create a favourable business environment for insurance businesses. As confidence improves in the market, businesses and individuals are willing to spend more on insurance products. The Insurance Supervisory Authority under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) predicts that the industry's total assets are estimated to reach VND1 quadrillion ($39.3 billion) for 2024, reflecting an impressive on-year growth of 9.97 per cent. The insurance industry is also expected to contribute positively to the overall economy this year through an estimated investment capital of VND850.3 trillion ($33.4 billion), an increase of 11.5 per cent on-year. Total insurance premium revenue is expected to hit VND243.5 trillion ($9.6 billion), of which non-life insurance should see a 12 per cent bump and life insurance 5 per cent. The insurance penetration rate, calculated by insurance premiums per GDP, is only 2.32.8 per cent in Vietnam. This figure is much lower than the average rate of 3.35 per cent in ASEAN, 5.37 per cent in Asia, and 6.3 per cent globally. Consumer awareness of insurance is not high, while the average income is still modest in comparison to wealthy nations. This indicates that there is still a great deal of untapped potential in the market. Vietnam Report states that the mis-selling scandals that undermined public confidence in 2023 will persist this year. As a result of these scandals, consumers lost faith and became cautious when purchasing insurance products. Meanwhile, the reputations of some insurance brands have been badly affected. According to the Insurance Supervisory Authority, premium payments decreased by 8.3 per cent in last year compared to the same period in 2022, driven by a decline of 12 per cent in life insurance and 2.4 per cent in non-life insurance. This was the first time in two decades that life insurance recorded negative growth. The rate of cancellation and termination of insurance policies after their first year of issuance is about 2030 per cent. The figure was up to 73 per cent for bancassurance following its scandals. These alarming figures are likely to reflect the unsustainable development of the market eventually. Insurance firms struggle to attract investors despite good performance Insurance companies performed well in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their shares have not attracted much attention from investors. Pivotal time for makeup of Vietnamese insurance After a decade of consistent growth, Vietnams insurance industry is now undergoing a period of adjustment. The total insurance premium in 2023 fell by 8.4 per cent to $9.5 billion, with the life insurance sector experiencing the most significant on-year decline at 12.5 per cent. Representatives from Midports Holdings Sdn Bhd (MHSB) and CCCC Dredging (Group) Co Ltd at the MoU signing ceremony. (Photo: theexchangeasia.com) Kuala Lumpur In an effort to capture logistics demand due to changes in global supply chains, Malaysia is planning to build a new container port along the west coast of the Malay Peninsula facing the Strait of Malacca, which was one of the busiest sea route in the world. With an estimated value of 425 million USD, the new port will use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiency and become the first port in Malaysia to apply this technology. Early this month, Tanco Holdings Bhd (THB), through its subsidiary Midports Holdings Sdn Bhd (MHSB), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CCCC Dredging (Group) Co Ltd (CCCC Dredging), a subgroup of China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), to develop Malaysias first smart artificial intelligence (AI) container port in Port Dickson, Malaysias Negeri Sembilan state. According to the MoU, the port will be developed in an area of about 809,300 sq.m in the city of Port Dickson, in the state of Negeri Sembilan. Close to Kuala Lumpur and the midpoint of the Malacca Strait, it could benefit from high traffic and connectivity to key industrial regions in Malaysia. There will be a wharf, a terminal and a 1.8km long container operating area. AI technology is expected to improve port operational efficiency, minimise human errors and reduce accident rates. The AI system will analyse traffic data, schedule ship movements, monitor maritime activities around the port and manage logistics automatically. Tanco Group Managing Director Andrew Tan Juan Suan said in a statement that the construction of this port will contribute to Malaysia's goal of establishing a modern and efficient port hub, accelerating economic development in Negeri Sembilan, and bolstering Malaysia's global trade position. According to him, the collaboration between Tanco Group and CCCC Dredging marks a pivotal step towards realising Malaysia's vision of a world-class port in Port Dickson. The expertise and resources brought by CCCC Dredging will ensure the successful implementation of this project, which is set to drive economic growth and create job opportunities in the region. Negeri Sembilan state Chief Minister Aminuddin Harun said the new port can significantly boost Malaysia's logistics and shipping industry thanks to a network of roads and highways connecting the port with major industrial zones. As global companies diversify their supply chains, Malaysia has emerged as a beneficiary, attracting investment from electronics producers and other manufacturers. Malaysia's largest port - Port Klang - is also planning to double its capacity to meet demand. Malaysian automobile industry sees new milestone The Malaysia Autoshow 2024 has concluded with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) reporting a total of 1.4 billion RM (about 294.4 million USD) potential sales, 2,620 bookings of vehicles, and 13,799 sales leads - marking a significant milestone for the automotive industry. The latest draft of the law on special consumption tax (SCT), released last week, noted that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) added a tax on sugary drinks based on Vietnamese standards with sugar content above 5g/100ml to be subject to an SCT of 10 per cent. The previous draft did not specify sugar content in detail. The MoF also removed milk from the list of taxed sugary drinks as per Vietnamese standards. Soft drinks include energy drinks, electrolyte drinks, and soft drinks containing caffeine. Too many sugary drinks increase the risk of cancer and diabetes, Photo: Freepik.com Beverages containing tea or fruit juice, herbal beverages, and drinks from cereals and do not come under the sugary drinks category, nor do liquid foods used for nutritional purposes, natural mineral water and bottled drinking water, and pure vegetable and fruit juices with honey or cocoa products. According to the MoF, the new rules will help implement the Party and states guidelines on protecting peoples health, as well as recommendations of the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Experts say that imposing SCT on sugary drinks will help to raise awareness and limit the consumption of sugary beverages, bringing benefits to public health, especially for young people, following international practices. Rising rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer have made Vietnamese citizens more aware of health and wellness products in recent years. Because of this, there has been a noticeable shift in preference towards healthier beverages that contain less sugar or caffeine. As disposable income rises, consumers are more inclined to pay a premium for healthier products. Globally, many countries have gradually added sugary beverages to those subject to SCTs, which has brought about both awareness and action from consumers and manufacturers in reducing the amount of sugar in beverages. Vu Thi Minh Hanh, former deputy director of the Institute of Health Strategy and Policy under the Ministry of Health, said that there needs to be a tax roadmap to adjust consumption habits. The purpose of SCT is to regulate production, business, and social consumption, increasing the role of state management over taxable goods. Using global experience and applying it to Vietnam, the roadmap for imposing SCT on sugary drinks needs to move step by step. I agree with the proposal of the MoF that we do not tax products with sugar content below 5g/100ml, but only tax products with higher sugar content. The tax does not harm the industry but instead contributes to encouraging people to gradually change their taste when tolerating sugary drinks to gradually drink less, Hanh said. Dao The Son, an industry expert, said that sugary drinks should be included in the taxable area to regulate consumption. Tax and pricing policies invariably have the fastest and strongest impact. In the United Kingdom, after implementing this policy, it achieved excellent results in terms of consumption. The proportion of sugary beverage products decreased from 49 per cent to 15 per cent, but the total output of the beverage business did not decrease. That shows a very positive impact on social responsibility, Son said. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) last week issued a warning that Vietnams export landscape may be hurt by a grey global economic situation, featuring a plummet in demand. Greening goods trade can spur existing industries to retool to green tech and remain competitive, Photo: Duc Thanh The global economy is entering a new period full of risks and uncertainties, coupled with slow recovery of major trade partners, affecting Vietnams economic growth especially when it comes to exports, the MoIT stated. According to the MoIT, many nations are increasingly applying their own protectionist policies aimed at placing specific restrictions on international trade to benefit their domestic economies. Many developed nations that are Vietnams key trade partners are paying more attention to sustainable development, coping with climate change, and safety for consumers. They are applying newer and stricter standards and regulations on supply chains, materials, labour, and the environment to imported products, the MoIT stated. In addition, many nations have also been diversifying their supplies outside China, with a focus placed on a number of partners similar to Vietnam such as Turkey, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. This will increase competitiveness for Vietnams exports, it said. Vietnamese companies and exporters must pay more heed to greening their products before thinking about expanding export markets sustainably, the MoIT said. Green trade requirements In May, Nguyen Viet Thang, deputy manager of a Vietnamese company producing cloth, worked with a partner from South Korea for the second time. However, after his companys product samples were examined by the partner again, they were not accepted. The partner said that the products did not meet the standards in South Korea where customer awareness of environmentally friendly products is increasing. Their purchasing habits have changed, Thang said. The partner has set three standards on the limitations of dyes and durability of cloth which we cannot meet. Moreover, we also face strict labelling requirements. In Vietnam, we apply a standard on dye on fibre cloth, but it was not still accepted by the partner. This company is now focusing on the domestic market and several foreign markets with less strict requirements, such as Cambodia and Laos. We will have to invest more money into production chains and new dying solutions if we want to win other markets like South Korea and Japan, Thang said. He calculated that if the South Korean partner accepted the products, his company might have earned as much as $600,000 in profit. In South Korea, the Korean Certification (KC) is a compulsory certification mark indicating compliance with mandatory requirements. The KC mark must appear on certain textile or apparel items (including footwear and leather products) imported or sold in South Korea. The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards issues the mark for products that fall under its jurisdiction. Vietnams total garments and textile exports to South Korea hit about $2.8 billion last year and $802 million in the first three months of this year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. In addition, South Korea is now also applying trade barriers including, for example, packaging materials regulations. According to Thang, other companies are also concerned about regulations for garments and textiles products. For example, infant and childrens textile and leather products are regulated under the Special Act on Safety Management of Childrens Products, and are subject to the common safety standards for childrens products. This applies to articles or accessories used by or for children under the age of 13. The standard covers hazardous substances and physical safety requirements. However, Nguyen Hoang Huong, vice director of a garment company in Hanoi, admits that it might be difficult to meet this regulation as many of her companys materials are imported from China with lower quality. Thus, we might have to boost exports back to China or other regional markets such as Laos and Cambodia, Huong said. Nguyen Viet Ha, an expert from the MoITs Department of Science and Technology, said that along with customers in South Korea, those from many other markets in Asia and the wider world were tending to utilise environmentally friendly products. The origin of materials and how the products are produced are important now, and consumers are smart enough to accept or refuse your products, Ha said. Many markets are also imposing strict barriers on imported products to protect the environment, and if Vietnamese companies fail to meet the standards, they can easily lose their market. For instance, in Singapore, imported fresh fruit and vegetables are banned from containing any prohibited pesticides, and the level of pesticide residue or toxic chemical residue must not exceed the level specified in the Food Business Act, or recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Under Singaporean regulations, companies that import food must meet the requirements of the Food Sanitation Act and must be licensed by the competent authority, Ha said. Almost all key export markets of Vietnam, such as the EU, the US, Japan, and South Korea, have and will also impose more stringent regulations on imported products, and this has become a global trend. Technical impediments From 2026, the EUs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will require importers of certain emissions-intensive goods like cement, iron and steel, aluminium, and fertilisers, to pay for the carbon embodied in these goods. The CBAM is a carbon tax on all goods imported into EU markets, based on the intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the host countrys production process. At present, this mechanism is in phase 1 when exporters, including steel ones, have to declare emission levels. However, when the CBAM embarks upon the next stage in 2026, steel firms in Vietnam will have to buy related emission certificates. The CBAM will have an impact on goods prices and may reduce competitiveness of products, said Jennifer Pham, regional advisor on sustainable value chains at the Danish Embassy to Vietnam. Thats why exporters of these products must have full understanding about the mechanism when they want to expand exports to the EU in the long term. Pham Cong Thao, deputy general director of the Vietnam Steel Corporation, said that the company has developed many solutions while facing such trade barriers. In the short term, it will focus on meeting GHG inventory requirements from both the EU and the Vietnamese government; enhance production optimisation to reduce carbon emissions; prioritise units in the system with high technology levels and low emissions to produce steel for export; and also search for further raw green materials for production. In the medium and long term, in-depth investment, new investment, and research and application of breakthrough technology will be implemented to reduce emissions in production, Thao said. Last year, Vietnam exported over 2.5 million tonnes of assorted steel products to the EU, doubling from 2022, and accounting for 23 per cent of the countrys total export volume. According to the MoITs Vietnam Institute of Strategy and Policy for Industry and Trade, under the CBAM, the domestic steel industry will suffer from a 4 per cent reduction in export value, leading to a decrease in output of 0.8 per cent, coupled with the adverse effects of reduced competitiveness. The World Bank said that many companies in Vietnam and the countrys trade sector are facing great pressures from international markets, which are increasingly requiring environmentally friendly products. While trade serves as an important impetus for Vietnams economic growth over the past two decades, it is also a big emitter of GHG emissions, responsible for one-third of the countrys total emissions. This includes agriculture, manufacturing, and transport services, the World Bank said. The rapid development of manufacturing and the type of manufacturing have led to increased GHG emissions indirectly, as the sector uses electricity, steam, heat, or cooling to function, it said, adding, Vietnam has started decarbonising its trade, but increasingly, customers in destination markets and multinational companies demand greener products and services. Also, many foreign-invested enterprises are part of values chains where the central corporations have committed to greener practices as part of their corporate social and environmental commitments. Greening goods trade is a priority for several reasons. Firstly, it can help reduce the carbon or environmental footprint of trade industries. In turn, these reductions contribute to the implementation of a green, resilient, and inclusive development approach and help Vietnam reach its national mitigation objectives. Secondly, greening goods trade can spur existing industries to retool to green technology and remain competitive in the future low carbon world. Thirdly, it can offer new opportunities for trading in environmental goods and services. Finally, greening trade is expected to be a potential driver of new jobs as existing industries retool and businesses take advantage of opportunities in new environmental goods and services. Source: World Bank Greening your bottom-line for sustainable development Witnessing the world buckling to deal with the environmental pollution has not only changed consumer sentiment but also affected peoples job preferences. While consumers tend to favour green brands, workers are more likely to click "apply" for companies committed to creating long-term values. Greening is not only a trend but also a must-have for businesses wishing to attract talent and develop sustainably. The Western Coalition is in so much trouble due to collapsing that they have decided that all money is their money and they can steal it, well because, it is their money. It is all good says the West, we make the rules There is no sense at all in which its theft So theres no legal issue here. And our allies, our partners, the G7 will provide Ukraine a $50 billion loan, which will be repaid over time from these proceeds, Janet Yellen said in an interview with the ABC News broadcaster on Sunday. Now China, Saudi Arabia and all Eastern countries, (plus all Western puppet countries) with too much money in the Western system, take heed and you are next. Not if, but next! What a way to start the day and be proven right about the USA The USA is a low life scum country that will walk all over anyone for a buck. kKEETON Desperation is vehement and reeking sumptuously from the Western Carcass WtR Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (17 June 2024) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. The units of the Sever Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line. Manpower and hardware of 42nd mechanised, 57th motorised infantry, 71st infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 105th and 125th of territorial defence brigades have been hit close to Volchansk, Deep, Sinelnikovo, and Liptsa (Kharkov region). In addition, one counter-attack by the 36th Marines Brigades assault detachment has been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 300 Ukrainian troops, four pickup trucks, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one BM-21 Grad MLRS fighting vehicle. The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and defeated 14th, 43rd, 44th, 116th mechanised, and 3rd assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Shiykovka, Sinkovka, Peski-Radkovskiye, Druzhelyubovka (Kharkov region), and Nevskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses were up to 405 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one Nota electronic warfare station. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the situation on the front line, as well as defeating manpower and hardware of 93rd mechanised, 79th air assault, 46th aeromobile brigades of the AFU near Katerinovka, Aleksandro-Schultino, and Gornjak (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 535 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, three pickup trucks, two 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzers, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, and 122-mm D-30 guns. In addition, three AFU ammunition depots have been destroyed. The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and defeated 47th mechanised, 68th jaeger, 144th infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 109th territorial defence brigades near Vozdvizhenka, Kamyshovka, Novaya Poltavka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Four counter-attacks of 23rd, 47th mechanised, and 68th jaeger brigades of the AFU have been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 335 Ukrainian troops, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, one U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicle, and two motor vehicles. During counter-battery warfare, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, two 122-mm of D-30 howitzers, one 100-mm Rapira gun, one BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle have been hit. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have taken more advantages lines, defeating manpower and hardware of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, 102nd and 128nd territorial defence brigades near Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Varvarovka (Zaporozhye region). Two attacks by assault detachments of the 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade and the 31st Brigade of the National Guard have been repelled. The AFU losses were up to 150 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, two 155-mm Polish-made Krab artillery systems, and two 155-mm British-made FH-70 howitzers. Two AFU field ammunition depots have been destroyed. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged units of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, the 141st Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Zherebyanki and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses were up to 50 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 gun, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 110 areas during the day. Air defence facilities have shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 25,867 unmanned aerial vehicles, 529 air defence missile systems, 16,359 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,343 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,569 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 22,634 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR The Outsiders, a gritty adaptation of the classic young adult novel, became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday, winning the Tony Award for best new musical on a night when women made strides. The musical based on the beloved S.E. Hinton book is about rival gangs of haves and have-nots in 1960s Oklahoma. The win meant Angelina Jolie, 49, a producer, landed her first Tony too. Angelina Jolie speaks onstage during the 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 16, 2024 in New York City. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Producer Matthew Rego, in his acceptance speech, thanked Hinton, 75, in the audience at Lincoln Center in New York City: Susie, Im here to tell you that your story and its eternal message of love and family and staying gold has forever changed all of our lives. Kecia Lewis, who plays a formidable piano teacher in Hells Kitchen, took home her first Tony too. The 40-year veteran made her Broadway debut at 18 in the original company of Dreamgirls. This moment is the one I dreamed of for those 40 years, she said. Dont give up! Kecia Lewis accepts the best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical award for "Hells Kitchen." Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Appropriate, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins show centered on a family reunion in Arkansas, was named best play revival. Appropriate star Sarah Paulson, 49, added a best leading actress in a play Tony to her awards cabinet. Paulson said she was thrilled to be able to interrogate the human condition: This is the heart and soul of what we do, and I am so honored to be amongst you. There were other big winners. Stereophonic, the play about a Fleetwood Maclike band recording an album over a turbulent and life-changing year, won best new play and had the nights most total awards at five. It was written by David Adjmi, with songs by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler. Oh, no. My agent gave me a beta-blocker, but its not working, Adjmi said. He added the play took 11 years to manifest. This was a very hard journey to get up here, he said. We need to fund the arts in America. Two special guests electrified the crowd Jay-Z and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The latter, a producer of a musical about suffragettes, presented Suffs. Adgullys AG Talk brings unfiltered insights and thoughts of CEOs, MDs and CMOs, who have been leading the marketing landscape, and in fact, also laying the ground rules to keep up with the transformative times. Originally a pioneer in battery manufacturing, Okaya EV has expanded its expertise into the electric mobility space, offering a comprehensive range of solutions, including electric vehicles, EV batteries, charging, and battery swapping. With their ISO 14001:2004 certification, Okaya EV is committed to providing affordable, sustainable, and clean mobility through their zero-emission electric two-wheelers. As the leading charging station manufacturer in India and the third-largest battery manufacturer in the country, Okaya EV is at the forefront of the fight against environmental pollution. Their dedication to innovation and sustainability makes them a beacon of hope for a greener India. In this exclusive Ag Talk interaction with Adgully, Anshul Gupta, Managing Director of Okaya EV, shares his insights into the companys remarkable journey, its success in the EV market, and its ambitious plans for the future in terms of batteries, charging stations, and electric vehicles. Could you elaborate on Okaya EVs journey and its legacy over the past 40 years? What are some of the key innovations that Okaya EV has introduced in the electric mobility sector? Our expertise goes beyond batteries as we bring together 35 years of Microteks electronics excellence and 19 years of Okaya EV Infocoms software expertise. With mastery over these key areas battery, electronics, and software we present Okaya EV Electric Vehicle where our aim is to provide you with the perfect product at the perfect price. At Okaya EV, we are committed to electric vehicle technology and that is evident in our focus on safety, durability, and performance. In battery technology the choice between LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) and NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) is crucial. Safety is paramount for the customer and LFP batteries with higher thermal runaway temperature of 270 C outshine NMC batteries at 210 C. This elevated safety threshold is more relevant to the climate of southern India. LFP batteries have exceptional durability with 1,200 charge cycles and can go up to 2,000 cycles with proper usage, whereas NMC batteries can only offer 700-900 cycles. We ensure spare parts availability with in-house manufacturing at our Baddi facility with robotic systems showcasing Okaya EVs commitment to advanced technology and production excellence from India to the world. Could you elaborate on the specific features of Okaya EVs public charging stations that contribute to a revolutionized urban mobility experience? Okaya EVs Charging division is a pioneer in the Indian market with 40% market share as the leading EV charging solutions provider in the country. The company offers a comprehensive range of charging infrastructure solutions that cater to various electric vehicles (EVs) and user preferences. Our product range includes portable Type-2 AC chargers, wall-mounted Type-2 AC chargers, and high voltage DC chargers compatible with CCS-2, CHAdeMO, and GB/T standards. The AC chargers operate in 230V to 415V AC and DC chargers from 200V to 1000V DC. The Type-2 AC chargers are suitable for all 4-wheel electric vehicles and are versatile and convenient. These chargers have multiple charging modes in one unit. The wall mounted and DC chargers have IoT capabilities and user authentication features with multiple authentication methods like EV charging apps, QR codes, RFID cards or password login. This smart infrastructure allows users to monitor charging status, remote control charging sessions, and get notifications when the vehicle is fully charged prevent overcharging, and extend battery life. Okaya EVs charging solutions are compact modern and user friendly and easy to install making it the best for EV charging in India. Okaya EV ensures the reliability and efficiency of its charging infrastructure by partnering with government and private organizations like IOCL, Blu smart, PGCIL, REIL, BHEL, and many more. These partnerships help the company to have a strong presence in urban and pan-India markets. How is Okaya EVs public charging network development strategy addressing the concerns around range anxiety for EV users in cities? To tackle the standardization and interoperability issues in the EV charging space, Okaya EV is taking a multi-pronged approach. Initially, we were focused on B2B partnerships, but now we are expanding our reach by putting our EV chargers on popular e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart so that its available to a wide range of customers. Okaya EVs product range is designed to cater to diverse customer needs. We have a single Type 2 AC charger for apartments and houses. We have Bharat AC 001 for small offices which can charge 3 cars at a time from a compact unit. And for those who need fast charging, we have a 30 kW DC charger, which is a versatile option for all kinds of settings. Most importantly, all Okaya EV chargers whether wall mounted or standalone high voltage units come with convenient payment methods and IoT features so that consumers, small entrepreneurs, and government and private companies can all benefit from it whether for profit or personal use. This overall approach helps Okaya EV to overcome standardization and interoperability issues and make its solutions available to a wide customer base. Beyond charging infrastructure, how else is Okaya EV working towards a more sustainable transportation ecosystem through its EV solutions? OkayaEV is committed to creating a sustainable transportation ecosystem through several initiatives beyond charging infrastructure. Okaya EV has developed high-performance lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries designed to provide longer life, faster charging times, and greater efficiency. These batteries are integral to the performance and sustainability of electric vehicles. This year, we are offering a wide range of electric vehicles, including high-speed and low-speed electric scooters, e-rickshaws, and commercial electric vehicles. These vehicles will be catering to both personal and commercial transportation needs, promoting the adoption of electric mobility across different segments. The introduction of new products like the Ferrato Disruptor electric motorcycle and the upcoming commercial vehicles highlights Okaya EVs commitment to innovation and meeting diverse consumer needs. These vehicles are designed to provide a superior driving experience while being environmentally friendly. Okaya EVs mission includes developing next-generation products entirely made in India. This commitment to local manufacturing not only supports the local economy, but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with importing components. By focusing on affordability and value, Okaya EV makes electric mobility accessible to a broader audience. This approach helps to accelerate the adoption of sustainable transportation solutions. Okaya EV actively engages in campaigns to raise public awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. These efforts include educational programs and promotional events to promote the adoption of EVs. Through these initiatives, Okaya EV is not only enhancing its product offerings but also contributing significantly to the broader goal of creating a sustainable and eco-friendly transportation ecosystem. Given the competitive landscape, how is Okaya EV differentiating its electric vehicles to attract customers in the commercial market? Okaya EV boasts over 30 years of experience in battery manufacturing and over 40 years in software and electronics via Microtek. This extensive expertise ensures that Okaya EVs electric vehicles are built with high-quality standards and reliable performance. Okaya EV maintains full control over the production of batteries, motors, electronics, and software, ensuring superior quality and consistency. The use of advanced manufacturing techniques, including robotic plants, further enhances the precision and reliability of its EVs. Okaya EVs vehicles are specifically designed to withstand Indian conditions, with robust builds and chassis tailored for local roads. The company operates a large manufacturing facility in Himachal Pradesh to ensure efficient and high-quality production. Our focus on LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery technology, which offers improved safety and efficiency, ensures longer life, faster charging, and better performance, making it ideal for commercial use. Okaya EV serves a vast customer base, with 13 crore happy customers and a presence in 46,000 towns and villages across 43 countries. This global footprint demonstrates Okaya EVs reliability and widespread acceptance. As a leader in ESS (Energy Storage Systems) and LIB (Lithium-Ion Battery) technologies, Okaya EV offers a range of charging solutions from small-scale to large-scale chargers. This comprehensive charging infrastructure supports the seamless operation of commercial electric vehicles. Okaya EVs unmatched expertise in EV manufacturing reflects its commitment to excellence. The company continuously innovates and improves its products to stay ahead in the competitive market. By leveraging these strengths, Okaya EV effectively differentiates its electric vehicles in the commercial market, providing reliable, efficient, and high-quality solutions tailored to the needs of businesses. This holistic approach ensures that commercial customers receive vehicles that not only meet their operational demands, but also contribute to a sustainable transportation ecosystem. How important is the role of government policy and incentives in the growth of public EV charging networks? Government policy and incentives are key to growing public EV charging networks. Firstly, through strategic infrastructure investment, the government can put in funds and offer grants, subsidies and tax incentives to encourage businesses to install charging points. This financial support is especially important in areas where private investment might be insufficient, so the charging network can reach more people and be more accessible. And a clear regulatory framework is vital for effective deployment of charging infrastructure. Clear regulations and standards for zoning, permitting and technical specifications give certainty for businesses and consumers alike, making the installation and operation process easier. By setting these rules, the government can create an environment for investment and innovation in the EV charging sector. And government funding for research and development in EV technology and charging infrastructure is key to driving innovation and making charging solutions more efficient and affordable. By investing in research and development the government can drive technological advancements that make charging infrastructure more functional and sustainable. Lastly, policies that promote smart grid technology and integration with renewable energy sources are crucial for the long-term sustainability and reliability of charging infrastructure. By incentivizing the integration of EV charging with renewable energy sources and promoting grid optimization, governments can ensure that the expansion of charging networks aligns with broader sustainability goals. Over the past decade, the Indian Startup Ecosystem has undergone an exceptional evolution, surfacing as a vibrant and dynamic landscape for entrepreneurs. India is hosting a plethora of startups ranging from tech-driven to those focused on social impact and sustainability. The "Crafting Bharat - A Startup Podcast Series" powered by AWS, and an initiative by NewsReach, in association with VCCircle, unlocks the secrets behind these successful entrepreneurs journeys aiming to equip aspiring entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts with invaluable insights. The podcast series is hosted by Gautam Srinivasan, famed for hosting a diverse range of TV and digital programs, currently consulting editor at CNBC (India), CNN-News18, Mint, HT Media, Forbes India, and The Economic Times. India's rapid urbanization is contributing to rising pollution levels, but visionary founder Rishabh Sood, co-founder and CTO of BluSmart, is revolutionizing the ride-hailing sector with electric vehicles (EVs). In the Crafting Bharat Podcast Series, Sood talks about his founder journey, building a sustainable business and adoption of EVs. Explore the tales of Indian startup founders' transformation from dreams to reality, navigating challenges to seize opportunities through the Crafting Bharat Podcast Series. Segment 1: The Incubator How did you scale up but remain close to your customers in identifying their pain points, and, once you solve those issues, how do you keep the product relevant? The idea is that when you scale you need to do things which do not scale. Many companies do this when they scale, they start looking at customers as the data points. They will make pie charts and try to figure out why their customers are unhappy, we also did that but what we also did was to always try to maintain our ground connect, so, we would become customer support agents for a day and receive customer complaints, feel the pain & anger, and empathize with them. This is what helps us to stay relevant, we physically go through individual complaints. The idea is to capture the emotion. When you start looking at the suggestions or feedback as data points and in pie charts, you lose the emotion out of it. You could iron out the issues with a unique full stack playbook that learnt from degraded user experiences of your competitors due to their asset-light models and resolve these issues to create a WOW experience while onboarding and retaining customers? If we built the same tech, built an aggregator model or if we get driver partners with their own cars then we will land up with the same problem, so, we fundamentally changed the business model and built the technology for it. And that is what helped us to figure out that we need to have the cars in our control, that way we can make sure that the condition is extremely good and well maintained. The schedule model was also a game changer for us and the reason for us to do a schedule model was because you cannot do a real-time ride with 70 cars. How is AWS enabling BluSmart to power-up its backend to overcome issues around quick ride-matching, zero down time etc. and save operational costs while supporting your net-zero ambitions? AWS has been a trusted and supportive partner for us right from day one. Weve built a lot of technology and machine learning algorithms for our scheduled ride model wherein we were able to make sure the car reaches on time. 97% of our rides are reaching in time with zero cancellations. We had to predict time required for a ride during different times of the day for which we built out machine learning models which we are running on the AWS infrastructure, and its been running smoothly. Segment 2: The Accelerator Whats the one lesson from BluSmarts relatively slow expansion strategy that startup founders can learn from? We started with Delhi and today we have 7000 cars spread across just two cities; Delhi and Bangalore but these are big markets. I would say if youre able to succeed in Delhi then there is no reason why you will not be able to go to any other city and succeed. Thats what you need to do, even when you are going slow you need to build things with scale. Whats the best mantra to maintain long lasting co-founder relationships? I think what it really boils down to is trusting each other and having confidence in the ability of each other but at the same time you need to question and push each other as well. You need to maintain that balance of trusting but also really push and ask questions. Indias startup ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation as the motivated founders lead with exceptional innovation. The passion and vision of the entrepreneurs is keeping the Indian startup ecosystem in motion. Stay tuned to the Crafting Bharat Podcast Series as we bring you these inspirational entrepreneurs for insightful and candid discussions with Gautam Srinivasan. Disney+ Hotstar has launched an innovative advertising feature: Pause Ads exclusively for its Connected TV (CTV) feed, making it the first platform in the country to introduce this cutting-edge format. This move follows the earlier introduction of 3-D breakout billboards for mobile, reaffirming Disney+ Hotstar's commitment to pioneering unique advertising solutions. On average, users pause content 4-5 times a day, with over 90% of these pauses lasting less than 10 seconds*. Pause ads offer a seamless, non-intrusive ad experience by integrating advertisements into these natural user-initiated breaks. Commenting on the launch, Dhruv Dhawan, Head of Ads at Disney+ Hotstar, said, We are thrilled to introduce another industry-first offering for our advertisers. The response to our CTV ads has been overwhelmingly positive. The launch of pause ads has generated significant excitement among our clients in the CPG, FMCG, F&B, and Auto sectors, Marico, Mondelez and ITC have been amongst the early adopters. We will continue to innovate and bring best-in-class solutions to our advertisers. Somasree Bose Awasthi, CMO, Marico Limited added, "At Saffola, our larger brand ethos is to encourage Indians to embrace a healthier lifestyle. This year, on the occasion of World Health Day we collaborated with Disney+ Hotstar to launch a contextual campaign via Pause Ads on CTV. A powerful context relevant occasion was activated for the initiative every time the Disney+ Hotstar user initiated a break, this was built on the consumer insight that a large majority of content pause occasions are initiated around snacking. A perfect time for brand Saffola to remind our consumer to choose "better for you" foods from the Saffola Franchise as a healthier alternative. Disney+ Hotstar's CTV Pause ads served as the perfect platform for Saffola to advocate healthy eating, and we look forward to strengthening our association with the platform other innovative disruptions in the future as well." Anjali Madan, Director Consumer experience at Mondelez India added, At Mondelez, we have always been at the forefront of pioneering innovation in advertising and are thrilled to associate with Disney+ Hotstar to launch CTV Pause Ads in India with our 'Tang Summer Break Bestie' campaign. Through this campaign, we wanted to provide an interactive platform for mothers and their kids to beat summer boredom, unleash their creativity and design their own animated bestie using fun AR-like effects. Leveraging innovative format of CTV Pause Ads' enabled us to reach our consumers seamlessly and convey our messaging in a more non-intrusive and effective manner, thus fostering a more positive and memorable brand interaction. We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration and leveraging such new marketing technologies for our future campaigns. Mr. Sanjay Srinivas, Vice President - Health & Hygiene, Personal Care Products Business, ITC Limited added, "Innovative ad formats, especially on streaming platforms, help transform brand connect with audiences. Pause Ad is an interesting innovation that helps break the clutter without intruding the viewing experience and attracts attention. ITC Savlon is one of the first brands to deploy pause ads to deliver contextual messaging for its campaign on handwashing. The innovation has helped the campaign amplify reach and views in an engaging way." In addition to pause ads, Disney+ Hotstar offers advertisers a diverse suite of CTV ad formats including auto-expanding CTV billboards, prerolls & midroll ads, and click-to-WhatsApp integrations. These options are designed to enhance brand equity and maximize engagement with CTV audiences, who are among the most premium and attentive viewers, providing advertisers with an exclusive opportunity to connect with them during their most engaged moments. Hybrid has announced the opening of its new office in Gurugram, Haryana. With this development, Hybrid intends for growing its presence in India and attract top local talent. The Gurugram office will also act as the new corporate headquarters for the brand in India, complementing its existing representative offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Shreyas Sathe, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Hybrid INSEA, reflected on the company's journey in India, highlighting the market's vast potential. Our journey so far in India reflects the market's tremendous potential. We have been able to align the interests of both brands and agencies by delivering outstanding campaign results through our cutting-edge, AI-driven products and solutions. As we progress further, I am sure we will be able to further strengthen our ties with brands and agencies and other major stakeholders in the digital ecosystem exceeding their expectations and enhancing their brand presence with our cookie-less solutions. Hybrid entered the Indian market in 2020 and quickly became the market leader via its cutting-edge AI-driven advertising solutions such as Hybrid Platform, Contextual Marketing Suite VOX, Hybrid Places, and TV Sync technologies. From humble beginnings, Hybrids India team has been able to attract major brands and agencies such as Havells, Honda, Rado, Foundit, Mondelez, Shalimar Chemicals, TTK Prestige, GroupM, Dentsu, OMD, Interactive Avenues, and many more. With increasing privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies, there's been a significant shift towards alternative, cookie-less advertising technologies that respect privacy laws. At Hybrid, we aim to lead this transition with our AI-driven contextual and programmatic solutions says Gandharv Sachdeva, Country Head, India, Hybrid. Hybrid is an international ad tech company that provides marketers and their agencies with technological solutions for buying and optimizing advertising campaigns in digital media. The company offers an entire ecosystem for programmatic ad buying and proprietary non-cookie solutions for contextual targeting and uses proprietary artificial intelligence algorithms based on neural networks. It specializes in providing innovative and customized solutions to improve the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns. The companys 10 representative offices worldwide include India, Poland, Indonesia, Vietnam, Germany, Mexico, Cyprus, The US, Thailand, and Singapore. JK Paper, a renowned name in the paper industry, was excited to unveil its heartwarming initiative just in time for Father's Day. This year, JK Paper proudly spearheaded the #LetterToMySuperDad campaign, reaching out to over 30,000 students across 25 cities in India. This initiative aims to foster a deep sense of gratitude and build emotional connect between children and their fathers. The #LetterToMySuperDad campaign encouraged students to express their love and appreciation for their fathers through the art of handwritten letters. By reviving the timeless tradition of letter writing, this initiative seeks to underscore the invaluable importance of personal and heartfelt communication. Key Highlights of the Campaign: School Collaborations: Through strategic partnerships with numerous schools, the campaign seamlessly integrated the art of letter writing into their curriculum, ensuring widespread student participation and engagement. Paper Plantation Awareness Program: During school visits, JK Papers team conducted captivating myth buster sessions focused on the Agro-Social Farm Forestry Program. This innovative approach relies on cultivating and harvesting unique varieties of trees that provides a high level of income to farmers. In the fiscal year 2024, JK Paper distributed over 11.64 lakh saplings to farmers, which are subsequently harvested to produce paper. Since its inception, JK Paper has planted 9.50 lakh acres of land under its Agro-Social Farm Forestry Program. During the session, the students and teachers exhibited remarkable interest and fascination as they delved into the intricacies of this sustainable paper-making process and its profound significance. Celebrity Collaborations: Renowned influencers and esteemed Actor Bhaktiyaar Irani lent his support to the campaign, sharing his heartfelt #LetterToMySuperDad experiences. His involvement inspired followers nationwide to join the initiative and celebrate the bond between fathers and children. Exciting Rewards: The most touching & heartfelt letters were meticulously selected for special recognition, with winners receiving exclusive gift vouchers from JK Paper as a token of appreciation for their heartfelt expressions. Mr. Partha Biswas, Chief of Sales & Marketing at JK Paper, expressed, "Father's Day holds a special significance, allowing us to honour the love and sacrifices of every father figure. With our #LetterToMySuperDad campaign, our goal was to nurture a profound emotional bond between children and their fathers, while also rekindling the timeless art of letter writing. The remarkable enthusiasm shown by students across India has been immensely uplifting. Through our continuous efforts, we strive to change the perception about paper by promoting eco-friendly practices, providing sustainable alternatives to plastic and contributing to a greener future. The campaign culminated in heartwarming events held in schools, where students had the opportunity to present their letters to their fathers in a person. These events not only brought smiles to many faces but also reinforced the importance of expressing love and gratitude through simple yet powerful gestures. Nykaa, India's largest omnichannel beauty and fashion retailer, has unveiled its remarkable growth trajectory and ambitious future plans at the Annual Investor Day 2024. At the event, Nykaas senior management took the analyst and investor community on a journey of Nykaas robust present and plans for the future. With a relentless focus on innovation, customer-centric strategies, and expanding market reach, Nykaa continues to solidify its leadership position in the beauty and fashion industry. Falguni Nayar, Executive Chairperson, Founder and CEO Nykaa said, Nykaas success so far has been rooted in driving quality growth by foreseeing the potential in the lifestyle ecosystem and making future-forward investments. Our conviction and efforts in beauty over the last decade is now reflected in a market bound to become a 90 billion-dollar market over the next 15 years, with Nykaa continuing its industry-leading growth. The results of our more recent investments in Fashion and eB2B are reflected in the past year through the much improved profitability in both businesses. Both are expected to continue to expand margins rapidly in the next two to three years, leading to a positive improvement in Nykaas consolidated margins. Unprecedented Growth in Beauty and Personal Care: According to research, the Indian beauty market which currently stands at USD 19 billion, is expected to accelerate by 5x, presenting a staggering 90 billion* opportunity to Nykaa. The BPC e-commerce market is expected to grow from 3 billion to 40 billion in 2037. As the share of upper & middle income households grows in India, the premium BPC market is expected to grow by 25% CAGR in the next 15 years. Nykaa has successfully addressed the total addressable market (TAM) in beauty and personal care, emerging as Indias foremost beauty category creator and market builder. The companys unique omnichannel model has played a pivotal role in this achievement. Looking ahead, the beauty businesss ambition is to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of mid-to-late 20s till FY28. Nykaas dominance in beauty is reflected in its: Beauty Online: As the largest online beauty and personal care player in India with 30%+ online market share, Nykaa's growth strategy includes robust customer acquisition, increasing category width and depth, premiumization of purchasing behavior, and delivering exceptional on-ground experiences Physical Retail: With 187 stores spread across 68 cities today, Nykaa is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the country and is gearing towards growing the store count 2x by 2027 Nykaa Global Store has grown 5x over the last 4 years, witnessing a 50% CAGR, now comprising of 39 global brands Content and media powerhouse & category builder, FY24 witnessed IPs such as Nykaaland, Nykaa Wali Shaadi, and Nykaa CSMS Indias leading beauty focused digital Ad Platform, over 3 bn impressions served on the app every month eB2B distribution: Superstore is transforming the traditional distribution model, democratizing access for underserved retailers, now serving ~2 Lakh retailers across 1000 cities. The business has seen orders grow by 71% in FY24 and witnessed a contribution margin improvement of over 900 bps & an EBITDA margin expansion of ~2200 bps Key metrics showcasing Nykaa Beautys substantial growth: Omnichannel Revenue: Surpassing $1 billion GMV, with a 39% CAGR over the past five years 150 Million+ Cumulative Orders serviced till date, highlighting tremendous reach 1 Billion+ Visits Annually, demonstrating strong online engagement 50X Annual Visits per Visitor, indicating high customer engagement 25mn+ cumulative customer base reflecting high penetration Key brand launches in FY24 include Fenty Beauty, Urban Decay, ColourPop, AHC, Dr Barbara Sturm Nykaa Fashion to scale while driving profitability: Nykaa Fashion over a short span of time has quickly become one of Indias leading fashion platforms, offering over 3,200 brands with a wide assortment of premium styles. Nykaa Fashion has showcased spectacular growth, boasting a GMV of over $400 million in FY24. Within the year, the business expanded its EBITDA margin by over 600 bps. Building on this success, Nykaa Fashion aims to grow to 2.5x-3x over the next 3 years and aspires to become EBITDA positive in the near future. Nykaa's fashion segment continues to thrive with impressive figures: Nykaa Fashion has a 20% market share in the Womens online premium market 2x Average Order Value and 2x Annual Consumption Value Industry averages 6 Million+ Premium Cumulative Customer Base: Reflecting strong market penetration 7 Million Orders in FY24: Marking significant growth in customer transactions, a 44% CAGR growth over FY21 International Icons in India: Nykaa Fashion has deepened its offerings through partnerships with global companies such as Revolve & more recently, Footlocker, strengthening its position as a destination for premium assortment Consumer Brands business: Nykaas consumer brands business has scaled rapidly over the last four years, witnessing 47% CAGR in the beauty consumer brands GMV and 112% CAGR in the fashion consumer brands GMV over FY21-24. The portfolio in beauty and fashion offers 14 and 13 brands respectively across categories such as makeup, skincare, personal care, fragrances, ayurveda in Beauty and lingerie, western wear, ethnic wear and accessories in Fashion. Two of the fastest growing consumer brands of Nykaa, Dot & Key and Nykd by Nykaa offer differentiated solutions and have carved a niche for themselves in the beauty and lingerie market respectively. Dot & Key has achieved Annualised GMV run rate of INR ~600 cr. in Q4 FY24 and is one of the top brands on Nykaa.com. The brand has been profitable since January 2023 owing to meticulous product formulations, trials and commitment to technology along with R&D. Nykd by Nykaa which boasts of a consumer base of 2 million shoppers, has achieved an annualized GMV run rate of the scale of INR 160+ cr. in less than 3 years. It has coveted the top spot on the Nykaa platforms. Global Expansion into the GCC with Nysaa: Nykaas ambition extends beyond Indian borders with the recent launch of Nysaa in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) market, reflecting its vision for a global growth strategy. GCC represents a $30 Bn BPC market opportunity with a per capita consumption of $500+. Nysaa launched in March 2024 across ecommerce and physical retail, opening its 1st store in Dubai. Nysaa plans to open 5 new stores this year and become 70 stores strong in 5 years. ESG: Inclusivity, Sustainability and Community are at the heart of Nykaa's operations, fostering trust with customers and stakeholders. Inclusivity is also a key value, reflected in diverse product offerings and a supportive workplace culture. Nykaa's dedication to sustainability is evident in its curation of Conscious at Nykaa, its use of 80% sustainable packaging, and its waste management efforts that have led to 400 tonnes of plastic being recycled. Nykaa has co-created programs that provide holistic education, upskilling, and livelihood opportunities. With world-renowned academic institutions like IIM-A, Nykaa is making concerted efforts to develop consumer technology research solutions. Other CSR programs focus on supporting education, including STEM with American Indian Foundation (AIF), vocational training to empower underprivileged women with Labournet and providing healthcare in underserved communities. Through various initiatives, Nykaa has enabled the economic and social empowerment of women, helping them achieve financial independence and pathways to entrepreneurship. Technology: Nykaa leverages data and advanced ML/AI technologies to create highly personalized customer experiences and optimize ad selection, significantly benefiting brand partners. The technological advancements are enabling strategic partners and Nykaas consumer brands business to scale their online businesses using top-tier eCommerce and warehouse management tech stacks. At the event, Nykaa conducted a GenAI-powered demo, highlighting semantic search and AI-assisted training for retail stores. Winners of MAA Awards 2024, honouring Eastern marketing champions, announced The second edition of CMOs Charcha Kolkata Chapter 2024, held in Kolkata on June 14, culminated with the inaugural Marketing and Advertising Awards (MAA) Kolkata Chapter. The awards are designed to recognize and honour the brilliance and impact of marketing professionals and agencies that demonstrate excellence within specific regions. Marketing Renaissance: Shashi Sinha on navigating the evolving media landscape Delivering a special keynote address at the second edition of Adgully;s CMOs Charcha Kolkata Chapter 2024, Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India, highlighted the difficulties marketers face today, particularly with the proliferation and fragmentation of media and the evolving landscape of distribution, especially for CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) marketers. Babita Baruah demystifies charting a course in a rapidly evolving marketing ecosystem The second edition of Adgullys CMOs Charcha - Kolkata Chapter 2024 began with an opening keynote by Babita Baruah, CEO, VML, on Charting the Future for Agencies in an Evolving Marketing Landscape. Baruah delved into the changing media landscape. She noted the exponential growth in media channels, with a plethora of digital platforms reshaping the definition of media and channels themselves. Webchutney and Isobar are complementary pillars of Dentsu Creative: Amit Wadhwa Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative India, on reintroducing its three portfolio brands: Dentsu Creative Webchutney, Dentsu Creative Isobar, and Dentsu Creative PR. Dont release new ads without self-declaration certificate post June 18: ASCI to members ASCI has clarified that it has asked its members or others not to issue any new advertisement without a self-declaration certificate (SDC) from June 18 onwards. Marketers and agency professionals have expressed concerns about the Supreme Court's mandate for a self-declaration certificate, which requires all advertisements to secure an SDC before being released to the public, irrespective of the medium. OTT platforms to discuss regulations with MIB The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting met with top OTT platforms (Amazon, Disney and Netflix) and tech giants (Google, Meta) on June 14 to discuss proposed regulations for streaming services. Last year, the government introduced a draft law to bring OTT platforms under the purview of broadcasting regulations, similar to cable TV. The Great Google Search Shakeup: Can It Adapt to the AI Age? - Part 1 Google Search has come a long way since its launch in 1998. Back then, it was a basic tool. Today, thanks to continuous improvements, innovative thinking, algorithm updates, and embracing new technologies, it's become a powerful and user-friendly tool. With the explosion of AI and the increasing use of LLMs, an interesting question arises: Will Google Search need to fundamentally change its approach to stay relevant? Will it have to become more AI-powered to compete? Beyond algorithms: Can Google ensure a fair digital future? Part 2 In the second part of this series, Adgully delves into the core objectives behind Googles algorithm updates, examining the promise of enhanced search experiences. Yet, these advancements come with concerns, especially from smaller, high-quality online publishers who fear being overshadowed in a landscape dominated by major players. In the US, this anxiety has fueled debates over the equitable treatment of diverse voices in the vast expanse of the internet. Googles Reign Over the Web: Champion of Information or Gatekeeper of Content? - Part 3 The multifaceted influence Google exerts on the information superhighway in phenomenal. Synonymous with search itself, Google has become the gateway to the worlds information, influencing what we see, read, and believe. But as its reach extends ever further, a pressing question emerges: does Google wield too much power over the internets content ecosystem? Google Search Shakeup: Can Independent Publishers Thrive in Googles Shadow? - Part 4 The fourth and final part of this series delves into the heart of these discussions, exploring the viability of proposed measures and their implications for fostering a more equitable digital environment. Can new regulations curb Google's overwhelming power? Are there market-driven innovations that could support independent voices and ensure a vibrant, diverse internet? Kurlon @60: Nilesh Mazumdar and Piyush Pandey on refreshing the legacy brand Mattress brand Kurlon has completed 60 years and has introduced a new, reinvigorated positioning with the launch of its latest logo and the tagline Life Banegi Hula Hula. In this exclusive video interaction with Adgully, Nilesh Mazumdar, CEO, Sheela Foam Ltd, and Piyush Pandey, Chief Advisor, Ogilvy India, talk about this transformative journey. From beans to brilliance: Rajat Agrawal on brewing big plans for Barista Coffee In this exclusive Ag Talk interaction with Adgully, we delve into Barista Coffee Companys journey with CEO Rajat Agrawal, who shares his vision for Barista, and his plans for the future of this iconic coffee brand, and much more. Join us as we explore the mind of a leader who is brewing success, one cup at a time. The Art of Staying Relevant: A Conversation with Ajey Maharaj Welcome to the inaugural episode of our podcast series, where we delve into The Art of Staying Relevant. To kick off this exciting journey, we have a distinguished guest with us, Ajey Maharaj, the Head of Corporate Communications at Fortis Healthcare. As a PR professional, being genuine in communication fosters trust: Vineet Handa In conversation with Adgully, Vineet Handa, Founder & CEO, Kaizzen, speaks at length about the agencys 16-year journey in the PR industry, how PR strategies should adapt to effectively collaborate with influencers while maintaining brand authenticity and credibility, the significant challenges brands are facing due to the rise of vocal audiences expressing negative views, how the PR industry can adopt proactive strategies for better preparedness, and more. Within digital, Meta provides the highest ROI to brands: Arun Srinivas Meta commissioned studies with leading firms Nielsen and Kantar show that return on investment from digital trumps other mediums for the FMCG sector. In conversation with Adgully, Arun Srinivas, Director & Head of Ads Business for Meta in India, shares insights on the latest Nielsen X Meta Media ROI 2024 report and the impact of digital advertising on FMCG brands. Adani Wilmar sees large opportunities in HoReCa & institutional segment: Mukesh Kr Mishra In conversation with Adgully, Mukesh Kumar Mishra, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Adani Wilmar, speaks about prioritizing rural and urban market expansion, establishing a strong presence on e-commerce platforms, adapting to changing consumer preferences, leveraging digital marketing initiatives, and much more. How My11Circle transformed IPL viewership into interactive experience In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Saroj Panigrahi, Chief Operating Officer, Games24x7, delves into the significant impact of My11Circles association with the IPL and the strategic initiatives undertaken to enhance user engagement. Panigrahi discusses the brands milestones, including a remarkable 50% increase in user participation during the IPL season, the role of celebrity endorsements, and innovative campaigns like My11Circle pe ek crore. Goods Train Collision Derails Kanchanjunga Express Near New Jalpaiguri; Five Dead, 30 Injured 2 A tragic incident unfolded near Rangapani station in West Bengal on Monday, where a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express, resulting in at least five deaths and around 30 injuries, police confirmed. Rescue operations are currently in progress at the site, located approximately seven km from North Bengals New Jalpaiguri station. The injured individuals are being transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Five persons have died in the accident till now and around 30 people suffered injuries, which are not fatal, a senior police officer reported. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw commented: Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations are ongoing at war footing. Railways, NDRF, and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured individuals are being moved to hospitals. The collision led to the derailment of three rear compartments of the Kanchanjunga Express due to the impact from the goods trains locomotive, the police officer added. The divisional railway manager (DRM) of North Frontier Railways Katihar division noted that the 13174 Kanchanjunga Rahul Gandhi to Choose Raebareli Over Wayanad 2 The time has come that Rahul Gandhi has to give up the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat today in favour of the family bastion of Raebareli, which he had also won with a big margin. This will pave the way for the Congress leaders sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to contest from the constituency in Kerala, buzz about which has been building up for a few days. Raerareli is one of the 80 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is considered to be the foundation of the Indian National Congress. From 1967 to 1977, the seat was held by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and from 2004 until her appointment to the Rajya Sabha in 2024, by Sonia Gandhi. It was Raerareli from where Jawahar Lal Nehru started his political journey by making a public speech in the year 1921. It was the first Lok Sabha election held in independent India in 1952; this seat was represented by Feroze Gandhi and then again in 1957 until he died in 1960. The baton was then passed to Indira Gandhi, who represented Rae Bareli from 196777. (She lost the seat in the 1977 elections in the wake of the emergency.) Again, Indira Gandhi won the elections in the 1980 general election by defeating Rajmata of Gwalior Vijaya Raje Scindia (who got only 13.1% of the vote share). Although Indira Gandhi later resigned from the Rae Bareli seat,. After that, from 19801989, this seat was represented by Arun Nehru and from 19891996, this seat was represented by Sheila Kaul. (Both members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.) Sonia Gandhi has been representing this constituency from 2004 till now. A total of 17 Lok Sabha elections have taken place in Raerareli and all of these Indian National Congress candidates have won 14 times. To keep up this Congress party legacy, Rahul Gandhi is going to give up the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in favour of the family bastion of Raebareli, which he had also won with a huge margin. In future, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can contest from the constituency in Kerala, buzz about which has been building up for a few days. The Congress is holding a high-level meeting and the decision on the Wayanad constituency is likely to be taken there because today is the last day for it to be conveyed to the Lok Sabha secretariat. The call on the pick for the Leader of the Opposition may also be made during the meeting but the selection of the Wayanad candidate can wait as the by-poll will be held within six months of Rahul Gandhi giving up the seat. The Raebareli seat was held by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 until she moved to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. Cementing its status as a Gandhi family bastion is the fact that it was also represented by Rahul Gandhis grandmother, former PM Indira Gandhi, and her husband, Feroze Gandhi. While Rahul Gandhi was not inclined to give up Wayanad, what also worked in favour of Raebareli was the fact that it is in Uttar Pradesh, home to the largest number of Lok Sabha seats in the country, the sources said. The astounding performance of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance in the state, where it won 43 of 80 constituencies, reducing the BJP from 62 to 33, also played a role in the decision-making. Amethi, another crucial constituency for Congress, under Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, had a good number of industries (mostly in Industrial Area Jagdishpur, the brainchild of Sanjay Gandhi). Both brothers really developed this place. After Rajiv Gandhi, development stopped. Malvika Steels is defunct and there are not many new projects. Promises and blame games only. Amethi Rural is plagued with underdevelopment. Rural development is about the rejuvenation of agriculture. Unfortunately, its in a pretty bad state. The crime rate is low; local muscle men have their influence, though. In 2019, Smriti Irani won elections from Amethi but most of the time was spent attacking the Gandhi family, especially Rahul. Hardly any development, people were angry with her unreasonable attacks. Finally, her seat succumbed to anti-incumbency. Lets see how Gandhis once again brings some new breeze to their family turf. US, Japan, and South Korea hold talks, "strongly condemn" North Korea missile launch 2 The United States, Japan, and South Korea strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters and strongly condemn North Koreas recent launches using ballistic missile technology, Voice of America reported. A joint statement of the three countries followed a meeting of US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell with Japans Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano and South Koreas Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun in Little Washington, Virginia, on Friday. The officials agreed to continue close coordination on North Korea and other challenges to regional and global stability, with a plan to set up a new coordinating body to further align their policies. US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell ahead of the meeting at his farmhouse said that the envisioned body will likely be a secretariat of some kind, Kyodo reported. The three allies recognized the importance of opposing unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. There is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, and we call for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, the joint statement said. On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised an artillery demonstration drill of super-large multiple rocket launchers aimed at South Korea, Pyongyang state media said on Friday. The development comes a day after South Korea said North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday and days after an unsuccessful satellite rocket launch by Pyongyang. North Korea has been pursuing its nuclear and missile programmes despite criticism by the US, Japan, South Korea and other regional allies and partners. The United States has condemned North Koreas May 27 and May 29 launches using ballistic missile technology, which it said is in direct violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). These launches, it said, continue North Koreas reckless behaviour, which poses a grave threat to the Korean Peninsula, the region, and international peace and security and undermine the global non-proliferation regime, the US State Department said. Meanwhile, the US and Japan have emphasized the significance of the new era of strategic global cooperation between Washington and Tokyo, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement Campbell on Friday also met with Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Okano Masataka and USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman in Washington, DC for the first US-Japan Strategic Diplomacy and Development Dialogue. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Kishida had announced the Dialogue during the latters visit to Washington DC on April 10. The two countries reinforced US and Japanese commitments to collaborate with developing partners to address shared challenges. They also stressed the importance of quality infrastructure and sustainability for driving economic prosperity for all. West Bengal Governor Bose Orders Kolkata Police to Vacate Raj Bhavan 2 West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose took decisive action on Monday morning, instructing Kolkata Police officers stationed at the Raj Bhavan to vacate the premises immediately. This directive is part of Boses plan to turn the police outpost near the Raj Bhavans North Gate into a Jan Mancha public platform aimed at enhancing civic engagement. An official confirmed the governors orders, which compel all police officers, including the officer-in-charge, to leave the governors residence without delay. This move comes in the wake of an incident where police barred BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and alleged victims of post-poll violence from meeting the governor, despite his prior written permission. The governors bold decision underlines his commitment to establishing a more open and accessible public forum at the Raj Bhavan, reflecting his resolve to bridge gaps between administrative confines and public discourse. Alabama is about to finally make updates to social studies standards for K-12 public schools. Social studies has come under scrutiny in recent years, as other states and school districts have wrestled with how to teach factual history. A number of states, including Alabama, also recently banned teaching or discussion of divisive topics. Geneva City Superintendent Ron Snell, leading the update effort, on Thursday told the Alabama Board of Education the state plans to increase an emphasis on civics education and include more Alabama history. Current standards have been in place since 2010. We certainly want to make sure that we continue to build a love for history - American history and world history, Snell said. We want to build those but its been a real point of emphasis that we dont ignore Alabama history. A 2021 effort to rewrite the standards stalled after the state board passed a resolution banning critical race theory from K-12 schools. At the time, Fordham Institute researcher David Griffith said delaying updates further would be problematic. A lot could happen in two decades, Griffith said. Per the report, Alabamas history standards for the post-1970 era are already a little thin, so its concerning that the problem could get worse before it gets better. Social studies is taught at all grade levels in elementary and middle school. Currently, Alabama history is a focus in fourth grade and civics education is a focus in seventh grade. We want to bring it into the other grades, Snell said, and so theres been an intentionality to drop Alabama history throughout our courses so that we can do that in more than one grade. The committee is looking at the NAEP and Advanced Placement framework, as well as at other states standards, Snell said. Those states include Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Virginia, along with the Department of Defenses standards. A draft of new standards should be ready for public review by August. The board also heard about work being done to rewrite Alabamas arts education standards. Talladega City Superintendent Quentin Lee leads that committee. The arts education framework the committee is working with includes five areas: dance, media arts, music, theater and visual arts. The arts education standards were last updated in 2017. The board could vote on the new standards in social studies and arts education as early as December. After standards are approved, a textbook committee will be appointed and work throughout 2025 to compile a list for board approval in January 2026. The standards will be implemented statewide during the 2026-27 school year. The current schedule for review of each subject areas standards is on the Alabama Department of Education at this link. Billy Ray Cyrus filed an emergency temporary restraining order from his estranged wife, Firerose. The move comes weeks after Cyrus, 62, had filed for divorce from his 37-year-old wife, whose real name is Johanna Rose Hodges. Cyrus, according to PEOPLE, filed the motion in a Tennessee court Thursday. The report indicates Cyrus claimed Firerose ran up $96,986 in unauthorized charges on his business account. PEOPLE reports Cyrus said $70,665 went to her lawyers. Cyrus claimed that the charges made him concerned that she may make other fraudulent, unauthorized charges to my business and personal credit cards and accounts. Cyrus filed for divorce after seven months for irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct. Throughout the divorce proceedings, the parties are to live as per the status quo during the marriage, her lawyers said, per PEOPLE. Wife was simply living as she has since October 10, 2023, and Husband has no right to cut her off. Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily. A 10-year-old was killed in a single vehicle weekend crash in Marion County. The wreck happened at 6:55 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 22, about one mile west of Brilliant. Alabama State Trooper Cpl. Reginal King said the child, who lived in Mississippi, was a passenger in a Nisan Versa. The vehicle left the roadway and struck an embankment. The 10-year-old was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. The driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old Raymoni L. Gordon of Tupelo, was injured, as were passengers 36-year-old Shuntalisha D. Metcalf and a 1-year-old old. Troopers do not release the names of juvenile fatality victims. The investigation is ongoing. Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Birmingham Police Departments deadliest day, the day that three officers were shot to death with an SKS while making a routine drug arrest at an Ensley house. Carlos Curly Owen, 58; Harley Alfred Chisholm III, 40; and Charles Robert Rob Bennett, 33, were killed June 17, 2004. Officer Michael Collins was shot and wounded but survived. Family, friends, and fellow officers gathered Monday at the West Precinct to remember the fallen officers. They unveiled a bench bearing the officers names that will sit in the precinct. I remember that day very well, unfortunately like no other, said Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond. It was the worst day in the history of the Birmingham Police Department. Their sacrifice was not in vain. Theyre heroes for all of us men and women who wear the badge, Thurmond said. We must continue to remember them. They fought to the end. They were true warriors. Nathaniel Woods and Kerry Spencer were convicted in the deadly shootings and sentenced to death. Woods, 43, was executed in 2020. Kerry Spencer fired the shots that killed Owen, Bennett, and Chisholm. An execution date for Spencer has not yet been set. It was early afternoon that Thursday when Chisholm and Bennett went to the front door, while Collins and Owen went to the back door. Three Birmingham police officers were killed and a fourth wounded on June 17, 2004 while serving a misdemeanor warrant at an Ensley drug house.(The Birmingham News) Authorities said Woods, who was still standing behind his screen door, began to curse again and told the officers to leave. Owen told Woods that they had a warrant for his arrest and that he needed to come outside. Woods refused, even after the officers showed him the NCIC printout and his mugshot. He told the officers, If you come in here, well f*** you up. Woods turned and ran deeper into the apartment. Chisholm followed Woods from the front, while Collins and Owen entered via the rear door. Woods quickly surrendered, asking the men not to spray him with mace. Three Birmingham police officers were killed and a fourth wounded on June 17, 2004 while serving a misdemeanor warrant at an Ensley drug house.(The Birmingham News) Collins ran to the back door, planning to join Bennett at the front and assist him when the others brought Woods outside. Instead, he heard shuffling behind him, then gunfire. Though shot, Collins ran to his patrol car for cover, where he radioed a double aught call for all possible assistance. Collins saw Spencer, who was Woodss roommate, standing in the doorway and shooting in his direction. Bennett was found outside the front of the apartment with a still-smoking gunshot wound to his face. Owen and Chisholm were found in the apartment. All had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead on the scene. A manhunt followed, which led to the arrests of Spencer and Woods. Three Birmingham police officers were killed and a fourth wounded on June 17, 2004 while serving a misdemeanor warrant at an Ensley drug house.(The Birmingham News) Three separate funerals were held for each officer, as well as a citywide memorial service for all three. Chisholm, known as RoboCop, was remembered as a decorated ex-Marine who was tough on criminals and devoted to public service. He knew, his supervisors said, when to police from the heart and when to police by the book. He was, they said, a hard-charger with a heart as big as a mountain. Bennett was likened to a knight loyal, courageous, courteous and generous. At his funeral, he was described as a giant of a man and a hero. He left behind a wife and a 4-year-old daughter. Owen, a highly-decorated 27-year veteran of the department and a former president of the Fraternal Order of Police, was well-known in the Ensley area he patrolled for years. He was affectionately known for his once-permed hair and admired for his uncanny ability to catch bad guys. He was called a soldier of the city and a rare breed. He was a husband, father and grandfather who was set to soon retire. Former Birmingham Chief Annetta Nunn was chief at the time of the killings. She led Mondays ceremony in prayer and closed it out by singing Amazing Grace. Bennets daughter Caroline, who was just 4 when her father was killed, is now 24. She attended college and graduate school, which was paid for by a fund set up in Birmingham 1985 for children of slain police officers. It is very crazy to think its already been 20 years, Bennett said. Ive had to grow up through the grief. Hes continued to have such an influence in raising me regardless of the fact that he was not physically present, she said. Chisholms three sisters attended the ceremony, as did Owens son, Greg Owen, and daughter, Andrea Owen Elders. .I cant believe time has gone by so fast, Elders said. But I still relive that day like it was yesterday. Hes just missed so much of life when he should still be here, she said. They should all still be here.. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined attorneys from 23 other states in opposing a request to restrict Donald Trumps public statements about his federal criminal case in Florida, including statements about the FBIs seizure of documents from Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump was indicted last year on charges of illegally hoarding classified documents from his presidency at Mar-a-Lago and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. On May 31, Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the case, asked the court to modify Trumps conditions of release on bond to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Smith said Trump has mischaracterized the Mar-a-Lago raid with inflammatory statements that amount to a dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. The FBI recovered more than 100 documents at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 after obtaining a search warrant. Trump, in a May 21 post on Truth Social, said: WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the Icebox and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Bidens DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional raid of Mar-A-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE 25TH AMENDMENT! The Trump campaign also put out a press release saying: BIDENS DOJ WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME! Its just been revealed that Bidens DOJ was authorized to use DEADLY FORCE for their DESPICABLE raid in Mar-a-Lago. You know theyre just itching to do the unthinkable Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger. Special Counsel Smith, in his request to the federal court to restrict Trumps statements, said the former president grossly distorted the way the search was carried out. As Trump is well aware, the FBI took extraordinary care to execute the search warrant unobtrusively and without needless confrontation: they scheduled the search of Mar-a-Lago for a time when he and his family would be away; they planned to coordinate with Trumps attorney, Secret Service agents, and Mar-a-Lago staff before and during the execution of the warrant; and they planned for contingencieswhich, in fact, never came to passabout with whom to communicate if Trump were to arrive on the scene, Smith wrote. As part of this planning, the FBI used a form that contains standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person. The inclusion of that policy is routine practice to restrict the use of force, and it is attached to countless warrants across the country. Marshall and the attorney generals from 23 other states said there is no justification for a court order restricting what Trump can say about the case and that granting the request would place a thumb on the political scale. The American people deserve to hear from the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States on issues facing our country, including the Biden Administrations possible misuse of law enforcement to target his political rivals, Marshall said in a press release. Bidens requested gag order is a desperate and shocking attempt to silence Trump and skew the election. Bidens Department of Justice is engaged in an unprecedented assault on Trumps First Amendment rights and liberties, and we will continue to hold the line against this radical political prosecution. Last month, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon indefinitely postponed the trial, which had been set for May 20. Brooklyn Water Bagels, based in Florida, is looking to expand into the southeast, Texas and Michigan, and Alabama is on its radar. Daniel Smith, CEO of the company, said the brand is open to franchise partners in all of the states major metro areas, such as Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville. Were looking for some solid operators who have had success in our industry, Smith said. We feel we have a promising model and we want to build on the success weve had. The breakfast-centric fast casual restaurant chain also serves lunch and has 15 locations in Florida, with another six currently under construction. Brooklyn Water Bagels relies on its own water filtration system, which is then used to boil the bagels in the old-world recipe before they baked in the store. This allows them to be crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The restaurant offers 14 different varieties of bagels with different kinds of cream cheese spreads. Smith said his favorite bagel is the everything bagel, while enjoys the corned beef and spicy mustard sandwich for lunch. If youve ever had a New York bagel, part of what makes it so great is the water, Smith said. Brooklyn Water Bagels also offers its own coffee, made with Arabica coffee beans in its own roastery and the in-house water system. We have very popular iced coffee, with coffee ice cubes that allow the flavor to stay longer, he said. Anyone interested in franchise opportunities should visit the website. The chain is looking for multi-location deals. Smith said the current restaurant terrain shows there is room for chains that offer quality, affordable products. Menu items include muffins and cookies, all-day breakfast sandwiches, soups, wraps, salads, sandwiches and hot dogs. When Chris Susock, a third-generation auto worker, came to Alabama in January 2004, there was no Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama (HMMA) yet. Nothing but dirt floors and lanterns, he recalled. Susock, after 15 years with the Ford Motor Co., was hired to establish and structure the new quality organization for the plant as senior department head. Within a year, Hyundai was making cars in Alabama. Thats something Susock enjoys, just as his grandfather, who worked for nearly a half-century at Ford, and his father, who was with the automaker for more than 20 years. Building cars is in my blood. Its what I love to do, he said. Now, 20 years later, Susock is the president and CEO of HMMA. He moved into the post after serving as COO and senior vice president, as well as other management positions in the factory, which has more than 4,000 employees and more than 40,000 connected through its independent supply chain. Hyundai contributes about $5 billion to the states economy and is the largest employer in the central Alabama region. And the Montgomery factory has just gone through the most thorough transformation in its history, just in the last four years. When Hyundai came to Alabama, it began making the Sonata and Elantra sedans. But as the market changed, the demand for SUVs grew. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, with new factory procedures and massive market uncertainty. Hyundai continued retooling for the SUV market, and now Montgomery is making six different models - including traditional internal combustion engine SUVs, electric SUVs, hybrids, rear-wheel drive and two of the luxury Genesis models. Susock called it the most challenging period in his two decades in Montgomery. See also: Hyundai Alabamas new CEO on child labor, union activity: We know right from wrong As other plants have had to during the last decade, Hyundai has put a premium on flexibility - in its products and procedures, to go where the market is going. Hyundai has committed not only Montgomery to an electric future, but is also building a $7.5 billion plant in Savannah to manufacture EVs. Flexibility in manufacturing is about being able to convert from what youre doing because of economic or market changes, and the ability to adapt quickly to those changes, he said. Its always going to be very important. Mobility is evolving dynamically; its about looking to see what the market trends look like, and do we have the wherewithal to make those changes through the next decade. Its about the future sustainability of this operation, making sure we have the ability to contribute to the industry and the business plan of Hyundai, and contribute to the River Region and the state of Alabama. Susock said he feels his two decades at Hyundai have helped prepare him for the challenges of the position. He wants a plant that continues to grow and serves both the community and the workforce. But he also sees his role as being a problem solver, not just in meeting production schedules, but also in the lives of workers. Im very high on encouraging people in the organization, he said. I want to lead by example. I take accountability for everything happens within this facility. I believe in integrity and making people feel valued, and in effective communication. And I want to make sure we can take care of issues to keep the work environment strong. There are things we do that were really proud of, and that our team members are proud of. Were not in business just to operate a business, but were here to be part of the state, and support the residents of this state. McDonalds trial run testing artificial intelligence for its drive-through is ending. Trade publication Restaurant Business reported the company told franchisees it is ending its AI chatbot experiment with IBM no later than July 26. The technology will be removed from more than 100 restaurants but the company isnt ruling out bringing it back in another form. A voice-ordering solution for drive-through will be part of our restaurants future, McDonalds told Restaurant Business. While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly, Mason Smoot, chief restaurant officer for McDonalds USA, said a message sent to franchisees. After a thoughtful review, McDonalds has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT (automated order taking) and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than July 26, 2024. McDonalds has been testing drive-thru voice AI since 2021. You can read more here. A prehistoric-looking fish caught in Florida waters has been identified as a peculiar bull shark by marine biologists. Bull sharks are supposed to be thick and stocky, but this one is twisted, more like an eel in motion. It was dubbed a (squiggly) shark by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The shark appears to have some form of scoliosis or spinal deformity affecting the vertebral column, FWC officials wrote in a June 14 Facebook post. While the condition is rare, our team has encountered similar anomalies in other shark and bony fish species. ... Our team has x-ray images of other specimens ... where you can see the strange shape of the vertebral column. The shark was caught near Titusville, about 40 miles east of Orlando, and photos seeking an explanation were submitted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Titusville parallels the Indian River along the states Atlantic Coast. Brian Tittle said he and his son were fishing in their backyard when his son caught the shark. I didnt notice anything different reeling it in. Seemed to swim pretty good, Tittle said. Weve been fishing all our lives and we just knew it wasnt right. I have a friend over there (at FWC) that suggested I send it to the research team. The anglers released the shark after taking photos, noting they would feel bad keeping this one. Bull sharks grow to about 11 feet in Florida waters and can weigh 500 pounds, according to state officials. They roam estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters and are known to venture hundreds of miles inland via coastal river systems, FWC reports. Bull sharks are more aggressive than most shark species and responsible for many unprovoked attacks on humans worldwide, the FWC reports. Some experts consider them to be more dangerous than white or tiger sharks, accounting for the third highest number of attacks on humans. Watch large hammerhead shark hunt prey just below people enjoying water off Florida Extremely rare shark reeled in off Florida, video shows. See what makes it a unicorn Bear out for swim swats away two aggressive alligators in Florida river, video shows 2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Robert Morris, the senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, one of the largest churches in the country, has been accused by a woman of sexually abusing her when she was ages 12 to 16. The Oklahoma woman, now in her 50s, said Morris abused her on multiple occasions in the 1980s. The alleged abuse, first reported Friday on the religious watchdog blog Wartburg Watch, happened in Oklahoma and Texas between 1982 and 1987. The Christian Post published a story Saturday about the allegations. Morris, 62, has not been criminally charged, and the statute of limitations for such crimes has passed in both states. Morris did not respond to email and phone messages seeking comment Saturday. Gateway Church officials on Saturday said they were aware of the allegations but declined to comment when asked by The Dallas Morning News. Lawrence Swicegood, who is listed on the church website as executive director of Gateway Media, replied by email to The News late Saturday, saying, At this time we are not granting interviews or providing additional statements. Morris did not preach at the Southlake Saturday afternoon service, and the allegations were not addressed during the service. Several attendees either declined to comment or said they were unaware of the allegations. A statement reportedly sent to church staff by elders of Gateway and posted to X said Morris has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago. According to the statement, Morris restoration process was closely administered by elders and included professional counseling. Since the resolution of this 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures, the statement read. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and people in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership. Morris is also quoted in the statement, and said he was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady. In a phone call with The News on Saturday, Cindy Clemishire, Morris accuser, said she met Morris in 1981, when he was a traveling preacher and began preaching at her familys church. The News does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Clemishire has allowed her name to be published. Clemishire said Morris and his wife and young son became very close with her family. By the time he flew to Tulsa on Christmas Day 1982, he was like family. She said Morris stayed at her familys home, as he was preaching the next morning at their church. That night, Clemishire said, Morris told her to come to his room because he wanted to talk to her. She said he told her to lay on the bed. I remember vividly everything I was wearing and how the pajamas felt. They were light pink, and it was a little top with bloomers, and I had on underwear and bloomers and the little top and a robe that snapped up over the top, she said. After they talked for a few minutes, she said Morris began touching her inappropriately. Clemishire said Morris told her not to tell anyone because it would ruin everything. Clemishire said she was 12 when the abuse started. I just remember he just wanted to talk, Clemishire said. And then he started touching my stomach and proceeded to touch my breast and went under my pants, and then told me I could never tell anyone, because it would ruin everything. Clemishire said the abuse continued for roughly four-and-half years, with Morris finding ways to be alone with her, such as trips to the grocery store. She said she came forward about the abuse in March 1987, when she told a family friend, who urged her and went with her to tell her parents. At this time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove, a church in Grand Prairie that later became Gateways Grand Prairie campus. Clemishire said her father called the lead pastor at Shady Grove and demanded Morris be removed from the ministry. According to Clemishire, Morris stepped away from the church for two years and entered a restoration before coming back in 1989. Morris said in the statement that the behavior only included kissing and petting and not intercourse and said it was wrong. Morris said he reentered the ministry with the full blessing of Clemishires father, and said he and his wife met with her and her family to ask for forgiveness, which Morris said happened. Clemishire said this was only partially true. Of course we want to forgive, were called to forgive, Clemishire said. But hes never had anyones blessing in my family to be back in the ministry. We dont believe anyone thats done anything like this should be an overseer to anyone in any industry, but especially in the church. Clemishire said she does not believe Morris was truly repentant due to how he described the alleged abuse. I dont think that its repentant when someone calls a 12-year-old a young lady and tries to just dismiss what happened as just some heavy petting, Clemishire said. I dont believe thats repentance. Theres no child on Earth that any person should ever do that to. Its just unacceptable. Theres zero excuse. In 2005, Clemishire said she decided to pursue a lawsuit against Morris, as the statute of limitations on criminal charges had passed. Clemishire said she asked for $50,000 to cover the cost of her counseling, and in response, Morris attorney accused her of seeking out Morris sexual advances and offered her $25,000 to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which she declined. In addition to his pastoral duties at Gateway, Morris is a prominent televangelist and has been politically active. During Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, Morris was named to his evangelical advisory board. Trump visited Gateways Dallas campus in June 2020 for a roundtable discussion on race relations and the economy. Gateway was founded by Morris in 2000 in Southlake and has expanded to nine campuses across Dallas-Fort Worth as well as offering services online. According to Gateways website, the church has about 100,000 attendees ach weekend. 2024 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The suspect in the killing of Jefferson County husband and father Nathan Gemeinhart is competent to stand trial, a Jefferson County judge has ruled. Youit Jones, 36, is charged with capital murder, corpse abuse and second-degree arson in the 2022 shooting death of 42-year-old Nathan Gemeinhart. According to newly released court documents, Gemeinharts body did not appear to have a head or hands, when authorities discovered the victim inside a burning Birmingham house. The two men did not know each other. Jones, who records state has a history of both inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment, is cleared to go to trial, which is set for 2025. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The setting comes after Jones was committed to the Alabama Department of Mental Health in April 2022 for competency evaluation. Jones told those examining him that he did not want to pursue a mental state defense. He said he was previously diagnosed with cluster headaches, and said his family sought psychiatric treatment for him after he experienced a spiritual epiphany, during which God was telling him what to do. Dr. Anthony Lawrence examined and interviewed Jones and noted in court records that he did not display deficits that significantly interfered with his ability to track conversation or process information. Jones was transferred from Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility back to the Jefferson County Jail Wednesday where he will remain held without bond. Judge May noted that Jones repeatedly and consistently refused to participate in any evaluation or assessment regarding his mental status at the time of Gemeinharts killing, but said Jones provided rational, not delusional, reasons for making this decision. Jones is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts and Assistant District Attorney Jessica Hebson. He is represented by attorneys Glennon Threatt and Maston Evans. Authorities have not released a motive in Gemeinharts slaying, but the charge is capital because it involved kidnapping and arson. The homicide investigation began Aug. 9 when Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded at 2:45 a.m. to the 1300 block of Eufaula Avenue on a report of a house fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the abandoned house in flames. Once they extinguished the blaze, they found a badly burned body inside. Police said evidence showed that the person was a victim of homicide. Less than one block away, authorities found Gemeinharts 2007 Toyota Corolla parked in front of a house on Pike Road. Gemeinhart had left his southern Jefferson County home about 7:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8, and was going to check on some properties over on the west side of the county. He worked in property management. He was supposed to meet his wife at 11:30 a.m. for his twin daughters Meet the Teacher school event, but never showed up. Friends and family immediately launched a search for Gemeinhart, knowing it was unlike him to be out of touch with them, and to miss the school event for his kindergartners, which were the oldest of his four children. Family reported that Gemeinharts had been spotted on surveillance cameras at 8:40 a.m. that Monday on Aaron Aranov Drive in Fairfield. There was phone data at 8:49 a.m. and then nothing after that time. Police had remained publicly tight-lipped on any possible connection between the body and Gemeinharts disappearance, but it was widely speculated that the two cases would become one, which they did. Within hours of the discovery of Gemeinharts body and car, Birminghams SWAT team descended on a house next to where the car was found. Detectives and evidence technicians conducted an extensive search but have not said what they found. Police announced they were searching for Jones in connection with the homicide, labeling Jones armed and dangerous. Jones had been staying in the house that was searched by the SWAT team and detectives. Only a small alley separates Jones house from the abandoned house where the body was found. Jones was captured following a carjacking attempt in Oklahoma. Court records obtained by AL.com showed Jones tried to rob a woman of her vehicle and was held down by McDonalds employees in the restaurant parking lot until police could arrive. The Oklahoma charges against Jones were dismissed earlier this month in deference to the more serious alleged crimes in Alabama. Jones was extradited to Alabama in late October. A Texas megachurch pastor accused of child sexual abuse has resigned from his position as an overseer for the Church of the Highlands. Gateway Church Senior Pastor Robert Morris is no longer an overseer of our church, said a statement released by Highlands trustees, who are non-staff elders of the church. We were unaware of this part of his past, the statement said. After being made aware of the disturbing media reports, Highlands trustees and overseers immediately initiated a due diligence process that included reaching out to Gateways elders. Before the scheduled follow-up meeting to determine changes in our governance structure, Pastor Morris resigned. Morris, whose church in Southlake, Texas is one of the largest churches in the country, has been accused by a woman of sexually abusing her when she was ages 12 to 16. The Oklahoma woman, now in her 50s, said Morris abused her on multiple occasions in the 1980s. The alleged abuse, first reported Friday on the religious watchdog blog Wartburg Watch, happened in Oklahoma and Texas between 1982 and 1987. The Christian Post published a story Saturday about the allegations. Morris, 62, has not been criminally charged, and the statute of limitations for such crimes has passed in both states. Morris did not respond to email and phone messages seeking comment Saturday. Gateway Church officials on Saturday said they were aware of the allegations but declined to comment when asked by The Dallas Morning News. In a phone call with The Dallas Morning News on Saturday, Cindy Clemishire, Morris accuser, said she met Morris in 1981, when he was a traveling preacher and began preaching at her familys church. The News does not typically name victims of sexual abuse, but Clemishire has allowed her name to be published. Clemishire said Morris and his wife and young son became very close with her family. By the time he flew to Tulsa on Christmas Day 1982, he was like family. She said Morris stayed at her familys home, as he was preaching the next morning at their church. That night, Clemishire said, Morris told her to come to his room because he wanted to talk to her. She said he told her to lay on the bed. I remember vividly everything I was wearing and how the pajamas felt. They were light pink, and it was a little top with bloomers, and I had on underwear and bloomers and the little top and a robe that snapped up over the top, she said. After they talked for a few minutes, she said Morris began touching her inappropriately. Clemishire said Morris told her not to tell anyone because it would ruin everything. Clemishire said she was 12 when the abuse started. I just remember he just wanted to talk, Clemishire said. And then he started touching my stomach and proceeded to touch my breast and went under my pants, and then told me I could never tell anyone, because it would ruin everything. Clemishire said the abuse continued for roughly four-and-half years, with Morris finding ways to be alone with her, such as trips to the grocery store. She said she came forward about the abuse in March 1987, when she told a family friend, who urged her and went with her to tell her parents. At this time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove, a church in Grand Prairie that later became Gateways Grand Prairie campus. Clemishire said her father called the lead pastor at Shady Grove and demanded Morris be removed from the ministry. According to Clemishire, Morris stepped away from the church for two years and entered a restoration before coming back in 1989. A historic Alabama church with a building dating to 1858 was one of 10 churches officially closed on Monday during the annual meeting of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Methodists of Uniontown purchased land in 1843, erected a church, then built a two-story Greek Revival-style brick building in 1858. The stained-glass windows were added in 1921, when the gas chandeliers were replaced with electric lights. A new steeple was added in 1971. The Uniontown United Methodist Church in Perry County is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Uniontown Historic District. Its at the intersection of Highway 61 and North Street. It was part of a wave of Methodist revival and building that helped the Methodists, along with the Baptists, become the two largest denominations in Alabama and help build the state after its founding in 1819. The seven Alabama churches closed included Uniontown in Perry County; Black United Methodist in Geneva County; Booth United Methodist in Autauga County; Wesley Chapel in Choctaw County; Memorial UMC on Broad Street in Selma in Dallas County; Central UMC in Elmore County; and Hills Chapel UMC in Ramer in Montgomery County. The three Florida Panhandle churches that were closed included Bethlehem UMC in Holmes County; Midway UMC in Holmes County; and Springhill UMC in Jackson County. Each of the churches has a long and proud history but has been declining in membership and attendance for years, the conference said in its statements closing the churches. These are things we do every year, said Bishop David Graves, head of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Every year we have churches that have lived their life cycle and theres all kinds of reasons for it, and theres always something kind of sad about that. The properties of all the closed churches revert back to the conference, except in the case of Hills Chapel in Ramer, which will become the property of the Hills Chapel Cemetery Association. Hills Chapel in Ramer was organized in 1857 and the church building dates to 1937. On Tuesday, churches in the Alabama-West Florida Conference that have been waiting to disaffiliate from the denomination were told they will have to wait on a church judicial ruling and they will not be allowed to leave this year. An early-morning accident with multiple fatalities closed northbound I-65 north of Mobile for much of the day on Monday. An unrelated incident involving commercial vehicles further north caused a separate lane closure on the interstate. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency send out a notice shortly before 9 a.m. saying that a single-vehicle crash had occurred about 6:37 a.m. near the 21 mile marker. ALEA said that a northbound lane would be blocked for an undetermined amount of time. The Creola Fire Department said via Facebook that it was on the scene, which was just north of exit 22. It said there were multiple fatalities and that it was a long term scene. Shortly afterward, an update from ALEA said that northbound I-65 would remain closed until further notice. The location is several miles south of the high-rise bridge at the edge of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, so the closure meant a substantial detour for northbound traffic. Shortly after 2 p.m., ALEA issued a confirmation that northbound I-65 had reopened. Details about the wreck itself, including the number of fatalities, remained unavailable. In a separate incident in Escambia County, ALEA reported that a crash involving two commercial vehicles had taken place at about 7:55 a.m. near I-65 mile marker 58. that resulted in the closure of a single lane. The Escambia County crash resulted in no injuries, an ALEA spokesman said. ALEA confirmed shortly before noon that the lane closure in Escambia County had ended. No other details were immediately available. Both incidents remained under investigation. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available. A Marshall County man has been charged with manslaughter following a shooting early Saturday morning. Colton Dozier, 31, of Albertville, was arrested Sunday night, according to jail records. He is currently being held in the Marshall County Jail on $50,000 bond. According to Albertville police, officers were called to a residence on Oneonta Cutoff Road early Saturday morning on a shooting. Daniel Long was found suffering an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. Two females and children were also found at the residence. Dozier met police at the scene. and after a brief conversation, was taken into custody. Long was transported to Marshall Medical Center South, where he died from his injuries, police said. Theres no other way to say it - the new CEO of Hyundais Montgomery auto manufacturing plant took on the job at an interesting time. No sooner did Chris Susock take a seat behind the desk at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) when the company saw two immediate challenges - one of the most aggressive union drives in Alabama history, and a potential landmark lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Labor over child workers in the automakers supply chain. Back in February, the United Auto Workers announced that more than 30 percent of the employees at Hyundais Montgomery auto plant had signed union cards. While most of the states attention has focused on a union vote last month at Tuscaloosa Countys Mercedes-Benz plant, the effort at Hyundai is still the farthest the union has gotten there. Then in May, the Labor Department filed suit against Hyundai, an Alabama automotive supply plant and a temporary agency to surrender profits related to child labor in the state. A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Alabamas Middle District says a 13-year-old worked for up to 60 hours a week on an assembly line in Luverne operating machines that formed sheet metal into auto body parts. The lawsuit came after more than two years of headlines related to the issue, which has already resulted in several investigations and fines. Susock, who has been with Hyundai in Alabama since before the plant began operating, said both issues deal with the values that Hyundai and its workers have. In terms of the union effort, Susock said he is not a stranger to the UAW. A former employee of Ford, he worked for 15 years within the structure of a UAW contractual agreement. Some members of his family were union members. Much of the unions momentum over the last year has been attributed to new leadership, largely under the direction of union president Shawn Fain. But the union itself, Susock said, has not changed. The UAW is the UAW, he said. The new leadership, or the current administration of their leadership, Ill be honest, I dont see as being much different than it has been in the past. Theyre established. They have their own set of traditional values. I dont think its changed much. Maybe the inspiration has changed. At the end of the day, I dont think it changes much in how they operate. While he feels the UAW were successful in achieving some of the unions aims in its historic Big Three contracts of last year, that success wont translate to the South, he said. See also: Hyundais new Alabama CEO Chris Susock: Building cars is in my blood Ive been here from the very beginning, he said. We were able to sustain a well-structured environment where it wasnt necessary for any type of third-party representation for workers. I think weve been very successful in creating a working environment for our team members. When (union representatives) come and make the promises - we can do this or that for you - its a challenge to get them to say yes, he said. Because its about what you can provide us that we cant get from the management team or HMMA as a whole, and I dont think they have that traction. Susock said the issues at Volkswagens Chattanooga plant, where the UAW won its first plant election in the deep South, or even at Mercedes-Benz, may be more specific to those plants. I cant speak directly about Mercedes-Benz, but theyre probably in the same boat we are, he said. When it comes to the child labor issue, Susock referred to Hyundais corporate statement in late May. At the time, the company said the Labor Department is seeking to apply an unprecedented legal theory that would unfairly hold Hyundai accountable for the actions of its suppliers and set a concerning precedent for other automotive companies and manufacturers. We are reviewing the new lawsuit and intend to vigorously defend the company. Susock said Hyundai took immediate action when Reuters reported the use of child labor at an Alabama supplier two years ago. He said the company reviewed all of its suppliers and required them to conduct independent audits of their operations. It also created a supplier training program, in collaboration with the Department of Labor. I think its important that people know this did not happen at HMMA but with one of the suppliers, he said. I cant speak for them directly, but what I can say is that Im not just a CEO of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Alabama, but Im also a parent. The use of child labor has absolutely no part in manufacturing, or the standards and values we hold to at Hyundai. We do not employ underage children in HMMAs facility, and that will never happen. Susock said the company will defend itself in court, but will continue to cooperate with efforts to ensure a similar situation never happens again. We have our values and our standards, and we know right from wrong, he said. We did everything we could, once we were made aware of the situation, to make sure we supported the Department of Labor to drive our suppliers to make sure they were aware of the (companys) expectations. People of a certain age will remember the name Donald Segretti. In the 1972 re-election campaign of President Richard Nixon, this youthful campaign aide made the phrase dirty tricks part of the American political lexicon. Segrettis mischief included sending embarrassing letters under the names of Nixons political rivals. Although his dirty tricks had little or no effect on the elections outcome, Segretti served four and a half months in prison. With Segrettis four and a half months as a baseline, the 51-plus dirty tricksters who conspired successfully to get Joe Biden elected president in 2020 would seem to deserve no less. Confident to a fault about the Democrat control of the media, 51 intel officials signed on to the most flagrant disinformation campaign in anyones memory. I think there needs to be an investigation into every single one of them, said Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), and that investigation deserves a special counsel. More deserving of prison time than the 51 were the Biden apparatchiks who set the plot in motion. On October 14, 2020, when they saw the New York Post headline Smoking-Gun Email Reveals How Hunter Biden Introduced Ukrainian Businessman to VP Dad, they were ready to roll. They had known since December 2019 that this story might drop. That was when Mac Isaac alerted the FBI to a laptop Hunter Biden had abandoned at his computer repair shop in Delaware. Fearing that the story might break at any time, operatives within the FBI reached out to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms well before the 2020 election and warned them of a potential Russian pre-election hack and dump operation. If done with ill intent, these operatives deserve prison time as well. On the day the Post story broke, representatives from the FBIs Foreign Influence Task Force met with Facebook execs. As would later be confirmed at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, the FBI knew that the laptop was, in fact, Hunter Bidens. Facebook founder and future un-indicted co-conspirator Mark Zuckerberg did not need to have his arm twisted. He and his wife, Priscilla Chan, had already invested $300 million, in CNNs words, toward enhancing access to voting in the United States. CNN failed to add that the Zuckerbucks enhanced access almost exclusively in Democrat districts. With a little prodding from the FBI, Facebook promptly deamplified the Post story, dramatically reducing its circulation. On the same day the story broke, the FBIs Foreign Influence Task Force also leaned on Twitter. The Twitter people needed little persuasion some 98 percent of their political donations went to Democrats. They were all in for Biden, and Twitter blocked not only the Post story, but also the Post itself. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, former disgraced FBI general counsel-turned Twitter exec James Baker was asked about his role in silencing the Post. To virtually every salient question regarding the laptop, Baker pleaded in vintage Watergate fashion memory loss. You were entrusted with the highest level of power at Twitter, but when you were faced with the New York Post story, instead of allowing people to judge the information for themselves, you rushed to find a reason why the American people shouldnt see it, said committee chair James Comer. You did this because you were terrified of Joe Biden not winning the election in 2020. A May 10, 2023 report by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government filled in the details. The plot was hatched on October 17, 2020, when Biden campaign adviser now secretary of state Antony Blinken contacted Michael Morell. Morell had served as acting director of the CIA under Obama. At Blinkens request, Morell began assembling the draft of a statement that would dismiss this epic October surprise as more of the same old Russian disinformation. At the very least, Blinken should resign immediately. Morell had a motive. He was in the running for the post of CIA director. Needing a Biden win to secure it, Morell went to work lining up co-conspirators. Thereafter, reads the subcommittee report, Morell contacted several former intelligence officials to help write the statement, solicit cosigners, and help with media outreach. On October 19, Morell emailed Nick Shapiro, his former deputy chief of staff, asking him to place the statement in major publications. On background, Shapiro was to tell reporters that Morell, in talking to Russian intel experts, was struck by the fact that all of them thought Russia is involved here. In truth, Morell had talked to no Russian intel experts before organizing the draft. Politico bit first, running a story on October 19 under the bold headline Hunter Biden Story Is Russian Disinfo, Dozens of Former Intel Officials Say. As Morell testified to the House subcommittee, one major purpose of the statement was to help Vice President Biden in the debate. In an October 19, 2020 email, Morell told former CIA director John Brennan he wanted to give the [Biden] campaign, particularly during the debate on Thursday, a talking point to push back on Trump on this issue. During the October 23 debate, when Trump played the laptop card, Biden countered with the Russia card as planned. Look, there are fifty former National Intelligence folks who said that what this, hes accusing me of is a Russian plan, said a well rehearsed Biden. They have said that this has all the characteristics four five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what hes saying is a bunch of garbage. Nobody believes it except him, his, and his good friend Rudy Giuliani. In an estimate more conservative than many, Trump pollster John McLaughlin found that 4.6 percent of Biden voters would not have voted for Biden if they had known about the contents of Hunters laptop. Even if those people had simply not voted, their absence at the polls would have handed several swing states to Trump. Kept purposefully in the dark, too many Americans chose to believe Biden and his co-conspirators. On November 3, 2020, the American people went to the polls to elect the president of the United States with the false impression that Hunter Bidens laptop was Russian disinformation, the House subcommittee concluded three years too late. The American people cannot get back the 2020 election. They cannot get the election back, but they can get justice. If prison seems an extreme remedy for the conspirators, it pays to remember that 40 government officials were indicted or imprisoned for Watergate. Jack Cashills new book, Ashli: The Untold Story of the Women of January 6, is now available for purchase. Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped). Last week was the far right week of weeks in Europe, what with the far-right neo-fascist populist white nationalists in Europe voting in battalion strength for the far right neo-fascist populist nationalist Literally Hitler parties in the recent EU elections. In a normal pack of playing cards there are usually two jokers, but in the educated class pejorative packs there are race cards and sexist cards and fascist cards and Literally Hitler cards and -phobia cards and only one side is allowed to play them. If this was Vegas, the Mob would have put a stop to this pejorative race card game, as bad for business. And how come it took a J.K. Rowling to get the ball rolling by telling the trans activists to take their trans-hate cards and flush them down the toilet in the mens room for a change. But the rest of us -- particularly anyone in national politics -- are still scared of some lefty playing the race card on us. Hello Charlottesville. Tiki torch anyone? But I have a dream, that one day some up-and-coming politician will respond to the usual race card ploy with a straight up Hey buster, you can take that race card and put it where the sun dont shine. And I tell you, when that day dawns, the heavens will open, the lightning will flash and the thunder will echo from horizon to horizon. And the world will change. All it takes is one man with courage. And, frankly, he needs to be responding to a really egregious race card play by a headline black lefty race-hustler. I once had a chance to do that in the little leagues, twenty years ago, when called a racist at dinner in a restaurant by a black guy, son of a professor. I should have said: Sir, if there is one thing I know as evil and vile and contemptible, it is for a black man to play the race card in a public restaurant. No sir. I am not the racist; you are the racist and I defy you. But I didnt. I was a coward. You know what? I think that it is time for deplorables like you and me to call out Republican politicians and conservative headliners that fail to trump liberals that play the race card. What are you, sir? A coward? If so, you are not fit to lead us. Another ploy, I think, is to brush back against the pejorative card. For instance, last week I discovered that the main issue motivating far-right voters in the EU elections was Ukraine. So I wrote I thought [the EU election] was all about far right neo-fascist populist white nationalist racists opposing immigration. But David P. Goldman says that the major issue for those far right neo-fascist populist white nationalist voters was not immigration -- or even saving the climate. No, it was something else. Not the sort of thing youd expect from far-right neo-fascist populist white nationalist warmonger voters. Do you see the point? I am piling on the contemptible MSM pejoratives to make fun of them. That is why God invented humor: to enable the lesser folk to tickle -- ever so gently -- the sensitive parts of the ruling class. Now comes Jordan Bardella, 28-year-old President of the far-right neo-fascist populist white nationalist Islamophobic Rassemblement National. Tweets he , per Google translation: I want to reassure everyone: our compatriots of foreign origin or people of foreign nationality present with us, who work, who pay their taxes, who respect the law, who love our country, have absolutely NOTHING to fear from our policy. But whatabout the foreign national in France that works, pays taxes, respects the law, and doesnt love La France? Well, why would he want to stay? Of course, the Frenchie TV host interviewing him was mortally insulted. So sad. It all comes down to Alinskys Rules 5 and 6: Rule 5: Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage." Rule 6: "A good tactic is one your people enjoy." Hey, to restrict Alinskys Rules for use only by radicals is not inclusive and inflicts harm on the deplorable community. Its up to all far-right politicians and influencers to ridicule and make fun of the lie, that the rulers are fighting for the oppressed peoples. Not they aint. They are rulers; they are in it for the power and for the status -- for themselves. All they ever do is spend other peoples money to buy the votes of the oppressed and they play the race card to trump the opposition to their rule. And its up to far-right politicians and influencers to make sure that we the people enjoy the embarrassment and infuriation of the wokey international-globalist post-national activist NGO-adjacent rulers as we all fight them for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. 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: Alfo Medeiros via Pexels Fair warning, because this video of a 25-year-old Muslim man explaining the benefits of marrying a prepubescent child is both stomach-churning and heart-shattering: This is Islam and this is the Sharia that we are fighting and which they want to spread in the West. pic.twitter.com/S2OYHiPc9V Salwan Momika (@Salwan_Momika1) June 12, 2024 (The full episode can be found here.) Theyre relatives of sorts so there will be no need to alternate the holidays between families. Because theres no room for disagreement when a domineering Muslim male is given charge of a little girl, theyre in agreement regarding everything and there will be no arguing. Domestic life will be harmonious! Early betrothal gives him the opportunity to be involved in grooming, er, I mean raising her, which will make her a better wife. There will be no concern that she may leave (no matter how abusive), because her education stopped in the third grade and she literally will not be able to survive without himan intact family for the win! Wooing a sexually mature woman his age is just so much more work, because she no doubt would have certain expectations of a courtship or husband that a child does not; he gets the wife with none of the normal investment and self-discipline. I mean, this is just smart right? Putting in as little effort for maximum gain? (And they still like to pretend that Christianity is the repressive, backward, and abusive faith.) This is the disturbing culture thats coming to the West via mass migration, which is awful, but it gets worse; its the disturbing legal system thats coming to the West. The video below isnt from Yemen, Iraq, or Iranbut England: A Birmingham Islamic cleric explains how to stone a woman to death under Sharia Law. You have to dig a hole that comes up to half of her body. pic.twitter.com/j6kht3fUtz David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) May 18, 2024 If you ever needed the specifics on how to stone a woman, like making sure you dig the hole deep enough to keep her modestly covered as you pummel her to death with rocks, you can count on a supporter of Sharia law to provide you with the answer. How about this side of the pond? We have hordes of Americans protesting for the imposition of Sharia law in ostensibly American jurisdictionsjust take a look at Minnesota-turned-Somalia, or Hamtramck, Michigan, the latter of which now allows for animal sacrifice at home after an all-Muslim government voted to legalize the practice for one of the Islamic feasts. Heres this, from Detroit Free Press: If somebody wants to do it, they have a right to do their practice, Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan said at the meeting. He was talking about slaughtering animals at home, but how long until theyre saying the same for child marriage? This is what you get when a religion comes from a man who promotes the practice of bedding children; child marriage is a plague, and a massive contributor to the immorality we see across Muslim-dominated societies and cultures. Where are the defenders of social justice? Oh thats right, theyre too busy promoting pedophilia, shoving it down our throats under the love is love banner. If theres nothing wrong about a man having a sexual relationship with a man, then whats wrong with a man having a sexual relationship with a child? Love knows no boundaries as they like to say! Islam is not a religion but a perverse political ideology, one which deceitfully uses faith as a cover. Image from X. Republicans were the party of abolition and the Civil Rights Act. Democrats were the party of slavery and Jim Crow. However, reflecting a trend that started under FDR, accelerated in the 1960s, and went into hyperdrive with Obama, blacks have been Americas most passionate Democrat voters. That may finally be changing. Biden, whos proven to be Americas most consequential president in a bad way (having destroyed our economy, border, military, etc.), has done one useful thing: He seems to have broken the Democrat partys stranglehold on the black vote. Thomas Sowell has famously said that the Democrat party is utterly dependent on the black voting bloc: It may be years before Republicans can again get a majority of the black vote. But Republicans dont need to get a majority of the black vote. If they get 20 percent of the black vote, the Democrats are in trouble and if they get 30 percent, the Democrats have had it in the general elections. Democrats know this, and theyve tried to hedge their bets. They began by importing large numbers of legal Hispanic immigrants and granting mass amnesty (through legislation) to the illegal ones, all of whom they believed would be reliable Democrat votes. That began to be a problem, though, when Hispanic values (family, faith, hard work, pro-life) crashed into modern progressive values (no family, no faith, hostility to work, unlimited abortion). Faced with the growing disaffection of a once reliable voting bloc, Democrats have shifted to importing a new batch of Hispanicspeople here illegally who cannot afford, ever, to allow a pro-border Republican into the White House. Currently, the Biden administration is working at speed, through election fraud and unconstitutional amnesties, to get these newly arrived illegal aliens into the voting pipeline, but the clock is running out for election 2024. Black votes still matter to the Democrat party, which may explain the hysteria that CNNs election analyst, Harry Enten, displays as he talks about Trumps careening towards a historic performance with black voters: I'm Like Speechless': CNN's Harry Enten Says Trump 'Careening Towards A Historic Performance' With Black Voters pic.twitter.com/aEKh3WPIDG Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 17, 2024 Admittedly, Trump hasnt yet gotten to the magic 20% mark and has a way to go to the 30% mark, but there are still a few months remaining in this campaign. Democrats think Trumps indictments and conviction are their ace in the hole, but they forget that blacks have long been deeply suspicious of the criminal justice system. Rather than seeing Trump as having received his just deserts, they know hes now one of them. Blacks for Trump are outside the Fulton County Jail. The people see this charade for what it is. pic.twitter.com/diuO9ka9h0 Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 24, 2023 Trump is also breaking free of GOP paralysis and reaching out to blacks and other minorities. This is smart politics because the Biden economy is especially devastating to people at the lower end of the economic scale. (This may explain why, as Enten points out, young blacks are flocking to Trump.) Lol this is funny pic.twitter.com/rnydl9pC8w Kathleen Winchell (@KathleenWinche3) June 16, 2024 Add in the fact that illegal aliens are horning in on black housing and jobs, and you have a voting bloc thats ripe for the picking. No wonder CNN is panicking. At the end of the day, election fraud may still seal the deal, however, so dont get cocky. Vote and bring 10 friends with you because nothing is assured. Image: X screen grab. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden recently announced a [new] $500 million investment to add more navigators to the Affordable Care Act program. They say the additional expense will help people navigate their way through the ever-changing, Byzantine regulatory labyrinth to the promised land of health coverage; not to receive timely medical care though, but just to have insurance. Lets be clear. Healthcare is so confusing, complex, and costly that they will solve the problem by... adding more rules, regulations, bureaucrats, and spending. Five hundred million for BARRCOME bureaucracy, administration, rules, regulations, compliance, oversight, mandates, and enforcement but not a penny for those who provide care. In fact, the money for the bureaucrats will be taken away from patient care. Witness former President Obamas taking $716 billion from the Medicare Trust to pay (only partly) for his BARRCOME in his ACA. The Biden administration acted like an arsonist who sets several fires and then cries, We must hire more firemen! In his 1981 inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan said, Government is not the solution to our problem; government is [italics added to mimic the tone of his voice] the problem. The problem to which he referred was an economic crisis. His statement could just as easily apply to todays healthcare crisis. The crisis is not a lack of insurance the uninsured rate is now down to eight percent. Even illegal residents are being given no-charge (free to them, costly to taxpayers) Medicaid coverage. This laser focus on insurance intentionally ignores the seesaw effect. As the number of government-insured individuals goes UP, access to medical care goes DOWN. Expanding Medicaid or ACA subsidies produces the exact affect Americans dont want: a closed door to the doctors office or worse, a retired physician. Washingtons approach to all healthcare problems is reminiscent of the 1966 Golden Hammer adage of psychologist Abraham Maslow (famed author of the Pyramid of Needs): If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail. Since governments only tool is regulation, they try to solve everything, including healthcare complexity, by more regulation, which of course creates more complexity and more spending. Systems thinkers call this a fix that backfires. Consider a 19702009 study of the growth in numbers of physicians, healthcare bureaucrats, and national healthcare spending. Over those 40 years, the supply of physicians increased 100%. The number of healthcare administrators (bureaucrats) increased more than 3,200%. Healthcare spending increased 2,300%, and the number of healthcare regulations grew by too many to count. The ACA made things worse giving us the crisis we now face: no care and unsustainable (per Obama) spending. As the doctor shortage worsens, Medicaid enrollees grow, per ACA expansion of the program. Then Biden expanded the rolls further during CoViD. In 2022, Washington gave no-charge Medicaid coverage to 95 million Americans (28% of the nation.) Add too-few-doctors-for-too-many-patients new spending on BARRCOME. The ACA created 68 grant programs, 47 new bureaucratic entities, 29 demonstration or pilot programs, six additional regulatory systems, six strict, new compliance standards, and two new entitlements. The number of new bureaucrats and thus additional non-clinical spending is not known but certainly in the tens of thousands. At the same time, more physicians are taking early retirement. The Texas Health and Human Services Department employs more than 62,000 bureaucrats. They are paid to oversee approximately 50,000 state-licensed physicians. The ACA law just by itself cost American taxpayers $1.76 trillion, an amount similar to the GDP of Canada. Most of this spending went to BARRCOME. (I should know; this author was a Board Director on one of the 50 new state Health Insurance Exchanges established by the ACA.) It was obvious from the first reading of the Affordable Care Act it was an undigestible regulatory pretzel. The fact that Nick Tates 2012 Obamacare Survival Guide was and remains a best-seller is testament to the impossible complexity of the ACA. Add the more than 100 major changes to the Act in fourteen years and you have a truly unnavigable, Byzantine in every sense of the word, set of ever-changing, ofttimes contradictory, always confusing, impossible-to-follow-precisely healthcare regulations. Bidens solution is (drumroll)... more navigators, requiring more rules and regulations to govern their behavior and ours, more compliance oversight, more enforcement, and of course, more spending; another half a billion of non-clinical healthcare spending. Ask an experienced manager, any systems thinker, even (especially) a game show fifth-grader. Each would say the same thing: to solve a problem in complexity, simplify. Do not make the problem worse by adding more complexity. Dont add more cost. And in healthcare, whatever you do, do not throw more dollars generating additional complexity while taking money away from what matters to patients: medical care. Reprising the 40th U.S. president, the problem with government-run healthcare is that it is government-run. What we need is someone else in control of health care: patients. Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Pathology, and Decision Science; former Director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Texas Public Policy Foundation; former Director, New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange; and author of 12 books including multi-award winning, Curing the Cancer in U.S. Healthcare: StatesCare and Market-Based Medicine. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. As you've probably heard 10,000 times, Claudia Sheinbaum will be the first lady president south of the border. She mentions it at every opportunity and her staff tells you every time, too. Yes, they really want you to know that it's "la presidenta" this time around. The problem is that "la presidenta electa" is not persuading some of the people around the world in the money business. This is the story: The Mexican peso continued to weaken Tuesday as Mexicos outgoing president -- and his successor -- vowed to forge ahead with some 20 constitutional changes that have rattled investors. Claudia Sheinbaum won this months presidential election. But she has spent much of the time since then trying to reassure markets, while yielding not an inch on a controversial proposal to make judges and justices stand for election. Sheinbaum claimed Tuesday that investors have no reason to be concerned, adding to everyone who invests in Mexico, I say that (legal) certainty exists. Critics have claimed that outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wants to eliminate regulatory and oversight agencies and weaken the judicial system to reduce any checks on presidential power. Sheinbaum said Monday she endorsed submitting all of Lopez Obradors reforms when Congress returns in September. Sheinbaum even added a couple more yet-unfunded benefit programs to the list of proposed Constitutional changes. That's the problem. Investors don't want her to submit all of those reforms so that super majorities run the country. But can she stop the LO machine? The concerns are shared by U.S. authorities. Last week, we learned this: U.S. Undersecretary of State Brian Nichols cautioned U.S. Congress against the potential ramifications Mexicos controversial proposed judicial reforms could have on the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA). There are also concerns with controlling organized crime and reshaping energy policies. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image: Secretaria de Cultura CDMX When the Democrats ended Trumps remain in Mexico policy and Obamas detain them at the border policywhich only became an issue when Trump continued it they assured us that the millions of illegal aliens streaming in would still have to defend their refugee status before a judge. One day. Perhaps in a few years. However, even that window dressing wont happen because it turns out that Bidens government is, on average, losing 99% of all illegal aliens who entered the country with the governments permission. Nobody knows how many illegal aliens have entered America since Biden took office. Including known entries and estimates of gotaways, its something in the range of 5-8 million. It used to be that those who sought asylum as refugees had to make their case before being released, unsupervised, into America. Biden, however, started the practice of giving these people court dates and sending them on their way based on their parole or promise that theyd show up in court on the given date. Image: YouTube screen grab (cropped). Well, theyre not showing up: More than 99% of illegal immigrants caught and released a year ago as part of a special border parole program are still at large, according to government data that signals how difficult it will be to unwind the millions of migrants who have gained a foothold under President Biden. These migrants present a critical test case for the Biden administration. A federal judge has demanded unprecedented transparency in the Department of Homeland Securitys handling of 2,572. All of them were supposed to have reported in by last summer, but data filed with the judge at the one-year mark shows 25 hadnt checked in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE, meanwhile, has failed to issue immigration court summonses to 340 others, meaning they are not in deportation proceedings after a year. ICE said it can confirm the deportation, departure or death of just 14 people, meaning 99.5% of all of the migrants caught and released under this parole program are thought to still be in the U.S. Only one of the migrants was being held at the time ICE reported to the court in late May. As Gomer Pyle would say, Suh-prise! Suh-prise! Suh-prise! We all knew that this was exactly what would happen, in significant part because everyone understands that these people are not refugees escaping political persecution. They have no case to make in court. Instead, they are simply leaving a poor country for a richer one with welfare benefits. If I were in their shoes, I would do the same, but Im not in their shoes. Im in America, and whats happening is disastrous because it marks the destruction of our constitutional, sovereign nation. Indeed, Biden is on the verge of grossly exceeding his constitutional powers to give all of these illegal aliens amnesty, a purely congressional act, and one thats being paired with making sure they vote in the upcoming election, legally or not: LEFT: Today, NBC reports Biden mass-amnesty scheme to be officially announced this week. RIGHT: Yesterday, NYP Story blowing the whistle on how illegals are given voter registration forms in 49 states. Its happening. Fast. pic.twitter.com/17on3VhUXp Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 16, 2024 Their votes, naturally, will be cast for the person allowing them to stay in America. Thats why Biden has been shipping illegal aliens to red states, as well as to sanctuary blue states. In the blue states, his votes are assured; its in the red states that he needs help. If Trump manages to slog through the illegal votes, harvested votes, and outright faked votes, he cant just stop with deporting the illegal aliens. He must prosecute the people involved in these intentional violations of U.S. immigration law, violations so extreme (especially with the border open to terrorists) that they amount to treason. That doesnt mean firing those responsible. It means assembling strong evidence, trying them before an impartial jury and, if theyre found guilty, punishing them appropriately. Kathy Hochul is considering the implementation of a new mask mandatebut not quite like the one she supported while aiding and abetting Andrew Cuomo as lieutenant governor, or decreed while governor. This time, Hochul may mandate that you cant wear one, even if you want to! Yes, you read that rightbut why the sudden u-turn? UNFVCKINGBELIEVABLE: Gov. Kathy Hochul and Adams is considering a ban on face masks. Not long ago, I was escorted out in two separate incidents from my doctor's office by four NY police officers and wheeled out of the operating room by hospital staff for not wearing a mask pic.twitter.com/F8rjjs71bt I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) June 17, 2024 An alarming uptick in anti-Jewish behavior and aggression? Who could have possibly anticipated that? I mean, after the government (both state and federal) permitted maniacs who applauded and celebrated terrorism and war crimes to run amok and wreak destruction (all under the guise of freedom of expression), could anyone have predicted that their appetites for chaos would move beyond defacing statues and blocking traffic to blood instead? But wait, theres been an uptick of crime? How can that be? Am I imagining things or have they been telling us that crime is down everywhere? Oh thats right, crime is off-the-chartsanywhere that Democrats hold political power, like New York City. But are you even surprised? Heres what someone in the comments perceptively articulated: They mandated something that did not work to protect people from a disease they werent at risk from and now criminals use it to hide their identity. Dems are simply not capable of understanding the consequences of their actions because they rely on emotion, not logic or reason. Didnt some of us emphasize the possibility that criminals would exploit the mask-wearing atmosphere to commit crime, as masks hide identities? I know I certainly did. Now of course, banning masks isnt going to solve the crime problem, because the issue isnt an inability to identify who these perpetrators are; government officials pulled out every stop, and dedicated every financial and technological resource to tracking down the J6 peaceful protestors, or anyone who even breathed in the area that day, but they cant figure out who these fat slobs in keffiyehs and ski masks on the subway are? The crime problem is an issue with two root causesgovernment and culturewhich is exactly why the crime problem will persist, even if masks are now banned. The government is the social apparatus tasked with meting out punitive consequences for lawbreakers, upholding justice, and protecting the innocentbut when the government invites hundreds of thousands of felons from third world hellholes to stay in its hotels and on its sidewalks, defunds law enforcement, and prosecutes anybody who dares to fill the gap in the absence of police officers (Daniel Penny goes on trial this October), the obvious result is the breakdown of good order and discipline, and skyrocketing crime. As for the culture aspect: Whether its the leftists in keffiyehs harassing and assaulting Jewish New Yorkers, or the migrant gangs in surgery masks (which dont stop viruses), theyre all just godless, and unbound by any Judeo-Christian moral code thats been the foundation for American social interaction and civic life. No wonder everything is a mess. Whats rather funny though is that this breed of modern Democrat politician is so supremely inept, theyre managing to alienate basically everyone, even their own support; conservatives already hated Hochul, but now her own voters are turning on her too: Remember these posters that were everywhere? Now, Hochul wants to strip away our right to keep ourselves healthy by wearing a mask. #NoNYMaskBan pic.twitter.com/mlJvdkHpuB Skylar Moore (@skylarqueens) June 14, 2024 Delightful schadenfreude. Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York (Marc A. Hermann / MTA), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. Bidens campaign seems to be giving up on promoting Biden and is, instead, focused on attacking Trump and his voters. This is because, no matter how much money Biden manages to raise and no matter the medias efforts on his part, nothing can hide the fact that his campaign is broken, incoherent, and fundamentally fraudulent. First, the Biden campaign is broken because he has no accomplishments. His nearly four years in office have been one disaster after another, and the comparisons with Trumps economy, border control / illegal aliens, and foreign policy vastly favor Trump. That reality was driven home today with the AP story that Biden is about to spend $50 million dollars on pre-debate ad buys. The ads will bypass Bidens record to focus on the three constitutionally obscene cases brought against Trump in NY: President Joe Bidens reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trumps felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponents legal woes a bigger issue heading into November. [snip] Besides Trumps criminal conviction, the ad, titled Character Matters, notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. This plan to focus on Trumps alleged criminality may be the greatest mistake in marketing since Bud Light and Dylan Mulvany. Image made using AI. Second, the Biden campaign doesnt have a coherent message to justify Bidens reelection. There is no simple and positive message, like Make America Great Again or A car in every garage and a chicken in every pot. Or perhaps, If you want some blow, vote for Joe (and Hunter). Instead, the Democrats have been riding for months now on the nonsensical meme that, in order to save democracy, they must prevent the people of this country from voting for the candidate of their choice. Their biggest effort in this regard fell apart after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Colorado Supreme Court for trying to do just that, but Biden still hasnt given up hope that he might win if its only a one-person race. Most recently, Jack Black, speaking at the Hollywood Fundraiser and looking like he just stepped out of a hippie commune stinking of weed, made this case for destroying democracy to save it: Democracy will die if people are allowed to vote for their preferred candidate. That Orwell didn't come up with this one first only shows the limits of his imagination. https://t.co/NJ6inOO3TB S David Sultzer (@s_sultzer) June 17, 2024 Third and last, the claim that Biden is acting as President is a fraud. Whoever is running our country, it is not Biden. Examples of Bidens diminished capacity are numerous. The most recent came from the same Hollywood fundraiser, where Obama had to lead a frozen, confused Biden off the stage: I have been criticized by some for sharing these @POTUS Biden videos which appear almost every day. I have read numerous articles which somehow suggest that the camera angle, the duration of the clip or some form of right wing manipulation explains Bidens behavior on camera. https://t.co/n9aAXQGqdZ Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) June 16, 2024 Author Lee Smith, viewing the above, has stated the obvious: Biden is an avatar for a Shadow Presidency. Smith believes that Obama is the puppetmaster: Americans must acclimate themselves to the fact that for the Obama Faction, President is a ceremonial role, a figurehead who enacts the policies and preferences of others with much greater and more consequential powers who are unseen and therefore unaccountable. And thus, given the Factions control over so many institutions from media and Big Tech, to Wall Street and the intelligence services you no longer have any real say over your country, community, or even your family. With the end of sovereignty, begins the age of delirium. The campaign of demoralization is designed to desecrate and defile what you love most. The first defense, then, the first step toward victory, is by giving form to the chaos and naming things: Who is doing what on behalf of which causes, thanks to whose money. Thus, well draw a map of the regime. When Bidens flailing campaign fails, this fraudulent presidency must be exposed. America needs to know who exercised the authority presidential authority since January 2021 and, if appropriate, criminal liability needs to be imposed. Image: YouTube screen grab (edited). Wolf Howling is a pseudonym. President Trump recently talked about election integrity in Milwaukee, and the media and other Democrats claimed his complaints and concerns were nothingburgers. Heres this, from Vanity Fair: Trump and his team have used Wisconsin, whose swing state status makes it highly coveted, as a sort of epicenter for its Big Lie movementwhich claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump by Biden. Despite federal and journalistic investigations finding no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Wisconsin, Trump continues to claim interference in the last presidential election (and hint at it in the next one). What about Mark Zuckerburgs election money? The Special Counsel tasked with the investigation found that the funds were used to bribe officials in Milwaukee and other cities in Wisconsin in 2020. We can assume that if this bribery took place in Wisconsin, it also took place in other swing states; to believe otherwise would be pure stupidity. Heres the context, from The Federalist: Special Counsel Finds Mark Zuckerbergs Election Money Violated Wisconsin Bribery Laws Nearly $9 million in Zuckerberg grant funds directed solely to five Democratic strongholds in Wisconsin violated the states election codes prohibition on bribery. That conclusion represents but one of the many troubling findings detailed in the report submitted today by a state-appointed special counsel to the Wisconsin Assembly. According to the report, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg provid[ed] financing that allowed the Center for Tech and Civic Life to offer nearly $9 million in Zuck Bucks to Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay counties. In exchange, the Zuckerberg 5, as the report called the counties, in effect, operated Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts. Those grant funds then paid for illegal drop boxes to be placed in Democratic voting strongholds. The illegal use of drop boxes represented a second area of concern to the special counsels office. The report notes state election code limits the manner in which ballots may be cast, providing that an elector must personally mail or deliver his or her ballot to the municipal clerk, except where the law authorizes an agent to act on the behalf of the voter. As for election interference: In 2016, the Justice Department, with the full support of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, targeted Trump for defeat while letting Hillary Clinton off for serious crimes, as they campaigned for her. The FBI illegally spied on Trump, with FBI officials lying to the FISA courts to obtain the warrants they had no right to retain. They used the fictitious dossier, paid for by Hillary and the DNC, as justification to spy. For years, the deep state, along with a complicit media, has targeted Trump. The corruption of the Obama-Biden administration in 2016 dwarfed Richard Nixons Watergate activity. In 2020, the FBI, Antony Blinken, 51 former intelligence agents, and the almost 100% compliant media spread the lie that Hunter Bidens Laptop from Hell was Russian disinformation; the contents of the laptop held troves of evidence of corruption, and weve only seen a fraction. This interference in the election was massive. Again, the corruption of the deep state far exceeded the corruption of Watergate, but the sycophant media cheered and iterated the election was as clean as could be while pretending to care about misinformationbut they are the primary purveyors of misinformation and disinformation. The media still peddle the narrative that Joe had nothing to do with Hunter collecting kickbacks to support the family. No matter how many state election officials violated state election laws, the public was told the election was perfect. After all, the only thing that mattered was Biden winning. Democrats have challenged elections and electors many times, yet not once were they called election deniers. No. Their challenge was principled. It is all BS. Most of the people posing as journalists are just unrecognized campaign workers for Democrats who will repeat whatever the Democrat talking points are and cover up for the massive incompetence and corruption of Biden, or any other person with a D behind their name. They will even pretend that Kamala would be an excellent president! Image: YouTube video screen grab. A string of headlines on RealClearPolitics, at the left sidebar, as a snapshot in time, drove the election picture home for me: What a picture that paints for us. While Trump is out there fighting and campaigning for the working people, the forgotten, the minorities, the constituencies taken for granted by Democrats as the entitlement class, Biden is out courting the rich Hollywood elite -- white, out of touch, and all about hiding behind their money, like Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Both are meeting them where they live -- but Trump is the only one willing to address broad numbers of people, in this case, black voters, in order to make his case to them. Biden campaigns instead among the carefully vetted, the people who have no Republicans among their friends, the people who live in leftist bubbles. You'll never see him campaigning among the hoi polloi, not in his current fragile state, though in the last campaign, when he was let out among them, he often ended up in arguments with them, insulting some. Not so, Trump, who lives and breathes with the pulse of the people and criticizes only the elites. Their presidencies show this, too -- Biden has made small numbers of special interest elites very rich -- from greenie boondogglers to COVID fund takers to public employee union members and to open borders NGOs. In this case, they all were vetted first. Trump, on the other hand, made vast numbers of people rich, across the board, no vetting, prosperity reaching every corner. "I made money under the Trump administration," my on-the-fence cousin in a Michigan town told me last year. She didn't like him much, but she made money, so she was going to vote for him. She could not say the same for Biden. She was smart, but she was not among Biden's elites. The sentiment must be magnified across towns and cities in America, even in the heart of Detroit. The broad swathe of voters are drawn to Trump and he campaigns hard for their votes. As for Biden, there's no broad swathe -- just he and his bubble of rich, elite, and very white, supporters. Who, again, is the candidate black and other voters of all colors can trust? Image: Screen shot from RealClearPolitics headline page (edited) / fair use After smartphone makers like Google and Samsung, Adobe also added artificial intelligence to Acrobat back in February, enabling you to find information more easily and efficiently. It offers you AI-generated summaries of your document and a chatbot that can answer your questions. AI chatbot in Acrobat will soon be capable of multi-document analysis Now the AI assistant is getting more useful with additional capabilities. Starting tomorrow, the AI-powered chatbot in Acrobat will offer multi-document analysis. It means the ability to analyze multiple documents at once. In practice, it can streamline research, and data analysis across various document types, including PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint files. Adobe has integrated a conversational engine into Reader and Acrobat workflows. One of the features enabled through this addition is Insights Across Documents. It allows users to pull information from multiple documents and create cohesive content. In addition to Insights Across Documents, Acrobat will also offer enhanced meeting transcript capabilities. It will help users automatically generate summaries of virtual meetings, highlighting main topics, key points, and action items. So all the participants will be able to stay informed even if they miss the meeting. There will also be an AI-powered image generation feature going forward. The image generation model will reportedly be powered by the Adobe Firefly Image 3 Model. Image-related features in Acrobat The integration of an image model to Acrobat will offer two features Edit Image in Acrobat and Generate Image in Acrobat. As the name suggests, the first one will offer functionalities such as Generative Fill, Remove Background, Erase, and Crop. These functionalities will allow the user to easily edit the images in a document within Acrobat. In addition to the image editing feature, the Generate Image in Acrobat will uplift the capability and the overall user experience of Acrobat to a whole new level. Users will be able to bring their imagination to reality with images within a document in Acrobat. According to Adobe, the generative image feature is designed to enhance documents with unique visuals quickly and effortlessly. Their goal is to make it easier for users to create visually appealing content without needing extensive creative expertise. With the new Firefly and AI Assistant capabilities in Acrobat, anyone can transform the information in their digital documents into actionable insights and visually compelling content quickly and easily, notes Abhigyan Modi, senior vice president of Adobe Document Cloud. Google is one of the biggest AI companies in the world, but that doesnt mean that its AI is all that good. As powerful as the Gemini-powered products are, they certainly make a bunch of mistakes. Well, the newly-appointed Google Search head said that Google will continue to push AI features despite slip-ups. No AI tool is without its mishaps, but Google seems to be the company making the most blunders with its tools. Bards first hallucination happened when it was unveiled, Geminis image generator was making racially inaccurate pictures, and we cant forget about the whole glue-on-pizza debacle. Google will launch AI features despite slip-ups Youd think that, with all of the mess-ups that Googles AI tools have gone through, the company would slow things down and really make sure that its tools are functional before launching them. Well, youd think wrong! The newly-appointed head of Google Search, Liv Reid, spoke to Googles employees in a company-wide meeting. CNBC was able to obtain audio from the meeting, and it revealed Googles problematic approach to AI. It is important that we dont hold back features just because there might be occasional problems, but more as we find the problems, we address them, she said. When we find new problems, we should do the extensive testing but we wont always find everything and that just means that we respond. So, it sounds like shes suggesting that the company roll out new features and address the problems after they arise. That seems like the companys plan ever since it launched Bard, so whats new? Of course, other models have had issues in the past, but when was the last time that a large ChatGPT slip-up made the news? What was the last time DALL-E had to be rolled back due to a massive error? Google is a large and powerful company, but its rushing. How much longer will this go on until people start losing faith in its products? Sure, if users start to lose faith, thatll be bad, but once investors start to lose faith, thats when the company might need to panic. Motorolas upcoming powerful flip phone is hardly a secret at this point. Weve seen a ton of information about it thus far, and some Motorola Razr 50 Ultra specs just got confirmed. In addition to that, the phones live images surfaced too. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra specs have been confirmed some of them Lets take it one step at a time, though. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra appeared on Geekbench. So it got benchmarked. As part of that listing, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor has been confirmed. That is Qualcomms brand new chip that is quite powerful. Its not quite as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but its up there. The listing also confirms that 12GB of RAM will be included. More than one RAM variant is a possibility, though. Android 14 will come pre-installed on the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra. That much has been confirmed here too. The device managed to score 1,829 points in the single-core, and 4,214 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench. With that being said, the device also got certified by the NCC. As part of that certification, the phones design was shared. That design was not a secret, but we got to check it out yet again, prior to launch. If you take a look at the images below, youll not only see the phone itself, but its measurements and battery too. Peach and Dark Blue colors are coming, by the way, in case you were wondering. The device will offer 68W wired charging, and have a 4,000mAh battery The phone will support 68W wired charging, and include a 4,000mAh battery. That battery will consist of two batteries, actually, 1,050mAh and 2,950mAh units. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra will become official on June 25. Thats the date Motorola confirmed quite recently. Do note that the initial launch event will take place in China, though. Both the Motorola Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra are expected to arrive to other markets, though. Armie Hammer has said that the fallout from sexual misconduct allegations made against him has felt like anvil on his head but he is feeling grateful for being in recovery. The US actor, known for the Oscar-winning film Call Me By Your Name has denied all criminal allegations against him following police in California investigating sexual assault claims in 2021. Last year, Los Angeles County District Attorney decided not to charge him. Armie Hammer (left) and Johnny Depp (right) at the UK Premiere of The Lone Ranger, at the Odeon West End cinema in London. (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Hammer, also known for Death On The Nile, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Social Network, told Sundays The Painful Lessons Podcast on YouTube: Whatever it was that people said, whatever it was that happened, Im now at a place in my life where Im grateful for every single bit of it. Im actually now at a place where Im really grateful for it because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me, I didnt feel good, I never felt satisfied I never had enough I never was in a place where I was happy with myself where I had self-esteem. I never knew how to give myself love. I never knew how to give myself validation but I had this job where I was able to get it from so many people that I never had to learn how to give it to myself. He also described himself as previously being a black hole, you know, no matter how much compliments, and no matter how much adoration, people were throwing my way and said this was transformed into hate, like on a global scale following the various claims made against him. In 2022, the Discovery+ documentary House Of Hammer, produced by his aunt, Casey Hammer, aired, making a series of allegations. It claimed the actor had sent threatening voice notes, and unusual messages. Hammer also faced claims that he sent explicit messages on social media. Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers at the 60th London Film Festival. (Ian West/PA) He also said: Now at the time, I didnt have the wherewithal, or frame of mind to understand that this was a lesson. But now being, not only removed from the initial chaos of it, but also having learned everything that Ive learned as a result from it. I look at it now. And I go, You know what, like, it was awful. And I wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy. But for the people in my life that I truly love. I hope some version, preferably smaller than what I went through, would happen to them as well. So they could learn everything that Ive learned. And I feel great about it. He also said if everything is easy, humans become a delicate little thing. Hammer added: When you get an anvil dropped on your head, it wakes you up real quick. It killed me, the actor also said. It killed my ego. It killed all the people around me that I thought were my friends that werent In a flash, went away. But the buildings were still standing. Yeah, Im still here, I still have my health. And Im really grateful for that. Hammer said his career was nowhere, explaining he is not getting jobs and is not a viable commodity in Hollywood. Hammer added that making films is his passion and so he is making his own sandbox, by writing a script. He also explained that he went to a treatment centre for addiction issues, which also helped his mental health. Hammer shares two children with his former partner, the TV personality Elizabeth Chambers. Following the initial controversy, Hammer was replaced in various productions. He was to star opposite Jennifer Lopez in comedy film Shotgun Wedding, before Josh Duhamel stepped into the role. Miles Teller also took over from Hammer in the TV series The Offer, a drama about the making of The Godfather. The average price tag on a home dipped by just 21 in June, following a record high in May, according to a property website. Across Britain, the average price of a home coming fresh on the market in June is 375,110, slightly down compared with Mays record of 375,131, Rightmove said. The number of sales being agreed has remained steady in recent weeks and the volume of buyer inquiries to agents has also been stable, Rightmoves report said. Rightmoves map shows changes in average asking prices across Britain (Rightmove/PA) However, it did highlight some possible election caution among some would-be sellers, particularly at the top end of the market, some of whom appear to be pausing their plans to see how the weeks ahead unfold. Tim Bannister, Rightmoves director of property science said: Its always difficult to predict how home movers will react to sudden uncertainty, but looking back through our data, we can see that during previous election campaigns, market activity has remained largely steady. This election has followed a similar pattern so far. He added: However, some potential sellers appear to be watching and waiting rather than taking action, evidenced by a dip in the number of new sellers coming to market, particularly at the top end. This is understandable when many of these sellers have more flexibility over when they act, but overall, it appears to be business as usual for the mass market. Ian Preston, group chief executive at Yorkshire-based estate agent Preston Baker said: Whichever government is chosen, the priority must be increasing the supply of new homes. Investment in the local authority planning system, to speed up applications, is the priority. The rental price growth has been extraordinary over the past few years, and landlord-friendly policies will be required to attract landlords back into the market. Rightmoves report was released as property firm Hamptons said the cost to tenants of a newly-let home in Britain rose to an average of 1,337 per month in May, which was 6.3% or 79 per month higher compared with the same period in 2023. Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said: High mortgage rates have squeezed buyers with small deposits out of the market, forcing more households to rent for longer. She said that despite political parties General Election pledges around low deposit mortgage deals their effectiveness will probably be determined by Threadneedle Street rather than Downing Street. The extent to which the Bank of England reduces rates will shape the numbers of would-be buyers with small deposits more than the best-designed government policy. Daniel Radcliffe lands first Tony Award for starring role in Merrily We Roll Along British star Daniel Radcliffe has won his first Tony Award for his starring role in Merrily We Roll Along, during a ceremony dominated by first-time winners. Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, who choreographed and starred in the opening number of the ceremony, returned for the third time as host at the Lincoln Centres David H Koch Theatre in New York City. After performing with the cast of Merrily We Roll Along on stage, Radcliffe appeared shocked to win the award for best actor in a featured role in a musical. This has been one of the best experiences of my life, Radcliffe said. The Harry Potter star thanked the late George Furth and Stephen Sondheim for writing this unbelievable show in 1981, the songs of which he described as a gift to get to sing every night. The 34-year-old described it as an honour to share the stage with co-stars Lindsay Mendez and Jonathan Groff in the musical which charts the turbulent relationship between three lifelong friends. Daniel Radcliffe accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for Merrily We Roll Along (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) I will miss you so much, I dont really have to act in this show, I just have to look at you and I feel everything, I will never have it this good again, he said. Radcliffe wished a happy Fathers Day to his parents who were in the audience, and declared his love for partner Erin Darke. My love Erin, you and our son are the best thing that has ever happened to me, thank you so much, he added. The star-studded ceremony saw Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne, Nick Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, and Cynthia Erivo among the attendees, alongside a surprise performance from Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. I had to do something crazy, this is my home town, Keys said, after the pair joined the cast of her semi-autobiographical musical Hells Kitchen to perform their 2009 hit song Empire State Of Mind in tribute to New York. Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne arrive at the 77th Tony Awards (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) The ceremony saw a host of first-time winners, including Radcliffes Merrily We Roll Along co-star Groff who won best actor in a musical beating British star Eddie Redmayne who was nominated for his role as Emcee in Cabaret At The Kit Kat Club. During his speech, Groff said Radcliffe and Mendez were more than old friends, youre soul mates, while also thanking British director Maria Friedman. Earlier in the ceremony, Friedman had collected the gong for best revival of a musical alongside her producer sister Sonia. The ceremony kicked off with a first-time win for Successions Jeremy Strong, who triumphed in the best actor in a play category for An Enemy Of The People. In the revival of Henrik Ibsens production, Strong plays a doctor who refuses to be silenced when he discovers public baths to be contaminated. This play is a cry from the heart and an exhortation to face up to the difficult truth that are starring us all down right now, its been a privilege to give its warning and its hope to audiences, he said on stage. Jeremy Strong accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for An Enemy Of The People (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Sarah Paulson also won her first Tony Award for best actress in a play for her role in Appropriate, a dark family drama-turned-comedy from playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The 49-year-old said it was humbling to be included in the same breath as her fellow nominees including Rachel McAdams, who was nominated for her role in the production of Mary Jane. Paulson also paid a tribute to her partner Holland Taylor who was in the audience, telling the actress: Thank you for loving me. Theatre veteran Kecia Lewis won her first Tony Award for featured actress in musical Hells Kitchen, which she performed earlier in the night. Kecia Lewis poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical for Hells Kitchen (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) In an emotional on-stage speech, Lewis said: Forty years ago yesterday I walked into the Imperial Theatre to begin my Broadway career at 18 years old. I have had so many amazing experiences and some heartbreaking ones too, I took a short break from showbusiness and raised a son as a single parent while trying to build a career. This moment is the one I dreamed for most of those 40 years, so I say to everyone who can hear my voice dont give up. The ceremony also saw Danya Taymor win best direction of a musical for The Outsiders, which was co-produced by Hollywood star Jolie and follows two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. In her speech, Taymor named actress Jolie among the great women who have lifted me up. Angelina Jolie on stage at the Tony Awards (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) The production later won the coveted best musical gong, which saw Jolie appear on stage. Introducing the cast on stage for a musical number, Jolie said: Suzie Hinton wrote The Outsiders in high school, a half a century later it still speaks to us. Society changes, but the experience of being an outsider is universal. To any young person, any person, feeling on the outside you are not wrong to see what is unfair, you are not wrong to wish to find your own path. As the cast raise their voices, I hope it inspires many of you watching to value yours. US star Scherzinger, who recently triumphed at the Olivier Awards for her role in Sunset Boulevard, performed during the in-memoriam segment. Nicole Scherzinger singing What I Did for Love for the In Memoriam segment during the 77th Tony Awards (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Among those remembered were British stars Sir Michael Gambon, Bill Kenwright and Glenda Jackson alongside US actors Louis Gossett Jr and Ron Cephas Jones. A separate tribute was paid to late Broadway star Chita Rivera, who died in January at the age of 91. Dancers took to the stage to perform Riveras best-loved roles, including Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and Anita in West Side Story. Host DeBose, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the film adaptation of West Side Story, said I literally would not be here if it werent for Chita Rivera. Chinese artists perform in Cambodia, attracting thousands of spectators Xinhua) 15:22, June 17, 2024 Chinese artists perform during a Chinese cultural show in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 15, 2024. The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators. Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators. Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year. Speaking in a speech at the opening ceremony, Lao Meng Khin, an advisor to Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said the show would further deepen the bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries. "It injects strong vitality into the friendly relations between Cambodia and China, thereby contributing further to promoting peace and development between the two countries," he said. "I believe that the cultural show tonight will leave the audience with amazing unforgettable memories." Meanwhile, Meng Khin, who is also the honorary president of the Federation of Khmer Chinese in Cambodia, also highlighted that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has not only boosted infrastructure development, economy, trade, and investment, but also contributed to promoting cultural ties and people-to-people exchange between the two countries. Zhao Haiyan, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, said China and Cambodia both have ancient civilizations with splendid culture and that the friendship between the two peoples has a long history and will become stronger in the future. "Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high quality, high level, and high standard," he said. "The strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two countries have reached an unprecedented high level," he added. Zhao said the cultural performance was held at the right time as the two countries are celebrating the 2024 people-to-people exchange year. The colorful show lasting two hours presented diverse forms of Chinese traditional arts and each of the performances had drawn hearty rounds of applause from the audience. Peng Bopha, a 28-year-old spectator, said the show had helped her to know more about China's diverse culture, civilization, tradition and custom. "This is the first time that I've watched such a Chinese cultural performance, with my own eyes," she told Xinhua after watching the show. "They (the artists) have performed well and vividly." Bopha, an employee at Canadia Bank, said as this year is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year, the art performance would bring the people of the two countries closer together. Ton Bopha, a 42-year-old viewer, said it was the second time she'd watched such a show, and that the show would contribute to strengthening cultural ties and promoting the bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries. "It's a good show because the artists are very talented, performing vividly and fascinatingly," she told Xinhua. "It has created closeness in the relationship between the people of Cambodia and China." Chinese artists perform during a Chinese cultural show in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 15, 2024. The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators. Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) Chinese artists perform during a Chinese cultural show in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 15, 2024. The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators. Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) A Chinese artist performs during a Chinese cultural show in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 15, 2024. The "Family China" art troupe of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Saturday performed classic Peking Opera, traditional dances, music, and acrobatics here, attracting approximately 3,500 spectators. Held at the Diamond Island's Grand Theater, the glittering cultural show was organized to further promote cultural ties and people-to-people contact, as 2024 is the Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange year. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Nigel Farage has launched Reform UKs election promises in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, as his party looks to continue its strong showing in the opinion polls ahead of the July 4 General Election. So this is Reforms manifesto? Well, sort of. Reform UKs document was titled Our Contract With You because leader Mr Farage said the word manifesto had become associated with lies told by the main Westminster parties. The document is 28 pages long, including the front and back covers, and contains policy pledges and a number of photos of Mr Farage. Reform UK chairman Richard Tice, left, and party leader Nigel Farage launched Our Contract With You in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, on Monday (Ben Birchall/PA) How important a moment is this for Reform? After all the talk from Mr Farage and Reform UK chairman Richard Tice to drum up awareness for their party, they now have a document to present to voters which fleshes out their policy pledges ahead of July 4. But, if Mr Farage is to be believed, their ambitions extend beyond the next few weeks. In his concluding remarks introducing the pledges, Mr Farage said the partys real ambition is the 2029 general election. He said: But this is our first big push. How has the party been faring so far? On the day Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election, Reform was averaging 11% in the opinion polls. The party has seen its average rating climb, with a YouGov poll last week putting them at 19% to the Tories 18% in voting intention. Reforms first MP was Lee Anderson, a former Tory party deputy chairman who defected earlier this year (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Pollsters caveated that Reforms lead was within the margin of error but it was the first time they had edged past the Conservatives. The party was formed in 2021 as a relaunch of Mr Farages previous Brexit Party and this is their first general election. Their first MP was Lee Anderson, a former Tory party deputy chairman who defected earlier this year. It is expected that Reform will pick up many votes but this will not necessarily translate into winning many seats. What does the Reform document contain? It begins with five core pledges, including two on immigration, NHS waiting lists, benefits and energy bills. In a move likely to appeal to some Tories, there is a commitment to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and a policy of sending migrants who arrive in small boats back to France. Mr Farage said Reforms real ambition is the 2029 general election (Ben Birchall/PA) The Conservative manifesto repeated promises to get Rwanda flights off the ground but stopped short of threatening to walk away from the ECHR. Reform also argues the income tax personal allowance should be increased to 20,000, the threshold for paying the higher rate raised to 70,000, and inheritance tax on estates under 2 million scrapped. Fuel duty should be slashed by 20p per litre and NHS waiting lists eliminated in two years with an extra 17 billion a year for health. With Labour and the Conservatives facing questions over the tax implications of their manifestos, what is the cost of Reforms plans? The document implies spending an extra 141 billion a year on tax cuts and various policy pledges. This would be paid for by 156 billion of savings in public spending and an assumption of increased tax revenue from 1%-1.5% extra economic growth. Mr Farage said the party was engaged in radical fresh thinking on economics. He added that the UK was skint and in real trouble as he suggested having a slimmed-down public sector while maintaining services. The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank said Reforms plans were based on extremely optimist assumptions about growth and the sums do not add up. Who does Reform hope the policies will appeal to? Reform is aiming to pick up votes from the two main Westminster parties, but its main objective is to replace the Tories as the main party on the right of British politics. Mr Farage said: Our ambition is to establish a bridgehead in Parliament, and to become a real opposition to a Labour government. With that in mind, tougher policies on immigration are likely to appeal to some Conservative MPs who believe Mr Sunak and has predecessors have not gone far enough. Some of those Tory figures are open to joining forces with Mr Farage should he win in Clacton and secure a spot in the Commons at his eighth attempt. But not everyone in the Conservative Party is a fan of Mr Farage and they have voiced their opposition to him. Kieran Trippier believes England showed their mettle and Euro 2024 credentials by digging deep to start a major tournament with a win for the fourth time in row. Gareth Southgates men are among the favourites to become kings of the continent three years on from going within a penalty shootout of winning the last edition. England underlined their qualities as Jude Bellingham scored to reward a fantastic, free-flowing start, only for Serbia to wrest control and threaten to equalise in Sundays Group C clash. Topping the group after match day one! pic.twitter.com/EyFveBFQ7E England (@England) June 17, 2024 But Southgates side held firm to go top of the pool with a 1-0 win that full-back Trippier believes is an important starting point on the road to Berlin. Its always massive, Trippier said. You look across the past few tournaments that weve had, it is always crucial to get the first win. We knew it would be a tough game, a tough team to play against and we had to defend our box very well, and I thought we did that. Weve learned a lot, but the most important thing is the three points. It gives us great momentum, belief. It shows the character of the boys. When it gets tough, you know you have to deal with that. The subs that came on made a huge impact and thats what weve always talked about the togetherness of the group, everyone has to be ready. You can be called upon at any moment and the subs were a great impact for us. Trippier knows there are kinks to iron out but believes England will only benefit from the win in Gelsenkirchen, where he completed his first 90 minutes since late February, having dealt with a calf issue. The 33-year-old pulled up with cramp in the second half but now has time to recover ahead of Thursdays second group game against Denmark in Frankfurt. Were not thinking about a point, Trippier said. We want to go into the Denmark game and we want to win. Thats our only focus. We dont want to focus on anything else further than that. We know Denmark are a very good side, good quality players, so now the most important thing is we recover as a team and then we focus on Denmark. England broke Danish hearts en route to the Euro 2020 showpiece, coming back to beat them 2-1 in extra-time in their Wembley semi-final. Mikkel Damsgaards free-kick that night was the first goal Southgates side conceded at the tournament, the team built on solid foundations that critics feared would be rather less sturdy in Germany. Kieran Trippier helped England shut out Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener (Adam Davy/PA). But major tournament debutant Marc Guehi stepped in impressively for the absent Harry Maguire and Trippier filled as makeshift left-back as Luke Shaw recovers from a hamstring injury. Clean sheets are massive, the Newcastle defender said. As you look through the winners of tournaments, clean sheets are a massive factor. We talk about that lot, defend our box well and certainly we had to defend crosses because they put some dangerous balls in the box. If you look at the last tournament as well, I think we had the most clean sheets and that can take you far. The most important thing is dont concede and you see the quality that we have got at the other end to score goals. There is certainly more to come in an attacking sense, but in man-of-the-match Bellingham England have a star able to take games by the scruff of the neck. Trippier continues to be impressed by the 20-year-olds ability and attitude, which saw Southgate include him in his four-man leadership group for the Euros. Match-winner Jude Bellingham impressed against Serbia (Martin Rickett/PA). You dont need to be at my age to be a leader. You can be 18, 19, 20, the defender said. You can lead in different ways. Jude is so young but he leads. Like I said, you dont need to be an experienced player, you dont need to be Harry Kane who is the captain, you can lead in any way at any age. Weve got that in our squad. The new players coming into our squad have done extremely well, they speak up and we have made them feel very welcome. Exit polls can give a good idea of how the populace voted before the final count. (PA Images via Getty Images) (Andrew Milligan - PA Images via Getty Images) Just after 10pm on July 4 when the polls close in the UK, British people will get their first idea of the election results, in advance of the actual final count, with an exit poll. The exit poll is conducted by experts from polling companies used by the UK's major broadcasters, with pollsters asking a sample of voters about their choices immediately after they have cast their ballots, and then extrapolating this to work out what the overall result might be. Although exit poll results come in during the day, its illegal to release these results until polling stations close at 10pm on Thursday, 4 July. The results of exit polls tend to be significantly more accurate than opinion polling during the election process. Before the results for individual constituencies come in throughout the night, the 10pm exit poll offers an insight into what is likely to happen. What is an exit poll? Exit polls have been used internationally since at least the late 1960s, with pollsters asking voters their intention as they leave the polling booth. The exit poll in the UK covers England, Scotland and Wales (in Northern Ireland, voters choose from a different set of parties). Polling companies use teams of statistics experts to make sense of the data from exit polls in more than 100 constituencies and thousands of voters. How do exit polls work? Pollsters visit a selected polling station in a constituency and ask selected voters to fill in a replica ballot paper after they have filled in their real one. The idea of this is that people tend to be more honest while writing down their vote than saying it out loud. The experts compare data on the day to previous elections, looking for changes in voting behaviour. Professor Sir John Curtice leads Britain's team of exit pollsters. (Getty Images) (Ken Jack via Getty Images) The experts take the small samples from polling stations and analyse this to find broader geographic trends in how people are voting - for example, whether there is a swing towards Labour in the north of England. Statistical analysis allows experts (teams of highly respected academic statisticians led by pollster Professor Sir John Curtice) to come up with a projected figure of how many seats each party will get. How accurate are exit polls? Generally speaking, exit polls in the UK have become more accurate over time, as the techniques used have improved. Exit polls offer an often accurate depiction of what might happen in the real election. For example, in 2019, the exit poll forecast 368 for Conservatives and 191 for Labour, and the real figure was 365 and 203 seats. Professor Sir John Curtice, who leads Britains exit polling team, says that the results offer a pretty good indication of the real result. But with Britains political landscape shifting, polls can sometimes fail - in 2015, the exit poll predicted a hung parliament rather than a Conservative majority. This years exit poll will take into account data including how constituencies voted in the 2016 referendum. Famously in 1992, exit polls for the BBC forecast a hung parliament, but the Conservatives won 65 more seats than Labour with a majority of 21 seats although the statistical techniques used in exit polling have evolved significantly since then. France got off to a winning start at Euro 2024 with a narrow 1-0 victory over stubborn Austria after Max Wober scored a first-half own goal in Dusseldorf. Austria were inches from taking the lead in the first period through Christoph Baumgartner before Kylian Mbappes cross was headed into his own net by Leeds defender Wober to give the two-time champions a half-time lead. France had chances to extend their lead in the second period through Antoine Griezmann, while Mbappe was still searching for his first European Championship goal after he missed a glorious one-on-one effort but France hung on make a winning start in Group D. Mbappe missed a glorious chance to put France 2-0 up (Hassan Ammar/AP) France posed the first threat of the tie when Mbappe sprinted down the left and unleashed a low effort which needed to be tipped behind by Patrick Pentz. Austria missed an opportunity to hit the front when a neat combination between Michael Gregoritsch and Marcel Sabitzer put Baumgartner through on goal but he saw his strike magnificently saved by the feet of Mike Maignan. Austria should have had a corner from Maignans save but France went down the other end and took the lead less than two minutes later. Mbappe switched to the right and instantly made an impact as he bamboozled Phillipp Mwene from a standing start and sent a ball into the box which Wober nodded into his own net. France had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 56th minute as Mbappe raced through one-on-one with Pentz but curled his effort wide when it looked easier to score. Mbappe was forced off late on with an injury to his nose (Martin Meissner/AP) France started to turn up the heat in search for a second goal, Theo Hernandez raced clear and sent a fizzing cross into the box, leaving Griezmann just inches away from tapping the ball into an empty net. With time ticking down, France missed another chance to double their lead when Marcus Thuram aimed straight at Pentz from inside the box which left the door open for Austria with 10 minutes to go. The match ended with a cause for concern for France fans who saw talisman Mbappe replaced late on after suffering a nose injury following a collision, but the nevertheless picked up their first three points of the competition. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has said she spent just 30 seconds on a fun fair ride in Portrush during a busy day of election campaigning. Ms Long received criticism from some when a picture emerged on social media of her on a ghost train after she pulled out of the Irelands Future event in Belfast citing diary clashes following the calling of the General Election. North Belfast election candidate Nuala McAllister took part in the event in Belfast on Saturday instead of her party leader. Leader's Tour with @naomi_long Stop 4 A wee trip to Curry's in Portrush in East Derry with @alliancerichard and time for some nostalgia. Blue skies and bringing change. A ride on the ghost train and loving the Alliance coloured dodgems! pic.twitter.com/xfJlwuQhKB Michael Long (@CllrMichaelLong) June 15, 2024 The event, aimed to promote debate and discussion about what a united Ireland would look like, was addressed by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar and First Minister Michelle ONeill among others. Ms Long was speaking in the Stormont Assembly on Monday after being challenged by Opposition leader Matthew OToole around how her role as Justice Minister will be filled if she is elected as MP for east Belfast. Mr OToole made a reference to Ms Longs diary including visits to funfairs. The exchange came during questions for the Justice Minister. Ms Long responded saying she doesnt believe the General Election is a matter that falls to the Department of Justice. She said she cannot use her resources in the department to promote her election campaign, adding she didnt think other parties should be using this chamber to promote theirs. She added: But Im glad to know that the member is watching me so closely in terms of how I spend my time outside the chamber. He will no doubt have also recognised that the 30 seconds I spent on the ghost train, which, by the way, was excellent value for money, was only a tiny part of a busy day spent on the campaign trail. Rachel Reeves has said she will seek closer trade ties with the EU and more foreign investment as she kicks off an economy-focused week, while Rishi Sunak is returning to the campaign trail after a few days hiatus. Labours shadow chancellor has suggested she could revise parts of Boris Johnsons 2020 Brexit deal, including seeking closer alignment with EU rules in the chemicals and veterinary sectors, better touring rights for UK artists, and greater mutual recognition of qualifications for financial services workers. She said this was not an exclusive list, telling the Financial Times: We would look to improve our trading relationship with Europe. Ill bring economic stability back to Britain so businesses can have the confidence to invest. pic.twitter.com/rRfHGqfsVh Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) June 16, 2024 I dont think anyone voted Leave because they were not happy that chemicals regulations were the same across Europe. Her remarks appear to suggest that Labour would go further than previously thought in pushing for improved trade terms with the bloc, having so far been hesitant to discuss Brexit during the General Election campaign. The Labour frontbencher also pledged to hit the ground running to show that Britain is open for business by holding a global investment summit in the first 100 days of entering government. She will host members of her British infrastructure council on Monday morning to discuss attracting foreign investors who had been put off by political instability in the UK. Ms Reeves is later expected to make a campaign visit with Sir Keir Starmer to promote their plan to set up a national wealth fund. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will start a week of campaigning on the economy (Lucy North/PA) The party has pledged to invest 7.3 billion in the fund over the course of the next parliament if it wins the General Election to help create 650,000 new jobs. The next Labour government will work hand-in-hand with the private sector to bring investment to Britains industrial heartlands and I have been clear that our national wealth fund will be a crucial tool in the armoury to deliver on this ambition, Ms Reeves said. As Labour and the Tories continue to trade blows on tax and spending, Mr Sunak criticised Labours pledges as a con. It came after shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday said Labours manifesto is not the sum total of what it will do in government. The Prime Minister told the Express: At this election Keir Starmer is asking for you and your family to sign a blank cheque, and we all know what he wants to do with it: put up your taxes so he can run riot with your money. Labours energy policy also came in for attack, with Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho warning it would be a triple whammy for the UK. She said Labours ban on new oil and gas licences could lead to an estimated 4.5 billion in lost tax revenues over the next 10 years and risk tens of thousands of jobs, though Sir Keirs party dismissed this as more desperate nonsense from their rivals. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is returning to the campaign trail on Monday (Jonathan Brady/PA) The beleaguered Prime Minister is heading to East Yorkshire, the East Midlands and East of England on Monday after a pause in campaigning for his prime ministerial duties. He attended the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday and Friday, followed on Saturday by Trooping the Colour and a major international summit on Ukraine in Switzerland. Opinion polls continue to show his party crashing to defeat, with one survey published during his absence showing Reform UK edging ahead of the Conservatives for the first time. Although it was within the margin of error and other surveys since then have showed Nigel Farages outfit trailing the Conservatives, it came as a major blow to the Tories and preceded warnings by other pollsters of electoral extinction for the party. Penny Mordaunt insisted the election result is not a foregone conclusion, but conceded her party is now the underdog. The Commons Leader, seen as a potential successor to Mr Sunak as Tory leader, although she is projected to lose her Portsmouth North seat, also told the Independent we need to go further on those tax cuts. Tomorrow, we unveil Our Contract With You at 1pm. Tune in LIVE on our X, Facebook and YouTube.#BritainNeedsReform pic.twitter.com/floPlbLyLy Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) June 16, 2024 Mr Farage is set to unveil Reform UKs manifesto, which the party dubs a contract with voters, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales on Monday. The party leader said he is launching a crusade to defend British values and that the location was chosen because it shows everyone exactly what happens to a country when Labour is in charge. Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats have proposed an expansion of fuel duty relief for rural motorists to 20 new areas including Devon, Cumbria and Shropshire funded by an additional 7 million a year. Leader Sir Ed Davey, who is set to tout the plan during a campaign visit, said it would be a real rescue plan to support rural communities struggling with outrageous pump prices. North of the border, First Minister John Swinney is expected to say that the SNP is the only major party with a truly left-of-centre manifesto ahead of the policy documents launch this week. The Scottish Lib Dems are promising to lift up Scottish education as they pitch their offering on Monday, and Scottish Labours election battle bus will set off on its campaign tour. A man has been seriously injured in a dog attack in Aberavon, in South Wales. The 24-year-old man was given critical care support by medics from an air ambulance before being taken to hospital by road after the incident on Blair Way at about 7am on Monday, the Welsh Ambulance Service said. The dog, which is understood to be a pitbull/Staffordshire bull terrier cross, was sedated and removed from the scene by police dog units, South Wales Police said. A spokesman for the force said: Officers attended Blair Way, Aberavon, at around 7am this morning following a report of an incident involving a man and a dog. The spokesman added that a 24-year-old man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. The dog has been sedated and removed from the scene by police dog units, he said. Our investigation is ongoing. A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: We were called today at 7.14am to reports of an incident at Nobel Avenue, Port Talbot. We sent one emergency ambulance to the scene. Advanced critical care support was delivered by the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service in a Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopter. One person was taken by road to hospital. A man accused of pushing a passenger on to London Underground tracks falsely believed he was under threat, a court has heard. Psychiatrists have said Donovan Kenlyn, 39, was suffering with schizophrenia when he allegedly attacked three people at as many London Underground stations in 35 minutes. Kenlyn is accused of punching Tube passenger Samer Jawad at Baker Street station, and minutes later caused Angel Cambeiro to fall on to the tracks at Finchley Road, narrowly missing live rails. He then travelled to nearby West Hampstead station where he punched a third man, Peter Acton, in the back of the head, a jury at the Old Bailey was told. Kenlyn is charged with attempted murder and assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Cambeiro, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Acton and assault by beating against Mr Jawad. He accepts he was involved in the incidents but denies the charges because he was actively mentally ill, defence barrister Paul Lazarus said. Jurors have been asked to consider whether he was too unwell to know if his behaviour was wrong. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Bradley Hillier said Kenlyn suffers with persecutory delusions which caused him to incorrectly believe he was under threat. He was also experiencing auditory hallucinations, and a thought disorder that made him at times incomprehensible, said Dr Hillier, adding that he has met the defendant at least four times in the last 18 months. In a letter created alongside other psychiatrists, and read in part to the court, Dr Hillier said Kenlyn carried out the attacks while in a psychosis-induced threat/control-override state. Summarising the symptoms in court, he said: The (threat/control-override) concept is that there are certain types of symptoms which means that a person feels a heightened sense of threat for danger these could be persecutory delusions, hallucinations and a heightened sense of threat that is in the environment for the person whos experiencing this state of mind. Usually people obviously dont act violently. But in a state where somebody is experiencing heightened threat in their environment, their ability to control their behaviour in terms of violent behaviour is reduced. He added: He thought he was defending himself and didnt think that it was wrong because he was subject to an attack. If you were in a state where you absolutely believed that there is somebody in front of you who will attack you, or is part of a group that attacked you and quite possibly hearing voices that are telling you (that) you are in danger you might possibly act in defence. And thats what we believe Mr Kenlyn was doing in terms of trying to defend himself. Because of his condition Kenlyn will not give evidence and Judge Philip Katz KC told the jury not to hold it against him. The trial continues on Tuesday. More than 10 million people tuned in to watch Englands winning start to Euro 2024 against Serbia. The BBCs coverage of the clash was watched by an average audience of 10.5 million, peaking at 15 million, the corporation said. The match was also streamed 3.5 million times on BBC iPlayer. England got off to a positive start in Germany when Jude Bellingham, who was recently unveiled as the new face of Kim Kardashians underwear brand Skims, scored a header 13 minutes into their Group C opener. Jude Bellingham, left, helped England to their winning start (Adam Davy/PA) It was a rockier start for Scotland, who were defeated 5-1 by Germany. Meanwhile, Spain defeated Croatia 3-0 and Denmarks Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game against Finland having suffered a cardiac arrest, scored his countrys only goal to draw 1-1 with Slovenia. Scotland will get a chance for redemption against Switzerland on Wednesday, while England will meet Denmark on Thursday. Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: The nations came together in huge numbers to follow BBC Sports coverage of the first weekend of the mens Euros. Whether it was the tension of Englands opening win, the fallout of Scotlands tough start, the exciting performances from Germany and Spain or the heartwarming story of seeing Christian Eriksen score three years on from his collapse on the pitch, its great that we can showcase the best sporting storytelling across BBC TV, iPlayer, radio and online. Welsh Labour has trapped its citizens in a cycle of dependency and welfare which is most disgraceful - Maja Smiejkowska Adam Smiths dictum that there is a great deal of ruin in a nation is being tested to the limit in 21st century Wales. After 25 years of Labour control, it lags behind the rest of the UK on a range of metrics. Nigel Farage is wise to launch his contract with the people in Merthyr Tydfil, if his aim is to warn the British public just how much they might suffer under Keir Starmer. The Welsh economy has shrunk by 1pc since 2018, while Englands has grown by 2pc. Its productivity rate is lower than in most other regions, and its schools produce among the worst results in the UK. A third of children in Wales are classed as living in poverty. Then theres the pandemic response, the anti-car policies, the anti-business, anti-agriculture and anti-tourism agenda. Farmers have protested against a government they feel has turned its back on the countryside, specifically a sustainable farming scheme that would require them to sacrifice 10pc of agricultural land to be used for trees and 10pc for wildlife habitat. A tourist tax could be imposed as soon as 2027 on overnight visitors, who will find themselves clobbered in the name of fairness. This should be a golden period for the Welsh tourism industry, as the era of cheap air travel nears its end and heatwaves deter many Brits from holidaying in the Med. Yet anti-foreigner sentiment is driving it into the ground. All but three Welsh councils, out of 22, have introduced tax premiums on second or empty homes. It was reported in May that Labour are now planning to deploy satellites to spy on homeowners to verify the size of houses, with those living in areas with good schools or lower crime rates likely to be punished under a new council tax regime. But against this stiff competition, it is the way that Welsh Labour has trapped its citizens in a cycle of dependency and welfare which is most disgraceful. An under-reported statistic this week came from the Office for National Statistics labour market report, which revealed the economic inactivity rate in Wales is worse than in any other region of the UK. Figures from the ONS suggest that 28.4pc of 16-64 year olds in Wales were economically inactive in the three months to April, compared to a UK average of 22.3pc. According to the latest data, 160,000 people are long-term sick, the most in 17 years accounting for 34pc of all economic inactivity. Is anyone surprised? In addition to driving its economy to the brink, the devolved Labour administration has slowly and deliberately destroyed the culture of work. It has promoted four-day weeks, only to then decree that they might be racist because they discriminate against ethnic minority groups working in frontline public sector roles. It trialled a Universal Basic Income scheme, paying 1,600 each to a group of 635 care leavers, only to concede it cannot be continued after the initial pilot ends in 2025 due to cost. No wonder seven local authority areas saw falls in population in 2021 compared with 2011. What hope is there for the hard-working and aspirational in a country which has, at government level, given up on growth and prosperity? Across the UK, talent and capital flight is becoming a clear and present danger there was a surge in the number of wealthy people leaving last year. Investment migration consultant Henley & Partners estimated that the UK last year experienced the third-largest exodus of millionaires in the world, with more than 3,000 moving to places where they can keep more of their hard-earned cash instead of watching it be wasted by the state. It is true that Waless predicament is a hangover from the decline of heavy industry in the 1970s and 80s, compounded by a lack of skills and infrastructure. But the show-boating, virtue-signalling and litany of government failures has entrenched this sorry situation. Only under Plaid Cymru, which in its manifesto has proposed accelerating towards Net Zero by 2035 and rejoining the single market, could matters conceivably deteriorate further. In 2022, Starmer said that the Welsh Government provided a blueprint for what Labour can do across the UK. Whats happened in Wales may be the future of the whole UK just weeks from now. 'For many venues, Thursday has become the new Saturday' When Sian Childs got married at Roodlea Farm in South Ayrshire in 2021, it had all the hallmarks of a traditional country wedding. There was the rustic barn filled with all her friends and family, the long white lace dress, the bouquet of colourful wildflowers. The one unexpected element? It all took place on a Wednesday. All the Saturdays at the venue we wanted were booked up for at least a year, and to be honest we also quite liked that a weekday would whittle down the guestlist, says Childs, a 32-year-old personal trainer from Cardiff. We did it in August so that our family and friends who are teachers, and all the kids, could come. In the end, everyone we invited could make it. And while saving money wasnt the main motivation, Childs says they couldnt believe how much they saved. So many venues really ramp up the prices on a Saturday, so we got a big discount which we could spend on other things like the food and drinks. When we had our Wednesday wedding, it was quite unusual, but it seems to be becoming more popular now. Following a growing trend of midweek weddings, Sian Childs and her husband Matt married on a Wednesday Weekday weddings are indeed on the rise. According to data from wedding planning site hitched.co.uk, Monday September 23 is the most popular date for couples to tie the knot in 2024. This year is also the first time that a Saturday date hasnt made the top five most popular wedding days. Indeed, tying the knot on a Saturday might soon become passe. According to bridebook.com, a wedding planning app, less than half of weddings in 2023 took place on a Saturday for the first time. With the cost of the average wedding in Britain rising to 20,775 this year, its no wonder that many couples are trying to save costs by holding their big day on a weekday. But its not just about the money, as the Duke of Westminster (AKA the UKs richest man under 40) proved with his wedding to Olivia Henson last Friday. Fewer Saturday weddings echoes a broader trend towards more diverse and flexible wedding schedules, says Hamish Shephard, the founder of Bridebook, which found that couples who marry on Tuesdays or Wednesdays spend more than a fifth less on their weddings than average. Whether driven by changes in work habits post-pandemic, cost considerations, or simply a desire for personalisation, todays couples are redefining wedding traditions and embracing alternative options for their big day, he says. For some couples, the date of the wedding is more important than the day of the week it falls on. Natalie Lankston, 32, from West Sussex, is getting married on September 23 this year. We chose the 23rd because 23 is my lucky number. We had our engagement party on September 23 2023, so exactly one year before our wedding day, she says. We werent too fussed on the day of the week we got married, so when we realised the 23rd fell on a Monday, we were happy. We felt this was a good day as it follows on from the weekend and would probably be easier for guests to take a long weekend to attend our wedding. I think couples are realising you can have so much more choice if you think outside the traditional Saturday in May or June, says Mark Niemierko, a luxury wedding planner, whose clients have included James and Julia Corden and Marvin and Rochelle Humes. For some couples the date might be significant. I planned a weekday wedding at the Wallace Collection last year because the date was their anniversary. Although some couples choose a midweek wedding, Niemierko says that it might actually be your only option at some venues. There are plenty of venues particularly country house hotels where weekend weddings arent ever on the table because its their busiest time. At Lime Wood Hotel in Hampshire, youre looking at Monday to Thursday. Likewise, at Babington House [in Somerset] its always a Thursday. The only Saturday weddings Ive organised there have been for Nick Jones, who owns the place, and James Corden, whos his friend. Babington House almost exclusively hosts Thursday weddings - LatitudeStock Interestingly, there are also venues where its actually weekdays that are trickier to book. The older private members clubs in London dont like to book a wedding on a weekday, theyd prefer a weekend, and the big hotels are holding out for conferences during the week which will make them more money. Niemierko says that while there are often big savings to be made on the venue by choosing a weekday, most of the other wedding suppliers, from the catering to flowers to photographers, will charge similar amounts no matter what day you get married on. But you will have more choice, as often the best bands and florists are booked up on the weekends for years in advance, he says. You can also get great deals by going out of season; no one is getting married in January, for example. And the savings on the venue can be staggering. At Elmore Court, a stately home in Gloucester, and one of the UKs most Instagrammed wedding venues of 2023, the hire price is 15,000 for a summer Saturday, dropping to just 6,500 for a Thursday in February, March or November. If you want to save cash, Niemierko says the times to avoid are December (Youre competing against corporate bookings) and bank holiday weekends (Youre competing against tourism). Zoe Burke, a wedding expert and editor at hitched.co.uk, says that its not unusual for couples to save 10,000 on their wedding venue, simply by opting for off-peak, midweek dates. Many venues are half the price if booked Monday to Thursday, she says. I dont know a single person who isnt looking to save money at the moment, so I would urge nearlyweds to consider thinking about off-peak options if their wedding budgets are looking tight. Chloe Nelson, the wedding and sales coordinator at Wellington Barn in Wiltshire, says that while most couples initially enquire about that ideal Saturday wedding, they change their mind when they realise the savings and the availability on offer. For many venues, Thursday has become the new Saturday. There has been a significant uptake for Thursday dates, so much so that we dont have any Thursdays available from April to October in 2024 and in 2023 we completed 27 Thursday weddings, she says. But while a midweek wedding might be cheaper and less stressful to organise for the couple, it can put an extra burden on guests. I had a wedding on a Thursday in Wales and it took a lot of the fun away from it for me, says Jess, 34, a marketing executive from Surrey. Scrambling to get down there after work on a Wednesday and then travelling home hungover while trying to work remotely on the Friday was tough. I totally appreciate that some people are on a budget, but this was quite an extravagant wedding, so it left a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, I couldve taken three days off work, but annual leave is so precious. I feel like a midweek wedding is a big ask and actually quite selfish. Id much rather go to a low-key wedding on a weekend. Meanwhile, Samantha Earl, 46, a writer from London, says she loves a midweek wedding. I went to one a few months ago and it really sorts the wheat from the chaff as you know everyone really wants to be there, so the vibe is great, she says. Everyone normally has a Saturday wedding, so it almost feels rebellious and naughty to be out partying midweek. But my husband is a teacher, so he hates them because he cant ever take a day off work. So whats the etiquette of attending a midweek wedding? Can you flat out refuse because of the day of the week? Is it frowned upon to check your emails during a boring moment between the speeches? Can you leave mid-way through to pick the kids up from school and bring them to the party? Couples planning a midweek wedding need to be mindful that there are going to be a lot of guests who will find it tricky, if not impossible, to attend, says Liz Wyse, a wedding etiquette expert at Debretts. They should prepare for a certain percentage of their guests to decline. Id advise these couples to think about who its vital for them to have there and maybe even check with those people before they book as to how viable that day is for them. Its also very important to give as much notice as possible. For guests, Wyse says that while getting your laptop out at a weekend wedding would be an absolute no-no, at a midweek wedding you might get away with it, if you do so discreetly and clear it with the host first. Good etiquette is all about communication, she says. So I think its OK for a guest to RSVP and write a little note explaining that you have a vital meeting at 3pm which youll need to go off and do, or if you need to arrive late or leave early to make it work for you. And I think it behoves the hosts to be accommodating of these requests. Meanwhile, Niemierko thinks its best not to ask the bride and groom if you need to sneak off for 20 minutes to respond to emails at a Monday wedding. But I think if you find yourself working at a friends wedding, then you really need to question your life choices, he adds. Sian says that since her own Wednesday nuptials, shes attended several midweek weddings. I think theyre great and because Im self-employed, I just shuffle my workload around to make it work, she says. She even has her sisters wedding coming up, which will be on a Tuesday. Maybe she was inspired by me, but to be honest, I think it was more about the cost, she says. Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner It has become trite to say that the world is now more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War or perhaps even the end of the Second World War. Trite but true. This mornings Telegraph reported the warning of Jens Stoltenberg, Natos Secretary General, on the nature of the growing threat we face. He highlighted the scale of Chinas growing nuclear arsenal and the perils of facing two nuclear powered potential adversaries: China and Russia. Russia has reportedly been carrying out drills on the use of tactical nuclear weapons. To counter these threats, Nato is considering deploying more nuclear weapons. Nato, Mr. Stoltenberg says, must display its nuclear might to deter our adversaries. How would an incoming Labour government in the UK respond? Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, voted against the renewal of Trident in 2016 and recently said that she hasnt changed her mind about nuclear weapons. And we know from recent events just how much influence she would exert. When Keir Starmer was dithering over whether Diane Abbott should be a Labour candidate it was Angela Rayner who bounced him into a decision he seemingly didnt want to make. And it is not as though Angela Rayner was alone in voting against Trident. She was joined by David Lammy, who would presumably be foreign secretary in a Labour government, as well as several other members of the shadow cabinet. We have been here before. I am old enough to remember the iron resolve of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in pushing through the installation of cruise missiles in Europe against violent opposition from the spiritual ancestors of the current shadow cabinet. Yet it is now generally accepted that the deployment of these missiles was instrumental in convincing the leaders of the Soviet Union that they could not win the Cold War and, in time, led to the fall of the Iron Curtain. But opposition to nuclear weapons is not the only way in which Labour would weaken our defence. Keir Starmer is committed to entering an EU security agreement which would pose great risks to our national security. This could mean tightly binding our defence industry into rules created by Brussels, effectively subordinating UK defence policy. Many in the EU have long favoured a European defence capability, separate from, and duplicating, Nato. France, which has often been in the forefront of these plans, continues to refuse to place its nuclear capability available to Nato. Such an arrangement has the potential to severely weaken the defence of the West as a whole. It could be very dangerous. And, in addition to all this, we know that when Labour says it wants to reach the 2.5 per cent target on defence spending, to which the Conservatives are firmly committed, as soon as resources allowm that pledge is not worth the paper its written on. For all these reasons the safety of our country is at risk in this election. I know that many people are tempted to cast a protest vote. But this is not a council by-election. The votes at this election will determine the future of our country for the next five years. If we dont want to take risks with our security we must vote for the only party which can form a government that would do all it can to keep us safe. The calf, called Beau Lucy, suffered a gash to its leg but is recovering after being treated by a vet - Steve Reigate Police were probably right to run over an escaped 10-month-old calf, according to a farmers union official. Hugh Broom, National Farmers Unions South East livestock chairman, said although the situation looked horrendous, officers had limited options and probably took the correct course of action. The officer, who was driving the police vehicle used to ram the calf, was removed from front-line duties on Sunday amid widespread anger over the use of force. Footage emerged showing the police car ploughing into the calf twice in a residential street in Feltham, west London. It first knocked the animal several yards down the road before pinning it to the ground. Surrey Police has launched an internal investigation into the incident, which happened on Friday night, and referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Right thing at the time Mr Broom told BBC Radio Surrey: While the whole thing looks horrendous, and it is for everyone, they probably did the right thing at the time. The other option is you shoot the animal. In that environment would you want to be using a rifle in a built-up area on a dark Friday night? The animal is said to be doing 'a lot better' but the farmer said it may not yet be clear what internal injuries she might have - Steve Reigate Mr Broom added: God forbid it had gone the other way and the animal ran off and bumped into someone, sent a child flying, sent any person flying, [which is] perfectly possible, and they were seriously injured or worse. People would be saying: Why wasnt the animal stopped? Sunday roast beef It comes after the BBCs John Simpson questioned the fury levelled at a police officer who ran over a cow by people then sitting down to enjoy Sunday roast beef. The officer, who was driving the police vehicle used to ram an escaped calf, was removed from front-line duties on Sunday amid widespread anger over the use of force. Footage emerged showing the police car ploughing into the calf twice in a residential street in Feltham, west London. It first knocked the animal several yards down the road before pinning it to the ground. Surrey Police has launched an internal investigation into the incident, which happened on Friday night, and referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Amid the outrage, John Simpson, the BBCs world affairs editor, suggested those voicing criticism to the force then sitting down to enjoy Sunday roast beef were illogical. Illogical about getting upset Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: Isnt there something a bit illogical about getting upset by a police car hitting a cow, then sitting down to enjoy a Sunday lunch of roast beef? He added: Interesting to see the angry reactions to this. Could it be that some people are uncomfortable with being reminded that their lunch used to be a sentient creature? The 10-month-old female calf, named Beau Lucy, got loose from common grazing land in Staines on Friday evening and was reportedly charging around a residential area. Surrey Police insisted officers had spent several hours trying to catch the animal before the decision was made to run it down using a car to keep the public safe. But when footage of the incident emerged, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, demanded an urgent explanation from the force, describing the response as unnecessarily heavy-handed. Other commentators, including animal rights campaigners, complained about the polices response to the situation. Chris Packham, the wildlife TV presenter, described those responsible as monsters and suggested they should be investigated and prosecuted. Dept Chief Constable Nev Kemp of Surrey Police said on Sunday: I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure that it is thoroughly and diligently investigated. In addition to an internal referral to our professional standards department, we have also referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for independent consideration. At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from front-line duties pending the outcome of these investigations. Time will tell The owner of the animal, who would only give his name as Rob, described the footage as horrific and said the incident could have been handled so much better. The calf suffered a gash to its leg but is recovering after being treated by a vet. I dont understand why [the police] didnt use a tranquilising dart, the owner said. If they used a tranquilising dart the animal would have calmed right down if they needed to get a halter on it or restrain it. He said the animal was a lot better and was recovering well, but added: Time will tell because we dont know what internal injuries she might have. But shes eating so theres always promise when theres that. More than 30 people have been killed by stampeding cows in the UK in the last six years. Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told ministers that the resignation of Benny Gantz meant the war cabinet was no longer needed. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the Israeli war cabinet that had been overseeing the conflict in Gaza, rebuffing his far-right allies who had been seeking seats, and apparently moving to solidify his grasp on decision-making over the fighting with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah across the Lebanese border. The prime minister announced the move to ministers, saying the war cabinet had been established as part of an agreement in which the moderate politician Benny Gantz and his National Unity party joined an emergency coalition last year. The disbanding of the war cabinet was confirmed by Israeli officials against a backdrop of mounting discontent over the conduct of the war in Gaza and calls from anti-government groups for a week of daily protests. David Mencer, a spokesperson at the prime ministers office, said the war cabinet was a prerequisite for Gantz, a former army chief and defence minister, to join a unity government. He added: So with Mr Gantz leaving government, there is no need for the cabinet. Its duties will be taken over by the security cabinet. Netanyahu reportedly told ministers that the war cabinet was no longer needed following Gantzs resignation a week ago. Gantz, one of the members of the war cabinet, quit the coalition along with Gadi Eisenkot, one of the three observers in the body. Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including the defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and the strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, who had been in the war cabinet. The dissolution of the war cabinet is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on the conflict decision-making will move back to the security cabinet but the political ramifications may be more significant. The move appears to be a deliberate snub to Netanyahus far-right allies in the coalition, including the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had been angling for a seat in the war cabinet since Gantzs departure after complaining he had been sidelined for key decisions. Reports in the Hebrew-language media suggested Netanyahu intends to make key decisions in meetings with his own advisers, excluding Ben-Gvir, before presenting them to the security cabinet. The move comes amid divisions of opinion between Netanyahu and senior Israel Defense Forces commanders. According to reports in the Israeli media on Monday, Netanyahu told the regular Sunday meeting of the full cabinet that in order to reach the goal of eliminating the capabilities of Hamas, [he had] made decisions that were not always acceptable to the military echelon, but added: We have a country with an army and not an army with a country. Netanyahus moves suggest an increasing confidence as the prime ministers poll numbers have improved since the departure of Gantz, which has caused the latters polling to decline markedly. While Netanyahu had been under pressure from the Biden administration to maintain the war cabinet, which was viewed as a more moderate forum, some analysts saw the move as preserving the Israeli prime ministers desire to continue with the conflict, even as he sidelined Ben-Gvir and the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich. The small war cabinet had been the source of friction between Netanyahu and other members, including over the issue of hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas and other groups. However, the war cabinet had also worked effectively, meeting numerous times since Hamass surprise attack on southern Israels Gaza border communities on 7 October. In the immediate aftermath of the dissolution of the war cabinet, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth speculated that some key decisions would now go to an expanded cabinet, sometimes numbering 50 participants, where more hawkish voices dominate, giving Netanyahu more political cover for the continuing conflict. Groups opposed to Netanyahus leadership of war have begun a week of daily demonstrations calling for a ceasefire, a deal to secure the release of hostages and elections. While demonstrations against the prime minister during the war have yet to reach the scale of pre-war protests, Saturdays weekly demonstration in Tel Aviv attracted larger numbers than usual. Those at the rally heard a recorded message from the recently rescued hostage Andrey Kozlov, who called on the government to make a deal to secure the release of the remaining captives. Nearly every Saturday night [his captors in Gaza] showed us rallies from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I didnt count how many people were there but we saw many, Kozlov said. Charles Huang on his private plane. The Innova founder is contesting the legal claims against him. Photograph: Asian Inspiration In California, state of sunshine and palm trees, a small group of men are locked in a big legal fight over the money made by a US company selling Covid tests to the British government. The founder of Innova Medical Group says his business collected $2bn (1.6bn) in profits, one of the largest fortunes banked by any medical supplier during the scramble for lifesaving equipment in the early months of the pandemic. In a storm of claims and counter-claims, Innovas boss, Charles Huang, is accused by former associates of squandering or moving $1bn of those profits, spending lavishly on luxury aircraft, an $18m house in Los Angeles and homes for his mistresses. The previously little-known Chinese-American businessmans fortune was transformed by the British taxpayer through 11 government contracts worth approximately 4.3bn for lateral flow tests (LFTs) made in China and sold by Innova. The government fast-tracked the company after its British representatives sent a direct email to Dominic Cummings, the chief adviser to the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, in July 2020. And, a Guardian investigation has found, the fast-tracking of Innova was supported by the then chancellor Rishi Sunaks team at the Treasury. Innova became for a period of at least four critical months the only company authorised to supply rapid Covid tests in the UK, despite scores of others developing similar kits. At the time, the government spending watchdog raised concerns, saying the lack of competition posed risks to value for money. In his evidence to the Covid inquiry last October, Cummings told how he had pushed through the first Innova contract with backing from Sunaks team. The intention was to allow the economy to reopen by providing enough kits for up to 10 million people a day to test for the disease. The mass daily testing plan, labelled moonshot, was met with scepticism by scientists, including Jonathan Van Tam, the then deputy chief medical officer, who has told the inquiry that he had real doubts about whether it was workable. The moonshot plan became part of NHS test and trace, known as the mass testing programme. In the autumn [of 2020], Cummings said in his written statement, Sunaks team supported me with the mass testing team as we tried to overcome horrific Whitehall bureaucracy, secretly buy hundreds of millions of fast tests before other countries realised their value and there was a PPE-like panic. The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed in response to a freedom of information request that the secret buying of tests was the first contract awarded to Innova. Agreed in September 2020, it was worth 103m. The government went on to spend billions more with the company. The information raises further questions about the UK governments widely criticised decision-making during the pandemic, and the huge sums of public money spent after normal procurement processes were suspended. The apparent support of Sunaks team also raises questions about how far the Treasury was involved in the government expenditure of billions of pounds on test and trace and personal protective equipment. Sunak has repeatedly presented his work during the pandemic as a landmark success, telling workers at an event on the first day of the 2024 general election campaign: You know you can trust me when it comes to the economy: I got our country through Covid. Risks to value for money For Innova, landing any UK government contracts at all was an extraordinary bonanza. The company was only formed in March 2020 by Huangs California-based financial vehicle Pasaca Capital Inc, said by some of its own investors in the legal claims to have had little money behind it. Huang, a serial entrepreneur, had limited evident success in his track record, according to the legal claims against him. After the pandemic hit, everything changed. Another investor in Pasaca had a connection with a company in China, Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology, which like many others around the world, including some in the same city of Xiamen, was beginning to manufacture LFT kits. Kimberley Thonger, Innovas UK representative, who had previously worked in marketing for a series of shoe companies including Dr Martens, emailed Cummings in Downing Street in July 2020. In that email, published following a freedom of information request by the Good Law Project, Thonger promised that the tests were a true gamechanger. Cummings told the Covid inquiry he saw the rapid tests as key to the proposed mass daily testing that he believed could enable superspreaders to be isolated and so allow most of the country to operate as normal. He immediately referred Thonger to another Downing Street adviser who replied within an hour to tell him we are very keen, and introduced him to a leading civil servant. In September 2020, Innova was awarded the first UK government contract, although its test was still not evaluated. It was authorised for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) three months later, in December 2020. The authorisation was based on tests carried out at the governments high-security Porton Down laboratory, which had been asked to evaluate a number of LFTs and indicated that it had prioritised Innovas product because contracts had already been awarded to the company. The Department of Health and Social Care identified Innova at that time as the only supplier with a validated test that could produce the large volumes needed and work flexibly. By March 2021, Innova had already been awarded contracts worth 3.2bn, according to a critical National Audit Office report published in June of that year. The public spending watchdog noted that Innova was still the only supplier of LFDs [lateral flow devices] for self-test approved by the MHRA. The report warned that there were risks to value for money due to a lack of competition and normal regulatory processes. Cummings said the government needed to buy these tests secretly, without alerting the rest of the world. But countries across Europe were already evaluating rapid tests, and Italy was using them in ports and airports from the summer of 2020. In September 2020, the World Health Organization issued guidance, noting that nearly 100 companies were developing or manufacturing rapid tests. It announced a global partnership to supply 120m kits to poorer countries, made by companies in the US and South Korea. In February 2021, the EU published a list of 82 different suppliers, but not including Innova or Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology. Innova did offer to sell to other countries, but does not appear to have done so in large quantities. In a scathing report published after Innova first distributed them in the US without authorisation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the tests should be thrown away or returned to the company. It has repeatedly barred attempts to import the tests. An FDA spokesperson said: Covid-19 antigen tests produced by Xiamen Biotime Biotechnology Company are being refused admission into the US. Innova was included in a later edition of the EUs approved list, among many other manufacturers, as a B supplier; member states were advised to use tests from the A list. The UK government is said to have ordered 1.8bn tests from Innova altogether, paying the company approximately 4.3bn. In one of the legal claims against Huang, the former Innova executive Robert Kasprzak states: Innovas UK contracts generated substantially all [sic] of the revenue for Pasaca Group. In 2022, Huang was featured in a film, Asian Inspirations, saying Innova had made a profit of $2bn after tax from its Covid contracts. Huang is now contesting legal claims over those profits, from Kasprzak and Innovas UK representatives, Thonger and Charles Palmer, claiming they should have been paid more. Kasprzak accuses Huang of having a chequered career and few achievements of substance before Innovas remarkable fortunes in the pandemic. Huang is accused in the claim of being a high-end con artist who squandered or moved for his own use due to incompetence, power and greed more than $1bn of assets generated from UK sales. He is alleged to have lavished some of the proceeds on luxury purchases including private jets for $70m, the $18m luxury home with a swimming pool in LA known as the CEO house, and homes for his mistresses, as well as poor investments in flailing businesses. Kasprzak also claims Huang was trying to secure a knighthood and working on having a film made about himself, titled Overnight Billionaire. He alleges Huang promised to buy out his shares for $75m but never did, and ultimately fired him from the company. Huang has responded by denying the claims and alleging that Kasprzak and the former Innova chief executive Daniel Elliott stole millions from the company. Kasprzak and Elliott deny those allegations. The UK representatives, Thonger and Palmer, are also suing Innova in California, claiming that their company, Disruptive Nanotechnology, was due 10% commission on all UK contracts, and so they should have been paid $500m. They accuse Kasprzak and Elliott of duping them out of that commission and pocketing the money themselves. Instead of the saved commissions being used for the promised purpose, to keep the price of Innovas Covid-19 tests competitive, the claim alleges, Elliott spent tens of millions of dollars to purchase lavish properties, expensive cars, a private jet, and other luxury items. They both deny those claims. The disputes are all ongoing. Whatever the merits of their arguments, this fight on the US west coast is over extraordinarily large amounts of British taxpayers money, spent during the pandemic, with one newly formed company, for vast quantities of rapid Covid tests that it was able to deliver. A spokesperson for Innova and Huang dismissed the allegations against him as baseless. Pointing to Innovas success in being awarded the contracts and having its tests officially validated, the spokesperson said: We were the largest supplier to the UK of Covid 19 tests for these reasons; we were cost effective the average price of each test we provided went down on every subsequent contract and we met the significant shipping expenses to the UK ourselves each time delivered on time and at all times met the urgent requirements of the UK government at a critically important period for the country. Mark Holscher, a Los Angeles attorney representing Elliott, said he categorically denies any claims against him, and did not receive any improper compensation from anybody. These tests saved thousands of British lives and prevented many more hospitalisations, Holscher said, adding that it was one of the very best performing tests that could be immediately produced and delivered at the massive scale required by the United Kingdom. Providing these tests required herculean and unmatched logistical efforts. Mr Elliott takes great pride in this accomplishment and has been lauded by the UK government for his efforts. An attorney representing Kasprzak said he stands by his legal claims, and added: None of these US proceedings has called into question the efficacy of the tests or the UK government process. The tests saved thousands of British lives, as recognised by the UK government itself, and Mr Kasprzak is extremely proud of his role in delivering these tests to the UK. A spokesperson for Disruptive Nanotechnology said: We cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings. Cummings did not respond to requests for comment. A government spokesperson said in a statement given before the general election was called: We have always said there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic and we are committed to learning from the Covid inquirys findings which will play a key role in informing the governments planning and preparations for the future. While the inquiry is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment. The Covid inquiry is due in the spring to turn its attention to the governments multibillion-pound spending on medical supplies, including lateral flow tests, in the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic. An unarmed Trident ballistic missile As Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour party move ever faster towards No 10, aided by the Conservative partys penchant to fall on its sword with monotonous regularity, we will soon be forced to confront the nuclear-warhead-sized elephant in the room. Promises to grow the economy are all well and good, but the security of the country is of paramount importance, especially when our Russian enemy has made its hatred for us clear. My recent piece on the state of Russias crumbling nuclear weapons elicited the expected wild responses from Russian bots, Putins useful idiots and Moscows international supporters, but also from some seemingly balanced journalists and of course the far-Left. The reality is that Putin has threatened a nuclear reaction against Nato for nearly three years in order to scare us out of supporting Ukraines defence, while likely lacking any capability to actually fire said nuclear weapons. For sure, Putins saber-rattling has vexed some of the more timid Western leaders who have been slow to send weapons to Ukraine, and it has slowed the introduction of tanks and fighter jets to the Ukraine inventory. But proper military aid is now arriving, which, alongside Ukraines new ability to attack deep into Russia, could help turn the tide of the war. Nato may not need to put boots on the ground to vanquish Russian forces after-all. Still, the main reason we are now in this position is thanks to British, French and American nuclear weapons. Regardless of the recent Trident missile misfire, Britain still has a very considerable nuclear deterrent ensuring that the threats of despots around the globe remain just that threats. We have the benefit of a relatively well-maintained nuclear arsenal, which in regards to quality vastly outclasses Russias ancient soviet technology. Putin is not deterred by our conventional defence, which has been denuded under the so-called peace dividend. 70,000 soldiers and 100 tanks might be able to stop a special military operation on these isles, but would be insufficient for a fight on continental Europe. According to Labour, a properly-funded military will only come when the economic conditions allow, which the Kremlin will surely read as an invitation to ensure said conditions are never reached. Britain is in a position of strength thanks to Tridents awesome repelling power. Sir Keir Starmers frontbench unfortunately seem not to appreciate this. Come July 5, three of the likely members of Labours frontbench (Rayner, Lammy and Nandy) will have previously voted to scrap Trident. In order for our deterrent to work, they must each renounce their prior opposition and, if they still hold doubts about the program, stand down from their positions. For our safety, our politicians must shout their willingness to utilise our nuclear arsenal loud enough for Putin and his gangster cronies to hear in their Kremlin dungeons. We were central to vanquishing the last dictator who stormed across Europe, and we must also be central in pushing Putins armies back to where they came from. We must ignore those who want to deride this country, and who would have us give up the strongest weapon in our arsenal for no good reason. Until there is peace in Europe again, there will be a cost-of-living crisis, scant progress made on climate change, and no money to properly fund the National Health Service. Starmer must project Britains strength, not wallow in weakness, or risk finding Putin knocking on our door. A hearing to decide whether Bruce Lehrmann will face trial over rape allegations has been adjourned until next month, after the complainant gave evidence behind closed doors. Lehrmann arrived at a Toowoomba court on Monday to face a committal hearing on two counts of rape. It was the first time the former Liberal staffer, who was last year named as the high-profile Toowoomba man facing the charges, has attended the court. Lehrmann, 29, is accused of raping a woman in Toowoomba, on Queenslands Darling Downs, in October 2021. The courtroom was closed while the complainant is cross-examined for about an hour. She was the only witness and gave evidence from a remote room, as is standard practice for complainants in sexual assault or rape cases. Afterwards, Lehrmanns barrister, Andrew Hoare KC, made a 12-page written outline of submissions about the sufficiency of the evidence. Magistrate Marc Howden will consider written submissions from the defence and prosecution before reconvening the court on 4 July for oral arguments. Lehrmann has been granted leave to appear via video link on that date. His bail was extended. At the outset of the hearing on Monday, media outlets including News Corp, the ABC and Nine lodged an application for journalists to be present during her evidence, which would otherwise take place in a closed courtroom. Lehrmanns lawyers and the prosecution opposed the application. Jessica Goldie, a barrister for the media entities, argued the complainant was protected by legal restrictions prohibiting the publication of her identity, and that she would give evidence from outside the courtroom. Goldie said allowing journalists to remain in the courtroom would allow her evidence to be accurately reported. The prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said the complainant opposed the application and wishes for her privacy to be maintained. Lehrmanns barrister, Andrew Hoare KC, said media companies simply cannot demonstrate that such publication would not be prejudicial for the complainant. The magistrate Marc Howden ruled that the court be closed for the complainants evidence and that the matter should proceed in the usual way. Lehrmann arrived at the Toowoomba magistrates court shortly after 8.30am. He was accompanied by his solicitor Rowan King and he walked through the media pack into the courthouse. Lehrmann was charged with two counts of rape in December 2022. The rapes are alleged to have occurred in Toowoomba in October 2021 and were first mentioned in court in January 2023. He is yet to enter any pleas but his legal team has indicated Lehrmann will defend the charges. Lehrmanns identity was initially withheld from publication to comply with Queensland laws. Those laws, which have since been changed, only allowed identification if the accused was committed to stand trial. After those law changes, the Queensland supreme court judge Peter Applegarth dismissed an application by Lehrmann to remain anonymous in October last year. One of China's new type 094 Jin-class nuclear submarines taking part in a naval parade - MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country and could have as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as the US or Russia by the end of the decade. Beijing now has at least 500 nuclear warheads, up from 410 a year ago, according to an annual report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based think tank focused on conflict and arms control. For the first time, China has likely begun deploying a small number of them estimated to be around 24 on high operational alert, ready for launch at a moments notice, it added. The report on Monday came after Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato Secretary General, in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, issued a stark warning about the threat posed by Chinas and Russias nuclear weapons. China, he said, was investing heavily in modern weaponry, including its nuclear arsenal, and could have as many as 1,000 warheads by 2030. China now has at least 500 nuclear warheads - IMAGO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO By January 2024, the United States and Russia had amassed 3,708 and 4,380 nuclear warheads respectively, accounting for the majority of the global total of just over 12,000 weapons. Though Beijings stockpile is growing, it is expected to remain much smaller than those of the US or Russia, the report said. However, it could soon be able to call upon as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS) as the US or Russia. As well as ramping up production of warheads, around 350 new silos are now under construction in China, the SIPRI report said. Depending on how it decides to structure its forces, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as either Russia or the USA by the turn of the decade, the report said. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, said Hans M. Kristensen, associate senior fellow with SIPRIs weapons of mass destruction programme. Beijing has never declared the size of its nuclear arsenal, and the report relies on publicly available information and data from the US Department of Defense. But since first detonating a nuclear bomb in 1964, China has developed a sophisticated arsenal of ICBMs, as well as a submarine-based deterrent. Its warheads can also be carried by nuclear-configured aircraft. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has instructed the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to become a world-class military by 2049 and be capable of seizing Taiwan by force, if necessary, by 2027. The rapid pace of development within the Chinese military, including its nuclear forces, has set alarm bells ringing in the West, leading to numerous warnings from high-profile officials in Washington in recent years. In response, Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said last week that the US had been calling China a nuclear threat as a convenient pretext for expanding its own arsenal. It had long been assumed that China stores nuclear warheads separately from its deployed launchers during peacetime. The country officially applies a non-first-use principle of nuclear weapons, meaning it has pledged not to use them against non-nuclear-armed states or nuclear weapon-free zones. China and India are currently the only two nuclear powers to formally maintain such a policy. But Western officials believe Beijing has adopted a more aggressive posture. Since 2022, the Pentagon has assessed that the PLA has shifted to an early warning counterstrike strategy, in which it would rapidly launch its nuclear missiles before an adversary had a chance to destroy them. However, Mr Kristensen added that there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces in nearly all of the worlds nine nuclear-armed states. Diplomatic efforts to control nuclear weapons also suffered major setbacks amid the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War, said Wilfred Wan, director of SIPRIs weapons of mass destruction programme. The research institute noted that, in February 2023, Russia announced it was suspending participation in the 2010 New Start treaty the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty limiting Russian and US strategic nuclear forces. The Kremlin on Monday accused Nato of an escalation after Mr Stoltenberg said allies were discussing the deployment of nuclear weapons in response to the dual threat posed by Russia and China. This is nothing but another escalation of tension, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. When asked by the Telegraph whether Nato allies should take nuclear warheads out of storage, Mr Stoltenberg said: I wont go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. Thats exactly what were doing. Li Qiangs visit signals a warming relationship with Australia but Mondays ceremonies were possibly overshadowed by Chinese officials reactions to journalist Cheng Lei. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AFP/Getty Images The Australian government has rolled out the welcome mat as Chinas premier, Li Qiang, visited Canberra, but his trip may have been overshadowed by an apparent attempt by Chinese officials to block the view of the formerly detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei during a signing ceremony. The first trip to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years is the most striking symbol yet of the easing of tensions in a previously turbulent relationship. Related: Thanks for the free rent: Cheng Lei jokes about China detention in comedy debut On Monday the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, strongly backed the need for mature dialogue between the two nations and hailed the progress made so far. But he gently rebuffed calls from the Chinese government to shelve their differences. We wont always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence, Albanese said. The formal events in the nations capital began with a ceremonial welcome on the Parliament House forecourt, including a 19-gun salute and an opportunity for Li to inspect the guard of honour. As the Chinese and Australian national anthems were played, Li and Albanese stood on a podium facing out from Parliament House from where the two leaders would have had a good view of two distinct groups gathered about 200 metres away on the lawns. A patriotic pro-China group included people waving Chinese and Australian flags in support of the visit, while others, holding Tibetan flags, protested the visit on human rights grounds. Free Tibet chants from the anti-visit demonstrators could be heard during the ceremonial welcome; and protesters also held a large sign declaring: Human rights, not for sale. After Albanese and Li held their annual leaders meeting, the pair attended a media event where officials and ministers signed a series of agreements, including ones to deepen economic dialogue and cooperation on the climate crisis. Cheng, who was detained in China on ill-defined national security-related accusations from 2020 before finally being released late last year, attended the event in her capacity as a presenter and reporter for Sky News Australia. She sat with fellow Australian journalists in the seats set aside for media representatives. As the agreements were being signed, a Chinese embassy official stood in a position in front of Cheng but looking towards the official proceedings. Related: Twists and turns in Australia-China ties are over, Li Qiang says but Penny Wong highlights tensions Australian officials repeatedly asked the Chinese embassy official to move, initially politely. After these requests were rebuffed, an Australian official was heard to say: Youre standing in front of my Australian colleague you must move. A fellow Australian journalist then offered to swap seats with Cheng, resulting in her moving two seats to the right. When another embassy official appeared to move around to try to get close to Cheng, Australian officials blocked the path. Albanese and Li proceeded to give their statements to the media, in a format that did not allow journalists to ask questions. Cheng later told Sky News she believed the officials were trying to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look. She said the Australian officials behaved courteously whereas the Chinese embassy officials were willing to go above and beyond the line of decency. Cheng said the musical chairs had distracted her and other journalists from doing what they were there to do report on the content of the announcements. Comment was sought from the Chinese embassy. Albanese later held a press conference where he was asked whether the attempt to block Cheng from the view of cameras was acceptable in the heart of Australias democracy. The prime minister said he had not seen the incident. I saw Cheng Lei and we smiled at each other during the event, Albanese said. Its important that people be allowed to participate fully and thats what should happen in this building or anywhere else in Australia. Albanese said he had raised with Li the full range of Australias interests, including unsafe incidents involving Chinas military and the case of the detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun. The prime minister said he made clear to Li that foreign interference in Australias political system was not acceptable and had raised human rights issues. Albanese said the leaders had also spoken about improving military-to-military communications so as to avoid incidents. Li was feted at a state lunch in Parliament Houses Great Hall, where Albanese called for a secure and stable region and said it was always better if we deal direct with each other. Related: China lifts most remaining trade bans on Australian beef exports Albanese stumbled at the opening of the speech in saying it was his honour to welcome you, your excellency, Premier Li Keqiang using the name of Lis predecessor. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, conveyed the Coalitions warm wishes to the people of China. Dutton, a former defence minister who in 2021 predicted Australia would join the US to defend Taiwan in the event of war, told the lunch event on Monday he hoped the tensions of recent years can ameliorate and lead to stability and peace. Li thanked Albanese and Dutton for their heartwarming toasts and said he was deeply touched by the good [wishes] for steady and robust development of China-Australia relations. The Chinese premier confirmed he and Albanese had a candid exchange of views of some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them. In decades of political leadership at the state and national level, Narendra Modi has never had to engage in consensus politics. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images As Narendra Modi traversed the country during recent months, campaigning for a third term in power, he repeated the same refrain. The past decade was just a trailer, the prime minister told crowds, adding: There is plenty more to come. The expectation, among his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and most analysts and pollsters, was that Indias election would easily return him to power with the same if not stronger supermajority that he has enjoyed over the past decade. Yet instead, this months results dealt a sobering blow. While the BJP won the most seats, the party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time under Modi. In order to return to power, he is suddenly beholden to coalition partners an assortment of regional parties with very differing ideologies. All eyes are now on how Modi will govern, after decades of political leadership at the state, and then, national level, where he has never had to engage in consensus politics. Related: Narendra Modi sworn in for third term as prime minister of India Coalition restraints Since the shock election result, Modis public messages have emphasised the theme of consensus, and that the prime ministers office should be the peoples not Modis. Yet this narrative has been belied by his cabinet appointments, where the BJP successfully refused to relinquish any powerful seats. All remain occupied by the prime ministers closest allies, including Amit Shah as home minister, while crucial coalition parties got little more than heavy industries and food processing. There continues to be not a single Muslim in the cabinet and for the first time in Indias history no Muslims appointed as ministers anywhere in the country. Just how this coalition arrangement impacts Modis ability to implement his agenda for a third term remains to be seen. Some have argued that it could provide a necessary restraint; others fear he will double down on divisive, oppressive methods and policies. Rather than go mild, he may actually go more aggressive on some things, said Yogendra Yadav, a well-known leftwing politician and activist. Ashley J Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, emphasised the scale of Modis ambitions, with the prime minister likely to be viewing this as his legacy term. Modi sees himself as a great transformer, said Tellis. He wants his legacy to be making India a genuine great power and a developed country by 2047. But another, equal part of the agenda is making India a majoritarian Hindu state doing what he sees as necessary for the authentic India to appear. Economic reform Analysts said that as he entered his third term, Modi was likely to initially prioritise economic reforms that have eluded him so far. The chronic issue of unemployment and a lack of quality jobs was a significant reason for the BJPs losses in the election, and is widely seen as a pressing problem. Creating jobs is the single most important issue for the country, said Ashok Malik, chair of the India Practice at the Asia Group. If India is to move ahead as a country and as an economy, you have to get more and more people from rural India working in the cities. But theyre only going to come back if urban jobs are available and urban incomes rise. Malik said there was a lot of hope and foreign interest in Indias economy but all of this has to lead to something. He said that over his next term, Modi would push for a manufacturing boost, as a means to encourage quality job creation which has been severely lacking in India. Less than 3% of global manufacturing takes place in India. Modis goal is for it to go up to 10% by 2047. He has made it a priority for India to become a player in emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, as well as to make India a more appealing and competitive environment for foreign investors. Related: Indian democracy fought back: Modi humbled as opposition gains ground Far-reaching reforms within Indias ailing agriculture sector are also likely to be a priority, though whether he will be able to reattempt major reform in a coalition government is less certain. During his second term, one of Modis few defeats came at the hands of farmers who protested for months against new laws they said threatened their income, and he was eventually forced to backtrack. One of Modis first actions in government last week was to release millions in financial assistance for farmers. The fact is, Indias trying to take off, but it hasnt taken off yet, said Malik. The next five years will define whether it does and could set the pace for the next 30-40 years. Hindu nationalist policies The BJPs cultural and social Hindu-first agenda may prove trickier for Modi to get past his coalition partners, as well as facing a larger, more empowered opposition that campaigned under the banner of preserving Indias secular constitution. On Modis watch, Hindu nationalism became the dominant political force in the country. Minorities such as Muslims, who number more than 200 million, have faced increased persecution and discrimination at the hands of society and the state. Yet several of the BJPs key coalition partners are overtly secular and several enjoy considerable support from Muslim voters. Leaders in the Telugu Desam party, one of the BJPs alliance partners, have already asserted that decisions on the BJPs more contentious policies would not be taken unilaterally. This includes the BJPs intention to introduce a uniform civil code, a single law in place of various cultural customs and laws that are currently followed by different groups and religions across India. There are longstanding concerns this legal uniformity will be used as another instrument of marginalisation against minorities. The BJP could also face obstructions in implementing other flagship policies such as a much-feared national register of citizens, where people will have to prove their citizenship with paperwork a project opponents say is designed to cast Indian Muslims as illegal aliens on a national scale. Modi is also likely to face pushback in parliament against one of his favoured manifesto promises of one nation, one election, where all of Indias 28 state elections and general election will be reorganised to take place at the same time, rather than being staggered as they are now. It has been seen by many as another attempt by the BJP to impose uniformity on Indias diverse states and is likely to be resisted by the regional parties in his alliance. Leonore Gewessler after the law was passed in Luxembourg. Member states must draw up plans to restore drained peatlands and help plant at least 3bn more trees. Photograph: @lgewessler/X.com The EU has passed a landmark law to protect nature after a knife-edge vote, ending a months-long deadlock among member states spooked by fierce protests from farmers. But a last-minute change of heart by Austrias Green climate minister, whose vote is credited with saving the proposal, led to fury in Vienna, with the party of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, announcing it would seek criminal charges against her for alleged abuse of power. Todays decision is a victory for nature, wrote Leonore Gewessler on X after the vote on Monday. My conscience tells me unmistakably [that] when the healthy and happy life of future generations is at stake, courageous decisions are needed. In an extraordinary display of division at the heart of Austrias coalition government, Nehammer wrote to the Belgian presidency of the EU Council before the vote urging it to disregard his ministers support and arguing that she did not have the right to take the position she had. Gewessler wrote in a separate letter that the chancellors allegations were incorrect. The nature restoration law, which has proved to be the most controversial pillar of the European Green Deal and nearly failed at the final hurdle, sets a target to restore at least 20% of the EUs land and sea by the end of the decade. Lawmakers and governments had watered down the proposal in the months leading up to the European elections, in which far-right parties gained seats and green parties lost them. But despite concessions, supporters barely won over enough member states at the vote in Luxembourg on Monday. Today marks a significant day for Europe as we transition from merely protecting and conserving nature to actively restoring it, said Cesar Luena, a centre-left MEP from Spain who led the European parliaments negotiations on the law. The fraught proposal was nearly torpedoed in the European parliament last year and then pushed to the verge of collapse in March when Hungary unexpectedly withdrew its support. Ireland led a subsequent push to win over other countries, urging ministers to avoid backtracking on compromises that had already been agreed. Until the final moments it was unclear whether supporters of the law had gathered enough votes to achieve a qualified majority of 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU population. Environment ministers voted the law through with a wafer-thin majority after changes of heart by Slovakia and Austria cleared the bar by 1.07 percentage points. Pieter de Pous, an analyst at the climate thinktank E3G, said: No other part of the world has this little nature left, needed this law more and got so close to not having it. Related: The Guardian view on Europes troubled green deal: make the case, not concessions | Editorial Austrias support was key to tipping the scales. Gewessler had been a vocal advocate of the nature restoration law despite fierce opposition from her coalition partners. But until last month, her hands had been tied by a unanimous blockade from Austrias federal states, which opposed the law. That resistance appeared to crumble in recent weeks as two states Vienna and Carinthia announced they were satisfied with compromises made to the law, withdrawing their opposition without formally breaking the blockade. Gewessler, who appears to be in a legal grey zone after her vote, announced on Sunday that she would back the law, having sought legal advice. I cannot reconcile it with my conscience if we let this opportunity pass without having tried everything, she said. The public dispute has escalated to the highest levels of Austrian politics and threatens to tear apart the coalition government of the Greens, who control the environment ministry, and Nehammers centre-right OVP, who control the agriculture ministry. Christian Stocker, the OVPs general secretary, said on Monday that the party would file criminal charges against Gewessler for abuse of power. The end does not justify the means: Leonore Gewessler is putting herself above the constitution because she cannot reconcile her green ideology with acting in accordance with the law. The final tally showed 20 countries voting in favour of the nature restoration law. Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden voted against the law, while Belgium abstained. They criticised the cost of the proposal and said it would place too many administrative burdens on them. Nature is dying faster than humans have ever observed and 81% of European habitats are in poor shape, according to the European Environment Agency. The EU lobbied other countries to commit to more ambitious goals to protect nature at a biodiversity summit in Montreal in 2022, but its leaders have since backtracked on national and European commitments. The EU needs to do its part to tackle the global biodiversity crisis, said Magnus Heunicke, the Danish environment minister, during a debate before the vote on Monday. Our citizens expect us to take decisive action and to do so without further delays. The law contains provisions to reverse the decline of pollinator populations such as bees by 2030. Member states will also have to put in place measures to restore drained peatlands and help plant at least 3bn more trees. Copa and Cogeca, the EUs biggest farming lobby group, criticised the slim majority of ministers voting in favour of the law, calling it a flawed proposal that would cause legal battles in regional, national and European courts. Political rhetoric aside, the question of the lack of clear and consistent funding for ecosystem restoration across the EU remains unanswered partly explaining the great embarrassment and headlong rush that surrounds this law, a spokesperson said. Campaigners celebrated the vote as a historic win for Europes nature but criticised persistent attacks that had watered down the measures. Spela Bandelj Ruiz, a Greenpeace biodiversity campaigner, said: Despite the weakening of the law, this deal offers a ray of hope for Europes nature, future generations and the livelihoods of rural communities. A coalition of environmental groups led by WWF Europe called on member states to implement the legislation as soon as possible. Todays vote is a massive victory for Europes nature and citizens who have been long calling for immediate action to tackle natures alarming decline, they said. Derrick Hamilton, his wife Nicole, their daughter Maya, two, and supporter Kevin Smith, outside a courtroom after his exoneration on 9 January 2015 in New York. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP Louis Scarcella was your classic 70s New York City detective, a hard-charging renegade who lived for locking up bad guys. In 26 years on the beat, most of that time overlapping with New Yorks crack era, he was famous for his ability to close cases and seal murder convictions. There was just one problem with his carefully crafted reputation: he was crooked. It took a group of wrongfully convicted people who were imprisoned based on Scarcellas overzealous policing to reveal the lie. We pledged that whoever got out of prison first would spread the word that there were many men in jail for crimes they didnt commit, says the 58-year-old Derrick Hamilton, now a paralegal teaching at Yeshiva Universitys Cardozo School of Law. Hamilton was part of that crack team of jailhouse lawyers the term for the self-taught incarcerated people who take up the slack when public defenders fall short or cant take clients who have already lost the first appeal. What they lack in academic credentials (most have little more than a high school degree), they make up for in time and determination. Also: they work a whole lot cheaper. Basically, the system says, We dont care about your innocence, says Shabaka Shakur, a paralegal consultant for New York Citys department of education. Were just here to make sure you have a fair trial. You had a lawyer. You met the minimum standard of what you were supposed to get in court. Whether youre innocent or not is not our issue. Former residents of a correctional facility in Auburn, New York, Hamilton and Shakur were partners at a jailhouse firm called the Actual Innocence (AI) a term used in post-conviction claims. Shakur was sentenced to 20 years to life in 1989 for the murder of two drug dealers. Hamilton was sentenced to 25 years to life in 1993 for a murder outside a housing project. Like Hogans Heroes tunneling under the jailhouse, the AI team was a way to remain engaged with the outside world and keep their cases churning in the system. And it attracted its share of legal pedants. They used to put me in the box regularly, says Shakur, recalling his stints in solitary confinement, but I would always file these hearing motions, and the judge would let me out. Guys would be like, Yo, youre really good at the law. And Id say, No, these guys never follow the rules! The more the AI team advocated for themselves and their clients, the closer they got to dismantling the legacy of one of the most fabled figures in New York law enforcement. In 2013, a New York Times examination found that the guilty verdicts in many of Scarcellas murder cases had been derived through forced or false confessions and the testimony of the same eyewitnesses. The Brooklyn district attorneys office ordered a review of 50 of the 70 murder cases Scarcella worked. As of this April, 21 of those cases have seen their original trial convictions reversed. Hamilton and Shakur are among the AI team members who share their experience in the podcast The Burden. The limited series, which unfolds over nine half hour-long episodes, also features extensive interviews with Scarcella who, of course, doesnt apologize for his methods or the system that made him a hero. Scarcella hasnt been charged with any crimes, despite official citations for bad practice, and he insists he did nothing wrong. The resulting claims and settlements from those wrongfully convicted have cost New York taxpayers more than $100m. The sum barely accounts for the psychic toll on Shakur. His charges were dismissed in 2015 following a re-examination by the late Brooklyn district attorney Kenneth Thompson, which found that Scarcella had falsified a confession from Shakur. By then, he had served 27 years in prison. That same year, Thompsons office concluded that Hamilton was also innocent, and he was freed after 23 years in prison. I was surprised to learn how easy it was for somebody to manipulate the criminal justice system, Hamilton says. A Brooklyn native, Hamilton characterizes himself as a fundamentally good kid (his habit of showing up to school in the same blazer and slacks earned him the family nickname Suity) who fell in with the tough crowds that terrorized his community. At age 15, he received his first jail sentence for robbery, 60 days. In 1983, not long after turning 18, Hamilton was convicted twice for the murder of a bread delivery man in his Brooklyn neighborhood and given a 32-years-to-life sentence but won his release on appeal six years later via an Alford plea, which allows a defendant to accept a plea bargain while maintaining their innocence. Raring to start over with his wife and three children, Hamilton made a plan with his brother to open a hair salon in New Haven, Connecticut. Two weeks after its grand opening in March 1991, Scarcella barged in and collared Hamilton for another Brooklyn murder, involving a person Hamilton knew. With help from eyewitnesses later found to have testified under pressure from Scarcella, Hamilton received a 25-years-to-life sentence. Pictures, hotel receipts we had the evidence, Hamilton says of his alibi. But Scarcellas very conniving, very convincing. He had a charisma that people tended to believe. Hamilton began serving that time at the maximum security facility in Attica, New York, infamous for its 1971 riot and for being one of the toughest prisons in the country. Placed in solitary confinement for nearly a decade, he took on work as a jailhouse lawyer as a mental escape from his tortured surrounds. (This was after apprenticing under other jailhouse lawyers during a previous prison stint.) In a breakthrough case, he won the release of the Bronx man convicted for the murder of 50 Cent the notorious criminal from whom Curtis Jackson, the multi-platinum rap star, took his stage name. After a 2009 transfer to Auburn, New York, a hard-won reprieve from solitary confinement, Hamilton finally had access to the prisons law library a mandatory provision in all New York state correctional facilities. It was there that another inmate, Nelson Cruz, formally introduced Hamilton to two more men Hamilton knew were fighting to overturn their murder convictions Shakur and Danny Rincon. They decided to join forces and launch Actual Innocence. Each man played a specific role: Hamilton was the law professor, Shakur was the documents expert and Rincon handled media outreach. That left Cruz to play clerk and provide the coffee (brewed from the water in his cell toilet and a sock filter), which he delivered to Hamiltons cell via a sheet-made line to keep him typing up motions deep into the night. We worked every single day, Hamilton recalls. We bugged lawyers, judges, prosecutors everybody would hear from us. We had to organize ourselves as one unit because individually we werent being heard. Only a company masthead would have made their legal team more official. Its funny you should say that, Hamilton says. We couldnt get that far because there are rules and regulations as far as owning businesses and branding and things of that nature. Eventually, their team of four grew to 12 people, which presented some daunting math for the firm. Jailhouse lawyers have a reputation for getting everyone out of prison but themselves. But that prospect became less fraught for the AI team once they discovered the common link between all their cases was Scarcella. We definitely believed that you left no man behind, Hamilton says. Amazingly, this motley crew was able to get three of its principals out. (Rincon is still arguing for his release. Hes got a really complicated case, Shakur says.) But Hamilton, who won $7m in settlements from the cities of New York and New Haven for his wrongful conviction, is still bitter. He still has PTSD from his two decades in prison while advocating for criminal justice reforms. In our conversation, he made a point of paying tribute to Thompson, the late Brooklyn DA, a notable ally who pushed to reopen Scarcellas cases even as he received flak from Black constituents for his lenient sentencing recommendation following the 2014 police killing of Akai Gurley. Ken was a man who believed in changing the system, Hamilton says. I understand how the Black community feels. But I also understand Kens objective stance and understanding of police culture. Thats what it boiled down to. Remarkably, Hamilton is just as philosophical about the detective who robbed him of so many years. Scarcella was a product of the time, he says. When he called you a murder or a killer, people really believed him. Thats my biggest thing with him: he was given the ability to close cases, and it didnt matter whether he did it within the framework of the constitution or whether or not people actually got justice. The New Caledonian lorikeet (Vini diadema) is a potentially extinct lorikeet endemic to the Melanesian island of New Caledonia. Photograph: Image courtesy of BHL The coppery thorntail and New Caledonian lorikeet are among the 126 birds lost to science, having not been seen for a decade or more, according to the most comprehensive list of missing species composed to date. The new tally is based on millions of records collected by enthusiastic birders and amateur scientists documenting wildlife in some of the planets most remote locations. To be part of the dataset, the bird must not have a recorded sighting in at least a decade, and not be assessed as extinct or extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Figuring out why these birds have become lost and then trying to find them can feel like a detective story, said John C Mittermeier, the director of the Search for Lost Birds at American Bird Conservancy, which has created the dataset alongside BirdLife International and Re:wild. The authors hope that releasing the list will encourage people to come forward with new sightings of some of the lost birds and spur conservation efforts. While some of the species on the list will be incredibly challenging or maybe even impossible to find, others might reveal themselves relatively quickly if people get to the right places, Mittermeier said. Many of these lost birds live in the tropics, particularly on small islands and in mountainous areas. Fifty-six lost birds are from Oceania, followed by Africa with 31 and Asia with 27. The longest-lost bird is the white-tailed tityra, which has not been seen in 195 years. It is known from a single specimen collected from Porto Velho in Brazil in 1829, although there was one possible sighting in 2006. Others have not been seen for more than 150 years. The coppery thorntail is a mysterious hummingbird known only from two specimens collected before 1852. The precise location is unknown but it is believed to be somewhere in Bolivia. The New Caledonian lorikeet is a type of parrot known only from two preserved specimens collected in 1859. Sixty-two per cent of lost birds are considered to be threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ornithologists scoured more than 42 million photos, videos and audio from citizen science websites as well as eBird to find which birds had not been documented in the past decade. They also looked in museum collections, read scientific papers and conferred with local experts. Some of these birds are in remote locations, and its possible they are not lost to local and Indigenous communities. For example a large pigeon called a black-naped pheasant-pigeon which lives on a single island in Papua New Guinea had been lost to science for more than 100 years. It was rediscovered in 2022 after scientists spoke to local hunters who had seen and heard the bird, known locally as Auwo. The paper published on Monday is based on initial analysis from 2021, which tallied 144 lost birds. Since then 14 species have been recorded by citizen scientists and conservationists, while a handful of others have been found in captivity, or subject to taxonomic clarification, bringing the current total to 126. If birders see one of the lost species they can contact the Search for Lost Birds to share photos, videos or audio of their findings. Roger Safford from BirdLife International said: We hope they are not gone for ever, and should do all in our power to prove this by finding them again, and use what we learn to conserve them and the many other species sharing the extraordinary places where they live. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on X for all the latest news and features Keir Starmer could learn much from Tony Blair's clear thinking on gender Trans rights may be one of the most divisive and contentious topics of the day, but Tony Blair believes politicians are needlessly getting themselves into a tangle over the issue. I dont know how politics got itself into this muddle ... Biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis, the former Prime Minister said. His intervention offered a rare moment of conviction and clarity in the trans debate, which has caused a succession of politicians to tie themselves in knots in recent years. Here are some of the most glaring examples of the muddle Blair was speaking of. Sir Keir Starmer What he said first... Given one of the key questions in the trans rights debate is what is the legal definition of a woman?, you would be forgiven for assuming that a barrister and former Director of Public Prosecutions would be well placed to answer it. But Starmers stance on the subject since becoming Labour leader has been defined by inconsistency. In March 2022, during an appearance on Nick Ferraris LBC radio show, he repeatedly refused to answer the question of whether a woman can have a penis. I dont think that discussing this issue in this way helps anyone in the long run, Starmer said. The exchange came six months after the Labour leader dismissed comments made by Rosie Duffield, the long-suffering gender critical MP for Canterbury (who has employed private security during the current election campaign for fear of trans rights extremists), who said all women have a cervix. Asked by the BBC whether Duffields position was transphobic, Starmer replied: Well, it is something that shouldnt be said. It is not right. What he said later... In April 2023, Starmer appeared to shift his tone, saying trans rights could not be allowed to override womens rights. He stressed that 99.9 per cent of women havent got a penis and pledged there would be no rolling back of hard-won womens rights should he be elected prime minister. I think there is a fear that somehow there could be the rolling back of some of the things that have been won, Starmer told The Sunday Times. There are still many battles that need to go ahead for women and I dont think we should roll anything back. I think we should go on to win the next battles for women. And that is a very important sort of starting point for this debate. Earlier this year, he also appeared to row back on his dismissal of Duffields remarks, saying she was correct in her assertion that only women have a cervix after all. Biologically, she of course is right about that, Starmer told ITVs Good Morning Britain in April. Theres a distinction between sex and gender, he added. Penny Mordaunt What she said first... During her stint as Equalities Minister in 2018, Penny Mordaunt said trans women are women and trans men are men and pledged to do more so that LGBT people could thrive in the UK. What she said later... Fast forward to the Conservative leadership campaign of 2022 and the group Conservatives for Women labelled Mourdant a committed warrior for the trans lobby. In response she tweeted Do I Know What a Woman Is? in bold letters, followed by the statement, Some people born male and who have been through the gender recognition process are also legally female. That DOES NOT mean they are biological women, like me. Mordaunt also criticised what she called the trans orthodoxy and praised Sharron Davies, the former Olympic swimmer and one of the leading campaigners for biologically female-only sporting competition. Ive never supported self-ID, she declared, seemingly at odds with her stance four years earlier. Wes Streeting What he said first... When asked about the subject by The Sun earlier this year, the Shadow Health Secretary said If youd asked me a few years ago I would have said trans men are men and trans women are women but now he longer agreed with that idea or with the notion that people should just get over it. What he said later... In the wake of the Cass Review into NHS gender care, Streeting also said he no longer agreed with the assertions of the LGBTQ+ rights group Stonewall where he had once worked. Dr Hilary Cass published her report in April, and said much of the evidence for gender medicine was flimsy and that puberty blockers should be used with extreme caution. Now I sort of sit and reflect and think actually, there are lots of complexities, Streeting told The Sun. I take the criticism on the chin. Streeting said he had spoken to women in the Labour party who had been reluctant to raise concerns about womens sex-based rights. They said to me they felt silenced, he said. That cant be a good thing and its led to a more toxic debate and conversation. However, Streeting maintained trans people had been utterly failed by the NHS. In light of his apparent U-Turn, feminist author Julie Bindel demanded an apology from the Labour politician for failing to support her gender-critical views when he was president of the National Union of Students (NUS). Bindel was no-platformed by the NUS in 2008, when Streeting headed the body, over her alleged transphobia. John Swinney What he said first... The new First Minister of Scotland was Nicola Sturgeons deputy when she and the Scottish government pushed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill through Holyrood in December 2022. The bill would allow anyone over 16 to change their legal sex by signing a declaration. Swinney voted for it and remains committed to the legislation, although he now admits it cannot become law while it continues to be vetoed by the UK government. Last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh rejected a challenge launched by the Scottish government to overturn the veto. The bill came amid controversy over the convicted transgender woman Isla Bryson who committed two rapes while living as a man being assessed in a women-only prison. Bryson was eventually moved to a mens prison and Sturgeon said a rapist should not be in a womens prison, but the SNP suffered as a result of the former SNP leaders repeated, uncharacteristically unclear answers to the question of whether Bryson was a man or a woman. What he said later... Scottish politics recent preoccupation with the trans debate means Swinney has been unable to avoid the topic since becoming the SNP leader. His initial response after taking the role in May this year was to say I believe a woman is an adult female born as a woman, and I also accept that transgender women are defined as women. To LGBT people in our society, the Scottish government is on their side, he added. Adding to the ambiguity over whether his remarks signalled a slight shift in position, Swinney said he believed the Cass Review was substantial and evidence based. Gillian Keegan What she said first... In 2020, in response to a question during a meeting in her Chichester constituency, the Education Secretary stated trans women are women, adding that trans people should have equal access to safe spaces. What she said later... In April this year, the Today programme presenter Emma Barnett put it to the Education Secretary that you used to say trans women are women but you wont now. Keegans response, to say that she had herself been educated, ended in some Kafkaesque exchanges. What happened in 2020 was that Id never really come across the subject, said Keegan. In December 2020 nobody had any idea that this was a campaign or code for something [gender self-identification] and we were just trying to be sensitive to what turned out was a campaign... I have learnt a lot in the last four years. Confusion: Gillian Keegan has contradicted herself multiple times - Eddie Mulholland Keegan attempted to make the distinction between someone who self-identifies as a different gender from their biological sex and someone who has had full gender reassignment surgery. But she appeared to somehow simultaneously agree with and contradict all her previous assertions especially alarming given her department was issuing guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in the Commons, which included an instruction to teachers that gender ideology should not be treated as fact. Ive always known that trans women arent women, Keegan told Barnett in April. But in 2020 you wrote that trans women are women, the presenter replied. What we were thinking about then was when a man who has fully transitioned is known as a woman, said Keegan. A former Greek coastguard officer has described as clearly illegal the actions of colleagues who abandoned nine migrants at sea in one of 15 alleged pushbacks from Greek islands or territorial waters that reportedly killed dozens of people. In an interview with the BBC, Dimitris Baltakos, the Greek coastguards former head of special operations, refused to speculate about footage the broadcaster showed him, after earlier denying the coastguard would ever be told to do anything illegal. But during a break he was recorded by a BBC camera telling someone out of shot in Greek: Its very clear, isnt it. Its not nuclear physics. I dont know why they did it in broad daylight Its obviously illegal. Its an international crime. The footage he described, shot by the Austrian activist Fayad Mulla and first published on the website of the New York Times, showed 12 people, including women and babies, being led down a Greek jetty on to a coastguard boat, then later abandoned to drift on a raft. The group were rescued by the Turkish coastguard but the incident is one of more than a dozen between 2020 and 2023 analysed by the BBC that it said had resulted in a total of 43 deaths. Activists have long accused the Greek government of forced returns pushing asylum seekers out of Greek territorial waters back towards Turkey, or taking them out to sea again after they have reached Greek islands which is illegal under international law. The government has consistently denied doing so. On Monday a spokesman, Pavlos Marinakis, said: We monitor every publication, every investigation, but I repeat: what has been reported is in no way proven. The Greek coastguard told the BBC, whose investigation was carried out with the migrant support organisation Consolidated Rescue Group, that it strongly rejected all accusations of illegal activity. The coastguard said its staff worked tirelessly with the utmost professionalism, a strong sense of responsibility and respect for human life and fundamental rights, adding that it had rescued 250,834 people in 6,161 incidents at sea from 2015 to 2024. The BBC said that in four cases it had been able to corroborate its initial secondary source accounts by speaking directly with witnesses. In five incidents, migrants said they were thrown into the sea by Greek authorities. In four of those cases, they said they had landed on Greek islands but were caught and taken back out to sea before they could reach the special registration centres where, under Greek law, all migrants seeking asylum are entitled to record their claims. In several incidents, migrants said they had been put on inflatable rafts or dinghies without motors that then deflated, or even seemed to have been punctured. One Cameroonian man said he was hunted after landing on Samos in September 2021, in an incident previously investigated by the Guardian, Lighthouse Reports, Mediapart and Der Spiegel though interviews with witnesses and analysis of classified documents, satellite imagery and social media accounts. The police came from behind, the Cameroonian man said. There were two policemen dressed in black, and three others in civilian clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes. Along with two others, he was put on a Greek coastguard boat. Two were thrown directly into the water, the man said, including an Ivorian man who said: Save me, I dont want to die and then eventually only his hand was above water, and his body was below. Slowly his hand slipped under. The EU said on Monday it was aware of the terrible allegations. Greek authorities, as in all EU member states, must fully respect obligations under the asylum and international law, a European commission spokesman told journalists in Brussels. Katapola port on Amorgos, where an American tourist has been missing for six days. Photograph: Freeartist/Getty Images/iStockphoto Search operations to find three missing tourists on two Greek islands have intensified after police announced that two holidaymakers had been found dead on other islands over the weekend. Rescue teams supported by sniffer dogs, helicopters and drones have been scouring the Cycladic islands of Sikinos and Amorgos for two French women and an American man who went missing last week. Describing the search effort as relentless, the mayor of Sikinos, Vassilis Marakis, said emergency services had spent Monday focusing on rocky terrain into which the two female hikers may have wandered. Weve been out all morning searching, Marakis said. Volunteers have arrived from Santorini, firefighters, the police, a specially trained dog have all been looking, but the terrain is rocky and full of ravines. The effort has been huge, but the area where they disappeared is difficult and, sadly, we still havent found them. In the space of nine days, six holidaymakers, including the British TV presenter and nutritionist Michael Mosley, have either been found dead or gone missing on Greek islands. It is believed that all set out on hikes in unusually high temperatures. Mosley, 67, is thought to have died within hours of going for a walk during which he took a wrong turn and ended up scaling a rocky peninsula on Symi, another remote island in the Aegean. He was discovered on 9 June within metres of a seaside restaurant resort, five days after his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, reported him missing. On Saturday, Greek search teams announced that the body of a 74-year-old Dutchman, missing for almost a week, had been located by a fire service drone in a gorge on the eastern Aegean island of Samos, close to the Turkish coast. He had also gone out on a hike in hot weather. Hours later, on Sunday, police announced that a 70-year-old American tourist, who had been missing since Thursday on the isle of Mathraki, west of Corfu, had been found dead on a remote beach. The hunt for the unidentified man, who was eventually found by another holidaymaker, had been paused the previous day after strong winds prevented emergency services from reaching the island. On Amorgos, the eastern-most island in the Cyclades chain, the search for a retired Los Angeles police officer, Albert Calibet, continued for a sixth day on Monday, without success. The 59-year-old former sheriff, a regular visitor to Amorgos, went missing after setting out alone for a four-hour hike on a day when temperatures reached 40C. Sikinoss mayor said the two French tourists, aged 73 and 64, had embarked on a hike when the Aegean isle was experiencing a bout of abnormally hot June weather. It was extremely hot on Friday, the day they went missing, he said. We had heard about such incidents happening on other islands and now its happened here. Yesterday, we even had a coastguard boat patrolling our islands coast. I wont hide that I am very worried. The search operations have been coordinated from the island of Syros, the Aegean Seas administrative hub. Concern has mounted that foreign visitors to Greece are not being properly informed of the risks posed by overexertion in such temperatures. The Mediterranean country is on the frontline of the climate emergency. In all my years in the police service, overseeing such operations, I cant remember anything like it, said one commander on Syros. But we have to bear in mind that this has been the hottest June ever and all of these people decided to go out hiking. You cant arrest someone for deciding to take a walk, and you cant force them to stay indoors, you can only hope that while on holiday tourists will have their wits about them in such heat. Sir Keir Starmer said it was a tough decision not to including scrapping the benefits cap in Labour manifesto - REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe Sir Keir Starmer has said he is not immune to the argument for scrapping the two-child benefit cap in a hint that he may climb down on his plan to keep the policy. The Labour leader has previously said he would not be able to afford to scrap the cap, which limits the number of children low-income parents can claim Universal Credit for, if he wins the general election on July 4. But he has faced growing clamour from the Left of his party to ditch the policy, having said he would do so when he ran to become party leader in 2020. Speaking to reporters during a visit to Southampton, Sir Keir said: We will have a child poverty strategy and I know personally how tough this decision is that were having to make. Were having to make it because of the damage to the economy. It would be so much worse if anybody was to repeat the mistakes of Liz Truss. The Government looks as though thats what its doing. Youve seen that Jeremy Hunt has let the cat out of the bag this morning by saying the money that they were pretending was there to fund their manifesto was in fact money thats already accounted for. Thats the problem and that bears down on poverty because once you lose control of the economy then its working people and children who pay the price of that. Im not going to put a date on these things, but Im not immune from just how powerful an argument this is. Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said on Sunday that Labours manifesto is not the sum total of its spending plans, prompting speculation that further spending pledges could be in the pipeline. Angela Rayner, Sir Keirs deputy, has previously described the two-child benefit cap obscene and inhumane, while Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, has said it is heinous. Sir Keir has also faced calls from Lady Blair, the wife of the former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, to remove the cap if he is elected. The benefits cap is not mentioned in the Labour manifesto. Sir Keir has said previously it was a difficult choice to not pledge to scrap the cap but that Labour would have an anti-child poverty strategy. Labour has been forced to rule out a series of tax rises since the election was called. The party has insisted they would not put up VAT, income tax and national insurance and was last week forced to rule out applying capital gains tax to the sale of family homes following pressure from the Conservatives. However, the Tories claim there are up to 17 other tax rises that Labour have refused to rule out. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said last week that as Labours manifesto makes no commitment not to raise them, Sir Keir would be able to impose the tax rises without breaking any manifesto pledges. Sir Keir also backtracked on barring Diane Abbott from running for re-election, with the veteran MP claiming she had initially been blocked from doing so. Sir Keir later said she was free to do so. The Liberal Democrat and Green Party manifestos both contain a pledge to get rid of the cap, which currently affects two million children. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said on Monday that doing so would cost 3.4 billion a year. The policy applies to children born after April 5 2017, meaning that more families are caught out by the cap every year. A further 670,000 children will be affected by it by the end of the next parliament, the IFS said. Nigel Farage said during the ITV election debate on June 14 that he was in favour of abolishing the cap to encourage Britons to have more children. But a commitment to do so was not in Reforms manifesto when it was released on Monday. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says she'll improve the current Brexit deal Rachel Reeves has pledged to forge closer ties with the European Union if Labour wins the general election. The shadow chancellor said she wanted to improve the UK-EU trade deal agreed by Boris Johnsons government in 2020. We would look to improve our trading relationship with Europe, and do trade deals around the world, she told the Financial Times. Ms Reeves said that Labour would look to strike deals in the chemical and veterinary sectors and would reset the UKs global image after the Brexit years. I dont think anyone voted Leave because they were not happy that chemicals regulations were the same across Europe, she said. When my constituency voted leave it was purely because of immigration. Labour would also try to secure better touring rights for UK artists and greater mutual recognition of qualifications for financial services workers, she added. Thats not exclusive, she said. Labour is also expected to increase foreign policy and security cooperation with the EU if elected on July 4. Labour has been reluctant to discuss Brexit in the election campaign for fear of alienating returning Red Wall voters, but has a consistent 20-point lead ahead of the Tories. The party insists its red lines are that it will not rejoin the EUs single market or customs union and that freedom of movement or any deal on youth mobility is also off the table. Ms Reeves said Labour would also try to secure better touring rights for UK artists and greater mutual recognition of qualifications for financial services workers - PA/Lucy North However, that will limit the extent of any agreement with Brussels, which has already poured cold water on Labour hopes of a major overhaul of the trade agreement. The bloc is happy with the trade agreement and claims to only be interested in minor tweaks ahead of a 2026 review date. The European Commission will also be wary of any attempts at cherry picking by Labour, which is Brexit jargon for attempting to gain the benefits of EU membership without the obligations. A veterinary deal will smooth trade between the UK and EU and, crucially, between Britain and Northern Ireland across the Irish Sea border created by the Brexit agreement. Brussels will demand that the UK align with EU rules, which will be subject to European Court of Justice oversight. The same demand is likely to be made over a deal on chemicals regulation but Labour insists Britain will not be subject to any rules. The call for better touring rights for UK artists is likely to be met by a counter demand for better youth mobility, which Labour has ruled out. Any deal on financial services, which are not part of the existing trade deal, is likely to be met with demands for assurances over UK regulation of the City. Brussels is keen to limit Londons divergence from EU rules for fear of financial shocks from a hub so close to its market. That divergence was hailed as one of the great prizes of Brexit during the 2016 referendum campaign, even though there has not been the bonfire of EU regulations that the bloc feared. A deal on foreign policy cooperation is expected to be simpler because the EU views it in its interest after the war in Ukraine. The Tory Government rejected an EU offer on formalising the relationship because it was based on a treaty, which was seen as too similar to EU structures. In May, British senior diplomats warned that Labour would face tough negotiations at the hands of Brussels. Rishi Sunak had normalised relations with the EU after agreeing a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, they said, which meant Labour could not simply rely on not being the Tories to get concessions. Labour [has] to be ready for a really nitty-gritty, difficult discussion because just being nice isnt going to cut it, said Sir Julian King, the UKs final EU commissioner, said. The Commission is an extremely hard-nosed negotiator. And they pride themselves on it, said Lord Darroch, who was British ambassador to the EU and the US during a diplomatic career that spanned 40 years. There are some signs of pennies dropping. But just because the global environment is much grimmer than in 2016 does not guarantee changed mindsets in Brussels and in key places in key capitals, Sir Ivan Rogers, a former ambassador to the EU, told The Telegraph. Sir Keir Starmer claims the policy would help to fund 6,500 new state school teachers - Stefan Rousseau/PA SIR Does Sir Keir Starmer really want to be remembered as the man whose first priority was to disrupt the education of thousands of children by charging VAT on private schools (Private school levy will be harmful, says ex-Ofsted boss, report, June 16)? It remains to be seen how many parents will bite the bullet and find the extra money. Contrary to what Sir Keir clearly believes, many parents make considerable sacrifices to afford school fees, and will continue to do so. Inevitably, there are going to be problems for both them and some schools, so perhaps the Labour Party would like to make it clear what it is going to do to provide extra places in state schools, particularly for children with special needs for whom there is already a chronic lack of facilities. David Wedgwood Cowlinge, Suffolk SIR As well as offering greater educational choice to families within Britain, boarding schools are an export product bringing millions of pounds from international markets directly into local economies. Many of our boarding schools provide work for hundreds of people from a variety of backgrounds and skill sets, often in coastal or rural communities where large-scale employment can be sparse. Adding 20 per cent onto the fees of independent boarding schools is going to put a lot of this at risk. It is also going to make access to them more exclusive, particularly as those that do not close will undoubtedly have to increase their fees and reduce their scholarship and bursary funds in response. I would, therefore, urge Labour to reconsider the wider potential damage this policy may inflict. Charles Sharp Housemaster, St Lawrence College Ramsgate, Kent SIR Christs Hospital (founded in 1552 by Royal Charter) is probably the school which enables the most social mobility among its 900 pupils, with the vast majority receiving bursaries for their education and boarding and many not paying any fees whatsoever. Applying VAT will not significantly increase the fees paid to the school because the affordability rules would negate it. All the charitys income comes from endowments and donations; it is clear that these cannot suddenly increase by 20 per cent. Nearly all students proceed to further education, an opportunity many would simply not have been able to dream of achieving without this particular school. Surely Labours intention cannot have been to reduce the number of young people from challenging backgrounds who are, without doubt, granted a life-enhancing educational opportunity through Christs Hospital. But this will be the consequence of such a policy. Declan Salter Chenies, Buckinghamshire The costs of lockdown SIR Janet Daley is right to stress the colossal and enduring economic and social costs of the Covid lockdowns (Comment, June 16). As we show in our recent paper in Issues in Law & Medicine, those costs were one of the reasons the lockdowns breached established principles of public-health ethics. Coercive public-health measures need to be shown to be effective, proportionate and necessary; to adopt the least restrictive infringement of liberty possible; and to be honestly and publicly justified. Lockdowns in Britain and abroad fell well short of meeting these requirements. Not only were lockdowns ineffective in averting deaths, but the human suffering they have caused around the world, especially to vulnerable groups such as the poor and people with disabilities, is incalculable and indefensible. It is regrettable that to this day so many people in positions of power fail to grasp the gravely unethical nature of the policy they imposed or supported. Professor John Keown Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University Washington DC, United States Professor David Paton Professor of Industrial Economics, Nottingham University Business School Working definition SIR James Charrington (Letters, June 14) asks who working people are. Times have changed and the old definitions of working, middle and upper class are outdated. Society is far better divided into the dependent, the working and the independently monied, the last two groups being the ones that actually make a material contribution to national wealth. Todays real working class encompasses anyone rendered liable to taxation by their efforts to make a living, so might include everyone from manual workers to investment bankers. Politicians clinging to an old class system to attract votes are being disingenuous at best. Charles Smith-Jones Landrake, Cornwall Prisoners after war SIR Reading the obituary (June 10) of the German theologian Jurgen Moltmann, I was startled to discover that after the war he was detained as a prisoner of war in Britain until 1948, despite the Geneva Convention stating that POWs should be repatriated as soon as possible after the conclusion of peace. It seems that the postwar Attlee government put many German POWs to work in agriculture because of food being scarce and labour shortages. At one point, it was estimated that German POWs made up one-quarter of the agricultural workforce. Protests were made by German anti-Nazis and by church leaders, MPs and many others in Britain. In September 1946, the government began repatriating German POWs at the rate of 15,000 a month. I suggest that this chapter of history ought not to be forgotten. Stephen Hamilton-Jones London SE27 A class apart SIR As a teacher of eight-year-olds, I never fail to be amused by the things my pupils say. I recently asked the children in my class what they would like to be when they grow up. One girl told me that she would like to be a normal person, or a teacher. I smiled sweetly and suggested that she go with her first choice. Catherine Kidson Bradfield, Berkshire Punitive taxes SIR The various party manifestos give us an opportunity to shine a light on the injustices in our current tax laws and allow us to challenge policies that have been ingrained in the system for years. Family homes present one example (Labour forced to deny CGT on family homes, report, June 15). Many people view their homes as an investment, so charging a capital gain on any profit made on this investment seems perfectly reasonable. Stamp duty, on the other hand, is a punitive tax on a necessary purchase which disproportionately penalises first-time and younger buyers. It should be abolished. Paul Archer Derby Sir Alans honour SIR Yesterday, we opened a bottle of champagne and toasted the health of Sir Alan Bates (report, June 15). Never has a knighthood been so richly deserved. Richard Brown Heathfield, East Sussex SIR How refreshing to see someone rewarded for their service to others outside the remit of their job. Too often we see people rewarded for failure, or underachievement. Others receive honours because it goes with the job or because of who they know. Sir Alan Bates is the exception to that rule. G E A Farr-Voller Doncaster, South Yorkshire Book smart SIR There is an easy way to make sure that you get back a book you love which you have lent (Letters, June 15): stick a label on the spine, where it can be seen. Dorothy Whitehouse Epping, Essex SIR I once lent a book to a friend and it turned up when I was helping with a charity car boot sale. Mary King Farnham, Surrey SIR My brother, who is a notorious book-burglar, came up with the best-ever excuse for not returning a book of mine: apparently his dog had eaten it. Needless to say, both he and the dog were banned from approaching anywhere near my bookcases when they were hungry. Ted Shorter Tonbridge, Kent How to avoid a marmalade-dropping breakfast The only fruit: an advertisement for Keiller's marmalade, which was made in Dundee - The Print Collector/Alamy SIR The late Queen would not have spread marmalade over the whole slice of toast as shown in the accompanying photograph to your article (Queens favourite marmalade in a sticky spot, report, June 14). She would have broken the slice into quarters and eaten each in succession by putting on enough butter and marmalade for one mouthful at a time. Eating toast in the manner illustrated is inelegant and risks ending up with one quarter between the teeth, one still in the hand and the remainder in ones lap, marmalade side down. David Vaudrey Doynton, South Gloucestershire Why young voters are flocking to Nigel Farage SIR I am a young conservative activist and have been a member of the party my entire adult life. Having worked in Westminster for a number of years I have seen how the party has been captured by what Elon Musk calls the woke mind virus. Rather than doing anything remotely conservative, for the past 14 years party hacks and MPs have either lacked the courage to stand up against it or they have been captured by the centre-Left milieu of the metropolitan chattering classes. Fortunately, there is a new rebellion in the form of Nigel Farage, who is rocketing in his popularity among my generation. The main appeal of Mr Farage is that he articulates and understands the dire frustration of the economically worse off and increasingly Right-wing Zoomers. If the Conservative Party is to survive and achieve power again it needs to be more than a party of pensioners. It needs a radical change in direction. Piers Baker Faversham, Kent SIR I predict that Reform UK in 2024 will be another Social Democrats of the 1980s. The Social Democrats had loads of support because we wanted change, but when the election came people voted for the tried and tested parties. Rob Dorrell Bath, Somerset SIR As a long-standing conservative who is fed up with this Government, I shall not vote Reform. Their support for proportional representation shows weakness and lack of conviction. It is the major flaw in the Reform agenda and historically has been the last resort of failed parties. A T Brookes Charlwood, Surrey Letters to the Editor We accept letters by email and post. Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers. ADDRESS: 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DT EMAIL: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk FOLLOW: Telegraph Letters @LettersDesk NEWSLETTER: sign up to receive Letters to the Editor her Marylands governor, Wes Moore, speaks in Philadelphia on 29 May 2024. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, issued pardons for 175,000 cannabis-related convictions on Monday, the largest mass pardoning of its kind since recreational cannabis was legalized in the state last year following similar moves across many US states. The Democratic leaders executive order includes more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis and over 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Moore, Marylands first Black governor, said the pardons were designed to address longstanding inequities in the criminal justice system connected to the drug. Marylanders should not continue to face barriers to housing, employment, or educational opportunities based on convictions for conduct that is no longer illegal, Moore said in a statement. This action will also help make significant progress to address the racial wealth gap and will benefit Marylanders from across the state and from across the economic spectrum, he added. The order was timed to coincide with the Juneteenth federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the US and draws attention to persistent racial inequities in US society. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Black people are 3.6 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession despite similar rates of consumption. Marylands pardons follow a federal order in 2022 that pardoned several categories of federal marijuana possession offenses and the Biden administration is pushing to reclassify marijuana as a less-dangerous drug ahead of Novembers presidential election, following a recommendation from the DEA. Earlier this year Maura Healey, the governor of Massachusetts, also issued a mass pardon to people convicted for simple possession of marijuana. Before issuing the pardons in Maryland, Moore told the Washington Post that he was ecstatic to have the opportunity to right a lot of historical wrongs and said that to be able to create inclusive economic growth, you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color. Donald Trump is greeted by Pastor Robert Morris at an event in Dallas, Texas, on 11 June 2020. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters A Texas evangelical pastor and former spiritual adviser to Donald Trump has confessed to sexually assaulting a young girl in his past. Robert Morris, a founding pastor of the Dallas-based Gateway megachurch, was accused by an Oklahoma woman of sexual abuse in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12 and continuing until the age of 16. Morris confirmed the allegations to a religious publication, the Christian Post. In a statement to the Christian Post, Morris said: When I was in my early 20s, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. In her own statement to the Christian Post, the victim of the assault said she was appalled at the description of her as a young lady and said the repeated abuse had taken decades for her to process. She said her family had threatened Morris with the police and later considered filing a lawsuit. Other churches where Morris has ministered, such as Shady Grove church in Grand Prairie, were allegedly aware of his abusive history, but Morris told the Christian Post he received counseling and had since walked in purity and accountability in this area. Shady Grove church became the Gateway churchs Grand Prairie campus in 2013. Morris told the Christian Post: In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Despite his admission, Morris will continue to be a primary speaker at the church on weekends and his son, James Morris, will assume his fathers senior pastor duties next year. Morris was never criminally charged and by the time his accuser decided to explore legal action, she was advised the statute of limitations for criminal or civil action had probably expired. In a statement to the local Dallas news outlet WFAA, Gateway church said the 35-year-old matter had been resolved: Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his 20s and prior to him starting Gateway church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process. The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the elders at Shady Grove church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling. Since the resolution of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Morriss accuser said while she had forgiven him for the sexual abuse, she did not believe he should have returned to ministry. Morris was appointed to Trumps evangelical advisory board for his 2016 presidential campaign. And in a 2020 roundtable discussion with faith leaders in Texas, then-president Trump thanked two pastors, one of whom was Morris, for attending the event. Theyre great people. Great people with a great reputation. I have to say that, Trump said. Great reputation. And Gateway church the team has been incredible in hosting us. Women have spoken of feeling pestered by unwanted advice and attention while enjoying walks and hikes. Photograph: izusek/Getty Images Male mountaineers should be more mindful of womens concerns about their personal safety in remote areas and avoid patronising them by questioning their map-reading abilities, a climbing expert has said. The advice comes in response to female hillwalkers and mountaineers saying sceptical attitudes towards their skills and unwanted attention are discouraging women from taking up the sport. Writing in the latest edition of Scottish Mountaineering, Richard Tiplady, a Scottish Mountaineering member, made several recommendations based on horror stories from women. Related: Women should help design UK parks to tackle safety fears, says study These include that men abstain from asking women about their route, do not push invitations to walk together or pitch tents in close proximity, and avoid giving condescending or unsolicited advice or greeting them with dated language such as darling or sweetheart. He added: Never ever say to a woman: Ill walk with you to keep you safe (this rings major alarm bells). Tiplady wrote: Its rather simple. Respect peoples boundaries. Be friendly but dont try to be friends. Treat someone as they would like to be treated. Then clear off and leave them alone. Tiplady said he was motivated to write the advice after learning from female friends that men dont realise how much women feel patronised by men on the hills. This is just life, its not just the hills but the hills are not necessarily different to anywhere else, he said, adding that he had learned Ive got to handle myself in a way that makes [women] feel safe and secure, but in a way that doesnt make [them] feel patronised. Keri Wallace, a mountain leader in the Scottish highlands who co-founded Girls On Hills eight years ago to encourage more women to enter the sport, said she saw the advice as an extension of the womens personal safety issue we already see in the streets, particularly in relation to being catcalled or harassed while running. She previously surveyed female walkers about barriers and found over 50% had concerns, including around going to the toilet outdoors and venturing out in all-male groups. She feels that there is a lingering effect on womens confidence and sense of belonging from historical attitudes that frowned upon women going out in the mountains, believing them to be too delicate and weak. These remained as perceived or soft barriers, almost as a byproduct of the culture we still have around womens abilities relative to men. In Wallaces own excursions, she is regularly questioned by men about whether she knows how far away the summit is, prompting comments such as surely youre not going the whole way, as well as expressions of surprise that she is a mountain leader, which she said could make you feel like you dont really belong there or youre not competent. Wallace said these issues were primarily about confidence rather than safety, since assaults in the mountains are virtually unheard of. But she acknowledged that women carried over valid safety concerns from cities into wild areas, discouraging them from wild camping or staying in Scotlands remote unlocked refuges, bothies. She said men being mindful of this and giving women space when they encountered them alone could help women feel more comfortable, as it showed a level of consideration. Ian Sherrington, the head of training at Glenmore Lodge who takes part in the Mountain Safety Group network, said he was not aware of formal discussions around womens comfort and safety but he felt this was very worthy of further investigation. I would dig deeper first [it] could be by approaching groups represented that have a concern, he said. I believe trained and qualified mountain leaders already played a positive part in supporting individual confidence in the mountains. Further learning in the best way to do that is always welcomed. Lawyer Christine Lee with Barry Gardiner A former Labour minister who received more than 500,000 from a lawyer accused of spying for China has claimed MI5 issued an alert about the suspected operative to distract from partygate. Christine Lee is suing MI5 after the domestic intelligence agency issued the alert notice in 2022, warning MPs that she was a suspected Chinese agent. The alert said she may have engaged in political interference activities on behalf of a branch of the Chinese Communist Party. On Monday, a tribunal heard that Barry Gardiner, the former Labour MP for Brent North who is seeking re-election, sent a text message to a friend of Ms Lee suggesting the notice may have been issued to detract attention from Boris Johnsons apology over partygate, which he had made the day before. Ms Lee had donated more than 500,000 to Mr Gardiner, who was chairman of the now disbanded Chinese in Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group. Ms Lee was also a member of the group while her son, David Wilkes, worked for Mr Gardiner. He lost his job after the warning was issued. Mr Gardiner chaired the now defunct Chinese in Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group - PJR NEWS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO The security services said the funding was ultimately provided by foreign nationals and undertaken in covert coordination with the Chinese Communist Party. In the text message made public at an Investigatory Powers Tribunal, held in London, Mr Gardiner, who was a Labour frontbench spokesman under Jeremy Corbyns leadership, wrote: Many people have said to me that they believe the reason for putting out the story when they did was to detract attention from Boris partygate apology, which was announced the day before at PMQs. I had never believed that the security services would be overtly party political in that way. What has also been suggested to me is that the security services may have wished to pick a fight or to detract attention from something else and that we were simply collateral damage. The fact that they have apparently failed to take any further action for the supposedly illegal activity which they alleged had taken place, leaves me deeply sceptical. Alert was unlawful Ms Lee denies the allegations that she is a Chinese agent and has brought the legal claim, arguing that issuing the alert was unlawful and interfered with her human rights. Her son is also taking legal action against the security services. The alert about Ms Lee was issued on January 13, 2022, one day after Mr Johnson, the then prime minister, apologised to the House of Commons for breaching Covid lockdown rules. At the hearing on Monday, Ramby de Mello, representing Ms Lee and Mr Wilkes, said it was plainly wrong for the notice to have been issued. He said: Such a notice was unprecedented and, as far as we are concerned, it was the first time it was ever issued. The notice, alert notice, contains factual errors and is inaccurate and should not have been issued, and was issued unlawfully. Travelling on business In written submissions, Mr de Mello said Ms Lee engaged in activities including travelling to China and Hong Kong for business, meeting Chinese officials and making speeches that criticised the protesters in Hong Kong for using violence. But he said that Ms Lee did not know at the time, and had no reason to believe that the activities could fall foul of national security measures, based on unacceptable business or political activities connected with China or UK MPs. The tribunal was told that the donations to Mr Gardiner came overwhelmingly from profit costs of her law firm and that the Security Service failed to consider that it was unlikely she would have been recruited as an agent, due to her Christian beliefs. Death threats Mr de Mello said the alert had catastrophic consequences, with Ms Lee receiving sustained abuse, threats of death and rape, and remaining most of the time in hiding. Mr Wilkes had his parliamentary security access revoked and lost his job with Mr Gardiner after the Security Service spoke to the former Brent North MP, who is now a candidate for the Brent West constituency. Mr de Mello said that Mr Wilkes was given an ultimatum: resign or be sacked and but for the Security Services act of branding Ms Lee a spy and their conversation with Mr Gardiner he would not have lost his job. Mr Wilkes is also seeking unspecified damages. Assessment was rational The Security Service is contesting the case, claiming that its decision was rational and lawful. In written submissions, Victoria Wakefield KC, said: The decision to issue the interference alert was made in the discharge of the respondents statutory function to protect national security, in particular, its protection against threats from the activities of agents of foreign powers and from actions intended to undermine parliamentary democracy by political means. The respondent assessed that Ms Lee posed a risk of this nature, and its judgment was that the issuing of the interference alert was the most effective and proportionate means to address that risk. Those assessments were rational and lawful. The barrister continued that while it was accepted that the notice had a significant effect on Ms Lee, she was not entitled to keep quiet the nature of her involvement in political interference activities and could have no legitimate expectation of privacy as a result. She added: In the present case, the respondent concluded on the information available to it that Ms Lee posed a threat to national security and that action was necessary to counter that threat. The hearing before Lord Justice Singh, Lord Boyd and Judge Rupert Jones is expected to conclude on Tuesday, with a judgment expected in writing at a later date. The suggestion that MI5 timed the issuing of its notice to deflect from Mr Johnsons woes will likely irritate and anger the intelligence community. On its website MI5 stresses that the Security Service Act makes the director general responsible in law for ensuring that we do not act to further the interests of any political party. Sir Keir Starmer said the Labour plan would 'create the childcare places needed to turn the page, and rebuild Britain' - Labour Party Labours proposal to convert disused classrooms into nurseries would pack toddlers in like battery farm chickens, the Education Secretary has claimed. Gillian Keegan said the proposals did not stack up and would breach guidance on the minimum amount of space per child. Conservative analysis of Labours proposals claimed that the 3,334 disused primary school rooms it intends to convert into nurseries could only accommodate 67,000 children, 33,000 less than the 100,000 extra places Sir Keir Starmer has said the plan will deliver. Labour has strongly disputed the figures, saying they were based on flawed assumptions about its policy and that the use of averages was a credible way of calculating available space. The Tories said the situation could be worsened by Labours tax raid on private schools if that created extra pressure on state schools. Ms Keegan said: All Labours back of a fag packet nursery policy will do is result in pre-school children being stuffed into overcrowded classrooms like battery farm chickens. This should come as no surprise given just last week Labour admitted their politics of envy schools tax will mean larger classes in state schools. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, visit a primary school in Warwickshire on Monday - Stefan Rousseau/PA The Tory analysis pointed to Department for Education guidance that sets out space requirements per child of 3.5 square metres for under-twos and 2.5 square metres for older children. It said that would mean that, on average, Labours new nurseries would need to provide three square metres per child, but a typical primary school classroom is 60 square metres, meaning it would be able to cater for 20 children once converted into a nursery. As a result it claimed that the 3,334 classrooms would only accommodate 66,680 places two-thirds of the number Labour has said its policy would create. The Tory analysis is based on averages, meaning it does not take into account the differing sizes of classrooms across Englands school estate. It also assumes a half and half split between children under two and over-twos attending the new nurseries. Official figures published last December showed that the average size of a school-based nursery was 34 places, and not the 20 calculated by the Tories. If that average were replicated across the converted classrooms, there would be enough space for 113,000 childcare places under Labours plan. Labour has pledged to improve both the quantity and quality of nursery care available and to end childcare deserts so that more parents can work. There is an acute shortage of childcare in England, with two children for every available place. Labours plan to create 100,000 more places would boost provision by around six per cent. Announcing the policy earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer said it would create the childcare places needed to turn the page, and rebuild Britain. A Labour spokesman said: Labour will deliver 3,300 new primary school-based nurseries providing 100,000 childcare places, paid for by ending private schools tax breaks. This desperate, back of a fag packet analysis is wholly inaccurate it fails to take into account the range of ages of children attending primary school-based nurseries and that not all classrooms are the same size. Under our fully-costed and funded plans, older children, including those aged three and four, who would require less space, would also be attending these nurseries. Fry said the only issue was producing an heir - WPA Pool An openly gay king one day could raise constitutional issues but would not be impossible, Stephen Fry has claimed. The broadcaster and author, who is friendly with the royal family, suggested that the concept could be a possibility in the future if the issue of producing an heir was dealt with. Speaking on the Just For Variety podcast, he said: I think it would raise constitutional issues in terms of the heir. Thats the only boring nonsense about kingship, is that youre supposed to have an heir, or as the horrible phrase goes, an heir and a spare. The 66-year-old TV personality added that the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex are very gay-friendly thanks to the tolerant attitude of their father, the King. The King's second cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, is the first openly gay member of the extended British royal family - Stephen Lock The broadcaster explained: Believe me, they are very gay-friendly and charming. Yeah, theyre part of their generation. And they grew up with it because of their father. You know, their father was great friends with, for example, [Sir] John Richardson, the Picasso biographer. He and his boyfriend used to stay with the King. And, you know, they were friendly with them both. They had absolutely no issues. The Kings second cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, is the first openly gay member of the extended British royal family. The 61-year-old farmer, geologist and businessman was recently announced to be starring in the third season of The Traitors US hosted by actor Alan Cumming. The 66-year-old TV personality added that the Prince of Wales is 'very gay-friendly' - Frazer Harrison Fry added that Prince William and Harrys attitude to homosexuality is very different to their royal ancestors. He said: Each generation, including those two princes, is so much more, you know because they had a great-great-grandfather, George V. And if you wanted to know what summed up the casual and hideous homophobia of Britain and probably most of Europe and America at that time, there was a member of the family, the Duke of Westminster, who was about to be arrested and he escaped to France. And someone broke the news to the King because the Duke of Westminster was a friend of the King. And they said, Oh, have you heard that Lord Whats His Name has gone to France because of that [homosexuality]? And the Kings words were just to say very coldly, I thought men like that shot themselves?. Isnt that the coldest remark youve ever heard? And that was William and Harrys great, great, grandfather. From practical tips to keep you comfortable to apps to keep you connected, make sure you know what to bring. Composite: Stocksy United/Getty Images If youre one of the 200,000 music fans who are about to get stuck into five days of partying in the Somerset fields of fun; congratulations for managing to bag a much-coveted ticket. An absolutely golden weekend lies ahead of you (well, once the tent has been pitched). But while its probably as far removed from a Scouts camping trip as you can get, its still advisable to follow their old mantra even for a slightly more debauched countryside visit and be prepared. With mere weeks to go, heres everything you should plan, download and pack to make it a truly incredible experience 1. Power bank You know that person who always begs to borrow your power bank as their phones about to die? Dont be that person. For about 20, you can get one that when fully charged should just about see you through for a few days. Thats one option, or you could reserve a charging pack from Vodafone for the entire festival collect on site, then simply head to one of three Vodafone locations to exchange your battery pack for a fully charged one every day. 2. Download the Official Glastonbury app, powered by Vodafone Now that youve got the extra juice for your phone sorted, before you set off, download the brand new official Glastonbury 2024 app, powered by Vodafone, to help you plan your ultimate festival experience; as if Glastonbury had been tailored for you alone. With the latest full lineup, timings and an A-Z of artists (including the super-handy Now and Next widget), input your must-see shows to create your own personal lineup, and the app will ping you a reminder before each musical moment takes place. 3. Mates meeting map The Official Glastonbury app, powered by Vodafone, also has a life-saving fully interactive festival site map where you can customise pins, as well as being able to share meeting point pins with friends. Set it up and share with your pals on your trip down to the farm, and never get separated from the pack after a toilet break again! 4. Tent topper Picture the scene: its 4am and youre ready to crash. As you trek up behind the Park stage camping area, its a horror scene: a sea of tents that to your tired eyes look identical. To avoid playing a pre-dawn game of Wheres Wally (the tent version), bring a marker to fly up from the top of your camping spot. A flag, portable LED lighting, solar-powered light or even a comedy windsock should help it to stand out from the pack, saving you valuable lost minutes hours even in the process. Dont forget to double up by customising a pin on the interactive festival map to help you locate yours, or for that matter, on Monday morning, your car (if youve driven there). 5. Earplugs Is there such a thing as too much music? Perhaps, especially if youre trying to take a little disco nap in the afternoon. Also, never underestimate the amount of noise 50,000 people in a field separated only by tent canvas makes. Bring some earplugs (and an eye mask) in the hope that a tactical 40 winks will power you all the way through to SZA on Sunday night. 6. Electrolytes Come on, you know by now you need to drink loads of water when out in the elements for a few days. This year, hack your water and help rehydrate and replenish everything that was shaken off on the dancefloor at San Remo the night before. Electrolytes, the tried-and-tested old raver favourites, come in sachets, effervescent tablets or, failing that, natural coconut water works as well. 7. Sunscreen Will it be a sunny Glasto this year? That, unfortunately, is up to the weather gods. So while youll need to cover yourself just in case by bringing wellies and a poncho (which can also be fashioned as a make-shift ground cover to sit down on), dont skimp on a bottle of factor 50 as well. Because you know whats worse than being soaking and trudging round in the mud? Being sunburnt and trudging round in the mud. Expect all of the weather at some point over the festival, and prevent your face from being that shiny red moon beaming out from every single photo taken while youre there. 8. Snacks While theres a veritable buffet of great food always on offer across the site and for the first time this year, all the food and merch stalls are handily pinpointed on the Vodafone official apps map ask yourself, can you really be arsed to queue up for 30 minutes for a burrito while youre already having to navigate the programming clash of Peggy Gou and Gossip? Obviously, dont skip your meals (mid-afternoon is always the best time to hit the street food stalls, FYI) but the power of an energy boosting snack cant be denied, so bring bananas, apples, dried fruit and nuts, cereal bars and crisps to munch on. 9. Socks (and blister pads) Only a true masochist would track their steps at Glastonbury, as, covering all that ground, all you need to know is that your little tootsies are going to be humming by the end of the day. If its welly weather, the boots can rub, so make sure to bring extra thick socks, blister pads, and if youre extra bougie a couple of foot masks to stick on overnight to put more pep in your step the next day. 10. Crossbody bag Its fashion, but its also functional? The sartorial stars have aligned and the humble bumbag is back in business, albeit given a glow-up as a crossbody bag. Once again, theyll be ubiquitous all over festival season, with just enough room for your phone, power bank and any other essential items needed for fun, but gloriously all hands-free. 11. Socials Bragging rights on socials? Its probably the one time of the year everyone will allow it. So once youve packed up your tent (remember: leave no trace) and trundled off to Castle Cary train station, its time to unleash the content. The Vodafone official app will generate Your Glastonbury Highlights that can easily be shared online for you and all your new festival friends to get misty-eyed over, and to start planning the 2025 Glasto reunion. Connecting you to Glastonbury this summer Vodafone is the official connectivity partner of Glastonbury festival. To find out more and to download the official Glastonbury app, head to vodafone.co.uk Richard Tice, the chair of Reform UK, and Nigel Farage, the party leader, announce the party's general election proposals. Photograph: Victoria Jones/Rex/Shutterstock Reform UK insists its plans are not just another party manifesto, because it does not expect to win the election. But there are a lot of policy ideas in its 28-page contract with the electorate. Here are the main proposals from Nigel Farages party. Economy and taxation In short: Liz Truss on steroids. There would be cuts to personal tax worth 70bn a year, including scrapping income tax below 20,000, and big cuts to stamp duty and inheritance tax. Cuts to business levies including corporation tax would cost 18bn a year. Reform says this would be paid for by scrapping plans to reach net zero carbon emissions (more on that below), plus 50bn a year from cutting government departments and quangos, and 35bn from the technical process of making the Bank of England stop paying interest on commercial bank deposits created through quantitative easing. All this could be filed under fiscally bold. The Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank termed the package problematic, saying: Even with the extremely optimistic assumptions about how much economic growth would increase, the sums in this manifesto do not add up. Immigration There is only so much room to the right of the Conservatives on this subject, but Reform would use most of it, pledging a freeze on non-essential immigration, with only a handful of exceptions, and higher national insurance imposed on overseas workers. On asylum seekers, Reform would take Britain out of the European convention on human rights (ECHR), process people offshore and pick up illegal migrants out of boats and take them back to France. On small boat crossings, there would be significant doubts about whether, even outside the ECHR, the UK could actually return asylum seekers to France. And a freeze on immigration, even with limited exceptions for the NHS, could have a significant impact on the social care and hospitality sectors. Environment and energy A major part of Reforms offer is to roll back green targets, including to scrap net zero goals altogether, which the party says would save 30bn a year over 25 years. The International Energy Agency estimated that the UK spent less than 9bn a year between 2021 and 2023 on low-carbon energy policy. This is less than comparable developed countries, and, according to an LSE study, higher green investment is likely to lower household bills and boost growth more than tax cuts. The manifesto says net zero has increased bills, damaged industries such as steelmaking, and made the UK less energy secure. However, evidence from the IMF shows energy bills have risen because of the UKs heavy reliance on imported gas. In terms of threats to security, the World Economic Forum put extreme weather as the leading global risk to security in 2024. Healthcare As part of the tax cuts, frontline NHS and social care staff would pay zero basic-rate tax for three years, with the aim of boosting staff numbers. There would also be 20% tax relief on private health insurance. While Farage has called for a move away from the current NHS funding system towards one that also uses social insurance, this idea is not set out in the document. It is fair to say that the health and care plans as they stand are fairly broad. Policing and crime As well as promising 40,000 more police officers, the party has pledged mass stop and search, and the end of what it terms woke policing. The sentencing regime would be significantly toughened, with mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of drug dealing, or a second violent or serious offence. And 10,000 new prisons places would be built. Given that about 10,000 people a year are convicted for drug dealing alone, such policies would need a lot more prison places. Also, there is limited evidence that non-intelligence-led stop and search is effective in curbing crime or that police forces would want to use it. Education This section is low on specifics and seems to be led more by culture war issues, with the first two points calling for a patriotic curriculum and an end to transgender ideology in schools. There would be another tax cut, this one offering tax relief on private school fees. On universities, as well as scrapping interest on student loans this does not seem to appear in the costings section the party would push for two-year degrees, and cut funding to universities it felt were denying free speech. Housing and transport On housing, Reform says it wants to unleash housebuilding, but the party would also protect landlords, scrapping plans to ban no-fault evictions or other renting changes. On transport, the party would end the war on drivers, unilaterally scrapping any clean air zones, low-traffic neighbourhoods and almost all 20mph zones. These sorts of policies give a flavour of the type of voter Reform wants to attract: older people who are more likely to be homeowners and drivers. Other policies Social security: motivate people to work, and withdraw all benefits if they turn down two job offers. Brexit: abandon the Windsor framework, which sought to find a compromise over EU trade and not having a hard Irish border. Constitution and voting: replace the Lords with an elected second chamber; move towards a proportional voting system. Culture: scrap the BBC licence fee and the Equality Act; make St Georges and St Davids days public holidays. Nigel Farage said the 2024 general election was "step one" in the planned rise of Reform UK as he unveiled the party's manifesto at an event in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. - JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP Reform UK released its contract with the people on Monday, as Nigel Farage set out his partys vision to repair a skint Britain. The partys manifesto includes a flagship pledge to stop the boats in its first 100 days in power as part of a four-point plan to curb illegal immigration. The contract also includes plans to scrap net zero targets and ensure zero-tolerance policing. Unveiling the document in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Mr Farage said this is step one in the planned rise of Reform UK, with the real ambition being the 2029 general election. Following the launch, Telegraph readers were quick to offer their judgement on the partys proposals. The only programme offering genuine hope and change For many readers, including Dave Sutton, they view Reforms manifesto as the only programme for government offering genuine hope and change. Similarly, John Vaccaro believes that theres more substance to these policy ideas than from the Tories and Labour combined. As a set of principles these would deliver real change to the lives of people across the country. No wonder the Conservative Campaign Headquarters are scrambling now with the project fear nonsense, he added. What a breath of fresh air, writes D. Hood. The Tories and Labour will hate this, a contract that actually supports the people of this country. Regardless of whether one likes Reforms policies, Cyril Carter felt the launch offered some refreshing clarity, which embarrasses the Tory definitely maybe approach. Some commend its true conservatism. Ian Robinson, for example, voices how the contract looks like the Conservative manifesto that never was. Likewise, Alun Crockford writes: I have just read what should have been the Conservative manifesto, and more to the point what the Conservatives should have been doing for the last fourteen years. Meanwhile, Hugh Soden praises their fantastic conservative policies and thinks the manifesto would at one stroke put a rocket up the UK economy, curb immigration, halve crime and above all, give Britain some backbone and pride. Others, such as Dr Moss, praise Reforms focus on fixing things at home first, in particular, halting uncontrolled immigration. Things that matter for British people, he says. In a similar vein, Reform has Ken Platts vote because he believes no other politician will stop the illegal boat immigrants. A number of readers, including Charles Sinclair, view Nigel Farage as their last hope when it comes to tackling immigration and sorting out the problems mass immigration will cause in British society. The devil is in the detail. There are no exact details However, for some, the manifesto fails to address key areas of concern. Readers identified the holes in Reforms policies, while a few felt the partys plans would be opposed regardless. For instance, M.D. thought both the manifestos economic policies and Mr Farages plans to run for prime minister in 2029 were unfeasible. They wrote: You only have to see what the manipulated markets are doing to stop the centre-Right in Europe to know this is not doable. Similarly, Mo Raslo thought the manifesto contained all wonderful ideas, but a certain Liz Truss tried a few of these (threshold, IR35, etc) and the real bosses stood up and smacked the whole of the UK into oblivion. You dont have the final say, the markets do. Meanwhile, John U. found issues with Reforms plans for immigration and its apparent lack of detail on the matter as the party proposes to stop the boats in its first 100 days in power. The reader asked: Exactly how would they do it? You cant send them back unless the receiving country agrees and they dont. Which Royal Navy/Border Force personnel would risk prosecution for manslaughter, as a dinghy could easily capsize in such an operation? Besides, the EU would rip up the Brexit deal if we even tried, he said. Sharing this sentiment was Mo F: There are no specific details. Sure, leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), but that will not stop the boats. Also, how will you exactly return the boats to France? The devil is in the detail. There are no exact details. Spotting problems with Reforms local government policies, Edmund Blackadder suggested: Nigel needs to understand physical geography. All councils in remote areas have higher council taxes because of distances... the Barnet formula does not reflect this enough and means local authorities have to put up council taxes to pay for their statutory obligations. Some like James Mundy felt the manifesto failed to address necessary institutional reforms. They were disappointed the manifesto contained nothing on reestablishing parliament as supreme, and questioned why there was no promised reform of the House of Lords, or abolishment of the politicised Supreme Court. Meanwhile, G. Francis wanted to see a reduction to those on the public payroll. This should include many Quangos and will ensure future generations are not lumbered by unacceptable pension payments. As for Nigel Farages future bid to become prime minister, while many readers advocate the idea, one anonymous reader labelled it a bizarre fantasy and another, Geoffrey Hollis, stated, someone needs to tell Nigel that this is the UK, not the US. Here, we vote for an individual to be our MP. There they vote for someone to be president. Connor Clark's mother said her son had wanted to become a Royal Marine when he was just 13 An aspiring Royal Marine found dead on a railway track had been told he was the worst recruit by training staff, an inquest heard. Connor Clark was only three weeks into the recruitment programme at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon, when he died in June 2021. The 18-year-old was described as kind, generous and thoughtful by his mother, who told the inquest he had wanted to be a Marine since he was 13. I did tell him he was failing On Monday, the training Captain Mark Thrift, now a Major, told Exeter Coroners Court that he denied a claim made by Clark that he had been called a failure and the worst recruit before his death. The court heard Clark, who was from Norwich but was born in New Zealand, said in a handwritten note that a captain and corporal had expressed this to him implicitly and explicitly. Major Thrift denied the allegation but admitted: I did tell him he was failing. The officer said he was not aware of a hostile environment at the training centre and he had told recruits that the Marines were a family and must look after each other. He said if there was any bullying or behaviour it would have been brought to his attention. Inexperienced but passionate instructors The coroner asked about the use of foul language and negative comments to recruits by training staff, to which Major Thrift replied: It is something I am aware of. It does happen, inexperienced but passionate instructors who take it too far. He said he had removed one instructor from the scheme previously because he was too aggressive towards recruits. Major Thrift said instructors could hand out punishments for backchat or not doing what they were told, which could include doing 50 press-ups in a 15-minute period. Another instructor, Sgt Clinton Williams who was a corporal at the time said recruits were sworn at and shouted at during recruitment. He said he was not aware that Clark had been singled out for punishments and said he never told the teenager that he was a failure and worst recruit. He denied aggressively swearing and calling recruits useless and saying they should not be at the training base, but he admitted saying to some that Royal Marine training was not for them. Hostile environment Philip Spinney, the senior Devon coroner, said former recruits would be giving evidence to the week-long inquest about the hostile environment at the camp, which included physical confrontations between rookies. Major Thrift said Clark had failed an inspection in the days before his death and had also lost a 40 blank firing attachment. However, he said that it was common for recruits to lose items and said there were no sanctions for that, despite Clark being worried about losing shore leave. He told the inquest that on another occasion Clark came to his office with a cut on his arm and told him he had fallen and cut himself against a radiator. The officer said the recruit seemed happy and there was no suggestion he had self-harmed. Major Thrift said the Recruit Orientation Phase scheme, which Clark was on, was designed to help would-be commandos adjust from civilian life to military life. He said there was a 42 per cent failure rate with 702 passing out of 1,207 trainees. Major Thrift said recruits could not leave before 28 days and most left because they were injured or were homesick. Clarks mother, Tracy, said in a pen portrait that her youngest son was kind, generous, thoughtful and selfless, and had wanted to become a Royal Marine when he was just 13. The inquest continues. The IFS said the policy, when fully rolled out, would affect one in five children. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Keir Starmer is facing renewed pressure to scrap the two-child benefit limit, as research reveals that 250,000 more children will be hit by the policy over the next year alone. Labours manifesto for government, published last week, included the promise of an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, but no mention of the two-child limit. The policy, which was introduced by George Osborne when he was chancellor, means low-income parents are denied key benefits, including universal credit, for their third and any subsequent children born from April 2017. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) finds that when fully rolled out, the policy will affect one in five children, costing families an average of 4,300 a year, or 10% of their income. Among the poorest fifth of households, 38% will be affected. The policy already applies to about 2 million children, but by the end of the next parliament it will affect an additional 670,000, the IFS figures show. Eduin Latimer, a research economist at the IFS, said the two-child limit had a particularly big impact on the number of children in poverty for two reasons: it mostly affects poorer households and, by definition, its effects are entirely concentrated in families with at least three children. Related: Two-child benefit cap is key driver of child poverty in UK, research suggests Labours decision not to include scrapping the policy in its manifesto has frustrated charities and anti-poverty campaigners, and become symbolic of what some see as the partys excessive caution on tax and spend. Pressed on the policy last week, Starmer said it had been a difficult choice not to promise to scrap it, but insisted his party could not make unfunded promises. The IFS calculates that ending the two-child limit would cost 3.4bn a year in the long run equivalent, it says, to freezing fuel duty for the duration of the next parliament. I think its a shame: Labour has a long history of tackling child poverty, said Mary-Ann Stephenson, the director of the Womens Budget Group, who described scrapping the two-child limit as one of the most effective ways of lifting children out of poverty. There are voices from across the political spectrum, the churches, anti-poverty organisations, womens organisations, all making the same point, she added. default Alison Garnham, the chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said child poverty in the UK was a national disgrace and the biggest driver of it is the two-child limit. It makes life worse for kids up and down the country and limits their future chances. Any government serious about making things better for the next generation will have to scrap the two-child limit, and do so quickly. Tom Pollard, the head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation thinktank, said: You cant really have a serious child poverty strategy that doesnt involve getting rid of the two-child limit, because it just puts a ceiling on what you can do. There is such a wide consensus now that its the most direct way you could reduce child poverty, he added. The former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has called for the limit to be scrapped, as has the archbishop of Canterbury, who said it was cruel. Justin Welby told the Observer last month: The two-child limit falls short of our values as a society. It denies the truth that all children are of equal and immeasurable worth, and will have an impact on their long-term health, wellbeing and educational outcomes. A Labour spokesperson said: The number of children growing up in poverty in our country is a damning indictment of the last 14 years of the Tories. The last Labour government lifted more than half a million children out of poverty and we are determined to build on this record, which is why weve committed to an ambitious new cross-government strategy to tackle child poverty. Campaign groups are gearing up to continue pressing the party on the issue beyond the general election, in the run-up to the budget that Rachel Reeves has promised for September, if the polls are correct and she becomes the next chancellor. Related: Wes Streeting praises archbishop over call for Labour to scrap two-child benefit cap Labours manifesto included 8.5bn in targeted tax increases, earmarked to fund investment in green technologies, and measures such as providing free breakfast clubs in primary schools. Studies have shown that the two-child limit has had little impact either on family size, or on parents propensity to work. HMRC data showed that in 2023, half of the families affected were single parents, and more than half 57% had at least one parent in work. The Liberal Democrats have promised to scrap the two-child limit as part of a package of anti-poverty measures. The Lib Dem work and pensions spokesperson, Wendy Chamberlain, said: It would be a devastating blow to some of the poorest families in the country if this limit remains in place. The next government must heed these fresh warnings and ensure no child is cut off from support they so desperately need. While Starmer is being urged to repair the welfare safety net for the UKs poorest families, however, Rishi Sunaks Conservatives are promising further cuts to benefits, to fund the promise of tax giveaways. The very clear difference in savings between us and the Labour party is, I think you can make savings from constraining the growth in the welfare bill, Sunak told journalists travelling with him for the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy. The Labour party do not think that you can save a penny in the welfare bill a welfare bill where Pip [personal independence payment] alone is forecast to go up by 50% in the next few years. The welfare bill has already gone up by something like two-thirds. We now spend more on working-age welfare for people with ill health, disability conditions than we do on schooling, transport, policing I could go on and weve seen a massive increase since the pandemic. Sunak has promised to cut 12bn from the benefits bill, echoing a pledge made by Osborne in the run-up to the 2015 general election. Kosai was dragged into a carousel of debt after his wife injured her leg in a motorcycle accident - Torbjorn Wester The two bank representatives stood for several hours outside Daras house. They came from Amret, one of Cambodias microfinance institutions, to collect the monthly payment that Dara was late with. When they saw my 16-year-old daughter coming out of the house, one of them suggested that I sell her to a KTV bar to pay off the loan, says Dara, whose name has been changed to protect his anonymity. The problems began last year, when Dara, who is a small-scale farmer in Ratanakiri in northeastern Cambodia, took out a so-called microloan of $2,400 to buy herbicides and other farming products. Amret, which up until now has been partly owned by several major state-owned international development institutions, including British International Investment, quickly granted the loan, Dara says. But the cassava harvest didnt turn out the way Dara had hoped and he was left with debt he couldnt pay. Under pressure from Amret, he sold a piece of land to pay off half of the loan. But soon he fell behind on payments again. That was when the bank representatives came up with their proposal. Noone in our village would sell their child. Its unheard of, Dara says. Ratanakiri is one of the least developed provinces of Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester The family of Dara, a small-scale farmer in Ratanakiri, eat significantly less food since they ended up in a debt trap. Often a meal consists mainly of cassava leaves - Torbjorn Wester For Daras family of seven, the loan that was supposed to give them a harvest to live on has instead put them in a situation of despair and insecurity. We used to eat three times a day, both meat and fish. Now we eat twice a day to be able to afford to pay off the loan, often just cassava leaves. It was the Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus who, in the 1980s, popularised the idea of microcredit as a way of reducing poverty. His bank Grameen lent small sums to those who were otherwise too poor to qualify for a loan, to stimulate development of small businesses. Following Grameens alleged success in Bangladesh, the international donor community spent billions in the coming decades to create a raft of new microcredit institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The UN proclaimed 2005 the International Year of Microcredit and the following year Muhammad Yunus who once famously predicted that microfinance would relegate poverty to museums received the Nobel Peace Prize. Microcredit became a panacea for the global donor community. But there have long been worrying signals that the model might be flawed. Daras village in Ratanakiri is visited almost daily by young, smartly dressed men on motorcycles, representatives of some of Cambodias many microfinance institutions, such as Amret, LOLC and Prasac. They are looking for new customers and make home visits to existing ones to collect monthly payments. A majority of the families in Daras village have taken out microloans and many of them have ended up in debt traps that make the mere sight of these men uncomfortable. Representatives for microfinance institutions smartly dressed men on motorcycles are often seen in the villages in Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester Prasac is one of the major Cambodian microfinance institutions. It originated in 1995 as an EU funded development project and transformed into a commercial operation - Torbjorn Wester For Daras neighbor Kosai, whose name also has been changed to protect his anonymity, the debt carousel began when his wife injured her leg in a motorcycle accident. To pay the hospital bills, the family took out a loan from an informal lender, a loan that they then partly redeemed by taking out new loans from LOLC and Amret. But soon they found themselves struggling with their monthly payments. Amrets representative first suggested that I could sell a child or my wife. When I didnt want to, he suggested that I could sell some of my farmland, says Kosai. He says that he was given only one week to complete the sale and that he was forced to accept a below-market offer. But the money was only enough to pay off parts of the loans. Everything I earn goes to the loans, he says. We used to be able to eat well, but not anymore. But I cant swallow the food properly anyway, I think too much. Young men harvesting kamploak in the Tonle Sap river in Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester A market in Ratanakiri, Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester The loans Kosai took are typical of how the global microfinance market has evolved over the years. Milford Bateman, an associate researcher at Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, and adjunct professor in global development studies at St Marys University in Halifax, has published widely on issues related to microfinance. He says that the subsidised microcredit model originally inspired by Grameen Bank was sidelined globally in the 1990s in favor of a for-profit microcredit approach that encouraged rapid expansion in order to maximise profits. Later on, the idea that microloans were taken out to fund individual entrepreneurship was also dropped. Most microloans today are simply to cover living expenses, healthcare, education and consumer goods, according to Bateman. The early microfinance institutions survived mainly on donor and philanthropic funding. But later on, they were told to become self-sustaining businesses aiming to make a profit. So they did, he says. Certainly, there are many examples of families in the Global South being helped out of poverty with microloans. In Latin America, these are called Donna Maria stories, says Milford Bateman. You can see them on the websites of the microfinance institutions. A story about some woman who borrowed 60 dollars and opened a store and then another one and then earned income enough to educate her children and build a house. A village in Ratanakiri in northeastern Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester A ferry in the Tonle Sap river in Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester But, in Milford Batemans view, they are rare exceptions. I dont disagree that you can see some benefits from microfinance. But these benefits are very small potatoes and theyve been swamped, certainly since the 2000s, by the serious and growing downsides to the model. Several of the countries where the international donor community has invested in building microfinance institutions have also seen rapid economic development for many years. But microfinance can hardly be given credit for that, says Milford Bateman. Instead, it is the opposite increasing prosperity has enabled and encouraged the industrys commercialisation; slowly it has moved away from small enterprise specific development loans towards high profit consumer lending. Microcredit is now seen by the global financial markets as one of the most profitable investment areas of all, says Milford Bateman. Reports about harmful effects of microloans have emerged from many parts of the world over the years, most notably strings of suicides in India and Sri Lanka. But nowhere do reports of negative consequences seem to come as frequent as in Cambodia, the country in the world with the largest amount of microcredit per capita, 2.9 million loans totaling $16 billion. Acleda was established in 1992 as an NGO focusing on micro enterprise development. It is now one of the largest commercial banks in Cambodia, with a significant microloan portfolio - Torbjorn Wester Amret, one of the microfinance institutions in Cambodia, has up until now been partly owned by several major state-owned international development institutions, including British International Investment. It is to be sold to Taiwan's Bank SinoPac - Torbjorn Wester Several of the leading financial institutions with microcredit portfolios in Cambodia began as NGO initiatives in the 1990s, supported by the international development community. State development institutions and development banks still continue to be heavily invested in the industry but from 2010 and onwards the sector was discovered by foreign private investors and with the inflow of commercial funding it began to grow rapidly. According to Cambodian NGOs Licadho and Equitable Cambodia this has also led to a rise in predatory lending practices including coerced land sales, threats and intimidation. In a quantitative study from 2023 of 717 Cambodian families with microloans, 18 per cent reported eating less food because of the debt burden. 3 per cent had at least one child who had to leave school because of the loans. 6 per cent had sold land in order to repay loans. According to the report, the figures are related to the fact that debt repayments accounted for 67 per cent of a households total monthly expenses, on average. This level of over-indebtedness effectively guarantees that households are trapped into making increasingly harmful sacrifices [] to make repayments write the authors of the report. In 2022 Licadho and Equitable Cambodia filed a complaint with the watchdog of the International Finance Corporation (the World Banks private lending arm), alleging its funding of microfinance institutions led to severe negative social impacts, because of predatory and deceptive lending and loan collection practices. The complaint is currently under review. A rice field in Cambodia - Torbjorn Wester Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) represents the microfinance industry in the country. Kaing Tongngy, head of its communications department, acknowledges in an email to The Telegraph some of the hardships that indebted families in Cambodia face. CMA understands the challenge faced by individuals and families in meeting their financial obligation and we are dedicated to providing support and guidance to borrowers in need, he writes. But he also claims that not all land sales represent a profound economic and social collapse for the households, partly due to the progression of land prices in Cambodia. Kaing Tongngy further writes that the industry has grown beyond serving the poor. Microfinance is not the only one mechanism contributing to poverty reduction. All relevant parties and other mechanisms must play their role to reduce the poverty. Three of the families in Ratanakiri interviewed by The Telegraph claim that representatives from Amret had threatened them by suggesting that they sell family members to repay loans. Amret is still owned by several international development institutions including British International Investment but is to be sold to Taiwans Bank SinoPac for $543 million. 'Meta', a young Cambodian, spends most of his income repaying a loan his family took out in 2019 to treat his mother's heart condition - Torbjorn Wester Dos Dinn, CEO of Amret, writes in an email that The Telegraphs findings in Ratanakiri runs counter to everything we stand for at Amret. He continues: The reason for our existence is to strengthen our local communities by offering financial services to people and families who lack access to traditional banking services. He encourages the families to file a formal complaint with Amret so that the incidents can be investigated. There are close to 3 million microloans in Cambodia, in a population of just under 17 million. No one knows how many of them skip meals and go hungry. But they are easy to find. Meta, a young Cambodian who asked to use only his nickname, is one of them. In 2019, his family took out a loan from Prasac to pay for care for the mother, who has a heart condition, and to finance a noodle restaurant run by Meta. But the restaurant went out of business when the pandemic came. In recent months, the family has been late with payments, despite the fact that Meta, who is working on an interview project to document abuses during the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s, spends most of his income on the loans. At times, the loans have driven him into depression. He skips breakfast to save money. I have to force myself to think that the first thing is the debt. After we have repaid, we can deal with everything else in life. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Best for Britain said particularly efficient tactical voting could unseat MPs including Liz Truss and Suella Braverman. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images The Conservatives could lose once safe constituencies such as Theresa Mays former seat in the coming general election, with nearly 40% of people willing to vote tactically to oust the Tories, a campaign group has said. Setting out its recommendations for how people could maximise their chances of not electing a Conservative, Best for Britain said particularly efficient tactical voting could even unseat Liz Truss and Suella Braverman. While May has stepped down, her former seat of Maidenhead, held by the Tories since it was created in 1997, is now seen as a three-way marginal, with Best for Britain saying the Liberal Democrats are best placed to defeat the Tories. But the group said there were more likely Portillo moments election night defeats of Tory big beasts through tactical voting. These could include the cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt, Jeremy Hunt, Robert Jenrick, Grant Shapps and James Cleverly. The groups recommendations, based on multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) polling, which gives seat by seat projections, include voting Labour in 370 seats, Lib Dem in 69, Green in three, SNP in seven, Plaid Cymru in two, and to vote with your heart in 181. The seat by seat recommendations, with the reasons behind them, are available at GetVoting.org, run by Best for Britain, along with data on how many constituents could vote tactically. The data is based on a poll of 22,000 people conducted for the group, which found that 39.6% of people said they would consider voting tactically to change the current government. Another 13.6% said they would do so to keep the Tories in power. The polling showed that a fifth of people who said they were planning to vote Labour on 4 July would be doing so tactically, and a third of Lib Dem voters. As well as the constituency by constituency website, Best for Britain is launching a parallel advertising campaign based on an entreaty to voters to do what they can to get rid of the government. At a launch event in central London, Naomi Smith, the groups chief executive, said the UK was now a nation of tactical voters, a factor that could worsen the Conservatives electoral fortunes. Lewis Baston, a psephologist who also spoke at the event, said MRP polling showed that even where Conservative candidates remained ahead, for many this involved securing little more than a third of votes, making them vulnerable to opponents joining forces. The Conservatives are under siege in a way that they really havent been before, he said. Theres no heartlands left, theyve got serious competition on the right. The polling shows that anti-Tory voters are mobilised and in a harsh mood. Related: The downfall of the Tories may be predictable, but it can still feel promising | Nesrine Malik While the seat by seat recommendations are largely based on the sole factor of how to stop a Conservative winner, some take in more complex ideas, including Best for Britains view of other parties and even of specific MPs. For example, the group does not recommend voting Reform UK even if this could remove a Tory MP. The guide also makes recommendations in some seats where there is no prospect of a Conservative winning. These areas include Brighton Pavilion and Bristol Central, both Labour-Green battles. In the former it recommends voting Green, and in the latter Labour. Asked how such recommendations were made, Smith said it was in part a trade-off between the parties, but also because Thangam Debbonaire, the Labour frontbencher at risk from the Greens in Bristol, has been an excellent MP on the issues that we care about, including Europe. Tony Blair insists the definition of what a woman is is not difficult to answer - Getty/Daniel Leal Tony Blair has declared that a woman has a vagina and a man has a penis as he questioned why politicians had got themselves into a muddle over trans rights. The former prime minister insisted the definition of what a woman is was not difficult to answer, despite the question having troubled a series of high-profile Labour politicians in recent years, including Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Tony, who converted to Catholicism in 2007, told Holyrood magazine that some people genuinely feel that they are in the wrong body and they should be entitled to change their legal gender. However, he said there must be protections for single-sex spaces, such as changing rooms and within female sport as you have people who still have male genitalia. He told Holyrood magazine: I dont know how politics got itself into this muddle. What is a woman? Well, its not a very hard thing for me to answer really. Im definitely of the school that says, biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis. I think we can say that quite clearly. The point is this: if people want to reassign their gender thats absolutely fine, and people should be entitled to do that. There is no doubt at all there are people who genuinely feel that they are in the wrong body. I completely get it. Sir Keir Starmer initially struggled with the question of what a woman is, before stating last year that 99.9 per cent of women 'haven't got a penis' - Getty/Justin Tallis Sir Tony, 71, set out three very important qualifications, including protecting single-sex spaces, the importance of language pertaining to womens health and greater protections for young people. He said: Number one, it shouldnt stop women talking about being biological women. This idea that you cant refer to pregnant women, I think most people think thats completely ridiculous. Secondly, there may be situations, for example, where you have people who still have male genitalia but are in a changing room with women, and women will feel uncomfortable with that. They shouldnt feel uncomfortable, so youve got to protect that. The General Medical Council last year removed all mention of mothers from a maternity document for its staff. Sir Tony also said the decision to give people who want to change gender irreversible treatments such as puberty blockers should be given careful consideration. The former prime minister argued that the overwhelming majority of Britons would agree with him that people should be allowed to change gender, subject to his three qualifications on safe spaces and sport, young people and terminology. He concluded that it was weird that there was such a polarised debate about trans rights when the fundamentals apply to common sense. His intervention comes after a series of Labour frontbenchers said they were unable to define what a woman is. Two years ago, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the issue was a rabbit hole. Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury (front right), has faced a backlash for her views on transgender issues - Martin Pope/Getty Sir Keir Starmer initially struggled with the question, before stating last year that 99.9 per cent of women havent got a penis. Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, has faced a backlash for her views on transgender issues, including that only women have a cervix. Ms Duffield was cleared by party bosses in January after a year-long investigation into transphobia allegations. On Sunday, Lord Cashman, a former EastEnders actor and Labour MEP, apologised after tweeting that Ms Duffield was frit or lazy for cancelling hustings. Ms Duffield said she was left with no choice but to cancel after constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation from some had affected her sense of security and wellbeing. Labour also supported Nicola Sturgeons controversial self-ID reforms in Scotland, which would have allowed people to change their legal gender by simply signing a statutory declaration. Rishi Sunaks Government blocked the plans over concerns they undermined UK-wide protections for women, including the sanctity of female-only safe spaces. Sir Keir had pledged to introduce a similar system but last year declared that a woman is an adult female and he did not believe that the self-ID policy was the right way forward. He said that Labour had had the chance to reflect on what happened in Scotland, where there was a public outcry over trans rapist Isla Bryson being sent initially to a womens prison. The Tories have made a general election pledge to transfer responsibility for creating new gender recognition laws in Scotland from Holyrood to Westminster, thereby preventing the SNP from trying to reintroduce self-ID. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, opposed the plan and said a Keir Starmer government would instead issue appropriate guidance on single-sex spaces based on biological sex. Smoke rises over Metula, northern Israel, on 14 June after a Lebanese rocket attack. Photograph: Rabih Daher/AFP/Getty Images A senior envoy from the Biden administration has met Benjamin Netanyahu for talks aimed at averting a deepening conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, after Israel warned over the weekend that it was on the brink of a wider escalation. Amos Hochstein has spent months in largely behind-the-scenes diplomacy in an attempt to quieten tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the war in Gaza began in October, there have been worsening daily exchanges of fire, and tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced on both sides of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon. Related: What is Hezbollahs role and influence in Lebanon? Over the weekend, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the head of the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, Aroldo Lazaro, said in a joint statement that they were deeply concerned about the escalation along Lebanons border, describing the very real risk that a miscalculation along the southern border could trigger a wider war. That warning was underlined on Monday when Israel assassinated a Hezbollah commander in his car near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Hochstein met Netanyahu and the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on Monday before flying to Lebanon where he will meet Nabih Berri, the octagenerian speaker of the Lebanese parliament and leader of the Amal movement, who has represented Hezbollahs views to western interlocutors. There is growing anxiety in Washington and elsewhere over the risk of a serious escalation between the two sides, not least after Israels killing last week of Taleb Abdallah, the most senior Hezbollah commander to be targeted so far. The killing prompted Hezbollah to fire hundreds of rockets and drones at northern Israel in the heaviest barrages since the Lebanese group began firing at Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza on 8 October last year. Hochstein, an energy and investment adviser, is seen as a skilful negotiator who keeps his cards close to his chest. He is credited as a key architect of the 2022 deal to demarcate a maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon, which followed two years of talks. Regarded as a realist, he told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace last month that his ambition in recent talks had been to limit the risk of a potentially devastating escalation. Im not expecting peace, everlasting peace, between Hezbollah and Israel. But if we can reach a set of understandings and take away some of the impetus for conflict and establish for the first time ever a recognised border between the two, I think that will go a long way, he said. Thus far, Hochstein, who last visited Israel in November to discuss the conflict with Hezbollah, appears to have been focused on phased and more long-term de-escalation. He has offered an economic carrot to Lebanon, not least in its energy infrastructure; an approach that appears to have been overtaken by the speed of recent events. The Israel Defense Forces warned on Sunday that the daily clashes risked spilling into more dangerous territory. Hezbollahs increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region, the IDF spokesperson R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement before the envoys arrival. Although conventional wisdom has assessed that it is not in the interest of either Israel or Hezbollah to fight a full-scale war at this point, the dynamics of eight months of conflict have shifted that calculus, not least over the often vaguely defined rules seen as defining the boundaries of the conflict. The killing of Abdallah, the senior Hezbollah commander for southern Lebanon, in a village near Tyre during a security meeting has been viewed by Hezbollah as an assassination too far, leading to the strong response. In Israel, the displacement of about 90,000 people some under evacuation orders, some voluntarily has become an increasingly toxic political issue. Hezbollahs relative success in creating a dead zone in northern Israel has dramatised the acute threat posed by the group from southern Lebanon and the question of whether there is a realistic possibility of negotiating a pullback, as long demanded by Israel and mandated by the UN security council resolution that ended the 2006 second Lebanon war. While Hezbollah has tied its cessation of fighting to an end of hostilities in Gaza, it remains unclear whether Israel will be able to accept the continued presence of Hezbollah south of Lebanons Litani River even if the conflict stops. On Monday, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah MP in the Lebanese parliament, discounted the prospect of a negotiated withdrawal from Lebanese areas bordering Israel. This is our land and we are within our own borders, he said. The enemy is afraid the resistance might enter its territory. It isnt in a position to dictate terms to us. We are not prepared to hear those demands. Reform UK has unveiled its General Election manifesto which the party dubs a contract with voters with plans to scrap net-zero targets, introduce smart immigration, and ensure zero-tolerance policing. Here the PA news agency takes a look at the proposals. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and former leader Richard Tice (James Manning/PA) Immigration Nigel Farages party has set out a four-point plan for immigration including: leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, allowing zero illegal immigrants to settle in the UK, establishing a new Department of Immigration, and returning migrants who come over in boats to France. A freeze on non-essential immigration to protect our culture and identity is also proposed in the first few pages of Reform UKs manifesto. Under the partys plans, immigrants who commit crimes would have their UK citizenship withdrawn, with the exception of some misdemeanour offences. The party is also proposing to ban international students from bringing dependents to the UK. National insurance would be raised to 20% for foreign workers to incentivise businesses to employ British workers. Nigel Farage during a Reform UK press conference (Yui Mok/PA) Police In a bid to clamp down on all crime and antisocial behaviour, the party has pledged to commence zero-tolerance policing, with drug dealing and trafficking crimes receiving life imprisonment. The party also proposes to increase stop and searches substantially by recruiting 40,000 new police officers in the next five years. Under the plans, all police community support officer roles (PCSO) will be phased out and instead PCSOs will become police officers. A change to the definition of a hate crime is also proposed, with the aim of reducing systematic bias. The NHS is broken. Only Reform UK has clear, fully costed proposals which will give us a world class healthcare system. Dr David Bull on Sky News pic.twitter.com/cbyRp7adIt Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) June 17, 2024 The economy Reform wants to simplify the UKs tax system which it says is more 21,000 pages, while Hong Kongs is 500 pages. The party is also proposing to lift the minimum profit threshold to 100,000 and reduce the main corporation tax rate from 25% to 15% in three years, which it says would free 1.2 million businesses. Elsewhere it promises to abolish business rates for small and medium businesses by introducing an online delivery tax at 4% for large companies. Mr Farages party also pledges to cut fuel duty by 20p per litre, scrap VAT on energy bills, and cut stamp duty to 0% on sales below 750,000. The document also states that inheritance tax would be scrapped for 98% of all estates. Education A ban on transgender ideology is included in Reforms manifesto, with gender questioning, social transitioning and pronoun swapping prohibited. The party also proposes a patriotic curriculum, which would include pairing the teaching of Britains history of slavery or European imperialism, with a non-European occurrence to ensure balance. Two-year university courses and mandatory permanent exclusions for violent children are also promised. A ban on transgender ideology is included in Reforms manifesto (PA) Environment Reform has vowed to scrap net-zero targets to save 30 billion a year for the next 25 years. The party also promises to fast-track licences of North Sea oil and gas licences. Health Under Reform UKs plans, all NHS and social care staff will pay zero basic rate tax for three years, in a bid to retain and recruit health workers. A tax relief of 20% on all private healthcare and insurance is proposed in the document, which the party says relieve pressure on the NHS. A campaign with the motto pharmacy first, GP second, A&E last will be launched under the partys plans, which it says would cut waiting times. The party is also proposing a public inquiry into vaccine harms, as it states that excess deaths are nearly as high as they were during the Covid pandemic. Reform says the national service plans are not the answer (PA) Defence Reform has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP within three years, and then to 3% of GDP within six years. In its manifesto, it states the Conservatives policy of national service for one year is not the answer and instead proposes to recruit 30,000 people to the army full time. An Armed Forces Justice Bill would be brought forward by the party, with the aim to protect those in the armed forces from civil law and human rights lawyers. The Bill would also fast track housing complaints. Housing Reform UK has vowed to abolish the Renters (Reform) Bill, which it brands inadequate. The party will review the planning system and introduce loose fit planning policy for residential developments, meaning the sites will have pre-approved guidelines and requirements. Transport A pledge to scrap HS2 to save 25 billion is included in the partys document, along with a ban on Ulez and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). People wave flags during a St Georges Day rally on Whitehall (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Culture The party has promised to make St Georges Day and St Davids Day a public holiday. It also pledges a Free Speech Bill to stop left-wing bias and politically correct ideology. The TV licence, which funds the BBC, would be scrapped under Reforms plans. Peers Reform has proposed to replace the crony-filled House of Lords with a smaller, more democratic second chamber and end political appointees. It has also pledged to replace civil service leaders with successful professionals from the private sector which are appointed by the government. The Scottish Greens are set to propose a 1,000-per-head private jet tax in the partys manifesto. The document, due to be released this week, will include the measure in a bid to reduce the number of private flights, as well as removing tax breaks on aviation fuel and phasing out short-haul flights. Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater pledged bold plans to cut the number of aircraft taking off. Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater pledged bold plans in the partys manifesto (Jane Barlow/PA) We are in a climate emergency, with the evidence all around us. It is obscene that a small number of very wealthy people are jetting around the globe in climate wrecking private jets, she said. There is absolutely no justification for something so needless and destructive, not when the stakes are so high and the consequences are so severe. By introducing a super tax on these flights we can cut the number of jets in our sky and ensure that those who are polluting our planet are paying for the damage they are doing. Slovakia produced the first major shock of Euro 2024 with a 1-0 win over Belgium in Group E after Romelu Lukaku endured a day to forget. Lukaku squandered a number of chances in Frankfurt and when he did find the net, on two occasions in the second half, both were ruled out for infringements. It meant a fine seventh-minute strike by Ivan Schranz was enough to settle the group encounter and earn Slovakia, ranked 48th in the world, one of the best victories in their history. Lukaku could have scored twice during the opening exchanges but had a close-range shot saved before he steered another effort off target. It was a sign of things to come for the forward, who is still contracted to Chelsea but has not played for the club since 2022, with Belgiums profligacy punished after seven minutes. A slack pass by Jeremy Doku gifted Slovakia possession and, even though Juraj Kucka was denied by Koen Casteels, Schranz was on hand to volley in from a tight angle after he had been played onside by Wout Faes. Thank you fans for the massive support in Frankfurt. #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/96lEMxLq3a Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 18, 2024 Belgium regrouped but Leandro Trossard curled over before Lukaku could only bundle another effort wide. The Chelsea forward thought he had levelled 11 minutes into the second half but VAR disallowed his tap-in after he was adjudged offside from Amadou Onanas header across goal. Heroic defending by David Hancko denied Johan Bakayoko in the 62nd minute after the Slovakia centre-back cleared off the line. Lukaku then slammed home with four minutes left following Lois Opendas cutback but referee Halil Umut Meler was sent to the pitchside monitor and chalked off the goal after Openda handled in the build-up to consign Belgium to a painful defeat. A high school graduate whose viral prom dress, inspired by Disney's "Princess and the Frog," garnered national attention was invited to preview the new ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World in Orlando. "I knew that I wanted to make a prom dress, but I didn't wanna make anything that was already out there or that I see people doing a lot," Layla Hildreth, who graduated from Shades Valley High School in Alabama, told USA TODAY. Instead, she chose to create a prom dress similar to the ball gown in the movie that inspired her in her childhood. Princess Tiana, the movie's protagonist, was "an independent woman," said Hildreth. "She didn't need anybody's help, per se, and she never gave up on what she wanted." She spent five months sewing her dress while juggling her senior year and extracurricular activities. After her dress went viral, Disney's Imagineers invited her to Walt Disney World, where she met voice actors from the very movie that inspired her dress, "Princess and the Frog." Disney trips: 45% of parents take on debt for Disney vacations but the regrets are few 'Princess and the Frog' dress creates an enchanting effect Her dress captivated people at the prom. "A lot of people were just amazed," said Hildreth. She adds that folks from her school, who she didn't really know, were stopping her and asking to take photos with her. But, she didn't just grab the attention of fellow students from her school. She's conducted multiple interviews with different media outlets and grabbed the attention of Disney's Imagineers. Layla Hildreth, a Shades Valley High School senior from Alabama, was invited to Walt Disney World for a preview of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, after her dress inspired by the Disney princess garnered national attention. Charita Carter, Disney Imagineer and executive creative producer on Tiana's Bayou Adventure, said imagineers were so captivated by Hildreth's story that they invited her and her family to the resort. They also got to attend the "Dig a Little Deeper" showcase, when Hildreth got to show off her dress. "I didn't expect for the story to touch so many people," Hildreth told Florida Today, a part of the USA TODAY Network. "I know people my age have seen Tiana, but they don't really talk about it as much as they used to. So I'm just glad it's coming back." Sewing was integral part of creating viral prom dress It took the graduate five months to complete, but worked on it in between school responsibilities. She sewed her while attending rehearsal and performing in three shows throughout the school year. She said she would have rehearsal from 3 to 10 p.m. some days. "If I really think about how much time actually put into making the dress, it was probably like 2 weeks worth of work," said Hildreth. Those who want to begin sewing "just have to start," said Hildreth. "It took me a very long time to just start doing it," she said. "And it's gonna be a while to actually really, really enjoy it because I was just making things to say that I made it at first. But now I really enjoy making stuff, and I will work until one in the morning if I want to." While Hildreth recently finished other projects that involved hemming her parents' pants, she's also working on creating more varsity jackets for the university she is going to attend in the fall: Georgia State University. She isn't selling her creations though, and is instead using her talents to make gifts for others and honing her craft for now. "I'm trying to learn how to use my embroidery machine better so that I can actually start selling things," said Hildreth. Teen's trip was a magical experience Hildreth got to try Princess Tiana's Beignets, which was her favorite thing to eat on the whole trip, explore Pandora's Island in Animal Kingdom, and wander through Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios. Aside from exploring the most magical place on Earth, Hildreth also got to meet Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Princess Tiana and Michael-Leon Wooley, the voice of the trumpet-playing alligator, Louis at the showcase. Her favorite part, though, was tasting all the different types of food that were inspired by the movie's New Orleans setting. "I'm a foodie, so I definitely enjoy trying all the new foods and seeing what I'd do and do not like," said Hildreth. Alabama teen Layla Hildreth, a Shades Valley High School senior and a fan of Princess Tiana of "The Princess and the Frog," made her own prom dress based on Tiana's signature ball gown. She was invited to Walt Disney World for a preview of Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Sneak preview of Tiana's Bayou Adventure Along with the invite to the most magical place on Earth, Hildreth also got to get a preview of Magic Kingdom's newest ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure. "I've never been on a ride like that," said Hildreth. "When it first started, I expected that it would just be really slow and that was fine. But then there's also like drops, and there's fast moments and slow moments and the visuals are just amazing." The water ride is set to open to the public on June 28, this summer. But a word of advice from the recent high school grad: "You will get wet," warned Hildreth. Especially if you sit at the very front of the ride vehicle. She adds that folks who want to use their phone should take extra precautions. "Definitely get something for your phone if you wanna take videos so that it doesn't get wet," said Hildreth. Florida Today suggests that folks should watch the movie before getting on the ride. "Princess and the Frog" can be watched on Disney+. Contributing: Britt Kennerly, Florida Today Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teen earns Tiana's Bayou Adventure preview after prom dress goes viral An American tourist reported missing on a Greek island was found dead on the beach Sunday, officials said, becoming the third person to die amid extremely hot temperatures in the Mediterranean country. The man, whose identity has not yet been released, disappeared on the small island of Mathraki after last being seen on June 11, when temperatures reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "There is a common pattern they all went for a hike amid high temperatures," Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the Southern Aegean, told Reuters. A photo published by Enimerosi, a news outlet based on the neighboring, larger island of Corfu, shows emergency responders, including a medical examiner, gathered along a rocky, remote beach were the body of the man was found. Hellenic Coast Guard officers transfer the body of British TV doctor Michael Mosley, who was found dead after going missing on the island of Symi, at a port on the island of Rhodes, Greece, on June 9, 2024. There were signs the man drowned, according to a medical examiner who spoke with the outlet. He was transferred to the island of Corfu where an autopsy will be carried out, a police official told Reuters. Mathraki is a 1.2-square-mile heavily wooded island off Greece's west coast, just south of the border with Albania. The man's body was found near the island's old port, Enimerosi reported. Rescuers transfer the body of British TV presenter Michael Mosley, after he was found dead following being reported missing, on the southeastern Aegean Sea island of Symi, Greece, June 9, 2024. Deaths on Greek islands Michael Mosley, missing British TV doctor, found dead 3 other tourists missing in Greece Sunday's discovery on the island of Mathraki comes amid a string of cases of missing people and deaths in Greece, which has faced a blistering heat wave this month that led officials to close schools and the ancient Acropolis complex. As of Monday, there were three other tourists reported missing, all last seen on Greek islands. Two French women were reported missing on Friday on Sikinos, an island off Greece's southeast coast in the Aegean Sea. The women, ages 64 and 73, had planned to meet after leaving their respective hotels, the Associated Press reported. On the nearby island of Amorgos, American Albert Calibet from California was reported missing Tuesday, NBC News reported. The 59-year-old retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff had gone for a solo hike amid temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. On Saturday, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead in a ravine on the island of Samos, and on June 9, British TV personality Michael Mosley, 67, was found dead on the island of Symi. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing tourists on Greek islands: Man found dead on Mathraki WASHINGTON President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is escalating attacks against Donald Trump over the former president's recent guilty verdict and other legal troubles, launching a new television ad Monday as part of a massive $50 million paid media campaign that slams Trump as a "convicted criminal." The 30-second spot, which will air in battleground states and on national cable television, marks the Biden campaign's first ad that tries to seize on Trump's guilty conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York criminal hush-money trial last month. "In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is: He's been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud," a narrator says in the ad, which shows clips of Trump in court. "Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working." The ad touts Biden's efforts to lower health care costs and "making big corporations pay their fair share. "This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family," the ad concludes. The ad's rollout comes 10 days before the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, set for June 27 on CNN. By hitting Trump over his conviction, the Biden campaign risks further inviting attacks from Republican critics who argue Trump's prosecution was motivated by politics and the 2024 election. "Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats' weaponized the justice system against President Trump and this new ad once again proves the sham trial was always meant to be election interference, but Americans see through it," Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "The contrast between President Trumps strength and success versus Crooked Joe Bidens weakness, failures, and dishonesty will be made clear on the debate stage next week," she said. The ad shows the Biden campaign plans to remind Americans of Trump's guilty conviction even after Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was found guilty on three felony gun counts last week. "Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump," Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was convicted last month of falsifying business records to hide a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. His sentencing date is July 11. Trump in January was ordered by a Manhattan jury to pay advice columnist E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019, when he denied her allegations of sexual assault. The Trump Organization, Trump's real estate company, was found guilty in 2022 of tax fraud and other crimes. A New York judge in February ordered Trump to pay a fine of $453.5 million, with additional penalties against two of his sons, for fraudulently over-valuing his real estate empire. Character matters," Tyler said. "And the president of the United States should be someone who understands that the highest office in the land is about you and your family not a vehicle to enrich yourself. That is the ethos Joe Biden puts into the job every day." Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30, 2024. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden ad attacks Trump as 'convicted criminal' in $50M media campaign WASHINGTON America's elected leaders are again headed toward a standoff on some of the most fundamental pieces of legislation they're required to pass every year: Keeping the government operating and protecting the country from its enemies. Standoffs over these must-pass bills have become a familiar tradition in times of divided government. Things are no different in 2024 as the Republican-led House insists on challenging the Democrat-run Senate by stuffing controversial provisions into the most essential bits of legislative business hanging over the current Congress, which is a little more than six months from ending. The U.S House last Friday passed its annual Pentagon policy bill the National Defense Authorization Act. Though the bill is a traditionally bipartisan endeavor to green-light hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for the Defense Department, GOP lawmakers packed the legislation with "culture war" amendments targeting transgender health care policies, diversity programs and climate change initiatives. All those provisions are dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Senate that champions those kinds of government efforts. Almost the same exact thing happened in last years version of the NDAA, when that series of Republican-sponsored amendments got yanked out of the final compromise product that President Joe Biden ultimately signed into law in December. Its a waste of time, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told USA TODAY. He's the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, the panel that determines what amendments could potentially be tacked onto bills, and he accused Republicans of not being serious legislators. House Republicans made a similar move earlier this month when the lower chamber passed one of 12 spending bills needed to fund the government. Their funding bill for military construction and veterans affairs passed along mostly party lines as Democrats decried the legislation for including numerous provisions that target abortion care, diversity programs and transgender care, among others. More: Culture wars: House Republicans attack Defense Department for 'woke' social policies U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., ( speaks alongside House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., at a press conference following a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. Last year, Republicans didnt secure most of the provisions they attached to the defense and spending bills, and the Houses most conservative members relentlessly criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. They also accused leadership of ceding ground to Democrats. I hope the speaker, when it comes back from the Senate, will drive a harder bargain" than he did last year, said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the ultra conservative House Freedom Caucus. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said in an interview that the GOP-led amendments are very much part of the negotiating process in anticipation of an eventual compromise with their Democratic counterparts on the other end of Capitol Hill. We dont need to go worry about what the Senates doing. Were a different body, Hern said. Asked if he had any confidence there could be a different outcome in 2024 where Republicans will be able to secure some of those provisions in the final product, Hern responded, without hesitation: "No. The partisan fighting has also taken a toll on some lawmakers. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., one of the Democrats' most vulnerable members in the upcoming 2024 election, voted for last years version of the NDAA begrudgingly, despite the controversial culture war policy tacked on. He was in almost the same position this year, but he voted against the bill last week, saying he was taking a stance. This is all just a meaningless exercise the same way that it was last year in trying to inject partisan politics, toxic politics into the American discourse, said Vasquez, whose district encompasses the southern portion of his state which has changed hands between Democrats and Republicans five times since 2008. The chair of the House Democratic campaign arm, Rep. Suzan Delbene, D-Wash., has vowed that her party would go after Republicans on the campaign trail for supporting the controversial policy provisions. She's singled out GOP votes targeting abortion and reproductive care as key issues Democrats will continue to hammer Republicans over. To their credit, the House is pushing through the must-pass bills in a more timely manner compared to last year and with an eye toward trying to beat the Sept. 30 end-of-fiscal-year deadline for funding the government. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., laid out an ambitious schedule last month that would see the lower chamber pass all the spending bills and the NDAA by August. The House is currently keeping pace with Scalise's timetable, but the much more controversial bills have yet to be considered. While the House passed its version of the NDAA on Friday, the Senate just finished a week with meetings to consider how they would like to tackle the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor that the chambers Armed Services Committee will consider hundreds of amendments to the defense policy bill. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., walks to the Senate Republican Luncheon in the U.S. Capitol Building on August 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. But one essential question hangs over both the NDAA and the appropriations process to come: Is Congress ready to fulfill our most fundamental responsibility of adequately providing for the common defense? he asked. McConnell argued that the White Houses budget proposal submitted earlier this year would effectively cut spending on national defense. He also took issue with Senate Democrats for insisting on the same top-line spending levels to cover both defense and nondefense portions of the federal government, meaning identical overall funding for the Pentagon and all of the U.S. programs that range from transportation to housing, education, the environment and social service programs. The Senate version of the defense bill would increase Pentagon spending by $25 billion, a higher overall figure that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday "reflects the bipartisan support to ensure robust funding for our national security." Schumer added that the funding increase must be met with an equal increase in spending on programs that serve everyday Americans, citing a bipartisan agreement struck last year between Biden and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to raise the nation's debt limit in exchange for funding cuts. For the moment, theres no sign the Senate will grapple with the same culture war challenges coming from the House. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said hes not worried that those policy add-ons from Republicans in the House will doom the bill in the Senate and expressed confidence the differences will be worked out. Thats why theres two chambers, and why our founders thought to have that type of diversity of thought in the process, he said. At the end of the day, we always come together on the NDAA, and I expect this will be no exception. House GOP lawmakers also acknowledge as much, though it doesnt dissuade some of the members pushing for their controversial amendments. Ill bring them back next year, said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Culture war clashes in Congress risk stalling crucial bills The Magic Key Starcade Experience at Disneyland. MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images Disney agreed to a $9.5 million settlement with guests who purchased a Dream Key pass in 2021. Disney began sending out payments on June 14. A lawsuit claimed Disney misled guests into believing the annual pass had no block-out dates. Disneyland guests who paid nearly $1,400 for a Dream Key annual pass can soon expect a check from Disney. Payments from the $9.5 million settlement were sent to eligible class action lawsuit members through the mail and digitally on June 14. The settlement included over 100,000 people. Jenale Nielsen filed the lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in November 2021 after she purchased a Dream Key, which allows guests to make reservations at Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks without additional charge for one year. The lawsuit said Nielsen purchased the Dream Key for $1,399 because Disney advertised it as having "no block-out dates." Disneyland in Anaheim, California. MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images "Shortly thereafter, Ms. Nielsen attempted to use her Magic Key to make park reservations to visit Disneyland. She was, however, disappointed to learn that Disney had already blocked out many days, including all weekend days in the month of November 2021," the lawsuit read. Nielsen discovered she could make park reservations and purchase single-day passes for those dates, but they were unavailable to Dream Key holders, the lawsuit said. "The problem was not that park reservations were unavailable, or that the parks had reached their capacity and therefore could not provide reservations to its Dream Key pass holders," the lawsuit said. "The problem was that Disney had decided to block out otherwise available park reservations so that they were only available to new purchases and were not available to Dream Key pass holders." The Dream Key pass has since been discontinued. Disney denied any wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement in July 2023 to avoid trial. Nielsen will receive $5,000 from the settlement. Representatives for Disneyland and The Walt Disney Company did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Here's what Dream Key annual pass holders need to know. Who qualifies for the money? The official settlement website said people who purchased a Dream Key between August 2021 and October 2021 are automatically included. They do not have to opt into the settlement. People included in the settlement likely received a notice via postcard or email explaining the details. How much money will you receive? Each payout could vary, but people can expect an estimated $67.41. That's less than a standard one-day, one-park ticket to Disneyland, which starts at more than $100. Can you be excluded from the settlement? The deadline for objecting to the settlement or requesting to be excluded was January 15. As part of the agreement, class members have given up the right to sue Disney for claims that were resolved in the settlement. Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Trump is turning up the heat on Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) as Senate Republicans stand on the precipice of winning back the majority. During Trumps visit with Senate Republicans last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) urged the former president to do more to hammer the two Democratic red-state incumbents. The GOP only needs to defeat one, in addition to West Virginia Gov. Jim Justices (R) widely expected Senate win in the fall, to recapture the upper chamber. Trump appeared ready to oblige. I think he was observing how all of a sudden they had become very big Trump fans of late here back in their respective states, Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said of the two Democrats who must appeal to Republican voters in their ruby-red states. GOP members, he said, want Trump to correct the record directly to voters. But defeating Tester and Brown is no simple feat for the GOP, which is relying on candidates Tim Sheehy and Bernie Moreno, respectively. Both incumbents are considered battle-tested lawmakers who have been through tough reelection fights, including during a presidential year, and have emerged on the other side. But none of their combined Senate victories have come with Trump at the top of the ticket, which Republicans believe will be a difficult mountain to overcome. Tester won Montana by just 3.5 points, while Trump defeated Biden there in 2020 by 16 points. Likewise in Ohio, Brown won his last reelection by about 7 points, while Trump won by 8 points in 2020. Graham noted to the former president during Thursdays meeting at the Senate GOP campaign arms headquarters that he is out-running both Sheehy and Moreno, along with the rest of the GOPs Senate candidate class who are squaring off with a number of well-financed incumbents. We realize that his success is our success, Graham told reporters. I said, Mr. President, youre doing better than every Republican Senate candidate in all the states that matter to us in terms of us becoming the majority. Were in this together. The road to the Senate majority is also the road to the White House, he added. Still, Democrats are quick to note that Trump has plenty on his own plate in presidential battlegrounds, which means Montana and Ohio may not be his highest priority. They also point to his lack of Senate success in recent cycles, with Republicans unable to nab the majority when he was on the ballot in 2020 or in 2022 when many of his personally ordained candidates lost general election fights. I dont see Sen. Herschel Walker [in office], one Democratic operative with experience in Senate races said. Moreno and Sheehy have plenty of vulnerabilities. While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other top Republicans have repeatedly cautioned that taking down well-funded incumbents is no easy task, the GOP has grown increasingly bullish that the party will be able to nab that one additional seat, with Montana serving as the prime opportunity. Tester has a distinct brand that has served him well in Big Sky country, but Republicans argue that what aided him in his 2018 win will be working against him this go-around. Mostly Republicans argue Sheehy is a stronger candidate than Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) was six years ago, and the environment this cycle will almost certainly be better for the GOP. I think Tester is as dead as you can be at this stage as an incumbent. I just dont understand the math that gets him back, one national GOP operative told The Hill, adding that Trumps increased involvement there is obviously helpful and that theres no hurt there. Tester backers dispute that assertion. We do this every six years. Republicans say Jon Tester is weak and they run the same playbook, one Democratic strategist with Montana ties said. I know how much they want Jon to be a weak incumbent, but it doesnt change the fact that its a beltway fantasy. They make it up every six years. In Ohio, meanwhile, the national GOP strategist argued Democrats can run the Romney playbook on Moreno, making him out to look like an enemy of the working class. Theres going to be a significant amount of Trump/Brown voters. The question is: what can [Moreno] keep that margin at? the operative said. The challenge remains can Bernie Moreno stand on his own a little bit? they added A GOP operative with ties to the Moreno campaign pushed back on that characterization and noted that at this time last cycle, now-Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) was down double digits to former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), and that Moreno is only down by five, adding that Brown has already gone negative with his ads. Any smart operative knows that as statewide name-ID equalizes in the fall, Sherrod Browns blind loyalty to Biden is exposed and momentum for Trump-aligned candidate Bernie Morenos campaign surges, the operative continued. Its going to be difficult for Brown to hold on in November. Republicans are also quick to note a number of the ads the Brown campaign has run so far are the types of spots they would consider running for a GOP candidate. Headlining those are recent ads spotlighting hollowed-out automobile plants and affected workers and Browns work to mandate that U.S. steel is used for all federally funded infrastructure projects. An outside group tied to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also has a recent ad out highlighting the Interdict Act, which Brown worked on with Trump to prevent fentanyl and other drugs from entering the U.S. Its that type of messaging that are prompting members to push Trump increasingly into those states. What our folks obviously were interested in is just making sure that he sets the record straight and that people in those states understand who hes backing and that there be no confusion, Thune said. There are lots of allusions in those campaigns to places where they now agree with Trump or are very suggestive that theyre friends and work with him, etcetera. The differences will probably become clear over time, he 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. Hunter Biden asked a judge for a redo of his federal gun trial, but then quickly withdrew the request without explanation, one week after he was convicted by a jury of three felony offenses. His defense attorneys filed the motion seeking a new trial in the morning but then told the court to remove it from the docket, without publicly providing a reason. Bidens lawyers have not responded to requests for comment. The now-removed court filings argued that there was a technical hiccup with the courts, related to Hunter Bidens pretrial appeals, that shouldve prevented the trial judge from proceeding to a jury trial in Delaware. This challenge is similar to several of Bidens previous legal gambits to delay or derail the case, which have all fallen flat in court. The Court empaneled a jury and proceeded to trial before the Court of Appeals returned jurisdiction to the Court by issuing its mandate. Consequently, the conviction must be vacated here, Hunter Bidens lawyers told the trial judge in the Monday filing, which was reviewed by CNN before it was removed from the docket. The apparent request for a new trial comes after Hunter Bidens historic conviction the first time the son of a sitting US president went on trial while his father was in the White House. These latest legal maneuvers relate to whats called a mandate. When an appellate court hands down a decision, it notifies the lower court of that decision by issuing a mandate, often a couple days or weeks later. This mechanism is typically how the lower court gets back jurisdiction for the case, to proceed with the case as appropriate. In this case, Hunter Bidens lawyers claimed in the Monday filing that even though they lost their pretrial appeals, the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals never issued its final mandate that wouldve returned the case back to District Judge Maryellen Noreika. She presided over a jury trial that began June 3 and ended last week with guilty verdicts on all charges. Noreika said in previous rulings that she believes Bidens appeals will not independently divest this Court of jurisdiction and that her trial court and the federal appellate court shall have jurisdiction to proceed. The Delaware-based jury found Hunter Biden guilty of three felonies stemming from his October 2018 purchase of a revolver at a Wilmington gun shop. The jury unanimously concluded that he lied about his drug use on federal background check forms, and possessed the weapon while addicted to or using illegal drugs, which is a federal crime. Hunter Biden has spoken publicly about his lifelong struggle with alcoholism and his spiral into crack cocaine addiction after his brother Beau Biden died from cancer in 2015. Prosecutors used his memoir against him, and also relied on testimony from three former romantic partners who said his rampant drug use destroyed their relationships. The presidents son also is facing a separate trial on federal tax offenses, which is scheduled to begin in September. He has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges in that case. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Reuters) -Lawyers for Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, on Monday withdrew a filing seeking a new trial in his federal gun case, moments after the motion was uploaded to his case's docket in Delaware federal court, according to a note on a court document website. "The Motion for a New Trial (formerly DI 233) has been deleted at the request of counsel," the note filed to the docket website read, describing it as a "correcting entry". Biden's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the action. A spokeswoman for government prosecutors declined to comment. Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a felony earlier this month. A jury found him guilty on all three counts related to his lying about illegal drug use when he purchased a handgun in 2018. Other entries on the docket for the case have been deleted and corrected versions were later refiled. The withdrawn motion argued the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, did not have jurisdiction over the case when it proceeded to trial. At the time of the trial, Hunter Biden had a pending request for the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia to review a ruling by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika declining to dismiss the charges. Noreika had rejected the argument that the gun charges should be dismissed following a 2022 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that expanded gun rights. A three-judge panel of the appeals court in Philadelphia upheld Noreika's ruling, but the appeals court still has not ruled on a request by Hunter Biden to have the appeal reconsidered by the full Third Circuit court. (Reporting by Costas Pitas and Tom Hals; editing by Rami Ayyub and Deepa Babington) As the Israel-Hamas war continues, 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 Jun 18, 4:59 PM Pentagon says US withheld 1 shipment to Israel, defensive security assistance will continue Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the U.S. continues to withhold a single shipment of heavy bombs to Israel and that a final decision on that shipment hasnt been made. Ryder declined to address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus accusation that the U.S. is slowing weapon shipments to Israel in general. "We are absolutely committed to Israels inherent right to defend itself," Ryder said. "Since Hamas vicious attack on Oct. 7, weve rushed billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel to enable them to defend themselves. And we are going to continue to provide them the security assistance they need for defense." Two U.S. officials involved in approving arms transfers to Israel told ABC News that shipments continue to be greenlit as the administration executes on both longstanding orders in the pipeline as well as new requests made after the onset of the war. The sole exception, the officials said, is the frozen shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. The officials said the decision to pause that delivery was made by the White House and that, if its ultimately lifted, they expect that order will come from the White House, too. While the process of actually delivering approved transfers happens across a wide network, including the Department of Defense and private companies, the officials said they werent aware of any other holdups that might be perceived as a bottleneck. In the first weeks and months of the conflict, the Biden administration worked to speed up deliveries to Israel. On two occasions in December, Secretary Antony Blinken invoked an emergency authority to expedite arms sales to Israel, bypassing congressional approval. -ABC News Anne Flaherty and Shannon Crawford Jun 18, 3:02 PM Biden's special envoy calls Hezbollah-Israel conflict 'urgent' The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that "operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field." White House officials are worried about a second war front opening between Israel and Lebanon at Israels northern border, dispatching a top aide to President Joe Biden to the region. Amos Hochstein, a special envoy and deputy assistant at the White House, met Tuesday with Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament. "It's in everyone's interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically. That is both achievable and it is urgent," Hochstein said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. PHOTO: A fire blazes on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border following attacks from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in northern Israel June 18, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/Reuters) When asked if the two countries are on the brink of war, Hochstein said he believes a diplomatic solution is possible, adding, "But this is a very serious situation that we are in." This meeting followed Hochsteins in-person meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials on Monday. White House national security spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Monday that the administration was concerned about the war in Gaza widening to Lebanon. PHOTO: A smoke plume billows during Israeli bombardment across the border in south Lebanon from a position along the border in northern Israel on June 18, 2024. (Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images) "If we weren't concerned about the possibility of escalation and a full blown, second front there, to the north, we wouldn't still be involved in such intense diplomacy that Mr. Hochstein is over there right now," Kirby told reporters in a press call. -ABC News Anne Flaherty Jun 18, 3:35 PM Netanyahu says US is withholding certain weapons Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement Tuesday criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons. Netanyahu said when he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel recently, he told Blinken, "It's inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel." PHOTO: Israeli soldiers stand on top of a tank, in position near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, June 18, 2024. (Amir Cohen/Reuters) "Israel, America's closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies," Netanyahu said. "Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that's the case. It should be the case." Netanyahu then quoted former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "During World War II, Churchill told the United States, 'Give us the tools, we'll do the job,'" Netanyahu said. "And I say, give us the tools and we'll finish the job a lot faster." At a news conference Tuesday, Blinken declined to relate exactly what was said in private diplomatic conversations and did not deny that he had assured Netanyahu that the U.S. was working to remove bottlenecks inhibiting the supply of American arms and ammunition to Israel. PHOTO: Palestinians clear the rubble from a damaged apartment block following overnight Israeli strikes in al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, June 18, 2024. (Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images) Blinken did repeatedly underscore the Biden administrations commitment to Israels defense. "It's very important to remember that our security relationship with Israel goes well beyond Gaza. Israel is facing a multiplicity of threats and challenges including in the north, from Hezbollah, from Iran, from the Houthis in the Red Sea, from various groups that are aligned against Israel and in many cases beholden to Iran," Blinken said. President Joe Biden "will do everything he can to make sure that Israel has what it needs to effectively defend itself against these threats," Blinken said. "And a big part of that, as well, is making sure that in providing that assistance to Israel, it has a strong deterrent, which is the best way to avoid more conflict, to avoid more war, to avoid what we're already seeing in Gaza spreading to other areas." White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is surprised by Netanyahus claim of the U.S. withholding weapons. We generally do not know what he's talking about," she said Tuesday. Jun 17, 2:59 PM End of Rafah operation weeks away: IDF The Israeli military is "weeks" away from wrapping up the main part of its controversial ground invasion in and around Rafah in southern Gaza, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told ABC News. "We are there to dismantle the military framework of the [Hamas'] Rafah Brigade," Hagari said on Monday. "We are weeks now just from achieving this goal," he said. PHOTO: Vehicles move about past the tents and shelters of people displaced by conflict in the western part of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, June 14, 2024. (Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images) The Israeli military now controls over 60% of the Rafah area, Israeli defense officials told ABC News on Monday. -ABC News Tom Soufi Burridge, Hugo Leenhardt and Dana Savir Jun 17, 1:49 PM Israeli forces kill 'key' Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that its soldiers have killed Muhammad Mustafa Ayoub, describing him as a "key operative" in Hezbollahs rocket and missile department in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah confirmed Ayoubs death in a brief statement. Jun 17, 8:55 AM Israeli war cabinet disbanded, official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded his war cabinet, the small group of government officials who had been tasked with overseeing decisions about the war against Hamas, a spokesperson said. The prime minister said there was "no more need for an extra branch of government," the spokesperson said. -ABC News' Joe Simonetti Jun 17, 6:47 AM Netanyahus security cabinet to handle war decisions, Israeli official says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his governments security cabinet will now make decisions about the war against Hamas, an Israeli official told ABC News. Netanyahu is now expected to make critical decisions on the war during small ad hoc meetings while seeking final approval from the wider security cabinet. PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/AP) The decision came about a week after one of three core members of Netanyahus war cabinets said he would resign from the influential body. Israeli minister Benny Gantz on Sunday, June 9, said he would resign from both the coalition government led by Netanyahu and the prime ministers war cabinet. The war cabinet had been formed on Oct. 11, in the days following the Oct. 7 surprise terrorist attack by Hamas militants. -ABC News Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey Jun 16, 6:56 PM Israeli security cabinet discusses steps to 'strengthen' West Bank settlements The Israeli political security cabinet "discussed steps to strengthen settlements in the West Bank, among other things, in response to countries that unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state after October 7," in a meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said in a statement. Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized Palestine as a state at the end of May. Separately, 143 of the 193 members in the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution stating that Palestinians qualify for full-member status at the United Nations at the beginning of May, according to the New York Times. The cabinet also discussed "a series of reactions against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies," the statement added. The Israeli minister of defense and the deputy prime minister "requested an additional period of time to make their comments," the statement says, and then the prime minister will "bring all the proposals to a vote at the next cabinet meeting." -ABC News Jordana Miller Jun 16, 4:35 PM Biden cites pain of Muslims in Gaza in Eid al-Adha holiday statement President Joe Biden issued a statement Sunday commemorating the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha in which he acknowledged the pain and suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza. "In Gaza, innocent civilians are suffering the horrors of the war between Hamas and Israel.," Biden said. "Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense." Biden added that his administration is working to end the war and make progress toward a two-state solution. "And I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the U.N. Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war," Biden said. Biden also cited the conflict in Sudan as well as the targeting of Muslim communities in Burma and China. He used the holiday to celebrate the contributions of the Muslim community in America and also to say that he is committed to fighting Islamophobia in the United States. "Hate has no place in America, whether it is targeted at American Muslims, Arab Americans including Palestinians, or anyone else," Biden said. He added, "In the spirit of Eid al-Adha, let us all renew our commitment to values that unite us -- compassion, empathy, and mutual respect -- which are both American and Islamic." ABC News' Michelle Stoddart Jun 16, 5:55 AM Netanyahu not briefed before 'tactical pause' announcement, Israeli official tells ABC News When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heard the reports on Sunday about a daily "tactical pause" along an aid route, he contacted his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him, an Israeli official told ABC News. After an inquiry, the prime minister was informed that there was no change in Isreal Defense Forces policy and that the fighting in Rafah would continue as planned, the official said. PHOTO: A man pulls a cart loaded with salvaged wood alongside another pushing a bicycle loaded with bags along a street in the eastern part of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 14, 2024. (Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images) IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari released a statement in Hebrew shortly after announcement saying the pause will affect a single aid route. "There is no cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, and the fighting in Rafah continues," Hagari said. "Also, there is no change in the introduction of goods into the Gaza Strip." -ABC News Jordana Miller, Victoria Beaule and Kevin Shalvey Bright, juicy, and easy to drink, Alsatian Pinot Noir belongs on your radar. Xsandra / Getty Images Alsatian Pinot Noir is finally stepping into the spotlight. The addition of the red wine grape to the Grand Cru vineyard sites Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr in August 2022 has paved a dazzling road for red wine made in the region historically known for its white wines. Pinot Noir has grown in Alsace since the Middle Ages. It was often simply referred to as red wine until 1539 when the variety was first identified and recorded as Pinot Noir by botanist, theologian, and doctor Jerome (or Hieronymus) Bock. In the historically war-torn region of Alsace, Pinot Noir was considered table wine, and subsequently overlooked in the original 1975 decree of the Alsace grand cru designation as well as in later revisions, until the designation changed in 2022. In the past decade, however, Alsatian winemakers have changed their approach to making Pinot Noir, and are finally giving the variety its due attention. Alexandra Gerteis, a sommelier and owner of Etcetera Wine Bar in San Francisco, loves Pinot Noir from Alsace, describing the wines as beautiful and delicate while acknowledging they are very rare and unknown to the public. "Alsatian Pinot Noir delivers unbelievable value when compared to average price points of wines from Burgundy or German Pinot Noir"" Fortunately, change is in the air. According to Matthew Kaner, Alsace ambassador at the 2024 Alsace Rocks event in New York City, Pinot Noir is quickly becoming a calling card for the region. Lara Michole Tillotson, sommelier at Gabriel Kreuther in New York City, has noticed an increased presence of what she calls interesting, diverse, powerful, and luxurious red wines from Alsace in the U.S. market. What does Alsatian Pinot Noir taste like? Created as a pure expression of the fruit, Alsatian Pinot Noir is generally made in a non-oaked style and is the only red variety allowed to be grown in the regional cru, or vineyard classification system, in Alsace. These wines are medium-bodied and offer fresh red berry flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. In examples where some oak is used in the winemaking, the wines are well-balanced and offer warm baking spices on the palate alongside red berry flavors. Many Alsatian Pinot Noir wines reflect a Burgundian style of winemaking, displaying elegance and power, as well as the ability to age for a decade or two. Alsatian Pinot Noir delivers unbelievable value when compared to average price points of wines from Burgundy or German Pinot Noir, says Kaner. Alsatian wines are leaner than wines from typically warmer regions, like California. They also offer more red berry fruit than the dark, cherry flavors often found in Oregon Pinot Noir. Cremant dAlsace rose, or pink sparkling wine from the region made in the traditional style using 100% Pinot Noir grapes, is a light and lively sparkler with soft aromas of strawberry and cherry blossoms that offers round peach, floral, and raspberry notes on the palate. Related: What Is the Difference Between Merlot and Pinot Noir? Alsatian wines are leaner than wines from typically warmer regions, like California. They also offer more red berry fruit than the dark, cherry flavors often found in Oregon Pinot Noir. Cremant dAlsace rose, or pink sparkling wine from the region made in the traditional style using 100% Pinot Noir grapes, is a light and lively sparkler with soft aromas of strawberry and cherry blossoms that offers round peach, floral, and raspberry notes on the palate. How to pair Alsatian Pinot Noir with food There are limitless food pairings for Cremant dAlsace rose, and the style works well with everything from light goat cheese and honey to spicy vegetable ramen or sweet and smoky barbeque ribs. Alsace is undeniably rich in culinary tradition with both French and German influences in its cuisine. Pinot Noir produced in the region pairs tremendously well with hearty local dishes such as tarte flambee and pork charcuterie. Abe Zarate, head sommelier at Contento in New York City, leans into the pork and Pinot Noir pairing. The concentration of glossy red fruit in Alsatian Pinot Noir plays beautifully with the smokiness of bacon, spiciness of chorizo, and saltiness of cured meats, he says. Hewing to the regional food pairings at Gabriel Kreuther, Tillotson pairs Alsatian Pinot Noir with dishes like duck confit and country sausage. She also recommends pairing Alsatian Pinot Noir with whatever is coming off the grill. Gerteis agrees with traditional pairings but also loves to match Alsatian Pinot Noir with dishes like smoked salmon salad with arugula, walnut, and lemon. With more Alsatian Pinot Noir wines hitting the market, its becoming easier to find quality bottles. Here are four producers who offer a magnificent way to taste diverse flavors and styles of Alsatian Pinot Noir. Albert Mann Born from the union of two families, Albert Mann is one of the most widely known Alsatian producers imported to the United States. Made with grapes from the Hengst grand cru vineyard, Manns Grand H Pinot Noir 2020 is highly recommended by both Tillotson and Zarate. This biodynamic wine offers elegance and power with a profile of woodland strawberries, freshly harvested wild mushrooms, and red raspberries. Allimant Laugner A family estate that has produced a range of wines in Alsace for eleven generations, Allimant Laugners Cremant dAlsace Rose comes recommended by Gerteis. This certified organic Pinot Noir sparkler has lively aromas of juicy watermelon on the nose and notes of fresh summer strawberries on the palate. Cave de Ribeauville A cooperative formed by 44 Alsatian wine making families in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war, Cave de Ribeauville produces many expressions of Pinot Noir. Their organic Pinot Noir is expressive and complex with fresh red cherry aromas, vanilla, and black cherry on the palate and a velvety finish, while a Cremant dAlsace Rose is bright, fresh and bubbly with red berry aromas. Francois Baur This small, biodynamic estate is known for planting Pinot Noir in the traditionally white wine Grand Cru vineyard, Brand. From this fruit, the producer creates its Sang du Dragon expression (translating to dragons blood), a favorite of Tillotson. Tenacious, low-yield vines on steep slopes provide the base of this Pinot Noir, which offers a full spectrum of crimson cherries and red plums, with a strong backbone and soft oak spice. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. "This whole idea makes my teeth itch. Its not right," Freeman told Variety while speaking about his new project 'The Gray House' Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Morgan Freeman is detailing why he doesn't like celebrating Black History Month while questioning why it falls on the "shortest month in a year." The Academy Award winner, 87, has previously called the annual observance an "insult" and one that "relegate[s] my history to a month." In a new interview with Variety, he's elaborating on his feelings. I detest it. The mere idea of it," Freeman shared in an interview on Saturday, June 15, a day after he picked up the Crystal Nymph award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. "You are going to give me the shortest month in a year? And you are going to celebrate my history?! This whole idea makes my teeth itch. Its not right." While speaking about executive producing the new Civil War series The Gray House, which opened at the festival over the weekend, Freeman added: "My history is American history. Its the one thing in this world I am interested in, beyond making money, having a good time and getting enough sleep," he said. Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Morgan Freeman attends Oceana's 16th Annual SeaChange Summer Party held at The Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach on July 22, 2023 Related: How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation Celebrated Black History Month The Shawshank Redemption star previously expressed his distaste for the phrase in an interview with The Times in April 2023, when he questioned both "Black History Month" and the term "African-American." In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month as a national holiday, decades after Harvard historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland began celebrating with a week-long recognition in February of the many contributions Black Americans have made to society. As previously reported, the month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Other countries also celebrate Black History Month, with the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Ireland doing so in October. "Black History Month is an insult," Freeman previously told The Times in 2023. "You're going to relegate my history to a month... Also 'African-American' is an insult. I don't subscribe to that title. Black people have had different titles all the way back to the N-word and I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses 'African-American'." "What does it really mean? Most black people in this part of the world are mongrels," Freeman continued about the term being used in the same context as Irish-Americans or Italian-Americans. "You say Africa as if it's a country when it's a continent, like Europe." 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. Freeman said at the time that he was in "total agreement" with a sentiment once shared by Denzel Washington: "I'm very proud to be Black, but Black is not all I am." "You can't define me that way," he said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday, both countries announced, amid international concerns about their military cooperation. Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. It will be Putin's first trip to North Korea in 24 years. North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said Putin will pay a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kim's invitation. North Korean state media didnt immediately provide details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. There are growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putins war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kims nuclear weapons and missile program. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, their first since 2019. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers. Any weapons trade with North Korea would be a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia, a permanent U.N. Security Council member, previously endorsed. Andrei Lankov, an expert on North Korea at Kookmin University in Seoul, noted that in exchange for providing artillery munitions and short-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang hopes to get higher-end weapons from Moscow. Lankov noted that while Russia could be reluctant to share its state-of-the-art military technologies with North Korea, its eager to receive munitions from Pyongyang. There is never enough ammunition in a war, there is a great demand for them, Lankov told The Associated Press. There were signs that Kim was preparing to throw a lavish celebration for Putin as he tries to boost the visibility of their relationship to his domestic audience. The North Korea-focused NK News website said Monday that its analysis of commercial satellite images suggest that the North is possibly preparing a huge parade at a square in the countrys capital, Pyongyang. Kim in recent months has made Russia his primary focus as he tries to strengthen his regional footing and expand cooperation with nations confronting the United States, embracing the idea of what he portrays as a new Cold War. During telephone talks with South Koreas vice foreign minister on Friday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell raised concern that Putins visit to the North would result in further military cooperation between the countries that potentially undermines stability in the region, Seouls Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Not only does the summit upgrade North Koreas status among countries standing against the U.S.-led international order, it also helps bolster Kims domestic legitimacy. Russia cannot replace China economically, but increasing cooperation with Moscow shows that Pyongyang has options. Putin first visited Pyongyang in July 2000, months after his first election when he met with Kims father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country then. Moscow has said it highly appreciates Pyongyangs support for Russias military action in Ukraine and mentioned its close and fruitful cooperation at the United Nations and other international organizations. Russia and China have repeatedly blocked the U.S. and its partners attempts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its barrage of banned ballistic missile tests. In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates the sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. During a news conference in March, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea had already shipped about 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia. In return, Shin said that North Korea had received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid. Kim has also used Russias war in Ukraine as a distraction to dial up his weapons development as he pursues a nuclear arsenal that could viably threaten the United States and its Asian allies. This prompted the U.S. and South Korea to expand their combined military exercises and sharpen their nuclear deterrence strategies built around strategic U.S. assets. Earlier this year, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in September. Observers said the shipment violated a U.N. resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. Putin has continuously sought to rebuild ties with Pyongyang as part of efforts to restore his countrys global clout and its Soviet-era alliances. Moscows ties with North Korea weakened after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Kim Jong Un first met with Putin in 2019 in Russias eastern port of Vladivostok. NEW YORK Marty Dolan has an unmistakable finance-dad-on-a-Saturday vibe. Dressed in a grey windbreaker and spikeless golf shoes, with perched Ray-Ban sunglasses pushing up against his thick silver mane, Dolan cut an unlikely figure as he knocked on several doors at Astoria Houses, a public housing development in Queens, on a Tuesday in May. The words emblazoned on his windbreaker offered a clue: Marty Dolan for Congress NY-14 The 66-year-old investment banker is mounting a primary challenge against Democratic superstar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York's 14th district, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. Marty Dolan, 66, will be challenging U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary in June in an effort to represent the 14th Congressional District in the east Bronx neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Co-Op City, Throgs Neck and Parkchester, plus the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, East Elmhurst and part of Jackson Heights. Dolan is seen along the waterfront in Astoria, Queens, N.Y., on June 13, 2024. 'Not a radical.' Dolan pitches more moderate brand of progressive politics Dolan describes himself as a progressive but not a radical. Thats a term he reserves for Ocasio-Cortez, the most popular member of "The Squad which is made up of the most liberal politicians in Congress. Dolan is betting that New Yorkers sick of her stance on Democratic policies have become a flashpoint within the party, will vote for him in the June 25 election. He says New York's taxpayers are burdened and see their quality of life ruined. Running against Ocasio-Cortez, famously known as A.O.C, is an uphill battle for the political newbie who announced his candidacy against the three-term incumbent in March. But if Dolan is an unknown political quantity, so was Ocasio-Cortez when she ran first ran for her seat in 2018. The former bartender who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign stunned the political establishment by defeating Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent in a major midterm elections primary upset. In 2019, at age 29, she became the youngest woman ever to serve in the U.S. Congress. Dolan charges Ocasio-Cortez, 34, has been derelict in her duty towards her constituents in the Bronx and Queens neighborhoods that make up her district. He especially blames her championing policies that have seen New York City dealing with an undocumented migrant crisis and for her support of bail reform which he says have made quality of life worse for its residents. The increase in undocumented immigrants arriving in New York are competing for resources with her (Ocasio-Cortezs) constituents, says Dolan. The consequences of A.O.C dumbly encouraging global migration with the prize being a 2,200 mile walk from Ecuador to Texas is 25,000 to 50,000 civilian casualties along the Central American trail to El Paso. New York City and the migrant crisis New York City should no longer be a sanctuary city a policy which discourages local law enforcement from reporting the immigration status of individuals unless it involves investigation of a serious crime, says Dolan. The city also has a right to shelter law which guarantees a bed to guarantee a bed to anyone who sought one the same day. More than 200,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake system since the migrant crisis began in the spring of 2022, according to New York City officials. Mayor Eric Adams, who said last year "the issue will destroy New York City" says so far, the city has spent $4.6 billion on the crisis. Last November, the mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York wrote a joint letter to President Joe Biden about getting federal help in managing the surge of migrants. "We're going to do our job," Adams said in February. "But we should be asking the national government: Why is this happening to Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington?" Polling also shows how the Democrats' views on the migrant crisis has changed over the past couple of years. In 2022, 42% of Democrats thought the government was doing a good job on dealing with large number of migrants at the border. By 2024, that only about a quarter of Democrats thought that, according to a poll by Pew Research. "We need to freeze the border and send that message to the world to stop the death and casualties along the way," says Dolan. "The Republicans are right on this issue. But that doesnt make me a Republican. No party is right on every issue." Marty Dolan, 66, will be challenging U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary in June in an effort to represent the 14th Congressional District in the east Bronx neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Co-Op City, Throgs Neck and Parkchester, plus the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, East Elmhurst and part of Jackson Heights. Dolan is seen along the waterfront in Astoria, Queens, N.Y., on June 13, 2024. On his campaign website, Dolan who has served as managing director at banks including Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, puts the citys current plight thus: Bail reform a disaster, the National Guard in the subway, toothpaste locked up in drugstores but criminals running free. Dolan is a proponent of having uniform policies across federal, state, county and city lines on everything from taxes to immigrationas determined by the federal government. He calls it Hamilton Plan 2.0 in honor of Alexander Hamilton, the nations first treasury secretary. It makes no sense to have competing national, state, county, and city policies, he says. Cities are agencies not sovereign entities. This is where all the confusion and subsequent mayhem comes from. A.O.C primary: Not debating her primary challenger 'An insult to voters' Dolan says Ocasio-Cortez, who hasnt faced a primary challenge since 2020, has not responded to his campaign's invitation to debate him. In an interview with the Bronx Times, Ocasio-Cortez responded saying: I dont see dignifying him with one. Ironically, in 2018, when the congresswoman first ran for her seat, her opponent, then-incumbent Crowley, was heavily criticized for sending a staffer in his place. When USA TODAY asked Ocasio-Cortezs office about her refusal to debate Dolan, her office responded saying they would not be commenting for the story. It's an insult to the voters, said Dolan. She said it would be beneath her dignity to debate with us. I think she knows that I would ask questions that she wouldn't have answers for. A son of an Argentinian immigrant of Irish descent and an American mother, Dolan grew up with eight siblings in Irvington, an affluent suburb in Westchester County. His father was a physician who arrived on a work visa-- and his mother a nurse. My mom and dad focused on education, he said. We all worked our way through college. Having spent his early years in a cramped two-bedroom house with nine people 7 kids and both parents Dolan is passionate about renovating old homes. "I went from living in the smallest home to owning the home with the highest taxes in town," he says. He's renovated a home in London, and in 2020, completed a project on a historic home in Irvington that took more than a decade. "It went from being, you know, completely an abandoned house into the largest taxpayer in the school district," he says. Dolan, who has a background in finance, says NYC has 'financial cancer' Dolan, who is thrice divorced and a father of three grown children, says he was looking for the next big challenge. As a longtime New Yorker (from 2000 to 2020 he lived in both Manhattan and Westchester County), he says he was troubled by how the radical agenda was pushing the city to the brink. "The taxes are through the roof and they want to raise it more," he says. "They know nothing about taxes and they know nothing about business. I know and understand these things." Dolan says New York City has "financial cancer," and his work as a banker in reinsurance and risk uniquely qualifies him to tackle the city's financial problems. His opponent has "grievously injured" New York City's reputation as place to do business as a result of her opposition to the Amazon HQ deal, he says. "It's become reputationally uncompetitive," he says. "Businesses would rather go to other states." When Dolan decided to challenge radical politicians in New York, his first mark was Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). But when Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a moderate Democrat, decided to primary Bowman, Dolan shifted his focus to Ocasio-Cortez. Dolan, who has an MBA from Harvard Business School and has worked at several big banks, both in the US and Europe, is currently renting an apartment each in the Bronx and Queens to better reach voters, he says. Coincidentally, Ocasio-Cortez also grew up in Westchester County, in a wooded suburb called Yorktown Heights, just 17 miles north of Irvington. She was born in the Bronx and moved to the northern suburb at age 5. New York's 16th Congressional District: Two candidates with Westchester County connections duke it out New York's 14th congressional district is one of the nations most diverse, with a majority Hispanic/Latino population (47.5%), according to the U.S. Census. More than 60% of the households speak a language other than English at home and 20% of the constituents lives in poverty. Ocasio-Cortez has Puerto Rican roots. The winner of the primary is almost assured to win the general in this heavily Democratic district, where historically, Democrats have won more than 65% of the vote. But Dolan is going up against a well-known candidate flush with cash. Marty Dolan, age 66, will be challenging U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary in June in an effort to represent the 14th Congressional District in the east Bronx neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Co-Op City, Throgs Neck and Parkchester, plus the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, East Elmhurst and part of Jackson Heights. Dolan is seen speaking with a resident of the area, Kia Greene, age 37, with her dogs Troy and Shai, along the waterfront in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. As of March 31, Dolan had raised a little more than $250,000, out of which $222,500 was loaned by the candidate to himself, according to FEC filings. He raised about $28,000 in contribution and had a little more than $26,000in cash on hand. During the same time period, Ocasio-Cortez had raised more than $1.6 million in contributions (with a total of $6.8 million in the election cycle) and had more than $6 million cash on hand. Eliot Engel, who served in Congress for 32 years, and was defeated in 2021 by Bowman, continues to live in the Bronx. He says Dolans moderate policies are what New York needs. He believes Ocasio-Cortezs politics, such as voting against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and scuttling the effort to build Amazon headquarters in Queens, shows shes more interested in political aggrandizement than helping her constituents. It would have created so many jobs, and she voted against it, and that was very irresponsible, he said. Shes interested in being a big shot and running around the country than she is in bringing jobs to her community. Engel says the congresswomans focus has been on gaining national attention to run for higher office. People want to have a better standard of living and they want somebody whose main reason for running for office is to produce for their community," he said. "Not to just get up in front of a soap box and audition for national office. Many of Ocasio-Cortez's recent town halls with constituents have been marked with chaotic disruptions and hecklers. At one town hall, a man shouted: American citizens before migrants. In May, as Dolan went around knocking on doors at the Queens housing project, most people didn't answer. At many apartments, which remained closed, dogs barked loudly. When, occasionally, a resident answered, they seemed unaware of the June 25 primary. For all the name recognition and social media followers that Ocasio-Cortez has, people in this apartment building didn't seem to know who she was. "Campaigning is not easy," Dolan said. Asked why he didn't pick another old house to renovate as the next challenge, he said: "Renovate? Well, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm renovating the House of Representatives." Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AOC primary: Who is the NY Rep's election challenger Marty Dolan? A Pomeranian named Charlie, now 18, was living at a Palm Springs hotel when his owner adopted him in 2016 Roy Rochlin/Getty Lara Eurdolian King and her dog Charlie A new book teaches kids about adoption through the experience of a 10-year-old dog who was living at a California hotel before he found his forever home in 2016. Charlie the Pomeranian, now 18, was at a hotel in Palm Springs, Calif. when his owner Lara Eurdolian King met him while on vacation, she told Good Morning Americain an interview. The dog lived in the hotel lobby through a pet adoption program that allowed one dog at a time to live at the hotel until they found a forever home and a new dog moved in, the host and entrepreneur explained. King took a liking to Charlie and began walking him every day to get to know him his situation made her sad because older dogs have a harder time getting rescued. She eventually fell in love with him. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! "To be honest, my heart kind of just broke when I saw him living there ... he was the longest-running dog in the program," King said. "He didn't look quite as fluffy and healthy as he does today at 18, but I knew we could fix that or at least give him a very comfortable, loving life." Roy Rochlin/Getty Charlie the Pomeranian Eight years later, Charlie's fur is looking as full as his life and he has taken on a new role as the muse for King's new book, Charlie at the Pom Springs Hotel. Related: 'Pink' Rescue Dog Piglet Shares Story of Hope, Perseverance in New Book: 'It's About Finding Joy,' Says Owner The book tells Charlie's real-life story of how he was a de facto tour guide at the hotel who made friends with other animals on the property (like turtles, swans, ducks and bunnies) but longed for a forever home. 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. King said that in the book, Charlie is "happy" but feels that his family is missing. "Spoiler alert, he gets his wish," King told GMA, adding that the book is meant to teach all kinds of families, including kids who are adopted and parents looking to teach their kids about the concept, that adoption is "a happy way" to find a forever family. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. New research reports that smartwatches and smartphones could be used to detect Parkinsons symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Belinda Howell/Getty Images This article originally appeared on Medical News Today More than 10 million people around the world have Parkinsons disease, a neurodegenerative condition that currently has no cure. Early signs of Parkinsons disease differ from person to person and may be hard to diagnose. New research reports that everyday smartwatches and smartphones could be used to measure changes in Parkinsons symptoms over time in people in the early stages of the disease. More than 10 million people globally have Parkinsons disease a neurological condition that affects a persons ability to move. There is currently no cure for Parkinsons disease. Early signs of Parkinsons disease vary from person to person and may be difficult to diagnose. For this reason, scientists are constantly exploring ways to diagnose the condition in its earliest stages. One such group of researchers hails from the University of Rochester Medical Center. In their new study, they report that everyday smartwatches and smartphones in this case, an Apple Watch paired with an app on an iPhone could potentially be used to measure changes in Parkinsons symptoms over time in people with early-stage Parkinsons disease. The findings were published in npj Parkinsons Disease, a Nature publication. Tracking Parkinsons with smartwatches This research was done as part of a study called WATCH-PD, which included 82 adults with early, untreated Parkinsons disease and 50 age-matched controls. Scientists collected data from participants using three devices: research-grade wearable Opal sensors, an Apple Watch 4 or 5, and an iPhone 10 or 11 with an application specifically for Parkinsons disease called BrainBaseline. According to lead study author Jamie Adams, MD, associate professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the Center for Health + Technology, the researchers chose to study smartwatches to monitor Parkinsons disease progression because smartwatches and smartphones are accessible and user-friendly with many people already having these devices. Adams shared the following with Medical News Today: This makes them scalable and appealing for wide use. The technology is able to collect both active measures like finger tapping and passive measures like everyday step counts, gait speed, or proportion of time with tremors. We are learning more and more about best practices for digital monitoring in clinical trials and how to analyze and interpret digital data, and the WATCH-PD study has been a key contributor to this knowledge. How does a smartwatch measure Parkinsons symptoms? During the study, participants were followed for 12 months and data was collected on how their early Parkinsons disease symptoms changed over time. The BrainBaseline iPhone app provided cognitive, speech, and psychomotor tasks to help test things like reading, speech, and fine motor skills. Many devices have the ability to collect similar data, Adams explained when asked how the smartwatch and smartphone in their study worked. Some devices collect raw data that needs to be processed and analyzed by researchers after the collection to provide more meaningful measures like step counts or proportion of time with tremor. Other devices collect the raw data and also have applications that provide some measures. The Apple Watch has a movement disorders application that provides data on tremors and dyskinesias, which are symptoms experienced in Parkinsons disease, Adams continued. This is not the first study to use a smartwatch or other wearable device for Parkinsons disease. A 2023 study reported that smartwatches may help detect Parkinsons disease up to seven years before symptoms appear. And a 2021 study found that a smartwatch and smartphone monitoring system could capture changes and improvements in Parkinsons disease symptoms when wearers received doctor-derived therapy changes. Smartwatch detected Parkinsons symptom changes At the studys conclusion, researchers found that participant data collected through a smartwatch detected symptoms of Parkinsons, including significant declines in measures of gait, an increase in tremors, modest changes in speech, and decreases in arm swing. Our findings showed that the smartwatch and smartphone application were able to objectively detect changes in gait and tremor over one year in people with early Parkinsons disease, Adams explained. The early Parkinsons population is of interest for potential disease-modifying therapies. However, the disease progresses slowly, and our traditional measures are episodic and subjective and may not reflect an individuals true state. Digital measures, in addition to advances in machine learning and AI, are poised to help us detect subtle changes in progression and help determine whether therapies, which are desperately needed in Parkinsons disease, are working, she continued. Parkinsons disease is the fastest-growing neurologic disease. We currently do not have any medications to cure or slow the progression of the disease. Identifying objective, sensitive, and meaningful measures of disease progression will hopefully allow us to find treatments faster. Jamie Adams, MD, lead study author Next steps for smartwatches and Parkinsons Adams said digital measures must be sensitive to change and meaningful to people with the disease in order to be used as monitoring endpoints in clinical trials. A remote extension of this study using the smartwatch and smartphone application with remote visits has been generously funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research and is underway, she detailed. We will be analyzing the data for changes in the digital measures over three years and try to identify digital signals that are sensitive to or even predict medication initiation, and also conducting qualitative work to evaluate which measures are most meaningful to people with Parkinsons and how that may change over time. There is a lot of excitement for digital measures in Parkinsons disease, but still much work to be done including continued algorithm development, refinement, and validation, Adams added. This requires multi-stakeholder involvement, collaboration, and commitment including industry, academia, regulators, and most importantly, patients this type of multi-stakeholder input has been present in WATCH-PD and is a key reason for the studys success. New diagnostic tools for Parkinsons needed After reviewing this study, Hooman Azmi, MD, director of the Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told MNT the study harnesses wearable technology to assess the symptoms of Parkinsons. While (the) use of wearables to assess Parkinsons symptoms has been done before, this study is a larger scale study, looking at the ability of wearables to assess the progression of Parkinsons compared to healthy controls, Azmi said. It is important as it demonstrates the ability to continuously assess patients, and allows more information for the neurologist to better understand how their treatments are affecting the patient, not just during a visit in the office, but in between visits and on a continuous basis. This will help neurologists be able to better manage symptoms of Parkinsons, he added. It is important to understand how Parkinsons progresses to be able to better diagnose and treat the disorder. Currently, our only and best way of diagnosis is a physical examination, looking at certain characteristics of a movement as well as symptomatic complaints of patients to diagnose them and to assess the response to medication. It is believed that by the time symptoms can be picked (and) identified in patients, degenerative changes have been going on in the brain for quite some time, possibly even over a decade, and being able to identify disease markers earlier will be important when we have agents that can slow down the disease or reverse it. We dont have any such agents at the present time, but there is hope that we will have these in the not-so-distant future. Hooman Azmi, MD, neurosurgeon View the original article on Medical News Today A report from the New York Times on Saturday alleges Will Lewis, the Washington Posts embattled new publisher and chief executive, used fraudulent and unethical methods to obtain information for articles while working at the London-based Sunday Times in the early 2000s. Citing a former co-worker of Lewis, a private investigator and its own investigation of newspaper archives, the New York Times said Lewis used phone and company records that were fraudulently obtained through hacking and paying sources for information. Through the haze of accusations, it remains unclear whether these claims will prompt Lewis to step down from the helm of one of the most distinguished outlets in the country. Even so, experts see Lewis grasp on the newsroom as one that is increasingly weakening. Margaret Sullivan, executive director of the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at Columbia Universitys School of Journalism, told CNN on Sunday that Lewis position is increasingly untenable. These latest allegations of questionable journalistic ethics could also leave an enduring impression on a newsroom already reeling from the blindsiding ouster of its executive editor, Sally Buzbee. The allegations may also end up reflecting on the papers own reputation as a standard-bearer for American journalism. Late on Sunday, the Washington Post itself published a story about Robert Winnett, whom Lewis appointed to take the top job at the Posts core newsroom after the US presidential election in November. The Post article alleged that Winnett, a Lewis protege, was linked to a man who used dishonest means to obtain information that Winnett then used in his journalism. In a statement, the Washington Post said: We cover The Washington Post independently, rigorously and fairly. Given perceived and potential conflicts, we have asked former senior managing editor Cameron Barr, who stepped down from that position in 2023 and now has a contractual relationship as a senior associate editor, to oversee this coverage. The publisher has no involvement in or influence on our reporting. In a follow-up on Monday, the Post added that The executive editor and relevant masthead editors review and provide input, with Camerons concurrence, to ensure that our work meets our highest standards. Winnett did not immediately respond to a CNN query via LinkedIn. The Society of Professional Journalists, which represents about 7,000 members across the country and whose journalism standards are recognized in many newsrooms, warns journalists in its Code of Ethics: Do not pay for access to news. While SPJ does not explicitly address hacking as a means of newsgathering, it does tell journalists to avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public but cautions that pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance of undue intrusiveness. The new accusations come as Lewis tries to fend off resurfacing allegations of his involvement in a UK phone hacking scandal coverup, in which he has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Lewis has previously said his role in the scandal consisted of rooting out problematic behavior. A spokesperson for the Washington Post told CNN Lewis declined to comment. A Washington Post source with knowledge of internal meetings at the paper last week told CNN that Lewis has told employees his role as publisher is to create the environment for great journalism and to encourage and support it, that he will never interfere in the journalism and that he is very clear about the lines that should not be crossed. The decade-old scandal engulfed right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdochs News of the World tabloid and was revived in recent years in a new lawsuit filed by Prince Harry and Hollywood figures including Guy Ritchie and Hugh Grant. At the time of the News of the World controversy, Lewis was a senior executive at Murdochs News Corporation. But a cascade of claims has followed Lewis in recent weeks, mostly involving alleged attempts to suppress stories about his connection with the coverup. Earlier this month, the New York Times first reported that Lewis, who took the reins at the Washington Post on January 2, clashed with Buzbee over publishing an article in May that named him in connection to the scandal, although a spokesperson for Lewis has denied he pressured Buzbee to quash the article, according to NPR. Buzbee abruptly left the company earlier this month. Days later, an NPR reporter said Lewis offered him an interview in exchange for quashing a forthcoming article about the scandal. The Washington Post did not respond to CNN with regard to these allegations. A spokesperson for Lewis told the New York Times earlier this month when the story broke that when he was a private citizen ahead of joining The Washington Post, he had off the record conversations with an employee of NPR about a story the employee then published. The spokesperson added that any request for an interview after he joined the Washington Post was processed through the normal corporate communication channels. Buzbees departure has seemingly frayed Lewis command of his newsroom even further. A number of Post staffers who spoke to CNN have described plummeting morale. Its as bad as Ive ever seen it, truly, one staffer said earlier this month, noting that the Washington Post has hit rough patches before but that the stormy atmosphere hanging over the outlet is unprecedented. In an opinion piece for the Guardian on Wednesday, Sullivan wrote that firing Lewis and finding a new CEO is the cleanest, best move Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos could make. Lewis insistence on tamping down reporting about him has motivated several news organizations to look more deeply into his past; its possible that some new revelation will make his Post leadership position even more untenable and will force Bezos hand, she added. Sullivan also wrote in her op-ed that Lewis could try to repair the trust both within and outside the newsroom by acknowledging that he will not cross any ethical lines and reiterating his commitment to giving staffers true editorial independence. He could also work toward reinstating an independent public editor or ombudsman a position the Washington Post nixed more than a decade ago who would oversee the papers implementation of journalistic ethics. CNNs Oliver Darcy, Jon Passantino and Hadas Gold contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com That opportunity has prompted major investor Infratil, which owns just shy of 50 per cent of CDC, to launch a NZ$1.15 billion capital raising on the New Zealand bourse, of which around A$646 million was expected to go to CDC over the next two years. Including reservations and rights-of-first refusals, over the last 18 months we have signed contracts for 200MW+ of capacity and we continue to see higher demand in the Australian and New Zealand markets, Boorer said. CDC had been AI-ready for more than 15 years, he said, and was well positioned to capture strong share of AI-driven demand. The companys recently announced Marsden Park campus, in Sydney, was a direct response to that demand, he said. Managed infrastructure solutions provider 11:11 Systems is poised to not only to meet but exceed its 2023 year-on-year growth rate of 23 per cent. In its sixth year of operations, the provider plans to expand its footprint and capabilities with the help of channel partners, not just in Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) but across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. 11:11 Systems specialises in wholesale infrastructure solutions delivered through a channel-first approach. According to Marc Beder, general manager of APAC, its primary focus areas include cloud connectivity and security, with channel partners including Data#3, Truis, Perfekt, Novo3 and Cyclone Computer Company in New Zealand. Industry challenges Beder stressed the importance of providing robust support for the channel, acknowledging significant challenges facing various market segments. Theres an awareness of difficulties but a lack of resources and skills to overcome them in the commercial mid-market, he said to ARN. You go to the top end of the enterprise; theyre aware of the challenges, but they have big enough teams, big enough scale, or deep enough pockets to address the challenges. Its that mid-market where theyre struggling. Beder said 11:11 Systems sees a take-up of the offerings here because it can alleviate some of those pain points regarding where he sees value to the partners and where the channel can utilise the solutions. [MSPs] have struggled with the number of products out there, especially when discussing cloud. Theres Azure, theres AWS, theres independent sovereign clouds, theres do it yourself, theres keep doing what you have done with refresh and then you throw Broadcoms acquisition of VMware in the mix, he said. He said there were elements of frustration, disappointment, and, in some cases, anger regarding the deal, with mixed reactions ranging from being annoyed by it to accepting the increase and moving on. There were those that immediately looked for alternatives. To me, that was more of a knee-jerk reaction. To switch a platform that youve been running on for potentially a couple of decades based on a cost increase that you dont like is a knee-jerk reaction, said Beder. Now, for some, its right, and thats okay, but it isnt right for everyone. When youve got an ecosystem of your engineers, your history, your skillset and perhaps other integrations, suddenly changing that ecosystem overnight is not realistic. He said that when 11:11 Systems talks to organisations that have been in that position, it can provide an element of reassurance because of its status with Broadcom and ultimately VMware. As a Pinnacle partner, Broadcom put the onus on Pinnacle and Premier Partners to support the wider service provider VMware ecosystem. There are about 4,000 organisations globally that didnt make that cut, and thats really where we were helping, said Beder. When we talk about service providers for their end customers, it gives them an alternative to staying with VMware but not having to bear the burden of that cost and manage it themselves because they could come to us for infrastructure-as-a-service and move away from the headache and burden of running infrastructure themselves. Supporting the channel This plays into 11:11 Systems ethos of providing its channel partners with the right assistance. As a channel-first business, we want to support [our partners] in delivering real alternatives in the cloud connectivity and security space for customers, he said. You often find companies will release a product, and they think its a great option, but does anyone need it? According to Beder, the company was purposeful with what it brought to market and was very purposeful about not making me too offerings. Often, companies release a product and think its a great option but have yet to consider whether anyone needs it, whereas 11:11 Systems is purposeful in what it brings to market. Especially with any new offerings 11:11 Systems has created for the channel or any changes to current offerings. We have an entry-level for our channel partners in remuneration through our program margin they can carry, he said. But as you grow with us, the opportunity for more offerings and capabilities to market increases. This drives further opportunities for both revenue and margin for them. For example, you could sell three things and theres margin revenue for those, or you could sell 20 things, and theres margin revenue for that. Therefore, theres more available for channel partners to quickly get into those other tiers, where they can start to make more for their business. According to Beder, its really difficult for the channel to distil the noise; therefore, its important for 11:11 Systems to not only have self-service enablement and education thats free of cost. Its in our best interest to enable them as best we can, he said. We regularly schedule webinars with channel partners, and then theres support and offers. Our team channel manager, sales members, and solution architects will spend time with our channel partners not only on an opportunity-by-opportunity basis but also on an enablement basis, sitting with their team. We always look at how we can differentiate to deliver value to the end user and the channel partner themselvesregardless of whether theyre using it to underpin their service or as a reseller delivering it to their end customer. Were very excited about how much further we can grow within the APAC market and are very committed to achieving those goals. Cloud Ready Solutions has signed a distribution agreement with IT infrastructure vendor StoneFly for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The agreement will see Cloud Ready distribute StoneFlys storage solutions, including its recently released Green Petabyte Archive (GPA) Storage product. In a statement, the distributor said the addition of StoneFly adds to its portfolio of products, which is backed up by pre- and post-sales support. Anyone who has visited a data centre is aware of the immense amount of power consumed, heat generated, and the necessary air conditioning required to maintain such an environment, said Cloud Ready owner Nicholas Gee. The GPA 4.0 system dramatically reduces these factors by actively powering down while not in use, aligning with our mission to provide eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions. The addition of airgapped and immutable storage features ensures our clients can safeguard their critical data against evolving cyber threats. Cloud Readys agreement comes less than a week after it signed a deal with application recovery platform vendor Nimesa, which was also for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. NEW DELHI: Amid renewed violence in Imphal and Jiribam, Union home minister Amit Shah convened a high-level meeting on Monday to assess the security situation in Manipur. The meeting aimed at addressing the ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities and find a resolution to the ongoing conflict. Shah's review followed a meeting with Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, who briefed him on the current law and order situation. Shah emphasised the need for a coordinated approach to resolve the conflict, ensuring that the Centre will engage with both groups to bridge the ethnic divide swiftly. During the comprehensive review, Shah instructed officials to prevent further incidents of violence and assured an increase in Central force deployment if necessary. He also directed strategic deployment of forces to restore peace and called for strict legal action against those responsible for the violence. The home minister highlighted the government's commitment to the safety and security of all citizens in Manipur. He reviewed conditions in relief camps, and pointed to the need for adequate food, water, medicines, and other basic amenities. Shah directed the state's Chief Secretary to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced and their rehabilitation. Top security officials provided a detailed briefing on the situation, while representatives from the Manipur government assured Shah that adequate forces were deployed in areas affected by the recent violence. Notably, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh was absent from the meeting, while Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh, and Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi represented the state. Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, and other senior officials were present at the hour-long meeting. Mumbai: Senior Maharashtra OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday demanded caste based census. Mr. Bhujbal said he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard as the caste based census will reveal the exact percentage of OBC, SCs and STs. He also claimed that Marathas cannot be given reservations under OBC category. Mr. Bhujbals demand may further escalate the rift between the OBCs and Maratha community ahead of Maharashtra Assembly election. Mr. Bhujbal, who is a senior leader from Ajit Pawar-led NCP, held a meeting of executive members of Samata Parishad (an OBC organisation formed by him) in Mumbai to review the debacle of Mahayuti - comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena and NCP. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, the Maratha reservation issue had damaged the BJP-led Mahayuti. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has demanded reservation from the OBC quota, which all parties and OBC bodies have opposed. The senior NCP leader said that since Narendra Modi has again become the Prime Minister, he is going to demand a caste based census in the country. If the central government accepts the demands, it would have a positive impact in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election, Bhujbal claimed. We are going to demand the caste based census from him (the Prime Minister). If it is conducted, the issues of the OBC reservation will be clarified. It will not only reveal the exact population but also the current situation of the OBCs. As a result, the OBC will get funds from the central government like the SCs and STs. To this end, the caste census should be done, said Mr. Bhujbal. The NCP leader said the caste based census in the state will not be beneficial and it should be done at the national level. We discussed how to get the funds from the centre in the meeting of Samata Parishad. If the central government takes a decision for caste based census, we will welcome it as it will reveal the correct number (data) of each community, said the senior OBC leader. Mr. Bhujbal also said that OBCs have been opposing the inclusion of Marathas under OBC category. Four commissions headed by high court judges have made it clear that Maratha community cannot be given reservation under OBC category. They (Maratha quota leaders) are now again making the same demand. If any OBCs are being treated unfairly, we will take appropriate steps in this regard, he said. New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union minister Rajnath Singh has been assigned the task of building a consensus within the ruling NDA for the positions of Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Speculation is rife within the alliance that the BJP might retain the Speaker's post, as it did during its previous two governments, while offering the Deputy Speaker's post to one of its allies. With the JD(U) already holding the Deputy Chairman position in the Rajya Sabha, there is buzz that the TD could be offered the Deputy Speaker's post, which remained vacant during the Modi government's previous term. However, sources indicate that the Opposition camp is also planning to contest the Speaker's post if it is not given the Deputy Speaker's post. Buoyed by their performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Opposition aims to demonstrate their numbers by ensuring the ruling NDA's nominee does not go unchallenged. Despite this, the Opposition has yet to make a final decision on the issue. The NDA currently holds 293 MPs, while the Opposition camp has 236 MPs. The next Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26, with BJP leaders D. Purandeswari, Radha Mohan Singh, and Om Birla being considered for the position. Parliament is set to commence on June 24 and will conclude on July 3. Amid reports that NDA ally TD is eyeing the Speaker's post, the Opposition has even claimed they might back the TD if it fields its nominee. While the JD(U) has maintained that it will support the BJP's choice for the Speaker's post, the TD seeks a consensus to be built within the NDA. Indias new government has a new Cabinet which is pretty much like the old Cabinet. The ministers for home, finance, external affairs and defence will be the same. These four are considered the most important by the government, which classifies them as comprising the Cabinet Committee on Security. And so, once again, it will be Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh. Roads and highways will again by managed by Nitin Gadkari, the railways will be run again by Ashwini Vaishnaw, commerce and industry again by Piyush Goyal, law again by Arjun Ram Meghwal. Even where the portfolios have been shifted, the ministers have been retained and readers will not be unfamiliar with names like Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Giriraj Singh and so on. Some famous names are gone, like Smriti Irani and Rajiv Chandrashekhar, at least for now, but this is because they lost in high-profile electoral contests. No reason has been given for moving around those ministers who have been retained but shifted, but presumably this has been done to accommodate allies like the Telugu Desam (civil aviation), Janata Dal Secular (steel), Janata Dal United (micro, medium, small industries), LJP (food processing), Shiv Sena (ayurveda and yoga). Or done to bring in former BJP chief ministers like Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh (agriculture) and Manohar Khattar of Haryana (housing). Overall, it resembles not so much a new Cabinet as one that has undergone a minor reshuffle. In the old days, when most newspapers reported news, this would have been reported below the fold, as it were, meaning not on the top half of the newspaper. The question is: why does 3.0 look like 2.0? The obvious reason is that there is nothing to change because everything is going well. Change is necessary only if there is a need to correct course, and because the BJP won the election, there is no such need. But defeat, meaning sitting in the Opposition, would have meant no BJP Cabinet at all, so perhaps it is unclear what the middle ground would be in such a line of thinking and what conditions would trigger change. It is unlikely then that all is well is the reason. What else could it be? One possibility is that there is weak bench strength, that there are not enough talented individuals in the party to be given the important jobs and the Prime Minister is stuck with the small set that he has. This is not the likely reason because under this Prime Minister, the PMO functions as a mini-Cabinet and intervenes on critical issues as the defence, finance and external affairs ministries well know. There is a third possibility -- and that is the reluctance or inability to concede that something has in fact gone wrong. The Prime Minister made a speech in the Lok Sabha on February 5 that has been uploaded on his YouTube channel. As he concludes it, he says the following: Mr Speaker, normally I dont get into the issue of numbers. But I have observed the mindset of the nation. It will certainly take the NDA beyond 400, but it will also definitely (avashya) give the BJP 370 seats. At this point, the treasury benches are thumped and the chant of Modi! Modi! rises. The Prime Minister repeats: 370 seats for the BJP and beyond 400 for the NDA. The thumping and chanting goes on. As we now know, this did not happen. The BJP did not get 370, and it did not even get 270. For the first time in his career, the Prime Minister is leading a minority government. Is this a defeat? If you look at the Opposition and its voters, they are behaving as if they have won. The fact that the new government is shaky and dependent on external support is not lost on them. As Yogendra Yadav has said, the acceptability and prestige that was there in the last decade is gone. The invincibility is gone, and gone forever. For this very reason, many of the BJPs supporters and especially the Prime Ministers following remain despondent. Externally, things have changed. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is again expressing itself on issues concerning the governments functioning after a decade of silence. The NDA partners are asserting themselves. It is possible to be blind to this and pretend to carry on as if nothing has happened, but that will not change the reality. The voter has told the Prime Minister that he is less popular than he was in 2019 and less popular than in 2014. The voter has also told him that it is okay with an NDA government but not a BJP one. To pretend we are still in February is to lie to oneself. There is no question that the performances of key ministries, including finance and perhaps even home, were the reason for the defeat. Carrying on without change is to continue with the damage. But who in the party can tell him that? Not those who are returning to their positions surrounding him. Not those who know they will be punished for speaking the truth. For those who are opposed to the BJP, this being in denial is not a bad thing because nothing good will come of it as the coming months will show. The world does not change itself to align with ones delusions. by Melani Manel Perera More than 3 years after the presentation of the report on the serious responsibilities of intelligence and politicians, President Wickremesinghe has chosen to start from scratch by entrusting a new panel led by a retired judge with a new investigation. The Bishops' Conference: 'What more is there to investigate? Rather explain why those who were responsible continue to be protected'. Colombo (Asia News) - A new commission of enquiry to investigate the actions and responses of the country's intelligence and security authorities following the alert India received on the eve of the Easter Sunday 2019 attacks. It was appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a further move that the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka denounces as a new delaying move not to get to the truth about the tragic bombings that struck three churches and several hotels causing over 250 deaths. "The new commission is headed by retired judge A. N. J. de Alwis,' spokesman Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando commented at a press conference held at the archbishop's residence. 'But this is a useless waste of time. The government should simply implement the recommendations made by the previous presidential commission, the one headed by Supreme Court Judge Janak de Silva'. This body - which delivered its report on 1 February 2021 - conducted a thorough investigation into the Easter attacks, highlighting the inability of the intelligence apparatus to act on foreign information and neutralise the growing threat posed by extremist elements. Fr. Gamini questioned, in particular, the logic behind the decision to entrust the new commission with the review of the conduct of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI). In fact, in January last year, the Supreme Court had already ordered the heads of these two institutions - Nilantha Jayewardena and Sisira Mendis - to pay compensation of Rs 75 million and Rs 10 million respectively. "What more needs to be investigated?" the Bishops' Conference spokesperson wondered, urging the government to rather implement the recommendations made by the 2021 Commission against politicians and security officials. "The government should rather examine what the successive leaders in the country have done with those recommendations since then." "The truth,' Fr Gamini Fernando concluded, 'is that almost two years now since the ouster of President Rajapaksa, the situation has remained the same, "But the Church has not given up fighting for justice. Today's news: Hourly breaks in the Gaza bombing announced by the Israeli army have been denied by Netanyahu; Chinese Premier Li Qiang on a visit to Australia; In West Bengal a collision between two trains claimed many lives; Thailand towards legalisation of same-sex marriages; Seoul wants to issue a 'K culture' training visa. SINGAPORE Authorities in Singapore are trying to clean up a major oil spill that has blackened the southern coast of the city-state, just days after a shipping accident. Last Friday, a Dutch-flagged vessel crashed into a Singapore coal ship off the nation's coast. After the tank was punctured, at least half of the contained oil, about 400 tonnes, leaked out. Visitors to some beach clubs on the popular island of Sentosa have reported that the water is still dark and oily. ISRAEL Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes plans announced by the Israeli army to take daily tactical breaks from attacks along one of the main access roads to the Gaza Strip to facilitate the delivery of aid to the Palestinian enclave. The daily truces would last from 5am to 4pm in the area from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to the Salah al-Din Road, and then northwards. This is yet another rift between the head of government and the military leadership over the war in Gaza. INDIA Several people are feared dead and others injured after at least two rear compartments of the Kanchanjunga Express bound for Sealdah derailed around 8.45am today after it collided with a goods train near New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, said: 'I am shocked to learn just now of a tragic train accident in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. THAILAND The Marriage Equality Bill - which will allow same-sex marriages - is expected to pass final reading in Thailand's upper house of parliament tomorrow. It will then be sent to the King for approval and come into force 120 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. Thailand would become the third Asian country, after Taiwan and Nepal, to legalise such unions. The nation has long been a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travellers. CHINA - AUSTRALIA Beijing will include Australia in the list of visa-free countries, Premier Li Qiang said on an official visit to Australia. During talks at Parliament House, the two leaders welcomed the further increase in people-to-people exchanges. They also praised the establishment of new agreements to facilitate relations, including mutual access to multi-entry visas of up to three to five years for business, tourism and family reasons. SOUTH KOREA Korea will begin issuing a 'K culture' training visa for foreigners on a trial basis this year and will consider introducing a new work visa, with the aim of attracting more tourists from abroad. According to the plan, the new visa will be available for those who want to visit the country to participate in training programmes on K-pop, choreography and other cultural fields. RUSSIA Russian opponents abroad Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Garri Kasparov issued an appeal to all pro-Western Russians for 'the creation of a united, harmonious and effective community', signing the Berlin Declaration for a 'free, just and federative Russia', for which a passport with the 'citizenship of Free Russia' will be granted and with it it will be possible to travel to any country in the world that supports 'resistance to Putinism'. ARMENIA The leader of the Armenian opposition, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, called for a reorganisation of the street demonstrations, removing the tents set up on the streets and reconvening on the evening of 17 June on the Bagramyan prospekt in Yerevan, explaining that "the movement must become broader and more determined to achieve victory and regime change". After his supporters failed to secure a majority in local elections, the governor finds himself in a very difficult position. Despite protests, construction at the new site in Henoko began in January. The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly is evenly split over the US base. Rome (AsiaNews/Agencies) Elections held yesterday for the 48-member Okinawa Prefectural Assembly saw candidates backing Governor Denny Tamaki fail to secure a majority. Okinawa is part of the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan. The governor is staunchly opposed to the construction of a new US military base near Henoko, Nago, also on Okinawa, where reclamation work began in 2018. His supporters won 20 seats, while his opponents took 27 seats, one seat went to a neutral candidate. Still, the new assembly is evenly split over the base: 24 are against and 24 are in favour. Like his predecessor, Takeshi Onaga, Tamaki is critical of the Japan-US alliance, and opposes the relocation of the US base from Futenma, the historic location of US forces. He is the voice of many Okinawans who complain of the noise generated by US planes and the presence of tens of thousands of US soldiers, which has come to be associated with violence and crime. Last September, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the governor argued that the concentration of military bases threatens peace. Okinawa, which accounts for about 1 per cent of Japan's land area, is home to more than 70 per cent of the US military. Speaking to reporters yesterday in the prefectures capital, Naha, Tamaki said that he was going take the election result seriously, but admitted that "he will be forced into a very difficult position," the Kyodo newspaper quoted him as saying. Voter turnout was the lowest on record, at 45.62 per cent, according to the local election commission. For a long time, many Okinawans have hoped to see the base move out of the prefecture, but this has not happened. Instead, the government in Tokyo is sticking with Henoko, chosen in 1996, claiming that it is "the only solution" to maintain the deterrence guaranteed by the security alliance between Japan and the United States. The US military base, in fact, is seen as a priority given the remote location of the archipelago and its proximity to China. In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment the election results, but reiterated the governments commitment to the project, which continues to progress. In February, Governor Tamaki met with newly appointed Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, a meeting that highlighted the divergent views between central government and locals. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. The war in Ukraine remains at the top of the global agenda. More than two years after Russia launched its invasion of the neighbouring country, the international community is still trying to find measures to put an end to a conflict that threatens to become entrenched or even expand. Aiming to come up with solutions to end the war, some 100 delegations - mostly from Western countries - attended a conference in Switzerland billed as a first step towards peace. The two-day summit was marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited, as well as the requirement to respect Ukraine's "territorial integrity". 80 participating countries agreed that this should be the basis of any peace agreement to end the war with Moscow. I thank all participants of the first Peace Summit for taking the first steps towards peace together. pic.twitter.com/9WFIhjKKF4 Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) June 16, 2024 In the final declaration signed by the majority of attendees, it is made clear that the UN Charter and "respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty can and will serve as the basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine". In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Kiev to cede more territory and abandon its hopes of joining NATO. For Swiss President Viola Amherd, the fact that the "vast majority" of participants agreed to sign the final document shows "what diplomacy can achieve". For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the "first steps towards peace", revealing that Kiev was holding talks with some countries - which he did not name - that had offered to host a "second peace summit". Yesterday, 100 delegations from around the world were united by a common goal to inspire a process towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Today, the Summit on Peace in Ukraine continues in Switzerland.#UAPeaceSummit #PathToPeace pic.twitter.com/Wjx3FxLNd6 Swiss Embassy Kyiv (@SwissUA) June 16, 2024 Nations that did not sign the final document stressing Ukraine's territorial integrity include Brazil, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. Some of these countries, members of the BRICS, continue to maintain strong relations with Russia despite Western sanctions and war. In addition to stressing respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity, the final declaration of the Swiss summit refers to nuclear energy, food security and prisoner exchange, as well as the return of illegally deported Ukrainian children. "Any use of nuclear energy and nuclear facilities must be safe, secure and environmentally sound," says the document, which calls for Ukrainian nuclear power plants and facilities, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, to be operated safely and securely under Ukraine's full sovereign control and in line with IAEA principles and under its supervision. We, the international community, must stand together to support Ukraine in its pursuit of peace. This is why we're in Switzerland today. To reaffirm the primacy of the UN Charter. To help bring an end to a brutal and unjust war. And restore international peace & security. pic.twitter.com/JklgFnEuyi Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 15, 2024 "Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine is inadmissible," it stresses. On food security, the text emphasises free, full and safe commercial navigation and access to seaports in the Black and Azov Seas. "Attacks on merchant vessels in ports and along the entire route, as well as on civilian ports and civilian port infrastructure, are unacceptable," it says. The statement also clarifies that food security "must not be turned into a weapon of any kind", indicating that Ukrainian agricultural products must be supplied safely and freely to interested third countries. In Switzerland today, I reaffirmed our nation's unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine not out of charity, but because it is in our strategic interest. It is in America's interest to defend democratic values, stand up to dictators, and stand with our allies and partners. pic.twitter.com/6FQgbtuPcG Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 16, 2024 Finally, it demands that all prisoners of war be released in a full exchange. Furthermore, all illegally deported and displaced Ukrainian children and all other illegally detained Ukrainian civilians must be returned to Ukraine. The Ukrainian government estimates that 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, while the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, has previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were taken from Ukrainian orphanages. With the #BurgenstockCommunique we are sending a clear signal to the people of Ukraine and to all those directly affected by the consequences of the war: A large part of the international community has the desire to bring about change. #UAPeaceSummit #PathToPeace pic.twitter.com/iNuowhyn0G Viola Amherd (@Violapamherd) June 16, 2024 In this regard, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced on Saturday that his country has organised talks with Ukrainian and Russian delegations on reuniting Ukrainian children with their families. So far, 34 children have been reunited, according to the Qatari authorities. Despite the summit's high turnout it is unlikely that this conference will have any significant impact on ending the war. Russia did not participate, as did China, which together with Brazil has tried to present alternative solutions to end the conflict. However, the solutions presented by these nations - close to Moscow - do not envisage Ukraine's territorial integrity as the basis for peace, but rather the ceding of Ukrainian territories to Russia. Khachatur Grigorian, who founded the company GG a decade ago, has openly supported the protests sparked by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians territorial concessions to Azerbaijan and led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian. In a June 12 Facebook post, he said that every citizen must take to the streets and join Galstanian in demanding Pashinians resignation if you ARE ARMENIAN, if you want me to respect you when you say hello to me. The chief of Pashinians staff, Arayik Harutiunian, condemned Grigorians appeal as offensive and unacceptable the following day. I hope that business will understand after this subversive movement that such expressions only harm business and do not create any added value in our society, Harutiunian wrote in what appeared to a warning to other businesspeople sympathizing with the protest movement. Two days later, officers of Armenias Investigative Committee raided GGs headquarters in Yerevan as well as the homes of its top executives, citing a tax evasion case which it said had been opened against the company a year ago. The law-enforcement agency did not formally charge Grigorian or any company executive as of Monday afternoon. In a statement released on Sunday, GG rejected the criminal proceedings as baseless and illegal and linked them to its owners active civic stance. A company lawyer described the raids as a continuation of the top Pashinian aides Facebook post. Almost all office computers are being taken away, the lawyer said on Saturday, adding that this will paralyze the work of the company which also provides on-demand truck and package delivery services. Archbishop Galstanian, who has repeatedly urged wealthy entrepreneurs to back his bid to oust Pashinian, also condemned the raids as politically motivated. [The authorities] are trying to terrorize various structures, organizations, parties, individuals who have been involved in this struggle for truth, charged the protest leader. The Investigative Committee, which is run by one of Pashinians trusted lieutenants, denied any political motives behind its actions against GG. It did not say why it waited for a year before conducting the searches. Meanwhile, GGs executive director, Haykaz Aghayan, said on Monday that the companys operations were swiftly restored after the disruption caused by the confiscation of its more than 20 office computers. The problem was solved due to the fact that we operate all over the country, have several offices with equipment which we can use as a replacement, Aghayan told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. So weve brought in alternative equipment, and everything is going well at the moment. In his words, the company has also attracted more taxi drivers and seen many downloads of its mobile phone apps as a result of the crackdown. 17 June 2024 18:22 (UTC+04:00) By Farman Aydin, AZERNEWS Another Armenian fan, Richard Verma, deputy secretary of state for management and resources feels like a true Armenian after tasting the dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. Verma, who is originally from India, is a staff member of former US President Barack Obama. He was appointed as the 25th US ambassador to India in 2014 during the Obama administration. Richard Verma's sympathy for Armenians is as open and deep as the politicians in the US Senate, as well as in several organisations of the United States. But some aspects make Verma slightly different from them. For instance, he is not as crazy as Vivek Ramaswamy, who has made himself a laughing stock in US politics before and is of Indian origin. Ramaswami, who did not recognize the location of the South Caucasus on a map, told all sorts of stories to show his love for Armenians and said that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which had already been resolved, took place in the African continent. Thankfully, Verma is not as enthusiastically pro-Armenian as he is, but without knowing the origin of the dolma and lavash he eats, he dedicates his love to the wrong side. But Verma's love is not for dolma, but for his Armenian-American wife, Pinky Verma. Being of Indian origin, the US politician and his family are fortunate to be able to represent the cultures of three countries - the US, India, and Armenia, said Richard Verma. Therefore, the politician does not thank Baku for the dolma and lavash he ate in Yerevan, but directly Armenians. Richard Verma says that there are 1.5 million Armenians living in the United States, and this is the second largest community in the United States. He enthusiastically said that Armenians have become the most famous and genius nation thanks to their dolma culture, and because of this, they have made America a strong state. Although Verma does not agree, he indirectly admits that the United States is delighted with the mouth-watering Azerbaijani cuisine and that the Azerbaijani culture is the wealth of the United States. That is not a problem for us - our name may not be mentioned, but our taste is still in your mouths. The world knows that Pakistani cuisine is an inspiration to India. Nevertheless, those blessings are only known in the mouths, and the name is associated with India. Verma's approach is in harmony with Armenians, whose ethnic roots are closely related to India. It is acceptable for both Armenia and India, which supports it in every way, to appropriate other people's culture and use it as their own. The main thing is that whatever is stolen is palatable - the rest is nonsense. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 June 2024 10:39 (UTC+04:00) Representatives of Moscow, Tehran and Baku agreed to create a working group on freight transport within the international North-South transport corridor and inspected border and customs terminals on the Russian-Azerbaijani and Azerbaijani-Iranian borders, the representative of the government of Dagestan at the trade mission of the Russian Federation in Iran, Andrei Tanayev said, Azernews reports. "We held a trilateral meeting at the expert level in Derbent between the Russian, Azerbaijani and Iranian delegations and inspected customs and border points," Tanayev said. According to Tanayev, a total of 27 people took part in the meeting at the expert level, 9 from each side. The Russian delegation was headed by the Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Automobile and Urban Passenger Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation Sergei Semenov; the delegation also included representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Service for Supervision of Transport. The Russian authorities expect that the North-South corridor can become an alternative to the Suez Canal, allowing for an end-to-end route for supplies both in transit to Europe and from Russia to the Persian Gulf. 17 June 2024 12:03 (UTC+04:00) The delegation headed by Attila Tilkin, a member of the Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union Party and head of the Hungarian-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group of the Hungarian National Assembly, paid tribute to Heydar Aliyev, the founder of the modern independent state of Azerbaijan and National Leader of our people. They laid flowers at his grave in the Alley of Honor on June 17. Azernews reports that the delegation also commemorated the dear memory of prominent ophthalmologist-scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, by laying flowers at her grave. Subsequently, the members of the Hungarian-Azerbaijani friendship group visited the Alley of Martyrs. The memory of the heroic children of the Motherland, who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for the freedom and independence of Azerbaijan, was honored with respect, and flowers were placed on their graves. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 June 2024 12:58 (UTC+04:00) Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov congratulated medical personnel on the occasion of their professional holiday. Azernews reports that the minister shared about this on his page on "X". "June 17 marks the professional holiday of medical personnel in our country. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all healthcare professionals who play a vital role in the social development of our nation and safeguard our health. We wish them great success in their important and responsible work," M. Jabbarov noted. June 17 marks the #professionalholiday of medical personnel (@healthgovaz) in our country. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all healthcare professionals who play a vital role in the social development of our nation and safeguard our health. We wish them great success in pic.twitter.com/TcL4kv08WF Mikayil Jabbarov (@MikayilJabbarov) June 17, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 June 2024 15:58 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more At present, member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (TST) are in close contact. Friendly relations between the Turkic states are deepening, which is very important in this sensitive period, Azernews reports citing AZERTAC. Attila Tilki, a member of the Fidesz-Hungarian Civil Union Party and head of the Hungarian-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group, expressed these views in an interview. A. Tilki said that despite being an observer member of TST, Hungary actively participates in all events of this organization. Pointing out that he is the chairman of the Council of Elders in Hungary, the guest said: 'It cannot be otherwise. Because we are united by family ties and common values, we have the same roots. My name and surname also allow me to say that.' He added that he is confident his country will soon be elected as a member of TST. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 June 2024 17:20 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more On June 17, Attila Tilki, the head of the friendship group of the Hungarian National Assembly with Azerbaijan, along with Istvan Apati, a member of the group, visited the National Assembly, Azernews reports. First, the delegation familiarized themselves with the plenary meeting hall of the Milli Majlis. During the meeting with the delegation, Ali Huseynli, the first deputy chairman of the Milli Majlis and the head of the working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Hungary, warmly welcomed the guests on behalf of the speaker of the parliament, Sahiba Gafarova. He expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of interstate relations and emphasized the special role of the heads of state in deepening the friendship and fraternal relations between our countries. The unique role of legislative bodies in the development of relations between our countries was noted during the meeting. The importance of mutual visits, meetings, regular contacts, as well as close cooperation within the framework of international parliamentary organizations, was emphasized. They discussed the significance of deepening cooperation between the profile committees of parliaments, including parliamentary apparatuses. During the conversation, Ali Huseynli spoke about the large-scale restoration and construction works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. He expressed gratitude to the Hungarian side for its participation in the reconstruction of Soltanli village in Jabrayil district. Elman Nasirov, a member of the parliament's working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Hungary, who spoke at the meeting, touched on the prospects for the development of bilateral relations. He noted the personal relations of the heads of state in deepening relations. Attila Tilki, the head of the friendship group with Azerbaijan, spoke about the goals of the visit to Azerbaijan. He noted the importance of the international conference on "Organization of Turkic States: towards new strategic goals against the background of geopolitical realities and global cataclysms" held on June 15 in Shusha. He emphasized that our peoples are united by common values. Discussing the purposeful policy of the countries' leaders in the development of interstate relations, the head of the friendship group with Azerbaijan emphasized that Hungary always supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. He expressed confidence that this support will be continued at all levels. During the meeting, opinions were exchanged on other issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz China Premier Li Qiang kicked off his four-day visit to Australia on Sunday by announcing Beijing would provide a new pair of pandas to Australia's Adelaide Zoo after the current pair returns to China later this year, Azernews reports. Li, China's second-highest ranked official, arrived in the South Australian state capital late on Saturday, saying bilateral relations were "back on track" as he started the first trip by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven years. China, Australia's largest trade partner, imposed restrictions on a raft of Australian agricultural and mineral exports in 2020 during a diplomatic dispute that has now largely eased. On Sunday, Li's first official stop was to visit a pair of pandas on loan from China to Adelaide's zoo, where Australian Broadcasting Corp television showed crowds gathered, some waving Chinese flags, while others held signs that read "No more panda propaganda". At the zoo, Li announced the pandas would return to China in November and the zoo would get to select two new giant pandas, China's officialXinhuanews agency reported. The pandas, Fu Ni and Wang Wang, have been at the zoo since 2009 but have not successfully bred, according to the ABC. Li is next due to lunch with South Australia wine exporters, until recently shut out of the Chinese market in a dispute that suspended A$20 billion ($13 billion) in Australian agriculture and mineral exports last year. Earlier on Sunday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Li's visit was "really important" in showing stabilised ties between the two major trading partners. "It comes after two years of very deliberate, very patient work by this government to bring about a stabilisation of the relationship," Wong told the ABC. On the the pandas, Wong said the animals "have been a great part of the lives of many Adelaide families". On Monday, Li will visit the capital Canberra for a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese then make a stop in iron-ore rich mining state Western Australia. Australia is the biggest supplier of iron ore to China, which has been an investor in Australian mining projects, though some recent Chinese investment in critical minerals has been blocked by Australia on national interest grounds. Li arrived from New Zealand, where he highlighted Chinese demand for the country's agricultural products. Canberra and Wellington are seeking to balance trade with regional security concerns over China's ambitions in the Pacific Islands and on issues including human rights the contested South China Sea. 17 June 2024 18:16 (UTC+04:00) The volume of Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Italy amounted to $502.5 million in 2023, Azernews reports. According to the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, this figure increased by 30.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022 ($385.4 million). The volume of trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Italy amounted to $430.3 million in 2021 and $348.4 million in 2020. This figure amounted to $408.8 million in 2019. However, Uzbekistan's total trade turnover with Italy reached $2 billion from January 2019 through December 2023. Total exports from Uzbekistan to Italy amounted to $218 million, while imports to Uzbekistan reached $1.8 billion from January 2019 through December 2023. To note, the volume of Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Italy from January through April 2024 amounted to $145.9 million. This is 8.2 percent less than in the same period last year ($159 million from January through April 2023). Uzbekistan's exports to Italy amounted to $16.7 million, and imports from Italy amounted to $129.2 million in the period from January through April 2024. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 17 June 2024 18:37 (UTC+04:00) Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo may soon finalize a trilateral agreement on security cooperation to address the nuclear threat from North Korea, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said, Azernews reports. The minister expressed his intention to meet with his US and Japanese counterparts as soon as possible to advance this goal. He emphasized that the priority will be establishing a system for a more effective, prompt, and coordinated response to North Korea's alleged nuclear and missile threats to South Korea, the US, and Japan. The agreement could be concluded before the inauguration of the next US president in January 2025. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2nd Xinjiang Barbecue Festival wows visitors at Grand Bazaar in Urumqi Ecns.cn) 15:56, June 17, 2024 A mutton kebab stall holder serves visitors at the Second Xinjiang Barbecue Festival held at the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, June 15, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Xin) The Second Xinjiang Barbecue Festival was held at the International Grand Bazaar, one of the most famous landmarks in Urumqi. Grilled mutton kebabs, fish, and roasted eggs were offered at the festival. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) 17 June 2024 23:31 (UTC+04:00) Starting January 1, 2026, all international tourists visiting Georgia will be required to have medical and accident insurance, Azernews reports. Amendments have been made to the legislation on tourism to ensure the protection of the health and safety of visitors to the country. The planned date of introduction of the new requirements was originally set for June 1, 2024, but it will be postponed to ensure full preparation and awareness of the private sector, as well as foreign embassies and consulates. These amendments are supported by the parliamentary majority, which emphasizes the need for a multi-step approach to implementing the new regulations, including awareness campaigns and other measures to ensure that the private sector successfully adapts to the new rules. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Ethereal Thing at the Other End of Sunset You Don't Know About: Odd Oregon Coast Science Published 6/11/24 at 5:25 a.m. By Andre' Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Lincoln City, Oregon) From the beaches of Washington through Oregon over into the Midwest, to Europe, to the deserts of Africa and everywhere in between, there's something else brewing at sunset you may want to look for. A lot of times it's a subtle thing, but it's only found on crystal clear days when you can see the opposite direction of either sunrise or sunset. (Oregon Coast Beach Connection - Belt of Venus at Manzanita) This, according to OMSI astronomy expert Jim Todd in Portland, is something you're more apt to see right now, thanks to those clear days in June. All you really need is a good vantage point where nothing is blocking your view to the east of the sunset. What you'll likely see is a darker band of color at that opposite horizon. Sometimes it's a brighter pink or orange, but a lot of times it's more like a quiet shade of purple. This is called the Belt of Venus, and it's been there all the time. You've just likely mistaken it for clouds at the other end of the sky. See full story Belt of Venus: the Other Side of Oregon / Washington Coast Sunset On the next clear evening, look for what is called the Belt of Venus - named after the Roman goddess of love, offering stunning views, Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection years ago. He's just recently reiterated the heads up since Oregon and Washington are moving into better weather right now. Manzanita - Oregon Coast Beach Connection People go out to the beaches to catch sight of the sunset all the time, but they never think to look back towards land. You're essentially seeing the Earth's shadow. As the sun sinks below the horizon, it casts that shadow increasingly upwards. It turns out, what you're seeing is pretty huge as big as the planet we're on. It starts appearing about 30 to 60 minutes after sunset, essentially the famed blue hour. The dark shadow is capped at the top by varied bands of colors, often pink or purple, which Todd said is created by the reddened sunlight getting backscattered in the atmosphere. Oregon Coast Beach Connection has caught this numerous times out on the coast, such as the above shots in Manzanita. However, this happened unknowingly, as we didn't get wind of the phenomenon until about 2021. Then going back in the photo archives, numerous older photos were discovered. Another example is above in Lincoln City, looking out over the Siletz River. The moon is bright by this time, and the exposure required was about ten to 20 seconds. In these photos provided by OMSI's Todd, Justine Lacio snagged the phenomenon looking east from Mount Hood. See full story Belt of Venus: the Other Side of Oregon / Washington Coast Sunset The second shot shows dogs don't really care about the curious mix of weather and astronomy. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Summer Solstice, Sunset Past 9 pm for Oregon / Washington Coast - Star Parties Published 6/13/24 at 6:15 a.m. B Oregon Coast Beach Connection (Yachats, Oregon) Even though nights have been exceptionally chilly as of late, actual summer is about to start. Oregon's coastline and the Washington coast will soon see Summer Solstice and a rather distinctive celebration, while much of the region is getting sunset beyond 9 p.m. for awhile. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection) For those wandering the beaches of places like La Push, Bandon, Port Orford, Newport, Seaside or Ocean Park, get ready for summer's official launch on Thursday, June 20. In the Oregon Coast Range and the Columbia Gorge, you can celebrate with OMSI not with some wild dancing but with telescopes. That day is not just some old pagan holiday: it's full-on astronomy. The solstice is when the Sun is directly above the Earth's Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere, said Jim Todd, planetarium manager at Portland's OMSI. It's the northernmost that the Sun gets all year. Actual times differ slightly once you get down into the south Oregon coast or northern Washington coast, but Portland has the general timing for much of the region on the precise moment of Solstice. As seen from Portland (45N) on June 20, the noon sun will reach its highest point in the sky near 68 degrees from the southern horizon, Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. We will have nearly 15 hours and 41 minutes of daylight, with sunrise at 5:21 a.m. and sunset at 9:03 p.m. Compare that to the winter solstice when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky, with only 9 hours of daylight. Ilwaco, Washington Coast It just so happens 45 N runs almost right through Cascade Head between Lincoln City and Neskowin. From that day through the equinox in September, Oregon and Washington will see nearly 93 days of summer. Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still, Todd said. On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again. Meanwhile, closer to the ground, as of June 12 sunsets will be just after 9 p.m. in the region around Portland, lasting for a little less than a month. That started a bit earlier on the Oregon coast and Washington coast because those areas are westward. July 8 will be the last day of sunset after 9 p.m. (that ends sooner on the coast as well). Near Gold Beach, courtesy Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts The summer solstice astronomy parties put on by OMSI and Rose City Astronomers are called Star Party, and they happen on June 15 rather than the actual 20th. They're at Rooster Rock State Park and Stub Stewart State Park (in the Coast Range off Highway 26) starting at sunset. The party is free with $5 parking per vehicle parking fee. From beginners to experts of all ages, heres your opportunity to view the stars and other objects through a variety of telescopes. On the scheduled day of each OMSI Star Parties, it is suggested that interested visitors check at omsi.edu for possible weather-related cancellations. Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW Near Yachats, Oregon Coast Beach Connection Cannon Beach More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Now that Kamala Harris has been coronated the Democratic Socialist designee for nomination as their candidate for President of these United States, after that political party's contrived primary process "democratically" elected Joseph R. Biden: What are your feelings about this party's progressive posture within their self-styled exercise of "Saving Democracy for America," and how truly critical the outcome of this presidential election will be? 8.7% I am ecstatic that this "Democracy's" First partially Black, First partially Indian, First female Co-Parent, and this nation's primary necessity is to her elect our First woman president.26.09% I really do not care about all these "Firsts." I will continue to pray, and work for this Representative Republic to elect someone competent, and brilliantly patriotic to be our next president.65.22% I will never vote for any politician that "first" does not have the core values to understand how dire this Constitutional Republic's situation has become. The ongoing scandal with Dominion electronic voting machines in Puerto Rico after a botched primary election has led leading tech CEO Elon Musk to call for eliminating the use of all elecrronic voting machines, from whatever maker, in elections. Musk cited the risk of malfunctions and hacking as unacceptably high. In Puerto Rico, there were a wide variety of failures of Dominion voting machines. Some failed to record any votes at all. Some recorded votes for one candidate but not the other. Some reversed the totals between candidates. Some recorded some votes but not all that were cast. Fortunately, Puerto Rico's system had a paper trail and officials have been using that to correct vote totals that were badly screwed up by the Dominion machines. https://justthenews.com/nation/technology/elon-musk-calls-electronic-voting-machines-be-eliminated-over-hacking-concerns https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/06/elon-musk-calls-ban-fraud-enabling-voting-machines/ Meanwhile Republican lawyers are making progress in a number of states against Democrat election officials' attempts to making elections less secure. One key victory was in Michigan last week where a state court struck down the attempt by the Democrat Secretary of State to order local election officials to presume that signatures on mail in ballots and applications were legitimate. The court noted that state statute required local election officials to verify those signatures and ordered them to follow the statute not the instructions of the Secretary of State. https://bigleaguepolitics.com/attorney-erick-kaardal-conservative-election-integrity-activists-are-winning-as-democrats-lose-key-lawsuits/ By L.A. Williams Christian Action League June 15, 2024 A 25-year-old North Carolina woman who was given gender-altering hormones and surgery as a teen is suing her former therapists, doctors and surgeons, and a judge has ruled that her case can proceed on charges of civil conspiracy and fraud. Prisha Mosley filed the suit, the first of its kind in North Carolina, in July 2023 in Gaston County Superior Court. Starting when I was 16 years old and continuing into my teen and young adult years, doctors and counselors set me on a path of medicalized gender transition, Mosley wrote in an op ed explaining her case. They told me that changing my body to look like a boys body would cure my mental health problems. They told me that injecting large amounts of testosterone into my female body would be good for me. They also encouraged me to undergo surgery to remove my healthy breasts. But instead of helping with the severe mental health issues Mosley had dealt with since being sexually assaulted at age 14, she says doctors and counselors pushed her into believing that changing her body to look like that of a boy would solve her problems. Now, her voice is changed and she experiences pain where her breasts were removed as well as in her shoulders, neck and genital area. The so-called gender-affirming care left her broken, with extreme physical injuries and without some of her body parts, Mosley says. It did not cure my mental health problems and instead made them worse. Seeking to prevent what happened to her from happening to others, Mosley filed suit against Eric T. Emerson, M.D.; Piedmont Plastic Surgery and Dermatology, PA; Brie Klein-Fowler; Family Solutions, PLLC; Shana Gordon; Tree of Life Counseling, PLLC; Martha Fairbanks Perry, M.D.; and Moses Cone Medical Services Inc., alleging various types of fraud, medical malpractice, inflicting emotional distress, and utilizing unfair and deceptive trade practices. The defendants asked that the entire case be dismissed, but North Carolina Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin ruled that the charges of civil conspiracy and fraud may proceed. This is the first substantive ruling we are aware of in which a Court has held that a detransitioners case against her health care professionals is legally viable, Josh Payne, one of Mosleys attorneys, said in a statement. The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, called the ruling to allow Mosleys case to proceed a significant step toward accountability and justice. It underscores the importance of scrutinizing the so-called gender-affirming care practices that have led to permanent damage for many young individuals, Creech said. We must listen to the voices of detransitioners who, despite facing vilification and threats, are warning others about the consequences of transitioning. Their experiences reveal the need for a more thoroughly evaluated approach to treating gender dysphoria, ensuring that all underlying mental health issues are addressed before making such life-altering decisions. Creech said vulnerable young people like Mosley, who are often struggling with severe psychological conditions, deserve proper, compassionate care that addresses their mental health needs without resorting to irreversible surgeries and hormone treatments. One also has to wonder how much of this care is driven by the profit motive. These surgeries are exceedingly expensive and the patient has to be placed on expensive drugs for the rest of their lives, he added. I once heard testimony given by Mosley in a committee meeting of the North Carolina General Assembly, and she argued that this was the case. One of the most widely-known detransitioners, 19-year-old Chloe Cole filed suit last year against Kaiser hospitals for her hormone therapy and surgery. And last month, she took on Disneys policy of covering gender transitioning for its employees, demanding at a stakeholder meeting that the company cover medical costs for detransitioning as well. The lawsuits are coming, she told Disney executives. Its only a matter of time before current or past employees, whose bodies and lives have been irreversibly harmed, will show up at your door looking for justice and restitution. Earlier this year, detransitioning gained significant media attention when a study showed that most gender-confused youth grow out of it and again when England initiated a ban on puberty blockers following a four-year review. According to the New York Post, the Dutch study, which tracked 2,700 children over 15 years, showed that 11 percent of participants struggled with gender issues as young adolescents. But by age 26, only 4 percent did. Gender non-contentedness, while being relatively common during early adolescence, in general decreases with age, researchers noted. Cole, who had a double mastectomy at age 15 before detransitioning the next year, says the U.S. has been slow to realize that the medicalization of trans youth is a mistake. England, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have all moved to limit medical intervention in transgender youth, the Post reported in April. But the newspaper pointed out that the tides may be turning in the U.S. now that 22 states have limited medical care for transgender youth. A physician in Oak Park, Ill., was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a $1.2 million Medicaid fraud scheme. William McMiller, MD, owned Dr. Bill's Learning Center and offered tutoring services as well as clinical therapy and psychiatric services, the Illinois Attorney General said in a June 13 news release. Dr. McMiller and his niece, who handled the organization's billing, submitted numerous claims to the Illinois Medicaid program for psychotherapy and medical services that weren't provided. The niece, Jonise Williams, previously pleaded guilty to vendor fraud and was sentenced to probation. A medical office building in Chandler, Ariz., has sold for $7.3 million, according to a June 15 report from KTAR News. The two-story, 22,500-square-foot facility is located near Chandler Regional Medical Center and was originally constructed in 2001. The facility was sold by an unnamed entity to Cleveland-based Provider Real Estate Partners, according to the report. Gastroenterology is shaping up to be the most in-demand specialty, with the shortage projected to reach 1,630 by 2025, according to Rosman Search's 2024 Physician Hiring Trends report. Here are 10 key notes on the gastroenterology workforce: 1.More than 50% of active gastroenterologists are over 55, according to the Rosman report. 2. The annual number of available training positions in gastroenterology increased from 325 to 616 from 2008 to 2002, according to the report. The annual number of applicants increased 57% in that period. 3. Around 10% of gastroenterology physicians are a part of a private equity-backed platform, according to Healthcare Appraisers' 2023 GI "Industry Outlook" report, published in September. 4. A majority of gastroenterologists, 65%, said most physicians in the U.S. are underpaid, according to Medscape's 2024 "Gastroenterologist Compensation Report," published May 24. A minority of gastroenterologists, 44%, said they are fairly compensated when considering work demands. 5. Gastroenterologists have maintained a strong presence as private practice providers, despite nationwide trends. Data from career site Zippa found that 88% of gastroenterologists work in private practice, the second highest specialty. 6. Self-employed gastroenterologists earn more than employed. Median compensation for gastroenterologists working at hospital-owned groups or MSOs increased 4%, compared to a 15% increase for those at physician-owned groups, according to the Healthcare Appraiser report. 7. Around 60% of gastroenterologists said compensation was a factor when choosing their practice specialty, according to the Medscape report. Gastroenterologists saw a 2% increase in pay in 2024 compared to 2023. 8. Thirty-nine percent of gastroenterologists said they take on side gigs outside their key roles, and around 69% of gastroenterologists said compensation bonuses are available to them. . 9. The majority of gastroenterologists (14,116) practice patient care, whereas the remainder focus on teaching, research or other areas, according to the Association of American Medical College's "2022 Physician Specialty Data Report." 10. A total of 12,576 gastroenterologists (80.3 percent) are men and 3,083 (19.7 percent) are women, according to the AAMC's report. There are 20,830 people per active gastroenterologist. Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System is taking over operations at the emergency department in Fort Scott, Kan., which has been without a full-service hospital since Ascension Via Christi closed its emergency department in December. Fort Scott, a community of about 7,600 residents, has been without a hospital since 2018, Freeman said in a June 14 statement shared with Becker's. When the emergency department closed seven months ago, residents were forced to seek medical treatment 30 minutes away in Pittsburg or across the state line in Nevada, Mo. "Sadly, this community has been without this level of care since the beginning of 2024 and this is simply not acceptable," Freeman President and CEO Paula Baker said during a June 13 announcement. Freeman plans to establish 10 inpatient beds in the building, with the emergency department featuring six bays that will provide 24/7 coverage. Support for the emergency department includes laboratory, radiology, computerized tomography and an inpatient pharmacy. Opportunities to have outpatient lab, radiology and CT services will also be available. "Our plan is to begin these services as soon as possible. We must go through a state and federal survey and achieve licensure, but we are very confident in our ability to meet those requirements," Ms. Baker said. "Our projection is that everything will be in place and operational by April 1, 2025." Freeman has an existing footprint in Southeast Kansas, with a 50-bed hospital planned for Pittsburg, as well as primary care clinics, an outpatient surgery center and medical oncology program already established there. Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare has set aside $100 million to provide raises to its employees after reporting an improved operating performance this year, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. About 17,000 of the health system's 25,000 employees including nurses, respiratory therapists, and nutrition and environmental services staff will receive a raise from the fund, CEO Joon Sup Lee, MD, told the publication. Emory began allocating money for pay increases in March. The raises will be phased in over a six-month period. Sizes of raises will vary for each employee, but some nurses will see up to a $10,000 annual salary increase, according to the report. Physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, who are among the highest-paid employees, will not receive a pay bump from the $100 million fund. The pay bumps are an investment in Emory's workforce and will help decrease its reliance on high-cost travel nurses and other temporary workers. Emory operated at a loss through the COVID-19 pandemic, but is back in the black for the first three quarters of the 2024 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The health system is targeting a 9% to 10% operating margin for the year, which "sustain a three-part mission of high-quality care for a broad segment of population, support for innovation and training the next generation of healthcare providers," Dr. Lee told AJC. The board of directors for Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health voted 9-1 in support of converting the health system from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit. The decision to return to a community-focused nonprofit system has unanimous support from Lee Health senior leadership and is "an important step toward securing a sustainable and vibrant future for our community," the health system said in a June 13 statement shared with Becker's. Driving factors behind the decision include the commitment to care for every person in need, maintaining local leadership and improving opportunities for growth and medical advancement in Southwest Florida. By pursuing conversion, the health system believes it will strengthen its ability to serve the residents of Lee County. If it becomes a private nonprofit system, Lee Health would realize $1 billion more net patient revenue over the next decade and would be able to expand outside of Lee County. The next step in the process is to collaborate with the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to finalize a mission agreement. Lee Health includes four acute-care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, a regional cancer center and several outpatient facilities, according to its website. It has more than 14,000 employees, including a medical staff of 2,500. A group of U.S. lawmakers have written a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su requesting the department's support for Dallas-based Steward Health Care employees and retirees throughout the health system's bankruptcy ordeal. Steward filed for bankruptcy May 6 and is working to auction off its 31-hospitals and physician group, Stewardship Health. The June 17 letter, obtained by Becker's, was written by Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, and Massachusetts Reps. Jim McGovern, Anyanna Pressley and Stephen Lynch. The letter details how Steward's bankruptcy has created concerns for the health system's almost 30,000 employees, including nearly 10,000 employees in Massachusetts. "We write to ask that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) ensure that Steward workers and retirees receive the health care and retirement benefits to which they are entitled," the letter said. "Workers and retirees must be protected from further harm resulting from Stewards gross financial mismanagement." Here are 10 requests from the lawmakers regarding Steward employees and retirees: 1. The letter asked for the labor department to monitor Steward's compliance of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which ensures 60-day notices to workers should there be large company layoffs. Should employees not receive the 60-day notice, they could receive additional backpay claims in Steward's bankruptcy proceedings. 2. Ensure the continuation of benefits for Steward employees during the bankruptcy proceedings, even if there is a facility buyout of closure, along with the identification of plan administrators and retirement plan trustees. The letter also asked the department to aid in communicating the plan to affected retirees and workers in certain instances. 3. Secure health and retirement benefit information and plan documents for all affected Steward retirees and employees. 4. Ensure that paycheck deductions are deposited into retirement plans by Steward properly. 5. The letter requested that the department make sure Steward and its successor entity manage health and retirement benefits "safely and prudently" during the process of bankruptcy. 6. Guarantee health claims are paid during the bankruptcy process. 7. Carry out violations of health and retirement benefits "to which workers are entitled." 8. Make sure that all of the obligations Steward must meet under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 are met, along with making sure that employees are notified within 60 days should their health plan benefits see any reduction. 9. Advocate for the pension benefits guarantee corporation to prioritize "defined benefit pensions as creditors, where appropriate." 10. Be ready to provide more employees and employee representative support. "Although the responsibility for this crisis rests exclusively on Steward and its corporate collaborators, a resolution to this crisis that protects workers, patients, and communities demands involvement and collaboration among federal, state, and local authorities," the letter said. "It is vital that these hospitals stay open given their importance to the communities they serve, and all options must be considered to protect the workforce that has continued to provide care while their professional futures remain uncertain." Steward did not have a comment for Becker's at this time. Becker's has reached out to the U.S. Department of Labor for comment and will update this story should more information become available. Greg Hoffman, CFO of Providence, Wash.-based Providence, is joining the board of directors for patient billing company Cedar. As a board member, Mr. Hoffman will provide oversight and counsel to the company, according to a June 17 Cedar news release. "As a trusted client partner, Greg will be an invaluable voice as we continue our work to empower our clients and their patients with a more affordable and accessible financial experience," Cedar CEO and co-founder Florian Otto said in the release. Mr. Hoffman said in the release that he is excited to use his experience as a Cedar customer for the past three years to work with the company on redefining patient billing excellence, "particularly as health systems and patients continue facing challenging financial environments." From the Supreme Court ruling in favor to the FDA to a judge ordering Prospect Medical to pay more than $17 million within 10 days, here are 10 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal developments Becker's has reported since June 10: 1. Madera, Calif.-based Valley Children's Healthcare is facing a lawsuit alleging it paid on-call employees less than minimum wage. 2. Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings was ordered to pay more than $17.3 million of unpaid bills to hospital vendors within 10 days by Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Brian Stern on June 12. 3. A year and a half after four organizations and four physicians filed a lawsuit against the FDA's approval of mifepristone to terminate a pregnancy, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the FDA. 4. Service Employees International Union 121RN was ordered by a Los Angeles-based federal arbitrator to pay Riverside (Calif.) Community Hospital, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, $6.26 million in damages for holding an "unlawful strike" in June 2020. 5. Inspire Health Medical Group agreed to pay a $1.2 million settlement to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., after neurosurgeons allegedly planned a walkout in 2021 and gave the system less than 32 hours' notice. 6. Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the now-defunct blood testing startup Theranos, is appealing her fraud conviction. 7. A North Carolina federal judge denied the Federal Trade Commission's request to bar Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health from acquiring two North Carolina hospitals from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems until its appeal is resolved. 8. CMS must recalculate the Medicare Advantage star ratings for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, a federal judge ruled. 9. CityMD agreed to pay the federal government $12 million to settle fraud allegations related to COVID-19 tests. 10. Humana's challenge to a CMS rule implementing stricter auditing standards on Medicare Advantage plans can continue, a federal judge ruled. A former nurse at the center of a drug diversion case that allegedly harmed dozens of patients at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Ore., was arrested June 13 and faces 44 counts of second-degree assault. The arrest comes after a seven-month investigation, Medford police said. A day before her arrest, 36-year-old Dani Schofield, a former nurse at Asante, was indicted on 44 counts of assault in the second degree by a grand jury. The charges allege Ms. Schofield "intentionally or knowingly" caused serious harm to patients, police said in a news release. In January, Medford police confirmed they were investigating claims of medication theft and concerns of adverse patient care at Asante Rogue Regional. The probe involved allegations from sources at the hospital who believed several patient deaths may have been tied to a nurse who had been taking fentanyl from IV bags and replacing it with unsterile tap water, which they claim led to severe infections caused by pseudomonas and multiple patient deaths. Police said they were contacted by officials at the hospital in December regarding a spike in the number of patients who developed central-line associated infections. After the hospital conducted an internal investigation, "Asante provided [the Medford Police Department] with information that all of the identified cases were isolated to patients in the intensive care unit and occurred within a specific date range," police said in the release. Investigators later determined that Ms. Schofield had access to each of the patients between July 2022 and July 2023. Police said the 44 charges reflect the number of patients affected by Ms. Schofield's alleged criminal actions. While several victims identified through the investigation died, medical experts could not confirm the deaths were directly caused by the infections, authorities said. "Investigators in this case consulted with numerous medical experts who were all unanimous that they could not conclude that any of the patients deaths were directly attributed to the infections, and so that's why you do not see any of those charges," Patrick Green, Jackson County (Ore.) chief deputy district attorney, said during a news conference. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who have been impacted by this case," the Medford Police Department said. In an email to staff, Asante's president and CEO, Tom Gessel, said law enforcement had notified the hosptial about the arrest of a former employee. "We thank our law enforcement partners, including the Medford Police Department, for their tireless work since our team brought concerns forward to them," Mr. Gessel said in the internal memo obtained by Becker's. "We are greatly appreciative of the coutless hours their investigators have spent on this complex matter." Medical experts are voicing safety concerns over a new Florida law that allows physicians to perform cesarean sections outside of hospitals, The New York Times reported June 15. The legislation is part of a package of healthcare bills signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March. Under the law, SB 7016, standalone birth centers that receive a new designation as an "advanced birth center" will be permitted to perform "planned low-risk cesarean deliveries." Women's Care Enterprises, a private equity-backed physicians group, also lobbied in support of the bill, according to KFF Health News. Proponents of the measure say it will increase access to care and help reduce maternity care deserts in the state. However, critics contend it will pose serious safety risks for pregnant patients and could drive up C-section rates. "There's no such thing as a low-risk C-section, and they should not be done outside of a hospital," Mary Mayhew, the chief executive of the Florida Hospital Association, told the Times. Medical experts have raised concerns that such centers may not be adequately equipped to respond to serious, sudden complications, which can quickly arise in previously low-risk patients. "A pregnant patient who is considered low risk in one moment can suddenly need life-saving care in the next," Cole Greves, MD, Florida district chairman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told the Times. "Advanced birth centers, even with increased regulations, cannot guarantee the level of safety patients would receive within a hospital." The law requires birthing centers to have at least one surgical suite and the ability to transfer patients to a hospital if needed, though it does not specify how close the hospital must be, according to the report. As C-section complications often require immediate intervention from various hospital teams and access to critical resources such as an intensive care unit and ventilators, care delays can be life-threatening, according to Nandini Raghuraman, MD, an assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Some experts have also expressed concerns that physicians at advanced birth centers might be motivated to perform more C-sections, as they are reimbursed at a higher rate than vagianal deliveries and are convenient to schedule in advance. Read the full article here. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has canceled a Senate committee vote that would have determined whether to subpoena Novo Nordisk executives about the cost of the drugmaker's blockbuster drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy. The move comes as Novo Nordisk's CEO agreed to participate in a Senate committee hearing set for September. On June 11, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions chaired by Mr. Sanders said it would vote on whether to subpoena Novo Nordisk's president. The committee has repeatedly criticized the drugmaker for charging U.S. patients 10 to 15 times more for the popular GLP-1 therapies than it does in other countries. Days after news of the scheduled subpoena vote, Mr. Sanders' office announced Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jrgensen agreed to testify in a solo hearing before the HELP Committee in early September. "I enjoyed the opportunity of chatting with Mr. Jrgensen this afternoon and thank him for agreeing to voluntarily testify on a solo panel before the HELP Committee on the high cost of Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States," Mr. Sanders said in a June 14 statement. "The scheduled subpoena vote is no longer necessary and will be canceled. "We look forward to discussing solutions that ensure access and affordability for all patients within the complex U.S. healthcare system," a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said in a statement sent to Becker's. In May, Mr. Sanders warned Ozempic, approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy, approved for weight loss and serious heart conditions, could bankrupt the nation's healthcare system. The report estimated that if half of Americans took the drugs, it would cost $411 billion annually. Novo Nordisk has denounced lawmakers' heightened scrutiny on list prices of the medications, calling it "misplaced and unfair." The drugmaker said it spent more than $10 billion to develop the drugs and that its list prices incorporate additional costs, including billions in investments the company has made to boost production. In the U.S., the list price for a month's supply of Ozempic is around $1,000 and $1,349 for Wevovy. In Germany, the prices for a four-week supply are $59 and $140, respectively. Cleveland-based University Hospitals is expanding its Future Nurse Academy this summer a program that trains high school students in the Cleveland area in core skills required for a career in the field. Participants in the two-week paid program visit nursing schools in the area and receive hands-on training in a variety of skills, including CPR administration and clinical simulation experiences. Students will also learn about health and wellness, social determinants of health and problem-solving skills. Twenty-six students participated in the UH Future Nurse Academy when it launched last summer, according to a June 13 news release from the health system. This year, University Hospitals is expanding the program to three more locations and tripling the number of participating students. Seventy-eight high schoolers from 43 schools are registered to participate in the academy this summer. "The UH Future Nurse Academy sets students up for success by connecting them with UH clinicians and partners, and providing an array of opportunities for hands-on learning," Michelle Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE, chief nurse executive at University Hospitals and Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership, said in the release. "The Academy builds on students' existing skills to help them navigate healthcare career paths following high school graduation." The Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children in Los Angeles received a $50 million estate gift by Meyer & Renee Luskin. The Luskins previously gave to the hospital in 2022 with a $15 million gift, and that donation added their name to the facility. The new donation will support the hospital's mission to advance health equity to children, according to a June 11 news release. The Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital. From industry partnerships to clinical milestones, here are eight moves by Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedic Institute so far in 2024: 1. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute unveiled its relocated Lake Nona office in Orlando, Fla. 2. Mediplex Property Group opened a new facility in Newtown, Pa., fully leased to Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. 3. The organization announced in January that it would be laying off 5% of its workforce. 4. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute filed lawsuits against two of its former partners: Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health and Jersey City, N.J.-based CarePoint Health. 5. Michael Ciccotti, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, was honored by the Philadelphia Phillies for 30 years of working with the team. 6. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute reduced its expenses 11.3% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2023. 7. G. Russell Huffman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Rothman Orthopedic Institute, completed the first reverse total shoulder arthroplasty using the Apple Vision Pro. 8. Independence Blue Cross and Rothman Orthopaedic Institute extended their value-based care agreement for three more years. People applying for jobs in Northern Ireland are less likely to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools when applying for a job than those from elsewhere in the UK, a fresh survey has said. Workers in NI are also less likely to have used an AI tool in the course of their work than workers in the UK overall are. The study from Hays also found that over a quarter of NI organisations expect to use AI to evaluate job applications in the future. Some 11% of workers here have used an AI tool to apply for a job, compared to 18% of workers across the UK. However, NI businesses have already started to integrate AI into their recruitment, with 7% saying they are using them for tasks such as scanning CVs or scoring candidates, higher than the 4% of businesses in the rest of the UK. This use of AI by firms recruiting staff is set to increase in NI, with 28% saying they are looking to increase their use of the technology for hiring staff. This is almost 12% higher than the figure for UK businesses. Around 78% workers here say they would like companies to let them know if they are using AI in their recruitment. Currently, only 54% of UK employers inform applicants if they are using AI tools. Professionals in NI are also less likely to use AI in the course of their day-to-day work than their counterparts across the Irish Sea, 18% compared to 22%. The survey heard from around 11,900 professionals in the UK between February 26 and March 18 this year, of which over 360 responses were from NI. Hays say the survey was completed by both employers and employees, across a range of sectors and sizes of business. John Moore, managing director of Hays in Northern Ireland, said: Although utilising AI in the workplace differs across organisations and sectors, its promising to see that our future workforce is taking advantage of how AI might support them in different ways. As our research shows, young workers are not only reaping the of the rewards of AI within their current role, but also when applying to secure a new position. Still, its crucial not to rely on AI, but to be able to articulate yourself in an interview setting for example, where the focus will be on people skills that AI arguably cannot compete with. As both organisations and staff pursue plans to increase their use of AI, transparency is really important, so jobseekers and employers alike are not in the dark about whether AI has been used during the application and assessment process. A kind-hearted Newry teenager is starting a community knitting group in her home city throughout the summer months to help provide clothing for babies in Daisy Hill Hospital. Emma Clare Connolly said she wanted to start the group, which she has called Once Upon A Needle, in order to help bring the community, of all ages, together. Ear-biting serial thug is back behind bars for kicking cop car in payback for George Floyd When interviewed he bizarrely claimed he was taking revenge for the high-profile murder of the black American Martin Valliday Steven Moore Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 11:25 This is the ear-biting serial thug whos back behind bars for kicking a PSNI vehicle and telling cops it was payback for George Floyd. It seems former Taoiseach Leo Varadkars latest comments about a united Ireland have grabbed the attention of some of our unionist general election candidates. In an interview with this newspaper at the weekend, Mr Varadkar said the next Irish Government needs to take the initiative regarding reunification. General Election 2024: Optimism and cynicism among NI youth voters as their debut poll looms We asked some young people about importance of exercising their franchise ahead of their first General Election on July 4 Sorcha McGarry and Molly Dorrin Jessica Rice Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 20:00 The youth vote here has historically witnessed a low turnout although its a section of the population parties are always eager to court. People are calling every dentist in a 20-mile radius in an effort to register to be seen, an MLA has said. Claire Sugden said in her constituency of East Londonderry, shes been contacted by constituents who, despite finding some NHS dentists, were unable to find one who would accept new patients. Battle for victims compensation continues as Savia leader stresses orders still yet to donate to redress fund A Belfast campaigner has given the leader of Irelands Catholic Church a copy of her book in the hope that it will encourage him to push religious orders that have not yet contributed to compensation for survivors of historical sexual abuse to do so. Margaret McGuckin, who released her memoir I Did This For You last summer, presented the book to Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin. It is dedicated to children all over the world who are currently in care systems, and to her brother Kevin, who experienced such horrific sexual abuse as a ward of the state that he was left with serious physical and mental health problems and passed away on June 7 last year. I gave Eamon Martin a copy of my book so that he can know the fight and the struggle we have had not only with the religious orders, but also with The Executive Office and getting things done, Margaret told the Belfast Telegraph. She stressed that two Catholic orders still have not contributed to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Redress Board, which was recommended by the HIA Inquiry nearly eight years ago. In 2014, the Sisters of Nazareth nuns joined the De La Salle Brothers in their admissions that girls and boys were subjected to physical and sexual abuse in institutions in Northern Ireland that they controlled. It was the largest inquiry into institutional child abuse in UK legal history. Over a decade later, neither organisation has donated to the fund for victims. Both orders said that they continue to work with the Redress Board and The Executive Office in an ongoing process. Margaret, who is the leader of Savia (Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse), continued: Theres never an end to it. And victims have to stop and start and do it themselves again. Theres no rest. We cant close that wound. Its wide open knowing that these two main perpetrators, and billionaires to boot, have still not even donated to the redress fund. Until they do, its like theyre getting off with just a slap on the wrist. Even their apology wasnt adequate; it was useless. But we know what theyre like and we cant trust them after what happened down south. Theyre still running after the religious orders down there. Margaret McGuckin with her brother Kevin at the Europa hotel in Belfast, where a petition was signed on behalf of victims of sexual abuse (Credit: Pacemaker) Last November, it was estimated that around 24,000 survivors remain excluded from the Republic of Irelands redress scheme. The chair of the Oireachtas Childrens Committee, Sinn Fein TD Kathleen Funchion, said it was laughable that the Irish Government is writing to religious orders and asking them to pay into the fund, rather than compelling them to do so. In 2019, the then-head of the civil service at Stormont, David Sterling, said Stormont would pursue churches and others for money to offset part of the HIA compensation. The De La Salle Brothers order and its representatives say they have been in regular contact and are actively involved with officials from The Executive Office regarding the orders contribution to the redress scheme, adding that the scheme itself is not due to close until 2025. Margaret McGuckin and her brother Kevin McGuckin (Press Eye Ltd 2011) Legal representation for the Sisters of Nazareth said that its client continues to work with the Redress Board and The Executive Office in an ongoing process. Paula Bradshaw, chair of the Committee for The Executive Office, said that firm action needed to be seen. We know that 90m has been paid out so far in redress. However, that does not include associated costs, nor does it cover the cost of specialist services that the victims and survivors have rightly accessed, the Alliance Party MLA continued. We know that children who have adverse childhood experiences will, unfortunately, experience poor health outcomes in later life. It is therefore even more important that religious orders contribute to redress, without any further delay, for the pain, suffering and abuse that they perpetrated against all the innocent, vulnerable children. Of the people who made allegations to the Hart Inquiry, the largest number spoke about experiences in four homes run by the Sisters of Nazareth and two homes run by the De La Salle order. The inquiry also looked at three homes run by the Good Shepherd Sisters, a Church of Ireland home, two secular homes run by Barnardos, five local authority homes and five juvenile justice institutions. There were allegations against 65 institutions or homes in total. In closing, I also want to put those institutions and homes on notice. As Chair of The Executive Office Committee, I will not let the issue go. It is a priority for me and I will come back to it time and time again until it is resolved to the satisfaction of victims and survivors. Crash on A2 UPDATE: The below incident has now been cleared, although knock-on delays remain back to Big Barn leaving Bangor. A crash is causing delays in north Down heading towards Belfast. The collision occurred on the A2 Belfast Road around Ballymenoch Park in Holywood, causing knock on delays back to Seahill. The road is down to one lane as police attend the incident. Firefighters at the scene of a blaze close to the Stewartstown Road in west Belfast (Photo by RNU Beal Feirste / Facebook) The police have appealed to parents after a group of youths reportedly threw stones at fire fighters during a call out to a house fire in west Belfast on Sunday evening. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were attending to a fire in the Stewartstown Road area when some items were thrown at them. "Whilst in the area, emergency services workers were surrounded by a group of young people, the PSNI said. "We were in the area to help residents in a serious situation, and I would appeal to those involved in this activity to consider for a moment the community they are affecting by their behaviour. "I would appeal to parents to know where your children are and advise them against becoming involved in anti-social behaviour, and to the young people themselves to think about the potential consequences of their actions. NIFRS received reports of the kitchen fire in the area at approximately 6.10pm. Three appliances attended the scene two from Cadogan Fire Station and one from Lisburn. Crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire and left the scene at 7.20pm. It was believed to be an accidental ignition, with no injuries to any of the propertys occupants. A spokesperson for NIFRS said that some items were lobbed at firefighters during the incident, but none made any contact with the workers on duty, and there were no injuries or damage to any of the appliances. A PSNI spokesperson said the police will continue to work on reducing anti-social behaviour in the area. "We continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to find collaborative and proactive solutions to address the problem. . Michelle ONeill: Sinn Fein will dust themselves down ahead of General Election First Minister vows party will bounce back after disappointing showing in the Republic of Ireland Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill (left) and president Mary Lou McDonald Kurtis Reid Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 13:49 First Minister Michelle ONeill has said Sinn Fein needs to understand why they didnt get the results they expected in the local and European elections in the Republic of Ireland. Residents seek meeting as Orange lodge applies for parade in breach of 2016 deal that ended Twaddell protest CARA have said they will be adhering to their part of the agreement Liam Tunney Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 23:16 A north Belfast Orange lodge is planning to breach an agreement which ended a parades impasse in Ardoyne, a local residents group has said. A Rose of Tralee contestant who was reported missing last week by her concerned family has been found dead in New Zealand. Monica Reid (26), who had been crowned the 2024 Auckland Rose, went missing from her home in Te Atatu on Friday. A major search operation was launched, alongside social media appeals. Police said Ms Reid was last seen on Friday afternoon in the residential Matipo Road area of Te Atatu Peninsula and was believed to be wearing a purple/pink puffer jacket. Drones and a police helicopter were utilised in the search operation, along with boats from the police maritime unit. Local media reports said a temporary base at the Waitemata Rowing Club was established, with multiple search groups in attendance for the search. But her body was found early on Sunday morning. North Shore, Rodney and West Auckland Police wrote on Facebook: "A 26-year-old woman reported missing from Te Atatu Peninsula on Friday has this afternoon been located deceased. "Her death is not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the Coroner. "Police extend our sympathies to the womans family and loved ones, the message concluded. Ms Reid, whose mother is an OLeary of Irish origin and whose father is Scots/Irish, was one of 11 regional winners put forward to the New Zealand competition last month to choose a representative to send to Ireland. On May 23 the New Zealand Rose of Tralee Facebook page posted that owing to a Covid diagnosis, Ms Reid was forced to withdraw from the competition, and she was replaced by Angelina Cottrell, who has Kilkenny connections. Keely OGrady (21) of Canterbury was subsequently chosen on May 27 as the New Zealand Rose to take part in the annual festival in Tralee from August 16 to 20. She has Irish connections in Dublin, Wicklow and Kilkenny. Ms Reid had a BA in theatre, film and Italian and was completing a masters in urban planning. Ms Reids sister Imogen Trupinic said she was the youngest of a very large and very close family of seven siblings and that she was in the process of buying a house with her fiancee, the New Zealand Herald reported. There has been messages of support on social media platforms since the Ms Reids death was confirmed by police. Sending lots of love and condolences to the family of Monica Reid. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. May she rest in peace, said the Auckland Irish Club, which hosted the regional Rose competition. Her cousin Gabriel Reid thanked people for their outpouring of support over the last few days. "A tragic conclusion to the search for Monica. My thoughts and prayers are with her parents and siblings. The outpouring of community support has been a great comfort over the past few days. Sincere thanks to all who engaged in searches, shared posts and expressed concern, he wrote on X. News Catch Up: Monday 17th June 2024 MI5 may have issued a rare alert notice about a lawyer who it claimed was acting on behalf of Chinas ruling communist regime as a distraction from Partygate, a tribunal has heard. The Security Service issued an interference alert against Christine Lee in 2022, warning MPs that she was a suspected Chinese agent who had engaged in political interference activities on behalf of a branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Investigatory Powers Tribunal in London heard that Barry Gardiner, the former Labour MP for Brent North, told Ms Lee that it had been suggested the alert had been issued to detract attention from then-Prime Minister Boris Johnsons apology for the Partygate scandal the previous day. Ms Lee donated more than 500,000 to Mr Gardiner, who was chairman of the now-disbanded Chinese In Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group on which she sat, which the Security Service said was provided by foreign nationals and undertaken in covert co-ordination with the CCP branch. Ms Lee denies the allegations and is taking legal action against the Security Service with her son, Daniel Wilkes, who lost his job with Mr Gardiner following the alert, arguing that issuing the alert was unlawful and interfered with their human rights. In a text, forwarded to Ms Lee by a friend, Mr Gardiner said: Many people have said to me that they believe the reason for putting out the story when they did was to detract attention from Boris Partygate apology which was announced the day before at PMQs. I had never believed that the Security Services would be overtly party political in that way. What has also been suggested to me is that the Security Services may have wished to pick a fight or to detract attention from something else and that we were simply collateral damage. The fact that they have apparently failed to take any further action for the supposedly illegal activity which they alleged had taken place, leaves me deeply sceptical. The alert about Ms Lee was issued on January 13 2022, a day after Mr Johnson apologised to the House of Commons for breaching Covid lockdown rules. At the hearing on Monday, Ramby de Mello, representing Ms Lee and Mr Wilkes, said it was plainly wrong for the notice to have been issued. He said: Such a notice was unprecedented and as far as we are concerned it was the first time it was ever issued. The notice, alert notice, contains factual errors and is inaccurate and should not have been issued and was issued unlawfully. In written submissions, Mr de Mello said that Ms Lee engaged in activities including travelling to China and Hong Kong for business, meeting Chinese officials and making speeches that criticised the protesters in Hong Kong for using violence. But he said that Ms Lee did not know at the time, and had no reason to believe that the activities could fall foul of national security measures based on unacceptable business or political activities connected with China or UK MPs. The tribunal was told that the donations to Mr Gardiner came overwhelmingly from profit costs of her law firm and that the Security Service failed to consider that it was unlikely she would have been recruited as an agent due to her Christian beliefs. Mr de Mello said the alert had catastrophic consequences, with Ms Lee receiving sustained abuse, threats of death and rape and remaining most of the time in hiding. Mr Wilkes had his parliamentary security access revoked and lost his job with Mr Gardiner after the Security Service spoke to the former Brent North MP, who is now a candidate for the Brent West constituency. Mr de Mello said that Mr Wilkes was given an ultimatum: resign or be sacked and but for the Security Services act of branding Ms Lee a spy and their conversation with Mr Gardiner he would not have lost his job. Former Brent North Labour MP Barry Gardiner (UK Parliament/PA) Mr Wilkes is also seeking unspecified damages. The Security Service is contesting the case, claiming that its decision was rational and lawful. In written submissions, Victoria Wakefield KC, for the Security Service, said: The decision to issue the interference alert was made in the discharge of the respondents statutory function to protect national security, in particular, its protection against threats from the activities of agents of foreign powers and from actions intended to undermine parliamentary democracy by political means. The respondent assessed that Ms Lee posed a risk of this nature, and its judgment was that the issuing of the interference alert was the most effective and proportionate means to address that risk. Those assessments were rational and lawful. The barrister continued that while it was accepted that the notice had a significant effect on Ms Lee, she was not entitled to keep quiet the nature of her involvement in political interference activities and she could have no legitimate expectation of privacy as a result. She added: In the present case, the respondent concluded on the information available to it that Ms Lee posed a threat to national security and that action was necessary to counter that threat. The hearing before Lord Justice Singh, Lord Boyd and Judge Rupert Jones is expected to conclude on Tuesday, with a judgment expected in writing at a later date. The party leader said people were crying out for change (Andrew Milligan/PA) Anas Sarwar has said that momentum is with Scottish Labour, ahead of the launch of his partys election battle bus in South Queensferry on Monday. The Scottish Labour leader described the General Election as an opportunity for change, and said his party would deliver a pay raise for the 200,000 lowest-paid in Scotland, and 160,000 more NHS appointments. With three weeks to go until the election on July 4, Mr Sarwar said people were crying out for change, and said a vote for Scottish Labour was the way to make sure this happened. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: This election is an opportunity for change that Scots cannot afford to miss and it is clear that the momentum is with Scottish Labour. People are tired of this rotten Tory government and are crying out for change. Our battle bus will take our message of change to the people of Scotland. A Labour government with Scottish Labour MPs at its heart will deliver a pay rise for the 200,000 lowest-paid Scots, 160,000 more NHS appointments to tackle waiting times and publicly-owned energy headquartered in Scotland to deliver jobs and cut bills. The way we make sure we get rid of this rotten Tory government is by voting Scottish Labour on July 4 to deliver a Labour government with Scotland at its heart. Pro-Palestine protesters outside the Marshall Building at the London School of Economics (Jacob Freedland/PA) Pro-Palestinian student protesters have dismantled their month-long encampment at the London School of Economics (LSE). Dozens of demonstrators emptied out of the ground floor of the Marshall Building on Monday, minutes before the 4pm deadline given by a court order which demanded they leave the premises within 24 hours. Organisers hastily removed tents, signs and sleeping bags before the crowd inside climbed out through the buildings windows at 3.40pm. The remaining activists gathered outside to chant as security staff closed the buildings windows once all the protesters had left. Before the removal of the encampment, Jeremy Corbyn addressed demonstrators, telling them: Youre in solidarity with students all around the world, in the US and in Gaza. Pro-Palestine protesters outside the Marshall Building at the London School of Economics (Jacob Freedland/PA) The former Labour leader told the PA news agency: I say well done to these students peacefully demonstrating in support of the people of Gaza who are being bombarded. One of the students protesting was Annabelle, a 24-year-old from Washington DC studying for a masters in global politics. The group spokeswoman, who refused to give her surname, said: The school decided that instead of engaging students they would use legal measures. Anybody (who stayed) would be faced with criminal charges. A majority of students here are on visas so we could not risk it. We did not have much of a choice. She added: Our eviction does not change our strength. It has only empowered us to fight harder. We are organising. Asked if the protesters would consider reoccupying the ground floor of the building, she said: I cannot say for sure what our next plans are. But this is not the end of our movement. Another demonstrator, a student from Wisconsin who is studying for a masters in humanitarian emergencies, said the tents and sleeping bags that had been taken out of the building were going into storage. Students set up the encampment on May 14 after a report alleged that LSE has invested 89 million in 137 companies involved in the conflict in Gaza, fossil fuels, the arms industry, or nuclear weapons production. The university began legal action to remove the group earlier this month, seeking a court order forcing the students to disband it. At a hearing at Central London County Court on Friday, District Judge Kevin Moses issued an interim possession order, requiring the group to leave the premises within 24 hours once the order was served. He said the group are aware of the difficulties they are causing the claimants. The judge added: They are aware of the difficulties they are causing to other users of the premises. A further hearing in the case is due to be held at a later date. Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in Newfoundland (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP/File) The deadly implosion of an experimental submersible en route to the deep-sea grave of the Titanic last June has not dulled the desire for further ocean exploration, despite lingering questions about the disaster. Tuesday marks one year since the Titan vanished on its way to the historic wreckage site in the North Atlantic Ocean. British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were killed on board Titan, alongside the chief executive of the company responsible for the vessel, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet. After a five-day search that captured attention around the world, authorities said the vessel had been destroyed and all five people on board had died. OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush (Bill Sikes/AP) Concerns have been raised about whether the Titan was destined for disaster because of its unconventional design and its creators refusal to submit to independent checks that are standard in the industry. The US Coast Guard quickly convened a high-level investigation into what happened, but officials said the inquiry is taking longer than the initial 12-month time frame, and a planned public hearing to discuss their findings wont happen for at least another two months. Meanwhile, deep-sea exploration continues. The Georgia-based company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic plans to visit the sunken ocean liner in July using remotely operated vehicles, and a property billionaire from Ohio has said he plans a voyage to the shipwreck in a two-person submersible in 2026. The Titan dived southeast of Newfoundland. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said on Monday that there are other submersibles operating within Canadian waters, some of which are not registered with the country or any other. Numerous ocean explorers told The Associated Press they are confident undersea exploration can continue safely in a post-Titan world. Its been a desire of the scientific community to get down into the ocean, said Greg Stone, a veteran ocean explorer and friend of Titan operator Mr Rush. I have not noticed any difference in the desire to go into the ocean, exploring. OceanGate, a company co-founded by Rush that owned the submersible, suspended operations in early July. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment. David Concannon, a former adviser to OceanGate, said he will mark the anniversary privately with a group of people who were involved with the company or the submersibles expeditions over the years, including scientists, volunteers and mission specialists. Many of them, including those who were on the Titan support ship Polar Prince, have not been interviewed by the coast guard, he said. The fact is, they are isolated and in a liminal space, he said in an email. Stockton Rush has been vilified and so has everyone associated with OceanGate. I wasnt even there and I have gotten death threats. We support each other and just wait to be interviewed. The world has moved on but the families and those most affected are still living with this tragedy every day. The Titan had been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around the sunken ocean liner in yearly voyages since 2021. Paul-Henri Nargeolet was among those who died when the submersible Titan imploded (Jim Rogash/AP) The craft made its last dive on June 18, 2023, a Sunday morning, and lost contact with its support vessel about two hours later. When it was reported overdue that afternoon, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the area, about 435 miles (700km) south of St Johns, Newfoundland. The US Navy notified the coast guard that day of an anomaly in its acoustic data that was consistent with an implosion or explosion at the time communications between the Polar Prince and the Titan were lost, a senior Navy official later told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive technology. Any sliver of hope that remained for finding the crew alive was wiped away on June 22, when the Coast Guard announced that debris had been found near the Titanic on the ocean floor. Authorities have since recovered the submersibles intact endcap, debris and presumed human remains from the site. Mr Harding and Mr Nargeolet were members of The Explorers Club, a professional society dedicated to research, exploration and resource conservation. Then, as now, it hit us on a personal level very deeply, the groups president, Richard Garriott, said in an interview last week. We knew not only all the people involved, but even all the previous divers, support teams, people working on all these vessels those were all either members of this club or well within our network. Mr Garriott believes even if the Titan had not imploded, the correct rescue equipment did not get to the site fast enough. The tragedy caught everyone from the coast guard to the ships on site off guard, underscoring the importance of developing detailed search and rescue plans ahead of any expedition, he said. His organisation has since created a task force to help others do just that. Thats what weve been trying to really correct, to make sure that we know exactly who to call and exactly what materials need to be mustered, he said. Mr Garriott believes the world is in a new golden age of exploration thanks to technological advances that have opened frontiers and provided new tools to more thoroughly study already visited places. The Titanic tragedy has not tarnished that, he said. Veteran deep-sea explorer Katy Croff Bell agrees. The Titan implosion reinforced the importance of following industry standards and performing rigorous testing, but in the industry as a whole, the safety track record for this has been very good for several decades, said Ms Bell, president of Ocean Discovery League, a nonprofit organisation focused on making deep-sea investigation less expensive and more accessible. Mr Garriott said there will be a remembrance celebration for the Titan victims this week in Portugal at the annual Global Exploration Summit. Progress continues, he said. I actually feel very comfortable and confident that we will now be able to proceed. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he agreed with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to properly manage their nations differences as they emerge from a hostile era in which minister-to-minister contacts were banned and trade barriers cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars a year. Mr Li, Mr Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and Chinas desire to invest in critical minerals. Mr Li, Chinas most senior leader after President Xi Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late on Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects a guard of honor outside Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday (Lukas Coch/AP) Mr Li told reporters after Mondays meeting that the bilateral relationship was on the right track of steady improvement and development. We had a candid exchange of views on some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our comprehensive strategic partnership, Mr Li said through an interpreter. Mr Albanese, who in November last year became the first Australian prime minister to visit China since 2016, described the discussions as constructive. Australia advocates that we should all work together to promote a regional balance where no country dominates and no country is dominated, Mr Albanese said. Ive made it clear as nations with different histories, political systems and values, we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest, the Australian leader added. Their relations have improved markedly since Albaneses centre-left Labour Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Mr Albanese was elected. Beijing had banned minister-to-minister contacts as it froze out the previous Australian government diplomatically. Chinese Premier Li Qiang signs the visitor book at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia (Mick Tsikas/AP) Agriculture minister Murray Watt said before the meeting that he would raise the issue of Chinas ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilising our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Mr Watt said. Mr Li planned to underscore Chinas interest in buying a bigger stake in Australias critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Mr Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia late on Tuesday before returning to China. Australia shares the US concerns over Chinas global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australias national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. A gun salute as Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects a guard of honor outside Parliament House in Canberra (Lukas Coch/AP) Mr Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. Mr Albanese later told Li at a state lunch, We wont always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence. That appeared to be in response to a statement by Mr Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Mr Albanese confirmed he had raised with Mr Li recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Chinese and Australian officials had agreed at the meeting to discuss improving military-to-military communications to avoid unintended incidents, Mr Albanese said. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Herscovitch, a China expert at Australian National University, said he did not expect China to get any firm commitments from Australia during Mr Lis visit. The two countries signed several agreements on Monday to cooperate on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. Israel has said the United Nations, the main aid provider in war-ravaged Gaza, is yet to take full advantage of a new route meant to ease the flow of aid into the enclave. On Sunday, the military announced a tactical pause in daytime fighting along roads leading from a main goods crossing to a north-south highway. The route is meant to help address a backlog of aid waiting for pickup on the Gaza side of the crossing. Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip offer Eid al-Adha prayers at a makeshift tent camp in Khan Younis, Gaza (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) We have not seen the UN take full advantage of this step, said Shimon Freedman, a spokesman for COGAT, an Israeli defence body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza. Mr Freedman was speaking at a briefing for reporters at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian office, said workers on the ground were unable to use the route on Sunday, blaming a breakdown in law and order in the territory. At the Israeli briefing, officials did not say how many trucks had made use of the route. Mr Freedman said the route would have military presence and Israeli military spokeman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israel would make sure the road is safe. Israeli authorities have continually said the lack of aid reaching desperate Palestinians in Gaza is due to the failure of the UN to distribute supplies within the war-stricken territory. The UN welcomed Israels announcement of a tactical pause in fighting on some roads in Gaza, and is hopeful this will lead to Israeli authorities lifting all obstacle to aid deliveries for all of the territory. As we have reiterated, humanitarian operations in Gaza must be fully facilitated, and all impediments must be lifted, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told The Associated Press on Monday. We need to be able to deliver aid safely throughout Gaza. Meanwhile, the UN has blamed Israel for enforcing unnecessary and drawn-out inspection procedures at the crossing, and said that fighting in Gaza, along with violence and truck looting, has hampered their distribution efforts. Freedman said there were more than 1,000 trucks on the Gaza side of the crossing waiting to be picked up for delivery. Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip offer Eid al-Adha prayers at a makeshift tent camp in Khan Younis, Gaza (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) A UN official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there were persistent concerns with law and order along the roads despite Israeli assurances that it was safe for trucks to travel. International humanitarian officials have repeatedly said deliveries are impeded by Israeli inspections, ongoing fighting, and desperate residents taking cargo off aid trucks. Israeli ground troops have been operating in the southern city of Rafah since early May. Meanwhile, Israels Defence Ministry said on Monday that the country made record sales last year in defence exports. The Ministry said the country made 13 billion dollars in sales in 2023, a period that includes the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7 and the first three months of the war it sparked. With the war now stretching into its ninth month and with no end in sight, the figure may not entirely reflect the impact of the war on Israels ability to sell defence products to foreign countries. Israel has faced mounting global isolation over its conduct during the war in Gaza. On Monday, a major defence and security industry show outside Paris said a French court has banned Israeli exhibitors from participating, following a government decision on the matter. The ministry said a third of the exports were missile, rocket and air defence systems. They also included radar, weapon launchers and cyber systems, among others. Nearly half of exports went to Asia and the Pacific region, while 35% went to Europe, the ministry said, adding that 3% of exports went to Arab countries that normalised ties with Israel over recent years. Belfast cocaine queen to be freed for Christmas Drug dealer thrilled with festive release as associate continues to run racket until she's out Jackie Farrell Sunday Life Reporter Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 08:24 Cocaine queen Jackie Farrell was all smiles after being told she will walk free from prison in time for Christmas. The things I saw will haunt me: NI cameraman calls it quits after decades working in war zones Covering Russias invasion of Ukraine one conflict too many for former ITN man Eugene Campbell Eugene Campbell in Afghanistan in 2006 Ivan Little Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 07:46 An award-winning ITN cameraman from Downpatrick who cheated death while filming horrific conflicts all over the world has announced his retirement. A young woman walks home in the evening before Eid-ul-Adha in front of the Pattani Central Mosque in Pattani, southern Thailand, June 16, 2024. As it nears its conclusion, a parliamentary ad-hoc committee tasked with exploring ways to enhance the southern Thailand peace process is soon expected to submit some bold recommendations, including to confront thorny issues at the heart of the insurgency. After extensive consultations with conflict experts and key stakeholders, including a meeting in Malaysia with negotiators representing the Barisan Nasional Revolusi (BRN) rebels, the committee will submit its recommendations to Parliament for review next month before it will likely be disbanded. The committee, which was set up by Thailands new legislature, was also tasked with providing recommendations on improving the public consultation process a platform for residents of the Muslim-majority and historically contested far South to engage with Thai and BRN negotiators. Some members of the 35-member ad-hoc committee particularly those with progressive views are expected to advocate for moving the peace talks beyond confidence-building measures (CBMs) and taking up topics that go to the root causes of the decades-old conflict. However, such a call for substantial changes may face resistance as some bureaucrats, including a few on the committee, are inclined to maintain Thailands highly centralized structure. They are wary of granting the far South any special status that could set a precedent for other regions. Elders at the Don Rak Mosque distribute money to children to celebrate the Eid-ul-Adha holiday in Nong Chik, a district of Pattani province in southern Thailand, June 17, 2024. [Yostorn Triyos/BenarNews] BRN, a longstanding Patani Malay armed separatist group that controls virtually all of the combatants in the field, commenced direct talks with Thailands Peace Dialogue Panel in January 2020. The negotiation process has been challenging, with disagreements between the Thai army and BRN over the preferred approach. While some progress has been made, there are underlying tensions about the legitimacy of the negotiations and political motives behind violence in the southern border region. For one, the process from the start didnt have the full endorsement of the army, which still preferred using military means to quell the insurgency. Thai political elites and the army have never liked the idea of talking to the separatists, and see this as unnecessarily legitimizing the BRN. They prefer not to acknowledge the political underpinnings of the violence in the southern border region. Thai soldiers carry the coffin of one of two army rangers killed in an attack a day earlier, during a ceremony at Narathiwat airport in Thailands Deep South, April 9, 2024. [Madaree Tohlala/AFP] BRN combatants, on the other hand, have wondered if independence is still part of the movements goal now that their political leaders have agreed to negotiate under the Thai constitution. The movements leaders will rely on the public consultations to sort this matter out. If the constituency wants independence, so be it. Combatants, meanwhile, are not letting up on their campaign of violence. More than ever, attacks have become an essential part of the rebels political messaging. The increase in violent incidents is the highest in the past six years, and the intense nature of some of these high-profile, often coordinated, and simultaneous attacks involve scores of operatives and at times, last up to 30 minutes. Targets include security units patrolling the region and government installations in towns and cities. This is a far cry from the usual roadside bombing followed by a three-minute gunfight before retreating into the woods. Besides the increase in violence, the reaction to a leaked copy of the Joint Comprehensive Plan Towards Peace (JCPP) reflects the fragility of the peace process. The usual talking heads came out to voice their opinion but it was comments by Surachart Bamnrungsuk, a faculty member of the Department of International Relations at Chulalongkorn University, that rubbed many people the wrong way. He had remarked that the Peace Dialogue Panel was going about it the wrong way, and he asked whether the Thai negotiators were exceeding their mandate with this so-called road map for peace. The document, leaked by the BRN, contained specific points about reducing violence; it also talked about a timeline for releasing detainees, as well as guidelines for ceasefire monitoring. The JCPP was not a political statement in itself, but critics of the peace process could not bring themselves to see it any other way. For many Thai policy makers and conservative elites, everything in the Malay-speaking far South, and every dealing with the BRN is in essence political. Former Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang (left) receives roses from supporters as he arrives at a military court in Bangkok, June 20, 2014. Chaturon was arrested in May 2014 for failing to respond to a summons from Thailands then-military government and over allegations that he helped incite unrest. [Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters] The ad hoc committee for the far South is headed by veteran lawmaker Chaturon Chaisang, who is well respected by the Malay Muslims in Thailands far South. When he served as education minister two decades ago, Chaturon urged the government to support local identity and grant the Malays greater cultural space as a way to bridge the trust gap between the state and the local population. His recommendations were quickly shot down by the army. Today, Chaturon is no longer a cabinet minister and does not have the kind of pull that he used to have with the government or the party. No one is expecting a significant breakthrough because its still not clear what kind of concessions the government is willing to give to the Patani Malays. Moreover, the three-month at a time mandate given to his ad hoc committee wasnt much of a mandate to begin with, considering that the conflict resurged 20 years ago and that more than 7,500 people have died from insurgency-related violence since then. Committee members are a mixed bag of people, including people who advocate for serious moves to empower the Malay-speaking region so that the locals can fully embrace their cultural-religious identity and narrative. And then there are those who believe the far South can come to terms with the state if the government improves its deliverables on goods and services. Police investigate the scene after a motorcycle-bomb attack injured nine people at Tha Phraya Sai Dam in Mueang Narathiwat, a district of Narathiwat province in southern Thailand, May 7, 2024. [Matahari Islmail/BenarNews] Government officials, in general, continue to cling to the long-standing policy of assimilation enhancing Thainess among the Melayu without understanding that, for the Muslims in this historically contested region, their Islamic religion and their Malay identity are inseparable. Moreover, there doesnt seem to be much interest among the lawmakers, including those who sit on this ad hoc committee. Many appeared to have better things to do than coming to the committees meetings. In the final analysis, no matter how bold their recommendations may be, it is essentially up to Parliament and the government to act on the committees recommendations. Given the political climate of the day, combined with the lack of interest by the current crop of lawmakers and the mindset of the army and political elites who are not willing to make serious concessions to the Patani Malays beyond minor administrative adjustments, political violence in the far South will go on as usual. Don Pathan is a Thailand-based security analyst who works on conflict and insurgency in the Southeast Asia region. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of BenarNews. The president-elect says he will maintain efforts to boost domestic industries, convert forests into plantations. President-elect Prabowo Subianto walks to a news conference room after a meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, April 29, 2024. Environmentalists are expressing deep concerns about Indonesias ecological future because of President-elect Prabowo Subianto signaling a strong preference for boosting mining industries and sectors that exploit natural resources. Prabowo, set to assume the presidency in October, has pledged to carry on with President Joko Jokowi Widodos strategy of developing these sectors to their full potential through converting forests into plantations to secure food and energy. President Joko Widodo has built a strong foundation and Im determined to build on that foundation. Indonesia must be self-sufficient in food and then energy security, Prabowo said during a speech at the Qatar Economic Forum last month. Reducing poverty, he said, required a massive campaign, massive effort. We have to concentrate on processing our natural resources. We have to make a great effort in downstreaming and to industrialize, Prabowo said, reiterating one of the planks in his campaign platform. But that will require a heavy reliance on coal to power some of these industries, environmentalists warn. Downstreaming refers to the governments strategic policy of transforming raw materials into higher-value products before export. This policy aims to boost the countrys economy by developing industries that process natural resources such as minerals, palm oil and other commodities into finished goods. Environmentalists say that the swift industrial expansion and the risk of increased pollution pose severe threats to Indonesias rich ecosystems. The situation in the extractive industry could worsen under Prabowos presidency, said Melky Nahar, coordinator for the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), an NGO. Melky raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, noting the involvement of politically connected business people in the upcoming government. Prabowos brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, is a business tycoon with interests in mining, palm oil, pulp and paper. Questions have been raised about the blatant extractive approach during President Jokowis administration, notably the initiatives to allocate forested lands for industrial uses, Fanny Tri Jambore, head of campaigns for the environmental organization Walhi, told BenarNews. Massive nickel mining, particularly in forest areas, presents a grave environmental challenge, he said. The term extractive industry refers to companies that take minerals and other raw materials from the earth. Fanny said the growing demand for coal, fueled by the energy needs of nickel-processing plants, could exacerbate environmental damage across the archipelago. Nickel processing The governments strategy involves the downstreaming of 21 commodities including nickel and bauxite, as well as crops such as palm oil. The strengthening of Indonesias industrial capabilities, especially in industries that depend on Indonesias mineral resources, will continue, will intensify, and the sector will scale, Prabowo wrote in a commentary published by Newsweek. I am committed to advancing Indonesia toward achieving its objective of becoming a fully developed country by 2045. Prabowo has said that the downstreaming initiative is projected to need an investment of about U.S. $545 billion. A worker wearing a protective suit taps slag from a smelting furnace at PT Vale Indonesias nickel processing plant in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, Sept. 12, 2023. [Dita Alangkara/AP] Following a 2020 ban on nickel ore exports, Indonesia has seen the rise of 43 nickel processing facilities, according to government data. Data shows that nickel mining concessions in Indonesia expanded to over 2.47 million acres in 2022, with a significant portion located within forested regions, Fanny said. This represents an increase from 2021, further raising concerns about deforestation and habitat loss. He warned that the nickel industrys reliance on coal-fired power plants is driving increased coal production elsewhere, thus amplifying environmental damage across Indonesia. In addition, policies focusing on processing resources are reducing the involvement of local communities in managing these resources, he said. On Sulawesi island, Indonesias largest center for the production of nickel ore, reports have surfaced about water and air pollution, deforestation, waste dumping and human rights violations. Walhis records reveal 862 cases of violence against communities over the past decade, ranging from intimidation and prosecution to physical violence, sometimes resulting in deaths or loss of community rights. This will accelerate environmental degradation, following the pattern established during Jokowis administration. If this pattern continues, the situation will only worsen, Fanny said. Batteries for e-vehicles The Indonesian nickel industry is largely dominated by companies from China. Most of the nickel processed in these facilities is destined for export, catering to the growing international demand for renewable energy solutions, notably batteries for electric cars. Indonesias ambition is to become a major hub in Southeast Asia for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Meanwhile, JATAMs Melky criticized the Jokowi government for its practice of amending regulations to serve vested interests, particularly the allocation of revoked coal mining permits to religious groups. Barges fully loaded with coal are anchored on the Mahakam River in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, Dec. 19, 2022. [Dita Alangkara/AP] Jokowi signed a decree last month giving religious organizations permission to manage mining concessions revoked from companies, citing the contribution made by these groups to Indonesias independence struggle. The regulation follows an announcement by Jokowis administration in 2022 that it was canceling mining and plantation permits covering millions of acres because development was moving too slowly. This practice of bypassing regulations exacerbates the situation, allowing continuous mining operations across Indonesia, Melky said. Climate goals The government has set ambitious climate goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 32% below the business-as-usual scenario by 2030 through domestic efforts, and by 43.2% with international support. Mahawan Karuniasa, an environmental analyst from the University of Indonesia, said that because of Indonesias dwindling non-renewable resources and an approaching energy shortage, it is important for the country to concentrate on the later stages of production, such as processing and distribution. Nickel represents Indonesias hope, as the country has traditionally only been a market, he told BenarNews. We must ensure that environmental concerns do not compromise Indonesias sovereignty in managing our natural resources, especially due to foreign parties who wish for Indonesia not to pursue downstreaming, he said. Therefore, there is no other choice but to move forward. A man uses a machete to clear land to make way for a corn plantation in Polewali Mandar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, April 21, 2024. [Yusuf Wahil/AP] In a speech to the Peoples Consultative Assembly last year, Jokowi said his government was committed to a sustainable approach in downstreaming, emphasizing the use of renewable energy and reduced environmental impact. Prabowo has echoed this commitment, according to Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, a senior official at the president-elects Gerindra Party. The downstreaming policy will be subject to comprehensive environmental impact assessments, factoring in the technology employed and measures for environmental conservation, Sufmi told BenarNews. Ability of the government to deliver services is hampered and confidence in the electoral process undermined by inaccurate population figures. Papua New Guineas Prime Minister James Marape became the first person to be counted in the census as part of a live program on national broadcaster EMTV on June 17 2024. Counting is underway in a highly anticipated national census in Papua New Guinea that is hoped will dispel wildly diverging population estimates ranging from 9.6 million to nearly twice the number. Just after midnight on Monday, Papua New Guineas Prime Minister James Marape became the first person in the country to be recorded, as part of a broadcast to raise awareness in the Pacifics most populous nation. The countrys census usually conducted every decade was delayed for several years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort must also contend with the inaccessibility of swathes of the remote highlands and island communities and risks of ethnic conflicts in some provinces. The Pacific island countrys last reliable census was in 2000 when the population tally was 5.19 million. Researchers say the 2011 census, which produced a population figure of about 7.3 million, was botched and likely significantly undercounted the number of people. Questions are already emerging about whether preparations this time have been adequate. The count appeared to get off to a troubled start when census enumerators demanding their allowances reportedly clashed on Sunday with security guards at city hall in Port Moresby. Last week minister for administrative services Richard Masere said he had kept costs to 153 million kina (US$39 million), from a forecast budget of 300 million kina. The flawed 2011 census cost 150 million kina. You build public infrastructure around people and where people need services. So the census is very important for the country, to establish the number of people, said Wilson Thompson, chairman of Papua New Guineas National Research Institute. Census material is prepared for distribution in East New Britain on June 16, 2024 ahead of the start of counting. [Census 2024 EBN] Papua New Guinea, because of its unreliable population data, is unable to establish basic facts such as its infant mortality rate and how much income the country has per person, which hampers efforts to lift living standards. The problem was starkly underlined earlier this month when a landslide wiped out a village in Enga province. Uncertainty about the villages population led to wildly different reports of the number of people killed from dozens to thousands and the true figure still remains unknown. Matilda Pilacapio, an environmental activist and one of Papua New Guineas first elected female politicians, said she doesnt believe the two weeks allotted to conduct the census will be sufficient. What is most important is that PNG has the right figures of its population so the government and donors can plan and deliver the right services to its people, Pilacapio said. We are guessing our population right now, she told BenarNews. We need the census to be conducted thoroughly, so the government can have the right figures to plan for proper schools and hospitals and roads. Faith in elections also is undermined because the number of people on electoral rolls is sometimes much larger than an electorates enumerated population. Voters queue up at a polling station to cast their votes in the general elections in Papua New Guinea's capital city Port Moresby on July 11, 2022. [Andrew Kutan / AFP] After the 2022 general election, the Commonwealth observer team also reported some rolls were missing up to 50 percent of eligible voters and called on the government to urgently prioritise the census. Papua New Guineas statistics agency, on its website, currently estimates the population at 11.7 million. The National Research Institute in 2020 estimated the population at 9.4 million, according to Wilson. Australian National University professors Bryant Allen and Mike Bourke estimated the population at between 8.8 million and 9.6 million people in mid-2020, based on projecting different plausible growth rates from the 2000 population number. In 2022, a study conducted for the U.N. that combined analysis of satellite imagery and other sources estimated Papua New Guineas population at 17 million. Some experts, however, were skeptical the methodology could produce an accurate population figure for the countrys particular circumstances and geography. Allen, a demography and development expert who has carried out research in Papua New Guinea since the early 1970s, told BenarNews reports on preparations for this census raise questions about whether enumerators have enough training to do the job. National Statistician John Igitoi in a video urged everyone to take part in the count that will involve a reported 20,000 enumerators. If you are not going to be counted, as I always say, you will be left out of the development picture, he said. First data from the census is due for release in August. 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. BENNINGTON Town Manager Stuart Hurd has released a report in response to questions raised by resident Ned Perkins about the expenditure of federal grant funds awarded for the nonprofit Bennington Community Market. Hurd concluded that, The Community Market and the town are acting appropriately under the grant agreement. The allegations as stated by Mr. Perkins are unfounded, as is the allegation that requested information was not forthcoming. The $235,000 Perkins referred to was a portion of a $2.2 million federal earmark announced in 2022 for the Bennington Fair Food Initiative consortium designated for several local food-related initiatives, including the nonprofit market at 239 Main Street, which opened in March 2023. Approximately $400,000 was to go to the new market venture. Other entities receiving funds from the $2.2 million grant for food service training, farming and other purposes included Bennington College, Southwest Tech and the Vermont Veterans Home. The town did not receive the grant but is involved as a funding pass-through, Hurd and other town officials have said, because federal community development grant program funds require municipality involvement in the process. Perkins had asked the Select Board at its Monday meeting to investigate the expenditure of the $235,000, contending that a goal clearly stated in the grant application that it was to create four management positions didnt appear to have been fulfilled. Perkins asked what had happened to those funds, initially earmarked for a community outreach coordinator to work with local farmers and others, paying $60,000 per year; a sales and marketing coordinator, at $50,000 per year at 30 hours per week; a workforce development assistant at $50,000 per year, and a project director paying $75,000 per year. The questions raised by Perkins and by another resident, Joey Kulkin, in a flurry of records requests, echo others raised by critics of the initiative and on social media since shortly after the market opened in March 2023. That was particularly true after the market soon went through a period of struggle that included staff turnover, complaints about nearly barren market shelves and a succession of three market managers brought on within six months. Addressing the towns role in the grant process, Hurd said in his report this week, You will note in the attached letter to me from [Town Community Development Director Shannon Barsotti] that once the funds are secured, the town becomes an overseer of the drawdown of funds. The invoices come from the entity [the nonprofit market] to the town, then to [the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development]. Barsottis note to Hurd added, Once HUD determines the funds are appropriate, they are wired to the towns Community Development account. The invoices are reviewed by the community development director, and if accurate, a check is cut to the entity. The check and the payment are reviewed by the [town] finance director and signed by the [town] treasurer. The town is audited annually for use of federal funds]. In this case, Hurd said, the Community Market must operate under HUD rules and meet the goals outlined in the grant application. Hurd also attached a letter from a member of the markets nonprofit board, Susan Sgorbati, that also was reviewed by the nonprofit markets board. Sgorboti stated in the letter to Hurd: It has come to my attention that the Bennington Banner is interested in reporting on the HUD grant and the four [management] positions that were originally named. All of the original goals of the grant are being met and the funds are being appropriately distributed. She said the four positions are being funded through the federal grant money, adding, The confusion may be because in the original grant, the positions [were named differently]. Sgorboti said the jobs created are now referred to as general manger, assistant manger, grocery manager and catering/kitchen manager. We determined that because the grant was written three years ago, the positions evolved to the ones identified and are still covering all of the original duties, she said. The original goals were to retain jobs, to assist local businesses, to create new businesses and to rehabilitate a building downtown. This is how the funds are being allocated and we can show outcomes that meet those objectives. In addition, Sgorboti said, The town and the Community Market have complied with all public records requests for this project. Perkins responded Friday in an email that he doesnt believe the statements by the town and market officials addressed his questions. Stu Hurds report and Susan Sborbatis letter try to make the case that using funds designated to pay for positions in the Fair Food Initiatives Leadership Office for what they consider equivalent line positions at the Bennington Community Market is proper. The grant narrative is quite clear that supporting the Bennington Community Market by funding them payroll is an entirely separate goal from launching and staffing a Leadership Office that will oversee all the work of the Fair Food Initiative .... However, Hurd noted in his report that HUD was aware of the records requests and the allegations by Perkins and of details of the market operation -- in part through email exchanges between Barsotti and Alyaa Smith, information specialist with the HUD administrative offices in Washington, which he attached to his report. In an email exchange between Barsotti and Smith, Barsotti was asked whether the town objected to release to any of the records requested by Perkins which he also copied to the federal department. Barsotti responded, Thank you for sending me this FOIA (Freedom of Information) request from Mr. Perkins. I have also copied the Bennington town manager, Stuart Hurd. We have no objection to HUD sharing these records with Mr. Perkins. In his report, Hurd also released an email chain showing requests for information from Perkins and town Communications Coordinator Jonah Spivaks numerous responses to requests and to follow-up questions. Perkins had told the Select Board Monday that his requests for records and information were not fully answered through his communications with Spivak and others. It is clear that he [Spivak] was forthcoming and complete in his response, Hurd wrote in his report. Perkins, a fiscal watchdog who previously raised questions about the process for awarding loans from a town small business fund, said during the Monday board meeting, referring to the market positions, Id like the Select Board to investigate how the money was spent. He contended the federal grant funding was designated for a very specific use and not for general operating expenses. PITTSFIELD Hundreds of public school students from this city use school choice to attend out-of-town schools every year. Millions of dollars that would otherwise stay put in Pittsfield schools leave with them. The problem this exodus of city students and the state education dollars that follow has been hiding in plain sight for years, but it's little discussed even though it's been a matter of public record and a conversation topic for parents. Today, with Pittsfield Public Schools facing bigger challenges with fewer dollars, the state education funding that leaves the city through school choice looms large. How large? Pittsfield ranks second in the state for the number of pupils who "choice out" to attend school in a different system at a cost of nearly $4 million, the most recent Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows. It's a particularly notable sum in a year when federal revenue is vanishing and the local wallet is tightening. For the upcoming academic year, Pittsfield Public Schools will go without $13 million in federal emergency relief funds for the first time since the pandemic. And the City Council, feeling pressure from taxpayers, this week cut an additional $200,000 from the school budget. In the 2022-23 school year, the most recent academic year of finalized data available, some 585.6 Pittsfield children a sum the data measures in terms of full-time equivalents, not head count attended schools in another school system. That's more students than the enrollment of Pittsfield's Herberg Middle School which had 496 students that year in grades 6, 7 and 8, according to DESE data. According to the same data, only 75.6 full-time equivalent students from outside the city used school choice to attend Pittsfield schools. Only Springfield, the state's third-largest city with 827.4 full-time equivalent students outbound and 16.1 inbound, sends more students via choice than Pittsfield. Springfield, with about 155,000 residents, is more than three times the size of Pittsfield, who has a population about 43,000. Per capita, Pittsfield loses school choice students at more than twice the rate of Springfield. 'WOULD LOVE FOR EVERYONE TO STAY' School choice has been an option for Massachusetts students and schools since 1991. In Massachusetts, the state's education money follows the school choice student to the school they attend. In the 2022-23 school year, the departures from Pittsfield resulted in $3,872,024 charged against the city's Chapter 70 education funding. Those dollars followed students to their learning destinations at a standard rate of $5,000 per typical student. Reimbursement rates are higher for children requiring special education services, which can run into the six figures per child. The outflow is not new. According to Pittsfield Public Schools Superintendent Joseph Curtis and business manager Kristen Behnke, the number of Pittsfield families sending students to surrounding districts has remained steady for the past 20 years. Behnke produced a letter written by then-Superintendent Jake Eberwein to state education officials in 2010 regarding the Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School's expansion request. In that letter, Eberwein noted data from 2005, when 13.4 percent of children eligible for city schools were utilizing school choice. According to Curtis, as the 2023-24 school year ends, 14.3 percent of city students were attending other districts through school choice. That said, city schools have seen a slight enrollment increase, from 5,026 as this time last year to 5,051 this year. Behnke pointed out that in the fall of 2005, Pittsfield still had two Catholic schools: St. Mark School and St. Joseph Central High School with grades 8-12. (St. Mark closed in 2015, and St. Joseph closed in 2017, with dwindling enrollment a key factor in both decisions.) And unlike school choice, parochial schools didn't cost the Pittsfield schools $5,000 per student. "We certainly would love everyone to stay," Curtis said. "But you know, being an urban school district in the middle of a county that has very small school communities and all of their populations on the decline ... they have more seat availability. So that unfortunately impacts us." In raw numbers that is, not adjusted on a per-capita basis those 585 students represent a larger number of choice departures, and more outbound dollars attached to those students, than the Worcester, Holyoke, Fitchburg, Brockton, Boston, Chicopee, New Bedford, Dennis-Yarmouth and Greenfield school districts. But Curtis pointed out that in some districts, choice options are limited by surrounding suburban districts refusing to take in school choice with the suburbs around Boston the most notable example. School districts decide one year to the next whether to participate in choice. WHAT ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS? The state's school choice data does not include the 169.6 full-time equivalent Pittsfield students who attended Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School in Adams in fiscal 2023, or the $2,671,325 net charge to the citys Chapter 70 funding that fiscal year. Charter schools such as BART are independent public schools operated by boards of trustees, with the freedom to set their own budgets, make their own hiring decisions, and organize around a core mission, curriculum, theme, or teaching method as they see fit. In return for this latitude, they must demonstrate good performance within five years or risk losing their charter. Like school choice, tuition for charter students is paid by the city out of its Chapter 70 dollars. But unlike school choice, charter schools receive the full adjusted per-pupil cost set by the state, rather than a flat per-student fee of $5,000. According to the fiscal 2023 data, the Pittsfield Public Schools were charged $3,072,112 in Chapter 70 funds, and reimbursed $400,787 by the state, for a net charge of $2,671,325. Reimbursements were based on an adjusted foundation rate of $18,457 per pupil. One of Pittsfield resident Lyndsay Isham-Morton's daughters attended BART this year, and her sister will join her there next year. She said Reid and Herberg's size would have left her elder daughter "lost and overwhelmed." BART's smaller size and reputation for supportive staff and faculty led to the decision. "We loved our experience at Stearns. It's a small community school and both my daughters got the individualized attention they needed," Isham-Morton said. "For different reasons Reid or even Herberg wouldn't have been a good fit." In the 2022-23 school year, BART had 363 students, meaning Pittsfield pupils comprised nearly half its enrollment. Every child deserves to get a great public education at a school that's right for them, whether that's a district public school or a charter public school, BART interim executive director Jonathan Igoe said in an email. Parents have the right to decide which public school will best serve the unique needs of their children, and their kids are entitled to the same share of public funds regardless of the public school they decide to attend. Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School hired Joe Huston as its new, permanent principal. Huston has a long career as an educator and in the field of education. Lenox native James Brooke has traveled to about 100 countries reporting for The New York Times, Bloomberg and Voice of America. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years. The House and Senate adopted a resolution setting the weekend of Aug. 10-11 as this year's sales tax holiday. The annual tax holiday enables shoppers to avoid the sales tax on many purchases, although critics say it doesn't generate much new economic activity and merely shifts consumer buying patterns. Over the years, public officials have settled on holding the holiday in August in a bid to ramp up shopping during a lighter period for some retailers and to give families savings on back-to-school expenses. During the annual tax holiday weekend, the state will suspend collection of the 6.25 percent sales tax on most items that retail for less than $2,500. The holiday does not apply to purchases of motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, marijuana products, telecommunications services like prepaid calls, natural gas, steam, or electricity. The Department of Revenue estimated that indirect tax revenues generated due to increased economic activity during the sales tax holiday weekend last year totaled approximately $3.54 million. The agency said the holiday resulted in about $36.94 million in forgone sales tax revenue for the state $24.23 million of which would have gone into the General Fund, $6.75 million into the MBTA State and Local Contribution Fund, and $5.9 million into the School Modernization and Reconstruction Trust Fund. Late Thursday, after the measure had cleared both branches, Senate President Karen Spilka released a statement calling the tax holiday "a great opportunity for residents to get out and support the local businesses in their community" and House Speaker Ron Mariano observed that the plan "aims to boost revenue for small businesses and enhance affordability for consumers." How many Christians do not treat their faith seriously, or take it for granted? Many get up and go to work or school, but they did not find time to talk to God. Undoubtedly, many Christians have some type of insurance (life, home, auto, medical, dental, etc.), but they see their spiritual lives as a bit trivial, like only praying when trouble comes their way. Jesus was invited to a Pharisees house for dinner. A sinful woman learned of this, came to the house, and began to wash the feet of Jesus with her tears. She kissed them and anointed them with oil. The Pharisee was critical of this, but Jesus told him a parable. A creditor had two debtors, one owed a small amount while the other a large amount. The creditor forgave both debts, so which one was more grateful? The Pharisee replied that it is the one that was forgiven the most. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, Your sins are forgiven (Luke 7:44-48). Basically, the people who love Christ little are not as intense about their faith in Jesus. As we come to Jesus in a serious manner, astounding things occur. Are We Taking God Seriously? Because we currently live in a critically challenging time, there must be a reason why people do not take God at His Word. Do we even take God seriously? Provided that this is true, how might we be aware? What is the significance here in taking God in such a grave manner? How can we say whether or not people are earnest about their confidence and faith in God? Individuals who are serious about their faith do not mistake it for different convictions, loyalties, or blend them together aimlessly with the secular worlds belief system. Individuals who are serious about their faith do not agree to, empower, or allow any infringement of its norms by its declared believers. Individuals who are serious about their faith do not stay quiet about it, apologize for it, or allow it to be treated as if it had little or no effect in their conduct or in their associations with others. Individuals who are serious about their faith study the Scriptures, have a positive prayer life, and look for ways to lead others to Christ. Individuals who are serious about their faith continually seek the Lords guidance in all aspects of their life. I believe that the actual question that we should ask ourselves is this, How do we go about taking God seriously? Taking God seriously starts first by us having a fear of the Lord. What Is the Fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is a vital topic in the wisdom writing of the Bible, from the book of Job through the Song of Solomon. It means to have regard and adoration for God and to feel in wonder of His highness and power. This is the beginning stage to tracking down genuine wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). Perhaps the most irritating sort of individual is a smart aleck, an individual who has an overbearing assessment on everything and who is shut to anything new. Solomon calls this sort of individual a braggart. We should not turn into a know-it-all. All things being equal, we ought to be open to the guidance of others, particularly the people who are familiar with us and can give us significant insight and advice. We should ascertain how to gain understanding from others. Only God knows everything. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Nobody can be really wise except if he fears the Lord. This is not only about respect, yet it does not infer panic and terror. The thought is one of lowliness, profound love, and surrender. The reason for fearing God in this manner is believing that He is sacred and abhors and rebuffs sin. The people who appropriately comprehend God's position have a reasonable perspective on the real world, prompting knowledge and improved results. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise (Psalm 111:10). The best way to turn out to be genuinely insightful is to fear (revere) God. Time after time, individuals try to skirt this progression, imagining that they can become savvy through life experience and scholastic information alone. Yet, if we do not recognize God as the wellspring of wisdom, then the core for using sound judgment is temperamental, and we are ill-fated to stupid decisions. We ought to continuously recall that wisdom comes from perceiving God as the wellspring of wisdom, and to submit to His regulations. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility (Proverbs 15:33). The Impact on Our Lives By revering the Lord, an individual increases in wisdom, yet he should lower himself to acquire that wisdom. He readily recognizes his dependence on the Lord for good judgment, and he unassumingly submits to the Lord's directions. An individual cannot begin with a mentality of haughtiness and hope to procure honor. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:26-27). Revering the Lord builds certainty. Neither troublesome individual conditions nor disturbing world occasions can shake the believers confirmation that God is in charge. The word fear interpreted here suggests regard and respect. In a believer, a solid regard for God and His truth helps us keep away from the results of sin in our lives. The children of a person who loves the Lord also enjoy the Lords security, as the life of a God-fearing adult impact the kids and help them to also venerate God. That trusting, compliant submission to God's will delivers a nurturing stream, interfacing us to the honest love of our Creator (John 10:10). Confiding in the Lord as Savior brings plentiful, never-ending life (John 3:16). Additionally, showing respect to God brings about a reviving, intentional life. By respectfully fearing the Lord, an individual stays away from the normal outcomes of transgression and malevolence (Proverbs 12:28). That security reaches out past the natural life; creatures caught in a trap face demise, yet the believer will not face eternal death (John 10:27-28). To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech (Proverbs 8:13). The more an individual regards and fears God, the more the person will not stand evil. Having a love for God and a love for transgression cannot coincide. Holding onto secret sins implies that we are enduring evil inside ourselves. We should make a total separation from transgression and commit ourselves totally to God. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:9). True Spiritual Wisdom The fear of the Lord may seem like a weird term for the law God gave Israel, however the Law was expected to help the Israelite people to fear the Lord. The significance of fear here is the old feeling of significant regard, lowliness, and acknowledgment. This is not a feeling of terror, however, but of respect. That respectful anxiety toward the Lord is spotless, and perseveres until the end of time. Not at all like false religions that are polluted, God's Word is pure and never-ending. An appointed authority might deliver an off-base decision, yet God's decisions are valid, and they are completely exemplary. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure (Isaiah 33:6). The treasures of God are abundantly more than our needs, and He provides salvation and wisdom to the individuals who accept and respect Him and His sovereignty. To take God seriously is to have a reverential fear of God. By doing so we gain true spiritual wisdom and knowledge on how we are to live, how to work, and how to teach others. We can be assured that God will do what He says that He will do. Photo credit: Pexels/geralt Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia Joe Alwyn has been asked for his reaction to Taylor Swifts new album, which is believed to reference old flames including him. The British actor, 33, who is known for period dramas The Favourite, Mary Queen Of Scots and Catherine Called Birdy, dated Swift, 34, for more than six years until 2023. Advertisement Alwyn worked with Swift on her eighth studio album Folklore, which won the album of the year Grammy in 2021, writing under the pseudonym William Bowery. Joe Alwyn was in a relationship with Taylor Swift for more than six years (David Parry/PA) Swifts latest record The Tortured Poets Department is thought to contain references to Alwyn. Advertisement Number five in the tracklist the slot reserved for the most meaningful song on each of Swifts albums is called So Long, London. In the lyrics, Swift hints at wedding plans, singing: You swore that you loved, me but where were the clues, I died on the altar waiting for the proof, as well as being upset at having to leave London which she said she loved. When asked about the album, Alwyn told the Sunday Times Style Magazine: In thinking on what I was going to say, I would think and hope that anyone and everyone can empathise This isnt a direct answer to your question, but just thinking about what I want to talk about I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathise and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years. That is a hard thing to navigate. Advertisement What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, its suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in. Taylor Swift on stage during her Eras Tour at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) Despite seeming not to want to explicitly comment on the record, Alwyn appeared to suggest that the song The Black Dog, which appeared to be a reference to a pub in Vauxhall of the same name she went to with a partner, is not about him. Advertisement Ive never been to Vauxhall, Alwyn said. Fans have also speculated if the pub mention makes reference to The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, with whom she briefly had a relationship. Alwyn also said: So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition. And the truth is, to that last point, there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said. I have made my peace with that. Advertisement He added that him and Swift decided to keep the more private details of our relationship private and it was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now. Look, this is also a little over a year ago now and I feel fortunate to be in a really great place in my life, professionally and personally. I feel really good, he added. He also said that due to the level of noise and scrutiny about my past relationship, he will not speak about whether he is still in touch with Swift. Alwyn has recently reunited with Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos, who both worked on The Favourite, for dark comedy Kinds Of Kindness. The operator of Dublin Airport is to lodge plans in the coming days for a 950-space car park for staff working at the airport. In the planning application to be lodged with Fingal County Council, DAA is seeking planning permission for a westwards extension of the existing Holiday Blue long term car-park for the additional 950 "airport staff car parking spaces". Advertisement A published planning notice for the scheme states that the application site totals 10.5 acres and is bounded by the South Parallel Road to the north, Harristown Lane to the west and Horizon Business Park to the south. The development will involve the demolition of an existing cattle pen and hard standing area and the planning notice states that the 950 spaces will include 48 spaces for persons with reduced mobility. The car park extension will also include 96 spaces that will be serviced by Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points. The application comes against the background of growing pressure at Dublin airport car parks for airport passengers. Advertisement A spokesman for daa said on Monday that the application is required by staff at the growing number of companies, including airlines, ground handling providers and logistics firms who operate on the Dublin airport campus. He said: daa has plans to increase the number of parking spaces at Dublin Airport for both passengers and staff. He added: The number of car parking spaces available for passengers also needs to increase to meet demand and our Infrastructure Application, submitted to Fingal County Council last year, includes plans to add an additional 2,500+ long and short-term car parking spaces. On the staff parking application, he said that timelines for the opening of the new car park will depend on how long it takes to secure planning permission. Advertisement The spokesman also pointed that daa is fully committed to increase the volume and attractiveness of public transport options available for passengers and staff and our Infrastructure Application includes plans for a new Ground Transportation Centre which would incorporate an expanded and enhanced bus station and ultimately also the Dublin Airport Metrolink stop. Asked about daa efforts to address the current shortage of passenger car spaces, the daa spokesman said: We continue to explore every option available and remain in discussions to see if we can operate the former Quickpark facility, where 6,200 spaces are currently lying idle, to see if we can operate it on a temporary basis for the Summer months. A decision will be made on the staff car-parking application later this year by Fingal County Council but any appeal to An Bord Pleanala would ensure that there would be no final decision on the application until 2025. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has said she spent just 30 seconds on a fun fair ride in Portrush during a busy day of election campaigning. Ms Long received criticism from some when a picture emerged on social media of her on a ghost train after she pulled out of the Irelands Future event citing diary clashes following the calling of the Westminster election. Advertisement North Belfast election candidate Nuala McAllister took part in the event in Belfast on Saturday instead of her party leader. Leader's Tour with @naomi_long Stop 4 A wee trip to Curry's in Portrush in East Derry with @alliancerichard and time for some nostalgia. Blue skies and bringing change. A ride on the ghost train and loving the Alliance coloured dodgems! pic.twitter.com/xfJlwuQhKB Michael Long (@CllrMichaelLong) June 15, 2024 Advertisement The event, aimed to promote debate and discussion about what a united Ireland would look like, was addressed by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar and First Minister Michelle ONeill among others. Ms Long was speaking in the Stormont Assembly on Monday after being challenged by Opposition leader Matthew OToole around how her role as the North's Justice Minister will be filled if she is elected as MP for east Belfast. Advertisement Mr OToole made a reference to Ms Longs diary including visits to funfairs. The exchange came during questions for the Justice Minister. Ms Long responded saying she doesnt believe the General Election is a matter that falls to the Department of Justice. She said she cannot use her resources in the department to promote her election campaign, adding she didnt think other parties should be using this chamber to promote theirs. Advertisement She added: But Im glad to know that the member is watching me so closely in terms of how I spend my time outside the chamber. He will no doubt have also recognised that the 30 seconds I spent on the ghost train, which, by the way, was excellent value for money, was only a tiny part of a busy day spent on the campaign trail. A father of four has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for attacking his former partner and her mother with a knife in the family home while two of his children slept. The now 27-year-old man pleaded guilty to attempting to commit assault causing harm at an address in Foxrock, Co Dublin, on August 31st, 2021, and again on September 5th, 2021. Advertisement He also pleaded guilty to threatening to damage his former partners home, and threatening to kick a door in and smash it up contrary to a safety order on September 24th 2022. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that he had 15 previous convictions, including for assault. Passing the sentence on Monday, Judge Martina Baxter said that he had placed the mother of his two older children in fear, and that he had contravened a safety order. Another aggravating factor was that he had committed the latter offences while on bail. The court heard that the first offence happened at half past midnight in the home that his two young children shared with his former partner. Her mother was also there, and he had swung a knife at her. Advertisement When gardai arrived, he had been aggressive and had to be restrained. He was arrested and released. Less than a week later, her mother was again at the ground-floor apartment looking after the children, when she saw the defendant approach the balcony at 6.30am. He tried to open the door and was shouting abusive language at her. The plastic patio furniture was thrown around and an ashtray was thrown at the window. The defendant was seen approaching his ex-partners car and was intoxicated when arrested around 9am. A year later, when he threatened to kick the door in and smash the gaff, his ex-partner became so upset that she left the accommodation with her two young children. He was on bail at the time, one of the conditions being that he was to have no contact with her. Advertisement She went to her mothers address, but the calls continued, and she described him as being out of it. Their eight-year relationship had broken down due to his use of drugs and alcohol. She later obtained a safety order. The court heard that the defendant was living with his mother at the time, his father having recently died of cancer. The court also heard that he has since met a new partner and now has two more children. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Judge Baxter sentenced him to three and a half years in prison for the August 2021 attempted assault, and a consecutive three years for the September 2021 attempted assault. She imposed two and a half years for the threats while on bail a year later to run consecutive to the first sentence imposed. She also handed down eight months for the threat contrary to the safety order. This was to be backdated to May of this year, giving a total sentence of six years and six months. Judge Baxter then suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions, including that he engage with the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions group. The Supreme Court has dismissed objections to the admissibility of phone data at a criminal trial in a ruling that could significantly influence the impending decision in Graham Dwyers murder conviction appeal. Traffic and location data related to mobile phones that the prosecution sought to attribute to Caolan Smyth (31) and Gary McAreavey (56) was correctly admitted into evidence, even though the data was harvested pursuant to a now-invalidated law, the seven-judge court determined. Advertisement While the judges dismissed Smyths appeal against his conviction for the attempted murder of James Mago Gately and for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, they overturned Mr McAreaveys conviction for assisting an offender. Mr Gately, who the Criminal Assets Bureau alleges is heavily involved with an organised crime group, was shot five times by the driver of a Lexus that pulled up beside him at a petrol station on Clonshaugh Road on May 10th, 2017. Smyth, formerly of Cuillean Court, Donore, Co Meath, was alleged to be the shooter. It was alleged Mr McAreavey, formerly of Gort Nua, Castelbellingham, Co Louth, purchased petrol to destroy the vehicle, which was later found burnt out. Both men pleaded not guilty to their respective charges but were convicted by the Special Criminal Court in January 2021. Advertisement The non-jury court was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr McAreavey assisted Smyth knowing he was guilty of the attempted murder but found he knew or believed Smyth had committed some arrestable offence and convicted him on this basis. In a ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Maurice Collins said the Special Criminal Court effectively inferred from Mr McAreaveys involvement in the burning-out of the Lexus that he must have believed Mr Smyth committed an arrestable offence of some kind. He held that this was not a sufficient basis for conviction. In a separate decision, Mr Justice Collins set out his reasoning for why it was correct for phone metadata to be admitted at both mens trials. This was the key argument in Smyths appeal, so, the court held, his convictions should remain. Both appeals unsuccessfully contended that certain telephone data evidence, obtained by gardai under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act of 2011, was inadmissible because it was accessed and retained unlawfully. Advertisement EU law That is because the 2011 legislation was found to be incompatible with EU law in a challenge brought by Dwyer. Mr Justice Collins rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) contention that Smyth and Mr McAreavey could not assert privacy breaches because neither conceded ownership of two unregistered phones used to correlate movements of a car with cell sites. However, he held that the data was admissible for reasons including that there was no deliberate and conscious breach by gardai in relying on the 2011 law in 2017, when it was still on the statute-book. An Garda Siochana was entitled to rely on it, he said. The illegality arose as a result of a subsequent legal development in the form of the Court of Justice of the EUs (CJEUs) decision in Dwyers challenge, the judge said. Advertisement The communitys interest in the effective adjudication of Smyth and Mr McAreaveys cases weighed decisively in favour of admitting the evidence, while excluding it would bring the administration of justice into disrepute, the judge said. Mr Justice Collins was supported in his decisions by five of his six colleagues. Mr Justice Gerard Hogan agreed with the decision to overturn Mr McAreaveys conviction, but would also have quashed Smyths on the ground that he found the phone data should have been excluded. He held that, although as of June 2017 there was no formal finding that the 2011 Act breached EU law, the continued use of the data collection and retention regime was reckless and grossly negligent. Advertisement The decisions are likely to have an impact on the awaited judgment in Dwyers appeal against his conviction for the murder of 36-year-old childcare worker Elaine OHara, who was last seen in August 2012 in a south Dublin park. His trial was told a phone found in a reservoir in 2013 was used to send Ms OHara messages, including one about stabbing, culminating in a text dated August 22nd, 2012 the last day she was seen to go down to the shore and wait. He denies murder, and his lawyers argued before the Supreme Court last January that phone call data evidence should not have been admitted to his criminal trial because the 2011 was struck down. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the war in Ukraine were among the issues Taoiseach Simon Harris and US president Joe Biden discussed in a call on Monday night. In Mr Harris' first phone call with the US president, they also discussed powersharing in Northern Ireland, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and the ongoing work of the US special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs, Joe Kennedy. Advertisement Mr Kennedy, the grandson of former US attorney general and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy, was appointed to the newly created diplomatic role by Mr Biden. Mr Harris and Mr Biden also discussed the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, "the need for an immediate ceasefire, for all hostages to be released and for aid to flow freely". The Taoiseach also briefed president Biden on the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland over the weekend and his conversation there with US vice president Kamala Harris. President Biden told the Taoiseach that the United States would continue to support Ukraine "and that the world must stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes". The pair also discussed the "deep and growing" economic ties between Ireland and the United States. A Wexford woman has been jailed for her role in a nasty theft from a petrol station, during which a man held a knife to her throat and told staff he would kill her unless they handed over cash. Victoria Dalton (28), of Assumption Terrace, Rosbercon, New Ross, Co. Wexford, pleaded guilty to one count of theft at the Circle K petrol station, Dundrum, on March 24th 2020. Advertisement Dublin Circuit Criminal Court previously heard that Dalton entered the petrol station at around 9.15pm on the night in question and asked for children's medicine. A man, who had his face covered with a scarf, then came up behind her and put a knife to her throat. This man told staff to give him money from the till or he would kill Dalton. She also said to the staff to give him the money or he'd kill her. The staff member was very afraid and handed over 120 from the till. On Monday, Judge Orla Crowe handed Dalton a 18-month sentence, with the final nine months suspended for her part in the theft. A probation report, letter of apology and other documents were handed to the court. Advertisement Laura Cunnigham BL, defending, outlined on Monday that her client was seriously assaulted on separate occasions on 2018 and 2021, the latter of which required a period of treatment at Beaumont Hospital. She said Dalton is doing well in custody and is making efforts to deal with her addiction. Dalton wishes to attend a residential drugs treatment programme upon her release from custody and her focus is to return to her family and to work. Imposing the sentence, Judge Crowe said this was a nasty offence, which Dalton actively participated in, taking on the role of the victim. The judge said this would have been frightening for the shop assistants and members of the public present. The judge said she took into consideration the mitigation including Dalton's plea, her addiction issues and mental health difficulties. Noting Dalton's personal circumstances, she said Dalton had faced an unusual level of loss, difficulty and adversity for such a young person. Advertisement She backdated the sentence to March 30 last, when Dalton went into custody. The judge said she wished to incentivise Dalton's continued recovery and rehabilitation by suspending the final nine months of the 18-month sentence under strict conditions. The judge also directed Dalton to place herself under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years. Det Gda Barry Brennan previously told Grainne O'Neill BL, prosecuting, that Dalton did not seem afraid, and staff at the petrol station thought she was acting. The man then left the shop. Dalton asked the staff what she should do, but left before gardai arrived. CCTV was also played to the court. The man was seen running to a nearby apartment complex and when gardai arrived, one property had the door ajar. They were concerned and knocked on the door. Advertisement Dalton opened the door and told gardai she was okay. She expressed shock when she heard about the robbery and said she hadn't seen anything suspicious. A man, who matched the description of the male from the service station, came to the door while Dalton was speaking to gardai. When another garda arrived on the scene, Dalton admitted she had been at the service station and had had a knife held to her neck. She was arrested and during interview, denied taking part in the robbery, but said she had gone to the service station to get medicine as she had a toothache. Dalton had no convictions at the time of this offence, but has one subsequent conviction for a minor drugs offence. Advertisement Det Gda Brennan agreed with Tara McLoughlin BL, defending, that the man was known to Dalton and he is also facing charges in relation to this incident. He accepted that there was no suggestion that Dalton had a weapon, but could not say if she had known the co-accused would have a knife. When asked if it would have been distressing for Dalton to have a knife against her throat, Det Gda Brennan said it was his belief that they colluded. He accepted Dalton made no attempt to conceal her identity and was arrested within a few minutes of the theft of 120. He said he was not aware that Dalton had addiction issues or had taken drugs on the day in question. Ms McLoughlin told the court that Dalton was staying with a boyfriend at the time of the offending. The co-accused is a friend and Dalton had invited this man to Dublin. Defence counsel said her instructions are that Dalton had taken up to 20 tablets on the day as well as smoking crack cocaine and taking heroin. Her instructions are that there was no plan, Dalton was not aware that her friend had a knife, and she felt guilty about her role in the incident. Ms McLoughlin outlined that her client completed training as a hairdresser and beautician. Dalton has experienced a number of traumatic events throughout her life. She has mental health issues and was hospitalised for a period in late 2019. Dalton has also been taking steps to deal with her addiction issues and is now methadone-free. Your carpets may look pristine and may even have been cleaned recently. But beware that doesnt mean theres nothing nasty lurking beneath the surface. In a recent study, Factory Direct Flooring and microbiology lab BioLabTests analysed 100 swabs taken from floors in UK homes, and found bedrooms have the filthiest carpets, rife with Staphylococcus bacteria, which can cause infections in humans. Advertisement Hall and stairs carpets were found to be the next dirtiest, with mould bacteria more prevalent, followed by the living room, and home offices, with the kitchen/dining room being the cleanest. The most common bacteria types found on carpets were yeast and mould, followed by Staphylococcus and Bacillus. Our studys findings prove that just because a floor may look clean, it doesnt necessarily mean it is, warns Paul Hambidge, managing director of Factory Direct Flooring. Some dirt and grime can be visible to the naked eye, but many bacteria types only reveal themselves under a microscope or when properly monitored under lab conditions. Advertisement Of all the bacteria types we found on floors, Streptococcus was the hardest to budge, regardless of the technique we tested. Dr Primrose Freestone, an associate professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, explains that whats on your shoes, feet, pets paws or what blows in through the window will end up on your carpet. That can include faecal matter if you have pets, and if youve got cat litter, it will have actually spread out around your rooms its amazing that carpets dont smell more, she comments. The weave of carpets and rugs may act as a sink for a whole range of pollutants and allergens the fact is that your carpet is a reservoir of potential infection. Advertisement Your pets paws can add germs to your carpet (VAX/PA) Freestone says nasties in carpets can include food debris, skin cells, house dust mites, faecal droppings, insects such as carpet bugs or ants, pollen, bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), and Listeria, viruses, mould under the carpets (if theres damp), mould spores, dirt and dust, and these carpet pollutants may become airborne during vacuuming or even just walking on the carpet. Studies suggest an adult human walking across a floor can cause the resuspension in the air of 10100 million dust particles per minute, says Freestone, who points out that carpet allergens have been shown to exacerbate lung conditions such as asthma. The American Lung Association recommends against wall-to-wall carpets in favour of easier-to-clean and less allergen or pollutant-trapping hard flooring. Advertisement Certain carpet types, such as shag-pile, as well as carpets older than 10 years, may have trapped higher levels of pollutants and allergens over time, especially if they havent been regularly disinfected or steam cleaned. Research has found most carpets and rugs have fungi and fungal spores in them long-term, as well as yeast, which can grow on any food debris present. Cleaning up food spills will still leave microscopic traces, which microscopic life forms such as fungi and bacteria can eat, which then allows them to increase in numbers, especially if carpets are in any way damp, explains Freestone, who says how long any potential pathogens in carpets persist depends on carpet moisture, food traces and cleaning. How often should you clean carpets and rugs? The Factory Direct Flooring study found vacuuming reduced bacteria on carpets by 67 per cent on average, and was especially effective on living room carpets, where it cut germs by 88 per cent. But bedroom carpets were the hardest to clean vacuuming here only reduced bacteria by 53 per cent. Faye Doolittle, senior product manager at VAX, points out that while vacuuming to remove surface dirt and debris is a regular household task, carpet washing is often lower down the cleaning agenda. But it shouldnt be, she stresses, as deeper down in the carpet pile, bacteria that is invisible to the naked eye can lie undetected, generating unpleasant odours. Doolittle says wearing shoes inside leads to the transfer of dirt and bacteria from outdoors into your home. A shoes-off policy is the best line of defence, but not everyone will stick to that and certainly some pets like cats come and go as they please, she points out. So we recommend a regular deep clean of carpets to agitate and lift stubborn dirt from your carpet, cleaning deep down into the fibres to remove ingrained stains and help prolong its life. Washing your carpets every two to three months with an antibacterial solution will help kill bacteria and remove stains, dirt and pet messes, leaving them revitalised, as well as ensuring your carpets keep their appearance for longer. Freestone says just vacuuming carpets will remove biological particles like pollen, dried faecal matter, dust mites and fungal spores, as well as dirt and dust. However, bacteria and fungi attached to carpet or rug weaves may need more rigorous cleaning, she stresses, pointing out that high temperature steam (100C) is an effective disinfectant, as is wet cleaning with detergent and bleaches. Ideally, you should vacuum thoroughly at least once a week, or more if the carpet has lots of tread (children or pets), and more thoroughly clean maybe every one to three months, she recommends. But dont worry if you dont clean your carpets or vacuum as often as recommended the good news is that our immune systems are robust enough to handle most of the carpet nasties. Freestone says: How do we get away with not cleaning or vacuuming our floors so often? The answer is simply that weve got an immune system that evolved when we were living much less clean lives. The fact is we can live in such an environment because our immune systems are so incredibly protective, robust and powerful. However, she warns that if someone who lives in the house has a compromised immune system, perhaps from a disease like HIV, or cancer treatment, carpet and floor cleaning needs to be far more rigorous. You have to up your hygiene standards if someone in your house is immunocompromised. She adds: The health implications of whats trapped in carpets are not yet fully understood, but if your carpet hygiene standards keep your family healthy and relatively free of infections or allergies, then keep on with whatever youre doing, your immune system is sufficiently strong enough to cope with the infection challenge of a germ-colonised carpet. Sixty-four people were missing at sea after a shipwreck off the Italian southern coast on Monday, while 11 were rescued and taken ashore to a Calabrian town, United Nations agencies said. In a separate shipwreck, rescue workers found 10 bodies of suspected migrants trapped below the deck of a wooden boat off Italys tiny Lampedusa island, the German aid group Resqship wrote on Monday on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement In the first shipwreck, which took place about 200km (125 miles) off Calabria, a boat that had set off from Turkey eight days earlier caught fire and overturned, the UN agencies said, citing survivors. The search-and-rescue operation started following a Mayday call by a French boat, the Italian Coast Guard said in a statement. The boat was sailing in a border area where Greece and Italy carry out search-and-rescue operations. Survivors and people still missing at sea came from Iran, Syria and Iraq, the UN agencies said. The Italian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre immediately diverted two merchant vessels sailing nearby to the scene of the rescue. Assets from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex also helped. Advertisement The survivors were brought to the Calabrian port of Roccella Jonica, where they were handed over to medical personnel. One of the migrants died soon afterwards, the coast guard said. In the second shipwreck, the crew aboard Resqships boat, the Nadir, found 61 people on the wooden boat, which was full of water. Our crew was able to evacuate 51 people, two of whom were unconscious, it added. The 10 dead were in the flooded lower deck of the boat. Firefighters in California increased their containment of a large wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles on Monday after a weekend of wind-driven growth. The Post Fire was 8% surrounded after scorching nearly 23 square miles (60 square kilometres) and forcing the evacuation of at least 1,200 campers, off-roaders and hikers from the Hungry Valley recreation area on Saturday. Advertisement That 8% is good because it means we are increasing and bolstering our containment lines, said Kenichi Haskett, a Los Angeles County Fire Department section chief. Firefighters hoped to hold the fire at its current size, but further growth was possible, Mr Haskett said. A firefighter sprays water on a burning outbuilding as the Point Fire spreads in Healdsburg, California (Noah Berger/AP) Advertisement The fire broke out as weather turned hot and windy in a region where grasses spawned by a rainy winter have long since dried out and easily burn. The massive columns of smoke that marked the fires initial rampage were gone by Monday morning. But Sundays smoke drifted some 225 miles (360km) north-west across the Mojave Desert. Nevada air quality officials issued an alert advising children, older adults and people with respiratory and heart disease to stay indoors. In Northern California, a wildfire sparked on Sunday prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma. It was 20% surrounded on Monday after charring nearly two square miles about 80 miles (130km) north of San Francisco, and destroyed at least one structure. Ben Nicholls, division chief of the Cal Fire district in area covering the fire, said on Monday morning that fire activity subsided overnight. Advertisement Forecasted winds are supposed to be less than we experienced yesterday, which should allow the resources assigned for this operational period to build and strengthen the control lines that were put in place yesterday, Mr Nicholls said. The Southern California fire erupted on Saturday afternoon in Gorman, about 60 miles (100km) north-west of Los Angeles. Two structures burned within the evacuated recreation area. Officials also warned residents of Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, that they should prepare to leave if the fire pushed farther south. If youre in a warning area, be prepared with a go bag, with overnight clothes and your cellphone, your medicines, your glasses. Have your car fuelled up, said Mr Haskett. Be ready to evacuate. Advertisement About 75 miles (120km) to the east, the nearly two-square-mile (Five square kilometres) Hesperia Fire was 30% contained after no overnight growth. The fire erupted on Saturday and forced road closures and evacuation warnings in San Bernardino County. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he agreed with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to properly manage their nations differences as they emerge from a hostile era in which minister-to-minister contacts were banned and trade barriers cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars a year. Mr Li, Mr Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and Chinas desire to invest in critical minerals. Advertisement Mr Li, Chinas most senior leader after President Xi Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late on Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects a guard of honor outside Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday (Lukas Coch/AP) Mr Li told reporters after Mondays meeting that the bilateral relationship was on the right track of steady improvement and development. Advertisement We had a candid exchange of views on some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our comprehensive strategic partnership, Mr Li said through an interpreter. Mr Albanese, who in November last year became the first Australian prime minister to visit China since 2016, described the discussions as constructive. Australia advocates that we should all work together to promote a regional balance where no country dominates and no country is dominated, Mr Albanese said. Ive made it clear as nations with different histories, political systems and values, we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest, the Australian leader added. Advertisement Their relations have improved markedly since Albaneses centre-left Labour Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Mr Albanese was elected. Beijing had banned minister-to-minister contacts as it froze out the previous Australian government diplomatically. Chinese Premier Li Qiang signs the visitor book at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia (Mick Tsikas/AP) Advertisement Agriculture minister Murray Watt said before the meeting that he would raise the issue of Chinas ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilising our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Mr Watt said. Mr Li planned to underscore Chinas interest in buying a bigger stake in Australias critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Advertisement Mr Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia late on Tuesday before returning to China. Australia shares the US concerns over Chinas global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australias national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. A gun salute as Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects a guard of honor outside Parliament House in Canberra (Lukas Coch/AP) Mr Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. Mr Albanese later told Li at a state lunch, We wont always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence. That appeared to be in response to a statement by Mr Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Mr Albanese confirmed he had raised with Mr Li recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Chinese and Australian officials had agreed at the meeting to discuss improving military-to-military communications to avoid unintended incidents, Mr Albanese said. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Herscovitch, a China expert at Australian National University, said he did not expect China to get any firm commitments from Australia during Mr Lis visit. The two countries signed several agreements on Monday to cooperate on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. Israels military said they have killed more than 500 Hamas militants during the monthlong operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. The military said they had identified 20 smuggling tunnels which totalled more than 20km (12.5 miles) and more than 230 tunnel shafts. Advertisement The army said 100 of the tunnel shafts were in the Philadelphi corridor, a thin, demilitarised buffer zone along Gazas border with Egypt. Israel has long maintained that Hamas has significant tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor to smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza, a claim that Egypt denies. Future control over the Philadelphi corridor will be a major aspect of any ceasefire negotiations. Hundreds of Palestinians have died during Israels operation in Rafah, including at least 45 people who died when a tent encampment located next to what Israel said was a Hamas military building caught fire in May. Israel acknowledged that deaths were a tragic mishap but even its closest allies have expressed outrage at the high toll of civilian deaths in Rafah and across Gaza. Advertisement A demonstrator sits on the street in Jerusalem during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government on Monday (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the worlds top courts, one of which last month demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah. US President Joe Biden had issued his strongest warning to Israel over the operation in Rafah, threatening that the US could cut its supply of offensive weapons if Israel carried out a wide-ranging operation. Advertisement Thus far, the Biden administration has said that Israels military manoeuvres in Rafah do not yet cross their red line. The militarys figures came as tens of thousands of people who say they have lost faith in Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protested in Jerusalem on Monday, calling for immediate elections and an end to the war in Gaza. Many Israelis, anguished over the hostages still held in Gaza and the ongoing war, accuse Mr Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of all else. They accuse the government of having lost control of the eight-month-old war and demand a deal to stop the fighting and return the hostages. Mr Netanyahu denies the accusations and says he has the countrys best interests in mind. Advertisement Later on Monday, Palestinian health officials said nine people had been killed in an Israeli strike in eastern Rafah, a day after the Israeli military pledged new steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid through the area. Mohammed Daloul, who said he lost three relatives in Mondays strike, said some of the people killed were merchants who were waiting to pick up deliveries near the Israeli border. The European Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis confirmed the nine deaths. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in North Korea on Tuesday for a two-day visit, his first in 24 years, both countries announced. Mr Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks focused on expanding military cooperation as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. Advertisement North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said Mr Putin will pay a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kims invitation. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome (Vladimir Smirnov/AP) North Korean state media did not immediately provide details. Advertisement Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. The visit comes amid growing international concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Mr Putins war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kims nuclear weapons and missile programme. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Mr Putin, their first since 2019. US and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Advertisement Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Any weapons trade with North Korea would be a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that Russia, a permanent UN Security Council member, previously endorsed. Andrei Lankov, an expert on North Korea at Kookmin University in Seoul, noted that in exchange for providing artillery munitions and short-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang hopes to get higher-end weapons from Moscow. Mr Lankov noted that while Russia could be reluctant to share its state-of-the-art military technologies with North Korea, it is eager to receive munitions from Pyongyang. Advertisement There is never enough ammunition in a war, there is a great demand for them, Mr Lankov told The Associated Press. Mr Putin first visited Pyongyang in July 2000, months after his first election when he met with Kims father, Kim Jong Il, who then ruled the country. Moscow has said it highly appreciates Pyongyangs support for Russias military action in Ukraine and mentioned its close and fruitful cooperation at the United Nations and other international organisations. Russia, together with China, have repeatedly blocked the US and its partners attempts to impose fresh UN sanctions on North Korea over its barrage of banned ballistic missile tests. Advertisement In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear programme, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates the sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. Earlier this year, Mr Putin sent Mr Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in September. Observers said the shipment violated a UN resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons programme by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. Mr Putin has continuously sought to rebuild ties with Pyongyang as part of his efforts to restore his countrys global clout and its Soviet-era alliances. Moscows ties with North Korea weakened after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Kim Jong Un first met with Mr Putin in 2019 in Russias eastern port of Vladivostok. After North Korea, the Kremlin said Mr Putin will also visit Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday. In Hanoi he is set to meet General Nguyen Phu Trong, the secretary general of the Vietnamese Communist Party, President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. They plan to discuss prospects for the continued development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in the trade and economy, scientific and technology, and humanitarian fields, the Kremlin said in a statement. The United States, which has spent years strengthening ties and accelerating trade with Vietnam, criticised Mr Putins planned visit. As Russia continues to seek international support to sustain its illegal and brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate that no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities, a US Embassy spokesperson in Vietnam said in a statement. If he is able to travel freely, it could normalise Russias blatant violations of international law and inadvertently send the message that atrocities can be committed in Ukraine and elsewhere with impunity, worsening human suffering, and prolonging the path to sustainable peace and justice, the statement said. Or the minds of many others, it seems. Less than two weeks after that gathering, without waiting to learn the jurys decision, private-equity mogul and longtime Republican donor Stephen Schwarzman announced he was getting behind Trump again. The Blackstone co-founder is among the 40 richest people in the world, with a $US41 billion ($62 billion) fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Hours before the verdict reverberated through Wall Street and Washington, another prominent New York billionaire, hedge fund investor Bill Ackman, was said to be leaning towards backing the former president too. Later, in a post on X, Ackman pointed to a tweet by Florida governor Ron DeSantis suggesting the US justice system the Manhattan prosecutor in the case, the judge and even the jury had been bent for political aims. Similar claims shot across social media. A spokesperson for Ackman declined to comment, while Schwarzman and Lutnick couldnt be reached for comment after the guilty verdict. The developments and, more, their timing underscore the shifting dynamic between Trump and some of the nations financial leaders. Nowhere is that more apparent than in monied Manhattan, where Trump first shot to fame and fortune. For decades, elites in Trumps hometown sneered and dismissed him as a small-time player in real estate to be indulged, but never accepted. Now, with election day just five months off, the former presidents promises on taxes and regulation are winning over executives, even though Trump has now been convicted in the first criminal trial of a US president in the nations history. Wall Street has never been known for high character and high values, said Dan Lufkin, co-founder of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, the investment bank where Schwarzman once worked. Is there a willingness to support Trump if it looks like hes on the right track? Yes, Lufkin went on. Im not proud of that, and Im not part of that either. (Lufkin initially supported Nikki Haley, an early Wall Street favourite who drew support from Citadels Ken Griffin and others.) Loading Others such as billionaire Barry Sternlicht want the candidates to appeal to moderates. I am right now, sitting this out, he said in an email minutes before the verdict. After two days of deliberation, the jury of Trumps peers found him guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to a porn star. The verdict capped an extraordinary seven-week-long trial that transformed familiar scenes and traditions of election-year politics into a split-screen tableau of sex and scandal. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, now enters the final stretch of a razor-thin race for the White House with a black mark that would end the career of virtually any other presidential hopeful. Set to be sentenced just before the Republican National Convention in July, he is certain to appeal. How voters will react to this extraordinary turn of events is uncertain. But the former presidents backers including those in the business and financial community have already begun to rally around him. Within minutes of the guilty verdict, Trumps campaign circulated a fundraising email characterising him as a political prisoner and queried: Is this the end of America? A surge in interest caused temporary disruptions on WinRed, the site the Republican party uses to collect online donations. Theyve concluded Trump is going to win. And if hes the next president, then its in their self-interest to support him early. Whitney Tilson, former head of $US200 million hedge fund Kase Capital Management. The campaign raised a total of $US34.8 million from small dollar donors following the verdict on Thursday evening, it said in a statement. Trump has previously capitalised on his legal troubles to raise money. His campaign raked in $US25 million more than Biden in April a first this election season. But Biden and the Democratic Party still hold a war chest worth $US192 million, about twice as much as Trump and the GOP. Scott Bessent, the former Soros Fund Management chief investment officer who is among those seen in the running to be Trumps treasury secretary, said he was personally disappointed by the verdict but doesnt think it will matter come November. I think people have already made up their minds, Bessent said, adding that the development might even spur enthusiasm for Trump. Billionaire John Paulson, who Trump has floated publicly as a potential candidate for treasury secretary, condemned the trial and conviction as politically motivated, calling it a black mark on our judicial system. The verdict would increase support for Trump, he said in an email. Even some Wall Street leaders who have previously lashed out at Trump have tempered their attitudes. Jamie Dimon, at a gathering of JPMorgan Chase & Co alumni at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan just hours after the verdict, highlighted that the former president had 74 million people vote for him in 2020 and emphasised the need to respect them. It was a departure from his expletive-ridden tirade about Trump at a previous gathering of the group, when the events of January 6 were still fresh in everyones mind. The remarks echoed comments Dimon made at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, when he said Trump was kind of right on certain policies and that Democrats should be a little more respectful of his supporters. Trumps Wall Street backers insist this is about more than money. Some point to what they view as an increasing tolerance for antisemitism among progressive Democrats, especially after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel and the countrys subsequent bombing campaign in Gaza. The dramatic rise of antisemitism has led me to focus on the consequences of upcoming elections with greater urgency, Schwarzman said in a statement. I share the concern of most Americans that our economic, immigration and foreign policies are taking the country in the wrong direction. For these reasons, I am planning to vote for change and support Donald Trump for President. Previously, Schwarzman had distanced himself from the first Trump administration after Trump equivocated when asked about torch-carrying right-wing protesters who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, chanting antisemitic slogans. Loading Others complain that progressives with a dim view of capitalism and Wall Street capitalists, in particular have co-opted Biden and the Democratic Party. Still others worry that Biden, 81, is too old to be president (Trump is 78). What perplexes people like Whitney Tilson is the souring sentiment toward Biden among some peers in the financial community, even in the face of successive sharemarket highs, low unemployment and soaring corporate profits. For people in the investing business, the Joe Biden presidency has been extraordinarily good for them, said Tilson, who used to run Kase Capital Management, a $US200 million hedge fund. Its indeed puzzling to me how the very people whove done the best under Joe Biden seem to be the most dissatisfied with this presidency. Thats unlikely, given that subsidisation of strategic industries like EVs or solar panels is at the core of Chinas economic model, its industrial policies and Xi Jinpings economic and geopolitical ambitions. New energy vehicles were identified as a strategic sector in Chinas 2015 five-year plan for the countrys economic future under the Made in China 2025 strategy blueprint that alerted the rest of the world to the countrys aspiration of dominating key global sectors in the 21st-century global economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she is keen to negotiate with China. Credit: AP While any significant withdrawal of the massive support Beijing and local governments have provided to the EV sector appears improbable, China could take steps to reduce the current massive overproduction occurring within its EV and solar sectors, where weaker domestic demand has resulted in a rising tide of exports. It could also offer wider trade concessions. The EU had a 291 billion ($470 billion) trade deficit with China last year. China could offer Europe greater market access in exchange for a gentler treatment of its EV manufacturers. As it stands, China has been waving the carrot of greater investment and the stick of retaliatory trade measures at the EU. While a number of Chinas EV and battery makers have foreshadowed plans to build plants within Europe, China has also threatened to slap its own tariffs on Europes brandy, agricultural products, luxury car and aviation industries. Loading It has also pointed to a European dilemma. The EU is determined to drive down its carbon emissions, and a key plank of its strategy is to end sales of new combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Without cheap Chinese EVs, thats probably not possible. The EU has some leverage of its own. The US has imposed a tariff on Chinese EVs of more than 100 per cent (not that many have been sold in the US) and has been broadening the range of Chinese goods subject to tariffs. If Donald Trump regains the White House, he has promised to impose a tariff of 60 per cent on all Chinese imports. Increasingly shut out of the US, China needs the European markets for its exports if the manufacturing-led strategy it switched to after its property sector melted down in 2021 is to be effective and its economy is to grow at respectable rates. It cant afford a full-scale trade war with Europe. The two economies, including the EV sector, are already highly enmeshed. The strongest opposition to the EV tariffs within Europe has come from European carmakers that have a major presence within Chinas domestic industry, most particularly the German auto industry. They are concerned that their exports to China will face higher duties, while their imports into Europe from their Chinese plants and joint ventures will also be punished. BYD has a massive cost advantage over its peers and generates profit margins in Europe that are up to 10 times those it achieves within China. Credit: AP The EU, however, is determined to ensure that it doesnt experience a second China shock. In the early 2000s, a flood of cheap Chinese exports decimated the manufacturing bases of advanced economies. More recently, Beijings targeting of green technologies has effectively wiped out the rest of the worlds solar-cell manufacturing capabilities. A deal could be done that enables China to maintain large volumes of EV imports into Europe and aids Europes pursuit of a low-carbon economy, but it will, from the EU perspective, need to be one that leaves it with a viable and large domestic auto industry and, more broadly, a green technology industry of its own. As it happens, even with the increased tariffs, some Chinese manufacturers are unlikely to be priced out of the European markets. China cant afford a full-scale trade war with Europe. BYD, for instance, co-operated with the EU and has been levied with an additional tariff rate of 17.4 per cent, taking its total tariff to 27.4 per cent. However, it currently has a massive cost advantage over its peers and generates profit margins in Europe that are up to 10 times those it achieves within China. It has been estimated that it would take a tariff rate of more than 50 per cent to deter BYD and most of its peers from selling into Europe. With the higher duties they now face, it might be less profitable for most of them to export to Europe than it was, but it would still be significantly more profitable than selling into an oversupplied domestic market, where margins have plummeted even as investment in the sector has soared. Loading It also makes sense for BYD and some of its peers to do more manufacturing within Europe, despite the higher costs, exploiting Chinas dominance of the EV raw materials supply chain and the technological advantages they have gained from scale manufacturing amid intense competition in a market with an overabundance of manufacturers (attracted by the subsidies) in China. It gets them inside the EUs tariff wall, wins political protection from the economies in which it invests, diversifies their businesses away from an economy in which there is weak domestic demand, and might provide a backdoor entry into markets with which the EU has strong trade relationships. For economies like Australias, of course, where there is no domestic auto industry to protect, fewer Chinese EV exports to Europe could mean more cheap Chinese-manufactured EVs flowing into this market, which would be good for consumers and emissions. To begin with, my student visa application was bungled. Ill spare you the details, but this essentially meant doing everything short of bribery to make my case to remain in France. It also meant I was unable to apply for a rental as I had planned, and ended up rooming with a chain-smoking, short-tempered retiree who rarely left the house and his wife. Located in the 13th arrondissement a newer area of Paris mainly populated with high-rise concrete buildings the apartment didnt exactly fit the fairytale picture of the city I had envisioned for myself. A snapshot of the apartment complex in which I lived. Credit: Lauren Ironmonger But living in the 13th opened my eyes to a different side of Paris, one that over time I grew to love. Home to the largest concentration of Asian immigrants in the city, I was grateful for the smells, sounds and sights that reminded me of my childhood. When I grew sick of eating jambon beurre or pain au chocolat (which was often), a wealth of Asian supermarkets were at my doorstep, enabling me to make the food I loved most. And, as May Ngo writes in The Lifted Brow, the fantastical image of Paris most of us hold is at odds with the reality of a city still heavily stratified by race and class one I may never have otherwise encountered. The archetypal Parisien is still imagined to be a white person, Ngo says. Even when the reality of Paris includes high levels of immigration, diverse ethnic quarters and a working class you can see immediately once in certain areas of the city. The French, famously, love to protest. Its not uncommon to encounter train delays or cordoned-off streets due to protests, but my time in Paris happened to coincide with two of the citys biggest demonstrations: a city-wide train strike at the time, Paris longest in three decades and the end of the first phase of the Yellow Vest protests. This was pre-COVID, and there was no such thing as online learning, so my classes simply stopped. Yet I was still expected to turn in assignments, making the 45-minute trek on foot several times to hand in printed copies of my work (if there are two things the French love, its paperwork and making things harder than they need to be). A Gilet Jaune, or Yellow Vest, holds a French flag as protestors and French riot police clash in Paris in 2019. Credit: Getty Images To top it all off, my laptop was stolen (at a cinema during a screening of Joker those two things will be forever intertwined for me), something that taught me two vital life lessons: a) tote bags are not appropriate vessels for expensive electronics, especially when left under cinema seats, and b), always buy travel insurance. The whole ordeal saw me bumble my way through an interview with a rather amused police officer and several hundred Euros poorer, but I didnt let it get in the way of the rest of my trip. Dont be afraid to ask for help Probably the biggest regret I have from my exchange is that I didnt ask for help enough especially when it came to my university classes. I wasnt expecting to have my hand held, but I also wasnt prepared for the level of indifference shown to me by my teachers and classmates. While friends on exchange in other countries were welcomed by parties and local buddies, I found student support to be virtually non-existent. I was emailed a time and a place to be for class, and that was that. Ill never forget my first day walking into a lecture hall of 100 French students, all swivelling around in their chairs at once to stare at me. I quickly learned that the French approach to education is very traditional a 180-degree flip from the no such thing as a wrong answer approach at my art school in Sydney. Rote learning was the norm, and there was definitely such a thing as a wrong answer. Add to this the fact that all my classes were in French, and I struggled. My teachers seemed to have little sympathy for the fact I was a foreign student, marking my essays with the same discerning eye they would apply to any other student. I was lucky to have a friend and native French speaker look over my essays, but looking back now, I wish I had been able to set my ego aside and ask one of my teachers for help. Outside my university building in Paris. Credit: Lauren Ironmonger Put yourself out there One of the best things I did was enrol in a few language classes at my university. Its where, alongside various Erasmus nights out and excursions, I met most of my friends. These were people from all over the world Afghanistan, Spain, England who had come to Paris for the same reasons as me. But their friendship didnt come as a given. If youre not living in student housing, where potential friends are everywhere, turning acquaintances into friends takes a bit of work. My advice? Be clingy! Be annoying! Ask that classmate out for coffee! Exchange is not the time for timidity. I promise you, most people will be in the same boat as you and welcome the enthusiasm. One of several climate strikes in Paris, in September 2019. Credit: Lauren Ironmonger Technology is also your friend when it comes to forging connections in a big city. I found local Facebook groups and dating apps with options to match with friends, rather than romantic partners, particularly helpful. Finally, I joined a book club, held at a well-known English bookstore in Paris, where I met a bunch of like-minded women who loved reading as much as I did. Dont take your time for granted Look, its entirely understandable because, yknow, the food, but the Australian Labor Partys apparent addiction to swank Melbourne Chinese eatery Flower Drum really is something. So, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and ex-premier Daniel Andrews were following time-honoured party tradition on Thursday evening as they tucked into a feed at the Market Lane institution to help raise a few quid for the campaign of Labors Macnamara MP, Josh Burns. Anthony Albanese and Daniel Andrews share a love of the Flower Drum. Credit: Paul Jeffers Josh politely declined to discuss the meal when we came calling on Monday MPs never do but were told it was a modest-sized affair, just one table and the food, as weve come to expect, was very nice. Now, baby-face Burns has an interesting challenge coming up at the election, whenever it is. The Labor man was run close in 2022 by the Greens Steph Hodgins-May, who got within a couple of thousand primary votes of Burns but who wont be running this time because shes slid into the Senate seat vacated by party elder Janet Rice. They reckon former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan might earn up to $3 million a year in his new job as Tabcorp chief executive if he nails those KPIs. We wonder if it came up in those pay negotiations that the top job at the troubled gaming giant means McLachlan must renew acquaintances with Racing NSW chief Peter Vlandys. New Tabcorp boss Gillon McLachlan and Racing NSW boss Peter Vlandys can expect to meet again. Credit: John Shakepeare The two men traded jibes for years as they sat atop the nations two big rival footy codes, as Vlandys pretty much runs the National Rugby League in his other role as chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission. But Vlandys did publicly back the very affable McLachlan for a position on the board of Racing Victoria, which wasnt to be in the end. However, theres nothing affable about the NSW Supreme Court clash under way between Vlandys nags outfit and McLachlans ASX-listed gaming operation. Racing NSW alleges a future loss of at least $6 million because Tabcorp failed to live up to its end of a sponsorship and promotion deal for the annual Everest and Kosciuszko races. Tabcorps lawyers reckon Racing NSWs case is vague, embarrassing and irrelevant. Tucked away behind a bend on leafy Edgecliff Road lies a tribute to Sydneys planning failures: the remnants of Woollahra train station, or what would have been the second-last stop on the eastern suburbs line before Bondi Junction. In recent weeks, there has been some chatter among urban planning nerds on the internet: what if we brought it back? At relatively little expense, the government could finish the platforms and sell the air rights above to developers for housing or build a high-rise school. Itll never happen, of course. But it should. An illustration shows how a train station at Woollahra might have looked had it been built. Credit: Fairfax Media The sad fate of Woollahra station is a classic Sydney tale. Residents, who used the grassy area as a park, opposed it from the start. They even chased an injunction all the way to the High Court over construction noise and hours. Ultimately, the station became a victim of ongoing lobbying from neighbours and cost blowouts of the Eastern Suburbs Railway Line. Thanks for joining us for our live updates. Well be back tomorrow morning. Here are Tuesdays main stories. Home buyers have been given another reprieve by the Reserve Bank, which held the official cash rate at 4.35 per cent. The PM has chided Chinese officials for what he described as a clumsy and ham-fisted attempt to block journalist Cheng Lei at a Parliament House event, but the Coalition has chided him for a weak response. A new bakery is wooing Gabba customers with slick Italian treats, such as pistachio cornetti, creamy brioche buns, mini tarts, and crunchy savoury focaccia. Cerins Italian baked goods have been a hit with locals since the pasticceria opened in late May. Credit: Markus Ravik Blocking social media for children under 16 is technically unfeasible and could result in even more scrutiny, a tech expert says. The Dolphins future is now secure after a huge retention coup. Now attention will turn to the final piece of their possible premiership puzzle. Bruce Lehrmanns legal team will push to have his Toowoomba rape charges thrown out of court, arguing the evidence is not sufficient for him to be committed to stand trial. Lehrmann, who stands accused of raping a woman twice after a night out in 2021, appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday in a case that has been running since January 2023. It was Lehrmanns second time in court accused of rape, after the former federal Liberal staffer faced trial in 2022 for the rape of Brittany Higgins. That trial was later aborted and the charge against him dropped. Bruce Lehrmann (centre) and his lawyer Rowan King (left) leave Toowoomba Magistrates Court after his committal hearing. Credit: Dan Peled Lehrmann, 29, will not know if the Toowoomba case will progress until at least July, with a magistrate to hear submissions from both defence and prosecutors. Sandell said residents had moved into the area with information provided by the government that their homes were above flood levels. It now seems the state government got this wrong so why should families with huge mortgages bear the costs for [their] mistakes? she said. Since releasing its new flood modelling, Melbourne Water has sent individualised reports to residents, including the level water is expected to reach on their property if a one-in-100-year flood happened. An aerial view of the Kensington Banks estate, which has been labelled flood-prone in Melbourne Waters revised modelling. Credit: Jason South The reports also project what these flood levels will be in the year 2100. Residents have been alarmed by the reports, with many discovering that water more than a metre above ground level could hit their homes. Loading Melbourne Water is instructing residents to engage a land surveyor to understand their propertys floor level. Kensington home owner Donna Thompson, who lives with her husband and six-year-old son, said she was overwhelmed by the report she had received from Melbourne Water for the townhouse she bought five years ago. It shows the flood depth above ground level would be up to 1.11 metres in 2024 and 1.82 metres in 2100. But the report does not explain what this means for flooding in her home. I had hoped that by getting an individual property report, Id feel better informed and reassured, but I feel more confused and overwhelmed by information, and completely unsupported about what to do next, she said. Thompson said it was frustrating and unfair to have the cost of a surveyor heaped on residents when they were already facing significant hikes to their insurance premiums and diminished property values during a cost-of-living crisis. This is a fairly modern development, she said. Everyone here purchased when they were told it wasnt a flood zone, and now theyve changed the goal posts and are not helping us to understand what it means. Kensington Banks was built near the Maribyrnong River in the late 1990s on land once occupied by abattoirs. The Age revealed last month that new Maribyrnong River flood modelling from Melbourne Water had designated almost every home in Kensington Banks as at-risk, only 25 years after the award-winning urban renewal project was completed. Loading The Kensington Banks development project received almost $11 million from the Keating government, including $8 million for flood mitigation. In 1994, a more expensive proposal for a dam upstream to protect the area from flooding was rejected in favour of the cheaper option of enlarging the river outlet with tunnels beneath a nearby railway bridge embankment. Maribyrnong Community Recovery Association president Madeleine Serle said it was outrageous to force home owners to pay a surveyor to understand Melbourne Waters work. She also questioned the accuracy of the new flood modelling after past mistakes by Melbourne Water, including the removal of flood zoning over the Rivervue retirement village in Avondale Heights. There, 47 homes built after Melbourne Water removed flood rules from the site were smashed by water in October 2022. A separate report commissioned by Melbourne Water found that the Flemington Racecourse flood wall increased flood levels in some residential areas, despite assurances by the authority when the wall was built that it would not have this impact. Rivervue resident Stan Korkliniewskis report for his Avondale Heights property shows maximum flood levels would increase by just over a metre between 2024 and 2100. Already, in 2022, the water reached about a metre high inside his home. He said it was inappropriate to be told by Melbourne Water to cop the cost of land surveying given the water authority had permitted his house to be built on a floodplain. Melbourne Waters property reports do not include 2003 flood level details from its old modelling, instead stating the property was not liable to flooding. Loading Korkliniewski argued buybacks were needed. Where we are is dangerous, we are on a floodplain ... so from our perspective, the land is useless and our property values are negligible, he said. The Age asked Water Minister Harriet Shing whether the state would consider buybacks. Her spokeswoman declined to answer the question. Melbourne Water has repeatedly said it is not considering property buybacks because the situation was not serious enough to warrant such a scheme. Melbourne Waters current focus is to undertake an extensive investigation of potential mitigation options ... including retarding basins, drainage and levees, a spokesman said. The Melbourne Water spokesman said the authoritys role was to provide data on flood levels and minimum and maximum flood depths to property owners. Further property-specific information, like the floor heights or features of their buildings, are not held by Melbourne Water, he said. This is held by other authorities or property owners. Shings spokeswoman said Melbourne Water would review its modelling every five years and produce new flood maps every 10 years to more accurately reflect climate change impacts. She said that decisions made in the 90s about Kensington Banks would have been based on the best available information at the time. Melbourne Water last week bowed to community pressure and released a new report examining the impacts of the Flemington Racecourse flood wall in a one-in-100-year event after previously only analysing its effects in a less severe one-in-50-year event, which the 2022 flood was classified as. In the lead-up to Saturdays Bulldogs-Dockers match, I was more than bullish on the Dockers banking another four points. Fresh off their best win under Justin Longmuir, seven weeks after taming the same opposition, I thought Fremantle would return from their bye with a bang, further strengthening not just their finals claims, but their top four chances. Marcus Bontempelli of the Bulldogs kicks a goal. Credit: Getty Images Sporting the competitions best defence, the Dockers wouldnt be troubled by the injured Aaron Naughton and suspended Sam Darcy. With a 4-2 interstate record this year and perfect 2-0 at Docklands, I was chips in on Fremantle. But like the Dockers, I too underestimated the capabilities of Marcus Bontempelli. Commentary: China-proposed resolution advocates coexistence, mutual learning among civilizations 16:16, June 17, 2024 By Xinhua writer Ma Qian ( Xinhua BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly recently adopted a China-proposed resolution unanimously, designating June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. This is the latest endeavor by China and the international community to jointly promote inter-civilization dialogue. While underscoring the high value of cultural diversity, the newly adopted Chinese proposal illustrates the core essence of the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), standing out as a testament to the world's acknowledgement of China's dedication to promoting "equal dialogue and mutual respect" among civilizations. China proposed the GCI in March last year, making a sincere appeal to the world for in-depth exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations and the progress of human society. Aligning with the trends and needs of the times, the GCI reflects China's holistic and symbiotic way of thinking in contextualizing how to co-exist with different civilizations in a peaceful and coordinated fashion, breaking free from the specters of the Cold War and zero-sum thinking. It also demonstrates China's firm belief in equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among different civilizations, as well as its calling upon all countries to uphold humanity's common values such as fairness, justice, and freedom. China also advocates that human progress should evolve "along a balanced, positive and upward trajectory," which necessitates that all countries overcome estrangement between civilizations with exchanges, prevent clashes through mutual learning, and overcome a false sense of superiority through coexistence. China's view of civilization stems from its enduring culture of harmony and inclusiveness, said Raed Fahmi, secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party. Harmony, symbiosis and mutual learning are the correct ways for different civilizations to get along with each other, he said. Another defining aspect of Chinese culture is its commitment to respecting differences. It is common sense that civilizations do not follow a single model or path, as history and the situation today remind us. Thus, differences in civilizations should not be seen as a source of global conflict, but rather as a driving force for human civilization to forge ahead. Clear-eyed about the uniqueness of each country and its civilization, China sticks to inclusiveness, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, striving to find more common ground among diverse interests and demands through offering shared international public goods, such as the GCI, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. The world today is moving toward greater multipolarity and cultural diversity, and becoming increasingly information-oriented. Meanwhile, global challenges faced by humanity are getting ever more daunting, in particular climate change, geopolitical conflicts, growing social and economic inequalities, and record levels of xenophobia. Against this backdrop, the urgency of enhanced intercultural understanding and coordinated joint responses from countries worldwide cannot be overstated. The establishment of the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations is aimed at fully leveraging the vital role of intercultural dialogue in eliminating discrimination and prejudice, promoting understanding and trust, and strengthening cooperation and solidarity, seeking to elevate global concerted efforts to address common challenges. Meanwhile, China is also an active practitioner of equal exchanges among civilizations, sparing no effort to build bridges of intercultural exchanges and contributing Chinese wisdom to world peace and prosperity. Over the years, China has been striving to enhance the mechanisms and multilateral cooperation frameworks of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, setting an example for the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations and allowing culture to help build a community with a shared future for humankind. On Monday, the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) highlighted that intercultural dialogue is key to a sustainable future, which "allows us to celebrate and leverage diversity" and is a "tool for peace and inclusion." Calling it "a means to understand each other, to cooperate, and develop trust," Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO assistant director-general for social and human sciences, viewed China's latest proposal as "an opportunity to shine a light on the potential of dialogue to build bridges across differences and equip our societies with the means to solve all the challenges." As a responsible major country, China will stay dedicated to sharing more wisdom and platforms for cooperation and development that aim to bring mutual benefits and win-win outcomes to all sides. Together, through regular intercultural dialogue among civilizations, China is ready to join forces with all its counterparts to boost mutual understanding and trust, and pursue promising prospects for the future. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A woman has been killed every four days in 2024. We bring you stories of lives lost in recent years. Some of the cases featured are still before the courts. More than 70 per cent of men who killed their current or past female partners had at least two interactions with police, the legal system or child protection before the killings, an analysis of a decades worth of sentencing comments has revealed. Data collected from 10 years of judges comments in sentencing 235 men around Australia for the violent deaths of their intimate female partners showed nearly one in five was on bail or parole when they committed the murder or manslaughter. Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbons team analysed judges sentencing remarks in the deaths of 235 Australian women. Credit: Chris Hopkins About the same number (18 per cent) were on protection orders at the time of the crime, and another 19 per cent had previously been on orders. Killers of 37 of the women had recorded prior breaches of safety orders. The four-year analysis of the narratives delivered by judges during sentencing was conducted by a team from Melbournes Monash University and from Liverpool University in the UK, which found the high number of instances of the killers being seen by police or the courts in the lead-up to the violence meant the deaths could potentially have been prevented. Even in Canberras Parliament House Australias monument to democracy Cheng Lei cannot avoid being hassled by the Chinese government. Just eight months ago, Cheng was locked up in a detention facility in Beijing, facing a long prison sentence after being accused of vague national security charges. She was released last October following strenuous lobbying by Australian officials. The Chinese-Australian journalist is now living freely in Australia and working as a journalist for Sky News. In this capacity, Cheng attended a signing ceremony on Monday morning following Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Canberra and Beijing have agreed to set up new forms of military communication to prevent Australian Defence personnel from being put at risk in dangerous encounters with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. Australians will also be granted visa exemptions to travel to China for up to 15 days under the latest olive branch from Beijing, which is trying to revive its faltering international tourism industry after the pandemic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a document signing ceremony. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the improvement in ties with Australias biggest trading partner as he hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Canberra for the first such visit in seven years, declaring the nations had renewed and revitalised their relationship after years of turmoil. The warmth of Albanese and Lis official encounters was undercut by scuffles between pro- and anti-Beijing protesters outside Parliament House and attempts by Chinese embassy officials to block news crews from capturing footage of Australian journalist Cheng Lei at an official document signing ceremony on Monday. Cheng was detained in China for three years before being released last year. Its a bittersweet victory for traditional owners whose native title rights over more than 300,000 hectares of land in south-east Queensland have been recognised in the Federal Court. The Kabi Kabi Traditional Owners non-exclusive rights to an area of 10,280 square kilometres along the Sunshine Coast were recognised in Brisbane on Monday. 300,000 hectares of SEQ land, including the Glass House Mountains, has been returned to traditional owners. The recognition spans Gympie, Noosa, the Glass House Mountains, Maroochydore, Caloundra, Bribie Island and Mudjimba Island. The native title claim was first lodged in 2013. My love affair with Paris hotels did not get off to a good start. Travelling solo, I was looking for somewhere dirt cheap, so I got a recommendation from an acquaintance for a hotel that a friend of a friend owned. No-one does hotel elegance quite like the French ... Le Meurice. I didnt quite understand that hotel could mean a tiny attic atop a six-floor walk-up in a bad neighbourhood near a railway station, where the porters sat in a room off the lobby gambling all day and night, while all sorts of nefarious people came and went. At least it was romantic in a sleazy way. I imagined myself as the writer Jean Rhys, who specialised in beautiful novels about depressed young women living in attics in cheap Paris hotels. Supporting growth in real estate Beyond the payment solution, CBA is also committed to supporting real estate agents in expanding their businesses. This includes financing options for rent roll acquisitions and, for a limited time, waiving valuation fees to lower operational costs. These initiatives are designed to facilitate growth and reduce financial strains on real estate businesses. This segment details the highest annual growth observed in Perth, with dwelling values rising by 22.0%, contrasting sharply with a slight decline in Hobart, which saw a dip of -0.1%. Water Crisis Deepens as Mexico and US Clash Over Treaty Obligations (Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / PR / Lula Oficial/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA 2.0 ) Tensions are escalating along the US-Mexico border, not over immigration, but water. The two nations, bound by an 80-year-old treaty, share the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. Severe drought and high temperatures have hindered Mexico's ability to meet its water delivery obligations, leading to increased friction. Under the 1944 treaty, Mexico must send 1.75 million acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande to the US every five years, while the US sends 1.5 million acre-feet annually from the Colorado River to Mexico. An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land one foot deep, equivalent to about 326,000 gallons. Maria Elena Giner, the US commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, noted that Mexico has only delivered about a year's worth of water as the current cycle nears its fourth year, ending in October 2025. The Rio Grande, known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico, flows roughly 1,900 miles from Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Over-extraction for agriculture and urban use, combined with climate change-induced heat and drought, have drastically reduced the river's flow. This variability is why the treaty is based on five-year cycles rather than annual quotas, Giner explained. Despite allowances for shortfalls, Mexico ended two five-year cycles in deficit from 1992 to 2002, marking the beginning of heightened political tensions over water. As another cycle nears its end, Mexico faces intensified pressure. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 1994, spurred significant industrial and agricultural development along the Rio Grande, increasing water demand. This, coupled with population growth and a changing climate, has exacerbated water scarcity. "You have treaties that were meant for a stable climate, but now are trying to be enforced in a climate that is not stable," said Vianey Rueda, a researcher at the University of Michigan specializing in the 1944 treaty. The water from Mexico feeds into the Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs, crucial for Texas's agricultural and municipal water supplies. Both reservoirs have plummeted to historically low levels, with Amistad at less than 26% capacity and Falcon at only 9.9% as of mid-June. Brian Jones, a farmer in Hidalgo County, Texas, described the dire situation facing local farmers. "Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas are either out of water or running out of water quickly," he said. The state's sugar industry has been particularly hard hit, with the closure of the only sugar mill in February after more than 50 years of operation, attributed to Mexico's failure to deliver water. Political leaders in Texas are demanding action. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, supported by Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, has pushed for withholding aid to Mexico until it complies with the water treaty. This stance reflects the deepening frustration among Texan farmers who are facing the prospect of another scorching summer without adequate water. However, the water crisis is equally severe in Mexico. The country is enduring its most expansive and severe drought since 2011, with nearly 90% of its territory affected. The situation in northern Mexico is particularly dire, with significant declines in dam and groundwater levels. Salvador Alcantar, a congressman in Chihuahua, highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that no rain had fallen in over eight months. In 2020, tensions flared when the Mexican government released water from a Chihuahua dam to meet treaty obligations, leading to protests and a deadly confrontation. The challenge of renegotiating an 80-year-old treaty lies in the dependencies it has created. Amendments to the treaty, known as "minutes," are the usual method for addressing issues, from data-sharing to water delivery changes. Negotiations for a new minute aimed at ensuring reliable water deliveries from Mexico stalled at the end of last year but are expected to resume with the new Mexican administration. Relying on unpredictable storms to alleviate water scarcity is a precarious strategy. Instead, there is a push for tools to build drought resilience and promote water conservation. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's president-elect, has prioritized water issues, which may offer some hope. However, the US could have a new president by the end of the current five-year cycle, potentially complicating relations further. Ultimately, both nations need to recognize that water-sharing agreements must adapt to the changing climate. "Instead of seeing water as a zero-sum game, where one party's gain is contingent on the other's loss, both sides should realize they are suffering the same thing because of climate change," Rueda said. "Then you start eliminating that zero-sum game, you start saying we're both losing essentially. Nobody's actually winning." ESR Group has acquired an additional 27 acres of land to expand its existing industrial and logistics park at Oragadam in Chennai. Image: ESR Group Linkedin ESR Group has acquired an additional 27 acres of land to expand its existing industrial and logistics park at Oragadam in Chennai. The enlarged area of ESR Oragadam Industrial and Logistics Park now spans 107 acres with a development potential of 2.5 million square feet. "The additional Rs 276 crore (over USD 33 million) investment signifies ESR's dedication to bolstering Tamil Nadu's industrial landscape," the company said in a statement on Monday. ESR Oragadam Industrial & Logistics Park is strategically located in the heart of the Oragadam-Sriperumbudur cluster, which has witnessed robust growth in demand for Grade A assets. This latest expansion builds upon the success of ESR Oragadam's first two phases, which have welcomed many high-quality customers, such as electromechanical solutions provider CUBIC, automotive research and development firm A2Mac1, and speciality labelling company CCL. ESR India CEO Abhijit Malkani said, "ESR's expansion in Oragadam is a pivotal step in our support for Tamil Nadu's commitment to becoming a major industrial hub. This project transcends Grade A industrial buildings". By upgrading the supply chain with modern infrastructure, he said the ESR Group is empowering a new era of advanced manufacturing and logistics for customers and communities. "We are crafting an ecosystem that prioritises innovation and environmental responsibility. Integrating green building practices and sustainable infrastructure into our design enables businesses to operate efficiently while minimising their environmental impact," Malkani said. ESR Group is Asia-Pacific's leading new economy real asset manager and one of the largest listed real estate investment managers globally. Its fully integrated fund management and development platform extends across Australia/New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and India, including a presence in Europe and the US. ESR Group focuses on new economy real assets and offers customers modern solutions for logistics, data centres, life sciences, infrastructure, and renewables. ESR Group is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The NIC, which is under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, looks after digital infrastructure to support e-governance services and various initiatives of Digital India. The National Informatics Centre (NIC), to improve its cloud services, has hired domestic cloud services major Yotta Infrastructure to build and manage its data centre in Delhi, according to sources in the know. Yotta is building a data centre at the NICs site in the city. This is expected to be completed in three to four months, said a source privy to the development. Investment in this capacity could not be confirmed. An email sent to Yotta and the NIC remained unanswered till the time of going to press. By opting to work with Indian players, the NIC is creating A senior official said the government is now trying to put in place a verification mechanism, which can validate the rates. (Photo: Reuters) The government is developing a verification mechanism to validate the refund claimed by exporters under Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP). This will ensure that countries dont retaliate against the scheme claiming that the reimbursements paid are subsidies. The scheme came into effect over three years ago to refund the embedded non-creditable central, state and local levies paid on inputs to exporters to boost Indias exports. However, last year, countries, including the United States (US), imposed countervailing or anti-subsidy duty on a few Indian products as retaliation against RoDTEP. India has been strongly defending the subsidy allegation and Saini said under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the country is making rapid progress in the field of solar energy. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said the monthly minimum charges for domestic power consumers have been abolished and electricity bill will now be based on the number of units consumed. An official statement quoting the chief minister said from now on, people of the state will receive bills based solely on the number of units of electricity consumed. "From now on, residents of the state will receive bills based solely on the number of units of electricity consumed, providing much-needed relief to electricity consumers," the statement said. Saini was addressing an event in Ambala, while launching the additional subsidy scheme in Haryana under the "Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana". Under the scheme, Saini said a subsidy of Rs 60,000 will be provided by the central government, for setting up a rooftop solar plant for poor families having an annual income of less than Rs 1,80,000. Additionally, a subsidy of Rs 50,000 will be provided by the state government. Although the cost of installing a rooftop solar plant is Rs 1,10,000, the consumer will not have to spend anything from their pocket, he said. Saini also announced the establishment of an additional 800 megawatt ultra super critical thermal power unit at the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant in Khedar, Hisar, at a cost of Rs 7,250 crore. Similarly, families with an annual income between Rs 1,80,000 and Rs 3 lakh will receive a subsidy of Rs 60,000 from the central government and Rs 20,000 from the state government. The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolved to start this scheme on January 22, from Ayodhya and it is now being implemented in Haryana. ALSO READ: BJP protests against AAP on water crisis, says Haryana releasing full share Taking a dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister criticized previous governments for playing politics on power issues. "Politics used to be played on power issues. One (political) outfit used to ask people not to pay bill saying they will waive (outstanding amount) when they come to power... while another outfit used to ask for votes by promising round-the-clock power supply," he said, while adding but the opposition failed to deliver on these promises once they came to power. In contrast, the BJP-led dispensation initiated many reforms, he said. Saini said under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the country is making rapid progress in the field of solar energy. In 2016, the Prime Minister inaugurated the International Solar Alliance Secretariat in Gurugram, accelerating the nation's transition to green energy. Speaking on this occasion, Haryana Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala said in recent years, Haryana has made significant strides in the power sector. Earlier, Minister of State for Transport and Ambala City MLA, Aseem Goel, in his address, noted Modi's vision for India to lead in solar energy, setting an example for other nations. A 270-foot-long dragon has landed in the center of New York City atop the iconic Empire State Building (ESB). In partnership with Max, ESB has acknowledged that Vhagar the Dragon has coiled herself around its mast just as ESB and Max cap off their weeklong House of the Dragon takeover. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240616631517/en/ Empire State Building Debuts 270-Foot Vhagar the Dragon Coiled Around the Buildings Mast, in Partnership with Max (Photo: Business Wire) The best views of Vhagar are in Manhattan from the south of ESB, and unique selfie moments are available from ESB itself where she scans for prey with her huge head extended over the southern deck of ESBs 86th Floor Observatory. ESBs lights have been set so fans can witness a series of dynamic light shows which feature the dragon against schemes of gold, green, and red. Just after the Empire State Building pledged its allegiance to the King, Vhagar descended upon the heart of New York City and has claimed the mast of the Worlds Most Famous Building as her perch, said ESRT Chairman and CEO Tony Malkin. Citizens of Westeros can now sit in the Iron Throne at the Observatorys grand staircase and then rise to the 86th Floor to face the colossal beast up close as they take in the unmatched, 360-degree views from our world-famous Observatory Tripadvisors #1 attraction in the United States. Affixed by more than 153 rigging points, Vhagar is made up of 1,700 total patterns and 600,000 inches of sewn seams. The giant dragon was created in partnership with creative agency Giant Spoon and fabricated by Bigger Than Life Advertising Inc. The companys President Mark Bachman was a manager on the Empire State Buildings King Kong installation in 1983. The House of the Dragon takeover included a photo opportunity with the iconic Iron Throne, a visit from the House of the Dragon cast, and an interactive photo booth on the 80th Floor. This partnership with Max is just one of several recent events at the Empire State Building which have garnered global attention, which include partnerships with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 x WhatsApp, Outward Bound, and Star Wars. The Empire State Building Observatory recently underwent a $165 million reimagination that included the addition of a dedicated visitor entrance, an immersive museum with nine galleries, brand-new, bespoke Observatory Host uniforms, and a new 102nd Floor Observatory with unmatched views. The reimagined Observatory Experience has been voted the #1 attraction in the U.S. in Tripadvisors Travelers Choice Awards: Best of the Best for two consecutive years. Tickets to see the dragon at the Empire State Building Observatory can be purchased here. Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about the Empire State Buildings tower lights. Hi-res imagery and video of all elements of the House of the Dragon takeover can be found here. About the Empire State Building The Empire State Building, the World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop culture. The Empire State Building Observatory Experience welcomes millions of visitors each year and was declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 attraction in the U.S. in Tripadvisors Travelers Choice Awards: Best of the Best for two consecutive years, and the #1 New York City attraction in Lonely Planets Ultimate Travel List. Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok. About House of the Dragon Based on George R.R. Martins Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. Co-Creator/Executive Producer George R.R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis. Season two returning cast includes Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma DArcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham. New season two cast are Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne. Source: Empire State Realty Trust Category: Observatory View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240616631517/en/ 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 BluPine Energy to supply Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Suzanne Starbuck By 17 June 2024 Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd has signed an agreement with BluPine Energy for the supply of green energy through a solar power project in Karnataka, India. The agreement involves a 46.87MWp solar power plant under a captive structure, which is expected to generate approximately 93.75MUs of electricity each year, reducing carbon emissions by more than 85,000tpa. The solar plant in Karnataka will not only produce clean energy but also foster local economic growth and support environmental sustainability, said Neerav Nanavaty, CEO of BluPine Energy. This project will help reduce operating costs and improve energy efficiency. Published under Apo and Solid Cement repurchase brands from CEMEX 17 June 2024 Cemex Holdings Philippines (CHP) disclosed that APO Cement and Solid Cement have repurchased the cement brands from their Switzerland-based sister firm, Cemex Innovation Holding (CIH). The deal with the Consunji family cost US$12.55m. APO Cement, operating from Naga, Cebu, acquired the Apo Cement brand for US$8.2m, while Solid Cement, which has a plant in Antipolo, paid US$4.53m for the Rizal and Island trademarks. The Island and Rizal brands, established in 1930, are primarily sold to customers in Luzon, whereas the 63 year-old Apo brand is marketed in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. This transaction follows Cemexs divestment from the Philippines, with the sale of Apo Cement and Solid Cement to DMCI Holdings, Dacon, and Semirara Mining and Power of the Consunji family for US$305.6m last April. Published under Since 1993, the Greater Chattanooga area has honored remarkable women through the Woman of Distinction Award, recognizing excellence in their diverse fields and service to the community. Women of Distinction of Greater Chattanooga has honored women annually who give of themselves through their time, energy, and talents to make a difference in the community and beyond. A Woman of Distinction is "one who volunteers her time to help improve the quality of life for others. She establishes standards that inspire and encourage other women to achieve their full potential, provides leadership and influences decisions that shape and define our city and community." Here are the 2024 honorees: Elizabeth Ahmed Unum, Executive VP, People & Communications Elizabeth Appling Erlanger, Senior Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Ouida Bianco Retired Educator Lynn Mosier Bryant Community Volunteer Jennifer Ley Crutchfield Cumulus Chattanooga, Director of Promotions Nancy Tripp Fell UTC, Department Head, Physical Therapy, Guerry & UC Foundation Professor Sherry L. Fusco CHI Memorial, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Esther Helton-Haynes Tennessee House of Representatives Judy St. Charles Community Volunteer DaKasha Winton BCBST, Senior VP and Government Relations Tracy L. Wood Journey Health Foundation, President & CEO On behalf of the Steering Committee, we are thrilled to continue this tradition of honoring remarkable women in our community," said Steering Committee member Lynda Minks Hood. "This years exceptional honorees have set themselves apart through their civic, cultural, philanthropic, and environmental commitments. We are looking forward to celebrating them at our benefit luncheon on Oct. 31." The Annual Awards Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 11:30 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. This event goes beyond recognition; it's a chance for the public to make a difference in a child's life through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Guests will contribute directly to promoting early childhood literacy and providing free, age-appropriate books to young children, nurturing their love of reading and learning, through the $75 ticket purchase. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.womenofdistinctiongc.com. All reservations must be made by Oct. 23. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact WOD Sponsorship Chair, Donna McConnico at Donna_McConnico@signalCenters.org. Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered a startling message to Congress. As more and more illegal aliens enter our country from all over the world, Wray testified before the Senate, the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, not unlike the ISIS K attack we saw at the Russian concert hall back in March that killed more than 100 people, is increasingly concerning. Just days after his comments, federal authorities arrested eight Tajikistan nationals with alleged ISIS ties in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. And to no ones surprise, all eight suspects entered our country by illegally crossing President Bidens open border. In fact, Bidens Department of Homeland Security reportedly apprehended and vetted the eight suspects after they crossed the southern border. But instead of deporting them, the Biden administration released the illegal aliens into our country with only a notice to appear before an immigration judge. The arrests mark just the latest example of how President Biden is creating a growing terror threat in America with his open border agenda. In April, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a suspected member of the terrorist group Hezb-e-Islami after the Biden administration released the Afghan migrant, who illegally crossed the southern border, into our country in March 2023. And in January, ICE arrested a 27-year-old Somalian man in Minnesota who is a member of the terror group al Shabaab after the terror suspect illegally crossed our border last year. The rising terror threat comes as President Biden has allowed more than 10 million illegal immigrantslarger than the populations of 38 of our statesto enter our country since taking office. Among them, nearly 400 individuals on the terror watch listthat we know ofhave entered our country through the southern border, including 80 since the start of fiscal year 2024. By comparison, just 11 suspected terrorists were apprehended at our southern border between fiscal years 2017 and 2020. In addition, since October alone, more than 50,000 special interest aliensillegal immigrants who travel from countries such as Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Chinahave crossed our border. Unfortunately, many more terror suspects and special interest aliens have likely entered our country. Recent reports confirm what Border Patrol has long told me: that many criminal migrants present false identities to U.S. authorities at the border to avoid deportation after being flagged on a background check. At the same time, illegal immigrants from countries that refuse to provide criminal history information to the U.S., including Communist China and Venezuela, often conceal past criminal activity in their home countries from Border Patrol. More and more, Tennesseans and Americans are voicing their concerns about the security risk of President Bidens open border. But instead of changing course, the President is doubling down on the same failed policies that are endangering the safety of every American. Just this month, the Biden administration reportedly instructed border agents in the San Diego sector to release into our country any illegal alien from nearly all eastern hemisphere countries. And last week, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas boasted during a TV interview that the administration is establishing safe mobility offices'' in foreign countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, to reach people where they are. One thing should clear: The Biden administration is determined to make illegal immigration legalregardless of the frightening consequences. Meghan Markle might not be close with the royal family, but that doesnt mean she cant send them messages from afar -- and the duchess reportedly did so with one piece of jewelry. Meghan Markle has not been on great terms with the royal family in recent years. The Duchess of Sussex famously left her working royal role alongside her husband, Prince Harry, back in 2020 after she felt the press was making it difficult for her to build a life in the United Kingdom and the royals werent helping. Meghan seemingly doesnt have much of a relationship with Harrys family (at least, not from the outside looking in), but she did recently wear a piece of jewelry that might have sent a powerful statement to her in-laws. Meghan Markle wearing a cross necklace that once belonged to Princess Diana while in Nigeria | Kola Sulaimon/AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle recently wore Princess Dianas cross necklace Harry has often said that Princess Diana would have absolutely adored Meghan. Diana was always one to do her own thing, and Meghan has proven to be the same way. Both Meghan and her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, often show respect for Diana by wearing her jewelry, and Meghan wore a cross necklace to an event in Nigeria back in May when she visited for a few days with Prince Harry. The cross pendant, while beautiful in its craftsmanship, could have carried a deeper significance, James Harris of jewelry company Austen & Blake told GB News. Traditionally, a cross pendant symbolizes faith, hope, and protection In Meghans case, the cross might also be seen as a symbol of unity and peace, reflecting her commitment to humanitarian efforts and her dedication to fostering understanding across cultures. But its also possible that Meghan wearing a piece of Dianas jewelry that represents unity and peace might be her way of sending a subtle message to the royal family that she wants both of those things. Meghan has not interacted much with the royal family, but that could still mean there is a part of her that wants peace for Harrys sake. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could return to the United Kingdom at some point Its been nearly two years since Meghan last visited the UK, but rumor has it thats mostly been due to a lack of security for Meghan and Harry as well as their two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. If Harry and Meghan can get their own place in the UK with proper security, they would be likely to visit more often. While this might not mean that Harry and Meghan spend a ton of time with the royals, it would at least allow the couples kids to grow up with an understanding of where their father called home for so many years. The Sussexes are not opposed to returning to the UK for visits but wont do so unless Harrys team wins an appeal that was filed in response to losing a lawsuit against Britains Home Office a suit that was filed after Harry was stripped of his royal security. A rare white buffalo calf, reportedly born in Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley, is shown on June 4, in Wyoming. The birth fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, according to members of the American Indian tribe who cautioned that its also a warning more must be done to protect the earth and its animals. Recent headlines have shed light on a troubling case of animal cruelty involving a company that bred beagles for medical research and was subsequently fined for severe neglect and violations of animal welfare laws. The company pled guilty to neglecting thousands of dogs and agreed to pay $35 million as part of the plea deal. Prosecutors say that the penalties represent the largest fines ever imposed in a case related to animal welfare. Envigo RMS, the company that operated the breeding facility in rural Virginia where the neglect took place, is also prohibited from breeding or selling dogs in the future. When federal authorities conducted an investigation of the facility in Cumberland County, Virginia, they discovered nearly 450 animals in acute distress. In total, there were 4,000 beagles at the facility. The company agreed to hand them all over, and they were sent for adoption around the country. Between 2019 and 2022, the company earned $16 million in revenue through the sale of 15,000 beagles. According to Christopher Kavanaugh, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Envigo prioritized profits and convenience over following the law. His office prosecuted the case. The company did not provide the dogs with proper care or safe and sanitary living conditions. It is required for cages to be cleaned every day, but they were only cleaned twice per month. Dogs were also euthanized without sedation by direct injections to the heart. The dogs regularly got hurt by catching their paws on metal grates that made up the flooring. The grates left wide spaces that allowed their paws to fall through easily. Furthermore, the animals were not given enough food and water. When they did receive sustenance, it was unclean. A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice noted that Envigo violated the Clean Water Act and the Animal Welfare Act. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. A 58-year-old international businessman based in New York was sentenced to two years in prison for his hand in a wine-and-dine fraud scheme. Omar Khan scammed investors out of millions of dollars using rare and expensive wines. He also pretended to be his attorney in order to keep the scheme going. In 2015, Khan was described as a fanatical wine connoisseur by Forbes Magazine. Between 2015 and 2019, Khan utilized his high-profile status to lure investors into financing his ventures, costing some of his victims all of their savings. He hosted wine tastings and networking events for wealthy individuals. During one of these events, vintage wines, oysters, caviar, Nantucket bay scallops, risotto cooked in bone marrow broth, and more were served. According to the Department of Justice, if guests invested in these kinds of lavish dinners and events, Khan promised them profits. However, he used the funds he received for personal expenditures. He then made false statements to investors when he was unable to pay them back. For example, in one case, a New York retiree who was identified as Victim 1 fell for the scheme after they developed a friendship with Khan. In the beginning, Victim 1 invested small amounts of money for the dinner events. But then, in 2018, Khan convinced Victim 1 to sink $5 million into a famous vineyard located in Bordeaux, France. Khan presented the investment as a consulting deal involving a New York club. For several months, he came up with numerous excuses as to why the deal had not yet been closed. In one email to Victim 1, he claimed the money was on the move. However, the very next day, he said that the IRS had placed a lien on his business account for unusual activity in Dubai, which was unrelated to the deal. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. One of the most famous events in all of World War II history was D-Day, the day soldiers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries invaded the beaches at Normandy in France. Earlier this month was the 80th anniversary of that fateful day, a day that ended up being a major turning point in the most destructive war in history. Many World War II veterans never get the chance to revisit France, specifically Normandy, and some have strong feelings against going back. However, one World War II veteran recently chose to get married to the woman who stole his heart at age 100, right near the beaches of Normandy. Just two days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day, 100-year-old World War II veteran Harold Terens married 96-year-old Jeanne Swerlin in a beautiful and sweet ceremony at the town hall in Carentan, right near the D-Day beaches of Normandy. Both Harold and Jeanne hail from New York, and Harold was actively involved in the events of D-Day in 1944. At the age of 20, he first set foot in France as a member of the U.S. Army in 1942 before being stationed in Britain as a radio operator mechanic. On D-Day, Harold was busy communicating with 60 P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes that were flying over France and repairing planes returning from France. Less than two weeks later, he was sent back to France to transport captured German soldiers. Harold didnt meet Jean, the love of his life and new wife, until three years ago in Boca Raton, Florida. While the sights and sounds of World War II and the results of D-Day still haunt him, Harold chose to make much better memories in the area by marrying Jean about five miles away from those beaches eight decades later. Harold and Jeans wedding was quite an impressive event. The mayor of Carentan, Jean-Pierre Lhonneur, read their vows, and after their ceremony, they stood before a happy, cheering crowd with champagne flutes. Jean wore a pink dress and can be seen smiling from ear to ear in photos of the adorable wedding. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye Its no secret that Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck has enjoyed a renaissance in the past few years, as James Eglinton also pointed out in a previous piece for CT. Ever since the English translation of Bavincks landmark work, Reformed Dogmatics, was released in 2008, theres been a constant stream of fresh readings of his life and thought. More recently, new translations of lesser known but no less important texts include his Christian Worldview, Christianity and Science, and Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion; and new editions have been published of Philosophy of Revelation, based on his 1908 Stone Lectures, and The Wonderful Works of God. Theologians like me are also rediscovering the neo-Calvinist tradition shaped by Bavinck and his fellow Dutch theologian, Abraham Kuyper, and examining how these thinkers might engage with cultural issues today, including our nations reckoning with racism. And while many have recently (and rightly) criticized Kuypers checkered legacy on this issue, they have often neglected Bavincks contributions on the subject, which many scholars see as an improvement on Kuyper. Sign up for Moore to the Point Join Russell Moore in thinking through the important questions of the day, along with book and music recommendations he has found formative. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. Bavincks assessment has enduring lessons for American Christians living in a polarized political climate. Similar to Bavincks own context of 19th-century Europe, those in the US today are confronted by the challenges of living in an increasingly post-Christian culture. This has led to heated debates on the identity of America, Christian nationalism, and how we can all find common ground amid our substantial differences. Bavinck and Kuypers neo-Calvinist Christian worldview, for instance, affirmed the diversity of reality but saw that this diversity reflects a greater unity. Since the Creator is Triune, they observed, the world often conforms to patterns of unities-in-diversities. Yet Bavinck believed this motif held further implications for humanity itself. As Ive shown elsewhere, Bavinck argued that the image of God (imago Dei) refers not only to us as individuals but to humanity as a whole. As theologian Richard Mouw writes, Bavinck articulates how the image of God unfolds itself in the rich diversity of humankind spread over many places and times, as the human race disperses across the globe and develops organically differentiated cultures, languages, and contexts. These differences are not ossified or static but coalesce in beautiful and surprising ways through the Spirit-wrought union of Gods kingdom. In short, Bavinck believed the glory of God is revealed more clearly through humanitys diversity, and this diversity is held together by a common confession of Jesus as Lord. The global church is a corporate people from every tribe and tonguea renewed humanity fulfilling its telos under Christs Lordship. But Bavinck coupled this positive vision with harsh warnings against racism and nationalism. In two texts, Christian Worldview and Philosophy of Revelation, Bavinck anticipated the rise of Eurocentric nationalism. In a forthcoming book, I explore how Bavinck detected these developments in German philosophy at the turn of the 20th centurywhich eventually set the stage for Hitlers regime, World War II, and the Holocaust. Bavinck attributed these ideological changes to the decline of Christian faith in Europe. When humans cease to worship God, they will substitute divine with creaturely realities (Rom. 1:25). Thus, he said, any society that departs from the Christian faith will naturally nurture racism and nationalism. If God is not the source of defining what is true, good, and beautiful, then morality must be grounded in humanity. And if humanity is not generic or universal but diverse and ever evolving, then one must decide which humanity at which point in history becomes the standard for moral evaluation. In Bavincks context, that benchmark was Aryan nationalism (which he referred to as pan-Germanism, pan-Slavism, and so on), which saw the Aryan race as the apex of universal humanity and therefore the embodiment of normativity. Bavinck cites some of the eloquent early thought leaders whose emerging racist ideology influenced Bavincks contemporariesand whose ideas eventually led to reconfiguring Jesus himself as the ultimate symbol of the Aryan race. Since every religion looks to a historical figure as the source for their revelation, the new German nationalism needed to refashion Jesus into the purest type of the Aryan or Germanic race in order to retain his authority. Jesus did not come from Israel but from the Aryans, they determined, because all other and past cultures are primitive, including the Jews. How foolish is the one who believes Jesus was not a Jew, that he was an Aryan writes Bavinck, and that the Bible, in which every heretic finds his proof text, gives the evidence for the matter. This revival of the race consciousness was further reinforced, according to Bavinck, by the historical view many philosophers held in his time: that each successive stage of human history ascended to their present age, which (conveniently) was depicted as the most evolved and cultured. Thus, the Aryan stock is seen as the dominant and superior race to which all the greatest achievements of Europe (and hence the world) could be credited. The result, Bavinck observed, was that the so-called pure historical view turns into the most biased construction of history. By locating ethics within their own history and projecting their culture as if it were the absolute norm, the Germans posited themselves as the arbitrator and pinnacle of history and eclipsed all other nations and people groups. They untethered their master race from accountability to a transcendent revelation of God, which allowed them to inflict oppressive coercion on all inferior races and reject any other culture from being a source of correction. These ideas were coupled with the emerging practice of eugenicswhere evolutionary theory and natural science were applied to the notion of creating a superhuman race (Ubermensch). What if, for example, the process of natural selection by survival of the fittest could be accelerated by winnowing out genetic weaknesses to purify and perfect the human race? Thus, philosophers, scientists, and psychologists joined together in the goal to deliver humanity from its miseriesor, as Bavinck put it, to improve the racial qualities of humankind in an artificial way. Bavinck connects these trending theories to the aspirations of German philosophers to present themselves as the bearers of some form of eschatological salvation to the world. He observes that these thinkers do not merely reject Christianity because they perceive it to be false, but because it is seen as bad for the futures development: If modern culture is to advance, it must wholly reject the influence of Christianity and break completely with the old worldview. Why? As Bavinck explains, whereas modern human hope was believed to be wholly this-worldly, Christianity was seen by his European contemporaries as indifferent to this life, since its hope ultimately lies in an otherworldly kingdom, eternity, heaven, and God. In other words, hope in tangible human achievements is surer than hope in intangible divine realities. Seeing a particular human society or nation as the primary bearer of ethical civilization, Bavinck reasoned, fills the eschatological void left by removing Christian hope from modern society. If moral law is not found in the transcendent but in the immanent, then so is heaven. In this case, a utopian society is modeled by whichever nationality represents the height of humanity. These ideological developments, which were all in vogue at the time, paint a bleak picture indeed. What was Bavincks responseand what alternative did he propose? In his Philosophy of Revelation, Bavinck points out the insurmountable problems with transposing the scientific principles of naturalistic evolution onto the social history of humanity. This instinct reflects a form of monism, he argued, which reduces the rich diversity of created life into singular uniformityas if an explanation that works well in one sphere can be used for all areas of life. Attempts to craft a grand historical narrative often privileges one nation or people group over others, he further argued, and ignores the unity of the human race across time and space. More than that, claiming that each century is intrinsically and holistically better than the previous one fails to acknowledge that high civilization existed in antiquity, even more advanced than us in some ways, and that the same vices of ancient times still plague our contemporary cultures. Instead of a linear story of progressive development culminating in one nation or master philosophy, Bavinck believed that history is pluriform, a rich and multifaceted maze, and that it recounts a united humanityacross all of its particularities, locations, and time periods. And to avoid the supremacist instinct to elevate one nation or phase of history, Bavinck argued, the historical sciences must be rooted in Christian theism. Thats because historians require a unique, divine revelation to assert that all creatures are embraced, and are held together by one leading thought, by one counsel of God. To believe in the unity of humanity, which is the presupposition of all of history, is a claim made known to us only by Christianity. Rather than seeing one culture or ethnicity as the universal expression of true humanity, Christianity for Bavinck teaches that the unity of humanity does not exclude but rather includes the differentiation of humanity in race, in character, in attainment, in calling, and in many other things. Bavinck writes that this variety has been destroyed by sin and changed into all kinds of opposition ever since the unity of humanity was dissolved into a multiplicity of peoples and nations. But instead of seeking the false unity of a worldly monism, preserving humanitys rich differentiation requires that the unity of all creation is not sought in the things themselves but transcendently in a divine being, in his wisdom and power, in his will and counsel. In other words, affirming Christianity means rejecting humanly fabricated uniformity and embracing divinely ordained diversity. Only salvation in Christ and fellowship in his Spirit, divine revelation and redemption, can restore and achieve the ideal of humanitys true, organic unity in diversity. As human beings, our unity and differentiation, identity and dignity, are all ultimately secured in Christwho Bavinck calls the kernel that revealed the plan, progress and aim of history, and who evacuated our sinful tendency to exalt ourselves as the historical ideal. In other words, historys center, aim, progress, and ultimate end is not found in humanity but in Christ. The only worldview that answers the diversity and richness of the world, writes Bavinck, is one that insists history is governed by divine will. Not only that, but we must believe God willingly entered into the world historically, in the person of Jesus Christ, to lift it up to the heights of the kingdom of heaven. The heavenly utopia we seek, then, is not a result of human historical progress but a divine work of God: If there is ever to be a humanity one in heart and one in soul, then it must be born out of return to the one living and true God. In todays increasingly polarized age, Bavincks message of humanitys unified diversity is more needed than ever. Instead of assuming our worldview is ultimate or superior to those in other contexts, Bavinck reminds us of the prophetic witness of Gods universal message of reconciliation embodied in Jesus Christ. Bavincks anthropological reflections are certainly not perfect. He remains a man of the 19th century and, at times, reflects analyses or language that 21st-century readers would reject (for instance, his language of high and low cultures). But its remarkable that, at the turn of the 20th century, Bavinck foresaw the dangers of the emerging eugenics, racism, and nationalism in German philosophywhich were in vogue at the time, even among Christians. In the centuries leading up to the horrors of WWII, when it was believed that the German spirit shall heal the world, Bavinck presented a transcendent eschatological visionone advanced not by human hands but initiated by Gods divine will. And in a post-Christian era, then and now, Bavinck reminds us that the nefarious roots of racism and nationalism trace back to a rejection of Christian claimswhich ground our dignity, our morality, and our ultimate hope in God. N. Gray Sutanto is associate professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He is author, editor, and translator of several books, including God and Humanity: Herman Bavinck and Theological Anthropology and the T&T Clark Handbook of Neo-Calvinism. (UPDATED) Pew survey of more than 10,000 adults in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam examines Christians and Buddhists beliefs, practices, and affinity to other traditions. Illustration by Mallory Rentsch Tlapek / Source Images: Unsplash / Pexels The rate of religious conversion in East Asia is among the highest in the world: Half of adults in Hong Kong and South Korea have left the religion they were brought up in for another religion or no religion. Among Christians, substantially more adults in those two places left the faith than those who converted to Christianity. The region also has the highest levels of deconversion. More than a third of adults in Hong Kong and South Korea say they now no longer identify with any religion. Yet at least 4 in 10 adults in East Asia and Vietnam who are religiously unaffiliated still believe in unseen beings or a god. And about 80 percent of Taiwanese and Japanese adults say they burned incense to honor their ancestors in the past year. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. These are among the findings of Religion and Spirituality in East Asian Societies, a massive report released today by Pew Research Center. While few people in the region pray daily or say religion is very important in their lives, many continue to hold religious or spiritual beliefs and to engage in traditional rituals, said Pew researchers. Surveys of 10,390 adults in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwandefined here as East Asiaand Vietnam were conducted between June and September last year. Although Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, Pew included the nation in this survey due to its adoption of Confucian traditions, its historic ties to China, and its embrace of Mahayana, a branch of Buddhism common across East Asia. (Last September, Pew released an in-depth survey on religion in Southeast Asia, highlighting six nations.) Researchers acknowledged the complexity of measuring religion in the region, as this word often denotes organized, hierarchical forms of worship rather than more traditional Asian forms of spirituality. Translators of the surveys, which were conducted in seven languages through phone calls in the East Asian countries and face-to-face interviews in Vietnam, were also asked to choose the most generic possible word for god and to avoid terms that referred exclusively to a divine entity from a particular religion. Pew found that adults with no religious affiliation make up the largest share of the population in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam. In Japan and Taiwan, Buddhism closely beat out the nones. Christians make up 32 percent of the population in South Korea, 20 percent in Hong Kong, 10 percent in Vietnam, 7 percent in Taiwan, and 2 percent in Japan. (Because the sample size of Japanese Christians is so small, Pew did not include the attitudes of this group in its findings.) Pew researchers concluded that, while people say religion is not important in their lives, when we measure religion in these societies by what people believe and do, rather than whether they say they have a religion, the region is more religiously vibrant than it might initially seem. Religions fluidity in East Asia was the reports most striking characteristic, said Fenggang Yang, founding director of Purdue Universitys Center on Religion and the Global East. Yang was an expert adviser to the Pew report. When they must choose a single [religious identity] ... many East Asians report no religious identity, even though they may hold religious beliefs and practices, Yang said. The beliefs and practices may be provided by more than one institutionalized religion. This has been the East Asian norm for a long time. Christianity in East Asia In the region, South Korea has the largest share of Christians who identify as born-again or evangelical at 51 percent. Christians over the age of 35 are more likely to identify as such compared to younger believers (54% versus 38%). South Korean women and Christians without a college degree are also more likely to describe themselves as evangelical. Meanwhile, 44 percent of Vietnamese Christians, 36 percent of Hong Kong Christians, and a mere 8 percent of Taiwanese Christians describe themselves as born-again or evangelicals. The low percentage of evangelicals in Taiwan may not provide a fully accurate picture as a lot of Christians in Taiwan dont really know the theological or denominational differences between labels like evangelical or charismatic, said Shirley Lung, sociology professor at the University of Denver. Christians are the most likely group to consider religion very important. About a third or more of believers across East Asia say this, along with two-thirds of Vietnamese Christians. Meanwhile, less than 20 percent of Buddhists in East Asia say religion is very important. Most of the Christians surveyed say that they generally go to church, with 80 percent of believers in Vietnam responding they attend weekly, compared to 46 percent of their counterparts in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The newness of Christianity in Vietnam compared to other places in the region may be why church attendance there is high, says Hien Vu, the Institute for Global Engagements Vietnam program manager. Vietnamese Christians have had strong personal experiences of positivity through their faith, which has helped them build strong faith in Christ and at the same time, strong connections and trust with fellow believers, she said. Roughly 9 in 10 Christians surveyed say they pray to Jesus Christ. Compared to followers of other religions and the religiously unaffiliated, Christians are most likely to pray at least once a day: About half of Christians in Vietnam and South Korea and 40 percent of believers in Taiwan and Hong Kong say they do so. Christians are also more likely to ponder existential questions on the meaning of life or to experience wonder about the universe, compared to Buddhists or the religiously unaffiliated. A majority of South Korean Christians (62%) think about this at least monthly. South Korean Christians are the only ones in the region to have a wide age gap when it comes to who identifies as Christian: 35 percent of older adults compared to a quarter of younger adults. In terms of evangelism efforts, most Hong Kong Christians say it is acceptable to proselytize (82%), while most Christians in South Korea oppose it (70%). The majority of adults in the region did not attend a school with religious affiliations, except for in Hong Kong, where half of the adults went to a school that is associated with a Catholic or other Christian church. This is due to the large number of church-run schools in Hong Kong that proliferated under British rule. Christians in East Asia are more likely to have attended Christian schools than Buddhists are to have attended schools with Buddhist ties. For instance, 22 percent of Taiwanese Christians attended a school associated with a Christian or Catholic church, compared to 10 percent of Taiwanese Buddhists who attended a school connected to a Buddhist organization. The Pew report finding that more people in Hong Kong and South Korea identified with Christianity rather than Buddhism may seem counterintuitive to some, Yang said. People in the East or West commonly hold the stereotype that East Asia is predominantly Buddhist, he said. It is time to abandon it. Religious switching Many people across the region now claim a different religious identity from the one they were raised in. Pew researchers measured the rates of religious switching between major world religions, such as between Buddhism and Christianity, not within a tradition (for instance, between Catholicism and Protestantism). Religious switching has led to a nearly 10 percent drop in the number of Christians in Hong Kong and South Korea. In both places, roughly 1 in 10 adults who were raised in a different religious tradition or who had no prior religious identity now profess faith in Jesus. Yet, at the same time, a substantially greater number (17 percent in Hong Kong and 19 percent in South Korea) have left their childhood faith of Christianity for another religion or no religion. These findings indicate that Hong Kong is an open society where religious affiliation is not a determining factor for strong social cohesion, said Wai Luen Kwok, associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. As there are many Christian schools in the city, young students may receive religious education other than that of their families and may switch to another religion. Churches ought to find out why people are dissatisfied with the faith and choose to leave it, said Pan Chiu Lai, philosophy of religion professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Some people may be attracted to a modernized form of Buddhism flourishing in East Asia that promotes meditation or mindfulness, vegetarianism, and a Buddhist worldview (without a Creator God) as a more reasonable worldview compatible with modern sciences, he said. Pews findings on the large number of South Koreans who have left Christianity for another religion or no religion corresponds with a survey that Chaeyong Chong conducted recently, which showed that Protestantism was the most common previous religion among the unaffiliated in South Korea, according to the professor of social religion at Fuller Theological Seminary. The number of people who identify as Protestant but do not attend churchknown as Canaan Christians in South Koreais also rising, said Chong. Their numbers have nearly tripled in 10 years, from 11 percent in 2012 to 29 percent in 2023. Overall, Taiwan and Vietnam are the only two places where Christianity has increased because of religious switching. In Taiwan, 15 percent of Christians were raised Buddhists. The percentage of Buddhists have also dropped in Hong Kong and South Korea by 12 and 15 percentage points respectively, and by 10 percentage points in Japan. Vu, the Vietnam program manager, sees the high rate of religious switching in the region as hopeful because it indicates a search for something greater than oneself and a quest for meaningful ways of living. Rates of religious switching in the world Yet, the biggest winner of religious switching is the no religion group, which grew by 30 percentage points in Hong Kong and South Korea as well as nearly 20 percentage points in Taiwan and Japan. In Vietnam, the group actually saw a net loss: 55 percent of Vietnamese said they were raised without a religion, while 48 percent identify with it now. Hong Kong and South Korea have the two highest rates of disaffiliation in the world. In Hong Kong, 37 percent of the population left their childhood religion and now no longer identify with any religion, while South Korea comes close behind with 35 percent. Koreans are more instrumentally religious, meaning that they use religion to get what they want rather than being interested in religion itself, Chong said. Add to this the fact that religious people (pastors and clergy) are often found to be involved in various social problems or to be immoral, and you have a recipe for disappointment in religion. In terms of how sticky a religious group is, or how good it is at retaining its members, Christians have an exceptionally high rate of retention in Vietnam (95%), while the East Asian countries range from 40 to 60 percent. Affinity with other religions and traditions Adults who say they have no religious affiliation make up about half or more of adults in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam. Japan and Taiwan also have a significant share of religiously unaffiliated respondents, at 42 percent and 27 percent respectively. This group of people are least likely to say religion is very important in their lives. Yet many feel a personal connection to Buddhism or an Indigenous religion. For example, at least a third of religiously unaffiliated adults in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan say they feel connected to a Buddhist way of life. Across the region, more than half of all adults in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan say they feel connected to at least one tradition besides their own. In South Korea, a majority of Christians, Buddhists, and the unaffiliated feel connected to the Confucian way of life. Meanwhile in Taiwan, a quarter of Christians and about 40 percent of Buddhists and the religiously unaffiliated say they feel connected to the Daoist way of life. Christians affinity to other religious and philosophical traditions in the region is a positive finding as it may reflect that many of them do not adopt a fundamentalist [or] exclusivist attitude towards other religions, said Lai. Belief in the spiritual realm Across East Asia and Vietnam, respondents are more inclined to say they believe in unseen beings, such as deities or spirits, rather than in a god. They are also most likely to say that mountains, rivers, or trees possess their own spirits, as opposed to believing that spirits exist in human-built landscapes and physical objects. Education levels have a surprising impact on these beliefs. Respondents with higher levels of education, said Pew researchers, are more likely than those with less education to believe in unseen beings. Eight in ten college-educated Hong Kong adults say this, compared with those with less education (64%). In South Korea, Christians are most likely to profess belief in unseen beings. Eighty percent of South Korean believers say so, compared to 62 percent of Buddhists and 41 percent who are unaffiliated. In other places like Taiwan and Hong Kong, Buddhists were more likely to say they believe in it than Christians. Christians are the largest group to believe in the existence of angels and demons. In South Korea, for example, more Christians than Buddhists say that angels or helpful deities exist (69% versus 54%) and that demons or evil deities exist (63% versus 47%). They are also most likely to say that both heaven and hell exist, although there is a stronger belief in the former. The proportion of the religiously unaffiliated who say they believe in unseen beings ranges from 39 to 73 percent across the region. Many in this group also continue to make food and drink offerings to care for their ancestors, with 92 percent of Vietnamese adults saying they have done so in the past year. At the same time, nearly all Vietnamese burn incense to honor their ancestors, along with 80 percent of Japanese and Taiwanese adults. Religiously unaffiliated Taiwanese adults who engage in these practices may do so as a form of respect, said Lung, the sociology professor. My guess is that this is something cultural, not necessarily something religious, that individuals have done since they were kids, she said. Belief in miracles, karma, fate, rebirth, and nirvana People with higher educational qualifications in Hong Kong are more likely to profess belief in miracles than those with lower levels of education (65% versus 55%), Pew researchers found. Hong Kong Christians ranked highest (85%) in saying that miracles exist, as did a substantial majority of Christians in Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Belief in karma is also prevalent across the region. While Buddhists are most likely to believe it exists, the majority of Christians in Vietnam (71%), Hong Kong (68%), and Taiwan (64%) agree. Christians in these regions are also likely to say they believe in fate. A sizable proportion of Christians also ascribe to beliefs in rebirth and nirvana. Thirty-five percent of Hong Kong Christians believe that humans can be rebornthe Buddhist teaching of samsarawhile 42 percent of believers in Hong Kong say they believe in nirvana, the Buddhist concept of liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Relationship between religion and society The Pew survey also measured the extent to which respondents agreed that religion is helpful to society in providing meaning and purpose in their lives, and that religion offers guidance to people to do the right thing and treat other people well. Most respondents agreed with these statements, with Vietnam and Taiwan gathering more positive responses than other places. Japanese adults were least likely to agree. Christians were a somewhat more likely than other groups to affirm these statements. Eighty-nine percent of Hong Kong Christians say religion helps inform and improve ethical behavior, compared to 78 percent of Buddhists and 76 percent of religiously unaffiliated people, Pew said. In terms of whether religious leaders should be involved in politics, people in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were least supportive. In all of the polled places, most respondents felt that religious leaders should not become politicians. Many also did not think they should not talk publicly about which politicians and parties they support. Observing the remarkable changes in religious identification in the region, Pew researchers asked, How meaningful is religious affiliation in Asia? Do the religious labels even matter? Pew believes they still do: How people describe their present religious affiliation and their childhood affiliation tends to correspond with their level of religious belief and practice. Yang, the Purdue University sociologist, added that he doesnt think people should read too much into the finding that the most common religion is no religion in East Asia, he said. No religion has become a growing and concerning phenomenon in the West, but it has been a traditional phenomenon in East Asia because religious identity is not always the most important, he said. Other new religious trends in the West, such as Sheilaism (which involves mixing elements from multiple religions into ones spiritual beliefs), have also been common in East Asia for centuries, Yang added. Learning about religion in East Asia may help to shed light on current religious change in the West, he said. Home News 3 plead guilty to vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers in wake of Supreme Court abortion decision Three Florida residents have pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to intimidate staff at pro-life pregnancy centers, disrupting their ability to provide healthcare services, according to the U.S. Justice Department. According to a statement released by the Department of Justice, Caleb Freestone, Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera on Friday admitted to orchestrating a series of attacks on pregnancy resource centers across Florida following the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision determining that the U.S. Constitution doesnt contain a right to abortion. The ruling and the publication of a leaked draft of the decision by Politico at the time launched a wave of vandalism and arson targeting pro-life pregnancy centers and churches that continued throughout the summer and into the fall. 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 centers in Florida, which advocate for abortion alternatives, became targets for vandalism that included graffiti with menacing messages. The incidents transpired between May and July 2022, and the defendants executed their attacks under the cover of darkness, the Justice Department said. Dressed in masks and dark clothing to conceal their identities, they spray-painted various facilities with phrases like, If abortions arent safe than niether [sic] are you, YOUR TIME IS UP!!, WERE COMING for U and We are everywhere. Such actions were meant to instill fear among the employees of these centers, according to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. Clarke said the department is dedicated to safeguarding lawful access to reproductive health services and upholding civil rights. U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg referred to the protection federal law provides to both providers and seekers of reproductive health care from threats and intimidation. The sentencing for Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera is pending, with each facing up to 10 years in prison as determined by a federal district judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Freestone and Smith-Stewart were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023, while Gabriella Oropesa and Rivera were indicted in March 2023. In a detailed recount of the incidents by the Department of Justice, additional charges were brought under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against Rivera, Freestone and Smith-Stewart. They were charged with using threats of force to intimidate employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven, as they were providing reproductive health services. The indictment included detailed descriptions of the graffiti and damage caused, which was similarly reported independently by the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, responded to the indictment of Freestone and Smith-Stewart in a statement at the time. These charges are good first steps, but the fight for equal justice is far from over. With a new House GOP majority positioned to exercise its oversight powers, we are finally beginning to see some accountability, she said. Congressional Democrats had the opportunity to condemn the violence and all but three refused, and again we have had to call on the White House to stop vilifying pro-life Americans. The pro-life movement is keeping a watchful eye on this administration and we will not be silent in the face of violence and intimidation. Home News Justice Alito's wife expresses desire to fly 'Sacred Heart of Jesus' flag to counter LGBT pride flags The wife of a United States Supreme Court justice is expressing a desire to display a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag to counter the LGBT pride flags during the month of June as her husband faces criticism over an Appeal to Heaven flag flying outside one of their homes. Lauren Windsor of the media outlet The Undercurrent, which is affiliated with the far-left The Young Turks Network, released audio from a conversation she had with the wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito while posing as one of his supporters on X last Monday. During her exchange with Martha Ann Alito, she got the justices wife to talk about the controversy surrounding the presence of an Appeal to Heaven flag at the Alitos New Jersey vacation home. The New York Times published an article last month detailing how the Appeal to Heaven Flag was seen flying outside the home last summer. Noting that the flag dates back to the Revolutionary War, the piece described it as a symbol of support for former President Donald J. Trump, a religious strand of the Stop the Steal campaign and a push to remake American government in Christian terms. 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 overtone of the article was that Alito should recuse himself from all pending cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, a result of the Stop the Steal campaign suggesting that Trump had the 2020 presidential election stolen from him. A religion scholar the Times spoke to for the piece suggested that the flag had come to represent a theological vision of what the United States should be and how it should be governed. Windsor raised the outcry over the Appeal to Heaven flag at the Alitos' vacation home, which she described as bull----. After Martha Alito expressed agreement with that analysis, Windsor claimed to believe that the media was persecuting you (Alito) and youre like a convenient stand-in for anybody whos religious. Alito responded by sharing her philosophy of You come after me, Im going to give it back to you. I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the pride flag for the next month, she explained. Alito noted her husbands opposition to her idea, acknowledging that she replied to him, I wont do it because Im deferring to you. When you are free of this nonsense, Im putting it up and Im going to send them a message every day. Martha Alito added: Maybe every week, Ill be changing the flags. Theyll be all kinds. I made a flag in my head. This is how I satisfy myself. I made a flag. Its white and its yellow and orange flames around it and in the middle is the word Vergogna. Vergogna in Italian means shame. The Sacred Heart of Jesus flag is available for sale on a website called Tradflags.com. Martha Alitos desire to fly the flag, which depicts a heart surrounded by a crown of thorns with a cross engulfed in flames on top of it, reflects the fact that Catholics dedicate June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus coincides with LGBT activists annual recognition of the month as LGBT pride, in which where rainbow-colored flags and progress pride flags are flown to show support for LGBT ideology. In addition to his status as one of the more conservative members of the court, Justice Alito is also one of six Catholic justices on the bench. While Martha Alito didn't explicitly elaborate on what she was talking about when she said she looked forward to her husband breaking free of this nonsense, it's possible she was referring to a time when her husband no longer serves on the Supreme Court. Appointed to the bench by former President George W. Bush in 2006, Justice Alito has become a favorite target of progressive activists. The rancor toward Alito has intensified in recent years after he wrote the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organizationdecision, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion and overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Martha Alito also touched upon the treatment she and her husband have received from the left-leaning press in her conversation with Windsor, recalling how a New York Times reporter insisted on commenting on her clothes when her husband first rose to national prominence in 2006. She cited the criticism of her clothes as an example of how she has been denigrated by the media, highlighting how the reporter in question likened her outfits to a baby blanket and a La-Z-Boy recliner pattern suit. In an op-ed for The Christian Post published earlier this month, Jerry Newcombe of the Providence Forum elaborated on the historical meaning of the Appeal to Heaven flag and condemned the strategy to marginalize one of the most influential conservative justices. The An Appeal to Heaven flag was adopted on October 21, 1775, he wrote. That was the same year our war for independence began in Massachusetts on the fields of Lexington and Concord. That was also the same year that George Washington was appointed as our first commander-in-chief. Early in this role, Washington commissioned six schooners for our nascent navy. Newcombe detailed how, In 1775, Col. Joseph Reed, under Washingtons command, proposed that a flag be made with a white background with a tree in the middle bearing the motto, An Appeal to Heaven. He also traced the origin of the phrase back to English philosopher John Locke, whose ideas influenced the Founding Fathers. Home News Candace Owens claims media is ignoring a global 'Christian holocaust' Conservative political commentator Candace Owens recently suggested that widespread Christian persecution around the world does not receive adequate media attention, especially compared to how much coverage Israel receives. During a wide-ranging interview on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" that aired last week, Owens shot back at a question from Morgan regarding why she did not immediately tweet anything about the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel. As many as 1,163 people, including 31 Americans, were slaughtered that day, and around 240 people were taken hostage in Gaza. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Owens said that while she believes the attack by Hamas was "absolutely horrific," the U.S. should not be entangling itself in Israeli affairs and that the plight of suffering Christians globally receives relatively little coverage compared to the war in Israel. "The biggest issue I have with Israel is the fact that they are supplying the arms to murder Christians, in Armenia, the oldest Christian country in the world, and yet nobody talks about that." - @RealCandaceO speaking with @piersmorgan on @PiersUncensoredpic.twitter.com/eX9qWUd6BX ANCA (@ANCA_DC) June 12, 2024 "For whatever reason, it seems to be the circumstance that when Jewish people die in Israel, it's wall-to-wall coverage, but when Christians die all over the world, nobody talks about it," Owens said. "Everyone wants to correlate everything to World War II. Everyone wants to talk about Adolf Hitler and rightfully so, he was a horrific person but nobody wants to talk about [Soviet official] Genrikh Yagoda, right?" "Nobody wants to talk about the Bolsheviks. Nobody wants to talk about the Christian holocaust. I am tired of the media, exhausted of the media not speaking about what is happening to Christians all around the world," she continued. "And it is especially horrific while at the exact same time that it is happening the slaughter of Christians in Armenia, the arms being supplied by Israel that the media turns the other way and says, 'Oh, OK, but what about what about what's happening in Israel?'" Owens was apparently referencing Israel's supply of weapons to assist Azerbaijan's campaign to recapture Nagorno-Karabakh last fall, an ethnic Armenian enclave recognized as part of Azerbaijan. "You know what I'm asking for? Actual equality," she continued. Owens, who has faced accusations of antisemitism even from her former colleague Andrew Klavan, explained that her first concern is for Christians because she is one. "It seems like this is like a special category, the 'special relationship' that we have [with Israel]. I'm a Christian first, OK? And so my concerns are going to be with what's happening to Christians all around the world because it is us: We are the No. 1 most persecuted religion in the world." "And all Christians watching this need to realize the time is now to start speaking up, because we have been silenced about the things that are happening to us for a very long time," she continued. "When there is wall-to-wall coverage of Christians being killed in Armenia, Christians being killed in Nigeria, and the treatment of Christians in America and all across the globe today, then you ask me if I will use my platform and I will use my voice to speak about what's happening in Israel. How about that?" Morgan responded by noting that her point was "perfectly reasonable." Owens parted ways with The Daily Wire in March, months after she got into a spat on X with co-founder Ben Shapiro last November after she tweeted a portion of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus spoke of blessing for peacemakers. She also quoted Jesus saying, "You cannot serve both God and money." Her tweet came in the wake of leaked viral video that showed Shapiro trashing Owens as "absolutely disgraceful" for her commentary on the Israel-Hamas war, which he dismissed as "faux sophistication." Earlier this year, Owens joined the Roman Catholic Church, following in the footsteps of her husband. "Recently, I made the decision to go home," she tweeted in April. Home News Christian woman tied to a tree, beaten by village leaders in Mexico A Christian woman who suffered severe internal injuries after being tied to a tree and beaten by traditionalist Catholic elders in her village in Mexicos Hidalgo State is now hospitalized in critical condition. Police have made no arrests, according to a report. The victim, identified as Maria Concepcion Hernandez Hernandez from the Great Commission Baptist Church in the community of Rancho Nuevo in Huejutla de los Reyes Municipality, was attacked on Dec. 21 by a group of people, all belonging to the Roman Catholic majority in the village, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported last week. Immediately before the attack, the bells of the local Roman Catholic church were ringing, CSW continued. 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 visiting her land as a neighbor had asked her to remove two trees because the local authorities had prohibited members of the religious minority from accessing or using their land for cultivating crops, the group said. The pastor of the womans church, Rogelio Hernandez Baltazar, was also detained for two hours after he sought to intervene to stop the attack, and threatened by the same authorities who declared they will not allow the victims body to be buried in the village if she does not recover from her injuries. The pastor and other villagers are prohibited from meeting her, the group said, adding that no arrests had been made despite complaints having been filed with the Hidalgo State Human Rights Commission and the Hidalgo State Prosecutor's Office. The attackers have been identified as Benito Rocha, Fermin Hernandez Hernandez, Octaviano Gutierrez Hernandez, Margarito Gutierrez Hernandez, Francisco Wenses, and catechist Juan Hernandez Hernandez. The life of a woman hangs in the balance and a community is living in fear because, despite ample evidence of serious violations of freedom of religion or belief in Rancho Nuevo for more than seven years, the Mexican authorities have failed to intervene, CSWs Head of Advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl, said. Instead, Hidalgo State government officials, under the previous governor, have for years publicly denied the existence of cases of religious intolerance in the state, Stangl continued. This is not a one-off incident of Christian persecution in Mexico, which has risen due to drug cartel violence, persecution by traditionalist Catholics and violent discrimination by anti-Christian left-wing groups, Open Doors USA previously reported. In rural indigenous communities, anyone who turns away from traditional religious beliefs can face rejection and punishment in the form of fines, imprisonment, and forced displacement. Non-discrimination laws mean that any links between Christian faith and politics are placed under very strict legal scrutiny, says the ministry on its website. Unlike Christianity, traditionalist Catholicism relies on giving gifts to pagan gods in exchange for health, good fortune and protection from evil. They often participate in animal sacrifices to the gods and worship saints, incorporating practices from pagan Aztec beliefs. In areas controlled by criminal groups or drug cartels, young men are exposed to indoctrination and forced recruitment. Those who do not accept it for reasons of Christian faith or otherwise face threats, potential abduction and even death, says Open Doors USA. Families, too, are bribed and intimidated to force their children to obey the gangs. Church leaders are often victims of extortion because they are assumed to have access to church funds. Mexico also has the highest rate of human trafficking in the world, and women are easy targets for illegal armed groups to recruit or abduct. Last May, 16 indigenous Protestant Christian families in the southern state of Chiapas were pressured to pay illegal fines for the fourth consecutive year for not participating in a syncretic Roman Catholic festival that involves alcohol, CSW reported at the time. In September 2021, two evangelical families from the First Baptist Church in the La Mesa Limantitla area in Hidalgo states Huejutla de los Reyes Municipality were threatened with being cut off from essential services or expelled from the community if they continued to refuse to deny their faith and pay a fine illegally levied against them, CSW reported at the time. Home News Detroit pastor thanks Trump for visiting the hood that Obama, Biden ignored Former President Donald Trump was welcomed by Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, this past weekend during a roundtable with religious and community leaders aiming to engage black voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The pastor expressed his appreciation for Trump's visit, contrasting it with what he contends is the absence of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden from the "hood" of Detroit. "President Trump, I'm so humbled that you would be here. President Obama never came to the hood, so to speak," Sewell said to applause from the audience. 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 "President Joe Biden went to the big NAACP dinner [in May], but he never came to the hood so thank you," he added, referring to a perceived neglect by previous Democratic administrations. Trump's campaign projected this engagement as part of a broader effort to address the concerns of black voters, with Sewell noting on "Fox & Friends First" his support for Trump's Platinum Plan. The plan promises to increase access to $500 billion for black communities, which could help businesses and churches. "Those metrics matter to us. So we're going to hold him accountable to the Platinum Plan that he produced," Sewell stated. Sewell hoped the roundtable would be a "discussion for those who are the least of these and those who are disenfranchised ... to have an opportunity to talk to the former president." "In urban America, typically people are on the menu but they are never at the table," Sewell stressed. On Saturday, the Trump campaign launched the "Black Americans for Trump" coalition. At the roundtable, Trump was joined by high-profile black Republicans, like former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. "Black voters are rallying around Donald J. Trump because of Jobs and Justice," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement. "There is a clear contrast this election, as black voters experience the loss of spending power under Biden, the ravaging of their neighborhoods because of crime under Democrat leadership, and Biden's border disproportionately hurting communities of color. Donald Trump offers the best path forward. It's not just a Black agenda, it is an American agenda." Trump's visit comes as Biden's support among black voters is down from where it was in the lead-up to the 2020 election. As the progressive think tank Brookings notes, a recent Pew survey showed that about one in five African American men say they plan to vote for Trump, which has led to fears among Democrats that the loss of some black voters in liberal stronghold cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee could cost Biden swing states in November. The Biden campaign held a high-profile, star-studded fundraising event on Saturday in Los Angeles, California, headlined by Hollywood actors and former President Obama, that was expected to raise $28 million. In a statement shared with media ahead of the weekend, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung criticized Biden for engaging with "elitist, out-of-touch celebrity benefactors" while Trump met with "everyday Americans in Detroit, Mich., an area decimated by Joe Biden's failed policies." On Friday, the Biden campaign released statements from other Detroit faith leaders denouncing Trump. Pastor Cindy Rudolph accused Trump of "making a mockery of the church, and he continues to lack the moral clarity necessary for the office of the president. "Donald Trump has the nerve to waltz into our city and act like he wants to understand the struggles black Detroiters face, but the reality is he doesnt care, Pastor James Perkins said in a statement released by the Biden campaign, according to Bridge Michigan. Every time Trump opens his mouth to talk to black folks, he demonizes us, insults us, and makes empty promises hell never keep. A recent Wall Street Journal poll indicated a potential surge in support for Trump among black voters nationwide, with 30% considering supporting him over Biden in the upcoming election. Home News Judge upholds Missouri abortion ban amid religious freedom challenge from faith leaders A Missouri circuit judge has ruled against several clergy members who argued that the state's abortion laws infringe on the Missouri Constitution's Establishment Clause. The lawsuit, led by a diverse group of faith leaders, was met with a dismissal. The challenge, initiated in January 2023 by representatives from Christian, Jewish and Unitarian congregations, was spearheaded by advocacy groups, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the National Women's Law Center. They sought an injunction to halt Missouri's abortion laws, which lack exceptions even in cases of rape or incest, arguing these laws violate constitutional provisions against the merging of church and state. 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 St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser issued an order on Friday in favor of the state, maintaining that the abortion restrictions do not prevent anyone from practicing their faith freely. Sengheiser wrote that while the belief life begins at conception is sometimes a religious belief and may run counter to others' religious beliefs, it is not only a religious belief. He pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which overturned the court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion a national right. "The Court finds that the restrictions in the ban are consistent with Missouri's historical criminalization of and restrictions of abortion," the judge wrote. "Essentially, the only that changed is that Roe was reversed, opening the door to this further regulation. Dobbs provided in part that the State has an 'interest in protecting prenatal life' even 'before viability.' The Total Abortion Ban is consistent with this interest and a result of the holding in Dobbs." The legal representatives for the clergy, including civil rights lawyer Denise Lieberman and the team at Arnold & Porter, expressed their disagreement with the verdict. "Missouri's abortion ban is a direct attack on the separation of church and state, religious freedom and reproductive freedom," they said in a statement released through the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "Missouri lawmakers made clear that they were imposing their personal religious beliefs on all Missourians when they enacted these laws. We remain committed to restoring abortion access in Missouri." House Bill 126, often referred to as the "Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act," includes multiple provisions to restrict abortion access. It also bans abortions at various stages of pregnancy, depending on specific circumstances. House Bill 126 included a "trigger ban" on abortions, which was enacted following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Senate Bill 5 increases regulations on abortion providers, imposes additional health and safety requirements and enhances the state's ability to enforce abortion laws. The plaintiffs included Rev. Traci Blackmon, the former associate general minister for justice and local church ministries for the United Churches of Christ, and 13 other faith leaders from seven different denominations. They believe that the insertion of religious language into the legislative process contravenes the state constitution. They objected to one section of the statute that reads: "In recognition that Almighty God is the author of life, that all men and women are 'endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among those are Life." However, Sengheiser noted that similar language can be found in the preamble to the Missouri Constitution, which expresses "profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe." He contends that the rest of the abortion law doesn't contain any other religious language. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office defended the legislation, saying the religious convictions of individual lawmakers do not equate to a constitutional violation. "Today is a major win for women and their unborn children as a Missouri court sided with our office yet again in our efforts to defend the sanctity of life," he said in a statement. "Having lost a child, this issue is personal for me. My office will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the unborn. Our children are worth the fight." Last month, Missouri passed a law stopping public funds like Medicaid from going to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. Gov. Mike Parson signed House Bill 2634 into law, which makes it "unlawful for any public funds to be expended to any abortion facility, or to any affiliate of such abortion facility." Home News Actor Mark Wahlberg credits his faith for success in life Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attributed his success in life to his devotion to his faith and family. My faith, and my family, and just finding good balance, he told Fox News Digital. But I have to attribute all my success to my faith. The Patriots Day actor briefly discussed his faith at the opening of his Mexican restaurant Flecha in Huntington Beach, California. Wahlberg had also invited Catholic Bishop Kevin W. Vann of the Diocese of Orange Christ Cathedral to perform a blessing at the restaurant with prayer and holy water. 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 Wahlberg is known for sharing his Catholic faith, especially during high holy days, and funded and starred in the 2022 film Father Stu about amateur boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long. You got to stay prayed up, Wahlberg, who starts each morning with Scripture reading, told fans when the film was released. Speaking about his children, Wahlberg previously said he doesn't want to force his Catholic faith on them but hopes that by walking in faith he can set an example they can emulate. Even with my faith, I dont force it on [my kids]. But they know that dad cant start the day without being in prayer, cant start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass, Wahlberg told NBCs Today in 2022. And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, theyll say, Well, if it works for dad, maybe itll work for us, and theyll kind of gravitate toward it on their own. Over the years, Wahlberg has openly shared how his faith has directly infiltrated every aspect of his life and career. As soon as I started putting my faith and focus on God, good things started happening for me, he told Fox News in 2023. And even when they didnt, it gives you the coping skills to deal with things that are inevitable, like loss and failure and those things. Wahlberg added, But you know, again, my faith and my family, those are the most important aspects of my life. More recently, he teamed up with actor Jonathan Roumie from "The Chosen" in an effort to influence others to pray more during a Super Bowl LVIII commercial for the Catholic app Hallow that allows users to seek and offer prayer on the go and customize a daily prayer routine. The app, which has 10 million downloads, also allows users to connect with friends and family and design family groups. During Lent last year, Wahlberg led Hallow users through a series of lessons on fasting in the app. "There are many different elements to fasting. I think the important thing to understand is, first of all, if you have issues with food, there are other things. God knows the things that He wants you to detach from," Wahlberg said at the time. "We all know those things that make us feel guilty and don't make us feel as good as we should. [The goal is] being able to detach from those things and focus on good habits as opposed to bad habits. I'm just challenging people to be better versions of themselves." Home News 'Abuse of public funds': Mass. launches $1M ad campaign against pro-life pregnancy centers The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a taxpayer-funded education campaign warning pregnant women to avoid pro-life pregnancy resource centers, alleging that these nonprofit organizations put women's "health at risk" and use "deceptive practices" to attract patients. The state health department created the public education campaign in collaboration with the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, the sister organization of Reproductive Equity Now, an activist group that aims to make it easier for women to have abortions. According to a June 10 statement, the campaign was funded through a $1 million investment passed by the state legislature as part of the fiscal year 2023 supplemental budget. 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 advertisements will appear on various platforms, including social media, radio and billboards. Massachusetts is the first state to launch a campaign to dissuade women from visiting pregnancy centers. "In Massachusetts, we are committed to protecting and expanding access to safe and legal abortion," Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. "That includes protecting patients from the deceptive and dangerous tactics that anti-abortion centers often use to stop people from accessing comprehensive reproductive services," she continued. "This campaign is an important way to provide accurate information so residents can make informed decisions about reproductive care that are right for them." On June 10, the first advertisement aired across Massachusetts, telling women to avoid what it describes as "anti-abortion centers." The advertisement claims that these centers look like medical organizations but can put women's "health at risk" and do not provide abortions. At the end of the advertisement, one of the actresses featured in the campaign directs women to "find care [they] can trust" by visiting a website that tells them where to locate an abortion facility. The website encourages women to file a complaint against pregnancy centers, and attempts to offer advice on how to spot an "anti-abortion center." The webpage titled "What are anti-abortion centers?" tells women to "beware of 'free' products or services" offered by pregnancy centers, alleging that the nonprofits use the promise of free ultrasounds to lure in patients and then lie to them about how far they are into their pregnancies. The webpage also claims many pregnancy centers have untrained staff or volunteers who wear white lab coats to look like qualified medical professionals. In addition, the website accuses pregnancy centers of exaggerating the health risks associated with abortion, which it argues "has a lower complication rate than many other common medical procedures." The new state-funded campaign has drawn the ire of pro-lifers on social media. The Society of St. Sebastian, an organization that tracks pro-life public policy, called the move "abuse of public funds" and "false attacks." Jane Cournan, a Republican candidate for state representative, called the state-funded ads "absolutely bizarre." "#Massachusetts is against pregnancy resource centers that try to help needy mothers who want to keep their babies," Cournan wrote. "The ones I am familiar with are lifesaving to some mothers and children." Reproductive Equity Now Foundation and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. Pro-life advocates and pregnancy center organizations have pushed back against the rising trend in recent years of Democratic politicians accusing them of being "fake clinics." According to the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute, there are more than 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers in all 50 states that served over 2 million men, women and youth in 2019. In January 2023, a group of mothers demonstrated at Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's office in Washington to share how pro-life pregnancy centers helped them when they were faced with unplanned pregnancies. The demonstration came after Warren called for pro-life pregnancy centers to be shut down. The campaign, titled #NotFakeToMe, urged the House Judiciary Committee to hold public hearings regarding the trend of vandalism and arson targeting pregnancy resource centers. "Stanton is launching our #NotFakeToMe campaign to ensure our centers, and thousands around the country, are protected against violent physical attacks and also from intimidation and harassment from members of Congress," Brandi Swindell, CEO and founder of Stanton Healthcare, said. "It is important for Congresswoman [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez to hear the personal stories of our mothers and children, so she can fully understand our commitment to women and the incredible services and care we provide." In October 2023, at least 16 state attorneys general signed a letter claiming that pro-life pregnancy centers are "misleading consumers and delaying access to critical, time-sensitive reproductive healthcare." This drew a response from the pro-life organization Human Coalition, which operates several crisis pregnancy centers across the U.S. "What 'reports' from abortion advocacy organizations won't tell you is the myriad of testimonies from women who are grateful for their life-saving experiences with pregnancy centers," the Human Coalition said in a statement at the time. "Many women leave these centers transformed and empowered. ... They certainly don't get this experience at a Planned Parenthood, where they walk out of an abortion right back into the dire circumstances that pressured them to abort. Listen to the voices of these women." Pro-life advocates and medical professionals have also argued that the number of deaths and complications related to abortion are often undercounted. Pro-life researchers have also pushed back on a 2012 journal article claiming that "abortion is 14 times safer than childbirth," saying the study compares different data sets that cannot accurately be calculated. According to a May 2024 report by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, pregnancy centers provided over $360 million in services and goods to more than 16,000 clients in 2022. Of the over 62,000 volunteers and paid staff members serving clients at pregnancy centers, nearly 5,000 of them were licensed medical staff. Another 5,396 medical professionals were among the 44,930 total volunteers for 2022. In a July 2022 interview with CP, Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, responded to Warren, who also accused pro-life pregnancy centers of using deceptive tactics to prevent women from having abortions. At the time of the interview, Warren had written in a post on X that "We must do everything we can to protect Americans seeking reproductive care." Godsey told CP that pregnancy centers reach out to potential clients in various ways to help them locate "answers regarding an unintended pregnancy." He disagreed that using terms like "abortion" in their advertising is deceptive, as these centers are attempting to offer free services to women seeking abortions. "We're trying to help her not need abortion if that's at all possible," he said. "And so in our marketing, we are going to use terms that fit that." Home News God bless em: Mike Rowe praises Chick-fil-A kids summer camp teaching soft skills Mike Rowe, television host of Dirty Jobs, has applauded a Chick-fil-A franchise in Hammond, Louisiana, for its innovative summer camp designed to teach children practical life skills. The camp, to be held next month, has garnered attention for its unique approach to child education through real-world business insights, although it has also sparked controversy among a section of the public that is calling it a child labor camp. The Chick-fil-A Summer Camp, announced on June 5 and to be held in six sessions from July 15-17 and July 22-24, invites children ages 5 to 12 for a three-hour session each, priced at $35. Each session will include activities like a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurants operations and time spent with the Chick-fil-A Cow mascot and team leaders, according to Yahoo News. The camp will also provide a kids meal, T-shirt, name tag and snack for each attendee. The camps popularity was evident as all initially offered sessions sold out within an hour, prompting the addition of more sessions. 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 Despite its popularity, the camp has drawn a mix of praise and criticism on social media. Some parents and commentators have expressed concerns over potential child labor implications and the appropriateness of introducing young children to corporate work environments, Yahoo News added. Rowe defended the camp during an appearance on Fox Business' Varney & Co., praising Chick-fil-A for stepping in to teach practical life skills to children a gap he believes has been left by the removal of courses like home economics and shop from public schools. What did we think was going to happen when we took Home Ec, shop and basic financial literacy out of the public schools? Sooner or later, somebody is going to step up and say, we have to inculcate these ideas into the next generation, Rowe said. If Chick-fil-A is going to be part of leading that charge, God bless 'em. Theres somebody [that] has to step in to do this. Soft skills, basic common sense, all of that stuff is still for sale and, sadly, lacking, Rowe added. Some Facebook users tagged the U.S. Department of Labor in their comments, questioning the legality of the activities proposed for children, such as taking and bagging orders. Chick-fil-A representatives clarified that the camp activities do not include performing actual team member tasks. They stated that employees serving as counselors would focus solely on engaging with the campers through planned activities. The initiative by Chick-fil-A in Hammond is not the first of its kind within the chain. A similar summer camp has been running for six years at a location in Houston, Texas, featuring activities like bingo and trivia. Representatives from Chick-fil-A noted that while these camps are quickly selling out, they are not profit-driven but are instead designed to engage with community members and teach children valuable skills. They also pointed out that each restaurant is independently owned and that such programs are developed by owners to connect with their local communities. Chick-fil-A made headlines earlier this month with the launch of a new summer menu item, the maple pepper bacon sandwich. The fast-food chain said the limited edition sandwich was inspired by Americans passion for summertime barbecues. The sandwich is comprised of a lemon and herb marinated chicken breast topped with brown sugar and pepper bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sweet and spicy pickles and a toasted maple-flavored brioche bun. The maple pepper bacon sandwich will be available for in-restaurant purchase and delivery through Aug. 24. Accompanying the new limited release, Chick-fil-A has brought back a fan favorite for the 15th year with its peach milkshake. Home News Over 8,000 attend Franklin Graham's God Loves You Tour stop in Birmingham Over 8,000 people traveled from around the U.K. to hear Franklin Graham preach in Birmingham on Saturday night. It was the American evangelist's first time in the Midlands, with his visit coming 40 years since his late father, world renowned evangelist Billy Graham, preached the Gospel in nearby Villa Park. "Jesus Christ is not dead. He's alive and He's here tonight," said Graham to cheers and applause inside the Birmingham Resorts World Arena. 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 Graham is back in the U.K. to continue his God Loves You Tour, with another night coming up in Glasgow on June 22. His thoughts turning momentarily to his father, who preached many times in the U.K., Graham said, "I miss him and every time I come to this country I think of him because he loved this nation, he loved the people of this country." Birmingham was one of the eight cities that Graham had originally planned to visit in 2020, but it was postponed due to legal action against seven venues that canceled their legally binding contracts. The tour was eventually able to go ahead after the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association took successful legal action against the venues. Last night, Graham preached from Luke 19, which tells the story of the salvation of Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who put his faith in Christ and vowed to pay back fourfold anyone he had robbed. The event was prayerfully supported by 500 churches around the U.K., with worship led by Michael W. Smith and former Hillsong worship leader Taya. Graham heads to Glasgow, Scotland, next weekend and will be in London in 2025 for another stop on his God Loves You Tour. More details can be found at https://godlovesyoutour.org.uk/ Originally published at Christian Today Home News Pregnancy center CEO speculates why DOJ hasn't charged abortion activist with violating FACE Act A New York woman pleaded guilty to vandalizing a sign at a CompassCare pregnancy center, one of many pro-life organizations to fall victim to the wave of violence that followed the U.S. Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, which was leaked to the press in May 2022 and led to the onslaught of attacks on churches and pregnancy centers. Hannah E. Kamke pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Sept.15, and the 40-year-old agreed to pay $2,580 in restitution as part of a plea agreement. As The Buffalo News reported earlier this month, Kamke was initially charged with third-degree criminal mischief after she spray-painted LIARS on a sign outside an Amherst CompassCare facility, a network of pregnancy centers in New York. Kamke was also ordered to stay away from the CompassCare office she vandalized in March, according to the outlet. 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 an interview with The Christian Post, CompassCare CEO, the Rev. Jim Harden, said local law enforcement and the Erie County District Attorneys Office helped secure the conviction. The DOJ, however, has not indicted Kamke on FACE Act charges. The FACE Act is a federal law enacted in 1994 that makes it a federal crime for activists to use force or the threat of force to stop women from obtaining an abortion or destruction of a reproductive healthcare facility or place of worship. In January and March, the DOJ indicted several abortion activists under the FACE Act for similar acts of violence against pro-life organizations in Florida. Regarding why the DOJ does not appear to have charged Kamke, Harden speculated that the motive behind the previous indictments was political. The CompassCare CEO argued that around the time the DOJ announced the indictments, there had been news of numerous attacks against pro-life organizations, but no one appeared to have been charged. Then, last September, a team of FBI agents arrested Mark Houck at his home on FACE Act charges due to an October 2021 incident where Houck got into a confrontation with a Planned Parenthood clinic escort who was threatening his 12-year-old son. Houck was found not guilty of violating the FACE Act earlier this year, with his attorneys noting during the trial that Houck did not obstruct access to the facility. Another reason Harden believes the Florida cases resulted in indictments is due to questions from Republican lawmakers about a whistleblower report alleging that the FBI is biased against conservatives and pro-life advocates. So, it looked very much like the Biden administration's DOJ had been politicized, and they were weaponizing the FACE Act specifically against politically disfavored groups, Harden said. The CompassCare CEO believes that the lack of action from officials in the DOJ and the FBI constitutes a violation of the Third KKK Act of 1871, enshrined in the U.S. Code 42, Sections 1983, 1985 and 1986. The act prohibits individuals acting under state authority from depriving a person or a group of people of equal protection under the law or any other rights. Harden said CompassCare had alerted the FBI about concerns of attacks weeks before the two attacks on the organizations location in Buffalo. A vandal firebombed the office in June, which occurred around the same time radical activist groups like ANTIFA and Janes Revenge were attacking pro-life organizations and churches throughout the country. In March, the Buffalo office was vandalized again, with video footage showing Kamke defacing the facilitys sign with the word LIARS. We contacted the FBI two weeks before the firebombing in Buffalo because we were seeing this kind of violent activity on the rise, and we were getting threats, Harden explained. The reverend recalled the firebombing of a pregnancy center in Madison, Wisconsin, in May, which the activist group Janes Revenge took responsibility for, publicly declaring that the act was a warning. The group then demanded that all pro-life pregnancy centers disband within 30 days. As Harden noted, shortly after Janes Revenge issued its threats of attacks, CompassCares office in Buffalo was attacked in a similar fashion. Harden highlighted the consequences that pro-life organizations are subjected to after such attacks, revealing that CompassCares liability insurance company dropped them after the firebombing in June. Were the ones being attacked, Harden said, noting how politicians such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, have continued to mislead the public about pregnancy centers amid the ongoing threats and vandalism. We have right now a federal law enforcement system that is treating the law like a legal buffet, picking and choosing which ones to enforce and against those who are politically disfavored, the CompassCare CEO said. Its an unsettling situation that were in right now, and its unsettling for me to call attention to it. But weve got to if we value the rule of law. Harden stated that the FACE Act is unconstitutional, asserting that the federal law has been used to target pro-life advocates. Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, made a similar argument when he introduced a bill to repeal the FACE Act following the conviction of several pro-life activists found guilty of violating the law. In August, activists Lauren Handy, John Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Herb Geraghty were found guilty of violating the FACE Act for their involvement in a blockade of a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in October 2020. The following month, activists Jonathan Darnel, Jean Marshall and Joan Bell were found guilty on the same counts. While the CompassCare CEO believes the FACE Act should be repealed, he added that so long as it is the law of the land, the act must be equally enforced. Despite the vandalism and negative rhetoric about pregnancy centers from political leaders, Harden leaned on the values of Christianity, which he noted promises followers that their faith will cost them. And people have to make a decision now as to whether theyre going to believe that God is our protector and God is our provider, he said, contending that Americans tend to take for granted a blind justice system. The pro-life leader encouraged his fellow Christians to continue moving forward and to trust that God desires His followers to keep speaking up for the voiceless, which includes pre-born children. This is what He did for us, and He asked us to walk in His footsteps, no matter what kind of pressure we're going to get, he said. It's still always and everywhere, right and good people to sacrifice on behalf of your fellow man, specifically, the weak and vulnerable of society. Home News Protestant families may be forced to pay illegal fines in Mexico over refusal to participate in festival Several Protestant Christian families in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas may have to pay illegal fines for the fourth consecutive year if they do not participate in an upcoming syncretic Roman Catholic festival that involves alcohol, according to a persecution watchdog. At least 16 indigenous families from the Alpha and Omega Presbyterian Church in Nueva las Tacitas in Ocosingo Municipality are being forced to pay an illegal fine for refusing to take part in the annual Santa Cruz Festival, locally called Convivio de Agua, on May 3, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported. Local authorities and communities have been imposing fines on the Christian families from the Tzeltal indigenous group since 2019. The penalty was first issued in 2016. 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 Christians have been threatened with losing their water supply if they fail or are unable to pay the fine, which is about $15. In May 2021, six Christian families were charged an increased fine of $25 per family. When they couldnt pay the amount initially, their water supply was cut off. The church has since grown, and now an additional 10 families are facing the fine. Pastor Miguel Gomez Perez, a local resident, was quoted as saying that the funds collected through the fines would be used to purchase supplies for the celebration of the festival, including alcoholic beverages. It is unacceptable that these families face having their water services cut off for the fourth consecutive year, without a lasting solution from the government, whose duty it is to uphold provisions in the law and to ensure that the local authorities are held to account for illegal actions, CSWs Head of Advocacy and Americas Team Leader Anna Lee Stangl said. The families have clearly been targeted on account of their faith and with the intention of pressuring them into conformity with the majority religion in Nueva las Tacitas. Last September, two Evangelical families from the First Baptist Church in the La Mesa Limantitla area in Hidalgo states Huejutla de los Reyes Municipality were threatened with being cut off from essential services or expelled from the community if they continued to refuse to deny their faith and pay a fine illegally levied against them. In Mexico, such extra-legal agreements are often used in place of appropriate justice mechanisms when the rights of religious minorities are violated. This is not a one-off incident of Christian persecution in Mexico, which has risen due to drug cartel violence, persecution by traditionalist Catholics and violent discrimination by anti-Christian left-wing groups, Open Doors USA previously reported. [In 2020], Mexico was [No. 52 on Open Doors USAs World Watch List]. Its jumped up a bunch, Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry told The Christian Post in an earlier interview. That would most certainly be around the issues of violence and drug cartels. Traditionalist Catholics often persecute Mexican Christians, too, he said. In this way, they resemble many small, rural groups of people practicing ancient folk religions around the world. Open Doors calls this kind of persecution clan violence. These rural indigenous groups see Christian churches as an outside force. They can harass and bother churches and believers who might be in the community, Curry said. Its within these four states in Mexico: Chiapas, Hidalgo, Guerero, Oaxaca. Its very localized. Regulation to target online insults, rumors 16:29, June 17, 2024 By Cao Yin ( China Daily China has introduced a new regulation to combat cyberbullying that imposes stricter requirements on internet platforms, aiming to enhance early warning systems dealing with online attacks, experts said. The regulation, released jointly by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Radio and Television Administration, defines online bullying as illegal or harmful content targeting individuals. It includes insults, rumors, defamation, discrimination, invasion of privacy, belittling and intimidation. To come into effect on Aug 1, the 34-article regulation will require internet service providers to strengthen early warnings against potential cyberbullying. Platforms must implement systems that monitor factors such as the parties involved, the content of the incident, the number of participants, and the frequency of information release to promptly detect and warn of cyberbullying risks. The regulation also urges platforms to classify cyberbullying content and use technologies like artificial intelligence and big data to identify related content and establish a sample library of typical cases. Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer with Beijing Javy Law Firm, praised the early warning measures and emphasized the importance of prevention. "It is essential to impose higher requirements on internet platforms because early warning cannot be separated from their technological support," he said. Zhu Wei, deputy head of the Communication Law Research Center at China University of Political Science and Law, highlighted the regulation's focus on early warning as a significant feature. "Once cyberbullying occurs, it is difficult to completely remedy the damage, so prevention is key," he said. The regulation outlines duties for government departments, including the cyberspace, public security, culture and tourism, and radio and television authorities, to ensure effective implementation. Liu Deliang, a professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said that would enhance enforcement of the regulation. Last year, the Supreme People's Court, in collaboration with the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, issued a guideline against cyberbullying following several high-profile cases. It allows judges to request police assistance in collecting evidence for online insult or defamation cases and clarifies when prosecutors can take action, including initiating public-interest litigation if internet service providers fail to address cyberbullying on their platforms. The number of online defamation cases handled last year rose 10.3 percent year-on-year, with convictions up 102.4 percent, according to the Supreme People's Court. (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun) Home News Robert Morris' book recounts his stepping away from ministry in '80s, but only for 1 month, coinciding with abuse of 12-year-old girl Despite statements from elders of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, and their founding Pastor Robert Morris suggesting that he stepped away from ministry for two years to undergo a carefully monitored restoration process following a "moral failure" sexually abusing a girl over multiple years in the 1980s beginning when she was 12 he was back in ministry just one month after he was confronted about the abuse. The 62-year-old Morris made the admission in his 2011 book,Dream to Destiny. The description he provides in the book coincides with the timeline of the molestation confirmed by himself, his accuser, Cindy Clemishire, 54, and the elders of Gateway Church. Morris revealed that he got a job with televangelist James Robisons prayer center a month after he stepped away from ministry in the 1980s after the Lord orchestrated the circumstances for me to step out of ministry. Prior to those circumstances, which he did not disclose in the book, Morris admitted he was struggling with pride not a sexual attraction to a pre-teen girl. 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 a month away from ministry, Morris stated that he felt he had dealt with his pride sufficiently to make a comeback. He said he was having a hard time finding work with the skills he developed as a preacher and had only been able to get hired as a security guard. After a month of working nights as a security guard at Motel 6, I felt I had made great strides toward humility. I decided that perhaps I was ready to return to ministry. So I checked back with James Robisons ministry to see if they had any job openings. I was happy to discover that they needed a morning supervisor at their prayer center, from 5 A.M. to 2 P.M., Morris wrote. That sure sounded better than the graveyard shift I had been working at the Motel 6. So I took the job. Morris revealed that only 10 months after he became saved at age 19, the now 80-year-old Robison, the founder and president of LIFE Outreach International, took him under his ministry and quickly made him an associate evangelist. The meteoric rise of his star on the preaching circuit after that, he said, made him prideful. Things had happened pretty fast after I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 19. Only 10 months after being saved, I met James Robison, and he asked me to start traveling with him, speaking to junior and senior high school assemblies. So I had not even been a Christian for a year when I began to travel and preach the gospel. Pretty heady stuff for someone so young (and even younger in the Lord!), Morris recalled. Though I started out speaking at public schools, it wasnt long before I was preaching at crusades. Eventually, James was even gracious enough to give me a title: associate evangelist. WowI was only 20 years old, but because of my association with James, I was already involved in television, preaching to large crowds, and even had a title to prove that I was a bona-fide evangelist! It seemed to me that the favor of God was on everything I touched. What a destiny lay before me! What could stop me now? he asked. Life Outreach International did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post on Monday. After Clemishire made her abuse by Morris public last Friday, the megachurch pastor would admit that it was his inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady that temporarily stopped his ministry. When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, Morris said in a statement to The Christian Post after Gateway Church was asked about the allegations. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area, Morris added. In Dream to Destiny, Morris confessed that while being accountable to his wife Debbie and his friends in the area of his sexuality has not been easy, it has proved to be a good and healthy thing." When I decided to make myself accountable to Debbie, we had been married about seven years. I sat her down and said to her, I need to come clean with you about my past. You know that I have an immoral pastbut I want to tell you everything about my past. Then I told her everything. Now I have a very bad past, and I thought she would be shocked. I was actually afraid she would leave me. I was afraid she would say, Youre a pervertand then leave, he wrote. Morris said when his wife responded with love and compassion he admitted to her that he had a habit of looking and lusting after other women. I told her that I had a habit I needed to breaka habit of looking. And I asked for her help. I made myself accountable to her. I dont want to look, but I need some help, I said. Will you help me? If you see me looking, I want you to pray for me. I want you to talk to me about it. And I want you to call me on it. I had no idea how quickly my request would be answered, Morris wrote. Soon after that we took a vacation and were at the swimming pool. Needless to say, that is a very hard place not to look! Sure enough, a lady walked by me, and I was looking. The next thing I knew, Debbie had reached over and pinched me right where no person should ever be pinchedon the back of my arm. She grabbed my skin in a very painful squeeze, looked into my eyes with intense determination and asked with great seriousness in her voice, Do I need to pray for you? Clemishire first told The Wartburg Watch that Morris began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, and continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. When contacted by CP on Saturday, the 54-year-old grandmother confirmed the details in the report but insisted she was no young lady when Morris began abusing her. I'm, of course, just appalled, Clemishire told CP on Saturday about his description of her as a young lady. I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult, she said. It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior. Since his return to ministry after the abuse of Clemishire, Morris went on to start Gateway Church in 2000, which has 100,000 weekly attendees across nine campuses in Dallas-Fort Worth and online. His television program also airs in over 190 countries, and his radio program, Worship & the Word with Pastor Robert, airs in more than 6,800 cities his website says. Morris also serves as chancellor of The Kings University and has written many books, including The Blessed Life, Dream to Destiny, The God I Never Knew, and Grace, Period. In their statement to CP, Gateway Church elders said Morris was transparent with them about his past and they believe he has been biblically restored to ministry. Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process, they said. The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling, they said. Since the resolution of this 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and people in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership. Clemishire told The Wartburg Watch that she and her family first met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1981 when he was a married, 20-year-old traveling evangelist. She said Morris began preaching at her church regularly on Sundays after he was invited to do a youth revival in her hometown of Hominy, Oklahoma. Her family and the Morrises quickly became friends. They were invited into their home and often went on trips together. She detailed how Morris first molested her on Christmas Day in 1982 and warned her to never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything. Clemishire claims Morris repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma, and that he often told his wife that he was merely counseling her during the abuse. Though Morris claims Clemishires father approved of his return to ministry, the survivor disputes his account. "My father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry! My father told him hes lucky he didnt kill him. I am mortified that he is telling the world my dad gave his blessing! Of course, we forgive because we are called to biblically forgive those who sin against us. But that does not mean he is supposed to go on without repercussions," she said. Morris was never criminally charged for the alleged abuse. Clemishire told The Wartburg Watch that she retained an attorney in 2005 to file a civil lawsuit, but Morris attorney suggested she caused the abuse on herself because she was flirtatious. She said she asked for $50,000 to cover the cost of her counseling stemming from the abuse. She said they offered her $25,000 if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, but she refused. For years, she explained to CP, she has been warning churches and pastors who would listen to her story about Morris because she doesn't believe she's the only one who suffered his abuse. She also argued that he shouldn't be serving in ministry and should step down. I don't think he ever should have been allowed to be in the ministry. We would never allow someone to go teach in a school work in a daycare or be a doctor if anybody had done these things, Clemishire said. And I have a very difficult time believing I'm the only one. Home News What to know about Tony Evans' announcement that shocked the Christian world Celebrated pastor and author Tony Evans shocked the Christian world when he recently announced he would step away from his pastoral duties to undergo a process of restoration due to an undisclosed "sin." Evans, who pastors the 11,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, Texas, has had enormous influence throughout modern Christendom. Christian Post senior reporter Leonardo Blair joins "The Inside Story" to discuss what we know, why it matters and what comes next. "While Evans, who has pastored the church for 48 years, did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away, he confessed in a written statement that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry, suggesting it was 'due to sin,'" Blair wrote in a recent article. 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 Blair also dives into the implications Evans' announcement has on his other ministries and outreaches, including a Christian cruise to the Mexican Riviera, which he was slated to headline this fall. Listen to Blair tell host Billy Hallowell about this important story below: "The Inside Story" takes you behind the headlines of the biggest faith, culture and political headlines of the week. In 15 minutes or less, Christian Post staff writers and editors will help you navigate and understand what's driving each story, the issues at play and why it all matters. Listen to more Christian podcasts today on the Edifi app and be sure to subscribe to The Inside Story on your favorite platforms: Edifi Anchor Breaker Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts Pocket Casts RadioPublic Spotify Home Opinion Insights from a radical Muslim who converted to Judaism On June 12, the Jerusalem Post ran an article by Ohad Merlin titled, Gaza mosques to Jerusalem synagogues: A radical Islamist's journey to Judaism. It tells the story of Yaron Avraham, raised as a radical Muslim in Gaza but now a religious Jew who runs a restaurant in Israel. The 12th child in a household of 18, Avraham would wake up at 5:30 AM to begin his Islamic devotions, memorizing the Quran by the age of 12. Still, he was horrified at the treatment of his sister Sarah, who was savagely beaten to death by her brothers for daring to take a walk through a mall. In the eyes of her brothers, she had dishonored the family and disobeyed their orders. To murder her was the right thing to do. When Avraham protested their actions, they forcefully brought him to a boarding school at a mosque in Gaza, where he stayed for the next 5 years. 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 He explained, They made me experience death and find the thrill in it. We were taken to participate in funerals of so-called shaheeds. Imagine this: Children are made to walk past the corpses of those alleged martyrs, kiss their hands or feet, depending on whats left of them. Lots of brainwashing about heaven, hell, the afterlife. Were his experiences typical of families in Gaza? Was the killing of his sister a glaring exception to the rule? Was the emphasis on the glories of martyrdom an aberration? A February 2021 article in the Times of Israel reported that, A Hamas-run Islamic court in the Gaza Strip has ruled that women require the permission of a male guardian to travel. Specifically, an unmarried woman may not travel without the permission of her guardian, which would usually refer to her father or another older male relative. Permission would need to be registered at the court, but the man would not be required to accompany the woman on the trip. As for married women, The language of the ruling strongly implied that a married woman would not be able to travel without her husbands approval. Welcome to the liberating spirit of Sharia Law. A September 2019 article posted on Human Rights Watch but originally published on the New Arab website, began with these chilling words, Videos that circulated on social media in August appearing to show a hospital corridor with a woman heard pleading and screaming, and sounds of intermittent thuds, have sparked protests and outrage at the lethal cost that Palestinian women pay because of a lack of protections and discriminatory laws. Even Al-Jazeera reported in March 2014 that there was an upsurge in honor killings in Gaza, stating, Two teenage Palestinian girls were killed in separate incidents last month in so-called honour killings, revenge attacks carried out most often by family members against women suspected of immoral sexual conduct. The deaths sparked protests with more than 100 people assembling outside the general attorneys office in Gaza on March 3, demanding violence against Palestinian women come to a halt. Five women died in honour killings in the Palestinian territories in 2011. That number rose to 13 in 2012 and doubled to 26 last year. Welcome to the world of Hamas. (And yes, it remains a great idea to grant expense-paid, 6-month trips to Gaza during a time of peace, not war for all the student protesters who have taken up the cause of Hamas, especially the female students.) As for children being trained to be martyrs in the war against Israel (and against infidels in general), this is anything but a secret, as a quick search of the words Hamas trains children to be martyrs (without quotes for the search) will quickly indicate. Thats why Avraham, whose story of conversion to Judaism and solidarity with Israel is worth reading, has no illusions when it comes to what it will take to achieve peace with Hamas. Peace will come, he explains, When the last Jew stops breathing. That alone will satisfy the leaders of Hamas. While these are certainly not the sentiments of all Muslims, they do reflect the ideology and practice of radical Islam, of which Hamas provides a glaring and murderous example. As I have suggested before, anyone doubting this should take a few minutes each week to read articles or watch videos on websites like Palestinian Media Watch or Memri TV, where you can hear directly from Palestinian leaders as well as Islamic leaders worldwide. Make no mistake about it: radical Islam is not your friend. Home Opinion Is it the end of the line for mainlines? The United Methodist Church was once one of the largest denominations in the United States, with over 11 million members and a presence in nearly every county. Today, after decades of numerical decline and doctrinal compromise, it is a shadow of its former self. Last month at a General Conference full of bizarre elements, the Methodists made what may be one of their final compromises, welcoming self-avowed practicing homosexuals to become ministers. For years, the remaining conservatives, especially the large number of delegates from Africa, have held back the full liberal takeover of the denomination. However, in just the last five years, more than 7,600 congregations have left the United Methodists, mostly over the denominations failure to enforce its stated rules on marriage and clergy. The Associated Press quoted one lesbian bishop who celebrated the vote: It seemed like such a simple vote, but it carried so much weight and power, as 50 years of restricting the Holy Spirits call on peoples lives has been lifted. In fact, what she labels a call contradicts everything the Holy Spirit has revealed in Scripture, not to mention 2,000 years of Christian teaching and the teaching of John Wesley, founder of Methodism. 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 A few days ago, over a million West African Methodists voted to leave the denomination. Jerry Kulah, a delegate from Liberia, spoke for many Methodists on the continent when he called the UMCs decision to redefine sexuality a serious drift away from the truth. He added: The church is now buying into culture. The Bible has not changed, but the [Methodist] church has changed. The liberal Methodists of North America have now virtually guaranteed their denominations extinction. Conservative Methodists around the world were and still are the lifeblood of the tradition. In their absence, there remains only a physically and spiritually sterile collection of mostly old, white, dying congregations. In this, they represent the larger trend in Mainline Protestant churches. Author and religion researcher Ryan Burge recently pointed out that, for the first time, Mainline Protestants have now fallen below 10% of the U.S. population. Considering that these traditions once dominated national life, Sunday mornings, politics, and most downtown areas, this is historic. Its the end of an era in which Christianity was once at the center of national life, not the periphery. Though evangelical denominations have, in some ways, taken up the mantle of these older traditions, its worth reflecting on just what went wrong. The Mainlines arent dying because they lost the culture. Theyre dying because they won the culture, or at least adopted a form of godless religiosity that made their message virtually indistinguishable from secular moralists. The approval of homosexual relationships and sexual identities is just a final fruit of their theology. Over a century ago, a Presbyterian theologian named J. Gresham Machen warned, in a remarkable book called Christianity and Liberalism, that liberalism is a fundamentally different religion, based ultimately on a different Christ: The truth is that the life-purpose of Jesus discovered by modern liberalism is not the life purpose of the real Jesus, but merely represents those elements in the teaching of Jesus isolated and misinterpreted which happen to agree with the modern program. It is not Jesus, then, who is the real authority, but the modern principle by which the selection within Jesus recorded teaching has been made. The sad results of the process Machen lamented are all around us. Mainline Protestantism is in its last days, having wasted a legacy few other Christian movements could boast. Denominations that decided to preach a culturally palatable gospel soon found congregants going directly to the culture for truth and meaning. After all, why go to church on Sunday morning only to hear the same message on NPR the rest of the week? Yet for churches and denominations that retain what Jesus called their saltiness, refusing to turn sins for which He died into identities, the future is still bright. Its no surprise, for instance, that conservative Methodism is growing chiefly in traditional Africa, where congregations have more than doubled since the 2000s. Whatever denominational name they embrace, such churches are faithfully confessing the name and teaching of the true and only Christ. Because of this, theyll carry forward a godly legacy long after the United Methodist Church and perhaps all of Mainline Protestantism is nothing but a memory. Dozens of Christians killed in Democratic Republic of Congo - Open Doors At least 80 Christians have been killed in a wave of attacks in the Democratic Republic Congo, according to Open Doors. The attacks happened across villages in North Kivu between 4 and 8 June. Over 50 Christians were killed on 7 June alone, and homes were burnt to the ground. Some people are still missing after the attacks, which have been blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group that has ties to the so-called Islamic State, Open Doors reports. Locals are asking Christians worldwide to pray for them in the midst of persecution. "Really, it is prayer, nothing but prayer," says Pastor Kambale Aristote from CECA20 church. "We have understood that the objective of the ADF is to convert everyone into a Muslim and this is a persecution of a great level. We ask all Christians to continue to intercede for us." He is also asking for prayer for Pastor Paluku Katahiindwa Claude and his wife, Katungu Vyahasa Esther, who have not been seen since they went to their farm on 15 May. "Let us unite our prayers together, that God will bring the pastoral couple back to peace," says Pastor Kakule. "Our prayer is that God will bring the pastor back with his wife, being at peace and alive so that we can continue the Lord's work. "Again, our request is that all Christians in the world hold hands while praying together with us. May peace return to our communities. Let us pray that the servant of God will be free and may we be rejoicing when we see him being with us." Open Doors' spokesperson for sub-Saharan Africa, Jo Newhouse, said Christian communities were being attacked by the ADF at a "horrifying" rate. "Christians are forced to flee and some churches in the affected villages have closed because of the latest attacks," said Newhouse. "These unabated attacks come at a time when Christian farmers were preparing for harvest. The impact is that many families are without means to feed their families, and the unprepared displacement has put pressure on the livelihood of Christian families now on the move to unknown destinations. "We call on the international community to do everything in its power to ensure the government of DRC faithfully and transparently protects all affected communities and that the displaced receive the support they need in these circumstances." Gateway founder Robert Morris confesses to past 'inappropriate sexual behaviour' (CP) Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, which attracts an estimated 100,000 worshippers weekly, has confessed to "inappropriate sexual behaviour with a young lady" more than 35 years ago while he was a young pastor after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her over multiple years beginning when she was 12. "When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years," Morris said in a statement to The Christian Post after Gateway Church was asked about the allegations. "In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady's father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area," Morris added. He explained that he returned to ministry in March of 1989, two years after his abuse was exposed with the blessing of the survivor's father and the elders of his church. He further noted that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in October 1989. "I asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me," Morris said. Morris' accuser, Cindy Clemishire, first told The Wartburg Watch that he began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, and continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. When contacted by CP on Saturday, the 54-year-old grandmother confirmed the details in the report but insisted she was no "young lady" when Morris began abusing her. "I'm, of course, just appalled," Clemishire told CP on Saturday about his description of her as a "young lady." "I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult," she said. "It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body." Clemishire told The Wartburg Watch that she and her family first met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1981 when he was a 20-year-old travelling evangelist. At the time, he was married to his wife, Debbie, and they had their son, Josh. She said Morris began preaching at her church regularly on Sundays after he was invited to do a youth revival in her hometown of Hominy, Oklahoma. Her family and the Morrises quickly became friends. They were invited into their home and often went on trips together. On Christmas night in 1982, Clemishire said the safety of the relationship with Morris and his family ended for her when they visited her home and he allegedly asked her to visit him in his room that night. Clemishire claims Morris repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma, and he often told his wife that he was merely "counselling" her during the abuse. When she turned 16, Clemishire said Morris would take her out in his car and try to have sexual intercourse. "By this time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove Church, which would eventually become Gateway Church-Grand Prairie Campus," The Wartburg Watch report said. Clemishire eventually confided in a close friend, who encouraged her to tell her family. When her father found out, he told the lead pastor at Shady Grove Church that if Morris did not "get out of ministry," he would get the police involved. That threat forced Morris to step away for two years. Morris would return to Hominy with his wife and televangelist James Robison. They told Clemishire's father that he wanted to return to ministry, and "at that point, her father washed his hands of Morris and no longer interacted with him," The Wartburg Watch said. Clemishire made it clear to CP that Morris did not get her father's blessing to return to ministry. "My father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry! My father told him he's lucky he didn't kill him. I am mortified that he is telling the world my dad gave his blessing! Of course, we forgive because we are called to biblically forgive those who sin against us. But that does not mean he is supposed to go on without repercussions," she said. Clemishire said that when she retained an attorney in 2005 to file a civil lawsuit, Morris' attorney suggested she caused the abuse on herself because she was "flirtatious." She said she asked for $50,000 to cover the cost of her counselling stemming from the abuse. She said they offered her $25,000 if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, but she refused. For years, she explained to CP, she has been warning churches and pastors who would listen to her story about Morris because she does not believe she is the only one. She also argued that he should not be serving in ministry and should step down. "I don't think he ever should have been allowed to be in the ministry. We would never allow someone to go teach in a school ... work in a daycare or be a doctor if anybody had done these things. And I have a very difficult time believing I'm the only one," Clemishire said. Elders at Gateway Church told CP in a statement that Morris was transparent with them about his past and they believe he has been biblically restored to ministry. "Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process," they said. "The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counselling and freedom ministry counselling," they said. "Since the resolution of this 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and people in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership." The Christian Post We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into various aspects of business operations, it prompts many ethical and legal challenges. Businesses must navigate these complexities carefully to harness AIs potential while safeguarding the organization from potential risks. Before hastily implementing emerging AI tools and technologies, businesses must explore the ethical and legal risks associated with AI implementation, with a particular focus on their impact on customer and employee experiences, especially in customer service and contact center environments. Understanding the risks AI systems, while powerful and transformative, do not come without pitfalls. The primary risks lie in three main areas: legal, ethical, and reputational. Legal risks extend from non-compliance with various AI regulations and legislation. Ethical risks pertain to the broader societal and moral implications of AI use. Ethical risks often extend beyond legal compliance to include fairness, transparency, and the potential for AI to perpetuate or exacerbate existing inequalities. Reputational risk involves potential damage that arises from perceived or actual misuse of AI. Negative public perception can result in loss of customer trust and ultimately impact a companys bottom line. Legal risks in AI implementation Learning and navigating the regulatory landscape should be non-negotiable for any business implementing AI. With AI technology being implemented across every aspect of businesses at an unprecedented rate, the landscape is constantly changing, with significant differences from region to region. In Europe, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act is poised to build on the already comprehensive data privacy legislation set forth in the GDPR. The EU AI Act categorizes AI models and their use cases by the risk they pose to society. It imposes significant penalties for companies that leverage high-risk AI systems and fail to comply with mandatory safety checks like regular self-reporting. It also introduces across-the-board prohibitions, including the use of AI for monitoring employees emotions and certain biometric data processing. In the U.S., a more diverse state-by-state approach is developing. For instance, in New York, Local Law 144 mandates annual audits of AI systems used in hiring to ensure they are free from bias. State-level mandates are directed by the recent Executive Order regarding safe, secure, and trustworthy AI and subsequent Key AI Actions announced by the Biden-Harris Administration. It is imperative for companies to stay up to date on the evolving regulations to avoid hefty fines and legal repercussions. In customer service, this translates to ensuring that AI systems used for customer interactions comply with data privacy and developing AI laws. For example, AI chatbots must handle customer data responsibly, ensuring it is stored securely and can comply with data subject rights, such as the right to be forgotten in the EU. Ethical risks and their implications The ethical risks of AI can be identified by considering two domains of ethical significance: harm and rights. Where AI might cause, compound, or perpetuate harm we must take steps to understand, remedy, or completely avoid those harms. A key example of this kind of ethical risk is the harm brought to individuals by AI systems that unjustly or erroneously make decisions of great consequence. For example, in 2015, Amazon implemented an AI system to help perform an initial screening of job candidate resumes. Despite attempts to avoid gender discrimination by removing any mention of gender from the documents, the tool unintentionally favored male candidates over female ones due to biases in the training data. As such, female applicants were repeatedly disadvantaged by this process and therefore suffered the harm of indirect discrimination. Further ethical risks include when AI might infringe on human rights, or when its pervasiveness points to the need for a new category of human rights. For example, in its prohibition of biometric AI processing in the workplace, the EU AI Act seeks to address the ethical risk of having ones right to privacy undermined by AI. To mitigate such risks, companies must consider adopting or expanding comprehensive ethical frameworks. These frameworks should include: Bias detection and mitigation: Implement robust methods to detect and mitigate biases in training data and AI algorithms. This can involve regular audits and the inclusion of diverse data sets to train AI systems. Transparency and explainability: Ensure AI systems are transparent to avoid potential deception, with decision-making processes that can be explained. Customers and employees should be able to identify and understand how AI decisions are made and have available avenues to contest or appeal these decisions. Fairness and equity: Implement the necessary measures to ensure the benefits of AI are distributed fairly across all stakeholders. For instance, in customer service, AI should enhance the experience for all customers, regardless of their background or demographics. Reputational risks and proactive management Reputational risks are closely linked to both legal and ethical risks. Companies that fail to address these adequately can suffer significant reputational damage, which often leads to tangible, negative impacts on business. For example, a data breach involving AI systems can erode customer trust, lead to public backlash, and ultimately cause a loss in customer loyalty and sales. To manage reputational risks, Avaya believes businesses should: Engage in responsible AI practices: Adhere to best practices and guidelines for AI implementation. This includes being transparent about how AI is used and ensuring it aligns with ethical standards. Communicate clearly with stakeholders: Keep customers and employees informed about how AI systems are used and the measures in place to protect their interests. This level of transparency builds trust and often mitigates potential backlash. Implement a robust governance framework: Establish an AI governance program to oversee AI implementation and ensure compliance with ethical and legal standards. This program should include representatives from various business units and have clear processes for monitoring regulatory guidelines and evaluating AI projects. To fulfill this role at Avaya, we have established an Artificial Intelligence Enablement Committee, with executive sponsorship. The ethical and legal risks associated with AI implementation are significant, but manageable with the right strategies and frameworks. By understanding these risks and taking proactive measures, companies can harness the power of AI to enhance customer and employee experiences while safeguarding their business against potential pitfalls. To learn more about Avayas AI capabilities across its solutions portfolio, click here. 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. The chief executive of the Charity Commission has been recognised in King Charles 2024 Birthday Honours List. The list recognises individuals who have had an immeasurable impact on the lives of people across the UK, many of whom are community champions, social entrepreneurs, scientists, health workers, and volunteers. This year, 1,077 people received honours, a drop from the 1,171 individuals who were recognised last year . Some 948 people were selected for the British Empire Medal (BEM), Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) awards. Just under half of the recipients are women (509) while 10% come from an ethnic minority background. Stephenson appointed DBE Helen Stephenson, who has led the Charity Commission since 2017 and is stepping down next month , was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). The government said Stephenson was instrumental in ensuring meaningful change in how charities are governed and held to account, following safeguarding and other scandals in 2015-18. She has sought closer, more regular ties with sector bodies, has overseen a firmer grip on casework, with historic backlogs managed down and wrongdoing tackled head on. Under her leadership, the Commission has supported trustees to run their charities well with clear and simple guidance. It now answers 12,000 more calls a year, helping 6,000 more charities. By putting the public interest front and centre, public trust in the charity sector has improved thus enabling the ongoing sustainability of the sector. Board evaluator Ffion Llywelyn, philanthropist Hannah Rothschild and actress Imelda Staunton, who have all been involved in charities as either chair, patron and/or ambassador, were also appointed DBE. Meanwhile, Roger Wright, who became CEO of Aldeburgh Music in 2014 and led the merger of Britten Pears Foundation and Snape Maltings (formerly Aldeburgh Music) to form Britten Pears Arts in 2020, became a Knights Bachelor. RNLIs chief executive made CBE The youngest person to be recognised in the list is Shamza Butt, a 20-year-old who received a BEM for her work as a member of the National Citizens Service Trust Youth Voice Forum. Harold Jones is the oldest recipient, who at 100 years old received a BEM after fundraising for motor neurone disease charities and the Sutton Coldfield community. Eight staff and volunteers were recognised for their contributions to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), while outgoing chief executive Mark Dowie was made Commander of the British Empire (CBE). Dowie, who joined RNLI as chief executive in 2019 and is stepping down this month, said: Im very honoured and humbled to be included in the Kings Birthday Honours but see this as recognition for all the sacrifice, courage and commitment given by the RNLIs one crew over the last few tumultuous years. Leading the RNLI has been an enormous privilege and I now intend to return to volunteering with the RNLI as a vice president and as a fundraising team member at my home station. Jasvinder Sanghera, founder of Karma Nirvana and a human-rights activist, also received a CBE. Other honours Other charity leaders such as Alison Baverstock, who established Reading Force in 2011, received an MBE for charitable services. Baverstock was recognised for services to families in the British Armed Forces community. Deborah Pezzani, who set up Teens Unite in 2007, received a BEM for services to teenagers and young adults with cancer. At the British Red Cross, three staff and volunteers were recognised for their service to the charity. Retail director Paul Thompson received an MBE while emergency response volunteer David Kennedy-Harding and volunteer vice president for Surrey Lynda Jones received a BEM. Thompson has served with the British Red Cross for over 30 years. Under his leadership, the charitys retail operations have raised over 414m to support its work in the UK and worldwide. Kennedy-Harding has volunteered with the British Red Cross for 64 years, accumulating over 262,000 hours on call as an emergency responder. And Jones has volunteered with the British Red Cross for 60 years, supporting the organisation through fundraising, ambulance duties, providing first aid at local events and working in local hospitals. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, A group of London hospitals struggling to contain the fallout from a cyberattack against a critical supplier had known for years about weaknesses that left them vulnerable to hacks, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News. The Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, which runs five major hospitals in the London area, has failed to meet the UK health services data security standards in recent years and acknowledged as recently as April that cybersecurity remained a high risk to its operations, according to publicly available documents that outline board of directors meetings. In January, the board of directors raised questions about the security of digital links between hospital computer systems and those of third-party companies. Related: London Hospitals Postpone Some Operations After Cyberattack Hackers last week brought down the trusts pathology services provider, Synnovis, with severe knock-on effects at hospitals. Doctors have, among other things, been forced to delay medical operations, postpone blood tests and resort to handwritten records. The attack has disrupted blood services so drastically that medical facilities are asking the public for donations, and one hospital is calling on its own staff to contribute. The April report proposed an audit to identify where improvements could be made. Its not clear if improvements took place before the hack on June 3, or whether the vulnerabilities identified in the board of directors reports which include dated IT systems and hardware devices had any bearing on the ransomware infection at Synnovis. The trust takes cybersecurity very seriously and this includes arrangements with third parties, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement. We are working closely with partners to fully understand how this hack happened. The trust declined to comment on the cybersecurity warnings raised prior to the attack. UK-based Synnovis is jointly owned by Synlab UK & Ireland and two publicly funded NHS trusts Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and the Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust that run several hospitals in London and Kent. The hack on Synnovis has primarily affected patients of Guys Hospital, St Thomas Hospital, Kings College Hospital and primary care in southeast London, Bloomberg News has reported. The impact of the breach is ongoing. Electronic patient records are still accessible to doctors, according to a blood transfusion specialist who works with multiple hospitals in London, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to share information with the media. But a software tool that Synnovis uses to transfer blood test results into patient records is no longer functioning because of the attack, leaving an information blind spot that has caused major disruption across the affected hospitals and forced them to run at about 10% to 15% of normal capacity, the person said. Years of cybersecurity concerns Since at least mid-2021, concerns have been aired about cybersecurity vulnerabilities affecting hospitals operated by the Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, according to the board meeting documents. For instance, minutes from a meeting in May 2021 warned that a significant number of the trusts IT systems and hardware devices were out of support or at the end of life, and which can increase the risk of cyberattack. A report in April 2022 said work had been undertaken to partially mitigate security risks, such as outdated Windows software, through tactical fixes. But the report added that some areas of the trust remained vulnerable to a cyberattack. The trust later embarked on a program of modernizing its IT infrastructure, updating computers and carrying out simulated hacks to test for vulnerabilities. In October 2023, the trust rolled out a new electronic patient record system and began implementing a new computerized system called Blood Track to manage blood transfusions, according to the documents. Even so, the trusts board of directors continued to raise concerns. In January 2024, the trusts IT infrastructure was said to be configured to a good standard, but directors questioned whether sufficient security procedures were in place to monitor interfaces with third parties such as the pathology business unit operated in collaboration with Synnovis. Little information about the Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts cybersecurity practices is publicly available. Last year, the UKs information watchdog, the Information Commissioners Office, audited the trust and flagged that it had issues with data protection compliance. The trust had considerable scope for improvement to ensure it was protecting personal data, the commissioners office found. A September 2023 board of directors report from the Kings College Trust said it had recorded an increase in data breaches, though its unclear whether these were related to cybersecurity incidents. A spokesman for Kings said that the ransomware attack had affected Synnovis and that there was no evidence that it had infiltrated Kings systems. The prior data breaches highlighted in its board of directors report were unrelated to the latest incident, the spokesman added. Data security is a priority for the trust, and something we take very seriously, the spokesman said. Data breaches are rare, but when they do occur, we ensure they are fully investigated, and action taken to strengthen the processes we have in place. Russian group suspected of attack The cyberattack on Synnovis is suspected to have been carried out by a Russian-speaking ransomware gang known as Qilin, which has claimed more than 100 attacks on companies and organizations across a range of sectors since late 2022, according to the cybersecurity firm Secureworks. A representative of the Qilin gang didnt respond to requests for comment. Ransomware gangs typically gain access to victim computers by exploiting a software vulnerability, luring a victim into clicking a malicious link in an email or using stolen credentials to log in. They then gain access to internal networks and use malicious software to encrypt files on computers, rendering them inoperable. The gang demands payment to unlock the computers and may also threaten to publish stolen data online. Ransomware groups that are willing to target the health-care sector understand the value of the data and also the importance of access to that data, said Cian Heasley, threat lead at Adarma Security. As we can see from the situation affecting London hospitals, the potential leaking of stolen data is only part of the problem; the data itself is vital to patient treatment. The breach is the third known ransomware case in the last year to have affected a branch of Synlab AG. In June 2023, the hacking gang Cl0p targeted the companys French subsidiary. In April 2024, the operations of Synlabs branch in Italy were disrupted by another ransomware gang, known as Black Basta. In a statement last week, Synnovis said all its IT systems had been affected by the hack and that it was working with experts to resolve the issue. We take cybersecurity very seriously at Synnovis and have invested heavily in ensuring our IT arrangements are as safe as they possibly can be, said Mark Dollar, chief executive officer of Synnovis. This is a harsh reminder that this sort of attack can happen to anyone at any time and that, dispiritingly, the individuals behind it have no scruples about who their actions might affect. Top photo: St Thomas Hospital in London. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. A crypto exchange that was accused of lying to hundreds of thousands of customers about the risks tied to a failed investment program agreed to return $50 million of digital assets to resolve a suit by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Gemini Trust Co. struck the deal Friday with James, who sued in October over the companys handling of the program, Gemini Earn. Its the latest deal in a series of crypto investigations that included a probe into Barry Silberts Digital Currency Group. Under the Gemini settlement, digital assets will be returned to investors who were locked out of their accounts when the program collapsed. Gemini will also be banned from operating a crypto lending program in New York, James said. Victims had their trust broken and their money swindled by Gemini through its bogus Earn program, James said in a statement. Todays settlement will make defrauded investors whole and should remind cryptocurrency companies that deceiving investors is illegal and will not be tolerated. Fridays settlement comes after James launched probes targeting the crypto industry. Silberts DCG is the parent company of bankrupt Genesis Global Holdco LLC, a crypto lender that operated the Earn program with Gemini. Genesis reached a $2 billion settlement with the Attorney General earlier this year. In February, New Yorks Department of Financial Services came to a separate agreement with Gemini to return at least $1.1 billion to customers through the Genesis bankruptcy case. In April, a Gemini-Genesis pact was approved in bankruptcy court, resolving litigation between the companies. In a statement posted on social media, Gemini said that the remaining assets owed to customers following the Earn suspension in 2022 would be made available within 7 days. We are excited to deliver this full recovery to you and appreciate your ongoing patience and support, Gemini said in the statement. James had accused Genesis and DCG of attempting to hide more than $1 billion in losses following the collapse of crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, allegations the companies have denied. DCG, which was once valued at $10 billion, previously disclosed that it received about $575 million in loans from Genesis Global Capital. In a letter to shareholders in November 2022, Silbert referred to a $1.1 billion promissory note, which he said came about as the parent company stepped in to assume liabilities from Genesis related to the implosion of Three Arrows. Top photo: The Gemini bitcoin website is displayed on a laptop computer in an arranged photo in Dobbs Ferry NY, Saturday February 20, 2021. Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. A retired south Florida fire captain has been arrested for insurance fraud, charged with vastly overstating the number of nights he was forced to stay in a resort hotel while his home was under repair. Floridas chief financial officer said in a statement Tuesday that Miguel Ferrer filed a claim in 2022 with Citizens Property Insurance Corp. after a clogged air conditioner drain line caused water damage to his home near Fort Lauderdale. Ferrer allegedly claimed living expenses for multiple nights at Windjammer Resort & Beach Club in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Patronis said. Citizens examiners became suspicious and referred the case to Patronis Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division. Investigators confirmed that the former fireman claimed 26 extra days at the resort and that he had falsified lodging invoices, the statement said. The investigation also found that Ferrer was actually at a training center in Ocala at the time of his claimed stay at the hotel. His Sun Pass transponder recorded his vehicle traveling southbound from Ocala to Broward County, contradicting his claims of being at the resort, the DFS noted. If convicted of the fraud charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison. This case is a reminder of the serious consequences of homeowners insurance fraud, Patronis said. The Golden Classical Music Awards, which was celebrated for honoring excellence in the classical music realm, has announced its 2024 winners. This prestigious event spotlights outstanding young and pro performers who stood out and made artistic contributions. This year, another discovery of brilliant talents was acknowledged for their exceptional talents in classical music. This year's roster of winners demonstrates the vibrant diversity and creativity within the classical genre, affirming the awards' status as a beacon of cultural excellence. Golden Classical Music Awards 2024 Winners Among the remarkable Golden Classical Music Awards 2024 winners are the youngest, 4-year-old Makana Herran, who captured hearts with her violin mastery; 15-year-old cellist Deborah Lin showcasing astonishing talent; Andres Esquivel Viquez, aged 23, enraptured audiences with his prowess on the piano, while Sunju Kim, aged 35, dazzled with her flute melodies. Robert Fant, aged 44, impressed with his skillful horn performances, and 66-year-old Mariko Nakano exhibited timeless excellence on the piano. These are just a few winners who displayed extraordinary musical ability and dedication. Here's the list of the winners. The Kunsthaus Zurich will remove five paintings to investigate whether the works were looted by Nazis. The works are Jardin de Monet a Giverny by Claude Monet, The Old Tower by Vincent Van Gogh, La route montante by Paul Gauguin, Portrait of the Sculptor Louis-Joseph by Gustave Courbet, and Georges-Henri Manuel by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec--all loaned from the Foundation E. G. Buhrle. The foundation is named after its founder, Emil Georg Buhrle, who manufactured armaments for both the Allies and the Nazis-making him Switzerland's richest man by the end of the Second World War-and amassed a collection of about 600 artworks. Many are on display at the Kunsthaus as part of a twenty-year loan, with the rest hanging in the homes of Buhrle's living relatives. The paintings' provenance will be investigated following the release of the US State Department's Best Practices for Restitution of Nazi-Confiscated Art, an expansion of the 1998 Washington Conference Principles. The latter allowed families to make legal claims to restitution or compensation for artworks confiscated by the Nazis. The State Department website quotes Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, saying: "The Best Practices will bolster restitution efforts by more precisely defining what is considered Nazi-looted art and remedying processes that favor current possessors over rightful owners. Observing that Holocaust distortion is on the rise, he said that efforts to resolve restitution claims are more important than ever and he encouraged other countries to join the United States in endorsing the Best Practices." Twenty-five counties have endorsed the guidelines so far. A sixth work at the Kunsthaus, Edouard Manet's La Sultane, is also under scrutiny, albeit for different reasons. The Foundation E.G. Buhrle explains: "Due to the overall historical circumstances relating to the sale, the Foundation is prepared to offer a financial contribution to the estate of Max Silberberg in respect to the tragic destiny of the former owner." Silberberg was a German Jewish industrialist who believed to have been killed at Auschwitz, and whose art collection was forcibly auctioned by the Nazis. There is debate on whether or not he was forced to sell La Sultane. CLEVELAND, Ohio The owner of a Brunswick Hills shipping company is accused of smuggling guns to Ghana and using someone to straw-purchase weapons for him. Bright Kweku Bobobee, who owns Radical Shipping and Logistic LLC, smuggled seven guns and more than 1,000 bullets to the African country, according to a federal indictment. Bobobee, 51, was charged Friday in federal court in Cleveland with smuggling goods from the United States. Another man, Abu Bakr Sadiq Saaka, 43, of Middleburgh Heights, is charged making straw purchases. Prosecutors say he bought guns at Bobobees direction knowing that Bobobee intended to smuggle them overseas. Both pleaded not guilty Friday at their arraignments and were released from custody on $20,000 unsecured bonds. Messages were left for Bobobees attorney, David Johnson, and Saakas attorney, Carlos Johnson. Few details are listed in the indictment. It says Bobobee smuggled the guns from Aug. 9, 2023, to Oct. 31, 2023, and that Saaka bought four handguns for Bobobee to ship on Aug. 22, 2023. Bobobee grew up in Ghana. He founded Radical Shipping Logistic LLC. in 2009, according to state business records. The business address is listed as Bobobees home. A prior address for the business was on Lee Road, near Miles Avenue, in Cleveland. Bobobee previously worked as a youth advocate for the West Side Catholic Center, where he counseled homeless children. Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here. Starboard Value, the activist fund run by Jeff Smith, has taken a sizable stake in graphics design firm Autodesk and has spoken with the company's board in recent weeks over several serious concerns involving its disclosures around an internal investigation that led to the ouster of its chief financial officer. Starboard's stake is valued at roughly $500 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The activist, which has a long track record of investing in the technology sector, is particularly concerned about the timing of Autodesk's disclosure of an internal investigation. That investigation revealed that executives misled investors about the company's free cash flow metrics and operating margins, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential information freely. After the probe results came out, Autodesk's then-CFO Deborah Clifford was ousted from her role and moved to a different executive role within Autodesk. The probe found that executives manipulated reporting tied to the company's contract billing structure, as Autodesk shifted back to upfront payments from annualized payments, to improve those metrics. Autodesk first disclosed in April that it had begun an internal investigation into disclosure issues around those metrics, almost a month after first beginning the investigation and informing the Securities and Exchange Commission about the probe into its financial reports. Autodesk shares slid 20% over the next few weeks. The company's market cap now sits slightly below $50 billion. The delayed disclosure came a little more than a week after the deadline to nominate directors closed. The tight window and timing of the disclosure raised significant concerns inside Starboard, the people said, that Autodesk's board deliberately chose not to inform shareholders ahead of its annual meeting. Such a delay would potentially limit a shareholder's ability to nominate its own candidates in a contested fight. Starboard is weighing legal action in the Delaware Court of Chancery to compel the reopening of Autodesk's nominating window and the delay of Autodesk's annual meeting, the people said. Autodesk's shareholder meeting is currently scheduled for July 16. The activist also believes that the company can drive actual margin improvement and improve investor communications to help bolster Autodesk's stock, the people said. Starboard has built stakes in other major technology companies, including Marc Benioff's Salesforce and Splunk, which was sold to Cisco in 2023 for $28 billion. News of Starboard's stake and plans was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. Autodesk has faced activist scrutiny before. In 2016, it settled with two activist investors at Sachem Head Capital Management and Eminence Capital to stave off a proxy contest. Autodesk disclosed earlier this year that it is facing probes from the Justice Department and SEC. An Autodesk spokesperson said the company welcomed "constructive input" from shareholders. "We are confident in our strategic direction, significant margin opportunity, and our corporate governance," the spokesperson said. Skyrocketing demand for a class of weight loss and diabetes treatments has lifted Eli Lilly to new heights over the last year. But the drugmaker has much more work it wants to do with that hard-won success, outgoing Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told CNBC. Ashkenazi, who will step in as the new CFO of Alphabet on July 31, has been key to managing the windfall in revenue and wave of investor optimism from Eli Lilly's diabetes injection Mounjaro and recently launched obesity drug Zepbound. Ashkenazi took over as CFO at Eli Lilly in 2021 after roughly two decades with the pharmaceutical giant. She was included on CNBC's inaugural Changemakers list earlier this year. "You have to be a really good student of the business and understand it inside and out and understand the industry," she told CNBC in an interview before her departure announcement. "Only when we understand the full system, can we navigate it well so that we bring value to itThat's my role as CFO." Her tenure hasn't come without challenges: Eli Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk have both struggled to manufacture enough supply of their treatments to meet unprecedented demand, causing nationwide shortages of those drugs. Their weekly injections are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which mimic certain hormones produced in the gut to suppress a person's appetite and regulate their blood sugar. Some analysts expect the market for those drugs to be worth $100 billion by the end of the decade. Eli Lilly's boom in revenue has allowed the company to invest heavily to scale up manufacturing, which will eventually get more medicine into patients' hands, Ashkenazi said. "As we start selling product and we get the revenue in and cash flow associated with that sale," the company wants to "funnel that cash flow back to the business to invest in those manufacturing facilities," she said. Eli Lilly does not expect to match the pace of demand this year and maybe not even in 2025, Ashkenazi said at a conference in March. But the pharmaceutical giant has made encouraging progress so far. A demonstrator dressed all in black kicks back with his foot a puck of tear gas fired by police in their direction, during a demonstration against fascism and the National Rally party, in Lyon, France, June 16, 2024. Matthieu Delaty | Afp | Getty Images France's election campaign kicked off in earnest Monday following a weekend of violent nationwide protests against the far-right National Rally, or RN, whose record European Parliament gains sparked the snap vote. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the rising nationalist sentiment espoused by party figurehead Marine Le Pen and her 28-year-old protege, RN President Jordan Bardella. Around 250,000 people marched in Paris and other cities across the country after labor unions and rights groups called for protests, according to police estimates cited by France's Le Monde newspaper. The CGT trade union told CNBC it counted 640,000 protesters nationwide on Saturday. Protesters gather during an anti-far-right rally in Paris on June 15, 2024. Lou Benoist | Afp | Getty Images The unrest, which saw police deploy tear gas against some protesters, adds to a week of turmoil in France after President Emmanuel Macron's bombshell decision to dissolve parliament following steep losses for his Renaissance party in the European Union elections. National Rally is currently leading in the polls with 35%, with less than two weeks to go until the first round of voting on June 30. The left-wing New Popular Front is in second place at 26%, while Macron's Renaissance is currently third at 18%, with a second round of voting due July 7. A far-right majority would mark "unchartered territory" for France, with "major downside risks," Mujtaba Rahman, Eurasia Group's managing director for Europe, told CNBC. More likely, however, is a "messy" hung parliament, he said part of Macron's gamble to discredit RN's legitimacy ahead of the 2027 presidential elections. "That's probably Macron's bet, that there will be no clear majority, parliament will remain a mess, and Macron will be able to point to the mess as an indication and a caution to voters that they need to be a lot more careful when thinking about the 2027 presidential election," Mujtaba said in a phone interview. Nevertheless, markets have been roiled by the uncertainty, with the French CAC 40 losing more than 6.2% last week to record its worst weekly loss since March 2022. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon France's CAC 40. French stocks gained on Monday, with Goldman Sachs' senior European strategist Sharon Bell saying that the sell-off may have been premature. "I do think it's been a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to sell off all French stocks," Bell told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Monday. "We would argue that the ones that are most vulnerable are small caps and domestic French names." Still, some analysts said the volatility was set to remain in the runup to the election. "Until there is more clarity, in particular regarding the different parties fiscal and spending plans, uncertainty is likely to linger," Societe Generale wrote in a note Monday. Protesters gather during an anti-far-right rally after French President Emmanuel Macron called legislative elections following far-right parties' significant gains in European Parliament elections in Paris on June 15, 2024. Lou Benoist | Afp | Getty Images The drive-thru menu at a McDonald's restaurant showing various meal options and promotions, in Buttonwillow in Kern County, California, on 23, 2024. McDonald's is changing course on its artificial intelligence plans. The fast-food giant will end a test run of its AI drive-thru technology partnership with IBM in more than 100 restaurants. The so-called Automated Order Taker will be shut off no later than July 26, according to a memo sent to franchisees late last week, obtained by CNBC. The global AI partnership began in 2021. The combination of technologies from the two companies aimed to simplify and speed up operations with voice-activated ordering. "While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly," said the franchisee memo from Mason Smoot, senior vice president and chief restaurant officer for McDonald's U.S. "After thoughtful review, McDonald's has decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT. IBM remains a trusted partner and we will continue to utilize many of their other products across our system." Two sources familiar with the technology told CNBC that among its challenges, it had issues interpreting different accents and dialects, which affected order accuracy. McDonald's declined to comment on accuracy or technology challenges, while IBM did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the tool's accuracy. The decision comes as restaurants from Del Taco to Wingstop to Panera and more have been testing out various ways to use AI, from front to back of house as a way to streamline operations. Chipotle and Yum Brands have also been leaders in both robotics and AI investments in recent years. In a statement, McDonald's told CNBC it is not ruling out potential AI drive-thru plans in the future, even though it ended the IBM partnership. "As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants' future," the company said in a statement. "We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year." In statement, IBM said it will work with McDonald's on "a variety of other projects" as the test ends. "IBM also is now in discussions and pilots with several Quick-Serve Restaurant clients who are interested in the AOT technology," the company said in a statement. McDonald's sold its McD Labs technology, formerly known as Apprente, to IBM in 2021. It also sold Dynamic Yield, a predictive ordering technology, to Mastercard in late 2021, after a splashy acquisition in 2019 that was part of its modernization plans for restaurants. While McDonald's AI plans for the future are unclear, all eyes will be on Alphabet 's Google. At its investor day in December, McDonald's announced a new partnership with Google Cloud, but neither company has offered details on what it will entail. "We're excited to see how McDonald's will use our generative AI, cloud, and edge computing tools to improve their iconic dining experience for their employees and their customers all over the world," Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement at the time. In a note this spring, BTIG analyst Peter Saleh wrote that franchisees had not seen much progress on the automated order taker in the drive-thru, "expressing frustration that updates were infrequent and the demonstration at the worldwide convention was underwhelming," as all of the orders witnessed there were incorrect. "We are still hearing that accuracy remains in the low-to-mid 80% range and operating costs are high," while a wider test of the technology had not yet taken place. Saleh added there was speculation about Google's major presence at April's McDonald's Worldwide Convention held in Barcelona, leading some to believe Google could replace IBM as the company's AI vendor. "Accuracy is the most important thing right now," Saleh told CNBC on Monday. "It will have to be at least 95% accurate and will have to save [franchisees] money over having a person in the drive through, and the way it is designed now, does neither," he said of the IBM technology. Google did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment about what its partnership with McDonald's could entail. McDonald's declined to comment. Influential Democratic power broker George Norcross, center, speaks outside the justice complex in Trenton, N.J., Monday, June 17, 2024, about being charged with racketeering and other charges in connection with government issued tax credits, saying he wants to go to trial in two weeks and calling New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin a "coward." George Norcross, who for decades had been a Democratic political kingmaker in New Jersey, was charged with racketeering in an indictment unsealed Monday. Norcross's brother, Phillip Norcross, and four other defendants also were charged in the 13-count, 111-page indictment filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. Platkin accused George Norcross of leading a "criminal enterprise" in South Jersey that used political influence to tailor economic redevelopment along the waterfront of Camden, New Jersey to suit the defendants' financial interests, extorting and pressuring others to obtain property rights and tax incentive credits linked to the development efforts. "The entities that benefitted, including Cooper Health and [the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew CSB] then occupied the properties they obtained interests in and sold the tax credits they obtained for millions of dollars," the indictment said. George Norcross, a 68-year-old insurance executive and former member of the Democratic National Committee, was chair of the board of trustes of Cooper University Health Care and chair of Conner Strong & Buckelew. Now a resident of Florida, George Norcross was in attendance at a press conference Platkin gave on the charges Monday in Trenton. "The indictment unsealed today alleges that George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in this state for at least the last twelve years," said Platkin. "On full display in this indictment is how a group of unelected, private businessmen used their power and influence to get government to aid their criminal enterprise and further its interests," the attorney general said. "The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents." "That stops today," Platkin added. CNBC has requested comment on the indictment from George Norcross' lawyer, Michael Critchley. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13, 2023 in Tsiolkovsky, Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in Russia for talks with Russian President Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea this week for the first time in 24 years, the two countries said, a rare trip that underscores Moscow's burgeoning partnership with the nuclear-armed state. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to Putin during a visit to Russia's Far East last September. Putin last visited Pyongyang in July 2000. "At the invitation of the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin will pay a friendly state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on June 18-19," the Kremlin said. North Korea's state news agency KCNA also announced the visit but offered no further details. Putin will then visit Vietnam on June 19-20, the Kremlin said. Both visits had been expected, although the dates had not previously been announced. Russia has gone out of its way to publicize the renaissance of its relationship with North Korea since the start of the war in Ukraine, causing alarm among the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia. Washington says North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia to help it fight in Ukraine, though Pyongyang has repeatedly denied this. For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies. United Nations monitors concluded that at least one ballistic missile fired from Russia at a city in Ukraine in January was made in North Korea. Ukrainian officials say they have counted about 50 such missiles delivered to Russia by North Korea. "The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. "Not only does the summit upgrade North Korea's status among countries standing against the U.S.-led international order, it also helps bolster Kim's domestic legitimacy." South Korea's vice foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, discussed Putin's planned visit to the north in an emergency phone call with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Friday, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The visit should not result in more military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow in violation of U.N. resolutions, the South Korean ministry said. Russia says it will cooperate with North Korea and develop relations in the manner it chooses and that it will not be told what to do by any country, least of all the United States. Putin and Kim The United Nations has imposed a myriad of sanctions since Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, but experts say it has continued the development of nuclear weapons and the production of nuclear fissile materials. Russia has said that world powers need a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of seeking to "strangle" the reclusive state. Jenny Town, of the Washington-based 38 North program, said Russia's outreach to North Korea is part of efforts to build an alternative to a U.S.-led world order. "There is reason to believe that Russia sees value in North Korea as a military partner in that war against the West, which does incentivize them to do more beyond just the arms deals for supplementing Russia's war fighting efforts in Ukraine," she said. For North Korea, its relationship with Russia brings support at the U.N. Security Council as well as "immediate and tangible results" in terms of economic, military and agricultural cooperation and trade that the countries have not had since the 90s, Town added. Turning point? Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of the U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The Russian veto is seen as a turning point in the international sanctions regime against North Korea, which was created in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union while the Republic of Korea was backed by the United States. Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, came to power with Moscow's backing in competition with the U.S.-backed South. The chaos of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, though, put an end to that support. After taking over from Boris Yeltsin in 1999, Putin visited Pyongyang in July 2000 for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. Relations cooled after the North Korean nuclear tests, though for Kim, Russia is a big power ally that can help balance Pyongyang's dependence on China. Kim traveled to Russia by train in 2019 and again last year when Putin and the North Korean leader toasted each other over Russian wine. Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Toll Brothers The homebuilder gained 1.3% after Goldman Sachs upgraded it to neutral from sell. Goldman cited near-term upsides from customization and upgrades, as well as continued outperformance of new home sales. Best Buy Shares rose more than 3% following a UBS upgrade to buy from neutral. According to the investment bank, new products and an appliance upgrade cycle could strengthen the stock. Autodesk The software company added 4% on news that activist fund Starboard Value has taken a $500 million stake in the company. Starboard is considering taking legal action over concerns regarding delayed disclosures on an internal investigation. AMC Networks The cable TV network slid 10% after filing to sell $125 million in convertible senior notes due 2029 in a private placement. Shattuck Labs The biotechnology stock slipped 1% following a BTIG downgrade to neutral from buy. While clinical trial data released Friday shows "encouraging efficacy," BTIG said there's "ambiguity" in one area that should not go away until the second half of 2025. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation The building materials manufacturer declined 3% early Monday. Goldman Sachs downgraded shares to sell from neutral, citing macroeconomic and competitive pressures. Broadcom The chipmaker rose more than 3%, continuing its rise from Friday. Broadcom shares have surged 31% in June. The company posted an earnings beat for the second fiscal quarter last Wednesday. CNBC's Alex Harring, Sarah Min and Scott Schnipper contributed reporting. Tensions have spiked on the border since the Israel Defense Forces on June 12 reported that an Israeli air strike in the southern Lebanese village of Jouaiyya killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Sami Taleb Abdullah, alongside three other group operatives. The group is aligned with the similarly Iran-backed Palestinian militant organization Hamas, although Tehran denies that it commands these directly. Hezbollah claims solidarity with the Palestinian plight amid Israel's war campaign in the Gaza Strip. It comes amid a ramp-up in attacks by Hezbollah in recent weeks following repeat offensives against its neighbor since October. Over the past week, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has ramped up hostilities and cross-border missile attacks against targets in northern Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces and the Hezbollah-aligned al-Manar news outlet. A senior U.S. adviser will travel to Israel in a bid to cool rising tensions at the Lebanon border, where recent rains of missiles have reignited the risk of a broader conflict between the Jewish nation and Iran-backed militia. A photo taken from the southern Lebanese border town of Marjayoun on June 14, 2024 shows smoke billowing from Metullah on the Israeli side after being targeted by rockets from Lebanon. The IDF claimed that Taleb Abdullah had "planned, advanced and carried out a large number of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians," which CNBC could not independently confirm. Israel has been responding to subsequent fire, with fighter jets most recently mobilizing against targets in four locations in southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to the IDF which warned that further warfare could be afoot. "[The] Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon has been escalating its attacks against Israel," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video address on Sunday, claiming that the Lebanese militant group had fired over 5,000 rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosive drones at Israel since joining the conflict. "Hezbollah's increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region," Hagari added. "Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians, until security along our border with Lebanon is restored. One way or another, we will ensure the safe and secure of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel. This is not up for negotiation." HoweveHezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said last week that any Israeli expansion of the conflict in Lebanon will be met with "devastation, destruction and displacement" within the Jewish state, according to a Google-translated report from al-Manar. He warned that Hezbollah has so far only used "a small portion of its capabilities in proportion to the nature of the battle." Since last year, tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese people have been forced to flee their border-facing settlements as they fast became battlefields. The latest tit-for-tat reprisals will be concerning for Washington, which has sought to contain tensions from sparking a chain reaction of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Amos Hochstein, a senior diplomatic adviser to the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, is expected in Israel on Monday, an Israeli official told NBC News. The White House views pacifying tensions between Lebanon and Israel and cease-fire talks in the Gaza Strip as interlinked, and the Biden administration is trying to gain traction behind its peace plan for the enclave. Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who is accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist, has been extradited from Czech Republic, media reports said on June 16.Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2023 at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on June 17.Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. The Washington Post was the first news outlet to report his extradition.Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country, the daily said.Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance. They allege that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in it.Guptas extradition comes ahead of the New Delhi visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is expected to be raised by Sullivan before his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.India has denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted an investigation into the allegations.Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges and has said that he has been "unfairly charged"."Guptas attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is "nothing on record to link the petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim," The Washington Post said."Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney "under the undue influence of U.S. Agencies" during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were "going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy," the daily reported. A celebrity makeup artist has succumbed to a brain tumor after ignoring one common symptom she experienced for some time. Anca Molnar reportedly passed away on Tuesday morning after battling a brain tumor for more than a year. She was 35. The makeup artist, who worked with some of the most famous celebrities from Romania, went to see a doctor over a year ago after experiencing an excruciating headache that prevented her from living her daily life normally, The Sun reported Thursday. However, it was too late when she had her health checked. Apparently, she had been suffering from severe headaches for some time before that, but she chose to ignore them, perhaps thinking they were not that serious. One of her closest friends, Alina Radi, admitted to local news outlets that Anca had been complaining about her headaches for a long time before she had it checked. "She had been experiencing excruciating headaches more frequently. Initially, she didn't think much of them because that's how we are, but she found herself struggling to carry out her daily tasks consistently," Alina said. "So, she decided to go for a specialized check-up." After this, Anca told Alina that "she had a brain tumor." By the time she met with professional help, doctors told her very little could be done to help her due to the progression of the brain tumor. She had intensive chemotherapy treatments and two brain surgeries in hopes of addressing the issue but to no avail. Throughout her battle with her brain tumor, Anca shared regular updates about her health to her thousands of followers on social media. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, headache is the most common symptom of a brain tumor, followed by seizures or convulsions, difficulty thinking or speaking, personality changes, paralysis or weakness in one side of the body, loss of balance, dizziness, loss of hearing, vision changes, confusion, and memory loss. In her heartbreaking final post online, she shared a meaningful message to her fans before her demise, saying: "I came, I lived beautifully, and I left for another world. I fought as best as I could with all my strength. I leave with gratitude for how beautiful my life was and let my smile be a testament that I lived it to the fullest." "I, Anca Molnar, have gone home. But from there, I will continue to watch over you always. Stay well and look for me among the stars. From time to time, I'll wink at you." Molnar is survived by her husband Claudiu. A recent survey indicates that 61% of American workers experience "productivity anxiety," significantly impacting their well-being. Understanding 'Productivity Anxiety' "Productivity anxiety" is the constant feeling that more work needs to be done, leading to stress and decreased well-being. This term has gained attention after a survey by Workhuman, which revealed that while many workers feel productive, it often comes at a cost. According to the survey, 80% of employees report experiencing 'productivity anxiety,' with over one-third experiencing it multiple times a week. Impact on Different Generations The survey highlighted that "productivity anxiety" is particularly prevalent among Gen Z employees. Approximately 30% of Gen Z workers face this anxiety daily, and 58% experience it several times a week. The pressure to meet deadlines and the fear of making mistakes are significant contributors to their anxiety. Economic and Psychological Costs The American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2024 annual mental health poll shows that nearly half (43%) of American adults feel more anxious than the previous year, reflecting an upward trend from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Major concerns include current events, the economy, the upcoming United States presidential election, and gun violence. Additionally, the American Institute of Stress estimates that job-related stress costs US employers more than $300 billion annually, while the World Health Organization reports a global economic loss of $1 trillion each year due to anxiety and depression. Dr. Meisha-Ann Martin, senior director of people analytics and research at Workhuman, acknowledges that the relationship between employee well-being and productivity is complex. "Productivity anxiety" can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, being overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list, and a fear of failure. This anxiety not only affects individuals but can also influence team dynamics and organizational culture. Strategies for Employers To address "productivity anxiety," Martin suggests several strategies for employers: Set Clear Expectations and Goals Employers should work with employees to set realistic goals that align with business objectives, prioritizing tasks to enhance focus and reduce uncertainty. Provide Frequent Recognition and Feedback Regular feedback and recognition can reduce burnout and improve well-being, reassuring employees about their performance. Implement Continuous Performance Management Regular check-ins focusing on both personal and professional progress can create a supportive work environment. Promote Rest and Well-being Encouraging the use of paid time off and being attentive to signs of burnout can help maintain a healthy and productive workforce. Robert Redfield, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has warned that the next global pandemic could emerge from bird flu. Speaking to NewsNation, Redfield highlighted recent developments, including the World Health Organization's report of the first human death from bird flu in Mexico and detections of the virus in US cattle. "I really do think it's very likely that we will, at some time, it's not a question of if, it's more of a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic," Redfield stated, emphasizing the potentially severe impact compared to Covid-19. While Covid-19's mortality rate was 0.6 percent, Redfield projected bird flu's mortality rate could range "somewhere between 25 and 50 percent." Recent cases reported by the CDC indicate sporadic infections among farmworkers, showing symptoms such as cough and pink eye, though there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Research has identified specific amino acid changes necessary for bird flu to potentially infect humans efficiently, akin to Covid-19's spread. Redfield stressed the inevitability of a pandemic once such changes enable human-to-human transmission. "I think it's just a matter of time," Redfield added, expressing concern over the virus's detection in U.S. cattle and its potential evolution. While noting over 40 affected cattle herds, the CDC has reassured the public of a low current risk. Redfield also raised concerns about laboratory experiments that could further enhance the virus's transmissibility. "The recipe for how to make bird flu highly infectious for humans is already out there," he warned. "I know exactly what amino acids I have to change because in 2012, against my recommendation, the scientists that did these experiments actually published them," Redfield said, as per the Independent. As authorities monitor wastewater treatment sites for virus traces, Redfield noted ongoing surveillance efforts amid evolving risks. In the quest for better mental health, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) stands as a time-honored practice offering holistic solutions rooted in millennia-old wisdom. TCM views the body and mind as interconnected, utilizing techniques such as acupuncture and herbal medicine to optimize mental well-being. Originating in China and practiced across Asia for centuries, TCM treats the body's imbalances by focusing on the flow of vital energy, or Qi, along meridian pathways. Dr. Tedi Fisher, RAc, a kinesiologist and owner of The Nest Clinic, explains that TCM complements Western medicine by addressing underlying causes of mental health issues like anger or moodiness through techniques such as acupuncture and herbal remedies. Dr. Danielle Baert, BSc, RAc, noted TCM's personalized approach, where treatments are tailored to individual health histories and symptoms. This customization allows TCM to effectively manage a wide range of mood disorders including depression, anxiety, and grief. Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture Herbal medicine in TCM involves prescribing specific formulas designed to rebalance energies affecting mental states. Michelle Oravitz of Wholesome Lotus emphasizes how herbs like Red Ginseng root or Codonopsis root can enhance emotional well-being by targeting organ systems linked to mood regulation. "We often use herbal formulas to support the heart Qi and heart blood, which impact the mind, according to TCM," Oravitz explained as per Very Well Mind. "This can not only impact the way a person feels by lowering anxiety, but it can also impact a person's sleep because it can calm the mind." Acupuncture, another cornerstone of TCM, promotes mental balance by stimulating Qi flow through precise needle placements. According to Oravitz, this technique supports relaxation and overall well-being, complementing herbal remedies in treating mood disorders. "Acupuncture by itself is often powerful enough to greatly influence mood, but some patients may need Chinese herbal medicine as well depending upon their TCM diagnosis," Dr. Baert said. Mind-Body Practices In addition to acupuncture, practices like Tai Chi and mindfulness meditation are advocated in TCM for their ability to reduce anxiety, enhance mood, and improve cognitive function through focused movements and deep breathing. Integrative Approaches TCM practitioners often integrate their treatments with Western medication, offering patients a holistic approach to managing mental health. Dr. Baert notes that combining TCM with Western therapies can enhance treatment outcomes, allowing patients to manage symptoms effectively and, in some cases, reduce dependency on medication. Whether used independently or in conjunction with Western medicine, TCM offers a holistic pathway to mental wellness. For those considering TCM therapies, Dr. Fisher advises choosing licensed practitioners who align with individual health philosophies and treatment goals. So, youre part of the 92 percent of our audience who are currently behind bars. That sucks, but dont lose hope. If you want to join the elite portion of our audience who arent incarcerated (The Big 8, as they call themselves), you just need to break out. For inspiration on how to manage this, look to successful fugitives from the past. Of course, some would say these methods neednt succeed again just because they succeeded once. Some might even say these methods say more about the negligence of specific prisons than about how you can escape from prisons in general. The people who say that are pessimists, and theyre the ones who should truly be locked up. For everyone else, we suggest you have a little faith and see what happens when you... 5 Eat a Bunch of Soap Mike Kurtz participated in over 150 different robberies, stealing a sum equivalent to $150 million today. He spent some 17 years in prison, which sounds like a long time for some people but wasnt all that much considering his resume. One time, he was sentenced to 18 years but managed to appeal that and get out. Another time, he got caught but turned states evidence. Yet another time, the witnesses who identified him were asked to identify him again, now in his presence, and they decided it was wiser not to. Don't Miss His career almost got cut short fairly early on, when he was arrested in Boston for robbing a silk house. Boston cares a lot about its textiles, so Sheeny Mike Kurtz was sentenced to 12 years. While inside, he took to drinking soap water, either as step one of his escape plan or because it tasted better than the food they served. He also cut himself and made sure the wound got all gross with pus. Valerian Gribayedoff We dont know if the Sheeny nickname referred to the silk, the soap or the pus. Prison doctors couldnt figure out exactly was wrong with Sheeny Mike, but they were convinced it was something serious hed contracted from his incarceration. You might imagine that hed get transferred to the prisons medical wing, or to a separate hospital. Instead, Massachusetts Governor Benjamin Butler outright pardoned him. Did we mention that this happened in the year 1880? Back then, we were kind of still figuring out how this whole prison thing was going to work. 4 Mail Yourself Out in a Box Advertisement A German prison in the town of Willich set its inmates to work producing stationery. They had to pack the goods into boxes, which measured 3 feet by 4 feet, and every week, a courier arrived to pile the boxes onto a truck. Some of the boxes contained merchandise, while others were destined to be recycled. Brandable Box Still others were destined for greatness. In 2008, one inmate figured he could insert himself into one of these boxes. This guy was a citizen of Turkey and had three more years left on his seven-year sentence for dealing drugs. Though police would later describe him as tall and broad-shouldered, he managed to fit, and the courier loaded this unusually heavy container in with the rest. We imagine the trick would have been discovered before the box went all the way to its final destination. But soon after the truck left prison grounds, the guy climbed out of the box, ripped an opening in the trucks tarp and leapt out to freedom. To prevent the situation from repeating, couriers have been warned to stab boxes at random. We dont have a source on that last claim; were just basing that on several damaged packages weve received recently. Advertisement Advertisement 3 Order Yourself Released by Fax In 2007, Kentucky arrested 19-year-old Timothy Rouse for burglary and assault. They moved him to the Kentucky Correctional & Psychiatric Center for a a psychiatric exam, but they let him go when they received a fax from the state Supreme Court ordering his release. There were a few reasons they should have questioned this fax. Despite claiming to be from the Supreme Court, it did not arrive on official letterhead. It contained misspellings and bad grammar. Plus, a mark indicated it had actually been sent from a nearby grocery store. Still, they felt the need to obey, because its not every day that you receive a fax. Mr./Wiki Commons If they received a telegram, theyd have to make Rouse chief. It took two weeks for them to realize the fax had been sent by unidentified associates of Rouse. Eight officers now went out to rearrest him. They found him chilling at his moms house. Advertisement 2 Leave Using the Ride That Brought You The shortest jail sentence ever might have gone to Joe Munch, a soldier arrested for being drunk and disorderly. In 1905, a judge sentenced him to 30 days, but in 1906, a higher judge amended this to one minute. A jailer took him in, watched the second hand of his watch make one full revolution then let him go. A close contender, however, for shortest prison stint comes from Julien Chautard, a man convicted of arson. In 2009, a security van dropped him off at Londons Pentonville prison. Soon after he exited the van, he climbed underneath it and rode it right back out of there. Advertisement John C. A. Lewis Heres the prison in the 1870s. We trust it hasnt changed much, as it is located in England. Police got their hands back on him the next day, when he phoned them on advice of family. He told cops they could pick him up in Piccadilly. Advertisement China to work with Australia for more mature, stable, fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership -- Premier Li Xinhua) 16:47, June 17, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China is ready to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples. Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Li noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Australia and the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. Looking back at the development of China-Australia relations over the past decade, the most important experience and inspiration is to uphold mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and seek common ground while shelving differences, he said. Since Prime Minister Albanese's visit to China last November, China and Australia have further restored and developed dialogues and cooperation in various fields, achieving a comprehensive turnaround in bilateral relations, Li said. He said that China is willing to work with Australia to maintain and develop the current hard-won positive momentum of bilateral relations. The essential characteristics of China-Australia relations, said Li, are mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and the development of China and Australia is an opportunity rather than a challenge to each other. China is willing to stick to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia, give full play to the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue and other mechanisms, continuously boost trade, actively expand cooperation in new energy vehicles, renewable energy power generation and other fields, and strengthen sub-national, cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation, he said. Li also expressed the hope that the Australian side can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, and provide more convenience for personnel exchanges between the two sides. China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, oppose bloc confrontation and a "new Cold War" from the perspective of maintaining regional peace and stability, adhere to openness, inclusiveness and common development, and work together to advance regional economic integration and build an open world economy, Li said. Full Text: Statement on Joint Outcomes of the China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Nigel Farage declared we are skint. He meant the country, not his party Reform. He said it again. We are skint. So skint, indeed, that he proposed billions more in public spending, as well as cutting taxes. A little man from Sky News worked out that his budget was three times madder than Liz Trusss. Mr Farage shrugged. Were radical. His sums were so, er, adventurous that it was only apt that the front of Reforms election manifesto had a photograph of an electric-blue-suited Farage reaching for his wallet pocket. Behind him in shot was a doorway just like that of 10 Downing Street. Not that he liked manifesto. He argued that when voters hear that noun nowadays, the immediate word-association is lie . Hard to argue with that. We were in South Wales at Merthyr Tydfil, one of the poorer towns in the country. The carpets at this community centre stank of beer. Arriving at noon the first thing I saw was a wild-haired fellow chewing a toothbrush in the street. Reforms treasury spokesman? Reform UK chairman Richard Tice (left) and party leader Nigel Farage launch 'Our Contract with You' in Merthyr, Wales Talking to reporters after the event, Mr Farage was muted in his support for Ukraine. Disappointing. Should such a champion of national sovereignty not want Kyiv to be free of the old Soviet empire? Merthyr may be on its uppers but it is hospitable. An array of sandwiches had been provided. Britain Needs Reform said a banner in the dance hall where the ceiling tiles were collapsing to betray wires. Britain needs ham and margarine baps, too. One of Merthyrs achievements was the discovery of Viagra. The way Mr Farage entered the hall, someone may have slipped a little blue helper into his egg and cress. He sashayed in like a night-club manager prowling the cabaret tables, one eyebrow shimmering, bottom quite tight and a droll expression on his suntanned face. Tingling with assurance. Tumescent with ambition. His opening words were throaty and self-regarding. Guess whos back, he gurgled. I did not for a moment think Id be here again. The reason, he said, was that the country was in decline economically, socially and culturally. Weve begun to forget who we are. Well, some of us. Self-doubt does not afflict the leader of Reform. A conversational speech ensued, delivered with minimal recourse to notes. Was he flatter than normal? The voice was thickened by a cold, perhaps. He said frankly four or five times. That tends to happen when he is busking it. He joked about the recent TV debates he did alongside Penny Mordaunt and Angela Rayner but they may have taken their toll on his stamina. Farage at the ITV debate on July 4. He joked about the recent TV debates he did alongside Penny Mordaunt and Angela Rayner but they may have taken their toll on his stamina He promised he would not make personal attacks but there were tart digs at Lord Cameron, who seems to be the person most in his gunsights at present. Talk about comebacks, crikey! guffawed Mr Farage. Differences between him and his lordship were not entirely personal. Talking to reporters after the event, Mr Farage was muted in his support for Ukraine. Disappointing. Should such a champion of national sovereignty not want Kyiv to be free of the old Soviet empire? He explained that holding this non-manifesto launch in Merthyr was a way of publicising Labours decades of failure in Wales. His pitch was to the low-paid, those on benefits, people at the bottom of the pile who were being done over by the unholy triumvirate of big banks, big politics and the giant global corporates. He expressed sympathy for the out-of-work and said it was wrong to call them lazy scroungers. Farage the pinko! But he was invigoratingly right-wing on immigration. Newcomers should receive no benefits for five years and only then if they have obeyed the law and paid their taxes. After a while he croakily handed over to his colleague Richard Tice. Suddenly all the energy left the room. The snappers ignored the burbling Tice and took photographs of Mr Farage, who was by now glugging water behind a glass fire-door. Hes a one-man show. For all the froggy smiles and franklys and bouncing on the balls of his feet, that one man seemed to be feeling the pace. Also attending the event was a springer spaniel, name of George; asked what he made of it, George replied barking. A woman was left horrified after she purchased 150 worth of bikinis from an expensive online brand, only to find a Shein label in the packaging bag. The Cardiff-based TikToker, who goes by the user name niamhelonidoyle, shared a video revealing her shock after discovering a Shein hgyiene sticker among her three bikinis from Motel Rocks. In response viewers urged Niamh and other shoppers to make sure they 'reverse image search' clothing items they're interested in to ensure the same item is not available from a cheaper brand. Elsewhere, other brands have been accused of 'buying wholesale' from Shein and selling clothes for many times the price, although Motel Rocks insisted in Niamh's case it was a 'mistake in the warehouse'. Pictured: a social media user was left horrified after she purchased 150 worth of clothes from an expensive online brand, only to find a Shein label in the packaging bag Niamh was gobsmacked to find a Shein label in amongst the packaging for her expensive bikini haul Niamh, who had spent 150 on three bikinis, was gobsmacked to discover that her her expensive purchase had a Shein label in it. In the first part of the video, Niamh was seen with her hand over her mouth, before showing a crinkled hygiene sticker with Shein branding. 'When you spend 150 on Motel Rocks Bikinis and this falls out the bag...' she wrote on the video. It comes after other shopers have claimed that the same clothes from Motel Rocks and other more expensive brands can be found on SHEIN. 'Motel Rocks stuff looks nice and is alright quality,' one shopper wrote on Reddit. 'But Ive found they sell the EXACT same clothes on SHEIN for a fraction of the price, and the quality is no different, so I would assume they use the same manufacturer and wouldnt say Motel is worth it.' And in response to Niamh's video, another TikTok creator, posted a rection clip, saying: 'A lot of brands do buy wholesale from Shein and sell them as theirs. 'Buying from Shein is looked down upon because of fast fashion and child labour. But I'll still keep buying from Shein because I can't justify buying a dress for $100 when they have it on Shein.' Motel Rocks is an popular online clothing brand that sells primarily women's clothes to a Gen Z audience. Shoppers have complained in that past that clothes sold by the brand are of a quality that doesn't seem to match the price. There are 32.1M posts on TikTok related to the question 'why is Motel Rocks so expensive'. On the Motel Rocks website, the average price of a bikini top is 28 while bottoms are around 26, bringing the overall price of a set to 53. Niamh purchased three bikinis from the Motel Rocks brand for around 50 per set, which is much more expensive than the cost of a Shein bikini which are usually around 5 per bikini top. Shein is often used as cheaper way of 'dupe' items that look similar to pricier clothing. However, the fast fashion giant has notoriously faced criticism for misconduct within the company, often accused of paying staff extremely low wages so they can keep selling budget items. The Chinese owned brand has nevertheless grown exponentially in recent years, attracting collaborations with stars including Khloe Kardashian, Katy Perry and Rita Ora. Despite regular streams of criticism, complaints have not curbed the budget brand's profits which, in 2023, generated an estimated $32.5 billion (25.4 billion), a 43% increase on the $22.7 billion (17.7 billion) made in 2022. In response to Niamh's video, shopper's have shared their advice, urging others to cross check items on more expensive websites to make sure they're not receiving a duplicate product at a higher price. Commenter advise reverse Google image searching products to see if they come up on other websites so a price comparison can be made. One user wrote: 'This is why you ALWAYS Google Image search and compare prices'. Another agreed, writing: 'Top tip, screenshot the photo and always reverse image search it in Shein. You'll be shocked.' A third said: 'Before you all buy anything in your carts, save an image of the clothes and reverse image and see if you get results for Fashionova or Shein.' A reverse image search can alert customers to similar items being sold on more budget websites which can avoid customers having to pay top price for an item that looks identical. Viewers of the video shared their advice on how to make sure shoppers aren't paying over the odds for their clothes Niamh had spent 150 of three bikinis from the expensive online brand where she found a label from a budget brand who sell items for a fraction of the cost The social media user received a response from the brands saying the mix up was likely a result of the two companies sharing the same returns company Since uploading the video, Niamh posted a follow up video where she explained the response from Motel Rocks after she had contacted them about findings the unsuspecting label. In response to Niamh, they wrote: 'We collaborate with 3rd party returns team who handles repackaging items for us. They deal with returns from multiple brands, so it is possible that this tag was mistakenly placed on a pair of our bikini bottoms. 'Please be assured that out products are not from any other brands, and it seems like this was a mistake in the warehouse.' The content creator was then offered a free return on her three purchases and provided with a potential explanation for the mix up. However, she wasn't happy with the result and felt she has still paid for the services of a higher end brand. 'Even if it is a mistake in the warehouse, it just proves that the money for a more expensive brand is just useless if it's just the same place they're packaging Shein,' she said. 'Obviously it's just buying the brand, not the quality of clothes you're paying for. 'Take from this what you will because I don't want to be the reason people stop buying at Motel. 'Fast fashion, though it is avoidable, is hard to avoid. Particularly 'if you're on a budget and brands like this do have more affordable clothing.' A dog trainer has adopted a German Shepherd puppy that he claims he found in the back of an Uber. Augusto Deoliveira, who is known online as Dog Daddy, originally posted a video on TikTok in April, showing the adorable canine in the back of an immaculate car, saying he had been abandoned there. 'Never could have expected this,' the LA-based dog trainer captioned the video, which has had more than six million views. 'It turns out a previous passenger purposely abandoned the puppy in the back of the Uber,' the dog trainer wrote on the video, showing the black puppy sitting in the footwell of the car. 'After finally getting ahold of the passenger through Uber she admitted she left the puppy on purpose,' Deoliveria, who has five jet-black German Shepherds, continued. Augusto Deoliveira, known online as Dog Daddy, originally posted a video on TikTok in April claiming the German Shepherd puppy had been left in an Uber 'So I guess my plans have changed for the next several weeks and I have a new addition.' Deoliveira, who says he is the most subscribed dog trainer on YouTube, has been documenting his journey with the young pup - whom he named Rolex - on his social media pages. In a recent clip posted on May 25, the dog trainer said since finding the puppy, the previous owner had reached out wanting their pet back and the breeders were claiming they had legal rights to the puppy due to a contract with the owner. He says they are now going to court over the dispute. 'They are now claiming that the buyer had a metal disability that they were not aware of,' Deoliveria said as he pats the puppy. 'I don't know whether that's true or not, or what that has to do with me saving the puppy since they are the ones who sold the puppy to her,' he continued. Deoliveria claims he offered to pay the full price for the puppy, but both the breeder and original owner refused. 'The main reason they want to get the puppy back is because how popular he is and they think they can make a lot of money,' he said. In a recent clip, the dog trainer said since finding the puppy the previous owner had reached out wanting the dog back DailyMail.com has reached out to Deoliveria for further comment. He has been criticized in the past over his dog training techniques. In 2023, the American Veterinary Medical Association issued a statement on his 'aversive' training methods. 'The training methods we see in the videos are using physical force or correction,' Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, president of the ACVB and medical director at Insight Animal Behavior Services in Chicago, said. 'We know that those methods are a big threat to animal welfare, they have a high risk of causing or increasing fear, panic, and aggression. They also put the handler and any of those people nearby at high risk for a bite.' They noted some of his controversial techniques they observed included: hanging a dog from a slip lead, delivering physical corrections repeatedly with a prong collar, physically forcing a dog to lie down and provoking aggression in dogs. Deoliveria hasn't specifically addressed the statement released by the American Veterinary Medical Association, but has responded to criticism over his viral videos in the past. In one, he defended his 'interactive forward approach' to dog training, saying he adpat5s his training specifically for the breed of dog he's working with - with some requiring a more hands on approach. 'Every dog is so different based on their own personality and the tendency, sometimes the breed related tendencies and characteristics that will help me identify what approach would be the safest and fastest way to walk with a dog,' he said. While the story of rescuing an adorable pup from an Uber is charming; some of his followers have questioned the legitimacy of his story. Deoliveria has drawn skepticism over several videos, one including a clip of a woman turning to break in to his car to steal the 'Uber pup,' and another showing a woman trying to take the leads of his dogs at the Santa Monica Pier. 'You are really running with this fake story,' one follower wrote. 'The fact people believe any of this content is real,' another doubtful person chimed in. 'Ok. I'm about to unfollow,' someone else declared. 'This story line is lame and I follow for your dog training content. You got one more irrelevant post to pop up on my feed.' 'A rideshare driver actually drove around without knowing a puppy was in back seat?' someone else wrote. 'Drivers usually check after a ride for just that, objects left behind. This wouldn't even make a good movie plot.' Aussies are saving hundreds of dollars on their groceries bills at a little-known 'mega discount outlet' in Melbourne. Bargain Depot Epping, one of Australia's largest branded grocery clearance outlets, is helping shoppers survive the cost of living with drastically discounted buys. The outlet stocks brands such as Oral B, Sakata, Bondi Sands, Chicken Tonight, T2 drinks, Sukin beauty products, Doritos, Lotus Biscoff, Aveeno and Continental Soup - with most items only costing $1 or $2. Bargain Depot also carries a wide variety of party supplies, American confectionery and drinks. The store manages to keep costs down by sourcing from wholesalers and manufacturers looking to clear their excess, short-dated, seasonal or end-of-line stock. Aussies are saving hundreds of dollars on their groceries bills at a little-known 'mega discount outlet' in Melbourne Shoppers can find heavily discounted cleaning supplies at the store The Epping hot spot is shopper Carla Perichon's top spot for cheap name-brand shopping. 'You will not find deals like this anywhere else,' she said in a gushing TikTok video. Visiting is her 'favourite time of the week', with the shopper posting a video of herself loading up a full sized trolley with many discounted snacks and beauty products. She makes a point of regularly visiting the shop before her usual fresh food grocery run to load up on bulk goods and sale items. The Epping hot spot is shopper Carla Perichon's top spot for cheap name-brand shopping Bargain depot's range includes groceries, beauty supplies, cleaning supplies and many more useful items Bargain Depot is not the only store offering a competitive price alternative to Woolworths and Coles. Skippy's Fresh Frootz in Victoria Point, Queensland which opened six years ago, is another rare haven for shoppers in Australia at the moment. They are out to 'expose' the big supermarket chains by selling heavily discounted 5c cucumber and avocados and $4 punnets of strawberries, prices far lower than their major competitors. Skippy's focuses on selling larger volumes of produce without prioritisng profits Elijah Etri from Skippy's said in relation to price gouging by the big supermarkets: 'Aussies need to break away from convenience to challenge these major supermarkets doing the wrong thing'. Sydney shoppers looking for a similar cost-saving experience to Melbourne's Bargain Depot are advised by customers to try Ten Tops in Sydney's Penrith. Bargain Depot in VIC also has another outlet located in Cranbourne and is open seven days a week from 9AM - 6PM, you can stay current with their latest deals by viewing their new arrivals page online. A young mum whose nails started 'shedding' like a snake's skin one morning has finally found out why. The mum shared photos of her fingers which showed unusual peeling nails on both hands and said she was unsure if she needed to go to the doctor. She said five of her ten nails appeared to be flaking off and wondered if it was because she had 'used nail varnish for the first time in a long time'. 'It is a band I often use and my toenails aren't affected. I do keep picking the peeling bits which I know is probably not wise,' she said. Her post sparked interest in a Facebook group, with several mums asking if she'd recently recovered from Hand Foot and Mouth. A young mum whose nails started 'shedding' like a snake's skin one morning has finally found out why She had suffered the condition back in April. 'This happened to my daughter after she had Hand Foot and Mouth. They shed a couple of times and have been fine ever since,' one mum said. Others agreed it was their 'first thought' as they had experienced the same thing. 'It is the Hand Foot Mouth aftermath - happened to my son a good month after he had it,' agreed another. Another said her doctors thought her son had a 'mild case of chicken pox' until weeks later when his nails peeled then they said it must have been Hand Foot and Mouth. Peeling nails is a late-onset symptom of Hand Foot and Mouth disease The woman appeared relieved by the response - after being concerned her doctor told her there was 'nothing to worry about' - though some people had different opinions. 'I had this each time I was pregnant,' one woman said. 'My son had it after he had Scarlet Fever at three,' said another. A third demanded the woman go see the doctor: 'Do not listen to these people and their theories - advocate for yourself!' 'Your doctor should have done a blood test, get a second opinion,' said a former nail technician. Another woman said her sister's nails peeled when she had cancer treatment. According to the UK's National Institute of Health nail damage or Onychomadesis is a late complication that occurs four to six weeks after the illness onset. 'It is usually self-limited and requires no treatment. Nail abnormalities range from leukonychia and Beau lines to partial or complete nail shedding.' Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common but highly contagious infection. It mainly occurs in children under 10 years of age but can also occur in older children and adults. According to New South Wales it starts with blisters that begin as small red dots which later become ulcers. Blisters then appear inside the cheeks, gums, and on the sides of the tongue, as well as on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Good hygiene is the best protection against it as the virus is spread from the faeces of an infected person to the mouth of the next person by contaminated hands. Three siblings in their 70s say they were 'overjoyed' to find each other after discovering they share the same father through a DNA test. Lorraine Williams, 74, from British Columbia, Canada, discovered fellow retirees James 'Jimmy' McLoughlin, a 77-year-old from Liverpool, and Isle of Wight resident Josephine Morey, 75, through the family history website MyHeritage in summer 2023. A year later in June 2024, the siblings finally met in person at the Best Western Hotel in Southampton, and were so pleased to finally see each other in the flesh and have a 'big group hug'. Now the half-siblings have become incredibly close through online calls and messages, with their families talking almost every day and Josephine saying she feels as if her life is 'complete'. Though their father died aged 80 in 2000, the trio managed to trace their father's complicated relationship history, which spanned across the Atlantic. Lorraine Williams, 74, James 'Jimmy' McLoughlin, 77, and Josephine Morey, 75 (left to right) found each other through a family history website The trio of sibilings (left to right) Lorraine, Jimmy and Josephine, say they are 'overjoyed' to have found each other Their late father, Sydney, born Arthur Sydney John, had fathered James and Josephine in the UK before he emigrated to Canada in 1951. The family believe Sydney had an affair with Lorraine's mother in the UK around that time because Lorraine was born just 13 months after Josephine and a few years later, Lorraine and her mother emigrated to Canada to join Sydney. James and Josephine never knew who their father was and have learned from Lorraine he was from Saint Kitts in the Caribbean allowing them at last to teach their children about their Black heritage. Josephine said: 'I was so shocked I just was floored when we found out about James too. I was very shocked and apprehensive to start with because I didn't want to get hurt but I love them so much now, and I feel complete.' Lorraine added: 'I can tell you with absolute certainty my dad would be over the moon with this, he would be just tickled pink, he would be so proud of them, because I am.' Sydney , born Arthur Sydney John, had fathered James and Josephine in the UK before he emigrated to Canada in 1951 Lorraine Williams says that she was 'overjoyed' to meet her siblings after seven decades of not knowing each other existed The siblings' father, Sydney, was born in Saint Kitts in 1920 and moved to Liverpool in the early 1940s for work where he met James' birth mother. For James, it was a tough start in life without his father, who was abandoned at three weeks old on the doorstep of a convent's orphanage in the pouring rain, which caused him to have bronchopneumonia and spend the first three years of his life in hospital. He was then taken back to the convent where he said whenever he wet the bed he was caned by the nuns and forced to have a freezing cold bath as punishment. James was put into foster care, had no idea what his heritage was, and faced racism all throughout his childhood and early adulthood. 'I was getting called every name under the sun, and I didn't even know where I came from,' he said. He tried to track down his birth mother, by visiting the address which was on his birth certificate, and after a neighbour found her contact details, he said she denied having a son. A few months later, James received a call from her, but decided not to have a relationship with her. 'We met up with her a few times, and she was saying she'd loved me all my life, but she didn't show it, and it just upset the kids too,' he said. Two years after James was born, Sydney met Josephine's birth mother, and the couple had Josephine together in Liverpool, but the relationship broke up when Josephine was around two years old. Josephine said her mother struggled to look after her and she ended up being taken into foster care with the help of the children's charity, Barnardo's. 'My mum, who was white, went to London and she couldn't get a room because they didn't want any mixed race people there were notices up,' Josephine said. 'She tried to get me into a playgroup or day centres while she was looking for something, but was told they couldn't have me because it would upset the other parents, so she left me in a bedroom and went off to work. 'A neighbour called the welfare and I was put into foster care.' Josephine was fostered and ended up moving to the Isle of Wight with her foster mother and, like James, experienced racism throughout her life but never knew her real heritage. 'I cried so much and was called so many names over the years,' she said. 'Even later in life, when you have to tick a box saying what ethnicity you are I never knew what to put, so I'd put things like the coffee-coloured woman as a little joke. 'I've been told off for putting white, and people always say I should put Black, but my mother was white, so it was always confusing.' Josephine said she attempted to get back in touch with her birth mother, who told her she 'was a skeleton best left in the cupboard', and considered finding her father, but 'didn't want to go through rejection again'. Around the same time that Josephine was born, the family believe Sydney may have had an affair with Lorraine's mother, as Lorraine was born just 13 months after Josephine. In 1951, Sydney emigrated to Canada, and a year later, Lorraine and her mother joined him. Lorraine grew up with her father but he never told her about Josephine, and believes he might not have known about James. In summer 2023, Lorraine found Josephine through a DNA match on MyHeritage, and shortly after with the help of Chloe Fox, Josephine's granddaughter found James. 'I was blindsided, gobsmacked, just absolutely astonished,' Lorraine said. James added: 'I feel whole now I always thought my family started with me, and I was just delighted to find out the news.' James and Josephine found it particularly emotional to discover their heritage, and be able to feel more connected to their ethnicity. 'After Lorraine showed me some pictures, I realised I'm the spitting image of my dad,' James explained. Sydney John bears a striking resemblance to his son James, who never knew his father while he was alive 'Now we know our heritage, I can tell my kids all about it, and we all have something to connect to, and they're all so happy to have two aunties out of it too.' They have since created a WhatsApp group together, talking most days, and have become close. Josephine said: 'We just seem to have the same sense of humour, and there's a lot of love between the three of us, and I think they'd all agree on that. 'I absolutely adore Lorraine and Jimmy Jimmy is hilarious and I have sort of deep conversations and laugh a lot with Lorraine. 'I'm so so pleased I could call them up tomorrow and they would support me which is something I didn't think I'd have because I wasn't adopted. 'Our grandchildren even speak to each other and have become close it's so lovely to see. 'We wouldn't have met without MyHeritage, and I just want to say a huge thank you to them, they've been amazing.' For Lorraine, meeting for the first time in June 2024 was an emotional experience. She said: 'It just felt so surreal I was overjoyed to meet them and just couldn't believe it. 'I jumped up and down and it was such an emotional moment and we had a big group hug.' Josephine added: 'It's been so joyous and just phenomenal as soon as I saw Lorraine I was shocked at how much we look alike because I didn't think we did on Whatsapp videos we have similar expressions and we were comparing our hands to see if they looked similar.' Now that they have found each other, the siblings are planning on continuing to stay in touch as much as possible and meet more in person. Gwyneth Paltrow has sent a surprise message of support to the Princess of Wales following the royal's triumphant return to public life over the weekend. The Princess of Wales, 42, joined the Royal Family for the Trooping the Colour celebrations on Saturday - after revealing in a statement she has 'good days and bad days' of chemotherapy treatment. On Saturday evening, the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a series of images on Instagram and thanked fans for 'making it a day to remember'. The post - which featured a picture of William, Kate and their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony - has amassed over 1.4m Instagram 'likes' and received a gushing comment from Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress - who is friends with Meghan Markle - addressed the Princess and wrote: 'So happy to see you looking so happy and well.' The Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured with their three children on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Saturday) shared this image on their Instagram account The post amassed over 1.4m 'likes' from fans and received this gushing comment from Gwyneth Paltrow The mother-of-two signed off her comment, which has been 'liked' by over 5,300 users, with a red love heart emoji. In May 2023, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were reported to have enjoyed a meal at a Michelin-star sushi restaurant in Montecito with Gwyneth Paltrow and her TV producer husband Brad Fulchuk. The royal couple were also joined by Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, who is the lead guitarist in the band Good Charlotte. Meghan Markle's evening out with Gwyneth Paltrow came just weeks after the Duchess' trademark request for The Tig was approved, meaning she could bring back her lifestyle blog. It was also the first time Prince Harry had been spotted after spending just 28 hours in the UK for King Charles' coronation. Off the back of this, speculation was rife that Meghan's site could rival Gwyneth's multi-million dollar company Goop. Meghan first launched the website - which she branded as her 'passion project' - in 2014, and for three years, she used it as her personal blog, where she discussed everything from food and travel to fashion and politics. What's more, Gwyneth was among the first celebrities to send her well-wishes to the Princess of Wales in March after the royal revealed she is receiving treatment for cancer in an emotional video message. Describing the Princess as a 'pillar of grace and strength', Gwyneth commented on the Instagram post: 'Sending love.' Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow attending a Swarovski exhibition in Milan last week. The star is reported to have gone to lunch with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry last year Meghan Markle (pictured during her recent Nigeria trip) sent a PR package to her polo-player friend Nacho Figueras hours before the Princess of Wales' return to public life On Friday night, the Princess of Wales released a moving personal statement on her cancer treatment. The royal said: 'I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. 'It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.' It continued: 'I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. 'On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well. The Princess then went on to say she was 'learning to be patient, especially with uncertainty'. She signed off the statement with: 'Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.' Over the weekend, Meghan Markle sent a new batch of jam and dog biscuits from her brand American Riviera Orchard to polo player Nacho Figueras. The Duke and Duchess' close friend posted a photo of his PR package on Instagram - just hours before Kate's return to public life. Princess Sofia of Sweden has proved she has an outfit for every occasion, switching up her attire after attending glamorous boat trip to a more casual outfit for a playground opening in honour of her son, Prince Julian. The Swedish Princess, 39, attended a boat party yesterday (16 June) in Stockholm with other Swedish royals to celebrate her mother-in-law, Queen Silvia's, 80th birthday. The glamorous royal attended the milestone event alongside her 45-year-old husband, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland - who is the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, and is currently fourth-in-line to the Swedish throne. For the occasion, Princess Sofia wore a striking red and white dress with a bold rose motif and beige block heels, while her husband looked smart in a dark blue suit and crisp white shirt. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia attended the inauguration of Prince Julian's playground at Naturum Getteron in Varberg Less than 24 hours before the Swedish royals were aboard the King's Ship Norge for a birthday event to celebrate Queen Silvia's 80th birthday party Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland were also in attendance at the birthday event Princess Sofia opted for beighe block heels to complement her striking red and white dress Princess Victoria of Sweden was also in attendance at the birthday event, which took place on board the King's Ship Norge, and looked radiant in a green and purple floral dress with dramatic puff sleeves. This summer is proving to have a hectic schedule for Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden who have already carried out another engagement in less than 24 hours since the family boat party, attending the inauguration of Prince Julian's playground at Naturum Getteron in Varberg today (17 June). Princess Sofia ditched the formal attire in favour of a matching floral skirt and top, and casual white trainers, while Prince Carl Philip swapped his suit trousers for relaxed beige chinos, but opted for the same smart shirt and jacket combination as yesterday. The Princess is well known for her stylish outfits whatever the occasion, in partcular her stylish power suits. Sofia was spotted last month in an elegant blue trouser suit for the launch of an educational game in Stockholm, pairing the statement two-piece with neutral accessories. The couple were photographed exploring the playground hand in hand with their youngest child, Prince Julian. The family toured the grounds of the new playground, stopping to cut the colourful ribbon in Sweden's flag colours to mark the opening Prince Julian takes the mic while he and his father Prince Carl Philip explore Prince Julian's playground at Naturum Getteron in Varberg Prince Julian wore a lemon yellow jumper from French brand Ralph Lauren for the occasion Princess Sofia looked relaxed in a floral two-piece and casual trainers as she strolled around the playground with her family Prince Julian wasted no time in trying out the brand new equipment in the new playground named after him Princess Sofia beamed at her son as her tested out the slide at Prince Julian's playground Prince Julian also had a look through one of the telescopes at Naturum Getteron in Varberg The family strolled hand in hand around the adventure playground at Naturum Getteron in Varberg The family toured the grounds of the new playground, stopping to cut the colourful ribbon in Sweden's flag's colours to mark the opening and letting Julian be one of the first to play on the brand new playground equipment. The couple share three children Prince Alexander, seven, Prince Gabriel, six, and Prince Julian, three. In 2019, King Carl XVI Gustaf decided that Princess Sofia's sons, as well as those of Prince Carl Philip's sister Princess Madeline, will not have HRH titles, nor recieve tax payer funds, allowing them more freedom when they're older. Yesterday's event was a more formal affair, seeing the Swedish royal family come together to mark Queen Silvia's milestone birthday. For Queen Silvia's birthday boat party, Princess Sofia opted for a striking red and white floral dress The Swedish Princess paired her vibrant dress with statement pearl earrings The birthday boat party was a glamorous affair, with the Swedish royals donning their formal wear to celebrate Queen Silvia's big day Princess Victoria wore her hair in a chic low bun with an elegant, understated makeup look for the occasion The Swedish royals enjoyed a drinks reception anbd lunch as part of the celebrations for Queen Silvia's 80th birthday Guests enjoyed a glass of fizz in the sun at Guests enjoyed a glass of fizz in the sun at Ulriksdal Palace in Solna, Sweden, The royal actually turned 80 last year on 23rd December 2023, but the family has waited until June this year to carry out the official celebrations. On Saturday 15 June, a private birthday party with 275 guests was held at Stockholm Castle, with a boat party hosted by King Harald and Queen Sonja taking place on Sunday 16 June. After the royals departed from the Norwegian royal ship, the Swedish Royal Family hosted a birthday lunch at Ulrikdals Palace. Matt and Abby Howard say that they're now 'boycotting' Father's Day A couple popular on TikTok have divided opinion after the husband complained that he had to celebrate his birthday and Father's Day at the same time. Husband and wife duo Matt and Abby Howard, who live in Arizona, have more than five million followers on their couples' account, where they document daily life in their relationship. The couple, both 25, are high school sweethearts and share sons Griffin and August after getting married in 2019 during their Sophomore year of college. But following a recent episode of their Unplanned podcast, Matt was slammed by viewers after calling his 2023 Father's Day celebrations - planned by Abby - 'kind of a bummer'. Abby said she had combined the parties for Matt's birthday and Father's Day into one - reasoning that she was heavily pregnant at the time and the couple had only just returned from their 'babymoon' in Mexico. Matt Howard, one half of TikTok duo Matt and Abby, has come under fire for criticising his wife's preparations for Father's Day Abby admitted she had 'combined' Father's Day and celebrations for Matt's birthday into one in June last year Even so, she still invited their family over for a barbecue and bought him a cake from Dairy Queen. Speaking on the podcast in a clip that has racked up more than 10 million views, Abby explained: 'We've decided as a family that we are not celebrating Father's Day this year. 'Last year it was June 18th which is Matt's birthday, so he had Father's Day and his birthday on the same day and I will say I did kind of combine the holidays.' Matt added: 'You did combine the two of them. It's okay though. I mean you were pregnant, you were uncomfortable, you were close.' Abby then explained that she had still managed to make an effort for the occasion, despite their busy schedules. She continued: 'We had just gotten back from our babymoon that day. I got you a cake from DQ and had our family over and grilled.' Matt then interjected: 'Well, I grilled but I know a lot of dads grill on their birthday. But yeah.' When Abby protested that in return she 'grew your child, all day, every day,' Matt added: 'You did grow my child, but like Father's Day and my birthday were the same exact day and it kind of was a bummer.' Abby said she'd still managed to get Matt a cake and arrange for their family to come over - despite being pregnant and returning from holiday The couple said they are now 'boycotting' Father's Day and will be celebrating it three months later instead Abby said: 'I'm going to be honest with you, I failed you and I'm so sorry.' They concluded the video by revealing they're 'boycotting' Father's Day in June and celebrating it three months later instead, so Matt can have two separate celebrations. But outraged fans were not satisfied by the agreement, calling Matt 'selfish' for his reaction to Abby's efforts, especially considering she was pregnant at the time. They wrote: 'Matt is so selfish. Abby was pregnant, just got back from a vacation, still planned a BBQ celebration with cake and she failed Matt? How? What a selfish human being Matt is. Wow'; 'Is Matt a baby? Who still cares about birthdays at that age'; 'A DQ cake and family over for ab afternoon of grilling, sounds like a great day to me'; Fans were left outraged and called Matt 'selfish' for his reaction to Abby's efforts I failed you Im so sorry. And he didnt correct her. She DID NOT fail him'; 'This is WILD'; 'Why wouldnt you combine them though? They are two occasions celebrating the same person so surely one celebration is perfect?'; 'I'm failing to see how she failed, it seems like you had a good celebration, what else was he expecting?' Matt and Abby have documented their relationship on TikTok throughout the pandemic, but fans have noticed increased tension between them since welcoming their second child together. Bethenny Frankel has issued a stark warning to her followers - urging them to buy knockoffs instead of the real, expensive designer items. The Skinnygirl mogul, who owns a plethora of Hermes and Chanel bags herself, shared her thoughts in a new video posted to TikTok this week, where she boasts more than 1.8 million followers. She began the clip by explaining that she was giving everyone permission to wear knockoffs. 'Why? Because I think that the luxury brand space has reached the point of exploitation,' Frankel began. 'Exploiting the insecurities of women where they're gonna feel whole or secure if they can flex a shopping bag that contains something that costs $50, maximum to make, that costs tens of thousands of dollars,' she said. Bethenny Frankel has issued a stark warning to her followers in a new TikTok video - urging them to buy knockoffs instead of the real, expensive designer items While the Skinnygirl mogul herself owns a plethora of designer handbags from brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermes, she doesn't think they're necessarily worth the high price The former Real Housewives of New York star stated that this was just insane, and compared it to what's happening right now in the makeup industry. Frankel noted that nowadays, many drugstore beauty brands are making dupes of some of the popular products from high-end brands that might be found in Sephora, which is something that's been normalized. But she noted that in the fashion industry, it's not the same, as people typically look down upon dupes or knockoffs. 'There are some brands that are expensive but haven't gone off the total deep end, like for example, I think Valentino does a good job,' Frankel said. 'I can afford anything I want, and I've gotten to the point where some of the crazy, insane, expensive pieces I know it's an insult to everyone's intelligence and I won't let you do that,' the BStrong founder continued. She urged people to buy what they want and wear what they like with pride. Frankel said that she wore brands like Vince Camuto and Steve Madden, and even showed viewers a pair of beige braided sandals she had bought that were dupes of a pair by designer Bottega Veneta. 'A brand that increases their prices from $5,000 to $10,000 in a matter of years when the bag costs $50 to make, all bets are off with you wanting to wear any knockoff you want,' the former reality star said. 'There are some brands that are expensive but haven't gone off the total deep end, like for example, I think Valentino does a good job,' Frankel said in the video clip The former Real Housewives of New York star urged people to buy what they want and wear what they like with pride Frankel has often showed her array of luxury handbags on her social media accounts, many of which are worth thousands of dollars - like the above Ostrich Kelly, which is over $36,000 'Because they're taking advantage of you and they're insulting your intelligence, as a consumer and a woman.' In the comments section of her video, many agreed with her take on the current state of designer items, lamenting that they were just too expensive. 'I sold all my designer bags. Over all of it,' one person wrote. Another agreed, 'Oh I've been on this. The second I could really afford the real thing I invested in stocks and bought the fakes.' 'Noooo it has become unaffordable. A handbag is equal to a rent,' someone else typed. Others even complained about the wear and tear of their real designer items. 'My LV $2500 purse handles started peeling in 8months. I've had TJ Max bags last years,' one user admitted. Another claimed, 'The edges of my Gucci Marmont mini bag is already peeling off. the bag is not even that old and I only wear it on the weekend... Such a bad quality.' In the comments section of her video, many agreed with her take on the current state of designer items, lamenting that they were just too expensive Frankel's video comes just weeks after she was denied entry to the Chanel store in Chicago. She came to the store in casual clothing but a a security guard allegedly wouldn't let her enter because she didn't have an 'appointment.' '"Hello? Do you have an appointment?"' she recalled the man saying, and she compared him to the hulking Lurch from the Addams Family films. 'I'm like, "No, I don't have an appointment. I have a credit card. I have a bag of Garrett's popcorn, a basic b**** purse. Am I not allowed to come in at 3:54 on a Tuesday?" Evidently not,' she said. She later went back dressed in head-to-toe Chanel and was allowed in, but promptly left without even taking a look at anything. Prince Julian of Sweden displayed his cheeky side on Monday as he roamed around a new playground that has been named after the three-year-old royal. And, as the young prince ran ahead of his parents, shimmied down the slide, hid in a wooden wendy house and stuck out his tongue, he showed a strong likeness with spirited Prince Louis, who this weekend delighted royal fans as he danced on Buckingham Palace's balcony during Trooping the Colour. While the third son of Princess Sofia of Sweden, 39, and Prince Carl Philip of Sweeden, 45, is three years younger than the Prince and Princess of Wales' six-year-old Prince Louis, Prince Julian oozed the same boyish confidence at the playground opening at Naturum Getteron in Varberg on the west coast of Sweden. Dressed in a miniature Ralph Lauren sweater and a pair of shorts, the Swedish prince raced into the playground once the banner had been cut. His amused parents looked on and encouraged him by clapping as he tried out the different activities. Prince Julian of Sweden (centre), three, raced into the new playground once the banner had been cut The young Swedish prince showed his cheeky side as he stuck out his tongue as his parents helped him along Prince Julian, who was dressed in a yellow Ralph Lauren sweater and beige shorts, had a go on the slide, clearly enjoying himself Proving himself to be a curious child as well as a natural performer, Prince Julian looked down an enormous telescope and took hold of a microphone in the bandstand area of the playground. As he smiled widely, pulled faces and stuck out his tongue, Prince Julian's fun-loving and slightly cheeky character came to the fore. Indeed, seeing the expressive young royal playing enthusiastically, royal fans will undoubtedly be reminded of King Charles's birthday celebrations last year when Prince Louis scrunched up his face and stuck out his arms to impersonate a jet plane. At the playground opening, Prince Sofia wore a matching floral skirt and top with white trainers while Prince Carl Philip swapped his suit trousers for causal beige chinos. Both of Prince Julian's parents appeared happy and relaxed as they watched their son play and helped him navigate the children's assault course, with Princess Sofia even sitting herself down on the sand at one point. The royal couple were photographed exploring the playground hand in hand with Prince Julian. The family toured the grounds of the new playground, stopping to cut the colourful ribbon in the shades of the Swedish flag to officially open it. Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip share three children: Prince Alexander, seven, Prince Gabriel, six, and Prince Julian, three. Supported by his father, Prince Carl Philip, the three-year-old prince looked down an enormous telescope He also grabbed hold of the microphone in the bandstand area of the playground, which is part of Naturum Getteron in Varberg on the west coast of Sweden A laughing Prince Julian hid in the wooden wendy house at one point while his mother, Princess Sofia, looked on Princess Sofia, who was wearing a floral top and matching skirt for the occasion, appeared proud of her youngest son as she held him in her arms The spirited prince wasn't afraid to try out all the activities that were on offer in the new playground In 2019, King Carl XVI Gustaf decided that Princess Sofia's sons, as well as those of Prince Carl Philip's sister Princess Madeline, will neither have HRH titles nor recieve tax payer funds, affording them greater freedom when they're older. Yesterday, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip attended a boat party in Stockholm with other Swedish royals to celebrate Queen Silvia's 80th birthday. The boat party was hosted by King Harald and Queen Sonja. While Queen Silvia, who is the mother of Prince Carl Philip, turned 80 last year on 23rd December 2023, the family waited until now to celebrate with a party. On Saturday 15 June, a private birthday party with 275 guests was held at Stockholm Castle. Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he delivered an emotional speech after winning his first Tony award on Sunday night. The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical thanks to his part in the show Merrily We Roll Along. And when he took to the stage to accept it, the Glee alum broke down as he paid tribute to all of the people who had helped him along the way - from his parents, who 'allowed his freak flag to fly,' to 'everyone involved' in his first role in the show Spring Awakening more than a decade ago, who 'made his dream come true' and inspired him to 'come out of the closet' at age 23. He credited musical theater with 'saving his soul' and called being a part of the 'incredible community' the 'greatest gift and pleasure of his life' - and his powerful words brought some fans to tears. Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, afterwards to share their thoughts on the heartwarming speech, and some admitted that they were 'sobbing.' Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he delivered an emotional speech after winning his first Tony Award on Sunday night The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical thanks to his part in the show Merrily We Roll Along 'Just started crying, oh my God,' one person said, while another confessed, 'I sobbed watching his speech.' 'Is someone cutting onions here?' someone else jokingly asked. 'I;m definitely not crying. Nope. Not at all,' read a fourth tweet. A fifth said, 'The MAN you are, Jonathan Groff. I bow to you, this was the sweetest and most honest speech I have ever seen.' 'I love him more every time I see him,' a different user gushed. 'Really wish I could see this show with those three leads.' 'Jon's speech was so inspiring and humble,' someone else agreed. 'I loved how he spoke about the impact of Broadway on his life and the importance of using your platform to uplift others. 'It's a great reminder for all of us in the industry, especially the newcomers who are just [starting].' 'I just watched Jonathon on Doctor Who and immediately fell in love. This speech makes me love him even more,' another person wrote. 'What an amazing, beautiful, talented, caring, kind human being this man is. I am now a forever fan.' Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, afterwards, and some admitted that they were 'sobbing' over his powerful words During the speech, a clearly overwhelmed Jonathan read from a piece of paper as he thanked numerous people - starting with his mom and dad. 'Thank you for letting me dress up as Mary Poppins when I was three, thank you for letting me act out scenes from I Love Lucy on my 10th birthday, thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it,' he said. 'Even if they didn't always understand me, my family knew the lifesaving power of fanning the flame of a young person's passions without judgment. 'I walk through life with an open heart because you let me know that I could,' he added as he began to choke up. 'Thank you, I love you.' The star continued by thanking the teachers he had as a child, who he said pushed him to become an actor. 'I moved to New York 20 years ago and I got a job waiting tables, and became a volunteer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and all I wanted was to be was to be a part of this community,' the star said. 'Thank you to everyone involved in Spring Awakening, who not only made that dream come true, but also inspired me to come out of the closet when I was 23. I'm now 39, and musical theater is still saving my soul.' Jonathan thanked his parents for 'allowing his freak flag to fly' and 'everyone involved' in his first role in the show Spring Awakening for inspiring him to 'come out of the closet' He credited musical theater with 'saving his soul' and called being a part of the 'incredible community' the 'greatest gift and pleasure of his life' He described his costars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as his 'soulmates.' The camera than cut to them in the audience, and they were both also crying He also credited the many people involved in Merrily We Roll Along for 'allowing him the chance to accept, respect, and express both the lightest and darkest parts of myself.' He described his costars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as 'more than old friends,' but rather, as his 'soulmates,' as the tears began to flow. The camera than cut to them in the audience, and they were both also crying. 'I'm looking forward to watching each other change for the rest of our lives,' Jonathan gushed. 'And finally, I just want to say, when I was a kid in Pennsylvania, I used to record the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watch the performances over and over again. 'And to actually be able to be a part of making theater in this city, and to be able to watch the work of this incredible, incredible community has been the greatest gift and pleasure of my life. Thank you so much for this honor.' Peter Philips was pictured engaging in a very public display of affection with his date Harriet Sperling at the recent Gloucestershire Festival of Polo at Beaufort Polo Club, with a body language expert saying the couple appeared very passionate - and didn't care who saw it. The oldest son of Princess Anne, Peter, 46, has been described as the 'favourite grandson' of the late Queen Elizabeth II. He has had a somewhat tumultuous relationship history in recent years: in 2021, Peter's 13-year marriage to Autumn Kelly ended. The divorced couple share two children, the Late Queens first great-grandchild Savannah Anne Kathleen, 13, and Isla Elizabeth, 12. After his marriage breakdown, Peter dated Scottish businesswoman Lindsay Wallace for three years. She even accompanied him to the King's post-Coronation concert in May. It was recently announced that the couple had gone their separate ways, with friends confirming the split, and suggesting that Peter's business commitments and non-stop travel had been a factor in the 'difficult' decision. Since then, Peter has been spotted with single mother Harriet, 44, a paediatric nurse and freelance writer, with their first public date taking place at the Badminton Horse Trials in May. It is thought the two met each other in April or May. Paediatric nurse and freelance writer Harriet Sperling (pictured, left) has reportedly only been dating Peter Phillips (pictured, right) for a couple of months According to body language expert Judi James, Harriet 'flung [her arm] right around [Peter's neck to increase the proximity and she pressed her torso against him' SMOOCH: The couple were even spotted sharing a mouth kiss with each other at one point, showing how passionate their relationship is During their outing at the polo festival, the couple were open in displaying their affection with each other, sharing a kiss, and standing with their arms around each other. Some reports have suggested that while it is early days for the relationship, it could become a long-lasting and important bond. Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Judi James noted how enamoured the couple seemed with each other. She said: 'Harriet seems so emphatically keen to get Peters undivided attention here at a very public event, almost as though she wants to mark her territory by showing off how besotted they are with each other.' Noting that Peter and Harriet had been extremely open with their public display of affection (PDA), she adde that a big social events like these, there is 'normally a cut-off point with the PDAs'. She continued: 'Peters sister Zara, a huge fan of the PDA, usually provides a masterclass in getting it right by making sure she signals spontaneous affection but without moving into the area of intimacy signals that would cut someone off from the people around them.' According to the body language expert, not only do the couple appear 'besotted' with one another, she said they look like they are 'not worried who sees them' sharing their PDAs. Describing images of the couple at the event, Judi said: 'Harriet turns her attention on Peter by using what looks like some intense and loving eye contact that is returned from him, showing mutual adoration.' Despite it being early days of their relationship, reports have suggested that the couple could be in it for the long haul The couple appeared besotted with each other, according to body language expert Judi James, and were spotted hugging and kissing during their date Harriet (pictured, left) is a paediatric nurse and freelance writer, according to reports. She is also a single mother to a 12-year-old daughter Harriet 'pressed her torso against his despite the fact he seemed to be clutching a drink', said Judi James Harriet Sperling (pictured) a 44-year-old paediatric nurse and freelance writer, has been described as an 'unexpected' choice for a royal girlfriend, due to her job as an NHS nurse, and her candid writing on being a single mother Peter Phillips is pictured kissing Harriet Sperling on the cheek, during what is believed to be their second public date (seen at the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo) CLOSE: Harriet Sperling (pictured, right) and Peter Phillips (pictured, left) are seen embracing each other At one point, Judi noted that Harriet 'flung her arm right around [Peter's] neck to increase their proximity. She continued: 'And she [pressed] her torso against his despite the fact he seemed to be clutching a drink.' However, her actions appeared to be reciprocated by Peter, who Judi suggested appeared equally as attracted to Harriet. 'After some head-touching and eye-gazing they move to some cheek-kissing and nuzzling and even what looks like a mouth kiss, suggesting they are in the stage of love known as the Passionate stage and not worried who sees them share it,' the body language expert explained. Harriet, who has been described as an attractive and glamorous blonde, has also been called an unexpected choice for a royal girlfriend. The state-registered nurse, and freelance writer, has openly spoken candidly of her years as a single mother, as well as writing about her experiences working in medicine. She has described how she and her daughter, now 12, survived against the odds as they journeyed 10 years with only each other while she juggled parenting with working as a paediatric specialist. Peter Phillips was married for 13 years to Autumn Phillips. The now-divorced couple share two children. (Peter pictured with new girlfriend Harriet Sperling) After his divorce in 2021, Peter dated Scottish businesswoman Lindsay Wallace for three years, but they recently split The new couple could not hide their enjoyment during their date, and were pictured grinning widely at one point (Peter is pictured with new girlfriend Harriet Sperling) Both Peter and Harriet appeared deeply engaged with each other, gazing into each others' eyes during their date Harriet (pictured, left) lives in Gloucestershire, not far from Peters home on his mothers Gatcombe Park estate Harriet, who is the daughter of a solicitor, lives in Gloucestershire, not far from Peters home on his mothers Gatcombe Park estate. She, like Peter, is also a divorcee. She has experienced major success during her career as a nurse. Notably, in 2010, Harriet was a key member of a medical team which helped to save critically ill baby Phineas Cockerham. The three-week-old baby was struck down by a deadly virus that attacked his immune system. Harriet was part of the team when Phineas was transferred from Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, to the world-famous Evelina Childrens Hospital in central London. Harriet Sperling (pictured, right) is the daughter of a solicitor. She lives in Gloucestershire. (Seen with Peter Phillips) As a paediatric nurse, Harriet was famously part if the medical tea, that helped to save critically ill baby Phineas Cockerham in 2010 Despite the highly public nature of their date, Harriet and Peter (both pictured) did not seem worried about who saw their PDAs The couple (pictured) stood in extremely close physical proximity to each other, with their torsos pressing together Describing her response, she said: 'Just 20 minutes after receiving the call to collect Phineas, the retrieval team were on our way in an intensive care ambulance.' After he was treated for the virus, Harriet was featured in a photographic tribute created by Phineass father Michael Cockerham which was published in the Daily Mail. She has also written about the struggles, and joys, of her life as a single parent. In an article for the Christian magazine Woman Alive, she wrote: 'In the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child.' Writing under her maiden name Harriet Sanders, she added: 'There's a special kind of love that develops when its just the two of you against the world.' An adopted woman travelled 6,000 miles from California to Romania to track down her biological family - but ended up meeting the man she would marry instead. Ana Maria Bader, 24, had planned to find her birth mother who lives in Ploie*ti, Romania, after graduating from California State University in August 2022. She decided to also download Tinder before the trip - setting her location to Bucharest - in the hopes of finding a summer fling while visiting her biological family. Before the trip, Ana Maria's best friend presented her with a gift card for dating website Tinder, encouraging her to 'have some fun' while visiting her birth family. After downloading the app, Ana Maria started chatting to Kevin, 27, a software engineer living in Bucharest, and the pair arranged to go on a date when she flew over on July 8, 2022. They hit it off and quickly became a couple - tying the knot exactly one month later, on August 8, 2022, after realising they were 'just the right people for each other'. Ana Maria Bader travelled 6,000 miles from California to Romania to track down her biological family The recent graduate dowloaded Tinder before she left so she could 'have some fun' while she was out there Ana Maria, 24, instantly hit it off with Kevin, 27, a software engineer and the couple married just one month after meeting The couple 'married online' - acquiring a US marriage license while based in Romania, and are planning to hold a 'real' wedding in the future in LA. After the couple got together, Kevin helped Ana Maria to continue her mission to find her biological parents in Romania. While Ana Maria was ultimately 'disappointed' by the encounter with her birth mother, she says it was all worth it as she she met her soulmate in the process. Ana Maria, an aesthetician, from Los Angeles, California, US, said: 'I came to Romania for the first time and we instantly fell in love. It was so quick, we got married exactly a month later. 'It was very hard meeting my biological family - a lot happened. It was uncomfortable and awkward. 'But it's been beautiful meeting Kevin, I finally feel like I have a forever home in him. I feel safe with him and we're incredibly close.' Ana Maria was originally born in Ploie*ti, Romania, on March 5, 1999. Her biological mother was 17 when she gave birth - and her high school boyfriend had 'fled' to another town. She was placed for adoption within the week - and adopted by her parents, Jack Ketchian, 69, and his wife, Mariana, 73, on January 3, 2000. The couple owned a cosmetics business in LA, and had emigrated from Romania to the US in 1965 and 1975, respectively. Mariana was unable to have children of her own and the couple decided to adopt a Romanian child so they could 'connect with them on a cultural level'. They told Ana Maria when she was four that she was adopted - and throughout school, she was proud to have been 'chosen' by her parents. She said: 'All throughout elementary school I'd share my secret with the kids. I'd be like, 'I'm adopted. Isn't that cool?' The couple 'married online' - acquiring a US marriage license while based in Romania, and are planning to hold a 'real' wedding when they head back to LA Ana Maria's adoptive parents Jack Ketchian, 69, (right) and his wife, Mariana, 73, (centre) were in full support of Ana Maria reaching out to her birth parents The couple had emigrated from Romania to the US in 1965 and 1975, respectively 'But as we got older, mean kids would say my parents weren't real, and I wasn't really wanted. 'My parents did everything for me - I took swimming classes, ballet, practiced all sorts of instruments, but I just didn't feel good enough.' Mariana and Jack knew 'bits and pieces' about Ana Maria's biological mum through 'small town gossip' - and said she could go and find her as soon as she was old enough. They told her about her grandfather, who worked at a petroleum refinery in Ploie*ti, and the fact she was 'abandoned by her birth dad'. When she was 16, Ana made the decision to go and find her birth mum after she'd finished studying in the US and graduated from university. In March 2022, while nearing the end of her degree in business admin and finance at California State University, she decided she was going to go that summer. 'I was wrapping up my degree and had this idea of graduating and going to my birth country,' she added. 'I suggested it to my best friend, Michelle, 22, who told me to have some fun with it, too. She gifted me a coupon for Tinder, and said I should put myself out there.' On March 24, Ana Maria started using the dating app - and two days later, she matched with Kevin - the man she's now married to. 'I decided to use the gift card and set my location to Bucharest, which is where I got talking to Kevin,' Ana Maria continued. She got his number and deleted the app, and the pair texted for four months, before meeting in person on July 8. Ana Maria flew to Romania to try and find her biological family in Ploie*ti - and stayed at Kevin's house the entire time. 'I just knew he was for me,' she said. 'We didn't want to wait. On July 27, we were in the car and he casually told me he wanted to marry me.' Kevin drove Ana Maria to the petroleum refinery she knew her biological grandfather worked at - but was told he'd probably retired, and they had no record of him. He then took her to a prim*ria - or town hall - in Ploie*ti, where he began asking around to see if anyone knew the name. Ana Maria said: 'Within 10 minutes, three women said they knew him. They disappeared into a room on their phones - I was shaking uncontrollably. Ana Maria says that her adoptive parents, Jack (right) and Mariana (left), gave her the best possible start in life Ana moved to Bucharest to be with Kevin while they await the outcome of their green card application 'I can only understand Romanian - I'm not very good at speaking it. Plus I was nervous, so Kevin had to do all the talking for me. 'They came back, and said to Kevin 'her uncle is on his way - he'll be here in five minutes'. 'And within five minutes, this man walked in, covered in oil and wearing a work uniform. He stared at me, and said I was '100 per cent my mum's daughter'.' All three of them went back to her uncle's house - where Ana Maria's biological grandfather and mum were there to meet her. She says she found it hard to click with her mum and the encounter was 'uncomfortable and awkward' - leaving with Kevin under an hour later. 'I told Kevin I wanted to leave, he said it was all going to be fine, and we can leave whenever we wanted,' Ana Maria said. 'It was a disappointment. But I had the wedding with Kevin to look forward to.' Kevin and Ana Maria got married on August 8, and the pair returned to LA six days later. They began the process of getting Kevin a green card so they could live together in the US full-time. On September 9, Ana Maria moved to Bucharest with Kevin while they await the outcome of their green card application. She said: 'Kevin is the most independent and strong man I know - he's really the only person I have in Romania. 'He encouraged me to keep in contact with my uncle - and we went on a day out to the Bu*teni mountains, and had dinner. 'I'm on relative talking terms with my mum now - but it didn't work out the way I imagined.' On meeting and marrying Ana Maria, Kevin said: 'We met on Tinder - I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but it just happened. 'We got talking, we had good chemistry, and things just flowed naturally - which was as surprising to me as it was to her. 'It was a lot for her to fall in love and fly 6,000 miles across the ocean - but it was one of the highlights of my life. 'As soon as she came to Romania, it felt like it was meant to be. We got settled together and we weren't alone anymore.' House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke has revealed the awkward feedback she got from an intimacy coordinator while filming season two. The actress, 30, from Oldham, plays Alicent Hightower in the hit HBO series, which returns for a second season from today. Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, the star - who has previously appeared in Bates Motel and Slow Horses - spoke about the benefits of having intimacy coordinators on set. Describing how it 'takes the awkwardness' away, Olivia said: 'You're then not having to petition for your own boundaries, and your own safety.' As a result, Olivia said that preparing for a sex scene is like learning 'choreography' - and revealed how intimacy coordinators had to give her some advice on the day of filming. Pictured: Olivia Cooke (who plays Alicent Hightower) at the House of Dragon season two premiere in Paris earlier this month She explained: 'One day, [intimacy coordinator Vanessa Coffey] came up to me and we were doing a sex scene and she was like, "Olivia, can you just arch your back, and look like you're into it a little bit more." 'And I was like, "great thank you", because I was thinking about everything else under the sun.' Season two is the first time Olivia Cooke has had to perform sex scenes for House of the Dragon. Speaking to Elle UK, the star explained how she thought she might have more intimate scenes in the latest season. She said: 'I thought thered be way more, and so Im relieved that when it has been used for me, its showing Alicent being pleasured, which is amazing and doesnt feel gratuitous. It feels like were telling a story.' Olivia's comments come after Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke claims bosses 'guilt-tripped' her into performing multiple nude scenes so she didn't 'disappoint' fans. Appearing on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast in 2019, Emilia - who played Daenerys Targaryen - said she found the amount of nudity in Game of Thrones 'overwhelming'. Sex scene co-ordinator Vanessa Coffey, who worked with Billie Piper on Sky Atlantic series I Hate Suzie and Daisy Edgar-Jones in H. G. Wellss War Of The Worlds, told the Mail in 2021 that there's some poetry in organising intimate moments between actors. Season two is the first time Olivia Cooke (pictured) has had to perform sex scenes for House of the Dragon Olivia (pictured) said of her House of the Dragon sex scenes: 'I thought thered be way more, and so Im relieved that when it has been used for me, its showing Alicent being pleasured, which is amazing and doesnt feel gratuitous' Emilia Clarke claimed Game Of Thrones bosses 'guilt-tripped her into performing multiple nude scenes so she didn't disappoint fans' (a still from series one - Emilia was aged 23) She said: 'Choreographing a sex scene is very much like choreographing a dance. The actors need to know exactly where hands are going, where body parts are going to be, whats going to be visible or not visible on camera. Many have areas, whether thats nipples or their intergluteal cleft (bum crack, to you and me) that theyre not comfortable showing on screen, so we have to respect and accommodate that with careful camera angling. Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, previously explained the logistics to the Radio Times in 2022. He revealed that he'd been instructed to use a half-deflated netball when acting out lustful scenes with the character of Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley, in season two of the show. The semi-flattened sporting equipment, he said, enables actors to move against each other in a realistic manner, without intimate parts of the body touching. Bailey explained: 'It's amazing how that whole industry has just come on, even in a year. There are new tricks to the trade little cushions and it's amazing what you can do with a half-inflated netball.' The actor elaborated on the use of the netball, saying: 'If there are two people doing a sex scene, the rule is they must have three barriers separating them and there are certain acts where a half-inflated netball can allow for movement without having to connect physically.' Meanwhile, Queenie actress Dionne Brown recently spoke about filming the show's 'nerve-wracking' sex scenes. She told What to Watch: 'The sex scenes were super nerve-wracking. I could have thrown up beforehand from nerves. Episode five of Bridgerton features a six-minute long sex scene between Penelope Featherington ( Nicola Coughlan ) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) Queenie actress Dionne Brown (pictured) recently spoke about filming the show's 'nerve-wracking' sex scenes 'Sex is normal and it's a part of life but I never even had to kiss anyone at drama school and then I've come into this show where I'm going to have to be super intimate with different men and not all of it is nice. Some of the sex scenes are quite heavy.' As such, Dionne praised the show's intimacy coordinator Adelaide Waldrop, who has previously worked on the Netflix series You and Sex Education. The star says she had three meetings with Adelaide during their rehearsal week as well as meetings with her male colleagues, where they discussed intimacy underwear and signals so they would know if the other was uncomfortable. Raving about Adelaide, Dionne told the BBC: 'There were loads of things I just assumed were normal, but when I told the intimacy coordinator she said that wasn't the case. 'If you're not comfortable with being touched in certain places or have someone else's tongue in your mouth then you absolutely do not have to do it.' In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour, Dionne explained how she and Adelaide 'mapped out safe spaces' so that filming intimate scenes almost resembled choreography. Royal fans went wild after spotting the 'uncanny' similarities between the Prince and Princess of Wales and their two younger children during the Trooping the Colour. The royal couple appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Saturday afternoon with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, as part of King Charles' official birthday celebrations. During the RAF flyover, Charlotte and Louis were pictured pulling expressions which perfectly mirrored their parents, who were standing behind them. At one point, the Princess of Wales leaned slightly to her right to get a better look at an approaching aircraft - at the same point Prince Louis did the same. Meanwhile, Princess Charlotte was pictured looking pensively in the distance and unknowingly pulling the exact same expression as her father. Pictured: the Princess of Wales and Prince Louis both leaned to their right slightly to get a better view of the RAF flyover As the typhoons approached Buckingham Palace for the grand finale, the Princess of Wales looked dazzled by the spectacle. In front of her, Prince Louis pulled the same impressed face - as Charlotte mimicked her father's thoughtful stare. After the celebrations ended, a royal fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighted the similarities between the royals in a viral post. They gushed: 'This is so funny to me. The twins...' Focusing on Prince Louis, one fan replied: 'He is her replica.' Another added: 'Oh my goodness! You can see the likeness and mannerisms in both photos. 'Charlotte is the double of her dad and Louis is the double of his mum.' Meanwhile, a third said the similarities between Kate and Louis and William and Charlotte were 'uncanny'. Princess Charlotte was pictured looking pensively in the distance and unknowingly pulling the exact same expression as her father. After the celebrations ended, a royal fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighted the similarities between the royals in a viral post Speaking to FEMAIL, lip reader Juliet Sullivan says Prince Louis made an adorable comment to the Princess of Wales after three RAF typhoons had passed over the Palace. When his mother asked if he had 'liked' them, the six-year-old turned to face Kate and said: 'Did you see it go past?!' Beaming at her youngest child, the Princess of Wales replied: 'Yes!' After the flyover ended, the Royals remained on the balcony to hear the national anthem. As it began, Princess Charlotte discreetly gave Louis some advice - as he appeared to have his hands resting on the balcony. Turning to her brother, Charlotte said: 'Louis, put your hands down.' Saturday's Trooping the Colour was the first time the Princess of Wales had appeared in public following her shock cancer diagnosis earlier this year. On Friday night, the Princess of Wales released a moving personal statement on her cancer treatment. The royal said: 'I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. 'It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.' It continued: 'I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. 'On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well. The Princess then went on to say she was 'learning to be patient, especially with uncertainty'. She signed off the statement with: 'Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.' An influencer who went to the hospital for stomach pains was stunned to learn that she was eight months pregnant and in labor. Carolina Yesenia Figueroa, a social media star from Hermosillo, Mexico, who goes by Yess online, decided to go to the emergency room after suffering from 'intense' cramps for two days straight. But the online sensation was completely shocked when doctors told her that not only was she expecting, she was actually in the midst of giving birth. Yess explained to NeedToKnow recently that she didn't experience any pregnancy symptoms or develop a baby bump, and that she has always had irregular periods - so she had no idea that she was gearing up to welcome a baby. But just 15 hours after arriving at the hospital, she gave birth to her beloved daughter Renata. An influencer who went to the hospital for stomach pains was stunned to learn that she was eight months pregnant and in labor Yess Figueroa, from Hermosillo, Mexico, decided to go to the emergency room after suffering from 'intense' cramps for two days straight. She's seen when she was eight months pregnant She was shocked when doctors told her that not only was she expecting, she was actually in the midst of giving birth. She's seen left at five months pregnant and right at six months Yess (seen when she was seven months pregnant) explained to NeedToKnow recently that she didn't experience any pregnancy symptoms or develop a baby bump, and that she has always had irregular periods - so she had no idea that she was gearing up to welcome a baby 'I began feeling intense cramps, which isn't unusual for me since I've always been irregular,' she explained. 'When my period is about to come, I suffer a lot from cramps. The difference this time was that I had been experiencing cramps for two days and my period hadn't arrived. 'I started to worry. By the third day, the pain was intense. It was early morning, around 4am, I got up and told my parents, "I can't take it anymore."' Yess said her mom and dad convinced her to go to the hospital, where doctors started doing tests. When she told them where her pain was, one of the medical professionals decided to give her an ultrasound scan - and they couldn't believe what they found. 'My belly wasn't big or anything, so when the doctor placed the device on me, she went silent and just stared,' she recalled. 'She said, "Wait here, I'm going to get another doctor." Sure enough, two doctors came, and they did the same thing, just stared at the screen. 'Then they said, "Let's get another doctor to be sure." I'm not lying when I say there were about eight doctors crowded in that small emergency room, some here, some there, all staring at the screen in complete silence.' But just 15 hours after arriving at the hospital, she gave birth to her beloved daughter Renata (seen together recently) 'My belly wasn't big or anything, so when the doctor placed the device on me, she went silent and just stared,' she recalled Yess couldn't see what was on the screen herself; worried, she asked what was going on. That was when a medic told her: 'You're pregnant. And you're very pregnant, your baby is ready to come.' The influencer was stunned. She said: 'It's one thing for them to say, "You're pregnant," you process it, you have nine months to get used to it. 'But for them to say, "You're pregnant and your baby is ready to come," it was a huge shock.' But Yess said she calmed down when she heard her baby's heart beating for the first time. 'I was scared, honestly but hearing those strong heartbeats was what kept me calm,' she gushed. Yess couldn't see what was on the screen herself; worried, she asked what was going on. That was when a medic told her: 'You're pregnant. And your baby is ready to come' She described it as a 'huge shock' and admitted that she was 'scared,' but hearing her daughter's heartbeat calmed her down The influencer had what is called a cryptic, or stealth, pregnancy, which occurs when the person doesn't have pregnancy symptoms or mistakes the symptoms for something else Yess was taken by ambulance to a local maternity unit, where she then gave birth to her daughter. The influencer had what is called a cryptic, or stealth, pregnancy, which occurs when the person doesn't have pregnancy symptoms or mistakes the symptoms for something else. Only about one in 2,500 pregnancies go unnoticed until delivery. Yess recently opened up about the shocking experience with her tens of thousands of TikTok followers in the hopes of helping others. 'I can definitely tell you that sharing this spontaneous story has been helpful for many women who are judged and criticized for supposedly wanting to hide their pregnancy,' she concluded. 'Cryptic pregnancy is real and no one talks about it.' Princess Eugenie of York looked stylish while attending a fashion event in London on Monday night. The King's niece, 34, opted for a chic yet modest black floral frock at the Fashion Trust Arabia dinner in celebration of the 2023 FTA Prize winners at Claridge's hotel. She paired the sleeveless dress with a classic pair of heeled black pointed pumps from AQUAZZURA, and a tiny black handbag with a gold clasp. Eugenie wore her thick brunette locks styled into buttery curls that fell around her shoulders. She completed the ensemble with a classic make-up look, pairing a fresh base with dark eyeliner and natural pink lip. Princess Eugenie (pictured) attends the Fashion Trust Arabia dinner in celebration of the FTA Prize winners at Claridge's hotel on Monday night The 34-year-old royal looked stylish in a black frock with a floral pink, which she paired with a natural make-up look, and loose curls The Fashion Trust Arabia, also known as FTA, provides financial and business support for designers from the Middle East and North Africa. Each year, the organisation selects six fashion designers, which it honours with its support. These designers are usually selected from six different categories. However, this year, there was a new, seventh honour - the Fashion Tech Award. Other categories include Ready-To-Wear; Evening Wear; Accessories; Jewellery; Debut Talent, and the Guest Country award. Also attending the dinner was Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath. Socialite Emma, who looked stunning in a fitted white gown, is married to Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath. Among the other high-profile guests at the event were Anissa Kermiche, a jewellery and homeware designer, as well as Georgiana Huddart, the co-owner and creative director of the swimwear brand Hunza G. Pictured: Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath was also in attendance at the fashion event in London The mother-of-two donned a dark but pretty look as she paired her bright floral dress with smoky eye make-up and buttery soft curls Mother-of-two Eugenie, who is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, appeared earlier this month to attend the wedding of he Duke and Duchess of Westminster. She was joined by Prince William, 41, who was one of the groom's ushers, Charlie van Straubenzee and his wife Daisy, whose daughter Clover is believed to have Prince Harry as her godfather, and William Van Cutsem, among others. For the ceremony, the princess donned a radiant olive green pleated dress, complete with a cream fascinator and sage green high heels. Eugenie was pictured arriving alongside some of the 400 guests invited the nuptial do dubbed the 'society wedding of the year'. Later, at the reception, Eugenie donned a daring black dress to attend the lavish reception, which was held at the Grosvenor family seat, Eaton Hall, just outside Chester. Aussie shoppers are praising an 'anti-spy' iPhone screen protector from Kmart for its affordable price tag and innovative design. The $8 product received raving reviews on social media because it blocks peering eyes from viewing the screen on the side. It also protects against scratches and dust. One customer boasted about the buy on Facebook and highly recommended it to others. 'So I got a new iPhone [and] wanted to get a privacy screen protector for my phone,' the shopper wrote. 'I went to serval phone places and they were charging $45 plus to get one put on, I just went to Kmart and find them for $8 and you have all the stuff you need to put it on yourself! FYI! For anyone looking at doing it.' Kmart Australia's iPhone privacy glass screen protector was praised online The $8 product received raving reviews because it blocks peering eyes from viewing the screen on the side. It also protects the phone screen from scratches and dust Others thanked the customer for sharing their honest review, and a few weren't aware Kmart sold the product. 'At $8 a pop it's worth it. I've bought the expensive ones and they crack the same as the Kmart ones. I'm not resentful of spending another $8 for a replacement,' one wrote. 'I got mine from Kmart before all the price rises for $5. Works a treat and I've accidentally dropped my phone a few times and no cracks - win!' another said. 'Even better on Amazon. You can get a 3 pack for about $12,' a third wrote. Others refused to spent more than $20 on a glass screen protector. But one woman claimed she's noticed a difference between Kmart screen protectors and alternatives. It comes after the department store relaunched its wildly popular heated blanket in stores, just in time for winter. The Sherpa Heated Throw has been described as 'elite' by customers who have already got their hands on the affordable buy that acts as a cheaper alternative to regular heaters. Priced at just $39, the throw quietly returned to shelves and shoppers boasted about their buy on social media. Sophie, from Sydney, quickly bought the throw last week and dubbed it the 'best money she's ever spent'. 'Honestly, get yourself to Kmart and get yourself one of these heated sherpa throws. I'm so cosy,' she said in a TikTok while wrapped in the blanket. I'm standing at the front desk of a large hospital next to a traffic-choked dual carriageway on the outskirts of Istanbul, repeating my name to the two receptionists: 'It's JamesHenry JamesI'm here for a Brazilian butt lift.' But this only generates blank looks. The Atakoy Hospital in the suburbs of Turkey's largest city is where I have arranged to be treated by a surgeon from GMC, a private medical firm that advertises extensively in the UK offering a range of cosmetic procedures. But the receptionists seem to have no record of my appointment. Finally they call over a passing man, who, after fumbling with his iPhone, eventually gets into the Google Translate app - and holds the device up to me so I can explain what I want and he can understand me. I repeat that I am booked in for a BBL - an increasingly popular 'bum lift' - and finally there are signs of recognition and nods to confirm that I am indeed booked in. MailOnline travelled to Istanbul to investigate the practices of Swiss clinic Global Medical Care Communicating over Google Translate - this is the reality of booking cosmetic surgery in Turkey Whilst in the hospital, staff attempted to make us sign contracts without seeing a doctor first The Atakoy Hospital in the suburbs of Turkey's largest city is where I had arranged to be treated by a surgeon from GMC (Pictured: Communicating with a GMC rep in the lobby) Tens of thousands of Britons now travel to the eastern Mediterranean country every year to undergo cosmetic surgery The Turkish surgery sector is now so successful it generates some 3.2billion in fees a year In their relief at identifying me, they don't seem to recognise the elephant in the room: I am a nervous-looking, young, skinny-ish man - hardly the obvious candidate for a procedure associated with fuller-figured female celebrities. But no one mentions this, they just begin to assemble the final paperwork for me to sign before sending me in to pre-op to have my bum done. I was apparently just a few hours away from being put under sedation to be operated on for a procedure that made no sense - and I had yet to even see a doctor in the flesh. So what was I doing here? I had come to investigate the burgeoning practice of vanity-driven Britons flocking to Turkey to have discount cosmetic surgery - and concerns about the standards of those offering it. Tens of thousands of Britons now travel to the eastern Mediterranean country every year to undergo cosmetic surgery because the prices are often a fraction of those charged for the same procedures in the UK. The Turkish surgery sector is now so successful it generates some 3.2billion in fees a year, much of it from Brits who want to change some aspect of their physique on the cheap. The fashion for travelling to Istanbul for beauty treatments has surged after being endorsed by social media influencers and reality TV celebrities like Lauren Goodger, Amber Dowding, Georgia Kousoulou and Jemma Lucy. But cheaper prices can also mean lower surgical standards - and some 28 Brits are thought to have died in Turkey after having elective procedures in the last five years alone. Demi Agoglia, 26, of Greater Manchester, died days after having a Brazilian bum-lift in Turkey Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction . Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance Typical of the human tragedy behind the boom was the case of Demi Agoglia, a student who decided to go to Turkey for a so-called BBL - one of the most popular procedures which has fuelled the boom. Against the advice of her partner and family, Demi, from Salford, flew to Istanbul in January this year to have her bottom surgically enhanced - paying just around a third of the 10,000 she would have been charged in the UK. But Demi, who had a seven-month-old baby, began to feel ill within hours of coming out of surgery and despite being rushed to intensive care, died four days later. Desperate to keep the British patients - and their fees - coming, the Turkish surgery companies have repeatedly played down the significance of cases like Demi's. And they have increased their assurances that everything is safe and that the highest possible standards are in place to ensure patient safety. So MailOnline decided to investigate just how reliable these assurances are - by going undercover posing as a potential patient. I was using my middle name, Henry, so they wouldn't realise I was a journalist. I applied to Global Medical Care (GMC), one of the most high profile firms out there - which offers targeted 'special discounts' to British clients for various cosmetic procedures in Turkey. GMC is actually Swiss-owned but conducts most of its business from Turkey, where it boasts of offering 'affordable and high-quality medical procedure packages'. These range from relatively low-cost vanity treatments like hair transplants and rhinoplasties - a 'nose job' in common parlance - to more involved procedures like the fitting of a so-called gastric sleeve, which involves cutting away a large portion of an obese patient's stomach to reduce their appetite. But I decided to apply for the same procedure that had cost Demi Agoglia her life, a BBL. This is a relatively new cosmetic surgery in which doctors transfer fat harvested from another part of the patient's body - usually the belly, hips, lower back, or thighs - and insert it into their buttocks. BBLs have become increasingly popular amid the fashion for larger derrieres fueled by the popularity of the likes of Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. It was this procedure that received celebrity endorsement when Jemma Lucy, a reality TV star who has appeared on Ex on the Beach and Celebrity Big Brother, documented how she had travelled to Turkey to have her bottom remade. But it's also been dogged by concerns about its safety. I applied to Global Medical Care (GMC), one of the most high profile firms out there - which offers targeted 'special discounts' to British clients for various cosmetic procedures in Turkey GMC is actually Swiss-owned but conducts most of its business from Turkey, where it boasts of offering 'affordable and high-quality medical procedure packages' The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons analysed 324 cases of Brits needing medical treatment or corrective surgery after having gone under the knife overseas since 2018 BBLs are said to carry the highest risk of all cosmetic surgeries - with more than one death occurring per 4,000 procedures. Blood clots, scarring and infections are potential complications. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons was so concerned that it advised its members two years ago to suspend performing the procedure. Despite these concerns the numbers having it done are said to be increasing by 20% annually. All this made a BBL, by some distance, the most controversial treatment available - and so the natural choice for me to apply to have. What are the risks of a BBL? BBLs are one of the most dangerous types of cosmetic surgery available. The risk of death is higher than most operations, currently estimated at one in 15,000. Surgeons can accidentally inject the fat into the bloodstream which can cause a potentially deadly blood clot. Generic side effects include bruising, swelling, temporary numbness and scars. And, like any op, it carries the risk of excessive bleeding and an infection. Experts also warn against the pressure tactics employed by cosmetic surgery clinics including time-sensitive deals and booking procedures informally using apps like WhatsApp. BAAPS also found 324 Brits have needed medical treatment or corrective surgery after having gone under the knife overseas since 2018. This has surged 94 per cent in three years, the organisation claimed, with BAAPS figures suggesting Turkey was the largest source of botched ops. BAAPS estimates the average cost to the health service of treating a Brit botched overseas is about 15,000, putting the total bill since 2018 at about 4.8million. Advertisement To test the claims that surgery tourism to Turkey is safe I had decided to present as the sort of patient that would sound alarm bells at any responsible organisation. I told them I weigh 11 stone - which given my height is 5'10' would put me at the lower end of the BMI scale, at 21.6 - which could make the harvesting of fat from other parts of my body to inject into my glute a tall order. And then I decided to invent some further complicating underlying medical conditions, which should spark some in-depth questioning. I would suffer, I decided, from high blood pressure and the skin condition psoriasis, as well as regularly experience both anxiety and depression. None of these would explicitly exclude me from going under the knife. But renowned plastic surgeons told MailOnline they would raise serious 'flags' that would require probing. Within minutes of calling GMC's sales team on March 26, I was messaged on WhatsApp by a sales rep named Marc who told me he was 'here to answer any questions' about treatment plans and collect some personal information to see if I was suitable. As part of this, Marc requested I send him four photos of my backside in the mirror from four different angles so doctors could 'understand if [I] have enough fat to transfer.' After I took the pictures and sent them as requested, Marc replied: 'Thanks. You may not have enough fat for BBL. In this case, would you like to go for buttocks implants?' I replied; 'Yes ok, that's similar procedure? Same sort of price?' Marc responded: 'It's suggested to do that if you do have not enough fat. It could be more expensive than BBL. Because buttocks implants are used.' But by the following day, Marc seemed to have changed his view of my prognosis after what he said was 'evaluation from 3 doctors' none of whom I had spoken to personally. He went on: 'Dr Fatih Kilic has agreed to perform a BBL for you. However, he said that if you can gain weight by the time you want the operation, it would be much better to gain more volume'. My BBL was on. Soon after this, I was emailed a 'personal treatment plan', in what would prove to be the only piece of GMC correspondence I received that wasn't over WhatsApp. This consisted of details of the hospital where I would be treated and the hotel where I would stay, as well as assurances that a translator would be on hand to assist me from my arrival at the airport to the hospital. We then shared an eight-minute call where we discussed my expectations for surgery. I told Marc about my high blood pressure and the rest. But he didn't seem concerned about any of this, except a single point: 'Can you try to gain 3kg before your operation?', was Marc's only question. There were apparently three price bands for the same procedure: 'Good Care' for 2,590, 'Best Care' for 3,250 and apparently 'internationally accredited Perfect Care' for 3,990. In order to receive my medical evaluation from GMC's doctors I had to send four photos of my bottom from these angles My application for a BBL was hardly a compelling case based on these photos There were three price bands for the same procedure: 'Good Care' for 2,590, 'Best Care' for 3,250 and apparently 'internationally accredited Perfect Care' for 3,990 I opted for the middle option so my BBL surgery would cost 3,250 for a BBL including accommodation - plus another 500 if I wanted them to arrange my travel I opted for the middle option so my BBL surgery would cost 3,250 for a BBL including accommodation - plus another 500 if I wanted them to arrange my travel. I decided to arrange my own. He then told me they could operate as soon as April 17 - just three weeks later - as long as I paid 350 ASAP to secure my booking. This was quicker than I had expected so I stalled - and said I needed more time. This response led to two weeks of Marc badgering with regular messages seeking confirmation of my interest and an update on when I would put down a deposit. Finally I agreed to do this and he eventually scheduled surgery for May 21. He arranged for me to pay a 350 deposit via a Barclays bank transfer and gave me a date and instructions on where and when to present myself in Istanbul. At this point, I'd still never spoken to anyone properly, other than a few WhatsApp exchanges. I was to fly there on May 20 and land at 12pm, with surgery booked for the following day. I was then added to a WhatsApp group chat with a new man named Byfatih Cakr and six other people. Byfatih told me: 'I will be with you all the time during the airport reception and hospital process in TurkeyI will be in touch before and after the surgery [and] will deliver medicines, vitamins and protein.' The other six people, apparently GMC staff, were never introduced so I was never clear who they were or why they were privy to intimate discussions about my medical plans. Throughout the chats on this WhatsApp thread which lasted two weeks, I was never offered the chance to speak to any surgeon directly. But the May 21 date was confirmed, the deposit paid and I was off. So it was that a few days later - and still not six pounds heavier, as requested - I found myself in a car park close to the airport in Istanbul where Marc had promised there would be a driver waiting for me to take me to the Tempo, a four-star city centre hotel that GMC had arranged for me. And indeed there was a man holding up a sign with my name on it. I approached him. He spoke only limited English and I have no Turkish so we had to communicate by sign language. He directed me to join a group of people huddled underneath an arch, who I assume are fellow patients. 'Wait there' he barked, and I did, we all did, for a full hour. Eventually a minibus pulled up alongside us and we boarded. It seemed to be taking longer to get to that luxury city centre hotel than I would have expected. And it soon became clear why: they hadn't booked me into the Tempo at all, but to a dingy looking place called The Land Park Hotel instead. 'Here', the driver said, as he grabbed my suitcase and threw it at me, 'you stay here.' I went into reception to tell them that I appeared to have been dropped at the wrong hotel. They looked at me blankly - again they had limited English. Eventually I gave up and accepted the room key I had been offered repeatedly. I discovered that instead of being in central Istanbul as promised, I was some 30 miles - or one hour's drive away - in a sprawling suburb called Avicilar. I had been told I would be staying in the Tempo hotel (pictured) located in Istanbul city centre However, I was taken to a dingy looking place called The Land Park Hotel instead The room was small and overlooked a busy dual carriageway The dirty windows were not sound proofed meaning the heavy traffic kept me up all night I wrote a complaint to GMC on our WhatsApp group. After another long delay, one of the unnamed GMC logo admin people in the group replied: 'No worries, transfers will be arranged.' But nothing happened and I finally gave up and went to sleep. The next day I was driven to Atakoy Hospital, where we came in. Once, via the power of Google Translate, the staff had worked out who I am, they moved on to the final paperwork: they wanted me to sign a final contract for my butt lift. Only when this was done, they said, would they move onto the final preparations ahead of my surgery: lines being drawn in marker pen on my body and my blood taken. I examined the contract they gave me. It contained references to a number of potential risks related to BBL surgery, none of which had previously been mentioned in any of my communications with GMC. It also stated that once I had signed I would be liable to pay the full amount - the remaining balance of 2,900 - regardless of what happened after final tests and during the procedure. I asked if I could speak to my surgeon - apparently one Dr Fatih Cillic - in person before I sign anything, just to set my mind at ease on the risks. After all, I'd still not met any of my surgical team, despite signing up three months earlier. It's not easy to explain all this via the medium of Google Translate. Our conversation went like this: 'Can I speak to Dr Fatih before please? Then I will sign.' 'The Dr is not here yet. You sign, we do the tests, then you speak.' 'Yes, but I have travelled a long way, and things have already gone wrong. I don't want to sign before I speak to the Dr.' 'Your surgery is at 12, you must sign.' 'No, I want to speak to Dr Fatih.' 'Ok...I will speak to my boss.' The next day I was driven to Atakoy Hospital located on the side of a dual carriageway When we arrived at the hospital, there was no translator on site to help us understand what we were signing Inside the hospital staff seemed oblivious as to why we were here and couldn't understand us Communication was done solely over Google Translate making it very hard to understand what we were agreeing to Just when I thought I was making progress, a second man appeared - and seemed angry at me. He was shouting: 'You no sign? OK! Operation cancelled, you are cancelled!' He then ripped the contract from my hands. Meanwhile I had been trying WhatsApp as an alternative way to tell GMC that I wanted to see my surgeon before I signed anything. After ten minutes of discussion on the app, I was told 'a call will be set up'. And finally my phone rang. As well as the surgeon and me there were two others on the call, a GMC rep and a translator. It transpired that Dr Fatih couldn't see me in person before I signed the contract, because he wasn't actually at the hospital - he was on a bus somewhere and not in the vicinity, the translator told me. But the surgeon would talk to me on the phone. I began by asking about how badly the BBL would hurt and how long it would take me to recover. I received assurances I will be fine and back in good health quite quickly. I then moved on to my various (invented) conditions - high blood pressure and the rest. 'Are there any specific risks to me?' I asked. 'No, you are a healthy candidate, there will be no complications.' 'But what about my health problems, the ones I told you about? My blood pressure, psoriasis and anxiety disorders.' 'They are of no concern.' Had I then signed as they were urging me, I would have been on the operating table under a general anaesthetic within hours - for a procedure that could have significant complications. Instead I walked out of the front door and didn't look back. The contract contained references to a number of potential risks related to BBL surgery, none of which had previously been mentioned in any of my communications with GMC Whilst we were reading the contract a man (pictured in striped shirt) appeared and yelled: 'You no sign? OK! Operation cancelled, you are cancelled!' before ripping the contract from my hands Had I then signed as they were urging me, I would have been on the operating table under a general anaesthetic within hours A spokesman for GMC said: 'GMC never provides any medical advice or presents you with a suitability report by itself. 'As you can see in the email sent to you, the preliminary suitability is provided to you by the doctor. This is his medical point of view after reviewing the information you shared with him, assuming that all are correct and complete and subject to in-person checks and additional controls at the hospital. 'So, GMC only passed the message of your doctor to you. 'This doctor point of view is not a guarantee that a patient will have the operation. So, any operation decision can only be given after the physical examination by the doctor. GMC also offers several options to its patients: 'If the patient will not be found suitable for the operation, then the cost of the operation is refunded to him/her if it is paid before the operation or no payment is requested for the operation. 'Even if the patient is found suitable and the patient is not happy with the doctor for any reason, all our patients have the right to change their doctor or cancel their operation. In such cases they do not have any financial losses also. 'Asking for a deposit is a common practice around the world to cover the costs that will occur before the decision of the operation. 'These costs are welcome at the airport, transfers or hotel cost that will be paid to other companies that will be providing different non medical services to the patients. This is not related to the operation. Patients who are not asking for these services may not pay any deposit.' The spokesman added: 'Your case happened in a non-standard way' and said that issues around doctor access and translation were caused by the way we made our own travel arrangements and insisted on being accompanied. They added: 'No patients are ever pressurised under any circumstances to make any decision. In the past we even had patients who wanted to think a few days after the face to face doctor approval and their requests were accepted. 'But in your case, you left before these tests have been done, before you get the full face to face consultation with your doctor, before the operation suitability has been identified and before you make the decision to have or not to have the operation in the light of all these information.' With additional reporting by Rebecca Whittaker. More than 200 Brits have now been struck down with a rare strain of E. Coli linked to contaminated salad leaves. Food safety chiefs have said they are 'confident' a type of butterhead lettuce, named Apollo, is behind the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug. Exactly how they became contaminated is yet to be established, however. Currently, more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops have been slapped with 'do not eat' alerts over fears they could contain Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC). Yet it is not the first time salad leaves have been blamed for the bug. Studies suggest leafy greens are responsible for half of all E. Coli outbreaks. Food safety chiefs have said they are 'confident' an Apollo type lettuce has caused the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug. Efforts to confirm the root cause, however, are ongoing It has seen over 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops slapped with 'do not eat' alerts over fears they could contain Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) In December, a 17-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire was left fighting for her life after contracting the deadly E. Coli strain. Antonia Hay is believed to have caught STEC-HUS, caused by E. coli O157, from food at a Christmas market in Great Missenden Experts believe lettuce's texture can make it more prone to the bacteria and fact it's not cooked, which would usually kill off bugs, increases the risk. Professor Paul Hunter, a renowned infectious diseases expert from the University of East Anglia told MailOnline: 'During watering during growth allows the potentially contaminated water to rest on the lettuce leaf. 'The rough and waxy surface of the leaf also makes it difficult to wash off E. coli. 'As to whether E. coli can enter the tissue of the lettuce, probably it can, though the evidence is somewhat conflicting. 'The main risk comes from bacteria attached to the leaf surface. Most other vegetables are either peeled or cooked before eating. 'Things like cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers may not be cooked but grow some way off the ground so less likely to be contaminated.' A 2019 review of research co-authored by Professor Hunter, also analysed 35 STEC outbreaks linked to lettuce between 1995 and 2018. Eight were found to have 'poor practice' when processing of the vegetables 'may have contributed to the outbreak', such as insufficient disinfection. A further six were linked to animal faeces near the growing fields. 'Where the type of lettuce was reported it was usually Cos lettuce, though Iceberg and Mesclun lettuce were each implicated in one', Prof Hunter told MailOnline. 'We also found bagged lettuce already prepared for use to be a common factor.' Experts say all salad should be washed thoroughly by immersing in cold water. Storage of vegetables is also key: if salad bags are in the fridge and the temperature is less than four degrees, bacteria will not multiply as rapidly. Experts also say recent wet, warm weather can creates an 'ideal' breeding ground for E. coli to spread. Professor Eileen Wall, head of research at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), a research institution focused on agriculture and life sciences, said: 'Rain can cause contaminated water to splash onto the leaves of the lettuce, while warmth provides a favourable temperature for bacterial proliferation.' The aspiring actress, spent almost two weeks in intensive care, only coming home temporarily on Christmas Day. She had multiple operations - including one to remove part of her bowel and a blood transfusion as her kidneys have been failing, forcing her onto dialysis Antonia's father put out a post on Facebook asking people if they also experienced similar symptoms Bacteria could spread to lettuce through irrigation water particularly if the water is contaminated with faecal matter, she added. Meanwhile, Nicola Holden, a professor of food safety at SRUC, warned humid weather may too have played a part. She said: 'The rainy weather means that for any field grown crops, humidity will be higher within the leaf canopy. 'We know that STEC favours high humid conditions.' The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) typically records around 1,500 STEC confirmed infections in a year. Studies have even shown leafy greens are responsible for up to 58 per cent of E. Coli outbreaks. Experts believe lettuce's texture can make it more prone to the bacteria, with it even getting stuck inside the vegetable Officials, however, have raised the alarm after 211 Brits were struck down with the strain in just over two weeks May 25 to June 11. Of these, 147 were in England, with 27 in Wales and 35 in Scotland. Just two cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland though officials say this individual likely caught the bug in England. At least 67 people have also been admitted to hospital. Victims include children as young as two, though the majority are young adults. The UKHSA has said it expected the number of people falling ill to rise further as it carried out more research using genome sequencing to check which E. coli cases were linked. HOW DO YOU TREAT E. COLI AND WHAT ARE THE KEY SYMPTOMS? E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that normally live in human and animal intestines. Some types are harmless but others can make people seriously ill. Tests have shown that the type in this outbreak is called E.coli STEC O145. It produces a Shiga toxin - which can attack the lining of the gut. Symptoms can include diarrhoea that can be bloody, stomach cramps, fever and vomiting. It usually takes a few days from being infected for symptoms to show. Most people recover well, but some - such as young children or people with underlying health conditions - can become very unwell. There is no specific treatment for E. coli infections. People who are infected can usually be cared for at home and most will get better without medical treatment. It is important to drink plenty of fluids, as diarrhoea can lead to dehydration. In up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP). Advertisement While no bacteria has been found in supermarket products directly, more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads have been recalled as a 'precautionary measure'. STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, and in up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP). In December, a 17-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire was left fighting for her life after contracting the deadly E. Coli strain. Antonia Hay is believed to have caught STEC-HUS, caused by E. coli O157, from food at a Christmas market in Great Missenden. The aspiring actress, spent almost two weeks in intensive care, only coming home temporarily on Christmas Day. She had multiple operations including one to remove part of her bowel and a blood transfusion as her kidneys have been failing, forcing her onto dialysis. It is not known, however, what sort of food led to Antonia contracting the illness. Her older sister Jemima Hay said she was 'lucky to be alive' and described the situation as 'an absolute nightmare that has left our family broken'. She wrote on a GoFundMe page: '[Antonia] has continued to show amazing determination and strength throughout this time, despite the immense stress, pain and trauma - all combined with an extreme phobia of injections. 'She is the youngest person to ever be admitted into the ICU ward she is currently in.' She added: 'She feels as if her dreams have been ripped away from her as her studies on her performing arts course will be severely impacted.' People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E.coli infection. For children under five these can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies. Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week. Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately. A third sandwich manufacturer has taken one of its products off shelves over fears it could be contaminated with E. coli. The 'do not eat' alert was today slapped on a wrap made by vegan company THIS! sold only in WHSmith. It is feared the 'This Isn't Chicken and Bacon wrap' could contain faeces contaminated salad leaves linked to an ongoing outbreak of E. coli. It comes just days after manufacturers Greencore Group and Samworth Brothers Manton Wood recalled more than 60 of their own sandwiches, wraps and salads sold across 10 major UK supermarkets. E. coli usually causes a fever, sickness and diarrhoea. Its symptoms typically fade naturally within days, however vulnerable groups including children may be affected more severely and the food poisoning bug can kill. The 'do not eat' alert was today slapped on a wrap made by vegan company THIS! sold only in WHSmith. It is feared the 'This Isn't Chicken and Bacon wrap' could contain faeces contaminated salad leaves linked to an ongoing outbreak of E. coli It comes just days after manufacturers Greencore Group and Samworth Brothers Manton Wood recalled more than 40 of its own sandwiches, wraps and salads sold across 10 major UK supermarkets The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the THIS! wrap was being 'recalled as a precaution'. The alert impacts date codes on products up to and including June 18. Point of sale notices, which explain to customers why the product is being recalled, will also be displayed in all stores selling the product, the FSA said. It added: 'If you have bought any of the above product do not eat it. 'Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.' More than 200 Brits are now known to have been struck down with the Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug in recent weeks. At least 67 people have been admitted to hospital. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today said a total of 211 cases have been logged between May 25 and June 11. Of these, 147 were in England, with 27 in Wales and 35 in Scotland. Just two cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland though officials say this individual likely caught the bug in England. Victims include children as young as two, though the majority are young adults. The UKHSA has said it expected the number of people falling ill to rise further as it carried out more research using genome sequencing to check which E. coli cases were linked. Darren Whitby, Head of Incidents at the FSA said: 'Sandwich manufacturers are taking a precautionary measure to recall various sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls in response to findings from investigations by the FSA, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UKHSA who are working to identify the cause of an ongoing outbreak caused by STEC. 'This is a complex investigation, and we have worked swiftly with the relevant businesses and the local authorities concerned to narrow down the wide range of foods consumed to a small number of salad leaf products that have been used in sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls. 'Following thorough food chain analysis, these products are being recalled as a precaution.' 'Infections caused by STEC bacteria can cause severe bloody diarrhoea and, in some cases, more serious complications. 'We therefore advise any consumers who have any of these products not to eat them. 'The FSA is here to ensure that food is safe. More than 200 Brits are now known to have been struck down with the Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug in recent weeks 'If there are products on the market that are not, we won't hesitate to take action to remove them.' Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, also said: 'Food safety is the highest priority for our members and those who sell or prepare food are well-versed in food safety measures.' He added: 'Retailers affected are taking swift action to remove these products from sale and are working closely with the FSA to take any further action needed to minimise risk to their customers.' STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, only a few bacteria need to be ingested for a person to become ill. Symptoms of infection include vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea which can last up to two weeks. But in up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP). However, it can also affect other vulnerable groups, including the elderly and immunocompromised. STEC is primarily spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw vegetables that have not been washed or stored correctly or from undercooked meat. It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces, either directly or through contaminated water. People can also pass the bug on through direct content, such as caring for a child who is sick and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands. Vaping may be safer than smoking cigarettes for those trying to quit, but a shocking case of a British teenager who was hospitalised has highlighted the risks. Kyla Blight, 17, from Cumbria, who started the habit when she was 15, had to be rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung linked to her 4,000 puffs a week on vapes (the equivalent of 400 cigarettes). She needed a five-and-a-half hour operation to remove part of her lung. Doctors found that a blister on the surface of the affected organ had burst, creating a hole in her lung wall. Mail+ has talked to experts across the UK who say the health problems that vaping cause are only now becoming apparent. Vapes electronic devices that heat e-liquids containing flavourings, thickening agents, and usually nicotine as well as many other chemicals, to produce an aerosol you then inhale are used by 4.5million Britons. 15 per cent of young people in Britain now use vapes, up from 11.1 per cent three years ago And, increasingly, by young people. Some 15 per cent of those aged between 16 to 24 in the UK now vape up from 11.1 per cent in 2021, according to an Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. In England, e-cigarettes that contain nicotine cannot be legally sold to under-18s. Vaping was brought in as a tool to move people to nicotine-free lives, but unfortunately there has been a rise in vaping on its own which is introducing health risks that wouldnt have occurred otherwise, says Dr Gavin Nye, a senior lecturer in anatomy and physiology at the University of Chester. The Center for Disease Control in the US offers stark advice: If you dont vape, dont start. It points out that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and is a health danger for pregnant people, developing foetuses, and youth. 'Aerosol from e-cigarettes can also contain harmful and potentially harmful substances. These include cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs. These are the are ten potential health risks from bad breath and gum disease, to gut problems, infertility and cancer that have been identified so far. 1 Could be bad for your lungs The aerosol thats released by vapes contains many chemicals that may be dangerous to the lungs. Kyla Blight developed a blister, called a bleb, on her lung. Unlike a blister on your heel, a bleb, which is usually one to two centimetres in diameter, is full of air not fluid. When it burst, the bleb caused a hole in Kylas lung, releasing air into the chest cavity, causing the lung to collapse. Anything that damages the alveoli tiny air sacs in the lungs can cause blebs, including smoking. Vaping has been associated with a blister known as a bleb forming on the lung Vaping may also lead to spontaneous collapsed lung, known as pneumothorax. Pneumothoraces due to electronic cigarettes have been rarely reported so far but the body of literature illustrating an association is growing, according to a paper in Respiratory Medicine Case Reports in 2021. Vaping has also been linked to lipoid pneumonia, where the alveoli fill with dead white blood cells laden with fatty material this in turn causes inflammation and infection in the airways. This build-up of white blood cells is believed to be due to the glycerol, which is used in e-liquids to help create thicker vapour. Meanwhile, growing evidence suggests there may be a link between vaping and lung cancer, although this is not proven. A recent review of studies, published in the journal Cancers last September, concluded that vapes were a highly potential risk factor for lung cancer and an area of significant concern for the future. Evidence is mounting that lung cancer is linked to glycerol in vapes, says Dr Nye. In the past, its always been strongly suggested that vaping is not carcinogenic, unlike smoking tobacco, but now the evidence seems to finally be coming to light that toxins in vapes may be linked to cancer. Glycerol is safe to consume. However, when heated in vapes, it can form the carcinogen formaldehyde, which is then inhaled into the lungs, causing cellular damage which can lead to cancer. According to the American Cancer Society: Makers of e-cigarettes often claim the ingredients are safe. But the aerosols that these products produce can contain addictive nicotine, flavourings, and a variety of other chemicals, some known to be toxic or to cause cancer. The levels of many of these substances appear to be lower than in traditional cigarettes, but the amounts of nicotine and other substances in these products can vary widely because they are not standardised. Vaping has been linked to various types of cancer, including head and neck cancers, lung cancer and female breast cancer, as well as blood, prostate, and bladder cancers, says Professor Kefah Mokbel, a consultant breast surgeon based at the London Breast Institute. He points to animal and lab studies on cells that suggest that vaping may produce the kinds of DNA damage, inflammation and other biological alarm bells that are known to precede a tumour. In one study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mice were exposed to vaping aerosol for 54 weeks, and were found to develop lung and bladder cancer much more often than their non-vaping counterparts. The evidence on cancer and vaping, while based on lab studies, is robust says Professor Mokbel but he admits more research is needed to assess the impact of e-cigarettes on cancer rates. 2 ...and for hearts Once inhaled, the nicotine in e-liquid rapidly enters your bloodstream from your lungs, and causes your body to release adrenaline, a hormone that raises your pulse, blood pressure and breathing rate. A typical 20mg/ml disposable vape, with 40mg of nicotine, is equivalent of smoking one or two packs of 20 cigarettes. According to Julie Ward, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation: Nicotine is a problem for people with heart disease. It raises the heart rate, contradicting the goal of most treatments. If you have heart disease and are using nicotine replacements, such as vapes, speak to your GP first. There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can be a useful tool to help smokers to quit, and that, in the short term at least, theyre less harmful to cardiovascular health than tobacco cigarettes. But this does not mean they are risk-free. They should not be used by those who have never smoked. Chris Pepper, a consultant cardiologist and clinical director of Cardio-Respiratory Clinical Service Unit at Leeds General Infirmary, told Mail+: I always recommend that patients quit smoking and vaping nicotine for the sake of their heart health, adding that nicotine is associated with inflammation and damage to cells, known precursors to raised risk of cardiovascular problems. Separately, research presented at the American Heart Association conference last October showed that e-cigarette users regularly exposed to nicotine consistently performed worse than non-vapers on treadmill tests designed to predict heart disease risk with effects similar to those seen with cigarettes. 3 ...and your brain Our brains appear to be highly sensitive to the effects of e-cigarette chemicals, especially nicotine. Vaping is linked to mental fog, according to two studies from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the US, published in Tobacco Induced Disease and Plos One in 2020. These studies found that both adults and children who vape were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than their non-vaping, non-smoking peers with children more likely to experience mental fog if they started vaping before the age of 14. These were the first studies that showed brain effects of vaping in humans. However, the authors pointed out that the studies only showed a link and did not prove causation it could be that people who report mental fog are simply more likely to smoke or vape possibly to self-medicate. 4 and for your gut health The gut wall prevents harmful microbes in the digestive tract migrating into the bloodstream. A study published in the journal Science in 2021 found that the chemicals in nicotine-free vape liquids could disrupt this protective barrier, leading to a problem called leaky gut, which in turn can lead to chronic inflammation. Such inflammation can contribute to a variety of diseases and conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, dementia, certain cancers, atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries], liver fibrosis [thickening and scarring of liver tissue], diabetes and arthritis, said Aditi Sharma, an immunologist at the University of California, San Francisco, involved in the research. The findings were based on lab studies with human gut cells and then mice, with the cells exposed to vaping liquid intended to mimic the amount used by a chronic vaper. We found that vaping adversely affects the gut by causing inflammation, primarily by attacking the tight junction proteins, the guards that keep the cells of gut tight and in place this eventually causes a leaky gut, which allows easy passage of its constituents into bloodstream. Vaping triggers something like a more severe form of IBS, she told Mail+. 5 and for your immunity Worrying findings published in 2024 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that inhaling e-cigarette smoke could damage neutrophils: When bacteria or viruses enter the body, neutrophils in the blood are one of the first immune cells to respond. The findings are important as previous research has shown that damage caused to neutrophils by cigarette smoking can lead to long-term lung damage. Researchers from the University of Birmingham took blood samples from healthy donors who had never smoked or vaped their neutrophils were then exposed to 40 puffs of unflavoured vape vapour (an amount previous studies have shown is a low daily exposure). The neutrophils remained alive but were stuck in place, rendering them incapable of effectively tackling threats to the body such as to E.coli. Dr Aaron Scott, associate professor in respiratory science at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the study, said: We found that after short, low-level exposure to e-cigarette vapour, the cells remain alive but can no longer move as effectively and are unable to carry out their normal protective functions. Interestingly, vapour from e-liquids which did not contain nicotine also had the same negative effects as vapour from e-liquids which did contain nicotine. 6 and for your teeth and gums The nicotine in vapes can stain your teeth and lead to bad breath, gum disease, receding gums and even oral cancer, suggests Meryvn Druian, a dentist at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry. Nicotine causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels in the mouth and reduces oxygenated blood reaching the gums, he explains. Over time, this can lead to tissue receding back, which can lead to tooth loss. A recent review of studies published in the journal Medicina concluded that there is ample evidence establishing a connection between vaping smoke and an increased risk of developing gingivitis and periodontal disease. The use of the vape pen [ie, device] can introduce certain bacteria that contribute to the development of oral diseases in our body. In addition, there are studies that suggest that quitting vaping could be associated with an improvement in oral health. A selection of vapes on sale in a shop in Halifax. Some 4.5million Britons now use them The mouth needs a healthy balance of bacteria and vaping can change this, Dr Druain told Mail+. And e-cigarette users experience similar DNA changes to specific cheek cells as smokers, according to a new study led by researchers at University College London and University of Innsbruck published by Cancer Research. The lead author, Dr Chiara Herzog, said: This is the first study to investigate the impact of smoking and vaping on different kinds of cells rather than just blood. We cannot say that e-cigarettes cause cancer based on our study, but.[the changes the researchers observed] are associated with future lung cancer development in smokers. 7 and for your fertility, both in women and men Women should give up vaping if they are hoping to become pregnant, suggests a study by University College London presented at the Fertility 2024 conference in Edinburgh in January. Analysis of blood samples from 8,340 women revealed that those who vaped or smoked tobacco had lower levels of anti-Mullerian hormone, which indicates how many eggs women have left in their ovaries. The studys author, Dr Helen ONeill, a lecturer in reproductive and molecular genetics, said women should be advised to quit to avoid undermining their chances of getting pregnant. Dr Nye adds: Nicotine disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which regulates reproduction and fertility, ultimately impacting on the hormones controlling the reproductive system including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and cortisol. Also, nicotine is known to be a powerful vasoconstrictor, which means it causes the blood vessels to contract, and that can impair erectile function, and disrupt the blood flow to the uterus, he adds. Although human studies are lacking currently, animal studies show impacted embryo development, damaged sperm DNA and damaged testes due to the flavouring chemicals in vapes. 8 ...and for your bladder Studies have shown that the heated aerosols contain thousands of chemicals, including arsenic and lead, nickel, formaldehyde, and benzene (a toxic compound found in petroleum). At least 63 toxic or carcinogenic biomarkers were identified in the urine of e-cigarette users, including those linked to bladder cancer. In one study, mice exposed to e-cigarette aerosol for three months developed carcinogenic DNA changes in the bladder and lungs. Evidence shows that around 45 per cent of all bladder cancer cases are linked to smoking but there is still no definitive evidence linking vaping to bladder cancer. Effectively, the toxins from cigarette smoke and elsewhere are absorbed through the lungs and broken down in the bloodstream, says Hugh Mostafid, a consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, explaining the potential mechanism. If not absorbed by cells, these are eventually eliminated from the body in urine via the kidneys. Urine contains toxins in high concentrations and these CAN sit for a prolonged period of time, up to 5-6 hours in the bladder, irritating the bladder lining. Over time, this can lead to mutations in the cells which then become cancerous. 9 ...and for your skin Smoking has been linked to a number of skin conditions including acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines or wrinkles. While there is less data about vaping, nicotine in vapes is the main concern, according to consultant dermatologist Justine Hextall, who is based in Arundel in West Sussex. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the skin which means that less oxygen reaches the cells and essential nutrients are in shorter supply. This all contributes to premature ageing. Nicotine also decreases collagen production, leading to decreased skin elasticity and more visible wrinkles. Some people may be allergic to additives in vape e-liquid which can cause contact dermatitis, Dr Hextall told Mail+. The evidence for smoking being linked to acne (thought to be because it triggers inflammation) is mixed while a small study published in 2015 found that smokers, especially males, have a higher risk of developing acne, a larger review of studies in 2021 found no significant difference in acne between people who vaped and non-vapers, she says. 10 and it could be bad for your muscles Most e-cigarette products contain nicotine, which has been shown to have negative effects on muscle growth and physical performance. Nicotine has been linked to an increase in myostatin, a hormone that inhibits muscle growth, reduces the strength of the muscles and prevents the toning of muscles, says Dr Nye. Its been known since the early 2000s that nicotine levels directly influence muscle growth and protein formation, as a result partly of the inflammation caused and its highly likely that vaping will follow suit. The school half-term holidays may have worsened the UK's E. coli outbreak, experts warned today. More than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops have already been slapped with 'do not eat' alerts over fears they could contain faeces contaminated salad leaves. The bug which is 'much worse' in children usually causes a fever, sickness and diarrhoea. Its symptoms typically fade naturally within days. More than 200 Brits are now known to have been struck down with E. coli, although scientists fear this figure will rise. Many of these products are now believed to have been sold during half-term, which fell for most schools around the week beginning Monday, May 25. More than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops have already been slapped with 'do not eat' alerts over fears they could contain faeces contaminated salad leaves The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said the recalls, affecting shops including Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Co-op, Tesco, are a 'precautionary step'. They are believed to contain a certain variety of salad leaf. The alert impacts date codes on products up to and including June 14, 15, 16 and 18 People can also pass the bug on through direct content, such as caring for a child who is sick and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands. People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E.coli infection Dr Sarah Pitt, a virologist at the University of Brighton, told BBC Breakfast: 'I was looking at the dates and it's possibly half-term, or the weeks just around schools' half-term, so people may have been out and about doing slightly different things. 'Then you are saying "what were you doing on Wednesday two, or three weeks ago? What did you have for lunch?" People have got to remember. 'Be mindful of those around you, because this illness is much worse in children, the elderly and people who have an underlying condition with their immune system.' She added: 'If you do have diarrhoea, just try not to pass it on to other people, be very careful about your own health, but also be mindful of the people around you because this illness is much worse in young children, elderly, people who have some underlying condition in their immune system as we often see with these infectious diseases. 'So just keep an eye out for people that you know, just to make sure they're not getting any worse if they have diarrhoea as well.' But she said it was often 'really complicated' to trace the source of the bacteria because those becoming sick usually do not present to hospital until a couple of weeks after eating the contaminated food. Precautions can be taken to avoid infection, she added, including washing salad leaves, fruit and vegetables - even if the packaging says they are pre-washed. Latest figures show 211 Brits have been infected with the Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug in recent weeks. At least 67 people have been admitted to hospital. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today said a total of 211 cases have been logged between May 25 and June 11. Of these, 147 were in England, with 27 in Wales and 35 in Scotland. Just two cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland though officials say this individual likely caught the bug in England. Victims include children as young as two, though the majority are young adults. Experts have blamed uncommonly wet weather of the past few months for creation conditions meaning E. coli can spread more easily in lettuce and similar salad leaves. The 'do not eat' alert was today slapped on a wrap made by vegan company THIS! sold only in WHSmith. It is feared the 'This Isn't Chicken and Bacon wrap' could contain faeces contaminated salad leaves linked to an ongoing outbreak of E. coli Point of sale notices, which explain to customers why the product is being recalled, will also be displayed in all stores selling the product, the FSA said 'Do not eat' alerts have been slapped on products made by Greencore, who produce 1.7million sandwiches daily making them the world's largest manufacturer. Separate warnings have also been issued for sandwiches made by Samworth Brothers Manton Wood and vegan company THIS!. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said the recalls, affecting shops including Asda, Boots, Morrisons, Co-op, Tesco, are a 'precautionary step'. On Saturday it added it was 'confident' an Apollo type lettuce has caused the outbreak, but that efforts to confirm the cause are ongoing. The alert impacts date codes on products up to and including June 14, 15, 16 and 18. Point of sale notices, which explain to customers why the product is being recalled, will also be displayed in all stores selling the product, the FSA said. Asda's 'Smoky Beans and Cheddar Cheese Wrap' is another of the 60-plus sandwiches, wraps and salads affected by the recall It added: 'If you have bought any of the above product do not eat it. 'Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.' STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, only a few bacteria need to be ingested for a person to become ill. In up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS. In 2019 a two-year-old British girl died after contracting E. coli food poisoning while on holiday in Tukey. Allie Birchall, two, developed the severe illness five days after returning home to Manchester, following a stay at a luxury resort near to Antayla In up to 15 per cent of E. coli cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS. Allie Birchall developed the severe illness five days after returning home to Manchester, following a stay at a luxury resort near to Antayla. The family had travelled to Turkey with tour operator Jet2 Holidays. Her family were forced to turn off Allies life support machine just two weeks after their holiday because of brain complications caused by the illness. Mum Katie Dawson said she'd had concerns about hygiene at the resort, including faeces in a swimming pool and food which had not been properly heated. She said: 'Food was sometimes left uncovered and occasionally served lukewarm, and there were birds occasionally flying around it,' she said. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). STEC is primarily spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw vegetables that have not been washed or stored correctly or from undercooked meat. It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces, either directly or through contaminated water. Her family were forced to turn off Allies life support machine just two weeks after their holiday because of brain complications caused by the illness People can also pass the bug on through direct content, such as caring for a child who is sick and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands. People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection. For children under five these can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies. Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week. Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately. The US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has demanded a health warning be placed on social media apps to protect children from a 'mental health crisis'. Writing in The New York Times, Murthy slammed social media as an 'important contributor' to widespread social and psychological issues. 'Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours,' he said. He is calling for a warning label - similar to those placed on cigarettes - to be attached to apps saying parents feel 'helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms.' The label would require Congressional approval but Murthy says the measure has bipartisan support. The US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has demanded a health warning be placed on social media apps to protect children from a 'mental health crisis' A label alone would not 'make social media safe for young people' but it is a good start, he said. 'When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their childrens social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes.' The first surgeon general's warning was added in 1965, placing a label on cigarettes warning they were linked to lung cancer and other health issues. Since then, labels have been added to products which pose significant health risks to the public. Murthy says social media now needs a similar warning. 'There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids,' he said. 'There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.' A label alone would not 'make social media safe for young people' but it is a good start, Murthy said Exclusive: Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks on TODAY about his push for social media to require a warning label and the mental health concerns of social media. A warning label would help parents to understand these risks, @Surgeon_General tells @SavannahGuthrie. pic.twitter.com/YAz7fb8mJ8 TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 17, 2024 Murthy said parents have told him time and time again how concerned they are about the time their children spend online and the impacts it has on their health and mental wellbeing. He said: 'As a father of a 6- and a 7-year-old who have already asked about social media, I worry about how my wife and I will know when to let them have accounts. 'How will we monitor their activity, given the increasingly sophisticated techniques for concealing it?' Murthy said we need legislation from Congress to 'shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds'. He added: 'The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use.' As well as the legislation, parents should band together to agree that they won't let their children use social media until they are 16 or 17, he said, making it easier as no child is 'left out'. Murthy said: 'Parents should work together with other families to establish shared rules, so no parents have to struggle alone or feel guilty when their teens say they are the only one who has to endure limits.' A young woman born without a crucial part of her digestive system and urinary tract has detailed the medical ordeal that's plagued her young life. Model Anja Christoffersen, now 25, suffers a congenital condition in which the urinary, genital, and digestive tracts converge, leaving her with a single opening in the pelvis where there should be three. The disfigurement called cloaca affects one in 50,000 girls, and means women like Anja are born with two vaginal canals, as well as two wombs, despite the singular opening. In a series of TikTok clips, the young woman describes the devastating toll the condition has had upon her body; including 25 operations and life-long problems with incontinence, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. The 25-year-old Australian model was born without an anus and two vaginal canals and uteruses She has detailed her condition on TikTok. The condition she has is rare, affecting around one in 50,000 (though she says 5,000) and tends to occur randomly 'I grew up with the belief that I could do whatever I set my mind to, despite my congenital condition,' she said in her video, adding that her grandmother and mother told her the illness didn't define her at a young age. 'It doesnt have to have an impact on your quality of life and the dreams that you can achieve.' Ms Christoffersen is now a fashion model, walking the runways in Amsterdam's Fashion Week. She also advocates for other people suffering the congenital condition. When a fetus develops, the single channel for the genital, digestive, and urinary tracts separate. But in cases of cloaca, this separation process does not occur, resulting in a single opening for passing waste. Her first surgery was performed almost immediately after birth, and saw doctors perform a colostomy and vesicostomy to create openings in the abdominal wall to allow for the passage of stool and urine. At seven months old, doctors operated on her pelvis, creating a cut all the way to her spine to separate the three tracts and create the standard three holes. She has since had about 24 additional surgeries including those to reconstruct the pelvis and deal with abdominal issues among others. And urinary and bowel incontinence is a constant struggle, as she does not have natural muscles in her rectum or anus. Ms Christoffersen was also born with an underdeveloped esophagus, meaning food could not reach her stomach. An abnormal connection between the trachea and the esophagus allowed food to enter the airways. All of this was repaired at birth. She said: When I was younger, I was in and out of hospital with chest and urinary infections, chronic constipation as I do not have natural bowel contractions, further medical imaging, treatment and surgeries. At seven months old, doctors operated on her pelvis, creating a cut from the front all the way to her spine, separating the urinary, genital, and digestive tracts and creating new holes connecting them She has since undergone 24 surgeries, including those on her abdomen and pelvic reconstruction procedures At one year of age, I began doing daily rectal washouts [enemas] to induce bowel contractions and give me social continence. Otherwise, my bowel was like a tap that was turned on and would flow constantly or totally off and blocked up. Even with these washouts I would still have accidents in day-to-day life. She also faces some chronic pain and other ongoing issues related to her bowels, reproductive and urinary systems. Doctors do not know for sure what causes the cloacal anomaly, but it is believed to occur randomly. GOT A HEALTH-RELATED STORY? EMAIL: Health@dailymail.com Advertisement Cloacal abnormalities can cause incontinence and a predisposition to urinary tract infections. They can also lead to constipation, bowel obstruction, and spinal abnormalities. Cloacal abnormalities can also cause urine to travel back up into the kidneys, leading to damage. It can be detected via ultrasound during pregnancy, as was Ms Christoffersens case but is most often diagnosed when the baby is born. She said: 'I was lucky to be diagnosed early, so the doctors could prepare for my arrival. They were uncertain of the severity of my condition however were able to get a good team together in preparation for my birth.' The condition has been likened to having the pelvis of a doll by Allison Wadsworth, whose eight-year-old daughter was also born without an anus or vagina. Mrs Wadsworth said: 'She was like a doll. She had the little line of a girl and then nothing. Just pure, smooth skin. Green energy: Norway's huge sovereign wealth fund has bought a 37.5% stake in Race Bank wind farm some 17 miles off the Norfolk coast Norway's huge sovereign wealth fund has ploughed 330million into a wind farm in British waters. Norges Bank Investment Management, which is valued at 1.3trillion, has bought a 37.5 per cent stake in Race Bank, some 17 miles north of Blakeney Point in Norfolk. The deal with sellers Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) and Spring Infrastructure Capital, which also includes a debt facility, values the North Sea wind farm at around 2.6billion. Danish giant Orsted will remain a 50pc owner and operator of the wind farm, while Arjun Infrastructure Partners will continue as co-investor for 12.5 per cent. Race Bank opened in 2018 and generates enough green energy to power half a million homes. Jonathan Duffy, of MAM Green Investments, said: Supporting Race Bank has been a great journey London has regained its crown as Europes biggest stock market after political turmoil in France sent shares in Paris tumbling. In a major boost for the City, data compiled by Bloomberg showed UK stocks are valued at 2.51 trillion. That is more than the 2.47 trillion collective valuation of those listed in France after a rout last week that saw the Cac 40 index in Paris fall by more than 6 per cent. It was one of the largest weekly declines for more than two decades and means London is back on top spot, having lost its crown to Paris 18 months ago. However, the figures highlight the difference between the major European exchanges and the US, where Apple and Microsoft are both valued at almost 2.6 trillion each. Capital assets: In a major boost for the City, data compiled by Bloomberg showed UK stocks are valued at 2.51 trillion The biggest company on the London market is AstraZeneca, with a value of 193billion, while in Paris, Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is the largest at 320billion. Shares in Paris have been hammered since president Emmanuel Macron last week called a snap election following a bruising setback in European polls that saw his Renaissance party trounced by Marine Le Pens far-Right Rassemblement National (RN). Analysts warned the outcome of the looming election remained highly uncertain. Investors are concerned that RNs big spending plans could trigger a French debt crisis. Shares in French banks Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole all big holders of government debt fell more than 10 per cent last week. Sterling is also trading around its highest levels against the euro for almost two years as Macrons decision continues to reverberate on financial markets. We are in a period where there are no certainties for three to four weeks and the market could unfortunately become more unstable, said Alberto Tocchio, fund manager at Kairos Partners. By contrast, the outcome of the UK election looks far more certain, such is the Labour lead in the polls. London overtaking Paris will be seen as another welcome sign that the City is fighting back amid heightened concerns about its status as a leading global financial hub. The UK stock market is widely seen as undervalued leaving companies vulnerable to foreign bidders on the hunt for a bargain, while other firms look to list elsewhere such as in New York. But there are signs that the tide is starting to turn and shares in computer maker Raspberry Pi have soared more than 55 per cent since it listed in London last week, giving it a value of almost 850million. The FTSE 100 index hit a string of record highs last month. The Cac 40 was also at all-time highs earlier this year but has given up its gains and is now broadly flat since the start of 2024. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said Macrons election gamble could backfire, given the far-Right is rising high in the polls. Boss: Greensill Capital, led by financier Lex Greensill (pictured) collapsed in 2021 UBS will take a 700million hit after offering to pay back investors caught up in the collapse of finance firm Greensill Capital. The Swiss banking giant has offered to pay the former Credit Suisse customers 90 per cent of the value of the Greensill-linked funds. UBS took over scandal-plagued Credit Suisse last year when it was on the verge of a collapse that threatened to send shockwaves through the global banking sector. UBS inherited a series of issues from its former rival. Among them was the collapse three years ago of 8billion in supply chain finance funds linked to UK firm Greensill Capital. Greensills business model involved supplying short-term finance, which meant companies could pay suppliers more quickly. These loans were packaged up and sold to investors, via Credit Suisse. The investors would buy a share of the loans package and cash in when they were repaid. The loans were insured. But in March 2021, Greensills main insurer Tokio Marine decided not to renew its policy, precipitating its collapse days later. Credit Suisse has recovered some of the funds but 2billion remains outstanding. UBS said yesterday that it has made an offer to buy back fund units sold to investors, at 90 per cent of the net asset value determined on February 25, 2021, minus any payments they had already received since then. It opened yesterday and will remain available until July 31. The 700million cost of the scheme will be taken from the 3billion pot set aside when UBS acquired Credit Suisse to cover potential litigation and regulatory costs. Greensill was one of a litany of entanglements that ensnared Credit Suisse in the period leading up to its own demise. Weakened by more than 100billion being pulled out by jittery customers in the space of just months, it succumbed last year after a regional banking crisis in the US. The Greensill episode was embarrassing for Foreign Secretary and former Prime Minister Lord Cameron. After quitting as PM, he advised Greensills boss, financier Lex Greensill, and was criticised by MPs for a significant lack of judgment in trying to secure access to taxpayer-backed Covid loan schemes for the firm. Nearly every time President Joe Biden appears in public these days, he fuels the chatter: Will aging Joe bow out of the 2024 race? Will he be forced to step aside? In the latest incident, former president Barack Obama was seen on Saturday reaching for Biden's hand and seemingly guiding the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief off the stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser. And that came after Biden stood motionless and stared blankly for a full minute at a Juneteenth celebration at the White House on Monday, as others sang and danced around him. Eventually, Philonise Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd, noticed Biden's concerning pause and wrapped his arm around him to help. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates is denying that Biden froze in the viral video, calling it a 'cheap fake memo' being spewed by the media. But it seems no matter how much cold water the Biden campaign or Democratic Party throw on this raging fire of speculation, Americans will not be put off the Great Joe Biden Replacement Theory. It's the idea that somehow, some way the President will be swapped out as the Democratic Party's candidate ahead of the 2024 election. 'Dropping out would be a big risk. But there's some threshold below which continuing to run is a bigger risk,' polling guru Nate Silver wrote on social media last week. 'Are we there yet? I don't know. But it's more than fair to ask.' Last week, Biden stood motionless and stared blankly for nearly a full minute at a Juneteenth celebration at the White House, as people around him sang and danced to the music. Silver, founder of the website FiveThirtyEight, noted that Biden's average approval rating had reached a new low of 37.4 percent. And chief among voter concerns is Biden's age, which Silver concluded to be, 'an extremely understandable concern, [as] Biden looks/acts his age and is a huge outlier to ask for the job until 86 [years old].' Atlantic columnist Mark Leibovich cruelly stamped the President 'Ruth Bader Biden' earlier this month. That's a reference to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who once angered some liberals by refusing to retire during Barack Obama's presidency and subsequently passed away during Donald Trump's term, allowing the Republican president to nominate a conservative justice. And James Carville, the political mastermind behind Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns, said flat-out this month that Biden should not have run for re-election. Now, a last-ditch effort by Biden's backers to silence his critics inside the party may prove to be his ultimate undoing. According to Democratic bigwig, Obama campaign guru David Axelrod, the Biden team scheduled one of the earliest presidential debates in history (June 27 on CNN) to prove to naysayers that Joe's not going anywhere. But the gambit carries tremendous risk. While an efficient debate performance by Biden could help rally Democrats behind him - a significant misstep would only stoke more replacement chatter. Former Clinton advisor and polling expert Mark Penn suggested the CNN debate will be Biden's last chance to reassure voters he's fit for the job. On Saturday, video of former President Barack Obama reaching for Biden's hand and seemingly guiding the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief off the stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser went viral. While an efficient debate performance by Biden could help rally Democrats behind him - a significant misstep would only stoke more replacement chatter. (Above) President Trump and Joe Biden during the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio on September 29, 2020 'They have deliberately thrown down the gauntlet for an early debate,' Penn said, 'and I think that's gonna be the point at which Americans judge: is he ready for another term or not.' Now DailyMail.com has learned that if Joe stumbles in that first face-off with Trump or if his polling numbers keep falling, it'll take a united front of the liberal grandees to make Joe throw in the towel. 'The only people who could force him out would be Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer,' one Democratic strategist told DailyMail.com. 'It would have to be the four of them collectively.' And the process would be high risk. One consultant theatrically described the difficulty level of replacing their candidate as similar to trying to turn that doomed container ship that careened into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in May. That sad story ended with a total collapse and six deaths. But other party insiders concede that the candidate swap could work if everything was carefully planned and executed. Political columnist Joe Klein theorized in a recent newsletter that if Biden were to stand down, 'a vigorous young candidate don't ask me who could win over the country with a single convention speech' in August.' In Klein's scenario, the Democratic party savior would deliver an Obama-esque inspirational speech, akin to Barack's famous 2004 Democratic Convention address, that would quickly bring together disaffected Democrats and moderate independents. DailyMail.com has learned that if Joe stumbles in that first face-off with Trump or if his polling numbers keep falling, it'll take a united front of the liberal grandees to make Joe throw in the towel. One consultant theatrically described the difficulty level of replacing their candidate as similar to trying to turn that doomed container ship that careened into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in May. Plus, wrote Klein, the Democratic Party's prodigious dislike of Trump would unite any disaffected factions behind a new nominee. However, there's another potential complication. As the recognized leader of the Democratic Party, a stubborn Biden could refuse to step down and fight on to Election Day, even as the party grows more exasperated with his performance. Biden is fiercely proud of his first-term accomplishments, which he dubiously boasts are more significant than other modern president's triumphs. Though to be fair, Biden was the one who beat Trump in 2020. Additionally, while Biden respects former House Speaker Pelosi, Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, his growing resentment of Obama has become painfully clear. The former president famously backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 over Biden in the Democratic primary and even reportedly tried to stop his vice president from running in 2020. Ironically, both Barack and Michelle Obama appear to have intentionally kept their distance from the Biden White House - knowing that their public appearances trigger nostalgia for the days when voters liked their nominees. Barack Obama made a brief appearance at the White House state dinner for the Kenyan president in late May and Michelle was nowhere in sight. Mrs. Obama, who has no close personal feelings for the Bidens, according to one well-connected Democratic source, flat-out ignored the invitation. That troubling incident at the Democratic fundraiser held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night only underscored the concerning optics for the Biden campaign. The video shows Biden giving the audience a thumbs up before rigidly staring out over the crowd. Obama, still smiling and waving, takes Biden by the wrist and gives him a gentle tug to walk off stage. On Monday, in response to this article, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi reiterated her support for the President, telling the Mail that, 'Speaker Pelosi has full confidence in President Biden.' The Democratic party machine has now elected to hold an online nomination, complete with a 'virtual roll call,' to formally select Biden as their nominee ahead of the DNC convention in Chicago in mid-August. Part of the reason to go 'virtual' is to ensure a more controlled process should the party decide to select a replacement candidate. In that case, top Democratic leaders would quietly draft the substitute nominee in advance. That person would not be Vice President Kamala Harris, according to sources, who observed that Harris has already had to fend off a push to replace her on the ticket. 'It doesn't just become Kamala. Kamala only becomes the nominee if Biden dies,' one blunt consultant said. Another Democratic political insider believes that Harris has failed so badly as vice president that she has made it nearly impossible for Biden to step aside because the party would have to contend with progressive blowback over passing over the potential first black woman president. But if not Harris, then who? Democratic leaders would quietly draft the substitute nominee in advance. That person would not be Vice President Kamala Harris, according to sources. 'It doesn't just become Kamala. Kamala only becomes the nominee if Biden dies,' one blunt consultant said. Strategists theorize that Democrats would have to hold a public event to symbolically transfer power to the new candidate. Biden, Obama, Clinton, Schumer, and Pelosi would publicly introduce and endorse the anointed nominee. They would also have to convince Harris to throw her support behind the substitute, which would be a painful experience for someone so fiercely protective of their political future. And the Biden Replacement would also be a risk for the replacement nominee. If he or should took up the party banner and then lost to Trump in November, their political careers may never recover. All Democrats may have some painful decisions ahead. Biden has said that American democracy is on the line in the 2024 election. If his party becomes convinced that he'll lose, they'll feel compelled to take drastic perhaps even unimaginable action. Photos filed by Williams show the two together at social gatherings months later The Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper fired for allegedly filming a sexual encounter with a female friend then circulating the footage without her consent has given her account of events - as DailyMail.com can reveal new details about both the incident and her accuser. Court documents, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, set down Ivana Williams's robust defense and show that her accuser is 39-year-old mother-of-two and former secretary for Brandon Police Department - a woman Williams regarded as a friend and with whom she maintained a close relationship for months after the alleged assault occurred. Last week, Williams told DailyMail.com that she would never have been fired if she were a man, while insiders painted a picture of a police department riddled with sexual impropriety and double standards. Fisackerly has brought an $11 million federal lawsuit for damages allegedly inflicted on her during the incident which, she says, she was too intoxicated to consent or fully remember. Now, details contained in papers from December 2023, when Fisackerly filed for a restraining order against Williams in Rankin County Chancery Court, paint a very different picture. Legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com have identified the other woman in Ivana Williams's (left) sex tape as 39-year-old MHP administrative assistant Brynne Fisackerly (right) Fisackerly (left) claimed Williams (right) sexually assaulted her and recorded her without consent - despite continually being seen together after the incident - including taking photos with Silas 'Si' Robertson (center) of Duck Dynasty According to Fisackerly the night in question took place in November 2022. She claims the women went out for drinks, she became intoxicated and, 'much of the rest of the evening was a blur.' She stated that she, 'suspected something sexual had occurred when she woke up the next morning in bed without any clothes on.' And said that, 'While she had no real recollection of the exact events that took place, she did have faint memories of a sexual encounter between herself and Ivanna [sic].' Fisackerly claimed that when she questioned Williams about the night, she told her she had 'recorded the encounter with her phone withoutknowledge or consent.' She claimed she heard nothing else about the video until May 2023 when Williams admitted that she had shared the video with her then boyfriend and that, over the next couple of months she learned that the video had been 'transmitted many times and many people either had possession of the video or had seen it.' The account bears little resemblance to Williams's version which she backed up with a string of exhibits entered into evidence and seen here for the first time. According to Williams the night in question was in January or February 2023. She said that Fiskackerly invited her for drinks at a local oyster bar known for its 'cocktails, live music scene and party atmosphere' but that she declined and the two agreed instead to have dinner at 'an upscale [steak] restaurant.' While at dinner the women were joined by two unnamed men. The four went onto Tico's Restaurant where they continued to drink before traveling to one of the men's homes in Jackson, some 10 miles from Brandon before heading to back to Williams' house. Williams stated that during this drive that she heard Brynne say: 'If anybody's gonna get some p**** tonight, it's gonna be me.' Fisackerly (left) said she does not remember most of the night in question and asked Williams (right) to delete the recording, which Williams admitted to sharing with her then boyfriend Williams (center left) said Fisackerly (left) gave her permission to video the encounter to send to her married lover, Brad McLendon, then later found out his wife discovered the clip Williams (left) defense includes dozens of pictures with Fisackerly (right) in a host of social situations after the alleged assault took place. They were pictured happily posing together with Duck Dynasty alum Willie Robertson (center) While all had been drinking, Williams insisted that Fisackerly was not impaired to the point where her body or cognitive capabilities were limited. In fact, she stated, Fisackerly was the 'aggressor' who made a move on her. Williams then asked if she could video the encounter to send to her married lover, Brad McLendon, who is also named in Fisackerly's federal suit. According to Williams, Fisackerly agreed. Williams then 'got up from her bed, retrieved her phone, and turned a lamp on for better quality video.' Afterwards Fisackerly stayed the night. The document continues, 'The next morning [they] watched the video and the pair spent time together on Williams's couch until Williams had to leave for work.' At the time Fisackerly was a board member of SIPPI Girls, a non-profit women's empowerment organization founded by Williams, and she remained firm friends with Williams long after this supposed incident. Pictures seen by DailyMail.com show Williams and Fisackerly in a host of social situations with high profile figures many months after the alleged assault took place. They were pictured happily posing together with Duck Dynasty alum Willie Robertson and his uncle Silas 'Si' Robertson at their West Monroe, Louisiana property some 135 miles west of the women's respective homes in Brandon, Mississippi. Attorneys for Williams presented these pictures as proof of their client's claim that she and Fisackerly took trips together months after the alleged assault took place. According to Williams the only person to whom she ever sent the video was McLendon, himself a former MHP trooper. She insists this was done with Fisackerly's knowledge and permission. Williams later learned that her lover's wife had found the video in his deleted messages, a fact she shared with Fisackerly. Court documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the two women's very different accounts of the night One well-placed source told DailyMail.com, 'It was only after that that Brynne started talking about any assault or being videoed without her consent. 'She was embarrassed, and she was trying to get ahead of the narrative by spinning her own story. This is Mississippi - woman on woman or man on man still isn't okay here. 'She felt humiliated, but the irony is she was the one who went around telling everybody about the thing she supposedly wanted to keep secret.' Fisackerly filed a complaint with the Attorney General last November, one day after the story of the incident found its way onto a local gossip website. This complaint has not resulted in any criminal charges and Williams co-operated fully with the investigation that followed. Her application for the restraining order case was dismissed with prejudice when Fisackerly failed to show up for a court date. Williams was let go from MHP in February following an internal investigation in which she was also accused of viewing porn sites on her state issued phone and having an open can of beer in her patrol car. In her appeal against this action Williams, who had a blemish less career in law enforcement and was regularly used for recruiting drives, denied both these claims and stated that her dismissal was retaliation for a complaint she filed in January over an unexplained transfer to a post in Bolivar County, 100 miles from the Brandon home she shares with her children. At the time Fisackerly (left) was a board member of SIPPI Girls, a non-profit women's empowerment organization founded by Williams (right) Williams has filed a countersuit against Fisackerly demanding $20million for the damage she says the allegations have done to her reputation and business relationships Williams has appealed her firing from the Mississippi Highway Patrol claiming it was retaliatory and discrimination She said the investigation was riddled with double-standards and bereft of any factual basis. She told DailyMail.com, 'What I've been accused of just isn't true. There was no assault and if there's a video going round where is it? I know the truth and I'm confident that when this goes to court I'll win, and I'll get my job back.' Williams said she could not comment further beyond describing the situation as a, 'she said/she said.' Williams, who owns a gun store in Brandon, Mississippi, has filed a countersuit against Fisackerly and the department demanding $20million for the damage she says the allegations have done to her reputation and business relationships. When approached for comment Fisackerly referred DailyMail.com to her attorney who did not respond. Ovo is the most complained about UK energy supplier after figures showed it had thousands of customer complaints launched against it. A new table visualising which energy supplier gets the most complaints has shown the company held the top spot in 2021, but it was knocked off in 2022. However the British company, which is the country's third biggest energy supplier, returned to claim the title of most complained about at the end of 2023. It remained in the lead in 2024 as official figures showed it had 2,371 complaints per 100,000 customers in the first three months of the year - slightly more than the previous worst performers EDF on 2,303 and third-placed British Gas on 1,746. Ovo has faced calls in the past for the company, which has around 3.6million domestic electricity customers, to clean-up its act and improve customer service. Your browser does not support iframes. Hundreds of Ovo customers have slammed the company for their poor customer service Ovo remained in the lead in 2024 as official figures showed it had 2,371 complaints per 100,000 customers in the first three months of the year The company was consistently the most complained-about provider in 2021 before improving considerably until the end of last year, when it completed the migration of 3.5 million SSE Energy customers to their business. Across the whole energy market, the number of complaints received by large suppliers per 100,000 customers in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 3 per cent on the last three months of 2023. The biggest three companies Ovo, EDF and British Gas consistently fill the top three spots for complaints. Best consistent performers are the smaller firms Utilita and So Energy. It received the fewest complaints in the first quarter of the year, with Utilita on 835 and So on 686. But it is not just regular people who have been complaining about Ovo's performance recently, celebrities have been getting in on it too. In March Victoria Coren Mitchell claimed the company 'wrongly' took thousands of pounds from her bank account. In March TV star Victoria Coren Mitchell threatened Ovo Energy with legal action after claiming it took 'thousands of pounds that they were not owed' Across the whole energy market, the number of complaints received by large suppliers per 100,000 customers in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 3 per cent on the last three months of 2023 Your browser does not support iframes. Victoria, the wife of comedian David Mitchell, threatened the energy provider with legal action after claiming it took money 'that they were not owed'. The British writer and presenter claimed she has been driven 'personally to despair' by the firm, sharing her outrage with her 700,000 followers on X. Reacting to her post, hundreds of social media users shared their own horror stories with the 'useless' energy company, with many claiming large sums of money have been incorrectly taken from them. Pensioner Jeanette Lentle told MailOnline she has had 'constant' emails from Ovo demanding hundreds of pounds that are not owed - all while dealing with the recent loss of her husband from lung cancer. 'Losing my husband was awful and now having this problem with OVO is not helping my mental health and makes me feel very vulnerable. I am 77-years-old and I really didn't need this problem,' she said. 'Since January I have constantly had emails and letters asking for hundreds of pounds saying this is what I owe to them. The latest letter which I received last Friday had gone up to 550. 'Each time since January when, I actually had lost my husband to lung cancer on January 3, I have emailed or telephoned them asking for an explanation. Each time a different excuse was given and I was reassured it would not happen again.' She added: 'At the moment they owe me 120 which I have been assured I will receive within 10 days.' Which? currently gives Ovo a three-star rating on overall customer service Another Ovo customer told MailOnline he received a bill of 305 for less than two weeks supply for his small two bedroom flat. Hundreds of customers took to X to share their issues with Ovo, with one writing: 'I am currently in the same position, they have steadily built themselves a debt (nest egg) over the last eight months by charging me more than they have taken, this month they suddenly decided to charge me 444 for one month, I live in a two bed terraced house.' Another said: 'Ovo are absolutely useless. I am now having to reopen a formal complaint for the third time because they have emailed in error again after assuring me everything was sorted.' Ofgem, the energy regulator, in August ordered Ovo to better its customer service amid concerns over the firm's handling of complaints. Which? currently gives Ovo a three-star rating on overall customer service. The complaints data was buried among a raft of graphs and figures in a report by energy regulator Ofgem and uncovered by consumer finance experts at AI money-saving tool Nous.co. Greg Marsh, consumer champion and CEO of AI money-saver Nous.co, said: 'Households are still facing painfully high energy bills while customer service standards are slipping. No wonder people are more likely to complain. 'Suppliers like Ovo need to properly invest in improving their service and start offering fair deals. That way ordinary people can start to benefit from falling energy prices, instead of just the energy giants and their shareholders.' MailOnline has contacted Ovo for comment. Nearly a third of voters who backed the Tories in the 2019 general election now support Reform, data suggests. According to a scathing YouGov poll, 32 per cent of those who backed Boris Johnson in the last election intend to vote for Nigel Farage's party come July 4. This comes after Reform last night overtook the Conservatives in the polls for the first time. Under current projections, Mr Farage's party is set to take 19 per cent of the public vote. For comparison, the Tories are tracking at around 17 per cent and Labour 37 per cent. Your browser does not support iframes. Almost one in three people who voted for Boris Johnson in 2019 have switched support to Nigel Farage's Reform Party, figures have shown Last week Mr Farage declared that Reform were now the 'opposition to Labour'. He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'This is the inflection point. The only wasted vote now is a Conservative vote, we are the challengers to Labour and we are on our way.' The polling shows that there has been a Farage-factor to Reform UK's surge in support. The week before he made his comeback to frontline politics the party was supported by 28 per cent of Conservative 2019 voters, enjoying a four point rise since the veteran Brexiteer announced he would lead the party and stand in the upcoming election. The party have been polling well with disillusioned Tories since the end of November 2023, not dipping below 20 per cent since. Voters who backed the Conservative party in 2019 largely remained loyal during the partygate allegations, with over 70 per cent still supporting the party. The drop came during Liz Truss's short tenure as PM, with just over half of 2019 Tories saying they would back them next time around at the end of September 2022. At that time, though, it was Labour taking advantage. Your browser does not support iframes. Support for the Conservative Party has fallen with latest opinion polls suggesting Rishi Sunak's Tories are in third place behind Mr Farage's party One in five Brexit supporters have suggested they will back Sir Keir Starmer in the election The 2019 election was largely fought over delivering on leaving the EU with Mr Johnson promising to 'Get Brexit Done'. Not all leave voters are planning to back Mr Farage at the ballot box in July, with one in five Brexiteers saying they will vote for Sir Keir. Reform is currently polling strongest among men, over-65s and people in the Midlands. This isn't the first time Reform has polled a third of former Tory voters. At the beginning of April this year there were reports of record numbers of small boat crossings for the first three months of the year, with more than 5,000 arriving by the end of March. READ MORE: Hillary Clinton mocked for bizarre joke at the Tony Awards A chemical agent is believed to have been fired into the crowd at a Pride Parade event in Baltimore, causing a stampede that left multiple people injured. Revelers at the Baltimore Pride Block Party reported a chemical, possibly Mace or hairspray, being released into the crowd at about 8:37pm Saturday. The chaos that followed led to the end of headliner Saucy Santana's performance and the event being swiftly shut down the Baltimore Banner reported. Fireworks were also set off at the same location, near the event's main stage at North Avenue and Charles Street, which contributed to the panic, police said. Baltimore Police has not yet determined what the chemical was nor who was responsible for disseminating it. A Baltimore Pride event was thrown into chaos after a 'chemical agent' was fired into the crowd The incident led to the end of headliner Saucy Santana's performance Footage from the event showed attendees racing for the exits and screaming as the chemical agent was thrown. Police said that after the event was shut down the fire department was 'tending to several injuries from the mass exodus.' No further information was made available about the number or severity of injuries. However, a police spokesperson confirmed there was no information 'to support that this was a targeted attack.' The event's organizers, Pride Center of Maryland, said they understood the chemical to have been Mace set off by 'a group of youths.' 'Today, our security force is paying particular attention to what Pride celebrants bring in with them' the non-profit's executive director Cleo Manago told the Banner. One witness from the event, Kate Bowers, added to the outlet: 'All of the sudden, people were screaming and running. It was like a bomb went off. The air was so thick. The release of a chemical agent at Baltimore Pride caused a stampede. Several people are injured. pic.twitter.com/VpBjrlFQSa Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 16, 2024 The Pride Center of Maryland event was swiftly shut down Police confirmed there was no information 'to support that this was a targeted attack' 'People were throwing up. People were pouring water in each other's eyes. There was a little kid in a stroller. 'They were pouring water in the child's eyes' she added. Bowers told the outlet a low-flying police helicopter hovered over the crowd blaring the message: 'stay calm, the situation is under control.' 'I'm not sure I've quite processed it yet. It was such an abrupt, drastic thing. Waking up this morning. The magnitude of what could have happened hit me' she added. Daniel Andrews is fighting a court order to hand over phone records from the day his SUV collided with a teenage cyclist, leaving him seriously injured. Ryan Meuleman was 15-years-old and riding his bike in Blairgowrie on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula when he was struck by the Andrews' family SUV on January 7, 2013. The former Victorian premier, who resigned last year, was given a Supreme Court subpoena outside his home in March requiring him to produce phone records. Mr Andrews has now hired high-profile lawyer Leon Zwier to fight the order, the Herald Sun reported. Mr Andrews called Triple Zero at 1.10pm on the day of the crash, while it's estimated the collision happened at 1.06pm. Of particular interest is who Mr Andrews called in the four minutes after the crash and whether that included his then chief-of-staff, Brett Curran, who is the current assistant commissioner of Victoria Police. Daniel Andrews is fighting a court order to hand over phone records from the day his SUV collided with a teenage cyclist, leaving him seriously injured Mr Meuleman's father, Peter Meuleman, questioned why Mr Andrews was not complying with the court order. 'He just received an Order of Australia and yet he's doing this,' he told the publication. The matter will be heard in two weeks. Mr Andrews' wife Catherine had been driving at the time of the crash, with their three children in the back seat. In a formal statement given to police, Mr Andrews said the cyclist was travelling at speed when he smashed into their front windshield as they turned right into a street. 'I want to make it clear - the cyclist hit our vehicle,' he said. The then 15-year-old cyclist Ryan Meuleman suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and lost 90 per cent of his spleen (pictured in hospital after the crash) 'My wife stopped the car immediately and provided assistance and comfort to the cyclist. 'I immediately proceeded a few metres away to the corner of Melbourne Road calling 000 and protecting against any car driving directly into the accident scene.' Mr Meuleman is seeking damages from law firm Slater & Gordon, who he hired in the aftermath of the crash, for allegedly failing to conduct a 'full and proper investigation into the circumstances' of the incident. The then-teenager suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding and lost 90 per cent of his spleen which required a stay in hospital for 11 days. Mr Meuleman has claimed the Andrews' car was travelling at speed and 'came out of nowhere' when he was struck. The Andrews family had been driving their Ford Territory SUV to their holiday rental on the Mornington Peninsula (pictured, with the damage to the windscreen) Police failed to breathalyse anyone at the scene. Mrs Andrews said she was driving the SUV at the time of the accident but her husband then drove it from the scene to take their distraught children to the family's nearby rental home. The police summary of their investigation reveals they concluded the crash damage matched the Andrews' account and said they would be taking no further action. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing on the part of Mr Andrews or his wife. An Aussie mother of 13 has died from influenza at just 47, prompting a warning from medical experts about a worrying winter surge of the flu. Victorian woman Julie Theobald was admitted to an intensive care unit in Melbourne on June 10 after a sniffly bout of the flu worsened and she contracted pneumonia. Daughter Jessica Theobald said her mum, who had underlying health conditions, was taken to hospital by medievac - the first time had flown in a plane. She passed away after two weeks in the ICU. Victorian woman Julie Theobald (pictured) was admitted to an intensive care unit in Melbourne on June 10 after her flu worsened and turned into pneumonia She leaves behind 13 children ranging in age from seven to 31-years-old. Her husband Billy is in the back row 'We've all been extremely shocked and heartbroken of this news, we could have never imagined losing our mum this early on,' Jessica wrote on GoFundMe. 'Mum leaves behind 13 amazing children, ageing from seven to 31-years-old and her devoted husband/our Dad, Billy.' It comes as a senior doctor warned a winter wave of influenza is spiking early this year. Warning issued to Aussies over flu - and how to protect yourself Professor Catherine Bennett, the chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, told Daily Mail Australia that flu patients could be hospitalised even if they were young, fit or healthy. 'I think everyone probably knows some young, fit, healthy adults who end up in hospital with flu so it's definitely something for everyone to avoid,' she said. 'If you're with other people that you don't usually hang out with, it's about making sure you try and keep the distance. 'Be conscious of ventilation, wear a mask if you're in crowded areas, all of those things help protect against these conditions.' Victorian woman Julie Theobald (pictured in her youth) was admitted to an intensive care unit in Melbourne on June 10 after her flu worsened and turned into pneumonia. She died just 47 Dr Bennett said a spike in influenza hospitalisations meant Australia could be tipped for a longer flu season this winter. 'Influenza is still heating up,' she explained. 'So it looks like Covid might be handing over to influenza in terms of the dominating causes of potentially severe respiratory illness at the moment. 'The number of people who are coming in to emergency departments is heading towards a crossover where influenza might be in even greater numbers than Covid if you look at the number of people who are being admitted. 'In New South Wales, that number is now approaching 200 a week for influenza and coming down to 200 a week for Covid.' Dr Bennett said the winter wave of influenza was spiking earlier than in recent years. 'This year it looks like it's pushed back and the worst is yet to come,' she said. 'So its a good time to get the message out to people.' Dr Catherine Bennett said a spike in influenza hospitalisations meant Australia could be tipped for a longer flu season this winter (pictured, office workers in Sydney) The epidemiologist urged Australians to get an updated flu vaccine. 'Flu vaccines don't last more than six months or so. They're not that different to Covid in respect of the best protection being in the first six months,' she said. 'It's also the vaccines targeting the variance that you're likely to come across, and that can change year on year. So that's why having an updated flu shot is the most important thing to help reduce the risk. 'It might not stop you from having flu altogether, but it's about avoiding severe illness, and that's what we want, particularly for people with underlying conditions.' Dr Bennett also recommended wearing a mask in crowded areas, being conscious of ventilation and keeping distance with new people. The fundraiser for Julie Theobald has raised $6,000 at time of publication. A young woman has exposed the red flags she missed after falling victim to a scammer and losing more than $2,500 over the phone. Taylor Maree, who lives in Brisbane, lost the amount after a man called her from on an unknown number and claimed to be from Virgin Money on June 6. Virgin Money provides financial services including home loans, credit cards, and superannuation and is owned by the Bank of Queensland Group. Ms Maree, who shared her experience on TikTok, said the man claimed there had been fraudulent activity detected on her account. 'He goes, "I'm not going to ask you for your personal information I just need to confirm with you if these transactions are yours",' she said. Taylor Maree (pictured) who lives in Brisbane lost a massive $2,500 after a man gave her a call on an unknown number on June, 6, claiming to be from Virgin Money The man began to list several expenses claiming an $800 purchase had been made on Amazon and $1,600 on an unknown website. She told the man she didn't make any of those purchases before he responded saying he would immediately reverse them. He said he would text her a one-time passcode and asked if she could read it back to him. 'He texts me and it appears from the same number that I get my Virgin Money information through,' Ms Maree said. Unaware the man was not who he claimed he was, Ms Maree read the pin number before she realised she had just lost thousands of dollars. 'I reread the message and it said, "This is to complete the transaction of 1,661 British Pounds". Ms Maree immediately contacted her bank and was told her card had been cancelled and all transactions on her account would be blocked. The man sent Ms Maree a one-time pin code in a text message which she read out to him over the phone, with the code used by the scammer to steal the funds (stock image) Ms Maree urged people to be aware of the 'red flags' that they are being targeted by scammers (stock image) She was told that it would take at least six to eight weeks before she would be notified by the bank if her funds would be recovered. Ms Maree was warned she may not get her money back as she read the one-time pin out to the scammer. She urged others to be aware of 'red flags' including calls that are made from a no-caller ID. 'These scammers are getting so crafty at what they're doing and getting away with it,' Ms Maree said. 'Please be very careful. If it's an unknown number just hang up and call the bank. I wish I would have done that because now I wouldn't be so stressed about whether I'm going to get this money back or not.' Her TikTok video was flooded with comments from hundreds of social media users who shared similar experiences. 'That's really sad I also got scammed in the same way about $90k,' one wrote. 'I got scammed 50 thousand dollars through [a] payment to [an] energy provider,' another wrote. Others said people need to be more vigilant as scammers use sophisticated methods to conduct their activities. 'Answering an unknown number is complete madness,' one person wrote. 'Never do any transaction with them ringing you...hang up and you ring the bank,' another person wrote. A Bank of Queensland spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia customers should not share their personal or financial information, over the phone or through text messages. 'We encourage customers to contact their bank directly if they receive any unsolicited or suspicious communication,' the spokesperson said. Aussies have been warned not to answer phone calls from an unknown number, after several people shared their experiences of losing thousands of dollars (stock image) The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) deputy chair Catriona Lowe warned Aussies that scammers are using emails, phone calls, and web-based pop up messages to target people. 'Never download software or apps if directed to by someone over the phone and never share banking information, passwords, or two-factor identification codes,' Ms Lowe said. Australians lost more than $2.7billion to scams in 2023 with 601,000 reports made to the ACCC last year alone. Text messages were the most common method used by scammers to target victims, while scam calls caused the highest financial loss worth $116million. Pro-China protesters have swarmed the lawn at Parliament House, blocking out peaceful Tibetan activists as Anthony Albanese prepares to meet China's second most powerful leader. Tensions between rival demonstrators escalated on Monday morning ahead of the state visit of Premier Li Qiang in Canberra. Peaceful supporters of Tibet, a predominantly Buddhist region in China's far west, were swarmed by counter-protesters who unfurled huge Chinese and Australian flags to block them from sight. Some protesters carried huge flags that conjoined the Chinese and Australian flag, as Tibetan sympathisers struggled to hold their banner aloft. At one stage, a scuffle broke out as a man fell to the floor and brought down a raised speaker as a heavy police presence observed the stand-off. One observer claimed that 'people bearing Chinese flags who were bussed in and paid to "welcome" Chinese premier Li Qiang'. Tensions between rival demonstrators escalated on Monday morning ahead of the state visit of Premier Li Qiang in Canberra Peaceful supporters of Tibet, a predominantly Buddhist region in China's far west, were swarmed by counter-protesters who unfurled huge Chinese and Australian flags to block them from sight Tensions between rival demonstrators escalated on Monday morning ahead of the state visit of Premier Li Qiang in Canberra (pictured: Premier Qiang with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) Another protester held a sign that read 'Human rights: not for sale', calling for a free Tibet. Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, lives in exile in India and is seen as a separatist threat by Chinese authorities who exert a tight control over the region. Mr Albanese will host the Chinese premier for a four-day state visit to Canberra. Top of the agenda for the Australian leader will be to try to get rid of lingering trade impediments and to push him on security and human rights concerns. Premier Li Qiang declared that ties were 'back on track' after 'twists and turns' when he arrived at the weekend - welcome news to lobster fisheries and the remaining beef producers under restrictions. At one stage, a scuffle broke out as a man fell to the floor and brought down a raised speaker as a heavy police presence observed the stand-off The second-most powerful leader in Beijing will hold talks with Mr Albanese on Monday as part of an annual leaders' meeting in the capital, followed by a state lunch with politicians, business representatives and community leaders. A trip to Australia's resource powerhouse Western Australia will make up the latter part of the visit, which is taking place with some clouds hanging over the two countries' broader relationship even as many trade restrictions have been removed. China imposed sanctions on $20 billion of Australian products in 2020 after the former coalition government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Li's visit is the first by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven years and comes after a period of turbulence for the country's biggest trading partner, while recent military incidents in international waters have threatened the diplomatic thaw. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday Canberra would press Australian interests forcefully after she was asked if she would raise the case of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who languishes ill in a Chinese jail. The remaining trade bans are expected to be lifted within weeks but exporters could well ask if they might face them again. 'Then the question becomes how long can we be confident that we will have trade restriction-free exports going into China,' said Dr Benjamin Herscovitch, a research fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance of Australian National University. 'It's always possible that Beijing, if there's some kind of serious infraction in Beijing's mind, could throw down the hammer on Australian exporters once again,' he said on ABC Saturday Extra. One observer claimed that 'people bearing Chinese flags who were bussed in and paid to "welcome" Chinese premier Li Qiang' Some protesters carried huge flags that conjoined the Chinese and Australian flag, as Tibetan sympathisers struggled to hold their banner aloft 'The battle here is going to be one of a whole host of specific granular policy areas where Beijing is trying to inch forward and get additional concessions from Canberra.' 'Canberra will be trying to hold the line, not give Beijing too much but also not once again enrage Beijing and prompt Beijing to impose trade restrictions once again.' Canberra has taken a tough stance on technology co-operation since Huawei, the Chinese-owned telecoms behemoth, was excluded from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns. 'Canberra is saying, look we want the trade restrictions gone and we want high-level diplomacy restored but we are not interested in deeper science and technology co-operation because we see that potentially from an Australian point of view as a security threat,' Dr Herscovitch said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked funds to cut their holding in rare earths mining company Northern Minerals. Critical minerals are a key component of the prime minister's Future Made in Australia initiative, while there have long been global concerns about China's control of a large part of the production. Critical minerals are used in many ways in the energy transition - from wind turbines to batteries. Mercury set to plunge to record lows across Australia Australians are in for a frosty week, with the mercury set to plunge to record lows for multiple capital cities. Sydneysiders have shivered through back-to-back chilly mornings, as a cold front moves across the eastern third of the country, bringing icy mornings and even colder nights. And there's little reprieve in sight, with meteorologists warning that Wednesday is expected to be the coldest morning of the year so far for those in Sydney and Melbourne. A radar image showing temperatures across Australia, as at 6.30am AEST June 17 Temperatures are dropping to below minus 0C in some areas around NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania 'We are in the midst of a cold outbreak this week but it is more keenly felt in the night, daytime temperatures are pretty close to average for June,' Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne said. 'We have quite a cold southerly wind over the eastern third of the country, it's pretty cloud-free as well. 'This time of year, when you have a clear sky overnight it generally translates to very cold conditions in the morning because the heat escapes very quickly.' Sydneysiders will have to rug up as the Harbour City shivers through a low of just five degrees on Wednesday. 'For Sydneysiders, there will be lovely winter sunshine Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon,' Ms Osbourne said. 'It's almost like the price we pay for our beautiful winter afternoons is we do get those bitterly cold mornings.' Those living in the nation's capital are also looking at freezing conditions this week, with Canberra to be as cold as -1C on Tuesday and -3C on Wednesday. On Thursday, Melbourne will reach a top of just 12C with rain forecast, while Adelaide will have a maximum of 15C with rain also predicted. Aussies are set to shiver over the next week as a cold front moves east across the country (Melbourne pictured) Southeastern parts of Australia are in for some chilly days this week (Melbourne pictured) Canberra will reach a top of 13C this weekend. Brisbane will also see some chilly mornings, although temperatures are set to linger around the low 20s in the daytimes. The Queensland capital will see a low of 8C on Tuesday. Further south in Tasmania, Hobart will see its warmest day on Thursday with a top of 17C. Minimum temperatures will linger around 4C and 5C throughout the week. Perth will be dry and sunny with maximum temperatures to linger in the high teens. The WA capital's coldest day will be on Thursday with a minimum of 7C forecast. Darwin will meanwhile escape the cold weather with temperatures remaining in the low 30s. Minimum conditions will see some mornings drop to 17C. Australians are in for a chilly week with temperatures set to be up to 4C lower than average for some capital cities. A cold front has reached South Australia and will move east across the country in coming days, bringing icy mornings and even colder nights. The coldest mornings for Sydney and Melbourne are expected to be on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sydney has a low of just 6C forecast for Wednesday while Melbourne could be as cold as 3C. on Monday, Yunta, in SA's southeast, experienced its coldest morning in four years at -4.8C. Even Cairns in Far North Queensland suffered a drop in temperature, recording 12C before 7am on Monday - its coldest morning in two years. Temperatures could dip below -5C in some parts of the southeast between Tuesday morning and Thursday morning, according to Weatherzone. Australians are in for a chilly week ahead with temperatures set to be up to 4C lower than average at this time of year for some capital cities (pictured is weather just after 7am on Monday) Weatherzone meteorologist Jess Miskelly said those living in the southeast would feel the brunt of the miserable weather on Monday and into the coming days. 'The temperatures are going to be generally well below average overnight and a bit below average during the day,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'In Melbourne, Sydney and Bankstown you're looking at about 2C to 4C below average later this week and it could get colder.' On Thursday, Melbourne will reach a top of just 12C with rain forecast, while Adelaide will have a maximum of 15C with rain also predicted. Aussies are set to shiver over the next week as a cold front moves east across the country Southeastern parts of Australia are in for some chilly days this week 'It's going to be feeling pretty cold,' Ms Miskelly said. 'That cold front is going to bring cold mornings, cold days and cold nights.' The weekend is also looking to be brisk for Sydney with tops of just 17C forecast, although the sun is expected to be out for the week with dry conditions expected. The meteorologist said while the conditions weren't 'extreme', they are prolonged, meaning Aussies can expect to spend the week rugged up by the heater. Those living in the nation's capital are also looking at some freezing conditions this week, with Canberra to be as cold as -1C on Tuesday and -3C on Wednesday. Canberra will reach a top of 13C this weekend. Brisbane will also see some chilly mornings, although temperatures are set to linger around the low 20s in the daytimes. Temperatures are dropping to below minus 0C in some areas around NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania The Queensland capital will see a low of 8C on Tuesday. Further south in Tasmania, Hobart will see its warmest day on Thursday with a top of 17C. Minimum temperatures will linger around 4C and 5C throughout the week in the Tasmanian capital. Perth will be dry and sunny with maximum temperatures to linger in the high teens. The WA capital's coldest day will be on Thursday with a minimum of 7C forecast. Darwin will meanwhile escape the cold weather with temperatures remaining in the low 30s. Minimum conditions will see some mornings drop to 17C in the Northern Territory. Nigel Farage will today launch his Reform Party manifesto in Wales with a blistering attack on the country's Labour administration. The Reform leader plans to tell voters that their devolved administration is 'letting down' the public and warn that Britain will follow suit if Sir Keir Starmer gets the keys to No10 on July 4. Reform - who are on course to win seven seats in parliament and are threatening to overtake the Tories' national vote share - will take the fight to Sir Keir after so far focusing on winning over Conservative voters. Mr Farage has repeatedly conceded that Labour will comfortably win the election and that voters should elect Reform MPs to hold them to account. But Brexit-voting Wales could present a chance for Reform to craft a narrative of working-class voters being let down by the Tories in Westminster and the devolved Labour administration at home. Nigel Farage (pictured in London on June 14) has repeatedly conceded that Labour will comfortably win the election and that voters should elect Reform MPs to hold them to account The Reform leader plans to tell voters that their devolved administration is 'letting down' the public and warn that Britain will follow suit if Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) gets the keys to No10 on July 4 'One of the reasons we are launching our Contract with the people of Britain in Wales is because it shows everyone exactly what happens to a country when Labour is in charge,' Mr Farage said last night. 'Schools are worse than in England, NHS waiting lists are longer than in England, Covid restrictions were even tighter than in England and now Welsh motorists are being soaked by literally hundreds of speed cameras to enforce the deeply unpopular new 20mph blanket speed limit in towns and villages. 'Since devolution, the Welsh have been ignored by the London political establishment and let down by the Labour administration they elected. 'Meanwhile, the Tories have been the official opposition almost solidly since 2016 and have achieved zilch, which probably explains why we are neck-and-neck with them in the polls in Wales. 'So, if you want a picture of what the whole country will be like with a Starmer government and a feeble Conservative opposition, come to Wales and then hear us unveil a better future for all of Britain.' Senior Conservatives have also attempted to use Labour's record in Wales - whether it be on NHS waiting lists or anti-motorist policies - as a warning to how Sir Keir would govern in Westminster. Despite a successful no-confidence vote in Welsh Labour First Minister Vaughan Gething, Sir Keir's party continue to dominate the polls in Wales. The latest YouGov poll shows them on 45 per cent, compared to the Conservatives on 18 per cent. Mr Farage has already unveiled his six-year plan to make Reform the largest party in parliament - firstly by becoming the main opposition to a Starmer government before winning the 2029 election outright. Despite a successful no-confidence vote in Welsh Labour First Minister Vaughan Gething (pictured), Sir Keir's party continue to dominate the polls in Wales Mr Farage has already unveiled his six-year plan to make Reform the largest party in parliament - firstly by becoming the main opposition to a Starmer government before winning the 2029 election outright Robert Jenrick , the former immigration minister, warned that voting for Reform would allow Labour to take power with so many seats it would amount to an 'elective dictatorship'. Senior Conservative figure David Davis (pictured) warned that Farage was 'trying to destroy' the Tories Reform are primarily set to take votes off the Conservative Party, but it now appears that Labour are also in their sights. A recent YouGov MRP forecasts Reform winning no seats overall, but coming second in 27, every time behind the Labour candidate. Mr Farage also boated about Reform now having 50,000 members, according to the latest party figures. In the entirety of UKIP's prominent period in British politics, their maximum membership figure was around 46,000. 'Something is happening out there,' the party leader said. Reform raised 1.5million worth of funds in the days after Mr Farage's return as leader earlier this month. Senior Conservative figure David Davis warned that Farage was 'trying to destroy' the Tories, as the party continued to see Reform eating into their vote. He told Times Radio: 'Farage is trying to destroy the Conservative Party. That is his explicit aim. 'When somebody tries to burn down the golf club, you don't offer them membership, do you?' Ex-Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick took his attack to Richard Tice, accusing the Reform chairman of being a Labour 'sleeper agent'. Mr Jenrick added: I not only understand the frustrations of Reform voters, I share them. But a vote for Reform can only deliver a Labour one-party state that increases taxes and immigration. An ABC broadcaster and her family narrowly escaped death after they were sucked into a dangerous rip while swimming at an unpatrolled beach. Australian journalist Julia Baird was with her family at Spoon Bay, on the NSW Central Coast, when they were swept out to sea last weekend. Baird and her brother Steve managed to climb onto nearby rocks, however their 82-year-old father Bruce, who is a former Liberal Party deputy leader, wasn't so lucky. Local surfer Josh Roden, 30, grabbed a beach rescue tube and rescued Baird's exhausted father after hearing cries for help. Baird, who is the host of the 'Not Stupid' podcast, lashed out at the lack of signs at and took to social media to demand warnings be installed along the coastline. Her plea sparked outrage with some saying it was impossible to erect signs at every beach and that she should've known the risks of swimming at an unpatrolled site. Josh Roden, 30, grabbed a beach rescue tube and rescued Baird's exhausted father after hearing cries for help Mr Roden recalled the horrifying moment he had to jump into the water to save Baird's father. 'The rip just sucked him right back out to sea and I was like, far out, I'm going to have to jump in here,' he told the ABC. 'So I swam out to him and chucked him the tube.' Some 35 rescue tube boxes have been installed at high-risk locations on the Central Coast this year. Mr Roden said he doubted he would have been able to rescue Mr Baird if there were no tubes nearby. Baird said she has been left feeling overwhelmed by the whole experience. 'I found myself in the middle of a churn. It felt like a whirlpool, it was all kind of turmoil around me,' she said. 'Everything slowed for me, and became very, very clear. I was like this is it, this is how people drown.' The experienced ocean swimmer said she was unaware so many people have drowned at that spot, which is promoted as 'ideal for swimming' and 'relaxing walks'. Baird and her brother Steve managed to climb onto nearby rocks, however their 82-year-old father Bruce, who is a former Liberal Party deputy leader, wasn't so lucky Australian journalist Julia Baird was swimming at Spoon Bay with her family last weekend when they were swept out to sea She said she has been caught in rips before, but nothing like this one. Baird said she was shocked by the lack of information available for tourists, questioning why there are no warnings in place. 'For all those who've said providing rip signage at unpatrolled beaches is stupid because you swim in the water at your own risk, etc, please consider this,' she wrote on X. Baird shared a screenshot of a message she had received from another beach-goer who was caught in a rip at Spoon Bay. 'My friend saved a father and son with a random bodyboard there earlier this year,' it read. 'They were standing in chest deep water but got knocked off their feet and the son had a disability and could not swim. 'Very quick thinking on her behalf - she was shaking with adrenaline the whole day'. Baird shared a photo of a message she had received from another beach-goer who was caught in a rip at Spoon Bay on X Some social media users were quick to say Baird seemed 'disproportionately upset'. 'I was lucky enough to live near a beach,' one wrote. 'I got into trouble and didn't expect help because I was swimming at an unpatrolled beach I stopped swimming there because it was dangerous.' 'I doubt if the thousands of beaches could be marked in a meaningful way. All beaches I know on the Central Coast have rips,' another added. 'We cross roads at our own risk only a few places restrict where we do this so strict regulation is not part of the picture,' a third commented. Baird responded: 'Fascinated to see the [number] of people here who've said "it's the bloody ocean, get over it, your fault for swimming". 'Now, it's up to the rest of us to challenge the complacent idea that rips just happen, and people just drown, and that's just life.' Central Coast Council has urged people to swim at ocean baths and pools during the winter months. A formerly liberal Silicon Valley tycoon says she's given up on the Biden administration and backing Donald Trump, while attempting to sell some pricey Democrat collectibles. Allison Huynh, 48, is the co-created of AI and robotics designers Willow Garage, who were bought by Google. She also built many of the early e-commerce websites. Huynh, a Vietnamese immigrant who attended Stanford on a full scholarship, claims she and her ex-husband and longtime Google programmer Scott Hassan helped get Big Tech excited for Barack Obama in 2008. She now claims that Joe Biden is 'out of touch' and is supporting Donald Trump as an 'independent' in 2024. Huynh is so committed to changing her politics that Democrat collectibles she once bought out of her excitement for Obama - a rocking chair that belonged to John F. Kennedy, the art for Shepard Fairey's famous HOPE posters - are now being sold. Allison Huynh, aformerly liberal Silicon Valley tycoon says she's given up on the Biden administration and backing Donald Trump, while attempting to sell some pricey Democrat collectibles 'I am cleaning house. I was a lifelong liberal and Democrat but when things don't serve us in this moment, it is best to move on and let other people enjoy the items. They don't have much meaning for me right now,' she told the New York Post. Huynh - who bought the poster for around $1million and the chair for $100,000 - takes credit for the likes of Google co-founders Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt joining Team Obama in 2008 at fundraisers for anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 a plate. She shares the same kind of disappointment with those tech leaders as she does with the Obama presidency. 'Obama started out with an aspirational messaging that resonated with me; it was about equality and women and minorities; Biden projected the image of being cool and hip,' she said. 'But where are we now? Immigrants come into our country and commit crimes . . . Big tech tracks you and knows everything about you. But if you are having a problem with whatever [tech] service, you can never get a hold of anyone.' She seems to have been turned against the Democrats by much of what's occurred in recent years, from COVID to woke liberal policies in major cities to immigration. She visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida recently for a fundraiser and came away charmed. 'I was surprised when I met Donald Trump. He was light and funny and intelligent. The people there were down-to-earth,' she said. Huynh is so committed to changing her politics that Democrat collectibles she once bought out of her excitement for Obama - a rocking chair that belonged to John F. Kennedy, the art for Shepard Fairey's famous HOPE posters - are now being sold Huynh bought the poster for around $1million and the chair for $100,000 She described Trump, 78, as 'knowledgeable' and understanding of the issues most important to her. Her adopted home of San Francisco shows her the failings of unchecked liberalism. 'We are allowing heroin addicts to shoot up in public, violent attacks on Asians in Chinatown, and looting of our grocery stores and shopping malls,' she said, calling the city 'a failed science experiment for super leftist ideas and ideals.' Huynh, who made headlines with her nasty 2020 divorce from Hassan in 2021, came to the United States in 1982 from Saigon after her pilot father emigrated legally in 1975. She says that Democrats' refusal to deal with illegal immigration is a huge reason for her change in tone. 'I am all for hardworking immigrants, but not for open admission of immigrants. We have to differentiate between legal immigrants who come here and work hard and illegal immigrants who come here and commit crimes,' she said. Huynh adds that Democrats completely missed the boat on dealing with COVID, especially for people like her who live in big cities. 'The Republicans were smarter. They wanted to look at who was getting sick. Young people suffered the most, even though they were low risk. We had lazy policy in California,' she said. Huynh, 48, is the co-created of AI and robotics designers Willow Garage, who were bought by Google. She also built many of the early e-commerce websites Huynh, a Vietnamese immigrant who attended Stanford on a full scholarship, claims she and her ex-husband and longtime Google programmer Scott Hassan helped get Big Tech excited for Barack Obama in 2008 'Many of the super liberal tech billionaires left the country for private islands, super yachts and estates in New Zealand,' she added. While 'out of touch' Biden isn't getting her vote, she says that Trump absolutely will after meeting him. 'His rhetoric is entertaining. But the policies and politics make sense. I think Trump is engaging. I would like to hang out with Trump. He's a really cool guy.' A California lawyer who built her career exonerating convicted murderers has been accused of exchanging sexts with one to secure the freedom of another. Paige Kaneb of the Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP) won international plaudits for overturning the conviction of Maurice Caldwell, 20 years after he was jailed for the 1990 murder of Judy Acosta after a drug deal that went wrong. She began corresponding with Marritte Funches after he admitted to Acosta's killing while in prison for a separate murder. Funches, now 53, claims that Kaneb sent him sexually explicit messages in a bid to secure his co-operation and has released the messages to the SF Standard after turning on the lawyer and allegedly attempting to blackmail her for $2 million. 'You make my heart jump,' Kaneb told him in one text. 'You give me butterflies. And somehow you always have.' Paige Kaneb of the Northern California Innocence Project (left) exchanged thousands of messages with convicted murderer Marritte Funches (right) Funches' testimony helped secure a retrial for Maurice Caldwell (left) who saw his murder conviction overturned in 2010 after three years of work by Kaneb (right) When Caldwell's conviction was overturned in 2021, he won an $8 million settlement from San Francisco, one of the largest in the city's history, for fabrication of evidence. The City Attorney probed Kaneb's relationship with Funches in 2016 as defended Caldwell's suit when she admitted that Funches had shown a sexual interest in her. Funches told the SF Standard that he helped Kaneb find new witnesses for Caldwell's 2010 retrial, but that he broke off their relationship when she broke a promise not to reveal their names publicly. But Funches got back in touch in March last year and the pair allegedly exchanged nearly 9,000 messages over the course of a year. In one Kaneb recalled her first meeting with the killer when she visited his Nevada jail alongside NCIP founder Linda Starr. 'I still remember in that first visit you were looking at Linda the whole time and I took my hair out,' she texted. 'I wanted you to look at me I've never admitted that before. 'I remember when she left for a few minutes. It was like my chest would explode. And we began talking. .' In another exchange she apologized for their falling out back in 2010. Kaneb, who built her career on exonerating convicted killers, claimed she only began reciprocating Funches' sexualized messages after Caldwell was freed In one exchange the pair reflected on their first meeting at a Nevada prison in 2010 Funches, still serving a life sentence for another murder released their exchanges after Kaneb ignored his alleged $2 million blackmail demand NCIP insists Funches' testimony was incidental to the case they built for Caldwell's release 'I'm sorry things fell apart and that it had such a negative effect on you. I never wanted that,' she wrote in July last year. 'I love you. I always have. Never stopped. Always will,' he told her in one text. 'I love you too,' she wrote in response. 'Always have, always will.' She also sent him a series of risque selfies including two of her dressed in a sarong in front of a mirror. 'Nothing underneath in those last two,' she teased. 'My imagination is going crazy right now,' he texted back. But their relationship began to deteriorate towards the end of last year when Funches began asking for money and for her help in getting out of prison. A spokesman for Kaneb told the SF Chronical that Funches began blackmailing her demanding '2 million dollars. After taxes. In a trust that belongs to 'me'.' 'I recorded every phone call, kept every text. And copies of every video. You can try to clean it up. But you'll never practice law again. Your career is done,' he wrote in an email. Funches made good on his threat and released what he said was their correspondence to the SF Standard. 'She pretended to take a personal interest in me. We began a romantic relationship,' he told the paper. 'It was the art of seduction at its finest. All to get me to finally help Mr. Caldwell.' Lionel Rubalcava was one of 25 people whose murder convictions have since been overturned through the work of NCIP, while Kaneb has risen to be the organization's legal executive A spokesperson for Kaneb said she only began reciprocating Funches' sexualized messages in August 2023, long after Caldwell's release had been secured. NCIP which is based at Santa Clara University has begun an investigation into Kaneb who is now its legal director. It has helped overturn 25 more murder convictions since Caldwell was freed and insists that his exoneration is safe. 'As with any unit of the university, when we receive any allegations of inappropriate conduct by an employee, we refer the matter to the university for investigation,' executive director Todd Fries said in a statement. 'We take this information seriously,' a spokeswoman for San Francisco's city attorney said. 'And will be looking into the matter.' Stanford University's graduation ceremony on Sunday was thrown into chaos after students staged a pro-Palestine protest and walked out. Around five hundred students, some wearing keffiyehs and holding Palestinian flags, walked out of the stadium during the President's address, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. 'This morning we want to celebrate your achievements in spite of the troubled environment,' President Richard Saller told the students moments before the mass walkout. The school has been mired in controversy as students have publicly demonstrated against the Israel-Hamas war and called on the college to divest from its links with Israel. A pro-Palestine encampment remained on campus for more than 100 days and thirteen students were eventually arrested during its removal. Around 500 students walked out of Stanford's graduation ceremony on Sunday Footage from the ceremony posted to social media shows students in their caps and gowns walking from their seats away from the speaker's stage and towards the back of the stadium. One student was seen holding up a sign reading 'Free Palestine. Stanford Divest!' Some in the stands cheered the students as they left the event, while other students remained seated. The walkout was reportedly organised by the activist group Stanford Against Apartheid in Palestine. 'We invite graduates, friends, and family to walk out of the commencement into our alternative ceremony next to the stadium, to show support for divestment and honor Palestine this graduation weekend,' the group posted on its Instagram account. 'The ceremony will include a poetic grounding, speeches from faculty and students, and a cap toss' the post added. The group established 'The Peoples Commencement' alternative ceremony in a field on campus, the Chronicle reported. Security at Stanford's official graduation was increased compared to previous years, the outlet reported. The students were seen wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags Last month an unidentified pro-Palestinian individual on Stanford's campus was pictured wearing the same green headband sported by Hamas terror fighters in Gaza All adults had to produce photographic identification and a clear bag policy was enforced. Only eligible graduates were able to request tickets to the event after months of protests led organisers to be more cautious. Stanford's protests attracted negative headlines when a photo of someone at its encampment was pictured wearing the same green headband sported by Hamas terror fighters in Gaza. The incident, which occurred last month, was reported to the FBI, the college said at the time. 'We have received many expressions of concern about a photo circulating on social media of an individual on White Plaza who appeared to be wearing a green headband similar to those worn by members of Hamas' Stanford said in a statement last month. 'We find this deeply disturbing, as Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States government. 'We have not been able to identify the individual but have forwarded the photo to the FBI' the statement read. A Texas couple sprang into action as soon as they noticed an abandoned newborn with her umbilical cord still attached while walking on a trail Saturday morning. Daniela Fedele said she and her husband were strolling along Casa Martin Drive in Katy, Texas when they noticed a towel on the ground. Her three-year-old daughter started to ride her bike toward it - before Fedele said she realized something was moving underneath. 'I noticed two little feet moving and then my husband was right behind me with the dogs and I yelled to my husband and I'm like, "Oh my God, a baby, a baby,"' Fedele recounted to KHOU. 'And then my husband [says] like, "Call 911, call 911," and that's what we did.' Daniela Fedele recounted how she and her husband found a newborn on the side of a walking path Saturday morning Surveillance footage captured the moment the newborn baby was abandoned, showing a man scan around him before leaving the infant on the ground. The same moment he places the child on the street, he sprinted from the scene at full pace, and police say they have since started an investigation to search for him. It is unclear how long the baby was left on the street before Fedele saved it, with Harris County Sheriff's deputies saying they received a call at around 9am and rushed to the scene. Meanwhile, Fedele and her husband tried to keep the infant safe - and their quick thinking was praised by local police for saving the infant's life. Surveillance footage showed the couple running towards the baby with their dogs and Fedele's husband grabbing it, before racing to get the child out of the sun. 'Once my husband went ahead and picked up the baby, he found the nearest, like tree, right there at the house down the street. He found a little shade,' Fedele said. They then waited until deputies from the Harris County Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene and handed the infant over, telling officials they saw a man running away. The baby girl was then transported to a local hospital, where she was listed in good condition, according to KHOU. The two immediately called 911 and held the infant under a tree for shade They handed the newborn over to authorities, and she was brought to a local hospital Authorities said Fedele and her husband may have rescued the infant from death, and described them as a 'blessing' in its moment of need. 'The two witnesses that were thankfully walking on the trail with their daughter and their dogs were a blessing,' said Sgt. Juan Garcia, who works in the Child Abuse Unit. 'The baby was a newborn... still had, you know, fresh placenta on the baby, so it was freshly born this morning,' he noted. Fedele says she can't get the image out of her head, as she wonders how somebody could abandon their baby. 'I was shocked, I was mad, I was upset,' she said of finding the newborn, adding that there are options for new parents who don't wish to raise a baby. 'You can drop it off at a fire station, a police station, a hospital, I don't know... but don't leave the baby.' Police say cases of people abandoning infants are rare, and are now looking for a man they believe dumped the baby. He is described as a young Hispanic or white male, with a slim build and a fair complexion. He was wearing a black shirt and possibly gray pants at the time of the abandonment. Shocking new video shows one of the five times a terrified calf was rammed by a police 4x4, leaving the animal 'scared witless' and wounded in a park for two hours after the sickening incident. Anger has been mounting over the disturbing footage of a Surrey Police officer - who has now been suspended - mowing down a ten-month-old calf named Beau Lucy with a police truck in Staines-upon-Thames on Friday night. In a new angle seen by MailOnline, the calf is seen standing in the headlights before it is brutally struck, with furious onlookers screaming: 'Oh my god, they just killed it, they just rammed it. That's f***ing animal cruelty. The poor bloody cow.' When another man asks, 'Why would you ram it like that?', an officer replies: 'To stop it killing someone.' A factory worker who stayed with the stricken calf until it was safely transported into a horsebox claimed officers had even been radioing for an armed response to shoot the animal. Surrey Police has launched an internal investigation and has referred itself to the police complaints watchdog, while Home Secretary James Cleverly branded the incident as 'heavy handed'. The calf, which had escaped a fenced moor and may have swam across a river, is back home and recovering after suffering cuts and grazes with a large gash on her leg - but its owners fear it could still die from shock. New footage shows the horrific moment the calf is rammed over as it looks into the headlights Furious onlookers accused the cops of 'animal cruelty' and questioned why they had decided to ram the poor calf The terrified calf that was rammed by a police squad car after escaping is recovering Beau Lucy's owner, known only as Rob, told The Sun that the calf was 'limping, sulky and bruised'. 'We are hoping no damage has been done internally. When we got to her there was no way anyone could examine her,' he said. She was feisty and upset scared witless.' He added: 'I'm angry, upset and disgusted. We did think they were trying to kill it.' His wife, Kate, said: 'Why didn't they get a vet and use a tranquilliser?' Witnesses said that the animal was struck five times. Warehouse worker Kai Bennett, 22, told The Times that he was walking home after seeing a friend when a group of people ran towards him and shouted 'cow'. He said he didn't want the calf to get hurt so he followed it and called the police. To his horror, he then witnessed the police 4x4 hit the animal 'at about 30mph', sending him 'ballistic'. Mr Bennett said it was 'disgusting' to see the calf pinned down before it managed to get up and walk off 'very confused'. He told the newspaper: 'The police officer got back in the car, did a U-turn and ran it over again. Everyone was screaming, thinking it was dead.' Mr Bennett claims that cow was then hit another two times by the police car, adding: 'The cow ran into the park and the police asked me to lock one of the gates It was just me and the calf for about two hours. I was keeping her calm. 'At one point we were in the playground. I heard on the police radio them calling for firearms officers, so I stayed with it and told them there's no way I was letting them shoot it.' Kate said Beau Lucy and other cows were put out on Staines Moor to graze and thinks she could have swam across the river and escaped Squad cars surround the terrified calf in Staines-upon-Thames at around 9pm on Friday Home Secretary James Cleverly has branded the incident 'unnecessary' He said he and two other local men eventually guided the calf into a horsebox using a rope to lasso the animal. The officer who struck the calf has been removed from frontline duties amid a probe into what happened. Dep Ch Const Nev Kemp said: 'At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations.' He added: 'I know there is much concern around the current welfare of the cow. She is now back with her owner and recuperating with her herd. She did sustain a large cut to one leg and cuts and grazes. 'She continues to be monitored by a vet and our rural officers are staying in contact with the owner for updates.' 'I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure that it is thoroughly and diligently investigated. The calf can be seen standing in the middle of the road before a police car hits the animal 'In addition to an internal referral to our Professional Standards Department, we have also referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent consideration. 'I have also briefed the Home Office on what action we are taking and we are liaising with several animal charities that have been in touch with us about this incident.' Kate previously told Sky News: 'It looked like they tried to kill it. Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought [the police officer] should lose his job. I just thought it was disgusting, I couldn't believe it. I don't know if it was his decision to drive at the animal or whether he was instructed to, but the police, when they got out of the car, looked pretty agitated themselves.' Kate said Beau Lucy and other cows were put out on Staines Moor to graze and thinks she could have swam across the river and escaped. 'I don't know whether she will live. She could die of the shock but hopefully she'll live', she added. Mother-of-three Davinder Kaur filmed the incident from her house and has released further footage. The 49-year-old said: 'It was in front of my house. The cow is going through the road, through the footpath. It's a very small one. 'Someone called the police. He was very scared to come to the road. The police car hit it. 'After a few minutes he got up again. The police car hit him again. Then he was hit again. The police blocked it. It was hit around 11pm. Somebody told me it had escaped in Staines. This is the distressing moment the police car makes contact with the calf 'When he hit it we were shocked, very shocked. It was very small, not a big cow. It was no harm to anyone. 'He was very scared. Everyone was shouting 'why hit it, why hit'. He (the police officer) was telling us to go back. I don't know where the mind of the driver was.' The scared animal is believed to have escaped from a nearby field and had been causing traffic delays as it ran along local streets. Witnesses say the officers tried to calm the animal for a couple of hours but decided to ram the uncontrollable cow at around 11pm. In the sickening footage the police officer appeared to line his truck up as the cow entered the middle of the road before ramming it at speed. As it flails around in the road trying to stand the unnamed officer than proceeds to hit the animal again, trapping its head under the bumper. Witnesses can be heard shouting 'what the f**k was that?' in reaction while a group of locals tried to help the injured cow. Elisa Allen, VP of Programmes and Operations at PETA said: 'The young calf must have been completely terrified and confused as they were cruelly and forcefully mown down by a police car no less and pinned to the ground. 'There is no justification for this violence. The police are meant to protect, not harm. 'An investigation into the actions of the officers involved must urgently be undertaken and the calf safely rehomed at a sanctuary. 'Anyone upset by this footage can prevent other calves, who are mutilated, exploited, and ultimately killed in the meat and dairy industries, from suffering by going vegan, and PETA offers free resources at PETA.org.uk to help. ' A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: 'This is upsetting and distressing footage. As soon as we were made aware, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and to find out what happened to the calf. We are pleased to hear the calf survived and is receiving vet care. 'Surrey Police has referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this as the action appears disproportionate to the situation. We are happy to assist in any investigations carried out. 'All animals should be treated with respect. Together, we can create a better world for all animals.' Reacting to the footage on Twitter, Home Secretary James Cleverly branded the incident as 'unnecessary'. In a post, he tweeted: 'I can think of no reasonable need for this action. I've asked for a full, urgent explanation for this. It appears to be unnecessarily heavy handed.' MailOnline has contacted Surrey Police for comment. Vulnerable children may be forced to move school as a result of Labour's tax raid on the independent sector, the former education watchdog has warned. In her first comments on the controversial policy, Amanda Spielman said pupils with special educational needs and disabilities could find themselves priced out of specialist schools. The former HM Chief Inspector of Education said: 'It is a lot of uncertainty for some quite vulnerable children... it's really important that thought goes into what needs to be provided and how it is provided to make sure we don't end up with children with nowhere to go.' Labour has vowed to end the current VAT exemption for independent schools, which could add 20 per cent to fees. The party has said it will exempt children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), who have the most severe needs and often have their fees paid by local councils if they cannot be taught in the state sector. In her first comments on the controversial policy, Amanda Spielman said pupils with special educational needs and disabilities could find themselves priced out of specialist schools. Labour has vowed to end the current VAT exemption for independent schools, which could add 20 per cent to fees (file image) But Ms Spielman warned this may not be enough to protect the large number of pupils with complex needs who do not have EHCPs. She told The Sunday Telegraph that she 'would like to see how certainty is created for the children and parents who need it because this goes beyond just children with EHCPs'. Ms Spielman added: 'There are a lot more children in the system with significant needs than just a small slice with EHCPs.' Labour's plans were branded 'short-sighted in the extreme' by the headmistress of the private school formerly attended by Sir Keir Starmer's wife Lady Victoria. Lindsey Hughes, head of Channing School in north London, said charging parents VAT 'would make our education unaffordable for some and risk their children having to leave the school'. A Labour spokesman said places funded by EHCPs 'will not have a higher cost as a result of VAT', adding: 'The next Labour government will break down the barriers to opportunity by investing in all of our state schools and recruiting over 6,500 new teachers through ending the tax breaks for private schools.' A scientist has claimed that a popular mouthwash brand 'could increase risk of cancer' as he issues a warning that 'most people should not be using it.' Experts from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, found that two species of bacteria were more prevalent after three months of daily mouthwash use. Using Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash every day could increase the risk of developing esophageal and colorectal cancer a new scientific study has claimed. The scientists discovered that two species of bacterium - Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus - which have both been linked to cancer were more abundant in the mouth after daily usage. It is believed that the alcohol in the mouthwash may increase the level of bacteria inside the mouth, according to the academics. Scientists from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, found that two species of bacteria were more prevalent after three months of daily mouthwash use (stock image) The scientists discovered that two species of bacterium - Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus - which have both been linked to cancer were more abundant in the mouth after daily usage (stock image) Professor Chris Kenyon, a scientist at the university who worked on the study, told the Daily Telegraph that using the mouthwash 'could increase their risk of cancer and various infections.' He also claimed: 'Most people should not be using it and if they do use it, they should use the preparations without alcohol and limit the use to a couple of days.' Professor Kenyon and his colleagues made the discovery during an investigation into the impact of daily mouthwash use on STI risk among gay men when they made the finding. The 59 participants used Listerine daily for three months followed by three months of placebo mouthwash or vice versa. While the experiment only included Listerine, Professor Kenyon stressed that similar levels of bacteria would likely be found using other alcohol-based mouthwashes. Using Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash every day could increase the risk of developing esophageal and colorectal cancer a new scientific study has found (stock image) In a statement Kenvue, which owns the Listerine brand, told MailOnline: 'Studies on the impact of Listerine on oral health have been published in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications for more than a century, making it one of the most extensively tested oral mouthwash brands in the world. 'We continuously evaluate the latest science. There is no evidence that Listerine causes cancer.' Hundreds of thousands of householders have waited more than a year to find a builder to work on their homes, the Mail can reveal. A crippling construction skills shortage means that, since 2021, 415,000 people have spent more than 12 months waiting for work to begin. A further 301,000 waited a year for plumbers and heating engineers, 294,000 for a roofer and 274,000 for a carpenter. Fix Radios national construction audit found the average wait for a bricklayer over the past three years was more than three months, while customers were made to wait two and a half months for landscapers, painters and decorators. Industry leaders say the UKs shortage of tradespeople has been laid bare by delays in completing major projects such as the Co-op Live venue in Manchester. A crippling construction skills shortage means that, since 2021, 415,000 people have spent more than 12 months waiting for work to begin (file image) A further 301,000 waited a year for plumbers and heating engineers, 294,000 for a roofer and 274,000 for a carpenter (file image) Fix Radios national construction audit found the average wait for a bricklayer over the past three years was more than three months (file image) They add that, to keep up with growing demand, the field needs to acquire an extra 225,000 skilled workers by 2027. The shortage means the UK will miss out on 98billion of economic growth by 2030. Britains skills deficit has been exacerbated by the ageing population of labourers, with a fifth of the construction workforce now over the age of 50. A third of workers hope to leave the sector by 2030. The Construction Industry Training Boards Construction Skills Network estimates that close to one million tradespeople will retire in the next ten years. Shortages have been eased by migrant labourers in recent years but there is an urgent need to train more British workers. Last year bricklayers, plasterers, roofers and carpenters were added to the shortage occupation list compiled by the Home Office, in an attempt to address the issue. The Governments pledge to crack down on Mickey-Mouse university degrees and fund 100,000 apprenticeships could alleviate problems in the sector. Industry leaders say the UKs shortage of tradespeople has been laid bare by delays in completing major projects such as the Co-op Live venue in Manchester (file image) Britains skills deficit has been exacerbated by the ageing population of labourers, with a fifth of the construction workforce now over the age of 50 (file image) Building and construction have been major themes in both the Labour and Tory General Election campaigns. The Labour Party has unveiled plans for the next generation of new towns, while Rishi Sunak has promised to build hundreds of thousands of homes in Britains biggest cities. Clive Holland of Fix Radio said: We simply need more builders. If political parties, irrespective of their stripe or colour, honestly believe they can address the housing crisis without having the serious conversation of addressing the skills deficit, were heading into a very dangerous position. Two-thirds of Britons also told Fix Radio that they did not receive enough encouragement to pursue a career in the trade sector while at school. A further 18 per cent of British parents said they would not want their children to work in the construction industry because they dont believe they would earn enough money. Scotland Yard's decision to close the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's murder will be reviewed, with police admitting 'serious mistakes' are still being made in the case. At least three of the men who chased and fatally stabbed 18-year-old Stephen near a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 remain free. Two men were convicted of Stephen's murder in 2012, but the Metropolitan Police closed the probe in 2020 a move opposed by Stephen's parents at the time. Now the Met has agreed to review the case closure, according to The Guardian. Discussions regarding the scope of the review are ongoing, with the Lawrence family hopeful the remaining suspects can be brought to justice. Undated family handout file photo of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in a racially motivated attack by a group of white men The Met has agreed to review the case closure, according to The Guardian. (General view of New Scotland Yard) Assistant Met Commissioner Louisa Rolfe outlined the draft terms of reference for the review. The document acknowledges ongoing errors, adding: 'Despite 31 years of apologies, learning, and progress, serious mistakes related to Stephen Lawrence's death are still being made. 'Not only has [Doreen] Lawrence been let down, once again, but for her and the wider community there remains the legitimate concern that, if, after all these years and all this attention, the Metropolitan Police service still cannot be trusted when it comes to [her son] Stephen Lawrence, what trust can they have in any of the previous investigations and reviews?' Former Met detective chief inspector Clive Driscoll, who led the investigation that resulted in the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris in 2012, is expected to be part of the review. Mr Driscoll, whom Baroness Lawrence said was the only police officer she trusted, left the Met in 2014, despite wanting to pursue promising leads. Suspects Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt have always denied involvement in Stephen's murder. Mr Driscoll said: 'In 2014, I felt there were opportunities to catch more of the killers. It may be that there are still opportunities. There may have been several things that were missed or not pursued.' The review, which will be overseen by the College of Policing, will include independent members to assess whether the Met's decisions were 'reasonable and proportionate' according to 'national guidance and best practice applicable at the time'. Former Met detective chief inspector Clive Driscoll (pictured), who led the investigation that resulted in the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris in 2012, is expected to be part of the review. Baroness Lawrence (pictured) requested details from the Met about their handling of this aspect of the case However, the college cannot investigate criminal allegations, so any viable lines of inquiry identified will need to be handled by another police force or law enforcement agency. Stephen's father, Neville, said: 'I would want a completely new police force to deal with the case, not the Met as I don't trust them any more. It should be a complete reinvestigation. Clive's investigation showed it was possible to get justice, when the Met said it was not possible.' The Met opposes a complete reinvestigation, claiming it would 'draw limited resources away from current and historic murder investigations'. The review follows a BBC News story naming a sixth suspect, Matthew White, who died in 2021 aged 50. Baroness Lawrence requested details from the Met about their handling of this aspect of the case, a request the force initially failed to fulfil, prompting an apology from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Stephen's friend, Duwayne Brooks, who was also attacked, said: 'I want them to look at why the same suspects for the murder were not charged in relation to the assault on me.' The Mail has contacted the Met for comment. Nato might deploy more nuclear weapons amid an increasing threat posed by Russia and China, according to the head of the alliance. Jens Stoltenberg, the 13th secretary general of Nato, revealed there were live discussions among members about removing missiles from storage and putting them on standby to act as a deterrent. Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Stoltenberg said: 'I won't go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That's exactly what we're doing.' It comes as the head of Kyiv's national security council said Putin could demand a tactical nuclear weapon be used if Russia's army is beaten in Ukraine. Oleksandr Lytvynenko made the comments after G7 leaders warned any use by Russia of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons would be met with 'severe consequences', The Times reported. Jens Stoltenberg (pictured), the 13th secretary general of NATO, revealed there were live discussions among members about removing missiles from storage and putting them on standby A Netherlands' Air Force F-16 jetfighter takes part in the NATO exercise as part of the NATO Air Policing mission The head of Kyiv 's national security council said Putin could demand a tactical nuclear weapon be used if Russia's army is beaten in Ukraine Russian soldiers load a Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launchers at a firing position as part of Russian military drill intended to train the troops in using tactical nuclear weapons Meanwhile, Mr Stoltenberg warned in Brussels of the threat from China, adding that nuclear transparency should form the basis of Nato's nuclear strategy to prepare the alliance for the dangers of the world. 'Nato's aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and Nato does not, is a more dangerous world,' he said. Mr Stoltenberg claimed that China is heavily investing in modern weaponry, which includes its nuclear arsenal, which the secretary general said would increase to 1,000 possibly by 2030. He insisted the US and its European allies are modernising their nuclear deterrent as a result of heightened threat from Russia. 'The US is modernising their gravity bombs for the nuclear warheads they have in Europe and European allies are modernising the planes which are going to be dedicated to Nato's nuclear mission,' he said. It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday accused Russia of not wanting peace, after Putin said he would only accept a ceasefire if Ukraine agreed to halt its NATO ascension plans. Zelensky made the accusation at the end of a major diplomatic summit in Switzerland, which more than 90 countries attended, making it the largest gathering in support of Ukraine since the start of the invasion. The conference saw the vast majority of the 90 nations who attended sign a communique in support of Ukraine sovereignty, and also called for Putin to return children stolen during the invasion. 'Double haters' could spell trouble for both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as the race tightens ahead of the next election. Polling conducted by Redbridge has determined Australians are uninspired by the two leaders vying for the prime ministership and turning away from the major parties. Mr Dutton edged slightly ahead of Mr Albanese according to a Resolve poll for the Sydney Morning Herald at the weekend, backed by 36 per cent of voters. RedBridge director Tony Barry said voters want a leader with integrity, empathy, strength and vision, and that they're not currently seeing that. 'In our research, voters don't recognise these attributes in either major party candidate and instead what we are seeing is the emergence and rise of the 'double haters' across the Australian political landscape,' Mr Barry said. 'Double haters' could spell trouble for both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as the race tightens ahead of the next election The term 'double haters' has been imported from US politics, and refers to voters who have developed a deep dislike of both major candidates. In this circumstance, Mr Albanese has failed to deliver in key areas such as the cost of living crisis. As a result, voters are struggling to pay their bills and afford groceries. Mr Dutton noted during an interview with Sky News on Sunday that there are 'pensioners this weekend who are eating or heating, but not both'. 'This is contributing to further agony for Australians that the Prime Minister is imposing on them at the moment, and that'll be a big difference between the two parties as we go into the next election,' he said. But for most of his time in Opposition, Mr Dutton has been burdened by a presumption that he is 'unelectable'. Young people are leading the charge and feel the lowest levels of loyalty to any party But the latest poll for the first time show he's now leading Mr Albanese on key measures, including the most important one as preferred PM. However neither leader is making an impact with voters, with personal support in the wallowing in the mid 30 per cent range, as a youthful, large proportion of the population turns away from the main parties. Mr Barry noted: 'Like their American counterparts, this Australian cohort feel alienated and dissatisfied with both Labor and the Coalition. 'Typically, [they] have no brand loyalty to either major party.' He warned both parties will be seeking to make the next election a 'referendum on the other candidate' rather than a debate on key policy issues. Redbridge director Kos Samaras said 'double haters' are a glaring reality the government and opposition will face in the next election. He said young people are leading the charge and feel the lowest levels of loyalty to any party. Young people drove the vote toward Greens and independents in the last election, and Mr Samaras told the ABC they will likely continue to 'destabilise this country's political two-party system in a very big way'. Mr Dutton edged slightly ahead of Mr Albanese according to a Resolve poll testing Australians' preferred PM The warning comes as whispers grow louder that the PM may call an election in 2024. A vote must be held by May 2025, but the Stage Three tax cuts, due to come into effect in July, have prompted speculation of an earlier call to the ballot box. Now Mr Dutton has also weighed in on whether a federal election is likely sooner rather than later, with concerning economic conditions on the horizon, he said. 'There is a chance that we go into recession, which is why I think there is talk of an early election,' he said. 'The Prime Minister will want to go before that.' He blamed the current government for 'slowly grinding the economy to a halt'. But Mr Albanese will still be holding out hope that the tide could change on the back of Labor's latest tax cuts and Budget sweeteners. May's Budget included a $300 energy bill credit for every household, increased rent assistance and waiving $3billion in student debt indexation. These measures are in addition to the tax cuts - which benefit all taxpayers except high income earners. The average household will receive an annual tax cut of $1,888, or $36 a week. Domino's has sparked outrage after a sign was raised in one of its stores warning customers they would be slugged a 10 per cent surcharge on Sundays. An angry customer shared a photo of two signs to Reddit on Saturday with the caption: 'Domino's are you f***ing serious'. One of the A4 sized signs informed customers they would be charged a 1.4 per cent surcharge on all in-store purchases if they were paying with card. The second sign revealed the surcharge would be increased to a staggering 10 per cent for all orders on Sundays - to help cover penalty rates. Social media users were stunned with some accusing the pizza chain of 'highway robbery' while others described it as 'bulls***'. A Domino's Pizza customer was outraged after spotting two signs at their local store detailing an additional EFTPOS surcharge on all orders made in store 'Customers, a 1.4 per cent surcharge applies to all EFPTOS transactions processed in store (note this does not apply to orders prepaid online),' the first sign read. 'At Domino's we are 100% committed to providing customers with great tasting products at an affordable price.' The other sign informed customers that they would be charged up a surcharge of 10 per cent. 'Our team members work hard to provide you with great tasting food for great value,' it read. 'On Sundays we apply up to 10 per cent surcharge on all orders, to allow for penalty rates for our team members.' The signs left a sour taste in the mouths of many customers. 'We heard you loved surcharges so we put a surcharge on your surcharge,' one wrote. 'Highway robbery prices, but then it arrives on a literal f***ing pushbike. Are those pushbikes paying V8 regos?' a second commented. 'It's bulls**t but at least they acknowledge it with a clear sign. You realise this is standard in most cafes and fast food now right?' a third person chimed. Another person added: 'I refuse to shop anywhere with eftpos surcharges. Its just a cost of doing business they need to absorb'. A Domino's spokesman told Daily Mail Australia stores have flexibility when it comes to surcharges. It is understood not all stores charge an EFPTOS surcharge, however a Sunday surcharge is in place at all 750 Domino's Pizza franchises across the country. 'Domino's is proud to serve Australia through more than 750 stores, the majority of which are independently owned and operated by local community members,' the Domino's spokesman said. 'Our franchise partners have the flexibility to manage various store-level operations, including EFTPOS transactions. 'To offset bank and card provider fees, some may choose to implement a small surcharge on in-store transactions. 'When surcharges apply, clear signage will always be visible to customers, and we strive to ensure any additional cost are minimal.' Domino's told Daily Mail Australia stores had the flexibility to determine additional EFTPOS surcharges Domino's added the brand is 'committed to providing exceptional value' and encouraged Aussies to pay cash or order online if they wish to avoid the EFPTOS fee. 'We recognise that every dollar counts for our customers and are committed to providing exceptional value,' Domino's spokesperson said. 'For those who wish to avoid this fee, there are a number of other convenient payment options including using cash or ordering online.' It comes after Aussies rushed to withdraw cash from ATMs across the country as part of a fight against the rise of digital payments. The mass withdrawal event, called 'Cash Out Day', was organised by the Cash Is King Australia Facebook group and took place on Friday. 'Cash out tomorrow June 14th,' the group said in a recent post. 'Bank branch or ATM, get it out, use it don't lose it.' Many Australians shared photos of themselves withdrawing hundreds of dollars from ATMs. Some even reported that the high demand as a result of the campaign caused some ATMs to run out of money. Finder's head of consumer research, Graham Cooke, told Daily Mail Australia that those who paid with cash can avoid extra card fees. While some larger businesses absorb these costs into the price of their goods and services, many smaller ones lump customers with the bank fees. The most popular way to pay with card is tap-and-go, which accounts for 95 per cent of in-person transactions, and is the most expensive. Aussies flocked to ATMs across the country to withdraw cash during Cash Out Day on Friday to demonstrate against wholly cashless transactions (stock image) While inserting a card into an EFTPOS machine typically costs a merchant less than 0.5 per cent per transaction using contactless Visa and Mastercard payment can amount to 0.5 to 1 per cent each time for debit cards and 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent for credit cards. On a purchase of $100 the average cost added is 28c for EFTPOS, 52c for using the Mastercard network, 47c for using Visa and a whopping $1.88 for digital payment provider Square. Aussies could soon be legally protected to pay for goods and services with cash if independent MP Andrew Gee's Keeping Cash Transactions in Australia Bill passes through parliament. If passed, the laws would require cash as a payment option for any transaction of up to $10,000. Any individual refusing a cash payment under those circumstances could be fined up to $5,000, while a business would have to pay a maximum fine of $25,000. A high school graduation for more than 100 Los Angeles County teenagers - including nearly 30 who are on probation - turned violent when a massive brawl broke out. The melee unfolded on Thursday at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, when authorities say a community member leaped over a second-story balcony to assault one of the graduates. 'I had just walked the stage when suddenly, kids from an alternative education school and probation started fighting,' witness Brianna Valdez told Fox LA. 'Girls were fighting, guys were fighting. I was really scared,' she said. 'It's like we're here for a happy moment, and it's ruined with gang activity.' The situation escalated as gunshots were reported outside the Concert Hall as students and families left the ceremony around 5pm. A massive brawl broke out at a graduation ceremony for more than 100 high schoolers when an unidentified individual jumped from a second-story balcony to assault one of the teens 'We were coming out of the ceremony, and there was a car on the other side,' Raul Valdez said 'We just saw shooting and saw the smoke and everything, and everybody just got down on the ground.' Another witness said he saw someone throw his mother to the ground to cover her body, telling her, 'Mom, get down, they're shooting.' Javonte Jamison also claimed he saw someone bleeding outside. 'He looked like just got done fighting and I could see the car pulling up, that they were about to do something for sure,' he said. 'You could see the gun smoke, gun shells hitting the floor and they they just kind of peeled out.' Footage showed a number of students brawling at the graduation ceremony, which included around 30 students on probation It remains unclear what started the brawl, and if a shooting outside was related It remains unclear what the motive was for the massive brawl, and if the shooting outside the Concert Hall was related. But the Los Angeles County Probation Department said all of its 29 graduates were already out of the auditorium by the time the brawl started. 'All detained probation youth had already exited the auditorium and were placed in a secure holding area prior to the incident occurring,' the department said in a statement. 'The Probation Special Enforcement Operations Unit quickly responded, containing the incident and restoring order inside the auditorium.' No injuries were reported, and four people were detained following the altercation. Their identities and the charges against them have not been released. A former high-flying real estate executive has been found guilty of stealing a taxi and driving it while drunk after a judge rubbished claims that he acted out of fear for his life. Brett Henson, 42, was charged after taking off with the vehicle about 9pm on November 4, 2022 following a night at Sydney's Ivy nightspot. He abandoned the damaged car in Woollahra, in the city's east. Henson pleaded not guilty in court, arguing he stole the vehicle because he was being pursued by the taxi driver, Sayeed Ali Khan, and a group of men after a dispute erupted when he broke the taxi's door handle. Henson claimed the group of men called themselves the 'Muslim Brotherhood' and were attempting to kill him. He claimed they began chasing him after taking Mr Khan's side. But Magistrate Gregory Moore rejected Henson's claims in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Monday - finding him guilty of stealing a vehicle and drink driving. 'I do not accept the accused was forced to drive the vehicle because of those threats,' Mr Moore said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Former Mirvac executive Brett Henson is seen at Sydney's Downing Centre Court in March Magistrate Moore said Henson could have taken other steps - such as phoning emergency services or getting help from witnesses - if he feared for his safety, rather than stealing the vehicle. However, the magistrate ruled Henson was not guilty of a third charge - reckless driving. He was not satisfied there was enough evidence to back up the offence. CCTV footage tendered in court showed Henson grabbing the taxi door and falling onto his back with his legs in the air. He then ran away from the scene as the driver pursued him on foot. Henson then returned to the vehicle and drove off. Henson previously denied he fell due to alcohol intoxication - claiming he was flung backwards to the ground when the door handle broke. He also claimed in court that Mr Khan, who isn't accused of any wrongdoing, said he would 'add it to the bill' when he got home. But he alleged that the driver then tried to 'extort him' by asking him to get the money out of an ATM. The former Mirvac executive claimed Mr Khan was 'extremely aggressive' and when he did not give him the money, the group of four to five men set upon him. CCTV footage allegedly shows Mirvac executive Brett Henson falling over on to his back after having an altercation with a Sydney taxi driver 'They were taking the side of the taxi driver trying to get money out of me, trying to get my phone or wallet. I said to leave me alone,' Henson previously said. 'When they were chasing me I said 'just call the police' and they responded with 'we are the police'.' Mr Henson attempted to run away from the group but told the court they wouldn't leave him alone and surrounded him for 10 minutes. 'I was petrified, trying to get away from these guys,' Mr Henson told the court. He told the court that he got 'belted' and landed on the ground with his shirt ripped open, resulting in bruises on his arms, hip and chest. The court was told the men were saying 'let's f**king get him'. 'I needed to get away from there, there was no other way I can escape ... I can't call the police ... there's no other option,' Mr Henson told the court. CCTV footage released by police allegedly shows Mr Henson stealing a taxi in Sydney's CBD in November, 2022 Mr Henson managed to get away from the group and jumped into the taxi. He told the court that he was terrified of the group so he drove through multiple red lights before he finally stopped at an intersection in the eastern suburbs. When asked by his lawyer what was going through his head, Mr Henson said: 'These guys are going to kill me. 'I would be a victim of a king hit and my family would be up here instead of me being here today explaining.' However, Mr Khan gave evidence that Henson was 'aggressive and shouting' and had said 'Do you want to fight with me?' Mr Henson was reportedly a senior capital transactions manager for property developing giant Mirvac at the time of the offence and owns a $3.3m house in Bronte. The former prominent real estate figure was arrested in late 2022 after photos of the incident were circulated by NSW Police. He is now unemployed. Henson will be sentenced on June 24. A woman has accused the pastor of a Texas megachurch of sexually abusing her when she was 12, with the preacher only admitting to 'inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady.' Robert Morris, 62, the founder and senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, which claims a weekly attendance of 100,000, is facing the allegations from former family friend Cindy Clemishire. She claimed the pastor, who was also once a spiritual advisor to former President Donald Trump, abused her from 1982 to 1987, when she was between the ages of 12 and 16. Clemishire, who went public with her accusations and revealed her identity Friday, said that Morris was a traveling preacher when she met her and her family at their church in Oklahoma in 1981. The two families - including Morris' wife and son - became close, and Clemishire alleged that Morris' abuse began when he stayed at her family home in Tulsa on Christmas 1982. A woman has accused Robert Morris, the pastor of a Texas megachurch, of sexually abusing her when she was 12, with the preacher only admitting to 'inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady' Cindy Clemishire (pictured) came forward with her allegations this week, claiming Morris abused her for several years after her family befriended his She describes a scene in which Morris asked her to come to his room and speak with him, asking her to lay on his bed. Morris began to touch her inappropriately, with Clemishire alleging he touched her stomach, then her breast and then under her pants. 'I remember vividly everything I was wearing and how the pajamas felt. They were light pink, and it was a little top with bloomers, and I had on underwear and bloomers and the little top and a robe that snapped up over the top,' she said. Clemishire adds that after the alleged abuse occurs, Morris 'told me I could never tell anyone, because it would ruin everything.' She says that he would continue to isolate her and abuse her for the next four and a half years before she finally spoke out, first to a family friend and then her parents. Clemishire's father demanded Morris be removed from ministry and she claims he did for two years in order to undergo 'restoration.' He returned to preaching in 1989. Morris, for his part, admitted to some wrongdoing, though he never admits to Clemishire being underage at the time in a statement to The Christian Post on Saturday. 'When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years,' he said. Morris is the founder and senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, which claims a weekly attendance of 100,000 and was also once a spiritual advisor to former President Donald Trump Morris (pictured with his wife), 62, was accused by Cindy Clemishire of abusing her from 1982 to 1987, when she was between the ages of 12 and 16 He claims to have 'repented' in March of 1987 when the accusations became public and said he received 'counseling and freedom ministry.' Morris says that he and his wife met with Clemishire and her family in October of 1989 and 'asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me.' He also alleges that when he returned to the ministry, he did so with the 'full blessing' of Clemishire's father. Clemishire told the Dallas Morning News that this is not quite the truth. 'Of course we want to forgive, we're called to forgive. But he's never had anyone's blessing in my family to be back in the ministry,' she said. 'We don't believe anyone that's done anything like this should be an overseer to anyone in any industry, but especially in the church.' She also doesn't believe Morris has ever really repented for his abuse and his statement proves that. 'I don't think that it's repentant when someone calls a 12-year-old a 'young lady' and tries to just dismiss what happened as just some heavy petting,' Clemishire said. Clemishire describes a scene in which Morris asked her to come to his room and speak with him, asking her to lay on his bed Morris says that he and his wife met with Clemishire and her family in October of 1989 and 'asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me' 'I don't believe that's repentance. There's no child on Earth that any person should ever do that to. It's just unacceptable. There's zero excuse.' 'He didn't come forward and confess. He was turned in,' she said. 'When someone is turned in, what are they sorry for? Are they sorry they got caught? Or are they truly repentant of what they did?' The pair have tangled over this in court in the past, as in 2005 she sued him and wanted him to pay $50,000 to cover therapy costs. Morris, through an attorney, accused her of 'seeking out' the pastor's sexual advances and tried to get her to sign an NDA in exchange for $25,000. She did not take the deal. The pastor was a part of Trump's 'evangelical advisory board' for his 2016 presidential campaign and visited Gateway in 2020 for a panel discussion. A statement on behalf of Gateway Church's other leaders and elders also attempt to absolve Morris. 'Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process,' they said. Morris, however, did not lead the church in services on Saturday and the church has made no statements and given no interviews in response to the resurfaced allegations. The pair have tangled over this in court in the past, as in 2005 she sued him and wanted him to pay $50,000 to cover therapy costs Morris, through an attorney, accused her of 'seeking out' the pastor's sexual advances and tried to get her to sign an NDA in exchange for $25,000. She did not take the deal 'At this time we are not granting interviews or providing additional statements,' Lawrence Swicegood, executive director of Gateway Media, said in a statement. Clemishire has hired Boz Tchividjian to represent her in a new potential lawsuit, according to WFAA. Tchividjian is evangelist Billy Graham's grandson. 'My hope and prayer is for all of this to be good. For the church, for God's glory, and for other victims to find freedom,' she said. Morris was never criminally charged and the statute of limitations on such a case has long since ran out. A retired California sheriff's deputy went missing while hiking in Greece during a heatwave earlier this week. Albert Calibet, 59, was hiking on the 47-square-mile island of Amorgos on Tuesday when he failed to return. The retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy spoke to his girlfriend Debbie Leshane before the hike and texted her a picture of the trailhead around 9:30am, but has not been in contact since, the San Francisco Gate reported. Two hours later, footage showed Calibet leaving the village of Aegiali, where he picked up a soft drink and a bottle of water. A rescue operation was launched on Tuesday afternoon, and reinforcements were called in from nearby Naxos Island including enlisting a helicopter. Albert Calibet, 59, was hiking on the 47-square-mile island of Amorgos on Tuesday Calibet (right) spoke to his girlfriend Debbie Leshane before the hike but has not been in contact since A desperate search across the island has been launched, including a helicopter and local shepherds, in hopes of locating the 59-year-old Police have requested data from mobile operators to help determine Calibet's last known location, and the search has even seen local shepherds join in the efforts, ABC News reported. 'We're sick to our stomachs, knowing he's out there somewhere,' Leshane told ABC7. Popi Despotidi, Amorgos' deputy mayor for tourism, said it is likely that Calibet got dizzy in the heat and 'collapsed somewhere.' 'It's odd because he's not someone who was walking this route for the first time,' Despotidi told local media. Calibet is reportedly a regular visit to Amorgos, a rocky island of less than 2,000 inhabitants. '(He) is well-known on the island,' Despotidi said. 'He has been visiting for several years and has completed the Aegiali-Ketapola hike several times in the past.' Temperatures peaked at dangerous levels across Greece on Thursday, rising to almost 113 degrees. Footage captured Calibet walking through a town on the day he disappeared, where he bought a soft drink and a bottle of water on the sweltering hot day Amorgos' deputy mayor for tourism, said it is likely that Calibet got dizzy in the heat and 'collapsed somewhere' Calibet is reportedly a regular visit to Amorgos, a rocky island of less than 2,000 inhabitants Calibet's disappearance comes just days after a missing US tourist was found dead on a rocky beach on the small Greek island of Mathraki. The victim was reported missing on Thursday by his host, a Greek-American friend. He was reportedly last seen Tuesday in a local cafe in the company of two women who have since left the small island. Details about the man, including a name and hometown, were not immediately available. Just last week, Dr. Michael Mosley, beloved British television presenter and Daily Mail columnist, was found dead on the island of Symi after collapsing on a hike. His wife said he took the wrong route and collapsed just before reaching a marina, in a spot where his body could not be easily seen. Dr Mosley, 67, was found dead by a fence at the resort of Agia Marina on Sunday morning just 260 feet from a beach bar and safety. Temperatures at the time had been nudging 40C and the excessive heat is thought to have played a role in his death. Chinese media officials attempted to block Australian journalist Cheng Lei from appearing on camera during a press conference with the country's second-most powerful leader - over eight months after she was freed from a Chinese prison. Video footage appears to show an embassy official attempting to move in front of Ms Lei to block her from the view of cameras at a press conference in Parliament House on Monday where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was appearing alongside China's second-in-command Premier Li Qiang. The official refused repeated polite requests to move. After being rebuffed, an Australian parliament official then demanded: 'Youre standing in front of my Australian colleague - you must move.' Another journalist then offered to swap seats with Ms Lei, which allowed her to move two seats to the right. But then another Chinese embassy official attempted to get close to her to block her view. Video footage appears to show embassy officials attempting to move in front of Australian journalist Cheng Lei to block her from the view of cameras Australian officials responded by physically wedging themselves to shield the Sky News presenter while China 's second-in-command Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to reporters At this, an Australian official responded by physically wedging herself between Ms Lei and the Chinese officials to shield the Sky News presenter. Ms Lei was incarcerated by Chinese authorities in 2020 after being accused of 'illegally supplying state secrets overseas', allegations that were unfounded. She returned home to Melbourne last year after a three-year ordeal in prison and landed a job at Sky News. Ms Lei said afterwards that the officials went to 'great lengths' to hide her from view and that it was a 'bad look.' 'They went to great lengths to block me from the cameras,' she told Sky News. Ms Lei (pictured sitting and looking to her right)was obscured from the view of television cameras by Chinese media officials (pictured, far right) An Australian media official (pictured in the cream blazer) came to Ms Lei's aid and 'wedged' herself in between Ms Lei and another Chinese official attempting to block her view 'Im only guessing this is to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look.' The whole bizarre interaction lasted the length of the 20-minute press conference. Ms Lei said it was typical of Chinese officials to attempt to convey a 'friendly facade' during official visits. 'Well, it's typical right, with these events,' she said. 'Especially if they're attaching importance to the friendly facade, that they're carefully staging that voices of discord or the presence of someone who's a bit controversial, not harm that.' The Sky News anchor praised the response of Australian officials. It comes after tensions between rival demonstrators escalated on Monday morning ahead of the state visit of Premier Li Qiang in Canberra Peaceful supporters of Tibet, a predominantly Buddhist region in China's far west, were swarmed by counter-protesters who unfurled huge Chinese and Australian flags to block them from sight (pictured: rival protesters come to blows) 'Our officials behaved courteously, firmly, as they should have,' she added. Australian political figures were quick to condemn the actions. 'This is inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour on Australian soil,' Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson posted on social media. Meanwhile, Drew Pavlou, a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party, accused the party of paying supporters to throw the Chinese flag over Hong Kong democracy protesters outside parliament. 'Pro-CCP thugs hired by the Chinese Embassy assault Hong Kong democracy protesters in Australia as CCP Premier Li Qiang visits,' Mr Pavlou said. Mr Albanese was asked about the incident by journalists at a press conference on Monday afternoon. I didnt see that,' the Prime Minister said. Prime mInister Anthony Albanese shakes hands with China's second most powerful leader, Li Qiang 'I saw Cheng Lei and we smiled at each other during the event. Im not aware of those issues its important that people be allowed to participate fully and thats what should happen in this building and anywhere else in Australia. It comes just hours after pro- and anti-China protesters clashed on the lawn outside Parliament House ahead of Premier Qiang's state visit - the first by a Chinese leader in seven years. Peaceful supporters of Tibet, a predominantly Buddhist region in China's far west, were swarmed by counter-protesters who unfurled huge Chinese and Australian flags to block them from sight. Some protesters carried huge flags that conjoined the Chinese and Australian flag, as Tibetan sympathisers struggled to hold their banner aloft. At one stage, a scuffle broke out as a man fell to the floor and brought down a raised speaker as a heavy police presence observed the stand-off. One observer claimed that 'people bearing Chinese flags who were bussed in and paid to "welcome" Chinese premier Li Qiang'. Hillary Clinton cracked an awkward joke about her 2016 election loss Sunday night during a surprise appearance at the 2024 Tony Awards. Clinton came out to fawning applause and a standing ovation from almost the entire A-list crowd at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City . She was there to present a performance from the musical Suffs, a Broadway show about the movement to give women the right to vote, which counts the former Secretary of State and First Lady as a producer. Clinton began her introduction by attempting to nod at her now eight-year old electoral failure, which she recently blamed on women voters abandoning her. 'I have stood on a lot of stages, but this is very special,' Clinton said. 'I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change.' Hillary Clinton cracked a joke about her 2016 election loss Sunday night during a surprise appearance at the 2024 Tony Awards Many of the crowd who'd stood for Clinton earlier laughed at the reference to her loss to Donald Trump in 2016. 'I'm extremely proud of this original American musical by Shaina Taub now a two-time Tony winner,' she continued. 'And of course, it is about some American originals: the suffragists who fought so valiantly for so long to give women in our country the right to vote.' Clinton then implored people to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election between Trump and President Joe Biden. 'It's almost impossible to think about what a challenge that was, but now it's an election year, and we need to be reminded about how important it is to vote, so please welcome the company of Suffs!' Many mocked Clinton's appearance and the audience that stood in near unison for the ex-Senator. Ryan Gidursky wrote: 'Democrats were like, 'how do I do something more cringe than Robert DeNiro? Hillary Clinton: 'hold my drink' Another user added: 'Hillary Clinton Appears at the Tony Awards to Make Election Year Pitch, Earning Applause from Entitled Elites. I loathe this woman.' She was there to present a performance from the musical Suffs, a Broadway show about the movement to give women the right to vote, which counts the former Secretary of State and First Lady as a producer Clinton came out to fawning applause and a standing ovation from almost the entire A-list crowd at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City 'Is this really how I found out that Hillary Clinton was executive producer of a musical about suffragettes called Suffs lmao. This is a 30 Rock bit,' joked another. Vulture writer E. Alex Jung wrote: 'Cheers to whoever was brave enough not to do the standing ovation for Hillary Clinton.' However, some on X were excited to see Clinton and praised her fashion sense at the show. 'Hillary Clinton said 'It is Pride Month and I'm presenting on the #TonyAwards, I shall wear a fabulous caftan!' and GOOD. FOR. HER.' The show, which is still running on Broadway, did win the trophies for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for Taub. However, Suffs lost in the Best Musical category, which would've seen Clinton become a Tony winner. Clinton has previously won an Emmy Award in 2023 and a Grammy Award in 1997. This was her first Tony nomination. Angelina Jolie was joined on stage by daughter Vivienne, 15, as she was the biggest winner of the night at the 77th Tony Awards as the musical she produced earned top honors on Broadway's biggest night where Sarah Paulson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jeremy Strong all won big. Paulson earned Best Actress in A Play for Appropriate, Radcliffe took home Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Merrily We Roll Along, and Strong triumphed in the Best Actor in A Play category for An Enemy Of The People. They were all first time winners. The 49-year-old actress Angelina produced The Outsiders alongside one of her six children as the stage production earned four including top honor Best Musical at the star-studded event on Sunday night. Angelina and Vivienne proudly applauded on stage next to each other as fellow producer Matthew Rego accepted the final gong of the night with an inspiring acceptance speech. The musical came in with a whopping 12 nominations as Vivienne notably dropped her father Brad Pitt's surname on her Playbill credit. The production also earned Best Direction of a Musical for Dayna Taymor, Best Sound Design of a Musical for Cody Spencer, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim. Around 1,200 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfire continues to spread outside Los Angeles. The devastating wildfire, named the Post Fire, ignited on Saturday just 65 miles northwest of LA, and has scorched over 14,000 acres as fire crews battle the blaze. As of Sunday night, just two percent of the fire was contained, as officials said high winds of up to 50mph are spreading the flames across the region. The cause of the Post Fire is as yet unknown, but it is believed to have started at 1:45pm on Saturday in Gorman near Hungry Valley Park, according to officials. Further reports show the fire spreading near the major highway of Interstate 5, towards Pyramid Lake. Firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and other firemen respond to the Post Fire Firefighters work under a smoldering hillside left behind by the Post Fire on Saturday Wind gusts are forecast to reach up to 70mph overnight, as officials warned evacuations - conducted by the California Park Services - may be escalated. Breathtaking images showed firefighters battling the huge wildfires, with helicopters brought in to dump water from above to contain the flames. In anticipation of further damage, evacuation warnings have also been sent out to areas west of Interstate 5 between Pyramid Lake and Gorman. More than 400 firefighters are working with 70 engines and two dozers to put out the flames. 'Currently crews are working to construct perimeter fire lines around the flakes of the fire', an update from Cal Fire on Sunday reads. 'Aircraft are working to stop forward progress but have limited visibility.' A helicopter drops water as fire crews mop up after the Post Fire swept through Firefighters work against the advancing Post Fire on Sunday Over 14,000 acres have been burned as of Sunday night, with fire crews only able to contain two percent of the wildfires The devastating wildfire ignited on Saturday just sixty five miles northwest of LA The Post Fire burns through the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area in Lebec The Post Fire marks the first major wildfire of the year in Los Angeles County, although California has recorded a total of 1,769 wildfires this year. Firefighters working in sweltering conditions and steep terrain raced to douse the fires shortly after they were reported. Kenichi Haskett, a section chief for the LA County Fire Department, told the Associated Press that their efforts have been hampered by unpredictable winds blowing embers through the dry region. 'When its windy, it just sprays the water everywhere we dont need it. So thats a challenge,' Haskett said. No injuries or damage to homes have yet been reported, however officials warned residents of Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, that they should prepare to leave if the fire pushes further south. 'If youre in a warning area, be prepared with a go bag, with overnight clothes and your cellphone, your medicines, your glasses. Have your car fueled up,' said Haskett. 'Be ready to evacuate.' A 'Red Flag' fire warning was issued along the I-5 corridor by the National Weather Service on Sunday due to strong winds and low humidity. 'Wind gusts of 45-55 mph today, increasing to 60-70 mph tonight, strongest across ridgetops,' the service posted on X. The warning will remain in effect until 5pm on Monday local time. A US Forest Service firefighter sets a controlled burn as the Post Fire burns through Castaic, California Firefighters working in sweltering conditions and steep terrain raced to douse the fires shortly after they were reported The Post Fire (pictured) marks the first major wildfire of the year in Los Angeles County, although California has recorded a total of 1,769 wildfires this year Officials warned that dry conditions and high winds were hampering their efforts to contain the fires A firefighter watches a plume of smoke from the Post Fire on Saturday, June 15 The low humidity and steep terrain of the effected area is hampering firefighters efforts. Firefighters in the region are also battling a second blaze in Hesperia in San Bernardino County. The second fire broke out after 6 p.m. Saturday in the 18000 block of North Highway 173, the LA Times reported. Meanwhile in Northern California, a small wildfire sparked Sunday prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma. The so-called Point Fire sent up a huge plume of dark smoke as it churned through brush and timber about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of San Francisco. It was 15% contained. A 'monster' teenager shot down his father and then executed his mother at point-blank range in front of cops before dying in a police shootout. Police say they received a call just after 11pm on Saturday from a woman - later identified as Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48 - informing them that her husband, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot. More gunshots could be heard while she was on the phone with the dispatch center, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reports. By the time deputies arrived at the home on Cactus Wren Place in Tampa, Florida, they found the suspect - Christos Alexander Themelis, 19 - and his mother, Rebecca, outside. As deputies watched in horror, the suspect shot his mother in the back of the head and began shooting at the officers, injuring one deputy, the sheriff's office said. Police responded to a Tampa home just after 11pm on Saturday when a woman reported her husband was shot Dramatic body camera footage caught the stand-off between Christos Alexander and the deputies, beginning when they arrived on the scene and found him outside with his mother. 'Show me your hands, show me your f****** hands,' Deputy Shane McGough, 26, could be heard yelling. He then pleaded with Rebecca to 'get out of the house now' and walk towards him, holding his gun drawn before radioing in, 'he's got her at gunpoint.' 'Listen, we don't want to hurt you, just let your mom walk to us, let her walk to us OK?' McGough tells the suspect, repeating his instructions to 'keep your hands up' and 'do not reach behind your back.' As the son apparently retreats to go and grab his gun, McGough once again pleads with the mother to 'walk to me, walk into my flashlight.' Then when Christos Alexander comes back out with the gun, he pleads, 'Ma'am get away from him now and come here.' Seconds after begging the suspect to 'stop reaching into your waistband', gunshots can be heard in the bodycam footage as both sides exchanges fire. McGough was struck in the leg, yelling 'I've been hit' at his fellow officers and asking for a tourniquet. Dramatic police body camera footage shows deputies confronting the shooter The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is releasing footage from last night's scene in Tampa. The body-camera video is from Deputy Shane McGough, the deputy who sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. "To see this situation unfold is truly scary," said Sheriff Chronister. "There pic.twitter.com/KTzkjGFsO4 HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) June 16, 2024 Five deputies returned fire, causing the suspect to retreat into his home, the sheriff's office said in a press release. At that point, authorities deployed a SWAT team, and deputies used a robot to enter the home through the front door. 'Unfortunately the first person we encounter on the ground is the father,' Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference. 'The father had succumbed to his injuries.' Police then found the suspect dead from injuries he sustained from the shootout in another room of the house. Sheriff Chad Chronister suggested the situation could have turned out worse But the situation could have been much worse, Sheriff Chad Chronister suggested. 'The monster we encountered this evening is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father,' he said in a statement. 'Our deputies responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm's way to protect our community. 'Without our deputies' quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger.' None of the deputies involved in the shootout had any prior record of use of force, the sheriff's office added. Deputy McGough is now in stable condition, and had surgery on Sunday to remove the bullet and insert a rod into his leg to help regrow the tibia - which was fractured in the shootout. Deputy Shane McGough, 26, was shot in the leg during a standoff with the teen gunman Authorities said the incident wasn't the first-time police have been called to the Tampa home. Deputies have responded to incidents at the home 10 times prior, with the majority being related to mental health services and violence against the suspect's parents, Chronister said at the news conference. He noted that there was also an active risk protection order against the 19-year-old that led deputies to seize his guns. Investigators are now working to determine how Christos Alexander may have obtained the gun if he was deemed 'mentally unfit.' 'We don't know exactly and we may not ever know why he became as violent as he did,' Chronister said. 'But we do know inflicting injury or harm on another human being - it never matters what the reason is - it's never OK. Period.' Pauline Hanson is holding firm in her refusal to take down a satirical cartoon about Robert Irwin after he threatened legal action - as a top lawyer predicts he has no chance of winning a defamation claim. Senator Hanson's 'Please Explain' animated video series featured a likeness of the youngest Irwin alongside famous cartoon dog Bluey in its latest episode on Friday. The episode, titled 'The State of Queensland', satirically depicts Irwin and Bluey exploring the state after the pair were unveiled as the faces of its new $9.2million tourism campaign. However, just hours after the video was published, FC Lawyers on behalf of Irwin sent a cease and desist letter to StepMates Studios, the series' production team. Daily Mail Australia understands that FC Lawyers gave a deadline of 5pm on Monday to remove the videos from all social media platforms. Pauline Hanson is holding firm in her refusal to take down a satirical cartoon about Robert Irwin after he threatened legal action - as a top lawyer predicts he has no chance of winning a defamation claim Senator Hanson's 'Please Explain' animated video series featured a likeness of Robert Irwin (pictured) alongside famous cartoon dog Bluey in its latest episode on Friday But Senator Hanson has refused to comply, instead urging the wildlife warrior to see the funny side of the video which has now been viewed over half a million times. 'I can confidently say we won't be taking the episode down and I'm hoping Robert decides to lighten up a bit,' she wrote on social media. Senator Hanson added: 'I look forward to the day when Robert and I can have a good laugh over this and turn our focus to making Queensland a better state.' Her lawyers branded the threatened legal action 'misconceived' and 'nonsensical' in a letter on Monday. It comes as a top lawyer encouraged Irwin to take Senator Hanson's advice to 'lighten up' because he had 'absolutely' no chance of success with the threatened defamation suit. Justin Quill, media and litigation partner from Thomson Greer Laywers, said it was 'clear that this is a joke'. 'I dont think it's defamatory in the first place and even if it is I think there's two really obvious defences - one is opinion and the other is political discussion,' he told Today. 'I doubt it's going to court.' In any event, One Nation's chief of staff James Ashby confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he had drafted in defamation expert Sue Chrysanthou SC. Daily Mail Australia approached FC Lawyers for comment. In the episode, the enthusiastic Irwin character attempts to show Bluey all the positive things the Sunshine State has to offer. The firebrand senator's Youtube series featured an episode on Friday where Irwin and the ABC children's cartoon character Bluey are satirically depicted (pictured) But the pair are met with the very same problems residents there are struggling with everyday. The duo at one point mistake a long queue at the famed Movie World theme park for a rental inspection, highlighting Queensland's dire housing crisis. They are also targeted by foul-mouthed delinquents who steal their vehicle and 'bash' Bluey. When he is taken to hospital, they are told it will be a 'six-month' wait. The episode ends with a downbeat Irwin, saying 'I can't believe this is the state of Queensland'. On Monday, Pauline Hanson said the episode 'highlighted the struggles many Queenslanders are facing due to the serious failures of the Miles Labor state government'. She added: 'We won't let that message be shut down.' Ordinary Aussies have since weighed in, with some calling Irwin a 'sook' who needs to 'grow up', while some have defended him and condemned Ms Hanson. Ms Hanson and One Nation chief of staff, James Ashby, previously told the younger Irwin to be more like his dad Steve who they claim 'would have had a good laugh' at the cartoon (pictured: Steve Irwin) 'Your dad would [have] had a good laugh at Pauline's cartoon. Grow up, stop being a snowflake!' one person said. 'I can't believe Robert Irwin is threatening One Nation with legal action over a (fabulous) satirical cartoon. How pathetic and un-Australian. Grow a sense of humour, mate,' wrote another. 'Robert Irwin is very thin skinned he needs a laugh,' a third person commented. 'Robert Irwin doesn't appear to have thought this through. By taking action, he has not only started trending on X, but so many more people have now seen the video than might have otherwise,' one more wrote. Others took aim at Ms Hanson and defended Irwin. 'It is Pauline Hanson who is the politician and she has a record of trying to sue others when offended,' one wrote. 'She likes to dish it out but cant take it which will cost her at the ballot box!' Another added: 'What about when Pauline Hanson threatened legal action over Pauline Pantsdown.' A family was left horrified after they discovered a red-bellied black snake hiding among soft toys in their daughter's bed. The venomous reptile was found at a home at Jimboomba, in Brisbane's south-west, on Sunday morning. The horrified family immediately called a snake catcher to remove the snake. Bryan Lockett, from Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast, arrived at the property and worked quickly to get the snake off the bed. A chilling video was shared to Facebook and captured the moment Mr Lockett gently guided the creature to the floor. A red-bellied black snake (pictured centre) was found hiding on a young girl's bed at a home in Jimboomba in Brisbane's southwest on Sunday morning 'Definitely not what you want on the bed,' Mr Lockett said. He then helped the reptile slither into a white bag before the snake was taken away. Hundreds of social media users expressed their fears following the horrifying discovery. 'Well I am not moving to Jimboomba in a hurry,' one wrote. 'My worst nightmare,' another wrote. 'OMG. Hope it wasn't there when the child was asleep,' a third added. The snake is understood to have entered the room through a door which was left open. Red-bellied black snakes are highly poisonous and can be deadly to humans, however very few deaths have been recorded. Bryan Lockett (pictured left), from Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast arrived at the property and removed the snake The snakes are mostly found along the east coast of Australia. Anyone who approaches a red-bellied snake are advised not to approach or attack the creature, as they can strike back when they are confronted. When a snake is detected, people should stay back and allow plenty of room between themselves and the reptile. Snakes are also adept at disguising themselves, therefore people should refrain from walking in high grassy areas to avoid accidently stepping on them. The grieving daughter of one of those killed in the Titan tragedy has spoken out to say her father, known as 'Mr Titanic', died doing what he loved most. French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was one of the five killed when a submersible imploded on a trip to the wreckage of the Titanic a year ago. Ahead of the first anniversary, his daughter Sidonie Nargeolet, 40, said he must have been 'super happy' and he had a 'very good death'. She told the Sunday Times her father died doing his favourite thing and passed away 'healthy with his mind intact'. When she last spoke to him as he arrived on the Polar Prince - the ship from which the sub launched - he was 'happy'. But at 6am the next morning, she was told that the Titan was missing and she said she 'cried for 10 minutes'. Mr Nargeolet was on board with Hamish Harding, the 58-year-old British billionaire, his son Suleman, 19, and the Titan's owner Stockton Rush, 61. Sidonie Nargeolet with her father Paul Henri-Nargeolet who died on the Titan sub trip French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was one of the five killed when a submersible imploded on a trip to the wreckage of the Titanic a year ago The submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic The world held its breath as the search and rescue mission began for the sub which had just 96 hours of oxygen left. And on June 22, the US Coast Guard found debris on the Atlantic seabed which evidenced the Titan had imploded the same day it dived. Mr Nargeolet came along as a deep-sea guide and it was his 38th trip to the wreckage of the Titanic. In the 1990s, he left his job in the navy to explore and retrieve relics - managing to retrieve the first objects from the site, some of which he returned to the owners. He took 5,500 in total and faced criticism from other explorers but he was 'obsessed' and retrieved the objects to honour the memory of those who died. Ms Nargeolet told the Sunday Times she went sailing with her father in the Mediterranean before he sank it. 'My family made fun of him. They said it was a bit like the Titanic. I didn't think it was funny at the time, but now...' she told the newspaper. Mr Nargeolet (left) and Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman His daughter slammed the firm behind the sub and said it stopped communicating with the families after the accident. She said: 'That is not normal. The least they could do is offered their condolences.' The tragedy is still being 'actively' investigated and it later emerged that experts had flagged concerns with the firm - OceanGate - about the sub. Ms Nargeolet said it is 'better' that the firm's boss Mr Rush is no longer around as it would have been 'hell for him to be alive' after the disaster of OceanGate Expeditions, which offered the trips for $250,000. In a disturbing interview a month before the disaster, Mr Nargeolet said the risks to the experimental sub didn't worry him because 'under that pressure, you'd be dead before you knew there was a problem'. His former navy colleagues organised a ceremony for him in Toulon, and a building at the naval diving school has been named in his memory. His daughter told the Sunday Times she has cried every day for the last year but said: 'I think what he did is beautiful. I think it's courageous.' The missing Titan sub had been hit by technical issues and mishaps on at least six previous occasions before it vanished, it was later reported. The former Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, David Lochridge, was fired from the company in 2018 after he raised concerns about its safety. Bosses at the firm disagreed with his demands for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove integrity'. The company also opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. OceanGate suggested that seeking classification could take years and would be 'anathema to rapid innovation'. A desperate search for the sub was launched after it lost contact with its mothership and vanished during an expedition to the Titanic wreck on Sunday June 18, 2023 Lochridge, whose role included overseeing safety on the Titan project, had urged OceanGate to seek classification several years ago, before he was sacked in a disagreement about safety checks on the craft. He also wanted the company to carry out a scan of Titan's hull to 'detect potential flaws' rather than 'relying on acoustic monitoring' which would only detect an issue 'milliseconds before an implosion'. In a court document filed in 2018, lawyers for the company said Lochridge's employment was terminated because he 'could not accept' their research and plans, including safety protocols. OceanGate also claimed that Lochridge 'desired to be fired' and had shared confidential information with others and wiped a company hard drive. The company said he 'refused to accept the voracity of information' about safety from Titan's lead engineer. In his report he said: 'With Cyclops 2 (Titan) being handed off from Engineering to Operations in the coming weeks, now is the time to properly address items that may pose a safety risk to personnel. 'Verbal communication of the key items I have addressed in my attached document have been dismissed on several occasions, so I feel now I must make this report so there is an official record in place.' Australians will now be able to travel to China without having to pay and apply for a visa, the Chinese Premier has announced in Canberra today. Premier Li Qiang said Australia would be included in the Asian country's visa waiver program to fast track international travel for jetsetting Australians. It means Aussies will be able to travel to China for up to 15 days for business, tourism and to visit loved ones without having to secure a visa. Mr Li made the announcement after arriving at Parliament House on Monday for an annual leaders' meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and several cabinet members. New Zealand was recently added to the visa waiver program in May. Australians will be able to travel to China without a visa, the Chinese Premier has announced Residents from Malaysia and 11 other European countries are also able to travel to China visa-free. This will save Aussies about $110, which was the rough price for a single entry visa to China. Mr Li also announced China and Australia would allow reciprocal multi-entry visas of up to three to five years for business, tourism and to visit family. Multi-entry visas mean a person can travel to the other country as many times as they want during the time their visa is valid. Australians already hold the fifth strongest passport in the world, with visa-free access to 190 countries. During Mr Li's time in Australia, he will also meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and Resources Minister Madeleine King. Emerging from the high-stakes discussions, Mr Albanese said such talks were crucial for the bilateral relationship. 'My government has put dialogue at the centre of Australia's relationship with China, because they're always most effective when we deal directly with each other,' he told reporters in Canberra. 'It is crucial for us to engage with each other, given how close we are geographically, how interconnected we are economically, and the deep and enduring bonds between our people. 'Australia and China have renewed and revitalised our engagement.' Mr Li made the announcement after arriving at Parliament House on Monday for an annual leaders' meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and several cabinet members The politicians signed four memoranda of understanding on the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, climate change, education and research, strategic economic dialogue, and cultural co-operation. The prime minister's November trip to China followed by Mr Li's current visit to Australia showed both countries attached 'great importance' to their relationship, the premier said. 'This relationship is on the right track of steady improvement,' Mr Li said. 'Prime Minister Albanese and I have had a candid, in-depth and fruitful discussion that has reached a lot of common consensus.' Mr Li's visit is the first by a Chinese premier to Australia in seven years and comes after a period of turbulence for the country's biggest trading partner, while recent military incidents in international waters have threatened the diplomatic thaw. Both pro and anti-China protesters have congregated throughout Canberra with flags and bunting on street corners near parliament. Premier Li Qiang arrived in South Australia on Saturday where he visited China's pandas at Adelaide Zoo before strolling around a local winery. He will also go to Australia's resource powerhouse in Western Australia as part of his visit. The Greek coastguard is responsible for the deaths of dozens of migrants crossing the Mediterranean who were forced to turn back or in some cases were deliberately thrown overboard, an investigation has found. More than 40 people traversing the Mediterranean on small boats are said to have died due to the Greek coastguard's activities, which included forcing punctured vessels to go back out to sea. Nine of those people are believed to have died after they were deliberately pushed into the water by coastguard officers, according to eyewitnesses from NGOs, local media and the Turkish coastguard, which often receives migrants turned away by Greece. It comes just days after hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Athens on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of a shipwreck that killed hundreds more migrants off Greece, demanding answers about the causes of the disaster and the fate of relatives. Up to 700 migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt were crammed into fishing trawler 'Adriana' bound for Italy from Libya that capsized off southwestern Greece on June 14 last year, even though the Greek coast guard had been monitoring it for hours. Some 104 people were rescued, but only 82 bodies were recovered. The catastrophe, one of the worst Mediterranean boat disasters on record, raised searching questions about how the European Union is trying to stem flows of migrants - and the actions of Greece's coastguard. Pictures purporting to show a group of migrants who despite managing to cross the water from Turkey to Greece were rounded up by Greek coastguard officials and loaded onto a life-raft to be pushed back This image released by The Hellenic Coastguard on June 14, 2023, shows an aerial view taken from a rescue helicopter, of migrants onboard a fishing vessel in the waters off the Peloponnese coast of Greece on June 13, 2023 An armed member of the Greek coastguard watches a boat of migrants Greek Coast Guard officers (right) in a speedboat approach an activist (bottom left) hanging from the anchor's chain of a Turkish-flagged passenger boat carrying migrants to be returned to Turkey Men transfer body bags carrying migrants who died after their boat capsized in the open sea off Greece, onboard a Hellenic Coastguard vessel at the port of Kalamata, Greece, June 15, 2023 Rescued migrants find shelter at a depot, following a shipwreck offshore in Kalamata, Greece on June 14, 2023. At least 78 migrants drowned off southwestern Greece early on Wednesday after the fishing boat they were on capsized, local media reported Survivors of a shipwreck stand outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 14, 2023, after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank in international waters The investigation, published this week by the BBC, found at least 40 migrants died due to the actions of the Greek coastguard in 15 incidents across a three year period between May 2020 and 2023. 10 migrants dead, dozens missing after two shipwrecks off Italy Ten migrants have died and dozens of others are feared missing after two shipwrecks off Italy, a migrant rescue charity and the coastguard said Monday. Rescuers coming to the aid of migrants on a wooden boat off Lampedusa found 10 bodies below deck, the German aid group ResQship posted on X. The crew aboard ResQship's vessel, the Nadir, 'is currently caring for 51 people on board. The rescue came too late for 10 people,' the German charity said. 'A total of 61 people were on the wooden boat, which was full of water. Our crew was able to evacuate 51 people, two of whom were unconscious - they had to be cut free with an axe,' it said. 'The 10 dead are in the flooded lower deck of the boat,' it added. Meanwhile Italy's coastguard said it was searching off Calabria for people overboard after a separate shipwreck, with media reports saying up to 60 migrants were missing, according to the survivors. The coastguard said that since last night it has been searching for 'possible missing persons, following the shipwreck of a sailing boat with migrants on board, presumably departing from Turkey'. Rescue efforts began after 'a 'mayday' from a French pleasure boat sailing off the Italian coast', it said. The French vessel alerted authorities to 'the presence of the half-sunken boat' before taking 12 surviving migrants on board. They were then transferred to an Italian coastguard boat, which took them to the town of Roccella Ionica in southern Italy. One of the surviving 12 died after disembarking, the coastguard said. Around 50 migrants were missing following the shipwreck, according to the ANSA news agency, while Radio Radicale put the number at 64, adding that those lost at sea were from Afghanistan and Iran. Advertisement It spoke with several migrants who suffered maltreatment at the hands of coastguard officers and police, as well as others who witnessed the deaths of fellow migrants who were thrown into the water even after having reached land. A Cameroonian man who reached Greece told BBC investigators told how a man from the Ivory Coast drowned in front of him after being thrown back into the sea. 'We had barely docked, and the police came from behind. There were two policemen dressed in black, and three others in civilian clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes.' 'They started with the [other] Cameroonian. They threw him in the water. The Ivorian man said: ''Save me, I don't want to die'' 'Then eventually only his hand was above water, and his body was below. Slowly his hand slipped under, and the water engulfed him.' A Somali migrant claimed Greek officers zip-tied his hands before shoving him into the water off the back of a boat, while a man from Syria shared how several children drowned after the coastguard left them near Turkey in damaged rafts. 'We immediately began to sink, they saw that They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us,' he told the BBC. 'By the morning seven or eight children had died.' The results of the investigation will be revealed in the programme 'Dead Calm: Killing in The Med?', which will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday June 17 at 9pm. Greece and Italy are among the most popular destinations from migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Many migrants from African nations embark on the trips from ports in Libya - where human traffickers have capitalised on the country's instability. Those from the Middle East often attempt to make the shorter but no less perilous journey west across the Mediterranean from Turkey, having arrived there from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Turkey in 2016 inked a deal with the EU to stop migrants and refugees crossing into Greece in return for some 6billion - later increased to 9billion - to provide infrastructure and humanitarian aid to the migrants it accepted. Under the deal, Turkish authorities would prevent migrants from trying to reach Greece and accept the return of those who did. For every migrant Turkey took back from Greece, the EU would allow one Syrian refugee in Turkey who had their asylum request approved to be permitted entry into an EU state. But in 2020 Ankara said the deal could no longer be enforced and began refusing to accept returns from Greece - a factor which may have contributed to the Greek coastguard's alleged actions that resulted in migrant deaths. MailOnline has contacted the Greek coastguard for comment. Migrants are seen being pushed into an overloaded dinghy Bodies of migrants are seen next floating debris after a sailboat carrying migrants smashed into rocks and sank off the island of Kythira, southern Greece Men carry bags with bodies from a coast guard vessel to a refrigerated truck at the port in Kalamata, Greece on June 14, 2023, after a boat sank Debris of a boat carrying migrants pictured off Cythera Island, south of the Peloponnese peninsula on October 6, 2022 The flows of people arriving in Greece from Turkey increased considerably after 2020 (migrants pictured in Greece in October 2022) Dozens of migrants were found in Greece having been stripped of their possessions and clothes in one horrifying incident Survivors of a shipwreck stand at a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 15, 2023 Survivors of a shipwreck sit inside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town, on June 15, 2023, after a boat carrying migrants sank in international waters Meanwhile in Athens last week, survivors of the shipwreck catastrophe of last year spoke of their ordeal - and how the experience still haunts them 12 months on. Only 104 people survived the sinking of the Adriana, a rusty metal fishing boat smuggling up to 750 migrants from Libya to Italy. Although the vessel was clearly in bad shape, Greek officials were unable to evacuate the passengers before it sank. Those who survived the catastrophe claim the Greek coastguard botched an attempt to tow the boat, instead of trying to evacuate its passengers - an allegation Greek officials strongly deny. And EU border agency Frontex said the coastguard refused an offer to send a Frontex plane to monitor the migrant boat and provide further information to the coastguard. 'I wake up to nightmares. Even now, I swear by God, my body still hurts,' said an Egyptian survivor named Mohammed. 'We, thanks to God, are alive. But where are the rest of the bodies?' Around 1,000 people, including survivors and activists, marched to parliament in the Greek capital on Friday, holding up a banner depicting a collage of photographs of the missing. 'We want justice!' they chanted. 'When do we want it? Now!' Smaller rallies also unfolded in London, Paris and Berlin, while in the Pakistani city of Lalamousa, victims' relatives prepared a memorial ceremony. Survivors say the coastguard caused the ship to capsize when it tried to tow the vessel in the early hours of the morning, while Greek authorities say the movement of migrants on board caused the overcrowded boat to tip over. A year on, a probe by a naval court into the coastguard's role remains at a preliminary stage, frustrating survivors, relatives and rights groups. Pantelis Themelis, commander of Greece's Disaster Victim Identification unit, said 74 of the 82 dead had been identified. But many more families from Africa, the Middle East and Asia have sent DNA samples to Greece for checks to no avail. Hasan Ali, an Athens resident from Pakistan, said his brother Fahad was among the missing, and their parents back in Pakistan would not accept that he could be dead. 'My mother and father are waiting for him,' Ali said. 'They say he's alive, that he's in Greece.' In a joint statement, the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration called for 'comprehensive and conclusive' investigations into the circumstances of the shipwreck. 'A thorough investigation is essential to secure justice for the survivors and the families of the victims and to help prevent similar tragedies in the future,' they said. Last year, 3,155 people died or went missing trying to cross the Mediterranean, while so far in 2024 the toll has reached 923, according to those organisations. A commercial fisherman fears his livelihood is under threat after last-minute amendments to a new offshore wind farm were given the green light. The final amendments to the 100-hectare plot of sea where the $10billion project will be built were completed by the federal government on Saturday. About 1.8million homes are expected to be powered by the floating wind turbines situated 20km offshore of NSW's Illawarra Coast, south of Sydney. The project was initially planned to be just 10km off the coast, where local fisherman Mark Horne caught lobsters for a living, but was changed at the last minute. Fearing that his fishing spot would disappear, Mr Horne invested $500,000 in a new boat to expand into new fishing areas, which is now obsolete following the amendments. A last minute change to the borders of proposed offshore wind-farm has left fisherman Mark Horne (right) furious after a $500,000 investment was made obsolete The fisherman told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Monday that the government's decision to go ahead with the project was 'devastating', adding that he 'can't get a win'. 'At the drop of a hat on Saturday morning that half a million dollar investment is now got to be ... put it on the back burner,' Mr Horne fumed. He took aim at federal energy minister Chris Bowen for pushing through the proposed wind farm despite the concerns of locals and commercial fisherman. '(Mr Bowen) didn't want a bar of it ... his decision was already made,' Mr Horne said. 'Any of the politicians or people that are interested can come to Kiama, I'll personally take them out and show them pristine waters.' He added the impact on commercial anglers weren't taken into consideration despite doing trying their best to make the industry sustainable. Mr Horne said he bought a new boat believing his lobster fishing spot was going to be in the borders of the offshore wind farm (stock image), only for the government to push it further from the coast The fisherman also raised concerns over the potential ecological impact of the wind farm, which could be battered by huge swells. 'It's just an environmental catastrophe waiting to happen ... if one of them catches on fire or collapses or breaks away,' he said. 'There's got to be a better way than sticking (wind turbines) out in one of the most pristine oceans of the world.' A spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water told Daily Mail Australia the amendment was made after 'extensive community consultation with local leaders, industry, unions, First Nations people, community groups and individuals'. 'The Australian Government is securing regional jobs and providing energy for homes and businesses, including Australias largest steelworks, with an offshore wind zone declared in the Pacific Ocean off the Illawarra in New South Wales,' the spokesperson said. 'The final offshore wind zone is smaller than the proposal and is 20km from the coast to take into consideration a range of public feedback, and to ensure the safe management of shipping and address community concerns regarding potential visual impacts.' The $10billion project will be built 20km off the Illawarra Coast (highlighted) and is predicted to power about 1.8million homes upon completion Federal Labor MP for Gilmore Fiona Phillips hailed the wind farm as 'great news for local jobs and businesses' in her electorate. 'This is about getting more renewable energy into the grid, which will provide energy security and put downward pressure on power prices for everyone in Gilmore,' she said in a statement on Monday. 'That's good news for households, businesses and local jobs.' The local member and Mr Bowen estimated the project will create an estimated 1,740 new jobs during construction and add 870 ongoing jobs upon completion. Ms Phillips comments sparked outrage from locals. 'Classic case of destroying the environment to save the environment. Surely there are better options than this unaffordable madness,' one wrote. Another added: 'I heard the other week that it costs 2.5 times more per wind turbine to build on water than on land! And we are all paying for this.' Another challenged the government to plan for a wind-farm 'off Bondi Beach and see how green and environmentally friendly it is then'. 'I am so bloody sick of the Illawarra being used as crash test dummies for the rest of Sydney,' they wrote. The project has infuriated locals who challenged the government to put a wind-farm off of more popular coastlines such as Sydney's Eastern Beaches instead (stock image) Mr Bowen said the government had taken into account 'community concerns' in determining the final zone and reduced the size of the area by a third from the original proposal. The declared zone, which is the fourth in Australia, 'excludes significant environmental areas', including the Southern Right Whale migration and reproduction area, and an area designed to protect the little penguin population. 'This is important for renewable energy, important for jobs. But this is also a balanced declaration,' Mr Bowen said. Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com A travel agent accused of ripping off up to 50 holiday-makers by allegedly issuing fake airline tickets and itineraries has been charged. Zahra Rachid, 53 who ran the Travel World Sydney travel agency at Arncliffe in the city's south, has been charged with 16 counts of fraud after she allegedly scammed customers out of more than $500,000. Police will allege that Rachid created totally fake travel documents, complete with booking reference numbers and seat allocations before pocketing the payments from customers. Investigations into Rachid were launched last month when detectives established up Strike Force Baile and began looking into alleged reports from dozens of would-be travellers. Zahra Rachid has been charged with fraud after allegedly scamming customers out of more than $500,000 Rachid (middle) was arrested at a unit complex in Kingsgrove on Friday morning Police will allege 16 different people made bookings through the agent that were later cancelled without their knowledge, and no refunds were issued. The alleged victims included a family of 35 who had booked a 'once in a lifetime' holiday to Greece, which cost $160,000. Rachid was arrested at a unit complex in Kingsgrove in Sydney's south last Friday morning. She was taken to Kogarah Police Station and charged with 16 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. Zahra Rachid (pictured) was granted bail to reappear in court on July 1 Nicole Vris claimed she used Rachid from Travel World Sydney to book the trip of a lifetime to Greece for 34 family members Rachid was refused bail to appear in Sutherland Local Court later that day, where she was granted conditional bail to reappear on July 1. Under her bail conditions, Rachid must report to police daily, surrender her passport and not contact any previous customers of Travel World Sydney. Police are continuing their investigations under Strike Force Baile. Rachid's Travel World Sydney business website remains online but the phone number has been disconnected. 'We'll guide you through the visa process, translate those confusing menus, and ensure you have all the insider tips to avoid tourist traps So, dust off your passport, break free from your boring routine, and enjoy the extraordinary with us,' it states. Zahra Rachid (pictured during her arrest) was charged with 16 counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception Passengers were faced with huge queues at Birmingham Airport in yet another chaotic morning, following the reintroduction of the 100ml liquid rule. Travellers shared footage of families queuing around the car park early this morning, with some passengers appearing to be standing under a temporary cover. Others reported waiting for several hours to clear security at 5.30am, with some concerned the long delays would mean they would miss their flights. Another video showed staff sectioning off parts of the queue, which was also shown snaking around the terminal. It comes amid several days of chaos at the west midlands airport, after the Government temporarily reversed plans to scrap the 100ml liquid limit in hand luggage. Passengers were standing in huge queues in yet another chaotic morning at Birmingham Airport following the government's reintroduction of liquid rules Queues were shown winding around the terminal as staff attempted to control the flow of passengers Some reported waiting as long as two hours to clear security at 5.30am this morning Some anxious passengers wrote that they were concerned they would miss their flights and complained at the lack of staff present Passengers on long-haul flights were advised to arrive as much as four hours in advance of their departure time to check in. The ongoing disruption has sparked fears that delays could continue for months, with insiders claiming the airport is 'understaffed' and staff are being 'overworked'. One panicked passenger who just made their flight after standing in lines for over two hours, wrote: 'Well that was eventful. After 2h of queuing to security, 2x jumps in the queue and a sprint that counts as a workout, I made it to the plane.' Another said: 'What an absolute shit show @bhx_offical is. Chaotic queue, very few staff present. Scanners that isolate bags as they don't work properly. This is meant to be an improvement.' Rules were due to be relaxed to allow passengers to carry liquids of up to two litres in their hand luggage from June 1. Currently, all UK airports have been required to revert to the 100ml liquid rule, including those that have already installed new scanners Airports, including Birmingham, London City and Newcastle had already dropped the rule having installed new high tech CT scanners capable of creating a 3D image of inside passengers' bags. Larger airports, including Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow were permitted to miss the deadline for installing the new equipment following logistical issues. But following the Government U-turn, all airports were required to revert to the original limit. The airports with next generation scanners that had to change their policy as a result were London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Southend and Teesside. Birmingham airport had already been told to keep the 100ml ban while it waited for regulatory approval after installing its new 60million security screening hall, which included the new high tech scanners. New shark sightings have forced two more Spanish holiday beaches to close as a number of the predators have been spotted off the Gran Canaria coast - including a beast as big as 10ft. Lifeguards ordered bathers out of the water at Melenara Beach on the island's east coast for a second day running when a police drone spotted a hammerhead shark off the beach shortly after it was reopened yesterday morning. The bathing ban yesterday afternoon was extended to neighbouring Salinetas beach. And around two hours later lifeguards hoisted the red flag at a third spot - San Augustin beach in the south of the island - after a tourist photographed the tell-tale fin of a shark sticking out of the water. It was not immediately clear if the big fish was the same one that terrorised bathers at Melenara beach around 5pm on Saturday and led to the first of the beach closures. Lifeguards ordered bathers out of the water at Melenara Beach on Gran Canaria's east coast for a second day running when a police drone spotted a hammerhead shark off the beach Hammerhead sharks can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds Police drone footage shows a fin poking out of the water off Gran Canaria's east coast It was briefly reopened to bathing yesterday morning before the second closure around 1pm after local police drones spotted a shark close to Taliarte Port next to Melenara Beach. The red flag was also hoisted at Salinetas beach just south. Local police confirmed after a second much clearer drone sighting in the same area around 5pm yesterday it was a hammerhead shark, the same species that sparked panic on Saturday as it appeared near the shoreline. Its size was initially calculated at just under seven feet, although the second drone sighting pointed to it being up to 10ft-long. In between the beach at San Augustin 20 miles south was also closed after a new shark sighting. It was reportedly spotted by a tourist near a restaurant overlooking the sea called Balcon de San Augustin. Red Cross officials later confirmed they had also seen it. It was not picked up again despite efforts by local police and other officials to locate and track it, and the beach is expected to reopen again today unless council chiefs make a last-minute U-turn. It is not clear whether the shark seen further south is a hammerhead, which can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds, or another species. Most hammerhead species are considered harmless to humans and few attacks have been recorded, but they are aggressive hunters and their size and fierceness make them potentially harmless. Young girls could be heard screaming as the shark that caused panic at Melenara Beach on Saturday afternoon approached the shoreline at speed with its telltale fin sticking out of the water. Footage from the scene showed youngsters running for safety as the shark swam towards the shoreline before turning back at the last minute after thrashing around in the water. Lifeguards are seen patrolling one beach amid a spate of shark sightings - forcing tourists out of the water Youngsters were seen running for safety as the shark approached at around 5pmon Saturday One fish was identified locally as a hammerhead shark which can grow up to 20ft in length and weigh as much as 1,000lb Another man was pictured with a child in his arms from the safety of the sand as he watched it come towards them. A council spokesman for Telde Council, the municipality Melenara beach comes under, said as the drama unfolded: 'It's important people stay calm and follow the instructions of the lifeguards and the authorities.' A young girl who was in the water when the shark appeared told a local TV station: 'The lifeguard started blowing his whistle and indicating everyone should get out of the water and I looked round and saw its fin.' A friend added: 'We saw the fin which was about seven inches out of the water and we began to move as fast as we could back towards the beach.' Last month tourists and locals were banned from going into the sea following a shark sighting off a Menorcan beach. Footage from the scene showed the shark swimming towards the shore before turning back Coastguards hoisted the red flag and called the Spanish equivalent of 999 after the tell-tale fin of a seven foot blue shark or tinterora was seen above the water line. The alarm was raised around 3.30pm on May 6 at the popular beach of Arenal d'en Castell, the same place another shark was spotted in June 2018 when swimmers were also banned from entering the water for the entire afternoon. The shark sighting was described at the time as the first so far this year near a Costa beach. Blue sharks rarely bite humans but have been implicated in several biting incidents, four of which are said to have ended fatally. A blue shark was blamed for an attack on a holidaymaker in Elche near Alicante in July 2016. The 40-year-old victim was rushed to hospital and given stitches to a wound in his hand. First aiders described the bite as 'large' and said he had come out of the sea with blood streaming from the injury. In June last year a fully grown blue shark measuring some seven feet caused panic off the Costa Blanca beach of Aguamarina in Orihuela Costa south of Alicante. Bathers were filmed trying to run to safety through waist-high water as it neared the shoreline. Lifeguards blew on their whistles to warn locals and holidaymakers about the big fish and urge them to get out of the sea as quickly as possible. One woman, thought to have been an elderly person seen being helped out of the water by Good Samaritans, is said to have suffered a panic attack after realising the shark was beside her. Local police confirmed after a second much clearer drone sighting in the same area around 5pm yesterday it was a hammerhead shark, the same species that sparked panic on Saturday It washed up dead the following day by rocks at La Caleta Beach in Cabo Roig a couple of miles away. The same day it emerged the same species of shark had been spotted inside Ciutadella Port in Menorca. Biologist Asier Furundarena insisted after the weekend sightings in Gran Canaria there was no cause for alarm. He said: 'People should respect the instructions they receive from lifeguards and the local police or other authorities present and stay calm because absolutely nothing is going to happen to them. 'They should also enjoy the moment they're witnessing because it's a privilege to see species like these that are endangered in other parts of the world and here can seek refuge.' An American Airlines passenger who had to be duct taped to her seat after allegedly trying to open the aircraft door mid-flight has been sued by the Federal Aviation Administration after failing to pay a fine. Heather Wells, 34, was was aboard a late-night flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte in July 2021 when she attempted to open the aircraft's door and was violent towards the crew and other fellow passengers. Wells is now facing a lawsuit from the FAA after she failed to pay a hefty $81,950, which was imposed on her in 2022. Attorney Jaime Esparza has filed a lawsuit in San Antonio's federal court on behalf of the FAA to collect the money from Wells, according to court documents seen by San Antonio Express. Wells allegedly had fallen into the aisle and threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered to help her. The unidentified woman who was restrained in duct tape aboard an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Charlotte in July had been fined $82,000 The woman allegedly threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered to help her after she fell into the aisle. She then ran to try to open the cabin door and hit another flight attendant 'repeatedly' over the head Paramedics were seen standing by with a stretcher at the gate. Police were also present at landing and 'apprehended' her before she was taken to the hospital for an evaluation She then pushed the flight attendant to the side and tried to open the cabin door. She 'repeatedly' hit one flight attendant over the head and was quickly restrained in flex cuffs, but still managed to 'spit at, headbutt, bite and kick' the crew and other passengers, according to the federal agency. A since-deleted TikTok video showed the woman restrained to what looked to be a first-class window seat with her mouth and torso wrapped in grey duct tape. She was taken to the hospital for an evaluation after the flight landed in Charlotte. TikTok user @lol.ariee, Arieana Mathena, said that it was clear something was happening toward the front of the plane and began locking the bathroom doors. She said the crew began frantically running up and down the aisle in an attempt to secure the plane as best they could. Eventually, the captain made an announcement and told passengers to stay in their seats mentioning only that there was a problem towards the front of the aircraft. After the plane landed, the woman could be seen still duct taped to her seat complete with tape placed directly over her mouth. She was forced to stay in her seat as other passengers were allowed to disembark from the plane, which landed in the early hours of July 7. Paramedics were seen standing by with a stretcher at the gate. Police were also present at landing and 'apprehended' her, the FAA says. American Airlines confirmed in a statement that the passenger was 'restrained' after causing crew members concern. 'While in flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte on July 6, the crew on board American Airlines flight 1774 reported a potential security concern after a customer attempted to open the forward boarding door and physically assaulted, bit and caused injury to a flight attendant,' a statement read. 'For the safety and security of other customers and our crew, the individual was restrained until the flight landed at CLT and could be met by law enforcement and emergency personnel,' the statement continued. The woman was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, before being placed on American Airlines' no-fly list. The fine came as airlines and regulators have tried to clamp down on a surge of disruptive passengers. The FAA had previously said it had seen a steep rise in 'unruly passengers' since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024 so far, there have been 915 cases of unruly passengers on planes, including 106 cases of passenger disturbances due to intoxication, the FAA said. 'The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation', said the government agency. Enraged locals have hit out at their council after it fixed a multi-million-pound new pavement with a 'ridiculous' crumbling blob of tar. Furious residents have been up in arms after a public telephone box - previously located on Shifnal high street, Shropshire, was replaced by a jarring tarmac square. The market town's high street had only last year been revamped by a regeneration scheme costing an eye-watering 3.6 million. Locals have dubbed the new blob of tar to fill the gap left by the telephone box as 'ridiculous' among the sea of swanky new pavement slabs. However Shropshire Council has defended its actions stating 'like-for-like' repair work will be installed to blend in with the area as soon as possible. Furious Shifnal residents have slammed Shropshire council after a gap left by a public telephone box was filled a 'ridiculous' crumbling blob Shifnal residents David and Jackie Wenlock were left unhappy after they spotted the controversial work. David, 62, branded it 'ridiculous', quipping: 'It is still soft, it is crumbling away.' He added: 'Surely they can find half a dozen paving slabs for it.' Shropshire council assured locals that the slabs would be replaced as soon as possible, but offered no time frame. MailOnline has approached Shropshire Council for comment. This comes shortly after disgruntled residents slammed their council for painting more than a dozen 'confusing' bike signs in an area that has no cycle lane. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council left motorists confused after a flurry of the white symbols emerged on their roads. Shropshire council an eye-watering 3.6 million on regeneration scheme which included swanky slabs. However the 'ridiculous' blob of tarmac has left David and Jackie Wenlock (pictured) unimpressed They were concerns drivers may lose priority to cyclists, whilst others were furious the local authority - which is 251 million in debt - 'wasted' money. Phil Mountford, 44, a bank worker, complained that hundreds of potholes in the area had gone unfixed. He said: 'There's no bike lane and cars don't speed down the road because of the speed humps so they are a bit redundant. 'The council is apparently cash-strapped and things like this probably explain why. 'Not far from here there are some dreadful potholes, which are worse for cyclist safety. 'There's reasonable access on this road as cars only park on one side, so the whole thing seems a bit strange.' A tiny calf who was brutally rammed by a police car repeatedly is 'limping, sulky and bruised', her furious owner has revealed. The 10-month-old called Beau Lucy is thankfully recovering today after suffering grazes and a large cut on her leg when a police 4x4 hit her twice in Feltham, West London. The terrified young cow was tossed 30ft before being trapped under the bumper on Friday. She had wandered for over five miles after escaping from fenced-off Staines Moor in Surrey, and is believed to have swum across a river to get into the town before the sickening incident. The officer responsible for the ram is being investigated and removed from frontline duties, Surrey Police revealed yesterday. Little Beau Lucy has been returned home to her farm where she is recovering from the ordeal. The farmer also accused police of 'trying to kill her'. 10-month-old calf Beau Lucy suffered grazes and a large cut on her leg when a police 4x4 hit her twice in Feltham, West London on Friday Shocking footage shows police brutally smashing into the calf twice Speaking to The Sun, Beau Lucy's owner Rob said the calf was 'feisty and upset' and 'scared witless' when he managed to get to her. He told the newspaper he is 'angry, upset and disgusted', adding: 'We did think they were trying to kill it.' His wife said the force could have fetched a vet and used a tranquilliser if they were concerned. Rob said previously: 'I think the video speaks for itself. It was quite horrific. The method of dealing with the situation was incorrect. It was wrong and I think that's the message we've learned. It could have been handled so much better. The videos were an upsetting sight.' He said Beau Lucy is 'a lot better' and recovering well, but added: 'Time will tell because we don't know what internal injuries she might have. But she's eating and she's cuddling so there's always promise when there's that.' Home Secretary James Cleverly has been among the critics over the 'heavy-handed' approach taken by Surrey Police against the frightened calf. The force announced that its Professional Standards Department has been informed and it will voluntarily refer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for a further investigation. Calls have been made for the 'monsters' who rammed the calf to be sacked after a video showed the bovine calmly wandering down the street before officers swooped in who said they had to knock the animal down to keep the public safe. Shocking footage shows police brutally smashing into the calf twice after it escaped from its enclosure as a nearby member of the public shouts: 'What are you doing that for?' Mr Cleverly, wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham and Deborah Meaden were among those condemning the 'brutal' actions of the police force. Surrey Police said in a statement: 'The cow was running loose throughout the evening on a number of main roads and during this time, we received numerous calls from the public reporting a car being damaged and it running at members of the public. Police officers rammed a cow with their squad car in Staines-upon-Thames, west London A police vehicle was captured ramming down a cow in the middle of a street on Friday 'Given these reports, officers were extremely concerned about the public's safety, and over a period of a number of hours tried a number of options to safely capture the cow. 'Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to stop it using a police car. This matter has been referred to our Professional Standards Department. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been notified and a voluntary referral will be made in due course.' Chief Insp Sam Adcock said: 'I know that this has caused distress and I'd like to thank the community for their concern. 'The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed. 'There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public. 'I know there are videos circulating of this incident, which the public may find distressing. I would ask that these videos are sent directly to us to help with our investigation.' Critics included Mr Packham, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'I don't know where to start with this. But it's surely illegal and must be investigated and prosecuted. What sort of monster rams a calf? Twice?' Mr Cleverly also asked for a 'full, urgent explanation' as to why officers appeared to use a police car to hit an escaped cow, saying how the police action seemed 'unnecessarily heavy handed'. The RSPCA described the footage as 'upsetting and distressing' and said the police 'action appears disproportionate to the situation'. Dragons' Den judge Ms Meaden also took to X to voice her shock over the incident, writing: 'Jeez....that is a scared, living, breathing creature and @SurreyPolice show such little compassion they decide ramming it with a vehicle is their only option....come on!! 'I know it's not all Police but seriously....this really must have serious consequences.' An RSPCA spokesman said: 'This is upsetting and distressing footage. 'As soon as we were made aware, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and to find out what happened to the calf. We are pleased to hear the calf survived and is receiving vet care. 'Surrey Police has referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this as the action appears disproportionate to the situation. 'We are happy to assist in any investigations carried out. All animals should be treated with respect. Together we can create a better world for all animals.' A spokesperson for the IOPC said: 'We have been notified by Surrey Police about this incident and that a referral will be made in due course. 'When we receive it we will carry out an assessment to determine what further action is required by us.' In an earlier statement published on Friday evening, Surrey Police said the animal became 'increasingly distressed' while it was being taken to safety. Grant Shapps today admitted that the Tories are set to lose the election after a huge poll showed he could be among a swathe of high-profile casualties. The Defence Secretary said he was a 'realist' about the party's prospects as he renewed pleas for voters not to gift Labour a 'supermajority'. The latest research by Survation, released over the weekend and using the so-called MRP technique, indicated that the Conservatives could be reduced to just 72 MPs on July 4. It suggested that Keir Starmer could win by an incredible margin of 262, with Nigel Farage's Reform picking up seven MPs. Home Secretary James Cleverly was projected to lose his Braintree seat, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt would fall victim to the Lib Dems in Godalming and Ash. Election experts have warning that previously ultra-safe seats are under threat as the party's core vote is collapsing - comparing it to Churchill's defeat at the 1945 election. The grim picture comes as Best for Britain unveil their tactical voting recommendations to inflict most pain on the Tories. In other moves today: Reform is launching its election manifesto this morning as Nigel Farage says he wants to be PM by 2029; Labour is engulfed in more tax chaos after Jonathan Ashworth broke ranks to rule out revaluing council tax bands; Rachel Reeves has been stressing her desire for closer ties with the EU. Grant Shapps said he was a 'realist' about Tory prospects as he renewed pleas for voters not to gift Labour a 'supermajority'. Home Secretary James Cleverly (left) was projected to lose his Braintree seat, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (right) would fall victim to the Lib Dems in Godalming and Ash Your browser does not support iframes. The poll suggested that Keir Starmer could win by an incredible margin of 262, with Nigel Farage 's Reform picking up seven MPs Mr Shapps told Times Radio it is 'possible to win the election', but conceded that it is 'not the most likely outcome', adding: 'I'm a realist.' Asked if a Tory victory was unlikely he replied: 'I think that's the realistic position, isn't it? I mean, I live in the real world. So you know, let's not try and pretend black is white.' Mr Shapps also said he stands by the comments he made last week that Labour could secure a 'supermajority'. He said: 'We're still fighting for absolutely every single vote, which is absolutely the right thing to do and warning of the dangers of Labour. 'But what I said last week stands, a blank cheque, a supermajority is a dangerous thing, particularly when we already know they have these plans to change the council tax bands.' As Reform prepares to launch its manifesto this morning, Mr Shapps also renewed his attack on Nigel Farage. Speaking to LBC Radio, Mr Shapps said: 'I think there's a sense of frustration out there and I get that entirely. But I think in the end, there are only two people who can be in Downing Street, it's either Rishi Sunak or it's Keir Starmer. 'And if you vote Reform, or Lib Dem, or any other direction for that matter, that simply helps Keir Starmer go in with unchecked power to do things like release all the people who've already been rounded up to be deported, which is exactly the opposite to what a lot of Reform voters would want.' Legal bosses have criticised rival elite firms for giving their junior lawyers 'insane' pay rises, with some graduates on salaries starting at 150,000-a-year. Pay for the most junior ranks at some UK 'magic circle' legal firms has jumped 50 per cent over the last five years. Leading legal firms including Linklaters, Clifford Chance, A&O Shearman and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have all boosted salaries for graduates by 20 per cent this month to 150,000 per annum. Competition with US firms with London bases has grown fierce, with companies across the pond now paying 180,000 to their newly qualified lawyers (NQs). One boss for a global law firm called the increases 'insane', adding that the pay boosts reduced firms' margin for error when recruiting newly qualified graduates. The top legal firms are increasing salaries for newly qualified lawyers to 'insane' levels, bosses have said Top US companies' salaries for junior lawyers start at $225,000 or 176,000 per annum in London, in line with their counterparts in the US. The stark pay rises are raising concerns about possible higher expectation and workload of new employees. A partner of one firm that had raised salaries for NQs said the move was designed to be 'proactive' to retaining talent, the FT reported. Solicitors undergo a compulsory two-year work placement after graduating from law school. Trainees at the UK's top legal firms can then expect a salary of up to 61,000. Further pressure is heaped on UK firms by the fact that some US organisations do not offer training contracts in London. The UK's 'magic circle' firms have increased pay for graduates by as much as 50 per cent in five years, while competing for talent with US companies based in the City Richard Price, legal and corporate affairs director for mining firm Anglo American, expressed concerns that the rises would adversely impact work culture. He said the pay boosts would mean NQs would have to work 'extraordinarily hard', potentially impacting both their personal lives and standard of work. Despite adding that the move didn't 'bother me personally', Mr Price said that the model wasn't sustainable for lawyers' welfare. One elite UK company that has so far declined to uplift its salaries is Slaughter and May. It said it was 'closely monitoring' its rivals and 'considering our position'. Other elite firm partners shared concerns that the increasingly competitive environment could exclude graduates from less privileged backgrounds and may make it harder to move underperformers on. One gun is being seized in London every day as gangs fuel a 'vicious cycle' of drugs-related violence, a Met commander warned today - as footage emerged showing officers finding a loaded weapon in a child's drawer. Cdr Paul Brogden said more than half of shootings in the capital are related to drugs gangs or organised crime, with firearms being used to take out rivals or threaten people who owe money. Danny Butler, 44, an armourer for a gang in Lambeth, was recently sentenced to 18 years in prison after police found two handguns - one loaded - alongside a sawn-off shotgun and a 'large amount of ammunition' in a drawer containing children's clothes. Officers discovered three more guns in the house Butler shared with his wife and three daughters, including a 18-month-old toddler. Drugs were also seen littered on the floor of their living room in easy reach of the children. The latest ONS figures show a rise in firearms offences in London, from 1,009 in the 12 months ending December 2022 to 1,208 offences in the same period last year, and several high profile incidents over recent months have caused public concern. Police found several guns hidden in the home of Danny Butler, 44, an armourer for a gang in Lambeth A loaded handgun was found during a police raid hidden inside a child's sock drawer Footage of armed officers bursting into Butler's flat In May, a nine-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after being hit in the head by a stray bullet fired towards a restaurant in Dalston, while in April a 21-year-old man was shot dead opposite millionaires' mews houses in Kensington. In March, two women in a Clapham pub were hit by shotgun pellets as a moped rider was being pursued by police, and in January 2023 four women and two children were hurt when a sawn off shotgun was fired into a crowd attending a memorial service in Euston. The proportion of shootings investigated by the Met that end with an offender facing prosecution has hit 52 per cent, which is the highest rate in 11 years, but that still leaves 48 per cent unsolved. Detectives believe this is partly due to fear preventing witnesses coming forward or sharing vital evidence including doorbell footage, and the fact that some victims want to get revenge themselves rather than co-operate with the police. Commander Paul Brogden said: 'It comes down to trust within our communities, we need the communities to trust us with evidence, trust us with handling Ring doorbell footage, CCTV access. 'People are worried, people are frightened, victims are frightened and often are reluctant to come forward. We encourage them to trust us, we will keep them safe. 'While our outcome rates have improved, there are 48% that we haven't managed to solve.' Butler, 44 was sentenced last month to 18 years in prison A sawn-off shotgun recovered in the raid on the home Butler shared with his wife and three daughters Other weapons, including this handgun, where also recovered The latest ONS figures show a rise in firearms offences in London, from 1,009 in the 12 months ending December 2022 to 1,208 offences in the same period last year - although over the longer term there is a downward trend He said the Met was 'not complacent' and is 'doubling its efforts' to tackle a 'vicious cycle of violence' in the city, adding that guns are most often used by gangs to peddle drugs, enforce debt and control territories. Last year, 386 firearms were seized in the city by officers, including Scorpion sub-machine guns. Commander Brogden told the BBC that gun crime was being fuelled by a 'vicious cycle of violence, involving money, drugs and firearms'. But the Met says the number of incidents where a gun is fired, termed lethal barrelled discharges, is at its lowest for 15 years, having dropped from 196 to 145 since March 2023. Firearm killings have also fallen year on year for the last three years - from 12 in 2021/22 to 10 in 2022/23, eight in 2023/24, and there have been two so far this year. An increasing proportion of the shootings that do occur involve converted blank firearms, originally designed for non-lethal purposes such as bird-scaring, that are converted into deadly weapons. Around 46 per cent of the 386 weapons seized by the Met last year were converted blank firers. In May, a nine-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after being hit in the head by a stray bullet fired towards a restaurant in Dalston Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street after the shooting Gang links are a key line of inquiry in the shooting of a nine-year-old girl in Dalston last month, who was left critically ill in hospital after she was caught in a hail of bullets while out for dinner with her parents. The youngster was eating dinner at a restaurant when a motorcyclist fired shots towards the building at around 9.20pm on Wednesday, May 29. Three men aged 37, 42 and 44 sitting outside the restaurant were also shot, but have since been discharged. Detectives believe the attack in Hackney was pre-planned and they are investigating a potential link to Turkish 'organised criminal networks'. The injured trio are said to be part of the Hackney 'Bombacilar' (Bombers) gang, also known as the 'Bom Bom' or Hackney Turks, who have been engaged in a 'medieval turf war' the words of a judge with the neighbouring Tottenham Turks for the past 15 years. One of the Tottenham Turks former leaders was Hayri Goztas, who behind the facade of a hardworking cafe owner in Green Lanes, north London was the 'godfather' of one of Britain's biggest drug smuggling operations. He was known as 'Aga' or Turkish for leader. In March, two women in a Clapham pub were hit by shotgun pellets as a moped rider was being pursued by police. Pictured is an officer walking past the weapon A close up view of the weapon (left) and a bullet hole in the window of the Belle Vue pub in April a 21-year-old man was shot dead opposite millionaires' mews houses in Kensington In 2012 he was convicted to 16 years imprisonment for importing up to 1 million worth of heroin per week following a National Crime Squad undercover operation. Despite a judge ordering that he be deported after his sentence, Turkish community sources claim that he has now been released and remains in the UK. Another leader, Kemal Eren who is nicknamed Parmaksiz, which means 'No Fingers' in Turkish fled the UK in 2012 after the killing of another Bombacilar mobster. Meanwhile, another Tottenham Turks senior leader, Izzet Eren, was arrested in Moldova two years ago after absconding from prison in Turkey. Eren was jailed for 21 years in 2015 for firearms offences in London - but had been transferred to a prison in Turkey in 2019. The cycle of violence saw senior figures from both mobs being targeted. Tottenham Turks members shot and killed Ali Armagan in 2012, a high ranking Bombacilar's member as he sat in his in his custom-built Audi A8 limousine outside Turnpike Lane underground station. Just weeks prior, Zafer Eren, 34, who had links with the Tottenham Turks gang, was shot dead in Southgate, north London. The latest victim of gun crime in London was Sebastiaan James-Kraan, 20, who died in hospital on June 12, three days after being shot in Ealing. He was described as 'kind and gentle' The latest victim of gun crime in London was Sebastiaan James-Kraan, 20, who died in hospital on June 12, three days after being shot in Ealing. The Met believe Mr James-Kraan was involved in an altercation with a group of men before he was shot. Police were called to reports of a shooting at around 2.10am on June 9 and have since launched a murder investigation led by homicide detectives. In a statement paying tribute to the victim, his family said: 'Sebastiaan James-Kraan was cruelly taken away from his family at such a young age. 'He was a kind, loving, gentle man with a beautiful soul who will be greatly missed by his loving family and many friends. A gentle giant with a heart of pure gold. Lawyers representing 'real life Martha' Fiona Harvey have demanded the release of thousands of texts and emails in a 135m Baby Reindeer lawsuit against Netflix. The 49-year-old Scot, who claims she is the inspiration behind Netflix's stalking drama Baby Reindeer, is suing the streaming giant for spreading 'brutal lies' because 'it was a better story than the truth'. The show, which is said to be based on the real-life experiences of comedian and writer Richard Gadd, sees character Martha Scott - played by Jessica Gunning - stalk him after he offers her a free cup of tea in a pub where he works. In the latest development, The Sun revealed yesterday that Ms Harvey's lawyers are now demanding the release of thousands of texts and emails as they wage the 135m lawsuit which was launched earlier this month. Fiona Harvey is seeking at least 170 million dollars (133 million) in a lawsuit filed against Netflix Ms Harvey has accused the streaming platform of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, and violations of her right of publicity in the lawsuit filed in a US court. Netflix has said that it intends to 'defend this matter vigorously' and stand by Gadd's 'right to tell his story'. The lawsuit seeks actual damages and compensatory damages at 50 million dollars (39 million) each; punitive damages at 20 million dollars (16 million); as well as 'all profits' from Baby Reindeer at 50 million dollars (39 million). This totals 133 million. Ms Harvey accuses Netflix of 'spreading brutal lies' including that she is a 'twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison' - as the show suggests. She asserts that she never went to prison or to court, and that she never stalked or sexually assaulted Gadd. She also claims that she is being bombarded with hate from around the world because of how Martha is portrayed in the Netflix hit. Ms Harvey, who says lead character Martha's life (pictured) is based on her own, denies ever going to prison or to court, as the show portrays Speaking to BBC News previously, Ms Harvey said she was certain that Netflix would lose the case and added: 'I have no doubt about that. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing it. We think we are going to win.' The lawsuit, filed at the Californian federal court, states: 'Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money. 'As a result of defendants' lies, malfeasance and utterly reckless misconduct, Harvey's life had been ruined.' The court documents allege Netflix 'did literally nothing' to confirm that the story represented was true, stating that Harvey 'has never been convicted of any crime and has never been to prison.' Richard Roth, a New York-based lawyer representing Ms Harvey, said earlier this month that he has 'incontrovertible documentary evidence' proving that his client has never been convicted of a crime. Ms Harvey says the show, which features Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning (pictured), makes false claims about her After the show was first aired, Gadd asked viewers not to speculate over the real people who inspired the series. He also previously said Martha's identity was so well disguised that she would not recognize herself but internet sleuths swiftly identified Harvey as Martha. The woman then appeared on Piers Morgan, where she denied stalking allegations but admitted to having met Gadd several times in Camden, north London. It was previously revealed exclusively in the Mail that the show's writer, Gadd, who plays himself and based the premise on his own experiences, told makers Clerkenwell Films that his stalker was never convicted. The seven-part miniseries starring Richard Gadd is billed by Netflix as a 'true story' yet it portrays 'Martha' as pleading guilty and being jailed for nine months which she says never happened Sources indicate that Gadd told Clerkenwell that the stalker was the subject of an 'exclusion order' a civil order and not the same as a criminal conviction of stalking. This means that the show was always a fictionalized dramatization though it went out under a banner which read 'this is a true story'. Netflix executive, Benjamin King, recently told a Commons committee that Gadd had suffered at the hands of 'a convicted stalker'. It's not clear how Clerkenwell Films described the situation to Netflix, or what compliance procedures were undertaken. In response to the lawsuit, a statement from Netflix said: 'We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story.' A cash-strapped pet owner turned to DIY dentistry on her beloved hamster after being told it would cost 500 to have its teeth removed by a vet. Danielle Amos, from Sarn in Bridgend, South Wales, said she was shocked to be handed a quote for the work when she took her sick rodent, Lyra, to get checked out. Ms Amos, who is on benefits and could not afford the prospective bill, said the quoted fee was 'ridiculous' and so turned to YouTube tutorials to perform the necessary procedure herself. She told BBC Wales: 'I would have expected that (a 500 bill) for a dog or even a cat - but a hamster? That's ridiculous, especially with the cost of living, and I'm on benefits. 'I couldn't find another vet in my area that would do it, so I decided to look up a YouTube channel on how to trim a hamster's teeth properly and that's what I've been doing every month by myself.' Hamsters' teeth are continually growing, and they gnaw on objects to keep them sharp and regularly worn down. The RSPCA said dental problems in hamsters are not uncommon, and advises owners to take them to the vet if they become overgrown or damaged. Hamsters are known to experience dental problems from time to time, including becoming overgrown or damaged Hamsters' teeth grow continually, and need regular attention to ensure they do no develop problems International comparisons show British animal lovers can sometimes find cheaper prices overseas Ms Amos' story is the latest involving pet owners told to hand over vast sums of money to treat their beloved animals. Caitlin Dolan, 25, told how her cat, named Precious, died because she couldn't 'even begin to afford' the bill she was quoted for tests and treatments when Precious appeared lethargic. Ms Dolan added that the vets 'weren't really willing' to tell her what was wrong with her cat 'without going through 3,000 worth of tests and treatment'. 'It caused a lot of stress for a few days while we were deliberating on it before she unfortunately passed away. I don't wish anyone the same experience.' And dog owner Brian Flynn said he had his beagle treated abroad to avoid paying thousands of pounds in UK vet bills. Mr Flynn, 52, said a UK vet quoted him 5,318 for surgery and aftercare when eight-year-old Flash suffered a leg injury during a holiday in France. Brian Flynn said he had his beagle, Flash, treated abroad to avoid paying thousands of pounds in UK vet bills Mr Flynn said a UK vet quoted him 5,318 for surgery and aftercare when Flash suffered a leg injury during a holiday in France Richard Hooker, directory of veterinary services at charity PDSA, said there has been an increase in demand for its services recently The owner was left 'gobsmacked' when he took Flash to a local vet in the alpine town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, who said the same treatment would cost just 1,493. Last month it was announced that the competition watchdog is considering a cap on vet prescription fees as it launches a major investigation into whether pet owners are getting ripped off. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it will start a formal probe over concerns about high prices and a lack of choice in the industry. One of the main concerns is over the ability of pet owners to find 'basic information like price lists and prescription costs - and potentially overpaying for medicines.' The watchdog is also worried about weak competition in some areas, driven in part by large companies snapping up smaller rivals. The probe could result in a limit on vets' prescription fees and forcing top pet-care chains to break up parts of their business. There are 16 million pet owners in the UK and the CMA estimates the vet market is worth around 5 billion a year. Richard Hooker, director of veterinary services at charity PDSA, said: 'There are costs to providing any service and vet care is no different. 'We're very fortunate in the UK to have the NHS, but there is no NHS for pets. 'As the UK's leading vet charity, we understand the complexities of providing quality vet care, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis. Vets provide a vital service for our pets, but it's important to recognise that this is a highly professional service. 'The costs are reflective of the costs of delivering this often tailored and specialised care. 'We've seen an increase in demand for our services in recent years, and in 2023 we cared for over 430,000 pets in need. 'We believe transparency is key and feel it's important to have open and honest conversations between vets and owners early on. Discuss what you can afford, and your vet can talk through treatment options and cost implications so you can make the best choice for you and your pet.' Two more tourists have died in Greece after going missing while out on walks - the latest in a string of deaths in the country amid 'history-making' high temperatures. A Dutch tourist was found lying face down in a ravine by a fire service drone on the eastern island of Samos early on Saturday morning. The 74-year-old had last been seen struggling to walk in the heat, according to local reports, and was discovered around 300 metres from where he was last seen. Then on Sunday, a 55-year-old American was found dead by another tourist on a remote rocky beach on the island of Mathraki after he was reported missing by a friend on Thursday. The latest deaths came a day after two elderly people died in Cyprus, which has been hit by scorching temperatures pushing 43C as parts of southern Europe have been gripped by unseasonably high temperatures. The fatalities also follow the death of beloved British broadcaster and Mail columnist Michael Mosley, who went missing while out for a hike on the Greek island of Symi. The Copernicus Climate Change Service's (C3S) seasonal forecast covering July, August and September predicts extreme and hotter-than-average temperatures in the Mediterranean (pictured: probability of the temperatures being in the highest percentiles of climatology for seasonal means, with an 'above-normal change of exceeding the 80th percentile) Dr Mosley was found dead on the Greek island of Symi on Sunday morning after taking the wrong turn onto a mountain path The Parthenon was closed this week, with members of the Red Cross on hand to give out bottled water as temperatures soared across the continent A number of holidaymakers remain missing on Greek islands as the blistering heat continues, including two French women and an American man named as Albert Calibet. A frantic search is underway for the former LA Sheriff's Department Deputy, who was last seen hiking on the small island of Amorgos. The two French nationals - aged 73 and 64 - also remain missing on the island of Sikinos. British holidaymakers heading to Greece and Turkey are being warned to prepare for the unseasonably high temperatures hitting holiday hotspots this week. Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told the Greek state television channel, ERT: 'This heatwave will go down in history. 'In the 20th century, we never had a heatwave before June 19. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before June 15.' Scorching confitions are expected to continue this week and throughout the month, according to Greek meteorologist Giorgos Tsatrafillias. 'Undoubtedly, June this year is developing as one of the hottest months. In terms of developments, the first estimate (not forecast) for the continuation of summer is that the following months will also be warmer than usual,' he said. He added, citing the Copernicus Climate Change Service, that the probability that temperatures will be above normal levels in July-August-September is more than 60 per cent. Pictured: Copernicus Climate Change Service chart predicts temperatures in the 30s across large parts southern Europe this week Firefighters in Cyprus have struggled to battle spreading fires and strong winds this week Firefighters of the Cyprus Forests Department extinguish a fire that broke out in the village of Choulou in western Cyprus on June 12 On Friday, an 84-year-old woman died a day after being admitted to hospital, State Health Services Organisation spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said. As temperatures pushed 45C (113F), the death of a 91-year-old woman was reported on the same day. Health officials said a woman died at Nicosia General Hospital suffering from heatstroke. Charilaou told reporters the woman suffered a cardiac arrest twice on arrival at Nicosia's accident and emergency department. 'After investigating the incident, A&E doctors determined that the cardiac arrest was a result of heatstroke,' Charilaou said. He said hospitals have been dealing with cases of heat exhaustion for several days. At least another five elderly patients were being treated in hospitals with severe symptoms of heatstroke. On Friday, Cyprus issued its first red alert of the summer for extreme heat, with the Meteorological Department confirming that maximum temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius. Due to the extremely high temperatures, the Department of Labour Inspection halted heavy and moderate outdoor work during the afternoon. Meanwhile in Turkey, temperatures have also soared to between eight and 12 degrees above the norm for this time of year. A frantic search is underway for the former LA Sheriff's Department Deputy Albert Calibet, who was last seen hiking on the small island of Amorgos Weather experts say that heatwaves of over 40C are becoming longer in duration. The Copernicus's (C3S) mid-range seasonal forecast - which covers July, August and September - points to possible extreme weather throughout the summer. 'The latter part of the European summer is likely to be warmer than average everywhere (with above-normal chance of exceeding the 80th percentile of climatology for seasonal means), drier than average in the south and wetter than average in the far north,' it says. Amid hot and dry conditions, wildfires have gripped parts of Greece, with firefighters battling blazes on Friday and into the weekend. Last week, 49 residents in two communities in the island's western Paphos district were evacuated to hotels as a wildfire threatened their homes, while aircraft from Greece and Jordan joined the firefighting efforts. Greece was also forced to close its famous Acropolis to tourists this week as it braced for a 43C (109F) heatwave. The Acropolis hill, including the Parthenon temple, was shut from noon to 5pm local time on Wednesday, with Red Cross staff on hand to offer free bottles of water to tourists. Many schools were also told to close until the end of the week. The orders were followed by fires that, according to the National Observatory of Athens, consumed nearly 175,000 hectares (432,000 acres) of forest and farmland. In central Athens, the mercury climbed to 42C, with the forecast heat prompting health warnings and school closures. An unnamed American man's body was found Sunday morning by another tourist on a rocky beach on the remote island of Mathraki near Corfu Still hotter temperatures were recorded on the island of Crete - 44.5C - and on the Peloponnese peninsula - 43.9 degrees Celsius - according to the meteo.gr website of the Athens National Observatory. Temperatures are being driven by southerly winds dragging hot air and dust north from North Africa. Last year, the country weathered deadly wildfires and flooding through the summer holiday season, causing the evacuations of tens of thousands of people. Sir Ed Davey built sandcastles on a beach today in the latest chapter of his stunt-laden election drive after a former subpostmaster accused him of 'buffoonery'. The Liberal Democrat leader was billed as 'on the ropes with the Post Office' with a campaign that is a 'deliberate ploy to distract from his role' in the Horizon scandal. He has been blasted for not doing more to help wrongly-convicted subpostmasters between 2010 and 2012, when he was postal affairs minister in the coalition government. This morning, Sir Ed sat barefoot as he visited Broadsands beach in Devon while out campaigning with Caroline Voaden, the Lib Dem candidate for South Devon. It comes after Lee Castleton who lost his livelihood in the scandal filmed a video for Sir Ed which was played on the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg yesterday, saying trust is 'never going to be built' by 'paddleboarding in Cumbria'. But Sir Ed insisted he is taking voters' concerns seriously during a campaign in which he has visited Thorpe Park and sped down the Ultimate Slip n Slide in Somerset. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for South Devon, build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon this morning Sir Ed Davey heads out into the sea on Broadsands beach near Paignton in Devon this morning Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden pose for a photo on Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey kisses three-month-old baby Nellie Timpson at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden walk along the promenade at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today More than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu's faulty Horizon IT system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches. Mr Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have a 25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004 and was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office. He told the BBC that he doesn't 'particularly like the buffoonery', adding: 'I don't think there's any need for it. Mr Castleton continued: 'It's really, really, really important that we trust him and trust is never going to be built by swinging around on ropes or paddleboarding in Cumbria. 'Trust is about engaging with the people that need that engagement.' Sir Ed, asked by Ms Kuenssberg if he was taking things seriously, replied: 'On the subpostmasters, my heart goes out to Lee and all the others so badly affected and I'm looking forward to giving evidence to the inquiry, which I campaigned for to hold people to account. Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden pose for a photo on Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden walk along the promenade at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sor Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden chat before making sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today 'But in terms of the things we've been doing, the stunts, actually the real issue is engaging people and they have done.' He added: 'We're taking the voters' concerns really seriously. 'That's why we've put forward all these policy proposals and whenever we do one of those stunts to engage people - so I show that I'm not taking myself too seriously, I'm taking the voters seriously - we've had lots of policy ideas. 'So when I was going down that slide, we were talking about mental health.' Speaking about Sir Ed responding to Mr Castleton's comments, BBC presenter Paddy O'Connell later told the Newscast podcast: 'Well, the thing is he's on the ropes with the Post Office. 'He didn't handle these questions well, say the subpostmasters and mistresses, when he was first at, brought to his attention, when he was actually in Cabinet or in the Government, he did not have the meetings that were requested. That's the public policy problem for him. He can't go back in time and undo it. Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sor Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden chat before making sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden prepare to build sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today 'And if you are one of those broken subpostmasters and you see him on a paddleboard in a wetsuit, it doesn't play well. I can't believe how powerful that must have been for him to tackle that question. 'And it will haunt him. It's not going away. It's a bit like the Lib Dems, what they said to students with tuition fees.' Also responding to the comments by Mr Castleton was Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, who said on X: 'I've long thought Ed Davey's buffoonery on the campaign trail was a deliberate ploy to distract from his role in the Post Office scandal. 'Especially as he hasn't taken part in TV debates. Good to see him finally called out by former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton on #BBCLauraK.' Olivia Lever, director of the Young Conservatives grassroots thinktank Blue Beyond added: 'Its a disgrace how Ed Davey has dodged any accountability when it comes to the Post Office Horizon Scandal 'He shouldnt be allowed to stand as an MP, let alone try to sell himself as a potential PM.' A video message from former subpostmaster Lee Castleton is played to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey on the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg yesterday Sir Ed has come under fire for not doing more to help wrongly-convicted subpostmasters between 2010 and 2012 when he served as postal affairs minister in the coalition government Lee Castleton (pictured in January) warned that trust is 'never going to be built' between Horizon victims and former post office minister Sir Ed by 'paddleboarding in Cumbria' The Lib Dem manifesto proposes creating an 'office of the whistle-blower' to provide new legal protections and promote greater public awareness of their rights. It also calls for 'full and fair' compensation to all victims of the Horizon scandal 'as quickly as possible'. Concerns about the Horizon system were raised in 2000 by Sir Alan Bates, while Computer Weekly magazine broke the story of seven subpostmasters beginning their fight for justice in 2009. Sir Alan recently criticised Sir Ed for initially refusing to meet him in 2010, a disclosure which led to calls from Tory MPs for the Lib Dem leader to stand down and hand back his knighthood. Asked how people could trust him to do the right thing for whistle-blowers, Sir Ed said: 'The whistle-blower was key in the Horizon scandal. 'We really only heard it in the Panorama programme by the BBC in 2015, quite a few years after I left office, and then in 2019 in the High Court case. Speaking about Sir Ed responding to Mr Castleton's comments, BBC presenter Paddy O'Connell told the Newscast podcast: 'Well, the thing is he's on the ropes with the Post Office' Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies claimed Sir Ed Davey's 'buffoonery on the campaign trail' is a 'deliberate ploy to distract from his role in the Post Office scandal' Olivia Lever, director of the Young Conservatives grassroots thinktank Blue Beyond, said Sir Ed had 'dodged any accountability' on the Horizon scandal 'That whistle-blower from Fujitsu, an insider at Fujitsu, who said actually the Post Office had been telling lies to subpostmasters, to ministers, to courts and judges, that whistle-blower was crucial, as the ITV drama on Alan Bates showed.' He added: 'I was listening, I was the first minister to meet Alan Bates and I took his issues really seriously ... I put his concerns to the Post Office and I think I was probably the only minister who did that in that level of detail. 'And I was lied to - just like the subpostmasters were lied to, just like the judges and the courts were lied to, and that's why the whistle-blower is so important. 'We have to change the system.' Mr Castleton, writing on X, later said he 'must praise' the Lib Dems for their manifesto pledge to protect whistleblowers. It comes as Sir Ed has carried out a series of slapstick photo ops in recent weeks, including getting drenched falling off an aquatic obstacle course in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, last Wednesday. JULY 15: Sir Ed Davey tries out a pillow trampoline at Bocketts Farm in Leatherhead, Surrey JUNE 13: Sir Ed took on an assault course during a visit to Arena Pursuits in Wadhurst, Kent JUNE 13: Sir Ed Davey is compared to 'The Man From Del Monte' on ITV's This Morning JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey falls from an Aqua Jungle floating assault course on a visit to Spot-On-Wake in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, on the General Election campaign trail JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey jumps into the water on his visit to Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey saws wood as he visits Willow Forest School in Guildford, Surrey JUNE 10: Sir Ed rides on the Colossus rollercoaster at the Thorpe Park theme park in Surrey It was reminiscent of his attempt at paddleboarding in Windermere a fortnight earlier, when he sought to draw attention to the polluted state of Britain's waters. Two days later, he hurtled himself down a giant slip 'n slide in an inflatable ring in Frome, Somerset, to promote the party's child mental health policies. He has also been pictured with his legs spread wide open as he rode a bike during a visit to Knighton in Wales, and joined care home residents in a DrumFit class at Abbotswood Court Care Village in Romsey, Hampshire. The politician was also seen last Wednesday roasting marshmallows while visiting Willow Forest School of the Elm Nursery in Guilford. And last Thursday he took on an assault course during a visit to Arena Pursuits in Wadhurst, Kent. On the same day, he was given a makeover on ITV 's This Morning and was compared to 'The Man From Del Monte' by Cat Deeley as he walked around on a catwalk. JUNE 10: Sir Ed Davey smiles during the official launch of the Liberal Democrat manifesto MAY 31: Sir Ed Davey and ten-year-old Verity Pember taking part in a baking lesson with students from High Beeches Primary School during a half-term holiday camp in Hertfordshire MAY 30: Sir Ed Davey slides down an 'Ultimate Slip N Slide' in Frome, Somerset MAY 29: Sir Ed Davey clowns around on a bike during a visit to Knighton in Wales last month MAY 28: Sir Ed Davey falls from a paddleboard on Lake Windermere during a campaign visit MAY 5: Sir Ed Davey joins care home residents in a DrumFit class in Romsey, Hampshire Betting firm Ladbrokes has now set up a betting pool for what activities Sir Ed is likely to take part in before the General Election on July 4 - with options including riding a bucking bronco, bungee jumping or being fired out of a cannon. Last Monday, Sir Ed launched the party's manifesto in London and unveiled his vision for Britain to rejoin the European Union. He has committed to rejoining the single market, which would result in the return of free movement, as one of four steps towards the 'longer-term objective' of EU membership. The proposal was among a host of radical plans including cannabis shops on high streets, gender self-ID and a 500 per cent increase of council tax on second homes in the 116-page manifesto. Overall, the party plans to hike taxes by almost 27billion to fund major investments in health, social care and public services. It includes reforms to capital gains tax paid on profits from selling an asset which would raise 5billion by 2028/29. There was also a package of health and care pledges with a plan to recruit or retain 8,000 extra GPs to give a right to be seen by a doctor within seven days. Sir Ed also wants a new clean water authority to replace Ofwat and has promised to 'end the sewage scandal' by transforming water firms into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks stop. A group of yobs allegedly tortured and killed a duck with a catapult in the latest incident in a disturbing spate of attacks with locals calling for action. Onlookers watched in horror as the group of young boys took aim at helpless birds on the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. Concerned locals saw the youngsters - believed to be aged between 11 and 15 - firing off at a duck before kicking it and throwing it against a wall. Photos after the group had fled show the lifeless duck floating in the river, whilst a pigeon was also targeted and found dead nearby. Disgusted locals are now calling for a ban on the catapults after a spate of incidents targeting animals across the county. Photos after a group of youngsters attacked a bird show the lifeless duck floating in the river A group of yobs (pictured) allegedly tortured and killed a duck with a catapult in the latest incident in a disturbing spate of attacks A pigeon was also targeted and found dead nearby, also floating in the river Gemma, a local mother, was preparing to go kayaking with her partner and daughter on the River Medway when she spied the eight boys targeting the duck. 'To my horror, I saw these boys with catapults,' the 41-year-old, originally from Elephant and Castle in central London, said. 'It was quite a distance, but I had my mouth open, thinking, 'Oh my God, what am I seeing?' 'This poor duck, it was flapping about. They held it by its feet while others fly-kicked it and threw it against the wall. 'I was so upset - how can you do this to a living creature?' Gemma claimed that the birds regularly sit on the walkway and are therefore 'easy targets' for catapult-wielding yobs. She immediately reported the incident to the police, but both the duck and a pigeon which was similarly targeted died. 'They tortured them in front of everybody,' the mother-of-two said. 'It was like they had tunnel vision - they didn't care who was around. 'Honestly the first thing I thought was, 'I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to live here'.' Gemma later posted a warning on Facebook which provoked dozens of angry comments from sympathetic locals. Wendy Burniston-Jones also witnessed the attack from the yobs, who she said appeared to be aged between 11 to 15. 'They came past us being quite loud. There was a lot of shouting and at first I didn't think anything of it. MAIDSTONE: Petrified and injured River the peacock was brutally killed by a gang of youths wielding slingshots and catapults in April 2024 MAIDSTONE: Owner Alison Carter (left), 57, said her peacock (right) was 'part of the family', behaved 'like a dog' and would have even 'trusted' the group of strangers who killed him 'Two of them that had catapults then started firing at the pigeons. 'They were all laughing and as soon as they saw they were being watched they stuffed the weapons down their trousers.' Ms Burniston-Jones said she would like to see catapults banned, asking: 'Why do people need them? 'I'd like to see catapults be made illegal. 'Police should have the power to confiscate and remove that item from the children.' Though it's not illegal to buy or carry a catapult, causing an animal unnecessary suffering is an offence under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act. Green party Maidstone Councillor Rachel Rodwell lives on the River Medway and believes people have been targeting wildlife there for years. 'It's not just that area that is affected,' she said. 'We have seen a depleted number of ducks and geese in East Farleigh and Allington as well. 'The problem is that people see it happening, they phone the police and by the time officers arrive the culprits have gone. It's mindless killing and is absolutely awful.' But Cllr Rodwell said it wasn't just wildlife that were targeted by youths with catapults. 'As boaters, we are very anxious,' she added. 'I've been catapulted and my home has been stoned. MAIDSTONE: A group of yobs who were caught shooting at River the peacock with catapults 'A lot of children and parents nowadays don't have empathy for wildlife. These incidents increase in bank holidays and during the summer period. 'We have been speaking with the local beat officer and are hoping to increase police presence in the area. 'If you see something like this happen please report it immediately to 101.' A Kent Police spokesperson said of the incident: 'We were called at 3.35pm on Sunday, June 9, to a report that a group of young people near Fremlin Walk, Maidstone had been seen firing a catapult at a duck in the River Medway. 'Officers attended and carried out a search of the area but were unable to locate any suspects.' MailOnline previously reported that towns and villages are being terrorised by sling-shot wielding children who are filming themselves abusing animals to post on social media. Residents say they are seeing 'more and more' anti-social behaviour recently and some believe it is due to a new social media trend. Pensioners say they are too scared to go for walks alone, and animals ranging from cats to swans have been brutally injured. In Maidstone, a family was left devastated after their pet peacock was shot more than 20 times with slingshots and catapults and brutally killed. The bird - named River - was brutally killed, and the youths responsible then went a step further to warn the family 'you are going to be next'. But this is only the latest in an alarming rise of catapult-related attacks by young people across the UK. In 2018, a total of 80 offences involving the weapon were recorded in Kent - double the amount in 2017. GODSTONE: Police posted a picture of three men they wanted to speak to in connection with the attacks on swans in March 2024 And according to data FOI'd by KentOnline, there were 12 recorded incidents of catapult offences in the Tunbridge Wells vicinity in 2022, and five last year. The peaceful village of Godstone has been plagued by the catapult fiends, who have been seen prowling the area at random times of the day to intimidate residents, vandalise homes and hurt the wildlife. An 82-year-old widow, who we are not naming to protect her identity, said: 'People are terrified. It's atrocious. Catapults firing ball bearings and suchlike are hugely dangerous. They've damaged the church stained glass windows, targeted mourners at a funeral and blinded a swan. That could easily have been a young child. It doesn't bear thinking about.' Catapult attacks have plagued the village randomly since 2018 with perpetrators targeting houses and cars. But in the last year the rate of attacks has soared and many residents say police inaction is emboldening the criminals. 'It's turning into a nightmare,' said one woman. 'We're doing our best to help police but they don't seem to be listening.' Sir Tony Blair has questioned why politicians are in a 'muddle' over transgender issues and stated: 'A woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis.' The ex-prime minister called for 'common sense' to be applied, and said he found it 'weird' that 'people have ended up in this extraordinarily polarised debate'. Ahead of the general election on 4 July, both the Conservatives and Labour have promised to overhaul legislation related to transgender rights. The Tories have pledged to rewrite the Equality Act to make clear that 'sex means biological sex'. And Labour want to 'modernise, simplify, and reform' the process by which people can legally acquire a new gender, while keeping protections for single-sex spaces. In an apparent swipe at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who once claimed it was 'not right' to say only women have a cervix - Sir Tony wondered why politicians found it 'hard' to define a woman. Sir Keir sparked fresh confusion over his stance on gender identity last year when he suggested 1 in 1,000 women have male genitalia, saying that 99.9 per cent of women 'of course haven't got a penis'. Sir Tony Blair has questioned why politicians are in a 'muddle' over transgender issues and stated: 'A woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis.' In an apparent swipe at Sir Keir Starmer - who once claimed it was 'not right' to say only women have a cervix - Sir Tony wondered why politicians found it 'hard' to define a woman Sir Tony told Holyrood magazine: 'I don't know how politics got itself into this muddle. 'What is a woman? Well, it's not a very hard thing for me to answer really. 'I'm definitely of the school that says, biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis. I think we can say that quite clearly.' The former Labour premier also warned women should not be prevented from 'talking about being biological women'. 'The point is this: if people want to reassign their gender and say, 'ok I may be born biologically a male but I want to reassign as female', that's absolutely fine and people should be entitled to do that. 'And there is no doubt at all there are people who genuinely feel that they are in the wrong body.' He added: 'There are just three qualifications to it that I think are very important. Number one, it shouldn't stop women talking about being biological women. 'This idea that you can't refer to pregnant women, I think most people think that's completely ridiculous. 'Secondly, there may be situations, for example, where you have people who still have male genitalia but are in a changing room with women, and women will feel uncomfortable with that. 'They shouldn't feel uncomfortable, so you've got to protect that, and the issues in relation to sport and so on. 'And thirdly, you've got to be very careful with young people. Because if you're talking about young people at an impressionable young age, you've got to handle this with immense care. 'Because whereas there are people that may think that they're gay and then decide later that they're not, there's no physical change that they're engaged with, whereas in this, if you're giving people treatment which involves physical changes to them, that's such an enormously important, life-changing decision, you've got to exercise great care. 'So subject to those three qualifications, and I think that's where the overwhelming majority of people are, and honestly, I don't find it difficult. 'I've never thought that difficult, so it's a weird thing to me that people have ended up in this extraordinarily polarised debate in which, you know, the most important thing is to apply common sense.' The grieving father of a teenager who took her own life after becoming anxious about detention has called for a judicial review into the inquest of her suicide. Caitlyn Scott-Lee was found dead in a backstage area of her prestigious 44,000-a-year boarding school on April 21 last year after becoming anxious and depressed. The autistic 16-year-old had 'hyper-fixated' on her first ever 'headmistress's detention' following the discovery of vodka in her locker at Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire. Following a three-day inquest into the 16-year-old's death, her father, Jonathan, has called on the High Court of Justice to review senior coroner Crispin Butler. Mr Scott-Lee has put the motion forward based on several grounds including reporting restrictions placed on the hearing as well as failure to investigate. Grieving father Jonathan Scott-Lee (right) has called for a judicial review into the suicide inquest of his daughter Caitlyn (left) Caitlyn was discovered dead at a backstage area of her 44,000 a year boarding school - Wycombe Abbey School in Buckinghamshire The father contended that the coroner has acted unlawfully by concluding the school had no case to answer regarding the detention. He argued that it was an Article 2 inquest meaning there was a broader scope to investigate a person's death. This comes shortly after Simon Baron-Cohen - who is an expert on autism based at Cambridge University - was prohibited from giving evidence. A report, including Baron-Cohen's conclusions surrounding Caitlyn's death were also absent from proceedings. The application for a judicial review into Caitlyn Scott-Lee's inquest includes quotes from Sir Simon's findings. He said:'If her GP or school had been well-informed of autistic people's very high risk for suicide they should have triaged her as needing urgent support for her mental health. 'I understand her GP triaged her as low risk because she did not disclose any self harming behaviour, but her autism diagnosis should have trumped this in terms of indicators of high suicide risk. '[GPs, teachers and parents] should assume if a young person is autistic, this should be taken as a "red flag" for suicide and not be shy to ask the young person if they have felt suicidal, or if there have been any past suicide attempts especially ones that they are unaware of. Caitlyn, who was autistic, became over-anxious and depressed as she faced her first ever detention The 16-year-old had been handed detention after vodka was found in her locker (pictured: Wycombe Abbey School) 'An autistic person who seeks help for depression should be seen by a specialist within 24 hours.' A three-day inquest heard the youngster had become over-anxious and depressed after she had been given detention at the boarding school. The 16-year-old had previously voiced her worries in her diary and also to her roommate, stating that she would rather take her own life that face her first detention. During a meeting with her GP and a mental health nurse in the weeks before she died Caitlyn had admitted to having suicidal thoughts ,but had not acted on them. When the inquest came to a conclusion on May 1, the coroner concluded that neither the school or health officials failed the teen in the run up to her death. He said the alcohol incident and Caitlyn's disappearance from a concert at Eton College days later did not show she was suffering a mental health crisis. 'There was no evidence that would have assisted her school about what was to happen on April 21. There was no interaction that demonstrate a crisis of impending crisis. 'There was no clear evidence of a mental health crisis visible to anyone Caitlyn interacted with. 'No one other than Caitlyn could have known what was going to happen. The act that took her life was the outcome she had wanted.' Wycombe Abbey's headteacher Joanne Duncan told the inquest that the school was unaware of Caitlyn's mental health struggles. The inquest also heard that the 16-year-old was not on a list of girls with 'serious mental health issues' at the boarding school. Ms Duncan added: 'We are deeply saddened that we were unaware of the difficulties she was suffering with.' Statistics show that as many as 66 per cent of autistic adults have suicidal thoughts, while about 35 per cent have attempted to take their own lives, according to Cambridge University. Following the inquest's verdict the Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge said more needed to be done to prevent suicide among those with autism. The father contended it was an Article 2 inquest meaning there was a broader scope for investigating an individuals death and as such the the coroner acted unlawfully by concluding the school had no case to answer regarding the detention (pictured: Caitlyn and her family) This comes shortly after Simon Baron-Cohen - who is an expert on autism based at Cambridge University - was prohibited from giving evidence (pictured: Jonathan and Caitlyn) When the inquest came to a conclusion on May 1, the coroner concluded that neither the school or health officials failed the teen in the run up to her death A letter signed by medical experts and charities was sent to the Government pressing for more funding and commitment to ending the issue. Tom Purser, CEO of the Autism Centre said: 'Caitlyn's inquest has demonstrated that despite schools and the NHS doing their best, it is too frequently not enough to prevent the most tragic of outcomes. 'Our letter, signed by charities, academics and ambassadors, demonstrates the strength of feeling and resolve that more action is needed to turn the tide on the national scandal of the number of autistic people dying by suicide. 'The Government must listen, both to the people signing our letter and to the countless stories like Caitlyn's which send a loud and clear message - work with us and help save autistic people's lives.' For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org Coffee industry sees rapid growth in Pu'er, SW China's Yunnan People's Daily Online) 13:11, June 17, 2024 Southwest China's Yunnan Province is the largest coffee producing area in the country, accounting for 98 percent of the national total production of coffee. In Pu'er city, large-scale coffee cultivation has a history of nearly 40 years. Jin Tao is a local in Paliang village, Mengma township, Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city. In the 2023-2024 harvest season, his coffee cooperative harvested over 6,000 tonnes of coffee beans, with an average increase of 40 percent in yield per mu (1 mu equals 677 square meters). "Yunnan, with its favorable climate and moderate rainfall, is an ideal region for growing coffee," said Xia Bing, head of an expert team for the modernization of Yunnan's coffee industry. A coffee farmer airs coffee cherries in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao) Twenty years ago, Jin started to plant coffee trees on several hundred mu of mountainous land. "During that time, coffee cultivation relied on luck. The production was low, so was the quality. Due to a lack of coffee tree management knowledge, I would cut down trees that didn't yield fruits," Jin said. "Nowadays, we take care of the coffee trees like we take care of our children," said Jin. The cooperative has implemented various measures to enhance coffee production and quality. These measures include deep plowing and seeking expert advice to assess the soil components. They have also reduced the number of trees planted on per mu of land, pruned existing trees, and introduced the intercropping of coffee trees with fruit trees. These efforts aim to optimize diffused light and shading, ultimately improving the overall coffee production process. Following ecological restoration efforts, Jin's coffee cooperative has observed a decline in the prevalence of diseases and pests, along with improvements in both coffee production and quality. Menglian currently boasts of 50,000 mu of coffee planting bases that yield high-quality coffee with enhanced productivity. Menglian county has already introduced over 20 new coffee varieties that are planted on 9,800 mu of land. Zhao Mei, manager of a tea and coffee estate in Fuyan township, Menglian, was surprised to find that the price of high-quality coffee beans was more than double that of ordinary coffee beans. After trial and error, Zhao eventually created a coffee product that tastes like wine. "By developing innovative processing techniques, we are able to produce unique and exceptional coffee products," said Zhao. In 2023, Pu'er increased its deep processing capacity by 25,000 tonnes, raising the deep processing rate of coffee from 8 percent in 2021 to 33.4 percent. In recent years, Yunnan has been actively promoting the growth of high-quality coffee plantations, hosting festivals, exhibitions, forums, and other events to establish a platform that connects Chinese coffee with the global market. In the 2023-2024 harvest season, the market price of Yunnan coffee exceeded the purchase price offered by international traders, demonstrating an increasing recognition in the market. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The body of a 26-year-old Navy veteran was found in a San Antonio park after he reportedly told 911 he was running away from a 'racist.' Jarvis McIntyre's body was found in John James Park in the northeast of Texas' third largest city on Friday June 14 just after 9am, local media reported. But he was last seen nearly a week before that on June 8 near Holbrook Road between Rittiman Road and Corrine Drive, both of which lie near the park the veteran was found in. His mother, Monikki Williams Tippet, told local media that San Antonio police revealed her son has called 911 because he was running away from a 'racist.' Tippet says she and her family believes someone hurt her son because he was black and gay. Jarvis McIntyre's (pictured) body was found in John James Park in the northeast of San Antonio His mother believes someone hurt her son because he was black and gay His rental car and belongings were found just a block away from John James Park, where his body was found (pictured) 'I want answers now. I want this person found,' she said, adding that her son 'didnt deserve this. They took my babys life for no reason.' McIntyre had flown to San Antonio from St. Louis to visit his two sisters during his birthday weekend. He was supposed to go back home on Sunday 9 June, but he tragically never made it home. His rental car and belongings were found just a block away from John James Park, where his body was found. His mother, stepfather, brother and aunt flew to San Antonio on Wednesday to put up missing person posters. Family, friends and loved ones took to social media to express their sympathies Tributes for the dead veteran poured in following the news of his death Tippet said she told Bexar County Medical Examiner that the tattoos on the body that was found matched up with those of her son's. The medical examiner has not officially confirmed the identity of the body, nor how the person died. Police have also not officially confirmed that the body found belonged to Jarvis McIntyre. Tributes for the dead veteran poured in following the news of his death. Family, friends and loved ones took to social media to express their sympathies. Jarvis' aunt MiMi said in an Instagram post: 'Lord please sent your angels down here. Spread them all around my cousin Monikki. 'If you knew her relationship with her son, it would hurt your whole soul.' A close friend wrote underneath one of Jarvis' Instagram posts: 'We should not be writing RIP to you. This is crazy, I hope your soul gets justice.' DailyMail.com has contacted the San Antonio Police Department for comment. The daughter of Alexei Navalny celebrated graduating from Stanford University on Sunday, alongside her beaming mother Yulia, just four months after the Russian opposition leader's death. Dasha Navalnaya, 23, took to Instagram on Monday to share pictures from her graduation ceremony from the Ivy League college in California the day before. Sporting a white mini dress and yellow kitten heels for the occasion, the graduate can be seen throwing up one hand in the air in celebration in one photo. Her proud mother, and widow of Alexei, also shared some snaps on social media. In one image, the mother-daughter duo are pictured side by side, with Dasha wearing her graduation robe and ribbon, while also holding her diploma. Daughter of Alexei Navalny, 23-year-old Dasha, graduated from Stanford University on Sunday, just a few months after her father's sudden death Dasha and her beaming mother Yulia pose together on Dasha's graduation day on Sunday The wife and daughter of Alexei Navalny will continue his fight against Putin Beaming Yulia poses with her arm lovingly on her daughter's shoulder, wearing a midi yellow dress and orange heels. Yulia also shared a selfie with her smiley daughter, who is wearing her graduation cap. The proud-mother's caption, which was written in Russian, reads: 'I am very proud...The smartest, most beautiful, and most importantly, the best friend in the world. Our girl'. Yulia also shared videos of the graduation ceremony on her Instagram stories. One clip shows the crowd of new graduates cheering, while another shows the graduating class walking out from a building. Dasha was captured flashing her mother a tender smile. Yulia shared clips of Dasha's graduation on her Instagram story. In one clip, footage of the graduating class and their supporters in the crowd were filmed cheering Another clip shows Dasha, dressed in her graduation attire, flashing her proud mom a smile The 23-year-old's graduation comes just a few months after her father, the political activist Alexei's death in February. He was recognised as Russia's most fierce Putin critic. Before his untimely death, aged 47, he had survived poisoning attempts and years in some of Russia's most notorious jails, after he had exposed corruption at almost every level of the Russian state. Even behind bars, he was an influential voice. But in February this year, he reportedly lost consciousness and died when going for a walk in the Polar Wolf Arctic prison. Alexei's allies, branded extremists by authorities, had accuesed Putin of having him murdered and said they would provide proof to back their allegation, however the Kremlin has denied any state involvement. US intelligence sources have claimed there is no evidence to prove that Russian President Vladimir Putin was involved in the assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny Yulia Navalnaya, centre, widow of Alexey Navalny believes the Kremlin ordered her husband's murder Mr Navalny was Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest domestic critic. Many believe he ordered his rival's death Yulia met Alexei in 1998 while on holiday in Turkey, and the pair got married just two years later, giving birth to their two children, Dasha (pictured, left) and Zakhar (pictured, bottom) US intelligence agencies in April determined that Putin probably didn't order Navalny to be killed, according to the Wall Street Journal. Yulia has maintained that she believes Putin was responsible for her husband's death. Despite his death, Dasha and Yulia have picked up Alexei's baton. 'Putin killed half of me, but my other half won't give up,' Yulia declared in the aftermath of her husband's death. Dasha has supported her mother and even attended a meeting in San Francisco with President Joe Biden in February. Today, I met with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya Aleksey Navalny's loved ones to express my condolences for their devastating loss. Aleksey's legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha, and the countless people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights. pic.twitter.com/aiCcgTrws3 President Biden (@POTUS) February 22, 2024 Biden commented on the mother-daughter duo, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that the 'legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha'. She is expected to play a growing role in keeping her father's campaign alive. Earlier this month ahead of Dasha's graduation, an article by the 23-year-old was published in Harpers Bazaar, titled 'My Father the Superhero'. In a touching tribute to her late father, she wrote: 'I always considered my dad a superhero: big and strong, intelligent and charismatic, hardworking and resilient. He had an unbreakable moral compass and little patience for injustice. My father was a man of courage. He was fearless because he understood the importance of his fightfor democracy, transparency, and truth.' A police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after an aspiring child actor and his aunt were killed by a joyrider in a high-speed chase. PC Edward Welch, 35, was pursuing Joshua Dobby, who careered down a 20mph street at 60mph in a stolen a Ford Focus in Penge, southeast London, on 31 August 2016. Dobby, then 23, lost control, and mounted the pavement, crushing to death Rozanne Cooper, 34 and her nephew Makayah McDermott, 10. Makayah had appeared in an Asda advert and had just landed a leading role in a major new television series when he was killed. He also appeared in a production of Wizard of Oz with his sisters. A third child was also involved in the horrific crash and sustained serious injuries. PC Edward Welch (pictured), 35, has been found guilty of gross misconduct after Rozanne Cooper and her nephew Makayah McDermott were killed by a joyrider he was in a high-speed chase with PC Welch was pursuing Joshua Dobby (pictured), who careered down a 20mph street at 60mph in a stolen a Ford Focus in Penge, southeast London, on 31 August 2016 PC Welch, of Chatham, Kent, had insisted he was trying to protect the public as he chased the joyrider. He said he used his lights and sirens to 'alert members of the public, pedestrians and other road users as to what was going on.' In December 2022 an Old Bailey jury cleared Welch of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one of dangerous driving. Dobby, the estranged son of millionaire pet food wholesaler Mark Dobby, was previously convicted of two counts of manslaughter by gross negligence at the Old Bailey. Makayah McDermott, 10, had appeared in an Asda advert and had just landed a leading role in a major new television series when he was killed Rozanne Cooper, 34, was walking along the pavement with her nephew when the pair were hit and killed by the car Dobby was driving during the chase He had sobbed: 'I'm truly sorry for what I've done' before he was jailed for 12 years in March 2017. Dobby had never held a driving licence and had 53 previous convictions. PC Welch and former officer Jack Keher, who was in the police car at the time, had faced a disciplinary hearing following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation. The panel heard the officers failed to accurately assess the level of risk that the pursuit posed and did not report this risk back to the control room via radio. They also failed to accurately relay the circumstances of the pursuit including the dangerous manner and speed of Mr Dobby's driving. PC Welch, of Chatham, Kent, had insisted that he was trying to protect the public as he chased the joyrider PC Welch, who also failed to assess the proportionality of continuing with the pursuit, was given a final written warning. The case was also proven against former PC Keher, but he would not have been dismissed if still serving so there was no alternative sanction the panel could impose. IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: 'Our thoughts remain with the families of Makayah and Rozanne who sadly lost their lives and to everyone affected by this incident. 'Officers must assess the risks before engaging in a pursuit and continually reassess this throughout. Any pursuit must be proportionate and factor in the surrounding circumstances, including the public safety risk. 'We found that the officers' actions in pursuing a stolen car at up to three times the speed limit in an area busy with traffic and pedestrians during the school holidays, was not proportionate or justified given the apparent safety risk to the public. 'The officers also failed in their duty of care to protect lives following the collision by chasing the offender rather than immediately going to the aid of the victims.' Tuesday marks one year to the day that the OceanGate Titan submersible vanished in the depths of the North Atlantic on an ill-fated mission to the Titanic. After a five-day search that captured the world's attention, authorities said the vessel had been destroyed and all five people on board had died. But despite lingering questions about the disaster, the deadly implosion of the Titan has not dulled the desire for further ocean exploration. The Georgia-based company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic plans to visit the sunken ocean liner in July using remotely operated vehicles. And Larry Connor, a real estate billionaire from Ohio, has said he is personally planning a voyage to the shipwreck in a two-person submersible in 2026. Numerous ocean explorers have declared they are confident undersea exploration can continue safely in a post-Titan world. 'It's been a desire of the scientific community to get down into the ocean,' said Greg Stone, a veteran ocean explorer and friend of Titan operator Stockton Rush, who died in the implosion. 'I have not noticed any difference in the desire to go into the ocean, exploring.' Thrillseeker Larry Connor is no stranger to risk - he is a private pilot, racing driver and an astronaut Ohio real-estate investor and businessman, Larry Connor (left) says he is signed up for an expedition to the Titanic. He is pictured with Triton Submarines boss Patrick Lahey after they travelled to more than 20,000ft beneath the ocean surface in another Triton sub Submersible manufacturer Triton has developed a series of underwater craft (Pictured: the world's smallest, lightest three-person superyacht submersible - TRITON 1650/3 LP) The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate, imploded on June 18, 2023 Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 Larry Connor, 74, was undeterred by the OceanGate disaster last June - so much so that he was on the phone to a rival firm days after it happened asking it to build a better submersible. A NASA-certified private astronaut, Mr Connor has no fears about the Triton 4000 submarine he will share with its manufacturer's co-founder Patrick Lahey despite last year's tragedy, which counted three British citizens among the dead. The businessman is no stranger to chasing adrenaline - he competed in the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, is a private pilot involved in aerobatic competitions and an experienced submariner, having already explored the Mariana Trench - one of the deepest oceanic trenches on Earth. He is set on taking the two-person submersible down to the 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. Triton's newly designed underwater exploration vehicle, named the 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer - reportedly costs a cool 15million and will have presumably overcome the presumed flaws that saw the OceanGate Titan implode before it reached the Titanic wreckage. The Triton 4000 - so named for the depth in metres (13,100ft) it will be capable of diving to - will only be deployed once its manufacturers are certain it can withstand the extreme pressure at such a depth. 'Patrick has been thinking about and designing this for over a decade. But we didnt have the materials and technology. You couldnt have built this sub five years ago,' Mr Connor said. Triton's operators point out that their submersible is safer than Titan, which was criticised for having no official safety certification. Sophie Bentham-Wood, Executive Director of Global Marketing and Sales Strategies for Triton, told MailOnline that the company was contacted by a slew of investors willing to front cash for their operations amid concerns the Titan sub disaster could undermine further deep-sea exploration. '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 said. 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) Larry Connor will use the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer to explore the ocean depths. A computer render of the submersible is seen in this image The Titanic lay largely intact at a depth of 12,000 feet off the coast of St. John's, Newfoundland Wreckage from the site of the Titanic is seen in this screenshot of footage Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 OceanGate CEO and co-founder Stockton Rush, who died aboard the Titan Triton has built a range of submersible craft for deep sea exploration In the weeks after the Titan disaster, concerns were raised about whether the craft was destined for failure because of its unconventional design - and its creator's refusal to submit to independent checks that are standard in the industry. The US Coast Guard quickly convened a high-level investigation into what happened, but officials said the inquiry is taking longer than the initial 12-month time frame, and a planned public hearing to discuss their findings won't happen for at least another two months. OceanGate, a company co-founded by Rush that owned the submersible, suspended operations in early July just weeks after the Titan disappeared. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment. David Concannon, a former adviser to OceanGate, said he will mark the anniversary privately with a group of people who were involved with the company or the submersible's expeditions over the years, including scientists, volunteers and mission specialists. Many of them, including those who were on the Titan support ship Polar Prince, have not been interviewed by the Coast Guard, he said. 'The fact is, they are isolated and in a liminal space,' he said in an email last week. 'Stockton Rush has been vilified and so has everyone associated with OceanGate. I wasn't even there and I have gotten death threats. We support each other and just wait to be interviewed. 'The world has moved on... but the families and those most affected are still living with this tragedy every day.' The Titan had been chronicling the Titanic's decay and the underwater ecosystem around the sunken ocean liner in yearly voyages since 2021. The craft made its last dive on June 18, 2023, a Sunday morning, and lost contact with its support vessel about two hours later. When it was reported overdue that afternoon, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the area, about 435 miles south of St. John's, Newfoundland. The US Navy notified the Coast Guard that day of an anomaly in its acoustic data that was 'consistent with an implosion or explosion' at the time communications between the Polar Prince and the Titan were lost, a senior Navy official later told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive technology. Any sliver of hope that remained for finding the crew alive was wiped away on June 22, when the Coast Guard announced that debris had been found near the Titanic on the ocean floor. Authorities have since recovered the submersible's intact endcap, debris and presumed human remains from the site. In addition to Rush, the implosion killed two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Harding and Nargeolet were members of The Explorers Club, a professional society dedicated to research, exploration and resource conservation. The Titan craft made its last dive on June 18, 2023, a Sunday morning, and lost contact with its support vessel about two hours later FILE - The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, April 10, 1912, on her maiden voyage The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate 'Then, as now, it hit us on a personal level very deeply,' the group's president, Richard Garriott, said in an interview last week. 'We knew not only all the people involved, but even all the previous divers, support teams, people working on all these vessels - those were all either members of this club or well within our network.' Garriott believes even if the Titan hadn't imploded, the correct rescue equipment didn't get to the site fast enough. The tragedy caught everyone from the Coast Guard to the ships on site off guard, underscoring the importance of developing detailed search and rescue plans ahead of any expedition, he said. His organisation has since created a task force to help others do just that. 'That's what we've been trying to really correct, to make sure that we know exactly who to call and exactly what materials need to be mustered,' he said. Garriott believes the world is in a new golden age of exploration thanks to technological advances that have opened frontiers and provided new tools to more thoroughly study already visited places. The Titanic tragedy hasn't tarnished that, he said. Veteran deep-sea explorer Katy Croff Bell agrees. The Titan implosion reinforced the importance of following industry standards and performing rigorous testing, but in the industry as a whole, 'the safety track record for this has been very good for several decades,' said Bell, president of Ocean Discovery League, a nonprofit organisation focused on making deep-sea investigation less expensive and more accessible. Garriott said there will be a remembrance celebration for the Titan victims this week in Portugal at the annual Global Exploration Summit. 'Progress continues,' he said. 'I actually feel very comfortable and confident that we will now be able to proceed.' Austrian incest monster Josef Fritzl is to be placed under guardianship due to his advancing dementia, the Krems public prosecutor's office has said. Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, said she intends to fight the process by which the court will appoint another person to act on behalf of the 89-year-old because he has been deemed incapable of making decisions on his own. It is typically done to prevent the abuse of the person involved by another party, but Wagner claims that the appointment of an adult representative to manage Fritzl's affairs 'not tenable.' Although Fritzl has 'beginning dementia and delusional episodes', a representative is neither necessary nor justified as he has no business to attend to and does not own any property, said the lawyer. It comes after Wagner revealed last month that the delusional Fritzl had instructed her to start looking for a new house in the country - despite judges recently denying him hope of an early release due to his 'unprecedented' criminality. Josef Fritzl is seen during day four of his trial at the country court of St. Poelten in 2009. He was handed a life sentence The 89-year-old was recently moved from a maximum security hospital wing for the criminally insane in Stein to a regular prison Fritzl's lawyer, Astrid Wagner, said she intends to fight the process by which the court will appoint another person to act and make decisions on behalf of the 89-year-old Fritzl was locked up in 2009 after he admitted to raping his daughter Elisabeth (pictured) and fathering seven children with her The depraved rapist fathered seven children by his daughter Elisabeth while he kept her as a sex slave in the basement of the family home. The 89-year-old, who was handed a life sentence in 2009, was recently moved from a maximum security hospital wing for the criminally insane in Stein to a regular prison. The transfer, based on a decision by a three-member panel of the Krems Regional Court, became legally binding at the end of May. In mid-May, a decision was also made on a general conditional release from the normal prison to freedom. The authorities determined that this was 'not possible for special preventive reasons', according to Austrian media. They added that, given the 'unprecedented criminal energy in connection with the convicted crimes,' it cannot be assumed that 'future freedom from crime' will be guaranteed. Fritzl will be on a ten-year probation in the regular prison, meaning he could be returned to the higher security facility. The regional court previously ruled in January that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society, and therefore could be moved from a high-security prison to a normal jail. Elisabeth and her children lived in the basement of the family home in Amstetten while Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie lived above This decision went on to be viewed as the first step in a process which could result in the Fritzl being released from prison completely. Prosecutors then opposed the lower court's decision, and the Vienna Higher Regional Court ruled that 'the facts necessary for such a conditional release had not yet fully been clarified.' The Vienna Regional Court ruled in the District Court of Krems had made the wrong decision, and that Fritzl still had the potential for aggression, and so was still a danger. But in April, Fritzl's lawyer managed to convince the Krems court that her client has a right to all the benefits of Austrian justice, which includes being released from a high-security prison if he is not dangerous. Incest monster Josef Fritzl has been granted conditional release from a prison for the mentally ill by an Austrian court. A hearing on April 30 was supplied with psychiatric and medical findings, on the basis of which the court determined that: 'Due to a comprehensive, progressive dementia and physical deterioration, the prisoner's combined personality disorder, which made the admission necessary, has been "buried" in such a way that the prisoner's dangerousness has been reduced and no criminal offence with serious consequences is to be expected is.' Fritzl's heinous crimes, including rape, coercion, and imprisonment, sent shockwaves across Austria and Europe in 2008. Elisabeth, who he abused from the age of 11, disappeared in 1984 at age 18. For more than two decades, Fritzl held his daughter captive in a cramped and mouldy basement beneath his home in Amstetten, which he built. He raped his daughter thousands of times over many years, with the abuse resulting in the birth of seven children - three of which remained in captivity with their mother. One died at the hands of Fritzl, a matter of days after being born. His disposed of the body in an incinerator. Elisabeth lived in this dingy, cramped basement for 24 years with her children The other three were brought up by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, who lived in the house above. The discovery of his sickening crimes occurred only when one of his daughters fell critically ill, forcing him to seek medical help. Facing trial in March 2009 for a horrific litany of charges, including murder, rape, and slavery, Fritzl was handed a life sentence. Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement and for the negligent homicide of one of his infant sons. Neighbours living by a picturesque marina have been told to fork out 10,000 for a fence they do not want, to stop them helping boaters with their shopping. Longboat users in Worcester have typically moored their vessels and then left their heavy bags at metal railings on the opposite side of the pontoon. They then walk around the apartments to access Diglis Marina and have their bags passed over the railings by selfless residents. If they did not do this, boaters would be forced to use the car park across the canal and take a 20-minute detour, lugging their heavy shopping across on foot. But apartment bosses now plan to erect a 2m (6.5ft) high 35m (114ft) long fence to block off the pontoon after two people complained about boat owners trespassing. Stuart Booth, 66, (left) passing shopping to husband Tony Wass, 67 (right) over the fence Diglis Marina residents are livid over plans to install a 35 metre long and 2 metre high fence amid what they claim is a 'shopping bag dispute' Residents in Albion Mill in Worcester have been banned from passing shopping bags over the existing railings to boat owners moored on the other side To avoid a 20-minute walk carrying heavy bags, boaters leave their shopping at metal railings. They then walk around the apartments to access Diglis Marina and have their bags passed over by kind-hearted Albion Mill residents. Pictured Stuart and husband Tony Apartment bosses say the current practice means boaters can access a private car park and they claim some people have been climbing over the metal railings. But residents say they are being punished for helping boat owners. Jon Bodenham, 50, who lives in Albion Mill, said: 'It is a significant cost, around 9,000 to 10,000, which is happening without any consultation with residents. 'I am just absolutely livid that a few complaints can actually enact something like this without consulting a wider body of residents. 'Why? Because once or twice a week someone helps someone else by handing a bag of shopping or two across a fence. 'The boat owners are our friends and neighbours, but this is not very neighbourly.' Before Albion Mill was built, boat owners accessed the pontoon directly from the site but now have a 1km long detour to reach their vessels. Tony Wass, 67, has lived on the marina full-time with his partner Stuart since December 2022. The professional sound engineer said a new fence would be dangerous in the event of an emergency. He said: 'At the moment, the fence means that if anyone on the boats had an emergency an ambulance or fire engine could get pretty close. Pictured: Joe Prentice, 69, has moored his boat near Albion Mill since 2004 Apartment bosses claim boaters are trespassing when they access the fence through the car park and they claim some people have been climbing over the metal railings The decision to raise the fence was only made last week but work has already started after two or three people complained about the shopping bag handovers 'If this fence goes up we'd be stuffed. If there was a fire here we'd be trapped here. 'The fire officer said to jump into the canal but I'm not going to do that at 67 and in freezing cold water in winter. 'The shopping thing is an inconvenience. If we have to bring our shopping on the 1km route, it's ridiculous. It's a 15 minute walk. 'The new route goes over very wide locks which are quite dangerous and you can fall into them in winter. 'To think we could be trapped here in an emergency is frightening. 'We never thought the fence was an issue. The thing about trespassing is ridiculous. This land is open to the public. Pictured: Dave Price, 56, owner of Cafe Afloat and Pizza Afloat Pictured: The current railings on the left hand side where residents of Albion Mill pass shopping bags over to boat owners Jon Bodenham, 50, (pictured) who lives in Albion Mill, said: 'It is a significant cost, around 9,000 to 10,000, which is happening without any consultation with residents' 'We often have people walking up to the fence line to look at the boats. 'It's the only way we could get deliveries to us because there's no access.' Fellow boater Joe Prentice, 69, has lived on his boat since 2007. He said: 'It's just one of those things that's come to a head now. 'The actual development has been trying to get us off the mooring since 2007. 'They tried to claim the moorings as there, but they actually belong to British waterways. 'There actually used to be a gate on the moorings that the old factory manager used to let us use. It was a sort of community then as well. 'I do it, I hand stuff over, drop my shopping bags over and drop my stuff. 'If they used the car park in the marina it would take me 15 to 20 minutes to walk from the car park to the moorings.' Boaters say they've been given permission by friendly locals and say a higher fence would mean a 20-minute 1km walk just to drop their shopping off Pictured: A view of the car park which boaters access to drop their shopping off by the railings Boat owner Dave Price, 56, said: 'It's absolutely ridiculous. It's all stemming from two people passing bags of shopping over twice a week. 'If I order some groceries or a Just Eat delivery they hand it over the fence. 'They're probably two or three people who have moaned about it from 300-400 residents. 'There's one woman who complained and she was shouting obscenities at us, she was calling us 'water gypsies'.' First Port, the company which manages the converted apartment building, claim boaters are trespassing. A spokesperson said: 'Climbing over the fence as an access point to and from the canal presents a significant safety concern and is likely to cause extensive damage. 'Previously, there has been damage around the fence which has had to be rectified at a cost to the residents of Albion Mill.' A 24-year-old man was rushed to hospital with serious injuries today after being savaged by a dog. Armed police descended on a cul-de-sac in Port Talbot following the horrific incident at 7am. The road, Blair Way, was locked down and the animal sedated before being removed from the scene by a specialist dog unit. South Wales Police said the dog was a pitbull or Staffordshire bull terrier cross and the man was a relative of the animal's owner. Neighbours said the attack took place on a nearby field, which is part of St Joseph's Junior School, and blood could be seen on a fence between the field and road. Armed police descended on a quiet cul-de-sac in Port Talbot following the horrific incident at 7am The road, Blair Way, was locked down and the dog sedated before being removed from the scene by a specialist dog unit. A neighbour told BBC Wales: 'It was a pitbull-type dog they rescued from a drug house about seven months ago. 'I thought it might be the dog's blood but the boy's brother arrived and told me it was the boy's. He's in a bad way,' she said. 'They don't live here, they were walking the dog in the field when it happened.' A police spokesman said: 'A 24-year-old man has been taken to hospital by Air Ambulance with serious injuries. 'The dog has been sedated and removed from the scene by Police Dog units. Our investigation is ongoing.' The Welsh Ambulance Service said: 'We were called on today at 7:14am to reports of an incident at Nobel Avenue, Port Talbot. 'We sent one emergency ambulance to the scene. 'Advanced critical care support was delivered by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service in a Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopter. One person was taken by road to hospital.' Blood on a fence at the scene of a dog attack in Port Talbot One of the UK's most recent fatal dog attacks saw a mother of two mauled to death by her two XL Bully dogs in Hornchurch, East London. Angeline Mahal, who was in her 50s, died at home in the first deadly attack by a registered XL Bully since the breed was banned in February. The two dogs were seized by police - some bearing riot shields - after being contained in a room. Recent figures showed dog attacks have risen by a fifth in one year, with police recording more than 80 incidents a day. Police forces recorded 30,539 offences of a dog injuring a person or a guide dog last year, an investigation by the BBC found, increasing from 25,291 in 2022. Angeline Mahal, who was in her 50s, was fatally mauled by her two dogs in February Your browser does not support iframes. A Daily Mail graphic shows how to defend yourself if you are attacked by an XL Bully dog In March, an XL Bully was killed by armed police after going on a rampage and injuring four people in Battersea, south-west London. Shocking footage on social media shows four men fending off the 'dangerously out of control' dog after it got into a frenzy on a street close to Battersea Park Road. One man can be seen hitting the dog with a bike helmet while another tries to cover it with a blanket in a desperate attempt to subdue the animal. A second video shows police and ambulance crews descending on the scene, before armed officers later shot the dog due to the threat it posed to the public. Four men were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and a man, 22, and a woman, 21, arrested of owning a dog that was dangerously out of control. A killer who lured a retired Fettes College teacher to his death after catfishing him on a gay dating app has been jailed for life. Paul McNaughton murdered Peter Coshan, 75, in a flat in Leith on either August 11 or 12, 2022 after using a fake fake profile on the 'hook-up app' Gaydar to lure him to the property. The killer, 29, first met the retired biology teacher online in 2021 and proceeded to steal tens of thousands of pounds from him after gaining access to his bank accounts. When Mr Coshan found out about the thefts, he threatened to go to the police unless McNaughton provided him with free sexual favours to settle the debt, the High Court was told. 'Fed up' McNaughton then hatched a plot to kill the retired teacher by setting up the fake profile. After the killing, McNaughton, along with his flatmate Paul Black, hid the pensioner's body until about August 15, when they put it in a suitcase and drove it to a layby on the A696 between Otterburn and Belsay in Northumberland, where they dumped it next to a wall. McNaughton, who admitted murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice in 2023 before Black's trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars when he was sentenced at Glasgow High Court on Monday. Retired Fettes College teacher Peter Coshan, 75, was killed in a flat in Leith, Scotland, on 11 or 12 August 2022 Paul McNaughton, 29, admitted to murdering the retired biology teacher and has been jailed for life. He was serve a minimum of 22 years before he is eligible for parole Black was cleared of murder following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in May, with the jury returning a not proven verdict. However, during the trial he admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice and was sentenced to five and a half years for that. Judge Lord Scott said it was made 'clear' to him during Black's trial Mr Coshan was 'a loved brother, uncle and friend' to those who knew him. He noted Coshan had been diagnosed with Parkinson's in his latter years and told McNaughton he had 'exploited' the former teacher's deteriorating health 'before you decided he must die'. Lord Scott went on to discuss how McNaughton then helped himself to bank cards belonging to Mr Coshan and embarked on a 'spending spree' during which he 'siphoned off more of his money'. 'Having exploited Peter Coshan in life, you continued to do so in his death,' he told McNaughton. The judge said Mr Coshan 'suffered further affront' through the pair loading his body into a suitcase and attempting to bury it in a lay-by. The body of Peter Coshan was found near the village of Kirkwhelpington in Northumberland, after police launched a murder investigation Dr Coshan had taught at Fettes College (pictured) between 1972 and 2005 where he was a biology teacher Police began investigating the woodland area between Kirkwhelpington and Belsay in the north of England in the search for the retired teacher's body He noted a victim impact statement completed by Mr Coshan's niece on his family's behalf said his murder had had a 'devastating' impact on them all. 'His family did not know and may never know what happened in their loved one's final moments,' he said. Neither McNaughton nor Black showed any emotion as they were led out the dock in handcuffs. Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This was a callous and brutal murder of an elderly man who was quietly enjoying his retirement. 'Peter was loved by his family and friends in the local community. He had a positive impact on the lives of so many people. 'But his own life was cut short by the despicable actions of Paul McNaughton. McNaughton, along with his flatmate Paul Black, 65, hid the pensioner's body until about August 15 (Pictured : Police searching for Dr Coshan's body in August 2022) Forensic officers in the village of Kirkwhelpington off the A696 in Northumberland in September 2022 where Dr Coshan's body was discovered McNaughton and Black put Dr Coshan's body it in a suitcase and drove it to a layby on the A696 between Otterburn and Belsay in Northumberland, where they dumped it next to a wall 'He showed a cavalier disregard for his actions and will now serve a life sentence for his crimes.' She added: 'Our thoughts remain with Peter's friends and family who have waited patiently for justice to be served as they come to terms with today's outcome.' In a statement issued through police at the end of the trial, Mr Coshan's family said they remain 'horrified' that anybody could have 'treated a vulnerable 75-year-old in such a despicable manner'. They said: 'Our life will never be the same and we will always ask the question, what if? 'There is, of course, no answer to what if, as events have overtaken us and there is no going back in time. 'However, we have happy memories of Peter and can reflect on the positive impact he had on so many people's lives.' A heartbroken mother who lost her husband and son on the Titan submersible has paid a poignant tribute to them on the one year anniversary of their deaths. Christine Dawood's businessman husband Shahzada, 48, and Rubik cube fanatic Suleman, 19, were two of the five passengers that died on the Titanic-bound expedition. Billionaire Shahzada was a trustee at the SETI Institute a non-profit research organisation and had also worked with the Prince's Trust. Posting a picture of a lit candle on Facebook she wrote: 'When people pass, they take a piece of you with them. 'As the one-year anniversary is coming closer, I'm reflecting back on a time that nearly broke me, and yet the love and support I've received was, and still is, so huge that I can't feel anything but being grateful. 'I miss them every day, every hour, every minute, they will never be replaced. With these candles, I'd like to send their light to anyone who's open enough to receive it. Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman (pictured) died during a dive in the North Atlantic to view the wreck of the Titanic, off the coast of Newfoundland, in the Titan vessel Christine Dawood (pictured) said the deaths 'nearly broke' her, speaking a year on One hour and 45 minutes into the dive in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Newfoundland, the Titan lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince Posting on Facebook, Mrs Dawood said: 'When people pass, they take a piece of you with them' 'I'd like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. I felt them and they helped. 'Light a candle for the missing people in your life and send their light into the world.' Disaster struck on June 18 last year when the 21-foot vessel lost contact with it's mothership after diving down to the wreck of the Titanic, off the Newfoundland coast. Officials later announced they believed the Titan had imploded as it went to a depth of 12,500 ft and a debris field was discovered. Four months after the tragedy, in October, coastguard officials revealed they had recovered human remains from the scene and these were tale away for analysis. Besides Shahzada and Suleman, others who died on the expedition included Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeole and Stockton Rush, CEO of Ocean Gate the company that organised the trip. In December 2023, Christine posted another tribute to her husband and son. Alongside an image of herself in the sea. She said:' Every time I touch the ocean, I feel them, because they are part of it now. 'When the waves caress my skin, it's like their whispers of love around me. Six months on and I still can't believe it. 'I might look forlorn, my heart is not. I feel gratitude to the people around me, who walk beside me who catch me when I stumble and who make me laugh even when I feel like crying. 'It's been the most challenging year I've ever known, and yet I'm still standing. Suleman Dawood was just 19 when he went on the trip with his father to see the Titanic The father and son were among a group of tourists diving to depths of 12,500ft to look at what remains of the passenger liner, having paid $250,000 each Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck 'Seeing with me eyes closed. Feeling with me heart bleeding moving with my root deepening, flying with my tattered wings, listening with wind in my hair, so that one day I will be able to love again with all I am.' Another post last August read:' I can't believe it has been eight weeks already. 'Eight weeks where I wake up to an empty bed. 'Eight weeks without hugging or kissing them. Eight weeks without hearing their laughs, jokes or even complains (sic). 'But there is no life without death, just like there is no light without darkness and shadows. 'Their lights shine bright and while I feel I'm in the darkness right now, I can feel their light, their warmth and their love in everything around me. 'They are now part of the circle of life, and being in nature, watching fruits and flowers grow, is remind me, that we all have to move on some day. Till I see you again.' She also said that Suleman had been an 'incredible gift'. He was at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, studying business analysis and human resources and intending to work with his father in the family business, when they boarded the Polar Prince to visit the wreck of the Titanic in the Titan submersible. Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Sidonie Nargeolet with her father Paul Henri-Nargeolet who died on the Titan sub trip French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was one of the five killed when a submersible imploded on a trip to the wreckage of the Titanic a year ago It comes after the grieving daughter of another of those killed in the Titan tragedy spoke out to say her father, known as 'Mr Titanic', died doing what he loved most. French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was one of the five killed when a submersible imploded on a trip to the wreckage of the Titanic a year ago. Ahead of the first anniversary, his daughter Sidonie Nargeolet, 40, said he must have been 'super happy' and he had a 'very good death'. She told the Sunday Times her father died doing his favourite thing and passed away 'healthy with his mind intact'. When she last spoke to him as he arrived on the Polar Prince - the ship from which the sub launched - he was 'happy'. But at 6am the next morning, she was told that the Titan was missing and she said she 'cried for 10 minutes'. It is the pork treat beloved by meat-eating Germans and tourists alike. And now culinary novices among the thousands of England fans at Euro 2024 have given currywurst their verdict - with mixed results. The pork sausage garnished with curry sauce is typically presented on a white cardboard platter with a two-pronged plastic fork, and can be served with skin or without. One lad, stripped to the waist to avoid getting sauce on his new England top, scored currywurst seven out of ten, after trying it for the first time in Germany this weekend. He initially grimaced after forking the sausage into his mouth, before deciding the aftertaste was better. He told MailOnline: 'It's horrible at the start, it's alright at the end - it's alright it's not alright. 'Fishcake and chips is ten times better than that. The sausage is too chewy, it's not like a full English - the sausage goes down with a hashbrown straight at the start. 'I'd rather English Chinese - chicken balls and chips with sweet and sour sauce - than that.' This England fan, trying currywurst for the first time, initially was not too impressed with the German treat, before changing his mind This 'fussy eater' described currywurst as 'class', and dismissed his friend's criticisms of the famous snack He was so impressed that he asked for a second portion Seven out of ten: This supporter, showing his passion for the Three Lions, described currywurst as 'pretty banging, to be fair' A tradional portion of currywurst - a German classic And its English equivalent - fish and chips Another young supporter, who described himself as a 'fussy eater', was much more enthusiastic. He said: 'That's class. Bit of spice. It's not actually that bad.' He proceeded to eat another slice but said it was 'not better than fish and chips'. The young man, who said he did not know what 'cuisine' meant, initially scored currywurst seven out of ten, before increasing it to an eight. One England fan, wearing a home shirt and with a St George's flag tied over his shoulders, was also impressed. He said: 'That's good. Seven out of ten. 'That is pretty banging, to be fair.' And a fourth fan, wearing a retro England shirt, described currywurst as 'nice, actually'. The supporter, who washed the treat down with a pint, gave it an eight out of ten. 'Not better than fish and chips, no way.' He then invited his friend to try it. 'Unreal,' said the friend, who said he liked the sauce, and gave it a nine out of ten. The self-confessed chicken kiev fan added: 'Can't beat fish and chips.' While its origins are contested, the currywurst has a special place in the food culture of Berlin. This England fan seemed pleasantly surprised when trying currywurst for the first time, and washed it down with a pint His pal, wearing a 90s-style retro England shirt, gave currywurst the best score, but said it did not beat fish and chips 'Our city is all about currywurst, and I think our city can't live without currywurst. Whoever comes to Berlin has to try currywurst to know what the city's about,' said Linda Konnopke, who helps run her family's popular fast-food joint in the German capital's Prenzlauer Berg district. Her great-grandparents Max and Charlotte Konnopke first began selling sausages from their portable grill in 1930, and the family-run business has since become an institution famous for its currywurst. Their son, Gunter Konnopke, introduced the dish to East Berlin in 1960. It was an immediate hit. The recipe is still a closely guarded family secret. 'Our absolute highlight is our currywurst without skin. That's our biggest seller,' Linda said. Currywurst, Germany's sausage with curry sauce, served on a cardboard at Konnopke's a fast-food joint in Berlin Currywurst is often sold on a cardboard platter, and can be accompanied by fries. It is usually consumed using a small wooden fork The currywurst is usually sliced into convenient bite-sized portions. It can be doused in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder, but some vendors - like Konnopke's - will use their own specific curry sauce. A woman named Herta Heuwer is largely credited with its invention. Heuwer was one of thousands of Berlin's 'Trummerfrauen,' or rubble women, who helped clear the wreckage left after World War II, and afterwards she ran her own fast-food business in the borough of Charlottenburg in the west of the city. Some say Heuwer was bored one day and decided to experiment with the ingredients she had; others that she ran out of mustard and needed an alternative. Either way, she claimed to have invented the currywurst on 4 September 1949. Berlin proclaimed itself the 'currywurst capital' on a plaque honouring Heuwer where she sold her first currywurst, but there are rival claims from Hamburg and the Ruhr area in western Germany. England won their opening game 1-0 on Sunday, beating Serbia thanks to Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham's first-half header. Three Lions fans now face a wait to take on Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday. Dinner for One is still popular in Germany, where millions watch it every NYE The show will air on Amazon Prime in 2025 and will star Alicia von Rittberg The country's most famous film studio is producing six brand new episodes British TV comedy Dinner for One is getting a spin-off series in Germany, with the country's most famous film studio producing six brand new episodes. Beloved in Europe but virtually forgotten in the UK, the 1960s sketch sees Freddie Frinton playing a butler to May Warden's Miss Sophie, an upper class English woman. The 10-minute black-and-white routine is about a 90-year-old lady who is unaware that four of her close male friends have died. Each year she invites them round for a birthday dinner, forcing her butler, James, to run around the table pretending to be her guests. James proceeds to get increasingly drunk as he eats and drinks in the place of the four guests. The new series will be a prequel to the original cult classic and will star Alicia von Rittberg, 30, as Miss Sophie. British comedy sketch Dinner for One, which is little-known in the UK but is hugely popular in Germany and Scandinavia, has become a New Year's Eve staple for millions The new mini-series is set to star Alicia von Rittberg (pictured) The mini-series is set to air on Amazon Prime at the end of 2025. Provisionally titled Dinner for Five, it will feature a cash-strapped Miss Sophie on the hunt for a husband at the age of 39. She invites five bachelors to her castle for dinner but one is them is murdered under mysterious circumstances. It is likely to be a hit in northern and central Europe, where the 60-year-old farce remains popular to this day and is broadcast every New Year's Eve in Germany and Scandinavia. It is estimated that 11.7 million people in Germany saw it across a dozen different channels on the New Year's Eve just gone. The show is so ubiquitous in Germany that the catch phrase, 'Same procedure as every year?', has entered the popular lexicon in the country. This is all despite the programme being banned in Sweden until 1969 for featuring heavy consumption of alcohol, and Grimsby-born actor Freddie Frinton hating Germans so much he refused to speak the language on screen. The new series is being filmed at the Babelsberg studios on the Western outskirts of Berlin by the UFA, a production company that has shaped German cinema since the Weimer era with films such as The Blue Angel and Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Dinner for One stars May Warden (right) as Miss Sophie, an upper class English woman, and Freddie Frinton (left) as her butler, James James impersonates Miss Sophie's four friends, who she doesn't realise are dead, and goes about consuming all their drinks over four courses; mulligatawny and sherry, North Sea haddock and white wine, chicken with champagne, and fruit and port. As he becomes more and more drunk, the butler slurs his words and repeatedly stumbles over a tiger head rug The star of the new series, Ms Rittberg, who is descended from aristocracy, is best known for her role as a nurse in Charite, a successful TV drama about one of Germany's leading research hospitals at the end of the 19th century. Dinner for One, which is also known as The 90th Birthday (Der 90. Geburtstag in German), was originally written by British author Lauri Wylie for the theatre. Frinton bought the copyright for it from Wylie and then began performing it in 1945, initially with Warden's daughter, Audrey Maye. It toured provincial theatres in the late 1950s and was later recorded for TV in 1963. German producer Peter Frankenfeld then came across it while scouting for ideas in Blackpool and invited Frinton to perform it on screen in front of a live TV audience. For the TV version, Audrey was replaced with her mother, who was 72 at the time. The show aired for the first time on German station NDR in March 1963. However, Frinton's dislike of Germany meant that he refused to speak in German when impersonating one of the absent guests, Admiral von Schneider. Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be the 'same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' She replies each time: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' The pair repeat the exchange for a final time when he follows her up to bed at the end of the evening, with James adding: 'Well, I'll do my very best' The new Miss Sophie, Alicia von Rittberg (pictured), is descended from aristocracy Instead, he spoke in Swedish. The other non-existent dinner party members were named only as Mr Pomeroy and Mr Winterbottom. Two versions - an 11-minute one and a longer one lasting 18 minutes - were released. The sketch became a hit after being shown on German TV at 7.40pm on New Year's Eve to fill a gap in scheduling, and has been on every year since then. Even as its popularity in the UK waned, it took off in Germany and also gained traction in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Estonia, Austria and even Australia. It sparked a cultural phenomenon on the continent, with cookbooks and even a commemorative stamp being released. At one point in the late 1980s, the Guinness Book of World Records named it the most popular show in TV history. Then, in 2003, it entered the record book again as the most-repeated television show of all time, the same year it aired 19 times on different stations in Germany. The skit is so popular that broadcasters ensure it is shown multiple times throughout the day so that everyone has a chance to watch it. The interactions of the characters, played by comedian Frinton and May Warden, sparked a cultural phenomenon on the continent, with cookbooks and a even commemorative stamp being released Alicia von Rittberg (pictured) is best known for her role as a nurse in Charite, a successful TV drama about one of Germany's leading research hospitals at the end of the 19th century In the sketch, James goes about consuming all the drinks set out for Miss Sophie's friends over four courses: mulligatawny and sherry, North Sea haddock and white wine, chicken with champagne, and fruit and port. As he becomes more and more drunk, he slurs his words and repeatedly stumbles over a tiger head rug. Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be the 'same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' She replies each time: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' The pair repeat the exchange for a final time when he follows her up to bed at the end of the evening, with James adding: 'Well, I'll do my very best'. The allusions to sex were reflected by Frinton and Warden's alleged real-life affair. More adventurous viewers who watch the sketch, which is broadcast in English but has a short introduction in German, will try to keep up with James' drinking. There are even restaurants that allow diners to eat the same thing as James and Miss Sophie. The show is shown on New Year's Eve every year in Germany and Scandinavia. (Pictured: Butler James tips back his boss's chair) Frinton, who died in 1968, was well known in Britain. (Pictured: The comedian at the Daily Mail's Ideal Home Exhibition with actress Thora Hird in 1965) In 1997, Germany's conservation ministry complained about the use of the stuffed tiger that features, saying it was 'not a good idea' However, the sketch has attracted controversy too. In 1997, Germany's conservation ministry complained about the use of the stuffed tiger that features, saying it was 'not a good idea'. And the Grey Panthers, a militant pensioners' organisation in Germany, said it was upset because of the implied 'old-age sex'. However, the controversy did not stop Germany's then chancellor Angela Merkel from praising the show in her New Year's speech in 2012. Frinton, who died aged 59 from a heart attack in 1968, was well known in Britain, having starred in BBC show Meet The Wife. But he was also hugely popular with his drunk comic skit, which saw him wear a top hat and tails and carry a broken cigarette. Warden died aged 87 in 1978. Dinner for One aired in the UK for the first time in 2018, when it was shown on Sky Arts. Rachel Reeves has been accused of wanting to unwind Brexit 'through stealth' after she set out plans to seek closer ties with the EU if Labour wins the general election. The shadow chancellor suggested she would push to revisit parts of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal should her party take office after 4 July. This would include closer alignment with Brussels rules in areas such as chemicals, as well as a veterinary deal, better touring rights for British artists, and greater mutual recognition of qualifications for City of London workers. Ms Reeves said this was not an 'exclusive' list, telling the Financial Times: 'We would look to improve our trading relationship with Europe, and do trade deals around the world.' 'I don't think anyone voted Leave because they were not happy that chemicals regulations were the same across Europe,' Ms Reeves added. 'When my constituency voted Leave it was purely because of immigration.' The shadow chancellor insisted Labour would not cross its red lines on Britain's relationship with the EU. She reiterated Labour would not seek to rejoin the bloc's single market or customs union and ruled out a return of freedom of movement or a deal on youth mobility. Rachel Reeves, pictured alongside Sir Keir Starmer while speaking to port workers in Southampton today, has been accused of wanting to unwind Brexit 'through stealth' Labour's shadow chancellor she set out plans to seek closer ties with the EU if Labour wins the general election Ms Reeves suggested she would push to revisit parts of Boris Johnson 's Brexit deal should her party take office after 4 July. Senior Tories accused Sir Keir and Ms Reeves of wanting to leave Britain as a 'vassal state' by aligning more closely with the EU Ms Reeves said 'the majority of people in the City have not regarded Brexit as being a great opportunity for their businesses' and claimed that financial services were 'pretty much excluded' from the Brexit deal. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, speaking to port workers in Southampton on a campaign visit alongside Ms Reeves today, described Britain's Brexit deal as 'botched'. 'We took a decision to leave the EU, so we're not going to go back in,' he said. 'But we think the deal we've got is botched, it's not good enough. And I think many businesses would say we need something that works better for us. 'Because if you make it more difficult to trade, guess what, it's not so successful from our point of view. 'So we do think there's a better deal to be had. Obviously that will have to be negotiated. 'It does not mean going back in, but it does mean an improvement on what we've got for businesses. 'I think there's scope, actually, for improvement in other areas as well - on defence, on security, on development, and on research and education etc.' 'We want to get a better deal because, at the end of the day, we want you and those that are coming in and out of this port to be able to do as easily as is possible being outside of the EU and not to make life harder.' Senior Tories accused Sir Keir and Ms Reeves of wanting to leave Britain as a 'vassal state' by aligning more closely with the EU. Former Conservative MP and ex-Brexit minister David Jones told MailOnline: 'There is little doubt that Labour intend to do as much as they possibly can to reverse Brexit, short of actually saying so. 'Similarly, we see a push for the integration of the UK into EU defence structures. 'Actually, what they are pursuing would be worse than EU membership. We would become a vassal state, with no seat at the table, which would make it all the easier for Labour to push for rejoining. 'In other words, the UK would become a full EU member state once again through stealth.' Lord David Frost, who was the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, accused Ms Reeves of 'freelancing beyond her manifesto already on EU issues'. 'The Labour manifesto says nothing about aligning chemicals rules - indeed they are a key component of the single market they claim they do not want to rejoin,' he said. 'It's a silly argument even in its own terms. Except for free movement, people didn't vote against any single subset of single market rules - they voted against having the rules set in Brussels. Labour seem to be quite happy with that.' A white Washington man has been arrested and placed on a $500,000 bail after he allegedly targeted a black sixth-grader who was walking with his friends during a school trip. Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, was booked and charged with malicious harassment and second degree assault of a child, after he allegedly punched the boy in the face in front of a police station in Bellingham, Washington, on Wednesday June 12. Bittner allegedly pushed the young boy, who has not been named, before asking him, to the effect: 'Are you going to talk to a white man like that?' He then punched the child, leaving him with a chipped tooth. Local media reported that he 'steadily' hurled further racial slurs as he was arrested. Prosecutors reportedly asked for bail to be set at $1million, but Superior Court Commissioner Pro Tem Daniel McGreevy set it at $500,000 at Bittners first appearance on Thursday afternoon. Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, (pictured, right) was booked and charged with malicious harassment and second degree assault of a child Dozens of people packed into the small courtroom, including family members of the assaulted boy as well as members of the county's racial equity commission. Also in attendance were the city's mayor Kim Lund and police chief Rebecca Mertzig, who added in a video posted to Facebook: 'Hate is not welcome here in Bellingham. We urge you to look out for your neighbours, and we have systems in place to report and investigate crimes of hate and bias-based incidents.' The boy's school, which had sent him and the rest of class on a trip to the Pickford Film Centre, wouldn't reveal the full extent of the boy's terrible injuries, but confirmed that there was a 'racial' element to the alleged assault. Mischelle Darragh, principal of Whatcom Middle School, said in a statement: 'We are angry and shocked by what happened today. These events are extremely upsetting for everyone at our school and beyond. 'We are wrapping around our students and doing all we can to support them.' The school district added in a statement: 'Bellingham Public Schools is absolutely opposed to anti-Black racism, and racism in all forms. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just a statement but a promise to all students. 'We recognize that racism is deeply rooted and affects our systems and the lives of many individuals and families in profound ways. It is a collective responsibility to address and dismantle these injustices.' Bittner is yet to enter a plea. British Expats living on an idyllic Greek island have revealed their nightmare over plans for an industrial-scale fish farm in their adopted corner of paradise. They fear the massive plant on stunning Poros will transform its perfect blue waters and pristine beaches into a massive slick of slimy fish waste. Several families moved to the Saronic isles beauty spot after falling in love with its lush hills, pine forests and white-washed houses overlooking the Aegean Sea. But their lifestyle is under threat from proposals to expand an existing aquaculture plant thirtyfold to create a complex which swallows up a quarter of the coast. They have joined campaigners who say the farms have already killed off sealife by pumping out chemicals, fish waste, bodies and uneaten food pellets. Expats, locals and eco-protestors are urging the Greek government to reject the plans drawn up by Spanish aquaculture company Avramar. Locals and ex pats living on the Greek island of Poros are joint in opposition to plans to increase the size of a fish farm Sue Kouvaros, who left her home town of Wolverhampton to launch a yacht business on the island said: 'The damage is mostly underwater' It is feared the proposed expansion could increase the amount of pollution in the sea Mother-of-two Anna Finch, who moved to Poros from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, thirty years ago, said she might leave if the plans go ahead Mother-of-two Anna Finch, who moved to Poros from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, thirty years ago, said she might leave if the plans go ahead. 'It will destroy the island. I've been living here for decades. 'It's very small and friendly. It's very green - which is rare for a Greek island. 'There are pine forests and beaches and bays where you can see seals and dolphins swimming around. 'It's not spoiled by masses of tourism and huge hotels. It's small and family-orientated and all the people working in the tourist trade or fishing are local.' People opposed to the plans fear the proposed expansion could destroy their beaches Avramar have support for their plan from the Greek government, which has included Poros among 25 sites earmarked for aquaculture in a major development plan. However, people such as Ms Finch are not convinced by the plans The 50-year-old added: 'It's a holiday destination and people come to the beaches and the sea, but won't be a holiday destination any more if this goes ahead. 'There is already fish farming going on at the back of the island. 'I used to run up that way and it's just horrible. The water is filthy, dirty, scummy, there's rubbish everywhere. 'There are these huge fishing nets in the sea. There's a huge concrete building and guard dogs left there, tied up. 'There's a smell like sewage coming from this building. You have to hold your breath as you walk past. 'It's a beautiful area, but it's become the kind of place which you have to avoid. If they expand it even more, it will get worse.' Her friend Sue Kouvaros, who left her home town of Wolverhampton to launch a yacht business on the island said: 'The damage is mostly underwater. The 79-year-old added: 'It's been completely destroyed - and if they are going to increase it by about 28 times, it'll be massive.' She pointed out that Valencia-based Avramar are owned by private equity funds Amerra Capital Management of New York and the UAE's Mubadala. 'It's American and Middle-Eastern companies involved, so I don't think much money will end up in Greece. It doesn't employ many people.' Mother-of-two Sue continued: 'It's not just the sea - they're going to take up a quarter of the island on the north side. 'So that'll mean roads and cutting down trees and buildings for packing and storage. There's going to be a lot of traffic on the island with all this fish they want to produce. 'In December last year, the Prime Minister announced that we would be the third green island, but it doesn't really go with industrialised fish farms.' She continued: 'We came to Poros as a family in the 80s and I still appreciate it every single day. 'A lot of people who come here on holiday keep coming back. It has some kind of magnetism. 'It's very beautiful, it's very green with loads of pine forests and good swimming. The water is beautiful - clear and about 20 degrees. 'It has probably the biggest harbour of the Saronic islands, so for our yachts, we can persuade people to come to Poros rather than Athens or Piraeus. 'We had a boat show in May and we had 110 boats - some of them big gin palaces and wide catamarans.' Avramar have support for their plan from the Greek government, which has included Poros among 25 sites earmarked for aquaculture in a major development plan. But critics say Poros and its surrounding waters is an area of special scientific interest which is home to rare creatures like monk seals and Neptune seagrass. The fish are kept in huge circular net enclosures which are said to allow waste including faeces, fish corpses and harmful cleaning agents to pollute the surrounding sea water. Francesco De Augustinis, a journalist who made an award-winning film about the threat, said: 'It is a dead zone. The typical sea bed would be covered in sea weed, but there is nothing there. 'You cannot see any life at all, it is really a desolated area. There are tyres on the bed which are probably used for the fish cages.' One environmental study suggested that the expanded farm would produce at least 16 tons of fish excrement and uneaten food each day. Islanders also point out that fish farming creates few jobs, while tourism - which would be threatened by the expansion - employee 90 percent of the island's population. Poros Mayor Ioannis Dimitriadis said: 'We are stunned at how inappropriate the plan is. 'Our natural beauty is our treasure. The state is forcing something that is completely against the will of the people.' Mailonline has contacted Avramar in connection with the Poros residents' concerns about their fish farm expansion plan. The company has yet to respond but its website claimed it offered the best in Greek aquaculture to 'deliver the freshest Mediterranean fish, today and tomorrow.' It adds: 'Our planet is a top priority for us, so we take care of the earth and our seas. We're unwavering in our stance on sustainability, focusing on the right thing for the right reasons.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning dissolved the influential War Cabinet tasked with steering Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, officials said this morning. The move comes days after Benny Gantz, a former Israeli defence minister and military chief, announced he was resigning his post over frustrations surrounding the Israeli leader's handling of the war. Gantz's absence from the government makes Netanyahu more dependent on his ultranationalist allies to govern - a shift that the dissolution of the War Cabinet further highlights as the eight-month-long war in Gaza drags on. The Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the change with the media, said Netanyahu will now hold smaller forums with some government members for sensitive issues surrounding the war. That includes his security Cabinet, where far-right governing partners who oppose cease-fire deals and have voiced support for reoccupying Gaza, are members. The disbanding of the War Cabinet also comes just one day after the IDF announced it would go ahead with plans to hold a daily 'tactical pause' in fighting in southern Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid for millions of Palestinians - a move described as 'crazy and delusional' by hardline Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning dissolved the influential War Cabinet tasked with steering Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza A man walks past buildings destroyed during the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis on June 11 Residents of an area in Gaza's western Khan Younis inspect the rubble in the aftermath of an airstrike Destruction in southern Gaza is seen following an Israeli airstrike Israeli Minister Benny Gantz addresses the media after his ultimatum to withdraw his centrist party from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency government expired, in Ramat Gan, Israel June 9, 2024 Israeli soldiers ride in an army vehicle along the border with the Gaza Strip on June 10, 2024 The War Cabinet was formed in the early days of the war, when Gantz, then an opposition party leader and Netanyahu rival, joined the coalition in a show of unity following the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. He had demanded that a small decision-making body steer the war, in a bid to sideline far-right members of Netanyahu's government. It was made up of three members - Gantz, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant - and together they made important decisions throughout the course of the war. Gantz's departure, while not posing a direct threat to Netanyahu's rule, rocked Israeli politics. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israel's credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel finds itself at its most isolated. Gantz is now an opposition party leader in parliament. Meanwhile, the move to scrap the War Cabinet comes as Israel faces yet more pivotal decisions. Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its attack. Israeli troops are still bogged down in the Gaza Strip, fighting in the southern city of Rafah and against pockets of Hamas resurgence elsewhere. And violence continues unabated between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group - with a Biden administration envoy in the region in a bid to avert a wider war on a second front. Netanyahu has played a balancing act throughout the war between pressures from Israel's top ally, the US, and the growing global opposition to the war and from his government partners, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The latter, a staunchly far-right member of the Israeli government, argued the IDF plan to hold 'tactical pauses' in fighting for humanitarian aid in Gaza was 'delusional' and would risk undoing the 'achievements' of the war so far. Ben-Gvir derided 'whoever made this decision' as 'evil' and 'a fool who should not remain in his position'. 'It's time to get out of the [outdated pre-October 7 security] concept and stop the crazy and delusional approach that only brings us more dead and fallen,' he said in a statement today. The humanitarian pauses, set to occur daily between 8am and 7pm local time, offer some respite to the beleaguered civilian population in Gaza unseen since the negotiation of a temporary ceasefire in November as aid groups warn of impending famine. Thousands holding banners gather during a demonstration to demand a hostage swap deal and the dismissal of Netanyahu's government, in Tel Aviv, on June 15 A woman uses a megaphone as people attend a demonstration against Netanyahu in Tel Aviv A Palestinian girl with her knees in bandages hold a piece of dough to her chest as she walks along a street in Deir al-Balah, on June 13 A man carries an injured child following Israeli bombardment at al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 16 The IDF said this weekend that it would cease 'military activity' in Gaza for 'humanitarian purposes' for 11 hours (5am to 4pm GMT) every day 'until further notice' along the road connecting the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Road 'and then northwards'. It later clarified this did not extend to a pause in the fighting in the wider southern Gaza Strip, adding that 'the fighting in Rafah continues'. Far-right ministers, including Ben-Gvir, warned that the decision could allow Hamas to regroup and risked undermining the war effort so far. 'The manner in which the humanitarian effort in the Gaza Strip is being managed, in the framework of which aid goes largely to Hamas and helps it to retain civilian control of the Strip in direct contradiction to the goals of the war, has been bad throughout the last few months,' claimed Finance Minister Bezalel Smortrich following the announcement. He said he had repeatedly warned that the delivery of such aid was 'one of the reasons for the continuation of the war and the resounding strategic failure'. Ben-Gvir complained he had been left out of the decision-making process by Netanyahu. 'Unfortunately, this move was not brought before the cabinet and is contrary to its decisions,' he said in a statement. Divisions continue to deepen within the broad coalition of government as the war rages on and Israel's conduct in Gaza is scrutinised from different angles. Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have threatened to bring down the coalition if Netanyahu ends the war, on advice of Israel's allies. Meanwhile former defence minister Gantz, representing a more centrist position, quit the wartime unity government 'with a heavy heart' on July 9 after months of clashes with Netanyahu and other ministers. 'Unfortunately, Mr Netanyahu is preventing us from approaching true victory, which is the justification for the painful ongoing crisis,' he said during a news conference. The decision marked a potentially significant blow, with the former deputy prime minister seen as a balance to the far-right in the Israeli cabinet. With Gantz gone, Netanyahu may rely more on support from ultra-nationalist parties at odds with Israel's biggest foreign partner in the United States. Washington continues to mount pressure on Israel to find a route to a permanent ceasefire as protests nationwide draw focus to the civilian loss of life and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian enclave claims at least 37,337 people have been killed since Israel entered Gaza in retaliation for Hamas' October 7 attacks. Humanitarian groups have warned that the vast majority of the 2.3 million population faces famine more than 250 days in the war, with access to aid hindered by the conflict. Ben-Gvir arrives at Jerusalem's Old City during the annual Jerusalem Day march, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, June 5 Israeli military armoured vehicles roll in an area bordering the Gaza Strip on June 9 Palestinians watch smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on June 6 A Palestinian man carries water past destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis on June 11 Palestinians ride in the back of a loaded truck moving past tents of displaced people in Rafah, June 14 A Palestinian girl watches as others check a UN-school housing displaced people hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, on June 6 Palestinian children wait in line to get food for their families, distributed by charitable organizations in Rafah, Gaza on February 16 Bezalel Smotrich arrives at the annual Jerusalem Day march on June 5 The announcement of regular pauses in the fighting was welcomed by the UN, although 'this has yet to translate into more aid reaching people in need', said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the OCHA agency. He called for 'further concrete measures by Israel to address longstanding issues' on aid needs. Laerke said Gazans 'urgently need food, water, sanitation, shelter, and health care, with many living near piles of solid waste, heightening health risks'. 'We need to be able to deliver aid safely throughout Gaza,' he added. The UN and aid groups have repeatedly voiced alarm over shortages of food and other essentials in the Gaza Strip. This has been exacerbated by overland access restrictions and the closure of the key Rafah crossing with Egypt since Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side in early May. The US has sought to soften the impact by building a $320mn pier on the Mediterranean coast in May, allowing aid to flow more easily into the Strip. But earlier this week, the UN said it would stop delivering the incoming aid to starving Palestinians until it could determine whether routes were safe for staff. The UN cited a recent operation by Israeli security forces that saw the rescue of four hostages and killed more than 270 Palestinians on June 8. The Israeli rescuers fled from the raid towards the pier on the coast, where an Israeli helicopter picked them up, according to the US and Israeli militaries. The UN said the use of the pier caused doubt about whether they could continue working on the project without violating core humanitarian principles of neutrality and independence, and without risking aid workers being seen as allies to the US or Israel. Such a perception could appear to make UN staff targets in their own right. Israel and the US deny that the pier was used in the raid, claiming an area nearby was used instead. A Royal Jordanian Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft drops humanitarian aid on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 4 The American-built Trident Pier in May 29 (top) and on May 26 (bottom). The Pentagon suspended aid deliveries on May 28 after the pier was damaged by bad weather Soldiers attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff sergeant Stanislav Kostarev, who was killed amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, on June 16 Orly Efraim reacts near the marker of her niece Eden Liza Auhaion, who was killed on the October 7 Hamas deadly attack at the Nova music festival on April 7, 2024 in Re'im, Israel Family members visit the memorial site for victims killed during the Nova music festival Israeli soldiers inspect the burnt cars of festival-goers at the site of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas gunmen from Gaza, October 13, 2023 Adding to the troubles, US officials said on Friday that the pier had been detached to avoid it breaking apart in rough seas as it did in bad weather last month. Aid groups continue to face difficulty getting essential supplies into Gaza with the war still raging. Saleem (not his real name), an aid worker with global NGO Mercy Corps in Rafah, said: 'There's a genuine concern for a repeat of the famine scenario seen in the north. Additionally, we anticipate similar repercussions, such as the collapse of the health system and its subsequent challenges. 'The north has already endured health and environmental disasters, where even moderate infections resulted in fatalities. It's worth noting that the hospitals in the north are more extensive and better equipped in terms of staff and resources. 'Should the invasion of Rafah persist without a ceasefire, the upcoming period will be marked by immense difficulty and tragedy. Expect to receive grim and distressing news and images from Rafah, surpassing the severity of what transpired in the north.' Earlier this month, Oxfam reported harrowing conditions across the Palestinian enclave. In Al Mawasi, a region in the south filled with refugees, 'there are just 121 latrines for over 500,000 people', the British NGO warned. Shortages have reportedly seen people paying up to $700 for 'the most basic tents... and there is so little space left that some have been forced to set up tents in the cemetery at Deir al-Balah'. Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam's Middle East and North Africa Director, said: 'Israel claimed weeks ago that they would provide full humanitarian support and medical assistance to civilians it had told to move. 'Not only is this not happening, its ongoing impunity, bombardment and deliberate obstruction have created unprecedented and impossibly dangerous conditions for humanitarian agencies to operate.' While the 'tactical pause' has brought 'near calm' to the Strip, according to Mahmud Basal, spokesman for the civil defence agency in Gaza, Palestinians marked Eid al-Adha without the usual holiday spirit. 'This Eid is completely different,' said Umm Muhammad al-Katri in northern Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp. 'We've lost many people. There's a lot of destruction. We don't have the joy we usually have,' she told AFP. Instead, 'I came to the Eid prayers mourning. I've lost my son.' Protesters use smoke torches during a demonstration calling for an hostages deal on June 15 The protesters in Tel Aviv rallied against Benjamin Netanyahu and his government A drone view shows a demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and a call for the release of hostages, in Tel Aviv on Saturday Police officers arrest protesters during a demonstration calling for an hostages deal Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas following the Palestinian group's unprecedented October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Hamas also seized some 250 hostages in their rampage through southern Israel. Of these, 116 remain in Gaza, although the army says 41 are dead. Israel continues to face significant protests at home from hostage supporters demanding a ceasefire before any more die or are killed. Thousands attended a rally last night in Tel Aviv to demand the government back a deal to end the war and release the remaining captives as one of the four hostages freed on June 8 called on the public to join. Andrey Kozlov, who spent 245 days in Gaza after his abduction, said the rallies gave him 'a lot of hope' on Friday. Israel and Hamas have not been able to agree terms to a permanent ceasefire despite mediation efforts from the US, Qatar and Egypt. Both sides blame each other for the lack of progress. A Turkish hospital was today accused of holding a British grandfather 'hostage' until he has paid his 41,000 medical bill after he was put into a coma after falling ill on holiday. Retired pub landlord Malcolm Stocker, 68, has been in an intensive care unit for almost a month after being diagnosed with pneumonia on a two-week stay with his girlfriend Jane in Icmeler. His distraught family claim staff told them they must pay half the amount to the Ahu Hospital in Marmaris immediately before he can leave. Mr Stocker's daughter Emma-Jane, 33, said: 'It is just heartbreaking to see my dad lying in hospital and so helpless.' She added that her father, who had several pre-existing conditions, was refused medical insurance for the trip but still decided to go knowing he was not covered for an emergency. Ms Stocker continued: 'He doesn't really know where he is and thinks he is on a cruise ship. He has been out of the induced coma for a while but is just so heavily sedated. 'We just want to get him home, but until we pay the hospital they are refusing to hand back his passport and are demanding we pay 20,000. Emma-Jane Stocker, 37, from Bournemouth, and her father Malcolm Stocker, 68, of Exmouth Retired pub landlord Malcolm Stocker, 68, was put into a coma after falling ill while on holiday Malcolm Stocker, pictured before he fell ill, has been in intensive care for almost a month 'We really feel we are being intimidated. My brother Lee is at the hospital, and they told him we not appreciative enough and that they had saved his life. 'We do appreciate everything they have done, but now all they do is demand we pay the medical bill.' The holiday nightmare began when father-of-three Mr Stocker became dehydrated while on a two-week stay with Jane. After initially suffering from an upset stomach, his sodium and potassium levels were found to be dangerously low and he was admitted to hospital. A chest X-ray showed he had pneumonia and he was placed in a medical coma and intubated. Despite being brought out of the coma two weeks ago, he has remained heavily sedated. Ms Stocker, who works as a medical secretary, flew out to see her father with her older sister Kerry-Ann, 37. She said few staff at the hospital spoke English and they had not been granted access to any of his doctors. Ms Stocker added: 'We were told we could see my father for 15 minutes each day, but after five minutes they would tell us to leave. 'My father worked on the QE2 cruise liner as a waiter. He is (so) out of it that he thinks he is back on the ship. It is awful to see him lying there so confused. The Ahu Hospital in Marmaris, Turkey, where Mr Stocker has been in an intensive care unit 'We have heard from others who have ended up in a Turkish hospital that patients can be deliberately sedated so that they run up more charges.' Ms Stocker confirmed that her father decided to go on the trip even though he was refused medical insurance. 'The rights and wrongs about that can be talked about at a later date, when he is safely home,' she said. The hospital said Mr Stocker has so far run up a 41,000 bill for an almost month-long stay. Ms Stocker, a mother-of-one, contacted the British Embassy in Turkey to see if they could help, but was told she should consider starting a GoFundMe page to raise money for a medical evacuation flight back to the UK. She said: 'We do not have the sort of money that the hospital are asking for. They have my father's passport and will not release it to the family. We feel he is being held hostage and will not be allowed to leave until the bill has been paid. 'My brother Lee is at the hospital, and he was first told that we had to pay 20,000 and then in another meeting was told that we were not appreciative enough of what they had done. 'Of course we are very grateful, but we cannot pay 20,000 now as we do not have that sort of money.' Ms Stocker and her sister have launched a fund raising page with a target of 29,000. Almost 5,000 has been raised so far and they are hoping to raise enough for the evacuation flight which can cost up to 20,000. Ms Stocker said: 'We just want to get our father home. As soon as we raise enough money we can pay the hospital and arrange a flight home. 'This situation is worsening, with dad still laid up too unwell to leave let alone travel. The hospital will not allow him to leave without payment. We do not know where to turn.' MailOnline has contacted the Ahu Hospital for comment. To donate to the family's appeal, click here for the GoFundMe page A suspected jihadist has been apprehended with a terrifying hoard of weapons and masks just blocks from a major New York City airport. Judd Sanson, 27, was arrested after cops pulled him over near LaGuardia Airport for an obscured license plate and discovered the deadly cache. A loaded 9mm gun, ammunition, knives, a machete, stun gun, whip, a body armor vest with an NYPD patch inside it, an MTA vest and a baton with disturbing writing were found inside his vehicle, according to police. Sanson's black Ford Explorer was pulled over in East Elmhurst in his native Queens on Wednesday. He was stopped by an NYPD officer who saw a black handle protruding from a holster strapped to Sanson's right pants leg, District Attorney Melinda Katz said. Suspected jihadist Judd Sanson was apprehended with a terrifying hoard of weapons and masks just blocks from a major New York City airport The cop asked if he had a knife and he removed it from the holster and placed it on the vehicle's console, she added. This prompted police to conduce a full search and it was then they discovered the weapons' haul. A black expandable baton with the words 'Left Me No Choice,' 'You Gon Learn Today' and an Arabic expression that means, 'Ask In God For Forgiveness' was also recovered. 'When a person is pulled over and possesses a loaded semi-automatic gun, more than 170 total rounds of ammunition, multiple weapons, body armor, an NYPD patch and an MTA vest, just a few blocks from the airport, we are very concerned,' District Attorney Katz said. 'This investigation is ongoing and I thank the NYPD for apprehending the defendant on a routine traffic stop before anything else happened.' Sanson is now facing gun and weapons charges which if convicted could see him jailed for up to 15 years. A loaded 9mm gun, ammunition, knives, a machete, stun gun, whip, a body armor vest with an NYPD patch inside it, an MTA vest and a baton with disturbing writing were discovered, according to police. Sanson, 27, was arrested after cops pulled him over for an obscured license plate and discovered the deadly cache It is thought he had been living inside the vehicle prior to being pulled over. A friend told the New York Post that he was surprised by the allegations against Sanson, who he described as a 'quiet kid'. 'He speaks about positivity. Im so shocked. I honestly dont know what to think,' he said. 'He never spoke about violence or terror plots. I think something snapped in his head. 'He never talks about his problems Judd was always hard on himself. He has a heavy accent, he was embarrassed about it. People bullied him at school for his accent.' Sanson is originally from a Catholic family in the Philippines but recently converted to Islam, according to the friend. The father-of-two also appears to be a tattoo artist. Sanson is originally from a Catholic family in the Philippines but recently converted to Islam, according to a friend Cops pulled him over in East Elmhurst near LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday The friend added that local shopkeepers had warned him there was 'something wrong' with Sanson but he had dismissed their concerns. Sanson is being held without bail on Rikers Island and appeared in court today. A senior solicitor has been suspended for two years after he had sex with a junior lawyer twice on his desk and told female staff to wear short skirts. Jasvinder Gill, a senior partner at the law firm, abused his 'position of authority and influence' at the firm and pursued sexual relationships with multiple women, a tribunal found. The lawyer, 50, flirted with one junior lawyer after she joined, kissed her in the office, and romped with her on his desk. Gill told female staff members that he 'preferred female employees to wear open toe shoes, stockings and not tights, and short skirts' - and described it as 'proper office attire'. Gill has now been suspended for two years at a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal [SDT] and ordered to pay 85,501 costs. Jasvinder Gill, a senior partner at the law firm, has been suspended for two years after pursuing sexual relationships with multiple female members of staff The panel criticised Gill for abusing the 'power imbalance', saying his conduct towards four women made them fearful their career would suffer if they rejected him. The SDT tribunal heard Gill behaved inappropriately towards junior female colleagues between October 2015 and September 2020, when he was between the ages of 41 and 46. The name of the firm was redacted, however the tribunal heard its website describes Gill as the 'Senior Partner with overall responsibility for the day to day management of the firm and for ensuring high levels of client satisfaction'. The tribunal heard that Gill struck up a sexual relationship with 'Person A' after she joined the firm in October 2015. He invited her to a pub lunch then requested her to come to his office where he kissed her on the lips. During their relationship, Gill told Person A 'that he preferred female employees to wear open toe shoes, stockings and not tights and short skirts', describing this dress as 'proper office attire'. In November 2019, shortly after junior lawyer 'Person B' joined the company, he invited her to his hotel room during a work trip to Bristol. He took her to his room to order takeaway pizza, changed into his loungewear and laid on the bed. He also offered her an alcoholic beverage while she sat on the bed waiting for pizza, and on another occasion joked about a child looking up Person B's skirt. Gill repeatedly entered the office that Person A shared with Person B, stroking Person A's hair and giving her a shoulder massage, while Person B was present. Between April 2019 and October 2020, he also began a sexual relationship with 'Person C' after she joined the firm. It was heard Gill regularly kissed with Person C while his office door was closed, regularly flirted with her, and put his hand on her knee when they kissed. Gill even had sex with Person C on his desk twice, it was heard. He told Person C he loved summer because he got to see her 'wearing a short, flowery summer dress with no tights'. A fourth woman, Person D, was also told that there was a 'preferred' office dress code of 'skirts, rather than trousers and high heels'. She recalled being quizzed by Gill on what she thought about stockings and when she was going to wear a dress. The panel found that Gill's behaviour was inappropriate and driven by his sexual desires. Alison Banks, chair of the SDT panel, said Gill was 'an experienced and well regarded solicitor who had built a thriving business, yet, admittedly, he had conducted himself towards more junior staff in a way which was wrong and inappropriate'. She added: '[Gill] had, on repeated occasions, used his position of influence and authority in the workplace to create situations in which office relationships, sexual in intent, were initiated and pursued by him. 'His motivation had been a sexual one and his conduct placed the female employees who he had picked upon with the no doubt unsettling dilemma that rebuffing him would or could count against them in their continuing employment within the firm and the resultant difficulties of leaving the firm and seeking new employment. 'Even with the benefit of the mitigation applied in his favour, [Gill's] misconduct could only be viewed as extremely concerning and very serious. The Tribunal concluded that a solicitor with integrity with such a senior position would have acknowledged the 'power imbalance' in these relationships. They added that such an individual would have realised his actions were 'totally unacceptable within the professional environment of the workplace and deeply unsettling for the staff in general, and female staff in particular.' Gill, who qualified in 1999, provided mitigation in relation to his health. Traditional owners have told a parliamentary hearing for a controversial mining and manufacturing project that white 'idiot' activists are blocking their economic development opportunities. Top End Aboriginal Coastal Alliance Chair Julius Kernan says Indigenous Territorians face many 'hurdles' and siding with interstate environmentalists had previously caused them to 'miss out' on the benefits projects bring. 'It is time for our people to be recognised or identified as people to engage with in a culturally appropriate manner and have space to have a say without interruption from non-Indigenous idiots,' he told a Senate inquiry examining the Middle Arm development in the Northern Territory on Monday. It was a response to NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's question about the detrimental effect of interstate environmental activists blocking projects that could bring economic development to Aboriginal people. Traditional owners have told a parliamentary hearing for the Middle Arm development (pictured) in the Northern Territory that white 'idiot' activists are blocking their economic opportunities Mr Kernan said the group from the Top End coastal and sea country areas wants economic development to help improve education outcomes and create jobs for future generations of Indigenous Territorians. 'We want them to fill the roles our people have been missing out on,' he said. Renewable energy company, Suncable, denied helping to greenwash the project, known as the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct by the NT government. It is already home to the Santos Darwin LNG and the INPEX Ichthys LNG processing facilities, with plans for gas-fracking company Tamboran Resources Limited to take a parcel of land at the site near Darwin. Suncable Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy said the company was in talks with the other four 'green and forward-facing' future tenants, including prospective hydrogen producer Fortescue Future Industries. NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price brought up the detrimental effect of interstate environmental activists blocking projects that could bring economic development to Aboriginal people 'We don't see ourselves as greenwashing at all,' he said. 'We're looking to supply low-cost electrons to those customers and we've entered into a number of (letters of intent) to that effect, which supports that basis of our business going forward.' Outside of the Canberra hearing, committee chair South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the $1.5billion project, that has Commonwealth backing, would contribute to climate change. 'No wonder the local community, the tourism industry, the fishing industry, the schools, the nurses, the doctors, and the local traditional owners don't want this project,' she said. 'It's time that the local Darwin community were listened to by representatives here in Canberra.' The hearing continues. One year ago tomorrow, the doomed Titan submersible embarked on a trip to visit the wreckage of the Titanic. British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19, were all onboard. Tragically, it was reported as missing and after a desperate race against time before the oxygen ran out, only the debris and 'presumed human remains' were found. However there is still criticism about the sub's alleged technical inadequacies - as well as the failure to address repeated warnings it was unsafe. Here we look at the red flags posed by the construction of the sub - and some of the key mistakes that were made in the run up to the tragedy. Titan had experienced several safety incidents on previous dives Inside the OceanGate Titan submarine $50 Playstation controller OceanGate, the company conducting the excursion, revealed that the Titan submersible was navigated by a modified Logitech G F710 Wireless Gamepad first released in 2010. The controller - which ran on two AA batteries - had a 4.2 out of five overall score on Amazon, but hundreds of one-star reviews dating back more than a decade claim the device suffered from irritating and regular connection problems. Other themes among the negative reviews included problems with the controller's analog sticks and that pressing certain buttons scrambled the entire pad. And the Logitech G F710 Wireless Gamepad was only compatible with decade-old Windows and Chrome systems. The OceanGate Expeditions submersible was steered by a video games controller CBS correspondent David Pogue is seen inside Titan holding the PlayStation controller While the world anxiously waited for the crew to be found, the public was shocked about the out-of-date PC gaming controller piloting OceanGate's 22-foot craft. The silver device featured a traditional gaming system layout with two analog sticks at the front, a black D-pad in the top left corner and colourful buttons to the right. It featured a 2.4 GHz wireless connection, which users said on Amazon will drop periodically. However, the product overview stated there were 'virtually no delays, dropouts or interference.' The Logitech G F710 can work wirelessly using two AA batteries or be plugged into a power source. It is unknown how the controller was powered in the submarine, but AA batteries can last up to 10 years. The five men inside tiny 22ft tube with no seats and just a single window The five men were trapped inside the tiny 22ft tube with a single window and no seats, thousands of feet below sea level with no way of reaching the outside world. Those onboard had to contend with the cramped conditions - all while not being able to see beyond the black depths of the ocean from the single window. There were no seats and only one toilet - a small black box - with a black curtain drawn across for privacy. All passengers were barefoot and had to sit on the floor. A photo of inside the OceanGate Expeditions sub, described as around the size of a minivan Thin hull made from carbon fibre Reports from researchers at the University of Houston studied how thin-walled structures can buckle due to tiny imperfections in the materials. In a paper in the journal of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), research lead and professor of civil and environmental engineering, Roberto Ballarini, suggested that imperfections in the carbon fibre used to build the Titan sub's hull could be to blame for the devastating implosion. Experts have offered different theories as to what could have happened on board the sub He further suggested that any damage that had built up from the vessel's previous dives could have made it vulnerable to 'micro-buckling.' Researchers were not able to examine whether micro-buckling was behind the Titan failure - but they looked at vessels of similar shapes and materials. There are still other theories for why the submarine imploded - including the hull's carbon fibre composite material. Small imperfections that could go undetected make vessels, like the Titan, at risk of collapsing under intense pressure. Now that the ship has completely imploded, researchers will likely never determine the exact location of the flaw that caused the tragic event. Parts 'you can get from Amazon' Former Royal Navy admiral Chris Parry described the small craft, named Titan, as 'very flimsy and fragile' made of parts you 'can get from Amazon'. Speaking to Sky News, former rear admiral Chris Parry warned that crafts like Titan 'are essentially kit cars, they're not normal submarines'. 'They're built in an experimental way, and this particular one is, shall we say, built from components you can get off the internet, from Amazon - they're very flimsy, very fragile, and you can't allow a lot to go wrong before you're in danger,' he said. The Titan suffered a deadly implosion last year that killed five people A file photo of the Titan submersible before its doomed voyage to the Titanic wreck Camping shop lights A journalist who once sat inside claimed it features lights from a camping shop, off the shelf CCTV cameras and salvaged metal pipes for ballast. CBS correspondent David Pogue who descended to see the Titanic last year - compared the sub to something put together by MacGyver - the TV series character known for his ingenuity in making devices from different items to get out of difficult situations. Recalling the interior of the submersible, he described white camping lights on the ceiling, off-the-shelf security cameras, Ziploc bags for a toilet and construction pipes as ballast. 'The main centre section looks like a shiny white tube about minivan length. It's made of five inch thick carbon fibre which no one has ever used in a submersible before,' he told his Unsung Science podcast. Ballast made of abandoned construction pipes Speaking to BBC news, CBS reporter David Pogue - who took a trip of the submarine himself - said he was had some doubts over getting in due to 'improvised' elements. 'It's a one-of-a-kind submersible, with five-inch thick carbon fiber,' he explained. 'I have to admit I had some qualms getting on that thing, because a lot of the components are off-the-shelf, improvised for example you steer the sub with a game controller [like] an Xbox controller. 'Some of the ballast is abandoned construction pipes that are sitting on shelves on the side of the thing, and the way you detach the ballast is you get everybody ob-board to lean to one side of the sub and they roll off,' he explained. Safety incidents on dives The Titan sub is shown seconds before submerging with five people onboard The Titan was hit by technical issues and mishaps on at least six previous occasions before it vanished. In August 2021, Arthur Loibl dived down 12,500 feet to the Atlantic wreck site and has said he was 'incredibly lucky' to survive the voyage. Speaking to German tabloid Bild, the 60-year-old said parts fell off and the mission went into the water five hours late due to electrical problems. In July 2022, YouTuber Alan Estrada was onboard Titan when the batteries of the sub suddenly drained, forcing it to end early. Mexican-born Estrada and his fellow submariners' time spent at the wreck was slashed from four hours to one so they could return to the surface before the sub lost power. Meanwhile, Josh Gates told how the sub 'did not perform well' when he went on a trip to the Titanic in 2021. He said: 'To those asking, Titan did not perform well on my dive. Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns with OceanGate. 'There's more to the history and design of Titan that has not been made public - much of it concerning.' Billionaire's friend withdrew due to safety worries A thrill-seeker who intended to join his missing billionaire friend Hamish Harding on the sub pulled out of the dive because he thought OceanGate was 'cutting too many corners'. Chris Brown, 61, had paid the deposit to go on the doomed voyage, but says he changed his mind after becoming concerned by the quality of technology and materials used in the vessel. Among his concerns were OceanGate's use of 'old scaffolding poles' for the ballast and the fact that its controls were 'based on computer game-style controllers'. He told The Sun that despite being 'one of the first people to sign up for this trip', he ultimately decided the 'risks were too high'. The key mistakes: Experts warned of raft of safety issues in the years before the tragedy Experts in submersible vehicles wrote a letter warning trips on Titan could end in 'disaster' years before the vessel vanished. The letter, obtained by the New York Times, warned that 'the current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic. It was sent by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group. It is unclear if any employee or Rush himself responded to the letter, and there was no further detail on why the approach was considered dangerous. Anyone boarding Titan was required to sign a disclaimer that read: 'This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death.' For years, a number of red flags over the safety of the Titan submersible had been raised - but were ignored by OceanGate boss Stockton Rush Delay before sounding the alarm OceanGate Expeditions was criticised for taking eight hours to tell the US Coast Guard it had lost contact with Titan. At 2.45pm - an hour and 45 minutes into the dive - it lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince. But it wasn't reported as missing to the US Coast Guard until 10.40pm, eight hours later. The company has not yet explained why it took so long to alert the Coast Guard when the Titan lost communications. Dives to the Titanic usually take around eight hours, it is understood. No official inspections OceanGate opted against having Titan 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. The firm suggested that seeking classification could take years and would be 'anathema to rapid innovation'. In 2019, OceanGate said seeking classification for Titan would not 'ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea'.Classification involves recruiting an independent organisation to ensure vessels like ships and submersibles meet industry-wide technical standards. OceanGate bosses fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, in 2018 after it disagreed with his demand for more rigorous safety checks It is a crucial way of ensuring a vessel is fit to operate. In a blog post titled 'Why Isn't Titan Classed?', OceanGate suggested classification would take too long. The post said: 'While classing agencies are willing to pursue the certification of new and innovative designs and ideas, they often have a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards 'Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation.' A statement from OceanGate said: 'On the anniversary of the tragic implosion of the Titan, we remember the five remarkable individuals who perished: Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush. We express our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, as well as everyone impacted by this tragedy. 'As previously announced, OceanGate has ceased all operations and is continuing to cooperate with authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, in their investigations.' A calf who was rammed repeatedly by a police 4x4 is 'doing remarkably well', her owner said today - as new footage showed her recovering on a Surrey farm. The 10-month-old cow suffered grazes and a large cut on her leg when the police car hit her twice in Feltham, West London, with footage capturing the controversial incident on Friday. New footage from this morning shows the calf standing in the corner of her enclosure, with grazes visible on her legs and rear. Despite the injuries and a 'slight limp', Beau Lucy is otherwise in a 'remarkable condition' and breathing well, her owners told Channel 5 News. The young cow was tossed 30ft before being trapped under a bumper after escaping from Staines Moor in Surrey and swimming across a river. The officer who was behind the wheel has been removed from frontline duties pending an investigation, Surrey Police announced yesterday. Footage from this morning shows Beau Lucy grazing in the corner of a barn, with grazes visible above her front legs and on her rear Despite the injuries and a 'slight limp', Beau Lucy is otherwise in a 'remarkable condition' The calf is treated by Rebecca Collins, a vet The 10-month-old calf suffered grazes and a large cut on her leg when a police 4x4 hit her twice in Feltham, West London on Friday The farmer who owns Beau Lucy has described her as 'sulky and bruised', as he accused police of 'trying to kill her'. Speaking to The Sun, Beau Lucy's owner Rob said the calf was 'feisty and upset' and 'scared witless' when he managed to get to her. He told the newspaper he is 'angry, upset and disgusted', adding: 'We did think they were trying to kill it.' His wife said the force could have fetched a vet and used a tranquilliser if they were concerned. Rob said previously: 'I think the video speaks for itself. It was quite horrific. The method of dealing with the situation was incorrect. It was wrong and I think that's the message we've learned. It could have been handled so much better. The videos were an upsetting sight.' He said Beau Lucy is 'a lot better' and recovering well, but added: 'Time will tell because we don't know what internal injuries she might have. But she's eating and she's cuddling so there's always promise when there's that.' Home Secretary James Cleverly has been among the critics over the 'heavy-handed' approach taken by Surrey Police against the frightened calf. The force announced that its Professional Standards Department has been informed and it will voluntarily refer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for a further investigation. Calls have been made for the 'monsters' who rammed the calf to be sacked after a video showed the bovine calmly wandering down the street before officers swooped in who said they had to knock the animal down to keep the public safe. The calf has been receiving medical attention following the incident She is seen here in an enclosure on her farm in Surrey Shocking footage shows police brutally smashing into the calf twice Shocking footage shows police brutally smashing into the calf twice after it escaped from its enclosure as a nearby member of the public shouts: 'What are you doing that for?' Mr Cleverly, wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham and Deborah Meaden were among those condemning the 'brutal' actions of the police force. Surrey Police said in a statement: 'The cow was running loose throughout the evening on a number of main roads and during this time, we received numerous calls from the public reporting a car being damaged and it running at members of the public. Police officers rammed a cow with their squad car in Staines-upon-Thames, west London A police vehicle was captured ramming down a cow in the middle of a street on Friday 'Given these reports, officers were extremely concerned about the public's safety, and over a period of a number of hours tried a number of options to safely capture the cow. 'Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to stop it using a police car. This matter has been referred to our Professional Standards Department. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been notified and a voluntary referral will be made in due course.' Chief Insp Sam Adcock said: 'I know that this has caused distress and I'd like to thank the community for their concern. 'The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed. 'There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public. 'I know there are videos circulating of this incident, which the public may find distressing. I would ask that these videos are sent directly to us to help with our investigation.' Critics included Mr Packham, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'I don't know where to start with this. But it's surely illegal and must be investigated and prosecuted. What sort of monster rams a calf? Twice?' Mr Cleverly also asked for a 'full, urgent explanation' as to why officers appeared to use a police car to hit an escaped cow, saying how the police action seemed 'unnecessarily heavy handed'. The RSPCA described the footage as 'upsetting and distressing' and said the police 'action appears disproportionate to the situation'. Dragons' Den judge Ms Meaden also took to X to voice her shock over the incident, writing: 'Jeez....that is a scared, living, breathing creature and @SurreyPolice show such little compassion they decide ramming it with a vehicle is their only option....come on!! 'I know it's not all Police but seriously....this really must have serious consequences.' An RSPCA spokesman said: 'This is upsetting and distressing footage. 'As soon as we were made aware, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and to find out what happened to the calf. We are pleased to hear the calf survived and is receiving vet care. 'Surrey Police has referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this as the action appears disproportionate to the situation. 'We are happy to assist in any investigations carried out. All animals should be treated with respect. Together we can create a better world for all animals.' A spokesperson for the IOPC said: 'We have been notified by Surrey Police about this incident and that a referral will be made in due course. 'When we receive it we will carry out an assessment to determine what further action is required by us.' In an earlier statement published on Friday evening, Surrey Police said the animal became 'increasingly distressed' while it was being taken to safety. A Donald Trump supporter has claimed she was discriminated against on an American Airlines flight because of her 'Make America Great Again' hat. Heather Mullins, who is an independent journalist, documented her claims on X on Sunday, following a first-class trip from Detroit to Philadelphia. She claimed an unnamed female flight attendant skipped her when taking drink orders, and that when asked about it, she responded snidely. The former insurance broker described how she eventually got her beverage, but only after everyone else on the plane. She shared her story with more than 111,000 followers - all of whom she's secured over seven years by posting pro-Trump content. One from this past April shows her flaunting a MAGA cap on another flight. The airline told DailyMail.com in a statement it is investigating the matter. Heather Mullins, a conservative journalist, claimed she was discriminated against on an American Airlines flight because of her 'Make America Great Again' hat Sunday. She is seen donning the cap on a different flight last year, with a sleeping Chris Christie in the background The post was followed a few hours later with a post picturing the woman and a badge showing her employee ID number 'I've worn my MAGA hat every time I've flown for the last four years and got thousands of fist bumps. NEVER got any hate,' Mullins' post begins. 'Well, there's a first time for everything. 'I just had the flight attendant for @AmericanAirlines SKIP ME in first class when asking everyone if they wanted a drink!!' The woman who first tried reporting seven years ago after working on 2016 Presidential candidate Gary Johnson's failed campaign went on: 'She asked the guy next to me and then walked away. I thought it was odd she didn't ask me. 'So when she came back I asked her if I could get a drink, and in the nastiest voice, she was like 'No. I'll be back for you,' and proceeded to serve the people behind me. 'They were then in shock,' she claimed. 'I was the last one to get served. 'And now everyone on the plane is floored and talking about it.' The post quickly garnered more than 2million views, and a bevy of replies. Several asked for more insight into the alleged situation, and Mullins obliged. 'I'm honestly in shock,' she wrote at one point, a few minutes after the initial update. 'It's sad that just happened in America. But so grateful for all the kind people around me saying how awful it was she did that to me. She's an anomaly. Most people are not like that.' That post was published at 7am ET, and as of writing, no follow-up has surfaced. American has not responded to Mullins's tagged complaints, which are quickly gaining traction online. She is seen here with the aspiring president in a post this past April She claimed an unnamed female flight attendant skipped her when taking drink orders, and that when asked about it, she responded snidely Within two hours, another post came in which Mullins described how she allegedly attempted to file a complaint to the airline, but was met with bureaucratic red tape. DailyMail.com reached out to American for comment Monday, after which a rep said the airline said the airline 'strives to provide a positive and welcoming experience to everyone who travels with us.' She added: 'We are investigating the matter, including reaching out to the customer to learn more about her experience.' the reporter, meanwhile, wrote at around 8:54pm ET 'Tried to file a complaint during my layover,' in a post that's also been seen hundreds of thousands of times. 'First woman said I needed to call a Supervisor,' she continued. 'Supervisor told me it would be over an hour to get a manager and to go to the website. 'When I tried recording her instructions she got upset and called a customer service manager. 'He then called an 'inflight' manager or something who said they couldn't come down. 'I was given the CSR managers business card and told to fill out a report at the website he wrote on the back,' Mullins claimed. When onlookers suggested the alleged snub could see the woman fired, Mullins shared the flight's number, as well as the route. She also aired the unnamed female employee's unique employer ID, before describing her as 'an older Asian woman.' She went on to share the story to her more than 111,000 followers - all of whom she's secured over seven years by posting pro-Trump content. It remains unclear if she filed a complaint, though she claims she tried The next morning, she shared her last brief on the yet-to-be-substantiated saga, recalling again how she tried submitting a complaint at an American Airlines kiosk. This post, however, included video, in which Mullins seemingly tries to tell staffers about the alleged incident A former insurance broker based in New England, Mullins first gained prominence in 2017, after starting work as a reporter News2Share, a DC based outfit founded by a former Fox News reporter In April of last year, she branched out on her own, still posting pro-Trump content. Her LinkedIn lists her as self-employed, and her social media has become a fan page for the ex-president. American did not respond to a request for comment about the alleged incident Monday morning The next morning, she shared another brief on the yet-to-be-substantiated saga, recalling again how she tried submitting a complaint at an American Airlines kiosk. This post, however, included video, and was followed a few hours later with a post picturing the woman and a badge showing her employee ID number. 'So I'm not allowed to record your instructions of how I'm supposed to file this complaint?' she asks several staffers behind the desk in the 12-second clip. They don't immediately respond, leading Mullins to ask a confused 'ok?' before ending the clip 'When I tried submitting a complaint I got the runaround,' she wrote in an accompanying caption 'Ultimately told to go to the website. I'll do that today but I'm not confident anything will get done.' That post was published at 7am ET, and within four hours, the next update came - in which Mullins doxed the flight attendant she said was responsible. 'Heres the flight attendant that didnt want to serve me a drink because I was wearing a MAGA hat. 'Someone from @AmericanAir just called, apologized, and said they are putting in the complaint and notifying the inflight management,' she continued. 'He said ultimately I wont know what actions they take on her. It could be a dont do this again, or if she has a history of issues, she could be let go. But I wont be notified.' American, meanwhile, did not publicly respond to Mullins's tagged complaints, which are quickly gaining traction online. She aired the alleged saga on X, following the first-class trip from Detroit to Philadelphia A former insurance broker based in New England, Mullins first gained prominence in 2017, after starting work as a reporter News2Share, a DC based outfit founded by a former Fox News reporter. She worked there for two years while amassing a following on social media, before joining alt-right outlet RealAmericasVoice - a site known for its conservative-backed conspiracy theories. In April of last year, she branched out on her own, still posting pro-Trump content. Her LinkedIn lists her as self-employed, and her social media has essentially become a fan page for the former president. 'MAGA hat stays on... Pass it on...' she writes in another hat-heavy post from back in March, again proudly donning the cap. American on Monday afternoon said it was still looking into the matter. This is the horrifying moment a driver 'deliberately' mowed down a man riding an electric bike near a children's playground. The blood curdling incident shows the motorist closely pursuing the cyclist before he ran him over. The driver shamelessly filmed himself ploughing over the helpless rider, whilst driving over twice the speed limit on Alexander Street in Dundee last week. In the short and terrifying clip, the e-bike rider can be seen travelling from the pavement then onto the road. The motorist at the helm of the Renault speeds on the wrong side of the road towards the cyclist. This is the horrifying moment a shameless driver filmed themselves 'deliberately' mowing down a cyclist whilst driving over twice the speed limit Following the incident near a playground in Dundee last week, a man was transported to Ninewells Hospital to be treated Mere seconds later he thrusts into him at around 60 miles per hour, then the helpless rider falls underneath with the vehicle thudding over him. The footage then flits to another person's point of vue which shows the several police officers at the scene, which was sectioned off by authorities. Ambulance crews alongside police attended the scene, where the one man was taken to Ninewells Hospital to be treated. The disturbing clip was published on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday evening and has shocked hundreds of thousands online. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Around 9:20pm on Wednesday, police received reports of a disturbance on Alexander Street near its junction with James Street, Dundee. 'Officers attended and a 31-year-old man was found beside an electric scooter with serious injuries. 'He was conveyed to Ninewells Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, this is being investigated as a deliberate and contained incident with no threat to the wider public. 'Inquiries to establish the full circumstances remain ongoing.' Police Scotland have requested for anyone with information to contact them by calling 101, and quoting 3971 of May 12 2024. They also advised to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous. A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We received a call at 21:35 on Wednesday 12 June to attend a road traffic collision on Alexander Street, Dundee. 'We dispatched two ambulances to the scene and one patient was transported to Ninewells Hospital.' A 'secret junglist' BBC newsreader has revealed how he was able to secure an 'unlikely' Drum and Bass set at the upcoming Glastonbury festival. BBC presenter Ros Atkins left fans astonished last month when he made a shock announcement that he will be hitting the decks on Glastonbury's Stonebridge stage. Now the host - who is best known for his 'explainer' videos - has let followers in on the backstory of how he managed to secure the gig, which he described as an 'unlikely development'. Atkins shocked listeners two years ago when he revealed his colourful background as a Drum and Bass DJ after making a surprise appearance as the presenter of BBC Radio 6 Music's Desert Island Disco All-Dayer. BBC newsreader Ros Atkins will be performing a DJ set at Glastonbury at the end of this month. He wrote a series of posts on social media earlier today detailing the backstory behind how he secured the gig Atkins revealed in 2022 his background as a Drum and Bass DJ. He played a range of music at venues in London, Cornwall and Cambridge, as well as South Africa He made a thread on X - formerly Twitter - at the time which generated a lot of social media attention. The presenter revealed how he had previously played sets at venues in London as well as South Africa, but gave it up in 2006 after the birth of his eldest daughter. Writing a string of posts on X today, Atkins wrote: 'As I may have mentioned a couple of times, in an unlikely development, I'm going to be doing a drum and bass set @Glastonbury. 'And, not at all unreasonable, quite a few people have asked me variations on "how did that happen?!" Well, there's a bit of a story here. 'In 2022, I was asked about my (very) amateur DJing days in an interview. Soon after, I got an email from Matt Tasker @BBC6Music asking if I'd like to do a set. At the time, I wrote this thread about it all which got shared a lot more than I expected.' The current thread links back to the previous thread posted in 2022, which shares a backstory of Atkins' journey into DJing, with old pictures of the presenter showing him in his DJ'ing days in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A thread from 2022 where Atkins revealed his past in DJ'ing has photos of him and his friends going to raves as well as him DJ'ing at venues One of Atkins' Drum and Bass 'heroes' Ray Keith. Ray went through everything including the kit, mixing techniques, and tune selection with Atkins Back when the first thread was posted, a bar called The Social commented 'Social basement gig?!' to which Atkins replied 'Yes please'. Along with The Social, some of Atkins's 'drum and bass heroes' including the LTJ Bukem and Ray Keith commented under the thread. In the summer of 2022, Atkins visited Thames Delta Radio in Grays, Essex, by invitation from Keith. Keith ran through everything from the kit with Atkins and the pair played a set together at The Social in September 2022. Atkins wrote on X: 'I was up and running. I kept practising. And we did another night last year - this time with the brilliant Chinese Daughter too. 'Not long afterwards, Carl Gosling from The Social stated mentioning the idea of me playing @ParkStonebridge at @glastonbury. 'Before long, Carl messaged to say we were on - and I took a very deep breath. 'Which leads up to this poster - and a 1530-1700 set on Saturday at this year's festival. The presenter will be playing at the Stonebridge stage at Glastonbury on the Saturday In the social media post in 2022, Atkins shared a series of images of him performing, including at his last gig (above) in Regents Park in 2006 'I haven't remotely got used to the idea. I'm incredibly grateful for the invite - and to @BBC6Music, Ray Keith, The Social, and others who've encouraged me along the way.' Atkins had played his last gig in 2006 at London's Regents Park, which was a 'reasonable sweaty affair'. His eldest daughter was born 'a few days later' and he stopped performing until very recently. He said: 'I also lived in South Africa for a while and, improbably, ended up playing in the D&B room at a huge rave in Joburg train station (I had an inbuilt advantage as D&B was hard to get in South Africa back then).' As well as playing in Johannesburg Station, Atkins also played a set at Pretoria's Oppikoppi music festival in South Africa. Mr Atkins said that, while living in South Africa, he also worked the decks during a 'huge rave' inside Johannesburg train station. Whilst in the country, he also performed at Pretoria's 'Oppi Koppi' festival Mr Atkins, who grew up in Cornwall, started 'going to raves' and listening to 'hardcore' Drum and Bass music in the 1990s. One image he shared showed him wearing a high-viz jacket with a friend after a 'long night' at the 'Helter Skelter' rave in Milton Keynes, Buckingamshire, in 1997. He said he began DJing at a similar time after being inspired by DJs including 'LTJ Bukem', whose real name is Daniel Williamson. Milton Keynes's 'Helter Skelter' event was held at The Sanctuary music venue (pictured) A poster for the 1994 Helter Skelter event. The Sanctuary was famous for holding enormous raves from 1991 onwards Milton Keynes's 'Helter Skelter' event was held at The Sanctuary music venue, which was knocked down in 2004. An IKEA branch has since been built in its place. The Sanctuary was famous for holding enormous raves from 1991 onwards. An estimated 750,000 people are said to have visited the venue, which could hold 9,000 people at a time. Last year, an exhibition commemorating the rave hotspot opened in Milton Keynes's MK Gallery. Rishi Sunak insisted the Conservatives can win the election today, after one of his most trusted ministers suggested all hope was lost. The Prime Minister tried to inject optimism into the Tory campaign today on his return to the fray following the G7 meeting in Italy. It came after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps admitted that the Tories are set to lose the election after a huge poll showed he could be among a swathe of high-profile casualties. The Defence Secretary said he was a 'realist' about the party's prospects as he renewed pleas for voters not to gift Labour a 'supermajority'. But the PM slapped down Mr Shapps on a visit to a gas rig in the North Sea, insisting the party is 'on the right track'. 'There's still two-and-a-half weeks to go in this election, I'm fighting hard for every vote because I believe we can win,' he told reporters. The Prime Minister tried to inject optimism into the Tory campaign today on his return to the fray following the G7 meeting in Italy. Grant Shapps said he was a 'realist' about Tory prospects as he renewed pleas for voters not to gift Labour a 'supermajority'. But the PM slapped down Mr Shapps on a visit to a gas rig in the North Sea, insisting the party is 'on the right track'. 'And there's a very clear choice at this election: it's having your taxes cut by the Conservatives or facing significant tax rises with the Labour Party.' Asked if he understands people's frustrations with the Tory party with some deciding to turn to Reform UK, he replied: 'Of course I understand people's frustrations with that, I mean that's undeniable, and I've been very clear that we have made progress but there is more to go. 'But the point now is we are on the right track and this election is about the future. 'The choice is clear: if you want your border secure and migration down, if you want your taxes cut, your pension protected, it's only the Conservatives that are going to deliver that for you.' The latest research by Survation, released over the weekend and using the so-called MRP technique, indicated that the Conservatives could be reduced to just 72 MPs on July 4. It suggested that Keir Starmer could win by an incredible margin of 262, with Nigel Farage's Reform picking up seven MPs. Home Secretary James Cleverly was projected to lose his Braintree seat, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt would fall victim to the Lib Dems in Godalming and Ash. Election experts have warning that previously ultra-safe seats are under threat as the party's core vote is collapsing - comparing it to Churchill's defeat at the 1945 election. The grim picture comes as Best for Britain unveil their tactical voting recommendations to inflict most pain on the Tories. In other moves today: Reform is launching its election manifesto this morning as Nigel Farage says he wants to be PM by 2029; Labour is engulfed in more tax chaos after Jonathan Ashworth broke ranks to rule out revaluing council tax bands; Rachel Reeves has been stressing her desire for closer ties with the EU. Home Secretary James Cleverly (left) was projected to lose his Braintree seat, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (right) would fall victim to the Lib Dems in Godalming and Ash Your browser does not support iframes. The poll suggested that Keir Starmer could win by an incredible margin of 262, with Nigel Farage 's Reform picking up seven MPs Mr Shapps told Times Radio it is 'possible to win the election', but conceded that it is 'not the most likely outcome', adding: 'I'm a realist.' Asked if a Tory victory was unlikely he replied: 'I think that's the realistic position, isn't it? I mean, I live in the real world. So you know, let's not try and pretend black is white.' Mr Shapps also said he stands by the comments he made last week that Labour could secure a 'supermajority'. He said: 'We're still fighting for absolutely every single vote, which is absolutely the right thing to do and warning of the dangers of Labour. 'But what I said last week stands, a blank cheque, a supermajority is a dangerous thing, particularly when we already know they have these plans to change the council tax bands.' As Reform prepares to launch its manifesto this morning, Mr Shapps also renewed his attack on Nigel Farage. Speaking to LBC Radio, Mr Shapps said: 'I think there's a sense of frustration out there and I get that entirely. But I think in the end, there are only two people who can be in Downing Street, it's either Rishi Sunak or it's Keir Starmer. 'And if you vote Reform, or Lib Dem, or any other direction for that matter, that simply helps Keir Starmer go in with unchecked power to do things like release all the people who've already been rounded up to be deported, which is exactly the opposite to what a lot of Reform voters would want.' Famous New York City chef James Kent has suddenly passed away at the age of 45. Kent, a renowned chef and owner of Crown Shy, Overstory, and Saga restaurants in New York City, is survived by his wife Kelly, their 15-year-old son Gavin, and 13-year-old daughter Avery. News of Kent's passing was first shared via Instagram by his Saga Hospitality Group and restaurants. 'We are heartbroken to share that James Kent passed away unexpectedly earlier today,' the post read. The post also said that Kent's family, colleagues, and restaurants are focused on supporting each other during this difficult time. Kent's restaurants were closed on June 16, Father's Day, to honor his memory. It's unclear how he died. Famous New York City chef James Kent has suddenly passed away at the age of 45, as his bereft co-workers share their shock 'The Saga Hospitality Group family is focused on supporting each other and most importantly Kelly, Gavin and Avery as we grieve James' loss,' the statement continued.' 'Celebrate Father's Day with your loved ones,' the post concluded. Kent's cause of death has not yet been disclosed. He worked under the mentorship of famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay. Acclaimed chefs including Gavin Kaysen, Daniel Boulud, Dan Kluger and Kwame Onwuachi paid tribute to their friend and coworker in heartfelt social media posts. Kent, a renowned chef and owner of Crown Shy, Overstory, and Saga restaurants in New York City, is survived by his wife Kelly, their 15-year-old son Gavin, and 13-year-old daughter Avery The post also said that Kent's family, colleagues, and restaurants are focused on supporting each other during this difficult time Born and raised in Lower Manhattan, Kent rose to fame in New York City's Financial District with a series of successful restaurants under his Saga Hospitality Group 'What never wavered was his smile, he positive attitude and his love for everyone around him. Our kids grew up together, playing in the city and making us and my kids feel like we deserved to be in that city,' Kaysen wrote. Bar director for Kent's Manhattan venues, Harrison Ginsberg, also honored the chef in an Instagram post. 'Thank you for all the memories, Laughs, meals, and lessons,' he wrote. 'I was always in awe of how much you supported me, my career, the bar industry.' Kent began his journey under the mentorship of famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay, David Bouley, and Jean-Georges Two years later, he introduced Overstory, a sky bar ranked among the world's top 50 bars, followed by Saga, which received two Michelin stars and is located in the same building Kent owned two Michelin-starred restaurants, Saga and Crown Shy, along with his award-winning cocktail bar, Overstory, located in downtown Manhattan. The Solarium at Saga - one of the two Michelin-starred restaurants Kent owned He also had plans to open five additional restaurants in 2025 in partnership with Paris luxury department store Printemps on Wall Street, as reported by Eater New York 'You didn't have friends. You had family. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your family. I appreciate every moment I had with you,' he added. 'James, I'll forever remember the lessons you taught me. I'll forever hold myself to a higher standard.' Born and raised in Lower Manhattan, Kent rose to fame in New York City's Financial District with a series of successful restaurants under his Saga Hospitality Group. He owned two Michelin-starred restaurants, Saga and Crown Shy, along with his award-winning cocktail bar, Overstory, located in downtown Manhattan. Kent's death came as he was preparing to launch a new restaurant at 360 Park Avenue South in collaboration with Bravo's Top Chef star Danny Garcia. He also had plans to open five additional restaurants in 2025 in partnership with Paris luxury department store Printemps on Wall Street, as reported by Eater New York. Kent's death came as he was preparing to launch a new restaurant at 360 Park Avenue South in collaboration with Bravo's Top Chef star Danny Garcia (Pictured with his wife Kelly) Kent's restaurants will be closed on June 16, Father's Day, to honor his memory (Pictured with his wife and kids) Kent's cause of death has not yet been disclosed (Pictured with his wife Kelly) Additionally, he was working to open a seafood restaurant on Park Avenue and a bakery in Brooklyn, according to Eater. Kent began his journey under the mentorship of famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay, David Bouley, and Jean-Georges. He served as chef de cuisine at Eleven Madison Park before becoming executive chef at Nomad from 2013 to 2017. In 2019, Kent opened Crown Shy, which earned a Michelin star for its acclaimed a la carte menu. Two years later, he introduced Overstory, a sky bar ranked among the world's top 50 bars, followed by Saga, which received two Michelin stars and is located in the same building. The grieving daughter of the French explorer who died on the doomed Titan sub says she has not heard from OceanGate in the year since the disaster. Sidonie Nargeolet's 77-year-old father Paul-Henri Nergeolet - known as 'Mr Titanic - was one of the five killed when a submersible catastrophically imploded on its trip to the wreckage of the Titanic. Ahead of the first anniversary tomorrow, Sidonie, 40, said bosses from the firm behind the ill-fated expedition have not even bothered to contact her to offer their condolences or even apologise. The American privately owned business ceased operations in July 2023 weeks after the tragedy that killed its 61-year-old millionaire CEO Stockton Rush. UK-based Shahzada, 48, and his Rubik's cube fanatic son Suleman Dawood, 19, and British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding were the other three who died on board the sub. Sidonie Nargeolet, 40, says she has heard 'nothing' from OceanGate in the year since her 77-year-old father Paul-Henri Nergeolet was killed in the Titan sub disaster The French deep sea explorer and Titanic expert was one of five killed when the submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' Speaking to 60 Minutes Australia, Sidonie, wearing a blue T-shirt with a picture of a deep-sea diver on the front, said: '[I've heard] nothing from them [OceanGate]. No condolences, no "we are sorry". Nothing.' She agreed it was 'extraordinary' not to have heard from the Washington-based under-fire company. An emotional Sidonie broke down in tears as she recalled how her hopes of finding her beloved father alive were ended when news broke four days into the search that the sub had suffered a 'catastrophic implosion'. Wiping away a tear, she said: 'In a way I had hope, very small, but of him being alive. In a way it's more difficult because it is hope for nothing but in a way during four days [I thought] he was still alive.' She told the Sunday Times her father died doing his favourite thing and passed away 'healthy with his mind intact'. When she last spoke to him as he arrived on the Polar Prince - the ship from which the sub launched - he was 'happy'. But at 6am the next morning, she was told that the Titan was missing and she said she 'cried for 10 minutes'. An emotional Sidonie broke down in tears as she recalled how her hopes of finding her beloved father alive were ended The submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic Sidonie Nargeolet with her father Paul Henri-Nargeolet who died on the Titan sub trip The world held its breath as the search and rescue mission began for the sub which had just 96 hours of oxygen left. And on June 22, the US Coast Guard found debris on the Atlantic seabed which evidenced the Titan had imploded the same day it dived. Mr Nargeolet came along as a deep-sea guide and it was his 38th trip to the wreckage of the Titanic. In the 1990s, he left his job in the navy to explore and retrieve relics - managing to retrieve the first objects from the site, some of which he returned to the owners. He took 5,500 in total and faced criticism from other explorers but he was 'obsessed' and retrieved the objects to honour the memory of those who died. Ms Nargeolet told the Sunday Times she went sailing with her father in the Mediterranean before he sank it. 'My family made fun of him. They said it was a bit like the Titanic. I didn't think it was funny at the time, but now...' she told the newspaper. Mr Nargeolet (left) and Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding (left), Shahzada Dawood (far right) and his 19-year-old son Suleman (second from the left) His daughter slammed the firm behind the sub and said it stopped communicating with the families after the accident. She said: 'That is not normal. The least they could do is offered their condolences.' The tragedy is still being 'actively' investigated and it later emerged that experts had flagged concerns with the firm - OceanGate - about the sub. Ms Nargeolet said it is 'better' that the firm's boss Mr Rush is no longer around as it would have been 'hell for him to be alive' after the disaster of OceanGate Expeditions, which offered the trips for $250,000. In a disturbing interview a month before the disaster, Mr Nargeolet said the risks to the experimental sub didn't worry him because 'under that pressure, you'd be dead before you knew there was a problem'. His former navy colleagues organised a ceremony for him in Toulon, and a building at the naval diving school has been named in his memory. His daughter told the Sunday Times she has cried every day for the last year but said: 'I think what he did is beautiful. I think it's courageous.' The missing Titan sub had been hit by technical issues and mishaps on at least six previous occasions before it vanished, it was later reported. The former Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, David Lochridge, was fired from the company in 2018 after he raised concerns about its safety. Bosses at the firm disagreed with his demands for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove integrity'. The company also opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. OceanGate suggested that seeking classification could take years and would be 'anathema to rapid innovation'. A desperate search for the sub was launched after it lost contact with its mothership and vanished during an expedition to the Titanic wreck on Sunday June 18, 2023 Lochridge, whose role included overseeing safety on the Titan project, had urged OceanGate to seek classification several years ago, before he was sacked in a disagreement about safety checks on the craft. He also wanted the company to carry out a scan of Titan's hull to 'detect potential flaws' rather than 'relying on acoustic monitoring' which would only detect an issue 'milliseconds before an implosion'. In a court document filed in 2018, lawyers for the company said Lochridge's employment was terminated because he 'could not accept' their research and plans, including safety protocols. OceanGate also claimed that Lochridge 'desired to be fired' and had shared confidential information with others and wiped a company hard drive. The company said he 'refused to accept the veracity of information' about safety from Titan's lead engineer. In his report he said: 'With Cyclops 2 (Titan) being handed off from Engineering to Operations in the coming weeks, now is the time to properly address items that may pose a safety risk to personnel. 'Verbal communication of the key items I have addressed in my attached document have been dismissed on several occasions, so I feel now I must make this report so there is an official record in place.' The Florida teen who gunned down his father before executing his mother in front of horrified cops has been pictured for the first time. Christos Alexander Themelis, 19, was identified as the suspect who also later died in the fatal shooting on Saturday night. Police were called to the teen's home in Tampa by his mom Rebecca Themelis, 48, who informed them her husband Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot. Officers attempted to talk the him down as part of a dramatic standoff caught on bodycam. But to their horror, the killer then shot his mom in the back of the head before opening fire on the police, injuring one deputy. Christos Alexander Themelis, 19, was identified as the suspect who gunned down his father before executing his mother Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48, (right) in front of horrified cops The suspect was later found dead inside the property from injuries sustained during the shootout. Themelis' Facebook profile suggests he was close with his mom and features several photos of the two of them together, including his profile picture. His bio reads: 'Im a country boy and my moms a country girl. Are there still country folks anymore? Probably not.' The victims had been married since 2000, according to Themelis Sr.'s profile, which indicates he ran his own moving business. Dramatic body camera footage caught the stand-off between the suspect and the deputies, beginning when they arrived on the scene and found him outside with his mother. 'Show me your hands, show me your f****** hands,' Deputy Shane McGough, 26, could be heard yelling. Police were called to the teen's home in Tampa by his mom who informed them her husband Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot. Pictured: The couple together Officers attempted to talk the accused teen (pictured with parents) down in a dramatic standoff caught on bodycam. He then pleaded with Rebecca to 'get out of the house now' and walk towards him, holding his gun drawn before radioing in, 'he's got her at gunpoint.' 'Listen, we don't want to hurt you, just let your mom walk to us, let her walk to us OK?' McGough tells the suspect, repeating his instructions to 'keep your hands up' and 'do not reach behind your back.' As he apparently retreats to go and grab his gun, McGough once again pleads with the mother to 'walk to me, walk into my flashlight.' Seconds after begging the suspect to 'stop reaching into your waistband', gunshots can be heard in the bodycam footage as both sides exchanges fire. McGough was struck in the leg, yelling 'I've been hit' at his fellow officers and asking for a tourniquet. Themelis (pictured with his father) was found dead inside the Tampa home after sustaining injuries in the standoff Dramatic police body camera footage shows deputies confronting the shooter who later died from injuries sustained in the shootout Five deputies returned fire, causing the suspect to retreat into his home, the sheriff's office said. At that point, authorities deployed a SWAT team, and deputies used a robot to enter the home through the front door. 'Unfortunately the first person we encounter on the ground is the father,' Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference. 'The father had succumbed to his injuries.' 'The monster we encountered this evening is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father,' he said in a statement. 'Our deputies responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm's way to protect our community. The killer updated his Facebook profile picture to this one featuring his mom in January Police responded to a Tampa home just after 11pm on Saturday when a woman reported her husband was shot 'Without our deputies' quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger.' Deputy McGough is now in stable condition, and had surgery on Sunday to remove the bullet and insert a rod into his leg to help regrow the tibia - which was fractured in the shootout. The family of two young girls left orphaned after both of their parents died of cancer within days of one another has revealed how the children are coping following the double tragedy. Oriana and Emily Joyce, aged eight and four, were orphaned after their parents tragically died just a few days apart, following separate heartbreaking battles with the disease. Nigel Joyce passed away on May 31, while his wife Marjan died on June 6. The family lived in Christchurch, New Zealand. A Give A Little fundraiser was set up to help support Oriana and Emily as they face life growing up without their beloved parents. More than $287,000 has been raised so far with donations still pouring in on Monday night. Nigel Joyce (pictured) passed away on May 31, while his wife Marjan (pictured) died on June 6. They leave behind their two daughters Oriana and Emily (pictured) Family member John Joyce thanked loved ones and complete strangers for their generosity in a heartwarming update on the online fundraiser. The Joyce family would like to take this opportunity to share their immense gratitude for the outpouring of kindness and support from far and wide, that has been offered to them, and Nigel and Marjan's beautiful girls over the past few weeks,' he wrote. We acknowledge that things are tough for a lot of people at the moment, but the generosity that has been shown is truly overwhelming. 'We would also like you all to know that the girls continue to be loved and cared for by the family, as they work through this difficult period and move into the next phase of our lives. The moving statement concluded with the words Kia kaha, which is a Maori phrase meaning stay strong. Nigel and Marjan Joyce (pictured on their wedding day) tragically died of cancer just days apart A close friend of the family, Angela Hawkins, described Marjan (pictured) as having a 'beautiful nature' and a 'kindness that always brought out the best in everyone' Mr Joyce suffered a 'health crisis' on Anzac Day and was placed into palliative care, where he was given just two weeks to live. He had earlier been diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumour, while his wife was separately told that she had triple-negative breast cancer. In a cruel twist, Ms Joyce had finished radiation on her breast cancer and was told the disease had gone, only to suffer vision loss and seizures in May. She was then given the devastating news her cancer had spread to her brain and she died a few weeks after. Close family friend Angela Hawkins, described Mrs Joyce, who was Dutch, as having a 'beautiful nature' and a 'kindness that always brought out the best in everyone'. A Give A Little fundraiser was set up to help support Oriana and Emily as they face life without their mum and dad. Pictured are the family in happier times 'Marjan was a truly remarkable person who left a lasting impact on those around her,' she said. 'Her legacy will live on through her children and family and the many lives she touched with her kindness and beautiful nature.' 'May Marjan and Nigel rest in peace, and may their memory continue to bring comfort and inspiration to all who knew them.' Mr Joyce was remembered for his 'kind and gentle soul', with both he and his wife having dedicated their lives to raising their two young girls. 'Their love and dedication to their family were evident in everything they did,' Ms Hawkins told Chris Lynch Media. 'They both loved life and cherished their family deeply. Despite facing a rough time in the last five weeks, both Marjan and Nigel never complained. 'Her legacy will live on through her children and family and the many lives she touched with her kindness and beautiful nature', close friend of the family, Angela Hawkins said of Marjan Joyce (pictured) 'They took everything in stride and felt so loved by their family, friends, StAC, and the wider community. 'They remained strong, united, and resilient, showing everyone the true meaning of love and dedication. 'The world was a better place for having both Nigel and Marjan in it.' The Give a Little fundraiser page states: 'This page is set up to support the girls and the family as they navigate this heart-wrenching time. As parents, this situation strikes a deep chord, and as we look at the faces of our loved ones, we can only begin to imagine the pain they are enduring.' 'Please, if you can, donate any amount to support the Joyce family with their immediate and long-term needs. Your kindness and generosity will make a significant difference in their lives.' A victim of the Post Office scandal today accused Sir Ed Davey of trying to 'distance himself' from his role in the Horizon catastrophe with his daft election campaign antics. Christopher Head, formerly the UK's youngest postmaster at aged 18, was wrongly accused by the Post Office of stealing more than 80,000 during his time running a branch in West Bolden, Tyneside. Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Head hit out at the Liberal Democrat leader after wrongly convicted subpostmaster Lee Castleton blasted Sir Ed for his 'buffoonery' on the campaign trail. He said: 'The Post Office scandal is one of many scandals that have blighted our country and a failure by any party or government to get a grip to, most importantly, prevent them happening again. 'Yet we are seeing Davey distance himself from the scandal, saying he was lied to and misled - but won't commit to saying exactly who lied to him and when. Was it really that he just wasn't on top of his brief? Christopher Head formerly the UK's youngest postmaster has accused Sir Ed Davey of 'distancing himself' from the Horizon scandal with his daft antics during the election campaign The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed says 'my heart goes out to Lee [Castleton] and all the others so badly affected and I'm looking forward to giving evidence to the inquiry' 'Yet the Lib Dems' defence, as pointed out by campaigner El Shaikh, is that they have provided a long detailed defence of Davey's part in the scandal and say, 'even though the Post Office is owned by the government, Ministers have no seat on the board'. 'That statement is false and misleading. The department of Business (BIS at the time) via UKGI have a director on the board that reports back to the department and the Minister and ultimately the Accounting Officer. 'It is important we don't single Davey out as this is a cross party failure over the years involving Labour, Conservatives and the Lib Dem / Con coalition. 'We just want the truth of who lied, who misled and have some accountability for those failings. Davey is one of many who still have serious questions to answer. 'The buffoonery in his stunt laden campaign just feels like he is not a serious leader who could address all the of issues the country faces, and we still haven't heard a sincere apology.' Sir Ed was this morning pictured barefoot on a Devon beach building sandcastle in his latest election stunt in a campaign that has previously seen him go paddleboarding, run an assault course, and enjoying the rides at Thorpe Park. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for South Devon, build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon this morning Mr Head was just 18 in 2006 when he took over the newsagents and sub-post office at West Boldon, helped by a loan from his father Mr Head was formerly the UK's youngest postmaster. He told MailOnline Sir Ed's 'buffoonery in his stunt laden campaign just feels like he is not a serious leader' Mr Head pictured here during his trip to Downing Street with MP Kate Osborne in 2020 Sir Ed Davey heads out into the sea on Broadsands beach near Paignton in Devon this morning Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden pose for a photo on Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey kisses three-month-old baby Nellie Timpson at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden walk along the promenade at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today He has been blasted for not doing more to help wrongly-convicted subpostmasters between 2010 and 2012, when he was postal affairs minister in the coalition government. But he has insisted he is taking voters' concerns seriously during a campaign in which he has sped down the Ultimate Slip n Slide in Somerset. A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'Post Office officials lied to the victims, Parliament, the courts and 16 Post Office Ministers. 'Ed's heart goes out to all those victims bitterly failed by the system and vows to fight with them for justice. He's campaigning to change the system so that this kind of awful miscarriage of justice is never repeated.' More than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu's faulty Horizon IT system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches. Mr Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have a 25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004 and was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office. He told the BBC that he doesn't 'particularly like the buffoonery', adding: 'I don't think there's any need for it. Mr Castleton continued: 'It's really, really, really important that we trust him and trust is never going to be built by swinging around on ropes or paddleboarding in Cumbria. 'Trust is about engaging with the people that need that engagement.' Sir Ed, asked by Ms Kuenssberg if he was taking things seriously, replied: 'On the subpostmasters, my heart goes out to Lee and all the others so badly affected and I'm looking forward to giving evidence to the inquiry, which I campaigned for to hold people to account. Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden pose for a photo on Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden walk along the promenade at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sor Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden chat before making sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today 'But in terms of the things we've been doing, the stunts, actually the real issue is engaging people and they have done.' He added: 'We're taking the voters' concerns really seriously. 'That's why we've put forward all these policy proposals and whenever we do one of those stunts to engage people - so I show that I'm not taking myself too seriously, I'm taking the voters seriously - we've had lots of policy ideas. 'So when I was going down that slide, we were talking about mental health.' Speaking about Sir Ed responding to Mr Castleton's comments, BBC presenter Paddy O'Connell later told the Newscast podcast: 'Well, the thing is he's on the ropes with the Post Office. 'He didn't handle these questions well, say the subpostmasters and mistresses, when he was first at, brought to his attention, when he was actually in Cabinet or in the Government, he did not have the meetings that were requested. That's the public policy problem for him. He can't go back in time and undo it. Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today Sor Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden chat before making sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands Beach in Devon today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden prepare to build sandcastles at Broadsands beach today Sir Ed Davey and Caroline Voaden build sandcastles at Broadsands beach in Devon today 'And if you are one of those broken subpostmasters and you see him on a paddleboard in a wetsuit, it doesn't play well. I can't believe how powerful that must have been for him to tackle that question. 'And it will haunt him. It's not going away. It's a bit like the Lib Dems, what they said to students with tuition fees.' Also responding to the comments by Mr Castleton was Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, who said on X: 'I've long thought Ed Davey's buffoonery on the campaign trail was a deliberate ploy to distract from his role in the Post Office scandal. 'Especially as he hasn't taken part in TV debates. Good to see him finally called out by former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton on #BBCLauraK.' Olivia Lever, director of the Young Conservatives grassroots thinktank Blue Beyond added: 'It's a disgrace how Ed Davey has dodged any accountability when it comes to the Post Office Horizon Scandal 'He shouldn't be allowed to stand as an MP, let alone try to sell himself as a potential PM.' A video message from former subpostmaster Lee Castleton is played to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey on the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg yesterday Lee Castleton (pictured in January) warned that trust is 'never going to be built' between Horizon victims and former post office minister Sir Ed by 'paddleboarding in Cumbria' The Lib Dem manifesto proposes creating an 'office of the whistle-blower' to provide new legal protections and promote greater public awareness of their rights. It also calls for 'full and fair' compensation to all victims of the Horizon scandal 'as quickly as possible'. Concerns about the Horizon system were raised in 2000 by Sir Alan Bates, while Computer Weekly magazine broke the story of seven subpostmasters beginning their fight for justice in 2009. Sir Alan recently criticised Sir Ed for initially refusing to meet him in 2010, a disclosure which led to calls from Tory MPs for the Lib Dem leader to stand down and hand back his knighthood. Asked how people could trust him to do the right thing for whistle-blowers, Sir Ed said: 'The whistle-blower was key in the Horizon scandal. 'We really only heard it in the Panorama programme by the BBC in 2015, quite a few years after I left office, and then in 2019 in the High Court case. Speaking about Sir Ed responding to Mr Castleton's comments, BBC presenter Paddy O'Connell told the Newscast podcast: 'Well, the thing is he's on the ropes with the Post Office' Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies claimed Sir Ed Davey's 'buffoonery on the campaign trail' is a 'deliberate ploy to distract from his role in the Post Office scandal' Olivia Lever, director of the Young Conservatives grassroots thinktank Blue Beyond, said Sir Ed had 'dodged any accountability' on the Horizon scandal 'That whistle-blower from Fujitsu, an insider at Fujitsu, who said actually the Post Office had been telling lies to subpostmasters, to ministers, to courts and judges, that whistle-blower was crucial, as the ITV drama on Alan Bates showed.' He added: 'I was listening, I was the first minister to meet Alan Bates and I took his issues really seriously ... I put his concerns to the Post Office and I think I was probably the only minister who did that in that level of detail. 'And I was lied to - just like the subpostmasters were lied to, just like the judges and the courts were lied to, and that's why the whistle-blower is so important. 'We have to change the system.' Mr Castleton, writing on X, later said he 'must praise' the Lib Dems for their manifesto pledge to protect whistleblowers. It comes as Sir Ed has carried out a series of slapstick photo ops in recent weeks, including getting drenched falling off an aquatic obstacle course in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, last Wednesday. JULY 15: Sir Ed Davey tries out a pillow trampoline at Bocketts Farm in Leatherhead, Surrey JUNE 13: Sir Ed took on an assault course during a visit to Arena Pursuits in Wadhurst, Kent JUNE 13: Sir Ed Davey is compared to 'The Man From Del Monte' on ITV's This Morning JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey falls from an Aqua Jungle floating assault course on a visit to Spot-On-Wake in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, on the General Election campaign trail JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey jumps into the water on his visit to Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire JUNE 12: Sir Ed Davey saws wood as he visits Willow Forest School in Guildford, Surrey JUNE 10: Sir Ed rides on the Colossus rollercoaster at the Thorpe Park theme park in Surrey It was reminiscent of his attempt at paddleboarding in Windermere a fortnight earlier, when he sought to draw attention to the polluted state of Britain's waters. Two days later, he hurtled himself down a giant slip 'n slide in an inflatable ring in Frome, Somerset, to promote the party's child mental health policies. He has also been pictured with his legs spread wide open as he rode a bike during a visit to Knighton in Wales, and joined care home residents in a DrumFit class at Abbotswood Court Care Village in Romsey, Hampshire. The politician was also seen last Wednesday roasting marshmallows while visiting Willow Forest School of the Elm Nursery in Guilford. And last Thursday he took on an assault course during a visit to Arena Pursuits in Wadhurst, Kent. On the same day, he was given a makeover on ITV 's This Morning and was compared to 'The Man From Del Monte' by Cat Deeley as he walked around on a catwalk. JUNE 10: Sir Ed Davey smiles during the official launch of the Liberal Democrat manifesto MAY 31: Sir Ed Davey and ten-year-old Verity Pember taking part in a baking lesson with students from High Beeches Primary School during a half-term holiday camp in Hertfordshire MAY 30: Sir Ed Davey slides down an 'Ultimate Slip N Slide' in Frome, Somerset MAY 29: Sir Ed Davey clowns around on a bike during a visit to Knighton in Wales last month MAY 28: Sir Ed Davey falls from a paddleboard on Lake Windermere during a campaign visit MAY 5: Sir Ed Davey joins care home residents in a DrumFit class in Romsey, Hampshire Betting firm Ladbrokes has now set up a betting pool for what activities Sir Ed is likely to take part in before the General Election on July 4 - with options including riding a bucking bronco, bungee jumping or being fired out of a cannon. Last Monday, Sir Ed launched the party's manifesto in London and unveiled his vision for Britain to rejoin the European Union. He has committed to rejoining the single market, which would result in the return of free movement, as one of four steps towards the 'longer-term objective' of EU membership. The proposal was among a host of radical plans including cannabis shops on high streets, gender self-ID and a 500 per cent increase of council tax on second homes in the 116-page manifesto. Overall, the party plans to hike taxes by almost 27billion to fund major investments in health, social care and public services. It includes reforms to capital gains tax paid on profits from selling an asset which would raise 5billion by 2028/29. There was also a package of health and care pledges with a plan to recruit or retain 8,000 extra GPs to give a right to be seen by a doctor within seven days. Sir Ed also wants a new clean water authority to replace Ofwat and has promised to 'end the sewage scandal' by transforming water firms into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks stop. A man has become the latest tourist visiting Bali to cop online backlash for an 'inappropriate' and disrespectful act - this time at a five-star hotel. The shocking stunt is believed to have been filmed inside the Apurva Kempinski hotel in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian island's south coast, where rooms cost up to $1,200 a night. The viral video showed the well-dressed man approaching a large metal bowl filled with water and flower petals before he was urged by a woman to 'put your face in it'. He leaned over to submerge his head but accidentally tipped over the decorative bowl as water and petals spilled across the lobby. The video has since attracted almost 30,000 TikTok views. A well-dressed tourist in Bali has caused a stir after tipping over a bowl of water and flower petals in a hotel while trying to submerge his head in it (pictured) Many furious viewers claimed the man reaffirmed negative opinions of tourists on the island with his 'stupid' actions. 'Well that's just lovely isn't it, so careful and respectful and cultured,' a viewer commenters. Another added: '(Your) vacation is over pack your bags.' A third reminded the man that 'this is why we don't touch things we're not supposed to touch'. Locals quickly joined the bandwagon of backlash. 'You come to Bali without bringing your brain ... why do you have to destroy everything in someone else's country,' one wrote. Some wondered whether the tourist helped clean up or paid for the damage afterwards. Other viewers came to the tourist's defence and argued that the act wasn't as bad as some made it out to be. 'I mean it's just a bowl of water and flowers ... Just say you're sorry,' a user wrote. Another added: 'Honestly, it's not your fault. There should be something to lock the plate.' It's believed the tourist mishap unfolded inside the Apurva Kempinski, a five star hotel in Bali (pictured) Many other viewers admitted they would be 'mortified' if it had happened to them. 'I would just lay on the floor like I passed out,' one commented. Another added: 'I would leave the country.' Others were eager to find out what happened afterwards. The stunt is the latest in a long line of incidents involving tourists on the island since it reopened to international travel in 2022 following the pandemic. Incidents have included naked tourists in front of sacred monuments and urinating in public places. Since February, international tourists have had to pay 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about A$15) to pass through Bali's Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, or any of the island's sea ports Tourists will have to pay the tax every time they enter the island, in addition to an existing $50 e-visa that has been in place since May 2022. Bali Governor's Wayan Koster said the tax will help fund efforts to preserve Bali's rich 'culture and environment' and make the destination less attractive to 'cheap' tourists. 'Now they're trying to make sure the tourists that are coming are behaving in the most appropriate way and culturally sensitive to Indonesian and Balinese cultural ways and more,' Australian travel expert Quentin Long previously told Yahoo News. They initially took off in the pandemic as customers could buy food away from shops It continues a rising trend of food dispensers for pizzas, oysters and baguettes Cheese vending machines are popping up in train stations and motorway stops Food lovers in France are having their prayers answered with the launch of 24-hour cheese dispensers. Vending machines stocking 'artisanal fromage' are now dotted around France, appearing in rail stations, village squares and motorway service stops. These machines are open day and night to satisfy cravings around the clock. Refrigeration inside prevents the pungent smell of many cheeses from wafting into the surrounding area. It comes as the makers of hundreds of appellation d'origine controlee (AOC), the protected regional cheese types, seek new ways to bring their produce to consumers. Food lovers rejoice as 24-hour cheese dispensers open up around France (Pictured: French cheese maker Fabien Picard carries a pallet with cheese to fill his vending machine at the train station in Bourg en Bresse, eastern France) Vending machines are popping up in railway stations, village squares and motorway services (Pictured: Fabian Picard, head of La fromager dairy, fills his cheese vending machine in Bourg en Bresse, eastern France) The automatic dispensers are refrigerated, protecting the surrounding area from wafting smells (Pictured: Cheesemaker Fabien Picard fills his cheese vending machine in Bourg en Bresse, eastern France) Farm cooperatives and small producers are banding together to finance the often-costly machines. This is the latest in a trend of automatic dispensers of food including pizzas, oysters, muscles, charcuterie, eggs and butter. The number of fresh bread dispensers, usually featuring baguettes, is also growing. With France being the home of so many popular cheeses, including camembert, roquefort and reblochon, this was the logical next step. These vending machines initially took off during the pandemic, because customers could serve themselves without putting on masks and entering shops. Regional officials are now encouraging the dispensers to promote local quality produce. They are especially apprecaited in rural areas, where the closure of local outlets is forcing people to drive further for their shopping. The Cooperative de Doubs was one of the first shops to have one outside, and on offer is everything from comte to morbier for the perfect last-minute cheeseboard. Cheese dispensers are the latest in a trend of machines selling pizzas, oysters, muscle, charcuterie and fresh bread (Pictured: Cheesemaker Fabien Picard fills his cheese vending machine in a railway station in France) These vending machines initially took off during the pandemic, because customers could serve themselves without putting on masks and entering shops Famous Cheeses local to certain regions of France include camembert, roquefort and reblochon (Pictured: Fabien Picard prepares his delivery to fill his cheese vending machine) Fabien Picard (pictured) said: 'You can just turn the carousel, choose your cheese and pay with a bank card, before picking up your purchase.' In the eastern Ain departement, Fabian Picard, head of La fromager dairy, said people had been surprised to discover his automated supply of tomme du Jura, comte, and other types from his dispensers on the motorway and in the bust Bourg-en-Bresse station. He told Agence France-Presse: 'You can just turn the carousel, choose your cheese and pay with a bank card, before picking up your purchase.' The cheese, which costs a little more than in the shops, is stocked up once a day. In Varaville, in the costal Calvados departmente of Normandy, a fromagerie is stocking a machine with camambert and liverot. In the high Alps of Haute-Savoie, a cheesemaker is stocking his 24-hour distributor with reblochon, tomme and raclette, the local specialties. Mathieu Goguet, joint manager of La Boite o Fromages in the Calvados region, said his firm had been making home deliveries during the pandemic. He told Radio France: 'We realised the people were were delivering to would not do 15km to come and buy at the shop. But they could stop by a dispenser.' Influencers are growing tired of Biden, especially after bill that could ban Tiktok Former President Barack Obama is the latest celebrity to be serenaded by TikTok star Harry Daniels, as he met with a group of social media influencers last weekend. Daniels frequently pops up in front of celebrities to sing to them off-key and put the video on TikTok. He sang to Obama lyrics from the song New Americana by artist Halsey: We are the new Americana High on legal marijuana Raised on Biggie and Nirvana We are the new Americana Obama at first looked confused and threw up his hand before resigning to the moment and grinning broadly. 'That was outstanding,' Obama concluded. 'I wish I had pipes like that.' The group of influencers surrounding Obama and Daniels burst out laughing. Daniels has built a TikTok following of 1.4 million followers with his videos that are usually awkward and cringeworthy, but they generate a lot of views. The gathered group of influencers were expecting a 'special guest' but they did not know it was going to be Obama, according to one person present. 'So, I heard this is where the cool kids were hanging out, and you know, I always wanted to be one of the cool kids,' Obama said as he entered the room. The former president admitted that it was a 'cynical time' in politics, and that viewers were turned off by the current political discourse in America. 'I need you guys to use your influence, and it doesn't have to be boring. I don't expect you to have a bunch of charts and graphs,' Obama said. Former president Barack Obama is trying to get social media influencers to promote Joe Biden Obama met with a group of about 80 different social media influencers on Saturday, according to Axios, and urged them to get involved. 'I get it,' Obama added. 'You know, I frankly watch sports, mostly. Because it feels like everything is slash and burn.' He urged online digital creators to put aside their differences with Biden, reminding them that politics were often 'messy.' 'Joe Biden, you may not agree with everything he does,' he said. 'By the way, you didn't agree with everything I did. And that's OK. Because in a big, messy, complicated country like this, there are going to be disagreements.' Obama encouraged online creators to get creative and rely on humor to get more people to support Biden. 'I understand folks are swiping or scrolling, and you've got to use humor and you've got to use other things that are engaging people,' he said. Top influencers, especially on TikTok, remain angry with Biden for supporting the Israeli war in Gaza. They are also angry with Biden for signing a bill that could ban the popular video sharing app TikTok. U.S. President Joe Biden takes part in a conversation with former U.S. President Barack Obama and late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel Joe Biden and Barack Obama campaign in Pennsylvania together The Biden campaign has tried to reach out to more influencers, hosting parties and events for prominent voices online, but they have been welcomed with some malaise and even some hostility from digital creators. Biden grew angry with one TikTok star recently, even threatening to throw his phone after he approached the president and began questioning him on the war in Gaza. Obama was one of the first presidents to enjoy the benefits of social media when he first ran for president. At the time, Voters reacted positively to his new approach to politics on relatively new platforms like Twitter and Facebook to celebrate the dawn of a new political era over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Since then, Obama has taken a keen interest in trying to influence the influencers. President Joe Biden blows a kiss as he arrives for a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel Obama remains highly interested in the evolution of social media, asking social media companies to censor more misleading political content In 2017, Obama met with young activists and lamented Clinton's loss to Trump, telling influencers that it was partially due to Trump's allies using social media to shift the political narrative in a different direction. 'The question is: Are you able to do that in reverse but to things that are true and are not designed simply to churn anger and resentment and frustration?' he asked. 'So solve that, will you?' he added with a chuckle. In 2022, Obama criticized social media companies for not doing enough to censor information on social media platforms. 'The First Amendment is a check on the power of the state. It doesn't apply to private companies like Facebook and Twitter,' he said. He called for more 'value judgements' on content moderation and censorship on social media lamenting that all content should not be allowed to spread equally. '[O]ver time we lose our capacity to distinguish between fact, opinion, and wholesale fiction. Or maybe we just stop caring,' he said. Heartbreaking video footage shows the moment an elderly woman is tricked into depositing thousands of dollars into a Bitcoin ATM - just before police swoop in to help her. The victim insisted she was on the phone to Chase Bank when confronted by officers responding to a 911 call from a concerned onlooker. But it was actually heartless scammers on the other end of the line who had already convinced her into depositing $23,900 of her own cash into the machine. Bodycam footage worn by Sergeant James Stewart shows him entering the Chevron gas station in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas, and approaching the woman. As she spots the officer, she is filmed saying: 'Please, I have the bank on the phone. I'm in danger and this is Chase Bank.' Police body cam footage shows the elderly woman depositing cash into a bitcoin ATM inside a Chevron gas station's convenience store 'No you're not, ma'am,' Stewart said as he took her phone to talk to the fraudster. Stewart is then heard berating the scammers, telling one of them: 'If you were in my presence right now, you would be in handcuffs going to jail.' A statement from local police states she withdrew $40,000 in cash from a Chase Bank branch. She was then instructed by criminals to deposit the cash in the Bitcoin ATM machine at the gas station. Bitcoin ATMs are not fraudulent by themselves; they are simply a tool to convert cash into bitcoin. If you already have a cryptocurrency wallet, the cash you deposit into the ATM will be sent there after you scan your personal QR code or input your wallet address - a lengthy string of numbers and letters. But criminals will often prey on the elderly or people ignorant of crypto and tell them to send their cash to a specific wallet address or QR code that they provide. And had it not been for Good Samaritan bystander Myndi Jordan, 38, the elderly woman would have lost every cent. Jordan - who has fallen victim to identity theft herself - became alarmed after seeing the woman repeatedly put $100 bills into the machine at the insistence of somebody over the phone. 'I noticed an elderly lady feeding thousands of dollars into the cryptocurrency machine and the people on the phone sound like foreigners,' she told the 911 dispatcher. 'They have her FaceTiming to make sure she's putting the money in the machine. I just don't think she's aware of what she's doing.' Shortly after her call, Stewart and another officer from the White Settlement Police Department arrived at the scene. Stewart's body camera captured him approaching the victim and his confrontation with the alleged scammer. 'Stop putting money in there,' he told her as he took her phone. When Stewart asks who is on the other line, a male voice responds, saying he's part of the 'security team' at Chase Bank. 'No, you're not,' Stewart fires back. 'If you're really with the security team you can call my dispatch right now.' The person then asks to be put back on the phone with the woman he's duped, a request Stewart didn't entertain for a second. At one point, the suspect tries to convince the woman to take her phone back because the police have 'no business' interfering. He then tries to get his victim to continue pressing buttons on the machine. 'Listen to me. She is not clicking on anything...what you're doing is committing a crime,' Stewart said, still holding the phone and speaking to the scammer. The scammer repeatedly calls the woman 'Christine,' which eventually enrages Stewart because that isn't her name. When he's called out for getting her name wrong, the criminal starts calling her 'Kathleen.' Myndi Jordan, pictured, called police about the situation and is seen here telling Sergeant James Stewart that the elderly woman had deposited over $23,000 According to White Settlement police, the perpetrator arranged a rideshare to take the elderly woman to the bank to withdraw the $40,000 and another one to take her to the Bitcoin ATM. The suspect allegedly hounded the woman for several days prior and even provided her a cover story to tell the bank for why she was withdrawing so much money all at once, NBC reported. She believed that the person she was speaking with was from Chase Bank thanks to a common trick that allows criminals to mimic an organization's number. 'Fraudsters can also spoof a telephone number, which was done in this offense, where the victim saw 'CHASE BANK' on the caller ID,' police said in a statement. All major banks will never tell a customer to withdraw money over the phone. Police said the woman was also told that she would be arrested if she didn't withdraw the $40,000. This is a common ploy by scammers use to get people to make quick, irrational decisions. Officers arrive outside the store where the elderly woman was brutally scammed by an unknown person over the phone Bitcoin ATM scams have become so prevalent that the Federal Trade Commission had to issue an advisory for consumers back in March. When the woman realized that she'd been saved from depositing all of her money, she hugged both of the officers on the scene. 'All I could do is visualize my mom in this case,' Stewart said, talking about this case. 'I wish we could find this guy and place him behind bars for a very long time because he is probably doing this to other people.' White Settlement police is working to recover the woman's lost funds with the help of a Bitcoin law enforcement liaison and the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office. Jordan will be honored for what she did at the next White Settlement City Council meeting. BrewDog founder James Watt says he leaned on his girlfriend Georgia Toffolo for advice during the development of his new influencer market venture, a month after stepping down as chief executive of the craft beer giant. On Monday, the entrepreneur announced plans for Social Tip, a new app platform which he said is designed to allow normal consumers to become influencers. The business will allow Britons who post on social media about brands they like, which are signed up to Social Tip, to be rewarded with money based on the level of engagements. Mr Watt, who has remained an adviser and non-executive director at BrewDog, said he spoke to the former Made in Chelsea star and influencer, during the creation of the new business. He claims BrewDog largely 'grew on word of mouth' and believes Social Tip will allow companies to grow their audience in a similar way. Mr Watt (right), who has remained an adviser and non-executive director at BrewDog, said he spoke to the former Made in Chelsea star and influencer (left), during the creation of the new business On Monday, the entrepreneur announced plans for Social Tip, a new app platform which he said is designed to allow normal consumers to become influencers Mr Watt said: 'The businesses we are speaking to are really excited about the prospect of this. 'We will be marketing ourselves from day one, so people see the opportunity to make money from their posts, but companies will also be wanting their customers to be aware of this, aware of the opportunity to share their experience while profiting from it.' Mr Watt said the economics of using influencers have 'massively changed' for businesses, suggesting that they could gain more value from rewarding ordinary people who use, and have paid for, their products. 'On a macro level, a lot of major influencers aren't offering the return to businesses now that they were a few years ago,' he said. 'What people engage with is changing and people are looking for something more authentic. 'We don't think there is anything more authentic than customers who actually use and cheerlead your products spreading that. 'Yes, they have smaller individual followings, but there is more benefit to having hundreds of those than spending the same amount on one big name.' The company said it has already partnered with dozens of brands, including Huel, PureGym and Dash water. Mr Watt will run the company alongside Thomas Matecki, former chief technology officer of fintech firm Zilch, and Georgia Lee, former managing director of food delivery firm Supper. Social Tip will officially be launched and become available for download in the summer. Mr Watt, who stepped away from the helm of BrewDog after 17 years, has also invested in '15 to 20' start-up businesses, including leading a 500,000 funding round for soft drink firm Living Things last week. Social Tip said it has already partnered with dozens of brands, including Huel, PureGym and Dash water Mr Watt, who stepped away from the helm of BrewDog after 17 years, has also invested in '15 to 20' start-up businesses, including leading a 500,000 funding round for soft drink firm Living Things last week He handed over the reins of BrewDog to chief operating officer James Arrow, but still has a non-executive role of 'captain and co-founder' in the business and retains his 21 per cent shareholding in the firm. The Aberdeen-born businessman started up his own brewery with co-founder Martin Dickie at the age of 24 on an industrial estate in 2007. They decided on the name because Mr Watt's father Jim had recently got a puppy. Coming from a family of fishermen, he used to help his father on his fishing boat in the North Sea. On his LinkedIn profile he claims to be a 'fully qualified deep sea captain'. He graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in law and economics. After landing a job as a trainee solicitor he quit after two weeks - branding 'conforming' as 'painful at best - and, three years later, started BrewDog with Mr Dickie. The business struggled at first but took off when, after around six months, Tesco placed an order to sell its beer across the country. In 2014, Mr Watt won Great British Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2016 both he and Mr Dickie were awarded an MBE. The pair grew up as best friends and became flatmates when they both lived in Edinburgh. Mr Watt, who is divorced with two daughters, has very much been the face of the company since its inception. But his tenure has been marred by controversy in recent years, with the firm accused by former workers in an open letter in 2021 of having a 'culture of fear' within the business, with 'toxic attitudes' towards junior staff. He later admitted to being 'too intense and demanding' amid a workplace culture row where he was accused of inappropriate behaviour and abusing his power. Pictured are Martin Dickie and James Watt - BrewDog's founders Mr Watt will take on the newly created non-executive role of 'captain and co-founder' Mr Watt and Mr Dickie grew up as best friends and became flatmates in Edinburgh The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, and Mr Watt first got together over the summer of 2023 Speaking with Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast about his leadership at the company, he admitted to previously pushing people 'too far' because of his 'high standards.' But the CEO - whose company has been accused of having a 'rotten culture' - said that his actions were done with '100 per cent good intentions.' More than 15 ex-staff previously spoke out against Mr Watt with some claiming he made female bartenders feel 'uncomfortable' and 'powerless'. Mr Watt has said the allegations are false and denies behaving inappropriately. Last year, it was reported he sought specialist help after he was described as 'semi-autistic' in the wake of the allegations. He was diagnosed with ADHD - which causes people to be restless and impulsive - and Asperger syndrome, a form of autism. Mr Watt has been dating Ms Toffolo, 29, since the summer of 2023 after being set up on a blind date by a friend. Ms Toffolo - who is known by her friends as Toff - admitted she hopes her boyfriend Mr Watt will be 'the one'. Toff said: 'I would love him to be the one but hey, so far so good. I don't know. It is still very early days. But we're really happy. 'James actually walked into a wall on our first date, which was really funny. But, I think I knew [how strong their connection was] from the second date. 'I mean it was just classic James and I. The first date was, like, stereotypical, really lovely time, knew I really liked him, great.' A two-year-old girl was shot in the stomach through her stuffed bear while her father was killed and mother seriously injured in a tragic mistaken identity shooting that has encapsulated the shocking state of gangland crime in Sweden. The horror attack, described by one lawyer as the most brutal case she had ever worked on, unfolded in October last year when the then-16-year-old suspect broke into the family home in Stockholm's Vastberga district at nightfall. A Swedish court heard last week how the teenage shooter promptly gunned down the father at near-point-blank range before turning the automatic rifle on the mother, who was clutching her two-year-old daughter in her arms. He sprayed a volley of bullets in their direction, one of which hit the mother in the liver and another of which tore through the toddler's Winnie the Pooh cuddly toy and embedded itself in her stomach. The pair miraculously survived the attack, as did the young girl's five-year-old sister who avoided the onslaught by hiding in her bedroom. But it later emerged that the killer, who after carrying out the heinous execution murdered two more women at another location the next day before being arrested, had broken into the wrong house because his victims had the same last name as his original target. Details of the harrowing assault were revealed as Swedish academics, a politician and a high-ranking police officer told MailOnline how the nation is now at a crisis point amid spiralling gangland violence. Picture shows the Winnie the Pooh plush toy, undated. A two-year-old girl was shot and the bullet impacted the toy, in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 12, 2023 Picture shows the suspect, 16, undated. A two-year-old girl, her father, 40, and mother were shot in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 12, 2023 The bloody nighty worn by the two-year-old when she was shot is seen in this image Bullet casings and the damaged Winnie the Pooh bear are seen in these crime scene pictures Sodertorn District Court in Sweden heard the skin-crawling details of the savage shooting as the trial got underway last week. Prosecutors said that the murder suspect, who is now aged 17 and is said to suffer from some mental impairment, had been told by a gang member to infiltrate the house of a rival gang figure to carry out executions. He is said to have been offered SEK 150,000 (11,235) per person killed. But the teenager had mistakenly attacked the family of four - two adults and two children with no connections to crime - simply because they shared the same surname as the original target. Having broken a window to get inside the home, he discovered the 40-year-old father asleep on the couch and blasted him from mere feet away with his automatic weapon. The mother and the two-year-old girl woke up to the sound of gunshots and the father yelling in shock and pain. Hearing their terrified screams, the killer stalked upstairs and saw the mother fleeing into the corridor, trying to shield her young child from harm. Prosecutors said the gunman ordered the woman to turn around before coldly shooting her in the back. The bullet hit her in the liver and caused horrific injuries, while another round hit the two-year-old in the stomach. Unsettling photos taken at the crime scene showed how the bullet tore a hole through her Winnie the Pooh teddy as investigators were seen holding up the bloodstained nightie the toddler was when she was mercilessly shot in her own home. Rebecka Lewis, a lawyer working on the case, told Swedish press: '(The mother) was millimetres from dying, or being paralysed throughout her body if the bullet had hit her spine. 'She was incredibly lucky, and so was the baby. She has just started processing the incident through trauma treatment and so on. She is a very strong person but it has been an incredibly tough situation.' Lewis also explained how the two children have been affected by the incident. 'Both children have changed fundamentally. They are afraid, and they have lost their father. They are working to take care of this trauma, but there is a long way to go,' she told Expressen.se. 'I have worked at a law firm for 17 years and I have never seen anything so brutal, against completely innocent people,' she concluded. Picture shows two-year-old girl, her father, 40, and sister, undated. The dad was shot dead in the attack and the two-year-old suffered significant injuries. The five-year-old survived by hiding from the gunman in her bedroom Picture shows forensic investigators extracting a bullet from a wall in the family home Picture shows the crime scene following the shooting as forensic investigators descended on the property The stricken mother and daughter only survived after the mother managed to call emergency services. But by the time police arrived at the property in Vastberga, the shooter had already escaped in a taxi and travelled to the nearby Tullinge suburb. There, he killed two more women, aged 20 and 60, before eventually being located and arrested by police alongside two other teenagers. One of them, a 15-year-old boy, is believed to have helped organise the murders and the other, a 16-year-old girl, provided the weapon as well as the addresses of the targets, prosecutors claimed. The shooter has been charged with murder and attempted murder and could be placed in a closed juvenile centre for up to 10 years, according to Swedish law, though the court is likely to take his mental disabilities into account. The 15-year-old boy meanwhile was charged with inciting the murders and attempted murders. The girl was charged with aiding and abetting murder. All three are also charged with aggravated weapons offences for jointly possessing the automatic weapon used in the fatal shootings. Meanwhile, investigators discovered that a 22-year-old man with connections to a local criminal gang had paid for the murder suspect's taxi rides to and from the locations of his shootings. That man has been charged with accessory to murder. The shootings came in October last year amid a particularly violent period in Sweden. Jale Poljarevius, a senior police officer and chief of intelligence for Sweden's Mitt region, described the 'deadly violence' as being 'very serious' to MailOnline. 'That was a bad period in Sweden September to October last year. Today it's a little bit better, but it's very insecure still because it can turn on and start with a new wave of violence at any time,' he said. 'Sometimes we make arrests of gang members and when they are put away, a vacuum opens, and then new gang members try to take over,' he said. Then 'they are fighting each other and you have new shootings and a new explosion of violence.' Sweden has been described as a 'haven' for mafia gangs off the back of surging migration. Backlash against immigration has in turn - in the past - led to clashes between groups and Police (pictured), who are swamped with trying to crack down of rising levels of gang violence Smoke billows from burning tires, pallets and fireworks during riots of Police with few hundred protesters in the Rosengard neighbourhood of Malmo, Sweden, 28 August 2020 Police vans are on fire amid clashes between protesters and police in 2022 Hundreds of shootings and several bombings have been carried out in recent years - with a shooting earlier this month resulting in the death of an award-winning rapper named C. Gambino. Police - who say 62,000 people are linked to criminal networks in the country - have said they suspect the attack was gang-related. Mafia groups abroad have called the country a 'haven' for their activities, while organised crime groups have infiltrated business sectors and found ways to smuggle military-grade weapons into the country. In all of 2023, 53 people were killed in shootings across Sweden, which is home to around 10.5 million people. In 2022, that figure stood at 62 - and Stockholm's per-capita murder rate was roughly 30 times that of London's. The killings have turned Sweden, seen for many years from the outside as a peaceful Scandinavian welfare state, into the European Union's gun homicide capital. Gangsters carry out personal vendettas against each other - or hire youngsters to do their dirty work. Almost half the suspects in the gun-related murders in 2022 were aged between 15 and 20 - youngsters who have been groomed by gangs that are, statistics show, largely run by second-generation immigrants. Young hitmen have admitted to being hired to shoot and kill rivals, being paid as much as a million SEK (around 73,000) to do so, or as little as a few thousand. Experts say the violence has been driven by a number of factors: Turf wars between gangs, a growing drugs market, an influx of guns into the market, growing inequality, high level of immigration and also a failure of migrant integration into society. Richard Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, was aboard his company's submarine when it imploded last year while on its way to explore the wreck of the RMS Titanic, after he dismissed safety warnings as 'baseless cries'. The ship, which sank over a century ago and resulted in the tragic deaths of 1,517 people, has fascinated many throughout the years, and Rush, 61, had managed to tap into that obsession with OceanGate Expeditions. The Washington-based company was founded in 2009 by Princeton-educated Rush and Guillermo Sohnleinm who left the firm in 2013 but retained a minority share. The research company, which has been valued at $66 million, aimed to carry out deep-sea exploration through the use of submersibles. In 2022, OceanGate managed to capture haunting images of the infamous 1912 shipwreck around 370 miles east of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. These were considered to be the most high-resolution pictures people had managed to see of the 'Unsinkable Ship' yet. Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, was one of the five men who died during Titan's ill-fated journey to the Titanic's wreckage. His maverick approach to innovation earned him comparisons with visionaries like Elon Musk but caused concern among peers in the industry OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (pictured) is said to have ignored warnings from leading deep sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum that he was potentially putting his clients at risk The CEO of OceanGate 's Titan submersible (pictured) repeatedly shrugged off safety concerns over the doomed vessel, according to newly unearthed email exchanges Daredevil Rush, who was sleek and media savvy and had once dreamed of becoming an astronaut, zeroed in on the Titanic wreck and promoted the ultimate exploration destination for like-minded adventurers. Promising a once-in-a-lifetime experience to thrill seekers who were prepared to dish out $250,000 per head, Rush invited passengers to travel down into the depths of the North Atlantic in the Titan - a cramped 22-feet long cylinder - to see the luxury liner in its deep-sea grave. But tourists Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, French Navy pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and Rush all died on the submersible after it imploded in the middle of the Atlantic on June 18, 2023. The five passengers had started to descend as Rush piloted the vessel, which was controlled by a generic video games controller. At 9:45am it lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince. OceanGate Expeditions took eight hours to report the missing sub to the US Coast Guard after it lost contact. That led to a massive international response based on the misguided thought that the men could be rescued. OceanGate boss Stockton Rush (pictured in a video filmed by Mexican actor Alan Estrada before he travelled to the Titanic on the submersible) previously spoke about 'breaking rules' to build the missing Titan submersible, newly emerged footage has shown Rush (pictured) was seen in a clip telling Mexican actor Estrada about the seven-inch thick acrylic window that is mounted on the front of the Titan to give those inside a view of the famous wreckage that lies 12,500 feet below the ocean surface Stockton Rush shows the controller used to steer the Titan which has been compared to something from an XBox or PS5 OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush (pictured left) sits alongside submersible pilot Randy Holt in the company's submersible, 'Antipodes,' traveling three miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida June 28, 2013 Ships from across the globe started to make the journey to help search for the missing sub while the hours and estimated oxygen ticked down. But after days of frantic searching, it was announced the five people aboard the submarine were believed to have been killed in a likely implosion. In an ironic twist, Rush's wife Wendy is the great-great granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, two of the wealthiest people on-board the Titanic. They became recognised for their tragic love-story, after witnesses described seeing the two standing arm in arm on the Titanic's deck as the ship went down. Last year's tragedy, which quickly grabbed the world's attention, in particular shone a light on Rush, a self-styled 'innovator', who bragged about 'breaking rules', and how his ambitious voyage was doomed from the start. Before co-founding OceanGate in 2009, San Francisco-born Rush was more interested in space than deep seas: At 19, he became the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world, qualifying with the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, was fired after meetings with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (pictured) who is on board the missing submersible For the next three years he flew for Saudi Arabian Airlines on his summer holidays from his aerospace engineering course at Princeton. From 1984 he worked with the US Air Force on F-15s and anti-satellite missile programs, with the aim of eventually taking part in the space program. Rush obtained an MBA from Berkeley and went on to work for multiple companies, specializing in sonar, subsea technology and radars. He built a Glasair III experimental aircraft which he flew regularly, and his own Kittredge K-350 two-man submersible. Rush always intended to take tourists to the Titanic: in 2017, he said he planned to then branch out to excursions to hydrothermal vents or deep-sea canyons, and underwater battlefield tours. Shahzada Dawood, 48, (right) one of Pakistan's richest men, who along with his teenage son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, (left) died on the Titan Billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, (left) was among the five people on board The OceanGate Titan. Also killed was French mariner Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 73, who was a Titanic expert He then hoped to work with oil and gas exploration. His maverick approach to innovation earned him comparisons with visionaries like Elon Musk but caused concern among peers in the industry. But when the Titan imploded, colleagues and friends of the CEO said it was a tragedy they had been warning would happen for years, with some having begged Rush not to plough ahead. Leaders in the field of deep-sea exploration even wrote to the father-of-two in 2018 - five years before the ill-fated voyage - warning the company's 'experimental' methods could end in a 'catastrophic' disaster. But instead of heeding the warnings, Rush shrugged them off, even suggesting that to question the Titan's safety credentials was 'personally insulting' to him as he branded claims he was 'going to kill someone' as 'baseless'. Rush went as far as saying he was 'tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation' as he appeared resentful of the 'obscenely safe' regulations he viewed as an obstacle to development and innovation. In 2018, the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group, warned that the 'current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' The company also fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. Labour has suspended one of its peers in the House of Lords after he launched a social media attack on a gender-critical party candidate. Michael Cashman, an LGBT campaigner and former EastEnders actor, has lost the whip after comments he made on X about Rosie Duffield. He triggered a wave of criticism when he accused her of being 'frit or lazy' after she revealed she would not attend local hustings due to 'constant trolling' about her views. Ms Duffield revealed on Friday she made an 'extremely difficult decision' because the 'actions of a few fixated individuals' have made her attendance 'impossible'. The 52-year-old, who is standing in Canterbury, is a defender of women's rights and female-only spaces who revealed this week that she has spent 2,000 on bodyguards while campaigning. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on a campaign visit today that what Lord Cashman said was 'particularly inappropriate and that's why the support of the whip was withdrawn as it was very swiftly'. Michael Cashman, an LGBT campaigner and former EastEnders actor, has lost the whip after commends he made on X about Rosie Duffield. He triggered a wave of criticism when he accused her of being 'frit or lazy' after she revealed she would not attend local hustings due to 'constant trolling' about her views. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on a campaign visit today that what Lord Cashman said was 'particularly inappropriate and that's why the support of the whip was withdrawn as it was very swiftly'. Lord Cashman, a prominent LGBT activist who played Colin Russell in Eastenders between 1986 and 1989, deleted his tweet this morning and apologised. But Ms Duffield hit back, saying: 'This will be the first General Election where I haven't attended every single hustings. But as someone who has never been an MP, it looks as though Lord Cashman is completely unaware that very many MPs/candidates choose never to attend these events at all.' Lord Cashman, a prominent LGBT activist who played Colin Russell in EastEnders between 1986 and 1989, deleted his Saturday tweet yesterday, adding: 'I apologise unreservedly for a post that I put out regarding the Labour candidate for Canterbury. I fully understand any complaints that will be sent to the Labour Party.' But Ms Duffield hit back, saying: 'This will be the first General Election where I haven't attended every single hustings. But as someone who has never been an MP, it looks as though Lord Cashman is completely unaware that very many MPs/candidates choose never to attend these events at all.' Ms Duffield, who believes that self-identification threatens women's rights to female-only spaces, previously claimed that she has been given the cold shoulder by the Labour leadership over her views on trans issues. Last month, she complained that Sir Keir Starmer offered her 'no apology' when the two finally spoke after she told a whip she had not been talked to in two and a half years. In a statement on X on Friday, she said: 'The constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation from certain people, having built up over a number of years and being pursued with a new vigour during this election, is now affecting my sense of security and wellbeing. 'The result is now that I feel unable to be focused on giving a clear presentation of the Labour Party's manifesto commitments.' Tory Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch waded into the row over Lord Cashman's comments, accusing Labour of 'intimidation and abuse' towards its own. She tweeted: 'I can't imagine what it's like being Rosie in a party where her own colleagues continually attack her, just for standing up for women. 'This is now about more than women's rights, but how a party manages internal disagreement. Instead of healthy debate it's intimidation and abuse. 'If this is what they do to their own, imagine what they will do to our country.' A Labour Party spokesman described the right to campaign as a 'vital' aspect of British democracy. 'It is vital to our democracy that prospective parliamentary candidates are able to campaign freely,' the spokesman said. 'We completely condemn any intimidation tactics towards candidates of any party.' Sir Keir previously criticised the would-be MP's claim that 'only women have a cervix', but later told ITV's Good Morning Britain that 'biologically, she of course is right about that' and called for an end to 'toxic' debates on gender. The remarks drew the ire of Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who accused him of having a 'brass neck'. Earlier this month an internet troll who posted 'chilling' online messages threatening to kill Ms Rowling and Ms Duffield was spared jail. Glenn Mullen, 31, of Clyde Road, Manchester, uploaded audio clips in Gaelic threatening to kill Ms Rowling 'with a big hammer' and said he was 'going to see Rosie Duffield at the bar with a big gun', Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. This is the moment an anti-ULEZ activist uses a power tool to cut down a camera and traffic light in the latest attack on Sadiq Khan's controversial scheme. The group, known as 'Blade Runners', opted for their own version of justice this weekend by felling another ULEZ camera using power tools, including a saw. The scenes took place during a protest in Southwark, South London, with the group taking out a set of lights at a four-way junction. As the group film their actions, loud horns can be heard in celebration as protestors stand on an island in the middle of the road carrying placards. Video footage shows the moment that the group fell the lights with a power saw easily cutting through the tubing. Moments later, the lights come crashing to the ground as the man filming the chaos narrates the ongoing celebrations. He sarcastically says: 'The lights have fallen over here, folks, the lights have fallen over, oh dear, oh deary me. The scenes took place during a protest in Southwark, South London, (pictured) with the group taking out a set of lights at a four-way junction One 'Blade Runner' takes a power tool to the traffic light (pictured) As the group film their actions, loud horns can be heard in celebration as protestors stand on an island in the middle of the road carrying placards. Pictured: A protestor holding a sign Moments later, the lights come crashing to the ground as the man filming the chaos narrates the ongoing celebrations (pictured) 'What has happened here, oh no, oh no - the lights have fallen over here.' Whilst the man narrates over the latest felling of traffic lights by the group, traffic begins to spew into the middle of the four lanes as there is no longer a traffic light to instruct motorists. This excites the man who exclaims: 'Oh look, the lights have gone out and all the traffic is flowing through here again. We've got the traffic running freely here.' As multiple cars whizz past, the man addresses the fact that his group have once again stopped ULEZ, a 12.50 charge for Londoners who take their cars into certain parts of the city. He gleefully continues: 'Oh no ULEZ, no lights, no nothing, have some of that.' The man then bursts into exaggerated laughter before adding: 'Carnage at the circus, come on the lights are down, they've just fallen over here.' The scenes were shared to social media in a post with the caption: 'What do you think - a worthy case in the face of tyranny or just a bunch of vandals?' The post received over 37,000 likes with thousands of comments from social media users who were divided over their views on the situation. One said: 'Fair play to them, it's a complete scam that does nothing.' Another added: 'When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.' A third replied: 'They are common criminals.' Another commented: 'Modern day Robin Hood with a band of merry men.' Last month, The Blade Runners went on an angry rampage across the capital in the aftermath of Sadiq Khan's historic win, cutting poles in half, spray painting cameras, and in one village setting them on fire. Spy cameras were toppled from Ickenham and Northwood in Hillingdon and Feltham and Hounslow in west London, to the surburban village Yiewsley on the outskirts of London. One activist says the 'purge' was carried out as people are 'p***ed off about the tyranny reigning over us'. The slashing of wires and damage to boxes came hours after Khan secured a third term as he trounced his nearest rival Susan Hall of the Conservatives by a majority of nearly 276,000 votes. Blade Runner Matt Hardy claimed this Ulez camera was cut down just hours after it had been installed after the election day Anti-Ulez activists went on a purge around London cutting down cameras following Sadiq Khan's re-election of Mayor of London (Pictured: A camera cut down in Hillingdon) The group went on an angry rampage across the capital in the aftermath of Mr Khan's historic win MailOnline believes that at least seven Ulez cameras were wrecked following Saturday's result and 14 since the polls closed. Blade Runner Matt Hardy claimed on Friday that after polls closed he had 'reports flooding in this morning [that] there's been a purge out there last night after this election'. Mr Hardy described Khan as a 'little rat' and said 'Have some of that, it's people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it real votes, real boys here.' In another video posted on TikTok, he chuckles as he stands on dog poo and then smears it on one toppled camera smeared that has a sticker plastered over the lens which reads: 'Blood on your hands.' Laughing hysterically, Mr Hardy says: 'S**t happens, folks. What a f***ing nuisance. Look at this folks. Down on the decks.' The Metropolitan Police recorded 795 crimes relating to Ulez cameras between April and September last year. There were 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 involved cameras being damaged. Another anti-Ulez activist under the alias Dan the Man with a Van claimed that three cameras had fallen and traffic light wires had been 'chopped' in west London since the election. 'Khan's been re-elected for the third time and look at that, Feltham have already chosen direct action the whole pole has come down with the Ulez camera on it,' he said. A royal guard told how he planned his marriage proposal with military precision - before dashing off to take part in the King's birthday parade. Colour Sergeant Jacob Lockwood, 33, broke off from preparations for Trooping of the Colour to bravely get down on one knee and pop the question to longterm girlfriend Ruth O'Mara. And to the delight of cheering onlookers it was a case of mission accomplished when stunned Ruth, 25, joyfully accepted his proposal. The heart warming exchange created an internet storm when one passer by captured the moment on camera and posted it one social media. Jacob Lockwood, pictured right, got engaged longterm girlfriend Ruth O'Mara, left, moments before Trooping of the Colour Ms O'Hare, pictured left, was completely unaware her boyfriend was planning to 'pop the question' Colour Sergeant Jacob Lockwood, 33, broke off from preparations for the Trooping of the Colour to bravely get down on one knee and pop the question to longterm girlfriend Ruth O'Mara And to the delight of cheering onlookers it was a case of mission accomplished when stunned Ruth, 25, joyfully accepted his proposal The heart warming exchange created an internet storm when one passer-by captured the moment on camera and posted it one social media Jacob told MailOnline: 'It was the icing on the cake on a very special day. 'I was a bit nervous beforehand. Thankfully she said yes. She was absolutely gobsmacked. She had absolutely no idea I was going to do it.' Jacob, who has served in the military for 15 years, told how he had been working with the Household Cavalry in the run up to the event and was among military personnel organising the collection of horses for senior officers. He had arranged to meet up briefly with Ruth outside Buckingham Palace after she had travelled to London from their home in Windsor to watch the parade. He said: 'Over the past three years I have been taking part in the parade and we've met up to have our picture taken outside Buckingham Palace beforehand. It's become a tradition. 'We planned to redo the picture this year. Ruth had no idea what I was planning.' Jacob - who has been dating Ruth for five years - was captured on camera as he went down on one knee and made his unexpected proposal. His astonished and delighted girlfriend gasped: 'Oh my God!' as he then quickly placed a ring onto her finger and said 'I love you'. He was then heard asking 'Does it fit?' as Ruth slipped on the engagement band. A small crowd, mainly made up of police officers on duty for the ceremony, applauded the newly engaged couple as some onlookers shouted 'congratulations'. Then, after taking a moment to hug his future wife, Jacob revealed he needed to make a dash for the Royal parade. Beckoning towards the Royal residence in the background, he quipped: 'Right, I've got to get into the Palace. The King's going to be waiting.' Describing the moment Jacob said: 'After the picture. I dropped my stick so that I could take the ring out of my pocket. 'You can see that she thought I dropped it accidentally as she went down to pick the stick up for me. 'I then got down on one knee. She had absolutely no idea and just started screaming. 'I said I had to go because the King will be waiting. Then, 15 minutes later, I was stood looking at him as I was there collecting the horses for some of the Household Division officers.' Describing the surprise proposal Jacob said: 'I decided on Wednesday that I was going to do it on the day of the King's birthday parade because I thought it would be really special' Describing the surprise proposal Jacob said: 'I decided on Wednesday that I was going to do it on the day of the King's birthday parade because I thought it would be really special. 'I had a friend come and take a picture for me and she videoed it.' He told how he knew he was working within a short time frame and his carefully planned mission was almost thwarted when Ruth was delayed on her journey. He said: 'She got a bit delayed coming into town. Literally as she arrived they closed the crossings because the parade was about to start coming back to Buckingham Palace. 'I just absolutely panicked thinking 'Oh God no. We've missed the opportunity'. 'While she was behind me talking to the girl that took the pictures for us I quickly got the ring out of my pocket, showed it to the policeman and gestured to my girlfriend behind me. 'I said 'Can we just stand in that archway there and have a picture?' He just kind of waved us through. 'I quickly popped the question and then got back to my duties. 'The location couldn't have been any better. It was quite nice there were all the police around and noone else really so. It was personal but nice and grand outside the palace. It couldn't have turned out better. 'I was a bit down about the weather thinking it's such a flipping miserable day and just about five minutes before we were stood on the Mall it was quite grey. 'We moved round to where I did it, which was out of the view of the public. 'Then suddenly there was a parting of the clouds and the sun shone through. We had a couple of minutes of sunshine while I proposed then it went really grey and it started raining again. 'It was like the heavens just gave a break before opening - just in time for me to pop the question. It couldn't have been more perfect. Jacob told his grandmother had helped out in the plans after passing on her own engagement ring. He said: 'It was my grandmother's engagement ring that she gave me about a year ago when I told her that I knew Ruth was definitely going to be the one for me for the rest of my life.' Jacob told how he had no idea the proposal would attract so much attention. He said: One of the people with a camera heard my girlfriend screaming and started videoing. Somebody messaged me saying congratulations on the engagement. I couldn't understand how they found out. 'I said 'How the hell do you know? And they told me 'You're on the Daily Mail Online.' After the event the couple met up to start their own celebrations. Jacob said: 'She came and met me at Hyde Park Barracks. We had a quick drink in the corporal's mess then went home and joined her parents and we had a bit of a celebration at their house in Suffolk afterwards.' A serial shoplifter branded a 'pest' by police was captured stealing a staggering 27 times from the same Co-op store during a six-month crime spree. Patrick Butler, 43, was caught shamelessly and repeatedly targeting the same store, stealing nearly 1,400 worth of stock in total during the six-month period. And on some occasions he would even help himself to goods from the shelves in Bestwood, Nottingham, more than once a day. The brazen criminal stole thousands of pounds worth of items from the shop from December, 2023 until the start of this month, a court heard. Each time, the thief would lurk into the shop and make away with anything he could get his hands on, arrogantly walking away with a bag filled with items. Patrick Butler, 43 was caught stealing from the same Co-op store in Nottingham a staggering 27 times Over a six-month period the brazen criminal - Butler - (pictured) thieved an eye-watering 1400 worth of stock over a six month period Shockingly, after being charged with six thefts Butler failed to attend court and went on to commit 21 more offences at the branch while we was wanted by authorities. Butler has now been jailed for 12 months after police finally caught up with him. He was issued with a criminal behaviour order banning him from entering the store for two years Butler tormented staff by regularly going into the shop on Beckhampton Road - insolently strolling out with stolen items, a court heard. After being charged for stealing 210 worth of stock on March 12, he descended again on March 23 - this time taking cheese as well as laundry products. Unashamed, Butler would strike the store another eight more times between March 24 and May 2 before briefly going into hiding once more. However his stint away from the shop was short-lived as he returned to steal from the Co-op on May 4. Just over a week later on May 12, he confidently made two visits to the shop in one day, repeating the same procedure the next day - walking with a full bag on each time. Butler returned to the store to shoplift five more times, with one of his thefts on May 25 seeing him also shove a staff member before leaving. Officers were able to track down and apprehend Butler at an address in Top Valley, Nottingham, during the early hours of Wednesday, June 12. Butler, of Bestwood Park, Nottingham, was subsequently charged with 21 shop thefts and for failing to surrender to police. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he confessed to the offences alongside the six other thefts. Sergeant Katie Taylor, of Nottinghamshire Police's Bestwood neighbourhood policing team, said: 'Patrick Butler has been a pest to the Bestwood community for some time now - especially those working at the local Co-op. 'On no less than 27 separate occasions, he walked into the shop with the sole purpose of helping himself to items without ever intending to pay for them. 'Despite our officers catching Butler and charging him with the first six thefts, he then decided not to bother showing up to court to answer for what he'd done, but went into hiding instead. Butler, of Bestwood Park, Nottingham, was subsequently charged with 21 shop thefts and for failing to surrender to police 'Not content with this, he then went on to steal from the same store again and again - taking around 1,400 worth of stock in the process. 'The arrogance he showed in continuing to target the same shop so many times was staggering, so we're really pleased to have been able to track him down and bring him before the courts. 'We fully understand how much of a negative impact shoplifters like Butler can have on communities, which is why targeting acquisitive crimes such as this remains one of our policing priorities for the city north area. 'Shoplifting offences are a blight on the community, and are unfair on shoppers who spend their hard-earned money on items. 'We're really pleased with the court's ruling - not just the custodial sentence - as having this CBO in place means if Butler decides to repeat his offending, he will more than likely find himself behind bars again.' Six people from the same family including three kids have been killed and five more people injured in a horrific house fire in Georgia. The fire department was called to the 1300 block of Macedonia Road, southwest of Atlanta in Coweta County just before 5am. Fire fighters arrived nine minutes later and saw the property half engulfed in flames with five people outside. They battled against the flames to locate the remaining six people, who ultimately perished. The children were aged six, , 12 and 13, while the oldest adult fatality was 70 years-old. The injured were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, some in a 'serious' condition. Six people have been killed and five more injured in a horrific house fire in Georgia 'There are things you cannot wrap your head around,' Sydney Williams, who claims to be a relative posted on Facebook. 'This is one of them. We are absolutely heartbroken.' 'Please pray for our family. The most tragic thing to wake up to.' She said that two babies and their older sister had managed to escape, along with two adults. Williams requested children's clothing, diapers and formula to help support the three kids who she said would be out of hospital later. She is also seeking clothing and belongings for the two surviving adults. Supporters can make donations on GoFundMe. The six victims are reportedly all from the same family and aged between six and 70, according to the Times Herald quoting Fire Chief Robby Flanagan. 'From what we understand this is a very large family, so we're working to make contact with them,' he said. 'At this time we're unaware of what their immediate needs are but this family is going to need quite a bit of help.' Pictures show the devastating aftermath of the fire which claimed the lives of three children and two adults The fire department was called to the 1300 block of Macedonia Road, six miles from the city of Newnan in Coweta County just before 5am BREAKING: 6 people are dead after a fire in Coweta County on Macedonia Rd. 5 others are injured as a result of the fire. Victims range from very young to elderly according to the Coweta County Fire Chief @GoodDayAtlanta pic.twitter.com/8vEdNaEbn4 Brooke Zauner (@BrookeZaunerTV) June 17, 2024 He added that the 1,7999 square foot home has been completely destroyed. A firefighter is also being treated for minor injuries. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. 'The Coweta County Sheriffs Office is deeply saddened by the news of the house fire that claimed the lives of several of our community members,' police said in a statement. 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss. We ask that everyone please keep the victims and their loved ones in their thoughts and prayers.' NYU freshman Kaitlyn Fung was catapulted into the media spotlight last week after being arrested for stealing $51,000 worth of luxury items from her then-roommate. The 18-year-old was accused of stealing by Aurora Agapov, 19, after she found a receipt in Fung's pocketbook last month from The Real Real consignment shop that listed her missing items. Agapov, whose father is associated with a pal of Vladimir Putin, told the New York Post that she and Fung were 'quite good friends' before the theft accusations. The 19-year-old told Fung to sleep somewhere else and moved the alleged thief's stuff out of their room at NYU's Founders Hall dorm shortly afterward. Agapov had no problems with the seemingly great 18-year-old until the theft in May, and Fung was known as an ace student before allegedly stealing $51,000 worth of items from her former roommate. NYU freshman Kaitlyn Fung was accused and arrested on May 2 for stealing $51,000 worth of luxury items from her former roommate, Aurora Agapov Agapov accused her then roommate of theft after she found a receipt in Fung's pocketbook last month from The Real Real consignment shop that listed her missing items Who was Kaitlyn Fung before Aurora Agapov accused her of theft? Fung has been working as a part-time media marketing consultant for CGI Holistic & Spa since July 2022 and became proficient in at least four different software Fun has at least three social media pages, one of which is focused on food. Instagram users have written about her theft accusations in a photo she posted under @fungus.cooks Fung grew up in New Jersey and participated in the Summer Supreme Court and Major Topics in US Law course at Columbia University in 2020. She later graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in 2023 with a 3.9/4.0 GPA. The NYU student participated in various activities in high school and was an AP Scholar with Distinction. In addition to school, Fung was the CMO and co-founder of Knowledge Kite - an online tutoring service for K-12 students. According to the website, Fung taught AP Government, AP Language, and College Application Writing. Her LinkedIn also indicates that she has been a part-time media marketing consultant for CGI Holistic & Spa since 2022, where she is 'responsible for all media marketing outlets.' At NYU, Fung is studying politics and criminology with hopes of pursuing a career in law, focusing on criminal justice and international politics. When the student is not busy with school or work, one may find her interacting with others on her three social media accounts, one primarily being focused on cooking. What did Aurora Agapov accuse Kaitlyn Fung of stealing? One of the stolen items belonging to Agapov that Fung listed for sale was a $23,765 Solange Azagury 18K ruby ring Fung listed a $4,000 Chanel purse that she stole from Agapov, but it was not purchased by any shoppers before she found out about the theft Agapov told The New York Post that she and Fung 'spoke pretty much every day' and that they 'didn't really have any falling outs.' That all changed once the 19-year-old found the list of things that Fung sold at a consignment shop that Agapov claimed were gifts from her mother. Among the items Fung's former roommate accused her of stealing and selling were a $13,000 Bvlgari necklace and a $2,000 Chanel Strauss bracelet for $175. According to the court papers, Fung had only sold the necklace for $2,485 and the bracelet for $175. Other stolen items belonging to Agapov that Fung listed for sale were a $23,765 Solange Azagury 18K ruby ring, a $3,300 Celine Nanno tote, and a $4,000 Chanel purse. Agapov made an attempt to collect some of her belongings from The Real Real, but she later discovered that Fung's mother had already retrieved the items. Fung allegedly stole other Gucci and Celine purses, but the handbags were returned to Agapov. What has happened to Kaitlyn Fung since her arrest? Fung allegedly stole other Gucci and Celine purses, but the handbags were returned to Agapov. She was charged with one count third-degree grand larceny Fun has not revealed if she will be going back to NYU. However, NYU spokesperson John Beckman confirmed that she could face serious consequences for her actions Fung had been arrested on a third-degree grand larceny charge, but she has since been released and is staying at an unknown location. It is unclear if she will return to NYU this fall, but NYU spokesperson John Beckman wrote in a statement to Daily Mail: 'Universities are prohibited by federal law from talking about the specifics of individual students' disciplinary records.' 'Stealing from a roommate is a lousy thing to do and a rarity among the 12,000 students we have in student housing,' he added. The NYU spokesperson pointed out that Fung's actions 'violates NYU's code of conduct' and that she could face serious consequences, including suspension. New York residents have been left devastated after a beloved local bar in Buffalo was destroyed by a fire. The Old Pink bar and grill on Allen Street - which has been open since the 1990s - was severely damaged after going up in flames on Monday around 5.30am. Dozens of firefighters put out the blaze in Allentown around 5.45am, but officials said they were not able to go inside the building because the inferno was so intense. Nobody was inside or injured and it is unclear what sparked the fire, WGRZ reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation as the wooden dive bar sustained $1.25million in reported damages and has been deemed a complete loss, investigators said. The uncontrollable flames and heavy smoke spread to nearby streets as some remained closed early Monday morning. The Old Pink bar and grill on Allen Street was severely damaged after going up in flames on Monday around 5.30am The cause of the fire is currently under investigation as the wooden dive bar sustained $1.25million in reported damages and has been deemed a complete loss. (pictured: The bar before the fire) The Old Pink is considered an iconic landmark in Buffalo that owner, Molly Brinkworth has been managing for more than three decades. 'It became a home, a family, to so many people,' Colleen Evans, Brinkworth's daughter, said on a GoFundMe page. 'Open everyday, it was the first place you wanted to cheers while home on Thanksgiving, or the perfect spot to grab a steak sandwich on Christmas night, the place you could always count on to meet or make new friends, and for all generations to enjoy. It was.. now it's gone.' The building was first known as Jimmie Oates Pub before it was renamed Birdie's 19th Hole in the 70s. In 1983, Mark Supples rented the bar from Brinkworth's family and called the bar Pink Flamingo, which was later shortened to The Pink. The bar is known for its dark and dreary interior, filled with black lights and music enjoyed by many Western New Yorkers. It is also famed for its beloved bar food items, including its iconic steak sandwiches that were added to the menu by Brinkworth's father and uncle, Dennis and Kevin. The bar is known for its dark and dreary interior, filled with blacklights and music enjoyed by many Western New Yorkers The Old Pink is considered an iconic landmark in Buffalo that owner, Molly Brinkworth has been managing for more than three decades. (pictured: New York State Senator Sean Ryan at the scene after the fire) They brought the steak sandwich to the local bar after becoming inspired by a tiny New York City restaurant, Buffalo Rising reported. Brinkworth told the outlet that since the sandwich's inception, the recipe has remained the same. Many heartbroken customers took to social media to pay homage to the Old Pink after the fire. 'The Pink was such an iconic Buffalo staple that Im sure thousands of us has some wild memories of (not to mention the bomb-a** steak sandwiches),' one said. 'So many phases of my life were documented in The Old Pink bathroom, RIP my favorite dive bar of all time. I will miss your red lights, dirty floors and broken toilet seats more than I can ever express,' wrote another. Another said: 'Mourning the loss of a landmark today.' Amanda Lopez, a local resident who lives just across the street from the Old Pink, told WIVB: 'Its definitely just so sad to see.' 'So many people have so many memories in there, Im thinking about the steak sandwiches, all the good times when the bars are closing the pinks always open.' The Old Pink is also known for its beloved bar food items, including its iconic steak sandwiches that were added to the menu by Brinkworth's father and uncle, Dennis and Kevin 'Its always available to people, so I know its going to be tough for a lot of people to deal with. Its been there for so long, not even just for my generation but generations before me,' Lopez added. New York State Senator Sean Ryan also shared memories from the Buffalo staple. 'This bar was an icon. Not just for this neighborhood, but for all of WNY. One of my staffers met her husband there.,' he said. 'I'm having some plumbing done at my house and he's from Holland, NY, but he had met his wife here.' 'I've been through... almost all my stages of adulthood were in The Pink. I was probably in here before I was supposed to be in here and I would go away but this was the place... I'm going to miss it,' Ryan added. As of Monday afternoon, the GoFundMe page raised $2,255 to help Brinkworth and her staff. WKBM said that Emergency Demolition has been ordered for the burnt building. Officials are concentrating on one area of the bar, but it is still unclear what sparked the flames. 'Today was a devastating day for our staff, out community, and the Brinkworth family. The Old Pink is currently being torn down and by the end of the day, will be gone completely,' the bar said in an Instagram post. 'Please come by the site and mourn with us. Our legacy will live on through you.' The move marks the latest purge of allies of ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu Her husband Sergei Tsivileva was recently made energy minister in the regime Vladimir Putin, 71, named his cousin Anna Tsivileva, 52, to the post on Monday Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed his cousin as deputy defence minister amid the war against Ukraine. In a move smacking of nepotism, Putin, 71, named Anna Tsivileva, 52, the daughter of his late cousin, to the post on Monday. It follows a Kremlin meeting with her earlier this month. The new minister's husband Sergei Tsivileva was recently appointed energy minister in the regime, formerly a regional governor in a coal region called Kemerovo. Mrs Tsivileva, a loyal backer of the invasion of Ukraine, has headed a group called the Defenders of the Fatherland, state fund set up to 'help' participants in a conflict that has killed and injured more than 450,000 Russians. Anna Tsivileva (pictured) has been appointed one of Russia's deputy defence ministers Vladimir Putin (right) named Tsivileva (left) to the post on Monday after a Kremlin meeting earlier this month Tsivileva (pictured) is Putin's cousin, whose husband was recently named energy minister Her relation to Putin is not highlighted in state media reports. Tsivileva was appointed alongside several other deputy defence ministers, as four were sacked in a major reshuffle. This marked Putin's latest purge, ousting the remaining allies of former defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who he dismissed last month. Heading up the defence ministry now is Andrey Belousov, an economist close to the Russian dictator, who has a mission to rid the department of corruption. In 2022, Tsivileva was sanctioned by the UK Government over her links to Putin. Tsivileva, a businesswoman and psychologist, has been president of JSC Kolmar Group, a major Russian coal mining company. She will be in charge of social and housing support for the military, and usher in a 'new qualitative level', according to the ministry. In another move among a slew of appointments, Putin named Pavel Fradkov, son of former Prime Minister and spy chief Mikhail Fradkov, as his first deputy chief of presidential affairs. Tsivileva (pictured) is a loyal backer of the war in Ukraine and has led a group called the Defenders of the Fatherland, set up to 'help' participants inthe conflict Tsivileva's (pictured) appointment marks another step in Putin's purge of former defence minister Sergei Shoigu's cronies Tsivileva (left) was sanctioned by the UK Government over her links to Putin (right) in 2022 Tsivileva (pictured) is a businesswoman and psychologist, and has been president of JSC Kolmar Group, a major Russian coal mining company. Meanwhile, Putin sacked deputy defence ministers Nikolai Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, Tatiana Shevtsova and Pavel Popov, according to Kremlin decrees. Leonid Gornin, previously first deputy finance minister, will now serve as first deputy defence minister under Andrei Belousov, an economist with no military experience who was named last month to replace Shoigu. Also named as deputy defence ministers were Oleg Savelyev and Pavel Fradkov, the son of former Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Fradkov will oversee the management of property, land and construction relating to the military. Another former deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, was arrested on April 23 and accused of bribe-taking. Since then, four other top officials at the ministry and general staff have been arrested on the same charges in the biggest corruption scandal to hit the Russian government in years. This is the disturbing moment a man opened fire on another vehicle during a road rage incident in southeastern Brazil. Footage of the scene on Friday shows the victims arguing with shooter Adriano Domingues before he blocks them off at a highway exit in Boituva, Sao Paulo. Domingues subsequently approaches the driver's side while holding a gun behind his back. He instructs married couple William Isidoro and Gabrielle Gimenez to lower the window while they are talking to 911 operators and subsequently steps away before he fires two shots at one of the tires as his wife runs away. Domingues later takes aim t at the windshield and another at the tire before retreating to his vehicle. Adriano Domingues is wanted by authorities in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo after he was filmed firing at a vehicle with two occupants during a road rage incident last Friday. The Sao Paulo Civil Police are seeking to arrest him on attempted murder charges William Isidoro (left) and his wife Gabrielle Gimenez (right) revealed that their vehicle was struck on the highway by Adriano Domingues, who fired five shots during an argument at an exit Isidoro and Gimenez told TV Globo that the incident was sparked a collision on the highway after Domingues hit the side of their car. 'He was speeding and hit the side of our car. We asked him to pull over and, when he did, he got out armed,' Gimenez said. 'At the second stop, I was already in contact with (911), informing the our location so they could send a patrol car.' Nayara Souza, the couple's lawyer, said that Domingues punched the passenger window when they stopped on the shoulder of the highway moments before he shot at them. Domingues' laywer, Luiz Tucho, argued that the couple rear-ended his SUV and tailed him for 40 minutes while making threats. Authorities in the Brazilian town of Piraju confiscated the SUV belonging to Adriano Domingues, who is wanted by authorities for firing his weapon at a vehicle following a road rage incident Adriano Domingues is recorded with his right hand behind his back while holding the gun that he used to fire five shots in the middle of a traffic argument Brazilian authorities searched the home of Adriano Domingues and seized his passport and a martial arts sword Domingues is wanted by the Sao Paulo Civil Police on attempted murder charges and was still on the run as of Monday afternoon. Authorities recovered his vehicle on Saturday at a hotel in the municipality of Piraju, 133 miles from where the shooting occurred. Cops searched his home in Maripora and seized a martial arts sword and his passport. 'There was no need to break into a house like that. They should have rang the doorbell,' Tucho said. 'There were people in the house at the time, including two children. They broke down the gate, blew open the front door.' Video footage captured the shocking moment two motorcycle muggers attempt to rob a woman on the streets of Argentina, only to face quick karma. The brave policewoman, dressed in plainclothes, thwarted the attack by opening fire on the assailants in Buenos Aires. The incident occurred last Wednesday. However, details have reportedly only surfaced on Thursday, according to the Argentinian News outlet Carlos Paz Vivo! Both suspects, aged 18 and 19, were subsequently arrested by police, La Noticiade Quilmes reported. The dramatic scene unfolded at the intersection of General Manuel Savio and Bradley in Quilmes, Buenos Aires. Video footage captured the shocking moment two motorcycle muggers attempt to rob a woman on the streets of Quilmes, only to face quick karma The brave policewoman, dressed undercover, thwarted the attack by opening fire on the assailants in Argentina The incident occurred last Wednesday, however details have reportedly only surfaced on Thursday. Both suspects, aged 18 and 19, were subsequently arrested by police One of the thieves is seen dismounting off his bike and moving towards the victim. The quick-thinking officer then drew her service weapon and fired three shots. The first bullet struck the approaching thief, who collapsed immediately. From the ground, the policewoman swiftly turned her aim towards the other criminal still on the motorcycle. The shooting successfully stopped the robbery attempt and forced the criminals to flee. The officer was able to escape without injuries. The thieves were arrested when they sought treatment at the hospital for gunshot wounds. Moments after the incident, a young man matching the description of one of the attackers arrived at Iriarte Hospital. And later the same day, staff at Almirante Brown reported that another male, with a minor wound on his left arm, had been admitted to Onativia Hospital in Rafael Calzada. Ian Stanley, 38, was dismissed from Village Bakery on health and safety grounds A blind baker was unfairly sacked after being accused of dropping bread and crashing into machinery and could win dough of more than 100,000 in damages, an employment tribunal ruled. Ian Stanley, 38, who is registered blind, was dismissed six weeks into his three-month probationary period in his job at a family bakery. He joined the 900 staff at the four bakery sites after the company launched a 'We Knead You' recruitment drive to supply shops around Britain. Bosses at the Village Bakery claimed he was axed on health and safety grounds - saying production was hit and a risk of damage because of his mistakes, including dropping bread and crashing loaves into machinery. An employment tribunal upheld his claim of 'unfavourable treatment' in being dismissed from the 28,000-a-year night shift role because of his disability. It ruled not enough was done by bosses at the bakery in Coedpoeth, Wrexham, to help him adjust to his role. A registered blind baker was unfairly dismissed from Village Bakery in Coedpoeth, Wrexham, where he was axed on health and safety grounds He had previously worked as a packer in another food factory for 18 years when he was taken on by The Village Bakery last July in their search for more staff. Mr Stanley was diagnosed with Bardet Biedl syndrome, an inherited genetic condition, in 2010. He has applied for a total of 112,000 - including 33,404 for the loss of past and future wages, 35,000 for injury to feelings, a 25 per cent uplift for the company's alleged failure to follow the arbitration practice and a further sum for aggravated damages. Assisted by his wife in the three-day hearing, he said he had impaired 6/60 vision- meaning he can see at 6 metres what someone with standard vision could see from 60 metres away. The tribunal held in Mold, North Wales, heard that his bosses knew of his disability but other workers were not told he was registered blind. Shift manager Kevin Jones was warned Mr Stanley was 'making lots of mistakes, crashing racks of bread into machinery, dropping loaves and not cleaning trays properly'. He was given various jobs including measuring the temperature of the bread - but had difficulty reading the thermometer. Tom Breeze, manager of the bakery which employs 170 workers at the Coedpoeth site, said the company could not afford to employ someone to help Mr Stanley. But this was rejected by the tribunal. The panel also rejected the argument that health and safety issues were a consideration because Mr Stanley had been allowed to continue working for six weeks without a health and safety assessment. Tribunal judge Rhian Brace said: 'He should have been given more time to learn the layout of the factory and other procedures. 'We concluded that giving the claimant more time to familiarise himself with the processes, the people and the factory environment would have been a practicable step that would have been effective,' said the judge. Another hearing will be held to decide on the financial settlement for unfair dismissal. Brits can finally expect 'more 'summer-like' weather after enduring a wet and grey start to June. The Met Office said temperatures could reach as high as 24C in south-east England and 20C in Scotland by Friday. It comes after temperatures so far this month have been a few degrees below their seasonal average, with heavy rain and strong winds battering Britain. This affected small businesses which rely on tourism or high street foot traffic at the start of summer. The UK experienced its coolest first 10 days of June since 2020, in contrast to the hottest June on record, seen this time last year, where the mercury rose as high as 32.2C in Lincolnshire and Surrey. Sunbathers on the beach enjoying the hot afternoon sunshine at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on June 17 People gather on the beach in the hot afternoon sun at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on June 17 A paddle boarder uses the warm weather to go into the water in Dorset on June 17 Children are seen playing in the sand at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on June 17 A couple enjoys the warm weather on blanket and with umbrellas providing them with plenty of shade on June 17 Oli Claydon, spokesman for the Met Office, said: 'As we progress through June, obviously the temperatures are going to generally increase on average anyway, but it will feel more summer-like, especially in the sunshine. 'The absence of wind over the next couple of days will help as well.' Brighter conditions will cover southern England for much of Monday and Tuesday where it will feel 'much warmer than it did over the weekend', while showers will still be possible across northern parts of the country and in Scotland and Northern Ireland. But a ridge of high pressure will initially bring cloud on Wednesday before thinning out for further brighter spells across the country, which will continue into Thursday for southern areas with light showers again likely further north, the forecaster said. More changeable weather will bring rain at times throughout Friday, with temperatures still 'recovering' in the south to around average and still higher but more 'subdued' further north. Highs of 24C could be seen in south-east England on Monday, Thursday and Friday with low twenties possible on the other days. The average maximum temperature in June for the City of London is 21.3C. Sunbathers changed into their bathing suits to enjoy the sunny afternoon in West Bay, Dorset, on June 17 According to BBC Weather , Britons should expect balmier conditions by the third week of June. By June 24, BBC Weather expects the warm weather to set in - at least 'for a while' The picture dated June 14 shows people sheltering from the rain under umbrellas during a heavy shower near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire Western-super-Mare captured on June 13 as the bad weather brings a slow start to the summer season for businesses A man walking through heavy rain near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire on June 14, 2024 Across the north temperatures will reach the high teens throughout the week with peaks in isolated areas, with Edinburgh expected to see 20C on Friday. Mr Claydon said: 'It's not unusual to have cooler interludes or cooler starts to some months but this was a below-average start to June for sure, and temperatures (are) starting to return back towards what people would expect for this time of year.' Conditions will currently 'remain fairly consistent' heading into the weekend, with any showers on Saturday likely to be insignificant, the forecaster added. This comes after a dreary week with low temperatures of just 3C to 5C, as a mid-Atlantic jet stream - a fast-moving wind in the atmosphere - guided cold wind from the North to the South over the UK. A 'lone wolf terrorist' who was talked out of detonating a bomb outside a hospital by a patient had initially planned to attack an RAF base, a court has heard. Mohammad Farooq, 28, was arrested with a pressure cooker bomb outside the Gledhow Wing of St James's Hospital in Leeds, in January 2023. Prosecutors say Farooq planned to 'seek his own martyrdom' through a 'murderous terrorist attack' by detonating the bomb, then killing as many people as possible with knives before using an imitation firearm to incite police to shoot him dead. Opening the trial today, Jonathan Sandiford KC said Farooq had immersed himself in an 'extremist Islamic ideology' and that his 'plan A' had been to attack RAF Menwith Hill, which is a base in North Yorkshire used by the United States. Mr Sandiford told the court that when Farooq thought that attack was not possible his 'plan B' was to attack St James Hospital, where he had also worked as a clinical support worker. Mohammad Farooq (court artist drawing), 28, was arrested with a pressure cooker bomb outside the Gledhow Wing of St James's Hospital in Leeds, in January 2023. His 'plan A' had been to attack RAF Menwith Hill, which is a base in North Yorkshire used by the United States RAF Menwith Hill, near Harrogate. The prosecutor said RAF Menwith Hill had been designated as a target by so-called Islamic State because it was believed the base had been used to co-ordinate drone strikes against terrorists (stock image) St James's Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire, following Farooq attempted attack. Patient Nathan Newby was outside having a smoke when he noticed Farooq and 'realised something was amiss' Sheffield Crown Court were told that a 'secondary motive' for choosing the hospital as a target was that Farooq had a grievance against several of his former colleagues and had been conducting a poison pen campaign against them. Mr Sandiford said 'two pieces of good fortune intervened' to stop the attack that day. The first was that a bomb threat he sent in a text to an off-duty nurse in order to lure people to the car park where he was waiting with the bomb was not seen for almost an hour, and the full-scale evacuation he had hoped for did not happen. The prosecutor said Farooq left but returned shortly afterwards with a new plan to wait in a hospital cafe for a staff shift change and detonate his device, 'killing as many nurses as possible'. But Mr Sandiford told the court that 'luck intervened again' because a patient, Nathan Newby, was standing outside the hospital having a cigarette and 'noticed the defendant'. He said: 'Mr Newby realised something was amiss and began to talk to him instead of walking away. 'That simple act of kindness almost certainly saved many lives that night because, as the defendant was later to tell the police officers who arrested him, Mr Newby succeeded in 'talking him down'.' Mr Sandiford said the defendant told Mr Newby about his plan to take the bomb into the hospital and 'kill as many nurses as possible'. He said: 'Mr Newby stayed with the defendant, keeping him engaged and calm. 'Mr Newby also persuaded the defendant to move away from the main entrance to a seating area so that the IED was as far away from the building as it was possible to go.' Jurors heard Farooq then handed his phone over to Mr Newby to ring the police. The defendant was arrested by officers who found the 'viable' pressure cooker bomb had just under 10 kilograms of low explosive. He also had, with him or in his car, two knives, black tape and a blank-firing, imitation firearm. Sheffield Crown Court (pictured) were told that a 'secondary motive' for choosing the hospital as a target was that Farooq had a grievance against several of his former colleagues and had been conducting a poison pen campaign against them (stock image) An investigation found Farooq had become self-radicalised by accessing extremist material and propaganda online. Mr Sandiford said: 'That consisted mainly of material published by Islamic State, al Qaida, videos on TikTok and lectures by Anwar Al-Awlaki, the Yemeni-American radical preacher.' The court heard he had also obtained bomb-making instructions in a magazine published by al Qaida to encourage lone wolf terrorist attacks against the west. The prosecutor said RAF Menwith Hill had been designated as a target by so-called Islamic State because it was believed the base had been used to co-ordinate drone strikes against terrorists. Movements of the defendant's mobile phone and car showed that he made at least two visits to the locality of Menwith Hill in the 10 days leading up to his arrest, jurors were told. The court heard Farooq has admitted firearms offences, possessing an explosive substance with intent and having a document likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. He denies preparing acts of terrorism. Mr Sandiford said the defendant admits intending to attack St James Hospital but denies any intention to attack Menwith Hill. The trial continues. Cops are urging a gunman to 'turn himself in' after two people were killed in a mass shooting at a Texas Juneteenth celebration over the weekend. The incident happened in well-known Austin suburb Round Rock Saturday night, following a fight between two groups, police said. A search for the suspect is now underway, after 14 others were reportedly injured, including two children. Ages ranged from 10 to 62 years old, local officers revealed. During a media briefing around 6 pm Sunday, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks described the gunman as being between 19 and 20 years of age, and a black male. He was last seen sporting short dreads while donning a white hoodie at Old Settlers Park, where the shooting unfolded at 10:50pm during the celebration. Banks Sunday urged the perp to turn himself in, saying his force was on the cusp of closing in. The incident happened in well-known Austin suburb Round Rock Saturday night, following a fight between two groups, cops have said. Officers from the local police department are seen surveying the crime scene at Old Settlers Park shortly thereafter During a media briefing around 6 pm Sunday, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks described the gunman as being between 19 and 20 years of age, and a black male. He urged the suspect - who is considered 'armed and dangerous' - to turn himself in 'Our ultimate goal is to find who did this and make sure the families get justice. 'This is a senseless, cowardly act, that does not belong in Round Rock. 'Our detectives have worked tirelessly throughout the night to try to find these subjects, interview after interview after interview. 'Turn yourself in,' Banks went on to state to the still-at large suspect, visibly irate. 'If you're man enough to carry a gun and pull the trigger, be man enough to step up. Turn yourself in. 'Let's figure out why you chose to take lives and injure people.' He went on to add how officers are still looking into what led up to the shooting, and the reason why the two 'groups' were fighting in the first place. He further revealed how 'most of the 14 injured have been released from area hospitals - and that those remaining are considered to be in 'stable condition', and should be released 'within the next day or so.' In another part of his statement, he recalled how 'the park was crowded during the celebration,' and how there 'very well could have [been] more casualties.' It happened at Old Settlers Park around 10:50pm, during a celebration ringing in the holiday In addition to the two killed, 14 others were reportedly injured, including two children. Ages ranged from 10 to 62 years old, local officers said 'Our detectives have worked tirelessly throughout the night to try to find these subjects, interview after interview after interview,' the city's top cop told onlookers immediately after the incident He went on to categorize the 16 victims as 'innocent bystanders' - adding how he and other members of the community are 'very disappointed and angry with these events. 'This is the 16th year of this Juneteenth event, and for someone to destroy the peace and celebration within an instant, it angers me,' he said at a point. The top cop went on to describe how he and others believe the incident played out, which began when 'someone produced a gun and began to fire,' he said. That happened after the brief altercation between the two groups, Banks continued - describing how a large crowd was at the event at the time and how 'multiple victims were hit'. Photos show how hours earlier, families and others were taking in a musical performance at the picturesque park, which is the city's largest. 'It breaks your heart for a family that was coming out to enjoy their evening, and now their life is forever changed as a result of somebody who could care less about somebody else's life," Banks said at a presser the night before. 'Our goal is to put those folks behind bars and our goal is to get them put away for life.' Photos show how hours earlier, families and others were taking in a musical performance at the picturesque park 'It breaks your heart for a family that was coming out to enjoy their evening, and now their life is forever changed as a result of somebody who could care less about somebody else's life,' Banks said at a presser the night before Old Settlers Park (seen here) is the City of Round Rock's largest park, stretching across 645 acres of land. A search for the sole suspect is currently underway He said the fighting began near the vendor area, and resulted in at least one person - the suspect - pulling a gun. As of writing, police believe only person is responsible. Cops are offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to their arrest, as the FBI were seen on the scene as well. Following the incident, Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan reiterated the citys commitment to 'safety, celebration and unity,' and urged city leaders to share their condolences in their own statement of solidarity. 'I know Round Rock residents are devastated as they wake up to the terrible news of last nights tragic events,' he said. 'To the families who are mourning the loss of loved ones, please know that our entire community mourns with you. 'To those who were injured, we are here to support you in your recovery. 'We are a community that values safety, celebration and unity, and we are committed to ensuring that our community heals through this event together. 'We will not let this incident define us, nor will we let fear take hold. Instead, we will support each other, offer help where it is needed, and remain united in our resolve to make Round Rock a safe and welcoming place for all.' A white executive has sued Expedia, saying the travel website offered him $650,000 to head a division only to backtrack and give his job to a 'safer' candidate a black woman. Michael Kascsak, 49, a married dad-of-one from Austin, Texas, says Expedia gave him the runaround for months before making him America's latest victim of reverse racism. Expedia told him they had instead selected the 'diversity' hire Bernita Dillard, who is now the company's San Francisco-based head of talent inclusion, he says. Kascsak mostly blames Michael Velasco, Expedia's Brooklyn-based diversity chief, saying he stepped in and pushed for a woman with a different skin color. Gene Hamilton, a lawyer with America First Legal (AFL), the action group that on Monday joined the lawsuit, said Kascsak had suffered from discrimination. Michael Kascsak, 49, of Austin, Texas, says Expedia gave him the runaround for months before opting for a 'diversity' hire. The company instead promoted an internal candidate, San Francisco-based Bernita Dillard, who previously worked at DoorDash, Facebook, and Google. Americans should be 'treated equally and judged based on merit not arbitrarily discriminated against because of their race,' he added. It's the latest in a series of lawsuits aimed at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), policies in corporate America. Advocates of DEI say it helps get more women and minorities into colleges and workplaces, but critics say it ends up hurting straight, white men. Kascsak's 35-page document was filed at the US District Court in the Western District of Texas. He says he suffered 'immense harms' and seeks a jury trial, compensation, and his legal costs covered. The $13 billion-a-year Seattle-based travel and technology firm declined to comment on the case. On its website, Expedia says it is 'dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for everyone race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, disability' and other characteristics. According to the suit, Expedia reached out to Kascsak in April 2023 about becoming their global talent boss. The family breadwinner has 'exceptional qualifications' after working at Bank of America, Capital One, and PayPal, papers show. After several interviews, Kascsak was told he was the 'front-runner' and their 'top pick,' he says. In mid-May, he was verbally offered the job with a $330,000-a-year salary, $225,000 in Expedia stock, and a $100,000 cash signing bonus. Kascsak is especially angry with Michael Velasco, Expedia's Brooklyn-based diversity chief, for allegedly pushing him aside for a diversity hire The $13 billion-a-year Seattle-based travel and technology firm has an aggressive DEI policy Weeks later, however, Kascsak was told about a 'reorganization' and how Expedia was going in a 'different direction with the role,' the papers show. In June, Kascsak found out from LinkedIn posts that Expedia was searching for alternatives. He later learned that the company's DEI tsar Velasco had stepped in to 'preclude' Kascsak from getting the contract. The firm even arranged for Kascsak to meet Velasco about the job in New York, but Velasco pulled out at the last minute. Velasco and the company wanted to go in a 'safer direction' and get a more 'diverse' candidate, it is claimed. Expedia ultimately promoted an internal candidate, Dillard, their director of diversity sourcing. Dillard's LinkedIn profile shows she also has an impressive resume, with experience at DoorDash, Facebook, and Google. The lawsuit shows how Expedia has for years pushed hard on diversity hiring targets. The company was in 2022 aiming for half its workforce to be women, and a quarter to hail from racial minorities. Michael Kascsak has 'exceptional qualifications' after working at Bank of America, Capital One, and PayPal, papers show. Its CEO Peter Kern once described 'systemic racism' as a 'plague' for which 'we all must be a part of the solution,' the suit says. Expedia recruiters even get bonuses for hitting diversity-hiring goals, the papers say. 'Anti-discrimination law exists to ensure the most deserving is hired, like Kascsak here,' says the suit. 'That doesn't always happen, but it does not permit companies like Expedia to illegally rebuke civil rights law by elevating some candidates while harming others based on immutable traits.' The case is part of a growing number of suits and filings against DEI practices since the US Supreme Court's landmark June 2023 ruling to end affirmative action in college admissions. AFL, which is led by former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller, has filed more than 15 lawsuits and more than 30 complaints to a US civil rights agency. Lawsuits have claimed that hiring and recruitment decisions made around both jobs and fellowships at large companies are biased against white workers. Advocates of DEI schemes say they bring more black, brown, female, and queer talent into offices and colleges and raise morale across the board. But critics say they're a 'woke' virtue-signaling exercise that fosters backlash discrimination against straight, white men. A mother was strangled to death by her jealous husband in front of their children after he discovered she was having an 'affair' with another man her age on TikTok, a court has heard. Aminan Rahman, 47, is accused of attacking 24-year-old Suma Begum in a flat in Docklands, east London, on the night of April 29 last year. He is accused of then dumping her body in a suitcase and throwing it in the River Lea, the Old Bailey has heard. It is not known whether Ms Begum was dead or alive when she was put in the river inside the suitcase - but her body was found 10 days later. Rahman was video calling Ms Begum's boyfriend Shahin Miah, also 24, making threats to him when he attacked her, jurors have been told. Mr Miah said he was offered the equivalent of 6,000 to end the affair. Suma Begum who was attacked by her jealous husband in a flat in Docklands, east London, on the night of April 29, 2023 after he found out she had an affair with a man her own age Prosecutors allege Rahman put Ms Begum, dead or alive, into a large black suitcase in the early hours of April 30 before pushing it into the River Lea (pictured) Ms Begum had moved to the UK in 2020 after marrying Rahman over the phone and their children were aged two and four months old when she died. Rahman denies murder and an earlier assault on Ms Begum on February 6 2023. Giving evidence in court today assisted by a Sylheti interpreter, Mr Miah said he was living in Bangladesh when he met Ms Begum on TikTok after she found his account there. They never met in person but he said they had an 'intimate relationship.' Mr Miah said they messaged as friends for a week until he became her boyfriend and after seven or eight months he found out she was married. He said he had found out about her husband and she admitted it to him when he confronted her. Mr Miah said he also found out she was married to another man which had enabled her to enter the UK. When asked about her marriage, he said: 'I knew she was a good person and she was looking for a person like me.' He said they would communicate on WhatsApp through video calls and make plans about what they would do in the future. 'I would give her time, she would give me time and she made plans about what we would do, what she would do with me, those kinds of things,' he said. 'She made plans she would marry me and then we would live together. She asked me to live in London with her and look after her children.' The Old Bailey (pictured) heard Rahman was video calling Ms Begum's boyfriend Shahin Miah, who was living in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, at the time of the alleged attack Mr Miah moved to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in January 2023, the court heard. He said Ms Begum moved to Leeds and he understood she was no longer living with Rahman. They spoke of their plans to move back to Bangladesh together and get married, he said. Jurors were shown a video Ms Begum sent to Mr Miah at 2pm on 6 February 2023 which showed her distressed with marks on her neck. Ms Begum told him Rahman had come to her home wanting to see their child. He said: 'She told me he then grabbed her by her neck, lift her and threw her on the bed. 'And after that he stamped on her neck.' He said he asked her why she did not call the police and she said Rahman had threatened that people back in Bangladesh would be harmed if she did so. The trial continues. Lawyers for Hunter Biden filed, and then quickly deleted, a demand for a new trial after he was found guilty on charges related to lying on a form for purchasing a handgun. Lawyers filed a new motion withdrawing their motion seeking a new trial nearly immediately after the first filing appeared, a Delaware court's website notes. 'The Motion for a New Trial (formerly DI 233) has been deleted at the request of counsel,' according to the 'correcting entry.' The legal confusion comes after the president's son was found guilty of three criminal charges in his blockbuster gun and drugs trial. Lawyers for Hunter Biden filed paper with a Delaware court seeking a new trial after a jury convicted him on gun charges. The filing was immediately withdrawn After a jury handed down the verdict last week, Hunter Biden lawyer Abbe Lowell issued a statement saying 'We are naturally disappointed by todays verdict' but vowing to 'vigorously' pursue remedies. 'We will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter,' he wrote. Sentencing is expected in the case in September. The since-deleted filing had made arguments on complex procedural grounds. It stated that an appeals court 'has not yet issued its mandate as to the orders dismissing either appeal' related to criminal charges involving the president's son. The filing argued that when the court empaneled a jury on June 3, 'it was without jurisdiction to do so.' Hunter Biden had been expected to appeal the conviction based in part on recent Second Amendment decisions by higher courts. DailyMail.com has reached out to Lowell for further clarification. A jury in Wilmington, Delaware unanimously convicted Joe Bidens son of two counts of lying on a federal government form to buy a gun, and one count of possessing the firearm while abusing drugs. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after a trial that had lasted over a week. The swift and historic conviction marks the first time a sitting U.S. presidents child has been found guilty of a federal crime. He could now face up to a maximum of 25 years in jail. President Joe Biden has defended his son but said he would not pardon him or commute his sentence President Joe Biden hugs his son Hunter Biden at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, on June 11, 2024, hours after Hunter became the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a felony Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, accompanied by his mother, first lady Jill Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del Hunter Biden's computer hard drive, which was abandoned at a repair shop and leaked to the media, included images of the president's son smoking from a crack pipe President Joe Biden said at a press conference in Italy days afterward that he would not pardon his son, nor would he commute his sentence. He said in a statement immediately after the verdict: 'I am the President, but I am also a Dad. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery. 'I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.' Ironically, the verdict came hours before President Biden was set to give a speech on gun control at the Gun Sense University Conference in Atlanta. Hunter's former girlfriend Zoe Kestan gave evidence that he smoked crack 'every 20 minutes' A television monitor shows the verdict in the Hunter Biden trial in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, June 11, 2024 US President Joe Biden during a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House the night before his son was convicted An image from Hunter Biden's laptop shows the president's son naked and holding a handgun by his side The Colt Cobra revolver Hunter Biden purchased on October 12, 2018 Photos on Hunter's abandoned laptop dated September 30 2018 show him parading in barely-there white underwear and a red scarf at a party in a rented Hollywood house During the trial the jury heard that Hunter bought a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver from a gun store not far from Joe Biden's home Wilmington, Delaware on October 12, 2018. In doing so he was required to fill out a form and checked a box saying he was not a drug user. The prosecution devoted much of the trial to highlighting how Hunter was in fact heavily using crack at the time. Jurors heard from key witness Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter's late brother Beau. Hallie and Hunter had a romantic relationship after Beau's death in 2015. Hallie told the court she had also taken crack, that she had been with Hunter at times when he bought the drug, and that she was 'ashamed' about her own use of it. Eleven days after Hunter bought the gun Hallie found it in his truck. She 'panicked' and dumped it in a trash can outside a Wilmington grocery store, the court heard. Hallie Biden, the widow of Joe Biden's late son Beau, who had a romantic relationship with Hunter, and dumped his gun in the trash An image submitted as evidence in the trial An image submitted as evidence by the prosecution in Hunter Biden's trial It was then retrieved by a military veteran going through the trash for recyclables and eventually tracked down by the FBI. Jurors also heard from Hunter's former girlfriend Zoe Kestan who said the president's son had been using crack 'every 15 minutes' in 2018. There were also text messages from Hunter in October 2018 talking about meeting a 'dealer called Mookie' at a 7-Eleven grocery store. He also sent a text message to Hallie saying he had fallen asleep smoking crack on top of a car. A picture submitted as evidence submitted against Hunter Biden by the prosecution The gun store in Wilmington, Delaware where Hunter Biden bought a revolver Jurors saw images of the president's son bare-chested and disheveled in a filthy room, and half-naked holding crack pipes. They also watched video of his crack cocaine weighed on a scale. Hunter did not testify but jurors heard his voice when prosecutors played audio excerpts of his 2021 memoir, 'Beautiful Things,' in which he talks about hitting bottom after the death of his brother, and his descent into drugs before eventually achieving sobriety. Prosecutors said Hunter was in the throes of crack addiction when he bought the gun and therefore lied when he checked 'no' on the form. Hunter lawyers argued that he did not consider himself an 'addict' when he bought the gun and had been to rehab in Los Angeles two months earlier, in August 2018. Jurors deliberated for one hour yesterday and two hours today before reaching their verdict at 11am Tuesday. According to 'Juror 10' - who spoke anonymously after the verdict - the jury had been split 6-6 when they left court on Monday night. But they were 11-1 in favor of conviction when they returned on Tuesday morning. Shortly after that they were unanimous. Juror 10 said he felt 'very sad' about convicting Hunter. He added: 'In deliberating we were not thinking of the sentencing and I really don't think that Hunter belongs in jail. 'No politics came into play and politics was not even spoken about. The first family was not even spoken about. It was all about Hunter.' The juror went on: 'When Hallie testified, I mean, that was for me, that was a very sad time because I I did not know that Hallie also got addicted to crack. So I really felt sorry for that.' Hunter Biden with his father President Joe Biden The judge said that sentencing dates are usually discussed 20 days out from a conviction. The smiling prosecutors said they had no comment. Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell confirmed in court that he would be pursuing his challenges to the conviction. These include a Second Amendment challenge, that the charges violate Hunters constitutional right to bear arms. A man who stabbed a 'shy' 17-year-old boy to death in broad daylight before dumping his body into a canal has been found guilty of murder. Victor Lee was stabbed twice in the back and once in the chest on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal in west London in a 'shockingly violent attack' on June 25 last year. Despite local people quickly rescuing him from the water and emergency treatment by police officers and ambulance colleagues, he died at the scene. Elijah Gokool-Mely, 18, was convicted of murdering the teenager and robbing him after a jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for more than 16 hours. Met Police detectives established that robbery was the motive for the brutal attack with Gookol-Mely stealing Victor's bike and his rucksack, which officers believe contained a number of knives. Elijah Gokool-Mely, 18, was convicted of murdering the teenager and robbing him after a jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for more than 16 hours Victor Lee (pictured) was stabbed twice in the back and once in the chest on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal in west London in a 'shockingly violent attack' on June 25 last year Police divers in the canal under Scrubs Lane in west London, following the fatal stabbing Victor - who was described by his family as shy, easily manipulated and at risk of being exploited by others - had met his killer having developed an interest in buying weapons online which he wished to sell for profit. The trial heard how he had bought knives and a crossbow on the internet in the months before his death, which he intended to sell on. Officers believe that Victor did not fully understand the harm that others could cause with the weapons that he appeared to enjoy trading. A 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy were also each charged with murder and robbery but they were both acquitted of both counts on Monday. The prosecution told jurors during the trial that Victor appears to have met up with the three defendants at the towpath at around 3.30pm and sold them a crossbow. It was said the same group then met for a second time at the same location at around 5.30pm, after Victor was asked if he had any knives to sell, which is when the attack occurred. There were no witnesses to the killing but one witness saw the tallest of the three boys - Gokool-Mely - pushing Victor into the canal, the court heard. The Met's investigation linked Gokool-Mely to the murder through extensive analysis of mobile phones and the associated data, as well as CCTV from the area around the crime scene, accounts from witnesses and forensic evidence obtained from the scene and from Victor's stolen bag discarded nearby. A knife was recovered from Gookol-Mely's home address, on which Victor's blood and the defendant's DNA was found. The Met's homicide investigation, led by Specialist Crime Command detectives, made rapid progress, and Gookol-Mely was arrested along with two other teenagers on June 30, 2023. Officers charged each of them the following day with murder and robbery. Gokool-Mely will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, July 19. Met Police detectives established that robbery was the motive for the brutal attack with Gookol-Mely stealing Victor's bike and his rucksack, which officers believe contained a number of knives Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, the senior investigating officer who led the investigation, said: 'This conviction was the result of a tenacious and thoroughly professional police investigation, supported by a range of specialists and partners including the Crown Prosecution Service. 'However, I would like the focus today to be on the tragedy that Victor's family have suffered and on the part that young people being able to easily buy knives and other weapons played in his death. 'Victor was a young man who was not directly involved with gangs or criminality - he had an interest in buying, fixing and selling bikes. He had energy and drive but sadly not enough wisdom. 'His family have told me that he had an inability to properly assess situations, people or threats. 'When Victor crossed paths with the defendant, he took advantage of him and ultimately subjected him to a sudden, unprovoked and shockingly violent assault. The crime scene at the Grand Union Canal, showing the forensic tent and medical paraphernalia 'Having worked so intensely on this case - speaking to Victor's family and thinking about his life and tragic death - it will forever be a source of regret to me that this vulnerable but independent young man was able to buy weapons online simply by altering the date of birth in his passport. 'Having previously purchased knives, Victor brought a crossbow online in the days before he was killed, and seems to have sold this to his killer at around 3pm on the day of his murder. He was robbed and murdered when seeking to sell knives to him later that day. 'Apparently unable to grasp the devastating consequences of his actions, he probably regarded this as an interesting scheme to make some money. But, having met his killer after arranging to sell the weapons via Snapchat, this scheme sparked the events which cost him his life. 'Victor had his life ahead of him and his family have been torn apart by what happened to him. They are understandably still struggling to come to terms with his murder, and the events that led to his death at such a young age. My thoughts are with them today, and I can only hope that today's conviction can bring them some small measure of comfort.' Dozens of caravans returned to an historic cathedral city in West Sussex just weeks after a large group of Travellers set up a temporary encampment there. New images show several large white vehicles in the Cattle Market car park in Chichester, which is regularly used by people who work in and are visiting the city centre. A market is usually held in the much-used car park on Saturdays and a car boot sale on Sundays. The impromptu settlement, which started last Thursday, comes just after a group of Travellers used the same location last month. On that occasion, their arrival coincided with members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities gathering a dozen miles away in Hampshire for the annual Wickham Horse Fair. Dozens of caravans returned to Chichester in West Sussex just weeks after a large group of Travellers set up a temporary encampment there Several large white vehicles have been spotted in the Cattle Market car park in Chichester, which is regularly used by people who work in and are visiting the city centre The impromptu camp comes just after a group of Travellers used the same location last month At the time, Councillor Harsha Desai said there had been a number of unauthorised encampments in council-owned Chichester car parks in the past. She said: 'Complaints from the public and local businesses have increased and car parking spaces reduced as a result of the encampments.' Council leader Adrian Moss added: 'I think it is really important that our partners West Sussex County Council and the police understand the real enormity of this and the work we're doing. 'And hopefully they'll be working closely with us in the future to ensure that when we do get incursions, we can actually move them on and ensure that the police come forward and support us at the earliest possible opportunity.' The local council has previously had difficulty with Travellers parking in the area and recently announced plans to spend 65,000 on installing barriers to stop caravans from entering. It is understood Travellers in the latest unauthorised camp were served an eviction notice and finally left the site on Monday. In a statement to Sussex Express before they left, Chichester District Council said: 'We are aware of the situation and have already been liaising with the group. 'West Sussex County Councils Traveller Liaison Officer has given notice to leave and will be applying for a court eviction. 'With regards to car parking payment, all users of the car park are required to pay the relevant fee.' In a statement to MailOnline, Sussex Police said: 'Police were called to a report of an unauthorised encampment at the Cattle Market Car Park, Chichester on 13 June. 'The group were issued with an eviction notice by the local authority instructing them to leave on 15 June. 'No vehicles remain on the site.' A spokesperson from West Sussex County Council said: 'There were caravans parked at this location but they were served with a legal notice, requiring them to leave, which they did yesterday afternoon (Monday),' Chichester District Council said local authorities were aware and are seeking to take legal action for the removal of the caravans A flight attendant revealed the nine things she would never do on a plane after five years of experience working in the friendly skies. A video originally posted on TikTok by Cher Dallas (@cherdallas) revealed three of the nine things she wouldn't do as a flight attendant. The video recently resurfaced online. Dallas posted a second and third video and, in each clip, referred to her helpful tips as 'three more things' she'd never do as a flight attendant. The TikToker originally posted the first video in January 2024 and her second in February 2024. Dallas is one of the many experienced flight attendants who have revealed what they or other travelers should never do during a flight. A video posted by Cher Dallas (@cherdallas) on TikTok in January 2024 resurfaced online this month in which she revealed three things she wouldn't do as a flight attendant Dallas was doing her makeup in a bathroom while explaining three things she'd never do on a plane in her first video. While applying makeup, she revealed that wearing shorts is something she wouldn't do on a plane. 'It's for so many reasons, but it's going to be cold, and you're going to freeze to death,' said Dallas. Another scenario she used to support the first thing was if an evacuation were to occur, one's 'butt cheeks are going to be sizzled off' if they go down the slide in shorts. Shorts are a big no for this flight attendant, as well booking less than a three-hour connection between flights. 'Delays can happen for a million and one reasons. The likelihood that you'll miss your connection is pretty high if you're booking shorter than three hours,' said Dallas. When she is on the plane as a flight attendant or only as a passenger, she never uses the aircraft bathrooms' toilet paper. 'If you examine the toilet paper, I promise you're going to see water droplets on it or what you think are water droplets... I tell all my ladies to use Kleenex instead,' said Dallas. Dallas' first video about what she doesn't do on flights has received nearly 800,000 views, which could be part of why she posted additional videos a month afterward. Dallas revealed in her first video that she would never book flights that have less than a three-hour connection between them Dallas hinted that some of her never-do actions on planes could also apply to travelers as she explained three more things she'd never do. 'I would never ring my call bell to hand a flight attendant trash,' she said. 'Flight attendants go through the aisle on average about every 10 minutes of the flight to pick up your trash. I would never go up to the front and leave my trash on the galley counter.' Dallas also revealed that she would never do anything that involves trash and when she will or won't take it during a flight. 'When flight attendants are coming through and serving food or drinks, I would never try to hand them my trash, because that's not sanitary,' said Dallas. The experienced flight attendant added that anyone who wishes to get rid of their trash beforehand can get out of their seat and throw it away in the bathroom if it's not occupied. Dallas used one of her videos to discuss what she and other passengers would do regarding trash disposal on flights Dallas revealed that she would never attempt to use the bathroom while a flight attendant is doing service do to a risk of injury from their cart Dallas began her third video by explaining why she wouldn't use the bathroom while flight attendants are doing service. According to the TikToker, she would never try to squeeze past a cart because 'it can easily pin you between the seat and that 200-pound cart.' Dallas then revealed that she wouldn't even ask a flight attendant to give her food or drinks right when she walks on the plane. 'I'm not asking unless I have to take medication when I walk on the plane. We have too many other things to do to be serving sodas and snacks to everybody during boarding,' Dallas said. Once the flight touches down at Dallas' potential final destination, she would never stand up when the plane lands as it is 'not a safe time for someone to be standing up.' She also won't stand up as soon as the pilot turns off the seatbelt sign because it will actually 'slow down the deplaning process.' Besides Dallas, flight attendant Aislinn Swain revealed things she would never do onboard a plane, which, like the TikToker with five years of experience, includes not handing in garbage. Flight attendant Aislinn Swain revealed things she would never do onboard a plane, which includes asking for ice in her drink Swain recommended that travelers do not eat ice on a plane do the risk of dirt that can get onto the cubes from the ground or gloves that flight attendants may not change. Swain also advises travelers to pack sunscreen for any trip and wear shoes on their feet. 'I'd recommend keeping your shoes on the whole flight because I'm sure your feet are stinky and your neighbors, and the rest of the plane, don't want to smell that,' said Swain. 'Shoes should definitely remain on during takeoff and landing.' An explosive new book by DailyMail.com columnist Maureen Callahan poses a bombshell new theory about John F. Kennedy Jr's 1999 plane crash that killed him, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and her sister Lauren. 'Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed' has been published in an exclusive four-part Mail series covering the wild lives and scandals of the dynasty's wives and mistresses from Jackie Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe. In the final extract today, Callahan delves into the private struggles of JFK Jr. and Bessette's marriage, and examines how the couple came to die. Here, we detail the ten most shocking revelations: An explosive new book by Maureen Callahan poses a bombshell new theory about John F. Kennedy Jr's 1999 plane crash that killed him and his wife Carolyn Bessette. 1. Callahan poses the bombshell theory that JFK Jr. was on a 'murder-suicide' mission, when he crashed his plane, killing himself, Carolyn and her sister Lauren off the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 16, 1999. Despite worsening visibility, and the advice of experienced pilots to remain grounded, JFK Jr. insisted on flying. Once in the air, he cut off all communication with air traffic control and almost collided with a commercial jet. 2. Lauren Bessette only joined the couple on the fatal flight to 'broker a kind of peace', Callahan writes. In 1999, JFK Jr. and Carolyn's marriage was on the verge of collapse. He had already moved out of the New York City apartment he shared with Carolyn. But 'the last thing he wanted was the press speculating about his marriage'. So, Lauren offered to join them to smooth things over. 3. An investigation into the crash by the National Transportation Safety Board found JFK Jr. solely responsible for the plane crash. Carolyn and Lauren's mother Ann Freeman received millions in a wrongful-death settlement from the Kennedy family in 2001. 4. Carolyn enjoyed insulting her boyfriends, 'grinding them down' until they 'felt nothing', Callahan writes. Carolyn's motto was: 'Date them, train them, dump them.' She also had a jealous streak. Once, after seeing a former boyfriend light another woman's cigarette, she tore up his apartment and attacked him on the street. 'Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed' has been published in an four-part Mail series covering the wild lives and scandals of the dynasty's wives and mistresses. 5. Riddled with insecurities, Carolyn thought herself to be 'jolie-laide' (ugly-pretty), Callahan reveals. Working as the director of publicity at Calvin Klein in the 80s and early 90s, she 'studied' the models, trying to understand how they 'stayed so thin' and maintained their good looks. After she started dating JFK Jr, in 1994, 'she turned toward her psychical reinvention'. 'She was only 28 years old but [she] took to erasing her small facial lines with Botox. She plucked her lush, thick eyebrows into wisps, bleached and ironed her hair, and dropped 15 pounds with the help of cigarettes and cocaine [to kill her appetite],' Callahan writes. 6. After she married JFK Jr. in 1996, 'almost immediately, there were problems'. They would argue regularly, including in public. They infamously rowed in a New York park in February 1996. JFK Jr. was pictured 'shoving' Carolyn, then trying to 'yank off her engagement ring with such force that the stone broke', Callahan says. 7. As their marriage collapsed, Carolyn fell into a depression. She began taking 'anti-depressants on top of the cocaine', Callahan reveals. Carolyn 'confessed to her mother that she still thought about her ex-boyfriend, [a Calvin Klein] underwear model'. Carolyn and her sister Lauren Bessette pictured in New York City, 1998. 8. Despite having zero journalism or business-management experience, JFK Jr. decided to launch 'George' magazine in 1995. 'With his friend and business partner Matt Berman, he enrolled in a two-day course called "How to Start Your Own Magazine",' Callahan writes. He then began pitching the idea around town, looking for $20 million investment. One executive called his pitch 'the worst presentation I had ever seen in my life'. Within two years, the magazine was on the brink of insolvency. 9. JFK Jr. 'nearly killed' his first serious girlfriend, Christina Haag, 'more than once', Callahan writes. One near-death kayaking experience came in 1986, when he'd taken her open-sea kayaking in Jamaica. He forced Christina to kayak through strong seas, and they both nearly drowned. Afterwards Christina said to him: 'We could have died'. To which he replied: 'Yeh... but what a way to go'. 10. Before their marriage, when Carolyn and JFK Jr. were courting, 'she got a thrill from denigrating him in public, calling him homophobic names in front of her fashion friends, taunting him,' Callahan writes. Sherri Papini is an American housewife who vanished from her home in Redding, California, on November 2, 2016. The then-34-year-old disappeared while out for a jog a mile from her house, before resurfacing three weeks later on Thanksgiving. She claimed to have been freed by two female captors at 4:30am that morning. Supposedly cut loose while still wearing restraints, she said she was left on the side of County Road 17 near Interstate 5 - and made the 150 mile journey back home herself. The story years later was found out to be a hoax, leading her to be jailed in 2022. Now free, her story has since become the focal point of several true crime documentaries, and her ex recently appeared on GMA to describe how he too was fooled by her schemes. Sherri Papini is an American housewife who vanished from her home in Redding, California, on November 2, 2016. She is seen her wrapped up in a warm embrace with her now ex husbdand Keith, who said on national TV Monday that the convicted fraudster remains unrepentant The then-34-year-old disappeared while out for a jog a mile from her house, before resurfacing three weeks later, erroneously claiming to have kidnapped. Her story was soon found to be a lie, and is set to be the center of a new documentary releasing this week titled Perfect Wife What happened to Sherri Papini? Sherri, now 41, was jailed in 2022 for a Gone Girl style plot where she faked her own kidnapping and vanished for three weeks in 2016, lying to cops and giving herself injuries to match in the process. The scheme thus captivated much of the nation - partially due Papini being painted as a picture-perfect stay-at-home mother, with two young kids. In reality, she was wrapped up with an affair with James Reyes, all while her husband Keith was left in the dark. She stayed with Reyes over the course of her alleged kidnapping, after which she was sentenced to 18 months in prison starting in September of 2022. The big breakthrough in the case that saw her story unravel came when officers found her ex-boyfriend's DNA on her clothes in 2020 and discovered she had been holed up with him the whole time she had been pretending to be missing. Sherri, now 41, was jailed in 2022 for a Gone Girl style plot where she faked her own kidnapping and vanished for three weeks in 2016, lying to cops and giving herself injuries to match in the process. She is seen here with her now-ex husband Keith on their wedding day Seen here with their two kids Tyler and Violet, now 14 and 12, the couple finalized their divorce last year, a month after she was released nine months early from prison for lying to cops about the phony kidnapping. They are now wrapped up in a custody battle, despite a judge awarding Keith full custody last year She was released early in August of last year, after a judge ruled she was no threat to her community. A day earlier, Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson recalled how he and others handling the investigation grew suspicious of her almost immediately, upon interviewing her after her reappearance. 'It is a case of calculated deception, driven I think by her narcissistic behavior,' he said as he painted the Northern California mom as confident and unrepentant. 'It really had an impact on this community.' Her family reportedly footed her $120,000 bond, after which her husband filed for divorce the very next month. Where is Sherri Papini now? Today, Papini lives with her 49-year-old auto dealer boyfriend Shawn Hibdon, in a lush, four-bedroom property in Shingletown, 30 miles from the home she shared with her family. She began dating the widowed businessman before her 10-month stint in prison even started, and was seen sharing a kiss outside their home just last week She is also set to be the subject of soon-to-be released Hulu docuseries titled Perfect Wife, which will revisit her case in-depth. Set to start streaming Thursday, the retelling comes on top of a feature film aired last year by Lifetime, in which Pearl Harbor's Jaime King played the storytelling spouse. The 41-year-old mom currently resides in Shingletown, 30 miles from the home she once shared with her family She lives there with her 49-year-old auto dealer boyfriend Shawn Hibdon, in a lush, four-bedroom. She began dating widowed businessman before her 10-month stint in prison in Victorville, California. The pair are seen sharing a kiss outside the home just last week The Hulu series, however, will feature real interviews with those affected by her lies, including ex-husband Keith. As a sort of precursor, he appeared on Good Morning America to speak about the scandal following seven years of silence, during which the pair took to court to settle a several months-long split. To this day, the pair are still locked in a bitter custody battle over their two kids - 14-year-old and 12-year-old Violet. What did Sherri Papini's ex-husband Keith say about her? On Monday, a clean-cut Keith told GMA of his liar former love: 'I think she wanted me to be her knight in shining armor and run to her.' He also said his ex has never apologized to him or their children for what they went through, stating: 'She has no remorse that I have ever witnessed or seen.' Even when police accused her of lying, Keith recalled how Sherri continued to insist she was telling the truth, recalling openly on the program: 'She made us believe that her story was true. Every single day she committed to the lie.' He added that the purpose of his participation in the anticipated document is so that all can know 'how convincing' Sherri was 'all those years' and how he believed everything she said. Sherri Papini's ex-husband Keith Papini has broken his silence to reveal how he was duped by her fake kidnapping scheme He said: 'I think she wanted to plan a fake kidnapping, but in her version I was supposed to find her.' He added how now all he wants now is to be able to 'move past [the scandal]' even though the events are 'always going to be there'. With the Hulu series surely set to reopen old wounds, he concluded: 'I do want to provide my children an amazing childhood, but I think it will always be there.' What is her Hulu documentary Perfect Wife about? Formally called 'Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini', the three-part series details Keith's own battle to uncover the truth about Papini's disappearing act. Episode one is set in 2016, and covers the initial stages of Papini's abrupt disappearance. Told from the point of view of Keith, it will follow his frantic search for his-then wife just as the case began to make national headlines. Episode 2 is set three weeks later, following Papini being found in the middle of a interstate highway elsewhere in Northern California. That segment will follow the story - as she told it - of her supposedly violent abduction, and 'nightmarish' few weeks in captivity. The big breakthrough in the case that saw her story unraveled came when officers found her ex-boyfriend's DNA on her clothes in 2020 and discovered she had been holed up with him the whole time she had been pretending to be missing It will also show how her account leads to a sprawling search for two Hispanic women, who she painted as the kidnappers. The search of course came up empty, but investigators did not immediately suspect the unseemly housewife. The third and final installment begins in 2020, four years after the scandal rocked the family - and the year that cops finally began to hone in on the con woman. It follows Keith's struggle to support his spouses trauma and rebuild their family, which is ultimately upended by unexpected call from law enforcement that leads to his world being 'turned upside down'. In his petition for divorce, a devastated Keith recalled this stage of his life, and how he and his kids had been 'victimized' by his ex-wife - whom he billed as a liar and a thief. 'On April 11 2022, I learned that I and my children had been victimized,' he wrote before being awarded full custody. '[And] that my wife was a skilled liar, an accomplished thief, a manipulator of others without empathy for their pain and loss.' Keith was subsequently awarded the couple's home and custody of the kids, as well as the lion's share of the couple's possessions. Papini, meanwhile, is currently in the midst of battling for more access to Tyler and Violet while Keith wants her to undertake a psychological evaluation and be barred from seeing them unsupervised. She is also demanding he hand over an array of items from the marital home in Redding, among them Grandpas truck, an inflatable water slide, a leaf blower and a smart TV'. All three episodes of Perfect Wife will be available to stream on June 20. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tore into a series of recent videos showing President Biden being guided off stage or standing motionless at jubilant events as 'cheap fakes' as she defended the president's vigor. 'That's exactly what they are. They are cheap fakes video,' she said, following a series of reports about Biden 'freezing' for several moments at public events. She specifically took on the contention that Biden froze at a White House Juneteenth event, where people around him including Vice President Kamala Harris were grooving to music. 'The president stood there listening to the music and he didn't dance. Excuse me, I did not know not dancing was a mental was a health issue,' she said. 'That is a weird thing to actually flag when if you if you look at the people who around him if you look at the expanded video of the people who around him, they were not, they weren't there were some folks who were not dancing either.' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tore into videos she called 'cheap fakes' that showed officials including Barack Obama guiding President Biden off stage 'Just because you're standing up listening to music and not dancing. That is not a health issue. That is just not a health issue,' she intoned. Her comments to a reporter came shortly after DailyMail.com asked Jean-Pierre about recent videos of former President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni guiding him after events, and whether they had been asked to do so. 'Let's not forget: President Obama, President Biden have a relationship. They are friends. They're like family. And I think that's what you saw,' she said, in reference to video after a $30 million fundraiser where Biden stood stationary for several seconds while the audience applauded at the end of the event before Obama grabbed him by the arm and led him off stage. She also dismissed video of Italy's Meloni, who also grabbed Biden by the arm during an event at the G7 where the leaders viewed a parachute demonstration. Biden left the group briefly to greet a parachute jumper, only to be led back by Meloni for a photo-op. 'That was definitely a cheap fake,' she said. It was a scuffle Jean-Pierre appeared ready to have having earlier blasted the videos as 'cheap fakes' when first asked about them at the top of her briefing Monday, her first within days. 'Excuse me, I did not know not dancing was a mental was a health issue,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, defending the president's dance-free moments at a Juneteenth celebration at the White HOuse Right this way: Jean-Pierre was responding to questions about officials including Italy's Giorgia Meloni who guided the president at events Former President Barack Obama guided Biden off stage following a big bucks fundraiser in Los Angeles On Saturday, video of former President Barack Obama reaching for Biden's hand and seemingly guiding the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief off the stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser went viral. Last week, Biden stood motionless and stared blankly for nearly a full minute at a Juneteenth celebration at the White House, as people around him sang and danced to the music. 'I think that it tells you everything that we need to know about how how desperate, how desperate Republicans are here,' she said. 'Instead of Republicans, you know, focusing on the President's performance in office and what he's been able to accomplish his actual record. They do these cheap face. They're cheap fakes.' It comes as the president prepares to decamp to his Delaware beach house and Camp David for what are expected to be extended debate sessions where he will prep for a televised clash with Donald Trump on CNN. The Biden camp wants to use the debate as a chance to turn around their sagging poll numbers. Some seasoned Democrats and observers, including FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver, have questioned whether Democrats should somehow remove Biden from the ticket. Jean-Pierre also referenced a statement from the office of former President Obama, suggesting his post-presidential office had addressed the matter. 'Obama's office put out a statement. So I would refer you to that statement about what was being accused in those by others. And he said this did not happen in the sense of what people were saying, saying they were seeing, right? Or what was being falsely reported that they were seeing. The White House confirmed she was referencing a four-word post by Obama spokesman Eric Shultz who wrote simply, 'this did not happen.' 'You saw the President put his hand behind the on the back of President Biden and and they walked off the stage. After after taking questions. Or at an event taking questions from Jimmy Kimmel. That is that is what you saw,' Jean-Pierre said. Dramatic video footages shows the moment a decades-old plane somersaulted at an airport in Brazil. A cell phone video shows the aircraft, built in 1931, landing on the runway when it flips over at Ponta Grossa Airport in Ponta Grossa, Parana on Friday. The biplane slides and tips over as the propeller touches the ground as onlookers gasp in the background. The small aircraft then slams down on the pavement and comes to a full stop. Fortunately, the pilot was not injured, airport superintendent Victor Hugo told Brazilian news outlet A Rede. A small plane was seen on a video landing on the runway at an airport in Ponta Grossa, Brazil before it flipped over last Friday. The pilot was not injured in the accident The aircraft was built in 1931 and is part of a fleet of classical planes owned by WS Museum in Curitiba, Brazil 'Everything was fine,' Hugo said. Airport investigators said the accident was caused by strong wind gusts. The small plane suffered structural damages and was removed and placed in the hangar. The aircraft is owned by WS Museum, an aeronautical museum located in the Parana town of Curitiba. According to its website, WS Museum offers guided tours, scenic flights and skydiving experiences. The classical aircraft at one point tipped over as its propeller made contact with the ground before it slammed on the ground The plane made the flight to Ponta Grossa, where it was going to participate at the Nos Ares de PG 2 show at the airport. The exhibition featured a fleet of classical planes, flyovers and parachute jumps on Saturday and Sunday. DailyMail.com reached out to WS Museum for comment. He was a pariah for Labour during the Corbyn years but now Sir Tony Blair is back in action with his party smugly assuming its on the cusp of regaining power. For some activists, candidates and voters, his intervention in the campaign will cause dismay as he is still a divisive figure, despite his knack for winning elections. But he is close to Sir Keir Starmer, who has said he wants to follow in Sir Tonys footsteps and we can expect to see a lot more of him, should Labour win. Its a remarkable turnaround given many assumed he would retreat from public life after he was condemned by the 2016 Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War. Sir Tony Blair is back in the headlines after claiming devolution has been a success Whether you see him as a bad penny or an electoral genius, Sir Tony is out of exile and back in the headlines after claiming at the weekend that devolution has been a success. Enthusiastic That might not be too surprising, as his government was responsible for the creation of the Scottish parliament back in 1999 though Sir Tony wasnt always an enthusiastic supporter of the exercise. He now asserts that its been a success insofar as it prevented independence, which is in abeyance or possibly on life support. The former Labour Defence Secretary George (now Lord) Robertson once infamously claimed that devolution would kill nationalism stone dead. Sir Tony echoed his sentiment, to some extent, by saying that Scotland is still part of the UK, which was part of the design so devolution has worked, as far as I am concerned. Well, it may have worked for him, and for everyone else who hasnt been around to suffer it directly, but for the rest of us, Sir Tony, its been a painful ordeal. Devolution paved the way for nearly 20 years of circular debate about Scotlands constitutional future, while the present was ignored or badly neglected. Not even a pandemic prevented the SNP from plotting another referendum, as we know from the findings of the Covid inquiry, notwithstanding the mass deletion of WhatsApp messages including those scrubbed by the present First Minister. Nicola Sturgeon, now busy writing her memoir, admitted in 2021 that the SNP took its eye off the ball on drug deaths, which now average more than three a day the highest rate in Europe. The NHS is in crisis, as always, but last week John Swinney said that Scotland would be in a stronger position to take greater decisions about investment in the NHS if we had the full powers of an independent country. Yet health spending which is set to fall, despite an SNP tax hike on higher earners is entirely a matter for the Scottish Government, and has been since 1999. The same old shtick is trotted out, though presumably not even Mr Swinney believes its on the horizon. Independence is stuck in a cul-de-sac Sir Tony is right about that but its a bit rich of him to claim devolution is responsible for keeping it at bay. It enabled separatism to dominate and paralyse political discourse for the past 17 years, and led to the psychodrama of the 2014 referendum. Everything is seen through the prism of independence, allowing the SNP to peddle the claim that ripping Scotland out of one of the worlds most successful political and economic partnerships is a panacea which lies just beyond our grasp thanks to our colonial overlords in Whitehall. The SNP sticks to this absurd line despite the fact theres no viable legal mechanism of achieving another referendum, and no majority support for it. Devolution merely created the means for the separatists to hijack parliament for their own narrow ends, turning the noble aims of its founding fathers into little more than a sick joke. Sir Tony is claiming effectively that everything turned out all right in the end, but it was no thanks to him. The fallout from those 17 years of decline and constitutional obsession is evident in the state of our collapsing public services, and it will take many years to fix the damage assuming the SNP can be ousted in 2026, and that its successors can be trusted to get on with the repair job. Outcry Back in 1997, Sir Tony elicited an outcry after using an ill-advised analogy to explain a proposed policy during the general election campaign. It came when he was challenged on whether tax-raising powers for a future Scottish parliament would conflict with his partys pledge not to raise the basic rate of income tax. Sir Tony stated: The Scottish Labour Party is not planning to raise income tax and once the power is given [to Holyrood] it is like any parish council, its got the right to exercise it. At the time there was a great deal of performative fury about what was seen as a reductive comparison, and Sir Tony probably bitterly regretted his choice of words. But how many of us would be glad now if the parliament had become nothing more than a parish council, with limited power over our lives? A lot of us would have been spared the unrelenting tax raids mounted by the SNP, which says its manifesto will be the only one thats Left-wing portentous words. Then again, its unlikely to spell out detailed plans for further punitive taxation at this stage, with the SNP staring down the barrel of heavy losses on July 4. And without devolution we would have avoided abortive transgender reforms, the Named Person fiasco, and the furore over the bottle Deposit Return Scheme. Lunacy The time spent on nanny state lunacy could have been used straining every sinew to rescue and bolster the flagging economy. Holyrood is certainly no parish council. It has been transformed into a costly behemoth, filled with duds and placemen whose only skill in some cases is the ruthless exploitation of the expenses system as we saw with the Michael Matheson iPad saga. Now Labour is determined to devolve even more powers to government in Edinburgh as if it hadnt caused enough carnage with the ones it already has. Sir Keir is hell-bent on repeating the mistakes of Sir Tony and the architects of devolution and well find out more about his plans when the Scottish Labour manifesto is published today. The existing institutions dont work so theres no point giving them even more scope to interfere in our lives. The only intervention most Scots would have welcomed from Sir Tony is an apology for the wasted years of SNP rule inflicted upon us by the devolution project he helped to mastermind. Pro-UK voters can get rid of the SNP and end demands for independence for good at the General Election, Ruth Davidson has declared. In her first major intervention since Rishi Sunak called the election, the former Scottish Conservative leader attempted to rally Scots Unionists by telling them they can end the independence debate once and for all. She said the election offers those who back the UK the chance that we have all been waiting for over the last decade and that they can make July 4 the day Scotland is free of the SNP. Baroness Davidson is seen as a key weapon for the Scottish Tories who can help appeal to voters across vast swathes of Scotland. She will also personally write to hundreds of thousands of voters in key Tory target seats. In her rallying cry, Baroness Davidson said July 4 can be the day Scotland is free of the SNP Writing in todays Mail, Ms Davidson said: This election in Scotland is a huge opportunity for pro-UK voters. This is the chance that we have all been waiting for over the past decade. We can finally get rid of the SNP in seats up and down Scotland. We can put an end to their demands for independence for good. The Tories are seeking to hold the six seats they won at the 2019 general election and are also targeting others where they believe they are best placed to beat the SNP. They are mainly focused on the North-East of Scotland, where there has been a backlash against the SNP and Labours opposition to new North Sea developments, and across much of the Borders and southern Scotland. Existing Tory seats include the redrawn Aberdeenshire North and Moray constituency where outgoing leader Douglas Ross is standing, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, currently held by Scotland Office Minister John Lamont, and West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine held by nuclear and renewables minister Andrew Bowie. Key Tory targets currently held by the SNP include Richard Thomsons Gordon and Buchan seat, the Angus and Perthshire Glens constituency held by Dave Doogan, Perth and Kinross-shire, the constituency of the SNPs longest-serving MP Pete Wishart, and Brendan OHaras seat of Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber. Ms Davidson will write to voters in target seats to plead with them to back the Tories to defeat the SNP. She is also set to feature prominently on the campaign trail, knocking on doors. A Tory source said: People still have a huge reaction to her and our people love to see her out. They have really fond memories of her taking it to Nicola Sturgeon and still have a lot of respect for her. She is the perfect person to deliver the message on the campaign trail, for sure. A Norstat poll at the weekend put Labour ahead in Scotland on 34 per cent, followed by the SNP on 30. Support for the Tories fell two percentage points to 14, with the Lib Dems on 9 and Reform UK on 7 per cent. In her article for the Mail today, Ms Davidson, referring to Nicola Sturgeons role as a commentator on ITVs election night coverage, said: I want to switch on the telly that night and see her face as she realises her push for independence is finished. SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said: Ruth Davidsons comments smack of desperation as she cant even bring herself to mention the toxic Tories who have inflicted 14 years of austerity, Brexit and a cost-of-living crisis on people across Scotland. People will not be surprised at an unelected Baroness trying to squash democracy and Scotlands chance to build a fairer society as an independent country. A Scottish health board has warned everyone in its area to assume that some of their data has been published online after its IT system was hacked. The attack took place in February, when large numbers of files held on NHS Dumfries and Galloways servers were illegally copied. The board is now set to send out leaflets saying the situation is extremely serious. Its chief executive Julie White has been forced to contact every household in the region of around 148,000 people, warning that they are a potential target. Officials confirmed that over three terabytes of data was published by the hackers following Februarys cyber attack, when a substantial amount of patient and staff-identifiable data was stolen. Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary was targeted by the hackers The information was posted on the web after the NHS board refused to pay a ransom. In a leaflet to be sent out this week, Ms White will advise residents that the best approach to take is to assume that some data relating to you is likely to have been copied and published. The leaflet will add: This is an extremely serious situation, and everyone is asked to be on their guard for any attempts to access their computer systems, or any approaches by anyone claiming to hold their data or someone elses data. This leaflet sets out the type of data which was stolen, potential risks associated with this, the measures which you might want to consider taking in response, and information on how we can support you. The document also confirms that millions of pieces of data were copied and published including X-rays, test results and correspondence between departments and to patients, as well as letters of complaint. The stolen data was leaked on the so-called dark web on May 6, six weeks after the gang threatened to make the information available unless the health board met its demands. Ransomware hackers uploaded the stolen data to the dark web A ransomware group called Inc Ransom, which is thought to have targeted 65 organisations in the past year, is believed to be behind the attack. The leaflet will say that, due to the volume of files stolen, staff have prioritised high-risk data, which generally relates to the most vulnerable patients. Ms White will say those in the high-risk group where the publication of stolen data could represent an additional risk will be contacted individually. The leaflet will add: As our investigations are ongoing, we will not be able to tell people what specific data has been published about them. Cyber experts previously called the amount of data stolen unfathomable and feared the published information could be used to commit identity fraud. But Ms White says patients are unlikely to be affected, adding: This concern is more for NHS staff than for patients, because of the sort of information gathered from staff during the recruitment process. NHS staff have been notified of this risk. The leaflet will give an update on the attack and advice on how people can stay safe online. It will say: We have been asking both staff and the public to be on their guard for any suspicious activity. This includes any attempts to access computer systems, such as suspicious emails from an unverified sender asking them to click a link (known as phishing), as well as phone calls. The health board stressed it has put precautions in place to protect against future attacks. Police Scotland last night confirmed its inquiries were ongoing. Three of eight teenage girls accused of stabbing a homeless man to death in Toronto more than a year ago have pleaded guilty in court, according to local reports. Ken Lee, 59, a Hong Kong national who was trying to find housing in Toronto, was allegedly beaten and stabbed by the gang of girls ranging in age from 13 to 16 in December 2022. It is believed Lee was attacked while defending a friend who the girls had been trying to steal a bottle of liquor from. Each of the girls were arrested and charged with second degree murder, with Detective Sergeant Terry Browne of the Toronto Police calling the incident 'shocking' and 'disturbing.' One of the girls, who was 13 at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Monday according to CBC News. Ken Lee, 59, an immigrant from Hong Kong who was trying to find housing in Toronto, was beaten and stabbed by eight of girls ranging in age from 13 to 16 Two other girls previously pleaded guilty to some charges in the case - one to manslaughter and the other to assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon. Six of the girls are on trial for second-degree murder while two are facing the lesser charge of manslaughter. Police have alleged Lee, who was 59 and living in the city's shelter system, died after he was swarmed and stabbed by the group. Lee was pronounced dead upon arriving at a Toronto hospital shortly afterwards. When a vigil was held for Lee at the Toronto Homeless Memorial downtown, he was remembered by visitors as a quiet person and devoted friend. 'Nobody was surprised that he would stick up for somebody like that,' Sanctuary Toronto spokesperson and pastor Johnson Hatlem said of Lee. Browne said Lee started living in Toronto's shelter system in September. 'He does have a very supportive family in the area so I wouldn't necessarily call him homeless. Maybe just recently on some hard luck,' he said. The horrific stabbing occurred near where York Street, University Avenue and Front Street West meet at around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday. It's believed that the girls, who had met on social media earlier, were trying to steal the victim's alcohol when they attacked him Roberto Sanchez, who often holds the door open at a nearby Tim Hortons, told CTV News 'He was friendly. He was generous. He was a kind-hearted person. Everyone has their issues. But all in all, I didn't see him as a threat to no one.' 'For those youths to do that to him - it's heart-wrenching. I can't believe it.' One resident of the nearby Strathcona Hotel where Lee was staying told CTV News Toronto that the teenagers were drinking, and tried to steal Lee's friend's alcohol. Lee was with a female friend in a plaza northwest of the intersection of University Avenue and York Street when he was attacked. 'They were sitting on a bench, sipping booze out of a mickey and having a cigarette,' said witness Ken Webber. 'I saw the aftermath of the attack.' The teens were 'standing outside the Union Station stairwell there, arguing, screaming and yelling,' he added. One police source told The Toronto Sun the girls were 'like wild animals'. Pictured: The homeless shelter where the victim was staying before he was knifed. Police believe that all eight teenage girls are 'equally culpable' in the dreadful street murder Browne said the victim started living in Toronto's shelter system in September. He said they haven't been able to reach certain family members and until they do they won't release his name 'They're all young offenders. They attacked this guy like a bunch of wild animals. He tried to fight them off and they just kept coming back,' the source said. 'He was just minding his own business, he wasn't bothering a soul.' Browne said the crime even shocked the police. 'I've been in policing for almost 35 years and you think you've seen it all,' he said. 'Anyone who isn't shocked with hearing something like this has clearly just thrown in the towel and just said that anything is possible in this world. 'Eight young girls and most under the age of 16. If this isn't alarming and shocking to everyone, then we're all in trouble quite frankly.' Browne said the same girls got into an altercation earlier in the night in the area. He declined to release more details - but confirmed that they had met on social media. Rishi Sunak's dislike of Labour's plan to slap VAT on private-school fees is not just political it's deeply personal. The Prime Minister famously attended Winchester College, the ancient public school in Hampshire which has produced leading figures in society for centuries. Less famously, his parents had to scrimp and save for years to send him there. Mr Sunak and his wife regularly grace the pages of the Sunday Times Rich List these days. His parents first-generation immigrants to this country very much did not. His father worked all hours as a GP, his mother ran a modest pharmacy in Southampton, where the three Sunak children were also expected to help out. Scholarships helped, but every spare penny was put towards ensuring the children had the best possible education. 'It was a big stretch,' Mr Sunak says of his middle-class upbringing. 'People like my parents are the people who will be most affected by Labour's change. Prime Minster Rishi Sunak being interviewed by the Mail's Political Editor Jason Groves (right) on board a train to Doncaster Mr Sunak says people like his parents will be 'most affected' by Labour's change to private-school fees 'People who are working hard, who are aspiring to provide a better life for their kids. They are the people that will lose out. 'I believe in an aspirational country, I believe if you're working hard and you want to provide a better life for your family, then any government I lead will be on your side. 'Whether you want to send your kids to a private school, if you want to buy your first home as a young couple. Whether you want to set up a small business on your own or set up in self-employment, which I think is something to be admired. 'Those are all things that speak to the type of country that we are in that I want to support.' He readily acknowledges that his belief in the power of education to 'transform people's lives for the better' is 'a reflection on my upbringing'. Friends say that when Mr Sunak got his first big job at investment bank Goldman Sachs, he sent his parents his first pay cheque as a thank you. They never cashed it. Even while studying at Oxford University, he would trek home at weekends to help out in the family business. 'I worked for my mum in that shop for most of my childhood, in the back and in the front,' he says. 'We all went on Sundays to clean the shop. I worked there the rest of the week I did the books in the evenings and the weekends. 'I mean, I came home from university a lot pretty much every weekend, I was working at home in the shop.' Sunka readily acknowledges that his belief in the power of education to 'transform people's lives for the better' is 'a reflection on my upbringing'. Mr Sunak insists the 'only poll that matters' is the one on July 4 If hard work was enough, he would be looking forward with confidence to another term as Prime Minister. But we meet on a train to Doncaster almost four weeks into a six-week election campaign, which, if the polls are to be believed, is not going well for the Conservatives. Wordle helps campaigning PM relax Sunak has been using popular online puzzle Wordle as well as sudokus and crosswords to relax and fill in the odd moment of downtime on the campaign trail. He also tries to snatch the occasional FaceTime call with his family, but television, books and even exercise have gone out the window. 'I'm trying and failing to go running a couple of times a week but that hasn't quite survived contact with reality,' he says. Mr Sunak managed breakfast with the family on Father's Day, but got up for it. 'I'm not a breakfast-in-bed type of person,' the Prime Minister added. Advertisement In time-honoured fashion, Mr Sunak insists the 'only poll that matters' is the one on July 4. But he acknowledges that if the current doom-laden polls suggesting the Tories will be reduced to fewer than 100 seats are replicated in the election, 'it would mean handing Labour a completely blank cheque to raise taxes on everything on your car, your home, your work, your pension and I don't want that to happen. 'That's why I'm going to fight very hard over the second half of this campaign to make sure everyone understands the real risk for their financial security that a future Labour government poses.' Boris Johnson was right, he says, to warn in this paper at the weekend that so-called Starmergeddon would mean a 'sharp Left turn' for the country. Mr Sunak's recent schedule has been exhausting, with attendance at the G7 summit in Italy, a Ukraine summit in Switzerland and Trooping the Colour all coming on top of election duties in the past few days. Is it true he has been getting by on five hours' sleep a night? 'It's been a bit less than that the last few days, with all the travel,' he says, before insisting he feels 'energised' by the chance to put his case to the country. Whoever wins the election next month will have to head almost immediately to Washington for a summit to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato, where the war in Ukraine will dominate. Mr Sunak believes his decision to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 will give him the 'moral authority' to pressure other Nato countries to do the same, potentially generating an extra 140 billion in Nato spending and 'sending a very strong signal to our adversaries, starting with (Vladimir) Putin, that we're not going anywhere, that he's not going to outlast us in Ukraine... sending a powerful message of deterrence'. He warns that Sir Keir Starmer's failure to match that spending timetable will send a 'dangerous' signal to Putin and leave the Labour leader with 'no authority to tell allies to spend more'. Mr Sunak believes his decision to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 will give him the 'moral authority' to pressure other Nato countries to do the same Mr Sunak's recent schedule has been exhausting, with attendance at the G7 summit in Italy, a Ukraine summit in Switzerland and Trooping the Colour (pictured) all coming on top of election duties Mr Sunak warns that Sir Keir Starmer's (pictured in Bristol) failure to match that spending timetable will send a 'dangerous' signal to Putin and leave the Labour leader with 'no authority to tell allies to spend more'. 'He and the Labour Party are not prioritising our country's security at a time that is undeniably the most dangerous and uncertain that our country has been in in decades. It deeply concerns me.' He brushes aside Sir Keir's argument that a 'changed Labour Party' has abandoned the peacenik stance of the Jeremy Corbyn years, pointing out that both Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and foreign spokesman David Lammy voted against the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent just a few years ago. 'Those are two of the four most powerful people in a future Labour government,' he says. 'Two of them don't believe in that ultimate guarantor of our security. I've done this job for a year and a half. I can tell you how important that is.' Nigel Farage also gets short shrift for his call last week for Ukraine to enter peace talks with the 'very clever' Putin, even if that means ceding some territory. 'History shows that trying to appease dictators and bullies never succeeds,' Mr Sunak says. 'I think everyone should look at the lessons from history.' The PM is not keen on discussing the Reform party leader in detail, but is quick to point out that Mr Farage's own deputy said last week that getting even two or three MPs would be a 'fantastic result'. 'That tells you what you need to know about the real choice at the election,' he says. 'All I'd say to people who I know are frustrated and of course I accept and understand that I'd ask them just to think about the things that they care about and who's more likely to deliver them. And the fact is that that's me. I've got a clear plan to stop the boats... the flights will go to Rwanda if I'm elected. 'We're already bringing down the levels of legal migration. The number of visas issued this year is down by 30 per cent. The levels of net migration are forecast to halve over the next year and we will have a legal cap for the first time. 'So it will guarantee to continue falling. If you want a more proportionate approach to net zero that prioritises our country's energy security and doesn't saddle families with bills. That's the path I've set out Keir Starmer would reverse all those changes.' The PM is not keen on discussing the Reform party leader in detail, but is quick to point out that Nigel Farage's (pictured speaking in Wales) own deputy said last week that getting even two or three MPs would be a 'fantastic result' Sir Keir recently branded Mr Sunak a 'liar' over claims backed up largely by Treasury research that Labour's plans will require an extra 2,000 per person in taxes over and above what the party has acknowledged. For his part, the PM says Sir Keir is 'not being straight' about his real agenda whether it's on tax, immigration or Brexit. He acknowledges that voters are 'angry and frustrated' with him, but urges them to think twice before 'punishing' him for the difficulties of the past few years. 'This election is about the future,' he says. 'And of course, people can look at my record and that will inform their judgment. No government gets everything perfectly right, I haven't got everything perfectly right of course not. 'But we are undeniably making progress on bringing immigration down, on stopping the boats and cutting people's taxes and protecting pensions and getting to net zero and in a more sensible way, investing more in our country's security, and all those big areas. We are now on the path to a more secure future.' Labour, he says, would 'just take us backwards'. In the end, it may not be enough. But the man who once returned home from university every weekend to help out in his mum's shop, can be relied upon to keep saying it at each and every opportunity until the last vote has been cast. A member of the U.S. Secret Service was robbed at gunpoint Saturday night in California during President Joe Biden's high-profile fundraising swing. Scripps News reported Monday that officers from the Tustin Police Department responded to a call and found that the victim was a member of the Secret Service who had fired off his own gun during the robbery. It is unclear if the perpetrator was injured and by Monday afternoon the Tustin, California Police Department said it was still investigating the incident. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed to DailyMail.com that a member of the U.S. Secret Service was the victim in the robbery. 'The employee discharged their service weapon during the incident but unknown if the assailants were struck,' Guglielmi said. Secret Service agents and other aides are seen surrounding Marine One in Los Angeles on Sunday. An employee of the Secret Service had his bag stolen in an armed robbery Saturday night in Orange County, California, the night of Biden's high-dollar fundraiser President Joe Biden (center right) and first lady Jill Biden (right) walk toward Air Force One followed by granddaughter Maizy (left) and first daughter Ashley Biden (center left) as they depart from Los Angeles Sunday 'We are thankful that the employee did not sustain any injuries,' he added. Some of the Secret Service official's belongings have since been found. The robber escaped in a silver Infiniti, with Tustin police including a photograph of the vehicle, while calling on members of the public to provide tips. It wasn't immediately clear if the Secret Service employee had been tasked with protecting Biden on the Los Angeles trip. Biden returned to his hotel Saturday shortly before 9 p.m. Tustin is located in nearby Orange County, California - and police responded to the call at 9:36 p.m. Biden flew directly from the G7 in Italy to appear at the California fundraiser alongside movie stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts, comedian Jimmy Kimmel and former President Barack Obama Saturday night. He returned to Washington Sunday night. The Tustin Police Department put out a press release detailing the Saturday night armed robbery of a Secret Service agent. The agent fired off his gun during the attack. The incident remains under investigation President Joe Biden was joined by former President Barack Obama at a star-studded fundraiser that night, which raised more than $30 million to go toward Biden's reelection bid against former President Donald Trump In what's good news for the Biden campaign, the fundraiser raised more than $30 million for the Democrat in his reelection campaign against former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. However on Monday, there were questions about a viral video that appeared to show the 81-year-old president freezing onstage - guided off by Obama. During Monday's press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre complained about several recent viral videos that conservatives have hyped online including the one of Biden departing the California fundraiser. She dubbed them 'cheap fakes.' 'They are done in bad faith,' she chided. 'Let's not forget: President Obama, President Biden have a relationship. They are friends. They're like family. And I think that's what you saw,' she said,' she said to a question posed by DailyMail.com. Jean-Pierre also referenced a statement from the office of former president. 'Obama's office put out a statement. So I would refer you to that statement about what was being accused in those by others. And he said this did not happen in the sense of what people were saying, saying they were seeing, right? Or what was being falsely reported that they were seeing,' the press secretary continued. The White House confirmed she was referencing a four-word post by Obama spokesman Eric Shultz who said: 'this did not happen.' 'You saw the president put his hand behind the on the back of President Biden and and they walked off the stage. After after taking questions. Or at an event taking questions from Jimmy Kimmel. That is that is what you saw,' Jean-Pierre said. Sir Ian McKellen has been rushed to hospital after falling off stage during a West End performance in London tonight. The 85-year-old acting legend was involved in a fight scene during a performance of Player Kings at the Noel Coward theatre when he lost his balance and tumbled off the front of the stage. The audience were evacuated from the theatre while medics were called to the venue - and ticket holders were told the evening show has been cancelled. It's understood Sir Ian - who plays John Falstaff in the play - was circling a battle scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy, when he tripped and fell off the stage. As the house lights came up, the actor best known for his portrayals of Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings franchise and Magneto in X-Men, is said to have cried out in pain as ushers rushed to help him. Audience members, some left in tears, told MailOnline that the star 'was screaming help me' and described the sounds as 'bone-chilling'. Sir Ian McKellen (centre) bows at the curtain call during the press night performance of 'Player Kings' at the Noel Coward Theatre on April 11 Sir Ian is seen performing in a scene of Player Kings, which is on the West End until June 22 London ambulances are seen rushing to the scene following the shock fall on the West End Images shared on social media showed people holding white boards as the Lord of the Rings star was moved into the ambulance outside the theatre The audience stood outside the theatre after the venue was evacuated following Sir Ian's fall An NHS incident response unit is pictured outside the Noel Coward Theatre The audience left the theatre following Sir Ian's fall at the Noel Coward Theatre on June 17 Two ambulance vehicles were pictured outside the theatre in the evening Sir Ian pictured above in his role as Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Sir Ian also played Magneto in the movie X-Men. He is pictured above during X2, the second movie he starred in in the franchise, in 2003 The extent of the actor's injuries are not known at this stage - but at least three London ambulances were pictured outside the theatre. Player Kings, which started its 12-week West End run in April, is a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two. Those in the audience have shared their shock at the incident. Paul Critchley, a Methodist minister from Downham Market, Norfolk, said: 'Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene. 'He picked up momentum as he moved downstage which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience. 'The house lights came up very quickly as the stage management and front of house team dealt with the incident. We were evacuated immediately so that Sir Ian could be treated in privacy. 'An announcement was made by theatre management that the show had been cancelled, that Sir Ian was receiving treatment and an ambulance had been called. 'It was a shock to witness his fall and I wish him a speedy recovery. My thoughts are also with his fellow cast members, stage crew and front of house team at the Noel Coward Theatre.' Others expressed their horror online. One tweeted: 'Just witnessed an awful accident with Sir Ian McKellen tripping off the stage in London. He seems badly hurt. We are all in shock and tears.' Sir Ian McKellen attends the National Youth Theatre's BIG Night Out after party at Soho House Greek Street on June 3 A sign for Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London staring Sir Ian McKellen, who has been taken to hospital after he fell from the stage during a West End performance Richard Coyle, Sir Ian McKellen and Toheeb Jimoh bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of 'Player Kings' at the Noel Coward Theatre on April 11, 2024 in London Sir Ian McKellen is pictured above in his role as Falstaff in 'Player Kings', based on Shakespeare's Henry IV Ian McKellen pictured as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Sir Ian also reprised his role as Gandalf in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014 Sir Ian, pictured in 2019, has been taking to the hospital after he lost his footing and fell from the stage during a fight scene, according to the BBC Marvel villain: The English actor has played Magneto in films based on Marvel Comics and is shown in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand Sir Ian McKellen (L) and Brian Cox attend the National Youth Theatre's BIG Night Out after party at Soho House Greek Street on June 03, 2024 in London Another wrote: 'Audience shocked by Sir Ian McKellen's fall off stage tonight at Noel Coward Theatre. Staff working hard to help him. Thoughts with him, cast and crew.' And a third said: 'Shocking to watch, it was a terrible fall. Hoping he is not badly injured, he seemed to be in great pain.' Sandro Trapani told the BBC the incident was 'very shocking', adding: 'I really hope that he is going to be alright. As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.' Sir Ian's representatives and the London Ambulance Service have been approached for comment. Sir Ian, who now lives in Limehouse, was born in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1939 and, alongside his sister Jean, was raised by his mother Margery and his father Denis. He has often credited his parents for encouraging his interest in becoming a performer, previously claiming in a 2017 interview with the Irish Examiner: 'Apparently she said, 'If Ian decides to be an actor, it's a good job, because it brings pleasure to people'.' His mother died when he was just 12 and he would lose his father at the age of 22. Sir Ian acted at all the schools he attended. When at Bolton School he was able to take on his first Shakespeare performance at Hopefield Miniature Theatre when, as a 13-year-old Malvolio, he performed the letter scene from Twelfth Night. He then won a scholarship to read English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and was soon appearing in regular productions, including appearing alongside now famous alumni such as Derek Jacobi, David Frost and Margaret Drabble. By the time Sir Ian graduated in 1961 he had decided to become an actor, and landed his first job in a production of A Man For All Seasons at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. Since then, he has gone on to become a household name for his acclaimed performances in everything from Shakespearean tragedies to Hollywood blockbusters. TV star: Sir Ian is shown with Marilyn Tayerson in a still from the 1972 TV show Country Matters Sir Ian McKellen attends the press night after party for 'Player Kings' at St Martins Lane Hotel on April 11, 2024 in London Ian McKellen (Edward II), James Laurenson (Piers Gaveston) in EDWARD II by Christopher Marlowe directed by Toby Robertson for the Prospect Theatre Company at the Piccadilly Theatre, London in 1970 Donald Sutherland, Ian McKellen, Stockard Channing and Will Smith (right to left) in the film Six Degrees Of Separation in 1994 Sir Ian McKellen as David Masterman, and Susan Penhaligon, as Ianthe Forrest in the TV show Country Matters in 1972 Ian McKellen, Claire Sweeney and Paul O'Grady on The Paul O'Grady show in 2005 Paul Eddington as Lyov and Sir Ian McKellen as Stefan in the ITV Sunday Night Theatre in 1972 He shot to international acclaim for his film work, receiving an Academy Award nomination in 1998 for Best Actor after he starred in Gods and Monsters. In 2019, the actor topped the The Stage 100 list of most influential people in British Theatre following his UK Tour of Ian McKellen on Stage. Sir Ian was knighted in 1991 for services to theatre and was later appointed a Companion of Honour for services to drama and equality by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008. Sir Ian has been nominated for 12 Olivier Awards and won six for his roles in Pillars Of The Community, The Alchemist, Bent, Wild Honey, Richard III and his one-man show Ian McKellen On Stage. Over the past six decades, Sir Ian has taken on the role of almost every Shakespeare male protagonist - but he was 'never attracted to' playing the character of Falstaff until he was persuaded to by director Robert Icke. After Player Kings' run at the Noel Coward theatre, the show will tour the country. It is due to move to the Bristol Hippodrome in July and will also be staged in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. The play brings together Shakespeare's two history plays (Henry IV, parts 1 and 2) with the cast including Toheen Jimoh as Hal and Richard Coyle as King Henry IV. In April, Sir Ian had to take drastic, and speedy, measures to ensure he made it across London in time for his daily performance of the show riding on the back of a motorbike. One source said at the time: 'Sir Ian tried getting picked up by a car provided by theatre bosses but it took so long to get across town it was pointless. 'One night it took him 90 minutes to get from his home. After that, it was decided a motorbike was the only option.' Ian McKellen starred opposite Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014 Ian McKellen (Percy) and Roger Allam (Frank) in the play Frank and Percy in 2023 Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen in X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006 Sir Ian McKellen starred in Hamlet at the Theatre Royal in Windsor in 2021 Recorded in front of an audience at the Harold Pinter Theatre in January 2020, the production of Ian McKellen on Stage is available to stream online Sir Ian McKellen is pictured above in Hamlet at the Theatre Royal in Windsor in 2021 an McKellen (Sorin) and Frances Barber (Arkadina) in 'The Seagull' by The Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007 Mother Goose the pantomime starring Ian McKellen as Mother Goose and John Bishop as Vic Goose at the Theatre Royal Brighton in 2022 He has also previously had to pull out of performances due to injuries. In 2018, he had to apologise to theatre-goers after a leg injury forced him to pull out of a performance of King Lear. Sir Ian had been rushing to catch the train and pulled his calf muscle. Last September, Sir Ian opened up about his life changing 'overnight' when he came out as gay 35 years ago. Very few people knew of his homosexuality at a young age, including his parents. In 1988, he publicly came out on a BBC Radio 4 programme while discussing Margaret Thatcher's Section 28 legislation, which made the promotion of homosexuality as a family relationship by local authorities an offence. He said of the law: 'I think it's offensive to anyone who is, like myself, homosexual, apart from the whole business of what can or cannot be taught to children.' Section 28 was eventually fully repealed in 2003. Sir Ian has spoken about his experiences on coming out on several occasions. Back in July 2000, he wrote in The Independent: 'The only good thing I can think to say about Section 28 is that it finally encouraged me to come out. A bit late in the day, but it remains the best thing I ever did.' He told Variety about coming out in 1988: 'Almost overnight everything in my life changed for the better - my relationships with people and my whole attitude toward acting changed.' Sir Ian told how coming out actually had a huge impact on his acting work. He explained: 'The kind of acting that I had been good at was all about disguise - adopting funny voices and odd walks. Last September, Sir Ian (pictured in 1978) opened up about his life changing 'overnight' when he came out as gay 35 years ago. Very few people knew of his homosexuality at a young age, including his parents People demonstrate against Clause 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 which states that a local authority 'shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality', in February 1988, with Sir Ian and Michael Cashman in the front row Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart kiss on the red carpet during the 'Star Trek Picard' UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 15, 2020 in London Mother Goose the pantomime starring Ian McKellen as Mother Goose and John Bishop as Vic Goose at the Theatre Royal Brighton in 2022 Ian McKellen is pictured above at the Clause 28 March in Manchester in February 1988 'It was about lying to the world. I was no longer in the situation where I was running along beside the character explaining it to the audience. I just became the character.' Then in 2015, he said that coming out actually made him a better performer, saying: 'What happened immediately, according to friends, is I became not just a happier person, but a better actor.' Ian also said he felt that it was difficult for non-gay people to relate to his struggle. The veteran actor said: 'People who are not gay just simply don't know how it damages you to be lying about what you are and ashamed of yourself. 'I was brought up at a time when it was illegal for me to have sex with a man. And that was not that long ago,' he added. He previously revealed how he had to 'swear he wasn't gay' in order to work on Broadway in the 1960s. Just last week, Sir Ian made headlines after he took a swipe at former US president Donald Trump - accusing him of being 'one of the worst public speakers there has ever been'. He told The Times: 'Trump is an absolute bewilderment. I haven't seen him live. But he's one of the worst public speakers there has ever been. Whether he's reading a script or not, it's so patent what he is.' A Chinese solicitor suing MI5 for calling her a spy claimed yesterday that it was unlikely she would be chosen by Beijing because she is a devout Christian. Yesterday Christine Lee appeared at the High Court wearing a silver cross as she launched a legal bid for compensation. The 60-year-old argues that her profile and religious denomination made her an unsuitable candidate for spying. It was also suggested that MI5 may have conspired with then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Home Secretary Priti Patel to name her as a Communist agent as a distraction from Boris Johnsons Partygate scandal. Spy chiefs issued an alert in January 2022 warning MPs that Lee was engaged in political interference activities on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Communist Party. But her lawyer claimed Ms Lee did not know her activities could fall foul of national security measures and insisted foreign political interference activity isnt unlawful. Ms Lee, from Birmingham, worked as a legal adviser to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, an agency overseen by the UFWD. She had spent years cosying up to MPs, donating 640,000 to Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Yesterday Christine Lee appeared at the High Court wearing a silver cross as she launched a legal bid for compensation It was also suggested that MI5 may have conspired with then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Home Secretary Priti Patel (both pictured) to name her as a Communist agent as a distraction from Boris Johnsons Partygate scandal But yesterday her lawyer Ramby de Mello told the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that MI5 had no authority to call her a spy, suggesting his clients harmonious work with MPs had been misinterpreted as dealing with the devil. He argued that his client had been treated worse than Russians who have similarly donated to MPs, after Ms Lee gave more than 500,000 to Labour MP Barry Gardiner. In a text to Ms Lee, sent via a mutual friend after the alert was issued, Mr Gardiner said: Many people have said to me that they believe the reason for [MI5] putting out the story when they did was to detract attention from Boriss Partygate apology which was announced the day before. Mr De Mello said the MI5 alert resulted in Ms Lee receiving death threats and having to go into hiding. Her son, Daniel Wilkes, is also suing after he lost his job working for Mr Gardiner. But Victoria Wakefield KC, representing MI5, said it had concluded on the information available... that Ms Lee posed a threat to national security and that action was necessary, adding that MI5 has a duty to ensure it takes no action to further the interests of any political party. The hearing continues. Doctors will campaign for the next government to reduce the drink-driving limit to the equivalent of just one beer. Current drink-driving limits in England are the highest in Europe at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. However, the British Medical Assocation (BMA) the trade union for doctors want the limit to be decreased to 50mg and just 20mg for new drivers. Motorists would only be allowed the equivalent of one small glass of wine or beer under the new proposals supported by the Alcohol Health Alliance, road-safety charity Brake and the Institute of Alcohol Studies. In its statement, the BMA said drivers at the current limit are six times more likely to be killed in a collision than sober, experienced motorists. Current drink-driving limits in England are the highest in Europe at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood but the British Medical Association wants the limit to be decreased to 50mg and just 20mg for new drivers The BMA said drivers at the current limit are six times more likely to be killed in a collision than sober, experienced motorists It also suggested mandatory health-risk warning labels on alcohol and improving the awareness of the effects of drink-driving to improve road safety. Carrie Reidinger, population health policy advice and research officer at the BMA, told The Times: 'We think it's really important to call on the Government to lower the legal limit. 'This is in line with the approach taken by many European countries such as Ireland and Greece.' She also called for greater enforcement of new measures, including more funding for the police, expanded drug testing for road traffic officers and new public education campaigns. Current penalties include a possible driving ban, six- months imprisonment and an unlimited fine. After Scotland decreased its limit to 50mg in 2014, researchers described the move as failing to have any real impact on the number of road accidents. Across Europe, nowhere other than England, Wales and Northern Ireland has a drink-driving limit of more than 50mg per 100ml of blood Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'Drink-driving accidents typically involve people who are well over the limit, and they will only be deterred by proper enforcement of the law, not by tinkering with the existing limit.' Across Europe, nowhere other than England, Wales and Northern Ireland has a drink-driving limit of more than 50mg per 100ml of blood. In Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic the legal limit is zero. About 260 people were killed in drink-drive collisions in 2021, according to the Department for Transport the highest total since 2009, despite a backdrop of Covid-related restrictions being lifted, increasing the volume of cars in use. These crashes accounted for 17 per cent of all road deaths. Melinda Gateshas said that women will make the difference in the 2024 presidential election as she reveals who she will cast a ballot for this November. The 59-year-old former wife of Microsoft billionaire Bill, 68, has long been connected to Democrats, with Barack Obama helping to promote her book. She spoke to Gayle King for an interview this week where she discussed how she felt women were the key factor in deciding the 2022 midterm elections. 'Women turned out in the mid-term elections and said, 'This is enough.' And we've gotta do it again,' she told CBS News. Gates - who has a net worth of approximately $11 billion according to Forbes and is ready to be active in this election - then made it clear who she's backing in 2024. Melinda Gates has said she is 'absolutely not' voting for Donald Trump and believes that women will make the difference in the 2024 presidential election 'I absolutely am not voting for Trump, and I will vote for Biden,' she said. Billionaire Gates also said that it's 'more than likely' she will campaign for and endorse the current president. Biden may need all the help he can get, with polls showing Trump gaining on him in states that he won handily in 2020. The philanthropist says that she's voted for Republicans in the past but that Trump's words about women and policies regarding women are a dealbreaker. Gates has slammed Trump in the past, condemning the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that a lack of leadership at the national level has led to 'chaos' across the board. The billionaire philanthropist, who co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along with her Microsoft co-founder husband, did not mince words when asked to weigh in on America's handling of the global health crisis in an interview. 'I'm both surprised we werent better prepared, but quite honestly Im surprised weve wasted so much time. That we havent had leadership at the national level to get out tests in the right way, protective gear in the right way, contact tracing in the right way,' Gates said. 'With lack of leadership, there are 50 homegrown state solutions, and that just shouldn't be.' Her friendship with the Obamas includes a partnership with former First Lady Michelle to work to end child marriage. 'I absolutely am not voting for Trump, and I will vote for Biden,' she said The philanthropist says that she's voted for Republicans in the past but that Trump's words about women and policies regarding women are a dealbreaker Since her divorce from Bill, Melinda has maintained a very close relationship with her daughters, regularly taking Phoebe with her on trips around the world. However, she was the center of headlines a few weeks ago when she stepped out in New York City sporting an enormous diamond ring. The sight led many to question whether she was planning to walk down the aisle with her former Fox News anchor boyfriend Jon Du Pre, who she was first linked with back in 2022. But the billionaire philanthropist quick shut down any suggestion that she and Jon, 65, are headed for the altar when she addressed the speculation in a statement via her rep this morning, confirming that the pair have broken up - and insisting that she is not currently engaged to anyone. 'Melinda is not engaged and is no longer dating Jon Du Pre,' a spokesperson told Page Six. The mother-of-three, who has had no public romances since her relationship with Jon was revealed back in 2022, did seem more eager to conceal the bauble during her latest outing however - crossing her arms over her chest in what could well have been an attempt to hide the dazzler from view. Melinda and Bill split after nearly three decades of marriage in 2021. The couple released a statement at the time of their split and revealed that their wasn't just 'one moment' that led to it. Despite their estranged relationship, the couple seems to continue to be doting parents to their children. The takeover of Royal Mail will trigger a fees bonanza for bankers and advisers - including ex Labour frontbencher Chuka Umunna. Royal Mails owner International Distribution Services (IDS) is being bought by Daniel Kretinsky, known as the Czech Sphinx, for 3.6billion. The deal will see the 500-year-old postal service fall into foreign ownership for the first time. Concerns over the takeover are mounting with unions, politicians and businesses calling for cast-iron guarantees that the service will be protected. And it is thought that fees for bankers, lawyers and other advisers could reach 30million. Among those set to cash in will be Mr Umunna, a former Labour MP for Streatham and his partys business spokesman. Mr Umunna joined US investment bank JP Morgan after leaving politics and is part of the team hired by billionaire Mr Kretinsky to advise on the takeover. Royal Mails owner International Distribution Services (IDS) is being bought by Daniel Kretinsky (pictured), known as the Czech Sphinx, for 3.6billion It is thought that fees for bankers, lawyers and other advisers could reach 30million. Among those set to cash in will be Mr Umunna (pictured), a former Labour MP for Streatham and his partys business spokesman The deal will see the 500-year-old postal service fall into foreign ownership for the first time. Concerns over the takeover are mounting with unions, politicians and businesses calling for cast-iron guarantees that the service will be protected Mr Kretinsky has also appointed BNP Paribas and Citi to work on the takeover, with media relations taken care of by FGS Global. Barclays, Bank of America Securities and Goldman Sachs are also set to rake in huge fees after being hired by IDS to oversee the sale. The average amount paid to advisers on deals worth 3billion or more since 2020 was 0.85 per cent, according to London Stock Exchange Group data. That means those hired to work on the takeover could earn around 30 million. Full details of the fees that will be paid will be revealed in an offer document to be published later this month. It comes after Labour last week vowed to robustly scrutinise the deal and give postal workers a stronger voice in a pre-election pledge. Crucially, Sir Keir Starmers party said in its manifesto it would explore giving workers more of a say in how Royal Mail is run. The promise appeared to cede ground to the unions demanding that posties are given part ownership of the company through a collective employee trust. Sir Keir Starmers party said in its manifesto it would explore giving workers more of a say in how Royal Mail is run. The promise appeared to cede ground to the unions demanding that posties are given part ownership of the company through a collective employee trust Such a move could put Mr Kretinsky off the deal altogether. He has made several promises, including keeping the Royal Mail name and brand and retaining its UK headquarters and tax residency to keep it tied to Britain. But the Communication Workers Union has called on Mr Kretinsky to go further and give posties a stake. Kretinsky, who co-owns West Ham United and has a major share in Sainsburys, has hinted he would back current managements proposals to reform the service. These plans include cutting second-class post to three days a week, paving the way for redundancies. Shareholders will vote on the deal at IDSs annual general meeting in September. READ MORE: Katrina was sexually abused by her science teacher in high school A beloved Australian father-of-three has died just moments after complaining of back pain. Victorian man Ben Staples left work early on the morning of June 5 after he began to experience pain radiating from both of his shoulders. As his wife Kylie attended to their three young children in the kitchen, her husband suddenly collapsed elsewhere in the house. She discovered Ben unconscious and unresponsive and quickly administered CPR while her daughter May called triple-zero. Unbeknownst to his family, Ben had suffered a massive heart attack. He was rushed to hospital and tragically died three-days later on June 8. Ben Staples (pictured far right) suffered a heart attack just days after experiencing back pain Kylie's cousin Laura Nixon said the Staples family had been left heartbroken by the loss of their 'beloved husband and father'. She said the family felt as if their 'entire world has fallen apart'. Ms Nixon has started a GoFundMe to collect donations for the Staples family. 'There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding their future and I would love to raise some money to create a little bit more certainty as they begin to navigate a life without their loved one,' Ms Nixon wrote. 'I know times are tough for a lot of people, but if you could find it in your heart to make even the smallest donation it would be greatly appreciated. 'No one should have to go through such tragedy feeling isolated or unsupported.' If you need assistance call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. The leader of Reform was forced to defend his 'unashamedly radical' manifesto yesterday as critics branded it 'fantasy economics'. Nigel Farage launched the party's election blueprint in South Wales, unveiling a staggering 141billion in tax cuts and additional spending. This included around 88billion in personal and business tax cuts nearly double the amount in Liz Truss's doomed mini-budget, which sparked economic turmoil in 2022. Mr Farage insisted it was 'wrong' to compare Reform's plans with Ms Truss's, setting out 150billion worth of measures to raise revenue. But critics said the party was over-estimating how much it would save and took aim at other pledges such as eliminating NHS waiting lists within two years, saying this has not been achieved in the NHS's history. Nigel Farage launched the party's election blueprint in South Wales, unveiling a staggering 141billion in tax cuts and additional spending Reform's manifesto included around 88billion in personal and business tax cuts nearly double the amount in Liz Truss 's doomed mini-budget, which sparked economic turmoil in 2022. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, ex-deputy chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: 'These policies are completely barking. It's just absolute nonsense. Fantasy economics. They're taking the public for absolute fools.' Carl Emmerson, deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: 'Spending reductions would save less than stated, and the tax cuts would cost more than stated, by a margin of tens of billions of pounds per year.' Defending his plans in Merthyr Tydfil, Mr Farage said: 'It's radical. It's fresh thinking. It's outside the box. We're unashamedly radical. We want change.' Here are Reform's key plans analysed: Tax and spending Reform aims to raise the minimum income tax threshold from 12,571 to 20,000, lifting seven million people out of the levy. It also wants to increase the higher rate threshold from 50,000 to 70,000, slash fuel duty by around a third 20p a litre and scrap VAT on energy bills. Stamp duty would be axed on properties valued at under 750,000 the current threshold is 250,000 and inheritance tax will be abolished for estates worth under 2million. The threshold is 325,000 currently. The party would fund the pledges by stopping the Bank of England paying interest on Quantitative Easing reserves, which it says could raise 35billlion a year. Reform adds it will find 50billion in public spending efficiencies without hitting frontline services. Analysis The claim that it could save 50billion without affecting vital services is questionable. David Cameron's 'austerity' government claimed to have made 33.5billion of efficiency savings across four years and 14.3billion in the best single year. Some frontline services were affected. Experts also say the Quantitative Easing reserves proposals would save less than 20billion. Critics added that the list of tax cuts mostly benefit the wealthy. Immigration Reform pledged to 'freeze non-essential immigration' and stop Channel crossings by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It said 'zero illegal immigrants will be resettled in the UK' and small boat migrants would be sent back to France. Asylum-seekers from safe countries would be 'processed rapidly, offshore if necessary' and would be barred from claiming refuge. On legal arrivals, the party had previously pledged 'net-zero migration', so for every migrant who arrives, one would leave. But this has now been left out. The party confirmed it will bring in a migrant tax, charging employers an increased National Insurance rate of 20 per cent for every foreign worker they bring in. Reform pledged to 'freeze non-essential immigration' and stop Channel crossings by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights Analysis Pulling out of the ECHR is an attempt to outflank the Tories on the Right. However, it is unclear if this would solve the problem of being able to deport people more quickly as Britain is signed up to other treaties protecting rights. There are also questions about whether small boat migrants could be sent back to France, which Reform claims international treaties allow. But the treaties are not specified and it raises questions about why no-one has done it before. Reform's manifesto also did not specify what it means by 'non-essential immigration'. NHS and social care Reform pledged to get rid of NHS waiting lists in two years. Patients would receive a voucher for fully-funded private treatment if they cannot see their GP within three days. There would be 20 per cent tax relief on private healthcare and insurance. All frontline NHS and social care staff on less than 70,000 a year would pay zero basic rate tax for three years. A Covid-19 'vaccine harms' public inquiry would start and Britain would quit the World Health Organisation unless it reforms. Reform pledged to get rid of NHS waiting lists in two years. Patients would receive a voucher for fully-funded private treatment if they cannot see their GP within three days Analysis This also aims to attract Tory voters as waiting lists have gone up to around 7.5million. But the costs are huge, particularly on private healthcare and the fact that many NHS staff would pay zero income tax for several years. Reform did not make clear why NHS staff on 70,000 should pay less tax than soldiers, teachers, firefighters or police officers. Of the spending plans, the most is 17billion a year for the NHS. But this would not be enough to meet Reform's plan to eliminate waiting lists within two years. Defence Reform would spend 2.5 per cent of GDP within three years. The party also says it would have a department for veterans and a new law would protect those on active duty from legal action. It would also raise basic pay and recruit 30,000 more soldiers. Analysis Another bid to outflank the Tories, but it is a huge spending pledge unlikely to be fully funded under current revenue measures. Reform would spend 2.5 per cent of GDP within three years. The party also says it would have a department for veterans and a new law would protect those on active duty from legal action Other pledges A 'two-strike' rule stopping benefits if jobseekers reject two job offers, scrap all net-zero targets, boost police numbers by 40,000 plus St George's and St David's Day to become public holidays. Rachel Reeves' plan to reset the Brexit deal has been condemned as the 'worst of all worlds'. Rishi Sunak led criticism of the Shadow Chancellor after she vowed to forge closer ties with the European Union if Labour wins the Election. The Prime Minister accused the party of trying to reverse Brexit after Ms Reeves said she wanted to improve parts of Boris Johnson's deal. Senior Tories even compared her proposals to Theresa May's failed deal, warning they could spell disaster for the party. Labour's proposals could include seeking closer alignment with chemical sector rules and a revised deal for workers in the City of London, as well as mutual recognition of professional qualifications. Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves during a visit to Ocean Gate, Eastern Docks in Southampton yesterday Keir Starmer And Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves launch Labour's green investment plans at the Port of Southampton She told the Financial Times: 'I don't think anyone voted Leave because they were not happy that chemicals regulations were the same across Europe. When my constituency voted Leave, it was purely because of immigration. 'We would look to improve our trading relationship with Europe, and do trade deals around the world.' But last night senior Tories accused Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Reeves both ardent Remainers during the 2016 referendum of taking Britain back into the bloc by stealth. The PM said: '[Labour's plan] is the worst of all worlds. Brexit Britain has now overtaken the Netherlands, France, and Japan to become the fourth biggest exporter in the world. 'In the first quarter of this year, we grew faster than every other major economy including the United States. 'That is a very clear choice at the election if you want someone who's going to grow the economy as we are, take advantage of Brexit and the freedoms that it gives us it's only us that going to deliver that.' Ms Reeves insisted Labour would not cross its red lines on Britain's relationship with the EU, and ruled out rejoining the bloc's single market or customs union. She also denied there would be a return to freedom of movement or youth mobility. But former Cabinet minister David Jones compared her proposals to Ms May's, warning: 'This is an extraordinary statement by Rachel Reeves. Theresa May's Brexit 'deal' was resoundingly rejected by Parliament and by the people. 'It resulted in the Conservative Party gaining only 9 per cent of the vote in the last European elections and the dismissal of Mrs May herself. 'If Labour want to gain and remain in power, they should respect the judgment of the British people and embrace Brexit and the huge opportunities it presents for the UK.' Ms Reeves insisted Labour would not cross its red lines on Britain's relationship with the EU, and ruled out rejoining the bloc's single market or customs union Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: 'Given the keys to No 10, [Sir Keir] would take us back to square one by sneakily trying to take us back into Brussels via the backdoor. 'We have left the European Union and now should be the time to make the best of that decision. It's only the Conservative Party who will guarantee our place outside the European Union with a clear plan.' Backbencher Greg Smith said: 'Labour need to make up their minds what on earth they do stand for. They are giving mixed messages around endless U-turns and dithering. They are asking people to vote for them without a single clear policy, on Brexit or anything else.' The Labour leadership has avoided talking about Brexit for much of the campaign due to Conservative attack lines on their pro-Remain past. Since he became leader Sir Keir has sought to revisit Mr Johnson's Brexit deal, which was signed in 2019, but said he respects the public's decision to leave the bloc. He told port workers in Southampton yesterday: 'We took a decision to leave the EU, so we are not going to go back in. But we think the deal we've got is botched. It's not good enough, and I think many businesses would say 'we need something that works better for us'. 'Because if you make it more difficult to trade, guess what? It's not so successful from our point of view.' He added: 'We do think there's a better deal to be had obviously that will have to be negotiated. It does not mean going back in but it does mean an improvement on what we've got for businesses. 'We want to get a better deal because, at the end of the day, we want you and those that are coming in and out of this port to be able to do it as easily as is possible being outside of the EU and not to make life harder.' A European Commission spokesperson declined to comment on Labour's proposals but said: 'We have discussions with [the UK] to manage the relationship and it is in that context that we discuss any issue that can come up.' Five more tourists have died or gone missing on Greek islands since the death of Dr Michael Mosley amid 'history-making' hot weather. The body of a missing American man was found on the island of Mathraki, near Corfu, on Sunday. It came the day after a Dutch man was found dead in a ravine on the eastern island of Samos. Their deaths follow that of health guru and revered Mail columnist Dr Mosley, who died on Symi after taking a wrong turn on a walk in high temperatures. His body was found on June 9 after a five-day search. Dr Michael Mosley died on the Greek island of Symi on June 5. Five more tourists have died or gone missing on Greek islands since his death Meanwhile, searches are going on for three tourists two French women and an American, Albert Calibet (pictured), 59 in the Cyclades islands Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told TV channel ERT: 'This heatwave will go down in history Meanwhile, searches are going on for three tourists two French women and an American, Albert Calibet, 59 in the Cyclades islands. Mr Calibet, a retired Los Angeles sheriff's deputy, was last seen hiking alone in very hot conditions on Amorgos. And the two French nationals aged 73 and 64 are missing on the secluded island of Sikinos. The Dutch man who was found dead on Samos aged 74 was reportedly seen struggling to walk in the heat and was discovered 300 yards from where he was last spotted. And the unnamed American, 55, found dead on Mathraki a day later, became the third tourist to lose his life in a week. Temperatures soared above 40C earlier this month as the Greek holiday season began. Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told TV channel ERT: 'This heatwave will go down in history. In the 20th century, we never had one before June 19.' Rishi Sunak's dislike of Labour's plan to slap VAT on private-school fees is not just political - it's deeply personal. The Prime Minister famously attended Winchester College, the ancient public school in Hampshire which has produced leading figures in society for centuries. Less famously, his parents had to scrimp and save for years to send him there. Mr Sunak and his wife regularly grace the pages of the Sunday Times Rich List these days. His parents first-generation immigrants to this country - very much did not. His father worked all hours as a GP, his mother ran a modest pharmacy in Southampton, where the three Sunak children were also expected to help out. Scholarships helped, but every spare penny was put towards ensuring the children had the best possible education. 'It was a big stretch,' Mr Sunak says of his middle-class upbringing. 'People like my parents are the people who will be most affected by Labour's change. Rishi Sunak 's dislike of Labour 's plan to slap VAT on private-school fees is not just political - it's deeply personal Labour leader Keir Starmer. Mr Sunak he was going to 'fight very hard over the second half of this campaign to make sure everyone understands the real risk for their financial security that a future Labour government poses' 'People who are working hard, who are aspiring to provide a better life for their kids. They are the people that will lose out. 'I believe in an aspirational country, I believe if you're working hard and you want to provide a better life for your family, then any government I lead will be on your side. Whether you want to send your kids to a private school, if you want to buy your first home as a young couple. Whether you want to set up a small business on your own or set up in self-employment, which I think is something to be admired. 'Those are all things that speak to the type of country that we are in that I want to support.' He readily acknowledges that his belief in the power of education to 'transform people's lives for the better' is 'a reflection on my upbringing'. Friends say that when Mr Sunak got his first big job at investment bank Goldman Sachs, he sent his parents his first pay cheque as a thank you. They never cashed it. Even while studying at Oxford University, he would trek home at weekends to help out in the family business. 'I worked for my mum in that shop for most of my childhood, in the back and in the front,' he says. 'We all went on Sundays to clean the shop. I worked there the rest of the week I did the books in the evenings and the weekends. 'I mean, I came home from university a lot pretty much every weekend, I was working at home in the shop.' Sunak with his parents. The PM's parents had to scrimp and save for years to send him to Winchester College. His father worked all hours as a GP, his mother ran a modest pharmacy in Southampton, where the three Sunak children were also expected to help out In time-honoured fashion, Mr Sunak insists the 'only poll that matters' is the one on July 4 If hard work was enough, he would be looking forward with confidence to another term as Prime Minister. But we meet on a train to Doncaster almost four weeks into a six-week election campaign, which, if the polls are to be believed, is not going well for the Conservatives. Wordle helps campaigning PM relax Rishi Sunak has been using popular online puzzle Wordle as well as sudokus and crosswords to relax and fill in the odd moment of downtime on the campaign trail. He also tries to snatch the occasional FaceTime call with his family, but television, books and even exercise have gone out the window. 'I'm trying and failing to go running a couple of times a week but that hasn't quite survived contact with reality,' he says. Mr Sunak managed breakfast with the family on Father's Day, but got up for it. 'I'm not a breakfast-in-bed type of person,' the Prime Minister added. Advertisement In time-honoured fashion, Mr Sunak insists the 'only poll that matters' is the one on July 4. But he acknowledges that if the current doom-laden polls suggesting the Tories will be reduced to fewer than 100 seats are replicated in the election, 'it would mean handing Labour a completely blank cheque to raise taxes on everything on your car, your home, your work, your pension and I don't want that to happen. 'That's why I'm going to fight very hard over the second half of this campaign to make sure everyone understands the real risk for their financial security that a future Labour government poses.' Boris Johnson was right, he says, to warn in this paper at the weekend that so-called Starmergeddon would mean a 'sharp Left turn' for the country. Mr Sunak's recent schedule has been exhausting, with attendance at the G7 summit in Italy, a Ukraine summit in Switzerland and Trooping the Colour all coming on top of election duties in the past few days. Is it true he has been getting by on five hours' sleep a night? 'It's been a bit less than that the last few days, with all the travel,' he says, before insisting he feels 'energised' by the chance to put his case to the country. Whoever wins the election next month will have to head almost immediately to Washington for a summit to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato, where the war in Ukraine will dominate. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer during the ITV debate. Sir Keir recently branded Mr Sunak a 'liar' over claims - backed up largely by Treasury research - that Labour's plans will require an extra 2,000 per person in taxes over and above what the party has acknowledged Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sunak warns that Sir Keir Starmer's failure to match that spending timetable will send a 'dangerous' signal to Putin and leave the Labour leader with 'no authority to tell allies to spend more' Mr Sunak believes his decision to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 will give him the 'moral authority' to pressure other Nato countries to do the same, potentially generating an extra 140 billion in Nato spending and 'sending a very strong signal to our adversaries, starting with (Vladimir) Putin, that we're not going anywhere, that he's not going to outlast us in Ukraine... sending a powerful message of deterrence'. He warns that Sir Keir Starmer's failure to match that spending timetable will send a 'dangerous' signal to Putin and leave the Labour leader with 'no authority to tell allies to spend more'. 'He and the Labour Party are not prioritising our country's security at a time that is undeniably the most dangerous and uncertain that our country has been in in decades. It deeply concerns me.' He brushes aside Sir Keir's argument that a 'changed Labour Party' has abandoned the peacenik stance of the Jeremy Corbyn years, pointing out that both Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and foreign spokesman David Lammy voted against the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent just a few years ago. 'Those are two of the four most powerful people in a future Labour government,' he says. 'Two of them don't believe in that ultimate guarantor of our security. I've done this job for a year and a half. I can tell you how important that is.' Nigel Farage also gets short shrift for his call last week for Ukraine to enter peace talks with the 'very clever' Putin, even if that means ceding some territory. 'History shows that trying to appease dictators and bullies never succeeds,' Mr Sunak says. 'I think everyone should look at the lessons from history.' The PM is not keen on discussing the Reform party leader in detail, but is quick to point out that Mr Farage's own deputy said last week that getting even two or three MPs would be a 'fantastic result'. 'That tells you what you need to know about the real choice at the election,' he says. 'All I'd say to people who I know are frustrated and of course I accept and understand that I'd ask them just to think about the things that they care about and who's more likely to deliver them. And the fact is that that's me. I've got a clear plan to stop the boats... the flights will go to Rwanda if I'm elected. 'We're already bringing down the levels of legal migration. The number of visas issued this year is down by 30 per cent. The levels of net migration are forecast to halve over the next year and we will have a legal cap for the first time. So it will guarantee to continue falling. If you want a more proportionate approach to net zero that prioritises our country's energy security and doesn't saddle families with bills. That's the path I've set out Keir Starmer would reverse all those changes.' Your browser does not support iframes. The Prime Minister campaigning in Cambridge. He acknowledges that voters are 'angry and frustrated' with him, but urges them to think twice before 'punishing' him for the difficulties of the past few years Sir Keir recently branded Mr Sunak a 'liar' over claims - backed up largely by Treasury research - that Labour's plans will require an extra 2,000 per person in taxes over and above what the party has acknowledged. For his part, the PM says Sir Keir is 'not being straight' about his real agenda whether it's on tax, immigration or Brexit. He acknowledges that voters are 'angry and frustrated' with him, but urges them to think twice before 'punishing' him for the difficulties of the past few years. 'This election is about the future,' he says. 'And of course, people can look at my record and that will inform their judgment. No government gets everything perfectly right, I haven't got everything perfectly right of course not. 'But we are undeniably making progress on bringing immigration down, on stopping the boats and cutting people's taxes and protecting pensions and getting to net zero and in a more sensible way, investing more in our country's security, and all those big areas. We are now on the path to a more secure future.' Labour, he says, would 'just take us backwards'. In the end, it may not be enough. But the man who once returned home from university every weekend to help out in his mum's shop, can be relied upon to keep saying it at each and every opportunity until the last vote has been cast. He had bashed her after a meeting with corrections officials Jessica Geddes' body had been battered and broken A meth-addict killer went out for a pizza after he savagely bashed his girlfriend and left her for dead. A court was told the body of Melbourne woman Jessica Geddes, 27, looked like she was a car crash victim when forensic officers later examined her. On Monday, her violent, controlling partner Robert Rickerby, 30, of Endeavour Hills, appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria for a pre-sentence plea hearing for manslaughter after a plea deal to avoid a possible life sentence for the crime. The court heard Rickerby had been serving a community corrections order on November 6, 2020 when he killed his partner in a violent rage. He had originally been charged with murder before it was downgraded to manslaughter on the eve of his trial in May after he struck a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty. Jessica Geddes, 27, (pictured) had been isolated and starved by her boyfriend, who also took her Centrelink payments, and abused and assaulted her over a three-year period Robert Rickerby has spent 800 days behind bars awaiting justice. He is pictured entering the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday On Monday, the court heard Rickerby brutally beat Ms Geddes after spending five hours on a web meeting with Corrections Victoria staff tasked with rehabilitating the thug. Rickerby had received the community order for a charge of recklessly causing serious injury to a victim he ran over in his car. The court heard Ms Geddes had already been at the end of countless beatings at the hands of Rickerby before she died. A list of those injuries took Crown prosecutor Campbell Thomson close to 10 minutes to describe. Ms Geddes sustained more than 50 skeletal injuries, according to a post-mortem examination. Court documents claimed her injuries included 16 rib fractures, four fractures in the vertebrae and 10 fractures across both hands. Seated at the rear of the court room, Rickerby sat with his eyes closed throughout most of the hearing. Police believe Rickerby bashed Ms Geddes after she was seen buying food at a nearby 7-Eleven that afternoon. Customers at the convenience shop recalled seeing Ms Geddes in a distressed state, telling strangers she was hungry and scared. Before hooking up with Rickerby in late 2017, Ms Geddes had weighed between 70-79kg. She weighed just 46kg at the time of her slow and painful death. Robert Rickerby (pictured) was charged with murdering his girlfriend Jessica Geddes, who he met on a dating app. But he recently took a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to manslaughter Robert Rickerby avoided a murder charge by pleading to manslaughter After bashing Ms Geddes, the court heard the unemployed painter bothered his father to order him a couple of pizzas. Rickerby was seen collecting those pizzas at 5.55pm that day, while Ms Geddes lay half-naked and mortally wounded in bed. Police later found some of those pizzas had been eaten, with a half-eaten slice found next to Ms Geddes' body. In a victim impact statement read to the court by Ms Geddes' mum Saasha Brimble, the distraught mother said she could never look at or eat a pizza again. 'He had told me he was sending my daughter home in a body bag. Which had come true,' she told the court. Ms Brimble said she now struggled to get out of bed and had been financially ruined by the trauma of losing her daughter. 'I have isolated myself from society and the world,' she told the court. 'I suffer from depression, anxiety and the nightmares of the terror that my daughter must have endured at the hands of one very evil man.' Despite her horrific injuries, the court heard it was decided to offer Rickerby a manslaughter deal due to fears any murder conviction might get overturned on appeal. Forensic experts believe it likely took Ms Geddes 'hours' to die. 'There would have been a gradual decline in the functioning after which she had been beaten, possibly lasting hours,' Mr Thompson said. Rickerby's barrister Colin Mandy SC - the same barrister hired by alleged mushroom killer Erin Patterson - said his client deserved a discounted sentence for his guilty plea. 'The appropriate charge was always manslaughter,' he said. 'The injuries that were caused are not consistent with murderous intent.' Saasha Brimble (pictured with her granddaughter Arianna-Leigh at her eldest daughter Jessica Geddes' funeral) said police failed her daughter and other women after they took 18-months to charge Rickerby with murder - after media attention Mr Mandy said his client accepted his actions caused the death of his partner and he was now sorry for what he had done. 'His actions resulted in the unintentional death of his partner and he's haunted by that,' he said. The court heard Rickerby had attempted to apologise to the family of his victim, but it had not been accepted. 'Their anger and sorrow means that they do not accept his expressions of regret and never will and that is something he will live with,' Mr Mandy said. Mr Mandy said his client blamed his inability to cope with their 'chaotic relationship' was behind his abhorrent behaviour. The court heard Ms Geddes had also struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues leading up to her death. This included claims of self-harm that previously saw her drive a car into a pole, punch holes in walls and 'fight with invisible people'. The court heard while police had previously intervened in allegations of violence by Rickerby against Ms Geddes, they had allowed an intervention order to lapse at the time if her death. Rickerby will be sentenced at a date to be fixed. Young Aussies have never had it harder, businessman says Australians in their 30s have never had it tougher - paying higher taxes, grappling with sky-rocketing house prices and slugged with huge university debts. That's according to businessman and media personality Russel Howcroft, a regular panellist on the ABC's Gruen Transfer program, who weighed into the who-had-it-worse generational debate in a viral video recently. 'It's true that 30-year-olds are going to be less well off than their parents,' the 58-year-old said. 'It's a fact that when I was 30, the house cost me three times my salary. It's now eight times plus for a 30-year-old to get into the housing market.' Many Millennials and Gen Z seem to have all in terms of leisure and holidays - but abandoned hope of ever stepping on to the property ladder (young people pictured in Cronulla, Sydney, 2023) Although Australia's personal income tax rates were higher in the 1970s than today. Baby Boomers and older Generation X home owners - who bought houses when they were cheap in the 1970s and 1980s - benefit from not having to pay capital gains tax on their family home (cafe worker is pictured in Parramatta, Sydney,) 'It's true that HECS has doubled in the last 15 years. Right? Doubled. From a $15,000 bill to a $30,000 bill. 'It's true that a baby boomer, paid half the tax that a 30-year-old pays now when they were 30 years of age. 'So the reality is, it is extremely difficult to be a 30-year-old in Australia right now.' What Mr Howcroft said has a lot of truth to it. When he turned 30 in July 1995, the median house price in his home city of Melbourne was $129,000 or 3.8 times the average, full-time salary of $33,961 - even before a mortgage deposit. Poll WHO HAD IT HARDER? Boomers Millennials/Gen Z WHO HAD IT HARDER? Boomers 780 votes Millennials/Gen Z 523 votes Now share your opinion Now, Melbourne's mid-point house price of $937,479 is 9.5 times the average wage of $98,218. Sydney's median house price of $1.442million is so dear a borrower would need to earn $221,840 to even qualify for a $1.154million loan. Mr Howcroft, a Gen Xer, was also in his early twenties when Australia still had free education - which meant no tuition fees for undergraduate degrees. Law degrees from a major Australian university can now conservatively cost in the six figures, leaving many graduates paying off a HECS or HELP loan before they can even think about buying a house. Australia's personal income tax rates were higher in the 1970s than today. But Baby Boomers and older Generation X home owners - who bought houses when they were cheap in the 1970s and 1980s - benefit from not having to pay capital gains tax on their family home. Russel Howcroft (pictured), a regular panellist on the ABC's The Gruen Transfer, told the program it had never been harder to be a 30-year-old in the history of Australia Higher taxes, sky-rocketing house prices and huge university debts are stifling younger generations (young people pictured in Cronulla, Sydney, 2023) Mr Howcroft's spiel about the challenges faced by young people sparked fierce debate after the clip was posted on the ABC's TikTok page. 'The Boomers climbed the ladder, but kicked it away as soon as they reached the top,' one younger person commented. 'Everyone says its difficult but no one's helping us,' a second said. A third said: 'I worked out today that despite putting nearly $8k towards my HECS in the last two years, the balance has only gone down $423.' A fourth young Australian said: 'Purchased my first home 5 years ago at 26. I could not purchase the same house in todays circumstances. Things are much harder now. 'Once you get your house, it's not smooth sailing. We are struggling to keep our homes, which NEVER happened to older people,' a fifth commented. It comes as new data reveals many young people are choosing not to have children amid the cost-of-living crisis. More than half of 18 to 34-year-olds are choosing to remain child-free due to financial challenges, according to data from Australian research firm RedBridge. Of the 2,000 young people surveyed, 35 per cent were found to be university-educated and just under half don't own a home. RedBridge director Kos Samaras said today's youth are postponing life decisions that previous generations made without much thought. The country's birth rate was at a record low of 1.6 babies for each woman in 2022-23, well below population replacement level of 2.1. Daily Mail Australia recently canvassed members of the boomer generation in Cronulla, in Sydney's Sutherland shire, to see whether they really thought it was easier in their day - and whether they had any advice for their younger counterparts currently struggling to buy a home. RedBridge director Kos Samaras said today's youth are postponing life decisions that previous generations made without much thought (residents are pictured in Cronulla, Sydney, 2023) New data reveals many young people are choosing not to have children amid the cost-of-living crisis (young people pictured in Cronulla, Sydney, 2023) In our day you didn't have bugger all. You didn't carry around a phone with you or have a big flashy bloody watch - retired firefighter, Chris. Chris, a retired firefighter who swims a couple of kilometres most days, owns a large two-storey home in Cronulla where he lives with nine members of his family. 'When I started and got my house - I scratched (for money),' he said. 'And then rates went up to 18 per cent and it was even worse. Yes, they have got big problems these days but, Jesus Christ, we had it in the old days too. 'It was really tough. I worked two jobs for thirty years, I started off on the beach as a lifeguard and used to work my two days off at a factory.' Chris, who first bought a house when he was 28, later worked as a fireman where he would do four days of shift work before another four days at the factory. 'Life isn't easy: it wasn't easy for us then and it isn't easy for them now,' he said. 'But they are young and they can do it. Work two jobs. Work three jobs if you have to. My wife used to work as well as me. It was a struggle - it really was.' He added: 'They have got it harder in ways because there's more toys to play with. It's just a fact of life. In our day you didn't have bugger all. You didn't carry around a phone with you or have a big flashy bloody watch.' The average house price in Australia is $933,800, about ten times the average salary (a resident in Cronulla, Sydney, is pictured) I find the young people they want everything now. They want the nice house, the big car, the big pool and the big holidays. When we were growing up you used to say 'save up for curtains. You used to sit on boxes - no furniture until you had the money to buy it - Carol Marlene Vale, 73, bought a two-bed apartment 'off the plan' in Sutherland, south Sydney, in 1994 by herself where she still lives. The retiree who but used to work in advertising, said she rejected the 'negative' idea that young people have the odds stacked against them. 'I think in today's world young people want it all at once. That's not how life is. You've got to save. A lot of younger people prioritise holidays.' Ms Vale worked as a receptionist at her local RSL on weekends for extra cash in her late forties. 'It was unsociable hours but I got good money,' she said. However, she conceded that things were 'very difficult for young people'. 'Years ago things didn't go up every year - you've got your water, electricity, gas. And also too, in today's world you've got all the technology too. 'We never had that - we had a landline and that was it. We never had the internet plan, the mobile phone plan, the Netflix plan and whichever other plan you've got which rakes up the bill per month.' Childhood sweethearts Carol and Terry both agreed that the younger generation has a tougher time of it these days. 'I think it's hard - I wouldn't want to be a young person these days,' said Terry. Terry, 76, bought his first property when he was 20 - a two-bed unit in St George, south Sydney, for $11,900. His carpenter wage of $90 a week was enough to pay back the $7,000 loan on the house which he rented out while he lived at home. The debate between generations has escalated in recent years as property prices skyrocket - largely benefiting the older generation (residents are pictured in Cronulla, Sydney, 2023) Kids today go to school until they're 18, then they want to travel overseas. By the time you are 23, 24 you haven't got a zack in your pocket. It's damn hard to get a start unless you've got a big job - Terry. After buying and selling a few more places he and Carol, 74, purchased a place in Caringbah, south Sydney, for $90,000. They demolished it and built their own house where they lived for 40 years and raised two children. Two years ago they sold it for $2.4million and now they plan to live in a newbuild on the Cronulla waterfront. They both agreed that many younger people had a different attitude now. 'I find the young people they want everything now,' said Carol. 'They want the nice house, the big car, the big pool and the big holidays. 'When we were growing up you used to say 'save up for curtains'. You used to sit on boxes - no furniture until you had the money to buy it.' Terry said that he started work at 15 and his mother encouraged him to save. 'But kids today go to school until they're 18, then they want to travel overseas,' he said. 'By the time you are 23, 24 you haven't got a zack in your pocket. It's damn hard to get a start unless you've got a big job.' But Terry conceded that 'every generation would say the same'. 'My parents' generation used to work six days a week. Sunday you would probably mow the grass with a push mower and have a baked dinner if you were lucky and that was it.' Finding a mate can be problematic at the best of times. But when you're an amputee crossing a vast stretch of water, it can literally be a matter of life or death. Jacob, a three-legged African lion, has broken the record for the longest swim by a big cat in the search for a female, scientists say. Along with his brother Tibu, Jacob travelled about a mile (1.6km) across dangerous crocodile-infested waters of Kazinga Channel in Uganda. The two brothers risked their lives in the desperate pursuit of a female to mate with after hearing her roaring calls from the other side. Along with his brother Tibu, Jacob broke the record for the longest swim by a big cat in the search for a female, scientists say. In 2020, Jacob was caught in a trap that severed his left hind leg Three-legged Jacob and his brother Tibu crossed the Kazinga Channel at Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park Scientists used heat-tracking drones to track the two African lions as they crossed the Kazinga Channel at Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. 'It was pretty dramatic,' Dr Alexander Braczkowski, a conservation biologist at Griffith University in Australia, told the New York Times. 'It looks like two tiny little heat signatures crossing an ocean.' In 2020, Jacob was caught in a poacher's trap that severed his left hind leg, although he'd been fitted with a satellite collar that let rangers locate him and save his life. Four years later, Jacob has proved he is strong enough to traverse the Kazinga Channel, which is infested with hippos and crocodiles up to 16 feet in length. Crocs can potentially kill lions with a lethal bite especially in water where the cats are at risk of drowning. Lions can swim, but they usually only do so when they really have to either in the search for food or mates. The brothers risked their lives in the desperate pursuit of a female to mate with after hearing their roaring calls from the other side Uganda's Kazinga Channel (pictured) links Lakes George and Edward and is the destination for tourists as the popular boat cruises give amazing wildlife-watching opportunities According to Dr Braczkowski, Jacob and Tibu have achieved the longest-recorded swim by lions, covering an estimated distance of somwhere between 0.9 and 1.2 miles (1.5-2 km). Although this may seem like extreme effort in the quest for love, mating opportunities for males are getting increasing slim. At Queen Elizabeth National Park, males outnumber females two to one, partly because of the deliberate poisoning of lionesses (and cubs) that populations are still recovering from. In Africa, lions face threats such as retaliatory killing in response to livestock depredation and poaching for their body parts such as teeth, according to Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Dr Braczkowski estimates that there are 40 lions at the park today, down from around 70 in 2018. There is only one species of lion (Panthera leo), but there are two sub-species the African lion and the Asiatic lion. Globally, populations are described as decreasing and 'vulnerable' by the IUCN red list, the inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of species. According to a University of Oxford-led study last year, lions are 'increasingly being pushed to the brink' as population numbers continue to suffer 'devastating declines'. Although the total population of wild lions in Africa may be estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000 individuals, many of these live within small, fragmented populations at risk of disappearing. Jacob and Tibu's ambitious voyage has been described in a paper accepted for publication in the journal Ecology and Evolution. An invasive species that hitchhiked from New York to California could endanger wine production in the US. Officials recently found spotted lanternfly egg masse on a metal art installation headed to Sonoma County, marking the first sighting of the insects in the Golden State. The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) has warned the eggs are likely to produce adult insects in the coming weeks that have the potential to affect the entire winegrape industry. The Asian native insects, which destroy crops, can kill vines which would result in higher prices across the US as California is responsible for about 80 percent of the nation's total wine production. California is responsible for about 80 percent of the nation's total wine production Natalie Collins, president of CAWG, said: This is essentially a public service announcement to raise awareness of how to identify a spotted lanternfly and the immediate action to take if discovered. Spotted lanternflies have been found in 18 states and have proven to pose a serious threat to vineyards. These invasive insects feed on the sap of grapevines, while also leaving behind a sticky honeydew residue on the clusters and leaves. Their activities stress the plants, decrease vine health, and in some cases, can lead to plant death. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a warning in March regarding spotted lanternfly eggs, which look like spongy brown masses that stick to cars, trees and most hard surfaces. USDA officials advise scraping the eggs off the surface, putting them in a plastic bag, and throwing the bag in the trash - this will ensure none survive. Nymphs typically emerge from eggs in the summer and grow to adulthood by the fall, which is when California's wine harvest season takes place. Spotted lanternflies are known to feast on more than 70 types of plants and leave a black resin behind that weakens vegetation. Pennsylvania was the first to detect the insect in 2014 and just five years later, the one-inch insect was found to cost the state $50.1 million annually. Officials recently found spotted lanternfly egg masse on a metal art installation headed to Sonoma County, one of Californias most esteemed wine regions, marking the first sighting of the invasive insects in the Sunshine State Now, California officials fear the presence of the insect could destroy its iconic wineries. A border protection station detected 11 viable egg masses while inspecting a 30-foot-tall art installation shipped from New York where the spotted lanternflies have already made a permanent home. The discovery was made in March, but the CAWG made the announcement on June 10. Staff rejected the shipment, rerouting it to Nevada where an additional 30 egg masses were found. The art was then power washed with detergent and then sent on its way again to California, according to the association. However, when the art reached Sonoma County on April 4 officials found three more egg masses tucked inside the hallow beams. A border protection station detected 11 viable egg masses while inspecting a 30-foot-tall art installation shipped from New York where the spotted lanternflies have already made a permanent home The other states plagued by infestations include Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. The spotted lanternfly is believed to have came to the US as egg masses on a stone shipment that originated in China. Both nymphs and adults of spotted lanternfly cause damage when they feed, sucking sap from stems and branches. This can reduce photosynthesis, weaken the plant, and eventually contribute to the plant's death. In addition, feeding can cause the plant to ooze or weep, resulting in a fermented odor, and the insects themselves excrete large amounts of fluid that is called honeydew. These fluids promote mold growth and attract other insects. This year marks the first 'major lunar standstill' since 2006, when the moon's path travels higher in the sky - appearing to standstill to people on the ground. Also known as the 'lunistice,' the event occurs when the tilts of both the Earth and moon are at their maximum and will overlap with the summer solstice on Friday night, June 21 in the northern hemisphere. On that day, the moon will set rise and set at its most northeasterly and northwesterly points, making it appear in the night sky longer. The major lunar standstills have been highly anticipated events throughout history as structures like England's Stonehenge and both America's Chimney Rock and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks align perfectly with the moon in the night sky. Occurring just once every 18.6 years, major lunar standstill is when moonrise and moonset are furthest apart along the horizon, as viewed from Earth Stonehenge is famous for its alignment with the sun, but the ancient monument may have also been carefully designed to align with the movements of the moon, archeologists theorize Some skywatchers will be viewing the celestial event from Stonehenge and a few archeologists plan to test whether or not the ancient site was built in alignment with the rare lunar event. And similar spectacles linked to indigenous landmarks in the US will be occurring across these lunistice months at Chimney Rock in Colorado, the Hopewell Sites in Ohio, and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. While local high points for the major lunar standstill will vary based on your location around the globe and nightly weather conditions, it has a chance of visibility two nights a month from now until November 2025. The moon can appear to rise and set at different points of the horizon due to the angles of its orbit and the tilt of Earth's axis. What is major lunar standstill? Major lunar standstill is when moonrise and moonset are furthest apart along Earth's horizon. This astronomical event occurs once every 18.6 years, last occurring in 2006. During a major lunar standstill, the northernmost and southernmost positions of the moon are at their furthest apart along the horizon. It is believed that these distinct lunar movements may have been observed during the early phase of Stonehenge, potentially influencing the monument's design and purpose. Advertisement While our entire solar system is, essentially, flat and the majority of planets, dwarf planets and asteroids orbiting within a flat plane or disk called the ecliptic, the moon's orbit comes in a slightly different angle. As the Earth spins along an axis tilted by 23.4 degrees off this ecliptic plane, our moon's orbit is titled by only 5.1 degrees relative to the ecliptic. The result is that the moon's rising and setting points, and thus how much of the Earth it traverses in between, can vary by 57 degrees depending on the year. A major lunar standstill marks the most extreme of its range: the moon will rise at its highest northeasterly point and set at its very highest northwesterly point and it will also rise at its most southeasterly point and set at its most southwesterly point. The Archaeoastronomy Database has built an interactive spreadsheet calculator, a video tutorial and a shorter fact sheet on what evenings in the northern and southern hemisphere will enjoy the most extreme moments of the major lunar standstill based on the perspective from their longitude and latitude. But the key summer dates you will want to remember if you live in the US or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere are June 21-22, July 19 and August 15. These are the main moments where the major lunar standstill will overlap with either a full moon or a phase of the moon that is big and bright enough to enjoy, as opposed to a blacked out full moon. Those living near Ohio may want to check out the lunistice this Friday at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, where it will align with earthwork hills made thousands of years ago by the Native Americans who lived in the Chillicothe region. This 'once-in-a-generation event,' park officials noted, will help the visiting public visualize how the Hopewell people 'used their deep knowledge of astronomy to align these geometric figures to the endless cycles of Sun and Moon as they travel back and forth along the horizon.' According to the US Forest Service which manages the land surrounding Chimney Rock in Colorado, this weekend's summer solstice-timed lunistice won't be visible passing through these long, tall national monuments in person. Those living near Ohio may want to check out the lunistice this Friday at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park , where it will align with earthwork hills made thousands of years ago by the Native Americans who lived in the Chillicothe region 'The ancestral Puebloans of Chimney Rock,' according to the US Forest Service, ' would have seen the moonrises shift gradually each year. In time they would have noticed that at the northernmost point in its multi-year journey, the full moon would rise between the rock pillars' 'The Forest Service and partners are discussing opportunities to share the event via other platforms such as live streaming, still photography and/or video recording in 2024-2025,' federal officials noted in a fact sheet. 'The ancestral Puebloans of Chimney Rock,' the service noted, 'would have seen the moonrises shift gradually each year. In time they would have noticed that at the northernmost point in its multi-year journey, the full moon would rise between the rock pillars.' The service said that, despite this historic value, the area would be closed off on these evenings due to safety concerns, including 'potential wildlife encounters such as bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes.' But similar restrictions won't befall those near Stonehenge in the UK. In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs when Earth's north is most greatly inclined towards the sun, and the winter solstice occurs when it's titled away from the sun Experts think that during the major lunar standstill, the moon will be in alignment with Stonehenge's ancient 'Station Stones'. Although only two are still standing, the Station Stones marked the corners of a perfect rectangle with its central point in the exact center Stonehenge Thousands of tourists will flock to Stonehenge in the English countryside this weekend for the summer solstice and lunistice overlap, including some scientists. A project to investigate Stonehenge's link with the major lunar standstill is being led by experts at the universities of Oxford, Leicester and Bournemouth. Dr Fabio Silva, senior lecturer in archaeological modelling at Bournemouth University, said during the major lunar standstill, the moon will be in alignment with Stonehenge's ancient 'Station Stones'. Although only two are still standing, the Station Stones marked the corners of a perfect rectangle with its central point in the exact centre of the monument. One of the sides of this rectangle appears to be pointing in a southeast direction, corresponding to where the moon will be rising during major lunar standstill. 'We want to assess whether this is likely to be by chance or whether it was intentional,' Dr Silva told MailOnline this past April. 'So we want to assess where one needs to stand, how many people could effectively witness the alignment, whether after rising/before setting the moon will be obscured by other stones that may diminish the experience, whether moonlight casts shadows inside the circle,' Dr Silva explained. 'These are the things that, put together, may help us build an argument for or against these alignments,' the archeologist said. Stonehenge was deliberately built to align with the sun on the solstices, according to English Heritage, which manages the site. It explains: 'At Stonehenge on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge. Major lunar standstills have been highly anticipated events throughout history as structures like England's Stonehenge and both America's Chimney Rock and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks align perfectly with the moon in the night sky. Above, one event above Colorado 'Observers at Stonehenge at the winter solstice, standing in the enclosure entrance and facing the center of the stones, can watch the sun set in the south-west part of the horizon.' Identifying whether or not the site was built, in part, to mark the lunistice, could help advance one theory for why the megalith was built: as a gigantic stone calendar. Professor Timothy Darvill, an archaeologist at Bournemouth University, thinks Stonehenge served as an ancient solar calendar, helping people track the days of the year. The British researcher behind the theory thinks Stonehenge's great sandstone slabs, called sarsens, each represented a single day in a month, making the entire site a huge time-keeping device. But the theory is still hotly debated, with some archeologists and other academics describing it as 'totally unsubstantiated' and based on 'forced interpretations, numerology and unsupported analogies.' This ritzy cruise certainly turns the expression 'plain sailing' on its head. For there is nothing plain about The Mark Hotel's Spring Sailing experience, which gives passengers a taste of how the other half live aboard a dreamy 70ft antique sail boat. The hotel - which is beloved by celebrities including Meghan Markle who hosted her baby shower in the $75,000-a-night penthouse - has been running its luxury sailing trip for seven years and it continues to lure back passengers despite the $525 per person price tag. But after stepping aboard and sampling a taste of high life on the high seas, it's easy to see why this two-hour voyage is pretty much a sell-out for the summer months among deep pocketed travelers. The boat departs from Tribeca's North Cove Marina, which is considered one of New York's most beautiful mega yacht marinas, with the docking areas framed by mature trees and views of New Jersey and beyond. The Mark Hotel's Spring Sailing experience takes place aboard a dreamy 70ft antique sail boat. It is in its seventh year and continues to lure back passengers despite the $525 per person price tag The boat departs from Tribeca's North Cove Marina, which is considered one of New York's most beautiful mega yacht marinas, with the docking areas framed by mature trees and views of New Jersey and beyond Following a bout of rainy weather in New York, the sun made an appearance for Sadie's sunset sail On arriving at The Mark's dock at 6:15pm as instructed, anticipation builds. My partner and I get behind a string of other well-dressed passengers who are being checked in one-by-one. In total, the regal Herreshoff sailboat which was designed by Rhode-Island-based naval architect Nathanael Greene Herreshoff in the early 20th century, can hold 25 passengers on its polished deck area. Once the crew have rigged the boat, it's time for us to step aboard, and we opt for a prime seat at the stern behind the captain's wheel while others congregate around the mast area with small benches fixed to the deck. Following a bout of rainy weather in New York, the sun makes an appearance just in time and we set sail with blue skies above. After a safety briefing the food and drink service begins, and we are made to feel like princes and princesses, as opposed to pirates, with a fine array of delicacies on the menu. To kick things off, bottles of champagne go around, with a refreshing Grand Blanc Extra Brut from Philipponnat hitting the spot. It pairs deliciously with rounds of fresh oysters, which have a simple dressing in the form of cracked pepper. Sadie says the 'romanticism of The Mark's sail boat is hard to beat' The canapes on the night Sadie sailed came courtesy of the team at The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges Detailing the sailing route, Sadie said: 'From Tribeca's North Cove Marina we bobbed along the west side of Manhattan with the Financial District coming into view and from there we made a beeline for the Statue of Liberty as the sun started to set' The canapes on the night we sail come courtesy of the team at The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges. Along with oysters, a plethora of other treats surface from below deck, including mini Maine lobster rolls, blinis with caviar, and crisp yet juicy gulf shrimp topped with a sweet chili sauce. Food aside, we also feast our eyes on the magnificent views of the city. From Tribeca's North Cove Marina we bob along the west side of Manhattan with the Financial District coming into view and, from there, we make a beeline for the Statue of Liberty as the sun starts to set. Following the champagne, more wines are passed around and we opt for a pinot noir from Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin. Feeling more lubricated one guest, a keen sailor dressed in deck shoes, comes over and strikes up conversation with the captain, asking him advice around sailing routes in Bermuda where his own boat is moored. Once everyone aboard has snapped some prime shots of Lady Liberty bathed in the golden hues of sunset, we start on our voyage back to the marina. To make it back in town, we use the engine instead of the sails, with its gentle purr serving as our soundtrack. Back at the dock, I feel a little wobbly disembarking the boat, unsure if it is two hours of being on the water or the large pours of wine which are to blame. All in all, The Mark sailing trip made for a very memorable voyage. I've done many boat trips out of Manhattan, from the free Staten Island ferry to an evening trip on a friend's yacht, but the romanticism of The Mark's sail boat is hard to beat. I'll start saving the cents now for next year. For more information on Summer Sailing with The Mark visit resy.com. The hotel is also offering a, a one-of-a-kind package that includes guaranteed seats for the first ever VIP 4th of July Sail. Seats without a stay start from $898 per ticket, while pricing for the overnight package starts at $2,660 per night, with a minimum stay of three nights required. Teresa Guidice's Namaste B$tches podcast abruptly ended in April, leaving fans completely in the dark about the status of the show. Bravo bloggers have been speculating for months that Teresa had a falling out with her co-host, Melissa Pfeister - and the rumors only intensified after the pair unfollowed each other on Instagram. Teresa, 52, all but confirmed that Namaste B$tches was kaput last week when she launched her own solo podcast, Turning The Tables, while Melissa, 42, also has her own podcast called Side Piece. Now Melissa has spoken to DailyMail.com about the end of Namaste B$tches and how she was moving forward without Teresa. 'Regarding the podcast, people have made up some pretty terrible lies about it and me,' she said. Teresa Guidice's Namaste B$tches podcast co-host Melissa Pfeister (both pictured) has spoken out following the end of their podcast - and the end of their friendship The pair previously hosted Namaste B$tches, which was one of the more successful Real Housewives-related podcasts 'The truth is I spent over two years of my life, with two kids under six, having another podcast [Side Piece] and being a nutritionist with my own business, creating and building Namaste B$tches,' she continued. 'I worked on it 24/7 and after all that, there is no way I would ever do anything to ruin it or go after someone. That's not who I am or how I roll. You can ask any of the 150-plus people I've interviewed and have an amazing relationship with. 'On top of all that, I'm pregnant and the pregnancy has been very difficult so with all that, it was time for a break from Namaste.' Melissa added cryptically: 'I could say a lot more of the other reasons I stepped away, but again, that's not who I am or what I do.' DailyMail.com has contacted Teresa and Hurrdat Media, the production company behind Namaste B$tches, for comment. Both Melissa and Teresa have refused to publicly share details about their rumored falling out, but various fans and Bravo bloggers have pointed out that the pair no longer follow each other on social media. 'I've been waiting for this breakup to happen. Sorry I'm not at all surprised,' one fan commented. Another wrote, 'I listened to two episodes. I'm surprised it lasted this long - it was awful!' 'I'm pregnant and the pregnancy has been very difficult so with all that, it was time for a break from Namaste,' she told DailyMail.com Teresa was known for wearing Namaste B$tches merchandise on episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey Last December, Melissa tragically revealed that she'd suffered her third miscarriage while attending Bravocon with Teresa last November. In a social media post at the time, Melissa wrote, 'I kept the smile on my face. It was extremely hard too as most had their spouse or significant other, friends or family I was there by myself.' She added, 'To go through this and not being able to talk with anyone about it, well, once getting home I just continued not talking about it or trying to think about it. 'But then realized I would be lying to everyone on the podcasts by not being open and honest, which is the whole point of doing Side Piece & Namaste B$tches in the first place.' Namaste B$tches was one of the more successful Real Housewives-related podcasts to emerge in recent years. It spawned a merchandise line - which Teresa regularly wore on The Real Housewives of New Jersey - and a live show. Teresa's rumored falling out with Melissa is just the latest in a long line of fractured relationships that the reality star has left in her wake. The Skinny Italian author is currently feuding with half of the current RHONJ cast, including Rachel Fuda, Margaret Josephs, and her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga. She's also on the outs with Danielle Cabral, who accused Teresa and Jennifer Aydin of 'setting her up' to reveal a damaging rumor on camera last season. The cast drama comes amid speculation that The Real Housewives of New Jersey could be coming to an end soon. While the hit Bravo reality show has never been short on drama, this latest season has proven more turbulent than ever before - coming to a shocking head earlier this month when host and executive producer Andy Cohen confirmed that the upcoming reunion has been scrapped for the first time in the show's history. Last December, Melissa tragically revealed that she'd suffered her third miscarriage while attending Bravocon with Teresa last November (Pictured with Jennifer Aydin) Teresa has now launched her own solo podcast called Turning The Tables The announcement comes after Teresa and Melissa Gorga refused to speak to each other while filming the current season - a dynamic that Cohen has called 'unsustainable.' Viewers will have the opportunity to see the feuding sisters-in-law on-screen one last time in the final episode of this season, which Dolores Catania described as being so chaotic that it ended 'a lot of relationships' on the show. 'It's definitely closure for people, and you can't come back from the stuff that you're going to see at the finale. No coming back,' she told Us Weekly. Meanwhile Andy described it as 'The Last Supper' - potentially a dark foretelling of what could be to come for the current stars. 'I think that the main thing is this will all make sense once you see the finale. It is one of those classic Jersey finales that people will be talking about for a long time to come,' he revealed on Radio Andy's Reality Checked. Kourtney Kardashian paid tribute to husband Travis Barker on Sunday with a gushing Father's Day post on Instagram. The 45-year-old reality television personality uploaded a slew of intimate photos of Barker, 48, with their son Rocky, who was born seven months ago. The POOSH founder wrote in a gushing caption: 'Happy Fathers Day @travisbarker!! Beyond grateful for the Dad that you are to our baby boy, and all of our kids. 'You keep us safe and protected and take care of us. Having a family with you is heaven. Happy to celebrate you!' Kardashian also shares three children with 41-year-old ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, who received a 'Happy Father's Day' banner of balloons. Kourtney Kardashian paid tribute to husband Travis Barker on Sunday with a gushing Father's Day post on Instagram Kourtney and husband Travis pictured in January Kardashian also shares three children with 41-year-old ex-boyfriend Scott Disick , who received a 'Happy Father's Day' banner of balloons The exes share Mason, 14, Penelope, 12 in July, and Reign, nine. Scott posted a picture of his shiny silver balloons which included MPR balloon initials representing his kids' names and wrote in a caption to his 29.2 million Instagram followers: 'Thanks my loves 4 making this day what it is to me! .' Included in the mother-of-four's roundup of photos was an image of the Blink 182 drummer lying on a striped towel as he held their son on his chest. The musician also cradled the little one while on a private flight and backstage at one of his shows. Another beachside snapshot featured the baby's dangling legs as Travis held him at the shoreline as the sun set. Kardashian's son Reign, dressed in big denim shorts, was also in the capture. Kourtney, who is Kris Jenner's firstborn child, also remembered her late father Robert Kardashian on Sunday. Via her lifestyle brand POOSH's Instagram account, she shared a throwback image with her dad, who was known for being one of OJ Simpson's attorneys and close friends. Included in the mother-of-four's roundup of photos was an image of the Blink 182 drummer lying on a striped towel as he held their son on his chest The musician also cradled the little one while on a private flight and backstage at one of his shows Another beachside snapshot featured the baby's dangling legs as Travis held him at the shoreline as the sun set Travis showed off a large balloon display his wife gifted him on Sunday. Kourtney later reposted it in her Instagram Stories Kourtney, who is Kris Jenner's firstborn child, also remembered her late father Robert Kardashian on Sunday The caption of the post read: 'Today we are extra thankful for the dads, grandfathers, & father figures in our lives. Happy Fathers Day from Poosh.' Over on his Instagram page, Travis showed off a large balloon display his wife gifted him on Sunday. Kourtney later reposted it in her Instagram Stories. In addition to being a stepdad to the bombshell's three children with Disick and a new dad to their baby, he also shares son Landon, 20, and daughter Alabama, 18, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. And Barker is still active in his stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya's life Moakler's 25-year-old daughter with ex Oscar De La Hoya. Kourtney and her ex welcomed their firstborn child, Mason Dash Disick, 14, in 2010; pictured in May The exes also share Penelope, 12 in July, and Reign, nine Kourtney and Travis tied the knot in 2022, in an elaborate ceremony in Italy that was later featured in a Hulu special. They shocked fans in February 2021, when they first went public with their romance after several years of friendship. The couple struggled to conceive via IVF using Kardashian's frozen embryos, and later stopped the physically taxing process to focus on wedding planning. The Lemme supplement founder announced that she subsequently became pregnant naturally in June 2023. Rocky Thirteen Barker was born in November 2023. Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little have been brutally slammed after the radio hosts 'mocked' a New Zealand author's heartfelt poem dedicated to 'sleepless' mothers. Jessica Urlichs penned 'a love note' from the perspective of an infant telling its mother how much it loves her. Bickmore read the poem out loud on her radio show Carrie & Tommy on Friday, but Little, 39, refused to take the poem seriously. 'For some reason, [these poems are] in my algorithm a lot. And they're like, letters or notes from babies to their mums,' Bickmore explained. Little asked Bickmore if she actually believed the poem was written by a baby, to which she said: 'I don't think the baby's written it.' Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little have been brutally slammed after the radio hosts 'mocked' a New Zealand author's heartfelt poem dedicated to 'sleepless' mothers 'Because you're an incredibly intelligent woman,' Little continued. 'But the first time you brought us one of these, did you think the baby had written it?' 'Of course I didn't think the baby had written it. It's through the eyes of the baby,' Bickmore explained as she tried to contain her laughter. Little continued on with his joke and said he believes a middle-aged man wrote the poem, before Bickmore identified Urlichs as the author. 'It's not. It's a woman that's got real poetry. It starts with: "I love you",' she said. 'This is a man pretending to be a baby,' Little responded. Jessica Urlichs penned 'a love note' from the perspective of an infant telling its mother how much it loves her 'No, stop saying that!' Bickmore snapped back. 'Stop ruining it. I think for people out there who've had a sleepless night with their baby, this will hit you in your core.' Little continued on as Bickmore read the poem to listeners, with laughter heard throughout the studio from producers. A video of the segment was posted to the show's Instagram page and it was quickly inundated with a torrent of backlash from followers. The author Urlichs took exception to the segment and commented beneath the video herself, saying: 'If you'd asked for my permission to post this and I'd seen how it was mocked throughout I would have said no. 'I really appreciate when people share my words because I hope it helps more mums. But my writing just felt like a punch line here.' Bickmore read the poem out loud on her radio show Carrie & Tommy on Friday, but Little, 39, refused to take the poem seriously A video of the segment was posted to the show's Instagram page, which was quickly inundated with a torrent of backlash from followers and Urlichs herself Urlichs also claimed she was 'ignored' by producers of the Fox FM show when she asked them to delete the video from their social media accounts, so she took to her own Instagram page to pen an open letter to the Carrie & Tommy show. 'I don't have any words left to truly articulate the schoolyard bullying you displayed in your recent segment across multiple radio stations,' she wrote on Sunday. 'You used my heartfelt poem (without permission) as your very weak punchline. Your co-host wasn't allowing a voice for post-partum women, nor you for that matter, and as a woman who was once post-partum it was very disappointing to see you reduce yourself to his childlike behaviour on such an important topic.' Urlichs also claimed she was 'ignored' by producers of the Fox FM show when she asked them to delete the video from their social media accounts, so she took to her own Instagram page to pen an open letter to the Carrie & Tommy show She finished her lengthy message with: 'It was hurtful as a writer, but as a mother and woman, it was devastating' 'While I want to believe you read my poem with good intentions, you also knew how to read the room and knew the intellect of your co-host. I imagine you knew how it would play out,' Urlichs added. 'It all seems rather performative after belittling the very real and vulnerable emotions echoed from postpartum mothers everywhere. Where was the respect here?' She finished her lengthy message with: 'It was hurtful as a writer, but as a mother and woman, it was devastating.' Listeners appeared to agree with Urlichs' comments, with many leaving their own scathing messages for the pair Listeners appeared to agree with Urlichs' comments, with many leaving their own scathing messages for the pair. 'Seeing a man squirm at even the idea of vulnerability between a mother and baby is so revealing. Reminds me of boys in middle school who make jokes during the sad parts in movies. Someone's got some growing up to do and it's not the baby in the poem,' one person wrote. 'The postpartum period for women can be profound, gruelling, lonely, confusing and scary... But yeah, why not crack jokes about it!?!? Silly mothers and their hysterical emotions. Imagine needing to write or read about such a frivolous thing as motherhood!' a third added. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Urlichs and the Carrie & Tommy show's parent company Southern Cross Austereo for comment. This is the adorable moment a man proposed to his girlfriend at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour as Love Story played in the background in an adorable clip caught on camera. The UK leg of Taylor's tour continued over the weekend with three gigs at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, with the sweet moment taking place during Saturday's show. As the Grammy Award winner, 34, sings the lyrics 'He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring' in her hit Love Story, the man gets down on one knee. At this point, the person filming the proposal lets out an excited scream as the woman being proposed to clocks on to what is happening. After nodding her head to say yes to the proposal, the woman then leaps into her now-fiance's arms. This is the adorable moment a man proposed to his girlfriend at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Liverpool on Saturday as Love Story played in the background in an adorable clip caught on camera The UK leg of Taylor's tour continued over the weekend with three gigs at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, with the sweet moment taking place during Saturday's show Beside the couple, a woman in a sparkly purple dress, who appears to be a friend of them, begins jumping up and down in elation. Taylor fans thought the moment was wonderful and took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts. They wrote: 'Eyes are leaking,'; 'Oh wow...this is so lovely. Taylor's concert is already connecting souls. 'I'm not crying you are so sweet,'; 'I'm crying swifties are so sweet I love our not so little community 'Stop I can't. Also the bestie in the purple is KILLING it and I wanna be her bestie,'; 'AAAAWWW CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM,'; 'The girl in the purple was so hype for them 'All i do is cry on this app how lovely for them!!'; 'haha love the girl in purple, she seemed so happy and excited for them, and she was cheering on them sm!!' Elsewhere in the show, dipping into an all-but-forgotten relationship, Taylor graced fans with an oldie but a goodie. As t he Grammy Award winner, 34, sings the lyrics 'He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring' in her hit Love Story, the man gets down on one knee Taylor Swift performed the 2016 Rihanna song 'This Is What You Came For' during her Friday concert in Liverpool, England for the Eras Tour (pictured) Taylor performed the 2016 Rihanna song 'This Is What You Came For' during her Friday concert in Liverpool, England for the Eras Tour. She previously wrote the song under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg with ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris. 'Every single time I have an acoustic set, I'm always trying to think of things you might want to hear maybe things that might be a little bit unexpected,' Taylor prefaced the song. 'Let's see how we did tonight.' Taylor performed the track as a mashup with her song 'Gold Rush' from her 2020 album Evermore. The Tortured Poets Department (TPD) artist dated Calvin, 40, from March 2015 to June 2016, during which they co-wrote the song. A source told People at the time that the relationship ended because Harris was 'intimidated' by Taylor's success. Her rep confirmed the Nils pseudonym was hers in 2016, a month after their split. 'Every single time I have an acoustic set, I'm always trying to think of things you might want to hear maybe things that might be a little bit unexpected,' Taylor prefaced the song. 'Let's see how we did tonight'; seen in May 2015 Taylor performed 'This Is What You Came For' for the first time that October during the Formula 1 US Grand Prix. After she revealed herself as the co-writer, Harris accused her of trying to 'tear him down' in a since-deleted Twitter rant. 'Hurtful to me at this point that her and her team would go so far out of their way to try and make ME look bad at this stage though,' he wrote at the time. 'I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do,' the Scottish DJ added. 'I know you're off tour and you need someone new to try and buy like Katy [Perry] ETC but I'm not that guy, sorry,' wrote Harris. 'I won't allow it.' Daniel Radcliffe, Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin led the British stars attending the 77th Annual Tony Awards at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theatre in New York City on Sunday evening. The Harry Potter star, 34, cut a dapper figure in a lilac suit and bowtie as he and his long-term partner Erin Darke made a rare red carpet appearance together. The couple, who have been together since 2012 and welcomed their first child in April last year, looked besotted with each other as they posed together. The actor placed an arm around Erin's waist as they laughed and sweetly gazed into each others eyes while posing for pictures. Meanwhile, his American girlfriend, 39, stood out in a grey ball gown, encrusted with sequins and rhinestones and featured a tulle style skirt. Daniel Radcliffe, Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin led the British stars attending the 77th Annual Tony Award s at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theatre in New York City on Sunday evening The Harry Potter star, 34, cut a dapper figure in a lilac suit and bowtie Eddie, 42, looked incredibly smart as he opted for a classic black long-tailed suit and white shirt. The actor is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his starring role as Emcee in Cabaret. He is up against Brody Grant in The Outsiders, Jonathan Groff in Merrily We Roll Along, Dorian Harewood in The Notebook and Brian d'Arcy James in Days of Wine and Roses. Meanwhile his co-star Gayle is also nominated for Cabaret for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Also nominated in her category are Eden Espinosa for Lempicka Maleah Joi Moon for Hell's Kitchen, Kelli O'Hara for Days of Wine and Roses and Maryann Plunkett for The Notebook. The actress, 34, cut an elegant figure in a long floaty cream halterneck dress as she opted for a simplistic aesthetic. Daniel is nominated for best supporting actor in a musical for his role in a revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along, a polarizing 1980s piece that unfolds backwards in time. His competitors are Roger Bart in Back To The Future: The Musical, Joshua Boone and Sky Lakota-Lynch in The Outsiders, Brandon Victor Dixon in Hell's Kitchen and Steven Skybell in the new revival of Cabaret. Meanwhile, his American girlfriend, 39, stood out in a grey ball gown, encrusted with sequins and rhinestones and featured a tulle style skirt Eddie, 42, looked incredibly smart as he opted for a classic black long-tailed suit and white shirt The actor is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his starring role as Emcee in Cabaret The actress, 34, cut an elegant figure in a long floaty cream halterneck dress as she opted for a simplistic aesthetic The couple, who have been together since 2012 and welcomed their first child in April last year, looked besotted with each other as they posed together Elsewhere reality star Ekin-Su Culculoglu turned heads as she made an unexpected arrival on the red carpet. The Love Island star, 29, looked radiant in a stunning black gown covered in intricate beading and silver star-shaped sequins. Underneath the sheer glittering number, she wore a skintight black minidress that showed off her slender figure and cleavage. Her high-necked dress also boasted a daring thigh-high slit at the side, exposing a glimpse of her toned legs. Ekin-Su gave herself a couple of extra inches in a pair of black strappy high heels and added more sparkle with a diamond encrusted clutch. The reality star completed her striking look by styling her long hair poker straight and sporting a full face of bronzed makeup. Musician Pete Townsend also attended alongside his wife Rachel Fuller. The Who guitarist, 79, opted for an all black ensemble with some chunky black Prada shoes and a red hat. Meanwhile his wife went for an all-silver look as she donned a shimmery metallic maxi dress adorned with tassels. She completed the look with some cream sunglasses and a Gucci black bag with the word 'LOVED' stitched across it. Elsewhere reality star Ekin-Su Culculoglu turned heads as she made an unexpected arrival on the red carpet The Love Island star, 29, looked radiant in a stunning black gown covered in intricate beading and silver star-shaped sequins Underneath the sheer glittering number, she wore a skintight black minidress that showed off her slender figure and cleavage Musician Pete Townsend also attended alongside his wife Rachel Fuller. The Who guitarist, 79, opted for an all black ensemble with some chunky black Prada shoes and a red hat Meanwhile his wife went for an all-silver look as she donned a shimmery metallic maxi dress adorned with tassels Anna Wintour and her daughter Bee Carrozzini were also in attendance as they cut a fashionable fit on the carpet The British Vogue editor looked stylish in a metallic symmetrical patterned dress, gold heels and her signature shades Bee, 36, wowed in a long black dress patterned with red flowers while she scraped her brunette locks back in a tight bun Anna Wintour and her daughter Bee Carrozzini were also in attendance as they cut a fashionable fit on the carpet. The British Vogue editor, 74, looked stylish in a metallic symmetrical patterned dress, gold heels and her signature shades. Bee, 36, wowed in a long black dress patterned with red flowers while she scraped her brunette locks back in a tight bun. The 77th Tony Awards take place at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City. The event will be hosted by Ariana DeBose who had previously been nominated in the Best Featured Actress in a Musical category for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The 32-year-old Wilmington, North Carolina native also also won an Oscar for Steven Spielberg's movie adaptation of the Broadway classic West Side Story. Angelina Jolie will be hitting the stage as she leads the star-studded presenters list. The 49-year-old A-lister will be the top name bestowing honors on Broadway's biggest night on Sunday as nominations were announced back in April. She is not the only big name hitting the stage as other presenters include Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Hudson, Jeffrey Wright, Patrick Wilson, and Nick Jonas will also have important duties. In addition Idina Menzel, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Nate Burleson, Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Gad, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Sean Hayes will also be presenting. Pete Evans looked almost unrecognisable as he continued to show off his wild hairstyle while cooking at his wellness retreat. The disgraced celebrity chef, 51, who stepped back from public life after sharing his controversial views about Covid-19 and bizarre conspiracy theories, took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday to share a snap of himself in the kitchen. In the picture, Pete looked strikingly different as he continued to show off his bold new look after opting for the wild new hairstyle earlier this year. The former My Kitchen Rules judge styled his blonde tinted locks in an edgy mohawk-inspired mullet, while the sides of his head were completely shaved. Recognised by his short and polished hairdo, he looked almost unrecognisable with his new look while he got to work cooking a chilli crab scramble and bonito broth. Pete Evans looked almost unrecognisable as he continued to show off his wild hairstyle while cooking at his wellness retreat, Evolve Sanctuary Known for his short hairdo from his days as a judge on My Kitchen Rules, Pete now looks strikingly different with his new style He flashed a smile as he appeared in his element in the kitchen at his wellness retreat, Evolve Sanctuary, which he runs in NSW with his wife Nicola Watson. According to their website, the retreat is a 'contemporary oasis that provides a nurturing, holistic setting for the mind, body and spirit to elevate and unwind'. Pete hosts cooking retreats at Evolve Sanctuary, which is located between Byron Bay and Coolangatta. He has assumed a low-profile since he was dropped by 15 sponsors and companies in the space of 48 hours in November 2020, after posting a neo-Nazi meme on social media. He has also faced a string of controversies over the past few years. Pete is continuing to show off his bold new mohawk-inspired look after opting for a wild new mullet hairstyle earlier this year Pete runs wellness retreat Evolve Sanctuary in NSW with his wife Nicola Watson (both pictured) The once-popular TV star has attracted scrutiny for peddling anti-vaccine conspiracies. He was fined $25,000 for spruiking a light machine he claimed helped cure Covid. In May 2020, it was announced that Pete had parted ways with Channel Seven after ten years as a judge on My Kitchen Rules alongside Manu Feildel and guest judge Colin Fassnidge. It effectively marked his break from the mainstream after years of flirting with off-the-wall ideas during his tenure at the network. Free from the contractual constraints of mainstream network television, he began spouting his non-scientific beliefs about vaccines and the Covid-19 pandemic on social media. Pete has assumed a low-profile since he was dropped by 15 sponsors and companies in the space of 48 hours in November 2020, after posting a neo-Nazi meme on social media In July 2020, Pete sparked outrage when he falsely claimed that Covid-19 was a 'f***ing hoax' and that the pandemic 'doesn't compare to what is happening in the world on a large scale'. In May 2021, he was slapped with a $80,000 fine for trying to cash in again on Covid by flogging more fake treatments online. It was the second time he ran foul of authorities after previously being fined $25,000 for trying to sell his so-called BioCharger for $15,000 apiece on Facebook. Willow Stefanovic has been 'living the high life' with her secret beau after 'soft-launching' their relationship in May. But now the mystery man has been unveiled as 'wealthy Argentinian' Genaro Abdola, who met Karl Stefanovic's daughter, 19, while she was in Aspen last Christmas. Little is known about the polo player, who keeps his social media accounts private, except that he works in finance, reported Woman's Day on Monday. A source told the publication: 'Willow has fallen for a wealthy Argentinian polo player who works in business banking and finance - his name is Genaro Abdola and if she's smitten, he's head over heels!' 'They reportedly met in Aspen when Willow and her brothers Jackson and River holidayed with their father and Jasmine and Harper last Christmas,' they continued. Willow Stefanovic, 19, (pictured) has been 'living the high life' with her secret beau after 'soft-launching' their relationship in May, but now the mystery man has been unveiled as 'wealthy Argentinian' Genaro Abdola 'His family have a place in Spain and he's been treating her to lavish trips to Ibiza - she's living the high life.' It seems Genaro has not only captured Willow's heart, but left quite the impression on her Today host dad Karl, 49, who follows his daughter's partner on Instagram. The revelation comes after Willow debuted her mystery man on Instagram in May while enjoying a holiday with him in Ibiza. Little is known about the polo player (pictured), who keeps his social media accounts private, except that he works in finance, reported Woman's Day on Monday She shared a series of photos at the time as she explored the island during their sun-soaked trip. One photo saw Willow holding a boy's extended hand and smiling for the camera while standing on a beach. She also shared several other selfies and images of beaches she visited during her trip but failed to tag anyone in her post. It seems Genaro has not only captured Willow's heart, but left quite the impression on her Today host dad Karl, 49, (right) who follows his daughter's partner on Instagram 'A dream,' she simply captioned the photos. Willow recently embarked on an overseas venture, moving to London to study fashion. She began her studies in the UK last year and is currently undertaking a degree at the London College of Fashion at prestigious University of the Arts London. It recruits on a global scale and its list of alumni reads like a Who's Who of the creative industries, from illustrator Quentin Blake to Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine. Lottie Moss put on a very racy display as she attended The Face x The Standard London's 5th birthday event on Sunday night. The OnlyFans star, 26, left little to the imagination in the sheer polka dot black dress that revealed her figure beneath. She went braless under the sexy number that revealed her underwear and teamed the dress with a fur jacket. Lottie complete outfit with pointed heels to boost her height and put on a confident display posing up a storm. She wore her blonde tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and opted for a glowing makeup look. Lottie Moss put on a very racy display as she attended The Face x The Standard London's 5th birthday event on Sunday night The OnlyFans star, 26, left little to the imagination in the sheer polka dot black dress that revealed her figure beneath It comes after Lottie stepped out with her new boyfriend Evan Campbell as the couple attended the launch of clothing brand Outcast at Isabel Mayfair last Thursday. She showed off a new look at the event after she recently began getting her 'Lover' face tattoo removed. The model looked incredible as she slipped into a dark blue Desert Heat maxi dress from Outcast. Lottie, who is the younger half-sister of Kate Moss, was all smiles as she arrived at the venue alongside musician Evan. Her new beau was dressed was dressed in a black jacket and matching trousers and also sported an eye-catching neck tattoo. The couple arrived to the bash alongside a female friend. Lottie's garment featured a cut out detail along the chest and showed off the model's incredible figure. Styling her blonde locks into an up do, Lottie also displayed her array of arm tattoos as she cut loose with her pals. Adding height to her frame with a pair of black boots, the stunner completed her look for the evening with a pair of gold hoop earrings. She went braless under the sexy number that revealed her underwear and teamed the dress with a fur jacket Lottie complete outfit with pointed heels to boost her height and put on a confident display posing up a storm (seen with a pal) Jake Shears and Aimee Phillips attend The Face x The Standard London's 5th birthday event on Sunday Lottie was joined at the launch by Love Island stars Georgia Harrison, Gabby Allen, Kady McDermott and Samira Mighty. The event was Lottie's first outing since she began to get her face tattoo removed, after drunkenly getting the word 'Lover' inked below her eye in Bali in December 2022. Lottie previously had defended the tattoo, explaining it was her way of expressing herself following years of 'being so controlled' and it represented the fact that she is now 'free.' But on Wednesday, Lottie visited celebrity approved tattoo removal clinic, NAAMA Studios, for her first session to have several of her inkings removed after coming to regret them. She shared a snap of her sitting in the chair and wearing a pair of protective glasses as she got some of the tattoos lasered off. Prior to her romance with Evan, Lottie enjoyed a fling with Love Island star Adam Collard after they met while filming Celebs Go Dating. The pair had been seeing where their relationship goes since it started blossoming on the show. But after spending three nights in bed together, Lottie seemed to have developed a lot more feelings than he did. During an awkward brunch which saw Adam's previous date arrive, she revealed that he said to her 'things are nothing more than physical with Lottie'. In disgust, Lottie was left fuming after hearing what Adam had said what he said seeing as they spent night's together as well as calling each other 'every single day'. Adam was then asked to pick who he wanted to take on another date between Jasmine, Autumn and Lottie during the tense brunch. Prior to her romance with Adam, Lottie dated The Vamps drummer Tristan Evans in 2021. The pair were first spotted out together in July 2021 but by November they had decided to part ways. In August 2020, it was reported that Lottie had enjoyed a date with TV and radio presenter Roman Kemp at a private members' club and shared a kiss at the end of the night. A source told The Sun On Sunday: 'They have known each other through the party circuit for a few years, but nothing has ever happened before. Ella Eyre attends The Face x The Standard London's 5th birthday event wearinga quirky orange and black dress It comes after Lottie stepped out with her new boyfriend Evan Campbell as the couple attended the launch of clothing brand Outcast at Isabel Mayfair last Thursday 'Roman's always thought she was beautiful and decided to pluck up the courage to ask her out. They had a really fun, very tipsy date and have been in touch every day since.' Lottie was said to have enjoyed a 'secret fling' with Brooklyn Beckham before his relationship with Hana Cross, who he split from in 2019. News of their alleged fling came to light that November, with a source telling The Sun on Sunday that Brooklyn's parents David and Victoria Beckham were 'less than impressed' after finding out. Some of Lottie's earliest relationships were with former Made In Chelsea stars Alex Mytton and Sam Prince. Jay-Z made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Tony Awards in New York on Sunday night, rapping his hit Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys. The pair came together to support Hell's Kitchen, a jukebox musical produced by Keys and featuring her songs. Empire State of Mind is featured in the musical based on Keys' early life and music and is nominated for 13 Tony Awards. Fans were quick to notice that Jay-Z did not perform onstage, instead appearing via video rapping from outside the venue. 'Jay-Z was like yea I'll come perform outside the Tonys, I'm not trying to hang out with theatre people.and I don't blame him,' one fan jokes. 'Why didn't they let Jay-Z in the actual theater??' another quipped, while another added: 'Jay-Z at the Tonys was not on my bingo card but I'm into this.' Before the performance, Keys hit the red carpet with her parents and three sons, Kasseem Jr., 17, Egypt, 13, and Genesis, 9. Jay-Z makes surprise appearance at Tony Awards with Alicia Keys performing Empire State of Mind The pair came together to support Hell's Kitchen, a jukebox musical produced by Keys and featuring her songs Ramin Setoodeh, the co-editor-in-chief for Variety, also explained on X that due to the size of the stage inside the David H. Koch Theater, the crowd wasn't able to see Jay-Z 'perform in person.' 'The stage at Lincoln Center is so small, we never saw Jay-Z perform in person at the #TonyAwards. He and Alicia Keys sang the end of the song in the lobby.' Another social media user penned, '"How do we get people in Iowa to buy Broadway tickets?" ANSWER: make them think Jay-Z and Alicia will be at the actual performance of Hell's Kitchen.' Another jokingly typed out, 'Cast of Hell's Kitchen has a restraining order out on Jay-Z #tonys.' During the performance, dancers could be seen performing choreography on the stage in front of the star-studded attendees and guests. A large screen behind them showed both Jay-Z and Alicia belting out lyrics on stairs as a spotlight shone down. However, the pair weren't actually inside the main theater where the ceremony took place. While singing the 2009 hit track, Empire State Of Mind, Keys exclaimed, 'Let me see ya! We in New York City tonight! We at the Tony Awards tonight! Had to do something crazy, it's my hometown!' per People. The Grammy winner then appeared on stage to rap his portion of the song, and at the very end, he called out, 'Brooklyn, New York City in the Tonys, tonight!' Empire State of Mind is featured in the musical based on Keys' early life and music and is nominated for 13 Tony Awards Fans were quick to notice that Jay-Z did not perform onstage, instead appearing via video rapping from outside the venue 'Jay-Z was like yea I'll come perform outside the Tonys, I'm not trying to hang out with theatre people.and I don't blame him,' one fan jokes 'Why didn't they let Jay-Z in the actual theater??' another quipped, while another added: 'Jay-Z at the Tonys was not on my bingo card but I'm into this' Ramin Setoodeh, the co-editor-in-chief for Variety, also explained on X that due to the size of the stage inside the David H. Koch Theater, the crowd wasn't able to see Jay-Z 'perform in person' Another social media user penned, '"How do we get people in Iowa to buy Broadway tickets?" ANSWER: make them think Jay-Z and Alicia will be at the actual performance of Hell's Kitchen' During the performance, dancers could be seen performing choreography on the stage in front of the star-studded attendees and guests Keys made a statement wearing a pair of loose-fitting, brown-patterned Gucci trousers as well as a matching jacket on top. Underneath, she sported a dark brown, corset-styled top and slipped into a pair of closed-toed heels that were partially concealed by the hem of the trousers. Her dark locks were pulled back into a sleek bun, preventing any loose strands from falling onto her face. For a finishing touch, she accessorized the look with a chunky, gold-chained necklace as well as flashy, gold earrings. The Forever Young rapper opted for a pair of baggy, dark denim pants as well as a plain, white shirt and Louis Vuitton jacket. Empire State Of Mind is a track on his 11th studio album titled, The Blueprint3 - which dropped in September 2009. The single became a success upon its release, and topped various music charts, such as the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in a row. The song also garnered award nominations, including three Grammy nods and eventually won two: Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The Grammy winner then appeared on stage to rap his portion of the song, and at the very end, he called out, 'Brooklyn, New York City in the Tonys, tonight!' The Forever Young rapper opted for a pair of baggy, dark denim pants as well as a plain, white shirt and Louis Vuitton jacket Empire State Of Mind is a track on his 11th studio album titled, The Blueprint3 - which dropped in September 2009 Jay-Z has been keeping busy, and had a surprise performance at Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction earlier this week on Wednesday. Hell's Kitchen officially premiered off-Broadway last year in October, with shows coming to an end in January. The production then moved to the Schubert Theatre on Broadway earlier this year in April. The jukebox musical garnered a whopping total of 12 Tony Award nominations, such as Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Maleah Joi Moon, and Best Direction of a Musical for Michael Greif. Last month in May, Alicia opened up about Hell's Kitchen while talking to People and also discussed the positive response from both audiences and fans. 'This is all of our stories.' 'That's what I've learned creating and watching Hell's Kitchen; that there's so much that connects us all.' The songstress added, 'Even though we have different versions, we all go through things that are quite similar. Ultimately, we're just all trying to find where we belong and who we actually are.' 'That's what I get from it; I get this ability to understand each other and to find our way,' the star continued. 'And it's cathartic. You're laughing, you're singing, you're crying - you're a mess in this show. But you feel seen. And I think it's really, really beautiful.' Last month in May, Alicia opened up about Hell's Kitchen while talking to People and also discussed the positive response from both audiences and fans. 'This is all of our stories'; seen in April in NYC Before her performance with Jay-Z during the Tony Awards, Keys graced the red carpet in a figure-hugging, red dress that contained sparkling, sequin details on the neckline and skirt Alicia was accompanied by her family, including her mother and father, as well as her three sons: Kasseem Jr., 17, Egypt , 13, and Genesis, 9 Before her performance with Jay-Z during the Tony Awards, Keys graced the red carpet in a figure-hugging, red dress that contained sparkling, sequin details on the neckline and skirt. She additionally added a thin belt around her waist as well as a pair of dark red, opera-length gloves for an elegant flare. The star opted for minimal accessories to allow the ensemble to be the main focal point, and added a pair of dangly, silver earrings. Alicia was accompanied by her family, including her mother and father, as well as her three sons: Kasseem Jr., 17, Egypt, 13, and Genesis, 9. Indy Clinton and her eldest son Navy attended the premiere of Despicable Me 4 during the Sydney Film Festival at State Theatre on Saturday. But it wasn't all smiles as the three-year-old took every opportunity he could to flip the bird at the camera as the mother-son duo walked the red carpet. Shocked by her child's inappropriate pose, the influencer, 26, posted a video of the incident to TikTok and implied Navy was influenced by rapper Central Cee. 'Not blaming Central Cee for this, but that's Navy's first and last red carpet,' she playfully captioned the footage which featured the artist's song BAND4BAND. Central Cee, 26, born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, is a British rapper and musician who often releases songs of an explicit nature. Indy Clinton and her eldest son Navy attended the premiere of Despicable Me 4 during the Sydney Film Festival at State Theatre on Saturday But it wasn't all smiles as the three-year-old took every opportunity he could to flip the bird at the camera as the mother-son duo walked the red carpet Indy's clip began with an adorable mirror selfie of Indy and Navy as the pair posed in the chic outfits they donned for the occasion. The mother-of-three slipped into a pair of straight-legged cream slacks which matched her designer handbag as she put up a peace sign for the snap. Meanwhile, Navy rocked a black and white flannel shirt with baggy blue jeans, sneakers and a black beanie as he pressed a finger to his cheek. 'Navy practicing his pose for the red carpet,' Indy captioned the picture, before the video jumped to the moment in question. With his beanie gone, Navy flashed a sweet smile to the cameras on the red carpet as he held up the rude finger on both hands. Indy, who was crowned Australia's most beloved influencer at the TikTok Awards last year, shares Navy and daughter Bambi, one with husband Ben Azar. Shocked by her child's very inappropriate pose, the influencer posted a video of the incident to TikTok and implied Navy was influenced by British rapper Central Cee, 26. Pictured at The Fashion Awards 2022 In December, the couple welcomed their daughter Soul Valerie to the world after announcing last June they were having a third child. At the time, Indy held a gender reveal and popped a black balloon to reveal pink confetti while their children Navy and Bambi gasped with excitement. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about her plans for 2024 earlier this year, she explained: 'Hopefully I'm not pregnant again. 'That would be a disaster if I have my fourth child in four years.' A pop-up event at Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre has ignited controversy after featuring OnlyFans star and social media influencer Anna Paul. The meet-and-greet event saw a crowd of over 200 fans including teens and children gather to meet the influencer, 24, and purchase products from her new skincare brand, Paullie Skin. The event included a Q&A session and photo opportunities with the popular TikTok star, whose social media presence promotes body positivity and lifestyle content. However, Anna's young fanbase at the event sparked a heated debate as it divided parents and the local community. Gold Coast mother-of-two Georgia Clifford, who is the wife of eight-time world wakeboarding champion Harley Clifford, voiced her concerns after witnessing the turnout at the event. A pop-up event at Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre has ignited controversy after featuring OnlyFans star and social media influencer Anna Paul (pictured) The meet-and-greet event, which saw a crowd of over 200 fans, including young teens and children, gathered to meet the 24-year-old influencer and purchase products from her new skincare brand, Paullie Skin 'Had a realisation today at Pacific Fair and seeing all those young kids lining up to meet this OnlyFans chick,' Georgina posted to her Instagram. 'I'm worried for our younger generations with what we are promoting. Pacific Fair, yes you dam(n) right sent the wrong message today.' Ms Clifford expressed her disappointment, saying such events encourage children to 'admire' the 'behaviours, attitudes and images' of online personalities like Ms Paul. The event included a Q&A session with the influencer. However, the involvement of minors in the event has sparked a heated debate among parents and the community 'I'm literally disgusted and actually cried tonight thinking of what this world is coming to for my son and daughter,' she added. The Australian OnlyFans creator has openly described her profession as a sex worker, having previously used Twitter to advertise her explicit content. Despite this, her TikTok and Instagram profiles focus on body positivity and the everyday aspects of her life. Gold Coast mother-of-two Georgia Clifford and wife of wakeboarding champion Harley Clifford (both pictured) voiced her concerns after witnessing the turnout at the event 'I'm worried for our younger generations with what we are promoting. Pacific Fair, yes you dam(n) right sent the wrong message today,' she wrote Defending Ms Paul, breakfast radio star and mother Emily Jade O'Keeffe cautioned against quick judgments However, defending Ms Paul, breakfast radio star and mother Emily Jade O'Keeffe cautioned against quick judgments. 'While I don't follow Anna Paul, there is more to her than just 'sex worker',' she told The Gold Coast Bulletin. 'She's an entrepreneur, connected well with her audience on all platforms and pioneered connecting with them to her benefit. My daughter is a fan of her cosmetics and her other social media platforms.' She is a busy working mum of two young children - daughter Poppy, seven, and son Billy, five. But Phoebe Burgess enjoyed some well-deserved time off last week as she attended the launch of new Pilates club Vaura. Phoebe, who is exercise brand's launch ambassador, was all smiles as she showed off her fabulous figure in black leggings and a matching top at the club's new Double Bay studio. She nailed the athleisure brief by wearing a chic dark grey blazer over the top, along with some fresh white and grey sneakers. The influencer wore her shorter hair in an elegant wavy style and glowed in minimal makeup. Phoebe Burgess enjoyed some well-deserved time off last week as she attended the launch of new Pilates club Vaura Phoebe, who is exercise brand's launch ambassador, was all smiles as she showed off her fabulous figure in black leggings and a matching top at the club's new Double Bay studio Vaura launched in New York's Upper East Side this year to much fanfare, and the studio has been described as a 'unique club-inspired Pilates concept.' According to the creators, the Pilates club offers 50-minute classes delivered by experts in a 'strobe-lit studio where the vibes are high, the sweat is hard to avoid, and the fun is infectious.' Phoebe said she 'jumped at the chance' to be the brand's ambassador. Vaura launched in New York's Upper East Side this year to much fanfare, and the studio has been described as a 'unique club-inspired Pilates concept' Model Ellie Gonsalves and Laura Dundovic also attended the launch 'As a long-time Pilates lover and absolute believer in the positive impact the practice can and will have on so many aspects of your life, I jumped at the chance to be part of VAURAs exciting new chapter,' she said. 'I've had the pleasure of watching the brand grow and develop alongside the modern woman - whose lives and challenges are all completely unique. 'As a solo working parent with an ever-evolving, completely imbalanced and wildly chaotic schedule, I'm sure Im not alone in feeling that the small amounts of time I can find to workout need to be spent as effectively as possible,' Phoebe added. Phoebe and Laura also attended a dinner to celebrate the launch at Margaret in Double Bay Phoebe said she 'jumped at the chance' to be the brand's ambassador. 'As a long-time Pilates lover and absolute believer in the positive impact the practice can and will have on so many aspects of your life, I jumped at the chance to be part of VAURAs exciting new chapter,' she said She also went on to praise the Pilates class 'gets me sweating and provides the endorphin hit to help me take on whatever that day brings.' Phoebe has been keeping herself busy lately with a number of high-profile projects on the go, including helming Vogue's Under the Gloss podcast and various endorsement deals. The blonde beauty was previously married to NRL star Sam Burgess for four years. However, the celebrity couple parted ways and finalised their divorce in April 2020. The Burgesses wed in 2015, separated in late 2018 and resumed their relationship in early 2019. They split permanently in October that year. Sam, formerly of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, admitted on SAS Australia to cheating on his wife with a woman in Melbourne in 2017. He is now engaged to Leeds hairdresser Lucy Graham and the couple share a baby daughter called Robbie. Rebel Wilson recently listed her Balmain property for sale with an asking price of $2.3million, but the most interesting detail in the sale is her connection to the real estate agent handling the property. The Australian actor, 44, has enlisted the expertise of her younger sister Annachi "Anna" Wilson who became a sales agent for Cobden & Hayson real estate earlier this year after previously working as a buyer's agent. Anna, 32, who is the youngest of Rebel's three siblings, is said to have helped her famous sister transform her previous Birchgrove property which the Pitch Perfect star sold for $9.5million in 2022, reported The Nightly on Monday. 'While most agents transition from sales to buyer's agents, I've chosen to go in the other direction, making the switch to share my knowledge and help more people,' Anna said on the Cobden & Hayson website. Anna is said to have secured more than $30million worth of real estate for clients in her previous role as a buyer. Rebel Wilson's real estate agent sister Annachi "Anna" Wilson is handling the sale of her $2.3million Balmain apartment Rebel has listed her long-held Balmain property for sale with an asking price of $2.3million after purchasing it off the plan for $1.88million in 2015. Tucked away in the heritage listed Lever Brothers soap factory in Sydney, the investment property will go to auction on June 22. The Hollywood actor hired Cobden & Hayson agents Anna and Matthew Hayson to handle the sale, reported The Daily Telegraph earlier this month. Spreading out over two levels, the 'house-like' apartment boasts 130sqm of space with two balconies and a rooftop terrace off the upper level kitchen. With stunning views of the CBD skyline and Anzac bridge, the cooking space features Carrara quartz stone benchtops and a luxurious breakfast bar. Anna, 32, who is the youngest of Rebel's three siblings, is said to have helped her famous sister transform her previous Birchgrove property which the Pitch Perfect star sold for $9.5million in 2022 Rebel is listing her long-held Balmain property for sale with an asking price of $2.3million, after purchasing it off the plan for $1.88million in 2015 Two bedrooms and a study space fill out the entry level of the unit, with the master bedroom boasting a sprawling walk-in robe and en suite. EV drivers will be thrilled to find a charging station installed in the double security parking garage of the building. It comes just a few years after the Pitch Perfect star sold off her Sydney Harbour home for an estimated $9.5million in 2022. Tucked away in the heritage listed Lever Brothers soap factory in Sydney, the investment property will go to auction on June 22 The Hollywood actor has hired Cobden & Hayson agents Anna and Matthew Hayson to handle the sale, reported The Daily Telegraph on earlier this month Spreading out over two levels, the 'house-like' apartment boasts 130sqm of space with two balconies and a rooftop terrace off the upper level kitchen Rebel bought the three-bedroom pad for $3.76million in early 2015, before enlisting architect Paul O'Connor for a 'meticulous renovation'. She made a staggering profit of $5.74million after owning the house for just seven years, reported Realestate.com.au. Rebel had listed the home in March 2022 and announced its sale in April, but the sale price and new owners were not revealed until July. With stunning views of the CBD skyline and Anzac bridge, the cooking space features Carrara quartz stone benchtops and a luxurious breakfast bar Two bedrooms and a study space fill out the entry level of the unit, with the master bedroom boasting a sprawling walk-in robe and ensuite The keys were handed to Nick Smart, the founder of perfume distribution company Agence de Parfum, and his husband Todd Graham, a pet food entrepreneur. The property was previously owned by the author Peter Carey, who sold it for less than a million dollars in the early '90s when he moved to New York. Rebel wrote on Instagram on April 11 that year: 'She's sold. Thank you everyone for your interest in my Sydney house. Great result all round. 'I am going to miss this house so much! But I hope the new buyers love it as much as I have.' An Australian radio host has hit back at a troll who called her 'inappropriate' for kissing her child on the lips. Amy Gerard, best known for KIIS FM's Chris Page & Amy Gerard in the Morning, detailed how she received a mum-shaming remark on Instagram over the weekend. One of her followers had privately messaged her to tell her they thought it was 'inappropriate' and 'unhygienic' that she kisses her kids on the lips. Amy - who is a mother to three young kids, Charli, Bobby and Kobe - read out the message live on-air as she didn't hold back in her response to the judgmental fan. The message read: 'Hi Amy, I love your videos with your kid but I think it's really inappropriate that you kiss your kids on the lips. Don't you think it sends the wrong message and it's also so unhygienic?' Australian radio host Amy Gerard has hit back at a mum-shaming troll who called her 'inappropriate' for kissing her child on the lips Amy - who is a mother to three young kids, Charli, Bobby and Kobe - revealed one of her followers told her they thought it was 'unhygienic' that she kisses her kids on the lips In response, Amy - who is married to husband Rhian - firmly shut down the troll as she told how it is 'healthy' for parents to show their children affection. 'Firstly, it's my kid and I will kiss him wherever I want on the face,' she replied. 'And secondly, he's four years old, not 18. And as a mum who has carried him and given birth to him, breastfed him, that is my God-given right to smooch his adorable little face on the lips.' 'And I'm going to do it until he goes, "Mum, you're embarrassing", and that's exactly what happened to my other two kids. 'There's nothing unhygienic, in fact, it is so healthy for parents to show their kids affection. In response, Amy (pictured with her husband Rhian) slammed the troll as she told how it is 'healthy' for parents to show their children affection as she firmly shut down the remark It comes just a week after Amy and her co-host Chris were left flabbergasted after a nursing home worker revealed the scandalous activities that go on at night. Using pseudonyms, a caller named Vanessa recounted a series flings and tensions at the home. Page and Gerard were left shocked as the nurse explained why one man in the home is considered 'the talk around town'. 'Arthur is a bit of a ladies' man. He's quite the talk around town. He loves a nightly stroll down the corridors with his pants off,' the nurse explained. It comes just a week after Amy and her co-host Chris were left flabbergasted after a nursing home worker revealed the scandalous activities that go on at night 'We're constantly running after him and guiding him back to his room so he's not showing what he has to offer to the ladies,' she added. Vanessa revealed several ladies at the home have been experiencing tension because of the competition over Arthur. 'The ladies love him, so much so that in the dining room there has been a divide. The ladies and Arthur, they're at a standoff,' she said, leaving Amy and Chris utterly lost for words. Angelina Jolie showed off a new, small bird tattoo located in the middle of her chest as she made a glamorous appearance at the 77th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday. The Maleficent actress, 49 - who recently showed off another addition to her tattoo collection - flaunted the tiny ink as she graced the red carpet alongside her teenage daughter Vivienne, 15. The pair's Broadway production, The Outsiders, garnered four major wins during the special ceremony, including Best Musical. Her latest tattoo seemingly depicted a sparrow-like bird with its wings slightly out to appear as if it was flying. Sparrows can carry a special meaning and are known to symbolize freedom, love and also loyalty. Jolie - who has been embroiled in a tumultuous divorce battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt - opted to not add any colorful details to the tattoo and instead chose a simple, black ink. Angelina Jolie, 49, officially debuted a new, small bird tattoo located in the middle of her chest as she made a glamorous appearance at the 77th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday Her latest tattoo seemingly depicted a sparrow-like bird with its wings slightly out to appear as if it was flying. Sparrows can carry a special meaning and are known to symbolize freedom, love and also loyalty A few months earlier in April during opening night of The Outsiders in the Big Apple, the actress revealed new ink located on her left forearm. The words 'Stay Gold' could be in cursive in reference to the Broadway musical. The phrase is said by the character, Johnny, while talking to Ponyboy as a reminder to stay true to oneself. And last year in August, she initially debuted mystery ink on each of her middle fingers - which had been done by tattoo artist, MR.K. At the time, he uploaded an image of her hands but concealed the designs by blurring the tattoos. 'Still can't believe that I actually grabbed her hand and tattooed her. Guess what she got on her palm?' Social media users attempted to figure out what the ink could possibly be, with one penning, 'F***. Brad' in reference to her messy divorce battle with Pitt. However, the tattoo artist soon addressed fans by revealing in the comment section that, 'It has NOTHING related with Brad Pitt.' He also later apologized to the star for any stress caused by fan speculation. 'First of all, I feel sorry with all the bad speculations and sincerely apologize to @angelinajolie for the stress that might caused her,' Mr. K penned while finally unveiling the tattoos. He continued, 'This tattoo represents two daggers in geometric & abstract way / nothing related to religion or cross #angelinajolie #mrktattoo.' A few months earlier in April during opening night of The Outsiders in the Big Apple, the actress revealed new ink located on her left forearm (seen above) Last year in August, she initially debuted mystery ink on each of her middle fingers - which had been done by tattoo artist, MR.K On Sunday, the actress showed off the new, sparrow-like tattoo as she joined her daughter, Vivienne, on the star-studded red carpet at the Tony Awards in NYC At one point, Angelina slightly turned away from the camera to flash a glimpse of some of her tattoos on her left arm and upper back Tony Awards 2024 winners: AT A GLANCE MUSICAL CATEGORIES Angelina Jolie and daughter Vivienne were producers on The Outsiders which earned four wins at the a Tony Awards including top honor Best Musical Best Musical: The Outsiders Best Revival of a Musical: Merrily We Roll Along Best Actor in a Musical: Jonathan Groff - Merrily We Roll Along Best Actress in a Musical: Maleah Joi Moon - Hell's Kitchen Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Daniel Radcliffe - Merrily We Roll Along Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Kecia Lewis - Hell's Kitchen Best Direction of a Musical: Danya Taymor - The Outsiders PLAY CATEGORIES Producer David Adjmi accepted Best Play for Steophonic which earned five Best Play: Stereophonic Best Revival of a Play: Appropriate Best Actor in a Play: Jeremy Strong - An Enemy Of The People Best Actress in a Play: Sarah Paulson - Appropriate Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Will Brill - Stereophonic Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Kara Young - Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Best Direction of a Play: Daniel Aukin - Stereophonic Advertisement Some of Jolie's various other tattoos include a Bengal Tiger, a cross, Khmer Script and also Geographical Coordinates of her children. During a past interview with Marie Claire UK back in 2020, Angelina opened up about her array of tattoos. 'I love them. They're body art,' she gushed to the outlet at the time. 'I don't think it's abnormal that someone who spends their life in other skins wants to claim their own by marking things on it that matter to them.' On Sunday, the actress showed off the new, sparrow-like tattoo as she joined her daughter, Vivienne, on the star-studded red carpet at the Tony Awards in NYC. The teen color-coordinated with her mother in teal-colored trousers as well as a matching vest that was left unbuttoned the front. Jolie was also glammed up in a lighter, teal velvet Versace gown that had a fitted, corset-styled bodice and a full skirt that flowed down to brush the ground. She added a matching shawl on top that slightly draped down her shoulders that offered a dramatic flare to the overall look. At one point, Angelina slightly turned away from the camera to flash a glimpse of some of her tattoos on her left arm and upper back. Jolie notably took on the role of a producer for the Broadway musical, The Outsiders, which officially premiered earlier this year in April. Vivienne also had the chance to be a producer's assistant on the critically-acclaimed project. Last month in May, it was also revealed that Vivienne dropped the last name Pitt from her moniker in The Outsiders Playbill; seen in May in L.A. A source later told People that Brad is 'aware and upset' that daughter Shiloh filed to drop 'Pitt' from her last name, and is another indication that he has 'lost his children'; seen in February in Santa Barbara Last month in May, it was also revealed that Vivienne dropped the last name Pitt from her moniker in The Outsiders Playbill. She was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the credits rather than Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, per People. Vivienne's older sister, Zahara, also publicly opted to not use Pitt while stating her full name while being inducted into the AKA sorority at Spelman College. Also last month, Brad and Angelina's daughter, Shiloh, 18, officially requested to drop 'Pitt' from her surname in court documents obtained by TMZ. The dancer filed the paperwork on her 18th birthday which took place on Monday, May 27 and has asked that her new legal name be Shiloh Jolie. The action came after it was revealed that Pitt wants to repair his 'broken' bond with Shiloh. A source later told People that Brad is 'aware and upset' that daughter Shiloh filed to drop 'Pitt' from her last name, and is another indication that he has 'lost his children.' Brad and Angelina share biological children Shiloh as well as twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, and three adopted children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 20 and also Zahara, 19. The pair began dating after Pitt and then-wife, Jennifer Aniston, announced their divorce in 2005. The two later tied the knot in 2014, with the Maleficent actress filing for divorce in 2016 after only two years of marriage. Three years later in 2019, Brad and Angelina were declared legally single. Brad and Angelina share biological children Shiloh as well as twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, and three adopted children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 20 and also Zahara, 19; seen in 2006 However, the two A-listers have been embroiled in an ongoing divorce battle over assets and custody for years since. A central issue seems to be a notorious private jet confrontation in 2016; seen in 2014 in Hollywood However, the two A-listers have been embroiled in an ongoing divorce battle over assets and custody for years since. A central issue seems to be a notorious private jet confrontation in 2016. An FBI report on the incident, which was published in 2022, saw Jolie accuse Pitt of physical assault while flying to California in 2016. She claimed that he was intoxicated and that he grabbed her by the head and shook her, and later pushed her down, as part of a confrontation allegedly related to their children. Jolie told the FBI that Pitt told the children that she was 'f***ing up this family,' and she said he punched the ceiling of the airplane four times. She claimed that at one point he poured beer on her and a blanket she was under with multiple children. Source close to Pitt later claimed that he never hit any of the children, though they admitted that he had been drinking. Later on Sunday, Angelina was joined by her daughter Vivienne on stage during the Tony Awards after the production won Best Musical during the festivities The musical also won Best Direction of a Musical for Dayna Taymor, Best Sound Design of a Musical for Cody Spencer, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim The Outsiders is based on the 1967 book, The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton and the 1983 movie as the same name. The musical first debuted in 2023 in La Jolla, followed by its Broadway premiere a few months earlier in April. Later on Sunday, Angelina was joined by her daughter Vivienne on stage during the Tony Awards after the production won Best Musical during the festivities. The mother daughter duo held big smiles on their faces as they excitedly stood next to fellow producer, Matthew Rego, as he accepted the big honor. The musical also won Best Direction of a Musical for Dayna Taymor, Best Sound Design of a Musical for Cody Spencer, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim. Anna Paul delighted her fanbase with a meet and greet on Saturday. The 25-year-old social media sensation hosted the event at Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre, drawing a massive crowd eager to catch a glimpse of their idol. Among the crowd of admirers, two lucky fans experienced a life changing moment. After patiently waiting in line to meet the TikTok sensation, Hayley Garland and her partner Joshua got engaged right in front of Anna. Sharing the moment on TikTok, Joshua got down on one knee, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers. Anna Paul, 25, (pictured) delighted her fanbase with a meet and greet on Saturday @hayleygarland67 @Anna Paul @Paullie thank you for this wonderful experience, this will be in my core memories Thank yoy to my partner for making this all happen i love you so much original sound - Hayley Garland Hayley, initially taken aback, quickly said yes. Anna joined in the celebrations, her face lighting up with excitement for the newly engaged couple. '@Anna Paul @Paullie thank you for this wonderful experience, this will be in my core memories Thank you to my partner for making this all happen i love you so much,' Hayley captioned the TikTok. The meet and greet saw a crowd of over 200 fans gather to meet the influencer and purchase products from her new skincare brand, Paullie Skin. The event included a Q&A session and photo opportunities with the popular TikTok star, whose social media presence promotes body positivity and lifestyle content. One by one, giggling admirers joined Anna to get their photos as she threw peace signs and struck poses alongside them. The 25-year-old social media sensation hosted the event at a bustling Gold Coast mall on Saturday, drawing a massive crowd eager to catch a glimpse of their idol Among the crowd of admirers, two lucky fans experienced a life changing moment. Hayley Garland and her partner Joshua got engaged right in front of Anna Sharing the moment on TikTok, Joshua got down on one knee, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers Anna looked absolutely delighted as she met her fans, before posing for several selfies of her own. Known by her fans as 'Australia's Kim Kardashian', Anna boasts a whopping seven million combined followers on TikTok and Instagram. The brunette bombshell found fame on TikTok by sharing lip-sync videos and vlogs documenting her life. She then moved into a lucrative career posting content on adult subscription-based sites. While Anna has claimed she grew up poor, the online star now leads a lavish lifestyle envied by many and boasts a reported net work of over $10million. Anna, who split from her partner of eight years Glen Thomson last year, last month enjoyed a relaxing holiday in Europe with her rumoured new boyfriend Aymeric Urbain. Coleen and Linda Nolan proved they were in the mood for dancing when they reunited with their sisters for a live performance at sister Maureen's 70th birthday. Loose Women favourite Coleen, 59, and Linda, 65, were joined by sisters Anne, 73, Denise, 72, and of course Maureen for a legendary party at a hotel on Blackpools promenade. Bringing back a nostalgic vibe of their pop group, The Nolans, the ladies group said to have had 'a ball' during the celebration and at 1am were still dancing and singing for the audience. Proving they still got it, they were captured in a slew of memorable clips and pictures as they danced in front of a small stage, with a DJ accompanying them and strobe lights. The sisters all rocked different dazzling looks for the special night as Linda - who has incurable cancer - opted for a chic total black ensemble with smart trousers and blazer, in perfect contrast with Maureen who went for a sparkling all-white. Coleen, (far right) and Linda Nolan, (second from right), reunited with their other sisters, (L-R) Anne, Denise and Maureen, during a performance for Maureen's 70th birthday party on Instagram this week Loose Women favourite Coleen, 59 (right) and Linda, 65, were joined by sisters Anne, 73 (left), Denise, 72, and of course Maureen (middle) for a legendary party at a hotel on Blackpools promenade In March, Linda revealed her latest cancer scan has shown 'no progression in the disease' after learning her tumours had shrunk. She was first diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2005 before getting the all-clear in 2006, but the disease sadly returned in 2017 and spread to her liver and brain, but she has been putting a brave face on things. Her sister Coleen looked chic in a sparkling sequinned top with short sleeves, skinny denim and black heels. Denise mirrored Maureen in an elegant white outfit adding a shawl, while Anne looked glamorous in a purple sequinned co-ord with blazer and flared trousers. The sisters all took to Instagram to document the epic birthday and of course, their unmissable performance. Maureen candidly admitted she was 'overwhelmed at the love in the room' as she gushed over the incredible night and company of her dear ones. Taking to Instagram, she shared a gorgeous shot of her standing next to a huge 70 number beaming and wrote: 'Completely overwhelmed last night at my 70th party, at the love in the room , thank you all for your fabulous presents , I have the best family and friends in the World. 'Special mention to my sister Denise who organised it all , while I was in America, you are totally awesome Denise, and I couldnt have wished for a better night. 'Thank you also to Linda who continues to be the biggest inspiration in my life, who also helped with organisation, thanks so much Lin, also thanks to Ads ( Nolan) for spending days and days getting the photo book and video together I LOVED IT. 'We all danced till we dropped, and Shane , you never cease to amaze with your talent. Bringing back a nostalgic vibe of The Nolans, the ladies group said to have had 'a ball' during the celebration and at 1am were still dancing and singing for the audience Proving they still got it, they were captured in a slew of memorable clips and pictures as they danced in front of a small stage, with a DJ accompanying them and strobe lights The sisters all rocked different dazzling looks for the special night as Linda opted for a chic total black ensemble with smart trousers and blazer, in perfect contrast with Maureen who went for a sparkling all-white Proving they still got it, they were captured in a slew of memorable clips and pictures as they danced in front of a small stage, with a DJ accompanying them and strobe lights Maureen candidly admitted she was 'overwhelmed at the love in the room' as she gushed over the incredible night and company of her dear ones Linda also captured a sweet moment when Maureen blew her candles She finished emotionally: 'THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, you are all very special people in my life, and I love you all .' Coleen also raced to share some remarkable bits on her Instagram page. One clip showed them dancing and singing and the Loose Women star is seen doing a little twirl as she captioned: 'Sometimes you cant help yourself! Having a ball with the family at @maureennolanofficial 70th birthday party tonight xx.' Celeb pal and fellow Loose Women star Ruth Langsford cheered in the comments: 'Go girls!!!' And there was more to it, as Coleen shared another clip of the sisters performing writing cheekily: 'What happens at a Nolan party at 1am?,' proving they've had quite one hell of a night. Linda gushed about the fun night too as she shared a group picture with her sisters hugging and more shots of them dancing. She also captured a sweet moment when Maureen blew her candles, and captioned the carousel: 'What a night, celebrating @maureennolanofficials 70th! Danced, sang, laughed, caught up with people I havent seen in ages. 'Thankfully my head isnt suffering today, unlike the others I was smart.' It's been a tough time for the family. Their father Tommy Nolan Sr, died of liver cancer in 1998. Bernadette, known as Bernie, also lost her life to the disease, Linda is terminally ill while Anne and Coleen have both faced the disease twice. Improved coastal environment makes Xiamen a good habitat for birds People's Daily Online) 13:26, June 17, 2024 Terns are spotted at an embankment along the Island Ring East Road in Siming district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Ke Yukun) Flocks of terns recently gathered at an embankment along the Island Ring East Road in Siming district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province, creating a beautiful sight against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky. According to a staff member from the city's natural resources and planning bureau, the flocks consist of six species of terns, including the greater crested tern, which is under second-class state protection in China. Terns migrate to tropical and subtropical oceans for winter every year. The improved coastal environment in Xiamen has attracted a large number of fish, providing abundant food resources for the terns that come to inhabit the area, according to Ke Yukun from the Xiamen Bird Watching Society. To promote for wholesome bird watching, Siming district has established a temporary protection zone along the embankment. Dedicated patrol teams have been established, and real-time monitoring is implemented to strengthen the patrols. During the protection period from May 15 to August 15 each year, local residents and tourists can watch the terns from a distance at designated bird-watching sites outside the protection zone. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) A rare work by one of Britain's finest artists prompted an equally rare response after being given an astronomical valuation on Antiques Roadshow. Sunday evening's instalment of the long-running BBC show welcomed guests and their prized possessions at historic country venue Stonor House, in the heart of Oxfordshire. But art historian Lawrence Hendra was visibly stunned after being confronted with an original work by mid-20th century artist L.S Lowry, famed for his industrial urban landscapes. The artist, who died in 1976 aged 88, is one of Britain's most faked artists, but his framed painting of a crudely drawn male figure was fortunately authenticated by an undisclosed gallery, having been purchased for less than 200 in the mid-sixties. 'He painted the mood of the nation, I think,' said Hendra. 'Provenance of Lowry is crucial. A rare work by one of Britain's finest artists prompted an equally rare response after being given an astronomical valuation on Antiques Roadshow Art historian Lawrence Hendra was visibly stunned after being confronted with an original work by mid-20th century artist L.S Lowry 'Now thankfully, on the reverse of your picture you have a label from the gallery that represented Lowry as you know and sold many of his works and you also have this letter.' Producing a piece of correspondence from the gallery, he added: 'And this letter was sent to you from the director of the gallery in 1998, and he says "further to your letter of the 29th July the painting by Lowry was sold by us in 1965 for 175 and its got all of the labels and stock codes."' However the valuation elicited little more than a subdued chuckle and a thank you from its elderly owner - a contrast to the usual astonished reaction. 'In terms of value, I think if your painting were to come up for auction, I would expect to see it sell for a figure in the region of 60-80,0000,' said Kendra. The show previously welcomed Swallows and Amazons actress Sophie Neville while filming from the Lake District, 50-years after she appeared in the iconic family film. The former child star, 64, who played Titty Walker and is now an author, brought along memorabilia from the 1974 set including pirate flags and a bow and arrow. The film, based on the 1930 novel by Arthur Ransome, followed the Walker children and their adventures in the Lake District while setting sail in their dinghy named Swallow. Expert Mark Allum was blown away by the collection, as Sophie said: '[Starring in the movie] was an amazing opportunity and we came up her and filmed it on location' as they looked out over lake Windermere. The artist is one of Britain's most faked artists, but his framed painting of a crudely drawn male figure was fortunately authenticated by an undisclosed gallery Its 60-80,0000 valuation elicited little more than a subdued chuckle and a thank you from its elderly owner - a contrast to the usual astonished reaction Seeing the Swallows' original flag from their boat the antiques impresario said: 'I just have to touch it in reverence'. Sophie then quipped: 'My character Titty made that flag, in reality the prop men made it, and I was 12 played a nine-year-old and I thought that those stitches were pretty shoddy and big and I could had made a much neater one'. Moving onto valuation Mark mused: 'In monetary terms, worth about 4,000 to 6,000 at auction'. Shocked the actress asked: 'Really?! These little things?'. Smiling he assured her: 'Those die hard fans out there would kill for a bit of movie memorabilia like this'. The show previously welcomed Swallows and Amazons actress Sophie Neville while filming from the Lake District, 50-years after she appeared in the iconic family film The former child star, who played Titty Walker (pictured second right in the movie) brought along memorabilia from the set including pirate flags and a bow and arrow Expert Mark Allum was blown away by the collection, as Sophie said: '[Starring in the movie] was an amazing opportunity and we came up her and filmed it on location' as they looked out over lake Windermere' Susanna Reid was forced to apologise when Noel Edmonds swore live on Good Morning Britain on Monday. Noel, 75, joined Susanna, 53, and Ed Balls, 57, to discuss his move to New Zealand as well as his plan to help save radio when the blooper happened. The Deal Or No Deal presenter mentioned that he owned a pub called the B***er Inn, which left Susanna quickly apologising for his slip. But he insisted it wasn't a swear word and repeated it several times, before the conversation was moved swiftly on. Noel was also reunited with his House Party sidekick Mr Bloody on Good Morning Britain on Monday. Susanna Reid forced to apologise as Noel Edmonds swore live on GMB on Monday - before he was joined by his 90s House Party sidekick Mr Blobby who destroyed the studio Mr Blobby originally featured on the British Saturday night variety show Noel's House Party, broadcast on BBC One and he caused mayhem during his appearance Noel and Mr Blobby pictured together in the 1990s Chaos ensued with the pink, spotty family favourite joined Noe on the show and tried to give him a hug, messed up the studio and turned over a table. Mr Blobby originally featured on the British Saturday night variety show Noel's House Party, broadcast on BBC One Blobby communicates only by saying the word 'blobby' and is well known for causing mass destruction wherever possible. Talking about Mr Blobby he said: 'He calls me most days. Hes not the most entertaining conversation! I feel sorry for him. When Mr Blobby came in and tried to hug him, Noel told him: 'Im not doing a radio station for you it is boring! He makes Ed [Balls] look slim!' During the interview, Noel addressed the photo that was taken of him last month during a trip to the Isle Of Man, in which he was wearing odd shoes. Noel choose to wear light brown lace-up boots on his right foot and slip-on dark brown boots on his left foot. Eagle-eyed fans couldn't help but notice his peculiar fashion choice as he posed for a photo with the owners of Laxey Beach Stop Cafe. When asked about it, Noel joked: 'In River Haven where I live is illegal to have matching shoes (he now lives in new Zealand), 'And there are cameras around and police to fine you if you go out like that.' And talking about his company in New Zealand, he said: 'I have a farm of 1,000 acres a vineyard. Our wine is up for an award.' He swooped in to give Noel a hug and he remarked he makes Ed Balls look slim When Mr Blobby came in and tried to hug him, Noel told him: 'Im not doing a radio station for you it is boring!' Mass hilarioty ensued as Mr Blobby wouldn't keep his hands off the presenter Noel appeared quite perturbed by the experience During the interview, Deal Or No Deal star Noel addressed the photo that was taken of him last month during a trip to the Isle Of Man, in which he was wearing odd shoes When asked about it, Noel joked: 'In River Haven where I live is illegal to have matching shoes (he now lives in new Zealand )' Noel and his wife Liz have settled in the Ngatimoti area in New Zealand several years ago, snapping up 12 properties worth almost 15m on 270 hectares of land In 2023, Noel sparked a furious row with residents who accused him of 'colonising' their idyllic village (pictured: his shop) MARCH 2020 Kate revealed she and Prince Charles had got 'relatively close' at the Prince's Trust Awards on March 11 - Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus in mid-March. She said: 'Around the 29/30 March, I came home came in and said [to Derek] 'god you look ill.' 'He said he had a headache, numbness in his right hand, and was struggling to breathe, 'I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said put me back on, I think you need to call an ambulance' Derek, 52, was taken into hospital on March 30 and remained in an unresponsive condition. APRIL Kate and her children isolated at home after she displayed 'mild symptoms'. Kate said: 'Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I'm afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time. 'I'm afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope.' MAY Kate said: 'The journey for me and my family seems to be far from over as every day my heart sinks as I learn new and devastating ways this virus has more battles for Derek to fight. 'But he is still HERE & so there is still hope.' That month, Kate and her family took part in the final clap for carers She said: 'I'll never give up on that because Derek's the love of my life but at the same time I have absolute uncertainty' JUNE On June 5, Kate revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but continues to fight against the damage inflicted on his body JULY On July 5, Kate revealed Derek has woken from his coma but he remains in a serious yet critical condition. On July 8, she announced she would be returning to GMB, after being urged by doctors to 'get on with life' during Derek's recovery. She added that Derek had 'opened his eyes' after waking from his coma, but has been told his recovery could take years. On July 13, Kate returned to GMB for the first time since Derek was hospitalised. On July 28, Kate revealed she'd paid an 'extra emotional' first visit to Derek, and admitted she's 'frustrated' by his slow progress. AUGUST On August 14, Kate reassured GMB viewers that Derek was 'still with us,' but it was 'a waiting game.' On August 19, Kate revealed she celebrated Derek's birthday with their two children, and described the day as 'challenging' for her family. SEPTEMBER At the end of September, Derek reportedly becomes the longest surviving patient with coronavirus after spending 184 days in and out of intensive care. Kate reveals Derek has lost eight stone during his battle. The presenter announces she is returning to her Smooth Radio show so Derek can hear her voice. OCTOBER On October 30 Kate reveals that Derek has spoken for the first time in seven months, saying the word 'pain' to his wife, who watched on 'in tears' over FaceTime. Kate says a day later that her husband no longer needs a ventilator to breathe. NOVEMBER Kate reveals her family car has been stolen in latest 'body blow' to her family life, as kind-hearted fans offer their cars to help. She says she feels 'physically sick' at the prospect of facing her first Christmas without Derek. DECEMBER The GMB star tells viewers it is her dream to visit Derek on Christmas Day. She also reveals she missed two weeks on GMB after her children were exposed to the virus, but thankfully she and the kids tested negative. On December 17, Kate has an emotional conversation live on GMB with two nurses who treated Derek when he was first admitted to Whittington Hospital in North London. On New Year's Eve she reflects on a 'calamitous' Christmas without Derek, as her house was flooded and she struggled to get a food delivery slot until her pal Emma Willis stepped in to help. JANUARY 2021 Kate reveals she and her children got to visit Derek in hospital over the Christmas period, and it was the first time her family had seen him since he was hospitalised. She also says she's banned from seeing him due to new restrictions introduced during the government's third lockdown. FEBRUARY Kate reveals she is unsure how much Derek will 'ever be able to recover' following warning from doctors that he may never wake from his coma MARCH Kate revealed that was in the process of adapting her home to suit Derek's needs when he is finally released from hospital, in the ITV documentary Finding Derek. The programmed was praised by viewers for offering a heartbreaking look at the long-term effects of coronavirus. Kate also revealed that Derek has 'no muscle left' since battling Covid APRIL Kate revealed that Derek was finally allowed to leave hospital, but would require round-the-clock care once he was returned home. MAY Kate revealed that despite now being home with his family, his communication abilities were 'minimal' and he 'couldn't really move' DECEMBER During an appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Kate revealed that Derek had said 'I love you' for the first time. After celebrating Christmas, Derek was also pictured in a wheelchair during a trip to the pantomime with his family JANUARY 2022 Kate revealed that Derek was 'very fatigued' and 'very weak' following the family outing, adding: 'I don't know what this year is going to bring.' FEBRUARY Kate offered a glimpse into the daily struggles of looking after her husband amid his battle with long Covid in the documentary Caring For Derek She also revealed that Derek would die within three days if he was left alone to care for himself. JULY On July 6, Kate revealed that Derek had been re-admitted to hospital after suffering a 'downturn,' and in a later interview said she takes things 'day by day.' On July 20, it was reported that Kate had pulled out of hosting Good Morning Britain to be at Derek's bedside after he took a 'very serious' turn for the worse. Recalling the day, the presenter told The Sun: 'At one point Derek said to me, "This is it, this time. I am gone." It was just terrifying. 'His sepsis was gut-wrenching for all of us because it had gone undiagnosed until the point where it was about to take his life away again.' JANUARY 2023 Kate became overwhelmed as she confronted former health secretary Matt Hancock over his handling of the pandemic and his decision to go on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. She then became tearful and looked up as she spoke about Derek, who has been unwell for approaching three years. Describing public anger towards him, Kate added of his decision: 'This gives the impression you still don't get why they are cross. You still don't get why people are upset. They want to hold you to more account.' APRIL Kate revealed that Derek was once again receiving care in hospital, as she shared the emotional moment Sir Elton John dedicated a song to the 'inspiring' couple. She shared the emotional moment Sir Elton John dedicated a song to the 'inspiring' couple, writing on Instagram: 'Yes Derek has been back in hospital this week & yes there's such a long road ahead but #eltonjohn & @davidfurnish you gave the kids & Derek a moment that we will never forget and has lifted their spirits again to feel anything is possible.' It was also reported that Kate was planning a trip across the world for pioneering treatment in a 'final hope' to help her husband. MAY Kate reportedly faced a huge 716,000 tax bill after she was forced to close her husband's business two years after he became stricken with Covid-19. The final total will be settled within the coming weeks, with friends insisting she will pay whatever is owed. A friend told The Sun: 'The figures are terrifying and Kate is of course worried about all the financial pressures, but she has to trust the process. 'When it comes to an end, she is determined to pay back anything that's owed. 'It's no secret that Kate has been battling to keep her husband alive and working through some heartbreaking situations in her personal life in recent years. 'Sadly as well as the emotional stress of Derek's terrible illnesses the financial burden has also been crippling.' DECEMBER Derek was left fighting for his life after suffering a heart attack. Kate held a 24/7 vigil by his bedside and cancelled all work commitments while the family 'prayed for a miracle'. A source said: 'It was sudden and a shock as he had been doing so well and was in great spirits, looking forward to Christmas at home with the family. 'This setback has been a huge blow for his family and all the people caring for him. Kate is by his side 24 hours a day and is willing him on to win this latest battle for his life. 'Derek has fought so many times, and always, against all odds, come out the other side.' JANUARY 2024 Kate announced on January 5 that Derek had passed away. She said: 'Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed. 'I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible'. MailOnline understands he passed away on January 3 in a North London hospital. He is survived by wife Kate and their children Darcey, 17, and son William, 14. Sacha Baron Cohen appeared to be wearing his wedding ring as he stepped out in London on Monday. The actor and comedian, 52, is back in the UK after he and his wife Isla, 48, who had been living together in her native Australia, quietly separated after 14 years of marriage. Borat star Sacha, who is thought to be house hunting in London, was seen earlier in June without the ring The Sun reported he was wearing it again. While out and about he cut a casual figure in a navy Ralph Lauren jumper, cap and dark blue jeans with a 'band' on his finger, but despite reports, it's unclear if it was simply the ring attached to his key fob. He stepped out amid the recent turmoil in his personal life. Sacha Baron Cohen appeared to be wearing his wedding ring as he stepped out in London on Monday after taking it off in June following his split from wife Isla Fisher The actor and comedian, 52, is back in the UK after he and his wife Isla, 48, who had been living together in her native Australia, separated after 14 years of marriage. While pictures emerged of him wearing a 'band' on his finger - it could be the top of his keyring Borat star Sacha, who is thought to be house hunting in London, was seen earlier in June without the ring but The Sun claims he is wearing it again (seen with Isla) Isla, who is currently in London filming the new Bridget Jones sequel, is also looking for a new home in the UK. Sources recently told The Daily Mail's Alison Boshoff that she has a budget of 13 million, give or take, and is searching for a forever family home for her and their three children. The planned move is an indication that the couple's split is being handled with an exemplary lack of animosity. Sacha is believed to be in the process of buying a London house of his own. A friend said: 'It's all about the kids and what is best for them; there seems to be no drama at all. Judging by the size of the budget, the family will now be based in London. But Isla is going to keep her place in Australia.' Isla and Sacha, 52, announced in April that they had quietly separated last year. The couple first met in 2001 and tied the knot in 2010. They are parents to three children. Insiders claim the marriage had been 'shaky' for years, with Sacha reportedly struggling after making the 'sacrifice' to relocate their family to Australia in 2020. They moved from Los Angeles to Sydney, then on to Perth where Isla's family live in September 2021, to escape Sydney's strict Covid lockdown rules. Isla and Sacha, 52, announced in April that they had quietly separated last year While out and about he cut a casual figure in a navy Ralph Lauren jumper, cap and dark blue jeans He stepped out amid the recent turmoil in his personal life with his marriage split It is thought Sacha will keep a house in Los Angeles for work. The split announcement came shortly after actress Rebel Wilson made claims about Sacha in her memoir, Rebel Rising, which he has denied. Rebel hit the headlines after she made several claims against her former Grimsby co-star Sacha, accusing him of inappropriate on set behaviour. In the book Rebel Rising, the actress wrote she 'rues the day' she met the actor, who she had described as her 'idol', first meeting at a dinner party hosted by Little Britain star Matt Lucas. A year later Sacha offered her a role in 2016 film Grimsby as Dawn, the wife of his character Nobby. Ahead of her memoir's release, Rebel named Sacha as the celebrity responsible for making threats over the book after which his representatives hit back. Taking to Instagram to confirm the identity, she wrote: 'I will not be silenced by high priced lawyers or PR crisis managers. The a****** I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen.' In the wake of her statement, Sacha spoke out to TMZ via representatives, saying: 'While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence... Isla, who is currently in London filming the new Bridget Jones sequel, is also looking for a new home in the UK Sources recently told The Daily Mail's Alison Boshoff that she has a budget of 13 million, give or take, and is searching for a forever family home for her and their three children Isla has refused to comment on Rebel Wilson's claims against her estranged husband after she accused him of inappropriate on set behaviour (pictured in 2016's Grimsby) '[With] contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby.' The book was published in the US last month, and featured a chapter titled Sacha Baron Cohen And Other A**holes, where Rebel makes the claims about his alleged behaviour during the filming of Grimsby. However the UK copies feature the wording crudely blacked out due to what Rebel branded 'peculiarities' of English law. Isla has refused to comment on Rebel's claims against her estranged husband. Bec Judd is on a luxurious vacation in Paris and she has tried one of the local dishes - snails. In a video shared to Instagram on Monday, the WAG ate a plate of snails, a delicacy in France, and shared her opinions. Tentatively trying the dish, Bec considered her thoughts before comparing the slippery suckers to shellfish. 'It tastes like a mussel. Like, exactly the same,' she said, appearing to enjoy the meal. In the footage, Bec looked glamorous in an emerald green ensemble as she dined at a bustling Parisian eatery. Bec Judd is on a luxurious vacation in Paris and she has tried one of the local dishes - snails. Pictured In a video shared to Instagram on Monday, the WAG ate a plate of snails, a delicacy in France , and shared her opinions It comes after Bec slammed Melbourne as 'woke, broke and violent' after residents were encouraged to put Apple AirTags in their cars amid a crimewave in the city. The footy WAG, who lives in a $7.3million mansion in Brighton, was drawn to comment on an interview between 3AW radio's Jacqui Felgate and Sandringham Liberal MP, Brad Rowswell. During the talk, Mr Rowswell was asked about a rise in violent crime in Melbourne's suburbs. The MP was asked about a suggestion at a community safety forum in Beaumaris last Thursday that residents consider placing AirTag trackers inside their cars in case they are stolen - something Judd took issue with. Tentatively trying the dish, Bec considered her thoughts before comparing the slippery suckers to shellfish 'It tastes like a mussel. Like, exactly the same,' she said, appearing to enjoy the meal 'Melbourne this is sad. Woke, broke and violent. I can't believe we are living like this,' Judd wrote online. Mr Rowswell said during the interview that police had said at the meeting that 'you can replace a car but you can't replace a life'. He continued: 'I get that but that's a decision we're having to make in Victoria at the moment, certainly in metropolitan Melbourne. It's a pretty crappy decision to make. 'Their advice was leave your keys on the kitchen bench and get an AirTag and pop it in the boot of your car because some of these crooks know how to disable the tracking system on some of the modern cars.' Victoria Police clarified that it was not instructing people to place AirTags in their cars, but that the issue had been brought up at the meeting. Judd has been outspoken on crime in Melbourne - particularly in her well-heeled Bayside suburb - and her comments came after a fresh outbreak of violence in Melbourne this weekend. It's been reported the actor was embroiled in a feud with creator Taylor Sheridan Kevin Costner has revealed he would definitely reprise his role as rancher John Dutton III in the hit television series Yellowstone, but only if it was 'under the right circumstances.' The 69-year-old actor, who recently claimed he had 'taken a beating' from the producers of Yellowstone, told Today host Savannah Guthrie that he still 'loves' the neo-western drama and said the show has been 'really important' to him. Commenting on the recent 'back and forth,' Guthrie, 52, asked Costner what had really happened in regard to his controversial exit, to which he replied: 'Number one, I did it for five years, okay, and I want to work more than once a year and we lost an entire year at one point and I thought, "Well that can't ever happen again," it was well over a year. 'And I said, "Well I just have to be in position to make the things," and really it's just huge, there is a chance to do both of them but material has to be ready at certain times and we weren't able to do that and after five years, I thought, "I'm just not going to do this," and if we can get that, we can do that, then I will do it.' The father-of-seven appeared to be referring to his other project, an upcoming film series called Horizon: An American Saga, which is a project Kevin has wanted to make for 36 years - and even mortgaged his own home in order to self-finance it. Kevin Costner has revealed he would definitely be up for reprising his role as John Dutton III in the television series Yellowstone The 69-year-old actor opened up about the much-loved neo-Western drama series during an appearance on Today Kevin Costner speaks to @SavannahGuthrie about the process of making his film Horizon, receiving a standing ovation at Cannes, working with his son and shares he would be open to return to Yellowstone under the right circumstances. pic.twitter.com/xiJwzhND8p TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 17, 2024 When Guthrie informed Costner that 'people care' about his role in Yellowstone, the actor replied: 'Listen, who loves it more than myself and Taylor [Sheridan]? I took it over when no one had seen it and told people that I thought it was going to be pretty good. 'I went and sat in front of 300 people in Europe and went to another place and said, "I think you'll like this thing," so I have supported that thing and I have loved it, it's been really important to me.' 'I would love to go back under the right circumstances. I think that all of us want, right? At this point, for me, it really needs to be the right circumstances,' he admitted, before adding: '[I'm] saying there's a chance, there's always a chance. I love the thing, you know, you got to be really clear about that.' Just last month, Costner attempted to set the record straight amid rumors of a feud between him and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. Paramount claimed Costner refused to shoot more episodes, instead promoting his new film franchise, Horizon, while the actor asserts Paramount sought contract amendments due to Sheridan's delayed scriptwriting. 'There was no script,' Costner told Deadline in May. 'And then things imploded. You've been reading one version [of the show's drama] for a year and a half.' He added: 'I have taken a beating from those f***ing guys and I know a lot of times where it's coming from. I just elected not to get into that. But if you know me well enough, I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong.' Costner, who revealed he has not filmed the remaining episodes of Season 5, also defended Sheridan, claiming, 'I did not initiate any of those things. They did. They were doing a tap dance and this poor guy was also having to write so much. And I don't know why they didn't stick up for me.' Kevin pictured in a scene from Yellowstone with his costar, Dabney Coleman There has been rumors of a feud between the actor and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan Kevin told Today host Savannah Guthrie that he would return to the show but only 'under the right circumstances' After the first half of the fifth season of Yellowstone aired late last year, the show went on hiatus for the holidays. Their return to filming, originally slated for the beginning of the year, was postponed to sometime this summer, with no announced premiere date. Since Yellowstone went on hiatus, Costner has borne the brunt of the blame. 'I didn't have to answer the slings and arrows over the last year and a half, because I've just been busy working. They've been pretty slick about keeping their hands off; nobody was ever on the record,' he said. However, rumors claimed he only wanted to work for one week to film the rest of the episodes. Costner contends that Paramount deceived him. 'I haven't felt good about it the last year, what with the way they've talked about it,' he told Deadline. 'It wasn't truthful.' 'So now I'm talking a little bit about what the real truth of it was. I made a contract for seasons five, six and seven. In February, after a two- or three-month negotiation, they made another contract. They wanted to redo that one, and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B, and maybe we'll do six. They weren't able to make those.' The General Hospital star has undergone aggressive treatments for the cancer John J. York, 65, was diagnosed with two types of caners in December 2022 General Hospital star John J. York is set to make an exciting return to the silver screen this week after undergoing aggressive treatment for multiple cancers. York, who plays Malcolm 'Mac' Scorpio on the long-running-series, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and smoldering multiple myeloma in December 2022. Both cancers impact both the blood and bone marrow and required blood stem cell transplant treatment. York, 65, was emotional as he talked about his journey, particularly the months he spent waiting for a bone marrow match - and his recent return to work. 'Everyone has been very welcoming, very supportive,' he told Zohreen Shah on Good Morning America. John J. York is back to work, set to return to the silver screen this week, after undergoing aggressive treatments for multiple cancers York, who plays Malcolm 'Mac' Scorpio on General Hospital, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and smoldering multiple myeloma in December 2022 According to his doctors, the soap star would have had between 'three to five years' if he didn't seek treatment, but opted for the most aggressive cancer treatment. After months of waiting, a bone marrow donor was found in November 2023, a moment that left York overwhelmed with emotion. 'I couldn't talk,' he recalled, tearing up. He underwent a blood stem cell transplant and chemotherapy - still managing to work around his treatments during this time. 'I went through seven days of chemo in Tennessee,' the veteran actor explained. 'And then I was available to work for two, three weeks in California.' 'My philosophy was always one day at a time [and] let's just get through today,' he continued. York also had the support of his wife Vicki Manners and daughter Schyler, with his son-in-law and grandson even shaving their heads in solidarity of his treatment. After month of waiting, a donor was found in November 2023 after months of waiting York also had the support of his wife Vicki Manners (pictured in 1991) He also had the support of his daughter Schyler, with his son-in-law and grandson even shaving their heads in solidarity of his treatment (pictured) He also credited the public for their support, admitting that going public did help - including inspiring people to join the bone marrow registry. 'I made the announcement and it has helped. And so many people have joined the registry, just to help to save someone's life,' the soap star said emotionally. York, who has also battled ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease since he was 17, said his cancer was caught during periodic checkups for those pre-existing conditions, with his doctor keeping a closer look on a spot that just didn't want to heal. After his diagnosis, he was put on mild chemotherapy in a pill form. In October 2022 his hematologist a doctor specializing in blood conditions suggested a bone marrow biopsy. He first revealed his diagnoses on social media late last year, posting a clip saying: 'Hey there, everyone. It's me and I'm checking in. York, who has played Mac on the ABC soap for 32 years, was thrilled to be back at work York, who started filming again several weeks ago, said he was always in close contact with his castmates "General Hospital" star John York is returning to television after battling two different cancers: "I can't tell you how nice it's been, the support that I've gotten." @Zohreen reports. pic.twitter.com/cfDSXaDQA8 Good Morning America (@GMA) June 17, 2024 'I know what you're thinking - you're thinking, "Why did Mac shave his beard?"' he said. 'I didn't shave my beard. I actually shaved the little bits of hair that were still left there.' According to York, who has played Mac on the show for 32 years, thanks to the support from his family and castmates, he doesn't feel like he's been away at all - been though his character hasn't been seen on the show since November 2023. 'I just felt so attached that I didn't feel like I missed anything,' he gushed. 'I feel like I just had a little break, a little vacation I guess, [and] now we're on the other side of it.' York added he would one day love the meet his 20-year-old bone barrow donor who saved his life. The Kardashians executive producer Ben Winston has shared they are already shooting season six. He broke the news with The Hollywood Reporter. The Hulu show stars Kim Kardashian as well as her sister Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie as well as mom Kris Jenner. 'I dont know if weve been announced that were shooting season six early, but we are,' he said. 'And, if you see them out, you see our cameras.' He also said he was at first 'nervous' to do the show but the family is a 'delight' to work with. The Kardashians executive producer Ben Winston has shared they are already shooting season six. He broke the news with The Hollywood Reporter. Kim and Noth seen The Hulu show stars Kim Kardashian as well as her sister Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie as well as mom Kris Jenner. And their kids are on the show too 'Wed never done a reality show at the company, so when we first took it over, in their move to Disney, I was nervous. I didnt know about what the experience would be like. 'But they really are such a delight to work with. I know I sound like Im saying this because its an interview. But they really work hard, so its a joy to film.' Ben has previously insisted the show could continue running for years into the future. And he added the series could even cover Kim's daughter North West right up until the time she gets married. But he admitted he does worry they may run out of ideas eventually. The family to stardom on E! show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. 'I dont know if weve been announced that were shooting season six early, but we are,' he said. 'And, if you see them out, you see our cameras,' he also shared; Kourtney with Khloe Speaking during a Hulu FYC event, he declared: 'What scares me and what excites me about this show is I've got no idea what [the next seasons are going to be about] which for a controlled maniac, you are like, "Oh god, what if they do nothing? What if they just want to watch TV?"' He also shared that they 'don't need to create storylines' for their reality show. Winston is adamant the famous family don't need to whip up drama to keep viewers hooked. He told The Hollywood Reporter: 'There's always something interesting going on in their lives. 'I think it's fair to say that the E! Show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, was a reality show about the existence of this family. He also said he was at first 'nervous' to do the show but the family is a 'delight' to work with Ben has previously insisted the show could continue running for years into the future. And he added the series could even cover Kim's daughter North West right up until the time she gets married 'What we've made, and this might be overblown, is a docuseries about six fascinating businesswomen who are hugely successful and hugely famous and how they cope with what's actually happening in their life. 'We're not searching for storylines, like other reality shows might have to. 'There are already so many interesting things going on both in their lives and on their schedules. 'That's what a reality show should be. We don't need to create storylines that an audience knows are not true.' He added of reality star family: 'They really are such a delight to work with. I know I sound like I'm saying this because it's an interview. But they really work hard, so it's a joy to film.' The fifth season of the show debuted in May and is currently on-air. Real Housewives Of Cheshire's Ampika Pickston and her billionaire fiance David Sullivan looked loved-up heading on a date night on Sunday. The reality star, 42, and her partner, 75, headed to Annabel's private members' club in London for a swanky dinner together. Ampika looked as chic as ever in a shiny long grey coat which she teamed with a white shirt and quilted Chanel bag. She boosted her height with sparkly silver shoes and wore dangly earrings for a touch of glamour. Beside her Welsh businessman David - who owns 38.8% of West Ham football club, wore a jazzy gold and black jacket and and sequin shoes as he put his arm around Ampika. Real Housewives Of Cheshire 's Ampika Pickston and her billionaire fiance David Sullivan looked loved-up heading on a date night on Sunday The reality star, 42, and her partner, 75, headed to Annabel's private members' club in London for a swanky dinner together After the dinner out they both strolled back to his red Rolls Royce to head home. The billionaire is said to have popped the question on the reality star's 40th birthday in July 2021, after a decade of friendship. A source told The Sun at the time: 'There's a big age gap but they are smitten. They've kept quiet out of respect for their children and ex-partners but know they can't keep a lid on this forever. 'David handed over a beautiful, 11 carat, emerald-cut engagement ring. She said yes straightaway.' Ampika, who runs her own beauty salon and cosmetics training business, is thought to be splitting her time between her own home near Hale and David's Essex mansion. Sullivan previously dated ex-girlfriend Emma Benton-Hughes, a former porn star, for 25 years and recently made her his co-chairman at West Ham. The 57-year-old, who also goes by the name Eve Vorley, was a Page 3 girl and involved in a number of adult films in the late 90s and early 2000s. She starred in films such as Lesbian Nurses, Electric Blue: Nude Wives - Private Parts and Naked Neighbours, and directed films including Horny Housewives on the Job and Sex Mad Secretaries. Ampika looked as chic as ever in a shiny long grey coat which she teamed with a white shirt and quilted Chanel bag She boosted her height with sparkly silver shoes and wore dangly earrings for a touch of glamour After the dinner out they both strolled back to his red Rolls Royce to head home as the rain began to pour Sullivan, alongside David Gold and Karren Brady, oversaw a takeover of West Ham back in 2010. Ampika, who starred in five series of Real Housewives before quitting in 2017, was previously engaged to a mystery man in 2018 following a whirlwind romance. The reality star was previously married to billionaire businessman Mark Pickston, with whom she shares her son. Jeremy Strong and his wife Emma Wall had a celebratory date night on Sunday at the Tony Awards as he won the Best Actor award for his role in An Enemy of the People. The loved-up couple were glued to each other on the red carpet in their glam looks. The Succession actor, 45, wore his favorite color, brown, in the form of a custom velvet tuxedo jacket with a shawl collar and black slacks. He added some flair with a black ribbon bow tie and a unique collar on his white shirt. His 36-year-old Denmark-born wife wore a long black dress with interesting texture on the bodice and several strands of pearls wound around her neck. Jeremy Strong and his wife Emma Wall had a fancy and celebratory date night on Sunday at the Tony Awards as he won the Best Actor award for his role in An Enemy of the People The loved-up couple were glued to each other on the red carpet in their glam red carpet looks Brown has become the actor's signature color. In a cover story for GQ last year he recounted something his wife said. 'My wife told me that somebody said something like, "The three things you're going to be certain of are death, taxes, and that Jeremy Strong will be wearing brown." 'I don't know. It's inexplicable,' he continued about his go-to look, which he also called 'monastic chic.' He went on to explain: 'I spend so much of my life wearing costumes, I feel almost denuded in my style. Its so consistent and neutral that almost anytime I put on any wardrobe, I feel profoundly different from my baseline self.' In his acceptance speech he thanked Amy Herzog who adapted An Enemy of the People for the stage. Jeremy also revealed he met his wife through her. 'Thank you Amy, for your masterful work on this play. The last time I did a play of yours I met Emma, my wife, who I now have three beautiful children with.' Jeremy and Emma met at a party in 2012 and married in 2016. They have three daughters: Ingrid, six, Clara, four, and a third daughter born in September 2021 who they have not shared the name of. Emma is primarily a child psychologist who works for the foster care system in Los Angeles and as a clinician and teacher at UCLA. She received her B.A. from Brown University and attended medical school at Oxford University. Strong went on to thank the theater staff in his acceptance speech, apologizing for coming in looking like a train wreck. 'I want to thank the ushers and the front-of-house staff who see me walking in every day looking like I've just been run over by a truck, and see me walk out looking somehow even worse, with bits of pretzels and Aquavit in my hair,' Strong also said in his Tony acceptance speech. He was up against William Jackson Harper, Leslie Odom, Jr., Liev Schreiber and Michael Stuhlbarg. They were arm in arm on the blue carpet as both flashed their wedding rings The Succession actor, 45, wore his favorite color, brown, in the form of a custom velvet tuxedo jacket with a shawl collar and black slacks He added some flair with a black ribbon bow tie and a unique collar on his white shirt 'I felt overwhelmed,' Strong told People of his emotional acceptance speech. 'I was on stage today a few hours ago. 'It's a very different thing to disappear into a play than it is to stand up as yourself in front of your community. But I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.' He continued: 'To be honest, any contest when it comes to creative work is inherently ridiculous, so this belongs to me just as much as it belongs to William, and Liev, and Michael, and Leslie. But I feel very honored and moved.' An Enemy of the People is running on Broadway through June 23. Hollywood actor Kevin Costner appeared to hint at his messy divorce from Christine Baumgartner on Monday morning as he opened up about 'tough times' and admitted he had been left 'bruised' by life. During an appearance on The View, the 69-year-old actor - who split from his wife of 19 years in May 2023 - referred to himself as a 'single father' whilst discussing the three teenage children he shares with Baumgartner, 50, as he described them as 'really good kids.' When panelist Sara Haines asked Costner how he handled life when 'stuff hits the fan,' the Oscar winner replied: 'You know, I don't want to circle this back to movies, but I will for a second... for as phony as they are, and as moving as they can be and funny as they can be, there's a lot of life lessons in movies. 'Because we know who the bad guys are, we see it, we know who the buffoons are, and we know what it is to be noble, and sometimes even in defeat. And so when you go to the movies, you can see who you want to be,' Costner claimed. 'So, I have had life take some bites out of me, and I have to look at myself as a movie. I know I'm just a person, but who am I going to be? And one of the things I need to do is maybe not think about myself too much. These tough times have been more a moment for me to look outward and make sure the people around me are all right. Kevin Costner referred to himself as a 'single father' during an appearance on The View on Monday morning The 69-year-old actor pictured at Cannes Film Festival in May with five of his seven kids: Annie, Cayden Wyatt, Grace Avery, Hayes Logan and Lily 'Because I know I'm bruised, I know where I'm at. I've been really lucky, really lucky in my life. That doesn't mean I haven't been bruised, I've taken some big bites out of life, and life has taken some really big bites out of me, and I think I know who I want to be in the movies, and I think I know who I need to be in my life.' The father-of-seven shares his three youngest children, Cayden Wyatt, 17, Hayes Logan, 15, and Grace Avery, 14, with his ex, Baumgartner, and Sunny Hostin was keen to hear what his life was like raising three teenagers at once. 'Well, you would be shocked, but my life is very much like yours. I'm like living on a freeway, I think I'm an Uber driver... I might as well be one,' the actor joked, before adding: 'I'm a single father... that wasn't how I drew it, but that's where it is. 'I kind of love to see them succeed, I loved playing with them since they were little and I'm watching them actually talk to me about things, there's then that shift.... 'My life isn't any different. They have their ups and downs, but they're really good kids, and I feel lucky,' Costner said, just hours after teasing a return to Yellowstone during an interview with Savannah Guthrie on Today. The Waterworld actor also shares three adult children Annie, 40, Lily, 37, and Joe, 36 with his ex-wife, Cindy Silva, as well as son Liam, 26, with former partner Bridget Rooney. During a recent interview with GQ, Costner opened up about his split from Baumgartner and weighed in on the gravity of the situation and how he managed to cope with his professional endeavors on top of raising a family. 'So much. Very serious stuff,' the actor explained. 'And those things are very important. I have to deal with them. And I have to deal with them on a daily basis, emotionally, historically almost. And then there's the immediate needs of children. Costner was previously married to Cindy Silva from 1978 to 1994 and they share three children - Annie, 39, Lily, 36, and Joe, 35 (seen in 2008) The former couple pictured in 2019 with their three children: Grace, Hayes, and Cayden Kevin and Christine, pictured here in 2019, married in September 2004 but she filed for divorce in 2023 'I'm not going to list the thingsI'm going to stop right there with them. That is my job, looking at that, and dealing with that,' he added. In September 2023, it was reported that Costner had scored a victory in his divorce battle with Baumgartner after a judge slashed her child support payments to $63,000 per month - less than half of the $129,000 she was currently receiving - and considerably less than the $161,000 she wanted. After the verdict, Costner said there were 'no winners' in the bruising battle. 'You know, when you have a life that long with somebody, there is no winner...and it's this big, crazy thing called life and how it unravels so quickly,' he told Fox News Digital. 'One minute you feel like you're on top of the world, and then you realize how, you know, how vulnerable you are.' Sabrina Carpenter has been dating Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan for at least six months, even casting him as her leading man in her Please Please Please music video, but she doesn't feel comfortable publicly referring to him as her boyfriend. 'How do I skirt around this question?' the 25-year-old pop star asked Rolling Stone on Monday. 'The [dating] pool is the pool, and when you meet people that feel authentic and are so brilliant and amazing in every way, that's what you do. Obviously, I write songs about exactly how I feel, so I guess I can't be so surprised that people are interested in who and what those songs are about. That's something that comes with the territory.' Sabrina coyly confirmed her new single was inspired by the 31-year-old Irishman in the comments of his June 6th Instagram post announcing the video where she quoted her own lyric: 'I heard that you're an actor!' In the Bardia Zeinali-directed music video, Carpenter plays the gangster moll to Keoghan's criminal and one scene was specifically designed to showcase Barry's stunt-fighting abilities. Sabrina Carpenter has been dating Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan for at least six months, even casting him as her leading man in her Please Please Please music video, but she doesn't feel comfortable publicly referring to him as her boyfriend The Pennsylvania-born blonde - who taught herself how to play piano and guitar with YouTube tutorials - sang: 'I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy / Whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight / I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eyes.' Sabrina and Keoghan looked every bit the intimate couple in the behind-the-scenes featurette for Please Please Please that she unveiled on YouTube last Friday. Carpenter and The Masters of the Air action star - who made their official red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala on May 6 - first crossed paths at the Givenchy runway presentation during Paris Fashion Week on September 28 before being spotted on a date in Brentwood on December 3. Barry fathered 22-month-old son Brando during his two-year relationship with dental nurse Alyson Kierans, which ended in mid-2023. The Espresso hitmaker - who gets 71.9M monthly listeners on Spotify - scored a major career boost serving opening duties for 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Mexico, South America, Australia, and Singapore. 'I hold her to such a different echelon. I could never compare my life, my career, my trajectory to anything close to what she's done,' Sabrina gushed. 'We're very, very verbal with each other about our mutual love and admiration...She played me [her The Tortured Poets Department Studio song] But Daddy, I Love Him before it came out, and that's also one of my favorites.' The 34-year-old pop star's frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff just so happened to produce half of Carpenter's sixth studio album Short n' Sweet - dropping August 23 - including Please Please Please. The 25-year-old pop star asked Rolling Stone on Monday: 'How do I skirt around this question?' (pictured March 10) She continued: 'The [dating] pool is the pool, and when you meet people that feel authentic and are so brilliant and amazing in every way, that's what you do. Obviously, I write songs about exactly how I feel, so I guess I can't be so surprised that people are interested in who and what those songs are about. That's something that comes with the territory' Sabrina coyly confirmed her new single was inspired by the 31-year-old Irishman in the comments of his June 6th Instagram post announcing the video where she quoted her own lyric: 'I heard that you're an actor!' In the Bardia Zeinali-directed (M) music video, Carpenter plays the gangster moll to Keoghan's criminal and one scene was specifically designed to showcase Barry's stunt-fighting abilities The Pennsylvania-born blonde sang: 'I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy / Whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight / I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eyes' Sabrina and Keoghan looked every bit the intimate couple in the behind-the-scenes featurette for Please Please Please that she unveiled on YouTube last Friday Carpenter and The Masters of the Air action star - who made their official red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala on May 6 (pictured) - first crossed paths at the Givenchy runway presentation during Paris Fashion Week on September 28 before being spotted on a date in Brentwood on December 3 Barry fathered 22-month-old son Brando during his two-year relationship with dental nurse Alyson Kierans, which ended in mid-2023 (pictured September 16) The Espresso hitmaker scored a major career boost serving opening duties for 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Mexico, South America, Australia, and Singapore (pictured February 23) Sabrina gushed: 'I hold her to such a different echelon. I could never compare my life, my career, my trajectory to anything close to what she's done' She added: 'We're very, very verbal with each other about our mutual love and admiration...She played me [her The Tortured Poets Department Studio song] But Daddy, I Love Him before it came out, and that's also one of my favorites' (pictured September 12) The 34-year-old pop star's frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff just so happened to produce half of Carpenter's sixth studio album Short n' Sweet - dropping August 23 - including Please Please Please On April 1, the former Disney Channel star modeled the Stretch Lace campaign for Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS, which outraged Swifties considering their ongoing feud which began way back in 2016 Sabrina explained: 'I've been very, very communicative with [Taylor] about that situation, and I just love her so much and support her till the end. So it was no weirdness for me, but I know people will just say things because that's all they have time to do' (Taylor and Kim pictured in 2015) On April 1, the former Disney Channel star modeled the Stretch Lace campaign for Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS, which outraged Swifties considering their ongoing feud which began way back in 2016. 'As much as people want to believe you're tuned into every little thing, I'm not because I'm constantly working. In that scenario, I've been very, very communicative with [Taylor] about that situation, and I just love her so much and support her till the end,' Sabrina explained. 'So it was no weirdness for me, but I know people will just say things because that's all they have time to do.' A Place In the Sun's Laura Hamilton flaunted her jaw-dropping figure as she hit the beach while filming the Channel 4 property show in Malta on Monday. The TV presenter, 42, slipped into a skimpy blue bikini and showcased her eye-popping abs as she posed for a sizzling Instagram snap to mark her first day in front of the camera . Laura looked nothing short of incredible in the tiny two piece with her hair wet from the sea and eyes shielded from the sun with shades. She captioned the post: 'And ACTION our opening piece to camera on Mellieha beach one of the few sandy beaches in Malta!'. Laura then put on a very leggy display as she modelled a vibrant mini dress and revealed she was back on the Greek Island for spin-off series What Happened Next?. A Place In the Sun's Laura Hamilton, 42, flaunted her jaw-dropping figure as she hit the beach while filming the Channel 4 property show in Malta on Monday She captioned the post: 'And ACTION our opening piece to camera on Mellieha beach one of the few sandy beaches in Malta!' Writing: 'I cant wait catch up with Russell and Sian in Malta. I helped them find their property in Malta 7 years ago so its time to find out What Happened Next? It comes just weeks after the TV star gave followers a health update on her battle with a rare autoimmune disease. Laura suffers from Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a disorder that causes you to have low platelet levels which often leaves her with excessive bruising. And sharing her day-to-day struggle with the disease, Laura confidently posted a photo of her legs covered in bruises. She revealed she's been suffering with 'flair-ups' this week and has had to wear long dresses to cover the bruising for filming. Alongside the photo, she wrote: ''This is ITP! Just a little flair up this week. But you won't see it under my dress for filming! #itp #autoimmunue #itpawareness'. Speaking in a video, she said: 'Well hello and good morning. I just want to say thank you so much to everybody who reached out to me following my recent story with my legs that are bruised. 'So that's ITP, Immune thrombocytopenic purpura. It's a reaction from a low platelet count that I have in my blood. Laura then put on a very leggy display as she modelled a vibrant mini dress and revealed she was back on the Greek Island for spin-off series What Happened Next? Writing: 'I cant wait catch up with Russell and Sian in Malta. I helped them find their property in Malta 7 years ago so its time to find out What Happened Next? 'It's been a very, very crazy week for me which I'll tell you more about very soon. I've been really really busy and I think it's just taken its toll.' Platelets are cell fragments that are found in the blood and normally help the blood to clot. In people with ITP, the body produces antibodies that attack and destroy the platelets. The autoimmune disease can cause easy or excessive bleeding or bruising with many experiencing purple bruises, as well as tiny reddish-purple dots that look like a rash. She captioned the video: 'Also sorry to hear from those of you that have ITP too, particuarly those whose children have it... I am happy to offer any advice that I can! Laura x' Laura spoke about her disease for the first time in October 2022 and explained that for her, ITP flares up when she is stressed but it is under control at the moment. It comes just weeks after the TV star gave followers a health update on her battle with a rare autoimmune disease Laura suffers from Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a disorder that causes you to have low platelet levels which often leaves her with excessive bruising She said: 'It was really mad a year ago I was filming A Place In The Sun with a lovely couple in France - Mark and Janine - and I just stood there and I had an insect bite on my leg and I started scratching it. 'I was like, "Oh, I shouldn't have done that because I'm gonna have bruises on my leg from ITP."' She continued: 'It's kind of under control at the moment I don't have bruising quite like that on my legs but it does happen it does flare up but I'm always trying to be positive about things and be a glass half-full.' The disease only affects 4000 adults at one time, and is most common among young women. Laura previously posted the picture of herself showing the bruising by holding her arm up in the mirror before heading out to film the latest series of the show in France. She wrote in the caption of the tell-all post: 'This week I might have posted a few photos in pretty dresses, but this is the reality of what is underneath and what you cant see Continuing on she said: 'I have had bruising on my arms and my gums have been bleeding. This is ITP. 'Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an auto immune disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets the cells that help blood clot.' Henry Cavill's girlfriend Natalie Viscuso broke her silence on her pregnancy and gushed she can't wait to be a mum in a sweet post on Monday. The actor, 41, and his girlfriend Natalie, 34, announced they were expecting their first child together back in April. And now Natalie has shared a new post to her Instagram as she looked forward to the 'next phase of life'. She wore a denim jacket that said 'mama' in red letters on the back as she looked back at the camera for the stunning shot. The beauty then penned in the caption: 'So very excited for this next phase of life - becoming a mama! I do hope this kid loves horror movies as much as I do, one day. #hellodarkness.' Henry Cavill 's girlfriend Natalie Viscuso broke her silence on her pregnancy and gushed she can't wait to be a mum in a sweet post on Monday Natalie has shared a new post to her Instagram as she looked forward to the 'next phase of life' and being a parent It comes after Henry asked fans for some parenting 'tips' in a sweet Father's Day post on Sunday. The Superman star took to Instagram of Father's Day as he asked for some parenting 'tips' ahead of becoming a dad for the first time. Henry lay beside a baby cot as he wrote: 'Oh yeah.....and Happy Father's Day ye dads out there. 'Turns out I shall be joining your hallowed ranks soon! Any tips?? And don't worry, pillows won't be in the crib when the wee one arrives, just glue and scapels so he or she can build Warhammer miniatures. #FathersDay (sic)' Back in April Henry revealed that he was 'very excited' to be expecting his first child with Natalie. The Man Of Steel star shared the news at the premiere of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in New York City, admitting that he can't wait to become a dad for the first time. Henry told Access Hollywood: 'I'm very excited about it. Natalie and I are both very excited about it. I'm sure you'll see much more of that.' After being told that he will make a great father, Henry replied: 'Thank you.' The actor, 41, and his girlfriend Natalie, 34, announced they were expecting their first child together back in April It comes after Henry asked fans for some parenting 'tips' in a sweet Father's Day post on Sunday The pair have been together officially since 2021 and made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Enola Holmes 2 in 2022 (pictured) Previously the actor said of fatherhood back in 2017: 'If I ever have kids one day, I want to be the dad who's running round after them,' he told Men's Health U.K. 'And if I do have kids, even now, it's starting to get quite late. But I want to be a fit and healthy dad, not hobbling round like, 'OK, I'm just going to catch a breather.' Natalie works behind the scenes in the movie industry and the pair are believed to have met when they crossed paths for work. Their friendship blossomed into romance during the COVID-19 pandemic and they have been going strong for nearly three years now. The Justice League star making their relationship Instagram official in 2021 with a snap of them playing chess and the couple made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Enola Holmes 2 in 2022. A source previously told MailOnline: 'Henry first connected with Natalie years ago, and while a romantic spark wasn't instant between them, they always kept in touch. Back in April Henry revealed that he was 'very excited' to be expecting his first child with Natalie 'Despite strict travel restrictions in place, Natalie flew from the States to the UK so she could be with Henry ... As a hugely famous actor, Henry is usually very discreet about his personal life and relationships but he's smitten with Natalie ... ' Hollywood executive Natalie works in TV but had a brief taste of life in front of the camera as a teenager on the MTV hit My Super Sweet 16. And MailOnline understands Natalie's father Michael is a former nightclub mogul, which led to her appearance on the TV series that later became a global hit. Now, the New Mexico-turned-California executive loves hanging out in the beautiful nature her new home has to offer alongside boyfriend Henry and their two dogs. Jennifer Lawrence showed off her casual summer style while enjoying a relaxing, family stroll with her son, Cy, and husband Cooke Maroney in NYC on Monday. The No Hard Feelings actress, 33 - who recently made a statement in a 'I Told Ya' shirt from Zendaya's latest film Challengers - soaked up the warm sunshine while walking through the bustling city after Father's Day. She sported a short-sleeved, white Mickey Mouse shirt as well as a black, miniskirt that contained a hem that stopped inches above her knees. Lawrence additionally slipped into a pair of white ankle socks as well as black loafers to complete the overall outfit. The mother-of-one easily carried a leopard-print purse in her hand to hold a few items she needed during the daytime excursion. Jennifer Lawrence, 33, showed off her casual summer style while enjoying a relaxing, family stroll with her son, Cy, and husband Cooke Maroney in NYC on Monday A denim jacket was draped over her left arm in case she grew chilly later in the day, and also held her smartphone in her hand. Jennifer's locks were parted in the middle, and pulled back into a simple ponytail to prevent any loose strands from falling onto her face. She accessorized the look with a flashy, gold-chained necklace and a pair of fashionable shades to protect her eyes from the bright sunshine. Her husband, Cooke - whom she tied the knot with in 2019 - could be seen strolling next to the Oscar winner while pushing a small, toddler tricycle. The art gallery director also kept it casual and stayed cool in a plain, white T-shirt and a pair of dark brown pants. The couple welcomed their two-year-old son, Cy, in February 2022 and Lawrence has previously opened up about the topic of motherhood. During a past interview with Vogue, the Hunger Games alum admitted to the outlet, 'It's so scary to talk about motherhood. Only because it's so different for everybody.' 'If I say, "It was amazing from the start," some people will think, "It wasn't amazing for me at first," and feel bad. Fortunately I have so many girlfriends who were honest.' She sported a short-sleeved, white Mickey Mouse shirt as well as a black, miniskirt that contained a hem that stopped inches above her knees During a past interview with Vogue , the Hunger Games alum admitted to the outlet, 'It's so scary to talk about motherhood. Only because it's so different for everybody'; seen in May in NYC 'Who were like, "It's scary. You might not connect right away. You might not fall in love right away." So I felt so prepared to be forgiving,' the star continued. However, Jennifer revealed, 'The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over.' 'Like, now is day one of my life. I just stared. I was just so in love. I also fell in love with all babies everywhere. Newborns are just so amazing.' The Silver Linings Playbook actress added, 'They're these pink, swollen, fragile little survivors. Now I love all babies. Now I hear a baby crying in a restaurant and I'm like, "Awwww, preciousssss.' She later expressed, 'My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didn't know about. I include my husband in that. And then they're both just, like, out there - walking around, crossing streets...' Last year in June, while opening up to Cameron Diaz for Interview Magazine, Lawrence discussed stepping back in front of the camera after welcoming her son and credited Maroney as being 'the greatest father.' 'Fortunately my husband is the greatest father in the entire world, so when I'm working, I don't have any more guilt than the usual every day, all-day parent guilt.' Jennifer has been keeping busy and recently whisked herself away to a Scottish castle to attend a star-studded, Dior runway show earlier this month. Last year in June, while opening up to Cameron Diaz for Interview Magazine, Lawrence discussed stepping back in front of the camera after welcoming her son and credited Maroney as being 'the greatest father'; seen in February in Paris Jennifer has been keeping busy and recently whisked herself away to a Scottish castle to attend a star-studded, Dior runway show earlier this month (seen above) She opted for a white, Dior top as well as a pair of loose-fitting, dark denim flared jeans while arriving to Perthshire's Drummond Castle. The star layered the ensemble with a leopard-print coat that was secured with a thin, black leather belt from the luxurious French brand. Jennifer - who is an ambassador for the company - slipped into a pair of closed-toed, black heels and carried a chic, black purse in her left hand. The beauty completed the look for the special event by adding a pair of black shades while a black headband was placed on top of her locks that flowed down past her shoulders. Thomas Cook is said to have invented the package tour when he escorted a group of temperance campaigners from Leicester to a teetotal rally in Loughborough, 11 miles away. Poppy Delevingne is pioneering a different type of holiday. The actress and model, 38, took what she described as her 'girl gang' on a two-day trip to the Spanish party island of Ibiza. She was joined by Victoria's Secret mannequin Jessica Clarke, 31, King Charles's goddaughter Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, 27, Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, 34, and TV presenter Poppy Jamie, 33. 'Coconuts, sunshine, and a few spider bites later,' says Delevingne. Poppy Jamie gushes: 'The best 48 hours.' The group were on the luxury trip with the sustainable clothing brand Reformation - called Ref in Residence - and were all wearing items from their collection. Poppy Delevigne, 38, (far right) was joined by (from left) Victorias Secret mannequin Jessica Clarke, 31, King Charless goddaughter Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, 27, Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, 34, and TV presenter Poppy Jamie, 33 We're going to Ibiza: Actress and model Poppy took what she described as her 'girl gang' on a two-day trip to the Spanish party island of Ibiza Russell Crowe is up before the lark. The Gladiator star, 60, says: 'I like to watch the sun come up because, in a very strange way, I feel like I have more control of the day if I'm there ahead of the sun.' Early bird: Russell Crowe, 60, says he likes to start the day before the sun is up Will royal groom wear the dress? Princess Martha Louise of Norway is due to be married to Durek Verrett next month, but will the bride be the only one wearing a gown? I ask because 49-year-old Durek, a 'shaman' known as 'Hollywood's hottest guru', turned up to an event in Oslo in a womenswear top and skirt. The knitwear outfit by Norwegian fashion label Holzweiler cost 380. 'I was feeling particularly bohemian chic,' explains the self-styled 'global ambassador of love', who identifies as bisexual and boasts of contact with aliens. James May says his 21-year screen partnership with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond has come to an end, after finishing work on the final episode of The Grand Tour. 'My greatest remaining ambition is to get to the end of my life without running over anybody,' the 61-year-old star, nicknamed Captain Slow, says. 'Because I've managed it so far and it would be deeply ironic and very unpopular if it happened now.' The Grand Tour presenter James May says: My greatest remaining ambition is to get to the end of my life without running over anybody' King does his divot duty . . . He's undergoing cancer treatment, and had spent the previous day in the rain at Trooping the Colour. Yet the King insisted on stomping divots at Guards Polo Club in Windsor. So determined was he to repair the earth torn up by horses' hooves during the Cartier Queen's Cup Final that he bent over to fix one by hand. Jude Law, who sold his house in Highgate for 13 million in 2022, is struggling to make his new London property feel like home. 'The house is old, so it needs a lot of work,' says the actor, 51, who's married to Phillipa Coan, a psychologist. 'Being England, we need endless approvals and building permits. There are certain parts of land we're not allowed to change, because it's an old, historical part of land, and there's bats in certain parts of the trees. 'The loops and hoops I've got to jump through is always at the back of my head.' Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell may reportedly be forced to axe Bruno Tonioli from the show after two series by ITV, despite him wanting his pal to stay. The former Strictly judge, 68, who replaced David Walliams on the panel last year, is said to been branded by an executive at the broadcaster as 'one tone and hysterical'. According to The Sun producers now plan to take advantage of Bruno's scheduling conflict for the next series due to his commitments across the pond filming Dancing With the Stars. An insider told the publication: 'Nobody else has been agreed upon or approached as a replacement, currently the question is just do we keep Bruno at all? 'There is much discussion going on. It's nothing sinister, but maybe a change would be better. Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell, 64 (R) may reportedly be forced to axe Bruno Tonioli, 68 (L) from the show after two series by ITV, despite him wanting his pal to stay. The former Strictly judge, who replaced David Walliams on the panel last year , is said to been branded by an executive at the broadcaster as 'one tone and hysterical' According to reports producers now plan to take advantage of Bruno's scheduling conflict for the next series due to his commitments across the pond filming Dancing With the Stars (L-R) BGT judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli Before adding: 'But Simon Cowell might insist he stays'. MailOnline have contacted Simon and Bruno's reps for comment. An ITV spokeswoman said: 'Any plans for Britain's Got Talent 2025 will be announced in due course'. While another source told MailOnline: 'This year's BGT was a runaway hit and Bruno played a big part in that. He is much loved by the audience, the acts, his fellow judges, ITV and Thames alike.' Simon recently shut down the rumours as he confirmed that the Italian choreographer will be returning next year despite scheduling clashes but admitted there will be some sort of stand-in. Appearing on Heart Radio, the music mogul, 64, explained: 'I would not replace him. I love Bruno on the show.' Simon explained that there is a problem with Bruno's schedule next year, therefore the star will be replaced for some of the auditions that he is unable to attend. Clearing up the rumours Host Jamie Theakston asked the star: 'I'm gonna read you a headline from one of the papers today Simon... "Britain's Got Talent set to drop judge, Bruno"' An insider said: An insider told the publication: 'Nobody else has been agreed upon or approached as a replacement, currently the question is just do we keep Bruno at all?' Simon recently shut down the rumours as he confirmed that the Italian choreographer will be returning next year despite scheduling clashes but admitted there will be some sort of stand-in As Simon confessed the headline was false, Jamie pressed: 'Okay, well, what of that isn't truth? Simon explained: 'Seriously. I spoke to... I don't know where all this stuff comes from. I spoke to the producers literally two weeks ago about there is a scheduling issue with Bruno. 'Because we're doing the auditions... some of the auditions this year and he's going to be in America. 'So maybe there'll be a stand in for him. I don't know. But I love Bruno on the show. I think he's brilliant.' Fellow judge Amanda Holden agreed as she added: 'He brings such an amazing energy and he knows so much.' 'And he knows so much about what he's talking about. And actually, he's a brilliant, brilliant judge and the nicest person. So no, I would not replace him,' Simon added. 'So... Bruno's coming back?' asked Jamie as Simon confirmed once and for all: 'He's coming back.' Jamie then asked: 'Have you approached Alan Carr?' as Simon replied: 'No, Amanda wants Alan.' It's also been reported that KSI is set to stand in for Bruno on next year's show in a bid to pull in a younger audience Bruno (L) pictured on Dancing With The Stars alongside fellow judges Derek Hough (C) and Carrie Ann Inaba (L) 'How much of a say does she have?' asked Jamie, to which Simon quickly replied: 'No' and Amanda cried: 'I have no say'. It's also been reported that KSI is set to stand in for Bruno on next year's show in a bid to pull in a younger audience. The YouTube influencer and boxer, 30, is reportedly in talks with ITV bosses to be on standby when there is a filming clash. MailOnline contacted ITV and KSI's reps for comment. Starbucks has lost millions of customers this year - but it has a plan to win them back. The coffee chain has rolled out a deal to win them back, copying the playbook of McDonalds, Wendys and Burger King. Its new pairings menu offers a tall iced or hot coffee or a tea and a butter croissant from $5. Customers can get a breakfast sandwich instead - for $6 or $7 depending on which one they pick. Chains are reeling from falling customer numbers as Americans fed up with two years of price rises stay away - so are rolling out offers. Starbucks's new pairings menu offers a tall iced or hot coffee and a butter croissant from $5. For $6, customers can get a breakfast sandwich instead Burger King's new $5 Your Way Meal landed in restaurants last week. Fast food fans get a choice of one of three sandwiches - a Whopper Jr, a Bacon Cheeseburger or Chicken Jr - plus four chicken nuggets, fries and a soft drink. BK's deal comes as McDonald's plans an almost identical $5 meal bundle from June 25 for a month. Customers at the Golden Arches will get a either a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, fries, soft drink and four McNuggets. Wendy's has launched a $3 breakfast meal - as a fast food price war looks to be heating up. Starbucks in recent months has come under fire for slow service. Along with its high prices, that has been cited as one of the main reasons it has lost customers this year. One in 12 customers now waits between 15 and 30 minutes. Before the pandemic, almost no one waited that long, new figures from industry data experts show. Incredibly, during the first three months of this year, one in every 50 orders took more than half an hour. And there is a very simple reason for all this, staff say. It is because Starbucks bosses, in a bid to cut costs, are slashing staffing numbers, while at the same time rolling out an ever more complicated drinks menu. Modis recent visit to Italy for the G7 summit marked a significant step in Indias diplomatic engagements and technological ambitions On June 14, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Italy for their fifth meeting. This encounter followed their previous meetings at the G20 India Summit and COP28 in Dubai, making it a significant continuation of their diplomatic engagements. Expressing his satisfaction, PM Modi highlighted that this visit to Italy was his first foreign trip in his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. At the G7 summit, PM Modi emphasized Indias recent Lok Sabha election results, framing them as a victory for democracy worldwide. Addressing the G7 leaders, he asserted Indias commitment to representing the priorities and concerns of Global South countries on the global stage. Additionally, PM Modi had separate meetings with US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a post on social media platform X, he expressed his pleasure in meeting President Biden and emphasized the continued collaboration between India and the US for global good. He also shared a photo with PM Trudeau, reinforcing the friendly relations between the two leaders. PM Modi emphasized that India is committed to representing the priorities of the Global South, highlighting two upcoming Global South summits in Delhi in 2023. PM Modi also stressed the importance of collaboration with G7 countries to address global challenges. Discussing the role of artificial intelligence (AI), a key theme of the G7 outreach session led by Prime Minister Meloni, PM Modi stressed the need for technology to be used constructively. He underscored Indias emphasis on international governance of AI during the G20 summit, advocating for AI to be transparent, fair, safe, accessible and responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron praised PM Modis initiatives on AI and digital public infrastructure as significant contributions during Indias G20 presidency. Reflecting on the magnitude of Indias Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi drew comparisons with upcoming elections in Europe and the US, emphasizing the unique scale and swift results of Indian elections. He described them as the largest celebration of democracy and highlighted Indias ancient values as the mother of democracy. PM Modi articulated Indias vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, stressing the importance of inclusive development that leaves no segment of society behind. He reiterated Indias commitment to addressing the concerns of Global South countries, which are disproportionately affected by global uncertainties. Addressing technologys transformative role, PM Modi noted that it touches all aspects of human life, from space exploration to cyber security challenges. He emphasized the collective responsibility to ensure that technological benefits reach all societal segments, eliminate inequalities and empower individuals. He advocated for transforming technological monopolies into widespread use, promoting a human-centric approach that enhances human potential. PM Modi highlighted Indias proactive approach to AI, launching the AI Mission this year under the mantra AI for All and leading the Global Partnership for AI to foster international cooperation.On the energy front, another focal point of the outreach session, PM Modi outlined Indias four principles: availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability. He highlighted Indias leadership in fulfilling COP commitments ahead of schedule and its efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2070. He acknowledged the dual nature of technology as both an enabler of human achievement and a source of challenges like cyber security, advocating for its benefits to be shared equitably across society. (The writer is a senior journalist; views are personal) As it embraces sustainable tourism and innovative growth, the island nation stands poised to reclaim its place as a top global destination Nestled in the azure embrace of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a gem that gleams with an unparalleled blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. This teardrop-shaped island, often referred to as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, boasts a mesmerizing landscape ranging from golden sandy beaches to lush tea plantations and from tranquil lagoons to majestic mountains. Its verdant rainforests and national parks teem with diverse wildlife, making it a haven for nature enthusiasts. Beyond its stunning scenery, Sri Lankas true treasure lies in the warmth and hospitality of its people, who greet every visitor with a heartfelt smile and an open heart. Rich in history, vibrant in tradition and bustling with life, Sri Lanka offers an unforgettable journey through both tranquil and thrilling experiences. For the avid traveller seeking an authentic and captivating destination, Sri Lanka is a must-visit paradise that promises to leave an indelible mark on the soul. Sri Lanka, an island nation known for its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, has been undergoing a remarkable resurgence in recent years. After facing significant economic challenges and political instability, the country is now bouncing back with vigour, propelled by a series of strategic initiatives aimed at revitalising its economy and positioning itself as a premier global destination. One of the cornerstones of this revival is the booming MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector, highlighted by the successful MICE Expo. In tandem with these initiatives, Sri Lankas renowned tourist attractions continue to captivate and draw in visitors from around the world, making it a compelling destination for both business and leisure. Economic revival and booming tourism sector The feat has been incredible, the country which went through 30-year war and saw almost all its resources and faced political and economic instability is on the fast track to recovery. The signs of revival are all over the place. It is one of the safest places to travel and has welcoming people all across. Indeed, Sri Lanka is a tourism friendly country and has ties with India that go back to ancient times. No wonder maximum tourism arrival in Sri Lanka is from India Sri Lankas focus on the MICE sector has been a significant driver in its economic resurgence. Sri Lanka is betting big on MICE as it has world class infrastructure to host events at large scale. It shows the countrys resolve and renewed vigour and commitment to becoming a hub for business events and tourism. Indeed, the island nation has a lot to showcase in hosting world-class events --- Plush venues with worldclass facilities. Sri Lankas MICE drive has received positive responses from the global business community, highlighting the countrys potential as a leading MICE destination in South Asia. The Governments proactive stance in developing the necessary infrastructure has played a crucial role in this success. State-of-the-art conference facilities, along with improved connectivity and hospitality services, have made Sri Lanka an attractive venue for international conferences and exhibitions. The MICE sector is expected to generate significant revenue, create jobs and contribute to the overall economic growth of the country. Embracing a New Era Beyond the MICE sector, Sri Lanka has embarked on various other initiatives to stimulate economic growth and enhance its global standing. Key among these is the emphasis on sustainable tourism, digital innovation and the development of new tourism products. The country is leveraging its natural and cultural assets to create unique and immersive experiences for visitors. The Government has also launched the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, a collaborative platform aimed at promoting sustainable tourism practices and ensuring the long-term health of the tourism sector. This initiative encourages private-public partnerships to develop new attractions, improve existing ones and market Sri Lanka as a year-round destination. Sri Lankas resurgence is a testament to its resilience and determination to overcome challenges and embrace opportunities for growth. The successful hosting of the MICE Expo and the countrys proactive approach in enhancing its tourism offerings reflect a bright future for the island nation. As it continues to build on its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, Sri Lanka is poised to reclaim its place as a top destination for travellers and business professionals alike. (The writer is a columnist and documentary filmmaker; views are personal) Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, media reports here. Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen, in New York. The Czech Constitutional Court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges. US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official. India has however denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted a high-level investigation into the allegations. Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn and expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. Gupta is listed as an inmate at the Brooklyn detention Centre, according to The Washington Post -- the first news outlet to report his extradition. Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country, the report said. Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance. Gupta, through his attorney, has denied the charges and said that he has been "unfairly charged". Gupta's attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is 'nothing on record to link the petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim', The Washington Post said. Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney under the undue influence of US Agencies during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy, the daily reported. Gupta's extradition comes ahead of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's planned visit to New Delhi this week for the annual initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) dialogue with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship. The Washington Post in April 2024 reported that Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer, was the Indian official behind the plot. The paper also said the then R&AW chief Samant Goel sanctioned the operation. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun. India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun. Apparently, in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP on Monday appointed senior party leaders as in-charges and co-incharges for the four election-bound States. BJP national president JP Nadda made the announcement to this effect on Monday. The most keenly watched Assembly polls would, however, be for Haryana and Maharashtra scheduled to be held around October 2024 about four months from now as these would be the first real test for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and INDIA Bloc after the Lok Sabha polls. Notably, both the BJP-ruled States have thrown not-so-good results for the NDA. The Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana would be a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity. Maharashtra Assembly has 288 members while Haryana has 90 members. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed as the in-charge for Maharashtra while Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be the co-incharge for the State. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been made the BJPs election in-charge for Haryana and former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb the co-incharge for the State. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the election in-charge for Jharkhand and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the co-incharge for the State. For Jammu and Kashmir, where elections are to be held before September on the directive of the Supreme Court, the BJP has deployed Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. While Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due later this year, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to hold the elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September. In Haryana, the BJP, which had won all 10 seats in 2019, finished with just five seats in 2024 elections. The Congress party bagged five of ten seats from Haryana in 2024 general elections. Likewise in Maharashtra, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30 of the States 48 seats from the State. The ruling Mahayuti, a part of the NDA, bagged just 18 seats. The Congress emerged as the best-performing party with 13 seats. The BJP, however, saw its tally dip from 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to nine in 2024. In the Lok Sabha polls, the NDA secured 43.55 per cent of votes, while the MVA got 43.71 per cent. In 2019, the NDA had won 43 of the 48 seats from Maharashtra while the then UPA had bagged the remaining five seats. Though voters chose differently in the Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections, the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections will have a bearing on the upcoming State Assembly elections in these two States. Deforestation has devoured vast swathes of forest areas in the once heavily forested Kerala. Hydro electric projects, quarrying, mining and clearance of reserve forests for planting eucalyptus and cultivation of cannabis have robbed the southern State of its wild forests, and what remains today is the skeleton of dense forests, which, according to poets, is what Mother Earth has got as dowry. The loss of forests has led to climate change and very high temperatures (45 degrees Celsius on an average) and irreversible changes in the weather pattern. The Southwest monsoon that earlier brought copious rainfall during May-July often plays truant or is rain-deficient. Human encroachment of forest lands disturbs the ecological balance forcing wild animals like elephants, tigers, leopards, boars and cheetahs to leave their habitat and enter human settlements in search of food and water setting up a human-animal conflict. Some of these runaway animals get killed if they become a threat to humans. Some of the inexperienced veterinary doctors also become a cause of death of such animals while trying to tranquilise them for capture. Steps in a fighter for afforestation: Instead of crying over the rapid loss of forest cover, MR Hari, a Left activist who set up the States first information technology company, has launched an innovative mission to grow forests in cities, towns, rural areas and wherever there is a small piece of land. The managing director of Invis Multi Media, the Thiruvanathapuram-based company is not the one who depends on any Government help. His vast reading took him to the world of Akira Miyawaki, the Japanese environmentalist who discovered the healing power of forests and the philosophy behind restoring Earths balance with Native Trees. Enthused by what Prof. Miyawaki has written, Hari caught the next available flight to Tokyo where he had a lengthy and wide- ranging discussion with the professor. You do not require vast tracts of land for afforestation. Whatever forests have been destroyed are lost forever. Prof Miyawaki taught me that a forest model equivalent to the natural forests could be retrieved even on small tracts of land, Hari told The Pioneer. Each region has its own flora and fauna and we should focus on them instead of planting saplings alien to the region. In ordinary forestation, we plant 400 trees per acre. But, according to Prof Miyawaki, one acre of such land could hold 16,000 saplings. Out of these, 4,000 grow into trees. The Miyawaki forests could be grown in any crowded cities. All you need is a small space to jam-pack with saplings, said Hari. Hari, a professional IT consultant- turned forester has planted thousands of Miyawaki forests across Kerala during the last six years. We selected 4,000 species of plants and trees and this includes traditional herbs and medicinal plants for home remedies. These saplings grew into two-meter- high trees in six months. During the last four years we have grown 50,000 plants, explained Hari, who is popularly known as Great Forester among ecologists. What is unique about Miyawaki Model is that no model would fit into it which is detrimental to the inheritors of earth and the natural food chain. Forests are repositories of almost all species. No insecticide or pesticide is used in these forests. The species surviving in the forests do not eat away the forests. The nature itself has established a balance between the hunters and the hunted, said Hari. Even the National Capital can have thousands of Miyawaki Forests and this could bring down the summer temperatures to levels that existed way back in the 1900s. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday here chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur which has been witnessing violence for over a year. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief designate Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka, Manipur Chief Secretary VIneet Joshi, Manipur police chief Rajiv Singh and Assam Rifles head Pradeep Chandran attended the meeting. This was first such high-level meeting by the Central Government after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected earlier this month. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs as fresh violence was reported in Manipur. Since May 3 last year, Manipur has witnessed clashes between the two communities Kukis and Meiteis, which has claimed at least 225 lives to date and uprooted around 50,000 people, many of whom are still residing in relief Centres. The Northeastern State has seen fresh violence in the last couple of weeks with a school building near Moreh being set ablaze and a missing persons beheaded body found was found. Last week, armed militants ambushed the convoy of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singhs advanced security team in Kangpokpi district, leaving a civilian driver and a security officer injured. On Sunday, Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey had called on Shah here and is believed to have discussed the prevailing situation in the Northeastern State. Violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the State to protest against the majority Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. On June 10, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year and said the situation in the strife-torn Northeastern State must be considered with priority. Addressing a gathering of RSS trainees in Nagpur, he said, Manipur is waiting for peace for the last one year. There was peace in Manipur 10 years ago. It felt like gun culture had finished there. But the State has suddenly seen violence. Bhagwat said the situation in Manipur will have to be considered with priority and there is need to get over election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation. The unrest either got triggered or was triggered, but Manipur is burning and people are facing its extreme heat, the RSS chief had said. The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) the premier central institution at Bhopal is all set to onboard 200 students for its flagship MBA programmes in Forestry Management and Sustainability Management for the new academic session 2024-26. This cohort of budding green managers represents 22 regions (States and Union Territories) of the country with a diverse background in Engineering, Science, Commerce and Arts and very balanced gender equity with 40% of female students.To mark this special day, all students of the new batch will be joined by the IIFM fraternity in a plantation drive to mark their green footprint under the campaign #EK Ped Maa Ke Naam # Plant4Mother of India's Mission LiFE initiative.This onboarding will be followed by a two-week orientation programme involving interaction with leaders from diverse sectors in the Environment, Climate Change, Sustainability, Development, Corporate, Business, Banking and non-Banking financial, and Consulting sectors. This will provide an opportunity to the students to know about the sectors and orient them to the emerging professional avenues and help them in their academic pursuit at IIFM for the next two years. Furthermore, the future green managers will be exposed to the rich biodiversity and natural heritage of Madhya Pradesh through field visits to Pachmari Biosphere Reserve and Bhimbetka. The students will also be exposed to the developmental sector through a visit to PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action), an NGO dedicated to empowering marginalized communities by helping them develop their skills and initiatives in the developmental sector. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva alleged on Monday that AAP Bawana MLA Jai Bhagwan Upkar has openly threatened to kill people suffering from water crisis in a viral video. In a press conference, Sachdeva played a video of Upkar, going viral on social media, in which the MLA is threatening the people of Bawana who had come to his office with a complaint of water crisis while telling them you know me, if you speak too much, I will cool you down. He further stated that in rural language, 'thanda kar doonga', words used by the AAP MLA in the video, means I will kill you. Delhi BJP Media Head Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that after the open threat of MLA, the responsibility falls on the entire AAP. Delhi BJP President said, We have seen AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal getting a tanker owner killed for extortion and Delhi has seen another MLA Dinesh Mohania misbehaving with women asking for water. In such a situation, this video of AAP MLA Jai Bhagwan Upkar threatening to cool down people has not only shocked the people of Delhi but has also forced them to think what kind of government is there in Delhi, under whose rule whenever the water problem becomes severe, their MLAs kill people, thrash beat them and also threaten to cool down i.e. kill them, Sachdeva stated. Questioning AAP leaders, he said, Will Delhi Minister Atishi and MP Sanjay Singh, who called BJP an anarchist and hooligan party yesterday after the glass of an office was broken, also speak out against their domineering MLA Jai Bhagwan. He said that the people of Delhi demand that Atishi immediately expel Jai Bhagwan Upkar from her party and the Delhi Assembly. On Tuesday morning our MP Yogendra Chandolia will file a police FIR based on the threatening video of the MLA, he announced. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday alleged that the water crisis in Delhi has been "deliberately created" by the BJP to keep the people of the national capital thirsty. Addressing a press conference, Singh accused BJP of hatching a conspiracy against the residents of the national capital."We believe 'pyase ko paani pilane se zyada punya ka kaam nahi hota' and there is no bigger sin than stopping water. For the last several days, there has been a water crisis in Delhi sponsored by the BJP and when I am saying that it is a water crisis sponsored by the BJP, I want to tell you that the BJP people want that the people of Delhi do not get water and for this, the BJP people are trying their best to put Delhi in a water crisis by whatever means, whatever conspiracies, whatever methods they can," he alleged. He said Delhi gets water from Haryana and when the BJP-ruled state does not give the required water, it leads to a shortage. "The production of water is decreasing in Delhi because we are not getting sufficient water from Haryana and this has resulted in a water crisis in Delhi," he added. Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Atishi visited the Wazirabad barrage and appealed to the Haryana government to release water in the Yamuna river. She said the Wazirabad barrage gets water from Haryana which goes to the water treatment plants of Chandrawal, Okhla and Wazirabad. "If no water is received, how will the water treatment plants work? We appeal to Haryana that the people in Delhi are worried and they should release water in Yamuna river, she added. Further, Singh said that despite repeated pleas with the Haryana government to give Delhi its rightful share, it is not getting its due. "We are not asking for the part of water for the people of Haryana, we are asking for Delhi's share of water, you do not want to give that too. Secondly, when we complain to the LG (Delhi), instead of resolving the complaints, the LG keeps issuing his political statements," he added. The AAP leader claimed the BJP is not working to solve the water problem in Delhi, but to increase the water crisis. This is a crisis sponsored by the BJP's LG, Haryana government and the BJP. If Delhi starts getting its full share of water, the water problem can be reduced. The Prime Minister, Home Minister and BJP of the country are accountable to the people of Delhi, he said. Hitting at the AAP leaders, BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva said, Due to the negligence of the Kejriwal government, Delhiites are grappling with a water crisis because more than half of the drinking water is either being stolen or leaking, but Delhi's Water Minister Atishi and MP Sanjay Singh are busy issuing statements rather than stopping leakage and theft of water. Reiterating that the government's job is to solve problems, he said, But today in Delhi, there is a government that has itself become a problem. Whether it is Water Minister Atishi or MP Sanjay Singh, instead of fulfilling their responsibilities and addressing water leakage and theft, they hold press conferences on their self-created artificial water crisis just to stay in the news. Delhi BJP held protests at 52 major locations in the national capital against the water crisis in the city while slamming the AAP government. Carrying bottles of dirty water, the BJP protesters raised slogans against the ruling government and smashed matkas' (earthen pitchers) as a mark of protest over water scarcity in the national capital. They also alleged that people were getting sick after being forced to drink dirty water from the taps. Addressing the protest at Krishna Nagar, BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva stated that they have proven that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government are solely responsible if Delhiites are not getting water today. By sheltering water thieves and tanker mafias, Aam Aadmi Party legislators have turned water into a business, regardless of whether the people of Delhi get water or not. If water theft and leakage are stopped in Delhi, every resident will get sufficient water, but Aam Aadmi Party legislators have no sympathy for the people of Delhi. They only care about their hefty earnings, he alleged, adding that BJP will continue its struggle until every drop is accounted for. Addressing the protest at the Jal Board office in Mukherjee Nagar, three times BJP North east Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari said that all departments of the Delhi government are mired in corruption, with the Jal Board being the epicentre. The MLA's office is running inside the Jal Board. It seems Atishi has become the water minister just to sell water to tanker mafias. We will continue to fight for justice for the people of Delhi, he said. South Delhi BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, while demonstrating a protest at Khanpur, claimed, Arvind Kejriwal lied to get votes from Delhiites and, despite being in power for three terms, has done nothing for water supply, even though he has promised dozens of times that he will provide 24-hour water from taps. He mentioned that Kejriwal promised to bring 150 MGD of water from Muradnagar through pipelines, but that has not been done. The Kejriwal government has not built a single water treatment plant in the past 10 years, he said. Northwest Delhi BJP MP Yogendra Chandolia asked Water Minister Atishi why, despite having three Rajya Sabha MPs, 61 MLAs, and councillors in Delhi, they are not providing water to Delhiites. The truth is that Kejriwal planned to make alcohol cheaper and water expensive, but BJP did not let it succeed. Just like the liquor scam has been exposed, with Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in jail, the water board scam will also be revealed. When people approach AAP legislators about water, they are threatened, he said, while addressing the public at a protest at Karol Bagh At the protest in Moti Nagar, New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said, If there is a will, there is a way, but Kejriwal's government lacks the will, which is why Delhiites are suffering for water while their legislators are busy trading water. The crumbling pipelines and the decade-long AAP government have forced Delhiites to take to the streets for water. She stated that Water Minister Atishi should address the shortcomings in water availability on the ground instead of holding press conferences. Addressing the protest at Sangam Park Lal Bagh, Chandni Chowk BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said The water issue in Delhi is not new, so Kejriwal should explain what his government has done in the past 10 years. Did they come up with any permanent solution? The reality is that Kejriwal's government only wants to politicise the issue. The government has cancelled the plan to build bungalows for ministers and MLAs by cutting 29000 trees in Bhopal. On Monday afternoon, Urban Administration and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya gave this information on social media X. In the post it was mentioned that -The proposal has been rejected in view of environmental protection and existing trees in the area of the new Bhopal re-densification plan. Also, instructions have been given to test other alternative places. Tweets will not work, the government should issue orders. Even after the tweet of Urban Administration Minister Vijayvargiya, the demonstration to be held this evening will continue. Former councilor Amit Sharma said that he has seen the tweet of Urban Administration and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. Verbal assurances have been given many times before. Former Chief Minister and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had also said verbally, but we need orders. The government should issue orders. We will move only after this. The agitation to be held this evening will remain as it is. We will take out a candle march in the evening. Former minister PC Sharma, councilor Yogendra Singh Guddu Chauhan, Congress Lok Sabha candidate Arun Srivastava and many others celebrated. Continuous protests have been held against this project since June 12. Today also in the evening, a candle march will be taken out from the second stop, Tulsi Nagar. In which a large number of people will join and register their protest. Former councilor Amit Sharma said that these 29 thousand trees are 50 to 70 years old. People are coming out on the streets to save them. MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani, who arrived during the protest in front of Nutan College on June 14, had also said that the identity of Bhopal is the ponds and the greenery here. Trees will not be cut under any circumstances. The residences of MLAs will be built at such places where there is no scope for cutting trees. Earlier on June 13, women of Shivaji Nagar and Tulsi Nagar had clung to the trees during the protest. Women said that if trees are cut, they will protest fiercely. Even if the government puts them in jail. The government should not approve the plan. MLA Bhagwan Das Sabnani expressed gratitude to the minister on X. Former minister PC Sharma wrote on X - Minister has told that the houses being built for MLAs and ministers will not be built in Shivaji Nagar and Tulsi Nagar. I am grateful and thankful to him. But, nothing will happen with tweets. Government should issue orders, and mark the place where this project is being shifted. Tell the public that trees will not be cut there either. This is the victory of the common people. We will not allow tree cutting like this anywhere in Bhopal. Over 150 city buses are not operating in Bhopal for the last 4 days. More than 300 drivers and conductors are angry due to non-deposit of PF (Provident Fund) amount, these buses were not operated even on Monday. ue to this, passengers have to wait for a long time for buses on many routes. Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) has given notice to the concerned bus company. The operation of Maa Associate buses has been closed since June 14. Drivers and conductors are also protesting at the city bus depot located at Bagh Mugalia under the banner of Bhopal City Vehicle Driver-Conductor Trade Union INTUC Bhopal. They said that the concerned bus company has not deposited the PF amount for about 14 months. This is a case of breach of trust. Therefore, the amount should be given immediately. Only after this will the buses run. BCLL is also in the mood to take action in this matter. BCLL has given notice to the concerned bus company. In which the reason for not depositing the amount has been asked. Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav on Monday wrote to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena demanding action against those responsible for the unprecedented water crisis in the national capital in this extreme heat amid the water crisis. In his letter, Yadav pointed out that despite significant water wastage, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Delhi Police have not taken any action against the guilty, as water theft from the DJB pipes have become a regular feature in many parts of Delhi. Water theft happens due to the collusion of the Tanker Mafia with ruling party politicians, who aid and abet the water pilferage, he stated. Bringing attention of the Governor to a newspaper report about AAP Deoli MLA Prakash Jarwal taking an alleged bribe of Rs 60 lakh monthly from the water tanker owners, he said, About 20 water tanker owners reported to have come forward claiming that Jarwal had asked them for money, and four of them recorded their statements before a magistrate stating that they had paid him Rs 20,000 each to clear their file and Rs 500 for each round of supply. It may be recalled that a water tanker owner, Dr Rajender Singh, had committed suicide a few years ago due to alleged harassment by Jarwal even after making a payment of Rs 10 lakh bribe to him. According to ground reports, significant leakage of treated water takes place under the very nose of the DJB officials and Delhi Police, yet no action has been taken to punish the guilty, he said. He mentioned his complaint to the Central Vigilance Commissioner about a massive loss of Rs 17,575 crore to the DJB due to water leakage between 2015-16 and 2022-23, and demanded a probe into the nexus between corrupt officials and politicians in this DJB scam. He assured him that Delhi Congress Committee workers and leaders have been fully cooperating in identifying the leakage points, and held a peaceful matka phod demonstration to highlight the issue, while the BJP demonstration became violent, damaging Government property. Yadav appealed to Saxena to issue stringent directive to the officials and their political leaders involved in the blame game to collaborate in effectively managing the present water crisis, and registration of an FIR against those responsible for the rapid rise in the water scarcity. In a significant breakthrough against Naxalite insurgency, police and paramilitary forces gunned down five hardcore Naxals in an intense encounter under the Gua Thana area in West Singhbhum district, approximately 160 km from Chaibasa, on Monday morning. Among the deceased were key Naxal leaders and a female rebel, dealing a substantial blow to the Naxalite movement in the region. According to sources, the operation was initiated following credible intelligence inputs indicating the presence of a substantial number of Naxals entrenched in the dense forests of Gua. Acting swiftly on this information, the police, in coordination with paramilitary forces, launched a meticulous search operation in the forested area. As the paramilitary units conducted their search, they came under heavy fire from the Naxalites. The forces promptly retaliated, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire that resulted in the death of five Naxals. The deceased include high-ranking cadres, though their precise identities are still being verified. During the encounter, two Naxals, including another female rebel, were injured. The forces also recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the site, indicating the preparedness and the threat posed by the Naxal group. Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar, confirmed the successful operation and the casualties inflicted on the Naxal side. A fierce encounter has taken place in Gua, resulting in the death of four hardcore Naxals today. The details about the background of the dead Naxals are being verified, he stated. He also emphasized that reinforcements have been deployed to the encounter site to intensify the ongoing anti-insurgency operations. This encounter marks the first significant Naxal casualty event in the Kolhan forest division since a large number of CPI-Maoist rebels infiltrated the area in January 2023. The Kolhan forest division, known for its dense and challenging terrain, has been a strategic location for Naxalite activities. The successful operation by the security forces is expected to disrupt Naxalite operations and diminish their influence in the region. The local administration has urged residents of the area to remain vigilant and cooperate with the authorities by reporting any suspicious activities. The police and paramilitary forces continue to maintain a strong presence in the region, ensuring the safety and security of the inhabitants while preventing any resurgence of Naxalite activities. As the operation progresses, further details about the identities of the deceased Naxals and their operational roles within the CPI-Maoist framework are anticipated. Accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi of lying to the people, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said that before blaming Haryana Government, Delhi Government should first improve its water distribution system. AAP is spreading lies and is unable to manage the water crisis in Delhi, he said. Notably, Delhi Water Minister Atishi has alleged that the national capital is facing a severe water crisis as the supply from Haryana has significantly dwindled, resulting in a reduction of water production by 70 million gallons per day (MGD). Dismissing the charges of any discrimination against the national capital in terms of water supply, Saini blamed it on the inept and inefficient AAP Government for the citys severe water woes, for the past couple of days. Saini, talking to journalists in Kurukshetra, said that the Haryana Government was releasing more water than earlier to mitigate water woes in the national capital but the AAP Governments approach to the crisis has only aggravated the situation. He termed the Delhi Administration as inept and inefficient for its failure to build a system of water distribution despite being 10 years in power. In the past 10 years, they didnt build any mechanism for water distribution to city residents. Under the AAP regime, the middlemen and corrupt officials are making money. Rather than engaging in a blame-game, they should look within and reform the system, said the CM, rejecting charges levelled by AAP leaders. They have cheated the people of Delhi by making false poll promises. They should focus on creating a robust system and clamp down on the rampant corruption, Saini added. Moreover, the Delhi Water Minister Atishi claimed that she was kept in the dark by the corrupt Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials about a drop in the number of tankers, as compared to 2023 while Delhi BJP leaders blamed it on the collusion between corrupt state Government officials and water tanker mafia. Atishi alleged that the citys water production has dropped to 932 MGD due to insufficient inflow from Haryana. The water level at Wazirabad Barrage has plunged by six feet to 668.5 feet, and the water received from Munak canal has decreased to 902 cusecs, she added. It should be mentioned here that AAP and BJP have been engaged in a war of words over Delhis water woes. AAP Government has accused BJP-ruled Haryana of not releasing adequate water, thus forcing it to reel under crisis. AAPs Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh called it a BJP-sponsored water crisis. On the other hand, Delhi BJP leaders have mounted wide scale protests against the Delhi Government, in many areas of the capital facing severe water shortages. While the city reels under a water crisis, the role of the private tanker mafia and corrupt officials has also come into play. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday strongly condemned the alleged assault on a Punjabi-origin NRI couple in the states picturesque Chamba district. The incident, which occurred on June 11 in Khajjar near Dalhousie, has sparked outrage and prompted the Chief Minister to order a comprehensive investigation to ensure the perpetrators face strict legal action. The condemnation follows a 'Zero FIR' registered by the Punjab Police in Amritsar on Sunday, acting on a complaint filed by Kanwaljit Singh, who alleged he was attacked by a group of men over a parking dispute. Singh, along with his Spanish wife, recently returned to Punjab after residing in Spain for 25 years. Notably, Punjabs NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had also written a letter to Himachal CM to intervene in the matter, urging a meticulous probe into the assault to ensure justice for the victims. In response to the incident, Sukhu directed the authorities to conduct a detailed inquiry, underscoring the states commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors alike. The CM emphasized that such incidents tarnish the image of Himachal Pradesh, known globally for its natural beauty, cultural richness, and hospitality symbolized by the adage Athithi Devo Bhava (guests are like gods). A statement from the Himachal Pradesh government affirmed its dedication to upholding public safety and investigating the matter thoroughly. It noted that while the state prides itself on being a safe haven for tourists, isolated incidents like this demand swift and decisive action. Meanwhile, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has also sought CM Sukhu's intervention, urging a meticulous probe into the assault to ensure justice for the victims. HP Police Issue Clarification In response to widespread reports and social media discussions surrounding the incident, the Himachal Pradesh Police issued a clarification on Monday to provide context and dispel misinformation. According to the police statement, an initial inquiry revealed that the altercation ensued when Singh and his brother allegedly engaged in inappropriate behaviour involving female tourists and locals under the guise of palmistry. The police promptly intervened and brought Singh and his wife to the Sultanpur Police Post, where they were offered medical examination and legal proceedings, both of which they declined. Their statements, refusing to register a complaint, were duly recorded. The police clarified that this incident is distinct from other recent events, including an incident involving ASI Paramjit Singh from Chandigarh Police, highlighting the unrelated nature of these incidents to the widely publicized altercation involving Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut and a CISF constable at Chandigarh airport. Under the corporate social responsibility initiative of SAIL-BSL, twelve new children from the Birhor tribe have been welcomed into the Gyan Jyoti Scheme. These children, adopted by BSL, were handed over by the welfare officer of Gomia Block to representatives of the BSL-operated Birhor Children's Residence and Trainee Hostel. The event saw the presence of Bokaro district administration representatives along with BSL officials including C.R.K. Sudhanshu, General Manager (L&A), Ashok Kumar, Deputy Manager (CSR), Bahadur Singh, Hostel Warden (CSR), Gaurav Ranjan (CSR), and other officers. Under the Gyan Jyoti Scheme, Bokaro Steel Plant provides these adopted children with free quality education from primary to ITI level, along with uniforms, accommodation, meals, and other daily necessities. This year, the newly adopted Birhor children are likely to be enrolled in Class 1 at DAV ISPAT Public School. The new batch is expected to complete their education up to the 12th grade or ITI by 2036. It is noteworthy that the first batch of Birhor children was adopted by SAIL-BSL under the Gyan Jyoti Scheme in 2001 and graduated in 2012-13. Following this, a second batch of 15 Birhor children was adopted in 2011, who are on track to complete their education by August 2024. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Monday morning ordered Kolkata Police personnel deployed at the Raj Bhavan to immediately vacate the premises, an official said. Bose is planning to convert the police outpost near the North Gate of the Raj Bhavan into a 'Jan Manch' (public platform), he said. "The governor has directed police officers deployed inside the Raj Bhavan, including the officer-in-charge, to immediately vacate the premises," the official told PTI. The move comes days after the police prevented BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and alleged victims of post-poll violence in the state from entering the Raj Bhavan to meet Bose, despite the governor giving them a written permission in this regard. The police had stopped Adhikari from entering the Raj Bhavan citing Section 144 of CrPC, which is in force outside the Governor House, prohibiting large gatherings. Bose had written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking to know on what ground Adhikari and the others were stopped by police from entering the Raj Bhavan premises. The Calcutta High Court subsequently questioned whether Bose was effectively under "house arrest", and allowed Adhikari to visit Raj Bhavan with the victims of post-poll violence upon receiving permission from the governor's office. Adhikari and another person had filed a petition in the high court, asserting that despite having written permission, police had barred their entry into the Raj Bhavan. Following the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP accused the TMC of post-poll violence, which the ruling party in the state has denied. Delhi BJP leaders and MPs along with party workers on Monday staged demonstrations across Delhi slamming the AAP government over the water crisis in the city. Carrying bottles of dirty water, the BJP protesters raised slogans against the AAP government and smashed matkas' (earthen pitchers) as a mark of protest over water scarcity in the national capital. They also alleged that people were getting sick after being forced to drink dirty water from the taps. At a protest in Geeta Colony, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Haryana was releasing Delhi's full share of water into Yamuna. "This water gets stolen by tanker mafia after it enters Delhi because the ministers and MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party are hand in glove with them," Sachdeva charged. He said the Delhi BJP will continue to protest against the AAP government till people get adequate water. The party has been in power for the last 10 years but people are getting contaminated water, he said. Party MPs Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal and Yogendra Chandolia also participated in the protests held at different places. North East Delhi MP Tiwari, protesting along with party leaders and workers in Mukherjee Nagar, slammed water minister Atishi alleging theft by tanker mafia. New Delhi MP Swaraj alleged AAP was elected by the Delhi people to work for them but the party was involved in publicity and corruption only. "It is so unfortunate that the government that used to talk about giving free water, during their rule, Delhi is struggling for water. This is the voice of the people of Delhi who are in a dire state. They are suffering because the AAP government has not done a single thing to conduct any repair work for Delhi Jal Board's infrastructure in the last decade," she said during a protest in Moti Nagar. Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal alleged that AAP wanted the water crisis to persist so that it could remain involved in politics over the issue. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state government will establish a first-of-its-kind "centre of excellence" in Solan district for differently abled children and adults up to the age of 27. Sukhu said the 'Centre of Excellence for Education of Divyangjans' would offer quality education and comprehensive facilities, including playgrounds and residential accommodation in Tikkari village of Kandaghat area. The chief minister assured that the state government would ensure timely completion of the centre. "The state government is steadfastly committed to completing the project within two years, with adequate funding provisions. A 45-bigha plot of government land has been identified in Tikkari village of Kandaghat area and ownership of the land has been given to the department of social justice and empowerment to set up this project," Sukhu said. "The Public Works Department (PWD) has been instructed to conduct contour mapping, prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and initiate the tender process once the DPR is ready," he added. Sukhu said that the proposed facility would cater to 300 differently abled students and provide all essential facilities to them. "The PWD has done its preparatory work in setting up this project and Social Justice and Empowerment has studied various national institute models and identified courses for visually and hearing-impaired students," Sukhu said. "A committee comprising experts in visual and hearing impairment, along with representatives from Composite Regional Centre, Sundernagar, has been formed to finalize the modalities for the center. To further refine the project, a visit to the Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities in Chennai is planned. This visit aims to study the institute's model and incorporate best practices into the Kandaghat centre," he added. The chief minister further said that over the past one and a half years, the state government has worked tirelessly to support marginalized sections of the society and has advocated for their rights. "Numerous initiatives have been introduced to improve their welfare and integrate them back into the mainstream of society," he added. Meet grannies for fun and excitement Granny hookups can be a fun and exciting solution to get your sex-life right back on course. if you are in search of a fresh and exciting solution to add spice to your sex-life, then you definitely should consider fulfilling grannies for enjoyable and excitement. grannies are recognized for being intimately adventurous, and they are sure to have lots of enjoyable with you. plus, theyre skilled and know how to allow you to get down. so just why not offer granny hookups an attempt? you will not be sorry! Find the perfect granny for you If youre looking for a granny to talk about everything with, you are in fortune. there are numerous grannies around who does want to be your friend and caregiver. here are a few tips to support you in finding the right one available. first, its important to considercarefully what you are considering in a granny. are you searching for a person who is type and gentle, or someone who is more outspoken? would you like a granny who is active or somebody who prefers to stay in the home? 2nd, it is vital to consider carefully your life style. will your granny be able to live with you full-time, or will she need to live her very own life? will your granny have the ability to manage a busy household, or do you want somebody who can flake out and go on it easy? last but not least, it is critical to consider carefully your spending plan. do you want to spend a little bit more on a granny whos quality over amount, or are you willing to invest a bit more on a granny that is cheaper? no matter what your needs are, there is certainly most likely a granny available to you that is perfect for you. so please start looking for her today! Get alerts: Get to know these sexy grannies Grannies are often a hot topic, especially when it comes to sex. why? well, there are many reasons. very first, grannies tend to be considered experienced and knowledgeable in terms of sex. second, numerous grannies remain appealing and sexy, which could make them a desirable partner for somebody looking for an informal or sexual encounter. finally, grannies frequently have a wealth of experience and knowledge that they can tell their partners. when youre looking for a sexy granny to increase your range of intimate lovers, listed here are five ideas to help you get to learn them better. 1. begin by speaking together with your friends and family users. this might be possibly the simplest way to get a good idea of forms of grannies being out there and what kind of experiences they could have experienced. this may additionally supply recommended of what kind of personality they may have. 2. go surfing. there are numerous of sites that focus especially on grannies and sex. 3. head out and satisfy grannies personally. this is certainly probably the easiest way to get advisable regarding the character of a granny and to see if theres a link between you. 4. take to a dating website. this really is a powerful way to meet grannys whore enthusiastic about dating. web sites like eharmony and match.com can help you find a granny that is a good match for you. 5. test. there is no guideline that states you need sex with a granny you meet on line or face-to-face. youll try out a variety of grannies to see which ones you enjoy the most. Meet grannies whore willing to spice up your love life Grannies seeking sex are a hot commodity, and there isnt any reasons why you shouldnt capitalize on that! not merely are they experienced and know how to enjoy, but theyre also great business. plus, theyre constantly up for many new adventure! if youre seeking to enhance your love life, you will want to take to dating a granny? here are some easy methods to do that: 1. be upfront regarding the motives. grannies are upfront people, so dont be afraid to be upfront regarding the motives. tell her everythingre looking for to discover where things get from there. 2. be respectful. regardless of how old a granny is, she actually is nevertheless a person. treat the girl utilizing the respect she deserves and you will be sure to have an enjoyable experience. 3. you shouldnt be afraid to inquire of for assistance. grannies are far more than thrilled to help out with anything you require. if you should be uncertain just how to do something, question them for assistance. are going to a lot more than thrilled to educate you on something or two. 4. have fun. grannies learn how to have some fun. they are maybe not afraid to get somewhat wild and have now some lighter moments. if you should be seeking to have a blast too, dating a granny is the solution to go. Meet grannies who desire to get down and dirty there is one thing about grannies that simply means they are so hot.theyre experienced and know very well what they want, and theyre maybe not afraid to show it.whether they are searching for some enjoyable or just someone to talk to, grannies are definitely well worth looking into.here are five grannies who would like to get serious: 1.pam is a granny whom loves to have some fun.shes constantly up for a good time, and shes not afraid to show it.pam loves to dance and celebration, and she actually is always up for a very good time.2.betty is a granny who really loves to have sex.shes been married for over 50 years, and shes nevertheless looking a special someone to share her life with.betty is unquestionably a person who knows exactly how to have some fun, and she actually is constantly up for a very good time.3.gail is a granny who loves to get smart.shes always up for a good time, and she actually is not afraid to show it.gail loves to head out dancing and partying, and she actually is always up for a very good time.4.marge is a granny whom really loves to get serious.shes always up for a very good time, and shes maybe not afraid to show it.marge loves to head out dancing and partying, and she actually is constantly up for a good time.5.betty is a granny who loves to get down and dirty.shes always up for a good time, and she actually is maybe not afraid to show it.betty really loves to venture out dancing and partying, and she actually is always up for a very good time.these five grannies are definitely worth checking out.theyre all experienced and understand what they need, and theyre not afraid to show it.whether they are selecting a little fun or just some one to talk to, grannies are definitely worth checking out. Enjoy discreet and safe sex with grannies today If you are looking for a discreet and safe method to have sex with a granny, you are in luck! there are numerous internet sites on the market that offer this service, and you may find one whichs perfect for you. one website you may possibly desire to check out is granny sex match. this web site is designed especially for those who are looking to have sex with a granny. this web site provides many different different granny sex fits, and you may pick the one thats right for you. you may want to make use of this site to get grannies whore interested in having sex with you. this will be a great way to have safe and discreet sex with a granny, and you can make sure that you will have a good time carrying it out. Start your granny dating adventure today Grannies to meet will be the perfect way to get the dating adventure started. with so many single seniors nowadays, its the perfect time to search for someone special. and exactly what better means to find someone special than by conference grannies? grannies are notable for their knowledge and experience. they are also usually extremely down-to-earth and easy to be friends with. so if youre looking for a dating adventure that is both enjoyable and simple, grannies are the perfect choice. all you need to do is begin your granny dating adventure today. plus dont worry there is no need to be timid or awkward. just be your self and allow grannies care for the remainder. just what exactly are you currently awaiting? start your granny dating adventure today and discover an ideal match for you personally! Key Points: GM Defense is leveraging the car giants commercial resurgence in Europe to target the $1 billion military vehicle market. The company is pitching agile, adaptable vehicles based on the Chevrolet Colorado and Silverado platforms, emphasizing speed and maneuverability over heavy armor. GM Defense highlights the tactical advantages of electric powertrains, including their stealth capabilities and potential use as mobile power sources, which is attracting interest from special operations forces. GM Defense Targets European Military Market with Agile, Electrified Trucks In a bid to capitalize on the resurgence of GMs commercial presence in Europe, GM Defense is eyeing the lucrative European military vehicle market. With a potential value exceeding $1 billion, the company aims to challenge the dominance of established players like Mercedes-Benz by offering agile, adaptable, and potentially electrified tactical vehicles. Get alerts: Leveraging Commercial Success for Military Expansion Speaking ahead of the Eurosatory defense trade show in Paris, Bradley Watters, vice president of international development at GM Defense, highlighted the companys strategy. The recent opening of Cadillac showrooms in Zurich and Paris signals GMs renewed commitment to the European market, a factor Watters believes will resonate with potential military customers. GM is making a comeback in Europe, Watters stated. Our customers tell us, We like big U.S. trucks.' Agile Platforms for Modern Warfare According to Watters, this renewed presence paves the way for GM Defense to showcase its military offerings. The company plans to leverage the familiarity and trust associated with the GM brand, alongside the assurance of readily available spare parts and competitive pricing, to attract European buyers. Central to GM Defenses pitch are its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) and Light Tactical Wheeled Vehicle (LTWV). Both vehicles are based on popular GM truck platformsthe Colorado and Silverado, respectively. While the ISV is already in service with select U.S. Army units, including the 82nd Airborne Division, the LTWV is being positioned as a slightly larger and more versatile option for international customers. GM Defense emphasizes agility and speed as key selling points, unlike heavily armored military vehicles. The ISV, for instance, is designed with minimal armor, prioritizing rapid deployment and maneuverability in challenging environments. This focus on mobility over heavy protection reflects a shift in military thinking towards avoiding direct confrontation whenever possible. Electrification as a Battlefield Advantage Further differentiating its offerings, GM Defense highlights the potential for electrifying its military vehicles. Watters emphasized the tactical advantages of electric powertrains, including reduced noise signatures for stealth operations and the ability to operate silently in short bursts. These features, combined with the potential for using electric vehicles as mobile power sources, are expected to be attractive propositions for special operations forces. Targeting Key European Markets GM Defense has identified Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom as key markets for its vehicles, with ongoing acquisition competitions in these countries representing a significant opportunity. While the U.S. Army is in the early stages of deploying the ISV, GM Defense aims to secure direct commercial sales in Europe, bypassing the often lengthy process of foreign military sales facilitated through the U.S. government. The Road Ahead While established players dominate the European military vehicle market, GM Defense is confident that its brand recognition, proven platforms, and innovative technologies will resonate with potential customers. The companys focus on agility, adaptability, and electrification could offer a compelling alternative to traditional armored vehicles, potentially reshaping the regions military mobility landscape. Police are encouraging farmers to review their security to minimise their risk of becoming a victim of crime, and urge anyone who notices any suspicious activity in their area, especially in rural communities, to report it immediately to the police. The appeal for vigilance follows recent reports in the North West and in Fermanagh of sheep and cattle being stolen. It could be an unusual vehicle seen parked or travelling on a road in the area, or someone calling and asking for directions. Remember that these could well be criminals cold calling to check the level of farm security you may or may not have," says Inspector McDermott. "Do not leave reporting it to police until its too late. The quicker its reported to us means the faster we can respond. Take a note of the vehicle registration number and a description of the vehicle and pass that onto police. Criminals are always on the lookout for valuable items that they can easily re-sell. "Quads, trailers and other items of farm machinery should therefore be kept locked away in garages or outbuildings, when not in use. And, for added security, people should consider locking gates, using good-quality padlocks, at yards and on laneways to prevent unauthorised vehicle access. Preventing crime and being switched on to crime prevention will help to protect your property. Putting frequently used machines away and locking up sheds and outbuildings may seem like a chore you can do without, but it won't be as inconvenient as having an important and valuable piece of equipment stolen. "Make your property unique to you by permanently marking all items with your postcode and house number. The marking should be placed on parts of the equipment that will be difficult for the thieves to disguise or expensive for them to replace. "Remember to take a photograph of the machinery and keep a list of makes, models, serial numbers, colour and a record of any damage. Owners should also seriously consider using anti-theft systems such as security tagging, and electronic tracking devices in addition to wheel clamps and hitch locks. Make sure your oil tanks are locked and are situated in well-lit areas. "Keep receipts from the latest delivery and check the oil level regularly. Any oil drums should be locked away in a secure building. A Coroner in the case of a Derry man shot dead by the then Real IRA in 2010 has said 'there is progress to be made in the coming months'. Kieran Doherty (31) of Coshowen in Derry was found shot dead on the Braehead Road on February 24 2010. At the time the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the shooting and made allegations against Mr Doherty who they said was one of their members. At today's preliminary hearing into the death counsel for the Coroner said there had been a 'useful update' from the State Solicitor's office in Dublin. Ian Skelt KC for the Coroner said the one issue that had been taking up time in this inquest was the question of what information held by the Gardai. He told the hearing that the authorities in Dublin had said this work was now nearing completion and a reply was expected 'within the forthcoming few weeks.' Mr Skelt said that without this information it was 'difficult' to move the inquest forward. The Coroner Brian Sherrard said that this was'a welcome development ' and a 'very positive outcome'. He said that none had any indication of the extent if this information or when they would receive it but proposed that the next hearing should be held in September to assess progress. This was agreed to by all the parties. The next hearing will take place on September 11. The planning permission is being sought by a vet who's father owns a property in the area. The objections mainly concern the environmental impact of the incinerator, but residents have also stated their frustration at the process of planning permission and the lack of communication with them regarding the matter. They have launched a fundraiser via GoFundMe to pay for a contractor to support their argument against the proposal. Caroline, who lives near the planned incinerator site said that she is concerned about pollutants coming from the incinerator as the area where it is proposed to be built, Highmoor Road, is often used by local families as a walking route. She is also concerned that the area has changed significantly since the application was first submitted in 2021, as a new school has been built within half a mile of the site. Caroline also said that communication has been poor from the beginning. I live behind where theyre planning to build it. The initial application was put in, in 2021, and there were only seven neighbours notified in the neighbour notification process, and six of them objected to it. Nothing was heard after it, because once you have over five (objectors), its supposed to go to committee, she said. We got word very recently that it was up in May at the committee meeting and it was down to be passed, and none of us knew as we had no communication from 2021 until now. Now its gathered momentum in the local area as a new school has been built half a mile down the road, and there are a lot of people who walk along that road. Another resident, who requested anonymity, reiterated the concerns over pollutants resulting from the incinerator. As much as they can tell us it doesnt give off much pollutants, thats not the point. Thats not to say that down the line, that might not be the case, it might be used 24 hours a day. Were just trying to get this incinerator refused, which is the main thing. Theres concerns over the new school being built, over increased traffic, plus the applicant doesn't even live in the area. I live about 300 metres away from the proposed site. It was set to be approved on 8th of May, only it had got a bit of momentum behind (the campaign opposing the proposal). Up to 6th of May, nobody was aware of it, only that there were seven people who objected to it. We didnt really get much information on it, as far as I was told, it was our own fault that we didnt apply to get information sent to us about it. Im not familiar with planning, and neither is anyone else in the area. Maybe if I was an architect I could have been more familiar with it. 99.9% of people are opposed to this, its only the applicant and Alderman Guy that support it. The vet, Dr. Billy McCartney, who has proposed the incinerator to service his veterinary practice which is based on Duke Street in Derry city, is perplexed by the push-back. From my perspective, I am perplexed at the current reaction to a three year old application, as it such a small machine. It is like a big fridge/freezer, with no emissions and no environmental impact, generating employment in the local area. When asked how many people he would expect to employ to operate the equipment, Mr McCartney had failed to respond to the question at the time of publishing. Local representative, UUPs Alderman Darren Guy, who supported the initial proposal said that as with all planning proposals he had spoken with the vet who had filed the request to ensure the equipment was installed with all environmental factors considered, and was satisfied with what he was told so approved the plan. He said: I always take everything on board and give everything a thought before going through with anything. I had used a service like this for our wee dog which had to be put down, and it was a case then that it had to be sent somewhere in Belfast before being brought back again. I received all the plans and read over the environmental impact plans and I felt they had taken enough steps to ensure that it was a safe process, there wouldnt be any harm to the environment. The rate of burning capacity is quite small, its 30 kilograms per hour, and they reckon it would only be used between one and three times per month. It actually has a secondary chamber which retains and burns the excess gases which cuts down on any odour and contamination. I said to the vet What if this becomes used more regularly? He explained that it actually is more financially viable to store the pets in a refrigerator and take care of the incineration once or twice a month rather than to use it regularly. I can understand peoples concerns though, and people have to be given the right to confront this. Communication has been a massive problem, it has been very bad. I think the council is only learning that social media isnt the most effective way to let people know. Theres a lot of elderly people that would need to be informed by letter drops, and its only been in the past few years that theyve caught on to that. Concern has been expressed at an incredibly disturbing apparent show of strength by a loyalist paramilitary group in east Belfast at the weekend. Police are reviewing the incident on the Newtownards Road on Saturday which saw more than 1,000 people, many of whom were wearing white shirts, ties and black trousers, lining the route for an annual memorial event. It comes amid ongoing tensions within the Ulster Volunteer Force, and reports of a change in leadership in the group in east Belfast. In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said a policing operation was in place for the notified procession organised by the 36th (Ulster) Division Memorial Association. At the processions height, it is estimated that as many as 1,500 people in plain black trousers, white shirts and ties lined the route, they said. The procession passed off without incident. A further review of evidence gathered will now take place. Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, Justice Minister Naomi Long was asked to condemn the incident by Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds. Ms Long described it as incredibly disturbing that at this juncture in Northern Ireland we continue to see such shows of strength. I think the people of Northern Ireland generally and of east Belfast in particular, are weary of these paramilitary organisations exerting coercive control in their community, she said. Theyre not interested in changes in leadership and management. Theyre interested in these organisations being put out of business, the sooner that happens, I think, the better for us all. She added: Some people refer to these as shows of strength. In my view they are shows of fragility. When you have to ship people in from outside to cause intimidation there is nothing strong about that. If youre in the market for an affordable Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 powered laptop then you have two very good options under Rs 1.25 lakh price point. The first one is the Dell G15 5530 featuring the Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU, RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD. On the other hand is the Lenovo LOQ powered by the Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, RTX 4060 and a combination of 16GB DDR5 memory and 1TB SSD storage. The Dell G15 costs around Rs 1.25 lakh, at the time of writing, and the Lenovo LOQ has a relatively affordable price tag of Rs 1.04 lakh. So the question is, which of them offers more value for money. Dell G15 Vs Lenovo LOQ: RTX 4060 Comparison Review: Design, Build Quality, Keyboard And I/O In terms of design, the Dell G15 comes off as an all-rounder rugged machine. On the other hand, the Lenovo LOQ looks like a rather slim gaming laptop with an edgy design. In terms of portability, the Lenovo LOQ takes the crown but when it comes size and overall toughness and build quality, the Dell G15 is taking the lead here. Be it in terms of how the display hinge works, the overall flex in the lid or the deck area or the general wear and tear resistance of the materials, the Dell G15 fares better in these areas, with Lenovo being a close second. However, when it comes to keyboard and touchpad, the Lenovo LOQ fares better. Thanks to a set of keys with great spring action and travel and a much bigger and smoother touchpad. The Dell G15 meanwhile has a really small touchpad, probably one of the smallest in the segment. Similarly, the G15s key size is also relatively small. When it comes to I/O though, both laptops have a strong array of ports, but the Lenovo LOQ stands out with its higher-speed USB-A ports, a versatile USB-C port with power delivery, and the additional E-Shutter button for webcam privacy. The Dell G15, while having more USB-A ports, does not offer the same speed or power delivery features as the Lenovo LOQ. Therefore, the Lenovo LOQ offers a slight edge in terms of overall port functionality and versatility. Dell G15 Vs Lenovo LOQ: Display Comparison When comparing the displays of the Dell G15 and Lenovo LOQ, several key differences stand out. The Dell G15 boasts a peak brightness of 339 cd/m, 100% sRGB coverage, 84% DCI-P3 coverage, and an average Delta E of 2.84. Meanwhile, the Lenovo LOQ has a higher peak brightness at 369 cd/m but lags in colour accuracy with 61% sRGB coverage, 45% DCI-P3 coverage, and an average Delta E of 5.1. The Lenovo LOQs higher brightness is better for bright environments. However, the Dell G15 excels in colour accuracy and coverage, which are vital for graphic design, photography, and video editing. The Dell G15s lower Delta E indicates superior colour accuracy, while the Lenovo LOQs higher Delta E suggests more inaccuracies. Overall, the Dell G15 is the better choice for precise colour reproduction. Its superior colour accuracy, full sRGB coverage, and high DCI-P3 coverage make it ideal for users needing accurate and vibrant displays. While the Lenovo LOQs higher brightness is notable, it doesnt make up for its not so accurate colour performance. Dell G15 Vs Lenovo LOQ: Performance And Gaming Benchmark Comparison When comparing the Dell G15 and Lenovo LOQ, the Dell G15 clearly takes the lead in several key performance areas. Powered by the Intel i7-13650HX, the Dell G15 delivers impressive benchmark scores: 3DMark TimeSpy at 10958, TimeSpy Extreme at 5060, FireStrike at 25509, FireStrike Extreme at 12453, and FireStrike Ultra at 6290. It also achieves a solid PCMark10 Extended score of 9327 and Cinebench R20 and R23 scores of 7585 and 1907 for single-core and 18574 for multi-core, respectively. On the other hand, the Lenovo LOQ, equipped with the Intel Core i7-13620H, scores 8700 in 3DMark TimeSpy, 4064 in TimeSpy Extreme, 19693 in FireStrike, 10348 in FireStrike Extreme, and 5252 in FireStrike Ultra. Its PCMark10 Extended score is 9093, with Cinebench R20 and R23 scores of 5889 and 1774 for single-core and 15666 for multi-core. As a result, the Dell G15 outshines the Lenovo LOQ in benchmark performance, making it the superior choice for demanding tasks and gaming. Games Tested at 1080p resolution In gaming benchmarks, the Lenovo LOQ outperforms the Dell G15 in Valorant, achieving 350 FPS on high settings and 370 FPS on medium settings, compared to the Dell G15s 310 FPS and 320 FPS. However, the Dell G15 excels in more demanding titles. For instance, it achieves 94 FPS on high and 128 FPS on medium settings in Metro Exodus, compared to the Lenovo LOQs 81 FPS and 109 FPS. In Dirt 5, the Dell G15 reaches 149 FPS on high and 159 FPS on medium, significantly higher than the Lenovo LOQs 101 FPS and 127 FPS. Similarly, in Assassins Creed Valhalla, the Dell G15 scores 118 FPS on high and 143 FPS on medium, surpassing the Lenovo LOQs 105 FPS and 124 FPS. Games tested at 1080p resolution The Dell G15 also leads in Shadow of the Tomb Raider with 157 FPS on high and 160 FPS on medium settings, compared to the Lenovo LOQs 132 FPS and 138 FPS. In Civilization VI, the Lenovo LOQ slightly outperforms with 116 FPS on high and 123 FPS on medium settings, compared to the Dell G15s 113 FPS and 119 FPS. For Gears of War 5, the Lenovo LOQ achieves better medium settings performance with 164 FPS, although the Dell G15 performs well at 155 FPS on high and 160 FPS on medium. In GTA 5, the Dell G15 leads with 185 FPS on high and 187 FPS on medium, while the Lenovo LOQ scores 169 FPS and 178 FPS, respectively. Dell G15 Vs Lenovo LOQ RTX 4060 Gaming Performance Review: Conclusion The Dell G15 generally offers superior gaming performance, particularly in demanding titles, thanks to its bigger chassis, better cooling, and high-powered CPU and GPU. It benefits from features like a higher refresh rate display and larger storage. The Lenovo LOQ, with its brighter display and better keyboard, I/O and a slim design, is an excellent choice for gamers who prioritise lighter weight and good performance in popular titles. However, for gamers seeking the best overall performance and additional features, the Dell G15 is the better option. Combining organic cotton and chic style, Baby Baby Cool successfully expands into Japan Consumers' growing favor for stylish clothing has given rise to a rapid increase in fast fashion brands over the recent decade. However, low-quality fast fashion apparel has also made consumers demand more from fashion brands. Especially in developed countries where birth rates are declining, parents are inclined to spend more on the clothes they put on their children to ensure comfort and safety. According to market research reports, the global organic cotton children's apparel market is set to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% from US$4.4 billion in 2022 to US$8.8 billion in 2030. For their outstanding quality, Taiwan-based fashion startup Baby Baby Cool's products are carried in French department store Printemps. It is the only local brand available at the Bellavita Shopping Center in Taiwan. Better yet, it has signed agreements with Japan's Hankyu Department Store and Isetan Department Store to sell Baby Baby CoolBaby Baby CoolBaby Baby CoolBaby Baby CoolBaby Baby CoolBaby Baby Cool apparel in their stores starting in the second quarter of 2024. Erin Wei, founder and director of Baby Baby Cool, remarked that she established the company to help children develop a sense of taste and style at a young age by providing chic fashion for children as opposed to common kids' wear with cartoon illustrations on the market. When selecting fabrics with manufacturers, she found most of them are produced using chemicals in the process which children may absorb through their skin, harming their health and the environment. To protect the health of infants and kids, Wei decided to use organic cotton to make safe and stylish fashion for children. Premium organic cotton combined with fashion design and craftsmanship Founded in 2016 on the core concept of love and aesthetics, Baby Baby Cool aims to foster children's sense of taste and style through fashion design while safeguarding their health starting with the clothes they wear every day. The company insists on using GOTS-certified premium organic cotton and proven non-toxic metal accessories to produce pure, soft, and comfortable clothes that kids can confidently put on. Applying the techniques and craftsmanship used for adult fashion to design children's wear, the Baby Baby Cool team goes beyond the boundaries of kids' apparel and creates a Taiwan-based fashion brand boasting both style and health. Featuring originality, the Baby Baby Cool team comprises professional advertisement stylists, prominent fashion designers, skilled pattern makers, and experienced seamstresses who work together to produce clothing entirely in-house. Making use of proportions, structures, cuttings, simple yet vivid colors, and patching techniques to create interesting and innovative aesthetics, the team makes children's clothing featuring sleek lines, chic style, and simple colors. Their products with the unique style allow the world to see Taiwan's strength in children's clothing design. Wei noted that there are kids' fashion brands on the market that highlight the use of organic cotton but they often lack design elements that appeal to consumers. Despite being a startup company, Baby Baby Cool uses special 3D tailoring generally used only for luxury fashion to deliver a more three-dimensional look through cutting, folding, shrinking, grabbing, and pinning techniques. 3D tailoring is a technique that leading international fashion brands have growingly adopted in recent years. Although everything about 3D tailoring is more costly and challenging from design to manufacturing compared to conventional practices, it can make clothes that better fit the body contour and structure. This is why Baby Baby Cool is enthusiastically embraced by the market. Leveraging TTA's diverse services, Baby Baby Cool forays into worldwide markets Adhering to the principles of making healthy and stylish clothing, in 2017, a Baby Baby Cool store opened at the Bellavita Shopping Center, a high-end department store in Taiwan, followed by another one in the French department store Printemps in 2018. It began to expand into overseas markets including Hong Kong and China in 2019. However, after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Baby Baby Cool shifted its focus back home and started to make efforts toward an e-commerce platform, reaching out to potential customers via multiple channels. After it was introduced to Sparklabs Taiwan, a Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) accelerator partner, it received guidance that significantly helped it improve operation efficiency and rethink its management and marketing strategies. According to Wei, when Baby Baby Cool was first founded, a decision was made to tackle the most difficult sales channel. It took a while to get in touch with Bellavita but Baby Baby Cool was able to prove that their product quality is on par with hundred-year-old brands'. From the first presentation to the final product introduction conducted in a way similar to museum exhibits, Baby Baby Cool successfully convinced Bellavita to carry its brand. This helped considerably in Baby Baby Cool's subsequent business development. The startup faced the same challenge in 2023 again when it engaged in talks with Japan's Hankyu Department Store and Isetan Department Store. Wei was happy to win recognition from the two Japanese department stores. The availability of Baby Baby Cool clothes at their stores starting second-quarter 2024 will allow more visibility on Taiwan-based brands. Undertaking all-out efforts toward overseas market expansion starting this year, aside from Japan, Baby Baby Cool will shift focus back to France again in 2025. As part of the efforts, it will more actively participate in TTA's events in hopes of leveraging TTA's global visibility and network to find more partners and investors that will enable Taiwan-based brands to keep shining on the global stage. (Editor's note: The original article was published in TTA Magazine Issue 14. Read more startup stories in TTA Magazines.) Baby Baby Cool founder and director Erin Wei London Tech Week live: UK's semiconductor industry and TSMC in the spotlight London Tech Week has brought significant attention to generative AI and the UK's evolving semiconductor industry. This event underscores Britain's ambition to enhance its position in the global tech arena, with a notable focus on the contributions of key industry players. David Moore, founder of Pragmatic Semiconductor, showcased their groundbreaking 300mm 12-inch wafer, highlighting the innovative fusion of thin-film technology with standard chip-making tools. Moore emphasized the sustainability and efficiency of their processes, which aim to reduce energy and water usage significantly. "We have tens of thousands, even 50,000 individual flexible IC chips on a single wafer. It's thin, flexible, and very low-cost. Importantly, it's sustainable, addressing some of the industry's biggest challenges," said Moore. Moore also discussed the geographical concentration challenges in the semiconductor industry. He noted that 70% of the world's semiconductor manufacturing is located in China, Korea, and Taiwan, with 90% of advanced capacity in Taiwan. He pointed out that the UK, leveraging its rich heritage and expertise in semiconductor technology, is striving to rebalance the global supply chain. "We're building on the UK's longstanding history in semiconductors, particularly in the Northeast, where there is a wealth of experience and knowledge," he added. In another compelling presentation, Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy, discussed the revolutionary impact of generative AI on customer service. Jackson revealed that since integrating ChatGPT into their system in early 2023, they have achieved remarkable success. "By January 2023, we had ChatGPT, or a variant of it, answering customer queries live by email. By May, 45% of all customer service emails were written by AI," Jackson explained. The AI system has notably outperformed human counterparts, achieving an 85% customer satisfaction rate compared to the 65% rate for human responses. Jackson emphasized the efficiency and effectiveness of AI in managing customer interactions, stating, "AI writes the email, and then a human can amend it, trash it, or redesign it. Currently, we handle 30,000 emails a day with this system." London Tech Week continues to highlight the UK's technological advancements and its potential to become a significant player in the global semiconductor market, driven by innovation and sustainability. Credit: DIGITIMES Weekly news roundup: Rising exports indicate China's semiconductor overcapacity These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of June 10 June 14. China reports growing exports in semiconductors, implying overcapacity China's customs data showed that the country's semiconductor exports grew rapidly in the first five months of 2024 as domestic competition in mature nodes heated up. China exported 113.94 billion units of ICs from January to May, up 10.5% year over year. The total export value increased substantially by 21.2% to US$62.613 billion. The average IC export value rose from US$50.13 to US$54.97. Huawei HarmonyOS outperforms Apple iOS in China in 1Q24 In the first quarter of 2024, Huawei's HarmonyOS surpassed Apple's iOS market share for the first time in China. HarmonyOS has become the country's second-largest handset operating system, falling only behind Android. Huawei is expected to release the HarmonyOS Next system at the Huawei Developer Conference 2024 on June 21. The tech giant will likely also launch its Pangu Large Model 5.0. Industry sources said Alipay, China's most important payment software tool, has already launched a new HarmonyOS beta version. India reportedly seeks to limit Chinese participation in Indian subsidiaries, woos Taiwanese investments The Indian government was said to keep restricting investment from China. The Economic Times reported that executives of India-based electronics and automobile companies said the government might approve joint ventures with Chinese partners only if the Indian side holds a majority stake. These Chinese companies are also cautious about technology sharing without clarity on their equity participation. They are hesitant to share technology even under a licensing agreement unless there is a roadmap for them to have equity participation in the JV. UAE Minister says US concerns over chip supplies to China valid Omar Al Olama, the United Arab Emirates' minister for artificial intelligence and digital economy, said that US concerns about sensitive chip technology transferred from the Middle East to China are well-founded and that the UAE has proven to be a strategic partner with America. The US has curbed chip exports to the Middle East because it is worried that Chinese companies could access the technology through data centers in the region. MKS Instruments expands to Malaysia with new Penang plant, supporting chip production US-based MKS Instruments said it planned to build a manufacturing plant in Penang, Malaysia, in early 2025 to support wafer fabrication equipment production. The company offers instruments, subsystems, and process control systems to customers in semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, electronics, and specialty industrial applications. Its customers include TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and STMicroelectronics. MKS CEO John Lee said the new Penang site would boast proximity to customers and suppliers, well-developed infrastructure, and an established semiconductor ecosystem. Chipmakers brace for TSMC price increases Industry sources said TSMC sub-7nm fab utilization rates have reached full since June and rebounded above 80% at 7/6nm. The foundry's entire 12-inch fab utilization rates have also surpassed 90%, prompting it to consider a price raise. Sources said the situation concerned IC design companies, which are barely recovering and find it difficult to pass on growing costs to customers. Only Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and other large companies can increase their chip prices to offset rising costs. China-based National Silicon Industry to double wafer production capacity to foster self-reliant chip ecosystem China's top wafer manufacturer, National Silicon Industry, announced a plan to invest CNY13.2 billion (approximately US$1.82 billion) to double its production capacity of 300mm silicon wafers for integrated circuits. The company's monthly capacity will be increased from 600,000 wafers to 1.2 million wafers. The investment includes the Taiyuan and Shanghai projects. The CNY9.1 billion Taiyuan project has an epitaxy capacity of 600,000 wafers per month and a cutting, grinding, and polishing capacity of 200,000. The CNY4.1 billion Shanghai project has a monthly cutting, grinding, and polishing capacity of 400,000 wafers. Farmers in Cooley who were adversely affected by flooding last year are to be provided with financial aid under a new scheme, it has been revealed. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue confirmed the scheme last week following a question from Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu, who asked about the progress of a Teagasc-commissioned report into the impact of severe flooding in October on farmers on the peninsula. Minister McConalogue said he particularly recognise the localised impact of storms on the Cooley Peninsula in October and November 2023. From 18 October to 2 November, Ireland was subjected to two back-to-back storms. The Teagasc report identified the area damaged from the landslide and flooding, the result of which saw large deposits of rock, gravel and debris on agricultural lands, in addition to loss and damage to fencing, stored fodder and fertiliser supplies. The minister said that he has charged his department with providing financial aid to assist with restoring these agricultural lands to their pre-storm condition and the department will engaged directly with those affected to assist in applying for financial support. Deputy O Murchu said: One of the fears I brought to the minister's attention was that there is a huge amount of damage done regarding fodder and fertiliser, and damage done to land. Farmers needed to carry out mitigation measures during the flooding and afterwards to allow them to relieve livestock. Some of the farmers' fear was that they had already put a serious amount of money into this. They wanted to make sure this would be covered under the scheme, combined with any other works that still remain to be done to bring back the land to its original state. Councillors Antoin Watters, Fiona Mhic Choncoille and I will be working on making sure we mitigate as best we can in relation to what can happen into the future. Deputy O Murchu asked about the timeline for the applications and if the scheme would cover retrospective work that farmers were forced to carry out before this. Minister McConalogue said: It has been closely modelled on the previous time we did this during the Inishowen situation. I will not go into the finer detail of the scheme here today. Let me just say there will be engagement over the next few weeks in terms of having farmers apply for the scheme and actioning it. Musicians from Louth are invited to submit their applications for Music Networks Music Capital Scheme. Earlier this year Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media confirmed funding of 1,090,700 for the scheme which provides funding for musical instruments. Numerous groups and individuals from Louth have received funding in the past including the Dundalk Youth Centre and Dynamics Violin Project (Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland). The closing date for applications for Award Categories 1, 2 and 3 is Tuesday 25 June at 2pm. More information on categories and how to apply is available on www.musicnetwork.ie Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and managed by Music Network. The scheme comprises three different awards and provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to individual professional musicians and to non-professional performing groups. It has expanded this year, with the addition of two new awards for the benefit of both musicians and arts venues. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin T.D. said: I am overjoyed that my Department is able to fund the Music Capital Scheme again this year and support its expansion with these new opportunities. The Scheme has benefited thousands of people since its inception and, with this years extensive range of applicant supports, a particular focus will be given to assisting first time and previously unsuccessful applicants. This funding allows so many deserving organisations and individuals to receive the crucial funds they need to purchase musical instruments and, as a former music teacher, that is such a wonderful thing to be a part of. Since it was established the scheme has made 544 awards to individual musicians and organisations providing access to instruments for over 51,000 people across the country. Beneficiaries range from early years to mature players including musicians with physical and intellectual disabilities. 205 performing groups have been able to purchase instruments and expand their memberships, and 202 professional established and emerging musicians advanced their performance careers with new instruments enabled by the scheme. Music Network CEO Sharon Rollston commented: We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for its ongoing commitment to providing vital funding for musical instruments to both groups and individual musicians. This investment continues to make a significant impact on the quality of, and access to, music-making and live music performance throughout Ireland. "We particularly welcome the addition of this years new awards, which will go a long way towards addressing specific challenges facing musicians and in the presentation of live music. Our aim is that the capacity building supports provided to applicants will help people to make the best application possible, achieve positive results for them, and benefit the music sector widely. Award 1 is open to non-professional performing groups, Award 2 is for the benefit of individual established professional performing musicians, while Award 3 is for individual emerging professional performing musicians. Even more musicians will be supported this year, with the introduction of two new awards which seek to address specific challenges faced by professional classical string players and by arts venues presenting live music. Award 4, will provide string instruments for a defined period of time to exceptional players and award 5 will support the purchase and refurbishment of concert standard pianos in selected venues across the country. These new awards will be launched in the coming months. Music Network is committed to equity and inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals within culturally diverse communities and people with disabilities. This project is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media During a tumultuous period in his life Len Lipitch picked up a pair of hitchhikers and within hours of meeting his now-wife Sabine, he wrote a poem he had never written one before then. In 1990, Sabine Lenz, a fashion design student from Hamburg, Germany, set out interrailing by herself for the summer. She told The Echo: I dont know why I came to Ireland, but on the boat over I realised there was hardly any trains to use my interrail ticket for, so I met another girl and we decided to hitchhike together. As soon as I saw the Irish landscape I was hooked, she said, explaining that her and her new friend planned to go to Achill Island. Len stopped and picked both of them up, he was in the process of separating from his wife and was planning to leave Ireland. I decided to leave but I didnt know where I was going, I was just driving and then I took a wrong turn, ended up by a pier so went into the town and had lunch then I saw two girls hitching, picked them up and the rest is history, he said. Sabine Lenz and Len Lipitch with their three children. Len knew he liked Sabine instantly, saying it took her longer, and Sabine adding maybe about half-an-hour longer. They stopped at a hostel on the way to Achill Island and went to a nearby pub, where Sabine was amazed by a talent show, saying: I thought it was so fascinating in Germany you wouldnt show anything to the public unless you were the best. She and Len stayed up late after the other girl went back to bed, and the next day, Sabine told the girl that she would be staying with Len as they had fallen in love. We never before or after felt that sort of feeling, we just had a really strong, deep connection, she said, explaining that she spent the rest of her holiday in Schull, where Len showed her a ruin he was thinking of buying. Sabine and Len's home in Schull now, after rennovations. The ruin was completely overgrown, and he said would you like to live here with me? now its our home. They visited each other every month when Sabine went back to Germany, and the couple planned she would take a break from studying and try out a year living with Len, saying my parents and all my friends thought I was crazy, adding that her parents wrote her a five-page letter outlining their concerns. Sabine Lenz and Len Lipitch, celebrating the birth of their first grandson this month. Len is 20 years older than her, but when he came out to see her in Germany, it was so natural between us, they could see we were in love. She ended up moving quicker than planned, but said it wasnt easy to start with, my life changing so much I became pregnant with our eldest quite quickly, and we moved into a caravan without electricity while we did up the ruin. When our son was born, my parents came out to visit and they were so positive and full of admiration. Sabine with daughter Anna-Leah who has joined her in the jewellery business and will take over from her mum. While living in the caravan with a baby, they started making jewellery and selling it at a stall, where they were discovered by an agent who asked if he could represent them. Nearly 35 years on, they have three children, a thriving jewellery business, a beautiful home that they built themselves in Schull, and we feel so connected to where we are. Sabines Enibas jewellery brand features phrases in the Irish language, she has a store in Schull and the products are shipped all over the world. A CORK house hunter who won a 350,000 three-bed in a raffle said the win couldnt have come at a better time. Dawid Mozolewski won the new home in Carrigaline after his ticket was draw out in the Enable Ireland Win a House competition. The 30-year-old, who lives in Kinsale and works as an engineer with Dell, also scooped 10,000 worth of vouchers from EZ Living and Right Price Tiles and Wood Flooring to help kit out his new pad. The winning ticket, number 885, was pulled from the raffle drum by Enable Irelands director of HR and corporate affairs, Theresa Compagno, at an event broadcast live on Facebook. Goal Enable Ireland achieved its goal to complete the funding of their Lavanagh Childrens Centre in Cork, which caters for families across the county who avail of their services. Mr Mozolewski, who moved to Ireland from Poland with his parents and siblings when he was 16, said his family was thrilled with his slice of good fortune. I am absolutely delighted to win the Cork draw hosted by Enable Ireland. I was actually in the market for my first-ever house, so this couldnt come at a better time, said Mr Mozolewski. I cant wait to see the house in person. I want to thank Enable Ireland and Im delighted that in the process I could support their cause for funding the childrens centre in Cork, he added. Adam Clarke, Newcestown, with the winning ticket at Enable Irelands Lavanagh Centre. Picture: Gerard McCarthy. Enable Irelands CEO, John OSullivan, said a sincere thank you to the public for supporting their campaign. The funds raised have helped us to complete the funding of our vital new Childrens Services Centre in Curraheen, said Mr OSullivan. Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket for this draw, your support enables us to continue to provide our vital therapy and rehabilitative services for generations to come. Sentiments echoed by Enable Ireland Cork fundraising manager Maria Desmond, who paid tribute to everyone who has supported the campaign. Support We couldnt have done this without the support of our sponsors and our fundraising committee lead by stalwart volunteer Mrs Anne Hegarty, who has worked tirelessly fundraising on behalf on Enable Ireland for the past 30 years, said Ms Desmond. Mrs Hegarty said that thanks to the generosity of the people of Cork, over 1,800 children with a very wide range of complex disabilities will now have the benefit of this beautiful facility. Full details of the draw and winning ticket are available at https://winahousecork.ie/enable-ireland. A Cork TD has said that new planning laws are going to wipe out Airbnb services throughout West Cork and other places. The proposed Short Term Letting Bill, which aims to re-introduce 12,000 properties to the long-term rental market, prompted intense debate in the Dail last week. The draft form of the bill states that any party offering accommodation, either bedrooms or whole properties, for less than 21 days will have to be registered and hold a valid registration number issued by Failte Ireland, with property owners and online platforms that breach the new rules potentially facing fines of up to 5,000. A spokesperson for the Department of Housing told The Echo there will be an initial six-month transitional period. Following that, only accommodation providers with the required planning permission from Failte Ireland will be able to advertise their properties for short-term letting purposes. Bedrock Raising the issue in the Dail, Cork South-West TD and Independent Ireland party founder Michael Collins said Airbnb hosts form the bedrock of visitor accommodation in rural and coastal areas and the extra footfall and spin-off spend of their guests is essential to the survival of local businesses and their employees. He told Taoiseach Simon Harris: Airbnb hosts in rural and coastal areas are fearful of losing their livelihoods if the proposed registration of short-term lets requires planning compliance within a six-month period, with no clarity as to what this would entail. Mr Collins called on the Government to immediately decouple the planning requirements from the new register. The proposed legislation in its current form could kill Irelands tourism and the livelihoods of thousands of rural employees, he said. Those in the Airbnb sector are not afraid of regulation. However, if this requires planning, for many of these homes that have been providing an excellent tourism service throughout the country, West Cork included, it will mean that the people involved may have to spend tens of thousands of euros that they cannot afford to spend on their homes. Honest Mr Harris said: We have to be honest in this House about Airbnb and how much people can make on that over a couple of days versus renting out the place for a month. There is either a housing emergency in Ireland or there is not. Let me be clear, there is such an emergency, he said. I am sure the deputy would have spoken to young people during the local and European elections. I am sure he would have looked them in the eyes and told them that he and his councillors, MEPs, and whomever else, are going to do everything in the Dail and elsewhere to help them get homes. So am I. He shared a story from Mr Collins constituency, saying that a mother in Kinsale told him personally: Simon, there are a lot of places here that are vacant, Airbnb and the likes, and my young person cannot get anywhere to rent or live. He said that Mr Collins could read the legislation when it was published, then bring forward amendments. Do not do this usual thing of claiming that the Government does not understand rural Ireland and so on. That is nonsense, said Mr Harris. Mr Collins said this was a scandalous answer to the people providing Airbnb in West Cork, saying you should be ashamed of yourself, and calling Mr Harris clueless. Do not bother coming down to West Cork, he told the Taoiseach, who replied: I do not need your permission. The rise in hospitalisations linked to cannabis could be reduced if it were legalised for personal use, a Cork drugs campaigner has said. Graham De Barra spoke after local and national media highlighted the increase in numbers receiving hospital treatment because of cannabis use. Data provided to The Echo by the HSE last week showed 496 hospitalisations of people in Cork with mental and behavioural disorders linked to cannabinoids over the last five years. The numbers are increasing, with 115 hospitalisations in 2023 compared to 76 in 2022. No data is available as to whether the cannabis products consumed were natural or synthetic. Synthetic products Mr de Barra, of Help Not Harm, said, You definitely have to discern between the two, as the rise could be down to the increase of synthetic products, which can be more dangerous, studies show. The Cork campaigner, who ran in the EU elections, told The Echo: For the possession of naturally grown cannabis, as it stands, you face a prison sentence. There is no real amnesty for people to grow their own cannabis for medical or recreational purposes. This prohibition and risk of prosecution definitely contributes to risk people are forced to go to the black market, which is relying on imported synthetic cannabis, a new, emerging trend. Over that last couple of years these products have been appearing in the EU market, theres a low cost of production for these products grown in laboratories in India and China, so thats replacing natural cannabis. Until Ireland addresses the legality and provides amnesty for people to cultivate their own plants, like Germany has done, this trend isnt going to go away. He said the 2024 EU drug report, released last week and made up of data submitted by member states to the European Drugs Agency, confirmed the trend towards synthetics. High-potency extracts The report states: The availability of high-potency extracts and edibles is of particular concern and has been linked to acute drug-toxicity presentations in hospital emergency departments. The most commonly encountered semi-synthetic cannabinoid is hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), and while knowledge of the effects of HHC in humans is limited, concerns have been raised as studies have emerged, including some reports of links to psychosis, it says. Some of the products available are in forms that may deliver high doses, raising concerns about the possibility of adverse health effects, Mr De Barra said. In an emergency, its very difficult to diagnose these acute poisonings. Emergency rooms dont know what people have consumed because were in the dark around whats available as so many different substances are being created and imported. One way to resolve that burden on emergency rooms would be an amnesty to cultivate your own plants, which they are piloting in Germany and the Netherlands. The pilot hypothesis is that the legal market will reduce the divergence to the black market. A HSE spokesperson told The Echo: Synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals produced to mimic the effects of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. Often, products do not contain THC but instead they can contain a synthetic cannabinoid which will produce similar, more potent effects. They will greatly increase the risks of a drug emergency occurring because they produce more intense adverse effects. Their use has caused many serious poisonings, mass poisonings, and deaths internationally in recent years. The death has occurred of a 41-year-old father of three from Co Cork who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of motor neurone disease (MND) in February. He had gone to the doctor last year with what he believed was a back injury. Bryan Bob OBrien had his initial symptoms in October of 2023, when he was walking his daughter to school. She had started in junior infants. After 20 yards, he was deviating to a sideways walk. Mr OBrien, who lived in Carrigaline with his wife, Charlotte, and their three young children Elle (6), Jesse (3), and Ty (11 months) passed away on Friday. Fundraising had taken place in recent weeks to send him to the US for advanced treatment. On GoFundMe, his family confirmed Mr OBriens passing. We are blown away by the outpouring of support and all of the effort put into fundraising events. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Unfortunately, Bryan lost his battle with this horrible disease yesterday. He gave it everything he had. The mental strength he showed, as he was paralysed in his legs and arms, was immense. He soaked up every last minute with his children. He was still his joking self, right up until the end, even as his voice weakened. We are heartbroken and will miss him every day; our world has gone dark without his spark. Last month, Mr OBrien spoke of the shock of his diagnosis. I was diagnosed after undergoing tests for what seemed like an innocent back injury late last year, he said. I kept hearing words like rare and accelerated, which was quite scary. At first, no one knew what it was, and new symptoms kept appearing rapidly. The speed and intensity of my symptoms surprised my neurologists, doctors, and nurses from day one. Mr OBrien said that he was coping with his diagnosis thanks to the incredible strength shown by his family. Every day presents its challenges, but these tangible positive stories have compelled me to push forward now. My motivation is my wife, Charlotte, and our three beautiful children Elle, Jesse, and Ty. Theyre my driving force, my reason to keep going. Every single added day with them is precious. Mr OBrien urged engineers and tech companies to share details on available and upcoming innovative solutions, such as robotic assistive gloves and advanced AI speech support. His plan was to collate information to make it available to others. He was also actively seeking out US clinical trials that were not available to him in Ireland and Europe, in the hope of slowing down the progression of this aggressive disease. MND is an incurable, life-limiting neurological condition that attacks the motor neurons or nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Messages gradually stop reaching the muscles, which leads to progressive wasting, weakness, and paralysis. The cause of MND is not known. Mr OBrien had a very virulent form of the illness. The speed at which his illness accelerated was not typical. Bryan was supportive of the efforts of MND Ireland to research and develop medicines against this disease. Donations can be made to MND Ireland on https://www.imnda.ie/donate INDEPENDENTLY owned cafes and restaurants in West Cork have come together to launch a national campaign in a desperate bid to have the lower Vat rate of 9% reintroduced for the hospitality sector, which is struggling to keep the doors open. Spearheaded by Jamie Budd of Budds restaurant in Ballydehob, the campaign is calling on the government to recognise the needs of business owners within the hospitality sector who have been working hard to make Ireland one of the biggest and best foodie destinations in the world. Mr Budd has raised concerns about the future of Irelands hospitality industry and has said that unless the government steps in to support the industry, larger food chains will line the streets where independent businesses once offered a unique dining experience and locally sourced produce. Mr Budd became concerned about the number of cafes and restaurants being forced to close and decided to launch the campaign making a fresh call for the reintroduction of the 9% Vat rate which he said acted as a cushion for the industry during the covid pandemic. The temporary 9% Vat rate for these suppliers came into effect on November 1, 2020, in response to the challenges faced by these sectors as a result of the pandemic. Its expiry date was extended on a number of occasions before the government indicated there would be no further extensions beyond August 31, 2023, and the 13.5% Vat rate was reintroduced on September 1 last year. Having that 9% Vat rate was a huge cushion for us. As anybody who has ever had a business in this industry knows, the profit margins are so low that it was already hard to make a living from this industry, so that 9% was a huge cushion, he said. It kept a lot of places open, and it was a huge drive in relation to the industry becoming as good as it has become. All these wonderful restaurants were opening throughout the country and without that there just wouldnt have been the incentive for these places to open, or certainly to thrive and remain open. So that 9% going up to 13.5% was just ripping that cushion away from us and the proof is in the pudding because we are seeing how many restaurants are closing down nationally and you couple that with the fact that all the other costs came crashing down on us too such as energy costs, produce costs, and then the wage increases. I know the way things work in every country in the world and decisions are based on figures so obviously the government knows how much they will generate by increasing the Vat rate but what theyre failing to understand is that by making that move so many hundreds which will be thousands of closed restaurants is not generating anything for them, whether its 9% or 13.5%. So, we have to get that through to them because the situation is only going to become worse. If the powers that be honestly want to see Starbucks and McDonalds on every corner throughout the country, even rurally, then just carry on with what theyre doing because the big multinationals are the only businesses that will stand a chance of survival in this country and we will just turn into a corporate island like we see in every city around the world where you have identical places that are all the same. I certainly dont want to see that here. Commending the foodie industry in Ireland and how much it has grown in such a short period of time, Mr Budd said when he first moved to Ireland about 20 years ago there was a very basic offering but now Irelands palette is much more refined and its produce and the type of dishes have hugely improved which he said is down to the hard work of those within the industry. He said the industry now needs to be recognised for that hard work in putting Ireland on the map in terms of being a popular foodie destination by being offered real supports that will allow independently-owned businesses to make a profit and, in turn, keep their doors open. Its so sad to see fellow restaurateurs and cafe owners closing because, as we all know, this industry is not just a case of offering food to people, there is so much more that goes with that, he said. We are a huge employer, we create spaces for people to socialise in the same way that the traditional pub used to be and in terms of mental health also it is so important. There is also the tourism aspect of it. The government spend how much money per year trying to promote the tourism industry of this country and when tourists come to this country they dont want to be in McDonalds, they want to be eating locally made food and locally produced produce and unfortunately those of us who are in that bracket and do our own cooking and use mainly local ingredients, we are really struggling because we are paying more for our produce and weve had to employ more staff because were cooking everything from scratch. It has just become impossible to try to make a living from it. Theres only so much we can put the price up. They are nowhere near where they should be and already our customers are starting to fall off because they cant afford to come into us anymore. Customers who once were coming into us every day can only come into us once a week now and thats a huge loss to us and we dont want to see those people go. We dont want to have to put our prices up. First and foremost, our passion is to create a service and an environment where people can come and enjoy what you do and were all really passionate about that so taking that away is awful. Looking ahead to Budget 2025 and the supports the industry needs in order to sustain it, he said: Dropping that Vat rate back down would be a good start and then getting various grants and energy prices coming right down and then the cost of produce also. Theres only so much you can blame on war. It gets used as a scapegoat and gives an excuse for everyone to put the prices up. Trying to regulate that whole sector a little bit more and looking at where we get our produce from is important because we cant keep blaming the war in Ukraine or now the war in Palestine. That needs to be regulated. Speaking about the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant announced inBudget 2024, which was introduced to give businesses back half of what they paid for commercial rates in 2023 if they paid up to 10,000, Mr Budd explained why not many in the industry have availed of the grant. Mr Budd said that while the grant was introduced with the intention to support the industry, that it is almost an insult as opposed to an aid to the industry. Its not even a dip in the ocean compared to the amount of money that businesses are losing because of the Vat rate going up to 13.5% so offering people half the money back on their rates is almost an insult and I dont think the people in government seem to realise that, he said. THE co-founder of a Cork charity which provides a lifeline to families living with autism has welcomed news it will soon have a chance to express an interest in a new premises. The Rainbow Club has been seeking a new home for several years. Karen OMahony, co-founder of the Rainbow Club, was responding to news that Disabilities Minister Ann Rabbitte had confirmed in the Dail this week that a Mahon premises, which previously belonged to the HSE, will be signed over to Cork City Council. Once the premises is handed over, the local authority is expected to seek expressions of interest from community and charity groups. Ms OMahony told The Echo that all at the charity were delighted at the news. For us, it would be an absolutely amazing opportunity to put in an expression of interest in this site. It would have a really positive impact on us from a funding perspective if we were able to secure a premises, as we would have a lease of our own and therefore we would be able to access funding opportunities. We are an equal opportunities employer, supporting a neuro-diverse community, and at least 50% of the people we employ are from the Mahon and Blackrock area, she said. Ms Rabbitte told The Echo she was happy that the former HSE property in Mahon was being signed over to Cork City Council, and expressed her hope that the council would make the building available to a community-led initiative of need in the Mahon area. Padraig OSullivan, Fianna Fail TD for Cork North Central, said he was hopeful that, pending a public consultation, someone like the Rainbow Club would be the beneficiary. Ms Rabbitte said that, should the Rainbow Club be successful, she would make capital funding available for the refit of the premises. THE managing director of Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy, has been elected chairperson of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) at their annual general meeting. Mr MacCarthy, taking over from Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, of Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, Adare, will be chairperson for two years. As an aviation executive and fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Mr MacCarthy has worked in various roles across the Dublin Airport Authority (daa) Group since 2000, at Dublin, Shannon, Cork, and Jeddah airports. He also served two terms as chair of Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) Regional Airports Forum in Brussels. Prior to the daa Group, he worked at Dunnes Storess head office in Dublin for seven years. Mr MacCarthy said: I am delighted to be elected as the 21st chairperson of ITIC, a renowned and respected organisation that is the voice of tourism and hospitality interests, the largest indigenous industry in the country and biggest regional employer. Paying tribute to Ms Fitzgerald Kane, he said: She has served the industry passionately and with distinction and the tourism sector owes her an enormous debt of gratitude. Tourism and hospitality are in our blood in Ireland, but we should never take our industry for granted. Like all important industries, tourism needs continuing focus and policy support from government to ensure it grows and thrives into future, he added. We in ITIC look forward to working with our industry partners and in collaboration with government and state agencies to grow Irelands tourist numbers, value, and employment base sustainably over the next few years. Irish tourism industry confederation CEO, Eoghan OMara-Walsh, said: Niall will be a really strong chairperson of ITIC and will represent member interests strongly as we look to grow the sector for the benefit of business, the exchequer, and employment. PILOTS in Aer Lingus have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay. Members of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA), which represents hundreds of pilots at the airline, voted 99% in favour of taking industrial action up to and including full withdrawal of labour. Turnout for the ballot was 89%. IALPA conducted a paper ballot over the weekend following Aer Lingus raising concerns about the integrity of the initial electronic ballot. IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said the result of the second ballot was an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer. He said: It is unconscionable that an employer would attempt to undermine our members democratic and constitutional right to vote for industrial action. The effect of Aer Lingus managements intervention last week has served only to further antagonise pilots. They are now more determined than ever. This ballot has reaffirmed the commitment of our members to stand up to management. Pilots were able to vote in various polling stations over the weekend. After the votes were counted on Monday, it was confirmed that 99% voted in favour of taking industrial action. Captain Tighe added: Our pay claim of 23.8% is to ensure that pilots pay has the same purchasing power as it did in 2019, and reflects the enormous increase in profits enjoyed by Aer Lingus. Last year, they reported 225 million profit euro an increase of 400% on the previous year. Our colleagues in British Airways secured a 24% increase in 2019, while Lufthansa pilots received a 27% increase. IALPA said that the union rule book allows for the provision of electronic ballots and the concerns raised by Aer Lingus were unfounded. Captain Tighe continued: IALPA is now consulting with our colleagues in Forsa to determine our next steps. A MAN on trial charged with murdering his own brother at a funeral in Tralee told gardai that he tried to protect him from the Cork lads and ended up with an injury to his own hand. Patrick Dooley, 36, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney, County Kerry, is one of six on trial at the Central Criminal Court, charged with murdering 43-year-old Tom Dooley from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5 2022. Sergeant Liam Lingane was directed to attend at the accident and emergency department of Cork University Hospital at around 8.30 pm on that date and met Patrick Dooley there. In that conversation, Patrick Dooley gave Sgt. Lingane an outline of the family tree and of his own attendance at the ODriscoll funeral in Tralee that day. Unaware at that time that his brother Tom was dead, he said that when he left the cemetery, He saw his brother on the ground, he was not aware of anything else, he was not aware his brother passed away and we did not tell him, Sgt. Lingane testified. Witness notes The witness said from his notes of what Patrick Dooley told him at the hospital, He lived at the Straight (Carrigrohane, Cork) Road about 15 years ago for a while. (Patrick) is a brother of Thomas (deceased). Not that friendly anymore because he (Thomas) was after fighting with the family. He (Patrick) did not see his brother or any of the Cork relations at the church In the graveyard he walked in, waiting for the hearse to arrive. He took notice of a car playing loud music. The Cork lads from the Straight Road were inside. Patrick saw them running from the front part of the graveyard. He ran down to see what was happening. The Cork lads were on top of his brother Thomas. Patrick ran trying to help his brother and then saw Siobhan (the deceased mans wife) on the ground. Patrick tried to pull some of the fellas off his brother. (Patrick) got pulled back from someone behind him. I (Patrick) saw a fella with a small circular shaped weapon on a short handle. I could see a hand on it. It came down on Thomas. I (Patrick) saw it go up. Patrick reached in and tried to block it. It hit him (Patrick) on the left forearm and cut it. Before that, Patrick hit one or two fellas. Tom on the ground. Siobhan also on the ground. About ten of the Cork lads too many to fight off. I ran when I saw the blood dripping off my left arm. Headed for Cork to go to hospital. Arrived at CUH around 1 pm Also in the notes, Sgt. Lingane said that Patrick Dooley added, When I was running down to help my brother I could see two lads with yokes on long bars coming to the graveyard The Cork crowd only ran down the graveyard when they saw Thomas and Siobhan coming in. A feud going on for years. Patrick keeps out of it. Patrick got beaten up on the Straight Road about two years ago (i.e. two years before October 2022). Detective Sergeant Mark OSullivan said that when he formally arrested and charged Patrick Dooley with murder he replied after caution, I did not harm my brother at all in any way. That is all I have to say about it. Trial enters third week The trial before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and the jury, including three substitute members, consisting of 13 men and two women, went into the beginning of its third week today. Five defendants in the case all with the surname Dooley Patrick, 36, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney; Thomas, 43, from the halting site, Carrigrohane Road; Thomas Jnr, 21, from the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork; Michael, 29, of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and Daniel, 42, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, County Kerry, are on trial, as is the sixth defendant who is a teenager. They all deny murdering 43-year-old Tom Dooley from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5 2022. Only 21-year-old Thomas Dooley Jnr faces the second charge that he intentionally or recklessly caused serious harm to Siobhan Dooley, the wife of the deceased man. He has pleaded not guilty plea in respect of this count also. TWO activists were arrested at University College Cork today over a protest against the presence of Tanaiste Micheal Martin at an event in the unviersity amid the ongoing situation in Palestine. The Tanaiste had been on campus to attend an event to mark 10 years of Alflorex, which was developed by Cork company PrecisionBiotics in collaboration with the university. The UCC BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) group explained in a statement this afternoon, The peaceful protest at the Glucksman Gallery today was to reaffirm UCC BDS' demand that government officials should not be welcomed onto campus until the Occupied Territories Bill is passed. The protest was not intended to target or stain the reputation of the Glucksman staff, who have done trojan work to uplift diverse art and artists. An activist has been arrested under the Public Order Act, and another has been taken in for questioning. A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told The Echo, Gardai attended the scene of a gathering at a college campus in Cork city earlier today (Monday 17th June 2024). A female and a male (both in their 20s) were arrested for public order offences. The female received an adult caution and the male was charged and has appeared before the courts. They added that investigations are ongoing. AS we mark the 20th anniversary of the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), it is a time to reflect on our journey, celebrate our achievements, and look forward to the future. Established in 2004, the NMCI is Irelands first Public-Private Partnership between Munster Technological University, the Irish Naval Service and Focus Education. Delivering maritime training to over 5,000 students annually, the NMCI is now preparing for the future. The vision for the NMCI was to create a national centre of excellence for the delivery of maritime education and training to meet the current and future needs of the state. Ireland, an island nation, relies heavily on the maritime sector with over 95% of its trade arriving by strategic sea lines of communication. Added to this, the national ambition to deliver 20GW of offshore wind by 2040 will provide challenges and opportunities which the NMCI must be ready to embrace. National Maritime College of Ireland. To ensure Ireland can continue to maximise its maritime resource which is seven times its landmass, the need for a resilient and diverse maritime workforce has never been more critical. With over 50% of the population living within 5km of the coastline there is huge opportunity for young people to embrace the lure of a career working in the maritime sector. While maritime careers used to be patriarchal the NMCI has proactively increased the number of females attending its maritime courses to 11%, over five times the industry average, however, there is still a huge amount to do in developing a more diverse workforce. A career at sea offers young people an opportunity to work in STEM and apply the acquired knowledge and skills across a broad spectrum of roles. Nationally, careers at sea are not promoted and there is a significant knowledge gap at primary and secondary school level. Nevertheless, the NMCI Transition Year programme continues to evolve and grow with over 150 applicants for 36 places in 2023/2024. The NMCI looks forward to advertising this program for 2024/2025 and will seek to develop suitable programs for engaging with primary schools. The NMCIs state-of-the-art campus, located in Ringaskiddy, Cork, is equipped with the latest technology and facilities, including advanced marine bridge and engine simulators, environmental pool, fire training yard, and dedicated laboratories and workshops. These resources provide our students with vocational training that is critical for their professional development. Through the support of DFHERIS, significant updates to our facilities are planned later this year and in early 2025, ensuring NMCI remains one of the most advanced maritime colleges in the world. The SIM Bridge Simulator National Maritime College of Ireland. To those who wish to undertake a career at sea, then the NMCI is a college that will provide challenge, excitement, and opportunities to travel the globe with lucrative renumeration packages. Career opportunities exist on a range of different types of ocean-going vessels such as bulk carriers, oil tankers, container ships, cruise and ferry vessels. There are also careers on specialist vessels, such as seismic and exploration ships, pilot vessels, tugs, and mega yachts. The NMCI offers a wide range of programmes, from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to professional short courses, covering areas such as navigation, marine engineering, electrical engineering, and maritime safety training. Through the CAO system, leaving cert and mature students can apply for Bachelor Degrees in Marine Engineering (MT764), Nautical Science (MT766) or Marine Electrotechnology (MT765). All of these courses prepare students for their Certificate of Competency qualifications which allows them to work anywhere in the world. To provide opportunities for individuals working across industry the NMCI has collaborated with Green Tech Skillnet and CILT Skillnet to develop a selection of new programmes which include: a Certificate in Nautical Studies for Officer of the Watch and Master on Ships of Less Than 500 Gross Tonnage, a Certificate in Port and Offshore Energy Operations Management, and two new Master Programmes, MSc in Global Sustainable Supply Chain Management and MSc in Maritime Operations. The NMCI's Simulation Instructors Station. The introduction of these courses reiterates the NMCIs ability to respond to sectoral needs and support the training needs of the Irish Maritime sector. The NMCI is exploring future course offerings as the maritime industry is undergoing significant transformation, driven by technological advancements, environmental imperatives, and changing global dynamics. In May the NMCI announced a collaboration with Seabot Maritime, a leading provider of smart remote operations training in unmanned surface vehicle (USV) operations. The National Maritime College of Ireland is more than just an institution; it is a community of passionate individuals committed to advancing the maritime industry and making a difference globally. Our success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and strategic partners. Together, we have built a strong foundation and we look forward to reimagining our vision and purpose, continuing our mission of excellence in maritime education and training into the future. See https://www.nmci.ie/ for more Kenneth Fox Irish authorities have set up a high-level implementation group to join a European ports network tasked with tackling the booming sea trade in international drug trafficking. As the Irish Examiner reports, the move comes as EU officials try to address growing concerns at the corruption of port officials and workers, sometimes through severe threats, and incidents, of violence and intimidation and as European seizures now exceed that of the US, traditionally the worlds largest cocaine market. In Ireland, more than 300kg of cocaine was seized in Foynes in Co Limerick last December. Two months earlier, 2.25 tonnes of cocaine worth more than 150 million was found onboard a bulk cargo vessel off the Cork coast. In February of this year, more than half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine worth more than 30 million was seized in Ringaskiddy in Cork. The EU drugs agency and the EU Home Affairs Directorate have warned that South American drug cartels are increasingly targeting smaller ports away from the major ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam and that this could include all ports in all countries including Ireland. The European Ports Alliance brings together the State and the private sector to boost intelligence gathering and cooperation between police, customs, and privately-run ports. The alliance has a 200 million budget to fund modern equipment to help customs in member states scan containers more efficiently as well as a range of expertise and supports. The establishment of the EU initiative comes as figures published last week by the EU drugs agency reveal that seizures of cocaine across member states have reached record levels for six years in a row. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said 323 tonnes were seized in 2022, compared to 303 tonnes in 2021 and up from 80 tonnes in 1996. Many EU countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland all reported record hauls of cocaine in 2023. Susan Steele, Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency My journey began in Allihies at the tip of the Beara Peninsula, and from the tender age of two, I was raised on a farm in Eyeries. Here, my parents, Norman and Veronica Steele, established Milleens Cheese in 1976. From the moment I became aware of the sea, I was determined to become a marine biologist, a passion that has never waned. From the age of 11, I sought work experience at a nearby fish farm, where I found joy in cleaning tanks and feeding smolts. The earnings from this funded my week-long marine biology courses on Sherkin Island with Matt Murphy. Each summer was dedicated to gaining more experience, often involving an aquarium or study project. After my Leaving Cert, I embarked on a three-year marine biology degree at Bangor University. I learned to dive in Anglesey and even became a Dive instructor, and have since dived every centimetre of the Beara coastline. I now call Vigo, Spain, my home, where, since September, 2021, I have been serving as the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency. The agency is committed to upholding the highest common standards for control, inspection, and surveillance under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Prior to my current role, I was the Executive Chair and CEO of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority of Ireland. Susan Steele, Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency. While its important to acknowledge the strides weve made in improving the sustainability of EU fisheries, as highlighted in the 2024 Commission report, we must also recognise that theres still much work to be done. The impacts of climate change, pollution, and other factors on our oceans are significant and require our continued attention and action. The state, along with the European Commission, is making commendable efforts towards achieving sustainability and preventing further fisheries declines. The introduction of a new control regulation this year, which mandates monitoring of all catches, including recreational fisheries, is a step in the right direction. However, as individuals, we too have a role to play. We need to adopt a blue lifestyle, being mindful of how our actions on land impact the oceans, ensuring we purchase fish from legal sources, and most importantly, taking the time to enjoy and appreciate the oceans. Jacques Cousteau once said: We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught. This rings true when it comes to our relationship with the sea. The blue mind, a state of calmness induced by the sea, is a testament to our deep connection with the oceans. While there is a general love for the sea and appreciation of the oceans in Cork, there is always room for more education and learning. Sea swimming is a passion of mine. As a friend once put it, You may not like the person going into the sea, but you always like the person coming out. Another described sea swimming as a reset button. These sentiments capture the essence of sea swimming for me - its a source of energy, joy, and a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I think that there are some of us with slightly saltier blood. For me, I am happiest on, by or talking about and working with the oceans. I have been extremely lucky to have been able to live a life working with the oceans and living by the sea as I work. I swim most days in the sea and spend my leisure time at sea. The attraction is strong but hard to explain. Jacques Cousteau once said The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever, and that captures it beautifully. The endangered Przewalskis horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is the last wild horse species on Earth, meaning a type of wild horse that is not a descendent of domesticated horses. But in the 1960s, this horse became extinct in the wild. Now, through a managed breeding and care program by the Prague Zoo, Przewalskis horse has been returned to Kazakhstans Golden Steppe for the first time in at least two centuries. In early June 2024, two Czech Army CASA aircrafts carried a total of seven Przewalskis horses to Golden Steppe, an area of open grasslands. The first aircraft with three horses landed on June 4, according to a press release from the Prague Zoo. After hundreds of years, first Przewalskis horses have returned to the steppes of central Kazakhstan, Miroslav Bobek, the director of the Prague Zoo, said in a press release. We still have a long way to go, but this was a historic moment. The sight of Zeta II running off into the steppe will never leave my memory. On June 6, the remaining four horses were transferred to the grasslands. But the project did not go as smoothly as hoped, as eight horses in total were originally planned for the trip. But in the first batch of horses, one horse named Pelle kept sitting in his crate, which the zoo noted could be dangerous for him during the long journey. Some technical difficulties also led to delays, but overall, the horses were transported safely, marking a successful project. This is an event of historical import: the seven Przewalskis that we transported here by two CASA planes represent the first individuals of this species in central Kazakhstan in hundreds of years, Bobek said in an update. With this double transport, we have taken a major step towards returning the last wild horse to another area where it was found in the past. Our goal is to slowly transport at least forty individuals here, so that a viable population can be set up. Hardly anything could be a better demonstration of the purpose of modern zoos than the Return of the Wild Horses. The horses will roam in an area spanning 80 hectares and will be closely monitored by researchers, EuroNews reported. Przewalskis horses were once abundant across Europe and Asia, but environmental changes and competition with livestock and humans led their habitat to shrink, the Smithsonians National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute reported. Eventually, they became extinct in the wild. But reintroduction projects, like those led by Prague Zoo, have helped return the species to the wild at sites in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has also led a major breeding program for the species, with more than 157 Przewalskis horses bred since 1969. According to the zoo, it sends the offspring to reintroduction programs and other zoos to help with species recovery. As EuroNews reported, Prague Zoo is slated to transfer additional horses to Golden Steppe in 2025. In addition to the 40 total horses Prague Zoo plans to eventually reintroduce to Golden Steppe, the zoo is expected to send more Przewalskis horses to Mongolia in two years. We are still responsible the fact this wild horse disappeared and now we can sort of reverse that, and give it back to nature, Filip Masek, spokesperson for Prague Zoo, told the BBC. To sort of be these Noahs Arks which have all these endangered species. If its possible and sometimes its not we should try and do everything to return them to their original environments. (Screen grab from Youtube promotion for UK prayer campaign using Lord's Prayer in Nov. 2015)UK children say Lord's Prayer Christians across the United Kingdom are suffering harassment and discrimination in every part of society, a new report from Voice For Justice UK says. The Costs of Keeping the Faith study found that people with conservative Christian views have felt marginalized for their beliefs, and discrimination is most prevalent amongst younger generations. The study involved multiple-choice assessments of how participants had been treated in their workplaces and day-to-day lives, as well as open-ended questions concerning how comfortable they felt sharing their faith. It found that 38 percent of under 35s surveyed said they felt their freedom of speech was restricted, with 56 percent-61 percent saying they have experienced hostility or ridicule if they discussed their beliefs. The report also looked at Christians working in Britain's National Health Service. It found inadequate guidance around prayer and pressure to carry out procedures that might contradict Christian beliefs. One participant recounted: "'When I trained to be a nurse, I was able to sign a form to say I would not take part in abortion. "This is no longer an option for student nurses, and as such, this profession would now have been shut to me. I feel this is highly discriminatory against my Christian faith." Nick Fletcher, former Member of Parliament and Conservative candidate, told Voice for Justice: "We all need to wake up to the attack on Christianity in our society before it turns into something even more sinister. This report is a vital step in sounding the alarm." The Catholic Herald reported that based on a survey of 1,562 responses, the report says that people who hold orthodox Christian views are being marginalized. They are treated with contempt, while the figures indicate such marginalization is even more acute among younger generations. The report found that: 56 percent said they experienced hostility and ridicule if they discussed their religious beliefs (this went up to 61 percent in the younger age group); More than half of under-35s felt there were negative stereotypes of Christians at their place of work; And 38 percent of Christians under 35 felt their freedom of speech was restricted; The report also found that 78 percent of respondents said they believed religious discrimination was not treated as seriously as other forms of discrimination. The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, says that social media should come with warning labels about its potential health impacts much like warnings on cigarettes and other tobacco products. In an op-ed in The New York Times, Murthy says that social media is an important contributor to the teen mental health crisis. It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents, Murthy wrote. A surgeon generals warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Its not the first time Murthy has raised mental health concerns surrounding social media. Last year, he issued an advisory that made similar arguments last year, saying that social media posed a profound risk to teen mental health. In his latest op-ed, Murthy cited a study showing that higher social media use was associated with an increased risk for anxiety and depression, as well as a survey where almost half of teens reported that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. As Murthy notes, warning labels cant happen without cooperation from Congress. And it's unclear what kind of support he might have for such a measure, though lawmakers around the country have shown some support for things like age verification laws as they look to crack down on social media companies over teen safety issues. He also points out that warning labels alone wouldnt make social media safer, but would help better inform parents, schools, doctors and others. There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids, he wrote. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world. The other day, I attended a memorial service for a neighbor. I'm not someone who typically gets offended at memorial servicesbut one speakera son of the deceasedmade me feel I was standing underneath an avalanche. He said almost nothing about his mother, but went on and on about the need to accept Jesus and become this man's kind of "Christian" in order to be spared a literal eternity in actual Hell. Listening, I grew increasingly upset and furious. He effectively created a second-class citizenship, or worse, for everyone who doesn't follow his particular brand of religion I am not a Christian, but I've read the Four Gospels. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? Samaritans were a despised ethnic group among Jews in Roman Palestine 2000 years ago. Jesus' message was all about acceptance of the good in people, acceptance of diversity, and taking responsibility for your OWN behaviorattributes that seem to be in short supply amongst this man's self-righteous and vindictive style of religious fundamentalism. I don't even now how they can even call themselves Christians when their key message mocks and marginalizes Christ's own virtues. And I was appalled by this man, so smug that he actually said that he would see his parents in Heaven IF they were admitted there; he had no worries about his own fitness to enter the kingdom of love. Jesus would have been just as appalled. He was far more concerned with healing the sick, with undoing the misery of the poor and bereft, than with following religious rituals without following the moral codes underlying them:codes that recognize the worth of every human being. After the service, I was simmering with rage and felt a need to process with someone who'd been there. I called another neighbor, a friend who welcomed us to the neighborhood 25 years ago. Before I could even say more than "I need to vent about the memorial service," she named the offensive speaker and told me that she and her husband were equally appalled, and that this man with his ugly prejudices was an outlier in his own family. I felt some closure after our call. The next day, I mentioned in my daily public Gratitude Journal on Facebook that I was grateful for her support "helping me debrief a very uncomfortable moment in the memorial we both attended yesterday." I didn't give any more details than that. And then the magic happened. I got a Facebook private message from another neighbor, a relative of the deceased. This person is my Facebook friend, but in real life, we barely know each other. Most of our contact has been a quick hello at the annual neighborhood holiday party. She sent me a deeply personal and very welcoming note of apology for the conduct of her relative, appreciation that I had attended, and gratitude for the many cultures and religions who had come together to support her family in this time of grief. We sent a stream of messages back and forth for the next half-hour, and I came away feeling like I had a new friend, even after 25 years of those superficial encounters. And that was the silver lininganother gateway to abundancein this cloud of ugly bigotry. The upcoming general election is the most important Westminster election 'in generations', the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has said. The union explained that the next UK parliamentary term would be 'pivotal' for farmers in Northern Ireland. It has put forward three asks of the next government, including an increase in the ring-fenced annual farm support and development budget for NI, from 330m to 389m. The new UK government must also urgently seek a sanitary and phytosanitary/veterinary agreement between the entire UK and European Union. And legislative targets should be introduced to safeguard current domestic food production in the UK, the UFU said. The union's president William Irvine said: With 670,000 people living in rural NI, and the agri-food sector being the backbone of the rural economy, politicians cannot afford to dismiss the importance of our vote. The general election has the power to change the direction of UK politics, ultimately determining the future of agriculture and we all have an influence on the outcome. As farmers we must produce enough food to feed a growing population whilst addressing climate change, and we need 18 members of parliament who will help us deliver a sustainable and profitable future for all UK farmers. Mr Irvine said this would not only provide farmers with confidence in their family farm, but politicians would be ensuring that the UK population had access to local food. It would also ensure that the environment was looked after by the caring hands of men and women who farm the land, the UFU president said. The future of the family farm structure is at a crossroads, producing sustainable produce and energy but with a poor reward. Now, it is time for our politicians to do what is right by our farm families and help our agri-industry to thrive in the next parliamentary term. New legislation will be introduced to facilitate a cattle sector-led approach to eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in Wales. From 1 July 2024, farmers and keepers will need to screen their herds for BVD annually by testing a small number of cattle. They will also need to isolate persistently infected (PI) animals from the rest of the herd for the remainder of their lives. The changes are part of the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Wales) Order 2024, which was developed by the cattle sector and the Welsh government. A widespread viral disease, BVD can lead to abortion, infertility, deformed calves, and compromise herd health and welfare. Infected herds often experience increased cases of calf pneumonia and scours, as well as reduced productivity and other cattle health and welfare issues. The Welsh government says eradicating BVD will improve standards of animal health and welfare and help Wales achieve its net zero targets sooner. Eradicating BVD from a typical Welsh herd of 40 cattle could reduce the carbon footprint by around 70,200kg CO2e annually, it claims. In addition, eradication could bring farm-level financial benefits stemming from improved cattle health, welfare, and productivity, including increased milk yield and reproduction rates. The cattle sector, with government assistance, will also set up a Wales BVD governance body involving a farmer support structure to facilitate disease eradication efforts. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: I understand the serious impact of BVD, not just on standards of animal health and welfare, but also the impact on production. The eradication of BVD in Wales is a long-standing commitment, and I fully support industry and government working together in close partnership to achieve this outcome. Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Dr Richard Irvine, explained that the benefits of being BVD-free included increased cattle health, welfare, productivity and fertility. "Eliminating BVD can reduce costs and the carbon footprint of your herd," he said, "maintaining a BVD-free status strengthens the health and welfare of our cattle farms in Wales, and can also help reduce antibiotic usage. "Embarking on this next phase of the BVD eradication programme in Wales is a really important step." A police officer who deliberately drove his patrol car into a cow has been removed from frontline duties following public outcry, Surrey Police has confirmed. Shocking footage widely shared on social media shows a 10-month breeding heifer running loose on Raleigh Road, Feltham, before being struck at speed by a police car. Surrey Police said in a statement that after attempts to safely capture the animal over a period of a number of hours had failed, the decision was made to stop it using a police car. The force added that the farmer had been located and the cow was now 'recuperating with her herd' in Staines Moor, Surrey, after being assed by a vet, who was overseeing its continued treatment and recovery. Police try to stop an escaped cow by ramming it with their car in Feltham, West London pic.twitter.com/kRTnGRr5SH UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 15, 2024 However, the farmer's partner, called Kate, told Sky News that while the cow was now recovering, it could still die of shock. "Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought he should lose his job. I just thought it was disgusting, I couldn't believe it," she told the broadcaster. Speaking about the incident, Surrey Police's Deputy Chief Constable said: I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure that it is thoroughly and diligently investigated. "In addition to an internal referral to our Professional Standards Department, we have also referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent consideration. At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations." He said the cow had sustained a large cut to one leg and cuts and grazes, adding "she continues to be monitored by a vet and our rural officers are staying in contact with the owner for updates." I can confirm that on the night, efforts were made to contact local vets without success and efforts were simultaneously being made to identify the owner. "Why these were unsuccessful and what more could and should have been done will form a key part of the investigation." A virtual rat with an artificial brain has been created. A virtual rat could provide an insight into how the brain works The unique creature has been designed by scientists as they attempt to discover how the brain controls movement. Experts say that the way in which humans and other species move is an "evolutionary marvel" that no robot has been able to replicate accurately. Matthew Botvinick, Google DeepMind Senior Director of Research, lauded the "exciting opportunity" of getting to work with Harvard rodent boffin Professor Bence Olveczky in the creation of the virtual animal. He said: "We've learned a huge amount from building AI systems that not only have to think intelligently, but also have to translate that thinking into physical action. "It seemed plausible that taking the same approach in a neuroscience context might be useful for providing insights into both behaviour and brain function." Professor Olveczky added: "We want to start using the virtual rats to test these ideas and help advance our understanding." Author Esther Schuil (Ibiza) 1. I moved to Seville in an attempt to save my relationship with my ex-boyfriend. While we were preparing our move to Spain, to start over as a couple, there were several rumours of him cheating with someone I knew. I wasnt ready to face the truth at the time and only finally started dealing with the trust issues I developed as a result during my healing journey for my self-help book Issues & Tissues. 2. The weirdest comment I got from people in Seville visiting my home and meeting my pet rabbit was: When are you planning on eating it? Id bought a rabbit years before with my ex, before moving to Spain, because we both loved dogs and wanted a pet which wasnt as much of a responsibility. So I took bunny with me on the plane from The Netherlands to Seville (which is a story in itself!) but quickly learnt that having a rabbit as a pet in that part of Spain was something of an enigma. When are you going to eat your rabbit? or Wow, that looks like a great rabbit for Christmas! were one of the many comments I had! 3. Learning languages has been my natural instinct from an early age. I remember an introduction day for my high school where you could try out several classes and, almost everyone except me, chose to go to Music or Arts class. I was intrigued to learn new languages because I felt it opened up a whole new world of opportunity. I chose French and couldnt wait to learn to speak a language other than my mother tongue, Dutch. Ive been adding English, Spanish, French and German to my curriculum and hope to continue learning more. 4. I gave up my corporate job at a language training company without knowing what I was going to do next. Ive always had a strong sense of following my gut when it comes to making decisions and when I felt it was time to quit my job at a company in Amsterdam, I just did it! My colleagues were shocked and presumed I already had a new job lined up. However, I truly had no clue where I was going to work and what I was going to do, but just felt it was the right time for me to leave. The moment I quit my job I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom and booked a solo flight to South Africa. 5. My husband and I met online via Tinder while he was working on a luxury yacht as a captain in Mallorca and I was running my own events company on Ibiza. Dating someone on a different island made our decision to move in together somewhat easier. Within 4 months he quit his career of almost 20 years and moved in with me on Ibiza. There was no plan, it didnt make any sense, but it just felt right. From the moment we first met at the airport on Ibiza eight years ago, we both knew this was true love and had an instant connection that has been growing ever since. 6. Moving back to Ibiza with my husband and daughter after many years of searching for a home base has been my biggest achievement so far. The moment we found out we were expecting our daughter, weve been on a search to find the best base for our family. This journey has taken us to many different countries in Europe (Spain, Sweden, France, Italy and The Netherlands) as well as further afield in Dubai, Thailand and Bali. It turned out to be a great journey full with adventures which I am currently using for my second book. 7. I never make plans anymore and just go with the flow What Ive learnt from years of travelling and living in different countries is that the memories you make while immersing yourself in new cultures and languages is the best investment you can make. The time you spend with your loved ones is priceless, so Ive developed a method in order to keep focused on what matters most. Time is the most valuable asset you have and that is why I choose to enjoy every day as if it were my last! The book Issues For Tissues By Esther Ibiza is out now. Paperback 25|Ebook 13 Available exclusively from www.estheribiza.com Esther Ibiza has written her first book Issues & Tissues to help and inspire others to start living their dream life. In the first part of the book she describes 7 issues (trust, acceptance, forgiveness, communication, pleasing people, commitment and focus) that shes had to deal with in her life and takes the reader on a self discovery journey in the second part of the book. You can scan the 7 audio chapters via QR-codes, which will help the reader start sensing which issues might be currently dominating his/her life at the moment. The third part of the book includes Esthers personal method to stay focused on her own path in life and invites the reader to create rituals and reminders to start living their dream life as well. It doesnt need to make sense, it just needs to feel right. The focus of the Esther Ibiza Method is lifestyle and its effect on mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. We have all gone through difficult situations but for some reason there is sometimes a reluctance to share these experiences with other people. More often than not it is because its something we feel ashamed or afraid of, preventing us from sharing openly and honestly how we feel. The more we try to hide our feelings, the more we close ourselves off from our true potential. Making your issues a point of focus and creating healthy daily habits enables you to feel more comfortable with the unexpected turns life can take. Creating daily rituals and reminders has helped Esther move forward in life with more compassion for both herself and others. Practicing them has had a huge impact on her wellbeing and she is passionate about sharing this knowledge in order to help other people on their own journey. About the Author: Born in the Netherlands, Esther has always had a strong desire to discover the world. She is multilingual and speaks Spanish, English, some French and German, and Dutch - her mother tongue. With her husband and young daughter, she is currently travelling the world and over the last couple of years has lived in Dubai, Bali, Thailand as well as France, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Issues and Tissues is her first book. Angelina Jolie has won her first Tony Award after being inspired by her 15-year-old daughter Vivienne to produce 'The Outsiders: A New Musical'. Angelina Jolie has won her first-ever Tony Award with with her daughter The 'Tourist' actress, 49, did not give a speech at the prestigious stage awards ceremony at New York's Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater on Sunday (16.06.24), but she appeared alongside her daughter, who also assisted her with the production. The show, which is based on S.E. Hinton's tome about 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, his two brothers and best friend Johnny the Greasers who face rival group the Socs, and has a meaningful message about resilience, was one of the big winners of the night, taking four prizes, also including Best Musical. Producer Matthew Rego said in a speech: Susie Hinton wrote The Outsiders 60 years ago and she has received accolades ever since. But she often says that she still gets overwhelmed when told that The Outsiders changed someones life because shell say, who might have changed anyones life? Its the book. Its not the author. Its the message, not the messenger. Well Susie, Im here to tell you that your story and its eternal message of love and family and staying gold has forever changed all of our lives. We love you. Angelina recently shared how she learned a lot about her youngest daughter through producing the Broadway show. The 'Maleficent' star was introduced to 'The Outsiders' after Vivienne saw its run on the West Coast, and she agreed to get involved with the New York production because of the youngster's passion. She told Deadline: "My daughter Viv loves theatre. "She appreciates all theatre but she certainly knows what she feels close to and what she responds to. She went to see 'The Outsiders' at La Jolla about five times and was telling me about it, and I had read the book, and I'd seen the film years ago." At the urging of her daughter, Angelina revisited the material and began "really watching the effect it was having on my young daughter and what she was telling me about herself, and I was learning what about it was important to her and why it connected so deeply to her." Angelina - who also has Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Vivienne's twin brother Knox with ex-husband Brad Pitt - then joined the production as producer, with her daughter as her assistant. And Angelina realised doing so was "a moment to learn more about Viv." She explained: "It was a very different experience of understanding, of how this is having a significant effect on her as a young person right now, and she's communicating something to me, and that is the power of this material. "And then I had the privilege of watching everyone work over this last year to make it into what it is, and Vivienne has been there the whole way." Kerry Katona is moving into her "forever home" to "downsize" now her kids are starting to move out. Kerry Katona is downsizing as her kids leave home The former Atomic Kitten star is mum to five children, but her eldest daughter Molly, 22, is now living in Dublin where she's studying drama and Lilly, 21, recently moved in with her grandparents in Ireland leaving just Heidi, 17, Max, 16, and DJ, 10, living at home so Kerry and her fiance Ryan Mahoney have decided to move into a smaller house. In her column for OK! magazine, Kerry explained: "By the time this column is out, we will have the keys to our new home not that were prepared at all! But we do have movers coming this week and we wont move out of our house straight away, so there isnt any rush. "Im really sad to be leaving this house and downsizing but I know its for the best especially for the future and buying my forever home." Kerry added she expects her daughter Heidi to move out soon after she finishes school because she's planning to attend a performing arts college in Liverpool, so they just don't need as much space any more. She wrote: "Now that Lilly has gone to Ireland its just DJ, Max and Heidi in the house so we dont need much room any more, especially as Heidi will be leaving once she finishes school. "Although I have to say, Lilly has been in Ireland for one week and hasnt stopped calling so she might want to come back home sooner than we think!" Lilly - who dad is former Westlife star Brian McFadden - previously opened up about growing up in the spotlight, admitting the family moved around a lot but she had a happy childhod. She told DailyMail.co.uk: "We were so blessed because we had amazing experiences ... Growing up with a big family was so beautiful, we moved a lot and had a very different life and people tried to hate us but when you have a family like ours it's just such a strong and loving system." Polands export turnover at current prices between January and April this year was worth PLN 505.6 billion, while import turnover amounted to PLN 487.2 billion, according to Statistics Poland. The positive balance reached PLN 18.4 billion, while it amounted to PLN 18.3 billion in the same period of 2023. Poland's export turnover at current prices between January and April was worth PLN 505.6 billion, while import turnover amounted to PLN 487.2 billion, Statistics Poland said. The positive balance reached PLN 18.4 billion, while it was PLN 18.3 billion in the same period of 2023. Exports fell by 9.9 per cent YoY and imports by 10.3 per cent YoY in the period. Exports decreased by 9.9 per cent and imports by 10.3 per cent in the first four months this year compared to the corresponding period last year. Exports expressed in US dollars amounted to $126.8 billion, while imports amounted to $122.1 billion (a decrease in exports of 1.1 per cent and in imports of 1.5 per cent). The positive trade balance reached $4.6 billion, while it was $4.2 billion in the same period last year, a Statistics Poland release said. Poland had the largest share of 86.4 per cent in total exports with developed countries and in imports, it was 66.4 per cent compared to 87.2 per cent and 65.3 per cent respectively in the corresponding period of 2023. However, the smallest share was observed with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which in total exports amounted to 5.2 per cent, and in imports, 2 per cent, compared with 4.7 per cent and 2.9 per cent respectively in January-April last year. Negative trade balance was recorded with developing countries. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) International partners have considerably reduced their development support to Cambodia despite the country's economy remaining fragile and below pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report by Sydney-based independent think tank Lowy Institute. Total official development finance to Cambodia dropped by 30 per cent in 2022 to $2.3 billion, in line with a broader regional trend for Southeast Asia, the think tanks annual Southeast Asia Aid Maps 2024 Key Finding Report said. Global partners have considerably reduced their development aid to Cambodia despite the country's economy staying fragile and below pre-pandemic levels, an Australian think tank said. China, which offered over a third of Cambodia's development finance from 2015 to 2022, saw its support plummet to $386 million in 2022its lowestwith little signs of recovery. China, which offered over a third of Cambodia's development finance from 2015 to 2022, saw its support plummet to $386 million in 2022its lowest pointwith little signs of recovery, it observed. The decline is a matter of concern, said Alexandre Dayant, Southeast Asia Aid Map project lead at the think tank, during the launch event of the report in Phnom Penh. Critical sectors like infrastructure, health and education are heavily reliant on international aid. However, regional powers like India, Japan and Korea have increased their support, suggesting a shift in Cambodia's development partnerships. While Cambodia may not pivot to traditional Western donors, its pool of development partners could expand, potentially leading to more diversified and resilient economic growth. The role of intra-regional development financing and assistance between ASEAN member states is growing, albeit from a low base. Thailand leads in this regard, followed by Vietnam, the report noted. Governance was cited as a primary barrier to growth and development in Cambodia. During the 2015-2022 period, more than 19,500 projects were implemented by 63 development partners in Cambodia, totalling more than $17.7 billion in funding, the report added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) In partnership with the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and its membership, Volkswagen Group (China) Technology Company (VCTC) is hosting a collaborative Plugfest to test and advance UWB technology and strengthen digital key security. In a recent McKinsey Mobility Consumer Pulse survey, a majority of respondents, especially those in China, noted they are very likely to buy connectivity features in their next vehicle. In an effort to continually advance connected car technology, VCTC today will host a collaborative Plugfest to test digital keys in partnership with the CCC, a leading automaker and smart device standards group. Through this work, VCTC and the CCC, alongside the CCC's global membership of automotive and device manufacturers, aim to advance ultra-wideband (UWB), a critical technology that is working to enhance car connectivity to meet consumer expectations and demands. "We continue to see the demand, especially from Chinese consumers who want and expect car connectivity features like digital keys. So, it's important we're working inside the CCC to develop an unparalleled technology standard that is both easy to use, and reliably secure," said an expert from VCTC. "Working in a global collaborative environment helps us accelerate UWB implementation, more effectively move through the complexities of the technology, and bring them to market faster." UWB will be a focus for this event as it adds another layer of security to the CCC Digital Key standard and enables fully passive entry when built on top of the existing BLE and near field communication (NFC) technologies. This is an important step to driving digital key adoption as utilizing UWB, BLE, and NFC technologies creates the most complete solution possible, ensuring security and performance without compromise. "By continuing to advance the CCC Digital Key technology, we see a future of a digital key that can tangibly drive the connected car industry forward," said the President of the CCC, Alysia Johnson. "We thank our host, VCTC, for supporting a crucial event like this one, especially in China, so we can continue to test and advance CCC Digital Key technology and bring the best solutions to a global market." As a testament to the CCC's robust and comprehensive approach to security, it recently received verification from the renowned German Federal Office of Information Security (BSI) for its CCC Digital Key Applet Protection Profile, becoming the only digital key application to receive this security designation. With this BSI certification, mobile phone and vehicle OEMs from all over the world that are CCC Digital Key certified can trust their digital key implementations allow users to securely and safely access their vehicles. The CCC Plugfest is a crucial platform for its members to refine their CCC Digital Key applications, enhancing implementations, specifications, test suites, and tools. This week's Plugfest will last through Friday. To learn more about the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), please visit our website. About the Car Connectivity Consortium: The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) is a cross-industry organization advancing technologies for smartphone-to-car connectivity solutions. The CCC represents a large portion of the global automotive and smartphone industries with more than 200 member companies. The CCC member companies include smartphone and vehicle manufacturers, automotive tier-1 suppliers, silicon/chip vendors, security product suppliers, and more. Its Board of Directors includes individuals from charter member companies Apple, BMW, CARIAD, DENSO, Ford, General Motors, Google, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, NXP, Panasonic, Samsung, Thales, and Xiaomi. For more information, visit www.carconnectivity.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240616872225/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Caroline Harvey INK Communications for CCC ccc@ink-co.com DUBAI, UAE, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- XRP Healthcare proudly announces the release of Issue 3 of the highly anticipated XRP Healthcare Magazine, now accessible on ISSUU and in physical print. This issue shines a spotlight on Peter Waiswa, a pioneering Ugandan healthcare innovator known for his transformative work in the maternity sector, and delves into the latest advancements and collaborative efforts in healthcare technology and innovation. Peter Waiswa, renowned for his dedication to improving newborn care in Uganda, shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities within the Ugandan healthcare system. As an advisor to major global health organizations including UNICEF, WHO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Waiswa offers a unique perspective on the future of healthcare in Africa. In this issue, he discusses his alignment with XRP Healthcare's mission: "I'm involved with XRP Healthcare because I admire their commitment to improving the quality and capacity of healthcare in Uganda. Currently, our healthcare system is fragmented, mostly privatised, and often lacks regulation. Despite this, we face complex health challenges. Investing in healthcare in Uganda and Africa holds great promise because the market is growing along with demand." Issue 3 also covers the groundbreaking contributions of Isansys Lifecare. The company, known for its advanced patient monitoring systems, has collaborated with the NHS in the United Kingdom to bring innovative healthcare solutions to the forefront. Keith Errey, Founder of Isansys Lifecare, has recently joined XRP Healthcare as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), focusing on expanding access to lifesaving equipment in Uganda. He comments: "Laban and Kain offered me the opportunity to become an advisor to their company, and more recently, the position of Chief Technology Officer - CTO for healthcare products and devices. For me, this is a fantastic opportunity to continue my journey in making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Our approach at XRP Healthcare is centred on bringing economies of scale that benefit people without monopolising the market." Kain Roomes, CEO of XRP Healthcare, expresses his enthusiasm for the latest issue of XRP Healthcare Magazine: "We are incredibly proud of Issue 3 of the XRP Healthcare Magazine. This edition is particularly special as it features the remarkable work of Peter Waiswa in transforming newborn care in Uganda, insights from Lara Bloom's tireless advocacy with The Ehlers-Danlos Society, and the visionary contributions of our new CTO, Keith Errey. Additionally, we are thrilled to showcase the strategic expertise of our Chairman, Whitney Lynn, whose leadership is instrumental in guiding our expansion plans. These compelling narratives and expert perspectives make this issue a must-read for anyone passionate about advancing healthcare. The positive reception from readers across various regions further validates our commitment to delivering high-quality, impactful content." Laban Roomes, Business Development Officer at XRP Healthcare, offers an enthusiastic perspective on the organization's growth and the magazine's reception: "With the recent addition of Whitney Lynn as Chairman, Peter Waiswa as our healthcare advisor and Keith Errey as CTO, XRP Healthcare is assembling an exceptional leadership team poised to drive our expansion strategy. These seasoned experts bring invaluable insights and experience, positioning us for success as we finalize preparations for our forthcoming mergers and acquisitions. Their involvement underscores our commitment to transforming healthcare delivery across Africa and beyond." XRP Healthcare Magazine Issue 3 has garnered an overwhelmingly positive reception across diverse regions, including Africa, the UAE, the USA, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Esteemed healthcare professionals and institutions have praised its rich content and insightful analyses, cementing the magazine's reputation as a pivotal resource in global healthcare discourse. The magazine also features an insightful piece on The Ehlers-Danlos Society and its CEO, Professor Lara Bloom, who is making significant strides in global healthcare advocacy. Additionally, the issue introduces Whitney Lynn, a mergers and acquisitions specialist, whose expertise will guide XRP Healthcare's expansion strategy. XRP Healthcare Magazine Issue 3 promises to be a comprehensive resource for healthcare professionals and enthusiasts alike, offering in-depth analyses on: - Pioneering Patient Data Solutions by Isansys Lifecare - Extending Lifespan and Quality of Life through Science - Inteleos Transformative Maternal and Foetal Healthcare Initiatives in Africa - The Top 10 Hospitals in Africa Readers can obtain free physical copies of the magazine by contacting XRP Healthcare and paying only for postage. Digital copies are available for download on ISSUU here. About XRP Healthcare: XRP Healthcare is dedicated to enhancing healthcare delivery through innovative technologies and strategic partnerships. By addressing the unique challenges faced by healthcare systems in Uganda and across Africa, XRP Healthcare aims to improve accessibility, quality, and efficiency of healthcare services. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2439729/XRP_Healthcare.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2365357/XRP_Healthcare_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xrp-healthcare-magazine-issue-3-featuring-ugandan-innovator-peter-waiswa-nhs-collaborator-isansys-ehlers-danlos-society--top-10-african-hospitals-302173664.html Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Ground-breaking discoveries on the characteristics of RNA epigenetics unveiled novel targets to treat diseases CAMBRIDGE, England, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- STORM Therapeutics Ltd. (STORM), the clinical stage company pioneering cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to treat disease, is delighted to announce that its Founder & Director and Professor of Cancer Biology, University of Cambridge, UK, Tony Kouzarides, PhD, FMedSci, FRS, will be honored with a Knighthood for his global impact on disease treatment. Professor Kouzarides, a world leading cancer biologist with a career spanning over 25 years, will be awarded the knighthood at the King's Birthday Honors, 2024, Investiture ceremony. Professor Kouzarides has been dedicated to the conversion of science into patient benefit throughout his career. STORM Therapeutics was spun out from the University of Cambridge in 2015 by Professor Kouzarides and his colleague Professor Eric Miska, following their groundbreaking work in RNA epigenetics. Professor Kouzarides and his research group identified the importance of RNA modifications during the development of cancer, opening the pathway for STORM to develop first-in-class drugs targeting this new mechanism. STORM's platform, eliciting cellular reprogramming through RNA modification, has potential beyond cancer in areas including neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation and infectious diseases. Professor Tony Kouzarides, Founder & Director of STORM Therapeutics, said: "I am honored to receive this award, which reinforces the importance of translating basic research into therapies by engaging academic researchers with healthcare businesses. STORM Therapeutics represents a shining example of this principle." Jerry McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of STORM Therapeutics, commented: "STORM is delighted to see Tony recognized nationally as a pioneer in the field of cellular reprogramming through RNA modification. Receiving this honor from the King is the pinnacle of a tremendous and productive career. Tony's commitment, focus and dedication has been unwavering, and we look forward to continuing to work with him as STORM's programs advance into the clinic as effective treatments for patients." In addition to his role at STORM, Professor Kouzarides is Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Cambridge and a Senior Group Leader at the university's Gurdon Institute, specializing in developmental biology and cancer biology. He is also the Director and Co-Founder of the Milner Therapeutics Institute at the University of Cambridge, which focuses on building scientific collaborations to transform therapies. Professor Kouzarides also has his own laboratory in Cambridge, The TK LAB and has been studying epigenetic modifications for many years, starting with the identification of the first human enzymes to modify chromatin in 1996. His lab has identified and characterized many chromatin modification pathways and showed their involvement in cancer. The lab is now investigating the functions of mRNA modifications and their connections to cancer. In close collaboration with STORM Therapeutics, The Kouzarides Lab is targeting RNA modification pathways with small molecule inhibitors, to develop drugs against cancer and other diseases. Professor Kouzarides is also the Founder and Director of Cambridge Gravity, an organization for the promotion of science at the University of Cambridge. He is Founder and Patron of the Spanish cancer charity Vencer el Cancer ("Conquer Cancer"). Professor Kouzarides is Co-Founder and ex-Director of antibodies and reagents company Abcam, which was sold to the Danaher Corporation for US$5.7 billion (4.5bn) in 2023. He was also Co-Founder and ex-Director of Chroma Therapeutics, a drug discovery company based in Oxford. Professor Kouzarides is an elected member of the European Molecular Laboratory Organization (EMBO), fellow of the British Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) and fellow of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. He has also been awarded the Bodossaki Foundation prize in Biology, the Wellcome Trust Award for Research in Biochemistry Related to Medicine, the Tenovus Medal, the Bijvoet Medal, the Biochemical Society Novartis Medal and Prize, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, the Cyprus Excellence in Science Award and the Nemitsas Prize. Find out more about Professor Kouzarides on his Wikipedia page, here. NOTES TO EDITORS About STORM Therapeutics STORM Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering cellular reprogramming through RNA modifications to treat disease. Its world leading understanding of RNA modifying enzymes (RME) has led to the discovery of breakthrough small molecule drugs that precisely reprogram cells through RNA biology for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, viruses and CNS diseases. STORM's lead product, STC-15, is the first RNA modifying enzyme inhibitor to enter human clinical development. STC-15 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in patients with advanced solid tumors, establishing a data set allowing development in future clinical studies. Preclinical data have revealed that METTL3 inhibition stimulates immune cells and activates interferon pathways, leading to the destruction of tumor cells. Additional preclinical studies have demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor properties in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, supporting clinical development in tumor types where an augmented immune response may result in anti-cancer activity. STORM is building on its first-mover advantage by positioning additional RME inhibitor programs to advance into IND-track activities in 2024. STORM is seeking partners to collaborate and accelerate development of these novel drugs for disease applications outside of oncology. STORM's specialist healthcare investors include M Ventures, Pfizer Ventures, Taiho Ventures LLC, Seroba Life Sciences, Cambridge Innovation Capital Limited, IP Group plc, UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. and the Fast Track Initiative (FTI). For more information, please visit www.stormtherapeutics.com. About STC-15 STORM's lead product, STC-15, is the first RME inhibitor to enter human clinical evaluation. This agent is an oral small molecule that inhibits METTL3, an RNA methyltransferase implicated in oncology and other diseases. Certain RNA methyltransferases are important regulators of RNA sensing and innate immune activation and, as such, represent novel immune-regulatory targets. STC-15 has also been shown preclinically to inhibit tumor growth through mechanisms involving anti-cancer immune responses, such as changes in interferon signaling and synergy with T cell checkpoint blockade. STORM is studying the safety and pharmacology of STC-15 in a Phase 1 clinical study in patients with solid tumors. Details of the study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT05584111. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tony-kouzarides-founder-of-storm-therapeutics-awarded-british-knighthood-for-services-to-healthcare-innovation-and-delivery-302174013.html Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! IMC joins Cboe Europe Derivatives as direct trading participant, gaining access to the exchange's suite of pan-European equity derivatives CEDX recently expanded its range of equity options and now offers contracts on over 300 European companies AMSTERDAM and LONDON, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Europe Derivatives (CEDX), Cboe's pan-European equity derivatives marketplace, today announces that IMC has become a new direct trading participant, gaining access to the exchange's range of pan-European index derivatives and equity options. Iouri Saroukhanov, Head of European Derivatives at Cboe Europe, said: "We are thrilled to welcome IMC to CEDX and further diversify the types of liquidity the exchange is offering to its institutional and retail participants. The support of a firm of IMC's calibre demonstrates the broad appeal of CEDX, which is lowering barriers to entry for European derivatives through its pan-European model and promotion of deep and liquid on-screen markets. We look forward to IMC's active participation across our range of equity derivatives and supporting us on our journey to create a larger and more efficient European derivatives market." IMC is a leading global market maker that trades in all major asset classes on more than 100 trading venues around the world. Founded in 1989, it was one of the first trading houses to recognise the importance of technology in the fast-evolving financial markets environment and today is known worldwide for its advanced, low-latency technology and world-class execution capabilities. With offices in Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific, its core business is to provide essential liquidity in financial instruments, helping to make markets more efficient and add value to all market participants. Koen Langemeijer, IMC Europe Market Making Lead, said: "We are very excited to become a direct trading participant on CEDX and provide liquidity across the exchange's range of pan-European equity derivatives contracts. We are strongly aligned with CEDX's ambitions to enhance and grow Europe's derivatives markets and look forward to providing its participants with access to our exceptional levels of liquidity." CEDX launched in September 2021, initially offering trading in futures and options based on key Cboe Europe single country and pan-European indices, with clearing provided by Cboe Clear Europe N.V. The exchange is designed to promote on-screen liquidity and offers a single access point to pan-European equity derivatives products, creating significant operational and capital efficiencies for participants. CEDX expanded into equity options in November 2023, and broadened its universe of these products during Q1 2024. It now offers more than 300 options on companies from 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). These products amount to more than 90% of current ADV and open interest for the top-600 European equity options, as of June 2024. Further information about CEDX's equity options products is available here. About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), the world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to people around the world. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX, and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Above all, we are committed to building a trusted, inclusive global marketplace that enables people to pursue a sustainable financial future. To learn more about the Exchange for the World Stage, visit www.cboe.com. Media Contacts Cboe Analyst Contact Angela Tu Tim Cave Kenneth Hill, CFA +1-646-856-8734 +44 (0) 7593-506-719 +1-312-786-7559 atu@cboe.com tcave@cboe.com khill@cboe.com CBOE-C CBOE-OE Cboe, CFE, VIX, and Cboe Global Markets are registered trademarks and Cboe Futures ExchangeSM is a service mark of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Trading in futures and options on futures is not suitable for all market participants and involves the risk of loss, which can be substantial and can exceed the amount of money deposited for a futures or options on futures position. You should, therefore, carefully consider whether trading in futures and options on futures is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources. You should put at risk only funds that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. For additional information regarding the risks associated with trading futures and options on futures and with trading security futures, see respectively the Risk Disclosure Statement Referenced in CFTC Letter 16-82 and the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts. Certain risks associated with options, futures, and options on futures and certain disclosures relating to information provided regarding these products are also highlighted at https://www.cboe.com/us_disclaimers. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates do not recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. is not affiliated with IMC. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures and investment practices. This press release speaks only as of this date. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. disclaims any duty to update the information herein. Nothing in this announcement should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities or futures in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading or clearing volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in tax regimes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security vulnerabilities and breaches; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; global expansion of operations; factors that impact the quality and integrity of our and other applicable indices; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit, counterparty, investment, and default risks, associated with operating a European clearinghouse; our ability to accommodate trading and clearing volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products or for whom we clear transactions; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; our ability to maintain BIDS Trading as an independently managed and operated trading venue, separate from and not integrated with our registered national securities exchanges; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations and our ability to make payments on or refinance our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; the impacts of pandemics; the accuracy of our estimates and expectations; litigation risks and other liabilities; and risks relating to digital assets, including winding down the Cboe Digital spot crypto market, operating a digital assets futures clearinghouse, cybercrime, changes in digital asset regulation, and fluctuations in digital asset prices. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622233/Cboe_GM_New_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cboe-europe-derivatives-welcomes-imc-as-new-trading-participant-302174060.html Oklahoma City, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Bois Commercial Real Estate brokered by eXp Commercial, a cornerstone of the Oklahoma City commercial real estate sector, proudly highlights its recent achievements and the significant impact it has made on the local market. Bois Commercial Real Estate brokered by eXp Commercial celebrates over $40M in commercial real estate transactions and more than 1,000 business owners consulted. Bois Commercial Real Estate Celebrates Milestone Achievements in the Oklahoma City Market To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8843/212945_d27ea187e4236a7e_001full.jpg Under the leadership of James Smith, a seasoned professional with a military background and over a decade of experience in corporate sales and marketing, Bois Commercial Real Estate has cultivated a reputation for strategic excellence and unparalleled client service. The company's approach combines deep market insights with a tailored strategy for each client, ensuring success in buying, selling, or leasing commercial properties. "Our team's dedication to providing personalized, expert guidance has not only led to significant financial success for our clients but also contributed to the vitality and growth of the Oklahoma City commercial real estate market," said James Smith. "We take pride in our role as market leaders and are committed to continuing to set the standard for excellence." Bois Commercial Real Estate's impact extends beyond transaction numbers; it's evident in the trust and satisfaction of their clients, ranging from first-time buyers to seasoned investors. The company's client-focused philosophy, innovative strategies, and proven track record have established it as a trusted name in commercial real estate. As Bois Commercial Real Estate brokered by eXp Commercial envisions the future, it remains dedicated to fostering sustainable growth, driving innovation, and enhancing the commercial real estate industry in the Oklahoma City metro and beyond. To learn more about Bois Commercial Real Estate and its services, visit Bois Commercial Real Estate's website: https://boiscre.com. Media Contact: Contact: Jeremy McGilvrey Address: 2800 Post Oak Blvd. Ste. 5600B, Houston, TX 77056 Phone: (832) 390-2229 Email: Hi@JeremyMcGilvrey.com Website/URL: https://www.jeremymcgilvrey.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/212945 SOURCE: Jeremy McGilvrey NCCN Guidelines for Patients earn Hermes Award for electronic media and Communicator Award for medical print content. NCCN Patient Webinars earns Digital Health Award and Viddy Award for outstanding achievement in video and digital production. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) today announced new recognitions for the award-winning library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Patient Webinars. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Colon Cancer earned a Gold Award from Hemes Creative Awards for Electronic Media/Social Media/Interactive Media/Digital Publications/Messaging. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Kidney Cancer earned an Award of Distinction from The Communicator Awards for Print Content-Medical. Additionally, the NCCN Patient Webinar for Uterine Cancer has been named a Gold Winner from the Viddy Awards while the NCCN Patient Webinar for Inflammatory Breast Cancer earned a Silver Digital Health Award. The library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients includes more than 70 books providing people with cancer and their loved ones with easy-to-understand information about prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care for nearly every type of cancer. They are based on the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines)-which are continuously updated, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations that inform cancer care treatment decisions worldwide. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients are available to view or download for free online at NCCN.org/patientguidelines or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App, thanks to funding from the NCCN Foundation. Printed versions are available for a nominal fee at Amazon.com. "High-quality patient-centered care can only be achieved when patients and caregivers are properly informed about their options," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "We are incredibly proud of the work we do to provide understandable, trustworthy, up-to-date information based on the highest possible standards of research and multidisciplinary subject matter expertise. The growing list of awards for the NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Patient Webinars recognize the skill and care our patient information team puts into everything they do." The Hermes Creative Awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). 2024 saw more than 6,500 entries worldwide across 200 categories. The 30th Annual Communicator Awards were overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). There were more than 3,000 entries this year vying for recognition in various communication and design categories. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients have previously earned Digital Health Awards, an APEX Award, and an Excellence in Cancer Patient Education Award. Independent studies have listed them among top global sources for trustworthy online information about cancer. "These resources put expert-vetted cancer-related information in the hands of people with, or at risk of, cancer everywhere," said Patrick Delaney, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. "We work diligently to ensure our patient guidelines are accessible to the millions of people who utilize them around the world. They have been translated into numerous languages, and include a glossary of terms, pictures and diagrams, and suggested questions to ask. Our webinars present the same information in a way that is more accessible to people who prefer interactive discussion and video. It is a tremendous honor to see our various efforts be recognized in this way." NCCN's free patient and caregiver webinars cover a variety of cancer-related topics in multiple languages-through funding from the NCCN Foundation. The NCCN Webinar for Patients: Early-Stage Prostate Cancer was also a Digital Health Gold award recipient last year. To learn about upcoming patient webinars and view recorded presentations, visit NCCN.org/patientwebinars. To help support NCCN patient guidelines, patient webinars, and other free resources for people with cancer and their caregivers, visit NCCN.org/foundation. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information. About the NCCN Foundation The NCCN Foundation empowers people with cancer and their caregivers by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients and other patient education resources. The NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research. For more information about the NCCN Foundation, visit nccnfoundation.org. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 darwin@nccn.org Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2438027/NCCN_awards_2024_vertical.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/441768/NCCN_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/multiple-new-awards-recognize-nccn-as-exceptional-source-for-information-for-cancer-patients-and-caregivers-302174169.html Highlights: AI-driven Strategic Assets: Acquired Assets Include Advanced Neural Net Healthcare Technologies. AI/ML Innovations Inc. ("AIML" or the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB:AIMLF)(FWB:42FB), a leading company committed to acquiring and advancing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies that address urgent societal needs, is pleased to announce the completion and signing of a definitive agreement, dated June 3, 2024, for the asset purchase of cutting-edge technology from Naiad Lab Inc. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in AIML's strategic growth and innovation roadmap. As previously announced by the Company on May 2, 2024, the acquired technologies include: A proprietary Long ECG Neural Net (L-ECG NN) for Cardiovascular Insights This advanced solution provides detailed beat-to-beat labeling for ECGs of any duration, up to and including 48 hours, covering approximately 170,000 labeled heartbeats. This enhanced level of detail enables further neural network processing to uncover critical insights and events related to cardiovascular disease and other ailments. The Neural Network Store (NNStore) A subscription-based online neural net store that allows device company developers and researchers to upload files for analysis by various AI systems. Paul Duffy, CEO of AIML Innovations Inc., stated, "The acquisition of Naiad Lab's technology is a significant step for AIML. It not only strengthens our portfolio, but also positions us at the forefront of biometric measurement innovations." Esmat Naikyar, CEO of Naiad Lab, added, "Our mission is to leverage state-of-the-art neural networks to deliver actionable health insights. The Long ECG Neural Net fits that model perfectly as it provides near instantaneous actionable feedback to the healthcare provider." The salient points of the acquisition include: AIML has purchased 100% of Naiad's Long ECG Neural Net, 100% of Naiad's Neural Net Store & NNaaS, and access to certain contracted services to be provided by Naiad's management and technical team on an ongoing basis under separate employment/consulting agreements (collectively, the "Assets"). AIML issues 6,700,000 Common Shares from its Treasury to Naiad, (currently valued at $335,000), as full and final payment for the Assets. The shares will be subject to a 12-month hold period. AIML has created a new operating subsidiary which shall hold the Assets. AIML agrees to pay a streaming royalty (the "Royalty") to Naiad for up to a 20-year period, as per the following terms: i. a 2% Royalty which is payable on gross revenue of not less than $1,500,000 and not greater than $5,000,000 inclusive per fiscal year, if and only if such revenue is directly attributable to third-party licensing of the Long ECG Neural Net, AND ii. a 3% Royalty which is payable on all gross revenue above $5,000,000 per fiscal year, if and only if such revenue is directly attributable to third-party licensing of the Long ECG Neural Net. iii. AIML at its sole discretion may purchase the Royalty from Naiad at any time for $1,000,000. AIML grants a total of 700,000 stock options for 5 years at a $0.20 exercise price to management members of Naiad, in accordance with the Corporation's Stock Option Plan. AIML has entered into consulting/management agreements with certain key members of Naiad Labs. AIML has issued 3,000,000 Contingent Payment Shares to Naiad Labs for a 12-month period, which are convertible into 3,000,000 Common Shares from Treasury at a cost of $0.00 per share, subject to the following terms: i. the Long ECG Neural Net has formally entered the US FDA approval process; AND, ii. The Long ECG Neural Net generates gross revenue of not less than $1,000,000. The Assets purchase has a non-arm's length component to it in that AIML's CPO, Esmat Naikyar, is the CEO and co-Founder of Naiad Lab Inc. Mr. Naikyar is neither on the board of directors of AIML, nor was he involved in AIML's approval process for this transaction. The Asset purchase is subject to CSE approval. No Finder's Fee will be paid in conjunction with this transaction. The Asset purchase will not result in either a change of control or the creation of new control persons. ### About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/ AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB". On behalf of the Board of Directors Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman For more information about AI/ML Innovations : For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedarplus.ca For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or info@aiml-innovations.com Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For AI/ML Innovations Investors Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, AI/ML Innovations' expectations concerning management's plans, objectives, and strategies, including strategies for defending the Company's intellectual property. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. AI/ML Innovations Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or circumstances or otherwise except as expressly required by applicable securities law. Further information regarding the uncertainties and risks can be found in the disclosure documents filed by AI/ML with the securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Western Alaska Minerals Corp. (the "Company" or "WAM") (TSXV:WAM) is pleased to announce that it has granted a total of 450,000 stock options (the "Options"), 200,000 of which have been granted to certain directors and officers of the Company. The Options are each exercisable to purchase one subordinate voting share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.85 for a period of 5 years. About WAM Our mission is to advance a mineable and scalable CRD, ultimately reshaping the mineral landscape of western Alaska and establishing a new CRD district. WAM's CRD system encompasses the (past producing) Illinois Creek gold-silver mine, the Waterpump Creek high-grade silver-lead-zinc deposit, open to the north, and the Honker gold prospect. Twenty-five kilometers northeast of the Illinois Creek CRD lies the Round Top copper and the TG North CRD prospects. All prospects were originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. WAM's 100% owned claims cover 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,591 hectares), approximately 45 km east of an ocean barge-compatible section of the Yukon River. Since 2010, WAM, along with its precursor company, Western Alaska Copper & Gold, reassembled the Anaconda land package and has been engaged in exploring the district. Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team of seasoned professionals with a shared vision of pioneering new frontiers in mineral exploration. Our strategic approach is underpinned by cutting-edge technology, innovative techniques, and a deep understanding of the geological intricacies of the region. On behalf of the Company "Kit Marrs" Kit Marrs President & CEO kit@westernalaskaminerals.com Phone: 1-520-200-1667 For further information, please contact: Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR vanessa@westernalaskaminerals.com Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Western Alaska Minerals Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Meet a grid technician at Duke Energy's Distribution Control Center in Charlotte, N.C. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Duke Energy By Dennis Lockard | illumination Staff Writer Thomas Doan is on a team that's expanding Duke Energy's smart-thinking grid, automated technology that helped avoid more than 1.5 million customer outages across six states in 2023. He and other grid technicians also maintain devices that enable Duke Energy to restore power faster. By providing and maintaining remote connectivity to both substations and line equipment, they are able to reroute electricity from areas needing repairs or maintenance so line crews can work safely. This is done from Duke Energy's Distribution Control Center (DCC) in Charlotte, N.C., not far from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where Doan earned his degree in electrical engineering in 2016. Doan credits his family's experiences and influence as Vietnamese refugees for his success at Duke Energy - and in life. "I wouldn't be here," Doan said, "without the difficult journey my family endured, let alone working for a company as great as Duke Energy." His family's story begins after the fall of Saigon in April 1975, when North Vietnam captured the capital of South Vietnam. Fearing reprisal from the new communist government, millions of Vietnamese fled their country in the years that followed. Most refugees - the Doan's included - escaped by boat. Their incredible story represents a generation of people who overcame a perilous journey at sea in search of peace, freedom and safety. A celebration of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders We recognize these individuals as both enriching U.S. culture and being instrumental to its future success. It's why Duke Energy joins organizations and communities across the country in May, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, to mark the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. "An inclusive workplace makes us a stronger company, " said Sharene Pierce, vice president and chief diversity & inclusion officer at Duke Energy. "A diverse workforce offers various backgrounds and perspectives, and allows us to be more innovative and mindful in how we create strategies and solutions to better serve our customers and communities." AAPI communities consist of approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages, with connections to Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Hawaiian, and other Asian and Pacific Islander ancestries. Journey of hope Four years after the fall of Saigon, Doan's parents, Lai Doan and Phuong Nguyen, saved enough money to leave Vietnam with his brother Thanh - then just a toddler. It was an arduous experience to say the least. They attempted to leave by boat, but twice it never showed. Expenses from these multiple failed attempts kept the family in Vietnam for another year or so. By then, sister Nhu Hien had joined the family. The Doan's made the tough decision that there was only enough money for his father and brother to make the journey. This time, the boat arrived. After a treacherous nine-day trip to Thailand that included a pirate raid, they arrived at a refugee camp where they stayed for six months. This was followed by another six-month trip to Indonesia to learn English, with assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Doan's brother and father finally made it to the United States in 1982, settling in Raleigh, N.C. It wasn't until 1987, however, that Doan's mother and sister were successful in leaving Vietnam; a boat took them to a Malaysian refugee camp. Finally, in 1989, the family was reunited in Raleigh. Thomas Doan was born three years later. "Being the American born in the family, I'll never know firsthand what my parents went through," he said. "My siblings tell me that they have no memory of it and frankly are probably better off that way." A 'need to connect' What Doan is certain of: his family's story of endurance and determination serves him well in his current role as a grid technician at Duke Energy. Their perseverance also inspired him to "step out of his comfort zone" in 2020. "I had this need to connect with others who may have been going through the same thing I was," Doan said. "I wanted to learn more about my culture and traditions. He knew Duke Energy had an Asian Inclusion Network (AIN) Employee Resource Group (ERG) in its Ohio/Kentucky region, where the company provides electricity to 910,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. Doan joined AIN's Cincinnati, Ohio, chapter but was disappointed that he couldn't attend in-person events in his geographical location. Eventually, he connected with Brad Platt on Duke Energy's Diversity & Inclusion team to ask if there would ever be a Charlotte AIN chapter. Platt encouraged him to get one off the ground. Doan accepted Platt's challenge and began recruiting members. And he's quick to point out the benefits he's received from his work with the ERG. "There's opportunity for everyone to learn about challenges that specific groups face, as well as helping to understand the perspectives of others with our ERGs," Doan said. "Specifically, I experienced firsthand AIN's objective to provide educational and recruitment support to attract, retain, and engage Asian talent. "I see diversity everywhere at Duke Energy. Here I know the only thing I'm being 'judged' for is my work ethic and contributions." View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Duke Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Duke Energy View the original press release on accesswire.com Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Residence, Inc., a world-renowned real estate brokerage firm, is pleased to announce that Mr. Richard Pino, Chief Financial Officer and Associate Broker, will be traveling to Italy and Croatia from June 18 through July 8, 2024 to meet with customers. Mr. Pino will be traveling to the Sicily region, specifically in Catania, Racalmuto, and Palermo from June 18th through June 26th. Thereafter, Mr. Pino will be Rovinj, Croatia from June 26th through July 8th. For almost two decades, New York Residence has been traveling the globe to introduce international buyers to, and educate them about, the advantages of purchasing in one of the strongest real estate markets, New York City. We have successfully found homes, commercial properties, and investment properties for many of these clients. Mr. Pino has traveled to Croatia, Italy, Columbia, Panama, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Ireland, and throughout the US to meet with customers, real estate professionals, and to represent New York Residence at international trade shows. Real Estate Brokerage Is Still A Relationship Business. Real estate professionals need to be willing to travel to meet with customers at their request. Customers can easily find information by surfing many third-party real estate websites, but in-person and phone communication is still the most important interaction to educate customers about potential real estate acquisitions, Richard stated. Historically, New York Residence was ranked within the top five of Manhattan Boutique Firms, was ranked number 20 in closed transactions amongst all firm sizes, and New York Residence was ranked number 22 in listing dollar volume amongst all firm sizes. New York Residence was formed in February 2005, and specializes in advisory services, residential, commercial, and investment property brokerage sales and rentals for the international and domestic markets. It maintains three offices in New York, with international offices located in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Singapore. New York Residence' corporate headquarters is located at 1501 Broadway, 26th floor, in the iconic Paramount Building in the heart of Times Square. Private appointments will be held in Italy at various locations. In Croatia, appointments will be held at Demex d.o.o., an audit and tax firm based in Rovinj. Appointments may be arranged by sending an email to Mr. Pino at rpino@nyr.com. Media Contact: Richard Pino Chief Financial Officer New York Residence O-212-360-7000 x125 M-917-209-7862 rpino@nyr.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/real-estate-firm-new-york-residence-inc-visits-italy-and-croatia-302174321.html HAMILTON, BERMUDA / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) has recognized family-owned spirits company Bacardi with an award for its work to protect the river running through its BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin distillery. The site in Hampshire, England was one of the top-scoring initiatives from across the globe, earning the Wetlands and Water Bodies award at this year's WHC Conservation Conference held in New Orleans. The accolade is presented to a high-scoring project that both collects and evaluates monitoring data to inform the next steps in its corporate wetland conservation efforts. Recognizing and celebrating excellence in corporate conservation, this follows the distillery's WHC Silver Certification in September 2023, which saw it become the first spirits production site in the UK to hold the certification. The Bacardi team invests in conservation work to support local wildlife and biodiversity around the home of its BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin. On the banks of the River Test - an area which has held Site of Special Scientific Interest status since 1991 - wildflowers have been planted and fish and eel passes have also been constructed to allow for greater movement of river life. In addition, the distillery is part of a nationwide program called the Anglers' Riverfly Monitoring Initiative, which engages a local community of volunteers from the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme to monitor the river's invertebrates. This study provides invaluable insight into the health of the river, helping to track and monitor any changes over time. "At Bacardi, protecting the environment and wildlife surrounding our production sites is not a choice, it's a must," says Rodolfo Nervi, VP, Safety, Quality & Sustainability, Bacardi. "We're incredibly proud to win this award as we continue in our commitment to do the right thing by people and planet." "WHC is proud to honor the Bacardi-owned BOMBAY SAPPHIRE site with the Wetlands and Water Bodies Award," said Margaret O'Gorman, WHC President. "This award not only recognizes Bacardi for its achievements, but it also serves as an example of the actions taken by the private sector to support biodiversity around the world." The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery joins other sites from the company's portfolio in securing the WHC certification. Both Bacardi in Puerto Rico, which is the largest premium rum distillery in the world and the home of the world's most awarded rum BACARDl, and the Bacardi Bottling Corporation site in Jacksonville, Florida, have previously earned WHC certifications. Find out more about Bacardi and its ESG - Environmental, Social & Governance - commitments, including its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, at www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited. ENDS Media contacts: Phillippa Williams, Communications Director - pholmes@bacardi.com Always drink responsibly. About Bacardi Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, PATRON tequila, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur and ERISTOFF vodka. Founded more than 162 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and X. About Wildlife Habitat Council WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) has been working at the nexus of business and biodiversity for 35 years and is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks for companies to integrate nature with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC's corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations. WHC-certified programs can be found in 19 countries and 48 U.S. states. Learn more at www.wildlifehc.org. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi Limited on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Bacardi Limited Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Bacardi Limited View the original press release on accesswire.com First supersonic airliner factory in the U.S. strengthens next-generation American leadership in aerospace manufacturing Overture aircraft produced at Superfactory will bring vital innovation to aviation and set a new standard for global air travel Hundreds of millions of passengers will fly supersonic on Overture airliners GREENSBORO, N.C. and DENVER, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic , the company building the world's fastest airliner, today held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Overture Superfactory, celebrating the completion of construction. Located at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Overture Superfactory is the first supersonic airliner factory in the United States. Overture is Boom's supersonic airliner, capable of flying twice as fast as today's commercial planes on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). "Construction of the Overture Superfactory represents a major milestone toward ensuring the United States' continued leadership in aerospace manufacturing," said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. "Supersonic flight will transform air travel, and Overture provides a much-needed innovative alternative for airlines across the globe." Hundreds of millions of passengers will fly supersonic on aircraft produced at the Overture Superfactory. This first assembly line has the capacity to produce 33 Overture aircraft per year, valued at more than $6 billion. Boom plans to build an additional assembly line, scaling to produce 66 supersonic airliners annually. The Overture Superfactory campus will also include a delivery center where airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines will receive their supersonic aircraft. "As the state that was first in flight, North Carolina is excited to see Boom's progress toward delivering the world's first sustainable supersonic airliner," said Governor Roy Cooper. "Our state has the skilled workforce, infrastructure and perfect location to help Boom revolutionize air travel." North Carolina economists estimate that the full Boom manufacturing program will grow the state's economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years, with the Superfactory directly adding more than 2,400 jobs. "The Piedmont Triad region is an economic powerhouse, helping solidify North Carolina's place as the top state for business. Boom's Overture Superfactory, which will produce a paradigm-changing airliner, showcases the new and innovative projects that are bringing jobs and investment here," said North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. Built by BE&K Building Group and designed by BRPH, the Overture Superfactory will be LEED certified and is expected to be at least 40% more energy efficient compared to similar manufacturing facilities. With the building now complete, Boom will focus on operationalizing the production floor. In partnership with tooling supplier Advanced Integration Technology (AIT), Boom will begin procuring and installing tooling into the Superfactory, beginning with an advanced test cell unit. As the first major piece of equipment to be installed, the test cell will be used to develop manufacturing processes, optimize the flow of the assembly line, and prepare staff for Overture production. "We look forward to Boom's success in its mission to bring back commercial supersonic flight and help the U.S. maintain its leadership in aviation innovation," said Paul Mengert, Chair of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. "We're grateful for our partnership with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, elected leaders, and the local community who will continue to give Boom a warm welcome to the Triad." Today's construction completion event comes shortly after the inaugural flight of XB-1 , the supersonic demonstrator aircraft for Overture, which represents a major milestone toward the return of supersonic air travel. XB-1 has received a first-of-its-kind Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to Exceed Mach 1 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The XB-1 flight test program continues to progress in Mojave, California, and will confirm the aircraft's performance and handling qualities up to and through supersonic speeds. About Boom Supersonic Boom Supersonic's mission is to make the world dramatically more accessible through flights that are faster, more affordable, more convenient, and more sustainable. Boom is developing Overture, the world's fastest airliner - optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability. Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and is optimized to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Overture's order book stands at 130 aircraft, including orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of Overture. Suppliers and partners collaborating with Boom on the Overture program include Aernnova, Aciturri, Collins Aerospace, Eaton, Honeywell, Latecoere, Leonardo, Safran Landing Systems, and the United States Air Force. Symphony is the propulsion system that will power Overture, a Boom-developed engine with world-class suppliers including Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), a business unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., Colibrium Additive - a GE Aerospace Company, and StandardAero. XB-1 is Boom's technology demonstrator aircraft and the world's first independently developed supersonic jet. The aircraft first took flight in Mojave, CA in March 2024. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com . Photos and video available at https://boomsupersonic.com/newsroom/media-assets Connect with Boom Supersonic on X , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200803/Boom_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/boom-supersonic-completes-construction-of-overture-superfactory-302173680.html Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, June 17 For immediate release 17 June 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announce that it has today purchased 204,601 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 841.14 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 45,249,888; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 179,741,415. The figure of 179,741,415 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Quebec Pegmatite Holdings Corp. (CSE: QBC) (OTC Pink: WPNNF) ("QPC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an arm's length Option Agreement (the "Agreement") with Abcourt Mines Inc. ("ABI") pursuant to which ABI has granted the Company the right to acquire all of ABI's title and interest (the "Option") in and to 141 mineral claims covering approximately 5,579 hectares located in the Province of Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the Swanson gold deposit (the "Property"). The Property is located within the gold and critical minerals rich Abitibi Greenstone Belt, approximately 60 km north of the city of Val-d'Or and adjacent to the Swanson gold deposit, Abcourt-Barvue base metal (Zn-Pb-Ag) mine, and the Courville and Jolin gold deposits (Figure 1). The Property claims contain the same geological stratigraphy that hosts the Swanson gold deposit, extending the favourable strike length a total of 30 km along a NW to SE trend and over a width of 4 to 9 km. The Property is composed of alternating porphyritic andesites, basalts, rhyolites, and felsic tuffs belonging to the Figury Group as well as syenites, monzonites, diorites, tonalites and granodiorite intrusives. The Property includes both orogenic-type vein (structurally-controlled) and shear-hosted gold-bearing mineralization, with 17 gold (Au) and numerous gold-rich polymetallic (Ag, Cu, Zn, Pb and Mo) showings. Gold showings on the Property are referenced from the Quebec government SIGEOM geological database and include the: Jackson Showing - 553.28 g/t Au over 0.8m (historical drilling) Jolin Showing - 20.00 g/t Au (historical grab sample) Bartec Showing - 3.40 g/t Au over 1.5m (historical drilling) Laflamme Sud Showing - 5.97 g/t Au over 0.3m (historical drilling) Matttagami Lake showing - 4.29 g/t Au over 0.3m (historical drilling) Malbar/Gros Louis Showing - 3.77 g/t Au over 0.9m (historical drilling) Several gold showings on the Property also include historical mineral resource estimates referenced in SIGEOM and completed prior to the introduction of CIM and NI 43-101 disclosure standards. Paul Teniere, CEO of QPC commented, "We are very excited to acquire this claim package from ABI in one of the most prolific gold and critical minerals mining districts in Canada and adjacent to the Swanson gold deposit, a resource-stage property with significant gold potential. This region of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt is relatively underexplored and has significant potential for major discoveries through aggressive exploration and drilling programs targeting these major gold-bearing structures and shear zones. The Company is in the process of developing an exploration program that will successfully define and target gold bearing shear zones and includes airborne geophysics, LiDAR, soil/till geochemistry surveys, prospecting, and diamond drilling." Figure 1: Map of the Property (purple claims) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6526/213292_fa4c39348408f8c3_001full.jpg Option Terms Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, in order to exercise the Option and acquire a 100% interest in the Property, the Company must: (a) pay ABI $500,000 in cash within ten (10) days following the date on which the Option Agreement is executed (the "Effective Date"), after which the Company shall have acquired a 25% interest in and to the Property; (b) pay ABI $500,000 in cash on or before the six (6) month anniversary of the Effective Date, after which the Company shall have acquired a cumulative 50% interest in and to the Property; (c) pay ABI $500,000 in cash on or before the eighteen (18) month anniversary of the Effective Date, after which the Company shall have acquired a cumulative 75% interest in and to the Property; and (d) pay ABI $500,000 in cash on or before the twenty-four (24) month anniversary of the Effective Date, after which the Company shall have acquired a cumulative 100% interest in and to the Property. (collectively, the "Cash Payments," and each a "Cash Payment") The Company has the option to complete the Cash Payments referred to in (b), (c), and (d) above through the issuance of common shares ("Common Shares") in the capital of the Company, and such Common Shares shall be issued at a deemed price per Common Share equal to the ten trading (10) day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") prior to the applicable payment date. Further, the Company has the option to accelerate the completion of the Cash Payments to earn a 100% interest in and to the Property. Following the Company's exercise of the Option, the Company will: (a) grant ABI a two percent (2%) net smelter returns royalty on certain mineral claims comprising the Property; and (b) assume ABI's obligations with respect to certain royalties currently existing on the Property Proposed Name Change The Company is also pleased to announce that it is contemplating a name change to "Lafleur Gold Corp." to reflect its renewed focus on acquiring and exploring gold and critical minerals properties in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Quebec. The Company will provide further details pertaining to its proposed name change in a subsequent news release. Qualified Person Statement All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo., Technical Advisor to the Company, and a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Cautionary Statements and Data Verification This news release may contain scientific and technical information with respect to adjacent properties to the Company's properties, which the Company has no interest in or rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that information regarding the geology, mineralization, and mineral resources on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Company's properties. The Qualified Person has reviewed the historical scientific and technical information on the Property from historical reports, government geological databases, and scientific papers, but has not yet fully verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying this information. Current limitations include getting access to original databases and assay certificates from the historical work programs. About Quebec Pegmatite Holdings Corp: Quebec Pegmatite Holdings Corp. (CSE: QBC) (OTC Pink: WPNNF) is a North American junior mining exploration company that has several 100%-owned properties in Quebec's highly sought after critical minerals and lithium regions in James Bay and Mazerac covering approximately 303 km. The Company's Vieux Comptoir Property is located approximately 45 km east of the Patriot Battery Metals Corvette Project and 45 km west of Winsome Resources, Adina Project. The Company's Mazerac Property is easily accessible and located 50 km southwest of Val-d'Or near Vision Lithium's Cadillac Property and Winsome Resources' Decelles Property. ON BEHALF OF QUEBEC PEGMATITE HOLDINGS CORP. Paul Teniere, M.Sc., P.Geo. Chief Executive Officer E: teniere@gmail.com Quebec Pegmatite Holdings Corp. 1500-1055 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4N7 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213292 SOURCE: Quebec Pegmatite Holdings Corp. Multi-year partnership taking steps to help shape the future and funding of human longevity innovation TORONTO, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife and the World Economic Forum ("the Forum"), today announced the launch of the Prospering in Longevity Challenge, through UpLink, the Forum's open innovation platform. Earlier this year, a multi-year partnership between Manulife and Uplink was announced at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos and the Prospering in Longevity Challenge is the first of three innovation challenges designed to help shape the future of, and investment in, longevity innovation. Together, Manulife and the Forum invite global start-ups with innovative preventative healthcare and financial well-being solutions, and those committed to enabling people of all generations to thrive while enjoying a financially resilient and fulfilling long life, to participate in the challenge. Applicants can begin applying today through July 22, 2024. Full project details, including eligibility criteria and timelines, can be found on the challenge page here . "By 2050, the global population over 65 is expected to double to 1.6 billion, bringing significant health and wealth challenges for our planet," said Sarah Chapman, Global Chief Sustainability Officer for Manulife. "We are partnering with the World Economic Forum and UpLink because of our shared sense of urgency to find inclusive and accessible solutions to help people worldwide live longer, healthier, and better lives." While people are living longer than in previous generations, it does not always equate to improved health span. On average, people spend about 50 percent of their lives in less than good health, including 12 percent in poor health1. As the population ages, factors like financial resilience and literacy, healthy ageing, generational skill-building, social connection, and longevity inequalities across gender, race and class will be critical in ensuring a more sustainable, healthier future - and we must act with urgency. The themes for the first Longevity Challenge are as follows: Strengthening financial resilience?across longer lives,?which will create solutions that democratize access to tools that increase financial resilience, e.g. empowering better financial decisions, capacity to save, behavioral focused financial apps. Embracing a preventative approach to healthcare, which will aim to surface solutions aimed to improve physical and mental health?with a preventative approach to healthcare, e.g. early risk factor detection and intervention, lifestyle trackers,?access to virtual medical care. "Innovation is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and by partnering with Manulife, we are committed to sourcing and scaling innovative solutions that strengthen financial resilience across longer lives and embrace a preventative approach to healthcare," said John Dutton, Head of UpLink, World Economic Forum. "This collaboration will democratize access to tools that increase financial resilience and surface solutions aimed at improving physical and mental health." This multi-year partnership builds upon Manulife's continued partnership with WEF's UpLink to run innovation challenges to spur nature-based solutions to climate change across two key areas in 2023. The first focused on sourcing innovative solutions across the entire sustainable forestry value chain, while the second surfaced innovations aimed at improving the connection between planetary and human health. In total, 21 ecopreneurial start-ups providing innovative and scalable models for sustainable forest management and more were selected as challenge winners. More information about the program can be found here .? To learn more about Manulife's Impact Agenda, and to track progress against its goals, visit manulife.com/impact . About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com. About UpLink? UpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, designed to unlock an 'entrepreneur revolution' for people and planet by supporting start-ups with innovative solutions for the world's most pressing issues, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).? Launched at the World Economic Forum's 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos in partnership with Deloitte and Salesforce, UpLink builds bridges between entrepreneurs and the investors, experts and partners who can help scale their ventures. UpLink crowdsources new innovations through a competition framework known as innovation challenges. UpLink has now run more than 43 challenges and identified over 350 entrepreneurs with innovative solutions across critical SDG areas including health, food, freshwater, ocean, plastics, education, climate and more. For more information, visit https://uplink.weforum.org.? _____________________ 1 McKinsey Health Institute - Adding Years to Life and Life to Years View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/manulife-and-world-economic-forum-launch-the-prospering-in-longevity-challenge-to-drive-health-and-financial-resiliency-302174572.html ANV Global Services, Inc. (ANV), a leading specialty risks Managing General Agent (MGA), today announced the launch of its Transactional Risk Insurance (TRI) program in the United States. The new ANV business unit will be led by Colin Addy and Greg Conroy, who previously held senior positions at Vale Insurance Partners and Chubb. ANV U.S. TRI will initially underwrite Representations and Warranties Insurance (RWI) on behalf of a panel of insurers including AmTrust and various Syndicates at Lloyd's. ANV has provided innovative and bespoke TRI solutions in the UK, Europe and other international jurisdictions since 2013 for transactions that range from small domestic deals to large cross-border acquisitions. With the expansion of ANV's TRI program in the U.S., ANV will now provide a global TRI offering. "We are excited to be launching ANV's U.S. transactional risk program. Both ANV and AmTrust support our vision and share our practical approach of growing a disciplined underwriting platform," said Colin Addy and Greg Conroy, Co-Heads of ANV US TRI. "We love this business and are enthusiastic to continue working with our broker partners and insureds providing bespoke transactional risk solutions." "We are thrilled to be launching ANV's U.S. TRI program with Greg and Colin. They have a deep understanding of the TRI market combined with entrepreneurial drive and superb underwriting integrity. ANV supports high caliber specialty underwriters with its plug-and-play platform, including aligned and affiliated capacity. With Greg and Colin, we will be creating an exceptionally valuable TRI franchise and offering for our clients and partners," said Grady Womack, Managing Director of ANV and Head of AmTrust International Fee Businesses. About ANV Global Services Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, ANV is a leading specialty risks insurance MGA and an AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. company. With a focus on delivering specialty insurance solutions, ANV is dedicated to meeting the dynamic needs of the market while providing outstanding service and support. About AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., a multinational insurance holding company headquartered in New York, offers specialty property and casualty insurance products, including workers' compensation, business owner's policy (BOP), general liability and extended service and warranty coverage. For more information about AmTrust, visit www.amtrustfinancial.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240617478264/en/ Contacts: AmTrust Financial Services Hunter Hoffmann Chief Marketing Officer Hunter.Hoffmann@amtrustgroup.com 646.870.1949 Logitech Blog NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Did you know in 2023 only 29% of the STEM workforce were women*? Logitech is on a mission to close the gender gap in tech with our WomenWhoMaster global movement. In a new Logitech film produced by BBC StoryWorks, we illustrate how to help close the gender gap in STEM by encouraging girls to explore the many opportunities and possibilities ahead of them, so they can expand and pursue their dreams. The film takes us to Mogotio, a township in Kenya, where 11-year-old Leddy is captivated by space exploration. Leddy hopes to one day travel beyond our sky, and her ambition grows when Logitech and her teacher, Nelly Cheboi, arrange a classroom visit from Aisha Bowe, former NASA Aerospace Engineer and future Blue Origin Astronaut, who is expanding the frontier of possibility for all women. The video is part of "The Human Component", an online branded series developed for the Consumer Technology Association and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Production. Through compelling human-led films, the series reveals the potential of technology to improve people's lives. As part of our mission to celebrate, amplify, and enable the rise of phenomenal women in STEM, the film features two of our exceptional Women Who Master partners. Nelly Cheboi, winner of the 2022 CNN Hero award, is the Founder and CEO of TechLit Africa, an organization Logitech is proud to support in its mission to teach vital digital skills in rural African primary schools. Aisha Bowe is the Founder and CEO of two award-winning STEM companies and a Blue Origin astronaut who'll soon become the first Black woman to travel with Blue Origin on a commercial flight to space. As Aisha mentions in the video, "You can't be what you can't see." By connecting girls to the support of real-life STEM role models, Women Who Master hopes to dissolve self-doubt and create a future where everyone trusts their ability to succeed in STEM. * According to World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2023 View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Logitech on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Logitech Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/logitech Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Logitech View the original press release on accesswire.com OFFER UPDATE EXERCISE OF ROLLOVER WITHDRAWAL RIGHT AND WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNLISTED UNIT ALTERNATIVE FROM THE OFFER NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24 May 2024, Meridian Bidco LLC ("Bidco") made an offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MariaDB plc ("MariaDB") (the "Offer") with the terms and conditions of the Offer set out in the offer document despatched and filed by Bidco as Exhibit (a)(1)(A) to the Tender Offer Statement filed on Schedule TO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 24 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"). Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meaning given to them in the Offer Document. Bidco today announces that it has exercised the Rollover Withdrawal Right to withdraw the Unlisted Unit Alternative from the Offer in accordance with the terms of the Offer Document. As described in the Offer Document, it was a term of the Unlisted Unit Alternative that the Topco Rollover Units would only be issued if there were no MariaDB Shareholders whose election would require registration of the Topco Rollover Units under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) and for which there was no applicable exemption from the registration requirements of applicable US securities laws. Bidco has exercised the Rollover Withdrawal Right on the basis that it cannot be satisfied that such exemptions exist for each shareholder who has elected for the Unlisted Unit Alternative. Accordingly, the Unlisted Unit Alternative has lapsed and been withdrawn, no Topco Rollover Units will be issued and the consideration payable in respect of each tendered MariaDB Share will be settled in cash in accordance with the terms of the Cash Offer. All elections received to date for the Unlisted Unit Alternative will be deemed elections for the Cash Offer, so MariaDB Shareholders that have already tendered do not need to take any further action. The Offer Document will be amended and restated to reflect that the Unlisted Unit Alternative has lapsed and been withdrawn, but no other terms and conditions of the Offer will be affected by the exercise of the Rollover Withdrawal Right. In particular, MariaDB Shareholders will continue to have withdrawal rights up until the Expiration Time. The amended and restated Offer Document, including any updates to the disclosures will be promptly published and posted to MariaDB Shareholders (other than those located in a Restricted Jurisdiction). Such documents will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Enquiries Lazard (Financial Advisor to K1 and Bidco) Adrian Duchini, Keiran Wilson, Charles White Tel: +44 20 7187 2000 Haven Tower Group (Public Relations Advisor to K1) Donald Cutler, Brandon Blackwell Tel: +1 424 317 4850 Important Notices The K1 Responsible Persons (being the investment committee of K1), the Bidco Officers and the Topco Officers accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the K1 Responsible Persons, the Bidco Officers, the Topco Officers, (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this Announcement for which they have accepted responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, together with its affiliate Lazard & Co., Limited (which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority) ("Lazard"), is acting exclusively as financial adviser to K1 and Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than K1 and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this Announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise. Disclosure requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of MariaDB or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Dealing Disclosures must also be made by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with them in accordance with Rule 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules. In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. Details of the offeree company in respect of whose relevant securities Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie , including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020. Further Information This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. In particular, this Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offer of securities shall be made in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this Announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland. Overseas Shareholders The laws of certain jurisdictions may affect the availability of the Offer to persons who are not resident in Ireland. Persons who are not resident in Ireland, or who are subject to laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility and liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or K1 or required by the Irish Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance from within a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, K1, the K1 Group and Bidco disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person. MariaDB Shareholders who are in any doubt regarding such matters should consult an appropriate independent professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document. If you are a resident of the United States, please read the following: This Announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer (including the Offer), invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any acquisition or disposition of the securities referred to in this Announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable Law or regulation. This Announcement is not a substitute for the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance or any other document that Bidco may file with the SEC in connection with the Offer. An offer to buy MariaDB Shares has been made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule TO that Bidco has filed with the SEC. MariaDB has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. MARIADB SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER. SUCH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. Investors and MariaDB Shareholders are able to obtain free copies of these materials (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about MariaDB and the Offer once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to the Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that may be different from those typically applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. In addition, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Irish Takeover Rules and Irish disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in the United States. MariaDB is incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Some of the directors on the MariaDB Board at the date of this Announcement are resident in a country other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for United States holders of MariaDB Shares to effect service of process within the United States upon MariaDB or some of the directors of MariaDB or to enforce against any of them judgements of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue MariaDB or its officers or director(s) in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. In addition, US holders of MariaDB Shares should be aware that, if K1 and Bidco elect to proceed pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (as described herein), the federal securities laws of the United States may not be applicable. Publication on website A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published pursuant to Rule 26 of the Irish Takeover Rules will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, will be made available on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Neither the content of any such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882948/K1_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/recommended-cash-offer-for-mariadb-plc-by-meridian-bidco-llc-which-is-an-affiliate-of-k1-investment-management-llc-as-manager-of-k5-private-investors-lp-302174680.html Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)(FSE:D7H0)(OTCQX:CMRZF) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce, further to its news release dated May 21, 2024, that it has completed the sale of its interest in certain mineral claims comprising the "Blue River" property (the "Blue River Claims") located near Blue River, British Columbia and certain real property owned by the Company also located in Blue River, B.C. (together with the Blue River Claims, the "Blue RiverAssets")., to an arm's length private company (the "Purchaser") pursuant to a property purchase agreement entered into between the Company and the Purchaser (the "Purchase Agreement"). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, as consideration for the Blue River Assets, the Company received 20,000,000 shares in the capital of the Purchaser at a deemed price of $0.05 per share (the "Blue River Shares"). It is the Company's current intention to distribute the Blue River Shares to its shareholders on a pro rata basis at a later date. Any disposition of the Blue River Shares will, if undertaken, be conducted in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws, and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. For additional information regarding this transaction, please see the Company's news release dated May 21, 2024 as filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. About Commerce Resources Corp. Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit located in Quebec, Canada. The Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. The Ashram Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the production of high-grade (>45% REO) mineral concentrates at high recovery (>70%) in line with active global producers. In addition to being one of the largest rare earth deposits globally, Ashram is also one of the largest fluorspar deposits globally and has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets. For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@commerceresources.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP. " Chris Grove " Chris Grove President and Director Tel: 604.484.2700 Email: cgrove@commerceresources.com Web: http://www.commerceresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include that the Company may distribute the Blue River Shares to shareholders on a pro rata basis; that the Ashram Deposit has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets; and that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include: that the Company may not distribute the Blue River Shares as anticipated or that such a disposition may not be approved by applicable regulators; that we may not be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram project; that even if we are able raise capital, costs for exploration activities may increase such that we may not have sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing activities; the timing and content of any future work programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful and even if such tests are successful, the economic and other outcomes may not be as expected; the availability of labour and equipment to undertake future exploration work and testing activities; the required permits to build and operate the envisaged open-pit shell may not be obtained in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all; and despite the current expected viability of the Ashram project, conditions changing such that even if metals or minerals are discovered on the Ashram project, the project may not be commercially viable. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. SOURCE: Commerce Resources Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE: NSG) ("Northstar" or the "Company"), announces a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering") for minimum aggregate proceeds of $1,000,000 (CDN.). The Offering includes a Critical Minerals flow-through component (the "Flow-Through Component"), which is comprised of a minimum of 12 million flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units") at a price of $0.05 per Flow-Through Unit for minimum gross proceeds of $600,000. Each Flow Through Unit is comprised of one flow-through common share (each, a "Flow Through Share") and one-half non-flow through share purchase warrant. Each full warrant is exercisable for one non-flow through common share (each, a "Share") at an exercise price of $0.10 for a term of 24 months after the closing. The non-flow through component of the Offering (the "Non-Flow Through Component") is comprised of a minimum of 9 million non-flow through units (the "Non-Flow Through Units") at a price of $0.045 per Non-Flow Through Unit for minimum gross proceeds of $400,000. Each Non-Flow Through Unit is comprised one Share and one non-flow through warrant, with each warrant exercisable for one common share at an exercise price of $0.08 for a term of 24 months after the closing. Management of the Company reserves the right to amend the final allocation of the Flow-Through Component and the Non-Flow Through Component under the Offering. Use of Proceeds The gross proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares will be used to incur eligible Canadian Exploration Expenses ("CEE") which will be used primarily to fund Critical Minerals exploration and diamond drilling a newly-defined, 350 metre long, 200 Siemens near-surface EM conductor, 600 - 900 metres southeast and along strike from the historic, high-grade Cam Copper Mine on Northstar's Miller Copper-Gold Property - See Northstar News Release dated May 16, 2024. This "Zone 2 Extension Conductor" is coincidental with several magnetic anomalies and possibly represents the southeast expansion of previously drilled Cam Copper VMS Zone 2 (14.8% copper over 2.5 metres in DDH CC03-23 - See Northstar News Release dated November 23, 2023). Zone 2 Extension Conductor possibly indicates copper-bearing volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization with potentially greater thickness. Non-Flow through proceeds will provide for due diligence of the neighboring Boston Creek Mines and Philip Property, subject to a recently signed Letters of Intent with Boston Creek Mines Ltd. and private vendors, respectively. The Boston Creek Mines Property contains 2 historic high-grade copper shaft mines along the northwestern half of the South Boston Creek Copper Trend, immediately adjacent to the Miller Copper-Gold Property. Three recently defined near-surface EM survey conductors on the Miller Copper-Gold Property, believed to represent near-surface volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) horizons, extend southeast onto the Philip Property, with the central conductor extending as much as 350 metres across the property line. Northstar's LOI agreements effectively consolidate the South Boston Creek Copper Trend, providing the Company an exploration buffer zone and a 6-month exclusivity period to conduct due diligence studies and negotiate possible acquisition terms. Proceeds raised from the Non-Flow Through Component will also be used for non-critical minerals exploration work on the Miller Copper-Gold Property and for general working capital. The Offering is scheduled to close in tranches, with the first tranche expected to close by early July. and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Offering is being made by way of private placement in Canada and such other jurisdictions as the Company may determine. The Company intends to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures to subscribers of FT Units for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. and to incur the necessary Qualifying Expenditures on or before December 31, 2025, in accordance with regulatory requirements. The Company may pay finder's fees on a portion of the Offering of up to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised. The finder's fees shall be paid in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Existing Shareholder Exemption and Investment Dealer Exemption The Offering will be made available to existing shareholders of the Company who, as of the close of business on June 17, 2024 held common shares of the Company (and who continue to hold such common shares as of the closing date), pursuant to the prospectus exemption set out in B.C. Instrument 45-534 -- Exemption From Prospectus Requirement for Certain Trades to Existing Security Holders and in similar instruments in other jurisdictions in Canada. The existing shareholder exemption limits a shareholder to a maximum investment of $15,000 in a 12-month period unless the shareholder has obtained advice regarding the suitability of the investment and, if the shareholder is resident in a jurisdiction of Canada, that advice has been obtained from a person that is registered as an investment dealer in the jurisdiction. If the company receives subscriptions from investors relying on the existing shareholder exemption exceeding the maximum amount of the financing, the company intends to adjust the subscriptions received on a pro rata basis. The Company has also made the Offering available to certain subscribers pursuant to B.C. Instrument 45-536 -- Exemption Form Prospectus Requirement for Certain Distributions Through an Investment Dealer. In accordance with the requirements of the investment dealer exemption, the company confirms that there is no material fact or material change about the Company that has not been generally disclosed. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date under applicable Canadian securities laws, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada. About Northstar Northstar's primary exploration focus is to advance and expand our near-surface, bulk-tonnage gold-telluride and more recently discovered VMS copper mineral deposits on the Company's flagship, 100%-owned Miller Copper-Gold Property, situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The Company's strategy is to develop a material (+1M ounce gold / high-grade copper) mineral resource base to either supplement a nearby mining operation or support a stand-alone mining operation at the Property. A New Copper Focus - Consolidating Cam Copper Mine and the Historic Boston Creek Copper Belt On November 23rd, 2023 Northstar announced results from a 720 metre, 4-hole diamond drill program completed on the historic high-grade Cam Copper Mine, located 2.5 kilometres southwest of the Allied Gold Zone and also on Northstar's 100%-owned Miller Property. The Company reported all drill holes intersected lenses of Cu-rich volcanogenic massive sulphides, including massive and stringer chalcopyrite in drill hole CC03-23 grading 14.8% Cu over 2.45m from 116.55m to 119m in Zone 2 (See Northstar News Release dated November 23, 2023). These results suggest Zone 2 is thickening in a southeast and down-plunge direction. Zones 1, 3 and 4 also remain open along strike and at depth. Cam Copper is the southernmost of 3 road accessible, historic shaft mines and small-scale past producers of high-grade 'direct shipping' copper ore centred on the historic Boston Creek Copper Trend. Recent exploration by Northstar confirms Cam Copper is centred on a newly recognized high-grade "Besshi-type" volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper system situated at the northwest end of a 0.9 km long southeast trending belt of VMS horizons. Besshi-type VMS deposits are an important global source of base metals, simplistically characterized as vented, broad sheet-like layers of magnetite, iron-copper-lead-zinc-arsenic sulphides, cobalt, sulphosalts, silver and possibly gold deposited on an ancient sea floor, hosted in volcano-sedimentary rock packages. Northstar recently completed down-hole and grid-scale EM geophysical surveys over a 900 metre distance from Cam Copper Mine, defining a 350 metre long, 200 Siemens near-surface EM conductor, 600 - 900 metres along strike to the southeast. This "Zone 2 Extension Conductor" is believed to represent a wider and larger extension of Cam Copper Mine Zone 2 VMS copper mineralization. Prior to drill testing the Zone 2 Extension Conductor, Northstar recently expanded its coverage of the South Boston Creek Copper Trend by signing Letters of Intent with owners of the neighboring and adjacent Boston Creek Mines and Philip Property. The Boston Creek Mines Property contains 2 historic high-grade copper shaft mines along the northwestern half of the South Boston Creek Copper Trend, immediately adjacent to the Miller Copper-Gold Property. Three recently defined near-surface EM survey conductors on the Miller Copper-Gold Property, believed to represent near-surface volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) horizons, extend southeast onto the Philip Property, with the central conductor extending as much as 350 metres across the property line. Northstar's LOI agreements effectively consolidate the 4 kilometre South Boston Creek Copper Trend, providing the Company an exploration buffer zone and a 6-month exclusivity period to conduct due diligence studies and negotiate possible acquisition terms. Northstar is positioning to drill test the Zone 2 Extension Conductor in Q3, 2024. Allied Gold Zone Since going public by IPO in late 2020, Northstar has spent over $5.6 million in exploration at Miller, resulting in the discovery of a series of broad, near-surface, shallow dipping sheeted quartz-gold-telluride vein structures in the Allied Syenite (Allied Gold Zone) and Planet Syenites and numerous 70 - 750 gold gram/metre drill hole intercepts. Drilling to date at the AGZ has returned near-surface gold intercepts that include 6.6 g/t Au over 117.0 metres, 4.0 g/t Au over 50.6 metres, 1.4 g/t Au over 118.5 metres, and 1.2 g/t Au over 107.3 metres. Step out AGZ drilling in 2021 intersected peripheral steeply dipping copper-gold bearing structures (CG1 and CG2 Zones) returning intercepts that include 9.41 g/t Au, 1.03% Cu over 3.0m. The AGZ shares numerous compelling similarities to Agnico Eagle's nearby Upper Beaver Deposit, currently in the pre-development stage. In April, 2022, as a precursor to a Mineral Resource Estimate and for reporting purposes, the Company commissioned Ronacher Mackenzie Geoscience and SRK Consulting (Canada) to conduct an Exploration Target Study of the Miller Property Allied Gold Zone and No. 1 Vein. An upper range exceeding 500,000 ounces of gold averaging 2.04 g/t Au has been referenced in this study. Reported results (Northstar News Release dated July 26, 2022) verify the significance, size and gold grade potential of the Allied gold mineralizing system. Results provide the Company and investors a fact-based conceptual tonnage and gold grade range for the Allied Syenite Gold Zone, and basis for continued expansion drilling and mineral resource development. Northstar is seeking a senior partner to conduct Allied Gold Zone lateral and depth expansion diamond drilling on the Miller Property. Northstar's 3 additional 100%-owned exploration projects in northern Ontario, include the recently acquired 1,150 ha Rosegrove Property situated 0.5 km from the Miller Property, the 4,650 ha Bryce Gold Property (includes the recently optioned Britcanna Lease), an intrusive-gold / PME VMS project located along the projected east extension of the Ridout Break, and the recently expanded Temagami-Milestone Cu-Ni-Co Critical Minerals Property located in Strathcona Township. Northstar is seeking exploration partners to advance all 3 properties. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Mr. Brian P. Fowler, P.Geo. President, CEO and Director (604) 617-8191 bfowler@northstargoldcorp.com Connect with us on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless an exemption from such registration is available. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, disclosure regarding the completion of the Offering and potential gross proceeds to be raised pursuant thereto, the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals, the prospective nature of the Company's property interests, exploration plans and expected results, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; planned use of proceeds, expenditures and budgets and the execution thereof. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results, "may", "could", "would", "will", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. availability of financing, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the current exploration and other objectives concerning its mineral projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that the current price and demand for gold will be sustained or will improve; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions and operations; the prospective nature of the Company's properties, availability of financing, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NSG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to the completion of the Offering as presently proposed or at all, the failure to obtain all applicable regulatory approvals; actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although NSG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and NSG assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213356 SOURCE: Northstar Gold Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA) (FSE: D0W) ("Volta" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") by issuing 9,100,000 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $455,000. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase an additional Share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.10 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. The Company will use net proceeds from the Offering to follow up on exploration targets identified from recently announced drill results, geophysical surveys, and geochemical analyses, during the 2024 summer exploration season and for general corporate and working capital purposes for the Company. As in every financing the Company has completed to date, directors and officers of the Company (the "Insiders") have participated in the Offering, increasing insider holdings. The Insiders acquired an aggregate of 1,700,000 Units under the Offering. The issuance of the Units to the Insiders constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, on the basis that the participation in the Offering by the Insider does not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization. The securities issued under the Offerings will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada of four months and a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws. The closing of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. ABOUT VOLTA METALS LTD. Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA) (FSE: D0W) is a mineral exploration company based in Toronto, Ontario, focused on lithium, cesium, and tantalum. It has optioned and is currently exploring a critical minerals portfolio of lithium, cesium, and tantalum projects in northwestern Ontario, considered one of the world's most prolific, emerging hard-rock lithium districts. To learn more about Volta and its flagship Falcon West Lithium Project, please visit www.voltametals.ca. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, contact: Kerem Usenmez, President & CEO Tel: 416.919.9060 Email: info@voltametals.ca Website: www.voltametals.ca Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, plans, strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated use of the net proceeds from the Offerings and the receipt of all necessary approvals for the Offering. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include: the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators; the fact that Volta's interests in its mineral properties are options only and there are no guarantee that such interest, if earned, will be certain; the future prices and demand for lithium; and delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary approvals, permits and authorizations required to carry out its business plans. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213386 SOURCE: Volta Metals Ltd. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2024) - Forge Resources Corp. (CSE: FRG) (OTCQB: FRGGF) (FSE: 5YZ) ("FRG" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that as a result of encouraging visual observations indicating a mineralized porphyry system, planning has begun for the extension of the Phase 1 drilling program with a non-brokered flow-through private placement (the "Private Placement") of flow-through units ("Units") Currently, ALT-24-003 and ALT-24-004 are exhibiting some of the most intense alteration and mineralization noted to date on the property. Drill Program Progress Hole ALT-24-003 Azimuth 220/-50 degree finished at a final depth of 405 metres, is the first hole testing a large, induced polarization, chargeability anomaly associated an airborne radiometric anomaly and coincident molybdenite/gold/copper in soil anomalies in the area called the Severance Zone. Hole ALT-24-003 is the first of a three-hole, fence planned to drill test across the anomalies using orientated core techniques to help in understanding of the various structural orientations for the company to be able to quickly understand the structural orientations related to and post mineralization. Geological logging of recently completed drill hole ALT-24-003 indicates extensive potassic alteration followed by silicification, both of which are increasing with depth. Late pervasive silicification hosts mainly pyrite and molybdenite mineralization with traces of chalcopyrite. There is a significant increase in micro-quartz to quartz veining and associated mineralization with respect to observations to hole ALT-23-001 completed in November 2023. Several low-angle structures containing fault gouge in the upper sections of the drillhole. The intensity of the alteration has resulted in complete textural destructive with few relict quartz phenocrysts remaining. Sections of potassic alteration typical host pyrrhotite/pyrite and minor chalcopyrite and molybdenite mineralization. Hole ALT-24-004 Azimuth 220/-50 degrees is currently drilled to a depth of 300 metres is the second hole of a three-hole, fence planned to drill test across the anomalies. Quick geological log observations indicate similar extensive alteration and associated mineralization to that in hole ALT-24-003. Cole McClay, CEO of Forge Resources Corp. comments: "I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made to date. During my recent field visit last week, I witnessed firsthand the dedication and expertise of our team on the ground. Their commitment to safety, and innovative practices is driving our project forward. I am confident that our continued efforts will yield significant results for the company and our stakeholders. We remain focused on responsible project development and are excited about the potential this project holds." New Claim Blocks Staked The company has continued to increase its current land position by recently completing a physical staking program of prospective areas. The company has now staked and filed for 29 new claim blocks, totalling 940.9 hectares north of the current claim blocks to cover areas with anomalous soil geochemistry. Figure 2 outlines the area north of the current claim blocks. The Alotta property now consists of a total of 125 mineral claims that cover approximately 2,866.9 hectares that is located 50 km south-east of Western Copper's Casino deposit which is ranked as one of the top ten largest, undeveloped, copper-gold porphyry deposits in the world. Figure 1 Indicates the high priority target areas within the Alotta property with potential gold-copper-molybdenum, porphyry style mineralization. Prior to November 2023 none of these target areas had been drill tested. In November 2023 two drill holes (ALT-23-001 and ALT-23-002) were completed on the property which confirmed the porphyry style nature of mineralization. Figure 1 above shows the location of completed and proposed drill holes. Note: Holes ALT-24-005 to ALT-24-010 are proposed locations To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/213362_4a897c0f14f29b93_001full.jpg Figure 2 above shows the area of additional claims To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/213362_4a897c0f14f29b93_002full.jpg Figure 3 above shows President, Lorne Warner, P.Geo conducting a quick study of recent core samples (June 14, 2024). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/213362_4a897c0f14f29b93_003full.jpg Non-Brokered Flow-through Private Placement The Private Placement of Units will be comprised of up to 750,000 Units at a price of $0.80 per Unit for an aggregate gross proceeds of up to $600,000, with a 20% over allotment amount. Each Unit will consist of one flow-through common share (each a "Share") and one transferable non-flow-through share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will enable the holder to acquire an additional non-flow-through common share of the Company ("Warrant Share") at a price of $1.10 per Warrant Share for a period of one year from the date of issuance. The Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") and the expenditures will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act). The gross proceeds from the Units will be utilized for incurring "Canadian exploration expenses" and "flow-through mining expenditures" (as defined in the Tax Act). The gross proceeds from the sale of Units will be used for general exploration expenditures on the Alotta Project as described below. Qualified Person Lorne Warner, P.Geo, and President of Forge Resources Corp. is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. About Forge Resources Corp. Forge Resources Corp. is a Canadian-listed junior exploration company focused on exploring and advancing the Alotta project, a prospective porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum project located 50 km south-east of the Casino porphyry deposit in the unglaciated portion of the Dawson Range porphyry/epithermal belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada. In addition, the Company holds a 40% interest in Aion Mining Corp., a company that is developing the fully permitted La Estrella coal project in Santander, Colombia. The project contains eight known seams of metallurgical and thermal coal. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Cole McClay", CEO Forge Resources Corp. info@forgeresources.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information concerning the Company's intentions with respect to the development of its mineral properties. Forward-looking information is based on the views, opinions, intentions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking information (including the actions of other parties who have agreed to do certain things and the approval of certain regulatory bodies). Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. 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 information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws, or to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company, its financial or operating results or its securities. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We seek safe harbor. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213362 SOURCE: Forge Resources Corp. GrubMarket, a San Francisco, CA-based AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer for the food supply chain industry, acquired Parsemony, a Alameda, California-based provider of comprehensive enterprise software services primarily for fresh produce distributors, wholesalers, repackers and food service suppliers. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. This acquisition strengthens GrubMarkets software services capabilities and expands the functionality of its existing portfolio of cutting-edge software products, including WholesaleWare and GrubAssist. Parsemonys software offerings will join GrubMarkets portfolio of software solutions, which includes GrubMarkets proprietary, AI-powered ERP software, WholesaleWare, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that provides food industry wholesalers and distributors with financial management, sales support, online ordering, precise inventory management, lot traceability, grower accounting, and automated routing and logistics; GrubAssist, GrubMarkets enterprise AI assistant that empowers food supply chain businesses with deep insights, intelligent analysis and automated order processing; and Orders IO, GrubMarkets custom branded, mobile eCommerce solution. Originally founded as Vintrex Inc. in the late 1980s by Carl Mahon, the company was known for its signature software product, Profitsense. The company was rebranded in 2017 as Parsemony by its current owner Colin Hare, who has worked with Mahon since 2010. Hare has continued developing and upgrading Profitsense under the Parsemony brand ever since. Parsemony provides enterprise-wide software solutions and services designed to help customers manage all aspects of their fresh food businesses. Key offerings from Parsemony include: A cloud-based, POS solution accessed via handheld devices, that makes it easy for food wholesale distributors to run powerful inventory and order management workflows directly from within their warehouses. Custom software engineering services focused on expanding the breadth of core ERP functionalities, like building intuitive online ordering interfaces and streamlined integrations with third-party accounting and bookkeeping systems, such as QuickBooks. Comprehensive IT services spanning network infrastructure setup, administration, general and specialized tech support, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data migration, hardware installation and maintenance, compliance consulting, and more, all focused on the specific needs of food supply chain businesses. After the acquisition, Parsemony will continue to be managed by its leadership team, and Parsemony customers will have the opportunity to expand their software and enterprise AI capabilities through additional services offered by GrubMarkets WholesaleWare, GrubAssist (including AI Orders), Orders IO, and GrubPay products. Led by Mike Xu, CEO, GrubMarket is an AI-powered technology solutions provider for the food supply chain. The company operates in all 50 U.S. States and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world. FinSMEs 17/06/2024 A deduction in personal tax may help increase consumption in the economy and enhance savings for the middle class read more With Union Budget 2024, the first full budget of Modi 3.0, scheduled to be presented next month, there are a lot of expectations among people on whats in store for them. Amid this, a report by Reuters quoted two government sources as saying that the Modi government is mulling over lowering tax rates for specific groups of individuals. If so, the move will help boost consumption in India, Asias third-largest economy. Lets first understand how a cut in personal tax will help you. A deduction in personal tax may help increase consumption in the economy and enhance savings for the middle class. Advertisement The sources, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of budget discussions, indicated that the plan could be announced in July when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the first Union Budget of the Modi 3.0 government. Union Budget 2024: Income Tax Expectations 1 - One of the government sources told Reuters that individuals whose earning is over Rs 15 lakh annually may see some tax relief up to a certain amount which is yet to be determined. 2 - The second sources said that there could be changes made to the new income tax regime introduced in 2020, where annual income up to Rs 15 lakh is taxed at rates between 5 per cent and 20 per cent, while earnings over Rs 15 lakh are taxed at 30 per cent. 3 - The second source further said that the personal tax rate jumps six-fold when an individuals income increases from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, which he described as quite steep. Also Read: Union Budget to be presented on July 22, Economic Survey on July 3: Govt sources to News18 4 - As per the first source, the government may also consider lowering personal tax rates for annual incomes of Rs 10 lakh. 5 - The first source also informed that a new threshold is being discussed for income taxed at the highest rate of 30 per cent under the old tax regime. 6 - The second source told Reuters that any loss of income to the government through tax cuts could be partially offset by increased consumption from this category of income earners. Advertisement While staking a claim to form the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled government earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said his administration would focus on raising middle-class savings as well as improving the quality of their lives. A chilling rise in cases of a rare but lethal human flesh-eating bacterial infection has gripped Japan following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Known as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), this nightmarish disease can kill within just 48 hours of infection. Japan has already recorded nearly 1,000 cases this year alone, surpassing last years numbers read more Japans Health Ministry had recorded 977 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), as of 2 June. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay Following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Japan has experienced a concerning increase in cases of a rare and deadly flesh-eating bacterial infection. Known as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), this terrifying disease can be fatal within just 48 hours of infection. According to data from Japans National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the country has already reported nearly 1,000 cases this year, exceeding last years total. What is STSS? STSS is a severe infection caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria. The bacteria produce toxins that trigger a hyper-inflammatory response in the body, leading to rapid tissue necrosis, extreme pain, and shock. The bacteria can swiftly enter the bloodstream and organs, causing multi-organ failure in a short period. Advertisement Initial symptoms of STSS include fever, muscle pain, and vomiting, but the condition can quickly turn life-threatening with low blood pressure, swelling, and multiple organ failure as the body goes into shock. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Even with treatment, STSS can be deadly. Out of 10 people with STSS, as many as three people will die from the infection. A look at the surge in STSS cases in Japan As of 2 June, Japans Health Ministry had recorded 977 cases of STSS, which has a mortality rate of up to 30 per cent. Between January and March, 77 people died from the infection. This ongoing outbreak in Japan has already surpassed last years previous record of 941 preliminary infections the highest since statistics began in 1999. Last year, 97 deaths were reported due to STSS, the second-highest number of fatalities in the past six years. Experts say the reason for the rapid rise of STSS cases in Japan is unclear. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay Ken Kikuchi, a professor at Tokyo Womens Medical University, highlighted the rapid progression of the disease, noting, Most of the deaths happen within 48 hours of noticing initial symptoms. The rise in cases may be due to peoples weakened immune systems following COVID-19. We can boost immunity if we are constantly exposed to bacteria. But that mechanism was absent during the coronavirus pandemic, Kikuchi told NHK. So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases. Advertisement Can it spread to other countries? Although the current outbreak is in Japan, there is potential for global spread due to international travel. To prevent STSS, maintaining good hygiene, such as regular hand washing and prompt treatment of any skin injuries, is crucial. Early signs like sudden severe pain, high fever, and redness at a wound site should prompt immediate medical attention. Public health measures, including monitoring and a quick response to new cases, are essential to contain the spread of this dangerous infection. Also Read | Human case of bird flu detected in India: Should we be worried? Japanese health authorities are actively monitoring the situation and working to curb the spread of STSS. Public awareness campaigns inform people about the symptoms and severity of STSS, encouraging prompt medical care if symptoms appear. Hospitals are on alert to identify and treat STSS cases swiftly, and enhanced hygiene practices are being promoted. Advertisement Have their been outbreaks in other countries? Other countries have also experienced similar outbreaks. In December 2022, five European countries reported an increase in invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with children under 10 being the most impacted. The CDC said it was also investigating an apparent increase in the disease at the time. In March, Japanese authorities warned of a jump in STSS cases, with a risk assessment stating the number of cases caused by iGAS has increased since July 2023, especially among those under 50 years of age. Initial symptoms of STSS include fever, chills, muscle aches, and nausea. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay The CDC notes that older people with an open wound are at increased risk of contracting STSS, including those who have recently had surgery. However, the exact reason for this years rise in cases remains unclear. Experts dont know how the bacteria got into the body for nearly half of people who get STSS, the CDC stated on its website. Advertisement What steps is Japan taking? Japanese health authorities are actively monitoring the situation and working to curb the spread of STSS. Public awareness campaigns inform people about the symptoms and severity of STSS, encouraging prompt medical care if symptoms appear. Hospitals are on alert to identify and treat STSS cases swiftly, and enhanced hygiene practices are being promoted. Also Read | No funny business: Can you faint from laughing too much? Other countries can learn from Japans comprehensive approach to improve their own preparedness and response strategies. Educating healthcare providers and the public about recognising early symptoms and seeking timely medical care is crucial. Advertisement With inputs from agencies India and the United States are currently in an advanced stage of talks regarding the proposed joint production of the latest generation of Stryker armoured infantry combat vehicles (ICVs). This initiative is part of their defence-industrial cooperation roadmap. What are Strykers? What are they capable of? read more Soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment stand next to a Stryker combat vehicle in Vilseck, Germany, 9 February, 2022. File Image/AP India and the United States are currently engaged in advanced discussions regarding the joint manufacture of the latest generation of Stryker armoured infantry combat vehicles (ICVs). This initiative is part of a broader defence-industrial cooperation roadmap. The US has also recently offered to demonstrate the mobility and firepower of the Stryker in high-altitude areas in India. The Indian defence ministry is examining a three-phase plan for this proposed project, reported The Times of India. Advertisement What will the project comprise? The project will initially involve a limited off-the-shelf purchase of Strykers under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. According to TOI, This will be followed by joint production in India and, eventually, the co-development of its futuristic versions. The entire plan is contingent on the Stryker meeting the operational requirements of the Indian Armys mechanised infantry battalions and a high level of indigenisation, including the transfer of critical technologies to the Indian co-production partner, which could be a defence Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) or a private firm. The Indian Army has a substantial requirement for futuristic wheeled and tracked ICVs to replace its existing fleet of over 2,000 Russian-origin BMP-II vehicles in the coming years. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also pursuing indigenous projects. The US is aggressively promoting the Strykers. Ahead of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivans visit to India, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin mentioned the co-production of armoured vehicles with India as another indicator of the upward trajectory in bilateral defence partnerships during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore two weeks ago. The US has secured lucrative Indian defence deals worth around $22 billion since 2007. A look at the specifications & capabilities of the Stryker: The Stryker is a family of eight-wheel-drive combat armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) jointly developed by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) Canada and the General Dynamics Land Systems Division in the United States. Advertisement The Stryker vehicles are a new version of the GDLS Canada LAV III 88 light armoured vehicle, operational since 2001. This vehicle evolved from the Piranha III built by Mowag of Switzerland, now part of GDLS, Europe. Also Read | From self-reliance to emerging markets: Priorities of Indian defence sector under Modi 3.0 The Stryker, named after American servicemen Stuart S. Stryker and Robert F. Stryker, who were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour, was the first new military vehicle inducted into US Army service since the Abrams tank in the 1980s. Features in a Stryker vehicle Technologically, the Stryker is a V-hull armoured infantry vehicle equipped with a 30 mm cannon and a 105 mm mobile gun. The Stryker hull is constructed from high-hardness steel, providing basic protection against 14.5mm rounds on the frontal arc and all-around protection against 7.62mm ball ammunition. Advertisement The vehicles also feature bolt-on ceramic armour, offering additional protection against 14.5mm armour-piercing ammunition and artillery fragments from 152mm rounds. According to Army Guide.com, the Stryker is manned by a two-person crew and can carry a nine-man infantry squad. It is powered by a Caterpillar C7 engine with 350 horsepower, has a range of 483 kilometers, and can reach a top speed of around 100 km/h. The Stryker vehicles have demonstrated a better chance of surviving against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) compared to other light military vehicles. The Strykers can be transported via Chinook helicopters, which the Indian Air Force uses. During the 2021 Yudh Abhyas exercise, an Indian Air Force Chinook demonstrated this capability. Advertisement Variants of a Stryker vehicle The Stryker has two main variants: the Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS). The US Army operates over 550 Strykers in various configurations, including: Infantry carrier vehicle Commander vehicle Medical evacuation vehicle Fire support vehicle Engineer squad vehicle Anti-tank guided missile carrier Mortar carrier Reconnaissance vehicle Mobile gun system Nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicle The Stryker can formulate a quick response to insurgencies or war-like situations, moving much faster than tanks on paved roads, thereby getting infantry squads into the fight more swiftly. This capability is particularly valuable in urban warfare. The Stryker vehicles have been seen action in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Washington has also sent these combat vehicles to Ukraine to aid in the conflict against Russia, a move that was welcomed by Kyiv. Also Read: India targets Rs 50,000-crore military exports in 5 years. What weapons does it export now? The potential deal around the Strykers is expected to significantly boost Indias defence manufacturing industry under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The US government may allow the Transfer of Technology (ToT), enabling joint production and the incorporation of Stryker technology into domestically developed armoured fighting vehicles for the Indian military. Advertisement The collaboration with the US is likely to enhance Indias defence capabilities and self-reliance. With inputs from agencies On Sunday, Indian Railways carried out the trial train run from Sangaldan to Reasi, including on the worlds highest rail bridge built on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. Part of the ambitious Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, the initiative aims to boost connectivity and trade in the Union Territory read more Indian Railways has conducted the first trial train run from Sangaldan to Reasi, including on the worlds highest rail bridge built on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took to X on Sunday (16 June) to make the announcement. First trial train has successfully run from Sangaldan to Reasi, including crossing the Chenab Bridge, he wrote. All construction works for the USBRL are nearly finished, with tunnel No.1 remaining partially incomplete. Advertisement 1st trial train between Sangaldan to Reasi. pic.twitter.com/nPozXzz8HM Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 16, 2024 The Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which costs Rs 35,000 crore, aims to strengthen connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. Lets take a closer look. Chenab rail bridge Touted as the worlds highest railway bridge, the Chenab bridge was constructed 359 metres (around 109 feet) above the Chenab river. It is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The construction of this bridge was not an easy feat with harsh terrain and weather conditions in J&K posing a major challenge. This architectural marvel has been built across a gorge of Chenab Bridge in the Reasi district of J&K. Also known as the Chenab Arch Bridge, it has an arch span of 467 metres. The bridge costs around Rs 14,000 crore and has a lifespan of 120 years. It can resist high-velocity winds with speeds up to 260 kmph, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and hydrological impacts if water levels rise. Chenab Bridge: An engineering marvel garnering praise internationally pic.twitter.com/a7z6iNpDCa Western Railway (@WesternRly) January 16, 2024 Advertisement Why the trial run matters The tests were carried out to check the stability and safety of the worlds highest bridge. As the commissioning of the Sangaldan-Reasi section is completed, the work is now pending on a 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra. The Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) is slated to carry out an inspection on the Sangaldan-Reasi section later this month, as per a Times of India (TOI) report. Train services will start operating from Ramban to Reasi through the Chenab bridge soon. Reasi deputy commissioner Vishesh Mahajan told ANI, This is an engineering marvel of the modern world. The day when the train will reach Reasi will be a game-changing day for the district. It is a proud moment for us, as our engineers have created a marvel. It is the eighth wonder of the world. The bridge, the wind speed, and its strength are wonderful. The exact date cannot be said, but I hope the day comes soon. Advertisement Significance of the USBRL project The USBRL project, which was okayed in March 1995, gained momentum in 2002 when it was declared a national project by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for being one of the most challenging works taken by the Indian Railways after Independence, noted Indian Express. The project is expected to be finally completed by the end of the year. Once finished, it will connect the Anantnag, Pulwama, Sopian, Badgam, Srinagar and Baramulla districts of J&K to the Indian Railways network. In February, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section of the railway line that links Baramulla in North Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu. Advertisement The project will establish all-weather rail connectivity between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, which will help boost the regions industrial and agricultural sectors, as per TOI. Currently, Kashmir is connected to the rest of India via air or the land route a 300-kilometer Srinagar-Jammu national highway. However, it has to be shut down often in winter when roads are blocked due to snowfall. Landslides also make the Jammu-Srinagar national highway inaccessible. This rail link will eliminate these obstructions and offer cost-effective all-weather connectivity to Kashmir. The train will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu to between three and three-and-a-half hours from the five to six hours experienced during road travel. Advertisement The Chenab rail bridge, built as part of this project, will provide a safe and reliable way of crossing the Chenab River, which is vulnerable to flash floods and landslides. As per Indian Express, the project will also help in facilitating trade for Kashmiris, with trains offering a hassle-free transport of goods such as apples, dry fruits, handicrafts, etc. to people in other parts of India. The cost of transporting items to the Kashmir Valley from other parts of India could also significantly fall. With inputs from agencies Kavach is the Indian Railways automatic train protection (ATP) system designed to prevent train accidents. The technology has come under the spotlight after at least nine people died and dozens of others were injured as the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train collided near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal on Monday read more Onlookers watch as rescuers work after a cargo train rammed into Kanchanjunga Express, a passenger train, near New Jalpaiguri station, West Bengal on 17 June 2024. AP The collision involving the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal has once again put focus on the safety measures needed to prevent such accidents. At least nine people died and 60 were wounded after the loco pilot of the goods train reportedly disregarded the signal and crashed into the Kanchenjunga Express. The tragic incident has raised questions about the deployment of the anti-collision system Kavach. The system also came to the limelight last June when over 288 passengers lost their lives in the ghastly train accident in Odishas Balasore district. Advertisement But what is this system? How does it work? Has it been adopted across India? Lets take a closer look. What is Kavach? Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Developed by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with three Indian firms, the system is designed to prevent train accidents due to Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD), as per an Economic Times (ET) report. It is a state-of-the-art electronic system that activates the trains braking system automatically if the driver fails to do it. It was officially adopted as the national automatic train protection system in July 2020. According to The Hindu, the system helps to prevent trains from crossing the signal at Red which marks danger and staves off collision. It also averts collision between two locomotives enabled with functional Kavach systems. The Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) certified Kavach has an error probability of 1 in 10,000 years, the newspaper reported. The anti-collision system can also send SoS messages during an emergency. It costs Rs 40-50 lakh per kilometre in equipment to deploy the technology in tracks and nearby stations. As per Financial Express, equipping a locomotive with Kavach costs about Rs 70 lakh per unit. ALSO READ: Kanchanjunga Express Tragedy: How common are train accidents in India? Why do they keep happening? How does Kavach work? The Kavach system uses several devices to stop train collisions. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are integrated into tracks, station yards and signals to identify the tracks and locate the train and its direction. Advertisement When the system is on, all trains within a distance of 5 km will come to a halt, allowing the train on an adjacent track to pass safely, reported NDTV. The drivers cabin or locomotive is also equipped with RFID readers, a computer, and brake interface equipment, as per Financial Express. The On Board Display of Signal Aspect (OBDSA) helps pilots spot the signals even when there is low visibility due to bad weather. In fact, the instrument panel inside the cabin helps the loco-pilot know about the signal in advance without visual sighting, and the permissible speeds to be maintained, as per The Hindu. Advertisement If a red signal is jumped, resulting in two trains coming together on the same line, Kavach automatically applies the brakes. In March 2022, Vaishnaws video had surfaced explaining how the technology works. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw @AshwiniVaishnaw Hon'ble Railway Minister briefs during live testing of #kavach automatic train protection technology in Lingampalli - Vikarabad section, South Central Railway #NationalSafetyDay @RailMinIndia @drmsecunderabad pic.twitter.com/jtW5EXECm3 South Central Railway (@SCRailwayIndia) March 4, 2022 Where has the Kavach system been deployed? About 1,500 km of tracks in India have been equipped with Kavach technology. The Indian Railways system is more than one lakh kilometres long. In February, Vaishnaw said in a Rajya Sabha session that Kavach has been deployed on 1,465 route kilometers and 139 locomotives on the South Central Railway network. He also said that tenders have been granted for implementing Kavach on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors, spanning about 3,000 route kilometers, reported Financial Express. The Kavach system was not available on the tracks in West Bengal where the two trains collided on Monday. The Railways plans to deploy the safety system on the Delhi-Guwahati route under its goal to cover over 6,000 km of tracks by next year. Bengal falls within the 3,000 km of tracks set to be protected by Kavach this year. The system will be applied to the Delhi-Howrah route, Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman of the Railway Board, told NDTV. Advertisement Onlookers watch as rescuers work after a cargo train rammed into Kanchanjunga Express, a passenger train, near New Jalpaiguri station, West Bengal state, on 17 June 2024. AP Speaking to the news channel, former Executive Director of Railway Board Prempal Sharma said, If Kavach was deployed, something like this accident could likely be avoided. However, its a costly system to operate. The Indian Railways had planned to instal Kavach across 2,000 rail route networks in 2022-23 and over 4,000-5,000 rail route networks every subsequent year. Business Standard reported last November that Railways was seeking to upgrade its Kavach system to 4G/5G (LTE-based) and accelerate its adoption. As per a recent Mint report, Railways has decided to issue a Rs 5,000 crore tender in the coming months to expedite the implementation of the Kavach technology across 10,000 km of its busy networks. With new tenders, the plan is to add 7,000-8,000 of railway network under Kavach every year so that entire railway network of about 70,000 km gets this system in less than a decade, a person tracking the adoption of new Kavach system told the financial newspaper. With inputs from agencies In a significant victory, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has emerged as the new voice for the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, overcoming a vigorous BJP campaign led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. This election marked Gauravs first contest without the guiding presence of his father, the late Tarun Gogoi, a revered figure in Assams political landscape. With the Assam Assembly elections on the horizon in 2026, we delve into the implications of this victory, the challenges ahead and the vision for the future. In this exclusive interview with three-time Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, Firstpost discusses the dynamics of the recent election, the strategies of the BJP and the Congress partys roadmap to regain power in Assam. Edited excerpts: Advertisement Congratulations on your election victory. This was your first election without your father and you faced a vigorous campaign from the Assam BJP leadership led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Given these circumstances, do you feel that the campaign against you was more personal than political due to the chief ministers past differences with your father? That is a question for him to answer. My entire campaign centered around Jorhat, its people and its aspirations. Majuli was included in the Jorhat Lok Sabha Constituency (in the latest delimitation exercise). It was very important for me to travel to all parts of the constituency and make my campaign about the people of Jorhat and their aspirations. For me, it was never a personal issue. I do not know why the BJPs chief minister and their ministers campaigned the way they did. I can only say that their campaign ended up benefitting me and the Congress party much more than they would have thought. If we look at the election results, you did quite well in all the 11 Assembly constituencies that fall under the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, except for Majuli. What do you think was the reason for the discrepancy in Majuli? I also saw you celebrating your victory there after the results were announced. Was that a specific message you wanted to convey? I was expecting to do well in the election, but the margin has surprised me. I did not expect to lead in all constituencies. Therefore, the Majuli result is as per our initial expectations. It is only in the other constituencies where we have performed beyond our expectations. Im quite satisfied with the results in Majuli because that is an Assembly election seat where we previously lost by more than 20,000-25,000 votes. We have reduced the margin to 7,000, which I consider a significant achievement. Advertisement Majuli is one of the most important centres of Vaishnavite Hinduism and holds a special place in peoples hearts. I think the BJP committed a huge error by distributing money to different temples and Namghars (Assamese prayer halls). It pushed people away from the BJP. This election is a victory of the public over money and authoritarianism. Now, as a newly elected MP, my aim is to travel the length and breadth of the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency and work on the issues identified during the campaign. Regarding the appointment of Pabitra Margherita as Minister of State, were you surprised by this decision? Do you believe its part of the BJPs strategy to introduce a new Ahom face in Assam? There are speculations that he has been positioned as a rival to you. Whats your take on this? Advertisement That is the plan of the BJP. Who the BJP decides to induct into the cabinet is their prerogative. For us, as the INDI Alliance, we will continue to raise the issues of students, farmers in the North East and Manipur. We will fulfill our responsibilities and have already raised the issue of NEET. We will continue to raise the issue of disturbances in Manipur. People in Jorhat expect improvements in highways between Teok and Sivasagar. That is our focus. Who the BJP inducts is not a concern for us. In a recent interview with PTI, you mentioned that your job is only half done. With the Assam Assembly elections coming up in 2026, do you believe the Congress has a strong chance of regaining power in the state? Advertisement We have received a lot of support from the people in this election. People in the Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency defeated AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal and have given a resounding defeat to AIUDF across Assam. Even in Jorhat, where the chief minister campaigned himself, the people still made the Congress party win with a huge margin of 1.44 lakh votes. There is tremendous momentum and goodwill for the Congress party. Our hope is to capitalize on this, learn from it and continue building our support among the youth of Assam. If we work collectively and in the right direction, the people will give us a mandate in 2026. Advertisement This election, its been said that you almost won single-handedly, with only a brief visit from Priyanka Gandhi to Jorhat. Given the momentum youve created, do you think the state leadership in Assam is prepared to capitalize on this victory? A stronger state leadership is essential, isnt it? The Congress party did not win only in Jorhat. It has won in Dhubri, where the people gave the highest margin to our candidate Rakibul Hussain. The AIUDF put up candidates in Nagaon and Karimganj, but our candidates got a lot of support among traditional AIUDF voters in these seats. Even in Guwahati, our candidate Mira Borthakur did extremely well, as did our candidate in Kaziranga. We got significant support from our opposition alliance, the local regional party, and civil society. Therefore, Jorhat should not be looked at in isolation. It is a symbol of peoples disenchantment with the current PPP government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Across the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, many indicators show that the Congress party has done well. People are with us continue to work 100 per cent with our total effort and commitment. Your father Tarun Gogoi, who served three terms as chief minister, was extremely popular and known as the peoples chief minister. Do you envision yourself occupying the same position in the future with the love and blessings of the people? Whatever I have learned in politics is from my father. In our philosophy, people are the king and we are here for public service, not personal gain. Those are the values I will continue to abide by in the days to come. I am grateful for the support given to me by the people and I will do my best to live up to their expectations. (File) Gaurav Gogoi ties a badge to former chief minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi during an event, in Guwahati. PTI What will be your role in the Lok Sabha now that the Congress has more seats and a much stronger opposition compared to 2014 and 2019? What do you see as Congress role and what will be your specific responsibilities? That is for the party leadership to decide. Personally, I have expressed that I would like to see Rahul Gandhi take on the role of Leader of the Opposition. He has led the Congress party from a very vulnerable position three years ago, especially since he started his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari. From there, he has taken the party to this stage where he won the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh with a much bigger margin than what Prime Minister Modi got in his seat in Varanasi. For us, Rahul Gandhi continues to lead Congress philosophy towards protecting democracy, the Constitution, economic justice, and social justice. We hope he will accept our request to take the position of Leader of the Opposition. Yet, of course, he will await the final decision of the Congress Parliamentary Party. On which issues do you think the Congress will primarily focus to challenge the government? As of now, the entire country is saying that the NEET scam is being completely avoided by the BJP. They are trying to cover up the entire scam. But the Congress party stands with the young people of India with the 24 lakh aspirants. We will seek justice for them and hope that the counseling process is not rushed through. A comprehensive investigation under the Supreme Court should take place for the counselling. Despite existing challenges, such as the underrepresentation of women, Indias democratic elections consistently reinforce the nations commitment to empowering its citizens and fostering fair participation in politics read more India recently concluded a historic six-week-long national election, which has garnered considerable attention both domestically and internationally. With nearly 970 million voters, India boasts one of the worlds most momentous elections. The elections outcome is of significant interest, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third consecutive term, making it a pivotal moment in the nations political landscape. India possesses a deeply ingrained commitment to democracy, rooted in its historical and philosophical heritage, showcasing a tradition of democratic ideals. The adoption of the sacred Constitution in 1950 solidified Indias status as a democratic nation, symbolising its dedication to civil rights, freedom, and equitable resource distribution. In the Lok Sabha Election of 2024, the resurgence of the Congress party and a high voter turnout in India displayed the nations democratic vigour. The Congress surprised many by increasing its seat count substantially from 52 to 99, signalling a significant shift from the expected dominance of the BJP. Advertisement India, well-known for its massive democracy, conducted the election with millions of voters, intricate mobilisation strategies, and the growing impact of social media. The election results reflected the countrys commitment to inclusive democracy, with diverse voter demographics participating actively, including women, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities. The huge election mobilisation involved over 1.5 crore polling and security personnel, utilising various transportation methods and monitoring teams to ensure the smooth operation of the electoral process. Acknowledging the challenges it faces, Indias rich democratic tradition, inclusive ethos, and historical contributions highlight its significance as a democratic nation. The complexities of Indias democratic landscape demand continuous efforts to address issues like political conflicts and growing inequalities. Despite these challenges, Indias commitment to democratic values remains resilient. Indias democratic narrative reflects a legacy of democratic principles mirrored in the diverse contributions of influential philosophers and leaders. These historical foundations culminated in the establishment of a democratic system following the adoption of the Constitution in 1950. The democratic ethos of India is further exemplified by its emphasis on public morality, freedom of expression, and the right to dissent essential elements of a vibrant democracy. As evident in the 2024 elections, democracy in India has further deepened. With inclusion of representation of women and Dalits and tribal communities, India showcased its strong democratic principles. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India marked a significant reorientation of the political landscape, particularly in relation to the participation and performance of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, 131 were reserved for SC and ST categories, emphasising the critical role these communities play in Indias democracy. The 2024 Lok Sabha election outcomes have exhibited significant shifts in the democratic landscape within the government. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Narendra Modis BJP and its allies clinched 292 seats, establishing themselves as the most prominent party. The BJPs supremacy in the northern and western regions through its visible developmental programmes and policies has been pivotal in their impressive performance. Furthermore, despite facing a formidable opposition alliance led by the Congress party, the BJPs strong electoral display has reaffirmed their ongoing influence in shaping Indias national politics. Advertisement The BJPs enduring control in numerous states and their strategic partnerships continue to fortify their position throughout the country. These outcomes not only indicate the BJPs capability to uphold and broaden its influence in critical areas, but also highlight the partys consistent impact on Indias political landscape, solidifying its fundamental role in shaping the nations future governance. This transition highlights the evolving nature of coalition politics in India and underscores the growing importance of broader alliances and cooperative governance within the democratic framework. The International community has been closely monitoring Indias election, with over 50 countries taking a keen interest. In the event of Modis triumph, it signifies a continuation of his policies and potentially shape Indias domestic and foreign policies for the coming years. The aftermath of Indias 2024 Lok Sabha elections reveals intriguing democratic shifts and voter sentiments. The victory of the BJP-led NDA for a third consecutive term highlights the enduring trust and support of the Indian people in Prime Minister Modis leadership. Despite not reaching the ambitious 400-seat target, the election results solidify the NDAs mandate to advance its progressive agenda for the nation. Advertisement Prime Minister Modis imminent return for a historic third term emphasises his unwavering popularity and the peoples endorsement of his transformative vision. The performance of the INDIA bloc underscores the evolving political dynamics, providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives within the political arena. However, it also showcases the NDAs resilience in navigating a more competitive political environment, showcasing the enduring appeal and robust leadership under Prime Minister Modi. The evolving political landscape highlights the vibrancy of Indias democracy, with the NDA well-poised to address the nations challenges and opportunities in the upcoming years. This underscores the evolving voter sentiments and the need for adaptability in the face of changing political currents. Prime Minister Modis third term in office reflect sustained support from voters. This outcome emphasises the continued popularity of the party and its potential to form a stable and effective government. Advertisement Following the conclusion of the election, it is evident that the voter sentiments leading up to the election were multifaceted, reflecting the diverse socio-political fabric of India. Modis leadership has been associated with economic development and boosting Indias global standing. A victory for Modi has solidified his influence. The election was marked by its sheer scale and historic voter turnout. The election process, spanning six weeks and involving over a million polling stations, underscored the logistical and administrative feat. The candidates traversed the country, and voters queued for hours, highlighting the significance of this democratic exercise. Despite challenges, the election affirmed Indias commitment to its democratic process. The BJPs initiative, which seeks to uphold the countrys cultural heritage and enhance governance, differs from the oppositions pledges, which have been criticised for undermining traditional values and principles. Advertisement The state of Uttar Pradesh, traditionally a BJP stronghold, saw a substantial transformation in SC/ST political dynamics. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress made notable progress in the BJPs SC vote bank, leading to a decline in the BJPs SC seats. This shift underscored changing political alliances and voter preferences, with the SP chief Akhilesh Yadavs PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak) narrative resonating strongly with the electorate. The increased representation of reserved communities in the Lok Sabha is expected to bring new perspectives and priorities to national politics. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was observed that out of the 797 women who participated in the electoral race, only 74 emerged triumphant. This signifies that a mere 13.6 per cent of the total 543 MPs are women, a figure noticeably lower than the 14.3 per cent representation seen in 2019, despite women accounting for approximately 50 per cent of Indias population. When examining womens representation across states and Union territories, Tripura and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu tied for the top spot in terms of female representation. Each of these areas elected one woman out of their two Lok Sabha constituencies, equating to 50 per cent representation, reflecting a notable achievement. Notably, Delhi ranked third in womens representation, with women MPs holding 28.57 per cent of the seats. In terms of states with the highest number of women MPs, West Bengal emerged as the leader, electing 11 women out of its 42 seats, all of whom belong to the Trinamool Congress. Following closely are Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, each having seven women MPs. Despite existing challenges, such as the underrepresentation of women in specific states and union territories, Indias democratic elections consistently reinforce the nations commitment to empowering its citizens and fostering fair participation in politics. Ongoing efforts to address these disparities and promote diverse representation will be essential in strengthening Indias democratic principles in its electoral landscape. Alok Virendra Tiwari has worked with National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. He was part of Indian delegation to World Food Forums Conference organised by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). He is currently part of the Chanakya Fellowship in Social Sciences at Chanakya University, Bengaluru. His research interest revolves around governance, political behaviour and foreign policy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The biggest takeaway of the European parliamentary election has been the steep rise in support for the Right-wing parties in several countries read more About 180 million people, accounting for a little less than 51 per cent of the 357 million citizens of the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) eligible to vote, exercised their right in the elections held from June 6-9. They voted to elect 720 members of the European Parliament (EP). Next only to India in which a total of 642 million people representing 66 per cent of the 970 million eligible voters exercised their franchise in the parliamentary elections in 2024, this is the largest democratic electoral exercise to choose representatives anywhere in the world. Advertisement The biggest takeaway of the European parliamentary election was the steep rise in support for the Right-wing parties in several countries. It had been anticipated for several months before the election that the Right-leaning parties would significantly increase their numbers in the elections to the European Parliament this year. Reasons for this are several. They range from differences on continuing the support to Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, Euro-scepticism, diverse views on climate change and the Green Deal, illegal migration, relations with Russia, pushback against China, etc. Although a significant increase in the seats for the Right and far-Right did take place, it was not as widespread as it was predicted or feared. Moreover, it was not an EU-wide increase in numbers but limited to a few countries. The countries where the rise of the Right was the most striking were France, Italy, Germany and Austria. Right parties increased their presence significantly in Belgium, Poland, Netherlands and Spain and some other countries as well. The immediate impact of this surge to the Right was the announcement of snap elections by French President Emmanuel Macron which will be held on June 30 and July 7. The increase in popularity of Marine le Pens National Rally (NR) far-Right Party in France was principally at the expense of President Macrons centrist Renaissance Party. Macron has taken a high risk gamble by embarking on this path, the final outcome of which is quite uncertain. The biggest winner from the election was Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy and leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group in the Parliament. Meloni has emerged as the kingmaker and a prominent voice in EU politics in Brussels. Advertisement It is, however, a moot point whether all the diverse and disparate Right-leaning groups in the Parliament viz. the far-Right Identity and Democracy (I&D) led by Marine Le Pen; Melonis ECR; Alternative for German (AfD) (which was expelled from I&D a few weeks ago) and some unattached members like Hungarian PM Viktor Orbans Fidesz party will be able to come together under a single umbrella to pursue a common agenda in the Parliament. The election results also led to the resignation of the liberal Belgian PM Alexander de Croo who is a part of the Renew Group led by President Macron in the European Parliament. He suffered a humiliating defeat in the federal, regional and European Parliament elections at the hands of the far-right and right parties. Advertisement In addition to the Renew Group of President Macron which saw its count in the Parliament brought down by 20 seats, the other big loser was the Green Group which also lost about 20 seats, principally in Germany and France, both of which have been strongholds of the Green Parties. After five years during which Brussels made the Green Deal its signature issue, voters turned against ecologically minded parties. The Greens had some good news coming from the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark and Finland) where they held or improved their positions. Greens and Left-leaning parties emerged as winners in the Nordic EU members, underlying how environmental issues remain a focus of concern for many in that region. The Right and the far-Right emerged as losers in the Nordics possibly because they are part of the ruling coalitions in Sweden and Finland. In Sweden, the far-Right Sweden Democrats, who have been gaining support for years and became the second-largest party in the 2022 national elections, came in fourth place in these elections. As a result of these changes, the Green group dropped in size from the fourth to the sixth largest party in the chamber. Advertisement Notwithstanding the impressive performance of the far-Right, the right-centre European Peoples Party (EPP) not only retained but also improved its position as the largest party in the European Parliament. It added 14 more seats to its numbers to increase its tally from 176 to 190 seats. From its position of power, the EPP will be well placed to set EU policy, tilting the agenda to the Right. We are the party of industry, we are the party of rural areas, we are the farmers party of Europe, said Manfred Weber, the leader of the EPP Group in the Parliament. While the EPP could once again join a grand coalition with the socialists and liberals, it could also negotiate a working relationship on some issues with parties further to the Right like Melonis ECR if it can do so without alienating its centrist allies. Advertisement The Results of the Elections The final position of the different Parliamentary Groups after the elections is as follows: Participation: 51.08% (+0.42%) The various Groups in the Parliament represent a whole spectrum of policies, positions and views as follows: The European Peoples Party (EPP): The EPP, a centre-right group, has been the largest group within the European Parliament since the 1999 elections. It obtained 176 seats in 2019 and 190 in 2024, an increase of 14. EPP represents about 26 per cent of the total strength of the Parliament. The EPP is strongly pro-European and in favour of further integration. The group stands for having a common market that acts competitively on the international stage while promoting the welfare of people worldwide. The German Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union are its main constituents. Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D): This Group consists of various social-democratic or labour parties. With around 136 members, the S&D is the second-largest group in Parliament. Focus of this Group is on building an inclusive European society based on equality, solidarity and justice. In addition, it strives to improve living and working conditions and ensure more employment. Renew Europe: A new group that brings together the liberal and liberal-democratic parties in the EU. Macrons Renaissance Party is the major constituent of this Group. Because of the stinging defeat suffered by Macron, the strength of this Group reduced drastically from 102 in 2019 to 80 in recent elections leading to Macron calling for snap elections. This is the third largest group in Parliament. The core values of the Renew Europe group are democracy, sustainability and prosperity. European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): This Group consists of conservative political parties. The group split from the EPP in 2009. In the 2019 elections, the group won 69 seats, largely occupied by members of the Polish Law and Justice party. In the current election, it increased its seat strength principally on the strength of PM Melonis Brothers of Italy Party. Its constituency consists of a combination of social conservatives and supporters of economic liberalism. It is not outright Eurosceptic. In particular, it emphasises a commitment to economic cooperation and free trade but restricts cooperation in other areas. It is supportive of extending assistance to Ukraine but is staunchly against illegal migration. It has emerged as the fourth largest Group in the Parliament. Identity & Democracy (I&D): This is the youngest group in Parliament. It was formed in June 2019 by the Danish Peoples Party, the Finnish Party, Germanys AfD, and Italys Lega. Other parties later joined, including Belgiums Vlaams Belang, Frances Rassemblement National (National Rally NR), Austrias Freedom party (FPO), and Geert Wilders Dutch Freedom party (PVV). AfD was thrown out of I&D in May, 2024 on account of some scandalous comments by its leaders. The strength of I&D increased by a whopping 9 seats from 49 to 58 principally through additional wins by NR of France making it the fifth-largest group in Parliament. Known as euro-critical, the I&D group is composed of nationalist, (extreme) right-wing parties that were originally members of the conservative ECR. Its central focus is on preserving the national sovereignty of all member states and opposing further integration by limiting the number of EU competencies. In addition, the group favours a stricter migration policy and wants to end the accession negotiations with Turkey. I&D is the more radical and anti-EU of the two hard-right groups in the parliament. The Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA): This group is a merger between two parties, the European Greens and the European Free Alliance. With 52 wins in 2024 it registered a massive decline of 19 members from its strength of 71 MEPs in 2019. This Group has faced the heaviest defeats, particularly in France and Germany. In this Group, human rights, social justice and the environment are central. This slipped to the sixth largest Group in the Parliament. European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL): Finally, with 39 seats, this is the smallest group in Parliament. This left-to-far-left group consists mainly of parties with socialist and sometimes even communist backgrounds. The GUE/NGL group has euro-sceptic traits, but not in the same manner as the I&D group. The scepticism manifests in an anti-capitalist perspective rather than a desire for more national sovereignty. Thus, while the group favours further European integration, it opposes the current neoliberal nature of the EU. GUE/NGL aims to promote cooperation between stronger and weaker member states and more attention should be paid to the environment. Non-Inscrits (Non-attached members): Not all MEPs are members of a political group. They are called non-attached. There are currently 98 non-attached Members from a wide variety of political backgrounds including members of the German AfD, Viktor Orbans Fidesz, Polands Confederation, populist Italian Five Star Movement and the Greek Communist Party. It is much more difficult for non-attached members to take initiatives that require a minimum number of members. Results in Major Member-States Macrons Renew Europe group, the third pillar of the three-way grand coalition that dominated the Parliament during the past five years, got hit badly in the elections. Macrons party imploded as voters expressed their frustration with the national government by voting for the far-right. The groups Spanish subsidiary, Ciudadanos, disappeared altogether: The seven seats it had in the Parliament were all absorbed into the centre-right Peoples Party. Losses were also noted among related groups in Romania, Denmark and Estonia. Frances foreign minister said that President Emmanuel Macrons decision to call snap elections after the far rights triumph in the European elections was not a poker move but a bet on confidence in the French people. It was stated that Macron did not take lightly the decision to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call for early elections, which are to start with a first round on June 30 and a second round on July 7. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the dismal performance of the three governing parties that are part of his center-left government and added that the success of the far-right in the European election in Germany and other European countries was worrisome. The next national election in Germany is expected to take place next year in the fall, and Scholzs government rejected calls by the far-right AfD, that it should call for early elections like France. The AfD credited its success to understanding voters worries like migration, the war in Ukraine, or the partys opposition to climate friendly regulations. The AfD has been exploiting fears over migration by lobbying for tough rules and quick deportations of those who dont qualify for asylum. The centre-right Union bloc took 30 per cent of the vote. AfD came second with 15.9 per cent while Chancellor Olaf Scholzs center-left Social Democrats won only 13.9 per cent of the vote for their worst post-World War II showing in a nationwide election. His two coalition partners, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, took a massive hit with 11.9 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively. All were significantly below their results in Germanys 2021 national election. The Greens suffered painful losses compared with the 2019 European election. Italian PM Melonis Brothers of Italy party received the largest number of votes with 28.5 per cent of the vote, while the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) was second with 23.7 per cent. The other main opposition party, the 5-Star Movement, won 10.5 per cent, while Forza Italia, founded by late premier Silvio Berlusconi, was fourth with 10 per cent, followed by the far-Right League at 8.3 per cent. Leyens bid for second term as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said that she will speak to socialists and liberals in the European Parliament as she seeks a second term as president of the European Unions executive branch, but did not say who else she will or wont seek a deal with. Von der Leyens center-right European Peoples Party defended its position as the Parliaments strongest group in Sundays election. But it is far short of a majority, and von der Leyen will need both a nomination by national leaders and approval by a majority in the legislature for another five-year term at the helm of the European Commission. Center-left politicians in Germany warned her against seeking the support of hard-right groups such as Italian PM Giorgia Melonis party. Implications for India Since 1979, the European Parliament has been directly elected every five years by the citizens of the European Union through universal suffrage. Its influence and authority has increased over time. Relations between India and the EU as well as with several EU Member States in economic, trade, technology, security and strategic terms have been expanding rapidly. India is pro-actively engaged in concluding an India-EU FTA in the very near future. India and EU and several member States agreed at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September last year that they will cooperate to establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, a multi-modal transport network to connect Europe with India via West Asia. As has been observed, although the right wing parties in different countries have increased their presence significantly in the EP, the EPP continues to be the most dominant and influential. India will need to carefully monitor developments in the institutions of the EU, particularly the European Parliament to ensure that it does not get singed by some unexpected decisions flowing out of this Body. Most EU countries and Institutions are keen to enhance their engagement with India in the areas of trade, investments, security, technology etc. particularly since China has emerged as an increasing threat and an assertive and unreliable partner. Conclusion Before the elections, the polls were predicting a big surge for the Right. While Right-wing parties did make gains, their success was largely driven by electoral dynamics in a few countries, notably the big ones viz. Germany, France and Italy. All parties to the right including EPP, ECR, I&D witnessed an increase in their numbers, while those to the Left registered a decline, most visible in the Green and Renew Europe Groups. Much of this was driven by the electoral dynamics in France and Germany. The Right under-performed in several countries including Belgium, Poland and Sweden. The Green and Left Parties outperformed the projections in many other countries including Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. But their gains were more than offset by the collapse of the German and French Greens who saw their vote share halved, compared to 2019. The overall picture of the elections has been complicated by a general fragmentation of European politics. This is demonstrated by the fact that only the EPP has more than 20 per cent of the total number of MEPs while the six other Groups individually account for only between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of the total strength of the Parliament. Even the number of non-Inscrit MEPs has increased dramatically. The European Right of ECR, I&D and some parties in the non Inscrit category is divided on a number of issues including Ukraine and European Integration. Countering Immigration is the only subject that brings these Groups on the same platform. The European Centre comprising EPP, S&D and Renew Europe which worked together to elect Ursula von der Leyen for her first term in 2019 is also increasingly divided on the Green New Deal, Immigration and further European Expansion. The Right did well in the elections but the aggregate numbers disguise some significant intra-European variations and the Parliaments wider fragmentation. This promises to make governing and choosing a new Commission President much more difficult and challenging than has been the case in recent years. The writer is executive council member, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, president, Institute of Global Studies, Distinguished Fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre, and former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. At G7, India brings in both economic relevance and robust democratic credentials. Both of these are promoted by G7. India is a living appreciation of these ideals read more Prime Minister Narendra Modis trip to the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, was his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time. It was a significant moment to start his third inning by interacting with the most prominent Western leaders. However, diplomatic outreach began with neighbouring countries being invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Modi 3.0 on June 9, 2024, in line with the neighbourhood first policy. This was the 11th time that India was invited to the G7 summit. It is the fifth consecutive time that Modi has been invited, and therefore, he is now a regular guest whom other leaders expect to see at their meetings. Having won for the third time, Modi is now among the senior leaders of the G7 and outreach countries. Advertisement Moreover, having won a democratic election for the third time, his position was strengthened as a representative of the worlds largest democracy, and his host, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was also buoyed by a victory in the European elections, which took her right-wing party to the top of the Italian political sweepstakes. Among other G7 leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz both faced losses in the European elections. British PM Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden are both facing strong, negative headwinds in their forthcoming elections this year. Japanese PM Fumio Kishida is surviving, but a question mark on his continuation after September remains. The EU Commission leader, Ursula von der Leyen, is likely to be reflected. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is challenged for his elections, which are likely in October 2025. Meloni used her chairmanship of the G7 to focus on Africa, particularly North Africa, which borders the Mediterranean and is from where illegal migrants travel to Italy. Her choice of Apulia, located in the southern state of Bari, is in the heel of Italy, if southern Italy is seen as the boot. It is a less prosperous area. Meloni told interlocutors she chose the point from where she could look at the Global South best by going to the south of Italy. Apulia is located between the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Meloni invited Global South leaders, beginning with India. She invited Algeria, the new President of Argentina, G20 Chair Brazil, Jordan, Kenya, AU Chair Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. South Africa missed out as their new government was under formation. Thus, four BRICS countries were invited. Advertisement While leaving for the Golden Jubilee summit of the G7, PM Modi said that at the G7 he would like to bring greater synergy between the G20 and the G7 and enhance the relationship with Italy. Modi had been to Italy in 2021 for the G20. Summit and Meloni had visited India twice last year, including for the G20 Summit. Infusing momentum and depth into the bilateral agenda was a commitment for the India-Italy strategic partnership. Indias efforts are also to link the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions, keep them free and open waterways, and harness economic synergy to de-risk from Chinese dominance. Advertisement It is evident that the G7 countries want India on their side. The increasing economic stature of India as the fastest growing large economy with a large market, making it important for the G7 countries. Europe in particular is feeling the sting of the Ukraine crisis, the disruption of the trade and energy relationship with Russia, and the unequal economic partnership with China, for which they seek derisking and diversification. During his day-long visit, Modi participated in the G7 outreach summit, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. An interaction happened with Pope Francis, who attended the G7 meeting for the first time and spoke about the relationship between artificial intelligence and humans. Modi used this opportunity to emphasise the synergy between the results of the G20 summit under the Indian presidency and the G7 agenda and keep the focus on the Global South. Advertisement Beside seeking reforms in international institutions, India, while representing the interests of the Global South, is not interested in remaining an outlier or a recipient of decisions. India needs to be a participant in decision-making, for instance, on the rules that will govern AI. India does not want to be a rule-taker but a rule-maker, and this emerged clearly in Modis intervention. Since the time was short, Modi used the occasion to meet with G7 leaders and not the outreach partners. Modis meeting with Meloni, as she calls the duo Melodi, combined the evident camaraderie between Modi and Meloni. This has led to diversification in the bilateral relationship. The strategic partnership is growing, and the elements of common defence production and partnership are showing significant strides. Advertisement A reiteration of the ideas that exist in the bilateral relationships with France, the UK, Germany, and Japan was discussed as Modi met with his counterparts and renewed Indian interest in engaging its important partners in his third term. These leaders were also happy to see continuity in India, so that no new reassessments were necessary at present and the bilateral agenda could be pursued. With US President Biden, there was a pull aside which had substantive elements that are likely to be taken up during the visit of US National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan to India next week. The only G7 leader who did not have a direct meeting with Modi was Canadas Justin Trudeau. But Modi did not ignore him, they had a brief interaction on the sidelines of the meeting. Modi also had brief discussions with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Indias presence at the G7, brings in both economic relevance and robust democratic credentials. Both of these are promoted by the G7. India is a living appreciation of these ideas. Modi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has now become a regular invitee to G7 summits since the Ukraine crisis two years ago. Modi had also met him at the Hiroshima G7 summit last year. Since Zelensky has the mood of the house at G7 meetings, India prudently engages him as part of its autonomous diplomacy. In other forums, it engages with Russia and others to try and maintain peace. The way in which the G7 is proceedingwith dollops of security-related assistance that Japan, the EU, and the US are providing Ukraineseems contradictory to the peace initiative in Switzerland, which follows the G7 summit. Indias message of peace delivered by Modi was clear, and while Russia is not invited to the Swiss conference and China is absent, India is engaging there at the official level. Also, there were no clear signs of peace formulas for the on-going wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as much depends on the results of the US presidential elections later this year. Therefore, wisely, India did not engage much on these issues but kept its consistent policy enunciated clearly. After the neighbourhood interaction at the swearing-in ceremony and now a major immediate interaction with the G7 countries, in July, India will have the opportunity to meet Russia and China during the SCO summit in Astana. Modis participation at the G7, therefore, can be seen as well begun and half done, and this is within a fortnight of his new innings. Under Modi 3.0, Indian diplomacy has much to gain from these early summits. The writer is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Developed at the Joint Operations College of the National Defence University in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, this virtual commander is designed to be as human-like as possible, mimicing human experience, thought patterns personality traits and even human flaws read more A significant development has emerged from Chinese laboratories: the creation of an AI commander. Despite stringent regulations that prevent AI from assuming control of military forces, this innovation marks a notable advancement in Chinas military technology. Developed at the Joint Operations College of the National Defence University in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, this virtual commander is designed to be as human-like as possible. According to the South China Morning Post, this AI doesnt just mimic human experience and thought patterns; it also replicates personality traits and even human flaws. But for now, its strictly confined to the lab. Advertisement During large-scale computer war games involving all branches of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the AI commander takes on the role of a supreme commander. This means it has the authority to make major decisions in these digital battles, learning and adapting quickly to the ever-changing scenarios it faces. In China, a fundamental rule dictates that The Party commands the gun, meaning only the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China can direct the PLAs actions. While AI technology is advancing and autonomous units like drones are gaining more operational freedom, ultimate command authority still rests with humans. One of the PLAs ongoing challenges is the limited number of senior commanders available to participate in war simulations. These simulations require quick decision-making in response to unexpected events, a task that experienced human commanders usually handle. However, their limited availability makes it difficult for them to be involved in numerous simulations. Researchers have pointed out that the current joint operations simulation system isnt very effective due to the lack of command entities at the joint battle level. This is where the AI commander comes in. It can take over when human commanders are unavailable, participating in large-scale virtual battles and exercises. In the lab, the AI commander operates independently, making decisions without human input. Unlike traditional methods that rely heavily on analysis, this AI uses empirical knowledge. It remembers similar past scenarios and quickly devises effective plans based on that memory. To simulate human forgetfulness, scientists have limited its memory capacity, meaning some older information gets purged when new data comes in. Advertisement The AI commander enables the PLA to conduct many human-out-of-the-loop war simulations. It identifies emerging threats, creates strategies, and makes optimal decisions based on the current situation. This autonomous operation is highly efficient and allows for repeated experimentation. Moreover, the AI continuously learns from both its successes and failures, ensuring it remains effective and up-to-date with the latest tactical knowledge. The development of the AI commander is a significant milestone, showcasing Chinas commitment to integrating advanced AI into its military. While the AI is currently limited to lab simulations, its potential applications in real-world scenarios could revolutionize military operations. As AI technology continues to evolve, finding the right balance between human and AI command will be a critical area of focus for future research and policy development. The problems in Puerto Rico were attributed to software issues with machines supplied by Dominion Voting Systems. Indian EVMs use a uniquely designed one-time programmable or masked chip, which cannot be overwritten read more The latest third-generation EVMs, known as M3 machines, can not connected to the internet. It does not feature the physical components to connect it to Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, making them immune to remote hacking attempts. Image Credit: Reuters Elon Musk, the influential CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, recently ignited a political debate in India with his comments on electronic voting machines (EVMs) on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Although his remarks were not specifically directed at India, they have reverberated through the Indian political landscape, prompting responses from prominent leaders. Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, voiced concerns about the reliability of Indias EVMs following Musks comments. Yadav even retweeted Musks post, amplifying the discussion within India, with Gandhi calling EVMs in India, practically a Black Box. Advertisement The curious case of Puerto Rico Musks comments came in the wake of a statement by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an Independent candidate in the upcoming US presidential election, who expressed concerns about the voting process in Puerto Rico. Kennedy highlighted issues detected in EVMs used there, noting that while irregularities were identified, they were corrected thanks to paper trails. He argued that the absence of such paper trails could lead to significant problems and advocated for a return to paper ballots. The problems in Puerto Rico were attributed to software issues with machines supplied by Dominion Voting Systems, as per AP. Jessika Padilla Rivera, the interim president of Puerto Ricos electoral commission, explained that these issues caused the machines to incorrectly calculate total votes. Over 6,000 Dominion machines were used in the primaries, and the errors stemmed from the digital files used to export results. Some machines reported lower vote counts than paper records, reversed totals, or recorded zero votes for certain candidates, leading to concerns about the reliability of these systems. Dominion Voting Systems and its coloured history Dominion Voting Systems were also used in the 2020 US elections, in which former US President Donald Trump lost. Following the upset, many Trump supporters questioned the validity of Dominion Voting Systems voting and counting machines. One of Trumps closest allies, Mike Lindell, a mattress magnate and a TV commentator, spewed all sorts of conspiracy theories about Dominion Voting Systems, who filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit. Advertisement In September 2022, Dominion was the subject of a lawsuit against Dominion. Officials from Fulton County, Pennsylvania allege that computer forensic experts had discovered a Python script on one of the voting machines and found indications that the machine had been connected to an external system in Canada. However, the lawsuit was dismissed a year later, in September 2023. Indian EVMs super secure In response to Musks comments, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a former Minister of Electronics and Information Technology in India, called Musks statement a sweeping generalization. He emphasized that Indias EVMs are uniquely designed and cannot be reprogrammed, highlighting their security and reliability. Advertisement Indias EVMs are distinctive because they are developed domestically by the Technical Experts Committee (TEC) of the Election Commission in collaboration with two public sector undertakings: Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL). These machines are designed to be tamper-proof and enter a Safety Mode if any tampering is detected, rendering them inoperable. The latest third-generation EVMs, known as M3 machines, can not connected to the internet. It does not feature the physical components to connect it to Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, making them immune to remote hacking attempts. Each EVM operates as a standalone device, similar to a basic calculator, and does not rely on any external power source. Instead, they are powered by an internal battery installed by BEL. Advertisement Most important, though is the microchip that is at the heart of Indian EVM systems. It is a uniquely designed, one-time programmable or masked chip, which means it cannot be overwritten. This design ensures that the program used in the EVMs cannot be reprogrammed, adding another layer of security and making them highly resistant to tampering. The machines used in most other countries use a generic chip, which is reprogrammed after every election. In such a scenario, it is more likely to malfunction. EVMs in India are specifically built for voting and are not general-purpose computing devices that are retrofitted and loaded with programs designed for voting. Each machine is a unique electronic island, ensuring a high level of security. Advertisement Indian EVMs are not accessible remotely, as they are standalone machines not connected to any network or external devices. They do not use any operating system, further enhancing their security. Security through obscurity In contrast, many countries, including the US, use electronic voting devices manufactured by private companies, which are often considered less secure. Some foreign experts have criticized Indias EVMs as outdated and in need of modernization. However, experts at the Election Commission of India argue that their perceived obsolescence actually adds a layer of security. Hacking 5.5 million individual EVMs is virtually impossible, and the randomization process used in elections provides additional protection. Indias EVMs are designed to be tamper-proof and secure, with multiple layers of protection to prevent hacking or manipulation. Despite the concerns raised by political leaders in response to Elon Musks comments, the unique design and stringent security measures of Indias EVMs ensure the integrity of the voting process. As the debate continues, it remains crucial for countries to address and mitigate any concerns regarding the reliability and security of their voting systems, ensuring that the democratic process is upheld and trusted by all citizens. In September 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to the Russian Far East for a second summit with Putin. They discuss military cooperation, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Koreas satellite programme read more Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday and hold talks with its leader, Kim Jong Un, the two countries said. Below is a timeline of key events in relations between Russia and North Korea over the last two decades. July, 2000 Putin visits North Korea in the first year of his presidency and holds a summit meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of the Norths current leader. It is Putins first to North Korea. Advertisement October 14, 2006 - December 22, 2017 Over more than 10 years, Russia votes for nine major United Nations Security Council resolutions penalizing North Korea, including measures banning weapons trade, transfers of missile technology and shipment of luxury goods to Pyongyang. April 25, 2019 Putin and Kim Jong Un meet in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East for their first summit. February, 2020 North Korea closes its borders with Russia, and with China, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian diplomats and family members have to use a hand-pushed rail trolley to get over the frontier. February 24, 2022 Russia invades Ukraine. North Korea backs Moscow, blaming the hegemonic policy and high-handedness of the United States and the West. May 26, 2022 Russia and China veto a US-drafted resolution that would have imposed more sanctions on North Korea such as bans on tobacco and oil imports, publicly splitting the UN Security Council on the North Korea issue for the first time. July 25, 2023 Russias then defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visits Pyongyang and is given a tour of a defence expo by Kim that featured North Koreas banned ballistic missiles. September 13, 2023 Kim travels to the Russian Far East for a second summit with Putin. They discuss military cooperation, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Koreas satellite programme, according to both leaders. Advertisement Also Read: Putin puts West on alert, announces 2-day trip to North Korea after 24 years October 13, 2023 The United States accuses North Korea of sending weapons to Russia. Moscow and Pyongyang later deny the allegations. November 21, 2023 North Korea places its first successful spy satellite into orbit. South Korea says it is possible that Russia provided technical help. January 4, 2024 The US says Russia has used short-range ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in multiple strikes against Ukraine. This is later confirmed by independent experts and UN sanctions monitors. March 28, 2024 Russia vetoes the renewal of the UN panel tasked with monitoring sanctions imposed on North Korea related to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Advertisement May 16-17, 2024 The US and Britain impose sanctions on Russian entities accused of facilitating arms transfers with North Korea. June 18-19, 2024 The dates for Putins second visit to North Korea. Bangladesh has been keen on setting up a bilateral meeting between Hasina and Modi before the former departs for China in July as part of Dhakas efforts to strike a balance with the two nations read more Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will make her second visit to India in a month on June 21 to hold talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. PM Hasina came to New Delhi to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9 and therefore her next trip comes in less than a fortnite. Bangladesh has been keen on setting up a bilateral meeting between Hasina and Modi before the former departs for China in July as part of Dhakas efforts to strike a balance with the two nations, according to a report by Hindustan Times. Advertisement The Bangladeshi prime ministers official visit to India will be the first bilateral held by India under the Modi 3.0 government. What will the two leaders discuss? The one-day-long summit between the two leaders will centre on defence partnership, cross-border connectivity, trade, among other things. According to a report by the Economic Times, the two sides will also discuss holding a joint military exercise. India has already offered a $500 million line of credit to Dhaka which is yet to be utilised. PM Modi and Hasina will also review the overall bilateral relationship along with assessing the various developmental projects undertaken by both countries including road, rail and connectivity. The two leaders will also discuss the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and the development of the cross-border Teesta River. PM Modi to visit Dhaka Meanwhile, PM Modi will also go to Bangladesh for yet another meeting with Hasina. The dates of the trip have not been finalised yet. Modi will make the official visit at the invitation of the Bangladeshi prime minister who requested him to visit Dhaka at his swearing-in ceremony. All British Army regiments having a Royal crest on their caps or berets will receive the new emblems because King Charless preferred Tudor design is taking the place of the St. Edwards crown, which was the favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth read more There has been a rise in concerns that Beijing authorities wish to spy on the British government and military even if the MoD permits its contracted companies to manufacture their goods in China Because of concerns that Beijing might have inserted eavesdropping devices into Chinese-made insignia, British Army officials have postponed releasing new military badges that were intended for the Kings coronation. All British Army regiments having a Royal crest on their caps or berets will receive the new emblems because King Charless preferred Tudor design is taking the place of the St. Edwards crown, which was the favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth. However, according to the Financial Times, the British business in charge of designing the badges will produce a batch in facilities in China, which has caused a delay in their creation. Advertisement Chiefs of the Ministry of Defence are worried Beijing would put tracking devices in the insignia so they could snoop on British soldiers and officers. Leidos, an American company, has been awarded a 3.9 million contract by the Ministry of Defence to redesign badges, medals, and ribbons. In turn, the American company subcontracted Wyedean Weaving, a company situated in Yorkshire, to make the badges. From its headquarters in Haworth, Wyedean has been producing Army uniforms, colors, and regimental flags. The badges will be produced at factories located in Britain and other countries, including China. There has been a rise in concerns that Beijing authorities wish to spy on the British government and military even if the MoD permits its contracted companies to manufacture their goods in China. The actions of the Greek authorities led to the deaths of 43 migrants during 2020-23, according to a new documentary by BBC read more The Greek coastguard personnel have been linked to dozens of deaths of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, according to BBC. In at least nine cases, the Greek coastguard personnel are reported to have deliberately thrown migrants from boats into the sea to their deaths. The BBC has made these claims in a new documentary, Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?, which features interviews with migrants who say they have faced violence from the Greek coastguard personnel. In its introduction, the documentary says that the film investigates reports of masked men funded by the European Union (EU) rounding up and throwing migrants in international waters. Advertisement There are dark rumours of EU-funded boats carrying masked men, people being rounded up on land, forced onto coast guard boats and then abandoned in flimsy rubber dinghies at sea. There are multiple cases of people subsequently losing their lives. Are these masked men responsible? says the introduction of the film. Greece has long been accused of heavy-handedness in dealing with migrants crossing over to Europe from Turkey. The coastguard personnel have been accused for forcibly removing migrants from territorial waters back into international waters, which is deemed illegal in international law. Greek coastguards caused dozens of migrants deaths: Report During 2020-23, the actions of Greek coastguard led to deaths of 43 migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, according to BBC. The BBC documentary reviewed 15 incidents in the three-year period. In these incidents, nine people died after allegedly being forced out of boats or being forcibly returned to international waters after being spotted in Greek waters. In five incidents, migrants alleged they were directly thrown into the sea by Greek authorities, according to the documentary. In some cases, the migrants were hunted after they landed in Greek islands. In some cases, when they were forcibly returned to international waters, they were put in rafts without motors or rubber inflatable boats that appeared to be punctured. In one such instance, a man was quoted as saying that seven to eight children were killed because of such practices. Advertisement In September 2022, after a boat carrying 85 people ran into trouble, the migrants contacted the Greek coastguard. It is alleged that instead of helping them, they put them into rafts and returned them to Turkish waters. A Syrian man, Mohamed, said the valve of boat was not closed properly and rafts immediately began sinking. We immediately began to sink, they saw thatThey heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us. The first child who died was my cousins son After that it was one by one. Another child, another child, then my cousin himself disappeared. By the morning seven or eight children had died. My kids didnt die until the morning right before the Turkish coastguard arrived, Mohamed told BBC. India is looking to acquire six advanced conventional submarines with AIP system which would allow them to stay underwater for longer periods than the boats of previous generations without this system read more The Indian Navy will hold trials in Spain to test the critical equipment for its Project 75 India to get six advanced submarines by the end of this month, Spanish firm Navantia said. In an exclusive interaction with ANI, Spanish shipyard Navantias Chairman Ricardo Dominguez Garcia-Baquero said both the Spanish government and the Spanish Navy are very keen for the P75(I) project to progress and are willing to support it in all possible ways. Advertisement This includes expeditious export clearance, signing an umbrella agreement with the Indian government, etc., like in the case of the recent Airbus deal (for supplying C-295 transport aircraft) with an Indian Company (Tata), he said in an email reply. On the present status of the field trial being conducted by the Indian Navy, the Navantia Chairman said the field evaluation trials of Air Independent Propulsion by the Indian Navy are planned in the last week of June at the Shipyard in Cartagena. Our partner L&T and we are fully geared up for these trials and we look forward to showcase our world class AIP technology to the Indian Navy, he said. India is looking to acquire six advanced conventional submarines with an AIP system which would allow them to stay underwater for longer periods than the boats of previous generations without this system. Along with the L&T and Navantia combine, German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Mazagaon Dockyards Limited together are also in the race for the over Rs 60,000 crore project. Navantia has offered its S80 submarine design for the Indian Navy project, a submarine already commissioned to the Spanish Navy in 2023. Navantia claimed that the important aspect of S80 design is the fact that it readily meets almost all the technical requirements of P75(I) without the need for any redesign.For example, the AIP designed for S80 produces more than 300 kW of power and, therefore, can be directly used for P75(I) without any redesign or scaling up. This would substantially mitigate major risks of the Indian Navy with respect to the P75(I) project, the Spanish firm said. Advertisement The Navantia Chairman stated that the S80 offered to the Indian Navy has the most contemporary features and incorporates the latest technologies such as Generation BEST AIP (Bio-ethanol stealth Technology) and advanced sensor suite." L&T and Navantia have tied up with a partner to provide a proven Lithium-ion battery technology for the project. Navantia is fully committed to meeting the Transfer of Technology requirements outlined in the Request for Proposal as well as the stipulated Indigenous Content, in line with Indias strategic goal to progressively achieve self-reliance in the Submarine domain," he stated. Baquero further said that several top-ranking Spanish government officials have met their Indian counterparts over the last few months and expressed their unwavering commitment to this project. Advertisement Navantia Chairman said that the company has been in constant dialogue with their Indian suppliers and has even shared technical requirements of various equipment/systems to ascertain their technical capability. Our partner L&T is well known as a champion of indigenisation having led the indigenisation efforts across the defence sector over the past three decades, the firm said adding that they are confident that Navantia and L&T together would be able to comfortably meet the Indigenous content requirements. Praising their partner L&T for work in submarines and other areas, the Navantia Chairman said the idea of the strategic partnership itself is towards developing the Indian Private Sector for manufacturing of major defence platforms and equipment." Advertisement Navantia believes the industrial partnership with L&T will not just meet the industrial requirements and the IN requirements, it opens opportunities to explore beyond submarines," he said. The International Defense Cooperation Directorate, or SIBAT, of the Israeli Defense Ministry revealed numbers on Monday indicating that defense exports reached $13 billion in 2022, surpassing the previous record high of $12.5 billion in 2022. That amount varied from $7.5 billion to $8.5 billion in 2018 and 2020 read more Eleven percent of arms sales went toward the export of radar and EW systems, and an additional eleven percent went toward the selling of rocket launchers For the third year in a row, Israeli arms sales set a new annual high in 2023, virtually doubling the value of exports from the previous five years. The International Defense Cooperation Directorate, or SIBAT, of the Israeli Defense Ministry revealed numbers on Monday indicating that defense exports reached $13 billion in 2022, surpassing the previous record high of $12.5 billion in 2022. That amount varied from $7.5 billion to $8.5 billion in 2018 and 2020. Advertisement Following the start of hostilities on October 7, the Defense Ministry declared that it had gone into emergency mode. Defense contractors were called upon to contribute to the war effort by producing weapons and equipment for the Israel Defense Forces around-the-clock in addition to fulfilling orders from overseas customers. Despite the war, 2023 amounted to a new record and was characterized by significant export deals, the ministry said. The biggest portion of exports, comprising 36% of air defense systems, increased from 19% in 2022. This was mostly brought about by Israel selling Germany the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system for 4 billion. Eleven percent of arms sales went toward the export of radar and EW systems, and an additional eleven percent went toward the selling of rocket launchers. Despite its reputation, cyber-intelligence systems in Israel accounted for just 4% of total sales in 2023. Authorities refrained from naming the nations to whom they were sold. The use of these technologies by some nations to spy on journalists and political dissidents has allegedly led to increased scrutiny of Israeli sales of them in recent years. The majority of the remaining items were made up of manned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, avionics, observation and communication systems, vehicles, marine systems, ammunition, and services. With 48% of all exports, the Asia-Pacific area was the biggest buyer of Israeli defense equipment, followed by Europe with 35%. Advertisement Africa made up 1%, Latin America made up 3%, and North America made up 9%. After normalizing relations with Israel in 2020 under the terms of the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco accounted for just 3% of the armament sales, down from 24% in 2022. Even in a year in which the State of Israel is fighting against seven different arenas, the defense exports of the State of Israel succeed in continuing to break records. This fact is a certificate of honor, first and foremost, for our defense industries and the creative and talented minds that work in them and drive them to the heights of breakthrough innovation, said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in remarks provided by the ministry. Advertisement This years figures show that even though our defense industries are committed to the war effort, they continue to sign more and more significant export deals, thus enabling the realization of the effort led by the Defense Ministry to increase defense exports while opening them to new markets, he added. Following another shipwreck, the Italian coast guard said that it was looking for survivors off the coast of Calabria. Media reports stated that as many as sixty migrants were reported missing read more The coast guard reported that it has been looking for "possible missing persons, following the shipwreck of a sailing boat with migrants on board, presumably departing from Turkey" since last night Following two shipwrecks off the coast of Italy, the coastguard and a migrant rescue agency reported on Monday that ten migrants had perished and that dozens more were missing. Ten bodies were discovered beneath the deck by rescuers assisting migrants on a wooden boat in Lampedusa, according to a post on X by the German assistance organization ResQship. The Nadirs crew, working for ResQship, is currently caring for 51 people on board. For ten individuals, the rescue arrived too late," the German nonprofit stated. Advertisement A total of 61 people were on the wooden boat, which was full of water. Our crew was able to evacuate 51 people, two of whom were unconscious they had to be cut free with an axe, it said. In the meantime, following another shipwreck, the Italian coast guard said that it was looking for survivors off the coast of Calabria. Media reports stated that as many as sixty migrants were reported missing. The coast guard reported that it has been looking for possible missing persons, following the shipwreck of a sailing boat with migrants on board, presumably departing from Turkey since last night. It stated that amayday from a French pleasure boat sailing off the Italian coast sparked the start of the rescue operation. The French ship notified the authorities of the presence of the half-sunken boat before boarding the twelve migrants who were still alive. After that, they were put on an Italian coastguard boat and driven to the southern Italian town of Roccella Ionica. After disembarking, one of the twelve survivors passed away, according to the coast guard. Following the shipwreck, the ANSA news agency reported that some 50 migrants were missing; however, Radio Radicale reported that 64 migrants had perished at sea, with the majority coming from Afghanistan and Iran. Advertisement The 10 dead are in the flooded lower deck of the boat, it added. On his first trip to India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for the third consecutive term, US President Joe Bidens National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan arrived in India today. The focus of his India trip is on multilateral global issues and deepening India-US cooperation read more US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan arrived in New Delhi on Monday to participate in the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). After arriving in Indias national capital, Sullivan held talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, and also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He is expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his two-day India visit. First major visit in Modi 3.0 Advertisement It is the first visit of US President Joe Bidens NSA to India and also the first visit of a high-ranking official from a major power since PM Modi assumed office for the third consecutive term. Sullivans visit was discussed between a telephonic conversation between Modi and Biden on June 5, a day after the results of the Indian parliamentary election were announced, confirming the continuation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in New Delhi. Biden had called up Modi to congratulate him on his re-election for a third term. Later, the White House issued a statement saying, President Joseph R Biden, Jr spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in Indias general election. Sullivans visit had been deferred twice, beginning February this year, as the Biden administration got caught up in the Israel-Hamas conflict in West Asia. Theres a Pannun plot angle Sullivans visit came close on the heels of the report that The Czech Republic had extradited Indian national Nikhil Gupta to the US over his alleged involvement in a failed assassination plot targeting pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. Guptas petition in a Czech Republic court was rejected in May. The alleged failed assassination plot has been a contentious issue between the two countries, with authorities in the US pressuring India to investigate any possible link to government officials. India has denied its involvement in the alleged plot and maintained that such actions are not part of its policies. Advertisement Sullivan comes straight from Ukraine Peace Summit Sullivan visits India directly from Burgenstock, Switzerland, where the Ukraine Peace Summit was held. More than 80 countries signed a joint-statement calling on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. India participated in the summit deliberating the ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war but it did not sign the joint-statement. Russia was not invited to the peace summit, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said peace can return to the region once Russia withdraws its troops. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 to prevent the latter from joining the trans-Atlantic military treaty, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). During the peace summit, Sullivan had said he would be travelling directly from Switzerland. Advertisement Focus of Sullivans tour is on iCET Accompanied by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Sullivans deliberations are likely to cover the overall progress of the ambitious iCET initiative. The iCET is a US-India collaboration to boost cooperation in the fields of technology. Key aspects of iCET is the US-India collaboration in specific high-technology areas such as semiconductors, next-generation telecommunication, artificial intelligence and defence. With an overdependence on China and Taiwan, which is facing a serious threat from China, in the field of semiconductors makes iCET makes the visit more significant. Another focus area in Sullivans meetings was expected to be defence cooperation, particularly the ambitious plan of US defence giant GE Aerospace and Indias Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to produce the advanced F414 jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The US Congress approved the agreement in August last year. Advertisement IMEC amid Hamas war India has an ambitious plan to implement the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which has been delayed due to the Israel-Hamas war that began in October last year. The IMEC was devised to counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. It envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks from India through Saudi Arabia to Europe. Its a strategically significant connectivity project for India, the United States and Europe to ensure integration of Asia and the West to reduce the global dependence on Chinese supply chains. The IMEC also envisages an electricity cable network, a hydrogen pipeline, high-speed data cable network to facilitate overall economic growth in the partner countries. Advertisement Sullivans talks with Indian leaders would likely focus on the situations in West Asia over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and Indo-Pacific, where Chinas aggressive push has triggered serious security concerns in the region. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is considering deploying more nuclear weapons to deter adversaries like Russia and North Korea, said NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg read more Russia has termed NATO chief Jens Stoltenbergs recent remarks on the deployment of more nuclear weapons as an escalation. Tensions between Moscow and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have been running high since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin plunged Europe into the biggest security crisis since the World War II and brought the Western leaders back to the drawing terms in terms of security arrangements in place. Advertisement Amid such tensions, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg had said in a recent interview that the NATO was considering deploying more nuclear weapons on standby to deter the threats from adversaries like Russia, China, and North Korea. Russia has repeatedly threatened the West with nuclear weapons since invading Ukraine. In recent weeks, Russia has also conducted drills of deploying tactical nuclear weapons, the lower yield weapons for battlefield purposes, with Belarus. US & allies pushing world to brink of nuclear confrontation Russian presidencys spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the United States and European allies were pushing the world to the brink of nuclear confrontation by giving Ukraine weapons worth billions of dollars, according to Reuters. In a response to NATOs considerations, Peskov said it appeared to contradict the statement of the Ukraine peace summit in which the signatories rejected the use of nuclear weapons in context of Ukraine, as per the agency. Peskov further said, This is nothing but another escalation of tension. Stoltenberg outlines NATOs plans for deterrence NATO chief Stoltenberg has said that the alliance is currently discussing how many nuclear warheads should be brought out of storage and deployed on standby. I wont go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. Thats exactly what were doing, said Stoltenberg in an interview with The Telegraph. Advertisement Stoltenberg further told the newspaper that the NATO is preparing for a more dangerous world. He noted that the while the NATO remains committed to a world without nuclear weapons, the alliance to remain prepared as long as rivals such as China and Russia had nuclear weapons. He added that the NATO remains a nuclear alliance. NATOs aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and Nato does not, is a more dangerous world, said Stoltenberg. Advertisement Stoltenberg also flagged the high pace at which China has been investing in nuclear weapons. He said that could put the world in an unprecedented situation in the coming years. That means that in a not-very-distant future, NATO may face something that it has never faced before, and that is two nuclear-powered potential adversaries China and Russia. Of course, this has consequences, said Stoltenberg. In NATO, while the United States and United Kingdom contribute nuclear weapons, the allies in Europe share the responsibilities of hosting them. After the invasion of Ukraine, Russia stationed nuclear weapons in Belarus. At the time, Russia said that it was stationing weapons abroad similar to how the United States deploys nuclear weapons abroad under the umbrella of NATO. Advertisement Just weeks before Russia organised drills for the usage of tactical nuclear weapons, top Russian official Dmitry Medvedev had threatened the West with a nuclear attack. In a tweet targeting the British and French armed support to Ukraine, he said that Russia was conducting nuclear drills to plan a response to any attack on its soil aided by the West. Under certain circumstances the response will be delivered not only to Kiev and it wont contain plain explosives but special ammunition as well. And to drill the response to such attacks is the aim of the planned military exercise. Even the semiliterate Imbeciles of His Royal Majesty should understand that, said Medvedev in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Advertisement Medvedev is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, the apex security-related body thats part of the Russian presidency. Previously, he has served as the President (2008-12) and Prime Minister (2012-20) of Russia. Israeli television stations eventually quoted Netanyahu as criticising the militarys plan to start tactical pause in Rafah. We have a country with an army, not an army with a country, he was quoted saying read more Just hours after the Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced a tactical pause in its ongoing operation in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly expressed his displeasure with the plan. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced a daily tactical pause that would begin in the Rafah area at 8 am (local time) and remain in effect until 7 pm (local time) along the main Salah al-Din road. The main aim of the pause is to allow aid trucks to transit between the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel. Advertisement However, a source close to the Prime Ministers office said that the Israeli premier was not happy with the plan. When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him, an unnamed Israeli official told media late on Sunday, The Guardian reported. The official maintained that the Israeli Prime Minister received assurances that there will be no change in the militarys policy and fighting will continue in Rafah as planned. Interestingly, Israeli television stations eventually quoted Netanyahu as criticising the military. We have a country with an army, not an army with a country," he was quoted saying. Netanyahus reaction underlines the political tensions The decision for a tactical pause came after the IDF stated that eight Israeli soldiers were killed during a military operation on Saturday. However, the reaction from Netanyahu underlined political tensions over the issue of aid coming into Gaza. National security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads one of the nationalist religious parties in Netanyahus ruling coalition also denounced the idea of a tactical pause. He went on to say that whoever spearheaded the idea was a fool and should lose their job. The spat is the latest in the series of clashes within Israels controversial war cabinet. Earlier this month, centrist former general Benny Gantz announced his resignation from the cabinet, accusing Netanyahu of having no effective strategy in Gaza. Advertisement Interestingly, the limited pause was announced after talks with Egypt and pressure from the US to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The IDF notified that the pause was being coordinated with the UN and international aid agencies. We welcome this announcement, said Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This has yet to translate into more aid reaching people in need," he added. With inputs from agencies. 52-year-old Nikhil Gupta who was suspected by the United States of involvement in the unsuccessful plot to kill pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was extradited to the US by the Czech Republic read more The Czech Republic has extradited 52-year-old Nikhil Gupta who was suspected by the United States of involvement in the unsuccessful plot to kill pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The news of the extradition was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Gupta was accused by the US federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill the pro-Khalistani terrorist on American soil. He travelled to Prague from India in June 2023 and was arrested by the Czech authorities. Advertisement In May, a court in the European nation rejected his petition to avoid being sent to the US which ultimately cleared the countrys Justice Ministers pathway to extradite him. Where is Gupta currently being held? An inmate search on the Federal Bureau of Prison website showed that Gupta is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn which is a federal administrative detention facility. An inmate search on the Bureau of Prisons website showed Gupta being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons The US Department of Justice has yet to comment on the matter. Guptas US-based lawyers attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe, also had no immediate comment on the latest information How the case tested diplomatic relations The discovery of assassination plots against pro-Khalistani terrorists in both the US and Canada has tested the North American nations ties with India. From the very beginning, the Indian government has denied involvement in the plot. In 2023, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, stood at the Canadian parliament and alleged that agents working for the Indian government were involved in the murder of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In 2023, the US authorities revealed that an Indian government official had directed the plot to kill Pannun who has both US and Canadian citizenship. Earlier this month, Pannun told Reuters that Gupta is just a foot soldier. Soon after the accusations were hurled, the Indian government disassociated itself from the plot against Pannun and maintained that such plots go against the governments policy. India also stated that it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. Advertisement In May this year, Washington emphasised that it was satisfied with Indias moves to ensure accountability in the alleged plots, but added that many steps still needed to be taken. For time immemorial, New Delhi has complained about the rise of the Khalistani movement outside the Indian soil. The radical group have been demanding for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. With inputs from Reuters. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is the de facto government of the Palestinians that partially governs the West Bank from its seat at Ramallah read more Norway has warned that the Palestinian Authority (PA) could be at the risk of collapse this summer. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is the de facto government of the Palestinians that partially governs the West Bank from its seat at Ramallah. It runs the State of Palestine is seen internationally as the sole legitimate representative body of the Palestinians. Norway has warned that the PA is at the risk of collapse as it faces financial issues and other crisis. Advertisement Even as the PA gets international support and recognition, it continues to be deeply unpopular both among the common Palestinians and Israeli leaders. The PA faces a crisis of legitimacy amongst the Palestinians as it continues to be run 88-year-old Mahmoud Abbas for 20 years without any elections. The PA is also steeped in corruption allegations. West Bank could be another Gaza Norway has warned that the West Bank could become another Gaza Strip if the PA collapses. Even though the PA is the representative body of all Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza, it has only run West Bank as Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. Following elections in 2006, an intra-Palestinian conflict ensued between the terrorist group Hamas and PA, which is run by mainstream political party Fatah, and Hamas defeated the Fatahs PA and took control of Gaza the next year. Norways Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters that the situation was very dire. Eide further said, The Palestinian Authority, with whom we work closely, are warning us that they might be collapsing this summer. Norway chairs the group of international donors to the Palestinians. If it collapses, you could end up having another Gaza, which would be terrible for everybody, including the people of Israel, said Eide. Even as Israel has been critical or dismissive of PA, the international community continues to treat the PA as the legitimate Palestinian administration. Several countries have said that the PA should govern Gaza after the end of the ongoing war. Advertisement Israel withholding PAs revenues Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War, the Israeli government has withheld tax revenues of the PA. Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, which led to the establishment of PA, Israel collects tax revenues on behalf of PA and then transfers the money to the PA. Since the beginning of the war, however, the Israeli government has withheld these revenues which has plunged the PA into crisis as the administration is running out of money to run its affairs and pay its employees. Israels Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not just frozen the revenues of the PA but has also said that he would transfer a portion of those taxes collected on PAs behalf to Israeli victims of terrorism. Pro-Khalistani chants were heard across London as thousands of people marched across the British capital to mark the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star that shook Amritsar read more Pro-Khalistani chants echoed the skies of London as thousands marched across the city to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Sikh riots. People showed up in masses and marched in central London with some of them holding the infamous Khalistani flags. In 1984, the Indian Army stormed into the Golden Temple in Amritsar - the holiest shrine for Sikhs - to tackle a radical group who sought the creation of an independent nation called Khalistan. The operation ended in a bloodshed killing many. Advertisement The incident also had a ripple effect with the assassination of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi by her own bodyguards. Over the years, the Indian government has maintained that the Operating Blue Star was carried out against the militants and not against the Sikh Community, insisting the community will continue to remain an integral part of India. Labour Party extends support In 2014, a declassified document released under the 30-year rule revealed that the British government at the time sent a SAS officer to help guide the Indian government in the operation. The support was given by then-UK PM Margaret Thatcher. Hence, the Labour Party in the UK has time and again decided to capitalise on the information. The party has promised an independent judge-led inquiry into the role Britain played if they get into power, according to the principal adviser of the Sikh Federation UK, Dabinderjit Singh. I think 40 years later, were hopeful an incoming Labour government will give us the truth, the truth of the UK governments involvement, Singh told Sky News. But ultimately its about justice and freedom, and we dont think well ever get justice in India until we have our own Sikh homeland, he added. The partys deputy leader Angela Rayner also marked the 40th anniversary of the devastating attack. Today we mark the 40th anniversary of the raid on the Golden Temple. Labour stands with the Sikh community in calling for an inquiry into the historic role Britain played, she wrote on the day of the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star. Advertisement Today we mark the 40th anniversary of the raid on the Golden Temple. Labour stands with the Sikh community in calling for an inquiry into the historic role Britain played. A Labour government will work to determine the best way to find out the truth. Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) June 1, 2024 A Labour government will work to determine the best way to find out the truth, she added. According to Sky News, the march towards Central London was organised by the Sikh Federation UK. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on Tuesday on a two-day trip. He will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, 24 years after Putin had visited North Korea when Kims father Kim Jong II was in power. read more For several months, analysts have anticipated President Vladimir Putins visit to North Korea. Now the Kremlin has confirmed it, proving speculation right that it may happen on Tuesday, with reports citing satellite images indicating preparations underway in North Korea. Following North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns tour of Russias Far East last year in his distinctive green bulletproof train, he extended an invitation to Putin, who accepted it later. Journalists from Russia and abroad are eagerly seeking any updates, while the Kremlin maintains that details will be disclosed in due time. Speculation, however, remains intense. Advertisement If Putin visits North Korea, why should it matter? This trip would mark Putins second visit to North Korea, the first occurring in 2000 when Kim Jong Il was in power. The relationship between Russia and North Korea, although not as robust as during the Soviet era, has evolved from mutual pleasantries to mutual benefits, raising concerns in the West. The Kremlin asserts that their relationship has the potential for significant depth, cautioning those who might challenge their burgeoning ties. Mutual benefits and strategic interests Speculation surrounds the mutual benefits sought by both nations, primarily revolving around security of supplies. Russia may be looking for ammunition, construction workers, and even volunteers for the front line in Ukraine. In exchange, North Korea could receive Russian goods and technological assistance for its military, including its long-range missile programme, which aims to target the US. Recent reports indicate that North Korea has already shipped nearly five million artillery shells to Russia. Both countries, heavily sanctioned by the international community, find a strategic partnership advantageous. Putin-Kim chemistry defines Russia-North Korea diplomacy Moscow has recently shown its support for North Korea by vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that aimed to extend sanctions against Pyongyang. There are also signs of a cautious yet friendly relationship between the two leaders. For instance, in February, Putin gifted Kim a luxury Russian limousine, despite UN sanctions. Kim Jong Un has expressed solidarity with Russia, describing North Korea as an invincible comrade-in-arms. Advertisement What are broader implications? Putins visit to North Korea is a statement to his critics, showcasing his defiance against Western sanctions and his ability to forge new international relations despite ongoing conflicts. His trip would underscore Russias shift towards non-Western alliances, aligning with nations that share a disdain for US-led global dominance. Russias efforts to establish stronger ties with countries like Iran and Zimbabwe, which have also faced significant sanctions, highlight this strategic realignment. Three is symbolism amid risks Putins anticipated visit is rich in symbolism, particularly in the context of Russias pivot to the East. While China may have reservations about Russias rapprochement with North Korea, any critical boundaries would have been addressed during Putins recent meetings with Xi Jinping. Advertisement Despite the grandiosity of Russias state ceremonies, North Korea matches this with its own displays of power. This convergence suggests a narrowing gap between the leadership styles of the two nations. How Russians and the West see it Domestically, ordinary Russians might not fully embrace the closer ties with North Korea, given their cultural and historical connections with Europe and the West. This presents a potential risk for Putin, along with possible new measures from Western powers following the meeting. The specifics of any agreements made during the visit are likely to remain undisclosed, as was the case during Kim Jong Uns visit to Russia last year. Nevertheless, the optics will be carefully managed to portray Putins defiance and autonomy on the world stage. Vladimir Putins two-day (June 18-19) visit to Pyongyang is on an invitation by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who invited him during his stay in Russia in September 2023 read more Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin his two-day friendly state visit to North Korea on Tuesday. It is a rare overseas trip for Putin since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to Reuters, Putin has not visited Pyongyang since July 2000. Putins two-day (June 18-19) visit to Pyongyang is on an invitation by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who invited him during his stay in Russia in September 2023. Advertisement At the invitation of the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin will pay a friendly state visit to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on June 18-19, the Kremlin said. The Russian leaders visit to North Korea, an extremely rare trip, underscores Russias burgeoning partnership with the reclusive nuclear-armed state. Also, Putins North Korea trip will be closely watched as it is believed that leaders of both the nations have founded their shared animosity towards the West. After North Korea, Putin will travel to Vietnam, the Kremlin said. Will bring positive results Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin, in an interview to TASS, said, the visit of Putin to North Korea will bring positive results. We expect positive results from the Russian presidents visit to the DPRK (the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea). The visit is well organised, and there will be results, Naryshkin said. Putin-Kim bonhomie On June 12, in a message to Putin commemorating Russias national day, Kim hailed the future of the countries meaningful ties and close comradeship. Our people give full support and solidarity to the successful work of the Russian army and people, Kim had said. According to Russian state media, the Kremlin has said Russia hopes to build a partnership with North Korea in all possible areas." Putins visit to North Korea is largely seen as an opportunity for the Russian leader to seek to bolster Kims support for Ukraine conflict. Advertisement Over the recent months, the US, South Korea and other nations have accused North Korea of providing substantial military aid to Russias war effort. Observers, meanwhile, have expressed concerns that Moscow may be violating international sanctions to aid Pyongyangs development of its nascent military satellite program. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. Earlier this year, South Koreas defence ministry informed that between August and February, Pyongyang shipped about 6,700 containers to Russia, which could accommodate more than 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or more than 500,000 rounds of 122 mm multiple rocket launchers. But, both Russia and North Korea have denied any arms transfers, with a senior North Korean official, last month, terming such allegations an absurd paradox. Advertisement Vietnam after North Korea Putins next destination after North Korea will be Vietnam, where he will be visiting on June 19-20. With inputs from agencies In recent weeks, Lebanon-based Hezbollah has ramped up attacks against Israel amid warnings that its pushing the two sides to the brink of wider escalation read more Amos Hochstein, a special envoy of US President Joe Biden, is in Israel for talks aimed at preventing a full-fledged with Lebanons Hezbollah. Hochstein held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Top military and security officials were also part of the meeting. Separately, Hochstein also held talks with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli President Herzog. Hochsteins visit comes at a time when tensions are running high on Israels northern front where Hezbollah has ramped up attacks in recent weeks. The situation is such that the Israeli military has warned that Hezbollah has pushed the two sides to the brink of a wider escalation a euphemism for a full-fledged war. Advertisement Hochstein is also supposed to meet Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Banny Gantz, who was until recently part of the War Cabinet of Israel. Fears of all-out Israel-Hezbollah War Amid escalating situation along the northern border with Lebanon, Israel has expressed openness for a diplomatic resolution for the situation. At the same time, Israel has also expressed the openness of going to war against Hezbollah to restore security to the north if an agreement isnt reached, according to The Times of Israel. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War, Hezbollah has clashed with Israel on a near-daily basis. In recent months, the two sides have been clashing fiercely. Hezbollahs rocket barrages have ignited the northern parts of Israel and large swathes have been hit with fires. For months, tens of thousands of Israelis have been internally displaced as the northern border region of the country is too deemed too dangerous to reside in. Last week, CBS News reported that the United States was concerned that a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah was highly likely. Separately, France had also proposed a trilateral mechanism along with the United States to diffuse tensions between the two ides, but Israel had rejected the offer of French President Emmanuel Macron. Hezbollah is bringing Israel to brink of wider escalation Amid mounting tensions with the Hezbollah, the Israeli military has warned that the Iran-backed terrorist group has brought the two sides to the brink of a wider escalation. In a statement on Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari had such an escalation could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region. Advertisement Hagari said that the safety of Israel was non-negotiable and put the onus on Hezbollah. Because of Hezbollahs military infrastructure, weapons and fire at Israel from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, and because of Lebanons failure to enforce 1701 on Hezbollah, Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians, until security along our border with Lebanon is restored, said Hagari. Irans terror proxies continue to drag the region to destruction. Israel will continue fighting against Irans axis of evil on all fronts in Gaza, in Lebanon as we work towards a more secure future for the Middle EastOctober 7th cannot happen again, on any one of Israels borders. Israel has a duty to defend the people of Israel. We will fulfill that duty, at all costs, said Hagari. The Russian leader is scheduled to visit Vietnam on June 19 and 20, after repeated invitations from Vietnamese leaders read more A major diplomatic tussle erupted after the United States slammed Vietnam for having invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hanoi. The Russian leader is scheduled to visit Vietnam on June 19 and 20, after repeated invitations from Vietnamese leaders. The criticism came from the US embassy in Hanoi, pointing towards Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Hanoi said when asked about the impact of the expected visit on ties with the US. Advertisement The United States has remained an ardent supporter of Ukraine throughout the war. In light of this, Washington has imposed numerous sanctions on Russia joining other Western nations in the whole ordeal. If he is able to travel freely, it could normalise Russias blatant violations of international law, the spokesperson added, referring to the invasion that Russia describes as a special operation. It is pertinent to note that the United States has upgraded its relations with Hanoi in 2023 and is touted as Vietnams top trading partner. No comments from Hanoi Vietnams Foreign Ministry did not reply to a request for comments. While the Russian leader is yet to formally announce his trip to Vietnam, multiple officials from the Asian nation have already confirmed the trip. This will be the first time Putin will pay a visit to Vietnam since 2017. It is pertinent to note that the two nations have shared strong ties in the past. We cannot return to business as usual or turn a blind eye to the clear violations of international law Russia has committed in Ukraine. There needs to be accountability for those responsible for war crimes, the US embassy spokesperson exclaimed. While Putin has a looming arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), neither Vietnam, Russia nor the US are members of the ICC. Close ties between Russia and Vietnam Russia and Vietnam have shared strong ties with each other for decades. One of the major reasons for that is that both countries possess the same community ideology. Advertisement Moscow continues to remain the top supplier of weapons to Hanoi. Russian firms are also known for extracting oil and gas in Vietnamese fields. Another symbol of the strong ties is the fact that tens of thousands of Vietnamese cadres went to study in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, including top business leaders and the current head of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong. Not only this but the Vietnamese capital is also dotted with Soviet-style buildings, including the museum of modern Vietnams founding father Ho Chi Minh. With inputs from Reuters. Sullivan, accompanied by a delegation of senior American officials and industry leaders, is on an official visit to New Delhi from June 17 to 18 read more National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday held extensive talks with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan primarily focusing on implementation of the ambitious India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The two top security officials are also learned to have deliberated upon pressing global and regional issues of mutual interest. Sullivan, accompanied by a delegation of senior American officials and industry leaders, is on an official visit to New Delhi from June 17 to 18. Advertisement Following the launch of the iCET by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo in May 2022, the two NSAs have driven a concerted effort to engage in identified areas of collaboration in diverse domains of new and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, defence innovation, space and advanced telecommunications. NSA Sullivan also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier on Monday He is also expected to call on Prime Minister Modi. Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues, Jaishankar said on X. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term, he said. US President Joe Biden was seen shell shocked on stage and had to be awkwardly ushered him off it by former President Barrack Obama. The video went viral instantly read more President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama at the Peacock Theater. Source: AP US President Joe Bidens age became the talk of the town yet again after the 81-year-old was seen frozen on stage in a viral video. Biden was aided off the stage by former President Barrack Obama after they finished addressing the charged-up crowd at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The video sparked questions about the POTUSs mental and physical health once again. In the video which is circulating online, Biden appeared to be motionless and was seen staring blankly at the crowd. In an effort to avert the awkward situation, Obama came to the rescue and escorted Biden out of the stage. Advertisement Biden freezes before Obama grabs his arm and leads him off stage. Yikes! pic.twitter.com/nCgAGitoQ6 RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2024 Obama was also helped by late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel. In the viral video, the former president can be seen patting Bidens back as the two walked off the stage. It is pertinent to note that the incident came just days after Biden wandered away from G7 leaders, facing in the wrong direction while chatting to someone behind the group. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who hosted the international meet in Puglia had to come to his rescue at that time. WHAT IS BIDEN DOING? pic.twitter.com/iY33K2srII RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 13, 2024 The reaction to the video Bidens critics and the allies of former President Trump seized the opportunity and used the clip as ammunition to suggest the president is not fit for office. Why does Biden keep freezing up like that? Its so weird, questioned one user X, formally known as Twitter. Advertisement I cant stand Joe Biden, but at this point, Obama and Jill should be charged with elder abuse. The guy is completely checked out and they know it! another one commented. The White House eventually slammed the backlash stating that the clip has been edited to make the president look worse, LBC reported. It is pertinent to note that the video was from a star-studded fundraising event in which Biden and Co. managed to raise $28 million. Biden and Trump are expected to face off against each other in a highly anticipated debate soon. On Saturday, the Republican presidential hopeful took jabs at Biden urging the commander-in-chief to take a cognition test before running for office. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president who died in a helicopter crash last month, was also tipped to be a favourite to be the next Supreme Leader of Iran. His death has widened the scope of the upcoming presidential election in Iran read more After losing President Ebrahim Raisi to a helicopter crash on May 19, Iran has time till July 8 to elect its next president. Its constitution says that the nation should have a president within 50 days of the death of the incumbent. Iran has announced its presidential election for June 28. This means that the Iranian presidential election could be a routine affair, but only it is not. It involves several issues that may have a wider impact on Iran and the entire West Asia. Advertisement Iran has been in the grip of conservative leadership Iran has been under the tight leash of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A president elected by the Iranian voters is by rule a candidate approved by a panel controlled by the Ayatollah a title Ali Khamenei was given during his elevation as the Supreme Leader following the death of his father Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei in 1989. This was necessary as Ali Khamenei was not a cleric when he was chosen by the Assembly of Experts (a cleric council in Iran) to succeed Ruhollah Khamenei as the Supreme Leader. Technically, an Iranian president is an adviser to the Ayatollah. Five presidents have worked under Ali Khamenei, who played an active role during the 1979 Iranian revolution that established the Islamic rule in the country. However, observers say that the rise of Raisi in 2021 to the post of the president indicated a change in the Iranian power circles. Since the arrival of Raisi, a hardline cleric and close ally of Ali Khamenei, conservatives have strengthened their grip on every part of the Islamic Republic. With the constitution giving only 50 days to elect the president, the death of Raisi created a problem of choice for the parties eyeing the post. Former president, former speaker declared unfit to contest Iran has a panel called the Guardian Council that screens and ratifies candidates who register themselves for state legislatures, parliament and presidential elections. When Iran announced to hold the presidential election after Raisis death, 80 candidates, including four women, registered themselves for the polls. Advertisement The Guardian Council, however, rejected all but six candidates, who are now allowed to contest Irans presidential election. Among the rejected are former President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who was considered a strong popular contender. It is not clear why a former president was found ineligible for running again for the same post or a former parliament speaker, well-versed with the politics of the country, was found unfit to contest for the top executive post in the Islamic Republic. The Iranian constitution has just three conditions the candidate must be an Iranian national, who is religious and a politician. Advertisement Those remaining are considered hardliners compared to Ahmedinejad, who in his two terms as president took confrontational stand with the West, particularly the US, and was vocal with his anti-Israel views as he denied the Holocaust and called for the destruction of the Jewish state. Could women have contested the Iranian presidential election? Though six women registered themselves for the Iranian presidential election, it was never in doubt that they wouldnt get a chance to contest. They generated public debate, more outside than within Iran despite strong anti-hijab protests in several big cities of the country a couple of years ago. The Guardian Council does not approve a woman candidate to contest the Iranian presidential election. There is a debate around the word used in the Iranian law Rijal. Most experts interpret as religious and political men the requisite eligibility for contesting the polls. Advertisement A minority opinion is that the Persian meaning of Rijal is different from the Arabic meaning, and in this sense the word means a person in Iran and not only men. In any case, Iranian leadership does not favour women to be elected to the presidents office. So, the Guardian Council rejected their registration at the screening stage itself. No woman has been allowed to contest any of the 13 presidential elections (including the upcoming one). Who will be the next Iran president? One of the following six candidates will finally be elected as the president of Iran in the June 28 election. Advertisement Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf At 62, Ghalibaf has been the Speaker of Iranian parliament for the past four years. He has run for president three times, losing twice 2005 and 2013, and withdrawing his candidacy in 2021 to support Raisi. With a background in the Iranian military, he also holds the record for being the longest-serving Mayor of Tehran 12 years. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi The 53-year-old ENT surgeon, Hashemi is a four-time member of parliament. He was recently Raisis deputy. Contesting against Raisi in the 2021 presidential election, he finished fourth with less than a million votes. Saeed Jalili He was the key figure during Irans negotiation with international agencies over its nuclear programme, leading the countrys nuclear negotiation team for four years. At 58, Jalili is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and a former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Masoud Pezeshkian The 70-year-old five-time MP is the second doctor among the approved candidates a heart surgeon. Pezeshkian has served as Irans health minister for four years. A rare brand of a politician in Iran, he is known for his straightforwardness. He has openly criticised Irans political environment and corruption, and publicly condemned the governments handling of the Mahsa Amini case (hijab protests). This makes him the only official candidate with a reformist leaning. Mostafa Pourmohammadi He is the only cleric among the six approved candidates. Pourmohammadi is a conservative politician widely known for his role in the Death Committee, the panel that ordered strict punishment for protesters during the anti-hijab movement. Alireza Zakani Incumbent Tehran mayor for three years, the 59-year-old Zakani entered politics through the Basij, a paramilitary militia wing of the Revolutionary Guards. He has also served as an MP for four years. What about the Supreme Leader? Raisis death has also led to speculation about the potential successor of Ali Khamenei as the Supreme Leader of Iran. Ali Khamenei, 85, has not endorsed a candidate to be his successor. To many, Raisi was a suitable candidate and was said to have considerable support in the Assembly of Experts, which decides the next Supreme Leader. Given the age of Ali Khameinei and that the Assembly of Experts has a tenure of eight years, it is possible that the panel will get to decide the next Supreme Leader of Iran. The Supreme Leader, who wields the real power in Iran. All government and social institutions are under his control. The constitution provides enough power to the president but actually he does the Supreme Leaders bidding. So, it doesnt really matter who becomes the next Iranian president, the countrys domestic or foreign policy is unlikely to change until Ali Khameneis successor takes the office. This is where the Assembly of Experts becomes the key player. Iran held its general election on March 1 this year, electing its parliament also 88 members to the Assembly of Experts. A 93-year-old cleric Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani was later chosen as the head of the Assembly of Experts. Now, with Raisi gone, Ali Khameneis son Mojtaba Khamenei is said to be a strong contender to succeed his father whenever that election happens. To step into his fathers shoes, Mojtaba would need the support of two-thirds of the Assembly of Experts. If that happens, it would cement the hereditary succession rule in Iran something Ruhollah Khamenei fought against the Shah of Iran, when he brought down the kingship in the country and created an Islamic Republic there. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has addressed misleading media reports concerning its recent consultation paper on revising the National Numbering Plan (NNP). TRAIs Clarification on National Numbering Plan (NNP) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) clarified misleading reports on its recent National Numbering Plan (NNP) consultation paper. TRAI denied proposing fees for mobile or landline numbers, or charges for holding multiple SIMs or numbering resources. It aims to correct misinformation, stating, Some media outlets have reported that TRAI has proposed fees for mobile and landline numbers to ensure efficient allocation and use of these finite resources. The speculation that TRAI intends to impose charges on customers for holding multiple SIMs or numbering resources is unequivocally false. National Numbering Plan Revision TRAI released a consultation paper titled Revision of National Numbering Plan on June 6, 2024, to improve the management and use of Telecommunication Identifier (TI) resources in India. This follows a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on September 29, 2022, for recommendations on revising the National Numbering Plan for better management and use of numbering resources. In its recent statement, TRAI emphasized its commitment to minimal regulatory intervention, promoting market self-regulation, and stated that they reject and condemn any false information regarding the consultation paper. Consultation Process TRAIs consultation process is open and inclusive, involving publishing papers, gathering stakeholder feedback, studying global practices, and holding public discussions. Recommendations to DoT are made after thorough analysis and logical consideration, TRAI explained. TRAI urges all stakeholders and the public to refer to official press releases and the consultation paper on its website for accurate information. The Authority remains committed to fostering an environment of clarity and factual integrity, said TRAI in its release. Source Telecom operators in Mumbai and Haryana have begun trials for caller ID services in response to government and TRAI pressure, as reported by the Economic Times. The trials for the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service are currently limited to these regions, with plans to potentially expand to other cities soon, according to sources cited in the report. CNAP Aims to Combat Spam and Fraud Calls Proposed by TRAI in November 2022, CNAP aims to allow users to identify incoming callers by displaying both their number and name. This initiative seeks to reduce the growing issue of spam and fraud calls. A senior telecom executive, speaking anonymously to TOI, mentioned that trials are starting with limited numbers to assess CNAPs feasibility. The results will be shared with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to inform future decisions about the service. Industry Concerns and Opposition However, telecom operators have expressed concerns about the mandatory implementation of CNAP. Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Jio cautioned against mandatory adoption, citing potential technical challenges such as increased load on signaling and possible impacts on latency and interconnection-related issues. Airtel highlighted techno-commercial challenges and emphasized the need for CNAP to comply with privacy laws. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea advocated for CNAP to be offered as an optional service rather than a mandatory one. Challenges and Future Considerations In February 2023, The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) questioned the effectiveness of mandatory CNAP implementation and raised concerns about privacy risks to users. The association suggested that TRAI consider an opt-in approach instead. As trials progress, more insights are expected regarding the operational feasibility of CNAP and its reception among both users and operators. Sony India is celebrating World Music Day with an exciting 6-day sale on select audio products. Music lovers can enjoy special offers on Sony headphones, truly wireless earbuds, portable Bluetooth speakers, and soundbars, ensuring an immersive audio experience. The sale has already begun and will run until 21st June 2024. Sony World Music Day Sale Offers on Amazon Deals on Sony TWS Earbuds & Neckband Headset Deals on Sony On-Ear Headphones Deals on Sony Speakers Deals Across the Sony Audio Range Bank Offers Up to Rs. 4250 instant discount with HDFC Bank credit/debit card EMI transactions with EMI tenure of more than 6 months. Up to Rs. 3750 instant discount with One Card credit card and credit card EMI transactions. Up to Rs. 5000 instant discount with IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Card EMI transactions. For more deals, visit the Sony World Music Day sale page. 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. Kiwi DJ Messie is set to head on one helluva adventure, but is calling for help to get her mates across the world to document her latest and greatest DJ achievement. For those living under a rock, Messie (Tessa Hills) is a talented DJ who was given the opportunity of a lifetime, jumping up beside the international superstar Fred Again as a supporting artist for his New Zealand and Australia pop-up shows earlier this year. And now Glastonbury festival! After entering a submission to play at just one of Fred Again's gigs and becoming the chosen one, Messie told George: "After my set, as I was coming off stage, Fred came up to me and was like: 'This is definitely not the last time you'll do a show with me'. Which was, like, crazy." Fast forward 3 months and Messie has not only conquered NZ and AUS but has now been invited to play at one of the UK'S most influential music festivals in the UK - Glastonbury. The rising DJ has teamed up with four other young Kiwi go getters in creating a documentary about her incredible journey. Messie is executive producing alongside Co-Director Camden Jackson, Co-Director and Producer Molly Doyle,Creative Director Gala Baumfield and Creative Halle Richards. The group have opened up a donations page in hopes of funding $7K for the crew to follow Messie on her endeavours. The money would cover all costs such as transport, gear rental and food for the team. So far, the group have gained a boat load of support, with some donations coming from familiar names, including NZ DJ Dick Johnson, Jesse Mulligan and Patrick Gower. The one and only Paddy G was the first to donate $100 to the fund when he met with Messie and her crew last week. "I love people who dream big, like @tessemessie , who is off to Glastonbury!... It is an incredible breakthrough and an amazing story of a Kiwi taking on the World and it deserves to be recorded," he said in an Instagram post. "That's why I am backing this young documentary team. I have had a look under the bonnet of their doco and given it the 'Paddy G WOF (Warrant of Fitness)'," he continued. With only 10 days left before they jet off, the crew have reached $3,828 of their goal from just 102 donors. Illegal Chinese fishing off East Africa hurts local communities: report Long-distance fishing operations are linked to rights abuses, cruelty to wildlife and unsustainable practices By Mai Xiaotian for RFA Mandarin 2024.06.15 -- A multibillion dollar global fishing industry backed by the Chinese government is driving a surge in Chinese vessels engaged in illegal activities and exploiting fishing grounds off East Africa, spoiling them for local people, according to a London-based environmental group. "Before the Chinese fishing boats came here, we could expect a good catch when we cast our nets, even if we only cast the nets three times," one Mozambican fisher told the U.K.-based Environmental Justice Foundation. "Now we have to stay out at sea for a whole day to catch enough fish." "This is heartbreaking, because these fish are not only for us, but also for our children," he said. "They have destroyed our future livelihoods." In October 2023, a State Council white paper said China would focus on "win-win cooperation, safe, stable, green and sustainable" distant-water fishing operations. Yet China's vast fishing fleets, which cast their nets as far away as Latin America, West Africa, and even Antarctica, have been adding to the strain on worldwide fishing stocks, according to organizations monitoring the issue in recent years. Government-backed distance trawler fleets scoop up massive amounts of fish in a short space of time, depleting stocks, interrupting breeding cycles and polluting the coastlines of Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and Madagascar with huge dumps of discarded fish judged not to be valuable enough to process, local witnesses told the Foundation. Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, with around two-thirds of the population living on the coast and dependent on the sea for their food, income and economic activity. One fisherman near the port of Beira said Chinese fishing boats had damaged his nets, leaving him scrambling to find enough money to repair them. "They catch a lot of small fish but throw them away and only pick the fish they want," the Beira fisherman said. "Whole beaches are covered with dead fish." "The way Chinese fishing boats operate leaves us with nothing," the report quoted him as saying. Shark fin soup But the report - the first to detail Chinese fishing operations in the southwest Indian Ocean - goes further to say that many ships in the fleet exhibit "illegal, unsustainable and abusive behaviours towards marine ecosystems and crew alike." The report, "Tide of Injustice: Exploitation and illegal fishing on Chinese vessels in the Southwest Indian Ocean," found 86 instances of illegal fishing and human rights violations in the area between 2017 and 2023, half of which were linked to Chinese fishing vessels. "Illegal fishing and human rights abuses were found to be commonplace on Chinese vessels in the SWIO [southwest Indian Ocean], including routine shark finning, the deliberate capture and/or injury of vulnerable marine megafauna, and crews suffering from physical violence, abusive working and living conditions, intimidation and threats," said the report. The finning of sharks - cutting the fin off and tossing the animal back into the ocean - is illegal in many countries. The fin is coveted for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy served at festive occasions. Some 80% of interviewees who had worked on Chinese longline tuna boats said they had witnessed or taken part in shark-finning. "Some days we would catch as many as 20 sharks," a former Indonesian employee on a Chinese fishing vessel in the southern Indian Ocean told the foundation's film crew in April. "We would just cut their fins off and throw the rest of the shark back." The man was among dozens of former crew on Chinese fishing vessels and Mozambican fishers interviewed for the report. "All of the fishers interviewed by the foundation who had worked on China's tuna fleet in the southwest Indian Ocean ... experienced or witnessed some form of human rights abuses and/or illegal fishing," the group said in the June 6 report. China currently ranks bottom of 152 countries and territories in an illegal fishing index known as the IUU Risk Index. Physical and verbal abuse Violence is also rife aboard Chinese vessels, the foundation's East Asia Manager Chiu Shao-Chi told RFA Mandarin in a recent interview. Chiu said 54% of interviewees witnessed or experienced beatings and assault, including with knives and metal implements, kickings and other forms of abuse. Around 70% of interviewees reported being verbally abused or intimidated, sometimes alongside the physical violence, by their superiors. And around 93% said they had been underpaid, or had deductions from their wages for no good reason amounting to hundreds and even thousands of U.S. dollars. Some were forced to take out loans in order to get the job, and forced to pay back the cost of food, transport and healthcare to their employers, as well as make repayments on the loan. "The conditions on these boats are pretty inhumane," Chiu said. "Many fishermen told us that they were basically enslaved." But the remote nature of fisheries, combined with an industry-wide lack of transparency, continues to make identifying and prosecuting illegal fishing and its human rights abuses challenging, the report found, particularly when vessels are operating far from their home port. State-backed Chinese seafood companies, which are often state-owned or subsidized and backed by local ruling Communist Party officials, have been fishing in the southwest Indian Ocean for several years already. In November 2018, Yu Yi Industry Co. Ltd celebrated its first haul of 359 metric tons of fish and crustaceans from waters near Mozambique at the instigation of Shenzhen Party Secretary Zhou Jiangtou as part of China's Belt and Road global supply chain and infrastructure program, the industry publication Seafood Source and Chinese media reported at the time. But in the waters off East Africa, its distant fishing operations have left many local communities worse off than before. "The southwest Indian Ocean is an area with very rich marine biodiversity," Chiu said. "The excellent local conditions don't just support the local marine ecosystem, but also the livelihoods of coastal residents from one generation to the next." The arrival of state-backed Chinese trawler fleets has changed all that, she said. "Several fishing enterprises subsidized by the Chinese government are pursuing huge profits off East Africa," she said. "These companies may pay lip-service to sustainability and human rights in their annual reports, but they clearly don't actually protect them." 'Collage of speculation' Chinese state media and officials have started hitting back at such criticisms, often with allegations of their own. An opinion piece published by the Global Times in April said Urbina's research contained "unsubstantiated smears," and was "a mere collage of speculation." In September 2023, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to allegations of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by Chinese vessels from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by blaming "a small number" of individual skippers. "China exercises the right to develop and use the fisheries resources on the high seas in accordance with relevant international law," Mao said. Beijing has implemented voluntary fishing moratoriums in some marine areas, and has worked with other countries to crack down on illegal fishing, she said. Mao said the United States had exceeded catch limits for tuna in the western and central Pacific Ocean in recent years, and that American vessels have also been implicated in the fishing of whale sharks, turtles and in harming sharks. Worsening poverty and food insecurity In 2022, China's longline tuna fleet transhipped more than 12,000 metric tons of albacore, bigeye and yellowfin tuna to refrigerated vessels. But these transport ships could also have taken illegal shark fins without anyone knowing, because they are largely unregulated. "Over the past 25 years, overfishing by industrial fleets and widespread illegal, unregulated or unreported fishing have caused a 30% decline in subsistence fisheries production in Mozambique," Chiu told RFA, citing local government data. "Mozambique loses an estimated US$70 million in revenue each year due to rampant illegal fishing, which has a significant impact on the national economy and the livelihoods of coastal residents," she said. The depletion of fish stocks off East Africa has "exacerbated food insecurity and poverty on land," according to an article by Selina Robinson, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Investigation at the University of Winchester. "Some former fishermen, in collaboration with militias and unemployed youth, have turned to piracy as a means of survival," Robinson wrote in an article in The Conversation in May 2024. Earlier this month, the United Nations called for better protection of marine ecosystems to guard against overfishing and pollution. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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 Government mum about Hun Sen audio calling for opposition to be 'smashed' In Facebook audio, Cambodia's former prime minister says defectors must be recruited ahead of next elections. By RFA Khmer 2024.06.15 -- Former Prime Minister Hun Sen encouraged supporters of the ruling Cambodian People's Party to "smash" and "destroy" opposition political activists in audio comments that circulated on Khmer social media this week. The Cambodian government has neither confirmed nor denied the veracity of the audio, which circulated widely on Facebook and other social media. Listeners say it sounds like the veteran leader, who currently serves as Senate president. It was purportedly recorded at a party meeting last week. "Please all city, capital and provincial presidents of the party, be informed that in the past few weeks I sent a decision pertaining to a group of people who are experts in destroying the grassroots," Hun Sen says in the audio. "You must smash this force to a point that they no longer disturb us, let's make it clear," he said. "While we destroy their forces, we can persuade them to join us." In August, Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister, a position he held since 1985, allowing his son to take over. But he retains power as the president of the Senate and head of the Cambodian People's Party, or CPP. The run-up to the July 2023 parliamentary elections saw a months-long campaign of intimidation and threats against opposition leaders and activists. Some activists were persuaded to publicly switch their allegiance to the CPP. Additionally, the National Election Committee ruled that the main opposition Candlelight Party couldn't appear on the ballot, citing inadequate paperwork. The decision paved the way for the CPP to win 120 of 125 seats in the National Assembly. Cambodia also held Senate elections in February and local provincial, municipal and district elections in May. Care for the new 'brothers and sisters' In the audio, Hun Sen urged CPP officials to work on persuading opposition activists to defect now - instead of waiting to act months before the next round of elections. Cambodia has local commune council elections scheduled for 2027. Its next parliamentary election is set to take place in 2028. Efforts should include incorporating party switchers into the CPP's party structure and encouraging them to recruit more defectors, Hun Sen said. "I ask the provincial party and local party offices to expeditiously administer these brothers and sisters [defectors] so they do not feel left out, or that there is a lack of care for them by the local party branches," he said. "Let's declare the incorporation [of the defectors] into the party from now," he said. "Let's break their grassroot bases now so that they do not have base support." Hun Sen is an avid social media user, with 14 million followers on Facebook and 925,000 on TikTok. RFA messaged Hun Sen on Facebook on Wednesday to verify the audio, but he hadn't responded by Friday. RFA was also unable to reach government spokesman Pen Bona for comment. 'Psychological threat' Eng Chhai Eang, a former opposition lawmaker who now lives in the United States, said the audio was forwarded to him last week after a CPP official had sent it to opposition activists in Cambodia. He told RFA he believed the audio was real and reflects Hun Sen's longtime approach to political opponents. Eng Chhai Eang continues to serve as the vice president of the Cambodian National Rescue Party, or CNRP, which was the main opposition party until it was banned by the Supreme Court in 2017. "His vicious deeds started after the CNRP dissolution," he said. "He ordered attacks against those who refused to defect. Any activists were attacked." The audio was probably intended as a "a psychological threat," according to Rong Chhun, a prominent opposition activist who is an adviser to the opposition National Power Party, which was founded last year. Translated by Yun Samean and Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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 Beijing prepared to counter 'Manila's attempt to legalize illegal occupations' Global Times By Yang Sheng, Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: Jun 16, 2024 10:17 PM Updated: Jun 16, 2024 10:46 PM China is well prepared for the Philippines' latest attempt to legalize its illegal occupations in the South China Sea as Manila recently filed a claim with the UN about an "extended continental shelf" (ECS) in the region, said analysts, noting that China will take comprehensive countermeasures in all fronts to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, and that the China Coast Guard's (CCG) new procedures will allow Chinese law enforcement forces to take more decisive action to counter provocations. Marshall Louis Alferez, foreign ministry assistant secretary for maritime and ocean affairs, said in a statement that "Today we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement," Reuters reported on Saturday. According to the relevant provisions of the continental shelf section of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, under certain conditions, the continental shelf of a coastal state can extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline. The Philippines has mainly based its application to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on this provision to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, said experts. Unlikely to be reviewed Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday that according to information from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the so-called "outer continental shelf in the South China Sea" in the West Palawan region overlaps with waters under Chinese jurisdiction claimed by China." In the case of such disputes, according to the rules of procedure of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the submission is unlikely to be reviewed and may be postponed for review, Ding said. The main purpose of the Philippines in submitting the outer limits of continental shelf case is to legitimize the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration case. Additionally, it aims to provoke attacks and defamation against China's South China Sea policies and positions in international multilateral forums and the global public opinion arena, experts said. Considering that the Philippines has illegally occupied several islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao (also known as Nansha Islands) and recently caused incidents at Xianbin Jiao and Tiexian Jiao, the Philippines is attempting to use the outer continental shelf card to whitewash, solidify, and even expand its illegal gains in the South China Sea, they noted. The Philippines has long been plotting this move, supported by American research institutions and legal teams, said analysts. Over the past few years, they have been making legal and technical preparations. However, China is prepared for this and will respond diplomatically and politically to demonstrate its stern stance. China will also take corresponding countermeasures based on the actual needs to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, while continuing to expose the real intentions and malicious purposes of the Philippines' continuous infringement and provocations to the international community, Ding noted. The Philippines' continued hype over the administrative enforcement procedures of the CCG reflects its guilty conscience and shows the intention for self-promotion through hype, Ding said. Regardless of how the Philippines misleads, distorts, and defames the new regulations of the CCG in the international public opinion arena, the CCG will continue to take effective and professional rights protection enforcement measures against the Philippines' infringement and provocations in the South China Sea, firmly safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, said experts. Ready to counter provocations The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly has for the first time deployed an amphibious assault ship to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, a move experts said on Sunday is preparation for any emergency response amid repeated provocations by the Philippines. China's Type 075 landing helicopter dock, also known as amphibious assault ship, was spotted near Zhubi Jiao (also known as Zhubi Reef) on Friday, marking its first deployment to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, the Manila Times reported on Saturday. The reported maiden mission on the Type 075 amphibious assault ship came shortly after another main amphibious warship of the PLA Navy, a Type 071 amphibious landing ship, for the first time hosted hovercraft drills near Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) in the Nansha Qundao on June 4, according to a June 7 report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine media quickly linked the PLA Navy's warship deployment to the CCG's latest administrative law enforcement procedures, which took effect on Saturday. But observers pointed out that it is the Philippines that has engaged in continuous provocations against the Chinese islands and reefs in the first place, and the Philippines is acting like a thief crying "stop thief." In a recent incident, the Philippine coast guard dispatched boats to illegally land on islets of Xianbin Jiao, which met with CCG restrictive measures; another recent incident involved Philippine personnel stationed aboard its warship illegally grounded on Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) pointing guns at CCG vessels. Around the day of the implementation of the CCG's new procedures on Saturday, the Philippine coast guard sent vessels to both Xianbin Jiao and Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), according to open-source intelligence data gathered by Chinese technology and intelligence company MizarVision on Friday and Saturday. The Philippines could be testing China's new changes following the implementation of the CCG's new procedures, analysts said. It is totally legitimate for the PLA Navy to conduct training exercises on and near Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. The drills contribute to the PLA Navy's capabilities in safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the expert said, noting that the presence of some of China's main amphibious warfare vessels will ensure any potential emergency will not lead to worse scenarios. The Chinese side remains highly vigilant and will continue to take all necessary countermeasures against the dangerous, escalatory acts by the Philippine side, said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, in a regular press release on Friday on the recent incidents in the Nansha Qundao. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China deploys amphibious assault ship to Nansha Qundao for first time: media Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jun 16, 2024 05:14 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly has for the first time deployed an amphibious assault ship to the Nansha Qundao (also known as Nansha Islands) in the South China Sea, a move experts said on Sunday is preparation for any emergency response amid repeated provocations by the Philippines. China's Type 075 landing helicopter dock, also known as amphibious assault ship, was spotted near Zhubi Jiao (also known as Zhubi Reef) on Friday, marking its first deployment to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, the Manila Times reported on Saturday. The reported maiden mission on the Type 075 amphibious assault ship came shortly after another main amphibious warship of the PLA Navy, a Type 071 amphibious landing ship, for the first time hosted hovercraft drills near Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) in the Nansha Qundao on June 4, according to a June 7 report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine media quickly linked the PLA Navy's warship deployment to the China Coast Guard's (CCG) latest administrative law enforcement procedures, which took effect on Saturday. But observers pointed out that it is the Philippines that has engaged in continuous provocations against the Chinese islands and reefs in the first place, and the Philippines is acting like a thief crying "stop thief." In a recent incident, the Philippine coast guard dispatched boats to illegally land on islets of Xianbin Jiao, which met with CCG restrictive measures; another recent incident involved Philippine personnel stationed aboard its warship illegally grounded on Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) pointing guns at CCG vessels. Around the day of the implementation of the CCG's new procedures on Saturday, the Philippine coast guard sent vessels to both Xianbin Jiao and Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), according to open-source intelligence data gathered by Chinese technology and intelligence company MizarVision on Friday and Saturday. The Philippines could be testing China's new changes following the implementation of the CCG's new procedures, analysts said. It is totally legitimate for the PLA Navy to conduct training exercises on and near Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday. The drills contribute to the PLA Navy's capabilities in safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the expert said, noting that the presence of some of China's main amphibious warfare vessels will ensure any potential emergency will not lead to worse scenarios. The Chinese side remains highly vigilant and will continue to take all necessary countermeasures against the dangerous, escalatory acts by the Philippine side, said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, in a regular press release on Friday on the recent incidents in the Nansha Qundao. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the Escalation of Hezbollah's Attack on Our Northern Front IDF Press Release June 16, 2024 16.06.24 IDF The Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon has been escalating its attacks against Israel. Since deciding to join the war that Hamas started on October 7th - Hezbollah has fired over 5,000 rockets; anti-tank missiles and explosive UAVs from Lebanon at Israeli families, homes, and communities. Hezbollah's increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation - one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region. Hezbollah is jeopardizing the future of Lebanon - so that it can be a shield for Hamas. A shield for the Hamas terrorists who murdered the elderly, raped women, burned children and kidnapped Jews, Muslims, and Christians - during their massacre on October 7th. When we say that we will not let October 7th happen again on any one of our borders - we mean it. Because of Hezbollah's refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 because of Hezbollah's military infrastructure; weapons and fire at Israel from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon and because of Lebanon's failure to enforce 1701 on Hezbollah Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians until security along our border with Lebanon is restored. One way or another - we will ensure the safe and secure return of Israelis to their homes in Northern Israel. That is not up for negotiation. Iran's terror proxies continue to drag the region to destruction. Israel will continue fighting against Iran's axis of evil on all fronts in Gaza, in Lebanon - as we work towards a more secure future for the Middle East. October 7th cannot happen again on any one of Israel's borders. Israel has a duty to defend the people of Israel. We will fulfill that duty at all costs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah hits Israeli military base with drone IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has targeted an Israeli military base in northern occupied Palestine. Hezbollah war media published scenes of the targeting of the Zionist regime's base in northern occupied Palestine with an attack drone. The video shows how Hezbollah targets Bayad Blida headquarters belonging to the Zionist regime army near the Lebanese border with the drone. Al Jazeera's reporter had reported that sirens sounded in Upper Galilee, northern occupied Palestine. Lebanon's Hezbollah has repeatedly targeted the Israeli regime's military positions in northern occupied territories in response to the regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saturday deadliest day for Zionist forces in Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Zionist occupation army has lost three more of its troops on the ground in the Gaza Strip, pushing the death toll of invading forces to 11 since early Saturday, media sources reported. According to the Palestinian Samaa news agency citing the Zionist media, three soldiers were killed announced two others injured in clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters on Saturday evening. Israeli media announced that two soldiers from the 179th Brigade were killed and two injured as a result of an explosion in central Gaza. On the other hand, the Israeli army confirmed the killing of Yair Reutman, a personal from the Gafaati brigade, who succumbed to injuries he had sustained during the conflict in Rafah few days ago. Earlier on Saturday, the Zionist media had confirmed the death of eight soldiers from the 601st Engineering Brigade in a resistance operation in Rafah. Saturday's deaths were the highest one-day toll among the invading Israeli forces. According to the report, the deputy commander of the 601st Engineering Division of this regime was among the dead. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, said that Saturday's combined and unique operation in Rafah painful was painful blows to the army and reaffirmed the defeat of the enemy against the Palestinian resistance. Abu Ubaida warned the Zionist occupation forces in a message on his telegram page that such operations will be waiting for the enemy even more. "Our painful blows to the enemy forces will continue wherever they are, and with God's help, the army of the occupying regime will not find anything but the ambush of death in any part of our land", he added. Based on Israeli media reports citing military sources, the regime has lost over 300 soldiers, including several top commanders since a ground invasion of Gaza that began on October 27th. But Palestinians and mainstream foreign media say the regime covers up the real number of fatalities among its forces to avoid the Israeli public anger that is already boiling. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi resistance missile hits 'vital' Zionist target IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iraq's Islamic Resistance has announced a new missile attack a vital target of the Zionist regime in the occupied port of Haifa. According to IRNA citing Iraqi media, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued a short statement on Saturday saying that Haifa was hit with an advanced cruise missile "Al-Arqib". The umbrella group of Iraqi resistance factions has carried out several similar operations against the Israeli regime in retaliation for the ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday last week, the group claimed responsibility for attacking the port of Haifa with a drone, Lately, it has also carried out at least two joint operations with the Yemeni armed forces to target Zionist positions in the occupied Palestinian territories. This group has emphasized repeatedly that it will continue targeting the enemy's positions as long as its bloodshed of Palestinians continues. Over the past several months, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out 65 attacks on Israeli targets in the occupied territories. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli media says 11 soldiers killed in Gaza ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 16 June 2024 / 10:33 Israeli media outlets have leaked reports on the death of 11 soldiers killed in Gaza and Rafah in a "catastrophic" day for the invading forces. Tehran-ISNA-Israeli media outlets reported that 11 soldiers from the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion and the 129th Battalion were killed, with two others wounded during confrontations with the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip. So far, the occupation's military command has admitted to eight officers and soldiers killed from the aforementioned battalions. Israeli media reported a severe incident in central Gaza, where the IOF acknowledged the deaths of two additional soldiers from the 129th Battalion due to an improvised explosive device (IED), which also injured two more soldiers. The IOF also confirmed the death of a soldier from the Givati Brigade. He succumbed to critical injuries sustained during fights in Rafah a few days prior. Earlier, the IOF had reported the deaths of eight soldiers and officers caused by an explosive device that hit a Namer armored personnel carrier in the Tal al-Sultan refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Among the dead was the deputy commander of a company in the 601st Engineering Battalion. Additionally, a company commander with the rank of major, along with three other soldiers, was killed in southern Gaza a few days ago. With these latest casualties, the death toll of Israeli soldiers since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7 has risen to 661. This includes 311 soldiers killed since the beginning of the ground offensive in Gaza. Furthermore, 3,617 soldiers have been wounded, according to the army's published figures. Israeli media described Saturday's incident at 5 am in Rafah as a "disaster", noting that an armored vehicle in the Tell al-Sultan neighborhood was engaged while on the move. It took the military two hours to reach the vehicle, which was then towed to a secure location. Drones were deployed to locate the Resistance fighters in the area, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The media highlighted that Saturday's incident in Rafah was the most severe since the Khan Younis incident on January 23, which resulted in the deaths of 21 soldiers. The Palestinian Resistance killed eight Israeli occupation soldiers who were reportedly asleep in an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli media outlets reported on Saturday. The news has emerged as Israeli occupation forces are launching an invasion into the western neighborhood of Tell al-Sultan in Rafah. Relating a slightly different course of events but with the same end result, the al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement in which it announced that on the morning of the day of Arafat Day, its freedom fighters carried out a complex ambush against Israeli vehicles penetrating the area of the Saudi neighborhood in Tell al-Sultan, west of the city of Rafah. The cab of a D9 military bulldozer, according to the Resistance group, was targeted by an al-Yassin 105 shell, causing it to catch fire and resulting in casualties among its crew. Immediately upon the arrival of the rescue force, a Namer APC was targeted with an al-Yassin 105 shell, which led to its destruction and the killing of all its crew members. However, according to Israeli media reports, the eight Israeli troops were burnt to death in the attack, which targeted a Namer-type APC in Rafah. Prior to al-Qassam's statement, it was reported that an unspecified anti-tank shell was fired at the APC, which led to an explosion and a fire in the vehicle, killing eight soldiers sleeping inside it. The corpses of the soldiers were completely burnt, and the APC was destroyed, it was claimed. Among those killed was a combat officer in the Israeli occupation forces, Israeli media outlets reported later on Saturday. It is worth noting that the Namer APC is one of the most advanced and heavily armored vehicles when compared to same-class vehicles internationally. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Yemeni army targets three vessels, including US destroyer, in support of Gaza' Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 8:43 PM The Yemeni Armed Forces say they have conducted new anti-Israel and anti-US operations, targeting three vessels in nearby waters, including an American destroyer, with missiles and drones. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the country's army, made the announcement in a late Sunday statement. He said the new operations were carried out in response to Israel's crimes against Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and also in retaliation for acts of aggression against Yemen by the United States and the UK. Saying that the first operation targeted an American destroyer with a number of ballistic missiles, Saree added in his statement that "the second [operation] targeted the ship Captain Paris with a number of suitable naval missiles." He added that the targeted ship was trying to violate the Yemeni army's decision to ban access to ports in the occupied Palestinian territories. Both operations were carried out in the Red Sea. Saree said the third operation was conducted by the Yemeni army's "Unmanned Air Force" unit, targeting the Happy Condor ship in the Arabian Sea using a number of drones. The spokesman stated that the company owning Happy Condor was also trying to violate the ban on entry into ports in the occupied Palestine. He emphasized that the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue their operations in solidarity with Palestinian people in Gaza and also in response to the aggression against Yemen by the US and UK, and will only stop when the Israeli onslaught on Gaza comes to an end and the siege of the territory is lifted. Yemen's Armed Forces have been carrying out countless operations against Israel-linked ships or those heading towards ports in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, when the Tel Aviv regime began its genocidal war on Gaza. More than 37,300 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and 85,299 others sustained injuries in the brutal Israeli military onslaught against the coastal sliver. The Yemeni forces have also conducted many operations against American and British vessels in response to deadly attacks by the United States and the UK against their country, which have been seeking to stop the forces' pro-Palestinian operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 15: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 3:01 PM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed some 37,400 Palestinians so far, including around 16,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Saturday, June 15, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on June 15: Bombarded Israeli military forces stationed south of the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, with mortar shells. Executed a complex ambush against Israeli military vehicles in the Saudi neighborhood area of the city of Rafah, causing significant casualties. Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their air defense systems confronting a helicopter on the advance axes in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Executed a complex ambush against a convoy of Israeli military vehicles advancing in the Saudi neighborhood area of Tal Al-Sultan, west of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip. Targeted a "D9" military bulldozer with an Al-Yassin 105 shell. Targeted a command and control center of the Israeli military in the "Netzarim" axis with short-range Rajoom rockets of 114mm caliber. In a joint operation with Al-Quds Brigades, bombed the "Sofa" military site with a rocket barrage. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on June 15: Targeted an Israeli military Merkava 4 tank with an RPG in the Saudi neighborhood west of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip. Shot down an Israeli military quadcopter while it was carrying out an intelligence mission in the skies of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and seized control of it. Bombed the "Kissufim" military site northeast of Khan Younis city in southern Gaza Strip with 107mm standard rockets. In a joint operation with Al-Qassam Brigades, targeted the "Sofa" military site with a rocket barrage. Targeted positions of the Israeli military with 60-caliber standard mortar shells around the Saad Mosque, east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. In a joint operation with Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, targeted the "Kissufim" military site with a rocket barrage. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on June 15: Targeted a command and control headquarters of the Israeli military east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City with mortar shells. Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG-85 shell in the Saudi neighborhood axis of Tel Al-Sultan, west of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip. Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on June 15: In a joint operation with the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, bombed Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles southeast of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood with mortar shells. Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades' operations on June 15: Bombed a position of enemy soldiers and vehicles on the "Netzarim" axis north of the central governorate with 100mm mortar shells. Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on June 15: In a joint operation with the Martytr Omar Al-Qasim Forces, Israeli forces positioned southeast of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood targeted with standard 60mm caliber mortar shells. Hezbollah's operations on June 15: Targeted the headquarters of the Air Surveillance unit and the Air Operations Management unit in the "Meron" base with guided missiles. Targeted a position of Israeli soldiers in the Hadab Yaroun site with a guided missile. Targeted the headquarters of the artillery battalion of the western brigade and positions of their officers and soldiers in the "Khirbet Ma'ar" base. Yemeni military's operations on June 15: The ship Verbena sinks in the Gulf of Aden after being targeted by a number of missiles. The ship (TUTOR) was targeted by a naval drone and a number of ballistic missiles and drones. Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on June 15: Launched an Arqab advanced cruise missile towards Haifa in the occupied Palestinian territories. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas chief: Signs enemy losing battle against Palestinians emerging Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 10:37 AM The head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has praised the untiring perseverance of Palestinians in the face of Israeli offensives against Gaza, stressing that the signs that the Zionist regime is losing the battle are becoming more evident. Delivering a televised speech on Sunday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, Ismail Haniyeh stated that Palestinians espouse a deep-seated belief in the promises of final liberation and victory. "The Eid is being marked in the Gaza Strip, whilst people in the area are fighting off the occupying aggressors on all fronts. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are enduring an unprecedented level of misery and suffering... The [Zionist] enemy will see no reaction other than resilience and patience from our compatriots," Haniyeh said. The Hamas chief further noted that the signs of the Israeli regime's defeat are becoming evident more than ever as the occupying enemy has failed to obtain any of its declared objectives in the Gaza war. He went on to laud the al-Aqsa Storm Operation as a historic battle with outstanding causes and results, saying, "Despite all attempts being made by the occupiers to weaken the capabilities of resistance factions, Palestinian fighters carry on their operations mightily and innovatively." "I salute all branches of the Axis of Resistance and extend my gratitude to Lebanon's Hezbollah movement as well as Yemeni Ansarullah fighters for their [maritime] operations in the Red Sea. I also thank resistance groups in Iraq and Syria for their support of Palestinians," Haniyeh pointed out. On ceasefire Elsewhere in his remarks, the Hamas chief said the resistance front is serious and flexible about ceasefire talks. But he noted that any agreement must be comprehensive, lead to full withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and include arrangements for a prisoner swap. Haniyeh highlighted that those provisions must be clearly stated in any truce agreement and such a deal must lead to a full ceasefire. He finally called on the international community to take action to force Israel to open all border crossings into Gaza, and return the control of the Rafah crossing between the coastal territory and Egypt. Israel unleashed the Gaza onslaught on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 37,296 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 85,197 others, according to the Gaza-based health ministry. The occupying entity has also imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rafah operation lays bare Israel's failure against resistance: Qassam Brigades Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 6:04 AM Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, has hailed a complex ambush against the Israeli military in Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah, saying the operation once again exposed the regime's failure in the face of Palestinian fighters. "Our complex and qualitative operation today in Rafah is a new confirmation of the enemy's failure in the face of our resistance, and a painful blow to its army... and we have more," Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Saturday. He noted that Gaza-based resistance fighters will continue their "painful strikes" wherever necessary and that Israeli occupation forces will find nothing but ambushes of death in any part of the Palestinian territories. Earlier in the day, Hamas fighters killed eight Israeli soldiers after firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at their military vehicles in Rafah, and then ambushing a support force deployed to the scene. The attack marked one of the deadliest days for Israeli soldiers in Gaza in months as its ground invasion of the southern region continues to ramp up. Qassam Brigades said its soldiers "carried out a complex ambush against enemy vehicles" in the Saudi neighborhood of Tal as-Sultan district in Rafah city. The armed group said it fired Yassin-105 RPGs at a D9 military bulldozer, killing and wounding an unidentified number of Israeli soldiers. A "rescue force" vehicle that later arrived was also attacked, "resulting in its destruction and the death of all its occupants", it pointed out. At least 307 Israeli troops have reportedly been killed and thousands wounded since October 27 when the ground invasion of Gaza was launched. Israel unleashed the Gaza onslaught on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 37,296 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 85,197 others, according to the Gaza-based health ministry. The occupying entity has also imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines seeks UN validation to extend continental shelf limits The extension would go beyond the outer limits of the Philippines' 200-mile EEZ in the South China Sea. BenarNews staff 2024.06.16 -- The Philippines is seeking U.N. validation to extend its continental shelf in the South China Sea and secure "exclusive" rights to exploit undersea resources, Manila's foreign office said, amid heightened territorial tensions with China over the waterway. The Department of Foreign Affairs said its mission to the United Nations had submitted documentation with the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, or CLCS, on Friday to "register the country's entitlement to an extended continental shelf, or ECS, in the West Palawan Region" in the sea. "Today we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement," said Marshall Louis M. Alferez, assistant secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs at the department. The department indicated that Manila intended to stretch the Philippine continental shelf beyond the outer limits of the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, in the South China Sea, but it did not say by how much more. Philippine territorial waters in the sea are believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. "The Philippines is entitled to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas extending beyond 200 nautical miles (NM) but not exceed 350 NM from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured," the department said in a statement posted on social media. Philippine territorial waters in the sea are believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. "The Philippines is entitled to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas extending beyond 200 nautical miles (NM) but not exceed 350 NM from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured," the department said in a statement posted on social media. It noted that the country was entitled to do this under Article 76 of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. Under UNCLOS, a coastal state has exclusive and sovereign rights over the continental shelf "for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources." Tensions with China The Philippines issued the announcement against the backdrop of tensions with China in South China Sea waters of its EEZ, which Filipinos refer to as the West Philippine Sea. Chinese coast guard ships in recent months have been harassing Filipino civilian boats sailing in EEZ waters that overlap with China's extensive territorial claims in the sea. Manila lodged its claim with the U.N. on the eve of a new Chinese regulation taking effect and that authorizes its coast guard to intercept and arrest foreign vessels and crews caught "trespassing" in China-claimed waters. "Incidents in the waters tend to overshadow the importance of what lies beneath," the statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs quoted Alferez as saying. "The seabed and the subsoil extending from our archipelago up [to] the maximum extent allowed by UNCLOS hold significant potential resources that will benefit our nation and our people for generations to come." There was no immediate response by the Chinese embassy in Manila to this Philippine diplomatic move. In late May, China's foreign ministry defended the trespassing regulation, saying it was established to standardize Chinese law enforcement measures "and better uphold order at sea." "Individuals and entities have no need for concern as long as they have not done anything illicit," ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference on May 29. China claims the waterway almost in its entirety, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan. UNCLOS was the basis for a landmark lawsuit brought by the Philippines against China in 2012 following a standoff over Scarborough Shoal. In 2016, a U.N. arbitration court ruled in favor of Manila, but Beijing has refused to recognize the verdict and effectively remained in control of the shoal. In 2012, the U.N. commission validated a claim submitted by Manila to partially extend the continental shelf of the Philippine Rise in the Philippine Sea, then known as the Benham Rise, by 135,506 kilometers (52,319 square miles). Manila's latest submission to the U.N. commission was years in the making and had been cleared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a spokeswoman for the foreign office said in a statement Saturday. "We have long prepared for this, and in fact we mentioned in our Philippine (Benham) Rise submission in 2009 that we reserved our right to make further submissions to the west. It was a long inter-agency process that involved deliberate and intensive scientific research and review," Ma. Teresita Daza said. "The submission comes after we completed this comprehensive technical and scientific study of our continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, and with the clearance support of the President." BenarNews is an online news agency linked to Radio Free Asia. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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 Houthis Say Verbena Bulk Carrier Sank in Gulf of Aden - Statement Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah rebel movement, also known as the Houthis, said that the Verbena ship they attacked on June 13 sank in the Gulf of Aden. "The Verbena ship sank in the Gulf of Aden after being attacked by several missiles," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Saturday. On Thursday, the Houthis said that they attacked three vessels in the Red and Arabian Seas in the past 24 hours using ballistic missiles and drones. The Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Verbena caught fire after the strike. He also added that the Tutor ship, which was attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea, could begin to sink in the coming hours. On Sunday, the US Central Command said that the crew of Verbena was evacuated from the ship due to fire and inability to extinguish it. "On June 13, Iranian-backed Houthis struck M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated bulk cargo carrier in two separate missile attacks. Today, at approximately 1:45 p.m. (Sanna time), the crew issued a distress call indicating they were abandoning the ship," the command said on X. The US military noted that Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran, which was eight nautical miles from the Ukrainian cargo ship at the time, did not respond to the distress call. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel announces limited daily halt in southern Gaza offensive By VOA News June 16, 2024 Israel said Sunday it is beginning a daytime 11-hour "tactical pause" in its bombardment of Hamas militants in southern Gaza to permit the increased delivery of humanitarian aid to reach famished Palestinians. It said the pause in its offensive in southern Gaza would continue for the immediate future and allow aid trucks to reach the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point for incoming aid. The trucks could then safely travel to a nearby highway to deliver food and medical supplies to other parts of Gaza. The "tactical pause" announced by the military applies to about 12 kilometers of road in the Rafah area but falls far short of a complete cease-fire in Gaza that the international community, including Israel's top ally, the United States, is pushing for Israel and Hamas to adopt. The proposed broader cease-fire would halt fighting throughout Gaza for six weeks and calls for the release of more hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians jailed by Israel. But there was no sign of a breakthrough in the stalled cease-fire talks. In another sign the fighting would continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government announced Sunday it was extending until August 15, the period it would fund hotels and guest houses for residents evacuated from southern Israeli border towns near Gaza. The limited halt in fighting, if it holds, could help address some of the overwhelming needs of Palestinians that have surged even more in recent weeks with Israel's incursion into Rafah. Israel said the route out of southern Gaza would increase the flow of aid to other parts of Gaza, including Khan Younis, the Muwasi makeshift tent camp, and central Gaza. Hard-hit northern Gaza, which was an early target in the war, now in its ninth month, is being served by goods entering from a crossing in the north. The military said the pause Sunday, which begins as Muslims in Gaza and elsewhere start marking the major Eid Al-Adha holiday, came after discussions with the United Nations and international aid agencies. The flow of aid in southern Gaza declined just as the humanitarian need grew. More than 1 million Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced, fled Rafah after the invasion, crowding into other parts of southern and central Gaza. Most now languish in ramshackle tent camps, using trenches as latrines, with open sewage in the streets. The need for more aid in Gaza is critical, United Nations aid officials say. From May 6 until June 6, the U.N. received an average of 68 trucks of aid a day, according to figures from the U.N. humanitarian office. That was down from 168 a day in April and far below the 500 trucks a day that aid groups say are needed. The new arrangement aims to reduce the need for coordinating deliveries by providing an uninterrupted 11-hour window each day for trucks to move in and out of the crossing. But it was not immediately clear whether the army would provide security to protect the aid trucks as they moved along the highway. The U.N. welcomed the limited Israeli pause in fighting and said it hopes "this leads to further concrete measures by Israel to address longstanding issues preventing a meaningful humanitarian response in Gaza." But the limited cessation in fighting was attacked by ultranationalists in Netanyahu's government, who oppose a halt in the war. The military said fighting is not being paused in the rest of southern Gaza. On Sunday, Israel announced the names of 11 soldiers killed in recent attacks in Gaza, including one who died from wounds sustained in an assault last week. That puts the number of soldiers killed since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza last year at 308. Hamas killed 1,200 people during its October 7 terror attack on Israel and took 250 hostage, Israeli authorities say. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, a death toll that includes both civilians and combatants. Some material in this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban agree to attend UN-hosted 3rd Doha meeting on Afghanistan By Ayaz Gul June 16, 2024 Afghanistan's Taliban government said Sunday it will send a delegation to the two-day United Nations conference on Afghanistan, set to commence in Doha, Qatar, June 30. This will mark the first time the de facto Afghan rulers will attend a gathering of international envoys on Afghanistan since U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres started the process over a year ago, aimed at developing a coherent and unified world approach to engagement with the Taliban. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, told an Afghan television channel Sunday that their government had held internal discussions on the agenda for the third Doha conference and agreed to participate. "We will announce the composition of the delegation later, God willing. We believe this will serve the interest of Afghanistan," Mujahid said in his interview, aired by TOLO News. He defended the decision and did not mention any conditions from their government, saying they consider any meetings facilitating humanitarian aid and investment in Afghanistan to be crucial. The Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman later said in a formal statement that the decision to participate in the upcoming Doha meeting had stemmed from their own two months of discussions with the U.N. on the agenda and the list of the participants. "If there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision which we will share with all sides at that time," Abdul Qahar Balkhi cautioned. The U.N. has stated that the third Doha meeting aims to increase international engagement with the Taliban and Afghanistan at large "in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner." Guterres did not invite the Taliban to the first Doha meeting in May 2023, and the Afghan rulers refused an invitation to the second this past February. The fundamentalist Taliban had asked the U.N. during the lead-up to the second Doha meeting to only recognize their delegates as the country's official representatives. This meant that Afghan civil society leaders and women's rights activists would not be allowed to be present. The Taliban authorities also sought a meeting between their delegation and the U.N. at "a very senior level." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected the conditions. The international community does not recognize the Taliban government, as many of its top leaders remain under terrorism-related U.N. sanctions. Mujahid did not specify any conditions for their involvement in the forthcoming Doha conference. Curbs on women Sunday's Taliban announcement comes amid persistent calls from Afghan and global rights monitors to ensure women's representation at the table in the Doha meeting, with women's and girls' rights at the center of discussions. The hardline Taliban stormed back to power in Afghanistan almost three years ago, imposing sweeping curbs on women's right to education and public life at large in line with their harsh interpretation of Islam. Afghan girls ages 12 and older are banned from attending secondary school, while women are prohibited from public and private workplaces, including the U.N., except for Afghan health care and a few other sectors. Women are not allowed to travel long distances by road or air unless accompanied by a close male relative and are banned from visiting public places such as parks, gyms, and bathhouses. The elusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has rejected international criticism of his governance, including restrictions on women, as an interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs. The Taliban's ban on educating girls reached 1,000 days last week, with UNICEF, denouncing it as a "sad and sobering milestone and demanding its immediate removal. "For 1.5 million girls, this systematic exclusion is not only a blatant violation of their right to education but also results in dwindling opportunities and deteriorating mental health," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. The Taliban's return to power in August 2021 has led to the worsening of economic and humanitarian conditions in the impoverished nation of more than 40 million people, reeling from years of war and the devastation of natural disasters. The World Food Program estimates that more than a quarter of the population needs food assistance for survival. "More than 12 million people in Afghanistan do not know where their next meal will come from," the U.N. agency stated. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thailand takes next steps to join BRICS By Tommy Walker 16, 2024 Thailand is pushing ahead with its application to join BRICS, the group of developing countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but experts say they are skeptical about whether it is the right move. Members want to build an alternative to the U.S. dollar and the world financial system tied to it. They have created financial initiatives such as the New Development Bank, seen as a competitor to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Since Thailand's Cabinet approved a draft application in late May, the effort to join BRICS has developed quickly. Thailand's new foreign minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, returned to Thailand last week following a BRICS meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said in a written statement to VOA that Maris had met with his Russian counterpart regarding BRICS. "At the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting this week, the minister of foreign affairs delivered to H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation, as the current BRICS president, Thailand's formal letter of intent to join BRICS, for the grouping's consideration. We anticipate that BRICS will now consider Thailand's request based on its processes." according to the statement. Nikorndej, added in the statement that it is in Thailand's national interest to join BRICS. "Thailand views that BRICS has an important role to play in strengthening the multilateral system and economic cooperation between countries in the Global South, which aligns with our national interests. "As for economic and political benefits, joining BRICS would reinforce Thailand's role on the global stage, and strengthen its international cooperation with emerging economies, especially in trade, investment, and food and energy security," the statement said. BRICS countries contribute to over $28 trillion of the world's $100 trillion economy. The group says it wants emerging economies to have a larger representation worldwide, arguing that Western countries in North America and Western Europe dominate global financial bodies such the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. However, in recent years the BRICS alliance has been seen as anti-Western, with China and Russia interested in the world's economy becoming less reliant on the U.S. dollar. Washington's relations with Beijing and Moscow have soured over a variety of geopolitical issues, including China's crackdown in Hong Kong and on Taiwan's sovereignty and Russia's war in Ukraine. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science and international relations professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, told VOA Friday that BRICS has become too much of a political effort against the West. BRICS "initially began as a kind of a platform, a geo-economic grouping. But now, I think it has become a more geopolitical company outfit," Thitinan told VOA. "BRICS is kind of being turned into a ... geopolitical front against the West," he added. Nikorndej said it is up to each country to decide its own national interests and that Thailand wants to work with all its partners, despite their differences. "Every country's decision to support or join regional/international groupings is based on their respective national interests. Thailand maintains good relations with all countries and, as a bridge-builder, promoter of peace, and believer in shared benefits for all, we could play a role in enhancing the synergies between various international groupings," he said. Maris reiterated Thailand's wish to become part of BRICS at a media event at Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok on Friday and later confirmed to VOA that Thailand wishes to work with everyone despite geopolitical tensions. He said in a speech at a meeting with reporters that Thailand's desire to is to return as a key global and regional player, adding BRICS will "enhance our voice in the Global South." He said BRICS is among other Thai initiatives that will aid that strategy. Thitinan, though, said he believes Thailand's efforts to join the group are "misguided" and only play into the agenda of key member states such as China and Russia. "The government is desperate to show deliverables," Thitinan said. "BRICS in my view is a misguided path to show results, it puts Thailand into other countries' agenda. Thailand wanted to be more balanced and neutral," he added. Other Southeast Asian nations have doubts about BRICS Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia, declined to join BRICS in 2023. Experts say one of the reasons is that Jakarta wants its foreign policy to remain nonaligned. Thitinan said Indonesia was unsure of the direction of BRICS. "Indonesia has opted out. It doesn't know where BRICS is going. Thailand is not really intent on being anti-Western. And BRICS is becoming anti-Western." Some experts have told VOA that Thailand's bid to join BRICS is only "symbolic." China has close relations with Thailand, and it is a founding member of BRICS. Some experts believe Beijing is a key factor to why Thailand would like to join BRICS. China was Thailand's largest trading partner, with $135 billion in trade last year, and Chinese visitors are key to Thailand's tourist economy. Beijing's influence is something to consider, said Benjamin Zawacki, author of "Thailand: Shifting Ground Between the U.S. and a Rising China". "From a Chinese perspective ... it would love to have the rest of the BRICS [and] other countries that sort of see the world the same way from a financial standpoint, and counting Thailand among that ... that group, would be to its benefit," he said. Ian Chong, a political scientist from Singapore, told VOA economic interests are more persuasive for Thailand. "Thailand's interest in joining BRICS is that the current Thai government may believe that it offers the country more economic options. They include diversifying financial ties and supply chains, and the possibility of currency support in a crisis. This may have to do with the Thai establishment view that their country's economic future is tied with the PRC. The type of support the BRICS can actually deliver remains to be seen." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 16 June 2024 - Day 844 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia's recently announced tax hikes will almost certainly be used to fund growing financial commitments, including the war in Ukraine. The tax changes are expected to raise additional revenues of approximately 2.6 trillion rubles ($29 billion) in 2025. The corporate tax rate will increase from 20 to 25 per cent, and additional tax brackets will be introduced under the new income tax system. The highest income tax rate will increase from 15 to 22 per cent. The additional revenue raised, primarily through the corporate tax increase, will almost certainly be used to fund increasing government expenditures. Government spending in 2024 is forecast to increase by approximately 15 per cent from 2023 but will highly likely increase further. This increase in spending will almost certainly continue in 2025 as defence expenditure will highly likely increase, alongside social and infrastructure spending. The increased tax burden on businesses will almost certainly restrict future investment and growth of non-military sectors. Russia's economic growth is highly likely being driven by high state investment into the military sectors of the economy. However, investment into non-military sectors is likely stagnating. Military sectors are also highly likely monopolising much of the available labour resources. The added costs to businesses will almost certainly restrict further private investment into non-military sectors. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian military continues to decisively give an offence to the Russian enemy's attempts to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him an effective fire effect, exhausting across the entire frontline. So far, there have been 104 combat clashes. The situation remains tense but controlled. During the day, the Defense Forces hit nine areas of concentration of the Russian opponent's personnel. Along with that, Russian invaders launched two missiles on the territory of Ukraine with the use of three missiles and 38 aviation strikes with the use of 53 KABs, fired 428 kamikaze drones. Russian forces also carried out almost 2,500 shelling on positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using artillery, mortars, firearms and armaments of fighting vehicles. In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian occupiers attacked five times in the area of vovcans ka. Three Russian assault actions were repelled by Ukrainian defenders. At the moment, two clashes are still continuing. According to preliminary information, since the beginning of the day Russian forces loss totaled 122 occupants dead and wounded, 31 Russian personnel shelters and ammunition depots were affected. In the Kupyansky direction, Russian forces made four attempts to push Ukrainian units away from occupied positions in the areas of settlements Sinkivka, Stepova Novoselivka and Berestove. Two Russian attacks successfully repelled, ongoing combat clashes near synkivka and stepova novoselivka. In the Lyman direction, Russian zagarbniki supported by aviation tried to advance 10 times in the areas of Grekivka, Druzhelyubivka, Makiyivka and Nevsky. Four attacks by Ukrainian defenders repelled. The situation is intense. Fights are ongoing near Druzhelubivka and Nevsky. In the Sivers komu direction, the setting of significant changes has not been experienced. Nine assault actions in the area of Verkhnyokamiansky and Rozdolivka were repelled by the Defense Forces units. Three times Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian defenders near Ivanivsky and Andriyivka in the Kramatorsky direction. Loss of positions and territories is not allowed. In the direction of Pokrovsky, Russia has significantly increased efforts. The number of collisions has increased to 40, which is the highest indicator since the beginning of June. With the support of all available means of fire effect (aviation, artillery, armaments of fighting vehicles, strike BPLA, FPV drones and shooting weapons) Russian invaders tried to infiltrate the fighting order of defenders of Ukraine near Novooleksandrivka, Evgenivka, Kalinovoye, Sokola, Novoselivka First and Umansky. 32 Russian attacks by Ukrainian warriors repelled. Eight combat clashes are still continuing. The Defense Forces are making maximum efforts to exhaust and contain Russian invaders in this direction. Previous losses of the Russian aggressor consisted of more than 190 occupants killed and injured. The five Russian blinders are amazed. In the Kurakhiv direction, the situation of significant changes has not experienced. Since the beginning of the day, there have been 10 clashes here. Four attacks in the regions of Georgiyivka, Paraskoviyivka and Konstantinivka were successfully repelled by Ukrainian soldiers. A tense situation remains in the area of Krasnogorivki, where fighting continues. On the Vremivs komu direction throughout the day, the Russian occupiers with the support of aviation made 11 attempts to suppress Defense Forces units from occupied positions near Vodynogo, Urozhaynogo and Staromayorsky. Ten attacks ended in misfortune for Russian zagarbnikiv, the battle is ongoing in the area of Vodanogo. The situation is under the control of Defense Forces. In the Orihiv and Pridniprovsky directions, seven Russian assault actions were unsuccessful. A loss of positions is not allowed. In other directions, the situation remained without significant changes. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the units of the Sever Group of Forces continue to advance deep into the enemy defences. The AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade and the 125th Territorial Defence Brigade have been hit close to Volchansk and Ternovaya (Kharkov region). Russian troops have repelled seven counterattacks by assault detachments from the 36th Marine Brigade and the 13th National Guard Brigade. The enemy losses were up to 350 troops, two tanks, three motor vehicles, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations. The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and defeated formations of 14th, 63rd, 116th mechanised brigades of the AFU, the AFU 117th Brigade and the 13th Brigade of the National Guard close to Sinkovka, Petropavlovka (Kharkov region), Dronovka, Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 495 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, and nine motor vehicles. In addition, during counter-battery fire, two 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzers, one 155-mm British-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle have been hit. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the position along the front line and also defeated manpower and hardware of 56th motorised infantry, 41st mechanised, 79th air assault, and 46th airmobile brigades of the AFU close to Elizavetovka, Kalinina, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Chasov Yar, Stupochka, and Gornyak (Donetsk People's Republic). Russian troops have repelled one counterattack of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU. The enemy losses were up to 630 troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, and five motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 self-propelled artillery system, one 155-mm AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one 152 mm D-20 howitzer, 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, four 122-mm D-30 howitzers, two U.S.-made 105-mm M119 guns, one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery station. In addition, three AFU field ammunition depots have been destroyed. The units of the Tsetr Group Forces have improved the tactical position and defeated formations of 47th and 110th mechanised brigades of the AFU close to Vozdvizhenka, Novoaleksandrovka, Voskhod, Novopokrovskoye, and Yevgenovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Russian troops have repelled five counterattacks by assault detachments of 23rd and 24th mechanised brigades of the AFU. The enemy losses were up to 320 troops, three infantry fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, three 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzers, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M102 howitzer. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have taken more favourable lines and also defeated manpower and hardware of the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU, 102nd and 125th brigades of the AFU, and the 21st Brigade of the National Guard near Novoukrainka, Neskuchnoye, Oktyabr (Donetsk People's Republic), and Gulyai Pole (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses were up to 140 servicemen, one tank, one armored fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, two Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery systems, and one 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have defeated manpower and hardware of formations of the 23rd Brigade of the National Guard near Vyshetarasovka and Dobraya Nadya (Dnipropetrovsk region). The enemy losses were up to 75 troops and three motor vehicles. In addition, U.S.-made MLRS M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS launchers, as well as one 122-mm 2C1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system have been destroyed. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 106 areas. Air defense facilities have shot down 54 unmanned aerial vehicles, four French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, as well as ten U.S.-made HIMARS projectiles. In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 25,845 unmanned aerial vehicles, 529 air defence missile systems, 16,340 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,341 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 10,491 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 22,567 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 Russo-Ukraine War - 17 June 2024 - Day 845 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia's recently announced tax hikes will almost certainly be used to fund growing financial commitments, including the war in Ukraine. The tax changes are expected to raise additional revenues of approximately 2.6 trillion rubles ($29 billion) in 2025. The corporate tax rate will increase from 20 to 25 per cent, and additional tax brackets will be introduced under the new income tax system. The highest income tax rate will increase from 15 to 22 per cent. The additional revenue raised, primarily through the corporate tax increase, will almost certainly be used to fund increasing government expenditures. Government spending in 2024 is forecast to increase by approximately 15 per cent from 2023 but will highly likely increase further. This increase in spending will almost certainly continue in 2025 as defence expenditure will highly likely increase, alongside social and infrastructure spending. The increased tax burden on businesses will almost certainly restrict future investment and growth of non-military sectors. Russia's economic growth is highly likely being driven by high state investment into the military sectors of the economy. However, investment into non-military sectors is likely stagnating. Military sectors are also highly likely monopolising much of the available labour resources. The added costs to businesses will almost certainly restrict further private investment into non-military sectors. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian military continues to decisively give an offence to the Russian enemy's attempts to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him an effective fire effect, exhausting across the entire frontline. So far, there have been 119 combat clashes. The defense forces hit 13 areas of concentration of the Russian personnel during the day. During the day, Russian invaders launched on the territory of Ukraine two missiles with the use of two missiles and 32 aviation strikes with the use of 39 KABs, carried out 475 kamikadze drones. Also, Russian forces carried out almost 2,600 shelling on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements with barrel and jet artillery, mortars, artillery and armaments of fighting vehicles. In the Kharkiv direction today occurred 14 Russian attacks in the area of vovcans ka and one - near the village of liptsi. In Vovchansk, 10 enemy assaults were repelled. The situation remains tense - fighting in four locations continues. Defense Forces continue efforts to strengthen defense positions and borders. In the Kupians komu direction from the beginning of the day, the number of combat clashes has increased to 14. Ukrainian warriors repelled 9 Russian attacks of near synkivka. One Russian attack in the Stepovoi Novoselivka area was also unsuccessful. There are ongoing fighting near Pi any, Brestovoye and Stepovoi Novoselivka. The situation is under control. In the Lyman direction the number of battles reached 13. Russian occupiers tried to advance in the areas of Grekivka, Makiyivka, Terniv, Torsky and Serebryansky Forest. Eight attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders. Still sharpening battles near Grekivka, Terniv and in the Serebryans komu Forest. Ukrainian soldiers on the direction take measures to increase defense resilience. In the Kramators komu direction, the Russian assault actions near Kli yivka were unsuccessful. Clashes continue in the areas of Grigorivka and Chasovoye Yaru. The hottest situation remains in the Pokrovsky direction. Russia does not give up trying to find the weak points in Ukrainian defense, with continuous assault attempts to infiltrate Ukrainian troops' combat. Today made 42 attacks, 32 of which rebounded. Fighting continues in the areas of novooleksandrivka, evgenivka, novoselivka first, yasnobrodivka and sokola. Defense forces are taking measures to prevent the Russian opponent's advancement. The previous Russian losses for today in this direction amounted to almost 300 Russian occupants killed and wounded. Destroyed one combat armored car, four cars and three enemy cannons. In the Kurakhiv direction at this time of the day, the number of combat clashes increased to 11. The Russian occupiers are concentrating efforts in the direction of Krasnogorivka, where three of their attacks are repelled, and four are still continuing. Near Georgiivka and Paraskoviivka, the Russian activity has not succeeded. Measures are being taken to prevent the promotion of Russian occupiers. In the pridniprovsky direction Russian aggressor three times attacked Ukrainian units on the left bank of the dnieper. Never been successful. In other directions, the situation has not changed significantly. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the units of the Sever Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line. Manpower and hardware of 42nd mechanised, 57th motorised infantry, 71st infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 105th and 125th of territorial defence brigades have been hit close to Volchansk, Deep, Sinelnikovo, and Liptsa (Kharkov region). In addition, one counter-attack by the 36th Marines Brigade's assault detachment has been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 300 Ukrainian troops, four pickup trucks, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one BM-21 Grad MLRS fighting vehicle. The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and defeated 14th, 43rd, 44th, 116th mechanised, and 3rd assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Shiykovka, Sinkovka, Peski-Radkovskiye, Druzhelyubovka (Kharkov region), and Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 405 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one Nota electronic warfare station. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the situation on the front line, as well as defeating manpower and hardware of 93rd mechanised, 79th air assault, 46th aeromobile brigades of the AFU near Katerinovka, Aleksandro-Schultino, and Gornjak (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 535 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, three pickup trucks, two 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzers, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, and 122-mm D-30 guns. In addition, three AFU ammunition depots have been destroyed. The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and defeated 47th mechanised, 68th jaeger, 144th infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 109th territorial defence brigades near Vozdvizhenka, Kamyshovka, Novaya Poltavka (Donetsk People's Republic). Four counter-attacks of 23rd, 47th mechanised, and 68th jaeger brigades of the AFU have been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 335 Ukrainian troops, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, one U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicle, and two motor vehicles. During counter-battery warfare, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, two 122-mm of D-30 howitzers, one 100-mm Rapira gun, one BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle have been hit. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have taken more advantages lines, defeating manpower and hardware of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, 102nd and 128nd territorial defence brigades near Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Varvarovka (Zaporozhye region). Two attacks by assault detachments of the 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade and the 31st Brigade of the National Guard have been repelled. The AFU losses were up to 150 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, two 155-mm Polish-made Krab artillery systems, and two 155-mm British-made FH-70 howitzers. Two AFU field ammunition depots have been destroyed. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged units of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, the 141st Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Zherebyanki and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses were up to 50 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 gun, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 110 areas during the day. Air defence facilities have shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 25,867 unmanned aerial vehicles, 529 air defence missile systems, 16,359 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,343 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,569 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 22,634 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 China's lunar probe returning to Earth with samples from moon's far side in about 10 days Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 16, 2024 01:12 PM China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe carrying samples from moon's far side is returning to Earth in about 10 days, media outlets reported on Saturday, highlighting potential new discoveries to be revealed in aid of lunar research. The official account of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe posted an update on Chinese social media platform Weibo, on Saturday morning, saying that a mysterious package from the moon was on its way to Earth and the current progress of the delivery had exceeded 30 percent. In about 10 days, the "specialty" from the far side of the moon will arrive on home soil, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday. The latest update from the Chinese lunar probe came after it successfully finished sampling in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon from June 2 to 3, packaging and delivering precious samples from the far side of the moon into a storage device carried by its ascender, thereby completing the process of "packing" for this special delivery from the moon. The ascender of the Chang'e-6 took off from the far side of the moon at 7:38 am on June 4 with the lunar samples, and then smoothly accessed the scheduled circumlunar orbit. At this point, it implies that the world's first sampling and takeoff from the far side of the moon has been performed by the Chang'e-6. Scientists have noted that there are significant differences in the geological composition and age of the moon's near and far sides. Therefore, the sampling at the far side of the moon will likely offer fresh findings in lunar research. The striking difference between the near and far sides of the moon represent a highly valued manifestation of the moon's dichotomous nature. One of the key scientific missions of Chang'e-6, which collected and returned material from the far side of the moon, involved unraveling the dichotomy between the near and far sides of the moon, He Huicun, a researcher from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in the CCTV report. Experts pointed out that the composition of both the near and the far sides of the moon differ. On the near side of the moon, there is mostly dark black basalt covering large areas of soil, while on the far side has more bright white plagioclase distribution, providing a dramatic contrast. As a result, the far side of the moon appears to be more ancient than the near side, which is of great scientific value. "The far side of the moon lacks any protection like magnetic fields or atmosphere at all, and features lots more impacts from meteors. The basin that was visited this time is a huge crash crater on the far side of the moon, which is very old, possibly capable of ejecting substances from the deep lunar crust, or even from the lunar mantle. For this reason, I hope that with the retrieval of lunar mantle material, we will have some clues as to what exactly is inside the moon," Professor Yung Kai-leung from the Precision Engineering School of Hong Kong Polytechnic University commented. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China-Australia cooperation can cross Pacific, transcend differences: Premier Li Global Times Pragmatism, goodwill from Canberra help elevate cooperation By Zhao Yusha and Xu Keyue Published: Jun 16, 2024 07:46 PM Updated: Jun 16, 2024 10:46 PM Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday visited Adelaide Zoo, which has been home to two China-born giant pandas, where he announced that China will continue panda research cooperation with Australia. The premier's visit to Adelaide Zoo hosting giant pandas on the second day of his visit to Australia demonstrated that Beijing values ties with Canberra, said experts. Observers believe that the pragmatism and goodwill shown by the current Australian government will further elevate bilateral cooperation. While there are still some differences between the two countries, the focus now is on preventing these discrepancies from escalating into new conflicts and ensuring that they do not overshadow the overall relationship. Li arrived in the southern city of Adelaide on Saturday for the first leg of his trip, and arrived at Adelaide Zoo on Sunday to learn about China-Australia cooperation in the field of panda protection and research. Adelaide Zoo hosts Wang Wang and Fu Ni, the Southern Hemisphere's only pair of giant pandas. Li said the two pandas in Australia will return to China this year as agreed by the two sides, and that China is ready to continue cooperation with Australia on panda protection and research. He expressed the hope that Australia will always be a friendly home for giant pandas. Li said he was glad to see that though they are far from their homeland, Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been well looked after and settled down to live a happy life in Australia. They have become envoys of the friendship between China and Australia, and a symbol of the profound friendship between the two peoples. He noted that as long as both sides cherish it, the cooperation between China and Australia can cross the vast Pacific Ocean, transcend differences, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. During his stay, Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will co-chair the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting and jointly attend a China-Australia CEO Roundtable Meeting, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in seven years. More room for cooperation Starting the trip to Australia by visiting zoo hosting giant pandas, China's national treasure, it's a signal that China attaches great importance to and value its ties with Australia, as well as Beijing's willingness to extend such a cherished friendship, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reportedly thanked Li for ensuring that pandas would remain the zoo's star attraction. "It's good for the economy, it's good for South Australian jobs, it's good for tourism, and it is a signal of goodwill, and we thank you," Wong said. Li is also scheduled to visit winemakers in the famed Barossa region near Adelaide, Wong's hometown, according to media reports. China's Ministry of Commerce announced in March the decision to cancel anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs levied on Australian wine. Experts believed the removal of the tariffs shows a pragmatic attitude from both sides to solving their trade disputes through dialogue and negotiations. The proper settlement of some trade frictions between China and Australia recently proves that such disputes can be solved through pragmatic negotiation and good-will move, Chen noted. "Trade problems should not be subject to political manipulation. The previous Australian government tended to escalate trade quarrels to the political level and smeared China. Such moves, instead of solving trade frictions, caused bilateral ties to spiral down to a low point," Chen noted. Chen was referring to former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison's calling China's tariffs on Australian goods "economic coercion." Jocelyn Chey, former Australian diplomat and Australia's first cultural counselor in China, said there could be more room for elevating cooperation. "I am hopeful that high-level exchanges will increase trust at all levels of society and will encourage scientific, professional and cultural exchanges. I do expect trade and investment to be greatly boosted because the economies of both countries are highly complementary. I hope that tourism will increase in both directions," Chey said in an interview with the Global Times. Shelving differences Upon his arrival in Australia on Saturday, Li said that exchanges between China and Australia have a long history, and the friendship between the two peoples is growing ever stronger. Last year, Albanese paid a successful visit to China, the Chinese premier said, when bilateral relations returned to the right track after many twists and turns. History has proven that respecting each other, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and carrying out mutually beneficial cooperation bring valuable experience in the development of China-Australia relations, and need to be upheld and carried forward, he said. Wong also noted that Australia was in a "permanent contest" with China over the Pacific, a state she blamed on the former Coalition government. "That is the reality," she told the ABC. "I wish there was a rewind button to recover the last 10 years but we don't, we have to deal with what we have now which is a permanent contest in the Pacific." "It won't be a plain sailing. The two countries have discrepancies on issues such as human rights and the South China Sea. Such differences will remain, as neither will be convinced by the other," Ning Tuanhui, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. Ning emphasized that while differences between countries may exist, they do not inevitably result in conflicts. He stressed the importance of effectively managing these differences and not allowing them to overshadow bilateral relations. Ning noted that regular high-level exchanges have expanded opportunities to address and manage these differences. Canberra's alliance with Washington continues to be another flashpoint between China and Australia. Yu Lei, a professor at the Department of International Politics and Economics at Shandong University, believes that it is still early to judge whether the relationship between the two countries can return to its previous high point. As an important member of the Western camp, Australia may face pressure from allies, especially the US. China and Australia have significant differences on issues such as security, especially in the advancement of AUKUS. The alliance with Washington remains the cornerstone of Australian's foreign policy, thus its ties with the US are unlikely to be changed in the future, said Chen, but if Australia provokes China or harms its core interests, China will definitely fight back. Australia needs strategic prudence and political wisdom to avoid such a situation, said Chen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IAF CONTINGENT COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION IN EXERCISE RED FLAG 2024 India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 16 JUN 2024 11:29AM by PIB Delhi An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent participated in the Exercise Red Flag 2024 conducted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska of the United States Air Force, from 04 Jun to 14 Jun 24. This was the second edition of Ex Red Flag 2024, which is an advanced aerial combat training exercise, held four times in a year by the US Air Force. The exercise witnessed participation of the Indian Air Force along with Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom, Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), German Luftwaffe, and the US Air Force (USAF). The IAF contingent participated with the Rafale aircraft and personnel comprising of aircrew, technicians, engineers, controllers and subject matter experts. The transatlantic ferry of Rafale fighter aircraft was enabled by the IL-78 Air to Air Refuellers (AAR), while the transportation of personnel and equipment was undertaken by the C-17 Globemaster aircraft. The contingent landed at Eielson, USAF base in Alaska on 29 May 24. Red Flag is an air combat exercise conducted with multiple scenarios designed to provide realistic combat settings. A demarcation of forces is done for simulating the desired environment, with the Red Force simulating Air Defence elements, and the Blue Force simulating the Offensive Composite elements. During this Exercise (Ex), the Red Force was mainly constituted by the USAF Aggressor Sqn flying the F-16 and the F-15 aircraft. This was the first time the IAF Rafale aircraft participated in Ex Red Flag, wherein, they operated alongside the RSAF and USAF F-16 and F-15s, and the USAF A-10 aircraft. The missions included Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat exercises as a part of Large Force Engagements (LFE), in Offensive Counter Air and Air Defence roles. The IAF crew were actively involved in mission planning and also assumed the role of Mission Leaders for designated missions during the exercise. In spite of the challenging weather and almost sub-zero temperatures, the IAF maintenance crew worked diligently to ensure serviceability of all the aircraft throughout the duration of the exercise and all assigned missions could be undertaken with more than 100 sorties being flown during the exercise. Key takeaways from the exercise included insight on interoperability with international partners and a collaborative understanding of employment philosophy in a multinational environment. Experience of ferrying long distances, while undertaking Air to Air refuelling enroute, was both an enriching and thrilling takeaway, especially for the younger crew. Undertaking their return journey, the contingent is planned to split enroute along with their mutual support elements and participate in exercise with Air Force elements of Greece and Egypt, before landing back in India on 24 Jun 24. Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Ex-Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year. *** ABB/AM/IS (Release ID: 2025644) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran condemns 'invalid' E3 statement on its nuclear program IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has condemned the latest joint statement by the UK, France and Germany -- known as E3 -- on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, calling it absurd and invalid, which contains false claims. The ministry made the reaction on Sunday a day after the three European countries issued their joint statement accusing Iran of escalating its nuclear program and taking steps in "hollowing out" the JCPOA, a term standing for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in 2015. "As it has been announced repeatedly, Iran's nuclear program has always been completely peaceful in nature, and nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's military and defense doctrine", the Foreign Ministry said. It added that the "bitter irony" is that the same countries, which have adopted a political and non-constructive approach and are responsible for the current situation of the JCPOA, accuse Iran of hollowing out the deal. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to continue its constructive interaction and technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency within the framework of its rights and obligations, and will implement and continue its peaceful nuclear plans in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement." It is emphasized that Iran's peaceful nuclear activities are not a reaction, the ministry further said, adding that those activities will continue based on Iran's national nuclear development program and within the framework of international rights and obligations. Like their previous mistakes, the false speculations of Western countries in this regard will bear no results, it said. The Islamic Republic of Iran is always ready for constructive interaction and dialogue, and believes that good faith, and refraining from failed political actions of the past, coupled with seriousness and adopting a practical approach, are necessary to address the issues raised by all parties", the Foreign Ministry concluded. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Oil Ministry signs contracts worth $2bn IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Iranian Oil Ministry has signed four contracts worth $2 billion, including agreements to develop two oil fields. The contracts were signed with Iranian contractors on Sunday at the ministry's building in the capital Tehran. The projects developed under the four deals will generate $17 billion in revenues for the country. One of the contracts, signed with the Oil Industries Engineering and Construction (OIEC), calls for developing the Changouleh oil field located in the western province of Ilam, 5km north of the border with Iraq. The field contains almost 4,800 million barrels of in-place crude oil. Under the 20-year contract, a total of 228,000 barrels of crude oil will be produced from the Changouleh field. The oil ministry also signed a contract with Mapna Oil and Gas Development Company to develop the Band-Karkheh oil field in the southwestern Khuzestan province. The field is estimated to contain nearly 980 million barrels of in-place crude oil. Under the 15-year contract, a total of 56.6 million barrels of oil will be produced from the field. Another contract was also signed with Mapna Oil and Gas Development Company to provide crude production services for the three oil fields of Qalenar, Kaboud and Balaroud, with a total capacity of 40,000 barrels per day for ten years. A contract was also signed with Maham Sharq Industrial Group to construct a crude oil production unit at the Mansouri oil field, with a capacity of 75,000 barrels per day for ten years. Under the newly-signed contracts, Iran's annual oil production will boost, which will help the country increase its revenues, while the private sector will have a more active role in upstream projects of the country's oil industry. Iran has in recent years worked on developing its oil industry by using domestic capabilities and in line with its Resistance Economy principles amid Western sanctions limiting the presence of foreign firms in the country. 4194**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran will act decisively in defending its security, nat'l interests: FM spox IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that the Islamic Republic will continue to play a constructive role in establishing sustainable security in the region. At the same time, the country will act decisively in defending its security and national interests. The spokesman made the remarks on Sunday in reaction to a statement by the group of seven major economies, known as G7. At the end of their meeting two days earlier, the group warned Iran against what it called nuclear escalations and called on the country to "provide assurances that its nuclear program is in compliance with the IAEA Board of Governors' resolution of June 5." G7 leaders also accused Iran of assisting Russia in the Ukraine war and threatened to take measures if Iran goes ahead with a deal to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia. The Iranian spokesman reiterated that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is only meant for peaceful purposes. He said that the G7 statement's reference to the anti-Iran resolution by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows that the resolution was a political move and that some governments misuse international mechanisms against independent countries. Kanaani added that the Islamic Republic will continue its constructive interaction and technical cooperation with the IAEA within the framework of its rights and obligations, while it will continue to pursue its peaceful nuclear activities in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, regardless of political pressures. He blamed "unlawful measures" by the US and the three European countries, namely the UK, France and Germany, for the persisting issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program, urging them to show good will and refrain from politicized actions in order to alleviate concerns of all parties. On the Ukraine war, the spokesman reiterated that any attempt to relate the conflict with Iran-Russia bilateral cooperation is only aimed at biased political purposes. "Some countries, under political motivations and through leveling false and unproven allegations, are trying to continue with their ineffective and failed policy to impose and maintain sanctions against the Iranian nation. Therefore, we advise the Group of Seven to learn from past experiences and stay away from destructive policies." Further in his remarks, Kanaani referred to Iran's constructive and stabilizing role in establishing sustainable security in the region, saying that the Islamic Republic will act decisively in protecting and defending its security and national interests in the face of any uncalculated behavior. He also said that the Islamic Republic remains committed to upholding human rights, adding that fulfilling human rights goals in the international arena is now facing serious challenges, the most immediate of which is the inaction by G7 leaders towards "the systematic killings" of the Palestinians by the apartheid Zionist regime. 4194**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two terrorists killed, one arrested in SE Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 16, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian border police commander Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi says that Iranian border guards have killed two members of a Takfiri terrorist group and arrested another in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Brigadier General Goudarzi said on Sunday that the militants were affiliated with a terrorist group and had entered Iran through the southeastern border. He said that they were identified while they were seeking to carry out a "sabotage" act in Saravan County. The arrested terrorist has confessed that he was a member of the Ansar al-Furqan terror group, he added. A sizable cache of munitions was confiscated as well, Goudarzi said. 6125**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Russia need to strengthen strategic coordination, constant consultation on Caucasus: Interim FM Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 7:01 PM Interim Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani says Iran and Russia should strengthen strategic coordination on the developments in the Caucasus region. Bagheri Kani made the comments in a meeting in Tehran on Sunday with Igor Khovaev, the Special Representative of Foreign Minister of Russia on the issues of supporting the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He said Tehran and Moscow should hold constant consultations given the importance and sensitivity of the ongoing developments in the Caucasus and increasing foreign interference in regional affairs. He added that the two sides have common stance and interests on leading regional and international issues, including the Caucasus. The top Iranian diplomat reiterated the country's principled stance on the importance of settling issues in the region through peaceful channels. It is important to make maximum use of the capacity of regional mechanisms such as the 3+3 cooperation format in order to resolve regional issues, Bagheri Kani said. He also called for expanding regional cooperation and convergence and ensuring security, stability and collective interests of the countries in the Caucasus region. The 3+3 format features the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran. It was created in 2020 to promote peace and development in South Caucasus and resolve outstanding issues such as the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The land-locked region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijan won a 2020 war, regaining much of the Nagorno-Karabakh. For his part, Khovaev outlined Russia's diplomatic efforts to establish peace in Caucasus and said Tehran and Moscow have a common strategic stance on the developments in the region. He added that the Iranian and Russian authorities should increase interaction and hold close and constant consultations to counter foreign interference. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran awards nearly $2bn worth of oil contracts to domestic companies Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 3:33 PM The Iranian Oil Ministry has awarded four new contracts to domestic companies with a total investment value of nearly $2 billion. The official IRNA news agency said in a report on Sunday that the four contracts awarded in a ceremony earlier in the day had covered development works at two major oilfields in west and south of Iran as well as two mobile oil treatment projects. Under a first contract worth $1.251 billion, the Oil Industries Engineering and Construction (OIEC) was commissioned to develop Changuleh oilfield which is located in Iran's Ilam province near the border with Iraq with an estimated oil reserve of 4.8 billion barrels. The OIEC will reach a production of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) or 228 million barrels over the course of 20 years in Changuleh. It will drill 25 new wells in the field besides building treatment facilities and pipelines for transferring oil and gas. The Oil Ministry said the oil recovered from Changuleh will be worth $13 billion and will be supplied mostly to the nearby NGL 3100 Refinery. Also on Sunday, the MAPNA Oil and Gas Development Company won a $435-million contract for development of Band-e Karkheh oilfield which is located near the southwestern city of Ahvaz in Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province with a proven oil reserve of 980 million barrels. MAPNA has committed to reach 10,000 bpd of production, or a total of 56.6 million barrels, under the 15-year contract in Band-e Karkheh. The Oil Ministry also awarded two mobile oil treatment contracts to MAPNA and to the Moham Shargh Group. The contracts, worth $100 million and $140 million, respectively, will run until 2034 and will focus on oil treatment works several oilfields in Khuzestan. The two companies winning the oil contracts in Changuleh and Band-e Karkheh have been obliged to spend more than $15 million in areas they work as part of their corporate social responsibility commitments. Iran has increasingly relied on domestic companies to develop its oil and gas fields since 2019 when its petroleum industry came under US sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Qalibaf says will prioritize diplomacy, foreign relations if elected president Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 3:18 PM Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a candidate in the June 28 presidential election, says expanding Iran's relations with all countries in the world is of great importance to him, stressing that foreign policy and diplomacy will be the "main pillar" of his government if elected president. Qalibaf, who is currently the parliament speaker, made the remarks on a national TV program on Sunday. "I believe that the issue of Iran and Iran's position in international relations is very important," he said, stressing that diplomacy plays an important role in increasing the Islamic Republic's power. He went on to say that a significant part of the country's issues is rooted in the government's performance in implementing foreign policies. Qalibaf further stated that his foreign policy will be based on three strategies-- regional power, economic benefits, and strengthening transit corridors. He also noted that Iran is in a strategic geographical location in the world, which has to be employed to maximize the Iranian nation's gains. "Iran is the best place to stop and change the flight destination," he added. He said Iran's approach to the East is a civilizational one, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic should use the capacities of Asia and Eurasia. Iran will vote for a new president on June 28. The election was called after president Ebrahim Raeisi lost his life along with seven others on May 19, when a helicopter carrying them crashed into a mountainous area in northwest Iran amid foggy conditions. Six candidates have been approved by the Iranian Constitutional Council, which is a 12-member body overseeing elections. Campaigning officially started for Iran's upcoming election on June 9, which includes five live, televised debates on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), and will continue until 24 hours before the election. The new administration, the 14th one after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, will assume power in late June or early July and hold office for four years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to act decisively in safeguarding own security, national interests: FM spox Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 11:00 AM The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has underscored the country's constructive role in establishing lasting security across the West Asia region, and asserted that the Islamic Republic will act decisively to defend its security and national interests. Nasser Kan'ani made the remarks on Sunday in response to a recent statement by the Group of Seven (G7) countries that warned Iran against what they claimed to be "nuclear escalation" by advancing its peaceful nuclear program and keeping up uranium enrichment. The statement referred in part to the anti-Iran resolution by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which called on Tehran to step up cooperation with the watchdog. G7 leaders also accused Iran of assisting Russia in the Ukraine war and threatened to enforce new measures if Tehran were to "transfer" ballistic missiles to Moscow. Kan'ani reaffirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and denounced some of the provisions of the G7 statement, saying the Board of Governors' resolution bespoke the 35-member body's political approach and the misuse of international mechanisms by some governments against independent countries. "The Islamic Republic of Iran continues its constructive interaction and technical cooperation with the IAEA within the framework of its mandated rights and duties and advances its peaceful nuclear plans and projects in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the comprehensive safeguards agreement, regardless of political pressure and propaganda," the spokesman said. Kan'ani censured unlawful measures by the US and the three European countries, namely the UK, France and Germany, as the root cause of contentious issues regarding Iran's nuclear program. Pointing to Iran's constructive and stabilizing role in establishing lasting security in the region, Kan'ani said, "The Islamic Republic will act decisively in safeguarding and defending its security and national interests in the face of any uncalculated measure." 'False and unproven allegations' As to the Ukraine war, the spokesman stressed that any attempt to relate the conflict with Iran-Russia bilateral cooperation is an "act solely with biased, political purposes." "Some countries, under political motivations and through leveling false and unproven allegations, are trying to press ahead with their ineffective and failed policy to impose and maintain sanctions against the Iranian nation," he said. "We advise the Group of Seven to learn from past experiences and stay away from destructive policies." Both Iran and Russia have repeatedly denied claims that Tehran has provided Moscow with weapons to be used in the war in Ukraine. The anti-Iran claims first emerged in July 2022, when US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan alleged that Washington had received "information" indicating that the Islamic Republic was preparing to provide Russia with "up to several hundred drones, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline" for use in the war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army Ground Force acquires know-how to make anti-armor weapons:Commander Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 8:06 AM The commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Force says the military unit has acquired the technology for developing various types of rocket launchers and anti-armor weapons to confront potential threats in the future. Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari in an interview with Defa Press on Sunday also pointed to the use of smart weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Iranian Army's Ground Force. "The Ground Force has achieved the technology of making all kinds of rocket launchers and anti-armor weapons and has also taken significant steps in digitalizing all types of artillery," Heidari said. "Given the threats that exist in the future, the Ground Force has projected plans to develop smart, network-centric, pinpoint accurate, and far-reaching weapons and equipment," he added. He also underlined the need to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing Ground Force's weapons and equipment, saying that utilizing AI in potential operations can "boost" the efficacy of weapons. Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient. Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities. In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, the Iranian armed forces launched dozens of drones and missiles at the occupied territories late on April 13 in response to the regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1. The Israeli airstrikes on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus had killed two generals of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers. Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations described in a statement Tehran's response to Israeli aggression as a "legitimate defense" in accordance with the UN Charter. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As Ukraine War Persists, Many Russians See Their Hopes Of Gas Heating Going Up In Smoke By RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities and Robert Coalson June 16, 2024 "We live like in olden times," a resident of the small city of Minusinsk, some 450 kilometers south of the capital of Siberia's sprawling Krasnoyarsk Krai, said while describing how he heats his home with buckets of coal. "It's awful running out in the freezing cold to fetch it, but what can I do? We are helpless." Some 12 kilometers from Minusinsk, near the settlement of Bystraya, is one of many locations in Russia's eastern regions where natural gas bubbles up out of the ground. In the summer, locals bring sausages and other food to cook over the open "eternal flames." That gas field, as well as the Novo-Mikhailovsky gas field just 50 kilometers away, has been deemed uneconomical to develop. As in Minusinsk, homes in Bystraya are heated primarily with coal. Although Russia is a global leader in the production of natural gas, millions of residents of its coldest, easternmost regions remain unconnected to gas lines. And Russia's costly war against neighboring Ukraine -- now in its third year since the full-scale invasion with no end in sight -- is eroding any chances that will change soon. "I would pay to get gas," the older man from Minusinsk added.* "But how much? There are no gas lines. No infrastructure. No estimate of the cost to the consumer. We aren't even dreaming about getting gas." Hard Times Connecting consumers in Siberia and the Far East to natural-gas lines has been a dream since Soviet times. Putin made it an issue in his 2004 election campaign, and he has been regularly queried about it during his nationally televised Direct Line question-and-answer sessions. Yet the connection rates remain minuscule: 1 percent in the Irkutsk region and even less in Khakassia, Tyva, and most of Krasnodar Krai. Across the region each winter, officials regularly issued air-quality warnings because of the smog from burning coal. In 2021, children from Minusinsk donned gas masks and recorded video appeals in which they begged Putin to do something about their community's "black skies." Responsibility for the gasification program has primarily fallen to the state-controlled natural-gas monopoly Gazprom, which has reported some progress in the effort in recent years. In January, the government said access to natural gas -- which officials refer to as gasification -- had increased from 73 percent to 73.8 percent in 2023, with 485,000 homes reportedly being connected to the network. At a meeting in the Kremlin in December 2023, Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller told President Vladimir Putin that the gasification of Russia would "absolutely" be 100 percent completed by 2030. Such optimistic forecasts notwithstanding, Gazprom is facing hard times. Last month, the behemoth reported an annual loss for 2023 of 629 billion rubles ($7.1 billion), its first annual loss in a quarter-century. The revenues lost from sharply declining sales to Europe in the wake of Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine have not nearly been compensated by increased sales to China, with Beijing -- from a position of strength -- negotiating terms far less lucrative than what Europe has been paying. In 2023, Russia was selling gas to China for $257 per 1,000 cubic meters, while Europe and Turkey were paying $320. A Gazprom-commissioned analysis written in late 2023 said it was unlikely the company would be able to achieve 2020 export levels any earlier than 2035, the Financial Times reported on June 5. Analysts told the paper Gazprom is pressing the government to raise domestic gas prices or provide the company tax breaks or other subsidies. In April, the Russian business daily Kommersant also reported that Gazprom was lobbying the government to "liberalize" domestic gas rates in connection with "the fall in exports since the beginning of military action in Ukraine." Oil-and-gas industry analyst Mikhail Krutikhin told RFE/RL that Moscow and Gazprom are making a mistake by pinning their hopes on sales to China, where future demand is uncertain. Instead of building new infrastructure to sell more gas to Beijing, he argued, Gazprom should look closer to home. "They could be doing something for the domestic market," he told RFE/RL's Russian Service. "They could step up, intensify the gasification of Russian settlements. But this is not happening. Instead, Gazprom goes after another grandiose project that the Chinese haven't even signed off on: the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline." 'Not In Our Lifetimes' In March 2023, when the government of Khakassia submitted a gasification plan to the central government comprising three possible ways forward, the Energy Ministry responded that "because of the distance separating Khakassia from the existing gas infrastructure, it is now necessary to consider alternative ways" of reducing the harm from coal heating, including developing electric heating or more modern coal furnaces. "Gasification is not coming," said a resident of the town of Chernogorsk, 5 kilometers north of Abakan. "At least not in our lifetimes. They talk about such projects every year, since some election or another is always happening.... I know the process is complicated, but if it isn't going to happen, they shouldn't promise it." A resident of the city of Krasnoyarsk agreed, noting the authorities have also been building a subway system in the city since 1995. "You can see how they are 'building' us a metro and 'bringing' us gas," he said. "We are a city of 1 million people, a region that sends more money to Moscow than it takes. We are pumping gas to China, while we ourselves breathe coal smoke." With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service *EDITOR'S NOTE: Some people in this story have not been identified to protect them due to Russia's labeling of RFE/RL as an "undesirable organization." Source: 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 Why New Stealthy Russian Nuclear Submarine Scares West So Much Sputnik News 20240616 A British newspaper made a startling discovery this week: it turns out that Russia has weapons capable of wreaking untold devastation upon its enemies. What got The Express' knickers in a twist this time was the K-564 Arkhangelsk, a Yasen-M class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine that recently underwent sea trials and is expected to enter service in December. While the newspaper fears that this submarine "could be undetectable by Western adversaries" and could pose a serious threat to "NATO military bases, naval convoys, and onshore critical infrastructure during a crisis," it remains to be seen what Arkhangelsk is truly capable of. Here is what is currently known about the sub: - It can dive up to 600 meters deep and has a maximum speed of 16 knots on the surface and 31 knots underwater - The submarine has a crew complement of 64 and an endurance of about 100 days, limited by food and maintenance requirements. - The vessel's armament includes 533mm torpedo tubes and vertical launch silos for Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. Both Kalibr and Zircon missiles are nuclear-capable. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Whampoa spirit follows where ROC goes: Lai at centennial ROC Central News Agency 06/16/2024 02:58 PM Kaohsiung, June 16 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (ea) said Sunday that the spirit of "Whampoa" (eaY), a nickname for the Republic of China (ROC) Military Academy, follows where the ROC goes. Speaking at the centennial celebrations held at the Kaohsiung-based academy, Lai said that over its 100-year history, the institution has trained thousands of troops who have fought for the nation's survival. It has also played a critical role in numerous significant battles for the ROC, including defending against Japanese invasions during the period when the ROC was still based in China. At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the academy relocated to Taiwan along with the ROC government, Lai said, and it has played a crucial role since then in defending Taiwan, including its offshore islands of Penghu, Matsu, and Kinmen, against attempted invasions by the People's Republic of China (PRC). In peacetime, ROC armed forces, comprised of many graduates from the academy, have also assisted in search and rescue and relief efforts after major natural disasters. The Whampoa spirit has since taken deep roots in Taiwan, Lai said. Despite the change of time and locations over the past century, the spirit of Whampoa follows where the ROC goes, the president said. "The 'real Whampoa' fights for the survival and development of the ROC, without that spirit and ambition, it is not the 'real Whampoa' but a 'fake Whampoa,'" Lai said. Lai also vowed to further strengthen the nation's defensive capabilities while promoting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. President Lai's address was made as he presided over a round of celebrations held Sunday at the ROC Military Academy to mark the 100th anniversary of its founding. The academy's centennial celebrations on Sunday morning were held with a large-scale military march featuring more than 2,000 military cadets. As part of the march, cadets also dressed in a range of the academy's former uniforms, including those worn when the academy was based in China, to pay tribute to its roots and 100 years of tradition. Previously known as the Whampoa Military Academy, the military educational institute was founded on June 16, 1924 in Whampoa -- also known as Huangpu, Guangzhou, in China's Guangdong province -- when the ROC government was still based in China. The academy later relocated to Nanjing and Chengdu. At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, together with the ROC government, it relocated to Taiwan. It reopened in 1950 in southern Kaohsiung's Fongshan District under the name of the ROC Military Academy. The original Guangzhou site is now a museum. Lai's address that focuses on "real and fake Whampoa" was made after the PRC also invited Taiwanese military academy graduates to visit the original site of the Whampoa Academy in Guangzhou to mark its centennial this year. Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have argued that the PRC's invitation to Taiwanese citizens to attend the celebrations in China was a politically motivated move aimed at promoting unification. According to Yen De-fa (asac), head of the Veterans Affairs Council (VAC), fewer than 100 ROC veterans were expected to visit China for the Whampoa Military Academy centennial celebrations. In comparison, Yen said more than 10,000 ROC veterans were expected to attend the Kaohsiung academy centennial celebrations in Taiwan on Sunday. Sunday's celebrations also saw what could be the last time Taiwanese military cadets march in goose-step as new Defense Minister Wellington Koo (ece) has announced he will discontinue the practice which he sees as ceremonial and not practical. The Kaohsiung celebrations were joined by special guests, including former ROC Military Academy superintendents, ex-defense ministers, representatives from military academies in allied countries, such as Guatemala and Paraguay, among others. The academy held an open-house event Sunday afternoon featuring a series of exhibitions on its history and achievements over the past century. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/cs/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China has been the most firmly and actively committed to promoting peace talks on the Ukraine issue People's Daily Online By He Yin (People's Daily) 11:35, June 15, 2024 The Ukraine crisis has shown no sign of stopping and generated more spillovers. The conflict could further escalate. The pressing priority is to cool down the situation and accumulate conditions for ceasefire. China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. It has been working vigorously to facilitate talks for peace all along. China's objective and just position, and its constructive role have been widely recognized by the international community. China's position on the Ukraine crisis has been consistent, which is to promote peace talks. Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping has had in-depth exchanges with world leaders including Russian and Ukrainian leaders. He has put forward four key principles, four things that the international community should do together and three observations, which have become China's fundamental approach to the political settlement of the crisis. China has released a paper stating its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, in which it proposed 12 important principles including respecting the sovereignty of all countries, abandoning the Cold War mentality, ceasing hostilities, and resuming peace talks. China has delivered to Ukraine many shipments of humanitarian aids, and sent its special representative many times to mediate among the countries concerned. Instead of being an onlooker, China has always held an objective and just position, playing an important role for peace. The world needs to make more objective, balanced, positive, and constructive voices on the Ukraine crisis, and find the most extensive common ground for restoring peace. China and Brazil recently jointly issued the "Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis." The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on pushing for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and calling for the deescalation of the situation, and reached six common understandings. They called on relevant parties to observe three principles for deescalating the situation, namely no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party. They believe that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. All parties should push for the deescalation of the situation, increase humanitarian assistance, oppose the use of nuclear weapons, oppose attacks on nuclear power plants, and protect the stability of global industrial and supply chains. As of June 12, 103 countries from five continents have responded positively to the "six common understandings" in different ways, of which 55 countries have confirmed their accession or are seriously studying the way of accession. Russia and Ukraine also affirmed most of the contents of these six common understandings. This once again illustrates that these six common understandings meet the common expectations of the majority of countries. China believes that the more countries that support these six common understandings, the closer the day of the political settlement of the crisis will be, and the brighter the prospects for peace will become. Dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis. As the largest geopolitical conflict in Europe since World War II, the prolonged Ukraine crisis not only exacerbates the suffering of the people in both countries but also poses unpredictable risks and challenges to the region and the world, which are not in the interest of any party involved. History has proven time and again that at the end of the day, conflicts can only be resolved through negotiation. All parties concerned should intensify diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and put an end to the fighting in a responsible manner. Both sides of the crisis should be encouraged to engage in dialogue. The earlier the talks start, the sooner peace will arrive. China has been the most firmly and actively committed to promoting peace talks on the Ukraine issue and will not give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope. China encourages and supports all initiatives and efforts in the world that are conducive to easing the situation and achieving peace. China supports the holding in due course of an international peace conference that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine and ensures the equal participation of all parties and fair discussions on all peace plans. China's position on the peace conference is fair and just, driven by a genuine desire to promote the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The Ukraine crisis has complex historical and practical causes. To resolve the crisis, it is necessary to address both the symptoms and the root causes, and to plan for the present as well as for the long term. Ukraine's sovereignty and security should be upheld, and Russia's legitimate security concerns should also be respected. Europe's peace and stability should be defended. The same goes for other countries. The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. Only by abandoning the Cold War mentality, promoting equal dialogue and negotiation among all parties, and addressing their legitimate concerns properly, can a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture be built, and long-lasting peace and stability in the region achieved. China opposes certain countries using the Ukraine crisis to shift blame, smear third parties, incite a "new Cold War," and force other countries to take sides. This approach not only fails to resolve the current crisis politically but also risks repeating the mistakes of camp-based confrontation. No matter how complex the situation is, parties must not give up dialogue and negotiation. No matter how acute the conflict is, political settlement must be pursued. All relevant parties should prioritize peace and humanitarian crisis, direct their resources and endeavors towards diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping the fighting, and jointly promote a political solution to the Ukraine crisis at an early date. China will keep upholding an objective and just position, build consensus for ending conflicts, and pave the way for peace talks, so as to contribute Chinese wisdom to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau June 16, 2024 Lucerne, Switzerland When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it unleashed an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rules-based international order. Despite Russia's relentless war of aggression, Ukrainians are standing strong, and Canada and our international partners proudly stand with them in defence of their homeland. Ukraine's fight is a fight for international law, for the United Nations Charter, and for innocent civilians, including children, who deserve to live in peace. At the G7 Leaders' Summit in Apulia, Italy, earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced key measures to impose costs on Russia for its illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine. Canada is sanctioning individuals and entities related to Russia's military-industrial complex as well as those involved in sanctions circumvention and propaganda operations. We are contributing $5 billion to G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, which aims to bring forward future revenues from frozen Russian sovereign assets, to provide Ukraine with approximately $69 billion (US$50 billion) as it continues to defend its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Prime Minister Trudeau also highlighted that the first four of 50 Canadian-built armoured combat support vehicles have departed London, Ontario, and are being delivered to Europe to support Ukraine's Armed Forces. As their fight for freedom continues, Canada and our international partners are once again reaffirming our solidarity with Ukraine and our support for a just and lasting peace, with the needs of Ukrainians at its core. The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today participated in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, in Lucerne, Switzerland, and announced a $52.4 million package of measures in support of Ukraine. Canada's newly announced package of measures in support of Ukrainians includes $15 million to: Support vulnerable children, youth at risk, and the reintegration of displaced children returning to Ukraine through improved child protection services and family-based care options. Improve access to justice for survivors of war crimes. Increase families' and civil society's awareness about the missing persons process. Support male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including prisoners of war. Due to Russia's renewed attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this year, millions of civilians are left without electricity, water, and heat. That's why the Government of Canada is investing $20 million to: Support Ukraine's urgent efforts to replace damaged energy equipment and infrastructure. To help improve the safety of Ukrainians and help Ukraine rebuild, the Government of Canada is investing $15.4 million to: Support the International Monetary Fund in its efforts to help Ukraine acquire the technical assistance and training needed for economic reforms and eventual accession to the European Union. Improve Ukraine's capacity to safely clear its territory of mines and other explosive remnants of war. Provide Ukraine's government with technical assistance from Government of Canada experts in the justice and energy sectors. Nuclear facilities are facing threats and security vulnerabilities. That's why the Government of Canada is also investing $2 million to: Uphold the safe and secure operations of nuclear facilities in Ukraine through the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the Summit, Prime Minister Trudeau chaired a session on the human dimension of the war and met with international counterparts, including the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to reaffirm Canada's support for Ukraine's Peace Formula. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of diverse Ukrainian voices - particularly those of women - in planning and implementing the Formula. As co-chair with Ukraine of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, the Prime Minister underscored the recent launch of the #BringKidsBack Communications Network, an international network of Coalition members that works on shared information campaigns to raise awareness and advocate for the safe return and well-being of deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. He encouraged other countries to join the Coalition and rally behind our efforts to help Ukrainian children displaced by Russia's unjustifiable aggression to return to their rightful homes and communities in Ukraine. Leaders reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine in a joint statement. They stressed the importance of the safe use of nuclear energy and reiterated that any threat or use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. Leaders agreed that food security must not be weaponized and that prisoners of war and all illegally deported and displaced Ukrainian children - as well as other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained - must be returned to Ukraine. Quote "Russia's full-scale invasion has had devastating effects on Ukrainians, from the millions forced to flee their homes to the thousands of children that have been illegally deported. Canada and our international partners are united in our support of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. To the Ukrainians who continue to stand strong in defence of their homeland, know that we will keep supporting you until victory." The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Quick Facts While in Lucerne, Prime Minister Trudeau met with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and the President of Kenya, William Ruto. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau announced key measures to support Ukraine's fight for freedom. This includes: A $5 billion contribution to G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine. Sanctions on 27 individuals and entities involved in Russia's military-industrial complex as well as sanctions circumvention and disinformation. Experts estimate that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, forcibly transferred, or otherwise displaced from Ukraine to temporarily occupied territories and to Russia, for the purpose of erasing their Ukrainian identity. Currently, fewer than 400 children have been returned to Ukraine and reunited with their families. Since 2022, Canada has committed over $19 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine. This includes over $12.4 billion in financial assistance, which has helped the Ukrainian government to continue to operate, including by delivering essential government services and pensions to Ukrainians. Other assistance includes over $4 billion in military aid and equipment donations, $352.5 million in humanitarian assistance, $442 million in development assistance, and over $210 million in security and stabilization programming. Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,000 individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine for their complicity in the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as gross and systematic human rights violations. Many of these sanctions have been implemented in co-ordination with Canada's partners. In 2022, Canada introduced the world's first civil forfeiture regime for sanctioned assets. Budget 2024 announced the federal government's intention to engage international partners to identify additional avenues to hold Russia to account and advance any necessary amendments to Canada's sanctions regime. Last February, Canada and Ukraine signed an Agreement on Security Cooperation, in line with the 2023 G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. Canada will provide over $3 billion in critical financial and military support to Ukraine in 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address States at Summit on Peace in Ukraine agree on common positions and next steps Swiss Government Bern, 16.06.2024 -- At the close of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on Sunday, 16 June, the vast majority of participating states agreed on jointly formulated positions and next steps with a view to a future peace process. President Viola Amherd commended the joint communiquA that emerged from the BArgenstock summit as a strong signal from the international community for peace based on international law and the UN Charter. 92 states from all regions of the world took part in the summit, 57 of which were represented by heads of state and government. The outcome of the BArgenstock summit marked a first important step on the challenging path towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, President Amherd explained. The discussions focused on three topics: nuclear safety, food security and the humanitarian dimension of the conflict (covering prisoners of war, arbitrarily detained civilians and abducted children). These topics lend themselves to building trust between the parties to the conflict, as an agreement in these areas would be beneficial for both sides. Furthermore, these are issues that are of great importance to many countries, partly due to their geographical proximity, partly because they themselves are or have been affected by these issues and can share their experiences. Countries from different regions of the world took part in the discussions and were able to contribute their own experiences and put forward possible solutions. The joint communiquA that emerged from the BArgenstock summit was supported by the vast majority of participating states. It reflects the desire of the states to contribute to the peace process. The positions taken in the three areas of discussion create a basis of trust. The need to involve all parties to the conflict was also emphasised. It is the first time that Switzerland has hosted a summit of this magnitude. The broad participation from all regions of the world is an expression of trust in Switzerland and was made possible thanks to Switzerland's global diplomatic network. President Amherd emphasised that Switzerland would continue to play an active role in the next steps. President Amherd and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), praised the cooperation with the participating states and expressed their thanks to the international partners and all those who contributed to the smooth running of the event. In addition to the federal government, the authorities of the Canton of Nidwalden have also been heavily involved. Security at the summit was ensured by the police and the armed forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary General at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine Council of Europe Secretary General Burgenstock (Switzerland) 16 June 2024 "Since the outset of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Council of Europe has been clear about its determination to do whatever we can to support the Ukrainian Government and people. President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula is equally clear about the way out of this brutal, illegal, and ongoing war. Central to that Formula is the need for accountability. To deliver justice and ensure a sustainable peace. On this, the Council of Europe is undertaking key initiatives", stated Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric while addressing the Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the Burgenstock (Canton of Nidwalden), in Switzerland. The Secretary General referred to the establishment of the Register of Damage as the first step towards an international mechanism that will ensure justice and compensation for Ukraine and its people. "There must also be accountability for the fate of the vulnerable and here I think particularly of Ukraine's children. The Council of Europe has been clear that children who have been forcibly transferred or unlawfully deported to Russia or to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine must be identified and returned", added Marija Pejcinovic Buric. The Summit, with 101 delegations from countries and international institutions from around the world, aimed at developing a common understanding and a roadmap for a just and lasting peace in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PACE President attends Ukraine Recovery Conference, holds high-level meetings Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Berlin (Germany) 16 June 2024 PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos participated in the Ukraine Recovery 2024 Conference, organised under the theme "United for Defense. United for recovery. Stronger together." The conference followed an annual series of high-level political events dedicated to the rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine since the start of Russia's large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the Bundestag, Theodoros Rousopoulos met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with whom he notably exchanged about the participation of the German delegation to the PACE and on issues of common interest. During his visit to the German capital, the PACE President also met with BArbel Bas, Speaker of the Bundestag, and discussed the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and current developments in the field of artificial intelligence. He also had an exchange of views with Michael Roth, Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as with members of various Bundestag committees and the German delegation to PACE. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Intervention by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, at the International Summit on Peace in Ukraine, in Switzerland Press and Information Office, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Cyprus 16-06-2024 Dear Chair, Dear President Zelenskyy, Dear Colleagues, We are all here today to reiterate once again that Ukraine is not alone. This broad participation of leaders reflects our strong commitment for lasting peace in Ukraine. For lasting peace in the European continent, in a time where the perception that "peace is a given" has crumbled. Our presence here today also aims to highlight the great respect of the international community towards the heroic, brave and resilient Ukrainians. Today, we all actively and collectively substantiate that our solidarity and support to both Ukraine and its people, as well as towards establishing a just and sustainable peace, remains solid, far-reaching and unified. Dear friends, Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine has caused unthinkable consequences for the country and immeasurable loss to its people. It also led to devastating regional and global repercussions. Russia's actions have endangered food security for millions of people across the globe. It is therefore crucially important to keep shipping channels open, so that Ukraine exports its products, making it adamantly clear that food security must in no way be weaponised. An additional tragic humanitarian aspect of this war are the captives, prisoners of war and the Ukrainian children, forcibly deported to Russia. A generation of Ukrainian children has experienced fear, loss, tragedy, violence, both physical and psychological, for more than two years. Today, we reiterate our determination and persistence to act as catalysts for their safe return to their families. Dear colleagues, This war must come to an end. Illegality stemming from invasion, occupation and use of force will never be tolerated or recognised. We remain at Ukraine's side, assisting all just efforts for a lasting peace in the country. At the same time, our respect for the inviolability of borders, the territorial integrity and independence of all states is unconditional for all nations across the world. I truly hope that today's Summit will pave the way for a meaningful dialogue, on a results-oriented platform, that will eventually set a path towards a comprehensive peace based on international law and the core principles of the UN Charter. Thank you. (RM/IA/EP) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine European Commission Statement 16 June 2024 Zurich Liebe Frau PrAsidentin Amherd, liebe Viola, Dear President Zelensky, dear Volodymyr, Thank you for organising this important conference. It is testament to the skills of the Swiss diplomacy that you were able to bring together some 100 countries and international organisations at the highest level, including the esteemed Presidents Akufo-Addo, Boric and Prime Minister Trudeau. This high-level attendance shows one thing: The world cares deeply about the war provoked by Russia's aggression. The war blatantly violates international law and key principles of the UN Charter. And it has major negative impacts on countries across the globe, be it in food security, access to energy or international trade. Time and time again, speakers yesterday and today emphasised this impact on their economies. And so, it is highly significant and valuable that so many parties came to Switzerland to discuss a way out of the war. The Conference was entitled 'Path to Peace' and rightly so. Because we know that peace in Ukraine will not be achieved in one step. It will be a journey. It was not a peace negotiation. Because Putin is not serious about ending the war. He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on Ukraine ceding its territory, even territory that today is not occupied by him. He is insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms. That is why it is vital that Ukraine is able to resist this aggression. That is its right under the UN Charter. And it is the right of other countries, such as the European Union and many other partners across the world to support Ukraine to resist and survive. The European Union has already provided almost EUR 100 billion in support to Ukraine and its people. And the G7 illustrated its steadfast determination only two days ago, when we agreed to use the revenue from frozen Russian assets in Europe to fund a USD 50 billion loan to Ukraine. This is also a clear message that we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Our support and this peace Summit here bring real peace closer. The goal is a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. This would finally bring an end to the oppression and suffering of the Ukrainian people. This would reaffirm Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This would restore the primacy of international law and the UN Charter. The path to real peace requires patience and determination. And we have always said, dear Volodymyr, ultimately it will be for Ukraine to determine the conditions of a just peace. The European Union will support you in this, and it will continue to rally support across the globe. We can build on the UN General Assembly Resolution of February 2023. It clearly expressed the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. This Resolution was approved by 141 countries, the vast majority of which joined this Summit. I call on Russia to heed the message of the international community; respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine; put an end to imperialist violence and bring back the children. When Russia says it is ready for peace, based on the UN Charter, then the time will come for Russia to be part of our efforts, to bring the path to peace to its destination. I hope and I work for this day to come soon. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Peace conference 'hardly conducive to peace talks'; Western attendees go through motions at summit Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Jun 16, 2024 08:59 PM Updated: Jun 16, 2024 10:46 PM Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declaring at the peace conference on the Ukraine crisis that the gathering was a "success" and could "make history," it was evident to the attending foreign dignitaries and media that the meeting was not as successful as claimed, said analysts on Sunday. Observers pointed out that despite the participation of over 90 countries, the exclusion of Russia, a key player in the region, China's non-attendance and the very absence of US President Joe Biden dimmed the significance of the conference. Additionally, the fact that some BRICS countries only sent relatively low-level diplomats further cast a shadow over the efforts to garner support from the Global South nations. In addition, the recent military setbacks have put Ukraine at a disadvantage, and the conflict in Gaza has diverted global attention from the country, observers noted. On Saturday, at the Ukraine peace summit held in Lucerne, Switzerland, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced more than $1.5 billion in aid for Ukraine's energy sector and its humanitarian situation, Reuters reported on Saturday. However, just hours after the announcement was made, Harris left for the US ahead of schedule, according to a tweet posted by Bloomberg reporter Akayla Gardner on social media platform X early Sunday morning. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is the only one left representing the US at the conference, according to Reuters. On Sunday, the second day of the conference, Western powers and other nations sought a consensus on condemning Russia and underscoring the conflict's human cost, Reuters reported. However, some leaders departed early, and talks on Sunday will turn toward pursuing a joint position on the need for nuclear and food security, and the return of prisoners of war and children displaced from Ukraine during the conflict, the media outlet said. If concrete steps can be taken on these issues, this will indeed be a very good thing in itself, and could also provide a small starting point for future talks with Russia, Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said in an article published on Friday in Responsible Statecraft, an online magazine of the Quincy Institute. It should be clear, however, that this is nothing remotely like a formula for peace, he added. "Issues including refugees and food security are secondary...The main conflict is about peace and territorial issues, and not addressing them will only delay peace talks and lead to greater losses, prolonging and escalating the conflict," Zhang Hong, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. "It is difficult to stop the flow of water without turning off the tap," Zhang said, stressing the importance of gathering both directly involved parties - Russia and Ukraine - for real peace talks. "Peace talks require both parties to sit down and negotiate. How can there be talks when Russia is absent?" Zhang asked. Some attendees at the conference also expressed similar sentiments. The peace conference would be "more result-oriented" if Russia had participated in the talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during the summit's plenary session on Saturday, according to media outlet The Kyiv Independent. Also at the conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud emphasized that any process leading to peace in Ukraine will need Russia's participation and that it would involve difficult compromise, media outlet Saudi Gazette reported. While for Kiev the summit is a "diplomatic achievement" or a "symbolic victory" with some 90 countries attending, it did not help with substantive peace talks, Zhang said. He described the conference as an "introduction to Ukraine's peace initiatives," which are less likely to be realized. "Ukraine's one-sided propaganda and Russia's absence mean that true peace talks are still far away," said Zhang, who believes the gathering did not result in any breakthrough. Before the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday set out his ceasefire conditions - Ukraine would need to withdraw troops from territories Russia claims to have annexed, and would also have to give up on joining NATO, BBC reported. Although Kiev and Washington rejected the Russian demands, observers see Putin's statement as being timed to devalue the peace conference just before it began. Zhou Bo, senior fellow of Center for International Security and Strategy Tsinghua University, was quoted by German newspaper Die Zeit on Saturday as saying that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is moving toward a "truce" state, but this trend may be uncertain because of Russia's military superiority. "Putin's statement on cease-fire conditions did not bring anything new, but again demonstrated that peace must be agreed upon by both parties," Zhang Hong said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Must secure peace on Ukraine's terms Government of Norway News story | Date: 16/06/2024 This weekend, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StAre took part in the international Summit on Peace in Ukraine, which was hosted by Switzerland in response to a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'The summit focused on securing peace on Ukraine's terms and enhancing security and stability on our continent,' the Prime Minister said. Leaders representing 90 countries attended the meeting. At the conclusion of the Summit, the organisers issued a final joint communiquA. It stated, among other things: 'We had a fruitful, comprehensive and constructive exchange of various views on pathways towards a framework for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, based on international law, including the United Nations Charter.' Common vision The leaders attending the Summit agreed on a common vision on the following crucial points: Any use of nuclear power must be safe and secured, and must operate under full control of Ukraine. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in this war is inadmissible. Global food security depends on the secure transport of food products, and attacks on merchant ships carrying grain and other food products are unacceptable. All prisoners of war must be released by exchange, and all deported Ukrainian children and other civilians unlawfully displaced and detained by Russia must be returned to Ukraine. The leaders have shared proposals for concrete measures to encourage progress on the three points mentioned above. 'The fighting continues unabated in Ukraine, and we are nowhere near peace. But we are a step closer to what could become a future peace. The fact that so many countries support this framework and agree on a way forward is of great significance,' said Mr StAre. Same goals The discussions that took place at the Summit in Switzerland were built on previous discussions regarding Ukraine's Peace Formula and the 10 points President Zelensky put forward in the autumn of 2022. Norway has taken on special responsibility for the points related to achieving energy security and the return of deported children, other civilians and children. The return of deportees in particular will require direct contact with Ukraine's closest partners as well as with countries that have open channels to Russia. A number of countries have already helped to facilitate humanitarian exchanges and the safe return of some of the deported children, unlawfully detained civilians and prisoners of war. 'The participants at the Summit in Switzerland are all working towards the same goals. We must find effective ways to support one another and take full advantage of our differing strengths and capacity to contribute,' Prime Minister StAre said. Unlawfully deported children During the Summit, Mr StAre chaired the open session on the return of deported children, other civilians and prisoners of war. Many insightful assessments and experiences were presented during the discussions on relevant methods for approaching Russia. 'This affects the lives of thousands of people, and their families and friends. While much has been achieved in this area, a great deal of work remains. We will now look more closely at the type of practical follow-up called for. Norway will do its part to help in this context,' said the Prime Minister. He emphasised that it must be up to Ukraine to determine the timing and conditions for a future peace deal. 'Our support for Ukraine is unwavering. We support Ukraine's demand to set the terms on which a fair and lasting peace must be based,' Mr StAre said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Norway to provide over NOK 1 billion to secure electricity in Ukraine Government of Norway News story | Date: 16/06/2024 Norway will provide NOK 1.1 billion in support to Ukraine to secure the country's electricity supply. 'Russia is carrying out massive, systematic attacks to paralyse the power grid, but Ukrainians are working day and night to maintain essential electricity supplies for the population,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StAre. Russia is attempting to undermine Ukrainian resilience by bombing power plants and other critical infrastructure. According to new estimates, more than 50 % of Ukraine's power production capacity has been destroyed. Dialogue with Ukraine Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy supply have made energy security a core issue in Ukraine as well as one of the main areas of focus under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine established by Norway. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Norway has provided billions of kroner to enable Ukraine to purchase gas, repair critical infrastructure and maintain operation of the country's energy companies. Norway will now provide an additional NOK 1.1 billion in funding to help Ukraine to rebuild critical infrastructure. 'We are in close dialogue with Ukraine on how it can use these funds most effectively. The Ukrainians themselves have the best insight into what is needed. But it is important to begin infrastructure repair efforts quickly, before winter arrives. Norway hopes this new funding will make it possible to alleviate some of the damage and secure electricity in Ukraine,' Mr StAre said. Electricity to hospitals It has already been determined that NOK 120 million will be channelled via the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). These funds will be used to repair energy infrastructure providing electricity to the Kharkiv area, which has been particularly hard hit by Russian attacks this spring. The damage to power plants and grid installations has been severe. 'This funding will help, among other things, to ensure a stable electricity supply to maternity units and operating theatres at 7 hospitals in the Kharkiv area. In some cases, access to electricity can mean the difference between life and death,' said Prime Minister StAre. 'Today there are reports that the people of Kharkiv must limit their use of electricity at night, even during the warmest month of the year. Just imagine how it will be when winter comes. Winters in Ukraine are cold and harsh, and it will be crucial for people to have access to adequate power and heating,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide. Summit on Peace This weekend the Prime Minister is attending the international Summit on Peace in Ukraine. The summit is being organised by Switzerland in response to a request from President Zelensky. Discussions at the summit will focus primarily on nuclear security, food security and the return of deported children, other civilians and prisoners of war. Norway is actively involved in efforts related to the 10 points set out in the Ukrainian Peace Formula that President Zelensky put forward in the autumn of 2022. Norway has taken on special responsibility for two of the points, one of which is energy security. 'As an energy nation, Norway is well-positioned to support Ukraine in this area. That is why we have given priority under the Nansen Support Programme to efforts to secure stable access to power for the Ukrainian people,' said Prime Minister StAre. The Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine will provide NOK 75 billion in civilian and military support over a five-year period, from 2023 to 2027. Funding is allocated each year in line with Ukraine's needs. Last year, Norway provided NOK 1.9 billion in support to Ukraine's energy sector under the programme. Nuclear security threat Norway has worked closely with the Ukrainian nuclear safety authorities for many years. The ways in which energy security and nuclear security are closely intertwined are very evident in Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has outlined seven pillars of nuclear safety and security in conflict situations. Pillar 4 states that all nuclear sites must have a secure off-site power supply from the grid. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has lost external power eight times since February 2022. All nuclear power plants have contingency plans for power failures, but it becomes increasingly challenging to follow these over time in a country that is at war, where the power grid is compromised. Without cooling, the fuel in the reactors or fuel storage units will gradually overheat and begin to melt, a situation that could lead to radioactive emissions. 'Nuclear power stations require a secure power supply for cooling, so Russia's attacks on the power system also pose a threat to nuclear safety in Ukraine and Europe. International support to safeguard nuclear security and energy security in Ukraine should be linked together more effectively,' said Foreign Minister Eide. Support for Ukraine The Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine will provide NOK 75 billion in civilian and military support over a five-year period, from 2023 to 2027. Funding is allocated each year in line with Ukraine's needs. Norway gives priority to ensuring Ukraine's access to energy and implementing efforts to repair damaged infrastructure. In 2022 Norway provided NOK 2.1 billion in funding to the Ukrainian energy sector; last year it provided NOK 1.9 billion. Norway is now allocating an additional NOK 1.1 billion in support to Ukraine for efforts to repair energy infrastructure. Norway will engage in close dialogue with Ukraine about the use of the funds. NOK 120 million has been designated for use to improve access to power in the Kharkiv area, which has been especially hard hit by Russian attacks. These funds will be channelled via the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 7 hospitals in the Kharkiv area will be equipped with solar panels to ensure a stable power supply to critical facilities such as maternity units and operating theatres. Previous Norwegian support to UNDP for energy-related efforts in Ukraine (NOK 103 million) has already helped to provide 1.5 million people with access to electricity, water, sanitation and heating. In 2023 Norway provided NOK 100 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to support its work in Ukraine, including at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) received NOK 142 million in 2023 to continue its efforts to safeguard nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including at Chornobyl. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India's participation in the "Summit on Peace in Ukraine" India - Ministry of External Affairs June 16, 2024 Shri Pavan Kapoor, Secretary(West), Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland at Burgenstock on 15-16 June 2024. The Indian delegation attended the Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions of the Summit. India did not associate itself with any communique/document emerging from this Summit. India's participation in the Summit, as well as in the preceding NSA/Political Director-level meetings based on Ukraine's Peace Formula, was in line with our consistent approach to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We continue to believe that such a resolution requires a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict. In this regard, India will continue to remain engaged with all stakeholders as well as both the parties to contribute to all earnest efforts to bring about an early and abiding peace. Berne June 16, 2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gitanas NausAda in Switzerland: Ukraine's victory is a prerequisite for sustainable and lasting peace in Europe President of the Republic of Lithuania June 16, 2024 In Switzerland, President Gitanas NausAda is participating in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. In his address at the plenary session, the Head of State underlined that we are at a very important point in historyawe need to make a determined effort to achieve a sustainable and lasting peace in Europe with Ukraine's victory. "Today, Ukraine is defending its freedom and independence as well as the entire rules-based international order. Our collective obligation is to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine in achieving this goal," the President stressed during the plenary session. The Head of State reaffirmed Lithuania's full support for the principles of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula. Peace in Ukraine can only be achieved through the full restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the President stressed. For this to happen, Russia must cease its aggression immediately and withdraw all its forces and military equipment from Ukrainian territory. According to the Head of State, any calls for Ukraine to surrender, to compromise on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, or to accept Russia's ultimatums, are only appeasing Russia and inviting it to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the President, it is difficult to call this support for the aggressor as "alternative plans for peace." Gitanas NausAda also said that the international community should ensure that all the damage caused by Russia's aggression is compensated. "We have to use not only the proceeds but also all the frozen assets for this purpose," the Lithuanian leader underlined. "We can all agree that there will be no lasting and sustainable peace without ensuring justice. Those responsible for war crimes as well as the crime of aggression, which constitutes a gross breach of the UN Charter, should be brought to account. To ensure this, we are seeking to establish a Special International Tribunal and I call on all the participants of this Sumit to join it," Gitanas NausAda spoke at the Summit. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President: EU membership negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine have to start as soon as possible President of the Republic of Lithuania June 16, 2024 In Switzerland, on the sidelines of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, President Gitanas NausAda met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu to discuss Moldova's Euro-integration process. The President commended Moldova's progress in implementing the European Commission's recommendations and reaffirmed Lithuania's strong support for Moldova's aspirations to begin EU membership negotiations and become a full-fledged member of the EU. The Head of State emphasized that we aim to commence EU membership negotiations with both Moldova and Ukraine this month. "Lithuania knows that the EU accession negotiations are a complex process, requiring human resources and specific knowledge. We are ready to provide Moldova with the necessary political and expert assistance," Gitanas NausAda underlined. The two leaders also discussed the security situation in the region. President Gitanas NausAda stressed that Lithuania will continue to support Moldova in the field of security and defense, including through the European Peace Facility. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President: Nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia NPP can only be ensured if Ukraine regains its full control President of the Republic of Lithuania June 16, 2024 In Switzerland on Sunday, President Gitanas NausAda took part in a discussion on nuclear safety at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. The President underlined that Russia's continued intensive shelling of the Ukrainian civil and energy infrastructure shows that the energy sector is one of the main targets of these brutal attacks. According to the Head of State, it is necessary for the international community to join forces and work together in order to ensure the resilience of Ukraine in the energy sector. Lithuania is actively taking part in the "Energy Security" thematic working group of President Zelenskyy's peace formula, also in the G7+ format and the "Radiation and Nuclear Safety" thematic working group. "We have already provided, and we are ready to continue providing the necessary elements to support Ukraine's energy infrastructurea Lithuania is among the top donors of low-voltage transformers and small generators. We are also sharing our expertise in the fields of energy infrastructure and market regulation, decentralized power generation, and heating sector decarbonization," the Head of State pointed out. President Gitanas NausAda emphasized that for the first time in history, an operating nuclear facility has been forcefully seized by occupying forces. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been occupied for more than two years by the Russian military and other unauthorised persons. Russia's actions in occupying the Zaporizhzhia NPP and jeopardizing nuclear safety are completely unacceptable to the international community. "Nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia NPP can only be ensured if Ukraine regains its full control," President Gitanas NausAda spoke. According to the Head of State, Russia must immediately withdraw its military and civilian personnel, weapons and equipment from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and safely transfer its control to Ukraine in line with the IAEA principles. This is the only way to ensure adequate nuclear safety and security. The President stressed that the international community should also address the issue of non-compliance with nuclear safety and environmental standards by certain Russian companies. The Head of State also raised concerns about the safety of the Astravets NPP, highlighting that its construction was carried out in violation of environmental and nuclear safety requirements. The President called on the international community to step up pressure on the Belarusian regime to shut down the nuclear power plant, which fails to meet international standards. Gitanas NausAda also pointed out to world leaders that both the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory and the threat to use nuclear weapons in the context of the war against Ukraine are totally unacceptable. The international community needs to join forces and work together to ensure Ukraine's energy resilience and security of energy supply. Lithuania is and will always be part of this process and will continue to support Ukraine, whatever it takes, until victory. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OSCE Chair-in-Office Ian Borg reaffirms commitment to peace efforts at Summit on Ukraine OSCE | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe BARGENSTOCK 16 June 2024 BARGENSTOCK, 16 June 2024 -- "Since the beginning of the war, the OSCE has remained focused on addressing the situation in Ukraine," said OSCE Chair-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Malta Ian Borg at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. Recalling his first visit as OSCE Chair-in-Office to Kyiv earlier in February, Minister Borg highlighted the Organization's ongoing efforts to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the war against Ukraine, through tailored projects aimed at strengthening the country's resilience. He stressed the urgency of ending Russia's war of aggression, its escalating death toll, and the anguish inflicted upon countless innocent families, calling for a return to full respect for the Organization's commitments and principles. As Chair of the OSCE, serving 57 participating States, Minister Borg emphasized that "long-term solutions are never found on the battlefield, but through adherence to our commitments and engaging in constructive dialogue, conducted in good faith. An inclusive organisation like the OSCE, which provides a platform for dialogue among its 57 participating States, including Ukraine and Russia, is indispensable for this purpose." "Today, the OSCE's role in managing crises is as crucial as ever," said Minister Borg, underscoring the OSCE's unique conflict management tools and extensive experience that can support a peaceful way forward. Minister Borg expressed the Maltese Chairpersonship's readiness to offer its good offices and communication channels to fully mobilize the OSCE's resources in addressing the consequences of the war and advancing any future discussions. He emphasized the importance of leveraging complementarity and deepening co-operation with international partners invested in building peace, security, and stability. As the OSCE approaches the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, Minister Borg urged a return to the Organization's founding vision, where sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity are respected, and people can live in true and lasting peace, free from any threat to their security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia tells Ukraine to 'reflect' on its call to withdraw troops Iran Press TV Sunday, 16 June 2024 7:34 PM Moscow has told Kiev to "reflect" on its call to withdraw its forces from Russian-speaking areas separated from Ukraine in referendums. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday Ukraine should "reflect" on President Vladimir Putin's call to withdraw the Kiev forces from the east and south of the country to open peace talks as the military situation for the troops worsens on the battlefield. "At one time, Zelensky came to power under the banner of peace and the intention to establish peace, to save Ukraine. He always said that he did not hold on to the chair, he always said that he was ready to do anything for the sake of his Motherland. Let's see if he is ready for anything so as not to further worsen the situation," Peskov said. He made the remarks in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and world leaders met in Switzerland to discuss how to end the years-long Ukrainian war against neighboring Russia. Putin had pointed out in an earlier announcement that the conditions for future peace talks between Moscow and Kiev were set by Russia, and any new proposal on settling the conflict would require Ukraine to recognize the status of Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions as part of Russian territory. The Russian leader said Ukraine must declare the cancellation of its bid for membership in the NATO military alliance, as well as its non-nuclear status. In addition, Putin said, the anti-Russian sanctions must be lifted. Apart from that, Putin pointed out, that Ukraine should pull its troops from the Donbas republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions before peace talks begin. On Friday, Zelensky claimed Putin's peace-talk conditions were an ultimatum that cannot be accepted. "The current dynamics of the state of affairs on the fronts clearly show us that it will continue to worsen for Ukrainians. Probably, a politician who puts the interests of the Motherland above his own and even above his masters would think about such a proposal. Let's see what happens," Peskov said. He told Zelensky it was not an "ultimatum" but "a peace initiative that takes into account the realities on the ground." Meantime, Zelensky and his Western backers have rejected Russia's calls for peace talks between Kiev and Moscow. Russia launched its special military operation in eastern Ukraine in February 2022 to stop NATO's eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was pursuing an "aggressive line" against Russian-speaking regions. US-led Western countries supporting the former Soviet republic responded by imposing waves of harsh sanctions against Russia, and by pouring multiple huge shipments of advanced arms, ammo and military hardware into Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly stated Western countries' backing of Kiev's war against Moscow, and the West's continued supply of Western-made weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian forces, would only prolong the war and postpone the peace talks that will eventually take place between the two neighboring countries with a long history of co-existence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 80 Countries Back Ukraine's 'Territorial Integrity' At Swiss Peace Summit By RFE/RL June 16, 2024 Eighty countries have called for the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine to be the foundation of any peace agreement to end Russia's war in a communique issued on the second and final day of their gathering at a Swiss resort on June 16. Russia's absence at the Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit has dampened hopes of any breakthrough, as has China's decision to stay away. Participants India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were among those that did not sign the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security, and the exchange of prisoners. The final statement said the UN Charter and "respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty...can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine." "We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties," it also said. Viola Amherd, the Swiss president who hosted the event, told the final news conference that the fact that the "great majority" of participants agreed to the final document "shows what diplomacy can achieve." On the eve of the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued harsh terms for a cease-fire, including that Ukraine hand over control of four regions in areas not only occupied by Russian invading forces, but Ukrainian-controlled regions as well, demands immediately rejected by Kyiv and its Western backers. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the conference was "rightly" titled "Path to Peace" because such a goal will not be achieved in a single step. "It was not a peace negotiation because Putin is not serious about ending the war. He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory -- even territory that today is not occupied by him," she said. "He is insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms." Speaking at the end of the two-day meeting in Burgenstock, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the support of Western and other leaders demonstrates that the rule of international law can be restored. "I hope that we can achieve results as soon as possible," Zelenskiy said. "We'll prove to everyone in the world that the UN Charter can be restored to full effectiveness." Responding to a question from RFE/RL at the final news conference, Zelenskiy said more countries may join the final communique. "First of all, [the term is] not signing but joining [the final communique]. This is an important difference, because joining the communique means that the communique is open," he said. "Even countries that are now thinking to join it have consultations ongoing in their respective countries." Russian political scientist Aleksandr Morozov told Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice Of America, that countries such as South Africa and India that did not join the communique are reserving space for their own peace initiatives. He said that while these wouldn't be bad, they would only prove that Putin's demands are unrealistic because they disrespect Ukraine's territorial integrity and thus go against the UN Charter. In holding the summit, Zelenskiy had been seeking to rally a greater number of countries behind Ukraine's cause, especially those from the so-called Global South, and maintain world attention on Russia's brutal invasion. That has become more urgent amid some global fatigue with the 28-month war, fighting in the Middle East, and growing concern about Chinese aggression toward Taiwan. The June 15-16 summit was the culmination of Zelenskiy's efforts over the past 19 months to engage global leaders in helping end the biggest war in Europe since World War II. Switzerland agreed to host the summit with the hope it would pave the way for a future peace process that includes Russia. Zelenskiy did not want Russia to participate at this stage. At their meeting on June 16, delegates agreed on a final summit declaration that focused on three issues: a call for the need for nuclear and food security and the return of prisoners of war and children removed from Ukraine during the conflict. Ihor Zhovkva, Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, told reporters on the sidelines of the summit that Kyiv decided to focus on these three issues "because the majority of the international community is united around these positions today." "The text is balanced. All of our principled positions on which Ukraine had insisted have been considered," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters on June 16 about the final communique. "Of course we...understand perfectly that a time will come when it will be necessary to talk to Russia," he said. "But our position is very clear: We will not allow Russia to speak in the language of ultimatums like it is speaking now." The conference was expected to decide the host country for a follow-up conference, but the meeting in Switzerland closed with the location of a second meeting undetermined. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said it was conceivable that a follow-up summit could be held before the U.S. presidential election in November. Saudi Arabia was believed to be one of the leading candidates, and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on June 15 that the kingdom was ready to assist the peace process, but he warned a viable settlement would hinge on "difficult compromise." China, which backs Russia, joined scores of countries that sat out the event. Beijing has said any peace process would require the participation of both Russia and Ukraine, and has put forward its own ideas for peace. Ukrainian security analyst Alina Hrytsenko told Current Time that China is trying to position itself as a peacemaker and doesn't believe that either side can achieve a military victory. She pointed out that that Putin's "peace offer" included a refusal to consider Zelenskiy legitimate, making it unclear under China's peace initiative who could be Putin's counterpart in peace talks. On June 15, on the first day of the Swiss summit, many Western leaders condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing the UN Charter in defense of its territorial integrity, and rejecting Putin's demands for Ukraine to cede land for peace. "One thing is clear in this conflict: There is an aggressor, which is Putin, and there is a victim, which is the Ukrainian people," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. "Russia should realize that it has borders, like any other state, and that it has neighbors, like any other state. This international community, the new security architecture, can exist only when the big countries, the biggest of the biggest, recognize their neighbors, respect their neighbors and their territorial integrity," Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said. "Sovereignty, territorial integrity, and discrediting aggression as a tool of statecraft are crucial principles that must be upheld in case of Ukraine and globally," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the opening session on June 15. "That is why I'm concerned about so-called peace plans and initiatives that ignore the core UN Charter principles. We cannot treat Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty as somewhat secondary," Kallas added. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, representing the United States while President Joe Biden attended a fundraiser in California, said Putin's June 14 "peace" proposal was not a call for negotiations but a call "for [Ukraine's] surrender." Harris also reiterated America's full backing for Ukraine and announced $1.5 billion in new U.S. assistance for multiple projects, including energy infrastructure and civilian security. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that "peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved without involving Russia" but noted Russia has refused all collective calls for peace. Ahead of the summit, leaders from the Group of 7 major industrial nations announced a $50 billion loan package for Kyiv that will leverage interest and income from the more than $260 billion in frozen Russian assets. Biden and Zelenskiy this week signed a security agreement that commits the United States over 10 years to continued training of Ukraine's armed forces. Biden, who decided not to attend the summit despite pleas from Zelenskiy, also approved sending Ukraine a second Patriot missile system and imposed another round of financial sanctions on Russia. The White House also eased restrictions that kept Ukraine from using American weaponry to strike inside Russia, allowing strikes into Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv. Last month, Russia launched a small-scale offensive in the northern Kharkiv region, seeking to stretch Ukraine's outgunned and outmanned forces across the roughly 1,200-kilometer front line. The effort has slowed, as Ukraine rushed new units to the area, reinforced positions, and fired on Russian positions across the border. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-swiss- peace-summit-/32994896.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Steps Up Attacks In Donetsk Region During Peace Conference In Switzerland By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 16, 2024 Russia stepped up its military attacks on Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said in its evening assessment on June 16 as the leaders of Ukraine and its supporters wrapped up a two-day peace conference in Switzerland. An estimated 88 combat clashes took place during the day, the Ukrainian General Staff said. "Throughout the day, the enemy is intensifying its offensive and assault operations, looking for ways to penetrate our defenses and try to drive Ukrainian units out of their positions," the assessment said. According to the report, the most active area was around the city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian military is attempting to make further advances. Several attacks were ongoing there at the time of the assessment. "In the Pokrovsk area, the Russian troops are not reducing the pace of their offensive. Since the beginning of the day on this part of the front they have attacked Ukrainian defensive lines 36 times. Twenty-five enemy assaults were unsuccessful, another 11 attacks are ongoing," the Ukrainian military said. Russian forces twice attached in the Vovchansk area during the day, firing 16 missiles from the Belgorod region in southern Russia. The Russian military also made 10 attempts to storm Ukrainian positions in the Lyman area and around Kurakhove. "Three assaults by the invaders were repulsed by the defense forces, and seven more clashes are ongoing," the summary said, adding that two clashes were ongoing in the Kupyansk area. The General Staff said that since the beginning of the day, Russia lost 54 of its soldiers, one armored fighting vehicle, and a warehouse of ammunition in the Lyman area. The information could not be independently verified. Russia intensified its attacks as representatives of nearly 100 countries attended the peace summit in Switzerland. Russia and China were not among them. Eighty countries and four organizations, including the Council of Europe and the European Commission, joined the the final communique of the meeting. Switzerland will discuss the results of the meeting with Russia, China, and other countries that did not attend, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignatius Cassis said. "We have an active embassy in Moscow, and every two weeks we communicate with the minister of foreign affairs, and we also intend to discuss with Russia the results of this conference," Cassis told a news conference. The Swiss minister said a "detailed discussion" of the results of the conference is planned with those countries that didn't attend, including China, which refused to participate due to the absence of Russia. "There are different opinions and ideas about how to continue this path, the path to peace. And these different ideas need to be united in order to find a common way forward," Cassis said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-switzerland- fighting-cassis-peace-conference/32995521.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 BRICS Members Reject Joint Declaration at Swiss Ukraine Conference Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The BRICS countries, as well as several other states that attended the Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine did not sign a joint declaration on the results of the talks on Sunday, according to the signatory list. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the text of the declaration had been finalized and that Kiev's positions had been taken into account. The list of countries that signed the final declaration was displayed by the organizers on the screens of the press center at the Buergenstock resort where the summit was held. The document was signed by 79 countries out of 91 present, but Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Holy See, India, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates did not sign it. The Ukraine conference is taking place this weekend at the BArgenstock resort near Lucerne. It includes 92 countries and 55 heads of state, as well as eight organizations, including the EU, the Council of Europe, and the UN. However, US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz InAcio Lula da Silva, and leaders of many other countries did not attend. Some participants, such as US Vice President Kamala Harris and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left early. Russia was not invited to the summit. The Kremlin commented that trying to find solutions to the Ukrainian conflict without Moscow's involvement is completely illogical and unpromising. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Work on Kharkov Buffer Zone to Continue Until Russian Regions Safe From Shelling Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Work on establishing a buffer zone in the Kharkov region will continue until Russia ensures the safety of its regions from shelling by Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday. "Work is underway to establish a buffer zone, a sanitary zone in the Kharkov region. This work will continue until we secure [the town of] Shebekino, the Belgorod Region, and our other areas from such barbaric shelling. Of course, this work will not stop," Peskov told Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin. Peskov added that Russian President Vladimir Putin's peace initiative would be given due consideration. "There will be no talk of peace at the Swiss conference itself. There will be no search for a peaceful resolution considering the interests of all parties. Peace will not be discussed there. That is the point. Here, the focus is on President Putin's peace initiative. I have no doubt that it will be given very careful consideration," Peskov said. Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of the initiative, there are likely to be "more sober heads who will think twice if it is worth waiting for conditions to deteriorate even further," the Kremlin spokesman said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hungarian Foreign Minister Proposes Mediation Role Between Russia, EU on Ukraine Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Sunday proposed his country's role as a mediator between Russia and the European Union. Speaking at a Ukraine conference in Switzerland, Szijjarto said that as probably the last EU country with open channels of communication with Russia, Hungary was well placed to facilitate dialogue. What is needed is to prevent family separations and protect young people, given the large Hungarian population of at least 150,000 in western Ukraine. Budapest is ready to convey messages to Moscow to ease tensions, the top Hungarian diplomat added. Switzerland is hosting a high-level conference on Ukraine at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Some 92 countries and 55 heads of state have confirmed their participation, as well as eight organizations, including the European Union, the European Council and the United Nations. Russia has not received an invitation, but even if it had, it would not attend the conference, Vladimir Khokhlov, the spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Bern, told Sputnik in April. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Troops Take Zagornoye Village in Zaporozhye Region Under Control - MoD Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Battlegroup Vostok has taken control of the village of Zagornoye in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. "The units of Battlegroup Vostok liberated the settlement of Zagornoye in the Zaporozhye region and occupied more favorable lines. The 58th motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the 123rd brigade of the territorial defense and the 15th brigade of the National Guard were defeated," the ministry said in a statement. Russia's Battlegroup Yug improved the position along the front line and eliminated 380 soldiers, a German tank Leopard, two Kozak armored fighting vehicles. Battlegroup Tsentr improved their tactical position, repelled four attacks and eliminated up to 375 Ukrainian soldiers, two infantry fighting vehicles, two US-made armored vehicles Humvee and MaxxPro, the ministry said. Ukraine has lost up to 500 soldiers during clashes with Russia's Battlegroup Zapad and up to 265 soldiers in battles with Battlegroup Sever, the ministry added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelensky Not Person to Sign Agreements on Ukraine With, It Would Be Illegitimate - Kremlin Sputnik News 20240616 On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdraws troops from the territory of new regions of Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky is not the right person with whom to fix agreements on Ukraine in writing, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "This is not the person with whom you can fix agreements in writing, because de jure the agreement would be illegitimate," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not rejecting the possibility of negotiations with Ukraine and notes the legitimate authorities there, Peskov added. Zelensky came to power in Ukraine under the flag of peace, after the peace initiatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin it will become clear whether Zelensky is ready for anything not to further aggravate the situation, Peskov said. Peskov said that the situation for the Kiev regime on the front is getting worse. "Probably, a politician who puts the interests of the homeland above his own, and even above his masters, would think about such a proposal," Peskov said, commenting on the Ukrainian authorities' reaction to Putin's proposal. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelensky Says 'Action Plan' Following Swiss-Hosted Summit to Be Handed Over to Russia Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the "action plan" adopted at the Swiss-hosted conference on Ukraine will be handed over to Russia before the second summit. Switzerland is hosting a high-level conference on Ukraine at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Some 92 countries and 55 heads of state have confirmed their participation, as well as eight organizations, including the European Union, the European Council and the United Nations. Russia has not received an invitation, but even if it had, it would not attend the conference, Vladimir Khokhlov, the spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Bern, told Sputnik in April. "There is no Russia here today ... We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a truly lasting way. The UN Charter is the basis for us. And then, when the action plan is on the table, agreed upon by all and transparent to the nations, then it will be communicated to the representatives of Russia, so that we can put a real end to the war at the second peace summit," Zelensky was quoted by the Ukrainska Pravda news portal as saying on Saturday at the plenary session at the conference. On Friday, Putin said that Russia would immediately cease fire and begin negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdraws troops from the territory of Russia's new regions and officially abandons plans to join NATO. Zelensky has called Moscow's proposal an ultimatum, while his adviser Mikhail Podolyak said that the new Russian initiatives allegedly did not contain a "real peace proposal." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Conference Draft Communique Mentions Control Over Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant Sputnik News 20240616 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The draft communique on the Ukraine summit in Switzerland contains theses on Kiev's control over the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the critical importance of free commercial shipping in the Azov and Black Seas, as well as a call for the release of prisoners of war, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing the document. "Firstly, any use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safe-guarded and environmentally sound. Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine and in line with IAEA principles and under its supervision," the communique, seen by Reuters, read. The document also stressed the critical importance of "free, full and safe" commercial shipping and access to seaports in the Black and Azov Seas. "Thirdly, all prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine," the document added. In addition, the countries participating in the summit believe that achieving peace in Ukraine requires the involvement and dialogue between all parties to the conflict. The final version of the communique will be published on Sunday. Switzerland is hosting a high-level conference on Ukraine at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Around 90 countries and organizations have confirmed their participation, according to the Swiss hosts. Russia has not received an invitation, but even if it had, it would not attend the conference, Vladimir Khokhlov, the spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Bern, told Sputnik in April. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Colombian President Refuses to Attend Conference on Ukraine in Switzerland Sputnik News 20240616 BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that he had changed his mind about participating in a Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine because it is not a "free forum" for seeking peace between Moscow and Kiev. "The scenario of the forum in Switzerland is not a scenario of a free forum for discussing ways to find peace between Russia and Ukraine. Its conclusions are already predetermined ... I am stopping my trip to the meeting in Switzerland and asking Europe to discuss ways to end the war, not prolong it," Petro said on X on Saturday. He also stressed that dialogue between Russia and Ukraine is the basis for achieving peace in the region. The Colombian president added that most Latin American countries are against prolonging the conflict. Russia was not invited to the conference and dismissed it as "meaningless". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the summit is clearly not result-oriented, as it is impossible to have effective talks on Ukraine without Russia's participation. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Actions to Support Ukraine's Economic Recovery US Department of State Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson June 16, 2024 Last week, the United States Government participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Germany. The conference convened over 1,500 representatives from governments, businesses, and civil society to mobilize support for the recovery, reconstruction, reform, and modernization of Ukraine. Initial conference deliverables include the following: $824 million in energy assistance to support Ukraine's energy infrastructure efforts in the midst of continued Russian attacks. That includes notifying Congress of our intent to support Ukraine with $500 million in new energy assistance and pivoting $324 million from our previously announced other energy assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent needs. This will bring the overall U.S. commitment to Ukraine's energy system to approximately $1.5 billion since 2022. That includes notifying Congress of our intent to support Ukraine with $500 million in new energy assistance and pivoting $324 million from our previously announced other energy assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent needs. This will bring the overall U.S. commitment to Ukraine's energy system to approximately $1.5 billion since 2022. $50 million first-of-its-kind war-risk reinsurance facility in Ukraine. Intended to fill a critical market gap of war-risk insurance for companies operating in Ukraine in the midst of Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This reinsurance facility, brokered by Aon, will enable the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to reinsure war risk underwritten by ARX, a Ukrainian subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, and support ARX in expanding its war-risk insurance offering in Ukraine. Intended to fill a critical market gap of war-risk insurance for companies operating in Ukraine in the midst of Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This reinsurance facility, brokered by Aon, will enable the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to reinsure war risk underwritten by ARX, a Ukrainian subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, and support ARX in expanding its war-risk insurance offering in Ukraine. Launch of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) to the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform, whose inception was co-led by the United States and Germany. The BAC will provide essential private sector insights, expertise, and visibility to catalyze private investment in support of Ukraine's economic recovery. The BAC will provide essential private sector insights, expertise, and visibility to catalyze private investment in support of Ukraine's economic recovery. $28 million loan portfolio guarantee for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine. Through this project, which is co-sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), DFC will provide ProCredit Bank Ukraine with a loan portfolio guarantee to support lending to SMEs across Ukraine, at least 50 percent of which will be lending in the agricultural sector. Through this project, which is co-sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), DFC will provide ProCredit Bank Ukraine with a loan portfolio guarantee to support lending to SMEs across Ukraine, at least 50 percent of which will be lending in the agricultural sector. Over $350 million in political risk insurance (PRI) contracts in Ukraine. DFC has four additional PRI transactions worth over $350 million, recently approved by DFC's management, in priority sectors for Ukraine's economic recovery such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and education. DFC has four additional PRI transactions worth over $350 million, recently approved by DFC's management, in priority sectors for Ukraine's economic recovery such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and education. DFC signed a "declaration of intent" with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to support EBRD's trade financing program in Ukraine. This initiative aims to explore opportunities to share trade-finance risk on trade instruments guaranteed by approved local issuing banks. This initiative aims to explore opportunities to share trade-finance risk on trade instruments guaranteed by approved local issuing banks. DFC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Citi and Ukraine's Ministry of Economy to cooperate in identifying opportunities to support mortgage financing in Ukraine. Through this MOU, DFC, Citi, and the Ministry of Economy announced the intent to cooperate to identify opportunities to support local -currency residential mortgages. Through this MOU, DFC, Citi, and the Ministry of Economy announced the intent to cooperate to identify opportunities to support local -currency residential mortgages. G7+ Joint Statement highlighting progress since URC2023 and new support. The United States contributed to and will endorse the U.S.-led G7+ Joint Statement that will reaffirm continuing support for Ukraine's energy sector. The Joint Statement will highlight U.S. and partner contributions and acknowledge the Government of Ukraine's progress on key energy sector reforms, along with next steps on those reforms and on improving the business-enabling environment. The United States contributed to and will endorse the U.S.-led G7+ Joint Statement that will reaffirm continuing support for Ukraine's energy sector. The Joint Statement will highlight U.S. and partner contributions and acknowledge the Government of Ukraine's progress on key energy sector reforms, along with next steps on those reforms and on improving the business-enabling environment. The United States, Ukraine, the EU, and UK will work with Ukraine under the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform (MDCP) to develop a pre-project preparation framework with the World Bank and European Investment Bank (EIB), open to other partners, to enable priority recovery and reconstruction projects to get to bankability for external investment. will work with Ukraine under the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform (MDCP) to develop a with the World Bank and European Investment Bank (EIB), open to other partners, to enable priority recovery and reconstruction projects to get to bankability for external investment. USAID joined three Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development initiatives: the SMEs, Skills, and Gender Alliances. Skills Alliance: Given the magnitude of the skills-gap challenge and the short timeline to upskill a large number of workers, innovation and private-sector participation must be at the center of any proposed solution. Existing USAID workforce development activities related to business competitiveness, youth employment, digital and cyber security, veterans' inclusion, and other interventions across USAID/Ukraine's assistance portfolio will contribute to the Alliance's intended outcomes. Alliance for Gender-Responsive and -Inclusive Recovery: Gender equity and social inclusion are cross-cutting programming priorities for USAID/Ukraine. They are embedded into all ongoing and planned programming, contributing to and in line with the Alliance's commitments and intended outcomes. Joining the Alliance sends a strong, signal to donors, international organizations, and the business community that a gender-responsive and -inclusive recovery for Ukraine is crucial for its effectiveness and sustainability. SME Resilience Alliance for Ukraine: USAID's private-sector strategy promotes Ukraine's rapid economic recovery by assisting SMEs, the backbone of a strong private sector, to bolster economic resilience, foster innovation, and generate high-value employment opportunities. Joining the Alliance showcases USAID's contributions and commitment to supporting the SME sector as a key driver of economic recovery. USAID joined the Sustainable Municipalities Coalition for Ukraine. USAID/Ukraine is implementing programs that are in alignment with the aims of the Sustainable Municipalities Coalition and its thematic areas. It aligns with USAID's existing activities under the governance and decentralization program related to strengthening local governance systems with enhanced capacities to deliver essential services, foster economic recovery and revitalization. Joining the Coalition will underline that USAID/Ukraine programs complement the goals of the Sustainable Municipalities Coalition. USAID/Ukraine is implementing programs that are in alignment with the aims of the Sustainable Municipalities Coalition and its thematic areas. It aligns with USAID's existing activities under the governance and decentralization program related to strengthening local governance systems with enhanced capacities to deliver essential services, foster economic recovery and revitalization. Joining the Coalition will underline that USAID/Ukraine programs complement the goals of the Sustainable Municipalities Coalition. USAID and EBRD signed an MoU on collaboration on infrastructure, economic growth, and energy to support Ukraine's recovery. USAID and EBRD collaborate across a range of area in Ukraine, including EBRD's work in the field of transport infrastructure, which complement USAID's investments in rail and border-crossing points. The MOU asserts both sides' intent to collaborate at the strategic and programmatic level to extend their impact and increase Ukraine's economic resilience in the face of Russia's continued attacks. USAID and EBRD collaborate across a range of area in Ukraine, including EBRD's work in the field of transport infrastructure, which complement USAID's investments in rail and border-crossing points. The MOU asserts both sides' intent to collaborate at the strategic and programmatic level to extend their impact and increase Ukraine's economic resilience in the face of Russia's continued attacks. USTDA's nuclear power deployment technical workshops. Ukrainian nuclear power sector delegates will come to the United States to join the first of four U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA)-sponsored Europe and Eurasia Civil Nuclear Energy Deployment workshops that will be held in the United States and Europe to explore pathways to further nuclear power deployment in Ukraine and the region. Ukrainian nuclear power sector delegates will come to the United States to join the first of four U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA)-sponsored Europe and Eurasia Civil Nuclear Energy Deployment workshops that will be held in the United States and Europe to explore pathways to further nuclear power deployment in Ukraine and the region. USTDA technical assistance for small modular reactor (SMR) licensing-gap analysis for the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU). Completed in April 2024, $1.3 million in USTD Ag-funded technical assistance supported the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine in identifying gaps in Ukraine's existing nuclear regulations as it relates to SMR technologies. USTDA provided a list of recommendations to close regulatory gaps in order to facilitate SMR technology deployment. Completed in April 2024, $1.3 million in USTD Ag-funded technical assistance supported the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine in identifying gaps in Ukraine's existing nuclear regulations as it relates to SMR technologies. USTDA provided a list of recommendations to close regulatory gaps in order to facilitate SMR technology deployment. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) joined a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) among export credit agencies (ECAs), initiated by the German URC- host ECAs. The MOC included the ECAs of Denmark, Italy, Japan, Italy, and Poland, among others. The signed MOC affirms that, despite the war against Ukraine, signatory ECAs are determined to find ways to support exporters and investors seeking to deepen their partnerships with Ukrainian companies for Ukraine's economic, social, infrastructure and environmental reconstruction and development. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Independence, Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty of Ukraine Were Recognized by All Participants of the Peace Summit President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 19:34 The gathering of representatives of so many reputable countries, organizations and religious leaders at the Global Peace Summit shows that everyone needs peace. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference following the Summit in Switzerland. "Independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty were recognized by absolutely all participants of the Summit. The majority of the world. This provides powerful support for Ukraine. This is one of the successes of this Summit," the Head of State emphasized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that there are two ways to force Russia into peace. The first is diplomatic, the second is a strong defense and a powerful army. "The biggest success for us is, of course, the end of the war. It is not a success, it is the only possibility of existence in this world, the only fair possibility of life. And we will do everything to end the war. Today is only the first step, but it is a powerful one," the President emphasized. He noted that further diplomatic work will continue at the level of national security advisors. They will develop a step-by-step plan on the three points contained in the Joint CommuniquA on a Peace Framework: food security, nuclear and energy security, and the release of all captured and deported Ukrainians. "Of course, we are part of Europe both geographically and mentally. But it is very important that all these meetings take place on different continents, in the territories of countries that may not share borders with us, but which definitely share the same values. And this is very important. That is why we will have these meetings in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. This is what we are focusing our efforts on now. After that, there will be a plan - a joint plan," Volodymyr Zelenskyy summarized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy Met with the President of Ghana President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 17:29 On the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo. The Head of State noted the participation of the President of Ghana in the Global Peace Summit. "The voice of Africa at the Summit is very important to us. Many discussions have taken place today, and we see the next steps that we will be happy to share with you," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He thanked Ghana for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity from the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, in particular during the voting for the UN General Assembly resolutions. The heads of state discussed the next steps in the implementation of the Peace Formula and the possibility of holding a meeting dedicated to one of its points. The presidents instructed the teams of both countries to begin practical work on ensuring the export of agricultural products to Ghana. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy During a Meeting with Media Representatives Following the Global Peace Summit President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 16:26 Madame President of Switzerland! Mr. President of Chile! Madame President of the European Commission! Mr. Prime Minister of Canada! Mr. President of Ghana! And everyone who really wants the war to end. I thank all the participants of the First Peace Summit for taking the first steps towards peace together. We are responding to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy. These days united one hundred and one countries and international organizations, - big success for Ukraine and for all partners, - and our fair objective is to get all countries of the world to join this noble cause. Previous political generations have left us the UN Charter as a basis for the cooperation of peoples. We will pass to the next generations an effective mechanism to implement the UN Charter. And the communiquA adopted at the Summit these days fully reflects our intention, and remains open for accession by everyone who respects the UN Charter. It's important that all participants of the Summit supported Ukraine's territorial integrity because there will be no lasting peace without territorial integrity. The three challenges have been analyzed in detail at the First Peace Summit - nuclear safety, food security and the release of prisoners and deportees, including thousands of children abducted by Russia. And now, after the Summit, we proposed and agreed to continue our joint work at a more technical level - at the level of advisers and ministers in the format of special meetings under the leadership or co-leadership of countries. Each step toward a just peace has attracted the attention of certain groups of Summit participants and countries that have not yet joined but are interested in peace. And we agreed to start to work in special after-Summit-groups on specific ideas, proposals, and developments that can restore security in various aspects. Exactly as it worked at the level of advisors during the preparation of the First Peace Summit. We already have preliminary agreements with countries such as France, Czechia, TArkiye, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Norway, Poland, Canada, Qatar, Chile, Ghana, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom - to host the work of the groups, to lead and co-lead. And we invite all countries that recognize the binding nature of the UN Charter as the basis for the cooperation of nations to participate in groups and express their ideas and proposals. I am confident that together we will ensure the result. The First and Second Peace Summits should unite our joint work on the details of peace. We are at war, and we don't have time for prolonged work - moving to peace means acting fast, preparations will take months not years. So, when the action plans for peace are ready, and when every step is worked out, the path will be opened for the Second Peace Summit, and thus for ending this war - for a just and lasting peace. We already have countries who indicated their interest to host the Second Peace Summit, and we started talks with them. I am confident that the choice will have truly global significance. And I am grateful for everyone who helps. Thank you so much! NNN! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Participants of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland Signed the Joint CommuniquA on a Peace Framework President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 16:10 During the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15-16, participants agreed on a common position on three points: food security, nuclear and energy security, and the release of all captured and deported Ukrainians, adults and children, abducted by Russia. The key principles on these elements for a just and sustainable peace are set out in the Joint CommuniquA on a Peace Framework. This Summit has become the largest international event in support of Ukraine and peace, with 101 countries and international organizations representing all parts of the world and continents - Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, Africa, Europe, the Pacific, Australia, and North America. Two-thirds of the participating countries were represented at the highest level. The Summit allowed each of the participants to demonstrate global leadership. Essentially, this event is the first step towards a just peace based on the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law. In the CommuniquA, the Summit participants emphasized that the use of nuclear energy and nuclear installations must be safe, secured, safe-guarded and environmentally sound, and that Ukrainian nuclear power plants and installations, including Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, must operate safely and securely under full sovereign control of Ukraine and under the supervision of the IAEA. The Joint CommuniquA also contains a clause on the uninterrupted manufacturing and supply of food products. Attacks on merchant ships, civilian ports and civilian port infrastructure are unacceptable. The CommuniquA emphasizes that food security must not be weaponized in any way. POWs must be released through a full exchange, and all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children and civilians must be returned to Ukraine. These are three of the ten points of the Peace Formula that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented in November 2022 during the G20 meeting in Indonesia. The work on the remaining points will continue together with the international community in the working formats determined at the Summit. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy Met with the President of Cyprus President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 14:19 On the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides. The Head of State thanked Cyprus for the humanitarian assistance provided to our country and noted the personal participation of Nikos Christodoulides in the Global Peace Summit. The leaders discussed the next steps in the implementation of the Peace Formula and the anticipated decisions on the approval of the negotiating framework and the start of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations in June. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Head of State Discussed Food Security of the World with the President of CAte d'Ivoire President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 12:47 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of CAte d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara on the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit. The Head of State expressed gratitude for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine from the first days of full-scale Russian aggression, as well as the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the participation of the President of CAte d'Ivoire in the Global Peace Summit and emphasized the importance of the presence of African countries and the inclusiveness of the Peace Formula. The leaders discussed the current situation in Ukraine and the security challenges facing our country and CAte d'Ivoire. The heads of state agreed to coordinate efforts to overcome them and continue interstate contacts at various levels. The presidents paid special attention to the issue of food security in the world and emphasized that Russia's attempts to impede free navigation in the Black Sea threaten the food security of many regions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Alassane Ouattara to pay a visit to Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine and Palau Established Diplomatic Relations President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 12:00 On the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Palau Surangel Whipps, Jr. In the presence of the leaders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of State of the Republic of Palau Gustav Aitaro signed a Joint CommuniquA on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The meeting of the presidents marked the first high-level contact between Ukraine and Palau. The Head of State thanked Surangel Whipps, Jr. for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and invited Palau to join the implementation of the "Environmental Security" point of the Peace Formula. "It is very important that you found the opportunity to come to the Peace Summit. Thank you for your clear position. The issues discussed at the Summit are important not only for Europe but also for the whole world," the President of Ukraine said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the threats to the environment posed by the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and noted that the occupiers store weapons and explosives on the territory of the power plant and force Ukrainian personnel to work there. He also emphasized the importance of uniting countries worldwide around the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Volodymyr Zelenskyy Discussed Food Security Issue with the President of Kenya President of Ukraine 16 June 2024 - 00:49 In the framework of his participation in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of Kenya William Ruto. The Head of State praised William Ruto's participation in the Peace Summit and his principled position in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Thank you for your active participation in the Summit. We began to discuss the issue of food security, which is very important for both our countries," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader highlighted the importance of the Kenyan President's co-chairing the "Food Security and Freedom of Navigation" thematic panel of the Peace Summit. The leaders discussed the development of Ukrainian-Kenyan relations, agricultural export projects and Kenya's potential role in establishing hubs in African ports for Ukrainian grain. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Swiss summit: Ukraine's territorial integrity a precondition for peace By VOA News June 16, 2024 Seventy-eight countries attending a two-day international summit on peace in Ukraine in Switzerland, signed a document saying that Ukraine's "territorial integrity" should be the basis for a peace agreement with Russia and that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Moscow on ending the war. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was at the meeting and hailed the convergence of nearly 100 nations and institutions as a "tremendous success." "What this summit has done is define what the core character a the core foundation a of what a just peace looks like, and that is the principles of the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law, the notion of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the basic proposition that no nation should be allowed to conquer another nation by force. Period," Sullivan said. During a news conference in Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there are two ways to force Russia into peace. The first is diplomatic, the second is with a strong defense and a powerful army. "The biggest success for us is, of course, the end of the war. It is not a success, it is the only possibility of existence in this world, the only fair possibility of life. And we will do everything to end the war. Today is only the first step, but it is a powerful one," he said. Russia was not invited to attend the summit at the Buergenstock resort in Switzerland, dimming hopes for setting a path to peace. China, Russia's key ally, did not attend the conference and Brazil, participated only as an observer. India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among those that did not sign onto the final document, which outlined issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners. Ukrainian children, key points to peace The declaration also urged the return of deported Ukrainian children to their families. Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said at the meeting that his country hosted talks with both Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families that has so far resulted in 34 children being reunited, but there is much more to be done. The Ukrainian government believes that 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were taken from Ukrainian orphanages. Regarding food security, the discussions focused on how the destruction of Ukraine's fertile land, as well as ongoing risks posed by landmines there, have caused a slump in Ukraine's agricultural production and exports. This has led to a crisis on global food exports as Ukraine was part of the world's breadbasket before the war. Artillery attacks on ships in the Black Sea have also driven up the cost of maritime transport. The meeting's nuclear safety session looked at the precarious situation regarding the safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, notably Zaporizhzhia, where all the reactors have been shut down since mid-April. Long journey to peace European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen cautioned Sunday that though the summit has brought peace closer to Ukraine, real peace will not be achieved in one step, and the path will require patience and determination. "It will be a journey," she said. Swiss President Viola Amherd, who hosted the event, told the final news conference "a lasting peace solution must involve both parties," and acknowledged that "the road ahead is long and challenging." Zelenskyy did not say whether he was prepared to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin directly in talks to end the conflict, though he has in the past ruled out direct talks with him. "Russia can start the negotiations with us tomorrow, not waiting for anything, if they pull out from our legal territories," Zelenskyy told a news conference at the end of the summit in Switzerland. "Russia does not want peace, that is a fact," Zelenskyy added. "Russia and their leadership are not ready for a just peace, that's a fact." Kremlin reacts The Kremlin said Sunday that Ukraine should "reflect" on Putin's demands that Ukraine drops its bid to join NATO and gives up the four provinces Russia now claims: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. "The current dynamic of the situation at the front shows us clearly that it's continuing to worsen for the Ukrainians," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. "It's probable that a politician who puts the interests of his country above his own and those of his master's would reflect on such a proposal," Peskov said. Russian advances, Ukrainian drones Russia claimed Sunday its troops had captured the Zagrine village in southern Ukraine, continuing its advances on the front line. A Russian journalist was killed in a drone attack in eastern Ukraine, near the town of Vuhledar, his news organization, News.ru said, Sunday. The area in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine has been marked by fierce fighting in the past three months. The Russian foreign ministry said a Ukrainian drone had "purposefully hit the Russian journalist preparing a report in the area," two days after the death of another Russian correspondent near the front line. "This is the second attack on media workers in a week, bearing the same signature," ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, blaming Ukraine. Ukraine has not commented on the allegations. Some information for this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dublin, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Polycarbonate Sheets Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Multiwall, Solid, Corrugated and Others), By End-Use Industry, By Country and Growth Forecast, 2024 - 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North America Polycarbonate Sheets Market would witness market growth of 5.3% CAGR during the forecast period (2024-2031). In the year 2020, the North America market's volume surged to 27,610.23 thousand square meters, showcasing a growth of 19.9% (2020-2023). In the Electrical & Electronics sector, polycarbonate sheets are widely employed for various applications due to their excellent electrical insulation properties, high heat resistance, and durability. These sheets are commonly used for manufacturing electrical enclosures, insulators, and protective covers for electronic components and devices. Therefore, the US market consumed 10,877.86 thousand square meters of electrical & electronics segment in 2023. The US market dominated the North America Polycarbonate Sheets Market by Country in 2023, and would continue to be a dominant market till 2031; thereby, achieving a market value of $327.7 million by 2031. The Canada market is experiencing a CAGR of 7.3% during (2024 - 2031). Additionally, The Mexico market would exhibit a CAGR of 6.7% during (2024 - 2031). The market refers to the industry involved in producing, distributing, and selling sheets, which are flat, transparent, or translucent plastic sheets made from polycarbonate resin. These sheets are characterized by their exceptional properties, such as high impact resistance, optical clarity, and versatility, making them suitable for various applications across various industries. They offer protection against harsh weather conditions while allowing natural light to penetrate. Sheets are utilized for skylights to bring natural daylight into interior spaces, enhancing aesthetics and reducing the need for artificial lighting. Their transparency and durability make them ideal for overhead glazing solutions. The sheets are employed in canopies and awnings to provide shelter from the elements while allowing diffused light to pass through. They are commonly used in outdoor spaces such as patios, walkways, and entrances. The growing construction activity in Canada, driven by urbanization, population growth, and infrastructure development, leads to a surge in demand for building materials. Polycarbonate are sought after for various construction applications such as roofing, skylights, facades, and partitions due to their durability, transparency, and versatility. As per the data from Statistics Canada, investment in building construction rose 1.7% to $19.8 billion in November 2023. The residential sector grew 2.2% to $13.7 billion, while non-residential sector investment increased 0.4% to $6.0 billion. Likewise, with Mexico emerging as a key player in automotive manufacturing, there is a growing aftermarket for vehicle components and accessories. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), Mexico is the world's seventh-largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, producing 3.5 million vehicles annually. 88% of vehicles produced in Mexico are exported, with 76% destined for the United States. Mexico is the world's fifth-largest manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles for cargo, hosting 14 manufacturers and assemblers of buses, trucks, and tractor trucks, as well as two manufacturers of engines. Therefore, growing construction activities and the increasing automotive industry in the region are promoting the market's growth. Key Companies Profiled Covestro AG Palram Industries Ltd. SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) Teijin Limited UVPLASTIC Material Technology Co., Ltd. S Polytech Co Ltd. Polyvalley Technology (Tianjin) Co.,Ltd. Jiaxing Innovo Industries Co., Ltd. Exolon Group NV (Serafin Group) Emco Industrial Plastics, Inc. (Newbury Franklin LLC) Market Report Segmentation By Type (Volume, Thousand square meters, USD Billion, 2020-2031) Multiwall Solid Corrugated Others By End-Use (Volume, Thousand square meters, USD Billion, 2020-2031) Electrical & Electronics Building & Construction Automotive & Transportation Aerospace & Defense Packaging Others By Country (Volume, Thousand square meters, USD Billion, 2020-2031) US Canada Mexico Rest of North America For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j12g5i 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. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- addy Technology Corp. ("addy"), a leading real estate technology company in Canada, today announced that Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II * has joined and licenced the addy platform as an Issuer. This partnership marks a groundbreaking moment as the first fund on the platform, providing Canadians with unprecedented access to invest alongside one of the nation's leading real estate experts. Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II, which will invest in the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Fund II, is spearheaded by real estate investor and TV personality Scott McGillivray. It will utilize addy's cutting-edge addy Business software to manage and raise capital for its real estate opportunities. This collaboration underscores the commitment of both parties to democratize real estate investing, breaking down barriers that have historically restricted access to institutional-grade commercial real estate investments to only the wealthiest individuals. With the addy Business software, the $50,000 investment minimum is reduced to $1. The opportunity to participate in the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II consists of potentially 3 to 5 off-market residential development properties, which will be sold as condos or purpose-built rentals in major Canadian markets. "We are excited to partner with addy, and leverage their innovative platform to enable Canadians to invest alongside us," said Scott McGillivray, Founding Partner, Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II. "This partnership represents a significant step in our mission to make real estate investment opportunities accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial standing. By joining the addy platform, we are empowering everyday investors with the option to participate in high-quality real estate deals that were previously out of reach." The McGillivray Capital Partners team, which manages the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II, consists of four founding partners with extensive real estate, development, and asset management experience: Scott McGillivray, Andrew McGillivray, Erik Kroman and Dan Pero. "We are continuously looking for new ways to unlock access to real estate investing opportunities, and the addition of Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II to our platform is a testament to this commitment, said Stephen Jagger, co-founder of addy. This fund represents a new product offering and yet another way we are breaking down barriers to make real estate investing accessible to all Canadians. We are proud to have Scott McGillivray and his team using our software." The addy Business software significantly reduces the complexity and costs associated with managing a large investor base. It automates investor communications, and access to capital, distributions, and reporting, minimizing the administrative burden and allowing issuers like Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II to concentrate on deal management and maximizing returns. This technology not only lowers operational costs but also ensures a seamless and efficient investment experience for all parties involved. To date, 44 investment opportunities have been made available on the addy platform since the softwares launch in 2018. To learn more, visit addyinvest.ca *Scott McGillivray Real Estate Trust II is working with exempt market dealer Equivesto Canada Inc. Media Contact Jennifer Kim Talk Shop Media jennifer@talkshopmedia.com 778-898-4395 About addy addy Technology Corporation (addy) is a pioneering fintech company on a mission to enable every person to own real estate. The company's software eliminates inefficiencies and exorbitant costs associated with managing real estate deals and raising capital, allowing Canadians to invest in institutional-grade commercial real estate for as little as $1. To learn more, visit: addyinvest.ca , download the iOS app , and join the @addyinvest community on Discord , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , and Reddit . Tune in to The addy Podcast on iTunes and Spotify . To learn more about addy Business software, Issuers can visit: https://addyinvest.ca/issuers/ About McGillivray Capital Partners The McGillivray Capital Partners team consists of four founding partners with a variety of real estate, development and asset management experience, and accreditations that include CPA, CFA, BComm, PMP and MBA. The partners, Scott McGillivray, Andrew McGillivray, Dan Pero and Erik Kroman have personally experienced the benefits of both active and passive real estate investing and are passionate about helping others build wealth in the space. About Scott McGillivray Scott McGillivrays passion lies in educating people to make smart investment and renovation decisions and how to succeed in the uber-competitive world of real estate. Scott has been a top rated HGTV star in the US and Canada for over 15 years, starring in over 300 episodes of television, and is best known as the star and award-winning Executive Producer of HGTVs hit series Income Property, Moving the McGillivrays, Buyers Bootcamp, and most recently Scotts Vacation House Rules. Scott is also an accomplished real estate entrepreneur; hes CEO of McGillivray Group and McGillivray Entertainment, and co-founder of real estate investing education company Keyspire. As a skilled contractor, best-selling author, and educator, Scott McGillivray is trusted for his successful real estate investing tactics and is a respected influencer and digital trailblazer who engages daily with his 1M+ followers. MONACO, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG) (Scorpio Tankers, or the Company) announced updates on its securities repurchase program and second quarter of 2024 daily TCE revenues. Securities Repurchase Program The Company recently repurchased 641,654 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $78.26 per share under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program. There is $199.8 million available under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program as of June 14, 2024. Second Quarter of 2024 Daily Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) Revenues Below is a summary of the estimated average daily Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) revenue and duration of contracted voyages and time charters for the Companys vessels (both in the pools and outside of the pools) thus far in the second quarter of 2024 as of the date hereof: Pool and Spot Market Time Charters Out of the Pool Average Daily Expected % of Average Daily Expected % of Vessel Class TCE Revenue (1) Revenue Days (2) Days TCE Revenue (1) Revenue Days (2) Days LR2 $ 55,000 2,575 81 % $ 30,750 900 100 % MR $ 37,000 4,380 88 % $ 21,750 450 100 % Handymax $ 28,000 1,225 80 % n/a n/a n/a (1) TCE revenue, a Non-IFRS measure, is vessel revenues less voyage expenses (including bunkers and port charges). TCE revenue is included herein because it is a standard shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare period-to-period changes in a shipping companys performance irrespective of changes in the mix of charter types (i.e., spot charters, time charters, and pool charters), and it provides useful information to investors and management. (2) Expected Revenue Days are the total number of calendar days in the quarter for each vessel, less the total number of expected off-hire days during the period associated with major repairs or drydockings. Consequently, Expected Revenue Days represent the total number of days the vessel is expected to be available to earn revenue. Idle days, which are days when a vessel is available to earn revenue but is not employed, are included in revenue days. We use revenue days to show changes in net vessel revenues between periods. About Scorpio Tankers Inc. Scorpio Tankers Inc. is a provider of marine transportation of petroleum products worldwide. Scorpio Tankers Inc. currently owns or lease finances 108 product tankers (39 LR2 tankers, 55 MR tankers and 14 Handymax tankers) with an average age of 8.3 years. The Company has entered into agreements to sell six of its MR tankers, which are expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. Additional information about the Company is available at the Companys website www.scorpiotankers.com, which is not a part of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forwardlooking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forwardlooking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forwardlooking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, intend, plan, target, project, likely, may, will, would, could and similar expressions identify forwardlooking statements. The forwardlooking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although management believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, there can be no assurance that the Company will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. The Company undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, except as required by law, to publicly update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forwardlooking statements include unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies in response to epidemics and other public health concerns including any effect on demand for petroleum products and the transportation thereof, expansion and growth of the Companys operations, risks relating to the integration of assets or operations of entities that it has or may in the future acquire and the possibility that the anticipated synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions may not be realized within expected timeframes or at all, the failure of counterparties to fully perform their contracts with the Company, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for tanker vessel capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, charter counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and the developments in the Middle East, including the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of offhires, and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the SEC for a more complete discussion of certain of these and other risks and uncertainties. Contact Information Scorpio Tankers Inc. James Doyle Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations Tel: +1 646-432-1678 Email: investor.relations@scorpiotankers.com HIGHLIGHTS: Drew Heasman, ATHAs Director Geodata, who leads the Digital Discovery team (other members are Paul Pearson and John McLellan) won the top prize at the 2023/2024 Future Explorers competition, organized by Humyn AI and funded by Dundee Precious Metals (TSX: DPM). The Future Explorers competition began in the fall of 2023 with participation from over 200 data scientists and geoscientist, representing 37 countries. The Digital Discovery team won the Best Overall Award for combining mineral systems analysis with machine learning. The process analyzed geological and geophysical data supplied by Dundee, producing high-probability copper and gold exploration targets proximal to the Chelopech Mine, located in Bulgaria. Drew Heasman has applied a similar process at ATHAs Central Mineral Belt Project, a uranium-copper IOCG (BHPs Olympic Dam)-type deposit model, located in Labrador, Newfoundland. The CMB Project has numerous copper and uranium occurrences, including two zones with historical uranium resources. The project is located directly adjacent to Paladin Energys Michelin Deposit that hosts 127.7 M lbs U 3 O 8 . O . Results from the Machine Learning Study at the CMB Project have identified numerous high-priority areas for expansion of known occurrences of uranium and copper zones, as well as high-priority targets that remain untested. The same machine learning process is currently being implemented at ATHAs Gemini Project; a high-grade uranium discovery located in Saskatchewan. Results are expected to be received in advance of the Companys diamond drill program, scheduled to commence in mid-August 2024. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATHA Energy Corp. (TSX.V: SASK) (FRA: X5U) (OTCQB: SASKF) (ATHA or the Company), is thrilled to announce that Drew Heasman, ATHAs Director Geodata, led the Digital Discovery team (other members are: Paul Pearson and John McLellan) to the first place prize, Best Overall Award, at the prestigious Future Explorers competition funded by Dundee Precious Metals (TSX: DPM) and organized by Humyn AI. The Future Explorers competition began in November of 2023. Over 200 data scientists and geoscientists from 37 countries participated, including many of the worlds leading geoscience and machine learning experts. The objective of the competition was the identification of prospective copper and gold exploration targets proximal to Dundees Chelopech Mine, located in Bulgaria, using the best new innovative approach. Digital Discovery won the competition and were awarded US$75,000 for combining mineral systems analysis with machine learning in a model that generated well-reasoned targets. Drew's winning submission exemplifies the high standards and creative thinking which is paramount to ATHA Energy and its approach to exploration at scale. The Company extends its gratitude to Dundee Precious Metals for providing this incredible opportunity and to Humyn AI for their excellent organization of the competition. At ATHAs Central Mineral Belt Project (the CMB Project) in Labrador, Newfoundland, Drew Heasman, Director Geodata, applied this award-winning machine learning process to identify and derisk additional prospective uranium and copper exploration targets. A machine learning study (the Machine Learning Study) at CMB was completed in 2023 when the project was owned and operated by Latitude Uranium. ATHA subsequently completed its acquisition of Latitude Uranium in March of 2024, acquiring 100% ownership in the CMB Project. The Machine Learning Study successfully demonstrated the ability of the machine learning process to detect previously unknown targets derived from data compilation of surficial mapping (structure and geology) and variety of geophysical survey types (magnetics and gravity). ATHA is currently deploying the same process at its Gemini Project, a 100%-owned high-grade uranium discovery located on the eastern edge of Saskatchewans Athabasca Basin. The Machine Learning Study at Gemini will be completed in advance of the Phase III diamond drilling component of the Companys 2024 Exploration Program, scheduled to commence in mid-August 2024. CENTRAL MINERAL BELT PROJECT NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR The CMB Project is situated at the western end of Labradors Central Mineral Belt, a NE trending, 250 km long by 75 km wide belt of Proterozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks with associated granites. It is developed on an Archean craton consisting of gneisses and granitoid intrusions, mafic or felsic metavolcanics and minor mafic to ultramafic intrusions. The project is located ~140 km north of the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It extends from Michikamau Lake eastward to near Makkovik (Figure 1). There are three post discovery zones of uranium mineralization areas at CMB: Mustang, Moran Lake C Zone and the Anna Lake Deposit - the latter two have historic resources. The Moran Lake C Zone has an historic resource of 5.2M lbs U 3 O 8 , 42.8M V 2 O 5 Indicated and 4.4M lbs U 3 O 8 , 93.6M lbs V 2 O 5 Inferred, while the Anna Lake Deposit has an historic resource of 4.91M lbs U 3 O 8 Inferred. The project is adjacent to Paladin Energys Michelin Project, which hosts six uranium deposits for a combined 127.7 M lbs U 3 O 8 . Uranium mineralization is structurally controlled within fractures and shear zones, hosted within strongly brecciated and altered mafic volcanic rocks and lesser Fe-carbonate-altered shear zones. In addition to the uranium occurrences, numerous high-grade copper occurrences (grades of up to 7% Cu sampled from outcrops) have been identified along a parallel trend. The copper mineralization is vein-hosted within sulphide mineralization, with associated high-grade zinc, lead, and gold mineralization. Significantly, the high-grade copper occurrences discovered on the surface have never been drill tested; only samples taken from outcrops have been analyzed. CENTRAL MINERAL BELT PROJECT MACHINE LEARNING STUDY The initial phase of artificial intelligence (AI) exploration targeting implements a machine learning workflow to identify the potential existence of unknown uranium and copper deposits. This effort was facilitated by the recent release and compilation of both public and private aeromagnetic, radiometric, and geological data over the entire Central Mineral Belt. By integrating the Mineral Systems approach, which focuses on the processes of source, transport, and deposition, the data collection and interpretation process is enhanced without relying on a single deposit model. Using the locations of known deposits and prospects, the machine learning algorithm is trained to objectively predict the location of deposits without the biases typically associated with specific deposit types. The primary objective of this data-driven methodology is to reduce targeting risk over the CMB Project at an early stage, thereby preparing more target areas for direct detection methods such as drilling. The Machine Learning Study conducted at the CMB Project successfully developed a signature for uranium and copper based on previously discovered mineral occurrences. Categorized and ranked the inputs for importance in identifying those signatures. The process then looked at the same inputs over the entire CMB Project area and identified signatures for uranium and copper mineralization. The results (Figure 1) show numerous high-priority areas for uranium and copper mineralization that were identified by the process. These areas include regions for potential expansion at known occurrences for uranium and copper, as well as high-priority, previously untested areas. Figure 1: Plan Map detailing the CMB Project location within Newfoundland & Labrador, highlighting copper and uranium occurrences along with potential priority target areas derived from predictive machine learning process GEMINI PROJECT MACHINE LEARNING STUDY As part of ATHA Energys 2024 Exploration Program, the Company is currently progressing its machine learning process at the Gemini Project Phase II Target Development, Optimization, and machine learning. Results from Phase I Geophysics, in addition to all data collected during previous exploration programs and an ongoing structural study conducted by SRK Consulting on the controls of uranium mineralization at GMZ, will be compiled and utilized to produce a detailed 3D geological model of the GMZ. The 3D geological model will be coupled with ATHAs proprietary machine learning process to further derisk and advance exploration targets at the GMZ and surrounding area prior to commencement of Phase III Diamond Drilling. Troy Boisjoli, CEO added: On behalf of ATHAs executive and board, I would like to extend the Companys congratulations to Drew and the Digital Discovery team. Their work in combining mineral systems analysis with responsible machine learning identifying and derisking exploration targets for critical minerals like copper is an innovative approach that puts good geoscience first. The machine learning process that Drew has developed is particularly relevant for ATHA as we are exploring at scale. The process allows us to efficiently, and with the highest probability, derisk and identify high-priority targets across our dominant land packages in the best uranium jurisdictions in Canada, if not globally. Cliff Revering, VP Exploration added: We would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Drew and his team for winning this competition. It is always great to see industry recognition for innovative thinking and leading-edge techniques being successfully developed by a colleague, which are now bringing substantial value to the evaluation and target generation process on ATHAs projects. JUNIOR EXPLORATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GOVERNMENT OF NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR ATHA Energy Corp. is also happy to announce the receipt of the Junior Exploration Assistance financial support from the Government of Newfoundland and Labradors Department of Industry, Energy and Technology Mineral Incentive Program. ATHA Energy Corp. has received the full amount of $225,000 allotted for Labrador-based grassroots exploration, consisting of a FALCON Airborne Gravity Gradiometry (AGG) Radiometrics survey flown over all claims within ATHAs CMB Project area in the summer of 2023. The survey size totaled 21,673.4-line kilometers at 200 m line spacing and deliverables have been received. The AGG is currently under review and interpretation ongoing to develop target areas within the CMB Project area. ATHA ENERGY 2024 EXPLORATION PROGRAM In January of this year, ATHA Energy Corp. commenced the Companys most significant exploration program to date and one of the largest uranium focused exploration programs globally. The program targets Canadas most prospective regions for high-grade uranium discovery. Figure 2: ATHA Energy 2024 Exploration Program Gantt Chart EXPLORATION OUTLOOK: The Companys core objective is the discovery and development of new and expanded uranium deposits throughout its portfolio of uranium-focused projects. With the acquisition of Latitude Uranium and 92 Energy, ATHAs portfolio now totals 8.4 million acres across Canadas three most prospective jurisdictions for uranium discovery and development. The Companys portfolio is highly diversified across the exploration risk curve. With projects ranging from advanced exploration stage, such as Angilak, which hosts the Lac 50 Deposit one of the largest, highest-grade uranium deposits outside of the Athabasca Basin; to post-discovery projects like Gemini which contains GMZ, a recent shallow, basement-style, high-grade uranium discovery on the eastern margin of the Athabasca Basin; through to highly prospective greenfields projects with numerous uranium occurrences and high-priority derisked geophysical targets. ATHAs exploration approach is designed to provide maximum exploration exposure by investing at scale in a large number of early-stage projects, derisking those targets, and seeking to deliver advanced exploration upside through the expansion of known uranium deposits and additional discoveries. ATHAs growth strategy is fully funded based on the Companys robust cash position. ENGAGEMENT OF CREATIVE DIRECT MARKETING GROUP INC. ATHA is also pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Creative Direct Marketing Group Inc. (CDMG), pursuant to which CDMG will provide certain marketing services to the Company (the CDMG Agreement). The services provided by CDMG will be to publish and distribute information regarding the Company through multiple platforms including digital marketing, email marketing, and by mail campaigns. The term of the CDMG Agreement is for a period of three months starting on the later of May 9, 2024, and the date of acceptance of the TSXV for the CDMG Agreement. Pursuant to the GSM Agreement, an up-front payment of US$87,300 was made May 9, 2024, and further payments of approximately US$680,688 are expected to be made over the 90-day term. As of the date of this news release, the parties are in the initial onboarding and creative production stage. CDMG is a full-service marketing services company based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States founded by Craig Huey, an arms length party to the Company and CDMG and its affiliates do not own any securities of ATHA and to the best of the Companys knowledge CDMG does not intend to acquire any securities of ATHA. None of the Company or its officers are involved, directly, with the creation of the materials distributed by CDMG. The Company will provide CDMG with publicly available source information for their disclosure and the Company will be involved in reviewing the materials for accuracy prior to their dissemination. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Cliff Revering, P.Eng., Vice President, Exploration of ATHA, who is a "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About ATHA ATHA is a Canadian mineral company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium assets in the pursuit of a clean energy future. With a strategically balanced portfolio including three 100%-owned post discovery uranium projects (the Angilak Project located in Nunavut, and CMB Discoveries in Labrador hosting historical resource estimates of 43.3 million lbs and 14.5 million lbs U 3 O 8 respectively, and the newly discovered basement hosted GMZ high-grade uranium discovery located in the Athabasca Basin). In addition, the Company holds the largest cumulative prospective exploration land package (8.4 million acres) in two of the worlds most prominent basins for uranium discoveries - ATHA is well positioned to drive value. ATHA also holds a 10% carried interest in key Athabasca Basin exploration projects operated by NexGen Energy Ltd. and IsoEnergy Ltd. For more information visit www.athaenergy.com. 1,2,3. For more information, please contact: Troy Boisjoli Chief Executive Officer Email: info@athaenergy.com www.athaenergy.com Historical Mineral Resource Estimates All mineral resources estimates presented in this news release are considered to be historical estimates as defined under NI 43-101, and have been derived from the following (See notes below). In each instance, the historical estimate is reported using the categories of mineral resources and mineral reserves as defined by the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Reserves, and mineral reserves at that time, and these historical estimates are not considered by ATHA to be current. In each instance, the reliability of the historical estimate is considered reasonable, but a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource, and ATHA is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The historical information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the properties but may not be representative of expected results. Notes on the Historical Mineral Resource Estimate for the Angilak Deposit: This estimate is considered to be a historical estimate under NI 43-101 and is not considered by any of to be current. See below for further details regarding the historical mineral resource estimate for the Angilak Property. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by geology, environment, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant issues. The quality and grade of the reported inferred resource in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured resource category. Contained value metals may not add due to rounding. A 0.2% U3O8 cut-off was used. The mineral resource estimate contained in this press release is considered to be historical estimates as defined under NI 43-101 and is not considered to be current. The historical estimate is derived from a Technical Report entitled Technical Report and Resource Update For The Angilak Property, Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada, prepared by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol. of APEX Geosciences, Robert Sim, B.Sc., P.Geo. of SIM Geological Inc. and Bruce Davis, Ph.D., FAusIMM of BD Resource Consulting Inc., dated March 1, 2013 for ValOre Metals Corp. As disclosed in the above noted technical report, the historical estimate was prepared under the direction of Robert Sim, P.Geo, with the assistance of Dr. Bruce Davis, FAusIMM, and consists of three-dimensional block models based on geostatistical applications using commercial mine planning software. The project limits area based in the UTM coordinate system (NAD83 Zone14) using nominal block sizes measuring 5x5x5m at Lac Cinquante and 5x3x3 m (LxWxH) at J4. Grade (assay) and geological information is derived from work conducted by Kivalliq during the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 field seasons. A thorough review of all the 2013 resource information and drill data by a Qualified Person, along with the incorporation of subsequent exploration work and results, which includes some drilling around the edges of the historical resource subsequent to the publication of the 2013 technical report, would be required in order to verify the Angilak Property historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The historical mineral resource estimate was calculated in accordance with NI 43-101 and CIM standards at the time of publication and predates the current CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May, 2014) and CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves Best Practices Guidelines (November, 2019). A thorough review of all historical data performed by a Qualified Person, along with additional exploration work to confirm results would be required to produce a current mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. Notes on the Historical Mineral Resource Estimate for the Moran Lake Deposit: Jeffrey A. Morgan, P.Geo. and Gary H. Giroux, P.Eng. completed a NI 43-101 technical report titled Form 43-101F1 Technical Report on the Central Mineral Belt (CMB) Uranium Project, Labrador, Canada, Prepared for Crosshair Exploration & Mining Corp. and dated July 31, 2008, with an updated mineral resource estimate for the Moran Lake C-Zone along with initial mineral resources for the Armstrong and Area 1 deposits. They modelled three packages in the Moran Lake Upper C-Zone (the Upper C Main, Upper C Mylonite, and Upper C West), Moran Lake Lower C-Zone, two packages in Armstrong (Armstrong Z1 and Armstrong Z3), and Trout Pond. These mineral resources are based on 3D block models with ordinary kriging used to interpolate grades into 10 m x 10 m x 4 m blocks. A cut-off grade of 0.015% U3O8 was used for all zones other than the Lower C Zone which employed a cut-off grade of 0.035%. A thorough review of all historical data performed by a Qualified Person, along with additional exploration work to confirm results, would be required to produce a current mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 standards. Notes on the Historical Mineral Resource Estimate for the Anna Lake Deposit: The mineral resource estimate contained in this table is considered to be a historical estimate as defined under NI 43-101, and is not considered to be current and is not being treated as such. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources. A qualified person would need to review and verify the scientific information and conduct an analysis and reconciliation of historical drill and geological data in order to verify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Reported by Bayswater Uranium Corporation in a Technical Report entitled Form 43-101 Technical Report on the Anna Lake Uranium Project, Central Mineral Belt, Labrador, Canada, prepared by R. Dean Fraser, P.Geo. and Gary H. Giroux, P.Eng., dated September 30, 2009. A 3-dimensional geologic model of the deposit was created for the purpose of the resource estimate using the Gemcom/Surpac modeling software. A solid model was created using a minimum grade x thickness cutoff of 3 meters grading 0.03% U3O8. Intersections not meeting this cutoff were generally not incorporated into the model. The shell of this modeled zone was then used to constrain the mineralization for the purpose of the block model. Assay composites 2.5 meters in length that honoured the mineralized domains were used to interpolate grades into blocks using ordinary kriging. An average specific gravity of 2.93 was used to convert volumes to tonnes. The specific gravity data was acquired in-house and consisted of an average of seventeen samples collected from the mineralised section of the core. The resource was classified into Measured, Indicated or Inferred using semi-variogram ranges applied to search ellipses. All resources estimated at Anna Lake fall under the Inferred category due to the wide spaced drill density. An exploration program would need to be conducted, including twinning of historical drill holes in order to verify the Anna Lake Project estimate as a current mineral resource. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to ATHAs proposed exploration program, including statements with respect to the expected benefits of ATHAs proposed exploration program, any results that may be derived from ATHAs proposed exploration program, the timing, scope, nature, breadth and other information related to ATHAs proposed exploration program, any results that may be derived from the diversification of ATHAs portfolio, the successful integration of the businesses of ATHA, Latitude Uranium and 92 Energy, the prospects of ATHAs projects, including mineral resources estimates and mineralization of each project, the prospects of ATHAs business plans and any expectations with respect to defining mineral resources or mineral reserves on any of ATHAs projects, and any expectation with respect to any permitting, development or other work that may be required to bring any of the projects into development or production. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at the time, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such assumptions include, but are not limited to, assumptions that the anticipated benefits of ATHAs proposed exploration program will be realized, that no additional permit or licenses will be required in connection with ATHAs exploration programs, the ability of ATHA to complete its exploration activities as currently expected and on the current anticipated timelines, including ATHAs proposed exploration program, that ATHA will be able to execute on its current plans, that ATHAs proposed explorations will yield results as expected, the synergies between ATHA, 92 Energy and Latitude Uraniums assets, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although each of ATHA and 92E have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such statements represent the current view of ATHA with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by ATHA, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: inability of ATHA to realize the benefits anticipated from the exploration and drilling targets described herein or elsewhere; in ability of ATHA to complete current exploration plans as presently anticipated or at all; inability for ATHA to economically realize on the benefits, if any, derived from the exploration program; failure to complete business plans as it currently anticipated; overdiversification of ATHAs portfolio; failure to realize on benefits, if any, of a diversified portfolio; unanticipated changes in market price for ATHA shares; changes to ATHAs current and future business and exploration plans and the strategic alternatives available thereto; growth prospects and outlook of the business of ATHA; any impacts of COVID-19 on the business of ATHA and the ability to advance the Company projects and its proposed exploration program; risks inherent in mineral exploration including risks related worker safety, weather and other natural occurrences, accidents, availability of personnel and equipment, and other factors; aboriginal title; failure to obtain regulatory and permitting approvals; no known mineral resources/reserves; reliance on key management and other personnel; competition; changes in laws and regulations; uninsurable risks; delays in governmental and other approvals, community relations; stock market conditions generally; demand, supply and pricing for uranium; and general economic and political conditions in Canada, Australia and other jurisdictions where ATHA conducts business. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the filings of ATHA with the Canadian securities regulators which are available on ATHAs profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. ATHA does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1bb494b9-2fe0-4103-bb03-e83ff3629175 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/18704668-5e02-411d-abcf-fbc0bf0d9869 Schaumburg, IL, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery is pleased to open registration for its 2024 ASDS Annual Meeting at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 17-20. This is the premier educational conference for dermatologic surgeons specializing in cosmetic, reconstruction and skin cancer procedures. The 2024 ASDS Annual Meeting, led by Work Group Chairs Drs. Rebecca Kazin and Kishwer Nehal, will feature over 90 educational sessions with 39 presenting all new content. This conference will offer more live patient demonstrations than ever before all included with the general registration fee. "The ASDS Annual Meeting is an unmatched educational experience for dermatologic surgeons of all career levels to learn about the latest research, procedural techniques and technologies for both reconstructive and cosmetic dermatology," said ASDS President Seth L. Matarasso, MD. "Each year, attendee feedback emphasizes the quality of networking this meeting offers. The agenda will include many opportunities for attendees to expand their social capital and build lifelong connections with peers, mentors and industry representatives." Hands-on Workshops and Demonstrations The expert-level procedural education is a primary reason dermatologic surgeons return to the ASDS Annual Meeting each year. All five live patient demonstrations are included with registration, and five additional hands-on workshops and cadaver labs provide a safe space for attendees to refine their skills. Skin Cancer / Reconstruction Hands-on Cadaver Lab: Advanced Surgical Reconstruction NEW! Hard Procedures: Live Demonstrations on Cadaveric Specimens Hands-on Workshop: Residents and Fellows-in-Training Surgical Skills Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Pre-conference Workshop: Chemical Peels Pre-conference Hands-on Cadaver Lab: Facial Anatomy for Cosmetic Injections NEW! Pre-conference: Hands-on Workshop: Energy-Based Devices Live Demonstrations: Rejuvenation without Fillers or Toxins Live Demonstrations: Advanced Injection Techniques On the Face Live Demonstrations: Advanced Injection Techniques Off the Face Patient Demonstrations: Chairside with Experts ASDS is definitely a great organization, and the meetings are always well organized with excellent speakers who really are experts in the field. You can always rely on very high quality content. Charisse McCall, DO Special Lectures and Plenary Sessions Main sessions returning in 2024 include several attendee favorites that present real challenges, offer solutions that optimize patient safety and discuss new initiatives for the upcoming year: Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Pearls Breaking Bad Skin Cancer and Reconstruction Pearls Vic Narurkar, MD, Innovations in Aesthetic Dermatology Lecture ASDS/A Annual Membership Meeting Iron Surgeon Lawrence Field, MD, Honorary Lecture Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Complications Skin Cancer and Reconstruction Complications There are great pearls in the plenary sessions. It's a great time to see how people are actually functioning in their daily practice. Rachel Pritzker, MD Practice Management Sessions Many physicians bring their office staff to the conference for sessions that cover a range of practice management topics through candid discussions on real-world situations. Non-clinical office staff is welcome at unrestricted sessions, the Exhibit Hall and networking receptions. NEW! The Advantages and Disadvantages of Joining a Private Equity Group The Advantages and Disadvantages of Joining a Private Equity Group Diversity, Equity and Inclusion NEW! From Zero to Hero: Tips to Improve Your Patient Satisfaction From Zero to Hero: Tips to Improve Your Patient Satisfaction NEW! Predicting the Future and Preparing a Plan: A Framework for Seeing the Big Picture Predicting the Future and Preparing a Plan: A Framework for Seeing the Big Picture Girl Boss: What it Takes to Be a Successful Female Dermatologic Surgeon In and Out of the Office Better Call Saul (a session on how and when people were victims of fraud in their office) NEW! Social Media Do's and Dont's Networking Opportunities Beyond the tangible skills, this meeting provides a forum for attendees to enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded peers, converse with pioneers in the specialty and establish connections with representatives of products and services that will enhance their day-to-day operations. Industry Organized Hot Topic Events Four unopposed networking breaks plus lunches to visit industry companies in the Exhibit Hall Welcome Reception Networking Reception Resident Networking Event Resident Reception 17th Annual ASDS Gala I've been coming to this conference for at least 20 years, and it has been a great boost for my career. Keeping in touch with my colleagues and finding out what other people are doing in the field has been one of the best ways to learn about different practices, new technologies and how people are using new devices. Michele Grodberg, MD Online Registration The registration fee for ASDS members is $899 through Sept. 1 an $800 savings from non-member pricing. Visit asds.net/Annual-Meeting for the full agenda, registration information and hotel details. Contact education@asds.net with questions. # # # About the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) is the largest specialty organization exclusively representing dermatologic surgeons who have the unique training and experience required to treat the health, function and beauty of patients skin, hair and nails. ASDS members are pioneers in the field, often involved in clinical studies that substantiate popular procedures to revitalize and repair skin, enhance skin care devices and improve standard techniques. Dermatologic surgeons are also experts in skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment. As the incidence of skin cancer rises, dermatologic surgeons are committed to spreading sun safety awareness to minimize the life-threatening effects of this disease. For more information, visit asds.net. For physician news, follow ASDS Members on Facebook , X (Twitter) , Instagram , Threads , LinkedIn and YouTube . For patient education, follow ASDS Skin MD on Facebook , X (Twitter) , Instagram , Threads , YouTube and TikTok . Locate a dermatologic surgeon in your area: asds.net/find Attachment SAO PAULO, Brazil, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PagBrasil , a leading fintech company that processes digital payments for businesses worldwide, today announced an updated version of its subscription platform, PagStream. This intelligent subscription management solution enables local and international retailers that sell goods and services in Brazil to provide the means to have more predictable revenue by building customer loyalty and enhancing the growth of their businesses. PagStream allows store owners to create a new business model, without a large investment and with superior profitability. Retailers can create flexible and personalized payment plans; recurring billing with several alternative payment methods; a promotions engine, allowing the merchant to easily set up automated and personalized campaigns to offer discounts, free shipping, and much more; and an exclusive subscriber portal, where merchants can easily make changes to their subscription plans. Merchants can also send personalized payment reminders and intelligent retry billing, which has been shown to reduce subscription cancellation by up to seventy percent. Tiago Alvisi, E-commerce Director at Coffee++, a renowned Brazilian business for premium coffee, says, PagBrasil presented us with a sustainable technology platform that enabled us to offer convenience for our customers who want to purchase our coffee every month. But we know that e-commerce makes personal and physical contact with the customer unfeasible, so the PagStream subscription solution is also a way of creating closeness with the consumer. Ralf Germer, CEO and co-founder of PagBrasil, says that although the subscription business has gained ground in Brazil with the high adoption of segments such as streaming, ...it is still a small portion of the market segment when compared to North American countries: while the national market revenues for subscription services are around R$1 billion a year, in the USA it is around R$ 50 billion. One of the main factors that sustain this discrepancy is the lack of sophisticated solutions adapted for the Brazilian market. While the USA and Europe have dozens of subscription solutions, in Brazil, some of the available models require a lot of work to manage. If something is not automated, there is a risk of human error, and the larger the business, the more scalable the loss will be, continues Germer. In a subscription club, the acquisition and retention of new customers involves the experience element, meaning the brands need to think of new ways to add value to the delivery of products and how to create a deeper connection with their users. It is no longer enough to just offer exclusivity and special discounts. Brazilians want to be part of an exclusive circle of subscription customers to have access to the store's latest news and that feeling of belonging to the group and that is what we are striving to achieve with PagStream, says Germer. PagStream supports any monetization model but is preferable for businesses with recurring payment frameworks. Whether a business is a streaming platform, an e-learning website, a subscription box, or any business that sells services or goods, businesses can benefit from this comprehensive subscription solution. PagStream is PCI-compliant, offering businesses and their customers the highest safety standards. The technology also integrates with several e-commerce platforms, including Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Shopify, and Vtex, in addition to being offered via API integration or payment link. About PagBrasil Headquartered in Porto Alegre, with offices in Sao Paulo, Barcelona, and Singapore, PagBrasil is a technology company that processes digital payments for merchants around the world. Created in 2011, by partners Alex Hoffmann and Ralf Germer, the company has integration with all the main payment methods in the country and is a partner of the main e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, Salesforce, and VTEX. PagBrasil has been a pioneer in creating innovative technologies that add value for merchants and consumers. For example, PagBrasil offers International Pix, which allows Brazilians to pay with Pix abroad. In 2023, we were the first company to enable payments via Pix in physical stores abroad, in countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. Other products in the company's portfolio are PagStream, an intelligent subscription management platform; PagShield, anti-fraud with machine learning. Among the company's clients, the following stand out: Tramontina, Samsung, ConectCar and Samsonite. Contact: Michele Nachum michele@firecrackerpr.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc3ca017-d1c4-428b-9bcd-744a62883729 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a7df2ca5-06a5-4e46-94ad-3375d909e264 NOTTINGHAM, Pa., June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Herr Foods Inc ., Pennsylvania's cherished local snack maker, is thrilled to introduce their latest chip flavors, inviting everyone to buy, try, and vote to help crown the winner of the Flavored by Philly Contest. Building on the resounding success of year two of the contest, Herr's is once again putting the focus on the local small businesses that infuse Philadelphia with its distinctive culinary character through the Flavored by Philly Local Eats contest. The Flavored by Philly contest celebrates Philadelphia's unique flavors, a testament to community support, and a platform for creating cherished snack-time memories. Flavored by Philly represents Herrs newest line of limited-time chip flavors, each a homage to the distinctive tastes of Philadelphia. These three finalist flavors are available for tasting and voting starting today until August 9, wherever Herrs chips are sold. This year's contest garnered nearly 1051 submissions, featuring a delectable array of flavors ranging from sweet to savory. Ed Herr, Chairman and CEO of Herrs, shared his thoughts on the contest, expressing, "Herrs has deep roots in Philly, and we are thrilled to showcase other small businesses and their distinctive flavors through the Flavored by Philly contest." He added, "Through the Flavored by Philly contest, we wanted to highlight small businesses and their unique flavors to give the people of our community a memorable experience they could truly savor. It was a challenging decision to narrow down to just three finalists, but we're huge fans of these three offerings and can't wait to hear the public's reaction to the flavor combination of these signature dishes with our chips." The three small business finalists offering their big flavors for tasting and voting include: Tallutos: Cheese Ravioli and Marinara (Philadelphia, PA) - Tallutos, a pasta pioneer since 1967, presents a mouthwatering combination of robust cheese ravioli and bright marinara sauce, delivering an irresistible flavor experience. Mom Moms Kitchen: Potato Pierogi (Philadelphia, PA) - Mom Moms Kitchen, known for its homemade comfort food, presents a delightful blend of sweet, creamy, and tangy flavors with its signature potato pierogi. Romanos Stromboli: Special Hot (Philadelphia, PA) - Romanos Stromboli, a Philadelphia institution since 1950, offers a savory fusion of cheese, heat, and tradition, encapsulating the essence of the city in every bite. Herrs, a brand deeply rooted in the Philadelphia community, is proud to support and honor local small food businesses through the Flavored by Philly contest. These new flavors are now available at major retailers, retailing for $2.69 (2.375oz) and $4.99 (7.375oz). Herrs invites everyone to try all three flavors and cast their votes for their favorite at campaign.rtm.com/flavoredbyphilly until August 9th, 2024. The individual who nominated the winning flavor will receive a $5,000 prize, while the small business behind the flavor will win $10,000. For more information about Herrs and their variety of flavors visit herrs.com . Follow Herr's on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram to receive announcements on all the exciting new flavors and more. A link to the campaign imagery can be found here . #FlavoredbyPhilly ### About Herrs Made from the finest ingredients available and always bursting with flavor, Herrs snacks have been giving people something to smile about since 1946, when Jim Herr started his own snack company. Based in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where visitors are welcomed to its Visitor Center and Snack Factory, Herrs produces more than 300 snack products in nine product categories and continues to be family-owned and operated. www.herrs.com Attachment Dublin, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Employee Benefits in Norway 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report provides in-depth industry analysis, information, and insights of the employee benefits in Norway, including an overview of the state and compulsory benefits in Norway, detailed information about the private benefits in Norway, insights on various central institutions responsible for the administration of the different branches of social security and the regulatory framework of the employee benefits in Norway. The Norwegian employee benefits market is predominantly controlled by the public social security system; however, the growth of labor-intensive industries has fuelled the growth of the country's private benefits market over the last decade. The public social security system, which is supervised by the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration (Arbeids- og velferdsetaten; NAV), plays a significant role in the country's welfare system and is responsible for providing general social insurance schemes to the citizens of Norway. The main general social insurance schemes are the National Insurance Scheme, and the Family Allowance Scheme, and the Scheme provides cash benefits for families, with small children also contributing to the overall development of the country's social welfare system. The NAV was established on July 1, 2006. Key Highlights The Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration, the Health Economic Administration, the Ministry of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion, the National Office for Social Insurance Abroad, The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and The Ministry of Health and Care Services are responsible for the functioning of the overall social security system. A person's national insurance contribution is determined based on their income. An insured person who is unemployed or unable to work and whose benefits have been exhausted is entitled to credited contribution. In Norway, employers provide voluntary retirement benefits to their employees through occupational pension schemes, pension funds and group insurance contracts Scope It offers a detailed analysis of the key government-sponsored employee benefits, along with private benefits It covers an exhaustive list of employee benefits, including retirement benefits, death in service, long-term disability benefits, medical benefits, workmen's compensation insurance, maternity and paternity benefits, family benefits, unemployment, minimum resources, long term care, leaves and holidays and private benefits It highlights the economic and regulatory situations relating to employee benefits in Norway Reasons to Buy Make strategic decisions using in-depth information related to employee benefits in the country Assess employee benefits of the market, including state and compulsory benefits and private benefits Gain insights into the key employee benefit schemes offered by private employers in the country Gain insights into key organizations governing employee benefits market, and their impact on companies Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 What is this Report about? 2.2 Definitions 3. Country Statistics 4. Overview of Employee Benefits in Norway 5. Regulations 6. State and Compulsory Benefits 6.1 Retirement Benefits Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.2 Death in Service Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.3 Long-Term Disability Benefits Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.4 Short-Term Sickness Benefits Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.5 Medical Benefits Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.6 Workers' Compensation insurance Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.7 Maternity and Paternity Benefits Introduction Eligibility Benefits Payment options Contribution 6.8 Other Benefits Family Benefits Unemployment benefits Long - term care Benefits Minimum Resources Benefits Leaves and Holidays 7. Private Benefits 7.1 Retirement Benefits 7.2 Death Benefits 7.3 Disability Benefits 7.4 Medical Benefits 7.5 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Benefits 7.6 Other Benefits For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b5jenr About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. TORONTO, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This summer, Coors Light, the chill choice for lifes most refreshing moments, is setting out to Fix Tixflation by helping address the inaccessible and often unaffordable concert ticket resale market. Starting on World Music Day (June 21, 2024), Coors Light will rescue overpriced and in-demand concert tickets from verified resellers and put them back into the hands of Canadian music lovers coast to coast. According to a Maru Public Opinion survey on behalf of Coors Light, 3 out of 4 Canadians 19+** agree its harder than ever to get concert tickets, while 60 per cent believe they cant even afford to see their favourite artists perform. As more tickets hit an opportunistic resale market, 71 per cent of those Canadians over 19 have revealed they dont even want to consider buying from resellers or reselling platforms, increasing the stakes for a small pool of regularly released tickets. Music is the universal language of chill, but trying to get tickets to see your favourite artist live in concert has become anything but. As demand for live music experiences increases, the highly competitive resale market leaves concert tickets out of reach for many Canadian music fans. Were seeing tickets marked up by more than double the original price158 per cent on average1leaving Canadians priced out and locked out of seeing their favourite artists live. I think we can all agree, there is nothing quite like the transcendent experience of live music, but unfortunately, its become an inaccessible and unaffordable experience for so many Canadians, said Leslie Malcolm, Vice President Marketing, Canada, Molson Coors Beverage Company. As the brand known for celebrating those who make the chill choice to embrace the moment, it doesnt sit right with us that experiencing the universal language of chill music has become so out of reach. With the Fix Tixflation campaign and our wider emphasis on music this summer, were excited to help Canadians access the artists they love and embrace unforgettable moments of chill to make this summer one to remember. Beginning June 21 at 9:00 a.m. EDT, Coors Light will give Canadians a chance to score a pair of tickets to some of the most highly anticipated summer concerts, including The Rolling Stones, Niall Horan, Missy Elliott, P!nk, and more. Throughout the summer, the Fix Tixflation website will unlock, giving eligible Canadians of legal drinking age 72 hours to enter for a chance* at tickets. To stay up to date with the schedule and for more information on Fix Tixflation, visit fixtixflation.ca . *Must be legal drinking age. No purchase is necessary. Prize does not include transportation or accommodation. Mathematical skill-testing question applies. For full contest details, visit fixtixflation.ca . About Molson Coors Beverage Company For more than two centuries, Molson Coors has brewed beverages that unite people for all life's moments. From Coors Light, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian, Carling, Madri Excepcional and Staropramen to Coors Original, Blue Moon Belgian White, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Vizzy Hard Seltzer, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Simply Spiked Lemonade, ZOA Energy, Blue Run Spirits, Creemore Springs and more, Molson Coors produces some of the most beloved and iconic brands in the beverage industry. While the company's history is rooted in beer, Molson Coors offers a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle with energy drinks, bottled spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails, cider and more. To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com . Survey Methodology This Maru Public Opinion survey conducted on behalf of Coors Light was undertaken by the sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue . 1,520 randomly selected Canadian adults who are 19+** years old and a Maru Voice Canada online panelists were surveyed from May 24th to May 27th 2024. The results of this study have been weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding. For more information, contact: Tiffany Luong Molson Coors tiffany.luong@molsoncoors.com Olivia Lazazzera Citizen Relations olivia.lazazzera@citizenrelations.com 1 Concert ticket promoters are leaving money on the table. Smart Pricer, smart-pricer.com/concert-ticket-promoters-are-leaving-money-on-the-table A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a6d3ad9-7a78-41c4-8ec7-461615567592 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70a83e23-9703-4787-86a8-9ca4546c1a13 Dublin, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Austria Defense Market - Size and trends, budget allocation, regulations, key acquisitions, competitive landscape and forecast, 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report covers industry analysis including the key market drivers, emerging technology trends, and major challenges faced by market participants. It also offers insights regarding key factors and government programs that are expected to influence the demand for military platforms over the forecast period. Austrian defense spending, as with many other European nations, has seen an appreciable uptick as the crisis in continental security stemming from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Austria is not a member of NATO, however it is an EU member, and still contributes to European security initiatives through the EU as well as other organizations like the OSCE and the UN. Being a formally neutral nation also comes with its own implications for security and defense: Austria maintains a small but well-equipped and highly professional standing army, alongside a robust system of 'people's militia' reserve forces - all males aged 18-35 must complete a minimum of 6 month's military service, or 9 months in 'alternative public service' for objectors. Those who have completed training are eligible to be called up again in times of national emergency. In response to the deteriorating security environment, Austria is beginning to modernise aspects of its existing forces as well as expanding to newer capabilities, such as new medium and long-range air defense systems. It is increasing the mechanisation of its forces with additional orders of Pandur APCs, and will begin seeking a replacement for its Eurofighter combat jet fleet in the coming years, alongside other purchases such as new helicopters from Augusta Westland (Leonardo). Whilst total spending had a historic tendency to fluctuate, since 2022 Austria has seen consistent increases in defense spending, and this is anticipated to continue through until 2029, where spending peaks at $5.8 billion. Key Highlights Drivers of Defense expenditure include Russia, Ukraine and European Security, tensions in the Middle East, and military technology and rearmament Major ongoing procurement program include procurement of long and medium-range air defense systems. Who Should Buy Defence Startups, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Defence Planners, Aerospace and Defence Integrators, Venture Capital Firms, Government Agencies, Head of Marketing, Head of Sales, CEOs and Senior Executives. The concerned stakeholders can utilize the report to identify high growth segments and customize their offerings to match the project requirements. The Venture Capital Firms can utilize the project details, growth rate, and market size to identify and fund high potential startups. Scope Austria defense budget: detailed analysis of Austria 2024 defense budget broken down into market size and market share. This is coupled with an examination of key current and future acquisitions. Regulation: the procurement policy and process is explained. This is coupled with an analysis of Austria military doctrine and strategy to provide a comprehensive overview of Austria military procurement regulation. Security Environment: political alliances and perceived security threats to Austria are examined; there help to explain trends in spending and modernisation. Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of Austria defense industry. Reasons to Buy Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the Austria defense market over the next five years Gain in-depth understanding about the underlying factors driving demand for different defense and internal security segments in the Austria market and identify the opportunities offered. Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, market trends, and the latest technological developments, among others Identify the major threats that are driving the Austria defense market providing a clear picture about future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion Channel resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the Austria government Make correct business decisions based on in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape consisting of detailed profiles of the top defense equipment providers in the country. The company profiles also includes information about the key products, alliances, recent contract awarded, and financial analysis, wherever available Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Defense Budget Assessment Budgeting Process Defense Market Size Historic And Forecast Drivers Of Defense Expenditure Analysis of Defense Expenditure Allocation Analysis Of Defense Budget Allocation Key Market Trends and Insights Military Doctrine And Security Environment Military Doctrine And Strategy Strategic Alliances and Geopolitics Political, Social and Economic Scenario Market Entry Strategy And Regulations Defense Procurement Bodies Funding Opportunities Trade Associations and Defense Clusters Types of Contracts and Opportunities How is the Procurement Procedure Decided? Types of Procurement Procedure Procurement Policy and Market Regulations Market Entry Routes Key Challenges Major Deals and M&A Market Attractiveness And Emerging Opportunities Market Attractiveness By Defense Sector Top Sectors in the South Korea Defense Market Top Defense Segments By Value Defense Platforms Import and Export Dynamics Defense Platforms Import Dynamics Defense Platforms Export Dynamics Defense Platform Acquisitions Defense Platform Acquisitions By Value Long-range Air Defense System IRIS-T SLS/M Missile Defence System Pandur 6x6 Evo Tactical Trucks C-390 Millenium Fleet Size Army Air Force Competitive Landscape Defense Companies Operating In Austria Main Defense Companies Fleet Size Army Air Force Competitive Landscape Defense Companies Operating In Austria Main Defense Companies Appendix A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to: Fischer Advanced Composite Components AG Kapsch TrafficCom AG Frequentis AG A3 Avionics GmbH Atlas Aerospace GmbH Avcon Jet AG Carbon Soltions Hintsteiner GmbH Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH ESL Advanced Information Technology GmbH FACC AG Franz Achleitner Fahrzegba und ReifenZentrum GMBH Glock GesmbH Hirtenberger AG Hirtenbrger Defence Europe GmbH HPI High Pressure Instrumentation Gesellschaft mbH ISSC Handels GmbH Madritsch KG Photonic Optische Gerate GmbH & Co KG Raytech Vertriebs GmbH Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Arges GmbH Rohde & Schwarz Austria Gesellschaft mbH Schiebel Corp Steyr Mannlicher Gmbh Steyr Motors Betriebs GmbH Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH Thales Austria GmbH Embraer SA Diehl Defence GmbH Rheinmetall GmbH Leonardo SpA For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r2z9lp 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. Dublin, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Animal Disinfectant Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Alcohol-based Disinfectant, Iodine-containing Disinfectant), Form (Liquid, Powder), Application, Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global animal disinfectant market size is expected to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period. The key factors driving the industry growth include the rising prevalence of infectious diseases in animals, development of sustainable animal disinfectants, a high emphasis on animal welfare and biosecurity measures, and supportive government initiatives. For instance, in May 2023, India-UK signed a partnership agreement to address farmed animal diseases and health. The partnership aims to develop new technologies and products to prevent and control animal diseases, including the development of new disinfectants. The partnership is also expected to drive innovation in the market, leading to the development of new and more effective products. Rising prevalence of Transboundary Animal Diseases (TAD) like avian influenza is a significant growth driver for the animal disinfectants industry. As of July 12, 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that avian influenza outbreaks continue to spread, with 14 countries reporting outbreaks mainly in the Americas. The disease has caused devastation in animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals. Disinfection plays a crucial role in biosecurity measures aimed at controlling diseases, making it an important aspect of farm management. Its primary objective is to eradicate disease-causing pathogens effectively. Furthermore, governments and international organizations are encouraging countries to work together across sectors to save as many animals as possible and to prevent the spread of the disease. The use of biosecurity measures, including disinfection procedures, is being promoted to reduce the introduction and spread of animal diseases. Thus, the impact of avian influenza outbreaks on the market has been significant, with increased demand for disinfectants to prevent the spread of the disease. The market is characterized by intense competition, with numerous prominent players involved in the industry. Major companies such as Albert Kerbel; Delaval Inc.; Ecolab; PCC Group; G Sheperdanimal Health; Sanosil; Diversey Holdings and Fink Tech actively engage in strategies to enhance their market presence. These strategies include expanding production capabilities through partnerships and agreements, along with introducing new products driven by substantial research and development (R&D) efforts. Animal Disinfectant Market Report Highlights By product, the iodine-containing disinfectant segment dominated with a share of about 23.05% in 2023. Growing awareness of waterborne diseases and the essential need for a sanitary water supply are contributing to the rising demand for iodine-based disinfectants. The quaternary ammonium compounds segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of around 9% from 2024 to 2030. Since, quaternary ammonium-based disinfectants are often available in ready-to-use formulations or as concentrates that can be easily diluted. Their ease of application makes them convenient for use in various settings within the animal sector, from veterinary clinics to livestock farms. Based on animal type, the livestock animal segment attributed to largest revenue share in 2023. The companion animal segment, on the other hand, is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2024 to 2030. Livestock animals possess high disease risk, economic impact, regulatory requirements, diverse applications, and focus on biosecurity collectively contribute to the dominance of the livestock animal segment. By form, the liquid segment held the highest revenue share in 2023. Other of disinfectant such as disinfectant wipes are estimated to grow at fastest CAGR in the coming years. By application, the dairy farming segment held the highest revenue share in 2023. Other application segment, which includes pet disinfectants is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2024 to 2030. Europe held the largest revenue share of about 39.87% of market in 2023. On other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of about 9.30% in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of biosecurity measures and disinfection protocols not only for human health but also for animal health. Concerns about zoonotic diseases and the potential for disease transmission between humans and animals underscore the need for effective disinfection practices in animal-related settings. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 150 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $3.56 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $5.9 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.5% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. Animal Disinfectant Market Variables, Trends, & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Drivers Analysis 3.2.1.1. Rising Government Initiatives 3.2.1.2. Increasing Number of Animal Farms and Awareness Regarding Animal Cleanliness 3.2.1.3. Growing Animal Disease Outbreak 3.2.1.4. Increasing Livestock Population and Demand for Dairy Products 3.2.2. Market Restraints Analysis 3.2.2.1. Lack of Awareness Among Farmers in Developing Countries 3.2.2.2. High Cost of Developing Disinfectant and Stringent Regulatory Guidelines 3.2.3. Market Opportunity Analysis 3.2.4. Market Challenges Analysis 3.3. Animal Disinfectant Market Analysis Tools 3.4. COVID-19 Analysis 3.5. Estimated Pet Population, by Key Countries Chapter 4. Animal Disinfectant Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1. Segment Dashboard 4.2. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Movement Analysis 4.3. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Product, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 4.4. Alcohol-based Disinfectant 4.5. Iodine-containing Disinfectant 4.6. Aldehyde Disinfectant 4.7. Peroxide Disinfectant 4.8. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds 4.9. Lactic Acid Disinfectant 4.10. Others Chapter 5. Animal Disinfectant Market: Animal Type Estimates & Trend Analysis 5.1. Segment Dashboard 5.2. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Movement Analysis 5.3. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Animal Type, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 5.4. Companion Animal 5.5. Livestock Animal Chapter 6. Animal Disinfectant Market: Form Estimates & Trend Analysis 6.1. Segment Dashboard 6.2. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Movement Analysis 6.3. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Form, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 6.4. Liquid 6.5. Powder 6.6. Other Chapter 7. Animal Disinfectant Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis 7.1. Segment Dashboard 7.2. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Movement Analysis 7.3. Global Animal Disinfectant Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Application, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million) 7.4. Dairy Farming 7.5. Poultry Farm 7.6. Aquaculture 7.7. Swine 7.8. Equine 7.9. Other Chapter 8. Animal Disinfectant Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis 8.1. Regional Dashboard 8.2. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analysis, 2018 to 2030 North America Chapter 9. Competitive Landscape 9.1. Market Participant Categorization 9.2. Company Market Position Analysis/Heap Map Analysis 9.3. Estimated Company Market Share Analysis, 2023 9.4. Strategy Mapping 9.5. Company Profiles Neogen Corporation Zoetis Inc. Solvay Group Kersia Group Steroplast Healthcare GEA Group Albert Kerbel PCC Group G Sheperdanimal Health Sanosil Delaval Inc. Fink Tech For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u9o1e3 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, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Fruit Juice Market Report by Type, Flavour, Distribution Channel, and Country 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North American fruit juice sector is undergoing a substantial growth period, with market size swelling to USD 39.6 billion as of the year 2023. Industry forecasts are robust, predicting a continued expansion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% from 2023 to 2032, culminating in an expected market value of USD 59.1 billion. The surge in market growth is primarily driven by rising health awareness among consumers, who are now gravitating toward natural beverage options like fruit juices. These shifts in consumer preferences are linked to the numerous health benefits attributed to fruit juices, including their vitamin and mineral content, antioxidant properties, and their role in bolstering the human immune system. Moreover, advancements in technology that allow for the introduction of organic preservatives enhance the appeal of fruit juices. When coupled with modern packaging solutions that cater to consumers' increasingly busy lifestyles, it's clear that the market is riding a wave of both practical innovation and heightened product awareness. Consumer Trends The shift in consumer behavior denotes a significant move away from carbonated drinks toward healthier options. The adoption of fruit juices as a method to improve metabolism and manage cholesterol levels is also noteworthy. Moreover, consumers are showing an inclination towards convenient consumption methods, which is another factor propelling the market growth. Market Segmentation The North America fruit juice market report covers a detailed analysis of the market segmented by type, flavor, and distribution channel, along with projections at both the regional and country levels. Market segments include 100% fruit juices, nectars, juice drinks, concentrates, powdered juices, and others. Popular flavors profiled include orange, apple, mango, mixed fruit, and more, while the distribution channels investigated are supermarkets and hypermarkets, convenience stores, specialty food stores, online retailers, and others. Industry Analysis The report also provides insights into various market stages, from production to retail, and examines key drivers and challenges. It includes an analysis of competitive forces using models such as Porters Five Forces and PESTEL, to give a broader understanding of the industry dynamics. Furthermore, the analysis touches upon government regulations that may impact the market. As for the competitive landscape, the North American fruit juice market is diverse, with a number of key players contributing to the industry's development. The level of competition and profit margins within the industry are also explored, providing a comprehensive overview of the market's economic context. Market Outlook In conclusion, the North American fruit juice market is set for promising growth in the coming years, with consumer demand for healthier beverage options being a prime catalyst. Companies within the market are responding with innovative products that meet the evolving needs and preferences of consumers, positioning the industry for sustained expansion through 2032. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 125 Forecast Period 2023 - 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $39.6 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $59.1 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.5% Regions Covered North America For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fgl113 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment OTTAWA, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is pleased to announce the eight recipients of this years prestigious Canadian Conservation Achievement Awards. These remarkable citizens have shown exceptional commitment, innovation and leadership in their respective fields, making a lasting impact on the conservation landscape. The awards recognize those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to safeguard wildlife and their habitats for the use and enjoyment of all, said Rick Bates, CEO of CWF. Their unwavering dedication and passion serve as an inspiration to us all, reminding us of the power of individual action. We are immensely grateful for their contributions and proud to recognize their outstanding efforts. CWF presented the following awards on June 15 at a ceremony in Moncton, N.B. Stan Hodgkiss Canadian Outdoorsperson of the Year Award: Heather Fraser of Stilesville, N.B. has enjoyed a 40-year career in forestry, fish, wildlife and environmental management. She taught outdoor science-based education, managed forest land and developed a model watershed stewardship program. She collaborated with private landowners and companies to conserve and protect natural resources. She runs a sugar bush operation and recently founded an outdoor guiding and education business called Explore Natures Bounty. I want to share what I have learned with others as I build new nature ambassadors that will appreciate and care for the environment as I do, she said. Roland Michener Conservation Award for Conservation in Action: Ben Mitchell-Banks of Invermere, B.C. has dedicated his personal and professional life to conservation causes. Trained by the F.B.I., he worked in uniform and undercover with the B.C. Conservation Service and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). While no longer in enforcement, he continues to volunteer for many long-term conservation activities. This includes the Abel Creek Culvert Rehabilitation Project which provided kokanee salmon and Rainbow Trout with improved access to spawning habitat. We need to rebuild and repair what we humans have degraded or destroyed; we owe this to the many generations that will follow us, Mitchell-Banks said. Many species are struggling to survive; what may seem like small changes and gains now will be seen as paying big dividends later. Roderick Haig-Brown Award for Conservation through Fisheries: Michael Fralic of Brooklyn, N.S. is president of the Medway River Salmon Association. He has engaged volunteers and corporate partners in many conservation activities along the river. From sludge clean ups to the monitoring of oxygen levels, pH levels and water clarity, he has been a tireless advocate for the restoration of the river. I have always loved all places wild, he said. There are lots of issues and problems but there are solutions if everyone, including DFO, works together. It is unacceptable to do nothing. Wade Luzny Youth Conservation Award: Two Recipients: Adrea Reykdal of East Selkirk, Man. loves ice fishing, camping and helping wildlife. She built and installed a bird nesting box in her yard, she has volunteered to remove black knot, pick up trash and conduct bird surveys for Nightjars and nocturnal owls. She also transplants seedlings and has helped to plan events for youth such as ice fishing on the Red River with the CWF WILD Outside program for 15 to 18 year-olds. Wildlife and nature give me an overall sense of calm and freedom, she said. There is no feeling that compares to waking up by a lake and hearing birds as you watch the sunrise. Brayden Chatlain of Victoria, B.C. is a champion of CWFs WILD Outside youth program for 15 to 18 year-olds. Through this program as well as through school and community groups, hes helped with plant identification, invasive species removal, species monitoring, and native species planting. He also volunteers at a local non-profit aquarium, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, contributing to the efforts to strengthen Chinook Salmon population numbers. Being outdoors has always been very important to me, and being able to couple that with environmental and conservation work has been a great way to give back to nature, he said. loves ice fishing, camping and helping wildlife. She built and installed a bird nesting box in her yard, she has volunteered to remove black knot, pick up trash and conduct bird surveys for Nightjars and nocturnal owls. She also transplants seedlings and has helped to plan events for youth such as ice fishing on the Red River with the CWF WILD Outside program for 15 to 18 year-olds. Wildlife and nature give me an overall sense of calm and freedom, she said. There is no feeling that compares to waking up by a lake and hearing birds as you watch the sunrise. is a champion of CWFs WILD Outside youth program for 15 to 18 year-olds. Through this program as well as through school and community groups, hes helped with plant identification, invasive species removal, species monitoring, and native species planting. He also volunteers at a local non-profit aquarium, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, contributing to the efforts to strengthen Chinook Salmon population numbers. Being outdoors has always been very important to me, and being able to couple that with environmental and conservation work has been a great way to give back to nature, he said. Youth Mentor Award: Lisa Nadon of Breslau, Ont. is a paralegal who spends her free time volunteering with CWFs WILD Outside teen conservation program. She plans events and activities to teach youth outdoor skills like camping and orienteering. She also volunteers with her local trail and recreation associations as well as tree planting group. Through these activities, she inspires others to enjoy and conserve nature and wildlife. Volunteering helps in countless ways, from helping in your community, to educating others about your passion or hobby, to connecting in your community and learning and growing as a person, she said. I love being outdoors. I love educating youth about nature and I love learning from them as well. Robert Bateman Award for Conservation in the Arts: Harrison Burton of Pine Grove, N.S. is an underwater cinematographer, filmmaker and aerial photographer who focuses on the health, well-being, and protection of aquatic environments. His credits include the award-winning documentary Expedition Nictau which explores the wonders and dilemmas facing the lake, located in a New Brunswicks provincial park. Its my belief that visual storytelling and dive exploration, like the work we conducted in Nictau Lake, are a key step in inspiring people to both care and act on protecting these natural spaces for future generations, he said. WILD Educator of the Year Award: Crystal Roberts of Minto, N.B. is a senior experiential learning coordinator for a school district as well as a trained education facilitator with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. She grew up in rural Manitoba but moved to rural New Brunswick in 2019, initially teaching French Immersion before taking on her senior coordinator role in 2021. She uses CWFs WILD Education program to empower other teachers in integrating outdoor learning into their curriculum. I do my best to make sure that learning is fun, and it isnt difficult to make it that way, she said. I want people to see how important this type of education is, but also how much curiosity it can inspire in students and educators. The recipients are featured in the July/August issue of Canadian Wildlife and Biosphere magazines. CWF thanks all the nominees and nominators. Applications for the next Canadian Conservation Achievement Awards will be accepted from Nov. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca/Awards. About the Canadian Wildlife Federation: The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to conserving Canadas wildlife and habitats for the use and enjoyment of all. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on wildlife and the environment, carrying out actions to conserve and restore species and habitats, developing and delivering conservation education programs, advocating for changes to government policy and programs, and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca. Contacts: Heather Robison Media and Community Relations Officer heatherr@cwf-fcf.org 613-599-9594 x 212 or media@cwf-fcf.org Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f65cb247-e874-4eb1-8fa3-7e65ef798a25 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1024bf5d-121b-416f-84bd-c352f72cde4d A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/96541953-381d-47ce-8544-0541a7761124 MINNEAPOLIS, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After a wildly successful launch of Real American Beer in Florida, the premium American-made light lager co-founded by WWE Hall of Fame wrestler and global icon Hulk Hogan is now set to make its highly-anticipated debut in Minnesota on Tuesday, June 18. Minnesota will mark the second launch market of the brand's high-impact summer rollout. Hulk Hogan is returning to Minnesota to celebrate the introduction of Real American Beer to the land of 10,000 lakes at a number of premier local retailers and outlets These events offer Hulkamaniacs and beer lovers a unique opportunity to meet the legendary Hulk Hogan and taste the beer that America has been waiting for. Real American Beer is a premium American-style light lager meticulously brewed with 100% North American ingredients. At 4.2% ABV, it offers an easy-drinking experience, light in body, and a crisp, clean finish. The malt provides a rich golden hue, while the hops ensure a well-balanced taste. "We are thrilled to bring Real American Beer to Minnesota," said Hulk Hogan. "The excitement and reception we've seen so far have been incredible, and I can't wait to share our American-made beer with the fine people of the Twin Cities." Real American Beer is now available at select Minnesota retailers, bars, and restaurants, including Total Wine And More, CUB Liquor White Bear Lake, Big Discount Liquor and G-Will Liquor. Hulk Hogan will be appearing at several on Tuesday, June 18, continuing the remarkable momentum from similar events in Florida last week. "It was a success story for the ages, remarked Chris Arce from Big Daddys Wine & Liquors, a beloved South Florida institution, about the June 13th launch in Hollywood, FL. Couldnt have gone any better from customers/fans showing up hours before the event to wait in linethe word is out that Real American Beer is here to stay. An extensive lineup of Real American Beer merchandise and apparel is also now available for purchase globally from its online store. For more information on Real American Beer, including the full list of launch events and where to buy, visit therealamerican.com and follow @therealamericanbeer on social media. Media Contact: CHICAGO, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovator Capital Management , LLC (Innovator), pioneer and provider of the largest lineup of Defined Outcome ETFs, today announced cap ranges on three new 100% Buffer ETFs set to launch July 1st. Each of the ETFs are designed to provide 100% downside protection with a defined upside to the S&P 500 ETF over a 6-month, 1-year, or 2-year outcome period. Innovator, which launched the industrys first ever 100% Buffer ETF (TJUL) in July of 2023, manages the industrys largest 100% Buffer ETF suite. 100% Buffer ETFs Listing 7/1 Fund Name Ticker SEC Filing Cap Range1 Equity Defined Protection ETF 6mo Jan/Jul JAJL Filing 4.82% to 5.08% Equity Defined Protection ETF 1 Yr July ZJUL Filing 9.23% to 9.68% Equity Defined Protection ETF 2 Yr to July 2026 AJUL Filing 18.01% to 19.29% Innovators Equity Defined Protection ETF 6 mo Jan/Jul (JAJL) will be the industrys first ETF to offer investors 100% downside protection over a 6-month outcome period. JAJLs 6-month cap range represents the potential to significantly outperform cash or short-term bonds, without taking on downside risk. Its ability to deliver tax-deferred growth offers a significant advantage over cash or short-term bonds that get taxed at ordinary income rates. Advisors are struggling to deal with client cash allocations near 30%. Our 100% Buffer ETFs offer a strategy to get this cash off the sidelines by offering 100% downside protection in the event of a market downturn, and upside potential if the market rises. These ETFs also may provide investors with significant tax advantages compared to cash or bonds. Overall, we believe investors are anxious about entering the market at all-time highs, but are also missing out on the markets persistent gains, said Graham Day, CIO at Innovator ETFs. After launching TJUL, the industrys first 100% Buffer ETF, we remain eager and enthusiastic about expanding our lineup and extending our leadership in the space. Beyond the three 100% Buffer ETFs listing on July 1, Innovator has filed and intends to list another eight 100% Buffer ETFs. 1. The estimated cap range is based on the 21 trading days prior to June 14th and is shown gross of the fund's management fee. The cap for each Fund will be set at the beginning of the Outcome Period, and is dependent upon market conditions at that time. Periods of high market volatility could result in higher values, and lower volatility could result in lower values. The Funds are designed to provide equity upside, to a cap, with a 100% downside buffer against SPDR S&P 500 ETF losses, over a six-month, one-year, or two-year outcome period, before fees and expenses. JAJL, ZJUL, AND AJUL ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR TRADING. CLICK THE LINK IN THE TABLE ABOVE FOR THE LATEST SEC FILING. INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. THE FUND HAS FILED A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION BUT IT IS NOT YET EFFECTIVE. AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND CANNOT BE MADE, NOR MONEY ACCEPTED, UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT IS EFFECTIVE. AN INVESTOR SHOULD CONSIDER THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, AND CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING. THE PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS CONTAINS THIS AND OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND AND MUST PRECEDE OR ACCOMPANY THIS COMMUNICATION. THE INFORMATION IN THE PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THE FINAL PROSPECTUS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING. THE FINAL PROSPECTUS, WHEN AVAILABLE, MAY BE OBTAINED BY [CALLING [TELEPHONE NUMBER]/VISITING [WEB ADDRESS]]. THIS COMMUNICATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL FUND SHARES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY FUND SHARES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED. The Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Fund is right for you, please see "Investor Suitability" in the prospectus. The Funds face numerous market trading risks, including active markets risk, authorized participation concentration risk, buffered loss risk, cap change risk, capped upside return risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, management risk, market maker risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, operation risk, options risk, trading issues risk, upside participation risk and valuation risk. For a detailed list of fund risks see the prospectus. There is no guarantee the Fund will be successful in providing the sought-after protection. If the Outcome Period has begun and the Underlying ETF has increased in value, any appreciation of the Fund by virtue of increases in the Underlying ETF since the commencement of the Outcome Period will not be protected by the Buffer, and an investor could experience losses until the Underlying ETF returns to the original price at the commencement of the Outcome Period. Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the "Cap") that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the funds' for the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses. If the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Additionally, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next. The Cap, and the Fund's position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund's website, www.innovatoretfs.com, provides important Fund information as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in a Fund on a daily basis. These Funds are designed to provide point-to-point exposure to the price return of the Reference Asset via a basket of Flex Options. As a result, the ETFs are not expected to move directly in line with the Reference Asset during the interim period. FLEX Options Risk The Fund will utilize FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX Options may be less liquid than standard options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. The values of FLEX Options do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset and may vary due to factors other than the price of reference asset. Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. Innovator ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. The Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses should be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information, and it may be obtained at innovatoretfs.com. Read it carefully before investing. The following marks: Accelerated ETFs, Accelerated Plus ETF, Accelerated Return ETFs, Barrier ETF, Buffer ETF, Defined Outcome Bond ETF, Defined Outcome ETFs, Defined Protection ETF, Define Your Future, Enhanced ETF, Floor ETF, Innovator ETFs, Leading The Defined Outcome ETF Revolution, Managed Buffer ETFs, Managed Outcome ETFs, Step-Up, Step-Up ETFs, Target Protection ETF and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are the trademarks of Innovator Capital Management, LLC, its affiliates or licensors. Use of these terms is strictly prohibited without proper written authorization. Copyright 2024 Innovator Capital Management, LLC | 800.208.5212 | View our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use IGPDecaux wins a 13-year contract for Rome Metro, buses and tramways in Italy Paris, June 17th, 2024 JCDecaux SE (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announces that IGPDecaux has won the Metro, buses and tramways contract in Rome (population: 2.8 million). IGPDecaux is a company that is 60% owned by JCDecaux SE and 40% by the du Chene de Vere family. Following a competitive tender awarded by ATAC, the citys public transport company, thanks to a Project Financing proposal, the 13-year contract covers the upgrade of the Rome Metro Line A through a major regeneration of the stations that will also include the enhancement of the metro's advertising assets (Lines A, B-B1, as well as Line C that had no advertising previously). IGPDecaux will also continue to operate the advertising on Romes buses and tramways. The Rome Metro, buses and tramways carry nearly 2.6 million passengers per day, totalling 940 million each year. This intervention is part of a detailed plan by the Municipality of Rome to enhance the urban environment and introduce innovative services ahead of the Jubilee year in 2025, when millions of pilgrims and tourists are expected to visit Rome and the Vatican City. This contract is based on a hybrid model where Capex will be financed by a public subsidy and through advertising. IGPDecaux will handle the detailed design and requalification works at 4 stations on Line A (Spagna, Ottaviano, Cipro by 2024, and San Giovanni by 2026). For the remaining 23 stations on Line A, IGPDecaux will conduct technical and economic feasibility studies, with ATAC directly carrying out the works. Additionally, IGPDecaux will oversee the artistic direction for all 27 stations, ensuring a cohesive design that will respect each stations unique artistic and structural characteristics while maintaining a consistent stylistic identity. This approach aims to enhance both the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the metro environments for users. The refurbishment will also address wall coverings, which may include cleaning, restoration, and the installation of new materials as needed. Flooring upgrades will feature state-of-the-art, non-slip materials designed for easy maintenance, balancing functionality and design quality. The project also includes technological upgrades and a complete overhaul of the signage system, featuring a uniform design across the entire line. The modernisation of the layout, based on detailed passenger movement analysis, aims to optimise the selection and organisation of information for clear, effective, and accessible communication, while transforming Romes metro into a digital hub. In addition, special pathways will be created to assist visually impaired passengers. This renovation aims to improve the quality of services offered as well as the travel experience of metro users, benefiting both passengers and advertisers with renovated environments and more innovative and impactful advertising installations. The new layout, which also covers the B-B1 and C lines in addition to the A line, includes the high-profile digitisation of advertising sites, including more than 60 cross-track digital screens, over 166 iVision digital screens with increased station coverage, and the installation of LED wall systems of various sizes to create immersive areas in the mezzanine/lobby level of Spagna and Cipro stations. More than 300 analog spaces in a variety of different formats complete the metros offering. In line with JCDecauxs Climate strategy targeting Net Zero Carbon by 2050, Romes Metro contract aims to reduce carbon emissions through the use of renewable energy in the production phase (indirect emissions) and the power used by these newly installed virtuous products (lighting and digital). Alberto Zorzan, General Director of ATAC, said: The renovation of the metro A stations, which is an integral part of the tender that ATAC has awarded, has a high strategic value that is part of the profound modernisation of the Capital's transport assets to which ATAC is dedicated. We are confident, moreover, that IGPDecaux, a company with considerable experience behind it, will be able to best interpret our needs by optimally performing the works that are the subject of its proposal. The transformation of the metro A stations will make them more welcoming and functional, being one of the qualifying points of the Jubilee plan. Our customers will be able to leverage benefits over a duration that goes beyond the Holy Year. Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: We are very proud to have been awarded this iconic contract in the Italian Capital, as we approach the Jubilee year in 2025. We would like to thank ATAC, one of the leading urban mobility operators in Italy and one of the largest Local Public Transport companies in Europe, for its confidence in IGPDecauxs ability to successfully deliver Romes Metro contract. The project to upgrade an urban public space such as the metro aligns with our mission to sustainably improve the quality of life for all citizens through proximity and mobility. Our Group will bring its technical, aesthetic, service-oriented and environmental expertise to offer advertisers a powerful communication platform in Italys Capital City, including digital displays that will benefit local residents and tourists alike. Key Figures for JCDecaux 2023 revenue: 3,570.0m (a) N1 Out-of-Home Media company worldwide A daily audience of 850 million people in more than 80 countries 1,056,833 advertising panels worldwide Present in 3,918 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants 11,650 employees JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes JCDecaux is recognised for its extra-financial performance in the FTSE4Good (3.4/5), CDP (A), MSCI (AAA), Sustainalytics (13.7), and has achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis 1st Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility N1 worldwide in street furniture (630,196 advertising panels) N1 worldwide in transport advertising with 153 airports and 258 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (319,081 advertising panels) N1 in Europe for billboards (85,743 advertising panels worldwide) N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (708,620 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (165,292 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (91,682 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (25,337 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle East (21,300 advertising panels) (a) Adjusted revenue For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com . Join us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram and YouTube. Communications Department: Albert Asseraf +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 10 albert.asseraf@jcdecaux.com Investor Relations: Remi Grisard +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93 remi.grisard@jcdecaux.com Attachment INFORMATION REGARDING EXECUTED TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A SHARE BUYBACK PROGRAM (OUTSIDE THE LIQUIDITY AGREEMENT) Regulated Information Paris, 17 June 2024 (In accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on Market Abuse Regulation and Article 3(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 through regulatory technical standards concerning the conditions applicable to buyback programs and stabilization measures) Societe Generale started, on Monday 27 May 2024, an ordinary share buyback program for EUR 279.8 million for the purpose of shares cancellation. Societe Generale received all necessary authorizations from supervisory authorities. These buybacks will be carried out in compliance with the authorizations provided by the General Meeting of 22 May 2024, in particular regarding the maximum price, as well as in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation. They are performed on the trading platforms on which Societe Generale shares are listed for trading or are traded, including the regulated market of Euronext Paris. The liquidity contract concluded with Rothschild has also temporarily been suspended throughout the buyback period. Issuer name: Societe Generale - LEI O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 Reference of the financial instrument: ISIN FR0000130809 Period: From 10 to 14 June 2024 Purchases performed by Societe Generale during the period Aggregated presentation by day and market Issuer name Issuer code (LEI) Transaction date ISIN Code Daily total volume (in number of shares) Daily weighted average price of shares acquired Platform SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 10/06/2024 FR0000130809 834,952 24.1678 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 10/06/2024 FR0000130809 362,776 24.2017 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 10/06/2024 FR0000130809 57,325 24.2541 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 10/06/2024 FR0000130809 51,507 24.2775 AQEU SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 11/06/2024 FR0000130809 977,597 23.4577 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 11/06/2024 FR0000130809 428,710 23.4503 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 11/06/2024 FR0000130809 66,379 23.4671 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 11/06/2024 FR0000130809 63,800 23.4746 AQEU SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 12/06/2024 FR0000130809 1,031,860 23.2256 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 12/06/2024 FR0000130809 443,663 23.2291 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 12/06/2024 FR0000130809 74,099 23.2230 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 12/06/2024 FR0000130809 67,137 23.2228 AQEU SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13/06/2024 FR0000130809 1,086,872 23.0720 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13/06/2024 FR0000130809 475,143 23.0703 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 13/06/2024 FR0000130809 154,364 23.0804 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14/06/2024 FR0000130809 1,162,145 22.0045 XPAR SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14/06/2024 FR0000130809 563,150 22.0059 CEUX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14/06/2024 FR0000130809 84,350 22.0145 TQEX SOCIETE GENERALE O2RNE8IBXP4R0TD8PU41 14/06/2024 FR0000130809 79,355 22.0196 AQEU TOTAL 8,065,184 23.1070 Detailed presentation by transaction The detailed presentation by transaction is available within the section 6 Description of the buyback programs, reports on share buyback and statements on the liquidity agreement: Regulated information and other important information Press contacts: Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com Societe Generale Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with more than 126,000 employees serving about 25 million clients in 65 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective - to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders. The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients: French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. Global Banking and Investor Solutions , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. International Retail, Mobility & Leasing Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities. Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe). In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the documents legitimacy directly on the web page. For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com . Attachment HAYS, Kan., June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fort Hays State University is one of the 25 colleges and universities in the nation and the only Kansas college or university to earn the inaugural Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose Classification. This new classification recognizes institutions that have committed to campus-wide efforts to advance leadership in pursuit of public goods like justice, equity, diversity, and liberty. The American Council on Education (ACE), the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching award this elective designation. Carnegie Elective Classifications provide an independent and rigorous assessment of an institutions extraordinary commitment to, investment in, and accomplishment at addressing pressing issues of the societies they serve. ACE is proud to welcome the inaugural recipients of the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose, said ACE President Ted Mitchell. The institutions in this cohort serve as models in higher education, demonstrating excellence in nurturing leaders who are prepared to address and solve pressing public challenges, which is sorely needed in our society right now. This classification acknowledges FHSUs commitment to cultivating leadership abilities among students, faculty, and staff that fosters a culture dedicated to tackling complex societal issues and developing a deeper understanding of leadership as a public good. FHSU has been involved in the development of this classification since January 2020 as one of nine Founding Institutions. We joined the extensive effort to engage with this new Carnegie classification because we knew it would align directly with the long-standing mission of our university to develop engaged global citizen-leaders. FHSU Provost Dr. Jill Arensdorf said. We are very honored to join this inaugural group of colleges and universities. For more about the Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose classification, go to https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/news/lpp-inaugural-institutions/ Attachment Gettysburg, PA, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The beloved Gettysburg Hotel, a cornerstone of the Gettysburg community since 1797, recently celebrated a grand unveiling after a comprehensive two-year renovation. While continuing to serve guests, the hotel meticulously preserved its rich history and proudly reclaimed its original identity Hotel Gettysburg. Hotel Gettysburg boasts a remarkable legacy, dating back more than 225 years to when it first served guests as an inn. Over the centuries, it has held various names, becoming a beloved landmark known as Hotel Gettysburg from the 1890s until 1964. After a period of use as residential apartments, a fire in 1983 destroyed the building. Following a long awaited rebuild, the hotel proudly reopened in 1991 under the Best Western flag before returning to its independent roots in 2012. "The new Hotel Gettysburg bridges the past and future," says Andrea Proulx, General Manager. "Our renovations honor the hotel's rich legacy as a community landmark, while creating a sophisticated environment for today's travelers. Reclaiming our original name is a symbol of this commitment, and we're excited to embark on a new chapter of exceptional hospitality." The renovations have revitalized every aspect of the hotel experience. Guests will enjoy spacious, renovated guest rooms featuring luxurious amenities. The elegant ballroom and versatile event spaces have also been refreshed, offering a sophisticated setting for weddings, conferences, and other gatherings. Guests will experience a fresh, modern design throughout the hotel that still incorporates subtle nods to the hotel's storied past. Hotel Gettysburg's brand refresh goes beyond aesthetics. The new logo, symbols, and color scheme have been meticulously crafted to create a sense of place. Each element reflects the hotel's rich history, its connection to Gettysburg College, and the spirit of historical Americana, immersing guests in the unique character of Gettysburg. "We believe this new look strikes the perfect balance between honoring our tradition and offering a sophisticated, comfortable environment that meets the expectations of today's travelers," Proulx adds. Throughout its storied past, Hotel Gettysburg has consistently offered exceptional service and a warm welcome to all visitors. The recent renovation honors this tradition while introducing a fresh, modern aesthetic. Guests can expect a comfortable and inviting stay, all within the embrace of the hotel's rich history just steps from the iconic Lincoln Square. About Hotel Gettysburg Steeped in history dating back to 1797, the 119-room Hotel Gettysburg offers an inviting and modern experience in the heart of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Owned by Gettysburg College and managed by Waterford Hotel Group, the hotel is steps away from area attractions. Guests enjoy a variety of room options, some with Lincoln Square views, alongside a full-service restaurant (One Lincoln), an adjacent Starbucks, versatile event spaces including the historic Grand Ballroom, and a fitness center. Learn more at hotelgettysburg.com. Attachments Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses. LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) investors that a class action has been filed on behalf of investors. Lincoln investors that lost money on their investment are encouraged to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 310-692-8883 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. Lincoln National is a holding company that operates various insurance and retirement businesses through its subsidiaries. The Lincoln National class action lawsuit claims that during the Class Period, the defendants made false and/or misleading statements or failed to disclose: (i) a decline in Lincoln National's variable universal life insurance business; (ii) the overstatement of goodwill associated with the life insurance business; (iii) outdated policy lapse assumptions; (iv) overstated reserves; and (v) misstated financial results and statements. The lawsuit further alleges that on November 2, 2022, Lincoln National reported a net loss of $2.6 billion for the third quarter of 2022, compared to a net income of $318 million for the same period in 2021. Lincoln National attributed this to net unfavorable notable items of $2.0 billion, or $11.62 per share, related to the companys annual review of deferred acquisition costs and reserve assumptions. The company also disclosed a $634 million goodwill impairment to the life insurance business. Following this news, Lincoln Nationals stock price fell by more than 33%, according to the lawsuit. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses. LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Global Cord Blood Corporation (Global Cord or the Company) (OTC: CORBF) investors who suffered substantial losses to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 310-692-8883 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. Investors who invested between June 4, 2019 May 3, 2024 have until June 24, 2024 to participate as lead plaintiff. On April 29, 2022, Global Cord announced that it had entered into a Material Definitive Agreement to acquire biotechnology company, Cellenkos Inc. (Cellenkos) for over $1 billion, including $664 million in cash and 114 million Global Cord shares. The Company stated that it planned to issue approximately 125 million new shares, valued at $11 per share, and pay $664 million in cash as total consideration, thereby diluting Company shareholders by half and depleting its sizable cash balance. On this news, Global Cords stock price fell $0.98, or 28.6%, to close at $2.45 per share on May 2, 2022, thereby injuring investors. Then, on May 3, 2022, Blue Ocean Structure Investment Company Limited (Blue Ocean) filed a petition opposing the transaction, stating that Cellenkos had no discernible long-term value, that the transaction purchase price was unjustifiable, that the transaction would result in a massive dilution of Global Cord shareholders, that the close relationship between Global Cord and Cellenkos constituted a conflict of interest, and that the transaction was approved without sufficient shareholder knowledge. On this news, Global Cords stock price fell $0.22, or 9.1%, to close at $2.20 per share on May 5, 2022, thereby injuring investors further. Then, on September 22, 2022, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands suspended the powers of Global Cords Directors and appointed Joint Provisional Liquidators (JPLs) over the Company after evidence was presented showing that the Cellenkos Transaction was actually part of a cover-up aimed at filling a gap in Global Cords balance sheet. Additionally, the NYSE halted trading in Global Cords ordinary shares, effective September 23, 2022. On June 23, 2023, Global Cord was removed from the NYSE by the SEC. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Global Cord employed a capital allocation strategy designed to reserve funds for Company insiders and related parties rather than for the benefit of Company shareholders; (2) Global Cords decisions to reject multiple going private offers and enter into the Transaction were nothing more than self-serving and conflicted attempts by Defendants to divert company funds to corporate insiders and related parties; (3) Defendants fundamentally misrepresented to investors Global Cords approach to capital allocation, strategic investments, acquisitions, and related party transactions as a result of the misappropriation by Defendant Kam and his entities of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Company; and (4) as a result, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Kirkland, Washington, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ziply Fiber, home to Americas Fastest Home Internet, today announced a bold expansion throughout major cities in Montana, including both Billings and Great Falls, which both have new, ultra-high-speed, 100-percent fiber-optic networks ready for service to thousands of residential and business customers today. Installations are underway in Billings and will begin in Great Falls later this week. These are the first two cities of at least five in the state with brand new, state-of-the-art fiber infrastructure being built by Ziply Fiber, which previously had only offered service in the communities of Libby and Troy. When construction is complete, Ziply Fibers new network will serve nearly 19,000 homes and businesses in Billings and nearly 10,000 addresses in Great Falls. Ziply Fiber is hard at work on network expansion efforts in Missoula, Helena and Butte, as well. The company expects to launch those markets, with an additional 26,000 addresses, in the next few months. Residential customers in all fiber markets can access speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 50 Gig (500 times faster and Americas Fastest Home Internet). All Ziply Fiber plans offer symmetrical download/upload speeds and the companys entry-level Fiber 100 plan exceeds the minimum residential broadband speed required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with no contracts or data caps. This means that as of today, both Billings and Great Falls now have the fastest household internet speeds in the nation. Customers at every speed tier can be confident theyre on the best and fastest network available, giving them great speed and reliable service for everything they want to do online today and into the future. Residents and business owners can check for fiber availability at Ziplyfiber.com and sign up to be alerted when service is available at their location. Residential customers can switch to fiber internet for as little as $20 per month and receive a $50 bill credit for themselves and any new customer they refer. Details can be found at referafriend.ziplyfiber.com. Expansion in Montana has been a long time coming and Im so thankful that the day is finally here, said Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber. I cant tell you the number of people and business owners who have reached out to us asking when were coming and telling us stories of the limited options they have and what fast, reliable fiber will mean to them. Today we help fulfill that wish. What to Expect During Construction Great Falls and Billings residents can learn more about the work Ziply Fiber is doing and what to expect during construction at ziplyfiber.com/fiber-construction/construction-process. Ziply Fibers goal is always to leave an area in a condition as good if not better than it was before construction. If residents notice something has been missed the company wants to know about it and asks that details be shared at ziplyfiber.com/new-fiber-locations/construction-process/construction-feedback. The Many Benefits of Fiber Internet Fiber internet, unlike other options like cable or satellite, provides the bandwidth and capacity to keep entire families streaming without interruption. Fiber provides symmetrical upload and download speeds and lower latency to easily power video conferencing and online gaming without lag and delivers the reliability to empower residents and businesses for decades. Ziply Fiber offers many different service options for residents, including: The entry level Fiber 100/100 plan, which provides all the reliability of fiber at great value for just $20/month. All residential plans come with no data caps and no annual contracts. Discounted pricing for telephone and qualified internet services to eligible low-income and Tribal households through the federal Lifeline program, Enhanced Tribal Benefit, and Tribal Link Up assistance. To learn more, please visit ziplyfiber.com/internet/community-discounts. Ziply Fiber Investing in Billings and Great Falls, Montana The work in Billings and Great Falls is part of Ziply Fibers commitment to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to build an advanced, 100-percent fiber network to both suburban and rural communities across the Northwest that have been underserved when it comes to internet access. The company believes that everyone should benefit from amazingly fast, game-changing internet, not just people in big cities. Ziply Fiber has been actively building fiber across the Northwest since June 2020 and continues to build and deploy new fiber-optic cables, local hubs, new offices, and new hardware to run the network as part of hundreds of projects across its 250,000-square-mile footprint. Thats how the company will deliver what its customers need and deserve as they learn, work, play and move into the future with ease. Ziply Fibers primary service offerings are Fiber Internet and phone for residential customers, Business Fiber Internet and Ziply Voice services for small businesses, and a variety of Internet, networking, and voice solutions for enterprise customers. The company also continues to support Ziply Internet (DSL) customers, and its TV customers in Washington and Oregon. A full listing of products and services can be found at ziplyfiber.com. About Ziply Fiber Ziply Fiber is local in the Northwest, headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, and has major offices in Everett, Washington; Beaverton, Oregon; and Hayden, Idaho. Most of Ziply Fibers executive team, which consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink, and Wave Broadband, either grew up in the Northwest or have spent the better part of 30 years living here. That local ownership and market familiarity is an important part of the company mindset and culture. ### Melbourne, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melbourne, Victoria - Avive Health, situated in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula, is expanding its already comprehensive suite of mental health services at its 60-bed facility in Mount Eliza. As a pioneering force in private mental health care, Avive Health offers treatment options that span general adult psychiatry, effective management of mood and anxiety disorders, and robust alcohol and substance use rehabilitation programmes. With this expansion, Avive Health becomes one of the top-tier private mental health hospitals near Melbourne, distinguished for its specialised offerings in developmental trauma and women's mental health. These enhanced services underpin the company's commitment to addressing the wide-ranging mental health needs of the community with empathy, cutting-edge approaches, and unwavering expertise, compassion and professionalism. To learn more visit https://avivehealth.com.au/doctors/locations/mornington-peninsula The improved offerings include novel therapeutic programmes and the integration of more mental health professionals; intended to provide patients with tailored, effective treatment modalities. Mirroring its therapeutic ethos, Avive Health boasts amenities and environments aimed at facilitating recovery, such as private bedrooms, many group therapy spaces, an art therapy room equipped with everything needed for creative exploration, and serene outdoor areas designed to promote tranquillity and healing. "Our mission at Avive Health is to serve as a sanctuary for individuals seeking mental health care, ensuring they receive unparalleled professional support and compassion," stated the Co-CEO. "We combine evidence-based treatments with empathy for the personal journeys of our clients. This expansion allows us to deepen our commitment to addressing a wide range of mental health issues comprehensively and reinforces our status as a crucial mental health resource in Melbourne and beyond." Avive Health has notably advanced its treatment options for depression and anxiety, deploying custom therapy plans that might involve cognitive-behavioural therapy, meticulous medication management, and lifestyle counselling. Similarly, its alcohol rehabilitation treatment is designed to guide individuals through detox and recovery, emphasising counselling and group support to aid in sustaining positive lifestyle changes after treatment. As previously announced, Avive Health provides treatments for both developmental and adult trauma, including cutting-edge therapies tailored for emergency services personnel and first responders grappling with the effects of high-stress environments and traumatic experiences. The organisation also provides treatment for women's mental health. "With this service expansion, we highlight our unwavering commitment to leading mental health care innovation," the Director of Clinical Services at Avive Health remarked. "By understanding the complex nature of mental health conditions, we can tailor our programmes with greater precision. Our aim is to empower our patients to embrace their futures with strength and optimism." The addition of pioneering therapy techniques and expansion of the number of mental health professionals exemplifies Avive Health's dedication to blending innovation and evidence-based treatment with nurturing care. Individuals seeking compassionate, professional mental health services will find a strong partner in Avive Health. For deeper insight into Avive Health's comprehensive services, team expertise, and approach to treatment, please visit: https://avivehealth.com.au. Healthcare professionals considering Avive Health for patients, or people seeking help for themselves or loved ones can fast-track enquiries by directing them to help@avivehealth.com.au ### For more information about Avive Health Melbourne, contact the company here: Avive Health Melbourne Michelle Lawrence +61408204337 michellelawrence@avivehealth.com.au 1 St Johns Lane Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Australia Campbellsburg, Ind., June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA) has filed several Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against Metal Powder Products (MPP) for its unlawful behavior and general disregard for workers Section 7 rights during and after a recent union representation election. Despite the companys relentless efforts to undermine the democratic process, workers at the Campbellsburg plant voted decisively to join the IUE-CWA on April 10, 2024. Founded in 1948, MPP is a global provider of custom-engineered powder metal (PM) and metal injection molding (MIM). The election, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, saw a majority of workers vote in favor of forming a union. The workers primary issues included the companys plan to cease its 401(k) match, elimination of vacation banks, lack of due process for grievances, and overall poor working conditions. In the lead-up to the election, MPP engaged in numerous anti-union tactics, such as holding captive audience meetings, distributing anti-union flyers, and providing vote no t-shirts to supervisors. During the election, the company further escalated its misconduct by allegedly turning workers away from voting, misleading them about voting times, and positioning supervisory employees wearing anti-union shirts near the polling place. The IUE-CWA has filed ULP charges against MPP for unlawful interrogation and the impression of unlawful surveillance in addition to the unlawful removal of union materials from workers personal spaces, including from IUE-CWAs own bulletin board. The union contends that MPPs actions violate federal law, which thereby compromises the integrity of the election process and chills workers from exercising their rights under federal law. "The extent to which MPP went to intimidate and manipulate its workers is shameful," said Carl Kennebrew, President of IUE-CWA. "Such behavior undermines the fundamental rights of workers to freely choose representation without fear or coercion. This is unacceptable. Our entire union will see to it that MPP is held accountable and that justice is served." This is the second time workers at the Campbellsburg plant have attempted to form a union. In 2020-2021, they faced an intense anti-union campaign from management, which resulted in an election loss. The repeated attempts for organizing highlights the persistent and oppressive tactics employed by MPP to suppress workers' rights. MPP is owned by Mill Point Capital, a New York based private equity firm with over $1.4 billion in capital commitments, managing investments from several public employees and union retirement funds. Private equity firms like Mill Point Capital have been scrutinized for their predatory behavior, often leading to practices that can negatively impact workers and undermine operational performance at the companies they take over, as they seek to extract cash from the controlled business. MPP's conduct during this union representation election raises serious questions about Mill Point's oversight, governance, and ethical standards. Such behavior not only tarnishes the reputation of Mill Point Capital but also highlights the destructive impact of prioritizing profits over people. Despite MPPs attempts to delay and contest the election results, workers at the Campbellsburg plant remain resolute. They have elected a bargaining committee and stewards, with the first bargaining session scheduled with the company on June 25th. This group, consisting of approximately 160 workers, will join workers at two IUE-CWA-represented facilities in Pennsylvania. ### IUE-CWA is the industrial division of Communication Workers of America representing a force of 150,000 active and retired men and women united collectively to seek dignity on the job and a secure future for ourselves, our children and all future generations. TORONTO, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Public education in Ontario is in a state of crisis. School boards across the province, including TDSB, TCDSB and YCDSB, are going into deficits not because of mismanagement at the board level, but because of chronic underfunding at the provincial level. Since 2018, Premier Doug Fords government has underfunded public education by $1,500 per student per school year leading to structural deficits resulting in staff burnout and hampered student development. These deficits have especially left students with special needs behind. On June 19th, Toronto & York Region Labour Council joins education workers, parents, students and more rallying to support progressive TDSB trustees who are working to protect quality publicly-funded education and add pressure to the provincial government to step up and Fund Our Schools. Who: Toronto & York Region Labour Council; Elementary Teachers of Toronto; OSSTF Toronto; Toronto Education Worker Local 4400; Ontario Education Catholic Teachers Association - York Region, Toronto Elementary Catholic Teacher, Toronto Secondary Unit; Ontario Autism Coalition; Trustees from TDSB and TCDSB; and NDP MPPs What: Rally calling for the Conservative provincial government to stop cutting and start funding our public education system. When: Wednesday June 19th at 4PM Where: Toronto District School Board, 5050 Yonge St Why: Education workers, parent advocacy groups, unions, and students in Toronto and York Region are calling on all levels of government to fund our schools. Media Contact: Jennifer Huang Executive Assistant, Toronto & York Region Labour Council Phone: 416 886 4082 Email: jhuang@labourcouncil.ca About Toronto & York Region Labour Council: The Toronto & York Region Labour Council represents over 200,000 workers from diverse sectors across the Toronto region. Committed to fighting for economic, social, racial and climate justice, the Council works tirelessly to create a fair and equitable future for all. Find out more about the Fund Our Schools campaign here: Fund Our Schools About Elementary Teachers of Toronto: The Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) is a Local of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO). With over 11,000 members, it is the largest teachers Local in Canada. About Toronto Education Workers Local 4400: Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400 is made up of approximately 12,000 Education Workers who primarily work within the Toronto District School Board; Childcare Workers from various Childcare Centres and Caretakers from Viamonde French Board. Representing over 400 Job Classifications, and over 1,000 Worksites. About OSSTF Toronto: The OSSTF Toronto Teachers' Bargaining Unit represents secondary school teachers in high schools, adult day schools, alternative schools and programs, centrally assigned positions, and summer and night schools in the Toronto District School Board. About OECTA York Region: As York Regions local unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), York Catholic Teachers represents more than 4,000 members in both elementary and secondary schools of the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) teaching and serving approximately 55,000 students from junior kindergarten through to grade 12 in 90 elementary and 16 secondary schools in communities across York Region. About TECT: The Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers (TECT) represents more than 4,000 elementary teachers who work in the Toronto Catholic District School Board and is the largest unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA). Our members are teachers of students in all grades and subjects from Kindergarten to Grade eight throughout the city of Toronto. About TSU: The Toronto Secondary Unit (TSU) of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association serves over 2,500 permanent and occasional teachers employed in the Secondary Panel of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. TSU is the official voice of Catholic Secondary School teachers employed in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. About the Ontario Autism Coalition: Formed in 2005, the Ontario Autism Coalition is a province-wide organization with over 21,000 supporters. The OACs mission is to secure life-long, permanent, scientifically-supported, government-funded therapy, treatment, and services for individuals with autism and their families. Hampton, Va., June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At Hampton University, Shane Taylor stands for having the third highest GPA within the School of Science, (the top student in the Department of Biology) and also for his profound dedication to immunological research, a passion ignited during the unsettling days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor's journey through the pandemic has shaped his academic and career aspirations, leading him towards a future in vaccine development. Originally from Prince Georges County, MD, Taylor was deeply impacted by the global health crisis during what he refers to as his "COVID class" experience. His freshman year transitioned entirely online due to the pandemic, and further sparked his interest in the intricacies of immunology and the pivotal role of vaccines in public health. Taylor's interest in science isn't new. His first publication as a co-author came during his freshman year at Hampton, stemming from high school research. The paper, led by his mentor Dr. Mark Berk, focused on the neurological effects of HIV in pediatric patients. "The reduced neuronal population of the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex in HIV infected individuals" explores how HIV degrades neurons in children infected by their mothers, affecting their developing behaviors. "The COVID-19 pandemic heavily influenced my decision to study immunology," Taylor shared. "It inspired me that researchers had been preparing for potential outbreaks for decades. What most saw as a swift development of COVID vaccines was the culmination of years of prepared work. I chose Hampton University because of the strong biology program and Hamptons U Rise program, said Taylor. Through U Rise, I have attended and presented at conferences across the country, gaining the tools necessary for my doctoral studies. Hampton Universitys U Rise program provides extensive research opportunities and supports students aiming for Ph.D.'s or M.D.-Ph.D.s. "Shane has been a standout student in our School of Science, consistently demonstrating a deep commitment to advancing his knowledge towards challenging issues in STEM, said Isi Ero-Johnson, Ph., dean, Hampton University School of Science. His proactive approach to research and his passion for immunology are commendable. As he moves forward to Dartmouth, we wish him innovative solutions to the challenges in vaccine development and disease prevention." In the fall, Taylor will attend Dartmouth College to focus on immunology, specifically targeting infectious diseases and the immune responses they trigger. "At Dartmouth, researchers have laid a critical foundation for mRNA vaccines, including the COVID vaccine," said Taylor, underscoring the importance of continuing this innovative work. Beyond academics, Taylor has been an active member of the Hampton community. His involvement in the Hampton University Marching Force brought him life-long friendships and afforded him opportunities and unique experiences like the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and traveling to Rome for performances. Reflecting on his time at Hampton, Taylor said he appreciates the tight-knit community at Hampton and the preparation it provided him to thrive in any environment. "Hampton taught me that I am my biggest advocate and that Its crucial to be resilient, determined, and to hold oneself to a higher standard," said Taylor. Because of my time here at Hampton, learning from and working with top-notch faculty/scientists, I know that I am prepared to thrive in any environment during my career. As Shane Taylor looks to the future, his goals are clear: to advance the field of immunology and develop vaccines that combat diseases like HIV, influenza, and COVID-19. His journey reflects the embodies Hampton Universitys standard of excellence and an unwavering commitment to the betterment of our global community. ABOUT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY Hampton University, a dynamic historically Black institution with a legacy of excellence in education, research, and community service, provides a nurturing and empowering environment for students to thrive academically and personally. Founded in 1868, Hampton emphasizes a scientific and professional curriculum with a strong liberal arts undergirding, offering a broad range of technical, liberal arts and graduate degree programs. With a commitment to inclusion and innovation, Hampton continues to be a beacon of educational leadership in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Named Best Private College in Virginia, HU is a tightly-knit community of learners and educators representing 49 states and 35 territories and nations. With a commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and global citizenship, Hampton University prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Visit www.hamptonu.edu. Attachments TORONTO, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. (TSXV: CLM | OTCQB: JORFF | FRA: Z36) (CLM or the Company) reports that the nominees listed in the Management Information Circular dated May 15, 2024, (the Circular) for the 2024 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) were elected as directors of the Company. A total of 25.42% of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company were represented at the Meeting. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Meeting on June 14, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario are set out below. Election of Directors The shareholders approved the election as directors of the persons listed below, based on the following vote. Board of Director Nominees % Votes For % Votes Against Brett Lynch 98.961% 1.039% Richard Quesnel 98.930% 1.070% Robert Bryce 99.271% 0.729% Maxime Lemieux 99.281% 0.719% Rene Bharti 93.011% 6.989% Shareholders at the Meeting also re-approved (i) the appointment of the Company's auditors, McGovern Hurley LLP, (ii) the Companys omnibus equity compensation plan, and (iii) the share consolidation of up to 20 to 1, each as more particularly described in the Circular. Richard Quesnel, the Companys chief executive officer, commented: On behalf of CLMs board and management, I would like to express our gratitude to CLMs shareholders for their continued support. About Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. is a Canadian junior mining exploration company trading under the symbol CLM on the TSX Venture Exchange and Z36 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, production, and development of mining properties. The Companys properties are in Quebec, Canada, primarily in the spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the La Corne Batholith, around North American Lithiums Quebec lithium mine. For more information: Rene Bharti, VP Corporate Development Email | info@consolidatedlithium.com Phone | (416) 861-5800 Website |www.consolidatedlithium.com Regulatory Statements NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. VANCOUVER, June 17, 2024 - American Salars Lithium Inc. ("AMERICAN SALARS" OR THE "COMPANY") (CSE: USLI, OTC: ASALF, FWB: Z3P, WKN: A3E2NY) announces it entered into an agreement with Recharge Resources Ltd. ("Recharge" or "the Vendor") (CSE: RR) to acquire a 100% interest in the Pocitos 1 Lithium Salar Project ("Pocitos 1") consisting of 800 Hectares ("Ha") near the town of Pocitos in Salta, Argentina. Terms of the ("Transaction") are outlined below. The project has an NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") prepared in December 2023, consisting of an inferred 760,000 tonne lithium carbonate equivalent ("LCE"). The MRE is contained on the Pocitos 1 block (800 Ha) in combination with the neighbouring Pocitos 2 block (532 Ha). All of the drilling that makes up the basis of the MRE, on the combined Pocitos 1 and Pocitos 2 blocks, occurred on the Pocitos 1 block that is being acquired by American Salars. The MRE was prepared by WSP Australia Pty Ltd. ("WSP") that has extensive lithium resource experience working on many of the major lithium resources globally. The MRE will be updated to reflect the proportional lithium resource on the Pocitos 1 block and additional upcoming work on porosity and permeability will also enhance the updated MRE. R. Nick Horsley, CEO & Director states, "We are excited to add the Pocitos 1 lithium salar project to our Argentina lithium portfolio. We now control both the Candela II lithium salar project with an inferred LCE of 457,000 tonnes and the Pocitos 1 project, which in combination with its neighbouring Pocitos 2 block, hosts 760,000 tonnes LCE. We look forward to working with our technical team to update the NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate to reflect our Pocitos 1 concession which represents approximately 60% of the combined ground used in the existing mineral resource estimate and hosts all of the drilling to date." NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate Highlights: Highest Lithium value tested using packer sampling system was 169ppm Lithium at a depth 363m. The MT geophysics survey has discovered a large area to the west with a resistivity of 0.4?.m and a depth of more than 1km. EkosolveDLE technology pilot plant test work at University of Melbourne achieved 94.9% extraction efficiency with brines at an average lithium concentration of 86 ppm lithium of which 80.76 ppm was recovered. Significant brine flow was recorded in 2018 wells PO1 and PO2 and brine and gas in PO3 drilled in November 2022. The company will start a new drill/production well program when the permits are issued by the Salta Mines Department. Furthermore, the Vendor announced on May 28th, 2024, that it had completed its environmental baseline assessment report that will be used for a production environmental impact assessment ("EIA"). This is a key step towards the development and potential production at Pocitos 1. The report is titled "Environmental and Social Baseline report for the Pocitos 1 and 2 concessions on the Pocitos Salt Flats." The report was the culmination of four months work by E & C Asociados, a specialist environmental consulting group. Qualified Person Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, FAusIMM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. The Transaction American Salars has entered into an agreement with Recharge Resources Ltd., whereby American Salars is acquiring a 100% interest in the Pocitos 1 lithium salar project by issuing to the Vendor 5,000,000 common shares subject to a 24-month escrow and assuming an outstanding tax liability of the Vendor estimated to be no more than USD $250,000 as well as a payable to WSP for the Mineral Resource Estimate at a cost of AUS $80,000. The Vendor has agreed to a 24-month escrow with releases every six months. The vendor has agreed to a further voluntary escrow whereby they have agreed not to sell more then 10,000 shares per day in any given trading day and cumulatively no more than 50,000 shares in a normal business week. The Vendor has further agreed to proxy all votes to management of American Salars. At closing, the Purchaser shall issue to the Vendor 2,500,000 bonus warrants (the "Bonus Warrants"), with each Bonus Warrant entitling the Vendor to acquire one common share of the Purchaser at an exercise price of CAD $0.75 for a period of five years. The Bonus Warrants will be exercisable by the Vendor only upon the Pocitos 1 property having a Measured and Indicated and Inferred combined ("M+I+I") resource of 1,000,000 tonnes LCE, and subject to the receipt of a "technical report" (as that term is defined in section 1.1 of NI 43-101) confirming that the Property has the required M+I+I resources (as such terms are defined in section 1.2 of NI 43-101). The Pocitos 1 property is subject to a 2.5% net smelter royalty ("NSR") of the minerals produced on a FOB basis from the property, the Company can purchase 1.5% (60%) of the NSR for CAD $1,500,000. The transaction is subject to a finder's fee. About the Pocitos 1 Lithium Salar Project The Pocitos 1 project is located approximately 10km from the township of Pocitos where there is gas, electricity, and accommodation. Pocitos 1 is approximately 800 hectares (1,977 acres) and is accessible by road. Collective exploration since 2017 totals over US$2.0 million developing the project, including surface sampling, trenching, TEM and MT geophysics and drilling three wells that had outstanding brine flow results. Locations for immediate follow up drilling have already been designed and identified for upcoming exploration. Lithium values of 169 ppm from drill hole PCT22-03 packer test assayed from laboratory analysis conducted by Alex Stewart were recorded during the project's December 2022 drill campaigns. A double packer sampling system in HQ Diamond drill holes were drilled to a depth of up to 409 metres. The flow of brine was observed to continue for more than five hours. All holes had exceptional brine flow rates. A NI 43-101 report has been released on the Pocitos 1 project. Ekosolve Ltd a DLE technology company was able to produce 99.8% purity lithium carbonate, where extraction was above 94% of the contained lithium in the brine i.e. 158.86ppm of lithium would have been recovered from 169ppm. WSP Australia has completed an update of the NI 43-101 report initially written by Phillip Thomas QP in June 2023 and estimated on an inferred basis using a block model with 6% and 14% porosity for the clay and sand lithologies respectively and a MRE of 760,000 tonnes of LCE on the combined Pocitos 1 (800 Ha) and neighbouring Pocitos 2 block (532 Ha). Figure 1. Pocitos 1 & Candella 2 Claim blocks and surrounding area Click here to view image About American Salars Lithium Inc. About American Salars Lithium Inc. American Salars Lithium Inc. is an exploration company focused on exploring and developing high-value battery metals projects to meet the demands of the advancing electric vehicle market. Its flagship project is the Candela II Lithium Salar in Argentina which features a NI 43-101 inferred resource. All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, "R. Nick Horsley" R. Nick Horsley, CEO For further information, please contact: American Salars Lithium Inc. Phone: 604.880.2189 E-Mail:info@americansalars.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding American Salar's intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits American Salars will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements' current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including American Salars results of exploration or review of properties that American Salars does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and American Salars assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Vancouver, June 17, 2024 - Recharge Resources Ltd. ("Recharge" or the "Company") (RR: CSE) (RECHF: OTC) (SL5: Frankfurt) announces the Company has entered into an agreement with American Salars Lithium Inc. ("American Salars") (CSE:USLI) to sell its 100% interest in the Pocitos 1 Lithium Brine Project ("Pocitos 1") in Salta, Argentina. The terms of the transaction are outlined below ("the Transaction"). The Company will refocus its attention on its North American assets including its Brussels Creek Gold project in BC, adjacent to New Gold's (TSX:NGD) ($2.15 Billion Market Cap) New Afton Mine, the Pinchi Lake Project (currently under option to Ranchero Resources Ltd.), and its Georgia Lake Lithium Project in Ontario as well as look to identify projects across North American with a focus on the energy metals and precious metals markets including Copper, Gold and Uranium. About Brussels Creek Project (the "Brussels Creek Project") Click Image To View Full Size The BC property is an early-stage exploration property, located approximately 24 kilometres west of Kamloops, and is immediately adjacent to New Gold's New Afton mine. The Brussels Creek Project has 17 claims (66 cells) covering 1,350.43 hectares. The geological setting of the Brussels Creek Project is very similar to New Afton, a silica-saturated copper-gold alkalic porphyry-style deposit, as well as the Highland Valley, Mount Polly, Kemess and Galore Creek deposits. Recent field observations noted the presence of a substantial mineralized quartz-feldspar porphyry body intruding the overlying Nicola group volcanics. Historic sampling and mapping on the Brussels Creek Project, in 1983 and 1984, located a broad anomalous zone (200 metres by 400 metres) with gold values up to 3.5 grams per tonne. Grab samples taken from the Brussels Creek Project in 2019 include values of 10.1 g/t Au (with 0.7 g/t palladium) and 11.5 g/t Au. The interval that ran 7.44 g gold came back in the quartered core as 16.35 g Au between 28.75m and 29.25m. Over the 3.5 meters from 25.75m and 29.25m the quartered core averaged 5.08 grams per tonne. Gold mineralization starts at the overburden-bedrock contact. This gold zone is hosted by quartz-feldspar porphyry intrusive likely associated with the Iron Mask plutonic suite. The mineralized zone is characterized by pervasive quartz sericite alteration with overprinting by clay-carbonate stockworks containing pyrite and sphalerite along with traces of chalcopyrite and galena. The Brussels Creek Project is largely underlain by a northwest trending, moderately southwest dipping sequence of andesitic volcaniclastic rocks and siltstones of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. Some massive, well-indurated andesitic flows, flow breccias and agglomerates (Nicola Group) also occur. The Nicola rocks are cut by later porphyritic rhyolitic dikes, sills and plugs that are possibly related to the Iron Mask Plutonic Suite or younger rocks. The area drilled focussed on the southeast eTh/K anomaly coincident with strong IP response. Future work will zero in on the eTh/K anomaly A to the northwest of the 2023 drilling once archaeological studies are completed. Comparison of the gamma-ray spectrometry included in the two public domain surveys indicates notable eTh/K anomalies spatially correlating to identified zones of magnetic disruption and complex structure. The low eTh/K "areas of interest" may be delineating enhanced alteration. The ADUF mineral showing in particular is adjacent to Anomaly A, proving encouragement for further investigation. In these areas of anomalous gold, the rhyolitic rocks are quartz-sericite altered and country rocks are strongly altered to an assemblage of carbonate (ankerite and calcite), quartz, with sericite near the dike contacts and grading to chlorite further away. Outside of this zone, calcite, chlorite and locally epidote are predominant as a propylitic halo. As much as 5 per cent disseminated pyrite occurs in the altered rhyolite dike rock and adjacent carbonate altered andesitic volcaniclastic. Limonite after pyrite occurs as films on some fractures and as seams and blebs associated with quartz-calcite veins, and opaline silica veins. As reported in the 1985 Assessment Report (#13877), anomalous gold values (85 to 3500 ppb) are localized in and about some of the smaller north-northwesterly trending porphyry rhyolite dikes that cut the andesitic volcaniclastics and related siltstones. This zone is oriented NNW-SSE and is about 400m long and up to 200m wide. In these areas of anomalous gold, the rhyolitic rocks are quartz-sericite altered and country rocks are strongly altered to an assemblage of carbonate (ankerite and calcite), quartz, with sericite near the dike contacts and grading to chlorite further away. Outside of this zone, calcite, chlorite and locally epidote are predominant as a propylitic halo. As much as 5 per cent disseminated pyrite occurs in the altered rhyolite dike rock and adjacent carbonate altered andesitic volcaniclastic. Limonite after pyrite occurs as films on some fractures and as seams and blebs associated with quartz-calcite veins, and opaline silica veins. XRF assays throughout the 3 drill holes show high potassic alteration. Complex faulting and shearing was evident towards the bottom of holes 2 and 3. Highly siliceous and sheared feldspar-quartz porphyry was observed near the end of hole 2. Brussels Creek Web Page: https://recharge-resources.com/projects/brussels-creek/ About Murray Ridge (Pinchi Lake) Nickel Project (the "Pinchi Lake Project") The Murray Ridge and Pinchi Lake nickel projects are located approximately 15 to 30 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James and 120 km northwest of Prince George in central British Columbia. The Pinchi Lake Project was previously explored by Nanton Nickel Corp. It consists of three separate claim blocks totalling 3,922.64 hectares that were carefully selected to cover the best sampling results (greater than 0.20 per cent nickel in rocks) reported by Nanton Nickel Company in 2013 shortly after the discovery of the Decar nickel property owned FPX Nickel Corp. Awerite was confirmed to be a constituent of the nickel values. The Decar nickel project geology which lies 60 km southwest is analogous suite of ultramafic intrusions are hosts to widely disseminated coarse grained awaruite mineralization. Compositionally, awaruite (Ni2Fe-Ni3Fe) comprises approximately 75 per cent nickel, 25 per cent iron and 0 per cent sulphur, and therefore it is considered natural steel. Absence of sulphur allows a concentrate to be shipped directly to steel mills without incurring smelting and refining costs, and minimal environmental problems. Click Image To View Full Size The project was announced under option to Ranchero Resources on November 21st, 2023. https://recharge-resources.com/news/recharge-resources-options-pinchi-lake-nickel-project-for-5-025-million-to-ranchero-gold-and-welcomes-mr-bradley-dixon-to-the-board-of-directors/ About Georgia Lake Project Georgia Lake North & West - Lithium Properties - Ontario The Georgia Lake North and West Properties are located approximately 160 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, within the Thunder Bay Mining Division. Recharge's property is contiguous to the North and West boundaries of Rock Tech Lithium's Georgia Lake Lithium Property and consists of two claim blocks totaling 320 hectares and 432 hectares. Figure 2. Area map showing Georgia Lake properties and surrounding companies. The Rock Tech Lithium Georgia Lake Project is host to several spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes. Lithium mineralization was discovered in 1955 and subsequently explored by several historic owners. Rock Tech's property hosts an NI 43-101 Mineral Resource, as reported in Rock Tech's Preliminary Economic Assessment filed on Rock Tech's SEDAR profile, with an effective date of March 15, 2021. The Mineral Resource is summarized in the following table: Rock Tech's Preliminary Economic Assessment Tonnage (MT) Grade (Li20%) Measured Resources 2.31 1.04 Indicated Resources 4.31 0.99 Measured and Indicated 6.62 1.01 Inferred Resources 6.68 1.16 Management cautions that past results or discoveries on adjacent properties (i.e., Rock Tech Lithium Georgia Lake Project) may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties (i.e., Georgia Lake). The Transaction Recharge has entered into an agreement with American Salars (the "Purchaser") whereby American Salars is acquiring a 100% interest in the Pocitos 1 Lithium Brine Project by issuing to Recharge (the "Vendor") 5,000,000 common shares and assuming a certain tax liability owed by Recharge estimated to not be more then USD $250,000 and an outstanding invoice due to WSP Australia of AUD $80,000.00. Recharge has agreed to a 24-month escrow with quarterly releases every six months. Recharge has agreed to a further voluntary escrow whereby they have agreed not to sell more then 10,000 shares per day in any given trading day and cumulatively no more than 50,000 shares in a normal business week. The Company has further agreed to proxy all votes to management of American Salars. At closing of the Transaction, the Purchaser shall issue to the Vendor 2,500,000 warrants (the "Bonus Warrants"), with each Bonus Warrant entitling the Vendor to acquire one common share of the Purchaser at an exercise price of $0.75 for a period of five years, which Bonus Warrants will be exercisable by the Vendor upon the Pocitos 1 Property having a Measured, Indicated and Inferred combined ("M+I+I") resource of 1,000,000 tonnes LCE, subject to the receipt of a "technical report" (as that term is defined in section 1.1 of NI 43-101) confirming that the Property has the required M+I+I resources (as such terms are defined in section 1.2 of NI 43-101). Subject to a 2.5% of net smelter royalty of the Minerals produced on a FOB basis from the Property, the royalty stream can be purchased for $1,500,000 for 1.5% (60%) of the Royalty. Furthermore, Recharge will no longer pursue the acquisition of Pocitos 2 as announced on December 19th, 2023. About Recharge Resources Recharge Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on exploring and developing the production of high-value battery metals to create green, renewable energy to meet the demands of the advancing electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicle market. All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "David Greenway" David Greenway, CEO For further information, please contact: Recharge Resources Ltd. Joel Warawa Phone: 778-588-5473 E-Mail: info@recharge-resources.com Website: recharge-resources.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding Recharge's intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits Recharge will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements' current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including Recharge's results of exploration or review of properties that Recharge does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Recharge assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. ### Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, BC - June 17, 2024 - Giant Mining Corp. (CSE: BFG | OTC: BFGFF | FWB: YW5) ("Giant Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has engaged Legarza Exploration ("Legarza") to build new roads and drill sites at the Majuba Hill Porphyry Copper Deposit ("Majuba Hill"), a copper, silver, and gold project located in Pershing County, Nevada. Most of the proposed road work was approved as part of the Reclamation Cost Estimate by the State of Nevada, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, with the Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation ("BMRR") which will provide safe and efficient access for exploration drill rigs to the in-fill and extension drill locations. The Company is currently awaiting approval from the Winnemucca District Office of the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") on a small portion of the road described in an Amendment to the existing BLM Notice Level plan submitted in May 2024. Construction is proposed to begin on or about June 18th 2024. David Greenway, President and CEO of Giant Mining Corp., stated, "We are excited to advance our operations at Majuba Hill with the construction of this new road. Engaging Legarza for this crucial infrastructure project underscores our commitment to ensuring safe and efficient access to our drilling sites. This development marks a significant step forward in our exploration and operational plans for the upcoming drill season." As previously announced in the May 30, 2024 news release (see News Release), the new road and site construction will partially support our drilling activities at Majuba Hill, including the proposed 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) of reverse circulation (RC) drilling across 16 drill holes and 488 meters (1,600 feet) of core drilling within the existing exploration target area. Additionally, the Company plans to drill two deep core holes, each expected to reach depths of up to 3,500 feet (1,066 meters). Click Image To View Full Size Figure 1: Planned Roads 2024 Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by E.L. "Buster" Hunsaker III, CPG 8137, a non-independent consulting geologist who is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101"). Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units The Company announces that it has granted a total of 525,000 stock options ("Options") to purchase common shares of the Company to certain officers, employees and consultants pursuant to the Company's Stock Option Plan. Such Options are exercisable into common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $0.75 per common share for a period of twelve months from the date of grant. All of the Options expire on June 16, 2025. The Company announces it has granted 1,800,000 restricted stock units ("RSUs") to officers, directors, employees, and consultants of the Company. The RSUs are valid for a term of one year and under the terms of the Company's restricted share unit plan (the "RSU Plan"). All of the RSUs expire on June 16, 2025. About Giant Mining Corp. Giant Mining Corp. is engaged in the identification, review and acquisition of latter stage copper and copper/silver/gold assets. This is in direct response to the growing worldwide demand and lack of supply for precious metals fueled by the Green New Deal in the US and most other developed nations with similar programs aimed at addressing climate change. Such programs are heavily reliant on silver, gold and especially copper to produce Electric Vehicles and other renewable power sources, as well as building infrastructure to provide clean and affordable electricity. The flagship project is the Majuba Hill copper, silver and gold District located 156 miles (251 km) outside Reno, Nevada, USA. Management has been mandated to focus on safe, mining friendly jurisdictions where government regulations are supportive of mining operations. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. On Behalf of the Board of Giant Mining Corp. "David Greenway" David C. Greenway President & CEO For further information, please contact: Joel Warawa VP of Corporate Communications E: info@giantminingcorp.com P: 1 (855) 475-0745 VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS www.giantminingcorp.com LIKE AND FOLLOW Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn DOWNLOAD INVESTOR INFORMATION Click Here Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Giant Mining Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Giant Mining Corp. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Giant Mining Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. ### Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, June 17, 2024 - First Nordic Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "First Nordic") (TSXV: FNM) (OTCQB: FNMCF) (FRA: HEG0) is pleased to report results from its recent belt-scale glacial till geochemical survey and top-of-bedrock / base-of-till ("BoT") drilling program targeting orogenic gold mineral systems at its 100%-owned Paubacken project ("Paubacken" or "the Project") located in the Gold Line belt, northern Sweden. Paubacken encompasses approximately 30 kilometers ("km") of first-order structural corridor (strike length) of the Gold Line Belt and is located 30 km south of the Company's resource-stage Barsele project [1]. To date, three multi-kilometric, distinct structural targets have been identified along / off the property's main corridor (Aida, Harpsund, and Brokojan). Highlights: Discovery of Brokojan target - a large (2.3 km by 1 km) orogenic gold system multi-element pathfinder till anomaly; together with the adjacent Harpsund target, these two targets now form a large, semi-continuous southeast-northwest trending anomaly over a 5.5 km strike. Extension of bedrock anomalism along the Aida structural target by approximately 1 km, to 1.5 km now tested and confirmed for gold mineralization. Follow-up exploration programs planned in 2024 to continue to advance targets to drill testing stage. Taj Singh, President and CEO states: "The latest results from the district-scale Paubacken project are highly encouraging. A brand new multi-kilometric anomaly was discovered which, when combined with a previously identified Harpsund anomaly, forms a 5.5 km long target area along the Gold Line belt. To put this in context, the Company's Barsele project resource footprint length is approximately 3.5 km long. Additionally, on the high-priority Aida target, BoT drilling returned 5.01 g/t gold, the highest value to date, and an additional 1 km of footprint was tested and confirmed as anomalous for gold mineralization. We look forward to continuing target delineation BoT drilling activities across the Paubacken in 2024 as well as diamond drilling at high-priority areas. Paubacken Exploration Program 3,050 regional B-Horizon (below topsoil) till samples were collected covering 1,350 hectares over a 12 km strike length of the northern extent of the first order Gold Line Belt structural corridor, and 1,181 metres ("m") in 71 BoT drill holes were completed along the Aida structural corridor target. For BoT sampling, two BoT samples from directly above the till bedrock interface and two bedrock samples within the top of bedrock are collected for all drill holes. All samples are screened with X-ray fluorescence ("XRF") and analysed using a multi-element suite at MSALABS in Storuman, Sweden. For glacial till geochemical sampling, all samples are collected from the glacial till derived B-Horizon soil layer (subsoil) and screened using handheld XRF for pathfinder elements. Anomalous areas identified will be tested for gold at an external laboratory. Surface Till Sample Results Results from the till sampling program have identified a second large gold pathfinder anomaly (Figure 2) northwest of the previously identified Harpsund 2.5 km by 1 km Au-As-Cu-Zn-Mo anomaly (gold-arsenic-copper-zinc-molybdenum) along the same structural corridor. Results from the till sampling program identified the Brokojan target, defined by a As-Cu-Zn-Mo pathfinder element till anomaly extending over 2.3 km by 1.0 km. The two targets now form a large, semi-continuous southeast-northwest trending anomaly over a 5.5 km strike of the Harpsund structural corridor. Both anomalies are oriented in the prominent ice flow direction. The survey focused on identification of orogenic gold and VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) type mineral systems known to be present in the Gold Line Belt. All surface till samples were analysed using a portable XRF and follow up analyses will test the anomalous samples for gold. Both anomalies are coincident with historic ionic leach gold-in-till anomalies (Figure 3). Geologic Interpretation of the Brokojan and Harpsund Targets The geology of the Harpsund target area (Figure 4) consists of a complex sequence of folded and sheared coarse to fine grained metasedimentary units that have been intruded by a series of felsic dykes and gabbroic units. The Harpsund structural corridor forms a southwest trending second order splay structure off the regional north-northwest trending Gold Line belt first order structure. The Harpsund target lies within the hinge of the second order structural corridor and the Brokojan target at the intersection of the first and second order structures. All sedimentary units demonstrate a dominant penetrative fabric and strong schistosity, and folding is isoclinal, indicating a high strain environment. Gold mineralized quartz veins previously mapped and sampled within the Harpsund target area are preferentially hosted within felsic dykes due to strong rheological contrast with surrounding metasediments. BoT Drilling Results at Aida Target Results from the BoT drilling program (Figure 5) were positive and extended anomalism along the Aida structural corridor to >1.5 km, including the highest BoT sample result todate on the Project, 5.01 g/t Au in hole PAU-23-BoT-065. The latest BoT drilling tested portions of the structure to the north and south of previous BoT and diamond drilling. The Aida structural corridor target lies under up to 25 m of glacial till cover and has been identified over 4 km in strike using magnetic geophysical data. Approximately 2.5 km of the target area remains completely untested, and the Company plans to continue target delineation BoT drilling activities in 2024. Results from a sub-parallel structure zone were also positive with multiple bedrock samples encountered that are anomalous against background. The latest BoT program continues to demonstrate the size potential of the Aida target and follow up BoT drilling is planned for H2 2024 over the remaining untested 2.5 km strike of the structural corridor to develop targets for follow-up drill testing. The Aida target lies within 3.5 km of the past producing Svartliden gold mine, owned and operated by Dragon Mining Ltd ("Dragon"). The Svartliden mill and processing plant is still operational, and processes concentrate ore from Dragon's operations in Finland. Geologic Interpretation of the Aida Target The geology of the Aida target consists of a sequence of isoclinal folded and sheared fine to course grained metasedimentary and metavolcanic units. The Aida structural corridor forms a 4 km long north-northwest trending second order structure sub-parallel to the regional first order Gold Line belt structure corridor. All units demonstrate a dominant penetrative fabric and schistosity, and folding is isoclinal, indicating a high strain environment. Mineralization is mainly hosted within the mafic volcanic and to a lesser extent coarser grained metagreywacke units that make up the foot wall. No mineralization is present within the finer grained black shale units that make up the hanging wall lithology. Mineralization is associated with arsenopyrite and both laminated and non-laminated quartz veins and has an affiliation to the highest strain zones of the mafic volcanic unit located at the footwall contact between the metavolcanic host and metagreywacke footwall units. About the Paubacken Project The Paubacken project consists of three licenses totalling 17,097 ha that cover the central part of an emerging district in north central Sweden known as the "Gold Line belt". The Gold Line belt is host to several significant gold deposits, including the Company's nearby Barsele project (operated as a joint venture between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.) as well as the Svartliden mine and Faboliden development project (operated by Dragon Mining Ltd). The Svartliden mine was in production from 2005 to 2015 and a total of 3.18 million tonnes of material grading 4.1 g/t Au was processed during its operation (http://www.dragonmining.com/svartliden). Paubacken is strategically positioned between Barsele and Faboliden, is a few hundred meters northeast of the Svartliden mine, and features a regional shear zone with multiple untested gold anomalies. About the Gold Line Belt Geology The geology of the Gold Line belt consists of an inverted volcano-sedimentary sequence intruded by small pre- to syn-kinematic granitic intrusions within a broad, anastomosing high strain structural corridor. Lithologies are regionally metamorphosed to upper greenschist and amphibolite grade facies, and gold mineralization is associated with intense sericite, carbonate, biotite, and calc-silicate alteration assemblages and sulphide minerals pyrite, arsenopyrite, and pyrrhotite. The regional Gold Line structural corridor runs up the axis of the belt with many jogs, splays, and zones of structural complexity that are potential locations for dilation and deposition of gold bearing fluids. These lithological sequences are deemed to be highly prospective for orogenic gold deposits. First Nordic Metals About First Nordic's flagship is the Barsele gold project, located in Sweden and in a joint venture with senior gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. The Barsele project currently hosts a combined open pit and underground NI 43-101 Indicated Resource of 324,000 ounces gold and an Inferred resource of 2,086,000 ounces gold [1]. Immediately surrounding the Barsele project, First Nordic is the 100%-owner of a district-scale license position of close to 100,000 hectares on both the prolific Gold Line belt and Skellefte VMS belt. Additionally, in northern Finland First Nordic holds the entire underexplored Oijarvi greenstone belt. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Taj Singh, M.Eng, P.Eng, CPA President & CEO, Director Qualified Person Benjamin Gelber, P. Geo., Chief Technical Director of the Company, is the Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and takes responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release. References [1] Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Barsele Property, 2020, InnovExplo Follow First Nordic Metals: Twitter: @fnmetals | Youtube: @firstnordicmetalscorp | LinkedIn: @firstnordicmetals Facebook: @FirstNordicMetals | Instagram: @firstnordicmetals Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This News Release contains 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 and Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. APPENDIX Figure 1: Gold Line Belt project area with regional geology, showing locations of 2023/24 exploration programs. Figure 2: Map of Paubacken project area showing regional till sampling geochemical results Figure 3: Map of Paubacken project area showing historic ionic leach gold-in-till results Figure 4: Geological map of the Harpsund structural corridor Figure 5: Map of the Aida Target area showing BoT drilling results and recent extension of confirmed gold mineralization SOURCE First Nordic Metals Corp. Kelowna, June 17, 2024 - Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp. (TSXV: SUU) (OTCQB: SUUFF) ("Strathmore" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the interim drilling results from Phase 1 of the 2024 exploration program at Agate, where the company hit mineralization in 57 of 60 holes drilled. Drill hole AG-151-24 intercepted 11 feet of 0.079% eU 3 O 8 from 95-106 feet deep, extending the mineralized front discovered in 2023 westward by 600 feet. This northern front now exceeds 1,800 feet in length. Strathmore has also discovered a new area of shallow mineralization, one mile south of the northern trend, in the overlying Middle "A" sand, including holes AG-143-24 (14 feet of 0.046% eU 3 O 8 from 30.5-44.5 feet) and AG-147-24 (15.5 feet of 0.051% eU 3 O 8 from 29-44.5 feet). Phase 1 of the 2024 drilling explored the Eocene Wind River Formation, an arkosic-rich sandstone which is noted for its high porosity and permeability, and high groundwater transmissivity. In addition to continued exploration of the Lower "A" sand, the recent drilling has discovered mineralization within the Middle "A" sand (not mineralized in 2023 drill holes), which is thicker than the underlying Lower "A" sand, and historically produced most of the uranium in the Shirley Basin district. Additional drilling is planned during Phase 1 to extend the northern front laterally and to build upon the successful discovery of mineralization in the Middle "A" sand. John DeJoia commented: "The 2024 interim drilling results so far are very encouraging, with mineralization in nearly every drillhole. The results from the exploration of the southern area are very promising-the thickness is significant and indicates the potential for roll front development and delineation with additional drilling in following phases. The drilling in the north has extended the mineralized trend identified in 2023. I continue to be optimistic about Strathmore's Agate property in Shirley Basin." The intercepts shown are at minimum thickness and grade cutoffs of 2 feet and 0.02% eU 3 O 8 , and reported at a 0.2 GT (grade times thickness). The geophysical results are based on equivalent uranium (eU 3 O 8 ) of the gamma-ray probes calibrated at the Department of Energy's Test Facility in Casper, Wyoming. A geophysical tool with gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, and drift detectors was utilized. The reader is cautioned that the reported uranium grades may not reflect actual concentrations due to the potential for disequilibrium between uranium and its gamma emitting daughter products. The drilling is being completed by Single Water Services utilizing a mud-rotary rig and the geophysical logging by Hawkins CBM Logging, the same contractors as utilized in the 2023 drill season. Mr. Terrence Osier, PG, VP Exploration for Strathmore, is the supervising Geologist overseeing the drilling activities. Additional drill sites are targeted for the phase 1 drilling and the results of the exploration, and that from 2023, will continually be analyzed and assist in the layout of additional drill sites proposed for drilling later in the 2024 season. New Claims Staked In addition to exploration, the Company has expanded the project area by staking 15 new mining claims contiguous to the current claim group. The new claims cover ground where the mineralization is anticipated to be on trend with recent and historical drilling, and at greater depths and saturated with groundwater, which are ideal for in-situ recovery operations. Strathmore plans to amend the drill permit following the Phase 1 drilling to include the new mining claims and anticipates exploration of the acquired ground in Phase 2 drilling later this year. University of Wyoming Study Update The University of Wyoming Dept. of Geology and Geophysics in partnership with the UW Near-Surface Geophysics Instrument Center (UWNSG) is continuing their geophysical characterization of the uranium roll front deposit at the Agate project during the 2024 season, having been onsite this week. Dr. Brad Carr is leading the team of 2-3 graduate students and 12 undergraduate students collecting numerous 2D geophysical profiles over the Agate site. The geophysical methods UWNSG will be utilizing this summer include DC Resistivity, Induced Polarization, Self-Potential, Electromagnetic Induction, Seismic Refraction, and Seismic Reflection. Initial profiling in 2023 highlighted some geophysical anomalies associated with the uranium roll front that they plan to study further and generate 3D data images. The goal of the study is to determine if surface geophysics may assist in the discovery of new uranium roll fronts on the Agate project, in addition to being applied upon success to other uranium exploration projects across Wyoming. About the Agate Property The Agate property currently consists of 52 wholly owned lode mining claims covering 1,075 acres. The uranium mineralization is contained in classic Wyoming-type roll fronts within the Eocene Wind River Formation, an arkosic-rich sandstone. Historically, 53 million pounds of uranium were mined in Shirley Basin, including from open-pit, underground, and the first commercial in-situ recovery operation in the USA during the 1960s. At the Agate property, the uranium mineralization is shallow, from 20 to approximately 150 feet deep, much of which appears below the water table and likely amenable to in-situ recovery. Kerr McGee Corporation, the largest US uranium mining company at the time, drilled at least 650 holes across the project area in the 1970s, delineating several targets of potential mineralization. About Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp. Strathmore is focused on discovering uranium deposits in Wyoming, and has three permitted uranium projects including Agate, Beaver Rim, and Night Owl. The Agate and Beaver Rim properties contain uranium in typical Wyoming-type roll front deposits based on historical drilling data. The Night Owl property is a former producing surface mine that was in production in the early 1960s. Cautionary Statement: "Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release". Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp. which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp. disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Terrence Osier, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp., a Qualified Person. Strathmore Plus Uranium Corp. Contact Information: Investor Relations Telephone: 1 888 882 8177 Email: info@strathmoreplus.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Dev Randhawa" Dev Randhawa, CEO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213221 Rockport, June 17th, 2024 - New Age Metals Inc. (TSX.V: NAM); (OTCQB: NMTLF); (FSE: P7J.F) ("NAM" or the "Company") in conjunction with University of Manitoba researchers are poised to unlock more sustainable ways to extract mineral resources, thanks to a $1.5 million dollar grant from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Critical metals, including lithium, nickel and platinum group elements (PGEs) and other strategically important minerals play a vital role in various high-tech industries, from renewable energy to electronics manufacturing and contribute to the provincial economy. However, their extraction and processing pose unique challenges, including environmental concerns and supply chain vulnerabilities. UM researchers, Dr. Mostafa Fayek and Dr. Alfredo Camacho, in collaboration with Lakehead University researcher and NOHFC Industrial Research Chair in Mineral Exploration Dr. Peter Hollings, and industry partners New Age Metals, and Grid Metals Corp., will use the funding to address key issues related to critical metals exploration and extraction. Through cutting-edge research and collaboration industry and academic partners also want to prioritize engaging Indigenous communities in innovative technologies and sustainable practice research. "Our research will promote and strengthen existing links with international researchers, generating knowledge transfer to strengthen Manitoba's position as a leader in critical metals research and innovation," said Dr. Fayek, Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. "Indigenous peoples are underrepresented in STEM fields in general, and our project seeks to remove barriers and directly engage Indigenous peoples in exploration. This investment underscores the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and Indigenous stakeholders to drive innovation and economic growth." The project will focus on several key objectives, including: 1. Advancing exploration techniques to identify new critical metals deposits in Manitoba 2. Training the next generation of geologists in critical metals research 3. Developing environmentally responsible exploration methods 4. Facilitating knowledge transfer and workforce development to support the growth of Manitoba's Indigenous communities. "By harnessing the collective expertise of academia, industry, and government, we can address the complex challenges facing the critical minerals industry and create sustainable solutions for the future," said Harry Barr, Chairman & CEO at New Age Metals For more information about the University of Manitoba's critical metals research initiative, please visit emacmanitoba.com. About the University of Manitoba: The University of Manitoba is recognized as Western Canada's first university, with more than 29,000 students, 5,000 academic staff, 3,900 support staff and more than 188,000 alumni. It is part of the U15, ranking among Canada's top research-intensive universities and is Manitoba's only medical-doctoral post-secondary institution. The University provides exceptional liberal arts, science and professional programs of study, inspiring undergraduate and post-graduate students to positively impact their communities as globally engaged citizens. UM campuses are located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate and Dene, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Metis. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of Reconciliation and collaboration. For more information, please visit umanitoba.ca. About Lakehead University: Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay. Lakehead has nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University's achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked in the 2023 Times Higher Education World Universities Rankings and THE's 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit lakeheadu.ca. About Grid Metals Corp.: Grid Metals is focused on both lithium and copper/nickel projects in the Bird River area, approximately 150 km northeast of Winnipeg Manitoba. The Donner Lake lithium project is a 75% owned property subject to a joint venture agreement. Grid has a lease agreement on the True North mill where it plans to process feed from Donner Lake. Grid also has an MOU with Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited who operates the nearby producing Tanco Mine. The Makwa Mayville copper/nickel project is a resource-stage project that is undergoing exploration and development work in the Bird River greenstone belt. For more information, please visit gridmetalscorp.com. About NAM New Age Metals is a junior mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery, exploration, and development of green metal projects in North America. The Company has two divisions: a Platinum Group Element division and a Lithium/Rare Element division. The PGE Division includes the 100% owned, multi-million-ounce, district-scale River Valley Project, one of North America's largest undeveloped Platinum Group Element Projects, situated 100 km by road east of Sudbury, Ontario. In addition to River Valley, NAM owns 100% of the Genesis PGE-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska and plans to complete a surface mapping and sampling program in 2023. The Company's Lithium Division is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, where the Company is exploring for hard rock lithium and various rare elements such as tantalum, rubidium, and cesium. Exploration for 2024 includes 12,500 meters of diamond drilling following up on the anomalous results from the geochemical samples collected during summer 2023 and geophysical/structural interpretation. The Company has a partnership with Mineral Resource Limited (MRL, ASX: MIN), a top global lithium producer to explore and develop the Company's lithium project portfolio in Southern Manitoba. Our philosophy is to be a project generator with the objective of optioning our projects with major and junior mining companies through to production. The Company is actively seeking an option/joint venture partner for our newly acquired Northman and South Bay Lithium Projects in northern Manitoba, and its road-accessible Genesis PGE-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska. Investors are invited to visit the New Age Metals website at www.newagemetals.com where they can review the company and its corporate activities. Any questions or comments can be directed to info@newagemetals.com or Harry Barr at Hbarr@newagemetals.com or Farid Mammadov at faridm@newagemetals.com or call 613 659 2773. CEO Interview Video Agoracom released a corporate overview on the Company which can be accessed by clicking the following link. Opt-in List If you have not done so already, we encourage you to sign up on our website (www.newagemetals.com) to receive our updated news. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Harry Barr" Harry G. Barr Chairman and CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as "continue", "efforts", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "confident", "intend", "strategy", "plan", "will", "estimate", "project", "goal", "target", "prospects", "optimistic" or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Company's ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts' expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver - Global Stocks News - on June 5, 2024 West Red Lake Gold Mines (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) stated that the company "has a goal to restart the high-grade Madsen gold mine in the second half of 2025." The announcement of a projected mine restart date is significant news. During an aggressive 12-month drill program confirming and extending multiple high-grade zones at the Madsen project, WRLG has consistently stressed the need for patience. "Shane Williams and West Red Lake Gold Mines are in no big rush to put the dormant Madsen Mine back into production," reported Northern Ontario Business (NAB) on August 18th, 2023. "The Vancouver gold company intends to take a methodical approach to set things right and deep dive into the deposit before resuming production at the shuttered underground mine." "It's 18 to 24 months before we even think about switching the thing back on," WRLG CEO Shane Williams told NAB 10 months ago. "Our CEO Shane Williams has been clear," confirmed Jill Christmann, WRLG Chief Geologist in a subsequent message to shareholders. "The mill turns on when it's ready to turn on." There are mining CEOs who specialise in project-generation, mergers, off-take agreements and greenfield exploration. Williams' specific expertise is moving mineral assets along the development chain into production, on schedule and on budget. He has designed, built and operated mines (open pit and underground) in Greece, Turkey and Canada - for Skeena Resources, Eldorado Gold and Rio Tinto. WRLG is currently working on a pre-feasibility study detailing the restart plan. This study is targeted for release in early 2025. Mine Restart Projects Underway or Imminent: Connection Drift: 1,200-meter haulage way to connect the East and West portals/declines to enable bigger trucks, more efficient routings, and better ventilation and to eliminate surface trucking restrictions by moving mineralization underground. Primary Crusher: Install a permanent primary crusher as part of the Madsen mill, which previously relied on a temporary leased crusher. Test Mining: Initiate a test mining program to assess longhole stoping and cut-and-fill mining methods on the range of mining environments at Madsen. This will be an essential step in further de-risking the asset. Bulk Sample: Analyze samples from the test mining program through a sample tower to determine representative grade of a bulk sample. Camp: Procure and install a mine camp to house 100 workers at the Madsen mine site. Mine Dry: Procure, install, and staff a facility with showers, change areas, and laundry where workers can transition into and out of work shifts. Evaporators: Install two (2) evaporator fans with the ability to manage 2,000 cubic meters of water daily, to increase overall water management capacity at the mine site. Shaft Rehabilitation: Continue the process of dewatering the mine and rehabilitating the existing shaft, which is now certified to move people for the purpose of inspecting shaft conditions. For the remainder of 2024 WRLG plans to have two diamond drills operating regularly in a program totaling up to 39,000 meters, with two primary objectives: Resource Definition Drilling: (70%) of the drilling (approximately 27,000 meters) will be used to increase resource confidence across all known resource domains (Austin, North Austin, South Austin, and McVeigh) Resource Expansion Drilling: (30%) of the drilling (approximately 12,000 meters) will test the Company's top targets including Austin extension and the 8 Zone down plunge extension target "We are keen to continue building confidence in the Madsen resource with definition holes ahead of our prefeasibility study," stated Will Robinson, VP of Exploration. "And to test additional high caliber targets close to existing underground infrastructure where historic drill intercepts suggest there is good potential to define additional mineralization, like the 8 Zone." Click Image To View Full Size Six days after the mine restart announcement, on June 11, 2024 WRLG reported drill results focused on the high-grade South Austin Zone. The purpose of this drilling was definition within South Austin to continue building an inventory of high-confidence ounces for the eventual restart of production at the Madsen mine. HIGHLIGHTS: Hole MM24D-09-4068-012 Intersected 8m @ 16.69 g/t Au, from 73m to 81m, Including 1m @ 127.98 g/t Au, from 78m to 79m Hole MM24D-09-4068-009 Intersected 17.83m @ 6.17 g/t Au, from 69.00m to 86.83m, Including 1m @ 30.05 g/t Au, from 69m to 70m Hole MM24D-09-4068-010 Intersected 12m @ 7.48 g/t Au, from 79m to 91m, Including 1m @ 73.56 g/t Au, from 80m to 81m Hole MM24D-07-4198-012 Intersected 3.1m @ 21.33 g/t Au, from 83.9m to 87.0m, Including 0.5m @ 32.74 g/t Au, from 85.5m to 86.0m Hole MM24D-09-4068-009 Intersected 2.48m @ 25.77 g/t Au, from 22.00m to 24.48m, Including 0.98m @ 64.35 g/t Au, from 23.50m to 24.48m. Hole MM24D-07-4198-009 Intersected 9m @ 6.75 g/t Au, from 103m to 112m, Including 0.9m @ 27.91 g/t Au, from 104.0m to 104.9m Hole MM24D-09-4068-006 Intersected 2.5m @ 17.54 g/t Au, from 21.0m to 23.5m, Including 1m @ 43.63 g/t Au, from 22m to 23m. The drilling extended parts of South Austin, added confidence in a known part of the zone, and defined a new, previously unrecognized footwall lens running sub-parallel to the South Austin zone. "We are encouraged by the very broad intercepts of mineralization averaging above 6 grams per tonne gold, which are accentuated by a number of very high-grade intervals," stated Williams. "The new mineralized lens the team is defining footwall to South Austin between the historic 7 and 9 Levels is quite exciting and demonstrates the discovery potential that still exists within and adjacent to the Madsen deposit." Click Image To View Full Size "Typically, gold prices are linked to U.S. dollars," stated WRLG major shareholder Frank Giustra. "However, excessive printing of dollars is diminishing their worth." "A global monetary system reset appears to be in progress, with a growing list of nations exploring options beyond the U.S. dollar, indicating a shift towards dedollarization," added Giustra. "The established financial world order of the past 50 years is now transitioning to a new and unknown paradigm as the petrodollar agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia was allowed to expire this past Sunday," reported Kitco News on June 13, 2024. "I'm sure Saudi Arabia the UAE and Iran, like Russia, will be glad to accept #gold in trade settlement for their oil instead of USD," stated Jaime Carrasco with Canaccord Genuity Financial. The Madsen Gold Mine is fully permitted and has a brand-new 800+ tonne per day mill, a tailings and water treatment facility. [1] The Madsen Mine deposit presently hosts an NI 43-101 Indicated resource of 1.65 million ounces of gold grading 7.4 g/t gold and an Inferred resource of 0.37 Moz of gold grading 6.3 g/t gold. [2.] [3.] "With a year of work under our belts at Madsen, we know what needs to be procured, built, and developed at the mine site over the next six to twelve months to achieve our goal of restarting the mine in 2025," stated Williams in the June 5, 2024 press release. Contact: guy.bennett@globalstocksnews.com Disclaimer: West Red Lake Gold paid GSN $1,500 CND for the research, writing and dissemination of this content. Full Disclaimer References: SRK Consulting. (2021). Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada (West Red Lake Gold Mines, Ed.) [Review of Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled "Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada", prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc., and dated June 16, 2023, and amended April 24, 2024. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Company's website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the technical report entitled "Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada", prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc., and dated June 16, 2023, and amended April 24, 2024. The Madsen Resource Estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021 and excludes depletion of mining activity during the period from January 1, 2022 to the mine closure on October 24, 2022 as it has been deemed immaterial and not relevant for the purpose of the updated report. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Company's website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. TORONTO, June 17, 2024 - Euro Sun Mining Inc., (TSX: ESM) ("Euro Sun" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the voting results from the Annual General and Special Meeting of shareholders in accordance with the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company announces that the nominees listed in the management proxy circular dated May 10, 2024 (the "Circular") for the 2024 annual general and special meeting of shareholders of the Company (the "Meeting") were elected as directors of the Company. Shareholders at the Meeting also approved the appointment of the Company's auditors. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Meeting on June 17, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario are set out below. Election of Directors The shareholders approved the election as directors of the persons listed below, based on the following vote. Nominee % Votes For % Votes Withheld Grant Sboros 96.215 3.785 Neil Said 88.267 11.733 Deborah Battiston 88.130 11.870 Martin Schuermann 88.350 11.650 Shareholders voted 94.715% in favour of the approval of the appointment of the Company's auditors, with 5.285% of shareholders withholding their vote on the appointment of auditors. Shareholders at the Meeting also approved the Company's share incentive plan (the "Share Incentive Plan"), with 79.914% in favour and 20.086% against. A total of 34,040,199 common shares were voted in connection at the Meeting, representing approximately 10.62% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. Euro Sun's board would like to express its gratitude to its shareholders for their participation and support. Amendment to Royalty Agreement and Re-payment of Debenture The Company is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amendment (the "Amendment") to the net smelter return royalty agreement (the "Agreement") with certain purchasers (together, the "Holder") for the Company's Rovina Valley Project (the "Property"), pursuant to which the remaining payments owing under the Agreement are to be paid (a) US$660,000 on June 14, 2024 (the "Initial Final Payment") and (b) the remainder by September 30, 2024. In connection with the Amendment and the Initial Final Payment, the Company has repaid all principal owing under the secured debenture of the Company dated December 6, 2023. The Company thanks the Holder for their continued support of the Rovina Valley Project. About Euro Sun Mining Inc. Euro Sun is a Toronto Stock Exchange listed mining Company focused on the exploration and development of its 100%-owned Rovina Valley gold and copper project located in west-central Romania, which hosts the second largest gold deposit in Europe. The Project supports a circular economy by unlocking much needed investment and job creation in Hunedoara County and, delivers critical minerals necessary for Europe's green energy transition. The Project adopts the latest in modern mining environmental methodology and uses no cyanide or wet tailings in processes. Further information: For further information about Euro Sun Mining, or the contents of this press release, please contact Investor Relations at info@eurosunmining.com Caution regarding forward-looking information: This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Meeting and payments under the Agreement. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including risks inherent in the mining industry and risks described in the public disclosure of the Company which is available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company 's website at www.eurosunmining.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Vancouver, June 17, 2024 - Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. ("Terra" or the "Company") (CSE:TERA; FRA:UB1) is pleased to announce closing of the 1st tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement financing of units (the "Units") for gross proceed of $205,750 (the "Offering"). The Company issued an aggregate of 2,057,500 Units at a price of $0.10 per Unit pursuant to the Offering announced on May 17th, 2024. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.15 until June 17, 2027. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and to fund the Phase III drilling campaign across its portfolio of properties. Giulio Bonifacio, Non-Executive Chair and Kim Oishi, Director of the Company (together the "Insiders") purchased 257,500 Units as part of the Offering. The issuance of the Units to the Insiders constitutes a "related party transaction" as this term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemption from valuation requirement and minority approval pursuant to subsection 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, as the securities do not represent more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The participation by Insiders in the Offering was approved by directors of the Company who are independent in connection with such transactions. Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued and issuable in connection with the closing of the Offering are subject to a four (4) month hold period ending October 18, 2024. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any U.S. person or any person in the United States, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. "United States" and "U.S. Person" are as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. About the Company Terra Balcanica is a polymetallic and energy metals exploration company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the Balkans of southeastern Europe and northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company has 90% interest in the Viogor-Zanik Project in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina and owns 100% of the Ceovishte mineral exploration licence in southern Serbia. The Canadian assets comprise a 100% optioned portfolio of uranium-prospective licences at the outskirts of the world-renowned Athabasca basin: Charlot-Neely Lake, Fontaine Lake, Snowbird, and South Pendleton. The Company emphasizes responsible engagement with local communities and stakeholders. It is committed to proactively implementing Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and sustainable health, safety, and environmental management. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terra Balcanica Resources Corp. "Aleksandar Miskovi?" Aleksandar Miskovi? President and CEO For the complete information on this news release, please contact Aleksandar Miskovi? at amiskovic@terrabresources.com, +1 (514) 796-7577, or visit www.terrabresources.com/en/news. Cautionary Statement This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the words "will", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. French government enforces tobacco ad ban on F1 TV French Formula 1 fans are digesting the bad news that watching old grands prix has suddenly become much more difficult. Pierre Gasly, Canadian GP 2024 Alpine According to L'Equipe, F1's official streaming and broadcast service, F1 TV, has been forced by the French government to block archival footage that features cigarette advertising. As of July 11, replays, summaries, and pre and post-race shows will all now be blocked for French subscribers as well as documentaries and other content. L'Equipe said the move is to ensure compliance with France's anti-smoking laws, which prohibit propaganda or advertising, direct or indirect, in favour of tobacco or tobacco products . The move will also affect 2024 Formula 1 content, with McLaren for example being sponsored by British American Tobacco. Although McLaren does not promote cigarettes for BAT, who insist they are pushing for a smokeless world , other products offered by the company are shown on the F1 livery. F1 TV has reacted by lowering prices for French subscribers. These same French subscribers will still be able to watch grands prix via live streaming, and Canal Plus' live transmissions are also unaffected. (GMM) It's mostly clear that Google will unveil a three-pronged Pixel 9 lineup in October, consisting of the dual-camera compact Pixel 9, the triple-camera compact Pixel 9 Pro, and the all-out three-camera Pixel 9 Pro XL. But up until now, the XL name hasn't been confirmed. It's now seemingly is, thanks to this since-deleted Geekbench run, listing the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. The phone runs Android 14 and has the komodo motherboard. Its Tensor G4 processor has 1 3.10GHz prime core, 3 2.6GHz performance cores, and four 1.95GHz efficiency cores. It also comes with 16GB of RAM. The Pixel 9 Pro XL also packs the Mali G715 graphics processor - the Pixel 8 Pro also has a G715 GPU but we expect the new one to either have more cores or a higher clock. Digging through Geekbench, we found a run by the Google Pixel 9, which is a few days old. The motherboard is named tokay and the phone has 8GB of RAM. The CPU cluster is the same, as you'd expect. Source | Via A tipster from China shared some early info and renders for the Sony Xperia VIIs cameras. There is plenty of room for doubt regarding the validity of these rumors as the tipster does not have a solid track record of prior leaks but it's still interesting to see what Sony could be up to with its next-generation Xperia. Sony is reportedly looking to break up the vertical camera alignment seen on past Xperia 1 devices and separate the telephoto lens from the main and ultrawide cameras. This move is said to free up enough space inside the device for a 1/2.3-inch telephoto sensor compared to the 1/3.5 sensor on the Xperia 1 VI. The zoom camera will reportedly cover a 70-200mm equivalent focal range. Xperia 1 VII render The main camera is expected to retain its 1/1.3 sensor size just like the current Xperia 1 VI while the ultrawide is also expected to boast a larger 1/2.3 sensor. Sony is still expected to go with a two-layer transistor pixel technology for all three cameras on the Xperia 1 VII. The new report also suggests that Sony will not launch an Xperia 5 VI this year and that the series may be discontinued altogether, leaving the Xperia 1 as the only high-end smartphone line in Sonys mobile business. Source (in Chinese) Haiti - FLASH : Haitian children victims of violence, a frightening report from the UN In Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' report on children and armed conflicts in the world, submitted on June 3rd to the Security Council, the section devoted to Haiti is frightening... The report covers the period from January to December 2023. The UN has confirmed the accuracy of all the information provided in this report, while clarifying that it does not comprehensively account for all violations committed against children. In Haiti, the UN confirmed and verified 383 serious violations committed against 307 children, including 32 children victims of multiple violations. Recruitment and use of children: The recruitment and use of 23 children (17 boys, 6 girls), by Brooklyn (5), Grand Ravine (4), Village de Dieu "5 Segond gang" (4), Team Ascenseur (2), Bas Grand Grif de Savien (1), 400 Mawozo (1), Force Resistance Chandelle (1) and Belekou (1) armed gangs, and by unidentified armed gangs (4), was verified. Children were used in attacks against the Haitian National Police or were tortured and burned alive by Baz Gran Grif de Savien and Force Resistance Chandelle armed gangs. Girls were used for sexual purposes. Children killed and physical harm : The gangs are involved in the death of 128 children and 78 attacks on their physical integrity. These are unidentified armed gangs (26), Belekou (18), 400 Mawozo (12), Boston (11), Canaan (9), Les Argentins de Haut Bel-Air (8), G9 Family and Allies (7), G-Pep coalition (6) and other armed gangs (70), and by unidentified perpetrators (4) in crossfire between armed gangs and the Haitian National Police were verified. Casualties resulted mainly from stray bullets (125) and targeted killings (62), including children who were victims of gang rapes or burned alive as part of reprisals. Sexual violence : Sexual violence was perpetrated against 41 girls by unidentified armed gangs (11) and by Baz Gran Grif de Savien (6), Village de Dieu "5 Segond gang" (5), Canaan (4), Belekou (3), Grand Ravine (2), G9 Family and Allies (2), Kraze Barye (2), Ti Bois (2), Bel-Air (1), 400 Mawozo (1), Kokorat Sans Ras (1), G Pep coalition (1) armed gangs. Cases involved rape, gang rape and sexual slavery . Child abduction: 71 children were kidnapped (30 boys, 31 girls, 10 sex unknown) by unidentified armed gangs (22), Les Argentins de Haut Bel-Air (14), Baz Gran Grif de Savien (9), Kokorat Sans Ras (5), Kraze Barye (4), Canaan (3), Belekou (3), Village de Dieu "5 Segond gang" (3), Grand Ravine (2), Palmis (2), Bel-Air (1), Delmas 6 Gang (1), 400 Mawozo (1) and Krache Dife (1) armed gangs were verified. Most abductions were for ransom (65) and sexual violence (4). Antonio Guterres welcomes the signature of a handover protocol in January 2024 between the Government and the United Nations for the transfer of children allegedly associated with armed gangs to civilian child protection actors. "I remain deeply concerned by indiscriminate armed gang violence and grave violations against children, in particular the killing and maiming and abduction of children, and the perpetration of sexual violence against children. I call for accelerating the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to assist the Haitian National Police in re-establishing security in Haiti, as authorized by the Security Council in its resolution 2699 (2023), and for appropriate training in child protection for its personnel." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42472-haiti-flash-more-than-30-of-gang-members-are-children.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - USA : 3 senators ask to accelerate the process of legal adoption of orphaned Haitian children Amid socio-political unrest in Haiti, ophel children matched with American parents are currently awaiting approval from Haitian authorities to complete the adoption process, and many to join their new families in Florida. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging them to work with the Haitian government to speed up the adoption process. Full text of the letter : "Dear Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas: As members of Congress representing Florida, we write to express our deep concern regarding the current process and delays associated with Americans adopting Haitian children. These children deserve to be prioritized and brought home to their American families as soon as possible. We represent families in Florida who have been struggling to get their children out of Haiti and to safety. Given the hardships in Haiti, we request an expedited processing timeline in collaboration with Haitian authorities. The lack of accountability and oversight in Haitis institutions poses risks to vulnerable children, and delays exacerbate their vulnerability. As representatives of our constituents, we implore you to act swiftly and compassionately. The well-being of these children must be our top priority. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Sincerely." Let's recall that last March, Rubio had already sent a letter to Secretary Blinken urging him to prioritize the cases of orphaned children who were legally adopted by Americans. Image thumbnail : from left to right, Marco Rubio, Neal Dunn and Rick Scott HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Nairobi Superior Court on vacation The Nairobi Superior Court, whose court is on vacation, has set a hearing for October 7 on a new appeal filed by Me Ekuru Aukot, leader of a small minority party "Thirdway Alliance", which in the ballot presidential election in 2017 had obtained 27,311 votes, or 0.18% of the votes), who is seeking a response to his trial for "contempt of a court order based on the decision of January 26, 2023" against the deployment of Kenyan police officers in Haiti. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42355-haiti-flash-ekuru-aukot-in-kenya-once-again-tries-to-block-the-mission-in-haiti.html The OIF encouraged by political progress in Haiti The Ambassador of Haiti to Canada Weibert Arthus, on the sidelines of the economic mission of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) in Montreal and Quebec. had fruitful discussions with the Secretary General of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo who said she was encouraged by the political progress in Haiti and who renewed the support of the OIF for Haiti in the process of definitive resolution of the crisis. Ambassador Arthus insisted on the fact that any support for Haiti requires job creation and economic opportunities, particularly for young Haitians. Weapons and ammunition seized, recipient arrested Investigators from the Office for the Fight against Drug Trafficking (BLTS) on detachment in the North carried out, last week at Cap Terminal SA (CTSA), in Quartier-Morin, a search of a container registered KOSU-496-108-8, from the United States. They discovered and seized in two blue bowls bearing the number 44. : 9 magazines for 9mm caliber pistol, a drum-shaped magazine of 9mm caliber brand Taurus PT11G2G3; a Pistol to Carbine conversion; 100 9mm and 50 .38 caliber cartridges. Jean Guillaume JOSEPH, in whose name the goods were intended, was arrested. Did you know ? Did you know that ? The historian Moreau de Saint-Mery (1750-1819) was the first to have recorded the natural disasters in what was then called "the island of Saint Domingue", part of which constitutes what is today Haiti, during the French and Spanish occupations. The author reports in his work 18 earthquakes felt, including that of 1562 which destroyed Santiago, the first city of the New World and those of October 18, 1751, November 21, 1751 and June 3, 1770, the damage of which was major in Port-au-Prince. The cause of the earthquakes was enigmatic at that time. Reaction of the Minister for the Status of Women During her installation, Ms. Marie Francoise SUZAN, the Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights (MCFDF), rejoiced at the fact that it is the first time in the entire history of the country that the quota of 30% of women is almost respected (28.57%) in a Government with 4 women ministers out of 14. HL/ HaitiLibre KRP on Friday reported that the man is suspected of stabbing a 12-year-old boy and trying to stab another child in Valkea Shopping Centre. THE NATIONAL BUREAU of Investigation (KRP) is demanding that a 33-year-old man be remanded for two attempted murders in connection with a stabbing that occurred in a shopping centre at the heart of Oulu on Thursday, 13 June. The stabbing occurred completely out of the blue at about 6.35pm, with the suspect approaching one of the children from behind and stabbing him several times with a knife. The suspect then took off to chase down the other child, but he was stopped by a security guard outside the shopping centre with the help of bystanders. This came as a total surprise to the young people, and the victim didnt know the assailant in any way. He had never had anything to do with [the assailant], Pasi Sorjonen, the director of KRP in Oulu, commented to YLE on Friday. The target was a defenceless child. Its brutal and cruel when an adult man comes from behind and starts inflicting serious injuries on a victim with a knife. Guards at the shopping centre also administered first aid to the victim, who is in stable condition after sustaining serious injuries in the incident, according to KRP. I have to also say that the guard who was at the site acted excellently, possibly saving lives, said Sorjonen. KRP on Friday stated that with the pre-trial investigation still in its early stages, the motive of the assailant remains unknown. The investigators are aware, though, that the assailant has a history of involvement in far-right activities. According to YLE, the stabbing victim is a Finnish national of foreign background. YLE and Helsingin Sanomat on Friday reported that the suspect has previously been found guilty of a number of offences with ties to far-right organisations. The man has received a suspended prison sentence of 18 months for aggravated assault and violation of political freedom in a case consisting of two incidents: a pepper-spray attack against a left-wing politician in Oulu in 2012 and a knife attack against a man at the launch event of a book about the far right in Finland in Jyvaskyla in 2013. He managed to evade law enforcement authorities for 18 months after the stabbing. The suspect has also taken part in the activities of the Finnish faction of the Nordic Resistance Movement, a neo-Nazi group that was banned by the Supreme Court of Finland in 2020. The group was designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2024. Both YLE and Helsingin Sanomat wrote that they decided to disclose the identity of the suspect due to the societal significance of the incident. Thursdays stabbing also set off a political exchange. Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) on Thursday linked the stabbing to the emergence of street gangs, a phenomenon the populist right-wing party has repeatedly warned about in the context of immigration-related debates. A young person was stabbed in the middle of the day, in the middle of a shopping centre. I hope the victim makes it. Unfortunately, were following the same development as other countries when it comes to street crime, gangs and so on. The government is working hard, but what we already have in this country is horrible, she wrote on X on Thursday. She rephrased her message after law enforcement authorities provided details about the far-right ties of the suspect on Friday. Extremist movements, drugs, robberies, gangs the problems are becoming bigger. We have to take the erosion of security seriously, increase penalties and stop hush-hushing all kinds of violence. The Oulu victim is 12 years old, the assailant has a background in far-right movements, says KRP, she wrote. Opposition lawmakers latched onto her initial reaction, though. In situations like these, a minister should be able to condemn the far right rather than spreading hurried and prejudiced guesses. A minister cant behave the same way as the online alias riikka, stated Sofia Virta, the chairperson of the Green League. Purra used the alias riikka to make racist and violent comments years ago on an online discussion board. Virta accused Purra of fomenting xenophobia and urged her to take the threat posed by the far right seriously. All warning bells should be ringing by now. You cant let the situation spiral out of control, she emphasised. Nasima Razmyar, a deputy chairperson of the Social Democrats, argued on X that it was only a matter of time before the hate speech peddled by the far right turned into action. Also the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) has repeatedly warned about the possibility of far-right terrorism, reminded Veronika Honkasalo, a deputy chairperson of the Left Alliance. There isnt a bar low enough that the Finns Party couldnt crawl under it. This is peak distastefulness by Purra and completely chilling, she wrote. CORRECTION (19 June 2024): This story stated incorrectly that the suspect tried to stab another 12-year-old, although the age of the second victim had not been disclosed. Police on Friday described the second victim as "another child". Aleksi Teivainen HT The NGOs highlight several urgent priorities: securing a sustainable ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and lifting the illegal blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. A coalition of non-governmental organizations is calling on Finland to officially recognize the state of Palestine, emphasizing that immediate action is essential to achieving a lasting peace in the region. The plea comes amidst continued humanitarian crises in Gaza and the longstanding Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Beyond these immediate measures, the coalition stresses the need to address the root causes of the conflict to ensure the fundamental rights of all residents in the region, aiming to prevent future bloodshed. "Recognizing the state of Palestine is a crucial step towards peace and the realization of human rights for everyone in the area," the statement asserts. Currently, 146 countries, including Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, and Spain, have recognized Palestine. The NGOs argue that a unified stance by the European Union on this matter is vital for finding a just resolution to the conflict, respecting both Israeli and Palestinian self-determination and human rights. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen recently stated that now is not the right time for Finland to recognize Palestine. Meanwhile, President Alexander Stubb indicated that Finland would acknowledge Palestinian statehood "at some point." The NGOs, however, contend that with the window for a two-state solution rapidly closing and Palestinian society's survival at stake, the time for recognition is now. Both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to self-determination, to decide their political futures independently, and to coexist peacefully and securely with their neighbors. These principles are the foundation of the two-state solution, which has been widely supported by the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and the International Court of Justice, as well as the EU and Finland. Despite this broad consensus, Israel and the United States have historically opposed the implementation of a two-state solution under international law. Israel has occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, for 57 years, establishing 270 settlements in the West Bank that fragment the territory and jeopardize the viability of a Palestinian state. These settlements house approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers and are considered illegal under international humanitarian law. The EU and Finland have consistently supported the two-state solution and do not recognize Israel's territorial claims and expansions beyond its pre-1967 borders, including in East Jerusalem. The EU views the settlements as a threat to achieving a two-state solution. The NGOs argue that the EU now has a unique opportunity to leverage its economic and diplomatic power to advance a resolution to the conflict. Recognizing the state of Palestine would be a step toward aligning with the EUs political positions and objectives. While symbolic, such recognition alone is insufficient. The EU must also halt trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank. International law mandates that states not recognize or support serious violations, such as those committed by Israel. Following the annexation of Crimea, the EU banned all imports from Crimea and Sevastopol. However, it has not imposed a similar ban on goods from Israeli settlements. The NGOs urge the EU to apply its non-recognition policy consistently. In light of these points, the NGOs call on Finland to: Recognize the state of Palestine within its internationally recognized 1967 borders. Cease all trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories in compliance with international law and EU non-recognition policies. Advocate for the EU to adopt a unified stance supporting these objectives. Take all necessary actions to protect civilians in the region, including delivering humanitarian aid and upholding international humanitarian law. The coalition hopes that these steps will contribute to a fair and lasting peace in the Middle East, ensuring the rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. HT A residence permit for a specialist is granted to individuals who come to Finland to perform expert duties requiring specialized skills, provided they meet all specified criteria. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) is set to introduce an automated post-decision monitoring system for specialists' residence permits starting today. This initiative aims to ensure that holders of these permits continue to meet the necessary requirements throughout their stay in Finland. The new system will apply to all residence permits for specialists issued on or after January 1, 2023. The automated monitoring will focus on key permit requirements, including verifying that the specialist receives a salary that meets the stipulated income threshold. "Automation enhances the efficiency of issuing residence permits for specialists and improves our ability to detect any misuse. This post-decision monitoring will provide valuable data that we can use to further streamline the permit processing system," said Pauliina Helminen, Director of the Permit and Citizenship Department at Migri. Migri has been conducting post-decision monitoring since 2017, with automated systems already in place for monitoring student and startup entrepreneur permits. The extension of this automated system to include work-based residence permits is part of the Finnish Governments broader strategy to combat labor exploitation. By implementing this new automated system, Migri aims to uphold the integrity of the residence permit process while ensuring that specialists who contribute to Finlands economy continue to meet all legal requirements. HT CAMPAIGNERS are calling on candidates bidding to be Henleys next MP to fight for seven NHS-funded and operated care beds to be reinstated. The step-down beds were removed from the Chilterns Court care centre, next to Townlands Memorial Hospital, in December without a public consultation. John Howell, the outgoing MP, asked the Health Secretary in March to revisit the decision to axe the beds, which were mainly used to care for people coming out of hospital after operations. But Victoria Atkins did not reply and the Department of Health and Social Care failed to respond to enquiries made by the Henley Standard. New powers came into force in January which allow the minister to intervene in NHS service reconfigurations at any stage where a proposal exists and take or retake any decision that could have been taken by an NHS commissioning body. Such requests are expected to only be used in exceptional situations where a local resolution has not been reached. The NHS Oxfordshire clinical commissioning group asked Oxfordshire County Council to commission the beds from the Orders of St John, which runs the care centre, in 2016. It said they were to support the rapid access care unit, an ambulatory model of care, for which it had asked for four more beds to be commissioned. These were closed in 2021 following a consultation with key stakeholders. However, there was no consultation, even with GPs, when it was decided to scrap the Chilterns Court beds. The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board and county council has said no consultation was needed as they were not NHS beds. But, as the Henley Standard revealed in March, in 2016 the commissioning group increased its contribution to an NHS Act pooled budget to cover the cost of the beds at Chilterns Court. Some of the beds were purchased directly by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Chilterns Court beds, like the four at the rapid access care unit, were overseen by a liaison hub team which was hosted by the university trust. In November 2019, the beds at Chilterns Court were reprocured by the council but their purpose did not change. All the beds became jointly funded by the Better Care Fund, which included the Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust, the commissioning group and the council. Now, following the decision by Rish Sunak to hold the general election on July 4, parliamentary candidates are being asked to say whether or not they will fight for the beds. Town and county councillor Stefan Gawrysiak said: We demand the beds back. In December the step-down beds were removed from Chilterns Court without any consultation with the local community, including the Henley GPs who ran the service. The Liberal Democrat administration at the county council unilaterally removed the beds and we are campaigning for them to be reinstated because people who need the beds, having been discharged from the Royal Berkshire Hospital, are being left in care homes as far afield as Swindon, Banbury and Abingdon. There are no local beds for our community. We demand that the parliamentary candidates campaign to have these beds reinstated and, when one is elected, they should petition the new secretary of state to intervene and have the beds restored. Robert Aitken, a trustee of the Friends of Townlands Hospital, said there would always be a need for bedded care. He said: It is self-evident that while step-down care into a persons home is desirable, where it is practical taking into account home conditions and medical circumstances there will always be a minority who will need step-down care beds. This facility has been arbitrarily removed without consultation by the county council in conjunction with a national health policy to radically reduce the number of step down care beds. This is despite daily press comment on the ability to discharge being a major factor in the waiting list problems in our health service. Mr Aitken, from Lower Assendon, was also unhappy that two attempts by Cllr Gawrysiak to have the county council pass a motion calling for the beds to be reinstated were unsuccessful. He said: The council failed in two successive meetings to even discuss Stefans motion to have this important issue dealt with. In each case the meeting ran out of time. That is completely unacceptable I think it is important that our parliamentary candidates clearly state to the electorate their position on the beds and, hopefully, they will look to intervene to reverse the decision to remove them. Mr Howell, who is recovering from a stroke, has said he shared the concerns of the community over the way the beds issue was handled. He said: Many will recall that the provision of the beds was a critical factor in the redevelopment of the hospital and we fought hard to save them. As a result of recent investigations, I am not content that due process has been followed in removing them. Councillor Tim Bearder, the councils cabinet member for adult social care, has said that the decision to remove the beds was taken in the best interest of residents health and wellbeing. He said: Historically, Oxfordshire was one of the worst-performing systems in terms of delayed transfers of care with far too many people remaining in a hospital bed longer than was necessary with the risk of longer-term harm to their welfare. We have accelerated essential changes. We now support more people directly back to their own homes with all the necessary bespoke support they need to ensure they make a speedy recovery in the communities they know and love. Under this new model, 79 per cent of people discharged from hospital are regaining full independence, which places Oxfordshire way above the 65 per cent national target for reablement to support people to independence. The cost of reablement at home costs 1,200 per person compared with around 9,000 if they spent time in a short stay hub bed. There have been claims that South Oxfordshire has been left without any short stay hub beds, which is not the case. The council contracts 15 short stay hub beds in a care home in Burcot. We have ensured that short stay hub beds contracted by the council since November 2019 are distributed across the four geographical zones of the county in Banbury, Chipping Norton, the city and Burcot. ACCORDING to Ansaf Azhar, director of public health at Oxfordshire County Council, health is the untold story when we are talking about our changing climate. The negative impacts on health, wellbeing and inequality through climate change was only recognised last year when COP made its first ever health declaration. Mr Azhar has described how the health of people in Oxfordshire has been affected by the changes in climate and climate action is the means to deliver better health for local people faster and more fairly. At the same time as improving health for all, local politicians and decision-makers can look after our environment and reduce emissions, both in Oxfordshire and nationally. Mr Azhars argument is not a political one but uses evidence to point to how problematic weather events are becoming more frequent. Since 2007 there have been at least 18 severe flood events, eight cold snaps, four major heatwaves and three periods of drought in the county. Each one can have a huge knock-on effect for the people most affected, physically, mentally and financially. In 2022 there were 65 excess deaths during periods of higher temperatures across Oxfordshire and in 2019 an estimated 2,300 years of healthy life was lost due to air pollution in Oxford. (Makes you wonder about Henley town centre with its queues of traffic.) During the heatwave in September the total ambulance demand in Oxfordshire increased by more than eight per cent for life-threatening and emergency calls. Mr Azhar maintains that acting on climate change has the potential for many immediate positive health benefits for everyone. Not just individuals making changes but organisations and local authorities will help us all in the long run to improve our health and environment and save money. We have to work together. THE existing legislation to protect the environment and reduce emissions to keep global temperatures from rising further is not working nor fit for purpose. There is a campaign, Zero Hour, which is calling on all political parties to support a new law, the Climate and Nature Bill, which addresses climate change, global warming and the nature crisis in line with the most up-to-date science. In the build-up to the general election, Zero Hour is asking people to ask our prospective parliamentary candidates to back the Bill if they are elected. If you want to find out more, please visit zerohour.uk UNCLE Tom, my mums uncle, was a London dustman in the mid-1900s. When I was a young girl I remember him describing the dustcarts drawn by horses and later the lorries being backed up to the River Thames to discharge rubbish into the river. At the time (the Sixties) this seemed quite shocking to us. The household rubbish in the mid-20th century would not have contained all the plastic packaging and harmful chemicals that todays household discards. Also the quantity of rubbish from each household would have been much less than the rubbish we generate today. But it was still bad. Just imagine how horrified we would be to see our weekly refuse being poured into the Thames. But what are we doing to our river now? Is it all right to open the sewers during heavy rainfall and allow the fouling of the waters? We know the excess water has to go somewhere and our sewage treatment centres are not able to cope but this has been the case for a long time now. Our sewage system is outdated, built in an age when we did not use as much water and our population was smaller. As time passes the situation worsens. This needs everyone to put their heads together and come up with a proper plan to resolve it thats all parties, political and organisations, businesses, councils and residents. Perhaps another subject to discuss with our prospective candidates. One small change we can all make is to watch our home consumption of water: Four-minute showers. Dont leave the tap running when cleaning your teeth. Make sure the washing machine has a full load. Invest in a water butt for watering your plants if you havent got one. Please let us know your suggestions. Diana Barnett JOHN HOWELL says he had the best job in politics working at the Council of Europe. The former Conservative MP for Henley was leader of the British delegation to the council, an international organisation which upholds human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe but is not part of the European Union. Founded in 1949, it brings together 46 member states with a population of almost 700 million. Mr Howell, who is not standing at next months general election and is currently recovering from a stroke, was also vice-president of the council and acted as a deputy speaker equivalent for the Parliamentary Assembly. He said it was his last opportunity to make a contribution to the world of politics having served as Henley MP since 2008 and previously as a member of Oxfordshire County Council. I had the best job in politics, he said. It began as the leader of the British delegation. I became vice-chairman and was also chairman of most of the committees at some point or another. I have been with them for more years than I care to remember. The highlight was undoubtedly the work for the council because that was fundamental to what parliament did as a whole in its relationship with other countries and particularly European countries as once we left Europe, it became the principal means by which a link was maintained. In his time as vice-chairman, Mr Howells most prominent moment was kicking the Russians out of the council for invading Ukraine in March 2022. He said: The procedure is quite long and bureaucratic in some ways but it has to be because youre kicking people out of an organisation that was set up after the Second World War to look after human rights and democracy in Europe. Its an important role because you cannot have someone staying and invading. One of the challenges in dealing with Russia was their unwillingness to accept it was an invasion of Ukraine, so it was a big job persuading them. I have had many conversations with individuals while visiting Russia and its impossible to have a sensible discussion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine as they dont see it as wrong at all. Its a leftover from the previous system (USSR) because its embedded deeply in the Russian psychology. Ukraine has acted very openly in discussions with the West and in a mature way and it would have been nice if Russia had done the same. I would like Russia to withdraw from Ukraine but it would take an enormous effort. Mr Howell said his most memorable and challenging time was when he and Boriss Cilevics, a Latvian politician, met the Turkish human rights prisoner Osman Kavala at the Silivri prison in Turkey in January last year after the European Court of Human Rights called for his release. The Turkish economist was sentenced to life in prison in April 2022 for orchestrating and financing nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in 2013 and being part of the attempted coup in 2016, which resulted in tens of thousands of people being jailed or losing their jobs. Mr Howell said: He had been sentenced to an aggravated life sentence for participating in the behind-the-scenes stuff for a coup, none of which was true. I was the only westerner to be invited to see him. It was a fascinating visit because it was high security but we were treated greatly. It was really quite exciting because Osman had spent some time in the UK helping to look after Turkish students at a university, so the conversation was in perfect English. We sat in this big room with a big picture behind us, except it wasnt a picture, it was a screen and behind it was an army of photographers, recording the conversation we were having. We discussed his trial and how he was being treated and the works of the Council of Europe because it was a human rights case to try to get him out. He is still in prison and I havent been able to go across and see him again. Mr Howell said the comprehensive issue of human rights, which the council examines, was inherently challenging. The attitudes make it difficult, he said. The Conservative Party seem to want to take exception to everything the Council of Europe does but it fails to understand that nothing is done without consensus. He expressed optimism about the council's collective efforts to solve the issue of migrants in Europe. He said: Its an issue that cannot be sorted on an individual country-by-country basis but can be on a much bigger basis such as by the Council of Europe with the large number of people in it. There has been quite a lot of agreement about the treatment of refugees and how that needs to be handled in a safe and equitable manner. In 2012, Mr Howell received death threats after responding to a question on whether he would try to halt Israeli military actions with a reference to Hamas rocket attacks in an online exchange. He is a member of the Parliamentary Group of the Conservative Friends of Israel. Mr Howell said: A young Palestinian in the constituency had written to ask me what I made of the bombs that were falling on Palestine that day and I was put on a death list and as a result of that I had a number of death threats. A number of very good organisations, not only Jewish but also Christian, thought I was very brave to have spoken out about putting the Israeli side of things out there, so I was invited by the Friends of Israel to go and see the situation and have conversations with the Israelis and Palestinians. There was a town near Gaza, called Sderot, that received many of the bombs that Hamas had launched over the years and the result was that women had a 50 per cent greater chance of a spontaneous abortion, caused by the fear they had to live with. You simply couldnt ignore that. I was more nervous to go over at a time when Hamas were firing rockets in Israel because I did not support the Hamas case as its completely beyond the pale and Israel is right to defend itself at every opportunity. Mr Howell continued to display unwavering determination in his commitment to his human rights advocacy in several regions of Europe despite the death threats. You just get on with life, he said. You take it in your stride and without turning your house into an armed fortress. It doesnt influence the decisions you take or the influence of going to the country. If you are clear in your own mind about what is right and whats wrong, youre fairly secure but friends and family help me to keep my head out of the clouds and my feet on the ground. Speaking about the continued conflict within Europe, Mr Howell said he was forever optimistic about achieving absolute peace and unity. He said: I dont understand conflict and I wont move to compromise. Its really difficult to explain that and difficult for local people as well. There is no justification for continuing to kill people and we must find a way of ending it but we cannot do that on a one-sided basis. We need to understand the example of women in Sderot and the victims of this sort of confrontation. I would like to see the remaining hostages released and I would like to see the first opportunity of peace and the unity not to be taken up by Hamas regrouping and purchasing their rockets. It may come in the nearer future and I am forever optimistic of that. I am very pleased to have played my part in being there, having those discussions and relaying those back to the Foreign Office. Mr Howell hopes to have some kind of role at the Council of Europe when he has made a full recovery from his stroke, which has left him partially immobile. He said: I would like to focus on making sure the issue of human rights is fully understood in Western Europe. Its a very complex issue and it doesnt fall easily to people who just regard it as the Court of Human Rights. It requires working hard on the issue and building up a good case. Mr Howell advised future politicians to highlight the important of human rights to the public, ensuring democracy is upheld. He said: Make the most of it and make sure you get across to the UK population exactly what the council is doing and the benefits to the UK of being a member of it. Mr Howell said that, looking back, there was nothing he could have done better during his career. There is nothing I wish I couldve done differently, he said. I am very happy with the way things have gone and it has been a very successful career. (JNS) When the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the Saint Catherine Area as a World Heritage Site in 2002, UNESCO noted that the Greek Orthodox monastery stands at the foot of Mount Horeb where, the Old Testament records, Moses received the Tablets of the Law. The mountain is known and revered by Muslims as Jebel Musa. The entire area is sacred to three world religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism, the U.N. agency adds. The monastery, founded in the sixth century, is the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its initial function. B... Yvette Wentziger Bressler, 85, passed away peacefully in Winter Park, Fla., on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Yvette born Aug. 12, 1938, to Simone and Francoise Wentziger in Paris, France. She graduated from Girls Latin High School 1956 and attended Mary Brooks College for interior decor, both in Boston. She married her husband of 60 years, Sidney W. Bressler, in 1960 in Cambridge, Mass., after meeting at their place of work at Gilchrist Department Store in Boston. In 1959, Yvette moved to Orlando, to begin her career in the drapery business, where she co-owned Southland Drapery with her husband. They moved to Dommerich Estates in Maitland, Fla., in April 1965. Yvette was the most sought-after interior decorator in Orlando from 1960 to the early 1990s. She decorated many homes with custom draperies. She had an eye for color and a love of fabrics. Yvette enjoyed power walking with her Walkman, horseback riding, French cooking, needlepoint, reading, black/white movies, dining out, and shopping. She was a great mother with a joie de vivre like no other. The most joy she received was the birth of her first grandchild, Emma, in 2008, who she was able to spoil unconditionally. Yvette is survived by her daughter, Hillary Bressler; son Brett (Monica) Bressler; grandchildren, Emma and Levi Bressler, and Benjamin and Brockton; sister, Francoise Mannix and over 50 family members in France. Preceded in death by her husband, parents and sister, Claudine Urban. Funeral services were held at St Margart Mary Catholic Church at 526 N Park Ave, Winter Park, Fla. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mrs. Yvette Bressler may be directed to the Alzheimer Association. On the evening of June 5, Oakmonte Village hosted the much-anticipated Jewish Pavilion Senior Services Cocktail Cabaret party. More than150 attendees gathered to support elders in long-term care, a mission that lies at the heart of the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services. One of the highlights of the evening was the live music, as well as the numerous raffle prizes. There were so many prizes that every single participant walked away a winner. The Jewish Pavilion Senior Services organization is committed to enhancing the quality of life for seniors by providing companionship, cultural enrichment, a... (JTA) The next leader of AIPAC will be Elliot Brandt, who has served as a senior official of the pro-Israel lobby for decades and will take the helm shortly after the November elections a move toward continuity as Israel faces volatile conflicts on multiple fronts. Brandt, currently the American Israel Public Affairs Committees vice CEO, will succeed longtime CEO Howard Kohr, who is stepping down at years end after nearly 20 years leading the group. Under his leadership, the organization burgeoned and, in recent years, shifted to launching political action committees that directly fund c... (JNS) - BBC news anchor Helena Humphrey was ridiculed after asking former IDF International Spokesman Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus on Sunday whether Israel should have warned Gaza's civilians before launching Saturday's rescue operation. Referring to the high Arab casualty count reported by Hamas sources, Humphrey asked, "Would there have been a warning to those civilians for them to get out on time?" Conricus, now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, politely stated the obvious, "We cannot anticipate Israel to be warning ahead of a... (JNS) Otzma Yehudit Party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday said he would suspend his role in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition until the premier revealed the details of the ceasefire proposal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday. As long as the prime minister continues to hide the details of the deal, Otzma Yehudit will disrupt his coalition, tweeted the right-wing leader, who also serves as Israels national security minister. The proposal was announced publicly by Biden in a televised address on Friday. Calling it an Israeli proposal, the agree... (JTA) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on July 24, his fourth time appearing before the legislative body. The Netanyahu speech, coming against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, is meant to demonstrate American support for Israel at a time when Israel has come under widespread criticism for its military campaign and Netanyahu faces a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. We look forward to hearing the Israeli governments vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just a... (JTA) Columbia University has settled a lawsuit brought against it by a Jewish student alleging a hostile environment as a result of the pro-Palestinian encampment movement. The settlement is a major development in Jewish groups efforts to hold universities accountable in light of a reported increase in campus antisemitism since Oct. 7. As part of the settlement, Columbia has promised to provide walking escorts and safe campus entrances at all hours of the day, as well as accommodations for students who were unable to complete exams owing to campus disruption. We are pleased weve been abl... (JNS) - "It's a miracle," Liat Ariel told JNS on Monday. Ariel's cousin Shlomi Ziv, along with Noa Argamani, Almog Meir and Andrey Kozlov, was rescued by Israeli forces in a daring daylight raid on Saturday after spending 246 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. "We are still digesting the news. We don't really quite understand what happened to us. Suddenly, Shlomi is back," Ariel said. "We are so happy and a bit nervous. We want to make sure that he is fine. He looks alright physically but mentally we don't know yet. We have to wait a few more days," she added. Ziv, 40, was a member of the securi... (JNS) Five days after U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a multi-stage outline for a hostage release deal and ceasefire, debate within Israel has intensified over the costs and merits of the plan, as well as the extent to which Bidens claim that this is an Israeli proposal reflects reality. Bidens three-staged proposal envisages a temporary truce lasting six weeks to enable the release of tens of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, and a return of Gaza civilians to the north of the Strip. This would be followed by a second phase, according to Biden,... (JNS) - Israeli forces on Saturday rescued four hostages from two separate locations in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. During a complex IDF/Border Police/Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) daytime operation in the heart of a crowded residential neighborhood, the forces recovered from Hamas captivity Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 21; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 40. A fighter from the Border Police's Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit was mortally wounded during the rescue mission. Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora was rushed to the hospital and shortly thereafter was pronounced dea... (JTA) The German government has agreed to allocate $1.5 billion in Holocaust reparations this year, setting a new record for how much the country is spending to support survivors. The increase from a total of $1.4 billion last year is due to a rise in the amount the government is paying to reimburse survivors medical expenses. But the sum paid directly to survivors has once again declined, reflecting the accelerating deaths of survivors. And the growth in the total package is expected to end soon as the number of living survivors plummets, according to the Conference on Jewish Material Clai... (JNS) - Yossi Jan, 57, died on Saturday just hours before his son Almog Meir Jan was rescued from captivity in Gaza along with three other Israeli hostages. Officials arrived at Yossi's home in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba around noon to inform him of his son's rescue, only to find him unconscious. Magen David Adom paramedics called to the scene determined his death. The cause of death remains under investigation. "My brother died of grief and didn't get to see his son return. The night before Almog's return, my brother's heart stopped. He didn't get to see his son return," Dina Jan,... (JNS) - Israel will rename Saturday's hostage rescue operation after Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, a member of the Israel Border Police's "Yamam" National Counter-Terrorism Unit who was mortally wounded during the mission. Zamora, 36, from Sde David, a moshav in southern Israel, leaves behind a wife, Michal, and two children. His wife eulogized him in a Facebook post. "Everything is now filled with the image of the hero Arnon Zamora. Long before he was a warrior and hero, he was a sweet and wonderful man. An amazing spouse, a perfect dad. A loving and beloved man. This is how we will remember... (JNS) Western officials have expressed relief at the rescue by Israeli forces of four hostages Saturday, though some have also echoed Arab countries in condemning the operation in Gazas Nuseirat camp as a massacre. Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv are free and safe today. We share the relief of their families and call for the release of all the remaining hostages, tweeted E.U. High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. He went on to call for the implementation of a ceasefire deal U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a w... (JNS) - Thousands of Israelis converged on "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, many euphoric over the daring operation to rescue four captives from Gaza even while demanding a deal with Hamas to secure the freedom of the remaining 120 Israelis held by the terrorists. During a complex daytime operation in the heart of a crowded residential neighborhood, Israeli forces recovered from Hamas captivity Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40. "I was so excited that our army brought people back alive that I cried," Jimmy Miller, a cousin of Shiri Bibas... (JNS) A journalist and a doctor were among the family members holding Israeli hostages in their home in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday night. Following checks by the IDF and the Shin Bet, it can be confirmed that [journalist] Abdullah al-Jamal was an operative of the Hamas terrorist organization, who kept the hostages Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv in his family home in Nuseirat, the military said in a statement posted to X. Abdullahs family home held hostages alongside family members. This is further proof that the Hamas terro... (JNS) Speaking at a Michigan Democratic Party fundraiser, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday that she mourns the Palestinians killed during Israels raid that freed four hostages. Before I begin, I just say a few words about the morning which I know weighs heavily on all of our hearts, Harris said, per Fox News. On Oct. 7, Hamas committed a brutal massacre of 1,200 innocent people and abducted 250 hostages, she said. Thankfully, four of those hostages were reunited with their families tonight. And we mourn all of the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza, including... (JNS) The four hostages rescued on Saturday after eight months in Gaza captivity are in a state of severe malnutrition, according to a doctor who treated them upon their return to Israel. They have been physically and mentally abused for a long time. They are all in a state of severe malnutrition, although it does not appear that way to them, Dr. Itay Pessach, director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Childrens Hospital at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, told Channel 12 on Monday. During Operation Arnon, Israeli forces rescued the four hostages from two separate locations in Nuseirat C... WASHINGTON (JTA) One day before their universitys president was due to appear before Congress, hundreds of Jewish Rutgers University staff and students decried what they described as an intimidating campus environment for Jews. The entire university community has suffered through the disruption of normal university operations and an often chaotic and intimidating environment on our campuses, said one letter released Wednesday by Rutgers Jewish Faculty, Administrators, and Staff, with 208 signatures. A separate letter from close to 160 Jewish students at New Jerseys flagship state univers... (JNS) U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on Saturday on the Israeli military operation that freed four hostages. All three stressed their belief that a ceasefire deal is the appropriate way to secure the release of the other estimated 120 hostages. Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the freed people during a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday. In Gaza, we want to obtain the immediate liberation of hostages, and we can only welcome the liberation of four hostages... (JNS) U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that Israel has accepted the ceasefire proposal President Joe Biden revealed on Friday, and that the ball is in Hamass court. We are waiting for a response from Hamas, said Sullivan. He acknowledged that the terror group in Gaza might well choose to continue the conflict instead. That wouldnt be terribly out of character for a vicious and brutal terror group, but what we hope they do in the end is see that the best pathway to an end to this war, the return of all the hostages, a surge of humanitarian assistance, is to... (JNS) United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called the leadership of the Palestinian Authority Ali Baba and the forty thieves, speaking during a meeting of Arab countries that was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Axios, citing five sources, reported that a shouting match erupted during the April 29 meeting in Riyadh that also included the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as well as top P.A. official Hussein al-Sheikh. The meeting took place during of the World Economic Forum and... Herzog hosts families of IDF spotters kidnapped by Hamas (JNS) Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal on Tuesday hosted the families of five female Israel Defense Forces soldiers who were kidnapped from the IDF Field Observers base in Nahal Oz by Hamas on Oct. 7. Karina Ariev, Liri Albag, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and Agam Berger have been held captive in Gaza ever since. Last month, The Hostages and Missing Families Forum released video footage of their abduction filmed by the terrorists themselves. During the meeting, the Herzogs discussed with the families the efforts being t... (JNS) The Biden administration has talked about negotiating a unilateral deal for the release of five Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, NBC News reported on Monday. The talks wouldnt include Israel and would take place via Qatari mediators, two current senior U.S. officials and two former ones told NBC. One of the current officials called it a very real option. The five American hostages were abducted on Oct. 7 when the terror group invaded Israel. They are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Omer Neutra and Keith Siegel. Three other U.S. hostages are believed t... (JNS) Israel Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, is in Washington this week to advocate against a Palestinian state. Ganz met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday in an effort counter the push by the White House to establish a Palestinian state in the wake of the Hamas-led massacre of Oct. 7. There is no room for a two-state solution. [President Joe] Biden cannot appoint conditions for Israel, whether with regard to the Palestinian state or to stopping the war with Hamas. We in the United States stand by your side unconditionally, Sen. Mike L... There I stood, in Jerusalems Beit Haam theater, delivering remarks to hundreds of people gathered from some two dozen countries at the opening session of March of the Nations. I stood 10 meters from where Adolph Eichmann stood trial in 1961, behind bullet proof glass, and where he was sentenced. 62 years ago this week, Eichmann was executed for actual genocide and crimes against humanity, unlike the conflated obscene charges brought against Israel today. The March of the Nations was a redemptive respite we all needed. In the middle of a war, with Israels enemies rising from Gaza, Lebano... (JNS) After months in which it was falsely claimed that the only way to rescue hostages was to cut a deal with Islamic terrorists, Israel launched a daring daylight rescue operation, simultaneously hitting two houses where four hostages were being held. The operation brought together the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Security Agency (its version of the FBI), and the Israel Police National Counter-Terror Unit Yamam, penetrating deep into enemy territory in a risky rescue mission that required precise timing and holding off hordes of terrorists who swarmed to attack the rescuers. Despite... (JNS) If people think the war in Gaza is intolerable, they should buckle up for what may now be coming. This week, the north of Israel burned as fires caused by barrages of Hezbollah rockets from Lebanon consumed 3,460 acres of land. In addition, Hezbollah, which has been subjecting northern Israel to rocket and missile attacks for eight months, expanded its range as far south as Acre and Nahariya. This escalation may mean that Israel, which has been carefully limiting its responses to Hezbollahs aggression, now takes the gloves off and mounts a full-scale assault on Irans proxy army. Isra... (JNS) For Jews the world over, the past eight months have been little more than a series of catastrophes. Contrary to their expectations, American Jews have proved to be no exception. They have discovered that no Jewish community is ever immune to history. American Jews are reeling from this terrible realization. To an extent, so are all Americans, and with good reason. After all, what has emerged since the Oct. 7 massacre has been rather remarkable: A self-declared antiracist movement that embraces antisemitism. An unholy alliance between a totalitarian theocratic movement and ostensibly... SIAM Cement BigBloc Construction Technologies Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Gujarat based BigBloc Construction Ltd and Thailands SCG International Corporation Co., Ltd., (SCG International) has launched its India operations with the commercial production of its first plant in Kheda, Gujarat. With the vision of launching next-generation walling solution for the Indian market, the joint ventures has invested around Rs. 65 crore in setting up a 2.5 lakh cubic meter per annum capacity project including Indias first AAC Wall Plant at Kheda district near Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The AAC Wall will be marketed under the brand name ZMARTBUILD WALL by NXTBLOC. The joint venture company will also manufacture AAC Blocks. Highlights The joint venture plant at Kheda, Ahmedabad is SCG Groups first investment in India. Launches Indias first AAC Wall Plant; To introduce large format AAC Wall products of 8-12 feet Kheda Plant can be expanded to 5 lakhs CBM per annum in the 2nd phase post approval of JV parties SIAM Cement BigBloc Construction Technologies Pvt Ltd is a 52:48 joint venture company; BigBloc Construction holds 52% stake and 48% is with SCG International At full capacity, the plant is expected to generate annual revenues of around Rs. 100 crore The joint venture also aims to share techno-commercial knowledge and launch new age building materials to Indian markets. The plant was inaugurated by H.E. Ms Pattarat Hongtong, The Ambassador of Thailand to India, a Guest of Honour in the presence of senior officials from SCG International, BigBloc Construction on 10 June 2024. BigBloc Construction entered into a strategic Joint Venture with SCG International from Thailand for setting up state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for AAC Walls and AAC Blocks in Kheda District, near Ahmedabad (Gujarat). BigBloc Construction holds 52% in the joint venture company while 48% with SCG International. This is SCG Groups first investment in India. Established in 1913, SCG is one of the largest cement and building material companies in Thailand and Southeast Asia with presence in various different verticals like Cement, Construction Materials, Packaging, Chemicals & Many others with presence in more than 22 countries along with multiple joint ventures with many international Companies. BigBloc Construction Ltd. Mr. Naresh Saboo, Managing Director, BigBloc Construction Ltd said, "This joint venture goes beyond a simple business alliance, fostering a bond between countries and cultures. Construction at the plant began in September 2023, and within a year, production started, setting a remarkable record in India's AAC industry.Moving forward, SCG and Bigbloc will work together on all building material solutions to strengthen the supply chain in India, leverage each other's capabilities, and provide exceptional solutions to the construction industry. With approval from both joint venture parties, the project has the potential to expand to 5 lakh cubic meter per year in the second phase. Sustainable and non-toxic building construction material, AAC blocks and AAC Walls are lightweight, soundproof, and fire resistant, offer superior build quality, eco-friendly and economical too compared to traditional bricks. The joint venture plant in Kheda, Gujarat will also haveIndias first AAC Wall Plant. Company will launch wide range of large format AAC Wall products of 8-12 feet of 2 feet width with a thickness of 3-8 inches for the Indian markets.The plant will generate 250 employment opportunities and at full capacity the plant is expected to generate revenues of around Rs. 100 crore per annum.The joint venture also aim to share techno-commercial knowledge, promote mutual growth & cooperation in the construction industry and bring new age building materials to Indian markets. Mr. Abhijit Datta, Head of International Business and Managing Director of SCG International said,"This collaboration combines SCG's century-long expertise and advanced technologies with BigBloc's deep understanding of the local market, we are poised to make a significant impact on India's construction industry by delivering cost-efficient and sustainable construction solutions. We proudly introduce ZMARTBUILD WALL by NXTBLOC the next generation of world-class walling solutions. This ground-breaking venture is not just about setting new standards; it's about redefining the construction landscape in India, one wall at a time. Incorporated in 2015, BigBloc Construction Ltd is one of the largest and only listed company in theAAC Block Space. BigBloc operates three AAC Block plants: one in Umargaon District Valsad, Gujarat, another in Wada, Maharashtra, and the third in Kapadvanj, District Kheda, Gujarat. The new facility in Kheda is companys fourth plant, uniquely equipped to manufacture both AAC Blocks and the innovative AAC Wall, known as the ZmartBuild wall. With this Joint Venture companys total capacity has increased to 1.3 Million CBM/Annum. It is among very few company in AAC industry to generate carbon credits. Video Links:- SIAM Cement BigBloc ConstructionFactory at Kheda, Gujarat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnRsRCcYOAY How to install ZMARTBUILD WALL by NXTBLOC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1BJC6508rs About - SCG International Corporation Co., Ltd https://scginternational.com/ SCG International Corporation Co., Ltd. (SCG International) is a prominent leader in international trading and supply chain solutions. It is a subsidiary of SCG, founded under the Royal Decree of His Majesty King Rama VI in 1913.SCG is a leading conglomerate in ASEAN, entering its 111th year of stable growth with a revenue of 13.6 billion USD (2023).SCG encompasses a wide range of businesses, including SCG Cement and Green Solutions, SCG Smart Living, SCG Decor (SCGD), SCG Distribution and Retail Business, SCGP, SCG Chemicals (SCGC), and SCG Cleanergy. The company has been recognized by leading global institutions as a leader in sustainability, achieving the position of a company assessed within the top 1%with the highest scores in the construction materials industry group, according to the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) by S&P Global. SCG has achieved the worlds No. 1ranking for a straight decade and has remained in the worlds top three for 14consecutive years. Furthermore, SCG is the first organization from ASEAN to join the DJSI since 2004. SCG Internationalstarted operating in India through its wholly owned subsidiary, SCG International India since 2018 focusing on Building Materials, Packaging Business, and Sourcing of Ceramic, Industrial Supply. This venture is the first Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India. Having spent some time exploring the Indian market,SCG Internationaldecided to partner with BigBloc Construction and selected Gujarat as the first location for SCG investment, giving the positive work culture, investment friendly environment and other favourable factors. About BigBloc Construction Ltd https://www.nxtbloc.in/ BigBloc Construction Limited is Indias leading AAC block manufacturing company. The Company markets its products under the brand name 'NXTBLOC'. The company has executed over 2,000 projects so far and has another 1,500 plus in the pipeline. The companys clients include Lodha, Adani Realty, IndiaBulls Real Estate, Prestige, Piramal, Oberoi Realty, Shirke Group, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Raheja, PSP Projects, L&T, and Sunteck,Sethia Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Dosti Group, Purvankara Ltd among others.For FY2023-24, company reported revenue from operations of Rs. 243.2 crore (Y-o-Y growth 21.55%), EBITDA at Rs. 56.15 crore (Y-o-Y growth 12.29%) and PAT of Rs. 30.69 crore (Y-o-Y growth 1.83%). 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. Tata Group-owned Air India Express on Monday announced that it had successfully completed its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global trade association of airlines. Air India successfully completed its IATA Operational Safety Audit The IOSA registration is a key element for industry safety and has been implemented to achieve two fundamental goals improve airline operational safety and enhance efficiency. By completing the IOSA, Air India Express said it had affirmed its world-class safety standards. Air India Express managing director Aloke Singh said, "We are proud to announce our successful completion of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). This achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire team, which consistently prioritises safety, security, and operational excellence. The IOSA is a rigorous evaluation process, and achieving this distinction reinforces our commitment to upholding the highest international standards across all aspects of our operations. The IOSA registration covers key areas, such as, Corporate Organization and Management, Flight Operations, Operational Control/Flight Dispatch, Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance, Cabin Operations, Aircraft Ground Handling, Cargo Operations, Operational Security, and more. Earlier, Air India Express faced a setback after many of its crew members took a mass sick leave which led the cancellation of multiple flights. Around 200 crew members of the budget carrier went on strike on May 7, protesting against the alleged mismanagement in the company. After the protest was called off, an Air India Express staff union has claimed the airline has issued charge sheets against 200 cabin crew members for reporting sick last month when the carrier faced significant disruptions. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) termed the airline's move as unfortunate and unfair labour practice. In a letter to Air India Express chief Aloke Singh on Sunday, the union also warned the Tata Group-run airline's management that such actions could be detrimental to the interests of the company and its passengers. India's diesel demand slumped in June as extreme heat conditions in parts of the country curtailed travel, preliminary data of state-owned firms showed on Monday. Representative Fuel sales, which traditionally surge during elections, have defied the trend this year, falling month after month. And the decline has now extended even after the end of the general elections. Also Read | Government cuts windfall tax on petroleum crude Petrol sales of three state-owned firms, which control 90% of the fuel market, at 1.42 million tonnes in the first half of June was almost the same as 1.41 million tonnes of fuel consumed in the same period last year. Month-on-month consumption dropped 4.6%. Diesel sales dropped 3.9 per cent to 3.95 million tonnes during June 1 to 15 when compared with the year-ago period. The demand for the nation's most consumed fuel had fallen 2.3 per cent in April and 2.7 per cent in March. In May it fell 1.1 per cent. Besides electioneering, the summer harvest season as also the scorching summer that increases the demand for air conditioning in cars, should have led to a rise in fuel consumption. However, this year has defied the trend. Also Read | India in talks with Norway's Equinor for oil reserves and gas deal Petrol and diesel prices were reduced by 2 per litre in mid-March, ending a nearly two-year-long hiatus in rate revision, which should have also propelled sales. Month-on-month petrol sales fell 3.6 per cent compared to 1.47 million tonnes of consumption during May 1-15. Diesel demand was flat month-on-month against 3.54 million tonnes in the first half of May. Diesel is India's most consumed fuel, accounting for almost 40 per cent of all petroleum product consumption. The transport sector accounts for 70 per cent of all diesel sales in the country. It is also the predominant fuel used in agriculture sectors, including in harvesters and tractors. Consumption of petrol during June 1-15 was 4.6 per cent lower than in the first fortnight of June 2022, and 28.1 per cent more than in the Covid-marred same period of 2020. Diesel demand slumped 10.5 per cent over June 1-15, 2022, and 14 per cent higher compared to June 1-15, 2020. Jet fuel (ATF) sales rose 2.3 per cent year-on-year to 331,000 tonnes during June 1-15, 2024. But, this was 4.5 per cent lower month-on-month when compared to 346,500 tonnes in May 1-15, the data showed. Also Read | HPCLs project on managing crop residue misses another deadline Like petrol and diesel, ATF demand, too, is now firmly above pre-Covid levels. ATF consumption was 10.1 per cent more than during June 1-15, 2022, and 6.1 per cent more than in June 1-15, 2020, as per the data. Cooking gas LPG sales were up 0.1 per cent year-on-year to 1.24 million tonnes in June 1-15, 2024. LPG consumption dropped 0.9 per cent as compared to June 1-15, 2022 and was 32 per cent more than June 1-15, 2020. Month-on-month, LPG demand fell 5.2 per cent against 1.3 million tonnes consumption during May 1-15, the data added. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani met Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the country's Druk Green Power Corporation for a 570 MW hydroelectric plant in Chukha province. Praising Bhutan's efforts to develop infrastructure under the vision of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Gautam Adani expressed eagerness to collaborate on hydro and other projects in the country. Gautam Adani signed a MoU with Druk Green Power Corporation for a 570 MW hydroelectric plant in Chukha province. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gautam Adani said, "Absolutely fascinating meeting with Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Hon. Prime Minister of Bhutan. Signed an MoU with DGPC for a 570 MW green hydro plant in Chukha province. Admirable to see @PMBhutan advancing the vision of His Majesty The King and pursuing broad ranging infrastructure initiatives across the kingdom. Looking forward to working closely on hydro & other infra in Bhutan." He also met Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and said that the monarch's vision for Bhutan is inspiring. Gautam Adani wrote on X, Honoured to meet His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan. Inspired by his vision for Bhutan and the ambitious eco-friendly masterplan for Gelephu Mindfulness City, including large computing centres and data facilities. Excited to collaborate on these transformative initiatives as also on green energy management for a carbon negative nation! Food delivery giant Zomato said that it is in discussion to acquire Paytm's movie ticketing and events business. The company issued a clarification in a communication to the exchanges after it was reported that negotiations are continuing over a 1,500-crore deal between One97 Communications Ltd, Paytm's parent company and Zomato. The talks are reportedly in advanced stages. Deepinder Goyal's company issued a clarification in a communication to the exchanges after it was reported that negotiations are continuing over a 1,500-crore deal. What Zomato said on talks with Paytm on movie ticketing business? On this, Zomato said, We acknowledge that we are in discussions with Paytm for the transaction, however, no binding decision has been taken at this stage that would warrant a Board approval and subsequent disclosure in accordance with applicable law. Deepinder Goyal's company said that this plan aligns with Zomato's vision to expand its 'going out' offerings. Why is Zomato interested in Paytm's movie ticketing business? The company further said, "The discussion is being undertaken with an intent to further strengthen our going-out business and is in line with our stated position of focusing only on our four key business." Will the deal be bigger than Zomato's purchase of Blinkit? If finalised, this acquisition would mark Zomato's second-largest purchase after it took over quick commerce platform Blinkit in 2021 in an all-stock deal valued at 4,447 crore. Why Paytm may be interested in the deal? Regulatory measures have compelled Paytm to establish new partnerships with other lenders, Bloomberg reported. How much is Paytm's movie ticketing business worth? Paytm does not separately disclose figures for its movie and events ticketing business but the company said that it recorded annual sales of 17.4 billion rupees in the fiscal year ending March 2024 for its broader marketing services segment. This includes credit card marketing and gift vouchers as well. At least four masked robbers allegedly held a woman captive at her house near Ramgarh Chowk in Sahnewal and robbed 20 lakh, officials said. The woman was alone at her home at the time of the incident as her husband and son were out. The woman said they had sold a property a few days ago and kept the cash from the sale at home. Victim Karamjeet Kaur said that her son had gone to Uttar Pradesh and her husband Kuldeep Singh had left work when the robbery accused barged into the house after scaling the compound wall. (HT File) The Sahnewal police initiated an investigation. Officials said the police suspect there is something fishy about the complaint. Victim Karamjeet Kaur said that her son had gone to Uttar Pradesh and her husband Kuldeep Singh had left work when the miscreants barged into the house after scaling the compound wall. She added that the robbers, who were laced with sharp-edged weapons, held her captive and threatened her to stay silent. The accused robbed cash from an almirah and escaped. When the robbers escaped, she informed her husband and later, they called the police. Sahnewal station-house officer (SHO) inspector Jagdev Singh Dhaliwal said that Kuldeep and his brother sold a property recently for 36 lakh. Kuldeeps brother lives in Uttar Pradesh and has not received his share of the money yet. The family said that out of 36 lakh, their son purchased a car worth 12 lakh and they bought two air-conditioners. The remaining 20 lakh was kept in the house, they added. Prima facie, there seems to be something fishy in the complaint and it needs to be probed. We will register a first-information report after an investigation, he added. The farmer unions continued their strike on Monday against the fee hike at the Ladhowal toll plaza for the second consecutive day. Protesters forced the staff to let commuters pass without charging the user fee at the Ladhowal toll plaza in Ludhiana for the second consecutive day on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh?HT) The unions submitted a memorandum to sub-divisional magistrate (SDM West) Deepak Bhatia and urged more people to join the protest. Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union (BKU-M) and BKU (Doaba) started the protest on Sunday. The protesters did not let the toll staff charge a fee from the commuters passing through. The protesters said that this was the third hike by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a short span of time. BKU-M president Dilbagh Singh said We are fighting for the people and urge the common man to come and join our protest so that this fight is a success and the NHAI decreases the prices. We have submitted a memorandum to SDM West Deepak Bhatia. According to the latest revision in toll charges, car owners have to pay 220 for a single journey, up from 215, and 330 for a return journey, up from 325. Ladhowal toll barrier Deepander said that the protest began around 11 am. The unions have set up an indefinite protest. We are incurring a loss of 1 crore every 24 hours, he added. Soon after the Aam Aadmi Party announced its decision to field former Punjab BJP vice-president Mohinder Bhagat, 64, as its Jalandhar West candidate, the Bharatiya Janta Party on Monday announced that former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural, 40, would be its nominee for the July 10 byelection. The Bharatiya Janta Party on Monday announced that former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural, 40, would be its nominee for the July 10 byelection. (HT file photo) Angural had snapped ties with the ruling AAP in the state to join the saffron party on March 27 in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. The seat fell vacant after Punjab assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan finally accepted Angurals resignation on May 30. In the 2022 assembly election, Angural had defeated then Congress candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku, 49, by 4,253 votes. Angural started his political career with the BJP before he joined the AAP and successfully contested the 2022 assembly elections. Angural switched back to the BJP along with AAPs former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who lost to former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi of the Congress by a record 1.75 lakh votes on June 4. Rinku and Angural belong to Jalandhar West constituency and have been at loggerheads for most of their political careers. It was after Rinku joined the BJP that their relations improved and now they are often seen together. After becoming MLA in 2022, Angural was the first to accuse the BJP of poaching leaders following which the Bhagwant Mann government termed it Operation Lotus. However, after joining the BJP, Angural accused the ruling AAP of forcing him to issue statements against the saffron party. Angural wrote to the Speaker on May 30 asking him to allow him to withdraw his resignation but Sandhwan rejected his plea. On June 3, a day before the Lok Sabha election results, the office of the Speaker informed Angural that his resignation had been accepted on May 30 under the anti-defection law. Therefore, there is no window to withdraw the resignation at this stage, it said. The action against Angural was taken according to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, also known as the anti-defection law. The law states that a member of a House, belonging to any political party, shall be disqualified if he voluntarily gives up membership of his party. The Jalandhar byelection has become a prestige battle for all parties, particularly the AAP and the BJP, as they are going all out to dominate in the SC-reserved constituency. Though Channi had defeated Rinku to win the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a record margin of 1.75 lakh votes, the victory margin in Jalandhar West assembly segment was thin. In the BJP stronghold, Channi got a meagre lead of 1,557 votes over his rival. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva on Monday accused the AAP MLAs of selling water amid the crisis in the capital. Speaking to news agency ANI, the BJP leader alleged that the AAP government has created the water problem in Delhi, saying they didn't work in last 10 years to resolve water woes. Residents use pipes to fill their containers with drinking water from a water tanker during a hot day in New Delhi, India(REUTERS) "The water crisis in Delhi has been created by the Delhi government...The MLAs of AAP are selling water. If the AAP government had repaired the leakage system on time, the public of Delhi would not have to face a water crisis...," said Sachdeva. Had the leakage issue of water in Delhi been resolved, people wouldn't have to face such situation, the BJP leader said. ALSO READ| IMD issues red alert in Delhi, UP amid heatwave; heavy rainfall in Northeast | Top updates Meanwhile, Delhi water minister Atishi on Monday inspected the Wazirabad water treatment plant with Delhi Jal Board officials. Talking to the media, she accused the Haryana government of not releasing water into the Yamuna river leading to water shortage in Delhi. "... Water from here is sent to many water treatment plants. No water is being released into the Wazirabad barrage. The water level has gone so low that now the river bed is visible... We can just appeal to the Haryana government to solve the problem being faced by the people of Delhi. Till the time Haryana doesn't release water into the Yamuna, water shortage will continue in Delhi... Munak Canal is receiving very little water and on the other hand, Wazirabad barrage is receiving no water... I can just stand before the Haryana government with folded hands and say that the life of the people of Delhi is in their hands...," said Atishi. Igniting a war of words, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday accused Bharatiya Janata Party of sponsoring the water problem in the national capital. He claimed that the BJP people were trying their best to put Delhi in a water crisis by whatever means, whatever conspiracies, whatever methods they could. With the national Capital facing a water supply shortage during the ongoing heatwave conditions, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued its protest against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government across the city for the second consecutive day on Monday. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva during a protest against the Delhi government over the ongoing water crisis in the national capital at Geeta Colony in East Delhi on Monday. (PTI) The BJP MPs, MLAs and the partys state chief Virendra Sachdeva participated in the protests held at 52 locations across the city, including the AAP and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) offices, where protesters broke earthen pots to highlight the water crisis. While the BJP accused the city government of poor water management, the AAP alleged that the water shortage in Delhi was a BJP sponsored crisis. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP wants to take political mileage by ensuring that people of Delhi dont get water. BJP through its Haryana government is decreasing raw water supply for Delhi, pipelines are being damaged and then protests are being carried out at DJB offices, he said. Taking part in the protest at Block-8 Geeta Colony in Krishna Nagar, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said, People are not getting sufficient water because of rampant water theft and wastage. Instead of working to fix the water leakages and thefts, the AAP is making allegations on people pointing towards its failures. At another such protest in Karol Bagh area, BJP MP from North West Delhi Yogender Chandolia said that the AAP is putting fake allegations on BJP that its MPs are not active. The Delhi government has completely failed. All BJP MPs are on ground. Where are their Rajya Sabha MPs and 62 MLAs? People of Delhi want water supply from them, and they are trying to divert the attention from real issues, he added. Addressing a press confernece on the issue, Sanjay Singh said, BJP is trying various schemes and plots to deepen the water crisis in Delhi. Delhi gets water from Haryana and our fixed allocated water is not being provided to us which is leading to shortages.. He said that Delhi had been getting 1,002 million gallons per day (MGD) water till June 6, which came down to 919 MGD on June 11, making it unable to meet the water demand of the city. At a time when Delhi is reeling with water supply shortage, BJP is busy damaging the pipelines and carrying out vandalism and protests at DJB offices. The seven new elected MPs from BJP should raise voice for people of Delhi. They should meet the Union Jal Shakti minister. They are instead busy terrorising DJB officers. How will the water be supplied if the offices of DJB are shut down and employees are unable to work, he alleged. He added the BJP should hold protest at the houses of Haryana chief minister and Union jal shakti minister so that additional water can be released for Delhi. Delhis water supply plunged to its lowest this season on Sunday reaching 901 MGD a 10% shortfall from the targeted supply of 1,000 MGD, aggravating nearly a fortnight-long crisis the Capital has been facing. The Monday bulletin shows that there is a slight improvement in the water supply with DJB managing to supply 916 MGD of water-- up by 15 MGD from Sunday. The targeted water production for summer in the city is 1,000 MGD and the estimated demand is 1,290 MGD. The primary reason of shortfall is less availability of raw water. Between June 11 and 17, the water supply levels were 958.26 MGD, 919.70 MGD (due to power outages due to blackout), 951 MGD, 939.75 MGD, 934 MGD, 901 MGD and 916 MGD, respectively. The AAP-led Delhi government has blamed Haryana for the raw water supply shortfall an allegation the Haryana government has refuted saying the Delhi government was trying to hide its failures. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday asked all ministers, MLAs and government employees staying in government quarters to pay their electricity bills beginning July 1. Assam CM said that this is an attempt to end VIP culture in the state. (Himanta Biswa Sarma | Facebook) He said that this is an attempt to end VIP culture, adding that he will be the first person to start paying the bills. We are ending the #VIPCulture rule of paying electricity bills of government officials using taxpayer money. Myself and the chief secretary will set an example and start paying our power bills from July 1 onwards. Beginning July 2024, all public servants will have to pay for their own electricity consumption, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Also Read: Assam approves stipend scheme for girl students; to end child marriage, says CM Sarma said the state is aiming to reduce the rate of electricity bills by 1 per unit for the benefit of those from the lower income groups. We are aiming to reduce the rate by 1 rupee per unit by April next year and well reduce another 50 paise per unit next year, he said. As part of the drive to save electricity, the Assam government has also decided to introduce auto-disconnection of electricity at all the government offices after 8pm. We have undertaken an initiative to implement auto-disconnection of electricity at all Government offices (barring CM Secretariat, Home and Finance Department) at 8pm so that we can save electricity. This measure is already in place at 8,000 Government offices, schools across the state, he said. Over 500 goods-laden trucks stranded between Leingangpokpi and Gulathol in Jiribam district in Manipur were forced to return to Jiribam after Kuki villagers blocked National Highway 37 at Tatbung in Tamenglong district on Monday. Manipur police said most of the protestors blocking NH-37 are women, suspected to be volunteers of the Kuki Women Union. (Representative Image) One of the drivers stranded between Leingangpokpi and Gulathol before June 6 told Hindustan Times that due to the lack of security clearance along the highway, the truck drivers remained stranded in the area for safety reasons. He said the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans securing the convoy appealed to the blockade supporters to free the road; however, their efforts went unnoticed. Police said the stranded trucks, after being escorted by a CRPF convoy, started heading for Imphal on Monday morning. However, the trucks were halted by indefinite blockade supporters around 9.30am at Tatbung in Tamenglong district, about 1 kilometre from Leingangpokpi Police outpost and about 5 kilometres from Jiribam district. The indefinite economic blockade along the Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam national highway was imposed by Kuki Zo Village Volunteers (KZVV) from Vangailhang and Tuilangkol on June 13 to protest the outbreak of violence in Jiribam district. The blockade was endorsed by the Kuki Women Union of Jiribam and Tamenglong district, according to a statement issued by the union on Monday. Manipur police said most of the protestors blocking NH-37 are women, suspected to be volunteers of the Kuki Women Union. Police said 30 loaded oil tankers, 37 loaded LPG bullets, and 25 loaded trucks carrying essential goods were forced to return by the blockade supporters. On June 11, the Rongmei Naga Council of Manipur (RNCM), a Rongmei body, issued a statement strongly condemning the ambush carried out by Kuki militants against a convoy of Manipur Police on NH-37 on June 10. The RNCM cautioned that it would not tolerate any such activities within the jurisdiction of the Rongmei community along the national highway. It also stated that the Rongmei community is peace-loving and further appealed to all concerned to refrain from any acts of war, arson, or vandalism among communities within their jurisdiction. PATNA: Janata Dal-United MP Devesh Chandra Thakur has ignited a huge controversy with his remarks that he will not entertain requests for help from people from the Muslim and Yadav communities because they didnt vote for him in the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha election. Devesh Chandra Thakur Thakur won the Sitamarhi seat with a 51,000 margin over the Rashtriya Janata Dals (RJD) Arjun Rai (X/deveshMLCbihar) Thakur, who won the Sitamarhi seat with a 51,000 margin over the Rashtriya Janata Dals (RJD) Arjun Rai, said he had always helped people from the two communities. But when it came to voting in elections, Thakur said the two communities did not vote for him because of the partys alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Thakur told HT that he stood by his statement. If Muslims and Yadavs did not vote for the Arrow (JD-Us poll symbol) just because they saw the face of Narendra Modi when they saw our poll symbol When someone comes to me from these communities, I can also see the face of Lalu Prasad and the Lantern (RJD symbol) on their face It takes two to clap, he told HT. Thakur added that his statement was limited to requests for personal help, such as putting in a word for treatment at AIIMS or calling up the police. For any work concerning the society at large, they are welcome, but not for any personal work, he added. Thakur said it was a point he had been making in his speeches during his tour of the constituency to thank people for electing him. Notwithstanding the victory, Thakur has been disappointed about a drop in his vote share and absolute votes. Thakur received 515,719 votes (47.14% vote share) and defeated RJDs Arjun Rai with a margin of 51,000. In contrast, Sunil Kumar Pintu of the JD-U, who last won the Sitamarhi seat, secured 567,745 votes (54.65% vote share) in 2019, defeating Arjun Rai with a margin of 250,000 votes. Thakur, who was previously chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, described himself as a politician who acted rising above caste and creed but was disappointed. Some people will do the same but not say so, I have openly said it, as I discovered during an analysis of the decline in the victory margin, he added. I have been in active politics for over three decades and I think I have always helped Yadavs and Muslims and therefore, it hurts. It is a lesson for me and it should be a learning for others also, he added. The RJD hit back, saying the remarks did not befit Thakur given his stature. He should not have said such a thing. Once the election is over, he is the MP of all constituency He should not isolate himself from any caste or creed, said RJD spokesman Rishi Mishra. RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said Thakurs statement would contradict the oath to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution that he would have to take as a Lok Sabha member. His remarks were inappropriate and he should retract, he added. Congress leader Sudhir Kaundilya said it was worrying. JD-U and BJP leaders defended Thakurs remarks, saying the remark reflected his pain which he shared with his people and should not be read to derive political mileage. He has shared his concerns with his people due to the low margin and his expectations based on the work he and his party did. But that is past now. He has won and will now work to develop his constituency, said BJP spokesman Kuntal Krishna. A couple and their son died due to electrocution in Dapodi-Kedgaon area under Daund tehsil of Pune district, officials said. Surendra was working as a construction labourer and his wife Adika was working in agricultural fields in nearby villages. Their son Parad was a student of Class 12 in Jawahar Vidyalaya in Kedgaon and the family was living in a rented tin house. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) The incident was reported on Monday at around 7:15 am when Surendra Bhalekar, 44, received an electric shock when he was retrieving clothes hanging on a metal wire, while his son Prasad, 17, and wife Adika, 37, were electrocuted trying to save him. The couples daughter Vaishnavi had gone to attend tuition and another son is in Mahad, Raigad district, for his studies. Bhalekar family is originally from Solapur district and five years ago they moved here to Dapodi in search of jobs. Surendra was working as a construction labourer and his wife was working in agricultural fields in nearby villages. Their son Prasad was a student of Class 12 in Jawahar Vidyalaya in Kedgaon and the family was living in a rented tin house. Narayan Deshmukh, police inspector at Daund police station, said, The area received heavy rainfall on Sunday. Preliminary investigations suggest that a power cable supplying electricity to a neighbouring house transmitted electricity through the tin shed of the deceased familys home, leading to the fatalities. A case of accidental death has been registered, said Deshmukh. An officer of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) requesting anonymity said, Wire supplying electric current to the connection was eroded due to friction. As a result, electric current leaked from it and entered their residence through GI wire. Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister, termed the incident unfortunate and said, An ex-gratia grant of 50,000 has been given to the victims family immediately while instructions have been sent to prepare a proposal for an aid of 12 lakh, including four lakhs each to the kin of the deceased. The administration has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and take strict action against the culprits. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken steps to address waterlogging issues in the city. The road department has broken footpath at Shivaji Chowk on Satara Road to create channel for water flow to nearby nullahs. (HT PHOTO) The drainage department had recommended suggestions following visit to rain-affected spots after pre-monsoon showers inundated some areas, including Yerawada, Vimannagar, Sinhagad Road, Koregaon Park, Mhalunge, Timber Market, Lohegaon, Aundh, Market Yard, Dhanori, Baner Road, JM Road, Ganeshkhind Road, Karve Road and NDA Road. PMC road department has raised drainage chambers to stretch level on VR Shinde Road at Bibvewadi besides constructing a drainage chamber in Pulachiwadi at Deccan Gymkhana. Stormwater line connection work to connect the culvert at Yerawada near Commerce Zone has started. The road department has broken footpath at Shivaji Chowk on Satara Road to create channel for water flow to nearby nullahs. Sahebrao Dandge, superintendent engineer, road department, said, At this spot rainwater accumulates as it is a low-lying area. On Saturday, PMC commissioner and additional commissioner visited waterlogging spots across various parts of the city. Preity Zinta remembered her late father Durganand Zinta on the occasion of Father's Day. The actor also shared a bunch of new pictures on social media with her twins Jai and Gia having a gala time at the zoo. Husband Gene Goodenough was seen taking on his duties of a doting father, and Preity could not be more proud of him. (Also read: Preity Zinta breaks silence on choosing Shashank Singh at IPL auction for Punjab Kings: He took brickbats so sportingly) Preity Zinta shared new pictures with her twins. Preity shares new pictures on Father's day In one the new pictures, Preity was seen taking a selfie as Gia sat on the shoulders of her dad to get a better view of the animals in the zoo. Preity sported a blue hat and sunglasses, and smiled for the camera. In another picture, Gia was seen taking a closer look at the giraffes sitting on dad's shoulders, with a pair of binoculars. The last picture was of Preity with her own father Durganand Zinta, when she was a baby. The black and white picture saw Preity get a kiss from her father on the cheek. In the caption, Preity wrote: Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers out there. Im so proud of my better half for being such an amazing father to our kids. Im sure he will help raise our kids to be strong and independent, just like my father did (heart eyes emoticon). I miss you papa (red heart emoticons) today & always. More details Preity lives in Los Angeles after tying the knot with her husband, Gene Goodenough. The couple got married on February 29, 2016, in the US and later became parents to twins- son Jai Zinta Goodenough and daughter Gia Zinta Goodenough, in 2021. Preity was in India last month to support her team Punjab Kings during the recently concluded Indian Premier League. During one of the matches, her team played against Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders, and fans couldn't get enough of them and even wanted a Veer Zaara reunion on screen. Preity was paired opposite Shah Rukh in her debut movie, Mani Ratnam's romantic drama Dil Se. She went on to work with him again in Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Preity is all set to return to movies with Rajkumar Santoshi's period drama Lahore 1947. The week started on a happy note with the unseen image dropping on a fan page on social media. Boys have all the fun In the image, Salman is looking super stylish in an all-black look as he joins soon-to-be-dad Ranveer, Dhoni, Sohail Khans son Nirvaan, and several others for the outing. All the men in the picture are wearing tuxedos, and posing happily for the camera. The photo seems to be taken on the cruise at Portofino, Italy where the guests enjoyed a lavish soiree. The scenic backdrop of the image just adds to the whole vibe. The picture set the social media abuzz, with one user writing, This should break the Internet , The Picture Perfect. Mahi Sallu Together (heart and fire emoji), shared one, with another stating, Wow its #salmankhan , #msdhoni & #Ranveersingh at #Ambani pre wedding.. 2 titans of their fields, grace Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash with their presence, leaving an indelible mark of star power and charisma.. A night where legends collide & memories are made #StarPower, exclaimed one user. The lavish Ambani cruise party The Ambani family hosted the grand pre-wedding celebrations of Anant and Radhika in Italy onboard a luxury cruise and in the Italian coastline village of Portofino recently The festivities spanned four days, with several stops across the Mediterranean. And it was a lavish affair. Between May 28 and June 1, they were treated to a series of parties and events aboard the luxury cruise liner during a picturesque journey from Italy to the south of France, spanning 4,380 kilometres. Andrea Bocelli and rapper Pitbull performed at the bash. Some of the other stars in attendance were Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Kiara Advani, Sidharth Malhotra and Disha Patani. The couples first pre-wedding celebrations took place in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in March of this year. The two childhood friends, who turned lovers, will tie the knot on July 12 in Mumbai. The couples wedding reception is scheduled for July 14. Actors Nagarjuna and Tabu were once rumoured to be in a relationship for nearly a decade. Now, Tabu has reacted to a post featuring an old picture of Nagarjuna. (Also Read | When Nagarjuna opened up about relationship rumours with Tabu) Tabu and Nagarjuna were rumoured to be in a relationship several years ago. Naga Chaitanya shares old pic On Father's Day, Nagarjuna's son, Naga Chaitanya, shared the monochrome photo from his childhood. In the photo, both Nagarjuna and Chaitanya looked away from the camera. A young Chaitanya stood behind his father who held his hand. How Tabu reacted to Nagarjuna's old pic In the photo, Nagarjuna wore a striped shirt while Chaitanya was seen in a T-shirt. They posed for the photo outdoors. Sharing the picture, Chaitanya captioned it, "The OG (red heart emoji)." Reacting to the post, Tabu and Mona Singh dropped a bunch of red heart emojis. What Nagarjuna had said about Tabu a few years ago Tabu and Nagarjuna have always remained tight-lipped about the nature of their relationship. In an interview with Times of India in 2017, Nagarjuna had spoken about the relationship he shares with Tabu. Yes, Tabu is a fantastic friend of mine. Our friendship goes way back, since I was 21 or 22 and she was just 16 years old. Thats like almost half a lifetime About our friendship, whatever is said is less. I have nothing to hide about her. When you mention her name, my face lights up (laughs). It is as simple as that. Now, when I say things like that, if you want to read into it, then its your point of view To me, she is a beautiful person, and a beautiful friend. She always will be, he had said. About Nagarjuna and Tabu's films so far Nagarjuna and Tabu worked together in two Telugu films--Ninne Pelladatha and Aavida Maa Aavide. Ninne Pelladata (1996) is a romantic family drama film, produced by Nagarjuna and directed by Krishna Vamsi. The film received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu that year. Aavida Maa Aavide (1998) is a romantic comedy film written and directed by EVV Satyanarayana. The film also stars Heera Rajagopal. Tabu's next film Tabu will be seen with Ajay Devgn in Neeraj Pandey's Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. The film also stars Jimmy Sheirgill, Shantanu Maheshwari and Saiee Manjrekar. The film promises to be a unique musical love story with an epic romantic drama spanning 20 years, set between 2002 and 2023. The original soundtrack of the film has been created by the Oscar winning composer MM Kreem. Lyrics are by Manoj Muntashir. The film is set for a theatrical release on July 5, 2024. On Monday, June 17, Scooter Braun officially cut his ties with the management aspect of his job as a record executive. The controversial manager, who's had a long-standing professional tiff with Taylor Swift and several other A-list pop artists, in the past unofficially hung up his managing cape two years ago. However, now he's finally issued a lengthy online statement recapitulating his 23-year-long journey on this side of showbiz. Scooter Braun has managed the likes of Justin Bieber and Kanye West Taking to his Instagram feed, he shared a carousel post with a text message announcing his retirement and the next professional chapter on his radar. 23 years. That's how long I have been a music manager, began Braun. As he announced, After 23 years, this chapter as a music manager has come to an end. He further detailed his schedule as a music industry veteran, I was really just 19 years old when I started. So for my entire adult life I played the role of an artist manager on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And for 20 years I loved it. It's all I had known. As for why he finally decided to call off this vocation, he wrote that he redirected his focus to his family. Also read | The Atypical Family star Chun Woo Hee could star opposite Song Joong Ki in new K-drama: Report What will Scooter Braun be pursuing next? An extract from his statement reads, In this next chapter I have been honoured to join as a board member of Hybe and serve as the CEO of Hybe America. My brilliant partner these past 3 years, Chairman Bang, has a vision I truly believe in. But even beyond that he has become a true friend who understands where I must be in my life these days. And that is a father first, a CEO second, and a manager no more. He explained that with the addition of QC to Hybe America and [their] existing business at Big Machine, his ties with the South Korean giant will continue to add amazing execs and artists to the roster. In his statement, Braun also name-drops Jungkook's last year's solo project, the other BTS members and new acts like NewJeans, Tomorrow X Together, LE SSERAFIM, SEVENTEEN, ILLIT, The Scarlet Opera and Ava Max. Braun's portfolio distinctly ties his beginnings as a music manager with artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. He's successfully renowned as one of the leading mavericks of the music industry. Also read | Biden's Hollywood fundraiser: Obama takes aim at Trump's guilty verdict; here's who attended the starry $30M LA event On one side, he's fondly remembered for spearheading a major charity concert featuring Grande, Coldplay, Bieber, Mac Milley, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and others in the wake of a 2017 terrorist bombing outside the 7 Rings artist's concert, which tragically claimed the lives of 22 people. On the other, he infamously emerged in controversial headlines after tastelessly acquiring the rights to Taylor Swift's six initial albums in 2018 after purchasing the Big Machine Record Group. Shortly after that, rumours of some major artists parting ways with him followed. Braun sweetly addressed several of these artists in his wordy social media statement today despite everything spilling on the Internet. Recapitulating Scooter Braun and HYBE's history In 2021, Braun's own company, Ithaca Holdings, merged with HYBE, the South Korean entertainment company home to the K-pop supergroup BTS. Other properties of Braun's company, including SB Projects, Big Machine Label Group and his clients at the time - Bieber, Grande, Demi Lovato and others - were also acquired by HYBE through HYBE America. As a result, the deal, worth more than $1 billion, led Braun to join the board. This will be the first time HYBEs groundbreaking systems and curation will be integrated in the U.S. market at the onset of an artists career. Plus, it will help us to continue to further the careers of the artists we already work with, the SB Projects founder said after the $1B deal. However, much like the storm he caused on the Western front of the music scene, Braun invited severe disapproval from several K-pop fandoms, especially the BTS ARMY. The fans merciless fury resulted in scathing boycott campaigns, including the social media movement #HYBEDivestFromZionism. Per the still-active flames of the fire, fans urged HYBE to sack Braun upon discovering his Zionist affiliations. Pro-Palestinian supporters also initiated a Help Divest Scooter Braun from HYBE Change.org petition against him in the wake of Israel's war on Palestine's Gaza Strip. (Read more here: #HYBEDivestFromZionism explained: Why BTS fans want K-pop label's American CEO Scooter Braun to be sacked) Kichcha Sudeep on Darshan's arrest in murder case Kichcha Sudeep, in a recent interaction with the media, was quoted as saying by India Today, "We are only aware of what the media is showing to us because we are not going to the police station to get the information. It looks like the media and the police are working hard to uncover the truth. Theres no doubt about that... that family deserves justice. That girl deserves justice. Renukaswamy, who died on the streets, deserves justice. The unborn child deserves justice. Above all, everyone should have faith in justice, and justice should prevail in this case." 'Kannada industry needs a clean chit' Without mentioning Darshan's name, he said that the murder case has put the Kannada film industry in bad light. Kichcha Sudeep said, "Everyones heart goes out to that family. The atmosphere doesnt feel right. The film industry should get justice. All the blame seems to be placed on the film industry. The industry needs a clean chit. There are many artists involved. Cinema is not just one or two people. The film industry will be relieved if the culprit is punished." Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and others were arrested on June 11 in connection with the murder on June 8 of a man named Renukaswamy, who hailed from Chitradurga. He was allegedly abducted and then tortured and killed for sending obscene messages to Pavithra. The Atypical Family actress Chun Woo Hee is in talks to join Song Joong Ki in an upcoming K-drama series titled My Youth. Chun Woo Hee and Song Joong Ki could star alongside each other in new K-drama series, My Youth. South Korean media outlets, including OSEN, reported on June 17 that the up-and-coming South Korean star, who recently won the audience over with her roles in JTBC's The Atypical Family and Netflix's The 8 Show, is currently reviewing the offer for the project. Her agency, BLITZWAY Studios, also responded positively to the reports, claiming that My Youth is one of the projects on the actress' radar. Although official confirmations have yet to follow, beloved Vincenzo star Song Joong Ki is reportedly also considering his options. If all stars align, both he and Chun Woo Hee may become the leading stars of the new drama in production. The Descendants of the Sun's leading man recently took the K-drama world by storm with his starry cameo in tvn's record-breaking series Queen of Tears. Also read | Netflix's new K-drama Miss Night And Day kicks off with strong ratings replacing Atypical family What do we know about the My Youth K-drama so far? Scriptwriter Park Si Hyun, renowned for path-breaking wholehearted work on the hit JTBC drama Run On starring Shin Se Kyung and Im Si Wan, has joined forces with Yumi's Cells director Lee Sang Yeob for the HighZium Studio production. Notably, both industry creatives are well-acclaimed for churning out engaging content and shows that have formerly captivated audiences. The series, now in production, is being backed by the same agency that manages Song Joong Ki. If the actor accepts this role, it will mark his first full-fledged drama since June 2023, when he welcomed his first child with his wife, Katy Louise Saunders. My Youth reportedly revolves around lead characters, Seon Woo Hae and Sung Je Yeon, who reunite after 15 years. The drama will paint their headstrong attitude towards life despite their respective struggles. Angelina Jolie's expanding horizons as an actor and entrepreneur has culminated in a new milestone, namely with her bagging a Tony win. Not many know that Angelina's nascent journey in Broadway was actually sparked by her daughter Vivienne. Though the actor was acquainted with the book and film adaptation of The Outsiders, she was yet to experience it on Broadway. Going for a show with Vivienne then, served as a game changer on many counts. Angelina's Tony victory however, still stands against the looming shadow of her personal life which has eternally been in the spotlight since 2016 owing to her shocking fallout with Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie won her first-ever Tony for producing musical, The Outsiders Hollywood royalty, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made each other's acquaintance in the summer of 2004 while filming their spy thriller Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The two eventually came around to admitting that they fell in love right there on the sets something which to date has been a controversial admittance owing to the fact that Brad was still married to actor Jennifer Aniston at the time. Angelina and Brad eventually tied the knot on August 14, 2014. 2 years and 6 children later, the duo announced their decision to divorce in September 2016. 2016 While Angelina requested for physical custody of their 6 children Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17 and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14, Brad gunned for both legal as well as physical guardianship. It was also around this time that Brad was being investigated by the FBI and LAPD for reportedly lashing out at the family on a flight ride, accusations he was eventually cleared of. Within the year, the two end up agreeing on a temporary custody arrangement. 2017 2017 for the former couple commenced with both releasing a joint statement declaring that all court documents will be kept private. Brad was the first to directly address the separation during a May 2017 GQ interview. He outlined how they're both doing their best and spending all this time building a 'vitriolic hate fueled' case is breaking his heart. Angelina echoed these sentiments in her Vanity Fair interview from July 2017. The drama presumably took a back seat for the next year or so. 2018 The Jolie-Pitt feud reared its head in public once again in August 2018, with Angelina accusing Brad of not paying any 'meaningful' child support for the past year and a half. Brad hit back, asserting he has paid over $9 million in child support since their September 2016 split. 2019 The most noteworthy development from the unfolding divorce drama in 2019 was a bifurcated judgement as per which both Angelina and Brad were ruled 'legally single'. To elaborate, both actors were now single, despite their divorce not having been finalised. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in happier times 2020 In June 2020, for an interview with Vogue India, Angelina seemingly took a veiled dig at Brad "Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media", she said. However, the very next month, Brad was seen stepping out of Angelina's Los Angeles home, hinting that the two were coming around to sharing a neutral equation for the sake of their kids. 2021 In March 2021, (formerly sealed) court documents revealed how Angelina was willing to provide "proof and authority" against Brad in relation to a domestic violence claim. In May, Brad was granted custody of the children, a decision opposed by Angelina. She also managed to get the presiding Judge on their case removed after the latter failed to disclose the fact that he had business ties with Pitt's attorneys. 2022 The divorce drama now stood flanked by a bourgeoning property dispute. In February, Brad files a case against Angelina for selling her portion of their 1,200-acre Chateau Miraval Winery. This was followed by an additional lawsuit by him in June with supplementary allegations. In September, the plane incident from 2016 erupted across the media. The same month, a $250 million cross-complaint was filed by Angelina's former company, Nouvel, part of which alleged that Brad has an alcohol abuse issue. In October, Angelina doubled down on her domestic violence allegations, with additional filings. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are still embroiled in a legal stalemate over their French winery 2023 Much of 2023 for Brad, was shrouded in a series of lawsuits and cross-complaints with regards to the winery. However, the real cincher for the year was an old Instagram story from Pax Jolie-Pitt pointedly outlining 'despicable' things about Brad's family life. Excerpts from Pax's rage-fueled note read, "You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence...You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday". Pax Jolie-Pitt's controversial Father's Day note to Brad Pitt The same year, their daughter Zahara seemingly dropped Pitt from her surname. A video of her introducing herself in college as just Zahara Marley Jolie, served as proof. 2024 This very month, legal documents were obtained geared towards enabling a now 18-year old Shiloh to drop Pitt from her name. Once these proceedings go through, she will simply be known as Shiloh Jolie. For context, ever since 2016, none of Angelina and Brad's 6 children have been photographed with the latter. 8 long years after her divorce from Shalin Bhanot, TV actor Dalljiet Kaur found love again in investment banker Nikhil Patel. For a while, all was well as the two enjoyed marital bliss in their Kenya home with Dalljiets son Jaydon and Nikhils daughters Aariyana and Aanika. However, a month ago, the actor took social media by storm when she accused her husband of cheating on her. They are currently at loggerheads in a nasty legal battle. Well, heres everything that has happened so far: Dalljiet Kaur and her estranged husband Nikhil Patel A new chapter Dalljiet and Nikhil tied the knot on March 18, 2023 in a traditional Indian ceremony in Mumbai. The wedding was attended by their family, close friends, and the brides fellow celebs such as Sanaya Irani and Karishma Tanna. Dalljiet was dressed in a white lehenga by designer Anjali Lilaria while Nikhil was twinning with her in a matching sherwani Trouble in paradise The rumour mill began churning in February this year when Dalljiet deleted all of her wedding pictures from social media. She even removed Nikhils surname Patel from her Instagram handle. This was shortly after she returned to India with her son Jaydon in January Allegations and separation Last month in May, Dalljiet confirmed their separation when she shared a post on her Instagram story, accusing her husband of having an extramarital affair. The actor also revealed that 10 months after the wedding, she had returned to India from Kenya with her son. In her post, Dalljiet shared, You are out on social media with her now every day shamelessly. Your wife and son came back in 10 months of the wedding. The entire family is humiliated. Some dignity for the kids would have been good. Dalljiet's Instagram post accusing Nikhil of cheating Nikhils side of the story Just a few days after Dalljiets story took the internet by storm, Nikhil shared his side of the story with another publication. He stated that their wedding held cultural significance, but it was only intended to reassure Dalljiets family of her move to Kenya and was not legally binding. Nikhil further claimed that the actor found it difficult to adjust in Kenya and hence decided to return to India. When she left, it was the end of their relationship for him. Nikhil apparently stored her belongings to keep them safe and moved on. In the interview, he wished her well and hoped she would stop this behaviour Dalljiet Kaur and Nikhil Patel Ongoing legal battle This was followed by Nikhil sending Dalljiet a legal notice asking her to take all her belongings from his Kenyan house. According to reports, his legal team gave the actors legal team all the details of a storage facility where Nikhil stored her belongings. Well, Dalljiet returned to Kenya and got a stay order that prohibited her estranged husband from evicting her, Jaydon or any of their belongings from their house. Coming out in her support, Karishma Tanna shared a post on Instagram, which read: Whatever happened shouldn't have happened!!!! My full support is with my dearest friend Dalljiet Kaur. This man has done wrong to her, and I will stand by her till the end. Strong women do not seek revenge; they move on and allow karma to do the work!! Karishma's post slamming Dalljiet's estranged husband Nikhil Well, the case is in court right now. Lets wait and watch what happens next. Eid celebrations through the course of the year signify different facets of faith honoured by those adhering to the Islamic faith. Bakrid in this regard highlights the sentiment of sacrifice. No Eid celebration however, is complete without a succulent menu planned out for the evening. Consider the following 5 dishes as potential additions to your meticulously planned evening of Eid festivities. Ghosht Biryani, Chicken Korma, Shahi Kulfa: Must-try Bakra Eid recipes Bakra Eid is being celebrated this year on June 17(Freepik) Ghosht Biryani It almost goes without saying that having Biryani on the menu for an evening of Eid celebrations is a given. Ghosht Biryani the traditional name for good old mutton biryani, is no doubt a labour of love, but one worth all the effort that goes into it. It does not matter if you are a first-timer in the complex world of biryani concoctions. Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Kachche Ghosht ki Biryani recipe will turn you into a bona fide overnight chef. Ingredients: Chopped mutton - 750 gms, Soaked Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cups, Raw papaya paste - 2 tbsps, Sliced onions - 4, Yoghurt - 1 1/2 cups, Chopped green chilli - 1, Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, Red chilli power - 1 1/2 tsps, Ginger paste - 1 1/2 tbsps, Garlic paste - 1 tbsp, Rose petals - 2 tbsps, Chopped fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup, Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, Garam masala powder- - 1tsp, Green cardamom - 3, Cinnamon 1 stick, Cloves - 3, Black cardamom - 1, Black peppercorns - 8, Kewra water - 1/2 tsp, Rose water 1/2 tsp, Pure ghee - 3 tbsps, Shahi jeera 1/2 tsp, Kesar - a few strands, Milk - 2 tbsps, Wheat - as required for dum, Oil for deep frying, Salt to taste Method: Slather the mutton pieces in the raw papaya paste and refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Next morning, begin by deep frying the onions till crisp. Then add yogurt, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, half the fried onions, one tablespoon rose petals, half the fresh mint, half the fresh coriander and garam masala powder to the mutton and refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. Cook the rice half-way through in salted water then add the green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, peppercorns, half kewra water, rose water, 2 tablespoons ghee and shahi jeera over the rice and mix well. Top this up with the remaining fried onions, kewra water, mint, coriander, saffron, milk, ghee and rose petals. Cover the dish with a well-fitting lid and seal the ends with a strip of thick dough. Place a tava under the dish and cook on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. Let the Biryani rest for about 15 minutes before breaking dough seal and serving. Korma Biryani is incomplete without a side serving of some delicious korma. This easy Korma recipe from Chef Ranveer Brar will add a smoky layer of flavours to your Eid menu. It must be noted that a Korma recipe can typically be replicated with any kind of meat. Ingredients: Curry cut chicken - 1 kg, Bay leaves - 2, Green cardamon - 3, Black peppercorns - 6, Clove - 3, Mace - 2, Ghee - 1/4 cup, Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp, Brown onion paste - 1/4 cup, Cashew nut paste - 1/4 cup, Rose water 1/4 tsp, Kewra water - 1/4 tsp, Curd - 1 cup, Turmeric powder - 1 tsp, Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp, Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp, Coal - 1, Cloves - 4, Salt to taste Method: Saute the ghee, bay leaves, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and mace then add the chicken, ginger garlic paste and salt to taste. Separately mix together the curd, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder and add to the cooking chicken. Now add the brown onion paste and cashew paste and let the chicken simmer. After a while, take out the chicken pieces and let the gravy cook separately. Once the gravy starts thickening, add back the chicken. In a small heat resistant bowl, place the coal and cloves and position it in the midst of the gravy. Add hot ghee on the coal and cover the dish with a lid as the chicken continues to cook on low heat. Chicken Korma is best had with plain steamed rice or some stretchy naan. Haleem If there is anything more labour intensive than making Biryani from scratch, it is diving into a rustic Haleem recipe. Haleem makes for a rich and succulent menu item considering the fact that it combines pulses with meat and gravy. While an authentic Haleem recipe will involve hours and hours of toiling away in the kitchen, multiple instant pot recipes have come up off late which cut the labour by half, making this definitely worth a try. Take this recipe from Spice Chronicles for instance. Ingredients: Boneless chicken - 1/2 kg, Oil - 2 tbsps, Chopped onion - 2, Minced garlic - 2 cloves, Mixed lentils - 3/4 cup (mix together chana dal, urad dal and masoor dal), Cracked barley - 1/2 cup, Rolled oats - 1/4 cup, Red chilli powder - 1 tsp, Coriander seeds - 1 tsp, Mace - 1, Star anise - 1, Garam masala powder - 2 tsps, Freshly chopped ginger, Fresh coriander leaves, Lemon juice - 2 tbsps, Ghee - 1/2 cup, Salt to taste Haleem is essentially a delicious porridge of meat and pulses(My Magic Ingredient) Method: Lightly toss around the coriander seeds, mace and star anise on a hot pan and blend in a grinder to create your spice mix for the recipe. In the instant pot itself, add some of the ghee, onions, garlic and chicken and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Now add your spice mix, salt, lentils, barley, rolled oats and 6 cups of water. Set to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. This will take about 50 minutes or so. Once done, go in with your immersion blender and reduce the gravy to a fine puree. Garnish with the ginger and coriander. this is best served with rice or naan. Hara Bhara Kebab Hara Bhara Kebab makes for that one vegetarian dish that can proudly hold its own in front of a series of scrumptious, meaty delicacies. Chef Ranveer Brar has a simple recipe to create these lip-smacking nutrition filled bites. Ingredients: Olive oil - 1 tsp, French beans 1/2 cup, Green peas 1/2 cup, Green bell pepper - 1, Spinach puree - 1/2 cup, Boiled potato - 2, Chopped ginger - 1 tsp , Chopped green chilli - 1 tsp, Corn flour -3 tbsp, Jeera powder - 1 tsp, Coriander powder - 1 tsp, Red chilli powder - 1 tsp, Garam masala - 1 tsp, Cashew nuts - a handful, Salt to taste and oil for frying Method: Roughly saute the vegetables in oil then let them stew in 1/2 cup water. Add to a blender to make a fine vegetable paste. To this add the spinach puree, potato, ginger, green chili, spices and corn flour. Once you have a tacky mixture, apply oil on your palms and start shaping them into tikkis. Garnish with a cashew in the middle. Deep fry and serve hot. For a healthier alternative, the tikkis can be air fried as well. Let the tikkis set in your air fryer for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Then flip over and air fry again for 8 minutes at 160 degrees. Kulfa Kulfa is easily the most fuss free recipe on this list of potential Eid delicacies. Carrying an ice-cream like texture, Shahi Kulfa rides high on the subtle flavours of cardamom infused with varying textures of milk. Give this Slurrp recipe a shot. Ingredients: Full fat milk - 1 litre, Cream - 1/2 cup, Milk powder -1 cup, Bread slices - 4, Sugar - 3/4 cup, Kewra water - 1 tsp, Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp, Saffron - a pinch, Almonds - 10, Pistachios - 10 Shahi Kulfa is among the easiest Eid recipes you can try your hand at(Chef Fliza Kitchen) Method: Add half a cup of the full fat milk to the milk powder and whisk well to get rid of lumps. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil then add the bread slices. Now add the slurry to thicken the mixture along with the saffron. Cook this for 20 to 25 minutes till the mixture significantly thickens. Add the sugar and dry fruits and cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the cream and cook for a final 5 minutes. Lay this out on a shallow dish and garnish with cardamom powder and remaining chopped dry fruits. Freeze for at least 2 hour or overnight before relishing. What are you planning to feast on this Bakrid? Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar on Monday claimed that 18 to 19 MLAs of the ruling NCP led by Maharashtra deputy chief Minister Ajit Pawar will cross over to their side after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature, reported PTI. Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP (Ajit) leader Ajit Pawar.(PTI) Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, said that there are several NCP MLAs who have never spoken ill against Sharad Pawar or other senior leaders after their party was split into two factions in July 2023. There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb and they will cross over to their side after the monsoon session, the opposition legislator claimed. Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders of the faction will take a decision on whom to take back, the MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district said. "But they have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends (before making the switch over)," he added. The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. This will be the last session before the state heads for assembly elections which are due in October. Split in NCP The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and some other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state. In February this year, the Election Commission declared the Ajit Pawar faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party and allotted the NCP symbol clock to the group. Also Read | MVA presents a united front, says it will contest Maharashtra polls as one unit The NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar was later allotted the symbol of man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet) to contest polls. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) managed to retain their political ground as part of the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (MVA) alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The alliance won 30 out of the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats- NCP (SP) bagged 8 seats while the Congress won 13 seats and the Shiv Sena (UBT) notched up nine seats in Maharashtra. KOLKATA: The body of a third-year student was found hanging inside the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur on Monday morning, people familiar with the matter said. Mondays incident comes two years after the partially decomposed body of a male student was found on campus. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Her body was found hanging at the Sarojini Naidu / Indira Gandhi Hall premises, IIT-Kharagpur said in a statement. She was a student of the department of bioscience and biotechnology. District police authorities have been informed. Her family has also been informed immediately. The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities, said the statement issued by IIT-Kharagpur. It said the woman was an academically gifted student, (CGPA 8.37), known for her intelligence, dedication, and promising future in the field of biosciences and biotechnology. She was general secretary, social and cultural, Sarojini Naidu / Indira Gandhi Hall. She was currently pursuing a summer internship under a professor In-charge, department of bioscience and biotechnology. The institute is devastated by this tragic event. The woman, whose family lives in Kerala, had recently returned to the campus. The body was sent to the Kharagpur sub-divisional hospital for autopsy. Only an investigation can detect the cause of death, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. Mondays incident comes two years after the partially decomposed body of a male student was found on campus. Faizan Ahmed, a third-year mechanical engineering student, who was from Assam, was stabbed and shot before his death, said a second forensic report, suggesting that he was murdered. The autopsy was conducted for a second time on the order of the Calcutta high court. The forensic experts report was submitted to the court last month. Around 50 tourists were rescued from North Sikkim's Lachung on Monday and moved to Mangan town, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said. Incessant rains since June 12 wreaked havoc in Mangan, causing multiple landslides, and severing connectivity to most parts of the district. (Twitter/ video screengrab) The rescue operation, however, had to be halted due to inclement weather, and the remaining tourists would be moved on Tuesday, it said. ALSO READ: Over 1,200 tourists including 15 foreigners stranded in Sikkim due to landslides; CM Tamang to assess The rescue operation began after the BRO restored connectivity between Chungthang and Mangan via the recently built bridge at Toong over the Teesta river. "The BRO in close coordination with civil administration and team of NDRF is leading the mammoth evacuation operation," a statement said. ALSO READ: Bengal govt issues alert for northern districts after rain wreaks havoc in Sikkim Incessant rains since June 12 wreaked havoc in Mangan, causing multiple landslides, and severing connectivity to most parts of the district. Due to the blockage of various roads at several locations, around 1,200-1,500 tourists got stranded in Lachung town, officials said. According to earlier reports, among them were 15 foreign tourist who were stranded in Lachung due to road blockages. The situation became grave after the collapse of the newly constructed suspension bridge at Sanklang as it was the main connection to North Sikkim and Dzongu, they said. "Responding to the natural disaster by overcoming severe weather conditions and heavy rainfall in the region, the BRO launched restoration efforts by mobilizing huge manpower and machinery to restore connectivity to North Sikkim at the earliest," the statement said. ALSO READ: Satellites keep a check on Sikkims glacial lakes as heavy rainfall batters state "Swift and efficient response by a brave team of 758 BRTF under Project Swastik once again demonstrated their selfless commitment, resilience and determination in restoring vital connectivity and rescue of stranded tourists from North Sikkim," it added. Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur. Union home minister Amit Shah arrives to attend a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur on June 17.(PTI) This is the first such high-level meeting by the central government after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected to power earlier this month. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Deka, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief (Designate) Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, GoC Three Core HS Sahi, Security Advisor to Manipur Kuldiep Singh, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh and Assam Rifles DG Pradeep Chandran Nair joined the meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs in North Block, Delhi. The meeting comes a day after Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uike called on the Home Minister at his office and learned to be briefed about the situations in the north-eastern state. Also Read | Manipur: Abandoned house allegedly burnt in Imphal The meeting was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs as fresh violence was reported in the northern state. Since May 3 last year, Manipur has witnessed clashes between the two communities Kukis and Meiteis, which has claimed at least 225 lives to date and uprooted around 50,000 people, many of whom are still residing in relief centres. The northeastern state has seen fresh violence in the last couple of weeks with a school building near Moreh being set ablaze and a missing persons beheaded body found was found. Also Read | Manipur violence: Mob set ablaze 2 abandoned Meitei houses in Jiribam Last week, armed militants ambushed the convoy of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singhs advanced security team in Kangpokpi district, leaving a civilian driver and a security officer injured. On June 10, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that Manipur has been waiting for peace since a year and this issue must be prioritised. Bhagwat stressed the need to get over with election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation. Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government will talk to both Meiteis and Kukis to bridge the ethnic divide in Manipur at the earliest, while directing the security forces to ensure no further incidents of violence should take place in the state. Union home minister Amit Shah chairs a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur in Delhi on Monday. (ANI) The home minister asked for strategic deployment of the central forces to restore peace and tranquillity in Manipur, while adding that forces will be increased, if required. Shah made the remarks while chairing the first high-level meeting on Manipur by the central government after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected to power earlier this month. It was attended by the Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director - Intelligence Bureau (IB) Tapan Deka, Army chief designate Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, security advisor to the government of Manipur, Kuldiep Singh, director general of Assam Rifles Lt Gen P C Nair, chief secretary of Manipur Vineet Joshi, director general of police (DGP) Rajiv Singh, and senior officials of the army and state police. Chief minister N Biren Singh was, however, missing from the crucial meeting. In the two-hour-long meeting, Shah did a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur and directed to ensure that no further incident of violence take place in Manipur, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said in a statement. The home minister stressed upon strategic deployment of the central forces to restore peace and tranquillity in Manipur. He added that the forces will be increased, if required. He further directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence, it added. On governments plans to talk to both the warring sides, the MHA said the HM underscored the importance of coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict. He said that the MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide, at the earliest, it added. Asserting that the Centre has been actively supporting the Manipur government in strengthening the security situation in the state, Shah told the officers the government is fully committed to ensure safety and security of all citizens of Manipur. Apart from deployment, the home minister also reviewed the situation in relief camps, particularly proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities. He directed the chief secretary to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. Since May 3 last year, Manipur has witnessed clashes between the two communities Kukis and Meiteis, which has claimed at least 225 lives to date and uprooted around 50,000 people, many of whom are still residing in relief centres. The northeastern state has seen fresh violence in the last couple of weeks with a school building near Moreh being set ablaze and a missing persons beheaded body found was found. Last week, armed militants ambushed the convoy of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singhs advanced security team in Kangpokpi district, leaving a civilian driver and a security officer injured. Around 600 people from Manipurs Jiribam area are now taking shelter in Assams Cachar district following fresh violence reported there. One June 10, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that Manipur has been waiting for peace for a year and this issue must be prioritised. Bhagwat stressed the need to get over with election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation. Addressing a gathering of RSS trainees in Nagpur, Bhagwat said, Manipur is waiting for peace for the last one year. There was peace in Manipur 10 years ago. It felt like gun culture had finished there. But the state has suddenly seen violence. The RSS chief said the situation in Manipur will have to be considered with priority and there is need to get over election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation. The unrest either got triggered or was triggered, but Manipur is burning, and people are facing its extreme heat, the RSS chief had said. Union home minister Amit Shah will chair a meeting on Monday evening to review the security situation in Manipur, the first such high-level meeting by the central government after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected to power earlier this month. The northeastern state has seen fresh violence in the last couple of weeks. (Facebook) People familiar with the development said senior officials from the Centre, state governments including chief minister N Biren Singh, army and other security forces are expected to attend the meeting at 4pm. Since May 3 last year, Manipur has witnessed clashes between the two communities Kukis and Meiteis, which has claimed at least 225 lives to date and uprooted around 50,000 people, many of whom are still residing in relief centres. Also Read: Manipur waiting for peace, need to get over with election rhetoric: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat The northeastern state has seen fresh violence in the last couple of weeks with a school building near Moreh being set ablaze and a missing persons beheaded body found was found. Last week, armed militants ambushed the convoy of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singhs advanced security team in Kangpokpi district, leaving a civilian driver and a security officer injured. On June 10, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that Manipur has been waiting for peace since a year and this issue must be prioritised. Bhagwat stressed the need to get over with election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale described the ongoing violence in Manipur as painful and worrisome. In a statement, he said the Sangh believes that the solution to any problem is possible only through mutual dialogue and expression of brotherhood in a peaceful atmosphere. Earlier, Shah had visited Manipur last month, and held nine peace meetings with representatives of both Meitei and Kuki communities to broker peace, however, there has been no respite in violence. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed his condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the train accident in West Bengals Darjeeling district. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi requested party workers to provide all possible assistance in relief and rescue efforts.(ANI) The news of the death of many people due to the accident of Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured, Rahul Gandhi posted on X in Hindi. ALSO READ| Kanchanjunga Express Accident LIVE Gandhi also criticised the Narendra Modi government's track record on railway safety and attributed the rise in railway accidents over the last decade to "mismanagement and negligence." Today's accident is another example of this reality - as a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this blatant negligence and hold the Modi government accountable for these accidents. A cargo train collided with the passenger train in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Monday, resulting in at least 15 deaths and several injuries. The deceased include the pilot and co-pilot of the goods train, a senior railway official said. Rescue operations are ongoing, with multiple agencies working to save any passengers still trapped inside the wreckage. Read: Kanchanjunga Express train accident: President Murmu, Bengal CM Mamata react Initial reports suggest that the goods train may have overshot a signal before colliding with the stationary passenger train. However, officials have yet to confirm whether signaling system issues contributed to the accident. The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train that connects West Bengal state with other cities in the northeast. It is often used by tourists who travel to the hill station of Darjeeling, popular at this time of year when other Indian cities are sweltering in the heat. The accident has disrupted long-distance train services from north Bengal and the northeastern part of the country. This incident follows another catastrophic train crash last year in eastern India, which claimed over 280 lives, marking one of the country's deadliest railway accidents in recent decades. With inputs from agencies Former Union minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar of being biased towards the ruling camp in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, and urged the Opposition to take some 'action.' Kapil Sibal (File Photo/HT) It is better to speak less of the Election Commission of India, especially the Chief Election Commissioner. His attitude has been biased. I think that the Opposition needs to act on it, Sibal said in a conversation with ANI on Sunday. On being asked if he was questioning the CEC's impartiality, the Rajya Sabha MP mentioned how the Election Commission does not even respond to the Opposition. Everyone knows the reason. If notices are not served even to those individuals making statements that are against the Penal Code, and could lead to prosecution under several sectionsthe way there are differences between the votes polled and vote countedall these are serious issues, the ex-Congress leader stated. If elections are not conducted impartially through the specified structure, then our democracy is in danger, he added. The senior Supreme Court advocated further asserted that the opposition parties must discuss if free and fair polls were possible under partial constitutional institutions. Sibal, however refused to wade into the controversy over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that has re-erupted in the wake of allegations of malpractice at a counting centre for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, where Shiv Sena's Ravindra Waikar defeated Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) nominee Amol Kirtikar by a margin of only 48 votes. The politician-lawyer, 75, pointed to the Supreme Court's April verdict on the voting machines. When the Supreme Court asked us to trust our machines, and told us to trust the Election Commission,if the Supreme Court itself is trusting them (ECI), why should I comment on them? If we start trusting the government, the machines, then all work should be done mechanically. Why do courts exist then? If we start trusting the government, then what is the use of giving verdicts? Sibal said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed election in-charges for four states where assembly polls are scheduled for later this year. On Monday, the party appointed Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwani Vaishnaw as in charge and co-in-charge for Maharashtra, while Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and lawmaker from Tripura, Biplab Deb have been appointed as in-charge and co-incharge for Haryana. Assembly polls are scheduled for later this year in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Khashmir and Jharkhand. (File Photo) In both the states the BJPs performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls has been subpar. In Maharashtra where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprised of the BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and the Shiva Sena (UBT), the coalition won just18 of 48 seats, while oppositions Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30. The Congress with 13 seats was the biggest gainer, while the BJPs tally went down from 23 in 2019 to nine and its vote share was 43.55% as against the MVAs 43.71%. In 2019, the BJP won 105 of the 288 seats and formed the government in alliance with the Shiva Sena. A disagreement over power sharing led to a break in the alliance and the Shiva Sena joined the MVA. In June 2022, after the Shiva Sena split, the faction headed by Eknath Shinde joined the NDA and he was sworn in as the chief minister. The term of the House expires on November 26. Yadav and Vaishnaw had a successful stint as state in-charges in Madhya Pradesh assembly polls last year and were credited for helping navigate the party towards success in the face of anti-incumbency. Yadav, who won his maiden Lok Sabha polls from Rajasthans Alwar and has retained his portfolio as minister for environment, forests and climate change was also overseeing elections in Odisha, where the BJP scripted history by ousting the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after five terms in power. The appointment of Yadav and Vaishnaw is an indication that the party has deputed its winning team for the state, where among other issues the party needs to focus on keeping the allies together, said a party functionary. In Haryana, where the BJP lost five of the 10 seats, the party has been worried about losing support from major caste groups and is eyeing the influential Jat community. While Biplab, a former chief minister of Tripura, has been in-charge of the state, Pradhan, who won the Lok Sabha elections from Samabalpur in Odisdha, has overseen elections in a clutch of states including the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. Elections have to be held in the state by November 3. In Jammu and Kashmir, where elections have to be conducted by September as per the Supreme Court order, the party has appointed Union minister G Kishen Reddy as the election in-charge. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma have been given charge of Jharkhand. Here the party won only eight of the total 14 seats, down from 11 in 2019. The party had also lost the last assembly poll in the state. In 2014, the BJP formed government in the state after winning 37 of the 41 seats and Raghubar Das, a non-tribal leader, was appointed as CM. In 2019, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) wrested power by winning 30 of the 41 seats. In January this year, Hemant Soren resigned as CM after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a land scam, and he has been succeeded by Champai Soren. The term of the Jharkhand assembly will end in December. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday declared the names of four candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, reported PTI. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) had already announced its candidates a few days ago. BJP declares by-poll candidates to 4 assembly seats in West Bengal (PTI) Kalyan Chaubey, who will be contesting from the Maniktala constituency in Kolkata, has previous experience, while the other three candidates are fresh faces. In the 2021 assembly elections, TMC's Sadhan Pandey defeated Chaubey, but following Pandey's demise, the seat became vacant. Read more: BJP appoints election in-charges for four states for assembly polls According to PTI, Manoj Kumar Biswas, representing the Matua community, will contest from the Ranaghat Dakshin (SC) seat in Nadia district. Binay Kumar Biswas, also from the Matua community, will contest from the Bagda (SC) seat. Both constituencies have a sizeable number of voters from the Matua community. Manas Kumar Ghosh will be contesting on a BJP ticket from Raiganj in the Uttar Dinajpur district. The TMC's candidates for the assembly elections are Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj, Mukut Mani Adhikari from Ranaghat Dakshin (SC), Supti Pandey from Maniktala and Madhuparna Thakur from Bagda (SC). Read more: Nitish Kumar's JD(U) gears up for J&K assembly polls, will contest 40 seats in Union territory From one party to another There appears to be substantial party crossover among the declared candidates from both the TMC and BJP. According to PTI, Kalyani, who won a BJP ticket in the 2021 by-polls from Raiganj, switched to the TMC during this year's Lok Sabha polls but did not succeed. Adhikari also joined TMC this year and faced defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from Ranaghat. Biswajit Das, who contested the 2021 assembly polls from Bagda on a BJP ticket and won, later switched to the TMC and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bongaon unsuccessfully. The assembly by-polls were necessitated in the Bagda seat because he had resigned. Read more: Punjab: AAP picks ex-BJP leader Mohinder Bhagat as Jalandhar West byelection candidate According to the Election Commission of India, by-elections to fill vacancies in 13 assembly constituencies in seven states will be held on July 10 and the counting of the votes will take place on July 13. The last date to file nominations is June 21 and candidates can withdraw their candidature till June 26. (with inputs from PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi's decision to keep Rae Bareli's seat and Priyanka Gandhi's decision to enter electoral politics from Wayanad shows that the Congress party is a family business. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a press conference on party leader Rahul Gandhi retaining his Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat while party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad seat, in New Delhi on Monday. Party General Secretary KC Venugopal is also seen.(ANI) Congress is not a party but a family business, and this has been proved today. The mother has entered the Rajya Sabha, the son has entered the Lok Sabha from one seat, and Priyanka Gandhi has been made a member from another Lok Sabha seat, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said. All three members of the family will be in the Parliament... Even though Rahul Gandhi has emerged victorious in UP with the efforts of the Samajwadi Party, he knows getting by-elections done will not guarantee their victory in Raebareli for the second time... Poonawalla further said that Rahul, by picking Rae Bareli over Wayanad, betrayed the people of the constituency in Kerala. "It is a betrayal to the people of Wayanad. Annie Raja kept saying that Rahul Gandhi would move out of the state after the elections, which he did. Another thing has become very clear that the political legacy of the family will be with the son and not the daughter..." Poonawala added. Also Read | PM would have lost had Priyanka contested from Varanasi: Rahul BJP leader Nalin Kohli claimed that with the decision, it is clear that the Gandhi's wish to take their family politics from Wayanad to Raebareli. Rahul Gandhi has decided to be an MP from Raebareli and he has decided to leave Wayanad. Two things become clear. First, they wish to take family politics from Wayanad to Raebareli, he told PTI. "Additionally, what about the people of Wayanad? Against all odds, they elected Rahul Gandhi for the second time. But he never disclosed to them that he would be contesting from another seat and he would leave Wayanad." Former Union Minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekhar alleged that Congress is imposing one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad. "There is shamelessness and there is Congress type of shamelessness - imposing one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad - after shamelessly hiding the fact that Rahul was contesting from another constituency," he wrote on X. Rahul opts for Rae Bareli, Priyanka Gandhi to enter electoral politics Congress president Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge Monday evening announced that party leader Rahul Gandhi will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and vacate his Wayanad seat in Kerala from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut. If elected, this will be the first time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that all three Gandhi family members - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka - will be in Parliament together. Rahul Gandhi had contested and won from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats and has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the election result. MB Bhanuprakash, a senior BJP leader and former MLC, died of a cardiac arrest on Monday, during a protest by the party against the hike in petrol and diesel prices in Karnataka. Bengaluru: BJP leaders and workers during a protest against the Karnataka government over price rise of essential commodities at Freedom Park. (PTI) Who was Bhanuprakash? Bhanuprakash was 69 years old. He had served as the BJP's state vice-president and district president. He led the protest in Karnataka's Shivamogga and addressed the workers before collapsing. According to news agency PTI, Bhanuprakash collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest when he got into his car. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but couldn't be saved. BJP protest against price hike On Monday, the BJP staged a statewide protest against the price hike. On Saturday, the Karnataka government increased the sales tax on petrol and diesel, making the essential commodities costlier. After the government's move, petrol prices went up by 3 per litre. Diesel prices went up by 3.5 per litre. The protest took place at all the district headquarters of Karnataka. In Bengaluru, the state capital, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra led the protest against the Congress government in Karnataka. He said the protest was organised against the anti-people stand of the state government. "The government realised that stopping the guarantees would result in public outrage. To continue these guarantees, the government did not have money, so it hiked the petrol and diesel prices," Vijayendra said. The Congress government's five guarantee schemes are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and 1,500 for diploma holders for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti). In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won nine seats in Karnataka. The BJP won 17. With inputs from PTI After the Kerala unit of the Congress party mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his meeting with Pope Francis, BJP leaders from the southern state hit back, with one even claiming that the X handle of the grand old party's Kerala unit was being operated by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals. Pope Francis greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives for a session during the G7 Summit, in Savelletri Di Fasano, Italy, Friday, June 14, 2024. (PTI Photo) PM Modi and Pope Francis met during the recent G7 Summit in Italy. Also, this was the Prime Minister's maiden foreign visit in his third term, for which he was sworn in on June 9. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, INC Kerala posted on X: Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God! While campaigning for the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had remarked in an interview that he was convinced that I was sent by God. Meanwhile, reacting to the social media post, K Surendran, president of the BJP's Kerala unit, wrote on X: This handle, seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals, continues to post derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders. Now, it has even stopped to mocking the respected Pope and the Christian community. It's certain that the AICC General Secretary from Kerala, @kcvenugopalMP, is aware of this. The question is, what are @Rahul Gandhi and @kharge's interests in supporting this? Anil Antony, who joined the BJP in April last year, nearly two months after resigning from the Congress, demanded an apology from ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying that she is known to be a practising Catholic. Sad and deplorable to see @INCKerala mock the Holy Father Pope Francis also because of their blind hatred towards our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji and his ever-rising global stature, Anil, son of Congress veteran and former Union minister AK Antony, said on X. Union minister George Kurian also accused the Congress in Kerala of insulting the Christian community. This tweet by the Congress, equates Prime Minister Modi to Lord Jesus. This is absolutely uncalled for. It is shameful that the Congress has stooped to this level, Kurian stated. The simmering rift within the Ernakulam - Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala, over the manner in which holy mass is offered, played out on Sunday in the form of protests and verbal clashes in various parishes. Copies of the circular issued by the church were burnt, thrown into the trash bin and drowned in the water by devotees. (HT Photo) Copies of a circular issued earlier this month by the Church, giving an ultimatum to priests to stick to the Synod-approved uniform mass format or else face expulsion, were set on fire, thrown into the trash bin and drowned in backwaters by a section of the laity and priests opposing the leadership. According to the Synod-approved format, the priest must face the congregation only in the first and last parts of the liturgical service and turn towards the altar during the remaining duration of the mass as part of a 50:50 formula. At Edappally, in front of the St George Church, while the faction backing the official leadership read out the circular, the rebel faction booed and raised slogans. Scuffles and sloganeering were reported in several parishes in the district. On June 9, the Church, which has over 5 million adherents in the state and is one of the principal Catholic denominations, had asked for the circular to be read out in churches within the diocese on Sunday and for the instructions regarding uniform mass to be implemented strictly from July 3 onwards. Priests, who violate the ultimatum, will be barred from their duties and expelled from the Church, it had warned. Almaya Munnettam, a laity group opposed to the Synod-approved uniform mass format supported by several priests within the diocese, said the circular wasnt read out in 321 churches where mass is offered by the celebrant in the traditional format where the priest faces the faithful at all times. Over 450 priests and all parish committees within the Ernakulam - Angamaly archdiocese have stated multiple times before the Synod and the Vatican that they will only offer mass where the priest faces the congregation throughout the ritual. But the Church leadership has never considered the stand of the diocese or intervened to find a solution and instead has always tried to impose its agenda. Todays protests show that the laity and priests in the diocese are ready to defend their position, said Riju Kanjookaran, spokesperson of the Almaya Munnettam. The Congress in Kerala on Monday tendered an apology to the Christian community a day after one of its social media posts taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent meeting with Pope Francis triggered a political row in the state. The party said no Congress worker would even entertain the remotest thought of insulting the Pope, whom Christians around the world consider as God-like.(X/Narendra Modi) The party also withdrew the post from its official X handle. ALSO READ: BJP leaders hit back after Congress' Kerala unit mocks PM Modi over meeting with Pope Francis In a fresh post on its X handle, the state unit of the grand old party said it tendered an unconditional apology to the Christian faithful if its earlier post had caused any "emotional or psychological distress" to them. In the explanatory post, the party further said the people in the state clearly know that it is not the tradition of the Indian National Congress to insult and disparage any religion, religious priests or idols. The party said no Congress worker would even entertain the remotest thought of insulting the Pope, whom Christians around the world consider as God-like. However, the party is not hesitant to mock PM Narendra Modi, who insults the faithful of the country by calling himself God, the post said. In that way, people would understand the communal minds of BJP state chief K Surendran and others to portray the Congress' attempt to mock Modi's "shameless political games" as an insult to the Pope, it said. ALSO READ: G7 Summit: PM Modi meets Pope Francis, invites him to India Hitting out at Surendran and other BJP leaders who triggered a row over the issue, the Congress further said their attempt was to "downgrade" the Christians as a group of people who have no self-respect and are the ones who spread communal venom as soon as they inject it. "If there is any genuine love for the Christian community, then Modi and his cohorts, who remained silent when their churches were burned down in Manipur, should first tender an unconditional apology to the Christians," the party added. The BJP in Kerala on Sunday hit out at the Congress party in the state over its social media post on Modi's meeting with Pope Francis during the G7 Summit and alleged that it's X handle was seemingly run by "radical Islamists or Urban Naxals." The grand old party had earlier posted a picture of PM Modi with the Pope on its X handle along with a sarcastic comment that "Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God!" Irked by the post, BJP state chief Surendran had accused the Congress' state unit of posting derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders on its social media handle. He alleged that AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was certainly aware of the post and sought to know whether party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi endorsed it. Soon after his criticism, the Congress again gave a sarcastic reply through it's X handle and wished "better luck next time" to Surendran and others from "Modi ka parivar". "Better luck next time, @surendranbjp, @Georgekurianbjp and others from Modi ka parivar!" the Congress in Kerala said in the post. Prime Minister Modi on Friday invited Pope Francis to visit India and said he admired the pontiff's commitment to serving the people. ALSO READ: First Pope at G7 summit, Francis to voice concerns about generative AI They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. The Congress party has demanded the scrapping of the Agnipath scheme, questioning the rationale behind it, and called for the reinstatement of the old long-term recruitment process for soldiers. Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda addresses a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi on Monday. (ANI) The demand comes ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha (LS) scheduled to commence on June 26 and in the wake of some media reports that suggested that an internal survey of the military has proposed some changes in the scheme, such as extending the tenure of the Agniveers, increasing the retention rate of recruited soldiers from 25% to around 60-70%, and increasing the age for the induction of personnel in technical services. You have done a great job; the internal survey of the army shows that the scheme is not for the betterment of the military and is dangerous for the security of the nation. This is the country of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan; we will not let it turn into a country of Jai Dhanwan, Congress leader Deepender Hooda said during a press conference. Just like the idea of demonetisation came from outside, who has given this suggestion, when it was not in the BJPs manifesto, and no one was even demanding this scheme? he asked. Hooda also questioned the government over the outcomes of the internal survey. He said, The report of the army itself states that morale has decreased among the Agniveers, and a sense of competition has developed among them. This is not good for the strength of the military. The strongest armour of any military is its morale, and this scheme is the reason behind lowering this morale. This scheme was not developed with any long-term vision. Hooda also raised concerns about the insufficient training period for Agniveers, citing the internal survey report. He said, The second important issue that came to our notice is the training period, which the report says is insufficient and should be increased from 24 weeks to 37-42 weeks. This shows how dangerous this scheme has become for the country. On the one side, we have fully trained and armoured militaries of China and Pakistan, and on the other side, we have Agniveers who have not been properly trained by your government. He highlighted that the government came to power with the slogan of one rank, one pension, but now has effectively reduced it to only rank, no pension. He said, Every year, the government is saving 1,054 crores from their one rank, no pension scheme, but when they came to power, they were advocating for one rank, one pension. Haryana used to recruit 5,500 soldiers every year, but now only 900 are being recruited under Agniveer, and of those, only 200 will be recruited permanently, he added, accusing the government of forcing the youth to leave the country and seek opportunities abroad. The youth who used to risk their lives for the nation by joining the military are now forced to risk their lives by trying to flee abroad through dangerous means. The opposition will fight with unity and scrap the scheme. The country has a strong opposition now we will not let the government disrespect the military. This is the country of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, he said. The opposition INDIA bloc has plans to raise the issue of the Agnipath scheme and EVMs during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha. The Congress party has also accused the central government of passing the bills without proper discussion in the past, including the Agnipath scheme. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had called the scheme a risk to national security in a letter to President Draupadi Murmu, requesting her intervention in the matter. In a rally in Patiala, Punjab, on May 29, Gandhi said, PM Modi wants two types of martyrsone who gets compensation, pension, and martyr status, and the second (enrolled under the Agniveer scheme), who is poor and gets nothing. It is an insult to the Indian Army. PM Modi has turned our soldiers into labourers. We will scrap it (Agniveer scheme) and throw it into the dustbin. This is PM Modis scheme; the Army never wanted it. The scheme was implemented in September 2022, and since then, two batches have completed their training. The central government has repeatedly defended the decision, saying it was taken to lower the age profile of personnel in the army. The scheme proposes to recruit personnel in the age bracket of 17.5 to 21 years for four years, with 25% of each batch being promoted and retained for 15 years. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will retain his Raebareli seat while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad, the party announced on Monday. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and K C Venugopal during a meeting at party president Mallikarjun Kharges residence in Delhi on Monday. (PTI) The decision came after top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi held a meeting at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to decide which Lok Sabha seat Rahul Gandhi would retain. The meeting started after 5.30pm under Kharges chairmanship. Rahul won from Wayanadhis seat from 2019as well as Raebareli, a constituency with a rich legacy of the Gandhi family. As per the rules, Gandhi has to decide within 14 days of the results which seat he would retain. There were indications that he might prefer to retain Raebareli. The presence of Priyanka Gandhi in this meeting was significant as expectations were rife that she might fight in the seat vacated by Rahul. Whichever seat Rahul vacates, the next MP will be elected through a by-election. A senior Congress leader maintained that for the Congress, winning a by-poll would be easier in Kerala than UP. A few days ago, a top-ranking Congress leader said Rahul Gandhi has already decided which of the two Lok Sabha seats Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh that he won in the general elections he would retain and whether he would accept the Leader of Opposition (LoP)s post in the Lower House, top party leaders said on Thursday. Both the decisions would be announced at an appropriate time, a top party leader said, seeking anonymity. The leader also said that during an informal interaction, a top-ranking Congress leader agreed to a suggestion that fielding party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Wayanad, if Rahul vacated the seat he occupied in the previous term, would be a good idea to keep the voters happy. The leader said that for Gandhi, the LoPs post is important but handling organisational responsibilities is also paramount. A decision has been made. But it will not be divulged now. The LoP post is important but managing organisational responsibilities (for Rahul) is equally important, the leader said. There would be no change in the Rajya Sabha LoP which is held by Mallikarjun Kharge. Reacting to the collision between Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train in West Bengal, the Congress party asserted that it will continue to hold the Narendra Modi government to account for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways. A scene from the accident site (HT Photos) Extremely distressed by the collision in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, where many people have lost their lives and several have been injured. The scenes are painful. Our heart goes out to the families of the victims. We express our solidarity and condolences to each one of them. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Immediate and full compensation must be provided to the victims, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Also Read | Goods train rams into Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express Over the past 10 years, the Modi government has utterly mismanaged the Railway ministry, Kharge said, adding that as a responsible opposition, it is the duty of the Congress to underline how the ministry has been converted into a platform of camera-driven self-promotion. Today's tragedy is yet another reminder of this stark reality, the senior politician stated. PM Modi takes stock of situation In a social media post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed that he had taken stock of the situation. "The accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well," PM Modi wrote on X. The government has announced a compensation of 10 lakh to the kin of each deceased, 2.5 lakh to those grievously injured, and 50,000 in case of minor injuries. A 55-year-old daily wage worker was electrocuted while repairing an electric transformer in Yalaburga taluk, Koppal district, on Saturday, an official familiar with the matter said. The work was supposed to be done by an authorised lineman of the power company. The incident occurred when the deceased came in contact with a live wire while repairing the transformer and died instantly. (File photo) The official said that the deceased identified as Basavaraj Bhandari, a resident of Linganabandi village in Koppal taluk, had been working as a daily wage labourer for five years. The incident occurred when Basavaraj, who had obtained a line clearance (LC), came in contact with a live wire while repairing the transformer and died instantly. Neelakanta, resident of Linganabandi village, said that the task should have been performed by the designated lineman, Sheikh Hasan of Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM). Instead, Basavaraj, who was a labourer, was made to undertake the repair. He climbed the pole without any safety equipment and was fatally electrocuted, Neelakanta said. Basavarajs family members have accused lineman Sheikh Hasan of negligence, asserting that his failure to perform his duties directly led to Basavarajs death. The villagers have demanded action against Hasan and sought compensation for Basavarajs family. Executive engineer of Koppal GESCOM Phani Rajesh said: The incident took place at around 12 noon while Basavaraj was repairing the transformer. I was informed at around 2 pm and have asked the assistant executive engineer (AEE) to submit a detailed report. I have also notified state electricity inspectorate officers, who will conduct an investigation. If any official is found guilty, disciplinary action will be taken, and compensation will be provided to the deceaseds family, he added. Koppal deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Muthanna Sarvagol said: We have registered a case of unnatural death under IPC section 174 at Bevoor police station. Prima facie, it appears that negligence during the repair is the cause of death. We are awaiting reports from the electricity inspectorate officials and will take appropriate action based on their findings, he added. A senior IAS officer of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was transferred just a day after the demolition of unauthorised structures outside the residence of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Hyderabad. The action was taken by the Telangana government on Sunday. YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (ANI)(HT_PRINT) Officials told PTI that Hemant Bhorkhade, Zonal Commissioner (Khairatabad), was asked to report to the General Administration department in Hyderabad on Sunday, following which he was transferred. His transfer reportedly came as the demolition at Reddy's residence was carried out without giving information to top government officials. The GHMC on Saturday demolished certain structures on the pavement adjacent to the Lotus Pond residence of Reddy in Hyderabad. The demolition works were carried out days after Reddy stepped down as chief minister of the neighbouring state. The municipal administration portfolio in Telangana is held by chief minister A Revanth Reddy, and the Chief Minister's Office was not pleased that the demolition of the temporary structures was took place outside a former CM's house without informing the office, reported The Indian Express. As per the report, the two sheds outside Jagan Mohan Reddy's Lotus Pond residence were being used by his security teams. The two temporary sheds reportedly became an obstruction on the narrow road outside his residence, leading to rising complaints from commuters. Sources quoted by the Indian Express said that a minister from the Telangana government also filed a complaint against the sheds. Bhorkhade, who is an IAS officer from the 2018 batch, asked teams in his jurisdiction to pull down the sheds after said complaint. Further, it was reasoned that since Jagan Reddy is not a chief minister anymore, there is no need for large number of security personnel outside his residence. However, the higher authorities were reportedly not kept in the loop over the IAS officer's decision to demolish the structures. (With inputs from PTI) Students of an engineering college in Bihar's Banka have claimed to have found a dead snake in the food provided to them at the college mess. At least 11 students fell sick after consuming the food and were rushed to a hospital after showing symptoms of nausea and vomiting, The Times of India reported. The students are now reported to be in stable condition. Bihar college students complain of snake pieces in canteen food(X/ @FFire1008) A picture of the meal surfaced on social media in which a snake-like creature could be seen in the food. Meanwhile, the college administration took prompt action in the wake of the incident. It changed the food vendor and fined the accused. Additionally, the administration made it compulsory for the principal and teachers to have food with students every day, the report added. The incident comes days after a Mumbai-based doctor found a half-an-inch piece of a human finger in their butterscotch ice cream cone, which was ordered online. On June 12, Brendan Ferrao, 26, had filed a complaint with the Malad police, and a case was registered under sections 272, 273 and 336 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Yummo Ice Creams. Following the complaint, the company's management claimed the ice cream was manufactured at Fortune Dairy Industries Pvt Ltd in Indapur. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials then visited the units in Indapur and Hadapsar. The FSSAI then suspended the license of Fortune Dairy Industries. In another incident, a Noida woman claimed to have found a centipede inside an ice cream tub she ordered through an instant delivery app. The Noida food safety department took suo motu cognisance of the woman's social media post and reached out to her. The officials said they have collected samples of the brand's ice cream from the instant delivery company store for testing. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused the Delhi government of black marketing and wastage of water during the Matka Phod protest against the water shortage in the city. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that if theft and black marketing of water is curbed Delhi will get water. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo) "Water is being stolen. Arvind Kejriwal and his leaders are black-marketing water. If the theft, black-marketing and leakage is stopped Delhi will get water," news agency ANI quoted Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva as saying. ALSO READ: Leak in water pipeline, South Delhi areas affected Lok Sabha MP, Bansuri Swaraj also lashed out at the Delhi government over the water shortage issue. "It's not a natural crisis but a fabricated one by the AAP party. Delhi has an ample amount of water, and Haryana is discharging more water than the agreement," she said. "However, the AAP government in its one-decade-long governance brought Delhi Jal Board into 7,300 crore of loss which was under 600 crore profit in 2013. They made no repairs in Delhi Jal Board's infrastructure and 40 per cent of water gets wasted or stolen by illegal tanker mafias, backed by the AAP government," she added. ALSO READ: Delhi water crisis: BJP holds protests across city; Jal Board office vandalised Sachdeva accused Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government for this shortage. He described it as not natural, according to ANI. He also pointed out Haryana has been providing more water than it is bound to. "Water theft and wastage is the basic reason why Delhi is short of water," he said. ALSO READ: Delhi water crisis: AAP demands police protection for pipelines; BJP blames Arvind Kejriwal MP Swaraj also accused the Delhi Jal Board of being a crumbling structure with Kejriwal encouraging illegal tanker mafia in Delhi. She said, The entire infrastructure of the Delhi Jal Board is crumbling, it seems that the Kejriwal government is encouraging the illegal tanker mafia in Delhi...The Delhi Jal Board is under the control of the Delhi government, it is the responsibility of the Delhi government to provide water to the people of Delhi, reported ANI. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan co-chaired the second meeting of the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in New Delhi on Monday. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan. They committed to take concrete action in the coming months to address long-standing barriers to bilateral strategic trade, technology, and industrial cooperation, including in the commercial and civil space sector, according to a joint 'fact sheet' shared by the Indian government. During the meeting, Doval and Sullivan set forth a vision for the next phase of strategic technology collaboration, with focus on co-production, co-development, and R&D opportunities to stay at the forefront of innovation. They also stressed enhanced coordination with like-minded nations to deliver secure, reliable, and cost-competitive technology solutions for the Indian and American people and their partners around the world. The two NSAs resolved to support enhanced collaboration across the two governments, industry, and academia, with a particular focus on bridging the innovation ecosystems, reaching new heights in civilian and defence space technology cooperation, and securing semiconductor supply chains among others. Read: PM Narendra Modi meets US NSA Jake Sullivan in Delhi A major focus of the meeting was on bridging the innovation ecosystems of the two countries. To this end, over $90 million in funding was announced for the India-US Global Challenges Institute to support joint research in semiconductors, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and health equity. Nearly $5 million in joint funding was announced for research projects in next-generation telecommunications, autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. In space technology, the partnership achieved new milestones, including securing a carrier for the first joint NASA-ISRO astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The completion of the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation was another highlight, enabling ISRO astronauts' training at NASA. Discussions on India's acquisition of MQ-9B platforms and co-production of land warfare systems progressed, along with other initiatives outlined in the India-U.S. Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation. Telecommunications collaboration saw the finalisation of the India-U.S. Open RAN Acceleration Roadmap and ongoing 5G and 6G R&D collaborations. Initiatives by USAID and Qualcomm to deploy Open RAN technology in India were notable steps towards building robust and secure telecommunications networks. Doval and Sullivan reiterated their commitment to overcoming barriers to bilateral trade, technology, and industrial cooperation. They also convened an industry roundtable with CEOs and thought leaders to further mobilise private sector investment in strategic technology sectors. Building on the foundation established since its launch in January 2023, both nations have advanced their collaboration in key technology sectors including space, semiconductors, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy. NEW DELHI: India and the US on Monday agreed on the next steps in their strategic technology partnership and pledged to remove long-standing barriers to strategic trade, while moving forward with key initiatives in defence, space and critical technologies. Indian NSA Ajit Doval and US NSA Jake Sullivan witness the signing of agreements during the iCET meeting in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI) These issues figured in the second meeting of the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) co-chaired by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his visiting American counterpart Jake Sullivan. The iCET marks the pinnacle of joint efforts to develop advanced military hardware, set standards for emerging technologies, and bolster collaboration to develop the next generation of chips and telecommunications, people familiar with the matter said. Sullivan twice put off a trip to India this year because of the Biden administrations preoccupation with the Israel-Hamas conflict, and his visit amid continuing geopolitical turmoil reflected the US desire to maintain continuity following the formation of a new coalition government in India, the people said. Doval and Sullivan set the vision for the next chapter of our strategic technology partnership, according to a joint statement issued after the iCET meeting. These efforts will focus on research and development that delivers secure, reliable and cost-competitive technology solutions for the Indian and American people and partners around the world. While preventing the leak of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern, India and the US committed themselves to concrete action in the coming months to address long-standing barriers to bilateral strategic trade, technology and industrial cooperation, including in the commercial and civil space sector, the joint document said. While the joint document made no mention of China, the people said most of the initiatives were aimed at countering Beijings efforts to acquire dominance of strategic technologies and vital supply chains. In the field of defence, the two sides welcomed discussions on Indias planned acquisition of MQ-9B drones, possible co-production of land warfare systems and progress in other co-production initiatives outlined in the India-US Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation. India intends to acquire 31 MQ-9B drones to bolster its surveillance and war-fighting capabilities over land and sea. The deal is expected to be worth almost $4 billion. They also noted progress in negotiations between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the co-production of GE F414-INS6 engines to power Indias future jet fighter fleet. India and the US have also launched a new strategic semiconductor partnership between General Atomics and 3rdiTech to co-develop semiconductor design and manufacturing for precision-guided ammunition and other national security-focused electronics platforms. During the second edition of the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit in February, the two sides announced an INDUS-X Investor Summit to be held in Silicon Valley in September and the awarding of up to $1.2 million in seed funding to 10 Indian and US companies. Cooperation has been deepened between the US Defense Innovation Unit and Indias Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) to accelerate the joint adoption of cutting-edge commercial technologies for military solutions. Among the achievements in the space sector is securing a carrier for the first joint effort between NASA and ISRO astronauts at the International Space Station, which will mark a significant milestone in the space partnership. The two sides have concluded a Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and work toward advanced training for ISRO astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Center. They are also preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite to map the whole of the earths surface twice every 12 days as part of joint efforts to combat climate change and other global challenges. India and the US have also launched a new partnership between the US Space Force and the Indian startups, 114ai and 3rdiTech, which focus on advancing space situational awareness, data fusion technologies, and infra-red sensor semiconductor manufacturing. At the same time, they also strengthened defence space cooperation through the second Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue held at the Pentagon in May, which featured a space table-top exercise. In the realm of advanced telecommunications, the two sides recently finalised the India-US Open RAN Acceleration Roadmap, while continuing collaboration through the 5G and 6G R&D Task Force. Efforts are continuing between the Indian and US industries for large-scale Open RAN deployments in India and the US. The two sides are also building partnerships to deploy high-quality, cost-effective Open RAN technology at scale, including through a $5 million USAID Edge Fund grant to Qualcomm and Mavenir to test its ORAN stack in India in partnership with Bharti Airtel, with Qualcomm contributing an additional $9.4 million to the project. Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) is a nonproprietary version of the Radio Access Network system that allows interoperation between cellular network equipment provided by different vendors. Much of the work done by India and the US in this area is aimed at shutting out Chinese-origin equipment, the people said. The joint document said India and the US are also cooperating on secure and trusted telecommunications products and components and product-level security. They are strengthening cooperation in 6G technologies through working groups that would potentially focus on evolving 6G-related technologies such as network sensing, intelligent reflecting surface, and a human-centric cognition-based wireless access framework. In addition to the iCET meeting, Doval and Sullivan have convened an industry roundtable of CEOs and thought leaders from both countries as part of efforts to mobilise private sector investment and partnerships across strategic technology sectors. This roundtable, to be hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Tuesday will be held behind closed doors. As part of efforts to bridge the innovation ecosystems of the two countries, the Indian and US governments will provide more than $90 million in funding over the next five years for the India-US Global Challenges Institute that will forge high-impact university and research partnerships between institutions in the areas of semiconductor technology and manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and food security, clean energy, pandemic preparedness, and other critical and emerging technologies. They also announced the selection of the first tranche of funding awards between the US National Science Foundation and the Indian Department of Science and Technology totalling nearly $5 million to support joint research projects in next-generation telecommunications, connected and autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. There has also been expanded engagement with Indian and US investors in the semiconductor industry in India, to continue building New Delhis semiconductor and information communication technology ecosystem. India and the US also launched a Track 1.5 Biopharmaceutical Supply Chain Consortium the Bio-5 on June 5 with key industry and government stakeholders from India, the US, South Korea, Japan, and the European Commission to enhance resilience in supply chains for active pharmaceutical ingredients and key starting materials. Further, they are developing a joint strategic framework to optimise biopharmaceutical supply chains to strengthen global supply chains and reduce dependencies on single-source suppliers. This will be led by the department of health and human services and the department of state on the US side, and the departments of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals and the ministry of health on the Indian side. Following the launch of the iCET by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022, the two NSAs have driven a concerted effort to collaborate in selected areas of new and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, defence innovation, space, and advanced telecommunications. Sullivan began his visit with a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who said in a post on X that the two sides had a comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. He added, Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term. Sullivan also met Modi, who posted on X that India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good. PM Modi recalled his positive interaction with Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit and expressed satisfaction at the speed and scale of the growing bilateral partnership in all areas and the convergence of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Sullivan briefed Modi on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the iCET, such as semiconductors, AI, telecom, defence, critical minerals and space. Muslims across the country are celebrating Eid-al-Adha on Monday, June 17. On this occasion, people offered namaz at Delhi's Jama Masjid and Mahim's Makhdoom Ali Mahimi mosque in Mumbai. Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also extended their greetings on the eve of Eid-al-Adha. Arif Mohammed said the festival glorifies the spirit of sacrifice and everlasting faith in God and inspires people to remain united. Muslims perform prayers at Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid al-Adha(HT) "My heartiest greetings and best wishes to the people of Kerala and other Keralites all over the world on the blissful occasion of Eid-ul-Ad'ha. May the celebration which glorifies the spirit of sacrifice and everlasting faith in the Almighty, inspire us to remain united through love, compassion and kind deeds that strengthen our fraternity and social harmony," the Kerala governor said in a statement. Pinarayi Vijayan said the festival of Bakrid conveys a profound message of mutual love and selflessness, and a strong call for unity. "An egalitarian society is possible only if we can love selflessly and extend a helping hand to others. Let us celebrate Bakrid together, setting apart all divisions, be they religious, social, or cultural. This is a time for us to come together as one community, one family," he said. In Pics: Muslims worldwide gather for Eid ul Adha 2024 celebrations Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and AIADMK leader K Palaniswami also greeted the people on Bakrid eve. Stalin, in his message, hailed the teachings of Islam and Prophet Mohammed and greeted the Islamic population on the occasion of the festival. In Delhi, the Meena Bazaar area near Jama Masjid turned into a bustling hub of Bakrid shopping, with the 'mela' teeming with activity with countless goats around, priced at 25,000 and above. Six to seven trucks, each carrying 150 to 200 goats, arrive at the 'Bakra Mela' every day in the region. Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, the prices of sacrificial goats ranged from 50,000 and went up to as high as 7.5 lakh. In Rajasthan, the goat markets were full of enthusiastic buyers, while security was heightened in Uttar Pradesh with state police carrying out foot patrols. The police also imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC across Noida and Greater Noida from Sunday to Wednesday ahead of the festival. Police have warned that violations of the order or any part of it will be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. The Hyderabad Police has tightened up security and urged the people to follow the guidelines issued by the government. Eid Al-Adha or Bakrid is an Islamic holy festival. Also called as the 'festival of sacrifice', it is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. (With inputs from agencies) BS Yediyurappa, former Karnataka chief minister, will face a CID inquiry on Monday in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case filed against him. Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa to appear for CID inquiry into POCSO case today (PTI) News agency ANI reported that the mother of a 17-year-old girl had alleged that BS Yediyurappa had sexually assaulted her daughter on February 2, 2024. She filed a complaint against the BJP leader in March but passed away soon after due to lung cancer. The victim's brother also filed a petition against Yediyurappa in court. Read more: BS Yediyurappa alleges conspiracy behind POCSO case against him Based on the complaint, Yediyurappa was booked under Section 354(A) of the IPC for sexual harassment as well as the POCSO act. Media reports claimed that the victim and her mother had allegedly approached Yediyurappa for help with regards to another rape case. According to the mother, he then took the teen girl to a different room, locked it and allegedly assaulted her. Yediyurappa stated that he was checking whether she was raped or not. On March 14, news agency PTI reported, Karnataka director general of police Alok Mohan transferred the case to the CID after the mother's complaint had been registered. In April, the CID collected his voice sample as part of the evidence. Read more: Karnataka High Court stays BS Yediyurappa's arrest in POCSO case The CID had requested the BJP leader's presence on June 12, but since he was in Delhi, he was granted an extension. On March 14, hours after the Sadashivanagar police registered the case, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation with immediate effect. A Bengaluru fast-track court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the BJP veteran on June 13; however, the Karnataka High Court issued a stay on the arrest, according to ANI. Read more: No truth in complaint: BY Raghavendra on non-bailable warrant against BS Yediyurappa The former Karnataka chief minister said, Everyone knows everything and I have full faith in the judiciary. I will get justice. I will appear before the court on 17 June. BJP leaders in Karnataka have alleged that the emergence of the case is a conspiracy hatched by the Congress. The Congress on Monday demanded a thorough review of a proposed "mega infrastructure project" in Great Nicobar initiated at the "instance" of the Niti Aayog, claiming that it poses a grave threat to the island's tribal communities. Havelock Islands, Andaman & Nicobar: Known for its pristine white-sand beaches, coral reefs and great scuba diving experience, this island is part of the stunning Ritchie's Archipelago and attracts several tourists.(Unsplash) Raising red flags over the proposed project, Congress general secretary and former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said all clearances given to the 72,000-crore project should be suspended immediately and an impartial review of it conducted, including by the parliamentary committees concerned. Also read | Kanchanjunga Express train accident LIVE updates "The Union government's proposed 72,000-crore 'Mega Infra Project' in Great Nicobar Island is a grave threat to Great Nicobar Island's tribal communities and natural ecosystem. The project, initiated in March 2021 at the instance of the NITI Aayog, shows numerous red flags," Ramesh said in a statement, which he also posted on X. "The Congress demands an immediate suspension of all clearances and conduct of a thorough impartial review of the proposed project, including by the parliamentary committees concerned," he said. He claimed that the environment, forests and climate change ministry has given an "in-principle" clearance for diverting 13,075 hectares of forest land. Also read | Andaman and Nicobar welcomes tourists with extended beach hours, access to uninhabited islands "This area is about 15 per cent of the island's land mass and constitutes one of the country's largest forest diversions in a nationally and globally unique rainforest ecosystem," the Congress leader said. Compensatory afforestation for the loss of this unique rainforest ecosystem has been planned in the state of Haryana, thousands of kilometres away and in a vastly different ecological zone, Ramesh claimed. "The coastline where the port and the project is proposed to come up is an earthquake prone zone, and saw a permanent subsidence of about 15 feet during the tsunami of December 2004. Locating such a massive project here puts investment, infrastructure, people, and the ecology in harm's way," he said in the statement. "The project poses a direct threat to the well-being and survival of the Shompen, an indigenous community classified as a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG). Thirty-nine experts from across the world have warned the administration that the project poses the threat of genocide to the Shompen," Ramesh said. "The administration has compromised on due process in its rush to get approval. The administration did not adequately consult the Tribal Council of the Islands, as is legally required. The Tribal Council of Great Nicobar Island has in fact expressed objections to the project, claiming that authorities had earlier 'rushed them' into signing a 'No Objection' letter based on misleading information -- and that the No Objection letter has since been revoked," he claimed. The administration has "ignored" the island's Shompen Policy, notified by the Union tribal affairs ministry, which requires authorities to prioritise the tribe's welfare when considering "large scale development proposals", the Congress leader said. He also claimed that the administration appears to have skipped the legally mandated consultation with the Scheduled Tribes Commission, required by Article 338 (9) of the Constitution. "The 'social impact assessment' conducted as part of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR) ignored the existence of the Shompen and the Nicobarese," Ramesh said. "Parts of the project site come under CRZ 1A (areas with turtle nesting sites, mangroves, coral reefs), which has been noted in an NGT (National Green Tribunal) order in response to petitions challenging the clearances. Allowing port construction here is clearly violative of the said provisions," he claimed in the statement. The former union minister alleged that the project violates the letter and spirit of the Forest Rights Act ,2006, which holds the Shompen as the sole legally empowered authority to protect, preserve, regulate and manage the tribal reserve "In view of these numerous violations of due process, legal and Constitutional provisions protecting tribal communities, and the project's disproportionate ecological and human cost, the Congress demands an immediate suspension of all clearances and conduct of a thorough impartial review of the proposed project, including by the parliamentary committees concerned," he said. Allegations of electronic voting machine hacking in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat have snowballed into a major political slugfest between the Opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party, even as a poll official claimed that an EVM was a standalone system with "robust administrative safeguards" to protect it from manipulation and that an OTP was not needed to unlock it. The Election Commission said EVMs are standalone devices without any wires or wireless connectivity with units outside the EVM system. On Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders, citing a report by Mid-Day newspaper that alleged that a relative of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer-thin margin of 48 votes in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was found using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during the counting of votes on June 4 of the general elections. Also Read | Chat bhi meri, pat bhi meri: Jyotiraditya Scindia attacks Rahul Gandhi over EVM hack claims However, Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, rejected the report as false news and said a defamation notice had been issued to the publication. The BJP also attacked the opposition leaders over the issue and demanded that the Election Commission of India prosecute all those who amplified the lie by sharing the news report. What did Mid-Day claim? The Mid-Day report claimed that Mangesh Pandilkar, the brother in law of Ravindra Waikar, had used a mobile phone to unlock an EVM when the votes were being counted, allegations which returning officer Vandana Suryavanshi and Mumbai police rubbished. Mangesh Pandilkar and a polling official Dinesh Gurav have been booked by the Vanrai Police under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for flouting the EC ban on mobile phones inside counting centres. Also Read | Elon Musk doubles down with 'Anything can be hacked' jab as BJP leader defends India's EVM Mid-Day, Lokmat issued notice At a press conference on Sunday, Vandana Suryavanshi said notices had been issued to Mid-Day and Marathi daily Lokmat for allegedly publishing false news, adding they have been asked to respond within 24 hours as to why criminal proceedings under Section 499 and 505 should not be initiated, news agency PTI reported. Poll officer admits mobile phone was used found Vandana Suryavanshi said the personal mobile phone of one Dinesh Gurav, the data entry operator of Jogeshwari assembly constituency, was found in the hands of an unauthorised person, and action is being taken in this regard, PTI added. "Data entry and vote counting are two different aspects. An OTP enables the ARO to open the encore login system for data entry. The counting process is independent and has nothing to do with unauthorised use of mobile phone, which is an unfortunate incident and is being probed," PTI quoted Suryavanshi as saying. "Advance technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation. Safeguards include conducting everything in the presence of candidates or their agents," Suryavanshi said. The official added that neither Waikar or losing candidate Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT) had sought a recount but verification of invalid postal ballots was demanded and it was done. EVM tempering allegations: Who said what? The Opposition's INDIA bloc on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government over the West Bengal train accident, which led to the death of at least seven passengers and two employees. West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee. (File) West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed the Railway Ministry, controlled by the BJP government, doesn't care about passenger amenities. She said the government only cares about elections. "They don't even care about railway officials, railway engineers, railway technical staff and workers. They are also in trouble. Their old pension has been withdrawn. I am completely with the railway employees and railway officials. They are trying their best. But this government only cares about elections. How to go for hacking, how to go for manipulation, how to rig the election... I think they should give more time for governance," she said. The accident took place on Monday morning at Rangapani near the New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal. A goods train had collided with the Kanchanjunga Express. Also read: West Bengal train accident: Railway official says loco pilot disregarded signal Among the deceased are the guard of the passenger train and the locomotive pilot of the goods train. RJD leader Misa Bharti demanded railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's resignation. "This rail tragedy is very saddening. I extend my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, I am with them. May God give them strength. The government should see into the matter more minutely and the Railway Minister should take responsibility and resign," she said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the Modi government has turned the ministry into a platform of what he called camera-driven self promotion. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the accident is a "direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Narendra Modi government". Also read: What is Kavach, anti-collision system missing from Kanchanjunga Express route? Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday visited the site of the train accident in West Bengal to take stock of the situation, and promised that the Commission of Railway Safety will probe the mishap. "The Commission of Railway Safety will conduct a thorough investigation. Rescue operation has concluded and now the focus is on restoration, this is the main line. We will identify the reason behind this accident and will take proper preventive measures for the future," the union minister said. News agency PTI reported that the actual death toll could be over 15. With inputs from agencies Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet which was created on October 11 to manage the country's military campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah, Reuters reported on Monday. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(Reuters) The move comes days after centrist former general Benny Gantz, one of the three cabinet members, quit the Netanyahu-led coalition government. Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who had been in the war cabinet. Also Read | Israel warns of escalation from cross-border fire from Hezbollah The Israeli prime minister has been facing demands from the nationalist-religious partners in his coalition, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet. The forum was formed after Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the start of the war after Hamas killed some 1,200 people during its October 7 attack and took 250 hostages. Also Read | Spain, Turkey call on international community to act to stop Gaza war It also included Gantz's partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers. However, last week, both Gantz and Eisenkot, left the government over what they said was Netanyahu's failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war, according to Reuters. Israel-Hamas war Since the October 7 attack, Israel's military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health ministry figures. Israel's military offensive has destroyed much of Gaza and plunged it into a humanitarian crisis, with the UN reporting hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it would pause fighting during daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to free up a backlog of humanitarian aid deliveries for Palestinians. The move by the military, however, has been criticised by Netanyahu, reported Reuters. "When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him," the agency quoted an unidentified Israeli official as saying. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday accused the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of functioning as an RSS affiliate since 2014 and said it has been setting up an attack on the Constitution, reported PTI. Ramesh also pointed out that the National Testing Agency is pinning the blame on NCERT for the NEET 2024 'grace marks' issue. (ANI file photo) Reacting to NCERT's decision to tweak references to Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition in textbooks, the Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader posted on X. NCERT is mounting an assault on our country's Constitution in whose Preamble secularism features explicitly as a foundational pillar of the Indian republic," he said. Ramesh also pointed out that the National Testing Agency(NTA) is pinning the blame on NCERT for the NEET 2024 'grace marks' issue. He alleged that these are distractions driving away attention from NTA's own abject failures. ALSO READ: NCERT adds abrogation of Article 370, revises definition of Left in textbooks Ramesh accused NCERT of no longer being a professional institution and said that it has been working with RSS since 2014. He also claimed that the revised Class XI political science textbook criticises the idea of secularism and what is perceived as policies of political parties in this regard. "NCERT's objective is to produce textbooks, not political pamphlets and propaganda," the Congress leader said. Ramesh accused NCERT of mounting an assault on our country's Constitution, pointing out that this is happening in a country which upholds secularism and is considered integral to the Constitution by various Supreme Court judgements. ALSO READ: NCERT seeks implementation of Holistic Progress Card for progress monitoring Ramesh also said that NCERT needs to remind itself that it is the National Council for Educational Research and Training, not the Nagpur or Narendra Council for Educational Research and Training and said that the text books are different from the ones he grew up with in his tweets. TMC leader Saket Gokhale also accused the government of hiding details from the students and asked why the same rationale is not applied while teaching about the world wars. He also questioned the BJP and asked whether the party is ashamed of their history as criminals and rioters. ALSO READ: Why should we teach about riots in schools?': NCERT chief on tweaks in textooks Following the modification of details regarding the Babri Masjid demolition and Gujarat riots, NCERT director stated the reason that teaching about riots can create violent and depressed citizens while denying accusations of saffronisation of school curriculum. NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the changes are part of a routine revision and doesn't demand this reaction, reported PTI. Sakhlani said that they want to create positive citizens and not violent and depressed individuals, according to PTI Sakhlani also dismissed the criticism by saying that the students can learn about these incidents once they grow up, reported PTI. Opposition leaders slammed the Narendra Modi government over the Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal on Monday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleging that in the past 10 years, the Modi government indulged in the utter mismanagement of the Railway Ministry. Mangled bogies of the Kanchanjunga Express in Darjeeling on Monday. (ANI Photo) As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi Govt has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of Camera-driven self-promotion! Kharge posted on X, calling the tragedy yet another reminder of this stark reality. Make no mistake, we will remain persistent with our questions and shall make the Modi Govt accountable for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways, Kharge said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targetted the Centre and said, The increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Modi government, which results in loss of lives and property of passengers on a daily basis. Todays accident is another example of this reality as a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this blatant negligence and hold the Modi government accountable for these accidents, he added, demanding that the government should immediately provide full compensation to all the victims or their families. Gandhi also appealed to local Congress workers to provide all possible assistance in relief and rescue efforts. Sharad Pawars NCP reminded that taking responsibility for the Gasal train accident in 1999, Nitish Kumar, the then Union railway minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, immediately resigned. But Ashwini Vaishnav in the Modi government, who had two major train accidents during his tenure, never once accepted the responsibility for the train accident. This is the hypocrite morality of Modi Govt. Accident...death...news...some compensation......then silence.....waiting for the next accident....this is the reality. There is no question on railway safety and the device called Kavach. And no one will question whose responsibility it is. #TrainAccident, RJD leader Majon Kumar Jha said on X. In a tragic incident, a goods train rammed into the Kanchanjunga Express from behind in West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri on Monday morning, killing about nine people and injuring over 60, news agency PTI reported. Teams of NDRF and Police are present at Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa, Darjeeling district of West Bengal.(Screengrab @ANI (X)) A top railway official told HT that a preliminary investigation says the goods train overshot the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express from behind. Also read | Kanchanjunga Express accident LIVE updates Kanchanjunga Express train runs between Sealdah in West Bengal and Silchar in Assam. The train was coming from Tripura's Agartala and was on its way to Sealdah station in Kolkata when the goods train crashed into it around 8am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that the accident was saddening and expressed his condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Spoke to the officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri@AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well, he added. Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased in the railway mishap in West Bengal. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000, the PMO posted on X. Reacting to the accident, Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a post on social media platform X, said, Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site. Vaishnaw left for Darjeeling to visit the train accident site and take stock of relief operations. He announced an enhanced ex-gratia of 10 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed. The railway minister also announced a sum of 2.5 lakh for those grievously injured and 50,000 for those with minor injuries, PTI reported. Expressing shock at the incident, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X, DM, SP, doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery, medical assistance. Action on war footing initiated. Describing the incident as unfortunate, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X that the Assam government is monitoring the situation closely and will provide all necessary assistance as and when required. Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu posted on X that the injured were being quickly moved to hospitals, and senior officials were on-site to supervise. Expressing deep distress at the loss of lives, President Droupadi Murmu posted on X wishing speedy recovery of the injured and a success of relief and rescue operations. Posting on X, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar extended his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. While expressing distress over the accident, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a dig at the Narendra Modi government for the alleged state of the railways. As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi Govt has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of 'Camera-driven' self-promotion, he posted on X. Former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said its too early to talk about the casue of train accident and it requires an inquiry. "I am guessing that possibly this engine did not have 'Kavach' (an automatic train protection (ATP) system)...I've no doubt that the govt will take corrective action.," ANI reported. Speaking to ANI, NF railway CPRO Sabyasachi Das said around 25 people are injured, and rescue operations are going on on a war footing. Jaya Varma Sinha, chairman and CEO Railway Board, said the loco pilot, who disregarded the signal, and the guard have died. Help desks established at all railway stations along Agartala- Sealdah route, she added. The railways posted helpline numbers for assistance and information regarding the derailment of Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal. A 52-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly killing a seven-year-old girl in Yalaburga taluk on April 19, a police officer said. Koppal rural police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder), she said adding that the investigation is ongoing (File photo) The officer said that the victim, who was a neighbour of the accused, had gone missing on April 19. Her body was found two days later. One the day of the murder, the neighbourhood was allegedly deserted as most of the villagers, including the victims family, were attending a wedding ceremony. The officer said that the accused, identified as Siddalingaiah, who worked as a mechanic, was allegedly at home and allegedly intoxicated on the day of the incident. Due to an injury sustained in a previous fight with his brothers, he was allegedly unable to move around easily, the officer said. On the morning of the incident, Siddalingaiah had allegedly asked the minor to buy him gutkha. When she allegedly refused to do so again later that day, Siddalingaiah, in a drunken rage, allegedly struck her on the head with a stick, resulting in her death, the officer said. Koppal SP Yashoda Vantagodi said: Our team has successfully detected this challenging case. A reward of 25,000, initially announced for information leading to the accused, will now be given to our diligent staff who cracked the case. She further said that police has taken into possession crucial evidence, including the stick used by the accused to attack the victim, her slipper, and the water tank in which her body was concealed in. The SP said that the investigation was particularly challenging due to the incidents location in a densely populated area. She said: A special team was formed to address the complexities of the case. Despite the difficulties, the police persevered, with the accused often seen brazenly walking in front of investigators, confident that he would not be apprehended. The accused was even called in for questioning but initially managed to evade suspicion, she added. Koppal rural police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder), she said adding that the investigation is ongoing. New Delhi, A man allegedly slit his daughter's throat and dumped her body here on a farm in Rohini's Kanjhawala area for wanting to marry a man from another case against the wishes of the family, police said on Monday. Man kills daughter for wanting to marry outside of caste in Delhi The woman was found lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds in a farmland in Chandpur village in Kanjhawla on Sunday, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Guriqbal Singh Sidhu said the 46-year-old accused has been arrested. He said police received a call about the incident at 8.53 pm on Sunday. Sidhu said a police team immediately reached the spot and found a woman with deep injuries in her neck and abdomen. She was shifted to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. In view of the sensitivity case, multiple police teams were formed for the case. CCTV footage of the area was analysed, he said. Police traced the registration number of the cab that was used by the father-daughter duo. On the basis of technical evidence, police identified the woman and found that the man was her father, another police officer said. The father was picked up by a police team on Monday morning and he confessed to the crime. He told police that he had picked up his daughter from his son's home in Narela on Sunday evening, the officer said. According to police, the man hired a cab to go to their house in Prem Nagar but he had a fight with her daughter over an issue on the way. They asked the driver to drop them in Kanjhawala, which is when he allegedly took her to the farm, slit her throat and stabbed her multiple times, leaving her dead on the spot, the officer said. The accused told the police that the family was a native of Bihar's Muzaffarpur. The man said his daughter was having an affair with a man from another caste in Muzaffarpur and she wanted to marry him too, bringing disrepute to the family's name, the accused told police. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Centre has handed over the probe into the June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), people familiar with the development said on Monday. Nine people were killed while 42 received injuries in the incident. (PITI photo) The decision, officials said, was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, in which he directed the army, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies to replicate the successes achieved in Kashmir valley against terrorism in the Jammu region. The federal agency is learnt to have registered its own first information report (FIR) after taking over probe from Jammu and Kashmir police. Terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus, on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge near the Teryath village of the Poni area on June 9. Also Read: Why the Jammu terror strikes call for a new resolve The bus was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Nine people were killed while 42 received injuries in the incident. Officials said the NIA will look into a larger conspiracy in the attack, with its possible link to three other subsequent attacks last Tuesday and Wednesday in Kathua and Doda. J&K police is learnt to have interrogated several people in last one week including those who may have supported the terrorists. The home minister on Sunday also stressed on the importance of using modern technology to strengthen local intelligence networks, locate tunnels used by terrorists and deal with the drone intrusions, underlining that security forces and intelligence agencies need to work on mission mode and streamline coordination. Monsoon continued to be weak on Monday with some meteorologists flagging that it may revive only around last week of June. Some models have indicated that monsoon revival will happen towards end of the month and will be active over northwest India only in July. (REUTERS) The northern limit of monsoon has hardly progressed since June 11. It continues to pass through Navsari, Jalgaon, Amravati, Chandrapur, Bijapur, Sukma, Malkangiri, Vizianagaram, and Islampur. There is a 20% rain deficiency over the country since June 1 with 68% deficiency over northwest India; 29% deficiency over central India; 20% deficiency over east and northeast India and 17% surplus over peninsular India. Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Northwest Bay of Bengal, some parts of Gangetic West Bengal, remaining parts of Sub Himalayan West Bengal and some parts of Bihar during next 4 days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday in its bulletin. But some models have indicated that monsoon revival will happen towards end of the month and will be active over northwest India only in July. Northwest India can expect widespread rainfall in the first fortnight of July, said M Rajeevan, former secretary, ministry of earth sciences and climate scientist. Models (@ECMWF @Indiametdept) suggest after a hiatus in its advance, monsoon is reviving during last week of June, will advance further & cover the whole country by July first week. Really a good news, but forecast uncertainty remains, Rajeevan wrote on X with models indicating dry conditions over northwest India till June 24. The models are indicating widespread rainfall between July 1 to 8 over NW India. IMDs extended range forecast is also indicating a marginal revival after June 20 and widespread rainfall by July 4. Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to continue over many parts of North India during next two days and gradually abate thereafter under the influence of approaching western disturbance towards Northwest India. IMDs data also indicated that minimum temperatures are in the range of 28 to 33 degree C over northwest and central India which are above normal by 3-6 degree C. This indicates that there is heat stress both during the day and night over these regions. Maximum temperatures are in the range of 44-46 degree C in most parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi & Uttar Pradesh; in many parts of north Rajasthan & north Madhya Pradesh; and in isolated pockets of Bihar & Jharkhand. These are above normal by 4-8 degree C over these regions. The highest maximum temperature of 47.6 degree C was reported at Prayagraj (East Uttar Pradesh) on Sunday. Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are very likely in many/most parts of Uttar Pradesh until June 19 and in some parts of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on June 18; in isolated/some parts of Himachal Pradesh & Bihar on June 18 and decrease in intensity thereafter over above regions. Heat wave conditions are very likely in isolated parts of Jammu-Kashmir, north Madhya Pradesh and north Coastal Andhra Pradesh on June 18; north Rajasthan till June 19. Warm night to severe warm night conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh on June 18 and warm night conditions in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on June 17; East Madhya Pradesh on June 18. Hot and humid weather is very likely over Odisha till June 19; Gangetic West Bengal on June 18 and Jharkhand on June 20. Meanwhile, a cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Assam, and a north-south trough runs from north Bihar to southern parts of Gangetic West Bengal in lower tropospheric levels. Strong southwesterly/southerly winds are prevailing from Bay of Bengal to northeastern states in lower tropospheric levels. Under their influence, widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura and Sub Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during next five days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh till June 21; Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura till June 19 with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Assam & Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal till June 19; Arunachal Pradesh on June 19 and isolated exceptionally heavy rainfall over Meghalaya on June 18. Mumbai, Shiv Sena MLC Vilas Potnis and a police personnel guarding him were booked for alleged unauthorised entry into a counting centre in Goregaon in Mumbai on June 4, when Lok Sabha results were being announced, an official said on Monday. The incident took place at NESCO centre while counting of votes of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat was underway, the official said. "A case was registered on Sunday against Potnis and his police security guard under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of Representation of the People Act. He is accused of entering the counting centre along with Shiv Sena candidate Amol Kirtikar," the official said. The official said Prajakta Mahale, the polling representative of winning Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar, took objection against Potnis and his security personnel. "Poll officials asked Potnis and the guard to go out immediately. Mahale also filed a complaint on the issue with the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat returning officer. The police case was filed on Sunday on the complaint of one Nandkumar Deshmukh," he said. Defending himself, Potnis said, "I entered the counting centre unknowingly. There was high security at the centre but no one stopped me. If anybody had brought it to my notice that I am not supposed to enter, I would have immediately stopped." "When the returning officer announced my name , I immediately went out within a minute," Potnis asserted. The counting process of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, which was won by Waikar by just 48 votes, is in the centre of a controversy following media reports that his kin allegedly used a mobile phone to "unlock" an EVM. The unlocking allegations have been rubbished by poll and police officials, while Waikar's kin has been booked for allegedly carrying a mobile phone inside the counting centre. Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Potnis, guard booked for entering LS poll counting centre on Jun 4 The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) took a firm stance on the Bharat vs India debate on Monday, saying both the names will be used interchangeably. NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the debate over the issue is useless. NCERT to use Bharat and India interchangeably in its textbooks Saklani told PTI that both Bharat and India will be used in NCERT textbooks, as is the case in the country's Constitution, wherever either of the terms be deemed appropriate. He also clarified that the council has no aversion to either Bharat or India being used in the textbooks. The comments assume significance in the wake of a high-level panel working on the social science curriculum recommending that "India" should be replaced with "Bharat" in school textbooks for all classes. The NCERT director said, It is interchangeable....our position is what our Constitution says and we uphold that. We can use Bharat, we can use India, what is the problem? We are not in that debate. Wherever it suits we will use India, wherever it suits we will use Bharat. We have no aversion to either India or Bharat. "You can see both being used in our textbooks already and that will continue in new textbooks. This is a useless debate," Saklani said. Last year, a high level committee constituted by NCERT to make revision to school curriculum recommended that India" should be replaced with "Bharat" in the textbooks for all classes. Committee chairperson C I Isaac, who was heading the panel, had said they have suggested replacing the name "India" with "Bharat" in the textbooks, introducing "classical history", instead of "ancient history" in the curriculum, and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects. Isaac told PTI, The committee has unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in the textbooks for students across classes. Bharat is an age-old name. The name Bharat has been used in ancient texts, such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. The Bharat vs India debate was initially triggered when the G20 invites sent to world leaders were in the name of President of Bharat and not President of India. Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the summit in New Delhi also read "Bharat", instead of India. (With inputs from PTI) Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national whom American authorities have accused of involvement in the murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was extradited by the Czech Republic to the US on June 14 following the completion of legal formalities. According to US federal prosecutors, Nikhil Gupta was on a mission to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. (Reuters file photo) Gupta, 52, was named in an indictment filed by US prosecutors in a federal court in Manhattan last November as the person who allegedly worked with an unnamed Indian government to plot the assassination of Pannun, already declared a terrorist by India. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30 last year, and Indian officials were given consular access to him on several occasions. The extradition was carried out on Friday, June 14, 2024, at Prague-Ruzyne Airport, said Vladimir Repka, the spokesperson for the Czech justice ministry. This followed the Czech justice minister authorising Guptas extradition by a decision dated June 3. Repkas comments came hours after The Washington Post reported early on Monday that Gupta had been extradited to the US ahead of an expected federal court appearance. The Post reported Gupta arrived in New York over the weekend. Extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the US, the report said. Also Read:Pannun case: Czech constitutional court says Indian suspect can be extradited to US News of Guptas extradition broke hours before US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan arrived in India on a two-day visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. While the focus of Sullivans visit is a long-pending review of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), the murder-for-hire case is expected to figure in the discussions, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. According to the US Federal Bureau of Prisons official website listing details of inmates, Gupta is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. The MDCs website states that all visiting at this facility has been suspended until further notice. The Czech justice minister signed off the extradition after the final and binding decision of the Municipal Court in Prague dated November 23, 2023, in conjunction with the ruling of the High Court in Prague dated January 8, 2024, regarding the admissibility of the extradition of Nikhil Gupta for criminal prosecution to the United States of America, Repka said. The extradition to the USA was authorised for criminal prosecution on suspicion of committing the crime of conspiracy to commit a murder for hire with the intent to cause death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 1958(a), and the crime of murder for hire with the intent to cause death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 1958(a), he said. The US indictment alleged the Indian government employee, who was a field operative responsible for intelligence and identified only as CC-1, had ordered the assassination of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader Pannun in New York. The SFJ has been outlawed by India. The indictment further alleged that Gupta, acting on the instructions of the Indian official, contacted a person he believed to be a criminal associate for help in hiring a hitman to murder Pannun. This person was in reality a confidential source working with US law enforcement. The source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was actually an undercover US law enforcement officer. The unnamed Indian official was subsequently identified by the media as Vikram Yadav, an officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) seconded to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Yadav has been moved out of the external intelligence agency and several other mid-ranking officials have been reshuffled within the agency, according to people familiar with the matter. Guptas lawyers have contended he is a law-abiding businessman caught up in an escalating geopolitical crossfire between the US and the Indian government. India has set up a high-level inquiry committee to look into inputs provided by the US regarding the alleged plot against Pannun. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said the probe by this body is still underway. There is an ongoing investigation of the high-level committee set up by the government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others, he said. The alleged plot against Pannun has emerged as an irritant in an otherwise robust India-US relationship that encompasses collaboration on critical and emerging technologies, joint development of military hardware and close cooperation on defence and security issues. The US has pressed India to prosecute those involved in the plot, and this was a message conveyed to Indian officials by Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, when he visited New Delhi in January. United States' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who is on a two-day official visit to New Delhi, met India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval today. Jake Sullivan meeting with NSA Ajit Doval. Jake Sullivan is accompanied by a delegation of senior US government officials and industry leaders. The two NSAs have regular consultations on bilateral, regional and global issues. The current visit continues their high-level engagement on the robust and multi-faceted agenda of the India-US global strategic partnership. Following the launch of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo on 24 May 2022, the two NSAs have driven a concerted effort to engage in identified areas of collaboration in diverse domains of new and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, AI, Quantum Computing, defence innovation, space and advanced telecommunications. In subsequent meetings, the two sides have included new areas within the iCET framework, including biotechnology, critical minerals and rare earths processing technologies, digital connectivity and digital public infrastructure and advanced materials. The ongoing visit gives the NSAs an opportunity to review the progress and set new priorities and deliverables for iCET. Also read: PM Modi, Biden talk ties, global good in a brief encounter at summit During the day, the NSAs will discuss bilateral issues and review the India- US partnership on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They will also chair the first annual review of iCET with an inter-departmental delegation from both countries. Tomorrow (18 June), the NSAs will address participants at an India- US iCET Roundtable with Industry CEOs, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry. NSA Sullivan also met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar earlier today. He is also expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His visit marks the resumption of India-US bilateral engagement after Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India for the third time. This comes days after PM Modi met with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy. While western and Chinese media are trying to nix the India-US bilateral relationship by deliberately raking up the alleged life attempt on US based proscribed Khalistani terrorist G S Pannun, the G-7 interaction between PM Modi and US President Joe Biden has made it clear that the ties are as deep as before. According to G7 interlocutors, both PM Modi and President Biden are clearly interested in taking the relationship forward amidst the threat of an expansionist China in the Indo-Pacific. NANNING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Inside a factory in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, workers are racing against time to pack durian-stuffed cakes, so that these snacks maintain the distinct sulfurous aroma of durians, often likened to a blend of socks and rotting onions. The factory belongs to Guangxi Xuan Ma Food Co., Ltd., a company specializing in packed snacks. In recent years, pastries made from Southeast Asian durians have become its bestsellers. "We take orders on e-commerce platforms, bake the cakes and deliver them within a day, so the cakes can retain the iconic aroma of the durian pulp," said Tang Chunlong, vice general manager of the company based in Nanning, capital of Guangxi. China is the world's top consumer of durians, known for its pungent smell and luscious taste. Since last year, the country's durian fervor has seen a surge, fueled by the influx of durians from Vietnam and the Philippines, which gained market access to China under the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). As the thorny fruits conquer store shelves across China, businesses like Xuan Ma are expanding their reach into new markets by developing new snacks and beverages made from durians. The Guangxi-based company launched durian-flavored cakes in 2019, with annual sales skyrocketing from 800,000 yuan (about 110,000 U.S. dollars) to over 10 million yuan since then. The company now consumes about 1 million yuan worth of durian pulp imported from Thailand a year. "People's obsession with durian has expanded into durian-flavored pastry and beverages, which will drive up demand for durian fruits imported from ASEAN countries," Tang said, adding that the company plans to replicate the durian business success by creating snacks inspired by other tropical fruits from Southeast Asia. Other businesses are also capitalizing on the trend of culinary fusion by incorporating durian pulp as a bold ingredient in their gastronomic creations. "Milk tea with durian pulp is our hottest-selling product," said Jariya Unthong, the Thai owner of a street stall selling Thai milk tea in Nanning. "Customers would normally have to queue for over half an hour to get one." Some of the most daring durian recipes are found in eateries. Several high-end restaurants in Guangxi have rolled out hotpots with durian and chicken soup to immense market success. "Since its debut earlier this year, our chicken durian hotpot has consistently remained among our top three most popular dishes," said Pang Jie, the owner of a hotpot restaurant. "We prefer Monthong durian from Thailand because of its sweet and buttery taste. Plus, it's got the brand recognition among picky urbanites." "Many customers have come for a novel experience, but some eventually became loyal fans of the dish," he said. Official data showed that in 2023, China imported 1.43 million tonnes of fresh durians, with 929,000 tonnes from Thailand and 493,000 tonnes from Vietnam. "As a bit of a latecomer to the country's vast expanse of food processing landscape, durian has what it takes to be front and center in China. The demand for both the fruit and its processed products will continue to rise," said Niti Pratoomvongsa, director of the commercial office of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Nanning. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were in the middle of a fresh social media controversy on Sunday with leaders not just from both sides of the political spectrum in India chiming in but also Tesla founder and X chief executive Elon Musk too wading into the matter. The row, over what was previously known as Twitter, unfolded after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reacted to a tweet by Musk, about the unreliability of EVMs in response to reports of irregularities in Puerto Rico. (HT PHOTO) The row, over what was previously known as Twitter, unfolded after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reacted to a tweet by Musk, about the unreliability of EVMs in response to reports of irregularities in Puerto Rico. We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high, Musk said. Chandrasekhar responded: Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure, and isolated from any network or media - no connectivity, no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Internet. There is no way in. The BJP leader also invited Musk for a tutorial on building a secure electronic voting machine for free and fair elections, adding, Electronic voting machines can be architected and built right as India has done. We would be happy to run a tutorial, Elon. To this, Musk posted a short response, writing: Anything can be hacked. Chandrasekhar made another post, writing technically ur right - anything is possible but thats a different type of a conversation from EVMs being secure and reliable vis a vis paper voting. And we can agree to disagree. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi weighed in on the debate, expressing concerns about the transparency of EVMs. EVMs in India are a black box, and nobody is allowed to scrutinise them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability, Gandhi said. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also responded, referencing Musks post and questioning the insistence on using EVMs despite global suspicions of tampering. Technology is meant to solve problems; if it becomes the cause of difficulties, its use should be discontinued. Today, when there are suspicions of tampering with EVMs in elections worldwide and renowned technology experts are openly writing about the dangers of manipulation in EVMs, then what is the reason behind the insistence on using EVMs? The BJP should clarify this matter. We reiterate our demand to conduct all upcoming elections using ballot papers, Yadav wrote. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia took a dig at Gandhi, stating, Chat bhi meri, pat bhi meri (having things both ways), this will not work every time. If you win, EVM is a hero, and if you lose, EVM. People of the country are now aware of this policy of the Congress party, thats why they have made BJP government for the third time with full majority. A poll official dismissed a news report that Gandhi had used to reference EVMs claiming they are a black box. The report alleged that a relative of the winning Shiv Sena candidate in Mumbai had a phone that unlocked an EVM. Vandana Suryavanshi, the returning officer for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, clarified that EVMs are standalone systems that do not require an OTP to unlock them. There is no OTP (one-time password) on mobile for unlocking EVM as it is non-programmable and it has no wireless communication capabilities, Suryavanshi stated. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper, which is being used by some leaders to create a false narrative. She mentioned that a notice has been issued to Mid-Day newspaper under sections 499 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news. Mangesh Pandilkar, the brother-in-law of winning Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar, was booked on Wednesday for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre on June 4, the day of the general election results announcement. A police official said the mobile phone has been sent to forensics to examine call records and verify if it was used for other purposes, according to the Mid-Day report. While there was nothing to suggest evidence of a technical tampering, there appeared to be procedural lapses. A polling official from Jogeshwari assembly constituency Dinesh Gurav, whose mobile phone was found in the possession of an unauthorised individual on counting day, was also booked, police officials said. The top court had on April 26 dismissed a bunch of petitions demanding 100% cross-verification of votes cast on EVMs with paper trail systems, stating that the poll process, that was being carried out at the time, could not be halted over mere speculation or apprehensions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the national capital. After the meeting, he wrote on X that India is committed to further its strategic partnership with the United States for global good. PM Narendra Modi with Jake Sullivan. "Met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good," he wrote on X. The meeting between PM Modi and Jake Sullivan came days after the former met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy. Jake Sullivan is visiting the national capital on June 17 and 18. This the first trip by a senior Biden administration official to India since Narendra Modi became the prime minister for the third term. Earlier today, Sullivan met India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The two top security officials held extensive talks focusing on the implementation of the ambitious India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), bilateral defence ties and regional security situation. Also read: NSAs Ajit Doval, Jake Sullivan talk advanced materials and tech in iCET dialogue Jake Sullivan is touring India along with a high-level delegation comprising senior US government officials and industry leaders. News agency PTI reported that Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan also discussed the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) against the backdrop of a delay in its rollout in view of the current situation in West Asia. Jake Sullivan also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "Delighted to welcome US NSA Jake Sullivan to New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues," the union minister wrote on X. He said he was confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term. The iCET was launched by PM Narendra Modi and President Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. With inputs from PTI Former Congress president and lawmaker Rahul Gandhi will retain Raebareli, the constituency long associated with the Gandhi family, and vacate his Wayanad seat where the party will field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Monday. Both Rahul and Priyankathe latter set to make her electoral debutassured that they will simultaneously take care of Raebareli and Wayanad. Congress leaders and brother-sister duo Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra share a hug after the announcement of Priyanka's candidature from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, in New Delhi on Monday. (Hindustan Times) If Priyanka wins Wayanad in the by-election, it would be the first time for the Nehru-Gandhi family that the mother, her son and daughterall three will be Parliamentarians. Priyanka, like most of her family members, has worked in the organisation before making her electoral debut. The party, however, didnt disclose if Rahul will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. But Rahul gave a broad indication when he said that in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting Kharge had threatened him (with action if he doesnt accept CWCs resolution to be LoP). Priyanka also added that I have given my advice (on LoP) to him. Our leader Rahul Gandhi has won from two seats. As per the law, he has to vacate one seat. Tomorrow is the last date (to vacate). Thats why today we sat and decided Rahul Gandhi should retain his Raebareli seat because it has a long relationship with him. Raebareli has a close link with his family and for generations, Gandhi family had been fighting from Raebareli. Thats why people of Raebareli as well as the party feels that it would be better if he retains Raebareli seat, said Kharge, flanked by Rahul, Priyanka and party general secretary KC Venugopal. The people of Wayanad, too, want Rahul Gandhi to retain his seat. But the law doesnt permit so. Thats why, after much deliberations, we decided that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should fight from Wayanad. Both have agreed, Kharge added, after an hour-long meeting at his residence attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Priyanka and Venugopal. Rahul maintained it was not an easy decision as he is attached to both places. I have an old relationship with Raebareli. I am happy that I will represent it again, Gandhi said. He added, I had been Wayanad MP for past 5 years. It was a fantastic experience. People of Wayanad, cutting across party lines, gave me love and affection. I want to thank them and will remember them forever. Gandhi, who made his electoral debut in 2004 from Amethi, fought from Wayanad as a second seat to boost the partys prospects in Kerala in 2019. That year, he lost to Union minister Smriti Irani in Amethi but won from Wayanad. A senior Congress strategist maintained, It was simply not possible for Rahul to leave Raebareli for political reasons. He is the face of the party and must represent the most politically important state, UP. His presence will further cement the Congress ties with Samajwadi Party. Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had been a Raebareli MP between 1967 to 1977. Feroze Gandhi was a two-term MP from there in 1952 and 1957. After Rahul fought from Amethi, Sonia Gandhi shifted to adjoining Raebareli seat and remained MP from 2004 to 2024 from there. Earlier this year, she shifted to Rajya Sabha. Ironically, in 1980, when Indira won Raebareli and Medak in 1980, she left her UP seat and opted for Medak in Andhra Pradesh. 44 years later, her grandson retained Raebareli and decided to vacate his seat in southern India. Priyanka, who will fight from Wayanad in a by-poll that will be announced later, said, she is not nervous. I am very happy. I wont let them feel his absence. I will work as hard to make everyone happy. I will also help him in Raebareli. I have an old relation with Raebareli, and I have worked in both Amethi and Raebareli. I will help bhaiya (brother) in Raebareli, Priyanka Gandhi said. Rahul said that he is confident she will win and she will be a good representative. He also added that he will be a frequent visitor in Wayanad and both constituencies will have two members of Parliament. Kharge said, With Priyanka, people will derive courage. She had earlier given a slogan: Main ladki hoon, lad sakti hu. I want to thank her because during difficult times, she stood with us. She worked very hard and won back many seats in UP and the Amethi seat, which was lost, she got it back. she also worked very hard in Raebareli and won it. Party leaders added that it was the best solution as Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Wayanad after the election, had said that his decision (on the seats) will make both Raebareli and Wayanad happy. Congress leaders argued that Rahuls decision was in sync with the larger goal of the Congress to improve its strike rate in northern India, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. While Rahuls presence in Raebareli is no guarantee for partys revival in the Hindi-belt, it brings a regional balance in the party where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary organisation KC Venugopal and the chief spokesperson Jairam Ramesh hail from south India. Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) said, This was on the expected lines. As soon as Rahul Gandhi decided to fight from Raebareli and won it, it was important for him to retain the seat. At the same time, he had to keep Wayanad voters happy and avoid any perception that he used Wayanad for his electoral gains. But I dont see any correlation between Gandhi keeping Raebareli and the Congress revival. It is not going to help the Congress in UP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate Wayanad seat for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.(ANI) Rahul Gandhi had contested and won from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats and has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the election result. "Party has decided that Rahul Gandhi should retain Rae Bareli seat since it is close to the family," Kharge said after holding discussions with senior party leaders at his residence. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretaries K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present during the discussions. "We have decided that Priyanka ji should contest from Wayanad," Kharge added, thanking the brother-sister duo for accepting the decision. Read: PM would have lost had Priyanka contested from Varanasi: Rahul Priyanka Gandhi will be making his electoral debut from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Following the announcement, Rahul Gandhi reflected on his tenure as Wayanad's MP, saying, I have an emotional relationship with both Rae Bareli and the people of Wayanad. The last five years as Member of Parliament has been a fantastic experience. The people of Wayanad stood with me, gave love and affection, and energy to fight in a very difficult time. I will never forget that. Reassuring his continued connection with Wayanad, he added, "I want everyone in Wayanad to know that Priyanka is going to fight the election in Wayanad, but I'm going to be a frequent visitor to Wayanad." Rahul Gandhi said both Rae Bareli and Wayanad "will get two MPs". The Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, has also urged Rahul Gandhi to take up the position of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and a resolution to this effect was passed by the CWC in its last meeting held on June 8. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will retain the family pocket borough of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala for his sister and senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to make her electoral debut, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Monday in a significant decision with ramifications for both the Opposition and national politics. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at his residence in New Delhi on Monday. (HT Photo) If Priyanka wins Wayanad in the by-election that will be held within the next six months, it will be the first time for the Nehru-Gandhi family to have a mother, son and daughter trio Sonia Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha and Rahul and Priyanka in the Lok Sabha in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi won Rae Bareli, a seat held by generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family beginning with Feroze Gandhi in 1952 and last won by Sonia Gandhi in 2019, by roughly 400,000 votes. He also won Wayanad, a seat he first secured in 2019, by 364,000 votes. Today we sat and decided Rahul Gandhi should retain his Rae Bareli seat because it has a long relationship with him. Rae Bareli has a close link with his family and for generations, Gandhi family had been fighting from Rae Bareli, said Kharge, flanked by Rahul, Priyanka and party general secretary KC Venugopal. The people of Wayanad, too, want Rahul Gandhi to retain his seat. But the law doesnt permit so. Thats why, after much deliberation, we decided that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should fight from Wayanad. Both have agreed, Kharge added after an hour-long meeting at his residence attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Priyanka and Venugopal. The party, however, didnt disclose if Rahul will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. But the 53-year-old leader gave a broad indication when he said that, in the meeting, Kharge had threatened him (with action if he doesnt accept the partys resolution to be LoP). Priyanka also added that I have given my advice (on LoP) to him. Rahul said it was not an easy decision as he was attached to both places. I have an old relationship with Rae Bareli. I am happy that I will represent it again I was Wayanad MP for the past five years. It was a fantastic experience. The people of Wayanad, cutting across party lines, gave me love and affection. I want to thank them and will remember them forever, he said. Priyanka has managed her mothers campaign since 2004 and in 2019, was appointed general secretary in charge of eastern UP. She also campaigned extensively during the 2022 assembly elections but the party won only two of the 403 seats on offer. This will be her first electoral battle. Like most of the Gandhi family, Priyanka will also make her electoral debut after serving the organisation. I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahuls) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative I will also help my brother in Rae Bareli. We will both be present in Rae Bareli and Wayanad, she said. Both Gandhi siblings insisted that they will simultaneously take care of Rae Bareli and Wayanad. The decision came days after the Congress posted a relatively strong showing in the Lok Sabha elections, nearly doubling its tally from 52 in 2019 to 99. The broader INDIA bloc also outperformed expectations, winning 233 seats and restricting the Bharatiya Janata Party to 240, below the majority mark of 272 on its own. Key to this performance was Uttar Pradesh, once considered the BJPs strongest fortress where the party had won 71 and 62 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019, respectively. This time, Congress ally Samajwadi Party emerged as the single-largest party in Indias most-populous state, winning 37 seats compared to the BJPs 33. The Congress won six seats, including its strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli. It was simply not possible for Rahul to leave Rae Bareli for political reasons. He is the face of the party and must represent the most politically important state, UP. His presence will further cement the Congresss ties with Samajwadi Party, said a senior Congress strategist, requesting anonymity. Rahul made his electoral debut in 2004 from Amethi but lost the seat in 2019 to former Union minister Smriti Irani. But he won from Wayanad that year. Priyanka said she was not nervous. I am very happy. I will work as hard to make everyone happyI will help bhaiya (brother) in Rae Bareli, she added. Rahul said that he was confident of Priyankas victory and that she will be a good representative. He also added that he will be a frequent visitor in Wayanad and both constituencies will have two members of Parliament. Kharge heaped praises on Priyanka. With Priyanka, people will derive courage. She had earlier given a slogan: Main Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon (I am a girl, I can fight). I want to thank her because during difficult times, she stood with us. She worked very hard and won back many seats in UP and the Amethi seat, which was lost, she got it back. She also worked very hard in Rae Bareli and won it. Party leaders said that it was the best solution as Rahul, during his recent visit to Wayanad, had said that his decision will make both Rae Bareli and Wayanad happy. His primary opponent in Wayanad, the ruling Left, indicated it will fight the bypoll. It is Rahul Gandhis choice (that he vacated Wayanad). But he didnt tell the people of Wayanad that he will fight from Rae Bareli too. He deliberately kept it secret. I heard that the Congress will field Priyanka Gandhi in the bypoll. It is the prerogative of the Congress. But we have been working in Wayanad for many decades. We will talk to our Left allies and decide what to do. We will fight the by-election, said Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja. In 2024, Rahul defeated Left candidate Annie Raja, who is also Rajas wife. Congress leaders argued that Rahuls decision was in sync with the larger goal of the Congress to improve its strike rate in northern India, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. While Rahuls presence in Rae Bareli is no guarantee for the partys revival in the Hindi belt, it brings regional balance in the party where Kharge, Venugopal and chief spokesperson Jairam Ramesh are from south India. This was on the expected lines. As soon as Rahul Gandhi decided to fight from Rae Bareli and won it, it was important for him to retain the seat. At the same time, he had to keep Wayanad voters happy and avoid any perception that he used Wayanad for his electoral gains. But I dont see any correlation between Gandhi keeping Rae Bareli and the Congress revival. It is not going to help the Congress in UP, said Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies. Rahuls decision also put the spotlight on Rae Bareli, once held by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi between 1967 to 1977. Feroze Gandhi was a two-term MP in 1952 and 1957. In 1980, when Indira Gandhi won both Rae Bareli and Medak in 1980, she left her UP seat and opted for Medak in Andhra Pradesh. 44 years later, both family and national politics appear to have come full circle. The BJP attacked the Congress for the decision saying it is a clear case of dynastic politics being practised. Party spokesperson Shehzaad Poonawala said, It proves that the Congress is not a party but a family company. By Subrata Nag Choudhary and Sudipto Ganguly Railway collision in eastern India kills 15, injures several KOLKATA, - A freight train smashed into the rear of a stationary passenger train in India's West Bengal state on Monday, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens, police said, in an accident that railway authorities blamed on a disregarded signal. Media showed images of the pile-up, with containers from the goods train strewn nearby, and one carriage left nearly vertical after the accident, which comes just over a year after a signalling error caused one of India's worst rail crashes. At least 15 bodies have been pulled from the mangled carriages, Abhishek Roy, a senior police official in the eastern state's district of Darjeeling, the site of the accident, told Reuters. Nearly 30 people were injured and rescue teams from the police and national disaster response force were working with doctors and residents of the area to clear debris from the derailed carriages, Roy added. The goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express travelling to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, from the northeastern state of Tripura, driving three carriages of the passenger train off the rails. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on board at the time. Rescuers used iron rods and ropes to work free one carriage of the passenger train that had been swept upwards to lodge on the roof of the freight train by the impact of the collision. The dead included the driver of the freight train and a guard on the passenger train, Jaya Varma Sinha, the head of the railway board that runs the countrywide network, told reporters. The accident happened after the driver of the freight train disregarded a signal and hit the rear end of the express train, Sinha added. Rescue work has been completed, Sinha said, while authorities were working to restore traffic, although the damage had been less extensive than initially feared. "The guard's compartment in the passenger train was badly damaged," he added. "There were two parcel vans attached ahead of it which reduced the extent of damage to passengers." Nearby residents heard a loud crash and saw the pile-up upon going to investigate, several told the ANI news agency, in which Reuters has a minority stake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences on the loss of life in the accident and said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was on his way to the site. About 288 people died a year ago in the neighbouring state of Odisha, in India's worst rail crash in more than two decades, caused by a signal failure. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Monday set up a three-member inquiry panel into Rajkots TRP Gaming Zone on orders of the high court that wanted the state to find out the fault of erring officers of the Rajkot municipal corporation including municipal commissioners who allowed the gaming zone to come up. Rajkot: Congress workers hold a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to those killed in a fire at TRP Gaming Zone, in Rajkot (PTI FILE PHOTO) In a sharply-worded 22-page order, the high court rejected the corporations defence of the municipal commissioners for the illegal construction at the TRP Gaming Zone where a fire killed 27 people on May 25. The response given on behalf of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation that the Municipal Commissioners were never made aware of any such erections or usage of such a huge structure from the year 2021, cannot be believed. The structure comprised of the fabricated steel frame with boundaries of steel patras having G+1 floor, cannot be considered to be an invisible structure, which was thriving in the city within the territorial jurisdiction of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, the bench of chief justice Sunita Agarwal and justice Pranav Trivedi said in its order dated June 13. The order was uploaded to the high courts website on June 16. The bench warned that the inquiry panel, to be constituted by the states principal secretary, urban development, shall not spare anyone found guilty or being irresponsible and all aspects of dereliction of duties or inaction on the part of RMC officers shall be brought to light. The report shall be submitted to the high court by July 4. The court also ordered a separate inquiry into all municipal corporations in the state where accidents have occurred due to the inaction of their chiefs at crowded public venues. In this context, the bench directed the urban development principal secretary to take stringent action to put his house in order as it is evident that the working of the municipal commissioners of the corporations in the state has become aweigh. The court felt the need for an inquiry into the workings of the municipal corporations because recent accidents reflect dereliction of duty on the part of the municipal commissioners and cited the Morbi bridge collapse, Harni boat tragedy and Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire in this context. These repeated incidents show that public places managed by the corporations and the places of amusement where footfall of public is to a large extent, have been kept unsafe for human lives, because of dereliction in discharge of duties or inaction of the head of the institution, the court said. The urban development department has one month to submit this report. The court has also ordered the education department to conduct a physical inspection of all schools catering to students aged 3 to 14, both state-run and private, to verify compliance with fire safety measures and building regulations. Reports on these inspections must be submitted to the court within one month. The court was alarmed by reports that the gaming zone in Rajkot exploited loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (CGDCR) to erect unauthorised structures for recreational purposes. It also highlighted that the gaming zone resorted to temporary tin structures to sidestep regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the court noted the proliferation of such gaming zones not only in Rajkot but also in Ahmedabad, emphasising their potential threat to public safety. New Delhi, A Delhi court has denied bail to a man accused of trafficking Indian citizens to Russia to be deployed on the battlefront in the war against Ukraine against their will, observing that the charges against him are serious and he could try to destroy evidence. Russia-Ukraine war: Delhi court denies bail to man accused of trafficking Indian citizens Special Judge Atul Krishna Agrawal denied relief to Mumbai resident Micheal Elangovan Anthony who claimed innocence. The allegations against the accused are grave and serious in nature. Enlarging the applicant on bail at this stage will hamper further investigation of the case. There is also a possibility that he may try to destroy the evidence which are yet to be obtained by the IO . The applicant may also assist the other accused persons in continuing to evade the process of law, the judge said in an order passed on June 7. The accused had sought bail claiming he was himself was a victim of the racket and falsely implicated in the case. Anthony was arrested on April 26 and is in custody since then. According to the CBI, the accused and his alleged accomplices trafficked Indian nationals to Russia on the pretext of getting them jobs in the Russian army as security guards, helpers and the like in return for money. The CBI alleged that the victims were deceptively made to sign contract for joining Russian army. They were trained in combat roles and provided Russian army uniform and badges. These Indian nationals were then deployed in war zones against their wish and their lives were put in danger, the CBI alleged, adding that some of them also got grievously injured. The alleged racketeers had also duped Indian students with the promise of securing for them admissions to dubious private universities in Russia. They offered them free discounted visa extensions, fee structure, etc. and left at the mercy of visa agents and college authorities, it alleged. The passports of the victims of the alleged scam, the CBI claimed, were impounded by the agents upon their arrival in Russia. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan began a two-day visit to India on Monday with a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, during which the two sides discussed bilateral, regional and global issues. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Delhi on Monday. (PTI) Sullivan is visiting New Delhi at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval for a long-pending review of the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Earlier this year, Sullivan had called off planned visits to India twice because of the US administrations preoccupation with the Israel-Hamas conflict. Jaishankar said in a post on X after his meeting with Sullivan that the two sides had a comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. He didnt give details. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term, Jaishankar said, referring to the new coalition government formed after the recent general election. Sullivan is accompanied by a delegation of senior US government officials and industry leaders. The two NSAs have regular consultations on bilateral, regional and global issues, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. The current visit continues their high-level engagement on the robust and multi-faceted agenda of the India-US global strategic partnership, one of the people cited above said. Following the launch of the iCET by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022, the two NSAs have driven a concerted effort to collaborate in selected areas of new and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, defence innovation, space, and advanced telecommunications. In subsequent meetings, the two sides have included new areas within the iCET framework, including biotechnology, processing technologies for critical minerals and rare earths, digital connectivity and digital public infrastructure, and advanced materials. Sullivans visit will give the NSAs an opportunity to review the progress made so far under iCET and to set new priorities and deliverables, the people said. On Monday, the two NSAs will discuss bilateral issues and review the India-US partnership, with the focus on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They will also chair the first annual review of iCET with an inter-departmental delegation from both countries. On Tuesday, the NSAs will address participants at an India-US iCET Roundtable with industry CEOs, which will be organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). This session will be held behind closed doors. Sullivan is also expected to meet Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Tuesday. This will be his first visit to the holy city since he became the prime minister of the country for the third time. UP: Preparations in full swing for PM Modi's visit to Kashi Vishwanath temple (ANI Photo)(BJP media) A 27-year-old man was murdered on Sunday when an altercation with a driver turned violent for not giving space to overtake on Kolar-Bengaluru National Highway (NH 75) on the outskirts of Bengaluru, a police officer said. The incident took place when the victim, identified as Naveen Naik (27), a resident of Gangapura village in Hoskote taluk, was returning from Bengaluru to his shop in Hoskote on his way on Sunday morning. (Getty Images) The officer said the incident took place when the victim, identified as Naveen Naik (27), a resident of Gangapura village in Hoskote taluk, was returning from Bengaluru to his shop in Hoskote on Sunday morning. Hoskote police inspector M. Manjunath said: Naveen Naik, a vegetable vendor in Kolar, was transporting vegetables to his shop from Bengaluru on Sunday morning. The incident took place at around 4:45 am when an Alto car passing in front of a Maruti van, which was being driven by the deceased, did not provide a way to overtake. Naik overtook the vehicle with difficulty, stopped the vehicle, and then scolded the Alto driver for his erratic driving. Enraged by this, the four individuals in the car assaulted him with iron rods and fled the scene, he said. Naveens friend Chennakeshava, who was travelling in the car, fled the scene when the miscreants attempted to attack him, he added. After being informed about the incident, Hoskote deputy superintendent of police P Shankar Gowda Anna Saheb Patil went to the spot to conduct an inspection. A case has been registered under IPC section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) and are investigating to trace the accused. Initial investigations suggest that the accused are from Kolar district, and through scientific evidence, we will nab them soon, Manjunath added. Mumbai, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar should be stopped from taking oath as the Lok Sabha member, amid a controversy after he won the Mumbai North West seat by a thin margin of 48 votes. Waikar should be stopped from taking oath as LS member: Raut amid row over poll result The Vanrai police in Mumbai have registered a case against Waikar's brother-in-law for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced. Speaking to reporters here, Raut said, "Waikar's electoral victory is under suspicion, and a complaint has already been filed at the Vanrai police station in Mumbai. Due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the poll outcome, Waikar should be prevented from taking oath as a member of the Lok Sabha." "It would be a true display of democracy if he is stopped from being a Lok Sabha member until the investigation is concluded," he added. Waikar, candidate of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, defeated Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray by 48 votes on June 4. Raut, without taking any name, claimed a relative of Waikar made frequent visits to the Vanrai police station before the counting day and sought to know the purpose of it. "Why did he go there? Was he trying to broker some deal? The details should be revealed, or else I will expose them," the Rajya Sabha member said. Raut also targeted the state government over the case of a relative of Waikar allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre. "Forensic labs in the state are part of the home department, headed by BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. If blood samples of the Pune Porsche car accident can be tampered with, one can imagine what could happen to a phone and its data in police custody," he said. A fresh political slugfest erupted on Sunday over EVM tampering claims with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders citing a media report that alleged that a relative of Waikar was found using a mobile phone "connected" to an electronic voting machine during the counting of votes on June 4. However, Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of the constituency, dismissed the report as "false news" and asserted that the EVM is a standalone system, not programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities. The BJP hit out at the opposition leaders over the issue and demanded that the Election Commission should prosecute all those who "amplified the lie" by sharing the news report. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. People gather at the site after a goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express travelling from Silchar, Assam to Sealdah, West Bengal from behind, in Darjeeling on Monday. Kanchanjunga Express Accident Highlights: At least 9 passengers died, and 41 others were injured after three rear coaches of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed on Monday morning after a goods train collided with it from the rear in West Bengals Darjeeling district. Officials fear that the toll could rise as multiple agencies of the state and Centre work to rescue passengers who could still be trapped inside. Visuals from the site showed one of the bogies suspended in mid-air....Read More The accident occurred at around 8:30am and took place some 11 km from New Jalpaiguri station in north Bengal, one of the largest and busiest stations in the Northeast Frontier Railway zone in eastern and northeastern India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a compensation of 10 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased 2.5 lakh towards grievous and 50,000 for minor injuries. Also Read | Bengal train accident: Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi govt, says direct result of Railway officials said that a preliminary probe indicated that the loco pilot of the goods train disregarded the signal, which led to the mishap. The loco pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train are among those killed in the accident. Meanwhile, a total of 19 trains have been cancelled so far on the New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Junction, Bagdogra and Aluabari Road routes in the wake of the major train accident. The accident blocked both Up and Down lines and halted train movements in the area, affecting long-distance train services from north Bengal and the northeastern part of the country. The suspense over two high-profile Lok Sabha seats ended on Monday after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Rahul Gandhi will retain the family bastion of Raebareli while his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, will make her electoral debut from Wayanad. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during a press conference, in New Delhi on Monday. Rahul Gandhi retains his Rae Bareli seat while his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contests from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. India allows people to contest from two constituencies but they can only represent one in parliament. Rahul Gandhi had to vacate one of the seats won by him within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4. "Party has decided that Rahul Gandhi should retain Rae Bareli seat since Rae Bareli has been close to him from before, that (area) has great attachment to the family, they have been fighting (in elections) from there for generations. Party feels it would be in the betterment of the party if he retains Rae Bareli," Kharge reporters on Monday evening. "He also received love and affection from people of Wayanad. They also want Rahul ji should keep Wayanad. But the law doesn't allow it. So, after a lot of thinking, we have decided that Priyanka Gandhi should contest from Wayanad," the Congress chief added. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not contested elections herself before but has been a formidable campaigner for her brother, mother, and other party members over the years. If elected, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will join her brother Rahul and mother Sonia Gandhi in Parliament, marking the first time all three members of the Gandhi family will serve simultaneously. Read: BJP labels Congress as 'family business' after Priyanka Gandhi's Wayanad move Priyanka Gandhi said she will not let the people of Wayanad feel Rahul's absence. "I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I'll say is that I won't let them feel his absence. As he said he will come many times with me. But I will work as hard and I will try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative. "I have a good relation with Rae Bareli as I have worked there for 20 years and that relation will never break," Priyanka Gandhi said in her brief remarks. Asked if she was nervous as she would be making her electoral debut in Wayanad, she said, "Not at all, I'm not nervous at all." The ongoing controversy around the revised NCERT textbooks escalated on Monday as noted academics Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar threatened legal action against the council for allegedly publishing the new textbooks under their names without consent. Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar has written to the NCERT threatening legal action. Yadav and Palshikar has written to the NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, vehemently objecting to the latest revisions in the textbooks. They said NCERT has no moral and legal right to distort textbooks and publish them under their names despite their explicit refusal. Read: NCERT functioning as an RSS affiliate since 2014: Jairam Ramesh The revised textbooks, now available in the market, reportedly minimise references to the BJP's 'rath yatra' and the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, while focusing prominently on the Supreme Court's decision to allow the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, does not mention the Babri masjid, but refers to it as a "three-domed structure". It has pruned the Ayodhya section from four to two pages and deleted details from the earlier version. The revised version of the textbooks still identify Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palashikar as chief advisors. In the e-mail to Saklani, the duo referred to their last year's communication where they had categorically asked to "give effect to this request immediately and ensure that our names are not used in the soft copies of the textbooks available at NCERT website as also in the subsequent print editions." "The NCERT did not act upon our request, nor did it have the courtesy to write back to us. We are shocked to discover that more than a year after our original request, the NCERT has gone ahead to publish and distribute the new edition of these six textbooks without removing our names from the publications that we do not wish to be associated wit," they said. "Besides the earlier practice of selective deletions, the NCERT has resorted to significant additions and rewriting that are out of sync with the spirit of the original textbooks the NCERT has no moral or legal right to distort these textbooks without consulting any of us and yet publish these under our names despite our explicit refusal," the letter said. "There can be arguments and debates about someones claims to authorship of any given work. But it is bizarre that authors and editors are forced to associate their names with a work they no longer identify as their own," it added. In response to mounting criticism, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani defended the revisions, asserting that the changes were part of routine updates aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He dismissed allegations of saffronisation, arguing that the adjustments aimed to foster a positive educational environment and prevent the propagation of potentially divisive historical narratives. Read: Ayodhya Ram temple chief priest flays NCERT over revised textbook, says Asked about references to Gujarat riots or Babri masjid demolition being tweaked in NCERT textbooks, Saklani said, "Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens not violent and depressed individuals". "Should we teach our students in a manner that they become offensive, create hatred in society or become victim of hatred? Is that education's purpose? Should we teach about riots to such young children ... when they grow up, they can learn about it but why school textbooks. Let them understand what happened and why it happened when they grow up. The hue and cry about the changes is irrelevant," he said. With PTI inputs Alia Bhatt made headlines on Sunday by adding another feather to her cap, turning writer with the release of her first book, "ED Finds A Home," at the Storyverse Children's Lit Fest in Mumbai. She was accompanied at the book launch by her mother, Soni Razdan, and her sister, Shaheen Bhatt. Alia is a total stunner and whenever she steps out, she makes sure to turn heads with her incredible fashion sense and undeniable beauty. Her latest outing was no exception as she dazzled in a bright yellow floral dress that epitomised summer chic. Florals are synonymous with summer fashion and Alia embraced this perfectly with her easy, breezy flared dress. Let's decode her stunning look and take some style notes from the diva. (Also read: Alia Bhatt exudes unmatched elegance and style in a stunning Sabyasachi pantsuit, sets new fashion standards. Check pics ) Alia Bhatt dazzles in a butter yellow floral dress at a book launch event, showcasing a perfect blend of style and comfort. (HT photo/VarinderChawla) Alia Bhatt stuns in yellow floral dress As soon as Alia's pictures and videos from the event went viral on social media, her fans couldn't keep calm and flooded her posts with tons of likes and comments. With every look, Alia provides a treasure trove of fashion inspiration for all her followers. Her latest ensemble showcases the perfect blend of style and comfort while exuding feminine, floral and vintage vibes, making it a must-have for your summer wardrobe. Let's take a moment to admire her beauty! Her outfit comes in an enchanting shade of butter yellow and features slender straps, pockets for an ultra-versatile feel, a boned bodice to cinch the waist, and a beautifully flared maxi hemline. The vibrant floral print in pastel hues adorning her dress embraces perfect summer/spring fashion vibes, making her outfit a true work of art. If you loved Alia's look and are wondering about the cost, don't worrywe've got the details for you. Her outfit is from the brand House of CB and is named Lolita. Incorporating it into your wardrobe will cost you 169, which is equivalent to 17,901. Alia's floral outfit is from the brand House of CB and accompanied by a price tag of 17,901. In terms of accessories, Alia kept it minimal to let her outfit shine, styling her look with just a pair of stud earrings and white strappy heels. Her soft, dewy makeup featured nude eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, mascara-coated lashes, defined brows, blushed cheeks, glowing highlighter, and a shade of nude lipstick. With her luscious, shoulder-length tresses styled into soft curls and left open in a middle partition, she finished off her breathtaking look. Meanwhile, on the work front, Alia Bhatt has finished filming her upcoming movie, "Jigra." Additionally, in January, Sanjay Leela Bhansali surprised his fans by announcing his next film, "Love and War," which will star Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt. International Picnic Day 2024: Life may not be a picnic every day, but on International Picnic Day, it can be. Picnics are a great way to unwind from a busy schedule and take off with our loved ones. Picnics refer to the practice of packing food, visiting the outdoors during pleasant weather, and having food with family and friends. When we think of our childhood, the best memories are from the days when we took off to the nearest park with our picnic baskets, games, and our parents. Picnics are a great way to connect with our loved ones and catch up with old friends. Every year, International Picnic Day is observed with the intention of urging people to reconnect with nature, themselves, and their near and dear ones. As we gear up to celebrate the special day, here are a few things that we should keep in mind. International Picnic Day will be celebrated on June 18.(Unsplash) ALSO READ: 10 picnic photoshoot ideas to celebrate International Picnic Day and socialise the idle way International Picnic Day 2024: Date Every year, International Picnic Day is celebrated on June 18. This year, International Picnic Day falls on Tuesday. International Picnic Day 2024: History After the French Revolution in the mid-1800s, people visited parks and open areas with their loved ones to have a meal in the outdoors. The practice became specifically common since during the French Revolution, people were not allowed to visit the outdoors for family activities. The word picnic is believed to have originated from the French word - pique-nique. Soon, picnics became a popular activity throughout the world. In the year 2009, the largest picnic was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The picnic took place in Lisbon, Portugal with more than 20,000 people. International Picnic Day 2024: Significance A picnic with our loved ones can help us unwind and alleviate stress and anxiety. It also helps us to feel rejuvenated. The best way to celebrate International Picnic Day is by planning an impromptu picnic and surprising our family and friends. There are two dishes, both created at the end of the 1970s and now regarded as classics, that have always seemed to me to be brothers from different fathers. Both are side dishes; never the main courses in a meal. And yet they are more famous and ordered more often than many main courses. Both are refinements of traditional dishes. But the refining has been so successful that it has changed the way everyone cooks these dishes. And both, though ostensibly, non-dairy are actually in thrall to milk and its fattier derivatives. Indeed, both dishes will give nightmares to heart surgeons. Two iconic dishes, Joel Robuchon's pomme puree from France and India's dal Bukhara, revolutionised traditional recipes in the late 1970s. Those are the similarities. These are the differences: One was created in France, the other in India. One was created by a man whom many regard as the greatest chef of his time. The other emerged out of teamwork and experimentation so that no individual chef is associated with its creation. You have probably guessed what the dishes are: One is pomme puree or mashed potatoes, as re-invented by Joel Robuchon. And the other is our very own dal Bukhara. (Also read: The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: The stark reality behind India's expensive restaurants ) Lets take the mashed potato first. It is a traditional dish that has been around almost from the time that potatoes spread all over Europe after their journey from the Americas. French chefs like potatoes and there are several famous recipes: Pomme Parmentier named for the man who popularised potatoes in France; pomme dauphinoise, pommes souffle, pommes anna, pommes persillade, pomme de terre fondantes etc. By the 1970s, however, few chefs would even consider putting mashed potatoes on the menu of a fancy restaurant. Enter Joel Robuchon. Born into a working-class family (his father was a bricklayer) he became an accomplished and respected executive chef at hotels before opening his own restaurant Jamin in Paris which went on to win three Michelin stars. By the time he opened Jamin, in 1981, Robuchon had already perfected his mashed potatoes. People say that he broke with the snob orthodoxy and put mashed potatoes on his menu because they reminded him of his own simple background; Robuchon himself often talked about remembering his grandmothers mash. Whatever the reason, he re-invented the dish using just four ingredients. He used ratte potatoes (a small, French variety) lots of butter (one pound of butter for two pounds of potatoes), some milk (a quarter cup for two pounds of potatoes) and salt to taste. Like many great French specialties, the point of the dish was how simple ingredients were transformed by the technique. Robuchon boiled the peeled potatoes and then pressed them through a food mill again and again. They were then cooked over a low flame to dry them out. As they cooked, Robuchon added the butter slowly, but only after he thought the potatoes had lost enough of their moisture. He then added hot milk. As with all French haute cuisine recipes, there was a lot of sieving to ensure that the texture was smooth and silky. But the point of the technique was to enhance the taste. Robuchon preserved the original potato flavour but he added enough dairy fat to make the potatoes velvety and rich. The dish became so popular that a whole generation of European chefs started following Robuchons recipe. Now chefs no longer even feel the need to credit Robuchon with the recipe. Nobody could have predicted in 1981 that Robuchon would go on to front a restaurant empire, with outposts around the world. At his peak (in 2016) Robuchons restaurants had, between them, 31 Michelin stars, a record that is still to be broken. Robuchon died of cancer in 2018 but the restaurant empire is intact. And all of his restaurants serve mashed potatoes. Robuchon did not shy away from using luxury ingredients (his other classics include quail with foie gras and a black truffle tart) but the potatoes will remain his most enduring legacy. Dal Bukhara is also a fresh take on a traditional dish and in its own way, possibly even more important and more popular than Robuchons mashed potatoes. The idea of a black dal is not new. Punjabis in Peshawar have made a black dal with urad for centuries. But, unlike the dal we now get at restaurants, that dal had no tomatoes: After all, tomatoes are not a traditional Punjabi ingredient. If cooks needed to add sourness they used yoghurt. The first people who found fame by adding tomatoes to the traditional Punjabi dal were the founders of Moti Mahal. The original Moti Mahal in Peshawar had no tomatoes in any of the dishes. But the post-Partition Delhi version was distinguished by its use of tomatoes. Why did they use tomatoes? Hard to say. But Monish Gujral, the grandson of Kundan Lal Gujral who was one of the founders of the Delhi Moti Mahal, says that after the success of its butter chicken, which used tomatoes, Moti Mahal looked to infuse the same flavour in other dishes. (Even the name suggests this--chicken makhani and dal makhani.) For whatever reason, the dal was an instant hit and today, rare is the restaurant that serves a black dal without tomatoes. By the time Bukhara opened in 1978, the Moti Mahal-style black dal was well-established. So, what did Bukhara do? Well, basically it Robuchonised the dish, doing to it what the great chef had done to mashed potatoes. First of all, it simplified the recipes. At many restaurants black dal is 50% urad but also 50% other dals and rajma. Bukhara went back to the Peshawar tradition of using only urad dal. The reason most other restaurants did not only use urad was because a pure urad dal is not as thick as dals made with other lentils. Bukharas solution was Robuchon-like: Refine the technique. It took to slow cooking the dal, usually leaving it overnight to simmer over 12 hours over a low flame. The slow cooking gave urad dal the viscosity that other methods could not. Bukhara can continue to do this because it is among Indias most expensive restaurants. It buys the best quality urad dal and when there are variations in the taste of the water that goes into the dal, it uses mineral water. (This is also true of its sister chain of Peshawari restaurants all over India.) And then there is the dairy factor. Like Robuchons mashed potato, the Bukhara dal used much more butter than was normal. Like Robuchons mashed potato, it is partly a dairy product. Manish Mehrotra who does his own tribute to dal Bukhara at Indian Accent actually calls it dairy dal on the menu! So popular is dal Bukhara that every other North Indian restaurant offers its own version. But very few get the ingredients right (just dal and butter) and hardly anyone has the patience to follow a technique that takes simmering all night. Robuchons mashed potato has outlasted the chef himself. And dal Bukhara has outlasted the team that created it. Because true classics go on forever. To Indias neighbourhood, the 2024 election results offer an opportunity for a fine balancing act. The giant next door is seen (and celebrated) again as a self-correcting democracy and Narendra Modi is less of a political immortal. Self-profession of divinity in the leader of the regions hegemon may have sounded discomfiting enough to voters at home. To smaller neighbours, it can sound ominous. Elections have turned the page. BJP now leans on coalition partners to stay in government. From the pre-election heavenly heights, we are now hopefully down to human business. A lot has been achieved by Modis government in the neighbourhood, and with Nepal, in the last 10 years. However, bilateral relations and regional projects need to be constantly cultivated and revisited for mutual benefits. Unsurprisingly, much of the early response in the civic space in Nepal has pointed at BJPs underwhelming performance but also celebrated the Indian electorate and, by extension, democracy. That its timely checks and balances on BJPs hubris and deeply polarizing politics. Its the first time since the party took office in 2014 that the BJP doesnt have an outright majority in Lok Sabha and it will need to work with coalition partners to stay in office. Hence the Modi 3.0 will remain more amenable to compromises, both within the ruling coalition and with the Opposition. That said, despite electoral setbacks, the new government substantively gives an air of continuity, which may not be bad for Indian diplomacy after all. Modi continues in office, which makes him the only second Indian prime minister to get three straight terms, a point that must not be missed for its massive significance and mandate. The third-term prime minister has decided to continue with most of his top Cabinet ministers and key officials. Amit Shah stayed put as Home minister, and so do Nirmala Sitharaman as Finance minister, Rajnath Singh as defence minister and, not least, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as the external affairs minister, the large public face of Modis diplomacy. So, the early message from the Modi 3.0 in the neighbourhood: Continuity is important; indeed vital. Second, like in 2014 and 2019, the new prime minister invited South Asian leaders for his swearing-in ceremony. Nepals Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda joined his counterparts from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan - Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sheikh Hasina, and Tshering Tobgay. Despite recent hiccups, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was also invited and seemed happy to be part of the neighbourhood soiree. So, the continued emphasis on neighbourhood first diplomacy. Third, Modis emphasis on personal diplomacy. In his 10 years in office, Modi has dealt with a wide range of regional actors, including Nepals prime ministers starting with Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala in 2014, followed by the Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist Chairman, or the CPN-UML, KP Oli, the Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. In Nepals ever-changing political landscape, the last three have had two stints at Singha Durbar, even as Modi enjoyed a firm grip over Indian politics for 10 long years. BJP leaders, especially Modi, Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, have in recent times also engaged with key leaders from the new Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth-largest party. Like many other major actors, Doval has also been appointed for a third term. Make no mistake: A large section of the Nepali population regards Modi with much fondness. When he first visited Kathmandu in 2014 as prime minister, he became the first Indian head of government to do so in 17 years. In all, he has visited Nepal five times - as many times as he has visited China and Russia, and only less than five countries - Germany (six times); France, Japan and UAE (all seven times); and the United States (eight times). In his nationally televised address to Parliament during the 2014 visit, he observed that Indian leaders in office had shied away from Nepal for far too long and such a thing wouldnt happen under his watch. He did keep his promise. In each of his visits and speeches in these visits, he emphasised the two countries and their peoples intimate civilizational and cultural ties. So, it would be safe to say Modi is personally invested in Nepals major political parties and the public. Having spent a substantial period of their lives as political exiles in India, Nepals last-generation of leaders such as former prime ministers Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Manmohan Adhikari - enjoyed close personal ties with Indian leaders, dating back to the Indian Independence Movement. However, the current corps of top Indian leaders is not well acquainted with Nepals key political actors except Modi. What Next? BJP didnt fare well in Nepals two major bordering states Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, though the NDA did remarkably well in Bihar (bordering Nepals central and eastern Terai) and Uttarakhand (to Nepals west) - where it swept all Lok Sabha seats. So, theres some talk here about whether the new coalition, with two key regional allies the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and Janata Dal (United) in Bihar will have any bearing on the Modi 3.0 diplomacy. There was a major political breakthrough last year in diversifying Nepals power market when Delhi agreed to import 10,000 MW from Nepal in the next 10 years. But it was also made clear that the exports have to come from the projects without any direct or indirect component of Chinese involvement. Irritants in bilateral ties First, the dispute over the northwestern Kalapani border area, which both claim as theirs. Second, Nepal has put on hold the recruitment of its citizens in the Indian Army after the Modi governments implementation of Agnipath in 2022. Nepalis have been an integral part of the Indian military since 1816 when the East India Company enlisted them after a peace deal. In 1947 a tripartite agreement between Nepal, India and Britain was signed, allowing Delhi and London to continue recruiting Nepalis in their military. But the agreement has hit a roadblock after the Indian government introduced Agnipath, a fixed four-year term for 75% of the soldiers while only 25% are retrained beyond that period. To both Delhi and its neighbours, the 2024 election results offer an opportunity to revisit the state of their ties. With the swearing-in done with and a new Cabinet already in office, the neighbours now have good reasons to closely follow the priorities of Modi 3.0. Akhilesh Upadhyay is former Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post and Senior Fellow with the Center for Strategic Affairs at IIDS, a Kathmandu-based think tank. Views expressed are personal On his month-long trip to India, German TikTok star Noel Robinson danced to numerous songs on streets, on trains, in the market, inside the stadium, and elsewhere across several Indian cities. He even performed the viral Gajgamini walk from Sanjay Leela Bhansalis debut web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, and Bibbojaan has approved it. German TikToker Noel Robinson performing viral Gajgamini walk by Aditi Rao Hydari in Netflix's Heeramandi. (Instagram/@netflix_in) The streets are saying they love this Gajgamini, wrote Netflix while sharing the video on Instagram. The video, which went viral with over 4.7 million views, shows Robinson performing the walk in a black hoodie and trousers as onlookers watch him. As the video goes on, a woman joins him for the viral Gajgamini walk. Watch the viral video here: Haha! This is so cute. Bibbojaan approves, wrote Aditi Rao Hydari in the comments. Heres how other Instagram users reacted to this dance video: Love this! wrote an individual. Another added, I have been waiting for this collab since forever. Oh, this is big! said a third. So sweet, joined a fourth. Earlier, a 54-year-old digital creator - Neeru Saini - aced the viral Gajgamini walk. Her video received over 14 million views and a plethora of comments, including one from Netflix. OBSESSED. 100. Neeru, tum bade WOW ho, the OTT platform wrote in the comments section of the viral video. Aditi Rao Hydari plays the role of Bibbojaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's OTT debut, Heeramandi. The series is set in pre-independence India and revolves around courtesans who wielded much power and influence during Indias freedom struggle. The Gajgamini walk is performed by courtesan Bibbojaan, essayed by Aditi Rao Hydari, in the series to entice one of her clients. Shloka Mehtas sister, designer Diya Mehta Jatia, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures showing Shloka at an event from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants second pre-wedding celebrations. The pictures show Shloka in a gorgeous blue-and-gold gown. The image shows Shloka Mehta in a gorgeous gown while attending an event at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants pre-wedding celebrations. (Instagram/dmjatia) Unmasking Shloka Mentas inner princess! The fit, the vibe, and the night was 100, Diya Mehta Jatia wrote as she shared the photos. The first picture shows Shloka Mehta in her glamorous outfit while standing on a balcony against the backdrop of the city. The second photo captures her while holding her mask. According to Vogue, the Ambanis held a masquerade ball at Chateau de la Croix des Gardes in Cannes for their 1200-person guest list during the second day of the pre-wedding cruise for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. In her post, Diya Mehta Jatia also shared a video showing the sketch of the designer gown Shloka wore. Take a look at the entire share here: The post was shared less than an hour ago. Since then, it has accumulated more than 2,700 likes, and the numbers are only increasing. The share has further collected several comments. What are your thoughts on the post? Sonam Kapoor's sister and stylist, Rhea Kapoor, commented on the post and wrote, "The best girls! So good! An individual reacted to the share and added, She is looking so beautiful. A third posted, Best. She looks absolutely beautiful. Some reacted to the post using heart emoticons. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant hosted a four-day pre-wedding cruise for their 1200-person guest list. The celebrations were attended not only by their friends and families but also by employees of Reliance Industries, Encore Healthcare, and Vanatra. What are your thoughts on the post shared by Diya Mehta Jatia on Instagram about Shloka Mehta? A passenger plan from Queenstown to Melbourne has safely made an emergency landing in Invercargill, New Zealand after one of it's engines caught on fire, according to the New Zealand fire service. Representative image: Engine catches fire midflight, Australia bound plane lands safely in New Zealand (AP Photo/Frederic Scheiber, File)(AP) News agency PTI reported that the Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 plane was forced to make a diversion when a fire shut down an engine mid-air. Announcement of the diversion and safe landing were made through the Queenstown Airport's X account as well. Read more: 2 more Boeing whistleblowers go public, exposing big secret over plane safety: Ticking Time Bomb According to a PTI report, Lynn Crosson, shift supervisor for Fire and Emergency New Zealand said that the fire trucks met the plane as it arrived in Invercargill about 50 minutes after takeoff from Queenstown. A spokesperson for Queenstown Airport, Catherine Nind, said that the cause of the engine fire and the number of passengers on board the plane were not immediately known. Read more: Tang Clan's 'very special' album played at Australian museum Virgin Australia said in an emailed statement that the incident may have been caused by a possible bird strike. Users on X who were supposedly aboard the flight have also stated that the plane faced bird strikes soon after it took flight. According to a study by the University of Nebraska, bird strikes cause 1.2 billion dollars of damage to the commercial aviation industry, due to diversions and accidents caused by them. Read more: Unclean worn off seats, bad food, delay: Investor says his trip with Air India was a horror story According to the New Zealand Herald, there were witnesses to the engine catching fire, and loud bangs could be heard after the plane took off. BEIJING, - A Philippine supply ship dangerously approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision after it illegally intruded into waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, the Chinese coast guard said on Monday, a claim which Manila's military said was "deceptive and misleading". A Philippines supply boat, center, sails near a Chinese coast guard ship, top, and a Chinese militia vessel off Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea. (File)(AP) The Philippine transport and replenishment ship ignored China's repeated solemn warnings, the coast guard said in a statement. The guard said the vessel deliberately and dangerously approached the Chinese ship in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. The statement made no mention of injuries or damage to either vessel. "We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard ," Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine armed forces' public affairs office, told reporters, adding they would not discuss operational details of resupply missions. "The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region." The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone , the military said. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the agency was not in a position to provide any details as it was not a coast guard operation. For months, China and the Philippines have traded accusations over dangerous maneuvers and collisions at the Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll in the Philippines' EEZ. Several incidents have happened when the Philippines deploys resupply missions for Filipino soldiers living aboard an aging warship there deliberately run aground to protect Manila's maritime claims. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. China had previously warned the Philippines about intruding into its territorial waters and the country has issued new rules, which went into effect on June 15, that would enforce a 2021 law allowing its coastguard to use lethal force against foreign ships in waters that it claims. The new rules allows China's coastguard to detain suspected trespassers without trial for 60 days. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Beijing/Manila, The China-Philippines confrontation to assert their claims in the disputed South China Sea took a violent turn on Monday as their naval ships collided in the first such incident after Beijing issued new rules to act against foreign vessels and detain foreigners suspected of violating regulations in the Chinese waters. China, Philippine naval ships collide in South China Sea as Beijing begins to enforce new law to act against foreign vessels China claims most of the South China Sea , which is hotly disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan. A Philippines ship and a Chinese vessel collided after the former illegally entered the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal and dangerously approached the Chinese ship, China Coast Guard said. The navies and the coast guards of the two countries were having face-offs in the last few months as the Philippines made a strong bid to assert its claims over the Second Thomas Shoal in the SCS claimed by China. China alleges that the Philippines deliberately ran a naval ship aground in 1999 at the Second Thomas Shoal, which it calls Renai Jiao, and converted the damaged ship into a permanent installation manned by naval personnel. According to the CCG, the Chinese vessel collided with the Philippines ship on Monday morning in a bid to prevent it from delivering construction materials. The CCG statement said its vessel has taken regulatory measures to respond to an illegal intrusion by a Philippine vessel into waters near Ren'ai Jiao on Monday morning. A Philippine supply vessel, in disregard of repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately and dangerously approached Chinese vessels navigating normally in adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao, it said. This violated the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea. The act led to a slight collision, for which the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippine side, the statement added. However, the statement did not mention any damage or injuries on either side. Also, the Chinese Navy has for the first time deployed an amphibious assault ship in Nansha Islands in the SCS, a move experts said on Sunday is a preparation for any emergency response amid repeated provocations by the Philippines, the state-run Global Times reported. China's Type 075 landing helicopter dock, an amphibious assault ship, was spotted near Zhubi Jiao on Friday, marking its first deployment to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, the report said. Defending the CCGs action, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: China Coast Guard only took necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law, and the on-site operation was conducted in a professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful manner. He said a Philippine supply and replenishment ship and two speedboats had attempted to deliver materials, including construction supplies, to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines, backed by the US, is trying to assert its claims over the South China Sea based on a 2016 ruling by a tribunal of the UN Convention of Law of Seas endorsing its rights. China had boycotted the tribunal and rejected its findings. This is the first collision of ships after Beijing promulgated a new law on Saturday, authorising its coast guard to seize foreign ships that illegally enter China's territorial waters and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law empowers China's coast guard to fire upon foreign ships if necessary. At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have said they would not recognise the law, according to a report by news agency. Chinas new law says its Coast Guard will from Saturday be able to detain foreigners suspected of violating management of border entry and exit. A detention period of up to 60 days is allowed for complicated cases, and if the nationality and identity is unclear, the period of detention for examination will be counted from the day their identity is determined, the rules say. Media reports from Manila quoted the Armed Forces of the Philippines saying Chinas claims were deceptive and misleading. "The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights, it said. The armed forces said it would not comment on the operational details of the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission. The CCG in the past has been accused of ramming Philippine supply vessels and using water cannons against them, sometimes damaging the ship and injuring people on board. The Philippines, strongly backed by the US, has stepped up efforts to assert its claims in SCS, much to the chagrin of Beijing. Tensions have also been brewing at Sabina Shoal, known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, around 139 km west of Palawan, the westernmost island province of the Philippines, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The recently concluded G7 Summit in Italy criticised China saying that the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the SCS and the increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres and water cannons against Philippines vessels. Last week, the Philippines submitted a claim to a United Nations body for an extended continental shelf off the coast of western Palawan province in the SCS. This action challenges Chinas sweeping territorial claims in the region, according to the Post report. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state can secure exclusive rights to exploit resources in its continental shelf, which can extend up to 350 nautical miles, including the right to authorise and regulate drilling activities. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Stelios Misinas and Karolina Tagaris In a Greek jail, inmates find freedom in theatre KORYDALLOS PRISON, Greece - On a stifling summer evening, the actors took to the stage: a grassy courtyard enclosed by towering prison walls, topped with barbed wire and lit by a floodlight. The performers were inmates at Greece's maximum-security jail, and so was the audience. The play - ancient Greek tragedy 'Antigone', a story about free will, disobedience and authority - spoke to their hearts. For a short hour, they felt free. Dressed in cream-coloured costumes, the men, aged between 24 and 63, had been practicing for this moment for months. "Tomorrow is not a dead-end," they shouted in chorus as they took a bow, hand in hand, in the final act. For two dozen inmates, the theatre workshop at Korydallos prison, a sprawling complex in an impoverished part of Athens, had been a respite from the mundane and often gruelling routine of daily prison life and their crammed, rowdy cells. "You forget you're in prison," said 37-year-old Konstantinos Bougiotis, who played King Creon, the antagonist. "You stop being in this misery, looking only at bars and walls," he said. Every rehearsal was a taste of freedom, said another inmate, 54-year-old Dimitris Kavalos, who never imagined he could stand before his fellow inmates and read lines. "I felt freedom in my soul," Kavalos said. Around 250 inmates have taken part in the prison's workshop since it launched in 2016, and more than 1,800 have watched the shows. One man came back to take part in the performance despite being recently released so as not to disappoint the other inmates. For this year's play, director Aikaterini Papageorgiou said she was looking for something a person in confinement could identify with. In Antigone, the most political of plays written by Greek tragedian Sophocles around 441 BC, the titular character disobeys her uncle, King Creon, to bury her brother, while grappling with life's written and unwritten rules. Even the more sceptical among the inmates were forced to tackle life's big philosophical questions. "In real life too, we put on a show," Bougiotis said. "Life is theatre too." Papageorgiou said directing the group through the toughest period of their life was a huge source of hope. "For those of us who are not in this world, to see this fervour that their minds cannot be imprisoned even though their bodies are is very inspiring," she said. "It's very hopeful for humankind, for its strength... and for redemption." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. NATO's chief warned Monday that the Western alliance needs to impose costs on China over support for Russia, while saying that only a regular flow of weapons to Ukraine could end the war. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg(REUTERS) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was paying a visit to Washington to lay the groundwork for the 75th anniversary summit of NATO next month. The July gathering aims to send a decisive long-term message of support for Ukraine as President Joe Biden faces a tough reelection fight against Donald Trump, a skeptic of Western support for Kyiv. ALSO READ| 'Full of arrogance, prejudice and lies': China slams G7 statement on Ukraine war Speaking ahead of a meeting with Biden, Stoltenberg accused China of worsening the conflict through what US officials say is a major export push to rebuild Russia's defense industry. President Xi Jinping "has tried to create the impression that he is taking a back seat in this conflict, to avoid sanctions and keep trade flowing," Stoltenberg said at the Wilson Center. "But the reality is that China is fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, and at the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West," he said. "Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point -- and unless China changes course -- allies need to impose a cost. There should be consequences." China argues that it is not sending lethal assistance to either side -- unlike the United States and other Western nations. Beijing steered clear of a weekend summit in Switzerland promoted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that reaffirmed Kyiv's demands for Russia to leave Ukrainian territory for any peace. Russia has insisted that it is interested in talks, but has demanded Ukrainian forces to withdraw from territory seized by Moscow. Trump -- who in the past has voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin -- has boasted that he can quickly end the war, likely by pressing Ukraine to accept demands. In an unstated effort to "Trump-proof" future efforts, Stoltenberg wants the Washington summit both to put NATO in the lead of coordination on Ukraine and to set up a way for long-term military support. "The more credible our long-term support, the quicker Moscow will realize it cannot wait us out," he said. "It may seem like a paradox, but the path to peace is more weapons for Ukraine." The US Congress in April approved some $60 billion in new military funding for Ukraine but only after months of delay due to political fighting and opposition by some of Trump's Republican allies. Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of hatching a plot to kill Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, pled not guilty in a federal court in Manhattan on Monday over murder-for-hire conspiracy charges against him. He was accused of plotting to kill Pannun on the orders of the Indian government. According to US federal prosecutors, Nikhil Gupta was on a mission to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. (Reuters file photo) Gupta's lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe, while speaking to PTI ahead of Nikhil Gupta's arraignment in a federal court, said, This is a complex matter for both our countries. The lawyer further added, It is extremely important that we refrain from rushing to conclusions so early in the process. Background and details will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light. We will pursue his defence vigorously and ensure he receives full due process, regardless of outside pressures, he said. Gupta's attorney pointed the diplomatic relationship between India and the US could be tested after what comes out of the court findings. Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said in an X post that Nikhil Gupta was extradited to the US on Friday, June 14, in the Pannun murder plot case. He said, On the basis of my decision on (June 3), Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, who is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire with intent to cause death, was extradited to the US on Friday (June 14) for criminal prosecution. The accused is currently lodged in the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. It was earlier alleged by US prosecutors that Nikhil Gupta had hatched a plot to murder Pannun in the country, and was working on the directions of the Indian government. New Delhi, however, denied its involvement in the case and said that a high-level investigation will be launched into the allegations. The US earlier said that it was satisfied so far with India's moves to ensure accountability in the alleged plots, but added that many steps still needed to be taken. Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York. (With inputs from ANI, PTI) An Indian man suspected by the U.S. of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website and a source familiar with the matter. According to US federal prosecutors, Nikhil Gupta was on a mission to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (pictured). Also Read | Pannun case: Czech constitutional court says Indian suspect can be extradited to US Nikhil Gupta has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. resident who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. Gupta traveled to Prague from India last June and was arrested by Czech authorities. Last month, a Czech court rejected his petition to avoid being sent to the U.S., clearing the way for the Czech justice minister to extradite him. An inmate search by name on the Bureau of Prisons website showed on Sunday that Gupta, 52, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. A source familiar with the matter, who did not want to be identified, separately confirmed Gupta's extradition and his detention in Brooklyn. A U.S. Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. Gupta's U.S.-based lawyer, attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe, had no immediate comment. There was also no immediate comment from Czech authorities. The discovery of assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada has tested relations with India, seen by Western nations as a counter to China's rising global influence. India's government denies involvement in the plots. Canada said in September its intelligence agencies were pursuing allegations linking India's government to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 in Canada. In November, U.S. authorities said an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Pannun, who is a U.S. and Canadian citizen. Gupta is accused of involvement in that plot. Pannun told Reuters on Sunday that while the extradition was a welcome step, "Nikhil Gupta is just a foot soldier." He alleged that those who hired Gupta were senior members of the Indian government who act on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India's government has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. New Delhi has long complained about Sikh separatist groups outside India, viewing them as security threats. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. Last month, Washington said it was satisfied so far with India's moves to ensure accountability in the alleged plots, but added that many steps still needed to be taken. A royal expert has revealed that Prince Harry regrets not participating in the 2024 Trooping the Colour event. Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were snubbed from the event for the second time in a row. The annual military parade celebrates King Charles birthday. Prince Harry feels some regret over not being at 2024 Trooping the Colour, but Meghan Markle feels differently (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)(AP) I think when it comes to military matters Harry has always taken an interest, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun. I think that he does unquestionably view the way the break has occurred with the Royal Family. Which, as I say in my opinion, is the fault of the Sussexes. We know they wanted an apology from the Royal Family for the way they were treated when they were senior working members of it. They certainly wont get that. But I do think there will be a certain amount of regret, he added. Fitzwilliams noted that military has been a very important part of the Duke of Sussexs life, who completed two tours in Afghanistan. While one of the tours was from 2007 to 2008, the other was from 2012 to 2013. I would have thought it only natural that he would have had a feeling of some regret [not being at Trooping the Colour], Fitzwilliams said. I think Meghan would be indifferent Of Meghan, the royal commentator said, I think Meghan would be indifferent to a ceremony like Trooping the Colour quite frankly. I have no idea whether she would or wouldnt actually watch it, but I dont think it would mean a great deal to her, he added. If it had done, she would have managed to carve a position within the Royal Family where she could have been of use. The event in London was attended by Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis on Saturday, June 15. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in North Korea on Tuesday for a two-day visit, his first in 24 years, both countries announced. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (File photo) Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks focused on expanding military cooperation as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said Putin will pay a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kim's invitation. North Korean state media didnt immediately provide details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. Also read | Kanchanjunga Express accident LIVE updates The visit comes amid growing international concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putins war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kims nuclear weapons and missile program. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, their first since 2019. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would be in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Any weapons trade with North Korea would be a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia, a permanent U.N. Security Council member, previously endorsed. Andrei Lankov, an expert on North Korea at Kookmin University in Seoul, noted that in exchange for providing artillery munitions and short-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang hopes to get higher-end weapons from Moscow. Lankov noted that while Russia could be reluctant to share its state-of-the-art military technologies with North Korea, its eager to receive munitions from Pyongyang. There is never enough ammunition in a war, there is a great demand for them, Lankov told The Associated Press. Putin first visited Pyongyang in July 2000, months after his first election when he met with Kims father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country then. Moscow has said it highly appreciates Pyongyangs support for Russias military action in Ukraine and mentioned its close and fruitful cooperation at the United Nations and other international organizations. Also read | Seoul to suspend inter-Korean military deal with North over trash balloons Russia, together with China, have repeatedly blocked the U.S. and its partners attempts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its barrage of banned ballistic missile tests. In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates the sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. Earlier this year, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in September. Observers said the shipment violated a U.N. resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. Putin has continuously sought to rebuild ties with Pyongyang as part of his efforts to restore his countrys global clout and its Soviet-era alliances. Moscows ties with North Korea weakened after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Kim Jong Un first met with Putin in 2019 in Russias eastern port of Vladivostok. At least 14 Jordanian Hajj pilgrims have died and 17 others were missing during the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to the prevailing scorching heat and extreme heatwave conditions. The Jordan foreign ministry said that 14 Jordanian pilgrims died, and 17 others were missing during the Hajj pilgrimage. It stated that its nationals passed away "after suffering a stroke due to the extreme heat wave." Muslims perform the Eid al-Adha morning prayer around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.(AFP) In a statement, the Jordanian foreign ministry said it was coordinating with the Saudi authorities on procedures to bury or transport the bodies of those who passed away according to the wishes of their families. Hajj 2024: Date, 4 key aspects of history associated with Day of Arafah ahead of Eid-ul-Adha or Bakreid Additionally, the Iranian Red Crescent also confirmed the death of five Iranian pilgrims but did not specify how they died, reported news agency AFP. However, Saudi authorities have not released any official statement regarding the fatalities yet. The temperature has breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) mark and were predicted to reach 47 degrees on Monday in the holy town. The Saudi authorities have set up many climate-controlled areas as part of heat mitigation measures. They also distribute water and offer advice to pilgrims on how to protect themselves from the sun. The Saudi health ministry also issued an advisory, asking pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the day's hottest hours. Hajj is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world. More than 1.8 million pilgrims are taking part this year, according to Saudi officials. Stampedes, tent fires, heat and other factors have caused hundreds of deaths at the event over the past 30 years. During last year's Hajj pilgrimage, at least 240 people, many from Indonesia, died, with various countries reporting the figures but not specifying causes of death. Over 2,000 people experienced heat stoke during the pilgrimage. This year's Hajj would end on Wednesday. PONTIAC, Mich. Two of the nine people wounded in a weekend shooting at a suburban Detroit splash pad remain hospitalized in critical condition Monday, including an 8-year-old boy who has made amazing progress despite being shot in the head, authorities said. Sheriff says 2 of 9 people wounded in Michigan shooting at splash pad remain in critical condition The child's 4-year-old brother was shot in the leg, and the boys mother was hit in the abdomen and leg during the random attack in Rochester Hills. It was one of at least four mass shootings in the U.S. on Saturday and early Sunday. Reeling would be an understatement, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said of the family. A family of four and three are in the hospital. Michael Nash, 42, fired as many as 36 times Saturday, stopping several times to reload, police said. He subsequently went home to Shelby Township, where he killed himself. Bouchard said a motive could be hard to pin down. Nash had no connection to the victims or the splash pad, a popular way for people, especially kids, to play in fountains and water sprays. It appears he had been musing about different things, saying Shut your phone off, were being watched, they are listening to us, the sheriff said, citing interviews with Nash's mother. Walking around the house with weapons ... and talking about how the government was tracking him. Clearly it appears to me, as a lay person, he's had some mental health things going on, Bouchard said. At this point we still have no information that was brought to anyone's attention. Nash's mother lived with him but was away from home when the shooting happened. Michigan has a new law that empowers a judge to take away someone's guns if a family member steps forward about possible threats to that person or others. The 9 mm Glock handgun used in the splash pad shooting was purchased legally by Nash in 2015, Bouchard said. Investigators found 11 more weapons at the home. Hes a loner. The blinds are always pulled over there, neighbor Kyleen Duchene told The Detroit News. Rochester Hills is about 15 miles south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old fatally shot four high school students. Elsewhere in the U.S. over the weekend, six people were shot in a residential neighborhood in Lathrup Village, another Detroit suburb. Seven people were shot at a party in Methuen, Massachusetts, and eight people were shot during a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, Texas. Two people were killed in that shooting. reporter Kathleen Foody in Chicago contributed to this story. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron, is currently exploring universities to attend. Having graduated from high school last month, Barron has been applying to various colleges and, according to his father, was accepted at all the institutions he applied to. In a recent Fox News interview, Trump stated that Barron's college search has been impacted by the recent pro-Palestinian protests and "rioting" occurring on campuses nationwide. Barron Trump, son of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, receives his diploma during his graduation ceremony at Oxbridge Academy, Friday, May 17, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)(AP) Is Barron Trump planning to attend UPenn? Barron, 18, was previously chosen by the Florida GOP to serve as a delegate at this summer's Republican National Convention, an offer he later declined. He often makes headlines due to his tall height and his resemblance to his mother, Melania. The only child of Donald and Melania Trump, Barron was a senior at Oxbridge Academy near West Palm Beach and recently graduated in the midst of his father's high-profile hush money trial. About a year ago, Donald Trump mentioned that his youngest son was considering the University of Pennsylvania, where he himself attended and studied at the Wharton School. Also read: US braces for wild weather week: Extreme heat in Midwest, Northeast to sudden snowfall and thunderstorms College decision altered by rioting Lately, numerous prestigious colleges in the United States, such as UPenn, Columbia, and NYU, have emerged as key locations for intense pro-Palestinian protests. Across the country, more than 130 educational institutions have seen thousands of students come together to protest the current situation in Gaza, arranging rallies and establishing temporary camps. Even with over 2,000 arrests, these protests continue as colleges prepare for their upcoming graduation ceremonies. During his interview with FOX, the Republican party' presumptive nominee said, his son's choice of college destination was changed due to "rioting." Its is yet to be seen where he goes. Also read: Meghan Markles business move has nothing to do with Kates return as she has no control over UPenn plans to tackle campus protests On June 6, the University of Pennsylvania introduced new, stringent guidelines for campus events and demonstrations. The "temporary standards and procedures" policy specifies that encampments and overnight demonstrations are not permitted in any University location, regardless of space (indoor or outdoor). Unauthorised overnight activities will be considered trespassing and addressed. With the updated regulations, the university has the authority to request identification from individuals at gatherings or demonstrations to verify their affiliation with the university. Should they not be Penn students, these non-students may face more restrictions in their freedom of expression on campus compared to Penn students. Donald Trump's alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein have once again come under scrutiny. Recently, Donald Trump Jr. asserted that his father is not associated with Epstein's infamous list of contacts. Flight logs indicate that Trump had flown on Epstein's jets, and his name appeared in documents unsealed in a now-settled case Epstein, who faced charges in 2019 for operating a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls, was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial. His girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in 2021 for her role in the abuse and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Donald Trump Jr. took to social media, writing: "You know who's not on the Epstein list? My father... because if he was, it would have leaked in about half a second!!!! That's a fact!" This statement comes amid ongoing speculation and past associations highlighted by a 2002 interview where Trump described Epstein as a terrific guy. Flight logs indicate that Trump had flown on Epstein's jets, and his name appeared in documents unsealed in a now-settled case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. These documents included emails and depositions, but being named in them does not imply guilt. "It didnt leak out. It was revealed in the court records during the Ghislaine Maxwell case that your father appeared in Epsteins flight logs AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES. You know who is not on the Epstein list? @JoeBiden. Thats a fact!" claimed Ana Navarro-Cardenas. Trump's distancing from Epstein became apparent following Epstein's arrest, stating they hadn't spoken in 15 years. However, previously unsealed documents showed that Epstein and his associates visited Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, though Trump has denied any wrongdoing. In response to the documents, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the allegations as baseless and without merit. This narrative continues to evolve as both legal and public opinions weigh the nature and implications of Trump's past associations with Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein allegedly told his brother Mark Epstein that if he revealed "what I know about both candidates" in 2016, the election would have had to be cancelled. In a bizarre twist that reads like a satirical headline, the NYC Registers office was recently duped into filing fake deeds that claimed Ivanka Trump and Hillary Clinton teamed up on a $150 million Manhattan real estate deal. Yes, you read that right the fierce political rivals were reportedly in cahoots to buy the worlds tallest duplex condo at Central Park Tower and some prime air and subterranean rights. Melania Trump (L) and Ivanka Trump look on as Republican presidential elect Donald Trump speaks during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on Wednesday. (AFP) The dubious documents suggest that Trump and Clinton, alongside a mysterious Louis Reyes, had bought the luxurious properties in New York. the assets include Sky House duplex a lavish 11,535 square-foot palace in the sky, boasting eight bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms, perched on the 127th and 128th floors of Central Park Tower. The asking price? A cool $150 million. However, this fantasy was short-lived. The New York Post flagged the absurd documents, leading to their removal from the public record. The deeds, which notably lacked the mandatory notary signatures, were somehow stamped as approved by city clerks on May 16. The comedic tragedy doesnt end there. The false records even stated that the supposed buyers were relatives or former relatives of an alleged seller named David Smith. Adding to the farce, the University Club was included in the transaction, perhaps a nod to Clintons infamous ejection from the club back in 1997 when her lunch companion, Cindy Adams, dared to use a cell phone. Despite the obvious red flags, including the missing notary stamp, the documents managed to slip through the cracks, showcasing a glaring vulnerability in the citys vetting process. The incident is particularly embarrassing given that authorities have been investigating roughly 3,500 fraudulent deeds in New York City over the past decade. Ryan Lavis, a spokesman for the city Department of Finance, confirmed the mistake to NY Post, This deed was filed in error and has been removed following a review. He assured that the City Register reviews all recordings for signs of deed fraud and makes referrals to appropriate authorities when necessary. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Clinton Foundation has responded to requests for comment, perhaps too bemused or bewildered by the ridiculousness of the situation. So, the next time you hear about Hillary Clinton and Ivanka Trump joining forces in real estate, remember this story a perfect blend of bureaucratic oversight and absurdity, all wrapped up in one New York-sized prank. President Joe Bidens reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trumps felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponents legal woes a bigger issue heading into November. US President Joe Biden (R) gestures as he arrives onstage with former US President Barack Obama during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)(AFP) The advertising push comes with Election Day still months away. But Biden's campaign says it wants to more clearly define the choice between the candidates ahead of the first debate between them in Atlanta on June 27. The ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters and a spot highlighting Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case. It will air on general market television and connected TV on streaming devices and cellphones in battleground states as well as on national cable. Besides Trump's criminal conviction, the ad, titled Character Matters, notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. Trump also faces felony charges in three other criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election. In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is, intones the ads narrator. It adds over images of a Trump mug shot and Biden high-fiving supporters, This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family. Biden also has frequently talked about Trumps 34 felony convictions while decrying the former president for claiming that the case against him was politically motivated. Biden argues that its reckless, its dangerous, its irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they dont like the verdict. Biden's son Hunter last week was convicted in Delaware of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, when, prosecutors argued, he lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. The president has said he would accept the outcome of the case and continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. A central part of Bidens reelection strategy is also highlighting Trumps policy proposals for a second term and firing up disaffected Democrats and independent voters. Still, the campaign producing an ad that leans heavily into Trump's conviction and including it in such a large advertising buy indicates a renewed effort to make Trumps legal problems an election issue in ways Bidens team previously resisted. "Its a stark contrast, and its one that matters deeply to the American people, Biden campaign spokesman Michael Taylor said in a statement. And its why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has argued, without evidence, that Biden or Justice Department officials orchestrated the New York case against him for political reasons. He and his allies also have raised the prospect of prosecuting political opponents in revenge if he returns to the White House. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the Biden administration had weaponized the justice system against President Trump" and that the contrast between her candidate and Biden "will be very clear on the debate stage. A couple who live in Rochester were shot a combined seven times while protecting their little daughters during the Michigan splash pad shooting. 42-year-old Michael William Nash opened fire at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, wounding nine people, before dying by suicide. Micayla and Eric Coughlin were shot a combined 7 times while protecting their 2 little daughters (GoFundMe) Micayla and Eric Coughlin were both injured, having been shot a combined seven times, while trying to protect their two-year-old and seven-month-old daughters. The shooting site, where the attack took place at around 5 pm on Saturday, June 15, is near their home. Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected A GoFundMe set up for the couple says they took their children to the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad to enjoy a day with beautiful weather when they came under the brutal attack. They each grabbed a child to protect them, and were shot and wounded. Shortly after grabbing ice cream they walked to the splash pad and were not even there for a minute when Micayla and Eric heard gunfire, the page states. In an effort to save their children, they each grabbed a child to protect them. The husband and wife are hospitalised and undergoing treatment at present. The fundraiser, set up by Micaylas friend Noel Wakula, has urged people to help the family with their medical bills. Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening, the page reads. Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy. Other victims of the tragedy included three members of the same family an eight-year-old boy, a four-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman. The oldest of the victims was a 78-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen. Nash reportedly suffered mental health issues. His motive is being investigated, but he reportedly had no connection to the victims, according to Detroit Free Press. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced on Sunday that she lost her father on Father's Day. Professor Ajit Singh Randhawa passed away on June 16, as shared in a social media post. Haley fondly described him as the "smartest, sweetest, kindest," alongside a heartbreaking photo of her hugging her late father. Earlier in March, the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet announced her departure from the Republican presidential race wishing Donald Trump good luck. Former SC Governor Nikki Haley's father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, passed away on Father's Day. Nikki Haley announces fathers death "My heart is heavy knowing he is gone," Haley expressed on X (formerly Twitter.) "He taught his kids the importance of faith, hard work, and grace. He was an amazing husband of 64 years, a loving grandfather and great-grandfather, and the best father to his four children. He was such a blessing to all of us. Happy Fathers Day Dad. We will miss you dearly," she reflected on his career as a professor and a family man. Nikki Haley's father had previously been diagnosed with cancer. Both of Haley's parents, who were affluent natives of India, relocated to rural South Carolina in 1969. Also read: Barron Trump to attend University of Pennsylvania? Pro-Palestinian protests influence college choice Who was Prof Ajit Singh Randhawa? Upon immigrating to the US, Haley's father found a new career as a professor at Voorhees College. Her mother, Raj Kaur Randhawa, also entered the workforce, teaching sixth-grade social studies before venturing into entrepreneurship. Her gift shop eventually blossomed into a successful million-dollar fashion boutique. Throughout Haley's political path, her dad was always there to back her up. He was there too when her presidential bid kicked off in Charleston last year, a crucial point in her journey to the White House. In January, she paused her campaign and flew back to South Carolina to visit her father, who was battling cancer. Then, in March, she bid goodbye to her presidential bid. Also read: US braces for wild weather week: Extreme heat in Midwest, Northeast to sudden snowfall and thunderstorms The time has now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets, Haley said while announcing her withdrawal. It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the vote those in our party and beyond it, who did not support him. And I hope he does that, she added. Joe Biden's border policies are being questioned yet again after an illegal immigrant was charged in the murder of Maryland mother Rachel Morin. This comes months after Laken Rileys murder and the subsequent arrest of her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, also an illegal immigrant. Rachel Morin murder: Joe Biden blasted after illegal immigrant's arrest (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque, Harford County Sheriff's Office) Morin was raped and murdered by 23-year-old Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who is believed to have crossed into the United States illegally back in January 2023. The migrant from El Salvador allegedly committed at least one other homicide. He has connections to Salvadoran street gangs, and has a violent history. Martinez-Hernandez was in the US for six months before killing Morin. He has been booked on first-degree murder and first-degree rape charges. Breanna Morello, who hosts The Breanna Morello Show, shared the news in an X post, noting that Victor Martinez-Hernandez illegally crossed into the US in February 2023 after he vicously murdered another young woman. Another American was tragically killed because Biden refused to secure our border In the comment section of Morellos post, several users questioned the US immigration laws and blamed Joe Biden for his border policies, with one of them saying, Deport every last one of them. She should be alive today but our government is f**ing inept, one user said, while another wrote, Women should always train and carry in america now. The illegals have taken over. Joe Biden is responsible, one user said, referring to the presidents border policies. Another wrote, Biden has blood on his hands. Lot's of it. Another American was tragically killed because Biden refused to secure our border, one user wrote, while another said, Biden has blood on his hands. It's his policies that put all Americans at risk. May Rachel Morin 's Memory be a blessing and may her children find solice in her love for them. One user said, Just another open border day in America. This week's weather forecast across the US is shaping up to be a crazy one. While the public in the Southwest and Northeast might want to stock up on sunscreen and crank up the AC, those in the Rockies could be surprised by a touch of winter. Forecasters predict an unusually cold beginning in the Pacific Northwest as well. Temperatures are expected to rise in some areas, while others might see a dusting of snow all within the same week. A man with an umbrella walks under a snowfall in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Unusual cold weather arrived in Moscow and the temperature dropped to 2 C (35,6 F). The cold weather will continue in the coming days. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)(AP) Baking heat wave in US regions The Southwest's heatwave isn't showing any signs of cooling down! Following a harsh week in which Phoenix, Arizona, reached an unbearable 113 degrees, the heatwave is aiming for a fresh victim. For the East Coast, Midwest, and Great Lakes area the National Weather Service is predicting a rise in temperatures to the 90s at the start of the week, the misery lasting through next weekend. The Midwest, the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast this will be the first 90-degree temperatures a lot of these places have gotten so far this year, meteorologist Tom Kines told USA Today. Also read: Angelina Jolies daughter Vivienne shuts down 2024 Tony Awards after dumping Brad Pitts name: Watch Some of these areas will get temperatures up into the 90s and near 100. You throw in humidity, which makes it feel 9 or 10 degrees higher than that, and for a lot of people its not going to be the best of weeks, he added. Northern Rocky Mountains might receive snowfall June is surprising everyone with its unusual climate conditions. While the central and eastern parts of the US are basking (or perhaps burning) under a relentless sun, some high-altitude areas in the northern Rockies are set to embrace severe cold spells. Meteorologists are puzzled by the sudden drop in temperatures, which will see some regions getting unexpected snowfall in the coming days. Theyre going to see some nights coming down into the 20s and low 30s, and up in the northern Rockies theyll be getting some snow, Kines said. Following this, the temperatures will gradually climb back to a more seasonal range in the comfortable 60s and 70s. Also read: USA braces to roast in record heatwave, creative measures implemented to protect vulnerable populations Severe thunderstorms amid hot and cold fronts The unpredictable weather and disordered weather map suggest a high likelihood of severe thunderstorms forming amidst clashes between warm and cold fronts. Weather experts caution that these merging atmospheric conditions might lead to sudden flooding from eastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin, and powerful storms over eastern Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Moreover, a fresh wave of warm, moist air is anticipated to increase the danger of intense downpours and sudden flooding across the middle Gulf Coast from the evening of Sunday to the morning of Monday. The governor of the US state of Maryland issued a mass pardon of drug offenses on Monday, in a far-reaching move forgiving 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions across multiple decades. US governor pardons 175,000 marijuana convictions Democrat Wes Moore said his act "the most sweeping state-level pardon" in American history was aimed at addressing social and economic injustices disproportionately impacting tens of thousands of Black people. Moore, the eastern state's first Black governor, said he intended to right the "decades of harm" wrought by drug policy that had disproportionately targeted African Americans, depriving them of access to housing, education and employment. Nearly half of all state drug arrests during the early 2000s were for cannabis, he said, with Black Marylanders three times more likely to be detained over cannabis-related charges than white residents. And while the state's population of six million is 33 percent Black, more than 70 percent of Maryland's male incarcerated population is Black. "Today, we take a big step enacting the kinds of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and to help us to work together to build a brighter future," Moore said as he signed the pardons into law in a ceremony in state capital Annapolis. After a state-wide referendum, Maryland legalized cannabis for adults and retail sales of the drug in 2023. The governor said the pardons would extend to anyone with a misdemeanor conviction for possession of marijuana or paraphernalia. He added that the scope of the pardons affecting some 100,000 people amounted to a "sweeping and unapologetic" executive action by officials looking to erase criminal justice inequities as more states nationwide ease marijuana laws. Cannabis is a multibillion-dollar business in the United States, with more than half of states having legalized recreational and medicinal use, a liberalization overwhelmingly supported by Americans, according to polling. But it is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug the same level as heroin, ecstasy and LSD meaning it is deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. In 2022, Joe Biden became the first US president to initiate a federal review of marijuana policy to bring it more in line with public opinion. The president recently proposed downgrading marijuana to a Schedule III drug, putting it alongside substances like ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, considered to have a moderate to low likelihood of dependence. That wouldn't make it legal, but it could lead to fewer arrests at the federal level. The issue is seen as a potential vote winner for Biden as he faces Republican Donald Trump in a tough election rematch this November, especially among younger people that the Democratic incumbent is struggling to court. "The data shows the deeply rooted bias in drug-related arrests and sentencing. Cannabis convictions for hundreds of thousands of people here in Maryland were Scarlet Letters, modern day shackles," said Maryland's Attorney General Anthony Brown. "This morning, I can almost hear the clanging of those shackles falling to the floor," Brown said. The pardons will not result in anyone being released from jail, the governor's office said. The action was cheered by criminal justice reform activists including Jason Ortiz of the Last Prisoner Project, who recounted being arrested at 16 for cannabis possession. "I was thrown out of school, denied access to my high school education, ripped from my family and my friends, and had to endure two years of isolation for a simple cannabis possession charge," he said. "The Last Prisoner Project applauds Governor Moore and his administration's actions to rectify the historic racial disparities caused by cannabis prohibition... Today is literally the most powerful day in cannabis justice history for the entire nation. That's an incredible thing," Ortiz said. ft/bjt This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A migrant from El Salvador has been charged in the brutal rape and murder of Maryland mom Rachel Morin. 23-year-old Victor Martinez-Hernandez has been accused killing Morin on a Maryland hiking trail last year. Rachel Morins (L) killer Victor Martinez-Hernandez (R) is an illegal immigrant who murdered another woman (Harford County Sheriff's Office) Cops matched Martinez-Hernandezs DNA to the crime scene, following which he was tracked down in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday, June 14, according to Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, New York Post reported. Rachels murderer is no longer a free man and, hopefully, he will never have the opportunity to walk free again, Gahler said. Who is Victor Martinez-Hernandez? Police said that Martinez-Hernandez has connections to Salvadoran street gangs and has a violent history. In fact, he is believed to have committed at least one other murder. Victor Hernandez did not come to this country to make a better life for him or his family, he came here to escape the crimes he committed in El Salvador. He came here to murder Rachel and God-willing, no one else, Gahler said. But that should have never been allowed to happen. Martinez-Hernandez allegedly crossed into the United States illegally back in February 2023, after he killed another young woman. He was in the US for six months before attacking and killing Morin while she was walking alone on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air. "We all suspected that Rachel was not his first victim," Gahler said, according to Fox News. "It is my understanding that this suspect, this monster, fled to the United States illegally after committing the brutal murder of a young woman in El Salvador a month earlier, in January of 2023." Morins naked body had suffered very severe trauma, so much so that her family said it looked as though her head had been smashed in with a rock. About a month after Morin was murdered, Martinez-Hernandezs DNA was matched by officials to a sample found at the scene of a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles. "Once in our country, and likely emboldened by his anonymity, he brutally attacked a nine-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in March of 2023 in Los Angeles," Gahler said. "And as everyone I believe is aware, that was our first DNA match linking Rachel's case to the one in Los Angeles." Gahler said that they were able to identify the suspect only in May. After tracking down Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa two weeks back, an arrest warrant was finally executed on Friday, just before midnight. The suspect has now been taken into custody, and booked on first-degree murder and first-degree rape charges. A motive for the murder has not been revealed. Morins mother, Patricia Morin, thanked investigators for finally tracking down her daughters killer. At some of the points during this, I didnt think that we were ever going to have an answer and that it would be a cold case, Patricia said. At one point when things looked really bleak and hopeless, the lead detective told me, Patience will win in the end.' American citizens are not safe because of their failed immigration policies Gahler addressed the crisis at the Southern border, and directed his comments to the White House and to "both members of Congress." "We are 1800 miles of the southern border," Gahler said. "And American citizens are not safe because of their failed immigration policies." This is the second time in two years that an innocent Harford County woman has lost her life to a criminal in our country illegally," he added. "In both cases, they are suspects from El Salvador with ties to criminal gangs. This should not be happening." The Oakland County Sheriff's Office identified the gunman who shot and wounded nine people at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills as Michael William Nash. The 42-year-old allegedly fired 28 rounds, injuring nine people, including two children. He eventually killed himself during a police standoff on Saturday, June 15. Michigan splash pad shooter may have planned more attacks before killing himself (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP)(AFP) Detectives have said that Nashs motive is being investigated, and that he had no connection to the victims, according to Detroit Free Press. A weapon, a 9mm Glock, was found at the scene, with three magazines. Nash died by suicide after reportedly being "contained" at a Shelby Township home for a long time after the attack. Who was Michael William Nash? Police said that Nash had no criminal history. He lived with his mother and was believed to have been battling mental health issues. Police believe the suspect may have planned other attacks before killing himself. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that this shooting was likely not Nashs only target. Nash was eventually tracked down to the mobile home he shared with his mom, and was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound hours later. On the kitchen table lay an AR-style rifle. A third weapon, a pistol Nash used to shoot himself dead, was also recovered. "Because we had a quick containment on him, that if he had planned to do anything else, it wouldn't surprise me because having that on the kitchen table isn't an everyday activity," Bouchard said, according to Fox 2 Detroit. At the time of the incident, his mother was not home. The nature of Nashs mental health issues was not immediately known. Among the victims of the Michigan shooting was an eight-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was said to be in critical condition. Another four-year-old boy was shot, as was a 39-year-old woman. The three of them were members of the same family. A 78-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen was the oldest of the victims. A two-day global summit meeting in Switzerland ended Sunday with several key developing countries declining to sign a statement that denounced Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa weren't won over by Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy's appeal for support against Russia's two-year-plus war, Reuters reported. Thailand and the United Arab Emirates also didn't sign the statement, according to the Associated Press. Brazil attended the conference only as an "observer," and China which the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Friday accused of aiding Russia's war effort sat out the event. Russia wasn't invited and President Vladimir Putin last week said Russia wouldn't end its war unless Ukraine handed over four provinces that Moscow partially controls and claims to have annexed, according to Reuters. A total of 80 countries signed the statement, which called for the "territorial integrity and sovereignty" of Ukraine to "serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," AP reported. During a closing news conference, Swiss President Viola Amherd said that the result showed "what diplomacy can achieve," but also acknowledged that the "road ahead is long and challenging." Zelenskyy said he was holding talks with some unidentified countries to host a second summit but he didn't say when that would happen. The summit at the Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne resort concluded a day after former President Donald Trump publicly suggested that he would end U.S. aid to Ukraine if he beats President Joe Biden in November. During a Saturday campaign rally in Detroit, Trump said Zelenskyy's reliance on America "never ends" and mocked him as the "greatest salesman of all time," according to a video clip posted online by India's Free Press Journal. "He just left, four days ago, with 60 billion [dollars] and he gets home and he announces he needs another 60 billion," Trump said. "I will have that settled prior to taking the White House as president-elect. I will have that settled." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was outraged when he learned about the military's daily "pause" in operations along a road in southern Gaza to increase humanitarian relief efforts. "When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him," an Israeli official said Sunday, Reuters reported. Hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also said whoever came up with the idea was a "fool" who should be fired, according to Reuters. But Netanyahu was apparently placated when he was told Israeli troops would keep fighting in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where the Israel Defense Forces launched a ground operation against Hamas last month. The Israeli Defense Forces "makes it clear that there is no cessation of combat in the southern Gaza Strip, and the combat in Rafah continues," the military said in follow-up statement Sunday, according to the Jerusalem Post. The IDF also said there was "no change in the introduction of goods into the Gaza Strip," according to the Jerusalem Post. "The humanitarian corridor for goods will be open during the day in coordination with international organizations, for the transportation of humanitarian aid only," the statement added. The daily "tactical pause" began Saturday and continued Sunday, the newspaper reported. The IDF had said earlier that it would suspend military operations from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. along a 7 1/2 mile stretch of road from the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Israel to the European Hospital in Rafah. The move is intended to ease the delivery of humanitarian aid to beleaguered Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where only 22 trucks carrying emergency supplies from UNICEF were able to enter from May 6 to May 28, the United Nations said last week. An Ohio man is hospitalized after police say he stabbed a man who was at a high school graduation party over the weekend. The Medina Police Department says it happened just before 8 p.m. Friday at the Falling Oaks Pool. The party was going on in the clubhouse when a pedestrian passing by got into an altercation with some of the partygoers. A 36-year-old man from the party was stabbed and rushed to the Medina Hospital by the Medina Life Support Team. The victim's condition was not known. The suspect was gone from the scene but police found a knife. Police later determined the man wanted for the attack was Antonio Watkins of Medina. Police tracked him down at a home in Lakewood, Ohio. Watkins remained jailed on felonious assault charges. It was unclear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to require warning labels similar to those on alcohol and cigarettes for social media platforms because of the danger they pose to the mental health of children. "The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency and social media has emerged as an important contributor," Murthy warned in an op-ed in the New York Times Monday. Murthy cited research that revealed teens who spend three hours a day on social media double their risk of anxiety and depression. Teens last summer spent an average of 4.8 hours on social media, he noted. Murthy doesn't have the authority to require warning labels, but Congress does. "It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," Murthy wrote in his appeal to lawmakers. "A surgeon general's warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe," he emphasized. Murthy pointed out that tobacco studies found that warning labels can "increase awareness and change behavior." In the meantime, Murthy called on schools, parents and health care providers to help protect children from harmul social media exposure. He also urged legislation to shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation, and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content and to prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children. Problems with social media are "not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability," Murthy emphasized. "Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children's well-being is at stake," he wrote. A missing Dutch tourist was found dead early Saturday on the eastern island of Samos in the latest of several incidents involving tourists in the Greek islands, including deaths or disappearances as a heatwave continues in the region. The remains of the 74-year-old Dutch tourist were discovered by a Fire Service drone, according to the Independent. He was lying face down in a ravine approximately 300 yards from where he was last seen on Sunday, struggling to walk in the intense heat. Dr. Mosely, a well-known British TV anchor and author, was also found dead last Saturday on the island of Symi following a hike through rocky terrain. On Thursday, a 70-year-old American tourist was reported missing by his host, a Greek-American friend, on the small island of Mathraki in Greece's northwest extremity, according to the Associated Press. Another missing U.S. tourist was identified as as 59-year-old retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Albert Calibet of Hermosa Beach, California, ABC News reported. He reportedly went on a hike by himself in very hot conditions. Sikinos, a remote island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea with fewer than 400 permanent residents, reported two French tourists missing on Friday. Greece media was talking about the importance of alerting tourists about the risks of hiking in extreme heat. Temeratures reached 113 degrees last week. A Bronx car thief found an unexpected package inside the gold minivan he stole: a six-month-old baby strapped in a car seat, who was found unharmed a short time later. Police reported that the thief hopped into the idling 2000 Chrysler minivan on Father's Day and sped off. Panicked family and police launched an intense search for the baby, with officers going door-to-door in the neighborhood. "Please be on the lookout. New York, we need your help," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry tweeted Sunday with photos of the baby boy. "I heard a lot of sirens, cops, a lot of screaming," area resident Lydia Monserrate told the New York Daily News. "There were helicopters, police was asking around." Two hours later, the baby was found safe and police arrested a suspect. UPDATE: Thanks to the publics assistance and the great work by the men and women of NYPD, the 6-month-old has been found safe and a suspect has been taken into custody. NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 16, 2024 It wasn't immediately clear who was in charge of the baby's care when the van was stolen, or why the van was idling in the street. "To leave the baby in the car with the doors open, you know we live in a crazy world just be more careful," said Monserrate. Monikki Williams Tippet, the mother of Texas Navy veteran Jarvis McIntyre, 26, is speaking out about her son's chilling phone call that was made before he was found dead in a park. The grieving mother told local media that San Antonio police revealed her son had called 911 as he was running from an alleged "racist." Tippet and her family believe her son was specifically targeted because he was Black and gay. "I want answers now. I want this person found," she said, adding that her son "didn't deserve this. They took my baby's life for no reason." He was last seen on June 8 near John James Park, where his rental car and belongings were found just a block away. McIntyre had flown to San Antonio from St. Louis to visit his sisters during the weekend of his birthday, according to The Daily Mail. Originally scheduled to return to St. Louis on June 9, Jarvis McIntyre's family-his mother, stepfather, brother, and aunt-flew to San Antonio on Wednesday to launch a search and distribute missing person posters. Tippet said she told the Bexar County Medical Examiner that the tattoos on the body that were discovered matched those of her son's. The medical examiner and authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the body or how the person died. A beloved Tongan athlete was killed in a fatal diving accident weeks away from his Olympic debut. JJ Rice, 18, died after diving off a boat into shallow water in Faleloa, Ha'apai, Saturday afternoon, Matangi Tonga Online and Sky News reported, citing JJ's father, Darren Rice. He was found unresponsive on the ocean floor beneath the boat. Divers' efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, according to the outlets. "I'm in shock. I still can't believe it, and it will take all of us who loved JJ so long to feel ok again," his sister, Lily Rice, wrote on Facebook, confirming his death over the weekend. "J was the most amazing, funny, unique person I've ever known, and I'm going to miss everything about him. He was so talented and was amazing at everything he tried. He was an amazing kite foiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal and an even bigger smile." "The last time I saw him he gave me a big hug and I wish I would've held on for longer," she added. JJ was expected to represent Tonga in kite foil racing a combination of sailing, wakeboarding, surfing, windsurfing and paragliding at the Paris Olympics in July. He was born in the U.S. but raised in Tonga since he was three. "I've lived in Tonga my whole life, I see myself as a Tongan, I don't see myself as anything else," he previously told local news. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member War Cabinet in the latest dramatic evidence of the struggle within his own government. The prime minister reportedly told Cabinet members that he will now hold sensitive consultations in a smaller handpicked "kitchen cabinet" in a process that will likely be less transparent than previous discussions. The move comes just over a week after one of Netanyahu's War Cabinet ministers, popular centrist Benny Gantz, resigned in protest over how Natanyahu is waging the war against Hamas. He accused Netanyahu of putting his political survival ahead of a rationale solution to the conflict that's best for Israel. The dissolution of the Cabinet also follows a clash between Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces over providing aid to besieged Gaza civilians. The IDF announced Sunday that military operations would be suspended daily along a road in southern Gaza to allow for increased delivery of humanitarian aid. Netanyahu was said to be angry about the "unacceptable" plan, and only agreed to it if attacks would continue unabated in Rafah. The latest move could be a sign of a government inching toward dissolution or a consolidation of power by Netanyahu to increasingly please his extremist supporters. The war, triggered by a Hamas assault in Israeli that killed 1,200 and kidnapped hundreds, has claimed 37,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza Helath Ministry. Netanyahu has successfully been "making political hay" with his supporters from his conflict with President Joe Biden over Biden's calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, Paul Salem, the vice president for international engagement at the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank, told NBC News. He's "making out like he's standing up for what the Israelis want and refusing to succumb to pressure," Salem added. "That has helped him politically." Meanwhile, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed applications to obtain arrest warrants against Netanyahu, his defense minister and Hamas leaders on charges of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. While Black voters helped put Joe Biden in the White House the last time around, it doesn't look like they'll all do the same this year, according to a new USA Today Poll/Suffolk University poll. But they dislike Donald Trump far more, the poll found. There was more bad news for Trump in a Politico/Ipsos poll, which found that the negative impacts of the former president's conviction on 34 felonies in his hush-money criminal trial was beginning to emerge. Possibly the most threatening for the Trump campaign was that 21% of the critical block of independent voters surveyed said the conviction made them less likely to support Trump and that it would be an important factor in their vote. But many voters were skeptical that the trial and conviction were legitimate, the poll found, and public attitudes could possibly be further shaped throughout the campaign The USA Today/Suffolk University survey of Black voters in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan found that while support for Biden has slipped a bit, he is still the first or second choice of the majority of them, while most would not vote for Trump. A strong alternative first choice hasn't emerged; possibilites include independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, who is Black. The poll found Trump backed by about 15% of the Black vote in Michigan, and about 11% in Pennsylvania, compared to single digits in both states in the last election. But at this point it's not enough to put any significant dent in Biden's support by Black voters. The issue of Black voter support has been in the headlines lately as Donald Trump the man who wanted Army troops to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters "in the legs" when he was in the White House, according to his own Defense Secretary Mark Esper is now claiming he has done more for Blacks than any other president since Abraham Lincoln. His suporters have posted photos, some of them AI generated, of Black fans. And Trump visited a Black church in Detroit on Saturday. Critics, however, noted the vast majority of those attending the service were suddenly white. What do you notice about the audience during Trump's visit today to a Black church in Detroit? pic.twitter.com/dXQkqc23mQ MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 15, 2024 These Blacks for Trump people look strange, but I can't white put my finger on it. pic.twitter.com/m9WSx0WHvB Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) June 16, 2024 The USA Today/Suffolk University surveys of 500 Black voters in each state were conducted by landline and cell phone from June 9 to 13. They have margins of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage point. The Politico/Ipsos poll interviewed 1,027 adults online from June 7-9. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. Over 120 people in Moscow have been hospitalized, with at least 30 of them in intensive care following a mass outbreak of a rare and extremely dangerous food poisoning in Moscow, health officials said Monday. The patients were admitted to the hospital with symptoms of foodborne botulism, a life-threatening condition that attacks the nervous system and can cause respiratory failure and paralysis, according to The Moscow Times. "In total, 121 people sought medical help," confirmed Moscow Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakov. "At the moment, 55 people are in serious condition, and 30 of them are in intensive care," she added. Shortly after the Moscow prosecutor's office announced it had launched a criminal investigation into a breach of consumer safety standards, police arrested three men connected to the case. Authorities believe the toxic outbreak came from salads distributed by a popular online delivery service known as Kuchnia Na Rayone. The company has allegedly identified a "potential risk incident" with a salad that used tinned beans and has temporarily suspended operations amid a criminal investigation. The World Health Organization states that foodborne botulism can be fatal without rapid treatment with antitoxins. Botulism, which does not pass between people, is an extremely rare condition, typically caused by improperly processed food. There were reportedly 82 confirmed cases of botulism across the European Economic Area in 2021. The new 191 premium room facility will arise from an extensive retro-fit and transformation of Hamilton's tallest building at 42-48 Ward Street - the current Mistry Centre, within the Centre Place shopping mall. Mistry Centre will ultimately comprise of two levels of underground parking, three levels of office and retail and 13 levels of hotel. Work is already underway on the $100m project, with the facility set for its grand opening in 2026. The owners/developers of this prominent development for Hamilton City are local businessmen, Sanjil Mistry and Pienaar Piso, from Mistry Centre Ltd. The hotel will be operated by the largest hotel operator in New Zealand, Accor, under its premium Pullman hotel brand. Pullman Hamilton will include underground car parking, restaurants and day spa facilities as well as a private rooftop VIP lounge. The Centre Place shopping precinct that the Mistry Centre and Pullman Hamilton is situated within is jointly owned/operated by Kiwi Property and Tainui Group Holdings, and both stakeholders are fully supportive of the new venture. Tainui Group Holdings CEO, Chris Joblin, said Hamilton's recently announced status as the fastest growing city in New Zealand was a positive signal for the development of another quality hotel in the city, and congratulated Accor on its appointment as hotel management operator. RIU Hotels & Resorts recently completed the refurbishment of the historic Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin. This majestic 4-star hotel offers the best of the Irish capital's tradition and history and now boasts a total of 404 fully refurbished rooms with modern, contemporary amenities. In addition to its totally refurbished rooms and suites, the historic six-storey establishment has eleven meeting and conference rooms, a fitness centre and the Writer's Lounge bar, as well as two restaurants: the Gallery, where breakfast is served; and Toddy's Restaurant, which is one of the hotel's best known spaces due to the local cuisine on offer and its excellent location in one of the most central areas of the city. The hotel is located on the famous O'Connell Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares. Thanks to its unbeatable location in the heart of Dublin, many of the Irish capital's landmarks are within walking distance, such as the River Liffey, which runs through the centre of the capital, as well as Croke Park, Dublin Castle, the iconic Temple Bar and the Henry Street shopping area. It is also 20 minutes from the airport and very close to the Convention Centre Dublin. Since the chain bought the establishment in September 2016, it has gradually increased the hotel's accommodation capacity and introduced a series of improvements and updates to provide more services, sophistication and elegance. This most recent refurbishment had the objective of renovating practically all of the hotel's rooms and adding 16 more, to make a grand total of 404 rooms. The Riu Plaza Gresham Dublin is the Majorcan chain's oldest property, an original 19th-century build dating back to 1817. Not only is it an extremely important establishment for RIU due to its unbeatable location, but the building also holds great significance for the citizens of Ireland, so much so that RIU decided to keep the name of the hotel when it bought the building out of respect for its long history and importance to both the city and its people. From an architectural point of view, The Gresham is a highly complex building with four wings that were built during different periods over its more than 200-year history, making it a real architectural gem. In addition, the iconic establishment now uses only green electrical energy, meaning that all electricity consumed in the hotel is certified as coming from renewable sources. This action stems from the Sustainable Energy Transition Plan as part of the Environment Pillar of RIU's Proudly Committed Sustainability Strategy, which aims to move towards a clean energy transition. The first hotel in the RIU Plaza city line opened in 2010 in Panama, and since then the hotel chain has continued to expand to the world's main capitals. The Majorcan chain currently has a total of ten hotels in this line: the Riu Plaza Panama, the Riu Plaza Guadalajara in Mexico; the Riu Plaza Espana, which is located in the famous Edificio Espana building; the Riu Plaza Miami Beach, Riu Plaza Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, Riu Plaza New York Times Square and Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square in the United States; the Riu Plaza Berlin, the Riu Plaza London Victoria and the recently refurbished Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin. Chicago and Toronto will be the next new destinations to welcome RIU's city hotels, and New York will see its third RIU Plaza establishment. Hotel website Recently named one of the country's best new hotels by USA Today 10Best, Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, California's only all-suite beachfront resort, is pleased to announce the appointment of General Manager Glenda Rivera. Bringing over 25 years of robust hospitality experience to her new leadership role, Rivera will serve as invaluable asset to the award-winning resort's continued success since its opening in fall 2022. Drawing on more two decades of industry experience, Rivera is responsible for the day-to-day operations and commercial strategies for Zachari Dunes. Prior to joining the team, Rivera dedicated 20 years to immersing herself in hospitality operations through any array of experiences across the Hilton portfolio that took her to properties in major tourism destinations such as San Juan, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Aruba and San Francisco. No stranger to the California market, Rivera served as General Manager for Embassy Suites Los Angeles where she spent nearly three years leading ongoing property transformations, refining culinary offerings, curating guest experiences and driving awareness in the local, regional and national markets. Rivera's deep connection to the California coast, combined with her extensive background with the Hilton brand, will allow for a seamless integration of her comprehensive operational expertise into the hidden gem destination of Oxnard. Rivera is committed to connecting the resort with the greater Oxnard community, creating a sense of place for local guests and travelers. Zachari Dunes features 250 spacious, multi-room suites, an expansive pool deck, refreshed public spaces, the signature restaurant Ox & Ocean, the locally inspired eatery and outdoor airstream cafe Sugar Beats, and 23,000 square-feet of meeting and event spaces set against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and the golden dunes on Mandalay Beach. In addition to being recognized as one of the country's best new hotels, USA Today 10Best also named neighboring 'Olol'koy Beach Park (formerly Oxnard Beach Park) in the number one spot of the outlet's coveted list of the best beaches in California to further position Zachari Dunes as an idyllic oceanfront escape. A staggering 97% of hotel guests have consulted guest reviews when looking to book a stay in a hotel or resort, according to a new report from Accor, a world leading hospitality group. The report, based on research1 carried out amongst 5,000 travellers across five European countries who stayed in a hotel or resort during the last 12 months, reveals that almost four in ten (38%) guests do so every time they book a stay, and a further 38% do so most of the time. According to the study, guest reviews and ratings are the second most important factor in the booking decision process, ranking just behind rooms and amenities, and surpassing criteria such as food and dining options, Wi-Fi/internet connection, and health and hygiene standards. Respondents across all five countries like to check in depth when reading reviews. On average, guests read nine reviews (8.63) for each hotel or resort theyre looking to stay at, with those in Poland reading the most (10.58). Cleanliness the most important factor The information respondents are most interested in before booking a stay is how clean a hotel or resort is. When asked to identify three areas they would most want to read about, 52% stated that cleanliness was the most important factor, followed by value for money (27%), bedrooms (26%), location (21%) and staff friendliness (19%). Reviews are more important for couples and families than solo travellers. Of those who read reviews, 85% of those looking to book a trip away with a partner believe customer reviews are important. Almost as many (82%) say reviews are important when booking a family holiday. Even when booking a solo trip, 66% said that reading reviews is a crucial part of the decision-making process, with 55% of business travellers in agreement. A majority of those reading reviews (63%) try to take a balanced approach, being sure to acknowledge both positive and negative reviews, with respondents in the UK being most likely to do so. More than two-thirds (67%) of people who read reviews will ignore those that are more than six months old, confirming the importance of recent reviews. Poles the most prolific review writers After staying at a hotel or resort, nearly six out of ten people (57%) say they write reviews themselves for at least half of their stays. 10% of those surveyed do so after every stay and another 30% do so most of the time. The report reveals that travellers from Poland are most likely to write reviews, with 95% having done so. They are followed by those from Spain (94%), Germany (85%), and France (84%), with UK guests (79%) being least likely to do so. Members of travel loyalty programmes are most likely to round off their stay at a hotel or resort with a review, with 94% writing them against 79% of non-members. According to the study, 71% of respondents appreciate hotels taking the time to respond to reviews, as it demonstrates that customer feedback is highly valued. This sentiment was strongest in Spain, with 78% of respondents agreeing, and lowest in the UK, with 59%. However, 12% expressed they were not in favour of hotels or resorts replying to customer reviews, stating that it can appear to be insincere or just a business requirement. Guest reviews are not just a reference point but a key decision-making tool for travellers, influencing buying decisions and perceptions of hotels, resorts and brands. Our guests pay close attention to each other, and hoteliers must pay close attention to them too as part of their marketing strategies. Reviews are people power in action and it is vital that those in the industry harness that power by taking them on board and continually improving for the benefit of our own businesses as well as our guests. Antoine Dubois, Senior Vice President, Sponsoring, Marketing, Loyalty & Guest Experience for Europe & North Africa To read the full report, go to www.accoreuropeantrends.com. About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,700 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Silvia de Candia Accor What first comes to mind when you mention accreditations to faculty, education specialists and university management? A huge amount of work? A necessary evil? Rigor? Regulatory requirement? Yes, thats generally the gist of it, but let me tell you it is rarely accompanied by celebratory dances and rejoicing. And yet, from where I stand, they are beautiful instruments of quality assurance and continuous improvement. Ok, I confess, I am an accreditation professional, so my perspective *might* be biased. Throughout my career in higher education, I have, however, seen the added value of accreditation and certification processes, beyond the necessary compliance aspects. I was reminded the other day that, in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, I moved from the Caribbean to work on the AACSB project, here at EHL Hospitality Business School. It sounds unreal, doesnt it? So why did I decide to embark on this journey? EHLs international renown and its reputation as the leading hospitality management school were the obvious attraction. In addition, the experienced critical evaluator in me couldnt help but notice that this reputation is not built on a chateau de cartes. The commitment to excellence and EHLs pursuit of the most stringent standards of education were the deciding factors. Four years on and several accreditations later, I belong to a professional team of higher education policy and quality assurance experts which supports the institution in accreditations, compliance and regulatory affairs. This team has grown with the evolution of EHL Hospitality Business School, which has been marked by significant milestones; each of them in parallel with prestigious labels of quality. There is, however, no sugar-coating it, accreditations are huge projects, first to obtain them but then to maintain them. Why would any university or school engage in complex accreditation processes? Why did EHL? In brief, recognition by accreditation agencies confers a crucial added value to EHL by firmly grounding its international leadership in hospitality education. Early on in its strategy definition, educational quality and accreditations held a prominent place because first and foremost, quality assurance supports the mission and vision of an innovative institution like EHL. It helps to shape its academic and professional core. Founded in 1893 as the world's first hotel management school, EHL became a University of Applied Sciences in 1998 through an association with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (HES-SO). Affiliation with HES-SO means that EHL benefits from institutional accreditation (delivered by the Swiss Council for Accreditation) and federal recognition of its degree-granting programs (Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science). So why the need to seek other accreditations? It is worth noting that our association with HES-SO precedes the creation of the Swiss Accreditation Council and the implementation of the European Credit Transfer System so in the 90s, EHL turned towards a mature complementary accreditation system internationally. Accreditation in higher education is an activity long accepted in the United States, but sometimes less known in countries where governmental supervision and control of educational institutions is prevalent. In its modern definition, it is voluntary and has two fundamental purposes: to assure the quality of the institution or program, and to assist in the improvement of the institution or program. Accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the oldest accreditation body founded in 1885, marked the beginning of EHLs internationalization journey in 1998. It allowed EHL to become known in regions of the globe where it wasnt yet known. EHL has since been home to students from across the world, 126 nationalities currently. This initial accreditation not only expanded EHL's global reach but also catalyzed significant internal changes. The added value is obvious. The 2013 and 2023 NECHE reaccreditations, for instance, introduced a new internal council system, laying the foundation for participative governance that continues to shape the institution today. It also prompted the establishment of a General Education (GE) framework, coinciding with the publication of the EHL Graduate Definition and resulting in the definition of learning goals. These goals were further refined into Global Learning Outcomes (GLOs) in 2019, forming the basis of EHL's competency-based framework. Becoming a member of AACSB International The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, in 2016 represented another major step in EHL's journey. AACSB is the worlds largest business education network connecting students, academia, and business to advance business education worldwide. Schools that have earned AACSB business accreditation demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development, and learner success. EHLs membership was followed by the publication of a new mission statement in 2017, which highlighted EHL's commitment to teaching and innovation in the hospitality and service industry. The articulation of applied research in its mission statement led to several organizational changes, including the implementation of a new faculty management system and the launch of research institutes. It is the confirmation of EHLs eligibility by AACSB in 2020, which firmed up the process towards AACSB accreditation. The basis for the preparation was the new AACSB 2020 Business Standards. EHLs MISSION - We bring together academia and hospitality to create the higher education of action-driven individuals and develop insightful thinking together with innovative practices in the international service industry. Why was this significant? This was significant for EHL because AACSB standards are principles-based rather than rules-based. The shift from a one size fits all model allowed the school to demonstrate its uniqueness. This is the kind of regulatory reporting I enjoy most, one where the institution can tell its story. Among traditional business schools, EHL is unique. Firstly, it is a hospitality business school. It teaches the process for making business decisions and for finding solutions to business problems, as well as providing a solid practical foundation in the hospitality sector. Secondly, it operates with an autonomous status and, thirdly, it possesses remarkable infrastructure, including a practical arts environment which enriches the learning experience. This includes the most beautiful classroom in the world: the Michelin-star restaurant Berceau des Sens. The subsequent acceptance into the initial accreditation process in 2021 demonstrated EHL's dedication to continuous improvement. In parallel, EHL opened its Singapore campus in 2021, subject to a rigorous certification process by the Singaporean Ministry of Education. The challenges encountered during this certification process prompted EHL to refine its processes and data management systems, highlighting the importance of ongoing quality assurance. As explained by EHL Group's CEO, Professor Markus Venzin, EHL has transformed from a small Swiss hospitality school into a beacon of hospitality management education and knowledge transfer. The schools journey of innovation and excellence is a testament to the expertise and passion of our faculty and community continuously inspiring sustainable growth for our students, our partners, and our industry. Today, we are delighted that EHL is recognized for its excellence as a business school. Earlier this year, following a rigorous peer-review process which concluded with a site visit in March 2024, the AACSBs Initial Accreditation Committee established that EHL Hospitality Business School fulfilled the accreditation requirements and was awarded accreditation for 6 years. Table 1. EHL Hospitality Business School accreditations Source: EHL Another accreditation what does that bring to EHL? AACSB accreditation constitutes a major milestone in the history of the school and its evolution as a leading institution in hospitality management education. EHL has honed a unique expertise in human centricity, and our graduates are known for their versatile skill set and intuitive understanding of service and people. In the past 10 years, we have seen a broadening of the sectors our graduates aim to work in and a diversity in the companies which seek out their competences. EHL is definitely a business school, a hospitality business school. AACSB accreditation reinforces our competitivity, our capacity to attract talented students and our ability to forge new industry and academic partnerships. In brief, it widens the gap with our competitors. At the core of our ethos lies a holistic approach to education. Its a hallmark of the Swiss system, where academic rigor meets hands-on experience, all infused with a passion for hospitality. Our institution and its community have embraced the process of continuous improvement, self-reflection and peer-review, which come with our voluntary engagement in AACSBs accreditation. Alongside academic accreditation milestones and recognitions, EHL has become a multifaceted, multi-campus University of Applied Sciences, rooted in Switzerland and with a global footprint. It now wholeheartedly joins an accredited network of business schools known for its excellence. Dr. Juan-Francisco Perellon, Chief Academic Officer of the EHL Group EHL Hospitality Business School is the only standalone hospitality management school in the world to receive this accolade, and only the 7th school of business and management in Switzerland to be granted this quality label. In addition, the school is a member of EFMD and CHEA (Cf. Table 1), two other membership organizations promoting continuous improvement and accreditation. With all these accreditations, how do you create synergies? AACSB, NECHE, CHEA, EFMD It all sounds like an alphabet soup, some may say. This prompts one question: what is the added value of accreditation? Foremost, rather than viewing accreditation as an administrative burden and/or a self-imposed requirement, EHL always sees it as an opportunity for growth and enhancement. Quality assurance is continuous and calls for an ever curious and innovative approach as shared by Professor Achim Schmitt, Dean of the Hospitality Business School: The Schools internationalization and digitalization efforts as part of the recently launched EHL Group Strategy 2027 will ensure a continued engagement with the most demanding quality standards.. The synergy lies in the role of accreditations as instruments of continuous improvement. For instance, the establishment of global learning objectives not only serves AACSB's Assurance of Learning (AoL) plan but also provides the basis for NECHE's general education reporting and ensures alignment with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Equally, EduTrust certification delivered by the Committee for Private Education which allows EHL to operate its Singapore campus, has given a process-driven focus which serves to monitor performance of academic operations and strategy implementation. But beyond the obvious guiding frameworks that accreditations bring to institutions, the literature has long demonstrated a positive impact on the reputation and performance of institutions, on graduate careers, and on the student experience. What advice or pointers would you give to institutions seeking voluntary international accreditations? For me, self-evaluation, evidence-based reflections and transparency must guide the accreditation process, whether it is a requirement or a voluntary endeavor. Embedding accreditation requirements within institutional processes in a way that is useful for planning, decision-making and risk mitigation is essential. Where accreditation is undertaken in a silo, it loses its value, and the engagement of the internal community is likely to be diminished. When it serves, as intended, the institution to go forward, then all stakeholders can fully benefit from it. An example of this is the EHL internal governance system. Originally instituted to comply with a NECHE Standard, it would be unthinkable to imagine EHL without it today, as it provides a voice to students, staff, and faculty. Another is the EHLs graduate attributes, which form the basis of the competency framework for all programs. Today, expectations of higher education institutions and business schools go beyond imparting knowledge to students. They have to demonstrate that their learners develop transversal competencies and gain the desired skill set for their sector. Institutions like EHL also have to be true to their mission and benefit positively their community and society at large. That may seem like a lot to ask, but this is where both EHL and its accreditation bodies converge. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility more broadly are visible everywhere on the EHL Campuses: From the state-of-the-art new Minergy-P-certified building in Lausanne, waste management technology, and support for soft mobility. In addition to being environmentally sensitive, the CSR strategy encourages integration of sustainability in teaching and research, ensuring that the next generation of business leaders are equipped to face global challenges. Engagement in the community is equally present : supporting local charities such La demarche et lUnion Restaurant, offering pro bono junior consultancy to non-profit organizations and encouraging staff volunteering in the communities where the school is located in Switzerland and in Singapore. AACSB, in particular, is active in showcasing how its accredited members are active in their community impact. Recently, it implemented an optional reporting based on SDGs, the same framework which guides EHL. The EHL Strategy states its commitment to impact clearly: A big part of our EHL culture is the act of giving back to our people, our community, our industry, and beyond. Therefore, it is our goal to embed sustainability as a cornerstone of our activities and positively impact those around us. As the world's first hotel school, we carry on our legacy as pioneers and continue to drive research and innovation for the hospitality industry and support its progress post-pandemic. We export our core hospitality expertise into other sectors, to elevate service experiences with a focus on human interaction. Final words Today, the quality of the faculty, its remarkable contribution to research in an applied way, the broad industry sectors that recruit EHL graduates, and the quality of the partnerships the institution boasts are why I enjoy the accreditation projects I have the privilege of supporting. Even if they are demanding. EHL Hospitality Business School's AACSB accreditation and re-accreditation by NECHE are testaments to its commitment to excellence in hospitality management education. These accreditations not only validate EHL's standing as a leading institution but also underscore its dedication to providing a world-class learning, teaching and working environment. Looking ahead, EHL remains committed to continuous improvement and self-reflection without complacency, to quote from our NECHE peer review report. EHL continues to innovate and meet the highest standards of excellence in business education for its learners and to benefit the industry and society. EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Rendering of the Akureyri Skald Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton - Image Credit Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced a franchise agreement with Bohemian Hotels ehf. to open Akureyri 'Skald' Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, in the northern Icelandic countryside, as well as a new property in Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik. Nick Smart, vice president, development, UK, Ireland & Nordics, Hilton, said, Iceland is an incredibly popular travel destination and we are excited to expand our portfolio of properties in Reykjavik, as well as bring the first internationally branded hotel to the Icelandic countryside in Akureyri. Hiltons lifestyle brands have consistently generated opportunities for growth in European markets and, together with owners like Bohemian Hotels ehf., we are excited to further establish our presence in Iceland. Akureyri "Skald" Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, will grace the picturesque Hafnarstrti street in the heart of Akureyri. Anticipated to open its doors in summer 2025, the property will offer 70 meticulously designed rooms, blending modern comforts with a nod to Iceland's rich cultural heritage. The hotel will feature a tranquil lounge and lobby bar, an all-day restaurant with an outdoor courtyard, and an innovative social club concept. The area has become a key tourism attraction due to its proximity to the Diamond Circle and Arctic Circle, perfect for whale watching or observing the spectacular Northern Lights. A second property located in Brietartun, Reykjavik, is slated to open in spring 2026, offering premium lifestyle accommodation under one of Hiltons brands, with more details to be revealed later this year. Situated adjacent to the historic Freemasons' Hall and the vibrant Hlemmur area, the 170-key property will be a testament to Iceland's commitment to sustainability and innovation in urban development. With its emphasis on natural materials and thoughtful design, the hotel will offer guests a truly immersive experience in Icelandic hospitality. Magnea Thorey Hjalmarsdottir, managing director of Bohemian Hotels ehf, said, "We are thrilled to join forces with Hilton with the signing of two new hotels in Iceland. Both properties will offer guests modern upscale accommodation options in two key Icelandic tourist destinations, and we are confident the hotels will attract a large number of visitors, looking to take in some of the countrys breathtaking sights." The properties will further bolster Hiltons existing portfolio of four hotels in Iceland: Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre, Iceland Parliament Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton and Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of more than 160 unique hotels and resorts selected for their distinctive character. Curio Collection properties allow guests to enjoy independent hotels that offer authentic and selected experiences while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning Hilton Honors guest loyalty programme. Recent additions to Curio Collection by Hilton include openings in Florence, Crete and Sardinia. Bohemian Hotels ehf. is a joint venture owned by Luxor ehf. and Concordia ehf. Concordia, led by industry veterans Magnea orey Hjalmarsdottir and orsteinn Orn Gumundsson, who bring decades of expertise in hotel management and development, including successful partnerships with international brands, such as Hilton. Akureyri "Skald" Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton will be located at Hafnarstrti 80 82, 600 Akureyri, Iceland. The second property announced will be situated at Brietartun 3, 105 Reykjavik, Iceland. Sands Hotel & Spa by Common Thread Hotels White Water Cambria by Common Thread Hotels PRG Hospitality Group, the independent hotel brand behind award-winning destinations including Sparrows Lodge, Sands Hotel & Spa, White Water Cambria and more, today introduces its newly reimagined parent brand, Common Thread Hotels, which will replace the PRG moniker across all facets of sales, marketing, branding and corporate relations. Common Thread, the company's new identity, has been brought to life with a new portfolio website, branding and messaging, designed to cohesively represent their vision of contemporary, design-centric boutique hospitality. The brand's current collection of hotels within California includes Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa in Laguna Beach; The Prospect Hollywood in Los Angeles; Sands Hotel & Spa, Holiday House and Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs; San Luis Creek Lodge in San Luis Obispo; and White Water Cambria and Cambria Beach Lodge in the Central California coastal enclave of Cambria. All the hotels and any new future openings, including destinations in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Paso Robles, California, will be branded under the Common Thread Hotels umbrella, alongside its on-property collection of signature restaurants and spas, including the renowned The Pink Cabana at Sands Hotel & Spa and The Barn Kitchen at Sparrows Lodge. The team's first hotel property, Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs, debuted in 2008 and was later sold in 2012. "Common Thread represents an important and inspiring evolution for our company," said David Dittmer, co-founder of Common Thread Hotels (formerly PRG Hospitality Group). "Our hotels have become synonymous with a very special hospitality experience that puts design, personalized amenities, and a true sense of relaxed luxury at the forefront and we feel that this new brand vision captures that approach beautifully." Common Thread's new website features a complete aesthetic rebranding for the company, including a reimagined logo, brand narrative, imagery, video content and storytelling. Internal and external communications reflect the Common Thread ethos, "behind every stay, there is a story" and the brand's social media channels and internal corporate platforms will reflect the new brand identity as well. New brand-wide offerings for guests are soon to follow. Common Thread hotels including Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa, The Prospect Hollywood, Sands Hotel & Spa, Holiday House Palm Springs and White Water Cambria have been featured on Conde Nast Traveler's coveted Hot List alongside placements on VOGUE.com, Forbes.com, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, goop, and many more. Most recently, San Luis Creek Lodge, Sparrows Lodge, Holiday House Palm Springs and The Prospect Hollywood were awarded coveted One Key award designations from MICHELIN Guide. The brand's creative partners include designers Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Nina Freudenberger, among others. "We began our hospitality journey with the Colony Palms which cemented our passion for the potential of independently minded hotels and we are immensely proud to celebrate the continued growth and progression of our brand and portfolio with the debut of Common Thread Hotels," said Britten Shuford, co-founder of Common Thread Hotels (formerly PRG Hospitality Group). "As long-time collaborators, I've had the pleasure of watching this team turn decades of experience in hospitality and service into some of the most special destinations in California," said Bullard. "Weaving them all together under a cohesive, focused vision both aesthetically and physically will add even more allure and presence to their beautiful portfolio of small hotels as it continues to grow and expand." 97% of Hotel Guests Consult Guest Reviews when Booking a Stay in a Hotel or Resort New research from Accor in Europe examines the growing importance of guest reviews and ratings when booking a hotel stay A staggering 97% of hotel guests have consulted guest reviews when looking to book a stay in a hotel or resort, according to a new report from Accor, a world leading hospitality group. The report, based on research carried out amongst 5,000 travellers across five European countries who stayed in a hotel or resort during the last 12 months, reveals that almost four in ten (38%) guests do so every time they book a stay, and a further 38% do so most of the time. According to the study, guest reviews and ratings are the second most important factor in the booking decision process, ranking just behind rooms and amenities, and surpassing criteria such as food and dining options, Wi-Fi/internet connection, and health and hygiene standards. Respondents across all five countries like to check in depth when reading reviews. On average, guests read nine reviews (8.63) for each hotel or resort theyre looking to stay at, with those in Poland reading the most (10.58). Cleanliness the most important factor The information respondents are most interested in before booking a stay is how clean a hotel or resort is. When asked to identify three areas they would most want to read about, 52% stated that cleanliness was the most important factor, followed by value for money (27%), bedrooms (26%), location (21%) and staff friendliness (19%). Reviews are more important for couples and families than solo travellers. Of those who read reviews, 85% of those looking to book a trip away with a partner believe customer reviews are important. Almost as many (82%) say reviews are important when booking a family holiday. Even when booking a solo trip, 66% said that reading reviews is a crucial part of the decision-making process, with 55% of business travellers in agreement. A majority of those reading reviews (63%) try to take a balanced approach, being sure to acknowledge both positive and negative reviews, with respondents in the UK being most likely to do so. More than two-thirds (67%) of people who read reviews will ignore those that are more than six months old, confirming the importance of recent reviews. Poles the most prolific review writers After staying at a hotel or resort, nearly six out of ten people (57%) say they write reviews themselves for at least half of their stays. 10% of those surveyed do so after every stay and another 30% do so most of the time. The report reveals that travellers from Poland are most likely to write reviews, with 95% having done so. They are followed by those from Spain (94%), Germany (85%), and France (84%), with UK guests (79%) being least likely to do so. Members of travel loyalty programmes are most likely to round off their stay at a hotel or resort with a review, with 94% writing them against 79% of non-members. According to the study, 71% of respondents appreciate hotels taking the time to respond to reviews, as it demonstrates that customer feedback is highly valued. This sentiment was strongest in Spain, with 78% of respondents agreeing, and lowest in the UK, with 59%. However, 12% expressed they were not in favour of hotels or resorts replying to customer reviews, stating that it can appear to be insincere or just a business requirement. Antoine Dubois, senior vice president, sponsoring, marketing, loyalty & guest experience for Europe & North Africa of Accor, said: "Guest reviews are not just a reference point but a key decision-making tool for travellers, influencing buying decisions and perceptions of hotels, resorts and brands. "Our guests pay close attention to each other, and hoteliers must pay close attention to them too as part of their marketing strategies." Dubois added: "Reviews are people power in action and it is vital that those in the industry harness that power by taking them on board and continually improving for the benefit of our own businesses as well as our guests." Download the Reviews & Reputation Report Ivana Johnston - CEO - Puzzle Partner The current co-founder and chief marketing officer at the industry's most trusted marketing consulting firm transitions to chief executive officer. Puzzle Partner, a leading strategy and marketing agency in the hospitality and travel technology industry, has appointed Ivana Johnston as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With a wealth of experience in the sector and as a co-founder of the firm founded over 10 years ago, Johnston is set to bring a fresh perspective, accelerate transformation, and drive new growth initiatives to the company. Puzzle Partner has helped clients outperform the competition for over a decade, achieve profitable exits, and expand into the Americas. Just this year, one of its clients was acquired for $90M. Johnston's new role is expected to reinforce the companys position as a trusted partner and advisor for clients seeking unparalleled marketing and strategy solutions. With an innate ability to identify growth opportunities, Johnston has earned an outstanding reputation as a hands-on start-up advisor and a trusted partner for her clients. She is a visionary brand strategist, influential thought leader, and writer. Her insights are regularly featured in Forbes.com, Travel Industry Wire, and other prominent media outlets. Johnston is a member of the elite Forbes Agency Council and contributes to Expert Panels, showcasing her knowledge and perspective on the interplay of technology and travel. Ivana Johnston expressed her enthusiasm about her new promotion: "I am honored and excited to step into the role of Chief Executive Officer, and I look forward to working with our talented team to take Puzzle Partner to the next level. The company's commitment to our clients will not change, and I am excited about the many opportunities to enhance our services and generate substantial value for them." Johnstons successful track record in business development, knowledge of the companys operations, innovative approach, and dedication to clients make her uniquely qualified to take the helm. She succeeds Alan Young, who has moved into an outside corporate position within the hospitality industry. The companys board of directors is confident in her ability to lead the company forward and capitalize on emerging trends in the rapidly evolving hospitality and travel technology landscape. I am so proud of our organization for demonstrating the importance of a strong, thoughtful, and seamless succession planning process, explains Johnston. This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team. Together, weve built a company focused on helping some of the most innovative change-makers bolster their competitive advantage in the global market. As Puzzle Partner's new CEO, Ivana Johnston will oversee the company's evolving direction, build on its momentum, and foster relationships with key industry players. With her proven leadership skills and strategic insight, Johnston is well-positioned to build on Puzzle Partner's reputation as an industry leader in hospitality and travel technology marketing. For more information, visit puzzlepartner.co. About Puzzle Partner Over the last 10 years, Puzzle Partner has grown to become a leading marketing consulting firm and trusted advisor to the hospitality and travel technology segment. The company has had the privilege of working side by side with some of the most innovative change-makers on the global stage and maintains the highest level of client advocacy in the industry. With exceptional domain expertise, an influential network, and decades of experience, Puzzle Partner's team of experts understands the interplay between travel, hospitality, and technology branding better than anyone else. As a partner that prides itself on providing customized solutions to its clients and building strong relationships, Puzzle Partner consistently delivers results that amplify brand visibility and drive sustainable growth. Since its founding in 2014, Puzzle Partner has helped clients outperform the competition, achieve highly profitable exits, expand into the Americas, and achieve extraordinary outcomes. Puzzle Partner Ltd. is a privately held company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. For further details, please visit puzzlepartner.co. Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ADVERTISE Hypebot & MusicThinkTank With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward. Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community: Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank. Frank Goncalves opened the minimart and liquor store earlier this year with a focus on Latin and South American foods and fresh local produce. PreviousNext Franky's Liquor Store and Market Holds Grand Opening Frank Goncalves saw opportunity in a vacant mill building and a way to serve a local community and improve the entrance into the city. PITTSFIELD, Mass. An abandoned building that had been sitting vacant for four years has been transformed into a mini-market featuring a diverse array of goods. Franky's Liquor Store Latin Market & More, located at 1220 North St., held a grand opening celebration last week after being open for three months. The owner, Frank Goncalves, would drive by the building every day, saw the rough condition it was in, and made it into an opportunity to make the area look better and more welcoming. Prior to the opening of the market, the Hispanic, South American, and Central American communities had to drive an hour or longer to get authentic Latin food, Goncalves said. Goncalves hopes to create a welcoming space that feels like home to everyone through not only the products the market sells but also through its customer service. He and his staff converse with everyone who comes in and encourages them to look around to see whats new, even if they are just buying a bottle of water or just dropping by to say hi. Franky's features authentic Latin food from several countries, including Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. "The thing that I liked the best is seeing their faces when they first walk in, because they see the before and after [of the building] and I also love the joy of the Hispanic community when they see the authentic stuff from our countries that they ate when they were little," Goncalves said. "Their faces is just happiness. Like, you kind of like feel you brought a little piece of their country here, and that's amazing." Hispanic food is not the market's only focus. Franky's also has local items like eggs, cheese, milk, meat, baking supplies, sugar, and Goncalves are looking to continue to grow its network of farmers . "We are looking into get some of the farmers to work with us as well. So, we pick a day or two out of the week and we have fresh fresh vegetables and fruit," he said. In addition to that the store has a wide selection of liquors, including Hennessy, scotch, bourbons, wine, and beers. It also carries rum, wine, beer, and liquor from countries like Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador, Salvador, and Guatemala. Goncalves comes from Venezuela and moved to the Berkshires 22 years ago. The area has embraced him and the Berkshires has been nothing but home to him, he said. He also works as a real estate agent for Berkshire Real Estate. "I actually have customers that come here and then we give them some advice and I set up an appointment at our office on South Street," he said. Since opening three months ago, he has had a lot of positive feedback from the community which built up the excitement for their summer grand opening ceremony. Goncalves decided to wait on the grand opening so that the celebration could take place in warmer weather. On June 6, community members gathered in the newly renovated building, below the prominent "Welcome to Franky's" wooden sign, sampling the authentically crafted margarita drink Yuzy, and eating cups full of fruit. The local radio station Live 95.9 was also at the event. When people come to Pittsfield from South County they see a beautiful city, but when people come from North County the area is not as beautiful, Goncalves said, but little by little if everyone comes together they can make this part of Pittsfield nice and welcoming place for the people who come from North County. During the process of opening he has had a lot of people support him turn this idea into a reality. Goncalves thanked his wife, Dora Goncalves, his kids Valentina, Aiden & Mackensie, his father, Francisco Goncalvez, his mentor Steve Ray, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank President Jay Anderson, Paul Saldana & Diplacon Builders, and many other people who helped him through this process. iciHaiti - Diaspora : Day of solidarity for better integration of compatriots in Curacao Ms. Natalie Fourcand, Head of Post of the Consulate General of Haiti in Curacao (Lesser Antilles) organized, last week with the collaboration of the "Pan American Development Foundation"(PADF) of "Salu Patur" and Smile Curacao, a day of solidarity for the integration of the Haitian community living in Curacao. This day, which brought together more than a hundred compatriots, was an opportunity for participants to meet members of the different organizations present in order to register for the various training courses made available to them to better integrate the local job market. In addition to the professional training already available, such as languages, carpentry, electricity, construction, cosmetology, pastry and sewing, the massive participation of our compatriots made it possible to advocate for the addition of other fields professionals that the Consulate General of Haiti in Curacao, in collaboration with PADF, plans to offer them. During this day of solidarity, the social organization "Salu Patur" took care of 52 compatriots suffering from blood pressure and diabetes. In addition, 88 other Haitians had the opportunity to be consulted free of charge by dentists from the Smile Curacao organization. Ms. Natalie Fourcand is already delighted with the positive repercussions from which our nationals will benefit at the end of this day of solidarity and renews her firm desire to continue to bring together all the leaders and representatives of young people in the community around the same table for the common good of the Haitian diaspora in Curacao. Learn more about Curacao : Curacao is one of the Leeward Islands located in the Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea, forming an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has 158,665 inhabitants (2019) for an area of 444 km2 (357 inhabitants/km2). Its capital is Willemstad. IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - Politic : James Monazard new Minister of Commerce and also Tourism In accordance with the decree of June 11, 2024, the former Director General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI), James Monazard, was installed as Minister of Trade and Industry and also Minister of Tourism. After more than 10 years of service within the public administration, James Monazard, thanks to his skills and leadership, was able to climb the ranks, particularly within the MCI. After his studies in Economic Sciences at the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences in 2007, followed by studies in legal sciences in 2011 within the same entity, he quickly joined public administration in January 2011, as a technician at the Labor Directorate, of the Ministry of Social Affairs. In January 2013, he was appointed Head of Department in the Legal Affairs Directorate of MCI, where he spent four years. During this period, he demonstrated exceptional ability within this direction. In September 2017, he was promoted to Assistant Director at the Department of Industrial Control and Regulation (DCRI). Thanks to his professionalism and dynamism Monazard was appointed, in June 2021, by presidential decree, Director General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Monazard is responsible for overseeing the country's trade and industrial policies, and also for promoting the tourism sector and his mandate includes developing strategies to diversify the Haitian economy and strengthen tourism infrastructure, in order to position Haiti as a destination tourist choice. Alongside his career in public administration, Monazard has also evolved, since 2012, as a professor in academia, sharing his knowledge and expertise with students from different universities, including the National Diplomatic and Consular Academy, the Notre-Dame University of Haiti, and the Gonaives Law School. His career has been marked by a constant and deserved rise, fueled by his unwavering commitment to the progress and well-being of Haitian society. IH/ iciHaiti by Xinhua writer Zhu Shaobin BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's plan to impose additional duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), widely criticized as protectionist in nature, will have major implications in multiple spheres. The move will damage China-EU trade ties, aggravate the consumer burden in Europe, and dampen the global transition to a greener future. Moreover, it may even put the bloc's reputation for fair competition in danger. Although Chinese-brand EVs account for just a small share of the EU's EV imports, the European Commission on June 12 unveiled provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV makers despite widespread market concerns and China's objections. In a brief statement, the European Commission accused China of "unfair subsidization" in its EV value chain, but did not provide further information to explain the factual or legal bases for its tariff plan. China expressed its disappointment and dissatisfaction, rebuking the action as "blatant protectionism" and asserting its right to file lawsuits with the World Trade Organization and take all necessary response measures. It urged the EU to stop moving in the wrong direction and resolve trade frictions through dialogue. Like a double-edged sword, tariffs cut both ways, with governments, market players and relevant stakeholders voicing concerns over the move's potential implications that should necessitate second thoughts from the EU. DAMAGE TO TRADE ENVIRONMENT The EU's tariff plan, aimed at depressing China's robust EV industry, will cause severe damage to trade ties between China and the EU, both each other's second-largest trading partners. It could also lead to unwelcome consequences, including countermeasures from China. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has warned that the EU move will create and escalate trade frictions. Various EU member states and European carmakers have expressed their disapproval of trade barriers and the imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese EVs. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, said the EU auto industry is highly dependent on the international market, creating a trade surplus of nearly 100 billion euros every year. China accounts for more than 30 percent of sales of European car brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and more than 80 percent of China's fuel-powered cars with large-displacement engines are imported, with many coming from the EU. "If the EU insists on going its own way, abusing protectionist measures and creating and escalating trade frictions, China will not sit idly by but will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," the NDRC said in an article. In response to a media inquiry about whether Chinese industries are lobbying the government to launch an anti-subsidy investigation into EU dairy products or an anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the EU, MOC spokesperson He Yadong said on Thursday, "If the conditions for filing a case are met, the investigation agency will start the filing procedure, and disclose and release announcements in accordance with the law." HIGHER COSTS FOR CONSUMERS Under a post from the European Commission on social media platform X about its planned tariff hike against Chinese EVs, commenters doubted the EU move. "This will hardly improve the unfavorable price/performance ratio of European legacy automakers EVs compared to the Chinese, Korean and American," commenter Armin Pfeiffer replied. For consumers, product quality and affordability are important for spending decisions, and Chinese EVs can offer both. But the planned increased duties will make it more difficult for European consumers to find good value for money. A recent Reuters report said that every additional 10 percent on top of the existing 10 percent levy would cost EU importers of Chinese EVs about 1 billion U.S. dollars, based on 2023 trade data. The key to the rapid development of China's auto industry is in its opening-up and fair competition, rather than in subsidies. According to the NDRC, as the world's largest and most open auto market, China ensures fully that Chinese and foreign auto companies compete fairly on the same stage. By 2018, China's average tariff on complete vehicle imports was reduced to 13.8 percent, and its average tariff on imports of parts and components was just 6 percent. Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao also pointed out that Chinese companies have made significant investments in research and development in the new energy and green transformation fields, and formed their cost advantages amid extremely fierce market competition relying on a fully-developed overall supply chain. A BLOW TO GREEN TRANSITION During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in December last year, negotiators in Dubai came together in a decision on the world's first global stocktake to scale up climate action before the end of the decade. The stocktake calls on COP28 parties to take action to achieve a tripled renewable energy capacity and doubled energy efficiency improvements by 2030. As concerns over trade and industrial protectionism grow, an analysis from energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie earlier this year warned that if the world's markets are bent on rapidly ridding China-manufactured clean tech products from their market demand, it would result in a 20 percent increase in the costs in energy transition. The global clean-tech industry has achieved unimaginable scale and cost reduction in just over a decade, with China's clean-tech industrial capacity expansion at the heart of the story, says the analysis. "Without China at the table, aggressive cost reductions we have become accustomed to are over." FAIR COMPETITION REPUTATION AT STAKE Discrimination against Chinese EVs can be seen in the tariff plan statement, which singles out three major Chinese-brand EV makers -- BYD, Geely and SAIC -- for different levels of tariffs. Yet at least 50 percent of the EVs the Europe imports from China are from Western brands, according to the NDRC. By the end of 2022, China's subsidies for new energy vehicle purchases had expired. But the EU and the United States are still implementing large purchase subsidies, and their levels of subsidies are significantly higher than those in China. Based on these facts, the planned tariff hike is clearly discriminatory, the NDRC said. The West's unfair practices targeting Chinese EVs are an example of double standards, according to Ding Weishun, deputy director of the policy research department at the MOC. He said that while the developed world pressures China into sharing the great responsibility of coping with climate change, it is simultaneously obstructing the free trade of China's green products. "We believe these contradictory acts are a typical example of double standards, and will ultimately undermine global green and low-carbon development and the realization of the climate goals." Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that China always views its relations with the EU from a strategic and long-term perspective, and regards Europe as an important priority for China's major-country diplomacy. China and the EU share extensive common interests and broad space for cooperation on green development, and have maintained good dialogue and cooperation in this regard, Lin said. "China-EU relations have an impact on global peace, stability, development and prosperity." Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will hold the fifth China-EU High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue at the EU Headquarters in Brussels later this month, Lin announced on Friday. 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 }} Armie Hammer has finally addressed allegations of a cannibalism fetish hes faced over the past three years, saying he is ultimately grateful for the experience. The 37-year-old actor, known for his roles in Call Me By Your Name and The Social Network, found himself at the centre of a social media scandal in 2021 after direct messages allegedly sent from Hammer detailed graphic sexual desires and cannibalistic fetishism. He was subsequently accused of rape and abuse. Hammer has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing and said that all of his relationships with women were consensual. Apart from a short statement via his lawyer shared at the time, in which he called the allegations bulls***, Hammer has remained silent on the claims, which, in his own words, caused career death. As the scandal intensified, the actor stepped down from future film roles and, a month later he was dropped by his talent agency. The actor has now opened up about the furore, saying he is grateful for the experience. Armie Hammer says cannibal rumours were bizarre ( Getty Images ) During an appearance on podcast Painful Lessons, Hammer tackled the cannibal claims head-on, stating: People called me a cannibal, and everyone believed them. Theyre like, Yep, that guy ate people. Like, what? What are you talking about? Do you know what you have to do to be a cannibal? You have to eat people! How am I going to be a cannibal?! It was bizarre. Hammer said there were discrepancies in whatever it was that people said, but added: Im now at a place in my life where Im grateful for every single bit of it. Elaborating on this, the actor said that before the allegations surfaced, he never knew how to give myself love as his job permitted him to get it from so many people. 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 He continued: Im actually now at a place where Im really grateful for it because, where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me, I didnt feel good. I never felt satisfied. I never had enough. I never was in a place where I was happy with myself, where I had self-esteem. Armie Hammer discusses hilarious cannibal allegations in new podcast ( YouTube ) Hammer said he joined a 12-step programme after the allegations surfaced as they caused both an ego death and a career death. Its almost like a neutron bomb went off in my life, he said. It killed me, it killed my ego, it killed all the people around me that I thought were my friends that werent all of those people, in a flash, went away. But the buildings were still standing. Im still here, I still have my health, and Im really grateful for that. Armie Hammer said he has experienced career death after cannibal allegations ( Getty Images for Palm Springs In ) Hammer reflected on the derailment of his career, telling the podcast that is is no longer a viable commodity for what he described as the Hollywood system. However, the actor, who has no acting projects in the pipeline, said he is currently writing a script with a friend. The allegations against Hammer came one year after he split from his wife of 10 years, Elizabeth Chambers, with whom he has two children, aged nine and seven. 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 }} Morgan Freeman has dismissed the idea of Black History Month, saying: My history is American history. The 87-year-old The Shawshank Redemption and Seven star had previously called the annual event, which is observed throughout February, an insult. In a new interview with Variety, Freeman elaborated on those feelings. I detest it, he said. The mere idea of it. You are going to give me the shortest month in a year? And you are going to celebrate my history?! This whole idea makes my teeth itch. Its not right. He added: My history is American history. Its the one thing in this world I am interested in, beyond making money, having a good time and getting enough sleep. Freeman is currently promoting The Gray House, a Civil War-era historical drama he produced alongside Kevin Costner. The Roland Joffe-directed series, which stars Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen, was shown at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival last week. If you dont know your past, if you dont remember it, you are bound to repeat it, commented Freeman. Morgan Freeman in Monte-Carlo in June 2024 ( Getty Images ) The Gray House, which is based on a true story, explores the secret work carried out by Union spies during the Civil War. Its so wide-ranging, said Freeman. There are so many people in the series, because we are acknowledging they were there. If you can do that, if you are given space to do that, bravo. It didnt just happen to one group of people. Earlier this year, Freeman was one of a group of fictional former presidents to offer advice to President Joe Biden ahead of his State of the Union address. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free In a post on X/Twitter, the US president wrote: You mayve heard Ive got a big speech coming up. So, I thought I would hear from some folks who have done the job before sort of. Along with Freeman, Biden also spoke to Bill Pullman (President Whitmore from Independence Day), Michael Douglas (President Shepherd from The American President), Geena Davis (President Allen from Commander in Chief) and Tony Goldman (President Grant from Scandal). Freeman, who played President Beck in the disaster movie Deep Impact, told Biden: Well sir, in my capacity as president, all I had to deal with was a meteor. He added: My advice is just keep telling us how youre working for us and building hope. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy BBC presenter Ros Atkins will perform a drumnbass DJ set at Glastonbury, two years after he revealed his hidden past as a festival and club DJ. Atkins, who has become known for presenting Outside Source on BBC News, revealed in an interview in 2022 that while as a student at Cambridge University, he would run dance music events and perform drumnbass sets at festivals. He said he last performed in the mid-Noughties at a festival in Regents Park, but hit pause on his part-time DJing gig when his first daughter was born. After Atkins made his secret talents publicly known, he was invited to perform a set on BBC6 Music and went viral on social media. He was then invited to play several gigs in London, but soon realised that most DJs had moved away from vinyl and his kit needed a major upgrade. Speaking about the backstory behind his forthcoming Glastonbury booking, Atkins said on X/Twitter: Most of my music was on vinyl and the only kit I had was my pair of indestructible Vestax turntables (still very much going strong...). Given most DJs had moved away from vinyl, this didnt seem like a plan. Atkins praised famous DJs such as Andy C and Ray Keith who sent him words of encouragement on social media, and gave him a helping hand in re-familiarising himself with the kit. The presenter then met up with Ray Keith, who spent two hours with him, running through the kit, mixing techniques and song selection. In the summer of 2022, at Rays invitation, I got a train from Fenchurch Street station to Grays in Essex. After a short walk, I arrived at a car park and, just past this sign, was the home of Thames Delta Radio, he said. I was about to get a lesson from Ray Keith. The same Ray Keith Ive been listening to ever since Sixth Form. And the man behind one of the biggest tracks. I soaked it all up, taking notes as we went along. Over the next few weeks, Ray helped me work out what kit I needed to practise on at home (we settled on a Pioneer XDJ-XZ). It wasnt, and still isnt, entirely clear where this fits in our house, but my family was understanding enough to not let that stop me. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up open image in gallery Atkins is best known for presenting Outside Source on the BBC News ( BBC ) Atkins said he was in disbelief when Carl Gosling, who works at the Soho venue The Social, started floating the idea of a performance at Glastonbury. Before long, Carl messaged to say we were on and I took a very deep breath, he said. Atkins will be playing the Glastonbury Saturday at the Stonebridge stage at Glastonbury from 3.30pm to 5pm an idea he said he hasnt remotely got used to. Im incredibly grateful for the invite - and to @BBC6Music, Ray Keith, The Social and others whove encouraged me along the way, said Atkins. Hope to see some of your there. 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 }} Sir Ian McKellen has been hospitalised after falling off stage during a performance of Player Kings at a theatre in London. The 85-year-old actor was in a fight scene when he slipped and fell from the stage of the Noel Coward theatre. He cried out in pain as staff rushed to help. The show was promptly canceled and the audience was asked to leave but the veteran performer is expected to appear in Wednesdays matinee after the Tuesday performance was called off. Sir Ian McKellen has been playing Falstaff in Player Kings at the Noel Coward theatre since April ( Jacob Freedland/PA Wire ) Player Kings, a new version of Shakespeares Henry IV, Parts One and Two adapted by Robert Icke, has been at the theatre since April. McKellen plays John Falstaff alongside Richard Coyle and Ted Lassos Toheeb Jimoh. In a statement to The Independent, a representative of Player Kings said: Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ians fall during this evenings performance of Player Kings. Following a scan, the brilliant NHS team have assured us that he will make a speedy and full recovery and Ian is in good spirits. The production has made the decision to cancel the performance on Tuesday 18 June so Ian can rest. Those affected will be contacted by their point of purchase as soon as possible tomorrow. Thank you to doctors Rachel and Lee who were on hand in the audience and to all the venue staff for their support. Sir Ian and castmates at curtain call for the press night performance of Player Kings in April ( Getty ) The BBC had earlier reported that one member of the audience described the incident as very shocking. I really hope that he is going to be alright, Sandro Trapani said. As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance. Paul Critchley, a Methodist minister from Downham Market who was in the audience, said: Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene. He picked up momentum as he moved downstage which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience. The house lights came up very quickly as the stage management and front of house team dealt with the incident. We were evacuated immediately so that Sir Ian could be treated in privacy. The Independent has reached out to McKellens representatives and the Noel Coward theatre for further comment. Sir Ian McKellen was taken to hospital after falling off stage ( Isabel Infantes/PA ) Earlier this week, McKellen said that hed like to appear in a recently announced Lord of the Rings film if Im alive. He famously played Gandalf in Peter Jacksons blockbuster JRR Tolkien adaptations, and it has been rumored he will reprise the role for a new movie centred on Andy Serkiss Gollum. Those rumors began after Warner Bros announced The Hunt for Gollum last month, and McKellen confirmed in a new interview that there are stirrings in Tolkien land. Speaking to The Times, McKellen said he has heard that Gandalf will be in the film, but levelled: There is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan. McKellen also reflected on his age during the interview, revealing that he now often wonders if the projects he accepts will be his final job. If you want to know that you are mortal, you just have to look at your address book. And so when a script comes through, or the hint of an offer, you think, This might be my last job. No. Im not doing that. Player Kings is due to move to the Bristol Hippodrome in July and will also be staged in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship rammed into each other on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, Chinas coast guard said, blaming the Philippines entirely. It claimed that a Philippine supply ship entered the waters near the contested Second Thomas Shoal and ignored Chinas repeated solemn warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. Reacting to the incident in Manila, the Philippine military called out Chinese coast guards aggression and deceptive claims in the region. We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China coast guard, military spokesperson colonel Xerxes Trinidad said. The official added that the Philippines will not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our exclusive economic zone, using the Filipino name for the shoal. The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights. The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region, the spokesperson said. Beijing has amped up its territorial conquest in the South China Sea, where it claims virtually all of the disputed waters. On Saturday, it passed a new law authorising its coast guard to seize foreign ships that illegally enter Chinas territorial waters and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law renewed a reference to 2021 legislation that says Chinas coast guard can fire upon foreign ships if necessary. China and the Philippines have frequently clashed on the disputed Spratly Islands. According to the Philippines, the shoal falls within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Chinas claims in the South China Sea. This is the latest showdown in one of the worlds most hotly disputed waters, after a similar confrontation was seen in March earlier this year. Chinese coast guard ships and suspected militia vessels have used powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers that have injured Filipino Navy personnel, damaged their supply boats, and strained diplomatic relations between the two countries. In March this year, the Philippines said Chinese coast guard ships backed by a military helicopter attempted unsuccessfully to block two Philippine government vessels carrying scientists from reaching two sandbars in the disputed South China Sea. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping territorial claims that have erupted from time to time into brief confrontations in the South China Sea. Hostilities between China and the Philippines have surged since last year, resulting in minor collisions at sea and injuries to a few Filipino crewmen, sparking a war of words. This comes as the Philippines has asked a United Nations body to formally recognise the extent of its undersea continental seabed in the South China Sea, where it would have the exclusive right to exploit resources, its Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The loudspeakers deployed by South Korea at the border to blast K-pop music and political messages inside the North are facing legal and audit challenges for being too quiet. Earlier this month, South Korea said it will restart anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in response to continuing North Korean campaigns to drop trash on the South using balloons. These speakers are designed to blare pop music and political messages as far as 10km (6.2miles) inside North Korea, with its audio decibel enough to reach the city of Kaesong and its nearly 200,000 residents. However, audits and legal cases in the past few years claim they are too quiet and questionable in their reach. The speakers deployed by South at present are among 40 systems purchased in 2016 after the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire in a 2015 dispute over the broadcasts. However, the audits from that time showed that the new speakers were not powerful by the military standards and did not meet the requirements to blast propaganda far into the North Korean territory. The speakers passed two out of three initial tests but those trials were conducted at night or in the morning when sound travels farthest, said former navy officer Kim Young-su. Another round of tests carried out in 2017 showed that the messages or songs could not be understood further than 7km and more often closer to 5km, the audit showed. Mr Kim also said this was not enough to reach the North Korean city of Kaesong. The speakers are also facing the challenges of the mountainous border terrain and North Koreas own loudspeakers, said Kim Sung-min, who defected from the North in 1999 and runs a Seoul radio station that broadcasts news into North Korea. Kim Jong-uns regime uses the speakers more to suppress its rivals broadcast by overpowering or muddling the message. But the South Korean broadcasts still have a significant psychological impact on North Koreans who hear the messages or catchy K-pop tunes, he said. "These broadcasts play a role in instilling a yearning for the outside world, or in making them realise that the textbooks they have been taught from are incorrect," he said. Despite the environmental and technical limitations, the broadcasts have nonetheless been effective. At least two North Korean soldiers from the frontlines defected to the South in 2017 after listening to loudspeaker broadcasts, local media reported, citing South Korean officials. "We know that the North Koreans find them partly effective because they have spent a lot of time getting them turned off," said Steve Tharp, a retired US Army officer who spent years working along the border. The angry reaction to the broadcasts also suggests that the speakers strike a nerve with the authoritarian country, 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 SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Indian man accused of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader on American soil has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, officials said. Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian citizen, has been accused of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a separatist leader seeking a sovereign sikh state and labelled as a terrorist by New Delhi. This comes three weeks after Mr Guptas request to the Czezh authorities to halt his extradition was rejected. The federal Bureau of Prisons website confirmed that Mr Gupta was currently lodged at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, as seen in the inmate search by his name. His extradition and detention in Brookly has also been confirmed by a source familiar with the matter who did not want to be identified, according to Reuters. The US officials had confirmed in November last year that an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Mr Pannun, who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Mr Gupta has been charged with conspiracy in the same assassination plot. He was arrested in June last year under a bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic, according to the Associated Press. Mr Gupta had travelled to Prague in June and was arrested there. Last month, he had requested officials in the Czech Republic to halt his extradition to the US but a Czech court rejected his petition and allowed the Czech justice minister to extradite him. According to reports, Mr Gupta was recruited to murder Mr Pannun by an unnamed Indian government employee who has described himself as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in security management and intelligence, according to the US indictment seen by the Associated Press. We have so many targets, Mr Gupta was heard saying in a recorded audio call, according to the indictment. We have so many targets. But the good news is this, the good news is this: Now no need to wait. He has also claimed to have served in the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force and been trained in "battle craft" and "weapons. The extradition has been welcomed by Mr Pannun, who accused the Indian man of acting on the orders of the Indian government. Nikhil Gupta is just a foot soldier, Mr Pannun told Reuters, alleging that those who hired him were senior members of the Indian government acting on the direction of prime minister Narendra Modi. Mr Pannun has been a leading advocate for the Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish an independent Sikh homeland in Indias Punjab state. Mr Modis administration in New Delhi has dissociated itself from the plot against Mr Pannun, calling it against government policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. The latest reports of assassination plots allegedly ordered by officials in India have soured New Delhis relations with Washington and Toronto, where most of the Sikh separatist leaders reside. Mr Guptas lawyers have not issued any comment. Officials from the US Justice Department and Czech authorities have also declined any statement on completion of the Indian mans extradition. 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 At least 15 people were killed in Indias eastern state of West Bengal after a goods train collided with a passenger express on Monday, officials said. Another 25 people have been injured in the accident in Darjeeling district, police officials said. The collision took place after the goods train smashed into the rear of the stationary passenger Kanchanjunga Express, which was on its way to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, from the northeastern city of Agartala. The crash caused three carriages of the passenger train to go off the rails. At least 15 bodies have been pulled from the mangled carriages, said Abhishek Roy, a senior police official in Darjeeling. The deceased include the driver and the guard of the passenger train, officials said. The collision was likely caused by the disregard of a signal given to the train driver before moving forward on the track, senior Indian railway officials said, adding that he was instructed to stop. Prima facie suggests human error as the cause. The first indications suggest that this is a case of signal disregard," said Jaya Varma Sinha, the chairperson and CEO of Indian Railway Board. In 1999, @NitishKumar resigned as the Railway Minister of India taking moral responsibility for a #TrainAccident. Today, he supports a Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw who has seen multiple accidents during his tenure. The people of India are watching! pic.twitter.com/me8PncfS6G Kapil (@kapsology) June 17, 2024 West Bengals chief minister Mamata Banerjee said state authorities have initiated action on war-footing. "Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident, in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district," Ms Banerjee said in a post on X, adding that further details were awaited. "Doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery, and medical assistance. Action on war-footing initiated," she said. Preliminary photos and videos of the collision showed a pile-up of train compartments, with one nearly vertical in the air. Several rescue workers and locals were seen around at the accident site. More people are feared trapped inside the mangled train compartments, railway officials said, but more details are not available immediately. Local residents of the area heard a loud sound and saw the pile-up when they got to the site. Prime minister Narendra Modi condoled the victims of the collision and announced a compensation of 1890 each to the families of the dead and 472 to the injured. The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well, he said. Indian railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said: Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site. This is the second such fatal collision reported in India since last June. About 288 people died a year ago in the countrys worst rail crash in more than two decades in the neighbouring state of Odisha, caused by a signal failure. The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train that connects West Bengal state with other cities in the northeast. It is often used by tourists who travel to the hill station of Darjeeling, popular at this time of year when several Indian cities are sweltering in the heat. More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India daily, traveling on 64,000km (40,000 miles) of track. Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents happen annually on Indias railways. Most are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) has dropped a jurisdictional challenge in a case which claims it wrongly classified gold from a Tanzanian mine as responsibly sourced, despite allegations of human rights abuse. The LBMA is being sued by the families of two 23-year-old men killed at the North Mara Gold Mine. The families allege the LBMA wrongly classified gold from the mine as being free from serious human rights abuses. Our clients are pleased that they will get their day in court to seek justice for the deaths of their relatives. Leigh Day senior associate Alex Wessely Their law firm, Leigh Day, said North Mara Gold Mine has seen at least 77 deaths and 304 injuries reported at the hands of police and security guards since 2006. The LBMA had initially argued that the case should be heard in Tanzania rather than the UK. However, Leigh Day said Tanzanian courts are more difficult for victims of human rights abuses to get their cases heard in. The LBMA filed the challenge in August 2023, with the application set for a hearing this month. The challenge was withdrawn five weeks before the hearing date. This case will test for the first time whether a certification body can be held legally responsible for a flawed certification process which is said to have greenwashed human rights abuses Leigh Day partner Daniel Leader As a result, Leigh Day said it will pursue the case in the UK High Court. The legal claim against LBMA is being led by Leigh Day partner Daniel Leader and senior associate solicitor Alex Wessely. Mr Leader said: This case will test for the first time whether a certification body can be held legally responsible for a flawed certification process which is said to have greenwashed human rights abuses. Mr Wessely added: Our clients are pleased that they will get their day in court to seek justice for the deaths of their relatives. It is a shame that the LBMA has wasted almost 10 months pursuing this application, only to drop it at the 11th hour, but I am very pleased that the litigation is now back on track. Our role is to support raising standards around human rights in the supply chain. LBMA will be defending the substance of the claim when we proceed to trial LBMA spokesperson An LBMA spokesperson said: The LBMA is a not-for-profit member-based association which provides accreditation to refiners of gold and silver via LBMAs Good Delivery List. The Good Delivery List, first and foremost, sets technical standards (fine ounce weight, purity and physical appearance) which refiners must meet. Refiners that wish to be included on the Good Delivery List are required to implement the LBMAs Responsible Sourcing Guidance, which comprises the Responsible Gold Guidance and Responsible Silver Guidance, and to obtain annual independent third-party assurances reporting on their compliance with this guidance. Our role is to support raising standards around human rights in the supply chain. LBMA will be defending the substance of the claim when we proceed to trial. 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 Swiss banking giant UBS has offered to pay former Credit Suisse customers 90% of the funds they invested with failed specialist finance firm Greensill Capital. UBS said the offer, which was launched on Monday, will remain open until July 31 and that it would put by 900 million US dollars (710 million) in the second quarter to cover costs. It stressed the provision would have no material impact on UBS. UBS is looking to close the chapter on a damaging saga that was among a number of scandals that led to the collapse of Credit Suisse and a rescue takeover. The firm bought its stricken rival last year amid worries that severe losses at Credit Suisse would destabilise the global banking system, prompting the involvement of Swiss regulators. In early 2021, Credit Suisse found itself exposed to the collapse of UK supply chain finance firm Greensill Capital. Greensill had supplied loans to many customers. These were then lumped together and sold off, via a Credit Suisse fund, to outside investors, who would buy a share in the loans and cash in when they were paid back. These loans were insured, but the firm collapsed when its main insurer Tokio Marine decided not to renew the insurance. UBS said its offer to former Credit Suisse investors affected by the Greensill collapse aims to give fund investors certainty, an accelerated exit from their positions and a high level of financial recovery. It will allow an early exit from fund investments compared to distributions under the ongoing recovery process, it added. 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 At least 14 Jordanian pilgrims have died during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid scorching temperatures. Jordans foreign ministry said 14 of its nationals had died after suffering sunstroke due to the extreme heat wave during the performance of the hajj rituals. They also said 17 others were missing and searches were continuing for them. Jordan said it was coordinating with the Saudi authorities for the final rituals of the dead in Saudi Arabia, or transferring them to Jordan. Saudi Arabia saw temperatures reach 47C on Sunday with temperatures at least 1.5 to 2C higher in Mecca and Medina, the two cities at the heart of Hajj pilgrimage. This year, more than 1.8 million Muslim pilgrims were expected to arrive, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. open image in gallery Muslim pilgrims rest in Muzdalifah, on the second day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, 15 June 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of 1.5 to 2 degrees [Celsius] above normal in Mecca and Medina, the head of the Saudi National Meteorology Centre, Ayman Ghulam, warned last week. Several rituals during the pilgrimage are performed on foot with long walks, making it harder for vulnerable and elderly during the heatwaves. Earlier, five pilgrims from Iran lost their lives, the Iranian Red Crescent chief, Pir Hossein Kolivand, said. open image in gallery Muslim pilgrims gather at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, 15 June 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, a spokesperson for the Saudi health ministry, told reporters that more than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone. No more information on fatalities was provided. The searing temperatures were expected to continue on Monday on the day of Eid-al-Adha. Authorities said they have set-up climate controlled areas and distributing water bottles to pilgrims. The pilgrimage will continue till Wednesday. The Saudi health ministry also issued an advisory, asking pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day between 10am and 4pm. Stampedes, tent fires, heat and other factors have caused hundreds of deaths during the pilgrim over the past 30 years. open image in gallery Muslim pilgrims arrive at at the Plain of Arafat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, 14 June 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Last year, at least 240 people died but cause of the death wasnt specified. And in the worst Hajj disaster, a deadly crush in 2015 killed more than 2,000 people. Temperatures across Asia have been brutally hot this year from the start of April. Scientists said heatwaves in south and southeast Asia as well as Middle East in April were made worse due to man-made climate crisis. South Asia is still reeling under deadly heat with hundreds of deaths reported in India as temperatures touched 50C. 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 Gwyneth Paltrow has shown her support for the Princess of Wales. On Saturday, June 15, Kate Middleton attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony alongside her three children. It marked her first public appearance since she revealed her cancer diagnosis back in March. To celebrate King Charles IIIs birthday, the Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account shared various photos of the royal family. A memorable day at The Kings Birthday Parade. From the Irish Guards Trooping their colour to seeing so many faces on the Mall, thank you for making it a day to remember, the posts caption read. Paltrow decided to leave a supportive comment forthe Princess of Wales on the post, writing: So happy to see you looking so happy and well. Kate has been receiving treatment for an unknown type of cancer since February, after it was discovered following an abdominal surgery. Prior to the event, the senior royal had written a letter to the Irish Guards regiment, where she explained that she would not be able to make the salute during the Colonels Review the final rehearsal for the Trooping the Colour parade. The princess wrote: I wanted to write to you to let you know how proud I am of the entire regiment ahead of the Colonels Review and Trooping the Colour. I appreciate everyone trooping the colour this year have been practising for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate. Being your colonel remains an honour, and Im very sorry that Im unable to make the salute at this years colonel review. Please pass on my apologies to the whole regiment. I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon. Please send my very best wishes and good luck to all involved. However, she then went on to confirm in a statement that she would be attending the event, although she is not finished with her chemotherapy treatment. The statement was also used to express her gratitude for all of the well wishes she has received since the news of her diagnosis. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times, she said. I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days, you feel weak, tired, and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well. She also mentioned that, despite her goal to participate in a few royal engagements over the summer, she is not out of the woods yet and will be paying attention to what exertions her body can handle. I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty, she added. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me. 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 }} He is among the very last survivors of his Gaza family, a clan so close they knew without thinking how blood and marriage bound them across generations and city blocks. Then, branch by branch, 173 of Youssef Salems relatives were killed in Israeli airstrikes in a matter of days in December. By spring that toll had risen to 270. Bones and flesh strewn over the ruins of family homes. Blond curls of a young cousin peeking through bricks. Unrecognizable bodies piled on a donkey cart. Lines of burial shrouds. These images are what survivors are left with from hundreds of families in Gaza like the al-Aghas, Salems and Abu Najas. To a degree never seen before, Israel is killing entire Palestinian families, a loss even more devastating than the physical destruction and the massive displacement. An Associated Press investigation identified at least 60 Palestinian families where at least 25 people were killed sometimes four generations from the same bloodline in bombings between October and December, the deadliest and most destructive period of the war. Nearly a quarter of those families lost more than 50 family members in those weeks. Several families have almost no one left to document the toll, especially as documenting and sharing information became harder. Youssef Salems hard drive is stocked with photos of the dead. He spent months filling a spreadsheet with their vital details as news of their deaths was confirmed, to preserve a last link to the web of relationships he thought would thrive for generations more. My uncles were wiped out, totally. The heads of households, their wives, children, and grandchildren, Salem said from his home in Istanbul. In the last two decades, 10 members of his family were killed in Israeli strikes. Nothing like this war, he said. The AP review encompassed casualty records released by Gazas health ministry until March, online death notices, family and neighborhood social media pages and spreadsheets, witness and survivor accounts, as well as a casualty data from Airwars, a London-based conflict monitor. The Mughrabi family: more than 70 were killed in a single Israeli airstrike in December. The Abu Najas: over 50 were killed in October strikes, including at least two pregnant women. The large Doghmush clan lost at least 44 members in a strike on a mosque; AP documented over 100 family members killed in following weeks. By the spring, over 80 members of the Abu al-Qumssan family were killed. "The numbers are shocking, said Hussam Abu al-Qumssan, who lives in Libya and has taken over documenting the family death toll as his relatives in Gaza struggled to keep track. In the 51-day war of 2014, the number of families that lost three or more members was less than 150. In this one, nearly 1,900 families have suffered multiple deaths by January, including more than 300 that lost over 10 members in the first month of the war alone, according to Gazas health ministry. Ramy Abdu, chairman for the Geneva-based EuroMed Human Rights Monitor, which monitors the Gaza war, said dozens of his researchers in Gaza stopped documenting family deaths in March after identifying over 2,500 with at least three deaths. We can hardly keep up with the total death toll, Abdu said. The killing of families across generations is a key part of t he genocide case against Israel, now before the International Court of Justice. Separately, the International Criminal Court prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for two Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including for the intentional killing of civilians, as well as for three Hamas leaders over crimes connected to the Oct. 7 attack. Palestinians will remember entire families that have disappeared from their lives, Abdu said: It is like a whole village or hamlet has been wiped out. Without warning The deaths across generations slice through the Palestinian society, history, and future. Entire families are buried in mass graves, in hospital courtyards or beneath staircases in the homes where they were killed. Getting detailed images and documentation is difficult even for Palestinians. Power is limited to hospitals and Israel cuts communication networks frequently. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, dividing families and severing contacts between parts of the small territory. Homes that normally would shelter a nuclear family fill with multiple generations of displaced relatives. Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people in the deadliest day of the Jewish states 75-year history. Israel promised to destroy Hamas leadership and its estimated 35,000 fighting force in response. Within five days, Israel Air Force dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza, including many unguided missiles. Israels relentless bombing since has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians by early June, including many women and children. Eleven members of the al-Agha family were killed in a single strike on a family home in the first week of the war. Then death reached Khamis al-Aghas home in the second week. Back in 2021, Khamis al-Agha, an employee at a Hamas-linked charity, received a phone call from an Israeli soldier alluding to his ties to the militant group and warning him to evacuate his house in Khan Younis to avoid an impending airstrike nearby. Al-Agha recorded the call and posted it online. He didnt evacuate and no one was killed. On Oct. 14 there was no warning. The airstrike killed Khamis al-Agha and 10 others: his wife, their four young children; his brother and his 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter; his cousin and her 18-year-old boy. Only the brothers wife survived. Jaser al-Agha, a second cousin of Khamis, helped medics pull bodies from the debris. Nothing is left of the house, said Jaser al-Agha. Israel refused to comment on specific strikes. In general, Israel has said it targets Hamas and accuses the militant group of endangering civilians by operating among the population and in tunnels below them. A senior Israeli official told reporters in December that the army calculated two Palestinian civilians were killed for every Hamas militant, a ratio an army spokesman called tremendously positive but which experts said showed a higher tolerance for civilian casualties than in previous wars. Israel estimates 15,000 Hamas militants had been killed by June, but has not given evidence or explanation. It is not clear whether the count includes men like al-Agha, who worked in one of the hundreds of Hamas-linked organizations or officials in the government that administered life in Gaza for over 16 years. Israel has said it takes measures to mitigate agains t civilian harm, such as direct warnings to civilians in past conflicts. But in this war, that method has been partly replaced by evacuation orders for entire areas that not everyone is willing or able to obey. Standards have clearly been relaxed, fueled by anger over the Oct. 7 attacks and domestic politics, said Craig Jones, a lecturer at Newcastle University who studied the role of Israels military lawyers. The law of war allows for a sort of rushed form of warfare with higher civilian casualties where a military needs to respond quickly and in changing circumstances. But Israel is just so clearly violating the law because its pushing the rules so far, he said. The AP geolocated and analyzed 10 strikes, among the deadliest from Oct. 7 to Dec. 24, and found they hit residential buildings and shelters with families inside. In no case was there an obvious military target or direct warning to those inside, and in one case the family said they had raised a white flag on their building in a combat zone. Together, the strikes killed more than 500 people, including the two bombings that wiped out the Salems and three others that killed 30 members of the al-Agha family. AP also consulted six weapons investigators, open-source analysts and experts. By the spring, AP documented nearly 100 members of the al-Agha family were killed in Israeli strikes. Jaser al-Agha has buried almost more relatives than he can count, including three cousins he considered brothers. I was waiting for my turn, he said. When afternoon becomes night Ramzy Abu al-Qumssans family lived in the Jabaliya refugee camp since his family was displaced in 1948 from Deir Sneid, a village north of Gaza in what is now Israel. Like the majority of Palestinians in Gaza, they are officially refugees, and the territory is filled with semi-permanent camps that have developed into urban communities over generations. The Jabaliya refugee camp, in northern Gaza, was among the most densely populated. On the afternoon of Oct. 31, Abu al-Qumssan heard warplanes overheard, then a quick succession of explosions. In a matter of seconds, it turned into night, Abu al-Qumssan said. It felt like containers of explosives and iron were dropped on us. It was a very strange and bloodcurdling sound. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center in the camp. Videos, including one filmed by Abu al-Qumssan, showed deep craters and destroyed buildings as far as the eye could see. I couldnt make out the streets from homes, he said. People and bodies evaporated. He went to his uncles house, only to find the flimsy metal structure had been crushed into nothing. Airwars identified 112 civilians killed in Jabaliya that day, including 69 children and 22 women. In all, 37 members of Abu al-Qumssans family were killed in the shack and two nearby buildings, including four of his cousins, his aunt, her daughter and granddaughter, whose bodies were locked in an embrace. Of the 10 strikes analyzed by AP, it was the only one in which Israel named a target. The toll on innocent Palestinians was immense. The airstrikes left several craters, and weapons experts said they were likely caused some of the largest bombs in Israels arsenal, probably 2,000-pound missiles aimed at tunnels, that are hardly used in populated areas. Two weeks later, Abu al-Qumssans own house, only several meters from the large explosion, was bombed. His wife, 5-year-old daughter, mother, two sisters and 10 other relatives died. He and his three sons survived because their upstairs room caved into the crater. Abu al-Qumssan called his daughter Nours name over and over. My friend pretended to be trying to save her to calm me down, said Abu al-Qumssan, who as a journalist has a rare phone connection to send his images outside Gaza. I knew she was not coming back and that she wouldnt be pulled out of under the rubble. In all, 55 members of his family perished in Jabaliya in two Israeli bombings two weeks apart. By the spring, the family managed to document at least 82 killed, most in Jabaliya. For the Okasha family, the killing of at least 33 members, including grandparents, children and grandchildren, in the Oct. 31 bombing was a huge calamity. We are not a big family, said Abdeljawad Okasha, 61, who lives outside of Gaza. By May, the family documented at least 57 members killed. Brian Castner, a weapons investigator with Amnesty International, said any war crimes investigation in Gaza is complicated by the pace of the bombings, limited access for independent entities, and a lack of forensic evidence. Since October, Amnesty has found evidence o f direct attacks on civilians, unlawful and indiscriminate attacks in at least 16 Israeli strikes it investigated that killed 370 civilians, including 159 children and decimated families. The strikes included three as recent as April. The last bombing analyzed by AP hit the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Dec. 24. Mohamed Abed, a journalist who arrived soon after the strikes, said three explosions came less than an hour apart. The first decimated the Musallem family. The second hit the same road and killed several members of the Abu Hamdah family, including a drama teacher. The last hit a house further away. A total of 106 people were killed from at least eight families, according to handwritten hospital records that listed the numbers from each family, obtained by the AP. The UN had earlier tallied 86 dead. Israel said it was going after Hamas militants and mistakenly struck two adjacent targets. The statement is the first and a rare one in which Israel acknowledged an error and expressed regret for the injury to those not involved. A military official told Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, that the wrong weapon was used. The line between military necessity and disproportionate civilian casualties is based on the good faith judgment of the commander making the decision said Geoffery Corn, a former Judge Advocate General officer and director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University. That line is incredibly amorphous. In all, the AP record included 2,700 killed from over 70 families, with some previously unknown details on their deaths, such as where they were killed or who died along with them. Everything we build vanishes Kinship reaches far beyond the nuclear family in Gaza. Compounds, frequently multiple buildings of three stories or more, are occupied by an entire bloodline. Extended family is an independent economic unit, and relatives pay each others debts, pitch in for schools. Often, a family lends its name to a block or even an entire neighborhood. And when formal governing structures are contested, families in Gaza usually step in as enforcers of order or sources of violence at times, said Ilana Feldman, anthropology professor at George Washington University, who studied the history of rulers of Gaza. When the Salem family home in northern Gaza was destroyed in 2009, Youssef and his brothers chipped in to rebuild it for their father and uncles. It was damaged again in 2014. Now it is a skeleton, torched from the inside. Everything we build vanishes with any escalation, any war, Youssef Salem said. After the 2021 war, he told his wife it was time to leave with their toddler daughter. He found work as a legal analyst in Istanbul and begged members of his extended family to join him. He took a little bit of Gaza with him his books, his traditional checkered kuffiyeh scarf. His wife packed wedding and family photos and her favorite trinkets. After Oct. 7, he took advantage of the safety of exile to coordinate for relatives in Gaza as they chased shelter and food. He connected them to one another and kept them updated with the news. I left Gaza, but I still belong, said Youssef Salem, who told AP his family story over a series of telephone interviews. On Dec. 11, the square that carries the family name was brimming with 150 relatives, some displaced there and others who came for the funeral of two of their own, killed in an earlier strike. Battles had been raging between Hamas and Israeli forces for days about a half-mile (kilometer) away. Just before dawn, airstrikes hit the Salem compound. The explosions knocked down one building, leaving a pile of debris, and sheared the facades off several others. Survivors deny any fighters were in the compound. Videos showed men clawing through crushed concrete to remove the bodies of men, women and children. A donkey cart waited at the top of the street to transport the bodies. Sufyan Salem, a second cousin to Youssef, survived only because he had given over his apartment to visitors and was sleeping down the street. Among the 80 Salem family dead: his mother, three brothers, his only sister and her four children. At least 27 are missing beneath rubble that has yet to be cleared away. Those who left us are the ones who received some comfort. The survivors are longing for relief, Sufyan Salem wrote on Facebook. In Istanbul, Youssef Salem updated the spreadsheet. Three days later, most of the surviving Salems followed orders from an Israeli pamphlet dropped from an airplane to head to the Rimal neighborhood. More than 200 people were crammed inside the abandoned two-story villa, mostly women, children, and the elders. They raised a white flag above the home. Israeli troops i n Rimal were establishing bases and set up snipers on roofs. A curfew was in place for four days. The sounds of combat echoed from an adjacent neighborhood. Munir, his uncle, snapped a reassuring photo of the men playing cards, a family tradition. They even secured coal for their water pipes. On Dec. 18, Israeli tanks rolled in, tearing down the fence and ordering the family out. Mohamed Salem, Youssefs 21-year-old cousin, overheard Munir and other men of the family, who spoke Hebrew, refusing to leave. It was the fourth time theyd been ordered out of a shelter, and they said nowhere was safe. Besides, they argued, the Israeli army controlled Rimal. Mohammed Salem slipped out to fetch water for another cousin, who was pregnant, and Sham, a baby girl born during a brief truce in November. Shortly after midnight, Mohamed Salem, standing on a building across the street from their villa, counted four direct hits from airstrikes. The villa collapsed, and bodies were flung outside. With snipers and soldiers everywhere, he didnt dare approach until daybreak brought an end to the Israeli curfew and he and a cousin watched tanks roll over relatives half-buried in the debris. It took days longer to pull out the decomposing bodies of his uncles, Saeed and Munir. There are bodies in the ground still. No one can reach them yet, Mohamed Salem said. He said from the house packed with more than 200 Salems, only 10 are still alive. Nine-year-old Abdullah is the only survivor of his bloodline Israeli strikes killed his father, mother and seven sisters. In May, Mohammed Salem survived two strikes on his home that he returned to in north Gaza. Seven family members perished. Of Gazas 400,000 families, none has been spared, said Omar Shabaan, an independent researcher and economist from Gaza, hurting Gazas society, history, and future. Everyone is targeted; families from all classes, poor, Bedouins, farmers, businessmen, wealthy people who are nationalist but unaffiliated with political action. There is no distinction, said Shabaan, whose family counts many dead, including nine women. It is becoming clear that this is a targeting of the social structure. People of Gaza will be preoccupied for months after the war ends with looking for their missing and removing those under the rubble, Shabaan said. If they find the bodies, they will start going after the paperwork. They will start looking for papers to prove them as humans: Their death and birth certificates, their graduation papers, their land or home deeds, he said. By June, the Salems' effort to document the toll was coming apart. Yousef Salem despaired of counting his familys dead. His cousin who took over the spreadsheet was critically injured in a strike. When the family had one martyr, it lived in grief for all its life. Imagine now, he said, his voice cracking. How could we still be sane after all of this? Now all he does is call his mother in Gaza every day to make sure she is still alive. ___ Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Lee Keath in Cairo, and Samya Kullab in Baghdad contributed to this report. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A prestigious London prep school is embroiled in a debate over cultural appropriation after doing away with its historic Native American house names. The decision was made by Dulwich Prep to avoid offending those of Native American ancestry and cited to a wider cultural shift in societys understanding as history evolves. According to reports, the independent boys school had also received some complaints from parents about the ongoing use of tribe names. While the current head has defended the change in an open letter to parents, former pupils have argued that the former house names Chippeway, Deerfeet, Mohican or Ojibwa were an integral part of their experience. BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, 79, was one of those who questioned the decision, arguing that the house names, which had been in place since 1916, were not offensive. He told the Mail on Sunday: Im really depressed that something fundamental to the experience of every Dulwich Prep kid which of us doesnt remember whether he was a Chippeway, Deerfeet, Mohican or Ojibwa? is being done away with. Being a Mohican a house for bright but awkward and not terribly sporty kids marked my future. I dont suppose itll matter to what is nowadays a very fine school, but it matters to everyone who was there, no matter how old they are now. Dulwich Prep ( Alamy ) And to what end? So indigenous Americans wont accuse Dulwich of cultural appropriation? Please. Theyve got better things to do. Following the decision to change its house names, the school has now been likened to Hogwarts by critics after naming its houses after mythical creatures instead Lamassu, Phoenix, Pegasus and Gryphon. Andrew Roberts, Baron Roberts of Belgravia, a historian, 61, said that removing the names was actually offensive to indigenous people. The member of the House of Lords argued that the old names celebrated Native American culture. How racist of Dulwich Prep to do away with these noble tribal names that celebrate Native American culture, and replace them with pure Harry Potter names like Gryphon, he said, per The Times. Dulwich Prep, formerly known as Dulwich College Preparatory School, first opened its doors in 1885. While bursaries are available, fees can range from 5,700 to 8,185 a year. The decision to change the house names was defended by headmaster, Ms Louise Davidson. For over a century, the school has looked to Native American culture as an inspiration and a way of helping our pupils understand how to lead a good life. The reason for their adoption was one of appreciation and hope, which is still their core today, she wrote in an open later to parents. We recognise that, as societys understanding of history evolves, and [with] research that has included advice from the National Congress of American Indians, we have decided to move away from using tribes as our house system. The decision to change the house names has also been criticised by online commentators. One Twitter/X user wrote: A ridiculous and unnecessary kneejerk reaction by [Dulwich Prep]. Weak and woke. Perhaps Dulwich Prep should ask native Americans what they think as the Prep is unable to think at all, added a second. But not everyone was so critical. A third defended the decision, writing: The decision to drop the use of tribe names at Dulwich Prep is part of a broader trend towards cultural sensitivity and respect. By avoiding the use of tribe names, the school is taking a step towards acknowledging and respecting the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples. This move reflects a growing awareness of the importance of cultural appropriation and the need to be mindful of the impact of our words and actions on marginalised communities. It is a positive step towards creating a more inclusive and respectful environment for all students. A spokesperson for Dulwich Prep told The Independent: Over recent years, a number of our parents have raised with the school the appropriateness of our house names in the modern context. While everyone fully understands that individuals in 1916 chose the names out of admiration for Native American culture, we felt it was right to at least ask the question whether the names continued to be suitable in the 21st century. The exciting opening of our new Senior School in 2025 also made this the ideal opportunity to explore the topic further. Following a period of research and reflection, which included liaising with the National Congress of American Indians in the USA, we received their advice that our house names could be viewed as cultural appropriation. As a result, we started a process with our pupils to explore alternative options. Whenever changes are made to a system that has helped generations of children to flourish, it understandably stirs emotions for our alumni. In so many ways, it is heartening that these names continue to mean something to them as they progress through life. As a school, we have a responsibility to prepare our current children for the world that awaits them, which is one of the reasons for the change. We will continue the characteristics admired all those years ago, placing full emphasis on our Values Ethos of Love, Courage, Gratitude, Humility, Justice, Service, Self-Discipline, and Honesty, which are woven into all aspects of education at the school. Our hope is that our current and future children will also look back fondly on these new house system names in years to come. 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 }} Unsafe levels of the vomiting and diarrhoea-causing bacteria E coli have been found at more than 10 per cent of blue-flag beaches, The Independent can reveal. Analysis of official data shows that eight out of 72 of the countrys best beaches recorded high levels of E coli on at least one occasion last month. Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of the Keep Britain Tidy charity, called on the next government to treat cleaning up the countrys rivers and coastal waters as a matter of urgency. The Environment Agency (EA) says water containing more than 1,000 colonies of E coli per 100ml is of poor quality and advises against bathing or swimming in it, although it is not banned. Several of the eight Blue Flag beaches recorded more than double this level, with one seven times over the limit. Seaburn (Sunderland), Roker (Sunderland), Whitby (Scarborough), Christchurch Avon (Bournemouth), Beer (east Devon) Seaton (east Devon) and Sidmouth beaches all recorded more than 1,000 colonies of E coli in at least one sample taken between 1 and 28 May. Southend, Westcliff Bay (Essex) recorded 7,200. View more Blue Flags are awarded to well-managed beaches that meet strict international standards on water quality and cleanliness. The disclosure that some of the beaches renowned for their usually clean water and pristine sand recorded high levels of E coli is likely to fuel concerns about sewage spills by water companies. Water companies have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years after it emerged that many have been discharging sewage into the countrys rivers and coastal waters. Across the UK, rain and sewage share the same pipes in a combined system, meaning that sewage treatment works can sometimes become overwhelmed. Seaburn beach in Sunderland is one of eight beaches to have recorded unsafe levels of E coli ( Getty ) When this happens waste is spilled into waterways from storm overflows to prevent the system from blocking up, potentially causing problems in homes and other properties. Storm overflows are only supposed to be activated during extreme weather but for years they have been used routinely, with some water companies discharging sewage even on days when it has not rained. Human waste, wet wipes and sanitary products can be contained within the overflows, posing a risk to wildlife and swimmers. Earlier this month The Independent revealed that sewage had been pumped into one of the countrys most unique chalk stream rivers for nearly five months, including 21 days when it was not raining. The EA defines a dry day as one when there has been no rainfall above 0.25mm on that day and the preceding 24 hours. Dry spilling is illegal because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways. Paul de Zylva, nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth, called on the government to ramp up the testing of bathing water at designated sites across the UK. Designated bathing sites are currently only monitored between May and October. He added: Clearly, the bathing water system is not fit for purpose. As well as taking urgent action to address the sewage scandal, including by ensuring water companies, not their customers, pay for the clean up, the next government must restore the Environment Agencys staffing and budgets to do proper pollution monitoring 365 days a year so that everyone has a right to know the state of their local environment and to protect their health. The Blue Flag network is an international award system operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education. Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy manages classifications in the UK. On 28 May samples from Westcliff Bay, Southend, recorded 7,000 colonies of E coli per 100ml of water seven times above the level considered safe for swimming in ( Google ) Ms Ogden-Newton said: We, along with everyone in the country, care passionately about the quality of our bathing beaches and are monitoring the situation closely. We call on the next government, as a matter of urgency, to work with us and with all those who want to see us keep our world-class beaches to find a solution to this environmental threat. The EA said it would continue to monitor water quality at designated bathing sites across the country. Overall, water quality has improved over the past decade and further improvements will take time and investment from water companies, farms and local communities, it added. It comes after health authorities issued an urgent warning over E coli poisoning following an outbreak officials believe is linked to a nationally distributed food source. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that there had been 211 cases of Shiga toxin-producing E coli (STEC) associated with the outbreak, between 25 May and 11 June. Typically, around 1,500 cases of this type of E coli are seen in the UK each year. Some 42 per cent of the 160 STEC cases examined resulted in the patient being admitted to hospital, the UKHSA said. It added there is no evidence the outbreak is linked to open farms, drinking water, or swimming in contaminated seawater, lakes or rivers. 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 }} Food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in several major supermarkets and over fears they are linked to a serious outbreak of E.coli. More than 200 cases of the infection have been confirmed across the UK so far. The figure is expected to rise in the next week. Earlier this month, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that E.coli cases reported across the UK were part of a single outbreak. Virologists have warned the illness can be much worse in young children, elderly people and those with underlying conditions in their immune system. Due to the wide geographic spread of cases, the agency said it believed this was linked to a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items. On June 14, major food manufacturers issued product recall notices relating to a variety of sandwiches, wraps and salads. Greencore Group was the first company to issue a product recall on June 14, closely followed by Samworth Brothers Manton Wood. Food maker THIS! has since recalled its vegan chicken and bacon wrap. UKHSA warned that E.coli cases reported across the UK were part of a single outbreak ( Getty Images/iStockphoto ) The products being recalled by Greencore include sandwiches, wraps and salads sold at Sainsburys, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op, and retail pharmacy chain Boots. Here is the full list of products that have been recalled over possible contamination with E.coli: THIS!: WH Smith THIS! Isnt Chicken and Bacon Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 18 Greencore Group: Aldi Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Amazon BLT Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Asda Smoky Beans and Cheddar Cheese Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Chicken Salad (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Chicken and Bacon Club (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Brie, Bacon and Chilli Chutney (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda BLT (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots BBQ Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots BLT (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Cheddar Cheese Ploughmans (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Chicken Salad (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Amazon Chicken Salad Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Chicken Triple (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Delicious Ham and Cheese Ploughmans (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Halloumi and Greek Style Salad Wrap with use-by date up to and including June 16 Boots Ham and Egg Club (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Mixed Triple (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Southern Fried Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Spicy Bean and Cheese Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Vegan No Chicken Salad (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Vegan No Duck and Hoisin Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Boots Veggie Triple (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Amazon Ploughmans Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Co-op Vegan Gro Onion Bhaji (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Co-op Mexican Style Bean and Cheese Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Co-op Ham, Cheese and Pickle (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Co-op Ham and Cheese Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Co-op Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 17 Co-op Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Morrisons Chicken Salad (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Morrisons Chicken Salad PFS (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Morrisons Gluten Free Chicken Salad (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Morrisons Gluten Free Sandwich Platter with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Amazon Chicken and Bacon Layered Salad with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Sainsburys Peri Peri Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Sainsburys BBQ Pulled Pork and Red Leicester (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Sainsburys Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Focaccia (Sandwich) with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Sainsburys Greek Style Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Sainsburys Jerk Halloumi Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Amazon Prawn Layered Salad with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Asda Vegan No Chicken Caesar Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Tuna Crunch Sub Roll with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Southern Fried Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Asda Southern Fried Chicken Triple Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 15 Samworth Brothers Manton Wood: Tesco Chicken Salad Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Chicken Salad Sub with use-by dates up to and including June 16 The Gym Kitchen Peri Peri Chicken Chilled Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 OneStop Tuna Crunch Sub with use-by dates up to and including June 16 OneStop Chicken Salad Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 17 OneStop Hoisin Duck Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 17 OneStop Chicken, Bacon and Lettuce Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 17 Tesco BBQ Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Hoi Sin Duck Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco The Chicken Club Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Tuna Crunch Sub with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Spicy Bean Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Chicken, Bacon and Lettuce Sandwich with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Fajita Chicken Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 Tesco Summer Edition Greek Style Chicken Gyros Wrap with use-by dates up to and including June 16 What is E.coli? E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals. They are normally harmless, although some strains can make people very ill. All the cases recorded in the outbreak involve Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (Stec). According to UKHSA, there are typically about 1,500 Stec infections over a full year. What are the symptoms of E.coli People infected with Stec can suffer diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. About 50% of cases can develop bloody diarrhoea. Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases. A person washes their hands under a tap (Philip Toscano/PA) ( PA Archive ) However, virologists have warned the illness can be much worse in young children, elderly people and those with underlying conditions in their immune system. How do you prevent E.coli infection? You can prevent E.coli by ensuring you wash pre-prepared bag salad, fruits and vegetables and cook them thoroughly. The UKHSA also advises people to regularly wash their hands with soap and water, as alcohol gel does not kill all bugs that cause diarrhoeal illness. Hand-washing is particularly important after using the toilet and before preparing food. If you do have symptoms, like diarrhoea and vomiting, do not prepare food for others and do not visit people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection. People should also not attend work, school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped. UKHSA advises people to call NHS 111 or contact their GP surgery if they are concerned about a baby under 12 months, if a child stops breast or bottle feeding while theyre ill, or if child under give years of age shows signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies. You should also seek medical help if signs of dehydration persist after using oral rehydration sachets, if you or your child can not stop being sick or keep fluid down, if you or your child has bloody diarrhoea, or if diarrhoea last for more than seven days and vomiting more than two days. 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 }} The governments troubled flagship super-prison has now seen its third leadership change in just two years after its governor was sent to take over at another struggling jail in a situation likened to rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. Repeated leadership changes have caused disruption since HMP Five Wells opened in March 2022, inspectors warned in April, with nearly two-thirds of staff having left already, and drug use reported to be rampant. The jails new governor, Will Styles, was praised for bringing some stability to the prison. But Mr Styles has now been sent to take over at a different G4S jail instead, HMP Parc, where 10 prisoners have died in the space of three months resulting in protests and disorder. Staff need leadership, not Titanic deckchairs, said Professor John Podmore, a former governor of Belmarsh, Brixton and Swaleside. The creation of six new super-prisons is central to Tory and Labour plans to fix the crisis engulfing Britains prison system by creating 20,000 new prison places. But Professor Podmore said the difficulties evidenced at Five Wells show that the policy of building their way out of a crisis is failing and doomed to failure. The first inspection at Five Wells, carried out in December, alarmingly highlighted that just 272 of the nearly 750 staff hired since the prison opened less than two years prior still remained in post leaving it dependent on officers loaned from other jails. And inspectors warned that the flood of illicit drugs at the new G4S-run jail had the potential to undermine the stability of the prison, with around a third of inmates found to be using drugs in random testing. Super-prisons are central to Tory and Labour plans to fix the overcrowding crisis ( Getty/ The Independent ) Rates of violence and self-harm had reduced from the turmoil reported in the prisons first two years of operation, but the rate of self-harm was still very high, with 1,256 incidents recorded in a year. Prof Podmore told The Independent: If youve spent a quarter of a billion pounds [building Five Wells] [and] two years in [theres] bugger all in the way of education, training and employment, a third of the prisons on drugs, and 500 staff have left... Shouldnt we be doing a bit better than that? If your house is falling off a cliff, you dont build a conservatory on it this is what theyre doing. You cant add to a failing system, he said, adding: Theres no point building places people dont want to work in and that people dont want to lead. Yes, theres a money problem; yes, theres an overcrowding problem but look at drugs, look at staffing, he said. Thats not about overcrowding, thats about how the Prison Service is run. Expressing concern about the situation at HMP Parc, Prof Podmore warned that the Bridgend prison is ground zero for a crisis of lethal new synthetic opioids about to engulf our prisons. Members of the Welsh parliament have warned of a scandal unfolding at Parc, which has already suffered more deaths in a single year than any Welsh prison on record. Four are believed to have involved synthetic opioids, with another death potentially also drug-related, police said in April. One 19-year-old recently recalled to the prison had been on suicide watch when he took his own life, having struggled with addiction, his aunt told ITV Wales in late May during a protest held outside the prison by bereaved families. The situation at HMP Parc has sparked calls for justice to be devolved in Wales ( Alamy/PA ) Just days after the protest outside the jail, riot officers were called to HMP Parc on 31 May in response to disorder involving 20 prisoners on a wing housing 100 inmates. In a simultaneous incident, an altercation between three prisoners left each requiring hospital treatment. G4S said the two short-lived incidents were resolved by onsite G4S staff, with all 20 prisoners returned to their cells by the time riot officers arrived at the jail, and no prisoners or staff injured. And on Monday night, an inmate was rushed to hospital with facial injuries following an altercation involving a weapon, just days after G4S told Wales Online that a prisoner had been taken to hospital as a precaution and another assessed by onsite medics in two suspected drug-related incidents. The firm said it is strengthening security measures to prevent drugs entering Parc, that it carried out a prison-wide lockdown search as soon as synthetic opioids were detected, and that it has trained more than 500 frontline staff in administering the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, in a move praised by experts. Mr Styles who has been praised for bringing stability to Five Wells has now taken over at HMP Parc after Heather Whitehead, appointed only last August, left by mutual agreement, G4S said. He will be replaced at Five Wells by Pete Small, whose approach at HMP Rye Hill was lauded by inspectors in a recent report highlighting innovation and best practice, G4S noted. The report concluded that consistency in leadership roles is required to maintain a positive culture in prisons. A G4S spokesperson said Mr Styles had been instrumental in bringing Five Wells to full occupancy and establishing the foundations of a safe, respectful and purposeful environment for prisoners and staff, adding that violence and self-harm had continued to fall since the December inspection. G4S said it was pleased inspectors had highlighted examples of good practice at Five Wells around prisoner support, adding: We are committed to developing a stronger and broader purposeful activity, skills and education programme to enhance employment opportunities for prisoners. 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 }} An injured cow who was repeatedly mowed down by a police car has been offered an idyllic retirement home at a nearby animal sanctuary. The shocking incident took place on Friday night in Staines-upon-Thames when the cow was repeatedly hit by a 4x4 police car from Surrey Police. Officers claimed that this was done to protect the public after they spent two hours trying to capture the animal following its escape from its grazing field around five miles away from where the incident took place. But witnesses and animal rights activists have argued that the cow presented no danger to anyone, and that the situation was completely mishandled. Now, The Retreat Animal Sanctuary has offered to rehome the 10-month-old breeding heifer named Beau Lucy, who was left with a large gash on her leg and superficial wounds. While she is now being cared for at her home farm and has received veterinary treatment, Billy H Thompson, the sanctuarys founder and director, said that they would like to offer Beau a full life at a sanctuary after her ordeal. He said that he could absolutely take in the calf and offered an insight into the life she could have at the sanctuary. The escaped cow has been offered a new home ( Screengrab ) Weve got long, lush grasses of pastures and shady pastures under mature oak trees its all very idyllic, he said of the Kent-based establishment. We have 18 cows that live with us. Theyre two separate herds, and theyre all terribly individual with incredible personalities just like dogs and cats are. I think that when we talk about these things, the great British public absolutely do understand this. Even those who are not vegetarians or vegans, they will want that cow to be rehomed. I would love to see this little calf surrendered to an animal sanctuary. It would be a dream come true for me. Thompson noted that this is not the first time that a cow has been forcibly hit with a police car to apprehend it. As reported by Berkshire Live, a similar incident took place in 2021 when a cow was deliberately mown down by Thames Valley police just off the A3290. This incident prompted similar outrage from the public, with Facebook user Natalie Shaw writing: The officers should be investigated, there was no need at all to run it down like that. Thompson believes that the cow in Staines-upon-Thames could have been easily apprehended without the use of force. He added: The little thing was terrified. Even with a fearful animal, you can absolutely be kind and push them to where you want them to go. No one was really at risk of anything she was a tiny little calf. The police could have got out of their car and put their arms up and very kindly corralled her into somewhere. Its so disappointing. We are meant to be a nation of animal lovers. The owner of the cow, Rob, and his partner, Kate, echoed those thoughts and agreed that the police involved did not know enough about farm animals to deal with the situation correctly. Kate said Beau Lucy was really scared and agitated when she returned to him. She said that the animal was simply spooked at the time of the police incident and presented no danger to the public when it was repeatedly rammed by police. Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought he should lose his job. I just thought it was disgusting, I couldnt believe it, she said. I dont know if it was his decision to drive at the animal or whether he was instructed to, but the police, when they got out of the car looked pretty agitated themselves. I can only imagine the police that did it have no idea about farm animals. This is not the first time that police have been caught on camera hitting an escaped cow with a vehicle ( Kai Bennetts/PA Wire ) While there is no suggestion that the Staines farm from which the calf escaped from has anything other than high ethical and welfare standards, some have now called for Beau Lucy to live a longer life elsewhere. The sanctuary founder explained that as a 10-month-old beef cow, Beau Lucy will likely be slaughtered at some point next year when she is 22 months old. The Humane League reports that the natural lifespan of a cow is 15 to 20 years old. The cow was thrown an estimated 30ft by the police car ( PA Media ) Thompsons opinion about what should happen to the cow has been echoed by PETA, who told The Independent that the animal should be urgently rehomed. PETAs Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen said: The young calf must have been completely terrified and confused as they were cruelly and forcefully mown down by a police car no less and pinned to the ground. There is no justification for this violence. The police are meant to protect, not harm. An investigation into the actions of the officers involved must urgently be undertaken and the calf safely rehomed at a sanctuary. Following the shocking incident, Surrey Police released a statement revealing that an officer involved in the incident has been removed from public-facing duties pending an investigation. The RSPCA has also offered to work with the police force to better equip them to deal with farm animals. The Independent has reached out to Surrey Police and Thames Valley Police for further comment. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The number of children affected by the two-child benefit cap will rise by a third over the next five years, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned. The limit currently affects two million children, with more hit each year because it applies to those born after April 5 2017. Next year, 250,000 more children will be affected, rising to 670,000 before the end of the next parliament if the policy is not reformed, according to the think tank. The two-child limit is one of the most significant welfare cuts since 2010 and, unlike many of those cuts, it becomes more important each year as it is rolled out to more families Eduin Latimer, Institute for Fiscal Studies Neither Labour nor the Conservatives have in their General Election manifestos vowed to scrap the Tory policy long blamed for keeping children in poverty. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would not commit to scrapping the cap, adding that it is a tough decision but said were not going to make commitments that are unfunded, referring to decisions made by former prime minister Liz Truss. The cap, described as cruel by campaigners, was introduced in 2017 and restricts Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit to the first two children in most households. When fully rolled out, it will affect one in five children, rising to 38% of those in the poorest fifth of households, the IFS research found. It said 43% of children in households with at least one person of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin will be affected. The limit has been a significant contributor to child poverty amongst large families Mubin Haq, abrdn Financial Fairness Trust Affected households on average will lose 4,300 per year, representing 10% of their income, according to the analysis. The introduction of the cap has helped drive up the share of children in large families who are in relative poverty from 35% in 2014-15 to 46% in 202223, a period when poverty for families with one or two children fell, the IFS said. The research institute said removing the cost of the limit would cost the Government about 3.4 billion a year, roughly the same as freezing fuel duties for the next parliament. IFS research economist, Eduin Latimer, said: The two-child limit is one of the most significant welfare cuts since 2010 and, unlike many of those cuts, it becomes more important each year as it is rolled out to more families. Any government serious about making things better for the next generation will have to scrap the two-child limit Alison Garnham, Child Poverty Action Group Mubin Haq, chief executive of the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, which funded the research, said: The limit has been a significant contributor to child poverty amongst large families during a period when poverty for families with one or two children fell. If the next government is serious about tackling child poverty, it will need to review the two-child limit. There is an inherent unfairness in the policy as it affects only those children born after April 5 2017. The majority of families affected are in work or have caring responsibilities for disabled relatives or young children. Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Garnham said: Child poverty in the UK is a national disgrace and the biggest driver of it is the two-child limit. It makes life worse for kids up and down the country and limits their future chances. Children affected by child poverty dont have a voice in this election but politicians from all parties have a responsibility to them to show leadership. Any government serious about making things better for the next generation will have to scrap the two-child limit, and do so quickly. Here is yet more shocking evidence of the huge scale of the damage being caused to children and families by the cruel two-child limit, which is well known to push families into poverty and which, if scrapped, would lift 300,000 children out of hardship Paul Carberry, Action for Children Paul Carberry, chief executive at Action for Children, said: Here is yet more shocking evidence of the huge scale of the damage being caused to children and families by the cruel two-child limit, which is well known to push families into poverty and which, if scrapped, would lift 300,000 children out of hardship. The election presents an opportunity for bold and ambitious action to be taken and for all political parties to commit to ending child poverty once and for all. That must include an increase to the child element of Universal Credit and scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap. SNP social justice spokesman David Linden pointed the finger at Labour, claiming the party would push thousands of Scottish children into poverty. Its utterly disgraceful and it shows why its vital to vote SNP to reject Starmers cuts, tackle child poverty and put Scotlands interests first, he added. The SNP has put eradicating child poverty at the heart of our election campaign. Weve lifted 100,000 children out of poverty with progressive policies like the Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant and were demanding action at Westminster, including an emergency budget to scrap the two-child cap, raise Universal Credit, and abolish the bedroom tax. Its shameful the Labour Party is wedded to welfare cuts and Brexit policies that will make child poverty and the cost of living even worse. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour has spent over 2.4 million on social media ads since the general election campaign began, more than twice as much as the Tories. Analysis by campaign spending non-profit Who Targets Me has found political parties spent more than 3.49 million on social media advertising since Rishi Sunak called the election on 22 May. Around 70 per cent of that has been commissioned by Labour Party groups and candidates, including Sir Keir Starmer, Welsh Labour, and Rachel Reeves. By comparison, the Conservative Party has spent 906,916 on social media advertising during the same period almost all of which has been targeted via Meta / Facebook. Sam Jeffers, co-founder of Who Targets Me, says Labours social media spending is also more diversified than the Tories. I think the main difference between the two parties is that Labours done a lot more [social media campaigns] through candidates, as well as more regional pages. It also has a lot more of its shadow front-bench individuals running ads too. The Tory campaign so far has been run primarily through the main Conservative Party page. Meta (Facebook) and Google (including YouTube) are the two main avenues for digital advertising. However, almost all parties have focused on Meta advertisements and invested next-to-nothing in Google. Only Labour has invested a substantial amount in Google advertising, to the tune of 831,000. While the Tories have invested the most in ads for the main Conservative Party Facebook page, (566,672), Labours social media campaigns on Meta have been more widely spread across the main party (184,000), regional groups, and candidate-specific Facebook pages. Labour's now running a number of ads to designed counter Conservative claims about their plans on tax. Interesting that they aren't targeting people 18-25 and 65+ with these. pic.twitter.com/SHV3lesYqC Who Targets Me (@WhoTargetsMe) June 13, 2024 Mr Jeffers explains Labours higher spending on social media may be explained by a more coordinated and prepared digital strategy. Some of it is due to preparation. Labour had far more candidates selected at the start of the campaign, and everyone felt very briefed. they had all recorded candidate videos, theyd been trained on how to run their own ad campaigns, he said. Mr Jeffers added: When you look at Labour Party social media accounts, most are using Labour branding, and the Change slogan. Whereas if you look at the Conservative campaign, its got lots of freelance going on, and people doing their own thing. Only some people are using party branding. Five new Tory ads attacking Labour on tax started running overnight. https://t.co/pEnaCWpWFc pic.twitter.com/oYYmayE8J7 Who Targets Me (@WhoTargetsMe) June 17, 2024 The Labour Party page on Facebook has been targeting its ads across the country, with a particularly high focus on Rochester, Nuneaton, Stafford, and Mansfield. Meanwhile, the Tories have been targeting men aged over 45, but have not focused social media ads to specific seats and regions, says Mr Jeffers. The Tories are not really doing any geographical targeting, he said. Their main Google account just targets all of England and Wales, it doesnt seem to be particularly focused on anywhere at all. Its not yet listed any specific places in its advertising at all. So essentially, its like a big spread across the country, he said. There is a question of, what type of campaign are people actually running on digital? Are they running hyper-targeted constituency-level campaigns, or are they running a more national air war? My sense of the Tory campaign right now is its that, it doesnt know who it wants to target. It sort of wants to find these Reform voters, and try to bring them back into the fold. Its going to do that wherever it can. The Green Party and Liberal Democrats have both spent around 67,000 on social media ads during this campaign; despite the fact that Greens chances are largely concentrated in two seats, while the Lib Dems are gambling for 48, according to YouGovs estimates. Green Party leader Carla Denyer has spent one of the highest amounts for a single candidate in this campaign period - 39,299 - targeting voters in her desired constituency of Bristol Central. Other than Ms Denyer, the top expenditure from candidate-specific social media pages in this campaign are: Keir Starmer (210,498), Bridget Phillipson (31,498), Rachel Reeves (28,247) and Ameet Jogia (25,483). The Greens Carla Denyer spent more money on her ad campaign than anyone but Keir Starmer ( ITV ) In addition to ads on the party-wide Facebook page, the Lib Dems have invested in social media ads targeting 19 different constituencies, with top spending in Carlisle, Witney, and Fareham. Reform UK have spent just 12,700 on Facebook ads since the start of the campaign. Reform candidate Rupert Lowe has spent the majority of this on his campaign in Greater Yarmouth (7,414). 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 }} Almost half of people working in key services have considered quitting their job as they struggle because of a shameful level of hardship, a study has found. The study, by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, found that around 40 per cent of people who work in primary schools and GP surgeries were staggering under the weight of hardship, as resources have to be redirected to provide extra support to the nearly four million people struggling to pay for essentials like food, heating and appropriate clothing. The researchers surveyed more than 1,000 staff at primary schools and primary and community care settings across England, Wales and Scotland. Sixty per cent of respondents said hardship has made it more difficult to do their job well. Almost half of people working in key services have considered quitting their job, a study has found ( Getty Images ) Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: Hardship has reached a shameful level in the UK, with almost four million people finding themselves in destitution in a single year unable to keep themselves dry, warm and fed. As the parties compete to lead the UK government after 4th July, we need them to get serious about tackling the scale and depth of hardship which is afflicting millions and holding families back from building better lives. No plan for our schools or NHS should be taken seriously if it doesnt include tackling hardship. While the responsibility for those services rests with the Scottish Government, the next UK government need to step up to their shared responsibility to bear down on the hardship that people in Scotland, and across the UK, face. Leaving millions to live without essential items such as enough food or heating doesnt just rob people of options or dignity, it also adds to the pressures on the services we all rely on. Primary schools and GP services are staggering under the weight of hardship it shouldnt fall to them to ensure families are not going hungry. As a country we need our politicians to address hardship at source, not look the other way. Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls on party leaders to get serious about scale of hardship affecting millions ( Getty Images/iStockphoto ) Researchers found that an estimated 48 per cent of primary school pupils have experienced hardship so far this year, resulting in pupils coming to school tired, hungry or upset, and teachers having to take time out of lessons to support them, or having to buy them food out of their own pockets. One teacher in west central Scotland told them: If children arent ready to learn theyve not had their breakfast, theyre hungry, or theyve had a really troubling night then you can see a huge shift in terms of focus and readiness you tend to find those are the children that cry most and their behaviour is their way of saying they need help. There was a similar situation reported in primary and community healthcare settings, such as GP surgeries, where an estimated 57% of patients had experienced hardship over the past year, and where almost half of respondents said their workplace offered a food bank. Researchers also found that hardship causes and exacerbates ill health, leading to more complex conditions and more frequent, longer appointments. One GP in west central Scotland told researchers: One patient with a cardiac problem has missed over a dozen appointments and says its because he cant afford the transport its a two-bus journey each way. This means multiple appointments with me going round in circles as we havent had the investigations to make a diagnosis. This then wastes multiple NHS appointments which is frustrating. Mr Birt said: We still need to hear from all our politicians on how theyll take urgent action to support families, as well as setting out bold, long-term solutions which ensure that everyone in our country can at least afford the essentials. Additional reporting by Press Association. 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 }} If you want politics as pantomime, Sir Keir Starmer said at his partys manifesto launch last week, I hear Clacton is nice this time of year. The Labour leaders remarks were a not-so-subtle barb at Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, who has launched his return to politics in the Essex seat. But Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labours candidate, will be hoping he can convince voters in the seat to call curtains on Mr Farages eighth attempt to become an MP. A recent poll by Electoral Calculus suggests Mr Farage is likely to win the constituency relatively comfortably, securing 39 per cent of the vote. Labour is meanwhile projected to come second with 28 per cent and the party is telling locals that Mr Owusu-Nepaul is the only one who can keep Mr Farage out - calling on voters to cast their ballots tactically. Mr Owusu-Nepaul went to school in Southampton, attending the Warwash Maritime School at Solent University, which specialises in training for those considering working in the maritime industry. He went on to study politics, philosophy and economics at Goldsmiths University in south-east London, graduating with a 2:1 and a distinction in his dissertation, which was a comparative analysis of the political economy of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn, against the party under the leadership of Tony Blair. He also studied at the University of Cambridge, achieving a master of studies (MSt) in history before throwing himself into politics. During his studies, he served as chair of the Lewisham Deptford Constituency Labour Party and was the first British African/Indo-Caribbean ever to hold the position, and was also one of the youngest Labour chairs at the time. His selection as Labours candidate in Clacton was officially confirmed by the party in May. Polls project Mr Farage will win the seat in Clacton for Reform UK ( Reuters ) A press release described the prospective MP, an active trade unionist and campaigner, as a young man with a passion for revitalising the constituency and a desire for change. Mr Owusu-Nepaul said it had been the honour of my life to be selected as Labours candidate in Clacton, adding: I know we can mount a campaign to give us a fighting chance of winning the next election and give residents in places like Clacton, Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze and the surrounding villages a stronger voice in Westminster. The Conservative Party has held Clacton since 2017, when Giles Watling secured a majority of 15,828. Douglas Carwell won the seat from the Tories in a 2014 by-election after he defected from the party to stand for UKIP, Mr Farages old party. According to the Electoral Calculus projection, the Conservatives are on course to secure 25 per cent of the vote, with the Liberal Democrats on 4.4 per cent, the Greens on 2.4 per cent and other parties on 1.2 per cent. But the Best for Britain campaign group claims its analysis shows Labour can still come through the middle to win the seat if Green and Lib Dem voters back the party. The claim came as part of a wider tactical voting analysis by the group published this morning for 451 seats across the UK, including a plan to unseat prime minister Rishi Sunak, his chancellor Jeremy Hunt and predecessor Liz Truss. Best for Britains chief executive Naomi Smith said her group hoped to provide a roadmap for the four in 10 voters looking at voting tactically for centre-left parties and wanting to minimise the number of Tory seats, as well as preventing nativist, populist parties like Farages Reform UK getting a foothold in parliament. She said previous votes in the area showed there was strong Labour support in Harwich, part of the Clacton seat, which was suppressed by Brexit. But Harwich had been held by Labour in 1997 and 2001. She said: Our analysis shows that if the Greens and Lib Dems vote Labour then Labour can come through the middle and win Clacton. Nigel Farage has parked his tank firmly on Rishi Sunaks lawn with a manifesto designed to win over disgruntled Tory supporters and an extraordinary prediction he will be prime minister after the 2029 election. Launching Reform UKs so-called contract with the people, the arch-Brexiteer appealed directly to right-wing voters with policies including a freeze on non-essential immigration, scrapping net zero targets and pulling Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). His controversial pledges came as one prospective candidate was forced to stand down over historical comments urging people to vote BNP, while another described Adolf Hitler as brilliant. Jack Aaron, who is standing against defence secretary Grant Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield, made comments online praising Hitlers brilliant tactics, while Syrian president Bashar-al Assad was gentle by nature. While right-wingers revelled in Reform UKs wishlist of pledges, economists and experts ripped it apart for its fantasy economics and dangerous high-carbon anti-net zero policies. Sam Fankhauser, professor of climate economics and policy at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, told The Independent: Reform UK would like Britain to be a high-carbon island in a low-carbon world, missing out on 21st-century technology, innovation and growth. Our own research shows that the UK can meet its 2030 net zero targets with just six to eight billion pounds of additional public sector investment a year a small price to pay for a liveable planet. Meanwhile, the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) concluded that Reforms sums do not add up. Reform UK chairman Richard Tice (left) and party leader Nigel Farage launch Our Contract with You in Merthyr Tydfil on Monday ( PA ) IFS deputy director Carl Emmerson said the partys planned spending cuts, such as its 50bn crackdown on wasteful government spending, would save less than stated, while the proposed tax cuts would cost tens of billions of pounds more. He added: Even with the extremely optimistic assumptions about how much economic growth would increase, the sums in this manifesto do not add up. While Reforms manifesto gives a clear sense of priority, a government could only implement parts of this package, or would need to find other ways to help pay for it, which would mean losers not specified. The impact of Mr Farage on the campaign was underlined again as a Redfield and Wilton poll put Reform level with the Tories on 18 per cent, both well behind Labour on 43 per cent. But it all came as anti-Brexit campaign group Best for Britain said Labour could stop Mr Farage in his tracks with a potential victory in Clacton if the electorate votes tactically. Speaking ahead of the launch, the Reform leader said he was launching a crusade to defend British values and that the location was chosen because it shows everyone exactly what happens to a country when Labour is in charge. In a sign that Reforms policy document was not a serious programme for government, Mr Farage opened the event in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, with an admission: Im not going to pretend were going to win. Instead, he announced that the policies were issues his party planned to pursue in his self-appointed role as the opposition to Labour as part of a campaign to ensure he is prime minister after the 2029 election. Mr Farage lashed out at the soaring tax burden, touting 90bn per year worth of tax cuts for voters and a shake-up that would take 7 million people out of paying tax on their earnings altogether. Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign. The manifesto launch comes just days after Reform overtook the Tories for the first time in a national poll. It is still expected to win just one seat, with Mr Farage standing in Clacton, but threatens to deprive the Tories of majorities in tens of seats across the country. In a sign of increasing panic over the rise of Reform in the polls, a Conservative Party spokesperson responded to the manifesto launch by saying a vote for Reform risks delivering an unaccountable Labour majority. They added: That would hand Keir Starmer a blank cheque to raise your taxes, take no action on illegal immigration, and even rejoin the EU, with no way to stop him. And the Tories warned that if Labour got in, it would remain in power for a generation. Nigel Farage was criticised for spending more in the Reform UK manifesto than Liz Trusss disastrous mini-Budget ( PA Archive ) Reform said its manifesto pledges would cost 141bn to implement, setting out proposals to save 146bn to fund them. Tax expert Dan Neidle immediately noted that at least 38bn of Reforms tax cuts were unfunded, about twice the unfunded cost of Liz Trusss disastrous 2022 mini-Budget. But Mr Farage insisted the document showed radical, fresh, outside-the-box thinking. He said: Its not what youre going to get from the current Labour and Conservative parties who are virtually indistinguishable, frankly, from each other. Is this radical fresh thinking on economics? Yes. Is it radical fresh thinking on constitutional change? Yes. Is it a very radical change in the way our education system is currently bringing up our young children? Yes. And, in a sign of Mr Farages package appealing to traditional Tory backers, the usually Conservative-supporting Taxpayers Alliance said the manifesto offered Brits real relief. Mr Farage addressed criticism of the cost of the package by saying the party would merely be campaigning for the measures over five years as the voice of opposition to an expected Labour government. The manifesto also delved into the so-called culture wars, promising a ban on transgender ideology in schools with gender questioning, social transitioning and pronoun swapping prohibited. Nigel Farage signs a copy of his partys manifesto following its launch in Merthyr Tydfil ( PA Wire ) It also proposed a patriotic curriculum, which would include pairing the teaching of Britains history of slavery or European imperialism, with a non-European occurrence to ensure balance. Reform promised to make St Georges Day and St Davids Day public holidays, pledged a Free Speech Bill to stop left-wing bias and politically correct ideology and said it would scrap the TV licence, which funds the BBC. It also vowed to fast-track North Sea oil and gas licences. Mr Farage added that Reform wants to simplify the UKs tax system, which it says totals more than 21,000 pages, while Hong Kongs is 500 pages. The party is also proposing to lift the minimum profit threshold to 100,000 and reduce the main corporation tax rate from 25 per cent to 15 per cent in three years, which it says would free 1.2 million businesses. Elsewhere, it promises to abolish business rates for small and medium businesses by introducing an online delivery tax of 4 per cent for large companies. Mr Farages party also pledges to cut fuel duty by 20p per litre, scrap VAT on energy bills, scrap stamp duty on sales below 750,000 and ditch income tax for those earning less than 20,000. The document also states that inheritance tax would be scrapped for 98 per cent of all estates. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as Nigel Farage launches Reform UKs election manifesto on Monday 17 June. Farage is set to unveil the manifesto, which the party dubs a contract with voters, in Wales. Speaking ahead of the event, the Reform leader said he is launching a crusade to defend British values and that the location was chosen because it shows everyone exactly what happens to a country when Labour is in charge. He will set out Reforms policies in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, at 1pm before taking questions. The party will fight the election on immigration, with policies already announced including an employer immigration tax on companies who choose to employ overseas workers instead of British citizens. Reform has vowed to freeze lawful immigration with the exception of healthcare workers and leave the European Convention on Human Rights. On the economy, the party has set out an ambition to slash 91 billion off public spending by stopping the Bank of England paying interest on quantitative easing reserves and finding 50 billion of wasteful spending in Whitehall. It has promised there would be no tax on earnings under 20,000 a year, that it would abolish the governments net-zero targets and stand up for British culture, identity and values. 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 Reform UK candidate has defended saying Adolf Hitler was brilliant at inspiring people into action. Jack Aaron is standing for the right wing party in an attempt to oust Grant Shapps the secretary of defence in Welwyn Hatfield. Mr Aaron, describes himself as a business psychologist and founder of the World Socionics Society a pseudoscientific theory that promotes 16 personality types. In Twitter/X post from 2022, Mr Aaron said Hitler was brilliant in using Fe+Ni [socionics personality traits] to inspire people into action while condemning his basically incoherent [] writing and rationale. In other comments he called Syrian dictator President Assad gentle by nature and President Putins use of force in Ukraine was legitimate. He told The Times: Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil. How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family? I strongly believe, as a psychologist, in separating intelligence and talent from morality, so that we can adequately diagnose problems and help people. He added it would be a grossly irresponsible and frankly malicious type of journalism, a dog whistle presented in a context where people might construe I thought he was a good or admirable man, which I dont think. By no means am I saying Hitler or Putin or al-Assad are good people that we should admire. They range from the absolutely ingenious evil to wannabe warlord to weak man born into a brutal regime of death and destruction. Last year, on Reddit, he said that Assad was gentle by nature and not some bloodthirsty tyrant who exercises control over his people with an iron fist. He also said the dictator had been led astray by social stereotyping. On his Reform UK profile he says: With an increasing malaise in our country over what the future brings, I feel it is time to bring a change. Not the endless march of social progress which has left many feeling lost and abandoned by the times, but a restoration of what is great and good about England and the United Kingdom at large. Ian Gribbin praised Vladimir Putin, described Winston Churchill as abysmal and says Britain should have taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality instead of fighting the Nazis ( Reform UK ) It came after another Reform UK candidate said the UK should have accepted Hitlers offer of neutrality was dismissed as ordinary pub talk by Nigel Farage. Ian Gribbin, standing for Reform in Bexhill and Battle, also wrote online that women were the sponging gender and should be deprived of health care in comments reportedly made on the UnHerd website. Mr Farage, Reforms leader, blamed Rishi Sunaks decision to call a snap election for 4 July for not being able to properly vet candidates. The Reform leader said he was not able to deselect Mr Gribbin because the legal deadline had passed for putting prospective MPs on the ballot paper, before declining to say whether he still backed the candidate. 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 }} Grant Shapps has admitted the Conservatives are unlikely to win the general election, saying he is a realist and pleading with voters to help prevent a massive Labour majority instead. The defence secretary said he would not pretend black is white by claiming Rishi Sunak is on course to remain prime minister, adding it is not the most likely outcome. And while he said a Tory win is still possible, he said he lives in the real world and warned of the dangers of Labour if Sir Keir Starmer enters Downing Street with what he called a supermajority. Grant Shapps said he lives in the real world ( PA Wire ) Mr Sunak meanwhile is being urged to go for the jugular and launch more direct personal attacks against Sir Keir to turn round the Tories faltering campaign. The prime minister has been warned he has not focused enough on the Labour leader and he needs to go after Sir Keirs record. With the Conservatives still more than 20 points behind Labour in the polls, cabinet ministers have called for a change in direction and questioned whether the PM is comfortable enough launching personal attacks against his opponents. They are now focused on damage limitation, with Tory sources hoping the party can hold onto 140 or more seats which would still see Sir Keir become PM with a significant majority. Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign. Asked on Times Radio if a Tory victory was unlikely, Mr Shapps said: I think thats the realistic position, isnt it? I mean, I live in the real world. So you know, lets not try and pretend black is white. But he insisted: Were still fighting for absolutely every single vote, which is absolutely the right thing to do, and warning of the dangers of Labour. Penny Mordaunt said the election is not a foregone conclusion ( AFP/Getty ) His intervention came after Penny Mordaunt, seen as a leadership contender if Mr Sunak stepped down after the election, painted the Conservative Party as the underdog in the election campaign. In an interview with The Independent, Ms Mordaunt said: There are lots of pundits, and some politicians, saying its all a foregone conclusion. Of course its not. Its going to come down to what people do with their votes and Im fighting for my city, and Im going to carry on fighting until the polls shut. Mr Sunak on Monday insisted the Conservatives are on the right track, despite Mr Shappss comments. Speaking from Centricas Rough 47-3B gas rig, the PM said: Theres still two and a half weeks to go in this election, Im fighting hard for every vote because I believe we can win. And theres a very clear choice at this election: its having your taxes cut by the Conservatives or facing significant tax rises with the Labour Party. But, speaking to The Times, cabinet figures called for Mr Sunak to go after Sir Keirs work as a human rights lawyer, his support for ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his calls for a second Brexit referendum. One said: Rishi is a really nice and deeply honourable guy. Im not sure whether hes uncomfortable instinctively with the personalised attacks but it has been more generalised so far. He will sign a deal with the French, he will undo Brexit, he will rip apart our institutions. The guys a socialist, and theres a real chance people will give him a free rein if they back Reform. Another said: He needs to make it personal. I think he was very badly affected by D-Day but he needs to go after Starmer now ... I dont think there are any other options left. Mr Sunak returned to the campaign trail on Monday ( PA Wire ) The minister was referring to Mr Sunaks disastrous decision to leave early during commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings. Another senior Tory told The Times: Rishi needs to go for the jugular. His natural instincts are not to go for the jugular. That can be useful. But its not useful when youre in a fight to the death. The question is whether the Tories will end up with closer to 100 seats or closer to 200. An ally of the PM pointed to his attacks on Sir Keir during the first head-to-head debate on ITV in which Mr Sunak referenced the Labour leaders past work as a defence lawyer on behalf of radical cleric Abu Qatada. Another perceived weakness among Tories is Sir Keirs past support for Mr Corbyn, which saw him come unstuck during a grilling by Sky News presenter Beth Rigby. Under repeated questioning, Sir Keir said he only campaigned for a Labour win in 2019 because he wanted good Labour MPs to keep their seats and was certain we would lose. Labour Party leader Keir Starmers previous support for Jeremy Corbyn is seen as a weakness by some Tories ( PA Wire ) Labour has promised not to rejoin the EU single market if it wins the election. Asked about calls for Mr Sunak to go for the jugular, Mr Shapps told Sky News: It is right that we highlight the risks of an unchecked Labour majority because people need to know what they would be getting which is a heck of a lot more tax to pay in every direction. He stressed that the Conservatives are the underdogs at the election but claimed I still think we can do it. Mr Shapps added: I really think its important to warn people that voting any other way apart from Conservative guarantees a Labour-Starmer government. Now, if thats what you want, then fine. But, actually, if you dont relish the idea of Starmer coming in, raising your taxes, having no plan for illegal migration voting any other way than Conservative would be dangerous because it would allow Starmer a blank cheque to do those things and many other things besides. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A tactical voting hit list has been produced by campaign group Best for Britain which has placed removing Rishi Sunak from his Richmond and Northallerton seat in Yorkshire as its top priority. The centre-left campaign group, which was set up to stop Brexit, has identified other prominent targets on the list including leadership hopefuls Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and Penny Mordaunt, along with home secretary James Cleverly, former prime minister Liz Truss and former home secretary Priti Patel. It comes after MRP polling over the weekend suggested the Conservatives could end up with a historic low number of seats, a mere 72. Best for Britain are making recommendations in 451 seats recommending with 370 for Labour, 69 for the Lib Dems, seven for the SNP, three for the Greens and two for Plaid Cymru. The other seats in England, Wales and Scotland have Labour or Lib Dem incumbents where there is unlikely to be any contest. Meanwhile, they are asking people not to vote DUP or TUV in Northern Ireland. The projections follow a map produced by The Independent on tactical voting across the UK, which readers can check to see how best to vote. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is returning to the campaign trail on Monday (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Wire ) They also want to stop Reform getting a foothold in parliament and, a day after The Independent revealed Labour is in second place in Clacton, Best for Britain confirmed Labours Jovan Owusu-Nepaul is best placed to beat Nigel Farage. Best for Britains chief executive Naomi Smith insisted that the organisation was providing a roadmap for people who had indicated they were wanting to vote tactically to maximise the vote for the centre-left. Ms Smith said there needed to be some give and take among centre-left parties so Green voters voting for Labour tactically in one part of the country know there is a pay off in another part of the country. She said that almost four in 10 voters had indicated an interest in voting tactically, with the highest proportion in Mr Sunaks constituency and the lowest in Burton and Uttoxeter at 28 per cent. Ms Smith said: The damage of 14 years of mismanagement by this government will take years to repair. Significant improvements like democratic reforms, fixing the Brexit deal and meaningful climate action could take even longer. For this reason, it is important that this government is dealt a massive blow at the election to reduce the chance of them securing power again after five years. Tactical voting can ensure they return the smallest number of MPs possible. She went on: The current Conservative Party is almost unrecognisable from the one that took office in 2010. Similar to the Republicans in the USA, populists within the Conservative Party will seek to further radicalise their policy platform even in opposition, moving it further to the right and focused on both increasing divisions in the UK and removing democratic safeguards. Tactical voting can remove people like this from positions of influence within the parliamentary Conservative Party. Our MRP analysis showed that many high-profile Conservatives could be at risk if people vote tactically, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, Suella Braverman and Liz Truss. Tactical voting will be essential to preventing Nigel Farage gaining a foothold in parliament and frustrating his ambition to take over the Tory party. The Independent has already reported on the tactical voting campaign by the Lib Dems called Operation 1997. It could see the party gain around 50 seats with swings of up to 15 per cent required from the Tories. A leaflet by the Lib Dems has already gone out advising voters and it appears to have shifted the polls slightly with Labour voters switching to Lib Dems in some seats in Tory blue wall areas. Among the targets for the Lib Dems is chancellor Jeremy Hunt who has also been identified by Best for Britain. However, there are some seats where Labour and the Lib Dems are competing for the tactical vote, including in Kemi Badenochs North West Essex constituency. Labour believe they are close to winning that seat and are being backed by Best for Britain. 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 Reform UK candidate has resigned after historic comments calling for people to vote for the BNP. Grant StClair-Armstrong, 71, was supposed to contest against business secretary Kemi Badenoch in North West Essex. In an old post in 2010, he reportedly wrote Vote for BNP, lamenting the state of the UK. I could weep now, every time I pick up a British newspaper and read the latest about the state of the UK. No doubt, Enoch Powell would be doing the same if he was alive. My solution vote BNP! he wrote, in remarks first reported by The Times. A spokesperson for Reform confirmed in a statement to the paper that the North West Essex candidate resigned from their party due to the revelation of unacceptable historic social media comments. We have accepted his resignation, they added. In a post on X on Sunday evening, Mr StClair-Armstrong said: I do not and have never supported the BNP, particularly the nasty Nick Griffin. I posted it in a moment of frustration, the only person in the world who has ever done so. The remarks were unearthed from the archives of a blog called Joli Triste, which has since been changed. The archive also allegedly showed racial slurs, including a joke about female hormones. He told the BBC that the comments were posted sometime between 2004 and 2007 and he was an angry man at the time. In his remarks to The Times he said he was going through a tough phase, but has cleaned up his act since then. I dont have this stuff on my website any more I removed all that stuff and made the website respectable, he told The Times. It was at a time when I was feeling particularly hard done by, Id been shafted by a lot of people. I cleaned up my act a long, long time ago. About his support for BNP, he told The Times that he believes theyre a disgusting party. Ive got no excuses for that. I think theyre a disgusting party. I dont like the English Defence League. I dont like them, he said. Mr StClair-Armstrong said he decided to resign because he did not see any alternative. However, his name will still appear on the ballot as the names of the candidates can not be changed now. But if we wins, he will win as an independent candidate. 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 }} In recent days, Southern California has experienced one earthquake after another. A 3.6 in Ojai on May 31. Two of a similar magnitude under the East Los Angeles area of El Sereno. Another three quakes near Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. While these quakes were far weaker than historic temblors like the 6.7 Northridge Earthquake of 1994, which caused an estimated $20bn in damage and killed over 57 people, do they herald the arrival of the so-called Big One in a state sitting on multiple, highly active faultlines? Theres the notorious 800-mile-long San Andreas, which runs from near the Mexico border, east past Los Angeles, then up the coast north of Sacramento. Aykui Alaverdyan walks over rubble after taking some of her belongings from her Hollywood Boulevard apartment building in Hollywood, CA, 20 January 1994, which was destroyed in the Northridge earthquake ( AFP via Getty Images ) Major quakes occur along the fault every 180 years or so, and the San Andreas hasnt had a majorly powerful one since 1906. The US Geological Survey estimates it has a 60 percent chance of causing a magnitude 6.7 or greater in the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years. Of even greater concern is the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs from Northern California to British Columbia, Canada. Its overdue for an even larger quake compared with historical averages. So, are the recent earthquakes an ominous omen of something larger, or business as usual in a state with an estimated 35 quakes a day? Earthquakes remain stubbornly difficult to predict in advance ( Bay Area News Group 2022 ) The El Sereno quakes, for example, happened just under the Puente Hills thrust fault, which runs beneath downtown Los Angeles and Orange County. The 10-mile deep fault angles like a ramp and gets closest to the surface near the LA campus of the University of Southern California. If a quake along this fault hits the loose earth of the Los Angeles Basin, it could amplify the intensity of an earthquake by up to ten times compared to areas located on bedrock. The Newport Beach-Costa Mesa temblors, meanwhile, took place near the Compton thrust fault, which could raise the LA River by up to 5 feet in a strong quake, wreaking havoc on city sewer systems. There have been six quakes above magnitude 7 along the fault in the last 12,000 years, according to geologists. Scientists argue that instead of focusing solely on the largest quakes by magnitude, the key consideration is how much damage they could do to densely settled areas. The San Andreas, despite its famous reputation, runs for large sections through sparesly populated desert. In some respects, the big one in terms of damages and deaths would be ones running through town rather than one thats a long distance away, Dr. Pat Abbott, professor of geology emeritus at San Diego State University, told KSWB last year. Theres the size of the earthquake, and then also where you are situated compared to where the faults moving. The San Andreas Fault is a tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate, which is moving to the northwest at three inches each year and the North American Plate, heading south at about one inch per year. ( AFP via Getty Images ) He pointed to major quakes like the 1857 and 1906 San Andreas earthquakes, as well 1994s Northridge earthquake, all of which were under the 8.0 magnitude contemplated in Big One scenarios but which still caused horrendous damage. Unfortunately, earthquake prediction remains an extremely challenging endeavor, according to the California Governors Office of Emergency Services website. While scientists can monitor fault lines and detect patterns of seismic activity, they cannot predict exact earthquakes reliably. Instead, scientists deal more in the realm of long-term probability, which can inform what high-risk areas can do to prepare for the day when the hard-to-predict prospect of a major quake arrives. For instance, the USGS estimates that theres a 72 per cent chance a 6.7 or greater magnitude quake will hit the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years. Multiple fault lines run through or near major parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Finding a greater level of precise prediction is the holy grail of earthquake science, University of Washington seismologist Harold Tobin wrote last year. Science has not yet found a way to make actionable earthquake predictions, he wrote. A useful prediction would specify a time, a place and a magnitude and all of these would need to be fairly specific, with enough advance notice to be worthwhile. In the meantime, until that magic predictor code is unlocked, governments can push for preparedness measures like digital alert systems, practice drills, and building retrofits, while individual citizens are advised to have emergency kits in place and drop to their knees, cover their head and neck, and hold onto something stable when a quake begins. 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 Jane Doe homicide victim whose identity remained a mystery for over 40 years after kids playing together stumbled upon her skull in the 1980s has finally been given a name. The saga began in 1979, when Maritza Gean Grimmett who was born in Panama but moved to the US with her Marine husband told her family that she was getting a divorce and heading to California. She was never seen or heard from again. But now, California authorities have confirmed that remains discovered by schoolchildren in what is now the city of Lake Forest belong to her, the Orange County Sheriffs Department said in a news release. The kids found Grimmetts skull as they were playing in a Lake Forest culvert back in April 1983, an eerie discovery that kicked off an excavation in the area, where authorities ultimately found around 70 percent of a womans remains. Maritza Gean Grimmett was 20 years old at the time of her disappearance ( Orange County Sheriffs Department ) Authorities tried to identify the woman but were only able to describe her as a black or mixed-race woman, around 18 to 24 years old, 5 foot 3 to 5 foot 6, with a slight build and a distinctive gold tooth. Her identity remained a mystery for decades. But in 2022, investigators made a breakthrough in the case when a DNA sample from Jane Doe was submitted to Othram Laboratories in cooperation with the National Missing and Unidentified Person System, which provides funding for DNA extraction and testing. A rendering of Grimmett in 2019 ( Orange County Sheriffs Department ) After the sample was tested, Orange County Sheriffs Department Cold Case investigators were able to create a genetic profile for Jane Doe, but they hit another dead end when they failed to establish a direct family line. In late 2023, investigators posted forensic renderings of her on a Facebook group for Jane Does and missing women from the 1970s and 1980s. After decades of investigation, it was that post that finally put an end to the mystery. Within a month, a woman contacted investigators to say she thought the Jane Doe could be her long-missing mother. A rendering of Grimmett in 2022 ( Orange County Sheriffs Department ) Relatives submitted DNA samples, and Jane Does real identity as Maritza Gean Grimmett finally came to light. Grimmett was from Panama and had married a US Marine in the summer of 1978 and gave birth to a daughter. In late 1978, the family moved to the US, living in Ohio and Tennessee, until July 1979, when the couple began divorce proceedings. At the time, Grimmett, who was just 20 years old, told her sister she was going to California but her family never heard from her again. While the mystery of Jane Does identity has been solved, the sheriffs department still has more work to do as they investigate how Grimmett was killed. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Investigator Bob Taft at 714-647-7045 or coldcase@ocsheriff.gov. Anonymous tips may be submitted to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227) or at occrimestoppers.org. 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 }} Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Morris has admitted to having inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in the 1980s after a woman accused him of molesting her when she was 12 years old. When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, the pastor, a former member of Trumps faith advisory board, said in his statement. The statement did not mention the name or age of the girl. However, Cindy Clemishire told WFAA that Morris began abusing her on Christmas Day in 1982 when she was 12 years old. She said the abuse continued until 1987, when she told her parents. In his statement, Morris said the family forgave him when the situation was brought to light in 1987, at which point he began receiving counseling. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area, Morris said in his statement, adding he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in 1989. I asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me, he said. Clemishire told WFAA that though her family forgave him, they never supported Morris returning to the ministry. I think leaders can get caught up and think its our responsibility to protect God and its not. Our responsibility is to protect the people, she added. God is bigger than all of that. Morris is a senior pastor at Gateway Church, which now includes Shady Grove Church, where Morris was working at the time of the alleged abuse, as one of its 11 locations. He was also previously a member of then-candidate Donald Trumps Evangelical Executive Advisory Board during the 2016 campaign. It is unclear if Morris is contributing to Trumps 2024 presidential campaign. President Donald Trump flanked by Bishop Harry Jackson, right, and Pastor Robert Morris, hosts a roundtable with faith leaders, law enforcement officials, and small business owners at Gateway Church Dallas Campus in Dallas, Texas, on June 11, 2020 ( AFP via Getty Images ) In a statement, Gateway Church confirmed the allegations, telling WFAA that Morris underwent a two-year restoration process after a moral failure in his 20s. Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper Biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process, the churchs statement said. The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling, the statement continued. Since the resolution of the 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Morris son, James Morris, is set to take over his senior pastor duties in 2025, according to the churchs website. The elder Morris will remain a primary speaker on weekends. His confession comes after Dallas pastor Dr Tony Evans, 74, announced he was leaving the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, which he founded in 1976. Evans, who was the first Black person to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, announced his resignation after he lost the mother of his four children to bile duct cancer in December 2019 and remarried a year later. He said he had chosen to leave because he had fallen short of the absolute supreme standard of truth he aimed to live due to sin. He did not specify what the sin entailed, but added: While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgement in my actions. When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God. A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same Biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others, he said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The wife of a Florida plastic surgeon who died on his operating table had prepared her own anesthesia before surgery and taken a handful of multicolored pills, according to a state report. Benjamin Brown, 41, was charged with second-degree felony homicide and manslaughter by culpable negligence. He turned himself in to police on Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday. Brown is being held in the county jail pending his bond hearing. The Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to Browns practice, Restore Plastic Surgery, in Gulf Breeze, Florida, for a medical emergency on November 21, 2023. Hillary Ellington Brown, 33, had suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to a hospital, where she was later put on life support. She died seven days later. An autopsy into her death is pending. On the day Browns wife went into cardiac arrest, she was scheduled to undergo miniature muscle plication/abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, lip injections, and ear adjustment procedures. On the day Browns wife, Hillary, went into cardiac arrest, she was scheduled to undergo miniature muscle plication/abdominal scar revision, bilateral arm liposuction, lip injections and ear adjustment procedures. She prepared her own anesthesia before the surgeries ( Rose Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery ) A state report revealed that she had prepared her own anesthesia before the surgeries but did not document what she took. She also ingested a handful of multicolored pills, including Valium. Shortly before the procedures, she began experiencing symptoms relating to sedation. When she went into the operating room, Brown administered additional anesthesia without being able to verify what his wife took, according to a report obtained by WEAR-TV. He subsequently did not record his wifes medication and dosage. At one point, his wife told him that her vision was becoming blurry and she saw orange. She also experienced restlessness, muscle twitching and blurred vision, which are common symptoms of toxicity. The doctor then continued injecting drugs into her face, according to the report. She then became unresponsive and started to seize. A medical assistant asked Brown if they should call 911 and he said no. Benjamin Brown, 41, has been arrested following the death of his wife, Hillary Brown Ellington. Days before the woman died, Brown performed procedures on her that resulted in her suffering a cardiac arrest ( Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office ) In the next 10 to 20 minutes, the assistant asked again and he said no or wait, the report noted. Brown began to panic and requested that his assistants bring him supplies, including an oxygen tank and stethoscope but the employees found it difficult to find the items. Meanwhile, Brown yelled at the staff asking what medication did she take? What did she take? After 10 to 20 minutes, Browns wifes breaths became shallow and her pulse and oxygen levels became low, the report stated. He then instructed his employees to call 911. Emergency officials arrived and transported her to the hospital. She never regained consciousness. The couple share three children. According to the health departments website, Brown graduated from Georgetown Universitys Department of Plastic Surgery in 2015. He holds medical licenses in Florida, Washington DC, Virginia and West Virginia. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Marty Ellington, Browns father, told thePensacola News Journal: My family lives in a sea of tears for eternity due to the actions of one careless individual. His ego and arrogance overshadowed the need for help, prolonging oxygen deprivation to her brain and ultimately causing her death. Ben Brown took the mother from my grandchildren, my only daughter and our brightest star. Hillary gave the ultimate sacrifice so Ben Brown can not hurt anyone else. Maybe in prison, he will get the attention he deserves. The Independent emailed Brown for comment. On May 2, the Floridas Department of Health issued an emergency order restricting Browns medical license to only perform procedures or surgeries in a licensed hospital while under the supervision of a licensed physician. The department is pursuing disciplinary action in the case. Brown has chosen to challenge the allegations made against him and the case will be heard by the Division for Administrative Hearings. The department conducted a probe as part of its request to restrict Browns license. Per that report, a medical assistant said Browns business started to decline in 2021. The person noticed Brown had been delegating more to his physician assistant and his wife, who did not have a medical license. The employee described the facility as dirty and poorly maintained, the report stated Medications were stored in an unlocked cabinet and employees would take Versed, a sedative, to take the edge off. The practices administration was tumultuous and poorly managed, the employee continued, describing Brown as vindictive. Officials with the Department of Health said Brown performed unwanted procedures on patients, including Brazilian butt lifts and allowed his wife to perform procedures on patients despite not having a medical license. One patient said her body is disfigured from the treatment she received at Browns practice between 2021 and 2023. Another said she constantly has pain in her diaphragm, abdomen and hips stemming from the procedures she had at Browns office. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police in Florida are investigating a viral video showing a woman being assaulted after she tried to save her attackers drowning dog. The unnamed woman told Local 10 News she jumped into the bay on Brickell Key in Miami to save a dog who had allegedly been kicked into the bay by its owner and could not get back out to safety, In the video, someone on shore reached an arm out to help the woman out of the water. Then, the video cuts to the good samaritan approaching the dogs owner as he stands with a group of people. The owner then pushed the woman to the ground on the man-made island. A Miami, Florida Police Department spokesperson told Local 10 News a report has been generated and officers are actively investigating the incident. Police said the dog was safe and unharmed in the bizarre incident. Meanwhile, state officials are warning residents to be careful while swimming after three people were hurt in two separate shark attacks off Floridas Gulf Coast earlier this month. The first attack involved a woman who was bitten on her torso and arm as a result, doctors amputated part of her arm. The second attack, which happened at a beach just 4 miles away, involved two teenage girls. The attacks led officials to close several beaches for the day. On Floridas Brickell Key island, pictured, a viral video captured a man assaulting a woman after she tried to save his drowning dog ( Google Maps ) Please swim carefully today, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones, the South Walton Fire District told residents. Officials warned that swimmers should look out for purple flags on beaches, which indicate dangerous marine life. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An incarcerated man who shot and killed a 24-year-old woman working in the prisons kitchen before turning the gun on himself was in a relationship with the victim, officials say. Jaydrekus Hart shot Aureon Grace, an employee of food service company Aramark, early Sunday morning in the kitchen of Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a personal relationship existed between Aramark employee Grace and offender Hart, a Georgia Department of Corrections spokesperson said in a Monday statement. A suicide note was also discovered that appears to have been left by offender Hart. The investigation is still ongoing, the spokesperson said, and it is still unclear how he obtained the weapon. The gun is now in the hands of investigators. Hart was serving 20 years for voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County, with a maximum release date of June 2043. Jaydrekus Hart, pictured, left behind a note before he killed Aureon Shavea Grace and turned the gun on himself Sunday morning ( Georgia Department of Corrections ) Aramark is assisting Department of Corrections officials with the investigation. We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague and our hearts and prayers go out to her family, Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert said in a statement. This is a tragedy for all of us. Friends and family have since paid tribute to Grace, describing her as kind and pure-hearted. Loved ones describe Aureon Grace, pictured, as sweet, kind, and pure-hearted ( Lovett & Son's Funeral Home ) It was a pleasure working with you and getting to know you especially your laughter and we both love to eat, wrote one colleague on an obituary page. Praying for your family and your babies. U are truly going to be missed. Another wrote: Sending prayers and love to the family, especially her kids. She was a really sweet young lady, close friends to my daughter, were really gonna miss her. We love you. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An inmate shot and killed a 24-year-old woman working in the prisons kitchen before turning the gun on himself. The fatal shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia. Jaydrekus Hart shot the female food service worker at around 4.30am in the prisons kitchen. The kitchen worker, an employee of the food service company Aramark, was named as Aureon Shavea Grace. The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is investigating. The kitchen worker, an employee of the food service company Aramark, was later named as 24-year-old Aureon Shavea Grace ( Matthew H Lovett & Sons Funeral Home LLC ) The weapon is in GDC custody at this time, and a complete and thorough investigation of what led up to this tragic incident will be carried out, the department told The Independent. GDC Special Agents are responding and are providing staffing support to the facility. Hart was serving 20 years for voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County, with a maximum release date of June 2043. It is unclear how Hart obtained the weapon. A prison spokesperson said that further details would be provided when they became available. We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague and our hearts and prayers go out to her family, Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert said in a statement. This is a tragedy for all of us." The company was assisting Georgia prison officials in their investigation. Inmate Jaydrekus Hart shot the 24-year old female food service worker at around 4.30am in the prisons kitchen. He then used the gun to kill himself ( Georgia Department of Corrections ) Friends and family paid tribute to Grace, describing her as kind and pure hearted with a beautiful smile. It was a pleasure working with you and getting to know you especially your laughter and we both love to eat, wrote one colleague on an obituary page. Praying for your family and your babies. U are truly going to be missed. One wrote: Sending prayers and love to the family, especially her kids. She was a really sweet young lady, close friends to my daughter, were really gonna miss her. We love you. Your spirit and your vibe was everything Grace. So kind and pure hearted you did not deserve this, another person posted. It is the second fatal incident to occur at Smith State Prison in under a year, after a correctional officer was killed in October. Correctional Officer Robert Clark was escorting two offenders from the dining hall when one offender assaulted him from behind with a homemade weapon, the GDC said at the time. The other offender stepped in to assist Clark and was also assaulted. Clark, 42, was taken to hospital for treatment but later succumbed to his injuries and died. The entire GDC team is mourning the loss of one of our own and we collectively express our deepest condolences to Officer Clarks family and friends, said Commissioner Tyrone Oliver in a statement at the time. We will support them as they navigate this tragedy over the coming days, weeks and months. 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 trial date could soon be set in the case of Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students who were brutally killed at their off-campus house. The 29-year-old criminology PhD student is currently awaiting trial for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. Police linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cell phone data, an eyewitness account, and his white Hyundai Elantra. He was arrested six weeks after the murders. Kohberger declined to enter a plea prompting Judge John Judge to enter his plea as not guilty on his behalf in May 2023. Latah County prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. The judge has not yet set a trial date in the complicated case but has scheduled a hearing for June 27 where attorneys are expected to discuss dates for the trial and sentencing. Bryan Kohberger is escorted into a courtroom to appear at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho ( AP ) They will also discuss whether the trial should be moved outside the county where the crime occurred to seat an impartial jury. The state has been opposed to the move, while the defense is in favor of it. Last month, the defense argued that prosecutors had not handed all the evidence over for them to review and have filed multiple motions to compel the state to do so. Prosecutors insisted they are doing all they can to share evidence but have been partly delayed by federal rules, due to the FBIs involvement in the investigation. Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in Novemver 2022 ( Instagram ) This evidence in question is said to include dashcam footage, video and audio recordings of a white sedan close to the crime scene in Moscow, as well as lab testing results information police used to arrest Kohberger. But Kohberger claims to have an alibi for the time of the murders: that he was driving around looking at stars and was in Pullman, which is about eight miles west of the off-campus student home at 1122 King Road home, where the slayings unfolded. Earlier this year, Kohbergers attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the murder charges against him, citing a biased grand jury, inadmissible evidence and prosecutorial misconduct. But Judge denied the motion. 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 Michigan couple were shot seven times on Saturday as they frantically shielded their daughters from a gunman who opened fire at a splash pad in Rochester Hills. Micayla and Eric Coughlin and their two daughters, aged two and seven months, had been at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad for less than a minute when a gunman, identified by police as Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township, pulled up in his vehicle and began firing at surrounding families. In a message posted to a GoFundMe page created for the Coughlins, family friend Noel Wakul wrote that the couple were getting ice cream with their children when they heard the sound of gunfire. As the shots rang out, the Coughlins grabbed their daughters and ran in an effort to protect them, the message added. Wakul went on to write that the Coughlins were shot seven times as they ran away from the gunman. They were both hospitalized after the nighmare. Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening, Wakul said, adding that Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy. The Coughlins were among nine people shot by the gunman, authorities said. Police said other victims included an 8-year-old boy who was in critical condition with a wound to the head and a 4-year-old boy who was in a stable condition with a wound to the thigh. A 39-year-old woman shot in the abdomen and leg was also in critical condition. Officials with the Oakland County Sheriffs Department, Rochester Hills Fire Department and other jurisdictions secure the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, Saturday ( Detroit News ) At a press conference, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard described the shooting as very random and bizzare, adding that Nash has no known connections to the victims. He said police responded to reports of gunfire after two minutes. When they arrived, he said, the gunman had already left and contained himself in a nearby Shelby Township home. A weapon, a 9mm Glock, was recovered at the scene along with three magazines. Nash was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Shelby Township home. Alongside his body, police also found a semi-automatic rifle, which Bouchard said suggested Nash could have had plans for a second chapter. Police respond to the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Rochester Hills, Mich ( WXYZ via AP ) The incident was one of three mass shootings that occurred in Michigan on Saturday, all in metro Detroit. In Lathrup Village, six people were shot at a house party Saturday morning shortly after midnight. Two were in critical condition. In Detroit, a woman was killed and four other people were shot late Saturday night. The victims in both shootings were teenagers and young adults. Were getting all too good at this, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said on Sunday at a news conference. I can only describe the last 24 hours as a nightmare, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett added. Meanwhile, residents of Shelby Township, where Nash lived, told Detroit Free Press that they were shocked by the shooting. This is a safe area, and thats why Im so shocked at what happened, Adam Urquhart Sr. said. When it happens this close to home, its hard. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An ICU nurse in Oregon is facing 44 counts of felony assault after she allegedly replaced liquid fentanyl pain medication with tap water to keep the drugs for herself. Dani Marie Schofield, 36, pleaded not guilty at Jackson County Circuit Court on Friday. The grand jury indictment states that she caused infections at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford by replacing the drugs with water, according to KDRV. Her request for a court-appointed attorney was recommended to be rejected, based on her assets of $380,000. Her bail was set at $4m as she appeared via videolink in the court. Schofield was arrested on Thursday following a Medford Police Department drug diversion case investigation that lasted seven months. The probe began in December when Asante reported that drugs for its patients may have been diverted. Investigators allege that Schofield replaced liquid fentanyl for 44 patients with water, which led to infections in those patients. Medford Police Chief Justin Ivens said on Thursday that 16 patients died but it hasnt been proven that it was because of the infections caused by the water. Schofield was indicted this week on a count of second-degree assault for each patient. Dani Marie Schofield, 36, pleaded not guilty to 44 counts of felony assault. She is an ICU nurse accused of giving patients water instead of pain meds. ( Jackson County Circuit Court ) Tom Gessel, president and chief executive officer of Asante, said in a memo obtained by KDRV that police had arrested a suspect related to theft of fentanyl. A civil lawsuit was filed against Schofield in February by the Idiart Law Firm of Central Point. It claims that Schofield is responsible for the wrongful death of Horace Wilson, 65, in February 2022. The suit argued that fentanyl intended for Wilson was replaced with tap water, leading to an infection that resulted in his death within a month of him being admitted following a fall. Schofield has denied those allegations. The former nurse made an agreement with the Oregon State Board of Nursing in November 2023 that she would not work as a nurse during the probe, according to KDRV. MPD states that the 44 incidents took place during Schofields final year at Asante, between July 2022 and July 2023. The Jackson District Attorneys Office is prosecuting the assaults under a measure that sets mandatory minimum jail sentences for major crimes and denies early release. The minimum for second-degree assault is 70 months behind bars, per assault count. 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 }} After spending a decade held captive by her middle schools security guard after he showered her with gifts and promises of a better life, Tanya Kach shares her own horrifying story now specifically for one reason: to warn others. I want this new generation to see all the warning signs of grooming and mental control and brainwashing, she told The Independent. Kach was just 14 years old when Thomas Hose kidnapped her in 1996 and kept her in the second-floor bedroom of his house for 10 years, where he sexually abused her. The now 42-year-old told The Independent in an interview that she believes if social media and websleuths had existed back then, her ordeal would be a totally different story. But grooming hasnt changed. Stockholm syndrome, brainwashing, mind control that hasnt changed, she said. Tanya Kach vanished at age 14 from McKeesport, Pa in 1996 ( McKeesport Police handout ) Kach said her captor displayed all the warning signs of grooming, which she described as being super nice to her at school, showering her with jewelry, money for cigarettes and showing favoritism to her by allowing her slide when she attempted to skip class. When Hose learned of Kachs unstable home life after her parents divorce, her thoughts about wanting to run away and so after gaining her trust, he preyed on her vulnerabilities and convinced her to move in with him with the promise of a better life. Were in a different era, but that stuff hasnt changed on how they groom you and how they lure you in. And mentally have that hold on you, Kach said. In 2007, Hose pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children, corruption of a minor, interference with custody of children and aggravated indecent assault, according to The Associated Press. After serving 15 years in prison, Hose was released in 2022, according to WTAE. He is registered as a sex offender under Pennsylvanias Megans Law. Thomas Hose served 15 years in prison for sexual assault in the kidnapping of Tanya Kach in 1996 ( PA Megans Law ) Now, nearly 20 years after escaping her nightmare, Kach has teamed up with Elizabeth Smart, another kidnapping survivor, to share her story in a new Lifetime movie, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story, an experience she described as life changing. I have always wanted to meet (Smart), knowing that we both went through something similar," she told TODAY.com. Ive always looked up to her. Ive gotten a lot of messages from moms saying theyre going to watch it with their teenage daughters, which I think is fabulous, she told TODAY.com. She said she also hopes her story helps women who may be in the midst of an abusive relationship. The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story, starring Robert Baker (Supergirl) and Jordyn Ashley Olson ( A+E Networks ) I want them to walk away from the film saying, I have hope. I can get through this, and I can get out of this. Kach also knew the film provided a chance to teach teenagers, young women and parents about the warning signs of a potentially abusive or coercive relationship. This is a new generation that needs to learn about grooming and brainwashing because Ive been free now for 18 years its a different time now. The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is now available on Lifetime. 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 white man was charged with a hate crime after he allegedly punched a Black sixth-grade boy in Bellingham, Washington, while the student was on a field trip. Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, was booked in Whatcom County jail on June 12 on charges of assault of a child in the second degree and malicious harassment, a hate crime offense in Washington, booking records show. His bail was set at $500,000. Court records, obtained by The Bellingham Herald, revealed that the unnamed 11-year-old suffered a chipped tooth. Students were walking to the Pickford Film Center on a field trip when a community member physically assaulted and used racist comments towards one of our students, the Whatcom Middle School principal Mischelle Darragh said in a statement. While the middle school students were walking on the sidewalk, Bittner crossed the street, approached the child, and without warning, pushed the student. Bittner then made a comment along the lines of: Are you gonna talk to a white man like that? The 42-year-old then punched the student, a Bellingham Police Department spokesperson told The Independent. School staff secured the child and rushed him away from the assailant before calling 911 and also walking over to the police department for help, the spokesperson said. As Bittner was being handcuffed and placed in the police patrol car, he made racial slurs and made a statement indicating people should assault them. In the aftermath of the attack, city officials released a video to address the incident. Hate is not welcome here in Bellingham, Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig declared. Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund called the incident intolerable. Our hearts go out to the child who experienced this terrible assault and the children who witnessed it. We are thankful for the adults who stepped in to protect the children involved, she added. Principal Darragh addressed the assault in a statement posted on the schools website: We are angry and shocked by what happened today. These events are extremely upsetting for everyone at our school and beyond. We are wrapping around our students and doing all we can to support them. We will have additional counseling support available to all students as long as its needed. Today, sixth graders will be concluding the day with a classroom circle where students can share their feelings and concerns, the principal wrote. The school district superintendent Greg Baker confirmed that the assailant was charged with a hate crime. He issued a statement denouncing the racist encounter: Bellingham Public Schools is absolutely opposed to anti-Black racism, and racism in all forms. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just a statement but a Promise to all students. We recognize that racism is deeply rooted and affects our systems and the lives of many individuals and families in profound ways. It is a collective responsibility to address and dismantle these injustices. 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 }} One of the three men accused of the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger has been sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to a charge of lying to federal agents. Sean McKinnon, 38, wore shackles when he appeared in US District Court in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on Monday where he became the first of the trio to be sentenced for charges related to Bulgers killing. He was hugged by both of his attorneys after Judge Thomas Kleeh agreed with prosecutors recommendation that he be given credit for serving 22 months in custody after his indictment. Prosecutors say that on October 30, 2018, McKinnon acted as the lookout while two fellow US Penitentiary Hazelton inmates - Fotios Geas and Paul J. DeCologero -bludgeoned the 89-year-old crime boss to death in his prison cell within hours of him being transferred to the facility. James Whitey Bulger, Fotios Freddy Geas, Sean McKinnon, and Paul Pauly DeCologero (clockwise from top left). On Monday, McKinnon was sentenced for his role in Bulgers death while McKinnon and DeCologero are set to be sentenced at a later date. ( AP/Collier County Sheriff/Family handout ) DeCologero told a witness that Bulger was a snitch and that as soon as he came into their unit, they planned to kill him, prosecutors said. He also told an inmate that he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it to beat the former mob boss to death. All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries up to a life sentence. Geas and DeCologero also are charged with first-degree murder, while McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent. The hearing on Monday comes after all three men struck binding plea agreements in May, nearly six years after Bulgers fatal beating. DeCologero is scheduled to appear in court on August 1 to enter a guilty plea and be sentenced. Geas is set to appear to enter his guilty plea and to be sentenced on September 6, according to court records. Last year, the Justice Department said it would not seek the death penalty for Geas and DeCologero. It marks the latest chapter in the saga of the infamous mob boss who got away with murder for years while secretly working as an FBI informant providing information about local Mafia leaders. Sean McKinnon is the first of the trio to be sentenced in Bulgers killing ( Family handout ) Bulger, who ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and 80s, became one of the nations most wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994. He would also pass on information to the FBI passing information about his competitors though he reportedly denied this until the end of his life. In 1994, a corrupt federal agent tipped him off that he was about to be arrested, and he went on the run. After 16 years as a fugitive, he was finally captured in California at the age of 81, and in 2013 he was convicted for his role in 11 murders and various other crimes such as money laundering and extortion. Five years later, Bulger was moved to a new prison in West Virginia and placed among the general population, despite reports from prison workers that it was understaffed and could not keep a lid on violence. Within hours, he was dead. 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 great Dane, who has been described by his family as a gentle giant, has achieved the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the worlds tallest dog. The three-year-old called Kevin stands at 3ft 2in and comes from West Des Moines, Iowa. He is 2ft 10.41in taller than Pearl, the current shortest dog living who is 3.59ins tall, which means that roughly 10 Pearls stacked on top of each other would equal Kevins height. His family is made up of three more dogs, including his best friend Tuck the decker rat terrier, four cats, chickens, goats, and horses, as well as humans Tracy, Roger, Alexander, and Ava Wolfe. Tracy Wolfe said the name Kevin came from watching the movie Home Alone. She said he grew at a fast pace not out, but up, and said: [Kevin is] the epitome of a gentle giant. In fact, he is scared of most things. He is terrified of the vacuum. He wont let it come within six feet of him. He will jump and run to get away from it, she added. He also has a playful nature, which can be seen when he crouches and crawls to make himself appear smaller and less scary when around other dogs. Ms Wolfe added Kevin has a close bond with 12-year-old Alexander. They have been pals since the start, she said. They lay together on Kevins couch many evenings. The tallest dog living (male) is Kevin (Guinness World Records/PA) Kevin was officially verified as the worlds tallest dog on March 20. The previous record holder died after a battle with cancer in September last year. Zeus, who was 3ft 5in, died at the age of three in Texas after being diagnosed with cancer. The Great Dane, who could reach seven feet on his hind legs, claimed the Guinness World Record for tallest dog in 2022. Zeus contracted pneumonia after he had one of his legs amputated earlier this year. His owners announced his death in an interview with Guinness World Records. His owner, Brittany Davis, said the Great Dane died with his head in his moms lap. Zeus was a truly special dog. He was gentle, loving, very stubborn but always happy to see his family and many, many friends on his adventures around Dallas & Fort Worth. Zeus packed a lot of life into three short years and was primed to beat cancers butt, his owner said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An American tourist was killed and his wife left in hospital after being electrocuted in a hot tub in a Mexican beach town earlier this week. The incident that prompted the family to sue the resort for wrongful death and negligence, their lawyers said on Saturday. The seriously injured woman, 35-year-old Lizette Zambrano, filed the lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages from the US-based resort operators from her hometown of El Paso, Texas, on Friday, days after being medevaced from the hot tub at the resort town of Puerto Peiasco, an hour south of the border. The Arizona-based defendants, vacation rental provider Casago International and travel company High Desert Travel, did not respond to a request for comment on the suit, which holds them responsible for faulty electric wiring in the jacuzzi that caused the couples electrocution and 43-year-old Jorge Guillens death. On top of failing to prevent and warn guests about the hazards of the hot tub, the resort managers also failed to react quickly enough to the emergency, the claim said. The tragedy unfolded when Zambrano, her husband Guillen and several other family members arrived at the Sonoran Sea Resort, a complex of high-rise condos, on Tuesday for their vacation, the lawsuit said. Zambrano and Guillen headed to the jacuzzi to watch the sun set over the sea. They didnt know an electric current was rippling through the hot tub water. Its absolutely terrifying, Tej Paranjpe, attorney at the Houston-based firm PMR law, told The Associated Press on Saturday. The moment that Guillen dipped his foot inside the jacuzzi, the current zapped him. He tumbled into a direct electric circuit and quickly became trapped underwater. Zambrano jumped in to rescue her drowning husband, then was jolted by the current and sucked in, too, according to the lawsuit. Cellphone footage from the incident shows the beachfront pool deck descending into chaos as shrieking guests raced over, tried to help the couple, then discovered the danger of the jacuzzi water. While a guest managed to drag Zambrano out of the water, efforts to retrieve Guillen with poles and various metal tools only unleashed electric shocks on more and more people, the lawsuit said. There was not a single staff member that did anything while Jorge was getting continuously shocked again and again underwater, Paranjpe said. Ten minutes passed, Zambranos lawyers said, until workers at the resort responded to vacationers cries for help. The manager eventually succeeded in retrieving Guillen from the bottom of the jacuzzi, but it was too late. Zambrano was flown by helicopter to Phoenix, Arizona, and was discharged from the hospital on Friday. Mexican prosecutors in Sonora state reported that investigators were looking into the origin of the electrical failure and would conduct field visits in the coming days. Hot tub electrocution due to faulty underwater lighting and flawed pumps remains rare, but experts warn that vigilance is needed to ensure equipment is properly maintained. 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 }} McDonald's is ending its experimental AI drive-through ordering program after reports that it was too inaccurate and expensive to be worthwhile. Since 2021, the fast food giant has been testing an IBM-built automated voice recognition system in drive-through queues at more than 100 restaurants across the US. But last Thursday, the company said it would shut down the service by July 26, 2024, according to an internal email seen by Restaurant Business. Insiders told CNBC that the system had trouble understanding some people's accents, while industry analysts have previously alleged that McDonalds franchisees found the technology "underwhelming". Nevertheless, a spokesperson for McDonald's told The Independent that this probably won't be the last customers see of AI order-taking technology. "After thoughtful review, McDonalds has decided to end our current global partnership with IBM on automated order taking beyond this year," a McDonald's spokesperson confirmed to The Independent. "As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-through will be part of our restaurants future. "We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year." The spokesperson added that McDonald's will continue to work with IBM in other parts of its business, and thanked the tech company for its help. IBM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fast food chains including Wendy's, Carl's Jr, Dunkin, and Hardee's are all testing or already using AI technology in their drive-throughs, while Taco Bell and KFC owner Yum Brands has said it wants to adopt an "AI-first mentality". Yet automated ordering systems have come under fire for getting customers' orders wrong, as well as for stealthily relying on human workers in the developing world to supplement the AI in up to 70 percent of cases. Peter Saleh, a restaurant industry analyst with the banking and brokerage firm BTIG, wrote last year that McDonald's franchisees were not finding much value in the test, according to CNBC. "We are still hearing that accuracy remains in the low-to-mid 80 percent range and operating costs are high," he said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A five-year-old girl had to fight for her life after a freak accident at summer camp left her strangled by a jump rope. Tascia Jones said her niece, Marley, was at a summer camp when the incident happened. The child was rushed to the hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and treated in the ICU, according to WSB-TV. Marley was strangled by a jump road while playing near a slide, according to a GoFundMe started by Jones. Marley, 5, was taken to the ICU after being strangled by a jump rope in a freak accident at a summer camp ( GoFundMe ) Marley is now recovering at home after the terrifying incident ( GoFundMe ) Its unclear exactly how the 5-year-old ended up strangled. The fundraiser did not name the camp where the alleged incident happened. Marley was taken to the hospital after being found unresponsive, according to the fundraiser. On June 16, Marleys MRI was cleared and she continued her recovery at home. We thank you all for your continued prayers and support, Jones wrote on the GoFundMe. Pictures on the GoFundMe show Marley with a large rope mark across her neck. Other photos show her being treated by doctors in the hospital. 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 }} Tanya Kachs story had all the makings of a Lifetime movie and now it is one. Kach is speaking out about the harrowing ordeal of being held captive for a decade from age 14, after fellow kidnapping survivor, Elizabeth Smart, convinced her to share her story. A lot of women have messaged me, reaching out to me and opening up about something that happened in their life because they feel comfortable talking with me because I understand, the now 42-year-old told The Independent, just days after The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story premiered on Lifetime. The Pennsylvania teen had been struggling at home and at school in the wake of her parents tumultuous divorce before she vanished in February 1996. Months earlier, when Kach tried to skip class at Cornell Middle School in the Pittsburgh suburb of McKeesport to avoid the peers who bullied her, she was caught by a school security guard. But instead of turning her in, Thomas Tom Hose, who at 38 years old was more than twice her age, took an interest in her and the two became close. Hose showered her with flowers, candy, gifts and money for cigarettes. They even shared a kiss in the stairwell. She started to believe she was in love with him. He learned of Kachs unstable home life, her thoughts about wanting to run away and so after gaining her trust, he preyed on her vulnerabilities and convinced her to move in with him with the promise of a better life. But what may have started out as a desperate attempt at a new beginning for Kach quickly turned into a nightmare. Tanya Kach was 14 years old when she vanished in 1996. She was found 10 years later in her captors bedroom just a few miles from her home ( McKeesport Police handout ) Inside Tanyas prison On February 10, 1996, Kach was lured to Hoses house in McKeesport where she was held captive for 10 years. The house, where Hose lived with his parents and his son, was just a few miles away from where Kach had been living with her father and stepmom before she went missing. Hoses parents later claimed they never knew Kach was in their house, according to The Associated Press. Kachs nightmare ended when she confided in a neighborhood deli owner and was able to escape. She was 24 years old at the time. For the first four years of her decade-long captivity, Kach wasnt allowed to leave Hoses second-story bedroom, where she was kept locked inside and sexually abused daily. She was forced to use a metal can as a toilet and Hose would bring her scraps of food from his meals. Hose also forced Kach to record their sexual encounters in a set of journals so that he could brag to co-workers and friends, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press. He had me keep a calendar book of our sex acts, so I knew the dates, she said. Years passed but still, she was too scared to escape. Thomas Hose, who lived with his parents and son, kept Tanya Kach in his bedroom for 10 years ( WTAE ) Hed threaten to kill me in my sleep, Kach told The Independent. He threatened to throw me in a garbage bag and throw me in the river. When Kach was 18, she discovered she was a missing person after seeing her name and photo in the local newspaper. Around that time, Hose began introducing her to his family and friends as his live-in girlfriend Nikki Allen and even allowed her to leave home on occasion, believing that at this point, she would not run away. He trusted me to go out because he knew I was brainwashed, she said. She was permitted to go to church or the neighborhood deli, but had a strict curfew. I was scared, she said, describing her first time out in public. He had given me those specific instructions and everything and I was following the instructions, doing what I had to do, but I was like a deer in the headlights out there. Her daring escape During her brief outings, Kach began working part-time at a neighborhood deli. She developed a friendship with the owners, who would change her life. I saw how a family should be, she told The Independent. And I said thats what I want. That family helped Kach realize that what she had with Hose, and her life over the past 10 years, was not normal. She eventually found the courage to confide in the delis owner, Joe Sparico, on March 21, 2006. If you go to a website for missing children, you will see a picture of me, she told Sparico through tears, according to The Denver Post. Sparico contacted his son, a retired police officer who was familiar with Kachs case. A short time later, Hose was arrested. Ill never forget how it felt to step out of that house that day, she later wrote, according to People. I got into the cop car, took a deep breath and thought, Its over. Im free. What happened to Thomas Hose? In 2007, Thomas Hose pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children, corruption of a minor, interference with custody of children and aggravated indecent assault, according to The Associated Press. Hose was sentenced to 15 years in prison. At his hearing, Kach read a victim impact statement, telling Hose that she was no longer his puppet. After serving 15 years in prison, Thomas Hose was released in 2022 ( PA Megans Law ) You took away my innocence, my childhood. You made me think my family didnt want me or love me, that no one cared or loved me but you, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For 10 years you controlled me. I plan to go places, she told him, adding that the main thing I want to do is help protect children and women from men like you. Hose apologized in court for how he treated Kach. Id like to say Im sorry, he said. I want Tanya to know how sorry I am. He ended his statement claiming that his actions were done so to help Kach and that she often told him, Thank you, without you, Id be dead or in the streets, according to NBC News. After serving 15 years in prison, Hose was released in 2022, according to WTAE. He is registered as a sex offender under Pennsylvanias Megans Law. Where is Tanya Kach now? Kach went on to live a successful life. She earned her GED, got her drivers license and attended college. Ive built myself a really happy life, she said. I couldnt ask for anything more. She co-authored a book in 2017 with Lawrence Fisher titled, Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid: The Tanya Kach Story. Tanya Kach today in a selfie she took ( Provided by Tanya Kach ) In September 2018, Kach married a man named Carl and became a stepmother, as well as a grandmother to her stepsons young children. We had a beautiful ceremony on the beach. It was just us there, we wanted something very private, Kach told People in a previous interview. Hes been my rock and hes my biggest supporter through all of this and through life and everything. While she was happy to be reunited with her father after being rescued, she has since revealed that he believes she is partly responsible for her own kidnapping. After a bittersweet reunion, the two became estranged and have not spoken since. However, Tanya and her mother have become close. My mom and I are really close now, she said. She became my biggest supporter and helped get me back on my feet after my rescue. Weve gone through intense therapy together and things are really good. About a year ago, Kach ran into Joe Sparico, the deli owner who saved her. We were walking into a supermarket and we hugged and we caught up on everything in life, because life kind of gets in the way, she said. But Joe wanted me to go out and build a life and live my life and, you know, and thats what Ive done. The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is now available on Lifetime. 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 }} Congress has not voted to make US women eligible for conscription, and nor has it resolved to automatically enroll all young American men into the military draft database at least, not yet. Numerous excitable posts on TikTok, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter) in the last month have claimed that sweeping reforms to the USAs rarely-used draft system are underway. Some focused on a bill passed by the US House of Representatives that would enroll young men automatically instead of requiring them to fill out paperwork, while others pointed to a US Senate proposal to enroll women as well. A US Army infantryman assigned to Foxtrot Company Pathfinders 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, looks through his sights during M4 rifle reflexive fire range training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ( Photo by Capt. Adan Cazarez ) But neither of these proposals is a done deal, and neither provides any evidence that the US is secretly preparing to draft Americans to fight in Ukraine or some other planned future war, as some online commenters alleged. Last Friday the Republican-controlled House passed a new version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allowing the US government to automatically pull records from other federal databases to enroll men aged 18 through 25 into the draft system. Men of that age are already legally required to enroll in the draft system in case they are ever called up, on pain of criminal penalties. The new law would make it harder for them to refuse or avoid doing so. However, this new version of the NDAA also includes controversial partisan provisions such as restricting abortion or transgender healthcare for military personnel and their families, meaning it is unlikely to be passed by the Senate. US Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 2nd Marine Logistics Group ( Photo by Lance Cpl. Emily Hazelbaker ) One narrowly failed amendment even required the restoral of a Confederate monument in Arlington National Cemetary depicting a stereotypical black mammy, which was taken down in December. Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Forces Committee has introduced its own version of the NDAA which would make women eligible for the draft. Groundbreaking as that would be, it's also something that the Senate has repeatedly proposed over the past few years without ever managing to get it passed by both chambers of Congress. Many social media posts conflated these two proposals or misstate their details, sometimes making conspiratorial claims about their significance. "If the Biden regime think American citizens are going to comply with a draft and fight in Ukraine, they are mistaken," said one post on X. "The majority of us would rather die fighting the US government, than die in a trench in Ukraine, fighting a rich mans war. Thats not a threat. Its a promise." Another user on TikTok falsely claimed: "As of today, you don't need to worry about registering for the military draft. No! The government is gonna do that for you automatically... "My main question is, why would Congress need to pass such a law right now...? We're not even at war. Right?" The US has not used military conscription since the Vietnam War when it became a flashpoint for anti-war and anti-imperialist protests. It was most famously used during the Second World War when more than 10 million men were drafted into the military between 1940 and 1946. 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 }} Water is being pushed on conservative voters as anti-woke that is unapologetic. Freedom2o is becoming all the rage for some right-wing voters and now Alex Clark, a MAGA-world talking head, is pitching the water in a cringeworthy ad during Turning Points Peoples Convention over the weekend, according to Mediaite. The label tells consumers that "this water isn't free, but your speech is" and its marketing seems to suggest that by simply drinking the special "anti-woke" water that consumers are engaging in an act of rebellion. Clark pitches the product - where a 12-pack of 16.9oz bottles cost $21 - by insisting that every sip of the conservative water is not just refreshing, its rebellious, and its unapologetic to drink this in public. Conservative political commentator Alex Clark hawks a bottle of Freedom2o, a self-described anti-woke water brand ( TP Peoples Convention ) Its a reminder that even the most ordinary acts, like taking a sip of water, can be infused with meaning and purpose by choosing to drink Freedom2o. Youre not just choosing the brand, youre choosing to stand up for what you believe in, Clark insists. But, according to Clark, its really the thought that counts. She told the TPUSA audience that the product isnt just about whats inside the bottle, its about the message it sends with every sip. It's never made clear why drinking Freedom2o in public would be rebellious, or how the water is anti-woke. On its website, an animated graphic invites consumers to "speak your thirst, protect the first," referencing the First Amendment. It is unclear what "speak your thirst" means or how it relates to firearms, however. It also claims to "empower" drinkers to use their voices "without fear," though it provides not explanation of how in either instance. The water also advertises it has a frequency of 432hz. Some New Age spiritualists believe that sounds tuned to the frequency can promote spiritual growth or healing or chakra alignment or any other number of beneficial effects. Rudy Giulianis new coffee product, pictured, comes as he faces bankruptcy and a legal battle in Arizona ( Rudy Giuliani ) Water isnt the only product that has its own conservative-specific brand. One conservative entrepreneur tried to capitalize on the right-wing Bud Lite boycott by starting his own Ultra-Right beer company. While Budweiser is still going strong, Ultra-Right beer is having some issues. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani who is grappling with bankruptcy and a string of legal issues recently launched his own coffee business. Rudy Coffee offers three different bean styles, and assures consumers that theyre not just treating yourself to exceptional coffee, youre also supporting our cause.And what cause is that? The cause of truth, justice, and American democracy, of course. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The White House has slammed what they have called an edited clip of Joe Biden freezing up while on stage at a fundraiser. In a statement, the White House fumed at the so-called cheap fake, which supposedly showed President Biden freezing up as he and former President Barack Obama walked off stage following an interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel at Los Angeles Peacock Theater. In the video, which was originally posted by the RNC Research account, Obama reaches out and gently touches a frozen Biden on the arm before they walk off stage together. However, another video from the end of the fundraiser shows that Biden was taking in the applaud from the crowd before he and Obama walked off stage together. Bidenand Obama on stage at the LA fundraiser ( AFP via Getty Images ) White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates also slammed the video, describing it as a cheap fake in a statement to The Daily Beast. By pretending the president taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong, all theyre really admittingonce againis they cant take on the leadership thats fueling the strongest economic growth in the world, bringing violent crime to a 50-year low, restoring manufacturing jobs from overseas, and strengthening our alliances. Meanwhile, earlier this month, videos emerged of 81-year-old President Biden appearing frozen while on a dance floor at a Juneteenth celebration as Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff danced and clapped to the music. Donald Trumps campaign responded to the video, writing on social media: Lights are on but no ones home. Bates hit back, accusing Republicans of falsely claim[ing] someone who never stops moving in a clip froze because they simply werent dancing. There are others in the video doing the same. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} George Norcross, a well-known Democratic power broker and businessman in New Jersey, snagged a front-row seat at the state attorney generals press conference on Monday morning, watching intently as prosecutors unveiled a 13-count criminal indictment against him and five others. Wearing a black suit with loafers, Norcross sat by himself with his hands folded in his lap as New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin accused him of engaging in a years-long criminal enterprise to unlawfully obtain property and property rights on the waterfront in Camden. He was also accused of collecting millions in tax credits and engaging in an extortion plot involving government officials to maintain power. The sprawling indictment is a shocking development for Norcross who was once considered the most powerful non-elected political official in the state. Shortly before Platkins press conference began, staffers in the AGs office asked Norcross to move from the reserved seating in the front row which the businessman firmly declined to do. Is there someone more significant than the lead defendant in the case to have a seat in the front row while hes being excoriated by the attorney general of the state? Norcross said to the staffers. He sat in the reserved seat for the rest of the presser, keeping his head forward as Platkin announced the charges and answered questions from the press. Norcross, 68, is an insurance executive and former member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) who spent decades influencing state legislation and politicians, especially in South Jersey. After a series of political losses in 2021, Norcross moved to Palm Beach, Florida. Norcross and his associates have been under investigation by the state attorney general for years, specifically for his influence on politicians and how it may or may not have benefitted him financially. In the 111-page indictment, Platkin accuses Norcross of running a criminal enterprise, referred to as the Norcross Enterprise, and using threats and coercion to push a developer into relinquishing property rights on the Camden waterfront. Hes also accused of coercing a nonprofit into giving up its property rights at a discounted price. Platkin said the property along the Camden waterfront came with state-incentivized tax credits as well as views of the Delaware River and Philadelphia skyline that made the location desirable. The others indicted alongside Norcross include his brother and lawyer Philip Norcross; William Tambussi, Norcross longtime personal lawyer; Dana Redd, the CEO of Camden Community Partnership and former mayor of Camden; Sidney Brown, the CEO of a trucking and logistics company; and John ODonnell an executive at a residential development company. The indictment alleges Norcross told one developer he would f*** you up like youve never been f***ed up before and threatened that he would never do business in Camden if he did not give him the property rights. Members of the Norcross Enterprise also allegedly conspired to manufacture a smear campaign of sorts by getting the mayor of Camden to stop communicating with the developer. Norcross and his co-defendants are also accused of extorting and coercing a nonprofit organization into partnering with the developer of their choice and selling the rights to a complex for a heavily discounted price. As a result, they obtained millions of dollars worth of tax credits, prosecutors said. Influential Democratic power broker George Norcross, center, speaks outside the justice complex in Trenton, NJ Monday, June 17, 2024, ( AP ) On full display in this indictment is how a group of unelected, private businessmen used their power and influence to get government to aid their criminal enterprise and further its interests, Platkin said in a press release. He added, The alleged conduct of the Norcross Enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, non-profits, the people of the State of New Jersey, and especially the City of Camden and its residents. That stops today. We must never accept politics and government that is funded with tax dollars to be weaponized against the people it serves. Today we reaffirm that no one in our state is above the law period. Norcross is charged with racketeering, two counts of conspiracy to commit theft by extortion in the first degree, conspiracy to commit theft by extortion in the second degree, six counts of financial facilitation of criminal activity, two counts of misconduct by a corporate official in the second degree and official misconduct. When asked how he felt about Norcross presence at the end of the press conference, Platkin responded, No comment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Republican running against Lauren Boebert for the US House was caught in an awkward moment when grilled about paying for a girlfriends abortion decades ago. Richard Holtorf, a member of the Colorado state House of Representatives running in the Republican primary for the House, revealed earlier this year that he had financed an abortion a girlfriend asked him to pay for when she became pregnant in his early 20s and Holtorf was a college student. The tense exchange occurred during an interview with News 9 anchor Thursday evening. If abortion was the best choice for your girlfriend, why try to deny that choice to other women? anchor Kyle Clark asked. The Republican candidate deflected, asking Clark if he had listened to the remarks he had made in January initially describing the situation. Clark countered that Holtorfs logic in the speech was scattered and repeated his question. Colorado state Rep Richard Holtorf appears for an interview on Thursday with Kyle Clark on 9News. He was caught in an awkward position when grilled on an abortion he paid for. ( Kyle Clark/Twitter ) The candidate would not explain why he had voted to take what he himself described as a right away from women, who like his girlfriend, may decide it is their best option. I dont [seek to deny that right], Holtorf claimed. Clark shot back: You have voted to restrict abortion access with legislation. I have, Holtorf responded. He added he believes women should choose life at every opportunity, but that there should be exceptions to restrictions on the practice. Is one of the exceptions when Richard Holtorf is the father? asked Clark. No! Its not about me! Holtorf responded. Dont personalize it and make it about me. NEW: CO-4 GOP candidate Richard Holtorf has voted against abortion rights in the state legislature but said he respected his girlfriend's right to have an abortion "so she could live her best life." I asked him about that disconnect. #copolitics pic.twitter.com/WBB5YBmAcJ Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) June 13, 2024 Holtorf initially made the revelation of having funded the procedure for his girlfriend during a speech on the state House floor in January. Speaking about his then-girlfriend, he told his colleagues: I respected her rights and actually gave her money to help her through her important, critical time so she could live her best life. He made those remarks while the chamber voted on a resolution led by Democrats to commemorate the original Supreme Court decision in Roe vs Wade, which established federal protections for abortion rights. Holtorf also revealed in his efforts to explain his remarks that a second girlfriend who became pregnant chose to give up their child for adoption. After facing questions from both supporters and journalists in the state, Holtorf gave a lengthier explanation on Facebook, writing that it was the saddest moment of my life but that he chose to respect a girlfriends decision against life, in my early 20s while attending college, The Colorado legislator is one of the leading Republican candidates in the upcoming June 25 primary to determine who will be the partys nominee to succeed Rep Ken Buck, who resigned in March. Boebert, herself followed by scandal, is choosing to run for the seat rather than seek re-election in a more competitive district across the state which she has represented since 2021. 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 }} Attorneys for Hunter Biden want a new trial for the incumbent presidents son, they argued in a motion filed Monday that a federal court in Delaware did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. The motion, however, was quickly withdrawn by the counsel, leaving open the possibility that it will be re-filed with corrections later. Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted on all three counts against him after just a short deliberation by jurors last week. He was charged with lying on an application for the purchase of a firearm by omitting his history of drug abuse on the paperwork. In the original filing of the application, lawyers for the younger Biden argued that the appeals court had not issued the order denying their clients appellate bid to have the charges dismissed. Penned by Abbe Lowell, it stated that the Third Circuit, however, did not then and has not yet issued its mandate as to the orders dismissing either appeal, Thus, when this Court empaneled the jury on June 3, 2024 and proceeded to trial, it was without jurisdiction to do so. The Independent has reached out to Hunter Bidens attorneys for comment. Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted last week on three felony counts related to accusations that he lied about his drug use on an application to purchase a firearm ( AP ) The effort by Hunter Biden to play legal checkers with his conviction presents yet another awkward situation for the White House and the presidential campaign of Joe Biden, which are confronted by the realities of the conduct of the presidents adult son and his efforts to dodge the repercussions of a deception which many of Bidens own supporters say that Hunter is obviously guilty of committing. It couldnt come at a worse time for the incumbent president, who is seeking to distinguish himself from his 2024 opponent Donald Trump and the 34 felony counts on which Trump was just convicted in New York. Joe Biden has publicly said that he would not pardon his son were he to be convicted (and the convictions upheld.) He has faced questions from reporters regarding whether hed work around that promise by commuting his sons sentence, which has not yet been set by a judge. I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal, the president said in a statement last week. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. 'No one is above the law': Biden on Trump conviction Hunter added in his own statement after the conviction: I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time. The presidents son has long been a bogeyman for the Republican Party, which has sought to paint the Biden family as corrupt and guilty of various crimes. They have done so even as the GOPs standard-bearer, Trump, has increasingly become mired in his own scandals and legal troubles. Ariana Baio contributed to reporting Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The judge in former New York City mayor Rudy Giulianis bankruptcy case slammed on Monday his failure to comply with deadlines and inability to keep bookkeepers to manage his mess of financial records. Giulianis bookkeeping was heavily criticized during a three-hour-long hearing in his high-profile Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. Judge Sean Lane also heard heated arguments from Giulianis creditors, who want a trustee to seize control of his finances and force the disgraced mayor to file monthly operating reports on time. There are reasons to be concerned here, the bankruptcy court judge declared, conceding that the former mayors records appear to be a mess. At a certain point, a failure to comply with [court] orders means my voice will take on a decided edge, the judge warned. If people dont obey court orders, its a profound problem. Giuliani attended the hearing via Zoom, sitting in a leather chair in front of a shelf bearing a bust of President Abraham Lincoln and in between two packages of the former mayors self-branded Rudy Coffee, a source told The Independent. It appears to be the same setup he uses when filming Americas Mayor Live. Giuliani sitting in front of his shelf featuring self-branded coffee ( Americas Mayor Live' / screengrab ) Ahead of the hearing, Giulianis lawyers explained in a filing that financial reporting has been difficult because the Trump ally has been unable to find an accounting professional willing to assist. His attorneys have also said that the bookkeeper they are using has been ill. When someone shows you who they are, believe them, said Rachel Strickland, a lawyer who represents the two election workers who Giuliani defamed, referring to the alleged pattern of sharing delayed and inaccurate financial records. His bookkeeper is ill, his accountant has quit, and no one else will work for him. That is not an excuse. Those are huge red flags, Strickland said. She added that the former mayor continues to make defamatory statements about her clients and that they have received death threats. It is a troubling fact that Giuliani cant keep a bookkeeper or accountant, Judge Lane conceded. Fischoff said he received an email from an accounting professional on Monday morning who was interested in getting involved in the case. A lawyer for the creditors warned that as things currently stand, in addition to asking the court to compel Giuliani to file his monthly operating reports, at the next hearing, I would imagine we may be seeking sanctions as well. The judge replied, Im not surprised to hear that. Judge Lane also heard arguments regarding the appointment of a trustee. Rachel Biblo Block, a lawyer for the creditors committee, used a PowerPoint to show why the court should appoint a trustee sooner rather than later, due to Giulianis dishonesty, incompetence, gross mismanagement of his affairs and breach of fiduciary duty as well as to protect the interests of the creditors. She also complained about Giulianis lack of transparency over his reporting, describing it as inaccurate and incomplete. Strickland spoke in favor of the immediate appointment of a trustee. Giuliani just wont follow the law. The creditors are unanimous. We need this relief, Strickland said. Giulianis lawyers have opposed the creditors motion to appoint a trustee: A trustee cannot compel an 80-year-old to work harder, more hours or longer hours. It appears that the motion is more punitive than productive. On Monday, Gary Fischoff, Giulianis attorney, said the appointment of a trustee would be harmful to the creditors. The judge didnt make any rulings on Monday. The next hearing is scheduled for July 10. 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 }} To combat the mental health crisis among young people, the US surgeon general wants all social media platforms to have a tobacco-style warning label notifying users that they are associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. On Monday, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy penned an impassioned op-ed in The New York Times about the dangers of young people using social media too often and for too long at too young of an age. Murthy pointed to several studies that show a correlation between mental health harms, like anxiety or depression, and time spent on social media. Calling the current mental health crisis an emergency, he said it is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on platforms similar to how tobacco products contain a warning. A surgeon generals warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe, Murthy wrote. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speaks during a hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 08, 2023 ( Getty Images ) He added, Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. Murthy believes that if the US implemented a surgeon generals warning on social media platforms, it would incentivize parents to limit or restrict their childrens social media use. This could help reduce the number of young people who experience depression, anxiety or overall bad feelings about themselves. Recent studies have shown that adolescents between 12 and 15 years old who used social media for more than three hours a day faced twice the risk of having negative mental health than those who didnt. Nearly half of young people reported feeling worse about their bodies after using social media, according to another study. The public has known about the dangers of social media for years with stories about the consequences of online bullying or child exploitation frequently in the media. Murthy says despite the knowledge the public has about social media harms, it remains too easily accessible. Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability, Murthy wrote. Social media platforms should require a surgeon generals warning, Vivek Murthy says ( PA ) Although some popular social media platforms have implemented tools that parents and teens can utilize to limit screen time, tech-savvy young people can easily circumvent them. Members of Congress have held multiple hearings to understand the impact of social media on young people and begin thinking of ways to create meaningful legislation to tackle the problem. But Murthy pitched the surgeon generals warning as a first step so parents might think harder about their adolescents social media habits and what they permit. Beyond legislative action, Murthy called on public health leaders, educators, school administrators and parents to collectively agree to keep young people away from social media as often as they can. This means creating strict boundaries at home and in school to prevent young people from using it before sleeping, while eating or interacting with people face-to-face. 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 }} State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has rejected the claim that the US wants China to invade Taiwan. Miller was asked by The Independent about the remarks made by Chinas president Xi Jinping at a summit in 2023, but which were first reported by the Financial Times on Saturday. According to FT, Xi told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in April 2023 that the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, but that he would not take the bait, according to a characterization made to the newspaper by several sources. One person further confirmed to the Financial Times that Xi had made that same assertion about the USs strategic thinking to officials within his government. Miller responded to that claim on Monday, telling reporters: Its certainly not accurate. We have made clear, including directly to senior members of the Chinese government, that our One China policy has not changed. It will not change and we continue to urge common stability across the Taiwan Strait. State Department denies US 'wants to China to invade Taiwan' following Xi claims The One China policy refers to the position demanded by the Chinese government that the US and other nations recognize the government in Beijing as the only legitimate sovereign government in China, and specifically reject efforts to recognize Taiwan as an independent state in any form. The policy stems from Chinas civil war, which led to the rise of its communist government and the exile of the nationalist army to Taiwan. The US government plays off this policy by recognizing the government in Beijing but also by acknowledging Taiwan as an independent entity, if not a full nation with rights at the UN. The Biden administration this year shepherded passage of a security assistance package for Taiwans government as part of the national security supplemental that passed Congress; the legislation included $2b in direct support for Taiwan. President Joe Biden said in an interview in 2022 that the US would commit forces to Taiwans defense in the event of an unprecedented attack by China. Chinas foreign ministry condemned the US presidents remarks at the time in a statement, writing: The US remarks severely violate the important commitment the US made not to support Taiwan independence, and send a seriously erroneous signal to Taiwanese separatist independence forces. 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 }} Tim Scott, a top contender for Donald Trumps vice president, said he stands by his vote to certify Joe Bidens 2020 election win. I will stand by that decision and the next decision to certify the fact that Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States, the South Carolina senator said Sunday on ABC News This Week Scott also said the constitution is clear regarding then-Vice President Mike Pences decision to certify the 2020 election despite Trumps unfounded claims that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and Biden was not the winner. Since dropping out of the presidential race in November, the South Carolina senator has served as Trumps surrogate, using his high-profile status to garner support for the campaign. The senator had previously dodged questions about whether he would certify the 2024 election regardless of a winner, NBC News reports. His answer on Sunday could put him at odds with Trump, who still contends without evidence the 2020 election was rigged. Senator Tim Scott speaks at a campaign rally for Donald Trump. The Senator told ABC News he stands by his decision to certify the 2020 election, despite Trumps false claims it was rigged ( Getty Images ) However, last month Scott attempted to defend the former presidents revenge threats following his felony convictions, entering a back-and-forth with CNNs Abby Phillip who pushed back against the senator. Phillip asked Scott: When former president Trump says that if he is elected president, he would appoint a special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family, are you saying that that is not something that you would support? Scott went on to claim Trump actually said, the best revenge is sucess, but Phillip shot back. Senator, he may have said it to you in a private room, but he has said it to thousands of his supporters that he plans to go after his political enemies, Phillip said. I dont understand how you can deny that he has said that publicly, she continued. Its in the public record. Scott is one of several vice-presidential candidates Trumps campaign is vetting. Top names include North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York. The former president is expected to announce his running mate in July at the Republican National Convention. There, delegates will likely name Trump the official GOP presidential nominee. 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 }} With just over a week to go until he squares off with Donald Trump in their first face-to-face meeting since October 2020, President Joe Biden and his re-election campaign are looking to use Trumps legal troubles to set the terms of this years electoral contest with a new advertisement listing the ex-presidents numerous courtroom setbacks. The 30-second spot, titled Character Matters, starts off with a male narrator intoning: In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. The voiceover continues by noting that Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and has committed financial fraud, referring to the ex-presidents criminal conviction for falsifying business records by a New York jury last month, a separate trial in which he was found to have raped writer E Jean Carroll in the 1990s, and yet another civil trial in which his eponymous company was determined to have perpetrated a massive fraud to the tune of nearly a half-billion dollars. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has been working, the narrator says, by lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share, referring to the presidents work to cap insulin prices for seniors and efforts to close corporate tax loopholes. This election is between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself and a president whos fighting for your family, the narrator concludes. Michael Tyler, the Biden campaigns communications director, said in a statement that the advertisement points out that Trump is coming into the June 27 debate with Biden as as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump. He also called the former presidents campaign an exercise in revenge and retribution and said Trump is blind to the people a president should be serving while being willing to do absolutely anything for his own personal gain and for his own power. Character matters, and the president of the United States should be someone who understands that the highest office in the land is about you and your family not a vehicle to enrich yourself. That is the ethos Joe Biden puts into the job every day: to fight for safer communities, for the middle class, and to ensure that corporations are paying their fair share, he said. Trump has, on a number of occasions, baselessly accused Biden of orchestrating charges against him, and the presidents campaign has previously steered clear of explicitly weighing in on Trumps legal troubles to avoid giving oxygen to those false allegations or making it seem as if the sitting president was putting his thumb on the scales. But in the wake of the Republican nominees unprecedented felony convictions, both the president and his re-election apparatus have shown a newfound willingness to remind the American public that Trump is the only former American chief executive to have been found guilty of crimes that were committed during his time in the White House. Earlier this month, at a fundraiser with a small group of donors in Greenwich, Connecticut, Biden for the first time called Trump a convicted felon and said his predecessor poses a threat to the United States if he wins another term. Joe Biden for the first time called Trump a convicted felon earlier this month ( AFP/Getty ) The new ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters. The advert will air on general market television, streaming devices and mobile phones in battleground states, as well as on national cable stations. Trump also faces felony charges in three separate criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election. Trump has denied all charges against him. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted shortly after Trumps conviction found that 10 percent of Republican voters said they were less likely to vote for Trump in November after the guilty verdict. Bidens son Hunter was this month convicted by a jury for lying about his illegal drug use to buy a gun, making him the first offspring of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime. Polls including one from Reuters/Ipsos show a vast majority of voters say Hunters conviction wont affect their vote in the November 5 election. While Biden and Trump remain tied in national polls, Trump still has the edge over his opponent in the battleground states that will decide the election, polls conducted before the conviction show. But Democrats have vowed to spend more than $10 million on House and Senate races in these states, in a bid to boost Bidens support. The Biden campaign has stepped up its attacks on the Republican nominee, publicly slamming Donald Trumps legal track record ( AP ) Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) president Heather Williams told NBC that legislative candidates are a critical part of getting Biden elected, adding that they are part of a broader effort that includes not only telling the story of their campaigns and their priorities, but also the story of Democratic Party values, of how we are advancing those, and the story of the presidents agenda. Those conversations are incredibly powerful and they bring people into the process in a way that certainly supports the entire ticket up and down the ballot, Williams added. The new approach comes ahead of the first debate between Trump and Biden of the 2024 election cycle, which will be aired on CNN on June 27. A second face-off is set for September 10, hosted by ABC. The Biden campaigns fundraising in April lagged behing Trumps for the first time, after the former president ramped up his joint operation with the Republican National Committee and headlined high-dollar fundraisers. Democrats still maintained an overall cash advantage over Trump and the Biden campaign continues to have a considerably larger war chest. On Saturday, Biden raised $30 million at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles, California. With additional reporting by agencies 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 }} More than 175,000 people with marijuana convictions in Maryland received a pardon from Governor Wes Moore on Monday, in one of the largest acts of clemency for crimes related to the drug in the nation. The pardons are part of Moores initiative to right the historical wrongs of criminal charges for low-level drug possession, which disproportionately harm people of color, making it more difficult for them to obtain housing, employment, education and more. After Maryland made recreational cannabis legal last year, Moore said it was important to recognize and correct how its criminalization has affected thousands of individuals. We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization, the governor said in a press conference on Monday. Maryland Governor Wes Moore holds an executive order pardoning 175,000 cannabis-related convictions at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland on June 17 ( EPA ) The pardons will forgive marijuana and paraphernalia possession-related charges, including for those who are dead. Although misdemeanor cannabis charges often do not result in incarceration and state prosecution for them has ended, Moore said those low-level charges still hurt people because they remain on their criminal record. Weve studied our history. Policy making is powerful and if you look at the past, you see how policies have been intentionally deployed to hold back entire communities, Moore said. The mass pardon does not automatically remove convictions from a persons criminal record rather it allows them to apply for expungement which removes a charge permanently. Moores sweeping order comes just two days before Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. Were taking a big step in enacting the kind of policies that can reverse the harm of the past and help us to work together to build a brighter future, he added. Moores widespread pardon is one of the largest acts of clemency in the country, rivaling Massachusetts which pardoned all misdemeanor convictions related to marijuana earlier this year. At least nine other states have taken action to pardon low-level marijuana convictions as well. President Joe Biden pardoned simple marijuana possessions at the federal level in 2022. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was detained by China for three years, has accused Chinese officials of scuttling her coverage of premier Li Qiangs visit at a press conference in Canberra. Ms Cheng, who now works as a journalist for Sky News Australia, and said Chinese officials obstructed her from being filmed by cameras when she arrived at the venue to cover Mr Lis visit to the Australian parliament. They went to great lengths to block me from the cameras and to flank me, Ms Cheng told Sky News Australia. And Im guessing thats to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look. But that itself is a bad look, she said. Ms Cheng, who previously worked with Chinese state broadcaster CGTNs international department, was detained by China on charges of spying since August 2020. She was released to Australian authorities in October 2023. She was sentenced shortly after being convicted in a closed-court trial last year on national security charges. The video footage from the press conference also seemed to confirm the incident. According to the Guardian, Ms Cheng was seated with her fellow Australian journalists in the seats allotted for the media. As the agreements were being signed, a Chinese embassy official stood in front of Ms Cheng, according to the report. Australian officials repeatedly asked the Chinese official to move but after the requests were rebuffed, an Australian official was heard as saying: Youre standing in front of my Australian colleague you must move. A fellow Australian journalist then offered to swap seats with Ms Cheng, resulting in her moving two seats to the right. When another embassy official appeared to move around to try to get close to Ms Cheng, Australian officials blocked the path, according to the Guardian. Ms Chengs release from Chinese detention was welcomed by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese last year, who said he was pleased to confirm that Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei has arrived safely home in Australia and has been reunited with her family. When he was asked on Monday about the latest incident, Mr Albanese said he wasnt aware there had been an issue but added that its important people be allowed to participate fully. Thats what should happen in this building and anywhere else. Ms Cheng was detained at a time when the bilateral ties between Australia and China were severely strained over human rights, trade disputes, and responses to the Covid pandemic. But relations between the countries have improved since Mr Albaneses centre-left Labour Party was elected after nine years of conservative rule. Beijing has lifted several official and unofficial trade barriers on Australian exports. Earlier in a letter to the Australian public on the three-year anniversary of her detention, she shared the detention conditions including being able to stand in the sunlight for just 10 hours a year. I relive every bushwalk, river, lake, beach with swims and picnics and psychedelic sunsets, sky that is lit up with stars, and the silent and secret symphony of the bush, Ms Cheng said in the letter shared by her partner, Nick Coyle. She hasnt seen a tree since she was detained, she wrote, and she misses the sun. In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year. Mr Albanese and Mr Li met on Monday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years, with trade ties, regional security and a jailed Australian writer on the hosts agenda. The visit by Mr Li, Chinas top-ranked official after president Xi Jinping, marks a stabilisation in relations between the US security ally and the worlds second-biggest economy, after a frosty period of Beijing blocking $20bn in Australian exports and friction over defence encounters. We welcome the continued stabilisation and development of our bilateral relations. This dialogue has allowed us to build a deeper awareness of our respective interests, Mr Albanese said in opening remarks. Australia and China had complementary economies and shared interests in addressing climate change, he said. We also have our differences, thats why candid dialogue is so important. For Australia, we consistently advocate the importance of a region and world that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where countries respect sovereignty and abide by international laws, he said. After the meeting, Mr Li told reporters the leaders held a candid, in-depth and fruitful meeting and reached a lot of consensus. The two countries would expand cooperation in energy and mining, and China would include Australia in its visa waiver programme, he added. Protesters and supporters gathered on Monday morning on the lawn outside parliament house in Canberra, where there was a heavy police presence, as a ceremonial welcome was held for Li. Barricades separated Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong and Falun Gong protesters from a large contingent of pro-China supporters. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails 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 Cyprus health official has said two people have died from heatstroke after a heatwave struck the region. Others are fighting for their life in hospital. On Friday an elderly person died from heatstroke after the weeklong heatwave with reportedly record temperatures for the month of June. An 84-year-old woman died a day after her admission to a hospital on Friday, said State Health Services Organisation spokesman Charalambos Charilaou. He said another three elderly patients were in serious condition. Temperatures on the island have soared all week, exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The high temperatures and strong winds also have hampered firefighting efforts, including in a mountainous area southwest of the capital Nicosia, where over 3.2 square kilometers (1.2 square miles) of forest were scorched, threatening a village. Smoke from a wildfire drifts over Troodos mountain between villages Farmakas and Fikardou in Cyprus ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Last week, 49 residents in two communities in the islands western Paphos district were evacuated to hotels as a wildfire threatened their homes, while aircraft from Greece and Jordan joined in firefighting efforts. In Greece, several tourists have lost their lives in the heat. A missing Dutch tourist was found dead early on Saturday on the eastern Greek island of Samos, local media reported, the latest in a string of cases in which tourists on Greek islands have died or gone missing. A 70-year-old American tourist was also found dead after going missing on Thursday on the small island of Mathraki in Greeces northwest extremity. The tourist had last been seen Tuesday at a cafe in the company of two female tourists who have since left the island. Some, if not all, had set out on hikes in blistering hot temperatures. A view of an ambulance and a fire brigade van on a beachfront of Symi island, Greece, Sunday, June 9, 2024 ( AP ) Temperatures across Greece on Saturday were more than 10 degrees Celsius (18F) lower than on Thursday, when they peaked at almost 45C (113F). They are expected to rise again from Sunday, although not to heatwave levels. Authorities were still searching for four people reported missing in the past few days. On Friday, two French tourists were reported missing on Sikinos, a relatively secluded Cyclades island in the Aegean Sea, with less than 400 permanent residents. The two women, aged 73 and 64, had left their respective hotels to meet. British TV presenter, Dr Michael Mosley, was found dead on the island of Symi last weekend. 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 }} German investigators have said that they seized cocaine worth 2.6 billion euros ($2.78 billion) from several container ships and arrested seven people in what they called the biggest ever find in the country. Prosecutors in the western city of Duesseldorf said they confiscated the 35.5 metric tons of cocaine last year following a tip from Colombian authorities. They added they found 25 tons of cocaine in the port of the northern city of Hamburg, another 8 tons in the Dutch port of Rotterdam and almost 3 tons in Colombia. The drugs were hidden among vegetables and fruit. The drug seizures had not previously been announced. The suspects aged between 30 and 54 were arrested in recent weeks and are believed to have been behind the smuggling. The seven include German, Azerbaijani, Bulgarian, Moroccan, Turkish and Ukrainian nationals, the prosecutors said in a statement. Their identities were not given in line with German privacy rules. A businessman from the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia set up 100 letterbox companies to make the transports appear legal, they said. Specifically, the suspects are accused of organising the transport of 10 sea containers with large quantities of cocaine from Latin America to Europe in the period from April to September 2023 with other as yet unknown accomplices allegedly residing in Turkey via front companies set up for this purpose, a written statement by prosecutors said. The state justice minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Benjamin Limbach, praised the huge cocaine seizure at a news conference in Duesseldorf. This is a blow to international organised criminality," Limbach said. "Its a precise punch in the jaw that hurts the drug lords. In May this year more than 600kg of cocaine concealed in bananas that were due to be sent off to Germany were seized by authorities in Colombia. Footage published on X/Twitter by William Rene Salamanca Ramirez, director general of Colombias national police, on Sunday, 26 May, showed authorities making the discovery at the port of Santa Marta, north of Cartagena. The police chief said the drugs were bound for to the port of Bremerhaven on Germanys North Sea coast, officials 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 }} While the tragic death of Dr Michael Mosely made headlines in the UK, at least four other visitors have died in recent weeks on the idyllic Greek islands, in the grip of a heatwave meteorologists say will go down in history. In some areas, people have been told to stay indoors between 11am and 3pm in the scorching early-summer weather over fears of heat-related deaths. Experts believe the heatwave could be a devastating sign of summers to come, with the country set to be on the front line of global warming. Greeces longest heatwave on record, lasting 16 days, was recorded in July last year. Click here for our latest updates on the search for missing tourists Michaely Mosley was found dead on Symi after going on a hike in blistering heat ( BBC ) The Acropolis in Athens was closed by the authorities during some afternoons last week, as were schools and nurseries, as temperatures soared to 43C in places. Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told Greek state television channel ERT: This heatwave will go down in history. In the 20th century, we never had a heatwave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June. Several cases of tourists dying or going missing have come after people set out on hikes in soaring temperatures. According to the National Observatory of Athens, the highest temperature in the country (43.2C) was registered at Lefkochori in Fthiotida, central Greece, followed by Sparta, in southern Peloponnese, with 43.1C. Dr Mosley was found dead on the island of Symi earlier this month following an extensive search. A coroner concluded that he had died shortly after going for a hike over difficult, rocky terrain on 5 June. Rescue teams search a cave network on the island of Samos ( Hellenic Rescue Team of Samos ) His death sparked an outpouring of tributes back home in the UK but he is not the only victim of this months heatwave. On Sunday, search teams found the body of a 55-year-old American tourist on the small Greek island of Mathraki. He was transferred to the island of Corfu where an autopsy will be carried out, a police official told Reuters on Monday. Meanwhile, the remains of a missing Dutch tourist were found on Saturday on the eastern Greek island of Samos. The 74-year-old had recently moved to the island and was reported missing by his wife. A body was found in a gorge, around 800 meters away from Limnionas. The as-yet-unnamed tourist had been seen walking with some difficulty in the blistering heat by a local resident. On 5 June, another Dutch tourist, 67, collapsed and died of a heart attack while crossing the Mylon gorge in Rethymno, Crete as temperatures reached 40C. People on Samos search for a mising Dutch tourist ( Hellenic Rescue Team of Samos ) The next day, on the same island, a 70-year-old French tourist died while walking on a deserted beach between Kouremenos and Zakros in Sitia. Paramedics managed to reach her but were unable to save her life. There is a common pattern they all went for a hike amid high temperatures, Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the Southern Aegean, told Reuters. According to Dimitris Kalatzis, who heads up the Samos rescue team, missions are often made more difficult because tourists, frequently unaware of the risks, veer off track to see sites and get lost. He told local media: Yesterday we saw a couple [of foreigners] walking a trail in 41C without hats. It defies logic. An ambulance and a fire brigade on a Symi beachfront on Sunday ( AP ) Rescue teams are still looking for the two French women, aged 64 and 73, who stayed at different hotels on Sikinos island in the Cyclades. The women are believed to have known each other. There are two search operations in progress on other islands. Police, firemen and volunteers have been deployed assisted by a drone and a rescue dog, Mr Vassilakis said. Dubbed The Island of Wine, Sikionos is one of the less touristic islands of the Aegean with a population of only 386 people. Firefighters who put out several wildfires on Wednesday remained on high alert as strong winds were expected to hit several parts of the country. The ancient Acropolis, in Athens, was closed by authorities when temperatures hit 43C ( AP ) Athens, a city of five million people which sits in a coastal bowl jammed with apartment blocks and flanked by mountains, is one of the hottest cities in Europe. Scientists warn that summer temperatures there could rise by an average of two degrees by 2050. City mayor Haris Doukas has tried to create more shade by planting 2,000 trees. Temperatures across the country began to ease on Friday, with forecasters saying the heat will return to average for this time of year at 31 to 33 degrees. The Foreign Office has said travellers heading to Greece should be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. It added that tourists should: 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 body of a 55-year-old American tourist has been transfered to Corfu from the tiny Greek island of Mathraki, making him the third tourist death in a week following an early June heatwave. Police did not share the identity of the American, whose body was found near a beach on Mathraki on Sunday. On Monday they said was transferred to the island of Corfu where an autopsy will be carried out. A search is also ongoing for a 59-year-old US policeman on Amorgos. Retired Los Angeles Sheriffs deputy Eric Calibet, an experienced hiker who has visited Amorgos for years, disappeared on Tuesday. He failed to return from a hike. Greek officials are searching for him, including several agencies and volunteers from the Greek coast guard along with teams from neighboring islands of Paros and Naxos. Drones are being used in the search. Eric Calibet, 59, had been vacationing on the island but was reported missing by a friend on Tuesday afternoon ( Municipality of Amorgos ) Temperatures soared earlier this month, just as the holiday season began across Greece. The early heatwave has coincided with a spate of disappearances and deaths of tourists across the Mediterranean country, highlighting the dangers of heat exposure. There is a common pattern - they all went for a hike amid high temperatures, Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the Southern Aegean said. The body of British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on the island of Symi on June 9, following a four-day search operation by aircraft, drones and boats. He had taken a walk alone in high temperatures before he disappeared. Historical site of Spinalonga island on a sunny spring day, Crete, Greece ( Getty Images/iStockphoto ) A 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead on the island of Samos on Saturday and two hikers were found dead on Crete on June 5. Rescue teams were also searching for two French women, aged 73 and 64, on the island of Sikinos. There are two search operations in progress on other islands. Police, firemen and volunteers have been deployed assisted by a drone and a rescue dog, Vassilakis said. In Cyprus a health official said on Monday that a second elderly person has died from heatstroke. An 84-year-old woman died a day after being admitted to hospital on Friday, said State Health Services Organisation spokesman Charalambos Charilaou. He said another three elderly patients are in a serious condition. Temperatures on the island have soared all week, exceeding 40C 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 Greek coastguard has been accused of causing the deaths of more than 40 migrants in the Mediterranean over a number of years including nine who were allegedly thrown overboard into the sea and allowed to drown. Victims said they had either been thrown into the sea or cast afloat in damaged inflatable rafts before they could make asylum claims in Greece. One man said the Greek coastguard had thrown him into the sea with his hands zip-tied together, saying: They wanted me to die. Greece has long denied accusations of pushing people back towards Turkey where they crossed from, which is illegal under international law. The countrys coastguard has repeatedly denied all accusations of illegal activity. The allegations will air in a new BBC documentary on Monday night. Journalists analysed 15 incidents over the three years to May 2023 in which people are claimed to have died as a result of the coastguards actions. While the initial sources for the documentary, titled Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? were primarily local media, NGOs and the Turkish coastguard, the BBC said it had corroborated four of these cases through eyewitness testimony which they said showed a clear pattern. In four of the five cases in which migrants said they were thrown into the sea, they described being hunted down by Greek officials after landing on Greek islands. The Greek government said it had rescued more than 250,000 migrants over the past decade ( AP ) We had barely docked, and the police came from behind, said one man from Cameroon, who landed on the island of Samos in September 2021. There were two policemen dressed in black, and three others in civilian clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes. He and two other men from Cameroon and Ivory Coast were transferred to a Greek coastguard boat. He told the BBC that the other Cameroonian was the first to be thrown in the water. The Ivorian man said: Save me, I dont want to die and then eventually only his hand was above water, and his body was below. Slowly his hand slipped under, and the water engulfed him. Before throwing him in the water too, he described his abductors as raining punches down on his head like they were punching an animal. Refugees in a dinghy are lit by a a Greek coast guard patrol boat's spotlight during a rescue operation in 2019 ( AP ) While he was able to swim ashore, the bodies of his two companions, Sidy Keita and Didier Martial Kouamou Nana, were found on the Turkish coast. His lawyers are demanding that Greece open a double murder case. Another man from Somalia claimed he had been caught by the Greek army after arriving on Chios, who handed him over to the coastguard. They threw me zip-tied in the middle of the sea. They wanted me to die, he said. While he was able to free one of his hands and make it to land, three people in his group did not survive. In other cases, migrants were allegedly put onto rafts without motors, which then deflated, or appeared to have been punctured, the BBC reported. In the deadliest such alleged incident, a boat carrying 85 people required help after its motor cut out near Rhodes. Yvette Cooper fails to rule out overseas schemes for illegal migrants Mohamed, from Syria, said the Greek coastguard returned them to Turkish waters and put them in life rafts. Mohamed says the raft he and his family were given had not had its valve properly closed. We immediately began to sink, they saw that They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us, he told the BBC. The first child who died was my cousins son After that it was one by one. Another child, another child, then my cousin himself disappeared. By the morning seven or eight children had died. My kids didnt die until the morning right before the Turkish coastguard arrived. Shown footage of a forced return near Lesbos in which women and children were among a group put aboard a raft, abandoned and later rescued by the Turkish coastguard, Dimitris Baltakos, the former head of special operations with the Greek coastguard, refused to speculate on what the footage showed. But during a break in the interview, the microphone caught him telling someone out of shot in Greek: I havent told them much, right? Its very clear, isnt it. Its not nuclear physics. I dont know why they did it in broad daylight Its obviously illegal. Its an international crime. The footage was filmed by Austrian activist Fayad Mulla and published by the New York Times in May 2023. The Greek coastguard denied the documentarys findings, telling the BBC its staff worked tirelessly with the utmost professionalism, a strong sense of responsibility and respect for human life and fundamental rights, adding that they were in full compliance with the countrys international obligations. It added: It should be highlighted that from 2015 to 2024, the Hellenic Coast Guard has rescued 250,834 refugees/migrants in 6,161 incidents at sea. The impeccable execution of this noble mission has been positively recognised by the international community. The Independent has approached the Greek government for further comment. Close Greece shuts Acropolis, schools as it braces for 43C heatwave For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Greek authorities are investigating whether wildfires that threatened to engulf Athens were sparked by a single arsonist. Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson as well as extreme weather conditions. A fire service spokesman has said the force is struggling to deal with the spate of blazes, adding: Almost every 10 minutes a new fire breaks out. In Koropi, a storage facility and at least one home were burned, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages. Amid the heatwave, several foreign tourists have died or gone missing while hiking in high temperatures. The girlfriend of a missing American tourist has criticised Greek authorities for allegedly doing little to help search for him. Albert Calibet, 59, has been missing since last Tuesday while hiking on the island of Amorgos. At least five tourists have been found dead on the Greek Islands in recent weeks. Have you been affected by this? Email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk 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 trial of jailed US journalist Evan Gershkovich will start in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg later this month behind closed doors, the court has said. The first American journalist to be detained on spy charges in Russia since the Cold War more than three decades ago, Mr Gershkovich has repeatedly denied the charges and nations including the US and UK have hit out at what they see as politically motivated charges with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter having just been doing his job. Joe Biden has called his detention totally illegal. Mr Gershkovich has been behind bars since his March 2023 arrest. He could be imprisoned for up to 20 years if convicted. Russian authorities claim the 32-year-old journalist was gathering secret information about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, on orders from the CIA. The trial is to be held on 26 June at the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, Russias fourth-largest city, where he was arrested. He has since been held in Moscows Lefortovo prison, around 870 miles to the west. The court added that the trial will be closed to the public. Russias Federal Security Service alleges that Mr Gershkovich was acting on orders from Washington to collect state secrets but has still provided no evidence. Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said last week. The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that theyre false. He should be released immediately. Oleg Kozlovsky, a Russian researcher for Amnesty International, who was himself wrongfully detained in Russia in 2008, believes Mr Gershkovich is likely to face a really long sentence. As far as I know, there have been no acquittals in espionage cases in many years, and the sentences have been getting harsher and harsher over time, he said. This is basically the modus operandi of the entire law enforcement system in Russia. Whether the person is actually guilty of a crime doesnt really play a role here. I want to be wrong but it is likely that Evan will get a really long sentence regardless of any evidence. Vladimir Putin has said he believes a deal could be reached to free Gershkovich ( EPA ) The Biden administration has sought to negotiate Mr Gershkovichs release but Moscow has said it would consider a prisoner swap only after a trial verdict. Vladimir Putin has said he believes a deal could be reached to free Mr Gershkovich, hinting he would be open to swapping him for a Russian national imprisoned in Germany. That appeared to be a reference to Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence for the 2019 killing of a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent in Berlin. The Kremlin claimed on Monday that contacts had taken place with the United States over a possible prisoner exchange involving Mr Gershkovich but that they should remain far from the media. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov quoted Mr Putins remarks earlier this month at a meeting with senior international news agency editors, where he said that Russia and the United States were in contact on the issue. I want to remind you again of the presidents conversation with the heads of information agencies in St Petersburg he confirmed that there are such contacts, Mr Peskov said. They go on but should continue to be conducted in complete silence... Therefore, no announcements, statements, or information on this matter can be provided. When asked why the espionage trial was to be held behind closed doors, Mr Peskov said that he was unable to comment on such matters as it was a decision made by the court. This is a court decision. We cannot comment on it, Mr Peskov said. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, Mr Gershkovich is fluent in Russian and moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the WSJ in 2022. US ambassador Lynne Tracy, who regularly visited Mr Gershkovich in prison and attended his court hearings, has called the charges against him fiction and said that Russia is using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for the first time in 24 years, turning toKim Jong-un as he faces increasing isolation on the world stage over the invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang is alleged to provided Russia with millions of vital artillery shells for its war in Ukraine since September, when Putin and Kim Jong-un last met in Russias far east. During that meeting, the North Korean leader had invited Putin to make his first visit to Pyongyang since July 2000. The Kremlin has now announced that the Russian president will take up his offer in a two-day trip starting on Tuesday. South Koreas foreign ministry warned that the visit should not result in more military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow which violate UN resolutions, after South Korean deputy foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun held an emergency phone call with his US counterpart Kurt Campbell on Friday. But Moscow said it will develop relations in the manner it chooses and will not be told what to do by any country, least of all the United States. Russia and North Korea could sign a partnership agreement during the visit, which would include security issues, Russias state RIA news agency quoted a Kremlin aide as saying. The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Seouls Ewha University, told Reuters. Not only does the summit upgrade North Koreas status among countries standing against the US-led international order, it also helps bolster Kims domestic legitimacy. The two countries could sign a new partnership agreement during the visit, the Kremlin said ( Sputnik ) Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the renaissance of its relationship with North Korea since the start of the war in Ukraine, causing alarm among the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia. Washington says North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia to help it fight in Ukraine, though Pyongyang has repeatedly denied this. The United Nations has imposed a myriad of sanctions since Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, but experts say it has continued the development of nuclear weapons and the production of nuclear fissile materials. Russia has said that world powers need a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of seeking to strangle the reclusive state. In what was widely viewed as a turning point in the international sanctions regime against North Korea, Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of the nuclear sanctions. China whose relationship with Russia has also intensified in recent years abstained. A relationship with Moscow also brings immediate and tangible results in terms of economic, military and agricultural cooperation and trade which the two countries have not had since the 1990s, said Jenny Town, of the US-based 38 North programme. Additional reporting by Reuters 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 }} Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the countrys war cabinet a move that should solidify his grasp of decision-making over the war in Gaza. It comes as discontent mounts over Israels conduct during the war and amid calls for a week of protests from anti-government groups. The move was triggered after the moderate opposition leader Benny Gantz quit the cabinet last week, over what he believes is a lack of strategy over the war and what comes after it. Mr Gantz joined a national unity government with Mr Netanyahus hardline coalition days after the start of the war in October. He had demanded that a small cabinet be formed as a way to sideline far-right legislators in government. Immediately afterwards, far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he had written to Mr Netanyahu to demand that he be added to the war cabinet. Dissolving the war cabinet allows Mr Netanyahu to avoid clashes with his coalition partners, whose calls for Israels military to keep pushing on in Gaza are increasingly at odds with growing international calls for a ceasefire. The war was triggered by a Hamas attack inside Israel during which around 1,200 people were killed and 250 more were taken hostage. A little under half of those are still being held captive in Gaza. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a result of the Israeli militarys offensive, according to the local health ministry. The establishment of a narrow war cabinet was a core demand of Mr Gantz to join the unity government. The six-member cabinet was made up of three active members and three observers. It also included Mr Gantzs partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers. Mr Eisenkot has also resigned from the cabinet. Both Mr Gantz and Mr Eisenkot cited Mr Netaynahus failure to agree a plan for Gaza beyond the current war as their reasons for leaving. The Israeli leader has declined to comment on future plans other than to reaffirm that Hamas must be completely destroyed. Mr Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including defence minister Yoav Gallant, one of the three original members of the cabinet, and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, formerly an observer in the group. Mr Ben-Gvir will not be permitted to take part in such discussions despite his requests, according to Israeli publication Ynet. But Haaretz reported that some of the less sensitive issues previously discussed by the war cabinet would be transferred for discussion to the 14-member security cabinet, which includes Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich. The move comes as Israel and Hamas are weighing up the latest proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its attack. Israeli troops are still bogged down in the Gaza Strip, fighting in the southern city of Rafah and against pockets of Hamas elsewhere. And violence continues unabated between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, with an envoy from the Biden administration in the region in a bid to avert a wider war on a second front on the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran. Israels national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the annual Jerusalem Day march at Damascus Gate on 5 June ( Reuters ) Both Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich have threatened to topple Mr Netanyahus government should Israel move ahead with a ceasefire deal with Hamas. The latest proposal being considered is part of the Biden administrations most concentrated push to help wind down the war. For now, progress on a deal appears to remain elusive. Critics say Mr Netanyahus wartime decision-making has been influenced by his governments ultra-nationalists and his desire to remain in power. Netanyahu denies the accusations but may be feeling more confident in light of Mr Gantz taking a hit in the polls over his decision to leave the war cabinet; Mr Netanuahus poll numbers have risen as a result. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari insisted that the move to dissolve the cabinet will not affect operations inside Gaza, even if the political fallout could be significant. Cabinet members are being changed and the method is being changed. We have the echelon, we know the chain of command. Were working according to the chain of command. This is a democracy, he told reporters. Mr Ben-Gvir had criticised a decision by the military to introduce daytime tactical pauses in military activity near the southern Gaza city of Rafah to allow more deliveries of humanitarian aid. According to Israeli media, Mr Netanyahu told the regular Sunday meeting of the full cabinet that in order to reach the goal of eliminating the capabilities of Hamas, [he had] made decisions that were not always acceptable to the military echelon, but added: We have a country with an army and not an army with a country. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email 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 Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An American Airlines passenger who was gagged and bound with duct tape to her seat after being accused of attempting to open an aircraft door mid-flight has been sued by the Federal Aviation Administration. Heather Wells, 34, was flying from Dallas to Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 6, 2021, when she began causing a ruckus on the aircraft biting and spitting at staff and passengers, and allegedly attempting to open the front cabin door. A viral video showed her duct-taped to the seat in the aftermath of the incident. The FAA first fined Wells a record $81,950 in civil penalties in 2022 as airlines and regulators battled against a surge of wayward passengers disrupting flights. Now, US attorney Jaime Esparza has filed a lawsuit in San Antonios federal court on behalf of the FAA seeking to collect the money from Wells, according to a lawsuit first seen by San Antonio Express. The business class passenger wanted out after drinking a neat Jack Daniels as she began running to the front of the plane and attempting to grab the handle of the front cabin door, according to the lawsuit filed on June 6. Heather Wells duct taped to her seat after she allegedly attacked crew members ( tiktok ) Wells began talking incoherently to passengers, before crawling back toward the main cabin, and threatened a flight attendant that tried to intervene. Swerving past the stewards, the passenger went for the front door as she yelled profanities, before two more attendants restrained her, the filing read. Wells struck one flight attendant in the head several times during the tussle, according to the lawsuit. Wells was then sat down and restrained using flex-cuffs. Ultimately, the flight attendants and passenger were able to restrain Defendant with duct tape and flex cuffs and get her seated, the lawsuit read. Wells was bound to her chair with duct tape and gagged in a bid to stop her screams as she continued to kick and spit and attempted to bite and head-butt a flight attendant and passengers, as per the filing. The American Airlines passenger has been sued for nealry $82,000 ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) American Airlines pilots radioed staff at Charlotte to alert police, who were waiting on the runway. Wells continued to lash out even after the plane hit the tarmac. Ultimately, Defendant had to be sedated to be removed from the aircraft by law enforcement and medical responders, the lawsuit read. Wells has been summoned to answer the lawsuit, alleging that she violated federal aviation rules by trying to access the flight cabin, interfering with flight crew, threatening them and posing an imminent threat to the safety of the aircraft or individuals on the aircraft. No criminal charges had seemingly been filed against Wells over the incident. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed to The Independent that it holds no record of charges being made, only an inflight violation. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Greece is counting the cost of an early heatwave that has taken the lives of several tourists in a preview of the extreme weather it is likely to face this summer. An urgent warning has been issued to anyone travelling to the country as four holidaymakers have died and more are missing amid record temperatures. A favourite holiday destination for much of Europe, Greece has now been hit by the earliest heatwave on record. A heatwave is classed as temperatures exceeding 38C for at least three days. Click here for our latest updates on the search for missing tourists Tourist sites in sweltering Athens and beyond were forced to close on Wednesday and Thursday. The Acropolis shut its doors to visitors after reports of people fainting while waiting in line. Greek authorities issued a level three heat alert, sending automated warnings to phones that urged people to work from home and avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Greek state TV meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos said the country has seen its earliest reported heatwave: In the 20th century we never had a heatwave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June. Chania, a city on the northwest coast of Crete recorded the highest temperature, with the mercury reaching 44.5C on Thursday. The area was also hit by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday morning. The heat, twinned with an earlier season than usual, has left several tourists dead, even before the high period starts. The spike in heat comes in the same week that TV doctor Michael Mosley was found dead on the island of Symi in the Dodecanese island group close to Rhodes. He collapsed during a walk. The Trust Me, Im a Doctor presenter, 67, was found dead on Sunday, four days after he went missing. His wife said he took the wrong route on what was supposed to be a short walk to the next town. The path would have taken him over or alongside a steep slope littered with rocks and no shelter from the heat that hit 37C. It is estimated that his time of death was around 4pm local time on Wednesday. He had left friends on the islands Agios Nikolaos beach at around 1.30pm to go for a walk. open image in gallery A search and rescue operation for TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley on the island of Symi ( PA ) Elsewhere in Greece, a 67-year-old Dutch tourist was found dead in Crete on 5 June. The man collapsed while crossing the Mylon gorge in Rethymno. The fire service confirmed the death on social media and local media reported he suffered heart failure in the heat. On the same day, local media reported a 70-year-old French tourist collapsed and died while walking on a beach in Sitia, Crete. A fourth tourist death was reported on Thursday 13 June, again on Crete. An 80-year-old man had left his hotel on his own and was found dead near an archaeological site near the northeast town of Malia. Search teams in Greece are still looking for three other missing tourists in separate incidents. Retired US police officer Eric Calibet disappeared while out on a solo hike on the island of Amorgos in the southeast of the country on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Calibet, 59, knew the area well having been visiting the island almost every year for about a decade. He left for a four-hour hike, from Aegiali to Katapola around 7am. "Were almost on three days here," his brother Oliver Calibet told Fox 11 TV in Los Angeles. "Theres no water Im very distraught." open image in gallery Eric Calibet, 59, had been vacationing on the island but was reported missing by a friend on Tuesday afternoon ( Municipality of Amorgos ) Another American tourist is also missing on the small island of Mathraki, just off Corfu. The 55-year-old tourist hasnt been seen since Tuesday 11 June, according to local media. On the island of Samos, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist disappeared while hiking on Sunday. Rescue teams on the tourist island in the eastern Aegean sea said the man vanished in the area of Marathokampos. Searches for all three are still ongoing. Dimitris Katatzis, head of the Samos rescue team, said tourists are unaware of the risks they face walking in the heat. Saying they often veer off track to see sites and then get lost. We saw a couple [of foreigners] walking a trail in 41C without hats, he told local media. It defies logic. Dr Mohit Mandiratta, resident GP on BBC Breakfast, has warned of the complications even the healthiest people can face in the heat. He told The Independent: Heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and be very serious if not treated immediately. It can come on quickly, over minutes, or gradually over hours, so its important we all stay alert to symptoms. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when your core body temperature reaches 40C or higher and must be treated immediately. Common symptoms of heat exhaustion What to look out for Common symptoms of heat exhaustion include: A headache Dizziness and confusion Loss of appetite and feeling sick Excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach Fast breathing or pulse A high temperature of 38C or above Extreme thirst Dr Mohit Mandiratta, a local GP in the Black Country, added: To help prevent heat exhaustion drink plenty of cold drinks, take cool baths or showers and wear light-coloured and loose clothing. Try to stay out of the sun between 11am-3pm. If someone has heat exhaustion, move them to a cool place and get them to lie down with their feet raised slightly. Ensure they drink plenty of water and cool their skin with cold water and fan them. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes. If someone with heat exhaustion does not improve after 30 minutes, they may have heatstroke. You should call emergency services if they still feel unwell after drinking plenty of water. Radek Nowak, active product manager for Intrepid Travel an agency that specialises in walking holidays, said they have had to adapt trips according to the heat: The soaring summer temperatures in Europe are certainly making it more challenging for people to do more active holidays. Intrepid no longer runs hiking trips in Spain and Portugal during the hottest months of July and August. Winter trips have been added instead in countries such as Greece and Croatia. Radek added: When groups are doing walks or hikes in the warm weather, we plan our days around the weather, heading out early in the morning before the heat reaches its peak. On the frontline of climate change Greece is on the frontline in the worlds battle against climate change, being hit by extreme heat and flooding in the space of just a few weeks last year. It recorded its longest heatwave on record, lasting 16 days, in July 2023. The high temperatures fuelled wildfires across the country that saw locals and tourists evacuated. The minister responsible for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the last week has posed a particular wildfire risk due to the combination of high temperatures and winds. The early start of the heatwaves, combined with the dry winter, has led to a very difficult fire season, he said. open image in gallery Flames burn through a forest during the wildfires in Greece last year ( AP ) A total of 44 agricultural fires were reported by the fire service on Thursday alone. None are believed to be serious at this point. As well as record temperatures, Greece is expected to see record tourism this year. In a forecast published days before the heatwave, the National Bank of Greece said tourism is up 24 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period a year earlier. The analysts said a 20 per cent rise in international arrivals in spring suggests the country will face a longer season than expected. On Thursday, the Greek ombudsman issued a separate report warning that the country needs to see urgent changes if it wants to see continued growth in tourism. It warned of the growing environmental risks and called for urgent reform. It said the country needs to reduce rampant construction and protect water resources and coastal areas if it wants to maintain a healthy tourism industry across its mountainous mainland and beach-lined islands. Our countrys economy relies heavily on tourism which makes the need to manage it in a sustainable way even more urgent, the report said. open image in gallery Tourists watch the sunset from the castle of Oia, on the island of Santorini, Greece in 2022 ( Reuters ) Overtourism is an issue in Greece, as it is in other holiday hotspots across Europe. The ombudsman report said that Santorini a small island in the Aegean Sea with 15,550 residents receives more than 5.5 million visitors annually, twice the number it hosted in 2012. In Santorini, even tourists complain about the great number of tourists, it added. On Friday, prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with Bloomberg that the government is also considering imposing a cap on the number of cruise ships visiting the most popular tourist islands. Infrastructure The infrastructure of the country is struggling to keep up with the temperatures. The heat not only closed tourist attractions this week but schools across the country were forced to shut their doors just days before the start of the three-month-long break. Greek schoolchildren are given three months off for summer. With temperatures rising, the holidays start in the middle of June and the next team starts again in the middle of September. open image in gallery A tourist is helped by first aid personnel from the ancient Acropolis site, in central Athens this week ( AP ) Despite schools being closed for lessons other students were forced to sit Panhellenic exams, the equivalent to A-levels, during the heatwave many in poorly air-conditioned rooms. Parents in Athens and on the island of Thessaloniki were asked to bring fans when they dropped their children off for exams. Workers in Athens were told to avoid activity between midday and 5pm and elderly people and those with chronic ailments were told to stay indoors. At Athens airport, passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha were forced to wait hours on board due to a technical problem. Passengers reportedly fainted due to a lack of air conditioning. On Wednesday a huge fire broke out at a cookware factory in the Athens suburb of Kifisia. A warning of toxic smoke was sent to those living nearby, adding that they should shut their windows. What next? Temperatures across the country began to ease on Friday, with forecasters saying the heat will return to average for this time of year at 31 to 33 degrees. The Foreign Office has said travellers heading to Greece should be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. They added that tourists should: Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Southwest Airlines flight plunged within 400 feet of the ocean near Hawaii in April, according to a newly-revealed memo. The document, shared with the airlines pilots last week and obtained by Bloomberg News, stated that a Boeing 737 Max 8 briefly plunged at an unusually fast 4,000 feet per minute before the crew pulled out. The April 11 incident occurred after adverse weather conditions led the pilots to pull out of a landing attempt. There were no injuries and the flight returned to Honolulu. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Independent that it is investigating the incident. The Independent has contacted Southwest Airlines for comment. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it has information to release at this point. The incident comes amid other reported safety issues after airlines increased flights following the pandemic. Southwest is facing increasing pressure from Elliott Investment Management, as well as other investor, as it struggles with its finances, Bloomberg reported. Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety, the airline told the outlet. Through our robust Safety Management System, the event was addressed appropriately as we always strive for continuous improvement. Data from the flight tracking site, ADS-B Exchange, reveals that the flight plunged from 1,000ft to 400ft in just a few seconds on April 11. It then began to climb quickly. Former pilot and flight instructor Kit Darby told Bloomberg that the pilot was pitching up and pitching down with the power and close to out of control very close. It would feel like a rollercoaster ride. The Southwest review shows that the incident took place after a landing attempt was unsuccessful in harsh weather conditions and pilots had been unable to see the runway. The memo states that the captain chose to put the newer first officer in charge during the short flight despite the bad weather. The first officer inadvertently pushed forward on the control column. The officer was following the movement of the thrust lever caused by the planes automatic throttle. The pilot subsequently decreased the speed, and the descent began. Alarms sounded, stating that they were getting too close to the surface, prompting the captain to order the first officer to up the thrust, causing the plane to climb aggressively at 8,500 feet per minute, the memo stated. Darby told the outlet that flights approaching an airport for landing usually descend at about 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute, slowing down to about 800 feet when the aircraft is about five miles away. The Southwest review found that pilot monitoring and improved communication between crew members is vital. It said it would look at internal and industry data connected to its protocols for procedures and training. In December 2022, a United Airlines flight came within around 750 feet of the ocean after it plunged just after takeoff. Investigations by the FAA and NTSB found that the incident was caused by miscommunication between the pilots on the plane. Taylor Swift told her Liverpool crowd it was a genuine honour to perform for them as she stood to take in a 90-second applause. Swift, 34, played three dates at Anfield stadium during the UK leg of her Eras Tour. Last Thursdays show (13 June) was the 100th of her record-breaking run and took place in front of 55,000 people. She then went on to perform two more times at Anfield and is set to play in Cardiff and London later this week. It is genuinely such an honour to play for a crowd like this, Swift told her fans on Saturday night. I love you so much Liverpool, thank you. Whether its having your equipment in check, or being in the right headspace going into your shoot, photographer Lalea Raymond explains how to be prepared. Personally, she always double checks her batteries, meditates, stretches and listens to a calming podcast. The New Jersey photographer, who tops up her equipment from MPB, the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear, also makes sure to be respectful, punctual and have a positive attitude. Here, she offers practical tips on how to be both physically and mentally ready. Discover more of the series here. Members of the protest group Palestine Action have vandalised a factory in Kent. Seven people were arrested after activists filmed themselves breaking into Instro Precision in Sandwich in the early hours of Monday 17 June, throwing stock to the ground and smashing computers with a crowbar. The protesters, wearing orange jumpsuits, were seen in video footage crawling through a smashed window. Palestine Action said some had used rolls of spikes called stingers to stop vehicles getting into the site while the break-in took place. A statement from Kent Police confirmed seven protesters were arrested and an investigation is under way. Ten people were also arrested after the Scotiabank building in the City of London was sprayed with red paint and activists blocked doors at around 6am on Monday. Votes were recast after airline said union used electronic ballot but should have used a paper ballot Aer Lingus pilots have again voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, heightening fears that tens of thousands of holidaymakers will be grounded over the summer. The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa), which represents almost 800 pilots at Aer Lingus, said its now consulting its umbrella union, Forsa, to consider the next steps it will take. The union said its pilots are now more determined than ever to secure their near 24pc pay claim. A fresh ballot took place over the weekend, with the results having been counted on Monday afternoon. The airline employs almost 800 pilots who are seeking a near 24pc pay rise. Such a hike would see the most senior captains at the carrier get a near 50,000 a year pay rise and bring their basic annual pay to 256,000. When other elements such as long service increments and flight pay are factored in, it could see those most senior pilots earn as much as 349,000 a year. The most senior pilots at the airline receive a huge pension contribution from the carrier as part of that overall package, with a mammoth 21pc of their salary contributed by Aer Lingus to their pension pots. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 17th The ballot by pilots had to be retaken over the weekend for technical reasons after a previous electronic ballot was questioned by Aer Lingus. The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) said that rather than battle Aer Lingus in the courts on the validity of the first ballot, it would move immediately to undertake a paper-based ballot. Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe said the result of the second ballot was an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer. He said: It is unconscionable that an employer would attempt to undermine our members democratic and constitutional right to vote for industrial action. The effect of Aer Lingus managements intervention last week has served only to further antagonise pilots. They are now more determined than ever. This ballot has reaffirmed the commitment of our members to stand up to management. Captain Tighe added: Our pay claim of 23.8pc is to ensure that pilots pay has the same purchasing power as it did in 2019 and reflects the enormous increase in profits enjoyed by Aer Lingus. Ialpa is now consulting with our colleagues in Forsa to determine our next steps, he said. The Labour Court issued an interim recommendation last month that would have seen the pilots receive a 9.25pc pay increase. That proposal was accepted by Aer Lingus but overwhelmingly rejected by pilots. Aer Lingus has offered 12.25pc. The proposal by the carrier included 3.75pc to pay for a 2019 crewing agreement. Ialpas proposal put to the Labour Court included just under a 24pc pay increase, with almost all of it backdated from 2022 to March this year and the outstanding amount pencilled in from next year. An independent Pilot Pay Tribunal last year recommended a 12.25pc increase in consolidated pay and a 1.5pc rise in unconsolidated pay for the pilots. Reacting to the vote Aer Lingus said industrial action would be entirely unnecessary and would result in significant disruption to the airlines customers and to other employees. IALPA have rejected the outcomes of two independent processes which have sought to resolve the issue of pilot pay in Aer Lingus the Pilot Pay Tribunal Report and the interim recommendation of the Labour Court. Following these rejections by IALPA, Aer Lingus has offered to continue to engage in meaningful direct discussions with IALPA and to request the support of the Workplace Relations Commission in order to further explore solutions. As of now, both of these offers have been rejected by IALPA, the airline said. Any industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots would not affect Aer Lingus Regional routes, which are operated by another company. Exports of chemical products were up 4.8bn in the first four months of 2024. Stock image Exports have risen 9pc in the first four months of the year, with this growth mainly driven by an increase in chemical exports. Exports of chemicals and related products soared by 4.8bn from January to April 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the latest figures published by the Central Statistics Office. Unadjusted goods exports were 19bn in April this year, up more than 3.8bn from the same month in 2023. Seasonally adjusted goods exports were 18.8bn in April, up 6pc from a month earlier. Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products jumped by 66pc to 8.8bn in April compared with the same month last year. Pharma exports represented almost half of all exports in the month. This recent positive development in the pharmaceutical sector in Ireland is very encouraging, given the concerns and reductions in exports last year due to the contraction within the sector faced by companies during the winddown of Covid-19 vaccine production and distribution, said Carol Lynch, a partner in the customs and international trade department at consultants BDO. Organic chemicals exports were down 12pc to 2.6bn across the month, according to the analysis. The CSO also reported that exports of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances rose by 23pc to 912m in April. Exports to Britain stood at around 1.3bn in April, accounting for 7pc of total exports that month. The products with the largest share of exports to this market were chemicals with exports valued at 406m. This was followed by food and live animals with exports worth 339m. The European Union accounted for 7.6bn of total exports across the months, with the region representing 40pc of total goods exports. Around 1.8bn of exports went to Germany, with a further 1.8bn going to Belgium. The newly published data from the CSO also showed that the United States was the main destination for exports outside the EU. Exports to this market were around 6.5bn, or 34pc of the total. This clearly demonstrates that while [Britain] remains an important export market Irish businesses have successfully identified new markets, Grant Thornton tax partner Jarlath OKeefe said. Mr OKeefe added that impact of Brexit controls, introduced at the end of April, should be evident in future reports from the CSO. From 30 April 2024, physical, documentary and identity checks are required for medium-risk animal products, plants and plant products imported to Great Britain from Ireland (and all EU countries), as well as high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU, he said. Unadjusted goods imports were valued at 10.2bn in April, down 600m from a year earlier. Seasonally adjusted goods imports for March were 10.3bn. Imports of organic chemicals plunged 50pc, while imports of transport equipment, including aircraft, dropped 52pc. Imports from Britain, valued at 1.27bn, represented 12pc of the total. This was down a third from a year earlier. The sustained declined is an indicator that Irish importers are reacting to the challenges of Brexit by sourcing goods from alternative markets, Mr OKeefe said. Overall, Irelands seasonally adjusted trade surplus was 8.4bn for the month, up 27pc from March. Other areas of importance include wellbeing and mental health support Around half believe they can negotiate with employers in relation to salary offers Around 47pc of Irish jobseekers have revealed they would refuse a job offer if the company did not have hybrid or fully remote working policies in place, according to a report from the Stepstone Group. This was higher than the surveys global average of 29pc, according to the group, which is the parent company of hiring platform IrishJobs. The study, published in partnership with Boston Consulting and a group of 70 recruitment platforms, is based on survey data from 150,000 respondents in 188 countries. This included 1,746 people in Ireland. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 17th A survey of the Irish workers also found that 61pc of those seeking new employment would turn down an attractive job offer from a company if they left the interview with a negative impression. Around 18pc said they would not work for a company that did not have environmental initiatives in place. Other areas of importance for Irish jobseekers include wellbeing or mental health support. Almost a third stated they would not accept a job offer from a company without wellbeing benefits included in the overall package. Around half also believe they can negotiate with employers in relation to salary offers. Work-life balance remains the key priority when job-hunting, the report found. This was unchanged since the last survey in 2021 and has been first in the rankings since 2018. This was followed by financial compensation, job security and paid time off. As the cost of living continues to rise, the importance of salary jumped six places since the last survey. This was the second-most important preference for workers aged 21 to 50. However, this was less important for older workers. Those aged 51 and above ranked good relationships with colleagues ahead of remuneration, according to the Irish report. The Irish economy continues to expand, albeit at a more moderate pace, with the rate of unemployment remaining at a record low of 4pc, Stepstone Group country director Sam Dooley said. Against this backdrop of near full employment, there continues to be significant competition among employers to attract and retain skilled talent. He added that the study also highlights the growing importance of hybrid and flexible working in the jobseeker agenda. Mr Dooley called on employers to check that their hybrid working policies comply with new Government guidelines on the right to request remote work. The Central Bank of Ireland will publish its second quarterly bulletin of the year on Tuesday. This bulletin will feature commentary on the latest economic and market developments. Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf will also address the Global Interdependence Centres 42nd annual monetary and trade conference on Monday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia in the United States. Coimisiun na Mean is set to launch its digital news report on Monday. The research will provide updates on Irish trends on online news audiences, trust in the media and paying for the news in Ireland. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will publish an update on goods exports and imports for April on Monday. So far this year, exports of goods have been on the rise. They grew by 2.3bn in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. On Wednesday, the CSO is set to share an update on the residential property price index for last month. Prices in Dublin rose by 7.2pc in the year to March 2024, while prices outside of Dublin grew by 7.4pc in the same period. A deep dive into foreign direct investment in Ireland in 2022 will be shared on Thursday by the CSO. Earlier this year, it published an update that found foreign direct investment in Ireland rose to 1.28bn in 2022. The main focus of the investment was the Irish services sector, according to this research, while the increase was attributed to the US. The CSO will share an update on wholesale electricity prices for May. Wholesale electricity prices fell by almost 30pc in the 12 months to April 2024 and are down 77.2pc from the peak in August 2022. While the cost of electricity here is the fourth most expensive in the EU, households can expect further price cuts in electricity and gas as wholesale prices stabilise, according to a recent report from the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities. Explainer: Why Virgin Medias ailing cable business means deals with other operators Falling customer numbers for its standalone cable broadband business meant that Virgin Media had to switch to fibre and do deals with other operators. It has done both and is growing again. Left to right: National Broadband Ireland CEO Peter Hendrick and Virgin Media CEO Tony Hanway Adrian Weckler Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 15:24 If you cant beat them, join them. Hillary Clinton was greeted with a standing ovation during her surprise appearance at the 77th Tony Awards. The former US Secretary of State highlighted the historical importance behind the musical Suffs, which she is credited as having co-produced, when she arrived on stage to introduce a musical number from the cast. I have stood on a lot of stages, but this is very special, the 76-year-old said. I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change so I am extremely proud of this original American musical by Shaina Taub, two time tony winner. Ms Clinton used the on-stage opportunity to emphasise the importance of voting, while also noting that it is a US election year. Of course it is about some American originals, the suffragists who fought so valiantly for so long to give women in our country the right to vote. It is almost impossible to think about what a challenge that was, but now it is an election year and we need to be reminded about how important it is to vote. Hilary Clinton speaks during the 77th Tony Awards (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) It comes as former president Donald Trump gears to run for president, as he faces pending federal charges for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, and his recent guilty verdict in an unrelated hush money trial. Former first lady Ms Clinton lost the election in a shock defeat to Mr Trump in 2016, before President Joe Biden was elected in 2021. Suffs, a musical which follows the womans movement and their relentless pursuit of the right to vote, won two Tony awards for best original score and best book of a musical. Forestry owners whose trees have been affected by ash dieback feel that it is Government policy to drive them out of the sector in favour of bigger entities, such as a recent fund launched by Gresham House. Thats according to Simon White of the Limerick and Tipperary Woodlands Owners group, who voiced major concerns over the Department of Agricultures ash dieback compensation scheme at a hearing of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee last week. White slammed the capping of support for clearing affected sites at 2,000 as inadequate for many landowners. He said the actual costs range from 2,000/ha for very young sites, which are relatively easy to clear and prepare, to 7,000-plus per ha for older plantations that require specialist machinery because of health and safety issues related to large, dangerous tree felling and significantly more timber handling. He said the Departments of Agriculture and Finance allocated a specific budget for the scheme that they knew couldnt fix the job fully. So they excluded large numbers of people, to fit into the budget, and anything that couldnt reach the budget or expanded the budget was out of the question. Ive asked the forestry companies... would you go down to Waterford to take out one hectare and then go to Cavan to take up one hectare with your big machines? They wont do it. Theyre not interested. And then, when it goes to the more expensive oldest plantations, would you take that on? And the answer is no, they would not... its going to cost them so much more money. They are in the job of making money and they know that the farmers dont have the money, he said. White added that landowners are starting to wonder if there is a major effort to get the private owners out of forestry. We seem to be run out of it. And when we see the way were being treated, and we see the likes of Gresham House and things like that, fostered by the State agent, Coillte, and such like to take over land from farmers, and it has been taken over. Its like a land grab, because these people are so demoralised. They see no future. Theyve been actually forced to sell their land, and thats where this thing is going. Then the State is expected to give the sort of subsidies they should be giving to the rural community to these big entities, he said. The controversial fund set up last year by Coillte with Gresham House has bought over 5,000ha of forestry, according to figures released to the Irish Independent last week. A further 750ha of forestry land, across 30 properties, has gone sale agreed. The fund has begun harvesting operations and will ramp up purchases of bare land this year, according to a spokesman for Gresham House. The fund caused a political row when it was set up in January 2023. Coillte, the State agency, pointed out it was a regular institutional capital-funding arrangement, set up by an Irish-registered entity, the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund (ISFF). EU countries give final approval to major plan to better protect nature in the 27-nation bloc. It came after Austria's environment minister, Leonore Gewessler of the Greens, defied her conservative coalition partners by pledging to cast Austria's vote in favour of adopting a European nature restoration law, tipping the balance in Brussels. European Union countries' environment ministers discussed the bloc's flagship policy to restore damaged nature at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday and held a final vote on whether to enact it. The law would be among the EU's biggest environmental policies, requiring member states to introduce measures restoring nature on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 17th "The time for decisiveness has come. I will vote in favour of the EU Nature Restoration Law on Monday," she told a news conference called at short notice. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said passage of the law would send out a positive signal about restoring nature. "It's about providing income for our farmers. It's about making sure we have the funding to help restore nature. So it isn't all about mandatory rules. It is about giving a signal and a clear intent in where we want to go, he said. Asked if he expects to see further protests as a result of the passage of the law, Minister Ryan said he hopes to see farmers protesting for higher incomes. Those incomes I think can come from diversification in how we pay farmers including paying for nature farmers know that the biggest risk for them is the change in the climate that we're seeing. We can actually start to open up new income streams can pay farmers for the services they provide in restoring nature, improving water quality and reducing air pollution. I think we would join the farmers protesting for higher incomes for protecting nature, he said. Later he hailed the historic decision. He said he was relieved after spearheading a campaign by supporting ministers in recent weeks to try to get those opposing and wobbling on side. This is a good day for nature and a good day for the millions of people who have understood and campaigned for the vital importance of protecting and restoring our natural world, he said. EU countries had planned to approve the policy in March but called off the vote after Hungary unexpectedly withdrew its support, wiping out the slim majority in favour. Austria's change of position would give the policy enough support to become law if no other countries switch. Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Poland have previously said they will not support the policy but without Austria they would be one country short of being able to block it. "This law is on a knife-edge. A majority at the European level is in no way certain," Gewessler said, adding that some countries were hesitating to support it. Gewessler's announcement angered Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservative People's Party (OVP), which opposes the law. It controls the Agriculture Ministry and says that since that ministry is partly responsible for this issue, Gewessler needs its backing. The OVP minister for EU and constitutional affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, said that if Gewessler voted in favour without the Agriculture Ministry's approval it would be unconstitutional. "That must and will have legal consequences," Edtstadler said on X. The Nature Restoration Law commits the EU to bringing 20pc of land and sea back to health by 2030 and restoring all damaged ecosystems by 2050. Some 80pc of the blocs land, freshwater and marine habitats are degraded, polluted or weakened by intensive agriculture, monoculture commercial forestry, over-fishing, polluting industries and other human activities. The law will require all countries to develop domestic nature restoration plans and devise payment schemes to compensate farmers and other landowners who change practices to support nature. It proved divisive when first introduced, sparking fierce opposition from the agribusiness lobby. It was watered down and many flexibilities were introduced in order to achieve consensus, with participation by landowners made voluntary. Minster for Nature Malcolm Noonan, who also led the campaign to rescue the law in recent weeks, referenced the battle to get it over the line. If the story of the Nature Restoration Law which has faced down powerful political headwinds in Europe isnt a testament to the value of the Green Party in this Government, I dont know what is, he said. Several countries whose ministers spoke at this mornings council meeting in support of the law said they still had reservations and it was critical that it be implemented fairly and with financial support from the EU. Minister Ryan said it was a good debate. There was a clear recognition, even among those voting against it, that the restoration of nature is in everyones interest, he said. I should have gone to my GP sooner, but I put it off because I knew it was MS mum urges people with symptoms to seek help immediately Dawn Meats to recruit 15 staff members as part of 125m contract with ALDI Food supplier Dawn Meats is to recruit 15 staff members as part of new 125m contract with retailer Aldi announced today. The contract will be over five years and is worth 25 million annually. Along with the new recruits for the supplier, Dawn Meats is to add six new lines to the Aldi range and increase their supply to the retailer by 35pc. The Waterford-based supplier has worked with Aldi since 2010. The news of the significant contract with Dawn Meats comes after the retailer announced last week it is to invest 400 million in 30 new stores. The new stores will lead to the creation of 1,000 new local jobs over the next five years. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD welcomed todays announcement and showed Aldis commitment to the Irish beef sector. I welcome this announcement by Aldi of their continued commitment to Irish suppliers and their support for producers around the country, he said. This 125 million announcement with Dawn Meats is an indication of the scale of Aldis commitment to the Irish beef sector and is an endorsement of the quality of beef produced by Irish farmers every day. Founded in 1980, Dawn Meats employs over 8,000 employees in 12 countries and has 11 sites across Ireland. The new contract will now accelerate a 5 million expansion plan for their facility in Waterford. The CEO of Dawn Meats Niall Browne said the company looked forward to building on their relationship with the retailer. "We are delighted to continue our partnership with Aldi for this significant contract. For over 10 years now, we have been proud to be involved with Aldi Irelands success story providing an increasing range of consistent quality and sustainably sourced meat products, he said. "We look forward to continue developing, growing and innovating with Aldi, building on our long-standing successful relationship." Aldi this year marks 25 years in Ireland. With 4,650 employees in 161 stores across the country the retailer works with 330 Irish producers. The Managing Director of Buying and Services of Aldi Ireland Colin Breslin said the contract would ensure customers could purchase beef that was of a high standard. We are delighted to extend our relationship with Dawn Meats, a company that shares our commitment to quality and sustainability. This continued partnership ensures that our customers can enjoy the best Irish beef, sourced sustainably, and produced to the highest standards, Mr Breslin said. A man had to be rushed to hospital after being attacked by a dog on the restricted breed list in Co Donegal yesterday. The man was jogging on the greenway between the villages of Muff and Quigley's Point on the Inishowen Peninsula, when he was set upon by the dog after midday. The dog, understood to be a Rottweiler, was being walked on a lead by its female owner at the time. The animal was not muzzled at the time of the attack. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 17th It managed to break free from its owner and chased the man before biting him a number of times on the leg. The victim, who is in his 20s, was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where he underwent emergency treatment. It is understand that gardai have this morning identified the dog at the centre of the incident. Gardai have now launched an investigation into the incident. Local County Councillor Terry Crossan said he is horrified by the attack. The veteran Sinn Fein politician said people need to take full responsibility for their dogs. "I want to pay particular praise to the gardai in dealing with this situation and taking control of it once they realised the seriousness of this incident. "This man was lucky to escape even though his injuries are very serious. "If this was a child the consequences could have been much worse and it's not even worth considering that," he said. Councillor Crossan said he now plans to bring forward a motion to Donegal County Council surrounding the area of dog control and dog warden services in the county. The attack comes less than two weeks after a 23-year-old woman died in a dog attack in Co Limerick. Nicole Morey died after being mauled to death by her own XL bully dog when she entered her home after being out celebrating her birthday. The tragedy has once again opened up the debate on dangerous dog breeds and the possibility of certain breeds being banned in Ireland. Northern Irelands deputy first minister has ruled out an appearance at an Irelands Future event, saying shes not contemplating a united Ireland in her lifetime. The event in Belfast on Saturday, aimed to promote debate and discussion about what a united Ireland would look like, was addressed by former taoiseach Leo Varadkar and first minister and deputy Sinn Fein leader, Michelle ONeill among others. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus response to Irelands recognition of the state of Palestine is pitiful. Netanyahus office announced plans today to strengthen settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying the move comes in response to the countries that unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state after 7 October. Ireland recognised a Palestinian state last month alongside Spain and Norway. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Mr Harris said: It's kind of pitiful, isn't it? I mean, the reality of the situation is, there have been illegal settlements in the West Bank now for a very significant period of time. He said the three countries opted to recognise the state of Palestine because they believe in a two-state solution in the region. We want the Palestinian people and the Israeli people to be able to live side by side in peace and security. And I believe there's many people in both Palestine and Israel who want that for themselves, and their children, and their grandchildren, he said. "Anything else from Netanyahu is simply a distraction. It is noise, what it doesn't do is help in any manner or means end the war, end the humanitarian catastrophe. Mr Harris said the three priorities at an EU level are an immediate ceasefire, a monumental increase in the level of humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas. Meanwhile, the Taoiseach and US President Joe Biden have discussed Gaza and Ukraine on their first phone call since Mr Harris took office. President Biden set up the call to congratulate the Fine Gael TD on taking over as Taoiseach. The two leaders spoke about power-sharing in Northern Ireland, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and the ongoing work of the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Joe Kennedy. A note on the meeting said they also discussed the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the need for an immediate ceasefire, for all hostages to be released and for aid to flow freely. The Taoiseach briefed President Biden on the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland over the weekend. He met with US Vice President Kamala Harris during that event. President Biden told the Taoiseach the United States would continue to support Ukraine and the world must stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Mr Harris and President Biden discussed the deep and growing economic ties between Ireland and the United States. The Taoiseach also thanked the President for his enduring friendship to Ireland. President Biden is now into an election race with former President Donald Trump. It remains very unclear who is likely to be president when a Taoiseach visits the White House next March for St Patricks Day. And indeed with speculation mounting of an autumn election here it remains uncertain whether Mr Harris will be making that journey. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 17th Top individual social media spenders were Nina Carberry (FG), Cynthia Ni Mhurchu (FF) and Chris MacManus (SF) Roblox, TikTok trends and Father Ted: How did social media help candidates on the campaign trail?See expenditure by political parties and politicians below How Ireland's political parties tried to capture the social media audience in latest elections Irish political parties and their candidates spent almost 500,000 on social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram ahead of the local and European elections. A total of 470,269 was spent on Meta-owned social media sites in the 90 days before polling day on June 7. Sinn Fein was the biggest spender on Meta-based advertising, paying around 116,000. Other political parties submitted spending amounts for individual candidates. Fine Gael spent just under 40,000 on Facebook and Instagram adverts, Fianna Fails outlay was just under 23,000, the Green Party spent just under 20,000 and Labour spent approximately 13,000. Newer, smaller parties like the Irish Freedom Party and Independent Ireland both spent just over 3,000 each in the 90-day period. The top individual spenders were Nina Carberry (Fine Gael) with a spend of 20,102, Cynthia Ni Mhurchu (Fianna Fail) with 18,656 and Chris MacManus (Sinn Fein) with receipts for 18,008. Ms Carberry and Ms Ni Mhurchu were successful in their bids to become MEPs, but Mr MacManus missed out on re-election. Successful Fine Gael candidate Regina Doherty spent 17,185 on Meta social media advertising and Labours Aodhan O Riordain, who was the final Dublin MEP elected, spent 16,024. Fine Gael made some creative attempts to endear candidates to voters, including through videos that told life stories through pictures. However, the party made a series of online gaffes in the run-up to polling day. This flew in the face of the image of a party led by the TikTok Taoiseach. European candidate John Mullins took down a video featuring senior hurling stars Seamus Harnedy and Ciaran Joyce following claims that it looked like a political endorsement by Cork GAA. Despite this, Mr Mullins was perhaps the savviest Fine Gael candidate on social media. He ran a string of social media skits, which included Cork comedian Pat Fitzpatrick and a James Bond-theme pitch to the public. The party was forced to apologise when it used viral hit The Spark in a video without crediting Cork childrens groups The Kabin Krew and Lisdoonvarna Crew. A Fine Gael spokesperson said it was wrong to use the drum-and-bass track without permission and that it should not have happened. The party offered a donation to the studio or a charity of its choice. Taoiseach Simon Harris also shared a series of videos of himself out canvassing, shaking the hands of commuters, children and even a couple whose wedding he seemingly gate-crashed while out on the campaign trail. The Labour Party put out its own version of Sylvanian Families on TikTok. Will you vote FF/FG/Ind lol, one animal figurine asked another. A rabbit responds: Ew, no, I have standards. Other posts to the platform included a meme of Gary Barlow on a Labour canvass and even a Roblox character dancing outside a polling station, which may have secured the party at least one vote in a distant-future election. One person wrote in the comments section: You immediately get my vote I love you (Im not old enough to vote but its the thought that counts). Fianna Fail leaned into TikTok trends, using a catchy viral song about looking for a man in finance to pitch Finance Minister Michael McGrath to voters. Green Party candidates also got creative, with their online campaigning, with Limerick candidate Rob ODonnell poking fun at canvassing by assuming the role of Father Teds milkman Pat Mustard. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein superimposed Simon Harriss face on the Monopoly man for a video on how Fine Gael created the housing crisis by rolling out the red carpet for vulture funds and big landlords. The all-island party is the most followed on TikTok and appears to be at its best when taking pops at the Government and making references to its own lore. A video of Gerry Adams saying TikTok-faidh ar la attracted almost one million views in 2021. Some parties, such as Labour, are leaning into the sometimes nonsensical nature of the platform. However, individual candidates have the most to gain from a presence on social media. One Sinn Fein candidate credited part of his electoral success to social media, especially as the youth vote soared in his area of Westmeath. Using social media is great, but knocking on doors is better, said David Jones, a newly elected councillor in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath. I believe that if you do a job, you should show the people that are putting their faith in you what you are doing. Mr Jones earned name recognition on doorsteps through his posts on TikTok and Facebook. One ballot box in the Co Westmeath village of Delvin had a turnout of 93pc, with Mr Jones saying there was a buzz about the local election among young people. Social media gave them a better understanding of what the local elections are for, he added. I had comments asking for car stickers. They were going on tractors and cattle trailers. It got young people engaged. Social media also helped Independents bridge the gap in visibility caused by party politics and financing. Barry Heneghan, a TG4 presenter and first-time candidate, was the first Independent elected to Dublin City Council last weekend. He had accumulated over 700,000 views across his election videos. Mr Heneghan shared clips from canvasses and did not underestimate the online clout of local legend Mattress Mick, who endorsed him on camera. I used TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, all in conjunction with each other because they would hit people on all platforms, he said. I got that on the doors. People were like, Youre everywhere, and I was like, Sure, I have to be Im running against all the parties. Mr Heneghan used social media to share an insight into the work behind the scenes, as well as the support he was receiving from well known local politicians. Going door-to-door was one of my stronger points as well, but social media went to a younger crowed, he said. It did help. A lot of people who wouldnt have voted said they came out and voted for me. IRELAND'S most flood-prone city confirmed that a major project will get underway to protect one of the most vulnerable city centre quays. Cork - which suffered over 100 million worth of damage during a once-in-500-year flood event in 2009 - confirmed that works on the Morrison's Island project will be undertaken by contractors, with support from the Office of Public Works (OPW), within weeks. The scheme will involve not only substantial flood defence measures for the low-lying area of the city centre but will also involve a total regeneration of its historic quays. For decades, areas around Morrison's Island have been the most flood-prone in the city - and is notorious for unwary motorists returning to find parked cars underwater. In one 10-year period, the Morrison's Island area suffered flooding on six occasions. The works will focus on an area from Morrison's Island to Fr Mathew Quay, Parnell Bridge and Parliament Bridge. Cork City Council confirmed that the main contractors, Jons, will be ready to commence the works within weeks. When completed, the project will dramatically improve the flood defences in the area, just a short distance from Cork's financial heart on the South Mall, and will offer a radically enhanced streetscape. This will include new pavements, public seating, a new plaza space and a river viewing platform at Parnell Bridge as well as a public space by Trinity Bridge. New street lamps and bollards will reflect the historic nature of the area. One of the key features of the plan will be a new three-metre wide riverside promenade between Morrison's Island and Fr Mathew Quay. The flood defences will protect over 400 properties and will offer protection against flooding incidents. All quay walls will be refurbished and strengthened as part of the works. Lord Mayor Councillor Kieran McCarthy said it was a critical project for the city centre. The Morrisons Island scheme is the citys opportunity to bring about comprehensive regeneration of this historic part of the city and to re-orientate it towards the river, transforming it into a top-class public space, and highlighting features of architectural and heritage interest, he said. Minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O'Donnell, said flood defences are hugely important for Irish cities and towns. Projects such as Morrisons Island show the OPWs and the Governments commitment to enable our local authorities to undertake very important local flood relief works that are integrated with other developments for the community and so provide a wider social and economic benefit to the community they are protecting," he said. "The Morrisons Island project forms part of an overall allocation of almost 1.3 billion in the National Development Plan for flood relief measures." Cork Business Association (CBA) President Aaron Mansworth said the scheme should transform the historic area. This scheme will significantly enhance visual amenity and unlock commercial potential, highlighted by the multi-million euro redevelopment of the Old Moores Hotel site which is now home to Premier Inn, Corks newest hotel offering." "Crucially, it will provide essential flood protection long campaigned for by CBA, reassuring property owners and businesses by safeguarding their premises and livelihoods." Cork Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Conor Healy said Cork desperately needed upgraded flood defences. "We have seen as recently as last October the devastation flooding can bring to our region, inhabitants and businesses," he said. "Our city centre businesses and residents deserve the protection from flooding that the scheme will provide. Through the delivery of this scheme, the city will also benefit from the enhancement of the public realm through river front walkways, the introduction of plazas, repairs to historic masonry; all of which are improvements that will help enable a positive evolution of our urban landscape in Cork city. Northern Lights seen across parts of Ireland again last night but why is the visual treat occurring so often lately? HAIKOU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- About 150 kilometers southeast of Sanya City in China's southern island province of Hainan, at a depth of about 1,500 meters beneath the deep blue sea, lie two shipwrecks revealing the bustling trade activities along the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Through joint excavation efforts involving research institutes and a local museum over the past two years, more than 900 pieces of cultural relics have been retrieved from the shipwrecks. A total of 890 pieces of relics were excavated from the No. 1 shipwreck, including porcelain and pottery items, as well as copper coins. From the No. 2 shipwreck, 38 ancient artifacts were retrieved, including lumber, porcelain and pottery products, turban shells, and deer antlers, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) told a press briefing on Thursday. Discovered in October 2022 near the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea, the two well-preserved shipwrecks date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The discovery is not only major deep-sea archaeological discoveries in China but also significant archaeological findings on a global scale. "They were both considered to be privately owned commercial ships as the No. 1 shipwreck was loaded with pottery and porcelain objects to be sold overseas and the No. 2 shipwreck carried timber imported from abroad," said Song Jianzhong, a staffer of the National Center for Archaeology of the NCHA. According to Song, the No. 1 ship may have departed from ports in the provinces of Guangdong or Fujian and was heading for the trade hub Malacca in Malaysia, while the No. 2 ship may have picked up logs at Malacca and was on its way back to Guangdong or Fujian. The exquisite artifacts vividly depict the bustling trade activities during the mid-Ming Dynasty, Song said, adding that they serve as crucial evidence of the ancient Maritime Silk Road trade, providing important physical materials for research on Chinese maritime history, ocean trade history and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. The excavation was made possible by China's advanced deep-sea technologies and equipment for archaeological surveys. Experts used 3D laser scanners, high-definition cameras, and submersible mud-pumping and blowing devices for this archaeological excavation. "This deep-sea archaeological investigation, integrating China's deep-sea science and technology and underwater archaeology, marks the country's achievement of a world-class level in deep-sea archaeology," said Guan Qiang, deputy head of the NCHA. The archaeological investigation involving the two shipwrecks has secured significant progress, but the exploration of underwater legends is far from over. Wang Zhongyun, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, pledged efforts to promptly organize the materials of the findings, launch special exhibitions and publish picture catalogs of the retrieved artifacts. Wang added that the survey of underwater cultural heritage in the South China Sea will continue, with the objective of deepening understanding and laying the groundwork for the protection and sustainable development of underwater cultural heritage in the region. Mandy Kelly told authorities want to probe allegations against Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed My husband kept me a prisoner in a foreign land and now he has my sons in Egypt - Mandy Kelly A public prosecutor in Cairo has asked an Irish mother to travel to Egypt to investigate claims that her husband abducted their two children. Mother-of-two Mandy Kelly was informed through her legal team this week that the authorities in Egypt intend to probe allegations that her estranged husband, Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed, abducted the couples two children while they were on a family holiday in February 2022. Separately, Ms Kellys mediator said she has no choice but to travel to Egypt and enter into a custody battle with her husband in the Egyptian courts. An Irish High Court ordered that the children be returned to their mother, but her husband has failed to do so. Unfortunately Mandy will have to submit to the Egyptian courts, said Miceal OHurley, a mediator acting on behalf of Ms Kelly. It is not in her best interest or the childrens best interest but we have no choice. We have to allow them to hear the case and give them jurisdiction, even though the father submitted to Irish jurisdiction and was ordered to return the children. Mr OHurley said that it is likely his client will be awarded custody in Egypt, but that she will be forbidden from returning to Ireland with her children. There have been 11 cases in Egypt over the last decade, all had bad outcomes for Irish mothers, he said. They are told, Yes, we will give you custody but you have to remain in Egypt. The case is heard in steps. The court is willing to hear the custody issue and then once custody is given to the mother, the father has 30 days to appeal. That portion takes between six to nine months to get heard at the earliest. Then the father argues that the children are well settled and the mother has shown that she can live and thrive in Egypt. Not only is Islamic law favourable to the men but its injurious to the women who are non-national. Mr OHurley said his client was told last week that the authorities are now investigating claims of parental abduction, something that may strengthen her custody case. This isnt a love tug of parents who cant decide custody, he said. This is a criminal act. In Egypt, the public prosecutor has opened a case. Thats a criminal matter. Mandy will have to go to Egypt and give a statement. If the public prosecutor brings the public prosecution, it joins the civil action for custody. Parental abduction is a crime in Egypt. We have every hope of a different outcome from the other cases and that Mandy will be able to return home with the children. Ms Kelly, from Monaghan, was on holiday in Cairo two years ago when Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed locked her in an apartment and took the children away in a car. He allegedly told Ms Kelly the day before they were due to return home that he was keeping the children, both born in Ireland, in Egypt. Zayn, who is now aged five, and his three-year-old brother Kareem have had no contact with their mother since. Ms Kelly said her estranged husband has requested 500,000 for the return of her children, and she has spent around 35,000 in legal fees trying to get them back. Egypt is not signed up to the 1980 Hague Convention, which aims to protect children from international abduction by a parent using diplomatic pressure to ensure the prompt return of the child. We are asking for more assistance from the Irish Government, Mr OHurley said. We are asking the Department of Foreign Affairs to suspend all but essential trade and cultural co-operation with Egypt until the rights of Irish citizens can be assured, and Irish family court orders accepted in Egyptian courts. In two weeks, Taylor Swifts Dublin stop on her billion-dollar Eras Tour will all be over bar the shouting, and oh boy will there be shouting. The only sign it ever happened will be a few sequins blowing wistfully around The Aviva and if the Lisbon gig I went to with my 22-year-old daughter is anything to go by a lot of ringing in the ears. It was the loudest gig Ive ever been to in my life, bar none. Ireland presents itself to the world an image of a green, agriculture-based and horse-loving nation, but the shocking revelations broadcast by RTE Investigates last week, which caused significant reputational damage, showed a country where animal cruelty is more prevalent and tolerated than acknowledged. Several developments must now flow from the programme, which was a credit to the national broadcaster and public service broadcasting in general. At a minimum, the Department of Agriculture must conduct frequent inspections of all slaughtering facilities and inspection reports must be published in full. Department officials moved in on the plant concerned three weeks ago while RTE was preparing to air its shocking secret footage of terrified horses whipped and punched as they awaited slaughter at the countrys only abattoir licensed to slaughter horses. This newspaper today reveals that the agriculture minister has shut down operations at the slaughterhouse at the centre of horrific abuses, pending an investigation. A legal notice has been served on the plant, detaining the carcasses of 65 horses slaughtered in the abattoir on June 5, which means they cannot go into the food chain. Late last month, the department issued a legal notice effectively prohibiting horses from being kept in the holding premises where much of the distressing footage was filmed. The RTE report showed evidence of illegal activities to disguise the identities of horses and compromise the integrity of the human food chain at a site connected to the abattoir. It also showed undercover footage in which horses were re-microchipped. Significant issues around how horses are processed for human consumption through slaughterhouses in mainland Europe were also detailed. Some had been given new identities in other European countries, and there were others that had been declared dead in Ireland before they were actually exported. There is an onus on all horse owners to take responsibility for animals The material compiled during the research raises issues beyond Ireland and highlights significant concerns related to other EU member states. These latest revelations follow a food industry scandal in parts of Europe in 2013 in which foods advertised as containing beef were found to contain undeclared or improperly declared horse meat as much as 100pc of the meat content in some cases. Back then, investigations by the Food Safety Authority resulted in Ireland being the first EU state to report the presence of horse meat in beef and make the results public. Investigations are now under way across Europe into suspicions of illegal slaughtering and traceability defects among hundreds of horses killed for human consumption on foot of evidence uncovered. The department says its officials were entitled to inspect the building at the centre of the investigation under animal health and welfare legislation, which raises an obvious question: Why was this facility not thoroughly inspected? The department must disclose what its veterinary inspectors observed at the abattoir. There is an onus on all horse owners whether of recreational ponies or thoroughbreds to take responsibility for animals, but it is the departments function to license those responsible for slaughtering animals, and it is up to the department to put a robust system in place to ensure horses are killed humanely. Just as the Criminal Assets Bureau drew together unique agencies to crack down on criminal earnings, crimes against animals deserve a dedicated multi-disciplinary agency, including gardai. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau during the closing press conference of the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Photo: AP Anything up to 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly moved to Russian detention camps since Vladimir Putins invasion of their country two years ago. A significant proportion of those taken are orphans or children without parental care. The Russians claim these are vacation camps. They say the children are being moved for their own safety. However, it is alleged that the 70 detention camps, in Belarus, occupied Crimea and even far-east Russia, are forcibly re-educating children. Campaigners tell of children being forbidden from speaking Ukrainian or displaying any Ukrainian symbols. The indoctrination tactics also include severe punishment for children if they resist singing the Russian national anthem. The names and birth dates of children are routinely changed by Russian authorities. The US says it is aware of credible reports that Russia was listing abducted Ukrainian children on adoption websites. Thus far, just short of 400 children have been rescued. The majority of these have returned because their home towns were liberated from Russian rule. A report by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) paints a disturbing picture of Russias motivations and the conditions in these centres. The OSCE paper says Russia does not take any steps to actively promote the return of Ukrainian children, despite Geneva Convention rules on the treatment of children during war. The OSCE adds that Russia actually creates obstacles for families seeking to get their children back. The plight of these children was on the agenda at a peace summit in Switzerland, led by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Campaigners from Ukraine said the abductions are an attempt to steal the countrys future and has left the children with deep psychological scars. The activists want greater international efforts to bring them home. A final communique from the summit called for all prisoners of war to be released in a complete exchange. It also called for the return of all children who had been deported and unlawfully displaced. The vast majority of the 90 countries taking part signed the statement, which reiterated that Ukraines territorial integrity should be respected in any peace deal to end the war. Attending the summit in the Swiss Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, Taoiseach Simon Harris was among the global leaders to speak of the distressing accounts of the treatment of children. He cited evidence of what is happening to children, including interrogation, electric shocks and torture. The type of support given to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression has provoked significant debate in Ireland. However, nobody can be in any doubt about supporting demands for these children to be returned. Vladimir Putins state-sponsored abductions amount to abuse of vulnerable children. It should be met with a chorus of condemnation. Former garda John Sweetman is the author of Identity: Murder, Fraud and the Making of a Garda Forensic Expert'. Photo: Steve Humphreys For over 25 years, former animator and artist John Sweetman was a regular presence on the frontline of crime scene investigation in Ireland, piecing together the fragments left behind. Within a year of leaving Templemore College, Sweetman had applied for, and won, a position in the fingerprints section of the Garda Technical Bureau. As he had predicted, he loved the work. He also loved, he adds with a laugh, the fact that he didnt have to wear a uniform and that he was immediately made detective. Because of the specific nature of the work, he was able to get behind the tape at crime scenes, he said. There are plenty of guards who never get beyond the tape. I was getting stuck into crime scene investigation, which was fascinating. Every scene was a learning experience. I reckoned I was in the best place in the guards. Sweetman was involved in examining some of the countrys most high-profile murder cases, including the Kinahans first gangland assassination, the horrific Hawe family tragedy and the brutal killing of Jastine Valdez. Following his recent retirement, Sweetman is pulling back the curtain on his life in the Garda Technical Bureau. Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by John Sweetman, author of Identity: Murder, Fraud and the Making of a Garda Forensic Expert. Students at Scoil Saidhbhin with others involved with the biodiversity-promotion project Many hands make light work, they say, and Cahersiveen is living by this motto as it attempts to promote biodiversity in the Iveragh town. Tidy Towns recently donated pollinator-friendly plants to Scoil Saidhbhin, and the school also delved into a project which saw students design a wildflower sign. But the efforts were complemented brilliantly by other groups, some local, others not so local! explained Tidy Towns secretary Joan ODonoghue. Students from Italy at Asana International School helped out, and Asana and Fox in the Box, a local cafe, collaborated to get another sign printed, promoting bee-friendly biodiversity, Joan told The Kerryman, adding that the plants donated by the local Tidy Towns group have been planted at the Fair Field bed. Its part of our 2024 SuperValu Tidy Towns entry. The Fair Field bed is highly visible in the town, so we hope it will promote biodiversity. Its our first collaboration with Scoil Saidhbhin, and were very grateful to Asana and to Fox in the Box also for their support. Joan said the effort underlines the importance of encouraging young people to become interested in environmental matters. Were always grateful for young volunteers coming on board the next generation of climate activists! she said before going on to thank Louise Fitzgerald and Judy Howell of Tidy Towns for their work as part of the project. There was great excitement in Two Mile Community National School this week as pupils and teachers received the Platinum Award for Science the only Kerry school with this honour. The Killarney school tuned in to the Science Foundation Ireland, Curious Minds Awards ceremony to learn of their huge success and they were thrilled with their achievement. After six years of Gold Awards for Science, the pupils in Two Mile decided to aim higher for the Platinum Award one of only 30 schools in Ireland to do so. The Platinum award is a school-wide development project focusing on raising awareness of STEM and how taking part has improved the school community. The children studied the theme of healthy eating and the Science behind it, including how food is grown and the effects of different foods on our bodies. "The importance of STEM to children cannot be overstated, said Principal of Two Mile CNS Catherine Barry. "Through Science we can teach critical thinking skills, build resilience and encourage creativity and ingenuity. Most importantly, it is fun and children in all classes enjoy engaging in the learning activities. The Parents of Two Mile are very supportive of Two Mile School Plan or Science. The earlier that kids engage with STEM subjects in a fun way the better said Cliff Fee, parents nominee on the Board of Management. "This will give them the foundation that they need for choosing subjects at second level, creating a pathway to achieving their goals in the future. The commuter town of Dunboyne in county Meath is in line for a multi-million euro retail and professional services development to be added to its mix after plans for its construction were sanctioned by local authority planning officials. Plans by a Dublin based construction firm to build a supermarket and multi-million euro office development in county Meath have been given the green light. Local authority bosses rubber-stamped plans by the McGarrell Reilly Group for the construction of three large-scale office buildings at Bennetstown, Pace on the outskirts of Dunboyne. Follow Independent Meath on Facebook They include designs for three office buildings, ranging in height from three to four storeys and spanning a gross floor area of almost 14,000sq m. In planning documents lodged as part of its application, officials from McGarrell Reilly outline how they intend to build a near 2,000sq m supermarket on a 6.8 acre site. Two further commercial units the firm intends to tailor towards a shop with the second being geared towards the financial and professional services sector. The plans also detail how McGarrell Reilly propose to remove the existing Pace roundabout with a four arm signalised junction and to include a segregated footpath and cycleway. To accommodate the expected influx of both retail and other commercial services into the area, 275 car parking spaces, including 14 disabled bays and 55 electric charging points are provided for. A request for further information by the council was asked of McGarrell Reilly last June, among which asked the Dublin based firm to develop proposals for pedestrian and cycle facilities along the R157 Dunboyne bypass. An extensive response to the councils request were lodged in March with the developers vowing to create a 3m wide shared path along the southern boundary of the development. In response to National Transport Authority (NTA) recommendations for a review to be carried out over the required amount of car parking spaces linked to the development, McGarrell Reilly said it would reduce the sites overall number by two, from 275 to 273. Meath County Council consequently have since given the go-ahead to the plans, subject to 23 conditions. A ban on e-collars for dogs is being opposed by the Sligo Regional Game Council. The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), with over 500 members in Sligo, has criticisd Agriculture minister Charlie McConalogues plan to ban e-collar devices for dogs. The e-collar/electronic collar is a training aid, which comes with a wireless remore cotrol. These collars transmit electric stimulation or low intensity shock which helps the trainer teach the dog difference between right and wrong behaviours. Use of these e-collars has been banned in several European countries on the grounds of animal welfare and is soon to be introduced in Ireland as well. Sligo has more than 134,000 sheep, which risk attacks when dogs escape from the control of their owners. Latest figures have showed an increase in livestock worrying with 268 incidents across Ireland in 2022, a 24 per cent rise on the previous year. There were a further 791 cases of aggressive dog behaviour reported to local authorities. National Chairman of the Regional Game Councils, John Butler said that the ban is totally ideological and without any evidence whatsoever. Peer-reviewed science shows that these devices do no harm to a dog. Once trained, the dogs avoid attacking sheep and so dont get shot by farmers or destroyed by police or vets. It is sheer madness for the government to prefer dogs, which are only following their natural prey instinct, to be put down, rather than having them trained by an e-collar with a low-level pulse from a 9-volt battery. Minister Charlie McConalogue had said that the move follows months of significant consultation and advice from the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare set up in 2021. NARGC wants the government to acknowledge the benefits of e-collars instead of putting a ban on them. Luke Henderson, Secretary for Sligo Regional Game Council told The Sligo Champion that the legislation itself is flawed. On one side the government is banning the use of e-collars but the domestic fences that can give electric shocks to stop the dogs from going past certain areas would still be available. The second thing is that the number of livestock worrying due to dog attacks has increased a lot in recent years. People who want to enjoy the countrysie should absolutely be able to enjoy it, but if they insist on having their dogs off the lead, they should have them under control. E-collars are an insurance policy to control dogs, its not a case of using it for ultimate brutality. Personally, I dont use the device myself, but I do know people who use it, and it is only a short-term measure to train the dog. If trained properly, the dog starts to understand certain behaviors like you do not chase sheep etc, and then the need for e-collar remains lessened. The flaw in the legislation is that I can put on a domestic fence, which basically gives the same amount of shock to the dog if it tries to cross it, but when it comes to the life of a livestock, we are not supposed to use what is simply an added insurance policy. The ban only applies on electronic shock collars operated by handheld remote controls. Anti-bark collars and electric fencing would not be affected.Dog-owners who are already using the e-collar on their pets can continue to use it, but it cannot be used on any new animals. Eddie Lee from Cleveragh Road, Co. Sligo has been selected for the next stage of the prestigious Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). The competition aims to find the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland over the past year. Mr Lee has been shortlisted in the Back on Earth Landscape category for his image, Queen Maeves Aurora. While a high-profile judging panel will select the overall winning entries in the coming weeks, an online vote has been launched so members of the public can also have their say. All shortlisted images can now be viewed on the Reach for the Stars website, www.reachforthestars.ie, and members of the public can cast their vote for their favourite image. Over 230 images were submitted to the competition in total this year the most ever received with 50 selected for the shortlist and public vote. The winning images selected by the judging panel and the public vote will be announced in July, and an outdoor exhibition will be staged by DIAS to showcase the best images. Eddie commented: Yes, everyone and their mother got pictures of May 10th/11ths stunning aurora but I still think this one is worth submitting because of the subject matter and the fact that the sky still pops despite the light pollution. "This was a still from a timelapse at the height of the coronal activity - what a night it was. It is south facing and that's the main reason I am still in disbelief at how strong this amazing aurora was in all directions, you literally could not decide which way to point the camera. "But my heart (like many Sligo hearts) gravitates always to our beautiful Knocknarea and Queen Maeve's grave, so I stood near to the mediaeval monastery and cemetery at Killaspugbrone and fired off a time lapse of the southern oriented aurora over Knocknarea, despite the blindingly horrible lights at Sligo Airport I still love this image. Fujifilm X-T4, XF16mm lens, 4 seconds F2.8, ISO 3200. Alongside the winner of the Public Choice Award, the overall winners will be chosen by the judging panel for Reach for the Stars, which includes: Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS; Brenda Fitzsimons, Picture Editor of The Irish Times; Michael McCreary, President of the Irish Astronomical Society; and Niamh Breathnach, Director, Alice Public Relations. Votes for the Public Choice Award are restricted to one vote per person, and voting will close at midday on Friday, 5th July 2024. DIASs Reach for the Stars competition is being run in partnership with The Irish Times, and is sponsored by Alice Public Relations and the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland. The Irish Astronomical Society are initiative supporters. Students from Meanscoil Gharman pictured with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland at the Creating a Dementia Inclusive Generation programme as Gaelige launch in Meanscoil Gharman on Monday. Pic: Jim Campbell A national programme designed to raise awareness of Alzheimers and dementia has been launched at Meanschoil Gharman in Enniscorthy. The Irish language version of Creating a Dementia Inclusive Generation' is aimed at transition year students across the country and has been created by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI) and Dementia Services Information and Development Centre (DSiDC). The programme not only educates young people about the impact of those diagnosed with dementia, but also its impact on their extended family and carers. Over 2,400 students in 50 schools across 17 counties have engaged with the programme since its launch in 2022. Matthew Gibb, Director of the DSiDC, said, The Dementia Services Information and Development Centre is proud to support the launch of the award winning 'Creating a Dementia Inclusive Generation' Transition Year Programme as Gaeilge. The programme provides students with the knowledge to make brain healthy life choices, increases their dementia awareness and improves their Irish language skills. We look forward to the continued success of this fabulous programme." Cathryn OLeary, National Community Engagement Manager, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, said, Research shows that one third of young people have someone close to them living with dementia - it may be a grandparent, close relative, a family friend or indeed it could be a parent. This is why it is so crucially important that we give young people an understanding of dementia and empower them to be a support to that person living with dementia. Age Friendly Wexford and Wexford County Council hosted a well attended Older Peoples Council AGM in Enniscorthy recently. The meeting was an opportunity for attendees to raise issues of importance and help to influence decisions and actions to be taken in the year ahead. A number of the attendees expressed an interest in joining the Older Peoples Council, and it was decided that training will be held on Wednesday June 19 to provide further details of duties in relation to joining the council. Guest speakers on the day were Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Ger Carthy and Amanda Byrne, Director of Services, Wexford County Council. There were presentations from Laura Reidy, Health Insurance Authority of Ireland and nutritionist Sarah Siggins from FDYS. Music on the day was provided by Emily Redmond on violin and Luke Cosgrave on guitar and vocal with Arthur McGreevy an attendee joining in as guest vocalist. Cllr Carthy, Leas Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, speaking at the AGM in the Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, said: We encourage attendees to engage in open and meaningful conversations, sharing your insights, experiences, and concerns. Your voices matter, and rest assured that we will be listening attentively and taking your views on board. Together, we can shape policies and initiatives that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of older persons in our society. Director of service Amanda Byrne said: Under the Wexford Age Friendly Strategy, we have made significant progress in key areas such as public realm improvements. However, we recognise that there is still work to be done. Looking ahead our new strategy will focus on building upon our achievements and addressing emerging challenges, including the provision of age-friendly housing, enhancing public spaces, and promoting the rights of older people to live independently and with dignity. For further on the Wexford Age Friendly Programme please contact the Age Friendly Coordinator, Niamh Bolger at niamh.bolger@wexfordcoco.ie The deadline for Wexford musicians to apply for a major grant scheme is fast approaching. Applications for the Music Networks Music Capital scheme, which opened for aspiring and existing musicians across the country, opened last month and are due to close on Wednesday June 25. Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, confirmed funding of 1,090,700 for the Music Capital Scheme 2024. The regular scheme, which comprises three different awards, provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to individual professional musicians and to non-professional performing groups. The scheme has also been expanded this year, with the addition of two new awards for the benefit of both musicians and arts venues, which will be launched shortly. Since 2008, there have been 25 awardees from Wexford who have used their grants to purchase instruments. In 2022, Mark Redmond bought Uilleann pipes in D and in 2021, Hannah Miller and Beth McNinch were able to acquire a Natural horn and a Viola d'amore. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin T.D. said: I am overjoyed that my Department is able to fund the Music Capital Scheme again this year and support its expansion with these new opportunities. "The Scheme has benefited thousands of people since its inception and, with this years extensive range of applicant supports, a particular focus will be given to assisting first time and previously unsuccessful applicants. This funding allows so many deserving organisations and individuals to receive the crucial funds they need to purchase musical instruments and, as a former music teacher, that is such a wonderful thing to be a part of. Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and managed by Music Network. Since it was established the scheme has made 544 awards to individual musicians and organisations providing access to instruments for over 51,000 people across the country. Beneficiaries range from early years to mature players including musicians with physical and intellectual disabilities. 205 performing groups have been able to purchase instruments and expand their memberships, and 202 professional established and emerging musicians advanced their performance careers with new instruments enabled by the scheme. Previous awardees include The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation, renowned button accordion player Daithi Gormley and rising star cellist Grace Coughlan, who all received funding in the last round of the scheme. All applicant supports are provided free of charge and the Music Network is committed to equity and inclusion, welcoming applications from individuals within culturally diverse communities and people with disabilities. For more information on awards, guidelines, and application forms, please visit the official Music Network website. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.The Bishop Ger Nash compairs notes with Fr.Michael Byrne during the Mass at Bree Church. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Fr Michael Byrne with some of his Parishioners Noeleen Kenny and Betty Doyle. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Fr Michael Byrne cutting his Golden Jubilee Cake with his sister Breda Byrne. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Marie Tyrell welcomes all who have came to Bree for the Golden Jubilee of Fr.Michael Byrne on Friday Evening. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Dan Redmond,Wexford and Fr.Paddy Cushin PP,Ferns.Were at theMass and the recption of Fr.Michael Byrne in Bree Friday Evening.. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Bishop Ger Nash congratulates Fr Michael Byrne on his Golden Jubilee on the Alter of Bree Church Friday Eve. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Paul Kehoe TD, Fr Michael Byrne and Fr Billy Swan. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Fr Michael Byrne with members of his family at the Golden Jubilee. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Fr Michael Byrne greeted by members of his parish outside the Bree Community Centre. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Mai, Bernard, Fr Michael, Olive and Breda, immediate family. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Fr.Michael Byrne,4th from the Front and Bishop Ger Nash directly behind him and members of the Diosses Clergy who helped at the Golden Jubilee Mass in the Church of the Assumption Bree for Fr.Michael Byrne Friday Evening. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Fr Michael Byrne and Norah Corish. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Prayers of the Faitful during the Mass for Fr Michael Byrne as one of his Brazilian Friends says a few words in her native Brazilian. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.A Crowed Church Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Members of the Diocesan Parish Clergy in procession to the Golden Jubilee Mass in Bree Church. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Procession for the Mass of Fr.Michael Byrne,who celebrated his Golden Jubilee Mass in Bree Church.with Fr.Michael 2nd from end and Bishop Ger Nash at they enter the mass. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Celebrants of the Mass in The Church of the Assumption Bree Friday Evening for the Celebration of Golden Jubilee of Fr.Michael Byrne were Most Rev. Derek Byrne DD, Most Rev. Ger Nash DD, Bishop of Ferns Very Rev. Fr Michael Byrne PP with priests of the Parish of Ferns. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center.Packed church Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Catherine Jordon and Fr Michael Byrne. Celebration of The Golden Jubilee of The Ordination to The Priesthood of Very Rev.Fr.Michael Byrne p.p. in the Church of the Assumption Bree on Friday Evening and afterward to Celebration Tea in the Bree Community Center. Celebrants of the Golden Jubilee Mass were Most Rev. Dereck Byrne DD, Most Rev. Ger Nash, DD Bishop of Ferns, and Very Rev. Fr Michael Byrne. The parish of Bree turned out in force recently to celebrate the golden jubilee of Fr Michael Byrne. Clongeen native Fr Byrne was ordained 50 years ago and served in Davidstown, Cushinstown, Gorey, Clonard and Bree. Clare Doyle, one of organisers, said that there were over 300 people at the celebrations who enjoyed hot food and sandwiches from Linda OConnor and desserts as generous donations from locals. There was also a number of volunteers who worked behind the scenes to ensure the event was the success it was. Fr Byrne had insisted he didnt want any presents to mark the momentous occasion saying instead that he would prefer if people would donate St Patrick's Missionary Society, Kiltegan Fathers as they embark on a new mission. The cause is one that is something close to his heart as every year he travels to where he relieves other priests, allowing them to return home. When members of the Brazilian community come to sermons, he ensures to deliver some of it in Portuguese. The event was also a family affair; his two twin grand-nephews led the gift procession up through the aisles, while his sister Breda did one of the readings. Jim Doyle gave a lovely speech outlining all the essential work Fr Byrne has completed during the ten years since he arrived to the village of Bree. He said he was a very much a down to earth person, no airs or graces, what you see is what you get, someone who treats everyone equally, a man who is easy to approach, easy to talk to. Since he began working in Bree he has overseen the refurbishment of the Parochial House, the completion of an extension to Bree NS, conversion of outbuildings to a Pastoral Centre, installation of a cry chapel and the painting of the church. Jim also described Fr Byrne as someone very dedicated to his vocation. He visits all three schools in his parish every week, delivers four masses at the weekend, says mass daily and is known for repeatedly checking in on sick parishioners. Fr Byrne thanked everyone for the party and said he will continue to wok for the parish as long as God and the Bishop allow him. The Marie Keating Foundations Mobile Health Unit will visit Dunlavin Library on Wednesday, June 19, from 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The mobile unit will be parked at Market Square, outside the library, with the public invited to learn more about cancer prevention and early detection in a friendly, confidential and accessible environment. The Marie Keating Foundation has three mobile information units that travel across Ireland to spread their life-saving messages about cancer prevention and early detection to as many people as possible. Community groups, schools, and colleges can access the service for free. Staffed by a specialist nurse, the mobile information units visit community groups, workplaces, organisations and public places to bring cancer information straight into the heart of communities nationwide. The Marie Keating Foundation nurses offer private consultations on board the unit to address any cancer-related concerns, whether for oneself or others. The mobile information units are stocked with take-home information leaflets and packs on the various cancers. Endangered water voles could thrive in new habitats that beavers have created in Knapdale, conservationists say (Ben Birchall/PA) Beavers reintroduced to a Scottish rainforest in 2009 may have created the right conditions for another native species to flourish, according to conservationists. Water voles, once abundant in Scotland but now one of the countrys most threatened native animals, could thrive in the complex boundary between water and land that beavers have created in Knapdale in Argyll and Bute, since their reintroduction there 15 years ago. Two prison guards were taken hostage at a detention centre in the Russian city of Rostov yesterday. Photo: Reuters Russian special forces freed two prison guards and shot dead six inmates linked to the Islamic State militant group who had taken them hostage at a detention centre in the southern city of Rostov yesterday. State media said some of the men had been convicted of terrorism offences and were accused of affiliation with the IS militant group, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. LATEST | We will evaluate it when it comes closer Tanaiste responds to soldiers concerns they may not be able to come home at end of Lebanon tour Joe Biden appears to freeze again at fundraiser as Barack Obama helps him off stage Joe Biden appears to freeze again at fundraiser as Barack Obama helps him off stage Lydia Chantler-Hicks Evening Standard Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 09:02 Joe Biden appeared to freeze on stage at a star-studded event, in the latest of a series of incidents that have sparked concerns over the US presidents wellbeing. Social media sites should be labelled as health risks, says US health official Americas Surgeon General wants cigarette-style health warnings on social media sites to keep young people safe Unleashing powerful technology has contributed to a mental health emergency among teenagers, according to the top US health official. Photo: Getty Benedict Smith Telegraph.co.uk Mon 17 Jun 2024 at 19:29 Cigarette-style health warnings should be displayed on social media sites to keep young people safe, the most senior doctor in the US has said. Nato is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons in the face of a growing threat from Russia and China, the head of the alliance has said. IT/ITES in Karnataka Get Labor Law Exemption for Five More Years The state government of Karnataka has extended the exemption for knowledge-based companies (in the IT/ITES industries) from provisions of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act for an additional five years, starting from June 10, 2024. On June 10, 2024, the Karnataka government issued circular No. LD 328 LET 2023, announcing a five-year extension of the exemption for IT/ITES companies from certain provisions of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act. This decision came after previously considering ending the concession. In 2023, Karnataka state labor minister Santosh Lad had indicated that the government might not continue the exemption. The latest decision to extend the exemption has elicited both praise and concern from the IT and ITES industries in Karnataka. An estimated 1.5 million individuals work in thousands of knowledge-based companies in Bengaluru, Karnataka. While circular No. LD 328 LET 2023 exempts IT/ITES companies from provisions of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, it specifies that once the labor codes come into effect, the provisions of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, will apply to these companies. READ: Indias New Industrial Relations Code and its Impact on Labor Law State-based employers association welcome the exemption Karnataka Employers Association (KEA) President BC Prabhakar has praised the exemption, stating it would significantly boost the development of the IT and ITES industries in Bengaluru and across Karnataka. Prabhakar believes that such a decision will facilitate ease of doing business and draw in more software businesses to Karnataka. At the 2023 Bengaluru Tech Summit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah noted that Karnataka hosts about 5,500 IT/ITES companies and approximately 750 multinational corporations (MNCs), contributing around US$85 billion to the nations exports. In 2022, Bengaluru was home to 400 of the Fortune 500 companies, many of which are leading IT/ITES MNCs. Prabhakar mentioned that the KEA had requested that the government maintain the exemption until the Industrial Relations Code 2020 is implemented. The BPO, IT, ITES, startups, animation, gaming, and computer graphics industries are all covered by the exemption. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, one of the key labor welfare laws in the nation, regulates a number of employment-related issues, such as appointment, termination, and dismissal. The latest notification maintains the same conditions prescribed since 2014 for IT/ITEs companies to qualify for exemption under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. These conditions are: Form an Internal Committee under the prevention of sexual harassment law in India. Notify authorities of disciplinary actions like discharge or dismissal, etc. Constitution of Grievance Redressal Committee to address grievance of any employee. Submission of information on service conditions to authorities. READ: Annual Compliance for Employers in India Under Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Legislation Exemption draws mixed reactions The notification restates that in order to handle any complaints or grievances from employees, establishments must set up internal committees in accordance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, in addition to forming grievance redressal committees made up of an equal number of representatives from the employer and employees. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 mandates that employers in industrial establishments clearly define the conditions of employment and make these conditions known to their workmen. The Act applies to all industrial establishments with 100 or more employees, as defined in Section 1(3). Under Section 2(i), industrial establishments include: The Railway Industry. Industrial establishments as mentioned in Section 2(ii) of the Payment of Wages Act. Factories as defined in Section 2(m) of the Factories Act. Establishments of contractors who employ workers to complete a contract for a person who owns an industrial establishment, as per Section 2(e) Workers as defined in the Industrial Disputes Act, Section 2(s), which includes all manual, clerical, skilled, and unskilled trades. While KEA has applauded this decision, the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) criticized the government for acting unilaterally and announced plans to take legal action. According to M. Satyanand, general secretary of AITUC, Bengaluru, the states IT industry is almost 40-years old, is no longer in its infancy, and does not require incentives. Lack of adherence by exempted companies One significant requirement in the latest Standing Order exemption notification is that companies must notify the relevant Deputy Labor Commissioner and Commissioner of Labor of any disciplinary actions involving their employees, including suspension, discharge, termination, demotion, and dismissal. Additionally, companies must provide information to labor officials regarding their employees working conditions. However, local trade unions have noted that companies have not adhered to the restrictions set when the Standing Order exemption was granted in 2019. The state had previously granted exemptions to IT, ITES, BPO, and KPO firms from labor regulations. A notification on January 25, 2014, exempted these companies from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and this exemption was extended for another five years on May 25, 2019. Photo courtesy: PR Team New Delhi/IBNS: In a significant development, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Deepak Gore. Under this agreement, Deepak Gore has formally donated his exceptional collection of 115 oil paintings depicting the life and coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to IGNCA. This important step was taken just ten days after the exhibition celebrating the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's grand coronation at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). The exhibition, titled "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: Celebration of the 350th Anniversary of the Great Coronation," drew large crowds, allowing viewers to journey through the remarkable era of this legendary figure. These larger-than-life canvases, crafted with a blend of historical accuracy and artistic grandeur, were the brainchild of Deepak Gore, whose vision was inspired by his 1996 visit to the museums of London and Paris. Partnering with the acclaimed father-son duo, Shrikant Chougule and Gautam Chougule, and guided by the legendary historian Padma Vibhushan Shri Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, the project has spanned over two decades. Photo courtesy: PR Team The paintings unveiled in 2016, have since become a cornerstone of Indias cultural heritage. The collection opens with the poignant scene of a young Shivaji, barely fourteen, receiving the saffron flag from his father Shahaji, symbolizing the birth of Swarajya. From this point, the narrative traverses through Shivajis major military conquests, his strategic acumen in fortifying Raigad, and his visionary leadership in trade and public welfare. The exhibition also highlights his defiance against European dominance, offering a glimpse into his multifaceted persona. As the MoU was signed on June 17, 2024, Deepak Gore remarked, This MoU signifies a commitment to preserving our cultural heritage for future generations. It is a step towards ensuring that Shivaji Maharajs legacy remains vibrant and accessible. Photo courtesy: PR Team Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, said: These paintings represent significant historical records. The Ministry of Culture at IGNCA is overjoyed to have received it. We may be proud of it, and future generations will be able to benefit from it. The collaboration between IGNCA and Deepak Gore promises to further the cause of preserving and promoting Indias rich historical tapestry. The paintings, now permanently housed at IGNCA, will continue to inspire and educate, ensuring that the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj endures for generations to come. Photo Courtesy: videograb/file photo An Indian national, who is accused of attempting to kill a Khalistani separatist in New York, has been extradited to the USA from Czech Republic, media reports said. The Indian national was identified as Nikhil Gupta. He has been charged with murder for hire linked to a foiled plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Gupta, 52, is listed on the Board of Prisons inmate website as being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility, reported The Washington Post. Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Federal prosecutors say a senior Indian government intelligence employee ordered the assassination of Pannun in May and hired Gupta to arrange the hit. U.S. authorities broke up the plot last June before it could be carried out, reported The Washington Post. Pannun works as the general counsel for the New York-based Sikhs for Justice. The group seeks to carve out an independent Sikh state from Punjab named Khalistan. Guptas attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is 'nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim', the American newspaper reported. India designated Pannun as the terrorist in 2020. Photo Courtesy: India in Maldives X page Indian PM Narendra Modi on Monday greeted Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha amid the deteriorating relationship between the two nations. Indian Embassy in Maldives posted on X: "On the auspicious occasion of Eid Al-Adha, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India @NarendraModiextended warm greetings to His Excellency President of Maldives Dr.@MMuizzu, the Government & the people of the Republic of Maldives. " On the auspicious occasion of Eid Al-Adha, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India @NarendraModi extended warm greetings to His Excellency President of Maldives Dr. @MMuizzu, the Government & the people of the Republic of Maldives . The full PR is here: @IndianDiplomacy pic.twitter.com/qG42iFwRfK India in Maldives (@HCIMaldives) June 16, 2024 The pro-China President recently visited India to attend PM Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony after coming to power for the third straight term. He was one of the first foreign leaders to wish Modi after his incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party won polls this month. The relationship between India and Maldives started to deteriorate since Muizzu took over the office last year. Diplomatic tensions reached a flashpoint in recent times between the two countries over remarks made by some Maldives ministers against Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, to promote the Indian Union Territory having the potential to compete with tourism major Maldives. Soon after being elected as the President of the nation, Muizzu directed the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the country, known as a popular travel destination for its picturesque beaches. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Muizzu during his recent visit to India. Following the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X: "Delighted to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives today in New Delhi." Delighted to call on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu of Maldives today in New Delhi. Look forward to India and Maldives working together closely. @MMuizzu pic.twitter.com/odHJPRK4Ks Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 10, 2024 "Look forward to India and Maldives working together closely," he said. Photo courtesy: X handles of Kichcha Sudeep and Darshan Thoogudeepa Bengaluru/IBNS: Kannada film star Kichcha Sudeep has broken his silence on the case pertaining to the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy allegedly by actor Darshan Thoogudeepa . Speaking to the media, Sudeep said as quoted by India Today, "We are only aware of what the media is showing to us because we are not going to the police station to get the information. It looks like the media and the police are working hard to uncover the truth. Theres no doubt about that." "That family deserves justice. That girl deserves justice. Renukaswamy, who died on the streets, deserves justice. The unborn child deserves justice. Above all, everyone should have faith in justice, and justice should prevail in this case," the actor said without taking the name of his colleague. Earlier, Kannada actress-politician Divya Spandana aka Ramya had demanded justice for Renukaswamy. Darshan, his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda and 11 others have so far been arrested in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. According to police, the victim had posted an objectionable comment on Kannada actress Pavithra Gowda's Instagram handle accusing her of causing a rift between Thoogudeepa and his wife Vijaya Lakshmi. This happened after Pavithra posted an Instagram video celebrating his 10-year relationship with Darshan, who has been married to Vijaya Lakshmi for 20 years. Darshan's aides reportedly carried Renukaswamy in a taxi from Chitradurga to their Bengaluru hideout where they tortured the victim to death. After allegedly beating to death, Renukaswamy's body was dumped in a stormwater drain at an area which falls under Kamakshipalya Police Station. Police reportedly got to know from a food delivery man who saw a dog eating the body of the victim. Photo Courtesy: PIB Indin PM Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on June 18 and 19 when he is scheduled to release the 17th instalment of PM KISAN amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crores. On 18th June, at around 5 PM, the Prime Minister will participate in PM Kisan Samman Sammelan in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. At around 7 PM, the Prime Minister will witness Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. He will also perform pooja and darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple at around 8 PM. On 19th June, at around 9.45 AM, Prime Minister will visit the Ruins of Nalanda. At around 10.30 AM, Modi will inaugurate the campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion. PM in Uttar Pradesh After being sworn in as Prime Minister for the 3rd time, PM Narendra Modi signed his first file authorising release of 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi reflecting the commitment of the government towards farmer welfare. In continuation of this commitment, Prime Minister will release the 17th instalment amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crores to around 9.26 crore beneficiary farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through Direct Benefit Transfer. So far, more than 11 crore eligible farmer families have received benefits of more than Rs. 3.04 lakh crore under PM-KISAN. During the event, Prime Minister will also grant Certificates to more than 30,000 women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) as Krishi Sakhis. Krishi Sakhi Convergence Program (KSCP) aims to transform rural India through the empowerment of rural women as Krishi Sakhi, by imparting training and certification of Krishi Sakhis as Para-extension Workers. This certification course also aligns with the objectives of the Lakhpati Didi Program. PM in Bihar Prime Minister will inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University at Rajgir, Bihar. The University is conceived as a joint collaboration between India and East Asia Summit(EAS) countries. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by several eminent people including the Head of Missions of 17 Countries. The Campus has two Academic Blocks with 40 Classrooms having a total seating capacity of around 1900. It has two auditoriums having a capacity of 300 seats each. It has a student hostel with a capacity of around 550 students. It also has various other facilities including International Centre, Amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 2000 individuals, Faculty Club and Sports Complex among others. The Campus is a Net Zero Green Campus. It is Self-Sustainable with solar plant, domestic and drinking water treatment plant, water recycling plant for reusing wastewater, 100 acres of water bodies, and many other environment friendly facilities. The University has a deep connection with history. The original Nalanda University, established around 1600 years ago, is considered to be amongst the first residential universities of the world. In 2016, the ruins of Nalanda was declared as a UN Heritage Site. Photo Courtesy: UNI Security forces killed one suspected terrorist in Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora district, officials said on Monday. The terrorist was killed during a joint operation launched on Sunday at Gurihajin, Aragam in Bandipora, following a specific input. Operation is currently in progress. OP GURIHAJIN, #Bandipora Based on specific intelligence input regarding presence of terrorists, a Joint Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice on the intervening night of 16-17 Jun 24 in general area of Gurihajin, Aragam Bandipora; one terrorist eliminated, pic.twitter.com/DlZDV9rdNk Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) June 17, 2024 China Corps posted on X: " Based on specific intelligence input regarding presence of terrorists, a Joint Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice on the intervening night of 16-17 Jun 24 in general area of Gurihajin, Aragam Bandipora; one terrorist eliminated, operation in progress." Photo Courtesy: Pixabay At least 14 Jordanian nationals died during Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, media reports said. Seventeen pilgrims are still missing. Jordan's Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs spokesperson Sufian Qudah was quoted as saying by The Jordan Times that the Kingdoms consulate in Jeddah is following up with the Saudi authorities on the burial procedures for the dead pilgrims or bringing them home according to their families wish. Qudah said that the ministry is following up on the search for the 17 missing pilgrims. He also said the pilgrims who died were not within the official Jordanian Hajj delegation. Saudi authorities asked pilgrims to stay hydrated and even protect themselves from the sun as mercury levels are touching record high in the country. Hajj is one of the largest mass pilgrimages in the world. Photo Courtesy: A 19-year-old woman in China ended her life by jumping into the river after her family forced her to engage a man whom she met during a blind date. According to reports, she was forced to engage with the man whom she met just five days before. Tongtong, from central Chinas Henan province, was pressured into getting engaged to a man she had only met five days before because her mother thought his better-off financial situation would make her life easier, reported South China Morning Post. Also Read: Pakistan: KP police foil child marriage where father attempted to marry his 12-year-old daughter with a 72-year-old man The girl and her mother ran a small clothes shop in the region. Tongtong felt reluctant when the man proposed, but her mother and a matchmaker persuaded her to accept, the newspaper reported. The mans family gave Tongtongs mother a 270,000-yuan (US$40,000) bride price at the engagement ceremony. The matchmaker received a 4,800-yuan (US$700) fee, the newspaper reported. The mother told a local daily that her daughter declined the man for being too much demanding. Tongtong wanted to end the engagement but the matchmaker persuaded her that her mother, who is a single parent to six children, needed the money. After the death of the victim, the man demanded the her mother to return the bride price. She gave him 180,000 yuan, but refused to return the rest because the man lied about his age he said he was four years older than Tongtong but was in fact eight years her senior, reported South China Morning Post. The mans family insisted on payment, blocking her shopfront with a car and playing messages in a loop over a loudspeaker, demanding the money. They also asked a local television station to report the story, the newspaper reported. Advertisements Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, recently announced the signing of an agreement with Bhutan for a 570 MW green hydro plant. This collaboration also includes transformative infrastructure initiatives in the neighboring country.The Adani Group aims to work closely on hydro and other infrastructure projects in Bhutan, inspired by the vision of Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay. Additionally, they plan to contribute to green energy management for Bhutan, which aspires to be a carbon-negative nation.The project will be located in Chukha province. During his visit to Bhutan, Adani also had the honor of meeting Bhutan's King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Adani expressed admiration for Bhutan's vision and commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, including the ambitious masterplan for the Gelephu Mindfulness City, which includes large computing centers and data facilities. This collaboration aims to contribute to green energy management and transformative infrastructure development in Bhutan.Bhutan has significant solar energy potential. According to the Renewable Energy Management Master Plan, the country could produce up to 12 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy in technical terms. However, the current installed capacity for solar energy, apart from large hydro plants, is only 9 megawatts (MW).Bhutan's wind energy potential is estimated at 760 MW. While wind energy is still in its early stages, the country is gradually exploring wind power as a complementary source to reduce reliance on hydropower during winter and dry months.While hydropower remains the dominant renewable energy source in Bhutan, the country is also exploring other options to diversify its energy mix. 1. Here's why Allu Arjun rejected Atlee's next film which will now star Salman Khan in lead role X Actor Allu Arjun reportedly came in first for an upcoming movie with Atlee however, if reports are anything to go by, then things have now taken a turn and Salman Khan might be a part of the yet-to-be-titled film. The movie was actually one of the most anticipated ones the Pushpa star chose to back out. "They were definitely in talks, but it was at a very primary stage, and the collaboration was never finalized as was being speculated in the media. Atlee is still working on the script and hasn't locked anyone yet. It would have been great to see both of them teaming up on a massive project, but, as of now, Allu Arjun and Atlees film is not happening," an insider told peepingmoon.com. 2. Ahead of rumoured wedding, Sonakshi Sinha spends quality time with Zaheer Iqbal and his family IG A photo of Sonakshi Sinha hanging out with rumoured fiance Zaheer Iqbal's family has gone viral on social media. Sonakshi Sinha is seen in the picture sporting an ombre co-ord ensemble. Iqbal was dressed in a white t-shirt. The image was shared on Instagram by renowned stylist Sanam Ratansi, who is Iqbal's sister. Sinha, Iqbal, his sister, parents, and an additional relative were all present in the now-viral picture. 3. Sharmajee Ki Beti OTT release date out: When and where to watch Tahira Kashyap Khurrana's directorial debut Prime video It's time for the OTT release of Sharmajee Ki Beti, a drama helmed by Tahira Kashyap and starring Sakshi Tanwar, Saiyami Kher, and Divya Dutta. The film made its premiere last year at the Jio Mami Film Festival exclusively. Vanshika Taparia, Arista Mehta, Sharib Hashmi, and Parvin Dabas are also featured in the movie. On June 28, 2024, Sharmajee Ki Beti will be available on Prime Video. 4. Alia Bhatt joins the writers' club: 10 Bollywood celebs who have also written books IG After years of acting, Alia Bhatt has started a new chapter in her life. The actress has now published her own book Following the publication of her first children's picture book, Alia says she is now working on the full series . Apart from Alia, some Bollywood celebrities are also skilled authors with published works, like Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Twinkle Khanna. 5. From Kota Factory S3 to House of the Dragon S2, all you can stream on OTT this weekend Netflix All of you binge-watchers will like the plethora of new movies that are available on OTT platforms this week. Everyone has a lot to look forward to, including exciting new movies and a range of well anticipated web series series. With everything that's on the horizon, including the much awaited season 2 of House of the Dragon and season 3 of Kota Factory, along with new shows like Bad Cop and Gangs of Galicia, you won't get bored. For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. In the world of Gen Z, a new trend is taking the internet by storm the rise of the 'sexy rat' guys. But what exactly is this trend, and why are young people so obsessed with it? Let's delve into the phenomenon and uncover the allure behind these unconventional heartthrobs. Pinterest What is the 'Hot rodent boyfriend' trend? The 'hot rodent boyfriend' also popularly termed as 'sexy rat' guys trend refers to a newfound appreciation for male celebrities who possess unconventional and quirky features like that of rodents, particularly rats. These features may include large front teeth, prominent noses, and a lean physique. Rather than conforming to traditional standards of attractiveness, these individuals embrace their unique looks and charm audiences with their charisma and confidence. Read More: Has Gen Z Cancelled Ankle Length Socks? Why And What It Says About Fashion Today Pinterest Why is gen Z so obsessed? So, why is Gen Z so captivated by these 'sexy rat' guys? One reason may be the shift towards celebrating diversity and individuality in beauty standards. With the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, young people are exposed to a wide range of personalities and appearances, challenging traditional norms of attractiveness. Moreover, the 'sexy rat' guys trend offers a refreshing departure from the polished and unattainable beauty ideals often perpetuated by mainstream media. Instead of flawless perfection, Gen Z is drawn to authenticity and relatability. These unconventional heartthrobs embrace their quirks and imperfections, inspiring others to do the same. Hollywood has played a significant role in popularizing the 'sexy rat' guys trend, with several celebrities falling in the bracket of these unconventional heartthrobs. One notable example is actor Timothee Chalamet, whose unique features and charismatic presence have earned him a dedicated fan base among Gen Z. Chalamet's appeal lies in his unconventional charm and effortless coolness, challenging traditional notions of leading man status. Among other notable personalities on the list are Tom Holland, Tan France and even Barry Keoghan. Pinterest Read More: Decoding What Gen Z Wants On A Vacation: Here're The Top 6 Travel Trends The internet has been buzzing with excitement over the 'sexy rat' guys trend, with countless memes, fan art, and social media posts dedicated to celebrating these unconventional heartthrobs. On platforms like Twitter, users share photos and videos of their favorite 'sexy rat' guys, praising their charm and unique appeal. To conclude it all, the 'sexy rat' guys trend represents a shift towards celebrating diversity and authenticity in beauty standards. With their unconventional charm and confident demeanor, these unconventional heartthrobs have captured the hearts of Gen Z and sparked a cultural phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down. For more on lifestyle, astrology and health from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle. At just four years old, Kristina Nikita Coffey faced an unimaginable tragedy when her father disappeared in a plane crash over Lake Vermont. Despite the crash site remaining elusive for decades, Kristina's hope never wavered. Year after year, she clung to the belief that answers would one day surface. And finally, 53 years too late, answers did come. On January 27, 1971, the lives of four families changed forever. An aircraft departed that fateful day from Burlington, Vermont, heading toward Providence, Rhode Island, carrying Nikita, Donald Myers, Robert R. Williams III, Frank B. Wilder, and Kirby Windsor. The flight that crashed/ NBC News Frank K. Wilder, son of passenger Frank B. Wilder, recalled to CNN, "I remember my mom just crying and this terrible scream. I don't think I really understood at that point what it all meant." The takeoff appeared normal to the control tower, but shortly after, the controller lost all radar contact. There was no communication from the jet. An initial search for the jet was unsuccessful due to the winter's bitter cold, which had frozen the lake, making immediate searches impossible. By spring, the ice melted, and searches recovered some debris from the plane, but further searches yielded no results. Over the next 53 years, more than 17 searches were conducted, all unsuccessful. Representative image/ Waterbury Roundabout Recently, on May 28, Kristina got a call from her cousin that an underwater searcher had found the jet in approximately 200 feet of water, west of Juniper Island. Experts identified the plane by its red and black accent stripes and saw two turbine engines and a broken wing nearby. The wreck site was left undisturbed. "Its hard to explain the limbo that this created," said Charles C. Williams, son of Robert Williams III. "Six months turns into a year and a year turns into two and theres just been no answers. Thats really super, super hard on families." Also read: 10 Years Of Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: The Biggest Mystery In Aviation History Another plane disappearance that has captured public attention is Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing on March 8, 2014, after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing, China. More than 10 years later, it still remains unfound. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. An Indian astrologer, hailed as the 'new Nostradamus,' has been making headlines with a bold and alarming prediction: that World War III is set to begin tomorrow, June 18, 2024. As improbable as it sounds, Kushal Kumar has a track record that lends weight to his forecast. Recently, he accurately predicted the surge in tensions between Israel and Hamas, Russia and NATO, North and South Korea, and China and Taiwan. Just last month, Kushal Kumar issued a dramatic warning: a catastrophic nuclear conflict is imminent. Kushal Kumar He confidently declared that World War III will break out on June 18, and he's sticking to his grim prediction. This Indian astrologer, known for his foresight on global events, recently nailed the rise in tensions between Israel and Hamas, Russia and NATO, North and South Korea, and China and Taiwan. Kumar claims he used the Vedic astrology chart, rooted in Hindu culture, to determine the timeline. By analysing the alignment of planets and starsa 'map of our karma'he pinpointed the exact date of the global conflict's eruption. Pexels/Representational Image Speaking to the Daily Star, Kumar emphasised, "Tuesday, June 18, 2024, has the strongest planetary stimulus to trigger WW3, although June 10 and 29 might also play a role." He further pointed to escalating incidents, like clashes between Israel and Lebanon, terror attacks in Pakistan, and North Korean soldiers crossing into South Korea, as evidence supporting his prophecy. This follows Vladimir Putin's claim that the West is pushing him to the brink of World War III. Drawing comparisons to the original Nostradamus, Michel de Nostredame, a French astrologer whose 1555 book 'Les Propheties' is believed to have predicted major historical events, Kumar's predictions have captured global attention. Michel de Nostredame, a French astrologer - the original Nostradamus Nostradamus is credited with foreseeing events like the Fire of London, the rise of Napoleon and Hitler, both world wars, 9/11, and even the death of Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II. Now, the world watches with bated breath to see if Kumar's chilling prophecy will come true. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Kate Middleton recently made her first appearance following her cancer announcement. However, just before the royal family appeared to celebrate King Charles birthday, a heartwarming event unfolded that is touching hearts worldwide for its innocence and love. A love story amidst royalty Just before the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, a distinguished military parade held in central London to mark King Charles birthday, a heartwarming scene unfolded that has captured the worlds attention. In a viral video shared widely online, a Royal Guard, resplendent in his uniform, tenderly embraced his girlfriend. In a moment of pure affection, he placed a ring on her finger amidst cheers and applause from onlookers. X The joyous couple shared kisses and hugs, basking in the glow of their love before bidding a reluctant farewell. As his duty beckoned, the guardsman swiftly returned to his post. Also read: A unique Father's Day celebration: How this LGBTQ couple honored the friend who made their family possible X The video, posted on X, was accompanied by the caption, "Moments before the Royal Family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a guardsman had a very special question." Watch it here: Since its posting on June 5, the video has garnered over 196,000 views and sparked a wave of heartfelt comments. One viewer remarked, "Timing says a lot about a person! What perfect timing, wishing them all the best!" Another noted, "Caught on camera! Love truly is all around." Kate Middleton reveals she has cancer Kate Middleton, known as Britain's Princess of Wales, shared in March that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently receiving preventative chemotherapy. X/screengrab In a personal video message released by Kensington Palace, Kate, appearing frail, mentioned that a major abdominal surgery in January was initially deemed successful, but subsequent tests revealed the presence of cancer. Following her medical teams advice, she has begun undergoing early stages of chemotherapy treatment. "This news came as a huge shock, and William and I have been focusing on managing this privately for the sake of our young family," Princess Kate had conveyed in her message. "Recovering from major surgery took time before I could commence my treatment." For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Advertising is key for small businesses to gain exposure, attract customers, and ultimately increase sales. In this article, we'll share valuable tips for marketing products or services effectively. Let's begin. 1. Understanding Your Audience Your audience is the key to successful advertising. Before you start promoting your business, you need to understand who your target audience is and what they are interested in. Start by identifying their age, location, interests, and the specific challenges they face. This approach enhances the likelihood of converting prospects into loyal customers. For instance, if you're targeting millennials, use platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, where this demographic is highly active. Given the popularity of influencers, influencer collaborations can also be effective. When aiming for Gen Z, consider engaging them on Instagram and TikTok with visually captivating content and interactive formats. By gaining a deep understanding of your audience, you can craft relevant content and choose the optimal channels to connect with them effectively. 2. Setting Advertising Goals Once youve found your target audience, its important to set clear goals for your advertising efforts. This will help you determine the best strategies and ways to measure success. To set effective goals, make sure they are SMART specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This will allow you to track your progress and adjust your strategies accordingly. 3. Creating a Website for Your Business One of the best ways to advertise your small business is to create a website. It will serve as the hub of all your online marketing efforts and the point of contact for potential customers. For a small business, we recommend WordPress for the website platform. Its an easy-to-use solution with various plugins and themes available to create a professional-looking website. This gives you more control over your website and allows for better customisation. Plus, WordPress has many built-in search engine optimisation (SEO) features, making it easier for your target audience to find you online. Select Your Hosting Platform To use WordPress, you must first secure a web hosting plan. Out of all the providers available, Hostingers Managed WordPress Hosting is our top choice. With fast loading speeds, weekly or daily backups, and 24/7 support, you can trust Hostinger to keep your website running smoothly. Hostinger You can choose from three pricing plans: Premium, Business, and Cloud Startup, which are priced at 149, 249, and 699 per month, respectively. Here are the main features of the WordPress hosting plan: Free Custom Domain Name. Opt for the minimum 12-month payment plan and enjoy a complimentary custom domain for the first year. Control Panel. Use hPanel, Hostinger's intuitive and feature-rich control panel, to handle your account and website settings. AI Assistant. AI will help you build, customise, and optimise the website for search engines. WordPress-Related Features. Get WordPress multisite, smart auto-updates, and WP-CLI support. Business and Cloud Startup users will get advanced WordPress features, including the staging tool and object cache. WooCommerce Integration. Each plan comes with three WooCommerce versions. The Starter version supports sales of up to 10 products, the Basic version allows for up to 100 products, and the Standard one accommodates up to 1,000 products. Our readers can get a 10% discount using the code TIMES10. Don't hesitate to claim this exclusive offer and start building your WordPress website with Hostinger. Set Up Your Website Hostinger offers step-by-step guidance for creating your website. After finalising your payment, create your WordPress account and select your website type. For the theme, opt for either the pre-built or standard ones. Hostinger Use the AI builder to complete your website's setup faster. All you have to do is fill out your brand name and description. The more detailed your description, the better the result will be. Hostinger Customise the Website Design You can choose a WordPress template for a quicker process. However, if you want a unique website, customise it with different themes and plugins. You can also add widgets such as social media icons, contact forms, and image galleries to enhance the functionality of your website. Remember, the overall design should be visually appealing and user-friendly. Make sure it is easy to navigate and that all the necessary information is easily accessible. Next, choose a colour palette that aligns with your branding. Select colours that not only reflect your corporate identity but also resonate emotionally with your target audience. It's crucial to ensure these colours are consistently applied across all pages to maintain a cohesive look. Important pages, such as those showcasing your products or services, should be prominently featured. These are the pages youll likely focus on when you start your advertising campaigns. Add Content Begin by reviewing and updating the existing content on your website. Make necessary revisions to ensure all information is current, and consider adding new content that improves engagement and enhances SEO. Include descriptive alt text for every image you upload. This not only helps with accessibility for users with visual impairments but also improves your websites SEO by providing better context to search engines. Lastly, integrate high-quality images and videos that clearly demonstrate your products or services. Ensure these visuals are optimised for quick loading times and are responsive across different devices. Optimise for Search Engines Search engine optimisation (SEO) is crucial for small businesses. It enhances your website's visibility and helps convert more customers. To improve your SEO, make sure to include relevant keywords throughout your content, page titles, and meta descriptions. Additionally, create high-quality backlinks by reaching out to other websites in your industry and guest blogging. This will increase traffic to your website and signal to search engines that your website is reputable and trustworthy. Hostingers WordPress Hosting equips you with essential SEO plugins, including All In One SEO. This plugin helps you optimise your website for search engines, making it easier for potential customers to find you online. Hostinger Simply go through the setup wizard to activate the plugin. Hostinger After that, you can input your desired keywords and meta descriptions for each page or post. Remember to regularly update your content with fresh, relevant information to keep your website ranking high on search engine result pages. Publish the Website Finally, publish the website once you have completed all the necessary steps. Before making it live, double-check for typos or broken links. Once published, continue to update and maintain your website regularly to keep it relevant and engaging for visitors. 4. Crafting Effective Advertising Messages The message of your ads is crucial in attracting potential customers and motivating them to take action. It should be clear, concise, and compelling to grab their attention and entice them to learn more about your business. To effectively craft your message, consider the following tips: Highlight Benefits. Focus on what sets your business apart from others and showcase the benefits that customers can gain from choosing your products or services. Use Persuasive Language. Use powerful words that evoke emotion and persuade the reader to take action, such as limited-time offer or exclusive deal. Keep It Simple. Avoid using complex language or jargon that may confuse your audience. Keep your message straightforward and easy to understand. Include a Call to Action. Encourage readers to take the next step by including a clear call to action, such as call now or shop today. Test and Tweak. Continuously test and tweak your message to see what resonates best with your target audience. A/B testing can help you determine the most effective language and calls to action. 5. Practicing Digital Advertising Strategies Google Business Profile Google Business Profile offers a free and straightforward method of enhancing your business's online visibility. It enables you to manage your business details on Google Search and Maps, so that it will be easier for prospective clients to locate you. Hostinger To get started, set up a profile and complete all essential details about your business, like location, contact number, operating hours, and images. Additionally, share posts and news to keep customers updated on any deals or activities. Social Media Marketing With billions of users worldwide, social media offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with potential customers and promote your products or services. Here are some key strategies for social media marketing: Advertise to Your Target Audience. Most social media platforms allow for targeted advertising. Therefore, you can choose specific audience demographics, interests, and locations to attract the right people to your business. Set Your Advertising Goals. Define your advertising goals and create ads that align with them. Whether you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales, tailor your ad content to achieve those specific objectives. Post Consistently. To stay relevant on social media, it's important to post regularly and consistently. This will keep your brand at the top of your followers' minds and help attract new ones as well. Promote User-Generated Content (UGC). UGC helps elevate your social media marketing efforts by showcasing real, authentic experiences from your customers. This builds trust and credibility with potential buyers. Email Marketing Email marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching potential customers. By building an email list and sending out targeted messages, you can directly reach your audience with personalised content and promotions. Use attention-grabbing subject lines and keep the body of the email concise and visually appealing. Remember to also include a call to action in your emails, whether it's to visit your website or make a purchase. Plugins like Mailchimp can help manage and send out emails. You can also use it to track your email campaigns to see what works best for your audience. Video Marketing Video marketing is a powerful strategy for reaching and engaging potential customers. You can use video to showcase your products or services, share customer testimonials, and give behind-the-scenes glimpses into your business. Here are some tips for effective video marketing: Ensure your video content is brief. With attention spans shorter than ever, aim for videos that are a maximum of a few minutes. Utilise captivating visuals and graphics to attract the viewer's attention. Use storytelling in your videos to enhance engagement and leave a lasting impact. Feel free to try out various video formats, like tutorials, interviews, or product demos. Observe what connects with your audience the best. Interact with your audience by replying to comments and requesting their feedback or suggestions for upcoming videos. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Google Adsense is one of the most popular PPC advertising platforms. To use Google Adsense, simply sign up for an account and follow the steps to create your ad. Choose keywords relevant to your content and audience and set a realistic budget. For example, if you are a cooking channel, you may want to choose keywords like "easy recipes" or "cooking tutorials." For the budget, aim for a daily amount that you feel comfortable with and track the performance of your ads to make adjustments as needed. Remember, PPC advertising can have a lasting impact on your business as it allows for immediate visibility and targeting of specific audiences. So, feel free to experiment and find what works best for your audience. 7. Hosting Events of Webinars Hosting events or webinars is a great way to showcase your business and connect with potential customers. For businesses with a physical location, hosting events such as classes or workshops related to your products or services can be an effective way to engage with the local community. For instance, if you run a bookstore, you might organise a book club where participants can discuss the latest bestsellers and share their thoughts. Likewise, gyms can hold fitness workshops showcasing different workout routines and equipment. This allows customers to connect with your brand on a more personal level and can also bring in potential new customers who are interested in trying out your products. You can also host these events with fellow business owners in your niche, creating a win-win situation where you both gain exposure to each other's audiences. 8. Providing Coupons and Discounts Customers are always looking for a good deal, and offering coupons or discounts can be a great way to attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back. This could include special promotions for first-time customers, loyalty programs for frequent shoppers, or seasonal discounts. Add these discounts to your website, social media pages, and email newsletters to spread the word and encourage customers to take advantage of the deals. 9. Partnering with Local Influencers Local or micro-influencers are individuals with a strong following in your community who can help promote your business to their audience. Partnering with these influencers can be an effective way to reach potential customers who may have yet to hear of your business. You can collaborate with them on sponsored posts or reviews. Be sure to choose influencers that align with your brand values and target audience for maximum impact. 10. Evaluating and Adjusting Your Strategies Lastly, it's crucial to evaluate your marketing initiatives continually. This will help you identify effective strategies and areas that require adjustments. Tools like Google Analytics can monitor website traffic and user actions. This tool allows you to identify the most visited pages on your site, the duration users spend on each page, and their point of origin. Pay attention to these insights when checking your Google Analytics page: Top Pages Visited. These are the most popular pages on your site, and it's worth analyzing why they are attracting the most traffic. Is it because of their design, content, or promotions? Bounce Rate. Refers to the percentage of users who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your landing page needs improvement. Conversion Rate. This is the number of visitors who take a desired action on your site, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. It helps you measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Once you have gathered this data, use it to adjust and optimise your strategies accordingly. For example, if you notice that a particular social media platform is driving significant traffic but has a low conversion rate, you may want to re-evaluate your messaging and targeting on that platform. However, keep in mind that a low conversion rate does not always indicate a problem with your landing page. It could also be caused by external factors, such as seasonality or changes in the market. That's why it's important to regularly monitor and track your conversion rates over time to identify any patterns or trends. By staying informed about industry trends, monitoring data, and incorporating customer feedback, you can create effective campaigns that drive results for your business. At last, remember to remain flexible and adapt as needed to stay ahead of the curve in today's ever-changing market. Conclusion Advertising for small businesses can seem overwhelming, but with the right strategies, it can be both practical and affordable. By understanding your target audience, creating a website, utilizing social media platforms, creating engaging content, and evaluating your efforts, you can successfully promote your business and attract new customers. Have a look at Hostingers Managed WordPress Hosting and get your business online. Remember to stay consistent and adapt your tactics as needed to continue growing your brand. Good luck! Back in April, worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, got the biggest jolt when its founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison for money laundering. This came after he pleaded guilty to violations of US anti-money laundering and sanctions laws last year. Once the most influential figure in the global cryptocurrency industry, he has now become the second prominent crypto leader to be incarcerated, following Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX. World's richest prisoner Changpeng Zhaos net worth reuters Changpeng Zhao, according to Bloomberg, has become the wealthiest person ever to be incarcerated in the US and possibly globally as well. With a net worth of $43 billion (Rs 3.5 lakh crore) at the time of being jailed, his wealth was projected to grow despite his imprisonment, driven by the cryptocurrency market boom. As predicted, his wealth did soar during his four-month prison term. Despite significant legal battles, including a $50 million fine and resigning as CEO, Zhao's personal fortune has skyrocketed, making him the wealthiest prisoner in history with an estimated net worth of $61 billion(Rs 5 lakh crore). This remarkable financial growth is primarily due to his substantial holdings in Binance and its cryptocurrency, BNB, which have experienced substantial gains in 2024.CZ reportedly holds approximately 64% of the circulating supply of BNB tokens, totaling around 94 million BNB. Going by this latest development, he is now the world's 24th wealthiest individual. Also Read : Once 'Crypto King', Sam Bankman-Fried Now Faces 25 Years In Prison For Rs 66,000 Crore Fraud Changpeng Zhao guilty over money laundering violations coinchapter Changpeng Zhao, who resigned as CEO of Binance last year, still holds an approximate 90% stake in the company. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle to a prison term shorter than the three years sought by prosecutors, and below the maximum 1-1/2 years recommended under federal guidelines. Once regarded as the most influential figure in the cryptocurrency industry, Zhao, also known as "CZ," becomes the second major crypto executive to be incarcerated. Earlier in March, Sam Bankman-Fried received a 25-year sentence for embezzling $8 billion from customers of his now-defunct FTX exchange. Amid increasing concerns over Houthi rebel attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the potential spread of conflict in the Middle East, a local Greek broadcaster has published a video documenting the assault. The footage broadcast by Skai television network captures the moment of attack on the Greek-owned ship Tutor last Wednesday . The attack occurred as the ship sailed off the coast of Hodeidah, astronghold. Recorded just seconds after the attack, the video shows the crew and armed guards in a state of panic, seeking refuge on the bridge. A sailor sounds the alarm via radio, while some crew members stumble, indicating that the ship was rocked by the explosion and lost stability. The blast wave caused damage, with false ceilings and objects fallen to the floor. Another video, taken moments before the attack, shows the crew and guards observing an approaching vessela Houthi boat rigged with explosivesthat collided with the ships hull, causing a breach. The ship remained adrift for three days, with one missing sailor presumed trapped in the engine room and lost his life due to water ingress. A third video, filmed on Friday two days post-attack, depicts the rescue by a U.S. Navy ship. iefimerida.gr A prominent Greek criminal lawyer was arrested on domestic violence charges early Sunday morning and is being held for a hearing on Monday. Details of the assailant were not released. Authorities said they were notified by a doctor from a private clinic who suspected abuse after the lawyers 37-year-old wife was treated for head and face injuries initially claimed to be from a fall down the stairs of the couples home. Under new laws mandating domestic violence reporting, the lawyer faces charges of intentional bodily harm. The case is now with the Omonia Domestic Violence Unit, and the lawyer awaits a magistrate-supervised court appearance. The arrest comes amid a troubling rise in domestic violence cases in Greece. Statistics indicate an increase from 3,600 reported incidents in the first quarter of 2023 to 5,337 this year, highlighting a concerning trend. Despite legislative efforts and societal progress, financial dependence and societal pressures often prevent victims from seeking help. iefimerida.gr An American tourist missing since last Tuesday on the Ionian island of Corfu has been found dead. Authorities recovered his body from the sea near Mathrakis old port. An autopsy is being scheduled at Corfu Hospital, authorities said. The man, 55, on vacation in Mathraki, was reported missing by a friend on Thursday after disappearing on Tuesday , sparking a large-scale search operation. His death marks the third recent tourist fatality in Greece, following a British presenters tragic death in Symi and a Dutch nationals passing in Samos. Dr. Michael Mosley, a British TV anchor and author, was found dead last Sunday on the island of Symi. He went missing after taking a walk alone and his body was found four days later. A 74-year-old Dutch tourist who had been missing for a week on the island of Samos was found dead. His body was located by a drone of the Fire Department at the location of Limnionas in Samos on Saturday morning. The incidents have raised concerns about tourist safety in the Greek islands. iefimerida.gr The Tripartite Committee established by the Federal Government to review the minimum wage, on Sunday, urged the Organised Labour to reassess their wage demands. Bukar Aji, the Committees Chairman, in a chat with News Agency of Nigeria, asked labour to reconsider their position based on economic factors and the non-monetary incentives provided by the government. Advertisement He highlighted several incentives of the government, including the N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers, N100 billion for gas-fuelled buses and gas kit conversions, a N125 billion conditional grant, financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises, and a N25,000 monthly stipend for 15 million households over three months. The Chairman also listed the N185 billion in palliative loans to states to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal, N200 billion to boost agricultural production, N75 billion to strengthen the manufacturing sector, and N1 trillion for student loans, among other interventions. Aji further called on the labour unions to consider accepting the N62,000 minimum wage offered by the Federal government. The Committee, he said, is trying to avert a situation where the minimum wage would lead to further job losses, especially as many businesses are already struggling. He said in addition to the freedom of civil servants to engage in agriculture, the Federal Government has approved the inclusion of ICT services for alternate sources of income. Reacting on behalf of Labour, one of the negotiators, according to Vanguard, tasked the Chairman to urge the government to make its offer reflect the economic conditions and the cost of living faced by workers. His words: We have carefully considered the chairmans appeal for organised labour as represented by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, to take into account the prevailing economic realities in the ongoing national minimum wage negotiations with the federal government and the organised private sector. We understand the complexity of the economic situation. However, it is imperative to address several critical points that underpin our stance. READ ALSO: Minimum Wage: Well Cut Our Coat According To Size, Well Pay What We Can Afford Tinubu10 ppm gold from fire assay and AAS are determined by using fire assay and a gravimetric finish. Various metals including silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectroscopy, following multi-acid digestion. The elements copper, lead and zinc are determined by ore grade assay for samples that return values >10,000 ppm by ICP analysis. Silver is determined by ore-grade assay for samples that return >100 ppm. All ALS Geochemistry sites operate under a single Global Geochemistry Quality Manual that complies with ISO/IEC 17025:2017. ALS Geochemistry follows the quality management and operational guidelines set out in the international standards ISO/IEC 17025 - "General Requirement for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories" and ISO 9001 - "Quality Management Systems". The Company maintains a robust QA/QC program that includes the collection and analysis of duplicate samples and the insertion of blanks and standards (certified reference material). Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng., Senior VP Exploration for HighGold Mining Inc. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE:LCR) (OTCQB: LANRF) (FRA:6UF0) (Lancaster), a critical mineral exploration company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Miguel Paucar, B.Sc., M.Sc. to its Advisory Board. With over 28 years of extensive experience in the international mining sector, Miguel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from his work across diverse geographical regions including South Africa, Australia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. His career has encompassed significant roles in both underground and open-pit mining as well as geomechanics. Miguel notably served as the Mining Director at Sigma Lithium from 2021 to 2022, where he spearheaded major advancements in lithium extraction technologies and sustainability practices. Under his leadership, the company implemented initiatives such as using 100% renewable energy and recycled water, producing "quintuple zero green" lithium with a focus on zero tailings dams and zero hazardous waste. His broad experience extends to managing significant operations and projects involving other commodities like gold, copper, diamonds, and base metals. Miguel's strategic insight is expected to be invaluable in enhancing operational efficiencies and environmental compliance at Lancaster Resources. Educated with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the National University of Peru and a Master of Science from the Nancy School of Mines in France, Miguel's technical and strategic skills are well-founded. "I am excited to participate in the development of Lancaster's Alkali Flat Lithium Brine project in New Mexico. This project aligns with my professional vision and commitment to sustainable mining practices, and I look forward to contributing to its success, says Miguel Paucar. Miguel's expertise and vision will greatly contribute to Lancaster Resources as the company continues to explore and develop high-potential lithium and other projects. His involvement is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the company's strategic goals and commitment to sustainable resource development. 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, the Trans-Taiga Lithium Property in Quebec's James Bay lithium district and 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 development of lithium brine projects and the exploration and development of mineral projects internationally. 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, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT", or the "Company") (TSX-V:GRAT)(FSE:CB82) is pleased to announce that it has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (the "LOI") dated June 14, 2024 with Tristream Capital Pte Limited and/or its related party Tristream Capital (Cayman) Limited ("TSC") pursuant to which TSC will invest GBP 3 Million (approximately $5.2 Million CAD) (the "Investment Amount") in Gratomic to acquire a 5% Gross Sales Royalty (the "5% GSR") in respect of sales of graphite from the Aukam Property commencing six months after receipt of the Investment Amount for a period of 5.5 years after which the royalty will be reduced to a 1% Gross Sales Royalty (the "1% GSR" and collectively with the 5% GSR, the "Royalty") for the life of the mine (the "Transaction"). Payment of the Investment Amount is conditional upon satisfactory completion of due diligence by TSC and the parties entering into a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") within 90 days of the execution of the LOI. The Definitive Agreement will include terms and conditions, representations, warranties, covenants and agreements customary for such a Transaction. The Definitive Agreement will also include certain milestones to be negotiated and specified in the Definitive Agreement. Upon receipt of the Investment Amount, Gratomic will pay TSC interest on the Investment Amount of 10% per year for the first six months from receipt of the Investment Amount. Commencing six months after receipt of the Investment Amount for a period of 5.5 years, TSC will be paid the 5% GSR. Thereafter, TSC will be paid the 1% GSR for the life of the mine. The Royalty will have a first ranking security interest over plant and machinery at the Aukam Property. Gratomic will be subject to a standstill, until the earlier of the receipt of the Investment Amount and termination of the LOI, preventing Gratomic from soliciting or entering into any proposals with respect to a transaction similar to the contemplated Transaction. TSC will be primarily responsible for the preparation of the Definitive Agreement. The Company will be responsible to pay all reasonable and properly incurred expenses of TSC's due diligence exercise to a maximum of 30,000 British pounds provided that any individual expense in excess of 2000 British pounds must be preapproved by the Company. An arm's-length party, engaged by Gratomic, will be entitled to a finder's fee of 5% of the Investment Amount due upon closing of the Transaction. The Transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Gratomic wishes to emphasize that no Preliminary Economic Analysis, Preliminary Feasibility Study or Feasibility Study has been completed to support any level of production. In fact, no mineral resources let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam property. The Company intends to obtain a Feasibility Study (FS) on the Aukam Processing plant. The study, its recommendations, and their subsequent implementation, will provide conclusions and recommendation at a FS level of comfort relating to the scale up of the existing processing plant to a commercial scale processing facility capable of producing the desired concentrate grades and production rates. Gratomic wishes to emphasize that the supply of graphite is conditional on Gratomic being able to bring the Aukam project into a production phase, and for any graphite being produced to meet certain technical and mineralization requirements. Risk Factors No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant until the FS (Feasibility Study) is completed. The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a Preliminary Feasibility Study or FS of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved. Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability. About Gratomic Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The Company aims to become a leading graphite supplier and to secure a strong position in the electric vehicle battery supply chain through the development of its flagship Aukam graphite mine and ongoing exploration at the Capim Grosso property. The Company will continue to explore graphite opportunities that show the potential to produce the specific flake size and purity required for active anodes. Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm its suitability as anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in the desired target markets. The Company will continue to update the public on the status of these tests and will share results as they become available. On the January 25, 2023 Gratomic announced that it had entered into a LOI with Graphex Technologies to supply graphite through existing facilities and develop a downstream processing facility in the continental US. Gratomic has entered into a collaborative agreement with Forge Nano to use its patented atomic layer technology (ALD) to coat of spherical graphite required in lithium-ion batteries. For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact: Arno Brand at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (416) 561- 4095 Subscribe at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list. For Marketing and Media information, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.com) A top human rights court on Friday held the Argentine state responsible for not preventing, nor properly investigating, an attack on a Jewish center 30 years ago that left 85 people dead. It also blamed the state for efforts to "cover up and obstruct the investigation," robbing victims and their loved ones of justice. A truck laden with explosives drove into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) a Jewish community center, and detonated on July 18, 1994, in the deadliest attack in the South American country's history. Besides the 85 dead, more than 300 people were injured. Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America, with some 300,000 members. The 1994 assault has never been claimed or solved, but Argentina and Israel have long suspected Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group carried it out at Iran's request. In April, an Argentine court blamed Hezbollah for the attack it called a "crime against humanity," and labeled Iran a "terrorist state." It found that the attack and another on the Israeli embassy in 1992 that killed 29 people, were likely triggered by the government under then-president Carlos Menem cancelling three contracts concluded with Iran for the supply of nuclear equipment and technology. After that ruling, Buenos Aires asked Interpol to arrest Iran's interior minister Ahmad Vahidi, whom it accuses of masterminding the attack. Tehran denies any involvement. On Thursday, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica, found Argentina "responsible for not having adopted reasonable measures" to prevent the bombing. "The state was aware of a situation of real and immediate risk for sites connected to the Jewish community and did not adopt reasonable measures" to ameliorate the danger, the judges concluded. Through this failure, the state violated victims' right to life and personal integrity, as well as principles of equality and non-discrimination, said the court. After the attack, it added, the state then failed in its duty to investigate "with due diligence and within a reasonable time," so violating victims' right to judicial protection. - 'Total impunity' - The initial investigation was botched and tainted by allegations of corruption. A prosecutor who accused then-president Cristina Kirchner of orchestrating a cover-up in exchange for oil and trade benefits was found dead in 2015 under mysterious circumstances as he was about to present his findings. The Argentina justice system dropped its obstruction probe of Kirchner, but reopened it last year. Menem was tried for a cover-up in the case, but acquitted. He died in 2021. The Inter-American court on Thursday ordered Argentina to remove all obstacles "which maintain total impunity in this case." The state should do everything necessary "to identify, judge and punish those responsible for the events of this case, their cover-up and, thus, be able to establish the truth of what happened, all within a reasonable time," it said. US Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Saturday more than $1.5 billion in new aid for Ukraine, mainly for its energy sector and in humanitarian assistance, more than two years after Russia's invasion. Harris, who is attending a two-day peace summit in Switzerland's luxury Burgenstock mountain resort, said the aid included $500 million in new funding for energy assistance. Another $324 million in previously announced USAID funding would also be redirected to address emergency energy needs. "This funding will repair energy infrastructure damaged in the war, expand power generation, encourage private sector investment, and protect energy infrastructure," Harris said in a statement. "These efforts will help Ukraine respond to Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure by supporting repair and recovery, improving Ukraine's resilience to energy supply disruptions, and laying the groundwork to repair and expand Ukraine's energy system." The new package, from USAID and the State Department, also includes more than $379 million in humanitarian assistance. This will "help address urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected communities impacted by Russia's brutal war against the Ukrainian people," Harris said. The State Department, with the support of Congress, will provide another $300 million in Ukrainian civilian security assistance, she added. "This support will help them safely operate on the front lines of the war to defend Ukraine's territory, rescue civilians targeted by the Kremlin's attacks, protect critical infrastructure, and investigate the over 120,000 registered cases of war crimes and other atrocities," Harris said. A national senator, Hubert Mbingo, a general in the Congolese national police force, Polydore Omokoko, and an executive secretary in the provincial government of Kasai, Sylvain Pitshi Ndambi, were among the eleven defendants in this long-awaited trial in Kasai province, which opened on May 20 before the military court of former Kasai-Occidental (now Kasai and Kasai-Central provinces) in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were charged with participation in an insurrectional movement, crimes against humanity, war crimes, illegal possession of weapons, criminal association and terrorism. According to the prosecution, these acts were committed in 2017, at the height of the Kamwina Nsapu conflict, which caused the death of hundreds of people and the exile of at least 1.5 million Congolese. A senator and a general accused Mbingo and Omokoko, respectively vice-governor of Kasai and colonel of the Congolese national police at the time of the events, are accused of having been leaders of the Bana Mura militia, which allegedly acted on behalf of the government in power. This militia, considered responsible for ethnic violence, is said to have received orders from these men to commit acts of violence, particularly in Kamonia, a town 75 kilometres from the Kasai provincial capital Tshikapa. According to a source close to the case, only one of the eleven accused, Tshitsho Lopupu, is currently in detention; all the others are free. Only four of them were present before the military court: Tshitsho Lopupu, Kabundi Mulamba Toure, Ihongo Kayikula Radjabu and Pitshi Ndambi. None of the other seven defendants turned up at the court. On 20 May, the military court of Kananga (photo), in the province of Kasai-Central (DRC), opened the trial of eleven defendants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the territory of Kamonia between 2017 and 2018. Eight days later, it declared itself incompetent. DR Kamwina Nsapu vs Bana Mura The Kamwina Nsapu insurrection pitted militiamen loyal to Jean-Pierre Mpandi (Kamwina Nsapu), assassinated in August 2016, against the national security forces for three years, between 2016 and 2019. The rebellion began in the territory of Dibaya in Kasai-Central and then spread throughout the Kasai region, which comprises five provinces: Kasai, Kasai-Central, Kasai-Oriental, Lomami and Sankuru. In response to this insurrection by the Kamwina Nsapu militia, the authorities in power at the time allegedly created a militia, the Bana Mura. They have always denied this. The Bana Mura came from non-Tshiluba speaking Bantu populations (Pende, Chokwe and Tetela), while the Kamwina Nsapu were Tshiluba speaking Bantu (Luba, Lulua). In the town of Kamonia, it was a Tetela, Polydore Omokoko, at the time a colonel, who is said to have organised the Bana Mura by distributing weapons to them. Testimonies gathered by UN investigators point to this complicity between State services and the Bana Mura in the first half of 2017. At least 251 people were victim of extrajudicial executions and targeted killings between March 12 and June 19, 2017, including 62 children, reports the United Nations Mission in the DRC, which has identified at least 80 mass graves in the region. Cases of rape have also been reported. The court does not try generals Seven years after the events, the DRCs military justice system managed to organize this trial. The Kasai Occidental military court, based in Kananga (in what is now Kasai-Central province), travelled more than 300 kilometres to hold mobile court hearings in Kamonia and Tshikapa, now the provincial capital of Kasai. The defendants were expected to face 119 victims recognized as civil parties. Only 78 of them, mainly women, were heard in Tshikapa and Kamonia. But after only eight days of hearings, the military court declared itself incompetent to try the case. No judge can change individual jurisdiction, ruled first president of former Kasai Occidental military court Innocent Mayembe, bringing the trial to an end. When your court is not empowered to judge a case that is beyond your jurisdiction, you have to let it go. In the present case, there is a general. This military court does not try generals. Because of their rank and high level of responsibility, the competent jurisdiction in the case of these personalities is the Military High Court, which sits in Kinshasa, according to the Tshikapa court. According to procedure, all the other defendants in the case must also answer to the court that has jurisdiction over the highest-ranking defendant, i.e. the general, explains Ahmed Useni, a law professor at the University of Kinshasa. The trial is therefore cancelled for all the defendants. The law has been torpedoed The defence is satisfied. The senator, the general and the executive secretary of the provincial government who has ministerial rank should not have appeared before this military court, says Godet Kulenfuka, president of the defence lawyers collective. He adds that they are prepared to defend their clients if brought before the right judges. The civil parties were stunned. Were disappointed because we think the law has been torpedoed, laments Michelin Pungi, lawyer for the civil parties. He rejects the argument of the defendants status, arguing that the judge should have respected the intangibility of the facts principle by judging the defendants according to their status at the time of the alleged acts. Which jurisdiction for which court? The question of the judicial courts jurisdiction related to status of the accused often arises in trials in the DRC. Some courts give priority to the status of defendants at the time of the events, while others argue that their status at the time of the trial should be taken into account. This problem arose during the trial of former prime minister Matata Ponyo (2012-2016) in a case of embezzlement of more than 200 million dollars for the Bukanga Lonzo agro-industrial park, a project launched in 2014. Under the DRC Constitution, the Constitutional Court is the criminal jurisdiction for the Head of State and Prime Minister. In the Ponyo case, the defence argued that the Constitutional Court had no jurisdiction to try a former Prime Minister. That high court declared itself incompetent in 2021, before backtracking after a Court of Cassation decision in 2022. Initially scheduled to begin in July this year, investigations of this case are due to start on July 22. This new procedure is still only in its infancy. For Professor Useni, the jurisdiction privilege does not mean impunity, but is intended to prevent the defendant getting the better of the judge. As soon as a court declares itself incompetent, it is up to the civil parties to go to the competent one, he explains. With regard to the Bana Mura trial, the victims lawyers will be taking their case to the Military High Court. Kasai: convictions only for militiamen Another trial linked to the Kamwina Nsapu conflict opened in March 2023 in Kinshasa. This was the Mulombodi case, involving two high-ranking officers. But it has been at a standstill for a year: the court is due to be reconstituted, with judges having been transferred to other regions. So as soon as trials concern state officials, the case gets complicated. In the Kasai region, four trials resulted in convictions for war crimes against Kamwina Nsapu militiamen: in the village of Mayi Munene (Kasai province), in Kongolo Moshi (Kazumba territory) and in Bana Ba Ntumba (Dimbelenge territory) and Kananga, in a case on the murder of two UN experts in Kasai Central. At the end of 2021, the Societe congolaise pour l'Etat de droit (Congolese Society for the Rule of Law), one of the most active NGOs in Kasai, expressed in a press release serious doubts about the governments determination to combat impunity in the province. Hae Jong officially passed the crown and declared Lee Geon (Suho) as the new king in "Missing Crown Prince" Episode 19. 'Missing Crown Prince' Episode 19: Choi Myung Yoon Expresses Anger to Choi Sang Rok Lee Geon and Choi Myung Yoon (Hong Ye Ji) entered the palace to check on Hae Jong's condition, but there was no clear solution, and Myung Yoon ended up staying in the palace taking care of the old man. Accordingly, before going to Seo Yeon, Lee Geon secretly made a promise to Myung Yoon to meet at Buyong Jeong without the knowledge of Hae Jong. Lee Geon was waiting for Myung Yoon and hid himself to play a prank, but held his breath when he suddenly heard Min Soo Ryeon and Choi Sang Rok's voices. Through their conversation, he discovered that Sang Rok didn't kill Myung Yoon's mother. Unfortunately, Choi Myung Yoon came and saw her father with Soo Ryeon and expressed her anger. After watching this scenario, Lee Geon handed Myung Yoon flowers and consoled her heart. Lee Geon Confesses to Choi Myung Yoon The following day, Lee Geon called Master Go Woo for Choi Myung Yoon and informed him that Sang Rok did not kill Myung Yoon's mother and that he lived with guilt his whole life after losing his wife to assassins who tried to kill Min Soo Ryeon. Choi Myung Yoon, who learned the whole story, shed tears of gratitude to Lee Geon. In response, he offered her alcohol to ease her mood. As they exchanged conversations, he expressed his feelings with a dizzying kiss along with a quick confession. However, the excitement was short-lived as Choi Myung Yoon remembered Hae Jong's last words to her that she and the crown prince would not be together. At the same time, Lee Geon visited Yoon Yi Gyeom, who was put to jail, and demanded that he confess his crimes. Yi Gyeon was confident that Lee Geon would not be able to abandon Prince Doseong and Jung Jeon and asked him to release him, but the crown prince appeared indifferent. Hae Jong Hailed Lee Geon as the New King Elsewhere, Hae Jong's condition deteriorated rapidly, and fainted in front of his people. He had a conversation with Lee Geon and requested him to do the things he was planning to do. Hae Jong then personally placed the crown on Lee Geon, handed him the royal seal, and declared him as the new king. Afterward, after the ceremony, Lee Geon sat on the throne and ordered his subjects to dethrone and imprison Jung Jeon and Dae Seong. Meanwhile, Sang Rok returned to the palace to protect his unborn child, after deep consideration while running away with Soo Ryeon. However, after a heated argument after finding out that Myung Yoon stole his secret ledger to treat Hae Jong, he cut off the relationship with his daughter. The next day, Sang Rok met with Yoon Yi Gyeon and Yoon Jeong Dae in prison and attempted to revolt with the intention of putting Prince Doseong on the throne. What can you say about "Missing Crown Prince" episode 19? 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. Kwon Yool dished out on his closeness with Ha Jung Woo, and how he helped him before starting in the industry. In an episode of SBS' variety show "My Little Old Boy," the "Connection" star shared an endearing story about the award-winning actor whom he knew since he was in college. Before becoming an actor, Kwon Yool studied Bachelor of Arts in Theater at Chung-Ang University. After college, he made his acting debut in a theater play called "Carmen" and had his first on-screen appearance in the 2007 youth comedy series "Mackerel Run" with Lee Min Ho and Moon Chae Won. Now, he is among the K-drama stars who could pull-off a variety of roles, may it be protagonist or villain. Interestingly, Kwon Yool had his fair share of struggles before his debut. Kwon Yool Says Ha Jung Woo Was Much 'Stricter' than His Parents In "My Little Old Boy," Kwon Yool tells hosts about his connection with Ha Jung Woo and how thankful he is to him. According to him, he used to live with the veteran actor during college. As mentioned by an outlet, the travel from his home to school was so challenging that Ha Jung Woo offered to take him with him. "I was commuting to school because the campus was a remote area, but my senior told me I had to live here to enjoy school, so we lived together." Dishing on his experience with fellow actor Kwon Yool, he revealed what it's like to live with Ha Jung Woo. According to him, he is much "stricter" than his parents, especially with curfew hours. "My senior, Ha Jung Woo, told me to come home before 10 p.m., so it was stricter than when I lived with my parents." "My Little Old Boy" host Shin Dong Yeop teased the actor and tried to defend the veteran star. "From Ha Jung Woo's point of view, Kwon Yul was alone with the girls. I was annoyed because I was playing with him," he said, causing laughter among the audience. Interestingly, one thing that he is proud of is his cleanliness at home. He also revealed that he puts a vacuum cleaner in every room and has a total of six throughout the whole household. As for his own home, Kwon Yool said that he likes to host gatherings at home, but it feels like the guests are uncomfortable around his house. "I tend to invite people, but they feel burdened because they don't think they should leave fingerprints." Kwon Yool on Playing Mysterious Prosecutor in 'Connection' The 41-year-old actor is currently starring in the action crime K-drama "Connection" with Ji Sung and Jeon Mi Do. He takes on the role of Park Tae Jin, a prosecutor at the Anhyun District Prosecutors' Office who is also the trusted legal aide of Won Jong Soo (Kim Kyung Nam), the vice president of Keumhyung Pharmaceuticals. As the interview with "My Little Old Boy" continues, the actor also mentions his love for courtroom dramas and the reason why he loves his character on "Connection." "I end up saying things like arrest warrant and substantive prosecutor a lot," he said, referring to prosecutor Park Tae Jin. Other than "Connection," he is also known as the villain in the hit K-drama "Voice" with Lee Ha Na. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores Han So Hee reflected on her past as she took a trip down memory lane with a series of throwback photos on Instagram. Before becoming one of the sought-after stars of her generation, the 29-year-old actress made her debut in the 2017 K-drama "Reunited Worlds," where she played a minor role. In addition to this, she also appeared in various music videos, which include SHINee's 2016 track "Tell Me What to Do" and Jung Yong Hwa's "That Girl" in 2017. From then on, she has captivated viewers with her beauty and acting prowess. She also starred in her first lead role in MBC's "Money Flower" in 2018, followed by "100 Days My Prince" in the same year. However, her popularity skyrocketed after starring in "The World of the Married" as the antagonist, Yeo Da Kyung, together with Kim Hee Ae and Park Hae Joon. Han So Hee Shares Never-Been-Seen Photos During Rookie Days With her years-long acting career, Han So Hee looked back on her humble beginnings and shared never-before-seen snaps over the years. In an Instagram post, the actress shared a series of photos that warmed the hearts of viewers. She wrote in her caption "What has improved over the past 5 years is hair length, aging, and temperament." This includes her press conferences for "100 Days My Prince" and "Money Flower," but what melted the hearts of fans was her video with her grandmother. In the comments' section, netizens did not only gush over the actress' jaw-dropping visuals but also the relationship with her grandmother. Han So Hee often shares her affection for her grandmother, whom she considers the person who raised her. She once mentioned in an interview that she pursued her acting career because of her grandmother, who also serves as her inspiration in life. "My parents worked, so they were busy. I was raised by my grandmother when I was 5 years old. My grandmother is the one who came to all my school events. She is everything to me. She is the one who motivates me to live on." Han So Hee Stars in Back-to-Back K-Dramas Following her K-drama comeback "Gyeongseong Creature," Han So Hee is set to headline multiple projects in the coming years. Among them is the highly anticipated team up with Jong Jeon Seo for "Project Y." Directed by Lee Hwan of "Adult Matters," the upcoming thriller-crime series focuses on two women who are on the journey to steal 8 billion won, or around 5.8 million USD, worth of gold bars. Set in Seoul's Gangnam district, they wanted to pull off an iconic bank robbery stint and disappear without a trace. In addition to this, she is also in talks to star in the action fantasy "Dotgabi" by screenwriter Han Ji Hoon of "River Where the Moon Rises" and directed by Oh Jin Suk of "My Sassy Girl." Read also: Han So Hee Continues to Lose Advertisement Deals For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores In "Missing Crown Prince" Episode 20, Lee Geon (Suho) faced his final battle against his enemies. Was he able to succeed in his last mission? 'Missing Crown Prince' Episode 20: Choi Sang Rok Dies Amid War With Lee Geon Lee Geon ascended to the throne as the new king and made a plan to punish the evildoers. Choi Myung Yoon (Hong Ye Ji) had decided to end her father-daughter relationship with Choi Sang Rok (Kim Ju Hun). Nevertheless, Min Soo Ryeon (Myung Se Bin) had a secret affair with Sang Rok. As the story progressed, Prince Doseong's revolt took place. At the scene of chaos, Lee Geon found Min Soo Ryeon and Choi Sang Rok. Unfortunately, Sang Rok was already fatally wounded. At Lee Geon's order, Min Soo Ryeon left the palace and she was beheaded. After sorting out the situation, Lee Geon handed over the throne to Prince Doseong (Kim Min Gyu) and left for the countryside where Choi Myung Yoon lived. Lee Geon Exits From the Palace to Marry Choi Myung Yoon Min Soo Ryeon, who was pregnant, met Myung Yoon and asked for forgiveness, and immediately after giving birth to Sang Rok's child, she also asked for an apology from Lee Geon and died. After some time, Lee Geon and Choi Myung Yoon along with Gap Seok (Kim Seol Jin), Mu Baek (Seo Jae Woo), and Oh Wol (Kim No Jin) scolded the inspectors with the maps they brought from the palace, and filed an appeal against them, causing a headache for Prince Doseong. In addition, Lee Geon and Choi Myung Yoon opened a clinic and continued their happy married life raising their own children and Min Soo Ryeon's children together. Then, Hae Jong (Jeon Jin Oh) and Jung Jeon, who came to see their grandchild, and Prince Doseong, who came to complain to Lee Geon, all gathered to create a happy ending. 'Missing Crown Prince' Episode 20 Records Drama's Highest Viewership Rating According to Nielsen Korea on June 16, after concluding episode 20, MBN's fantasy-romance drama "Missing Crown Prince" successfully recorded its highest viewership rating of 5.1 percent, marking the fourth consecutive episode for which the series hit a new personal record. Suho and Hong Ye Ji's first drama team-up concluded with an impressive mark. What can you say about "Missing Crown Prince" episode 20? 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. Yeo Jin Goo talked about his experience filming the action-suspense movie "Hijacking," headlined by Ha Jung Woo, Sung Dong Il, and Chae Soo Bin. Set in 1971, the film depicts the story of unlawfully seizing an aircraft full of passengers mid-air. Showcasing an extreme situation between passengers, the crew, and the hijacker, Yeo Jin Goo, takes on his first villain role, playing the character of Yong Dae. In the story, he was depicted as the hijacker from Sokcho, Gangwon Province. What prompted him to do the unlawful deed was after he experienced discrimination because of his brother, who was accused of being a member of the North Korean People's Army during the Korean War. Due to this, he had no choice but to hijack a commercial plane and reunite with his brother, who is in North Korea. Ha Jung Woo Confesses Hitting Ha Jung Woo During 'Hijacking' Filming In an interview with SPOT TV News, Yeo Jin Goo revealed the unexpected incident during the filming of "Hijacking," among which was an intense scene with co-star Ha Jung Woo. According to the actor, he was at his height of emotion, especially since his character plays the villain. "It's a role that involves a lot of emotion, and it's a role that makes you angry. Also, because I was acting in a small space, no matter how peaceful I was, there were many times when I acted close and threatening." READ MORE : Ha Jung Woo Reveals What Made Yeo Jin Goo Get the Villain Role in 'Hijacking' Due to this, there are times when he gets to hit his senior, Ha Jung Woo, but he is thankful that he didn't make a fuss out of the situation. "I actually hit him a few times. I really acted out. But he understood and said it was okay. Every time I hit him, he gave me a kind look and said, 'It's really okay, hit me.'" Interestingly, the veteran actor also gave him pieces of advice, especially on how he handles the situation. "However, we know that you are immersed because we are professionals, but as a trained actor, you should control your emotions even when acting in other scenes, right?'" 'Hijacking' Release Date, Cast As mentioned, an award-winning actor plays the lead star in "Hijacking." Tae In is a former Korean Air Force fighter pilot who now works as a commercial pilot. On one of his trips, he faced a hijacker while mid-air. Joining him in the cockpit is his co-pilot, Gyu Sik, played by Sung Dong Il. Adding to the cast is Chae Soo Bin, who portrays the role of sole flight attendant Ok Soon. "Hijacker" is scheduled to hit the big screen on June 21, directed by Kim Sung Han. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores Sunday, June 16, 2024 - A gunman opened fire on innocent kids enjoying a Michigan splash before being cornered by cops in a nearby home and killing himself, police said. The unidentified suspect unloaded 28 gunshots at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills around 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. It appears like the individual pulled up, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, left, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters. Eight people were injured in the gunfire. At least three of the victims come from one family. An 8-year-old boy was shot in the head and is in critical condition while his brother, 4, suffered a shot to the thigh, Bouchard said. A 39-year-old woman related to the boys sustained gunshot wounds to her abdomen and legs and also is in critical condition, he added. The other six victims were all aged 30 and older, including a husband-and-wife couple and a 78-year-old man. All were in stable condition. Police described the suspect as a 42-year-old man. He had no criminal history, but is suspected to have mental health issues, Detroit News reported. The gunman was apparently in no rush. Just calmly walked back to his car, the sheriff said. It appears very random. No connectivity to the victims, Bouchard said, calling the incident a gut punch for the country. Officials also recovered a handgun and three empty magazines at the attack scene, according to the sheriff. Police tracked the suspect to a nearby home, where they had a brief standoff with police. They sent a drone inside the home before storming the house to find the suspect was dead. Rochester City Mayor Bryan Barnett said the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the standoff, but would not comment on a potential motive. According to cops, the gunman had a semiautomatic rifle and another handgun inside the home, meaning the quick containment may have prevented a second chapter to the shooting, Bouchard said. The victims conditions are unknown. Ive received calls from the White House, the Governor, most of our congressional delegation and mayors from across the county, Barnett said in a statement. This is a horrible scene that has been repeated too many times across our country.unfortunately touching our city today. The Brooklands is a proud neighborhood and our city is equally tight knit and strong. We will be ok. I would ask all of our residents to continue praying for the victims, their families and for our community. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on X that she was heartbroken to learn of the shooting and was in touch with local officials. Kids deserve to be safe from gun violence whether at school, at home, or at a splash pad, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wrote on X. Whatever we are doing, its not enough. Rochester Hills is located about 28 miles from downtown Detroit. Sunday, June 16, 2024 - A Texas pastor has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury convicted him of stealing three churches valued at more than $800,000. Whitney Foster, 56, the pastor at the True Foundation nondenominational church in Dallas, was sentenced after he was convicted of theft of property involving three local churches, Dallas County prosecutors announced. Foster was the pastor of a small congregation that did not have a physical place to meet. Foster was accused of stealing real estate from three local churches after prosecutors said he filed fraudulent property deeds, listing a fake pastor or other church officials of the congregations from which he was found guilty of stealing property, officials said. On the deed documents, he listed his church as the grantee in his own name. The value of the three properties totaled more than $800,000, prosecutors said. The First Christian Church in Lancaster, Texas, Canada Drive Christian Church and Church at Ninevah were listed as the three churches that had property stolen, prosecutors said. Two of the three churches are still listed in Fosters name. Prosecutors said that Fosters congregation was still meeting at one of the properties and that the third property remains embroiled in legal complications because of the pastors actions. Stealing real estate is an incredibly serious and damaging crime, John Creuzot, Dallas County criminal district attorney, said in a statement. Its worse than the theft of someones vehicle or other possessions. When someone steals property, we must hold them accountable because they are hurting people. The jury was presented evidence of seven additional fraudulent acts in addition to the three of which Foster was convicted. Foster was previously convicted of identity theft and arson, prosecutors announced. In 2021, the pastor of the Lancaster, Texas, church learned that the congregation no longer owned the building after it was deeded to another person for $10, a Dallas television station reported. The property, valued at $700,000 at the time, was signed over to someone else after someone claiming to be the chairman of the church deeded the building over to a non-church member for $10. At the time, Foster told the television station that he believed the church building to be vacant. You can acquire a property for $10 with nonprofits, Foster told the local news station. The church is community property. It wasnt Whitney buying it. Our church was getting it. I was fixing to open up a church there. Monday, June 17, 2024 - DCI detectives have recovered five suspected stolen motor vehicles at a homestead in Kamulu, in an early morning joint operation that also saw the arrest of the prime suspect, Salesio Njagi Kiura. The pursuit for the suspect followed a June 10, 2024 report referred to DCI Buruburu regarding the theft of a car Reg. No. KDJ 366C Toyota Ractis stolen at Nairobi's Umoja Innercore, whose owner found missing moments after parking it at a spot. Acting on intelligence, CRIB hawkshaws from Nairobi Regional Hqs, DCI Buruburu, and KPS officers from Kamulu Police Station proceeded to Kamulu along Josna Road at Kiura's (suspect) residence, where the reported stolen car was found while in the process of being dismantled. Inside the same gated home were found four other vehicles, including a blue Mazda Demio Reg.No KCW 831N, a Toyota Ractis (silver) KDB 216T, a Suzuki Mira (silver) KDB 308P, and a white Toyota Passo Reg No. KCW 346L (colour changed from its original blue). The scene has been documented by Buruburu CSI detectives and all vehicles towed to Buruburu Police Station alongside the suspect. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, June 16, 2024 - Music executive Diddy has returned New York's key to the City after Mayor Eric Adams requested it back in a letter, citing the Cassie assault video which went viral weeks ago. In the letter addressed to Diddy, Mayor Adams stated that he was "deeply disturbed" by the Cassie video. The Mayor who noted that he stands with survivors of domestic abuse, also said that the Key to the City is given to individuals who act as model citizens, a standard the selection committee no longer feels Diddy meets. Mayor Adams who stated publicly the committee would sit down to discuss this issue, disclosed that the committee recommended rescinding Combs' key and provided an address where the key could be mailed back. It's been gathered that Diddy responded to the letter by returning the key. Diddy received the Key to the City less than a year ago, proudly posing with Adams back in September 2023 after receiving the honour. However, allegations began to pile up against Diddy just months later, beginning with Cassie's lawsuit in November. While Diddy repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing, he admitted he did beat Cassie and apologized after the video surfaced. He still faces numerous sexual assault lawsuits, and he's under federal investigation for alleged sex and narcotics trafficking, as well as other serious crimes. Monday, June 17, 2024 - Three suspects, among them bodyguards attached to Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi and President William Ruto, were arrested in Kitengela in possession of five elephant tusks. The rogue police officers were arrested alongside a civilian on Saturday while carrying elephant tusks worth Sh2.9 million. They also had two pistols and 30 bullets at the time of the arrest on June 15. Kitengela police boss Patrick Manyasi confirmed the incident and said the suspects were on the Kenya Wildlife Services officers radar who aided their arrest. They were trailed from Eldoret to Nairobi, and later to Kitengela where the arrest took place. They were cornered at a roadblock in Kitengela, where they drew their pistols but were subdued and arrested. The suspects were taken to Kitengela Police Station before being transferred to KSW holding in Langata, Nairobi. Police said the suspect will be charged with the offence of being in Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013. Watch video. DRAMA as bodyguards attached to RUTO and SUDI draw pistols after being cornered in Kitengela ferrying elephant tusks worth Ksh 2.9 million in a Subaru pic.twitter.com/fKWAMJdmh4 DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) June 17, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, June 17, 2024 - Kapsaret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi has said he supports the Finance Bill 2024 because it will help the country settle debts that were accumulated by former President Uhuru Kenyattas regime. Speaking in his constituency on Sunday, Sudi Kenya will be freed from heavy foreign debts and the cost of living will drop drastically if the Finance Bill 2024 is passed by Parliament. Let us not get tired but continue to stand with our President because his vision for this country is working already. In a few more months, the countrys economy will be very stable, he said. Sudi, who is a close ally of President William Ruto also castigated leaders bent on introducing politics based on tribalism in the country. Kikuyus should stop this thing of calling themselves Mt Kenya groups yet they are national and found in all corners of the country, Sudi said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, June 17, 2024 That Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua does not see eye to eye with President William Ruto is not in doubt, so much so that he has gone out full throttle castigating the president and his allies in public. First, it was the one-man, one-shilling agenda that the DP was pushing for the benefit of Mt. Kenya region which Ruto termed as tribal and asked Gachagua to be the deputy president of the entire country and not reduce himself to a village elder. And now, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has added another twist that could explain the real genesis of the fallout between Gachagua and Ruto. In a statement yesterday, the CS accused the DP of demanding Ksh10 billion from the President to 'fix' the Mt Kenya region. However, Kuria questioned how the funds would have benefited the residents of Mt Kenya. "When the cost of living was high and there was discontent on the ground, you went to the President and demanded he gives you Ksh10 billion cash to go fix the ground in Mt Kenya," the CS alleged. Kuria revealed that Gachagua threw tantrums after President Ruto declined the request, and since then, the DP has been on a roller-coaster. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, June 16, 2024 - A Ghanaian lady, Nana Ama reportedly passed away a few days after she begged God to spare her life. The lady in a Facebook post on June 3, 2024, wrote: God please don't let me die The circumstances surrounding her death are still sketchy at the time of filing this report. However, one Mhiz Gold, who confirmed her death said she was sick. Sunday, June 16, 2024 - A 75-year-old man suffered a stress-induced heart attack after finding his Arkansas home had been invaded by two squatters who used Google for tips on how to get away with claiming somebody elses home. Kelly DeShields, 54, and Matthew Villagran, 46, had been squatting in Gary Brankels Maysville home for at least a month, claiming they believed it to be unoccupied for years. Meanwhile, Brankel had been staying at a treatment facility, recovering from a medical issue, only to return on May 30 to find the couple illegally occupying his residence. DeShields allegedly claimed ownership of the house after following instructions she found via Google, according to a probable cause affidavit. She found information on the internet that led her to believe she could obtain the property by paying the property taxes and maintaining the residence and land, the document stated. Deshields showed deputies at the Benton County Sheriffs Office a receipt from the revenue office in Gravette demonstrating that she paid $162 in assessment fees on May 1 for Brankels home. She later admitted that no one at the revenue office told her she could occupy the land. The couple is also accused of burning Brankels personal documents and home decor after they falsely laid claim to the home. Deputies said they found a fresh burn pile on the land with several destroyed items that belong to Brankel. Officials said Brankel was hospitalized again after suffering a heart attack due to the stress caused by the squatters. His current condition remains unclear, but he was able to confirm that he did not recognize DeShields and Villagran, nor did he ever give them permission to occupy his home. DeShields and Villagran were eventually arrested on June 5 and charged with burglary. The duo are in custody at the Benton County Detention Center, DeShields is being held on a $25,000 bond and Villagran on a $15,000 bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on July 15. Sunday, June 16, 2024 - A man nicknamed The Sperminator just welcomed his 165th child saying he has so many reasons to celebrate Fathers Day. Ari Nagel, a 48-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, welcomed his 165th child into the world on Wednesday, June 12 boasting he has kids in almost all the continents of the world while revealing the date he will retire from fathering kids. Ill stop when Im 50, Nagel, who will turn 49 in August, told The Post. Physically I can keep going, but there may be increased risks for things like autism with older males, he explained via text from a cruise ship in the Bahamas, where he was vacationing with his first son, 20-year-old Tyler, and child No. 33, his 7-year-old daughter Topaz. But for now, Kingsborough Community College math professor is celebrating his latest baby, who was birthed by a woman from Connecticut, US. It was that moms fourth child with me, Nagel boasted. I have 10 women currently pregnant in the US, Canada, Asia, Africa and Europe Zimbabwe and Long Island are due in July, and Israel and Queens are due in August, he boasted, adding that one of his baby mamas from France, is expected to give birth at any moment. Nagel hands over sperm samples to one or two aspiring mothers per week, he said, sometimes through clinics and other times in face-to-face, but non-sexual, meetings. He has also vowed to try to be a better father to my 175 children 34 of whom he hasnt met yet. Ill never be able to be as good of a dad to my kids as my father was to me, lamented Nagel. Having lots of kids can bring a lot of happiness and joy into your life, [but] I dont suggest 175, he said. The Sperminator said he sees many of his sons and daughters often especially the 56 who live in New York, the 20 in New Jersey and the 13 in Connecticut. Some moms dont want me to play a role, but I leave them the option if they change their mind, and most do once the child gets a little older and starts asking questions, he said. In his office, he keeps a spreadsheet with the names, birthdays, addresses and phone numbers of each offspring and their pictures are pasted on his wall. Speaking about Father's Day, he said; I will receive many cards and gifts, he said. The one piece of advice Nagel says he tries to impart to his children is to embrace saying Yes to doing favors, new experiences, invites and opportunities. Its the key to a fulfilling life. I say yes to everything, he said. But he wishes there was a woman out there who would say yes to him. I have the dating apps, but havent had much success finding a woman who wants to date someone with 165 kids and 10 women pregnant. Im also pretty broke which doesnt help. Monday, June 17, 2024 - The family of convicted murderer Joseph Irungu alias Jowie has recounted their fathers last moments before he died at Nakuru Level Five Hospital while undergoing treatment. Jowies sister, Jane Irungu, revealed that their father spent his last moments wishing for his son to be set free from prison. According to her, the patriarch longed for the day their brother would leave prison so he could talk to him. She revealed that during his last days, the heartbroken father had insisted that they take him to Kamiti Maximum Prison to see his son. On his deathbed, he claimed to have had visions of his son being released from prison," she said. Jowie's conviction tore his family apart, leaving them shattered as they believed their kin had been unfairly imprisoned. Jowies father was convinced that his son was framed to cover up for someone else's crime, but the real culprits were at large He was rushed to Nakuru Level Five Hospital over the weekend after his condition deteriorated. Plans were underway to transfer him to Nairobi for further treatment before he died. Family members requested the government to allow Jowie to bury his father, even if under the protection of the police. Jowie's lawyer, Andrew Muge, disclosed that the legal team was exploring the possibility of having his client attend his father's burial. Muge noted that Mwangi was in extreme pain at every court attendance during the prosecution period, but did his duty as any loving father would. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, June 17, 2024 - A young Kikuyu lady called Mary Njuguna was not left behind as women across the globe celebrated special men in their lives on Fathers Day. She took to social media and penned a heartfelt message to her elderly mzungu husband for being a good father to her kids. The message read, Happy Fathers Day to the father of our children. "Thank you for being the best dad to our children. "My kids are so blessed to have you as their dad and Im super proud that we have you in our lives. "For the years to come, I pray that each day our family unit gets stronger and stronger with the unconditional love we have for one another. "Happy Fathers Day to all dads and dad figures. Mary married the elderly man last month in a colourful white wedding. See photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, June 16, 2024 - An astrologer dubbed New Nostradamus is predicting the start of World War III is mere days away. The Indian has also doubled down on his prediction after dipping the bombshell. Kushal Kumar said back in May that World War III would begin on June 18. NOW, Tuesday, 18 June 2024 has the strongest planetary stimulus to trigger WW3, Kushal Kumar said again this week, doubling down on a May prediction after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. On Thursday, June 13, Kumar rattled off a series of current, disturbing events justifying his claim in another post to Medium. First, Kumar cited a recent terror attack that targeted and killed nine Hindu pilgrims in the Himalayas while injuring 33 others. Next, he referenced that shots were fired at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea when troops from the north crossed into the DMZ on Sunday. Thirdly, Kumar cited that the conflict in Israel has escalated as Hezbollah forces in Lebanon recently barraged rockets at the Jewish state in retaliation for the death of a commander. Then he pointed out that, in a manoeuvre uncomfortably reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia has been sending warships, including a nuclear submarine, to Havana. And, to top it all off, China has been administering war drills off Taiwanese shores, worrying US officials. Watch the developing war scenario in hotspots across the globe as days pass by, Kumar wrote. He added that June 29 might also be doomsday. The astrologer previously predicted June 10, which came to pass. Even if WWIII doesnt come to pass in a matter of days, state officials warn it is a serious concern. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization warned a few months ago that a war with Russia in the next 20 years may be inevitable. The Doomsday Clock, a representation of how close the planet is to nuclear war, was also set its closest to midnight 90 seconds away for a second year in a row Monday, June 17, 2024 - Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has added fuel to the fire on the ongoing debate on the ban of Muguka by telling North Eastern leaders to ban the stimulant which originates in Embu, Meru, and Tharaka Nithi counties. Speaking in Garissa during Eid al Adha prayers on Sunday, Duale said that the time had come for the stimulant to be banned since it has contributed to a lot of social ills in the community. Duale said he would not relent in his campaign against the stimulant that he rated as a dangerous drug that was destroying the future of the youth. Our neighbouring coastal counties have decided to ban muguka and have continued to take a strong stand against this harmful plant. "I want to call on the governors of North Eastern to follow suit and fast-track its ban in the counties of Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera. "We must save our generations, he said. He hailed the religious leaders for their unrelenting efforts to mobilise local leaders against the Muguka trade. Garissa Governor Nathif Jama, who spoke at Mustaqabal University during the Eid prayers, said his administration was making the necessary consultations before coming up with a common stand on the same. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, June 17, 2024 - The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has revealed that it had reached a consensus with President William Ruto on some contentious tax proposals in the Finance Bill 2024. In a statement, the major players in the business and manufacturing sector revealed that resolutions were reached following a meeting at the State House on June 12, 2024, with key strides made on Eco Levy and the Motor Vehicle Tax. For starters, KEPSA revealed that the government agreed to their proposal on the exemption of some locally assembled vehicles from the imposition of Excise Duty, As detailed by the private sector, specialised vehicles used in the tourism industry such as Landcruisers will be exempt from the tax. This move is aimed at boosting the tourism sector which is one of the top sectors that support the economy. On the other hand, the Motor Vehicle Tax for commercial and agricultural vehicles will be reviewed. Initially, the business players wanted the two categories of vehicles exempted from the tax. The group acknowledged that the tax would increase the cost of doing business. However, after the deliberations, it was agreed that the government would develop clusters for the two vehicles. Further, the business community raised concerns over the imposition of 25 per cent Excise Duty on crude palm oil and finished cooking oil. While the government maintained that the move was aimed at enhancing local production, the meeting resolved to review the taxation proposals based on a verification exercise that will be undertaken in due course. On the other hand, the meeting also resolved to restrict the Eco Levy to imported products. Notably, other tax concerns will be discussed with various government institutions on a way forward. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, June 17, 2024 - President William Ruto has joined Pope Francis in urging for urgent peace talks to address violence in several global regions. The world has witnessed turmoil in various nations, notably in Sudan and Congo. During discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, the Head of State emphasized the need to end ongoing conflicts largely driven by political motives, advocating for peace and tolerance. The talks are expected to foster economic growth and enhance bilateral relations between states. "We are encouraged by the progress of the Tumaini Initiative, co-sponsored by the Sant Egidio Catholic Community in Rome, Italy, and the government of Kenya, in bringing lasting peace to South Sudan," stated President Ruto. He also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Catholic Church in promoting peace in conflict-affected countries worldwide. Ruto expressed optimism that the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Congo would be quelled through the concerted efforts of various heads of state committed to fostering peace and ending hostilities. In recent times, Ruto has taken a proactive role in peace negotiations. Last April, he took personal initiative to address the Sudan conflict, pledging Kenya's commitment to restoring peace. At that time, over 3,000 Kenyans remained stranded in the conflict-ridden nation. Kenya has a distinguished history of effectively facilitating peace talks and resolving political conflicts. These mediation efforts were spurred by the direct impact of the conflict on Kenyan citizens, underscoring the country's commitment to regional stability and peace. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, June 17, 2024 - Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has exposed the infighting in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance through an explosive letter. In the letter that leaked to the public on Sunday, June 16, Kuria made serious allegations about embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Kuria alleged that Gachagua doesnt eat or drink at State House for fear of being poisoned, even as the rift between him and President William Ruto deepens. Now you have refused to even have a cup of tea in State House, saying you fear you will be poisoned. Make me understand how you now expect us to feel safe coming to your Karen residence for Cabinet Committee meetings. "Won't you also poison us now that you have a good idea of how poisoning works? Kuria posed. The Public Service CS further claimed the second-in-command had demanded KSh 10 billion from President William Ruto to use in 'fixing the ground' due to protests in Mt Kenya as a result of the high cost of living. When the cost of living was high and there was discontent on the ground, you went to the president and demanded that he give you cash of Ksh 10 billion to go fix the ground in Mount Kenya. "Since it was denied, you now throw tantrums. "How would the cash have benefited the people of Mount Kenya? he posed. The vocal CS also claimed that Gachagua engineered his removal from the lucrative Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. He said the deputy president has been pressuring the president to fire him ever since the Cabinet was unveiled. You pressed President Ruto repeatedly to have me fired. "When you failed, you succeeded in having me transferred from the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry because you thought my efforts in poverty reduction, job creation, and wealth creation were too dangerous for your plans, he added in the letter. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, June 17, 2024 Azimio Leader Raila Odinga has refused to be used by President William Ruto to fight his Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua. This is after he vowed never to be used to impeach Gachagua by Ruto and his allies who are calling for the ouster of the DP due to his fallout with the President. In a statement, Raila, through lawyer Paul Mwangi, vehemently opposed plans by Kenya Kwanza to impeach Gachagua. Reacting to revelations that a section of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders was planning to impeach Gachagua, Mwangi affirmed that the Opposition would not support such a move. According to Mwangi, Ruto's allies should not count on Railas Azimios support to oust the deputy president. He insisted that Azimio will fight to ensure Gachagua enjoys his security of tenure as enshrined in the constitution. "Anyone counting on using the opposition numbers in Parliament to impeach Riggy G should re-plan. We used to hate Riggy G because he was inside UDA hitting on us. "He is still inside UDA, but now he is on them. The opposition shall ensure Riggy G has the security of tenure," Mwangi stated. Mwangi's sentiments come after Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria shared a cryptic message amid deepening Kenya Kwanza Alliance government divisions. In his cryptic message, Kuria, who never hides his dislike of the DP, hinted at an impeachment motion being initiated against Gachagua. The Kenyan DAILY POST Is the health care system broken or designed this way? [PODCAST] Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join vascular surgeon Paula Muto as she dives into the complexities of the health care system in this episode. Drawing parallels to the excitement and challenges of an escape room experience, Paula examines the intricacies of health care reform, accountability, and transparency. From the role of insurers to the impact on individuals and families, she sheds light on systemic issues and offers thought-provoking solutions. Paula Muto is a vascular surgeon. She discusses the KevinMD article, Panic button: Escaping the broken health care escape room. Our presenting sponsor is Nuance, a Microsoft company. Do you spend more time on administrative tasks like clinical documentation than you do with patients? Youre not alone. Clinicians report spending up to two hours on administrative tasks for each hour of care provided. Nuance, a Microsoft company, is committed to helping clinicians restore the balance with Dragon Ambient eXperience or DAX for short. DAX is an AI-powered, voice-enabled solution that helps physicians cut documentation time in half. 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. DAX Copilot can be easily enabled within the workflow of the Dragon Medical application to bring the power of ambient technology to more clinicians faster while leveraging the proven and powerful capabilities used by over 550,000 physicians. Explore DAX Copilot today. Visit https://nuance.com/daxinaction to see a 12-minute DAX Copilot demo. Discover clinical documentation that writes itself and reclaim your work-life balance. 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/icpjqy Powered by CMEfy. The term revolutionary is used too often in health care. New imaging modalities, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, advanced medical devices, and artificial intelligence are all regularly proclaimed to be revolutionary to attract interest and attention. But those of us trained in medicine who work in these fields know that revolutions dont happenit takes 17 years for new research to reach the translational stage. In reality, the best we can hope for is a fast evolution of clinical practices. Even the new class of metabolic modulators and weight loss treatments, including Zepbound and Wegovy, which can potentially bring global obesity rates down, are based on compounds developed a dozen years ago. However, when there is critical massmoonshot alignmentacross health care innovators, providers, policymakers, and payers, we can increase the pace of health cares evolution and deliver patients relief very quickly. Advances in imaging and diagnosis of MASH Thats why what is happening today in liver care is so exciting. We are at the nexus of several concurrent advancements in imaging and pharmaceutical development that will significantly advance the evolution of clinical care for how patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) are diagnosed, treated, and monitored. For those unfamiliar with MASH, it is a form of fatty liver disease that can cause scarring in the liver, potentially leading to cirrhosis and the need for a transplant or death. Importantly, MASH is a treatable risk factor for heart disease (like cholesterol), is driven by obesity, and affects a third of the global population. Previously, MASH was confirmed through liver biopsy, but thanks to advances in imaging, patients can now avoid the pain, inconvenience, and the 2.4 percent risk of major complications from a large needle being stuck into their liver. Whats more, if the biopsy misses the most affected part of the liver and/or the pathologists disagree on the results, a patient might be left with an inaccurate diagnosis. Recent imaging modalities have fewer limitations. Seeing the liver, in totality, with detailed data visualizations of the organ, helps physicians and patients see the affected areas, and as treatment progresses, advanced imaging can quantify the impact of treatment and predict outcomes. Upstream MRI, blood tests, and ultrasound elastography can also identify MASH without biopsy in a community setting, which is important because MASH is largely asymptomatic. First FDA-approved treatment for MASH in 40 years Concurrent with these advances in imaging, pharmaceutical companies are pursuing new treatments for MASH. Recently, after 15 years of development, the FDA approved Madrigals drug Rezdiffra for MASH. Prior to that, there were no effective treatments in the 40 years since MASH was identified. While Madrigal was the first company to receive approval for a MASH drug, several other companies, including Akero Therapeutics, 89 Bio, and Viking Therapeutics, are all expected to seek approval for MASH drugs in the next few years. Joining the research push in this area are the makers of the GLP-1 weight loss drugs, which are also exploring their products viability in treating MASH. Perhaps recognizing the important role imaging now plays in clinical trials for MASH drugs clinical trials, the FDA determined liver biopsies are not necessary for physicians to prescribe Rezdiffra. This is a moment in the evolution of MASH care that we will look back on in 10-15 years and recognize how everything has changed. Importantly, integrating scans into current and ongoing MASH therapeutic clinical trials has made it easier to introduce new MASH drugs into physician workflows. Improving the patient journey Using newer medical imaging products has shortened the diagnostic journey that used to take days and involve liver biopsies. Now diagnosis can be achieved in a couple of hours, allowing patients to begin treatment sooner. With the recognition that imaging results are equivalent to biopsies, noninvasive annual or semiannual scans will help physicians monitor and further customize treatment, if necessary, without inflicting unnecessary biopsy pain and risk on patients. Madrigal spent 15 years developing Rezdiffra, and other companies will have similar timelines once their compounds are reviewed by the FDA. The use of quantitative MRIs and biomarkers to map liver disease was researched and clinically validated more than a dozen years ago. Other modalities like ultrasound elastography have been around longer. Fortunately for physicians and patients, continued advances in imaging-based diagnosis and the approval of new therapeutics are happening concurrently. Revolutions may not happen in health care, but these two exciting developments mean co-evolution is occurring, and its only going to get better. The use of medical imaging modalities in the lifecycle of MASH drug development and clinical care will unlock significant growth in imaging. But as important, imagings role in MASH can serve as an example to drug developers of how working in tandem with imaging can evolve the science of imaging to support the development of new therapeutics and, ultimately, better clinical practice. Rajarshi Banerjee is a physician executive. As summer is upon us, Kilkenny County Council has announced the launch of the National Cancer Control Programme, 'Sun Smart' with Mayor Joe Malone voicing his support of the initiative. This programme aims to educate the public on protecting their skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays while enjoying the beautiful Irish weather. The Sun Smart campaign will roll out in three key locations in Kilkenny: Newpark Marsh Eco Park, Kilkenny Countryside Park in Dunmore, and along the Waterway in Graignamanagh. Each location will feature a 'SunSmart' dispenser providing essential tips, information, and resources to help everyone stay safe under the sun. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, with over 11,000 cases diagnosed annually, a number projected to double by 2045. Most skin cancers can be prevented by protecting skin from UV rays and avoiding sunbeds. Mayor of Kilkenny City, Cllr Joe Malone, emphasised; "Getting outside is crucial for our wellbeing, but we must protect our skin and our families. By incorporating SunSmart steps into our daily routines, we lay the foundation for a healthier future." For more information and tips on staying SunSmart this summer, FOR MORE INFO, CLICK HERE HANGZHOU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" set sail from a military port in Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday morning for Mission Harmony-2024. During the mission, the ship will visit 13 countries, namely, Seychelles, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin, Mauritania, Djibouti and Sri Lanka, and provide medical service to local people. It will also make port calls to France and Greece. This is the 10th Mission Harmony for "Peace Ark" since its commissioning in 2008. The "Peace Ark" will offer free diagnosis and treatment for common and prevalent diseases to local residents, people in Chinese institutions, and overseas Chinese through onboard clinics and dispatched medical teams. There are over 100 personnel on board the maritime hospital, featuring 17 clinical departments and 5 auxiliary diagnostic departments. The "Peace Ark" is the first domestically designed and constructed standard ocean-going hospital ship in China. It has visited 45 countries and regions, providing medical services to over 290,000 people. USE ARROWS OR NEXT BUTTON TO SEE MORE PICTURES This years Benetti Menswear Rose Escorts spent a weekend in Kerry where they undertook a number of physical and mental challenges to prepare them for the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Tralee, Co Kerry, this August. Corkmen topped the list of Rose Escorts for this years Festival with six making the shortlist of 32 chosen after a gruelling Rose Escort Bootcamp in Co Kerry, while teaching is the most popular profession among the group. The men, who already came through an interview process in May that saw hundreds apply for a chance to be part of this years Festival in Tralee, had to conquer a number of team-building exercises and endurance challenges before they could graduate as official Benetti Menswear Rose Escorts. This years Bootcamp was again supported by Kerry County Council who helped put together a packed programme of activities throughout the Kingdom of Kerry. To prove they have the necessary stamina to take on the Festival and a week with the Roses, the lads had to carry out a range of activities under the watchful eye of Sean OConnor of Beachfit Games, featuring fence climbs, sledgehammers, tyre flips and more before a cool-off session in Banna Strand. Rose Escorts need to be prepared for any Rose emergency and were tested by Kerry Fire and Rescue Service with fireman lessons to be sure they can take the heat this August! But its not all gruelling challenges, as Rose Escorts are expected to look dapper in a tuxedo at the drop of a hat, ironing skills were put to the test at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee (and were delighted to tell their mammies they passed with flying colours!) The Meadowlands, the Home of the Roses during Festival week, served up true Irish hospitality as they hosted the budding Rose Escorts during the Bootcamp weekend. Next up The Ready Hub gave the men a wellness and teambuilding session to remember with an energy-lifting session, walking on glass and the arrow break' (an ancient Fijian ritual where the point of a wooden archery arrow is placed between your throat and solid surface before being snapped). While the Rebel County has the highest representation with six Rose Escorts, it is followed by Kerry and Dublin and Limerick with three each while one young gentleman will travel all the way from Chicago to be a part of the fun in Tralee in August. Along several teachers in the camp, a wide range of professions feature among the profiles of this years Rose Escorts including a postman, a pilot, an aircraft engineer, a wedding DJ and youth justice worker. 2023 Benetti Menswear Rose Escort of the Year Tommy Cunningham, who hails from Rathangan, Co. Kildare and is a teacher in Kildare Town Educate Together National School, said: Its great to see this years Rose Escorts dive in to the Bootcamp tasks to prepare them for the Festival in August. The Bootcamp weekend in the Kingdom is a great team-building exercise that helps the lads to get to know each other first and help them cope with the demands of any Rose! Its exciting to think that in just two months one of them will be the next Rose Escort of the year. Reflecting on his year as Rose Escort of the Year, he said: My one piece of advice to any escort is to enjoy it all! These are the best years of our lives. Grab the opportunity with all you've got, and I promise you'll make memories and stories that will last a lifetime. "Being the Rose Escort of the Year can mean many different things to different people. For me, it has changed my life for the better. It has given me opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, given me friends that I can lean on and cherish for a lifetime, and above all, has undoubtedly shaped the man I am today. I will be forever grateful for what this truly special festival, and the people that make it, has given to me and my family." The chosen men, aged between 21 to 30, will accompany the Roses in Tralee at this year's Rose of Tralee International Festival from August 16 to 20. The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, has welcomed the launch of a formal procurement process for the provision of charter flight services for the purpose of deporting and returning individuals who no longer have permission to remain in the State. Up to now, any deportations from Ireland have been conducted using commercial flights or ferries on a case-by-case basis. Ms McEntee says charter flights provide an alternative to commercial flights and can be more appropriate in circumstances when a group of individuals are being removed to the same destination - therefore increasing the options available to An Garda Siochana to effect removals and deportations. Commenting following publication of the tender documents, Minister McEntee said: I am committed to ensuring the States immigration processes are robust, effective, and fair. The capacity of deportation and return processes are essential elements of any immigration system. "With a major increase in the number of decisions issuing on International Protection cases it is now time to increase our capacity to remove people from the State whose applications have been refused and who do not have permission to remain in the State. A charter service will increase our options in this regard." In a statement, she said providing access to charter flights will be a "useful additional operational and enforcement resource" for An Garda Siochana when the use of commercial carriers is not appropriate. "Subject to the successful completion of the tender process and other relevant arrangements, I intend to see charter flights operational by the end of the year. According to the Department of Justice, 860 deportation orders have been signed this year and nearly 300 people have departed from the State under various mechanisms up to this Monday. A request for tenders to provide charter flight services has been published on the e-Tenders website with a view to procuring a suitable provider of charter flight services and relevant supporting services such as ground support, catering and, when required medical assistance, for passengers. Companies interested in the contract must submit their proposals by July 17. Curam, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research centre for medical devices based at the University of Galway, launched an economic report that puts its value to the Irish economy at 756 million euro, building on 10 years of public investment. Curam was established in 2015 with an initial commitment of Government investment of 64.8 million euro through Science Foundation Ireland. Economic impact analysis carried out by Mazars shows that investment in Curam, to the end of 2023, has led to direct spending of 210 million euro in the Irish economy and the generation of a further 546 million euro in economic activity in Ireland. This puts its economic value at 756 million euro and a more than 10-fold return on government funding, according to the university. Curam has helped to expand Irelands attractiveness as a global hub for the medtech sector, one of only a handful of locations in the world, by establishing partnerships and by fully funding or co-funding collaborative projects with 47 innovative companies in the sector. Investment in Curam has also supported a total of 2,547 jobs in the Irish economy. In addition, more than 80 million euro of EU grant funding has been committed to research projects at Curam. Welcoming the report, Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick ODonovan said: I congratulate Curam for its significant impact on the Irish economy and society. This report demonstrates the importance of the Governments policy of continuing to invest in research and innovation and supporting excellence and scale through the world-leading SFI Research Centre Network, in areas of strategic national importance. Curam provides innovative solutions for industry and society, which enable better quality of life for patients. As our population ages, this is helping us to create a better tomorrow for all citizens. Professor Ciaran O hOgartaigh, President of University of Galway, said: I would like to congratulate Curam as they mark 10 impactful years of research. The centre epitomises what it means to be for the public good. The real value of Curam remains its people and its key strength lies in building collaborations and networks that generate impactful research. Siobhan Roche, director of science for the economy at SFI, joined in the celebration of the Centres success, said: Curam has a strong track record of generating high quality research and training the next generation of medical device researchers. The Centres deep commitment to education and public engagement is not only inspiring younger generations to pursue a career in STEM but is also promoting new approaches in the management of chronic illness. Amplifying its impact, Curam has attracted over 225.7 million euro in additional investment from industry and EU sources, further highlighting the value of publicly funded research to the Irish taxpayer. Curam director, Professor Abhay Pandit, said: Addressing chronic disease to support healthy aging is one of the most pressing public health and economic challenges of our time. Our research programme is developing solutions to help us all live well as we age, with conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological disorders. By Yoon Ja-young The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) signed an agreement with the government of Uzbekistan to provide a loan through Koreas Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), the bank announced Monday. According to Eximbank, its president Yoon Hee-sung met with Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov to sign the loan provision agreement following the summit between the leaders of the two countries in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Friday (local time). President Yoon Suk Yeol and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev accompanied the signing. The loan will fund a total of 185.19 million euros ($198.12 million) to support Uzbekistan's project to purchase Korean high-speed railway vehicles. The loan will be provided through the EDCF, which was established by the Korean government in 1987 to promote economic exchanges with other countries. Assigned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Eximbank operates and manages the fund to provide long-term concessional loans for industrial development and economic stability in developing countries. As a double-landlocked country or a country surrounded by other landlocked countries Uzbekistan relies primarily on roads for transportation. Due to aging railway infrastructure, however, it takes 16 hours to travel between the countrys east and west regions, leading to problems such as air pollution and widening regional income gaps. The country thus expects that the adoption of Korean-style high-speed railway vehicles which have motors distributed to each car and are known for being eco-friendly to dramatically improve accessibility between its capital Tashkent and western regions of the country, greatly contributing to balanced regional development. "The project is all the more meaningful as we will be supporting the first export of Korean-style distributed-power high-speed rolling stock, which is the worlds fourth to be developed, the Eximbank president said. "EDCF will be a stepping stone for Korean firms to enter the global market, diversifying economic cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan. He also signed loan provision agreements for projects supplying science, technology and ICT education equipment to secondary schools and establishing a pharmaceutical cluster. Eximbank and Uzbek Industrial and Construction Bank (Uzpromstroybank) also signed a contract to increase the existing credit limit from $30 million to $50 million on the same day. South Korea and China will hold "two plus two" talks of their senior foreign and defense officials this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday, a gathering expected to coincide with Russian President Vladimir Putin's likely visit to North Korea. The South Korea-China diplomatic and security dialogue will take place in Seoul on Tuesday, led by First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Other participants are Lee Seung-beom, director general for international policy at the South Korean defense ministry, and Zhang Baoqun, deputy director of the Office of International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission. "The two countries will exchange opinions on the issues of mutual interest, such as bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and regional and global situations," the ministry said in a release, without providing further details. The talks draw attention as they will likely coincide with Putin's visit to the North widely expected to take place from Tuesday through Wednesday. The talks also come as tensions have heightened on the Korean Peninsula after the North's multiple launches of trash-carrying balloons across the border into the South in protest of the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets by North Korean defectors and activist groups. South Korea responded with resuming the propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North. Pyongyang has warned of further counteraction if Seoul continues the psychological warfare and leafleting. The current security landscape and developments on and around the Korean Peninsula will likely be high on the agenda at Tuesday's talks. The two sides could also discuss bilateral and other issues of common interests, including China's strategic competition with the United States, the expanding military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, and the cross-strait issues. Holding the two plus two talks was part of the agreement reached between the two countries when President Yoon Suk Yeol met one-on-one with Chinese Premier Li Qiang for talks on the margins of the trilateral summit with Japan late last month. They agreed to elevate the dialogue format to the vice-ministerial level. The previous talks took place among the director generals in 2013 and 2015. (Yonhap) Civic groups and border residents urged the government Monday to restrict activists from launching anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into North Korea, citing concern it could provoke Pyongyang to send trash-carrying balloons into South Korea again. The plea came as officials of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), a major civic group, border residents and opposition lawmakers held a discussion at the National Assembly to explore ways to reduce inter-Korean tensions. On four occasions from late May through early June, North Korea launched more than a thousand balloons carrying trash and manure over to South Korea, apparently in response to South Korean activists' cross-border leaflet launches. Those balloons flew as far south as the southeastern county of Geochang and damaged a plastic greenhouse and the windscreen of a vehicle, but police chief Yoon Hee-keun has said that such campaigns by South Korean activists cannot be stopped under the current law. Lee Tae-ho, head of the PSPD's peaceful disarmament center, said that such campaigns "could threaten border residents' rights to peaceful and safe living," calling for their restriction. "Reckless dangerous border-area propaganda acts that provoke the opposite side, even by a private organization, should be restricted," he said. Hong Min, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, stressed that propaganda leaflets and balloons, historically used as tools in modern warfare, cannot be recognized as a means of freedom of expression. Border residents and others participating in the debate also called for legislation requiring advance notification for leaflet campaigns and other restricting measures. Ahn Jae-young, a village head of the border town of Heyri in Paju, urged the National Assembly to "fundamentally block leaflet sending" by promptly addressing shortfalls in a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court last year. In September, the court struck down the law banning leaflet launches by South Koreans, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression. Since then, Seoul's unification ministry has reaffirmed its stance not to urge civic groups to refrain from sending leaflets across the border. (Yonhap) The number of exchanges between high-level officials from North Korea and Russia has reached a record high this year, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday, marking another indication of the deepening ties between the two nations. According to the ministry, there have been 18 exchanges involving officials of the vice-minister level or higher between the two countries in 2024, surpassing the total of 18 exchanges recorded for the entire year of 2019, the ministry said, citing information disclosed by both nations. The exchanges include North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui's meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow in January, and Vice Public Security Minister Ri Song-chol's visit to Moscow on June 11. Among the 18 high-level exchanges this year, 15 involved North Korean officials visiting Russia, the ministry said. North Korea and Russia have been strengthening military ties and broadening cooperation in various fields following the summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Far East last September. A South Korean presidential official indicated that Putin is expected to visit North Korea "in a few days." Meanwhile, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that Putin might travel to North Korea "as early as next week" as part of a tour that includes a stop in Vietnam. (Yonhap) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to give a grand and lavish welcome to Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visits Pyongyang this week as widely projected, extending the highest level of hospitality fraught with elaborate parades and cheering crowds. Speculation runs high that Putin will make a two-day trip to the reclusive state starting Tuesday. The Kremlin has yet to make a formal announcement on his visit, but Russian media have reported that he will be on a two-nation tour this week to North Korea and Vietnam. If realized, it will mark Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years. The trip will also come as a reciprocal visit following Kim's visit to Russia's Far East in September last year where the two had a rare summit. Kim, keen on capitalizing on Putin's visit to strengthen ties with Moscow, is expected to roll out the red carpet for the Russian leader throughout his stay in Pyongyang. Given his past record, Kim is likely to receive Putin in person at Sunan International Airport in the North's capital. Kim personally greeted then South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September 2018 when they met in Pyongyang for an inter-Korean summit. Kim also appeared with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, to receive Chinese President Xi Jinping in June 2019. The welcoming ceremony at the airport will most likely come with the playing of the two countries' national anthems, followed by the firing of a gun salute and an inspection of the North's honor guard. Kim and Putin could ride an open vehicle together, holding up and waving their hands to an enthusiastic cheering crowd of North Korean people as they leave the airport. Kim held these car parades with Moon and Xi, as well as with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel when he visited North Korea in November 2018. It is also a possibility that Kim could use the Aurus Senat limousine, gifted by Putin earlier this year, for the car parade, as a way to demonstrate the special bond between the two leaders and undermine the international sanctions regime banning the North from obtaining luxury items. Putin is expected to stay in the Kumsusan Guest Palace, the accommodation provided to Xi during his 2019 visit. Its palace-like structure is known to be surrounded by a lake and a forested walkway. Before the Kumsusan guest house was built, North Korea used the Baekhwawon Guest Palace. Former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Moon, and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and former U.S. President Bill Clinton stayed there. Commercial satellite imagery by the U.S.-based Planet Labs showed that changes have been made to both guest palaces, suggesting that the North may be planning to use both places for the summit and Putin's accommodation. North Korea is also likely preparing art performances for Putin and his delegation. Planet Labs' satellite imagery showed that large structures have been installed at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang, typically known as the venue for the North's military parades. When Xi visited North Korea, he watched group gymnastics and art performances at Pyongyang's multi-purpose Rungrado May 1 Stadium. Putin may also visit Liberation Tower, a memorial park in Pyongyang, to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Soviet Union who fought the 1950-53 Korean War against South Korean and U.S.-led U.N. troops. (Yonhap) Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea this week, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday, amid deepening military cooperation with North Korea following his summit with the North's leader Kim Jong-un in September. Putin will "pay a state visit" to North Korea for a two-day trip starting Tuesday at the invitation of the North's leader Kim, the Korean Central News Agency said in a one-sentence dispatch. The Kremlin also confirmed Putin's North Korean trip, saying that the visit is part of a tour that will also include a stop in Vietnam from Wednesday to Thursday. It will mark Putin's first trip to the reclusive regime since July 2000, when he traveled to Pyongyang to meet former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the late father of the current leader. Putin had accepted Kim's invitation to visit North Korea during the summit held at Russia's Vostochny spaceport in September, the Kremlin earlier said. North Korea and Russia have been deepening military cooperation amid suspicions that Pyongyang has provided weapons and munitions to Moscow for use in Russia's war in Ukraine in return for Moscow's food aid and possible transfer of weapons technology. At last year's summit, Putin hinted at Russia's willingness to help North Korea with its satellite program. In late May, the North failed to launch a military spy satellite following its successful launch of one in November last year. Experts said the two leaders may adopt a joint declaration that calls for upgrading the level of their military, security and economic cooperation, but saw a low possibility of both nations signing a treaty akin to a military alliance. The issue of North Korea's dispatch of its workers abroad could be also discussed at the upcoming summit, experts said. The North has a desperate need to earn foreign currency due to international sanctions, while Russia has been facing a labor shortage amid its war with Ukraine. Arms trades and military cooperation with North Korea, as well as the employing of North Korean workers abroad, constitute a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions linked to the prohibition of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday to make every effort to prepare emergency measures against an escalating doctors' walkout, his office said. Yoon gave the instruction during a weekly meeting with the prime minister the same day medical professors at hospitals affiliated with Seoul National University began an indefinite walkout in support of trainee doctors who have remained off the job since February in protest of the government's medical school admissions hike plan. "Please make every effort to prepare emergency measures related to the medical community's illegal rejection of patients," Yoon was quoted as saying, characterizing the walkout as illegal. The country's biggest doctors' group, the Korean Medical Association, has also vowed to launch a walkout on Tuesday. (Yonhap) Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will preside over a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) open debate on North Korea's growing cyber threats in New York later this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The debate, due to take place Thursday (local time) at the U.N. headquarters, comes as South Korea, an elected UNSC member for 2024-25, is seeking to call international attention to the North's illegal cyber activities as a means to fund its weapons programs banned under U.N. resolutions. South Korea is presiding over the debate as it is the rotating UNSC president for this month. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will speak at the session, along with other cyber experts. "North Korea is raising funds for its illegal nuclear and missile programs through malicious cyber activities, such as stealing virtual assets and military technologies," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "We are thinking how we can deliver this into our speech at the debate," the official said. The debate will be about raising the awareness of the U.N. member states about cyber threats and having discussions so that the UNSC can respond promptly and more appropriately to the new forms of security threats, the official added. In principle, all U.N. member states can take part in the debate, including North Korea. (Yonhap) The possibility of Russia transferring its most advanced military technology to North Korea is "very low" despite their deepening military cooperation, as Moscow will likely opt to save it as a "last resort," Seoul's defense chief said Monday. "If Russia decides to transfer, that would mean Russia completely losing leverage over North Korea. So they will likely leave it as a last resort, and I don't think North Korea has much to give Russia to entice it to give up on its last resort," Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in a Bloomberg interview published earlier in the day. Shin made the remarks amid views that Pyongyang and Moscow will seek to elevate their military ties beyond arms transactions during Russian President Vladimir Putin's impending visit to the North. During the upcoming visit, Shin expected Putin to ask North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for more munitions and ballistic missiles for use in its war with Ukraine, noting that Seoul has detected at least 10,000 shipping containers delivered from the North to Russia. In regards to views that Russia provided North Korea with technological assistance in developing military spy satellites, Shin said Moscow appears to have provided the engine technologies used for the North's botched launch attempt last month. North Korea attempted to launch a second military spy satellite on May 27, but the space rocket carrying the satellite exploded shortly after liftoff. North Korea's state media attributed the failure to the operational reliability of a new "liquid oxygen plus petroleum" engine. In the face of growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, Shin said he plans to soon meet with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts to sign a document aimed at bolstering their joint efforts against North Korean threats. During their meeting in Singapore, held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference earlier this month, the defense chiefs agreed to come up with the framework document for security cooperation and launch a trilateral multidomain exercise this summer. "A priority would be to establish a system to more effectively, promptly and coherently respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and to make that irreversible," Shin said in the interview. (Yonhap) A Korean American pastor at the center of a luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee has been under a police investigation on charges of defaming a ruling party lawmaker and engaging in illegal electioneering ahead of April's general elections, officials said Monday. The pastor, named Choi Jae-young, has been booked for investigation for allegedly defaming Rep. Lee Chul-gyu of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) by mentioning Lee and the first lady together during a lecture in March, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police. The lawmaker has since filed a defamation complaint with police. Choi is also accused of making remarks supportive of a candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party during a lecture in February in violation of a law that bans pastors and other religious professionals from using their status for election campaigns. Further details were not available. The luxury bag scandal has dealt a blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol since a video surfaced last year of the first lady receiving the Dior handbag, valued at around 3 million won ($2,173), from Choi armed with a hidden camera in September 2022. (Yonhap) Prosecutors have begun an investigation into allegations that former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, spent a large sum of taxpayer money to fund her solo trip to India in 2018, prosecution officials said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office plans to call in Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the ruling People Power Party, as an accuser on Wednesday, as he filed a complaint against Kim last December. The councilor accused the former first lady of abuse of power and loss of the national coffers related to her India trip, arguing Kim wasted 400 million won ($289,823) in state funds for her junket to the Taj Mahal in India. The controversy, which also surrounds Kim's use of a presidential plane for the India visit, was recently reignited after Moon described the trip as the "first solo diplomacy by the first lady" based on an invitation by the Indian government. Prosecutors are also expected to investigate other allegations involving Kim, including acceptance of a luxury jacket and swimming lessons taken from a presidential guard, as Lee filed simultaneous complaints over those suspicions. (Yonhap) By Jung Min-ho A police officer who used a Taser to subdue a knife-wielding man last month will not face criminal charges or disciplinary action over the mans subsequent death, police said on Monday. The decision follows a police investigation that justified the officer's actions against a man in his 50s, who was attempting to kill his son in his 30s and refused to comply with police orders to drop the weapon at the sons home in northern Gwangju on April 23. After being immobilized by the Taser, the attacker initially showed no signs of serious medical distress. However, he passed out due to shortness of breath at Gwangju Bukbu Police Station. At around 7:31 p.m., approximately 100 minutes after the Taser was deployed, the man was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. An autopsy showed the cause of death as cardiac arrest caused by external factors, a result suggesting that the Taser shock was the primary reason. But the report also found that the deceased had symptoms of cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. But police concluded that the use of the Taser was justified on the grounds that the son was facing immediate danger of severe injury or death at the moment the officer pulled the trigger. After being immobilized, the attacker was apprehended over the attempted murder of his son, police said. According to the National Police Agencys guidelines on the use of weapons, a police officer is allowed to use a Taser against a person if there is a reasonable belief that other methods cannot stop the person from inflicting serious injuries on another person or the officer involved. In Korea where the use of guns or any form of force is strictly regulated, Taser weapons are used by police, albeit in rare cases, as a non-lethal alternative. Over the past three years, the law enforcement devices have been used on 73 occasions in South Jeolla Province, including the greater Gwangju area. A civic group filed a complaint Monday against the chief of the state anti-corruption watchdog on charges of dereliction of duty after the agency dropped an inquiry into a luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. Last week, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission closed its inquiry into the allegations that Kim accepted a luxury handbag as a gift in 2022, citing the absence of rules on punishing a public official's spouse under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. The decision has since drawn a firestorm of criticism. On Monday, a civic group, known as the "National Action for Judicial Justice" in Korean, filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, accusing Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Ryu Chul-whan on charges of dereliction of duty. The group claimed that the watchdog "made a hard-to-understand decision" to close the case without any written or face-to-face questioning and that the decision amounts to totally disregarding the purposes of the anti-graft law. The group also filed a complaint against President Yoon Suk Yeol and the first lady on charges of accepting bribery, violating the anti-graft act and the Public Service Ethics Act. The luxury bag scandal has dealt a blow to Yoon since a video surfaced last year of the first lady receiving the Dior handbag, valued at around 3 million won ($2,173), from a Korean American pastor armed with a hidden camera in September 2022. The anti-corruption commission began the inquiry into the scandal after a major civic group filed a complaint against Yoon, the first lady and the pastor in December on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. After nearly six months of deliberation, the commission decided to close the case last week. (Yonhap) Korea will begin issuing the K-culture training visa for foreigners on a trial basis this year and consider introducing a new workation visa, with the goal of attracting more tourists from overseas, the finance ministry said Monday. It is part of the comprehensive measures presented by the ministry, which also calls for simplifying entry procedures and devising various tour programs so as to better meet their needs and boost their conveniences. According to the plan, the government will launch the so-called K-culture training visa for foreigners on a trial basis starting this year, which will be available for people who want to come here to take part in training programs on K-pop, choreography and other cultural sectors. It will also consider the expansion of a digital nomad visa, where foreigners can work remotely while traveling in South Korea. The one-year test operation of the workation visa has been implemented since January, and the government is mulling options to diversify its requirements in cooperation with regional governments so as to give foreigners more incentives and various options regarding their stay both for work and tours in specific regions in Korea. The government will also expand infrastructure on visa issuance and other entry procedures to enhance the convenience of foreign tourists. It will ease regulations on the group tourists' application for K-ETA, or an electronic travel authorization that visa-free foreign visitors need to obtain before entering the country. More unmanned immigration checkpoints will be installed at major ports to shorten the time required to screen visitors on cruise ships and the operation of passenger terminals will be extended so as to help them stay here longer. The country will open new flight routes linking the Korean southern port city of Busan and Jakarta, as well as the central Korean city of Cheongju and Bali. More flights will also be added to the Daegu-Ulaanbaatar route this year, according to the ministry. "We will come up with various tour programs focusing on foreigners' hands-on experiences and extend luggage handling services," a ministry official said. "We will also enhance the monitoring of and crack down on unfair activities by merchants, such as scams targeting tourists, at major tourist attractions and regional festivals," he added. The number of foreign visitors here has been recovering, coming to 11.03 million last year from 97,000 in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the figure came to 17.5 million people. But the country's revenue from them remained low as more visitors preferred individual tours over group programs, and they tended to spend less on shopping than cultural experiences, the ministry said. (Yonhap) City's infrastructure, industry, foreign community optimal for event, says mayor By Nam Hyun-woo Incheon is fully prepared to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, as it provides the ideal platform to advance the values that APEC seeks to promote, the city's Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said. Incheon is home to Koreas biggest free economic zone, world-class biopharmaceutical plants and semiconductor packaging firms, 15 international organizations and global universities, Yoo said in a written interview with The Korea Times, Monday. The city also features convenient infrastructure, including Incheon International Airport, convention centers and hotels, as well as having a wealth of experience hosting international meetings such as the 2018 OECD World Forum. This shows that Incheon is the optimal place to realize APECs goals, including trade and investment promotion, innovation, inclusivity and sustainable growth. His confidence comes as the city is vying with Jeju and Gyeongju to host the meeting, also called APEC summit, next year. Korea, which previously held the 1991 meeting in Seoul and 2005 meeting in Busan, was again selected as the host country of the 2025 edition. The central government finished reviews of the three candidate cities and the result will be announced within this month. APEC is a 21-member multilateral economic cooperation body, aimed at assisting economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. It represents 40 percent of the worlds population, 59 percent of global gross domestic product, and 50 percent of trade volume, making it the largest regional cooperation body in the world. APEC holds annual summits in a member country's city over the course of one week in November, featuring a series of meetings between ministers and senior government officials, as well as business gatherings spanning more than 100 days. These events attract approximately 6,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, and entrepreneurs each year. "We assume that the summit will generate 2.4 trillion won ($1.73 billion) in economic value and create more than 20,000 jobs," Yoo said. "Furthermore, it will widely promote the citys reputation to the world, bringing it closer to the goal of becoming a world-class city." Yoo says the citys infrastructure is its greatest competitive advantage over its rivals. Incheon, home to Incheon International Airport, is the main gateway to Korea and boasts convention centers, mega resorts, and hotels equipped with rooms capable of hosting national leaders. In terms of hotels, heads of state require spacious rooms that can provide spaces for private conferences, receptions and other functions, the mayor said. Our competitor cities have limited supplies of such facilities, while hotels in Incheon are already fully equipped with such facilities. There are six five-star hotels and 41 presidential suites within a 30-minute range by car from the events main venue. In addition to hotels, Songdo Convensia, anticipated to be the main venue should Incheon host the event, is an exhibition center certified by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, which highlights the citys expertise and experience in hosting global events, he said. Incheon hosted the 2014 Asian Games, the 2018 OECD World Forum and the 56th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank last year. Foreign communities in the city are also rooting for Incheons bid to host the APEC summit. Songdo Foreign Advisory Board, an expat community based in Songdo, Incheon, is running various campaigns to support the citys bid, with its head, Soleiman Dias, director of admissions at Chadwick International, telling Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority that the city is the ideal location to host APEC because it not only boasts excellent infrastructure, security, and diplomatic significance, but also represents Koreas economic and cultural strengths. It is Incheons overwhelming advantage to secure a foundation for economic, cultural, and human exchanges with APEC member countries, and to contribute to the the revitalization of the national and regional economy through strategic cooperation in emerging key technology sectors such as biotechnology and semiconductors, Yoo said. It will be Incheons first summit involving heads of states and will be a significant growth engine for Koreas economic development. It will provide a foundation for Incheon to leap into the ranks of the worlds top 10 global cities. We will strive to fully utilize the city's capabilities and potential to host the event. Along with the APEC summit, Incheon seeks to host the Formula One Grand Prix in the city to attract more visitors and create economic value. In April, Yoo visited the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit in Japan and presented a letter of intent from Incheon to host a Formula One race to Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali. Last month, he visited Monaco and met Jarno Zaffelli, CEO of Formula One circuit design company Dromo, and signed working-level agreements and discussed conditions for signing an MOU or contract with Formula One officials. Incheon plans to submit its official proposal to Formula One within this year. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung reiterated his criticism of the prosecution Monday after he was indicted last week on charges of involvement in an unauthorized transfer of $8 million to North Korea, saying the allegations "defy common sense." Lee is accused of asking underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020, when he was serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province, through then Vice Gov. Lee Hwa-young to facilitate his planned visit to Pyongyang, according to the Suwon District Prosecutors Office. In return, Lee allegedly promised the Gyeonggi provincial government's support and guarantee for Ssangbangwool's business in North Korea. "Who would not know that giving North Korea billions of dollars in cash is a violation of U.N. sanctions," Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said during a meeting of the party's leadership. He said it "makes no sense" that then Vice Gov. Lee, who previously served as a special envoy for North Korea, would make such a promise to the North unless he is "stupid or out of his mind." "Evidence aside, the prosecution is making a claim that defies common sense that every schoolboy knows," he said. On Wednesday, Lee was charged with third-party bribery and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act. Speaking to reporters after the indictment, he called the press the prosecution's "pet dog" for taking in information from the prosecution without any discretion and "distorting the facts." Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, criticized Lee's remarks Monday, saying they were comments that "should never come from the mouth of the leader of the main party." The latest indictment increases to four the number of court trials Lee faces, including those over alleged development project-related bribery, election law violations and perjury. (Yonhap) Opposition parties call plan 'politically motivated' By Kwak Yeon-soo President Yoon Suk Yeol is pursuing real estate and inheritance tax reforms in an effort to address challenges amid low approval ratings, even though the plan will likely face setbacks in the opposition-controlled National Assembly. According to the presidential office, it is currently considering new reforms to Koreas real estate and inheritance tax system. This move appears to be aimed at reducing middle class homeowners property-related tax burdens given that Seoul has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. Housing prices in Seoul were 15.2 times higher than the average annual income in 2022, up from 14.1 times in 2021, according to data by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In addition, the inheritance tax was seen as having a negative effect on economic growth by preventing smooth family business successions. Director of National Policy Sung Tae-yoon suggested, Sunday, that a comprehensive real estate holding tax be abolished and proposed a reduction in inheritance tax rates to a maximum of 30 percent during a TV interview with KBS. A comprehensive real estate holding tax should be levied only on owners of a single high-value property or multiple-home owners, Sung said. Imposed separately from property taxes collected by local governments, the comprehensive real estate holding tax is levied annually by the central government on individuals who own multiple homes with a combined appraisal value exceeding 900 million won ($652,573). The tax is also levied on owners of a single property exceeding 1.2 billion won in value. The inheritance tax rate would be reduced to a level comparable to other OECD countries, Sung added. In Korea, the inheritance tax rate reaches up to 50 percent, the second-highest rate in the OECD after Japan at 55 percent and far above the OECD average of around 26 percent. The presidential office announced that a final decision will be made after July after gathering expert opinions. However, the presidential offices tax reform proposals face a bumpy road ahead as several other reform moves, including a medical reform, have hit dead ends. Major hospitals are now taking weekly breaks amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. A Gallup Korea opinion survey showed, Monday, that Yoons approval rating has been hovering around only 30 percent. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized the proposals, Monday, denouncing them as being politically motivated. The government is causing serious fiscal crisis by cutting taxes for supporters of the ruling People Power Party, DPK spokesperson Rep. Lee Hae-sik said. The tax revenue shortfall is an extremely serious issue. The country suffered a 56.4 trillion won tax shortfall last year, and many anticipate this years tax shortfall to hit over 30 trillion won. Yet, the Yoon administration is emphasizing fiscal soundness. However, some party members remained cautious over the governments real estate and inheritance tax reform plan. In May, Rep. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the DPK, mentioned the need to abolish the comprehensive real estate holding tax. The Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) is opposed to the reform proposals. Yoon is an incompetent and irresponsible president who is busy favoring the wealthy and hurting the rest, said Rep. Hwang Un-ha, the floor leader of the RKP. Former first lady Kim Jung-sook, the wife of ex-President Moon Jae-in, on Monday filed a defamation suit against a ruling party lawmaker over alleging Kim misappropriated taxpayer money to fund her solo trip to India in 2018. According to a text message sent to reporters by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's Rep. Yoon Kun-young, Kim filed the suit against Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) with police, charging Bae of distributing false information and defamation. Bae issued a press release last month claiming that Kim's trip incurred a cost of some 230 million won ($166,400) for using a presidential aircraft during her four-day solo visit to India. Of that, the two-term lawmaker claimed Kim and her delegation spent over 62 million won on in-flight meals alone and criticized them for having lavish meals with taxpayers' money. Kim's trip recently became a heated topic of political strife. It was the first time in 16 years that a Korean first lady had made a foreign visit without the president. Earlier this month, Do Jong-hwan, a former minister of culture who led the delegation at the time, disclosed a copy of the invitation Moon received from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Members of the PPP have called for a special counsel probe into Kim, which the opposition has accused of being an attempt to "water down" issues regarding allegations that the current first lady Kim Keon Hee illegally received a luxury handbag as a gift in 2022. Separately, prosecutors have begun an investigation into a complaint raised by Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the PPP, over the allegations linked to Kim's trip. The councilor accused the former first lady of abuse of power and loss to the national coffers related to her India trip, arguing Kim wasted 400 million won in state funds for her junket to the Taj Mahal in India. Prosecutors are also expected to investigate other allegations involving Kim, including acceptance of a luxury jacket and swimming lessons taken from a presidential guard, as Lee filed simultaneous complaints over those suspicions. (Yonhap) No specific plans formulated despite recommendations to update rules By Jung Da-hyun The Ministry of National Defense has come under criticism for adhering to outdated altitude restrictions, which are hindering the expansion of offshore wind power generation facilities. As the urgency of energy transition intensifies in response to climate change, these antiquated standards are seen as a significant barrier to progress. A report released by the Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC), Monday, highlighted the need for the defense ministry to update its decades-old regulations to support the growth of the offshore wind power industry. The SFOC is a nonprofit organization. According to the report, the defense ministry currently imposes restrictions on the height of offshore wind turbines at 500 feet, or about 152.4 meters. This is in line with the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, which requires the ministry to assess the impact of such structures on military operations within protected zones. The report criticizes the ministry for adjusting the regulations for turbines over 150 meters without clear justification, citing concerns that the turbine blades could interfere with radar networks. The SFOC also argues that these outdated restrictions hinder the development of renewable energy sources crucial for combating climate change. Due to these regulations, a total of 29 offshore wind power projects carried out in Jeju, Incheon and South Jeolla Province failed to obtain permission in 2022, facing opposition from the defense ministry during the review stage. From 2013 to January last year, only four out of 70 projects met the ministry's standards. The report by the SFOC highlights that the ministrys regulations are outdated. It notes that while the average height of global offshore wind turbines, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, was about 204 meters in 2022, the Korean defense ministry's 150-meter limit reflects an average standard from 12 years ago. When these military standards are applied, only 0.5 percent of the planned offshore wind power projects can proceed. According to the SFOC, as of December last year, only two out of 48 proposed offshore wind projects in Korea met the military's stringent requirements. The defense ministry argues that the rotating blades of offshore wind turbines can interfere with military radar, creating unnecessary signals or obstructing the identification of objects behind the blades. However, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, where offshore wind power is expanding, are reportedly advancing technologies to enable the long-term coexistence of wind turbines with air defense and radar systems. Australia has even lifted the height limit for offshore wind turbines to 260 meters if they are outside operational zones, highlighting a more adaptive approach to integrating renewable energy with military needs. The government is also aware of the problematic nature of these regulations. In 2018, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission recommended that the defense ministry reform the system, citing that the regulations excessively infringe on property rights, including constructing offshore wind power facilities. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has called for measures last June to address military operational restrictions hindering the development of offshore wind farms. The Office for Government Policy Coordination also acknowledged the current altitude limit as an excessive restriction and expressed willingness to revise it. Despite these concerns and recommendations, no specific plans have been formulated yet. The defense ministry was not immediately available for comment on the matter. By Chun In-bum North Korea, a relic of the Cold War, has evolved into a cult state centered around the Kim family. Despite its oppressive regime, the state's endurance into the 21st century is perplexing. The regime maintains its grip on power through a combination of brainwashing, terror and strict social control. Public executions and pervasive surveillance cultivate an environment of fear, ensuring blind obedience from the population. However, beneath this veneer of control, North Korean society is sustained by bribery and corruption, which permeate every level of life. In response to this oppressive regime, some North Korean defectors and South Korean activists have taken bold steps to inform North Korean citizens about the outside world. They launch balloons filled with rice, one-dollar bills and informational leaflets, including copies of the Bible. These balloons are a lifeline, offering not only material aid but also glimpses of a reality beyond the regime's propaganda. These innocent actions are a real threat to a brittle society like North Korea, which is based on lies and fabricated happiness. Only one other thing is more threatening to North Korea: loudspeakers and huge screens along the DMZ. In the past, the South would broadcast regular news and K-pop, while the North would broadcast very convincing ideological messages. Despite this, North Korea feels so threatened that they have defined South Korean broadcasts, with loudspeakers and visual screens, as an act of war. The previous administration of Moon Jae-in criminalized these balloon launches, a move seen as controversial. However, the Constitutional Court overturned this decision, allowing activists to resume their efforts. This in turn has prompted North Korea to launch thousands of balloons full of rubbish and potential biohazards. The South Korean public's reaction to the North's balloon retaliation was more disgust than fear, while the international community viewed it as childish and laughable. Nonetheless, the consequence was a decision to restart broadcasts into North Korea with loudspeakers. North Korea has warned that any such action would be considered an act of war, highlighting the fragile nature of the situation. As tensions rise, there is a real danger of unintended escalation, potentially leading to conflict. The last time the two Koreas were at these levels of tension was in 2015, when balloon launches led to an artillery exchange that in turn escalated until, surprisingly, North Korea backed off. This was before North Korea had nuclear weapons. During this crisis, men were tired and equipment was operated beyond capacity and started to malfunction, which caused some real situations that could have escalated beyond anyone's control. This is a real danger when you have more than 100,000 soldiers facing each other and thousands of artillery guns are aimed at each other. The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains volatile, with both sides engaged in a high-stakes battle for influence and information. The international community must remain vigilant and support diplomatic efforts to prevent a conflict that neither side desires. One thing is for sure: North Korea must react, and in the course of action and reaction, there will be the danger of sleepwalking into a war that nobody wants. The enduring tension between North and South Korea underscores a broader geopolitical struggle that extends beyond the peninsula. The international community's role in mediating this conflict is crucial, as missteps or aggressive posturing could trigger a broader crisis. Maintaining open channels of communication and promoting dialogue over confrontation is essential. As North Korea continues to develop its nuclear capabilities, the stakes are higher than ever. The risk of miscalculation is profound, and the consequences could be catastrophic. Therefore, a strategic, measured approach is imperative to ensuring peace and stability in the region. Additionally, the humanitarian aspect cannot be ignored. The plight of North Korean citizens under such an oppressive regime calls for international awareness and action. Human rights abuses in North Korea are severe, and the global community has a responsibility to support efforts that can bring about change, whether through sanctions, diplomatic pressure or support for defectors and activists. Ultimately, a multi-faceted approach is needed to address both the immediate and long-term challenges posed by the North Korean regime. In parallel, South Korea's commitment to democracy and transparency stands in stark contrast to the North's totalitarianism, serving as a beacon of hope for those living under oppression. The South Korean government's strategic use of information dissemination represents a non-violent form of resistance and empowerment. This psychological warfare, though fraught with risks, highlights the power of truth in combating authoritarianism. The resilience of the North Korean people, coupled with the international community's unwavering support, could one day lead to a breakthrough, transforming the Korean Peninsula from a region of perpetual conflict into one of lasting peace and reunification. Chun In-bum (truechun@naver.com) served as a lieutenant general in the ROK Army and commander of Special Forces Korea. Steps needed to protect markets, consumers The recent revelation of illegal and deceptive practices by Coupang, Koreas leading e-commerce firm, is alarming. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has imposed fines totaling 140 billion won ($101 million) and filed a complaint with the prosecutors' office. This action follows allegations that the company manipulated its in-app algorithm to favor its own private brand products. The antitrust watchdog also accused Coupang of mobilizing its employees to artificially boost search rankings and give high ratings to its own goods, thereby deceiving consumers through fraudulent means. The fine, the largest ever imposed by the FTC on a single local retailer, is equivalent to 2.5 times Coupangs operating profit in the first quarter. This indicates that the FTC determined Coupangs tactic of prominently displaying its own products on its marketing platforms, regardless of objective data, amounted to consumer deception. For example, searches for mineral water often displayed Coupangs Tamsasoo brand first. Coupang was found to have engaged in such unlawful practices for over 60,000 items from February 2019 until July last year, primarily involving its own products and directly purchased goods. Consumers tend to focus on the most viewed products when shopping online. In this vein, Coupangs practice of prioritizing the private brands and directly bought products ahead of others by algorithm exploitation could mislead consumers. The FTC noted numerous cases where products that ranked below 100 were elevated to the top spot after algorithm manipulation. Worse still, Coupang did not clearly distinguish between its private brands and other products for consumers. The FTC also discovered that Coupang fabricated reviews, which are crucial for consumers when making purchasing decisions. The retailer formed a Coupang experience group comprising over 2,000 employees who posted more than 70,000 comments and rated products an average of 4.8 out of 5, thereby influencing consumer purchases. Coupang even prepared guidelines for employees to stress the merits of those products in the reviews. In response to the FTCs decision, Coupang has threatened litigation, describing it as unjust and excessive. The company argues that the decision is anachronistic, disregarding the right of consumers to choose in the digital era and also stifling innovation. Coupang has also threatened to cancel plans for constructing distribution centers in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, to protest the FTCs decision. Coupang maintains that the FTCs ruling violates its right to freely recommend and sell products to consumers. If the FTC prevents such product recommendations, Coupangs direct services, including Rocket Delivery, will become impossible. The FTCs action will harm consumers, a Coupang executive told The Korea Times. Yet the FTCs decision is a legal action taken against Coupang's practice of deceiving clients. Coupang should first issue a sincere apology to consumers. As the No. 1 domestic e-commerce firm, and the second-largest in home delivery, over-the-top (OTT) and food delivery, Coupang has faced criticism for numerous unlawful managerial activities and harsh labor practices, including the death of a delivery worker. It has also been suspected of compiling a blacklist of 16,450 contract-based employees to prevent their reemployment and of increasing subscription fees by 58.1 percent within 15 days, raising concerns about potential market abuse. Measures are urgently needed to regulate massive platform companies. The FTCs latest action was belated, coming 42 months after it commenced investigations into Coupangs alleged irregularities. During this probe, Coupang managed to solidify its monopolistic status in e-commerce while its competitors declined. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration should designate gigantic platforms like Coupang as dominant enterprises to cope effectively with the possible unfair practices and bolster fair competition among these companies. By Ko Dong-hwan Kim Young-ae, 90, a door-to-door salesperson of 51 years, said she will continue working as long as her health allows, according to Amorepacific, whose beauty products she has been selling since 1972, on Sunday. Kim visits one of Amorepacific's outdoor shops in Yeongdeungpo District in western Seoul 10 to 15 times monthly. In this era of online shopping, the beauty sector attracts consumers via celebrities, trendy commercials and stores run by clerks speaking multiple languages in tourism hotspots, but Kim faithfully sticks to her now nearly extinct sales practice. "Amorepacific is a historic brand with many years of research and development. Because of that fact, many local people here believe the company is the country's No. 1 cosmetic firm," said Kim, who has sold more than 1 billion won ($720,000) worth of the company's products throughout her career. "My customers mostly seek Sulwhasoo these days. Among the brand's products, concentrated ginseng renewing cream and first care activating perfecting serum are the most popular," she added. As Kim has been getting old, so have her customers. Some of her loyal customers have already died. Among those still buying from Kim, some have become her close friends, concerned about each other's health and remaining years of life. "My family members tell me to quit and rest, but I want to do this until I can," Kim said. "Having a place to commute and people to talk to is a joyous thing and the best way to keep myself healthy." Amorepacific said that out of over 22,300 door-to-door sales agents currently active in Korea, nine percent are women in their 70s or older. Kim, in this aging society, maybe a role model for her age group within the workforce as modern medicine continues to help older people keep their careers. Kim began her sales career at Amorepacific at age 38 in 1972 when her husband's difficulties at work called for her to help bring in an additional income to keep her household afloat. With her shy nature, she couldn't sell a single product for the first 10 days. Her first sale was a 600-won manicure product someone bought out of pity. The same day, she also sold a 1,600-won bottle of milk lotion. "I still remember how I felt that day even after 50 years," said Kim. She sold dozens of Amorepacific labels during the 1970s and 80s, when door-to-door sales accounted for more than 70 percent of the company's overall sales. Now the figure has dropped to 15 percent. By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Electronics will develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and nurture AI experts in collaboration with Seoul National University, with a particular focus on strengthening research on on-device AI for its Galaxy mobile devices, the company said Monday. Samsung said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University on Monday to establish a joint AI research center. As part of this agreement, researchers from Samsung's device experience division will collaborate with students from Seoul National University's College of Engineering on industry-academia research projects related to the latest AI technologies over the next three years, the company said. Specifically, the two sides will aim to secure technologies for on-device AI, which enables AI functions to be performed within a device even when it's not connected, and multi-modal AI, a technology that processes various types of data such as text, images, voice and video together. Samsung has incorporated various AI technologies such as Circle to Search, real-time translation and Photo Assist into its latest flagship smartphone Galaxy S24 series, and is expanding its product lineup with AI features such as Bespoke AI home appliances and AI TVs. Seoul National University has also been operating an interdisciplinary program in artificial intelligence at its graduate school of engineering since the second semester of 2020, with the goal of nurturing AI professionals. Samsung expects that through this industry-academia collaboration with Seoul National University, it can secure core technologies for the rapidly evolving AI sector and strengthen its technological competitiveness. The company also plans to pursue recruitment activities targeting outstanding master's and doctoral students of the school who will join the research project to secure more AI professionals. "Through the agreement to establish a joint AI research center with Seoul National University, we expect Samsung Electronics to solidify its technological and product competitiveness in the AI sector and contribute to securing outstanding professionals in future AI research areas," said Cheun Kyung-whoon, chief technology officer of the device experience division at Samsung Electronics and head of Samsung Research. By Park Jae-hyuk Korean battery makers and materials producers are still betting on the European market, despite a worsening outlook for the continents electric vehicle (EV) industry after a recent swing to the far right, according to industry officials, Monday. The Korea Battery Industry Association (KBIA) plans to host the second edition of the InterBattery Europe trade show in Munich, Germany, from Wednesday to Friday. Although SK On, POSCO Future M and L&F will be absent from the event again this year, EcoPro and Lotte Energy Materials decided to make their debuts. LG Energy Solution (LGES) and Samsung SDI will participate in the exhibition as they did a year earlier. In particular, EcoPro will promote its Hungarian cathode materials plant, which will go into operation in 2025. We hope to introduce our excellent products and technologies and to diversify our customers through direct communications with buyers in Europe, which takes the lead in the global EV market, an EcoPro official said. Lotte Energy Materials will display its copper foil and various other battery materials. This is the first time for the company to participate in a trade show since it was renamed last year following Lottes acquisition of Iljin Materials in 2022. InterBattery Europe will be the place for us to showcase our high-end copper foil technologies, Lotte Energy Materials CEO Kim Yeon-seop said. We will increase our share in the high-end market by introducing the excellence of our products to global clients preparing for the development of next-generation batteries. However, major European countries have recently cut their subsidies for EV purchases. In addition, the European Union is expected to delay its planned ban on internal combustion engine vehicles to 2040 from 2035, as far-right parties won in the recent EU Parliament elections. Policies create demand in the EV industry, Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Han Byung-hwa said. It is difficult to anticipate supportive policies from the EU and the U.S. for a while. The analyst also advised investors to sell their EcoPro BM shares, lowering the stock price target of the EcoPro affiliate to 150,000 won ($109) from 200,000 won. Read More InterBattery trade show packed with visitors despite EV industry downturn Amid the growing skepticism about the EV industry, LGES and Samsung SDI decided to focus more on introducing their energy storage system (ESS) technologies during this years InterBattery Europe. The European ESS market has been growing rapidly these days, so the region is strategically important for the Korean battery industry, KBIA Vice Chairman Park Tae-sung said. Korean Air, Korea's largest carrier by sales, said Monday it has selected cargo-focused Air Incheon as the preferred bidder for the sale of Asiana Airlines' cargo business. The national flag carrier made the decision at a board of directors meeting Monday. Korean Air is in the process of acquiring Asiana, and it has so far obtained approval from 13 countries and regions for the acquisition, with the final one yet to come from the United States to complete the merger plan. In February, the company conditionally won approval for the merger from the European Commission (EC). The sale of Asiana's cargo division is part of conditions set by the European Union's antitrust regulator due to competition concerns involving the merger. Korean Air picked Air Incheon based on three key factors: the certainty of completing the transaction, the ability to strengthen long-term competitiveness of the air cargo business and the capability to mobilize funds through a competent consortium, the company said in a statement. Air Incheon, founded in 2012 and the country's sole cargo-only carrier, is expected to enhance its competitiveness by utilizing Asiana's long-haul network to the Americas and Europe, and its fleet of larger cargo aircraft, it said. Korean Air plans to sign a "framework agreement" with Air Incheon in July after consulting on the contract terms. The agreement is subject to a review by the EC. (Yonhap) By Lee Min-hyung Korean Air has selected Air Incheon as the preferred bidder for the sale of Asiana Airlines cargo freighter business, overcoming a major hurdle in the long-delayed acquisition of Asiana, the company said Monday. In a regulatory filing, the nations flag carrier tapped Air Incheon the nations sole all-cargo airline as the preferred bidder for the deal. The sale of cash-strapped Asiana Airlines cargo unit was part of a precondition before the European Union (EU) granted conditional approval for the operational merger of the two airlines. Korean Air took into consideration several key criteria before selecting Air Incheon. This included the certainty of completing the transaction, the ability to maintain and enhance the long-term competitiveness of the air cargo business and the capability to mobilize funds through a competent consortium, according to a statement from the Korean Air. The decision was made during the Korean Airs board meeting on Monday morning. The specific bidding price remains unknown, but the industry estimates it was worth around 500 billion won ($362 million). Air Incheon was founded in 2012 as the only cargo-focused airline here. The airline focuses on Asia, but will be able to strengthen its competitiveness in long-haul routes by utilizing Asianas network expertise in America and Europe, according to Korean Air. Korean Air plans to sign a framework agreement with Air Incheon in July after reaching specific terms of conditions. The agreement is also subject to review by the European Commission. The preferred bidder was selected through a comprehensive evaluation of all factors crucial to the growth of the air cargo industry, a key national industry, while maintaining the existing competitive environment, a spokesperson at Korean Air said. We are committed to quickly finalizing the sales process through flexible negotiations, and completing the acquisition of Asiana Airlines. Air Incheons acquisition of Asianas cargo unit will help the former rise to the nations second-largest cargo business operator after Korean Air. Asianas cargo business accounted for 19.4 percent of its market share during the first quarter by chalking up sales of 353 billion won during the period. The latest announcement is also expected to speed up Korean Airs acquisition of Asiana Airlines. A group of 13 out of 14 global authorities approved of the takeover, and the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the case. Korean Air expects the U.S. authority to grant approval before the end of October. The airline hopes to finalize the remaining legal procedures by the end of this year. However, it will take a couple of years for Korean Air to launch a new combined entity. Korean Air also plans to combine three low-cost carriers Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul affiliated with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Chey denies existence of slush fund, vows to lodge appeal with Supreme Court By Lee Min-hyung SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won claimed Monday that there were significant errors in an appellate court's assessment of his estranged wife's contribution to the growth of Korea's second-largest conglomerate and announced his intention to bring the case to the Supreme Court for further review. I am compelled to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court regarding the divorce ruling, as it has tarnished the reputation and pride of all members of SK Group, Chey told reporters during a press conference. This is part of a response to last month's Seoul High Court ruling that Chey should pay 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) in property division to his wife, Roh So-young, constituting the largest-ever divorce settlement in Korea. The court ruled that Roh, who is the daughter of late former President Roh Tae-woo, contributed significantly to Cheys asset accumulation. It ordered Chey to pay 35 percent of his assets, while the value of their combined wealth was estimated at around 4 trillion won. Chey holds a 17.73 percent stake in SK Inc., which is valued at around 2.2 trillion won. He also owns 29.4 percent of SK Siltron, which amounts to some 700 billion won. SK Siltron is an unlisted affiliate of SK Group. The chairman apologized to the public for causing concerns over his personal affairs. However, Chey and his legal representative argued that there was a critical error in calculating the figure, asserting that the court had overestimated Roh's contribution to the accumulation of wealth. I was told the error was a very critical and serious one, because it is related to whether my stocks in SK are subject to the property division, and if so, how much it should be, Chey said. He also refuted the court's ruling that the growth of SK Group was driven by an illicit slush fund amassed during the former Roh administration. The ruling denies the entire history of SK Group, and is far from the truth, he said. Lee Dong-geun, a legal representative for Chey, who also attended the press conference, argued that the court should calculate the property division again, after rectifying the error. We will lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court for a fresh judicial judgment regarding a number of issues, including the critical error and the tangible and intangible contributions made during the former Roh Tae-woo administration, he said. SK Supex Council President Lee Hyung-hee also reaffirmed the groups firm determination to contest the ruling. Our growth did not stem from the support of the former administration. Rather, the relationship with the administration posed a serious burden for SK's image and business afterward," Lee said. We will recover the pride and reputation of the company and its employees through the appeal. Chey married Roh in 1988 and their relationship ended in 2015 after he admitted to having a relationship with his new partner Kim Hee-young. Chey filed for divorce with Roh in July 2017, but failed to reach a settlement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized plans announced by the military on Sunday to hold daily tactical pauses in fighting along one of the main roads into Gaza to facilitate aid delivery into the Palestinian enclave. The military had announced the daily pauses from 0500 GMT until 1600 GMT in the area from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards. "When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him," an Israeli official said. The military clarified that normal operations would continue in Rafah, the main focus of its operation in southern Gaza, where eight soldiers were killed on Saturday. The reaction from Netanyahu underlined political tensions over the issue of aid coming into Gaza, where international organizations have warned of a growing humanitarian crisis. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads one of the nationalist religious parties in Netanyahu's ruling coalition, denounced the idea of a tactical pause, saying whoever decided it was a "fool" who should lose their job. Divisions between coalition, army The spat was the latest in a series of clashes between members of the coalition and the military over the conduct of the war, now in its ninth month. It came a week after centrist former general Benny Gantz quit the government, accusing Netanyahu of having no effective strategy in Gaza. The divisions were laid bare last week in a parliamentary vote on a law on conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voting against it in defiance of party orders, saying it was insufficient for the needs of the military. Religious parties in the coalition have strongly opposed conscription for the ultra-Orthodox, drawing widespread anger from many Israelis, which has deepened as the war has gone on. Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, the head of the military, said on Sunday there was a "definite need" to recruit more soldiers from the fast-growing ultra-Orthodox community. Reservists under strain Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, an agreement to halt the fighting still appears distant, more than eight months since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel triggered a ground assault on the enclave by Israeli forces. Since the attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners in Israeli communities, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health ministry figures, and destroyed much of Gaza. Although opinion polls suggest most Israelis support the government's aim of destroying Hamas, there have been widespread protests attacking the government for not doing more to bring home around 120 hostages who are still in Gaza after being taken hostage on Oct. 7. Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said seven Palestinians were killed in two air strikes on two houses in Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. As fighting in Gaza has continued, a lower level conflict across the Israel-Lebanon border is now threatening to spiral into a wider war as near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia have escalated. In a further sign that fighting in Gaza could drag on, Netanyahu's government said on Sunday it was extending until Aug. 15 the period it would fund hotels and guest houses for residents evacuated from southern Israeli border towns. (Reuters) NewJeans, the highly-anticipated newcomer in the Japanese music scene, has made waves with the release of their pre-release single "Right Now" and its accompanying music video. The group, set to debut with "Supernatural" in Japan, showcased their unique style in collaboration with renowned artist Tatashi Murakami, blending animated elements featuring the Powerpuff Girls alongside the members of NewJeans. The music video, which premiered on June 16, captivated audiences with its whimsical and lighthearted concept, perfectly complementing the group's fresh appeal. Fans and netizens alike took to social media platforms to express their excitement and admiration for the new release. Newjeans right now mv aesthetic is seriously top tier pic.twitter.com/uRHyhSZ7xk Yaya | Supernatural (@Modanisland) June 16, 2024 One fan remarked: "The music video is so cute and it feels like a prelude to the album, I love it.Even though it's a Japanese album, it has lyrics in Korean and English too, it's so cool." This sentiment was echoed across various comments highlighting the international flair and versatility of NewJeans' music. Another netizen praised the song's alignment with their personal taste, stating, "I like the song, it's just my style," while others marveled at the visual aesthetics and vocal prowess displayed by the group. Loved it! Their style and beats are just everything! Hegena (@QueenHegena) June 16, 2024 "Their vocals are crazy... the music video is so pretty too," one user enthused. THIS PART IS JUST INSANE SHE HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VOICE IN THE WORLD NEWJEANS RIGHT NOW MV #NewJeans_RightNow #NewJeans pic.twitter.com/3iSa2hv1V9 nour (@nwjnshy) June 16, 2024 READ MORE: NewJeans Unmasks YouTuber Behind Defamatory Videos As Approved By Court Surprisingly, some fans noted that the song did not sound typically Japanese, sparking discussions about its resemblance to older K-pop tracks or nostalgic Japanese tunes from the 2000s. Despite this, the consensus remained positive, emphasizing NewJeans' ability to transcend genre expectations. "This time, NewJeans is going to take on many new challenges," noted a commentator, reflecting on the group's ambitious approach to music production and cross-cultural appeal. As anticipation mounts for NewJeans' official debut with 'Supernatural,' their pre-release single 'Right Now' has set a promising tone for what lies ahead. With their innovative collaborations and dynamic musicality, NewJeans is poised to carve a unique space in both Japanese and international music markets. Stay tuned as NewJeans continues to unveil more surprises leading up to their debut single release, promising a blend of creativity, talent, and global influences. ALSO READ: NewJeans' '2D1N' Guesting Causes the Show's Lowest Rating Ever: 'They're Cute But Not Funny at All' KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Cassidy Jones. MooMoos were impressed by Solar's excellent cover of BINI's "Pantropiko." From the vibe and pronunciation, the idol truly nailed the song! On June 16, the K-pop idol graced the Solaire Resort's The Theatre in Manila for her 2nd concert, "COLOURS." On this day, the star spent time with her Filipino MooMoos (fandom) by performing her group and solo tracks, and even prepared a surprise stage for her supporters! In particular, she sent the whole crowd into a frenzy when the sound system started playing "Pantropiko," the global viral song of P-pop girl group BINI, which is considered the current "Nation's Girl Group" in the Philippines. The concertgoers then sang along with the K-pop star and shockingly, Solar made fans' jaws drop with how perfect her vocals are, not to mention her good pronunciation of Filipino (the official language of the Philippines)! As a result, fans are left wanting more, that's why the idol grants their request to perform it for the second time around! ALSO READ: MAMAMOO Solar Flashes Middle Finger to Fans Idol Garners Unexpected Reactions Indeed, Solar didn't disappoint and made the crowd's cheer even louder as she grabbed a pride flag, celebrating the month dedicated to sexual minorities or LGBTQ+! She's not only "mother," but she's also a QUEEN! Meanwhile, this is not only a win for MooMoos, but for the P-pop girl group BINI as well, as it is not a secret that the members were also huge supporters of MAMAMOO. In fact, in the past, they chose to perform the K-pop group's "HIP" for the event Happy Hallyu Day but two years later, they found their favorite group covering their own song this time! [#] SOLAR 2ND CONCERT [COLOURS] in MANILA ! Mahal Kita Thanks to the support of Manila's YONGSOON, we finished the first performance of the tour safely! To pic.twitter.com/uYjZsFwyW9 (MAMAMOO) (@RBW_MAMAMOO) June 17, 2024 bini used to cover mamamoo songs (like hip) and now look where we are pic.twitter.com/PKx6YkoQ8x https://t.co/9YTWA9S4Wq aens (@nicoIetter) June 16, 2024 We really can't wait for more MAMAMOO x BINI crumbs and hopefully, interaction soon! On the other hand, amid MAMAMOO's hiatus, Solar is actively promoting as a soloist, dropping her second mini-album, "COLORS" in April. To promote the album, she then embarked on her 1st solo concert, "COLOURS" for the first time in about 6 years since "BLOSSOM" in 2018. The concert aims to showcase Solar's colorful music with a rich set list including her new songs as well as to deliver her message of support, hoping everyone will find their own color through her colorful stage. The tour started in Seoul last June 1 and 2, followed by Manila (June 16). She will continue her tour in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (June 22), Japan (June 28-29). On July 7, she will meet MooMoos in Hong Kong, followed by her stage in Taipei, Taiwan (July 14), Singapore (July 27), with the last stop being in Macau on October 6. READ MORE: Solar, Moonbyul Open Up About MAMAMOO's Future as Group: 'Realistically, it's hard...' For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 17 (ANI): Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS), Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that they must direct their protests towards the Central government over the rising fuel prices. "Today BJP and JDS are protesting as petrol and diesel prices have increased (in Karnataka). But, they don't have to protest against the state government. They must protest against the Centre," stated Siddaramaiah. Also Read | MHA To Talk to Meiteis, Kukis in Manipur To Bridge Ethnic Divide, Says Home Minister Amit Shah. "After Narendra Modi became PM, petrol prices increased from Rs. 72.26 to Rs. 104 and diesel prices increased from Rs. 57.72 to Rs. 92. When in the international market crude oil prices decreased, PM Modi's government increased the prices," the CM stated. Meanwhile, State BJP President BY Vijayendra criticized the Congress government, particularly Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, over the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices in Karnataka stating that mismanagement and corruption under the current Congress administration have severely impacted the state's financial health. Also Read | 'Papa Bus Ek Baar Aa Jao, Phir Mission Pe Chale Jana': Son Still Sends Voice Messages to Him, Says Wife of Army Colonel Manpreet Singh Killed in Jammu and Kashmir. Vijayendra further criticized the decision to hike fuel prices, arguing it will have widespread negative effects on the people of the state. He also announced that the BJP is staging protests across the state in response to the price hike and urged the Chief Minister to reverse the decision. "The BJP is protesting against the decision of the Congress government and we are protesting across the state today. We urge the Chief Minister of Karnataka to roll back its decision," the BJP state president said. Earlier, Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that the government remains committed to keeping fuel prices reasonable for their citizens and said despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka are still lower than in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. "The Government of Karnataka has increased VAT on petrol to 29.84 percent and on diesel to 18.44 per cent. Even after this hike, our state's taxes on fuel remain lower than most South Indian states and similar economy-sized states like Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the VAT on petrol is 25 per cent plus Rs 5.12 additional tax, and on diesel, it is 21 percent. Karnataka's revised rates are still more affordable," CM Siddaramaiah told reporters here." Despite the VAT hike, diesel prices in Karnataka are still lower than in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. We remain committed to keeping fuel prices reasonable for our citizens. The then double-engine BJP government collaborated to divert Karnataka's resources to other states. The state BJP govt (previous) kept reducing VAT on petrol and diesel while the Central govt increased its taxes," CM 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) New Delhi, June 17: Seven passengers and two railway staffers were killed and 41 more injured in the Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Monday, according to figures released by the railway ministry. In a statement, the ministry said nine people suffered grievous injuries and 32 simple or minor injuries. The "Up line" has been cleared and train operations have started, it said and added that "the 'Down line' will also be cleared shortly". The Kanchanjunga express, going to Sealdah in West Bengal from Agartala in Tripura, was on the "Down line" and a goods train rammed into it from behind near the New Jalpaiguri station, around 600 km from Kolkata. Kanchanjungha Express Train Accident: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Visits Train Collision Site Near New Jalpaiguri Station at Rangapani in West Bengal (Watch Video). According to initial ground reports based on the statements of the local police, 15 people were said to have lost their lives in the accident. However, the ministry clarified that the number of deaths is nine, so far. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the accident site in the afternoon, the ministry 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, Jun 17 (PTI) Senior BJP leaders held a meeting on Monday to discuss the party's strategy for the assembly elections in Haryana, due later this year. Home Minister Amit Shah, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Manohar Lal Khattar and Krishna Pal Gurjar were present at the meeting, presided over by BJP chief JP Nadda at the party's headquarters in the national capital. Also Read | CG PPT Admit Card 2024 Released at vyapam.cgstate.gov.in, Know Steps to Download. The BJP's Haryana core group leaders, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, were also present. The meeting came within hours of Nadda appointing Pradhan as the party's election in-charge for Haryana, setting in motion its preparations for the assembly polls. Also Read | 'Muslims and Yadavs Can Come and Have Tea, but Don't Ask for Help': JDU Sitamarhi MP Devesh Chandra Thakur Expresses Displeasure With Muslim, Yadav Communities (Watch Video). Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb was made the party's co-election in-charge. Nadda also appointed the party's election in-charges and co-incharges for assembly polls-bound Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav was appointed as the party's election in-charge for Maharashtra while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be co-incharge. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been made the election in-charge for Jharkhand while Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be co-incharge. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has been appointed as the election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir. While assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due later this year, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to hold the elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nainital (Uttarakhand) [India], June 17 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday held a meeting with the officials regarding drinking water, electricity supply and forest fire in Nainital. During the meeting, the forest department officials were instructed to maintain the morale of the personnel by staying at ground zero as well as providing the necessary equipment to extinguish the fire in the forests. Also Read | CG PPT Admit Card 2024 Released at vyapam.cgstate.gov.in, Know Steps to Download. The Chief Minister also directed the officials to make an action plan to provide drinking water to the public with ease and to revive the rapidly drying water sources and to ensure adequate power supply. The meeting concerning the forest fire follows the recent wildfires that affected the mountainous region. Also Read | 'Muslims and Yadavs Can Come and Have Tea, but Don't Ask for Help': JDU Sitamarhi MP Devesh Chandra Thakur Expresses Displeasure With Muslim, Yadav Communities (Watch Video). Fires were spreading in the forests of Nainital and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand last month, primarily caused by human activities. Earlier this month, Four firefighters lost their lives and four others sustained serious injuries while battling a fierce blaze in the Binsar forest, Almora district of Uttarakhand, said forest officials. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to immediately control the forest fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary with the help of the Air Force by spraying water on the affected forest area using helicopters and other necessary resources. CM Dhami also chaired a meeting with top officials to review preparations for the monsoon season at the state secretariat. Speaking to ANI, Uttarakhand CM Dhami said, "Monsoon has always been challenging for us because we need to face disaster in some or the other form. We need to identify blocked drains, areas where garbage accumulates, and obstructed roads To review preparedness and administration stays in action mode the meeting has been convened". Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during the review meeting of disaster management and other works before the upcoming monsoon in the Secretariat, directed the officials to remain on alert mode and complete all the works related to disaster management within the stipulated time period. (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 [India], June 17 (ANI): US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), on Monday. After the iCET meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, US NSA Jake Sullivan briefed PM Modi on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the iCET, such as "semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, telecom, defence, critical minerals, space, among others," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release. Also Read | Why is China Targeting #MeToo Activists?. PM Modi met US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan on Monday and stressed India's commitment to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. PM Narendra Modi took to X, stating that India is committed to strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two countries for global good. Also Read | Saulos Chilima Funeral Convoy Accident: Five Killed After Vehicle Rams Into Mourners Taking Part in Ex-Malawian Vice Presidents Funeral . "Met US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good," he said in a post on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1802699116260245715 PM Modi further expressed satisfaction at the speed and scale of the growing bilateral partnership in all areas and the convergence of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. He also recalled his recent positive interaction with US President Biden at the G7 Summit. "PM reaffirmed commitment to continue to strengthen Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the global good and take it to greater heights in the new term," the release stated. Earlier in the day, US NSA Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the annual meeting of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between the two countries. The delegation-level talks were held in the national capital. This was the second iCET meeting between the two countries and is being held over two days on June 17 and 18. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Jake Sullivan and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues. Jaishankar expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between India and the US will continue to advance strongly in the near term. "Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term," Jaishankar said in a post on X. It is the first visit of a senior US official after the Modi government came to power for a third term. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) On 16 June the attorney generals office in Mexicos Guanajuato state (FGE) announced that two people had been arrested in relation to a massacre that took place in a house in the city of Leon on 9 June. End of preview - This article contains approximately 397 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 14 June Colombias lower chamber of congress approved a pension reform bill submitted by Presidents government, which Petro will now sign into law. End of preview - This article contains approximately 606 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options European countries will emerge as the losers if the European Union (EU) imposes additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the EU, warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research. FRANKFURT, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Protectionism is the wrong approach to dealing with the rise of China's electric vehicle (EV) industry, and would be detrimental to European automakers, a German expert in the field has said. European countries will emerge as the losers if the European Union (EU) imposes additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the EU, warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum in a recent interview with Xinhua. In the event of "decoupling," automakers in the EU will "go directly" to invest in China, which has leading technology and innovation, Dudenhoeffer argued. He is convinced that German carmakers, as global players, will continue their "strong cooperation" with China. Dudenhoeffer recently wrapped up a visit to China and said he was impressed by the dynamism and fast development of the auto industry there. Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, including battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles, surged 37.9 percent year-on-year to about 9.5 million last year, compared with just 75,000 a decade ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The pace of development of the new energy sector in China puts the world in a better position to tackle climate change, according to Dudenhoeffer. The scale of the new energy vehicle market in China has allowed automakers in the country to bring down production costs, a competitive edge European automakers do not currently have, Dudenhoeffer said. As China is in a leading position to drive forward the development of EV industry globally, the expert said that German automakers have been increasing their investments in China, where cost advantages and cutting-edge technologies are available. The EU will also damage their business by imposing additional tariffs on EVs made in China, he said, adding, "It will hurt our cooperation with China. It will hurt ourselves. So it's a tragedy for the German car industry." According to statistics from the European Federation for Transport and Environment, around 20 percent of all-electric cars sold across the EU last year, or 300,000 units, were made in China. More than half of them come from Western carmakers, such as Tesla, Dacia and BMW, which produce them in China for export. With the world currently facing the daunting task of fighting climate change, Dudenhoeffer believes that cooperation and partnership with China is very important. Much like El Salvador, Honduras is also having trouble with violent street gangs like MS-13 and Barrio, 18 and the Honduran government is now emulating its neighbor as it too is implanting its own massive gang crackdown, as well as building its own mega prison with a capacity of around 20,000 inmates. Honduras President Xiomara Castro unveiled her plans during a nationally televised address, which include a series of emergency measures such as plans to strengthen the military's role in fighting organized crime, prosecute drug traffickers as terrorists, and build new facilities to ease overcrowding. The left-leaning Castro's plan emulates the policies of the right-leaning El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, whose sweeping crackdown against gangs that also include MS-13 and Barrio 18 has turned El Salvador's crime rates from one of the world's worst to one of the world's safest. Among Castro's attempted emulation of Bukele is his mega-prison that could house 40,000 inmates, according to the Associated Press. From her plans, Castro's mega prison sounds smaller but it could help ease the congestion in Honduras' prison system. Castro stated in her televised address that the security forces of Honduras must "urgently carry out interventions" in all parts of the country now witnessing "the highest rates of gang violence, drug trafficking, money laundering," and other crimes. As for the plans for the Honduran Mega-Prison, authorities in the country are planning to construct it immediately and send dangerous gang members there. It would be located near the rural province of Olancho, in the country's east, as revealed by Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Roosevelt Hernandez. Honduras Congress To Reform Penal Code To Escalate El Salvador-Style Gang Crackdown To help give more leeway to authorities for the gang crackdown, Castro added that "the Honduran Congress must reform the penal code" to address problems in "drug traffickers and members of criminal gangs who commit specific crimes." READ MORE: Honduras Sweets You Simply Must Try She added that gang members will also be designated as "terrorists" and face collective trials, according to Reuters, and that operations will be launched to locate and destroy plantations growing marijuana and coca, the main ingredient to cocaine. In addition, Honduras National Police Force Chief Hector Gustavo Sanchez stated that a list of "intellectual authors, leaders, and gang members" has already been distributed so their immediate arrest could be made. What Are Honduras' Other Gang Crackdown Plans? The gang crackdown in Honduras had already started and has already been going on for some time now and has rapidly congested the country's prison system, leading to the mega prison announcement. However, President Castro has other plans in place. The secretaries for Honduras' Defense and Security departments, along with the Armed Forces and the Military Police will "immediately plan and execute interventions in municipalities with the highest incidence of major gang-related crimes, such as assassination, drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, arms trafficking, and money laundering," according to Jurist News. In addition, a national curfew will be established. The government will also give more power to the Armed Forces to intervene in security matters to deal with one of the largest homicide rates in Latin America, which is saying something. READ MORE: Honduras Explainer: Who Is Disgraced Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez and Why Was His Conviction a Big Thing for the Country? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Honduras: Escaping violence and poverty | DW Documentary Haiti's government has replaced the National Police Chief to combat escalating gang violence. Former Haiti National Police Chief Rameau Normil will replace Frantz Elbe in the prime minister's office. Prime Minister Garry Conille, recently appointed by a transitional council, faces pressure to strengthen the underfunded and ill-equipped Haitian National Police. Conille's appointment follows gangs taking over parts of Port-au-Prince, leading to former Prime Minister Ariel Henry's ousting, Aljazeera reports. Critics, including Pierre Esperance from the National Network for Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), condemned Elbe's tenure for alleged ties with gangs. Police unions also demanded Elbe's resignation and arrest due to numerous gang attacks on police stations. READ NEXT: Death Toll of Haiti National Police Rises to 21 After Gang Ambush Kills 3 on Sunday Struggles of the Haiti National Police The Haitian National Police (PNH) is battling armed gangs that have taken over much of Port-au-Prince. Prime Minister Garry Conille's office confirmed that the Haiti National Police Chief will be replaced, pending a decree from Conille and the presidential transition council. The PNH has faced severe resource shortages while combating well-armed gangs, with many weapons trafficked from the United States. The force has dwindled in numbers and struggled with inadequate equipment, according to Reuters. Rameau Normil, who led the PNH from mid-2019 to late 2020, will replace Frantz Elbe. Normil's previous tenure faced significant challenges, including the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 and the kidnapping of 17 US and Canadian missionaries by the 400 Mawozo gang. The RNDDH's survey highlighted dire conditions for police officers, with over 320 killed since 2015, including 120 under Elbe. Officers reported late pay, insufficient training, harassment, and equipment shortages. Frantz Elbe's leadership has been heavily criticized for alleged collusion with gangs and undermining police effectiveness. The Citizens' Protection Office urges Normil to swiftly create a plan to control gang violence and improve the Haiti police force's capabilities. Increasing Violence and Government Response Haiti gang violence has caused over 2,500 casualties in the first three months of this year, with nearly two dozen police officers killed. Gangs, controlling 80% of Port-au-Prince, have superior firepower, AP News noted. Rameau Normil's reappointment as Haiti National Police Chief coincides with a new prime minister and cabinet taking office. Normil was previously dismissed from the role nearly four years ago. International support, including training and resources, has been provided to the Haiti Police, but challenges persist. An UN-backed police force from Kenya is expected to help contain the violence and boost morale. The RNDDH's survey highlighted issues within the police force, such as unpaid salaries, lack of psychological support, outdated equipment, and inadequate training. Reports of police collaboration with gangs exacerbate these problems. Rameau Normil's appointment is seen as crucial in addressing the Haiti gang violence crisis. With international support and internal reforms, there is hope that the Haitian National Police can regain its strength and restore order. The new government faces significant challenges, but a renewed focus on security and stability could bring peace to the nation. READ MORE: Thousands in Brazil Protest 'Child Pregnancy Bill' Equating Abortion with Murder This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Haitian police push back gangs ahead of Kenyan forces arrival - From CBC News: The National Marjorie Taylor Greene may slowly be losing sway among her Republican allies. Not only did her House GOP colleagues overwhelmingly vote down her anti-Ukraine aid bill, but Donald Trump also threw shade at her over her attempt to kick fellow Republican Mike Johnson out of the Speakership. The infamous House Republican from Georgia, known for her conspiracy theories about Jewish space lasers, recently appeared with her dear leader, Donald Trump, during his appearance in Washington, DC. There, Trump tried to "mend" the divide between Republicans by humiliating Greene in public. According to Yahoo! News, the former president and convicted felon reportedly called out to Greene and said, "Hello Marjorie... are you being nice to him?" This was a direct question in reference to her attempt to oust the pro-Trump speaker earlier this year. After this, Trump then praised Johnson as having done a "great job" in the less than one year he has served as the Republican Speaker of the House in yet another blow to Greene, who had repeatedly been trying to be noticed by the former president and get on his good side. Greene herself confirmed this during an interview on CNN, saying, "He saw me...he said 'Hello, Marjorie' - he's always so sweet - recognizes me, and he says, 'Are you being nice?' He was joking: 'Are you being nice to Speaker Johnson?'" "And I said, 'Ehhh'," she added, before stating, "And he said, 'OK, be nice to him.' And I nodded my head." Johnson and Greene had been at odds as the Georgia congresswoman considers the House Speaker to not be hardline enough and has blasted him for doing his job. With a razor-thin majority, Johnson had to concede to Democrats over the Ukraine aid issue to get legislation passed, and Greene did not like it. In the end, Democrats helped save Johnson. READ MORE: Marjorie Taylor Greene Calling Lauren Boebert a Wh*re to Other Republicans as Feud With Colorado Rep. Continues Republicans Overwhelmingly Voted Down Marjorie Taylor Greene's Anti-Ukraine Aid Proposal The hits just kept coming for Greene as her fellow Republicans also rejected her most recent proposal, which is a subject that she refuses to let go of even after her Republican colleagues have repeatedly rebuffed her efforts, and that is Ukraine aid. According to MSN News, Greene tried to pass an amendment to the annual Defense bill called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In her attempt to amend the NDAA, she tried to block funding for Ukraine aid. It was overwhelmingly voted down 74-343, with 138 of those votes being from Republicans. "My colleague from Georgia will be pleased to learn that there is nothing in this year's NDAA that authorizes assistance to Ukraine. That money is provided through the supplemental appropriations bills," said Republican House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama, also throwing shade at Greene. Marjorie Taylor Greene Vows To Jail Anthony Fauci Another topic Greene refuses to move on from is COVID-19, even after she has repeatedly been fact-checked over her claims. She is now trying to have Anthony Fauci jailed because of her debunked claims. "Dr. Anthony Fauci should be tried for crimes against humanity," she said during a Turning Point Action conference on Saturday before leading the crowd to chant, "Lock him up." "Well, I can assure you that if I have anything to do with it, I will lock him up. He belongs in prison," she added, not specifying exactly what crime Fauci committed or providing any evidence that the health expert broke any laws. READ MORE: Anthony Fauci Disproves Republicans' Arguments and Conspiracy Theories During COVID-19 Hearing This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: YIKES! Marjorie Taylor Greene FACT-CHECKED to her face! - MeidasTouch Joe Biden's strict new border crackdown has begun to bite as migrants are now being deported without their asylum pleas being heard. This has forced migrant shelters south of the border to become overcrowded as more and more people get thrown back to Mexico. Several shelters have reported that they are caring for more migrants now that the Biden administration has begun deporting migrants back to Mexico. However, other migrant shelters have reported that they have yet to see much of a change. Much of the impact has been felt in migrant shelters in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, which borders Arizona. Much of the deportations go to the state, as 500 deportations from Arizona are seen each day. "We're having to turn people away because we can't, we don't have the room for all the people who need shelter," Kino Border Initiative Executive Director Joanna Williams told the Associated Press, noting that her shelter can only take in around 100 people at a time. Other migrant shelters, such as the San Juan Bosco shelter in Nogales, also saw an increase in the number of migrants they usually house. Director Juan Francisco Loureiro noted that they currently shelter 120 migrants. This is up from 40 since the policy change. "We have had a quite remarkable increase," he said, adding that most of the people that they are caring for are Mexicans. However, Mexico had previously agreed to take in deportees from other countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Over in Tijuana, right across from California, the directors of the city's four largest migrant shelters reported that they have yet to receive a single deportee from Joe Biden's border crackdown. Meanwhile, Al Otro Lado, a migrant advocacy group, stated that they only managed to consult seven migrants on the first full day of operating an information booth at the main crossing. However, the group does admit that there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment. READ MORE: Mexico Wearing Down Migrants as New Tactic to Deter Immigration Amid Biden Crackdown Mexico Miring Migrants in Transit, Playing Joe Biden's Immigration Enforcer The migrants who were deported and not from Mexico are usually bused to the south of the country, where they have to retake their long trek north to the US-Mexico border once again. Critics have blasted President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador over this busing policy, which has been implemented to frustrate migrants and deter them from continuing their journey to the US-Mexico border. They blame AMLO for being "willing to trade rights of migrants for political capital in Washington," according to The Guardian. Mexico Says Migrants Coming to the US Come from 177 Different Countries Meanwhile, Mexico released its migrant statistics and revealed that approximately 1.39 million people from 177 countries traveled through Mexico en route to the US-Mexico border. A vast majority of them were adult men or women traveling alone, while almost 3,000 were unaccompanied minors. Almost 380,000 came from Venezuela, a country whose economic and political crisis has driven hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee the Maduro regime. This is followed by migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Haiti, according to VOA News. READ MORE: Welcome Corps Group Helping US Citizens and Residents Support Refugees Come to the US Legally This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Asylum seekers DENIED ENTRY after Biden's executive action, but Trump more trusted on immigration - The Hill On Saturday night, a peaceful Tampa neighborhood was disrupted when Florida teen Christos Alexander Themelis Jr., 19, unleashed a violent rampage, resulting in the tragic deaths of his parents and injuring a deputy, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The incident culminated in the Florida teen taking his own life, Fox News reports. The Florida shooting unfolded shortly after 11 PM when deputies responded to a frantic call from Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48, who reported that her husband, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot inside their home on Cactus Wren Place. Additional shots rang out during the call, indicating a volatile and dangerous situation. Deputies arrived swiftly on the scene to find the suspect and his mother outside the residence. Tragically, a Florida teen fatally shot his mother in the back of the head before turning his firearm on to law enforcement officers. Florida Deputy Shane McGough, 26, was struck in the leg during the exchange of gunfire. READ NEXT: Florida Man in Custody Following Alleged Shooting of Worker and Arson at Apartment Heroic Response and Standoff Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the deputies for their swift and heroic response to grave danger. "The monster we encountered that evening not only injured our deputy but also took the lives of his own mother and father," Sheriff Chronister stated, reflecting on the chaotic and heart-wrenching scene. Despite the efforts of law enforcement to contain the situation, the suspect retreated into the family home, barricading himself inside, according to News Channel 8. This prompted the activation of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, crisis negotiators, and the deployment of a robotic unit to assist in gaining access to the residence. Troubling Past and Law Enforcement Challenges As the investigation into the Florida shooting unfolds, details have emerged about the suspect's troubled history. Sheriff Chronister revealed that deputies had responded to the Themelis residence on multiple occasions, primarily for mental health crises and reports of violence directed at his parents. Notably, an active risk protection order was in place that had previously led to confiscating firearms from the suspect. "How did this mentally ill individual gain access to firearms when we had previously seized his weapons?" Sheriff Chronister questioned, highlighting the critical issue of firearm access in cases involving mental health concerns. Florida Deputy Shane McGough, hailed for his bravery and resilience, underwent surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital to remove the bullet lodged in his leg. Medical professionals anticipate a full recovery within three months, offering a glimmer of hope amid the tragic aftermath. "Deputy McGough is in good spirits and surrounded by his family," Sheriff Chronister reported, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken charge of the investigation into the incident, aiming to unravel the circumstances surrounding the tragic shooting. The case underscores broader societal issues related to mental health and domestic violence, prompting calls for enhanced support and resources for affected families and law enforcement personnel. READ MORE: Washington Teen Fatally Shot by Off-Duty Guard While Returning Airsoft Gun to Store This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: 'Monster': Tampa 19-year-old kills parents, shoots deputy in shootout, sheriff says - From WFLA News Channel 8 The violence in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico continues even after the elections, as gunmen killed a family of six, including three children, in a town that has been hit with militia violence and a string of family killings. The killings happened in the Chiapas town of Pantelho, with the town's mayor, Juan Perez, telling the Associated Press that it was a "massacre" that happened due to two warring militias that are being backed by powerful drug cartels. The two criminal groups are battling for control of the town, according to Perez. Chiapas has recently become the latest front in Mexico's drug war, as the southern state borders Guatemala is a lucrative route for smuggling not just drugs but migrants heading to the US-Mexico border as well. The two biggest cartels in Mexico, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, are the two biggest factions vying for supremacy in the state. These killings are the latest in a string of mass killings in which hitmen have wiped out entire families in Mexico, with the most prevalent happening in the states of Chiapas and Guanajuato, which borders the United States. On Sunday, another incident happened where four women and two children were also killed in Guanajuato as a result of bloody gang turf battles. Gunmen allegedly entered a home in the city of Leon and looked for a male family member. When they found out he fled, they killed his family instead. What made the Guanajuato incident more tragic was that members of the Mexico National Guard were inside that same home just a few minutes before the gunmen arrived and massacred the people inside. READ MORE: Welcome Corps Group Helping US Citizens and Residents Support Refugees Come to the US Legally Displaced Chiapas Residents Still Refusing To Go Back Home Amid Mexico Violence The attack on the family in Chiapas happened as thousands of residents from the town of Tila were displaced after a local gang attacked, shooting up homes and burning down some of them. Many of the residents remained fearful and are even thinking about relocating to another state, according to ABC News. The attack was reportedly made by a group calling itself the "Autonomos," or Autonomous Ones, which has been linked to various drug trafficking activities in Chiapas. Mexico Violence Will Just Be One of the Challenges President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum Will Face With a new president coming, violence in Mexico is expected to be one of President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum's biggest challenges as the cartels continue to terrorize the country. "Mexico is a country where more than nine out of 10 crimes committed against the population go unpunished," said Stephanie Brewer, Mexico Director at the Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA), during an interview with CNN. "It's a country with low levels of reporting of crimes due largely to distrust in authorities, lack of faith in investigations, which can be very well founded." In addition, femicide rates in Mexico are still high. Even with the country electing its first female president in Sheinbaum, there is still a long way to go to fix its problem of violence against women. READ MORE: Mexico: Peso Takes a Dive After President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Doubles Down on Constitutional Reforms This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Mexico: Over 4,000 Flee Town as Drug Cartel Opens Fire, Burns Houses | Firstpost America Allentown officers have already nabbed five people in arrests and seized some dirt bikes with the help of Pennsylvania State Police helicopters, law enforcement officials said. City Police Chief Charles Roca on Sunday took to the departments Facebook page to alert residents about the helicopters flying overhead. The goal, the chief posted, is to enhance public safety by partnering with troopers and the Pennsylvania State Police Aviation Unit. This partnership will continue through the summer to enhance relationships and make our community safer, Roca stated. I am grateful to the PSP and our officers working together to hold people accountable who choose to engage in criminal activity. On Saturday, the state police Aviation Unit already helped city investigators make five arrests with charges spanning a drug offense; a firearms offense; two fleeing/eluding law enforcement; and one person on an outstanding warrant. The crackdown also led to two traffic citations and the confiscation of three dirt bikes, said Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for the Troop M barracks. Saturdays detail lasted from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Branosky said. Additional overhead coverage and enforcement is expected to follow all summer season through the combined partnership. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. In Pictures; Full Steam Ahead at launch of 60th National Steam Rally- Photos by Michael Scully The 60th National Steam Rally was officially launched on Saturday 15th June at Stradbally Woodland Railway, located on the picturesque grounds of the Cosby Estate. This landmark event, organised by the Irish Steam Preservation Society, was a spectacular celebration of steam engines, vintage machinery, and family fun. Nigel Glynn, Chairperson of the Irish Steam Preservation Society, addressed the gathering of guests, volunteers, and steam enthusiasts, emphasising the vital role that society plays in benefiting the community through its activities and initiatives. The Irish Steam Preservation Society is dedicated to promoting the permanent preservation of steam-powered machines and related equipment, ensuring that future generations can learn about Irelands rich steam engine and vintage heritage, said Mr Glynn. This years National Steam Rally will take place on August 4 and 5. The group had originally planned to have sixty full-sized steam engines to celebrate their 60th anniversary, yet have said that this years event has surpassed all expectations. What started as a goal of Sixty For 60; has grown beyond belief! This years rally will boast the largest gathering of steam engines ever seen in all of Ireland," Mr Glynn stated. The event will also feature a wide array of attractions, including live music and dancing with performances from artists such as Susan McCann and Cliona Hagan among others, a variety of food stalls and trade displays to cater to all tastes and interests, and numerous family-friendly activities making it a perfect outing for families. Additional attractions include a pet farm, food tent, amusements, a craft village, a sawbench display, sawing with steam, a vintage tar display, childrens activities, a blacksmiths village, a road making display, vintage cars and tractors, miniature steam engines, motorbikes, vintage threshing displays, sheepdog demonstrations, oil engines, trucks and much, much more. In his speech, Mr Glynn highlighted the societys commitment to environmental responsibility. We are proud and privileged that our society demonstrates environmental responsibility. In 2023, we became the first event in all of Ireland and beyond to use a carbon-neutral biofuel, crafted and supplied by Arigna Fuels. While it was not perfect and does need a bit of tweaking, our commitment to sustainable energy practices sets an example for other events and industries, Mr Glynn said. The societys efforts also extend to supporting local charities, including Laois Hospice, Stradbally Meal on Wheels, and Aoibheanns Pink Tie, a charity that supports families of sick children. The funds raised from our activities support these vital local charities, indirectly benefiting the public and community-based organisations, the Chairperson noted. To mark the occasion of the official launch, a Flash Sale on tickets is now live, offering a 20% discount on all tickets from June 15th to June 29th. This special offer makes it an ideal time to secure tickets for the showcase event. We hope you will support and assist in whatever way you can when the time comes, Mr Glynn concluded. It is important that we keep the society alive, vibrant, and running for another 60 years. The 60th National Steam Rally will be held on August 4th, 5th at the Cosby Estate, Stradbally, Co. Laois, with a 60th Anniversary Celebration Street Party, and Steam, Vintage Parade, taking place in Stradbally on Saturday 3rd August, from 5pm. RTEs director general Kevin Bakhurst said he is extremely pleased that the Irish publics trust in the broadcaster has risen in the last year, despite the turbulence and controversies within the organisation. Figures published by Irelands media and online regulator, Coimisiun na Mean, in its annual Digital News Report, show that while trust in news is down slightly overall, some media outlets, including RTE, saw a rise in trust levels. RTE News remains one of the most trusted news sources, with 72% of the public describing it as trustworthy, which is a 1% increase compared to last year. The level of trust in the Irish Times also increased by 2% and also remains the most trusted media outlet at 72%. Irish people who strongly agree that they can trust most news most of the time has remained relatively stable since 2017. The number of those who are more sceptical of news has risen by 3% since 2021, while those who are neutral account for just over one in four people. Irelands 46% level of trust in most of the news most of the time is high by international standards, and compares with a European average of 39%, a US rate of 32% and a UK rate of 36%. Mr Bakhurst said that the rise in trust levels in RTE is reflection of the incredible work of the news teams. The broadcaster was plunged into crisis in June last year after it admitted understating the fees for its star presenter and previous top earner Ryan Tubridy. A series of probing parliamentary committee hearings also uncovered other concerns about culture, governance and financial management at RTE and there have been several high-profile resignations from the board and executive of the station. Mr Bakhurst was appointed director general last year. Speaking on Monday, Mr Bakhurst said: I am always concerned about the levels of trust, its absolutely critical for our news and current affairs. I think this is a reflection of the incredible work the teams in current affairs and news have done over the last year, not least at which is holding RTE to account over that period and the audience can see that. The audience is incredibly discerning and I think this is a real reflection of the work the teams did at RTE so I am delighted for them. I am extremely pleased that the trust has gone up marginally in RTE. Its at a high level, we remain one of the two most trusted news organisations in Ireland. Thats really important. He added: Its a long road to maintaining and rebuilding trust and the role of news and current affairs is critical. As Ive said to everyone in RTE, its day in day out. Its about the changes in the organisation, its about audiences being able to rely on what we put on air and what we put on our platforms. My role overall is to make sure we continue to rebuild trust in RTE. Elsewhere, the trust in the Irish Independent rose by 1%; Newstalk by 2%; Today FM by 2%; Irish Examiner by 1%; the Journal.ie by 2% while BBC News, Sky News and Virgin Media News all remain steady. Laois Offaly Families For Autism (LOFFA) have expressed disappointment in the Odeon Portlaoise cinema, for ending a kids price rate for monthly Autism Friendly screenings. For some years, the Portlaoise cinema had held Autism Friendly shows once a month, at the Kids Price rate of 4.50. Now that has been raised to the adult rate of 9.50 per child, even though the normal Kids Club rate remains at 4.50. The difference of Autism Friendly screenings, shown at a lower volume among other changes in the theatre, can offer the only time that some people with Autism can enjoy a movie experience without sensory overload. The charity expressed their disappointment in a social media post. It is very sad to see that the Odeon Cinema Portlaoise can no longer hold a Kids Club Autism Screening once a month. They can hold a screening but not at kids club prices which members of the public and LOFFA members have availed of for the last few years. Tickets are now 9.50 instead of 4.50. We have been in close contact with them for the last three months with no success. Seemly new management new rules, LOFFA said. Breda Murray is chair of LOFFA. It's very regrettable that in a town going for autism friendly status, as we have been consulted by Laois County Council about, the local cinema cannot accommodate not just autistic children but children in need of sensory modifications with a Kids Club showing at Kids Club Prices, she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live. Parents are supporting LOFFA in online comments. Sad to read this Laois Offaly Families for Autism so soon after the Rainbow Day fundraising campaign which highlights the very small accommodations our children require to access and enjoy their community. And at a time when Laois County Council is going for autism friendly town status too! Our children should be able to continue to access a sensory Kids Club with the same regularity and at the same price point as their typical peers, it's that simple ODEON Cinemas Ireland, one parent said. Odeon Cinema Portlaoise you guys are ruining an opportunity for families to get an hour-two hours peace, community and mutual understanding. Autism is expensive, especially in childhood between therapies, new equipment, potential restricted food. You have taken away essential access for these families. I hope you are ashamed of yourselves. The prices worked before. They would work now at kids club costs. Your profit margins aren't struggling with the old price, another commenter said. Odeon Cinemas has issued a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. They say their Autism friendly screenings are for adults too. ODEON Cinemas continue to offer our Autism-friendly screenings, which are not just for children. This is reflected in the pricing, as these screenings are priced the same as standard ones. Therefore, you can find both adult and child pricing available at our specially adapted screenings. For a more budget-friendly option for children, we also have ODEON Kids screenings available for 2.75. However, please note that these are not specifically Autism-friendly, a spokesperson said. On its website, Odeon states the following about its special screenings. "The typical cinema environment can be stressful for guests with autism, sensory difficulties or learning impairments. Were delighted to host special autism friendly screenings one Sunday morning each month at over 90 cinemas across the UK and ROI. "At our autism friendly screenings, we keep the house lights on throughout the film. Lower the audio volume. Remove the advertisements and trailers before the film. Open the cinema doors early so guests have time to get used to the surroundings." Laois students have been recognised for their gra for Gaeilge after a year spent brushing up their Irish speaking skills. Students from Timahoe National School have been presented with a Gaelbhratach (Irish flag) at a ceremony in Roscrea, Tipperary, for their promotion of the Irish language. Their big effort had included holding a weekly school assembly through Irish, creating podcasts and art projects among other activities set up and run by the school's student committee. The school announced their success on their website. "Chuaigh an coiste gaelbhratach go dti Ros Cre chun gaelbhrarach a bailiu. Bhain muid an taitneamh as an la. "The Gealbratach Committe travelled to Cistercian College Roscrea for the Gaelbhratach Award Ceremony. We received a flag in recognition for all our work in learning Irish through games, assembly and comhra, etc. "Foras na Gaeilge organised a fantastic day of fun for the children and all through Irish. They had a treasure hunt, a tug of war, dodge ball, the floor is lava and much more. We ended the day with ice-cream," the committee said. Run by Gael Linn, Gaelbhratach' is a national initiative that encourages primary and secondary school students to speak Irish outside of the formal classroom setting. Over 70 flags will be awarded to primary school students across Ireland - the most awarded in any one year. Flags are awarded in recognition of their efforts to inspire and empower their school communities to speak Irish. Barry O Siochru, the first full-time Irish language officer in the Students' Union, University of Galway, was the MC for the event and Niamh Ni Chroinin, TV presenter at TG4, presented the flags to students. Niamh Ni Chroinin, TV presenter at Cula 4, TG4 presented the flags. I was excited to present the Gaelbhratach flags on behalf of Cula4 at the award ceremony this year. Congratulations to all the dedicated students who are using Irish in such fun and exciting ways. Being able to speak Irish has brought me so many opportunities and it is so encouraging to see so many young people engage with the language. The Gaelbhratach scheme is a fantastic way for students to take charge of their own use of the language, bring it into everyday life and make it enjoyable. Edel Ni Bhraonain is Bainisteoir Gaelbhratach. We are delighted to award primary school students from Laois with a Gaelbhratach. Gaelbhratach gives young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to use and develop their Irish language skills in an interactive and non-traditional way. The programme aims to put the student voice at the centre of their learning through the Gaelbhratach committee. The role of this student-led committee is to direct the Gaelbhratach activities throughout the school year - empowering students in Laois to take ownership of how and when they use their Irish. We have new schools hoping to join the scheme each year and it is inspiring to see young peoples passion for the language. The most rewarding part of the scheme is hearing feedback, from students and teachers alike, on how they have integrated the language into their everyday lives and the impact it has had. Gaelbhratach is an Irish language scheme focused on promoting Irish in primary and secondary schools around the country. Each year, Gaelbhratach organises the post-primary Gaelbhratach Awards Ceremony to celebrate the significant contributions made by teachers and students around the country towards the promotion of the Irish language in their schools. Further information about the Gaelbhratach scheme is available here. Gaelbhratach is a reward scheme, run by Gael Linn, which is open to schools across the country at both primary and post-primary level. Schools are recognised for their efforts in promoting the active use of Irish outside of the rang Gaeilge. The focus is on linking the language with activities the students enjoy such as music, sport and art and creating regular opportunities to practice through adapting daily routines to include more Irish. Gaelbhratach is funded by Foras na Gaeilge, the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through the National Lottery and Straiteis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. This years Benetti Menswear Rose Escorts spent a weekend in Kerry where they undertook a number of physical and mental challenges to prepare them for the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Tralee, Co Kerry, this August. 2023 Benetti Menswear Rose Escort of the Year Tommy Cunningham, who hails from Rathangan, Co. Kildare and is a teacher in Kildare Town Educate Together National School, said: Its great to see this years Rose Escorts dive in to the Bootcamp tasks to prepare them for the Festival in August. The Bootcamp weekend in the Kingdom is a great team-building exercise that helps the lads to get to know each other first and help them cope with the demands of any Rose! Its exciting to think that in just two months one of them will be the next Rose Escort of the year. Reflecting on his year as Rose Escort of the Year, he said: My one piece of advice to any escort is to enjoy it all! These are the best years of our lives. Grab the opportunity with all you've got, and I promise you'll make memories and stories that will last a lifetime. "Being the Rose Escort of the Year can mean many different things to different people. For me, it has changed my life for the better. It has given me opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, given me friends that I can lean on and cherish for a lifetime, and above all, has undoubtedly shaped the man I am today. I will be forever grateful for what this truly special festival, and the people that make it, has given to me and my family." Corkmen topped the list of Rose Escorts for this years Festival with six making the shortlist of 32 chosen after a gruelling Rose Escort Bootcamp in Co Kerry, while teaching is the most popular profession among the group. The men, who already came through an interview process in May that saw hundreds apply for a chance to be part of this years Festival in Tralee, had to conquer a number of team-building exercises and endurance challenges before they could graduate as official Benetti Menswear Rose Escorts. This years Bootcamp was again supported by Kerry County Council who helped put together a packed programme of activities throughout the Kingdom of Kerry. To prove they have the necessary stamina to take on the Festival and a week with the Roses, the lads had to carry out a range of activities under the watchful eye of Sean OConnor of Beachfit Games, featuring fence climbs, sledgehammers, tyre flips and more before a cool-off session in Banna Strand. Rose Escorts need to be prepared for any Rose emergency and were tested by Kerry Fire and Rescue Service with fireman lessons to be sure they can take the heat this August! But its not all grueling challenges, as Rose Escorts are expected to look dapper in a tuxedo at the drop of a hat, ironing skills were put to the test at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee (and were delighted to tell their mammies they passed with flying colours!) The Meadowlands, the Home of the Roses during Festival week, served up true Irish hospitality as they hosted the budding Rose Escorts during the Bootcamp weekend. Next up The Ready Hub gave the men a wellness and teambuilding session to remember with an energy-lifting session, walking on glass and the arrow break' (an ancient Fijian ritual where the point of a wooden archery arrow is placed between your throat and solid surface before being snapped). While the Rebel County has the highest representation with six Rose Escorts, it is followed by Kerry and Dublin and Limerick with three each while one young gentleman will travel all the way from Chicago to be a part of the fun in Tralee in August. Along several teachers in the camp, a wide range of professions feature among the profiles of this years Rose Escorts including a postman, a pilot, an aircraft engineer, a wedding DJ and youth justice worker. The chosen men, aged between 21 to 30, will accompany the Roses in Tralee at this year's Rose of Tralee International Festival from August 16th to 20th. Benetti Menswear this year return as proud partners and sponsors of the 2024 Rose Escorts. This years Benetti Menswear Rose Escort of the Year will be announced live on stage on Monday 19th August in front of a packed Dome with hosts Daithi O'Se and Kathryn Thomas. Tickets for the live televised nights go on sale at www.roseoftralee.ie today (Monday, June 17th at 10am) Green Party Ministers Eamon Ryan TD and Malcolm Noonan TD were in Luxembourg to announce Ireland's backing of the EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL), which received final approval from the EU Environment Council on June 17, 2024. The NRL, a key part of the European Green Deal, has overcome strong opposition and misinformation campaigns. Scientists, businesses, and millions of Europeans supported the NRL for its role in rejuvenating biodiversity across the continent. The Green Ministers led efforts to rally support, including a joint letter from 11 Member States crucial to securing approval. The NRL targets restoring Ireland's unique habitats like ancient woodlands, blanket bogs, coastal lagoons, and species-rich grasslands. This benefits endangered species and aims to enhance biodiversity in forests, farmland, and urban areas. Healthy ecosystems provide essential services supporting societies and economies. Neglecting restoration risks food and water security, worsens extreme weather impacts, and increases pest outbreaks, depriving future generations of nature's wonders developed over millennia. Blaithin Gallagher, Chair of the North West Greens, expressed her support, thanking the Green Party ministers and former MEPs who worked tirelessly to make this happen. Gallagher said: "This significant step forward in restoring nature across the European Union is a testament to the dedicated efforts of individuals, NGOs, and concerned bodies throughout the EU and in Ireland. "We must unite against divisive narratives that pit urban against rural, farmers against environmentalists. Urgent action on environmental and biodiversity issues is essential for everyone's future, including farmers. "Together, we can forge a sustainable future where clean air, clean water, and the wonders of nature are preserved and protected. "Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the benefits of nature restoration are understood and embraced by all communities. This law not only protects our natural heritage but also enhances the well-being of our societies by mitigating climate impacts, promoting sustainable agriculture, and fostering opportunities through eco-tourism and green jobs. "Together, we can build a resilient ecosystem that supports both human and environmental health for generations to come." Speaking in Luxembourg, Minister Ryan said: This is a good day for nature and a good day for the millions of people who have understood and campaigned for the vital importance of protecting and restoring our natural world. "It also underpins the importance of having the Green Party and the Green Group in the European Parliament. We championed the Regulation through its complicated passage to this point, but not without listening and responding to the concerns of others and bringing other politicians with us to support it. "The only way we can protect nature and biodiversity is if we work together, in our own local communities and as a wider European community. "Now our job is to ensure that there are adequate funds and supports in place to ensure that the people at the very coalface of nature protection are well paid and that their livelihoods are also protected. Minister of State for Nature, Malcolm Noonan TD, said: Ireland has led from the front on nature restoration over the last two years, and that is down to the Green Party. "We negotiated hard to ensure cross-party support in Government, brought the overwhelming majority of the opposition with us, secured the votes of Irish MEPs at a critical time when we thought all might be lost, advocated for nature among our European colleagues, and delivered a Climate and Nature Fund of 3.15bn to support the implementation of the NRL at home. "If the story of the Nature Restoration Law which has faced down powerful political headwinds in Europe isnt a testament to the value of the Green Party in this Government, I dont know what is. The National Restoration Plan in Ireland is expanding current efforts. Farmers are active in over 1,500 nature restoration projects through programs like LIFE and the Farm Plan Scheme by NPWS. The 25 million B reeding Waders EIP, launched last year with DAFM, aims to increase participation. Over 18,000 farmers are involved in ACRES projects, and 130 are in water quality initiatives with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes. Efforts also include Bord na Mona restoring 33,000 hectares of peatland and Coillte enhancing biodiversity on 90,000 hectares by 2030. XING Mobility Unveils IMMERSIOtm XE50, a Game-Changer for Energy Storage System Market Revolutionary Immersion Cooling Energy Storage Battery Solution Shines at The Battery Show Europe, Addressing Challenges in Energy Storage Applications TAIPEI, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- XING Mobility, a global pioneer in immersion cooling battery technology, launches a disruptive energy storage battery solution, IMMERSIOtm XE50. Designed for both renewable energy applications and commercial and residential uses, XE50 offers both safety and performance, capable of reaching up to 1500V. Debuting at The Battery Show Europe 2024 in Stuttgart, Germany, from June 18-20, the IMMERSIOtm XE50 highlights how XING Mobility's innovative immersion cooling battery module technology drives energy storage system performance upgrades. Starting in the electric supercar industry, XING mobility's IMMERSIOtm immersion cooling battery technology is the only Taiwanese battery system to pass the European automotive standards and a 100,000-kilometer durability test by Japanese automakers. These advancements attracted investment and product integration from Kubota, a global leader in agricultural machinery. The debut of the IMMERSIOtm XE50 energy storage system marks its official entry into the global energy storage market. XING Mobility's IMMERSIOtm immersion cooling battery technology addresses the critical safety and thermal management challenges in high-voltage batteries, gaining significant recognition in the global EV and energy storage markets. With precise temperature control within 3% and an innovative structural design, the system extends battery life by 15% and saves approximately 40% in space and weight, thereby reducing operational costs[1]. The IMMERSIOtm XE50 features superior temperature control for rapid cooldown and immediate recharging after fast discharge, ideal for energy applications[2]. It is suitable for Fast Frequency Reserve (FFR) usage, contributing to the grid stability and large-scale energy storage application. "We've demonstrated that our technology meets the highest standards of safety, performance, and reliability in various applications, particularly in energy storage, through partnerships in Norway and Taiwan." Royce YC Hong, Co-founder & CEO of XING Mobility stated, "The launch of the IMMERSIOtm XE50 marks our exciting entry into the global energy storage market, offering substantial advancements in safety and efficiency for energy storage systems. We're committed to driving the energy transition forward with efficient, sustainable, and reliable immersion cooling solutions." In 2023, XING Mobility conducted the world's first three-nail penetration safety test on the IMMERSIOtm XM25 immersion cooling battery system, demonstrating its ability to manage thermal runaway risks, with punctured cells dropping from 1,600 degrees to below 600 degrees within 10 seconds and stabilizing surrounding cells within 20 seconds. This system is currently employed in Hummingbird, the world's first portable and scalable mobile fast-charging station by Nordic Booster. XING Mobility also collaborated with Remotek Corporation to create Taiwan's first immersion cooling 2.4 MWh energy storage cabinet for Taipower Company's Changbin Windfarm, operational since late March 2024. XING Mobility's partnerships with more energy storage system integrators worldwide are anticipated to yield orders totaling 30 to 50 MWh in 2024. XING Mobility will demonstrate the IMMERSIOtm XE50 for the first time at The Battery Show Europe 2024, at Hall 8-C45, showcasing XING Mobility's strength in developing and manufacturing safe, stable, and efficient high-voltage battery systems. [1] The IMMERSIOtm XE50 module utilizes high-energy-density NMC cells offering significant advantages over traditional air-cooling systems with low-energy-density LFP cells and could save approximately 40% in space and weight. [2] Traditional air-cooling energy storage battery systems cannot continuously perform 1C/1C charging and discharging cycles without several hours of cooling down, posing a significant challenge for renewable energy applications like solar and wind power, which require adaptability to unstable climatic conditions. More at: https://www.xingmobility.com/ SOURCE XING Mobility 17 june 2024 at 03:00 News published onand distributed by: Symphony Talent's Award-Winning Full-Funnel Talent Acquisition Portfolio Earns Strategic Challenger Status on Fosway 9-Gridtm for Third Consecutive Year NEW YORK and LONDON, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Symphony Talent , a global leader in recruitment marketing technology and employer brand services, has been named a Strategic Challenger on the 2024 Fosway 9-Gridtm for Talent Acquisition for the third consecutive year, demonstrating Symphony Talent's consistent dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that drive game-changing results for talent acquisition teams worldwide. "Symphony Talent provides a robust framework for meeting the diverse needs of complex, global enterprise-scale clients." "From rapidly evolving technologies to shifting candidate expectations, the TA industry faces many challenges," says Sven Elbert, Head of Analyst Services at Fosway Group. "A full-funnel talent acquisition solution ? that seamlessly aligns employer branding, technology and data analytics to the candidate journey ? is essential to address these complexities. Symphony Talent provides a robust framework for meeting the diverse needs of complex, global enterprise-scale clients." Empowering TA Teams with Full-Funnel Solutions Symphony Talent's extensive portfolio of talent acquisition solutions, including its Brand and Creative Services, Programmatic Media Advertising, Career Sites, CRM, and Assessments, drive outstanding client results by addressing every stage of the talent acquisition funnel. Over 700 global clients leverage Symphony Talent's innovative technologies and strategic expertise, achieving significant outcomes, such as: Cutting administrative recruiting tasks by 65% Spending 70% less time managing media spend Reducing time spent qualifying talent by 60% Decreasing cost per hire by 25% Filling open positions 30% faster Ensuring quality hires with a 15% reduction in employee turnover "We are honored to be recognized as a Strategic Challenger on the Fosway 9-Gridtm for the third year in a row," says Kermit Randa, CEO of Symphony Talent. "This achievement highlights our ongoing commitment to connect clients with innovative, high-impact solutions and data that empower them to navigate the complexities of today's talent landscape and confidently convert candidates to co-workers." Highlights of Symphony Talent's Achievement: Innovation and Leadership: Symphony Talent's continuous recognition as a Strategic Challenger is a testament to its unwavering commitment to innovation and leadership in the talent acquisition industry. The company's comprehensive suite of solutions, including the award-winning SFX platform, integrates brand and creative services with recruitment marketing technology to streamline the hiring process and enhance candidate experience. Symphony Talent's continuous recognition as a Strategic Challenger is a testament to its unwavering commitment to innovation and leadership in the talent acquisition industry. The company's comprehensive suite of solutions, including the award-winning SFX platform, integrates brand and creative services with recruitment marketing technology to streamline the hiring process and enhance candidate experience. Client-Centric Approach: Symphony Talent's focus on understanding and addressing its clients' evolving needs has been pivotal in maintaining its strategic position. Symphony Talent ensures clients achieve tangible and measurable outcomes by offering personalized support, detailed implementation schedules, and optimization workgroups. Symphony Talent's focus on understanding and addressing its clients' evolving needs has been pivotal in maintaining its strategic position. Symphony Talent ensures clients achieve tangible and measurable outcomes by offering personalized support, detailed implementation schedules, and optimization workgroups. Adaptation to Market Trends: With a deep understanding of the current market dynamics and the challenges faced by talent acquisition teams, Symphony Talent has continuously adapted its offerings to meet these demands. This includes leveraging AI and automation to enhance productivity and providing data-driven insights to optimize recruitment strategies. About the Fosway 9-Gridtm Fosway Group is Europe's #1 HR industry analyst. The Fosway 9-Gridtm provides a unique assessment of the principal learning and talent supply options available to organisations in EMEA. The analysis is based on extensive independent research and insights from Fosway's Corporate Research Network of over 250 organisations, including BP, HSBC, PwC, RBS, Sanofi, Shell, and Vodafone. Visit the Fosway website at www.fosway.com . About Symphony Talent Symphony Talent is a recruitment marketing technology and employer brand services company that helps talent acquisition teams execute strategic, innovative candidate interactions. Our award-winning, synergistic technology and brand solutions are designed to deliver outcomes ? from reach to retention ? that unlock a competitive advantage for clients across the globe, including the world's leading brands. Visit symphonytalent.com to learn more. SOURCE Symphony Talent 17 june 2024 at 03:00 News published onand distributed by: Pancreatic cancer's cellular amnesia COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Things aren't always as they seem. Take pancreatic cancer, for example. In up to one in 10 cases, researchers have documented a peculiar characteristic. Some of the pancreatic cells appear to have lost their identity. It's as if they forget what they are. Former Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) postdoc Diogo Maia-Silva, now at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains: "This is very bizarre. You see pancreatic cancer, which usually somewhat resembles the original organ, losing those features and basically becoming akin to skin or esophagus?these other very unrelated tissues." For years, researchers have wondered exactly how this deadly disease, known as basal-like pancreatic cancer, works. Now, Maia-Silva and colleagues at CSHL have discovered that a protein called MED12 may play a critical role. While the discovery is notable in and of itself, it also builds on decades of CSHL research. Twenty-five years ago, CSHL Professor Alea Mills discovered that a protein called p63 is important for the formation of normal basal cells?small cells in the lower part of the epidermis. Later research from CSHL Professor Christopher Vakoc found that this protein can also cause pancreatic cancer to become basal-like. Exactly how was unclear. Maia-Silva joined Vakoc's lab in 2018, wanting to continue this investigation. Because p63 is notoriously difficult to target with drugs, he wondered which other molecules it might work with to confuse cells. With his colleagues, he developed a method to screen the entire genome of basal-like cancer cells and rank which genes were most important for maintaining their new identity. In all his tests, MED12 rose to the top. This gene contains instructions for making the MED12 protein, one of about 25 in a complex that regulates gene activity. Maia-Silva says: "That was very unexpected because it's part of this broad complex, but [most] other members of the complex didn't show up. Despite being part of this general machinery of the cell, [MED12] has some unique property that makes it more important for basal biology." Further tests showed that MED12 and p63 bind directly to each other. This suggests that each may be required to turn pancreatic cells basal-like. If researchers could one day figure out how to stop this interaction, it's possible they could prevent pancreatic cancer from going basal. However, Maia-Silva is quick to note, this isn't "something that can be easily done." Still, "this is exciting," he adds. "Finding these critical partners is sort of a first step toward blocking the pathway." It's a new beginning but also yet another exciting conclusion in a string of discoveries at CSHL. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 17 june 2024 at 05:00 News published onand distributed by: Neuromod's FDA-Approved Lenire Device Now a Treatment Option for 2.9 Million US Veterans with Tinnitus Lenire, the first and only tinnitus treatment device of its kind approved by the FDA, is now an option for 2.9 million veterans living with tinnitus through Veterans Affairs. 5 Lenire is the first and only bimodal neuromodulation device to be awarded a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract from the US Government. The General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule 65 II Medical Equipment and Supply Contract will also make Lenire an option for patients receiving care through the Department of Defense (DoD), the Bureau of Prisons, Indian Health Services, and Public Health Services. CHICAGO, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuromod USA Inc. has been awarded a Federal Supply Schedule 65 II Medical Equipment and Supply Contract from the US Government, making the Lenire tinnitus device a treatment option for the 2.9 million US Veterans living with tinnitus5 through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The General Services Administration FSS Contract will also make Lenire an option for patients receiving care from the Department of Defense (DoD), Bureau of Prisons, Indian Health Services, and Public Health Services. Lenire is the first bimodal neuromodulation device to receive a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract. It can be prescribed when appropriate by a trained healthcare clinician for the treatment of tinnitus. General Services Administration's decision to award the FSS contract was based on Neuromod Devices' clinical trial success, commercial sales practices, financial performance, and additional clinical capability factors. Tinnitus, which is commonly known as "ringing in the ears," is a complex neurological condition afflicting an estimated ten percent of all adults.4 It causes a perception of sound when there is no external source. If left untreated, tinnitus severity can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life. Tinnitus has been the number one service-connected disability compensated for by the VA since 1955. More than 2.9 million veterans received more than $5 billion in compensation in 2023.5 Sixty-three percent of all auditory Veteran Compensation Claims were for tinnitus.5 "Tinnitus is the number one service-connected disability," said Eric Timm, Neuromod USA CEO and Neuromod Devices President of Global Commercial Operations. "The number of veterans with tinnitus is growing at a double-digit rate annually. Neuromod's FSS Contract ensures that current and future veterans have access to clinically proven tinnitus treatment technology. Everyone at Neuromod is privileged to be serving our veterans by doing our part for tinnitus care." Lenire's bimodal neuromodulation works by pairing specially designed tones heard through wireless headphones with mild electrical pulses that stimulate the tongue through a component called the Tonguetip. In March 2023, Lenire became the first tinnitus treatment device to be awarded FDA Approval through the De Novo framework. FDA Approval was granted based on the success of Lenire's controlled large-scale clinical trial, TENT-A3. That trial confirmed Lenire was clinically superior to sound-only stimulation. 70.5% patients with moderate or worse tinnitus who did not report clinically significant improvement in their tinnitus from six weeks of sound-only, reported clinically significant tinnitus improvement following six weeks of treatment with Lenire.3 The majority of patients with moderate or worse tinnitus who benefitted from six weeks of sound-only stimulation experienced additional benefit from a further six weeks of treatment with Lenire.3, 6 Nearly 89 percent of clinical trial participants would recommend Lenire to treat tinnitus.6 About Neuromod Devices Founded in 2010, Neuromod Devices is a global medical technology company with offices in Ireland, and the United States of America. Neuromod specialises in the design and development of neuromodulation technologies to address the clinical needs of underserved patient populations who live with chronic and debilitating conditions. The lead application of Neuromod's technology is in the field of tinnitus, where Neuromod has completed extensive clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of its non-invasive neuromodulation platform in this common disorder. For more information visit www.neuromoddevices.com . About Lenire Lenire is the first non-invasive bimodal neuromodulation tinnitus treatment device shown to soothe and relieve tinnitus in large-scale clinical trials.1,2,6 Lenire has CE-mark certification for the treatment of tinnitus under the supervision of an appropriately qualified healthcare professional in Europe and has received a De Novo Approval Grant by the US FDA. Further details about Lenire including a list of providers can be found at www.lenire.com . References & Notes Conlon et al., Sci. Transl. Med. 12, eabb2830 (2020) Conlon et al., Different bimodal neuromodulation settings reduce tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized trial, Sci Rep, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-13875-x (2022) Neuromod Devices Ltd., Lenire (CR-201) Clinician's Manual, (2023) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus US VA Benefits Report Fiscal Year 2023: https://www.benefits.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/ TENT-A3 trial data in preparation for publication: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05227365?intr=lenire&rank=1 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2439154/Lenire_Neuromod_Devices.jpg 17 june 2024 at 08:01 News published onand distributed by: Only Four Months Out of Stealth, Aim Security Closes $18M Series A to Secure Generative AI Enterprise Adoption Aim Security, enabling the secure adoption and use of AI across enterprise organizations, today announced $18 million in Series A funding led by Canaan Partners, with participation from the company's seed investor, YL Ventures. Founded by cybersecurity veterans Matan Getz, CEO and Adir Gruss, CTO, who have broken and built AI platforms, including in the IDF's elite intelligence Unit 8200. Aim's backers include the founders of WIZ and industry leaders from Palo Alto Networks, Proofpoint and Google. This is among the fastest Series A rounds in cybersecurity history and brings Aim's total funding to $28 million. "Generative AI is transforming industries from finance to healthcare. However, this power also comes with significant risks and the need for robust security solutions developed specifically for generative AI has never been more urgent," said Joydeep Bhattacharyya, General Partner at Canaan. "Aim Security has quickly moved to the forefront of this industry through its rare combination of expertise, customer-centric ethos and impressive revenue growth. I'm confident Aim Security is uniquely positioned to enable enterprises to harness the transformative power of AI, securely and at scale." AI applications, ranging from chatbots and virtual assistants to AI productivity tools like Microsoft 365 and GitHub Copilot, have rapidly integrated into the fabric of enterprise business workflows and technology stacks. Yet, as enterprises increasingly embrace AI technology, given its supercharged ability to enable business growth and efficiency, security leaders find themselves caught in a perpetual cycle of "playing catch-up" in addressing the unique data, privacy and security challenges AI technology introduces. The result is either blocking its use entirely, negatively affecting business and efficiency goals, or placing the organization at risk. "The stringent regulations of the finance industry and concern for our customers' data make GenAI adoption challenging," said Drew Robertson, CISO at Finance of America. "Aim secures the entire breadth of our GenAI use, no matter where it is applied ? public SaaS apps, enterprise chats, or our own internal developments ? and helps us place and enforce the guardrails that fit our industry regulations and unique needs." Aim's proactive, all-encompassing security platform governs and secures all forms of AI use across the modern business environment. Specifically tailored for AI's unique threats, including sensitive data exposure, supply chain vulnerabilities, harmful or manipulated outputs and the emergence of attack methods such as jailbreaks and prompt injection, Aim's platform has already engendered significant customer trust across highly regulated industries including banking, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing and defense. "Enterprise customers from a wide range of industries repeatedly asked us, ?How can we embrace the undeniable advantages of cutting-edge AI technologies, such as heightened efficiency and optimized decision-making, without crossing our acceptable risk threshold,'" said Matan Getz, CEO of Aim Security. "At Aim, our mission is clear: to serve as the trusted AI security ally for enterprise security leaders and allow organizations to confidently unleash the potential of these technologies within their environment, knowing that Aim is their protection layer." Aim seeks to empower businesses to harness the endless, revenue-boosting opportunities of increased growth and efficiency with AI while ensuring utmost security confidence. With this in mind, Aim's platform is designed to address all relevant aspects of AI use in the modern business environment with a holistic approach. CISOs can become business enablers by encouraging employees to use chatbots, securing enterprise copilot deployments and helping developers build custom GenAI applications securely. "Matan and Adir have a unique and forward-leaning grasp of current and future GenAI risks, and how the hyper-dynamic GenAI Security space will evolve in the future," says Ofer Schreiber, Senior Partner at YL Ventures. "Their profound expertise and acute understanding of this space led to their vision for Aim?the most holistic, comprehensive GenAI security platform in this explosive sector, rife with emerging niche products and established vendors with partial solutions. Over the past several months, we've seen this validated by innovative enterprise customers, who have made Aim their trusted partner in their GenAI adoption journey, and from the industry's leading investors including Canaan, with whom we are extremely excited to partner in this round." For more information on how Aim Security can help drive secure GenAI adoption, please visit: Aim.Security About Aim Security The Age of GenAI is radically transforming the traditional security stack. Aim Security is the enterprise-trusted partner to secure GenAI adoption, equipping security leaders with the ability to drive business productivity while providing the right guardrails and ensuring proactive protection for all use cases across the entire organization, whether enterprise use or production use. Leading CISOs and security practitioners on their secure GenAI journey, Aim empowers enterprises to unlock the full potential of GenAI technology without compromising security. About Canaan Partners Canaan is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs with visionary ideas. With more than $7 billion under management, a diversified fund and hundreds of exits to date, we partner with entrepreneurs building the next generation of technology and healthcare companies that will transform how we live, work and thrive. To learn more about our people and our portfolio, please visit: www.canaan.com About YL Ventures YL Ventures funds and supports visionary cybersecurity entrepreneurs from seed to scale to help them evolve transformative ideas into market-leading companies. The firm accelerates company growth with tailored support through its powerful network of Chief Information Security Officers, global industry leaders, and a dedicated team of multidisciplinary experts. Based in Silicon Valley, New York and Tel Aviv, YL Ventures manages five funds with $800M in total AUM. The firm has a track record of seeding cybersecurity unicorns such as Axonius and Orca Security, and its portfolio companies have been successfully acquired by high-profile, global industry leaders including Palo Alto Networks, Microsoft, Okta and Proofpoint. In 2022, YL Ventures ranked 8th out of over 250 venture capital firms in PitchBook's prestigious Global Manager Performance Score League Tables and was the only cybersecurity-focused VC to secure a top 10 spot on the list. 17 june 2024 at 08:10 News published onand distributed by: Children's Tumor Foundation Presents the 2024 Global NF Conference in Brussels: Shaping What's Next for NF NEW YORK and BRUSSELS, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 Global NF Conference, organized by the Children's Tumor Foundation (CTF) and the European NF Group, and hosted by Children's Tumor Foundation Europe, is the foremost assembly defining the scientific and medical future of the genetic conditions neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis (known collectively as NF). This global gathering, taking place from June 20-25 at THE EGG in Brussels, Belgium, will connect over 1,000 attendees for up-to-date knowledge and insights in the growing fields of NF research and care. It's a pivotal moment in NF research, offering a front-row seat to the significant progress being made to accelerate the development of effective treatments for patients. The Global NF Conference: A gathering of experts and innovators ready to shape a new era for NF research and care A New Era for NF Research and Care NF, encompassing neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and all forms of schwannomatosis (SWN), including NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), affects approximately 4 million people worldwide. These genetic conditions cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, leading to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning disabilities, disabling pain, and cancer. The Global NF Conference aims to redefine the future of NF research and care, accelerating the path to effective therapies and improving patient outcomes. Unprecedented Depth and Breadth of Content For the first time, the conference will allocate a full-day to each of the main topics, allowing for an in-depth exploration of critical areas such as gene therapy, comprehensive care, novel therapeutics, artificial intelligence, and biomarker discovery. Highlights include: Young Investigator Day ( June 20 ), a dedicated session to support and mentor up-and-coming researchers, fostering the next generation of NF scientists. ( ), a dedicated session to support and mentor up-and-coming researchers, fostering the next generation of NF scientists. Patient Day ( June 21 ), an opportunity for patients to engage directly with researchers and clinicians, featuring educational sessions on diagnostics, lifestyle behaviors, and clinical trial participation. Renowned Keynote Speakers Five keynote sessions will anchor the conference, featuring leading scientific innovators: Gene Therapy Keynote : Dr. Luigi Naldini (San Raffaele University, Italy ) on translating gene therapy from bench to bedside : Dr. (San Raffaele University, ) on translating gene therapy from bench to bedside Comprehensive Care Keynote : Dr. Abby Rosenberg (Boston Children's Hospital / Harvard University ) on the science and art of resilience : Dr. (Boston Children's Hospital / ) on the science and art of resilience Schwannomatosis (SWN) Keynote : Dr. Andrew Rice (Imperial College London, UK ) on managing chronic neuropathic pain : Dr. (Imperial College ) on managing chronic neuropathic pain Novel Therapeutics Keynote : Dr. Daniel Nomura ( University of California Berkeley ) on innovative chemoproteomic platforms : Dr. ( ) on innovative chemoproteomic platforms AI and Biomarkers Keynote: Dr. Casey Greene ( University of Colorado ) on the expanding role of AI in research and care A Global Gathering of Experts and Innovators The conference will draw a diverse group of attendees, including research scientists, medical professionals, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, investors, public and private funders, government agencies, media, and patient representatives. This convergence of expertise will drive forward the basic, translational, and clinical research necessary to conquer NF. Special Sessions and Awards Opening Remarks ( June 21 ) : Nathalie Moll (Director General, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations - EFPIA) will open the conference, contributing her insights on innovation and collaboration ( ) (Director General, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations - EFPIA) will open the conference, contributing her insights on innovation and collaboration Fireside Chat ( June 24 ): A unique dialogue between Dr. Niklas Blomberg (Innovative Health Initiative Executive Director), and Magda Chlebus (EFPIA Executive Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs), moderated by Dr. Annette Bakker , Children's Tumor Foundation CEO, focusing on public-private partnerships in rare disease research. ( ): A unique dialogue between Dr. (Innovative Health Initiative Executive Director), and (EFPIA Executive Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs), moderated by Dr. , Children's Tumor Foundation CEO, focusing on public-private partnerships in rare disease research. Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award ( June 21 ): Honoring Dr. Rosalie Ferner (Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust London) for her significant contributions to NF research and care. For more information about the Global NF Conference, visit nfconference.org . For details about the Children's Tumor Foundation, visit ctf.org . About the Children's Tumor Foundation The Children's Tumor Foundation is the world's leading organization dedicated to funding and driving innovative research that will result in effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with NF, a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. Through collaboration with the scientific community, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and other key partners, we work diligently to accelerate research and development efforts, ensuring that promising treatments reach those who need them. One in every 2,000 people is born with some type of neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis, which may lead to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning disabilities, disabling pain, or cancer. NF affects all populations equally, and while there is no cure yet, the Children's Tumor Foundation mission of driving research, expanding knowledge, and advancing care for the NF community fosters our vision of one day ending NF. For more information, please visit: ctf.org. SOURCE Children's Tumor Foundation 17 june 2024 at 08:16 News published onand distributed by: Faro Health Inc. Appoints Vivian DeWoskin as Chief Strategy Officer Vivian joins Faro Health Inc. as the company aims to accelerate the growth and adoption of its market-leading SaaS platform for data-driven clinical development. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Faro Health Inc., the leading SaaS platform for data-driven clinical development, is pleased to announce the appointment of Vivian DeWoskin as Chief Strategy Officer. Vivian joins the Faro Health team as the company looks to significantly accelerate the market footprint for its AI-based platform, which aims to transform the clinical trial protocol development process by enabling data-driven, patient-focused decisions in protocol development. Vivian brings a unique combination of skills and experience gained across roles in consulting, sales, product strategy, and commercial leadership that will be essential in defining and solidifying Faro's leadership position in the market. Vivian's passion for the intersection of AI and healthcare began in her undergraduate education at Princeton University, where she studied cognitive and computational neuroscience and developed a deep appreciation for data and predictive modeling. She spent the early years of her career deeply immersed in all stages of drug development and commercialization at Trinity Life Sciences, gaining first-hand experience in the challenges of bringing new therapeutic innovations to market in an efficient and competitive manner. After pursuing her MBA at Berkeley-Haas, Vivian joined Komodo Health in 2019, where she would eventually serve as VP and Head of Strategy, situated at the intersection of commercial leadership and market strategy, as Komodo scaled their data and analytics software business to hundreds of life sciences customers. Most recently, Vivian returned to her neuroscience roots and deepened her passion for supporting Clinical Development as Chief Commercial Officer of NeuraLight, a digital biomarker company focused on neurodegenerative disease. At Faro, Vivian will leverage these experiences, leading a variety of key strategic initiatives, and serving as a "translator" between Faro, its customers, and the broader market. "I'm thrilled to be joining the Faro Health team at such a critical inflection point in the company's growth and in the adoption of AI by the industry," said Vivian about her new role. "When I first connected with the team, I was struck by the enormous potential of Faro's platform to revolutionize how data and insights are used to optimize and accelerate clinical development. By integrating directly into the upstream planning of clinical protocols, Faro allows biopharma companies to structure data that would otherwise be locked away in Word docs and PDFs, thus paving the way for them to leverage downstream AI and ML technologies to drive innovation alongside efficiency." About Faro Health Faro Health redefines how clinical protocols are developed by connecting all the stakeholders in the clinical trials ecosystem, including sponsor and CRO ClinOps teams, research sites, vendors, patients, and laboratories through a single software platform. The Faro platform provides a best-in-class standardized library of study activities that has been augmented with performance-related real-world data to provide intuitive insights during protocol development. Faro brings balance, centricity and flexibility to protocol development through detailed analysis of the impact of each study activity, ensuring teams have the optimum protocol design for operationally complex trials. As a result, clinical protocols developed using Faro's Smart Designer platform are operationally efficient in answering the right questions in the least burdensome way for patients, payers, and regulators. Sponsors, CROs, and researchers can learn more by visiting www.farohealth.com and requesting a consultation with a Faro solutions expert. Contact Information Kimberly Pospahala VP Commercial [email protected] SOURCE: Faro Health Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. 17 june 2024 at 09:00 News published onand distributed by: STRADVISION Receives 'NextRise 2024 Global Innovator' Award SEOUL, South Korea, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- STRADVISION, the creator of award-winning AI-powered image recognition software 'SVNet', was honored with the 'Global Innovator Award' at the 'NextRise 2024 Seoul', a global startup fair held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul on June 14th. NextRise 2024, now in its sixth year, is hosted by KDB Bank (Korea Development Bank) and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). This event brings together over 500 domestic and international startups and global companies to showcase innovative technologies through exhibitions, business meetings, and lectures. Award-winning companies are selected through a comprehensive evaluation of technology, business feasibility, and team competitiveness. STRADVISION received the 'Global Innovator Award' for its deep learning-based vision perception technology, SVNet, which is distinguished by its ultra-light design and exceptional efficiency. Since its commercial launch in 2019, SVNet has been adopted by 13 automakers across 50 vehicle models. It is installed in more than 2 million vehicles worldwide, enhancing road safety and convenience. Taesan Kwon, Vice President of Project Management of STRADVISION, expressed his gratitude, stating, "We are thrilled and thankful for the recognition of STRADVISION's unmatched technology and efforts in the global market, which align with our customers' forward-looking vision." He continued, "As a leading Korean company with a worldwide presence, we will enhance our global competitiveness and continue our evolution into a future-focused enterprise." Meanwhile, STRADVISION is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) to apply for listing on the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) market in the second half of this year. The KOSDAQ Technology Special Listing is a system on the Korea Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) market designed to facilitate the listing of technology-intensive companies. The company recently passed the technology evaluation for KOSDAQ's special technology listing with an 'A, A' rating. Since its establishment in 2014, STRADVISION has pioneered data processing technology essential for automotive ADAS perception solutions, advanced 2D and 3D algorithms, and the hardware-independent Common Platform Framework (CPF), a versatile and hardware-independent software framework integral to its pioneering automotive ADAS perception solutions, known for its adaptability across chipsets and recognized for top-tier technology reliability and regulatory compliance. Its independent development and adaptability to both low and high-end chipsets have earned high praise, along with top marks for technology reliability and regulatory compliance, including GSR, Euro NCAP 5-star ratings, and TISAX AL3 certification. For more information on STRADVISION and its cutting-edge technologies, please visit STRADVISION. About STRADVISION Founded in 2014, STRADVISION is an automotive industry pioneer in artificial intelligence-based vision perception technology for ADAS. The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. STRADVISION's SVNet is being deployed on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs; can power ADAS and autonomous vehicles worldwide; and is serviced by over 300 employees in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Dusseldorf. STRADVISION has been honored with Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award, the Gold Award at the 2022 and 2021 AutoSens Awards for Best-in-Class Software for Perception Systems, and the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (software category). In addition, STRADVISION and its software have achieved TISAX's AL3 standard for information security management, as well as being certified to the ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems and ISO 26262 for Automotive Functional Safety. SOURCE StradVision 17 june 2024 at 11:00 News published onand distributed by: BWXT Awarded Phase Two of Microreactor Evaluation Contract for State of Wyoming BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced the award of the second phase of a contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state as a source of resilient and reliable energy to augment existing power generation resources. Under phase one of the program, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC (BWXT) worked with the Wyoming Energy Authority to define the requirements for nuclear applications of base heat and power needs for remote, off-grid applications within the state. BWXT also performed microreactor system engineering work that could support Wyoming's future power needs and identified areas where Wyoming's existing supply chain could demonstrate capabilities for reactor component manufacturing and support reactor deployment. Phase two of the contract includes completing conceptual design of a lead microreactor unit, developing a regulatory engagement plan and microreactor fleet model, and demonstrating the Wyoming supply chain's ability to manufacture nuclear components. "BWXT has seen extraordinary support for the opportunities for microreactor deployment in Wyoming," said Joe Miller, BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC president. "Our meetings with numerous stakeholders have been very productive, and our workshops in Gillette, Cheyenne and Casper with potential local vendors have been well-attended. We look forward to taking this next step forward with the Wyoming Energy Authority and very much appreciate the vision of a clean, reliable and practical energy future demonstrated by both Governor Mark Gordon and the Authority's Executive Director Rob Creager." In support of this program, BWXT is leveraging existing U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) achievements through the company's collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and other internal BWXT research and development investments. Through the ARDP, BWXT and DOE have been developing the BANR microreactor since 2021, and this effort in Wyoming represents an acceleration of BWXT's commercial nuclear development efforts. INL has been providing strategic and technical support to the State of Wyoming under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2022. "We are eager to move forward with phase two of our contract with BWXT. The completion of phase one confirms our vision of why nuclear has so much potential in Wyoming ? from uranium production to manufacturing to industrial applications," said Rob Creager, executive director of the Wyoming Energy Authority. "As the world's demand for reliable, affordable baseload power only increases over the next fifty years, we see nuclear as a valuable investment to Wyoming's already robust energy portfolio." "The landscape of economic opportunity related to non-traditional application of nuclear energy is evolving quickly, with significant opportunities firming in regional, national and global markets," said Dr. Steven Aumeier, senior advisor for strategic programs at INL. "This acceleration of Wyoming's leadership in the future of nuclear energy is very timely to meet this new frontier of global opportunity." The total value of the cost-share program is approximately $20 million, and phase two of the program is expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2025. Forward Looking Statements BWXT cautions that this release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the performance, design, suitability and impact of the microreactor design and engineering work to be undertaken by BWXT under the contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, modification or termination of the project, execution of future contracts and delays. If one or more of these or other risks materialize, actual results may vary materially from those expressed. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see BWXT's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. BWXT cautions not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except to the extent required by applicable law. About BWXT At BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), we are People Strong, Innovation Driven. Headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, BWXT is a Fortune 1000 and Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine and space exploration. With approximately 7,800 employees, BWXT has 14 major operating sites in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. In addition, BWXT joint ventures provide management and operations at a dozen U.S. Department of Energy and NASA facilities. For more information, visit www.bwxt.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. 17 june 2024 at 16:35 News published onand distributed by: The waterfront of Benghazi, in northeastern Libya, in March 2024. ABDULLAH DOMA / AFP Shortly after midnight on May 18, a Boeing 777 operated by the Libyan airline Ghadames Air took off from Benina International Airport in Benghazi, the largest city in eastern Libya and landed 14 hours later at an airport in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. According to the Nicaraguan television channel 100% Noticias, 367 passengers of Indian nationality were on board. On May 23, the same aircraft made the same flight with 298 Indians. All intended to continue on to the US. Read more Subscribers only The 'American dream' of the growing number of Indians illegally migrating to the US Earlier, on February 28 and March 14, two similar flights left the Libyan capital, Tripoli; no information about the passengers' nationalities has been disclosed. When contacted, neither the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the country's airport authorities responded to Le Monde's inquiries about what appears to be the opening of a new route to the US border for undocumented immigrants. There has been no official confirmation of these new flights but Managua's Augusto C. Sandino International Airport is now recognized as a major transit point for would-be immigrants to the US. In December 2023, a plane carrying more than 300 Indians had already been grounded at Paris-Vatry Airport, east of the capital, on "suspicion of human trafficking" during a technical stopover between Dubai and the Nicaraguan capital. Since 2021, "Nicaragua has opened its borders to nationals of politically difficult countries, allowing them to come without a visa" in return for payment on arrival, explained Manuel Orozco, a migration expert at The Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank. According to the data he has collected, 1,145 charter flights have landed in Managua since May 2023, coming mainly from Latin America but also from Casablanca, Morocco, and recently from Benghazi. $1,200 package The regime of Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua's "anti-imperialist" president, benefits from these arrivals both politically by adding to the problems at the border between Mexico and the US, the latter of which has been issuing sanctions against Nicaraguan individuals and entities since 2021 and economically. Orozco estimates the revenue generated by the visa penalties that Managua imposes on undocumented immigrants at around $30 million, without even counting all the revenue linked to their transit through the country (transport, accommodation). Read more Subscribers only Nicaragua, a new pathway to the US for Senegalese would-be emigrants With this new route, Nicaragua has joined forces with Libya, one of the main crossing points for African migration to Europe, a path that emerged as an alternative to the routes via Turkey after they were blocked by the signing of an agreement between Brussels and Ankara in 2016. Exiles from Asia, most of whom arrive by air, have turned to Libyan airports, which have become hubs for smuggling networks. You have 56.59% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. A FORMER leader of the notorious McCarthy-Dundon gang in Limerick led gardai on a high-speed pursuit through back roads in Co. Donegal with his lights off, a court has heard. Larry McCarthy was before Letterkenny District Court on charges relating to an incident in Letterkenny on December 15, 2023. He is currently serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence in Portlaoise Prison for providing a getaway car that was used in the attempted murder of a rival gangster - Christy Keane - at University of Limerick in June 2015. McCarthy, a 46-year-old with an address in Manorcunningham, County Donegal, appeared at Letterkenny District Court via video link from prison. McCarthy was charged with two counts of dangerous driving. A plea to a lesser charge of careless driving was accepted by the court on a full facts basis. Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that gardai followed a grey Volkswagen Passat at 3.55am on the date in question at Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, after the communications room at Letterkenny Garda Station was alerted. McCarthy veered over a continuous white line past a graveyard on the outskirts of town. Gardai activated the blue lights, but McCarthy continued at speeds in excess of 100km/h on a narrow road governed by a speed limit of 80km/h. The court heard that McCarthy turned the lights off on his car, went over two speed bumps in the townland of Scribbly before going through a crossroads at Drumnahoe. Gardai initially lost sight of the car, but he was subsequently stopped and arrested. When tested at Letterkenny Garda Station, McCarthy was under the limit for alcohol and was described as being cooperative. Sergeant Collins said the State was satisfied, in light of the plea and the fact that McCarthy is serving a sentence, to accept a plea to careless driving. READ ALSO: Late night criminal damage incident in Limerick town Solicitor for McCarthy, Mr Rory O'Brien, told the court that his client has 'thrown off any shackles of criminality' since moving to Donegal. Mr O'Brien said the infamous gang figure has been engaged in excellent work in his new community. Red Larry was a leading figure in the gang until his incarceration in the UK in 2005. The conviction on which he is spending time (in prison) is going back a number of years and he is doing that sentence, Mr O'Brien said. In the meantime, he has made a life for himself and his family in Donegal and he has complied with all directions. He is serving a sentence and on release will continue the excellent work in the community. He has linked with a number of voluntary agencies who have assisted him. He has thrown off any shackles of criminality, which were a feature of his past. He is working for the betterment of himself and his family. Mr O'Brien said McCarthy is due for release in 2026 and will require a driving licence when he goes free as he is to reside in the countryside. Mr O'Brien said McCarthy has had a very significant history, which is now antiquated and he urged the court to give McCarthy credit for his plea. Judge Eiteain Cunningham convicted McCarthy of dangerous driving and fined him 300. Legal aid was granted to Mr O'Brien. Earlier this year, the Special Criminal Court was told that McCarthy provided a getaway car for the attempted murder of notorious Limerick gangster Christy Keane. In March, he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison when he appeared at the three-judge court. His barrister, Brian McCartney, told the Special Criminal Court that McCarthy had a Damascus Road experience since relocating to Donegal. McCarthy was sentenced for what Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said was the procurement and placement of a getaway car during the course of an infamous feud between crime gangs the McCarthy-Dundons and the Keane-Collopys in the attempted murder of veteran Limerick criminal Keane in June 2015. In July 2005, McCarthy received an 11-year sentence from Southwark Court in the UK for possession of a MAC-11 military armament gun. The McCarthy-Dundon and Keane-Collopy organised crime gangs have been involved in a feud that dates back to 1993. There have been 19 murders and 15 attempted murders in the feud. THE LIMERICK LGBTQIA+ Pride committee has thanked Limerick City and County Council and outgoing mayor, Gerald Mitchell for raising the 2024 Pride flag at City Hall, in one of his last acts as the first citizen. This year's Limerick Pride Festival takes place from July 8 to 14 under the theme of "I Am What I Am". It will celebrate the solidarity and inclusivity within the community. Speaking at the flag raising ceremony, Mr Mitchell said: It's very important to honour the diversity and culture here today and I'm delighted to be here to be part of raising the flag for Limerick Pride. Lisa Daly, festival director of Limerick Pride, spoke of the incredible effort made by the committee in bringing the week-long festival to Limerick. I'd like people to acknowledge the hard work that goes on, not just from the committee members, but the whole community to pull together to make the festival happen, that's what really matters," she said. This year marks a special milestone as the Limerick Pride flag includes the intersex symbol for the first time. This is the first time it will include intersex and the first time it'll ever be flown over Limerick," said Lisa. The theme, I Am What I Am resonates deeply with the community, she explained. Our theme this year for Pride is I Am What I Am and it's inclusive, we want everyone to come out and show solidarity this year for the parade on July 13. "With the way our whole community represents everything, it's obviously a song that every gay knows and the amount of questions that people are getting about 'what are you?' and all that, simply put, 'I am what I am'. I am human, end of. "We're all someone's brother, sister, daughter and that's the end of it. Love is love. There's nothing else that can really be said," said the festival director. READ MORE: Limerick Pride LGBTQ Festival 2024 celebrates 'empowerment, liberation and self-acceptance' Lisa explained that Mr Mitchell has been a strong advocate for inclusivity during his term as mayor. Myself and Ger met at my first ever Pride launch. Ger stepped in as the deputy mayor at the time, and it was the first time we ever met. "When he became mayor, he asked, 'Was that girl still involved with Limerick Pride?' And he attended Limerick Pride last year. We hung out for the whole day, and that's not something that happens, so I'll always respect that out of Ger," said Lisa. As the flag was raised, there was a round of applause, with Richard Lynch from I Love Limerick noting, This is our Limerick Pride flag, and this year it's a special flag. It incorporates intersex, LGBTQIA into our flag. Limerick Pride 2024 promises a vibrant celebration with events kicking off on July 8th and culminating in the parade on Saturday, July 13, where thousands will show their support for the community. For more information, visit LimerickPride.ie and use the hashtag #LimerickPride2024 THE COUNTDOWN is now under way to the biggest night in Limericks business calendar. On Friday, November 15 next, The Strand Hotel in the city centre will play host to Limerick Chamber Regional Business Awards and its presidential dinner. Backed once again by Limerick Leader, the prizes celebrate the outstanding contributions of business people across the region. The awards are open to businesses of all sizes and sectors, with no requirement to be a member of Limerick Chamber, which is the largest business representative group in the Mid-West. The deadline for entries falls on Sunday, September 15, 2024. There are eight categories including an award for best emerging business, best not-for-profit and best small to medium sized enterprise. There are also categories recognising firms which are focused on employee wellbeing, and contributions to the community. The Limerick Chamber 2024 Regional Business Awards Launch has taken place! We thank all sponsors and business community who joined us for this exciting event. It was an incredible opportunity to celebrate excellence and innovation in our region. @TUS_ie pic.twitter.com/uKC5Gq6XbY Limerick Chamber (@LimerickChamber) June 13, 2024 One of the eight companies honoured will receive the top award of the night, the Limerick Chamber Regional Business of the Year. A special lifetime achievement-style award will also be conferred on a particularly noteworthy individual or group selected personally by Chamber president Noel Gavin. Prof Vincent Cunnane, the president of the awards lead sponsor, the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) said: TUS is delighted to continue its support for local business, innovation, and the local economy through our continued sponsorship of the Limerick Chamber Business Awards. Gillian Barry, head of innovation and enterprise at TUS, added: The awards are a fantastic tool to help attract new talent, celebrate staff achievements, and promote companies. TUS sponsors these awards because we believe in the power of innovation, creativity, and resilience to transform our regional economy. The best overall business of the year title last year went to Castletroy-based medical technology firm Carelon. Its chief executive John Patrick Shaw said winning the award has made his firm an attractive proposition for people wanting to join the firm. READ MORE: Podcast sounds like a great idea for Limerick City school The straightforward awards process allowed us to effectively showcase our strengths and achievements, he added. More than 400 business people from across the region are expected to attend the awards, with tickets on sale from September. Chamber President Mr Gavin said: These awards and the presidents dinner are vital for recognising and highlighting the tremendous work that takes place all across our region. They provide a platform to celebrate and reflect on the year, reminding us of our past achievements and inspiring hope for the future. For more information on the event and to submit your entry, please visit www.limerickchamber.ie Alternatively, you can telephone the Chamber at 061-415180. THE SOCIAL Health and Education Project (SHEP) celebrated its 50th anniversary and 15 years in Limerick with a graduation ceremony at The Greenhills Hotel this month. The event marked a significant milestone for SHEP, which has been instrumental in personal development and community empowerment. Established in Cork in 1974, SHEP is a unique, not-for-profit, community-based training and development organisation based in Cork, Kerry and Limerick. The SHEP Mid-West Programme is supported by the Mid-West Regional Drug and Alcohol Forum (MWRDAF) and Limerick and Clare ETB. SHEP offers an eight-week introduction to personal development, followed by a more in-depth 29-week course. Anita O'Shea, a SHEP development worker, explained, The eight-week course gives participants a feel for personal development, and many go on to the 29-week course. We also offer a five-weekend course on social awareness and community empowerment, advanced personal development, facilitation training, and tutor training. Cora Foley, youth development officer with the Limerick and Clare Eucation and Training Board, spoke about the importance of SHEP, saying, Many participants continue their education after doing SHEP courses within the ETB. Its often the first step back into the education space, helping individuals gain confidence and develop their skills and talents. READ MORE: Podcast sounds like a great idea for Limerick City school Graduates on the evening shared their experiences and growth following the SHEP courses. One graduate named JK, highlighted how learning with SHEP helped him. "I have a history of anxiety over the years. So, basically, I was in a bad place when I first started the eight-week course. It just taught me about self-compassion and self-care, and my inner critic, and accepting what they are. Sitting with the uncertainty of not knowing what's going to go well, and just things like that, because life goes a mile a minute," said JK. Helen Ryan, regional coordinator for the Midwest Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum, highlighted how SHEP is supported by many parts of the community. "We provide funding through our education bursary for SHEP courses, our development worker, Anita, offers tremendous support to participants," said Ms Ryan. Jim Sheehan, director of SHEP, reflected on the milestone of reaching 50 years as an organisation with 15 of those in Limerick. "Our courses may not be for everyone, but they offer a valuable next step for many. We provide a supportive environment, and our facilitators are dedicated to helping participants apply their learning to benefit their lives and communities. "The graduation ceremony not only marks an incredible achievement for SHEP in celebrating a half-century supporting Irish communities, but also highlights the impact SHEP has made on personal development of individuals and supporting local communities," said Mr Sheehan. For more pictures, click 'Next' South Koreas Hyundai, which began its Indian odyssey with the Santro small car 25 years ago, has taken the wraps off the countrys second-biggest public share sale, hoping to beat the so-called Korean discount in India's vibrant stock market. Hyundai Motor Co. will sell up to 17.5% of Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the automakers draft IPO papers filed on Saturday showed. While the company didnt indicate the amount it plans to raise, a merchant banker said, on the condition of anonymity, the parent plans to raise $2.5-3 billion at a valuation of close to $20 billion. Korean conglomerates typically see lower valuations than global peers due to low dividends and the dominance of opaque chaebols. Hyundai Motor Co., for instance, trades at a paltry price-to-earnings ratio of five, compared with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (32), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (about 20) and Tata Motors Ltd (about 17). With the Hyundai IPO, the top four major passenger vehicle makers in IndiaMaruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindrawill all be listed. It would also increase investor interest in the sector. Hyundai has one of the strongest powertrain portfolios globally, be it electric vehicles (EVs), internal combustion engine (ICE), plug-in hybrids and hybrids, as well as a strong presence in the SUV portfolio in India," Jay Kale, an analyst at broking firm Elara Capital said. The Korea discount South Korea is currently running a corporate value-up programme, a reform plan for listed companies to boost shareholder returns and reduce the Korea discount. Under the programme, the South Korean government encourages companies voluntary efforts to return more capital to shareholders and improve governance. On the basis of reported valuations of 1.5 trillion, the asking P-E is 25.6," said Aditya Kondawar, partner, Complete Circle Capital, a wealth management firm. The IPO will be critical for both investors and the company, since India is Hyundais third-largest revenue generator after the US and South Korea," Kondawar added. Hyundai Motors IPO, the largest in India after Life Insurance Corporation of Indias 20,000 crore-plus share sale in 2022, will be the countrys first automobile IPO in two decades. It is expected to improve investor perception of the parent and the visibility of Hyundai's Indian operations, allowing it to return greater cash to shareholders. HMC is the sole seller, offloading over 142 million equity shares of face value of 10. All the proceeds will go to the Korean parent. The offer document says Hyundai is looking to list to enhance visibility and brand image and provide liquidity and a public market for equity shares in India. Listing its India subsidiary indicates a significant potential for value realization from the worlds third-largest passenger vehicle market, which has not yet been fully reflected in Hyundais overall market valuation," an industry executive said. The India listing is projected to allow a re-evaluation of the (companys) remaining operations and Indias weight in the business, potentially increasing Hyundais overall market capitalization," the executive said on the condition of anonymity. The carmaker aims to list on Indian exchanges ahead of the festive season. Stock price movement In a March report, South Korean broking firm Meritz Securities said Hyundais corporate value enhancement plan will greatly determine the direction of its stock price movement in the first half of the year. Hyundai Motor is expected to present a new plan to improve shareholder value in early June, utilizing increased cash flow for potential share buybacks or cancellations, which would further boost (return on equity). This increase in RoE would lead to a higher fair price-to-book ratio, strengthening the case for enhanced corporate value," the report said. According to the draft prospectus, HMILs revenue from operations grew from 40,972.25 crore in 2020-21 to 60,307.58 crore in 2022-23, up nearly 47% over two years on the back of robust demand and market penetration. At the same time, profit more than doubled from 1,881.16 crore to 4,709.25 crore, as the carmaker began selling more premium SUVs, besides achieving better operational efficiency and cost management. Its net worth increased from 15,311.34 crore in 2020-21 to 20,054.82 crore in 2022-23, with return on net worth improving from 12.29% in 2020-21 to 23.48% in 2022-23, the prospectus said. In Indias car market, Maruti Suzuki India, the countrys largest carmaker at over 40% market share, led in revenue with 1,06,451 crore and profit at 8,049 crore in 2022-23, also demonstrating the highest earnings per share of 266.28. Tata Motors, while having a revenue of 88,484 crore, reports lower profitability with a profit of 2,514 crore and a higher debt burden at 22,728 crore in 2022-23. HMIL and Maruti Suzuki have similar dividend payouts, significantly higher than Tata Motors, indicating strong cash flows and shareholder returns. Interestingly, the IPO also comes at a time Hyundais closest competitor Tata Motors, whose emphasis on EVs and a strong push in the SUV segment have significantly contributed to closing the market share gap with Hyundai, is gunning for a 20% market share by 2030. The company in its prospectus said it will focus on increasing its EV market share, maintaining capacity utilization at over 90% balancing domestic sales and exports, as well as deepening its localization and local supplier network in India. We are following a transition strategy, having started with the launch of high-end, premium EVs and plan to transition towards the mass markets as the EV market and ecosystem scales up in India. In line with the same, we aim to launch four EV models in future including Creta EV in the last quarter of 2024-25," it said. Hyundai's Chennai manufacturing plant, located at Irrungattukottai, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, was HMCs first global integrated manufacturing plant outside Korea, with a production capacity of 824,000 units as of 31 March 2024. Its newly-acquired Talegaon factory near Pune will add a further up to 250,000 in capacity, with the first phase of the plant expected to be operational in the second half of 2025-26. Returns to shareholders Hyundais IPO in one of the worlds fastest-growing automotive markets will allow the company to enhance its market value in response to the South Korean government encouraging companies to pursue foreign listings to boost their valuations and return more cash to shareholders. While Hyundai is flush with cash at the parent level, the India IPO is also intended to generate additional capital that the company can use partially towards enhancing shareholder returns through dividend payouts and share buybacks. Hyundais India listing not only affirms its decision to double down on its operations in the countrywhich includes establishing a battery assembly factory and increasing production capacity via its buyout of General Motors factory in Talegaon, Punebut also sets a precedent for other Korean companies seeking to expand their investor base and improve valuations through international listings. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House on Monday to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and Chinas desire to invest in critical minerals. Li, Chinas most senior leader after President Xu Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Li planned to underscore Chinas interest in buying a bigger stake in Australias critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia before returning to China. Bilateral relations have improved markedly since Albaneses center-left Labor Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Albanese was elected. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said before the leaders meeting Monday that he would raise the issue of China's ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China, ... since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilizing our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Watt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Australia shares U.S. concerns over Chinas global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australias national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. One of the issues around critical minerals is that China absolutely dominates the world market, Watt said. It is, we think, in Australias interests and global interests to make sure theres a diversity of supply, but we havent ... a blanket ban against Chinese investment in critical minerals, but any investment decision takes into account a range of factors including national security requirements, Watt added. Albaneses office said the prime minister would tell Li at a state lunch that the "points on which we disagree wont disappear if we leave them in silence. This appears to be in response to a statement by Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Albanese has said he would raise with Li recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Herscovitch, a China expert at Australian National University, said he did not expect China to get any firm commitments from Australia during Lis visit. But Australia had already made a concession to China in rebuilding relations through inaction by not imposing sanctions on Chinese entities that help Russias war effort in Ukraine, he said. Australia is essentially giving China a free pass on that issue, Herscovitch said, while Australian allies, including the United States, were imposing sanctions. (Bloomberg) -- The German business chamber said the European Union should invest to become more competitive instead of hiking tariffs on China-made electric vehicles, adding to Berlins efforts to avert or soften the trade curbs. The call comes as Brussels decided to impose additional tariffs on EVs shipped from China, taking levies to as much as 48%. This affects Chinese carmakers including BYD Co., Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. and SAIC Motor Corp., who were accused of distorting the market through state subsidies. Tariffs as suggested now by the EU will not increase the competitiveness of the automotive industry, said Maximilian Butek, executive director of the German Chamber of Commerce in East China. You cannot protect the automotive industry only in the European Union if they are all over the world, he said at a press launch for the chambers business confidence survey. The German government is working to prevent the EUs new tariffs on Chinese EVs from coming into force or at least soften them if a full halt isnt possible. Beijing has threatened retaliation across agriculture, aviation and cars with large engines. Any tit-for-tat measures may hurt German manufacturers including Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG and BMW AG, which rely heavily on sales in the worlds biggest auto market. Butek said German companies had not complained about Chinese subsidies in the EV sector prior to the EU investigation. The top challenge for them is price pressure, according to the chambers survey conducted late May. This is a result of overcapacity, Butek said. But our companies are quite aligned on that that they only can survive those times when they become more competitive, he added. Three quarters of German firms in China reported overcapacities in their industries, with 20% saying its substantial, the survey found. Most saw overcapacity as a recent phenomenon. About half said they started seeing overcapacity last year and 35% said it happened in the last five years. The survey also found that German companies have a slightly more positive outlook on China compared with last year, though fewer firms planned to increase their investment in the short term. About 38% of respondents expected a worsening outlook for their industries this year compared with a year ago, a decrease from 52% when firms were asked the same question in September. Slightly more than half are planning to boost investment over the next two years, down from 61% last year. --With assistance from Colum Murphy. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Banks and asset managers including HSBC Holdings Plc and BlackRock Inc. are helping finalize proposals for UK housing and energy policy that could form key planks of the Labour Partys growth agenda if it wins next months general election. Ideas discussed Monday in a breakfast meeting between Labours shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and executives who sit on the partys British Infrastructure Council include investing in skills to retrofit thousands of homes with insulation, double glazing and other energy-saving measures as well as ways to make affordable housing viable for developers across the country, people familiar with the matter said. With Labour leading national polls by a wide margin and just 17 days to go until election day, Reeves wants to enter the Treasury with detailed ideas that can be put to officials immediately for costings and viability, with the aim for getting several projects off the ground quickly, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about a private meeting. I am determined that a Labour government will hit the ground running to show that Britain is open for business and to begin to attract the investment we need to make working people better off, Reeves said in a statement before the meeting. Separately, Reeves told workers and reporters in Southampton on Monday that Labour would look at incentivizing local authorities to act quickly. Where a place hosts infrastructure they should get something back from that whether its discounts on their energy bills or better local infrastructure, she said. We really have to focus on wealth creation and that means reforming the planning system so we can actually get stuff built again. The council was created by Labour in November to help form policy that could secure the buy-in of business while helping the party toward its key aim of stimulating growth. As well as HSBC and BlackRock, members include other banks and asset managers such as Lloyds Banking Group, Santander, Phoenix Group, CPP Investments and CDPQ. They are operating in an independent capacity, but several members acknowledged that it looked increasingly likely that Labour would be in power in a few weeks. Key to the success of Labours ambitions for growth is whether it can attract private capital alongside public funds. Executives at the breakfast discussed ways in which the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank, both taxpayer-owned, could be liable for the first loss on complex and long-running projects, while also earning a rate of return that would be seen to be good value for the public, one of the people said. Private sector money is likely to mainly come from big UK banks through syndicated loans, insurers and pension funds, the people said. There would be only limited involvement in these sorts of projects from private equity because the rate of return may be too low, they said. However, Labour has also engaged with private equity firms and acknowledged their role in growing the economy. Labour late on Sunday said it would hold a global investment summit in its first 100 days of government. A spokesman for Blackstone Inc., which played a major part in investment summits held by the current Conservative government, said: As one of the largest investors in the UK, we really appreciate this strong focus on global investment to drive economic growth. Labour has pledged to target tax perks enjoyed by private equity, saying it will treat carried interest as income rather than as a capital gain a policy that implies a higher tax rate, though the party has yet to provide full details. One idea raised at Mondays meeting was a potential new entity to make it easier for overseas investors to engage with the government. However a person familiar with the matter said Labour is not actively entertaining that idea. Thats despite foreign investors frequently complaining that dealing with multiple government departments is confusing, and pointing to other countries with a more streamlined system. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Merck & Co. won US approval for a pneumococcal vaccine that threatens to unseat one of Pfizer Inc.s biggest franchises. Called Capvaxive, Mercks vaccine is approved to prevent the bacterial infections behind pneumonia and meningitis for adults over 18, Merck said Monday. Capvaxive has the potential to become the preferred vaccine given studies have shown it protects against bacterial strains that cause around 80% of pneumococcal diseases. Pfizers Prevnar works against 50%, to compare. Both products are indicated for people who have not previously received a pneumococcal vaccine. Capvaxives commercial future rests with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will decide later this month whether to recommend Mercks vaccine for adults over the age 50. Prevnar, which has nearly 95% market share, is recommended for those over 65. If the CDC gives preferential treatment to Capvaxive, Merck could gain substantial ground on Prevnar, a vaccine that brings in more than $6 billion in annual revenue for Pfizer, said Louise Chen, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. People normally take this vaccine once in their lives. Mercks working to add new products as cancer blockbuster Keytruda, which accounts for nearly half of its revenue, faces price pressure later this decade. Capvaxive adds to Mercks historically strong vaccines business, led by Gardasil, which protects against the cancer-linked virus HPV and brought in nearly $9 billion in revenue last year. Vaxneuvance, a pediatric pneumococcal vaccine approved in 2022, added $665 million in revenue last year and is expected to become a multibillion-dollar product. Mercks case for Capvaxive is based in part on a clinical trial in which the vaccine outperformed Prevnar 20, Pfizers latest pneumococcal vaccine. For adults over 50, Mercks shot generated immune responses comparable to Prevnar for the 10 bacterial strains common to both vaccines. In a test of Capvaxive on 11 more strains, Mercks shot proved superior to Prevnar in 10 of them. That will really drop the overall load of pneumococcal disease not only in the older folks, who of course need it, but also in working adults, said Eliav Barr, Mercks chief medical officer. Thats going to be important in reducing the overall burden of the disease. To health-care providers, the prospect of a more effective pneumococcal vaccine is really exciting, said Ann Philbrick, an associate professor at the family medicine department of the University of Minnesota. Pneumonia is something that causes a lot of morbidity and mortality in the older population, and anything we can do to prevent that is needed, she said. Pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizes about 150,000 adults in the US each year, according to Merck. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. repeatedly violated its clients confidentiality by breaking firewalls among the banks units, according to Japans securities watchdog. MUFG Bank Ltd., Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. exchanged information at least 10 times in order to win business, the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission said, calling for the group to be penalized. Commercial and investment banking arms of the same financial group are forbidden from sharing client data, in part to keep lenders from abusing their bargaining positions. Japanese banks have for years lobbied to ease the firewalls, saying they are obstacles to merger advisory and business succession planning. The three firms repeatedly exchanged non-public client information knowing that the clients had refused to share their information with other group firms, and some of the information contained material information that would impact investment decisions, the agency said in a statement. In order to boost group-wide revenue, the performance of employees at MUFG Bank was in part measured by how much business they brought to MUMSS, the SESC said. The MUFG Group companies have taken the contents of this notice very seriously, MUFG said in a statement. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may cause to our customers and other concerned parties. Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities, in which the US lender has a 51% voting interest, said in a separate statement that it will strengthen its internal control and takes the matter very seriously. Bond Underwriting The probe is the latest financial scandal to surface in Japan and is a setback to the nations largest lender after clients last year lost more than $700 million on Credit Suisses riskiest bonds purchased through its brokerage venture with Morgan Stanley. In 2022, rival Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. and its securities unit were penalized after the Financial Services Agency found that the latter had engaged in stock market manipulation. MUMSS has already lost business. Aeon Co., Kanagawa Prefecture and Japan Housing Finance Agency decided to drop the unit from underwriting bond deals, according to the issuers. This follows a well-established pattern. SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., the brokerage unit of SMBC, also lost bond underwriting business in 2022, following allegations of market manipulation. The probe may weigh on the two JVs, which have targeted replacing Nomura Holdings Inc. as Japans top broker. Those two houses recently merged their Japan equity sales and research for institutional investors to bolster a relationship that dates back to around the time of the global financial crisis. Morgan Stanley leads the league table for advising on Japan-related mergers so far this year. It ended the previous two years in third place. --With assistance from Ayai Tomisawa and Takahiko Hyuga. (Updates with Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities comment in 7th paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Less than three weeks before the UKs general election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was beset by disastrous polls over the weekend that suggest he has little chance of turning his Conservative Partys fortunes around before the vote on July 4. After Britains two main parties published their election manifestos last week, Keir Starmers Labour opposition extended its lead over the Tories in polls by Opinium for the Observer and Savanta for the Sunday Telegraph. More damagingly for Sunaks party, seat-by-seat analysis by Survation found Labour to be on course to a large majority, with the Conservatives winning 72 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, compared with 365 at the last election in 2019. Nigel Farages Reform UK, blamed by many Tories for siphoning off right-wing votes, was forecast to win seven. In a sign of concern among senior Conservatives, Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Sunday told BBC TV that defecting voters risked giving Starmer an unassailable majority. Its very clear if youre somebody who voted for us in 2019 and you want lower taxes and you want to control migration, if you vote for anybody else other than the Conservatives youre going to get a Labour government with a large majority and a blank check, Harper said. Robert Jenrick, a former Tory minister and one-time close ally of Sunak, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that the UK risks sleepwalking into a very dangerous future, before pulling apart his own partys record in government and saying he understood why Conservatives are being drawn to Reform. Not only do I understand their frustrations, I share many of them, Jenrick wrote. The tax burden is too high, criminal justice system too soft and public services too inefficient. My disagreements with the government on immigration policy meant I resigned from the Cabinet. Savantas poll put Reform UK on 13%, its highest rating yet by the pollster, while Opinium put the party up two percentage points on 14%, also a record. Bloombergs poll of polls on Friday also had Reform at an all-time high after a YouGov survey last week put the insurgent party ahead of the Tories for the first time, prompting Farage to declare Reform the opposition to Labour. Reform on Monday will publish its election manifesto, which its calling a contract with the people. And while Farage said last week that the Conservative Party brand is done, hes also gunning for Labour, as shown by his choice of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales a Labour seat for the manifesto launch. If you want a picture of what the whole country will be like with a Starmer government and a feeble Conservative opposition, come to Wales, Farage said in a statement Sunday. Schools are worse than in England, NHS waiting lists are longer than in England, Covid restrictions were even tighter than in England and now Welsh motorists are being soaked by literally hundreds of speed cameras, he said. The Scottish National Party is also set to publish its electoral promises this week. Its new leader, John Swinney, sought in a statement late on Sunday to portray Labour as joining the Tories in offering only cuts, austerity and stagnation. In other campaign news: Survations so-called Multilevel Regression and Post-stratification poll put Labour on 456 seats, the Liberal Democrats on 56, and the SNP on 37, a drop from 48 in 2019. The modeling is based on more than 42,000 interviews conducted between the May 31 and June 13. Savanta gave Labour a 25-point advantage and said potential electoral extinction awaited the Tories. Opinium has Labour leading by 17 points. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) was slapped with a $194.2 million fine last week, after a US court ruled that Indias largest IT services company used proprietary software from Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) to develop its banking platform. The judgment, delivered on 13 June by a district court in the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, broke down the fine into $56.15 million in compensatory damages, $112.3 million in exemplary damages, and $25.78 million in interest claims. TCS was unjustly enriched in the amount of $56,151,583 as a result of TCSs misappropriation of the Trade Secrets," the court ruled. The ruling underscores the importance of protecting proprietary technologies in the competitive tech industry. CSC had first filed a compliant with TCS on 22 June 2018, alleging that the Indian company misappropriated trade secrets during a 2017 due diligence process when it was bidding to replace CSC at Transamerica Life Insurance Co. It filed a case against TCS later on 22 April 2019. The court calculated the interest payments at an 8.5% rate on the compensatory damages over a period of five years and four months, starting six months after the June 2018 complaint. In response, TCS has announced plans to file a review petition, maintaining that the judgment will not significantly impact its financial health or operations. The company believes that the judgment has no major adverse impact on its financials and operations," TCS said in a filing to the stock exchanges. The IT major ended the last year with $29.1 billion in revenue and $5.6 billion in profits. This case echoes a previous legal battle TCS faced with Epic Systems. In 2014, Epic Systems, a Wisconsin-headquartered privately held company, filed a case against TCS for allegedly stealing its proprietary software. Two years later, a Wisconsin court imposed a $940 million fine on TCS. "The jury's verdict will not have any impact on the TCSQ4 and FY16 financial results to be announced on Monday, April 18, 2016," TCS had informed the exchanges in April 2016. After years of contesting the case, a court's appeal in November 2023 reduced the damages to $140 million. Despite this, TCS continues to contest the case. However, in November of last year, the company made a provision of $125 million as an exceptional expense in its financials. The CSC lawsuit traces back to TCS winning a $2 billion, 10-year contract from Transamerica in January 2018, which had previously partnered with CSC since 1998. CSC contended that TCS improperly accessed software codes from its Vantage and CyberLife platforms, which are used to manage annuities and life insurance policies. These allegations were supported by testimonies from over two dozen executives during the discovery process. CSC only allowed TCS to use the Trade Secrets for the sole benefit of Transamerica and did not expressly or impliedly consent to TCS using the Trade Secrets for any kind of development of BaNCS," CSC argued in court, adding that TCSs misappropriation focused on calculations, data structures, business rules, correspondence triggers, and software interfaces." TCS has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that CSCs actions aimed to disrupt its contract with Transamerica. The company reiterated its stance in court filings over the past five years, asserting that CSCs allegations were unfounded. An email sent to TCS seeking comment went unanswered. Speaking to CNN about his TerraPower nuclear energy plant in Wyoming, United States, the hurdles the project faces, and the future of nuclear power, billionaire and Microsoft founder Bill Gates sought to ease fears regarding the radioactive waste and the costs associated with such projects. He was emphatic that he would continue investing billions more into new-generation nuclear power and that global collaboration and scale or projects would eventually push costs down. What Bill Gates Said... On bringing down costs, Gates said they've "gone back to the basics", stating: "We've been willing to go back to the basics and do what people have always said should be done, which is to cool the plant with metal instead of water. And that means that this problem of high pressure and extra heat when you shut down is completely solved. And so the complexity, that's meant that nuclear has gotten more complex and more expensive. As it's gone from first to third generation, we change that utterly." On fuel for the plant possibly coming from Russia, Gates said they delayed the plant for this reason, as the original plan changed. "We've had to change the original plan, which would have gotten done in 2028, (but) was dependent on fuel fabrication in Russia. That's, of course, unacceptable now. And so all the fuel for these plants will come either from the United States or friendly countries," he added. On the politics and optics of nuclear power, post-Fukushima and amid Germany decommissioning similar plants, Gates sought to reassure. "The inherent safety features in here are pretty amazing. You know, nuclear (power) actually has a pretty good track record despite the problems." "This isn't a different regime, it doesn't require operators to do the right things. It just inherently, the heat fully gets absorbed with no release. So, you know, there are a lot of countries like France, the UK, Japan, and South Korea who are very accepting of nuclear; in fact, they know they need nuclear, but Japan's not as lucky as the US in terms of land for solar or wind. And so to go green, you know, it's got to be an even higher percentage nuclear in that case. And so working with those countries will show that we can get the costs down. And then I think even countries like Germany will look at this next generation and reconsider," he stated. Gates was also reminded of his wishes to find a source of energy with zero emissions and one that is cheaper than coal. "(With) coal particularly you look at the health cost of the emissions (and) coal is being out-completed by natural gas. And so what we now have to do is compete effectively with natural gas. So once we get to our 10th unit, and we have our component cost down, we shouldn't expect people to buy electricity to pay higher prices. The risks should be these private investors and the US government. We believe we can meet that very aggressive cost target. And that's why we have the company and why we think it can not just in the US, but globally contribute to the climate challenge," Gates said. On his investments in nuclear energy, Gates said innovation can drive profitability. "Well, amazingly, when a company succeeds in innovating, then it can be profitable. All these climate investments I've made. If we do succeed overall, that money goes to the Gates Foundation. So it allows us to do more on things like malaria and tuberculosis," he stated. Espousing similar sentiment on CBS's Face The Nation, Gates said he would "put in billions more" into next-gen nuclear energy. I put in over a billion, and Ill put in billions more. About TerraPower A start-up founded by Gates, TerraPower LLC, broke ground last week to construct its first commercial reactor in Wyoming. This site was chosen after a coal plant was shut down. According to a Bloomberg report, TerraPower has been researching simpler and cheaper reactors since 2008. The plant has backing from the US Department of Energy and aims to complete the new reactor by 2030, it added. The report added that TerraPower plans to source reactor fuel from the US and its allies. The design includes using liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water and incorporating molten salt for heat storage to enhance output. Regulators once accused Elon Musk of fraud over a possible buyout that never happened. Now they are positioned to make similar allegations over one that did. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating Musks late disclosure of his purchases of Twitter stock before he took over the company. Excerpts of Musks testimony provided to the SEC, which came to light last month through a separate lawsuit, suggest Musk and his adviser brushed off compliance with a rule that required him to reveal his ownership once it passed 5% of Twitters shares. Musk and his closest adviser on the trades didnt seek legal advice, for instance, about how to follow the rule while building his stake despite the adviser telling the bank that they had, according to a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court brought by the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System against Musk and others. Musk waited to disclose his stake until he owned more than 9% and had an offer to join its board, according to court filings. As part of seeking evidence for their lawsuit, the firefighters pension fund obtained transcripts of testimony that Musk and his adviser, Jared Birchall, gave to the SEC. The firefighters included parts of those transcripts in a revised complaint against Musk and the other defendants that they filed in late May. The testimony could support a claim that Musk violated the rule so he could keep his trading secret and prevent Twitters share price from rising while he was buying it, lawyers said. The SEC has said in court papers that it is investigating whether Musk committed civil fraud by delaying his disclosure or misleading the market about his plans. Musks attorneys havent yet responded in court to the revised complaint. They earlier disputed the firefighters allegations. Musks lawyers didnt respond to requests for comment for this article. Musk in 2018 settled SEC fraud claims over a message on Twitter that said he had funding secured" to take Tesla private, a deal that never happened. When they sued him, regulators asked a court to bar Musk from serving as an officer or director of a public company. Musk avoided the ban by settling the SECs lawsuit. He agreed to step down as Teslas chairman and paid a $20 million fine. Musk tried, unsuccessfully, to back out of the earlier settlement agreement. His lawyers have claimed that regulators are obsessed with trying to punish the billionaire. The SEC hasnt filed any enforcement action so far against Musk over his Twitter trading. If the SEC makes a formal complaint against Musk for fraud, regulators are likely to again ask a court to bar him from serving as an officer or director of a public company, former officials said, exposing him to the possibility of removal from Tesla. They sued him previously, and I think they are disappointed with the outcome of that settlement and how he has responded to it," said Marc Fagel, who previously ran the SECs San Francisco office. They are putting in the extra work to see if they can get a stronger case here." The firefighters lawsuit against Musk seeks monetary damages. Musks lawyers have said the firefighters arguments dont support a fraud claim. Musk acquired Twitter in late 2022 and later renamed the company X Corp. In April 2022, Musk disclosed his ownership in Twitter 11 days after the regulatory deadline. He had discussed joining Twitters board in late March, and the company offered to put him on its board of directors on April 3, according to court filings, where he could influence its business strategy and approach to content moderation. Musk said he was generally aware that investors need to disclose ownership in a public company when their stake exceeds 5%, according to excerpts of his testimony revealed in the firefighters lawsuit. Musk likely saved more than $143 million by not reporting his trading on time, The Wall Street Journal reported in May 2022. Investors who sold Twitter shares during 11 days when Musk was out of compliance with the rule were defrauded, the firefighters lawsuit says. Scheme-liability cases often arent successful in litigation, Fagel said. Courts prefer to pin fraud cases on false statements, he said, adding that he is skeptical about the SECs chances if it sues and alleges fraud. They could have an uphill battle, as even a deliberate plan to evade a mandatory disclosure does not necessarily convert a regulatory violation into fraud," he said. Musk has to appear one more time before the SEC to answer questions about his Twitter trading, a federal judge ruled last month. Musk had asked the court to quash the subpoena. Regulators could potentially tie a fraud case to the claim that Musk intended to deceive the market, said James Park, an expert on securities law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Its a little bit more complicated than if he just flat-out lied," he said, referring to Musks statements at the time. We dont have that in this case, but we do have something similar and almost as good." Write to Dave Michaels at dave.michaels@wsj.com and Alexa Corse at alexa.corse@wsj.com The European Commission Directorate General for Trade has levied provisional anti-dumping duty - ranging between 8.7% and 11.4% - on nearly a dozen Indian optical fibre cable makers, while exempting imports from HFCL Ltd and its subsidiary HTL Ltd. According to an order issued on 14 June, a duty of 8.7% has been levied on exports from Birla Cable Ltd, Universal Cables Ltd and Vindhya Telelinks Ltd to the European Union. As per the order, Sterlite Technologies and Sterlite Tech Cables Solutions Ltd will incur 11.4% duties on their exports while a 9.9% duty has been levied on Aberdare Technologies Private Ltd, Aksh Optifibre Ltd, Apar Industries Ltd, Polycab India Ltd, UM Cables Ltd, and ZTT India Private Ltd. All other exporters will incur a duty of 11.4%. This decision is a huge achievement for us and speaks volumes about the trust that we have garnered globally for our fair-trade practices and transparency of processes. We firmly believe that this decision will enable us to play a central role in Europes digital transformation, Mahendra Nahata, managing director at HFCL, said in a statement to BSE Monday. Also read | WhatsApp to roll out enhanced call quality even in poor networks, screen sharing Probe started last year The order follows an investigation by the European trade agency that began in October last year into complaints by European optical fibre cable (OFC) industry, represented by Europacable, about dumping by Indian exporters. During the middle of November 2023, notices were sent to Indian manufacturers where European Commission requested initial sales data and extensive data on manufacturing, sales, exports, and pricing for October 2022 September 2023 from export producers. As per the statement by HFCL, the information and data were verified by European Commission with intensive validation conducted at the premises of all relevant Indian manufacturers by sending its officials to India in April. This was done to determine whether Indian manufacturers were pricing their products for export to Europe lower than their domestic sales prices or below their cost, it added. The decision to levy anti-dumping duty comes on the back of levies being imposed on OFC imports from China in November 2021. The duties have since been increased. Dumping impacts the price of that product In international trade parlance, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in its domestic market. Dumping impacts the price of that product in the importing country, hitting margins and profits of local manufacturing firms. Global trade norms allow a country to impose tariffs on dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. This also ensures fair trading practices. Sterlite Technologies Ltd said in a statement to Mint that the levy was only a preliminary disclosure and would be imposed after due reviews and consultation with the company. "It is important to clarify that this is an initial step of the process, which will be followed by thorough consultation and review," a spokesperson said. India is likely to ask for a three-year exemption for its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from a proposed mandatory tariff on carbon-intensive imports in talks on a free trade deal with European Union negotiators starting next week, two people aware of the matter said. India, which opposed the tax at the World Trade Organization's last ministerial meeting in February-March in Abu Dhabi, will make its stand clear again on the during upcoming talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU. The eighth round of FTA talks is slated to be held in Brussels on 24-28 June. "India will make a strong point during the FTA talks that the unilateral decision taken by the EU is not in India's interest," the first person mentioned above said, requesting anonymity. "India is likely to seek a three-year exemption for MSMEs from the EUs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)," the person added. During the upcoming talks, the two sides will take up sticky issues like the carbon tax, India's demand for EU to relax its rules on the maximum level of pesticide residues allowed in agricultural imports, rules of origin, and issues related to services. CBAM is a green tariff on carbon-intensive products, legislated as part of the European Green Deal. It effects in 2026, with the current transitional phase lasting between 2023 and 2025. The CBAM will initially apply to imports of certain goods that are is carbon intensive and at significant risk of carbon leakage, which includes sectors like cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen. Indian exports to Europe, especially those of iron and steel, aluminium, and cement are expected to be impacted by the tax. With this enlarged scope, CBAM will eventually, when fully phased in, capture more than 50% of the emissions in energy, manufacturing and transport sectors. "The EU has been defending its stance on CBAM by stating that it has a target to achieve, which is carbon-free production by 2050," the second person mentioned above said. "The Indian industry, on the other hand, believes its production costs will increase massively due to the carbon tax on products like steel, cement, and aluminium," the person said, requesting anonymity. Read more: Why Tata Steel is jittery about the UK election According to trade experts, the EU's proposed CBAM and Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), a key topic of discussion between both sides, are expected to impact around 8-10% of Indian agricultural, steel, and aluminium exports to the bloc. "There is a concern that Indian products entering the EU and UK might face additional tariffs, potentially ranging from 20 to 35%, under the CBAM charges. A suitable text may be inserted in the FTA chapters dealing with this possibility," economy think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said in a recent report. "Other regulations that are expected to increase the cost of imports include the Deforestation Regulation, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, and the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. The path to a successful FTA requires a delicate balance of economic interests, political sensitivities, and a commitment to improving the quality of Indian goods," it added. Queries emailed to the spokesperson of the commerce ministry remained unanswered till press time. While the EU negotiators have been arguing that its industry can not compete if the carbon tax is not imposed on imports, the India says it is committed to achieving carbon-free production by 2070, making the carbon tax detrimental to its trade, said the first person mentioned above. "While they (the EU) are looking out for their industry, we too have to protect our industry," the person added. NEW DELHI : Private investments are taking off, and household consumption, which has crossed pre-pandemic levels, is growing, unlike in many countries, according to Sanjiv Puri, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and chairman and managing director of consumer goods conglomerate ITC Ltd. Puri added that with global trade expected to do much better in 2024-25, Indias consumption and growth story will get further impetus. Quoting data from the ministry of statistics, Puri said investments in fixed assets like plant and machinery in nominal terms was at 23.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022-23 compared to 22.4% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20. It is in the right trajectory," Puri said. Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) in current prices had grown from 57.2 trillion in 2019-20 to 91 trillion in 2023-24, according to the statistics ministry. Profits, investments up Puri also pointed out that retained earnings of Indian companies have gone up over the past decade, which suggests that more of corporate profits are being ploughed back into operations and investments. Quoting a CII analysis of corporate profitability data, Puri said retained profits of a panel of over 6,000 private sector firms have gone up from 0.23 trillion in 2014-15 to 1.17 trillion in 2021-22, and further to 1.18 trillion in 2022-23. Besides retained earnings, businesses also tap debt and equity markets to finance expansion. Puri said quoting a CII survey of businesses that capacity utilisation is now above 75% and that improved cross-border trade this year will aid consumption demand. Whatever production capacities were created all over the world in the pre-covid period also have to be absorbed. And there will always be a lag effect. But look at the enablers we have in place now(lower) corporate tax rate, ease of doing business, better logistics and production-linked incentives. After a long period, we are now seeing manufacturing taking off. It is directionally, absolutely correct," said Puri. Private non-financial corporations invested 19.35 trillion in 2023-24 in fixed assets like plant and machinery, compared to 11.13 trillion in 2012-13, while their share in overall GFCF has clawed up from 35.4% to 36.2% in the same period, according to data available from the statistics ministry. Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das said on 7 June that investment activity continues to gain traction on the back of ongoing expansion in non-food bank credit, and merchandise exports expanded in April with improving global demand. The World Trade Organization (WTO) said in its April forecast that world merchandise trade volume is projected to grow 2.6% in 2024 and 3.3% in 2025, following a larger-than-expected contraction of 1.2% in 2023. Supply chain transition to benefit India The supply chain transition and energy transition taking place in the world will also offer new opportunities for India, Puri said. Even agriculture is an opportunity because the world is facing a food and nutrition crisis. The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that by 2050, world food production has to go up by 70%. And that has to happen with depleting natural resources. And on top of that, agriculture value chains are also supposed to support biofuels," said Puri, adding that there is much potential in agriculture because India has more arable land than many other countries. When asked about whether the risk appetite of businesses is in any way affected by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which allows lenders to take over management control of companies defaulting on payments, Puri said the quality of investments is also important as investments cannot be sustainable if its quality is not right. Puri advocated moderate customs duty rates with certain carve outs for sensitive sectors where required for specific reasons. He also cautioned that because of the sluggishness in global demand, there are concerns emerging about possibility of dumping of goods into Indian market. We have to be cognizant of that," Puri said, adding that there is surplus capacity in China and dumping will lead to unfair competition. The Indian industry is also in favour of a transparent political funding scheme, Puri said when in the context of the electoral bond scheme being struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year as unconstitutional. CII always believes in transparency and policies that bring transparency. It is for individual companies to decide which instrument they choose. But we will always recommend transparency and openness about it because, principally, there is nothing wrong about it. It is legally allowed," said Puri, referring to political funding by companies. Political parties depend on private donations, including from companies, as elections are not state-financed in the country. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, announced on June 11, a day before his oath-taking ceremony, that Amaravati would be the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Several sectors in the city are expected to witness significant growth and development. Experts and industry leaders shared their insights on the promising future of Amaravati with LiveMint. Notably, the Information Technology (IT) and tourism sectors are expected to see the highest growth. Experts opined that the governments immediate priority will be to develop facilities to support the migration of government employees and their families. The city's topographical position is expected to provide an impetus to develop a self-sustainable, planned, green city. Adil Zaidi, EY India Partner and Economic Development Advisory Leader, emphasised the city's potential. He said, Nestled on the banks of the Krishna River, Amaravati City holds immense economic promise for Andhra Pradesh. It is important to recognise that Amaravati is being developed as a greenfield capital city, which means it will be at the forefront of modern urban planning and sustainability. The city's design incorporates smart city features, which is a sector that will witness tremendous growth. Smart city technology not only enhances the quality of life for residents but also attracts businesses that value innovation and sustainability. Zaidi further highlighted the IT sector's potential. The Information Technology sector is poised to flourish in Amaravati, bolstered by the state government's commitment to creating a robust digital infrastructure. Development of IT parks and dedicated spaces for startups and established tech companies can lead to a surge in employment opportunities and a vibrant ecosystem for tech innovation in the city, Zaidi opined. He also pointed out the educational sector's growth prospects. With plans to develop world-class educational institutions and research centres, Amaravati can position itself as a knowledge hub. This will have long-term benefits for various industries, including technology, healthcare, and engineering in terms of skilled workforce. Tejinder Gupta, Partner at Grant Thornton Bharat, shared insights on Amaravati's master plan. Gupta claimed, Amaravati, nestled in Andhra Pradesh, stands at the threshold of a significant economic resurgence, underpinned by strategic investments and meticulous planning. The city's master plan, delineating nine theme cities tailored to specific industries and services, forms the cornerstone of its developmental blueprint. Gupta also highlighted the agricultural sector. Amaravati's fertile land and favourable climate make it ideal for cultivating rice, cotton, and various fruits. By investing in organic farming and precision agriculture, Amaravati can capitalise on the food processing industry's projected growth, Gupta opined. Regarding tourism, Gupta noted, Tourism in Amaravati has significant potential, with an estimated annual growth rate of 10% in Andhra Pradesh. Investment in hospitality infrastructure will enhance the tourist experience, boosting the local economy and job creation. Premchand Chandrasekharan, Partner at Avalon Consulting, discussed the immediate impact on various sectors. Following the announcement of Amaravati as the capital, the governments immediate priority will be to develop facilities to support the migration of government employees and their families. This will drive growth in real estate, retail, hospitality, education, and healthcare sectors. What is the role of water bodies in Amaravati city's development? As the water crisis in Bengaluru worsened, many tech professionals in India's Silicon Valley started temporarily relocating to their hometowns. The shift underscored the urban distress caused by the acute water shortage, making life in the city increasingly unsustainable. The tech workforce in Bengaluru is increasingly seeking refuge in their home cities to escape the escalating crisis. As the Silicon City battles with water scarcity, Amaravati seems to have it in abundance. This could trigger an industry migration to Amaravati. Renewable energy is a cornerstone of Amaravati's development strategy, aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and creating opportunities for sustainable businesses. The city's planned transportation network, including high-speed rail connectivity, will further facilitate seamless mobility of goods and people, thereby boosting economic activities in logistics and related sectors, said, Anil Kumar, Sr Vice President, Water, Urban and Hydropower, Rodic Consultants. Water is one of the important components for the growth of any city, and Amaravati has a reliable water source. As per Kumar, an integrated water resource management plan is in place for the city's complete development. G Hari Babu, President of NAREDCO, discussed the role of water resources: The idea of the entire city is to see this city survive sustainably for the next 150 years. The Bham Dam, Upper Wardha Dam, and Malkhed Dam will ensure that the new capital has a steady supply of water for the next 100 years, supporting the infrastructure in Amravati. Babu emphasised the sustainability of Amravati's water resources: "When we are talking about water, we have three sources, three dams over there. Now Polavaram is under construction. From Polavaram, we can draw about 75 TMC of water to Krishna Barrage and Prakashan Barrage. If there is a shortage there, we have the Nagar Sagar project, where we have 300 TMC water, which can also release some water to Prakasham Barrage for the purpose of drinking." He added, "There is a Pulichandra project, where 48 TMC is loaded, and that also serves this purpose. That means three dams, two rivers, and the three dams give Amaravati water. So this is the only city where there will be no water shortage at any time in the next 100 years." Amaravati City's sustainable capacity Charith Konda, Energy Specialist at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), emphasised the sustainable development aspect. Amaravati is conceived as a sustainable smart city from the outset. The planners aim to source 35% of its electricity from renewable energy and anticipate that water bodies and vegetation will cover 30% of the area. Amaravati's real estate growth potential Shrinivas Rao, CEO of Vestian, elaborated on the real estate prospects. "Amaravati is likely to be developed as a greenfield capital city. The city will witness significant physical and social infrastructure development, resulting in the construction of several commercial buildings for government offices. This will lead to increased real estate activities, with the sector experiencing growth followed by small and medium-scale businesses." Vimal Nadar, Senior Director & Head of Research at Colliers India, emphasised the planned infrastructure: Economic and real estate activity is set to receive a major fillip in the next few years. Planned infrastructure development in the form of internal roads, flyovers, and intra-city commute modes can support the envisaged construction of administrative and legislative buildings in the capital region. Ravi Teja Gupta, Founder of Guptaji Invests, said, A lot of money, estimated between $23 billion to $35 billion, is expected to flow into real estate, especially from people and businesses in Telangana and those with roots in Andhra Pradesh who live abroad. Abhishek Bhadra, Head of Research at Magicbricks, observed that the city is expected to attract investments from corporations and businesses, as well as government infrastructure and development initiatives. Amaravati is set to become a smart city, with EMS, solar panels, and enhanced public transportation, including metro and buses, planned for the next two years. Digital infrastructure will be developed, and to prepare the capital, the Secretariat and their housing will also be relocated. Additionally, waterways will be developed, and Vizag will benefit from an IFSC and SEZs, said, Siddhartha Rastogi, COO, Ambit Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd. Bank Holiday today on June 17: All banks across India, including the State Bank of India (SBI), will be closed today on June 17, for Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakri Eid. Besides this, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, bank holiday for Eid will extend for one more day on June 18 as well. Notably, this comes after the Sunday off on June 16 and is an extended weekend leave for banks. Customers can access online banking facilities for convenience or in case of emergencies. You can also visit the banks' websites, use their mobile apps, or ATMs for urgent transactions. Bank Holidays This Month in June 2024 June 2024 will has at least 12 bank holidays scheduled due to regional festivals, religious events and the weekends. This includes the second and fourth Saturdays in the month and all Sundays off. This month in particular has five Sundays. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) works with the various state governments to set the banks' holiday schedule for the year. Thus, the holiday list may differ across states depending on the local requirements. Customers must note that since holidays vary across India, they must confirm all listed holidays with their nearest bank branch to plan better. Also Read | Bank Holidays in 2024. Check the full list here Upcoming Bank Holidays in June 2024 June 18: On the occasion of Eid al-Adha (or Bakri Eid) banks will remain closed in Jammu & Kashmir. June 21: Banks across many states will be closed for Vat Savitri Vrat. Also Read | Are SBI branches near you open today? Here's when the bank will remain closed on Saturdays in 2024 State-run defence equipment manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Monday said the Union defence ministry has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of 156 light combat helicopters. Out of the total 156 light combat helicopters, 90 choppers will be procured for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force. In a stock exchange filing, Hindustan Aeronautics said: In terms of Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we would like to inform that Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by the Ministry of Defence for procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (90 nos. for IA and 66 nos. for IAF). Shares of Hindustan Aeronautics are likely to be influenced on Tuesday by the latest development. On Friday, HAL shares closed at 5,199.60, higher by 96.45 or 1.89 per cent on the BSE. Tejas aircraft In April this year, the defence ministry had issued a tender to the Indian aerospace major for the procurement of 97 light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) Tejas for the Indian Air Force. The Tejas jets are used for air combat and offensive air support missions. Reconnaissance and anti-ship operations are considered to be the secondary roles of the LCA Mk-1A. The fighter aircraft are expected to cost around 67,000 crore. In November, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had given its nod for the procurement of 97 more Tejas jets for the Indian Air Force. The Council also approved a proposal of the IAF to upgrade its Su-30 fighter fleet by Hindustan Aeronautics. Dhruv Mk-III helicopter In March, the Union defence ministry signed a contract worth 8,073 crore with HAL to buy 34 indigenous advanced light helicopters for the Indian Army and the Coast Guard. Out of the 34 Dhruv Mk-III helicopters, 25 aircraft were for the Indian Army and the remaining nine were for the Coast Guard. Also Read | Govt to buy 34 advanced light choppers from Hindustan Aeronautics for 8,073 crore NEW DELHI : Private equity (PE) firm I Squared Capital and alternative investment firm Stonepeak are vying for Vodafone Group Plcs 21.5% stake in Indus Towers Ltd in a deal potentially valued at around $2.3 billion, according to two people aware of the development. The talks are in advance stages, the people said. On 14 June, Reuters reported that Vodafone Group was looking to sell its entire stake worth $2.3 billion, as of Friday's closing stock price in Mumbai, in India's largest telecom tower company through stock market deals and had hired Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas to manage the sale. I Squared will not be able to comment on this story. However, if the firm has future news or announcements to share, well be sure to be in touch," said an I Squared Capital spokesperson in an emailed response. Bank of America and BNP Paribas spokespersons declined to comment. Queries emailed to the spokespersons of Indus Towers, Vodafone Group, Stonepeak, Morgan Stanley, and Bharti Airtel did not elicit a response until press time. While Vodafone Group Plc owns 21.5% through various entities in Indus Towers, which has over 219,736 towers covering all 22 telecom circles, Bharti Airtel Ltd is the largest shareholder with a 47.95% stake. The British telecom operator has pledged its stake in Indus Towers to settle the duesestimated to be at around 10,000 croreowed by its Indian arm Vodafone Idea to the mobile-tower operator. It is unclear whether the proceeds from this sale would be used for repaying Indus Towers dues. Vodafone Idea dues Vodafone Idea, which is among the key customers for Indus Towers, raised 18,000 crore in Indias largest follow-on offer (FPO) in April. However, it cannot use the proceeds to pay up Indus Towers dues, chief executive of Vodafone Idea Akshaya Moondra said at the launch of the FPO. While Indus Towers has asked Vodafone Idea to pay up its dues in full, Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, has said Vodafone Idea should pay its past dues to Indus Towers, failing which services could be stopped. In 2022, Vodafone Group sold over 7% in Indus Towers, of which 4.7% was acquired by Bharti Airtel. The proceeds were routed to Vodafone Idea to reduce its debt. Currently, its debt stands at over 2.1 trillion. While Stonepeak is a New York-headquartered alternative investment firm with $65.1 billion in assets under management, I Squared Capital is no stranger to Indias infrastructure sector. In April 2015, I Squared Capital invested $150 million in Amplus Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd that was sold to Malaysias state-run oil and gas company, Petroliam Nasional Bhd or Petronas, in April 2019 for 2,700 crore. It has also set up a climate solutions platformHexa Climate Solutionswith Amplus founder Sanjeev Aggarwal wherein the New York-based PE fund will invest around $500 million. I Squared Capital is also an investor in Singapore-based Cube Highways and Infrastructure Pte. Ltd, one of Indias largest private sector operators of toll roads, that is one of the two final bidders in the fray to acquire the roads assets of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund's (NIIF's) Athaang Infrastructure for the deal having an equity value of around 4,000 crore. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is the other final bidder. If you have a potentially massive market all to yourself, a new competitor is usually bad newsunless the new rival can help you build out the market. That might be the case for midsize biotech Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai. Their Alzheimers drug, Leqembi, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year but it has failed to make major inroads. It might do better once Big Pharma gets into the field as well. Last week, a panel of independent advisers to the FDA unanimously voted in support of Eli Lillys donanemab, a competitor in the same class of drugs that target amyloid plaques in the brain. The FDA is expected to decide on whether to approve the drug by the end of the year. Life expectancies around the world have surged in recent decades, increasingly putting people at risk of dementia. About one in nine seniors has Alzheimers disease, the most common cause of the condition, which works out to some seven million Americans. One might think that a therapy that slows down patients decline would immediately create a huge opportunity, similar to what is happening in the obesity market. But adoption is moving at a snails pace. Leqembi brought in $19 million in revenue last quartera very modest sum for a drug category that Wall Street expects to reach billions of dollars in annual sales. There are several reasons for the slow uptake. For starters, the clinical benefit of the drug is modest and there are non-negligible safety concerns, such as brain bleeding and swelling. The companies say so themselves. We fully recognize that this is an important, but ultimately incremental step in the treatment of Alzheimers disease," David Hyman, Eli Lillys chief medical officer, told the FDA advisers panel last week. Patients deserve more, and we continue to work on additional approaches to address this disease." It is also incredibly cumbersome. Instead of pills or even an injection, treatment requires infusions, an evaluation by a specialist, a spinal tap or PET scan and regular MRI scans to check for swelling and bleeding. And at the moment, there is a shortage of the medical infrastructure needed to enable the treatment of patients on a massive scale. On the regulatory side, there is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirement to collect patient data in a registry, which adds another layer of complexity for doctors. Biogen and Eisai are very much at an early stage of building awareness of their drug while lobbying for less stringent reimbursement rules from the government. Having pharmas biggest company by market value going to bat together with you is therefore probably a good thing. Our view currently is that the more anti-amyloid therapy approvals, the better the disease awareness/therapeutic education will be, and this should be a tailwind for the ongoing Leqembi launch," said Myles Minter, an analyst at William Blair. Underscoring that point, Biogens shares are up slightly more than Lillys since the FDA panel meeting. Leqembi and donanemab both work in Alzheimers patients with mild cognitive impairment by targeting amyloid plaquesabnormal clumps of protein that can build up in the brain, disrupting cell function. The drugs are far from a cure, but they can potentially slow the diseases progression and give patients several more months, or even years, of a normal life. In the study of more than 1,730 patients, Lillys donanemab slowed patients decline by 35% compared with placebo over 18 months of treatment. Hyman, Lillys chief medical officer, told the FDA panel that the company is working on targeting patients earlier on in the process, with the goal of preventing symptomatic Alzheimers. Given that the plaques build up in the brain over decades, the idea of earlier prevention is worth testing out. The best-case scenario would be for amyloid therapies to work the way drugs such as statins do for cholesterol, helping to prevent strokes or heart attacks. At this point, getting two drugs with moderate benefits out into the market has other advantages for the broader field as well. As these drugs start to generate a return for the pharmaceutical industry, investors and companies will feel more confident in researching newer therapies. There are currently 19 drugs in mid- or late-stage testing, with several of them undertaking approaches that extend beyond the anti-amyloid hypothesis, HSBC analysts note. Six trials, for instance, are focused on targeting tau, another protein implicated in the condition. As the therapeutic landscape emerges, doctors and patients will shift from coping with the disease to treating it as well. The job of building a market for Alzheimers wont be easy. More therapeutic options are good for patients as well as for drug companies. Write to David Wainer at david.wainer@wsj.com After a 15 percent correction in 2024 year-to-date, brokerage house InCred Equities sees a 42 percent upside in MTAR Technologies. The brokerage has initiated coverage on the stock with a buy call and a target price of 2,644. "MTAR Technologies is a precision machining company with exposure across niche sectors like fuel cells (for Bloom Energy), nuclear, defence, and space. Rising power costs in the US due to grid problems, coupled with the rising cost competitiveness of Bloom Energy, will result in significant tailwinds for MTAR. We value the stock at 45x FY26F EPS to reach our target price of 2,644. Initiate coverage on it with an ADD rating," said the brokerage. Read here: When will Nifty 50 index climb to 30K peak? InCred forecasts that MTAR is likely to register a 41 percent topline growth over FY24-26F, with margin improvement by roughly 500 bps due to operating leverage kicking in. Moreover, going ahead, even if Bloom Energy (MTARs largest client) misses its consensus revenue estimates for CY26F by 5 percent, it will only have a 10 percent negative PAT impact on MTAR, owing to its ramp-up in other revenue segments, thus providing a reasonable margin of safety. The brokerage expects MTAR to register an 80 percent PAT CAGR over FY24-26F. Stock Price Trend The stock has shed 4.5 percent in the last 1 year and 15 percent in 2024 YTD. This year so far, the stock has given negative returns in 4 of the 6 months. While it rose 3.5 percent in June till now, it had lost 4.5 percent in May. Meanwhile, in April, the stock jumped 12 percent. Before that, the stock was in the red for 6 straight months between October 2023 and March 2024, crashing almost 34 percent in this period. In the first 3 months of 2024, the stock fell 12 percent in March, 8.8 percent in February and 5 percent in January. The stock had hit its record high of 2,920 on September 11, 2023, and its 52-week low of 1,601 on June 4, 2024. Currently trading at 1,862.65, the stock is over 36 percent away from the peak and has risen over 16 percent from its year-low. Read here: Indian banks well placed with strong balance sheets, cheap valuations, says CLSA Investment Rationale MTARs unique machining capabilities separate it from its peers: As per the brokerage, MTAR stands out among machining companies like Bharat Forge for its dual capabilities in both conventional and non-conventional machining. Non-conventional methods, which involve techniques not reliant on sharp tools, are crucial for MTAR's operations. Besides conventional machining, MTAR excels in EDM (electronic discharge machining), leveraging electrical energy to shape metals, especially for ceramic machining in Bloom Energy's fuel cells. This capability not only provides MTAR with a competitive advantage but also opens avenues for expanding into challenging-to-machine materials, it had said. Clean energy to be the biggest growth driver for MTAR: InCred stated that MTAR specializes in manufacturing mission-critical precision components and assemblies with tight tolerances (5-10 microns). In the clean energy sector, MTAR supplies components to Bloom Energy, a US-based manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) known as energy servers. These fuel cells are crucial for addressing US grid transmission challenges, making them a significant growth driver for MTAR in the future. Additionally, MTAR's strong research capabilities enable continuous enhancement of its value addition for clients, reinforcing its position in the value chain. Read here: How to navigate stock market trends? 6 key strategies to follow Bloom Energy is getting significant incremental orders: Bloom Energy excels in providing resilient power solutions, with its energy servers already operational in over 40 data centers across the US, serving major entities like AT&T, Equinix, and JP Morgan, informed Incred. While Bloom Energy currently benefits from sales to existing (brownfield) data centers, which have shorter sales cycles, future growth is anticipated from new (greenfield) data centers with longer sales cycles. Bloom Energy has approximately 0.5GW of incremental demand from data centers in its current pipeline. MTAR Technologies derives 60 percent of its revenue from Bloom Energy, illustrating their close strategic relationship. European defence spending could also act as a trigger for the defence segment of MTAR: MTAR Technologies' defence segment contributed approximately 3 percent to its FY24 revenue. However, this segment holds significant growth potential in the coming years, bolstered by clients such as Rafale and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI). With heightened defence spending amid conflicts like the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars in Europe, MTAR is poised for growth. Additionally, MTAR has secured a long-term agreement with IAI spanning 15 years to supply critical assemblies for the aviation sector, with the contract valued between US$90 million to US$120 million over 20 years, said the brokerage. Read here: Medicamen Organics IPO price band set at 32 - 34 per share Renewables (solar/wind) is not the solution its fuel cells & nuclear: According to the brokerage, renewable sources like solar and wind exhibit intermittent and unpredictable energy generation, which poses grid stability issues. Unlike gradual changes in grid demand, these sources fluctuate suddenly with changes in weather conditions. While batteries offer a potential solution, existing utility-scale battery packs are insufficient for true grid-scale backup, it noted. However, it pointed out that fuel cells and nuclear energy emerge as viable alternatives due to their on-site energy storage capabilities, ensuring reliability. MTAR Technologies benefits significantly from these technologies, with Bloom Energy, the worlds sole commercial-scale fuel cell manufacturer, and nuclear energy contributing 70 percent of MTAR's FY24 revenue. This trend is expected to provide significant growth opportunities for MTAR in the foreseeable future, it stated. Investors may need to be vigilant and cautious given the concerns around elections in the US, and ongoing geo-political conflict, says R.K. Jha, CEO & MD, LIC Mutual Fund. Back at home, the first hundred days of the new government are crucial, he said. Besides the infrastructure push, the government has promised solar rooftops for 10 million households. He expects additional initiatives in the green energy sector along with increased focus on the semiconductor space. Edited excerpts: What is your current assessment of the market? Though the market is a bit volatile at this point, those who adopt a long-term perspective are likely to see good returns and achieve significant wealth creation for themselves and their families. Additionally, after analyzing the last eight elections since 1991, I have observed an interesting pattern: there's often a feverish speculation among investors about the election outcome. However, in the long term, the market stabilizes based on the financial performance of companies, macroeconomic factors, and turning points of sectors. Therefore, it is important not to speculate too much and instead focus on long-term investing. Read | Investors return to Indian equities with consumption sectors in spotlight With the election verdict settled, which sectors do you think will benefit moving forward? With policy continuity, this government has given significant support to public sector undertakings (PSUs), infrastructure, defence, electronics sector, and electric vehicles. So, this government has taken numerous initiatives, including production linked incentive (PLI) schemes and we are optimistic about the long-term benefits of these events on development of infrastructure and defence companies. Another factor is that consumers now prefer luxury or premium products, which are considered discretionary by the consumer. Besides, there are people staying in tier-2 and below cities who have aspirations to seek better products. It has been recently reported that people in rural areas are purchasing sport utility vehicles (SUVs), indicating that the purchase or consumption of premium, luxury and valuable products is increasing in the rural segment. So that would be another area to watch out. How do you see the markets in the near term? When investing in the markets, investors should look at the long term. The long term story of India is positive. In the near term, there may be volatility but if one is investing for the long term, this near-term volatility may not be significant. Also this | Savvy small investors score a quiet poll win Hereon, what are the most important aspects to watch out for? The first hundred days are one of the most important when the new government will take new initiatives. Besides, the infrastructure push, the government has promised 10 million households for solar rooftops. Moreover, I feel that the government may announce a few more initiatives particularly in the green energy space. The government is already ramping up focus in the semiconductor space. So that sector can take off. Having said that there are a few concerns such as elections in the US, and geo-political conflict going on. So, we may need to be vigilant and cautious. What kind of investors is LIC MF inclined more towardsretail, HNIs, or institutional? It's a blend of different investor types. Out of our 39 schemes, we have 14 schemes in the equity category, 6 in hybrid category, 10 in exchange traded funds (ETF) and index funds, and 9 in fixed income debt funds including overnight, liquid, and low duration funds. In terms of investor distribution, corporates primarily make up around 90% of the investments in fixed income schemes, while on the equity side, approximately 90-95% of the investments come from retail investors, with the remaining 5-10% consisting of other investor types like provident fund (PF) trusts. These PF trusts need to maintain a certain rate of interest declared by Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and may invest in both fixed income and equity segments to achieve returns higher than the government-declared rates. This strategy aims to ensure consistent returns above the government-declared rates, such as 8.15% or 8.25%, by investing in a mix of fixed income and equity assets. In the schemes you've mentioned, where are you seeing the highest traction? The retail investing space is undoubtedly seeing the most traction, particularly Systematic Investment Plans (SIP). In terms of fund size, LIC MF has around 19,000 crore in debt oriented schemes and 14,000 crore in equity-oriented schemes out of a total AUM of around 33,000 crore as on 31 May 2024. Nevertheless, SIPs have exploded in popularity and are currently the mutual fund industry's hero product. Investors using the SIP channel are now reaping the rewards of compounding's magic. Apart from SIPs, what is the sentiment for active equity funds? There are about 22 active equity-oriented funds at LIC MF. Active equities funds are doing well overall, but outperforming the benchmark and producing alpha may be challenging. That is dependent upon the fund manager's aptitude and expertise in generating alpha. Since you have been in the industry for quite some time, any observations? Firstly, SIP assets under management (AUM) was roughly 2-3 trillion, while the entire AUM, say in FY19, was around 22 trillion. SIP contribution was 10.73% of the industry's total AUM in FY19. So as of April, the SIP AUM has increased to 11.26 trillion, 4-5 times greater than what it was. The total AUM of the mutual fund (MF) industry is 57.26 trillion. This means that the SIP ratio which was 10% earlier has now risen to 20%. This indicates that Indians are beginning to understand the advantages of SIP and furthermore, it does not pinch ones pay. Secondly, since December, there have been more than 3 million demat accounts opened each month, bringing the total number of demat users or accounts to approximately 155 million. The mutual fund industry's unique permanent account number (PAN) is estimated to be worth 4.5 crore. In my opinion, individuals are currently investing directly in equity stocks, but with time, they will come to understand the advantages of mutual funds due to their professional fund management. This will help them to achieve their varied financial objectives. Does that mean you see substantial inflows in the mutual fund industry going ahead? MF AUM was approximately 39 trillion as on 22 November 2022, and it reached 50 trillion in December 2023. Thus, in just 11 months, it has surpassed 50 trillion. Therefore, it is anticipated that this will easily reach around 100 trillion in the next 4-5 years. So, any new fund launches that you're going to do? This year, we have planned 3-4 new product launches on the active equity side. In ETFs, based on market feedback, we will do at least one, if not two. Are you noticing a preference among customers for passive funds, equity-based funds, or debt? Investors are more inclined towards active funds. As regards debt funds, we know that last year in March, following the budget, the indexation advantage was withdrawn. As a result, interest of investors and corporates to invest in debt schemes has come down to some extent. Is there any advice for investors? Cycles shift and some Black Swan events may occur after 7 to 10 years. There may be some sort of event. Having said that, people either take out their money or lose trust. Rather, they should stay invested in those times. They should invest more so that when the stock market returns to stability and position, they will be in a better position to achieve their financial goals. After a sharp rebound in Indian markets following the Lok Sabha election results, attention is now turning to the upcoming Union Budget 2024 in July and the June quarter earnings season. Additionally, markets will focus on macro trends such as inflation, monetary policy, and global developments moving forward. The benchmark Nifty has surged over 4 percent in June, reaching around the 23,500 mark and setting multiple new highs along the way. With high valuations for most stocks and no significant correction in sight, investors may find it challenging to determine where to invest. To address this, brokerage house BP Wealth has released 7 super picks for June. Let's take a look. Also Read | When will Nifty 50 index climb to 30K peak? Cummins India: The brokerage recommends 'BUY CUMMINS' between CMP- 3,680 for the target of 4,001 with a stop loss of 3,520 in the short term. The stock displays a strong uptrend. The price action ascended 135% followed by a 20% correction as profit-taking bouts. It witnessed a relatively stronger pullback from the support of 50 daily MA. The average line also offers immediate support. Meanwhile, the price action is trading in a potential cup and handle pattern indicating signs of trend continuation, explained the brokerage. Fundamentally, the brokerage noted that Cummins India is poised for growth with its diverse portfolio, including diesel and alternative fuel engines. The company is preparing for upcoming emission norms and future technologies like battery packs, electric power generation, and hydrogen fuel cells. Anticipating a shift towards CPCB IV+ compliant products post-June 30, 2024, Cummins targets growth rates twice the GDP for FY24/25E, driven by robust domestic demand across sectors. Despite export challenges due to geopolitical tensions, a rebound is expected in FY25. The companys efficiency measures and cost controls during the pandemic are set to improve margins as raw material price pressures ease, it said. GAIL (India): BP Wealth recommends 'BUY GAIL' between CMP- 217 for the target of 236 with a stop loss of 209 in the short term. As per the brokerage the price action witnessed high volatility during the recently concluded Lok Sabha election leading to a failed breakout and a breakdown. As the price now heads towards the life highs, it indicates that committed buyers continue to showcase holding strength which is a positive sign. Further, the RSI across daily and higher timeframes are trading well above their median. This shows thrust in the price momentum, it added. Fundamentally, the brokerage stated that GAIL is the market leader in natural gas transmission in India, with a pipeline network spanning 15,413 km and handling 206 MMSCMD. The company anticipates a gas transmission volume increase of 12 to 15 MMSCMD in the next two to three years, with 6,000 km of pipelines under construction. GAILs diversified revenue streams include city gas distribution, petrochemicals, liquid hydrocarbons, E&P, and telecom. In FY24, GAIL reported robust performance across major segments. The company plans a capex of Rs. 17,000 crores for FY2024-25, including significant investments in pipeline projects, petrochemicals, and net zero initiatives, it added. Indian Railways Finance Corporation: The brokerage recommends 'BUY IRFC' from CMP- 173 for the target of 189 with a stop loss of 166 in the short term. The ongoing price action connotes the assumption that technical analysis of history repeats itself, noted BP. The stock is consolidating at the back of shorter-term moving average offering immediate support. It shows lower volatility diminishing the probability of an unruly move, it added. Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) plays a pivotal role in funding Indian Railways' capital expenditures, including rolling stock and infrastructure projects, with competitive borrowing costs and robust financial resources. The railways' capex focuses on enhancing infrastructure, capacity, passenger experience, and safety. In FY25, the railways' capital expenditure is budgeted at Rs. 2,52,000 crores. IRFC collaborates with other infrastructure lenders to finance projects within the railway ecosystem, benefiting from its highest credit rating among Indian issuers and maintaining strong asset quality with zero gross NPAs as of March 31, 2024, rationale the brokerage. Also Read | When will Nifty 50 index climb to 30K peak? Info Edge (India): BP Wealth recommends 'BUY NAUKRI' at CMP- 6,200 for the target of 6,740 with a stop loss of 5,975 in the short term. The stock displays true market sectorial leadership characteristics compared to its peers and to its index itself, said the brokerage. The price action is observed to be taking periodic halts as a means of accumulation amidst the progressive uptrend. This indicates accumulation and inclusion of further smart hands in the stock, it noted. Also, it displays improving EPS and price strength and buyers demand, added BP. Fundamentally, the brokerage noted that Info Edge (India) Ltd. (IEL) leverages a diversified portfolio including Recruitment Solutions, 99acres, and Jeevansathi, poised to capitalize on market trends. 99acres thrives on robust demand in resale, rental, and new home segments amidst favorable macroeconomic conditions. Info Edge integrates AI, data science, and generative AI to enhance user engagement and operational efficiency. Initiatives like Naukri 360 and Coding Ninja underscore their commitment to comprehensive career solutions. With innovations like IIM Jobs and Naukri Gulf driving growth, Info Edge is well-positioned for sustained expansion in diverse segments, it said. Also Read | This little-known stock supplies critical components to the transformer industry NMDC: The brokerage recommends 'BUY NMDC' at CMP- 262 for the target of 287 with a stop loss of 252 in the short term. The price is currently trading at the conjecture of its 20 and 50 daily MA and 20 weekly MA and the previous breakout zone. This offers immediate and strong support. The RSI across daily and higher timeframes are trading well above their media indicating thrust in the price momentum. Though the EPS strength remains mediocre, it shows improving relative strength compared to the 50 index and sectorial strength, said BP. NMDC plans to invest 1,500-2,000 crore in FY25 and aims for 50,000 crore over five years. Key projects include tripling pellet and beneficiation plant capacity. As India's largest iron ore producer, NMDC's robust operations are bolstered by reserves and long-term mining licenses. Recent price hikes are expected to boost average selling prices and earnings, supporting growth in production through FY25 and FY26, stated the brokerage. Olectra Greentech: BP Recommends 'BUY OLECTRA' at CMP- 1,730 for the target of 1,925 with a stop loss of 1,660 in the short term. The price action is trading in a volatility contraction pattern while the diminishing contractions by time and price depth indicate accumulation of available supply. The fair value area bolsters a strong support limiting the drawdowns below the area. The stock shows improving relative and EPS strength, buyers demand, and strength within the sectorial group, noted BP. As per the brokerage, Olectra's leadership in the electric bus market is bolstered by a robust order book of 10,969 buses and a strategic partnership with BYD. The company's extended collaboration with BYD enhances manufacturing capabilities, supporting efficient production and technology integration. Olectra's focus on sustainable public transport solutions aligns with global trends toward cleaner transportation. With plans to expand manufacturing capacity to 5,000 buses, and potentially to 10,000, Olectra is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for electric mobility solutions in India's smart cities and under FAME-II initiatives, it stated. Siemens: The brokerage recommends 'BUY SIEMENS' at CMP- 7,320 for the target of 8,040 with a stop loss of 7,045 in the short term. The stock displays a strong primary uptrend. Following the volatile move observed on general election day, it found modest support at the 50 daily MA that bolstered a pullback. Amidst the pullback rally the price managed to cross a pivotal resistance supported by volume and momentum. The stock thus offers a low risk and higher rewarding opportunity, observed the brokerage. Fundamentally, the brokerage pointed out that Siemens Ltd. reported strong revenue growth and profitability in Q2CY24, with a 19% QoQ revenue increase and a 15% EBITDA margin. The company anticipates further growth from its energy business, which saw a 34% rise in new orders compared to the previous year. The board approved the demerger plan to spin off the energy business into Siemens Energy India Ltd. by CY25, aimed at enhancing market focus and operational efficiency. Siemens plans significant capex across its smart infrastructure and mobility verticals, including expansions in Goa and setting up a Metro train manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, it added. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a circular on 7 June, relaxing overseas investment regulations and clarifying ambiguities for wealthy Indians, business families, and startups seeking to invest in foreign securities, funds, and companies. The new rules simplify investment and open global opportunities for Indian limited partners (LPs). The key amendment in the circular relaxes restrictions for overseas portfolio investors (OPI). Previously, Indian LPs could only invest in units of an investment fund". The updated guidelines now extend permissible investments to "any other instruments," including shares, stocks, interests in firms, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), fixed deposits, and more. This broadened scope enables Indian investors to engage in a wider array of financial instruments overseas. The RBI has also amended the regulation pertaining to investment funds. Previously, Indian investors could only invest in funds directly regulated by the financial sector regulator of the host country. This restriction often excluded popular investment destinations like Singapore and certain US states, where funds are regulated through their fund managers rather than directly by financial regulators. The amendment now includes funds regulated through their managers, widening potential investment destinations. This is particularly relevant for locations like Singapore, where the Monetary Authority of Singapore regulates fund managers, and some U.S. states with similar frameworks. Investment conundrum Before this circular, there was considerable confusion among authorized dealer bankers (AD bankers) and Indian LPs regarding the classification of investments in offshore funds. Offshore funds are typically structured as corporate entities issuing shares or interests in a firm, unlike trusts issuing units. This led to debates on whether such investments fell under permissible categories. The typical approach adopted by AD Banks was to authorize remittances only when the fund was directly regulated by the host nation. The previous language of the OI Directions caused confusion among Indian LPs who had committed capital before the introduction of the OI Framework. They faced challenges in fulfilling obligations if the fund was located in a jurisdiction where the financial regulator didn't directly oversee the fund but regulated the fund manager. Additionally, new funds had to be established in locations like the Cayman Islands, Mauritius, or GIFT City to ensure investments from Indian LPs. The RBI's amendment offers flexibility regarding investment jurisdictions and the legal forms of the funds. OPIs can now invest in various structures, including Limited Partnerships, LLCs, Variable Capital Companies (VCCs), and traditional companies. This change allows Indian investors to participate in a broader range of investment opportunities, aligning their strategies with global practices. Further, these amendments impact carry and co-investment structures for employees of Private Equity Funds and Venture Capital Funds. The changes now allow employees flexibility in participating in the carry and investing alongside the fund, permitting a broader range of investment options. The RBI has also expanded the types of Indian entities that can invest in special purpose vehicles (SPVs) set up in International Financial Services Centres (IFSC). Previously, only resident individuals and listed Indian entities were permitted to make such investments. The new regulations now include unlisted Indian entities," significantly broadening the potential investor base for IFSC funds. These relaxations represent a significant opportunity for Indian LPs to diversify their portfolios and capitalize on global investment opportunities. By aligning the OI directions with industry demands and international standards, the RBI has facilitated a more dynamic investment environment. This move is expected to empower Indian investors to engage more freely in global markets, fostering a more vibrant and competitive investment landscape. Industry experts believe these changes will attract more Indian capital to global markets and enhance the competitiveness of Indian investors. Startups and business families looking to diversify their investments abroad are particularly likely to benefit from the clarity and flexibility. The RBIs circular marks a pivotal moment in the landscape of overseas investments for Indian LPs. By addressing long-standing ambiguities and extending the scope of permissible investments, the RBI has opened new avenues for wealth creation and international engagement for Indian investors. This regulatory shift brings Indian investment practices in line with global standards, offering a robust framework for the future. Ajay Rotti is founder and CEO, Tax Compaas. Kirtan P. Shastri, manager, Tax Compaas, contributed to this article. The good part of manufacturing as you can see from its benchmarks is that it gravitates across myriad industries, said Jitendra Sriram, Senior Fund Manager, Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund. In an interview with MintGenie, Sriram said that manufacturing funds are not as narrow as certain thematic mutual funds as one has ample manoeuvring space reducing the risks. Edited Excerpts: Too many mutual fund houses are jumping in to launch their manufacturing funds. What, according to you, prompted them all of a sudden to focus on the manufacturing theme? The emphasis that the government is lying to step up manufacturing is one of the major causes. Just as we saw India go through the green revolution in agriculture, the white revolution in dairy and later the services revolution in the late 90s, we seemed to have sidestepped manufacturing, and this is being rectified now with the government targeting manufacturing to reach 25% of GDP in 2047 from 17% currently. Even assuming a 6% growth of GDP, the manufacturing size can expand by more than six times from current levels.This is buoyed further by schemes like PLI and OSAT. In addition, we see global trends on near-shoring, climate change, industry 4.0 & digitisation prompting a revival globally. What is the current contribution of the manufacturing sector to Indias GDP? How do you foresee its trajectory in the future? We are assuming GDP to compound only at 6% and if we assume that we manage to expand manufacturing share only by 500 bps (17% to 22%), the market will likely be 5X of what it is currently. We believe if the government thrust remains intact this kind of growth in the manufacturing landscape is feasible. The incumbent government has returned to power. Do you view this as a boost to the Make in India initiative? Frankly, none of the political parties are anti-development. However, focus areas do change marginally. The good part of continuity is that there is no reset and restart in the overall thinking so it can build upon the policies and priorities decided over the last 10 years. To that extent, the baton passing is smooth and without hiccups. What makes a manufacturing fund preferable for investors over other options like flexi cap or small-cap funds, despite offering similar advantages? As we emphasise manufacturing from a strategic view, services share may come off from the current 54% which means the growth would be lesser than the GDP growth. As we are aware the benchmarks for most indices would have service sectors at about 50% which this fund would not have exposure to and hence may give superior alpha to unit holders. To add, the global themes mentioned earlier also boost the export opportunity across areas such as autos, industrials, and pharma. We see increasing examples of multinational corporations using India as a sourcing centre. Is this the right time to bet on manufacturing funds? We have seen a large part of PLI, OSAT, and defence platform orders (under Atmanirbhar Bharat) being awarded in FY24 which gives an indication of the government walking the talk. One could argue that certain pockets, especially, in industrials have run up sharply but as mentioned earlier the theme isnt narrow and we see enough options for creating a sound portfolio across sectors. As a result, we do believe that the time is apt to look at this theme in earnest. The recently launched AMFI data saw more people investing money in thematic funds despite their inherent volatility. As a fund manager, do you support the idea of investing in thematic funds like the manufacturing fund? Its an interesting question. Any narrow subject does inherently have higher risk-return trade-offs. The good part of manufacturing as you can see from its benchmarks is that it gravitates across auto & auto ancillaries, industrials/capital goods, pharma, oil & gas, metals/mining & chemicals apart from some smaller sectors. So, it is not as narrow as certain thematic funds as one has ample manoeuvring space reducing the risks. VentureSoul Capital, a SEBI-registered Category II AIF, has launched its maiden debt fund, VentureSoul Capital Fund I, with a target corpus of up to 600 crore. The fund has so far received commitments from family offices, corporates, high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), and other eminent investors. The tech-focused structured debt fund has Micro Labs Ltd. as its anchor investor. Other investors include E Madhusudan, Founder of Kreditbee, Abhishek Khemka, Promoter of Baazar Kolkata, and Ponnuswami M of Pure Chemicals group. Aiming to do a first close soon, the fund will invest in companies that are at Series A or beyond stage, with a demonstrated revenue model. The sector agnostic fund will have a positive bias towards diversified Fintech, B2C, B2B & SAAS companies, said the company statement. The fund will focus on delivering differentiated debt solutions to the New Economy space. VentureSoul Partners was started by three ex-HSBC bankers: Anurag Tripathi, Ashish Gala and Kunal Wadhwa. Having had the experience of successfully building businesses ground up for various domestic and international organisations, the partners launched VentureSoul with an aim to create a value-based enterprise. According to a recent report published by Stride Ventures, Indias venture-debt market surpassed the billion-dollar mark at $1.2 billion last year amid rising confidence from founders, venture capitalists and investors. The milestone marked a 50% jump from the previous year and came from 175-190 deals, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 34% from 2017 to 2023, the report showed. Stride Ventures managing partner Ishpreet Singh Gandhi said that the market was poised to hit $1.8 billion - $2 billion by 2026. Darshan case: Actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, along with Pavithra Gowda and 11 of his close associates, were arrested for the alleged murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy. Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, was allegedly killed for harassing Pavithra Gowda on social media. He was reportedly lured to a farmhouse near Mysuru owned by Darshan, who is a close friend of Pavithra. Also Read: Darshans manager commits suicide at actors Bengaluru farmhouse, leaves note and video Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep has now spoken about the incident involving his former close friend, actor Darshan Thoogudeepa. Sudeep demanded justice for Ramaswamy, his family, and his unborn child. He fsaid the incident has cast the Kannada film industry in a negative light. Defending the Kannada film industry, he emphasised that cinema involves the efforts of many individuals and not just one or two. The industry would be releieved if the perpetrator is brought to justice, Sudeep said. Also Read: Darshan Thoogudeepa hatched plan to kill Renukaswamy for his lewd message on Pavithra Gowdas social media While speaking to the media, Sudeep said, We are only aware of what the media is showing to us because we are not going to the police station to get the information. It looks like the media and the police are working hard to uncover the truth. Theres no doubt about that... that family deserves justice,OneIndia reported. Also Read: Darshans teenage son calls out trolls for bad comments, offensive language, says cursing wont change Further expressing sympathy, he added, "That girl deserves justice. Renukaswamy, who died on the streets, deserves justice. The unborn child deserves justice. Above all, everyone should have faith in justice, and justice should prevail in this case," Sudeep said. Also Read: Darshan case: Renuka Swamy died from shock and haemorrhage, says autopsy report Without naming Darshan, he added, It would be wrong for me to speak on their behalf or against them. "The film industry should get justice. All the blame seems to be placed on the film industry. The industry needs a clean chit. There are many artists involved. Cinema is not just one or two people. The film industry will be relieved if the culprit is punished," OneIndia reported. Actor, producer and policitian, Ramya aka Divya Spandana, in a recent interview with a television channel, claimed that the clout being attributed to Darshan is overrated. In the past he did, but I dont think he does anymore the way we are hyping him up. For example, he campaigned for a couple of candidates in the last election and all of them lost. So, I don't think, just because you see people standing outside the police station, it doesnt mean he has that kind of clout, she was quoted as saying by PTI. Another actor, Sanjjana Galrani, voiced her support for the star, asserting that he is merely an accused and not the culprit. Speaking to a YouTube channel, Galrani expressed shock after she came to know about the arrest through Instagram. She described June 12 as a "black day" for the Kannada film industry, and cautioned against rushing to conclusions, and said, Its very early to jump the gun. When something like this happens with a celebrity if there is a 5% allegation, it becomes a 500% allegation, PTI quoted Galrani as saying. On Sunday, the former governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, shared the news of her father, Professor Ajit Singh Randhawa's death on Father's Day. She described him as the smartest, sweetest, kindest man and credited him with instilling values of faith, hard work, and grace in his children. Ajit Singh Randhawa, had previously been diagnosed with cancer. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Nikki Haley expressed her grief, stating, This morning, I had to say goodbye to the smartest, sweetest, kindest, most decent man I have ever known. She added, My heart is heavy knowing he is gone. He taught his kids the importance of faith, hard work, and grace. He was an amazing husband of 64 years, a loving grandfather and great-grandfather, and the best father to his four children. Wishing him a Happy Father's Day, she said, He was such a blessing to all of us. Happy Fathers Day, Dad. We will miss you dearly. Alongside her touching words, Haley posted an incredibly moving picture of her embracing her father. Hailing from Punjab, Ajit Singh Randhawa immigrated to the United States, where he pursued a distinguished academic career. He held a masters degree in biology and later pursued a PhD at the University of British Columbia in Canada. In 1969, he moved to South Carolina, where he joined Voorhees College in Bamberg, SC, to teach. Nikki Haley's mother, Raj Kaur Randhawa, also pursued a career in education, initially teaching sixth-grade social studies before transitioning to entrepreneurship. Her boutique, which started as a gift shop, flourished into a lucrative million-dollar fashion establishment. During Haley's political journey, her father consistently provided support, including during the launch of her presidential campaign in Charleston last year. An Indian man suspected by the U.S. of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website and a source familiar with the matter. Nikhil Gupta has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. resident who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. Gupta traveled to Prague from India last June and was arrested by Czech authorities. Last month, a Czech court rejected his petition to avoid being sent to the U.S., clearing the way for the Czech justice minister to extradite him. An inmate search by name on the Bureau of Prisons website showed on Sunday that Gupta, 52, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. A source familiar with the matter, who did not want to be identified, separately confirmed Gupta's extradition and his detention in Brooklyn. A U.S. Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. Gupta's U.S.-based lawyer, attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe, had no immediate comment. There was also no immediate comment from Czech authorities. The discovery of assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada has tested relations with India, seen by Western nations as a counter to China's rising global influence. India's government denies involvement in the plots. Canada said in September its intelligence agencies were pursuing allegations linking India's government to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 in Canada. In November, U.S. authorities said an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Pannun, who is a U.S. and Canadian citizen. Gupta is accused of involvement in that plot. Pannun told Reuters on Sunday that while the extradition was a welcome step, "Nikhil Gupta is just a foot soldier." He alleged that those who hired Gupta were senior members of the Indian government who act on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India's government has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. New Delhi has long complained about Sikh separatist groups outside India, viewing them as security threats. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India. Kanchanjunga train accident: On Monday afternoon, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the site of the train collision at Rangapani near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal to assess the situation. A goods Train that overshot signal rammed into the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, killing 15 people and injuring over 60 people. Also Read | Kanchanjunga Express collision likely due to signal overshoot, no Kavach system Ashwini Vaishnaw traveled pillion on a motorbike to reach the accident site due to the narrow road unsuitable for larger vehicles. Vaishnaw also visited a hospital in Darjeeling where the injured have been admitted. At the Kanchanjunga train accident site, the Union Minister for Railways, said that the focus is on restoration. Viashnaw added, This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics. Kanchanjunga Train Accident According to a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official, a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express from behind near Rangapani station on Monday morning, resulting in fatalities and injuries to several individuals. Also Read | Kanchanjunga Express collision likely due to signal overshoot, no Kavach system The express train was struck from behind by a goods train at Rangapani, near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. According to a railway official, the automatic signaling system between Ranipatra Railway Station and Chattar Hat Junction in West Bengal, where a goods train rear-ended the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, had been defective since 5:50 AM. "Train No 13174 (Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express) departed Rangapani station at 8:27 am and stopped between Ranipatra railway station and Chattar Hat due to automatic signalling failure from 5:50 am," the source told PTI. The Railway Board in its initial statement said that the driver of the goods train violated the signal. Also Read | Kanchanjungha Express Accident: Train mishaps in India in last 2 years The Kanchanjunga Express operates daily, linking West Bengal state with various cities in the northeast. It serves as a popular choice for tourists heading to Darjeeling, especially during the peak season when other parts of India experience intense summer heat. The post-mortem report of Renukaswamy showed that he was tortured with electric shocks before his death, India Today reported on 17 June, citing police sources. They added that a newly arrested suspect, identified as Dhanraj provided the police with details about the torture. A cable worker, Dhanraj, told police he was called to a warehouse in Bengaluru by one Nandish (another accused), where they planned to use an electrical megger to shock Renukaswamy, the sources said. The police have confiscated the device used in the torture, as per the report. Further, the channel obtained footage which illustrated the events leading up to Renukaswamy's abduction and murder. It shows the accused began following him in an autorickshaw when he left home at 9.30 am and was captured passing a petrol station at 9.41 am. The footage also showed an accomplice following on a white scooter, as per the report. PTI on June 16 also reported that the police investigation revealed that Renukaswamy was branded with hot metal and given an electric shock before being killed. Police seize car used to kidnap Renukaswamy The police team investigating the Renukaswamy murder case on June 16 seized a car allegedly used in the victim's kidnapping, PTI reported. One of the accused, Ravi, reportedly parked the car at a house in Ayyanahalli village, Chitradurga district. Police interrogated Ravi's family and confiscated several items from the car. Forensic experts were present during the vehicle seizure. Police Custody Extended till June 20 On Saturday (June 15), an Additional Metropolitan Magistrate court extended the police custody of Darshan Thoogudeepa and his 12 aides by five days, ending on Sunday. The extension was sought to complete the investigation, meaning Darshan and others will remain in police custody until June 20. Darshan's advocates requested that the court send them to judicial custody. However, the investigation team argued that crucial evidence and equipment used to torture the deceased needed to be recovered, thus necessitating the extension of police custody, the PTI report added. The 21st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court granted the extension after hearing both sides. The Case Darshan, known as "Challenging Star," and 12 associates were arrested on June 11 for the murder of 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor. Renukaswamy, a Chitradurga resident, allegedly posted comments about actress, Pavitra Gowda, on social media, accusing her of creating a rift between Darshan and his wife, PTI reported. He also reportedly used indecent language and posted offensive messages, according to police sources. Sources told PTI that Raghavendra, a member of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, brought Renukaswamy to a shed in RR Nagar under the guise that Darshan wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that Renukaswamy was allegedly tortured and killed. His body was discovered near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli on June 9. The investigation team reportedly gathered substantial evidence, including CCTV footage, indicating Darshan's presence during the assault on Renukaswamy, leading to his death. The victim suffered multiple injuries, sources said. Police took Darshan to his RR Nagar residence on Friday (June 14) night for a spot 'mahazar' and reportedly seized items, including clothes. Bengaluru: Karnataka's former chief minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa on Monday appeared before the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in relation to a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to reports, the former chief minister of Karnataka was questioned for nearly four hours. On Thursday, a Bengaluru court issued a non-bailable warrant against Yediyurappa for immediate arrest in connection with a sexual assault case involving a minor girl under the POCSO Act. This law addresses sexual assault cases against minors. Also Read | Karnataka High Court stays BS Yediyurappas arrest in POCSO case However, on Friday, the Karnataka High Court issued an order stating that coercive proceedings of arrest and detention against Yediyurappa will be kept on hold until the next date of hearing. What is BS Yediyurappa accused of? The mother of a 17-year-old girl filed a complaint that her daughter was molested by the influential Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa. The mother complained that the former Karnataka CM sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2 this year. She alleged that the crime occurred at Yediyurappa's residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru. Yediyurappa has denied the charge. People would teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies against me, he said. Last week, the victim's brother filed a petition in court, alleging no progress in the investigation despite the case being registered nearly three months ago. The petitioner urged Yediyurappa's arrest and interrogation. Following the case registration by Sadashivanagar police in March, Karnataka's Director General of Police Alok Mohan ordered its transfer to the CID for ongoing investigation. The 54-year-old woman, who had levelled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital last month due to lung cancer. The CID collected Yediyurappa's voice sample in April after summoning him to the office. Cases against BS Yediyurappa According to the Karnataka Police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act, 2012. New Delhi: India is planning to transport coking coala vital import in the manufacture of steeland other natural resources from Russia and a few central Asian countries through the strategic Chabahar port in Iran, two persons aware of the matter said. The movement is likely to begin later in FY25, the people added. Currently, Russian coking coal comes to India through the Red Sea route. The plan to use Chabahar port comes at a time when India's imports of coking coal from Russia are steadily rising, and trade through Chabahar would be more economical than through the current route. The development, which comes about a month after India and Iran signed a contract for the former to invest $120 million in the port on Iran's southeastern coast and operate it for 10 years besides offering $250 million credit for improving the port's infrastructure, will establish Indias presence on a strategic route considered to be the main gateway for shipments from the Indian subcontinent to Europe. The use of the International North-South Corridor (INSTC) and the Chabahar port would be quite beneficial, and coking coal is among the key mineral resources along with few others from central Asia being looked at for sourcing by India via this route," one of the persons cited above said on condition of anonymity. The INSTC is a 7,200-km network of ship, rail, and road routes being developed to move freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. Apart from Russia, Chabahar port is also being considered as a gateway to trade with resource rich Central Asian republics, for which plans for separate railway connections with Chabahar port are being worked out. Both Bandar Abbas (also in Iran) and Chabahar ports would be beneficial as using that route through the INSTC reduces the time of the voyage by 40% and freight by one-third," said Ajay Sahai, director general and CEO of Federation of Indian Export Organisations. Further, at a time when the Red Sea route is still in a crisis situation, the Chabahar port would be a better option." Bandar Abbas is Irans main port, but is congested. It lies about 650 km west of Chabahar in the Persian Gulf region and is a port of call for INSTC. Queries sent to the ministry of port, shipping and waterways remained unanswered till press time. The Chabahar advantage Located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province on Irans southeastern coast, Chabahar Port can be easily accessed from Indias west coast. Kandla port in Gujarat is the closest port at 550 nautical miles, while the distance between Chabahar and Mumbai is 786 nautical miles. Recently, at the BRICS transport ministers meeting at the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Igor Levitin, Russias presidential aide, announced plans to export coal to India using Irans railways. Russia will use INSTC to send coal to India. After the rail journey, the coal shipment would travel to India through the Bandar Abbas port, he had said. Anil Devli, CEO of Indian National Shipowners' Association (INSA), said using this new route and the Chabahar port for supply of coking coal would be economically more beneficial for Russia as it exports the mineral on the basis of delivered cost. Under delivered pricing, a seller agrees to deliver merchandise to a purchaser at a designated place, which usually includes the free on board (FoB) price at the shipping point plus transportation charges. Also read | Chabahar port seems closer to realization than ever despite challenges "If Russia uses INSTC, then it would incur lesser expense on transportation. Otherwise the Red Sea crisis has not been an issue for Russian cargoes so far. For India, it would help in the long run as the usage of the port and trade gains momentum. In this situation, India will also be able to send cargo and we would see freight movement from both sides, rather than containers going empty from one end. This eventually would help strengthen trade," Devli said. Dry cargo movement through the port is likely to see a pick up from this year as infrastructure is available to handle such goods," said an official of ministry of port, shipping and waterway on condition of anonymity. "Wet cargo may take some time but infrastructure to handle such cargo would be pursued so that Chabahar emerges as a major point for energy trade for India." Once Chabahar port develops facilities for handling wet cargo, some of the oil supplies from Russia, which are currently coming through the Red Sea route, may be supplied through this new route. The first person quoted above said that Chabahar would also provide an alternative to the much delayed TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India) energy pipeline as gas and other resources could be routed through Iran to Chabahar SEZ for onward shipping to India. However, there are no immediate plans for use of the port for transport of energy resources such as oil and gas, the person added. Coking coal imports Coking coal imports from Russia increased 17.31% to 5.2 million tonnes in FY24, from 4.48 million tonnes in FY23. This rise in imports came in the backdrop of lower prices. Although imports rose in volume terms, the import bill for the Russian mineral declined. The value of coking coal imports from Russia in FY24 was $1.04 billion, about 9% lower than $1.15 billion in the previous financial year (FY23). Due lower prices, quicker deliveries, and in a bid to diversify supplies, Indian steel companies have increased their intake of Russian coking coal. Also read | The India-Iran Chabahar port project will test our diplomacy About 90% of Indias coking coal requirement of 60 mt is currently imported, with more than 70% coming from Australia. India has been looking to diversify its imports of steelmaking coal and identified a few markets. Russia has now emerged as a preferred source due to its pricing and ability to deliver quickly. In terms of crude oil, Russia has already surpassed other traditional suppliers to become the largest oil exporter to India with deep discounts since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. According to data from the ministry of commerce, India imported crude worth $46.48 billion from Russia in the previous fiscal (FY24), about 50% higher from $31.02 from FY23. The share of imports from Russia was one-third of the total oil import bill in value terms. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday reviewed the security situation in ethnic violence-hit Manipur and said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will talk to both Meiteis and Kukis at the earliest to bridge the ethnic divide. Shah asked officials to ensure that no further incidents of violence take place in the state, and directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence. The high-level meeting comes amid reports of fresh violence in the capital Imphal and Jiribam recently. The Ministry of Home Affairs will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, to bridge the ethnic divide at the earliest. The Government of India has been actively supporting the Manipur Government in strengthening the security situation in the state, said Shah. The minister also underscored the importance of a coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict. Shah stressed the strategic deployment of the central forces to restore peace and tranquility in Manipur, and added that the forces would be increased if required. The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens of Manipur, Shah added. The Union minister also reviewed the situation in relief camps, especially the proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities, and directed the chief secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. The high-level meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Union Home Secretary, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director, Chief of Army Staff (Designate) Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur, Director General of Assam Rifles, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur and senior officials of the Army and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. An India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist on Monday said the North-West states of India are likely to receive monsoon by 27-30 June. The northwestern states, according to the IMD, typically include Haryana, Punjab, Delhi Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal. IMD scientist Soma Sen told news agency ANI that the western disturbance is expected over Bihar and Jharkhand from 18th or 19th June. "South-westerly winds from the Arabian Sea may bring some moisture and associated relief over Punjab and Haryana from 18th or 19th June...Over North-West India normal date of monsoon is 27th-30th June..." she added. She also said that the IMD has forecasted extremely heavy rainfall in the next 3-5 days expected over the Northeast India mainly Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. IMD on rains The weather agency forecasted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal till 19 June. Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya are also likely to receive exceptionally heavy rainfall. Isolated heavy rainfall has also been predicted over Odisha on 20-21 June. Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Maharashtra and Marathwada are likely to witness light to moderate rainfall over the next 5 days. Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds (40-60 kmph) very The Met Department has also forecasted Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh over the next 5 days. IMD on heatwave Sen said heatwave conditions are expected in North India, adding that a red alert has been issued over Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi. "Severe heat wave conditions are likely to continue today over Bihar and Jharkhand," she added. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions have been forecasted over most parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar till 18 June. The weather agency said heatwave conditions very likely in Jammu-Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh till tomorrow, and Rajasthan till the 19th. The India Meteorological Department has predicted very heavy rainfall for parts of Maharashtra as the monsoon season continued its advance on Monday. Mumbai and its neighbouring districts are also likely to see an uptick in rainfall from June 19. The entire MMR region is facing thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds today. A five-day forecast issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai indicated that the city was 'very likely' to face "heavy rainfall at isolated places" on Wednesday. An yellow alert has been sounded for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar. A cyclonic circulation lies over Northeast Arabian Sea adjoining Saurashtra and a north-south trough runs from this cyclonic circulation to Eastcentral Arabian Sea off south Maharashtra coast in lower tropospheric levels. An east-west trough runs from Goa to south Coastal Andhra Pradesh and a cyclonic circulation lies over Southeast Arabian Sea off Kerala coast in lower tropospheric levels, explained the IMD bulletin on Monday afternoon. It predicted widespread rain accompanied by thunderstorms across the western state over the next five days. Isolated heavy rainfall is also very likely over parts of madhya Maharashtra between June 17 and 21. Data compiled by the IMD however indicates that the country has received 20% less rainfall than normal since June 1. Almost all regions apart from a few southern states have been seeing shortfalls. Meanwhile heatwave conditions continue to persist in some northwestern states with no rain in sight. The rain shortfall in soybean, cotton, sugarcane, and pulses-growing central India has risen to 29%, while the paddy-growing southern region received 17% more rainfall than normal. The northeast has received 20% less rainfall than normal, and the northwest some 68% less. Wockhardt Hospital at Mumbai's Mira Road has received a bomb threat on Monday Following the alert, police have barricaded the area around the hospital and restricted civilian movement. To investigate the bomb threat, the police have called in the bomb disposal squad and a dog squad. The threat was received via an email sent to the hospital. This information was confirmed by the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police Top Events of the Day: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is set to chair a high-level meeting in Jammu & Kashmir to assess the readiness of the Amarnath Yatra track and the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid the ongoing EVM controversy. Additionally, equity markets will remain closed in observance of Eid-al-Adha, and the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) will only operate in the evening session. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower will see a 20% increase in ticket prices starting today to fund urgent renovations. Lastly, the first session of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly begins, with newly-elected MLAs taking their oaths and the introduction of a bill to repeal the Land Titling Act. Nitin Gadkari to lead high-level meeting in Jammu & Kashmir Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, will chair a high-level meeting in Jammu & Kashmir today. The agenda includes assessing the readiness of the Amarnath Yatra track and the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure a smooth pilgrimage. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde questions Rahul Gandhi amid EVM controversy In the midst of the ongoing debate over electronic voting machines, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning if he will resign and recontest from the seats he won. Fuel price hike in Karnataka: New petrol and diesel costs Following a tax hike by the Karnataka state government, petrol and diesel prices have increased. The sales tax on petrol has risen to 29.84%, and on diesel to 18.4%. Eid ul-Adha celebrations today Eid ul-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, is being celebrated with great enthusiasm in Oman today. The date differs from other Gulf countries, as the crescent moon was not observed within Oman's borders on Thursday. AP Assemblys first session will begin today The first session of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly will commence today. Newly-elected MLAs will take their oaths, and the protem speaker will oversee the election of the Speaker. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu's government will introduce a bill to repeal the Land Titling Act. Eiffel Tower ticket prices to increase by 20% starting today Starting today, the Eiffel Towers adult admission price will increase by 20% to help fund urgent renovations. The new price for a lift ride to the top will be 35.30 euros. The Paris city council has also approved additional funding for the tower's operator. No trading session on Monday for Eid-al-Adha Equity markets will be closed on Monday, June 17, in observance of Eid-al-Adha (Bakri Eid), as per the BSE market holiday calendar. This closure affects all segments, including the equity, derivative, and SLB segments. The Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) will also be closed for the morning session but will resume trading in the evening. In a movie-like scenario, three criminals in handcuffs escaped police remand by jumping from a moving train between Uttar Pradesh's Etawah and Ekdil station, police said on Monday. They were reportedly being taken to Maharashtra on a transit remand from a court in Pratapgarh. On Monday, in the Pratapgarh-Bandra-Mumbai Express Train (20942), police were taking three accused from a court in Pratapgarh to Maharashtra on a transit remand. Also Read | Patna extends school closure for students up to Class 8 till June 19 After the train halted at Etawah, the Maharashtra Police notified the local Government Railway Police (GRP) regarding the fugitive accused. Under the custody of a police team led by Sub-Inspector Milind Tapade and Harshal Raus of Nalasopara police station of Palghar district of Maharashtra, Mohammad Anees, Rehan Farooqui and Aqeel Ahmed, the residents of Pratapgarh district, were being taken to Nalasopara of Palghar district of Maharashtra by a train from a court in Pratapgarh on transit remand in various criminal cases, including fraud and tampering of documents, said Etawah GRP station in-charge Shailesh Kumar Nigam. Also Read | Centre adds new criminal laws to training program ahead of July 1 implementation He added that as per the information received from the Maharashtra Police at 5.20 am on Monday, when the train was passing between Ekdil railway station, about five kilometres from the Etawah railway station, all the three criminals pushed the policemen and jumped from the moving train with handcuffs and escaped. Also Read | Conviction of THESE 6 opposition MPs can tweak Lok Sabha 2024 results in UP When the train stopped at the Etawah railway station, the GRP in-charge of Etawah was informed about the incident by the Maharashtra Police, Nigam said, adding efforts are on to search the accused persons. Kanchanjunga Express collision: On Monday morning, a tragic train collision occurred on the busy route between West Bengal's capital city, Kolkata's Sealdah station, and New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, which connects South Bengal to North Bengal. A goods train collided with the popular-with-tourists, Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express in Darjeeling district, killing 15 people and injuring at least 60. Possible causes of the Kanchanjunga Express collision Two factors that likely contributed to the crash between the goods train and the Kanchanjunga Express have been identified. Missing Kavach System One significant factor was the absence of the Kavach, a made-in-India system that prevents accidents if two trains travel on the same line. According to reports, the Kavach system was not installed on the tracks in Darjeeling, where the collision occurred. An old video of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explaining the Kavach system went viral following today's crash. Officials said the system has yet to be installed across much of India's rail network. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman of the Railway Board, informed NDTV that the Railways intends to implement the safety system on the Delhi-Guwahati route to cover more than 6,000 km of tracks by the following year. She mentioned that Bengal is included in the 3,000 km tracks to receive Kavach protection this year. Additionally, she stated that the system will be implemented on the Delhi-Howrah route. Goods train overshot signal Another contributing factor was the goods train overshooting the signal. Officials said that the goods train had overshot the signal before it rammed into the Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga Express train. A senior railway official said the deceased included the pilot and the co-pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train. Kanchanjunga Express collision: Trains diverted Following the accident, 19 trains have been cancelled in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district, West Bengal. These include: 1. 19602 New Jalpaiguri - Udaipur City Weekly Express of 17.06.24 2. 20503 Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24 3. 12423 Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24 4. 01666 Agartala - Rani Kamlapati Special train of 16.06.24 5. 12377 Sealdah- New Alipurduar Padatik Express of 16.06.24 6. 06105 Nagercoil Jn.- Dibrugarh Special of 14.06.24 7. 20506 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24 8. 12424 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24 9. 22301 Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24 10. 12346 Guwahati- Howrah Saraighat Express of 17.06.24 11. 12505 Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Northeast Express of 17.06.24 12. 12510 Guwahati-Bengaluru Express of 17.06.24 13. 22302 New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24 14. 15620 Kamakhya-Gaya Express of 17.06.24 15. 15962 Dibrugarh-Howrah Kamrup Express of 17.06.24 16. 15636 Guwahati- Okha Express of 17.06.24 17. 15930 New Tinsukia-Tambaram Express of 17.06.24 18. 13148 Bamanhat-Sealdah Uttar Banga Express of 17.06.24 Kangana Ranaut has been in news of late after she won a seat in the Lok Sabha from Mandi in the recently concluded General Elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party MP is again making the headlines after she gave a generous gift to her newly married cousin. After attending the marriage of her cousin Varun Ranaut's wedding, the actor has gifted him a house in Chandigarh. Also Read | Kangana Ranaut praises PM Modi after Italian PM Meloni shares Melodi video Later, Varun shared the pictures of the house on his Instagram stories expressing gratitude to Kangana. "Thank you Didi @kanganaranautChandigarh is home now," he wrote with the pictures. Kangana's sister Rangoli also shared a picture of the home in her Instagram story and wrote that the actors taps into "our dreams and make them true". The actor then shared the photo in her story and wrote, "Gurunanak Dev ji said whatever little we have we must share, he said we always feel we don't have enough yet we must share and I feel there is no bigger joy than thatthank you for always sharing everything of yours with me as well." Varun's wife, Anjali Ranaut, also shared the photos of "Grih Pravesh" on her Instagram and called Kangana "kind, humble and brave". "Entering our new home with the blessings of Ganpati ji. This lovely home is blessing and love from a sister to brother. All thanks to one and only, kind, humble and brave soul, @kanganaranaut," she wrote with the pictures. She also thanked Rangoli for leading "our way who did all work and our saviour". "May God bless us all with unity understanding and love," she said. Another member from the Ranaut family, Kangana's younger brother Aksht Ranaut's wife, also shared a picture of the house and said that they were touched "beyond words". Also Read | Kangana slap row: Farmer outfits call for probe but no injustice with constable Prince William was right to warn Harry about rushing into his romance with Meghan Markle, according to Royal Family expert Jennie Bond. She believes Meghan needed more time to see if she could handle Royal life, comparing their quick relationship to William and Kate's slower one. "Kate was given ten years to peer into the goldfish bowl of Royal life. I think it was brilliant she saw all the restrictions and glare of publicity it brings. Because their courtship was so long, she was able to judge that she could hack it - and William could see that too. Bond told on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show. Also Read | Prince William gets touching message from his children on Fathers Day "This is why William was correct to guide or warn Harry 'Are you sure you're not going a bit fast in this relationship with Meghan?' It affronted Harry to be questioned like that but I think it came from a good place, she said. Bond earlier described Harry as a "great asset" for the palace but expressed doubt about King Charles younger son returning to Royal Family. She emphasised that Harry brought a natural common touch and relatability to the Royal Family, but she doesn't believe he will return. They would have been a great asset had he stayed but I don't think he will return. If I did pray I would pray that he has a happy life now with all that he wanted, she said. Prince Harrys domestic bliss Bond noted that the Duke of Sussex was enjoying the "domestic bliss" he lacked as a child. "The freedom he craved, the wife he loves and the children he adores. The model of domestic bliss that he didn't have in his own adolescence. I wish him all the best," she added. The U.S. Surgeon General has called for warning labels on social-media platforms, saying urgent action was needed to address a mental-health emergency involving young people. Warning labels, similar to those on alcohol and tobacco products, should accompany platforms to regularly remind parents that social media has not been proved safe," Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an op-ed for the New York Times Monday. Murthy cited research showing that social media was an important contributor to a growing mental-health crisis among young people. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours," Murthy said. The surgeon general didnt name any social-media companies in the article. TikTok, Snapchat, X and Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Murthy has long warned of the risks of social media to young people, urging policy makers and technology companies to increase safeguarding efforts and strengthen standards for younger users. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis," he said in a report published last year. I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisisone that we must urgently address." The report pointed to several studies examining a range of adverse effects of social media on adolescents. Those include online harassment, increased exposure to content related to self-harm and racism, and negative impacts on sleep, body image, and physical activity. The Wall Street Journals Facebook Files series in 2021 showed internal research at the company found Instagram was harmful for a percentage of young users, primarily teenage girls with body-image concerns. The research reviewed by the Journal showed the platform made body-image issues worse for a third of teenage girls. Facebook, which became Meta in 2021, scrapped plans to create an Instagram platform tailored to children after lawmakers and others raised concerns over the popular apps impact on young peoples mental health.A Meta spokesman said at the time that the investigation was premised on a misunderstanding of issues that also affect other social-media platforms. Instagram has added more protections for teens in recent years, such as automatically making new accounts for those under 16 years old private. Government officials, lawmakers and technology companies have for years grappled with how best to manage the issue. Lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe are weighing plans to tighten online age restrictions. Last year, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, recently signed a law requiring social-media companies to verify users are 18 years or older, and require those under age 18 to receive the consent of a parent or guardian to open an account. Jennifer Calfas contributed to this article. At least 19 Jordanians and Iranians died from heat during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, AFP reported. Jordan's foreign ministry said the pilgrims had died from intense heat while 17 others were missing. Iranian Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand confirmed that five Iranian pilgrims had died in Mecca and Medina during this year's hajj. Koolivand, however, did not specify the cause of death. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, hasn't given any information on deaths, AFP added. Also Read | Muslims start the Hajj against the backdrop of the devastating Israel-Hamas war The update comes after CNN reported on June 16 that six people had died from heatstroke during the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. The Jordanian foreign ministry said that they were working with Saudi officials on burial procedures and possibly returning the bodies to the country. Temperatures exceeded 46 degrees Celsius this week, making outdoor rituals difficult, especially for the elderly, as many Hajj rituals are done outdoors and on foot. "The expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of 1.5 to 2 degrees above normal in Mecca and Medina," Ayman Ghulam, the head of Saudi national meteorology centre, said at a press conference. The forecast estimated "relative humidity 25%, rain rates close to zero, average maximum temperature 44 degrees", according to him. Last year, at least 240 people, many from Indonesia, died during the hajj, though the causes were not specified. Over 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded, with 10% being heat strokes, a Saudi official told AFP. 1.8 million Hajj pilgrims Hajj is one of the world's largest gatherings, with over 1.8 million pilgrims this year, according to Saudi officials. Despite a history of deadly incidents like stampedes and fires, the main challenge most years is the intense heat. Many Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual Hajj pilgrimage starting on June 14. Every year, pilgrims visit the city to follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad on their spiritual journey. Four people were killed and nearly twelve people were injured when a vehicle rammed into mourners at Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima's funeral procession. The vehicle was a part of a motorcade transporting the body of Saulos Chilima, who lost his life in a plane crash earlier this week, reported AFP. As the mourners kept joining the procession, a vehicle plunged into a crowd in Ntcheu village in central Malawi, Africa. The incident led to huge chaos at the procession, headed towards Nsipe, Chilima's home village, 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of the capital Lilongwe. Chilima's remains were set to be buried on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday. Due to collision with the vehicle, two female and two male pedestrians sustained severe head injuries and multiple fractures. All four of them died while receiving treatment for their injuries, reported AP citing police officials. A vehicle in the convoy of Malawi's late vice president's funeral procession rammed into mourners at a village on Sunday night, killing four people and injuring 12, police said. It was part of a motorcade transporting the body of Saulos Chilima, who died in a plane crash earlier this week. Thousands of people had lined up in the streets to catch a glimpse of the vice president's coffin. An eyewitness told AFP that the vehicle plunged into the group as it attempted to manuever away from the volatile crowd. Felix Njawala, spokesman for Chilima's party, said there was some tension along the route as mourners demanded the procession stop so they could see the coffin. "In Dedza, people blocked the road and demanded to see the coffin" he told AFP, "only when the convoy stopped were people pacified and the convoy was able to proceed" adding that in some instances people threw stones at the convoy. Saulos Chilima's death Chilima died last week along with eight others during a military aircraft crash in Malawi's Chikangawa Forest in dense fog. Soon after the accident, the military began its search operation, after which the wreckage of the plane was on Tuesday. His party, the United Transformation Movement (UTM), allied with President Lazarus Chakwera's Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the 2020 presidential election, fielding a joint ticket. Several political leaders are demanding for an independent enquiry into the accident. The billionaire Hinduja family spent more on their pet dog than they paid one of their servants, according to a Swiss prosecutor who urged jail terms of as long as five and a half years at a trial over alleged trafficking and exploitation of Indian staff at their Lake Geneva villa. Prosecutor Yves Bertossa launched a blistering attack on the family at the Swiss citys criminal court on Monday morning, citing testimony from the staff and Hindujas, as well as evidence submitted during his investigation. They spent more for one dog than one of their servants, he said. The woman, he said, was paid at one point as little as 7 Swiss francs ($7.84) for a working day that lasted as long as 18 hours, seven days a week. He pointed to a budget document headlined Pets, which he said demonstrated that the family spent 8,584 Swiss francs in a year on their family dog. Staff contracts didnt specify working hours or days off, but rather that they be available as needed by their employers, Bertossa continued. Given their passports had been confiscated, they had no Swiss francs to spend as their wages were paid in India and couldnt leave the house without their employers permission, they had little to no freedom, he argued. Even when they left the Hindujas home for the familys residences in the Swiss Alps or Cote dAzur, it wasnt for fun, he said. When they accompanied family members to Cannes, he asked, what were they doing there, jetskiiing? But lawyers for the family immediately hit back at Bertossas claims, repeatedly citing the servants testimony that they were treated with respect and dignity. Bertossa, according to the defense, was being misleading in his characterizations of their remuneration. The salary cant simply be reduced to what they were paid in cash, given their board and lodgings were covered, said Yael Hayat, a lawyer for family scion Ajay Hinduja. Eighteen hour-working days is also an exaggeration, she said. When they sit down to watch a movie with the kids, can that be considered work? I think not, she said. Hayat argued that one of the workers considered the pay she got in Geneva to be good compared with what she earned in India. She said the woman came to Geneva of her own will, and kept coming back over and over again. The idea of breaking the rich to make the poor less poor is attractive but the Geneva prosecutors office is conflating justice with social justice, she continued. The decision rendered in this case must be a judicial one. During the trial, Ajay testified that he lacked a detailed knowledge of the staffs working conditions as their recruitment was handled by the Hinduja Group in India. Nevertheless he said that staff are no longer paid informally and now all hiring is done locally through a third-party. You wont find a single employee who says they were hired by Ajay, Hayat told the court. The reality is he knows nothing as he was elsewhere. The senior family members Prakash and Kamal didnt come to Geneva for the trial citing poor health. Bertossa said they had shown their contempt for the courts, and called for them to get five and half years in prison. The elderly couple traveled freely between Dubai and Cannes and could have spent the extra 30 minutes on a plane to come to Geneva, he said. The younger Ajay and his wife Namrata should each receive sentences of four and a half years, Bertossa said. He also demanded the family cover 1 million Swiss francs in court costs and pay 3.5 million francs into a compensation fund for the staff. Israel military's recent announcement to pause fighting during daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to ensure humanitarian aid deliveries has irked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli PM found the tactical break during the war against Hamas unacceptable, and he also received assurance that there is no change in the military's policy and fighting in Rafah continues as planned, reported AP, citing an Israeli official. Later, Netanyahu openly criticised the military as Israeli television channels quoted him as saying, We have a country with an army, not an army with a country. Netanyahu's statement came in light of Israeli military's Sunday announcement on tactical pause during daytime along a route in southern Gaza. About Israel's tactical pause in Gaza Israel's tactical pause will be applied to around 12 kilometers of road in Rafah area. However, the limited application of the halt in military operation falls short of a complete cease-fire in the territory that the international community has sought. However, the move could help address the overwhelming needs of Palestinians after Israel's incursion into Rafah. Timing of Israel's tactical pause in Gaza The tactical pause would begin in the morning at eight and would last until 7 PM. The pause in war operations during the daytime would continue until further notice, the army said. The main motive behind the tactical pause is to allow aid trucks to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, which is the main entry point of the area. Trade openness is measured as the ratio of trade to GDP. Indias is close to 50%, as per World Bank data. It used to be 7% in 1970, about 15% in 1980 and 1990, and jumped to 26% in 2000 and 49% in 2010. This decadal upward shift shows Indias embrace of globalization, especially after 1991. It shows a decisive turn-away from the earlier export pessimism and trade scepticism, and Indias acceptance of trade as an enabler of economic growth. For a few years around 2010, the ratio inched up to 55%, before dropping, but has shown a steady rise in recent years. On this measure, India is ahead of China and the US, although one must not jump to any conclusion. The question of what an optimal ratio is and whether higher trade openness is always better is complex. For small economies extremely dependent on foreign trade flows, the ratio can exceed 100%. While Indias trade-to-GDP ratio is higher than Indonesias, Bangladeshs and Sri Lankas, it is below Thailands 133% and Singapores 184%. The latter twos high dependence on foreign trade also implies high vulnerability to global business cycles and recessionary winds. An optimal ratio for any country depends on its stage of development, the structural features of its economy, its resilience and stability, geopolitical considerations and increasingly its desire for strategic autonomy. With Indias large size, its optimal ratio cannot be too far from 40-50%, which represents a good combination of domestic orientation and harnessing of global markets. Free trade is not just flows of goods and services, but is accompanied by flows of investment, know-how, management and skills. It undoubtedly enhances efficiency, but it can also be negative for certain non-competitive sectors and can wipe out jobs. It could also result in the Dutch Disease, wherein the super success of one export sector strengthens the exchange rate and makes all other sectors uncompetitive. It can lead to worsening of income inequality as workers in one sector benefit more than others from globalization. The risk is higher if base conditions of education, infrastructure and innovation are not met, and there is premature exposure to harsh and possibly unfair foreign competition. Diversification of export sectors and destinations is thus vitally important for overall benefits. Also, a programme to compensate the losers of globalization (through skilling support etc). Traditionally, India has preferred global multilateral arrangements such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) over bilateral or regional trade agreements. But the WTO is in a bad shape, even though it is trying to reinvent itself for relevance. The US, especially under President Donald Trump, has been party to undermining the WTOs effectiveness. Its key dispute-resolution mechanism was left headless for far too long. The US has also tried to move the multilateral paradigm to plurilateral, with decisions to be taken by majority rather than consensus. Given the WTOs perceived weaknesses, India has been signing bilateral and regional deals in the past two decades. New Delhi has signed 14 agreements with 26 countries in various formats. This has led to an overlap of multiple relationships with the same partners. For example, India has a bilateral with Thailand, but also a relationship based on Indias ASEAN free trade agreement (FTA). Similarly, Indias Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with Singapore coexists with the ASEAN FTA. While these overlaps can create a jumbled spaghetti, such issues can be resolved. India does not have any FTA with China and the US, two of its biggest trade partners, but is pursuing pacts with Australia, the UK and EU. As we sign more treaties, here is a checklist. A trade agreement is no longer only about reducing tariffs and enhancing market access. It is also about harmonizing regulatory and policy standards, especially environmental and labour. We may need to sacrifice some policy autonomy to get a good deal signed. This also means assuring foreign investors of investment protection. Second, the treaties must be measured only by the metric of job creation and not export dollar earnings. For this reason, India is now much more willing to join global value chains, even if the value addition within the country is a small fraction. This focus is about jobs of the future, and not necessarily about protecting current jobs. Third, we should be ready to discuss tricky issues like government procurement, data sovereignty, decarbonization and labour standards. These can no longer be called non-trade issues, and hence our preparation for negotiations needs to be much stronger. We need new capabilities built for this. India is that rare Asian country which runs a consistent trade deficit and has still received almost $1 trillion as foreign investment since 2000. Indias foreign exchange reserves of $650 billion did not accumulate on the back of a trade surplus, but the confidence of foreigners pouring in investments. The growth of our service exports is nothing short of spectacular, having grown from $53 billion to $338 billion in two decades at twice the global rate. These have moved from just offshoring or body shopping to occupying a much higher place in the value chain in the form of global capability centres (GCCs) in India. Soon, there will be 3,000 such GCCs located in India. In such a scenario, our service exports could touch $1 trillion in less than a decade, so long as we strengthen the creation of domestic human capital, skills and infrastructure. The year 2024 is notable for the large number of elections being heldin well over 60 countries, representing nearly half of the worlds population. Of course, there are myriad systems and we are only halfway through the year, but as a generalization, it is turning out to be a year of strong majorities for presidential forms of government and coalitions for parliamentary democracies. Indonesia and Mexico returned strong majorities for their presidential winners, with Mexico electing its first ever woman to its top office. This happens because presidential systems tend to have tie-breakers, such as a run-off election or legislative vote. Even so, the underlying legislatures in many presidential systems are now very mixed and coalition like, such as those in the US and South Korea. Parliamentary elections in India, South Africa and Pakistan, and for the European Parliament and South Korean legislature, have resulted in surprisingly mixed results, with multi-party coalitions being the only political way forward in these places. The word coalition traces its etymological root to the Latin word coalitus, which means to grow together. It was first used in the political context in the 18th century and has come to mean a coming together of political formations with different backgrounds because they share the same goal. A coalition government may also be created in times of national crisis, often bringing together rival parties to combat an internal or external threat. These coalitions are called grand coalitions or national unity governments. Israel has had a history of such governance; for instance, during the Six-Day War in 1967, during the covid pandemic in 2020 and most recently after the Hamas attacks of October 2023. There has been no unity government in the US since Abraham Lincoln invited Democrat Andrew Johnson to share power during the US Civil War period in 1864. The UK also has not had a unity government since World War II and the Great Depression. India has never had a unity government since Independence in 1947. South Africa formed its first so-called unity government last week, when the African National Congress aligned with a Caucasian-dominated party, the Democratic Alliance. Only time will tell if this seismic shift in political affiliations will endure. The idea of coalitions has been well studied in Game Theory under the general title of Multi-Agent Games. The Nash equilibrium, named after Nobel laureate John Nash, who was immortalized in the movie The Beautiful Mind, is a strategy profile in which no player can improve his payoff by deviating from his prevailing strategy if no other player deviates. Coalitions inherently have a cooperate-or-compete aspect to their very formation. This tension between cooperating and competing and the incentives for either embedded in the partnership agreements define how efficient the formation is. Economists use the term Pareto optimal to describe effective formulations. To most lay observers, the behaviour of politicians can appear whimsical, capricious and not subject to rational study. However, the rigorous study of coalitions give us outcome scenarios that fit most situations. It is too early to tell whether the worldwide disenchantment with politics and politicians that gave rise to populist-nationalists (pop-nats), starting about 15 years ago , is reaching its own stage of exhaustion. But recent manifestations of it have meant a yo-yoing of power between opposite sides in presidential elections (witness Brazil and the US) and more frequent mixed legislatures in parliamentary systems (such as in the European Parliament, India and Pakistan). Even in Turkiye, where pop-nat poster-child Recep Erdogan returned to power in 2023, the parliamentary seats of his AK party have dipped well below the majority mark for the first time since he first achieved power two decades ago. In Europe, which has had a long history of coalition politics, the rise of the far right in European parliamentary elections (and to power in Italy earlier) is suggestive of political multi-polarity. Currently, an attempt to attain the centre-ground is being made by a barbell between parties that pander to a minority and rivals that pamper the majority. The definitions of majorities and minorities vary in each country and context, but confusion reigns over how to drop those extremes. Large heterogenous democratic countries are best run from the centre. Centrism was in political vogue in countries like the US, UK and India in the 1990s and early 2000s. Beginning about 20 years ago, this centrism has given way to a political churn of the oceans, with political stand-offs on issues of immigration, identity, globalization and alignments. The recent resurgence of coalitions seems to stem from another big political churn, with no clear winners along different political vectors. The political formations that will arise from the latest churn are still unclear. Whats clear is that there is widespread disenchantment with distributive economics and wokism on one side and identitarian authoritarianism on the other. Most democracies are attempting to sort this out. P.S: Devas (Gods) and Asuras (demons) churned the primeval ocean at the beginning of time to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality," according to the Samudra Manthan story of the Vishnu Purana. Humanity is about to turn a major population corner. A recent article in the Lancet predicts that by 2030, well no longer be reproducing fast enough to replace ourselves. We arent about to go extinct, but this is unexpected. As recently as 2017, the UN predicted human numbers wouldnt peak until 2100 when wed reach more than 11 billion people. According to the new estimate, our numbers could rise from 8.1 billion to just 9.5 billion at most before declining by the early 2060s. While a catastrophic population explosion once seemed inevitable, womens increasing levels of education and reproductive freedom have staved off some of the worst predictions of the 20th century. Thats something to celebrate: Were not about to run out of food, as was predicted in the 1968 book, The Population Bomb. But the relative number of older people will skyrocket, causing anxiety among some economists and political leaders who want more people to have more kids. On the other side, some environmentalists argue for pushing population to drop faster to slow global warming and loss of habitat for other species (and us). At the core of the debate are big unanswered questions: Is 9.5 billion too many? Will the population subsequently fall to a number thats too low? Is there a right number of humans? Read also: Shrinking populations mean less growth and a more fractious world Maybe instead of focusing on the number of children people are having, policymakers should focus on the fact that too many children worldwide arent getting adequate nutrition, education or medical care. Even now, though humans grow enough food to feed everyone, roughly one person in 10 is chronically undernourished i.e., hungry all the time and more than one child in five is stunted (too short) because of chronic hunger and infections. As demographer and mathematician Joel Cohen explains, the right number of people" question depends on yet more questions, among them: What would be the accepted standard of material wealth? How much inequality is okay? Would it be okay to build cities in areas prone to catastrophic flooding and earthquakes? Do people prefer parking lots or parks? Cohen calls the Lancet estimate credible. This is really the most serious piece of work in the business about what has happened and what to expect," he said. There are lots of connections to climate, religion, economics, politicsbut the fact is that fertility has been going down and is likely to continue to go down." Fertility is usually measured by looking at the number of children born each year to women of each age, from 15 to 55. But the Lancet model follows cohorts of women born each yearthus counting the babies born to women who turned 15 in 1950, then 16 in 1950, and so on up until the time they turn 50. Cohort fertility is a much better summary of the real experience of real women," Cohen said. The new projection also factored in the estimated effects on education and access to contraception, both of which have a big effect on reducing fertility. Attempts by governments to encourage parenthood with economic incentives or abortion restrictions are failing, Cohen said. He pointed to a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that in the US, rates of voluntary sterilization rose after the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision revoked national abortion rights. Though cause and effect arent proven, he said its possible that restrictive abortion laws are pushing people out of reproduction which I dont think is the intended effect." Its impossible to know all the unintended consequences of trying to engineer population growth, or shrinkage, but theres no downside to taking better care of the children we already have. The focus of future policy should be to help people have the number of kids they want, when they want, with whom they want. In her book Sex and the Planet, University of Utah bioethicist Margaret Pabst Battin starts with a thought experiment: What would happen if everyone had access to reliable, safe, free, foolproof long-term contraception, so that getting pregnant would only happen if a woman or couple opted in? Right now, 45% of pregnancies worldwide (and a higher proportion in the US) are unplanned, and some of those lead to the 73 million abortions that take place every year. With reliable long-term birth control, the rates of abortion would plummet, as would the rates of teen pregnancy. Birth rates in many regions would go down. People would not need to resort to permanent sterilization. Gloom and doom sells, of course, which is why population trends always tend to be framed as impending disasterswhether they are baby booms or busts. If we cant agree whether were facing too many or too few people, perhaps its a good time to help people have the number of children they think is right for them. bloomberg Cold War II is worsening. The G7 summit held in Italy ended with a stiff warning aimed at China over its alleged role in enabling" Russias war in Ukraine by means of dual-use tech transfers, a charge Beijing denied. The G7 waved a threat of further sanctions against Chinese entities seen as weakening Western efforts to contain Moscow, whose access to chips the US is trying to clamp. The West is also reinforcing what critics call a bamboo curtain" on trade with China. The G7s joint statement accused the latter of persistent industrial targeting and comprehensive non-market policies and practices that are leading to global spillovers, market distortions and harmful overcapacity in a growing range of sectors." This game is feared to have put the wealthy worlds national security at risk. Both the US and EU have cited such charges to erect barriers against Chinese electric vehicles. That Beijing may only be subsidizing a cleaner planet doesnt seem to impress them as an argument; big commercial interests are at stake. Bemused as we should be by the Wests alarm, Indias challenge is to make the most of this geopolitical split. After all, we agree that democracy must beat autocracy across the world. Bihar Lok Sabha Elections: Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) MP from Sitamarhi, Devesh Chandra Thakur, stirred controversy on Monday by stating he would not address requests from Muslim and Yadav communities in his Lok Sabha constituency, citing their lack of support in the recent Lok Sabha elections. A video of the JD(U) MP from Sitamarhi has been widely shared on social media, where he is seen ranting and venting out his disappointment with the Muslim and Yadav community in Bihar. JD(U) MP Thakur questioned why he should not see the lantern (RJD's symbol) and Lalu Yadav's face in theirs (Muslim and Yadav community), similar to how they saw Narendra Modi's image in the arrow (JDU's symbol). "Those (from Muslim and Yadav communities) who want to come can come, have tea and snacks, and then leave, but don't expect any help. When you saw Narendra Modi's image in the arrow (JD-U's symbol), why shouldn't I see the lantern (RJD's symbol) and Lalu Yadav's face in yours?" Thakur shared a narrative: "A person from the Muslim community came to me for some work. I clearly told him that he had come for the first time so that I wouldn't say much. Otherwise, I don't let go easily. I asked him if he voted for the RJD? And interestingly, he agreed. I told him to have tea and leave. I won't do your work". Meanwhile, the RJD responded sharply to Thakur, reminding him that despite his party's alliance with the BJP, he has now been elected to represent Sitamarhi in Lok Sabha. "Any leader, be it an MP, MLA or even a Prime Minister, does not belong to any caste or community. When he wins an election, he becomes the representative of an area. Devesh Chandra Thakur is now an elected MP of Sitamarhi. For him, every person in that area should be equal, and he should work for everyone without categorising caste and community. Though his party is in alliance with the BJP, he should not get saffronised," RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwary said. EVM Row: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray has said that the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has won the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, and the party will go to court claiming the same. Shinde Sena leader and Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar hit back at the MLA from Worli, Mumbai, and alleged that the latter always tries to create confusion. In the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, a tight contest unfolded between both Shiv Sena factions. Ravindra Waikar of Eknath Sinde's Shiv Sena narrowly defeated Amol Kirtikar of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) by a margin of only 48 votes. Aaditya Thackeray weighed in on the ongoing row over Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 results were declared. Later, Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar accused Thackeray of creating confusion and claimed that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is not in a condition to 'face the public' in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, likely to be held later this year. Aaditya Thackeray is still very young. He always tries to create confusion... the Shinde Sena MLA said. A political controversy erupted on Sunday over allegations of EVM tampering, as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Aaditya Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, and other opposition leaders cited a media report. The report claimed that a relative of Shiv Sena's Mumbai North West Lok Sabha candidate, Ravindra Waikar, was observed using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during the vote counting on June 4. The media report said a relative of Waikar, who won the seat by just 48 votes, had used a mobile phone to "unlock" an electronic voting machine (EVM) when the votes were being counted. "Whenever EVMs arrive at the counting booth, signatures are taken by all counting agents after ensuring that the seal is perfect. After votes are counted, signatures are retaken. It is a very transparent process", Deepak Kesarkar added. On Monday, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar claimed that at least 18-19 leaders who had walked out with Ajit Pawar to create a divided NCP were to return to the Sharad Pawar faction after the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Shinde Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar refuted the claim and said, "All members of NCP have given wholehearted support to Ajit Pawar." Rohit Pawar, on Monday, claimed several NCP MLAs have never spoken ill against party founder Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders after the July 2023 split in the outfit. "But they must attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends (before making the switch over)," said the grandnephew of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar. NABLUS, West BankMahmoud Kilani first tasted life in Israel when he sneaked through a hole in the wall confining Palestinians in the West Bank so he could meet a young woman he encountered online. Soon, the 22-year-old Palestinian skateboarding enthusiast had an Israeli work permit and spent months in the Mediterranean city of Haifa, working in bars and restaurants, learning Hebrew and making Israeli friends. Before then, the only Israelis he ever encountered were soldiers or settlers in tense interactions around his home city of Nablus. The concept of having Israeli friendsthere was none of that in Nablus," he said. Then, Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza and swiftly expelled Palestinian workers. The holes in the wall were sealed. Tight Israeli military control of West Bank roads has kept Kilani effectively confined to his crammed hometown. Gen Z Palestinians have always grown up with little hope for the future, coming of age after a Palestinian uprising known as the Second Intifada resulted in Israel erecting a barrier across much of the military-occupied West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, the rise of Hamas, the Islamist group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., led Israel and Egypt to impose a blockade on the enclave in 2007. Though their parents recall an era of hope amid the 1990s Oslo Accords, the last breakthrough agreement between the two sides, Palestinians under the age of 25who comprise most of the populationsay the door to coexistence with Israelis always felt barely ajar. It has been slammed shut since Oct. 7. Kilani now falls asleep to the din of gunfire during routine Israeli military incursions in his hometown, some of which have killed his loved ones and inspired some of his friends to become militants. I try to talk them out of it, but I cant," Kilani said. They say that they see no other waythat regardless, people where they live will be killed, so they might as well make it harder for the Israeli army." As the U.S. and some Arab nations try to convince Israel to work toward resolving its conflicts with Palestinians for good, young Palestinians increasingly say they dont see an independent state as viable given Israels deep footprint in the West Bank and Gaza. Their pessimism, coupled with a flatlining peace process, makes it less likely a two-state solution will be achieved. It could also force Palestinian, Israeli and international leaders to return to the drawing board. Palestinians under 25 are less optimistic about the future than their elders, according to polling from the West Bank-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. They are also more supportive of using violence to fight for democratic rights than their parents and grandparents, a symptom of the pasts failed diplomacy, said Khalil Shikaki, the centers director. The youth see their struggle as akin to that of people who lived under apartheid in South Africa," Shikaki said. They feel they have to force Israels hand to dismantle its system of occupation." Distrust on both sides Israelis have also grown more skeptical of the chances for peaceful coexistence. That skepticism grew during the Second Intifada, when Palestinian militants launched suicide bombings across Israel, and deepened after Oct. 7, leading many Israelis to conclude they could never trust Palestinians. About 79% of Jewish Israelis said in a May survey that they dont support the establishment of Palestinian state, according to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank. Before Oct. 7, 69% of the surveys respondents said they didnt support a Palestinian state. For young Palestinians, the latest Israel-Hamas war is at least the fourth period of intense, sustained conflict they have endured, including two other major air campaigns that Israel says targeted Hamas in 2008 and 2014 in addition to the Second Intifada. Young Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have never known life without restrictions on their movement, which include not only walls but also military checkpoints and a complicated permit regime that determines where Palestinians can go. Many young Palestinians have never left their home territory. Some say that they or their friends and relatives have been humiliated, beaten or killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers. Israeli authorities have said they seek to discipline soldiers who violate military policy, as well as settlers who attack Palestinians, and that military operations in the West Bank and Gaza and restrictions on Palestinian movement are needed to address threats to its security. Lost childhoods Many young Palestinians have had to confront life-or-death responsibilities from a young age, hardening their views. In the Gaza Strip, 15-year-old Layan Harouda had to tend to her younger siblings when airstrikes pounded her hometown of Gaza City late last year. She helped pitch the tent that became their temporary home after her family was displaced, trying hard to keep her siblings spirits up. I joked with them that the tent was built so well, they should give it an 8/10 review on a travel site," she said. But staying hopeful was hard. I have lived through things no one ever should," she said. When Layans mother, a journalist, received word late last year that the family could leave the besieged enclave through her work connections, her mother wanted to stay to document the war. Layan convinced her to evacuate the family. After leaving Gaza in November, Layan lives in Qatar. She says she is filled with shame having access to clean water, a bed and education, while her friends in Gaza live in tents, under drones and airstrikes. She longs to return to Gaza, but with her home obliterated, she questions the viability of that aim. I wonder: Will I ever see my friends again? Will I ever see Gaza again?" she said. You can try to run away from reality, but you never can." Elusive peace Many Israelis and Palestinians viewed the 1990s as a period of progress toward lasting peace. The leaders of the two sides reached across the aisle, crafting the Oslo Accords, which, among other things, allowed Palestinians to establish the semiautonomous Palestinian Authority and hold their own electionswidely viewed as steps toward Palestinian statehood. At the time, Palestinians wanted to believe that Israel wanted to end the occupation, and if not, that the West would pressure Israel to allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Mouin Rabbani, a nonresident fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, an independent research center based in Qatar. Part of the disappointment and dissolution that followed is a function of the exaggerated hopes that initially existed." Elements of the accords quickly fell apart, and the Second Intifada erupted from 2000 to 2005. The peace process has stalled since. Most Palestinians now believe that the two-state solution, which the Biden administration says it is committed to, is no longer feasible because of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, recent polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research shows. Israeli settlers now number about 700,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making it difficult to administer a future Palestinian state. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which has increased since Oct. 7, is a top concern among Palestinians in the West Bank. Violence intensifies Mohammed Saleh, a 14-year-old boy from As-Sawiya, a village south of Nablus, has seen attacks against Palestinians intensify as the settlements grow. On Oct. 28, armed settlers approached Mohammeds father, Bilal, as he picked olives in their familys grove. An Israeli opened fire, striking Bilal, in what Mohammeds family believes was a revenge attack against Palestinians for Hamass Oct. 7 assault. The father bled out as he was transported on the wooden ladder he had just used to reach olive branches. He died in front of his son. I am just a boy, but now I am the man of the house," Mohammed said. The Israeli military said it opened an investigation and took the alleged shooter, an off-duty soldier, into custody for questioning. The military didnt respond to questions about whether the shooter was charged or remained in custody. Naturally, it is not possible to give details about an ongoing investigation," the military said in a statement. Mohammed said he now anxiously keeps watch for armed settlers. Still, he plans to root himself in the village, maintaining the traditions of his father. I will think of him every time I smell sage or pick olives," Mohammed said. And I will study law so I can defend our people with the strongest weapon: education." Threats at homeand abroad Life sometimes feels normal for Marian Awartani, a Palestinian-American dual national living in Ramallah, the West Banks de facto Palestinian capital. Her tightknit group of teenage friends sing loudly as they drive with the windows open. They gossip about boys in both Palestinian Arabic and American English. But it doesnt take much to remind Marian, 17, that life is far from normal. During a recent picnic in one of the few available green spaces around the city, a drone swooped down from around a nearby watchtower, blaring an alarm and demanding in Hebrew for the group to leave. The drone hovered above Marian, her friends and two Wall Street Journal journalists as they hurried toward their cars and drove off. Even in a place I have been going to since I was a small child, one day an Israeli drone can tell me that I am not allowed there, and thats that," Marian said. In November, her brother, a Brown University student, was shot while walking near their grandmothers house in Vermont. The family believes he and two friends accompanying him were targeted in a hate crime because two were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves. The shooter pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder; the court case is ongoing. It further solidified that we dont belong anywhere," Marian said. Marian says she is seeking ways to humanize Palestinians, including to Israelis on the other side of the West Bank wall. More dialogue could get people to understand each other more, Marian said. But how can we communicate with the other side, when there is a wall between us, and our people are getting killed daily?" Write to Omar Abdel-Baqui at omar.abdel-baqui@wsj.com Kanchanjunga train accident: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee visited the Kanchanjunga train accident site on Monday. A goods train rear-ended the tourist-favourite Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express on Monday, killing 15 people and injuring over 60. Also Read | Bengal train accident: Ashwini Vaishnaw announces enhanced compensation At the site, CM Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Indian Railway Ministry is a 'parentless' organisation. "Today, the entire Railway Department is facing negligence. I feel proper care must be taken of the Railway Ministry...Right after the incident took place, the state government provided a medical team, disaster teams, Ambulances, and everything possible to normalise the situation..." CM Banerjee said. Mamata Banerjee also invoked the time she was the Union Railways minister in the UPA government. "I started so many things, but they are only doing publicity for Vande Bharat trains. Where is Duronto Express? After the Rajdhani Express, Duronto was the fastest train," CM Mamata Banerjee said. Banerjee served twice as Minister of Railways, the first woman to do so. Also Read | Kanchanjunga Express collision likely due to signal overshoot, no Kavach system Mamata Banerjee addressed the press at Kolkata airport before heading to Siliguri to assess the aftermath of the train accident near Rangapani, where multiple casualties occurred. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Vaishnaw was handed the Indian Railways portfolio for the second time in the Modi 3.0 government. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for prioritizing fare increases over enhancing passenger amenities, stating her position on Monday. "The railways have become totally parentless. Though the ministry is there, the old glory is missing. Only beautification is being done, but they do not care about passenger amenities. They are only keen on hiking fares," she claimed. "You will only see them talk big. They also do not care for the railway officers, technical, safety, and security personnel. I am with the railway employees and officers," she added. Mamata Banerjee criticized the Ashwini Vaishnaw-led Railway Ministry, claiming inadequate implementation of the anti-collision system, aimed at mitigating the impact of such accidents. Also Read | Ashwini Vaishnaw rushes to Kanchanjunga Express accident site on a motorbike "The number of train accidents has gone up. Accidents are not in anyone's control, this is a fact. But, the railways is not implementing the anti-collision system properly," she said. "This accident could have been worse. Seventy-eighty people are injured, and around 20 are critical. When one train hits another, it becomes difficult to estimate how many people are injured," she added. The BJP has appointed several top politicians including Union Ministers and Chief Ministers as election in-charges for Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement came mere weeks after Lok Sabha elections saw the saffron party return to power with a muted majority. The Maharashtra and Haryana polls are likely to be held around October the first real test for the NDA and INDIA since the Lok Sabha polls. It is pertinent to note here that the Opposition group made significant inroads in both states during the recently concluded general elections. The BJP bagged just five Haryana seats (it had won all ten in 2019) while the Congress got another five. Meanwhile in Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance (including the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) could manage only 17 out of 48 seats. Jammu and Kashmir recorded its highest voter turnout in several decades during the recent Lok Sabha elections with both the Opposition and the NDA linking it to the abrogation of Article 370. The northern union territory has remained without an elected government since 2018. Who are the in-charges? Maharashtra Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav was appointed as state election incharge with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav as state election co-incharge. Haryana Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was appointed as state election in-charge and former Chief Minister and MP Biplab Kumar Deb was appointed as election co-incharge. Jharkhand Union Minister and former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan will be the State election incharge while Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has been appointed as State election co-incharge. Jammu and Kashmir Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has been appointed as state election incharge. Speaking on the EVM hack claims, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said that EVM has gone through many agnipariksha and has been successful in it. BJP leader Naqvi said, We shouldn't make EVM either a god or demon. EVM has gone through many agnipariksha and has been successful in it. Earlier people used to attack it nationally and now some 'international contract killers' have stood up against it. In India's recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, several opposition leaders had alleged that EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) could have been hacked. In a post on X, Elon Musk had said, We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high." Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar countered Elon Musk's criticism of EVMs and termed it a huge sweeping generalisation even as the Tesla boss responded saying anything can be hacked. He further called out Musk in a post on X, saying that India would be happy to run a tutorial for the same. This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong. @elonmusk's view may apply to the US n other places - where they use regular compute platforms to build Internet-connected Voting machines, he added. Meanwhile, a media report alleged that Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Ravindra Waikar, who won by a margin of just 48 votes, used a mobile phone to "unlock" an EVM during vote counting. Pandilkar and polling official Dinesh Gurav have been booked by Vanrai police under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violating the Election Commission's ban on mobile phones inside counting centers. However, the Returning Officer of Mumbai North West Parliamentary Constituency dispelled reports of EVM tampering and clarified that no OTP (One-Time Password) on mobile is needed to unlock EVMs. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray remarked on Sunday that the Election Commission of India lacks the courage to release the CCTV footage related to the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. Maharashtra MLA Rohit Pawar insisted on Monday that 18 to 19 NCP legislators in the state were currently in talks with Sharad Pawar. He claimed that the politicians were waiting to attend the Monsoon Session of the Assembly before crossing over in order to secure development funds for their constituencies. The assertion comes mere days after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that legislators belonging to the Eknath Shinde camp were in touch with his party. There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb. They will cross over to their side after the monsoon sessionthey have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends, Pawar claimed. The NCP (SP) MLA said Sharad Pawar and other party leaders would take a decision on whom to take back into the fold. The undivided NCP had won 54 seats in the 2019 Assembly elections. The Ajit Pawar-led factor had later claimed the support of around 40 lawmakers. Also Read | Thank you prime minister! Sharad Pawar credits PM Modi for Lok Sabha elections The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had won eight seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP could secure only one seat. The party is currently allied with the BJP and part of the ruling NDA. The results had also sparked buzz about some leaders planning a return to the parties led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. The two Opposition leaders however insisted during a recent press conference that there was no question of taking rebel leaders back. Also Read | Will BJP snap ties with Ajit Pawar? Here is what THIS report says The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. It will be the last session before the state conducts assembly elections in October. The three Maha Vikas Aghadi parties have already announced their intention to contest the upcoming polls together. By Zhao Li (ECNS) -- Environmental Studies experts criticized the Western claim of Chinas overcapacity and the tariffs on Chinese products such as electric vehicles (EVs) as "very unfair", as Chinas energy transition is crucial for global ecological protection. In an exclusive interview with China News Network on the sideline of the International Forum on the History and Future of Xinjiang, China held in Kashi, John Grim, senior lecturer and senior research scholar at School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, saidIt's very encouraging to see the way that China has responded to the need for alternative energies. He pointed out that amid its economic miracle, China has set an example for the world in solar power, wind power, and new forms of electric vehicles. China is modeling and leading in this regard, he said. Since 1986, John has frequently visited China, witnessing numerous changes over the past 30 years. During the forum, he shared his profound impression of the widespread ecological civilization concepts in many Chinese academic institutions during his visit in September 2023. "Discussions on ecological civilization have significantly increased in recent years. Now, almost every university has a school or institute based on ecological civilization for environmental education and training," he noted, highlighting that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as one of Chinas top think tanks, has established a dedicated Institute of Ecological Civilization to further research and development in this field. Mary Tucker-Grim, professor at the same Yale School, praised China's green and low-carbon development philosophy in the interview. She believes that balancing economic development and environmental protection is key in both in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the rest of China. Mary pointed out that the concept of Green GDP is recognized and valued in China, and the development of a circular economy is being actively promoted so the West needs to catch up with China in these areas. We want to encourage China's transformation and that transformation from a hyper-industrial society to ecological culture and civilization is what's absolutely needed. But this accusation towards China of overproduction and so on is very unfair. I think the tariffs are very unfair for solar and for EVs. We cannot create China like an enemy. This is not a healthy foreign policy at all, she said. The surveys that our friend at Peking University has taken of China shows 95 percent of surveyed Chinese people know about climate change and its seriousness. There is nowhere in the Western world that has a statistic close to that, certainly not the U.S. and even in Europe, she added. Mary believes that China plays a leading role in addressing climate change and promoting energy transition, expressing her hope that Western countries can develop mutually beneficial and enhance relationships with China in this field. Leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT) have announced their plans to approach the Supreme Court over a Lok Sabha seat lost by 48 votes. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party insisted that winning candidate Ravindra Waikar should be stopped from taking oath as the Lok Sabha member. We have won Amol Kirtikar's seat and we will go to court. EC is not the Election Commission it has become 'Easily Compromised'. If there was no EVM, BJP would not have won even 40 seats, said Aaditya Thackeray. Mumbai poll officials had issued a clarification on Sunday after a report alleged EVM manipulation via cellphone. The Vanrai police has since booked polling personnel Dinesh Gurav and Mangesh Pandilkar the brother-in-law of Shiv Sena MP Shiv Ravindra Waikar for using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon on June 4. Waikar had defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar by 48 votes during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections the lowest victory margin in the country. According to a Mid-day report, the phone was connected to the Electronic Voting Machine and used to generate an 'unlocking' OTP. The publication said that the police had found an "Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System for Service Voter which is also used after using EVM machines". It claimed that Gurav had used the mobile phone in question to generate an OTP. Allegedly Kirtikar had lost his lead once the votes on the ETPBS were counted. Irregularities in vote counting started after Amol Kirtikar's 19th round. There are a total of 14 tables for counting on each MP's seat. There is an ARO officer near each EVM counting table after each round of counting, the final information is given to the ARO but after 19 rounds of counting, the ARO was not informed. The calls that were coming repeatedly on the election officer's phone due to which he was going to the washroom repeatedly. We know whose call came, added fellow Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab. He said that the party was yet to receive CCTV footage from the area and demanded that the Election Commission investigate the matter. In the atrium of a research building at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing is a wall of patents. Around five metres wide and two storeys high, the wall displays 192 certificates, positioned in neat rows and tastefully lit from behind. At ground level, behind a velvet rope, an array of glass jars contain the innovations that the patents protect: seeds. CASthe worlds largest research organisationand institutions around China produce a huge amount of research into the biology of food crops. In the past few years Chinese scientists have discovered a gene that, when removed, boosts the length and weight of wheat grains, another that improves the ability of crops like sorghum and millet to grow in salty soils and one that can increase the yield of maize by around 10%. In autumn last year, farmers in Guizhou completed the second harvest of genetically modified giant rice that was developed by scientists at CAS. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made agricultural researchwhich it sees as key to ensuring the countrys food securitya priority for scientists. Over the past decade the quality and the quantity of crop research that China produces has grown immensely, and now the country is widely regarded as a leader in the field. According to an editor of a prestigious European plant-sciences journal, there are some months when half of the submissions can come from China. A journey of a thousand miles The rise of plant-science research is not unique in China. In 2019 The Economist surveyed the research landscape in the country and asked whether China could one day become a scientific superpower. Today, that question has been unequivocally answered: yes". Chinese scientists recently gained the edge in two closely watched measures of high-quality science, and the countrys growth in top-notch research shows no sign of slowing. The old science world order, dominated by America, Europe and Japan, is coming to an end. View Full Image ... One way to measure the quality of a countrys scientific research is to tally the number of high-impact papers produced each yearthat is, publications that are cited most often by other scientists in their own, later work. In 2003 America produced 20 times more of these high-impact papers than China, according to data from Clarivate, a science analytics company (see chart 1). By 2013 America produced about four times the number of top papers and, in the most recent release of data, which examines papers from 2022, China had surpassed both America and the entire European Union (EU). Metrics based on citations can be gamed, of course. Scientists can, and do, find ways to boost the number of times their paper is mentioned in other studies, and a recent working paper, by Qui Shumin, Claudia Steinwender and Pierre Azoulay, three economists, argues that Chinese researchers cite their compatriots far more than Western researchers do theirs. But China now leads the world on other benchmarks that are less prone to being gamed. It tops the Nature Index, created by the publisher of the same name, which counts the contributions to articles that appear in a set of prestigious journals. To be selected for publication, papers must be approved by a panel of peer reviewers who assess the studys quality, novelty and potential for impact. When the index was first launched, in 2014, China came second, but its contribution to eligible papers was less than a third of Americas. By 2023 China had reached the top spot. According to the Leiden Ranking of the volume of scientific research output, there are now six Chinese universities or institutions in the world top ten, and seven according to the Nature Index. They may not be household names in the West yet, but get used to hearing about Shanghai Jiao Tong, Zhejiang and Peking (Beida) Universities in the same breath as Cambridge, Harvard and ETH Zurich. Tsinghua is now the number one science and technology university in the world," says Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at Oxford University. Thats amazing. Theyve done that in a generation." View Full Image .. Today China leads the world in the physical sciences, chemistry and Earth and environmental sciences, according to both the Nature Index and citation measures (see chart 2). But America and Europe still have substantial leads in both general biology and medical sciences. Engineering is the ultimate Chinese discipline in the modern period," says Professor Marginson, I think thats partly about military technology and partly because thats what you need to develop a nation." Applied research is a Chinese strength. The country dominates publications on perovskite solar panels, for example, which offer the possibility of being far more efficient than conventional silicon cells at converting sunlight into electricity. Chinese chemists have developed a new way to extract hydrogen from seawater using a specialised membrane to separate out pure water, which can then be split by electrolysis. In May 2023 it was announced that the scientists, in collaboration with a state-owned Chinese energy company, had developed a pilot floating hydrogen farm off the countrys south-eastern coast. China also now produces more patents than any other country, although many are for incremental tweaks to designs, as opposed to truly original inventions. New developments tend to spread and be adopted more slowly in China than in the West. But its strong industrial base, combined with cheap energy, means that it can quickly spin up large-scale production of physical innovations like materials. Thats where China really has an advantage on Western countries," says Jonathan Bean, CEO of Materials Nexus, a British firm that uses AI to discover new materials. The country is also signalling its scientific prowess in more conspicuous ways. Earlier this month, Chinas Change-6 robotic spacecraft touched down in a gigantic crater on the far side of the Moon, scooped up some samples of rock, planted a Chinese flag and set off back towards Earth. If it successfully returns to Earth at the end of the month, it will be the first mission to bring back samples from this hard-to-reach side of the Moon. First, sharpen your tools The reshaping of Chinese science has been achieved by focusing on three areas: money, equipment and people. In real terms, Chinas spending on research and development (R&D) has grown 16-fold since 2000. According to the most recent data from the OECD, from 2021, China still lagged behind America on overall R&D spending, dishing out $668bn, compared with $806bn for America at purchasing-power parity. But in terms of spending by universities and government institutions only, China has nudged ahead. In these places America still spends around 50% more on basic research, accounting for costs, but China is splashing the cash on applied research and experimental development (see chart 3). Money is meticulously directed into strategic areas. In 2006 the CCP published its vision for how science should develop over the next 15 years. Blueprints for science have since been included in the CCPs five-year development plans. The current plan, published in 2021, aims to boost research in quantum technologies, AI, semiconductors, neuroscience, genetics and biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and exploration of frontier areas" like deep space, deep oceans and Earths poles. Creating world-class universities and government institutions has also been a part of Chinas scientific development plan. Initiatives like Project 211", the 985 programme" and the China Nine League" gave money to selected labs to develop their research capabilities. Universities paid staff bonusesestimated at an average of $44,000 each, and up to a whopping $165,000if they published in high-impact international journals. Building the workforce has been a priority. Between 2000 and 2019, more than 6m Chinese students left the country to study abroad, according to Chinas education ministry. In recent years they have flooded back, bringing their newly acquired skills and knowledge with them. Data from the OECD suggest that, since the late 2000s, more scientists have been returning to the country than leaving. China now employs more researchers than both America and the entire EU. Many of Chinas returning scientists, often referred to as sea turtles" (a play on the Chinese homonym haigui, meaning to return from abroad") have been drawn home by incentives. One such programme launched in 2010, the Youth Thousand Talents", offered researchers under 40 one-off bonuses of up to 500,000 yuan (equivalent to roughly $150,000 at purchasing-power parity) and grants of up to 3m yuan to get labs up and running back home. And it worked. A study published in Science last year found that the scheme brought back high-calibre young researchersthey were, on average, in the most productive 15% of their peers (although the real superstar class tended to turn down offers). Within a few years, thanks to access to more resources and academic manpower, these returnees were lead scientists on 2.5 times more papers than equivalent researchers who had remained in America. As well as pull, there has been a degree of push. Chinese scientists working abroad have been subject to increased suspicion in recent years. In 2018 America launched the China Initiative, a largely unsuccessful attempt to root out Chinese spies from industry and academia. There have also been reports of students being deported because of their association with Chinas military-civilian fusion strategy". A recent survey of current and former Chinese students studying in America found that the share who had experienced racial abuse or discrimination was rising. The availability of scientists in China means that, for example in quantum computing, some of the countrys academic labs are more like commercial labs in the West, in terms of scale. They have research teams of 20, 30, even 40 people working on the same experiments, and they make really good progress," says Christian Andersen, a quantum researcher at Delft University. In 2023 researchers working in China broke the record for the number of quantum bits, or qubits, entangled inside a quantum computer. China has also splurged on scientific kit. In 2019, when The Economist last surveyed the state of the countrys scientific research, it already had an enviable inventory of flashy hardware including supercomputers, the worlds largest filled-aperture radio telescope and an underground dark-matter detector. The list has only grown since then. The country is now home to the worlds most sensitive ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray detector (which has recently been used to test aspects of Albert Einsteins special theory of relativity), the worlds strongest steady-state magnetic field (which can probe the properties of materials) and soon will have one of the worlds most sensitive neutrino detectors (which will be used to work out which type of these fundamental subatomic particles has the highest mass). Europe and America have plenty of cool kit of their own, but China is rapidly adding hardware. Individual labs in Chinas top institutions are also well equipped. Niko McCarty, a journalist and former researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was recently given a tour of synthetic biology labs in China, was struck by how, in academic institutions, the machines are just more impressive and more expansive" than in America. At the Advanced Biofoundry at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, which the country hopes will be the centre of Chinas answer to Silicon Valley, Mr McCarty described an amazing building with four floors of robots". As Chinese universities fill with state-of-the-art equipment and elite researchers, and salaries become increasingly competitive, Western institutions look less appealing to young and ambitious Chinese scientists. Students in China dont think about America as some scientific Mecca" in the same way their advisers might have done," said Mr McCarty. Take AI, for example. In 2019 just 34% of Chinese students working in the field stayed in the country for graduate school or work. By 2022 that number was 58%, according to data from the AI talent tracker by MacroPolo, an American think-tank (in America the figure for 2022 was around 98%). China now contributes to around 40% of the worlds research papers on AI, compared with around 10% for America and 15% for the EU and Britain combined. One of the most highly cited research papers of all time, demonstrating how deep neural networks could be trained on image recognition, was written by AI researchers working in China, albeit for Microsoft, an American company. Chinas AI research is world-class," said Zachary Arnold, an AI analyst at the Georgetown Centre for Emerging Security and Technology. In areas like computer vision and robotics, they have a significant lead in research publications." Growth in the quality and quantity of Chinese science looks unlikely to stop anytime soon. Spending on science and technology research is still increasingthe government has announced a 10% increase in funding in 2024. And the country is training an enormous number of young scientists. In 2020 Chinese universities awarded 1.4m engineering degrees, seven times more than America did. China has now educated, at undergraduate level, 2.5 times more of the top-tier AI researchers than America has. And by 2025, Chinese universities are expected to produce nearly twice as many PhD graduates in science and technology as America. To see further, ascend another floor Although China is producing more top-tier work, it still produces a vast amount of lower-quality science too. On average, papers from China tend to have lower impact, as measured by citations, than those from America, Britain or the EU. And while the chosen few universities have advanced, mid-level universities have been left behind. Chinas second-tier institutions still produce work that is of relatively poor quality compared with their equivalents in Europe or America. While China has fantastic quality at the top level, its on a weak base," explains Caroline Wagner, professor of science policy at Ohio State University. When it comes to basic, curiosity-driven research (rather than applied) China is still playing catch-upthe country publishes far fewer papers than America in the two most prestigious science journals, Nature and Science. This may partly explain why China seems to punch below its weight in the discovery of completely new technologies. Basic research is particularly scant within Chinese companies, creating a gap between the scientists making discoveries and the industries that could end up using them. For more original innovation, that might be a minus," says Xu Xixiang, chief scientist at LONGi Green Energy Technology, a Chinese solar company. Incentives to publish papers have created a market for fake scientific publications. A study published earlier this year in the journal Research Ethics, featured anonymous interviews from Chinese academics, one of whom said he had no choice but to commit [research] misconduct",to keep up with pressures to publish and retain his job. Citation cartels" have emerged, where groups of researchers band together to write low-quality papers that cite each others work in an effort to drive up their metrics. In 2020 Chinas science agencies announced that such cash-for-publication schemes should end and, in 2021, the country announced a nationwide review of research misconduct. That has led to improvementsthe rate at which Chinese researchers cite themselves, for example, is falling, according to research published in 2023. And Chinas middle-ranking universities are slowly catching up with their Western equivalents, too. The areas where America and Europe still hold the lead are, therefore, unlikely to be safe for long. Biological and health sciences rely more heavily on deep subject-specific knowledge and have historically been harder for China to bring back and accelerate", says Tim Dafforn, a professor of biotechnology at University of Birmingham and former adviser to Britains department for business. But Chinas profile is growing in these fields. Although America currently produces roughly four times more highly influential papers in clinical medicine, in many areas China is producing the most papers that cite this core research, a sign of developing interest that presages future expansion. On the biology side, China is growing remarkably quickly," says Jonathan Adams, chief scientist at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate. Its ability to switch focus into a new area is quite remarkable." The rise of Chinese science is a double-edged sword for Western governments. Chinas science system is inextricably linked with its state and armed forcesmany Chinese universities have labs explicitly working on defence and several have been accused of engaging in espionage or cyber-attacks. China has also been accused of intellectual-property theftand increasingly stringent regulations have made it more difficult for international collaborators to take data out of the country; notoriously, in 2019, the country cut off access to American-funded work on coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. There are also cases of Chinese researchers failing to adhere to the ethical standards expected by Western scientists. Despite the concerns, Chinese collaborations are common for Western researchers. Roughly a third of papers on telecommunications by American authors involve Chinese collaborators. In imaging science, remote sensing, applied chemistry and geological engineering, the figures are between 25% and 30%. In Europe the numbers are lower, around 10%, but still significant. These partnerships are beneficial for both countries. China tends to collaborate more in areas where it is already strong like materials and physics. A preprint study, released last year, found that for AI research, having a co-author from America or China was equally beneficial to authors from the other country, conferring on average 75% more citations. Several notable successes have come from working together, too. During the covid-19 pandemic a joint venture between Oxford Universitys Engineering Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research developed a rapid covid test that was used across British airports. In 2015 researchers at University of Cardiff and South China Agricultural University identified a gene that made bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin. Following this, China, the biggest consumer of the drug, banned its use in animal feed, and levels of colistin resistance in both animals and humans declined. In America and Europe, political pressure is limiting collaborations with China. In March, Americas Science and Technology Agreement with China, which states that scientists from both countries can collaborate on topics of mutual benefit, was quietly renewed for a further six months. Although Beijing appears keen to renew the 45-year-old agreement, many Republicans fear that collaboration with China is helping the country achieve its national-security goals. In Europe, with the exception of environmental and climate projects, Chinese universities have been effectively barred from accessing funding through the Horizon programme, a huge European research initiative. There are also concerns among scientists that China is turning inwards. The country has explicit aims to become self-reliant in many areas of science and technology and also shift away from international publications as a way of measuring research output. Many researchers cannot talk to the pressfinding sources in China for this story was challenging. One Chinese plant scientist, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she had to seek permission a year in advance to attend overseas conferences. Its contradictoryon the one hand, they set restrictions so that scientists dont have freedoms like being able to go abroad to communicate with their colleagues. But on the other hand, they dont want China to fall behind." Live until old, learn until old The overwhelming opinion of scientists in China and the West is that collaboration must continue or, better, increase. And there is room to do more. Though Chinas science output has grown dramatically, the share that is conducted with international collaborators has remained stable at around 20%Western scientists tend to have far more international collaborations. Western researchers could pay more attention to the newest science from China, too. Data from a study published last year in Nature Human Behaviour showed that, for work of equivalent quality, Chinese scientists cite Western papers far more than vice versa. Western scientists rarely visit, work or study in China, depriving them of opportunities to learn from Chinese colleagues in the way Chinese scientists have done so well in the West. Closing the door to Chinese students and researchers wishing to come to Western labs would also be disastrous for Western science. Chinese researchers form the backbone of many departments in top American and European universities. In 2022 more of the top-tier AI researchers working in America hailed from China than from America. The Wests model of science currently depends on a huge number of students, often from overseas, to carry out most day-to-day research. There is little to suggest that the Chinese scientific behemoth will not continue growing stronger. Chinas ailing economy may eventually force the CCP to slow spending on research, and if the country were to become completely cut off from the Western science community its research would suffer. But neither of these looks imminent. In 2019 we also asked if research could flourish in an authoritarian system. Perhaps over time its limits will become clear. But for now, and at least for the hard sciences, the answer is that it can thrive. I think itd be very unwise to call limits on the Chinese miracle," says Prof Marginson. Because it has had no limits up until now." Apple's AirPods Max isn't Apple's first premium audio product; it follows the AirPods Pro and has set a benchmark for spatial sound and active noise cancellation (ANC) in headphones. The design and build quality are exceptional. However, these premium features come at a price, around 60,000. If that's too expensive for you but you still want similar features, don't worry. We've listed some great AirPods Max alternatives that cost a fraction of the price. These alternatives are carefully selected to offer you a variety of options. You can also narrow down your search by checking out the best headphones in different categories. AirPods Max alternatives with best ANC 1. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bose QuietComfort series is popular for its industry leading and versatile Active Noise Cancellation. The QC 45 is no exception and comes with a customizable ANC for a personalised experience. The sound quality and ANC can be customized using the provided app. These wireless headphones feature crystal clear calls using its multiple intelligent microphones that removes background environmental noise. It features a 24 hours battery life with fast charging using a Type-C port, a 15-minute charge can give you a 2.5 hours of play time. Specifications of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Brand: Bose Color: Sandstone Form Factor: Over Ear Noise Control: Active Noise Cancellation Model Name: QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Battery Life: Up to 24 hours (18 hours with Immersive Audio) Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Superior noise cancellation with multiple modes Higher price point compared to other brands Personalized sound with CustomTune technology Battery life reduces with Immersive Audio mode 2. Sony WH-1000XM5 Sony's XM series headphones are all-rounder, whether it's sound quality or ANC. It comes with a seamless design and no buttons, all the controls for music or calls can be accessed through the touchpad on the ear cups. They feature Auto NC Optimizer for automatic adjustment based on your environment. With a battery life of up to 40 hours, they support quick charging for 3 hours of playback with just a 3-minute charge. The headphones offer clear calling with four microphones and AI-based noise reduction. Multipoint connectivity allows for easy switching between devices, and the intuitive touch controls provide effortless operation. Specifications of Sony WH-1000XM5 Brand: Sony Colour: Black Ear Placement: Over Ear Form Factor: Over Ear Noise Control: Sound Isolation Battery Life: 40 hours Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Superior noise cancellation with 8 microphones Slightly bulky design Long battery life with quick charge feature Excellent call quality with AI-based noise reduction AirPods Max alternatives with best design 3. Marshall Monitor II The Marshall Monitor II Active Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphone looks fantastic with its retro look. The headphones feels premium and feature the same crown control from AirPods Mac. The foldable design is a big plus when you want to carry your headphones in a bag pack. With active noise-cancelling technology, it continuously pinpoints and blocks ambient noise, allowing you to focus on your music. Enjoy up to 30 hours of wireless playtime with noise cancelling, or 45 hours without. The collapsible design makes it a perfect travel companion. Included in the travel kit are a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm cord, and a carry bag. Specifications of Marshall Monitor II Brand: Marshall Colour: Black Ear Placement: Over Ear Form Factor: Over Ear Noise Control: Active Noise Cancellation Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Active noise cancelling for an immersive experience Heavier than some other headphones Long battery life (30 hours with ANC) Also read: Best wireless headphones: Choose from our top 10 picks for long lasting sonic brilliance 4. Srhythm NiceComfort 95 If you are looking for similar design than the AirPods Max than the Srhythm NiceComfort 95 will be the best choice for you. It comes with a design that have some striking similarities to the real thing. The headband and ear cup design also quite similar to the AirPods Max. It even comes with a crown button combo that lets you control music and other features of the headphones. This lightweight design packs a large battery that can give you a total of 65 hours of music playback. Specifications of Srhythm NiceComfort 95 Brand: Srhythm Colour: Graphite Black Form Factor: Over Ear Impedance: 32 Ohm Weight: 0.56lb Battery Life: 65 Hours (Bluetooth) Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Advanced noise cancellation reduces ambient noise by 95%. ANC is not quite effective Transparency Mode enhances safety by amplifying environmental sounds. AirPods Max alternatives with digital assistant 5. Sony ULT WEAR Headphones The Sony ULT WEAR Headphones offer a powerful listening experience with their massive bass feature. These over-ear headphones provide premium noise-canceling technology with a V1 processor for immersive music enjoyment. Designed for comfort, they have thermoforming cushions that mould to your ears. Ideal for travel, they come with a swivel fold design and compact carry case. Enjoy up to 50 hours of battery life without ANC and 30 hours with ANC, plus quick charging capabilities. With multipoint connection, beam forming mics for clear calls, and intelligent wearing detection, these headphones are packed with convenient features. Specifications of Sony ULT WEAR Headphones Brand: Sony Color: Black Form Factor: Over Ear Noise Control: Sound Isolation Battery Life: Up to 50 hours without ANC, 30 hours with ANC Quick Charging: 10 min charge for up to 5 hours Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Premium Noise Cancellation Over-ear design might not suit everyone Long Battery Life Also read: Best headphone brands: Pick from top 10 models for enjoyable audio experiences everyday 6. Sennheiser HD 450BT The Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones offer a premium listening experience with active noise cancellation and superior wireless sound quality. Designed in Germany, these headphones feature deep dynamic bass and support high-quality codecs like AAC and AptX Low Latency. With a 30-hour battery life and fast USB-C charging, you can enjoy extended listening sessions without interruption. The foldable design ensures portability, and the intuitive controls include a Virtual Assistant button for Siri and Google Assistant. Crafted from durable materials, these headphones come in a sleek black colour and include a 2-year warranty. Specifications of Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless Over Ear Headphone Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Bluetooth 5.0 Connectivity 30-hour Battery Life USB-C Fast Charging Virtual Assistant Button (Siri and Google Assistant) Foldable Design Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Active Noise Cancellation May be bulky for travel Superior Wireless Sound AirPods Max alternatives for gaming 7. Sony PS5 Pulse The Sony PS5 Pulse 3D Gaming Wireless Over Ear Headset offers an immersive gaming experience with Tempest 3D audio on PS5. It features dual noise-cancelling microphones for clear voice capture and has easy access controls for volume and mic settings. The headset provides up to 12 hours of battery life and supports USB Type-C charging. Its ultra-sleek finish and refined ear pads ensure comfort during long gaming sessions. This headset is compatible with various devices, including PS5, PS4, PS VR, PC, Windows, Mac OS, and mobile phones, making it a versatile choice for gamers. Specifications of Sony PS5 Pulse 3D Compatibility: PS5, PS4, PS VR, PC, Windows, Mac OS, Mobile Phones Dual Noise-Cancelling Microphones: Enhanced voice clarity Tempest 3D Audio: Immersive sound experience Battery Life: Up to 12 hours Charging Port: USB Type-C Controls: Built-in mic mute, master volume Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Enhanced gaming experience with 3D audio Occasional wireless connectivity interference Dual noise-canceling microphones Also read: Elevate your audio experience with the best noise cancelling headphones 8. Razer BlackShark V2 X The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a top choice for gamers, offering an immersive audio experience with its 7.1 surround sound and custom-tuned 50mm drivers. Designed for comfort, this headset features memory foam cushions that prevent overheating and pressure build-up. The lightweight design makes it ideal for long gaming sessions. Equipped with a noise-isolating microphone, it ensures clear communication by reducing background noise. Compatible with various platforms like PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices, it connects via a 3.5mm audio jack. Specifications of Razer BlackShark V2 X Wired Gaming On-Ear Headset Brand: Razer Colour: Black Ear Placement: On Ear Form Factor: On Ear Noise Control: Sound Isolation Surround Sound: 7.1 Surround Sound Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Immersive 7.1 surround sound Surround sound only on Windows 10 Comfortable memory foam cushions Wired connection limits mobility Lightweight design for long use Noise-isolating microphone Affordable AirPods Max alternatives with ANC 9. Philips Wireless On-Ear Headphones TAH8506BK The Philips Wireless On-Ear Headphones TAH8506BK offer an immersive audio experience with active noise cancellation, letting you focus on your music. The over-ear fit provides passive noise isolation, enhancing sound quality. These headphones boast Hi-res Audio certification and 40mm drivers for rich sound. With multipoint Bluetooth, you can connect to two devices simultaneously, ideal for multitasking. Enjoy up to 60 hours of playtime on a single charge (45 hours with ANC), perfect for travellers. The Philips Headphones app allows personalized sound adjustments. These headphones are also designed for convenience, with foldable ear cups for easy storage. Specifications of Philips TAH8506BK Wireless On-Ear Headphones Brand: Philips Audio Colour: Black Ear Placement: Over Ear Form Factor: On Ear Impedance: 32 Ohm Sensitivity: 96 dB (1K Hz) Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Active noise cancellation for immersive sound May be bulky for some users Hi-Res Audio certification for high-quality sound 10. JBL Tune 760NC The JBL Tune 760NC Wireless Headphones offer an immersive listening experience with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology, letting you enjoy your music without distractions. These headphones deliver JBL's signature Pure Bass sound, providing deep and powerful bass for an exceptional audio experience. With up to 50 hours of playtime on a single charge, you can enjoy your music all day long. The headphones feature Google Fast Pair for quick and easy connection to your Android device, and they support multi-point connection for seamless switching between devices. The included AUX cable allows you to use the headphones in wired mode when needed. Specifications of JBL Tune 760NC Wireless Headphones Brand: JBL Colour: Black Ear Placement: Over Ear Form Factor: Over Ear Impedance: 32 Ohm Playtime: Up to 50 hours Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Active Noise Cancellation May be bulky for some users JBL Pure Bass Sound ANC can impact sound quality at times Also read: Best headphones under 2000 in India: Affordable and budget-friendly options Top 3 features of AirPods Max alternatives AirPods Max alternatives Compatibility Battery Features Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth 5.3 Up to 24 hours Customizable ANC, Crystal Clear Calls Sony WH-1000XM5 Bluetooth Up to 40 hours Auto NC Optimizer, Clear Calling Marshall Monitor II Bluetooth Up to 30 hours Premium Design, Active Noise Cancellation Srhythm NiceComfort 95 Bluetooth Up to 65 hours Design Similarity to AirPods Max, Lightweight Sony ULT WEAR Headphones Bluetooth Up to 50 hours Powerful Bass, Thermoforming Cushions Sennheiser HD 450BT Bluetooth 5.0 Up to 30 hours Active Noise Cancellation, High-quality Codecs Sony PS5 Pulse 3D PS5, PS4, PS VR, PC, etc. Up to 12 hours Tempest 3D Audio, Dual Noise-Cancelling Microphones Razer BlackShark V2 X PC, PS4, PS5, etc. Wired 7.1 Surround Sound, Noise-Isolating Microphone Philips TAH8506BK Bluetooth Up to 60 hours Active Noise Cancellation, Hi-res Audio JBL Tune 760NC Bluetooth Up to 50 hours Pure Bass Sound, Google Fast Pair Similar articles for you Comprehensive buying guide to help you choose the best headphones for every need Best wired headphones with mic: Top 9 options with unmatched sound and crisp call quality Best headphones with mic: Top 8 options for impeccable gaming and crystal clear conversations Disclaimer: At Livemint, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Mint has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. FAQs Question : How do I choose the right headphones for my needs? Ans : Consider factors like comfort, sound quality, battery life, and features such as noise cancellation or wireless connectivity. Question : Are wireless headphones better than wired ones? Ans : It depends on your preferences. Wireless headphones offer more freedom of movement, while wired headphones often provide better audio quality. Question : What is active noise cancellation (ANC)? Ans : ANC is a technology that uses microphones and internal circuitry to create inverse sound waves, canceling out ambient noise for a quieter listening experience. Question : How important is battery life in headphones? Ans : Battery life is crucial, especially for wireless headphones. Longer battery life means less frequent charging, ideal for long commutes or travel. Question : Can I use headphones for gaming and music? Ans : Yes, many headphones are versatile and can be used for both gaming and listening to music, but some headphones are optimized for specific purposes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amit Rahi I have immersed myself in the tech world for more than five years, focussing my efforts in providing readers with in-depth reviews about gadgets. Exploring the ins and outs of the latest tech has been quite a journey. My goal as a storyteller is to make tech understandable and exciting for people like me who love gadgets. Read more from this author Every year, some of the deadliest natural disasters earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires and droughts kill nearly 60,000 people, according to Global Change Data Lab . Violent natural disasters have been a fact of human life since the beginning of humankind, but the death counts of the most ancient of these disasters are lost to history. The ancient Mediterranean island of Thera (now Santorini, Greece), for example, experienced a catastrophic volcanic eruption that eradicated the entire Minoan civilization around 1600 B.C., according to a 2020 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. But exactly how many lives were lost? We'll never know. However, thanks to historical records and journals, historians can at least estimate the number of fatalities linked to disasters that occurred in the common era. According to such records, the following natural disasters are some of the deadliest of all time. The A.D. 1138 Aleppo earthquake The 13th-century citadel of Aleppo in Syria has been listed since 1986 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Image credit: DEA / C. SAPPA/De Agostini via Getty Images) On Oct. 11, 1138, the ground under the Syrian city of Aleppo began to shake. The city sits on the confluence of the Arabian and African plates, making it prone to temblors, but this one was particularly violent. The magnitude of the quake is lost to time, but contemporary chroniclers reported that the city's citadel collapsed and houses crumbled across Aleppo. The resulting death toll is estimated at around 230,000, but that figure comes from the 15th century, and the historian who reported it may have conflated the Aleppo quake with one that occurred in what is now the modern-day Eurasian country of Georgia, according to a 2004 paper in the journal Annals of Geophysics. Still, this supposed death toll marks this event as one of the most deadly natural disasters of all time. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami An aerial view of the destruction caused in Meulaboh city, Indonesia, by a quake and tidal wave that made landfall on Dec. 26, 2004. (Image credit: HO/AFP via Getty Images) Another deadly natural disaster was a catastrophic magnitude 9.1 earthquake that struck undersea off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 26, 2004. The quake created a massive tsunami that killed approximately 230,000, and displaced nearly 2 million people in 14 South Asian and East African countries. Traveling as fast as 500 mph (804 km/h), the tsunami reached land in as little as 15 to 20 minutes after the quake hit, giving residents little time to flee to higher ground. In some places, especially hardest-hit Indonesia, the tsunami wave reached over 100 feet (30 meters) high, according to World Vision, a humanitarian aid organization. Damages from the earthquake and tsunami are estimated at $10 billion dollars. This event is considered the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900, and its tsunami has killed more people than any other tsunami in recorded history, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake View of the damage in Tangshan, China, after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1976. (Image credit: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) At 3:42 a.m. on July 28, 1976, the Chinese city of Tangshan was razed to the ground by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Tangshan, an industrial city with a population of about 1 million at the time of the disaster, suffered staggering casualties of over 240,000. While this was the official death toll, some experts suggest this number is grossly underestimated and that the loss of life was likely closer to 700,000. Reportedly, 85% of Tangshan's buildings collapsed, and trembles were felt in Beijing, China, more than 100 miles (180 km) away. It took several years before the city of Tangshan was rebuilt to its prior glory. The A.D. 115 Antioch earthquake A vintage engraving shows the ruined city walls of Antioch. (Image credit: duncan1890 via Getty Images) The Hellenistic Greek city of Antioch, which served as a regional capital to both the Roman and Byzantine empires, sits in modern-day Turkey atop a triple tectonic junction between the African plate, the Arabian plate and the Anatolian sub-plate. On Dec. 13, A.D. 115, the tectonic system beneath the city produced an estimated magnitude 7.5 earthquake that reached an "extreme" intensity on the Mercalli intensity scale . The earthquake resulted in approximately 260,000 deaths and destroyed Antioch, as well as five nearby cities. It also triggered a local tsunami that severely damaged Beirut, the capital of modern-day Lebanon, and the harbor of an ancient port city called Caesarea Maritima. The Roman emperor Trajan was caught in the earthquake while wintering in Antioch and became trapped under the rubble of his home, but he managed to escape with only minor injuries. The A.D. 526 Antioch earthquake A 1890 drawing of the "Approach to Antioch," a centre of early Christianity. Artist unknown. (Image credit: duncan1890 via Getty Images) As with all disasters occurring millenia ago, a precise death toll for the A.D. 526 Antioch earthquake is hard to come by. Contemporary chronicler John Malalas wrote at the time that about 250,000 people died when the temblor hit the Byzantine Empire city (now Turkey and Syria) in May, 526. Malalas attributed the disaster to the wrath of God and reported that fires destroyed everything in Antioch that the earthquake did not. According to a 2007 paper in The Medieval History Journal, the death toll was higher than it would have been at other times of the year because the city was full of tourists celebrating Ascension Day the Christian feast that commemorates Jesus' ascension into heaven. The 1737 Calcutta cyclone A 19th-century engraved map shows the layout of the Ganges Delta and the Bay of Bengal. (Image credit: mikroman6 via Getty Images) The 1737 Calcutta cyclone, also known as the Hooghly River cyclone, made landfall in the Ganges Delta just south of the city of Calcutta (modern-day Kolkata), in India's West Bengal state, early in the morning of Oct. 11, 1737 although some accounts say the storm occurred on Sept. 30 . The cyclone is the earliest super-cyclone on record in the North Indian Ocean, meaning it had wind speeds of at least 140 mph (225 km/h) that were sustained for 3 minutes. The cyclone caused a storm surge up to 40 feet (13 meters) high in the Ganges and traced a 200-mile-long (320 kilometers) path of destruction. It left few buildings standing in Calcutta and sank roughly 20,000 boats in the Bay of Bengal. The storm caused 300,000 deaths according to some accounts but researchers point out there is a discrepancy between this casualty count and the urban population of Calcutta at the time, which was less than 20,000. The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Parts of the Great Wall of China run through Haiyuan County, where a huge earthquake in 1920 killed at least 200,000 people. (Image credit: Imago / Alamy Stock Photo) "The Haiyuan earthquake was the largest quake recorded in China in the 20th century with the highest magnitude and intensity," Deng Qidong, a geologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said during a seminar in 2010. Related: How are earthquakes measured? The earthquake, which struck north central China's Haiyuan County on Dec. 16, 1920, also rocked the neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces. It was reportedly a 7.8 on the Richter scale, however, China today claims it was of magnitude 8.5. There are also discrepancies in the number of lives lost. The USGS reported total casualties of 200,000, but according to a 2010 study by Chinese seismologists, the death toll could have been as high as 273,400. The region's high deposits of loess soils (porous, silty sediment that's very unstable) triggered massive landslides which were responsible for over 30,000 of these deaths, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Landslides. The 1839 Coringa cyclone People living on the Bay of Bengal are no strangers to natural disasters. Here, people try to repair a broken dam after the landfall of cyclone Amphan in Satkhira, a town on the Bay of Bengal, in spring 2020. (Image credit: K M Asad/LightRocket via Getty Images) The Coringa cyclone made landfall at the port city of Coringa on India's Bay of Bengal on Nov. 25, 1839, whipping up a storm surge of 40 feet (12 m), according to NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Hurricane Research Division. The hurricane's wind speeds and category are not known, as is the case for many storms that took place before the 20th century. About 20,000 ships and vessels were destroyed, along with the lives of an estimated 300,000 people. The 1881 Haiphong typhoon Today, Haiphong is a major port city with over 2 million inhabitants in northeastern Vietnam. (Image credit: Gonzalo Azumendi via Getty Images) Another disaster with a similar death toll as the Coring cyclone is the 1881 typhoon that hit the port city of Haiphong in northeastern Vietnam on Oct. 8. This storm is also believed to have killed an estimated 300,000 people. The 2010 Haiti earthquake Rescuers search for people among the rubble of Haiti's National Palace building in Port-au-Prince five days after the 2010 earthquake. (Image credit: LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images) The catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti just northwest of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010, ranks as one of the three deadliest quakes of all time. Haiti's standing as one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and its limited history of large earthquakes left it extremely vulnerable to damages and loss of life. As many as 3 million people were affected by the quake. Death toll estimates were all over the place; initially, the government of Haiti estimated fatalities stood at 230,000 people, but in January 2011, officials revised that figure to 316,000. A 2010 study published in the journal Medicine, Conflict and Survival put the number at around 160,000 deaths, while the USGS claimed even lower numbers around 100,000. These disparities reflect the difficulty of counting deaths even in the modern era, not to mention the political wrangling that goes on over "official" numbers. The 1970 Bhola cyclone Aerial view of the coastal area of Patuakhali in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Nov. 13, 1970, after it was hit by the Bhola tropical cyclone and tidal wave. (Image credit: Express Newspapers via Getty Images) This tropical cyclone hit what is now Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) on Nov. 12-13, 1970. According to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, the storm's strongest wind speeds measured 130 mph (205 km/h), making it the equivalent of a Category 4 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale. Ahead of its landfall, a 35-foot (10.6 m) storm surge washed over the low-lying islands bordering the Bay of Bengal, causing widespread flooding. The storm surge, combined with a lack of evacuation, resulted in a massive death toll estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 people. A 1971 report from the National Hurricane Center and the Pakistan Meteorological Department acknowledged the challenge of accurately estimating the death toll, especially due to the influx of seasonal workers who were in the area for the rice harvest. As of the writing of this article, the Bhola cyclone is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. And it caused an estimated $86 billion in damages. The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake China's Shaanxi province is home to the holy mountain Huashan, which is pictured here. (Image credit: Yaorusheng via Getty Images) The deadliest earthquake in history hit China's Shaanxi province on Jan. 23, 1556. Known as the "Jiajing Great Earthquake" after the emperor whose reign it occurred in, the temblor reduced a 621-square-mile (1,000 square kilometers) swath of the country to rubble, according to the Science Museums of China. An estimated 830,000 people died as their yaodong cave homes carved into the region's loess plateaus collapsed. The exact magnitude of the quake is lost to history, but modern-day geophysicists estimate it at around magnitude 8. The 1887 Yellow River flood The flow of China's Yellow River is now closely monitored and controlled to help prevent flooding. This aerial photo taken on July 19, 2020 shows water released from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir Dam in Luoyang in China's central Henan province, in preparation of the upcoming annual flood season at the Yellow River basin. (Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images) The Yellow River (Huang He) in China was precariously situated far above most of the land around it in the late 1880s, thanks to a series of dikes built to contain the river as it flowed through the farmland of central China. Over time, these dikes had silted up, gradually lifting the river in elevation. When heavy rains swelled the river in September 1887, it spilled over these dikes into the surrounding low-lying land, inundating 5,000 square miles (12,949 square km), according to "Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies" (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008). As a result of this flood, an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people lost their lives. The 1931 Yangtze River floods This aerial photo taken on July 28, 2020 shows a flooded sports ground along the Yangtze River in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. (Image credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images) Excessive rainfall over central China in July and August of 1931 triggered the most deadly natural disaster in world history the Central China floods of 1931. The Yangtze River overtopped its banks as spring snowmelt mingled with the over 24 inches (600 millimeters) of rain that fell during the month of July alone. (The Yellow River and other large waterways also reached high levels.) According to "The Nature of Disaster in China: The 1931 Yangzi River Flood" (Cambridge University Press, 2018), the flood inundated almost 70,000 square miles (180,000 square km) and turned the Yangtze into what looked like a giant lake or ocean. Contemporary government numbers put the number of dead at around 2 million, but other agencies, including NOAA, say it may have been as many as 3.7 million people. Additional resources For more on natural disasters check out DK's Eyewitness Books "Natural Disasters: Confront the Awesome Power of Nature from Earthquakes and Tsunamis to Hurricanes" and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page "Natural Disasters and Severe Weather". Bibliography Nicholas N. Ambraseys, The 12th century seismic paroxysm in the Middle East: a historical perspective , Annal of Geophysics, Volume 47, June 2004. Walter Kutschera, On the enigma of dating the Minoan eruption of Santorini, Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, Volume 117, April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2004243117 U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquakes with 1,000 or More Deaths 1900-2014 , February 2015. Mischa Meier, Natural Disasters in the Chronographia ofJohn Malalas: Reflections on their FunctionAn Initial Sketch , The Medieval History Journal, Volume 10, 2007 NOAA, OAR, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, "175th Anniversary of the Coringa cyclone", November 2014. Athena Kolbe, et al, "Mortality, crime and access to basic needs before and after the Haiti earthquake: a random survey of Port-au-Prince households", Medicine, Conflict and Survival, Volume 26, December 2010, https://doi.org/10.1080/13623699.2010.535279 Angus Gynn, "Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies", Greenwood Publishing Group, December 2007. Chris Courtney, "The Nature of Disaster in China: The 1931 Yangzi River Flood", University of Cambridge Press, February 2018, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108278362. The 2024 Camlin Keys Festival was officially launched in the delightful surrounds of Castlecor House, Ballymahon last Tuesday. Loretta Ginty hosted the evening with a recital of airs on the piano and violin. Cllr Paul Ross (then Ballymahon Municipal District Cathaoirleach) opened the evening offering words of support and encouragement on behalf of both Ballymahon Municipal and Longford County Council, who are funding the Festival with the support of Creative Longford and Longford Arts Office. PICTURES | Glittering gala dinner as Longford Town FC proudly celebrate centenary Joanna Pearman, co-founder of Camlin Keys, thanked everyone for their ongoing support. There was such interest in the piano festival last year from both within the county and much further afield, we have expanded this year to include a bowed string section and a vocal workshop. It is so valuable to be able to give up-coming classical musicians the opportunity to play and share their music. Francesca Pawelczyk, of the Camlin Keys committee agreed, Music, and the arts, are something people can take for granted. It is an absolute pleasure to be involved with an event supporting, encouraging, and showcasing the talents of young people, and new for this year, giving an opportunity for all ages to learn how to play music. Also read: Longford music lovers in for a treat as country star Cliona Hagan to perform in Kenagh Andrew Yau and Niall Mannion played for the launch, giving a taster of what is to come over the weekend of July 5 and 6. With a slight adjustment to the festivals initial programming, Andrew will be adjudicating the piano classes and Niall the strings. Andrew will also be facilitating our composition workshop and with the help of participating musicians, work on a very exciting project creating an original Camlin Keys piece of music. Niall will be sharing his concert experience and giving hints and tips to beat any performance jitters and help make happier healthier music! WATCH | An explosion of pride, colour and samba beats at Longford's first ever Pride Parade The festival opens on Friday, July 5 at 7pm with Athlone A Cappella, ladies barbershop chorus, joined by Wings of Ukraine, Longford's own Ukrainian choir and Ubuntu Voices, an intercultural and intergenerational choir formed for the joy of singing together. The three choirs will be singing both as individual groups and a couple of pieces all together, so a lively and happy evening promised. PICTURES | Red letter day as Longford primary school celebrates opening of new library Saturday launches with the Mindful Musician class, followed by our festival classes. In the afternoon there will be a Composition Workshop with Andrew Yau, and the Musical Theatre vocal workshop with, Danna Davis. There are two concerts planned for Saturday afternoon/evening. The afternoon Family Concert, with the morning class performers, then Lenny Chen, fabulous young pianist from Boyle who will be joined by the Selve family, fresh from accomplishing many commendations in the RDS Feis Ceoil. Lenny will play the piano, then Athenias, Ariane-Eugenie and Aristide will play violin, followed by Lenny, Aristide and Athenais playing 6 hands on the piano! Concert tickets are available on Ticket Tailor, through Camlin Keys Festival on social media and their website, www.camlinkeys.ie, or message: 086 237 2616, email: camlinkeyspianofestival@gmail.com. Also read: Record crowds attend special 40th Goldsmith Festival weekend in Longford and Westmeath 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. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: June 17 2024 LIBORs Education Conference and Trade Show is one of the premier events in the Long Island real estate industry. Long Island Board of REALTORS (LIBOR), a leading trade association serving real estate professionals in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, hosted its 36th annual Education Conference and Trade Show on June 12, 2024, at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, New York. The event attracted over 800 real estate professionals and featured a wide range of educational sessions and demonstrations by national speakers, industry experts, and exhibitors. LIBORs Education Conference and Trade Show is one of the premier events in the Long Island real estate industry. It offers attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices and network with fellow professionals. This year, attendees had access to over 10 educational sessions approved for New York State continuing education credits. The conference theme, Own Your Future, featured a full day of sessions covering a multitude of industry topics and trends, including updates on the new National Association of REALTORS (NAR) rule changes that will take effect on August 17, 2024. Additionally, the trade show showcased the latest products and services from more than 40 vendors. James Dwiggins served as the keynote speaker, delivering an insightful session on "Opportunities Amidst Challenges: The Future of Real Estate." He addressed significant challenges and transformations in the industry, including pending lawsuits and potential national settlements, decoupling, and new disclosure requirements. Dwiggins emphasized the critical role of agents and empowered them to communicate their value effectively. OneKey MLS, a platinum sponsor, hosted its Info Track program, which included training sessions focused on teaching brokers and agents how to leverage technology and OneKey MLS services to adapt to impending changes in our industry and drive business growth. The conference also marked the debut of LIBORs partnership with Real Grader, which provides all 30,000 members with an Instacard. This leading digital business card enhances REALTORS' brand and credibility by consolidating their online presence, including photos, bios, contact information, reviews, social media links, and videos. REALTORS can easily share their Instacard via QR Code, SMS, or email. "LIBORs 36th annual Education Conference and Trade Show exemplifies our commitment to providing top-tier programs and resources for our members," said Kevin Leatherman, LIBOR President. "This event offers unparalleled educational opportunities and insights into the latest industry trends and fosters essential networking connections. We are proud to see such a strong turnout and to support our members in their professional growth and success." The event was made possible through the support of prominent sponsors, including Platinum Sponsor OneKey MLS, Gold Sponsor CoreLogic, Silver Sponsors RGM Insurance Agency, Inc. and Real Grader, Ruby Sponsor Cliffco Mortgage the Zambelli Team, Sapphire Sponsors Men on the Move and Residential RE Council, Emerald Sponsor Ridgewood Savings Bank, and Bronze Sponsor TDY Moving & Storage. About Long Island Board of REALTORS Long Island Board of REALTORS, Inc. (LIBOR) is a not-for-profit trade association and the fourth-largest local REALTOR board in the United States, with approximately 30,000 members. Since 1910, LIBOR has served real estate professionals in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties seeking career advancement, community engagement, homeownership advocacy, and unwavering professional standards. IDF soldiers operating in southern Gaza. (IDF image) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to confront Hamas and other terrorist groups in Rafah in southern Gaza after suffering significant losses. On June 15, a Namer armored personnel carrier (APC) was struck by an explosive that killed eight occupants, including Israeli combat engineers returning from a mission. On June 16, IDF losses increased to 11 soldiers killed over several days of fighting in central and southern Gaza. The IDFs 162nd Division has been leading the battle in Rafah since the evening of May 6. The division previously played a key role in six months of fighting in northern Gaza before transferring to Rafah. The initial goal of its latest operation was to seize the Philadelphi corridor along the Egyptian border and then press inland into the city of Rafah. In a June 17 statement, the IDF said Israeli forces are targeting Hamas [] and its outposts in the Shabura and Tel al-Sultan areas after gaining control over the Philadelphi corridor. The Rafah battles are proceeding neighborhood-by-neighborhood as operations fan out from the border. Since the beginning of the operations in the area, hundreds of terrorists have been eliminated; hundreds of tunnel shafts and about 25 tunnel routes have been located. The soldiers continue to operate in the area and are making progress in the mission of dismantling the Hamas Rafah Brigade, the IDF said. During forty days of fighting in Rafah, the 162nd Division has lost 22 soldiers and eliminated an estimated 550 terrorists. Two of an estimated four battalions that make up Hamass Rafah Brigade are thought to have been mostly defeated. It is not clear how many of the groups members remain in the forty percent of Rafah still controlled by terrorists, as some of the groups personnel may have moved to neighboring areas in Khan Younis or Mawasi. On June 17, the pro-Iranian Al-Mayadeen channel claimed Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to target the IDF in Rafah and other areas of Gaza. Israeli forces found 25 lengthy tunnels that stretch near the Egyptian border, though the IDF has not revealed if the tunnels travel under it. However, Rafah has long been a center for smuggling weapons and other items into Gaza. Overall, the 162nd Division has lost 180 soldiers since October 7, and approximately 3,800 troops have been injured. A total of 662 IDF soldiers have been killed since Hamass initial October attack. The eight soldiers killed on June 15 represent one of the largest death tolls for the IDF in a single day since ground operations in Gaza began on October 27. Israeli Namer APCs are protected by the Trophy active protection system (APS), which can stop various missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). However, it is not clear if the Trophy system would have been effective if the attack was from an improvised explosive device. The Namer APC has been in service for 15 years, and its role expanded over the last decade to replace the IDFs aging and vulnerable M113s, which date from the Vietnam era. The IDF also uses more modern Eitan APCs deployed with the Nahal Brigade operating in Gaza. The commanding officer of the IDFs Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, went to Rafah on June 16. Finkelman met with the commanding officer of the 162nd Division, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen, the commanding officer of the 401st Brigade, Colonel Benny Aharon, and other leaders. We are here in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah. After a painful event that happened yesterday, we lost soldiers and lost commanders during an operation, Finkelman said. We must continue operational activity forward to our objectives, which is the defeat of the Rafah Brigade and the destruction of all enemy infrastructure here in the area. On June 17, the IDF stated it has continued to find terrorist infrastructure throughout Gaza, including buildings booby-trapped with explosives and a weapons storage facility from which anti-tank missiles were fired toward IDF troops. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024). I first met Josh Cohen, owner of Moes Tavern in Lee, 15 years ago on a beer sojourn to the Berkshires organized by Building 8 Brewings OBrien Tomalin. Moes was still relatively new, having opened fewer than two years earlier. I immediately fell in love with the craft beer bar, which combined friendly staff and regulars with great craft beer and an almost dive bar feel. It was clear that this place was special, Cohen said. However, that last part of the description the dive bar aesthetic turned out to be more of a problem than a blessing, and while COVID hurt plenty of beer venues, Cohen used the shutdown to fix the problems at Moes. I asked Cohen about his journey into craft beer and how the new version of Moes is working out I first got into craft beer when I was at UMass in the late 80s and early 90s, he said. We used to hang out at all the usual bars Twisters especially but it was always a special treat to drive down to the Old Amherst Ale House and drink a Guinness or a Sam Smith or one of the Sam Adams seasonals. We always thought that was pretty cool and fun to do. Growing up in Berkshires, Cohen said most of his crew worked in the service industry, and he wound up doing almost every job a person could do in a restaurant while working his way up towards bartender status. And then I ski-bummed it out West for a while, which also meant more restaurant work, he said. So I think Ive always wanted to open up a bar. Cohen also had the good fortune to have gone to high school at Northfield Mount Hermon with Sam and Mariah Calagione from Dogfish Head, so he had a front row seat to the evolution of craft beer as we know it today. It was during that time we attended a lot of festivals, and the craft beer bars in the cities were popping up, and I said, oh this is the theme for the bar I want to open. The rest is history. But Cohen also admitted he is not a brewer. I have never brewed a batch of beer in my life. Im a retailer, he said with a laugh. Cohens business model has (wisely) changed over the years. When we first opened, we were drinking beers from all over the country California, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas pretty much looking for eclectic beers from all over the country. We opted for a mainly American theme and eschewed the Belgian and European products, he said. We also didnt do much hyper-local beer. But Cohen realized that with todays changing beer landscape and the direct competition from the breweries and the taprooms themselves its been increasingly harder to exist as he used to. We still have the same philosophies, but now most of our beers are at least from the Northeast region. A lot of the excitement for the beers we sell is garnered from people hitting the road visiting these breweries and then finding them back at our bar, he said. I think one of the important things for most success is that we run pretty lean and tight; we arent locked in to any one particular brand or product, so we can shift with the winds as we please. Cohen also likes to keep the atmosphere as eclectic as Moes beer choices. We play great music. You might never have heard it before, but weve introduced many people to many new bands, so keeping current with the beer and the music has been a pretty fun thing to do. We like to play current bands you can still see touring ans drink beers from breweries you can visit, he said. The remodel was arduous but worth it, he said. When I bought the bar 17 years ago, the place was a disaster. Everything was broken, and every day I was like the boy with my finger in the dike trying to hold back the flood, he said. The bar ran really well. It was really fun, but the infrastructure was awful. We thought about ideas for renovating but just didnt know when we would close to be able to do it. Then the pandemic happened. The renovation basically turned a 12-seat, L-shaped bar into a 72-person capacity taproom. Another huge bonus was new bathrooms where everything works. So Im not constantly going down to fix broken things every morning, which is nice for me and the staff, he said. In regard to todays beer scene, Cohen is still a West Coast IPA fan. But Moes Carries an eclectic mix. I drink Lawsons Little Sip. I dont really understand hazy IPAs, but we do sell them, and people really do love them. Ive also noticed a big drop-off on a lot of other styles that used to be quite popular and brands, for that matter. I can make a living off lagers and IPAs. Kettle Sours are still popular and a dry cider and a sweet cider are always on tap, he said. And yes, we still sell Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA. Thats my nod to my Northfield Mount Hermon buddies. Moes Tavern is at 10 Railroad St. in Lee. A hotel in Worcester has been recognized by Tripadvisor as one of the best hotels in the world, and Central Massachusetts, for more than a decade. The Beechwood Hotel in Worcester was the only hotel in Worcester to receive a Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Award for 2024, according to Tripadvisor. This marks the 12th year that the hotel has received a Travelers Choice Award from the travel site, according to a press release from the hotel. Reviews from Tripadvisor travelers have put the Beechwood Hotel within the top 10% of hotels worldwide, earning 4.5 out of 5 bubble rating. One guest, who was recovering after undergoing chemotherapy, left a review in April that especially complimented the Beechwoods customer service. The staff put me in room 107 which is the BEST accessible room I have been in since receiving chemotherapy. Derrick on the evening shift on the front desk went out of his way to insure that I was comfortable and that I could find my way to the restaurant. The morning shift was equally helpful in directing me to my meeting room, the reviewer wrote. Thank you to everyone who made my stay exceptional. This is the way a hotel should operate! Not only is the Beechwood Worcesters only Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Awards 2024 winner, but the hotel is one of only three properties throughout Central Massachusetts to earn this accolade, the press release states. We are truly delighted that our guests have continued to give our hotel such positive reviews and accolades, and we are honored to receive this distinguished recognition from Tripadvisor again this year, said Beechwood Hotel Asset Manager and Managing Director Sayed Saleh. Located at 363 Plantation St., the Beechwood Hotel first began business in 1989 and has been hosting customers for 35 years. The Beechwood most recently received four diamond ranking from AAA in March. According to the press release, the hotel also received other awards, including the Best of New England Editors Choice for Downtown Hotel in Yankee Magazine and was ranked among the Best Hotels in Massachusetts and named one of the Best Hotels in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. Methuen police arrested five people between the ages of 17 and 24 late Sunday night at what police called a car meetup with large speakers just hours after seven people were shot at a gathering in the city. Methuen police went to an area of Broadway around 11:15 p.m. on Sunday for a report of loud music and a possible car meetup in progress, the department said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found five vehicles gathered in the area, three of which had large speakers placed on top. Methuen has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of activity, especially in light of the incident that occurred less than 24 hours earlier involving hundreds in attendance, police wrote. Police arrested five people ranging from 17 to 24 and charged all five with trespassing. A juvenile was released to his mother after being booked, police said. The location where the group was discovered is private property and police said several no trespassing signs are posted in the area. The individuals arrested Sunday are not believed to have been involved in the incident earlier in the day, where seven people were shot when several gunshots were fired into a large crowd that had assembled in the area of 100 Lindberg Ave. What happened around Lindberg Avenue? Of the seven people who were wounded, two were in critical condition on Sunday. All seven were brought to a hospital, and one person was taken by medical helicopter. Hundreds of people attended the gathering, and many shots were fired into the crowd, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said during a press conference Sunday morning. Its incredible that not more people are hurt or killed, he said. The victims ages range from late teens to early 20s, officials said. They are believed to be from Essex County and beyond, but have yet to be identified by officials. Police have several leads and security footage from the scene, but so far, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said. The meet-up appeared to be organized via social media, but the business closest to the location of the shooting EJ Paving is not believed to have been involved in the gathering or shooting. These spontaneous gatherings have been happening across Massachusetts for the past few years, officials said. They often involve people in their late teens and early 20s listening to loud music, dancing, consuming alcohol and drugs and trespassing on private property, but this is the first to become violent. Methuen police and the Essex County District Attorneys Office are hoping to speak to the hundreds of people who were at the gathering. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact them. Material from a previous MassLive story was used in this report. A 15-year-old girl shot and killed in Lowell on Friday night has been identified as Ahliana Dickey, a spokesperson for the Middlesex County District Attorneys office confirmed to MassLive. Lowell police went to a Lawrence Street apartment shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday after receiving a 911 call alerting them the body of a 15-year-old girl, later identified as Dickey, was found inside, the district attorneys office said in a statement Saturday. A family member found Dickey inside the apartment and told police she had traumatic injuries. When officers arrived, they found Dickey had been shot and multiple shell casings were found at the scene, according to the statement. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the apartment later that evening. Officials have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting. A Black fifth grader has filed a civil rights complaint against her Melrose elementary school, saying white students cut off her hair and subjected her to race-related bullying, including calling her a monkey on multiple occasions. The complaint is the second filed this month by a Black student in Melrose Public Schools alleging racial discrimination and bullying. Both complaints say school administrators did not investigate or put a stop to the bullying when informed of it. Schools are charged with keeping all children safe including Black students, said Michael Kippins, a litigation fellow at Lawyers for Civil Rights, which filed both complaints. When an 11 year-old Black student cannot do work at her desk without her braided hair being unknowingly cut, or where she cannot make it past the second week of school without being called a monkey, the environment is dangerous. It also inflicts pain and trauma. Melrose needs to do much more to protect students of color from these escalating racial bullying attacks. According to the federal complaint filed last week with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, 11-year-old Kai Lewis began attending Winthrop Elementary School in September 2023 through the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity program. The program, commonly known as METCO, allows Boston students to attend school in suburbs outside the city in order to promote integration. Of the schools 401 students, about 83% are white and 3%, or 12 students, are Black, according to the complaint. Lewis was one of only two Black students in her grade and the only one in her class. On Sept. 12, less than two weeks into the school year, Lewis was called a monkey by a white student, according to the complaint. She was again compared to a monkey on Dec. 13, and called an ape on Jan. 11, 2024. For Kai, this was continuously demoralizing and stigmatizing, causing her to come home crying and making her feel unsafe and uncomfortable around her classmates, the complaint says. Lewis mother, Kerrin Gibbs, contacted the school principal to request that her daughter be transferred into another class to avoid the bullying, but the transfer was denied without explanation, attorneys for the family wrote. The district superintendent later overrode the principals decision and allowed Lewis to transfer to a new classroom. However, Lewis was still required to go to her original classroom every day to pick up a Chromebook computer, exposing her to taunts from the students she said bullied her, including accusations of stealing the Chromebooks. On April 9, when Lewis was playing outside, she said she felt hot and a white classmate told her the sun was more attracted to her because of her skin color, according to the complaint. According to the family, the bullying escalated on May 28 when Lewis hair was cut without her knowledge. She was wearing her hair in braids with long extensions that fell just below her waist. She said that she had been working on an assignment and when she got up to leave the classroom, she saw a piece of one of her braids about 10 inches long lying on the floor, with one end cleanly cut. When she went to the teacher to ask for help to figure out who had cut her braid, the teacher instead suggested Lewis had sat on her hair and pulled it out accidentally or had done so while playing with it, according to the complaint. When Lewis pushed the issue, the teacher recommended she go to the principals office. There, an assistant principal refused to let Lewis call home and told her to throw away the braid and go back to class. My daughter should never have to deal with being called a monkey or an ape or having her braids cut, but the fact that the school did nothing to prevent future incidents makes the problem even worse and it emboldens the racist bullies, Gibbs said in a statement. The district failed to ensure that my daughters learning environment is safe from racial attacks. What happened in second complaint? Earlier this month, Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a separate federal complaint on behalf of a Black seventh-grade boy who transferred out of the school district to Boston Public Schools due to racial bullying. That student, David Palacios, was attending Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School through METCO. According to the complaint, he was called the N-word by white classmates in multiple incidents. On two occasions, he was physically attacked by white students, but while the other students were not punished, Palacios was, the complaint said. After Palacios mother pulled him out of the school, administrators began an investigation into the bullying. Last week, a rally was held at Melrose City Hall to protest the alleged racial bias in the school district. According to Melrose Racial Justice Community Coalition, which organized the rally, the event was attended by the citys mayor, multiple city councilors and school Superintendent John Macero. We need parents and community members to discuss issues of bias and bullying with their kids, and to check in with families that look different than their own to learn what they may be experiencing that others are missing, the group wrote in a Facebook post. We need to own these problems together and make it a priority in all of our lives not just when incidents make it into the news to show up and be part of the solution. In a statement, Macero said the district would be cooperating with the Office of Civil Rights and provide information about steps that were taken to address the incident. He said the district had also begun its own investigation by a third party the day after the incident, and would also be consulting with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents to plan cultural sensitivity training for school staff. We have a lot of work to do to prevent future incidents of racism. Were committed to doing that work within the schools, Macero said. As a district, we must work together to articulate expectations through education, restorative practice, and consequences when appropriate. ... We take any allegations of individual or systemic discrimination very seriously in Melrose Public Schools, and we are committed to fostering a safe and equitable educational environment for all. The Boston Police Department is mourning the death Lt. Henry Staines an active duty detective who died last week after serving in the department for nearly 30 years. Henry Staines III died peacefully and surrounded by family in his West Roxbury on Tuesday, June 11, according to his obituary. It is unclear how he died or how old he was when he passed. Henry dedicated his life to protecting and serving the citizens of Boston with honor and integrity for 28 years, his obituary reads. Staines joined the Boston Police Department in 1996 as a student officer, but began working as a probation officer after graduating from the Boston Police Academy, according to a press release from the department. Over the next two decades, he climbed the ranks at the department, working first in its anti-corruption division and eventually in internal affairs division. Staines received numerous commendations for his dedicated service throughout his career, according to Boston police. Commanders from multiple departments recognized the lieutenants skill in making arrests and reducing crime in the communities he worked in, while community members often told his superiors about his simple acts of kindness and assistance. Lieutenant Detective Staines was highly regarded by those he worked with, his supervisors and all who knew him, both within the Department and by those we serve, the department wrote. In a Facebook post last week, one Boston police dispatcher called Staines an incredible colleague, mentor, advocate, and friend. The lieutenant was ahead of the curve in advocating for dispatchers and was one of the only people in the department who would call up to check on dispatchers after a critical incident. The Department lost an incredible leader and many of us lost a friend, the dispatcher wrote. Staines was the beloved husband of Daphne Principe-Griffin and the devoted father of Michael and Jack Staines, according to his obituary. He also leaves behind sisters, stepchildren and other relatives. A visitation is scheduled for Staines at Lehman, Reen, McNamara Funeral Home in Bostons Brighton neighborhood on Monday from 4 to 8 p.m., according to his obituary. A funeral is set to follow on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Theresa Church in West Roxbury. Those who wish to honor Staines memory are asked to make a donation to Cops for Kids with Cancer. Middlesex County prosecutors intend to retry the case against Caitlin Harding, an ex-teacher at a Hudson middle school who faces 10 criminal charges in connection with the rape of a former student, after Hardings criminal trial ended in a hung jury last week. A spokesperson for Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryans office confirmed that the district attorney will retry the case, in an email to MassLive. Hardings trial ending in a hung jury left prosecutors with a choice of whether to bring the case to trial a second time, with a new jury. Harding faces charges, including aggravated rape of a child, rape of a child with force and indecent assault of a child, according to MetroWest Daily News. Hardings lawyer has told WCVB-TV the allegations against the former teacher are false. The station reported that Harding testified she was having an affair with her accusers mother. She is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl who was her student at the now-closed JFK Middle School in Hudson multiple times in 2010. Harding eventually left the district in 2013, and was a teacher in Needham until 2017, MetroWest Daily News reported. A civil lawsuit filed in 2021 also accuses Harding of grooming and sexually assaulting the child. The civil suit states Harding met the student in 2008 when the victim was a sixth grade student at JFK Middle school. The plaintiff in the civil lawsuit is now a resident of Central Massachusetts. On numerous occasions during the 2008-2009 academic year, Plaintiff stayed after school to help Defendant Harding in Defendant Hardings classroom and to socialize with Defendant Harding in Defendant Hardings classroom, the suit states. During that time, defendant Harding openly showed affection toward and engaged in physical contact with Plaintiff, the lawsuit reads. The civil suit states that Harding continued to meet with the student even as they were no longer her student. During the 2009-2010 school year, former JFK Middle School Assistant Principal Matthew Gaffney and other staff had a meeting with the victims parents and the student was moved to different classrooms in another section of JFK Middle School, farther away from Defendant Hardings classroom at the school, according to the lawsuit. JFK Middle School administration and Hudson Public Schools administration apparently failed to investigate or discipline Defendant Harding with regard to JFK Middle School administrations concerns about Defendant Hardings attention to minor girls, the civil suit reads. The lawsuit claims Harding then began giving rides to another location to the victim and another minor girl who was a student at JFK Middle School. It then escalated to text messages between Harding and the student, the suit claims. In her text messages to Plaintiff, Defendant Harding communicated to Plaintiff how much Defendant Harding wanted and loved Plaintiff, according to the lawsuit. In 2010, when the student was about 13 years old, the suit claims Harding raped the victim on at least ten occasions. The suit claims Hudson Public School supervisors knew or should have known that Defendant Harding would interact with and was interacting with minor children in her position at JFK Middle School. The sexual abuse of children by adults, including teachers, is a foreseeable result of negligence, the suit continues. Heather Morrison of the MassLive staff contributed to this report. MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Black leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference in politics, education, business, the arts or another area of interest. Profiles of these leaders will be published leading up to the Juneteenth holiday on June 19. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change. Donnell WrightSebastian Restrepo Donnell R. Wright Age: 59 Community: Springfield His story: As a child growing up in Springfield, Donnell R. Wright said he was exposed to the trauma of domestic violence, alcoholism and drug addiction. He started using drugs as a kid, experimenting with codeine the active ingredient in cough syrup. My addiction grew as did the violence surrounding and involving me as I was nearly killed several times in this city! he told MassLive. Wright said he then graduated to using methamphetamines, psychedelics, heroin, then cocaine and then crack cocaine into his early adulthood. By the time he was in the 7th grade, he was busted by the Drug Enforcement Agency at Kylie Junior High School in Springfield. Suspended for two years I had nothing but time to get in trouble and I am one of the first and original school-to-prison pipeline kids! he said. He began selling drugs full-time, stating he was his best customer. He was in constant trouble with the law, jumping in and out of prison. Soon his addiction took over his life and he found himself without a home. I am a recovering addict and formally convicted felon who served prison time for drug trafficking and weapons possession, he said. But today I am an asset to our society and community! After completing a seven-year state prison sentence, Wright said he was released on parole in 2011. He left a life behind bars with two bachelors of science degrees in interdisciplinary studies and social justice from Boston University. Soon after he was released, Wright became a public and motivational speaker on criminal justice reform, reintegration and spirituality. Wright said he has been sought after by many organizations and politicians in Boston who were eager to hear his story. He has even spoken in front of the Massachusetts Legislature, which led to changes in Massachusetts minimum mandatory sentencing laws. Wright, who was present at Gov. Charlie Bakers inauguration, said he showed the former Republican governor his degrees and said that he was still having trouble finding a job. It was that moment when Baker offered him a full-time job at the Statehouse. Wright is the president and CEO of Innervizion Empowerment and Consulting Center, a spiritually based non-religious inspirational program, that helps connect marginalized communities with the resources they need to combat issues such as mental health issues, gun violence, addiction and homelessness. Today I work a full-time job but I am always on call as an advocate and mentor advocating for those who are unable to speak and/or stand up for themselves from criminal justice issues to consumer business relations we fight for those who cannot fight for themselves! he said. In his words: My advice is to be fearless and bold with a wide spectrum of vision, to never stop listening or coming to the table assuming that you know how this all works, or you know exactly what a population needs. Keep learning, pivot, grow, challenge yourself and do it because you feel fulfilled in being a part of bringing about positive changes. Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims the shock devices used at a Massachusetts school are unreasonably harmful, and have proposed banning the devices. But new federal legislation could prevent the FDA from doing anything about it again. In March, the FDA announced it was again proposing a ban on electrical stimulation devices (ESD) intended to reduce or stop self-injurious or aggressive behavior, the agency said in a statement. It originally banned ESDs in 2020, but it was overturned after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that the ban went beyond the FDAs authority, ruling that it was a regulation of the practice of medicine. But the FDA pushed back, encouraged by seven U.S. senators though none were from Massachusetts. And three years later, the FDA proposed banning the devices. Since that decision, changes to the [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act] make clear that the FDA has authority to issue a ban such as the previous ban on ESDs for self-injurious or aggressive behavior, which applies to specific intended uses, the FDA said in March. The proposed ban was open for comment until May 28. After that, the FDA planned to review and consider comments before determining whether to issue a final rule. But once again, the FDAs authority is being challenged. This time through a bill now making its way across Capitol Hill. What is the Judge Rotenberg Center? The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC), a special needs day and residential facility in Canton, has become known across the country for using electric shock devices, which are attached to the residents at all times, on people demonstrating self-injurious or aggressive behavior. It is the only facility in the country to use them and has been the center of many advocates concerns for decades. The JRC has said the device is lifesaving and that it is important it remains available to those for whom all other treatment options have been tried and failed, the JRC and the JRC Parents Association wrote in a statement after a recent court ruling that allowed the devices to continue to be used. The facility has said that its clients have had behaviors that result in profound physical injuries including blindness and mutilation prior to using the devices. There are more than 300 people who attend or live at JRC, and about 55 people are approved for the devices. Although since a Supreme Court ruling in September, JRC is allowed to add new people to the devices. In 2012, a video was released during a court case against JRC showing student Andre McCollins being tied by the arms and legs to a restraint board and shocked multiple times. CBS News confirmed he was shocked more than 30 times over seven hours. His mother, Cheryl McCollins, told CBS News her son was first shocked for not taking off his coat, and was shocked again for tensing his muscles and screaming. His mother claims he has suffered permanent damage as a result. The JRC said it no longer uses the restraint board and shocks together. In November, Jennifer Msumba, who is on the autism spectrum, spoke to the state Legislatures Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities during a hearing about her experience attached to the devices at JRC. She said she came to JRC with these very strong self-harm behaviors, including putting her head through windows, she told the committee. While her behaviors stopped while she was on the device, her behaviors werent fixed. They were just manifested differently, into explosions. I would hold it in and then all of a sudden explode, she said. She lived at JRC from 2002 until 2009 and was on the shock devices for all seven years. But it wasnt just the electric shocks that she said traumatized her. She also was denied food and was one of those stripped of all my clothes, tied to a restraint board and forcefully scrubbed while male staff watched on the video monitors. I did not consent to any of this treatment, she said. She has since left to live at a different placement, which she said has helped her. But when she arrived, she went back to her old self-harming behaviors. Instead of hurting me, they helped figure out why these things were happening and took the time to do so. They helped me learn to cope and self-regulate, [and] also allowed access to medication that I really needed, she said. In 2021, Msumba released a book, Shouting At Leaves regarding her time at the center. She also shares some of her story on TikTok. I have a real life now, she said. The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is a controversial facility that has become known for using electric shock devices on residents. A new bill An annual appropriations bill now before Congress could prove to be the latest hurdle for advocates determined to ban the shock devices. The Fiscal Year 2025 bill for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies was approved by a subcommittee after adding new language regarding the FDAs ESD ban. In the bill, it states that the Federal Food, Drug, 7 and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. section 360f(a)) is amendedby inserting except for devices that are authorized or ordered for an individual by a court of competent jurisdiction after to make such intended use or uses a banned intended use or uses. All the EDS devices are court-ordered at JRC, meaning this bill, if its signed into law, would exclude JRC from the FDAs ruling and make the ban irrelevant. Read more: This controversial Massachusetts facility is the last in the country to use electric shock on students This language, JRC told MassLive, is important, because the original ruling involving the FDA allowed the FDA to take away parents rights to decide the appropriate treatment for their loved ones, instead placing this important decision in the hands of the government. This move, JRC said, is congress protecting the responsible use of the devices, adding that the treatment plan is a matter of life or death for the small number of our clients who depend on them. The parents and guardians for these clients at JRC are committed to ensuring that this treatment remains available to those for whom all other treatment options have been tried and failed, it said in a statement to MassLive. U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, D-Ga., said he was absolutely appalled at the added language, calling it, and a few other parts of the bill, poison pill policy riders. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said the addition was particularly barbaric. A provision in this bill would prevent [the] FDA from stopping the use of an inhumane electrical shock device on young people at risk of hurting themselves or others, despite the well-documented dangers and shocking cruelty of this practice, she said. Although the FDA does not comment on pending legislation, it told MassLive it has talked at length about the overwhelming scientific evidence and how experts in the field state that there is harm posed by the devices and that it is unreasonable and substantial. In 2020, the FDA specifically stated the shocks are extremely painful. In their petition, federal regulators compared the devices to a dentist drilling on an un-anesthetized tooth; a bulging and a ruptured disc; like a thousand bees stinging you in the same place for a few seconds, and the most painful thing Ive ever experienced. The bill will next be voted on by the full House Appropriations Committee on July 10 before it has a chance of heading to the House floor for a vote. What are the other options? Even if the FDAs reach is limited by the proposed bill, Massachusetts could still step in. In November, testimony was heard from many during a hearing regarding Bill H.180, which, if passed, would prohibit the use of hitting, pinching, and electric shock for the purposes of changing the behavior of the person with a physical, intellectual or developmental disability. The bill expands beyond electric shock. However, it was the focus of many peoples testimony at the time. During the hearing, state Rep. Danielle Gregoire, D-4th Middlesex, the bills sponsor, called on the Legislature to act. The FDA tried and the Congress has tried. And basically, the courts time and again, have left it to this legislature to act on this issue, she said. So, thats why Im coming again today to try to get us to act. The bill is still under consideration by lawmakers after crossing a key procedural hurdle earlier this year. But no further action has been taken since. Gregoire suggested looking at other schools and facilities across the country as they are not using the shock devices, including the New England Center for Children in Southborough. I implore you to work with me and help us get this across the finish line. And stop this forever, Gregoire said. State Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell has also spoken out against the devices saying she was profoundly disappointed by a September Supreme Judicial Court that allowed the devices to be used. I stand ready to work with the Legislature and the Governor to take action to end this practice, she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sept. 7, 2023, adding that she was also calling on continued efforts from the FDA. In November, she wrote to the joint committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities to express her support for the Massachusetts bill, emphasizing the ability JRC now has to expand the devices use since the September ruling. The most straightforward way for skin shock and other painful aversives to be eliminated in Massachusetts is for this Legislature to ban them, she wrote. This bill, if enacted, would send a powerful message about our states commitment to its most vulnerable citizens and that we will not tolerate the use of painful aversive treatments on people with disabilities. For now, Autistic Self Advocacy Network is asking people to spend the next month telling the House Appropriations Committee how important this issue is. Together, we can still #StopTheShock, it states. The man accused of acting as lookout during the prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger wont serve additional prison time after pleading guilty Monday to a charge of lying to federal agents. Sean McKinnon, wearing shackles, was hugged by both of his attorneys after U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh agreed with prosecutors recommendation that he be given credit for serving 22 months in custody after his indictment. McKinnon was accused along with two other inmates in the 2018 killing at a troubled West Virginia prison. Fotios Freddy Geas and Paul J. DeCologero, are accused of repeatedly hitting Bulger in the head within hours of Bulger being transferred to the prison. Plea deals for the three were disclosed May 13. Plea hearings and sentencings are set for Aug. 1 for DeCologero and Sept. 6 for Geas. McKinnon was released from USP Hazelton in 2022 after completing a sentence for stealing guns from a firearms dealer. He was on federal supervised release when the indictment was handed down just weeks later in August 2022. McKinnon was set to be flown back to Florida later Monday. Were delighted that hes being released, defense attorney Katie Cimono said. Bulger, who ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and 80s, became one of the nations most wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994. He was captured at age 81 after more than 16 years on the run and convicted in 2013 in a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes. A 29-year-old man who was charged nearly five years ago in connection to a non-fatal stabbing in Roxbury was arrested Saturday, Boston Police said. Adilson Tavares, of Mattapan, faced assault charges in connection with the stabbing in July of 2019, Boston Police said in a statement. Police attempted to arrest Tavares at the time, but learned he had fled the country. On Saturday, officers patrolling the area of Howard and Dewey streets in Roxbury recognized Tavares passing by them on a motorized scooter. Police immediately set off a search for the man, broadcasting his description to other officers and searching the nearby area, according to the statement. A short time later, police saw a small group of people inside the playground at Denis Street Park and spotted the scooter Tavares was riding leaning against a fence. Officers called in backup to prevent any attempts by Tavares to flee. Once additional officers arrived, police entered the park to find Tavares, according to the statement. When police entered the park, Tavares recognized them and frantically attempted to flee on his motorized scooter but was captured after a brief struggle and arrested around 12:05 p.m. During the arrest, police say officers found a gun in a fanny pack Tavares had strapped across his chest. The gun, a black semi-automatic 9 mm Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact Pro, was loaded with 13 live rounds of ammunition, police said. Tavares is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on the outstanding warrants charging him with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault and battery. He also faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a large-capacity firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, and resisting arrest. A New Bedford man pleaded guilty to fraudulently collecting $92,582 in Social Security disability benefits in Boston federal court last Wednesday. Anthony Patterson, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money, according to the United States Attorneys Office. The fraud took place over the course of 10 years. From 2013 until 2023, Patterson collected Supplemental Security benefits, which are only available to people with limited financial means, the United States Attorneys Office said in a release. During two interviews with the Social Security Administration in 2012 and 2022, Patterson made false statements about his marital status and living situation to conceal household income and resources, the United States Attorneys Office said. He collected $92,582 in SSI benefits he was ineligible to receive as a result, the office said. According to the United States Attorneys Office, the charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Patterson was charged in May. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Black leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference in politics, education, business, the arts or another area of interest. Profiles of these leaders will be published leading up to the Juneteenth holiday on June 19. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change. Shannon RudderSebastian Restrepo Shannon M. Rudder Age: 46 Community: Springfield Her story: From early on, Shannon M. Rudder saw the positive effects of service and supporting others mainly through her family. Rudders parents and grandparents were involved in benevolent activities, from leading youth groups at church to other acts of service. I feel called to this life of service through non-profit leadership, Rudder said. It is imperative for me to align myself with causes that directly contribute to positive impacts in my community. Now, Rudder is president and chief executive officer of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield. The organization provides numerous services, including a family stabilization program that works the support parents, a food pantry, the Clemente Course in Humanities and Historically Black College and University Experience education programs as well as after school and summer camp programs. Rudders professional career began with an advocacy for women. These women were often struggling through physical, mental or financial issues. Rudder helped women fleeing from violence, teen mothers and incarcerated women. I aligned deeply with the call to be the new face of civil rights in my more than 10 years supporting fair housing, which informs my staunch support of advocacy and knowledge that we are not in this work alone, Rudder said. Her experience has taught her to honor an individuals unique and wonderful skills. To be an impactful leader, Rudder said that it is important to always thinking of the good of the whole organization, to be a mindful and perpetual learner and to inspire others throughout their team, while also planning for long-term sustainability and succession. In her words: It is important to understand that non-profit work requires both an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit. An effective non-profit leader is visionary, a strong communicator, has a strong sense of integrity, authenticity, and transparency. Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form. Hundreds of students from Nantucket crossed the stage Friday, wearing caps and gowns to celebrate their graduation. But, before Nantucket High School seniors received their diplomas, one student, who the town deprived of an education, finally got her own. Eunice Ross, an African American teenager who was integral in Massachusetts school integration movement in the mid-1800s, was awarded a posthumous honorary diploma on Friday, nearly two centuries after Nantucket denied her a right to an equal education. In 1839, Ross, 17, became the first Black person to pass the Nantucket High School entrance exam, but a year later, the town denied her admission because of her race. Still seeking an education, Ross fought against segregationists for her right to attend high school, which led to the first law in the United States guaranteeing all Massachusetts children an equal education. Ross posthumous honorary diploma comes near the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (May 17, 1954), the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled segregating students in public schools based on race is unconstitutional. The diploma was awarded to Ross by the Nantucket Historical Association in partnership with Nantucket Public Schools, the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket, and the town of Nantucket. Elizabeth Hallet, superintendent of Nantucket Public Schools, said she started discussions with the Nantucket Historical Association to present Ross with a posthumous honorary diploma last year. This just kind of celebrates Eunice Ross impact on our community because she has an important historical significance on Nantucket, she said. By doing so, we can also acknowledge our commitment toward educational equity and justice in our schools. Noelle Trent, the president and CEO of the Museum of African American History, said that awarding Ross her diploma was about acknowledging a wrong and her lifetime of work. Much of the progress that we see in our education systems today is because this teenager had the audacity to stand up and say this isnt right, Ive done the work, I qualify. Others can go in and receive their education, why cant I? she told MassLive. The African Meeting House on Nantucket on Aug. 13, 2020. The building was used as a one-room schoolhouse for African American children in the 1800s until island schools were integrated in the mid-1800s. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)(Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) In 1789, Massachusetts required all towns to provide public schools for all children, according to the Nantucket Historical Association. But, Nantucket was resistant to complying with state law. The town dragged its feet, on sadly, in public schools for white kids and Black kids who didnt have the money, White said. I dont think that they saw public schooling as necessarily something for the lower classes. Families on Nantucket that could afford it sent their children to Cent Schools, she said, which cost a penny a day. Read More: Six notable Black historical figures who have ties to Massachusetts It took the advocacy of Samuel Jenks, then-editor of the Nantucket Inquirer, and his cousin-in-law Cyrus Peirce to get Nantucket to invest in public schools, according to the Nantucket Historical Association. Jenks and Pierce filed a complaint to the states Attorney General Perez Morton claiming that Nantucket was violating state law. An indictment was brought against the town and state lawmakers instituted fines against municipalities for noncompliance. Backed into a corner, Nantucket eventually decided to open up its first fully funded public elementary schools in 1827, according to the Nantucket Historical Association. They included the African School, a one-room segregated schoolhouse inside the African Meeting House in New Guinea, an area on the island heavily populated by African Americans. By 1838, the town had built its first public high school. Nantuckets decision in 1840 to deny Ross a high school education was a catalyst for the islands school integration movement, White said. The islands Black community had taken up her cause, putting forward motion after motion at town meetings to integrate Nantuckets schools. For some time the integrationists efforts were thwarted by William Starbuck, a segregationist who sat on the Nantucket School Committee, according to the Nantucket Historical Association. Starbuck filed counter motions against school integration, claiming that the African School be continued as heretofore and tried to persuade the town residents to support his side during a town meeting in 1843. But at that meeting, the integrationists had procured enough support among school committee members to integrate the towns schools, triggering a five-day Special Town Meeting in March, according to the Nantucket Historical Association. The school committee integrationists eventually won their battle and proceeded to integrate the schools, against the town leaders wishes. In that year, the African School was renamed York Street School and became open to all children, regardless of skin color, according to the historical association. By September, 51 children had enrolled at York Street, and 15 Black students were placed in two other grammar schools. But the integration didnt last long. The following year in 1844, abolitionists were voted off the school committee and replaced by segregationists looking to re-segregate the schools. Black students were painfully, horrifically rejected and ejected from those two grammar schools in front of their class space, called to the front of the classroom and escorted out of the [grammar] schools, White said. Rather than send their children back to York Street, the islands African American community, along with some white families, decided to boycott the school, making it one of the earliest boycotts in American history, according to White. While the boycott took place, the community developed makeshift schools to teach children. During the boycott from 1844 to 1845 African Americans petitioned the state Legislature for their rights to an equal education. The first petition sent to the State House, written by Edward J. Pompey and 104 others, was signed by both children and adults in January 1845, according to White. Pompey and the signatories wrote that between 30 and 40 children on Nantucket were being denied their right to an equal education. White said two more petitions in support of Pompeys allegations followed, along with two opposing petitions. But, the final petition, written by Ross in February 1845, was where she told her story. The undersigned has good reason to feel on this subject as she was examined in 1840 by the school committee and found amply qualified for admission into the high school at Nantucket and was refused admittance by a vote of the town, instructing the school committee, not to admit her on account of her color, she wrote. In 1845, the Massachusetts Legislature passed Chapter 214 of the Acts of 1845, which guaranteed all children in the commonwealth a right to an equal education, according to White. Still, Nantucket ignored this law. It wasnt until Captain Absalom F. Boston, the first African American whaling captain, filed a lawsuit on behalf of his daughter Pheobe, who was also denied an equal education, that Nantucket complied with the state law, White said. The suit was dropped shortly after, White said, and we never looked back after that, it was integrated from then on. There is no evidence to show whether Ross attended Nantucket High School. White thinks she either didnt enroll due to her age she wouldve been in her twenties at the time or because she was traumatized from the public discourse around her denial. She later settled in Newtown, formerly referred to as New Guinea, where she spent the rest of her life until she died in 1895 at 72. She is buried at the Historic Coloured Cemetery on Nantucket. Its the Loch Ness Monster of mass transportation in Massachusetts. Often talked about, and long thought to be mythical, policymakers have debated the North-South rail link, which would finally join the states disjointed public transit system, for years. In a study released Monday, one Massachusetts lawmaker argues that finally building the three-mile link that would allow rail traffic to flow right through Boston, would generate $31 billion in revenue for the state, quadruple the ridership on the MBTAs Commuter Rail Line, and open access to roughly a half-million jobs. And it might even help relieve the states crushing housing crisis. The link is the single most important project for transportation in Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, wrote in a three-page summary of the joint effort with Harvards Kennedy School. It makes regional rail not just possible but successful. It does more to boost housing than any housing bill, Moulton continued. And it has huge benefits for climate and racial justice in historically forgotten communities. Until we build the Rail Link, we wont just be stuck in traffic, well be stuck in the past. The question is no longer Can we afford to build the link? but Can we afford not to? The study contrasts building the rail link to another often-discussed project: Expanding South Station, according to Politico, which was first to report the study on Monday. For Moulton, thats a non-starter, because a South Station expansion would be obsolete in 25 years, and do almost nothing to relieve road congestion. Building the rail link, on the other hand, would finally unify Massachusetts: enabling electric Regional Rail for all of Eastern Massachusetts, frequent service to Springfield, Pittsfield, and Albany, transfers with MBTA rapid-transit, and Amtrak service from Maine to New York, Moultons office noted in its summary. So whats taking so long? Cost, mostly. Building the rail link, which was first proposed more than a century ago, would cost between $2 billion and $8 billion, and take around five years to complete, according to Boston Uncovered. And the cash-strapped MBTA already is heading for a fiscal cliff, as Commonwealth Beacon reported last week. The agencys Board of Directors approved a $3 billion budget, keeping it afloat for the coming year. But it was 2025 when they saw cause for concern, the publication reported. We have 13 months to figure out how were going to solve the problem of a $700 million funding gap for the T, board member Tom Glynn said, according to the online news organization. And last week, the T also announced that a long-awaited commuter rail expansion to the South Coast will not open to passengers until next spring, nearly 18 months after the original opening date attached to the project, State House News Service reported. But the state cant afford to wait any longer, Moulton asserted in the study. ... Weve ... been given the same tired excuses from bureaucrats and politicians: Its too hard or expensive to connect two stations just a mile apart, so it will have to wait, Moulton wrote in the study. But now, Massachusetts has a choice: South Station is over capacity, so we must either expand the terminal or build the Rail Link. Three teenagers from Springfield, Massachusetts, were arrested in Vermont Sunday afternoon after they attacked two men during a dispute and then stole their guns, according to Vermont State Police. Randall Davis, 19, and two other Springfield males aged 16 and 17 have been charged with aggravated assault and assault and robbery with bodily injury in connection with the incident, state police said in a press release. On Sunday, troopers were called to a home on Spencer Hill Road in Coventry a little before 1 p.m. for a report of a dispute involving firearms, state police said. At the home, they found two Vermont men aged 72 and 42 who had non-life-threatening injuries due to being struck by guns. After an exhaustive international search, Cultural Survivals Board of Directors has named Aimee Roberson as the organizations new executive director. She is the third Indigenous executive director Cultural Survival has had. She will commence her role on July 1, 2024. Aimee is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Chickasaw Nation. She comes to Cultural Survival after serving as the Director of American Bird Conservancys Southwest Region. Previously, Aimee served as the Coordinator for the Rio Grande Joint Venture, and prior to that worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for many years. Throughout her career, she has worked with people across North America, stewarding ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and planning for climate change adaptation. Her success in these fields is supported by her Indigenous worldview, her traditional knowledge, and by including Indigenous Peoples in conversations and work in their territories. She has been working at the intersection of conservation and justice in support of Indigenous Peoples. As a co-founder of the Indigenous Kinship Circle, Aimee has helped build solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and bridges with conservationists, scientists, and policymakers. Aimee has led conservation partnerships in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico co-creating a vision; integrating cultural values and ecological knowledge to guide science for meaningful decision-making; and implementing shared strategies for stewarding wildlife, water, and ecosystems. Aimee is a lifelong student of Earths wisdom and holds a Bachelors degree in Geology from Macalester College and a Masters degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota. Aimee also serves on the boards of the Big Bend Conservation Alliance, and Regalia Making Relatives, and is stepping down from the boards of the Sonoran and Rio Grande Joint Ventures as she transitions into her new role at Cultural Survival. I am humbled and extremely excited about this new opportunity. I am passionate about upholding the sovereignty and rights of Indigenous Peoples around the globe so that we and our lifeways, cultures, languages, and the ecosystems we steward can flourish. Within my community, I am learning Chahta anumpa (Choctaw language), practicing traditional arts, growing and preparing traditional foods, and learning and teaching about shared history, values, and responsibilities to care for our land, waters, and plant and animal relatives. I am deeply committed to reciprocity, community, and environmental stewardship. Aimees expert knowledge and experience working on elevating Indigenous voices, perspectives, and rights, as well as advocating for Indigenous land rights and stewardship, is aligned with and supportive of Cultural Survivals mission to advance Indigenous Peoples rights and support Indigenous communities self-determination, cultures, and political resilience. We look forward to Aimees leadership in carrying on and extending the 52-year history of Cultural Survivals numerous partnerships with Indigenous nations and in implementing our vision of a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance. Please join us in welcoming Aimee. We would also like to express our profound gratitude to Deputy Executive Director Mark Camp for leading the organization in the last several months through this transition period, said Kaimana Barcarse (Kanaka Hawaii), President of Cultural Survivals Board of Directors. As Cultural Survival is celebrating its 52nd year of working to advance Indigenous rights and pathways, the organization has launched a Leadership Transition Fund to support the new leader and organization to go through the transition period, build on successes, and guide the organization to new work to address the realities of the ever-changing world. Cultural Survival uses a four-pronged approach: Advocacy, Capacity Building, Grantmaking, and Communications, along with primary themes of Lands and Livelihoods, Cultures and Languages, Climate Change Solutions, Indigenous Community Media, and the cross-cutting theme of Women and Youth, to carry out its work. All are invited to support joint efforts and donate to the Leadership Transition Fund and ensure the success and longevity of Cultural Survival. Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Boards, as well as all national ETBs, have called for the immediate restoration of funding to pre-austerity levels. The call came at their first national conference held in Limerick, which was attended by over 150 youth officers, youth workers and stakeholders from around the country. ETBs coordinate youth work for over 380,000 young people across the state. Speaking at the conference, General Secretary of Education and Training Boards Ireland, Paddy Lavelle, said: Funding for the youth work sector has decreased significantly since the 2008 economic crash. In that year, funding for youth organisations and special youth projects was 90.5 million. By 2015, this had fallen to 50.53 million, a reduction of over 44%. While there have been small increases of 3% - 4% since 2020, and funding now stands at approximately 73 million, it is still significantly lower than it was 16 years ago, despite a 26% increase in the youth population since 2006. He continued: While the youth population has grown significantly over the past two decades, there have also been significant and stark social changes that impact on young peoples lives. From the increase in the number of children living in emergency accommodation to the ongoing legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic on our most at-risk young people, the need for quality and extensive youth services has never been greater." These are the reasons why the group have called for the immediate restoration of pre-austerity level funding. The conference programme included keynotes and panel discussions on the impact of youth work, creativity and diversity and youth homelessness. Speaking at the conference, ETBI Youth Support Services Manager Ruth Griffin stated: ETBs are excellently placed to play a central role in Irelands youth-work sector. They are at the heart of every community, reaching those on the margins and providing them with opportunities that enable them to either remain in or return to education or employment. ETBs enable the personal development of young people and are trusted across local communities, because of their track record in delivering primary and post-primary education, and FET services she concluded. Mayo man, Professor Kieran Conboy, has been presented with a Lero Research award. The Aghamore native was one of ten whose research projects will benefit from a 1.3 million investment by Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, based at University of Limerick. Announcing the research awards, Lero director Professor, Lionel Briand, said the array of research topics selected for support shows how software is integral to every aspect of the world we inhabit. Lero is a world leader in software research. The centre fulfils a vital role in sustaining and developing Irelands reputation as a global hub of software research excellence and in maintaining Irelands position as a home for some of the worlds top technology companies, he said. The project, led by Professor Conboy of Information Systems at University of Galway, will critically analyse traditional research and development methods, tools and metrics, and will develop new and adapted ones for the design and evaluation of responsible technology. "From large organisations such as Google, Apple and Microsoft, to national and European policymakers, everyone is trying to address the issue of responsible technology, developing policies, controls and laws for the regulation of technology. These efforts attempt to address everything from technology induced stress, phone addiction, social media bullying, bias, discrimination, and disinformation. To truly consider and cater for the responsible aspects of a technology takes time, he said. Unfortunately, modern software engineering methods such as agile and continuous development (collectively used by more than 92% of developers worldwide) advocate high speed development. Development teams take part in sprints and are measured by their velocity and time to market. Developers are under pressure to continuously deliver some form of working software, and are measured and rewarded based on speed of delivery. This emphasis on speed does not match the need for deep, thoughtful, and intricate design required to be responsible," he explained. With this help from Lero, the Aghamore mans project will originate new practices and methods that developers can use to ensure an adequate balance between the need for speed and the need to be responsible will be examined. Lero is a world leader in software research. The centre fulfils a vital role in sustaining and developing Irelands reputation as a global hub of software research excellence, and in maintaining Irelands position as a home for some of the worlds top technology companies. As well as attracting additional researchers, the Lero Research Awards incentivise and reward continued impactful and outstanding research among our membership nationwide," said Professor Conboy. The ten awarded Lero researchers across Ireland will now hire postdoctoral researchers for two years to take on some really important work. These excellent postdoctoral researchers will join the Lero family to develop better and smarter ways of overcoming many of the obstacles we face today to foster job creation, innovation and competitiveness in software engineering and ICT, concluded Lero director, Professor Lionel Briand. Musicians from Mayo are invited to submit their applications for Music Networks Music Capital Scheme. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, earlier this year confirmed funding of over 1 million for the scheme which provides funding for musical instruments. Numerous groups and individuals from Mayo have received funding in the past, including the Mayo Academy for Performing Arts/Music West, and Achill International Harp Festival - Feile Chruite Acla. Minister Catherine Martin TD said she is overjoyed with her departments ability to fund the Music Capital Scheme and support its expansion. The Scheme has benefited thousands of people since its inception and, with this years extensive range of applicant supports, a particular focus will be given to assisting first time and previously unsuccessful applicants. This funding allows so many deserving organisations and individuals to receive the crucial funds they need to purchase musical instruments and, as a former music teacher, that is such a wonderful thing to be a part of, she added. Established in 2008, the Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and managed by Music Network. The scheme comprises three different awards and provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to individual professional musicians and to non-professional performing groups. Award one is open to non-professional performing groups, two is for the benefit of individual established professional performing musicians, while three is for individual emerging professional performing musicians. It has expanded this year, with the addition of two new awards for the benefit of both musicians and arts venues. Award four provides string instruments for a defined period of time to exceptional players, five supports the purchase and refurbishment of concert standard pianos in selected venues across the country. These new awards will be launched in the coming months. Budding musician Kaila Kennedy (Photo: Marc O'Sullivan) Music Network is committed to equity and inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals within culturally diverse communities and people with disabilities. Since its establishment, the scheme has made 544 awards to individual musicians and organisations providing access to instruments for over 51,000 people across the country. Beneficiaries range from early years to mature players, including musicians with physical and intellectual disabilities. Over 200 performing groups have been able to purchase instruments and expand their memberships, with 202 professional established and emerging musicians advancing their performance careers with new instruments enabled by the scheme. Music Network CEO, Sharon Rollston, expressed the groups deep gratitude to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for its ongoing commitment to providing this vital funding. This investment continues to make a significant impact on the quality of, and access to, music-making and live music performance throughout Ireland. We particularly welcome the addition of this years new awards, which will go a long way towards addressing specific challenges facing musicians and in the presentation of live music. Our aim is that the capacity building supports provided to applicants will help people to make the best application possible, achieve positive results for them, and benefit the music sector widely, she continued. The closing date for applications for Award Categories one through three is Tuesday, June 25 at 2pm. More information on categories and how to apply is available on the Music Networks website. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 17, 2024 A coalition of advocacy groups is urging Vermont lawmakers to override Governor Phil Scott's veto of a sweeping privacy bill. Companies should not be profiting from the sale of consumers most personal data, such as childrens data or data about a consumers race, religion, sex life, precise geolocation, or health. The bill appropriately bans this behavior, say Consumer Reports, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Center for Democracy & Technology and other groups in a letter sent Saturday to lawmakers in Vermont's Senate. The organizations add that the Vermont Data Privacy Act (H. 121) creates important guardrails against privacy violations. The current digital landscape produces, with frightening regularity, concrete harms to consumers and is leading to the erosion of our basic expectation of privacy, the watchdogs say. advertisement advertisement The bill, passed in May, would limit the amount of data that companies can collect, impose restrictions on online ad targeting, and allow consumers to bring private lawsuits in some circumstances. Scott vetoed the measure on Thursday. Among other reasons, he said the provisions authorizing private lawsuits would make Vermont a national outlier, and more hostile than any other state to many businesses and non-profits. Vermont lawmakers will convene on Monday and Tuesday, when they will decide whether to override Scott's veto. An override would require approval by two-thirds of lawmakers in both chambers. The House previously voted in favor of the bill 139-3; the Senate passed the bill without a roll call vote. If enacted, the privacy bill would require companies to let consumers opt out of targeted advertising -- meaning ads served based on non-sensitive data collected across distinctly branded sites or apps. The measure also would explicitly obligate companies to honor opt-outs made through mechanisms like the Global Privacy Control, which transmits opt-out requests to every site consumers visit. The proposed legislation additionally would prohibit companies from collecting or harnessing sensitive data -- including biometrics, location data and information that reveals consumers' race, religion, citizenship, sexual orientation or health -- without opt-in consent. The bill also includes a controversial private right of action, which would allow consumers to sue data brokers and large companies companies that process or sell sensitive data without consent. Ad industry groups previously urged Scott to reject the bill for several reasons, including that it authorizes private lawsuits. H. 121s private right of action will benefit opportunistic trial lawyers and plaintiffs law firms rather than protect the privacy of Vermont consumers, said the Association of National Advertisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Interactive Advertising Bureau, American Advertising Federation and Digital Advertising Alliance in a letter sent to Scott last month. If H. 121 is enacted, Vermont will stand on its own as the state with the most onerous and unfriendly approach to privacy enforcement in the nation, the groups added. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, June 17, 2024 CANNES, France A lot of celebrity brand marketers talk about authenticity, but the married couple team of John Legend and Chrissy Teigen embody it, even when their political and social outspokenness gets them in hot water with both consumers and retail distributors. Obviously, there are so many different issues that can happen when you are entirely responsible and your name is on the company, Teigen said during an interview the couple had here this morning with Vox Media's Kara Swisher. And of course, being so outspoken politically is really difficult, she explained, referring to her strong public positions on politically controversial subjects like abortion, bodily rights, mass incarceration, not to mention a high-profile social media feud with a certain presidential candidate. Teigen, who created and owns the retail food brand Cravings, the pet food brand Kismet Pets, among others, cited the pressure grocery stores experience when she speaks out politically. With salad dressing, Paul Newmans not going to get into trouble anymore, but if [grocery stores have] been saturated with phone calls for political reasons, because I spoke up about something whether it was abortion or reproductive healthcare or standing up for womens rights or it could be anything, and then these grocery stores that are not used to getting any kind of negativity, they feel the tiniest bit, which I get all day anyone in the public eye, gets so much all day so were so used to it but all of a sudden this grocery store is getting maybe 10 or 15 comments that I post, where they typically get one or two that are all negative about the person theyre carrying, it puts a lot of fear in them. As much empathy as Teigen might feel for the retail grocery store chains that carry her brands, she says she never backs away from her political positions, noting, I always appreciated people who stood up for something. She cited musical performers such as Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift who have been standing up for what they believe in politically, despite backlash from some fans. Similarly, Legend, who considers his music is primary business, but also has his own consumer brands and collaborates with Teigen, says that being political outspoken is an extension of his personal brand and part of what makes him and his wife authentic to consumers and fans. Im lucky though, with my company, honestly, they appreciate an outspoken person, Teigen explained, noting, Thats why they started frollowing me from the beginning. They know what they got into by having any kind of relationship with me. And honestly, the times that Ive been quiet, Ive felt the most separated from them. To illustrate how authentic they are individually, Teigen shared that she wasnt even sure what social media legend is expressing himself on these days, and had to ask him, Are you on X still? No, Legend responded. Okay, Threads, she queried? I had no idea you were even on it? Well, no one has any idea, Legend replied, implying Metas decentralized social network isnt exactly generating mass awareness yet. Teigen, who says she only uses Instagram these days, like her husband, has given up on X, and shared that her personal therapist has described her past social media usage as almost euphoric and that shes still chasing that high and euphoria that she felt, but that Instagram simply makes her feel good. TikTok, not so much. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 17, 2024 Rhode Island lawmakers have passed a privacy bill that's drawing opposition from the ad industry and consumer advocates alike, with industry groups arguing that the terms are confusing, and advocacy organizations contending that the provisions are too weak. The bill does not make clear what kind of data would be subject to regulation under its provisions, the Association of National Advertisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Interactive Advertising Bureau, American Advertising Federation and Digital Advertising Alliance say in a letter sent Friday to Governor Dan McKee. The ad groups are urging McKee to veto the bill, arguing that it contains unclear and confusing provisions and requirements that are significantly out-of-step with other state privacy laws that have been enacted to date. advertisement advertisement Consumer Reports, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Restore the Fourth also oppose the bill -- though for different reasons. Those groups said in a letter sent to lawmakers last week that the measure would do little to protect Rhode Island consumers personal information, or to rein in major tech companies like Google and Facebook. The bill itself (HB 7787/SB 2500) has provisions that would require companies to allow consumers to opt out of the processing of personal data for targeted advertising and profiling -- but that requirement appears to apply only to data that's not pseudonymous. Much of the data that fuels online ad targeting, however, is pseudonymous, such as device identifiers or tracking cookies. Among other objections to the bill, the privacy advocates flagged the apparent carve-out for pseudonymous data, arguing that it represents a major loophole that would essentially exempt the majority of the online advertising ecosystem from the most substantive aspects of this bills coverage. Ad industry organizations take issue with other portions of the proposed privacy law -- including a requirement that data controllers identify all third parties to whom the controller has sold or may sell customers personally identifiable information. The ad organizations say this requirement is extraordinarily burdensome, as controllers change business partners frequently, and companies regularly merge with others and change names. What's more, the groups say, the bill doesn't define the term personally identifiable information. The ad groups also note that some provisions of the bill reference consumers' right to opt out of data collection -- even though the bill doesn't explicitly give consumers that right. A right to opt out of data collection would starkly diverge from every other state that has passed privacy legislation to date, the ad groups write. The ad organizations want lawmakers to revise the bill by deleting references to personally identifiable information and to a right to opt out of data collection. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 17, 2024 Siding with Meta Platforms, a federal appellate court on Monday refused to reinstate claims that the company violated an Illinois biometric privacy law by creating face signatures of non-Facebook users. In a 20-page ruling issued Monday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that face signatures -- described in the opinion as a string of numbers that represents a particular image of a face -- aren't in themselves covered by the Illinois law. Because -- on the record before us -- face signatures cannot identify, they are not biometric identifiers or biometric information, Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson wrote in an opinion joined by Danielle Forrest and Gabriel Sanchez. advertisement advertisement The ruling stems from a class-action complaint brought against Facebook in 2018 by Illinois resident Clayton Zellmer. He alleged that Facebook's former face-tagging system violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act, which restricts companies' collection and storage of voiceprints, scans of facial geometry, retina scans and other biometric data. Among other requirements, the Illinois law requires companies to obtain state residents' consent before collecting biometric data, and to make available a written data-destruction policy. Zellmer's lawsuit centered on Facebook's former practice of scanning photos in order to identify the people depicted. The company rolled out facial recognition in late 2010, when it used technology to suggest people's names when they appeared in photos uploaded by friends. In 2021, faced with privacy complaints, Facebook said it would stop using facial-recognition technology. That same year, the company agreed to pay $650 million to settle a different class-action biometric privacy lawsuit brought by Illinois residents who used the social media platform. Zellmer alleged in his complaint that Facebook's system scanned all faces in photos -- users as well as non-users -- and then created facial templates that could be used to recognize anyone depicted in the photos. But Facebook contended it was unable to identify non-users who appeared in photos. Facebook does not create, save, or store templates for non-users who appear in photos, Facebook argued in written papers. As a result, the face signatures derived from images of non-users like Mr. Zellmer cannot be -- and are not -- used to identify anyone. In April 2022, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato in the Northern District of California threw out Zellmer's claim that Facebook collected the faceprints of Illinois non-users without their consent, ruling that even if the allegations were true, Facebook lacked a practical means of contacting non-users to obtain their consent. Donato initially allowed Zellmer to proceed with a claim that Meta violated the Illinois law by failing to post a written biometric data retention policy, but ultimately dismissed that claim in November 2022. Zellmer subsequently asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate his complaint. In rejecting that request, the appellate judges noted that Meta presented evidence that face signatures couldn't be reversed engineered to identify people. The judges pointed to a declaration by a product manager who described a face signature as "an abstract, numerical representation of a face crop that is computed by millions of pixel comparisons performed by the proprietary algorithm that Facebook has developed." The product manager added in his declaration that it wasn't possible to identify non-users from their face signatures, according to the court. Trusted Source Antibody nanoparticle conjugate-based targeted immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer Go to source Trusted Source Did You Know? About 25% of all strokes are due to small vessel disease, highlighting its significant impact on public health. #brain #circulation #bloodvesselmetric About 25% of all strokes are due to small vessel disease, highlighting its significant impact on public health. #brain #circulation #bloodvesselmetric Combining Immunotherapy with Targeted Drug Delivery Advertisement Advertisement Antibody nanoparticle conjugate-based targeted immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer - (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi2046) Researchers from the Matai Institute and Auckland Bioengineering Institute have introduced a new metric for measuring brain blood circulation, focusing on the pulsation of vessels, as published in).This metric helps evaluate thewhich is crucial for preventing damage in delicate vessels.A paper by Sergio Dempsey as first author with colleagues Dr Soroush Safaei, Dr Gonzalo Maso Talou at Auckland Bioengineering Institute, along with co-author Dr Holdsworth (Matai and FMHS & CBR at the University of Auckland), describes the new metric based on 4D flow MRI technology.Thisincluding Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia By accurately measuring how pulsatility is transmitted in the brain, researchers can better understand the underlying mechanism of these diseases and potentiall guide development of new treatments.Current MRI methods face limitations due to anatomical variations and measurement constraints. The new technique removes this issue by integrating thousands of measurements across all brain vessels, rather than looking one spot at a time as the traditional methods. This provides a richer metric representative of the entire brain "The ability to measure how pulsatility is transmitted through the brains arteries could revolutionise our approach to neurological diseases, and support research in vascular damage hypotheses" explained Mr. Dempsey."Our method allows for a detailed assessment of the brains vascular health, which is often compromised in neurodegenerative disorders."The study also highlighted the potential to enhance clinical assessments and research on brain health.By integrating this new metric into routine diagnostic procedures, healthcare providers can offer more precise and personalised care plans for individuals at risk of or suffering from cognitive impairments.In addition to its implications for patient care, the researchers have made their tools publicly available, integrating them into pre-existing open-source software.This enables scientists and clinicians worldwide to adopt the advanced methodology, fostering further research and collaboration in the field of neurology."Our findings are a promising step towards better understanding the vascular contributions to neurodegeneration ," said Associate Professor Samantha Holdsworth, Matai Director of Research."We are excited about the metric potential to become a standard part of neurological assessments and the positive impact it could have on millions of lives."The research team is planning further studies tobeginning with the Digital Twin Dementia Study starting at Matai later this month.Results from the initial study of the metric also identified important sex differences in vascular dynamics which has initiated a new study focussing on sex-related dynamics which is anticipated to begin at Matai and the Centre for Advanced MRI (CAMRI) in November.Source-Eurekalert TAIPEI A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, Chinas coast guard said, in the latest flare-up of escalating territorial disputes that have sparked alarm. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, part of a territory claimed by several nations. The Philippines says the shoal falls within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidating Chinas expansive South China Sea claims based on historical grounds. The Chinese coast guard said the Philippine craft ignored Chinas repeated solemn warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. The Philippines is entirely responsible for this, the coast guard said in its statement on the social media platform WeChat. Meanwhile, the Philippine military called the Chinese coast guards report deceptive and misleading, and said it would not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our exclusive economic zone. It used the Philippine name for the shoal, where Filipino navy personnel have transported food, medicine and other supplies to a long-grounded warship that has served as Manilas territorial outpost. We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China coast guard, military spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said. The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights. "The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region, Trinidad said. Two speedboats attempting to deliver construction materials and other supplies to a military vessel stationed at the shoal accompanied the supply ship, according to Chinas Foreign Ministry, which described its coast guards maneuver as professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful. The Foreign Ministry did not expand on the extent of the damage to the Chinese or Philippine vessels. Several incidents have happened in recent months near the shoal which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from The Philippines coast and where it maintains an outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, which had been encrusted with rust since it was deliberately grounded in 1999 but remains an actively commissioned military vessel, meaning an attack on it could be considered by the Philippines as an act of war. China has increasingly become assertive in pressing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which has led to a rising number of direct conflicts with other countries in the region, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. A new law by China, which took effect Saturday, authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships that illegally enter Chinas territorial waters and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law renewed a reference to 2021 legislation that says Chinas coast guard can fire upon foreign ships if necessary. At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have said they would not recognize the law. The territorial disputes have strained relations and sparked fears the conflict could bring China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, into a military confrontation. Washington lays no territorial claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has warned that its obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the South China Sea. Aside from China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are also involved in the long-seething territorial disputes, which are regarded as a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the longstanding U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Indonesia has also confronted Chinese coast guard and fishing fleets in the past in the gas-rich waters off the Natuna islands in the fringes of the South China Sea where it blew Chinese fishing boats it had taken under custody. Its navy also fired warning shots at Chinese vessels straying into what Jakarta regards as its exclusive economic zone. ___ Gomez contributed from Manila, Philippines. Moments before setting a national freediving record in April, Lt. Col. Laurence Paik checked to make sure his nose clip was fastened, his flashlight was beaming, and his lanyard -- attached to a line plunging deep into the Mexican cenote, or freshwater sinkhole -- was secured. The check was akin to the rigid pre-flight procedures Paik had learned as a Harrier pilot in the Marine Corps. Now, it is part of a critical routine he uses to prepare for diving into some of the most extreme depths the human body can endure. Paik competed under the International Association for Development of Apnea, or AIDA -- a French-born organization that has judged freediving records since its founding in 1992. When he arrived at the Xibalba Freediving competition in Mexico, his intent was to beat the "constant weight, no fins," or CNF, record of 72 meters. Read Next: US Military's Troubled Gaza Aid Pier Mission Would Be Ended Under Proposals in Congress That category of freediving is considered the most challenging because it requires the swimmer to dive without the assistance of fins -- just pure swimming and one allotted hold at the bottom of a safety rope that marks the transition between descent and ascent. Paik, who is assigned as a reserve intelligence and foreign area officer with the Marine Innovation Unit, beat that record on April 20, according to the AIDA, by diving 73 meters into the sinkhole and carefully breaststroking back to the top. At the surface, he had to verbally tell the judges he was OK and give a hand signal, a requirement for a successful dive to ensure that he did not pass out. Paik brandished the tag that he collected at the bottom of the line, showing that he completed the record. "It was -- in some way -- a relief," Paik told Military.com in a recent interview. "I knew that this was going to be my last opportunity in that competition. ... It was a validation of the work and effort and the confidence that I had built in the preparation and all the training." Paik had made an initial attempt earlier that week, but was unsuccessful. He had hit the 73-meter mark but had a "surface blackout" at the top of the dive -- passing out due to a trick of the light that made him feel closer to air than he thought. "I actually hit the light and thought I was close to the surface and started my stretch as if I was going to be breaking the surface shortly thereafter," he said. "But that's when I realized it wasn't as close as I thought." He reset. He reviewed safety camera footage and data from the dive computer that helps track his depth and progress. He adjusted his initial dive into the water so he didn't splash as much, a move that helped retain energy and efficiency needed for the descent. On the way down, the chasm looks endless. Shimmering streaks of light from the sun above beam down, giving the cave an ethereal look not unlike science-fiction depictions of warp speed. At greater depths, pressure builds to the point where a human being's lungs can shrink to the size of fists and dangerous levels of nitrogen can build up in the body, leading to nitrogen narcosis, or "rapture of the deep," as it is known in diving circles. "There becomes a point where your lungs are at their minimum volume, and they basically won't get any smaller," Paik said. "So, what you have to do is take some air from your lungs before that point and store it ... in your neck, in your cheeks, in your mouth." As he descends, he uses some of that air to "equalize" the pressure building in his ear canals. "That's one of the equalizers," he said of the sport. "If you can be really good at equalization, then you can get to your physical potential. But if you don't have that equalization, then you might be an incredible athlete, but not be able to reach that potential." On the other side of that danger lies what Paik described as euphoria. That "rapture of the deep" brought on in part by oxygen depletion and nitrogen has led to what freedivers have described as a feeling of elation, which Paik said is part of the thrall over diving. A longtime competitive swimmer, Paik started freediving in 2019. He said that he fell in love with the sport through spearfishing where he felt unburdened by the noise, bubbles and weighty gear that comes with scuba diving. Off an island in Bali, Indonesia, Paik got his first taste of pure freediving. He explored the wreck of the U.S. Army Transport Ship Liberty, which was torpedoed by the Japanese military during World War II. "I had already scuba dived that same wreck," he said. "Now, freediving the same wreck was a completely different experience -- you don't have the valves and the bubbles and the noise. ... Now, I've basically got comparatively very little equipment. I can go vertical, I can do all sorts of maneuvers, and I can get really close to all that sea life." From there, he fell in love with the freediving community. A niche group, he said that the community itself "is one of the most attractive and fun things about freediving," with a camaraderie built around an intense, sometimes dangerous activity. Since Bali, Paik has freedived in only three competitions, one of which where he broke the national record. While he's been a lifelong swimmer, getting time "in depth," as he called it, can be a challenge, especially as he lives on the East Coast, where deepwater sinkholes like the one in Mexico are few and far between. He said that once the equalization piece of the puzzle is mastered, most freediving training can be done on land. He trains with conditioning, stretching and breathing exercises. He spends a lot of time in the pool, swimming in preparation for this record in particular. Paik attributes some of his freediving success to his Marine Corps experience. He joined the service in 2005 through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC. After basic officer training, he received an air contract, meaning that he would be put in an aviation role, which is where he says he got the "checklist mindset" he employs in the water. He spent 12 years on active duty before switching to the reserve, where he now serves with the Marine Innovation Unit as a defense engagement manager, connecting different parts of the Marine Corps and the Defense Department to "advance technology adoption," Paik said. "With my swimming background, with my aviation background in terms of being put into different kinds of environments and being asked to perform, I was kind of already used to a lot of the things associated with freediving," he said. "So, it was just a matter of putting them all together." Paik intends to continue competing, potentially for another CNF record, he told Military.com. "I think 80 meters would be doable," he said. "The world record is 102 meters. It's nice to think that maybe one day that's in the realm of possibility," adding that it would take a concerted effort to get to 80 meters. "Regardless of whether I can do that kind of stuff, the activity itself is rewarding," he said. "There's plenty more that I have yet to explore in Asia and Europe and the Middle East -- so there's a lot more left to do." Related: How This Marine Saved the Corps $140 Million in JLTV Repairs Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base... GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Heres another, youve gotta see the baby moment. John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids has welcomed a snow leopard cub to its family. Were getting our first look at the first female cub born to Yuki, 3, and Mylo, 7 on Thursday, June 6. Yuki is a first-time mother and Zoo officials say she and her cub are doing well. Were so excited to welcome Yuki and Mylos cub, who is doing well and receiving attentive care behind the scenes at the Zoo, said Jaime Racalla, animal care supervisor at John Ball Zoo. John Ball Zoo is proud to help contribute to the conservation of snow leopards through strategic breeding and excellent animal care. Yuki came to John Ball Zoo via the Toledo Zoo in 2023. Mylo joining John Ball Zoo in 2021 from the Toronto Zoo. The pair make a good genetic match for breeding, according to the Species Survival Plan Program through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, John Ball Zoos accrediting organization. For the next few weeks, Yuki and her cub will remain behind the scenes at John Ball Zoo. Mylo will continue to be out in the snow leopard habitat for Zoo guests to visit. Officials at John Ball Zoo say 2024 was the first breeding season for Yuki and Mylo, though the Zoo has had several successful breeding snow leopard pairs in the past. Snow leopards in the wild live in high mountain ranges in countries in central and south Asia. Due to poaching and climate change, snow leopards are a threatened species. John Ball Zoo has partnered with the Snow Leopard Trust to protect this species. The birth of the snow leopard cub follows the recent birth of three lynx kits and the hatching of three penguin chicks. WALLOON LAKE, MI - Expanding from 6,500 to 10,700 square feet, the Walloon Lake General Store opened their modernized space at The Renwick in mid-May. The new three-story development features a general store on the main level and 16 luxurious condos on levels two and three. A general store has operated at the site in some form or fashion dating back to the turn of the 20th century in the downtown Walloon Lake community. An aerial image of downtown Walloon Lake on the shores of Walloon Lake on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com Increasing the footprint of the store also increased the in-store offerings from 7,000 to 17,000 items. The modernized store features a full restaurant kitchen that will be pumping out homemade pizzas and other prepared meals. The 100-foot counter features a deli with a variety of meats, cheeses and seafood. The store is very selective with the quality meat and seafood options it will offer to patrons. We are thrilled to be expanding our store offerings to better serve the community. Our customers will be excited to see the vast amount of local, Michigan-made iconic products we now carry, said General Manager and Chef Michael Sader. Furthermore, we have committed to offer quality products at varying price points to meet all of our customers needs and budget, he said. Walloon Village General Store general manager and chef, Michael Sader, poses for a portrait inside the store. We are thrilled to be expanding our store offerings to better serve the community. Our customers will be excited to see the vast amount of local, Michigan-made iconic products we now carry! Furthermore, we have committed to offer quality products at varying price points to meet all of our customers needs and budget," Sader.Image provided by Walloon Village General Store The store also prides itself on the vast array of Michigan products they carry, from snacks to sauces and jams, fresh produce and meats. The expansive spirits library has a bevy of tall beers and cases and a wide range of liquors and wines. The store has most grocery necessities and a large refrigerated and frozen section as well. The market features a Walloon Lake merchandise section that is also filled with essentials to enjoy a day on the lake or by a fire. A 24-seat cafe with fireplace inside the new 10,700-square-foot Walloon Village General Store at The Renwick in Walloon Lake, Mich. on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. There is additional deck searing for up to 90 patrons. Joel Bissell | MLive.com The space has been seen as a community hub of sorts and it offers an in-house cafe with fireplace and seating for 24 guests. The outside patio that faces Walloon Lake has seating for up to 90 patrons. An 1912 image of the W.H. Ransom General Store. Several families have owned the general store over the years, but the location has remained the same since 1907.Image provided by Little Traverse Historical Society Photo Collection Lasting Community Legacy A fire destroyed the original store in 1907, but since then a general store has been operated by several different families at the same location for over a century. In 2022, the Borisch family purchased the store. In recent years, this family of developers has bought and redeveloped a boutique hotel, restaurant and marina in this picturesque little village. The new project, The Renwick, may be their most impressive development so far. The new building takes it name from Ross Renwick, who operated a general store in the village for two decades beginning in the mid-1940s. While honoring Walloons small-town history, Walloon Village General Store will keep many of the items and traditions and items the community has grown to love, Jonathan Borisch previously told MLive. Additionally, we hope to offer some unique, fresh and local products, along with essentials, for a friendly, and convenient shopping experience. By the end of 2022, the old pole barn-like market was razed to make way for a modern general store and luxury condominiums. The three-story building features the Walloon Village General Store on the main floor with 16 luxury condo units on the second and third levels. 53 1 / 53 Walloon Village General Store The store held its grand opening on Friday, June 7, kicking off their summer operating hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Walloon Village General Store is located at 4036 along M-75 in downtown Walloon Lake. YPSILANTI, MI Ypsilantis three-day Juneteenth Celebration will kick off Friday, June 21. Since it began in 2021, the celebration has only grown, with hundreds more people showing up each year, said organizer Trishe Duckworth. The event is in the South Huron Parking Lot behind Puffer Reds at 107 Ferris St. in downtown Ypsilanti. ANN ARBOR, MI - Lynn Ann Conway, a computer scientist and electrical engineer, transgender rights advocate and professor emerita at the University of Michigan, died of a heart condition on Sunday, June 9 at her home in Jackson. She was 86. Over her decades-long career, Conway developed methods allowing computers to multitask, and transformed the field of microchip design. She won numerous awards, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Societys Computer Pioneer Award and was elected to both the Electronic Design Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Engineering. Conway, herself a transgender woman, also was an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She started a website in the early 2000s, telling her own story and the stories of other successful transgender people in an effort to inspire transgender youth and normalize gender issues. Sandra Samons, a friend of Conways for more than 20 years, who worked as a therapist, said the website gave hope to a lot of people who might otherwise feel very hopeless that it was possible for people whose gender identities did not easily conform to male or female to live happy, healthy, productive lives. Conway graduated with a masters degree from Columbia University in 1963 and got a job at IBM, working on their Advanced Computer Systems project while living as a man. In her time at IBM, she invented dynamic instruction scheduling, which allowed computers to multitask and paved the way for the first superscalar computers. During this time, Conway had a wife and two children. However, having long lived with gender dysphoria, she found herself severely depressed. Conway decided to seek gender affirming care and begin life as a woman - a decision made after gender dysphoria nearly drove her to suicide, according to a November, 2000 piece in the LA Times which documented Conways transition. Plans to keep working at IBM post-transition fell apart when news of her planned transition reached corporate management at IBM. With these went her plans to maintain visitation rights with her kids following separation from her wife. She was fired from IBM and banned from contact with her children. Following her transition, she began living life in stealth mode, as she called it, a woman but not openly transgender. She restarted her career from scratch, finding work as a contract programmer before going on to work as a computer architect and digital system designer at Memorex. She landed at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1973, where she created a technology that made it possible to fit multiple circuit designs into a single silicon wafer within a microchip. She also co-wrote the textbook Introduction to VLSI Systems, published in 1979, which was used in nearly 120 schools by 1983 and made microchip design accessible to a wider variety of people. Conway accepted a job as a professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate dean of engineering at the University of Michigan in 1985, where she worked until her retirement at as a professor emerita in 1998. It was during her work at the university that she met her husband, Charles Rogers, canoeing the Huron River at an event hosted by a local canoe store. Rogers said he and Conway were both shy, but they started talking. Somehow it clicked, Rogers said. I dont know how better to put it. The two did a multitude of outdoor activities together, including canoeing and motocross. She always prided herself on being a beginner, Rogers said. Ann Arbor also was where Conway met Samons, at a brown-bag lunch hosted by what is now the Spectrum Center. Samons was immediately drawn to Conway. It was around the time when Samons and Conway met each other that Conway published her website, Samons said. The website was something Samons used in her own work as a therapist, counseling clients through gender-related issues. For a while, it was one of the primary resources I used with clients, Samons said. For a long time, it was just this is what you did if you wanted to learn about gender identity issues and people who transition. Through sharing her story, Conway also began to take credit for her early career work, before her transition. Prior to this, DIS invented in her days at IBM was being used heavily, but now one knew where it came from, Rogers said. In retirement, Conway devoted herself to the creation of the website, talking with transgender people and compiling resources. She would go in her home office and spend 10, 12, 14 hours on her website and responding to people that were asking questions, primarily, and just come out for air so to speak or to get a meal, Rogers said. Even then, she still lived a private life, especially among her local community, Rogers said. Publicly, she told people she lived on rural land 30 minutes from Ann Arbor, Rogers said, without specifying where. Among her neighbors and those in town, both her technical accomplishments and her identity as a trans woman were largely unknown. Youd see her working in the yard, you might see youre going through Meijer or Franks Shop-Rite in Grass Lake picking up groceries in a very un-notable way, Rogers said of how the community perceived Conway. Id say no, the local community did not know of us, at all. Rogers said Conway had a term she used to describe the lack of recognition she and other marginalized people received for their accomplishments the Conway Effect. Basically, people who innovate that arent expected to innovate, usually dont get the recognition for it in favor of those who are expected to innovate, Rogers said. Getting credit for her early work meant a lot to Conway, according to Samons. It wasnt because she wanted accolades and awards, Samons said. I think it was just justice, maybe, or just a sense that she got back what she lost. A celebration of Conways life will be held June 22 at Sherwood Funeral Home in Grass Lake, Michigan. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. UPDATE: Storm tosses trees, power lines into tangled mess in Kalamazoo, Portage KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI More than 28,000 Consumers Energy customers are without power Monday, June 17, after powerful storms including a reported tornado in Gobles took out trees and power lines and flooded area roads. The power outages are primarily in Southwest Michigan. A 76-mph wind gust was reported in Portage, which was already reeling from a May 7 tornado. The storm appeared to follow a similar path that the tornado took, with downed trees and flooding blocking roads, city officials said. Related: Tornado touchdown reported in Southwest Michigan as severe storms move east across state Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said that multiple intersections are closed after 3 inches of rain fell. Several vehicles got stuck late Sunday in flood waters at West Crosstown Parkway and Howard Avenue. The tornado was reported just before 10 p.m. Sunday in Gobles in Van Buren County. A firefighter spotted the tornado near 18th Street. Consumers Energy crews are working to restore power, a spokesperson said. Kalamazoo County had the bulk of the outages, with 17,047. Other counties with outages include Ingham (2,809), Calhoun (2,566), Van Buren (1,017), Barry (1,060), Allegan (875), Clinton (738), Eaton (640) and Jackson (477). Gobles and Portage have the largest percentage of outages. About 35% (741) of the 2,099 customers in Gobles are without power and 31% (7,905) of the 25,699 customers in Portage are without power as of 8:30 a.m. Monday The National Weather Service said more than 3 inches of rain fell in some areas, causing Portage Creek to flood. Some houses are expected to have flood damage, the weather service said. Portage officials said that multiple streets are closed by downed trees. Traffic signals are out in many areas because of power outages. Houses and businesses have been damaged by the storm. The city is assessing damage. Flooding on area streets is receding. The forecast for Monday calls for hot and humid conditions with temperatures in the lower 90s. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. This is a fairly impressive heat wave we will experience this week. However, computer models that look out 10 days already show another dramatic shift in the weather pattern. If we look back at our overall weather pattern over the last several months and even back to winter weve had a consistent feed of storm systems moving from the north Pacific Ocean across the northern U.S. and into the Great Lakes. Now a big dome of hot air has developed and continues to strengthen for the next few days. This is bringing us a five day 90-degree plus stretch of weather. By this weekend the next series of Pacific Ocean storm systems will start to cross the northern U.S. This will smash the hot dome of air. You can clearly see the change by looking at the best model for this situation. Upper-air forecast from Tuesday, June 18 to Monday, June 24.NOAA One of the easiest ways to grasp the coming weather change is to watch the red colors of a hot atmosphere shift south and west out of the Great Lakes and Northeast. Also notice by this weekend, probably late in the weekend, we see a big bend in the jetstream moving into the Great Lakes. This bend in the jetstream is an upper-air storm that will drive a cold front through Michigan. The cold front will probably move through Sunday or next Monday. After the cold front moves through our temperatures should cool down dramatically for at least a few days. Ill show you the high temperature forecast for the next week. Remember that Michigan is in a very temperature sensitive spot right now. Southern Lower Michigan could be well into the 90s. Any thunderstorms or a slight wind shift to blowing from the north in the northern half of Lower Michigan could drop temperatures into the 80s there. So the heat wave will end in steps. We could see slightly cooler air leak into central Lower Michigan Friday or Saturday and then sweep much farther south Sunday or especially Monday. High temperature forecast each day from Tuesday, June 18 to Monday, June 24.NOAA We will have our temperatures drop back to afternoon highs in the 70s and 80s early next week. There isnt a timing on the next blow-up of another hot dome of air. We know our hottest days of summer are likely still coming. Given the cyclical pattern now of cool to hot back to cool, the last part of June or first week of July is when the next heat wave should begin. Since we became this hot for this long in mid-June, we should expect some notable hot stretches in July and August. Its a real summer upon us folks. The nice thing about a hot Michigan summer is we still get occasional breaks in the hot weather. We have several hot days coming. As a result, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in effect. Heres what counties are in the more extreme heat warning and why. Most of the Lower Peninsula is under a heat advisory while a few counties in the southeast corner are an excessive heat warning. See the map below. Current heat advisories( orange) and excessive heat warnings (magenta)NOAA A heat advisory is a little less dangerous than an excessive heat warning. A heat advisory in Michigan is issued if the heat index is going to be between 100 and 104 degrees. An excessive heat warning is normally used for days when the heat index will climb above 105 degrees. Its pretty tough to get above 105 degrees on the heat index in Michigan. This is why an excessive heat warning is fairly rare in Michigan. The most recent excessive heat warning was issued for the highly populated counties of southeast Michigan on June 15-16, 2022. The heat advisory covers the southern half of Lower Michigan and doesnt just run for today. The heat advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. this coming Friday. This is due to each day having the chance to warm into the 90s with the heat index around 100 degrees each afternoon. Below shows how the highly populated areas with a lot of pavement and buildings can affect our weather. The National Weather Service at Detroit has issued the more dangerous excessive heat warning for Genesee, Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. They forecast heat indices to mostly stay just below the 105 degree threshold. However, they believe the extended time period on the verge of the heat warning warrants the official issuance of the warning. Heat advisories in orange and excessive heat warning in magentaNOAA Note that all of the pavement in these urbanized counties will hold heat and make the hot stretch more stressful on a body. source: National Weather ServiceNOAA If you work outside, you will want to plan your jobs accordingly if you can. Work out of the sun as much as possible. Remember the effects of sun and heat are cumulative. You might not feel the morning heat is too bad, but it stresses your body to not be able to handle the afternoon heat. Ive had heat exhaustion before and on the verge of heat stroke. If you dont pay attention to your body the heat illnesses can sneak up on you. Once you feel sick its too late to avoid it. Then you may have a few days before your body will let you get out into the heat again. Its almost like you can become allergic to the sun and heat. As soon as you get out into the heat after heat exhaustion you may not be able to handle routine heat as you did before. Dont worry. This is Michigan. We can already see a big break in the heat wave coming. Im writing about that next and will publish it here. Recently, a batch of Ankai 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses was put into operation on the bus routes in Lu'an City, Anhui Province. This is not the first batch of hydrogen fuel buses operating on Lu'an's bus routes. In December 2019, the first batch of Ankai 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses began operating on the 301 bus route, becoming the first hydrogen energy bus demonstration route in Anhui Province. In August 2020, the city deployed another batch of Ankai 10.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses on its bus routes. "Hydrogen fuel buses use hydrogen as fuel. Their working principle involves generating electric energy through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which then powers the vehicle via a fuel cell system. The entire process only emits water vapor, without producing carbon dioxide, and the buses have a relatively long range. It takes only 10 minutes to refuel the bus with hydrogen, and it can travel 400 kilometers with a full load and air conditioning on, meeting the high-intensity operational needs of urban public transportation," said Zhu He, Director of the New Energy Technology Research Institute at the Technical Center of Anhui Ankai Automobile Co., Ltd., in an interview. In January of this year, Hefei City launched its first hydrogen energy bus demonstration route, with the initial batch of 23 Ankai hydrogen energy buses put into demonstration use, contributing to safer and more environmentally friendly travel for the public. "Although the current cost of hydrogen energy is relatively high, in the long term, hydrogen fuel buses have significant importance in promoting energy structure transformation, protecting the environment, and advancing technological progress," Zhu He stated. Currently, the single-vehicle operation mileage of Ankai hydrogen fuel buses has exceeded 250,000 kilometers, with good performance in terms of power, economy, and comfort, making them a carrier for green 'zero' carbon travel. As technology advances and the industrial chain gradually improves, the cost of hydrogen energy will further decrease, and hydrogen fuel buses will play a greater role in public transportation. Source: Anhui Daily You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Follow us on: Who is Ravindra Waikar? Shiv Sena MP at the centre of 'EVM hacking' row Follow us on: 8 Hollywood films banned in India but available on OTT Follow us on: Angelina Jolie is now a Tony Award winner all because of her daughter, Vivienne Jolie Follow us on: Kannada star Kiccha Sudeep on actor Darshan Thoogudeepas arrest in murder case: Victim Renukaswamys wife and the unborn child deserve justice Follow us on: National Award winner Miriam Chandy Menacherry: I belong to a generation that began the new wave of Indian documentary cinema OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Tony Awards 2024: Daniel Radcliffe, Angelina Jolie, and Jeremy Strong win big for achievements in Broadway productions Sharmila Chand is an author and freelance journalist, who writes on food, travel, holistic health and lifestyle. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Metal blade found in meal on Air India flight; airline working to prevent a recurrence Manish M. Suvarna is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol. He writes on the Indian money markets, RBI, Banks and NBFCs. He tweets at @manishsuvarna15. Contact: Manish.Suvarna@nw18.com Follow us on: New offshore wind capacity of 410 GW to be installed over next 10 years: Report Equity markets may not be as expensive as they look OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Uncooked food, worn out seats: AI business-class flyer recounts 'nightmare' flight to US Follow us on: G7 endorses IMEC, India's ambitious answer to China's Belt & Road Initiative: What is it? Follow us on: 'India committed to boost partnership with....': PM Modi after meeting US NSA Jake Sullivan Follow us on: IndiGo flight from Delhi to Bagdogra returns to terminal after waiting 2 hrs on tarmac Follow us on: MHA to engage with Meiteis, Kukis in Manipur to address ethnic divide: Amit Shah OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Khalistani separatist Pannun killing plot: Accused Nikhil Gupta extradited to the US OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Nikhil Gupta's lawyer says murder-for-hire case 'complex matter' for India & US 'Not nervous, will give my best to.....': Priyanka Gandhi on her long-awaited poll debut Follow us on: NTA officials won't be spared if they are found guilty of NEET irregularities: Dharmendra Pradhan June 17, 2024 / 20:32 IST Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a review meeting of the security situation in Manipur. The MHA released a statement saying, Amit Shah did a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur and directed to ensure that no further incident of violence take place in Manipur. He said that Central forces deployment will be increased, if required, and Central forces should be deployed strategically to restore peace and tranquillity in the state. He further directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence. Shah directed to ensure that no further incident of violence take place in Manipur. He said that Central forces deployment will be increased, if required, and Central forces should be deployed strategically to restore peace and tranquillity in the state. He further directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence.Union HM underscored the importance of coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide, at the earliest. He said that the Central government has been actively supporting the Manipur Government in strengthening the security situation in the state, added MHA Ajai Sahni is Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management & South Asia Terrorism Portal. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Marc Champion writes editorials on international affairs. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Follow us on: Deadly 'flesh-eating bacteria' infections on the rise in Japan, can kill within 48 hours Best cities to find a job in the US Follow us on: The 'Sperminator' welcomed his 165th child before Father's Day. Why he plans to retire OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Israel warns of escalation from cross-border fire from Hezbollah OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All NATO in talks to put nuclear weapons on standby, boss tells UK's Telegraph Follow us on: Netanyahu disbands his inner war cabinet, Israeli official says Follow us on: Ties that bind: Why is Vladimir Putin going to North Korea? OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All US Supreme Court to hear Nvidia bid to scuttle shareholder lawsuit Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Gordon Ramsay has shown off his gruesome injuries after a bike crash. The famous chef revealed he suffered a scary accident while riding his push bike in Connecticut north of New York last week. Ramsay took to Instagram with a video where he detailed the incident that he says "really shook" him. "I'm lucky to be here," he said before reminding all cyclists to wear helmets. "Honestly, you've got to wear a helmet. I don't care how short the journey is," he said. The Hell's Kitchen host then pulled up his chef jacket to reveal a huge purple bruise climbing up the side of his stomach from his waist to his ribs. "I'm in pain and it's been a brutal week. But I'm getting through it." "I'm doing OK and did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries but I am a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato," Ramsay shared. He went on to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at the New London hospital where he received treatment for his injuries, but saved the biggest thank you for his helmet "that saved my life". Ramsay has been busy promoting the latest instalment of Food Stars, in which he teams up with former Real Housewife Lisa Vanderpump to search for the next great food and beverage entrepreneur. OPINION The economic benefits that building a Taiwan Civil Defense training base can bring to the CNMI President Joe Biden View Photo President Biden delivered a speech regarding gun violence at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: In two weeks, well mark the second anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. (Applause.) Its the and its the most signifi- its the most significant gun legislation in nearly 30 years, and we passed it be- only because you gone out and vo- worked like hell to get it done. May have the idea, but you got it ma- you made it happen. It was designed to reduce gun violence and save lives. And Im so proud of the tremendous progress weve made since then. You know, the year before I came to the presidency, the murder rate was the highest increase on record. Last year, we saw the largest decrease of murder in the history of (inaudible). (Applause.) And those rates are continuing to fall faster than ever. Last year, we also saw one of the lowest rates of all violent crime in nearly 50 years. Murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery all dropped sharply, along with burglary and property crime. (Applause.) Becau- this matters. So much of this progress is because and Im not just trying to be solicitous its because of you. Dont underestimate what you have done. Its amazing what you have done. You changed peoples minds your neighbors, your friends, the folks down at the restaurant, the folks at the grocery store. Through the American Rescue Plan, I was able to invest $15 billion, the largest investment ever to reduce crime. And we built on that progress, with your help, the Bipa- (applause) through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. And heres how. First, the act is helping reduce community violence and domestic violence. It invests $250 million in violence intervention programs all across the country. (Applause.) People are now my daughter is a social worker working with violence against women. Sh- what people dont realize is these things matter. They change they change attitudes. Weve already funded nearly 80 programs and counting. We also made gun trafficking and straw purchasing a federal crime for the first time, giving prosecutors the legal tools to charge traffickers and hold them accountable for the more severe penalties that are available. (Applause.) Additionally, the law strengthens background checks for anyone under the age of 21 trying to purchase a firearm. And its about time. Theres more we have to do there. Its a big deal. (Applause.) Since the law was passed and implemented, the FBI has stopped more than 700 sales of firearms for individuals under the age of 21. And about 20,000 unlicensed firearms dealer are now required to become licensed to run background checks (applause) which will keep guns out of dangerous hands. Second, the act helps stops mass shootings, provides $750 million to state to to states to implement their crisis interventions like red flag laws that temporarily remove firearms from those who are in danger to themselves or others. (Applause.) It also gives $1.3 billion to thousands of schools across the country to build a safer learning environments, including un- (applause) updating safety plans, installing security equipment, hiring mental health professionals and school resource officers (applause) Im married to a full-time teacher; I get it (applause) as well as viole- as well as violence intervention teams. Folks, look, third, the act invests over $1 billion, the largest one-time investment ever in mental heal- youth mental health in our schools (applause) to help them deal with grief and trauma resulting in gun violence. Ive attended too many mass shootings Ive have gone to too many schools across America and stood there and looked at the faces of those young children who were made it and look at all the families that lost somebody. Its tragic. But it needs help. They need help to get through it. It includes an additional 14,000 mental profes- health professionals to be hired and trained in our schools to work in our schools full time. Thats 14,000 more. And (applause) and over 170,000 Americans across the country have been trained to identify when someone is having a mental health crisis and connect them to the help they need. (Applause.) By the way, one of the reasons I wrote the latest veterans bill was because more veterans and more active-duty personnel are dying of suicide than any combat zone. (Applause.) It matters. And, folks, this historic law is already saving lives. But there is still so much more to do to maximize the benefits of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Thats why, last September, I established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. (Applause.) And I mean it. We got first-rate professionals there and overseen by my incredible Vice President (applause) who is a pretty fierce prosecutor as well to drive and coordinate government and nationwide effort to reduce gun violence in America. Thats why we did it. And to send a clear a clear message about how important this issue is to me, to you, and to the entire country. Folks (applause) youre changing the nation. You really are. Youre changing the nation. It builds upon the dozen of executive actions my administration has taken to reduce gun violence more than any of my predecessors, and I suspect more than all of them combined everything from cracking down on ghost guns, gun trafficking, and so much more. Folks, were not stopping there. Its time, once again, to do what I did when I was a senator: ban assault weapons. (Applause.) I mean it. AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Who in Gods name needs a magazine which can hold 200 shells? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Nobody! THE PRESIDENT: Nobody. Thats right. I remember when I was campaigning when I was a senator, going through the through the wetlands of Delaware to meet all the people who were the most upset with me the fishermen and the hunters. And I came across a guy who was fishing, and he said, You want to take my gun. And I looked at him, I said, I I dont want to take your gun. Youre allowed to have a gun, but I want to take away your ability to use an assault weapon. (Applause.) And it well, no, no here here this is how the conversation went. He said, What do you mean? I need that done. I said, Guess what? If you need 12 to 100 bullets in a gun in a magazine, youre the lousiest shot Ive ever heard. (Laughter and applause.) Im serious. And to his credit, he looked at me. He said, You have a good point. (Laughter.) But think about it. Theyre weapons of war. And, by the way, its time we establish universal background checks (applause) and, by the way and require the safe storage of firearms. We should hold (applause) we should hold families responsible if they dont provide those locks on those guns. We if, in fact because three of these major crime scenes Ive visited were ones where the mother or father left open left the stuff out on the desk, left it out on a table, and the kid came and used it. And, by the way, this is the most important: The only industry in America that has immunity are gun dealers. We got to end it (applause) end it now. No, I mean it. Imagine imagine if we gave if we gave tobacco an exception they could not be prosecuted. We what would happen? Wed still a thousand more people would be dying of cancer because of smoke inhalation. Its time we increase funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies as well (applause) to solve the crimes faster. Look, unfortunately this is the only partisan thing Im going to say the congressional Republicans oppose all of these every one of these. Instead of trying to stop our ban on ghost gun kits that contain these can be that can commit crimes, theyre working like hell to to stop it. They want to abali- they want to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives, which is responsible for fighting gun crimes. You cant be pro law enforcement and say you are pro law enforcement and be pro abolishing the AFT. (Applause.) You cant do it. Its outrageous. I disagree with my some of my own party and on the other other side on a lot of things, but at least theres some some rational argument they have as part of their argument. What in Gods name is the rationale for taking away the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms? After a school shooting in Iowa that killed a student and a teacher, my predecessor was asked about it. You remember what he said. He said, Have to get over it. Hell no, we dont have to get over it. (Applause.) We got to stop it. We got to stop it and stop it now. (Applause.) More children are killed in America by guns than cancer and car accidents combined. (Applause.) My predecessor told the NRA convention recently hes proud that, quote, I did nothing on guns when I was president. And by doing nothing, he made the situation considerably worse. Thats why Everytown, why this summit, why all of you here today are so damn important. We need you. We need you to overcome the unrelenting opposition of the gun lobby, gun manufacturers, and so many politicians when they oppose commonsense gun legislation. I used to be a law when I was no longer the vice president, I became a professor at the University of of Pennsylvania. Before that, I taught a constitutional law class, and so I taught the the Second Amendment. Theres never been a time that says you can own anything you want. Th- never. You couldnt own a cannon during the Civil War. (Laughter.) No, Im seri- think about it. How much have you heard this phrase? The blood of liberty (laughter) washed with th- give me a break. (Laughter and applause.) No, I mean it. Seriously. And, by the way, if they want to think they its to take on government if we get out of line, which theyre talking again about well, guess what? They need F-15s. They dont need a rifle. (Laughter.) Folks, look, this is crazy, what were talking about. Because whether were Democrats or Republicans, we want all o- families to be safe. (Applause.) We all want to drop them off at a house of worship, a mall, a movie theater, a school without worrying if its the last time Im going to get to see them. (Applause.) We all want we all want our kids to have the freedom to learn how to read and write in schools instead of learning how to duck and cover, for God sake. (Applause.) And above all above all, we all agree: We are not finished. (Applause.) Look, no single no single action can solve the entirety of the gun violence epidemic. But together, our efforts, your efforts are saving lives. You can help rally a nation with a sense of urgency and seriousness of purpose. Youre changing the culture. We and were proving we can do more than just thoughts and prayers just more than thoughts and prayers. Youre changing politics. Youre proving that youre powerful and youre relentless, and I mean that. Let me close with this. I know many people here have been impacted by gun violence and are tired and frustrated. (Applause.) No no, I I know. Ive been to too many Ive Ive literally spoken with well over a thousand families at these events that Ive attended for mass shootings. And the look in their eyes you can almost you can almost feel that black hole they feel in the center of their chest, like theyre being sucked in, theres no way out. And if they have remaining children, you look at the children and they wonder, Mommy, Daddy, how about me? And I know you may wonder: Are we ever going to make full progress that we need to make? Im here to tell you we have no choice. We cannot give up trying for all the l- lives lost and all those who still there to save. Were going to get there. I have no illusions about how difficult it may be. But I also have no illusions about the people in this room. Youre changing the attitude of the publi- I really mean it. Im going back to why I s- got here in the first place. That is to say thank you. We can come up I can come up with all these ideas about the laws we can change to make it easier, but youre changing peoples lives. Youre convincing your neighbors and people this is necessary. Its beginning to move. Look at what weve already done around the community. Look at the movement youve built, the elected officials standing with you. Look at all the mothers organizations across the country. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Mr. President, you are making a change too! I love you so much! (Inaudible.) (Laughter and applause.) THE PRESIDENT: (Inaudible.) (Applause.) Look When theres a crisis, half of what people affected by a crisis have to know: Is anybody listening? Do you hear me? Do they hear what were saying? Listen to the young people who are speaking out. Thats the power of the memory of your loved ones. Thats the power of this movement. Thats the power of America. We just have to keep going and keep the faith and remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act and do it together. (Applause.) So, God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep it up. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Seven people died and 14 others were injured when a bus carrying Anglican church pilgrims returning from the Bernard Mizeki Annual Festival in Marondera caught fire on Sunday night. A video of the incident showed the Passion Link bus, which was bound for Mutare, complete engulfed in flames with people screaming in the background. Reverend Father Edwin Selemani of the Anglican Church said seven people died at the scene and 14 others had been transported to hospital, some having suffered burns and others fractures from jumping out of the bus Selemani said four of the hospitalised individuals were in a critical condition. Over 20,000 Anglicans made the annual pilgrimage to Bernard Mizekis grave in Marondera. Mizeki, a Mozambique-born missionary, was murdered on June 18, 1896, by local spirit mediums, illustrating the conflict between traditional culture and Christian beliefs. ZimLive. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News By Lambert Strether of Corrente Bird Song of the Day Large Wren-Babbler, Pahang Bukit Rengit, Pahang, Malaysia. I like the name, Wren-Babbler. * * * In Case You Might Miss (1) Trump polling shows effects of conviction among independents. (2) Biden fundraiser video. (3) Kamala Harris mailer. (4) H5N1 cluster continues. * * * Look for the Helpers From alert reader Diptherio: * * * My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of Helpers there. In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday normal incidents and stories of the communism of everyday life are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza). > Politics So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles * * * 2024 Less than a half a year to go! RCP Poll Averages, May 24: Still waiting for some discernible effect from Trumps conviction (aside from, I suppose, his national numbers rising). Swing States (more here) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. If will be interesting to see whether the verdict in Judge Merchans court affects the polling, and if so, how. * * * Trump (R): New Polling Shows the Real Fallout From the Trump Conviction [Politico]. In the weeks since the verdict, both parties have sought to shape the publics initial reaction, with Republicans largely denouncing it and Democrats citing the result as further evidence that Trump is unfit for office. To figure out how this unprecedented moment is being processed by the electorate, POLITICO Magazine partnered with Ipsos in a new survey. Among the most notable findings in our poll: 21 percent of independents said the conviction made them less likely to support Trump and that it would be an important factor in their vote. In a close election, small shifts among independent and swing voters could determine the outcome. But: A sizable number of Americans, including independents, question whether the verdict was the result of a fair and impartial process. And although most respondents rejected the idea that the prosecution was brought to help President Joe Biden, a large number (43 percent of all respondents) either strongly or somewhat agreed that was the rationale for the case. So, still volatile. Trump (R): Trump unleashed: This is the calm before the storm [Salon]. Trumps MAGA cultists treat his speeches and rallies like a type of religious service where they are worshipping their Dear Leader as a type of prophet and messiah-god-martyr. Trump is continuing to summon and channel Adolf Hitler and the Nazis as he uses eliminationist and other genocidal language to describe non-white migrants and refugees and the other people (Democrats, liberals, and the Left) he views as vermin and human pollution in American society. The most naive will continue to hide behind Americas institutions and national character and how the guardrails and the rule of law will supposedly not allow Trump to engage in the types of violence and authoritarian plans he has publicly outlined and promised against his enemies. The corollary here is that if the Democrats, from the base on upwards, genuinely believe this and I have come to the reluctant conclusion that they do, and its not simply manipulation they cannot possibly allow Trump to take office. An election where Biden wins the electoral college is, you might say, Plan B. What Plan A is we dont know, but you can be sure its being gamed out, just as it was in 2020 (with 2016 a gentler version). * * * BIden (D): If Biden doesnt ace the first debate, will he be replaced at the convention? [Douglas MacKinnon, The Hill]. [T]he scheduled presidential debate on June 27 will be the most crucial test yet to determine Bidens mental acuity. The pressure on Biden to ace the debate will be enormous. The warnings from Silver, Stephens and others are critical because aside from an outright health emergency, there is only one more political window left to take the president out of the running and switch in another candidate in his place. That window being at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago beginning on August 19, where Bidens delegates could be released to vote for a more able Democrat. Ed Kilgore says the Democrats would swap in Harris (and not Newsom, and not my favorite dark horse, Pritzker). I dont disagree, partly because this really is the stupidest timeline, but also because the Democrat base thinks shes OK, and how on earth do they throw a [genuflects] Black woman under the bus? Even a woman whos putatively Black (sadly, I cant seem to find the very early California campaign poster where she identifies as an Indian; this was before the person of color locution was invented). Biden (D): This video, I believe, is not impeachable: So embarrassing. The Democrats cant let this go on, surely? pic.twitter.com/ptCtWBbFfh Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 16, 2024 Watch how Obama guides Biden, especially that creepy little pat on the shoulder at 0:34 (Were almost back to your room, Joe, and you can lie down). Yikes. Biden (D): White House, Obama team dispute characterization of fundraiser video [The Hill]. The White House and former President Obamas team disputed the characterization that President Biden froze up on stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser and had to be led off the stage by the former president. The New York Post wrote about the video of Biden under the headline Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks LA fundraiser.' I think the Post and the various Trump influencers are over-egging the pudding; they should just sit back and let Biden be Biden, which he will be. There doesnt need to be any freeze-up; watching the way Obama guides Biden, along with Bidens gait, is enough. Theyre also making two risky bets: (1) that Biden wont be properly juiced for the debate; and (2) that nothing similar will happen with Trump, whos no spring chicken himself. Paging Susie Wiles! Biden (D): I just got my first Harris mailer, so I felt I should add some helpful annotations, and share: [1] Harris would hardly have begun her career as an old prosecutor, surely. [2] The phrase as Vice President of the United States does not agree with the subject of the sentence, President Biden and I , unless Biden is, Schrodinger-like, simultaneously President and Vice President. (Readers, I know theres a name for this error, but I cant dredge it up. Please add in comments). [3] Once again, if Democrats really believe this, they cannot let Trump take office. [4] I guess theyre going with our democracy and not populism (though one could argue that our progress gestures vaguely in the direction of populism). [5] Contradicts [3]. Why am I sending twenty five bucks to prevent rhetoric? * * * Who Is Favored To Win The 2024 Presidential Election? [FiveThirtyEight]. The 2024 presidential election starts out in our forecast as a toss-up. While former President Donald Trump has a lead in most key swing states, they are close enough that a small amount of movement or the polls being a little too favorable to Republicans could result in President Joe Bidens reelection. Right now, Biden is favored to win in 494 out of 1,000 simulations of how the election could go, while Trump wins in 502 of our simulations. In 4 simulations, no candidate wins a majority of Electoral College votes, which would throw the election to the House of Representatives. Our forecast launches just a week and a half after Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a scheme to pay hush money to a porn star during the 2016 election. Since May 30, he has lost ground in the polls, with his national margin in 538s polling average falling from +1.7 to +1.0 as of Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Our forecast today thinks there is more room for Biden to improve, with economic and political fundamentals indicators pulling his predicted margin in the national popular vote up from -1.0 to +2.3 points. But he still lags in the key swing states, with his margin at just 1 point in Pennsylvania, the likeliest state to tip the Electoral College to either candidate, well within our uncertainty interval. And with five months left until Election Day, there is still a lot of room for the polls to change, as indicated by the 3-in-10 chance of either Trump or Biden winning a landslide of more than 350 electoral votes come Nov. 5. Apparently Silvers designers felt that scrollbars werent needed [snarl]. Anyhow, dragging the cursor across the text to the very end, this looks like spurious precision, to me: Resilience Part 1 (or a First Look at the 538 Model for 2024) [Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo]. 538 just released its official 2024 forecast model. It shows a toss-up. (Technically, out of a thousand simulations, Biden wins 53% of the times and Trump wins 47% of the times.) This is significant, but not perhaps in the way you think. First, while poll averages are helpful to making sense of the current state of the race, forecasts are like predicting the future. In fact, they are literally about predicting the future. And predicting the future is hard a basic life lesson if you havent come across it yet. To me, the 538 modeling is the gold standard. But I see it still as half a novelty. Thats no criticism of the people who put it together, incredibly smart folks [who left effing scrolls bars off the page, that kind of smart]. Its just that there are a lot of factors that cant be reduced to formulas and data inputs and the data that can be put into the model come with their own clouds of uncertainty. To me its a helpful data exercise which takes a knowledgable persons range of factors, adds a bunch more and looks at them in a systematic and consistent-over-time fashion, stripped of wishful thinking. Thats helpful. Its just not the be all and end all. But heres why its significant. And on into glass half full. And Marshall is perfectly correct. In a 50/50 race there are paths to victory for Biden, too, just as there were for Trump in 2016. Adding, I prefer Silver the pundit to 538 the modeler. At least with the former, the assumptions are visible. Speaking of glass half full The Overlooked (But Real) Possibility of a Big Democratic Win [The Atlantic]. The relentless focus on Trump is understandable, but it has obscured a central reality of the 2024 election: Democrats have a real chance to sweep the presidency, House, and Senate. And if they do, their congressional majority would likely be more cohesive and progressive than during President Joe Bidens first two years in office. Bidens deficit in the polls is much smaller than the partys panic suggests and has narrowed since Trumps felony convictions. Democrats need to flip only a few seats to recapture the House. Holding the Senate wont be easy, but thanks to the retirements of a pair of maverick Democrats, even a small majority could open a path to [ pathetically small ] substantial legislative achievements such as the passage of a comprehensive voting-rights bill, a federal guarantee for abortion rights, lower drug prices, and an expanded social safety net. More: Progressives are prodding him in this direction too. In April, the Congressional Progressive Caucus published an agenda comprising dozens of policies that it believes Democratic majorities could enact in a Biden second term and that it wants the president to highlight during the campaign. The group excluded proposals that Biden doesnt support, such as Medicare for All . But it featured many ideas that fell just short of passing in 2021 and 2022, such as expanding Medicare coverage and Social Security benefits, implementing universal pre-K and tuition-free public college, and restoring an expanded child tax credit. Thats our Progressives! Never leading, always following! The dread election: Share of double haters hits historic high [Axios]. A quarter of Americans hold unfavorable views of both President Biden and former President Trump the highest share of double haters at this stage in any of the last 10 elections, according to new Pew Research data. The closely watched bloc has nearly doubled in size since 2020, making this falls Trump vs. Biden rematch the most dreaded election in modern political history. Top strategists say the race is likely to be decided by 6% of voters in six swing states. Many of them will hold their nose and pick a candidate they dislike in November. But: They may dislike both candidates, but the intensity on Trumps negative is higher, Democratic pollster Jefrey Pollock told Axios. A campaign that has the resources to persuade those individuals has some advantage.' Further thoughts about the foreseeable future [Roger Kimball, American Greatness]. Reads like the guy emptied his quote box, but this is fun: Pollsters are busy taking the pulse of voters, and pundits are doing their owlish best to parse the data and take the auspices. It pains me to say that many of them are in the position of poor Publius Claudius Pulcher, commander of the Roman fleet in 249 at the Sicilian Battle of Drepana during the First Punic War. It was customary, before a battle, for Romans to consult the sacred chickens. Some feed was scattered in front of them. If they ate, the auspices were good and the battle could proceed. If they turned up the beaks at the food, however, the prudent commander held back. Pulcher scattered the food. The chickens didnt eat. He tried again. Same result. Finally, exasperated, he had the beast[s] tossed overboard and is said to have remarked, Bidant, quoniam esse nolunt: let them drink since they do not want to eat! Pulcher, you will not be surprised to hear, lost the battle. Our Famously Free Press Foxs Howie Kurtz Criticizes Misleading Coverage Of Biden Cheapfake Video Including Fox News [Mediaite]. Fox News host Howie Kurtz ripped misleading coverage including Foxs of a cheapfake video of President Joe Biden at the G7 watching a skydiving show last week. The RNC Research account seized on a moment in which the president moved away from the group to congratulate a skydiver who was packing his chute. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy then grabbed Bidens arm to draw his attention to a member of the skydiving team who was addressing the group of world leaders. The New York Post then posted a version of the clip cropped vertically so the skydiver Biden was congratulating didnt show in the video. Kurtz: [I]f you look at it from a slightly broader angle, the President had turned to chat with a skydiver who just landed as part of a show near the world leaders and to give the man a thumbs up before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni guided him back to where they were taking a group photo. The moral: Always go with the wide-angle view, not the close-up. Photographers like close-ups; If your pictures arent good enough, youre not close enough, said Robert Capa. But we should be looking for news photographs, not good photographs. Sinclair floods local news websites with hundreds of deceptive articles about Bidens mental fitness [Popular Information]. On June 13, Sinclairs National Desk published an article headlined, Biden appears to wander away during G7 summit, escorted back by Italian PM. The article links to a social media post by right-wing polemicist Collin Rugg, who commented on a video clip by RNC Research. Rugg says Biden appears to start wandering off at the G7 summit and has to be handled back in, describing it as a clown show. The Trump campaign claimed Biden was wandering around like a brain-dead zombie. Sinclair, echoing the Trump campaigns political attack, described it as one of a string of strange incidents for Biden. There was nothing strange about the incident. The G7 leaders watched a skydiving demonstration, with each parachuter carrying a flag for each nation. Biden briefly walks away from the group to give another parachuter a thumbs up. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Biden was being very polite and went over to talk to all of them individually.' I did, in fact, see what purported to be the full video, which does this (video purports to be until proven otherwise). More: Each of these crass political smears masquerading as journalism was syndicated to at least 86 local news websites owned by Sinclair. Spook Country Intelligence Officials Secretly Paid by Big Tech to Fight Antitrust Reforms [Lee Fang]. High-level former intelligence and national security officials have provided crucial assistance to Silicon Valley giants as the tech firms fought off efforts to weaken online monopolies and force competition on major platforms We need to keep Big Tech strong so it can keep America strong, claimed Robert OBrien, the former White House National Security Advisor to President Trump. OBrien has appeared on cable news programs and penned several opinion columns rallying opposition to tech antitrust reforms in Congress. .The disclosures show that the tech group not only paid a group of former Trump intelligence officials but also retained the services of Global Strategy Group, a polling and consulting firm that advises the Democratic National Committee. CCIA, notably, repeatedly cited OBriens concerns around national security and China, casting him as a neutral expert rather than a paid consultant. Clinton Legacy Hillary Clintons shock Tonys appearance baffles viewers as she makes political joke [Daily Express]. Clinton is a producer of the Broadway musical Suffs (Suffragettes). This seems to have been the joke: While speaking about the suffragettes, she quipped she knows how hard it can be to make change, referring to her attempts for the Presidency. Her outfit: If you had to run, I suppose thats easier to do in a caftan that a Nina McLemore. Syndemics I am in earnest I will not equivocate I will not excuse I will not retreat a single inch AND I WILL BE HEARD. William Lloyd Garrison * * * Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot ; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); Iowa COVID-19 Tracker (in IA, but national data). Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts (especially on hospitalization by city). Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put COVID in the subject line. Thank you! Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur dAlene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard) ; NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard) ; PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV ( wastewater ); WY ( wastewater ). Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada). Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usees); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater). Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). Stay safe out there! * * * Transmission: Covid Viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in body fluids associated with sexual activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis [BMJ Open]. From the Abstract: Objective: To identify and summarise the evidence on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA detection and persistence in body fluids associated with sexual activity (saliva, semen, vaginal secretion, urine and faeces/rectal secretion). Results: The maximum viral persistence for faeces/rectal secretions was 210 days, followed by semen 121 days, saliva 112 days, urine 77 days and vaginal secretions 13 days. Culturable SARS-CoV-2 was positive for saliva and faeces. News you can use! Elite Maleficence Bird flu snapshot: A critic of the U.S. response speaks out, and USDA tries to corner the virus' [STAT]. Seth Berkley, the former head of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, gave voice last week to a point of view STAT has been hearing for a while about the U.S. response to the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in dairy cows. Its been shocking to watch the ineptitude , Berkley, an American currently living in Switzerland, said Berkley was talking, among other things, about the surveillance being done to try to get a handle on how widespread the outbreak has actually become. It has been nearly three months since the virus was first identified in cattle, and the country is no closer to an answer to that question. Have any of the affected herds cleared their infections? If so, how many? The USDA couldnt answer those questions on Thursday. And yet Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack confidently declared at a press conference earlier this month that his department feels it knows how the virus is moving between herds and how to stop it. We are trying to essentially corner the virus, Vilsack said, despite the fact that operators of only 11 of the affected herds have applied for USDA help to improve biosecurity on their farms and defray testing costs. I have to confess, there are times when our institutional response makes me feel like this: I suppose there was nowhere to run to, but still! pic.twitter.com/3GE4M4YOxa James Withers (@JamesRWithers) July 10, 2022 The videographer survived, fortunately, as I, and you who are reading this have done, so far. So, not fear mongering but clarity, rational apprehension, anticipation. It will be a miracle if H5N1 does not go full explosive pandemic. [Lazarus Long, ThreadReader]. So, the USDA is telling us not to worry because they are depending on public health to test people to let us know if it is spreading in people. Who are not being tested. Oh. More: Not coincidentally, did you know that 10% of poultry workers test positive for H5N1? Per @NIOSH, in DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008128. Protecting Poultry Workers from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) In which they recommend respirators or PAPR. PAPR = Powered Air Purifying Respirator. * * * TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts Wastewater Dad Joke This week[1] CDC June 10: Last Week[2] CDC June 3 (until next week): Variants[3] CDC June 8 Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC June 1 Hospitalization New York[5] New York State, data June 14: National [6] CDC May 25: Positivity National[7] Walgreens June 10: Dad Joke Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic June 8: Travelers Data Dad Joke Positivity[9] CDC May 27: Dad Joke Variants[10] CDC May 27: Deaths Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC June 1: Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC June 1: LEGEND 1) for charts new today; all others are not updated. 2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and open image in new tab. NOTES [1] (CDC) This weeks wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. The numbers in the right hand column are identical. The dots on the map are not. [2] (CDC) Last weeks wastewater map. [3] (CDC Variants) FWIW, given that last week KP.2 was all over everything like kudzu, and now its KP.3. If the Nowcast cant even forecast two weeks out, why are we doing it at all? [4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented. [5] (Hospitalization: NY) A slight decrease followed by a return to a slight, steady increase. (The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.) [6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented. [7] (Walgreens) 4.3%; big jump. (Because there is data in current view tab, I think white states here have experienced no change, as opposed to have no data.) [8] (Cleveland) Going up. [9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesnt even run back to 1/21/23, as it used to, but now starts 1/1/24. Theres also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesnt want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, thats why the shape of the curve has changed. [10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. Im leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much: [11] Deaths low, but positivity up. [12] Deaths low, ED up. Stats Watch Manufacturing: United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index [Trading Economics]. The NY Empire State Manufacturing Index increased to -6 in June 2024 from -15.6 in May, beating forecasts of -9. It is the highest reading in four months, although it still pointed to a moderate decline in business activity in the New York State. * * * Tech: Proton is taking its privacy-first apps to a nonprofit foundation model [Ars Technica]. We believe that if we want to bring about large-scale change, Proton cant be billionaire-subsidized (like Signal), Google-subsidized (like Mozilla), government-subsidized (like Tor), donation-subsidized (like Wikipedia), or even speculation-subsidized (like the plethora of crypto foundations), Proton CEO Andy Yen wrote in a blog post announcing the transition. Instead, Proton must have a profitable and healthy business at its core. The announcement comes exactly 10 years to the day after a crowdfunding campaign saw 10,000 people give more than $500,000 to launch Proton Mail. To make it happen, Yen, along with co-founder Jason Stockman and first employee Dingchao Lu, endowed the Proton Foundation with some of their shares. The Proton Foundation is now the primary shareholder of the business Proton, which Yen states will make irrevocable our wish that Proton remains in perpetuity an organization that places people ahead of profits. Among other members of the Foundations board is Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of HTML, HTTP, and almost everything else about the web. Of particular importance is where Proton and the Proton Foundation are located: Switzerland. As Yen noted, Swiss foundations do not have shareholders and are instead obligated to act in accordance with the purpose for which they were established. While the for-profit entity Proton AG can still do things like offer stock options to recruits and even raise its own capital on private markets, the Foundation serves as a backstop against moving too far from Protons founding mission, Yen wrote. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 42 Fear (previous close: 38 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 43 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jun 17 at 1:48:29 PM ET. Rapture Index: Closes unchanged [Rapture Ready]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 188. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) Bird flu not a concern, apparently. Still flirting with the 189 ceiling. The Gallery Some say the Nabis are just wallpaper. And sometimes they are! But what wallpaper! News of the Wired NASA again delays Boeing Starliners return home [Phys.org]. Mark Nappi, vice president of Boeings Commercial Crew Program, added, We have an incredible opportunity to spend more time at station and perform more tests which provides invaluable data unique to our position. Nothing to see here! * * * Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From RM: RM writes: Im so pleased to see these spring flowers pop out but then I hear from a friend back East that her mom is busy digging them out of her yard. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated: If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! Lambert here: Say its not so! By Harald Hau, Senior Chair at Swiss Finance Institute, Professor of Economics and Finance at University Of Geneva, Tim-Ole Radach, Student at TU Dresden, and Marcel Thum, Director at IFO Dresden, Professor of Economics at TU Dresden. Originally published at VoxEU. The Credit Suisse crisis illustrates how poor governance can lead a large bank into a crisis despite compliance with capital requirements. Recent research on supervisory board competence in banks has provided interesting new insights. This column updates an index of supervisory board competence for a sample of German banks and compares their performance in 2023 versus 2008. Although competence measures have improved for most banks, large gaps remain across banks and also between public-sector and private-sector banks. Bank supervisors should systematically measure, track, and report bank board competence and its alignment with a banks business. The global banking market is once again experiencing turbulent times. Following two bank failures in the US, Credit Suisse, one of the major European banks, suffered a liquidity crisis in March 2023 after a decade of both poor governance and disappointing performance. In his book on the failure of Credit Suisse, Swiss financial journalist Dirk Schuetz (2023, p. 57) makes the following assessment of the appointments to the Board of Directors in 2015: Roche boss Severin Schwan was appointed as the new Vice Chairman [of Credit Suisse], a proven pharmaceutical expert without in-depth financial knowledge. Or Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun: a luminary for self-driving cars but hardly for ailing balance sheets. [] For the first time in history, probably the wildest of all major global banks was led by two non-bankers and the banking expertise on the Board of Directors was meagre. And the supervisors from FINMA nodded off all personnel decisions. Is the lack of financial expertise on the board of Credit Suisse and its ultimate failure a pure coincidence? Or is supervisory board competence an important factor in determining long-term bank risk? Study Results on the 2007/08 Banking Crisis From a legal perspective, a competent supervisory board is responsible for ensuring that competent managers on the management board have the day-to-day business under control, that the right incentives are in place at the bank level, and that a business model is pursued with a sustainable balance between profitability and risk. To fulfil these tasks, however, the members of the supervisory board must also understand the banking business, and particularly the complex products and risks in the global financial markets. However, banking and financial market expertise is by no means a given. During the financial crisis of 2007/08, we were able to show in a much-cited study that the competencies of the supervisory boards of German banks differed greatly (Hau and Thum 2008, 2009). The more competent the supervisory and administrative boards were, the lower the average losses suffered by a bank during the financial crisis (Figure 1). The differences between private and public-sector banks were striking. The boards of directors of many public-sector banks lacked a deeper understanding of complex financial products, which also explains the disastrous performance of Sachsen LB, Bayern LB, and HSH Nordbank. Figure 1 Correlation between financial market experience and losses during the 2007/8 financial crisis Notes: DB = Deutsche Bank, COM = Commerzbank, DRS = Dresdner Bank, DZ = DZ Bank, HVB = HVB Group, HRE = Hypo Real Estate, EUH = Eurohypo, PB = Postbank, DG = Deutsche Genossenschafts-Hypothekenbank, WGZ = WGZ Bank AG Westdeutsche Genossenschafts-Zentralbank, SOP = Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. KGaA, DEX = Dexia Kommunalbank Deutschland AG, BHY = Berlin-Hannoversche Hypothekenbank AG, LBW = LBBW, BLB = Bayern LB, KfW = KfW Bankengruppe, WLB = WestLB, HSH = HSH Nordbank, NLB = Nord LB, HEL = Helaba, LBB = Landesbank Berlin, DEK = Dekabank, LRP = LRP Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz, SLB = Sachsen LB, IKB = IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG. Source: Hau and Thum (2009) This relationship between competent board supervision and bank performance has been examined in several studies in recent years (e.g. Cunat and Garicano 2010, Pereira and Filipe 2015, Fernandes et al. 2016a, b, Locatelli et al. 2018, Mizan 2018, Pereira and Filipe 2018, Mavrakana and Psillaki 2019, Ayadi et al. 2019, de Andres et al. 2020, Ellul and Yerramilli 2013, Fernandes and Fich 2023, Kanojia and Priya 2016, Jin and Mamatzakis 2018, Boadi and Osarfo 2019, Al-Matari et al. 2022, Magnis et al. 2023). In summary, the studies across countries and different time periods show that competence on the supervisory board is associated with better bank performance. In view of the complexity of modern banks and financial markets, competent supervision can no longer be carried out comprehensively by individual persons. Supervisory boards must, therefore, have a broad range of expertise and should cover all relevant areas of the banking business (Fernandes et al. 2016a). Can Board Competence Be Increased through Regulation? Following the financial crisis in 2007/8, Germany adopted a new legal basis for the appointment of supervisory board members. Since 2009, Section 25d (2) of the German Banking Act requires that the members of the administrative or supervisory board as a whole must have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to perform the supervisory function and to assess and monitor the management of the institution or group of institutions or financial holding group, financial holding company or mixed financial holding company. The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) can check the qualifications and independence of the members of banking supervisory boards, monitor the composition of the supervisory boards and demand transparent reporting from the banking supervisory boards on their activities (risk assessment, compliance, and corporate governance). BaFin also has the power to impose sanctions on bank supervisory boards following the amendment to the German Banking Act. Was this legislative initiative successful? Or was this reaction to the previous financial crisis merely a political lightning rod that, due to a lack of regulatory implementation (by BaFin), has remained without any real consequences for the actual professional competence of German bank supervisory boards? These questions have prompted us to update the original competence survey from 2009 to 2023. Has there been an improvement not least thanks to legislation? As the quality of corporate control by supervisory and administrative boards cannot be observed directly, we use the same indirect measures as for 2008 to examine whether the supervisory boards at least have the necessary skills to monitor managers and update these board competence measures for 2023. We use 14 different biographical criteria for the monitoring potential in the supervisory boards of banks. The variables capture the educational background (three indicator variables), financial experience (six indicator variables), and management experience (five indicator variables) of a supervisory board member; see Figure 2. Financial experience includes, for example, whether a member has banking experience, whether the member has financial market experience, and whether this experience was acquired recently. For each affirmative answer, we assign one point and sum these to a total value for each board member. The overall competence of the supervisory board is calculated by averaging across all supervisory board members. For each bank, we then create both an overall index and sub-indices for each of the three groups of variables (education, financial market, management). Figure 2 Indicator variables of supervisory board competence Source: own calculations. Not all of the banks examined in Hau and Thum (2009) are still active or operate in the same form. The original sample consisted of 29 German banks with total assets of more than 40 billion in 2007. Five banks have since ceased operations (Hypo Real Estate, WestLB, Sachsen LB, Dexia, Sal. Oppenheim), and seven others have merged with banks already included in the sample. Two banks have changed their name and legal status: HSH Nordbank was privatised as Hamburg Commercial Bank and Berlin-Hannoversche Hypothekenbank AG now trades as Berlin Hyp AG. The current sample thus comprises 17 banks, of which nine are private, and eight are organised under public law. Despite these changes in the last 15 years, the updated sample for 2023 still covers eight of the ten largest banks in Germany in terms of total assets. Development of Supervisory Board Skills in German Banks Figures 3, Panels A-D show the supervisory board competencies for each of the banks available in the dataset in the years 2008 and 2023. The first three figures show the sub-indices for education, financial market experience and management competence separately. The fourth figure provides the aggregated overall board competence. The board competence measures for 2008 and 2023 are shown on the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. Figure 3 Supervisory board competence, 2008 vs. 2023 Notes: BLB = BayernLB, BH = Berlin Hyp, CB = Commerzbank, DKB = DekaBank, DB = Deutsche Bank, DPB = Deutsche Pfandbriefbank, HCB = Hamburg Commercial Bank, HLB = Helaba, HVB = HypoVereinsbank, IKB = IKB Deutsche Industriebank, KfW = KfW, LBB = Landesbank Berlin, LBBW = LBBW, NLB = NORD/LB, NRW = NRW.BANK, = public-sector bank, = private bank. Source: own calculations We highlight the following insights: First, the competence measures have increased slightly for most banks. If board competencies were unchanged, the points would lie on the 45-degree line. As most of the points are above the 45-degree line, the competence measures in all three sub-categories are slightly higher today than in 2008. Overall, however, the gap between the qualified and less qualified supervisory boards remains enormous. Secondly, the ranking of banks is highly persistent over the 15-year period. A rank correlation test rejects the (null) hypothesis that the 2008 and 2023 ranks of banks in terms of overall board competence are independent (with a p-value of 0.07). Higher persistence is particularly noticeable in the case of financial market experience: banks with a relatively high level of financial market experience in 2023 (compared to other banks) were generally also doing well in this indicator in 2008. Thirdly, the boards of directors of public-sector banks lag the supervisory boards of private banks in terms of financial market expertise and management expertise. Although the public-sector banks have slightly improved (as seen by a point just above the 45-degree line), the scores for the public-sector banks in 2023 are still much lower than they were already in 2008. Improvements in board quality for public sector banks have thus been disappointing and suggest that the lessons from 2007/8 have not been learned when it comes to board composition. Conclusions The financial crisis of 2007/8, with its high losses by German public banks, motivated our original study on the nexus between bank board competence and financial performance. In the following 15 years, this research question was taken up by numerous other academic studies and replicated for various countries with modifications. The vast majority of the studies examined here found a statistically significant correlation. In Germany, the idea that board competence matters has also been enshrined in law: Since 2009, supervisory board appointments have had to be approved by BaFin, with candidates required to have the knowledge, skills and experience to perform their supervisory function. However, this legal requirement has had little impact in practice. Fifteen years after the major financial crisis of 2007/8, the average quality of supervisory boards has improved only slightly. The quality of public banks, in particular, remains below average and woefully low. What we see is that bank supervisors (like BAFIN) are often reluctant to fulfill a legislative mandate and opportunistically opt for a lax implementation. What are the policy implications of these empirical findings? There is a strong public interest in more competent supervisory boards, particularly in banks in which the state is the main owner, as the taxpayer is liable here. However, even in the case of large private banks, a lack of supervisory or administrative board competence often poses a systemic risk to the entire banking system, as the Credit Suisse case impressively demonstrates. We recommend that bank supervisors systematically measure, track, and report bank board competence and its alignment with a banks business. Moreover, more supervisory accountability is required if existing regulation on board qualifications is to be implemented with the rigor it deserves. References available at the original. Where is the center of the universe? Space.com Toilet Train Your Tyrannosaur 3 Quarks Daily Momentum Is Still Drawing Magnificent Mojo Bloomberg Climate Water Syndemics Yes, People Really Are Getting Sick More Often After Covid (June 17) and June 14 Yes, Everyone Really Is Sick a Lot More Often After Covid Bloomberg. Commentary: It's because of immunity debt, reporting, poverty, missed vaccines. But NOT ONCE does this Bloomberg article mention that thousands of scientists have verified and peer-reviewed the fact that covid harms the immune system. Not once. pic.twitter.com/RxRZEmnKtg Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) June 16, 2024 Too many children with long COVID are suffering in silence. Their greatest challenge? The myth that the virus is harmless for kids ABC Australia Heres What Is Wrong With the National Academies Long COVID Definition MedPage Today To respond to the threat of avian influenza, look back at lessons learned from COVID-19 Nature The Ineptitude is The Point Jessica Wildfire, OK Doomer Yves here. Michael Hudson explains how the US sought to promote dependency in grains as a way of preserving its economic dominance. While most of us know wars are often fought over resources, we dont often think in the modern era of control of supplies of agricultural goods accomplishing similar ends. By Michael Hudson, a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a research associate at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. His latest book is The Destiny of Civilization. A new monthly column for German newspaper Berliner Wochenende. Ever since World War II, U.S. trade strategists have based their international policy on control of two key commodities: oil and grain. Economically, they have been the mainstay of the U.S. balance of payments, the leading categories of export surplus (along with weapons), especially as the U.S. economy has deindustrialized. And politically, these are basic needs of every economy. U.S. diplomacy has sought to make other countries dependent on American grain. In the 1950s, most notably, U.S. opposition to Maos Communist revolution in China sought to impose a grain embargo on that country. But Canada broke the sanctions creating good will for decades. U.S. trade strategists have sought to promote grain dependency on U.S. farmers by opposing foreign attempts to achieve grain self-sufficiency. Most notoriously, the World Bank from the outset refused to make any agricultural loans to Global South/Third World countries for the production of food grains. Lending has been limited to promoting tropical crops that do not compete with U.S. farm production. The result is that countries like Chile, with the worlds largest supply of natural guano fertilizer, have squandered their export earnings from copper on buying U.S. grain that they could easily have produced themselves. As soon as the seven-member Common Market/EEC was created in 1958, its Common Agricultural Policy became the main area of diplomatic conflict between the EEC and the United States. That was one reason why U.S. diplomats promoted the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) as a rival. They had grandfathered Americas heavy agricultural protectionism into trade agreements. President Roosevelts Agricultural Adjustment Act, price supports (parity pricing), agricultural extension services and other government support made sustained farm productivity gains exceed those of any other country. So it was no wonder that Europes CAP sought to achieve similar gains for its farm sector, and consequent contributions to the trade balance of France, Germany and other member countries. For the EEC, the CAP was the major and most successful economic achievement of the 1960s and 1970s. Europe became a major grain exporter. There was nothing that U.S. diplomacy could do to preserve its former market dominance in this area. This success made agriculture a key element of French and German diplomacy with the EEC expanded into todays European Community. Obviously, these two leading farm producers have sought to maintain their own dominant position. It is only natural that new EU member countries would like subsidies for their own agriculture to achieve similar farm productivity gains and similar supports. This has been an ongoing political fight within the EU. And it has come to a head with the war in Ukraine, seeking access to the European market. Its soils are famously the richest and most productive in the world, making it a natural global exporter of grain, sunflower seeds and other farm products. But once again, U.S. diplomatic interests are antithetical to those of the EU. American companies have bought up broad swaths of Ukrainian farmland, and seek access to European markets, starting with Poland. Its president Andrej Duda explained the problem in an interview with Lithuanian National Radio and Television: I would like to draw particular attention to industrial agriculture, which is not really run by Ukrainians, it is run by big companies from Western Europe, from the USA. If we look today at the owners of most of the land, they are not Ukrainian companies. This is a paradoxical situation, and no wonder that farmers are defending themselves, because they have invested in their farms in Poland [] and cheap agricultural produce coming from Ukraine is dramatically destructive to them. The threat to Poland and other European farm producers of low-priced Ukrainian grain has been intensified by two major developments. Ukrainian access to the Black Sea being blocked, leaving rail transport westward as its major alternative to sell its grain. And the U.S. company BlackRock has worked with Ukrainian President Zelensky to organize U.S. and European investment in Ukrainian industrial-scale agriculture to help provide foreign exchange for the country in its NATO-backed war against Russia. National Ukrainian lobbying interests have joined U.S. diplomatic pressure for tariff-free access to the EU grain market. Polish farmers recently have sought to block Ukrainian grain imports from lowering the prices at which they can sell their own grain. Without price supports for this and other EU farmers, the threat of U.S.-backed Ukrainian farm competition is a major deterrent to Ukrainian membership in the EU. As such, it revives the U.S.-European conflict of agricultural interests that has been waged for over half a century. Extension of the EU economic supports for Ukrainian farm competition would be, in the sphere of agricultural trade, the equivalent of destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in impairing European prosperity. U.S. agricultural interests in opposing the EECs CAP after 1958 now pit U.S. investment interests against todays EU farm producers. Yves here. Below, John Helmer describes the General Staffs and military bloggers frustration with Putin continuing to prosecute the Ukraine war in a measured way. He also provides ample detail on probable near-term Ukraine targets and the effects of destroying them. In keeping, there seems to be annoyance in those circles with Putin signaling hed be willing to settle only for the four oblasts that Russia regards as now part of Russia, oh, along with some other goodies like Ukraine neutrality. They seem to have forgotten that even this is a cheeky ask, with Russia fully occupying only one of the four oblasts, Lugansk. It is no doubt true Russia could be much more aggressive. But let me play devils advocate a bit. I saw the Putin speech where he made his peace proposal to be papering the record in classic lawyer style, and here for the sake of countries not hostile to Russias position. He went through the long record of Western bad faith regarding Putins efforts to resolve the conflict. That included new details, like Obama calling Putin to press him to support a negotiated solution to the Maidan Square protests. In less than 24 hours, the opposition broke the deal, with none of its supposed Western guarantors, the US, France, Germany, lifting a finger to get the coup-meisters to relent. Putin was clear that this was yet another Western deception. Putin further fleshed out the long backstory to demonstrate that Russia is not merely in engaged in subduing Ukraine to assure that NATO does not get its grubby hands on it. Russia is prosecuting a war against the entire Collective West, which has kinetic, economic, geopolitical and domestic political elements. The fact that Russia has gotten the upper hand on the first three dimensions, despite having a much smaller economy than its combined opponents, and clearly having invaded Ukraine, is a testament to Putins skill at navigating highly complex, multidimensional problems. Continuing high approval ratings in Russia and his success in maintaining normal life are evidence that Putin is succeeding on the last front. The conflict in Ukraine parallels the Cuban missile crisis. Some like Scott Ritter have argued the risks of nuclear war are worse now, with too many leaders talking up the idea of a tactical nuclear strike. Putin pointed out that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 20 kilotons of explosive force, while a tactical nuclear bomb is 75 kilotons (Internet sources suggest the minimum is more like 100 kilotons). In the Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy reined in the armed forces. Weve cited this incident occasionally, the first time in 2015: After the US blockaded Cuba, Khrushchev sent ships on course to Cuba, presumably to break the cordon. Secretary of State Dean Rusk asked the Admiral in charge of the operation what the Navy would do when the Russian ships approached. He was told theyd first make a shot across the bow. Rusk said asked what would happen next if the Russians were not deterred. The Admiral got testy and told Rusk that the Navy had been running blockades since 1812 and it was basically none of his business. I cant locate the book readily [Jonathan Glovers Humanity] to give the exact wording but this is the spirit of Rusks dressing down: This is not about your pettifogging naval traditions. The stakes are much higher than that. This operation is a means for the President to communicate with Khrushchev. You will remain in constant contact. You will not take a single action unless it has been explicitly authorized by the President. Have I made myself clear? Kennedy did have the better reading of the risk than his hotheaded defense team. As Rev Kev pointed out recently: My favourite McNamara story is of how he was all in on invading Cuba during the missile crisis of 62 when he was Secretary of Defense but was over-ruled by JFK. About thirty years later he happened to be sitting at a table next to the Russian in charge of their military in Cuba back then and they got to talking. McNamara nearly fell off his chair when the Russian told him that not only did he have strategic nukes but also tactical nukes and was fully authorized to use them in case of an American invasion. Similarly, as youll see below, those who want a more aggressive campaign are arguing for Russia to go Houthi in the Black Sea, without considering how a full-bore war on naval vessels would have all sorts of collateral damage, particularly for Global South countries with large import/export sectors. Helmer does describe, in detail, how Russia is ready and able to deliver a knockout blow to Ukraines ability to import electricity and fuel to run generators. The speed of unraveling in the face of a big further ratcheting down in energy supplies would presumably be comparatively fast, on the order of weeks rather than months. But then how to provide humanitarian relief to civilians? Is Russia at all prepared to do so on the scale of what is left of Ukraine? And if Russia is failing to do so, would this not provide an excuse for NATO countries to enter, allegedly to help a suffering population? I dont see any sign of scenarios for What happens if we engineer a speedy collapse? having been thought through, at least by the armchair generals. Alexander Mercouris recently pointed out another reason for Russia still moving carefully: supply lines. Russia has so far had the luxury of operating almost in its own back yard. As it advances into Ukraine, its logistics will become much more daunting. Those ought to be reasonably well sorted out before making any concerted advances. And finally, PlutoniumKun pointed out another major issue that will, or should, affect war planning: the probable need to take most of Western Ukraine. Mark Sleboda, who is cautious by temperament, has come around to the conclusion that as problematic as that option is, its worse to leave Western Ukraine unresolved so as to allow for continued US/NATO destabilization. PlutoniumKun noted recently in comments: Im glad for once to see someone mention water and sewerage, something often overlooked in all the high level military/geostrategic theorising. Ukraine is topographically flat, which means that nearly all its water services require active pumping. This has clear strategic implications (nevermind the hardships this will cause for millions of Ukrainians). There is a good reason why most uncontentious national boundaries follow watersheds, not the obvious boundary of rivers because once a river is shared, you need intensive co-operation on a wide range of issues, from fishing to bridges and dams and flood controls and water quality. This is obviously unlikely for many years after whatever resolves the war. Since Russia needs to control the mouth of the Dnieper for strategic purposes, and needs to control the lower dams and canals for water supply, the obvious question is what happens if a rump Ukraine state is either unwilling or unable to maintain infrastructure upriver. Not just dams what happens if they pump all of Kievs sewerage into the Dnieper? Russia can hardly complain if its crippled Ukraines infrastructure. So Russia has three choices seek complete control over most of the Dnieper watershed (which is most of Ukraine), or accept that it has no control over it becoming a sewer and construct alternative infrastructure, or it can try to ensure that whatever deal finally finishes the war includes a comprehensive watershed management. The latter seems very convoluted and unlikely, not least because Russia might then have no choice but to pay for a lot of Ukraines infrastructure repair. So this may well be a major factor in Russias calculations maybe even more so than the more obvious military calculations. Water infrastructure is very, very expensive, its not something that can be overlooked. In other words, with the cautious prosecution of the war minimizing Russian deaths, succeeding in vanquishing Ukraine and its NATO backers without Russia having to go on a total war footing, there is a strong argument for sticking with a winning approach until the acceleration of the unraveling of Ukraine argues for a change in operations. By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears The Russian military bloggers havent been as quick as the Kiev regime and NATO allies to dismiss President Vladimir Putins peace terms speech to the Foreign Ministry as propaganda. But they did. According to Boris Rozhin, the editor-in-chief of the Colonel Cassad military blog, Putins speech on Friday morning, June 14, was not announced in advance. The Foreign Ministry audience who assembled learned about it half an hour in advance, no more. There is telltale vagueness in the Kremlin communique introducing a meeting with the senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In practical terms, Moscows leading independent military analyst concluded, the speech was a tactical feint and a strategic deception. [Putins terms] will obviously not be accepted by the West and their Ukrainian puppets, wrote Rozhin. Against the background of the world summit [the Burgenstock, Switzerland, meeting on June 15-16] this will indicate that in fact the West is prolonging the war, so these statements [of Putin] are another torpedo in the summit. Russia is thus showing the countries of the Global South that it has offered a world that will be rejected by those who are broadcasting about peaceful summitsThe war will continue. The goals of the SVO [Special Military Operation] will be achieved by military means. The distinction in the last line is between Kremlin political strategy and General Staff military strategy this is a distinction which published Russian analyses of the presidents speech and the state propaganda organs avoid identifying. The semi-official Vzglyad quoted Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as characterizing the reaction from the West as of an unconstructive nature. No Russian official will say as little as this for the record. Instead, Vzglyad has mobilized its official sources to patch over the differences between Kremlin strategy and General Staff strategy by emphasizing that Putin is following the latter. According to [Putin], the West has received a specific condition either Ukraine will be outside the NATO bloc, or there will be a bold and sharp onslaught that will leave no chance for the enemies. Putin is confident of victory not only over Ukraine, but also over the entire collective West. The proposal was made in order to recall this initiative after the defeat of Ukraine. But Western leaders did not understand Putin, and then they themselves will say that they want peace But there will be no mercy, tougher conditions will be put forward. In a second report from academics on the Kremlin-financed Valdai Club roster, Vzglyad claims the essence of the Russian presidents speech is that the European security system no longer exists and will not be based on the same principles. In addition, the Russian president managed to change the agenda of the Swiss summitthe presidents initiative is capable of transforming the security structures not only of Eurasia, but also in the perspective of the entire planet. In addition, Russia already has really working international institutions in this space: the CIS, SCO, EAEU, CSTO, BRICS, the Union State of Russia and Belarus. All these tools have proven their reliability and suitability in modern conditions. The Kremlins American camp followers have repeated the semi-official line by scratching the difference between tactics and strategy, between feint and purpose. Notice hes [Putin] not making a demand about Odessa, said one. So Odessa is still off the tableSo this is a prelude to the next ramp-up in Russian military operations. Russian skeptics, as well as non-Russian military analysts, point out that Putin has repeatedly refused to follow the General Staffs advice, restricting their proposed military operations to an extent that there is open questioning about his reasons. One source says Putins June 14 exposition is only half-right in blaming the Western globalist liberal elites [Putins speech] for the current extremely dangerous state of affairs [Putins speech]. Ultimately, the ideology of liberalism, inferiority complex, and corruption which dominate the oligarch-backed elite in Moscow has played a major role. This is a reference to the role Putin invited the oil and minerals oligarch Roman Abramovich to play in the negotiations of March-April 2022 in Istanbul; in the negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation, Abramovich was Putins personal delegate and he outranked the official Russian negotiators. There was strong domestic military and political opposition to this at the time in Moscow; there remains suspicion of an attempt to repeat by Putins Kremlin staff, represented by Peskov, even now. He [Putin] cannot be so influenced still as to think the war against Russia via the Kiev regime will stop under the conditions he laid out, nor can he think there are any terms which the US and NATO can be trusted by the Russians to sign. Thats why the Russian Foreign Ministry tabled the terms of a non-aggression and security in Europe requiring the roll-back of NATOs borders to 1997. That was in December 2021. To think anyone on the other side is trustworthy, or capable of agreement, after all Putin recounted of US aggression, lying, double-dealing, and Ukrainian Nazism, is impossible. In Putins June 14 retelling of the Istanbul agreement, everything he said of the documents initialed by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators was written on paper. Then on March 30 [2022], Putin went on, after the Russian troops were withdrawn from Kiev, the Ukrainian leadership suspended its participation in the negotiations staging the infamous provocation in Bucha, and rejected the prepared version of the agreements. I think today it is clear why that ugly provocation was necessary: to explain why the results that had been achieved during the negotiations were rejected. The path to peace was rejected again. As we know now, it was done on orders from Western curators, including the former UK Prime Minister who said directly during his visit to Kiev no agreements; Russia must be defeated on the battlefield to achieve its strategic defeat. Source: https://static01.nyt.com/ Note that the US newspaper report is based on terms drafted between March 16 and 17, 2022, two weeks before the draft documents were initialed in Turkey. Subsequent reporting by the newspaper of the negotiations, which continued after the Istanbul meetings, concluded: On April 15, five days after Mr. Abramovich told the Ukrainians about his meeting with Mr. Putin, the Russian negotiators sent a 17-page draft treaty to their presidents desk. Similar to the month-earlier version, the April 15 draft includes text in red highlighting issues in dispute. But such markings are almost entirely absent from the treatys first pages, where points of agreement emerged. In fact, Putin had been unable to convince Russian military and intelligence chiefs that the terms he had authorized for initialing would be enforceable and would not betray countrywide public support of the announced goals of the Special Military Operation. Confirmation that Putin had been micro-managing the negotiations in Istanbul through Abramovich appears in the New York Times report of the process from Ukrainian and other sources. Colleagues, I spoke to RA, Ukraines lead negotiator, Davyd Arakhamia, wrote on April 10 [2022] in a WhatsApp message to the Ukrainian team. He spoke yesterday for an hour and a half with his boss. RA was Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who played a behind-the-scenes role in the talks. His boss, Mr. Putin, was urging the negotiators to concentrate on the key issues and work through them quickly, Mr. Arakhamia wrote. (A member of the WhatsApp group showed that message and others to reporters for The Times.). In the New York Times version, based on a March 17 draft of terms, no Russian source acknowledges the backlash Putin faced from the General Staff and the Security Council after the full extent of Abramovichs role became clear from the terms Putin had told his negotiators to sign in Istanbul. After two weeks of internal debate, Putin was forced to back down, and the terms he and Abramovich had conceded on March 31 were revised. The Ukrainian sources feeding the New York Times reporters told them we had no interest in continuing the talks. What is missing from this Ukrainian and American narrative, as well as from the public Russian versions, is that Putin retreated from the terms he had agreed with Abramovich. The role played by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the published narrative, repeated to the press by Israelis and others, had been a minor one. Last Friday, Putin hinted that the General Staff has opposed his concession terms. I havent spoken about this publicly either but some of those present here know about it. After the Russian army seized part of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, many Western politicians offered their mediation in a peaceful settlement of the conflict. One of them was on a working visit to Moscow on March 5, 2022. We accepted his mediation efforts, especially since he said during the conversation that he had secured the support of the leaders of Germany and France, as well as high-ranking US representatives. In course of our conversation our foreign guest wondered an interesting moment saying if you are assisting Donbass, then why Russian troops are in the south of Ukraine, including in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions? We responded to the effect that it was our General Staff s decision [sic] on planning the operation. And I will add today that the idea was to bypass some fortified areas built in Donbass over the eight years by Ukrainian authorities, primarily for liberating Mariupol. Then our foreign colleague specified a professional man, to be fair to him: are Russian troops going to stay in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions? And what will happen to these regions after the Special Military Operation has attained its goals? I answered to this that in general I do not rule out preservation of the Ukrainian sovereignty over these territories, provided Russia has a stable land bridge to Crimea. It had been clear to the president then, and it is clearer now, that Putins stable land bridge to Crimea was politically incompatible with Ukrainian sovereignty because, as the General Staff kept repeating to Putin, it was militarily impossible. On Friday Putin kept the identity of the mediator secret on Friday. But it is already well known from the mediator himself. It was the Israeli, former prime minister Naftali Bennett. He has confirmed his meeting in Moscow with Putin on March 5, 2022. For Putin to authorize Abramovich and Bennett, two Jewish Israelis, to negotiate Russias end-of-war war terms with the Kiev regime remains a highly sensitive issue in Moscow. Russian public opinion has been clearer on the end-of-war objectives and on terms of negotiations than Putin has admitted himself to have been. For the poll evidence, click to read. Source: https://johnhelmer.net/ What now, what next? According to the President on Friday, a verbatim return to the security proposals that we put forward twenty-five, fifteen, or even two years ago is impossible, as too much has happened and the conditions have changed. However, the basic principles and, most importantly, the very subject of dialogue remain unchanged. From Putins new statement of end-of-war terms, he says the parameters were broadly agreed upon during the Istanbul negotiations in 2022, including specific details on demilitarisation such as the agreed numbers of tanks and other military equipment. We reached consensus on all points. Now, however, with the new long-range artillery, drones, missiles, and F-16s supplied by NATO to the Kiev regime, the depth of demilitarisation is more than ten times beyond the 25 mile (40 kiliometre) range which was one of the Russian parameters in the Istanbul agreement drafts of March 2022. Read the backfile on what Putin has been calling this sanitary zone. Denazification, the second strategic goal of the Special Military Operation, means regime change in Kiev, but Putin implied last Friday that he means no more than the replacement of Vladimir Zelensky because the presidential term of the previously elected head of Ukraine has expired along with his legitimacy, which cannot be reinstated by any tricks. That, he added, leaves only one constitutional authority in the country: unlike the executive branch, the Verkhovnaya Rada is a legitimate body now. Ukraine is not a presidential republic, but a parliamentary and presidential republic. This is the point. Russian sources believe this is beside the point. As Rozhin has written, the goals of the SVO will be achieved by military means. Asked to list what they believe will now be the military targets in the General Staffs strategy, the emphasis, the sources say, will continue to be energy generation plants and distribution hubs and networks, especially those through which the replacement electricity is entering the Ukraine from its neighbours the Chervonograd substation (from Poland); the Mukacheve substation (Slovakia, Hungary, Romania); the Usatove and Primorska substations (Moldova, Romania); and the Khmelnitsky, Dobrotvirka and Pivendennoukrainska generating hubs. . GERMAN MAP OF THE UKRAINES ELECTRICITY IMPORT LINES AS OF OCTOBER 2021 Source: https://www.swp-berlin.org/ UKRAINIAN MAP OF THE IMPORT LINE CAPACITIES AS OF OCTOBER 2023 Source: https://kyivindependent.com/ The total capacity of these electricity lines is shown as just under 3,890 kV. On June 10, the Ukrainian state utility Ukrenergo reported that almost 25,000 MWh of electricity were imported into the country from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Moldova during the day. A NATO military engineer estimates that although Russian raids have forced some of the lines into what is reported publicly as maintenance, the import volume is still running at or near capacity. But they are struggling. Watch for renewed attacks on the substations connecting the Ukrainian grid to Poland and Romania. For more technical details on the situation from US engineers, read the comments here. If these are knocked out, a NATO military engineer says, its all over. In the meantime, according to this Spanish newspaper report, the billed charge for electricity is rising so fast and so high, at least a quarter of the Ukrainian population cannot afford it. The electricity tariff from June has increased by 64%, from 2.64 hryvnas per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 4.32 hryvnas (between $0.064 and $0.11). Days before the Ukrainian Cabinet met on May 30, it was leaked that the increase would be 80%. But the reaction in the media and on social networks made it clear that the measure was highly unpopular at a time when the authorities must also deal with enormous unease over the compulsory conscription process to incorporate hundreds of thousands of civilians into the army. Dixi informs this newspaper that its estimates in 2023 indicated the average monthly consumption per household in Ukraine was 155Kwh. In this average scenario, the monthly household bill would rise from $10 to $16.6. The Ukrainian Statistics Service indicates that the average monthly salary in Ukraine was equivalent to $471 at the end of last year. The World Bank estimated that in 2022 alone, the year in which Russia launched its invasion, the poverty rate in Ukraine rose from 5.5% to 24% of the population. There is no alternative to raising tariffs, say the government and companies in the sector. This means that the multi-billion dollar cash transfers to the Kiev regime from the US and European Union for non-military budget support are being diverted, and failing to reach the population. To run emergency generating sets powered by diesel and to fuel the Ukrainian military movements requires fuel storages. The Russian Defense Ministrys daily operations bulletin is reporting daily strikes at these throughout the country. On the border there are a series of targets which Russian sources expect to be hit in the coming days. The lead image map shows their locations and functions (red for rail, orange for road, blue for bridge and ferry). Rozhin has reprinted this analysis of these targets. Since sending military aid by air is not available, most of the cargo is delivered by rail, heavy trucks, or, much more risky, by sea. Either way, all cargoes go through customs and checkpoints. In the west and south-west of Ukraine there are about 87 sea, pedestrian, rail, and road border crossingsTaking into account the checkpoints that Ukraine received from the USSR, this number can be increased by almost half, but a significant part of such crossings is either destroyed, looted in previous decades, or abandoned under the USSR. However, most of the border crossings are on the border with Moldova. There are 34 of them, but they are not used as intensively as the checkpoints for transit to and from the territory of NATO countries. The state of some of them is far from ideal. Rozhins purpose in mapping the targets is to ask the question publicly: If all border crossings are known, why not intercept military cargo there? In the west and south-west, Ukraine borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. The total length of the border in these areas is 777 km. The long-range weapons of the Russian Federation for example, X-101 missiles with cluster and high-explosive warheads are sufficient to destroy military cargo directly on the border. All the coordinates of the border crossings are almost certainly known to the Russian military. But the main problem in the matter of the destruction of military cargo at these points is reconnaissance and obtaining reliable data on the time of shipments of cargo columns. The determining parameter in this case is the precise time for the crossing of the cargo on to the territory of Ukraine. The original military blog source can be followed here. In similar fashion, Rozhin and other military bloggers are asking publicly why there are Kremlin restrictions on targets which the US, NATO and the Ukrainians are using for drone and missile attacks on Crimea, as well as deeper into the Russian heartland. Putin addressed this question in his press conference with international reporters on June 5. What can the Ukrainian military not the ones who are just sitting there and pressing buttons but the higher-ranking ones do when it comes to target assignment? They can identify a target that is a priority for them. But they are not the ones who decide whether a particular target should be hit, because, to reiterate, a WTA (weapon target assignment) is formed and effectively entered only by those who supply the weapons. If we are talking about ATACMS, then the Pentagon is doing it. If it is Storm Shadow, then the British are. It is even more straightforward in the case of Storm Shadow, because the target assignment is entered automatically, without the involvement of the military personnel on the ground. The British do it, that is all there is to it. And when the Bundeswehr military were pondering an attack on the Crimean Bridge or other targets, they were thinking for themselves. No one was doing it for them, right? They were going to do it. The same goes for the French specialists. Western specialists do it. We have no illusions about this. How are we supposed to respond? First, we will, of course, improve our air defence systems. We will be destroying their missiles. Second, we believe that if someone is thinking that it is possible to supply such weapons to a war zone in order to deliver strikes at our territory and to create problems for us, why can we not supply our weapons of the same class to those regions around the world where they will target sensitive facilities of the countries that are doing this to Russia? The response could be symmetrical. We will give it a thought. Third, sure enough, such actions will wreck international relations, which have already hit rock bottom, and undermine international security. Ultimately, if we see that these countries are being embroiled into a war against us, and this constitutes their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, we reserve the right to respond in kind. Generally speaking, this path may lead to serious problems. I think that covers it all. If you have any leading questions, please go ahead. But I do not think I can add anything to what I just said. Several days later, after a fresh series of missile attacks on Crimea were launched, the Russian military bloggers responded with this leading question why are the US, French and British systems operating in the Black Sea not targeted when their role in the Russian attacks is certain? Mikhail Zvinchuk, principal of the Rybar military blog, has reported that on the eve of the June 10-11 missile attacks on the Peninsula, it is worth noting that NATO satellites were again active. The target reconnaissance alternately depended on which areas were planned [for missile attack] on June 8-9, the northwestern part of the Crimea was filmed, and on June 10 and 11, Sevastopol and the centre of the Peninsula. In addition, yesterday and the day before yesterday, special attention of the satellites was paid to the eastern part of the Crimea. Filming was conducted of Theodossia, Kirovsky, Kerch, and of course, the Crimean Bridge Also, during todays attack [June 12] in the western part of the Black Sea, the American RQ-4B drone was operatingAfter the strikes, it moved to the eastern part of the sea area closer to the Crimean Bridge, where, unhindered, it was operating until the morning. This fact, together with the active work of the satellites, as well as consecutive strikes on the air defence positions, first in the northwest, then in the south, allow us to conclude that the next goal may be the east of the Peninsula. ITALIAN MAP OF US AIR FORCE DRONE OPERATIONS AGAINST CRIMEAN TARGETS Source: https://www.itamilradar.com/ -- the map indicates the tracking paths of the RQ-4B on May 29. This Italian source regularly maps and reports on US and NATO operations in the Black Sea region, usually with a time lag of several days. In parallel, according to the Rybar report, there appeared for the first time in a month and a half, south of Feodosia, the French long-range radar detection aircraft, the E-3F, and the French Navy aircraft [Breguet] Atlantique 2 [based at Souday Bay, Crete]. In the west of the sea also flew the RC-135V of the British Air Force. That is a lot for one day, isnt it? As noted repeatedly, the main goal of the West is the Crimean Bridge, and for this it is necessary to reduce the combat potential of the air defence in the Crimea. The Russian Air Force has downed a USAF drone operating against the Crimea in March 2023. Since last October the Houthis, assisted by Iran and possibly by Russia, have downed several USAF drones operating in the Red Sea to assist Anglo-American attacks on targets in Yemen. What the military bloggers like Rozhin and Zvinchuk are saying is why not strike at these targets now? What we have in the end, Zvinchuk has written on June 12, is that the air defence strikes are aimed at weakening the protection near the Crimean Bridge, which must be taken into account and measures taken to modify the available means of missile defence the missiles are shot down, but not all of them. The enemy is clearly preparing for a new attack. Weve already identified two false starts they can be called the harbinger of massive strikes; it is possible they will be aimed at the bridge. In the future, the lack of opposition, the reluctance to accept reality and learn from mistakes can affect the potential of the air defence of the Crimea. Already this will play a key role when the F-16 fighters will make their appearance. Reluctance to accept reality and learn from mistakes this criticism is aimed, not at the General Staff, but at the Kremlin. MAP OF UKRAINE MISSILE STRIKES AT CRIMEA, JUNE 10-12 Map of Ukrainian missile strikes on Crimea, June 10-12 posted by Rybar, June 21 at 20:29h. On June 14 Zvinchuk returned to the targeting of the USAF drones. For the first time, the American Triton [MQ-4C] appeared on the Crimean shores right before a massed blow on the Crimea. The question of what you can expect from its presence in the Black Sea region begs itself. Especially when the curators of the Ukrainian military will not miss such an opportunity to attack. And if this happens, it will again be possible to raise the question of the advisability of a more radical counteraction to American aviation near the Russian borders. Someday, maybe, we will come to the same measures as the Houthis. Theres this great podcast called No Fair Remembering Stuff, and the hosts basically fill their show with relevant shit they remember that the rest of the world seems to have forgotten. They deal mostly with politics, but it kind of works like this: Say someone kicked you, and you suspected they might have done it on purpose, but they were all apologetic. Oh, Im so sorry. What a regrettable accident. You have to know Ive never done anything like this before. But just as you were about to believe them, the hosts of No Fair Remembering Stuff popped up and started listing all the other accidental kickings this person has been involved in, and maybe the results of investigations into those kickings, and now that you hear all these past things together, it sure seems like this person just has some kind of jones for kicking people. And now youre mad, but the kicker is hurt that people remembered all the old stuff theyd done, so they couldnt just pretend this was an accident. Ex-Officer Casts Blame Across MNPD Extensive complaint says officials ignored department policy, manipulated investigations, lied about reforms and helped pass a law gutting the Community Oversight Board These past couple of weeks have been quite a circus for the Metro Nashville Police Department. First we got the complaint from former Office of Professional Accountability Lt. Garet Davidson alleging among many, many things that OPA Director Kathy Morante gave Deputy Chief Chris Gilder a small, engraved crystal trophy in honor of the work that Gilder and Deputy Chief Mike Hagar allegedly did to lobby the state to dismantle Nashville's Community Oversight Board that voters put in place. Then on Friday, another complaint emerged. This time we learned that Lt. Alfredo Arevalo is saying that the Covenant School shooters journals were kept locked in Davidsons office, insinuating that, if they leaked, Davidson must have done the leaking. So was Davidson attempting to get his allegations out before it came out that he might have been the Covenant journals leaker? Is the department implying that he might be the Covenant journals leaker as a way to delegitimize some of his claims? And now heres where we get to play No Fair Remembering Stuff! MNPD Alleges Covenant Leak Could Have Come From Whistleblower A court filing says Garet Davidson had access to Covenant School shooters writings The first and most important bundle of stuff is that last year, Nashville paid $1.2 million to Paul Shane Garrett, who was wrongfully convicted of murder. Garrett was arrested in 2001. In 2004, DNA from the crime scene was matched to a different person, but no one told Garrett or his lawyer this. WPLN's Anna Gallegos-Cannon reported: In 2011, MNPD cold case detectives found very little documentation that linked Garrett to the murder. During this time, DA Johnson, former Assistant District Attorney Kathy Morante, former Police Chief Steve Anderson and others from MNPD held a clandestine meeting to discuss the lack of credible evidence connecting Garrett to the crime. However, the district attorney took no steps to clear Garretts name. We can get another angle on this from Steve Cavendish at the Nashville Banner: Confronted with this problem, Johnson convened what [then-Criminal Court Judge] Mark Fishburn describes as a clandestine meeting in 2011. Roland and Postiglione presented their findings of Garretts innocence to Johnson, MNPD Chief Steve Anderson, Deputy DA Tom Thurman and ADA Kathy Morante. The potential fallout from the case was serious enough that the public relations leaders for the police and district attorneys office, Don Aaron and Susan Niland, also were there. If Roland was right and Garrett was not the killer, an innocent man had been in prison for almost a decade. You may wonder: What happens to people who have growing concerns that a man is sitting in prison for a murder he did not commit after they have their secret meeting to decide to do nothing about it? Steve had that covered in his 2023 report too: Of the attendees at that clandestine meeting, several remain in law enforcement. Deputy DA Tom Thurman retired in 2016 and MNPD Chief Steve Anderson retired in 2020. Kathy Morante now is the director of the Office of Professional Accountability for MNPD. Susan Niland is a senior public information officer with the TBI. Don Aaron is MNPDs public affairs director. And Torry Johnson is a professor at Belmont Universitys law school, where he teaches criminal law, criminal constitutional law, criminal procedure and on alternating semesters, a course on wrongful convictions. If you didnt laugh out loud reading that last part, youre a better person than me. Here are some relevant headlines. January 25, 2016: Commission Begins Decertifying Metro Police Officers a story about how MNPD thwarted efforts by the state to decertify bad cops. The Metro police department's representative repeatedly told the commission these agreements prevented her from taking a proactive role in the state's disciplinary process. Kathy Morante, director of the Metro Police Department's Professional Standards Division, told the commission, "When that settlement is made, it is made very clear to the officer that we are not going to seek decertification." Nov. 30, 2016: MNPD Internal Affairs Head Reprimanded by State Board: The current head of OPA, already under scrutiny for how many cops are cleared, cited for withholding evidence while prosecutor. Morante joined the MNPD in 2013 after more than a decade as an assistant district attorney. And the job she is doing now, as director of the department's Office of Professional Accountability, and that of her predecessors has been called into question. A pending lawsuit, filed by a man who was wrongly detained for a DUI in 2014, has raised issues about how allegations of misconduct against police are handled. Beyond the specific issue of false DUI arrests, the suit says, as a general matter, MNPD officers have little reason to fear sanctions for falsely arresting a civilian because MNPD supervisory staff almost always resolve civilian-initiated complaints in the officers favor. Later in the story, MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron told the Scene: This police department has absolute and full faith and confidence in Office of Professional Accountability Director Ms. Kathy Morante, a former Tennessee Deputy Attorney General and former Assistant District Attorney General, as well as the investigators who report to her. Aug. 6, 2020: Report: 19 Women Detail Toxic Work Environment, Boys Club at the Nashville Police Department. Relevant quote: One woman calls the department a boys club and says anyone who complains about harassment can expect their reputation and career to be shot to hell. Another says she was called Aunt Jemima and was groped at work so many times that shed cry all the way home and could hardly sleep. Sept. 29, 2021: Behind the Blue Wall: Officers Describe a Toxic Culture Within Metro Police. But when some officers are accused of serious misconduct, they manage to get by with little or no discipline. Sometimes theyre even promoted. Many current and former employees say it largely depends on whether youre in good favor with the leaders of the department and the Office of Professional Accountability. I mean, it was obvious that some got away with whatever, with little taps on the wrist, and then others, they were like beating them down, said former Sergeant Marita Granberry, who worked at the department for about 30 years before retiring in 2015. Its like the rules were only applied to certain people, and other people could do whatever they wanted to do and squeeze out of it. The lawsuit between former police officer Monica Blake who is mentioned in the above-linked story and the city outlines even more disturbing allegations of police misconduct toward each other and how the OPA smoothed things over for their friends and made things hard on their enemies. Aug. 7, 2023: A Nashville police officer endured sexual harassment. Her successful lawsuit shines a light inside the department. Important bit from this story about how MNPD works: The head of the Office of Professional Accountability, Kathy Morante, did testify during Gomezs trial about the alleged retaliation. If we are given information that any officer even if it comes up after a sexual assault allegation has been doing policy violations that are dangerous, that are very serious to the department, were obligated to look into those, Morante said. Former police officer Greta McClain says this tactic is common at MNPD. Its used as a way to keep people quiet. If they want to look hard enough, you know, we all make mistakes and they can find some reason to punish you for something, McClain says. Later on in the story, McClain says, If theyre going to treat their own this way, what do you think theyre going to do to an average citizen? I dont know how many stories we need to read before were convinced of a pattern, but it seems like if youre a cop the OPA likes, you will be shielded from consequences as much as humanly possible. And if you are anyone else, tough shit. So while, sure, Davidson could be the leaker, the OPA has a long record of alleged retaliation against cops who cross them. And even if Davidson is the leaker, he retired. So if he's the leaker, the people charged with holding cops accountable failed to realize they had someone who wouldnt follow procedure in their midst until he was gone. That, also, is not a great look for them. Im co-hosting this weeks Pod Bless Nashville, wherein co-host Braden Gall and I have a discussion that is the culmination of a couple of discussions weve had about Theeda Murphys appearance on the show. Murphy is a police abolitionist. I think Im fairly typifying her opinion in saying she believes the police do more harm than good, and we have no evidence that MNPD is even remotely willing to or capable of being accountable to the community they serve. Police wrongdoing is never adequately addressed, and the culture seemingly cannot be reformed. I told Braden that a thing Ive been really, really struggling with is that, if Theeda asked me to give her examples of how the police provide more benefit to her community than they do harm, I dont have good answers. And I personally feel like I cant just hand-wave away the idea of police abolition if I cant make the argument that they do more good than harm. Im not saying I think police abolition is the way to go. Im saying Im really struggling with my inability to come up with an argument for why Theeda should want to keep the police. And I genuinely think this is important for the whole city to spend some time thinking about. Hoo boy then I started doing the research for this piece. Just story after story featuring allegations about how poorly the police treat each other, sexual harassment, retaliation, racism, sexism and a double standard for how people in good with the OPA get treated versus how people who arent get treated ... and now Im sitting here with another question I dont know how to answer. Why should the police want to keep the police? Do they think they do more good than harm to each other? Do they feel like theyre held accountable to each other? From the outside, it sure doesnt look like it. And like former officer Greta McClain says, If theyre going to threat their own this way, what do you think theyre going to do to an average citizen? Atlanta speed cameras ILLEGALLY collected up to $500K in fines from unfairly ticketed drivers Speeding cameras in Atlanta have improperly fined drivers in the city, with the total amount of improper citations ranging from $350,000 to $500,000 One investigation by Fox 5's I-Team revealed that automatic traffic cameras have been improperly ticketing drivers for allegedly speeding in a 25-mile-per-hour school zone during times when the school zone's lights were not flashing. Without the orange lights, drivers assumed the speed limit was 35 miles per hour. Atlanta Public Schools (APS) confirmed the discrepancy and announced that affected drivers would receive refunds. A spokesperson acknowledged that the school system had been aware of the issue since late November but did not explain why the cameras, which photograph license plates and issue tickets, were not adjusted or turned off. The I-Team analyzed citation data obtained through a Georgia Open Records Act request, finding that over seven months, 4,460 citations were issued during times when the flashers were not operating, potentially confusing drivers. The total amount in fines improperly collected likely ranges from $350,000 to $500,000. Atlanta's traffic cameras notorious for improperly fining drivers This is the third instance the I-Team has uncovered of school zone cameras issuing incorrect tickets in metro Atlanta, following similar issues in Jonesboro and Riverdale last school year. The latest investigation began after drivers reported receiving tickets despite not speeding. (Related: Police department in Pennsylvania using drone tech to crack down on theft and other petty crimes.) 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. Ivan DeQuesada, a resident of east Atlanta, received a $75 citation for going 39 in a 25-mile-per-hour zone at 4:52 p.m. on a Friday in March. "I remembered what I was doing and realized the school zone light wasn't on," DeQuesada said. He discovered that several neighbors had received similar unexpected tickets. James Murphy, another neighbor, received two tickets, and his wife received another. "They shouldn't be making money from cars driving when there's no light blinking," Murphy said. "It feels like a money grab rather than a safety measure." According to an APS schedule, the school zone lights outside Drew Charter School at the very eastern edge of Atlanta should activate from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and from 3:45 to 5 p.m. However, the lights have been turning off around 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., creating two 15-minute windows where drivers were wrongly ticketed. Murphy challenged his tickets in Atlanta Municipal Court, where other drivers shared similar experiences. "The sign wasnt flashing," said Takeviuas Kelly of Ellenwood. Chief Judge Christopher T. Portis dismissed their citations. The accountability for this issue is unclear. A private camera company, Verra Mobility, contracts with APS. The school zone speed safety program is run by APS alongside the Atlanta government, with the flashing lights managed by Atlanta's Department of Transportation (Atlanta DOT) under the purview of the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT). In response to questions, APS stated that they, along with Atlanta DOT and Verra Mobility, worked to correct the discrepancy. APS began requesting the correction in late November. Atlanta DOT sought authorization to adjust the flasher times from Georgia DOT on November 26, but approval came on April 29, with adjustments made by May 2. APS and Verra Mobility did not explain why the cameras continued issuing tickets during the five months before the flasher times were corrected. APS stated that the program aims to ensure the safety of students and improve driver behavior in school zones, though no one from APS was available for an on-camera interview. APS indicated that around 2,000 citations will be refunded, although it is unclear why this number is less than half of the 4,460 tickets issued. Some refunds have already been processed, and the exact number of drivers who successfully contested their tickets in court is unknown. GOP State Rep. Charles Cannon plans to reintroduce a bill to ban automated school zone speed cameras, citing concerns over whether they prioritize safety or revenue. He asked: "I think that's the underlying question: Are these cameras really for safety or are they for revenue?" With the I-Team uncovering a third instance of unfair fines, Cannon commented, "I think in this case, it kind of leans more towards it's about revenue." Watch this video explaining how speed cameras are a road safety scam promoted by the United Nations. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Plans to install 480 new cameras in Oakland along California freeways raise mass surveillance concerns. Surveillance cameras from BANNED Chinese tech company allegedly installed in 50 Quebec cities and public facilities. Get ready: American smart street lights now being rigged with license plate readers to spy on your every move. New York City outfitting traffic cameras with sound meters to fine owners of vehicles causing too much noise pollution. Sources include: The-Sun.com Fox5Atlanta.com Brighteon.com Burn an American flag? No problem. Deface an LGBT flag? PRISON TIME A trio of teenagers from Spokane, Wash., is facing felony charges after the boys were caught making their mark on a giant LGBT flag mural on the street. Ruslan Turko, 19, along with two other teenagers who are underage allegedly rode their scooters over a freshly painted LGBT street mural, leaving marks all over it. They were arrested and charged with first-degree "malicious mischief," the penalty for which could be up to 10 years in prison. On top of that, prosecutors are asking for $15,000 bail, this despite the fact that the boys harmed nobody all they did was speak their truth in a public place atop a gargantuan shrine to perversion that quite frankly has no business being painted on a public street in the first place. Keep in mind that there are no penalties for burning or defecating on an American flag, nor can someone get in trouble for spitting on a veteran (unless the veteran can successfully argue that the spitting constituted assault). "In America, you can spit on Vietnam veterans, defecate on the U.S. flag, threaten the lives of U.S. Supreme Court Justices, mock Christianity, and burn entire cities to the ground in the name of a career felon," reported Revolver. "But if you dare to trample on the rainbow flag, oh, there will be serious hell to pay, mister." 3 teens are facing felony charges after they made marks on a Pride mural. They were charged with malicious mischief - a Class B felony in WA. Free speech" when people burn the American flag but a criminal offense if someone makes marks on a Pride flag. pic.twitter.com/hVmB2NP1SZ Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 7, 2024 (Related: A prominent biologist claims that AIDS is not caused by HIV but rather by the "gay lifestyle.") Freedom is dying The massive street mural devoted to "the kinky homosexual lifestyle" and other LGBT perversions is a centerpiece in downtown Spokane. Visitors are expected to honor it at all times or else face charges of a "hate crime." When witnesses at nearby O'Doherty's Irish Grille on Spokane Falls Boulevard and Howard Street saw the boys riding around on Lime scooters purposely making skid marks on the LGBT flag mural, they called the police. From there, the boys were arrested and taken in for questioning. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. A similar incident occurred back in February when a Florida teen was arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief for leaving tire burnout marks on a perversion flag painted in the middle of an intersection in that state. Again, it is perfectly okay in America today to burn the American flag near the White House on Independence Day: Ever notice how it's only liberals who burn the American flag? Conservatives respect and honor the symbol of our great nation!pic.twitter.com/z0VF9YOug7 The American Girl (@TheAmericanGrl) July 5, 2019 Raise your hand if it doesn't surprise you that Liberals are burning the American flag on Independence Day. pic.twitter.com/Qm7wmRQ0Q7 ??SNIPER??? (@Sniper64286433) July 5, 2019 It is not, however, okay to ride your vehicle, bike or scooter in a "mean" way across a giant perversion flag painted on a public right-of-way funded by taxpayers, many of whom oppose LGBT perversion. "This type of forced, government-mandated behavior is akin to Taliban-level religious tyranny," Revolver warns about the double standard for LGBT. "It's the left's version of Sharia Law and should be called 'Rainbow Law.'" "That's how incredibly dangerous and stifling the LGBTQ+++ movement has become all by design. It was never about just 'holding hands in public' and tax breaks. The LBGTQ+++ movement, like everything on the left, is about power, control, and regulating thoughts and behavior, much like your typical run-of-the-mill Islamic radical." LGBT is a dangerous religious cult. Learn more at Gender.news. Sources for this article include: Revolver.news NaturalNews.com Celebrity doctors promoted COVID jabs without declaring payments received from pharma giant Several high-profile doctors who appeared on television to promote and debate the alleged benefits of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccines" are facing scrutiny for failing to disclose that pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca paid them to appear. Dr. Ranj Singh, for instance, who regularly participated in primetime promotional segments that aired on BBC, received 22,500 (about $29,000) from AstraZeneca to shill its COVID shot, this according to records from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Just last month, Dr. Singh led a discussion on the BBC breakfast show "Morning Live" to talk about the alleged safety of the AstraZeneca injection. Dr. Singh also spoke about "serious but rare" complications, suggesting to viewers that they would more than likely be okay getting jabbed with it. What Dr. Singh failed to tell viewers is that AstraZeneca paid him to appear on the program. Dr. Singh also failed to tell BBC that he had taken cash from the company, instead deceiving the network into believing that he was speaking of his own volition. "The segment on the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine was balanced and covered reported risks and benefits," claimed a BBC spokesman. "We became aware of Dr. Ranj's 2021 work for the manufacturer after this segment aired and have now addressed this within the show." (Related: Remember when Focus on the Family sold out to the coronavirus cult by telling Christian followers that they should get jabbed with COVID "vaccines?") Beware the scourge of shill doctors Another Big Pharma shill who appeared on television to promote COVID injections after being paid to do so is Dr. Nighat Arif. All throughout the "pandemic," Dr. Arif appeared on BBC Breakfast to push the shots, this after taking in 10,000 (about $13,000) from AstraZeneca. 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. Back in April, Dr. Arif appeared on ITV's "This Morning" program to discuss the potential side effects of the AstraZeneca injection, including blood clots, reassuring viewers that such effects are "very, very rare." Much like what BBC did for Dr. Singh, ITV released a statement suggesting that Dr. Arif's analysis was "fair, accurate, and balanced," adding that "in her capacity as a medical professional, [she] described the scientific process by which the vaccine could cause a blood clot." "She indicated that this was 'rare' on the basis that the number of people who had been identified as having suffered a clot as a result of the AstraZeneca vaccine was statistically small in comparison with the millions of people who had received the vaccine," a network spokesman further revealed. "This is in accordance with information published by the government this year. She also referenced the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the discussion." Then we have Dr. Phillipa Kaye who was paid 12,500 (about $16,000) by AstraZeneca in 2020, followed by another 9,000 (about $11,500) payment from the company in 2022, to shill its COVID injection on social media. Dr. Kaye was seen posting videos of herself online encouraging the public to get injected. On X (formerly Twitter) in April 2021, Dr. Kaye told her followers about the "benefit vs. risk for the AZ vaccine," stating that the "risk of dying from a clot with the vaccine is one in 2.5 million." "If 2.5 million 40-year-olds get COVID, 2,000 will die and one in 20 (125,000 people) will have long COVID," she further suggested. "Benefit outweighs risk." ABPI director Alex Fell is being urged to investigate whether or not any of these doctors breached his organization's code of practice for pharmaceutical companies. A letter sent by Graham Stringer and Lord Strathcarron explains that Clause 24 of the ABPI code requires pharmaceutical companies to include provisions about the disclosure of payments made when they forge contracts with physicians. The evil ones who unleashed COVID and the "vaccines" will not get away with it forever. Find out more at Plague.info. Sources for this article include: Telegraph.co.uk NaturalNews.com Giulianis creditors call for TRUSTEE to handle bankrupt former NYC mayors finances The creditors of former New York City (NYC) Mayor Rudy Giuliani have called for a trustee to handle his finances following his bankruptcy filing. The Hill reported on this development, pointing out that his creditors are accusing him of hiding assets and a deal to launch his own coffee brand. They have also accused the erstwhile counsel for former President Donald Trump of spending egregiously and failing to file required paperwork on time. Given these allegations, the unsecured creditors had enough. Their lawyers have expressed plans to return to bankruptcy court in New York on June 17, with the aim of convincing U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane that a trustee must be appointed. "Simply put, Giuliani and his bankruptcy case have reached an impasse," the creditors wrote in their 55-page motion filed on May 28. In the filing, Giuliani's creditors argued that the former mayor of the Big Apple has shown a preference for "theatrics over progress." They continued: "His creditors do not need to accept this as their plight and [they] refuse to do so. Accordingly, the time has come for the immediate appointment of a Chapter 11 [bankruptcy] to take control of the debtor's assets and financial affairs including his wholly-owned businesses." According to The Hill, Giuliani's decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy means he still has control of his assets for now. But if Lane sides with his creditors, the court-appointed trustee could look to sell assets or prevent the former mayor from diverting assets to his companies, which have not filed for bankruptcy. 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. "Giuliani went into chapter 11 because he wanted to retain control. This is the key to [his] bankruptcy, said attorney Daniel Gielchinsky, a partner at the South Florida-based DGIM Law who specializes in bankruptcy law. (Related: Rudy Giuliani petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a jury ordered him to pay $146M in damages to 2 Georgia election workers.) Bankruptcy also preventing defamation lawsuit defendants from getting paid In December, Giuliani hastily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a jury ordered him to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers. The plaintiffs, a mother and daughter tandem, accused him of defamation by claiming they were involved in election fraud to ensure Trump doesn't win the Peach State in the 2020 election. The bankruptcy filing automatically froze the plaintiffs' effort to collect the massive sum. They believe federal law prevents Giuliani from discharging the amount awarded to them as a result of the lawsuit. But that could change soon as the creditors hope to take the reins, given that they have expressed concerns about Giuliani's genuineness in filing for bankruptcy for months. Giuliani's finances have spilled out into public view ever since his bankruptcy filing in December. He has disclosed $10.6 million in assets, including a Mercedes-Benz, two individual retirement accounts and three Yankees World Series rings. His income and spending have also come under scrutiny, including credit card statements showing he spent thousands to cover costs for his businesses. But the bulk of his assets comprises his homes in New York and Florida and questions have swirled about Giuliani possibly selling them. Creditors previously sought to compel Giuliani to sell his $3.5 million condominium in Florida's Palm Beach a request the bankruptcy judge denied. Lane noted during a subsequent hearing that it was a "warning shot across the bow." He continued: "The debtor can succeed in fending off this motion only to be faced with far more draconian requests for relief by the committee in the future." Ted Goodman, an advisor to Giuliani, defended the former mayor in a statement. "These incessant court filings are part of a larger effort to bully the mayor into silence through lawfare and a public smear campaign. [Former NYC] Mayor Rudy Giuliani one of America's most effective federal prosecutors in history won't be bullied into capitulation by a concerted effort by bad-faith actors to silence the mayor and anyone else willing to take on the permanent Washington political class." Watch Rudy Giuliani explaining to Miriam Shaw that he is targeted for being the biggest defender of former President Donald Trump. This video is from the Moms On A Mission channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Giuliani pleads NOT GUILTY in 2020 Arizona election interference case. Rudy Giuliani claims Trump campaign still OWES HIM $2M in legal fees. Judge orders Rudy Giuliani to pay $148M in damages immediately because he's 'unlikely to win appeal.' Updated: AZ's Dem AG indicts Giuliani, Meadows, Ward, Eastman, Epshteyn in major new election interference attempt. Sources include: TheHill.com Brighteon.com Google censors all AI that generates supposed hate speech in Google Play Store Google is flexing its censorship muscles again, this time setting rules that will ban artificial intelligence in apps that generates different types of restricted content. This includes content that meets their definition of hate speech, such as content that criticizes LGBT. The new rules apply to those who develop apps for Android and want to publish them on the Google Play Store, and they are being widely viewed as yet another attempt by Google to censor speech that does not align with its liberal political views under the guise of stopping hate speech. Its safe to say that content that asserts there are just two genders, for example, is likely to be targeted. According to Google, apps that offer AI features must implement measures to prevent a range of restricted content. The tech giant has singled out content that refers to sensitive events, using a very foggy definition, seemingly intentionally so it can be applied to whatever content they disagree with. It says that this includes anything that will capitalize on or are insensitive toward a sensitive event with significant social, cultural, or political impact. The real question is whether it will be applied equally to content that is insensitive toward conservative viewpoints. Google has published support pages that assure developers their true aim is to ensure AI-generated content is safe for all users, but what they really mean is that they want it to be safe for those sensitive, whiny users who are always looking for a reason to feel offended and they want more ways to control the narrative. 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. Moreover, they require developers to include a way for app users to flag this offending content and use the feedback for responsible innovation. The rules dictate that developers must take information from user reports to guide their content filtering and moderation. It will apply to AI chatbots and AI images that are generated based on voice, image or text prompts. Google recommends that developers try its closed testing feature to get feedback and document all the tests they conduct because they could ask developers to supply those tests if concerns arise in the future. Their Inappropriate Content page lists a slew of restricted categories, and while profanity and sexual content are par for the course in this type of list, its the hate speech entry that is causing a lot of concern, especially considering its caveat that scientific and educational content about Nazis could be enough for apps to be banned in some geographical areas. In addition to the aforementioned overly broad "sensitive events" category, theyve also listed bullying, harassment, violence and violent extremism. PragerU app removed from Play Store under hate speech policy The Google censors have already gone after the conservative advocacy group PragerU, removing the app from the Play Store on Friday and telling developers that a review found content or speech asserting that a protected group is inhuman, inferior or worthy of being hated. Their hate speech policy specifies: We dont allow apps that promote violence, or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or any other characteristic that is associated with system discrimination or marginalization. PragerU believes their recent documentary on Hamas is behind the suspension, noting in a statement: Google is using Soviet-style tactics and attempting to silence us. According to Google, sharing the stories of a former Palestinian refugee, an Arab Muslim born in Israel, and brave U.S. Navy SEALs who witnessed the horrors of Muslim extremism constitutes hate speech.' Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org WashingtonExaminer.com TechCrunch.com U.S. support helped Israel carry out deadly Nuseirat massacre during hostage rescue operation The U.S. played a major role in supporting Israels recent hostage rescue operation in Nuseirat that left hundreds of Palestinians dead, according to a new report. The New York Times reports that the U.S. worked with Israeli intelligence to prepare for the operation, which rescued four Israeli hostages who had been held in the Gaza Strip since October while killing 274 Palestinians and injuring more than 600. Military and intelligence officials from both countries worked together, sharing drone footage, satellite photos and communications monitoring to zero in on the hostages location. This is part of an ongoing effort, and the report said that while Israeli and American officials are not sure where many of the hostages are currently being held, there are also cases where they do have information about their whereabouts but cannot carry out a rescue mission. A crucial component of this weekend's operations success was wide-scale bombing across an area where Palestinian civilians are known to shelter, including the crowded Nuseirat refugee camp and a nearby market. And although the U.S. has tried to distance itself from civilian casualties in Gaza, the U.S. military has flown surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip continuously to aid the hostage rescue efforts that caused these casualties. A senior Israeli official told the Times that American and British drones have been able to get information Israeli drones could not gather. Although most of the hostages were initially believed to be held in the many underground tunnels in Gaza, officials believe that their captors quickly found that keeping them in apartments in different locations throughout the territory was more practical. 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. Thanks to support from the U.S. and U.K., Israel was able to gather more intelligence about the hostages. Moreover, as Israel attacked more and more of the Gaza Strip, it left Hamas with fewer places to hide their captives, making it easier to track them down. It is believed that Israeli bombing has displaced 80 percent of the Gazan population, some of them multiple times, and rendering much of the area uninhabitable. Those holding the hostages were reportedly instructed by Hamas leaders to shoot them if they believed Israeli forces were approaching. Nevertheless, the report said that Hamas leaders strongly believe these individuals are their greatest bargaining chips when it comes to ceasefire negotiations. According to the New York Times, 43 of the 253 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas died in captivity. Although the report implied Hamas had killed them, their cause of death was not specified. Many Israeli captives, however, have said that the thing they feared most during captivity was being killed by Israeli bombings and that Hamas members tried to protect them from these attacks. Weekend rescue killed three Israeli hostages Three Israeli hostages were killed during the rescue operation at Nuseirat this weekend, according to Hamas, which is something that is often glossed over in reports applauding the rescue of the four Israeli hostages. Likewise, the hundreds of Palestinians who died in the operations are being largely ignored in mainstream media reports. One emergency doctor in Aqsa hospital, Ali Ibrahim Tawil, described the aftermath of the bombardment during the rescue. Many were on the floor, beds were put in the courtyard, in a big tent outdoors, literally every place in the hospital was filled with the injured, the dead or their relatives. The emergency room was so full, you couldnt squeeze through your body from the sheer volume of people, he said. The role the U.S. played in the operation is just one of many examples of how its support has been contributing to the civilian casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration claims it is trying so hard to avoid. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co NYTimes.com TheGuardian.com EVIL: Fauci-run NIAID funded animal testing on beagles, Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene reveals During a congressional hearing last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took a detour from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and confronted former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci on the "disgusting and evil" animal testing of dogs "I want you to know Americans don't pay their taxes for animals to be tortured like this," the congresswoman told Fauci as she held up a photo of two beagle test subjects. "As a dog lover, I want to tell you that this is disgusting and evil, what you signed off on. The type of science you are representing, Mr. Fauci, is abhorrent and it needs to stop." The said testing that used beagles as guinea pigs has been widely reported to be funded by NIAID under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), following a 2021 investigation series by the group White Coat Waste Project, a taxpayer watchdog group. "We should be recommending you to be prosecuted," Greene told Fauci. "We should be writing a criminal referral because you should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison. That man does not deserve to have a license. It should be revoked and he belongs in prison." The NIAID denied financing the experiment and the study's publisher issued a correction amid a firestorm of public attacks on the health agency and Fauci which, as demonstrated through Greene's remarks on Monday, continues today. According to White Coat Waste, American taxpayers had paid $375,000 for experiments in Tunisia, where beagles six to eight months old obtained from the kennels of the Pasteur Institute of Tunis were bitten again and again by sandflies that were deprived of food for 24 hours. In one test, beagles were drugged and locked in cages. In another, dogs were stuck in cages outside overnight and used as fly bait. This exposure took place as part of research into zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL), a disease carried by sand flies that can affect dogs and humans. 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. Emails @WhiteCoatWaste got from Fauci & NIAID show they were specifically worried about coverage of our #BeagleGate dog lab investigation by @zerohedge that may cause "a lot of noise & unwanted attention for [Fauci]" They call ZeroHedge: "an illegitimate blog of no credibility" https://t.co/coPIr66mRx pic.twitter.com/hZxLRFWKgf Justin Goodman (@JustinRGoodman) June 7, 2024 The Washington Post came to Fauci's defense and debunked Greene's assertion. "When we first saw Greene hold up the photo, we figured this would be easy to debunk another in a string of misleading attacks against Fauci, who became the public face of the governments response to the pandemic," the media outlet claimed. BREAKING: The Washington Post just admitted that it repeatedly published disinformation fed to it by NIH to discredit WCW & defend Fauci from our true claims that he funded beagle abuse in Tunisia Unpacking the story of Fauci and painful experiments involving dogs Documents pic.twitter.com/BSzvCLQ4x7 White Coat Waste Project ??? (@WhiteCoatWaste) June 7, 2024 The author claims to have cited NIAID WRONGLY as a sponsor of the "BeagleGate" study Back in October 2021, ZeroHedge wrote a chilling article on the White Coat Waste report. CNN then asked Fauci to appear for an interview and one of his staff members suggested late on Oct. 24 that Fauci pause any TV interviews "until we get a handle on this." The next morning, Fauci emailed 12 officials and asked them to "tell what grant or contract they are referring to." Within two hours, one replied that they might have identified the grant. "Let us find out for sure if it is that grant and then let us take a look at what the experimental design is and importantly whether it has received the appropriate ethical and animal care consideration," Fauci replied in an email. "I want this done right away since we are getting bombarded by protests." After another two hours, Abhay Satoskar, a professor of pathology and microbiology at Ohio State University and one of the researchers, emailed to say that NIAID had been mistakenly cited as a funder of the study and that he would seek a correction from the journal. Satoskar stated that it was "mistakenly cited because he was not clear of the true purpose of U.S. funding acknowledgment" and that the program in question had been funded only by the Pasteur Institute. Satoskar, meanwhile asked the editor of the journal Shaden Kamhawi to correct the article. Kamhawi initially agreed but noted internally that she may have a conflict of interest as a NIAID employee. She then sent an email in a panic over the ZeroHedge article potentially inviting "a lot of noise and unwanted attention for Fauci. They also called us an illegitimate blog of no credibility," Kamhawi said. When the story broke in 2021, the NIH scrubbed it from its database and then fed WaPo disinformation. In Nov. 2021, WaPo published an article saying that "the trapped-beagles study does not appear in a database of NIH-funded projects." The agency also insisted that they funded a separate study in Tunisia that involved a vaccine. It also claimed that the controversial experiment involving sand flies was not funded by the government. However, internal NIH communications were found to have no independent proof, aside from the principal investigator's statement that it did not fund the study. (Related: DARK SECRETS: Musks company Neuralink HIDES photos of DEAD animal subjects used to test brain implants.) Head over to FauciTruth.com for stories similar to this. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Blog.WhiteCoatWaste.org WashingtonPost.com New Zealand ends plan to TAX COW FARTS, thanks to new coalition government New Zealand (NZ) has put an end to its plan to tax livestock "emissions" in the form of cow farts and burps, thanks to the new coalition government in Wellington. The government ended this absurd plan to supposedly address "climate change" on June 11. According to Reuters, the move to scrap the proposed tax on methane produced by sheep and cattle followed outcry from farmers who claimed that it would make their business unprofitable. In a statement, the conservative coalition government said it would establish a Pastoral Sector Group with representatives from the agricultural sector to find other ways to reduce biogenic methane. Terms of reference for the group need to be developed and agreed upon, Reuters noted. NZ Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said: "It's time for a fresh start on how we engage farmers and processors to work on biogenic methane." "New Zealand, home to five million people, has about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep," according to Reuters. "Nearly half [of] its total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane." The previous government under former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had introduced a plan to charge farmers for their gas emissions starting 2025. Moreover, Wellington had been planning on including agriculture in the emissions trading scheme as part of its commitment to stop "global warming." However, the plan was unpopular in many parts of the rural sector. The coalition government promised to end this green tyranny if elected, a promise it fulfilled with the move to ban methane taxes. 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. Writing for Watts Up With That, Eric Worrall pointed out that "any relief from the madness of the Jacinda Ardern years is probably a welcome change for ordinary New Zealanders." He added that any doubts he has with the current coalition government were superseded by doubts from Ardern's Labor government. NZ's new government overturning GREEN TYRANNY in Wellington The new coalition government in New Zealand is made up of the New Zealand National Party, ACT New Zealand Party and the New Zealand First Party. Aside from scrapping the plan to tax animal farts and burps, the coalition government has also lifted a ban on oil and gas drilling that has compromised the nation's energy security. NZ Resources Minister Shane Jones announced the ban's lifting, adding that the country's coalition government is preparing to invite energy companies to resume exploration in the three major offshore fields that supply most of its gas. The decision comes after Transpower, the firm operating New Zealand's national grid, was forced to warn families to limit their electricity usage to avoid a shutdown during a cold snap. According to Jones, the ban's overturn would deal with the energy security challenges posed by Wellington's rapidly declining natural gas reserves. "Natural gas is critical to keeping our lights on and our economy running, especially during peak electricity demand and when generation dips because of more intermittent sources like wind, solar and [hydropower]," he explained. "When the exploration ban was introduced by the previous government in 2018, it not only halted the exploration needed to identify new [energy] sources, but it also shrank investment in further development of our known gas fields which sustain our current levels of use. Without this investment, we are now in a situation where our annual natural gas production is expected to peak this year and undergo a sustained decline meaning we have a security of supply issue barreling toward us." Lawmaker Simon Court of the ACT Party also lauded the reversal of the oil drilling ban. According to him, the prohibition on oil and gas drilling announced by Ardern "wasn't environmental policy" but "a publicity stunt." Head over to Climate.news for similar stories. Watch this news report about New Zealand's original plan to tax methane emissions from cows and sheep, a proposal which has just been repealed. This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: SAVE the planet, STARVE the people: Irish gov't proposes SLAUGHTERING 200,000 dairy cows to meet climate targets. Climate change craziness: New Zealand plans to tax FARTS and BURPS of farm animals. Climate insanity: Bill Gates invests in Aussie firm looking to address COW BURPS. Bill Gates wants to use AI for genetically modifying beef cows to "save the planet." New Zealand mulls taxing farmers for the burps and farts of their animals. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com Reuters.com Telegraph.co.uk Newshub.co.nz Brighteon.com School choice sees HUGE victory in Texas as RINO incumbents get walloped by conservative challengers huge shakeup has occurred in Texas politics after a number of Republican incumbents fell to conservative challengers in the Texas House primary run-offs, paving the way for Gov. Greg Abbott's school choice agenda to take hold across the Lone Star State. Abbott, outside groups and what Real Clear Politics described as "a deep-pocketed donor" effectively flipped the seats of 14 Republicans, most of them from rural districts, who opposed Abbott's school choice measure last fall. Some 21 House Republicans in total voted to strip from a larger education bill a voucher program put together by Abbott. Of those 21, 15 will not be returning as the coalition defeated six GOP incumbents in March, followed by another three in last week's run-offs. Four of the five retiring Republican seats were also filled with voucher supporters, followed by another voucher backer winning a special election run-off. The shift is significant not only because of the issue at hand, but also because the defeat of these longtime Republicans is historic in nature. It will change the direction of Texas politics, likely for the better but we will have to wait and see. (Related: Remember when the Biden regime threatened war with Texas over the border crisis?) Texas families to choose where they want to educate their children Abbott had previously threatened to get rid of all anti-school voucher Republicans who stood in the way of his efforts to give parents across Texas taxpayer-funded options when it comes to educating their children somewhere other than public schools. 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. It only took a handful of the conservative challengers to win before Abbott declared victory and announced that the House "now has enough votes to pass school choice," which is also historic. "While we did not win every race we fought in, the overall message from this year's primaries is clear: Texans want school choice," Abbott further stated. "Opponents can no longer ignore the will of the people." One vote that was not victorious was the reinstallment of House Speaker David Phelan, who narrowly eked out a win with less than 400 votes. Phelan is one of the incumbent Republicans who voted last fall to strip school choice from the education bill. Because his win was so narrow, it is expected that Phelan will have a tough time holding onto his leadership position next year, though, especially if enough Texas voters see how beneficial school choice is to their families. Abbott may hold controversial positions on other matters such as freedom of speech on college campuses, but his prioritizing of the school choice issue is one that many Texas Republicans appreciate. "The sometimes-cautious governor campaigned for reelection on the issue in 2022 and made universal education saving accounts a central theme of his most recent State of the State addresses," Real Clear Politics reported. "The ESAs would use taxpayer funds to provide parents a voucher worth $10,500 a year per student to use at a private school." For many years, Texas teacher unions have successfully opposed school choice legislation, just as they have in other states. Their argument is that voucher programs deprive public schools of essential funding and primarily benefit wealthy families that are already sending their children to private schools. Abbott and his allies, conversely, say that most parents regardless of socioeconomic status prefer to choose the best education for their children rather than be told where they have to send their children in order for their education to be covered by taxpayers. Unless the matter is deemed an "emergency item," the Texas legislature will not be allowed to vote on this or any other bill until 60 days into its legislative session. Abbott gave the voucher issue expedited status to prioritize its passage once that time comes. More related news coverage can be found at EducationSystem.news. Sources for this article include: RealClearPolitics.com NaturalNews.com UN probe finds Israel GUILTY of crimes against humanity in Gaza The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) made this conclusion on June 12, deeming Tel Aviv guilty of the atrocities committed during its eight-month-long campaign of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The COI said Israeli authorities are accountable for "the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, and outrages upon personal dignity." The COI also discovered that "the crimes against humanity of extermination, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, murder, [and] forcible transfer" were also committed. According to the commission's findings, the the enormous number of civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza is "the inevitable result of a strategy undertaken with the intent to cause maximum damage, disregarding the principles of distinction, proportionality, and adequate precautions." Moreover, the investigation resolved that the inflammatory remarks by Israeli officials "amounted to incitement and may constitute other serious international crimes," adding that direct and public provocation to genocide is a crime under international law whenever committed. The COI also criticized Israel's continued assaults on civilian evacuation routes and "safe areas" and stated leading Israeli authorities have "weaponized the siege and used the provision of life-sustaining necessities, including by severing water, food, electricity, fuel, and humanitarian assistance, for strategic and political gains." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The COI was set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021 to investigate extensive violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. (Related: UN experts call for investigation into Israeli human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls.) Not just Gaza: COI discovers Israel's war crimes in the West Bank The COI also mentioned that Tel Aviv committed war crimes in the occupied West Bank. Such crimes include "acts of sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity." It also concluded that the Israeli government "permitted, fostered, and instigated" a pattern of settler aggression directed against Palestinian communities. While the report mainly focused on Israel's war crimes, the COI also zoomed in on the misdeeds of Hamas and six other Palestinian armed groups. It accused the movements of "intentionally directing attacks against civilians, murder or wilful killing, torture, inhuman or cruel treatment, destroying or seizing the property of an adversary, outrages upon personal dignity, and taking hostages, including children." "The COI eventually asked the Israeli government to carry out a ceasefire immediately, lift the blockade of Gaza, permit the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid, stop attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and "comply fully" with the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). "Israel must immediately stop its military operations and attacks in Gaza, including the assault on Rafah, which has cost the lives of hundreds of civilians and again displaced hundreds of thousands of people to unsafe locations without basic services and humanitarian assistance," COI Chair Navi Pillay said in a press release. "It is imperative that all those who have committed crimes be held accountable. The only way to stop the recurring cycles of violence, including aggression and retribution by both sides, is to ensure strict adherence to international law." Follow IsraelCollapse.com for more news about Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Watch Robert Inlakesh explaining the UN's decision to add Israel to the blacklist of countries harming children below. This video is from the CreeperStatus channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: UN Human Rights Council passes resolution calling for suspension of arms sales to Israel. United Nations accuses Israel of BLOCKING humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza Strip Horrifying details emerge of Israeli soldiers torturing and sexually abusing Palestinian detainees. WARFREAK: Israel goes to WAR with United Nations over UN chiefs speech criticizing Zionist oppression of Palestinians. Israel unleashing Hannibal Directive on entire Gaza Strip, INTENTIONALLY KILLING Israeli hostages. Sources include: TheCradle.co OHCHR.org Brighteon.com World Economic Forum says, let them eat fake meat! The globalist elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) are calling on governments to promote fake meat and other alternative proteins in a coordinated effort to change consumers behavior. Shocking, I know. (Article by Eric Utter republished from AmericanThinker.com) The authors of a white paper entitled Creating a Vibrant Food Innovation Ecosystem: How Israel Is Advancing Alternative Proteins Across Sectors, claim that changing humans eating habits will require a global effort with governments and corporations working together. Yes, bloated governments and big corporations working together to manipulate and coerce the little peoples behavior is a great idea! And perfectly befitting of fascism, or at least a robust oligarchy! Fake meat. Fake genders. Fake news. Artificial intelligence. I am sick of it all. Is anything real anymore? Yes, the existential danger this represents to us as humans -- and formerly free and sentient beings -- is all too real, indeed. Read more at: AmericanThinker.com Weather experts said that a tropical moisture could expand in central and western Gulf Coast, which will later bring poor weather and floods in the region. Broad, Disorganized Shower Clusters Following the tropical rainstorm that unloaded strong rains in South Florida in the previous week, meteorologists have now shifted their monitoring towards the farther south and west, where a broad, disorganized cluster of showers has been observed, Weather authorities said this feature, known as a "gyre," can help in the development of tropical systems. The National Ocean Service (NOS) defined gyres as a large system of rotating ocean currents. The agency further explained that wind, tides, and differences in temperature and salinity usually drive ocean currents. According to the NOS, the ocean churns up different types of currents, and these usually include eddies, whirlpools, or deep ocean currents. The larger, sustained currents-the Gulf Stream, for example-go by proper names. When taken together, these larger and more permanent currents will later make up the systems of currents known as the gyres. Meteorologists noted that widespread shower and thunderstorm activity would continue to persist and bring floods towards the countries of Central America as well as in southern Mexico with heavy rain towards Monday. This can later lead to floods and even life-threatening mudslides. Weather experts further warned that deep tropical moisture would also spread northward into the western and central Gulf Coast states by Monday. This weather condition will later bring the risk of downpours and flooding concerns in the affected areas. The National Weather Service said that two areas are noted for the potential of flash floods and heavy rains along with severe weather. It identified that the first would be over the Upper Midwest because there will be multiple rounds of heavy rain that may push through the Dakotas into Minnesota. The second will be near the Gulf of Mexico. The tropical moisture will then surge northward and westward from southern Louisiana westward into Texas through Tuesday and into Wednesday. Read Also: Central US Weather Update: Thunderstorms With Damaging Winds, Hail, Tornadoes Seen To Persist Tropical Development Moreover, the National Hurricane Center has also been monitoring the southwestern Gulf of Mexico for possible future tropical development in the coming days. Due to this, meteorologists warned that there is the potential for significant flash floods across the Interstate 10 corridor from New Orleans to Houston. On the other hand, heavy rain is also expected to expand west across central and southern Texas as the week continues. Officials added that torrential rains as well as flash floods are expected to give the most significant impacts, regardless of whether a tropical depression forms or a storm has already been named. Meanwhile, cool and snowy weather conditions will also be affecting parts of the Northern Rockies over the next couple of days due to the broader upper trough that is seen to move through the West. Officials said that the temperatures would be well below normal for middle part of June, and even near record cold for the date. Related Article: Florida Flooding: Streets Submerged, Vehicles Stranded Due to Nearly a Month's Worth of Rainfall A crocodile, known for stalking, lunging at children and adults in northern Australia's Aboriginal community had been reported earlier this year following a massive flooding in the region. Since January 2024, the reptilian predator was seen emerging from floodwaters, terrorizing the town of Bulla. Now, reports in recent days showed that the wild animal was finally caught and turned into a "traditional feast." Crocodile Stalks Aboriginal Community The animal, identified by local reports as a saltwater crocodile, also had a track record of targeting dogs in the community. The local Australian crocodile threat came to an end after local authorities shot and cooked the beast for residents in the area. The crocodile was barbequed and cooked to be eaten in the form of sliced meat chunks and soup for the inhabitants. Despite the gunning down of the predator, authorities mentioned that wild animals started appearing in places where they have never been spotted before. For instance, the widespread flooding in the western region back in January allowed the stalking crocodile to move into the River Baines in Northern Territory, Australia. Also Read: Crocodile Match: Australian Man Survives Attack by Biting Back at 10-Foot Reptile Fatal Crocodile Attacks in Australia Prior to the incident, crocodiles also threatened human populated areas in other parts of the country. Although considered by experts as "extremely rare," fatal crocodile attacks in Australia do occur. Australia is not a stranger to fatal crocodile attacks on humans, based on recorded cases since the 19th century. Since the year 1867, Australia recorded a total of 27 confirmed fatal crocodile attacks, according to the Australian government agency Wet Tropics Management Authority. These attacks can be provoked or unprovoked, with the latter still occurring especially if a person is within crocodile territory. While encounters with crocodile can be avoided, the expansion of humans into their territory such as mangroves, rivers, and swamps increase the risk, the agency reported. Particularly, the anthropogenic development of crocodile habitats, which have been the reptiles' home for millions of years, is a contributing factor for the said human-wildlife conflict. Australian Crocodile Population The size of saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is relatively colossal compared with other of its reptilian kins. Saltwater crocodiles live in freshwater environments, including lakes and rivers. However, some of these predatory animals have been spotted in shallow waters along coastal areas. In Australia, the population of C. porosus is estimated to be hundreds of thousands. Based on official estimates from multiple sources, the saltwater crocodile population in Australia is between 100,000 and 200,000 individuals. Their population has been protected since 1969 but uncontrolled hunting decreased the crocs' number across Kimberley and Northern Territory state to less than 8,000 individuals, according to the Western Australian Marine Science Institution. On the other hand, data provided by the IUCN Red List estimates that the total population of the Australian saltwater crocodile is more than 400,000 mature or adult individuals. The crocodile species also live in several countries across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Related Article: Worst Crocodile Attacks: Do Crocodiles Purposely Attack Humans? A wildfire in California forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 individuals and burned 14,625 acres of land. Fire Still Spreading Firefighters from the California Fire said that they are currently battling a wildland fire in Gorman, near Hungry Valley State Park. They said that the fire has been spreading southeast toward Lake Pyramid. So far, fire crews have been working to establish perimeter fire lines around the fire's edges. To contain its effects among residents, an aircraft has been utilized to halt the fire's forward progress but are facing challenges due to limited visibility. The California State Park Services have ensured the evacuation of some 1,200 people from Hungry Valley Park. Authorities also directed the closure of the Pyramid Lake due to the threat from the Post Fire. Firefighters, meanwhile, guaranteed that they would continue working overnight to reinforce the existing perimeter on the fire's east side. This as they are expecting that the wind will push the fire further south towards Pyramid Lake. So far, only 2% of the fire had been contained, according to the California Fire. High temperatures and lower humidity are also forecasted for Monday, with authorities saying that winds expected to peak in the afternoon. On the other hand, wind gusts may reach up to 20 MPH, with stronger winds at the ridge tops that are potentially reaching 50 MPH. The National Weather Service warned that dangerous fire-weather conditions are expected to continue through at least Monday afternoon. Fire authorities said that strong northwest to north winds would also combine with low daytime relative humidity, with only poor to moderate overnight relative humidity recovery. They said that these conditions would be favorable for the rapid growth and spread of wildfires, including the ongoing Post Fire complex. Officials noted that this is a Red Flag Warning for gusty northwest to north winds and low relative humidity for the Interstate-5 corridor in northwest Los Angeles County and the Ventura County mountains. Read Also: Canada Wildfire Alert: Raging Blaze Approaching Town Forces Thousands of Evacuations Cause Still Undetermined They warned that there is a 40 percent chance that this warning could be extended into Monday night or Tuesday during the later forecasts. Based on the forecast, elevated fire weather conditions is seen to persist in the Kern County mountains and the West Hills from Merced to Kern County up to Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, very strong Northwesterly to North winds and relative humidity values of near 10 percent are also forecasted. The strongest winds were anticipated on Sunday evening and Monday, with sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts near 55 mph. Up to this time, the reason behind the fire has yet to be determined and is still under investigation. Luckily, no injuries or fatalities had been reported by authorities. Officials mentioned that California's wildfire season is off to an aggressive start. This year, fires have consumed around 41,900 acres, a number that was higher than the average of 27,100 acres burned during the same period during the past five years, Related Article: 2024 Wildfire Season in Mexico: Over 100 Intense Blazes Fueled by Dry and Warm Conditions Ants are known for being intelligent, social insects since they communicate with one another, building their colonies with an organized social structure. What makes ants unique is their hierarchical units or cases, starting from the queen, drones, and the workers. As seen in documentaries and previous research, some ant species can even colonize large areas, called supercolonies. However, the intellectual and social evolution of these insects has been a mystery in the past until recently. Based on a June 2024 study, researchers found an ancient ant fossil dating back 100 million years ago. The collected specimen revealed that primitive ants had "complex social lives." The findings also show the onset of the social life of early ants and further understanding of their advanced social behavior. Ancient Ant Fossil New findings about ant social life through ancient ant fossil was published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, June 14. In this new study, an international team of researchers from Japan and the United States found sensory evidence of complex communication and advanced sociality among early ants. The fossil was exhumed from amber, with preserved internal organs, in Myanmar. The US and Japan team examined three fossils of Earth's oldest known ant species, called Gerontoformica gracilis. Focusing on the primitive ants' antennae, the researchers developed a specialized microscopy technique to better analyze the fossil antennae. The study has considered the discovery as significant since scientists are still uncertain as to when the ants' social lifestyle evolved. For instance, science is still in the dark when it comes to determining whether early ants already communicated with each other via chemicals on their body, either as members of a shared colony or habitats. Yet, it is clear the modern-day ants are capable of communication through chemicals called pheromones, by using their antennae to smell them. Future research about an ant's advanced sociality is expected to further examine current or hidden primitive ant fossils, waiting to be discovered. Currently, the ant fossil from the Myanmar amber is owned by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Also Read: Ants Reveal the Importance of Plant Diversity for Eco Fuels Social Behavior Evolution The new study based its findings on the premise that ants, bees, termites, and wasps are capable of advanced social behavior, also known as eusociality. This social trait allows these insects to dominate over and compete with solitary animal species. The strongest evidence of their eusociality is based on the number and quality of colonies or nests that these social insects have built since time memorial. In this context, the evolution of ants and eusociality has become an interest for scientists. Based on research since the 1960s, experts concluded that social behavior among animals, including insects, evolved through the mechanism of natural selection. Scientists explain that living in groups is more beneficial than solitary animals, which can be killed more easily by their predators. Related Article: Ants and Fungus: A Natural Solution for Plant Waste Management Earth's rotation is an important aspect for all life on the planet. After all, it influences weather, ocean tides, geological dynamics, and other natural conditions. Most notably, the circular movement of Earth determines the duration, length of darkness and light from the Sun. However, the thought that the celestial body that we are living in would eventually stop or slow down may seem out of science fiction. However, the decrease in speed of Earth's rotation is not fictional at all and is also grounded in reality. According to a study earlier in June 2024, Earth's rotation has been confirmed to be slowing down after researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) found that the planet's inner core appears to be "reversing and backtracking." Evidence of this phenomenon revealed that it started since 2010. Based on unprecedented scientific evidence, the slowing down of Earth's inner core can bring potential weather and geological impacts to the planet, affecting animal and plant life across the biosphere. While it is unclear until when this trend will continue, the new research paper blamed changes in the outer core as the cause of the inner core's slowing speed relative to the planet's surface. Earth's Rotation Slows Down Following contestations among the scientific community on the movement of Earth's inner core, new evidence sheds light on the debate. In a media release on June 12, USC scientists announced that Earth's rotation is slowing down after it was found that the planet's inner core is reversing and backtracking. The announcement states there is "clear evidence" the planet's rotation speed started to decrease around 2010. According to Dean's Professor John Vidale, from USC's Earth Sciences, discovered seismograms hinted the change in Earth's rotation and inner core. This unprecedented discovery was further confirmed after the researchers detected additional two dozen observations that indicate the unexpected find. Vidale adds the "result was inescapable," confirming the inner core slowed down for the first time in many decades. Also Read: What Causes Wind? Earth's Rotation is Not the Only Reason Weather and Geological Impacts The USC's findings about Earth's inner core reversing and backtracking was published in the journal Nature on June 12. Based on seismic data, there was an occurrence of inner core backtracking caused by seismic waveform change reversals. Before arriving at their conclusion, researchers compiled 143 different pairs of recurring earthquakes between 1991 and 2023 in the South Sandwich Islands. Scientific evidence in the past has shown that changes in the Earth's rotation have potential weather and geological impacts. For instance, the possibility of a complete halt or decrease in the speed of the inner core's movement can disrupt our circadian rhythm and even affect weather patterns. Furthermore, the planet could see longer daytime and nighttime hours, different from the conventional 24-hour timekeeping. Moreover, the phenomenon can also influence the planet's seismic waves, potentially leading to massive earthquakes, according to scientists. Related Article: Earth's Shortest Day Ever Recorded After Spinning Unusually Faster Than Normal Oxygen levels worldwide have decreased over the past several decades, threatening current biodiversity and ecosystems. This is according to a new report by the United Nations, which found hundreds of "dead zones" or regions where almost no marine life exists due to decreased or absence of oxygen. Amid the environmental and ecological threat, human activities have been found as a contributory factor. The report is also based on the work of multiple scientists, in addition to previous research findings of other threats to the world's oceans such as acidification, pollution, and climate change. However, ocean oxygen loss has been found as a serious matter due to the risk of marine life mortalities, ranging from small fish to large marine mammals. Global Ocean Oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element crucial for the growth and survival of aerobic living organisms, including the majority of terrestrial and marine animals. Following the formation of Earth around 4.5 billion years ago, most lifeforms were anaerobic, organisms that could live without oxygen. It was until the Great Oxidation Event more than 2 billion years ago which a gave chance for oxygen-breathing organisms to evolve. In a recent statement by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it was determined Earth lost 2% of its global ocean oxygen since the 1960s and around 500 dead zones have been found along coastal areas of the world. UNESCO also highlighted this deoxygenation event earlier in June 2024, adding other environment-damaging phenomena like rising sea levels, ocean warming, and biodiversity loss. Also Read: Lack Of Oxygen Will Lead to 'Death' of Most Life on Earth in Billion Years, Say Experts Declining Oxygen Levels In its earlier press release, UNESCO's Director-General Audrey Azoulay calls on member states of the Paris Climate Agreement to take action when it comes to marine forest restoration, in addition to protecting biodiversity reservoirs. This comes after scientists confirmed that declining oxygen levels are suffocating coastal species and caused by global warming and pollutants, including agricultural run-off and wastewater. The decline of global ocean oxygen levels impacts different marine animals, their natural habitats, and the wider ecosystem. Based on previous studies, imbalance in oxygen levels or deoxygenation can also constrain the growth, alter the behavior, and increase the mortality of marine life. In 2023, a reported deoxygenation event along the Texas Gulf Coast resulted in the deaths of thousands of fish. Aside from the mentioned factors, organic pollutants also lead to deoxygenation. Due to high microbial activity, pollutants in the water also release ammonia and other mineral nutrients. This means that the combination of natural factors amid the climate crisis and pollution-inducing human industrial activities can accelerate the current deoxygenation rate. If the current trend continues, scientists are expecting a further increase of total oxygen loss in the world's oceans, unless concrete actions are taken, especially measures under the 2015 Paris Agreement led by the UN. Related Article: Fish Kill in Louisiana Due to Lack of Oxygen, Experts Say Possible Uptick as Oceans Warm Gray whales living and feeding in the waters off the Pacific Northwest region of the United States are undergoing an unusual biological change. According to a new study in June 2024 led by researchers from Oregon State University, the size or length of the Pacific coast gray whales has shortened over the last 20 years to 30 years. The problem has been linked to the changing food web and nutrition of the said marine mammals. This shortened body length of some members of the gray whale species (Eschrichtius robustus) in the region can threaten their population, according to the authors of the new research paper. The findings point out that having a smaller body size for the whales can have significant repercussions in their health and reproduction. The recent discovery also highlights its potential impact on the local ecosystem, including prey-predator dynamics. In 2021, a study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries found an alarming drop in the population of gray whales off the US West Coast. The population of E. robustus has been considered by scientists as "stable" in recent years. However, emerging evidence still shows they could still be in danger, especially amid marine pollution, climate change, and anthropogenic threats. Gray Whale Size Shortens Documentation of shortening gray whale body size has been published as a study in the journal Global Change Biology on June 7. According to the Oregon State University research team, over 200 Pacific coast gray whales have shortened by 13% since the year 2000. The sample population involves whales that spend the summer season feeding in the shallow waters of the Northwest US. Highlighting potential food web and nutrition problems, the researchers identified that the natural phenomena of "upwelling" and "relaxation" are behind the issue. The paper explains that upwelling is the sweeping of nutrients from the deeper into the shallower parts of the ocean. Meanwhile, relaxation is the opposite since it retains the nutrients in shallower areas. The movement of these nutrients means that the prey of grey whales, including plankton and other tiny organisms, become relatively less available. Also Read: Gray Whale and Monarch Butterfly Face Extinction with Dropping Population Gray Whale Population Concerns Despite having a stable number, as mentioned earlier, gray whale population is threatened by various human-induced factors. These threats include fishing gear entanglement, oil and gas development, and vessel strikes or ship collisions, according to the non-governmental organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Moreover, gray whales and other marine animals are also at risk from ocean warming due to the climate crisis. The WWF specifies that the western North Pacific gray whale is facing a potential existential threat due to the mentioned anthropogenic dangers. Over the past decade, there have been reports of gray whales stranding along beaches of the Pacific Ocean. This mysterious phenomenon was also seen in other coastal areas of the US, including humpback whale stranding off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. In January 2021, the NOAA Fisheries in its study estimated that there were approximately 6,000 fewer migrating whales during the 2020 winter; or equivalent to 21,000 whales compared with the higher 27,000 individuals back in 2016. Related Article: Gray Whale Spotted In Massachusetts 200 Years After Species Extinction Nagal loses Challengers final in Perugia S umit Nagal's remarkable run on the ATP Challenger Tour met a formidable obstacle as he fell short in the final of the Perugia Challenger, succumbing to World No. 37 Luciano Darderi in a brisk 62-minute match. The final score, 6-1, 6-2, did little justice to Nagals recent surge in form and tenacity on the court. Having played 10 matches in the last 12 days, including a triumphant campaign in Heilbronn, Germany, where he clinched the sixth Challenger title of his career, Nagal had propelled himself to new heights in the ATP Rankings. Nagals victory in Germany was a testament to his grit and skill, propelling him to a career-high ranking of 77 and virtually securing his spot in the mens singles event at the Paris Olympics. However, the physical toll of his relentless schedule became evident in Perugia. The 26-year-old Indian entered the final after a grueling three-set semifinal battle against Spains Bernabe Zapata Miralles, which left him visibly fatigued against a fresher opponent in Darderi. Darderi, the top-seeded Italian, wasted no time asserting his dominance, breaking Nagal thrice to take the first set in just 27 minutes. Nagal, showing glimpses of his resilience, managed to break Darderis eight-game winning streak by leveling the second set at 1-2. However, the Italian swiftly regained control, breaking Nagal again in the sixth game to establish a 4-2 lead. Darderi's relentless pressure proved too much, and he broke Nagal for the sixth time while the Indian was serving to stay in the match, sealing his victory. Despite the defeat, Nagals remarkable journey in recent weeks has seen him rise to 71 in the live ATP Rankings. This ascent has significant historical resonance, as it places him above the legendary Leander Paes, who achieved a career-high ranking of 73. Nagal now stands joint-fourth on the all-time list of highest-ranked Indian men since the advent of computerised rankings in 1973, sharing the spot with Sashi Menon and trailing only behind Somdev Devvarman (62), Ramesh Krishnan (23), and Vijay Amritraj (18). Nagal loses Challengers final in Perugia Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Focus on strategic technology and defence cooperation as Sullivan begins India visit U S National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan began his two-day visit to India on Monday as both countries take the next steps in strategic technology and defence cooperation during the third term of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Delighted to welcome US NSA Jake Sullivan in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term," External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar posted on X after he met Sullivan. The US NSA then met his Indian counterpart, India's NSA Ajit Doval as both top security officials, who had met in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit last week, carried on their discussions on a range of strategic, regional, and bilateral issues, including the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Sullivan's visit also establishes once again that India will continue to perfectly walk a tightrope of diplomacy, a hallmark of the Modi government, and engage with various countries to promote its interests. The US NSA has arrived in India after attending and addressing the Peace Summit on Ukraine hosted by Switzerland over the weekend. India also attended the event but did not associate itself with any communique or document emerging from the Summit. Sullivan had visited New Delhi almost around the same time last year, meeting PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar and NSA Doval as both countries unveiled a roadmap for cooperation at a stakeholder event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on advancing India-US iCET partnership just ahead of Prime Minister Modi's landmark visit to Washington. Both NSAs have acknowledged that the iCET launched by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden in January 2023 will play a defining role in deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries. "I think if you ask the President, one of the things that he's proudest of is his efforts to build a stronger relationship between the US and India. And I do believe, both in the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean and on key issues like technology, the US and India are working more closely together than ever before," a senior US administration official said in April, this year. "And I would simply say that I think the US-India relationship is trending substantially in a positive direction and that our level of engagement across every possible vector -- security, intelligence, technology, people-to-people -- has excelled," he added. During his visit to Washington in June 2023, PM Modi had also hailed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership as a significant step in the coordination of both countries' semiconductor incentive programmes. A few months later, another MoU on 'Enhancing Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake' under the framework of IndiaUS Commercial Dialogue was signed between the two countries on November 14, 2023, in San Francisco. At the same time, the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) continues to facilitate joint defence technology innovation and co-production of advanced defence technology between the industries of the two countries. Focus on strategic technology and defence cooperation as Sullivan begins India visit Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Netanyahu dissolves Israeli war cabinet after resignations I sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet on Monday, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister confirmed. The key political decision-making body for how the war in Gaza was being conducted was dissolved just more than a week after the withdrawal of influential Opposition leader Benny Gantz. Israeli media had earlier leaked the news about the disbanding of the cabinet, which was formed after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. A spokeswoman for Netanyahu confirmed the news on Monday. Government sources said that Netanyahu would discuss critical decisions regarding the conflict in smaller forums in future. The cabinet had been formed in an attempt to demonstrate political unity after the Hamas attack. Netanyahu leads a government composed of far-right and religious parties, but the war cabinet contained Gantz, a key opposition figure. Last week, Gantz -- a former general and Defence Minister -- announced his withdrawal due to differences of opinion concerning the Gaza war and what would happen to Gaza after the war is over. An observer member of the cabinet, Gadi Eisenkot, also withdrew, leading to even greater expectations that the cabinet would be dissolved. Investigations continue into the deaths of eight Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The Israeli army said on Monday that it believes an anti-tank missile was used in an attack on an Israeli armoured vehicle in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip which killed eight soldiers on Saturday, according to Israeli media. The incident is one of the most serious for the IDF since the start of the war more than eight months ago. Initial findings showed that a door of the Namer armoured personnel carrier was open contrary to instructions, the newspaper Israel Hayom wrote on Monday. All of the vehicle's occupants were killed instantly when the rocket hit the vehicle. The incident is still being investigated. --IANS/DPA Netanyahu dissolves Israeli war cabinet after resignations Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. In a recent study published in the journal Environment International, Swedish researchers used wastewater analysis to estimate the temporal and spatial usage of artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose, and acesulfame in five communities in Sweden over a study period spanning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Study: Are we using more sugar substitutes? Wastewater analysis reveals differences and rising trends in artificial sweetener usage among Swedish urban catchments. Image Credit: Towfiqu ahamed barbhuiya / Shutterstock Background Given the understanding that excessive sugar consumption can lead to weight gain and obesity, the popularity and use of artificial sweeteners, which have significantly lower calories than sucrose and other conventional sugars but are substantially sweeter, has increased drastically in recent times. The health and food safety agency in Europe has approved the use of certain artificial sweeteners in beverages, preserved foods, and desserts. Artificial sweeteners are also widely used in low-calorie food and drinks. However, growing evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners could be potentially harmful, with concerns about an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity and possible carcinogenetic effects. Hitherto, artificial sweetener consumption has been monitored primarily through manufacturing information, sales data, and population-based surveys, which present the risk of over- or under-estimation. Epidemiology using wastewater analysis is effective in determining the usage and exposure to various substances. Graphical abstract About the study In the present study, the researchers used wastewater analysis to evaluate the temporal use of three artificial sweeteners saccharin, sucralose, and acesulfame in five different populations across Sweden and whether the restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the consumption of artificial sweeteners in these populations. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether the artificial sweetener exposure levels, as determined by the wastewater analysis, could pose any health risks. The researchers focused on the period spanning the COVID-19 pandemic because various other studies had reported that the restrictions associated with disease mitigation during the pandemic had a significant negative impact on people's mental and physical health, resulting in behavioral changes such as increased consumption of sugary foods and lower social interactions and physical activity levels. The researchers collected wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants from Enkoping, Kalmar, Knivsta, Osthammar, and Uppsala using flow-dependent sampling. For some of the populations, samples were collected over two years. A total of 180 wastewater samples and 14 samples collected from Uppsala during the pre-pandemic period were analyzed. The wastewater samples were analyzed using a combination of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Chemical separation and quantification were carried out, and the method quantification and method detection limits were calculated. Isotopically labeled internal standards, as well as native standards, were used for quality assurance and to monitor potential contaminations. Measures such as the daily mass load per thousand individuals and the sucrose equivalent dose were calculated to account for differences in sweetness among the three artificial sweeteners. Population-normalized figures were determined to account for the possible direct disposal of artificial sweeteners into the sewage. Additionally, the usage trends of the three artificial sweeteners in Uppsala between 2019 and 2022 were calculated using a regression model. Results The study found significant differences in the use of the three artificial sweeteners among the five Swedish communities examined. Kalmar, in the southern region of Sweden, showed a higher usage of sucralose, while Osthammar and Enkoping in central Sweden used saccharin and acesulfame more. The sucrose equivalent dose values showed that the artificial sweeter use consistently showed a prevalence pattern of sucralose use greater than that of acesulfame or saccharin in all five communities. Acesulfame was the second most prevalently used artificial sweetener. The monitoring periods for all the communities, excluding Uppsala, were short; therefore, no apparent trends in usage change were noticed. However, the four-year-long monitoring data from Uppsala revealed an approximately 19% increase every year in the use of sucralose, while the annual increases in the use of saccharin and acesulfame were 8% and 9%, respectively. No delayed or immediate effects were observed in the artificial sweeter levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings indicated that the stress associated with COVID-19 and associated restrictions did not increase the consumption of foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners among the populations of these five Swedish communities. Furthermore, although only the consumption levels of acesulfame were substantially lower in the recommended range, none of the artificial sweeter consumption levels were found to be above the recommended threshold for daily intake, suggesting that these consumption levels did not pose any health risks. Conclusions Overall, the study showed that wastewater analysis for determining artificial sweetener consumption levels is a valuable tool to complement the survey results, which can sometimes be unreliable. The findings indicated that the consumption levels of three commonly used artificial sweeteners among five Swedish populations were within the recommended levels and did not pose any significant health risks. Cross-border tumor boards of cancer specialists from different European countries meeting virtually to review the management of individual patients with complex rare gynecological cancers from across Europe resulted in new treatment recommendations and increased access to clinical trials, according to results from a six-year study that will be presented at the ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Congress 2024. Gynecological cancers occur in the female reproductive system and include cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, vulval cancers and gestational trophoblastic tumors. More than half of all gynecological cancers are classified as 'rare cancers', defined as cancers that are diagnosed in fewer than 6 people in every 100,000 of the population each year. The low numbers mean that many cancer centers, even those at regional and national level, have limited experience in diagnosing and managing patients and little or no access to clinical trials. This can lead to delayed diagnosis and limited availability of treatment options for patients. Five-year survival rates are lower for patients with rare cancers (47%) compared to those with common cancers (67%). Treating rare gynecological cancers poses several challenges in terms of lack of consensus on management or shared guidelines and poor availability of clinical trials. There are challenges and major differences also in terms of achieving accurate and timely diagnosis, accessing novel treatment options and providing harmonised care for patients across different countries." Alice Bergamini, presenting author, Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit, I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy The European reference network for rare adult cancers (EURACAN) is a virtual network connecting adult patients with rare cancers to expert healthcare centres across Europe; the G2 domain focuses on rare gynaecological cancers. As part of its work, EURACAN G2 organises multidisciplinary tumor boards to enable cancer doctors across Europe to meet virtually to review individual patients with the aim of increasing their access to specialist expertise, novel treatments, and clinical trials. The new study analysed the impact of EURACAN G2 tumor boards on patient care over the six years from November 2017 to October 2023. During this time 67 multidisciplinary tumor boards with participants from 18 European countries reviewed a total of 260 patients with complex gynaecological cancers. "The number of cases discussed has increased substantially over this time as well as the number of doctors participating," reported Bergamini. Results showed that the number of patients reviewed by the group nearly doubled over the six-year period. Further diagnostic testing was recommended in over one in three of the patients and new treatment opportunities to those originally planned were suggested for more than half of the women. Adherence to these treatment recommendations was high (94%). Bergamini pointed out that surveillance instead of adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended in 17% of patients. "This spared these women the potential side-effects of chemotherapy," she noted. Based on recommendations from the virtual tumor board, one in four of the patients gained access to off-label therapies (37 patients) or were enrolled in clinical trials abroad (4 patients). "Patients were able to access off-label therapies not yet approved for rare gynecological cancers, which would otherwise not have been accessible in some countries," explained Bergamini. "This approach is a key strategy to improve the treatment of patients with rare and complex cancers by bringing together leading experts from relevant fields in different countries. It gives patients access to expertise not possible in individual centers, helps to overcome resource limitations and provides patients with access to off-label treatments and clinical trials in other countries." Bergamini considered that cross-border tumor boards also help to improve the harmonization of treatment across different countries. "In addition, networking and clinical collaboration was of huge educational value to clinicians; we learned a lot from working together at these multidisciplinary tumor boards." The new findings showing the value of cross-border tumor boards are encouraging for using this approach in patients with other types of rare cancers. EURACAN currently has 10 groups working in rare adult solid tumor cancers, from head and neck cancers to those affecting the digestive tract. "The virtual tumor board approach we are using for complex gynecological cancers is completely feasible in other rare cancer domains, such as sarcoma," said Prof. Isabelle Ray-Coquard, president of the Groupe d'investigateurs national evaluation des cancers de l'ovaire (GINECO), Centre Leon Berard, Universite Claude Bernard, Lyon, France and Chair of EURACAN G2 domain. She added that cross-border tumor boards for patients with sarcoma are now underway and but also cautioned that the use of this approach in different types of rare cancers depends on whether it helps to meet the unmet needs. At the same time as developing new ways to improve access to specialist care and treatment options for patients with rare cancers, prof. Ray-Coquard considered that research in rare cancers is essential to optimizing diagnosis and treatment. "Rare cancers account for 24% of all of our cancer patients. But there have been no new treatment options for many rare cancers for the last 20 years," she warned. "We need to continue research to develop new hypotheses that can form the basis for developing novel therapies with a high likelihood of success in clinical trials." African Swine Fever (ASF) poses a grave threat to the swine industry, with the virus causing severe economic and agricultural disruptions since its emergence in China in 2018. The disease, transmitted by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), has become endemic with a high mortality rate nearing 100%. Despite extensive efforts, the development of effective vaccines or treatments has been hindered by the virus's complex nature. This urgency calls for innovative approaches to manage and mitigate the impact of ASF on pig farming communities. Researchers from Huazhong Agricultural University, in collaboration with the Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, have published a comprehensive review (DOI: 10.1186/s44149-024-00122-1) in the journal Animal Diseases. The study delves into the advancements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the prevention and control of ASF, highlighting the antiviral and immunoregulatory capabilities of herbal compounds. The comprehensive review meticulously details the multifaceted approach of TCM in addressing ASF. It underscores the antiviral potential of various herbal extracts, such as berbamine hydrochloride from Berberis amurensis Rupr., which inhibits ASFV proliferation by interfering with early viral infection stages. Luteolin, found in common vegetables like broccoli, has demonstrated the ability to suppress the virus's replication cycle by modulating key signaling pathways. The study also highlights the role of TCM in immunomodulation, showcasing how certain herbal formulas can enhance the pigs' immune responses and potentially reduce the severity of ASF. The integration of such traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods presents a robust strategy to combat this devastating disease, illustrating the profound impact of TCM in contemporary veterinary medicine. Dr. Qiang Zhang, a corresponding author and expert in veterinary medicine, emphasizes the importance of this research, stating, "TCM offers a unique perspective in managing diseases like ASF. Its multi-component, multi-target approach can potentially lead to more effective and safer treatments with less risk of resistance development." The findings suggest that integrating TCM into modern pig farming practices could significantly bolster disease prevention and control measures. The use of herbal additives in feed and the development of TCM-based antiviral drugs present promising avenues. Moreover, this research could pave the way for a deeper understanding of TCM mechanisms, facilitating its integration with Western medicine and contributing to global health strategies against ASF and potentially other infectious diseases. Source: TranSpread Journal reference: Yang, Y., et al. (2024). Advances in research on the efficacy of traditional Chinese herbal medicine in combating African swine fever. Animal Diseases. doi.org/10.1186/s44149-024-00122-1. A pioneering study published today in the journal Nature Aging has unveiled significant heterogeneity in the risk factors affecting healthy aging in Latin America and emphasized the limitations of current models of brain health, which are primarily based on data from high-income countries. The research was conducted by researchers from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and by colleagues in Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (Chile) and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) among others. The study developed a metanalytical approach with 146,000 participants and findings emphasize how current models of brain health may not apply to the diverse populations of Latin America. Towards tailored and personalized models of healthy aging and brain health Latin America faces unique challenges in promoting healthy brain aging, including genetic admixture (shaping genetic variation and disease risk), adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic inequities, and health disparities. Both physical and social exposomes significantly influence brain health, differing from the patterns observed in high-income countries. The study involved a comprehensive meta-analysis of multiple studies, ultimately including over 146,000 participants. Results highlighted significant but heterogeneous effects on cognition and functional ability, with varied impacts from demographics, mental health, health status, and social determinants. This study revealed substantial variability in how risk factors impact cognition and functional ability across Latin American populations. This variability underscores the inadequacy of one-size-fits-all models developed from high-income countries. High heterogeneity, outliers, variations between countries, and lack of robust computational approaches have affected the reliability of existing data. Toward a better science of healthy aging and brain health The study confirmed an emerging idea that global models of brain health, predominantly based on data from high-income countries, may not be universally applicable. Our work shows significant heterogeneity in risk factors affecting cognition and functional ability across Latin American populations, highlighting the inadequacy of current models based on data from high-income countries." Agustin Ibanez, first author of the study, Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin and Director of BrainLat UAI There is an urgent need for comprehensive and harmonized data collection efforts to capture the diverse factors influencing healthy aging in Latin America. Carlos Coronel, Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, co-author said: "Developing predictive models tailored to the region's unique demographic, genetic, and socioeconomic contexts is essential. Bridging this gap requires advanced computational approaches that integrate theories of brain function and its interaction with the exposome." The study recommends implementing robust methodological approaches, promoting data-driven and machine-learning techniques, and focusing on social determinants of health and other socioeconomic disparities. On those social factors, Commenting on those social factors, Joaquin Migeot, co-author and postdoctoral researcher at BrainLat, said: "The need to address the aggregated effect of various exposures throughout life entails a high dimensionality of variables. To manage this complexity and derive meaningful conclusions, the use of machine learning techniques is essential to facilitating a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of how multiple exposures impact brain health. These efforts will inform tailored policy and healthcare interventions, improving brain health and aging outcomes in Latin America." Sandra Baez, co-author and professor at Los Andes University (Colombia) and Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, said: "This study is a significant step towards understanding the unique factors that impact aging and brain health in Latin America. Our findings advocate for a more nuanced and region-specific approach to developing brain health models tailored to diverse and underrepresented populations." Petrol, Diesel Prices On June 17, 2024: OMCs have released the latest petrol and diesel prices for June 17. Fuel prices in the country depend on the prices of crude oil internationally. Fluctuations in crude oil prices lead to changes in fuel prices in India. Check the latest petrol, and diesel prices to know if there is an increase in the amount customers will have to shell out for a litre. Government oil marketing companies release the latest petrol and diesel prices daily at 6 am in the country. The prices have remained unchanged in most parts of the country since March 2024 when the central government cut petrol prices by Rs 2. Before that, the fuel prices remained steady since May 2022, following a reduction in fuel taxes by the central government and several states. However, the Karnataka government has increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre as it has increased sales tax. Companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Indian Oil Corporation of India release the prices of petrol and diesel on their websites. Let us know the latest fuel prices. Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate list below) Mumbai Petrol & Diesel Price As of June 17, the petrol price 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 June 17, the cost of diesel is priced at Rs 87.62 per litre. Delhi Petrol Price Today As of June 17, the cost of petrol in Delhi is Rs 94.72 per litre. Kolkata Petrol & Diesel Price In Kolkata, the price of petrol is Rs 103.94 and the price of diesel is Rs 90.76 per litre. Chennai Petrol & Diesel Price In Chennai, the price of petrol is Rs 100.85, while the price of diesel is Rs 92.43 per litre. Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on June 17: Petrol-Diesel Rates in other cities (Petrol-Diesel Rates 17 June 2024) Noida: Petrol Rs 94.66 per litre and Diesel Rs 87.76 per litre Bengaluru: Petrol Rs 99.84 per litre and Diesel Rs 85.93 per litre Gurugram: Petrol Rs 95.05 per litre and diesel Rs 87.91 per litre Chandigarh: Petrol is Rs 94.24 per litre and diesel is Rs 82.40 per litre Hyderabad: Petrol is Rs 107.41 per litre and diesel is Rs 95.65 per litre Jaipur: Petrol is Rs 104.88 per litre and diesel is Rs 90.36 per litre Patna: Petrol is Rs 105.42 per litre and diesel is Rs 92.27 per litre Lucknow: Petrol is Rs 94.52 per litre and diesel is Rs 87.61 per litre 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. PM-KISAN 17th Installment: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday release the 17th installment of the PM-KISAN scheme in Varanasi, amounting to about Rs 20,000 crore to benefit 9.3 crore farmers. Under the scheme, eligible farmers receive Rs 2,000 every four months, totalling Rs 6,000 annually. The funds are provided to farmers each year in three installments April-July, August-November, and December-March. The money is directly transferred to their bank accounts. VIDEO | Preparations in full swing in Varanasi ahead of PM Modis visit to his parliamentary constituency on Tuesday.This is PMs first visit to Varanasi after taking oath for a third consecutive term. pic.twitter.com/om2hiy9uyt Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2024 The scheme was announced in the Interim Budget 2019 by then finance minister Piyush Goyal and later launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. e-KYC Requirement for PM-KISAN To receive the installments, farmers must complete their e-KYC. According to the schemes official website, eKYC is MANDATORY for PMKISAN Registered Farmers. OTP-based eKYC is available on the PMKISAN Portal, or the nearest CSC centers may be contacted for Biometric-based eKYC. How To Check Beneficiary Status? 1) Visit the official website pmkisan.gov.in 2) Now, click on the tab Know Your Status on the right side of the page 3) Enter you registration number and fill Captcha Code, and select Get Data option 3) Your beneficiary status will come up on the screen. PM-KISAN: Check Your Name in Beneficiary List Step 1: Visit PM Kisan official website www.pmkisan.gov.in Step 2: Click on the Beneficiary list tab. Step 3: Select details from the drop-down such as select state, district, sub-district, block, and village Step 4: Click on the Get report tab After this, the beneficiary list detail will be displayed. You can call on the helpline numbers 155261 and 011-24300606. Steps To Apply For PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Step 1: Visit pmkisan.gov.in Step 2: Click on New Farmer Registration and enter Aadhaar number and fill the captcha Step 3: Enter the required details and click on Yes Step 4: Fill in the information asked in the PM-Kisan application form 2024, save it and take a printout for future reference. After authorising the release of Rs 20,000 crore for farmers on June 10, PM Modi stated, Ours is a government fully committed to kisan kalyan (farmers welfare). It is, therefore, fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to it. We want to keep working even more for farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come. PM-KISAN Scheme: Previous Installments Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 16th installment of the PM-KISAN scheme, worth over Rs 21,000 crore, to more than 9 crore farmers on February 28, 2024, during his visit to Yavatmal, Maharashtra. The 15th installment was released on November 15, 2023. A court in the United States has imposed a fine of over $194.2 million (around Rs 1,622 crore) on Tata Consultancy Services Ltd for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets. In an exchange filing the IT services giant informed that TCS has received an adverse judgement passed by the district court, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. In a suit filed by Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), now DXC Technology Company (DXC), the court found TCS liable for misappropriation of trade secrets under the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA). In an order passed on June 14, 2024, the court ordered that TCS is liable to CSC for $5,61,51,583 in compensatory damages and $11,23,03,166 in exemplary damages. The Court also held that the company is liable for $2,57,73,576.6 in prejudgment interest through June 13, 2024, according to the exchange filing. Computer Sciences Corporation became DXC Technology after the merger with HPEs enterprise services business. The company in 2019 filed a suit against TCS alleging that the Indian IT services major hired 2,200 employees of Transamerica in 2018 and got access to the US companys software and other proprietary information to build a rival life-insurance platform. TCS in 2018 had won a 10-year order worth $2 billion from Transamerica Life Insurance for building a platform. CSC had licensed its software to Transamerica. TCS in 2023 had also faced a fine of $210 million by a Texas court on a suit filed by DXC Technology in another trade-secrets case. A jury in Texas federal court had found TCS guilty of misusing secret information about DXCs software to create its own platform. The US Supreme Court in 2023 had also upheld a fine of $140 million against Tata Consultancy Services. Tags: Business, TCS Keywords: TCS, Tata Consultancy Services, TCS Fine, TCS US court verdict The body of an IIT Kharagpur third-year student was found hanging in her hostel on Monday, police said. The student has been identified as Devika Pillai (21), a senior police officer told PTI. The female student was found hanging from the ceiling of the hostel building. Whether it is a case of suicide or something else is yet to be ascertained. We have started an investigation of the death, the IPS officer said. The police had earlier stated that the student was a fourth-year student. The body has been sent to Kharagpur Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination, the officer added. Confirming the news, the IIT Kharagpur said in a statement Pillai, a third-year student of Department of Biotechnology, was found hanging from the roof of Sarojini Naidu/ Indira Gandhi (hostel) Hall premises in the morning. With a sense of utter shock, the students, staff and faculty members of IIT Kharagpur deeply mourn the sudden loss of Devika Pillai.She was found hanging in her Sarojini Naidu/Indira Gandhi Hall premises in the morning of June 17, 2024. Upon discovery of the incident, the campus security and medical teams were immediately alerted. District police authorities have been informed. Her family has also been informed immediately, the statement said. Asked if it was a case of suicide or if there could be any foul play, the institute spokesperson said, The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pillais death. The institute is fully cooperating with the authorities. Recalling Pillai was an academically gifted student, the institute said in the statement she had a promising future in the field of biosciences and biotechnology. She was general secretary, social and cultural, Sarojini Naidu/Indira Gandhi Hall. She was pursuing a summer internship under the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology. IIT Kharagpur is committed to the well-being and mental health of its students. We have a range of support services available, including counselling and mental health resources, and we urge students to utilize these services whenever needed, the spokesperson said. DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. NEET PG 2024 is slated to be held on June 23, 2024. The National Board of Examinations or NBE will release the admit cards tomorrow, June 18. The board has activated the link of NEET PG Mock Test 2024 as well. All the candidates can access the links on the official website at nbe.edu.in. Candidates must note that they have to carry the NEET PG admit card to appear for the exam. Without the hall ticket, students will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. After downloading the admit card, students must check the details entered in it thoroughly. If there is any kind of mistake in the NEET PG 2024 admit card, then students must get it corrected before the exam. NEET PG is a computer-based exam. It will be conducted in the online mode. Candidates can take the exam only in English medium. It is divided into three sections. For this, the candidate will be given 3 hours 30 minutes. The medical entrance exam features 200 multiple-choice questions of 800 marks. Four marks will be given for every correct answer and a negative mark of one mark will be given for a wrong answer. NEET PG Admit Card 2024: How to Download Step 1: Applicants must visit natboard.edu.in or nbe.edu.in, the official website for information regarding NEET PG 2024. Step 2: Applicants will see the NEET PG 2024 link on the homepage. Select that. Step 3: Using the Applicant Login portal, candidates must now log in. Step 4: Select Download NEET PG 2024 admit card Step 5: After downloading the admit card, aspirants must verify that it is free of errors. Step 6: Download and print a copy of the NEET PG 2024 admit card and for future reference. Candidates who have obtained a degree in medical courses like MBBS, or BDS can appear for the NEET PG exam. After passing the exam, one can get admission to 13,886 seats of Master of Surgery (MS), 26,699 seats of Doctor of Medicine (MD), and 922 seats of PG Diploma (Medical College in India). By qualifying for the exam, one can get admission to postgraduate courses in more than 350 government and private medical colleges in the country. Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. The special session of Parliament will begin on June 24, with the most important agenda item in the form of the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker. This session is primarily for the affirmation of oath for all the elected MPs. At present, Om Birla is the Lok Sabha Speaker and he has held the post for the past five years. But, before the election takes place, the pro-tem speaker will preside over the House for the first three days till the election. The general practice is to give temporary charge to the senior-most parliamentarian. A few names are under consideration. K Suresh from the opposition Congress is the senior-most in Lok Sabha at present. This is his eighth term. Several members of Parliament from the treasury benches include Bhartruhari Mahtab, Radha Mohan, Faggan Singh Kulaste, who are all seven-time members in the Lower House. The decision to appoint the pro-tem speaker is yet to be finalised, a top source told News18. According to government sources, leaders will reach out to all political parties, including the opposition, to elect the speaker by consensus. The numbers are comfortable as far as the NDA candidate is concerned. Senior minister and deputy leader of the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh will reach out to all parties for consensus. There is much tension over the post of deputy speaker. Last time, the Congress was the single largest party in the opposition but short of numbers to get the post of leader of opposition. This time, however, their numbers have doubled. Sources said the opposition wants to stake claim to the post of deputy speaker but, as far as the BJP is concerned, it is keen on giving the post to one of its allies. After the affirmation of oath to all MPs in the Lok Sabha on June 24 and 25, the process to elect the speaker will start on June 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be proposing the name of the NDA candidate for the Lok Sabha speaker. This motion is expected to be seconded by Union minister Rajnath Singh. Similarly, at least five to six such proposals are expected to be proposed for the candidacy. All the alliance partners will make these proposals for the post of Lok Sabha speaker, a top source told News18. If the opposition proposes another candidate for the post of Lok Sabha speaker, then voting is expected to take place. In case there is no opposition candidate, then the Lok Sabha Speaker will be chosen by an account of hands. Sources further said NDA allies, including the TDP and JD(U), are in support of a BJP leader as the candidate. It is pretty possible that the government may want to send a message of continuity in the Lok Sabha as well by nominating the same name or propose a new name like they did with Birla in 2019, despite the fact that he was the youngest MP, a BJP leader told News18. After the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26, the prime minister is expected to introduce his Council of Ministers to the Lok Sabha. The following day, on June 27, the Rajya Sabha will also resume and President Droupadi Murmu will deliver a joint address to both the Houses of Parliament. This will be followed by a discussion on the motion of thanks. Modi is expected to reply to this motion of thanks in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on July 2 and 3, which will be the last day for the special session before Parliament reconvenes after a break from July 22 to August 9. The Union Budget will be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 22. The BJP on Monday appointed Union minister Bhupender Yadav as the poll incharge for the Maharashtra assembly elections. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be his co-incharge in the western state, where the partys last performance during the Lok Sabha elections was not up to the mark. It won nine out of a total 28 seats it contested from as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance. According to a statement issued by the BJP, national president JP Nadda also announced the incharges and co-incharges for other poll-bound states like Jharkhand, Haryana as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will oversee the polls in Jharkhand alongside Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is the incharge for Haryana with former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb as co-incharge, while Union minister G Kishan Reddy will be the sole incharge of J&K. While assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due later this year, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to hold the elections in J&K by September. All eyes on Maharashtra The Maharashtra polls will be crucial where the ruling BJP-led NDA, known as the Mahayuti in state parlance, is smarting from major losses and will be seeking to reclaim lost ground. It will once again be up against the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). There has been much speculation over the ruling coalitions unity in the run-up to the assembly polls, since the results of the Lok Sabha elections brought internal conflicts out in the open. Some in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have blamed the BJP for the losses incurred while the top leadership has maintained that the alliance is very much in place. There is also the matter of open threats over unresolved issues like cabinet expansion and Rajya Sabha nominations with discord coming to the surface in the NCP. There are reports of discontent over the nomination of Sunetra Pawar, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawars wife, for a vacant Rajya Sabha seat. She lost from Baramati to her sister-in-law Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha polls. The top leadership of the BJP has held a series of meetings with its functionaries in the days following the Lok Sabha election results. In fact, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had also offered to resign from his post and work in the organisation for the upcoming polls. (With PTI inputs) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will now formally enter the poll fray with her brother Rahul Gandhi paving the way for her to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, which he will be giving up in favour of family bastion Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. In the works for sometime now, the decision by the Gandhi family to field the younger sibling from the Kerala seat may lead into the creation of another family bastion. This also ends speculation and keen media interest over the question: After all, why doesnt Priyanka fight the fight? Many political analysts have credited her with her partys electoral success in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi a reclaimed family bastion now as well as other wins in the state. She campaigned extensively in Telangana, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections, contributing with rousing speeches and her charismatic smile that is often compared to her formidable grandmother Indira Gandhis. Known to be strictly associated with the poll campaigns of her mother and brother for years now, the 52-year-old Congress leader is presently the partys general secretary and was one of the oppositions star campaigners in the recently concluded elections. Her newness to the poll contest aside, she comes from a line of high-profile politicians from great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the first prime minister of India, to grandmother Indira Gandhi, who was the first woman to lead India, and father Rajiv Gandhi, Indias youngest PM. For the next six months before a bypoll is held in Wayanad, Priyanka can bask in on the pre-poll excitement created by the possibility of her taking on Narendra Modi from Varanasi. While that did not materialise, it was the first concrete evidence of her and the Gandhi family preparing the ground for her to enter the electoral battleground. Rahuls recent affirmation that his sister would have defeated the prime minister had she fought from Varanasi was more proof. Soon after, UP Congress chief Ajay Rai also said the state unit wanted her to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi against Modi but the party decided that she should campaign across the country. The Congress once again kept everyone guessing if Priyanka will contest from Raebareli while Rahul took on former Union minister Smriti Irani in Amethi. There, too, the party decided to go another way and field Rahul from his mothers constituency while the latter went to a family loyalist. Despite her unwillingness to contest, the push came from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party workers. Wanted brother Rahul to shine Priyanka, whose marriage to businessman Robert Vadra in 1997 raised many eyebrows, was busy raising her two children even as she stayed in the shadows, working behind the scenes, with many experts saying she wanted her brother to shine. She is known to deal with people directly on the ground, and is a popular figure in the Raebareli and Amethi constituencies, which belonged to her mother and brother. Even before she actively joined politics, she was her mothers campaign manager in the 2004 general elections and supervised her brothers campaign as well. But, since her entry in active politics in 2019, she has always been projected as a possible challenger to Modi from Varanasi. She was made the general secretary incharge of eastern UP, and then the general secretary incharge of the entire state in September 2020. But, despite all her efforts to bring reforms in the organisational structure of the Congress in the state, the party faced a massive defeat in the last assembly election in 2022. If Priyanka wins the Lok Sabha bypoll from Wayanad, it will be for the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan. Is Priyanka her partys talisman? With the Congress putting up a surprisingly good show in the Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka has cemented her position as her partys talisman. The Congress for a long time was in search of an effective campaigner and in the 2024 elections Priyanka Gandhi has been a revelation in the way she has responded to Modi. Priyanka Gandhi showed Modi can be countered and played a key role pan-India, said Rasheed Kidwai, who has authored several books, including 24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The Congress. Political commentator and former Congress leader Sanjay Jha hailed Priyanka as an outstanding campaigner. Her sharp and prompt rebuttals to Mr Modis jibes have worked wonders during the campaign. Her presence has been talismanic, he said. Her role in the INDIA blocs Lok Sabha campaign the opposition front won 233 seats out of 543 with the Congress emerging as its largest constituent with 99 seats was pivotal in countering constant barbs from Modi and other BJP leaders. Countering Modi over his gold and mangalsutra remarks, an emotionally charged Priyanka reminded the voters that her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country. During her campaigning, she also discussed her childhood, the pain of her father Rajiv Gandhis assassination and her mothers grief. She steered the Congress campaign, adroitly walking the tightrope between striking a familial chord and discussing national-level issues, and proved to be a strategist, orator and mass mobiliser. Priyanka took part in 108 public meetings and roadshows. She campaigned in 16 states and one union territory and also addressed two conferences of workers in Amethi and Raebareli. It looks like her effort paid off. The clarion call for the powerhouse campaigner, however, now comes from Wayanad instead of Amethi that gave her the slogan: Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka. (With PTI inputs) Passengers of Air India and IndiGo flights at the Mumbai airport had a near-miss experience when both the aircraft came dangerously close to each other, raising questions of safety margins and who was responsible for this situation the pilots or Air Traffic Control (ATC). The Airbus A320neo aircraft IndiGo flight 5053 from Indore to Mumbai and an Air India flight 657 from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram were involved in the incident. The incident took place within 90 seconds when an Iraqi flight took off and an AI flight entered the runway for take-off. The IndiGo flight landed on runway 27 while the Air India flight was still in the process of taking off for Thiruvananthapuram. How Did the Aircraft Come So Close? The footage of the incident was widely on social media. It appeared that the Air India flight was accelerating down the runway as the IndiGo flight descended towards the ground. As the A320neo got closer, the Air India flight managed to get airborne, likely unaware of the other aircraft approaching from behind. It was able to take off without incident. It seems the IndiGo pilots erred because once they had spotted an aircraft on the runway, they should have aborted the landing and initiated a go-around. The incident occurred in clear weather. Pilots can hear each other communicate with the controller on the radio communications channel, as per a report by The Times of India. What are the ATC Rules? As per the rules, the Air India pilot should have informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the delay in taking-off, which would have led to the cancellation of his take-off clearance. But the AI pilots continued with the slow take-off while the IndiGo pilots were approaching for landing. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) issued a circular stating that the preliminary investigation reveals violation of the standard operating procedure for Time-Based Spacing between arrivals. If the controller observes a delay in aircraft commencing take-off run after issuance of take-off clearance, the take-off clearance will be cancelled and the aircraft shall be instructed to vacate the runway immediately, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Since the Air India flight took longer for its take-off, the controller should have cancelled its take-off permission while asking the IndiGo aircraft to go around. How Peak Hours Add to the Workload The Mumbai Airport is the second busiest airport in India in terms of total and international passenger traffic after Delhi, and it was the ninth busiest airport in Asia and the 25th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic in fiscal year 2023-24. The Mumbai airport handles over 850 flights per day, or around 46 arrivals and departures per hour at peak time. In the period April 2023-March 2024, it saw 52,820,754 passengers, up 20.2% from the year before. It involved 324,986 aircraft movements, up 11.9%. It processed 822,963 tonnes of cargo. With the increasing density of traffic and the support of technology, the ATCs are evolving means to cut the time gap between departures and arrivals. The peak-hour declared capacity of main runway 27 is 46 aircraft movements. But the Mumbai ATC ends up handling close to 55 flight arrival and departures in 60 minutes as flight that are delayed or arrive early encroach into other flights slots, as per a report by The Times of India. Delhi and Bengaluru and other major airports in the world are served by parallel runways, which allow for two runways to be used simultaneously. Major Runway Accidents The deadliest, and the worlds worst airliner crash, occurred on March 27, 1977, at Tenerife when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway. The collision occurred when KLM Flight 4805 initiated its takeoff run during dense fog while Pan Am Flight 1736 was still on the runway. The impact and resulting fire killed all 248 people on board the KLM plane and 335 of the 396 people on board the Pan Am plane, with only 61 survivors in the front section of the aircraft. With a total of 583 fatalities, the disaster is the deadliest accident in aviation history. Air India Express Flight 812 landed beyond the normal touch-down point, overshot, and crashed across a cliff at Mangalore on May 22, 2010. This deadly aviation disaster in India resulted in 158 fatalities. On January 2, Japan Airlines Flight 516, an Airbus A350-900 operating from New Chitose Airport to Haneda Airport, collided with an earthquake relief plane, the Japan Coast Guard De Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q, while landing. The A350 plane burst into flames after the collision as the airliner skidded on the blazing runway. Both aircraft were destroyed. Fire crews spent hours dousing the fire. Yet, all 379 passengers and crew on board were evacuated. This was the first hull loss for an Airbus A350. Five of the six crew members on the coast guard plane unfortunately died, and the captain was injured. An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) unlocked in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency by phone by a Shiv Sena candidate has created a political slugfest. An Election Commission (EC) official, however, has rejected the claim and said the robust system does not require an OTP to hack it. A report by Mid-Day newspaper has alleged that a mobile phone was used to generate a one-time password (OTP) to unlock the EVMs at the time of counting of votes on June 4 by an aide of Shiv Senas Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, who defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Gajanan Kirtikar on Mumbai North West seat in Maharashtra. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders on Sunday cited the report that also said the candidate won by thin margin of 48 votes with his mobile phone found connected to an EVM during the vote count. But Mumbai Suburban District Election Officer Vandana Suryavanshi has said on X that no such OTP was used to unlock an EVM. Suryavanshi said an EVM is a non-programmable machine and has no wireless communication capabilities. She, however, said the incident has raised some concerns of unauthorizedly using a mobile phone of an unauthorized person by a candidate aide. She said a criminal case has already been filed by the EC. EVMs are standalone devices without any wired or wireless connectivity with units outside EVM system. Advanced technical features and robust administrative safeguards are in place to rule out any possibility of manipulation. Safeguards include conducting everything in the presence of candidates or their agents, said Suryavanshi. Whats the Mumbai North West Seat Case? A report by the Mid-Day mentions raises questions at the credibility of EVMs. The newspaper reported that the police are investigating the role of Mangesh Pandilkar, a relative and aide of Ravindra Waikar, and Dinesh Gurav, on the day of counting of votes at NESCO Centre in Mumbai. The police said Pandilkar was using his mobile phone to generate OTPs to unlock the EVMs. The paper further reported that the police had found that Gurav had used the same phone to generate the OTP to unlock the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for service voter. Shiv Senas Waikar lost on the EVM votes for the Mumbai North West seat, but won after the postal ballots were factored in. Kirtikar of Shiv Sena (UBT) got 4,51,095 EVM votes against 4,51,094 of Waikar. Then, as the postal ballots were counted, the situation flipped. Waikar got 1,550 votes via postal ballots and Kirtikar got 1,501. The final count stood at Waikars 4,52,644 and Kirtikars 4,52,596. Counting of ETPBS happens in physical form (paper ballots) and not electronics as being spread through false narratives. Every counting sheet at every table for ETPBS and EVM counting and postal ballot counting (including ETPBS) is signed by all counting agents after due diligence, said the ECI. What are Postal Ballots? Postal ballots, or absentee voting, allow certain individuals to vote by mail instead of in person. This option is available to members of the Armed Forces, paramilitary forces, election officials, government employees, the elderly, and the physically challenged. Recently, media personnel covering elections have also been granted this option. Voters must apply using Form 12 D, receive their ballot by mail, and return it within a specified time. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, 22.71 lakh postal ballots were received, accounting for 0.37% of the total 60.76 crore valid votes. Postal ballots are counted before EVM votes. As per EC guidelines, the counting of postal ballots begins 30 minutes before EVM counting. Although EVM counting can proceed without completing postal ballot counting, the final EVM results should not be announced before finalising postal ballot counts. The changes were introduced in 2019 that led to an increase in postal ballots. In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the winning margin was significantly smaller than the number of postal ballots, highlighting their potential impact. Similarly, in the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, postal ballots reversed the initial EVM results, changing the winning candidate. What is Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System? Designed by the Election Commission, this system is developed for service voters who are entitled to cast their vote electronically from outside their constituency. Central Forces under Arms Act and Government officials deployed in Embassies outside the country are classified as service voters. It is a secured system with a two-layer security system. Secrecy is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of casted Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot (ETPB) is possible due to the unique QR Code. This system has been set up in line with the existing Postal Ballot System and is an easier option for facilitating voting by the electors as the time constraint for dispatch of the postal ballot has been addressed using this system. The ETPBS was used for the first time in 2019. The ETPBS enabled 18,02,646 service voters to register their votes in the 2019 elections. While in 2014, there were 13,27,627 registered service electors. How EVMs are Sealed and Unsealed After the elections, the EVMs are securely stored in strong rooms, equipped with a single access door and protected by a two-layered security cordon. Candidates agents are permitted to maintain a continuous vigil over the EVMs until counting day. The locks on these strong rooms bear the seals of election officials as well as the candidates or their representatives. A list of EVM serial numbers used in the poll, along with the number of votes polled in each, is shared with candidates and their agents for verification during the counting. After polling, EVMs are sealed in their carrying cases at the polling stations in the presence of polling agents, who also sign the seals alongside the polling officer. The battery, the only power source for the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), is removed at the polling station in the presence of polling agents after the poll concludes. Live feed from CCTV cameras covering the entry to strong rooms is provided to candidates representatives stationed at the counting centre. The strong rooms housing polled EVMs are secured with two-tier security arrangements. On the counting day, the EVM seals and serial numbers are verified by candidates counting agents before the counting begins. Any discrepancies are immediately reported and addressed, ensuring that the machines have not been tampered with since the poll ended. After verification, the control unit of each EVM is powered on, and the Result button is pressed. This action displays the number of votes each candidate received. Counting supervisors then record these results on a result sheet, ensuring accuracy and accountability. After all the votes from the EVMs are tallied, the results from each table are compiled to form the final tally for the constituency. This process is done meticulously to ensure that the final results reflect the true will of the voters. Germany has announced an Opportunity Card for skilled professionals from non-European Union (EU) countries who could search for work while living in the country for up to a year. The Opportunity Card awards points, just like in Canada and Australia, if certain conditions are fulfilled. The move is part of a comprehensive strategy to bridge the skilled labour shortage in the engineering, IT, and healthcare industries in Germany. With the Opportunity Card, we are creating a new innovative and points-based residence permit that will contribute to the overall success of the reform of the Skilled Immigration Act. Following the Canadian model, we are focusing on an unbureaucratic, comprehensible and digital solution that companies and associations in Germany have long wanted, said Misbah Khan, a member of the German parliament from the Green party, in a statement. Who Can Apply? Applicants must have finished at least two years of vocational training or hold a relevant university degree from their home country. Proficiency in either German or English is a prerequisite. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate adequate financial resources, including income from a part-time job, to sustain themselves in Germany for a year, amounting to over 12,000 Euros. Those who are over 40 years are at a disadvantage as the Opportunity Card is targeted more at a younger professional profile. A prospective candidate must acquire at least six points to qualify for the Opportunity Card. What are the Benefits? The residence permit has been extended to 24 months for first-time recipients. Previously, it was granted for 18 months for completing adaptation measures. This permit can be further extended for an additional 12 months, with a maximum residency period of three years. Moreover, the allowance for secondary employment during the qualification process has been increased from 10 to 20 hours per week, facilitating easier access for aspiring skilled workers into the job market. The job search period can be extended by another two years (only once), depending on exceptional circumstances. Individuals whose qualifications require a skills analysis to determine equivalence may receive a residence permit for up to six months to complete this evaluation. Applicants seeking this pathway must demonstrate proficiency in the German language at level A2 or higher (CEFR). Skilled Worker Shortage in Germany According to German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil, Germany would need 7 million skilled workers by 2035, with sectors such as nursing, the food and beverage industry, and IT experiencing the maximum shortage. As of April 2024, the Federal Employment Agency reported 7,01,000 vacant jobs. Germany has been an attractive destination for Indian professionals. In 2022, Germany granted the most work visas to Indians, with 17,379 approved visas. In February 2023, when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited India, he stressed the need to simplify the visa process for Indian professionals, especially in the IT sector. Germany is currently undergoing technical recession, with its economic output shrunk by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2023. According to Bundesbank (German central bank) economic forecast, real gross domestic product (GDP) will rise by a calendar-adjusted 0.3% this year, with the Banks experts anticipating economic growth of 1.1% next year and 1.4% in 2026. However, employment growth is still expected to be slow. Employment growth is expected to weaken slightly as supply bottlenecks increase, coming to a halt in the course of 2026. This is because the slight decline in unemployment in 2025 and 2026 will no longer open up any substantial scope for additional employment, noted the report. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has ordered on-duty personnel of Kolkata Police to immediately vacate Raj Bhavan premises, an official said on Monday. The order came in the wake of allegations that the city police personnel posted at the Raj Bhavan were not allowing the victims of post-poll violence in the state to meet him and update the Governor about their grievances. Bose is planning to convert the police outpost near the North Gate of the Raj Bhavan into a Jan Manch (public platform)The governor has directed police officers deployed inside the Raj Bhavan, including the officer-in-charge, to immediately vacate the premises, news agency PTI reported quoting an official as saying. The move comes days after the police prevented BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and alleged victims of post-poll violence in the state from entering the Raj Bhavan to meet Bose, despite the governor giving them written permission in this regard. Police on Thursday prevented Adhikari from entering the Raj Bhavan with alleged victims of post-poll violence, citing Section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits large gatherings outside the Governors House. Following this, Adhikari and another person approached the Calcutta High Court asserting that despite having written permission, police had barred their entry into the Governors House. On Saturday, the Calcutta High Court questioned whether Bose was effectively under house arrest and allowed Adhikari to visit Raj Bhavan with the victims upon receiving permission from the Governors office. On Sunday, Adhikari, led over 100 victims of post-poll violence to the Raj Bhavan on Sunday to meet Governor CV Ananda Bose. At the meeting, the Governor said, The Calcutta High Court has issued an order. They are surprised that the Governor is seemingly under house arrest, as those who were attacked could not meet him. We will ensure Bengal is free from violence. I pledge in the name of Netaji, Rabindranath, and Swami Vivekananda that I will fight till the end. Assuring the invocation of Constitutional provisions, Bose mentioned his intention to press upon the state government to fulfill its duty in protecting citizens lives and property. The Governor also promised to take up the matter with the Centre. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued notices to two manufacturing units associated with Yummo ice cream after a Mumbai man found a piece of served finger in his ice cream cone. These were third-party cream manufacturing units at Mumbais Indapur and its premises in Hadapsar at Pune. Samples were collected and raw materials were sent for tests by the officials. FSSAI issued an improvement notice to the third-party manufacturing unit at Indapur, FDA to send it to the unit at Hadapsar. Fortune Dairy Industries Pvt Ltd, the third-party manufacturing unit, is yet to receive notices from authorities. This comes days after a doctor from the Malad area in Mumbai complained that he found a severed piece of flesh with a nail in an ice cream cone that he ordered online. While it was suspected to be a piece of the human finger, it has been sent for an examination, they said. The complainant in the case, a 26-year-old doctor with an MBBS degree who lives in Malad West, had ordered a butterscotch ice-cream cone from Yummo company. While consuming the ice cream after lunch, he came across a half-an-inch-long piece of flesh with a nail in the ice cream, he said. The man took up the matter and lodged a complaint with the ice cream company on its Instagram page, he said. But since there was no appropriate response from the company, the complainant put the piece of flesh in an ice bag and approached the Malad police station, the official said. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case against Yummo ice cream company officials, he said. The piece of flesh, suspected to be a piece of human finger, has been sent for forensic examination to ascertain whether it is a part of the human body, the official said, adding that a probe in the case is underway. Cyber frauds across India over the last three years have amounted to public losses comparable with the annual spending of some states. A recent government assessment has estimated that the losses to the Indian public from cyber frauds in the last three years amount to Rs 25,000 crore, which is double the annual budget of Sikkim. According to sources, a high-level meeting was held at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) where officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and MeitY shared concerns with various social media intermediaries like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google. In the meeting, it was assessed that Rs 25,000 crore have been lost in cyber frauds over the last three years. Last year alone, on an average, 27 FIRs related to cyber frauds were registered daily. The number is significantly lower than the actual number of cyber fraud complaints. Data also reveals that from January 2024 to June 2024, the central cyber fraud agency received 709 complaints wherein victims lost more than Rs 1 crore, with the loss totalling Rs 1,421 crore. The government is constantly working on a system where the flow of information is fast. Currently, all the companies ask for various type of details even at the initial stage, which delays the process of preventing cyber fraud. Fraudsters are using social media apps as amplifiers wherein they easily trap victims, a senior official who attended the meeting told News18. In the recent past, from the AIIMS cyber-attack to the worlds biggest data leak from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to the loan lending app frauds, the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCRP) has received 31 lakh complaints between 2020 and February 2024. According to an official communication from the central government, the major concern is the very low number of arrests in cyber fraud cases. As per the government data, total arrests in cyber fraud cases amount to not even 1% of the total cases registered by law enforcement agencies. Official data indicates that total cases registered or FIRs filed by different law enforcement agencies related to cyber frauds are over 66,000, but arrests made till this year are just 500. Social Media Companies Recommended to Act According to sources, the Government of India has asked social media intermediaries to act on its recommendations. Sources said the firms have been asked to proactively detect and act against fake advertisements on loan apps, Ponzi schemes, and stock trading groups. The government has also urged them to expedite data requests from Indian law enforcement agencies, which currently takes weeks. Similarly, the firms are required to establish details of IP addresses and internal systems to detect cyber fraud groups. The government requested the social media intermediaries for the deployment of a nodal officer for coordination with Indian agencies. WhatsApp has been recommended to implement identity verification for accounts showing high international usage. At least one terrorist was killed in an ongoing gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora district. Security forces surrounded Aragam village of Bandipora district in the early hours of Monday morning following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. After the security forces closed on the hiding terrorists, they fired triggering an encounter in which one terrorist has been killed so farThe operation is still going on in the area, officials said. The identity of the slain terrorist is being ascertained. Earlier, some gunshots were heard in the village in the early hours. The officials said, Immediately afterwards, security forces cordoned off the area and started searches. Gunshots stopped after some time while the search operation was going on in the area. Security forces are on alert in Jammu and Kashmir after four terror attacksin the Reasi, Kathua, and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmirover the last week, resulted in the deaths of 11 persons, including a CRPF jawan, and two terrorists. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday advised the security forces to crush militancy in the union territory and ensure a smooth, safe and incident-free Amarnath Yatra. In light of the firm orders from the Centre, the security forces are expected to carry out some massive anti-militancy operations to target the terrorists and their supporters in the coming days in J&K. (With IANS Inputs) The Kavach, a made-in-India protection system to prevent accidents and collisions when two trains are on the same track, was not operational on the tracks in Darjeeling where a goods train rammed into the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express on Monday. Soon after the crash, a video of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explaining the Kavach system went viral triggering a debate on why the security system is not available in most railway networks. Officials stated that the system has yet to be installed in much of the rail network. On the Kanchenjunga Express accident, former Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi said, It is too early to talk about the cause of it but in modern times it required an inquiry and deep corrections. I am guessing that possibly this engine did not have Kavach (an automatic train protection (ATP) system). I do not doubt that the government will take corrective action. What is the Kavach Railway Security System? Kavach is an anti-collision protection system that allows high-speed trains to run at full tilt without worrying about them derailing or crashing into another train was developed by Indian railways. It is indigenously developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RSCO) with three Indian firms and controls the speeding of trains but also helps locomotive drivers avoid missing danger signals and ensure that trains run safely, especially in low-visibility conditions. In the absence of this system, loco pilots or assistant loco pilots used to crane their necks out of the window to look out for caution signs and signals. Taking forward the governments AatmaNirbhar Bharat vision, Kavach has been adopted as the national automatic train protection system. How Wide Is Kavach Coverage? Despite high demand for Kavach protection, just 10 route km and 18 locomotives have been added across the Indian Railway network during this financial year, the government informed during the Winter Session of the Lok Sabha. The Ministry informed the House that Kavach has so far been deployed on 1,465 route km and 139 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on the South Central Railway. Till the end of 2023, the Ministry document shows that the technology covered 1,455 km of South Central Railway. Kanchanjunga Express Accident At least eight people died and 60 were injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani station in West Bengal on Monday, police said. Three rear compartments of the express train derailed under the impact of the collision from behind by the locomotive of the goods train, railway officials said. While earlier PM Narendra Modi had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has now announced an enhanced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh in case of death, Rs 2.5 Lakh towards grievous and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries. In a shocking incident, a passenger of an Air India flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco found a piece of metal blade in his meal. Sharing his ordeal on X, the passenger said that he realised the presence of the blade in his food only after chewing the grub for a few seconds, which he spat out instantly, and added that he was safe. Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the airline later blamed a vegetable processing machine for the same. Tata Group-run Air India was once considered the Maharajaa of hospitality in the Indian aviation sector. Metal Blade In Food Social media user Mathures Paul took to X to share his in-flight horror story and said the incident tarnished the image of Air India as a brand. Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done, he wrote on X. Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indias pic.twitter.com/NNBN3ux28S Mathures Paul (@MathuresP) June 10, 2024 Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indias catering service but the incident doesnt help the image of Air India. What if the metal piece was in the food served to a child? he further asked. Paul also shared the two pictures showing the metal piece that he spat out and the other of the meal when it was served to him. Airlines Response Initially, Air India responded to Pauls post on X and said, Dear Mr Paul, we are sorry to know about this. This does not represent the level of service we aim to provide to our passengers. Please DM us your booking details along with your seat number. Well ensure this matter is promptly reviewed and addressed. Later giving an explanation of the incident, the airline said the blade came from a vegetable processing machine used at one of the facilities of its catering partner. Air India confirms that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard one of our flights. After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner. We have worked with our catering partner to strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor especially after chopping of any hard vegetable, said Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India. Other Recent Fiascos This came days after an Air India passenger on Saturday took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the airline after experiencing a horrific journey in a business class seat from New Delhi to Newark, New Jersey, United States. Calling it no less than a nightmare, Vineeth K, a self-identified small-time investor, alleged that his flight (AI 105) was delayed by 25 minutes and featured worn-off and unclean seats. Earlier the airline was also fined Rs 1 lakh for defective seats in Delhi-Toronto return flights. At least three people were arrested in Mumbai after a video showing a sacrificial goat with Ram inscribed on its skin is going viral on social media. The meat shop from where the goat was purchased was also shut down. The goat, which had Ram written on it, was intended for sale in Belapur on the occasion of Eid ul-Adha, commonly known as Bakrid. According to India Today, the meat shop was sealed after Bajrang Dal activists went to the police to file a complaint in connection to the matter. The police have so far arrested three men Mohammad Shafi Sheikh, Sajid Shafi Sheikh and Kuyyam. They have been charged under Sections 295(A) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for hurting religious sentiments, as well as under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched into the matter. At least nine people died and 60 were injured as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani station in West Bengal on Monday, police said. Three rear compartments of the express train derailed under the impact of the collision from behind by the locomotive of the goods train, railway officials said. Rescue operations are underway at the spot, about 30 km from North Bengals New Jalpaiguri station, and the injured persons were being shifted to nearby hospitals. ALSO READ | Kanchanjunga Express Accident LIVE UPDATES HERE While earlier PM Narendra Modi had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has now announced an enhanced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh in case of death, Rs 2.5 Lakh towards grievous and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries. Enhanced ex-gratia compensation will be provided to the victims;10 Lakh in case of death,2.5 Lakh towards grievous and 50,000 for minor injuries. Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 17, 2024 SILIGURI TRAIN ACCIDENT: WHAT HAPPENED? The 13174 Kanchanjunga Express was bound for Sealdah from Agartala when a goods train hit it from behind in Siliguris Rangapani region around 9 am, a railway official said. The accident happened seven km from North Bengals New Jalpaiguri station, soon after the express train left the New Jalpaiguri Station. ALSO READ | West Bengal: Goods Train That Hit Sealdah-Bound Kanchanjunga Express Overshot Signal The driver and assistant driver of the goods train and guard of the Kanchenjunga Express train have died in the incident said Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO, Railway Board. Prime facie, it seems the container train overshot the signal and collided with the rear portion of the stationary Kanchanjunga train. Human error seems to be the cause. The first indications suggest that this is a case of signal disregard. Kavach needs to be proliferated and planned for West Bengal, said Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO Railway Board. #TrainCollision | West Bengal train accident: Toll in Bengal train accident mounts to 15, 60 injuredPolitical showdown erupts! @KamalikaSengupt shares more details. @JamwalNews18 & @kaidensharmaa with details of the Kanchanjunga Express derailment near New #Jalpaiguri pic.twitter.com/3qsdDFW1yA News18 (@CNNnews18) June 17, 2024 RESCUE OPERATIONS, HELPLINE NUMBERS West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, said: Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident, in Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. While details are awaited, Kanchenjunga Express has reportedly been hit by a goods train. DM, SP, doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery, medical assistance. Action on war-footing initiated. Meanwhile, the Indian Railways has issued two helpline numbers 03323508794, 03323833326 to provide speedy assistance to kins of passengers travelling in Kanchanjunga Express. The Sealdah Eastern Railway has also set up a control desk at Rangapani station after the Kanchenjunga Express train rammed by a goods train at Ruidhasa in Darjeeling district. THE LIST OF EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBERS KIR Emergency Help desk No- 6287801805 Commercial Control- 9002041952, 9771441956 NJP Station Emergency No- 6287801758 (Accident Relief Train) ART / New Jalpaiguri (NJP)- 9434085300/ 9434085301/ 6287801742 ARME/NJP- 6287801756/9934807885/9608815719 Aluabari Road Junction (AUB) Emergency No- 8170034235 Kishanganj (KNE) Emergency No- 7542028020 & 06456-226795 Dalkhola (DLK) Emergency No- 8170034228 Barsoi (BOE) Emergency No- 7541806358 SAMSI Emergency No- 03513-265690/ 03513- 265692 (Accident Relief Train)ART/KIR No- 9473198029/9473198026 Rangiya Division Help desk No.- Rangiya Junction station: 9101095573, New Bongaigaon station: 9435021417/9287998179 and Barpeta Road station: 9287998173 Guwahati Help desk No.-Guwahtai station: 03612731621/03612731622/03612731623 ARME/KIR: 9473198307, 9473198308, 9473198309, 9473198310, 6287801752, 6287801753, 6287801754, 6287801755 Vaishnaw said on X, Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached site. SADDENING: PM MODI, PREZ MURMU GIVE CONDOLENCE ON X Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is on the way to the site of the mishap as well. President Droupadi Murmu on Monday condoled the loss of lives. The news of the loss of lives due to a train accident in Darjeeling, West Bengal is deeply distressing. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and success of relief and rescue operations, Murmu said in a post on X. Union Home Minister Amit Shah wished speedy recovery to those injured.The train accident that happened in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is very sad. I express my condolences to those who lost their family members in this unfortunate accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured, he said on X in Hindi and Bangla. A goods train rammed into Sealdah bound Kanchenjunga Express shortly after it left New Jalpaiguri station this morning, killing and injuring several people.#TrainAccident #WestBengal #KanchenjungaExpress #Siliguri pic.twitter.com/DhcTU3hmBM News18 (@CNNnews18) June 17, 2024 SURVIVORS STORIES, IMPACT ON TRAIN SERVICES A passenger from Agartala, who was in coach number S6 of the Kanchanjunga Express, said he felt a sudden jerk and the compartment screeched to a halt. He also claimed that the relief and rescue operations were delayed. My wife, child and I somehow managed to come out of the mangled coach. We are currently stranded The rescue operations also started quite late, the passenger told a television channel. Another passenger, who was travelling in the B1 coach, said, I have been rescued, I have suffered an injury on my head. Several trains on the route have been diverted and cancelled: CANCELLATIONS 05797 New Jalpaiguri Malda Town Passenger Special on 17.06.2024 and 18.06.2024 05796 Malda Town New Jalpaiguri Passenger Special on 17.06.2024 05798 Malda Town New Jalpaiguri Passenger Special on 18.06.2024 and 19.06.2024 15709 Malda Town New Jalpaiguri Express on 17.06.2024 15710 New Jalpaiguri Malda Town Express on 18.06.2024 DIVERSIONS The following trains will be diverted via New JalpaiguriSiliguriBaghdograAluabari Road : 12346 Guwahati Howrah Saraighat Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024) 12510 Guwahati SMVT Bengaluru Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024). 22302 New Jalpaiguri Howrah Vande Bharat Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024) 22504 Dibrugarh Kanyakumari Express (Journey commencing on 16.06.2024) 15620 Kamakhya Gaya Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024) 15962 Dibrugarh Howrah Kamrup Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024) 13148 Bamanhat Sealdah Uttarbanga Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024) 15930 New Tinsukia Tambaram Express (Journey commencing on 17.06.2024). Meanwhile, the unaffected portion of Kanchanjunga Express has left the site towards Malda Town. The passengers have been provided with food and water and restoration work of the site is in progress. Muslims commemorate Eid-ul-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, for three days each year. It begins on the tenth day of the Islamic calendars last month, Dhu al-Hijjah. Given that Muslims follow the lunar calendar, it might happen at any time of year. ALSO READ: Bakrid Mubarak 2024: Wishes, Images, Quotes and More for Eid al-Adha Eid-ul-Adha in India This year, Eid-ul-Adha is being celebrated today on June 17. History of Eid-ul-Adha The celebration honours Prophet Ibrahim, also referred to as Abraham in Christianity and Judaism, for his willingness to offer his son Ismail (Isaac) as a sacrifice on Allahs command. According to the Quran, Ibrahim had a dream in which Allah ordered to sacrifice his son Ismail as a token of his submission to God. In the story, Shaytaan (Satan), tries to trick Ibrahim and entice him not to carry out the deed, but Ibrahim squelches him. But as soon as Ibrahim was all set to sacrifice Ismail, Allah intervened and summoned Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) along with a ram to serve in its place. Eid-ul-Adha Significance And Celebrations For Muslims, Eid-al-Adha is a particularly special day. Muslims believe that the command was a test from Allah, as the festival honours the prophet Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice his son when Allah told him to. It is also significant given that it serves as a reminder to Muslims worldwide to rely on Allah in all matters and occurrences. It is observed on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the lunar month associated with the Hajj (pilgrimage). The Makkah pilgrimage is one of Islams five pillars. Muslims prepare for celebrations by completing Wudhu and Fajr prayers, as well as paying special attention to their appearance. Eid prayers are traditionally offered at large gatherings. After the prayer, there is a discourse, called a Khutba, that lasts for fifteen to twenty minutes. After the sermon and prayers for Eid, the Qurbani sacrifice may start. The flesh of the slaughtered animal is divided into three portions: one for the individual performing the sacrifice, one for friends and family and one for the underprivileged and needy. Muslims then gather to commemorate the feast of the sacrifice, during which gifts and greetings are exchanged. Ananya Panday is in Milan to attend the Swarovski Masters of Light exhibition. The actress shared a series of stunning photos on Instagram, leaving her fans in awe of her beauty. She posed in front of the illuminated Duomo di Milano at night, looking gorgeous in a beige dress paired with a black handbag. Her hair was styled in a bun, and she chose subtle makeup. Ananya also captured the cathedral beautifully lit up. The last photo showed her sitting in a restaurant with the cathedral in the background. She captioned the post, Milan at night. On Monday evening, she dropped a photo with Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow, who also attended the glitzy event. Ananya wore a green, sequined mini dress and matching jewelry for the event. She accessorized with stacked wristlets and styled her hair in a neat ponytail. Meanwhile, Gwyneth opted for a silver slip dress. Ananya posted a photo with the Hollywood star on her Instagram Stories and dubbed her one of the sweetest people ever. Fans showered her with praises in the comments section. Among her cheerleaders was BFF Navya Nanda, who dropped a heart emoji. Recently, Ananya Panday made a stylish entry to the celebrity screening of her rumoured ex-boyfriend Kartik Aaryans new film Chandu Champion. Ananya, who reportedly dated Kartik for a brief period of time, came to support the actor who has undergone a drastic transformation for the Kabir Khan directorial. Ananya looked chic in a grey-coloured body-con dress which she teamed with black Hermes Oran sandals. She kept her hair open and sported minimal makeup. Ananya was recently in the news for her rumoured breakup with Aditya Roy Kapur. The duo was reportedly together for about two years. BIGBANGs G-Dragon has been appointed as a visiting professor at the Korea Advanced Institute Of Science and Technology (KAIST). The appointment process was finalised on June 4. According to the media outlet OSEN, KAIST has officially announced that G-Dragon has received a letter of appointment as a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This confirmation follows his participation in the Innovate Korea 2024 talk show which took place at the KAIST headquarters in Daejeon on June 5. The K-pop icon recently graced the cover of the July issue of ELLE Korea where he can be seen wearing the Chanel 2023/24 workshop collection in a striking and elegant style. In the interview following the photo shoot, G-Dragon opened up about his latest venture. He expressed a mix of astonishment and excitement upon his initial visit to the KAIST campus. KAIST is a place full of people who passionately explore their fields. I thought that the way the students immersed [in their studies] to an extent that the boundary between academics and daily life is unclear looked similar to myself as a child, who contemplated and explored alone in the practice room, he shared with the magazine as per Soompi. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung highlighted the potential of G-Dragon to drive innovation in K-culture and expand the horizons of knowledge. Fans of the K-pop star were delighted by his playful attitude during his appointment ceremony. In videos going viral on the internet, G-Dragon can be seen playingfully holding up bunny ears behind the President during an official photo session. Prior to his formal appointment, he was also spotted by students during a visit to the campus. ELLE Korea also asked him about his daily interests where he revealed his diversity, expressing a desire to explore something unfamiliar rather than something outdated. If the field is not my area of expertise, I am willing to borrow the expertise of others. That way, it is possible to present a higher quality outcome, he added. Meanwhile, G-Dragons label Galaxy Corporation in April announced plans for his highly anticipated comeback later this year, as reported by South Korean news outlet News1. After making his comeback, he will be carrying out global activities, and activities in Japan are also planned as part of them, Galaxy Corporation revealed in the statement via Soompi. G-dragons comeback marks his first solo release in approximately seven years, following the launch of his self-titled EP Kwon Ji-yong. Actor Bobby Deol, who has been grabbing headlines ever since his smashing portrayal of Abrar Haque in Sandeep Reddy Vangas Animal, has opened up about the dark side of Bollywood, where everyone tries to brainwash actors. In a recent interview, Bobby spoke about how OTT platforms gave him an opportunity to try something new and get out of his comfort zone. Speaking to Zoom/Times Now.com, Bobby said, Sometimes you get lost, sometimes because of all the way the industry is reacting to you, you start choosing the more easy and secure path to move forward. You dont want to take challenges, you dont want to put yourself in a situation which is out of your comfort zone, because somewhere everybody brainwashes you. But thats what happens, thats something that is sad that happens to actors. Talking about how he deals with it, the actor said, I luckily realised that and I wanted to get out of it. And a lot of actors try doing that, but they still havent been able to manage it. But I have. And now things have changed. I think OTT platform gives every actor an opportunity to try doing different kinds of characters so that people can notice that they have the side to them which they enjoyed after they watched it because they never got the chance to show that side of an actor of themselves doing it. Earlier, in an interview with the Times of India, Bobby Deol opened up about the emotional aspect of his family. He emphasised his belief that tears of happiness are a natural and understandable reaction to accomplishing something significant after putting in considerable effort. Expanding on his thoughts, Bobby shared, I think my whole family is extremely emotional. All Deol men cry. We are not embarrassed about it. It is an emotion that is just there. I think everybody cries, its just that most dont talk about it. The Deols are emotional people, and we are happy to be that way. Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep has shared his reaction to the Darshan fan murder case. The actor, who was once close to Darshan Thoogudeepa, demanded justice for the victim Renuka Swamy, his wife, and unborn child. He also hoped that the Kannada film industry would get a clean chit in the process. He pointed out that the blame is going on the film industry and wishes that the case is resolved soon. As reported by OneIndia, Sudeep told the media, We are only aware of what the media is showing to us because we are not going to the police station to get the information. It looks like the media and the police are working hard to uncover the truth. Theres no doubt about that." Speaking about Renuka Swamys family, Sudeep said, That family deserves justice. That girl deserves justice. Renuka Swamy, who died on the streets, deserves justice. The unborn child deserves justice. Above all, everyone should have faith in justice, and justice should prevail in this case." He noted that the case has put the film industry in a bad light. Sudeep hopes that the case is resolved soon and the perpetrators are punished. Everyones heart goes out to that family. The atmosphere doesnt feel right. The film industry should get justice. All the blame seems to be placed on the film industry. The industry needs a clean chit. There are many artists involved. Cinema is not just one or two people. The film industry will be relieved if the culprit is punished," Sudeep said. Watch the video below: Darshan, his close friend Pavithra Gowda, and 13 of his associates have been arrested for the murder of Renukaswamy, whose body was found near a storm-water drain with multiple injury marks on June nine. Reports said Darshan, popularly known as Challenging Star", was furious with Renukaswamy after he sent obscene messages and images to the 33-year-old Gowda. Eid Al Adha: Malayalam superstar Mammootty was seen offering his prayers at a mosque in Kochi on the occasion of Bakrid. In a video shared on X, the actor seen making his way out of the Salafi Juma Masjid in Kochi with his close friends and family. The Bramayugam star was seen wearing a white shirt with a pair of pants for the special prayers. ANI shared the video of his mosque visit with the caption, Ernakulam, Kerala: On the occasion of #EidAlAdha festival, actor Mammootty visits Salafi Juma Masjid in Kochi. Watch the video below: #WATCH | Ernakulam, Kerala: On the occasion of #EidAlAdha festival, actor Mammootty visits Salafi Juma Masjid in Kochi. pic.twitter.com/D78wHkHFSx ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024 Fans took to the thread and wished the superstar on the occasion. Several other stars also wished fans on the occasion. Anupam Kher wrote, Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak. Love and prayers always. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished everyone on the occasion. Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha! May this special occasion further cement the bonds of harmony and togetherness in our society. May everyone be happy and healthy, he wrote. Meanwhile, Mammootty, who is the father of actor Dulquer Salmaan, has had a busy year so far. The actor has already released three films and has two more releases in the making. The releases include Abraham Ozler, Bramayugam and Turbo. He has Bazooka and Kadugannawa Oru Yatra in the pipeline. Mammootty has a film with Gautham Vasudev Menon also in the making. The film, which is yet to be titled, was reportedly to begin shooting on June 20. Reports also claimed that Samantha Ruth Prabhu will be seen in the film. Reportedly, she will be the female lead in a film which will also star Mammootty in a key role. The film is touted to be an action thriller and its title has not been finalised as of now. Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony Award for his role in the musical Merrily We Roll Along. He secured a prestigious win in the Featured Actor in a Musical category for portraying Charley Kringas in Merrily We Roll Along. The Harry Potter star got emotional as he stepped on to receive the award. He began the acceptance speech with, Im gonna just talk fast and try not to cry. This has been one of the best experiences of my life. Its been unbelievable. He thanked his co-stars Lindsay Mendez, and Jonathan Groff and said, It is an honour to be on stage with you all every single night. After thanking the Broadway League and American Theatre Wing and the Merrily We Roll Along director Maria Friedman, he took a moment to acknowledge his parents who were part of the crowd. The actor addressed his father and said, Happy Fathers Day, Dad. Thank you for playing Sondheim in the car and just loving me. Merrily We Roll Along is a 1981 American musical based on the 1934 play of the same name. Its music and lyrics are written by Stephen Sondheim. It tells the story of three friends and how their friendship changes over the course of 20 years. In a backstage interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Radcliffe reflected on his career and revealed that he was unclear about his acting journey after the Harry Potter franchise concluded with an eight-movie run. He recalled, When I finished Potter, I had no idea what my career was going to be. Id already started doing some stage stuff, but I didnt know what the future held at all. Daniel Radcliffe made his Broadway debut in 2008 with Equus. In Equus, which is based on a 1973 play by Peter Shaffer, the 34-year-old actor had to perform nude. He has since performed in a number of Broadway hits such as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Lifespan of a Fact. Last year he got his first Emmy Award nomination for portrayal of Weird Al Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The 77th Tony Awards ceremony took place on Sunday, June 16, at the Lincoln Centers David H. Koch Theater in New York City. Actor Ariana DeBose hosted the award ceremony for the third consecutive year. The nights big winner was Stereophonic, which won the most awards, including Best Play. The Outsiders won the award for Best Musical. Superman star Henry Cavill is stepping into a new role in real life. The Hollywood actor marked Fathers Day in a special way this year by announcing that he and his partner, television producer Natalie Viscuso, are expecting their first child together. Cavill shared the news on Instagram, posting a selfie from the babys room, which features a crib and changing table in the background. In the heartfelt post, the Man of Steel star also reached out to fellow fathers for advice as he prepares for this new chapter. Although details such as the babys due date and gender were not disclosed, the announcement has sparked excitement among his fans. Interestingly, Cavill had initially confirmed the pregnancy news in April during the premiere of, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, where he expressed joy about the arrival of their baby. Meanwhile, confirming the news again on social media, Cavill wrote, Oh yeah and Happy Fathers Day ye dads out there. Turns out I shall be joining your hallowed ranks soon. Any tips? And dont worry, pillows wont be in the crib when the wee one arrives, just glue and scapels so he or she can build Warhammer miniatures. During an interview with Access Online on the red carpet of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Henry Cavill credited his mom and dad for inspiring him to become a parent. He added, Im very excited about it. Natalie and I are both very excited. Im sure youll see much more of that. For those not aware, the Mission Impossible Fallout actor first announced his relationship with Natalie Viscuso on Instagram in 2021. They later made their red carpet debut as a couple during the premiere of his 2022 movie Enola Holmes 2. On the work front, Henry Cavill has several exciting projects lined up. He is set to star in and produce an Amazon series based on a war game, Warhammer 40,000. On the other hand, Cavill will also play a lead in The Grey, an upcoming thriller directed by Guy Ritchie, alongside Eiza Gonzalez, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rosamund Pike, and Fisher Stevens. He is also expected to reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes 3, featuring Millie Bobby Brown. House of the Dragon is set to ignite screens once again on June 17 for its second season, making its debut on Max (formerly HBO Max) and in India on JioCinema. Surprisingly, the new season in India arrived amidst a cloud of uncertainty. Recent reports sparked by a social media post suggest that the initial episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 was uploaded on JioCinema with certain scenes censored. The source of concern for certain netizens stems from the disparity in episode length between the versions on Max and JioCinema. While reports suggest that the international broadcast runs for around 58 minutes, the JioCinema version clocks in at approximately 55 minutes. This three-minute reduction has led to suspicions that scenes may have been edited from the Indian release. First, #TheBoys S4 was cut and censored by @PrimeVideoIN Now, @JioCinema shortens the episodes of #HouseoftheDragon S2, some cuts and censored scenes were there Are you happy with this sort of treatment towards the fans? pic.twitter.com/lArK2QyAhR BINGED (@Binged_) June 17, 2024 But the question still looms: Has JioCinema truly censored House of the Dragon? The answer remains shrouded in mystery for now. From available information, it appears that the violent and intimate scenes in the JioCinema version are unaltered. Moreover, JioCinemas support team, responding on X, vouched for the unedited nature of the episode, addressing a subscribers concerns. They attributed any alterations in runtime to technical aspects, further adding to the mystery surrounding this speculation. Hi Vivek! There are no edits made to the episode by JioCinema. Certain technical aspects affect the runtime of the episode without edits to the visual content. Rest assured the episode is exactly what has been received from the production house. JioCinema Care (@JioCinema_Care) June 17, 2024 According to a report by Latestly, the initial episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 maintains its integrity, even with the inclusion of two intimate scenesnamely, one depicting cunnilingus and another referencing a childs murder, portrayed through eerie sound design rather than visual depiction. Despite this content, the essence of the episode seems unaltered. The whereabouts of the missing three minutes and the nature of the described technical aspects responsible for their absence are yet to be ascertained. This Game of Thrones spin-off focuses on the Targaryen history. The first season set the ball rolling, introducing the GoT fans to Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma DArcy), Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and other Targaryen ancestors. The first season ended on a high, showing a civil war break out within the Targaryen family. The new season is set to take off from those final moments. In the first episode, which News18 Showsha watched and reviewed, the Targaryen are plotting against each other while the fight for the Iron Throne continues. The new season also teases the thirst for revenge after Queen Rhaenyras son Aemond Targaryen killed Lucerys Velaryon. The first episode also hints a gory season. The new season also features a number of new cast members. These include Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Broome Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, Vincent Regan, Abubakar Salim, Gayle Rankin, Freddie Fox and Simon Russell Beale. The film Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil is currently being talked about a lot. It is a Marathi-language biographical film. The film, based on a prominent activist for Maratha quota rights, Manoj Jarange Patil, is set to release this month. The film was earlier set to release in April, but now it is scheduled to release on June 21. Taking to Instagram, Narayana Production dropped a poster of the film with the caption, The history of the Maratha reservation and the real-life struggle Your movie is coming to theatres near you on June 21. Everyone must watch the movie to realize the reality. We will do it The fight of needy Marathas! Near you from 21st June In the cinema! The first trailer of the film was released earlier and now the second trailer of this film has been released. Actor Rohan Patil played the role of Manoj Jarange Patil in the film Sangharsh Yoddha Manoj Jarange Patil. He is perfect in this role and appreciated by the fans. Also, a glimpse of Chhagan Bhujbal, a leader who opposed the Maratha movement, has been seen in this film. Actor Sanjay Kulkarni played the role of Chhagan Bhujbal. Along with this, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have also been seen in the film. The film is directed by Shivaji Doltade and produced by Govardhan Doltade under the banner of Sonai Films Creation. The film has been mainly shot in Jalna, Maharashtra, and revolves around Manoj Jarange Patil. He has consistently worked in various social sectors within the Maratha community. The film is claimed to be about his lifelong struggle with the hotly debated topic of reservations. Recently, the makers sparked fans curiosity regarding the film by unveiling a devotional track titled Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Shivraya. In the track, Rohan Patil is seen playing the main role, and the other devotees are seen offering their prayers to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha empire. The lyrics of the song are penned by Mangesh Kangane, while Adarsh Shinde has lent his vocals to the track and it is composed by the duo Chinar-Mahesh. Kannada actress Pavithra Gowdas daughter Khushi Gowda shared a post dedicated to her mother days after her arrest. Pavithra is in custody in connection with the murder of a fan. She along with Kannada actor Darshan and 13 allies were arrested last week. On Sunday, Khushi shared a picture with her mother on her Instagram Stories and wished her for Fathers Day. In the photo, Pavithra planted a kiss on Khushis forehead while the candid photo was being taken. Sharing the photo, Khushi wrote, Happy Fathers Day to you my everything @pavithragowda777_official. She added a an evil eye and a love emoji. Check out the photo below: Khushi is yet to address her mothers arrest. On the other hand, Darshans son addressed the case and shut down those trolling him for his fathers case. The 15-year-old wrote on Instagram, Thank you all for all the bad comments and offensive language towards my father and not considering that I am a 15-year-old with feelings, and even during this hard time when my mom and dad required support cursing at me wont change that you everyone. For the unversed, Pavithra has been taken into custody on charges of murdering Renukaswamy (33), a resident of Chitradurga. Darshan, his close friend Pavithra Gowda, and 13 of his associates have been arrested for the murder of Renuka Swamy. Renuka Swamy was found dead at Sumanahalli Bridge in Bengaluru on June 8, 2024. He used to reportedly work at an Apollo Pharmacy branch in Chitradurga. Previously, police officials claimed that Renuka used to send vulgar messages to Kannada actress Pavithra Gowad, a friend of Darshan. Angry about this, Renuka Swamy was murdered and his dead body was allegedly thrown in a canal at Kamaksshipalya, Bengaluru in front of Darshan. Reportedly, eight of the accused have implicated Darshan, claiming his presence during Renuka Swamys assault. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khans son AbRam has embraced the media attention. King Khans younger son was spotted out and about on Sunday night with his friends when he greeted the media. In a video shared by a paparazzo on Instagram, AbRam was seen seated in his car with his close friends by his side. SRKs son smiled for the cameras and waved at the paparazzi while he headed out with his friends. The gesture comes as a sweet surprise considering AbRam was not fond of the media. There have been instances in the past which showed his disinterest in the media attention. However, it seems like it is all changing. Watch the video below: It seems like AbRam and his friends were at a gathering hosted by Sohail Khan. In a video shared on Instagram, Sohail was spotted seeing off Shah Rukhs son and his friends. The actor-director asked the paparazzi to let the children be. Arre, bachche log ko chod de (Let the kids go), Sohail said in a video shared by Instant Bollywood. Fans praised Sohail for ensuring AbRam and his friends safety. He has children himself .. he knows how to care of them , a fan wrote. Yaar Salman Khan ki family m sab kitne achche h yaar, added another. Khan brothers always good and best, a third comment read. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh was MIA from the gathering. The actor has been busy with his upcoming project lately. It is rumoured that he is working on his new film titled King. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, SRK will be seen in a gray shade in the film. It is also widely reported that Suhana Khan will be seen in the film, marking her big screen debut. Shatrughan Sinha is upset with Sonakshi Sinha for not informing him about her wedding plans, her mama Pahlaj Nihalani has confirmed. Last week, news broke out that Sonakshi is marrying her longtime boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal. A leaked wedding invite confirmed the news and also revealed that Sonakshi has been dating Zaheer for seven years. In his first reaction to the wedding rumours, Shatrughan admitted he wasnt aware about the wedding but he sounded upset. When Pahlaj Nihalani was asked about his reaction, he confirmed that Shatrughan is upset with her but it will not last long. He added that Shatrughan will be attending the ceremony as well. Sonakshi and Zaheer will be getting married on June 23. The intimate wedding ceremony will take place in Mumbai. Speaking with Times Now, Pahlaj said Ha, but he cant remain upset for long, not with Sonakshi. She is his laadli. Shaadi nahin attend karne ka koi sawaal hi nahi paida hota. As Shatruji said to you, aaj kal he bachche inform karte hain, permission nahin lete. Why should he be upset if Sonakshi is marrying the boy of her choice? Shatruji himself married a girl of his choice forty years ago. Even I chose my own life partner when I married my wife. One should not have unrealistic expectations from ones children. Defending Shatrughans initial reaction to the news, Pahlaj said, You must have spoken to him when he was out of Mumbai for almost three months due to elections. Bhabhiji must have known . She must have decided to tell him about it (the marriage) after his return. Now he is back in Mumbai and all is well between Sonakshi and her family. For the unversed, Shatrughan had told Times Now that he wasnt aware of Sonakshis wedding and added, I am being asked by people close to me why I am not aware of this (the supposed wedding), and the media is aware of it. All I can say is, aaj kal ke bachche consent nahin lete maa-baap ke, sirf inform karte hain. We are waiting to be informed. He later spoke with Times of India and said that while he is not confirming or denying the wedding rumours, he is giving Sonakshi all his blessings for her big day whenever it comes. If my daughter is getting married, I will give her my blessings and support her decision and choice. Sonakshi has the right to choose her companion, and I will be the happiest father on her wedding day. I will always wish her the best ek hi toh beti hai meri, Shatrughan said. Actress Sonakshi Sinha is all set to tie the knot with her boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal on June 23 after seven years of dating. However, there are unverified rumours doing the rounds that Sonakshis father, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, is apparently upset with her as he wasnt aware of her upcoming nuptials with Zaheer. Amid all of this, Sonakshis brother, Luv Sinha, has shared a throwback photo from his trip to Baku on his official Instagram handle. Interestingly, Luv doesnt follow Sonakshi on Instagram (at the time of writing this article). Sharing the throwback photo, Luv wrote, The problem with time is, that we never have enough of it. #Memories #Baku #Throwback #Streetphotography #Christmas #Nightlife #A7R5. Earlier, Luv Sinha had reacted to the reports of her sisters wedding to Zaheer Iqbal in a conversation with ETimes. Luv, who is reportedly out of the city, chose to remain tight-lipped about the matter. He told ETimes, Im out of Mumbai at the moment, and if its regarding the news published, I have no comment or involvement in the matter. Meanwhile, Pahlaj Nihalani, who calls himself Sonakshis mama, has claimed that Shatrughan is miffed with Sonakshi for not informing him about her wedding plans. In his first reaction to the wedding rumours, Shatrughan had admitted that he wasnt aware about the wedding. When Pahlaj Nihalani was asked about his reaction, he confirmed that Shatrughan was upset with Sonakshi but it wouldnt last long. He added that Shatrughan would be attending the ceremony as well. Speaking with Times Now/Zoom, Pahlaj said Ha (he is upset), but he cant remain upset for long, not with Sonakshi. She is his laadli. Shaadi nahin attend karne ka koi sawaal hi nahi paida hota. As Shatruji said to you, aaj kal he bachche inform karte hain, permission nahin lete. Why should he be upset if Sonakshi is marrying the boy of her choice? Shatruji himself married a girl of his choice forty years ago. Even I chose my own life partner when I married my wife. One should not have unrealistic expectations from ones children. For the unversed, Shatrughan had told Times Now/Zoom that he had no clue about Sonakshis wedding and added, I am being asked by people close to me why I am not aware of this (the supposed wedding), and the media is aware of it. All I can say is, aaj kal ke bachche consent nahin lete maa-baap ke, sirf inform karte hain. We are waiting to be informed. Sonakshi Sinhas Heeramandi co-star Taha Shah Badussha has expressed his excitement about the news of the actress tying the knot with her longtime boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal. Sonakshi is all set to get married to Zaheer after seven years of dating. The wedding will take place on June 23, followed by a reception party at Bastian in Mumbai. While interacting with media during an event, Taha extended his good wishes to Sonakshi. Sonakshi Sinha is getting married, she is getting married, right!? I love Sonakshi Sinha. I would just like to give her a lot of blessings and good wishes, and I would like to give her a huge present, Taha was quoted as saying by Social News XYZ. Meanwhile, there are unverified rumours doing the rounds that Sonakshis father, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, is apparently upset with the actress for not informing him about her upcoming nuptials. Pahlaj Nihalani, who calls himself Sonakshis mama, has claimed that Shatrughan is miffed with Sonakshi for not informing him about her wedding plans. In his first reaction to the wedding rumours, Shatrughan had admitted that he wasnt aware about the wedding. When Pahlaj Nihalani was asked about the same, he confirmed that Shatrughan was indeed upset with Sonakshi but it wouldnt last long. He added that Shatrughan would be attending the ceremony as well. Speaking with Times Now/Zoom, Pahlaj said Ha (he is upset), but he cant remain upset for long, not with Sonakshi. She is his laadli. Shaadi nahin attend karne ka koi sawaal hi nahi paida hota. As Shatruji said to you, aaj kal he bachche inform karte hain, permission nahin lete. Why should he be upset if Sonakshi is marrying the boy of her choice? Shatruji himself married a girl of his choice forty years ago. Even I chose my own life partner when I married my wife. One should not have unrealistic expectations from ones children. For the unversed, Shatrughan had told Times Now/Zoom that he had no clue about Sonakshis wedding and added, I am being asked by people close to me why I am not aware of this (the supposed wedding), and the media is aware of it. All I can say is, aaj kal ke bachche consent nahin lete maa-baap ke, sirf inform karte hain. We are waiting to be informed. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the stage with world leaders at the G7 Summit in Italy, it became amply clear how India stands as the lone exception across major democracies in delivering a clear mandate to the incumbent leader and government, since Covid. The Modi government has the unique distinction of being voted for the third consecutive time, for the first time in 62 years, since 1962. Modi 3.0, by 2028, will mean that Narendra Modi will become the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India, overtaking Nehru. In any case, Nehru was not elected but selected in his first term. Hence Modis three terms are unparalleled, in that sense. Better vote share in Punjab and Tamil Nadu, two states where the BJP had little presence, a seat, finally, in Kerala from Thrissur, but above all, the stellar debut of the BJP in the Odisha state assembly, with a brute majority, is a testament to Prime Minister Modis unrelenting popularity. In Odisha, for instance, for the first time in more than two decades, we had a national party sweeping both the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections. In fact, in the last six months alone, the BJP under the aegis of Modi, has managed to form a government in six states on its own merit. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP beat 18 years of anti-incumbency. Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh have given mandate to the BJP at the state level. The last time the Congress secured 240 seats in a general election was in 1984 and the last time the Congress scored over 230 seats in a Lok Sabha Election was in 1991 when it got a tally of 232. The party ran a coalition government with 145 odd seats in 2004 and yet again with 206 seats, it ran a coalition government in 2009 too. Hence the Congress has no locus standi whatsoever, to question the BJP which standalone won 240 seats in this years Lok Sabha elections. And this, despite being in power for ten long years from 2014-2024. Modis extraordinary achievement of being elected for the third time in a row gets even bigger, when looked at in the larger global context where incumbents have seen their fortunes fading. For example, in the US, the incumbent President Donald Trump was voted out during the pandemic, in 2020. Current incumbent Joe Biden is trailing in opinion polls. In Indonesia, the incumbent coalition lost the Presidential elections in 2024 to the Great Indonesia Movement Party, better known as the Gerindra Party, by a wide margin. In Brazil, the incumbent President was voted out in 2022. In Japan, the incumbent party managed to retain power in 2021 only after twice changing its prime ministerial candidates. In the Philippines, the incumbent vice president lost the Presidential elections in 2022 to the challenger. In Germany, the ruling coalition of the former incumbent chancellor recorded the worst-ever losses in 2021, making way for a new chancellor from a third party, which then emerged as the largest party after nearly two decades. In Thailand, in the general elections of 2023, the incumbent prime ministers party lost vote shares and seats to multiple Opposition parties. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, ahead of the general elections, the incumbent is trailing in the opinion polls. In France, the incumbent president was re-elected in 2022 after a face-off that saw no candidate getting a majority. In South Africa, the incumbent party, the ANC, lost majority in 2024 for the first time after 30 years of rule. In Colombia, the incumbent party lost the presidential elections in 2022 with the Opposition left-wing candidate winning for the first time. In South Korea, the incumbent partys presidential candidate lost in 2022 to the Opposition partys presidential candidate. In Spain, no single party gained a majority in the 2023 general elections after the incumbent party in power finished second, behind the Opposition party, in both seats and vote share. Speaking of the Modi 3.0 cabinet, it is a dynamic blend of both continuity and change. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) retained its existing lineup, with Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar holding onto their roles in defence, home, finance, and external affairs, respectively. Nitin Gadkari has also been retained as Minister of Road Transport and Highways. Prime Minister Modi will be in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Space, all important policy issues, and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister. Regarding new appointments, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will take on responsibilities in agriculture and rural development, while BJP President JP Nadda returns to the health ministry, a position he held in Modi 1.0. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu (TDP), Minister of Civil Aviation; Chirag Paswan (LJP), Minister of Food Processing Industries; HD Kumaraswamy (JD[S]), Minister of Heavy Industries and Minister of Steel; and Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM), Minister of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, are some of the key alliance partners with their equally heavyweight portfolios, who figure in the Modi 3.0 cabinet. 71 ministers officially joined the Modi 3.0 cabinet. They, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took their oaths during an impressive swearing-in ceremony on June 9, 2024. Clearly, Modis third innings as Prime Minister has begun with a diverse and inclusive team representing at least 24 states and union territories across India. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, is well-represented with nine ministers in the cabinet including Rajnath Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Pankaj Chaudhry, Anupriya Patel, Jitin Prasad, Jayant Choudhary, B.L. Verma, Kamlesh Paswan, and S.P. Singh Baghel. Bihar too has good representation with eight ministers, reflecting the need to balance interests with allies JDU and LJP. Prominent ministers from Bihar include Chirag Paswan, Giriraj Singh, and Lalan Singh. West Bengal has two ministers, Shantanu Thakur and Sukanta Majumdar. Tamil Nadu saw L. Murugan being retained in the cabinet. From Punjab, Ravneet Singh Bittu has been appointed as a minister. The new Modi cabinet has a mix of highly experienced names and young blood too, giving it just the right touch of dynamism, political acumen and strategic genius that a coalition government should be all about. The inclusion of stalwarts like Shivraj Singh Chouhan signals a holistic embrace of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs satraps, ensuring that the partys ideological roots are well preserved, contrary to unwanted noise about a rift between the RSS and the BJP doing the rounds in the media. Simultaneously, the appointment of leaders like Chirag Paswan underscores a practical approach to coalition politics, emphasising the need for strong alliances, young blood and a fresh approach to realpolitik. Modi 3.0 is not just about deft navigation of the emerging political terrain; it is a nuanced balance of raj dharma and coalition dharma, where PM Modi is inevitably guided by the need for political and macro-economic stability and good governance. The BJP, while undeterred in its ideological moorings, now leads a coalition that is a mosaic of varied parties. This diversity is, however, a strength and not a weakness as the allies are not united by any narrow, opportunistic motives. Chances of any discord are limited because under the visionary leadership of Modi, despite disagreements, if any, the overriding ambition and desire to work for the greater common good shall prevail. The Modi 3.0 cabinet, therefore, represents a strategic collaboration that combines political wisdom with the art of the possible. It is a coalition based on conciliation and consensus, not confrontation or compulsion, with PM Modi steering India towards a future that is both promising and aspirational. The BJPs understanding that a government with natural allies such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal [United] (JD[U]), Jana Sena, and Janata Dal [Secular] (JDS) requires a nimble, surefooted anchor, is astute. At least 34 out of the 71 cabinet ministers have 30 years of experience, maybe more, in active politics, serving as a strong bulwark against any imminent or potential ideological dilution. Clearly, the Modi 3.0 cabinet is a testament to the BJPs sharp foresight, with a willingness to include diverse perspectives of coalition partners, which is crucial for the stability and longevity of the government. And yet, it has the inimitable Modi stamp written all over it. This is a subtle signal that while the BJP is willing to evolve, compromise, adapt and accommodate, it does not intend to discard the ideological commitments that have been the cornerstone of its political journey, from a party of just 2 seats in the 1980s to becoming the political behemoth that it has become today, in 2024. The partys agenda and the governments priorities are harmoniously intertwined, with the cabinet serving as the institutional mechanism for PM Modis vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. In this new cabinet, the BJP has allocated 30 berths to cabinet ministers; there are 5 ministers of state with independent charge, and 36 ministers of state, totalling 71 members. This number includes 11 ministers from NDA partners, signifying a solid 15 per cent share of cabinet berths to allies. The distribution of ministerial roles among allies like the TDP and JD(U) is a strategic move that underscores the BJPs intent to foster a collaborative environment under the current circumstances. The number of berths given to different partners and their significance goes beyond mere numbers; it is about giving due respect to the coalition partners regional and national aspirations, something which a seasoned leader like Modi understands only too well. The formation of Modi 3.0, a blend of seasoned stalwarts and fresh faces, is a reflection of the BJPs dual commitment to effective governance and rewarding the partys loyal cadre who have risen up the ranks. Modi 3.0 has set a formidable agenda with a focus on achieving key goals within the first 100 days. This ambitious plan underlines the Modi governments commitment to rapid development and reforms. The targets, which include making India a $5 trillion economy by 2026-27 and a developed nation by 2047, reflect a forward-looking vision that seeks to catapult India onto the world stage as an economic superpower. This delicate balance between rewarding loyalty and focusing on governance defines Modi 3.0, setting the stage for a tenure that is as much about fulfilling the partys ideological commitments as it is about steering the nation toward its developmental goals. The message is clear: the BJP remains committed to its roots, while forging ahead with a clear vision for Indias future. The success of Modi 3.0 will depend not just on its policy prowess but on its ability to smoothen rough edges, if any, say political pundits. However, these political pundits forget that PM Modi is very much his own person, extremely comfortable in his own skin. Modi is passionately firm about his stand on key issues that matter, and is yet never averse to listening to diverse opinions or imbibing what works for the greater good, even if that entails making small sacrifices in the process. And that precisely is what makes Narendra Modi who he isa towering tall persona whose style of politics is not only shaping the destiny of 1.4 billion Indians but also making a huge impact on global geopolitics. Modi has turned anti-incumbency into pro-incumbency and this is due to his untiring ability to constantly reinvent himself, while his opponents continue to grapple with being fringe players. The 139-year-old Congress party could not even touch 100 seats and the INDI alliance was contained at 234 seats in the 2024 general elections. In sharp contrast, the Modi juggernaut emerged unscathed, pretty much holding its own. If numbers mean what they do, then sample this in the last three Lok Sabha elections put together, the tally of the Congress from Uttar Pradesh is a mere nine seats. On the contrary, that number from UP, for the BJP in the last three Lok Sabha elections combined, is a staggering 170 seats. Politics is not just about momentum but a proven track record too. In the case of Prime Minister Modi, he has both momentum and an excellent track record working to his advantage. Add to that his consistency in delivering on electoral promises, and what you have is a lethal combination in terms of a leader who knows his mind, knows what to do and more importantly, how to do it, so that an aspirational India becomes a reality. Sanju Verma is an Economist, National Spokesperson for BJP and Bestselling Author of The Modi Gambit. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to retain the post of Speaker for the 18th Lok Sabha after securing 240 seats in the general election, sources said on Monday, adding the party might offer the post of Deputy Speaker to allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Union Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh has been entrusted with the task of holding talks with NDA allies, including Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), for the pivotal parliamentary role that facilitates the smooth conduct of proceedings. The Lok Sabha will elect its new Speaker on June 26 for which notices for motions supporting candidates can be submitted till noon a day prior, according to the Lok Sabha secretariat. Sources had said that the INDIA bloc might field a candidate for the post of Speaker if the Deputy Speakers post is not given to their camp. Rejecting reports suggesting that NDA partners TDP and JD(U) had demanded the Speakers post, a senior party leader told news agency IANS that the matter would be first considered internally before discussing it with allies to reach a consensus. While Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidus TDP said that NDA partners must finalise a consensus candidate, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) said it would back the BJPs decision. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi has said that his party and TDP are part of the NDA and will support the candidate nominated by BJP for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. The Speaker is always of the ruling party because its number is also the highest (among alliance parties), Tyagi said. Meanwhile, TDP national spokesperson Pattabhi Ram Kommareddy was quoted as saying by The Indian Express that the candidate must be jointly decided by NDA partners. The NDA partners will sit together and decide who our candidate for the Speaker is going to be. Once a consensus is reached, we will field that candidate and all partners, including the TDP, will support the candidate, Kommareddy said. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) questioned former chief minister and BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa for three hours on Monday in connection with a POCSO case registered against him. He appeared before a team of CID, which had summoned him for an inquiry in connection with the case. He was questioned for three hours, a CID officer said. The Karnataka High Court on June 14 restrained the CID from arresting the veteran BJP leader in connection with the March 14 case. According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and Section 354 A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony. Yediyurappa has denied the charge, and said people would teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies against him. The victims brother had filed a petition in the court last week alleging that though the case was registered nearly three months ago, no progress has been made in the investigation. The petitioner prayed that Yediyurappa should be arrested and interrogated. After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation. The 54-year-old woman, who had levelled the charge against Yediyurappa, died of lung cancer at a private hospital last month. In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. Senior BJP leader MB Bhanuprakash died of cardiac arrest on Monday while protesting against the Karnataka government following a hike in petrol and diesel prices in the state. Police said the 69-year-old was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. He was leading the protest in Shivamogga district and also addressed the workers, they added. He collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest while getting into his car, a police source said. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but could not be saved. Bhanuprakash was a former MLC who had earlier served as the BJPs state vice-president and district president. Why is the BJP protesting? The opposition BJP staged a statewide demonstration against the hike in petrol and diesel prices. On June 15, the state government hiked sales tax on fuel, which will make petrol and diesel costlier. Petrol prices have gone up by Rs 3 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.5 per litre. The agitation took place at all the district headquarters of the state. In Bengaluru, state BJP president BY Vijayendra led the agitation. He said the protest has been organised against the anti-people stand of the Congress government. He alleged that the hike will have a direct impact on all the sectors. Due to the five guarantees, the state government was in a big financial burden. As a result, lot of development work had come to a halt, he said. The government realised that stopping the guarantees would result in public outrage. To continue these guarantees, the government did not have money, so it hiked the petrol and diesel prices, Vijayendra said. The Congress governments five guarantee schemes are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti). According to officials, the hike was aimed at resource mobilisation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the finance minister, reviewed the states revenue generation and fiscal position and took the decision. The increase in fuel prices comes days after the Lok Sabha election results, in which the NDA got 19 out of 28 seats in Karnataka, with the BJP winning 17 and JD(S) two. The ruling Congress won nine seats. (With PTI inputs) The recent petrol and diesel price hike has fuelled a new standoff between the ruling Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka. The state government has increased petrol prices by Rs 3 and diesel by Rs 3.50 per litre. The BJP has launched a statewide protest against this hike, vowing to continue until the Congress government rolls back its decision. The Congress government called it a necessary move to fund five people-centric guarantees and development of the state. However, the BJP accused the Congress of cheating the public to win the elections and then taking money from the people once in power. In Bengaluru, petrol is now priced at Rs 102.84, up from Rs 99.84, and diesel has risen to Rs 88.95 from Rs 85.93. This increase is expected to contribute Rs 2,500-3,000 crore annually to the state exchequer. GOVTS DEFENCE Our tax on fuel remains lower than most South Indian States and states with similar economy-size like Maharashtra, said CM Siddaramaiah. He added that Karnataka, during the double engine government of the BJP in the state and Centre, was forced to reduce the tax, while the Union government continued to collect higher Central excise duty from the state. He alleged that the economic resources were diverted to other states, which affected Karnatakas tax collection. The Karnataka government increased the VAT on petrol to 29.84% and diesel to 18.44%. Siddaramaiah defended the move, stating that the states taxes on fuel remain lower than most South Indian states or similar economy states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil also defended the hike, saying the money was necessary to fund the states guarantee schemes. However, critics argued that the timing of the decision, soon after the elections, was suspect. The last time Karnataka revised petrol and diesel prices was in November 2021, when fuel prices were cut by about Rs 7 during the COVID pandemic. OPPOSITION ATTACK Calling Siddaramaiah a desperate CM taking desperate measures, BJPs Karnataka president BY Vijayendra alleged, The Congress regime is unable to sustain the schemes they promised to win the elections, and now they are looting people to continue these guarantees. The government did not have money, so it hiked petrol and diesel prices. We will not stop until the rates are revised. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka played a recorded clip of Siddaramaiah condemning similar hikes in the past and referencing his pre-election promise to reduce petrol and diesel prices if the Congress came to power. Those who criticised fuel prices in the past are doing the same thing now, Ashoka said. He criticised the BJP government for injustice against the people of Karnataka, and now he takes the same step. The government has realised that they are unable to provide for the guarantees, and if they stopped the direct bank transfers (DBT), it would result in public outrage against the Congress. Siddaramaiah is only out to cheat people, said BJP leader CT Ravi. THE GUARANTEES The Congress built its election campaign on five guarantee schemes 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), free public bus rides for women (Shakti), Rs 2,000 per month for women heads of households (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of free rice (Anna Bhagya), and Rs 1,500-3,000 for unemployed graduates (Yuva Nidhi). These schemes helped the party win 135 of the 224 seats in the 2023 assembly polls, costing the government Rs 50,000-60,000 crore in the current fiscal year. According to the latest records, the government spent Rs 5,754.6 crore on the Anna Bhagya scheme to provide an additional 5 kg of rice per family at Rs 34 per kg. Siddaramaiah stated that the Gruha Jyoti scheme benefited 1.67 crore people, with an allocation of Rs 7,436 crore. The Shakti scheme facilitated over 2.01 billion bus rides, costing Rs 4,857.95 crore. The Gruha Lakshmi scheme has provided a total of Rs 20,293.49 crore to 1.2 crore women so far. Under the Yuva Nidhi scheme, over 1.53 lakh youngsters registered, and 29,587 beneficiaries received Rs 1,500-3,000 through DBT. In July 2023, the Congress government also raised liquor prices, including beer, as part of the 2023-24 budget. This measure aimed to help the Excise Department achieve a revenue collection target of Rs 36,000 crore for the fiscal year. Siddaramaiah proposed a 20% increase in the duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) across all categories, with the duty on beer rising from 175% to 185%. This was said to be the first move toward funding the guarantee schemes. In February, the state government implemented a substantial increase of 200-500 per cent in stamp duty charges for documents that do not require registration, such as partition deeds, addition deeds, affidavits, cancellation deeds, and the reconstruction and demerger of companies. In June, the chief minister chaired a review meeting with the departments of commercial taxes, stamps and registration, excise, transport, mines and geology to assess tax collection for the first two months of the 2024-25 fiscal year. The Kerala units of Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) locked horns on Sunday over Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with Pope Francis during the G7 Summit. The war of words started after the grand-old party posted a picture of PM Modi with the Pope on its X handle along with a sarcastic comment that Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God! Irked by the post, BJP alleged that X handle of Congress was seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals. Taking to X, BJP state chief K Surendran accused the Congress Kerala unit of posting derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders on its social media handle and sought to know whether party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi endorsed it. The @INCIndia Kerala X handle, seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals, continues to post derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders. Now, it has even stooped to mocking the respected Pope and the Christian community. Its certain that the AICC General Secretary from Kerala, @kcvenugopalmp, is aware of this. The question is, what are @RahulGandhi and @kharges interests in supporting this? Surendran said in his post. The @INCIndia Kerala X handle, seemingly run by radical Islamists or Urban Naxals, continues to post derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders. Now, it has even stooped to mocking the respected Pope and the Christian community. Its certain that the AICC pic.twitter.com/hL9hCN6FYL K Surendran( ) (@surendranbjp) June 16, 2024 Union Minister and BJP leader George Kurian also slammed Congress and said, This tweet by the Congress equates Prime Minister Modi to Lord Jesus. This is absolutely uncalled for and is an insult to the Christian community, who revere Jesus. It is shameful that Congress has stopped to this level. Soon after the criticism, the Congress again gave a sarcastic reply through its X handle and wished better luck next time to Surendran and others from Modi ka parivar. When you manage to make intelligent smiles gush from the lips of even one spectator, you make even God smile. Pope Francis Pope Francis said this on Friday, 14th June on the same day after he met Narendra Modi. Better luck next time, @surendranbjp, @Georgekurianbjp and others from Modi ka parivar! the Congress unit in Kerala said in its post. When you manage to make intelligent smiles gush from the lips of even one spectator, you make even God smile. Pope Francis Pope Francis said this on Friday, 14th June on the same day after he met Narendra Modi. Better luck next time, @surendranbjp, @GeorgekurianBjp and https://t.co/j3V0vcaE8Q pic.twitter.com/O1KCXkdH24 Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) June 16, 2024 The grand old party later also put out a lengthy post saying that the entire country knows that it is not the tradition of the Indian National Congress to insult and disparage any religion, religious priests and idols. No Congress worker would even entertain the remotest thought of insulting the Pope, whom Christians around the world see as God-like. However, the Congress has no qualms about mocking Narendra Modi, who insults the believers of this country by calling himself God, the party said. In that way, people will understand the communal mind of Surendran and Modis entourage to portray the mocking of Narendra Modis shameless political games as an insult to the Pope. Surendran and his colleagues are trying to downgrade Christians as a group of people who have no self-respect and spread communal poison as soon as they inject it. If there is genuine love for the Christian community then Modi and his cohorts who remained silent when their temples were burnt down in Manipur should first unconditionally apologize to the Christian community. We apologize unreservedly if this post has caused any emotional or psychological distress to Christians, Kerala Congress added. PM Modi Interview While campaigning for the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi, during an interview with CNN News18, said, When my mother was alive, I used to believe that I was born biologically. After she passed away, upon reflecting on all my experiences, I was convinced that God has sent me. This energy could not be from my biological body, but was bestowed upon me by Godwhenever I do anything, I believe god is guiding me. PM Modis Meeting With Pope Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invited Pope Francis to visit India and said he admired the pontiffs commitment to serving the people. They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. With an English daily clarifying that it had inadvertently and erroneously mentioned that a person had used his mobile phone to generate an OTP to open Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at the Mumbai North West constituency vote counting centre, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has now demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray for spreading fake news. Meanwhile, Sena MP Ravindra Waikar, whose kin was alleged to have accessed the phone, has now raised a complaint against Uddhav factions Vilas Potnis, claiming he brought an armed security guard to the counting centre. Shiv Sena Deputy Leader and Spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam on Monday said that as the newspaper had issued an apology after admitting that the news published was false, those who falsely accused the Election Commission of misconduct should also issue apologies. If EVMs could have been hacked, would the Congress win so many seats, Nirupam asked. When the Lok Sabha results were announced on June 4, Waikar won by the lowest margin of just 48 votes. He defeated Amol Gajanan Kirtikar of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai North West. Interestingly, Waikar lost the polls in EVM votes, but won on the basis of postal ballots. Kirtikar, in his first reaction since the controversy broke out, said, No action was taken against them [who accessed the phone] by the counting officer despite the complaint. The question is not whether EVM has been hacked or not, but for many reasons, unfair means have been used. We will challenge this in the Supreme Court. The Mumbai Police has registered a case against Potnis and his security guard on the allegation of unauthorised entry into Mumbai North West counting centre at Nesco on June 4. Mumbai, Maharashtra | A case has been registered against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vilas Potnis and his security guard on the allegation of unauthorised entry into Mumbai North West counting centre, Nesco on June 4, counting day: Mumbai Police ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024 THE CLAIM, THE CLARIFICATIONS Mid-Day, a Mumbai-based English tabloid, had on Sunday published a report that Sena candidate Waikars kin got hold of the phone that received the OTP to open the EVMs at the Mumbai North West Counting Centre on the Lok Sabha results day. As the Opposition started to attack the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the issue, the District Election Officer (DEO), Mumbai Suburban, on Sunday acknowledged that there was unauthorised use of mobile phone, stating that a criminal case has already been filed by the Returning Officer (RO). However, the DEO maintained that there is no OTP on mobile for unlocking an EVM, as it is non-programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper, which is being used by some leaders to create a false narrative, the DEO added. The DEO said the incident in Mumbai North West Constituency Counting Centre was about unauthorisedly using the mobile phone of an authorised person by a candidates aide. The DEO further explained that counting of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) happens in physical form (paper ballots) and not electronics as being spread through false narratives. After the #ECIs clarification & @mid_days apology, what about all those who misled voters into believing #EVMs use SIM cards & OTPs? Shouldn't they apologize for spreading #misinformation & #FakeNews or admit to being just plain ignorant? pic.twitter.com/iNp0N0xdFJ Milind Deora | (@milinddeora) June 17, 2024 Every counting sheet at every table for ETPBS and EVM counting and postal ballot counting (including ETPBS) is signed by all counting agents after due diligence, the DEOs statement said, adding that the RO is proceeding against the newspaper for spreading rumours maligning Indian voters and the electoral system. Later in the evening, the Mumbai Police clarified that a case has been registered at Vanrai Police Station for allowing an individual to use a mobile phone illegally, despite the prohibition on the use of mobile phones and electronic items at the counting station. The Mumbai Police posted on X: While the case is still under investigation, some English & Marathi news media published news stating To unlock EVM, a mobile phone was used to generate OTP. No such information is released to any newspaper by Mumbai Police. Therefore such news articles are false & misleading. Mid-Day on Monday published a clarification stating it had erroneously and inadvertently mentioned that the accused had used his mobile phone to generate an OTP to open the EVMs and regretted the error. #WATCH | Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam says, "The results of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency were defamed yesterday. A newspaper in Mumbai published very false, fabricated news The way people of the whole country picked up this fake news, even Rahul Gandhi, who pic.twitter.com/YAugwlenFq ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024 THE ATTACK In a post on X, citing the article, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had said that EVMs in India are a black box, and nobody is allowed to scrutinise them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability, he said. Taking to X, Aaditya Thackeray wrote, Once a traitor, always a traitor! The case of the mindhe gang candidate from North West Mumbai gets murkier, as the gaddar candidate indulges in treachery with democracy nowSurprisingly, or not, the Entirely Compromised- election commission, has refused to share CCTV footage of the counting centre. I guess its trying to avoid another Chandigarh moment. We always said bjp and mindhe gang want to finish our democracy and change our constitution. This malpractice is a part of their constant effort to do so. EVMs in India are a "black box," and nobody is allowed to scrutinize them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability. https://t.co/nysn5S8DCF pic.twitter.com/7sdTWJXOAb Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 16, 2024 MATOSHREE 2 IS A FACTORY OF FAKE NARRATIVES Nirupam also addressed a viral news report claiming that Kirtikar had won by one lakh votes yet to be counted. He raised concerns about how such misinformation was circulated. He called for an inquiry and appropriate action, alleging that Sena UBT is attempting to defame Shiv Sena MP Waikar. The fake news has discredited police and election officials, and Nirupam mentioned that the party chief will decide whether to pursue defamation charges in court. Once a traitor, always a traitor! The case of the mindhe gang candidate from North West Mumbai gets murkier, as the gaddar candidate indulges in treachery with democracy now. Surprisingly, or not, the Entirely Compromised- election commission, has refused to share CCTV footage pic.twitter.com/hT27Bb2qDQ Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) June 16, 2024 Nirupam also addressed another instance of fake news published in Saamana, whose editor is Rashmi Thackeray. He warned that if Saamana does not issue a public apology, he will appeal to the Press Council. He criticised the publication, stating, Matoshree 2 is a factory of fake narratives, and its clerk is Sanjay Raut. Newly joined Sena leader Milind Deora posted on X: After the #ECIs clarification & @mid_days apology, what about all those who misled voters into believing #EVMs use SIM cards & OTPs? Shouldnt they apologize for spreading #misinformation & #FakeNews or admit to being just plain ignorant? Inputs from Yesha Kotak, Agencies Google, Microsoft and even Apple have showcased their respective AI roadmap as they look to match or better OpenAI in this arena. But one name is still missing from gaining prominence and that is Amazon. The tech giant showed its skills and tech blitz at the Amazon Day event in September last year. Since then, the company has very little to show for its early optimism. And reports claim Amazon seems to have lost that momentum as it internally looks to roll out a product laced with Gen AI and giving Alexa more tools than it ever had. Alexa Gen AI Upgrade Delayed But Why The September 2023 event showed us a conversational version of Alexa that should have rolled out to millions of Echo speakers from the company. But its almost 12 months since that big event was hosted by Amazon and still we dont see any signs of the Gen AI Alexa avatar releasing to the public. Instead, Amazon seems to be going bold with a subscription charge to use its AI features. But former Amazon employees quoted in the report here, suggest the company is already playing catch up to its rivals and internally it faces a confused strategy which has pushed the roll out multiple times already. AI Data Not Matching The Best Amazons struggle with its AI advancement has been largely pointed towards the lack of data and also the high-end computing system that are needed to run these large language models or LLMs. These two form the fulcrum of succeeding with AI models and Amazon doesnt have either of them, which explains why the conversational Alexa hasnt made the breakthrough. Divided Focus Amazon has a robust cloud business via AWS that competes with Microsoft Azure and other platforms. Amazon feels that having AI pushed through its enterprise network could give it a leg up over the competition. But even then it seems to have prioritised building AI tools into AWS and this seems to have sidelined the work on the Gen AI Alexa. The companys own AI impetus was instigated by OpenAI when ChatGPT was unveiled back in 2022. Almost two years since that day, Amazon is lagging behind with its ideas, planning and a strategy that is deserving of a company of this stature. A brave businessman from Kerala, M. Aslam Siddiq (28), and his three employees had a scary experience during a journey from Bengaluru to Ernakulam. Near Madukkarai, just outside Coimbatore, they were targeted by an armed gang during a highway robbery attempt. The gang, consisting of four people in three cars, suddenly overtook Siddiqs car on the Salem-Kochi national highway. They forced Siddiq to stop and started hitting the car with steel rods, trying to break the windshield. Thinking quickly, Siddiq tried to reverse the car to escape, but another vehicle blocked their way. However, he managed to find a gap between the two cars and sped off towards a nearby toll plaza, where there were CCTV cameras and lots of people, scaring off the attackers. Take a Look: The #Coimbatore District Police have arrested four persons hailing from #Palakkad, who waylaid the car of an Ernakulam native near Madukkarai on Salem Kochi highway in the early hours of June 14 and attempted to assault them with weapons. Two others at large. @THChennai pic.twitter.com/1ugxuWkxuG Wilson Thomas (@wilson__thomas) June 16, 2024 The internet praised Siddiqs smart move, with many saying it was a lesson in using a car for self-defense. Did you see what that driver did in the end? There is a big lesson in there. Car is a weapon. Very few people know how and when to use it in self-defence, one user noted. Another said, That was brilliant move by the person driving the car. Taking reverse and moving forward. A third added, This looks terrifying. Just imagine you are going with your family in your car and in the middle of nowhere, a bunch of goons stop your car and try to assault you with iron rods and knives. Have to appreciate the person who was driving the car. He handled the situation well. Also Read: Greater Noida Road Rage: 3 Arrested After Dashcam Video Showing Attack On Family Goes Viral For the details, Siddiq from Ernakulam runs an advertising firm in Kochi. He and his employeesCharles, Nithin, and Ajeeshhad travelled to Bengaluru two days earlier to purchase computers. Around 2:30 am, as they approached the L&T toll plaza on the Salem-Kochi national highway, the gang struck. The masked assailants surrounded the vehicle and began smashing the windshield. One of the passengers tried to drive towards Walayar, but the gang pursued them. Upon reaching the toll plaza, the gang withdrew due to the presence of surveillance and the public. Siddiq parked the car and filed a complaint with the Madukkarai Police in the morning. Its believed that the gang targeted Siddiq, suspecting he was carrying a large sum of cash. Authorities have since formed a team to investigate the incident. A couples desert hike near Joshua Tree National Park turned life-threatening as they ran out of water. The incident happened on June 9 at the Ladder Canyon Trail in Mecca, Southern California. The man urgently called for medical help and reported that his girlfriend was severely dehydrated and weak amid the boiling conditions. The temperatures went up to 103 degrees and the area is called one of the hottest in the US. Dramatic footage captured by the rescue mission, shows a helicopter hovering over the desert while the man was shielding his companion from the scorching sun and winds. At the end, both individuals escaped from the harsh desert, as they were airlifted to safety. Sharing the footage on Instagram, Riverside County Sheriffs Office Aviation Units Rescue 9 explained, The aircrew responded overhead and a Sheriffs EMT was hoisted down to the patient. The female patient and her boyfriend were hoisted out and due to her severe condition, an aeromedical helicopter was dispatched to Rescue 9s landing zone to fly the patient to the hospital. Please remember as the temps increase take more water than you think you will need, have a hiking plan, and tell two people where you are going. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike (@hooknhand) As per the Associated Press, the Sheriffs Department said, Please remember as the temps increase take more water than you think you will need, have a hiking plan, and tell two people where you are going. Deputy Manny Romero and his team received a distress call from the womans boyfriend. The crew lifted the boyfriend first, followed by his girlfriend, who was semi-conscious and was later taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment. We usually get calls there this time of year because of the excessive heat, probably a couple times a week at least. Generally for every hour that you hike you want to have about a liter of water, Romero told ABC7. While Chief Anthony Marrone added, Unfortunately, this vegetation will soon dry out and become fuel for wildland fires. On the day of the rescue, the area recorded temperatures ranging from 37.8 to 40.6 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service. You must have heard many incidents of people getting fed up with animals and killing them. But this incident is a little more unique where people in Australia got fed up with a reptile and they not only decided to kill it, but they went a step ahead and cooked into a feast for residents. A 3.63-meter saltwater crocodile had entered the Baines River during the flood season and reached Bulla City in the northern region. The crocodile had been stalking and lunging out of the water at children and adults. Police said that this huge saltwater crocodile had also attacked several domestic dogs. Tired of these incidents, after talking to traditional landowners, elders and community members in the Aboriginal community of Bulla, police decided to kill it so that it would not remain a threat to the community. So, the Northern Territory shot and killed the problem crocodile. In consultation with traditional owners, elders, community members and parks and wildlife, the crocodile was shot to ensure that it did not continue to pose a significant risk to the community. An opportunistic crocodile safety session was conducted by Parks and Wildlife with the children, giving them an up-close look at the dangers within our waterways, the police said in a statement. After killing the crocodile, people cooked it and made it part of their feast, traditionally. The animal was cooked up into crocodile tail soup, he was on the barbecue, a few of the pieces were wrapped up in banana leaves and cooked underground, local sergeant Andrew McBride told the public broadcaster ABC. The number of crocodiles has increased rapidly in the western parts of the region. They are appearing in unusual locations, following the recent flooding. Just the immense amount of water that came into the area, crocodiles are popping up in locations you wouldnt normally see them, Sergeant McBride said. Commander Kylie Anderson said, Crocodiles can pose a significant risk to community safety. Thanks to the seamless collaboration between Parks and Wildlife, our remote police staff and residents we were able to safely remove the large saltie and maintain the safety of the community. With Indian summers easily topping 40 degrees Celsius, the heat tolerance of Desis is naturally quite high. Whether its Delhis blazing heat or Mumbais muggy weather, these peak months are anything but pleasant. Meanwhile, the UK has issued a heatwave warning at a temperature that has left the internet in stitches. The reason? Its not really that highjust very, very normal by Indian standards! Indeed, news of several UK cities sounding the alarm at a mere 26 degrees Celsius has Indians rolling on the floor laughing. Their signature humor was on full display when the daily tabloid The Mirror posted about it on X. Desis couldnt resist spicing things up with their witty retorts. Also Read: Heatwave Or Supply Malfunction? The Truth Behind Delhis Boiling Water Tank Video That is just two degrees above than default Air Condition setting in India. A pleasant weather it seems, quipped one user. Another chimed in, Mumbaikars call it winter. A third added, Delhites surviving in its double in summer and 26 in winter, weak people. A fourth joined in, Rajasthanis will enjoy even more there. That is just two degrees above than default Air Condition setting in India. A pleasant weather it seems. https://t.co/WDOTINrRel Parveen Kaswan (@ParveenKaswan) June 16, 2024 Mumbaikars call it winter sai vengurlekar (@sai0811) June 15, 2024 However, some pointed out that Indias summer cant be compared to the UKs. Bro our homes are insulated in uk, and there are no ceiling fans or ac in the homes. I am telling you that if it goes beyond 25 degrees, its almost difficult to sleep at night, one user explained. Another added, 26 degrees in the UK feels more like 40-42 degrees. Its not comparable to Mumbais weather. Notably, there are several key differences between the summers of India and the UK. Indian summers often exceed 40C (104F), while UK summers rarely go above 30C (86F). Coastal areas in India experience high humidity, while the UKs humidity is generally lower. The Indian monsoon season brings heavy rains and high humidity, a phenomenon not seen in the UK. The duration and intensity of the Indian summer, from March to June, surpass the UKs shorter and milder summer from June to August. Indias geographical diversity leads to varied summer experiences, unlike the UKs more uniform climate. Also Read: Delhi Residents Rejoice With Memes as Rain Showers Bring Respite from Scorching Heat Lastly, India is well-adapted to extreme heat with suitable infrastructure and cultural practices, whereas the UK often struggles during heatwaves due to less adaptation. These differences underscore why the summer climates of India and the UK are not directly comparable, each presenting unique challenges and experiences. Swiggy has emerged as the leading food delivery app in India within a decade since its launch. The company, headquartered in Bengaluru, is active in more than 500 cities across the country. Recently, Swiggys former chief technology officer (CTO) Dale Vaz revealed the plain and simple secret behind scaling the food delivery app and this could help the startups to expand their business. In a post on microblogging platform X, Dale Vaz asked entrepreneurs to fall in love with the grind if they want to see their business grow. People often ask me what it took to scale @Swiggy. And they seem disappointed when I dont give them a single silver bullet. The truth is that scaling a business, an organisation, or tech platform is largely plain and simple execution, done every day, year after year, wrote Vaz highlighting the importance of consistent execution. He emphasised the importance of continuously taking baby steps towards growth and wrote, Showing up and getting the job done, every single day. And then one day, we turn back and are amazed at how far we have come. People often ask me what it took to scale @Swiggy. And they seem disappointed when I don't give them a single silver bullet.The truth is that scaling a business, an organization, or tech platform is largely plain and simple execution, done every day, year after year. The Dale Vaz (@dale_vaz) June 14, 2024 Commenting on this post, an X user wrote, Its 1000+ lead bullets and never a few silver bullets. Scaling is a habit, a way of building, and a mindset that gets ingrained. Its not something you just stop and do one quarter and go back to doing other stuff. Its 1000+ lead bullets and never a few silver bullets. Scaling is a habit, a way of building, and a mindset that gets ingrained. Its not something you just stop and do one quarter and go back to doing other stuff. Bhavesh Raheja (@bhaveshraheja) June 14, 2024 Another person wrote, Couldnt agree more. Also, we dont look back often enough. I would highly encourage that you do look back ever so often to understand what you have achieved how the small incremental steps what Dale Vaz calls daily grind has led to in aggregate. Couldn't agree more. Also, we don't look back often enough. I would highly encourage that you do look back ever so often to understand what you have achieved how the small incremental steps what @dale_vaz calls daily grind has led to in aggregate. https://t.co/6HdIJgB3in Srikant (@srikantns) June 14, 2024 Someone else wrote, So true. Showing up everyday with 100% dedication is what it takes. Rome wasnt built in a day :) So true. Showing up everyday with 100% dedication is what it takes. Rome wasnt built in a day https://t.co/DJnoxnnm48 Sanjay Sunku (@sunku) June 14, 2024 Swiggy was launched in August 2014. Experts credit Swiggys success to its strong delivery network equipped with a wide fleet of delivery personnel. The platform also secured a large customer base due to its easy to use app. Dale Vaz served as the chief technology officer at Swiggy for five years. He left the company on May 31, 2023, and took to X to reflect on his journey. And so it ends. Five years of a magical run at @Swiggy came to an end today, as I logged out of my system for the last time. In just 5 years, the team at Swiggy has: 1. Achieved EBITDA profitability on Food. 2. Built a Billion $ Instamart business, from scratch 3. Built Dale Vaz (@dale_vaz) May 31, 2023 The former CTO of the food delivery platform, listed a number of achievements at Swiggy during his tenure such as building a billion $ Instamart business from scratch, scaled 10X on order volume with low latency and high availability, deployed 140+ AI models to transform Swiggy into an AI first company, and more. He expressed gratitude towards his former colleagues and concluded, Ill be cheering on from the sidelines and cant wait to see whats next for Swiggy and its customers! If you enjoy drinking alcohol, snacks are crucial, especially in a desi culture where chakna is considered essential for a complete drinking experience. While some people can enjoy alcohol on its own, others prefer to have munchies alongside their drinks. Enthu Cutlet Mag recently challenged Masterchef Australia judge Andy Allen by introducing him to a variety of Indian chakna, ranging from spicy Chilli Cheese Bhujia to Masala Peanuts and Cheeselings. Allens reaction was mixed. Although he appreciated some dishes, his responses also sparked debate among a few social media users. Some argued that dishes like Schezwan Ketchup and Chakli were missing from the lineup. Starting with Chilli Cheese Bhujia, Andy said, Massively into that. Very good, five from five. Would smash out with beer any day. Masala peanuts also impressed him, as he enthusiastically stated, Yes please, this is like taking it to the next level. Im into that. Five from five. However, his reaction to Cheeselings was less favourable, No, no, no. Two out of five. When it came to Cherry cheese pineapple, Allen added, These are on my kill list. I dont even know if I want to drink beer with that and thats saying something because I drink beer with everything. Like, do I even have to give it a one? is zero part of the score? Later, when Andy Allen tasted Murukku, he said, It looks like a sea urchin. Thats okay, like Id had it with some salt. Three and a half out of five. I think the winner would be the first one or the peanuts. its probably dead heat between these two. View this post on Instagram A post shared by enthucutlet (@enthucutletmag) Reacting to the post, a user wrote, That murukku deserves some schezwan chutney. Another shared, Chakli. Chutney. Schezwan. No masala papad? No chicken 65? a person wondered. Another wrote, Andy is a man of class. Bhujia and Masala Peanuts are the only true chakna. An individual suggested, Have OG bikaneri bhujiya or alu bhujiya. Chakli with chutney. Chana chor! Sukha bhel. Wheres all the good stuff? Since the video surfaced online, it has garnered over 1 lakh views. King Charles III celebrated his official birthday with a Trooping the Colour ceremony on Saturday, June 15. For those who dont know, Trooping the Colour is the official birthday of the British sovereign and it is marked on the second Saturday in June, regardless of the Sovereigns actual date of birth. From Princess of Wales Kate making her first public appearance since cancer diagnosis to Prince Louis fun antics, it was a memorable affair. Well, there is something more waiting for your attention. The grand event saw a dreamy proposal that took place at Buckingham Palace. The now-viral video shows a Royal Guard proposing to his partner. The Royal Guards, who are tasked with protecting the official royal residences in the UK, are known for their strict demeanour. This is perhaps why seeing a Royal Guard being expressive while on duty appears special. An X user commented on it, Timing says a lot about a person! What great timing. Wish them well! Timing says a lot about a person! What great timing. Wish them well! Mandy (@HouslerMandy) June 15, 2024 Another person wrote, Wonderful! Thanks for posting. Congratulations to the couple! Super cool:) Wonderful! Thanks for posting. Congratulations to the couple!Super cool:) Karen (@sanangelotx12) June 15, 2024 Some people also wondered how a Royal Guard was allowed to propose on an important occasion like the Trooping the Colour ceremony. An X user hinted that the military guard would possibly be fired for this gesture and wrote, Sacked in the morning youre getting sacked in the morning. sacked in the morning you're getting sacked in the morning Cubist Dylan (@PrintSpud) June 15, 2024 Another viral video from this years Trooping the Colour ceremony showed Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and his wife Kate, dancing to the music of the military band. This clip got over 60 lakh views on X. Prince Louis is joined by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and their mother, Kate, on the balcony. While it appears that Princess Charlotte scolded him for his casual attitude, Kate is seen amused by his act. An Air India passenger recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the airline after experiencing a horrific journey in a business class seat from New Delhi to Newark, New Jersey, United States. Calling it no less than a nightmare, Vineeth K, a self-identified small-time investor, alleged that his flight (AI 105) was delayed by 25 minutes and featured worn-off and unclean seats. After flying with Emirates for a few years, I recently moved to Air India as they offer direct flights to NY, Chicago & London, which are my frequent travel destinations. Yesterdays flight was no less than a nightmare, began Mr. Vineeth in a post. Despite paying Rs. 5 lakh for a round-trip, he described the food as bad, the seats as worn out, the covers as dirty, and the TVs as non-functional. Also Read: Broken Seats: Air India Passenger Who Paid Rs 4.5 Lakh For Delhi-Toronto Flight Slams Airline After settling for 30 mins post take off, I wanted to get to sleep (3.30 AM) and realised that my seat doesnt go to a FLAT BED, reason its not working. He then requested the crew, and after a few minutes, he was moved to another seat. He continued, Woke up after a few hours, the food was served and it was uncooked (never faced this in AI), the fruits were stale (everyone onboard returned back). TV/Screen never worked. Not that I would have watched, just tried and it showed Not Found error. After all this, final nail in the coffin is THEY BROKE MY LUGGAGE. The OP noted that he could have flown with Etihad Airlines for a much cheaper price but chose Air India for its direct flight service. BAD FOOD, WORN OUT, DIRTY SEAT COVERS, NON WORKING TV for Rs.500000 (round trip), Damaged my luggage, he said, alongside a few pictures of the aircrafts seat and the food served on the flight. HORROR STORY with #AirIndia business class flight from New Delhi Newark (AI 105)After flying with Emirates for a few years, I recently moved to Air India as they offer direct flights to NY, Chicago & London which are my frequent travel destinations Yesterdays flight pic.twitter.com/STf2xrPich Vineeth K (@DealsDhamaka) June 15, 2024 Mr. Vineeth also shared a screenshot of a now-deleted response from Air India. Dear Sir, were sorry for the discomfort and we never want our passengers to face such inconvenience. Please DM us your booking details, seat number and DBR/ filer reference number. Well promptly look into it, it read. In the same X thread, the airline added, Dear Sir, we understand your disappointment and regret the hassle you faced. Believe us, we never want our passengers to have this kind of experience. We are highlighting this internally for further review. Also Read: Disaster: Passenger Complains About Bad Food And Service On Air India Flight From New York Since being shared, his post has garnered many reactions on social media, with numerous users sharing similar issues they faced with the airline. A US student from the University of Illinois in Chicago is facing online backlash for a hateful rant in which he denounced America, the American government, and democracy as cancers of the world. Mohammad Nusairat, a Bachelor of Science student at the University, in his anti-America tirade, said, Muslims are tired of this cancer and theyre tired of the American government. Though he made these remarks in May, the video of his sermon is now going viral. Several social media users on X slammed the student over the hateful speech. America is the cancer. America, the American government, secularism, democracy, capitalism, these are cancers that have spread their illness all over the world in America and in the Middle East. In America, over here, people have the freedom to again, as Ive said before commit zina but when you speak up, its a problem, said Nusairat in a month-old speech. He was identified as a student of Muslim heritage by the Washington-based outlet MEMRI. Muslim student calls America a cancer during a speech at UIC Chicago.America is the cancerMuslims are tired of this cancer. They are tired of the American government. They are tired of democracy. They want to see a new way of life. pic.twitter.com/Xo4PdTJBan Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 15, 2024 During his speech, Nusairat also said, Now Muslims are tired of this cancer. Theyre tired of the American government. Theyre tired of democracy. They want to see a new way of life. And as Muslims, we have to understand, that we have that new way of life. [The Messenger] was sent as a mercy for all of mankind. He was sent as a mercy. Why? Because the way of life he brought, will bring that mercy. The way of life he brought, will bring that tranquility, to Muslims and non-Muslims. Non-Muslims wont have to worry about the issues they worry about now. You wont have to. Because Islam is a just religion that has come to be implemented upon society, he added. The anti-American sentiment has spiked in the United States amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Muslim leaders have raised their voices against the Biden administrations pro-Israel stance since the start of the conflict, triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack. In the last few months, protest camps have sprung up on university campuses across the U.S. and in Europe as students demand their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its war efforts. Organizers have sought to amplify calls to end Israels war against Hamas in Gaza, which they describe as a genocide against the Palestinians. Social Media Reaction After the video of Nusairats speech went viral, he received widespread criticism on the internet. One of the users on X said, His scholarship and student visa (if he has one) needs to be revoked immediately. Another wrote, Leave then. We dont want anybody in the U.S. that hates our country. Leave and never come back. Why will someone tired of America be living in America? does anyone know why? yet another asked. One of the users remarked, The bigger problem folks is while he can hate Israel, he is not a threat to them. He is in America, he is a threat to Americans. Israel takes care of their threats. America should take notes. Go to Gaza or Iran and start your new way of life. But you want to stay here in America, spit on our Constitution, and have America keep you up in the style to which youve become accustomed. When does free speech become sedition? Jin Bian, a Chinese techie, living in the US for 12 years under a H-1B visa, was told that he could land in prison when he made plans to purchase a house closer to his office in the city of Tampa, in the US state of Florida. That was really shocking to me. Its just purchasing property. Once I learned that, I didnt even bother to look anymore, Jin Bian, who is originally from Nanjing, China, said, while speaking to US broadcaster CNN. The 31-year-old software engineer wanted to cut down his one-hour commute time by purchasing a house but for almost a year it has been a crime for Chinese citizens of H-1B visas like him. The states governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a law restricting Chinese nationals without US green cards from purchasing property in the state last year. The H1-B visa holder told the broadcaster that he has begun reconsidering his life in Florida. The broadcaster also reported that ever since Florida Senate Bill 264 went into effect on July 1, 2023, Chinese citizens in Florida without green cards could potentially face criminal charges and imprisonment if they purchase property in the state. Under SB 264, citizens from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria are restricted from buying property within 10 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure facilities in Florida. Now, Chinese citizens without permanent residency in the US also come into its ambit and are prohibited from purchasing any property in the state under this law. Florida is taking action to stand against the United States greatest geopolitical threat the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), DeSantis said in a statement last year. Bian expressed optimism that the law might be reversed. However, if there are no changes within a year or two, he intends to relocate back to California. Were ordinary people. We dont talk about these political things. I think 99.99% of people here just want to have a good life I dont think California will ever have this kind of law, he was quoted as saying by CNN. The law is currently facing legal challenges in court, but several other states are also contemplating similar legislation. The Indian Air Forces Rafale fighter jets carried out complex missions along with F-16 and F-15 combat aircraft at a multi-nation mega military exercise in Alaska in the US. The key takeaways from participating in the Red Flag exercise for the IAF included insight on interoperability with international partners and a collaborative understanding of missions in a multinational environment, the defence ministry said on Sunday. Indian Air Force has successfully completed its participation in Exercise Red Flag 2024 conducted by @usairforce at Eielson Air Force Base, #Alaska. IAFs #Rafale aircraft took part in this multi-nation advanced aerial combat exercise for the first time.@IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/RN3ejJG3jv A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) June 16, 2024 The IAF contingent participated in the exercise from June 4 to 14. Besides the Indian Air Force (IAF), the exercise witnessed the participation of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the UKs Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), the German Luftwaffe, and the US Air Force (USAF). The transatlantic ferry of Rafale fighter aircraft was enabled by the IL-78 air-to-air refuellers while the transportation of personnel and equipment was undertaken by C-17 Globemaster aircraft, the ministry said. Onwards and Upwards.An #IAF contingent arrived today at the Eielson AF Base of @usairforce, at Alaska, USA, to participate in the upcoming edition of the multi-national exercise Red Flag 24.Ably supported by its IL-78 air to air refuellers and the C-17 transport ac, the IAF pic.twitter.com/8mi2VlNbVT Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 30, 2024 Red Flag is an air exercise conducted with multiple scenarios designed to provide realistic combat settings. This was the first time the IAF Rafale aircraft participated in this exercise. The Rafale jets operated alongside F-16 and F-15 aircraft of the RSAF and the USAF respectively. The missions included Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat exercises as a part of large force engagements (LFE) in offensive counter air-and-air defence roles, the defence ministry said in a statement. It said the IAF crew members were actively involved in mission planning and also assumed the role of mission leaders for designated missions during the exercise. In spite of the challenging weather and almost sub-zero temperatures, the IAF maintenance crew worked diligently to ensure serviceability of all the aircraft throughout the duration of the exercise and all assigned missions could be undertaken with more than 100 sorties being flown during the exercise, the ministry said. Key takeaways from the exercise included insight on interoperability with international partners and a collaborative understanding of employment philosophy in a multinational environment, it said. Experience of ferrying long distances, while undertaking air-to-air refuelling enroute, was both an enriching and thrilling takeaway, especially for the younger crew, it said. The ministry said undertaking its return journey, the contingent split enroute along with their mutual support elements to participate in exercises with air force elements of Greece and Egypt, before landing back in India on June 24. Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Ex-Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year, it said. Indian national Nikhil Gupta, implicated in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year in June at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. An inmate search by name on the Bureau of Prisons website showed on Sunday that Gupta, 52, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. The Washington Post, which broke the news of Guptas extradition, reported that he arrived in New York over the weekend after being detained in the Czech Republic. The report said that extradited defendants usually have to appear in court within one day of their arrival in the country. Gupta reportedly traveled to Prague from India last June and was arrested by Czech authorities. Last month, a Czech court rejected his petition to avoid being sent to the US, clearing the way for the Czech justice minister to extradite him. US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance. They allege that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in it. India has denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted an investigation into the allegations. Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges and has said that he has been unfairly charged. Guptas attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim, The Washington Post said. Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney under the undue influence of U.S. Agencies during the initial phase of his detention, the newspaper reported. Last September, Canada said its intelligence agencies were pursuing allegations linking Indias government to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 in Canada. A month later, in November, US authorities said an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Pannun. In the wake of these allegations, India set up a high-level inquiry committee in New Delhi to investigate inputs provided by the US. (With agency inputs) A gym in South Koreas Incheon has sparked a debate on social media after it banned aunties on its premises. It posted a notice on its entrance earlier this month, which says: Only well-mannered and elegant ladies are allowed to enter. According to the South China Morning Post, which first reported the development, auntie is a tag which refers to middle-aged women in Korea and other countries in the Asian continent and are often associated with certain negative stereotypes. Their report said the term invokes notions of women who are freeloading, noisy and unfashionable. However, the owner of the gym while speaking to a South Korean TV channel said the notice is a reminder for rogue customers to restrain themselves. He said that these aunties verbally harassed many young female customers. You should be good at having children, these aunties were heard saying to young women, taunting them, the gym owners complained. He complained that these so-called aunties would use washing machines in the locker room to do their laundry for one or two hours which led the gyms water bills to double. He added that these women also stole supplies such as towels and soap. These aunties come in and turn the gym into their own world, causing young people in their 20s and 30s to leave, the owner said. He said he is turning his gym into a no aunties zone to prevent the loss of customers and rising costs. He also drew up a list of eight criteria to differentiate between aunties and ladies. These criteria include individuals who exploit others, taking seats reserved for pregnant women on public transport, regardless of their age. The criteria also encompass people who are unwilling to spend their own money, disregard the money of others, have poor memory and judgement, and tend to constantly repeat themselves. Opinions on the gym owners move divided social media. A supporter on YouTube remarked that dealing with rude aunties is very tiring. Another individual disagreed, stating that the term aunties is inappropriate because such behaviour can be found in any age group or gender. This is crazy! Isnt the gym owners mother an aunty too? Just close down the gym, said a third commenter. Another person proposed implementing a membership system to set higher entry standards for the gym. President Joe Biden momentarily froze on stage during a high-profile fundraising event in Los Angeles, attended by the likes of Barack Obama, who assisted his former Vice President in leaving the stage. The incident occurred following a 45-minute interview with popular late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, where Biden and former President Obama were in attendance for a star-studded campaign event. In an event attended by top Hollywood stars, Biden appeared visibly fixated on the audience as the interview concluded, prompting Obama to intervene and lead him away. BREAKING: Biden Freezes, Obama Steps In at LA FundraiserPresident Joe Biden froze on stage during a high-profile fundraiser in Los Angeles. Former President Barack Obama had to lead him offstage, raising concerns about Bidens health. Social media reactions were pic.twitter.com/JYiPVjpyDT Shred News (@Shreddick0) June 17, 2024 This incident adds to a series of public moments where Biden has appeared disoriented or unsure of his surroundings, including an incident at the G7 summit in Italy where he wandered off during a parachute exhibition, necessitating intervention from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Read More: Had No Idea Where He Was: Trump Jabs Biden Over G7 Appearance Amid Mental Fitness Debate | Watch Amid criticisms surrounding the incident, the White House dismissed concerns, stating that Bidens brief pause to acknowledge applause was being misconstrued. However, the incident adds to existing challenges for the Biden administration, as recent polls indicate vulnerabilities in key states such as Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, with Trump polling competitively even in Bidens home state of Pennsylvania. Despite the momentary lapse, the fundraiser proved highly successful for Bidens campaign, reportedly raising over $30 million. The events success comes at a crucial time as Biden seeks to counter the fundraising momentum of the presumptive Republican nominee, who recently raised substantial sums during a Florida fundraiser and following legal developments. The fundraiser underlined efforts by the Biden camp to energise support amid growing political pressures. Biden, along with Obama and US First Lady Jill Biden, used the platform to address a range of issues including the January 6 Capitol riot and Supreme Court appointments, aiming to rally support ahead of Presidential elections. A weekend shooting at a park in the US state of Texas left two people dead and 14 wounded, including two children, authorities said. The victims were shot shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday during a Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, about 30 kilometers north of Austin. An altercation began between two groups during a concert at the event and someone started shooting, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said during a news conference at the scene. Round Rock Police have confirmed that 14 victims were transported to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, and two were declared deceased at the scene following a shooting at Old Settlers Park during Round Rocks annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 15th, the police said in a statement. Round Rock Police have confirmed that 14 victims were transported to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, and two were declared deceased at the scene following a shooting at Old Settlers Park during Round Rocks annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 15th.The Round pic.twitter.com/GG61thdsZQ Round Rock Police (@roundrockpolice) June 16, 2024 The two victims who were pronounced dead at the scene were not involved in the argument, Allen said. The shooting occurred near a vendor area away from the stage set up for the concert, Allen said. Police officers and fire department personnel present at the event immediately began providing emergency medical care to the wounded, who were then taken to hospitals, Allen said. Six people, four adults and two children, were taken to local trauma facilities, all with potentially serious injuries, according to a post on X by Austin-Travis County EMS. Police said Sunday they did not have a suspect in custody and investigators did not know how many shooters were involved. It breaks your heart for a family that was coming out to enjoy their evening and now their life is forever changed as a result of somebody who could care less about somebody elses life, Allen said. The Round Rock Police Department is actively searching for a suspect in connection with the shooting. The suspect is described as a black male with a thin build, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, short dreadlocks, and wearing a white hoodie at the time of the incident, the police added. (With agency inputs) US national security adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan arrived in New Delhi for official discussions at the invitation of Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. He will be visiting the capital from June 17-18, 2024 and will be holding wide-ranging talks with the Indian NSA on cooperation under the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). It is the first trip to India by a senior American official after the Modi government came to power for the third term. The prospect of the two NSAs meeting were discussed during a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. Biden called up Modi to congratulate him on his re-election for a third term. People familiar with the developments said he also met external affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar earlier today. One of the key objectives of this visit is to review the progress of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), the aforementioned people said. Doval and Sullivan will assess the advancements made so far and set new priorities and deliverables for the initiative. The people mentioned above further added that the NSAs will discuss bilateral issues and review the India-US partnership on regional and global matters of mutual interest. Doval and Sullivan the first annual review of iCET with an inter-departmental delegation from both countries. Both will also address the India-US iCET Roundtable with industry CEOs, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, on June 18. The two sides are likely to review ongoing defence cooperation including an ambitious plan between US defence giant GE Aerospace and Indias Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to produce the advanced F414 jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). In August last year, the US Congress approved the agreement between GE Aerospace and HAL to produce the jet engines. The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). There has been a delay in implementation of the mega project in view of the current situation in West Asia. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after meeting with counterpart Ajit Doval. Met US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good. pic.twitter.com/A3nJHzPjKe Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 17, 2024 The US NSA had also met external affairs minister S Jaishankar earlier. Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term. pic.twitter.com/daqbE466bF Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 17, 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Sullivan that India remains committed to strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good, PM Modi said, sharing photos of his meeting with Jake Sullivan. Earlier in the day Doval and Sullivan held extensive talks focussed on the implementation of the ambitious India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). They also discussed the state of bilateral defence ties and regional security situation. Sullivan is visiting Delhi from June 17 to 18, in the first trip to India by a senior Biden administration official after the Modi government came to power for the third term. The US National Security Adviser (NSA) is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior US government officials and industry leaders. Sullivans visit to India came three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden had a brief conversation on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italys Apulia region. NSAs Doval and Sullivan also discussed the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and also the delay in its rollout due to the security situation in West Asia. Doval and Sullivan have been working to put the iCET framework into action, focusing on increasing India-US cooperation in new and emerging technologies. These technologies include semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, defence innovation, space exploration and advanced telecommunications. The iCET was launched by PM Modi and President Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. India and the US have expanded the iCET framework to cover new areas such as biotechnology, critical minerals and rare earths processing technologies, digital connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and advanced materials. Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of plotting to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States. He is expected to be produced in court on Monday. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun. The Washington Post, which broke the news of Guptas extradition, reported that he arrived in New York over the weekend after being detained in the Czech Republic. Who is Nikhil Gupta? What is The Case Against Him? Nikhil Gupta, 52, also known as Nick, was arrested in Prague by the the Czech authorities in June. Gupta has been charged by the US prosecution with attempting to hire a hitman to assassinate Khalistani separatist Pannun, a US citizen designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in India. The US has alleged that an Indian government employee is the mastermind behind Pannuns killing and that the employee, whose identity is unknown and has been named CC-1 in the case, gave directions to Gupta to plot the assassination of Pannun. The US said that CC-1 recruited Gupta in May to orchestrate the assassination of the Pannun, a vocal critic of the Indian government and leader of a US-based organisation advocating for the secession of Punjab. Gupta, under CC-1s direction, contacted a confidential source working with the DEA to contract a hitman for the murder. The hitman, an undercover DEA officer, was later agreed to be paid USD 100,000 by CC-1 in a deal brokered by Gupta. In June, CC-1 provided Gupta with Pannuns personal information, including his New York City address, phone numbers, and details about his daily life. Gupta, in turn, passed this information to the undercover officer. CC-1 instructed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot. In light of Hardeep Singh Nijjars June killing, Gupta informed the undercover officer that there was now no need to wait to kill Pannun. The Czech authorities arrested Gupta on June 30, based on the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. Gupta faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. What Gupta Has Said A petition was filed by Guptas family in December 2023 seeking Indian governments intervention in extradition proceedings initiated by the US. The petition claimed Gupta was being illegally detained in Prague, and that, as a law-abiding citizen, feared his life is in danger. It also claimed grave violations of fundamental rights, including forced consumption of beef and pork that he found offensive as he is a devout Hindu and vegetarian. Gupta through his attorney had also denied the charges against him and has said that he has been unfairly charged. Guptas attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim, The Washington Post said. Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney under the undue influence of U.S. Agencies during the initial phase of his detention, the newspaper reported. Last month, a Czech court rejected Guptas petition to avoid being sent to the US, clearing the way for the Czech justice minister to extradite him. What India Said India has denied involvement in the assassination of Pannun. India said that the US allegation was a matter of concern and announced that a high-level probe committee would thoroughly investigate the matter. During the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said last year about discussions between India and US on security matters. He had said the inputs were a cause of concern for both countries and they decided to take necessary follow-up action. An American tourist was found dead Sunday afternoon on a beach on Mathraki, a small Greek island west of Corfu. The man had been reported missing after having last been seen on Tuesday at a tavern on the island, ABC News reports. On Thursday, the Greek-American friend with whom the man had been staying returned home to find the door open and the lights and air conditioning onbut no sign of the man or his travel documents. No preliminary information about a possible cause of death was disclosed, but an autopsy will be carried out. The news comes amid a wave of tourists going missing in the Greek isles as temperatures soar, NBC News reports: Good news for many who've been busted with pot in the state of Maryland: Gov. Wes Moore is set to put out a mass pardon on Monday for more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, forgiving low-level possession charges for about 100,000 people. The Washington Post notes the move is "one of the nation's most sweeping acts of clemency" involving the drug that's now legal in about two dozen states for recreational use. Moore is expected to sign an executive order pardoning the misdemeanors for drug or paraphernalia possession on Monday morning in Annapolis, alongside his state's attorney general, Anthony Brown, per the AP . "I'm ecstatic that we have a real opportunity ... to right a lot of historical wrongs," Moore said, calling his initiative the "most far-reaching and aggressive" in the nation on this matter. "If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color." He added that people's criminal records can stymie their efforts to attain housing, jobs, and educational opportunities. Maryland legalized recreational marijuana in 2023 after a voter-approved amendment was passed the previous year. CNN also notes that cannabis has gone through a "sea change" in terms of how Americans view it, with 70% noting in a Gallup poll from late last year that they approve of legalizing it; a decade earlier, that percentage was just 51%. According to the ACLU, however, Black individuals are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white ones. story continues below In Maryland specifically, a recent state report found that Black residents were more than twice as likely to get hit with a possession charge as white residents, even though white residents use marijuana at higher rates than Black residents. Maryland officials note that none of those pardonedwhich will include the deceasedwill be set free from prison, as none are currently in prison. Their records will be changed in state court records over the next couple of weeks, and they'll be scrubbed from criminal background check databases over the next 10 months. The mass pardon "unequivocally, without any doubt or reservation, disproportionately impactsin a good wayBlack and Brown Marylanders," Brown said. (More marijuana stories.) It's probably not a good sign when a newspaper publisher declines to comment in an investigative story on the front page of his own publication. Such is the state of affairs at the Washington Post, where publisher Will Lewisalong with incoming editor and fellow Brit Robert Winnettis embroiled in a deepening scandal about shady journalism practices in the UK. Coverage: In the Post: Its investigation raises ethical questions about Winnett, a Lewis protege who's supposed to become the newspaper's top editor later this year. The lengthy story links Lewis to a man who has acknowledged using dishonest means to obtain info used by Winnett in stories. Its investigation raises ethical questions about Winnett, a Lewis protege who's supposed to become the newspaper's top editor later this year. The lengthy story links Lewis to a man who has acknowledged using dishonest means to obtain info used by Winnett in stories. No comment: Winnett, currently a deputy editor for the UK Telegraph, declined to comment to the reporters he's expected soon to be leading. Lewis, the current publisher, also demurred, resulting in what Axios describes as this "surprising sentence" in the piece: "Lewis declined to comment through a Post spokesperson in response to a list of detailed questions, including about the origins of the information for the 2004 stories." Officers shot and killed a woman who was holding a large, hunting-style knife at an intersection in downtown Denver on Sunday, police said. Officers used a Taser on the woman twice but she began advancing toward them as they tried to back up from her, Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said a press conference near the scene. Three officers fired at her, he said. The shooting will be investigated and the results will be sent to prosecutors to decide if the shooting was lawful, the AP reports. "My belief is that the officers perceived a significant threat and responded to that threat," Thomas said. The woman was apparently able to speed up despite the two shots from the stun gun, and allegedly got within a couple feet of the officers before she was shot, KDVR reports. Witnesses had called police to report the woman after seeing her with the knife, but did not report feeling threatened by her, the news station says. Authorities say officers ordered her to drop the knife multiple times and she did not comply, ABC 7 Denver reports. The woman's age and name were not immediately known. The shooting happened in an area near Coors Field around noon. (More Denver stories.) The Outsiders, a gritty adaptation of the classic young adult novel, became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday, winning the Tony Award for best new musical on a night when women made strides, the AP reports. The musical based on the beloved SE Hinton book is about rival gangs of haves and have-nots in 1960s Oklahoma. The win meant Angelina Jolie, a producer, landed her first Tony, too. Producer Matthew Rego, in his acceptance speech, thanked Hinton, in the audience at Manhattan's Lincoln Center: "Susie, I'm here to tell you that your story and its eternal message of love and family and staying gold has forever changed all of our lives." More highlights from the awards ceremony: Tourism is responsible for about 25% of Greece's economic output, and since the pandemic has eased, people have been flocking to the Mediterranean nation in droves. It may be too much of a good thing, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who tells Bloomberg he now wants to place restrictions on cruise ships sailing into the region, especially to tourist hot spots like Santorini and Mykonos. Mitsotakis said those restrictions could entail everything from cutting down on the number of ship berths available, or even implementing a bidding process for those berths. "I think we'll do it next year," Mitsotakis says of a timeline for his plan. The numbers lend insight into why the prime minister might be concerned: Just last week, the European Travel Information and Authorization System reported that there were 120% more tourists visiting Greece in Q1 of this year than in 2019, before the pandemic hit, per Quartz. On the surface, that might seem to be a boon to Greece's bottom line. However, the sheer number of visitors who enter Greece on cruise shipswhich brought the country $910 million in revenue last year, per Bloombergcould prove to be a turnoff for other tourists, especially on the island of Santorini. About 800 vessels, carrying 1.3 million tourists, visited the vacation destination last year, according to the Hellenic Ports Association. "There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don't want the island to be swamped," Mitsotakis tells Bloomberg. "Plus the island can't afford it, even in terms of security." The Maritime Executive notes that Greece isn't the first to struggle with cruise ships amid overtourism. Venice has tried to keep cruise ships out of its lagoon, while other major cities, including Amsterdam and Spain's Barcelona, have tried to keep ships out of their city centers. US cities from Juneau, Alaska, to Key West, Florida, have also recently imposed restrictions on cruises. (More Greece stories.) After Hunter Biden was convicted, some pundits wondered whether it would make President Biden less likely to go after Donald Trump on that front. A $50 million ad campaign rolling out Monday suggests the answer is no. Brutal ad: The Biden campaign released a "Character Matters" ad that gets right to it, reports USA Today: "In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is: He's been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud," says the narrator. "Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working." And its takeaway point: "This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family." Both current FBI chief Christopher Wray and Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, who heads up US Central Command, have issued recent warnings on the threat of terror attacks inside the United States and against American interests abroad, and other officials have concurred. The threat level from groups such as al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS-K "has gone up enormously," Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Capitol Hill earlier this month. "Their words should be taken seriously," Michael Morrell and Graham Allison write for Foreign Affairs , making the case that "the terrorism warning lights are blinking red again," nearly a quarter century after the Sept. 11 attacks on American soil. "Given the stakes, complacency is a greater risk than alarmism," they write. Wray calls out Iran as one country in particular to keep an eye on. He also points to the United States' southern border as part of a "specific security vulnerability," with "a particular network" with "ISIS ties that we are very concerned about." Morrell and Allison lay out a series of steps they think the Biden administration needs to put into action, including keeping policymakers and the public in the loop, as well as having US intelligence agencies reexamine previous reporting on terrorism, all to prevent a "preventable catastrophe." "Combined, the stated intentions of terrorist groups, the growing capabilities they have demonstrated in recent successful and failed attacks around the world, and the fact that several serious plots in the United States have been foiled point to an uncomfortable but unavoidable conclusion," Morrell and Allison note. "Put simply, the United States faces a serious threat of a terrorist attack in the months ahead." Read in full here. (More terrorism stories.) Vladimir Putin is going to North Korea this week for the first time in 24 years, reports the BBC. The Russian leader traveled there early in his presidency, and he welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a visit last year. This reciprocal two-day trip by Putin, which begins on Tuesday, signals the two nations' strengthening relationship. What Russia wants: Putin needs conventional weapons for his war against Ukraine, and North Korea has a good supply, reports the New York Times. Last week, the South China Morning Post reported that North Korea already is believed to have shipped millions of artillery shells to Russia. Russia also needs artillery rockets, short-range missiles, and spare parts for its Soviet-era weapons systems. Putin also may request construction workers and perhaps even frontline fighters. A crowd-control gate was installed halfway up Japan's Mount Fuji on Monday ahead of the July 1 start of this year's climbing season, but the governor of Yamanashi, one of the two prefectures that are home to the mountain, said additional measures are needed to control overcrowding on its lower slopes. The gate was completed as part of a new set of rules that Yamanashi is introducing this year to address growing safety, environmental, and overcrowding problems on the mountain, reports the AP . The newly installed gate will be closed between 4pm and 3am local time to lock out those who haven't booked an overnight stay at a hut along the Yoshida Trail, which is used by most climbers, mainly to stop "bullet climbing," or rushing to the summit without adequate rest, considered a major safety risk. A maximum of 4,000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail per day. "The restrictions that will take effect this year are measures to address the problems that are putting climbers' lives at risk," Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki said, adding that the number of climbers on the trail this year is expected to surpass last year's 137,236. But the tons of trash left behind have become a major concern, among others. "Overcrowding near the summit could lead to a major disaster, like people falling in a domino effect," he said. Under the new system, climbers must make reservations and choose between a day hike or an overnight stay at one of several huts along the trail. There's a mandatory hiking fee of about $12.70 and an optional donation of about $6.35 for conservation. story continues below Nagasaki said he's confident that the new measures will ease overcrowding on the upper reaches of Mount Fuji, but that problems remain lower down. Shizuoka prefecture, which also contains part of the mountain, currently imposes no mandatory hiking restrictions. On June 10, it began an online registration system in which climbers fill in their hiking plans and are encouraged not to climb after 4pm. Recently, the town of Fujikawaguchiko erected a large black screen to block the view of Mount Fuji after tourists began crowding the area to take photos of the mountain appearing to sit on the roof of a convenience store. It didn't work so well. (More Mount Fuji stories.) The Greek coast guard caused the deaths of dozens of migrants by turning them back in leaky boats or even throwing them into the sea, according to a BBC investigation. The BBC says it looked at 15 incidents from 2020 to 2023 that resulted in 43 deaths and spoke to a handful of survivors. One Somalian man said three people in his group died after they reached the island of Chios and the military handed them over to the coast guard. "They threw me zip-tied in the middle of the sea. They wanted me to die," he said. The man said he managed to float on his back until he was rescued by the Turkish coast guard. "They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us." The BBC says the incident with the largest loss of life occurred after the motor cut out on a boat carrying 85 migrants off the coast of Rhodes. A Syrian man says they called the Greek coast guard, which took them to Turkish waters and put them in life rafts. He says a valve on his life raft wasn't properly closed and at least eight members of his group died, including his children. "We immediately began to sink, they saw that," he said. "They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us." One person has died after fleeing police and crashing into a tree in Auckland's Papatoetoe. Inspector Alison Brand said the crash, on Lambie Dr, followed an incident where a vehicle failed to stop for police and fled the scene. "Police had signalled for the vehicle to stop on Davies Avenue around 11.40pm [on Monday] after units observed the vehicle travelling with stolen plates," she said. "The vehicle initially stopped for police for a short time where attending officers spoke to the driver, however the vehicle did not remain, and left the area at speed towards Ronwood Avenue. "Lights were activated and police were preparing to deploy spikes, however the vehicle swerved and crashed into a tree." Another witness, Nick Lambert, told NZ Herald about the noise he heard overhead. "It was making one hell of a pulsing/throbbing noise out of one engine then it was shooting flames out - maybe hit a bird?" he said. Passengers on-board the flight are claiming a bird strike may have been responsible for the incident. In an email to Newshub, a man who said he was travelling on flight VA148 claimed birds had struck the left engine. "The captain told us that there was a bird strike on the left engine and the plane was shaking up and down, [we] have just landed at Invercargill with lots of ambulances and fire crew," he told Newshub. Virgin Australia chief operations officer Stuart Aggs later confirmed a bird strike may have triggered the flames. He added that all passengers have disembarked and there are currently no reports of injuries. "Emergency services personnel are on the ground at Invercargill Airport," Aggs said. "Our efforts are now focused on providing support for our guests and crew, as well as transporting and accommodating guests in Invercargill this evening and arranging for their earliest onward travel to Australia." The Civil Aviation Authority website says "New Zealand is doing fairly well with bird avoidance", noting, its bird strike rate at airports is about four in 10,000 aircraft movements. Queenstown Airport's chief executive Glen Sowry believes a large bird must have been involved in the incident. "If you get a bigger bird that is ingested into an engine, which looks probable that this is what may have occured on this occasion, then depending on where abouts through the engine it goes it can do quite significant damage to critical parts of the engine." But he told RNZ's Morning Report a bird strike couldn't be confirmed until the engine was inspected by engineers. He said a runway inspection was carried out just minutes before the Virgin Australia flight left - it detected no birds. However, there has been confirmed bird strikes involving smaller birds at the airport in the past month. "There's a tremendous amount of effort goes into managing the risk of bird strikes and to do that we put a lot of effort into everything as simple as making sure that grass at the airport is kept short, there's no standing water, so making it as unattractive a place for birds to be as we can," Sowry said. Sowry said it was the pilot's call to divert and land in Invercargill, but that there was no reason it couldn't safely land in Queenstown. While it would have been scary on-board, well-wishers nervous from afar have taken to social media to share their relief at news the plane landed safely in Invercargill. "Thank goodness it is safely landed," one person said, while another said they were "thrilled". "What a blessing," one person commented. The first bus of travellers from Invercargill was expected to arrive in Queenstown at 12pm on Tuesday. Those on the original flight are being put on two planes out of Queenstown - QF178 to Melbourne at 2:05pm and VA118 to Brisbane at 4:30pm. The ordeal comes after a similar incident earlier this month when a plane took off from Toronto en route to Paris. Video shows flames shooting from an Air Canada Boeing jet as it took off, forcing it to abruptly turn around for an emergency landing. "We've got an engine fire - holy shit," a man filming the ordeal could be heard saying. The Defence Force plane the prime minister was travelling on is unlikely to be fixed in time make it to Japan to fly him and his trade delegation home, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. Christopher Luxon had to leave most of his delegation behind in Papua New Guinea when the plane broke down. Collins told Morning Report the back-up Defence Force plane is in long-term maintenance and would not be free until the end of next month. Replacing the fleet would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and that would be have to weighed up against the current economic climate. Luxon was only supposed to be in Port Moresby for 90 minutes on Sunday while the Boeing 757 was refuelled. After an hour's delay, a Defence Force spokesperson confirmed the aircraft had blown two fuses, forcing the prime minister to take a commercial flight. The accompanying trade delegation stayed behind in Papua New Guinea on Sunday night, and flew out on Monday to Brisbane, from where they would take an Air NZ flight to Tokyo. "A full coffee pot poured over a lady passenger. She received burns and a paramedic attended to her," the passenger told Crux. "Once we landed in Queenstown the lady passenger got sent to the hospital in an ambulance... she had some blistering. "One of the cabin crew told us how she was standing and went up and hit the ceiling." The passenger described the turbulence as feeling like being on a rollercoaster. Air New Zealand has confirmed the incident on flight NZ607. "Our crew are trained to respond to these situations," the airline's chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said. "Our operating procedures outline our onboard response to different levels of turbulence, including detailing when passengers and crew are required to take their seats during the flight. From time to time, clear-air turbulence can occur where rough air is not visible to the flight crew. "We're always reviewing our operating procedures in line with both regulation and international best practice to ensure the safety of our customers and crew is prioritised." The injuries come amid an increase in dangerous turbulence on flights around the world that has been attributed to climate change. Last month, a man was killed and 71 injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced severe turbulence over Myanmar. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com In the aftermath of a devastating fire that ravaged the historic Old Manama Souq, Member of Parliament Jameel Mulla Hassan, who sits on the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and National Security Committee, has urged the government to take swift action to rebuild this iconic marketplace. The fire, which broke out recently, caused extensive damage to many of the commercial shops in the souq, leaving many citizens and expats who depended on it as their sole source of livelihood in a precarious situation. The scale of the financial and emotional damage suffered by the shop owners in the Old Manama Souq is enormous, Mulla Hassan stated. These losses will significantly impact their income, particularly during the preparations for Eid al-Adha. The affected families are now left without their primary source of income and sustenance for their children. T he government must intervene promptly to support and compensate these owners to prevent further distress. Act swiftly MP Hassan highlighted that 25 commercial units were completely destroyed, with dozens of neighboring shops also sustaining partial damage, underscoring the urgency for the government to act swiftly. Moreover, the parliamentarian called for the reconstruction of the Old Manama Souq to be done in a manner that preserves Bahrains authentic national identity, transforming it into a premier tourist destination for Gulf citizens and visitors from around the world. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding this historic landmark, which holds significant touristic and cultural value in Bahrains modern history. Original identity The government must rebuild the Old Manama Souq with Bahrains original identity, making it a magnet for Gulf citizens and tourists from all over the world, Mulla Hassan urged. This is a crucial step in preserving an important tourism and cultural heritage site in Bahrains history. The Old Manama Souq, with its rich history and architectural charm, has long been a cherished landmark in the heart of Bahrains capital. The call for its swift reconstruction and preservation reflects the desire to maintain the nations cultural legacy and provide support to the affected citizens who rely on this iconic marketplace as their livelihood. A South Jersey man was sentenced to state prison on Friday in the sexual assault of a four-year-old girl. Marvin Stidham, 64, of Commercial Township, has been sentenced to 17 years on two separate sentences that will run concurrently, the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office said in a news release on Monday. A jury convicted him of second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child in January. He was acquitted of first-degree sexual assault. It was a banner night for Broadway and New Jersey. A strong group of women who are either from the state or associated with Jersey were among the big winners at the 2024 Tony Awards Sunday. A 21-year-old Jersey star hit it out of the park with her Broadway debut to win best actress in a musical, while a musical centered on the efforts of a history-making Jersey suffragist collected awards for writing, music and lyrics. These are just some of the local ties among this years Tony winners. Heres a rundown. Maleah Joi Moon made her Broadway debut as Ali in Hells Kitchen and won the Tony for best lead actress in a musical. Moon, 21, who grew up in Franklin Township, stars in the show inspired by the life of Alicia Keys, which features Keys music and was also nominated for best musical. At the Tonys, the young Jersey talent performed with the Hells Kitchen cast and Keys, who welcomed Jay-Z for a rendition of their 2009 song Empire State of Mind (see videos below). Moons fellow New Jerseyan Nick Jonas joined his newly announced co-star in Broadways The Last Five Years, Adrienne Warren, to present the Hells Kitchen star with the Tony. Moon took it back to Jersey in her acceptance speech, thanking her family, best friends and teachers from Franklin. Id like to dedicate this award to my parents Fabia and Steve, she said, tearing up. Dad, youve been working all your life. Mom, you came to America at 17 (from Belize) and youve been surviving ever since. Hells Kitchen is about a 17-year-old on the cusp of a dream. I cant imagine how many dreams deferred, how many sacrifices each of you made to give me the life that I have today, so tonight all I hope is that you just get to celebrate because this is for you and we did this together. I love you more than words. Shaina Taub, Suffs Shaina Taub stars in the musical Suffs as New Jersey suffragist Alice Paul, leader of the National Womans Party. Paul, who hailed from Mount Laurel, pushed for more forceful, visible methods of advocacy, including White House picketing and a womens march that advanced the cause of womens suffrage, leading to the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Taub, who wrote the story, music and lyrics for Suffs, won her first Tony which was also the first Tony of the night, awarded at the pre-show for best book of a musical. Later, she also won the Tony for best original score. The Suffs cast is made up of women and nonbinary actors. If you are inspired by the story of the suffs (suffragists), please make sure you and everyone you know are registered to vote, Taub said in her first speech (for best book). And vote, vote, vote this fall. MORE: N.J.s Nikki M. James, Tony nominee for Suffs, on playing suffragist Ida B. Wells To all of the theater kids out there watching, especially the loud little girls, go for it, Taub said in her second speech (for best score). You can do it. You are powerful. You are valuable. You are strong. If you doubt yourself, its OK, I doubt myself all the time, but you can do it. I am rooting for you. Taub then made a reference to the epigraph on her script, which is a quote from the Talmud: You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. Shaina Taub and New Jersey's Nikki M. James, stars of "Suffs." Jenny Anderson | Getty Images This is a hard year in our country, and I just hope that we can remember that when we organize and we come together we are capable of making real change and progress for this country for equality and justice, Taub said. And so I hope we can all do that together. Tony winner Nikki M. James, who grew up in Livingston, was also nominated for best featured actress in a musical her performance in Suffs as journalist, suffragist and civil rights leader Ida B. Wells (see our recent interview with James about Suffs). Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a producer of the musical alongside Noble Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, introduced a performance from Taub, James and the cast of Suffs at the Tonys. Jane Cox and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Appropriate Princeton-based lighting designer Jane Cox received her fourth Tony nomination for the play Appropriate. On Sunday, her work in the show won Cox her first Tony for best lighting design of a play. Cox, who hails from Dublin, Ireland, has taught light and theater design at Princeton University since 2007. In 2016, she became director of Princetons theater program. And theres yet another Princeton connection. The plays writer, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, is a Princeton alum who won the 2024 Tony for best revival of a play. Appropriate, which is set in Arkansas and follows a family after the death of their patriarch, made its off-Broadway debut in 2014 before coming to Broadway in 2023. Sarah Paulson won the Tony for best lead actress in a play for her performance in Appropriate, directed by Lila Neugebauer. The shows cast also includes Elle Fanning, in her Broadway debut, and Corey Stoll. Elizabeths Nikiya Mathis received a special Tony for her hair and wig design on Broadway. Special Tonys are awarded to artists, shows and groups not covered by other categories at the awards show. In May, the American Theatre Wing praised Mathis work in the play Jajas African Hair Braiding when announcing the special Tony. Mathis started her career as an actor who saw a lack of hair professionals in theater and TV who could cater to Black actors. I thought that my chance of ever winning a Tony Award would be as an actress, Mathis said in a pre-recorded acceptance speech. She continues to work as an actor as well as a hair designer, playing NKiyah Franklin in the Starz series Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Among her many thanks, Mathis thanked the Black acting community, who knew that what we must do for Black women is to say their name, she said. And they said my name long before Broadway knew it. This Tony is for us. In her heartfelt speech, Mathis talked about facing Eurocentric beauty standards. Wigs and hair are at the center of Jajas African Hair Braiding. The play, which closed on Broadway in 2023, is set in a Harlem hair-braiding salon. The show, written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White, was nominated for the Tony for best play. Jajas costume designer Dede Ayite made history Sunday by becoming the first Black woman to win the Tony for best costume design of a play. I decided that my biggest purpose was to honor the heart of Jocelyn Biohs great work and to pay homage to those who have gone unseen, Mathis said in her speech. I wanted to pay homage to my beautiful mother, my grandmother and to you, young lady, who may hear these words some years hence. Im passing on the strength to you that has been passed on to me. And I pray that you take it and run with it. See more winners from the 2024 Tonys. Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup. For Mark Sheridan, an attorney whose father and mother were killed in their Somerset County home in a homicide that remains unresolved after nearly a decade, Mondays indictment of the political boss George Norcross tore open old wounds. One section of the indictment in particular -- the one involving his dad. It describes a real estate deal that created a serious rift between Norcross and John Sheridan, Marks father, a deeply respected advisor to governors in both parties. Norcross and the senior Sheridan had been friends, but in the months before Sheridans violent death, he told his son that he was deeply troubled by a stubborn argument with Norcross over a patch of land on the Camden waterfront. At the time of the Sheridans death in September 2014, the dining room table was covered with documents about this dispute. The land at stake was controlled by a non-profit, Coopers Ferry, and John Sheridan, the chairman of the board, wanted to hold onto it, and use it to support the non-profits mission. The indictment issued Monday accuses Norcross of using strong-arm threats to force the non-profit to surrender the land and yield to a partnership that was partially controlled by Norcross himself. After the killings, Mark Sheridan brought those papers to the attorney generals office, encouraging an investigation into the dispute between the two men. They did nothing, he says. I provided the Attorney General with evidence of the crimes related to the real estate deals that are outlined in the indictment nearly nine years ago. Imagine how much of this could have been avoided if John Hoffman did his job. Hoffman was Acting Attorney General at the time, but he left office without finding the alleged crimes that Attorney General Matt Platkin now describes in grotesque detail. As if this case needed still more political weight, Hoffman was recently nominated for a seat on the state Supreme Court by Gov. Phil Murphy. Calls and emails to his office went unreturned Monday. At Platkins press conference, WNYCs Nancy Solomon asked the question that is now on many minds: John Sheridan was trying to fight off this deal, and those documents were found on his dining room table the morning after he was murdered. Is your office looking at that case? And how do you see the murder of John and Joyce Sheridan as connected to the conspiracy you laid out today? Platkin said he had nothing more to add. To be clear, there is not a scrap of evidence that Norcross ordered the Sheridans killed; and Solomon, who has done the deepest dives into Norcross shady real estate deals on the Camden waterfront, has never explicitly accused him of that. But the more you learn about the deaths of the Sheridans, the harder it becomes to dismiss the idea as a nutty conspiracy theory. Some background: The Sheridans bodies were found after their home burned down on Sept. 28, 2014, and the investigation was marked from the start by incompetence that is almost hard to believe. Somerset County prosecutors quickly concluded that it was a murder-suicide, that John Sheridan stabbed his wife, Joyce, started the fire by spreading around gasoline, and then stabbed himself in the neck. There was no history of violence, no gambling debt, no drugs, not even a theory as to why a marriage of 47 years a happy marriage, according to family and friends would suddenly explode into such gruesome violence. Could they have been killed by someone else, who lit the fire to cover up evidence? No one dusted for fingerprints to see if an intruder entered the house through one of four unlocked doors. Two months after the killing, an insurance adjuster inspecting the home found a bag full of jewelry in a closet off the master bedroom. Investigators had somehow missed it. Finally, the Sheridan family paid for a private autopsy, which showed the knife that killed Joyce Sheridan could not possibly be the same knife that killed John Sheridan, as prosecutors said. That knife was never recovered. In the end, the authorities conceded that the murder-suicide theory was bunk. The case was reclassified as an unsolved mystery. The prosecutor was later replaced. Norcross, always the aggressor, showed up at Platkins press conference Monday and took a seat in the front row. He aint afraid of nothing. One of his attorneys, Mike Critchley, denied any wrongdoing in the Coopers Ferry land deal, one of several deals cited in the indictment, and said he has documents to prove it. He said Norcross has been offering to talk with Platkins investigators for six months, but they waited until last week and gave him two hours. Why didnt he (Platkin) subpoena him (Norcross) and let him talk to the grand jury? Critchley asks. The politics behind this are hard to decipher. Gov. Phil Murphy smoked a peace pipe with Norcross a few years ago, and even helps him raise money these days. Murphy has been furious with Platkin, according to several sources, since Platkin went rogue and intervened in the federal case on ballot design in Democratic primaries, siding with Andy Kim, who successfully argued that the ballots tipped the scale in favor of endorsed candidates. That ruling put a knife through the heart of Tammy Murphys Senate campaign. As for the governors race, this is bad news for Steve Sweeney, the former Senate president, who is a lifetime friend and ally of Norcross. Norcross iron grip on South Jersey, a pillar of Sweeneys strength, is likely a thing of the past. And as Platkin noted, this investigation is continuing. Who knows where the next blow will land? Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. 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. A retired New Jersey State Police trooper was acquitted at trial Friday of two federal felony charges that accused him of obstructing police officers outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his lawyer said. Michael Daniele, of Holmdel, was convicted of four misdemeanors, though his lawyer Stuart Kaplan says theres a chance those lesser charges could be dismissed before his October sentencing. Daniele opted for a bench trial, where the judge is also the jury. It concluded Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C. in front of Judge Amit P. Mehta. Mehta found Daniele not guilty of the obstruction charges, Kaplan said. He believes it was because he was able to show that the photos the FBI used to charge his client were taken out of context. The FBI and federal prosecutors accused Daniele of wresting a metal gate from officers, but Kaplan said when the entire video of Danieles actions were seen in court, it was obvious that he was in contact with the gate for less than a second and he was not an aggressor toward police. He said there were other physical actions, allegedly committed by Daniele, that he was also able to explain that were not criminal. A former FBI agent himself with high regard for the agency, Kaplan criticized the investigative work by his former colleagues in this case. It was deplorable and outrageous, Kaplan said. Of the four misdemeanor convictions, three have to do with unlawfully entering the Capitol, and whether defendants have to know that a U.S. Secret Service protectee was present. In Jan. 6 cases, that protectee was Vice President Mike Pence and his family, and Daniele did not know they were present, Kaplan said. Whether the defendant has that knowledge or not is a disputed element of the crime that is currently under appeal and Kaplan said those three convictions could be dismissed. That would leave one remaining misdemeanor and likely no jail time for his client, he said. My client is very, very appreciative to be out from under those felonies, Kaplan said. The New Jersey State Police contacted federal authorities after after seeing online pictures of Daniele at the Capitol. Federal authorities interviewed Daniele in April 2021, but they did not charge and arrest him until early 2023. The former trooper retired in 2013 and collects a monthly pension of $6,372 over $76,000 annually. Michael Daniele, a retired New Jersey State Police trooper, at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.(Photo via court documents) Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com The worst Phil Murphy scandal is his neglect of Edna Mahan, the states only prison for women. The feds in 2020 issued a report saying sexual assault by guards and prison staff was severe and prevalent throughout the prison, and he did virtually nothing standing with his prisons chief even as the Senate passed a unanimous, bipartisan resolution demanding that Marcus Hicks resign. We are no longer in those dark days, after Hicks was finally forced out in 2021. But theres still reason to be gravely concerned about the state Department of Corrections, especially its internal affairs investigations. A state watchdog just found that the unit responsible for these probes, the Special Investigations Division, let guards get away with brutality at other prisons too. And while DOC has since made good efforts at reform, they ought to bring in more independent oversight to prevent sham investigations. This report by the Office of the State Comptroller, Kevin Walsh, examined 46 case files from SID and found that abuse against inmates at three state prisons was buried amidst a code of silence. In more than one out of five cases reviewed, SID investigators failed to interview all witnesses. In most cases, they didnt recommend dispositions or clearly articulate whether an allegation was substantiated by the evidence. And key evidence was missing from nearly 13% of the investigative files. It highlights two shoddy probes in which guards got away with pepper spraying and punching inmates without provocation. Both took place at Bayside Prison in South Jersey, in 2018 and 2019 the same facility and time period in which we already discovered prisoners were being tortured by a sadistic guard in a kitchen fight club. Officer John Makos was sentenced in 2023 to 2.5 years in prison for this brutality, which began in 2018 and lasted until the following year. Former prisoners said it was an open secret. Nobody spoke up, one told NJ Advance Media. Nobody did s---. What made you all take so long? This s--- was happening every day. One reason, this report suggests, is that SID treated other investigations like a joke. Take a 2019 probe at Bayside that the comptroller reviewed: A corrections officer walks out from behind a desk, crosses a security line, steps closer and closer to an inmate, then slugs him in the head three times without any visible provocation. It was all captured on surveillance video, yet the officer suffered no consequences. He claimed this was justified because the prisoner made verbal threats, which is absurd on its face. Yet while a hearing officer dismissed most of the charges against the inmate, the guard was never held accountable for excessive use of force. A SID investigator failed to interview key witnesses, didnt sit down with the guard until months later, and asked leading questions that served him up ready justifications for his actions. I believe [the prisoner] verbally threatened you, didnt he? the SID investigator asked. Yes, the guard said. Alright. Okay, and at the time when he said he was going to, you know, punch you in the face, you obviously perceived this as a threat, the investigator continued. As a threat, the guard echoed. And you did what you had to do to protect yourself, the investigator maintained. Yes, the guard answered. And anyone else that was in the area, the investigator added. Give us a break. As the comptrollers report says, why not ask this guy why he kept stepping closer to the inmate if he felt so threatened, or why he stepped beyond the security line intended to protect guards? This was a farce. And when there are no consequences, officers have no reason to fear someone might be looking over their shoulders. They think they can get away with brutalizing inmates, torturing them in a fight club, or raping them at Edna Mahan. Rather than a hearing officer simply dismissing charges against an inmate, these cases should go up the chain of command, the report says. And whos making the decision whether to prosecute? That deserves further scrutiny at the DOC. During the course of the comptrollers investigation, the DOC says it revamped the management structure of SID and created its own auditing system for case files, formalized its process for reviewing all known uses of force by corrections officers, fully outfitted them with body cameras and created a special unit to investigate sexual abuse, among other reforms. These are positive steps, and its refreshing to see them admit there was a problem. But they should also reconsider how they choose SID investigators, the comptroller suggests plucking them exclusively from the ranks of former corrections officers, the current practice, only adds to the potential for an insular, old boys network. And their probes should really be audited by an independent outsider like the Corrections Ombudsperson, an office recently added under the Treasury department, led by Terry Schuster. Lets hope the message now is, the code of silence will not stand. 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. As weeks pass after its much-anticipated premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, whether a film about Donald Trump in the 1980s will hit the big screens in the United States is still up in the air. And that may be by design. The Apprentice unveiled a scathing portrait of the former president as a young man and New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg reports you may not get a chance to anytime soon. Per her report: Distributors have bought the rights to The Apprentice in Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and many other countries. But the filmmakers have yet to secure a deal to release it here, either theatrically or on streaming services. Negotiations are ongoing, and domestic distribution could still come together. Yet the possibility that American audiences wont be able to see The Apprentice isnt just frustrating. Its frightening, because it suggests that Trump and his supporters have already intimidated some media companies, which seem to be preemptively capitulating to him. Some established distributors might simply be reluctant to take on The Apprentice because they think political films are money losers; as The Hollywood Reporter pointed out, Adam McKays 2018 Dick Cheney biopic, Vice, was considered a major flop. But The Apprentice is a far buzzier film than Vice, and it appears from industry reporting that the movie industry is less worried about finding an audience than about poking the MAGA bear. The Apprentice, directed by the Danish Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi, immediately sparked controversy. After its premiere, Trumps reelection campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, called the movie pure fiction and said the Trump team would file a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. One scene in the film is especially explosive. Late in the movie, Trump is depicted raping his wife, Ivana Trump. In Ivana Trumps 1990 divorce deposition, she stated that Trump raped her. Trump denied the allegation and Ivana Trump later said she didnt mean it literally, but rather that she had felt violated. Variety reported alleged behind-the-scenes drama surrounding The Apprentice. Citing anonymous sources, the trade publication reported that billionaire Dan Snyder, the former owner of the Washington Commanders and an investor in The Apprentice, has pressured the filmmakers to edit the rape scene. Snyder previously donated to Trumps presidential campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. New Jersey is celebrating Juneteenth for the third time this year, but once again, it will differ from the federal holiday. The holiday is named for the moment Union troops arrived in the Confederate state of Texas to announce the end of slavery. When the Union won the war, the order demanding that all slavery come to an end was not followed by the Confederate states until Union troops actually got into their territory. Texas was considered the westernmost Confederate state at the time. The federal holiday comes on the day that happened: June 19, which is Wednesday. That means federal offices will be closed, there wont be any mail delivery and many businesses will take the day off. However, New Jersey will be open for business on Wednesday because the Garden State will commemorate Juneteenth closing all state offices and courts on Friday. The reason? New Jersey officials recognized the date as a holiday before the federal government did. The holiday had long been recognized in the south and within communities of color. In the wake of 2020 protests over police accountability, there was renewed attention and calls for it to be enshrined as an official holiday. When New Jersey officials passed the state holiday, leaders decided that it would happen on the third Friday of June every year to make sure the holiday consistently fell into a weekend. The law was pushed by former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Gov. Phil Murphy signed it into law September 2020. Newark mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka declared the day as one that would include ceremonies and teach-ins for municipal employees in June 2020. President Joe Biden then signed the bill passed by Congress into law in 2021, making it a federal holiday. Even though the federal holiday on a different day, New Jersey officials said they felt no need to change the state holiday. This year, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris gave remarks at a Juneteenth concert that took place on the White House lawn June 10. Also, Murphy has signaled he plans to debut a clemency program on Juneteenth. Happening Now: Join us for a celebration of Juneteenth at the White House. https://t.co/5QvNsor084 Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 10, 2024 The previous new federal holiday that was created was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Jelani Gibson is a cannabis and politics reporter for NJ.com. He can be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @jelanigibson1 and on LinkedIn. Bill Spadea, a firebrand talk radio host who openly embraces former President Donald Trump and has become an increasingly outspoken figure in the states conservative circles, formally announced Monday he is running for New Jersey governor. The voice of the morning show on New Jersey 101.5-FM, Spadea is the fifth candidate to declare their candidacy for the Republican nomination in the ever-growing 2025 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. Spadea, who has spent the last few years laying the groundwork for a statewide bid, launched his campaign with a video in which he charges that Trenton politicians have wrecked everything and says he is running to fight for you. Im ready, willing, and able to lead with strength, conviction, and courage to restore common sense to our great state, he said. The insider establishment powerbrokers, well, they dont like me. Why? Because Im an outsider they cant control. And because Im unapologetically conservative, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-Trump. Im IN. Im proud to announce that Im running for Governor. Theres a lot of work to be done to restore common sense to New Jersey and Im ready to get the job done for YOU. Check out my announcement video below and join us at our first campaign rally tomorrow, June 18th. Now pic.twitter.com/q8YRx5Fa4W Bill Spadea (@BillSpadea) June 17, 2024 Spadea, a 55-year-old Marine military veteran, has run two failed bids for elected office, including one for Congress. But he has developed a big presence on local media for the last decade, first as a TV host on the now-defunct show Chasing News and most recently on 101.5, the states largest radio station. That has given him a large daily audience to espouse his views, including controversial takes against masks and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fate of Spadeas radio show is now in question. If he continues to host his program as a candidate, New Jersey 101.5 runs the risk of being fined for giving out the equivalent of hours of political advertising each morning. Townsquare Media, the company that owns the station, said Monday that Spadea will remain with the station for now at least. Until he becomes a legally qualified candidate, Bill will continue to fulfill his employment responsibilities entertaining and informing the local audience on NJ 101.5 airwaves and digital platforms, as he has done for the last 9 years, the company said in a statement. However, we are sensitive to the legal parameters attendant keeping a broadcast personality on air while they are seeking public office. Accordingly, we have taken steps and imposed guidelines to ensure that Bills on-air presence over the coming months and until he becomes a legally qualified candidate, are in accordance with New Jersey election law, applicable FCC guidance, and industry standards and best practices for such circumstances. Townsquare added that it will will remain neutral with respect to a Spadea candidacy and does not endorse any political candidates or parties. Its unclear what Townsquare means in saying Spadea will remain on air until he is a qualified candidate. The company declined further comment. Spadea did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A formal timeline for next years elections has not been set, but candidates are required by law to register with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission soon after they begin raising money. Candidates have until March to file signatures to officially run in the primary. Though the primary is still a year away, Spadea joins four other declared candidates on the Republican side of the race: state Sen. Jon Bramnick, real estate broker Robert Canfield, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, and former state Sen. Ed Durr. There are also four candidates running in the Democratic primary: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, and former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney have also declared. Others are expected to follow. Whoever wins the parties nominations will face off for an open governors seat in a closely watched election next fall. Though New Jersey often chooses Democrats in federal elections and registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans here by about 1 million, the Garden State has frequently gone back and forth between parties when picking a governor. Spadea is expected to veer right in the Republican race, courting conservative, pro-Trump voters, which could given him an edge in a low-turnout primary in which the partys base plays a big role. Durr, though, could pull votes away from him. Bramnick is running a decidedly anti-Trump campaign, while Ciattarelli has endorsed Trump but is known as a moderate. Trump made an appearance on Spadeas show last month in which he thanked the host for his support and called him fantastic. A big question is: If a pro-Trump candidate such as Spadea wins the primary, how well will they fare in the general election in a Democratic-leaning state? Spadea has also been an active fundraiser for Republican candidates across the state and held his own events touting what he calls his Common Sense platform. In his video, Spadea highlights ring-wing issues and talking points. He criticizes radical, liberal nonsense our kids are taught in school as a shot of a drag queen reading to children flashes across the screen. He promises to make tough budget cuts that scare the career politicians and fix school funding to lower property taxes for suburban parents. He also mentions immigration, saying hell stop President Joe Biden from using our state as a dumping ground for his illegals and end the handouts they get from Phil Murphy and weak sell-out Republicans. Spadea does have the support of one of the states most powerful political bosses: Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore. Both Gilmore and Bill Stepien, who once was a campaign manager for both former Gov. Chris Christie and Trump, have worked on Spadeas political action committee. Spadea also took a direct shot at Ciattarelli, who is running for governor a third straight time, four years after nearly unseating Murphy in 2021. Heres a news flash: Republicans are never going to take back our state if we nominate a 35-year career politician whos already lost twice for governor, Spadea said in his video. If youre OK with more of the same, the other Republicans running for governor will give you exactly that, he added. Im running for the people who are sick and tired of expecting little from the politicians we elect, and getting even less. When he announced his campaign in April, Ciattarelli took a veiled shot at Spadea, saying the party needs a candidate with a message that attracts unaffiliated and independent voters not one who repels them with personal insults and extreme rhetoric. Spadeas career took off when he was chairman of the College Republican National Committee in the mid-1990s and served as a national youth co-ordinator for President George H.W. Bushs 1992 campaign. Spadea was the Republican nominee for the U.S. House in Central Jerseys 12th District in 2004 but lost to incumbent Democrat Rush Holt. He then lost a bid for state Assembly in 2012. A Cherry Hill native and Princeton resident, he was also a corporate vice president for Weichert Realtors from 1999 to 2013. Spadea hosted Chasing News on Channel 9 from 2013 to 2020 and became the morning host on 101.5 in 2015. On the radio, Spadea has been an outspoken critic of Murphy, especially during the pandemic, and faced criticism of his own for his right-leaning stances. Ben Dworkin, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship at Rowan University, said New Jersey so far has not had what other states have: a real all-in, drag-out battle over the future of the Republican Party. Now, youre gonna have this fight, with Spadea leading the MAGA forces in the New Jersey Republican Party, with Bramnick leading the anti-Trump forces, and with Ciattarelli trying to find a balance between the two, Dworkin said. Its gonna be fascinating. Dworkin also expects Spadeas opponents to look into whether he used his radio show as a significant soap box to project his views on government. I think his opponents will clearly be reviewing every one of those and trying to find violations of campaign election law, speaking like a candidate and getting free airtime, Dworkin said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @johnsb01. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. A charity in North Devon that supports people experiencing food poverty has received a much-needed grant. FareShare South West, which has been operating a Devon warehouse for the past two years, celebrated the award of a 1500 grant from Tescos Stronger Starts scheme. FareShare South West receives free surplus food from organisations such as Tesco and distributes it to local people to ensure families do not go without. With the cost-of-living crisis affecting more people, the charity's support has become increasingly critical. In the past year, 82 different Devon charities, schools, and community groups have received more than 488 tonnes of food from FareShare South West, equating to one point one million meals. Lucy Bearn, Chief Executive at FareShare South West, said: We are very grateful to Tesco for this funding. In recent years, FareShare South West has grown 500 percent in response to the demand from the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, so support from Tesco Stronger Starts grants have been essential. We support organisations in North Devon such as school breakfast clubs, community kitchens and homeless shelters, which provide wraparound support for people struggling to get by. With healthy food now over three times more expensive per calorie than unhealthy food, many families are unable to access enough fresh, nutritious ingredients to truly thrive. At the same time six million tonnes of perfectly good, quality food are still being sent to waste in the UK every year, creating a huge environmental impact. We source tonnes of good-to-eat surplus food from the industry and share it with over 400 charities, schools and community groups who alleviate poverty. Put simply, we turn an environmental problem into a social solution. The Stronger Starts scheme, in partnership with the Groundwork charity, aims to support many community projects and good causes in North Devon in the coming years, with thousands of pounds to give away. Claire De Silva, Head of Community at Tesco, said: Were delighted that we can help groups and charities like FareShare South West. Stronger Starts invites our customers to use their blue tokens to vote for local schemes they feel will benefit children and young people, and its so good to see the impact that the funding makes. North Devon shoppers can support their local school and childrens groups by dropping the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the relevant voting box as they leave the store. A group of 21 police officers and staff from North and West Devon have embarked on an inspiring mission, pushing themselves to their limits in a bid to support local charities through a mountain challenge. Led by Superintendent Toby Davies, the team set out to conquer the 15 peaks of Wales, which spans 37.5 miles and involves climbing 15,000 feet within 24 hours. The challenge was undertaken on their own time while off duty, and aimed to raise funds for the North Devon Hospice and the National Foundation of Retired Service Animals (NFRSA). Known as one of the toughest mountain challenges in the UK. To complete it in 24 hours the group needed to walk overnight and scramble up some of the more exposed peaks. Unfortunately the group had to miss out one peak but managed to scale the other 14. Supt Davies explained: This was such a hard challenge, physically draining and not helped by the atrocious weather conditions. The team showed amazing resilience and we were grateful for our wonderful support team, who made it possible. We can barely stand now but were so chuffed that we have been able to raise so much money for the good causes. Our thanks go to everyone who has donated so far. Due to bad weather conditions the team had to bypass one ridge peak adding four miles to the journey. The weather was unkind with strong winds, mist, rain and even sleet on Mount Snowdon. Most of the team completed the challenge in 22 hours and 20 minutes. Supt Davies continued: Sadly some of the team members had to drop out of the challenge but no one completed less than 27 miles and the fantastic team have so far raised an amazing 4,500 for North Devon Hospice and the National Foundation of Retired Service Animals. North Devon Hospice, based in Deer Park, Barnstaple, helps people in the area with terminal illness and palliative home care. The National Foundation of Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) supports the medical costs of retired emergency service animals such as police dogs and horses. Becky Brennan, one of the Community Fundraisers for North Devon Hospice, said: The funds raised by the intrepid explorers will help patients and families being cared for by North Devon Hospice, as they face a life-limiting illness like cancer. We were blown away by the courage and commitment of this awesome team they kept on trekking despite the tough terrain and really challenging weather. Everyone at the hospice is so proud of them and the funds they have raised will make a real difference to local people. The money will help North Devon Hospice be there every step of the way, supporting families through the very toughest times. The money raised will enable North Devon Hospice to continue providing essential palliative care and support to families during their most difficult times. Becky added: Thanks to this amazing team, we can be a shelter in the storm when it matters most. What is STEM and Why Add Art? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These subjects are essential because they play a big part in how our world works. From building bridges to creating apps, STEM is everywhere. But, there's a growing idea that adding Arts to STEMturning it into STEAMcan make learning these subjects even better. Art encourages creativity and helps students think in new ways. This can lead to better problem solving and more innovation in STEM fields. How Does Art Enhance STEM Learning? When students engage in artistic activities, they learn to see things differently. Art helps develop skills like visualization and pattern recognition, which are important in subjects like math and engineering. For example, in geometry, being able to visualize how shapes fit together is crucial. Art projects can help students develop this skill. Also, art makes learning more enjoyable and engaging. It can help students who might not be very interested in technical subjects find a way to connect with the material. Shoshana Leffler, an educator from New York, uses art to help her students understand complex chemistry concepts. She believes that when students create models or drawings related to their lessons, they understand and remember better. Real-World Applications of STEM Including art in STEM education isn't just about making pretty pictures. It's about preparing students for real-world problems. In many jobs, especially in design and technology fields, you need both technical skills and creativity. Architects need to use engineering to make sure buildings stand strong but also need artistic skills to design spaces that are beautiful and functional. Shoshana Leffler often talks about how using art in her lessons has helped her students think outside the box. For instance, when they worked on a project to understand chemical reactions, they used video and photography to document their experiments. This creative approach helped them better analyze and present their findings. One project, for example, illustrated students ability to combine scientific inquiry and artistic skills by making their favorite food during the Covid-19 shutdown, analyzing the chemistry occurring at each step (e.g., the Maillard Reaction when grilling), and creating an artistic representation of the process such as TikTok videos. Challenges and Solutions in Integrating Art in STEM While there are many benefits to integrating arts into STEM education, there are also some challenges. One of the biggest challenges is that schools often have limited budgets. Art supplies and new technologies can be expensive. However, teachers can overcome this by using recycled materials or digital apps that are low-cost or free. Another challenge is that not all teachers feel confident about including art in their lessons. To help with this, schools can provide training that helps teachers learn how to combine art and STEM effectively. Success Stories Many schools that have included art in their STEM programs have seen great results. Students are more engaged and perform better not just in art, but in their science and math classes too. Teachers report that students are using more critical thinking and are more willing to take risks and try new things. Shoshana Leffler has seen firsthand the positive impact of integrating arts into STEM education. Her students not only perform better academically (she saw a steady rise in the average quiz score on Regents chemistry questions) but also develop a deeper love for learning. They are more curious and eager to explore new ideas. Integrating arts into STEM education is more than just a new teaching trend. It is a powerful approach that can make learning more meaningful and fun. It helps students develop a full range of skills that are important in school and beyond. By embracing both the arts and sciences, educators can inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. Frequently Asked Questions Why should we add arts to STEM education? Adding arts to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) makes learning these subjects more fun and creative. It helps students think differently and come up with new ideas. For example, Shoshana Leffler uses art in her chemistry classes to help students better understand and remember complex concepts. Examples include building colorful 3D models of the atom out of grapes and toothpicks, making a smell museum where you catalog the aromas of your life that are meaningful to you as described by Tejal Rao in the New York Times, and creating artistic representations such as TikToks of the physical and chemical changes that your favorite foods undergo during cooking. How does art improve a students ability to learn STEM subjects? Art improves visualization skills and creative thinking. These skills are important in STEM subjects. For instance, in math, being able to imagine how shapes and numbers work together helps a lot. Art activities make these skills stronger. Can adding art to STEM help students who aren't good at science and math? Yes, it can. Art makes STEM more interesting and accessible to everyone. Students who might not like math or science could find a new interest in these subjects through art projects. Shoshana Leffler found that her students became more engaged and performed better when art was part of their learning. What are some simple ways to include art in STEM lessons? A simple way is to have students draw what they learn. For a science class, they could draw the life cycle of a plant or the water cycle. Using building blocks to explore engineering concepts is another fun way. These activities make the lessons more interactive and help students understand better. What if a school doesnt have much money for art supplies? Schools dont need expensive supplies to include art. Teachers can use recycled materials or free digital tools. Shoshana Leffler encourages her students to use materials like old magazines and cardboard for projects. This not only saves money but also teaches students to be resourceful. How does integrating arts into STEM education prepare students for future careers? Many jobs today need both technical skills and creativity. For example, engineers and architects need to solve problems and design things that are both functional and appealing. By learning how to combine art with science and math, students get ready for these kinds of careers. They learn how to think creatively and use their skills in many different ways. Are there any challenges teachers face when trying to add arts to STEM classes? Yes, one challenge is that some teachers may not feel confident in their ability to teach art along with STEM subjects. Another challenge is finding enough time in the school day to include art activities. Schools can help teachers by providing training on how to integrate art into their STEM lessons and by organizing the schedule to allow time for creative projects. What impact has Shoshana Leffler seen from integrating arts into her STEM teaching? Shoshana Leffler has seen many positive changes. Her students are more interested in learning and do better in their classes, including raising Regents chemistry test scores. They also think more creatively and work better together on group projects and on answering higher order questions. Shoshana believes that adding arts to STEM education has made her students more curious and excited about learning. Keanu Reeves is one of the country's most iconic movie stars, known his roles in "John Wick," "The Matrix," "Speed," "Point Break" and many other films. He's also a rock musician. Reeves' band Dogstar is coming to the Region. The Los Angeles-based alternative rock band will perform at 8 p.m. on August 23 at The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino at 777 Casino Center Drive. The band was formed in 1991 after a chance meeting at a supermarket and features Reeves on bass. It went on hiatus for years but returned for a reunion in 2022. Dogstar released the new album "Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees" last year. Dogstar started out as a garage band and drew its name from the Henry Miller novel "Sexus." The band has toured around the world, opening for David Bowie and Bon Jovi and playing at the famed Glastonbury Festival in England. Its opening acts have included Weezer and Rancid before they got big. Dogstar's albums include "Our Little Visionary," "Happy Ending" and "Quattro Formaggi." Dogstar reunited during the coronavirus pandemic when its members reunited to jam again. It has since put out a new album and started a tour of North America and Japan. Tickets start at $44.50. For more information or tickets, visit https://www.caesars.com/horseshoe-hammond/shows. Youre in the middle of a public health emergency involving a dangerously addictive substance lets say an epidemic of fentanyl or vaping among teens. Which of the following is the best response? 1. Issue a warning. Tell everyone, Hey, watch out this stuff isnt good for you. 2. Regulate the dangerous substance so that it causes the least amount of harm. 3. Ban the substance and penalize anyone who distributes it. In the midst of a well-documented mental health crisis among children and teenagers, with social media use a clear contributing factor, the surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recommends choice one. As he wrote in a Times Opinion guest essay on Monday, It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. Its an excellent first step, but its a mere Band-Aid on a suppurating wound. Telling teenagers something is bad for them may work for some kids, but for others its practically an open invitation to abuse. To add muscle to a mere label, we need to prohibit its sale to people under 18 and enforce the law on sellers. We need to strongly regulate social media, as Europe has begun to do, and ban it for kids under 16. Murthy urges Congress to take similar steps. One day after a shooting in a splash park in suburban Detroit injured nine people, including children, residents on Sunday were struggling to process what happened, with bafflement, fear and shock. It was hard to go to sleep last night. Its hard to function this morning, said Alex Roser, a 33-year-old pharmacy technician who said he grew up in the area. On Saturday afternoon, a gunman opened fire at a splash pad a play area for children with blue cylinders that spray water in Rochester Hills. The police identified the shooter as Michael William Nash, 42, and said that the handgun recovered at the scene was legally purchased in 2015 and registered to him. Authorities said that a motive was not yet known but that the attack appeared to be random. Mr. Nash was found dead with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound later on Saturday in his home nearby, they said. In 1942, when Max Heppner was 8, his parents told him they were leaving Amsterdam to go on a family vacation. Instead, they went into hiding in a small farm town in the Netherlands, Zeilberg, where they lived out the war in a chicken coop. Maxs father, Albert Heppner, was a Berlin-born art dealer specializing in Dutch old master paintings. This was the second time he and his wife, Irene, had to flee the Nazis. They had left Germany in 1933, when Irene was pregnant, because they were Jews. Now they were on the run again, carrying away all they could fit into several pieces of luggage and a gray-blue backpack. They were taken in by a Catholic family of farmers, the Janssens, who had 9 children and lots of livestock. Luckily, just before the Heppners arrived Harry Janssen used to joke, to soothe the sad reality the Nazis had stolen all the chickens. The coop had two small rooms and a slanted roof. At six feet tall, Albert could stand up straight only at its highest point. It had a brick floor and a small stove, designed to keep chicks warm, which was helpful. But even so, Max said, it was always cold. An overwhelming majority of American students attend public schools. But that number is falling. In part, thats because in more than half of states, parents can now use public money to educate their kids at home, online, in private schools. This year, a million students used some kind of private education voucher, more than double the figure from four years earlier, according to new research from EdChoice, a group that supports private-school choice and tracks the sector. The result is a growing movement of choose-your-own-adventure education. Parents are permitted to find any program that they think fits their beliefs and their kids needs. Yet its unclear how, or whether, accountability or standards will be enforced outside traditional schools. Whats driving this change? The pandemic prompted many families to reconsider how their children learn. Republican lawmakers embraced private-school choice as part of a broader push for parental rights. (They also see the issue as a way to appeal to young parents often Black and Latino who are critical of how public schools serve their children.) And teachers are reporting intense burnout, with some leaving public schools to open small businesses that can accept these vouchers. I wrote about these microschools in a story The Times published this morning. In todays newsletter, Ill explain why parents are opting out of public schools and what it might mean for how this country educates all of its children. China on Monday threatened to impose tariffs on pork imports from Europe, in what appeared to be retaliation for the European Unions decision last week to impose preliminary tariffs on electric cars imported from China. Chinas Ministry of Commerce announced that it had opened an investigation into whether pork from the European Union was being dumped in China at unfairly low prices. The case could result in tariffs on dozens of products, from pork chops to pickled pig intestines. The ministry said it was acting in response to an application from the China Animal Agriculture Association, a government-affiliated group, and released a copy of the request. The association accused the European pork industry of benefiting from inappropriate government subsidies as it suffered from overcapacity the same accusations that European and American officials have leveled against Chinas car industry. Olof Gill, a spokesman for the European Commission, said in a statement that the European Unions executive arm was analyzing Chinas action and would follow the proceeding very closely in coordination with E.U. industry and member states, and intervene as appropriate to ensure that the investigation fully complies with relevant World Trade Organization rules. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has convened an annual meeting of local business leaders since the 1800s, but the most recent gathering had a decidedly modern theme: artificial intelligence. The goal was to demystify the technology for the chambers roughly 2,000 members, especially its small businesses. My sense is not that people are wary, said Ralph Schulz, the chambers chief executive. Theyre just unclear as to its potential use for them. When generative A.I. surged into the public consciousness in late 2022, it captured the imagination of businesses and workers with its ability to answer questions, compose paragraphs, write code and create images. Analysts projected that the technology would transform the economy by driving a boom in productivity. Dozens of environmental, labor and health care groups banded together on Monday to file a petition to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters, like floods and tornadoes. The petition is a major push to get the federal government to help states and local communities that are straining under the growing costs of climate change. If accepted, the petition could unlock FEMA funds to help localities prepare for heat waves and wildfire smoke by building cooling centers or installing air filtration systems in schools. The agency could also help during emergencies by paying for water distribution, health screenings for vulnerable people and increased electricity use. The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, announced on Monday that he would push for a warning label on social media platforms advising parents that using the platforms might damage adolescents mental health. Warning labels like those that appear on tobacco and alcohol products are one of the most powerful tools available to the nations top health official, but Dr. Murthy cannot unilaterally require them; the action requires approval by Congress. The proposal builds on several years of escalating warnings from the surgeon general. In a May 2023 advisory, he recommended that parents immediately set limits on phone use, and urged Congress to swiftly develop health and safety standards for technology platforms. He also called on tech companies to make changes: to share internal data on the health impact of their products; to allow independent safety audits; and restrict features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which he says prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use. It was early August last year. Nevin had dressed that morning, put on some makeup and gotten her daughters Zaina, Lina, Maise and Doaa ready for the day. Her husband, Mahmoud, flagged a taxi, and the couple set out from the warren of buildings in her neighborhood in eastern Gaza City to a leafy street near the center of the capital. She looked up at the clinic. The doctor worked most days in Al-Shifa Hospital and had come highly recommended. There was a long wait to see him; the high demand must have been a good sign, Nevin thought. And now, 90 minutes later, she was there with Mahmoud hearing the news. Nevin had been aware she was having another child. But the doctor knew something that even the mother did not. Youre carrying twins, he said. The couple walked down a boulevard in front of the clinic, past the men playing backgammon in the park and the hookah bars where smoke hung heavy in the summer afternoon. She was 36. Mahmoud was 39. Theirs hadnt been a love story in the romantic sense: Nevins two aunts married Mahmouds uncles years before, and their families arranged for Nevin and her sister to marry Mahmoud and his brother. But even at their first meeting, she laughed and felt relaxed with Mahmoud. Their life together began in a tiny bedroom in her in-laws apartment where the couple lived for two years before they moved into their own home in Shajaiye, the neighborhood where both their families lived. Zaina and Lina, now 14 and 13, came into their lives first, the two girls growing close because just a year separated them. Next came Maise, now 11, who loved order and memorizing the Quran; and then Doaa, who, though the youngest at 7, was the most stubborn and strong of the sisters. Lamor Whitehead, the flamboyant Brooklyn preacher who was convicted of defrauding a parishioners mother and attempting to commit extortion, was sentenced to nine years in prison by a federal judge in Manhattan on Monday. Mr. Whitehead, known as the bling bishop, was already in custody after Judge Lorna G. Schofield revoked his bail last month, admonishing him for making false statements about law enforcement officials and his victims on social media. Prosecutors have said that after his conviction in March, he had even tried to sell legal documents from his case online. I dont see any remorse for your conduct, the judge told Mr. Whitehead on Monday after he delivered a rambling monologue asking for her mercy. She added that he did not appear to appreciate the impact of his crimes or the basic facts of the case. Two of Mr. Whiteheads victims, his former acolyte Rasheed Anderson and Mr. Andersons mother, Pauline Anderson, addressed the judge before she rendered her sentence. An Indian man pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of orchestrating a failed assassination plot against a Sikh separatist in New York, a plan that prosecutors say he devised on behalf of an unnamed official in Indias government. The defendant, Nikhil Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic a year ago, and was extradited last week to make his first appearance in Manhattan federal court. He is accused of trying to arrange the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen and lawyer for a New York-based Sikh secessionist group. The murder attempt, which played out against a backdrop of doubt about Indias commitment to democracy, spanned several countries and mirrored the successful killing of another separatist in Canada, prosecutors say. On Monday morning, Mr. Gupta entered the Lower Manhattan courtroom in a blue cardigan and yellow patterned shirt and appeared relaxed as he spoke to his lawyer, Jeffrey Chabrowe, at the defense table. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since landing in the United States on Friday afternoon. George E. Norcross III, who was indicted on Monday on charges of racketeering, has never held elected office but has wielded immense political power in New Jersey for decades. A Democrat, he rose to prominence in Camden, N.J., after dropping out of Rutgers University in the late 1970s. His father helped him start a small insurance company in Camden and introduced him to the mayor, who appointed him to the citys parking authority the only government position he has ever held. Mr. Norcross, 68, went on to become financially successful and politically potent, playing a large role in selecting New Jerseys political leaders and influencing state policy. For six years, from 1989 to 1995, he was chairman of Camden Countys Democratic Association, but he has continued to be largely in control of the organization since then. He served many years on the Democratic National Committee, until he was forced, in 2021, to resign after reporting showed that he had registered to vote in Florida, where he now spends much of his time. I first learned about blue ghosts last year from Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, a zoologist at Brevard College in western North Carolina. I was at Brevard for a writers conference, and Dr. Frick-Ruppert offered to take me to see the ethereal fireflies that glow without blinking. But it rained that night, and lightning bugs dont fly in a hard rain. I was heartbroken. I was also determined to get back there this year and try again. When obligations in May made the timing of that goal unreachable, I set my sights on the later-emerging synchronous fireflies of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles East Tennessee and western North Carolina. Synchronous fireflies flash in unison blinking together and then going dark together before blinking together again. Generations of East Tennesseans have called this extraordinary phenomenon the Light Show. So many people want to see them that except for the lucky visitors whose names are chosen in a lottery each year, that area of the park is closed during firefly mating season. I was not one of the lucky ones. By the time my family left for vacation in western North Carolina in early June, Id given up on seeing the famous fireflies of the Appalachian forests. Then Georgann Eubanks, the author of several books about the wild South, volunteered to put me in touch with the naturalist Tal Galton, owner of Snakeroot Ecotours. She said he could point me toward the fireflies Id been longing to see. The best dinner party Ive attended all year took place at a conference held at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It was a family-style meal, arranged to make you ask the person sitting next to you to please pass the kale salad, at which point you might realize that to your left is a celebrated economist, and to your right, a top government official. Our host, Jennifer Harris, gave a speech about how economic ideas change to meet the needs of a new era. Everyone listened. In a room full of V.I.P.s, she was the queen bee. Id wanted to interview Ms. Harris for years. She has been the quiet intellectual force behind the Biden administrations economic policies, and she seemed key to understanding why both parties in Washington had walked away from free trade and neoliberalism the belief that free markets will bring prosperity and democracy around the world. These matters felt personal to me. I spent much of the Trump administration following steelworkers in Indiana who lost their jobs when their factory moved to Mexico. They felt betrayed by elites, and they werent wrong. I was thrilled when the Biden administration came in with a plan for big federal investments in the American industrial base, tariffs, support for labor unions and actions against monopolies. No one knew what to call it postneoliberalism? Democratic capitalism? Neopopulism? but for the first time in generations a U.S. administration was saying that people should control the market, not the other way around. I believed in it. But if it was the right path, why didnt more voters trust President Biden on the economy? To understand who Ms. Harris is, you have to know who she used to be. As a young State Department policy planner in the 2000s, she was a lonely voice in Washington raising the alarm about the rise of China. She pushed for tariffs and against trade agreements before it was cool, and was an author of a book called War by Other Means about how blind faith in free markets put the United States at a geopolitical disadvantage. For years, she felt like an oddball in Washington, where both parties were still in thrall to neoliberalism. The public jockeying by various candidates to become Donald Trumps running mate has taken on the air of a circus. At the Manhattan criminal courthouse where he was being tried for falsifying business records (and was found guilty on all 34 counts), a parade of acolytes appeared, often wearing Trump-red ties, in apparent hopes of impressing their potential future ticket mate: Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, the businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and others. Aspiring contenders clamored for camera time, made public declarations of support and later posted on social media about the injustice of the verdict. Mr. Trump has invited other potential running mates, such as Senator Tim Scott, to join him at his rallies, where they often serve in the role of a hype man, introducing the main attraction in glowing terms. A traditional vice-presidential search happens discreetly, with possible picks lobbying behind the scenes and through proxies while publicly downplaying their interest. Mr. Trumps search is playing out more like a cattle call audition. But Mr. Trump is always governing for the cameras his favorite constituency. Viewed through that lens, his veepstakes make much more sense. The process is playing out in public, with unvarnished careerism on view, in the familiar form of a reality show. Mr. Trump was Americas first reality-TV president, and now hes reviving the hits: Hes turned the veepstakes into a reboot of The Apprentice. I have spent much of my career in or on the edges of war zones, but nothing quite prepared me for the breadth and depth of human suffering I have witnessed in my three years as the United Nations humanitarian chief. The early months of my tenure were consumed with the conflict in Ethiopias Tigray region and the effort to get more than a trickle of food and other aid to some five million people who had been cut off from the outside world by brutal fighting. Then in February 2022 came Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine: the tanks rolling toward Kyiv, reports of summary executions and sexual violence in towns and villages, the brutal fighting in the east and south of the country that has forced millions of people from their homes and the relentless continuing attacks on apartment buildings, schools, hospitals and energy infrastructure. Tremors were felt around the world, as food prices rose and geopolitical tensions deepened. Just over a year later, the atrocious conflict in Sudan broke out. As two generals have battled for power, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced, and ethnic-based violence has once again emerged as famine looms. This story has been updated to include information about another lawsuit filed on Tuesday. For more than a decade, Oren Alexander was one of the biggest names in ultraluxury real estate in Miami and New York City. He helped to broker the record-setting 2019 purchase of a penthouse at 220 Central Park South, a deal closed for nearly $240 million. The real estate empire that he helped to build in the sky in multimillion-dollar perches of glass and steel in both cities is now crumbling under mounting accusations of violent sexual assault. Mr. Alexander, 36, was accused in two separate lawsuits filed this year of sexually assaulting two women more than a decade ago. Orens identical twin brother, Alon, an executive in a private security firm, is also named as a defendant in both complaints. The twins are accused of jointly sexually assaulting two women in separate incidents one woman says she was assaulted at a party mansion in the Hamptons and the other says she was drugged and then assaulted in Manhattan. Several people were injured on Saturday night after a Pride event in Baltimore was disrupted by fireworks and mace sprayed in a crowded area, the police said. Not long after 8:30 p.m. Saturday, attendees told officers that a chemical agent had been released into the crowd, the Baltimore Police Department said in a statement on Monday. The police found that the mace had been sprayed during a confrontation between two groups. Fireworks were also set off at the event, which took place in downtown Baltimore, causing attendees to flee, the police said, adding that several people were injured as they tried to dash to safety. Emergency medical workers quickly treated those who were injured, and the event was shut down. The injuries reported were not life-threatening, and all those involved were treated at hospitals and released, a spokesman for the Police Department said on Monday. Mace is legal to own in Baltimore, though people may not carry it openly with the intent or purpose of injuring an individual in an unlawful manner. California could become the fourth state to ban legacy admissions preferences at universities under a bill making its way through the State Legislature. Many selective colleges have historically given to the children or grandchildren of alumni who are much more likely to be white and wealthy than other applicants an advantage in the admissions process. But the practice, never particularly popular with the public, has come under scrutiny since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year against affirmative action policies at colleges and universities. After the courts decision, some schools including Occidental College, Carnegie Mellon and Wesleyan University decided to stop giving preference to legacy applicants. Now, California lawmakers are considering AB 1780, a bill that would prohibit universities in the state from giving preferential treatment to applicants because of their family ties to donors or alumni. Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland signed an executive order on Monday morning that forgives more than 175,000 convictions on low-level charges related to marijuana use. His administration said the mass pardon would probably affect about 100,000 people convicted of misdemeanor charges like possession. Some of them have multiple convictions. This is a responsibility that I take very, very seriously, Mr. Moore said at a news conference, adding that he was acting with deep pride and soberness. The move comes two days before Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War that has been celebrated by Black people since the late 1800s. President Biden signed a bill in 2021 making June 19 a federal holiday. The University of Michigan and the City University of New York mishandled complaints of discrimination on campus during widespread protests over the war in Gaza, the Education Department announced on Monday. The departments Office for Civil Rights has opened dozens of investigations into antisemitism and anti-Arab discrimination as students held rallies and set up encampments in support of Palestinians and called for their schools to divest from Israel. The Michigan and New York cases were only the first to reach a conclusion. More are expected to finish in the coming weeks and months as schools continue to reckon with the limits of free speech in academic settings. Under the terms of the agreements announced on Monday, the schools must step up their reporting of complaints to the Office for Civil Rights and revisit their training of employees, including campus police officers, about their obligations under federal law. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will travel to North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday to meet with one of the main arms suppliers for his war against Ukraine. As the war has dragged on, Russia has found itself in dire need of conventional weapons, including artillery shells, that North Korea could supply. Heres some background on what has happened so far and why it matters. What do we know about earlier arms shipments? The United States first accused North Korea of selling artillery to Russia as far back as September 2022, seven months after the war started. At the time, North Korea denied the accusations. Then, last August, the White House warned that Mr. Putin and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, were conducting arms negotiations, and in September, Mr. Kim visited Mr. Putin in eastern Russia. Just weeks later, U.S. officials said that North Korea had shipped more than 1,000 containers of arms to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. By March, officials said, North Korea had sent close to 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia. President Bidens campaign on Monday began its most aggressive effort to brand former President Donald J. Trump a felon, with the introduction of a new television advertisement that focuses on the presumptive Republican presidential nominees criminal conviction. The campaign said the ad would be part of a $50 million investment in battleground states in June. A growing number of Democrats have been urging the president to become more aggressive in branding Mr. Trump with his criminal conviction. We see Donald Trump for who he is, the ads narrator states. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault and he committed financial fraud. The ad concludes by framing the election with the choice the Biden campaign aims to sear into the memory of voters who may be on the fence about casting a ballot for Mr. Biden, whose approval ratings last week reached the lowest point in his presidency. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia stepped off a tour bus wrapped in Trump 2024 decals one afternoon this month in south-central Virginia with a simple message: Representative Bob Good of Virginia, the chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, was a traitor to former President Donald J. Trump. We need loyalists, Ms. Greene barked at about a dozen voters gathered on a baking parking lot in Goochland. Mr. Good, she said, had kicked Trump when he was down, and went and endorsed another candidate. John J. McGuire, a state senator, former Navy SEAL and election denier, is challenging Mr. Good for the Republican nomination on Tuesday. Mr. McGuire, who attended the Stop the Steal rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, is the true MAGA, the true Trumper loyalist! Ms. Greene said. Not too far down the road the following evening, Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, was on hand to rally with Mr. Good, an important injection of MAGA bona fides for a congressman dealing with the potentially crippling fact that Mr. Trump has endorsed his opponent. One of three inmates charged in the death of James (Whitey) Bulger, the Boston underworld figure who was fatally bludgeoned within hours of his being transferred to a prison in West Virginia, pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of lying to federal agents. The defendant, Sean McKinnon, 38, escaped additional prison time after prosecutors dropped a more serious murder conspiracy charge. He was initially charged with serving as a lookout, while two other inmates at the Hazelton federal prison, Fotios (Freddy) Geas and Paul DeCologero, rained a series of savage blows on Mr. Bulgers head. They have also been charged in the case. The attack occurred less than 12 hours after Mr. Bulger, 89, was transferred to the correction facility in Bruceton Mills, W.Va. Image Sean McKinnon pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of lying to federal agents, but he escaped additional prison time. Credit... Marion County Sheriff's Office/Handout, via Via Reuters Under his plea agreement, Mr. McKinnon faced up to five years in prison on the lying charge as well as a fine of $250,000. But he was credited with the almost two years he spent in prison after his indictment in the case, and U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh allowed him to leave the courtroom on Monday without an additional sentence. A Philippine Navy sailor was severely injured after ships from China and the Philippines collided Monday morning near a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of maritime confrontations that have increased tensions in the vital waterway. Each side blamed the other for the collision, which occurred between a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship near the Spratly Islands. Chinese state media said that the Philippine vessel had ignored multiple stern warnings and had behaved dangerously and in an unprofessional manner, causing the boats to collide. The Philippines said that Chinese naval, coast guard and naval militia vessels had engaged in illegal and aggressive actions, including what it called ramming. The U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, condemned what she called Chinas dangerous maneuvers, saying that they had caused bodily injury and damage to the Philippine vessel. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will visit North Korea this week for a meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, their second in nine months, as the two countries deepen military ties to support Mr. Putins war in Ukraine with North Korean weapons. Mr. Putin last visited North Korea in 2000, when he became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit the nation. This weeks trip, beginning on Tuesday, highlights North Koreas growing strategic importance for Mr. Putin, especially its ability to supply badly needed conventional weapons for the war in Ukraine. Mr. Kim met with Mr. Putin in Russias Far East last September, ushering in a new era of relations between the two countries. For Mr. Kim, it was a rare moment of his country, a pariah in the West, being sought after as an ally. For Russia, its a strengthening of ties with a country that is providing it with much-needed munitions for its war in Ukraine. Near the end of three years as the United States chief representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk has some parting advice: Avoid panic about Chinas combative language and moves, but dont grow numb to the risks. Ms. Oudkirk has been Washingtons de facto ambassador to Taiwan over a time when the island democracy has become a crucible of tensions between Washington and Beijing. China claims that Taiwan is its territory and must accept unification, by armed force if leaders in Beijing decide that is necessary. At times, debate among Taiwanese and American politicians, officials and experts has taken on some tension as well, over which mix of tactics what military purchases, what reassuring or unyielding words to Beijing, what steps with fellow democracies could best reduce the risks of war. Ms. Oudkirk, who leaves her post in Taipei early next month, suggested that Taiwan and its partners needed to find a steady path, avoiding both hysteria and complacency. A court in Russia said on Monday that the espionage trial of the imprisoned American journalist Evan Gershkovich would start next week and that the proceedings would be held behind closed doors. The first hearing, set for June 26, will come almost 15 months after Mr. Gershkovich, 32, was detained by security agents in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 900 miles east of Moscow. After spending more than a year in a high-security prison in Moscow, Mr. Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, is likely to be transferred back to Yekaterinburg to stand trial. Mr. Gershkovich had worked in Russia as a journalist for various publications for more than five years before his arrest. His employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges against him. The State Department has designated Mr. Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, which effectively compels it to work for his safe release. The announcement of a trial date represents a significant step in Mr. Gershkovichs legal case, which has been continuing in parallel with talks between Russian and American security services for a possible exchange. A White House adviser met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday as the Israeli military warned that the Lebanese militia Hezbollah was risking a wider confrontation with its cross-border strikes against Israel. The adviser, Amos Hochstein, who has overseen previous talks between Israel and Lebanon, was meeting with Israeli leaders amid swelling concerns that the confrontation with Hezbollah, a powerful militia and Lebanese political faction backed by Iran, could grow into all-out war. Several Israeli news outlets reported that Mr. Hochstein was holding talks aimed at preventing a further escalation. In a post on social media late Sunday night, the Israeli militarys chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said: Hezbollahs increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region. His comments echoed a threat that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made earlier this month, days after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and exploding drones from Lebanon into northern Israel. Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake, Mr. Netanyahu said, according to his government, while visiting soldiers and firefighters in northern Israel. We are prepared for very intense action in the north. Israels conflict with Hezbollah is intertwined with its battle against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hezbollah have fired back and forth in the months since the Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Hamas, another Iran-backed group, set off the war in Gaza. More than 150,000 people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have been displaced by the fighting there. Hezbollahs attacks have gradually intensified, with the group using larger and more sophisticated weapons to strike more often and deeper beyond the border. Both sides have refrained from engaging in full-blown war, but the tension has increased in the past week. Last Tuesday, an Israeli strike targeted and killed Taleb Abdallah, one of Hezbollahs senior commanders, prompting the group to step up its own attacks the next day. Two days later, the Israeli military said that its fighter jets had struck Hezbollah military structures overnight in Lebanese border villages. Then Hezbollah launched what Israeli officials called the most serious rocket and drone assault in more than eight months of hostilities, a barrage that lasted into the evening. The United States, France and other mediators have sought for months to curb the exchanges of fire. President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Thursday that his country and the United States had agreed in principle to establish a trilateral group with Israel to make progress on a French proposal to end the violence. But Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, rejected that effort the next day, saying that France had adopted hostile policies toward Israel. The crew of the Tutor, a Greek-owned bulk carrier sailing across the Red Sea to India, were on the deck on a sunny morning last week when they spotted in the distance what looked like a fishing vessel with two people aboard. The crew members thought it was nothing unusual, but moments later, the ship captain said, they noticed a vessel rushing toward their ship. The boat appeared to be remote-controlled the fishermen they thought they had glimpsed were dummies and crew members shouted, Inside! Inside! as they raced for cover, according to a video one of them posted on Facebook. The boat collided with their ship and exploded, shattering glass windows on the bridge of their vessel and submerging the engine room in seawater and oil, the captain said. We were all scared, the captain, Christian Domrique, said on Monday in Manila, where he and the crew members, all of whom are from the Philippines, were brought after the U.S. Navy airlifted them from the stricken vessel. It was the first time for all of us to experience that. It was one of the more dramatic episodes in recent months in the Red Sea, where the Houthi militia in Yemen has stepped up missile and drone attacks against ships in what it says is a campaign to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza. A Turkish university candidate was recently arrested after being caught using an AI-powered system to obtain answers to the entrance exam in real-time. On June 8th, thousands of high school graduates took the Basic Proficiency Test (TYT), the first session of the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) in Isparta, but one incident made international news headlines. One candidate, referred to only by the initials M.E.E. by Turkish media, was reportedly caught cheating using an ingenious system involving an internet connection, a concealed camera, and an AI-powered software that could read the questions on the test and provide answers in real-time. Unfortunately, the mans behavior during the test attracted the supervisors attention and upon closer inspection, his cheating method was discovered. Photo: Isparta Police Department Turkeys AA news agency recently reported the case of what is considered the first use of artificial intelligence in a university entrance exam. Although the full details of the system used by M.E.E. are yet to be disclosed, the Isparta Police Department announced that the man had concealed a small router in the lining of his sneakers in order to get past the control point at the entrance of the exam hall, as well as a small smartphone disguised as a credit card holder, a high-definition camera disguised as a shirt button, and a small headset in his ear. It is unclear how supervisors caught M.E.E. cheating, but Turkish media outlets reported that he was asking suspiciously. Upon finding the headset in his ear, supervisors escorted him out of the exam hall and handed him over to the police. A thorough search revealed that the headset and the small camera were connected to a smartphone, which was in turn connected to an AI-powered system that could read the questions on the test and then provide the correct answer via the headset. Photo: Isparta Police Department The AI service used by M.E.E. was not disclosed by police, but some news outlets suggested that it was a platform powered by ChatGPT. One thing is for sure though, M.E.E. now faces jail time, as cheating on university exams is considered a serious offense in Turkey. He will also be banned from taking another university entrance exam for at least two years. This isnt the first time someone used technology to cheat on important exams, but, to our knowledge, it is the first case of AI use. A French woman is taking telecom giant Orange to court for moral harassment and discrimination at work, accusing the company of paying her for 20 years without giving her any tasks. Laurence Van Wassenhove was recruited as a civil servant by France Telecom in 1993 before the company was taken over by Orange. Her original employer knew that she was hemiplegic partial paralysis of the face and limbs from birth and suffered from epilepsy, and offered her a position adapted to her medical conditions. She worked as a secretary and in the HR department until 2002 when she asked to be transferred to another region of France. Her request was approved, but her new workplace was not adapted to her needs, and an occupational medicine report confirmed that the position was not suited for her. Despite this, Orange allegedly failed to make any adjustments to her job, preferring to pay her full salary for the next 20 years, without giving her anything to do. Photo: Christine Hume/Unsplash Despite Oranges best efforts to ignore Van Wassenhove, the disabled woman did her best to report the situation to the government and the High Authority for the Fight against Discrimination. In 2015, a mediator appointed by Orange was mandated to resolve the situation, but things didnt improve at all, as the company continued to pay her without assigning her any tasks. Her lawyers claim that the telecom giant was thus trying to coerce her into quitting her job. They prefer to pay her than make her work, Laurences lawyer said, adding that the woman has filed a complaint against the company and four of its managers for moral harassment and discrimination at work linked to her health condition. Work for a person with a disability means having a place in society, recognition, social bonds that are created, the womans lawyer said. In this case, Laurence Van Wassenhove was denied all this by being put on the shelf for 20 years in the hope that she would quit. French newspaper La Depeche contacted Orange about Van Wassnehoves case and the company said that it had done everything to ensure that the woman worked in the best conditions possible. The company also claimed to have taken the womans personal social situation into account and to have paid her the full salary continuously, plus several non-refundable aids. A return to work in adapted positions was apparently also planned, but it never materialized because the employee was regularly on sick leave. Four years ago, we wrote about another bizarre case, where a French man sued his employer over a boring job that eventually made him depressed. TULLAMORE District Court was told that 90,000 had gone through the credit union account of a man who was seeking free legal aid. Details in relation to the account of Martin Cawley (29), Harbour Street, Tullamore were heard when he appeared before Judge Andrew Cody accused of committing offences on April 29 last at Harbour Street. Mr Cawley is alleged to have obstructed gardai who were attempting to carry out a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is alleged the accused impeded or obstructed Garda Tom Dunne by running into a premises with a bag and obstructed Garda Darren Hughes by flushing a large quantity of white powder down a toilet. A legal aid application was made on Mr Cawley's behalf by a barrister who said the credit union account of the accused had been frozen because of a separate garda investigation. Garda Darren Hughes told the court a search warrant had been executed on December 31 last year at Harbour Street and 3,090 in cash was seized along with a Louis Vuitton belt worth 440 and a Louis Vuitton bag worth 1,500. Garda Hughes said that subsequently gardai became aware that a large quantity of money had been going into Mr Cawley's account and about three hours after the initial search another 755 was seized. In all during 2023, 90,000 had gone into the account and at the time it was frozen the balance was between 60,000 and 70,000. Judge Cody asked the accused man: Can you explain that? When Mr Cawley's barrister said the man had been in employment at the time, the judge replied: I'd like to examine him under oath if he wants legal aid. When discussions were taking place between Mr Cawley and his legal representative Judge Cody said he wanted the accused in the witness box in the next 30 seconds or he would refuse his legal aid application. In evidence, Mr Cawley said he had been working in a local furniture company, Glenwood, for five years and though he was not sure when he finished working there, it was about or or three years ago. When the judge put it to him that the gardai were saying 90,000 had gone into his account in 2023 Mr Cawley said: I had a few accidents as well. He said most of the 90,000 came from a compensation claim and though he was not sure, there may have been three or four accident claims. Asked by Sergeant Kearns how he had received the money, Mr Cawley said it was by cheques. Sergeant Kearns said Mr Cawley would have to bring evidence to court of the lodgements. Judge Cody remarked: He's a man clearly earning a lot of money if he's paying tax on it or else he seems to be very unfortunate and making huge compensation claims. He said if he was getting the money he had plenty of cash to pay a solicitor. The judge was told the money could not be obtained and legal aid had been granted to him previously. Judge Cody adjourned the legal aid application for a week to June 19 for evidence of Mr Cawley's unfortunate accidents. Bord na Mona has announced several significant upgrades which are being carried out at Lough Boora Discovery Park in Offaly, designed to 'enhance the overall visitor experience'. The condition of the park was brought up by many of the candidates in the recent local election campaign with some questioning Bord na Mona's commitment to the project. Upgrades of the trail network that have been carried out to date have been completed in collaboration with Offaly County Council and according to Bord na Mona, visitors to Lough Boora Discovery Park will now be able to explore up to 4km of upgraded developed trails. It says that this upgrade offers more opportunities to enjoy the 'unique beauty and biodiversity of Lough Boora Discovery Park' and enhances the accessibility of the trails for all users. These trail upgrades were funded by Offaly County Council through the National Just Transition Fund. Bord na Mona says that since November 2023, a dedicated team has been overseeing an intensive maintenance programme throughout Lough Boora Discovery Park adding that this programme will continue throughout 2024, ensuring that the park remains in optimum condition for all visitors. Bord na Mona says it is also investing an additional 250,000 to improve the overall visitor experience, upgrading orientation and wayfinding, thematic experiences and visitor facilities. It says that Lough Boora is home to some of the most innovative land and environmental sculptures in Ireland, inspired by the rich natural and industrial legacy of the bog lands, a series of large-scale sculptures are now part of the parks permanent collection. Bord na Mona and Offaly County Council are working collaboratively on the maintenance and repair of sculptures in the park, with Creative Ireland funding a maintenance programme. New services have been introduced, with the award winning Ballycommon Bake House providing cafe services and Mid-Ireland Adventure offering bike hire, adding to the convenience and enjoyment of park visitors. These services are available from Wednesday to Sunday during the peak season and at weekends during the off-season. The main car park is open from 8am to 6pm and is free of charge after charges were scrapped in May. Bord na Mona says that dditional funding for upgrades to the park have been secured through several sources including the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, totalling 500,000, with required match funding by Bord na Mona. This project is focused on making the trail network around the core visitor hub area in the park fully accessible and inclusive, providing the local community a safe, quality and inclusive local recreation resource, but will also help to increase the number of visitors to Co Offaly and encourage greater dwell time and spend in the local economy. Work will also soon begin on the Velo Rail Project. This project includes a 4.1km loop along the existing Bord na Mona narrow gauge railway, offering new perspectives of the wetlands, sculpture park, wildlife, and biodiversity. This addition promises to be a unique attraction for visitors. Funding allocated to the Velo Rail project amounts to 445,000 through National Just Transition funding with Bord na Mona providing match funding of 120,000. In line with these improvements Bord na Mona says it has also recruited a dedicated recreation team to work full-time on trails and other projects within the park. These developments underscore Bord na Mona's commitment to providing exceptional local amenities and promoting outdoor recreation in the region. Speaking on the announcement, Ger Breen, Head of Land & Habitats with Bord na Mona said, these upgrades at Lough Boora Discovery Park represent our ongoing commitment to enhancing visitor experiences and promoting sustainable tourism. Through our collaboration with Offaly County Council, we are not only preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the area but also creating new opportunities for adventure and exploration. The dedication of our team and partners ensures that Lough Boora Discovery Park will continue to be a valued destination for all." NO one from the Cowen families in Offaly will seek a nomination from Fianna Fail to fill the Dail vacancy created by the election of Barry Cowen to the European Parliament. Offaly's first ever MEP, who will take his seat on July 16 when the new parliament meets in Strasbourg, today ruled out any Cowen candidacy. Asked to comment on speculation that one of his children might run, or indeed one of his brother Brian's children, Barry Cowen said: There is none of them interested and there's no one in the extended family interested. There won't be a Cowen on the ballot paper. Barry Cowen was elected to the European Parliament in the Midlands North West constituency having sat in the Dail since 2011 when he won the seat held by his older brother Brian since 1984. Prior to that their father Ber was in the Dail from 1969 to 1973, in the Seanad from 1973 to 1977 and in the Dail from 1977 until his sudden death in 1984. Ber's father Christy was on Offaly County Council from 1932 to 1967. Barry Cowen was one of five TDs elected to the Laois-Offaly constituency in the Dail election of 2020 and either a bye-election or a general election (which will be in the three-seat Offaly constituency) will have to take place to find his replacement. The 56-year-old Clara man said his party has won seats in both the local and European elections and consideration of the Fianna Fail candidate will take place in the autumn. We'll deal with one step at a time. We've just fought and succeeded in two elections and now we've to take our places in the respective forums and let them bed down first and let everyone have a summer and see where we're at in September. Reflecting on the European election (pictured below is Mr Cowen celebrating at the count in Castlebar), which saw him win one of the five seats in the Midlands North West constituency, Mr Cowen said he was very grateful to everyone who voted for him and all who helped him during the campaign. Grateful to the local organisation and the organisation around the constituency for the manner in which they rowed in behind my candidacy and assisted my team in ensuring a very full and committed canvass, he said. He received 73,908 votes on the first count and won the second seat with 115,977 on the 20th count, helped by transfers from his party running mates, the senators Lisa Chambers, Mayo and Niall Blaney, Donegal. Humbled by the size of the vote and the sufficiency of it and proud obviously and looking forward to and excited by the role and all it entails, he said. He had campaigned on delivery for the region on energy infrastructure and a just transition towards decarbonisation. I look forward towards honouring the commitments given during the course of the campaign and hopefully be in a position to make progress on the priorities I mentioned. The European election campaign in Midlands North West, which comprises 15 counties from Laois up to Donegal, was characterised by tension between the three Fianna Fail politicians in the field. Mr Cowen was the first choice when Fianna Fail members met to choose their candidates, with Senator Blaney coming second. The party then decided to add the third place finisher, Senator Chambers. Being selected by the convention was a great endorsement in the first instance, said Mr Cowen. Thereafter the decision [to add Senator Chambers] was a surprise but we ran with it and worked with it to ensure it yielded results. To be fair, they got reasonably good votes, both of them. Senator Chambers secured 44,069 first preferences and Senator Blaney 30,387. They contributed handsomely to my election and I'm very grateful and appreciative to them for that. We had no seat going in and we have one coming out so it's a huge success. We'll never know if two had ran would it have yielded two. Fine Gael won two seats as Maria Walsh retained hers and newcomer Nina Carberry, a retired jockey from Meath, was also successful. Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, the Independent candidate from Roscommon, topped the poll and was re-elected. READ: Who will run for election in Offaly? https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/tullamore-tribune/1531417/race-on-to-fill-vacancy-left-by-offaly-man-barry-cowen.html Mr Cowen MEP also spoke of his satisfaction with the party's council result in Offaly where eight seats were retained, four in Tullamore and two each in the Birr and Edenderry Electoral Areas. Retaining four in Tullamore is a huge, fantastic achievement and speaks volumes for the work the outgoing candidates were doing and that seems to be a trend throughout the country that the incumbents who had established themselves and have been to the forefront of their communities were rewarded and it was no different here in Tullamore. Again the strategy that allowed Ollie Bryant to be elected was testament to the other candidates to ensure that strategy was maintained and we're very grateful and appreciative of such a result and we look forward to them continuing in the same vein in which the outgoing and incumbents had done in relation to delivery for the locality and the community. In Birr and Edenderry to retain two seats, we're absolutely delighted. We wished and hoped we might have improved our representation and that was unfortunate. And especially unfortunate for those who lost their seats, especially Robert [McDermott] and Barbara Dooley was not successful in retaining that seat that had been held in Ferbane for so long and that was unfortunate too. From my own community's perspective I pay tribute to Sandy Feehan who lost her seat and wish her and her husband well. The European and local election results mean that the town of Clara has lost its TD and only has one remaining councillor, Fianna Fail's Frank Moran. Hundreds of job seekers from all over the Midlands attended the third annual Offaly Job Fair organised by Tullamore and District Chamber of Commerce on Saturday last. The event, held in the Tullamore Court Hotel, was officially opened by the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, Dara Colleary. He paid tribute to the Chamber and its sponsors for organising the event and said one of the Government's top priorities was enacting measures to ensure the economy continued to perform and deliver growth and jobs. Anthony Hanniffy, President of Tullamore Chamber, said the fair was aimed at a wide diaspora of job-seekers, from the school-leaver hoping to find an apprenticeship or further their education, to the commuter looking to work closer to home and enjoy a better work/life balance to those looking to further their careers to those financially stretched looking to live outside the major cities where the cost of living is more affordable. Added Mr Hanniffy: I am very enthused about our future here in County Offaly. Not only are our hurling teams doing the business on the pitch with our U20 All-Ireland and Joe McDonagh Cup wins and believe me these were very important for our confidence as a county. We have a strong generation coming through into adulthood, our businesses are remaining strong and growing, our community spirit is high and these all make the county a wonderful place to live and work He paid tribute to Minister Colleary whom he said has been very helpful to Co. Offaly over the past few years he has visited us here a no. of times, offered us advice and acted as a sounding board to different ideas we have generated. Being from a rural community very similar to ourselves gives him a unique insight into the issues that we face, observed the Screggan based President. He also thanked Minister Pippa Hackett , Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and newly Elected MEP Barry Cowen. Wed all like to congratulate Barry on his election. He has been a fantastic TD for us here in Offaly for the past 13 years and I know hell do a great job of representing us in Europe. The President also paid tribute to Jean Ryan, Acting Director of Services in Offaly County Council, for their sponsorship and support as well as the newly elected councillors who were present Neil Feighery, Tony McCormack, Ollie Bryant, John Clendennen, Noel Cribbin and Declan Harvey. Said Mr Hanniffy: Id like to take this opportunity to congratulate you all on your election. Its no easy feat to put your name on the ballot paper so well done to you all. The Chamber had a great rapport with the previous council and Im glad that many of you were re-elected and we look forward to working with you and the newly elected members again over the next five years. He said that over the past few years the Chamber of Commerce has worked to support members through some very difficult times. Continued Mr Hanniffy: As we emerged from the Covid landscape and into the cost of living crisis we consulted with local businesses on the types of supports that would benefit the local business community the most. We expected the events of the past few years to have negatively impacted businesses but were pleasantly surprised at the strength and resilience of our community, with most businesses looking to push forward and grow despite the challenging times. He observed that there are some tremendous projects completed or in progress in Offaly at the moment and these have huge potential moving forward. Indeed I was delighted to attend a briefing this week on the proposed Tullamore Regeneration Framework and Grand Canal Harbour Masterplan. These projects have the opportunity to transform our local area and the Chamber will support both projects to the best of its ability. The Chamber President noted that we will soon be entering a General Election Cycle and he called on all parties to give businesses the respect that they deserve. Our economy is very strong Im going to borrow a phrase from Donald Trump this economy is the greatest the world has ever seen. Its hard to believe where we are now compared to the financial crash 15 years ago. This economy has been generated via hard work and perseverance and in no small way via our taxation system. He said it worried him to hear of talk of increasing the Corporation Tax Rate . As a country we have enticed nearly all of the worlds top business to setup units here. These businesses have created high paying jobs and generated further jobs in indigenous Irish businesses in their supply chains. If we start messing with the Corporation Tax Rate then we run the risk of scaring some of these businesses away when theyre next making decisions on where to invest in new units. I would urge all parties to think long and hard about their policies in this area. Concluding Mr Hanniffy thanked the Chambers events committee for making this event a reality. Anne Starling and the team have left no stone unturned to make it the event it is. There have been many hours work completed and Im sure youll agree that it was definitely worth is. This event wouldnt be possible without the support of Offaly County Council, Offaly Local Development, Offaly Local Enterprise Office, Laois Offaly Education Training Board and The Technical University of the Shannon. Innovative, futuristic, and spectacular are just a few of the accolades being showered upon draft plans for the regeneration of Tullamore and the visionary reimagining of Tullamore Harbour. The internationally acclaimed Grafton Architects headed by Tullamore woman Yvonne Farrell crafted the plans for the harbour, while the renowned firm Brady Shipman Martin/Faulkner Browns collaboration, were the consultants for the Tullamore Regeneration Project. The draft plans are now open for public viewing and people are being invited to make submissions. The Harbour The Grand Canal Harbour project is a joint effort by Offaly County Council (OCC) and Waterways Ireland (WI) who recognise the value of this hidden gem in the heart of the town. The harbour which has remained hidden from view, has been seen as a lost opportunity for many years. But if the plans drawn up by Grafton Architects come to fruition it will become a focal point in the town, attracting visitors as well as becoming a place to live and do business. ''A well kept secret'' is how Grafton Architects describe Tullamore Grand Canal Harbour. It is a space measuring 54m by 46m containing approximately 5,000 cubic metres of water. Grafton Architects has prepared a new map of Tullamore which it describes as the Golden Map highlighting specific strengths of the harbour and its surrounds. Grafton say that together with OConnor Square and Market Square ''Grand Canal Harbour can become a new and unique space a Water Square a hub of activity, adding to the Necklace of Squares of Tullamore,'' including Market Square and O'Connor Square. Grafton proposals termed ''The Catalogue of Opportunities'' include, modifications to the surrounding streets; suggested new entrance points into the Harbour; the restoration of the ''highly crafted, late 18th C. magnificent stonework of the Canal Harbour,'' the Dry Dock, the Canal Spur and Youngs Store; as well as locations for possible development. ''It is incumbent on Waterways Ireland and Offaly County Council to once more facilitate development of the Harbour area as a centre of commerce, recreation, a place to live and visit. These aspirations are firmly rooted in the Masterplan through a catalogue of future development opportunities, each will be subject to detailed cost benefit assessment and contingent on achieving the right funding model at the appropriate time. - Grafton Architects. Image below of how the Harbour might look in the future Tullamore Regeneration Framework Tullamore Regeneration Framework will serve as a model for regeneration of Tullamore into the future. Director of Services Tom Shanahan says it will act as a blueprint for subsequent development in the town. It will work to ''promote compact growth, healthy and appealing public spaces, enhancing urban resilience, improving permeability, fostering vibrancy, and encouraging sustainable mobility.'' The multi-disciplinary consultancy team in Brady Shipman Martin and Faulkner Browns say their vision is to ''strengthen the town centre through characterful placemaking and increasing opportunities for town centre living, working, socialising and tourism.'' The delivery framework for this vision is set out in a series of Key Regeneration Projects, comprising Opportunity Sites and Public Realm interventions. They say, ''Tullamore contains the right DNA to become a thriving town. Compact, walkable and with a rich fabric of built architectural heritage, the town is surrounded by lakes, boglands and waterways, offering both an urban and outdoor lifestyle. By creating animated, sustainable and welcoming places for all, the energy and exchange of the market town can be revived, instilling Tullamore as a key town to live, work and visit. They note that the people of Tullamore are proud of how warm and welcoming the town is. They say their plans focus on ''creating spaces and opportunities for social exchange and community interaction, bringing refreshed and contemporary market square concepts to Tullamore for 2040 and beyond.'' The Opportunity Sites identified by the team include, Texas Site. (A plan for this by Cayenne Holdings has gone to An Bord Pleanala.) Lands behind High Street/O'Moore Street - proposals here include housing, a senior living scheme, new commercial units fronting O'Moore Street. Lands South of O'Connor Square - proposals include reusing of protected Malthouse and providing new commercial and cultural uses for part of the site. Railway Lands This is a prime site for high density and multi residential development with the potential for mobility/public transport hub at the station. Coen Site - potential for the site to be developed as a town centre perimeter housing scheme with large retail zone retained and additional retail opportunity added to the site. (Planning permission for a retail development at this site was granted to Flanagan Developments in 2021.) Lands behind the Court - site strategy proposes retaining the majority of commercial uses on the site at Kilcruttin Business Park and re-inforcing this future use. To the north end of the site interior, a new residential infill development of terrace housing is proposed increasing the density of the block. The Tullamore Regeneration Framework is Funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund 2020 (URDF) and Offaly County Council. The Framework and Harbour Masterplan are available for inspection in the offices of Offaly County Council, Aras an Chontae, Tullamore Municipal District, Tullamore Library during normal office hours from 13th of June 2024 to 11th July 2024. An open day will be held in Tullamore Library on June 20 from 12pm to 7pm. Below an image of how O'Carroll Street could look in the future My work to save lives and the environment has been censored and stonewalled by government agencies, publishers, and professional societies. As an act of civil disobedience, I continue this one-man-fight to make our world a better place to live. Now, Facebook has joined this censorship of my work. The Latest Censorship: Facebook Specifically, I wrote in Facebook: What do you do when your manager asks you to perform unsafe or incompetent work? I answered this lifetime question for myself in a recent publication - "The Price of Engineering Ethics, a Personal Story" (click here). This quote and the referenced paper were falsely claimed to be spam by Facebook, and removed from Facebook. I requested an appeal of this Facebook decision. This latest act of censorship sparked this Op Ed to discuss some of the underlying reasons for my dedication to philanthropic research to prevent loss of life. Civil disobedience in science and engineering is necessary for the maintenance of a safe society. Actions of Civil Disobedience To discuss this issue of civil disobedience, a few quotes from that Facebook-censored, peer-reviewed journal article follow. Philosophy Study, "The Price of Engineering Ethics, a Personal Story" 'There are costs for doing the right thing, but regret is not one of those costs. I learned this lesson the hard way throughout a 42-year engineering career. As a young engineer, raising a family, I was more adaptable to management mandates, i.e., I was more willing to be unethical to keep my job to make money and have health insurance for my family. As I grew in age, experience, and stamina, I was less adaptable, i.e., I was more ethical. This article tells this story through events at various times in my engineering career. Ethics define how we do the right thing. 'To act ethically during business transactions, a person may need to risk losing their job. Such a cost can be difficult to accept. I have accepted that risk on occasion, and I have no regrets. However, I changed job positions due to these decisions, quit my job on one occasion, and received severe, nearly hateful, criticism from managers. There were costs to act ethically in past business transactions. 'Moreover, I am in the midst of a one-man war against our government. The stakes of this struggle are our lives, our money, and our environment, which is our world around us. Again, there are costs for doing the right thing, but regret is not one of those costs.' Civil disobedience is defined by Britannica as 'the refusal to obey the demands or commands of a government ' 'as a peaceful form of political protest'. I refuse to accept dangerous government policies and related cover-ups. A History of Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience, though costly, is a pillar of our freedom of speech. In his 1849 "Essay on Civil Disobedience", Henry David Thoreau spoke of his night in jail for refusing to pay a specific tax, and he wrote: 'Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? 'What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn. 'The authority of government, even such as I am willing to submit to, for I will cheerfully obey those who know and can do better than I, and in many things even those who neither know nor can do so well, is still an impure one: to be strictly just, it must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it' (.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Thoreau/Civil%20Disobedience.pdf.) A Lack of Civil Disobedience The Press occasionally cites disasters that could have been prevented, since the dangers were known in advance. One such high-profile case concerned the Challenger space-shuttle explosion. The deadly Challenger explosion burst into a streak of smoke and debris (Figure 1). The immediate cause of the accident was suspected within days and was fully established within a few weeks. The severe cold reduced the resiliency of two rubber O-rings that sealed the joint between the two lower segments of the right-hand solid rocket booster'. 'As the vehicle ascended, the leak expanded, and after 59 seconds a 2.4-metre (8-foot) stream of flame emerged from the hole'. 'Challenger broke up in the explosion.' With respect to this discussion, 'The Rogers Commission heard disturbing testimony from a number of engineers who had been expressing concern about the reliability of the seals for at least two years and who had warned superiors about a possible failure the night before [launch]' (Challenger Disaster, .britannica.com/event/Challenger-disaster). Did the Challenger engineers not have the right and the responsibility to act with integrity to serve others, save lives, and strongly confront management? Was not such civil disobedience justified and warranted? Figure 1. Challenger disaster. Could civil disobedience by engineers have stopped this disaster? (Image by NASA) Details DMCA Defiant Civil Disobedience I continue civil disobedience through my writing as political protest, even though censorship of my research has been extensive and extreme. For example, Structures Magazine published my article on bridge safety dangers and withdrew that article from the internet after publication ("Bridge Safety Dangers-Fatigue Cracks, Brittle Failures and Grit Blasting", click here). The ASME Journal of Nuclear Engineering turned down a paper, stating that ethics should not be published when considering the safety of nuclear power plants, where that peer-reviewed engineering journal paper was published elsewhere ("Nuclear Power Plants Are Not So Safe: Fluid Transients / Water Hammers, Autoignition, Explosions, Accident Predictions and Ethics", click here). I have also discussed censorship and ethics in other publications, as listed below. Ethics and resistance to censorship are integral to the execution of civil disobedience. Costs for Civil Disobedience Since multiple U.S. government agencies refused any grant funding, I invested my own money - nearly $200,000 as listed in tax records - to support these acts of fierce civil disobedience. For example, the DOE refused legitimately requested funding as follows. The DOE, Idaho Operations Office improperly, unethically, and dishonestly dismissed a research grant proposal to prevent explosions in nuclear power plants, and this decision will directly result in loss of life and disastrous environmental damages, i.e., this DOE decision can kill people and spew radioactive contamination across U.S. property. To dismiss this research proposal, the DOE falsely claimed that the prevention of nuclear power plant explosions does not "propose innovative technology development to improve the capability of the existing fleet" of nuclear power plants. That is, in blocking this grant, the DOE made this false claim and other false claims (dishonest, untruthful actions) to support their errant decision that violated their own procedures, i.e., Funding Opportunity Announcement (an improper action). These actions constitute a cover up (an unethical action and lack of integrity) of an important safety issue that can result in loss of life, property damage, and major environmental damages, and this unethical DOE blockage of needed research is a threat to public safety ("DOE Cover Up of Explosion Dangers in US Nuclear Power Plants and DOE Responses", .leishearengineeringllc.com/publications.html). Effectively, this grant refusal thwarted 'national safety and cost effective operations of pipelines and the U.S. nuclear reactor fleet, as well as future reactor designs'. In lock-step, and in disagreement with my filed complaint, the DOE Inspector General agreed with DOE representatives that nuclear reactor safety is unrelated to the operations of U.S. nuclear power plants. After all, why would the enemy of new technology support this research. Since I received no grants, my nearly full-time research over the past eight years, and part-time research since the 1990s, has been unpaid. There are prices to be paid for civil disobedience, but I do not regret those prices. Even so, I resent the prices that I have paid to force our government and regulators to act to save our lives and surroundings. A Right To Civil Disobedience Do we not have the right and the responsibility to act with integrity to serve others and save lives? In response to Thoreau's questions above, we shall 'transgress [unjust threats against us] at once'. That is, we must 'anticipate and provide for [change]', where some of these ongoing threats are currently protected by laws and regulations. Such civil disobedience is certainly justified and warranted. To this end, I am writing a new book ("Book Publisher Wanted for a New Book, 'Industrial Murder for Profit'"). Even the title of this book was judiciously selected to be an inflammatory and pejorative charge of civil disobedience against our government and regulators who needlessly risk our lives, our homes, our money, and our environment. Addendum Along with a link to this Op Ed, I posted the following message on Facebook. 'Facebook deleted a post that I made, and I respectfully asked that this post be restored to Facebook. My response to that Facebook decision compelled me to ask a bigger question in the attached Op Ed, "What is our responsibility to each other".' (Article changed on Jun 18, 2024 at 2:53 PM EDT) secura protect, a leading family-run security company, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company's success story is characterized by passion, commitment and hard work. Under the leadership of founder and Managing Director Patrick Pond, secura protect has developed into one of the top security services in Germany. Security is a fundamental need and an essential part of our society. There is often a story of passion, commitment and hard work behind The Oregon Court of Appeals has denied a motion by Harney County gun owners to dismiss the states appeal of a judges ruling that found the voter-approved gun control Measure 114 violates the state Constitution. The appellate court also accepted the states opening brief in the appeal even though it came a week after a deadline set in an expedited schedule instituted by the court. State lawyers said they had to wait for corrections to be made in the original trial transcript. The gun owners who challenged Measure 114 in Harney County now have until July 26 to file their response. Lawyers for the state argue that Harney County Circuit Judge Robert S. Raschio turned legal standards on their head and should have found the measures regulations constitutional as written under existing case law. The trial court weighed the policy merits of the measure for itself and, at the same time, refused to consider published studies and reports on the public safety benefits of each of the laws three components, the states opening brief said. By doing so, Raschio assumed policy-making authority that belongs to the Legislature and overrode the initiative process that belongs to the people, the brief said. The state has argued Article I, Section 27, of the Oregon Constitution codifies a right to bear arms for self-defense but the right is not absolute. Voters approved Measure 114 with 50.7% of the vote in November 2022. It limits gun magazine capacity to 10 or fewer rounds; requires a permit to buy a gun; and closes the so-called Charleston Loophole by requiring the completion, not just initiation, of a criminal background check to buy or transfer a gun. The week before the law was set to take effect in Dec. 8, 2022, two Harney County gun owners filed a lawsuit challenging both the permitting requirement and the magazine capacity limit. Raschio issued an emergency injunction, blocking the measure from taking effect. He then held a six-day bench trial on the merits of the suit and last November found the measures two major provisions -- the permit to buy a gun and the ban on the sale, transfer and manufacture of magazines holding more than 10 rounds -- both violate the state constitution. The judge found the regulations infringed on the constitutionally protected right to bear arms. And, despite arguments by state lawyers that the new regulations were intended to reduce mass shootings, suicides and homicides, Raschio said the state failed to show either provision would promote public safety. Lawyers for the state contend Raschio wrongly excluded studies, reports and statistics on the public safety impacts of the gun control regulations and urged the appellate court not to make the same mistake. Assistant Attorney General Robert A. Koch, for example, argues that Raschio wrongly excluded a 187-page Las Vegas police investigative report on the largest mass shooting in U.S. history, the Oct. 1, 2017, massacre in Las Vegas, when a gunman opened fire on a music festival from his hotel suite, killing 58 people and injuring more than 800. The state tried to introduce the report to show the gunman had been found with 60- to 100-round magazines. The report provides tragic and relevant details about the shooter using large-capacity magazines to commit mass slaughter, harms that Measure 114 was expressly enacted to prevent, Koch wrote. According to the trial court, the use of large-capacity magazines to kill and injure hundreds in mere minutes was irrelevant. That is baseless. Raschio did allow testimony on the average number of rounds used in self-defense. A states witness testified that a review of the National Rifle Associations Armed Citizen defense data shows the average rounds fired in self-defense is no more than 2.3 rounds. In contrast, the two Harney County gun owners who filed the challenge in court, as well as two rural Union and Harney county sheriffs, testified at trial about their preferences for large-capacity magazines for self-defense to protect their livestock from coyotes, or to thwart attacks from wolves and bears. The grassroots group Lift Every Voice Oregon and other faith-based organizations that worked to place the measure on the ballot have filed a friend of the court brief to support the states appeal. Their attorney, Nadia H. Dahab, contends Raschio applied the wrong legal analysis through his speculative inquiry focused on whether the law could ever be applied unconstitutionally. Dahab pointed to the judges direct questioning of Joseph Paterno, a volunteer coordinator with Lift Every Voice Oregon, during the trial. Raschio made up several scenarios concerning the possible effects of the measure on pastors or rabbis of different races. He suggested police could disparately enforce the new gun regulations. Raschio asked how police might respond to an older white Reverend versus a young Black pastor or an older white rabbi' versus a younger Middle Eastern rabbi, with a nod apparently to the chief petitioners of Lift Every Voice Oregon. Dahab wrote that Raschio focused not on whether the law could constitutionally be applied, but on whether, if at all, it could unconstitutionally be applied in circumstances the trial court speculated might arise. Rather than determine whether Measure 114 is capable of constitutional application in any circumstance, the trial court instead searched for any possible circumstance in which the the measure might be unconstitutionally applied or construed. This was legal error that requires reversal, Dahab wrote. Joining Lift Every Voice Oregon in the brief are Ceasefire Oregon, Central Oregon Gun Safety Advocates, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, League of Women Voters of Oregon, Muslim Educational Trust, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Viva Inclusive Migrant Network and Albina Ministerial Alliance. The Appeals Court also has allowed the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, March for Our Lives, Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety, Alliance for Gun Responsibility and Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership to file its own friend of the court brief in support of the measure. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, or on LinkedIn. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Police shot a man to death early Monday morning in Vancouver after the man pulled a gun on them, police reported. A police officer was driving on Northeast Andresen Road at around 12:51 a.m. when several people flagged him down, Vancouver police said. They reported a man pointing a gun at them as he walked down the road, according to the police statement. Additional officers arrived, and police found the man near the 2400 block of Northeast Andresen Road. He refused police commands to stop, and an officer sent a police dog toward him, police reported. The man pointed a gun at the officers, and the four officers shot at him, according to the police statement. During the shooting, the police dog was shot in the tail. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he died. The police dog underwent surgery on its tail, but the four officers were not injured, police reported. The officers who have not been publicly identified are on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure. This is the second police shooting in Vancouver in just over a week. On June 8, Vancouver police fatally shot a man who pointed what appeared to be a gun at a police officer. The Clark County Sheriffs Office will lead an independent investigation into Mondays shooting. Body-cam and in-car footage will be reviewed and released later, police reported. Sujena Soumyanath is a reporter on The Oregonian/OregonLives public safety team. You can reach her at 503-221-4309 or ssoumyanath@oregonian.com. As a former staff member and board member of Portlands Outside In - the site of one of the first needle exchange programs in the nation - I know that these programs cut the risk of HIV/AIDS dramatically. When Outside In was trying to start Portlands program, the federal government tried to shut us down. However, the public health evidence has always been strong that needle exchange works. Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who launched his political career over prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, disagrees with the countys funding of needle exchange. Thirty years of research proves why Gonzalez is wrong to oppose it. Now, he wants a promotion to serve as Portlands mayor. Portland leaders have made plenty of mistakes over the years. Gonzalez would repeat those mistakes, costing lives and hurting efforts to end homelessness, fight HIV/AIDS and promote drug treatment. Chuck Currie, Portland Currie is the university chaplain emeritus of Pacific University. To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. If youre disappointed with both Joe Biden and Donald Trump as presidential candidates, do not abstain from voting in November. The Oregonian/OregonLive recently ran a piece on the uncharacteristically large protest vote in the May primary election, (Trump, Biden drawing more protest votes than recent Oregon presidential primaries, May 21). The very existence of such a piece and others like it proves that voting your conscience is not a throwaway vote. The political press will take notice. Also, if the Green Party gets only 5% of the vote in November, it will be a huge victory. It will not only make a statement of protest, but will qualify the party for federal matching funds for the next election. Democratic congressional nominee Janelle Bynum on Monday challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to three debates in an Oregon district that could determine which party controls the House. Bynum is seeking to reclaim for Democrats Oregons 5th Congressional District, which now stretches from Portland to Bend and which Chavez-DeRemer won by 2 percentage points in 2022. Voter registration numbers and past election results show a slight advantage for Bynum, but its one of a handful of highly competitive races nationwide. Bynum called for three debates: One hosted by a TV station in the Portland market, one hosted by a TV station in the Bend market and one live-streamed and hosted by an organization or several organizations in conjunction with a print or radio news outlet. She wants the debates to occur between Sept. 9 and Oct. 15, with proposed debate dates and terms submitted to the campaigns for approval by July 15. Bynum also demanded that debate hosts schedule events with an empty podium with a placard displaying Chavez-DeRemers name if Chavez-DeRemer refuses to participate. Families all across the 5th District are telling me how concerned they are about Lori Chavez-DeRemers extreme MAGA positions, and as an elected official, its her obligation to explain herself to the voters, Bynum said in a statement. Lori: you owe Oregon voters an answer about why youre backing convicted felon Donald Trump and why youve spent your tenure in Congress enabling his extreme anti-woman, anti-justice, and anti-democracy vision for America. The least you could do is justify your record directly to Oregonians on stage with me. Chavez-DeRemer spokesman Aaron Britt said Chavez-DeRemer looks forward to making her case to voters. While we wont be negotiating a debate calendar via press release, the congresswoman welcomes the opportunity to highlight her bipartisan accomplishments, which contrasts sharply with her opponents track record of being soft on criminals, against law enforcement and for tax hikes that have resulted in high crime and a weak economy, Britt said. Chavez-DeRemer debated 2022 Democratic nominee Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Bend-based KTVZ and Portland-based KATU. -- Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle; jshumway@oregoncapitalchronicle.com Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. Portlands showery and cool weekend, where temps mostly stayed in the 60s, has come to an end and any light showers Monday morning will be the last we see of rain through the end of the work week. The National Weather Service says Mondays showers should mostly be held to the Cascades as the region settles into a drier northwest flow as the wet system from the weekend moves eastward. Portland has a small chance of showers before about 8 a.m., then skies should stay mostly cloudy. The high temp will reach about 67 degrees. Daytime high temperatures rebound on Tuesday as high pressure moves into northwest Oregon and southwest Washington bringing a stretch of hotter weather that will catapult us into summer. Tuesdays skies should be mostly sunny, and winds will be calm. The high should reach about 74 degrees. On Juneteenth, Portland sees sunny skies and highs climbing to about 85 degrees. Extended forecasts show a 60-70% chance of temps reaching 90 degrees from Portland to Salem on both Thursday and Friday. Thursday is the summer solstice, arriving at 1:50 p.m. Pacific time. Temps will be a bit cooler in the southern Willamette Valley with Eugene only having a 35% chance of reaching 90 degrees. If you're a parent, chances are you've visited the pharmacy counter at least once in the past month to pick up prescription medications for you or your family. Prescription drugs have long been a major expense for many households, and this has become even more prevalent in recent years. According to an analysis by the ASPE, over 4,200 drug products increased in price from January 2022 to January 2023 alone, with an average increase of 15.2%. Shockingly, certain prescriptions were subject to price hikes exceeding 3,000%. For parents whose children rely on prescription medication to manage an illness or a chronic condition, rising costs can put a significant strain on the household budget. Fortunately, as Matthew Herfield, Co-Founder and CEO of BuzzRx, explains, there are several ways parents can keep their families healthy without breaking the bank at the pharmacy. 1. Use Generic Alternatives One of Herfield's first recommendations is to use generic alternatives versus brand-name prescriptions whenever possible. "Generic drugs typically use the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, but they can be up to 85% cheaper," he explains. "When your doctor writes a prescription for you or your family member, be sure to ask if there is a generic alternative you can use instead. This is especially useful if you don't have insurance coverage or your insurance doesn't fully cover prescription medication costs." Parents should communicate openly with their family's doctors about how best to manage prescription medication costs. 2. Use Prescription Discount Cards In addition to using generic alternatives, Herfield is a big proponent of prescription discount cards. "Prescription discount cards, like BuzzRx, can be used for both brand-name and generic medications, with savings as high as 95% off generics and typically 10 to 15% off brand-name drugs," he says. "Prescription discount cards can be used even if you have insurance. You might even find that the discounted price is less than your insurance policy's prescription drug copay. Whichever option is cheaper, our platform allows users to immediately compare prices at local pharmacies so you can find the best savings. There are no qualification requirements, so anyone can take advantage of these discounts." To receive a card in the mail, you can fill out a form online or simply download a free app for a digital card. The cards are accepted at tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide, including major chains like CVS and Walgreens. 3. Join a Prescription Savings Program Some retailers offer prescription savings programs that provide discounted prices on generic medications. For example, Walmart offers a variety of generic drugs available in 30-day supplies starting at $4 or 90-day supplies starting at $10. Amazon also offers its own prescription discount program for Prime members, whereas Walgreens has a Prescription Savings Club that costs $20 for individuals or $35 for families per year. However, it's worth noting that many retailers typically don't cover as many drugs as prescription discount cards, and some (including Kroger and Walgreens) are even planning to end their savings benefits programs in the near future. 4. Look into Patient Assistance Programs and Copay Coupons Outside of third-party discount programs, Herfield notes that many drug manufacturers also have resources that can help parents lower their families' prescription medication costs. "Many drug manufacturers offer copay coupons or patient assistance programs that can help cover the cost of your copays or allow you to get medication at a discounted pricesometimes even free," he says. "This can be especially valuable if you or a family member needs to take a specific medication and a generic alternative isn't available. However, it's important to be aware that these programs typically have income requirements and extensive paperwork." Though not as readily accessible to families as other discounting options, it certainly doesn't hurt to look into what programs are potentially available to help you afford your medications. 5. Ask About Larger Quantities "Many prescriptions are available at lower per-dosage prices if you can fill a prescription in a larger quantity," Herfield notes. "For example, many drug manufacturers charge less for a 90-day supply than they would for three separate 30-day supplies. In addition, placing a single order for a larger quantity of medication means reduced worry about your prescription copay and bringing your kids to the pharmacy." Talk to your doctor about getting a larger quantity prescribed to you or a family member for any ongoing prescriptions. While the availability of larger prescription quantities can vary depending on the type of medication needed and availability at your local pharmacies, it certainly doesn't hurt to ask. Make Prescription Costs Manageable As these insights reveal, there are a variety of strategies parents can use to lower the costs of their family's prescription medications. Best of all, most of them only require a little bit of your time to start saving. By researching options and comparing the costs, you can start saving money while keeping your family healthy. Nine people, including two young children and their mother, were injured when a gunman opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families had gathered to escape the summer heat on Saturday. Police situated the gunman at a nearby home, where he badly shot himself, according to authorities. Two Children Sustained Injuries at Splash Pad Shooting During a news briefing, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard reported that an 8-year-old boy was dangerously wounded after being shot in the head, while his mother remained in a critical situation with wounds to her abdomen and leg. The boy's 4-year-old brother sustained a leg injury but was in a stable situation. The other six casualties, all aged 30 or older, were reported as stable. Among them were a husband-and-wife pair and a 78-year-old man. The firing happened shortly after 5 p.m. at a city park featuring a recreational area with a nonslip surface and water sprays. Bouchard signified that the attack appeared random, with the shooter driving to the park, walking to the splash pad, and firing up to 28 shots, reloading multiple times. Though a witness mentioned the use of two handguns, this has yet to be verified. In the chaotic aftermath, responders quickly conducted help, including tourniquets, with police recovering a handgun, three empty magazines, and numerous shell casings from the scene. Using the handgun's registration, investigators determined the suspect's possible address, where they discovered a vehicle matching his description. After surrounding the home and attempting to contact the suspect to no avail, law enforcement entered and discovered his body. Bouchard confirmed the man's death was a result of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Inside the residence, authorities found a handgun near the body, potentially the second weapon mentioned by witnesses, along with a semiautomatic rifle on the kitchen table. The swift containment of the suspect likely prevented further violence, Bouchard remarked. Read Also: Arkansas Teen Arrested for Murder Following Tragic Shooting at Post Prom Event Authorities Identified the Shooter Involved in Splash Pad Shooting The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and Bouchard stated the suspect had no ties to Rochester Hills. He emphasized the ongoing investigation into any potential writings or electronic clues that could shed light on the motive. The suspect, described as a 42-year-old with no criminal record, reportedly lived with his mother and had been facing undisclosed mental health challenges. Community leaders expressed deep sorrow over the incident, with Rochester Mayor Bryan Barnett describing the splash pad as a place meant for joy and community gathering. The shooting occurred as students began their summer vacation, adding to the tragedy felt across Oakland County. Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed her condolences, stating she was monitoring the situation closely and in contact with local authorities. Authorities identified the shooter at a Rochester Hills splash pad as 42-year-old Michael William Nash from Shelby Township, who took his own life afterward. Investigators are probing for clues about his motives. Nash had no criminal record but reportedly faced mental health challenges. The shooting injured nine, including critically an 8-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman. Sheriff Michael Bouchard detailed how Nash opened fire at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad and then fled to a nearby residence, where he died after a standoff. VPNs, when managed properly, are a great way to protect your privacy and keep your online activities hidden from prying eyes. But not all VPN services maintain the same security standards or take the exact same approach to user privacy. How does your VPN handle your data? When the police or governments come knocking, what does your VPN do? The history of law enforcement subpoenas of VPN logs is murky to say the least. Major VPNs can get hundreds of data requests per year, but what they turn over is not so straightforward. Ill try to clear the water and help you understand how your data is being handled and how safe it truly is. VPN warrants and data request handling VPN providers typically receive two different kinds of data requests, those regarding copyright violations through a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) request or requests from law enforcement or government authorities following up on other possible illegal activity. By far the most common are DMCA requests, which can oftentimes range in the tens of thousands per month. Law enforcement requests are much less common and may range on average from a few per week to one per day for the largest VPN companies. Our best overall Pick for VPNs ExpressVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: We can get a more accurate glimpse of these numbers by looking at each VPN providers transparency report (more on those later) posted on their website. Our top pick, ExpressVPN, states that in the period from July to December 2023, they received 194 total Government and/or police requests and 152,653 DMCA requests. Another extremely popular service, NordVPN, reports 81 total inquiries from government institutions from January to April 2024 and an astounding 2,421,053 DMCA requests clearly NordVPN is the peoples choice for illegally pirating material. For what its worth, both companies state that none of these requests resulted in the disclosure of user information. Other popular services such as Private Internet Access (PIA), CyberGhost, ProtonVPN, and Surfshark also post this data on their websites. PIA received 161 total government demands for user data in the first four months of 2024, while Cyberghost and ProtonVPN received a fraction of these across all of 2023, a total of three and 60 respectively. Surfshark has unfortunately not updated their transparency report since 2021, but as an interesting aside, they used to break down which specific companies and countries had submitted data requests a third of which came solely from the U.S. Surfsharks 2021 annual report shows a heat map of data requests from each countrys government. Surfsharks 2021 annual report shows a heat map of data requests from each countrys government. Surfshark Surfsharks 2021 annual report shows a heat map of data requests from each countrys government. Surfshark Surfshark Most VPN providers claim to have a no-logs policy. What this means is that they do not collect and store user data transmitted through their network. In a perfect world, no data about where you go online, what you download, or what your search for is recorded. Whether or not a VPN lives up to these standards is an issue that warrants its own separate discussion. Even with these no-log promises, it doesnt stop law enforcement or other authorities from attempting to subpoena that data when it thinks an illegal activity has been committed over a VPNs servers. And when they come calling, there isnt much a VPN can do to stop them. In 2016, U.S.-based IPVanish was served with a Department of Homeland Security summons for records requesting user data about a suspected felony. After initially claiming they had no information to give, the company subsequently turned over some data on that user to the government. A Top vpn with great features Private Internet Access Read our review Best Prices Today: Other documented instances include a data request in 2016 to PIA and a 2017 request for logs from PureVPN, both by the FBI. PIA remained true to their no-logs word by proving they had nothing to give the authorities, while PureVPN went on to secretly work with the FBI to provide an IP address of a user leading to an arrest. There are also instances where more extreme measures were taken against VPNs. In 2017, ExpressVPN famously had its servers seized by the Turkish authorities. No data was obtained as a result, further bolstering ExpressVPNs no-logs claims. While its undoubtedly crucial that authorities receive the help they need to capture dangerous criminals, the extent to which VPNs can assist varies widely. How do you know if your VPN has received a data request from the authorities The history of law enforcement warrants, subpoenas, and data requests is intentionally opaque. On the one hand, law enforcement doesnt want to tip their hand to the very people they may be trying to find. On the other, VPNs have an incentive not to disclose these warrants as they could potentially drive paying users away from the service. However, in recent years weve seen VPNs turn a corner towards more transparency. Placing user trust as their highest priority, major VPN services are becoming more open about data requests. Gone are the days of hush-hush data seizures. Nowadays, VPNs often employ clever tricks to alert users to requests. Such things as warrant canaries can sidestep gag orders and publishing regular transparency reports detail all data requests over a given time period. These are a welcomed change for many in the user-trust VPN business where privacy is the many selling point. Warrant canaries Warrant canaries are intended to alert users to when the VPN service has received a warrant or serious data request from authorities. Typically, a warrant will place a gag order on the company from disclosing the issue or alerting users. Warrant canaries are an attempt to subvert these gag orders. The way that warrant canaries work is simple. Every few days or so, the VPN service will publish a note stating that the company has not received notices from authorities. If and when a warrant is then received, this will trigger the regular notices to stop updating, indicating to users that something isnt right and to temporarily proceed in using the VPN with caution. Transparency reports A more recent trend for many of the top VPN providers is to switch from warrant canaries to regular transparency reports usually posted monthly or quarterly. VPN services claim transparency reports can provide details and clarity that are lacking in warrant canaries. The drawback here is that warrant canaries potentially inform users as soon as there is a request from authorities whereas transparency reports will only inform users a month, sometimes many months, after the fact. ExpressVPNs 2024 transparency report lists how many data requests it received, their origins, and if any data was provided. ExpressVPNs 2024 transparency report lists how many data requests it received, their origins, and if any data was provided. ExpressVPN ExpressVPNs 2024 transparency report lists how many data requests it received, their origins, and if any data was provided. ExpressVPN ExpressVPN Transparency reports will usually display details such as the total number of government and/or law enforcement requests as well as DMCA requests from production companies and law firms. Oftentimes the VPN will also disclose if any of the requests resulted in the disclosure of user-related data. How to choose a safer VPN So what does all of this mean for you? Well, its a clear sign that choosing the right VPN for your privacy needs is paramount. You dont want to choose a VPN thinking you know how theyre handling your private data and then come to find out that behind the scenes theyve been doing something different the whole time. The fundamental problem with even the best VPN, is that you can only truly take them at their word. All the independent audits and transparency reports in the world are still not enough to completely verify what the VPN is actually doing with your data from moment to moment. This may not be a huge concern for the average user looking to stream out-of-area Netflix, but for journalists, political dissidents, and other high-risk individuals it could be a matter of life or death. If your main reason for choosing a VPN is privacy, then youll want to look for one with a strict no-logs policy. This means checking the companys Privacy Policy (usually found on their website) for what data they do and do not collect. Next youll want to check to see if that company has completed any independent security audits. These are audits by third parties of a VPNs servers to confirm that they have no vulnerabilities and verify their no-logs policy claim. Better yet, look for a VPN provider who goes through regular (bi-yearly or yearly) audits to make sure theyre continuing to follow up on their promises. Youll also want to look for a VPN that is headquartered in a privacy-friendly country, out of the reach of international intelligence sharing agreements and data retention laws. The company should own its own servers (rather than renting them from a third-party), and those servers should be RAM-only to ensure your data is never stored beyond server reboots. Additionally, a little research about a VPN providers history will help you better understand their privacy track record. The incident in 2017 with ExpressVPN is a great example. The Turkish authorities came up empty-handed, further bolstering the companys no-logs reputation. No VPN is perfect, but by taking these safety measures you can feel more confident that your data remains as private as possible. See PCWorlds list of the best VPN services for our recommendations. The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the recipients of the 2024 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor, presented annually to recognize exceptional efforts by an individual, company, organization or national government to end the worst forms of child labor. The recipients are an Egyptian civil society organization, Wadi El Nil Association and a leading trade unionist in Ghana, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe. The recipients of the 2024 Iqbal Masih Award are champions in the fight against child labor, said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. Their unwavering efforts and achievements in the ongoing campaign to eliminate child labor have rescued children from the dangers of hazardous work and created economic opportunities for families to help derail the cycle of child labor in Egypt and Ghana. A pivotal force in combating child labor in Egypts limestone mining sector for more than two decades, Wadi El Nil Association rescues children from hazardous quarries, offering them pathways to education and skills development. The association seeks to break the connection between poverty and the cycle of child labor by providing microloans to families to help them to achieve economic stability. In recent years, Wadi El Nil has extended additional support to vulnerable families and collaborated with community organizations and volunteers to reduce the impact that the pandemic had on families in need. As Deputy General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union of the Ghana Trade Union Congress, Tagoe has played a significant role in advancing child and workers rights and been a powerful force in the countrys efforts to end child labor in the agricultural industry. By organizing and formalizing the agricultural economy in rural areas and working with communities to eliminate child labor, Tagoe has helped thousands of children move from child labor into school. His passionate and effective advocacy has helped to create a strong network of anti-child labor champions in Ghana and beyond. A non-monetary award established in 2008 by Congress, the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor is presented each year by the Secretary of Labor. The award honors its namesake, a Pakistani child sold into slavery at age four to work a carpet weaver. After escaping at age 10, Masih became an outspoken public advocate against child exploitation. Two years later in his native Pakistan, he was killed tragically. Iqbal Masih was 12 years old. https://bit.ly/3RpvtvU Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 45-year-old housewife, identified as Abiodun, nicknamed Iya Sunday, has given the reason for setting her 86-year-old mother ablaze in Ondo town, Ondo State in Nigeria. The suspect said her pastor told her that her mother was behind her predicament. After the ugly incident, the victim reportedly sustained burns from head to toe and is currently on admission at an undisclosed hospital, in the town. Police said the aged woman later died in the hospital. An eyewitness account said that the suspect, who visited her mother on Friday, around 5 a.m., called her out, then doused in petrol and set her on fire. According to the eyewitness, What happened between them before the incident we dont know. But the suspect has been arrested by police at the Enu-Owa division for further investigation. Speaking, the suspect, Abiodun, alleged that she took the decision because she was told that her mother was behind her predicament. Abiodun confessed: I went to my mothers house around 4 a.m. and sat outside. When it was 5 a.m., I called out my mother from the house. Immediately she came out, not knowing what was happening, I poured petrol on her body and set her on fire. What started it is that I went to one pastor for prayer, and he told me that my mother was behind what was happening to me. I did not believe it at first. My mother also took me somewhere to see a woman. After my mother left, the woman also said the same thing. I burnt my mother because of what I heard from the pastor and the woman; that I can only be free from bondage when my mother is dead. Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, said that the suspect had been arrested and that interrogation had commenced. Odunlami said that the victim, later died in the hospital, a few days after she was admitted. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Tens of thousands of Malawians are taking part in a funeral service at the national stadium to pay tribute to the Vice President who was killed in a plane crash last week. Saulos Chilima, 51, was considered a breath of fresh air in Malawian politics. He was an eloquent public speaker and energetic campaigner who held huge sway among the youth who account for more than half of Malawians. He was a devout Catholic and the service included a full mass. He will be buried in his home district of Ntcheu, 180km (112 miles) south of Lilongwe on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday. The service at the Bingu National Stadium began with moving tributes from his family. The 41,000-capacity stadium is full, with more people outside. His coffin, draped in Malawi's red, green, and black flag, was brought into the stadium by a guard of honour. His son, Sean, recalled what a loving father he was, how he always had time for children and played games with them. He added that his father had been extremely competitive and always wanted to win. "Dad was a hard worker who always made sure he got things done," he said. His brother, Ben, said the family was grateful to have been given the personal belongings he had on him at the time of the accident, including his watch and rosary. Some of those in the stadium booed government officials, including President Lazarus Chakwera, when they spoke. Calm was only restored after the intervention of Catholic priests. Mr Chilima died last Monday as he travelled in a military aircraft to the northern town of Nkhata Bay where he was to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister. The entire crew and other passengers on board, including former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, also perished. President Chakwera said the plane had crashed due to poor visibility caused by bad weather but Mr Chilima's UTM party has called for a thorough and independent investigation. 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 On Thursday, 13th June, 2024, the minister of Roads and Highways Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye took his tour to the Northern Region and was warmly welcomed in Yendi by the Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama II, at the historic Gbewa Palace. The Minister was accompanied by the MP for Yendi, Hon. Farouk Aliu Mahama. During my visit, he also inspected the Daka bridge, part of the ongoing World Bank-funded Tamale-Yendi-Zabzugu-Tatale Road (172km) project under the Transport Sector Improvement Project (TSIP), with sections due for completion this year. Prior to that, the Minister was led by the Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, to inspect the state of the road network in parts of the region. Our first stop was the Savelugu By-pass Road (13.0km), a project aimed at reducing congestion and improving mobility for haulage trucks and goods-carrying vehicles traveling the N10 route from Accra, Kumasi, Techiman, and Tamale to Burkina Faso. Additionally, he inspected the rehabilitation of the Pong Tamale Kpalung Larigu Road (5.0km) in Savelugu, which is progressing smoothly. In Karaga, the Minister was joined by the Finance Minister and MP for Karaga, Hon. Mohammed Amin Adams, to pay homage to the Paramount Chief of the Karaga Traditional Area, Naa Bakpem KarNaa Abdulai Natogmah. They also assessed the ongoing construction of town roads in Karaga, and the Minister was pleased to learn that areas previously known as "overseas" due to their inaccessibility are now seeing significant road construction thanks to the efforts of this government. At Gushegu, the Minister was joined by Hon. Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, the MP for the area and deputy Minister for Transport where the Minister addressed a durbar of chiefs and elders, assuring residents that government is committed to completing the ongoing road projects in the area. In total, 140km of roads are being constructed in Gushegu to promote farming and trade activities. "The government of President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr. Bawumia has been instrumental in advancing road construction in the Northern Region. However, we remain fully committed to doing even more to promote the general economic well-being and development of our people." The Minister stated. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As Muslims across the country mark the auspicious occasion of EID UL-ADHA, the former National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Said Sinare has lamented the egregious mismanagement of Ghana's economy under the leadership of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. In a statement released on the eve of Eid Ul-Adha on his official Twitter and Facebook pages, Alhaji Sinare extended his warmest felicitations to his Muslim brothers and sisters nationwide on behalf of the Flagbearer of his National Democratic Congress, wishing them a joyous and blessed celebration. However, he sternly expressed dismay over the economic hardship faced by many Muslims, particularly the exorbitant Hajj fares that have strained the financial burden on pilgrims. The newly appointed National Chairman of the NDC's Zongo working committee attributed the economic woes to the mismanagement of national resources under Dr Bawumia's economic management team, citing the need for a new leadership that prioritizes inclusivity, equity, and sustainable progress. He praised the transformative developments achieved by former President John Dramani Mahama in Zongo communities and charged Zongos Across the country to endorse him for a resurgent Ghana. The former Saudi Arabia and Egypt High Commissioner's comments come as many Ghanaians struggle to make ends meet amidst harsh economic conditions, with many blaming the government's economic policies for the hardship. As Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha, Alhaji Sinare's message resonates with those seeking a better future for Ghana in the upcoming election. Alhaji Said Sinare criticized the current vice president, who is a Muslim, and the government for bringing about a period of economic decline, poverty, insecurity, job losses, disunity, and injustice. He also expressed concern over the deliberate rise in Hajj fares for Muslims, which has made it difficult for many Ghanaian Muslims, especially first-timers, to participate in the religious exercise. The New Patriotic Party's (NPP) decision to field the current Vice President, a Muslim, as their presidential candidate for the 2024 election is regrettable, given his complicity in the prevailing climate of unmitigated suffering, economic stagnation, rampant poverty, heightened insecurity, staggering job losses, and injustice, Zero Works at the Zongos, unpleasant Hajj fare for already burdened Muslims that has characterized his tenure in office will be the point of contact for the 2024 Elections, he said while speaking to the media. READ HIS FULL TWEET BELOW. H.E ALHAJI SAID SINARE WRITES As we commemorate this auspicious occasion of EID UL-ADHA, I extend my warmest felicitations to all my Muslim brothers and Sisters across the country! May this sacred day be filled with joy, blessings, and unwavering hope for a prosperous future. It is indeed lamentable that the egregious mismanagement of our national resources under the stewardship of Dr. Bawumia's economic management team has eclipsed our celebrations, exemplified by the exorbitant Hajj fares that have strained the financial burden on our pilgrims. Nevertheless, let us reflect on the transformative developments and milestones achieved by H.E John Dramani Mahama in our Zongo communities, and unanimously endorse his visionary leadership for a resurgent Ghana, predicated on the principles of inclusivity, equity, and sustainable progress. #EidulAdha #NDCcares #JohnandJane2024 H.E ALHAJI SAID SINARE. NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF ZONGO WORKING COMMITTEE, NDC 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 A 17-year-old girl was killed on Friday night after shots were fired while police were trying to break up a large party in Philadelphias Fairmount Park. Officers were at the park at about 11 p.m., trying to disperse a large crowd of about 100 teens when they heard gunfire, according to 6ABC and NBC10. Five teenagers were shot, police said, one of whom, later identified by family as Isya Stanley, was shot in the chest and right shoulder. She was taken to a hospital where she later died. The other injured teens included: an 18-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to the right leg; a 14-year-old boy shot in the abdomen; a 15-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the left leg; and a 15-year-old boy shot in the left leg. All of these youths were hospitalized and are in stable condition. We do not know what spurred this shooting. What motivated it. If any of these five victims were targeted, Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department said to NBC10. We just dont have that information yet. Its still too early in the investigation. No arrests have been made yet, police said. Stanleys family said that she had just graduated high school and was looking forward to attending college. My daughter was very good and she had a very, very bright future, her father, Iself Stanley, said to NBC10. I gotta celebrate Fathers Day without my daughter. Its a really hurtful situation. The King of Country Music on Saturday broke the record for attendance at a concert in the U.S. George Strait performed on June 15, 2024, for 110,905 fans at Kyle Field at Texas A&M University. According to Billboard, the record was previously held by the Grateful Dead who, in 1977, had 107,019 fans at a show at Raceway Park in New Jersey. Strait also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on all charts by any artist in any genre. Strait will release his 31st album, Cowboys and Dreamers, on Sept. 6. Fans have just four more chances in 2024 to see the King in concert. Performing with him will be Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town. Tickets can be purchased here (prices are as of the time of this post): June 29 - Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah July 13 - Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan July 20 - Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Dec. 7 - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada One borough in Pennsylvania is mulling over the idea of limiting the number of pets each household may have. And its safe to say that there are a number of people against this idea. CBS Local Pittsburgh reports how officials in West Mifflin Borough, Allegheny County, brought forward this idea after a vicious dog attack occurred nearly a year ago. Listen to this story as well as others on PennLives Today in Pa. podcast, a daily weekday news briefing thats all about Pennsylvania: There are some nuisance animals, explains borough manager, Brian Kamauf. So what theyre [the borough council] trying to do is put an ordinance to eliminated nuisance animals. According to the same CBS Local Pittsburgh article, this proposed ordinates proclaims that, It shall be lawful for any person/owner to keep pets, but no more than three dogs and no more than five cats/or dogs combined in total over the age of six months in a structure, living unit or unimproved land. For example, a person/owner may lawfully have three dogs and two cats, or two dogs and three cats or five cats; but may never have more than 3 dogs. This, reads the ordinance itself, also applies to pets such as guinea pigs as well as dogs and cats. Those who fail to comply face being fined up to $1,000 and even imprisonment. A separate CBS Local Pittsburgh report states that this ordinance has prompted outcry amongst many, especially those who fear they may be forced to get rid of the pets they own in order to comply with the ordinance. There should be nobody able to come in and tell me that my children cant have a hamster and their dogs or cats, says pet owner and West Mifflin resident, Kristine Miller, to the station. It justit doesnt make any sense. However, officials in the borough are reassuring everyone that this wont be the case. Were not going to force anyone to get rid of any animals and theyre going to have overwhelmed shelters, confirms borough solicitor, Phil DiLucente. This is a very animal-friendly borough and a very animal-friendly council. So were going to get it right. A public borough meeting discussing the proposed ordinance will be held this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. If youve been to Disney as a guest and purchased a Dream Key annual pass in 2021, you might be receiving a check from the company. So be on the lookout. Payments from the $9.5 million settlement were sent to eligible class action lawsuit members through the mail and digitally on June 14, where the settlement included over 100,000 people. This comes after Jenale Nielson filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts back in November 2021 after purchasing a Dream Key. The annual pass allows guests to make reservations at Disney and California Adventure theme parks without additional charge for a year. Nielson said in the lawsuit that she purchased the Dream Key for $1,399 because it was advertised as an annual pass that has no block-out dates. But unfortunately, Nielson soon learned that wasnt the case. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Nielsen attempted to use her Magic Key to make park reservations to visit Disneyland. She was, however, disappointed to learn that Disney had already blocked out many days, including all weekend days in the month of November 2021, the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, she then found out that she could make park reservations and purchase single-day passes for those dates, but once again unfortunately those dates were unavailable to Dream Key holders. The problem was not that park reservations were unavailable, or that the parks had reached their capacity and therefore could not provide reservations to its Dream Key pass holders, the lawsuit said. The problem was that Disney had decided to block out otherwise available park reservations so that they were only available to new purchases and were not available to Dream Key pass holders. The Dream Key is no longer available as it has been discontinued. Following the ordeal, Disney denied any wrongdoing, but gave in to the settlement back in July 2023 as a way to avoid trial. As a result, Nielson will receive $5,000. According to the official settlement website, if you purchased a Dream Key pass between August 2021 and October 2021, theres no need to opt into the settlement because youre already included. Those included will most likely receive some sort of notice via postcard or email along with more details. Though varying, those who will receive money can expect an estimated payout of $67.41. The deadline for objecting to the settlement or requesting to be excluded was Jan. 15. Also, as part of the agreement, class members will give up the right to sue Disney for claims that were resolved in the settlement. A former Catholic monastery that has been a Camden landmark since the early 1900s is being demolished to make way for parking lots for a nearby hospital. The historic stone structure, known as the Dominican Monastery of the Holy Rosary, was a home for nuns before it closed in December 2013 after a farewell Mass. The cloistered sisters were once known for taking turns praying the rosary 24 hours a day, seven days a week behind the monastery walls. The structure will be demolished to make room for a new parking lot and other renovations at nearby Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, a spokesperson said. The renovations will include new private patient rooms. Virtua, the owner of the former monastery, started clearing the site this spring, removing what remains on the lot. These structures, including a former monastery, have been uninhabited since 2014 and present extensive health and safety concerns, Daniel Moise, a spokesperson for Virtua Health, said in a statement. The buildings are being demolished because they are beyond salvageable, deemed unsafe and are in a state of severe disrepair, Moise said. Numerous items, including the monasterys stained glass windows, have been saved and donated to the Diocese of Camden, which serves the Catholic community in South Jersey. Virtua will also be preserving some of the stone from the property to incorporate it into the hospitals renovations, officials said. The Dominican Monastery of the Holy Rosary shuttered in 2013 after 113 years of service, the Diocese of Camden reported that year. At one time, the monastery housed 30 nuns. However, as numbers decreased, it eventually closed its doors. The final three sisters who were living there relocated to a similar monastery in New York, according to the Diocese of Camden. While the sisters living at the monastery had little contact with the outside world and rarely left the grounds, the chapel was open to anyone who wanted to attend Mass there, the Diocese of Camden reported. In April, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital hosted a ceremony to honor the legacy of the site and announce its future renovations. Neighbors living near the property and hospital have received regular updates about the construction work, according to officials. A spokesperson for Virtua Health did not provide a timeline for when the monasterys demolition will be completed. Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital intends to honor its Catholic legacy by keeping the Our Lady statue atop the hospital, both during and after renovations, a spokesperson said. The hospitals chapel will also continue to be a place for prayer, gathering and reflection, Moise said. As we map out our future, we also intend to honor our legacy most notably the statue of Our Lady that serves as a beacon for Camden residents and the wider region, Moise said. Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com. America has 23 newly-minted citizens. They took the oath of citizenship from Judge Courtney Powell at the Dauphin County courthouse in Harrisburg during the countys naturalization ceremony. The new citizens came from 13 countries: Bhutan, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Ukraine and United Kingdom. The ceremony was organized by Dauphin County Prothonotary Matt Krupp. The League of of Women Voters of the Pennsylvania Capital Region were also present to assist the new citizens in registering to vote. Keeping everyone cool and comfortable is a top priority as central Pennsylvania moves into a heat wave with a weather advisory now extended until Thursday. Earlier today, Dauphin County Commissioners announced opening multiple cooling stations at all eight active senior centers, Dauphin County libraries, churches, and businesses. Below is a list of the centers: East Hanover Senior Center - Municipal Building 8848 Jonestown Road, Shellsville-Grantville Telephone Number: (717) 469-7514 Hours: 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, Wednesday, Friday Bnai Brith Senior Center 130 S. Third St., Harrisburg Telephone Number: (717) 232-7516 Hours: Varies, Monday through Friday Jewish Community Center This center will also offer kosher meals as a part of its Senior Adult program. 3301 N. Front St, Harrisburg Telephone Number: (717) 236-9555, ext. 3115 Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday Heinz Menaker Senior Center 1824 N. Fourth St, Harrisburg Telephone Number: (717) 238-7860 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Friday Leader Center for Active Life 605 Cocoa Ave., Hershey, PA Telephone Number: (717) 533-2002 Hours: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Friendship Senior Center 5000 Commons Dr., Harrisburg Telephone Number: (717) 657-1547 Hours: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Lykens Ballroom Senior Center 200 W. Main St., Lykens Telephone Number: (717) 453-8350 Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday and Friday Millersburg Senior Center 109 Edward Dr., Millersburg, PA Telephone Number: (717) 692-2657 Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday Cooling centers can also be found at these locations: Calvary Wesleyan Church 200 Miller Road, Millsburg Hours: 8 am to 5 p.m. on Friday Phone is 717-692-3473. This location is ADA-compliant but not pet-friendly. Northern Dauphin Human Services Center 209 State St., Elizabethville, PA Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday The Dauphin County Center for Aging also has a small number of AC units to lend to senior citizens. The agency is working to obtain more for individuals who meet the eligibility requirements, which include being at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Line. Fans and AC units are also being provided through the Utility Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Seniors can call 717-780-6131 for more information. Bo Nickal has made it clear that he is a big fan of former president Donald Trump, and apparently that feeling is mutual. And we know that because on a recent appearance on Logan Pauls podcast, Trump took the time to name drop Nickal while talking about his appreciation for the UFC. Theres somebody named Bo Nickal, who I think is going to be great, Trump said. He is a fighter. He was an All-American, I think probably four years. He went to Penn State, and he is a phenomenal fighter. You will be watching him. The former Penn State national champion, who moved to 6-0 with his win at UFC 300, retweeted the clip on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote Thank you Mr President, while tagging Trumps old X account. That response drew mixed reviews many seemed to like the shout out as does anything when it comes to politics in this year. Its crazy to have Trump talk about you, one person responded. The most famous man ever alive. Must be a trip. Big W, another wrote. Name a flex bigger than this, another responded. There were others who were less than thrilled to see Nickals response. Ex-president current indicted criminal, another person responded referencing the fact that Trump is currently a 34-time convicted felon. Bo you in a cult, another responded. Seeing this reminded me of you on Joe Rogan (clown emoji), another person wrote. By Matt Hubbard, Baltimore Sun (TNS) A mass exodus led to numerous injuries after a possible chemical agent and fireworks were deployed during a Baltimore Pride event Saturday, according to police. Baltimore Police confirmed Sunday that the possible chemical agent, released in front of the events main music stage near North Avenue and Charles Street, was not issued by police. Police said officers working the event were informed of the incident around 8:37 p.m. A spokesperson for Baltimore Police said the department has not confirmed the type of chemical agent that was released but that it could have been mace, hair spray or another agent. Around the same time, fireworks were set off, which led the large crowd to flee the area and resulted in several injuries, police said. The event was closed as the Baltimore City Fire Department tended to the injured. Our officers are diligently reviewing the surveillance video to gather all the necessary information and determine the sequence of events, said Freddie Talbert, a Baltimore Police public information officer. The incident occurred during the annual Baltimore Pride parade and block party hosted by the nonprofit Pride Center of Maryland. The event is a tribute to the contributions of sexual and gender minorities to society, according to Baltimore Prides website. With a theme this year of Power Of The Past, Force of The Future, Baltimore Pride runs from June 10 to Sunday with a roster of events. The injuries Saturday didnt appear to dampen the atmosphere at Pride in the Park, which drew crowds to Druid Hill Park on Sunday for music, vendors and live performances on two stages. Large groups of families and friends gathered under the shade of park trees, while others tightly packed the strip of vendors selling everything from food and drinks to apparel. Visiting Baltimore from New York, Lys Smith attended Pride on Saturday but left before the injuries took place. I have always wanted to see what Baltimore Pride was like, so I am happy to be here with friends to experience it, Smith said at Pride in the Park. 2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Brian Platt and Eric Martin, Bloomberg News (TNS) Late last year, President Joe Bidens administration was facing a border problem and it wasnt just on Americas frontier with Mexico. Thousands of Mexican citizens were taking advantage of visa-free travel to fly to Canada and then try to cross into the U.S. by heading south. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under pressure from American officials and local politicians to reinstate the visa requirements he ended in 2016. Critics wanted immediate action, but Trudeaus government moved delicately, taking time to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors administration and in February ultimately reimposing the demand for only about 40% of arrivals. The careful maneuvering was more than just standard diplomacy. Senior officials in Trudeaus government worried it would be terrible timing to start a fight with Mexico, according to people familiar with the matter. Within a year, their thinking went, Donald Trump could win another term in the White House, potentially reigniting a continent-wide battle over tariffs and trade. Canada and Mexico would need to present a united front. In this case, Trudeau appears to have navigated the issue successfully, cutting down on arrivals without tanking relations with Mexico. But the far bigger challenge may still be to come. As Americans head to the polls in November, concern is building in Ottawa and Mexico City that the next U.S. administration may move to limit trade among the three countries that totaled some $1.5 trillion in goods last year. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement the deal reached in 2018 to replace 1994s North American Free Trade Agreement is scheduled for a joint review in 2026, and there is growing speculation the U.S. will push to renegotiate parts of it, especially rules for auto manufacturing and dairy. Trudeau has launched a strategy geared toward recruiting U.S. allies. He has sent senior Canadian politicians, diplomats and business leaders to meet with U.S. chief executives, lawmakers and governors on the importance of trade, particularly for the automobile and energy industries. US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (on screen) speak to the media after holding a virtual bilateral meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 23, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)TNS Chinese investment in Mexico looms heavily over its relationship with the U.S., and since December, Mexico has been working on a framework for investment screening around national security to help alleviate American concerns. A particular concern is Chinese companies exporting cars from Mexico into the U.S. The two sides have met several times on the issues, according to a person familiar with the matter. In both countries, the angst goes beyond Trump its under Biden that the U.S. has been clashing with Canada and Mexico on auto-parts rules. Just last month, Biden unveiled tariffs on about $18 billion of annual imports from China targeting electric vehicles, batteries, chips, solar cells, and critical minerals. Thats in addition to previous increases on steel and aluminum. But Canadian and Mexican officials say trade negotiations would be vastly more volatile and unpredictable if Trump were at the helm. Trump has vowed to impose 10% duties on goods from around the world if he wins in November, part of efforts to shore up U.S. manufacturing jobs. He hasnt explicitly said how that would apply to Canada and Mexico, but Canadas ambassador to the U.S. has warned about global retaliation. A second Trump term is going to be quite different when it comes to trade, said Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, a binational group that promotes Canada-U.S. trade. She said the adult supervision around Trump in his first term people who were largely supportive of trade are few and far between now. In an attempt to line up allies on trade, Canadian officials such as Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne travel frequently to the U.S. Those meetings have included chief executives at companies such as Coca-Cola Co., United Parcel Service Inc. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., as well as Washington lawmakers. In these visits, the Canadians emphasize their country is the top export destination for 35 states. They often travel beyond the Canada border regions to places such as Georgia, South Carolina and Nebraska to emphasize how crucial Canadian trade is to those states economies. After all, Canada buys about as much in goods from the U.S. as China, France and Japan combined. When I look at people I say, I hope youre happy to see me because Im your largest customer by far, Champagne said in an interview during a recent trip to New York. Though Champagne stressed that he meets with a range of people, some are clearly Trump-related figures. That includes Gary Cohn, vice chairman at IBM Corp. and Trumps former top economic adviser, as well as Republican state governors such as South Carolinas Henry McMaster. Canadas U.S. Ambassador Kirsten Hillman said officials have stayed in contact with people in Trumps orbit over the past few years, targeting think tanks they believe would be influential if he wins a second term. We meet with them often, Hillman said at an event with the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. Not just the management, but also the people who are writing the policies. My team and I, through the embassy, are in continual contact. In Mexico, officials working on behalf of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, an ally of Lopez Obrador who has pledged continuity with his policies, are creating separate but similar plans for trade negotiations with Trump or Biden, according to a senior adviser. The countrys top exports include automobiles, chemicals and agriculture products, and the U.S. and Mexico have clashed over rules for energy companies, as well as American corn exports. U.S. President Donald Trump (left) ad Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) attend the NATO summit at the Grove Hotel on Dec. 4, 2019, in Watford, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/TNS)TNS Behind closed doors, Mexicos biggest companies express concern that Trump would link the issues of trade and immigration, as he did in May 2019 when he threated tariffs if Mexico didnt reduce the number of migrant arrivals at the U.S. border and as Biden has worked deliberately not to do, according to a Mexican official, who asked not to be identified to be able to speak about private conversations. The U.S. border saw record arrivals of undocumented people in the 2023 fiscal year, and although that has slowed in the past few months, theres concern that trend could quickly reverse. This month, Biden announced new measures to block migrants from making asylum claims as part of efforts to limit crossings and fight the perception that the border is out of control. Mexican officials also worry that Trump wants to use military force to attack the nations cartels, regardless of Mexicos historical resistance to foreign troops operating on its soil, and that such actions could create more trade tensions. Theres talk in Mexico about bringing back Marcelo Ebrard as a cabinet member. He flew to Washington in June 2019 to broker a deal with Trump to deploy Mexicos national guard to stop migrants in exchange for Trump withdrawing his threat of tariffs on Mexican exports. Ebrard met personally with Trump several times in the first years of Lopez Obradors administration. Juan Ramon de la Fuente, who served as Lopez Obradors ambassador to the United Nations and thus worked with the U.S. State Department during the Trump years, is leading Sheinbaums transition. Like Ebrard, he could take a key post in her government. At a recent event in Washington, Kenneth Smith Ramos, who was Mexicos chief trade negotiator during the USMCA talks, spoke about concerns that reopening the agreement for review could result in new restrictions. Opening the USMCA is very dangerous given the political pressures, protectionist pressures that exist in all three countries and throughout the world, he said, speaking on a panel organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. With assistance from Michael OBoyle, Carolina Millan and Jay Zhao-Murray. 2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Sergio Aido Wins 2024 WSOP $50,000 NLHE High Roller ($2,026,506) Kai Cocklin Live Reporter Copy link Spain's Sergio Aido cemented his name into the history books by winning Event #39: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) for a career-best score of $2,026,506 and his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. Aido overcame Chance Kornuth in an enthralling heads-up battle that spanned two levels, which saw the American player bank $1,351,000 for his runner-up finish also a career-best cash. The field of 177 players was the largest in WSOP history for a $50k event, and thus, it generated a prize pool of $8,451,750, which broke the previous high. WSOP 2024 Event #39: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) Final Table Results Rank Name Country Prize 1 Sergio Aido Spain $2,026,506 2 Chance Kornuth United States $1,351,000 3 Viktor Blom Sweden $951,727 4 Adrian Mateos Spain $681,554 5 Jesse Lonis United States $496,293 6 Jonathan Jaffe United States $367,577 7 Johannes Straver Netherlands $276,987 8 Bruce Buffer United States $212,423 9 Leon Sturm Germany $165,849 Winner's Reaction "Yeah, it feels very good, of course, it's something special. So, yeah, I had a very good idea about this. The best thing in my poker career for me for the moment," replied an elated Aido when asked how he was feeling after winning his first bracelet. Aido was then asked how he felt being the big stack for almost all of the final table. "Yeah, I think it's my best game. So I prefer to, but when I do not have that many [chips], it's not that easy for me," "I mean, yes, of course he knows me; I know him, and it's a bit different. Sometimes, you have to level or think a bit too much about it. Yeah. In the end, I was lucky," remarked Aido when asked how it was playing with his countrymate and good friend on the final table. "Yes, I probably will celebrate, save some money, and play more," stated Aido in response to what he would do next after landing his career-best score. "I'm going to play the $100k. Almost everything. I just play no limit, so I'm going to play no limit," responded Aido on what his plans are for the rest of the series. Final Day's Action The third and final day began with thirteen players remaining who had all locked up a guaranteed payday of $106,810 and were looking to ladder up those payouts as they gradually increased. Bruce Buffer got off to a flying start just a few hands in when his pocket kings held up against Jonathan Jaffe's ace-ten. Morten Klein was the first casualty of the day after he got all the chips in the middle with ace-jack but couldn't improve against the pocket kings of Jesse Lonis. Artur Martirosian (12th), Robert Salaburu (11th), and Martin Kabrhel (10th) all fell short of making the final table, with the latter losing a flip with pocket nines against the ace-queen of Aido. Kornuth's start to the final table couldn't have gone much better as he doubled up with ace-king against the king-jack of the reigning championLeon Sturm. That pot left Sturm short-stacked, and he would soon hit the rail after he shoved with king-jack for a second time but ran into the Cowboys of Aido. Bruce Buffer UFC announcer Buffer gave an inspiring introduction to the start of Day 3 with his famous catchphrase, but it was soon time for him to depart after he ran his ace-king into the pocket kings of Jaffe. Incredibly, this was Buffer's first tournament in any WSOP event for over eight years, which ended in him finishing eighth for a career-best score of ($212,423). Johannes Straver had been quiet throughout the day, and his stack had dwindled to just ten big blinds when he shoved all in with queen-jack. Unfortunately for Straver, Aido picked up ace-jack, and with no help from the board, Straver was out in seventh. The players then had a 90-minute dinner break, and once they returned, it took just a few hands before the next player was eliminated. Jaffe four-bet shoved ace-four after Aido three-bet out of the big blind, and ran into the Spaniard's pocket kings. Jaffe could never catch up despite flopping a wheel draw, which sent him home in sixth. Jonathan Jaffe An interesting pot developed between Adrian Mateos, Kornuth, and Lonis which left the latter short-stacked. Kornuth opened with ace-king, Lonis committed himself with pocket fives, and Mateos woke up with pocket kings and shoved all in. Holding ace-king, it seemed almost certain that Kornuth would make the call, but he managed to find a fold. Lonis couldn't hold on for much longer as his ace-jack was undone by the jack-ten of Viktor Blom, which left him on the rail in fifth. Two of the remaining four players were from Spain but that number was soon halved as Mateos was eliminated by his countrymate. A short-stacked Mateos shoved with queen-eight and was put at risk by Aido's king-seven. The runout left Aido with trips, which meant Mateos was out in fourth. Adrian Mateos Aido held a commanding lead when three-handed play got underway, with well over half of the remaining chips in play. That chip lead was reduced when Aido rivered two pair holding queen-seven, but the same river card improved Kornuth to the nut straight and doubled up the American player. Blom was then left short-stacked after his king-jack failed to take down the ace-nine of Kornuth, which left the Swedish player with just nine big blinds. After a few shoves, Blom had got his stack back out of the danger zone, but soon lost them all to Kornuth. Blom had flopped two pair holding seven-four, but Kornuth had flopped a higher two pair with seven-five, which ended Blom's run in third. This cash takes Blom from ninth up to fifth on Sweden's all-time money list. Viktor Blom When heads-up play began, Kornuth had almost evened out the stacks, with the two players separated by only a few big blinds in the counts. Aido then lost the chip lead for the first time on the final table as Kornuth started to chip away at the Spanish player's stack. Aido composed himself quickly and regained the chip lead after he picked off a bluff from his opponent on the river and never looked back from there. Chance Kornuth In the final hand of the night, Aido flopped a full house holding nine-six, and Kornuth hit top pair with jack-nine. Betting action on all three streets ended with Aido shoving the river and Kornuth calling off the remainder of his stack. Congratulations to Aido on winning his first-ever WSOP bracelet and the huge seven-figure score to go with it. Sergio Aido 2024 World Series of Poker Hub Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2024 WSOP is here. Click here Share this article Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) had his lies about Biden and crime embarrassingly fact-checked on national television. Video of the full Scott interview: Transcript via ABCs This Week: SCOTT: You know, Jon, its simply this. We we trust and believe and respect the decision of the Supreme Court. What we need to focus on, Jon, is the violence that were seeing across this nation. Under Joe Biden weve seen the greatest increase in violent crime in my lifetime. And so focusing on ways for us to reduce that crime means getting four more years of Donald Trump. Under Donald Trump we actually respected law enforcement. Under Joe Biden, weve seen the movement to defund the police, leaving communities like the one I grew up in devastated and ravaged by a wave of violent crime that we have not seen literally in five decades. KARL: Actually, senator as I as you probably know, the latest stats on violent crime and on the murder rate, theyre actually down this past year. But let me get back to my question about the Supreme Courts decision. Tim Scotts 2 Big Lies Tim Scott told two big lies on ABCs This Week. The first lie was about crime. According to the FBIs quarterly crime statistics report, The Quarterly Uniform Crime Report (Q1), January-March, 2024, provides a preliminary look at crime trends for January through March 2024 compared to January through March 2023. A comparison of data from agencies that voluntarily submitted at least two or more common months of data for January through March 2023 and 2024 indicates reported violent crime decreased by 15.2 percent. Murder decreased by 26.4 percent, rape decreased by 25.7 percent, robbery decreased by 17.8 percent, and aggravated assault decreased by 12.5 percent. Reported property crime also decreased by 15.1 percent. The second lie was about defunding the police. As recently as 13 days ago, House Republicans tried to cut funding to law enforcement. Republicans have tried on numerous occasions to cut funding to law enforcement. As president, Trumps budget often suggested cutting police funding. We all know why Tim Scott is saying things that he knows are not true. Sen. Scott wants to be Trumps running mate, but the only thing he appears to be accomplishing is finding new ways to embarrass himself. Donald Trump just cant handle the fact that he is now a 34 times convicted felon. Trump posted on Truth Social: HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE RADICAL LEFT DEGENERATES THAT ARE RAPIDLY BRINGING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTO THIRD WORLD NATION STATUS WITH THEIR MANY ATTEMPTS AT TRYING TO INFLUENCE OUR SACRED COURT SYSTEM INTO BREAKING TO THEIR VERY SICK AND DANGEROUS WILL. WE NEED STRENGTH AND LOYALTY TO OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS WONDERFUL CONSTITUTION. EVERYTHING WILL BE ON FULL DISPLAY COME NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Besides claiming that the election was stolen, what is Trump going to do if he gets his clock cleaned on Election Day? It certainly seems like Donald Trump is banking his entire future on winning in November. If Trump loses, he is going to be facing probably two federal charges and one local case in Fulton County, Georgia. If the Supreme Court does as expected and rules that Donald Trump doesnt have immunity, he could be right back in court for the federal 1/6 trial. Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly putting daily pressure on House Republicans to do something to overturn his New York felony conviction. Fathers Day is a family holiday, so of course, Trump has no use for it. No matter the holiday, Trump can only think of himself, and as the rest of the country celebrates dads, the ex-president is still hung up on his felony conviction. As President Biden gets set to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office, a confused Donald Trump called into Steve Bannons podcast then was ushered off the phone. Video of Trump calling Bannon: President Bidens focus today: Hosting a bilateral meeting with the Secretary General of NATO to discuss critical issues relating to world affairs Trumps focus today: Confusedly calling into Steve Bannons fringe MAGA show and then immediately hanging up pic.twitter.com/JUsJ7zRKmg Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) June 17, 2024 When severely memory impaired Trump isnt calling Steve Bannon and getting brushed off, he is trying to blame Joe Biden for every crime committed by an immigrant in the US on Truth Social: ANOTHER one of Crooked Joe Bidens Illegal Immigrant Criminals was just charged with raping and murdering ANOTHER innocent American woman! Rachel Morin was on a run in Maryland, just like Laken Riley was in Georgia, when she was brutally killed by an illegal monster who was wanted for murder in El Salvador and fled to the USA because he knew Crooked Joe would let him in. Now Rachel Morins 5 young children will grow up without their mother because Crooked Joe refuses to shut down the border. Trump probably doesnt remember, but Biden issued an executive order two weeks ago that closed the border. Joe Biden is leading the country and the world as the President Of The United States. Donald Trump is sitting at home ranting about illegal immigrants and waiting for Steve Bannon to call him back. Biden is a serious candidate, and a person who is doing the job that is required of the presidency. Donald Trump is a convicted felon who is puttering around and hoping that voters put him back in the White House in November. "All in all, when we're done, we want to graduate students who can go on to get a job that is fulfilling for them and which they're good at doing," Provost Donna Arnett said. The four certificates, which each consist of four classes, are a product of an interdisciplinary advisory committee made up of faculty from across the campus. Some of the classes plot onto the university's general education requirements, and classes that students can take for the certificates range from computer science to journalism or statistics. The four certification subjects were intended to correspond to skills employers said are needed. Having those skills helps would-be workers when they enter the job market. Citing a Deloitte study, Arnett said history majors who graduated with a project management certificate had starting salaries $18,000 higher than their peers. "We're hoping to make our graduates more competitive," she said. Combined, the four certificate programs had 453 students enrolled during the spring 2024 semester, and graduated a combined 81 students in May. The university is expecting to see that number grow but is looking to take a "very measured" approach to creating more of the certificates Arnett suggested artificial intelligence as a possible area of future growth. Similar certificate programs have grown across U.S. universities, according to Robert Townsend, director of humanities, arts and culture programs at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The programs not only give graduates an additional accolade on their resumes, he said, but help them better show prospective employers that they have skill that could be of practical value. That boost can be particularly helpful for humanities graduates, who Townsend said can sometimes struggle with pitching the soft skills that their classes taught them, such as writing and research. "It's like, you've got lots of useful skills," he said of students. "Somebody needs to just help them articulate it, understand it and start to think about what sorts of employers want those skills." GREENVILLE Stepping into Driftwood in the West Greenville arts village is a little like stepping into the favorite bar you never knew you had. The space that formerly housed the Growler Haus craft beer taproom now boasts an open floor plan and calming colors that are reminiscent of, well, driftwood. The open garage doors and natural light that cascade throughout add a sort of vibe all its own, one that is enhanced by the music playing. Owners Rui Silva and Deanna Snow are passionate about music, and the playlist they have created here centers on the art of the album played beginning to end as a celebration of the nuance of ordering songs. Beyond the music and the space, its Silva and Snow who make Driftwood at 12 Lois Ave. so inviting. When you step inside, expect to be greeted by Silva, planted behind the bar. The restaurant industry veteran who has worked in fine establishments from Massachusetts to California is as skilled a host as he is a mixologist. So, while you can get a damn fine martini at Driftwood, there is no pretentiousness to it. And do try the Driftwood martini. The place feels inviting, like you could pop in for a glass of wine, book in hand to read for a spell, or you could come with friends or a partner for a negroni and some cannellini bean hummus before hopping over to dinner. Truly, Driftwood can accommodate either outing. That versatility speaks to the whole idea behind Driftwood, that of the third place. This idea is a space, that is neither home nor work, where you can go and be in community. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Read moreSmith Says: Sleepless nights bring questions Additional charges have been filed against Samuel Antonio Cooper, who was first charged with murder after a shooting on Savannah Highway left one man dead. Read moreAdditional charges brought against West Ashley shooting suspect PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 13:46:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 369 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 This premier event aims to bring together Israel's elite investor community, facilitating invaluable networking opportunities, brainstorming sessions, and showcasing the nation's emerging companies in the local stock market.TEL AVIV, ISRAEL / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 /ARX Advisory, a leading data-backed capital markets advisory, proudly announces that the annual 2024 Israel Investor Conference sponsored by ARX will take place for September 18, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Azrieli.This premier event aims to bring together Israel's elite investor community, facilitating invaluable networking opportunities, brainstorming sessions, and showcasing the nation's emerging companies in the local stock market. ARX, with its unwavering commitment to financial innovation and growth, recognizes the pivotal role such events play in strengthening the nation's economic fabric.Rotem Gantz, CEO of ARX remarked "Our continued support of the conference and reflects our dedication to the local capital markets and Israel's finance industry. The sponsorship of Israel's 2024 Investor Conference, for the second time in a row, is a testament to our vision and our aspiration to collaborate with the brightest in the sector." Yehuda Leibler, President and CSO of ARX added "This year, more than ever, we want to highlight our strong support for locally traded companies, and for the Israeli economy. As a company founded by Israelis operating internationally, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the future of innovation economic prosperity in Israel." For those deeply invested or interested in the local market, this conference promises a wealth of insights and connections. Given the exclusivity of the event with limited registration slots, participants can anticipate a conducive environment for in-depth discussions and collaborations.Register for the conference here: https://tickchak.co.il/63757 About ARX:ARX is a globally operating capital markets advisory firm working with diverse companies to enable data-driven decision-making and growth. Based in Israel, ARX has developed expertise and unique methodologies for consulting capital markets facing companies on the challenges of navigating the public-market waters and seeks to enable their sustainable growth using advanced data and AI powered tools it has developed alongside foundational corporate advisory and narrative formation services.For more information about ARX and its services, please visit www.arxadvisory.com Contactsadmin@ arxadvisory.comwww.arxadvisory.com ARX PR DepartmentSOURCE: ARX | Capital Markets PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 22:31:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 848 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 /Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)(FSE:D7H0)(OTCQX:CMRZF) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce, further to its news release dated May 21, 2024, that it has completed the sale of its interest in certain mineral claims comprising the "Blue River" property (the "Blue River Claims") located near Blue River, British Columbia and certain real property owned by the Company also located in Blue River, B.C. (together with the Blue River Claims, the "Blue RiverAssets")., to an arm's length private company (the "Purchaser") pursuant to a property purchase agreement entered into between the Company and the Purchaser (the "Purchase Agreement").Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, as consideration for the Blue River Assets, the Company received 20,000,000 shares in the capital of the Purchaser at a deemed price of $0.05 per share (the "Blue River Shares"). It is the Company's current intention to distribute the Blue River Shares to its shareholders on a pro rata basis at a later date. Any disposition of the Blue River Shares will, if undertaken, be conducted in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws, and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.For additional information regarding this transaction, please see the Company's news release dated May 21, 2024 as filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca About Commerce Resources Corp. Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit located in Quebec, Canada. The Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. The Ashram Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the production of high-grade (>45% REO) mineral concentrates at high recovery (>70%) in line with active global producers. In addition to being one of the largest rare earth deposits globally, Ashram is also one of the largest fluorspar deposits globally and has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets.For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@ commerceresources.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP."Chris Grove" Chris GrovePresident and DirectorTel: 604.484.2700Email:cgrove@ commerceresources.comWeb:http://www.commerceresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include that the Company may distribute the Blue River Shares to shareholders on a pro rata basis; that the Ashram Deposit has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets; and that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include: that the Company may not distribute the Blue River Shares as anticipated or that such a disposition may not be approved by applicable regulators; that we may not be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram project; that even if we are able raise capital, costs for exploration activities may increase such that we may not have sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing activities; the timing and content of any future work programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful and even if such tests are successful, the economic and other outcomes may not be as expected; the availability of labour and equipment to undertake future exploration work and testing activities; the required permits to build and operate the envisaged open-pit shell may not be obtained in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all; and despite the current expected viability of the Ashram project, conditions changing such that even if metals or minerals are discovered on the Ashram project, the project may not be commercially viable. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.SOURCE: Commerce Resources Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 14:01:04 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 730 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The new location serving breakfast, brunch and lunch opens on Monday, June 17SAN MARCOS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 /First Watch, the leading Daytime Dining restaurant serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, has opened a new location in San Marcos, Texas on Monday, June 17. The new restaurant brings a chef-inspired menu and rotating seasonal offerings to a 3,882-square-foot space that seats more than 205 people, provides outside dining under a covered patio and serves signature juices at an indoor brunch bar. Located at 1506 N IH 35, Suite 101 at Aquarena Crossing, the restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Waffles Waffles on a plate drizzled with syrup and topped with butterTo celebrate the opening, customers who dine in-restaurant Monday, June 17-Friday, June 21, will receive free coffee with their meal. In addition, the first 120 customers to visit the new restaurant will also receive a custom, reusable travel mug."Culinary creativity meets family-friendly ambiance in our new San Marcos restaurant. We're excited to serve up a memorable dining experience where every meal is a chance to bring families closer together," said Dan Anfinson, COO of Mac Haik Restaurant Group (MHRG).First Watch's menu takes an elevated approach to traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch. All dishes are made to order using fresh ingredients in a kitchen without heat lamps, microwaves or deep fryers. Fan favorites include Avocado Toast, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Million Dollar Bacon.From the dedicated indoor bar, the restaurant juices daily using ingredients like Fuji Apple, kale and beet to make favorites like the Morning Meditation (made with orange, lemon, turmeric, organic ginger, agave nectar and beet). The new restaurant also features an array of brunch cocktails and brews its socially responsible Project Sunrise coffee, sourced by women coffee farmers based in South America.Five times a year, First Watch offers a revolving seasonal menu that follows the sun to source the highest quality ingredients, wherever and whenever they are in season. This ever-evolving menu has items like Barbacoa Quesadilla Benedict, Elote Mexican Street Corn Hash and Watermelon Wake-Up fresh juice, among many others. The San Marcos restaurant will offer its first seasonal menu in 2024.The restaurant will employ approximately 45 people and operate on a one-shift-a-day, "No Night Shifts Ever" approach that enables its teams to enjoy their evenings and build a better quality of life. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply at careers-mh.com First Watch serves its entire menu seven days a week for pickup, delivery and dine-in service.About First Watch First Watch is an award-winning Daytime Dining concept serving made-to-order breakfast, brunch and lunch using fresh ingredients across its network of neighborhood restaurants. A recipient of hundreds of local "Best Breakfast" and "Best Brunch" accolades, First Watch's chef-driven menu includes elevated executions of classic favorites along with specialties such as the Quinoa Power Bowl, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos, Avocado Toast, Chickichanga, Morning Meditation, Spiked Lavender Lemonade and its signature Million Dollar Bacon. In 2023, First Watch was recognized as the top restaurant brand in Yelp's inaugural list of the top 50 most-loved brands in the U.S. In 2023 and 2022, First Watch was named a Top 100 Most Loved Workplace in Newsweek by the Best Practice Institute. In 2022, First Watch was awarded a sought-after MenuMasters honor by Nation's Restaurant News for its seasonal Braised Short Rib Omelet and recognized with ADP's coveted Culture at Work Award. First Watch operates more than 530 restaurants in 29 states. For more information, visitwww.firstwatch.com About Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE) Mac Haik Restaurant Group (MHRG) is a division of Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE), a diversified holding company based in Houston, TX. MHE is a major investor in three rapidly growing fast casual restaurant brands, Original ChopShop, Slapfish and Due Cucina, and one of the largest franchisees of First Watch Restaurants. MHE also owns Mac Haik Outdoor Media, Mac Haik Hospitality, and Mac Haik Automotive Group which encompasses 23 car dealerships. The 11 affiliated companies of MHE have engaged in the development, ownership and management of commercial real estate and healthcare facilities, asset acquisition and disposition, facilities management, property management, leasing, project management, construction, plus janitorial services, as well as hotel ownership. The overall MHE companies employ over 3,000 employees. To learn more about MHRG, please visitwww.machaik-enterprises.com Contact InformationLacey MartinVice President of Marketinglmartin@ machaik.com (713) 408-1381SOURCE: Mac Haik Restaurant GroupView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 17:30:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 651 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 /PPX Mining Corp. (the "Company" or "PPX") is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement with a single investor of up to 62,500,000 units ("Units") at a price of Cdn$0.062 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to Cdn$3,875,000 (the "Offering").Each Unit consists of one common share (each, a "Share") and one non-transferable common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase, for a period of 24 months from the date of issue, one additional common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of Cdn$0.095 per Warrant Share.The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes.The Offering is being completed on a private placement basis pursuant to prospectus exemptions under applicable securities laws and is subject to final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company may complete the Offering via the closing of multiple tranches.About PPX Mining Corp:PPX Mining Corp. ( TSX.V:PPX.V)(BVL:PPX) is a Canadian-based mining company with assets in northern Peru. Igor, the Company's 100%-owned flagship gold and silver project, is located in the prolific Northern Peru gold belt in eastern La Libertad Department.On behalf of the Board of Directors Brian ImrieExecutive Chairman82 Richmond Street East, Toronto,M5C 1P1, Ontario, Canada416-361-0737Neither 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 does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation (together, the "forward-looking statements") that may not be based on historical fact, including without limitation, statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the Company in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as the factors we believe are appropriate. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements relating to the completion of the Offering, and TSX Venture Exchange approval of the Offering. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedarplus.com for further information.SOURCE: PPX Mining Corp PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 21:00:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 614 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Business Leaders in Collaboration with The Mediterranean Association for Democracy and Commerce (MADC) Have Penned a Letter to Minister Marios Hartsiotis, Raising Concerns Over the Arrest of Simon Aykut and the Stability of Cyprus's Business and Legal EnvironmentsAYIA NAPA, CYPRUS / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / A group of prominent foreign business leaders with significant interests in Cyprus has come together to pen a letter addressed to Mr. Marios Hartsiotis, the Minister of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus. The forum of over 100 businesspeople, alarmed by recent developments, particularly the arrest of Mr. Simon Aykut, a director of Afik Group, has expressed their grave concerns about the current legal and political climate in the country.The business leaders, in collaboration with The Mediterranean Association for Democracy and Commerce, represent diverse sectors and countries, and have raised critical issues in their letter, highlighting the potential negative impact on the business environment and investment climate in Cyprus. The arrest of Mr. Aykut, based on a Greek Cypriot law that has not been enforced for over 15 years, has triggered fears of politically motivated actions that could undermine legal stability and predictability, essential for economic prosperity.The letter emphasizes several key points:Legal Stability and Predictability: The abrupt enforcement of long-dormant laws threatens to erode trust in Cyprus's legal system. Business operations and investments rely on a stable and predictable legal environment. The business leaders urge the Cypriot government to ensure that the rule of law is upheld impartially, free from political manipulation.Unreliable Land Registry Records: The forum highlights concerns over the use of incomplete and unreliable land registry records in the Republic of Cyprus. They call for a comprehensive review and update of these records to ensure accuracy and reliability.Geopolitical Tensions: The ongoing geopolitical conflict in Cyprus, rooted in ethnic tensions since the 1974 Turkish invasion, adds complexity to the current legal actions. The business leaders fear that recent government actions are aimed more at exerting political pressure rather than addressing genuine legal concerns.Impact on Investment: The group warns that the current legal uncertainties could deter both local and international investors, leading to potential economic downturns and job losses. A stable and transparent legal system is crucial for attracting and retaining investment, fostering economic growth, and ensuring the prosperity of Cyprus.Click here to read the full letter, or follow the link:An anonymous Cypriot businessman, part of the forum, expressed the collective sentiment: "This situation is deeply concerning for anyone doing business in Cyprus. If the government can revive old, unenforced laws to target individuals and businesses, it raises a red flag for all investors. It creates an environment of unpredictability and fear." The forum's letter calls upon the Cypriot government to take immediate steps to restore confidence in the rule of law, reject politically motivated actions, and promote a transparent legal system. They believe that these measures are essential for Cyprus to attract and retain investment, ensuring long-term economic stability and growth.About The Mediterranean Association for Democracy & Commerce:The Mediterranean Association for Democracy and Commerce is a regional organization committed to promoting democratic values, fair trade practices, and economic cooperation among Mediterranean countries. The association works to create a stable and transparent business environment that fosters economic growth and prosperity. Through advocacy, research, and dialogue, the association aims to address key challenges facing the region's economies and support the development of robust legal frameworks that protect the rights of businesses and investors.Media ContactCompany Name: The Mediterranean Association for Democracy & Commerce (MADC) Contact Person: Dr. Eleni Georgiou Email: pasohe6653@ cnurbano.comSite Link: https://jmp.sh/vLyAcT8m SOURCE: The Mediterranean Association for Democracy & Commerce (MADC) PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 16:53:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1009 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PERTH, AUSTRALIA and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR)(TSX-V:SWA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Cosmo Gold Limited ("Cosmo") and Adelong Gold Limited ("Adelong") on 21 May 2024, to acquire rights to the Cosmo Newbery Project (the "Project"), located in Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, which have historically been highly prospective.The acquisition will be subject to completion of due diligence, execution of a definitive agreement and satisfaction of certain Conditions Precedent including but not limited to, shareholder and stock exchange approvals and assignment of land access agreements. The MOU contemplates that Sarama will acquire this interest through a combination of share and cash payments and tenement expenditure. The Key Commercial Terms and Conditions Precedent are set out in Schedule 1 to this news release.PROJECT HIGHLIGHTSLocated between Laverton and Gold Road Resources' Gruyere gold mine One of the last effectively unexplored greenstone belts in Western Australia Land access impediments restricted modern exploration Land access obtained with Agreements in place with Traditional Owners and Ministerial Consent About the Cosmo Newbery ProjectThe Project is comprised of 7 early-stage gold exploration properties located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. The Project is located approximately 85km northeast of Laverton and is readily accessible via the Great Central Road which services the Cosmo Newbery Community and the >7Moz Gruyere Gold Mine, 95km to the east.Cosmo Newbery Project locationThe Project is situated on one of the last unexplored greenstone belts in Western Australia and it has seen virtually no modern exploration or drilling of merit, with only soil sampling and limited RAB drilling being undertaken and no holes deeper than 32m vertically below surface. The Project tenure is contiguous and covers approximately 583km2 and the entire +50km extent of the greenstone belt (the "Cosmo Newbery Belt").The Cosmo Newbery Belt represents a large and prospective system with gold first being discovered in the area in the 1890's. Multiple historical gold workings are documented within the Project area and work undertaken to date, has identified multiple exploration targets for follow up.Exploration prospectivity and potential is highlighted by the following observations:the Project is mostly unexplored however it has clear gold showings and strong geological and structural similarities to the adjacent Dorothy Hills greenstone belt which hosts the +7Moz Gruyere gold deposit; the Project is underlain by prospective volcanic and volcano-sediment rocks with localised intrusives, however is mostly under shallow cover and has seen little to no significant exploration; a major regional fault/shear system extending for +50km combined with granite-greenstone rocks, has the potential to provide requisite fluid pathways and favourable host rocks that are amenable to gold mineralisation; historic small-scale mining east of this regional system indicates gold deposition in the immediate area; and soil geochemical and geophysical surveys have identified numerous exploration targets for gold and nickel-cobalt and rare earth elements.The Project is located on reserves for the use and benefit of Aboriginal people and has remained mostly unexplored in modern times due to the protracted period of time taken to initially resolve native title, followed by the need to negotiate Access Agreements and obtain Ministerial consent. Land access agreements are now in place with the respective Native Title holding groups and Ministerial consent has been obtained.Prior to the determination of native title, little exploration was undertaken due to approximately 75% of the Project area being under cover and modern geochemical and exploration techniques being unavailable.Sarama's Managing Director, Andrew Dinning commented:"We are excited by the possibility of becoming involved in the Cosmo Newbery Gold Project which is situated in a highly prospective and prolific part of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. The scale of the Project area, favourable geological setting, historic gold showings and complete lack of modern exploration presents the company with a unique exploration opportunity upon closure of this potential acquisition"This announcement was authorised for release to the ASX by the Board of Sarama Resources Ltd.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.For further information, please contact:Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede Sarama Resources Ltd e: info@ saramaresources.com t: +61 8 9363 7600 CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATIONInformation in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the prospectivity of the Cosmo Newbery Project Project, information with respect to Sarama Resources Ltd's ("Sarama" or the "Company") planned exploration activities, having or acquiring interests in projects in areas which are considered highly prospective for gold and remain under-explored, costs and timing of future exploration, the potential for exploration discoveries, the intention to gain the best commercial outcome for shareholders of the Company, statements regarding results of future exploration and drilling, timing and receipt of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation, the entering into or completion of a transaction to acquire the Cosmo Newbury Project. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking information due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; mineral resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. Any statements that express or invol PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 17:17:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1020 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Global Cord Blood Corporation ("Global Cord" or the "Company") (OTC:CORBF) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 24-cv-03071, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Global Cord securities between June 4, 2019 and May 3, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Global Cord securities during the Class Period, you have until June 21, 2024 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.[Click here for information about joining the class action]Global Cord, together with its subsidiaries, provides umbilical cord blood storage and ancillary services in the in the Beijing Municipality, Guangdong Province, and Zhejiang Province of the People's Republic of China ("PRC"). Originally known as "China Cord Blood Corporation," Global Cord became a public company in May 2007 and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") in November 2009. The Company has received but rejected multiple "going private" offers, or transactions in which a public company is converted into private ownership.From the Company's inception until January 2018, Global Cord's largest shareholder was Golden Meditech Holdings Limited ("Golden Meditech" or "GMHL"), a medical device and hospital management company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and based in the PRC. Founded in 2001 by Defendant Yuen Kam ("Kam"), Golden Meditech was publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange until October 2020, when it was taken private by Kam.Golden Meditech's previous financial interest in Global Cord is just one of the significant connections that have existed between the two companies during the relevant time. Global Cord and Golden Meditech also maintained the same registered address in Hong Kong, even occupying the same building floor. Furthermore, Defendant Kam previously served as Global Cord's Chairperson until January 31, 2018. Global Cord's next Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Defendant Ting Zheng ("Zheng"), served as a non-executive member of Golden Meditech's Board of Directors from August 2012 to May 2019. Global Cord's Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), Defendant Bing Chuen Chen ("Chen"), served (officially) as Golden Meditech's Corporate Finance Vice President from March 2005 until an unknown date after 2017. After that time, Defendant Chen continued to be secretly involved in managing Golden Meditech while he was serving as Global Cord's CFO. Similarly, Kam continued to exert control over Global Cord after he was no longer formally associated with the Company. After the Transaction (descried below) was announced, Chen held Kam out as a representative of Global Cord for a private meeting with the Company's largest shareholder. Even further highlighting the connections between Golden Meditech and Global Cord, Defendants Zheng and Kam are in a personal relationship and have two children.In September 2016, Golden Meditech, in combination with The University of Texas at MD Anderson Cancer Center, announced the founding of Cellenkos Inc. ("Cellenkos"), a biotechnology company based in Houston that focuses on umbilical cord blood-derived T-regulatory cellular therapies.On April 29, 2022, after the market closed, in a Form 6-K filed with the SEC, Global Cord announced that it had entered into a Material Definitive Agreement to acquire Cellenkos for over $1 billion, including $664 million in cash and 114 million Global Cord shares-roughly the same number of the Company's shares that were already outstanding (the "Transaction"). In a press release appended as an exhibit to the Form 6-K, the Company provided that it would acquire 100% of Cellenkos and the rights to develop and commercialize all of its existing and future products worldwide except those related to a certain existing collaboration. Further, the Company stated that, at the close of the Transaction, it planned to issue approximately 125 million new shares, valued at US$11 per share, and pay $664 million in cash as total consideration. The Transaction thus stood to dilute the Company's shareholders by half and deplete its sizable cash balance.On this news, Global Cord's stock price fell $0.98 per share, or 28.57%, from $3.43 at the close of trading on April 29, 2022, to close at $2.45 per share on May 2, 2022.The Transaction was rushed to completion in under three days from when Global Cord's Board was first notified of it, without the shareholder approval that would be expected-and was required-for such a momentous transaction. Further, it grossly overvalued Cellenkos, such as by assuming that all of its treatments would receive regulatory approval.Global Cord's Directors approved the Transaction to benefit themselves and other Company insiders and related parties. The court in the Cayman Islands has criticized the role of Global Cord's Directors and management in the Transaction, stating (among other observations) that "it is impossible at this stage to discern any easily comprehensible commercial rationale for the Company, especially being a listed company, consummating and implementing an arrangement which was so financially and strategically significant with such a breath-taking combination of speed and stealth, particularly in circumstances where the Company was (as at April 29, 2022) under minority' rather than majority shareholder control." One of Cellenkos's primary products is CK0802, an allogenic cell therapy product that is presently in a randomized, double blinded placebo controlled, multi-center trial for the treatment of COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome . In October 2021, pursuant to a license agreement (the "License Agreement"), Cellenkos assigned the license of CK0802 to Defendant Golden PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 22:31:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 328 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CEO of Shock-Gard Matthew Bullock is featured in an exclusive online interview.MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / In a recent in-depth interview, Matthew Bullock, the visionary CEO and founder of Shock-Gard, shared his insights on what has driven Shock-Gard to become a leader in the cargo securement industry. Since founding the company in 1997, Bullock has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that enhance safety and efficiency in logistics, securing over 70,000 railcars and 500,000 containers annually with products like Ty-Gard DS and Road-Gard.During the interview, Bullock highlighted several key factors behind the company's success:Innovation and Customer Focus: Shock-Gard has thrived by consistently focusing on creating safe, sustainable, and customer-centric securement solutions. Bullock emphasized the importance of listening to customer needs and continuously improving technologies to better serve the industry.Team Collaboration: Bullock credited much of the company's success to the collaborative efforts of the Shock-Gard team. He stressed that teamwork is essential, with everyone pulling together to refine and enhance product offerings.Balancing Professional and Personal Life: Bullock also shared his approach to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which includes setting boundaries to ensure quality time with family and engaging in community service, reflecting his belief that success is not only about professional achievements but also about making a positive impact on others.Matthew Bullock's leadership has not only steered Shock-Gard through numerous advancements but also set a high standard for innovation and ethical practices in the industry.As Shock-Gard continues to grow and lead, Bullock looks forward to exploring new opportunities to advance cargo security while maintaining the company's core values.For more insights from Matthew Bullock's interview and to learn more about Shock-Gard's impact on the logistics industry, the full interview can be read here.About Shock-GardShock-Gard is a leading provider of sustainable cargo securement technologies. Founded in 1999 by CEO Matthew Bullock, Shock-Gard has been committed to innovation, safety, and environmental stewardship, setting industry standards in cargo securement.Contact: contact@ shock-gardreviews.com SOURCE: Shock-Gard PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-17 11:03:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 632 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Harbor Diversified, Inc. ("Harbor Diversified" or "the Company") (OTC:HRBR) 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 Harbor Diversified securities between May 10, 2022 and March 29, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/HRBR Case Details:According to the Complaint, Harbor Diversified describes itself as "a non-operating holding company that is the parent of a consolidated group of subsidiaries, including AWAC Aviation, Inc. (AWAC'), which is the sole member of Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC (Air Wisconsin'), a regional air carrier. Harbor is also the direct parent of three other subsidiaries: (1) Lotus Aviation Leasing, LLC (Lotus'), which leases flight equipment to Air Wisconsin, (2) Air Wisconsin Funding LLC (AWF'), which provides flight equipment financing to Air Wisconsin, and (3) Harbor Therapeutics, Inc. (Therapeutics'), which is a non-operating entity with no material assets." The Complaint alleges that Harbor Diversified made materially false and/or misleading statements because the Company misrepresented and failed to disclose the following adverse facts pertaining to the Company's business, operations, and prospects, which were known to Defendants or recklessly disregarded by them. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:(1) Harbor Diversified's financial statements from May 9, 2022 to the present were misstated due to improper revenue recognition;(2) Harbor Diversified lacked adequate internal controls; and(3) as a result, Harbor Diversified's statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.The truth began to emerge, according to the Complaint, on March 29, 2024, when Harbor Diversified filed with the SEC a current report on Form 8-K in which it announced that certain of its previously-issued financial statements would need to be restated as a result of improper revenue recognition. Further, Harbor Diversified disclosed a material weakness in its internal controls that has the company's management evaluating "appropriate remediation actions." On this news, according to the Complaint, the price of Harbor Diversified stock fell by $0.28 per share, or14.25% , to close at $1.73 on April 1, 2024.Therefore, the Complaint further alleges that as a result of Defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Harbor Diversified's common shares, investors have suffered significant losses and damages.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/HRBR 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 Harbor Diversified you have until July 8, 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 Miller 332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC A few weeks ago, he was in the news for identifying himself as the pacesetter for Afrobeats. Controversial as he has always been, Eedris Abdulkareem has used his music to address Nigerias societal ills. Famous for his song Jaga Jaga, released in 2004 during Olusegun Obasanjos regime as president of Nigeria, Eedriss latest song Emi Lo Kan doesnt spare Tinubus regime. In 2023, 19 years after he released Jaga Jaga, he dropped a remix, Lords of Jaga Jaga, wherein he tackled ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo. The 50-year-old rapper has taken a swipe at the President and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, with his just released single Emi Lokan. President Tinubu said the now famous Yoruba phrase Emi Lokan, which means It is my turn while campaigning to delegates in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, during the build-up to the APC presidential convention. To the President Eedris starts rapping on this note: Emi lokan don turn ebi lokan. The phrase emi lokan was synonymous with Tinubus presidential election eraa statement he made during one of his many campaigns. Emi lokan means it is my turn. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later How, then, does it turn to Ebi Lokan as sung by Eedris. Ebi Lokan means its hunger time, a reality Nigerians in Nigeria have been experiencing day in and day out since the day after President Tinubus swearing-in on 29 May 2023. Going further, he raps, saying, Yorubas are screaming Ebi Pa Wa, Hausas are screaming Muna Jin Yunwa, Igbos are saying E Nor Concern Us. All of these are to bolster the hunger and hardship that has hit the nation and the divide its served. He also highlighted a claim on the discrimination of the Igbos as he raps, Dont blame them, Igbos are being discriminated against. The first three words, Dont blame them, come from the assertion of Igbos being unconcerned about the ongoing hardship in the nation, thus following up on his statement about Igbos being discriminated against. He continues rapping, Even food don turn to gold in Nigeria, emphasising how expensive it is to afford food today. Furthermore, he raps kidnapping, lucrative business in Nigeria. He goes on to paint a mental picture of what would be if the presidents grandchildren were kidnapped: Imagine say na your grandchildren wey Dem kidnap, by now your soldiers for don scatter Nigeria. All of the above, he addressed what he termed The sluggish unconcern of the presidency to food scarcity, insecurity and the lives of Nigerians in general. Pastor Adeboye In another verse, Eedris reminds Pastor Adeboye of how he spoke against injustice during Goodluck Jonathans government. He raps, Where is our daddy, Pastor Adeboye? During Goodluck Jonathan[s regime], your voice was so loud. He also reminded him of how he proposed to lead a protest against Mr Jonathans government at the time: You even vowed to stage a one-million-man march. Eedris also accused the clergyman of being hypocritical in this era of hardship under Tinubus government Hunger and hardship under Tinubu government; you say Nigeria get spiritual problems, he raps. Furthermore, he implores the clergyman to enact his one-million-man protest: Baba, we need your one million disciples to protest against President Tinubus government just like you protested against President Jonathan. He ends it with a sarcastic rhetorical question: Daddy, abi legs don dey pain your disciples? Reactions The reactions to this song posted on his Instagram account @abdulkareemeedris have been one that aligns in agreement. One @mr_remarkable01 wrote, One thing I love about your songs is that it never fades until Nigeria is good, but I dont think it will; they swear for our leaders. Another reactor, @e_gold_money00, wrote, best song right now. Yet another reaction by @tbounce_: The only man with the VOICE OF THE TRILLIONS. Na mouth others get. While mixed reactions have trailed the controversial single, his fans applaud him for staying true to his style of music and the unhidden truth he serves. Another school of thought says the single might be a redemption from the backlash he got weeks ago for crowning himself the forerunner of Afrobeats, a claim that earned him a lot of flak. But responding to his critics, the outspoken rapper said Emi Lo Kan is a heartfelt concern and not just a quest for social relevance or media publicity. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On 19 May, following the establishment of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, President Bola Tinubu appointed his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, as the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC). The president equally empowered the SPEC office to be the countrys lead negotiator on climate-related matters, the lead negotiator on the carbon market and management initiatives, the supervising interface between the Secretariat of the National Council on Climate Change(NCCC) and the NCCC Supervising Council and to also serve as the coordinator of all climate action-related activities in ministries, departments, agencies, legislative, and subnational entities. Other responsibilities assigned to the newly constituted office include serving as the focal point of Nigerias engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, and other related international meetings on climate-related and green economic matters. While the presidential committee is expected to coordinate and oversee the countrys policies and programmes on climate action and green economic development locally and internationally, the assigned tasks overlap and conflict with the countrys existing Climate Change Act provisions. The law was put in place in 2021 by Mr Tinubus predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. Section 3(1) of the Act establishes Nigerias Climate Change Council (NCCC). It bestows the NCCC with the power to formulate policies and make decisions on all climate change matters in Nigeria. A PREMIUM TIMES review of Nigerias Climate Change Act indicates that President Tinubus directive allows the SPEC to hijack the responsibilities of the countrys NCCC director-general as enshrined in the 2021 Climate Change Act. Mr Tinubu also approved the appointment of Nkiruka Maduekwe as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the NCCC in an interim capacity, pending the confirmation of her appointment by the NCCC Supervisory Council. 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 Ms Maduekwes appointment, although yet to be ratified, came less than two weeks after Salisu Dahiru, the sacked director general of the NCCC, and his team were tasked to represent Nigeria at the United Nations Bonn Climate Change Conference SB 60, billed for 3-13 June in Germany. By implication, Mr Dahiru, who was the NCCC pioneer DG appointed by Mr Tinubus predecessor and who would have completed two years in office by July, would be unable to serve his four-year tenure as stipulated by the Act. Debates The recent appointments and directives made by the president on climate matters have sparked debates among climate change experts who questioned the rationale behind the presidents decision at a time when the country requires individuals with deep knowledge and wide experience around climate negotiations to represent the country at the global stage to achieve green growth and sustainable development in the country. Some experts who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES argued that rather than the president constituting committees and bodies with similar functions and roles, strengthening the NCCC with the statutory mandate to perform its roles/functions would be much better and cost-effective. Others expressed concerns about Mr Ngelales experience and capacity to lead Nigerias climate negotiations and deliver on the countrys climate change target as enshrined in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Nigerias Climate Change Act During the 26th edition of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow (Scotland) in 2021, former President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 2060 net-zero emissions target. Barely a week after the conference, Mr Buhari signed the Climate Change Act 2021 into law. It was ratified and passed by the National Assembly in October 2021. The Act provides a legal framework for achieving low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and mainstreaming climate change actions into national plans and programmes. Apart from the establishment of the NCCC which has the power to make policies and decisions on all matters relating to climate change in Nigeria, the act also provides that the NCCC will collaborate with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to develop a mechanism for carbon tax and carbon trading in Nigeria. The proceeds from these, among other funds, will be used to fund the Climate Change Fund proposed by the Act. Some of the councils powers, provided in section 4 of the Act, include coordinating the implementation of sectoral targets and guidelines for regulating GHG emissions and other causes of climate change, approving and overseeing the implementation of the Action Plan and administering the Climate Change Fund established under the Act. Others are mainstreaming climate change into national development plans and programmes, formulating policies and programmes for climate change planning, research, monitoring, and development, creating guidelines for assessing climate change vulnerability and adaptation and facilitating technical assistance for their implementation. The act also mandates the NCCC to recommend legislative, policy, appropriation, and other measures for climate change adaptation, mitigation, and related activities. Meanwhile, section 5(1) of the Act details the councils membership, which includes the President (Chairman), Vice President (Vice Chairman), Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (who shall be the Secretary), Ministers responsible for various sectors such as Environment, Petroleum Resources, Budget and National Planning, Justice, Mines and Steel Development, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Power, Women Affairs, Transportation, Water Resources, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria etc. However, members of the recently constituted Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions differ from the NCCC. The committee members include both statutory members of the NCCC and non-statutory members. Nevertheless, the committees mandates overlap and conflict with the councils functions. For instance, under section 4(j) of the Act, the council is empowered to collaborate with relevant ministries to develop and implement a carbon emission trading mechanism. Similarly, the Presidential Committee is tasked with identifying, developing, and implementing innovative non-oil & non-gas climate action initiatives and collaborating with national governments and multilateral institutions to achieve the governments climate action objectives and carbon market ambitions. Legal insights This overlap raises legal and moral questions about the necessity of the Presidential Committee when the NCCCs statutory existence already covers these areas, argued Kazeem Oyinwola, an Abuja-based legal practitioner at Amofin Solicitors. If a 25-member Presidential Committee with similar mandates exists, what justifies the existence of the NCCC? What responsibilities remain for the NCCC? Mr Oyinwola queried. He also questioned the rationale behind the exclusion of the newly appointed NCCC Director General, Ms Madueke, from the newly constituted presidential committee. Instead, Mr Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, is the secretary of the committee, and Salisu Dahiru, the recently removed DG of the NCCC, is a member. The terms of reference issued by the president have not helped matters either, Mr Oyinwola said, as he questioned why the special presidential envoy is empowered to be the lead negotiator on carbon market initiatives and supervise the interface between the NCCC Secretariat and the NCCC Supervising Council, chaired by the president. This, he said, raises questions about the legal basis of the presidents terms of reference for the presidential committee when the Act empowers the NCCC to formulate policies and make decisions on all climate change matters in Nigeria. Needless to say, one of the Acts objectives is to facilitate the coordination of climate change action to achieve long-term climate goals, he added. Additionally, Mr Oyinwola said the special presidential envoys role includes being the lead interface on engagement with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Power, Federal Ministry of Environment, and other critical institutions concerning the administration and coordination of climate-related donor finance, renewable energy finance, and green industrial growth management. These ministries are statutory members of the NCCC. So, what is the legal basis for a non-member of the NCCC to be the lead interface on engagement with the statutory members of the NCCC? What law empowers the president in that regard? the lawyer argued. Mr Oyinwola stated that the council is empowered under sections 4(a), (b), and (c) to coordinate the implementation of sectoral targets and guidelines for regulating GHG emissions, approve and oversee the implementation of the Action Plan, and administer the Climate Change Fund established under the Act. Meanwhile, the special presidential envoys terms of reference include being the focal-point authority on all non-executive activities related to the operations of the NCCC, with delegated authority to oversee the activities and operations of the NCCC secretariat for frequent reporting to the President between meetings of the NCCC Supervisory Council. This, Mr Oyinwola said, suggests a special envoy would oversee a statutory body, and what is now the role of the supervising council and what other responsibilities are left for the Director General of the Council to be doing? Wouldnt this lead to potential regulatory conflicts?, he said, adding that the overlapping mandates and powers of the special envoy and the Presidential Committee with those of the NCCC raise serious legal issues. Aside from these, Mr Oyinwola said the presidents move does not seem to be cost-effective, especially during an economic downturn when Nigeria should be reducing the cost of governance. To say there is a serious need for clarity and a clearly delineated line of demarcation in the roles and functions of the NCCC, the Director General, the Presidential Committee on Climate Change, and the special presidential envoy is an understatement, he noted. He emphasised that the roles and functions of the NCCC and its Director General are spelt out in the Climate Change Act and that the creation of the presidential committee on climate change and the terms of reference of the special envoy issued by the president create overlaps and potential conflict. Mr Oyinwola argued that while an Act of the National Assembly supports the NCCC, the presidential committee seems to be a political decision, a creation of the executive with potential conflict and violation of the Climate Change Act 2021. Rather than the avoidable proliferation of committees and bodies with similar functions and roles, strengthening the existing bodies with the statutory mandate to perform the roles/functions is better and more cost-effective, he said. Climate experts react Speaking on the recent climate-related appointments/mandates by the president, Nnimmo Bassey, director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), who has over a decade experience in COP negotiations, said what is unfolding from the Presidency is very disturbing. It seems the government is seeing climate change as an avenue for transactional activities for private sector speculators, Mr Bassey said. He added that naming a presidential envoy and setting up a committee with such wide ranging powers shreds extant structures or renders them as lame ducks. It doesnt seem as if there is a deep understanding that climate diplomacy or leadership requires experience and is not a ceremonial thing, the environmentalist noted. Regarding climate negotiations, Mr Bassey said the government cannot ignore the fact that a negotiator must be hands-on during such moments as the climate COPs and the chief negotiator must be on hand at all times. COPs are not project-seeking arenas or ones for signing MoUs as we often see, he added, saying Nigeria cannot suddenly wake up with a structure that, to all intent and purpose, turns both the National Climate Change Commission and the Ministry of Environment into mere appendages. It appears the government wishes to dive into transactions in the name of climate change action. We see this both in the so-called green economics slant and the Evergreen industrial idea, Mr Bassey told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview. Green and Blue economics are both platforms for the marketisation of environmental action. They are avenues for climate fiction and a bed for false climate solutions like carbon trading and so-called nature-based solutions, the environmentalist said. However, he said, naming a commercial entity to lead and make decisions on the proposed green industrial zone is very disturbing as that may eclipse the controls that should lie in related agencies. Who would approve project designs and environmental impact assessments, for instance? Who checks that standards are adhered to? Is this a way of privatising governance? he added. Mr Bassey said the government is signalling a plan to treat climate change as an avenue to seek grants, promote financial speculation, and put people at greater risk. On his part, Sulaimon Arigbabu, HEDA Resource Centres executive secretary, described the presidents appointment and the enormous powers and responsibilities being invested in the office of a special envoy on climate change as worrisome in many regards. He said the move is a disruption of the little semblance of structure in Nigerias climate governance regime after many years of advocacy and clamour. The powers being vested in the Special Envoy simply erodes the NCCC. We had expected that the president would consolidate and give life to the NCCC to be the countrys clearing house on climate policies and governance, but this is not the case, he added. Equally, Mr Arigbabu said the special envoys appointment and stated roles cause confusion in the polity for all stakeholders within and outside Nigeria. Our friends and the international community are unsure of what path we seem to be charting in climate governance, the environmentalist said. Mr Arigbabu described Mr Ngelale as an admirable government spokesperson. However, he said, Mr Ngelales interest, competence, and track record on climate change issues are not known and are possibly very low, even if they exist. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently confirmed the start of US forces withdrawal from Niger, marking a significant shift in American military presence in the region. The first C-17 Globemaster III aircraft departed from Air Base 101 in Niamey on 7 June 2024, signifying a pivotal moment in the broader context of US strategy in the Sahel and West Africa. For over a decade, Niger has been a critical hub for US military operations aimed at counterterrorism and regional stability. The withdrawal represents a significant change in US policy, reflecting both evolving strategic priorities and the complex dynamics of regional security. The decision to withdraw comes amidst ongoing instability in the Sahel region, where militant groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates continue to pose significant threats. The withdrawal also highlights the shifting allegiance of the putschists in Niger, who, since sacking democratic President Mohamed Bazoum last year, have aligned militarily with Russia. US authorities, however, said the withdrawal of US forces is being done in cooperation with Nigerien authorities. AFRICOMs press release highlights the productive cooperation between the US and Nigerien forces through the Joint Disengagement Commission. This collaboration is essential for ensuring an orderly and secure withdrawal, which is slated for completion by 15 September 2024. However, the withdrawal raises questions about the future of US engagement in the region and its implications for both Niger and broader West African security. The departure of the first C-17 signifies not just logistical prowess but also the complex coordination required for such an operation, officials 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 US Africa Command Director of Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, Kenneth Ekman, a US Air Force Major General, lauded the professionalism of US service members, noting, The US service members I have met here continue to impress me with their professionalism and commitment to their mission despite the unique set of challenges they have faced over the last few months. The transition from planning to execution underscores the extensive preparations undertaken by the US Department of Defense, officials said. A small contingent of US personnel has been deployed to Niger to provide logistical support, ensuring a smooth withdrawal of remaining forces and assets from Air Bases 101 and 201. This planning is crucial to avoid any potential security vacuum that militant groups could exploit. The Nigerien Ministry of National Defense has emphasised its commitment to protecting and securing American forces throughout the withdrawal process. This assurance is vital given the precarious security environment in the Sahel. The collaboration between US and Nigerien officials aims to mitigate any negative impacts of the withdrawal on local and regional stability. However, the broader implications of the US withdrawal are multifaceted. While the withdrawal may be seen as a response to changing priorities and resource allocations, it also raises concerns about the ability of local forces to manage security challenges independently. The presence of US forces has been a deterrent to militant activities, and their absence could embolden insurgent groups. The withdrawal also highlights the shifting allegiance of the putschists in Niger, who, since sacking democratic President Mohamed Bazoum last year, have aligned militarily with Russia. Before the withdrawal of US forces, French forces were also made to withdraw from Niger by the putschists. We are encouraged by this transition from planning to execution, Mr Ekman said, suggesting that the US remains committed to its objectives in Africa, albeit through different methods. Moreover, the US could increase its diplomatic and developmental efforts to address the root causes of instability in the Sahel. By focusing on governance, economic development, and human rights, the US can contribute to long-term stability in the region. The departure of the first C-17 from Niger marks a significant moment in US military strategy in West Africa. While the withdrawal presents operational challenges and potential security risks, it also offers an opportunity for strategic realignment. The future of US engagement in Niger and the broader Sahel region and West Africa will likely involve a combination of military, diplomatic, and developmental approaches aimed at promoting stability and addressing the underlying causes of conflict. As the US navigates this transition, the commitment to a safe and orderly withdrawal remains paramount, ensuring that the region does not descend into further chaos amidst the changing landscape of international engagement. Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based correspondent and media commentator with expertise on US foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Police Command is intensifying its search for the Managing Director of Fouani Company, Mohamed Fouani, and three brothers Abbas Fouani, Youssef Fouani and Amtal Fouani, who were kidnapped on the Lagos waterway on Friday evening. The victims were kidnapped around Falomo Bridge, Ikoyi, Lagos while travelling from Apapa to Victoria Island by boat. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, a superintendent of police, confirmed over the weekend that the command was aware of the incident and was looking into it. However, as of Monday morning, the whereabouts of the victims remain unknown. Unconfirmed reports stated that the kidnappers had made contact with the company and family, demanding a $1.5 million ransom. But, according to Mr Hundeyin, there has not been any contact yet. He refused to divulge sensitive information because it could jeopardise police search for the kidnappers and the lives of the victims. 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 Hundeyin maintained that the police were actively managing the situation and intensifying rescue efforts. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Police authorities in Ondo State have confirmed the death of an 86-year-old woman, who was set on fire by her daughter in Ondo City on Friday. The aged woman, well known as Iya Biodun, died at the trauma centre of the School of Medical Sciences in Ondo, where she was rushed to for treatment. The burning incident had occurred at Surulere, opposite the Anglican Cathedral Church in the Ondo West local government area. The daughter of the aged woman, who was identified as Abiodun, 45, allegedly committed the act at about 5 a.m. while the victim was asleep. I called my mother out of the house around 5 a.m. and set her ablaze because of what I heard, that shes behind my problems, the suspect confessed to the police. She claimed that she killed her mother because she had been made to believe the only way to come out of her lifes predicament was to kill her. Ms Abiodun said she faced so many life problems until a prophet told her that her mother was responsible for her challenges. 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 A witness, Sola Oladele, said the suspect came to the house on Friday around 5 a.m. and called out her mother before pouring petrol on her and setting her on fire. What happened between them before the incident, we dont know, but the suspect has been arrested by police at the Enu-Owa division for further investigation, he said. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident. It was the DPO of the station who broke the news to me when I called to confirm the case, she said. Mrs Odunlami said the suspect would be charged in court as soon as possible. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, have arrested three persons for allegedly stealing vehicle batteries. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday night. Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the suspects as Ebuka Eze, 24, Nnamdi Chukwuemeka, 21, and Friday Ilo, 31 all males. The spokesperson said they were arrested at about 2 p.m. on 7 June by police operatives serving at Awkunanaw Police Division in the state. Their arrest followed the conduct of a covert operation by the operatives upon the receipt of complaints about the theft of several motor vehicle batteries at a construction site in Awkunanaw, Enugu, he said. Not the first time Mr Ndukwe said Messrs Eze and Chukwuemeka two of the suspects had been arrested for the same offence in the past. The spokesperson said that in the latest incident, the third suspect Mr Ilo was arrested after the two other suspects confessed that they stole and sold the batteries to him (Ilo). Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said 15 vehicle batteries, including those of articulated vehicles and tricycles, were recovered from the suspects. The suspects will be arraigned and prosecuted once investigations are concluded, he stated. Recovery of weapon and ammunition Mr Ndukwe said police operatives serving in Emene Division, in a separate operation on Sunday evening, recovered a beretta pistol with 36 rounds of 9 mm calibre ammunition in a bush in the Emene Area. The exhibits are suspected to have been abandoned by criminal elements on the hot trail of the police operatives for allegations of armed robberies, he said. Prohibited in Nigeria Stealing is outlawed in section 390 of the Nigeria Criminal Code Act. Offenders, on conviction, face three years imprisonment or more, including payment of a fine, depending on the item stolen and its value, according to the law. Several persons have been convicted for stealing across the country. An Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan, in June, sentenced a 23-year-old man, Isaac Dumabara, to one-month imprisonment for stealing one pot of stew and meat worth N40,000 from a restaurant. A former deputy chief registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mutiat Adio, was, in March 2020, sentenced to five years imprisonment after she was found guilty of stealing. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police in Delta State, South-south Nigeria, have declared a man wanted for allegedly killing his six-year-old daughter. The suspect, Stanley Overmureye, allegedly killed his daughter, Sankey, on Saturday, the police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police said the police got wind of the killing through a brother of the suspect. The suspect, according to Mr Edafe, fled after committing the crime. The divisional police officer on receipt of the complaint detailed operatives who went to the scene at Uviama New Layout, Agbarho Ughelli North Local Government Area, and recovered the corpse of the little child whose head was smashed several times on the wall. The corpse was recovered and deposited at the mortuary. The father, who is the principal suspect, is currently at large, the police said. The police did not state the circumstances which led to the killing of the child. 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 Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, saddened by this barbaric act, has ordered a serious manhunt for the fleeing suspect and assures members of the public that the suspect will be arrested and justice will be served. The police urged members of the public to volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspect. Two months ago a similar incident was reported in Abia State, South-east Nigeria, where a 70-year-old man was arrested by the police for allegedly killing his son over food. The septuagenarian, Theophilus Lopaukwu Udeh shot and killed his 27-year-old son, Sunday, for eating food apparently meant for him (the father). The father, who had not eaten his food in the morning, reportedly came back hungry only to discover that his son had taken the food meant for him. Angered by the sons action, Mr Udeh, reportedly went inside his room, brought out a gun, fired at his son, and killed him on the spot. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Following the outbreak of cholera in some states, the Ondo State Government has explained measures it has taken to curb the spread of the disease in the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, said on Monday that the state has activated its surveillance for immediate response to any case of cholera in the state. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), there were 65 confirmed cholera cases with 30 deaths from 1 January to 11 June across 96 LGAs in 30 states of the country. The alarm was again raised in the South-west region when Lagos State reported an outbreak with 60 hospital admissions and five deaths. The NCDC stated that a total of 1,141 suspected cases have been recorded this year. Ten states contributed 90 per cent of the total number. The states are Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos. Mr Ajaka noted that two cases were reported at Okitipupa Local Government Area early in the year, adding that the case was curtailed by the Rapid Response team of the state Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said the state had strengthened the Rapid Response Team, which includes Primary Health Centre (PHC) coordinators, lab focal persons, and Disease Surveillance officers in the three senatorial districts of the state through the COPREP programme. The surveillance team was also strengthened by the COPREP programme with community informants/ contact tracers trained and placed on stipends for eight months. They, however, would be deployed for active case search in preparation for the cholera outbreak, he said. He further explained that an emergency preparedness committee would be put in place to work on issues such as the provision of potable water, sanitation, and strengthening of the health institutions and other relevant sectors, which would be a collaborative effort between all the agencies in the health sector and other MDAs such as Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Information, Water Resources and the waste management agency. The commissioner added that an incident management system would be set up through the EOC, facilitating case detection, isolation and treatment of cases, including complications. Mr Ajaka promised that the government would play its part by sensitising and creating awareness in the mass media and also through community engagement. He appealed to citizens to maintain a high level of personal and food hygiene and report promptly to the hospital in case of diarrhoea and vomiting. Cholera is a highly contagious food and water-borne disease. It spreads through direct transmission by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and indirect transmission due to poor sanitation and lack of hand washing. Symptoms of cholera include acute, painless, watery diarrhoea of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting and fever. Severe cases can lead to death within hours due to dehydration. However, about 80 per cent of people may only show mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu will depart Lagos on Tuesday for Pretoria, South Africa, to attend the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday. The inauguration of Mr Ramaphosa follows his re-election as president for a second term. The statement said President Tinubu will return to Nigeria after the ceremony. The Nigerian leader congratulated Mr Ramaphosa on his re-election on Sunday. The SA president secured victory after his party, the African National Congress (ANC) entered an unprecedented coalition with other parties. The ANC won only 40 per cent of the votes in the 29 May election and lost its absolute majority in the countrys parliament. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairperson of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara lacks the power to constitute caretaker committees for local government councils in the state as a consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling in Port Harcourt, Friday. The tenure of the elected council officials in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State expires this Monday, 17 June. They were sworn in three years ago during Governor Nyesom Wikes administration. However, no election has been held to elect new officials, indicating that Governor Fubara may inaugurate caretaker committees to run the councils. Mr Nwanosike, an ally of former Governor Wike (now FCT minister), in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, said Governor Fubara cannot replace him and his colleagues at the councils with a caretaker committee. He predicated his argument on the ruling of the Court of Appeal. The case at the Court of Appeal was filed by 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in Rivers who are challenging the lower court ruling, which empowered a three-member faction of the Rivers House of Assembly to run the assembly at their exclusion. The three-member faction is loyal to Governor Fubara. The Ikwerre council chairperson believes that the Court of Appeal pronouncement that parties in the case should maintain the present status quo also extends to the tenure of local councils in the state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Court of Appeal said yesterday (Friday) you cant do caretaker. So he (Governor Fubara) cannot also run the local government with civil servants; our laws do not recognise civil servants to run councils when we have elected officials, Mr Nwanosike said. What made Governor Fubara not to conduct (local) election? Who created this crisis? Is it former Governor Wike in Abuja that stopped Mr Fubara from conducting the election? Asked if he and his colleagues were considering going to court to challenge Governor Fubara if he replaces them with a caretaker, Mr Nwanosike said the appellate court had settled the matter. With the ruling of the Court of Appeal that happened yesterday (Friday), I dont think that me and my colleagues have anything to answer anybody. It had stated clearly that status quo be maintained before they ( Victor Oko-Jumbo-led three-person assembly) went and started shopping for their orders, he added. Appeal court ruling The oil-rich Rivers has been enmeshed in a political crisis since last October after Messrs Wike and Fubara fell out because of a power struggle. The rift between the two former allies manifested greatly in the state legislature, splitting the lawmakers into two factions 27 members loyal to Mr Wike while the three-member assembly currently led by Victor Oko-Jumbo has the backing of Governor Fubara. Shortly after emerging as speaker in a controversial circumstance, Mr Oko-Jumbo on 10 May obtained an interlocutory injunction from a State High Court in Port Harcourt restraining pro-Wike lawmakers from parading themselves as lawmakers. The trial court also issued an order barring Governor Fubara from implementing all resolutions by the pro-Wike lawmakers from last December when their seats were declared vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. Dissatisfied with the decision of the trial court, the pro-Wike lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule filed an appeal asking the Court of Appeal to, among other requests, stay the execution of the order of the trial court. The embattled lawmakers also requested the Court of Appeal to vacate the order of the trial court that restrained them from parading themselves as lawmakers. They requested the court to restrain Fubara-backed lawmakers from parading themselves as lawmakers and also invalidate all resolutions taken by the three-member faction assembly. However, the three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Hamman Bakar, while ruling in the matter, stated thus: A critical study of the prayers deals with the substance of the issues on appeal, and dealing or granting the same will be tantamount to determining the issues of appeal at his interlocutory state, which this court will decline to do. Justice Bakar, therefore, ordered parties in the suit to maintain the present status quo pending the determination of the appeal. What does to maintain the present status quo mean? Like the 27 embattled lawmakers, the chairperson of local councils in Rivers State is loyal to Mr Wike. The 27 lawmakers had, after President Bola Tinubu brokered a peace deal between Messrs Fubara and Wike last December, returned to the state assembly and continued legislative business with their rights and privileges restored, a key condition in the controversial peace deal. It was not long before the peace deal collapsed, and the lawmakers amended the Rivers local government administration law and stripped Governor Fubara of the power to appoint caretakers for local councils in the state when the tenure of the current officials expires. They had also extended the tenure of the serving council officials by six months if Governor Fubara failed to conduct local elections. The lawmakers overrode Governor Fubaras veto of the bill. The trial court, in its interlocutory injunction, had set aside all resolutions made by the pro-Wike lawmakers from December last year that their seats were declared vacant. And the Court of Appeal, in deciding on the appeal filed by pro-Wike lawmakers, ordered parties to maintain the present status quo pending the determination of the appeal. But Mr Nwanosike, the Ikwerre local council chairperson, told PREMIUM TIMES that the appellate court directive that parties should maintain the present status quo means that the court has validated the resolutions made by Mr Amaewhule-led assembly, including extending their tenure by six months, the basis he said Governor Fubara lacked the power to replace them with a caretaker. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, a legal practitioner, Uwemedimo Nwoko, said the appellate courts ruling has no correlation with the tenure of local council officials in Rivers. Mr Nwoko, a senior advocate of Nigeria and former attorney general of Akwa Ibom State, said there is a clear difference between maintaining the present status quo as ordered by the appellate court and status ante bellum. According to him, ante means before, and antebellum means before the war or before the dispute arose. If the court said maintain status quo simplicity without adding antebellum, it means it means the position as at the time you inform the court. If the court says present status quo, it is the status at the time the order is made, Mr Nwoko said, indicating the appellate court reference of the present status quo means at the time the ruling was given on Friday and not the position canvassed by Mr Nwanosike. Mr Nwoko said the local administration in Rivers ends when their tenure expires on Monday, except Governor Fubara does not want to act on it. Asked if the state government would constitute a caretaker to replace the serving council officials, Rivers State Commissioner for Information Joseph Johnson told PREMIUM TIMES that the state government would take the next step when the tenure expires. For now, we cannot discuss when their tenure has not elapsed, Mr Johnson said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted a cartel controlled by two suspected drug barons in Abia State, South-east Nigeria. The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects, 49-year-old Kelechi Nwaobasi and his 50-year-old sister, Chinwe Nwaobasi, have been arrested. Mr Babafemi added that the agency seized some quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine worth over N4.1 billion from the suspects. The spokesperson said the seizure of the drugs and the arrest of the suspected drug barons were carried out by officers of the Special Operation Unit of the NDLEA. The special operation conducted on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th June 2024 at 3B, Boundary Avenue, Aba and a residence along Ohia road, Ohia, Abia State followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the ring leaders and the combined seizure of 20.76 kilogrammes of cocaine and methamphetamine from them, he said. Busting of drug warehouse in Lagos Mr Babafemi said operatives of the NDLEA, in a separate operation, uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup and opioids in Lagos State. The spokesperson said four persons connected to the importation and distribution of the opioids were arrested when the NDLEA operatives raided the warehouse located in the Comfort Oboh Area of Kirikiri in the South-western state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Babafemi identified the arrested suspects as Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bornaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56 all males. The spokesperson said a Toyota Tacoma truck and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the warehouse during the operation which was conducted on 10 June. He said apart from the vehicles, 82,000 bottles of opioid, worth more than N600 million in street value, were also recovered from the facility. Two days after, Wednesday 12th June, operatives intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 3.9 litres of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, Ojo Local Council Area of the state, he said. He added that the Chairperson of the NDLEA, Mohammed Marwa, commended the operatives of the agency for the operations. Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier general, urged the operatives not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts across Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen in Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria have freed a retired secondary school principal after spending five days in captivity. The victim, Ezekiel Paul, was released on Friday after payment of N1.5 million ransom, family sources told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. This newspaper last week reported that gunmen who kidnapped Mr Paul initially demanded N20 million ransom before reducing it to N5 million. The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John confirmed the victims release to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. Ms John, an assistant superintendent of police, however, denied knowledge of ransom payment. The information at my disposal is that the victim has been freed and reunited with his family. I have no knowledge of payment of ransom, she told this newspaper. Mr Paul, who is a brother to the Archbishop of the African Church, Uyo Province, was kidnapped at his country home, Ikot Abasi Akpan in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Previous kidnappings Residents of the area where Mr Paul was kidnapped, particularly Abak Ikot Abasi Road and Ekpene Ukpa Road, stretching from Ekparakwa in Oruk Anam Local Government Area through Mkpat Enin Local Government to Etinan Local Government Area, are living in fear because of the activities of kidnappers. In the last three years, gunmen have carried out a series of abductions, collected huge ransoms and in some occasions killed their victims. Within three months in 2022, gunmen abducted four high-profile people including two clerics a medical doctor and a political party chieftain in the area. All four kidnappings occurred within five kilometres apart. In February 2022, gunmen invaded a cottage hospital in Ikot Ekpaw, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, and abducted a medical doctor, Felix Ekpo. Punch newspaper reported that the kidnappers stormed the hospital in the morning and made away with the doctor in his car. Two months later in April, gunmen abducted John Okoriko, a televangelist and founder of Solid Rock Kingdom Church. Mr Okoriko was abducted when gunmen invaded the headquarters of his church in his village, Ibekwe Akpanya in Mkpat Enin LGA, PREMIUM TIMES reported. In May, same year, gunmen kidnapped Alphonsus Eboh, a Catholic priest in the same community Ikot Abasi Akpan - where Mr Paul was kidnapped - and demanded N100 million as ransom. The then chairperson of the parish council, Cletus Okodi, had told PREMIUM TIMES that the priest was kept in an unidentified forest in the area. Mr Okodi, himself once a victim of kidnapping, did not disclose the amount the church paid before the priest was released. Still in May 2022, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Sylvester Ntefre, was shot dead by gunmen. Gunmen invaded his residence in Ekparakwa, along Abak-Ikot Abasi Road in a black SUV and fired sporadic shots to scare neighbours before abducting the man. About three months ago March 2024 a liquor distributor, who was kidnapped at his office in Ekparakwa meters away from where Mr Ntefre was kidnapped, died in captivity, Sun newspaper reported. Malcahy Ufot, a retired broadcaster with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria who was kidnapped by gunmen in October last year but released after he became unconscious in captivity, died the next day at a hospital in Uyo. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Despite reports that 15 young Nigerians who participated in the EndSARS protests in 2020 are still being detained without trial, the police said no protester is in its custody. The police were reacting to the claim by a former senator, Shehu Sani, that some EndSARS protesters are still being held unlawfully. Mr Sani had said during the 2024 Democracy Day Dinner in Abuja on 12 June that some protesters were still being detained. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the former Kaduna senator and human rights activist asked President Bola Tinubu to release them. But in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the Police Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said Mr Sanis claim was misleading and urged the public to disregard it. Mr Adejobi said no protester is being unlawfully detained by the Force or any other security agency. He stated that all individuals had been processed according to the law. 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 Nigeria Police Force categorically denies the recent allegations made by Senator Shehu Sani at the 2024 Democracy Day Dinner on June 12, 2024, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the former Senator falsely claimed that some young people have been detained since the 2020 EndSARS protest. The Nigeria Police affirm that no individual is being unlawfully detained by the Nigeria Police Force or any other security agency in Nigeria due to the EndSARS protest. All arrested individuals have been processed according to the law, and none remain unlawfully detained. In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pardoned approximately 100 suspects arrested by the Police during the protest. For emphasis, no one anywhere in Nigeria is under police detention or being wrongly persecuted for participating in the EndSARS protest. The issues surrounding the protest have been debated, researched, and documented, and lessons have been learnt. We have forgiven ourselves and moved on, Mr Adejobi said. He urged the public to disregard the former lawmakers claim and remain assured of the commitment of the police to upholding justice, the rule of law, and human rights. We encourage verifying information before making public statements to avoid harm and incitement, the spokesperson said. Sheu Sanis reaction This newspaper could not reach Mr Sani for comment as he did not respond to our calls or a text message to his mobile phone requesting his reaction. However, in a comment posted on his X account on Monday, the former Senator insisted that there was a list of EndSARS protesters who have been in detention. He requested the police to go after the list for an appropriate claim. The Police debunked my statement that some EndSARS protesters are still held in custody. I hope they have read the list of the names published, he said. Amnesty Internationals report It is unclear if Mr Sani was referring to the list of EndSARS detainees released months ago by Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria. In October 2023, AI reported and released a list of the protesters said to be held in police custody. The Director of the organisation, Isa Sanusi, said its investigation uncovered that 15 protesters arrested in 2020 were still being detained without trial. He said a majority of them were being held in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos. Our investigation shows the Nigerian authorities utter disdain for human rights. Three years in detention without trial is a travesty of justice. This shows the authorities contempt for due process of law. The protesters must be immediately and unconditionally released, Mr Sanusi said. Protesters still in detention AI listed the detainees as Daniel Joy-Igbo, Sodiq Adigun, Sunday Okoro, Olumide Fatai, Oluwole Isa, Shehu Anas, and Akiniran Oyetakin, all arrested in Lagos in 2020 and were being arbitrarily held in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre. Segun Adeniyi, Onuorah Odih, Jeremiah Lucky, Gideon Ikwujomah, Irinyemi Olorunwanbe, Quadri Azeez, Olamide Lekan and Sadiq Riliwan were being detained without trial in Ikoyi Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos since 2020. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Kano on Monday warned troublemakers to stay off the streets following separate incidents involving the convoys of the state governor and the reinstated Emir Lamido Sanusi. The police gave the warning in a statement issued by their spokesperson in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the incident involving the emir occurred when Mr Sanusi was returning from the Eid prayers. The police said the emir was booed within the vicinity of Festival Primary School and Zage/Zango areas by unidentified persons. Currently, the police command is monitoring the entire Sallah events to ensure law and order are maintained and adequate security measures are in place to tackle any form of security threat. Accordingly, the police command is warning individuals intending to cause chaos or breach the peace during the Sallah celebration to stay clear of the state, the police spokesperson said. The police warned members of the public to desist from carrying weapons during and after the celebration, saying that anyone found would face the wrath of the law. 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 Rigorous stop-and-search operations and patrols are ongoing in all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the metropolitan area to ensure a peaceful celebration, Mr Kiyawa said. The governors convoy was also booed close to the mini palace occupied by the dethroned Aminu Ado Bayero. The dethroned emir observed the Eid prayer at the mini palace about 300 metres to the Kano Government House, with thousands of residents and supporters. On his part, Mr Sanusi observed the prayer at Ahmadu Tijjani Mosque beside the Sani Abacha Stadium at Kofar Mata. As the governors convoy passed through the mini palace, some residents chanted in Hausa abusing him and his political godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso. However, the police did not comment on the development. Kano is currently divided between those who support Mr Ado Bayeros dethronement and those who oppose it. Many of the governors supporters support Mr Ado Bayeros removal and the reinstatement of Mr Sanusi, which the governor promised to do during the campaigns. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print With hindsight, I think it is fair to say that if General Babangida had had the slightest inkling that Nwosus Option A4 would be such a resounding success, he would not have allowed the polls to hold. It seemed that the calculation of the military was that after they had failed to use Professor Awa to deliver a flawed democratic process, Nwosu would not want to be removed like his predecessor and would cooperate. But Nwosu knew he was having a rare handshake with history and he chose to side with the people, rather than be a military lapdog. One of the personalities I had expected to pump hands with at the dinner marking the 2024 Democracy Day in commemoration of the June 12 struggle, was the former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), 82-year-old Professor Humphrey Nwosu. His absence filled the State House Banquet Hall, as if the pillars holding the rafters of the celebration were missing a couple of rods. Without the street-wise academic whose principled commitment to transparency and accountability ensured the conduct of what has now been acknowledged as the freest and fairest electoral exercise in the history of Nigeria, there would have been no June 12. Nwosu was appointed in the midst of the turbulence occasioned by the insistence of the irresistible military force of the Babangida machine to subvert the immovable resoluteness of the highly respected Professor Eme Awa, whose removal as chairman of NEC created the vacancy that Nwosu filled. Somehow, it seemed the hand of fate was at work. Nwosu had been Professor Eme Awas student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The first time I saw the affable Nwosu was shortly after his appointment, when he visited his former teacher, Awa, at his Ikoyi residence for his blessings and advice. My crew and I were at Awas residence to conclude a chat we had been having with the respected professor. At first, the nation did not know what to make of the ever-smiling Nwosu. He was reported to have said that what Nigeria needed was good governance based on a centrist philosophy of A-little-to-the-right-and-a-little-to-the-left. It tallied with General Babangidas preaching of evolving a home grown philosophy, a kind of socio-capitalism, an ideological bat which was neither a rodent nor a bird. At that time, those of us who had had the experience of tangling with the military warned Nwosu not to believe a fox declaring its conversion to vegetarianism, because after the declaration, every goat and lamb would be classified as modern vegetables. It says a lot about Nwosus emotional maturity that he seemed to play along with Babangidas duplicity, while working hard to deliver a transparently free and fair electoral process. Among several options, he chose the open ballot system, which he called Option A4 a method of voting in which voters would openly queue behind the posters of their preferred candidates. Voters on the queue were openly counted and the result publicly recorded. 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 system also stultified the usual practice of the use of thugs by politicians to snatch ballot boxes, steal ballot papers or destroy critical documents related to the polls. There were no ballot papers, no ballot boxes, no polling booths. Voters simply went to their designated polling centres to queue behind the photographs of their preferred candidates. They were counted and the result of each polling booth was immediately recorded on the official sheets and declared there and then. When former President Buhari was declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring Chief MKO Abiola and some of the leading lights of the National Democratic Coalition, it did not occur to him that Humphrey Nwosu was alive and well, and should have been celebrated just like those who were given national awards at the time. (Even Abiolas running mate, Babagana Kingibe, who had abandoned the June 12 cause, was given the second highest national honour!) Naysayers swore that the polling was destined to fail. It was the rainy season and if it rained, that would be the end of polling for many people, because there would be no hiding place. Secondly, a massive use of thugs to inflict serious bodily harm on supporters of the opposing party on open queues could ensure that others fearful for their lives would take to their heels. Some critics even said that the system would put tenants at loggerheads with their landlords, in instances where a tenant was on the opposing queue from his landlords. But it did not rain; neither was there any kind of organised violence. As a matter of fact, polling Day, 12 June, 1993, witnessed a carnival-like atmosphere, as supporters of SDPs MKO Abiola and NRCs Bashir Tofa turned out in colourful regalia. Halfway into the collation of results, an Abuja High Court halted the further announcement of election results. A big board displaying all the results had already been mounted at the headquarters of the electoral commission. The whole country knew the results: MKO Abiola had won. Eventually, after using professional traitors like Arthur Nzeribe and pliant judges to muddy the waters, General Babangida annulled the elections and thereby destroyed what would have been his greatest legacy in Nigeria: a free and fair election. With hindsight, I think it is fair to say that if General Babangida had had the slightest inkling that Nwosus Option A4 would be such a resounding success, he would not have allowed the polls to hold. It seemed that the calculation of the military was that after they had failed to use Professor Awa to deliver a flawed democratic process, Nwosu would not want to be removed like his predecessor and would cooperate. But Nwosu knew he was having a rare handshake with history and he chose to side with the people, rather than be a military lapdog. That is why Humphrey Nwosu is a hero of democracy today. He ought to be shown as a beacon of patriotism and integrity for the younger generation. When former President Buhari was declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring Chief MKO Abiola and some of the leading lights of the National Democratic Coalition, it did not occur to him that Humphrey Nwosu was alive and well, and should have been celebrated just like those who were given national awards at the time. (Even Abiolas running mate, Babagana Kingibe, who had abandoned the June 12 cause, was given the second highest national honour!) Abiola would not have been the hero he turned out to be if Nwosu had not conducted the most transparent election in Nigeria. No election before or after that epochal electoral exercise has come close to Nwosus Option A4 in transparency and acceptability! There are others, too, who ought to be remembered and honoured at a time of historical significance such as the Democracy Day; for example, the veteran human rights activist and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun, who had to escape to Benin Republic, as well as many activists in Radio Freedom, Radio Kudirat and NALICON. I wager that President Tinubu will not need any further nudging to decorate Humphrey Nwosu, Abubakar Umar Dangiwa and other heroes of the June 12 struggle with the national honours commensurate with their service and sacrifice. What about the quartet of June 12 activists: Richard Ogunderu, 19; Kabir Adenuga, 18; Benneth Oluwadaisi, 20; and Kenny Rasaq Lawal, 19 all students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) who spent nine years in a Niamey (Niger Republic) prison for hijacking a plane to press for the validation of the annulled election? I was expecting to see Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar in the front row on Democracy Day. Take a bow, great officer and principled gentleman! June 12 was a pan-Nigerian struggle headquartered in (but not restricted to) the South-West. I remember some of the activists who stood firmly on the side of June 12: Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Shehu Sani, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, and, if I may remember some of those whose paths crossed mine in those days of goggled evil: Eze Mark Odu, BK Ogala, Moshood Fayemiwo, Jimmy Imo, Joe Igbokwe, Eddy Okparaoji, among others. It was such a joyful sight seeing Kunle Ajibade, George Mbah and others whom the gods had snatched from the jaws of destruction. Theyve all paid their dues. The ways of the unmade maker are wondrous, I told myself, as I looked from one erstwhile classified enemy of the state to the other: fugitive, terrorist, dissident, NADECO spy, guerrilla journalist, NALICON informant. Now theyre all gaily turned out for dinner in the State House! They are ordinary people who did extraordinary things. As Christopher Reeve notes, A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. I wager that President Tinubu will not need any further nudging to decorate Humphrey Nwosu, Abubakar Umar Dangiwa and other heroes of the June 12 struggle with the national honours commensurate with their service and sacrifice. Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An example of the OKOBI model in action is the Okpofe Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) Multi-purpose Cooperatives in Ezinihitte Local Government Area of Imo State. The cooperative has about 90 members. Many of them are graduates. Instead of waiting for jobs to be given to them, they created their own jobs. They met with their Eze (i.e. local King) and the community elders to secure a space to start their agribusiness, comprising poultry, piggery, fishery, and some vegetable farms. A group once approached a business in their community for a bus. The company granted their request and offered a locally branded bus. They picked up the bus, but halfway home, they changed their mind, returned it to the company, and asked for a foreign-branded bus instead. As trivial as this sounds, it is typical of the unending demands on companies by their host communities, who often see them as the only government they know. Such rampant community requests have come to mischaracterise Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Nigeria as mainly philanthropy. I started researching and advising on CSR in the early 2000s. Since then, it has become what some people call corporate sustainability, perhaps because sustainability seems more strategic and business-like. Nonetheless, the perception of CSR as corporate philanthropy in Nigeria has persisted because many businesses still build schools, construct roads, sink boreholes, equip hospitals, et cetera, for their communities. However, not all are good at it. Recently, I encountered a company whose business largely depends on natural resources in a specific community. I asked the managers how long the natural resources would last. About 80 years, they said. The answer was pretty straightforward and without much effort. I paused and asked them what their host community would look like in 80 years, and they were lost for words and scratched their heads instead. It did not take much to conclude that this company was not concerned about developing its host communities sustainably and in an empowering manner. Many companies are like this. They would give communities fish, instead of teaching them how to fish. In the process, they create and foster a culture of problematic community dependency. When the Nobel laureate in economics, Amartya Sen, described poverty as unfreedom, he didnt mince words. Thats precisely what it is. As such, any genuine act of empowerment should be liberating and free from a permanent cycle of dependency. In other words, the current practice of corporate community relations in Nigeria must genuinely empower the communities it aims to serve. But how can it do this without a tried and tested model? 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 Since its launch in 2023, there are over 250 OKOBI businesses in Imo State today. Together, they have created over 5,000 jobs. Like any business, OKOBI businesses are advised to start with proper needs assessment because meaningful and productive entrepreneurship implies addressing real societal challenges efficiently and profitably. This is where the One Kindred One Business Initiative (OKOBI) model of entrepreneurship, championed by Senator Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State, can be an excellent example for the private sector to emulate. The message of economic freedom encapsulated in OKOBI is the essence of his administrations 3R agenda (i.e. Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Recovery). OKOBI is about community-based and group-owned businesses. These groups include extended families, villages, communities, friends, alum associations, or religious and social organisations. It is non-political. OKOBI emphasises the communal spirit of the Igbos of South-East Nigeria, anchored on the philosophy of Igwebuike (i.e. strength in number). Although not entirely new, it stretches into the past to revitalise a declining ethos of togetherness that has sustained the Igbos, despite the current challenges of perceived economic and political marginalisation, culminating in many societal ills. In short, it is a response to high unemployment, poverty, hopelessness, and helplessness. Since its launch in 2023, there are over 250 OKOBI businesses in Imo State today. Together, they have created over 5,000 jobs. Like any business, OKOBI businesses are advised to start with proper needs assessment because meaningful and productive entrepreneurship implies addressing real societal challenges efficiently and profitably. This needs assessment will identify market gaps, opportunities, target customers, and funding sources. Given that the government is not very prescriptive and not a primary investor in these businesses, they have been very creative and flexible in figuring out what works for them. An example of the OKOBI model in action is the Okpofe Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) Multi-purpose Cooperatives in Ezinihitte Local Government Area of Imo State. The cooperative has about 90 members. Many of them are graduates. Instead of waiting for jobs to be given to them, they created their own jobs. They met with their Eze (i.e. local King) and the community elders to secure a space to start their agribusiness, comprising poultry, piggery, fishery, and some vegetable farms. Their mission is to be a major player in their local government area, and their mantra is Operation feed Ezinihitte. They tasked themselves according to their competencies and abilities to achieve this goal and placed themselves on salaries. Although the provision of hard infrastructure to communities might seem expedient in the short term, it can become a burden in the long term. This trap must be avoided to achieve an empowering corporate community relationship, and OKOBI can be a credible alternative. Given the time it takes for their livestock and vegetables to mature, they involved a local microfinance bank to offer them financial assistance, which means that each cooperative member can borrow up to a certain amount of money every month. The microfinance bank is repaid when they harvest and sell their produce. The excess is partly reinvested in the business and distributed to the members when they make a surplus. Today, this cooperative has grown to create jobs for non-members and is still expanding. This is a classic case of people doing things for themselves, instead of waiting to be fed. Despite the challenges of the time, they have shown a unique expression of individual agency in the face of daunting and discouraging situations. Learning from OKOBI, corporate community relations can focus on igniting or reviving community collective agency. The beauty of the model is that it can be applied in contexts with similar social structures. Of course, community development is complex. Its even more complicated when a business does it alone. Engaging in providing for the people will always create a situation of dependency and leave organisations drained in the long term if care is not taken. Although the provision of hard infrastructure to communities might seem expedient in the short term, it can become a burden in the long term. This trap must be avoided to achieve an empowering corporate community relationship, and OKOBI can be a credible alternative. Kenneth Amaeshi is a professor of sustainable finance at the European University Institute, Italy, Chair in business and sustainable development at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and a public philosopher. He is currently the Chief Economic Adviser to the Imo State Government, working part-time and pro bono. He tweets @kenamaeshi Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Cameron Hudson, an associate of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, complains that the responsibility-to-protect doctrine has been shelved. In the wake of the overthrow of Muammar Gadaffi in Libya, many now see it as a roadmap towards regime change rather than stability Instead, we are forced to watch in real-time as the noose tightens around millions of civilians begging to be saved But make no mistake, Sudan is not being ignored. The reality is much more craven. Its just deprioritised. Five million people are on the verge of starvation and 150,000 are dead, but the war rages on and the international community is frozen. A friend, writing from Paris, lost four more family members in Sudan last week, including his wifes uncle, who was forced to witness his sister being raped. The man and his sister were both elderly and he died of shock he had a heart attack when he saw his sister being raped, wrote my friend, Gordon. Two younger boys who were cousins tried to protest and were gunned down by AK-47 fire inside the hosh (courtyard). Gordons wife, Fatima, is from Wad Medani in Gezira State, the breadbasket of Sudan, situated between the Blue and White Niles in the centre of the country. It has been occupied by raiders from the Rapid Support Forces since December, though the Sudanese Armed Forces have been fighting in recent weeks to take it back. Fatimas niece was feared killed on the same day as her uncle. Communication is difficult, with mobile phone networks down. The family knew that their niece may have been present at the nearby village of Wad al-Noura on 3 June when more than 100 members of a local resistance committee were massacred by RSF marauders for protesting against the looting and pillage. 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 Sudanese Armed Forces were 20 kilometres away and must have been aware of the slaughter, but did not lift a finger to help, presumably because the resistance committees are opposed to both military factions. The family located Fatimas niece sheltering at a local farm where she was taken after she sustained severe bullet wounds. Her companion was killed. They are trying to find a way of getting her out of Sudan, possibly through Uganda, so she can get proper medical treatment. Bedrock of the Revolution Sudans Resistance Committees were mobilised to fight against the Islamist regime of Omar al-Bashir and were the bedrock of the democratic revolution in 2019 that has been so cruelly quashed. In the wreckage of Sudan, a country without a government, these committees of ordinary volunteers are cleaning the streets, collecting the garbage, keeping a minimal amount of administration ticking over and burying the dead. The fourth member of Gordons family to die last week was a 23-year-old woman who, while trying to flee to Egypt, contracted a deadly form of malaria and was unable to get treated because the clinics in Gezira have been looted and abandoned. Two more of Fatimas elderly relatives died earlier of thirst during a 10-day trek in an overcrowded truck through the desert to get to Egypt, running the gauntlet past bandits and soldiers of all stripes. Hospitals in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan reported on Tuesday that the heatwave has killed dozens of Sudanese fleeing across the border this week. The story of Fatima and Gordons family is typical of daily life, if you can call it that, under the occupation. The RSF are a loose alliance of Arab militias who subsist through banditry and pillage, and over whom their commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), exerts only weak control. The RSF force that did that killing (in Gezira) is a group of bandits and looters who are not even obeying Hemedtis orders, wrote Gordon. He does not care about Gezira because he is concentrating everything on attacking El-Fasher. Fasher is the last holdout of the SAF in Darfur, where a ferocious battle has been raging for more than a month. Though separated by more than a thousand kilometres, both Gezira State and El Fasher were places where hundreds of thousands of people sought refuge to escape the first wave of fighting that erupted between troops loyal to Hemedti and the SAF under Abdel Fattah Al Burhan on 15 April last year, principally in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in Darfur. Refugees Flee About 500,000 refugees are said to have fled Fasher in recent days, scattering in a desperate attempt to escape the mass killings and the bombing raids from the air. But they are running away from what little food assistance remains and it is expected that many will starve to death. Hemedtis push to capture Fasher comes exactly a year after his Arab militias, fighting under the RSF banner known to locals as the Daama, massacred more than 10,000 black African Masalit tribespeople and drove another half a million from their homes into the refugee camps around Ardre in Chad, where many languish today. Weeks later, a UN investigation discovered a mass grave of Masalit civilians near Geneina. The Daama are the descendants of the Janjaweeds who were dispatched by Omar al-Bashirs government in Khartoum to deal with rebellious black tribesmen in Darfur and were responsible for the deaths of up to 400,000 people. The victims were themselves Muslims. World Abandons Sudan Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court with genocide, but he has evaded accountability. When the fighting blew up in Khartoum, he and his henchmen wanted by the ICC escaped from Kobar Prison in Omdurman, and some are now working alongside Burhan. It is a measure of how much the world has changed that 20 years ago, outrage boiled over at the genocide, with star names like George Clooney, JK Rowling and Angelina Jolie taking strong public stands against the mass killings in Sudan. This time, the killings are not restricted to Darfur, but dispersed throughout the country. Tom Perriello, the US Special Envoy for Sudan, told Congress last month that the death toll since April could be as high as 150,000. Millions Displaced About eight million people have been displaced from their homes, including three million children, and five million face starvation, as farmers have been unable to plant and famine approaches. In the West, the contrast between the cause celebre of the mid 2000s and what has been criticised as the US half-assed diplomacy and short bursts of media attention is particularly stark. The shocking indifference extends across the board and includes the weak response from the African Union. Perhaps someone can explain why the ANC government in South Africa, months before it forcefully brought the ICJ case, refused to support a UN fact-finding mission to investigate human rights abuses in the war. Who Are the Good Guys? Sudans problem, at least for the international media, is that its not clear who the good guys are. The RSF have been rightly condemned for the looting and pillage, but it was Burhan who led the coup that ended the democratic experiment. The SAF, with the assistance of the Egyptians, have relentlessly bombed Sudans cities and villages, destroyed neighbourhoods and killed many civilians. They have promoted ethnic warfare, and they are still allied with the Islamists who were a big part of the problem in the first place. The military formations have held the levers of power ever since the colonial power, Britain, created a new Sudanese military based on ethno-regional lines a hundred years ago. This was after it had entirely abolished the old military for staging a mutiny and hung the ringleaders. The wars of post-independence, right up till today, emanate from this militarised colonial architecture. The brief flicker of democratisation in 2019 was made possible when Burhan and Hemedti supported the popular uprising against Bashir. But by 2021, when their military autonomy, patronage networks and businesses were threatened, they overthrew the civilian administration and terminated the transition, only to turn on each other two years later. Smaller militias, representing African tribes, have thrown in their lot with their former enemies, the SAF, and are aiding in the desperate defence of Fasher, while Arab groups from as far afield as northern Nigeria and across the northern Sahel have joined up with the RSF and have no intention of going home. Tough Position Special Envoy Perriello, a progressive former Congressman from Maryland, is in an unenviable position. He is advocating for a return to the Jeddah peace process based on three principles: the creation of a single professional army; no return to power of the Islamists, and agreement on a framework for a democratic transition. These seem more remote than ever. There will be no armed intervention by a US or multinational UN force. The cavalry is not coming to save the people of Sudan. Cameron Hudson, an associate of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, complains that the responsibility-to-protect doctrine has been shelved. In the wake of the overthrow of Muammar Gadaffi in Libya, many now see it as a roadmap towards regime change rather than stability. Instead, we are forced to watch in real-time as the noose tightens around millions of civilians begging to be saved But make no mistake, Sudan is not being ignored. The reality is much more craven. Its just deprioritised. Meanwhile, the SAF has gone back on the offensive in recent months, hoping to settle things with a decisive military victory. Last week Burhan signed a deal for sophisticated new weaponry from Russia, in return for a naval port on the Red Sea, while newly acquired Iranian drones are battering the RSF forces. Even if Sudan morphs into a giant Somalia, the Houthis on the other side of the Red Sea in Yemen have shown that if you are strategically positioned well-enough, even a ragtag army can threaten one of the worlds most important trade arteries. The one thing that might jolt the West into more active engagement to end the war is the realisation that the longer this drags on, the more an alliance with the Russian-Iranian axis gains traction and the greater the prospect of a return to power of the Islamists. However, they will find that Russia has grown adept at turning African conflicts into geopolitical wins. Russias Involvement The RSF are close allies of Russias Wagner fighters in Eastern Libya and the Central African Republic, and Hemedti has sustained himself through gold sales to Russia via Dubai and Russian weapons bought and supplied by the UAE. Perhaps by playing both sides of the war, Russia can position itself as a peacemaker, through a de facto partition of Sudan a la Libya, with the RSF hiving off with most of Darfur. Who knows. Either way, Sudan has become emblematic not just of the collapse of the global security order but of the limits of American power. Dmitri Alperovitch, author of this summers trendiest book for Washington policy wonks, World on the Brink: how America can beat China in the race for the 21st Century, writes: It should now be clear that it is time to scale down our ambitions for a worldwide liberal order the United States cant do everything be the worlds policeman, solve every crisis, and every war. No one can. The villagers from the resistance committee in Gezira massacred last week belonged to the Communist Party-affiliated Agricultural Workers Union and so it is unlikely that they felt much affinity with the United States. And yet they, like the thousands of youthful demonstrators whose joyous display of peoples power five years ago overthrew one of the most odious regimes on earth, have seen their hopes and dreams of a democratic Sudan crumble into dust. What is left are the gold diggers, the mercenaries, the arms merchants and the opportunists the vultures that have come to feast on the carcass. Phillip van Niekerk is managing director of Calabar Consulting and former editor of South Africas Mail & Guardian newspaper. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Five soldiers at a checkpoint in Aba were killed by gunmen of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on the 30th of May, who also burnt their operational van. The outlaws had been driving around the city in their enforcement of a sit-at-home order they declared in memory of those who died in the ill-fated Republic of Biafra, during the Nigerian civil war. The macabre display, which was one in a long series of criminalities perpetrated by IPOB, was barbaric, callous and unjustifiable. Igbo leaders have seen it from this prism too, as evident in the reactions of the Ohanaeze leadership and governors of the South-east. President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to fish out the felons who masterminded the dastardly act so that they can face the full wrath of the law. It is in line with this goal that Governor Alex Otti of Abia State immediately placed a N25 million bounty on the killers, to encourage anyone with information or intelligence that could lead to their arrest, to volunteer this. A citizen of the state living in the United States, in a commendable show of shared concern, added N5 million, bringing the total sum to N30 million. But we inveigh against the militarys avowal to retaliate, as contained in a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba. This mode of vengeance is not in accord with civilised behaviour or the rules of engagement of the military. As it has often been the case, this will give fillip to impunity and the killing of innocent citizens in the area. This showed in their response to the 16 soldiers killed in Okuama, Delta State, in March this year. The ideal, we think, is a painstaking investigation and operation, which, in the present circumstance, should leverage the N30 million bounty to yield the desired outcome. Already, the armys laying of a siege to the state has resulted in the killing of six persons, suspected to be IPOB elements, in Igboro forest, Arochukwu Local Government Area. Some of the alleged killers have reportedly been nabbed. Utmost scrupulousness is needed to separate the wheat from the chaff. The killing of soldiers and other security personnel with ease, which has become IPOBs obsession, that has gone on without consequences, is the height of insecurity and assault on the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. Naturally, it instils mortal fear in the populace and a sense of total collapse of governance. IPOBs agitation for over a decade now, for the reincarnation of the moribund Biafran Republic, has claimed the lives of too many security operatives and civilians. In the first quota of 2024 alone, 102 people were killed in the region, according to data from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. A soldier couple, AM Linus and his unidentified wife, were killed and beheaded in Imo State in May 2022. No state in the South-east has been spared this horrific tale since 9 August, 2021, when the controversial Monday sit-at-home order began, over the demand for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from custody. He has been under trial for a treasonable felony offence following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, in violation of international law. 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, the 30 May sit-at-home is a Remembrance Day ritual in honour of fallen Biafran war heroes, first observed in 2014 without any disruption of public peace. But the weekly Monday sit-at-home order, being sustained by the Simon Ekpa-led IPOB, changed the nuance of the former. A sit-at-home order forced on people is a human rights infringement, more so when it is at the behest of non-state actors. Section 41 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution protects the right of freedom of movement of individuals. However, there is nothing off-beam in the decision of a group of people to remember their kith and kin who died on the battlefield, provided that it is conducted within the ambit of the law. The ritual keeps history alive and acts as a veritable compass for the future, especially in ensuring that stumps of the past are avoided. It is a canon of human existence, which the philosopher/writer George Santayana put so didactically: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Jews hold memorials of the Holocaust annually, pertaining to six million of them who were crudely exterminated by the Nazis during the Second World War. Yet, it never takes a violent turn. Rather, conferences and candlelight processions are carried out in major cities across the globe. The Allied Forces, comprising US, UK, France, Canada, and even Germany, gathered on 6 June in France to honour the heroes of the D-Day 1944 invasion of Normandy, 80 years after, in a seeming reminder equally proclaiming never to allow such violence and carnage to happen again. That great battle liberated France, nay the entire Europe, from Hitlers annihilation. Encyclopaedia Britannica estimates that 550,200 casualties were recorded, comprising those killed, missing and wounded. Therefore, the cascading blood in the South-east and IPOBs revanchist impulses must be brought to an end. To achieve this will require President Bola Tinubus demonstration of the larger heart of a statesman in finding a political solution, rather than legalism, to the Kanu miasma. His unduly prolonged trial, some have argued and rightly so, provides a toxic elixir to IPOB which has become an umbrella for many criminal elements kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and political assassins. This is why the IPOB elements subservient to the rogue voice of Ekpa, based in Finland, do not comply with the cessation of the Monday sit-at-home order, which the IPOB that Emma Powerful speaks for has long called for. Instructively, insecurity anywhere is insecurity everywhere in Nigeria, as the endless bloodletting in the North-east, from insurgency and banditry, and kidnapping in the North-west, eloquently indicate. Their victims cut across the ethno-sectarian mix. This being true and self-evident, the weekly mayhem in the South-east should be viewed accordingly by the authorities, who must find ways to end it. South-east governors should work together to find a solution to the IPOB conundrum. The hoodlums irrational warning to WAEC, a regional body, not to conduct its Mathematics examination in the entire South-East on 30 May was a most cruel attempt to ruin the future of students from the region and education. It must not be allowed to repeat. Many private businesses: trailers, goods, buses and shops belonging to diverse Nigerians have been burnt by IPOB. Banks operations are frozen each Monday or any other day that IPOB abridges peoples movement because of Nnamdi Kanus trial. As a result, Abuja should appreciate the import of Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi in the economic calculus or growth of Nigerias GDP and take pragmatic steps to end the IPOB spell on the South-east. Mr President, a legal resolution of the Kanu case, it seems to us, is a long shot. This IPOB quagmire should not endure any longer! Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Security forces on Saturday foiled an attack on residents of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Nigerian Army disclosed this on Monday in a statement posted on its official X handle. The troops deployed for special patrols to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for all residents have eliminated a terrorist identified as a cohort of a notorious terrorist commander known as Buharin Yadi, who was eliminated by troops in a recent encounter, the army said in the statement. PREMIUM TIMES reported how a terrorism kingpin, Mr Yadi, was killed by Nigerian security forces, as disclosed in a statement by the states Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Thursday. Mr Aruwan said Mr Yadi was one of the deadliest bandit leaders terrorising Northern Nigeria in the last decade, and has met his bitter end at the hands of security forces. On Monday, the army said one of Mr Yadis accomplices identified as Daushe was killed in a proactive move to safeguard the lives and properties of citizens in Kidandan community in the Giwa LGA. The terrorist met his waterloo when troops projecting fighting patrol to Kidandan, a village in the Giwa LGA spotted him speeding off on a motorbike, in an attempt to evade the approaching patrol. The vigilant troops swiftly pursued the terrorist, causing him to abandon his motorbike and fled into a nearby settlement. 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 Undeterred, the troops continued to trail the fleeing terrorist until they successfully caught up and neutralized him while frantically trying to escape into the bush, at the outskirts of the community. Upon searching the area, the troops recovered the abandoned motorbike, two bags containing corn flour, and a mobile phone from the neutralised terrorist, the army statement said. Further verification by operatives from the intelligence community confirmed the identity of the terrorist, as one Daushe, a known cohort of Buharin Yadi, who had been recently neutralised by troops in the same area. The swift and coordinated efforts of the security forces have once again prevented a potential threat to the community. Currently, the troops are maintaining a strong presence in the area to ensure a smooth and trouble-free Sallah celebration in Giwa Local Government Area, the statement said. Killings Meanwhile, terrorists, on Sunday, killed six persons when they invaded Dudun Doki in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Residents said the attackers invaded the community at around 1:30 a.m. and abducted some residents. The police spokesperson in Sokoto, Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the killings in the midnight attack. He said six bodies had been retrieved but the police had yet to ascertain the number of the abducted persons. READ ALSO: Nigerian army speaks on report its checkpoint caused fatal road crash in Enugu Sokoto and Kaduna are in Nigerias North-west region being terrorised by armed persons locally called bandits. The bandits maintain camps in a large forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. They have undertaken large-scale kidnappings of pupils from schools in the areas. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have kidnapped another Catholic priest in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria. The victim, Christian Ike, was abducted on Sunday at a junction in Ndiokpaleke, Ajali Community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state, residents told PREMIUM TIMES. This is happening exactly a month after Basil Chukwuemeka, another Catholic priest, was kidnapped at Nkpor in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. He was released eight days later. How it happened In the latest attack, a resident, who identified himself simply as Ejiogor, told this newspaper that Mr Ike, the priest, and two other persons were returning from a church service at St. Michael Catholic Church when the hoodlums double-crossed their vehicles. When their vehicle was double crossed at Amagu Junction, two people (from the vehicle) escaped, and the gunmen kidnapped the priest, Mr Ejiogor said. They were operating in three vehicles. Police speak The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. 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 Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the incident happened at about 10 a.m. on Sunday. The police spokesperson said the hoodlums also took away some personal belongings of the priests and two others who escaped the attack. To this end, the (Anambra State Police) Command has activated its intelligence and operational assets for possible arrest of the assailants and rescue unhurt of the priest, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia has given more revelation on the kidnap of its priest in Anambra State, Nigerias south-east. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that gunmen kidnapped a Catholic priest, Christian Ike, on Sunday at a junction in Ndiokpaleke, Ajali Community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state. The priest and two other people were returning from a church service in the community. But the hoodlums double-crossed their vehicle and abducted the cleric. The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, had confirmed the attack in a statement on Monday. Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the cleric was abducted while two others inside the vehicle escaped the attack. The police spokesperson said the police had activated their intelligence and operational assets to track down the hoodlums. 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 More revelation The Chancellor of the diocese, Lawrence Nwankwo, in a statement on Sunday, said the Catholic priest was kidnapped alongside a member of the church. Mr Nwankwo, also a Catholic priest, identified the second victim as Ogbonnia Aneke. The chancellor asked all Catholic faithful to pray for the safe release of the victims. Not the first time This is not the first a Catholic priest would be kidnapped in Anambra State. The latest attack occurred precisely a month after Basil Chukwuemeka, another Catholic priest, was kidnapped at Nkpor in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. He was released eight days later. It is unclear if a ransom was paid for his release. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested three suspects for possession of cannabis and another seven for production of skuchies. A statement by NDLEAs Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said operatives seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested three suspects in connection with the illicit drugs. He stated that Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad and Samaila Rabe were arrested during an early morning raid in the Ibese area of the state. Mr Babafemi added that officers also busted a skuchies making factory in the Sabo area of Sagamu town, where seven suspects were arrested. They include Kareem Jamiu, Oriyimi Ayo, Bamidele Wasiu, Rasheed Olanrewaju, Ramota Lawal, Amudalat Olarewaju, and Adeniyi Omotosho. Exhibits recovered from them include 387 litres of skuchies; 70 litres of industrial codeine; 25kg cannabis and different quantities of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Diazepam, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that various equipment used in the production of the new psychoactive substance was also intercepted during the 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 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has declared support for Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 21 September governorship election in the state. Mr Shaibu made the declaration on Sunday on the sidelines of the 2024 Fathers Day celebration at Saint Pauls Catholic Church in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The former deputy governor was one of the mass (alter) servants at the ceremony, Channels Television reported. Mr Shaibu, a former governorship aspirant on the PDP platform, was removed from office by the Edo House of Assembly for allegedly disclosing official government secrets. His removal from office climaxed his political rift with Governor Godwin Obaseki. Mr Shaibu said his action supporting an opposition candidate - is not anti-party, adding that Mr Obaseki had said everybody was free to choose who to support in any election. The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, says that everybody has the right to support whoever he wants to support, but he also forgot that he doesnt have the right to stop anybody from whom he wants to support. But I take one part from what he said: We all have the right to support whom we want to support, so its my right to decide who I want to support, 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 Why support the opposition candidate While aspiring to secure the governorship ticket of the PDP, Mr Shaibu had described himself as a homeboy and urged the people to support his ambition that he understands their challenges. But Asue Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer and banker who is Mr Obasekis preferred successor, got the PDP ticket instead of him. After failing to secure the ticket, Mr Shaibu said besides him, the two other homeboys in the race were the candidates of the APC, Mr Okpebholo, and that of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata. Without directly mentioning Mr Ighodalos name, Mr Shaibu described the PDP candidate as an outsider and Mr Obasekis godson. He said they had agreed to stop godfatherism in the state. I will support a homeboy. I came into politics to contest as the governor of Edo State because I need the government to return to homeboys people who understand our plight, people who understand what the people are feelingeven the United Nations talks about the need for assessment. We dont want outsiders, we have experimented with outsiders, and its not working. So, this time around, we want homeboy. Today, I came in as a homeboy. We have only two homeboys in the major political parties in Edo State. One is in labour, and one is in APC, and I choose to follow another homeboy in the APC. The man they are parading in the PDP is an outsider, and we have also agreed that no more godfatherism in Edo. So, the man the PDP is trying to portray in Edo now is the godson of Obaseki, and there is no way godsons will now be governor of Edo, Mr Shaibu said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerians have been urged to follow the path of sacrifice, be good citizens and show kindness to one another, especially during this period of economic downturn. Both President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, made the call on Monday after observing the Eid prayer at the Dodan Barracks praying ground, Obalende, Lagos, in commemoration of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration. Mr Tinubu called on Nigerians to be committed citizens by showing love for their country and neighbours, and share whatever they have with others, which is the essence of Eid-el-Kabir. He noted that the Eid-el-Kabir symbolised sacrifice, faith and adherence to the will of the Almighty Allah. It is all about sacrifice, loving your country, loving your neighbour, sharing what we have with each other and being thankful to Almighty God, he said. Mr Tinubu added that the essence of celebrating Eid-el-Kabir is about perseverance and complete surrender to the will of Almighty Allah. He further encouraged Nigerians to remain patient and persevere, assuring that their patience and trust in the government would be rewarding. 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 On his part, the deputy governor of Lagos State, Mr Hamzat, also noted that the significance of Eid-el-Kabir was sacrifice. He emphasised that the celebration presented an opportunity for Nigerians to support and uplift themselves, especially in the face of current challenges in the country. He admonished those doing well in society to ensure that they lift those who are not doing well, adding that by doing so, they will be helping to lift the burden of others. Mr Hamzat observed that part of the challenges of the country was that, over the years, there had been no lasting solutions to most problems. He added that seeking a lasting solution is what the current government is trying to do, but unfortunately, things get worse before getting better. Nigeria is currently going through a difficult path, and pain is never good for anybody, but this pain is for a better future for our children, he said Mr Hamzat urged Nigerians to persevere, continue to pray for the country, and be good citizens. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print OSLO, Norway, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueNord ASA ("BlueNord" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling operations on the Harald East Middle Jurassic well ("HEMJ") has commenced with the well successfully spudded by the jackup rig Shelf Drilling Winner. The HEMJ was spudded in the Harald East area, located close to the Norwegian border and the gas will be exported through the Tyra East facilities. In a success case, the well could deliver production by end of 2024. The expected gain from the well is estimated to up to 8 mmboe net to BlueNord of which approximately 80% is expected to be gas. "We are excited to announce that the jackup rig Shelf Drilling Winner has successfully spudded the HEMJ well. We will drill through the chalk reservoir and then into the Jurassic reservoir which has very promising qualities. If successful, the expected gains from HEMJ could be significant to BlueNord, and we look forward to seeing the results later this year," said Miriam Lykke, Chief Operating Officer in BlueNord. This information is subject to disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Contact: Cathrine Torgersen, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Phone: +47 915 28 501 Email: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/bluenord-asa/r/bluenord--successful-spudding-of-harald-east-middle-jurassic-well,c4001799 REDDING, Calif., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report, 'Dental 3D Printing Materials Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Type [Polymers (Resins, Thermoplastics), Composites, Ceramics (Zirconia, Alumina], Application (Crowns, Bridges, Dentures, Surgical Guides, Implants) Global Forecast to 2031,' published by Meticulous Research, the dental 3D printing materials market is projected to reach USD 5.4 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 27.3% from 2024 to 2031. Download Sample Report Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5204 Dental laboratories use 3D printers to produce crowns and bridges, orthodontic models, surgical guides, aligners, castable restorations, and others. As the manual model-making process is time-consuming, 3D printing allows multiple products to be printed simultaneously with higher accuracy. The high prevalence of dental diseases like edentulism, increasing demand for cosmetic dentistry, growth in the geriatric population, and technological advancements in dental 3D printing are expected to increase the adoption of dental 3D printing materials. Further, the advancements in the resins used for dental 3D printing and increasing awareness and acceptance of the computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies provide lucrative opportunities for the market's growth in the upcoming years. Increasing Awareness and Acceptance of CAD/CAM Technology Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems are widely used in dentistry, mainly for the fabrication of inlays, crowns, fixed partial dentures, and implant prostheses. CAD/CAM technology has been applied to the fabrication of complete dentures, offering many advantages to dentists and patients. This reduces the number of appointments and increases the availability of spare dentures as digital data is saved. Get a Glimpse Inside: Request Sample Pages- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=5204 The dental industry has been using subtractive manufacturing or milling, but it does not consider the internal structure; hence, it does not reproduce complex models. However, CAD software, intricate algorithmic designs, and artificial intelligence help in modeling any object to reproduce it as desired. The penetration levels of this technology have been increasing in the larger laboratories of developed countries. For instance, the penetration levels among laboratories in Europe and the U.S. reached 60% in 2019. In the U.S. and Europe, only 45% of small labs use a CAD/CAM system, whereas 98% of large labs either own or lease such a system. Technological advancements and the availability of hardware/software alternatives are accelerating the adoption of CAD/CAM systems, and even smaller dental clinics are moving ahead with the adoption. The dental CAD/CAM materials also offer higher quality, user-friendliness, and enhanced aesthetics. The key players operating in the global dental 3D printing materials market are 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.), EnvisionTEC (U.S.), DWS S.r.l. (Italy), Keystone Industries (U.S.), VOCO GmbH (U.S.), DMG Chemisch-Pharmazeutische Fabrik GmbH (Germany), Stratasys Ltd. (Israel), Prodoways Tech (France), Formlabs Inc. (U.S.), DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. (U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), Den-Mat Holdings, LLC (U.S.), Shandong Huge Dental Materials Co., Ltd. (China), Ultradent Products, Inc. (U.S.), and Straumann Holding AG (Switzerland). Have Specific Research Needs? Request a Customized Report- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-customization/cp_id=5204 Based on material type, the dental 3D printing materials market is segmented into dental polymers, composites, dental ceramics, and metals. In 2024, the dental polymers segment accounted for the largest share of 45.4% of the dental 3D printing materials market. The largest share of the segment is attributed to increased demand for dental grade polymers for making 3D dental products, rising demand for polymers in dental cosmetics, and its high compatibility. However, the composites segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 28.4% during the forecast period due to advancements in composite materials like condensable composites/packable composites and the adoption of nanotechnology. Based on application, in 2024, the crowns, bridges, and dentures segment accounted for the largest share of 45.8% the dental 3D printing materials market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the advantages offered by materials used for making crowns, bridges, and dentures, such as minimal material loss, superior fitting accuracy, and favorable detail reproducibility. Geographically, in 2024, Europe is expected to account for the largest share of 39.3% of the dental 3D printing materials market. Europe's major market share is attributed to an increase in cases of dental disorders, presence of key players, rising affordability, increasing awareness about the advantages offered by advanced dental 3D printing materials, and high disposable income. However, the market in Asia-Pacific is slated to register the highest growth rate of 29.5% during the forecast period. The countries in Asia-Pacific, including China and India, are projected to offer significant growth opportunities for the vendors in this market. The highest growth of this region is attributed to the favorable government initiatives for oral health access and awareness, increasing disposable incomes, high prevalence of dental caries and other dental disorders, and growing cases of edentulism associated with the rise in geriatric population. Browse In-depth Report Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/dental-3d-printing-material-market-5204 Scope of the Report: Dental 3D Printing Materials Market Assessment, by Type Dental Polymers Resins Thermoplastics Other Polymers Composites Metals Dental Ceramics Zirconia Alumina Other Ceramics Other polymers comprise polymer hydrogels, impression materials like irreversible hydrocolloids- alginate, polysulfides, and silicone rubbers. Other ceramics comprise calcium phosphate salts, glass ceramics, oxides of magnesium and titanium, leucite-reinforced glass ceramics, lithium silicate ceramics, and silicates. Dental 3D Printing Materials Market Assessment, by Application Crowns, Bridges, and Dentures Orthodontic Devices Surgical Guides & Implants Other Applications Other applications comprise dental impression trays, try-ins, metal frameworks, veneers, and temporary restorations. Dental 3D Printing Materials Market Assessment, by Geography North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany Italy Spain France U.K. Switzerland Sweden Poland Rest of Europe (RoE) Asia-Pacific (APAC) Japan China India Australia South Korea Rest of APAC (RoAPAC) (APAC) Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America (RoLATAM) Middle East & Africa Unlock Opportunities: Buy Now- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/73686619 Related Reports: Dental Fillers Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis By Material (Ceramic [Porcelain, Zirconia], Composite [Glass Ionomer, Resin], Metal [Gold, Amalgam], Biodegradable), Application (Root Canal, Pulpotomy), End User Global Forecast to 2031 Dental Consumables Market by Product [Implants (Titanium, Zirconium), Prosthetics (Bridges, Dentures, Abutments, Veneers, Inlays & Onlays), Endodontics, Orthodontics (Clear Aligners, Brackets), Sutures, Hemostats], End User - Global Forecast to 2030 Dental 3D Scanners Market by Product (Desktop, Intraoral, Hand-held, Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT)), Type (Light, Laser), End User (Dental Clinics & Hospitals, Laboratories) - Global Forecast to 2030 Dental CAD/CAM Systems and Consumables Market by Type (Milling machines, Furnaces, Scanners, Integrated systems, and Software), by Material (Zirconia, Glass-Ceramics, Alumina-based ceramics, Lithium disilicate, and Others), by End-user (Hospitals and Clinics, Dental Laboratories, and Academic Institutes) - Global Forecasts to 2022 Medical Ceramics Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Type (Bioinert [Alumina, Zirconia, Carbon], Biocompatible [Hydroxyapatite, Glass Ceramics, Calcium Carbonate], Piezoelectric), Application (Dental, Orthopedic) - Global Forecast to 2030 About Meticulous Research Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth. Contact: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Market Research Inc. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe : +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/423/dental-3d-printing-material-market-2031 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757980/4765589/Meticulous_Research_Logo_1.jpg SOURCE Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. DiGiorno is unveiling new, limited-edition pizzas that are inspired by Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE and will take over the frozen aisle at retailers nationwide starting June 2024. What does crazy taste like? Cheesy. Spicy. Saucy. Wildly inappropriate these pies come in four completely collectable, droolworthy DiGiorno Classic Crust Pizza varieties: The Wade Special : A sweet and salty combo not just for mercs, made with pineapple and black olives to pay homage to Wade Wilson's pizza in the first movie. : A sweet and salty combo not just for mercs, made with pineapple and black olives to pay homage to pizza in the first movie. Gimme Chimi : A chimichanga-inspired pizza that is a fiesta for your tastebuds and topped with spicy cumin sauce, beef topping, jalapeno, and cheddar & mozzarella cheeses. : A chimichanga-inspired pizza that is a fiesta for your tastebuds and topped with spicy cumin sauce, beef topping, jalapeno, and cheddar & mozzarella cheeses. Spicy Wolvie Pie : Crafted with Wolverine and other meat lovers in mind, this pie is stacked with pepperoni, chorizo and bacon. : Crafted with Wolverine and other meat lovers in mind, this pie is stacked with pepperoni, chorizo and bacon. Maximum Pep: Made with maximum flavor and zero regrets - just like Deadpool's decisions - Maximum Pep is piled high with sliced and diced pepperoni. Every flavor (except for the Spicy Wolvie Pie) comes with a back-of-the-box bonus: a cut-out Deadpool mask so fans can cosplay as the Merc with a Mouth while their pizza bakes. The Wade Special, Gimme Chimi, Spicy Wolvie Pie and Maximum Pep pizza varieties have an MSRP of $6.49 (prices may vary by retailer). "DiGiorno is always looking for ways to tap into mainstream culture by pushing culinary boundaries through unique innovations and flavors, from our recent Thanksgiving Pizza to our all-onion 'cry-pie,' and we are now introducing our latest, most chaotic pies yet," said Kimberly Holowiak, Senior Brand Manager for DiGiorno. "This summer, we're taking it up a notch by teaming up with Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE to create limited-edition pizzas that fans won't want to missso we encourage fans to get them while they can." How To Enter DiGiorno Chaotic Good 'Stakes For A Slice Of The Pie* In the pizza universe, DiGiorno wants everyone to be a winner (well, sort of). From June 17 to August 26, movie fans and pizza stans can visit DiGiorno.com/deadpoolandwolverine to enter for a chance to win a variety of different prizes. Here is how it's sliced up: Pizza party in La La Land : DiGiorno will fly one winner and their best bub to La La Land (aka Los Angeles ) for the ultimate trip of a regenerative lifetime. From a private chef whipping up the mouthwatering DiGiorno limited edition pizzas to a stunt masterclass where the winner will learn slick katana combat moves this experience is out of this universe. IYKYK. : DiGiorno will fly one winner and their best bub to La La Land (aka ) for the ultimate trip of a regenerative lifetime. From a private chef whipping up the mouthwatering DiGiorno limited edition pizzas to a stunt masterclass where the winner will learn slick katana combat moves this experience is out of this universe. IYKYK. Merc merch : Superheroes have all kinds of cool gear, so it only makes sense that we roll up with some pizza accessories of our own. Pizzaccessories, if you will. Not only will fans want to get their hands on our limited-edition gear, but collectible swag will also be almost as hot as a fresh, out of the oven DiGiorno pizza. : Superheroes have all kinds of cool gear, so it only makes sense that we roll up with some pizza accessories of our own. Pizzaccessories, if you will. Not only will fans want to get their hands on our limited-edition gear, but collectible swag will also be almost as hot as a fresh, out of the oven DiGiorno pizza. Fandango Movie Tickets** (because duh?): Tickets to see Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, in theaters July 26 . "No matter if you are a die-hard pizza stan or movie fan, consumers are constantly on the hunt for unique and bold ways to engage with brands they love, so we wanted to show up big with a movie collab that fits just like a glove (or mask)," Holowiak added. "We're thrilled teaming up with DiGiorno in support of 'Deadpool & Wolverine', said Holly Frank, Walt Disney Studios VP, Partnership Management and Operations, Marvel. "They're bringing the heat with a robust media campaign tied to character-inspired pizzas and our fans will have plenty to feast on ahead of the film's theatrical release on July 26." The limited-edition pizzas aren't the last you'll see of Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE and DiGiorno. Keep an eye out for a special packaging takeover of DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Ultimate Pepperoni and Four Cheese, giving fans more delicious ways to stay close to the action. DiGiorno has also built a marketing multiverse of its own to ensure fans can experience the collaborative campaign with content that spans across digital, social, as well as a new television commercial, "Hot & Steamy," featuring a truly delicious menage a za---just Deadpool, DiGiorno, and a lot of spicy chaos, that will run across TV, digital and social. For more information, check out DiGiorno.com or follow @DiGiorno on your favorite social media channels, and see Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, only in theaters on July 26. Nestle USA Nestle USA is committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. The company's food and beverage portfolio includes some of the most recognizable brands in the United States including Coffee mate, DiGiorno and Nestle Toll House as well as category disruptors such as Sweet Earth and are in nearly every home in the country. Nestle USA also boasts the largest coffee portfolio in the U.S., including Nescafe and Nestle Starbucks Coffee. Nestle USA is part of Nestle S.A. headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland the world's largest food and beverage company, which has been named among "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" by Fortune magazine for twenty-five consecutive years. For more information, visit nestleusa.com. About Marvel Studios' DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Marvel Studios' "Deadpool & Wolverine" delivers the ultimate, iconic, cinematic team-up throwdown on July 26. Shawn Levy directs "Deadpool & Wolverine," which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D'Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, George Dewey, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Marvel Studios' "Deadpool & Wolverine" is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The DiGiorno Chaotic Good 'Stakes is open only to residents of the 50 U.S. and DC,18 or older (or 19 for residents of AL & NE, 21 for MS). Void where prohibited. Starts 12:00 AM ET 6/17/2024 and ends 11:59:59 PM ET 8/26/2024. Subject to Official Rules at www.digiorno.com/deadpoolandwolverine . Sponsor: Nestle USA, Inc. 1812 N. Moore Street, Arlington, VA 22209. **Fandango Promotional Code ("Code") is good towards the purchase of 2 movie tickets ($12.50 per ticket, up to $25 total ticket price and associated fees and charges) to see Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine at Fandango partner theaters in the US. Valid only for purchases at Fandango.com or via the Fandango app. Code is void if not redeemed by 12/31/24 or when Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine is no longer in theaters, whichever comes first. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid for one-time use only. Limit 1 Code per person. Code must be entered at checkout. If cost of movie ticket and associated fees and charges are more than maximum value of the Code, then user must pay the difference. Any price difference between total transaction price and remaining value of the Code will not be refunded. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. No cash value, except as required by law. Void where prohibited. The redemption of the Code is subject to Fandango's Terms and Policies at www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies. SOURCE DiGiorno WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Milbank LLP is pleased to announce the addition of James H. Weingarten as a partner in Washington, DC, further strengthening the firm's Global Antitrust and Competition group and the firm's broader Litigation group. Mr. Weingarten joins Milbank from the Federal Trade Commission, where he was most recently Chief Trial Counsel for the Bureau of Competition. As Chief Trial Counsel, he was one of the most senior trial lawyers representing the US government in antitrust matters. "We are thrilled to welcome James to Milbank," said Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman. "James has led some of the FTC's most significant investigations and trials in recent years, and his experience will be invaluable to our clients facing bet-the-company investigations and litigation in this current heightened regulatory environment." Milbank has significantly expanded its Global Antitrust and Competition group in recent years, including the additions of partners Rich Parker, Grant Bermann, Adam Di Vincenzo and special counsel Daniel Rosenthal in Washington, DC, and partners Andrea L. Hamilton and Ajal Notowicz in London. Mr. Weingarten's practice will focus on representing clients facing government antitrust investigations and litigation and private antitrust litigation. He will advise clients in both assessing and mitigating antitrust litigation risk and representing them before competition agencies and in court. "James brings not only strong government enforcement and trial experience, but also eminent knowledge in the technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries that will greatly benefit clients who face both government and private antitrust challenges," said partner and Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Antitrust Law Fiona A. Schaeffer. During his time at the FTC, Mr. Weingarten first-chaired trials and led teams to develop and try antitrust cases challenging both mergers and conduct alleged to violate the antitrust laws. He advised Commission leadership on litigation strategy and policy and worked closely with state attorneys general and international competition agencies. His experience with merger litigation includes first chairing the FTC's challenge to Microsoft Corp.'s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. and leading trial teams challenging mergers in a variety of industries, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals and technology. He also was the lead attorney in the FTC's successful challenge of Nvidia Corp.'s proposed $40 billion acquisition of ARM Holdings. Before departing the FTC, Mr. Weingarten was the lead attorney on the FTC's challenge to Kroger's $26 billion acquisition of Albertsons. Mr. Weingarten also has extensive experience trying Sherman Act cases, including FTC v. Vyera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., FTC v. Abbvie, Inc. and In re Impax Labs, Inc. Most recently, in FTC v. Syngenta Corp., he successfully argued against the defendants' motions to dismiss the FTC's complaint alleging unlawful monopolization in the pesticides industry. Prior to joining the FTC, Mr. Weingarten was a trial attorney in private practice, where he represented businesses and individuals in complex civil litigation and at trial. He was a member of several trial teams, including the team that won a complete defense verdict in the In re Nexium (Esomeprazole) jury trial, the first pharmaceutical pay-for-delay case to go to trial after the Supreme Court's landmark Actavis decision. He also first-chaired the defense in a felony conspiracy case that resulted in a jury verdict acquitting his client on all felony charges. "It is a great privilege to join Milbank," said Mr. Weingarten. "The attorneys are extraordinarily talented and collaborate to provide the highest level of client service. And they do it with a focus on excellence and grit that immediately appealed to me as a trial lawyer. I am excited to bring my trial experience to the antitrust practice at Milbank." Mr. Weingarten received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University. After law school, he clerked for then Chief Judge Danny J. Boggs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. ABOUT MILBANK Milbank LLP is a leading international law firm that provides innovative legal services to clients around the world. Founded in New York over 150 years ago, Milbank has offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC. Milbank's lawyers collaborate across practices and offices to help the world's leading commercial, financial and industrial enterprises, as well as institutions, individuals and governments, achieve their strategic objectives. To learn more about Milbank, please visit www.milbank.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. SOURCE Milbank LLP DALLAS, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotchkiss Insurance, a leading independent insurance agency in Texas, is excited to announce the addition of three new partners: Chris Bailey, Chase Fondren, and Dustin Rivera. Each partner brings experience, specialized knowledge, and a commitment to excellence, further enhancing Hotchkiss Insurance's ability to serve its diverse clientele. Dustin Rivera Chase Fondren Chris Bailey Chris Bailey has been an integral part of Hotchkiss Insurance for the past nine years, earning the designations of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS). Chris focuses on commercial clients and plays an impactful role in mentoring and developing up-and-coming advisors within Hotchkiss. A graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in marketing, Chris's deep understanding of the local market and his active community involvement through the Hotchkiss Helps Committee exemplify Hotchkiss culture. Chase Fondren brings an eight-year tenure at Hotchkiss Insurance with specialized expertise in construction risk, while also serving a variety of commercial and personal clients. Chase also holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. His leadership extends with active participation in various boards, including the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) and The Fondren Foundation. Chase's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies from Texas A&M University. Dustin Rivera, a native Texan, graduated from the SMU Cox School of Business and has over 16 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry. Throughout his career, Dustin has built multiple private client books of business and successfully established and sold a branch office to Hotchkiss. As the Personal Lines Practice Leader, he specializes in providing comprehensive coverage solutions to high-net-worth clientele, bringing a nuanced understanding of their unique needs. The partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise of Chris, Chase, and Dustin to drive growth and enhance client relationships. By expanding leadership in both personal and commercial lines, clients can expect enhanced service delivery, innovative coverage options, and unparalleled expertise. "We are thrilled to welcome Chris Bailey, Chase Fondren, and Dustin Rivera as partners at Hotchkiss Insurance. Each of them brings a unique set of skills and a proven track record of excellence that will contribute to our mission of protecting the possible. Their leadership and expertise will undoubtedly elevate our services and strengthen our position in the industry," said Mike Hotchkiss, CEO of Hotchkiss Insurance. Established in 1975, Hotchkiss Insurance is a leading independent insurance agency in Texas, with offices in Carrollton, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Lubbock. The agency is known for delivering tailored insurance and risk management solutions for clients in Texas and across the US. With over 100 licensed insurance specialists, Hotchkiss Insurance combines excellence, innovation, and community involvement to meet the diverse needs of its clients. For media inquiries, please contact: Jessica Goehring VP of Affinity Marketing, Hotchkiss Insurance Phone: 972-512-7718 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Hotchkiss Insurance Agency New research from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company suggests that as artificial intelligence (AI) solutions become increasingly commercially feasible and available for organizations, HR and organizational leaders must work together to determine the potential benefits, risks, and applications for their unique needs or risk a low return on investment. TORONTO, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The surge of artificial intelligence (AI) advancement has left many organizations scrambling to adopt the technology to take advantage of the opportunities it promises before considering the necessary safeguards, skills, and capacities required for AI implementation. According to new research from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company, the HR division of Info-Tech Research Group, the success of leveraging AI hinges on the organization's ability to develop a comprehensive strategy aligned with their AI maturity level, organizational value drivers, and strategic objectives to maximize value while mitigating risk. To support HR and organizational leaders in their efforts to take a holistic approach to crafting an AI strategy that prepares the organization for the future, McLean & Company has published its new blueprint Build a Strategic AI Roadmap. According to the new resource from McLean & Company, a holistic AI strategy is imperative for organizations seeking to optimize AI effectively. HR leaders are pivotal in helping organizations navigate AI adoption and can use the AI strategy and roadmap as a starting point to enable AI adoption and success. (CNW Group/McLean & Company) "The AI strategy is the central point from which both technical and people-related AI activities originate," says Lisa Highfield, Principal Director, Human Resources Technology and Artificial Intelligence at McLean & Company. "It provides the direction, guideposts, and priorities that inform the organization's activities and enables a smooth execution to transform AI from an idea into reality. However, introducing AI technologies can create tension within an organization, considering there are often differing views, competing priorities, and large volumes of change. When HR and organizational leaders come together to build an aligned AI strategy, it significantly aids in the implementation and management of AI technology by ensuring that it aligns with broader organizational goals." The firm's resource includes a breakdown of the risks an organization may face when adopting AI without a strategy, such as inviting unintentional bias, creating technological dependence, and increasing risk to data security, privacy, and confidentiality. When leadership collaborates to develop an AI strategy, several benefits to the organization are unlocked. These benefits include an aligned vision and mission to support initiatives, proper governance, higher digital transformation success rates, better value realization, and a path forward to mature the organization for digital enablement. As many organizations struggle to know where to start when building an AI strategy, McLean & Company has created a four-step process HR and organizational leaders can follow to build a strategic AI roadmap and navigate AI adoption. The firm's comprehensive process is available in the full resource, with a high-level breakdown included below: Establish AI strategy scope. Establish a cross-functional AI strategy steering committee, understand the organizational value drivers, develop the AI vision, mission, and values statements, determine responsible AI guiding principles, and explore broader AI governance considerations. Assess AI maturity and identify maturity initiatives. Assess current and target AI maturity, explore AI dimensions and their relation to AI maturity, and identify maturity initiative opportunities for the organization. Identify AI use cases. Brainstorm ideas for AI use cases, record use cases related to each value driver with identified challenges and opportunities, and map the use cases by connecting them to organizational value drivers and initiatives. Prioritize initiatives and create an AI strategy roadmap. Build the AI strategy roadmap to visualize the prioritized maturity and AI initiatives and communicate across employee groups. Then, determine next steps and prepare to evaluate, maintain, and update the AI strategy as required. Whether an organization buys AI-enabled applications, partners with an integrator, or builds a model from scratch, McLean & Company advises HR and organizational leaders that they cannot outsource accountability. Effective AI governance is necessary to use the technology responsibly, ethically, and within the organization's best interests, which requires organizational leadership to work collaboratively. To access the full resource, please visit Build a Strategic AI Roadmap. To attend upcoming free webinars on a variety of topics or explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please visit McLean & Company's webinars page. McLean Signature 2024 To register for McLean Signature, the premier industry conference for future-focused HR leaders hosted by McLean & Company from October 27 to 29 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, please visit the official Signature event page. Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on generative AI in HR, HR trends in 2024, the future of work, and more can contact [email protected]. About McLean & Company McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. SOURCE McLean & Company Consumers continue to crave spice and Marco's Pizza has delivered with the launch of its new Fiery Flavors Menu Post this "Consumers continue to crave spice and Marco's Pizza has delivered with the launch of our new Fiery Flavors Menu," said Denise Lauer, Chief Marketing Officer, Marco's Franchising, LLC. "Our culinary team turned up the heat to create a truly innovative line-up of menu items that achieve the perfect balance of next-level flavor unmatched in the category. This craveable menu will redefine the pizza experience and keep our customers coming back for more." At the heart of Marco's new Fiery Flavors Menu is a spicy cheese blend made with fresh Monterey Jack cheese infused with jalapenos, habaneros, and Carolina Reaper peppers. The seven new items featuring this spicy cheese blend include: Fiery Pepperoni Pizza Featuring crispy, cupped Old World Pepperoni and NEW spicy cheese blend. Featuring crispy, cupped Old World Pepperoni and NEW spicy cheese blend. Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizza Loaded with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and NEW spicy cheese blend. Loaded with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and NEW spicy cheese blend. Fiery Pepperoni Pizzoli House-made dough stuffed and rolled with pepperoni and NEW spicy cheese blend. House-made dough stuffed and rolled with pepperoni and NEW spicy cheese blend. Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizzoli House-made dough stuffed and rolled with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and our NEW spicy cheese blend. House-made dough stuffed and rolled with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and our NEW spicy cheese blend. Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizza Bowl Crustless pizza baked in a bowl with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and NEW spicy cheese blend. Crustless pizza baked in a bowl with Old World Sausage, red onions, green peppers, and NEW spicy cheese blend. Fiery CheezyBread Original CheezyBread topped with NEW spicy cheese blend. Original CheezyBread topped with NEW spicy cheese blend. Inferno CheezyBread Original CheezyBread topped with NEW spicy cheese blend plus jalapenos for an extra kick. This unique spicy cheese blend is also available as a topping, giving consumers the option to build their own pizza with their favorite toppings. Marco's Fiery Flavors menu follows the debut of its new brand platform, But Wait, There's Marco's, designed to disrupt routine ordering behavior and remind consumers of a tastier option. This new menu line-up is the latest innovative offering from Marco's and serves up bold flavor combinations that will spice up consumers' usual pizza orders. SPICY SAVINGS TO HEAT UP MEALTIME Consumers can try Marco's new Fiery Pepperoni Pizza starting at $8.99 and Fiery Sausage & Peppers Pizza starting at $10.99. All menu items are available now for a limited time only.** Marco's has also teamed up with STARRY on a new summer promotion where consumers can get one FREE STARRY 2 Liter when ordering a Large Fiery Flavors pizza and any CheezyBread. The crisp, clean burst of lemon lime flavor STARRY delivers a refreshing experience together with the mouthwatering Fiery Flavors Menu from Marco's, making it the perfect pairing for summer. Offer available for online and app orders only; see www.marcos.com for details.*** For more information about these offers, Marco's Pizza and to find your nearest location, please visit www.marcos.com or download our mobile app available on the App Store or Google Play. ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,200 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 48 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2024 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, earning a spot on QSR's Top 50, and being featured on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking. *The Marco's Pizza Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative US adults ages 18+, between May 29 and June 3, 2024, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative US adults ages 18+. ** Use code: FIERY. Valid on the Fiery Flavors pizzas for a limited time only. Price and participation may vary. California prices are higher. No substitutions. Price does not include additional toppings. Not valid with catering, other offers, or discounts or through third-party delivery apps. Order must include all required items. Price and delivery fee may vary. Delivery orders must meet stated minimum. Other restrictions may apply. See store or marcos.com for details. *** Use code FREESTARRY. Offer valid only on qualifying orders (app or online only) from 6/17-8/11. Order must include at least one Large Fiery Flavor pizza and at least one CheezyBread to qualify. No substitutions. Price does not include additional toppings. Not valid on catering orders, with other offers or discounts, or through third-party delivery apps. Delivery fee/tax extra (varies by store). Price & participation may vary. California prices higher. Delivery orders must meet stated minimum. Other restrictions may apply. See store or marcos.com for details. For more information, please visit starrylemonlime.com. Follow STARRY on social media @starrylemonlime on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter). STARRY is a registered trademark of Portfolio Concentrate Solutions UC. SOURCE Marco's Pizza Rhode Island defense technology company is first to demonstrate direct die attach of chiplets to 2D textile networks at a 180m pitch PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nautilus Defense, a global leader in advanced textile-integrated systems, has demonstrated a critical advancement in the field of electronic textiles. Nautilus announced that it has successfully demonstrated the world's first direct die attach of chiplets to embroidered conductive yarns at a 180m pitch, a space between yarns that is as thin as a single hair. This technological milestone is an important step toward the scalable manufacture of leading-edge sensor systems that look and feel like the fabrics people wear every day. UVA-developed chiplet directly attached to 2D textile network at a 180m pitch. (image courtesy of Nautilus Defense) "Textiles are simultaneously one of the most ubiquitous, impactful, and unassuming technologies developed in human history. With support from IARPA and collaborations with private industry and higher education, Nautilus is advancing the state of the art in textile-integrated sensor systems," said Jim Owens, CEO of Nautilus Defense. "We are proud to be a pioneer in the rapidly evolving advanced textile industry. The technological advancements we are making at Nautilus will strengthen our national security, create new economic opportunities in our region, and accelerate strategic research initiatives across a range of industries." Nautilus, through its participation in IARPA's Smart Electrically Powered and Networked Textile Systems (SMART ePANTS) initiative, is developing novel textile-electronics integration technologies that will enable the development and domestic manufacture of innovative products for national defense, medical, aerospace, and other applications. Nautilus has partnered in the SMART ePANTS program with industry and academic leaders including: GE Aerospace TRX Systems Centeye Anthro Energy Arachne Labs The University of Virginia The University of Michigan "Nautilus Defense's newest technology developed right here in Rhode Island is a testament to the state's longstanding leadership in manufacturing and textiles," said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who convened the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network to guide growth of the state's textile industry in the twenty-first century. "I applaud the entire Nautilus team for their pioneering work to strengthen our nation's defense capabilities." Nautilus was founded in 2013 and has grown to become a global leader in the development and production of advanced textile-integrated systems. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island which is widely accepted as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and was one of the pioneering cities of America's textile industry. About Nautilus Defense Nautilus Defense was founded in 2013 in support of the NIWC-funded Indonesia Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS). Today, Nautilus is a world leader in the development and production of advanced textile-integrated systems. Our technologies enable the broad distribution and interconnection of electronics in textiles without detracting from their mechanical properties. We leverage these technologies to develop systems of immediate value to our customers while continuously advancing their readiness for manufacturing and use at scale. About SMART ePANTS SMART ePANTS is an advanced research program seeking to develop clothing with integrated audio, video, and geolocation sensor systems that feature the same stretchability, bendability, washability, and comfort of regular textiles. By weaving these devices directly into garments, Intelligence Community staff will be able to record information from their environment hands-free, without the need to wear uncomfortable, bulky, and rigid devices. As a result, personnel will have greater range of motion, thus improving their response time in challenging circumstances. This research is based upon work supported in part by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), via N66001-23-C-4514. Media Contact (For Nautilus Defense) Mike Raia, Half Street Group 401.340.9425 I [email protected] SOURCE Nautilus Defense Enhanced SAS Customer Intelligence 360 accelerates value from generative AI CANNES, France, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SAS, a global leader in data and AI, is adding new generative AI (GenAI) capabilities to its MarTech solution SAS Customer Intelligence 360. In a new integration with Amazon Bedrock from Amazon Web Services (AWS), these capabilities help organizations transform data into business insights that enhance business operations to elevate the customer experience. With GenAI, marketers can better plan campaigns, improve audience selection and generate more relevant content. Post this New GenAI capabilities in SAS Customer Intelligence 360 help marketers elevate the customer experience. New GenAI capabilities for SAS Customer Intelligence 360 SAS Customer Intelligence 360 already offers GenAI assistance to marketers and advertisers for streamlining marketing planning, journey design, content generation and creative development. The solution's new capabilities, leveraging Amazon Bedrock, include: Better campaigns through precise audience recommendations With this new capability, marketers can create audiences and pair them with precise, personalized messages and offers. Campaign teams can use simple text to describe the people they want to reach, and the software will use natural language prompts in the description to recommend and refine each audience. With this new capability, marketers can create audiences and pair them with precise, personalized messages and offers. Campaign teams can use simple text to describe the people they want to reach, and the software will use natural language prompts in the description to recommend and refine each audience. An intelligent self-service assistant SAS Customer Intelligence 360's new audience copilot provides a guided GenAI-powered chat experience that uses natural language generation to better interpret audience data. With the copilot, marketers and advertisers can more easily select the right data source, create a schedule, specify the lifecycle of the data, and ultimately improve campaigns by better understanding their included audiences. This leads to improved targeting and personalization, ensuring the right people receive the best message or offer for them. SAS Customer Intelligence 360's new audience copilot provides a guided GenAI-powered chat experience that uses natural language generation to better interpret audience data. With the copilot, marketers and advertisers can more easily select the right data source, create a schedule, specify the lifecycle of the data, and ultimately improve campaigns by better understanding their included audiences. This leads to improved targeting and personalization, ensuring the right people receive the best message or offer for them. Enhanced emails for improved response Marketers continue to rely on email to reach new and existing customers. As people deal with an increasing deluge of messages, getting customers to open an email and peruse the offer is an obstacle. SAS Customer Intelligence 360's new generative AI-powered service suggests email subject lines that are compelling and effective. And marketers can test and compare subject lines to choose the best performers. "With GenAI, marketers can better plan campaigns, improve audience selection, generate more relevant content, and make better business decisions that elevate customer experiences," said Jennifer Chase, Chief Marketing Officer at SAS. "The new GenAI enhancements to SAS Customer Intelligence 360 powered by our strong collaboration with AWS and the use of Amazon Bedrock technology will make it easier for marketing and advertising pros to use GenAI effectively. And these new capabilities add to SAS' continued effort to help organizations apply AI responsibly and equitably while keeping humans in the loop." SAS and Amazon Bedrock The new GenAI capabilities in Customer Intelligence 360 take advantage of Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service from AWS that helps customers build and scale GenAI applications with foundation models. With SAS Customer Intelligence 360 and Amazon Bedrock, marketers don't have to worry about underlying AI models and can focus on quickly and easily leveraging GenAI capabilities instead. For example, new email subject-line tools in SAS Customer Intelligence 360 offer content-generation features that can recommend language, adjust for tone and offer translations. With SAS' solutions hosted globally, users can call on analytical models from around the world with ease. In addition to SAS' responsible engagement capabilities, customers can also benefit from customized safeguards in Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock that support responsible GenAI applications. Guardrails help bring a consistent level of AI safety across user applications with filters for potentially harmful or biased content. "Campaign planning is a top use case for generative AI, which underscores the importance of model choice when creating tools to support various marketing activities," said Craig Miller, Global Advertising and Marketing Solutions Portfolio Lead at AWS. "By leveraging Amazon Bedrock for its Customer Intelligence 360 solution, SAS is providing access to the latest generative AI-powered tools for marketers across the globe. Additionally, SAS' early adoption of Guardrails for Amazon Bedrock will help ensure that its customers continue to develop valuable, personalized and trustworthy customer experiences responsibly." The collaboration between SAS and AWS, the world's most broadly adopted cloud provider, empowers brands with technology and flexibility that put data and AI to work to deliver insights that improve lives. Today's announcement came at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France. SAS remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation, a hallmark of creativity. About SAS SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2024 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Contact: Mike Nemecek SAS [email protected] +1 919-531-5140 sas.com/news SOURCE SAS The National Restaurant Association Show's FABI Awards celebrate stand-out flavors in taste, creativity and ingenuity MONTREAL, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OGGI Foods is thrilled to announce that its Gluten Free Neapolitan Pizza Crust and Gluten Free Roman-Style Pinsa Flatbread (FABI Favorites) have both been recognized as featured recipients in the prestigious 2024 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards. These exceptional products were showcased at The National Restaurant Association, Hotel-Motel Show which took place May 18-21 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. Stefano Cataldo of OGGI Foods celebrates award wins at the 2024 FABI Awards OGGI Foods Gluten Free Neapolitan Pizza Crust and out Gluten Free Pinsa Flatbread (FABI Favorites) are crafted with premium quality flours while excluding gluten and GMOs. This crust truly captures the taste and texture of traditional authentic, artisan Neapolitan style pizza. By combining Italian tradition and modern innovation, this versatile crust can be used for a variety of dishes including traditional pizzas, flatbread appetizers, gluten-free pita, and dessert pizzas. "We're honored to be recognized as a 2024 FABI Favorite and look forward to showcasing our Gluten Free Neapolitan Pizza Crust and our Gluten Free Roman-Style Pinsa Flatbread at the foodservice industry's most influential event," said Stefano Cataldo of OGGI Foods. "With tens of thousands of professionals attending from around the globe, the Show presents the perfect opportunity to introduce Gluten Free Pizza Crusts to new buyers who are seeking a convenient and premium solution for foodservice establishments looking to meet the growing demand for gluten-free products that taste great. Our secret is in the crust! The National Restaurant Association Show's FABI Awards represent the most forward-thinking and creative new tastes that are driving trends, delighting customers and delivering expanded menu offerings across the industry focused on increasing profitability. Each FABI Award submission was evaluated by an independent panel of judges from across the foodservice industry who represent some of the most well-known brands and organizations. New this year, the judges selected the most innovative and influential products to be featured as FABI Favorites. Recipients were selected for their exciting new tastes, uniqueness in the market, appeal to the operator community, creative approach to operator challenges, or introduction of new opportunities and profit potential. "This year is truly an exceptional year for noteworthy food and beverage products," said Tom Cindric, President of The National Restaurant Show. "The awarded products are breaking new barriers in flavor, taste, creativity and packaging and are shaping the future of food and beverage. As the world's largest and most-trusted foodservice event, the Show continues to be where the next big industry trends are born and serves as a launching pad for companies to showcase new products." About OGGI Foods OGGI Foods has revolutionized gourmet, gluten-free Italian pizza. Our origins lie in Naples, Italy the city that set the gold standard for pizza and pasta. Using our Neapolitan roots and recipes, we successfully created traditional Italian flavors using the finest gluten-free and GMO-free ingredients. For more information about OGGI Foods and its award-winning products, please visit our website or contact our media team. Visit www.oggifoods.com for more information or contact [email protected] About The National Restaurant Association Show The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the Western Hemisphere's most influential foodservice event showcasing industry innovations and trends. Each year (starting in 1919), the Show brings together restaurant operators and foodservice professionals for four days of celebrity-led demos, exhibits, sampling, education and networking. The Show unites a global community and enables exploration of the latest advancements in food, beverage, equipment, technology and solutions driving the industry forward. The Show is owned and operated by Informa in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. Visit www.nationalrestaurantshow.com for more information. SOURCE OGGI Foods Inc. "We could not be more excited or proud of the growth and success of Omnia Exterior Solutions since we launched last year," says Jim Ziminski, Omnia Exterior Solutions chairman of the board. "The quality of the individuals and employees at all of our partners exemplifies the type of people we want to work with and, quite honestly, learn from as well. Brandon J, Hero and TMJ are no exception." "Omnia Exteriors is committed to developing innovative solutions to advance the roofing industry as a whole and to serve our partners and their customers at a higher level," said Jeff Kizilbash, chief executive officer, Omnia Exterior Solutions. "We are excited to not only share that expertise with Brandon J, Hero and TMJ but also to gain the knowledge and insight that they now bring to all Omnia partners." Brandon Kowalski, CEO of Brandon J Roofing, started the company in 2018 with just three employees. Since then, the company has grown to over 40 employees and 250 installers who are committed to creating a better version of roofing contractors serving their community daily. Based out of St. Charles, Missouri, and in the heart of one of the country's top storm and hail markets, the company has plans to expand beyond Missouri into surrounding states. "We couldn't be more excited or confident in our new partnership with Omnia Exteriors," said Kowalski. "We are incredibly proud and grateful for the opportunity to join such a strong group of business leaders. It provides us with the strength and power of a large corporation while keeping the close-knit intimacy of a small business. The opportunities for our entire team to grow from within are immeasurable." Launched in Newnan, Georgia, in 2018 by father and son Todd and Nick Branon, Hero Roofing enjoyed steady growth. However, on March 25, 2021, an EF-4 tornado devastated the Newnan area. Business plans were set aside as Hero employees immediately went into community service mode, providing whatever neighbors needed to recover from the storm. From tarping roofs to removing trees and debris, it became a total neighbor-helping-neighbor initiative to rebuild the community. Hero Roofing's selfless efforts were remembered and rewarded with a considerable uptick in business after the storm. They maintain an ongoing commitment to giving back to their community which continues to sustain the company today. "We're not simply selling roofing systems and accessories," said Nick Branon, CEO, Hero Roofing. "We have a process in place that is as much about enhanced customer service as it is technical installations. With that mindset, choosing to partner with Omnia Exterior Solutions just makes excellent business sense. We get to not only be a local, homegrown provider of services, but now, we have the advanced reach to go further into the next level of service to provide for and protect our customers and their families." Jamie Theilen and Jim Martin started TMJ Construction Services in 2001 as the company's only employees servicing the Ames, IA, area. In the 23 years they've been in business, they have grown to nearly 40 employees throughout the Des Moines and Central Iowa area. The Omnia Exteriors partnership will provide the company with the necessary resources to grow and expand its business further. "For our employees, the opportunity for new training and exposure to innovative exterior solutions will only enhance their skills and career development," says Jamie Theilen, president, TMJ Construction Services. "We're equally excited about the ability to provide cutting-edge exterior remodeling solutions for our customers." Omnia Exterior Solutions is a national provider of residential roofing solutions and exterior remodeling services and seeks to provide partner companies, such as Brandon J, Hero Roofing and TMJ Construction Services, with extensive resources, administrative support, digital tools and more to help grow their businesses and keep up with changing technology. The company was created to address a gap in the residential roofing industry and consists of exclusive partners who are local and regional leaders in their respective markets. Omnia Exteriors was formed by CCMP, known for its legacy investment in leading brands such as Hayward and Generac, and industry veteran Ziminski, formerly with the Crane Group, managing their residential roofing brands ABLE and Mr. Roof, as well as the Exterior Portfolio siding brand, which he successfully sold to Westlake Royal Building Products. Omnia Exterior Solutions Launched in 2023 as a portfolio company of CCMP, Omnia Exterior Solutions is a national provider of residential roofing solutions and exterior remodeling services. The company was formed to address a gap in the residential roofing industry and comprises exclusive partners who are local and regional leaders in their respective markets. To inquire about exclusive partnerships, contact Jim Ziminski ([email protected] or Mike Blumenfeld ([email protected]) or visit omniaexteriorsolutions.com. About CCMP Growth Advisors, LP CCMP is a New York based growth-oriented private equity firm focused on making lead buyout and growth equity investments in middle-market companies in the Consumer and Industrial sectors primarily in North America. CCMP Growth leverages the deep investment experience of its team to identify high-growth companies in transition, and partners with management to help each platform scale through strategic and operational support. Visit www.ccmpgrowth.com. SOURCE Omnia Exterior Solutions NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has opened registration for its July 30 brainstorming session on enabling automated and connected infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPPs). This session will focus on specific opportunities and challenges related to this sector and explore the use of public-private partnerships to share information and identify priority standards development activities. ANSI's efforts are performed under a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support the implementation of the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET). The session will take place at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn, MI 48128. ANSI encourages interested organizations to have at least one representative attend in-person; however, limited remote participation is also available. Registration is requested by July 23. Click here to see the draft agenda and register for the session. An automated and connected infrastructure is a complex system where multiple technologies converge. Various forms of connectivity and automation are currently being utilized in infrastructure around the world. However, several factors need to be considered, such as how the technologies scale, operations increase, and services interoperate safely, cost-effectively, and sustainably. With a focus on transportation, this discussion-based event welcomes perspectives from a variety of stakeholders, including industry, standards development organizations, government, academia, and others about: opportunities and challenges associated with infrastructure for automated and connected transportation; how PPPs could accelerate standards development and technology integration to enable an automated and connected infrastructure; and the relationship between standards readiness and relevant types of PPPs. There is a longstanding recognition in the U.S. that standards are a building block for U.S. innovation, competitiveness, security, and quality of life. This fact has been formally recognized in U.S. law and policy, as well as in the United States Standards Strategy (USSS), and the USG NSSCET. The private-sector-led U.S. standardization system is one of the most wide-reaching, inclusive, and impactful public-private partnerships in our nation's history. As the USSS and USG NSSCET are implemented, and as partnerships grow, it is important to understand what has worked in the past, what options are on the table, and how to navigate standards development together. "As the coordinator of the private-sector-led U.S. standardization system, ANSI is excited to explore how standards-driven public-private partnerships can enable critical and emerging technologies to successfully integrate into the marketplace," said Mary Saunders, senior vice president of government affairs and public policy. ANSI is hosting a similar session on artificial intelligence and machine learning on July 17 in Arlington, VA. The results from both discussions are anticipated to inform best practices and identify considerations which could be applied more generally to various CETs and leveraged by the broader research and standards community. In September, ANSI plans to publish a publicly available report of findings. Learn more information about this initiative on the ANSI website. About ANSI The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org. SOURCE American National Standards Institute Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=129636225 Browse in-depth TOC on "Surgical Suction Instruments Market" 390 - Tables 300 - Figures 400 - Pages Surge in Surgical Procedures Fuels Demand for Suction Instruments The escalating number of surgeries globally serves as a prime catalyst for the surgical suction instruments market. With surgeries on the rise, the demand for these vital tools intensifies, ensuring optimal surgical conditions, minimizing complications, and enhancing patient outcomes. This upward trajectory is anticipated to persist, driving sustained market growth. Balancing Innovation with Risks of Surgical Suction Instruments While surgical suction instruments play a crucial role in medical procedures, complications such as unintended tissue injury and infection pose significant challenges. Improper usage or excessive suction power can lead to adverse outcomes, necessitating meticulous technique and careful suction level selection, especially in laparoscopic procedures. Addressing these risks is vital to ensuring market stability and growth. Sustainable Solutions: The Rise of Biodegradable Materials in Surgical Instruments The growing demand for eco-friendly practices in healthcare settings presents a promising opportunity for the adoption of biodegradable materials in surgical instruments. Unlike traditional plastics, biodegradable alternatives offer a sustainable option, decomposing naturally after disposal and reducing environmental impact. This trend aligns with the industry's focus on sustainability, paving the way for market expansion and innovation. Navigating Complexities in Cleaning and Disinfection of Advanced Instruments The cleaning and disinfection of advanced surgical suction instruments pose a formidable challenge due to intricate designs and delicate components. Thorough cleaning is essential to maintain functionality and prevent damage, yet harsh chemicals and aggressive scrubbing techniques can compromise instrument integrity. Addressing these complexities is crucial for sustaining market growth amidst evolving technological advancements. Competitive Landscape and Market Pressures in the Surgical Instruments Industry The surgical suction instruments market witnesses increasing competition as new entrants join and established players vie for market share. This competition drives down prices, exerting pressure on medtech businesses to balance profitability with competitiveness. Consolidation within the industry and shifts in healthcare policies further impact market dynamics, requiring players to adapt pricing strategies to navigate regulatory changes and reimbursement rates. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=129636225 Yankauer Suction Tubes Forecasted to Lead Surgical Suction Instruments Market Growth Within the surgical suction instruments industry, the yankauer suction tube segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR from 2024 to 2029. This segment encompasses various types, including retractors, yankauer suction tubes, poole suction tubes, frazier suction tips, and others. Yankauer tubes, distinguished by their cost-effectiveness and durability, particularly stand out among specialized disposable suction tips. Crafted from premium medical-grade materials like stainless steel, yankauer tubes offer reusability after proper sterilization, thus propelling segment growth. Surge in General Surgery Applications to Drive Market Expansion The general surgery segment is poised to witness the highest CAGR in the surgical suction instruments industry from 2024 to 2029. Suction instruments play a pivotal role in removing blood, fluids, and debris from surgical sites, enhancing visualization and facilitating precise dissection while minimizing tissue damage. Moreover, during procedures involving electrocautery, suction aids in clearing smoke, improving visibility, and mitigating the risk of smoke inhalation for both surgical teams and patients, thereby fostering segment growth. Hospitals and Clinics Segment to Spearhead Market Advancement The hospital and clinics segment is forecasted to demonstrate the highest CAGR in the surgical suction instruments industry from 2024 to 2029. This surge in demand is propelled by the critical role these institutions play in meeting escalating surgical needs, driving the necessity for essential tools like surgical suction instruments. Vital for enhancing surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and infection control, the demand for these instruments is expected to persist, underpinning segment growth in the foreseeable future. North America Emerges as Key Driver of Surgical Suction Instruments Market North America emerges as a dominant force in the global surgical suction instruments industry, boasting the largest CAGR among regions during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to various factors, including governmental initiatives promoting health awareness and subsidizing treatments, thereby stimulating market expansion. The region experiences a significant uptick in demand for surgical suction instruments, driven by evolving patient needs and dynamic shifts in the healthcare landscape. Key Developments Shape Surgical Suction Instruments Industry Landscape 1. Olympus Corporation Enhances GI Endo Therapy Portfolio Through Acquisition In January 2024, Olympus Corporation expanded its capabilities by acquiring Taewoong Medical Co., Ltd., a Korea-based medical device manufacturer. This strategic move bolsters Olympus' GI Endo Therapy product portfolio, aiming to enhance patient outcomes through comprehensive solutions and elevate the standard of care in gastrointestinal endoscopy. 2. Stryker Broadens Aneurysm Treatment Solutions with Cerus Endovascular Acquisition May 2023 witnessed Stryker's acquisition of Cerus Endovascular Ltd. (UK), a medical device company specializing in neurointerventional devices. Cerus Endovascular's innovative products complement Stryker's existing portfolio, enriching the company's offerings in aneurysm treatment solutions and reinforcing its commitment to advancing neurointerventional care. 3. Cardinal Health, Inc. Partners with Kinaxis to Enhance Supply Chain Agility In September 2022, Cardinal Health, Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Kinaxis (Canada) to enhance the Kinaxis RapidResponse Platform for supply chain agility and medical product visibility. This collaboration underscores Cardinal Health's commitment to optimizing supply chain operations, ensuring efficient distribution of surgical suction instruments, and meeting evolving healthcare demands. 4. Medtronic and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Expand Health Equity Assistance Program July 2022 marked the expansion of the Health Equity Assistance Program by Medtronic and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, supported by Amazon Web Services. As part of this initiative, the first installation of donated GI Genius intelligent endoscopy modules was completed, aiming to improve access to colon cancer screening and advance healthcare equity. For more information, inquire now! Inquire Now Related Reports: Spinal Implants Market Surgical Sutures Market Surgical Procedures Market Surgical Robots Market Surgical Retractors Market Get access to the latest updates on Surgical Suction Instruments Companies and Surgical Suction Instruments Market Size About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets The Rapidly Growing Fast Casual Restaurant Featuring Crepes and Waffles Opens Second Location in the Twin Cities MALL OF AMERICA, Minn., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe, the ultra-popular restaurant brand specializing in sweet and savory crepes, hot drinks and more, has now opened its second Minnesota location in the Mall of America in Bloomington. The local community is now welcome to visit the stunning new restaurant and enjoy the Art of Eating Crepes! An official grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration is planned for the coming weeks. Sweet Paris in Mall of America is now open. The local partner behind the new Sweet Paris location is the Tenacity Restaurant Group. The group is led by CEO Dustin Wetzel, CFO Pete Thelen, and Strategic Advisor Dan Vansteenburg, seasoned executives with extensive experience developing restaurant concepts across the Twin Cities since the early 2000s. With their keen insights on trends and tastes across Minnesota, they embarked on a search of new and exciting concepts they could partner with and bring to their market. This search led them to Sweet Paris, where they found the right combination of a quality concept, with an excellent product and a supportive leadership team. "Sweet Paris is a unique dining experience that transports guests to a sidewalk cafe in Paris with its ambiance, delicious crepes, espresso, and French Riviera inspired cocktails," said Dustin Wetzel. "We are excited to bring this experience to the millions of people that visit the Mall of America every year," added Pete Thelen. Guests are encouraged to download the Sweet Paris App and sign up for the Sweet Paris Passport program to receive exclusive monthly promotions, a birthday bonus, collect points and use them for purchase, receive texts regarding upcoming giveaways, and receive bonus entries for giveaways. "Our team is thrilled to be working with Tenacity Restaurant Group to bring the Sweet Paris concept to one of the most popular attractions in all of the Midwest," said Allison Chavez, CEO and Co-founder of Sweet Paris. "Located on the first level, next to Nordstrom, the new location not only allows us to grow our brand in Minnesota with strong partners, it allows us to be introduced to the more than 40 million visitors that stop by the Mall of America every year." The Mall of America Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe is the brand's second store in Minnesota and the 17th store overall in its portfolio. Tenacity Restaurant Group will bring two additional units to Minnesota in the near future as part of the four-unit agreement signed with the brand in 2022. The brand's momentum in the Twin Cities is being replicated nationwide, with 41 additional units in various stages of development in Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. Sweet Paris Mall of America is open Monday Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on Sweet Paris in Mall of America, please visit www.sweetparis.com or call 952-452-9925. ABOUT SWEET PARIS: Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe is a fast-growing restaurant franchise specializing in sweet and savory crepes, waffles, salads, hot drinks and more. On a mission of "Reviving the Art of Eating Crepes" one creperie at a time, Sweet Paris is seeking qualified Strategic Partners, especially those with a background in hospitality, to expand the concept in new markets. For more information about the brand, please visit www.sweetparis.com, and for more information on Strategic Partnership Opportunities, visit www.sweetparisfranchise.com. SOURCE Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe TOKYO, June 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TIER IV , a pioneer in open-source software for autonomous driving systems, proudly announces the successful extension of its Series B funding round, securing an additional US$54 million (8.5 billion). This brings the total Series B funding to US$132 million (20.7 billion) and the company's overall funding to US$243 million (38.1 billion). Background During the Series A round, TIER IV expanded beyond developing the open-source software Autoware * to commercialize comprehensive software platforms that encompass communication, insurance, and risk management features for autonomous driving systems. The Series B round has further enhanced our software development capabilities, particularly in advocating the concept of reference designs. TIER IV was also selected for the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization's (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund Project , participating in a substantial US$162 million (25.4 billion) R&D initiative aimed at introducing scalability to autonomous driving systems. Purpose of the funding The latest funds are earmarked for launching the production of Level 4 autonomous driving systems, leveraging TIER IV's advanced software platforms and reference designs. The funds will also boost our efforts to develop safety assessment methods that tightly integrate processes and tools. TIER IV has been selected for a NEDO program to support tech startups , with a focus on advancing electrification modules applicable to various vehicle models, which tackles grand challenges for hardware disparity, software quality, and system dependability from fiscal 2023 to 2025. Furthermore, we have been selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase 3 funding , underscoring our commitment to establishing a robust Level 4 certification framework from fiscal 2024 to 2027. These strategic initiatives align with the Japanese government's objective to deploy Level 4 autonomous driving systems in 50 locations by 2025 and over 100 by 2027, which aims to improve mobility services nationwide. Key business areas From Series A to Series B, TIER IV has significantly advanced its software platforms, with an emphasis on vehicle models and safety assessment methods for Level 4 autonomous driving systems. In collaboration with global partners, we are ready for full-scale commercialization, both in Japan and worldwide. Our main applications include mobility services such as route buses and urban taxis, as well as logistics services encompassing intra-factory transportation and highway trucks, all within a Level 4 regulatory framework. Future outlook TIER IV is set to further develop new vehicle models and open safety assessment methods, spearheading the deployment of enhanced mobility and logistics services powered by Level 4 autonomous driving systems. Building on our current reference designs for route buses and urban taxis, we plan to create a new reference design for privately-owned passenger vehicles, which introduces state-of-the-art technologies to the automotive industry. Going forward, TIER IV will focus on developing electric and electronic architectures (EEA) optimized for software-defined vehicles (SDV), along with a new generative world model tailored for end-to-end autonomy. TIER IV remains committed to harnessing its expertise in software development, vehicle manufacturing, and safety assessment to foster the deployment of Level 4 autonomous driving systems across various environments. *Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation. About TIER IV TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep tech innovation, pioneering Autoware , the world's first open-source software for autonomous driving, to empower intelligent vehicles worldwide. Harnessing Autoware, we build scalable platforms and deliver comprehensive solutions across software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations. As a founding member of the Autoware Foundation , our commitment to open-source software enables individuals and organizations to thrive within the evolving technology for autonomous driving, reshaping the future of intelligent vehicles. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Tier IV, Inc. SEATTLE, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Defense, the leading full-service global marketplace agency for beauty brands, has named Vanessa Kuykendall to the role of Chief Engagement Officer. Formerly serving as Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa will utilize Market Defense's formidable data analytics to gain insights into marketplace customer preferences, behaviors, and trends to drive sales and build lasting brand loyalty for Market Defense clients. "I look forward to leveraging my experience to further strengthen our client partnerships and drive growth." Vanessa Kuykendall Post this Market Defense has appointed Vanessa Kuykendall as Chief Engagement Officer. Formerly COO, Vanessa will leverage data analytics to drive sales and build brand loyalty for clients. "Vanessas new role formalizes a critical component of our value proposition," says Brandon Pemberton, President. Market Defense continues to achieve impressive growth, with a 70% YoY increase in Amazon sales in 2023. "Vanessa's exciting new role formalizes a critical component of our core value proposition. Market Defense uses its continually evolving beauty depth and expertise to surface insights and develop strategies that drive exceptional performance for beauty brands on global marketplaces," added Brandon Pemberton, President of Market Defense. Market Defense represents award-winning beauty brands on Amazon, Walmart, and Mercado Libre including Dr. Dennis Gross, a WWD Greatest of All Time Skin Care brand, CEW Best Indie Brand Skinfix, and Allure Best of Beauty winners BeautyStat, Alpyn Beauty, and Jillian Dempsey. Market Defense reported a 70% YoY increase in sales across its Amazon portfolio in 2023. "As the parent Company of Market Defense, D2E Labs is proud to promote Vanessa in this new extended role, reflecting her outstanding leadership of the organization, the successful partnership developed over the past 2-years and the continuous investment into the best talent and quality of service for our clients," said Charles Tellier, CEO of D2E Labs. Vanessa's extensive background in beauty includes leadership roles in sales, training, and merchandising at renowned companies such as The Body Shop, MAC Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, and Tiffany & Co. Prior to co-founding Market Defense in 2017, she led the Beauty.com business for Walgreens. At Market Defense, Vanessa has been instrumental in scaling cross-functional client delivery and broadening capabilities in account management, brand protection, and performance marketing to drive faster and more meaningful growth for clients. "Stepping into the Chief Engagement Officer role at Market Defense is an incredible opportunity," shared Vanessa Kuykendall. "I look forward to leveraging my experience to further strengthen our client partnerships and drive growth. At Market Defense, we see our relationship with clients as a partnership in their growth. Their success is our success." Market Defense operates marketplace businesses on behalf of its clients, providing deep expertise in account management, brand protection, value-added logistics, and performance marketing for Amazon, Walmart, Mercado Libre, and other marketplaces around the world. Its portfolio of beauty brands includes influential fragrance brands like Lavanila and Tocca, as well as female-founded indie successes Petite n Pretty and Sara Happ, and international brands like Australia's Grown Alchemist and This Works from the UK. By further intertwining Vanessa's unparalleled expertise with its core strategies, Market Defense looks forward to continuing its mission: We grow the world's best beauty brands on Amazon and other marketplaces. Globally. Media Contact: Denaya Melvin [email protected] SOURCE Market Defense LLC NAPLES, Fla., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vernon Litigation and Attorney Kristian Kraszewski filed a multi-million dollar FINRA arbitration claim earlier this month. The claim was filed against LPL Financial, LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and alleges that an Illinois based registered representative was not properly supervised and, as a result, engaged in wrongdoing that caused millions of dollars in damages. According to the claim, the activity of the registered representative included inappropriate options trading, overconcentrated stock positions, and inappropriate movement of money between accounts. The advisor has been (and continues to be) dual registered with LPL Financial and New Edge Advisors since 2019 and was formerly registered with Wells Fargo. At the time he left Wells Fargo, the registered representative was under internal investigation by Wells Fargo in connection with the use of unapproved communication devices. Vernon Litigation Group is now engaged in a comprehensive investigation of the registered representative, including other past and present disputes relating to the registered representatives conduct. According to Chris Vernon of Vernon Litigation Group, these types of cases typically involve two components. First, they often involve a financial advisor with a good personality, who cultivates the trust of key clients through a close personal relationship. Then, a failed system of compliance and supervision at the financial firm where the financial advisor is registered. These two components can combine to allow an ongoing and unchecked abuse of trust by the registered representative. Vernon Litigation Group is a nationally recognized law firm, based in Naples, Florida, that has been successfully representing investors throughout the United States for decades and can be reached via phone 1-877-649-5394, e-mail at [email protected], or by visiting Vernon Litigation Group online at https://www.vernonlitigation.com SOURCE Vernon Litigation Group Karachi, June 17 : Cammie, the camel whose leg was chopped off by a landlord of Mund Jamrao in Sindh's Sanghar district, has not only been rescued from its owner but also is going to get an artificial limb through the collaboration of the Sindh government and a local NGO CDRS Benji. Karachi, June 17 (IANS) Cammie, the camel whose leg was chopped off by a landlord of Mund Jamrao in Sindhas Sanghar district, has not only been rescued from its owner but also is going to get an artificial limb through the collaboration of the Sindh government and a local NGO CDRS Benji. Earlier, an Indian national offered to send an artificial leg for the camel however, the Sindh government did not consider the offer. Cammie, a name selected by CDRS (Comprehensive Disaster Response Service) Benji project, a non-government organization working for stray and injured animals in Pakistan, took the initiative to reach out to the owner of the camel, whose leg was chopped off and rescued it, providing the camel with required treatment and bringing it to Karachi from Sanghar. "CDRS Benji team took with it a medical team to treat Cammie and make sure its wounds have not been infected. Later, we paid the price of the camel to the owner and brought Cammie to our facility in Karachi," said Sarah Jahangir, Director of CDRS Benji Karachi. "The Sindh government has been working closely with the CDRS Benji project for the treatment and rehabilitation of Cammie," Sarah added. Since the incident occurred and the matter went viral on social media, the Indian national named Ravindra Bhai offered to send the artificial leg for the camel from India. "We are not aware of any offer from India and frankly we did not even require to consider it because we have arrangements here in Pakistan. The Sindh government and CDRS Benji have already found BIONIKS Pakistan to prepare an artificial limb," Sara Jahangir said. The incident gained global attention when local journalists from Sanghar district reported about the camel and how an influential landlord for trespassing on his land chopped off its leg. The incident occurred on June 14, when it was reported that a landlord in Mund Jamrao village in Sindh's Sanghar district chopped off Cammie's leg for trespassing on his field seeking fodder. As per locals in Sanghar, the camel was first beaten by the labourers of the landlord and later its leg was chopped off. The incident was condemned widely and action against the brutal act of the landlord was demanded by voices from across the globe. The owner of the poor peasant named Soomar Behan refrained from lodging a complaint with the police due to the fear of the landlord. However, the local police took action and arrested at least five people involved in the incident. Later it was confirmed by Sharjeel Memon, Information Minister in the Sindh government, that action was directed by the state against the culprits. On the other hand, Governor Sindh Kamran Tesoori has announced to give the owner of the camel at least two camels as compensation for Cammie. Now that Cammie is under the supervision of CDRS Benji, special care and rehabilitation are being provided until the artificial leg is ready. Cammie will now stay with CDRS Benji in Karachi and its complete care would be ensured in collaboration with the Sindh government. "The 8-month-old female camel was in acute pain and everyone was coming together to help the camel because the prosthetic would take time as it needed around two months for the wound to heal before proper measurements could be taken. We are trying to heal her infection and soothe her pain with heavy painkillers, antibiotics and other medications," Sara Jahangir said. "She is in pain, and it was traumatizing for her to be carried into the shelter. But she is eating now and taking in everything around her with those beautiful, intelligent eyes," added Sarah Jahangir. BIONIKS Pakistan cofounder Anas Niaz said they would start working on the artificial limb as soon as Cammie heals. "We are working on the limb for the camel as right now it needs to heal, which will take around 1-2 months time and after that rehabilitation of the camel will start. As the camel will need replacement from time to time, this will be an ongoing process that we are actively managing," he said. Karachi, June 17 : Cammie, the camel whose leg was chopped off by a landlord of Mund Jamrao in Sindh's Sanghar district, has not only been rescued from its owner but also is going to get an artificial limb through the collaboration of the Sindh government and a local NGO CDRS Benji. Karachi, June 17 (IANS) Cammie, the camel whose leg was chopped off by a landlord of Mund Jamrao in Sindhas Sanghar district, has not only been rescued from its owner but also is going to get an artificial limb through the collaboration of the Sindh government and a local NGO CDRS Benji. Earlier, an Indian national offered to send an artificial leg for the camel however, the Sindh government did not consider the offer. The name Cammie was given to the camel by CDRS (Comprehensive Disaster Response Service) Benji project, an NGO for stray and injured animals in Pakistan. The NGO took the initiative to reach out to the owner of the camel, whose leg was chopped off, and rescued it, providing the camel with the required treatment and bringing it to Karachi from Sanghar. "CDRS Benji team took with it a medical team to treat Cammie and make sure its wounds have not been infected. Later, we paid the price of the camel to the owner and brought Cammie to our facility in Karachi," said Sarah Jahangir, Director of CDRS Benji Karachi. "The Sindh government has been working closely with the CDRS Benji project for the treatment and rehabilitation of Cammie," Sarah added. Since the incident occurred and the matter went viral on social media, the Indian national named Ravindra Bhai offered to send the artificial leg for the camel from India. "We are not aware of any offer from India and frankly we did not even require to consider it because we have arrangements here in Pakistan. The Sindh government and CDRS Benji have already found BIONIKS Pakistan to prepare an artificial limb," Sara Jahangir said. The incident gained global attention when local journalists from Sanghar district reported about the camel and how an influential landlord for trespassing on his land chopped off its leg. The incident occurred on June 14, when it was reported that a landlord in Mund Jamrao village in Sindh's Sanghar district chopped off Cammie's leg for trespassing on his field seeking fodder. As per locals in Sanghar, the camel was first beaten by the labourers of the landlord and later its leg was chopped off. The incident was condemned widely and action against the brutal act of the landlord was demanded by voices from across the globe. The owner of the poor peasant named Soomar Behan refrained from lodging a complaint with the police due to the fear of the landlord. However, the local police took action and arrested at least five people involved in the incident. Later it was confirmed by Sharjeel Memon, Information Minister in the Sindh government, that action was directed by the state against the culprits. On the other hand, Governor Sindh Kamran Tesoori has announced to give the owner of the camel at least two camels as compensation for Cammie. Now that Cammie is under the supervision of CDRS Benji, special care and rehabilitation are being provided until the artificial leg is ready. Cammie will now stay with CDRS Benji in Karachi and its complete care would be ensured in collaboration with the Sindh government. "The 8-month-old female camel was in acute pain and everyone was coming together to help the camel because the prosthetic would take time as it needed around two months for the wound to heal before proper measurements could be taken. We are trying to heal her infection and soothe her pain with heavy painkillers, antibiotics and other medications," Sara Jahangir said. "She is in pain, and it was traumatizing for her to be carried into the shelter. But she is eating now and taking in everything around her with those beautiful, intelligent eyes," added Sarah Jahangir. BIONIKS Pakistan cofounder Anas Niaz said they would start working on the artificial limb as soon as Cammie heals. "We are working on the limb for the camel as right now it needs to heal, which will take around 1-2 months time and after that rehabilitation of the camel will start. As the camel will need replacement from time to time, this will be an ongoing process that we are actively managing," he said. Srinagar, June 17 : One terrorist was killed in an ongoing gunfight with the security forces in J&K's Bandipora district. Officials said the security forces surrounded Aragam village of Bandipora district in the early hours of Monday morning following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the village. "After the security forces closed on the hiding terrorists, they fired triggering an encounter in which one terrorist has been killed so far. The identity of the slain terrorist is being ascertained. The operation is still going on in the area," officials said. Earlier, some gunshots were heard in the village in the early hours. The officials said, "Immediately afterwards, security forces cordoned off the area and started searches. Gunshots stopped after some time while the search operation was going on in the area." Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday advised the security forces to crush militancy in the union territory and ensure a smooth, safe and incident-free Amarnath Yatra. In light of the firm orders from the Centre, the security forces are expected to carry out some massive anti-militancy operations to target the terrorists and their supporters in the coming days in J&K. New Delhi, June 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended his greetings to the nation on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha and wished for the strengthening of the bonds of harmony and unity in the society. The Prime Minister in a post on X said, "Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha! May this special occasion further cement the bonds of harmony and togetherness in our society. May everyone be happy and healthy." PM Modi also extended greetings to the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, even as relations between the two nations have been affected since November last year. In a press release, the Indian High Commission in Maldives shared the Prime Minister's Eid wishes for the president and the people of Maldives. "On the auspicious occasion of Eid Al-Adha, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India @NarendraModi extended warm greetings to His Excellency President of Maldives Dr. @MMuizzu, the Government & the people of the Republic of Maldives," it said in a post on X. "The Prime Minister in his message emphasised the values of sacrifice, compassion and brotherhood, embodied by this festival, which are essential in building a peaceful and inclusive world. Prime Minister also highlighted the celebration of the festival, as part of India's multi-cultural heritage, across the length and breadth of India with fervour and gaiety," the press release mentioned. New York, June 17 : Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist here has been extradited to the United States and is in federal custody, according to prison records. The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate records on Sunday showed him locked up in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where prisoners due for appearances in federal courts here are kept. According to a spokesperson for the federal court of the Southern District of New York, quoted by NBC TV network, he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30 last year and the US had asked for his extradition. His extradition was held up by his appeal to the Czech Constitutional Court earlier this year against his extradition, which was rejected last month clearing the way for him to be sent to the US. The alleged plot raised concerns in the US because an Indian police officer is accused of masterminding it. According to court documents, Gupta, who also uses the name "Nick", is charged with participating in a plot with an unnamed Indian "senior field officer" to assassinate the leader of a "US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab state" and the establishment of a "Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan". The group's leader, who is not named in the court documents, is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with US and Canadian citizenships, who lives in New York and runs a campaign for Khalistan. He is designated as a terrorist by the Indian government. In a filing in the New York court in January, Gupta's lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe said that according to his family's media interviews he "faces basic human rights violations while in custody in Prague" and was kept in "extended" solitary confinement without consular access. According to the charging document in the court, Gupta was recruited by the "senior field officer" to "orchestrate the assassination." He, in turn, the document said, contacted a person he believed was a "criminal associate, but was, in fact, a "confidential source working with US law enforcement". That person introduced him to a "purported hitman" who was an undercover US law enforcement officer who was offered $100,000 to carry out the assassination, the document said. Gupta arranged for an advance of $15,000 to be delivered by an associate to the presumed "hitman", who was also given details about Pannun and also told him that a Canada-based Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia had been a "target", according to the document. The prosecution said that he had himself described his "involvement in narcotics and weapons trafficking" and asked the "senior field officer's" help in getting cases against him in India dismissed. Gupta's lawyer Charbrowe asked the court in January to compel the prosecution to provide more details about the case to the defence to enable it to defend him. He said that according to Gupta's Czech lawyer Petr Slepica, the defendant had been interviewed several times by "groups of senior US officials" while the lawyer has not been given any documents about the case except for indictment the charging document. Federal Judge Victor Marrero dismissed the request saying that under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the prosecution has 14 days after Gupta is produced in court to give the information to the defence. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in April that "we have made clear to the government of India that we want to see them conduct a full investigation, and we continue to look forward to the results of that investigation". (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) New Delhi, June 17 : With regard to the compounding water crunch in the national capital, Delhi BJP chief Virend Sachdeva led a protest here against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party government. Under the leadership of Virend Sachdeva, Delhi BJP is demonstrating against the Delhi government for the prevailing water crisis in up to 14 prominent locations across the city-state. The demonstrations are held in localities of Block-8, Geeta Colony, and Krishna Nagar. Delhi BJP also shared a poster on its official X handle that features prominent AAP leaders over a water tanker and denizens sitting around with their vessels, waiting to collect water for regular daily use. The poster reads: "Gang of tanker mafia," pointing to the AAP leadership. Delhi BJP, along with this poster, remarked: "Kejriwal gang has a way of making money even in crisis." East Delhi MP and Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra is also in attendance for the demonstration, among other MPs. The protestors call this demonstration "Matka-fod Virodh" (pot-smashing revolt). Kolkata, June 17 : Five people were killed and 30 injured in the Kanchanjungha Express accident that took place on Monday. According to the Additional SP of Darjeeling District, Abhishek Roy, so far five people have been reportedly killed in the accident and 25 to 30 have been injured. Different teams attached to the state government and the Indian Railways started rescue operations at the site between New Jalpaiguri and Rangapani station where two compartments of the Kanchanjungha Express got derailed after being hit by a goods train. To make things more difficult, the rescue operations are being impacted by rains in the region. However, the rescue teams are being assisted by the local residents. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has issued a statement claiming that the senior officials of the Railways have reached the spot to supervise the search and rescue operations. "Unfortunate accident in the NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached site," read the statement issued by Vaishnaw. The rescue teams are adopting the manual process of bringing the affected compartments back into position to locate more trapped passengers. "We are avoiding the use of gas cutters right now as we fear that more people might be trapped inside the affected compartments. Use of gas cutters might endanger their lives. Since we are still adopting the manual process, the rescue process is slow. Rainfall is adding further difficulty," said an official of the state Disaster Management Department, present at the spot. The local people told the media that they have seen bodies of at least five people being brought out of the compartments. As per information available so far, the number of injured passengers who have been rescued from the affected compartments stands at 25. The injured persons have been rushed to the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital at Siliguri. Rescue team officials said that there are apprehensions that the death and injury figures might increase further as the rescue operations continue, since they are to ascertain how many persons are still trapped within the affected compartments. The reason for the accident, is yet to surface. As per the latest information available Ashwini Vaishnaw has decided to reach the site of the accident. Some of the passengers travelling by Kanchanjungha Express said that contrary to information that there was just one collision, they heard the sound of at least three to four collisions. New Delhi, June 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Railways officials and taken stock of the situation after the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express was hit by a goods train in West Bengal on Monday. At least five people died in the accident and over 30 were injured, said officials. The Prime Minister has asked the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reach the site. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri@AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well." Different teams attached to the state government and the Indian Railways started rescue operations at the site between New Jalpaiguri and Rangapani station. To make things more difficult, the rescue operations are being impacted by rain in the region. The rescue teams are adopting the manual process of bringing the affected compartments back into position to locate more trapped passengers. "We are avoiding the use of gas cutters right now as we fear that more people might be trapped inside the affected compartments. The use of gas cutters might endanger their lives. Since we are still adopting the manual process, the rescue process is slow. Rainfall is adding further difficulty," said an official of the state Disaster Management Department, present at the spot. The injured persons have been rushed to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital at Siliguri. Some of the passengers travelling by Kanchanjungha Express said that contrary to information that there was just one collision, they heard the sound of at least three to four collisions. New Delhi, June 17 : The drinking water crisis in the national capital continues unabated as many areas are now entirely dependent on water tankers for daily needs. Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh said that this is a crisis sponsored by BJP, Haryana government and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor. This situation coincides with a major reduction in the production of clean drinking water by treatment plants. Besides, on Monday, BJP leaders in Delhi protested against the water crisis. Many leaders including MP from New Delhi seat Bansuri Swaraj took to streets over the water shortage and called it the failure of Delhi government. BJP leaders say that the Delhi government did not make any preparations for this situation beforehand; that no work was done to enhance the infrastructure of the Jal Board. As a result, there is drinking water crisis in Delhi at present. According to the Delhi government, the main reason for the crisis is low supply from the source. Sanjay Singh said: "Haryana is not giving us full water. We are not asking for Haryana's share of water, rather we are asking Haryana for Delhi's share of water, but we are not getting it." Sanjay Singh went on to allege the Lieutenant Governor for not helping resolve the situation. "The Lieutenant Governor is not helping in this matter but is giving political statements," he added. Quoting figures, Singh said that on June 6, 1002 MGD of drinking water was produced in Delhi, while on June 13, only 939 MGD of drinking water could be produced. Sanjay Singh pointed out: "Delhi has elected seven BJP MPs, one of them is also a minister. Should they not raise the demand for water for Delhi? Should these MPs not meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister and demand water?" He remarked that on the contrary, conspiracies are being hatched to increase the water crisis. He stated that people reached Jal Board office under the leadership of former MP Ramesh Bidhuri and vandalised the place. Following this, employees are not able to work out of fear. "It is surprising that no action has been taken against those who vandalised the Jal Board office," he said. Alleging BJP further for compounding the water crisis in Delhi, Sanjay Singh said that this is a crisis sponsored by the LG, BJP and Haryana government. "If we start getting full water supply, as much water as Delhi is entitled to, then water problem can be solved to a great extent," he said. Brussels, June 17 : EU leaders are due to meet on Monday for a special summit to discuss who will fill the 27-nation bloc's top posts in Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a German centre-right Christian Democrat, is seeking support for a second term in office. Her group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party (EPP), scored a clear victory in this month's elections for the legislature, strengthening her chances for another five-year term. But she will still need the backing of a few other political groups in Parliament, plus the support of most of the EU's national leaders. "It is clear that after the results of the elections, everything speaks in favour of Ursula von der Leyen having a second term in office," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a Saturday interview. The future President of the European Council and the post of EU high representative for foreign affairs will also likely be negotiated when leaders meet over a working dinner in Brussels on Monday. Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is currently seen as a likely candidate for the council post and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is tipped as the bloc's next foreign affairs chief. The leaders of the EU states will also meet again the following week for a regular summit. By this time, the personnel planning is hoped to have been finalised and will only need to be formalised. If not, the national leaders will continue discussions about filling the top posts in Brussels. --IANS/DPA int/sd/khz Mumbai, June 17 : Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday alleged that the Mumbai North West constituency results where Shiv Sena nominee Ravindra Waikar won by 48 vote due to EVM manipulation is one of the most exemplary scams in the Lok Sabha election process. "The BJP and its allies have won some constituencies across the country by wrong means. A good example of this is the North West Mumbai Constituency. These people have taken over the government and election system and committed scams," he claimed. Raut taunted that the Tesla and 'X' owner Elon Musk would have to be tutored by Election Officer of Mumbai Suburban District, Vandana Suryavanshi, who on Sunday ruled out malfunctioning of EVMs saying that the machines were standalone devices without any wired or wireless connectivity with units outside the EVM system. Sanjay Raut said that the Election Officer had earlier declared the Thackeray faction nominee Amol Kirtikar as a winner but after that the vote was recounted and the fresh results were announced. "Election officer Vandana Suryavanshi has a big hand in this scam. Now she is talking about technical matters. Basically it is not her domain. Elon Musk, the giant of the world of technology, should teach Suryavanshi. The biggest man in the world of technology is saying that EVMs can be hacked and these people (BJP) make different claims," he added. Raut demanded that the North West Constituency Election Officer's past should be checked, so also the CCTV footage of the place where the election result counting took place. "The election officials should also check whose calls were received during that period and seize their phones. Relatives of Ravindra Waikar were roaming there. The Vanrai Police should probe the case thoroughly," he said. "The North West constituency results are mysterious and doubtful, so I think Ravindra Waikar should not be sworn in as a member of the Lok Sabha. "This matter has not been investigated, people's doubts have not been removed, and stopping him from taking oath is true democracy. The Election Commission should prevent him from taking oath because he has won by stealth," said Raut. Bareilly : , June 17 (IANS) Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, has said that the removal of chapters on Babri Masjid and Gujarat riots from Class 12 books of NCERT, amounts to tampering with history which is regrettable. He said that earlier, the history of Mughal emperors was also removed from the pages of the book, and the chapter on the rise of Islam has also been removed. The Maulana, in a statement, further said it proves that the people sitting in the NCERT board want to erase the signs of Muslims, and are promoting a particular viewpoint and thinking, but this is not going to last long. The Maulana said that history is history, the more you suppress it, the more it will come to the fore. People who blur and scratch history have never been successful. The historians of the present time want to create a new history in the country with their new ideology, but they cannot succeed. It may be recalled that the NCERT has introduced several significant changes in the Class 12 Political Science textbook, which are now available in the market. The most notable change is the removal of the term "Babri Masjid," which has now been referred to as a "three-domed structure" in the new edition. Additionally, the chapter on Ayodhya has been condensed from four pages to two. NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said that it was not an attempt to saffronise books. "We donat follow any ideology when we publish books. Experts have done what they thought was fit for the syllabus," he said. On being asked about the removal of references to Babri Masjid from the book, he said, "We have gone with what the latest update on that matter is. Subject experts have deliberated and brought out the final books. The Supreme Court has now sorted out the matter and the new published excerpts show that." Mumbai, June 17 : Actress Zaara Warsi, who portrays the role of Chamchi in the television show 'Happu Ki Ultan Paltan', is visiting her grandmother's house in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to indulge in grilled mutton and kebabs on the occasion of Eid on Monday. Sharing her itinerary, she said: "Like every year, I started my day by getting up early to perform Namaz, which is a ritual for us. Later, I enjoyed time with my family. I will visit Nani's house and gorge on the delicious grilled mutton and kebabs she makes, as they are my favourites." Zaara further mentioned, "Our family gathers on this day to spend time with one another. Eid-al-Adha is also an opportunity for a wonderful family reunion as friends and family gather to enjoy the home-cooked delicacies." 'Happu Ki Ultan Paltan' follows the story of Happu Singh, a police officer in Kanpur. The story revolves around the misadventures of Happu Singh and his large family, including his wife, Rajesh Singh, his mother, Katori, and his nine children. The show airs Monday to Friday on &TV. Vadodara, June 17 : The alleged vandalisation of idols of Jain Tirthankaras on both sides of the stairs leading to the Shaktipeeth Mahakali Mandir atop the Pavagadh hill near Vadodara has triggered widespread anger among the local Jain community. The Jain Sangh of Vadodara led by Maharaj Saheb on Monday marched to the Collector's residence to submit a formal complaint besides issuing a three-day ultimatum to restore the idols. Emphasising the sanctity of Pavagadh, a revered site, Maharaj Saheb highlighted the historical and religious significance of the idols, urging that they be restored within 72 hours. He also called for non-violent protests, stressing the importance of unity within the Jain Sangh, as he asserted that preserving ancient architecture is the government's responsibility. Jain leader Deepak Shah claimed the idols were destroyed under the supervision of the site manager, Vikram, who discarded them as 'garbage'. "The Jain community will not rest until the idols are restored," he said. While Jainism advocates non-violence, Shah emphasised that this principle "should not be mistaken for passivity". He also warned against efforts to divide the community, as he demanded the maintenance of all the temples in Pavagadh, which have been worship sites for centuries. Seoul, June 17 : South Korea and China will hold "two plus two" talks of their senior foreign and defence officials this week, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, a gathering expected to coincide with Russian President Vladimir Putin's likely visit to North Korea. The South Korea-China diplomatic and security dialogue will take place in Seoul on Tuesday, led by First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said. Other participants are Lee Seung-beom, director general for international policy at the South Korean Defence Ministry, and Zhang Baoqun, deputy director of the Office of International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission, Yonhap news agency reported. "The two countries will exchange opinions on the issues of mutual interest, such as bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and regional and global situations," the Ministry said in a statement, without providing further details. The talks draw attention as they will likely coincide with Putin's visit to North Korea widely expected to take place from Tuesday through Wednesday. The talks also come as tensions have heightened on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea's multiple launches of trash-carrying balloons across the border into South Korea in protest of the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets by North Korean defectors and activist groups. South Korea responded by resuming the propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea. Pyongyang has warned of further counteraction if Seoul continues the psychological warfare and leafleting. The current security landscape and developments on and around the Korean Peninsula will likely be high on the agenda at Tuesday's talks. The two sides could also discuss bilateral and other issues of common interests, including China's strategic competition with the US, the expanding military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, and the cross-strait issues. Holding the two plus two talks was part of the agreement reached between the two countries when President Yoon Suk Yeol met one-on-one with Chinese Premier Li Qiang for talks on the sidelines of the trilateral summit with Japan late last month. They agreed to elevate the dialogue format to the vice-ministerial level. The previous talks took place among the director generals in 2013 and 2015. Lucknow, June 17 : The elections in Uttar Pradesh have put the allies of BJP, particularly the smaller parties, in a spot. BJP cadres are now wanting a review of their relations with the allies because BJP did not get any benefit from these allies that represent specific caste groups, although, the allies did get votes from BJP's core voters. For instance, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, failed to get Rajbhar votes for BJP in eastern UP. Rajbhar's son Arvind Rajbhar could not win the Ghosi seat. BJP minister Anil Rajbhar said: "The Rajbhar community did not vote for SBSP and the votes that Arvind Rajbhar got in Ghosi, came from BJP. Om Prakash Rajbhar could not save his own Assembly seat Zahoorabad." SBSP was recently given a seat in the Vidhan Parishad even though the party has only six MLAs. Similar is the case of the Nishad Party President Sanjay Nishad who could not even manage the victory of his son Parveen Nishad in Sant Kabir Nagar even though Parveen was contesting on the BJP symbol. The Nishad Party has six MLAs. "Sanjay Nishad got his son Shravan Nishad elected on BJP ticket from Chauri Chaura Assembly seat. He was given a seat for his party in the Vidhan Parishad, Sanjay Nishad himself is a minister and his son lost the Lok Sabha polls. Will he tell us how many Nishad votes he got for BJP?" said a senior minister who spoke on condition of anonymity. He further said: "Our party has been pampering these allies without any apparent reason and these allies have been taking maximum advantage of BJP leadership's leniency. They do not deserve what they have got and we need to do some serious rethinking about them before it is too late." Apna Dal, on the other hand, could win only one of the two seats that it contested in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Anupriya Patel won her Mirzapur seat while Rinki Kol lost her Robertsganj seat. "Yet, Anupriya is a minister in the Union Cabinet and her husband is a minister in the UP government. He is also a member of the Vidhan Parishad. The party has 13 MLAs and has not been able to get Kurmi votes for the BJP. Kurmis, in any case, have been traditional supporters of the BJP and the alliance with Apna Dal has not been an added advantage," said a BJP MLA of OBC group. In the case of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the party won both the seats it was allotted in the electionsBaghpat and Bijnor. But RLD could not muster Jat support for BJP if it had, BJP would not have lost the Kairana seat to SP. Talking to IANS, albeit on condition of anonymity, several BJP leaders, including legislators, said that the party high command should reconsider the future of these alliances which had caused more harm than good to the party. "The allies are licking the cream but not contributing anything to the party's wellbeing. A detailed study of the election results proves this. It would be better to introspect before the next Assembly elections regarding the party's relations with such allies," said a legislator. Shivamogga : , June 17 (IANS) Senior Karnataka BJP leader and former MLC, M.B. Bhanuprakash (69), passed away on Monday due to a heart attack after participating in a protest against the fuel price hike introduced by the Congress government in the state on Saturday. Soon after the protest at the Gopi Circle in Shivamogga city, Bhanuprakash collapsed. Although he was rushed to a private hospital by the BJP workers, he was declared dead there. The body has been sent to his native place, Muttur. Bhanuprakash, a dedicated RSS worker, served as the state BJP Vice President. Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra said the sudden demise of Bhanuprakash, a Sangh loyalist who worked hard to strengthen the party in the state, has shocked him. "Bhanuprakash worked for the BJP till his last breath. His demise has caused great loss to the party," Vijayendra said. Bengaluru, June 17 : Kannada superstar Upendra has demanded a transparent probe into the case involving arrested actor Darshan in connection with the murder of a fan. Speaking on social media, Upendra stated: "The whole country is closely following the incident of the brutal murder of Renukaswamy and the arrest of actor Darshan. People are waiting for unbiased decisions and justice in this high-profile case." "Whenever the case involves a public personality, the police should share the details of the investigation and video proofs with the public. The investigation of a public personality should be conducted transparently. This would prevent the destruction of evidence, interference by powerful individuals, and corruption," Upendra stated, sharing a picture of the canopied police station. Many suspicions have arisen in the minds of Renukaswamy's family members and Darshan's fans. Speculations are emerging. The police should share the video proofs of the probe. This should be made a law. Previously, the police used to record the details of the investigation. Technology now makes it possible for video recording and live streaming," Upendra maintained. Darshan is arrested in connection with the murder of his fan for allegedly sending a derogatory message to his partner Pavithra Gowda, who is also arrested in the case and is the primary accused. The police have so far arrested 17 persons in connection with the case. Kabul, June 17 : The Supreme Leader of the Afghan caretaker government, Hibatullah Akhundzada, on Monday, called upon Afghans to stay united and support his administration, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The elusive leader of Afghanistan made the call in his speech after leading Eid al-Adha prayers in Kandahar city, the capital of the southern Kandahar province, on Monday morning, local media outlet TOLOnews reported, based on an audio-recorded speech. "Brothers, accept the plague, but not disunity, because disunity is the worst disease. I do not want disunity among Afghans. If a group of people removes me, I will be happy, but I will not be happy with division among them," TOLOnews quoted Akhundzada's speech received by the private media outlet. Afghans have started from Monday to celebrate the three-day Eid al-Adha holiday, the largest religious festival every year, with fervour and solemnity amid tight security, reports Xinhua news agency. Earlier on Friday, in a congratulatory message before Eid al-Adha, the leader said that Afghanistan seeks to establish political and economic relations with all countries across the world. Seoul, June 17 : South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will preside over a UN Security Council (UNSC) open debate on North Korea's growing cyber threats in New York later this week, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. Due to take place on Thursday at the UN headquarters, the debate comes as South Korea, an elected UNSC member for 2024-25, is seeking to call international attention to North Korea's illegal cyber activities as a means to fund its weapons programmes banned under UN resolutions. South Korea is presiding over the debate as it is the rotating UNSC President for this month, reports Yonhap news agency. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will speak at the session, along with other cyber experts. "North Korea is raising funds for its illegal nuclear and missile programs through malicious cyber activities, such as stealing virtual assets and military technologies," a Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "We are thinking how we can deliver this into our speech at the debate," the official said. The debate will be about raising the awareness of the UN member states about cyber threats and having discussions so that the UNSC can respond promptly and more appropriately to the new forms of security threats, the official added. In principle, all UN member states can take part in the debate, including North Korea. Mumbai, June 17 : NCP(SP) chief and former Union Minister, Sharad Pawar, in a letter has requested Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene a meeting soon to discuss permanent measures to overcome the recurring drought in Pune District. Sharad Pawar, who visited the drought-hit villages in Purandare, Indapur, Baramati and Daund talukas on June 12 and 13, said that the villagers brought to his notice a lot of issues related to various irrigation schemes. He said they also suggested measures for the availability of enough water for drinking and farming. Sharad Pawar has urged CM Shinde that during the proposed meeting, both the Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, ministers of soil and water conservation and water supply need to be present. He said that in the meeting they need to review the situation with officers from the departments concerned and deliberate the measures needed to address the drought situation in Pune District. Moscow, June 17 : Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin a two-day visit to Pyongyang starting Tuesday, his first trip to North Korea in 24 years. "At the invitation of Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin will pay a friendly state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on June 18-19," the Kremlin's press service reported on Monday. The President's office added that Putin will then travel to Hanoi on a two-day visit to Vietnam starting June 19. It was widely anticipated that Putin, who last visited Pyongyang back in July 2000 shortly after becoming the Russian President for the first time, will pay a reciprocal visit to North Korea following Kim Jong-un's official visit to the Russian Far East in September 2023. The visit to Hanoi takes place at the invitation of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. The Kremlin detailed that meetings will be held in Hanoi with Trong, President To Lam, Prime Minister of the Government Pham Minh Tinh and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man. "It is planned to discuss the state and prospects for the further development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in the trade, economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian fields, as well as to exchange views on current issues on the international and regional agenda. As a result of the negotiations, a joint statement will be adopted and a number of bilateral documents will be signed," the Kremlin stated. Cong can't question as EVMs were brought during UPA regime: Lakshman Singh. Image Source: IANS News Bhopal, June 17 : Former MLA and Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh's brother Lakshman Singh on Monday said the party's top leadership should not question the authenticity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). He said that the Congress leadership should instead focus on strengthening the party for the next elections. Lakshman Singh went on to say that the EVMs were brought into the electoral system when Congress top brass Sonia Gandhi was the Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). "We should not question EVMs because Elon Musk raised a doubt on it. We do not need his (Elon Musk) views on EVMs as we are capable of running our country. Unnecessary remarks (by politicians) should not be made because someone made a comment on EVMs," Singh added. Meanwhile, he advised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to work to strengthen the organisation so that the grand old party is able to win the elections in the next five years. Responding to Kharge's comment that PM Modi-led NDA government may fall as it lacks majority, Singh said, "Kharge (Mallikarjun) is a senior leader, he should refrain from making such comment." Speaking about the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress, Singh said there was a need for change in leadership. "State committees should be reshuffled to revive the party's position," he said. New Delhi, June 17 : Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rushed to the train mishap spot in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Monday, hours after a goods train hit the Silchar-Kolkata Kanchanjunga Express, killing at least nine persons. After reaching the accident site close to the Rangapani railway station near New Jalpaiguri, the Union Minister took stock of the situation and told reporters that a thorough probe would be conducted to find out the reasons behind the lapses. "The rescue operation is complete. Now the entire focus is on the restoration of the rail route," he said while informing about the importance of this route which is in the Chicken's Neck corridor that connects the Northeast with the rest of the country. Notably, the rail traffic suffered disruption after the accident, forcing the diversion of several long-distance Express trains on this route. The Union Minister said that restoration of the route is the top priority now and a report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety was awaited, which may give some insights into the reasons behind the accident. On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement on the train mishap, Minister Vaishnaw said that this is not the time for politics. Earlier, Ashwini Vaishnaw took a bike ride after landing in Bagdogra to reach the accident site, the visuals of which grabbed many eyeballs on social media. The incident happened at around 9 a.m. on Monday when the goods train reportedly overshot the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express from behind. The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train that connects Bengal with the Northeastern cities of Silchar and Agartala. Meanwhile, the Centre has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those killed in the accident, while Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 50,000 were announced for those with grievous and minor injuries, respectively. Nagpur, June 17 : Congress has hit out at the Maharashtra government saying that the government has been a silent observer, especially during the critical drought situation in the state. State unit chief Nana Patole said that the Congress party would corner the state government on the deteriorating drought conditions, loss of lives due to heatstroke and farmers' distress during the upcoming monsoon session of the legislature beginning June 27. "Although June is coming to an end, it has not yet rained in many parts of the state. People are facing severe drought. People have no water to drink and animals have no fodder. Tanker mafias have been looting the people while the sale of bogus seeds is rampant in the state. Several people have died due to heatstroke in various parts of the state. But the government is nowhere to be seen as it is engaged in issuing tenders, distributing funds and taking commissions. When the state is facing such a dire situation, the ministers of the ruling party are going abroad and enjoying the cold air," said Patole in his media interaction. He added that the government should announce how many people died due to heatstroke in the state. "Ministers have to take the permission of the central government to go abroad. Have the ministers taken such permission? Who is paying for their foreign trip? The government should give answers," said Patole. He further said that the party will also grill the government over the recent cases of explosions in various industrial units and hit-and-run cases reported in various parts of Maharashtra. Patole claimed that the government has nothing to do with the lives and deaths of the people. On the raging controversy over NEET results, Patole said that the future of lakhs of students has become bleak due to NEET paper leak and result confusion. "Students are protesting at various places but the government has not yet taken its notice. Even in the state, the papers of every recruitment exam are leaked. Unemployed youths are frustrated by these malpractices. The party will raise these issues in the monsoon session,'' he added. Bengaluru, June 17 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka held protests across the state condemning the fuel price hike implemented by the Congress government and warned the latter that it would continue protesting until the prices were reversed. Addressing a large gathering at Freedom Park, State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said that his party would continue protesting until the price hike is rolled back. "As an opposition party, we need to raise our voice. The Congress leaders, hoping to win 18 to 20 seats, are desperate. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs are raising their voices against the guarantees. The Congress government has not sanctioned development projects worth even a single rupee," Vijayendra added. Senior BJP leader and Opposition leader, R. Ashoka, criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying, "CM Siddaramaiah speaks with a forked tongue. He belongs to a category of leaders who lack respect. The Congress government has lost its first wicket with the resignation of former Minister B. Nagendra in connection with the Tribal Welfare Board scam in which Rs 187 crore was misused. The second wicket will be that of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah." "The guarantees are funded by the state Treasury, not by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Rahul Gandhi, or the Congress party," he alleged. New Delhi, June 17 : It took more than a week for Air India to respond publicly to the harrowing ordeal of journalist Mathures Paul, who found a deadly metal blade during a meal on his Air India flight to the US from Bengaluru and had posted his plight on X social media platform, along with the images. Paul took Air India Flight 175 from Bengaluru to San Francisco on June 9 and, to his horror, found a sharp object in fig chaat, served by Air India's in-flight food service. On June 10, he posted the picture of the fig chaat, with the blade-like metal seen in the plate. "Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds," Paul had posted. "Thankfully, no harm was done. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indiaas," he added. Speaking to IANS on Monday, Paul held that this could have turned into a disaster had he taken the metal object inside. "This could have happened with any passenger on that plane. The sad part is that it took Air India a week to publicly respond to my ordeal and acknowledge what I have gone through in these days," Paul lamented. The airline confirmed in a statement that "that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard one of our flights". "After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner," said an Air India spokesperson. The company spokesperson said the airline is working with its catering partners to astrengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor, especially after chopping of any hard vegetable". According to Paul, the Air India stewardess "apologised for exactly three seconds and came back with a bowl of chickpeas". After a few days, the airline reached out to Paul, offering him a business class trip to anywhere in the next year, to which Paul said: "This is a bribe being offered to me, and I will not accept this". Air India said it has "engaged with the affected customer and deeply apologises for this experience". On Saturday, a passenger of the airline's New Delhi-Newark flight alleged that he was served "uncooked" food by the airline and the seats were dirty, describing the journey as "no less than a nightmare". In January this year, a passenger on an Air India flight from Calicut to Mumbai, took to social media to express her dissatisfaction with the airline's in-flight catering, after she was served non-vegetarian food, instead of the vegetarian meal she had ordered. --IANS na/vd Mumbai, June 17 : With Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha set to tie the knot with Zaheer Iqbal on June 23, Pahlaj Nihalani, a close friend of the family, has shared that everything is well between the actress and her father Shatrughan Sinha. Earlier, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, who recently won the Lok Sabha elections from Asansol on a Trinamool Congress ticket, had said that he had no idea about Sonakshi getting married. Now, as per media reports, Pahlaj Nihalani, the former chief of the Central Board of Film Certification, has said that everything is fine between the father-daughter duo. He also said that Shatrughan Sinha might not have known about the wedding because he was not in Mumbai for the past three months as he was busy campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. However, things are fine and the senior actor is all set to attend his daughter's wedding festivities, Nihalani said. He also said that Shatrughan Sinha couldnat be upset with Sonakshi for a long time, as she is his beloved daughter. Thereas no reason for him to be upset as Sonakshi is marrying the guy of her choice as Shatrughan Sinha did 40 years ago when he tied the knot with the woman of his choice (Poonam Sinha), Nihalani added. Siliguri: Rescue operations underway as the last two compartments of the Kanchanjunga Express derail after being hit by a freight train. Image Source: IANS News Agartala/Guwahati, June 17 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of any passenger from the state who died in the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express accident in north Bengal. The Kanchanjungha Express, which left Agartala on Sunday, was hit by a goods train carrying containers between Rangapani and Chatterhat station under the Katihar division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). After speaking with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over phone, the Chief Minister said that the central minister informed him that the rescue operation is going on in full swing and assured him that all necessary support would be given to the victims and their families. Saha said that the state government is continuously monitoring the situation since. "Tripura Bhawan officials (in Kolkata) were instructed to visit the accident site for proper monitoring of rescue and rehabilitation of accident victims. Cost of treatment of all injured will be borne by the state government. In case of any unfortunate accidental death, the state government has declared Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the victim," the Chief Minister said in a post on X. Secretary to the Tripura Chief Minister, Pradip Kumar Chakraborty said that a special two-member team was sent to the accident site on behalf of the state government to take stock of the situation. The team would coordinate between the railway authorities and the hospitals, if necessary, Chakraborty told the media. Railway officials are yet to confirm about any injury or deaths from Tripura. NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said that General Manager, NFR, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava also left by train from Maligaon (Guwahati) for the accident site. The NFR operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar. Bengaluru, June 17 : The BJP and the Congress on Monday sparred on fuel prices in states ruled by them. Taking to social media platform X, the BJP's National Information and Technology Incharge, Amit Malviya claimed that contrary to the Congress party's assertions, petrol prices in BJP-ruled states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand were lower. "In Karnataka, the price for a litre of petrol is Rs 102.86, in Telangana it is Rs 107.41, and in the Congress ally DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, it is Rs 100.75. "In contrast, in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand, the price per litre of petrol is Rs 94.56, Rs 94.65, and Rs 93.48, respectively," he posted. Amit Malviya also quoted the statement of Karnataka's Minister for Industries, MB Patil, who said that petrol and diesel prices were hiked to fulfil poll guarantees in the state. His comment came after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pointed out that despite the Rs 3 increase in petrol and diesel prices, they were still lower than in some southern and BJP-ruled states. He questioned whether BJP leaders have the moral right to protest. "Our prices are lesser when compared to them. The fuel prices are higher in the states of Rajasthan and Maharashtra than Karnataka," he said. "During former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh's tenure, the price of crude oil in the international market was 113 dollars. Although this price was halved in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not show any concern to bring down the price and reduce the burden on the people," he said. CM Siddaramaiah said, "The estimated Rs 3,000 crore collected from the increase in Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel will be paid to the state treasury and the money will be allocated for people's welfare programmes and it will not go into our pockets." New Delhi, June 17 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky extolled the outcome of the peace conference in Switzerland - held without the presence of Russia, which was not invited - contending that all the participants at the summit, representing "the majority of the world", have recognised his country's position. How valid is his claim, even if the usual hyperbole is discounted? It would seem that not much has been gained, given the two-day 'Summit on Peace in Ukraine' did not make much headway in either composition, substance, or even optics. Admittedly, Russia's absence had virtually meant the conference would not even approach its objective, while the decision of China to stay away compounded this deficiency, and most countries of the Global South across Asia and Africa, which the organisers had sought to reach out to, were also conspicuous by their absence. Of those who did attend, many like India, Brazil, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia did not even sign the final communique. The attendance also laid out starkly the global divisions - of the 90 states and organisations present, 48 were European states or institutions, including Kosovo - listed as a country - and another six forming part of the Western bloc, like the US, Canada, and their Asian allies like Japan and South Korea. Out of these, 78 ended up signing the communique. Of the post-Soviet states, only Georgia and Armenia, save Ukraine itself and three Baltic states, were present, and Armenia did not sign the communique. While Latin and South America were well represented and most signed the communique, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia did not. From Africa, there were just 13 participants and while Benin, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, and Somalia signed on, South Africa and Libya did not. The Middle East was only represented by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq, and while Saudi Arabia and Jordan did not sign, the other two did, but Iraq later withdrew its signature. The Asian presence was also sketchy, with India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore joined by Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Timor Leste. Japan, South Korea, and Singapore were the only signatories. Fiji and Palau were two signatories from the Pacific Ocean states, apart from Australia and New Zealand. Even on the optics front, the summit did not meet its objectives. The absence of US President Joe Biden, attending a Hollywood fundraiser, was a major blow and was vigorously attacked by a Ukrainian politician who termed all not coming as "lackeys of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin", though the comment was soon deleted. Vice President Kamala Harris, leading the US delegation, addressed the conference on Saturday but left after only a few hours, returning to Washington before the summit's main working day began. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz skipped the second day of the conference, and French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida were also reportedly among those who left the event after only a few hours. And while Zelensky's statement was upbeat as usual, more sobering were the remarks of Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who reiterated the kingdom's commitment to "supporting all efforts at reaching an end" to the fighting between Moscow and Kiev, and said it "is essential to emphasise that any credible process will need Russia's participation". He also stressed that any meaningful progress "will require difficult compromise" between the parties. The key phrase here was "difficult compromise" - which will not be palatable to Ukraine and the West's maximalist position. Chancellor Scholz also acknowledged that the Ukraine conflict could not be resolved without Russia's participation in talks. "It is true that peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved without Russia," he said at the conference. If there was any doubt left over the policy of isolating or ignoring Russia was working, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, addressing journalists on the final day of the summit, acknowledged that both sides to the conflict would have to hold negotiations at some juncture for definitive peace, though he hedged it by noting that Kiev needs to be in a stronger and advantageous position at that point in time. "The idea is that the next summit should be the end of the war. And, of course, we need the other side at the negotiating table as well," he said. Ukraine understands "perfectly well that the moment will come when it will be necessary to talk to Russia", he said. Realisation having sunk in is a creditable achievement, but it has to be seen how this will be realised given that there is no decision on any follow-up summit, nor has any country come forward for this. Till then, the conflict and its consequences will continue. (Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in) Manila, June 17 : Slamming China for its "reckless behaviour" in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines on Monday said that its armed forces will go all out to protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. "China's dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Their behaviour contravenes their statements of good faith and decency. We will exert our utmost to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights," said Gilberto Teodoro, Secretary of the Philippines' Department of National Defence (DND). "It should now be clear to the international community that China's actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added. The Southeast Asian nation has been raising its deep concerns for a long time now over China's strategic expansion into the South China Sea. Last week, during a reception held on the Swedish National Day, Teodoro asserted that tensions in the region "emanate solely" from the "so-called ten-dash illegally claimed" by China as their territory. "China wants us to go to the small details to forget the main message. The main message is: The ten-dash-line is the provocation. And everything flows from that," the Defence Secretary told reporters at the sidelines of the event. "They have no business being anywhere in the West Philippine Sea and other areas where we have jurisdiction. They are trying to bait us by straying from the main points and dragging us into an action-drama debate, where we focus on minor details which stray us from the main message. Let's stick to the message," he said. New Delhi, June 17 : All those who have been following the exploits of conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar may not have ever heard about the retired Indian Army Captain, Rustam Sohrab Nagarwala. Or may just have a faint recollection of him. It was Nagawala who pulled off the mother of all cons in a scam with a dramatis personae that included Indira Gandhi, her trusted aide, P.N. Haksar, the State Bank of India and the Mukti Bahini, which was fighting for the liberation of the then East Pakistan. The sordid saga began with a phone call on May 24, 1971, to the head cashier of the State Bank of India's Parliament Street branch in New Delhi by a person doing a very good job of impersonating Indira Gandhi. The voice instructed Ved Prakash Malhotra, who, incidentally, happened to be related to R.K. Dhawan, the late prime minister's factotum, to hand over Rs 60 lakh to a courier who'd meet him soon for a top-secret operation in East Pakistan. Malhotra was also instructed to go to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) later to collect the receipt. The gullible cashier -- was he gullible, or was he used to receiving verbal instructions from Mrs. G? -- did as he was told, but when he showed up at the PMO to ask for the receipt, he was shocked to learn that no such instruction has been issued by the prime minister. Malhotra panicked and filed a complaint with the Chanakyapuri police station, where SHO Hari Dev, an enterprising police officer, swung into action and the perpetrator of the con, Nagarwala, was caught at the Delhi Airport with much of the money that the cashier had handed over to him unsuspectingly. Nagarwala ended up getting a four-year prison term. This barebones case summary doesn't do justice to the zillions of questions that arose in the immediate aftermath of the scam erupting into the public domain -- questions that soon gave birth to conspiracy theories. These theories gained tailwind after Nagarwala died in Delhi's Tihar Jail -- later established to be a case of myocardial infarction and not any foul play -- following an unusually quick dispatch of the case and allegations that the probe had deliberately been botched up. The death of the investigating officer, D.K. Kashyap, in mysterious circumstances (a tonga had crashed into his car) did not help matters, nor did the suspicious transfers of all those who either probed the case or were engaged in Nagarwala's trial. Indira Gandhi's silence on the episode, even as newspapers and the Opposition were dining out on it, only ensured that the suspicions about her role gained a long afterlife. Senior journalists Prakash Patra and Rasheed Kidwai have trawled a number of sources -- from police records to contemporary newspaper reports, to files at the National Archives of India, to the 820-page report of the Justice Jaganmohan Reddy Commission set up by the Morarji Desai government in 1978 to investigate the matter -- to piece together a riveting story that deserves to be re-told for a generation that has grown up in a political culture muddied by a succession of scams -- real, or invented to fix political rivals. When the Nagarwala case blew up, against the backdrop of the build-up to the Bangladesh War, scandals of this magnitude were hardly ever heard about. And, rightly, as the title of the book puts it, 'The Nagarwala Scandal' was indeed 'The Scam That Shook the Nation'. Nagarwala's con, which inspired the character and story of Major Bilimoria in Indo-Canadian writer Rohinton Mistry's award-winning debut novel, 'Such A Long Journey' (1991), returned to the headlines briefly in 2017. Retired IPS officer Padam Rosha, who shows up in Patra and Kidwai's book, approached the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) in 2017 for transcripts of the evidence he had shared with the Reddy Commission, but the Union Home Ministry turned down his request, an order that the then CIC, Wajahat Habibullah, overruled. Yet, like the case itself, which lies buried with questions that remain unanswered, nothing came out of the CIC episode. This book revisits the "rash of questions", to quote the authors, that the case raises: Did the bank keep Indira Gandhi's unaccounted-for money? Or, was the money that Nagarwala laid his hands on meant for Sanjay Gandhi's Maruti project? Or, was it an operation to fund the Mukti Bahini that went awry? Was Nagawala packed off to Italy, with the story of his death being just a red herring, because he knew too much? Even Justice Reddy, although he could not find anything to implicate Indira Gandhi, noted he found it hard to believe that Nagarwala came up with the idea all by himself and pulled off the scam just for a lark. By the time any action could be taken, Indira Gandhi returned to power with a thumping 353-seat majority and her government officially buried the case on January 15, 1981. Patra and Kidwai's slim but loaded book navigates the flow of events between May 24, 1971, and January 15, 1981, and leaves us with uncomfortable unanswered questions. That is how the 'The Scandal That Shook The Nation' dissipated -- in a trail of doubts and theories. Perhaps the book will inspire an OTT series, for the case has all the spice one needs to make a suspense thriller's script sizzle. We'll wait for it. Prakash Patra and Rasheed Kidwai, 'The Nagarwala Scandal: The Scam That Shook The Nation' (HarperCollins Publishers India; Rs 399) New Delhi, June 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured the visiting US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan of deepening the India-US strategic partnership during his third term. "Met US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good," Prime Minister Modi posted on X after Sullivan called him here on Monday evening. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated that NSA Sullivan briefed PM Modi on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, telecom, defence, critical minerals, and space, among others. "PM expressed satisfaction at the speed and scale of the growing bilateral partnership in all areas and the convergence of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," it said. Sullivan's visit to India takes place after last Friday's interaction between PM Modi and US President Joe Biden following the conclusion of the G7 Summit's Outreach Session in Italy's Borgo Egnazia. The Prime Minister recalled his "recent positive interaction" with President Biden and reaffirmed his commitment to continue to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for global good and take it to greater heights in his new term. Earlier, Sullivan called on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar before holding the annual review meeting of the iCET along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. "Delighted to welcome US NSA Jake Sullivan in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term," EAM Jaishankar posted on X after he met Sullivan. The US NSA arrived in India after attending and addressing the Peace Summit on Ukraine hosted by Switzerland over the weekend. India also attended the event, but did not associate itself with any communique or document emerging from the Summit. Sullivan visited Delhi around the same time last year, meeting PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar, and NSA Doval as both countries unveiled a roadmap for cooperation at a stakeholder event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on advancing India-US iCET partnership, just ahead of Prime Minister Modi's landmark visit to Washington. Both NSAs have acknowledged that the iCET unveiled by PM Modi and US President Biden in May 2022 will play a defining role in deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries. Washington, June 17 : A US State Department spokesperson on Monday described deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a trend of "great concern" after North Korea said Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Pyongyang this week. North Korea's Korean Central News Agency announced Putin's plan to pay a state visit to Pyongyang from Tuesday to Wednesday amid concerns that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will seek to cement the bilateral military partnership with security implications on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, reports Yonhap news agency. "We are aware of reports that President Putin will visit Pyongyang soon," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap news agency. "Deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a trend that should be of great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal invasion," the official added. Putin's visit to North Korea would mark his first trip in 24 years. He last visited the reclusive country in July 2000, when Kim Jong-un's late father, Kim Jong-il, was in power. Seoul, Washington and other countries have carefully watched developments in bilateral military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow due to their broad security implications. Washington has revealed that Pyongyang has shipped more than 10,000 containers of munitions or munition-related materials to Russia since September, in addition to its missile shipments. In return, North Korea has been seeking assistance from Moscow, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles and ballistic missile production equipment, according to US officials. Tel Aviv, June 17 : Israel's defence exports reached a new record high last year, according to official figures. The Defence Ministry said on Monday that Israeli arms exports amounted to the equivalent of about $12.9 billion in 2023 -- the third year in a row that arms exports had broken records. Israeli arms exports have doubled within the past five years. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "Israel continues succeeding in its international cooperation and industrial defence exports even during a year marked by war." According to the Ministry, 36 per cent of the revenue came from agreements in the field of missile and air defence systems. Nearly 48 per cent of arms exports went to the Asia-Pacific region, 35 per cent to Europe and nine per cent to North America. Smaller percentages went to Latin America and to Arab countries with which Israel recently signed the so-called Abraham Accords, and to Africa, which accounted for just one per cent. Germany has purchased the very long-range missile defence system Arrow 3 from Israel, which is due to be delivered in 2025. Israel's exports in 2023 are similar to Germany's arms exports over the past year. --IANS/DPA int/khz Berlin, June 17 : Young Germans are acutely susceptible to feelings of loneliness in modern society, according to a new study published on Monday as the government launches a campaign highlighting the issue. "Who knew that younger people are among the loneliest after coronavirus? This finally deserves attention," Family Affairs Minister Lisa Paus told the Funke media group of newspapers. "We must take loneliness, including that of young people, seriously and take action," Paus said, noting that the issue also impacts political participation and, ultimately, democracy. According to the study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, an independent think-tank in the north-western city of Gutersloh, almost half of 16 to 30-year-olds in Germany feel lonely. More than a third (35 per cent) of 2,532 respondents in this age group said they were moderately lonely, while 10 per cent said they were "very lonely". In response to the issue, a government-sponsored campaign week titled "Together out of loneliness" will run until Sunday, with many different events planned across the country. Compared with studies conducted in 2021 and 2023, slightly fewer young people now said they were socially and emotionally lonely. However, the high ranking of young people in the assessment of loneliness requires a rethink, the authors of the study said. "Loneliness is no longer a phenomenon that only affects older people. In recent years, it has become clear that young people are also increasingly affected by loneliness and therefore represent a new risk group," said Anja Langness of the Bertelsmann Foundation. Several other recent studies also described loneliness among young people as a problem. Loneliness has long been known to be as harmful to those affected as smoking, obesity or air pollution, said Family Minister Paus. Less well-known is that it also has an indirect negative impact on democracy. "Those who lose confidence in society also lose confidence in democracy, political participation decreases, as does the willingness to vote," she said. "Loneliness is an underestimated phenomenon." --IANS/DPA int/khz New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, June 17 : Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge announced on Monday that Rahul Gandhi, who was elected from both Kerala's Wayanad and UP's Raebareli in the recent Lok Sabha elections, will relinquish the former seat where Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will be fielded as the party candidate for the ensuing bypoll. The announcement, which followed consultations between the Gandhi family and top Congress leaders, was greeted with jubilation by party leaders and allies in Kerala. "We all in the Congress have decided that Rahul Gandhi will remain the MP from Raebareli. He had also fought from Wayanad, whose people are very supportive. Thus we have decided that Priyanka Gandhi will fight the polls from Wayanad," Kharge said. Rahul Gandhi said that he has "an emotional relationship with Raebareli and the people of Wayanad". "In the last five years, the people of Wayanad stood with me and gave me energy to fight in a very difficult time. I will stand by the commitments that we've made. We will deliver on those commitments," he said. "I'm confident that Priyanka is going to win the elections and will be a very good representative for the people of Wayanad. My doors are always open for the people of Wayanad for the rest of my life & I love every single person in Wayanad," he added. "I'm very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. I won't let the people of Wayanad feel Rahul ji's absence. I will try my best to be a good representative," Priyanka Gandhi said. She also said that she had a very old bond with Raebareli, which cannot be broken at any cost. "Me and Rahul will be present both in Raebareli and Wayanad," she added. Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, said that Priyanka Gandhi would win the bypoll with the highest margin ever seen in Kerala. "Rahul and the Congress hold Wayanad dear and they have decided to send Priyanka. We welcome Priyanka to Wayanad... She will win with the biggest ever margin," Satheesan wrote on his Facebook page. Rahul Gandhi had retained Wayanad with ease, though it came with a reduced margin when he finished with around 3.64 lakh votes, down from 4.37 lakh in 2019. Incidentally, in Wayanad and among many Congress leaders, it was a foregone conclusion that due to political compulsions and the need to revive the party in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi would vacate Wayanad and speculation was rife that Priyanka Gandhi would replace him. The speculation began, as at the time of his election campaign in Raebareli, his mother and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in her introductory speech, said that she was bowing out and had brought in her son to replace her. The Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, ever since it was formed in 2009 by carving out areas from the Kannur, Kozhikode, and Malappuram Lok Sabha constituencies, has been one of the safest seats of the Congress, and the Gandhi family holds a special place for Wayanad's voters. If Priyanka Gandhi had not succeeded Rahul Gandhi, the CPI-M-led Left and the BJP would have used it against the Congress to claim the seat was not that important for the party. Incidentally, her presence in the constituency, when she came to campaign for Rahul Gandhi during the 2019 and 2024 polls, had drawn massive crowds. On Rahul Gandhi's statement during his recent Wayanad visit that he is in a dilemma about Raebareli and Wayanad but whatever decision he takes, people in both these constituencies will be happy, Congress General Secretary (Organisation), K.C. Venugopal, said there was no drama in this decision. "We had informed that the Congress will take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time. Allow us the prerogative to decide when we should decide. We had time till tomorrow and we have decided today," he said. Senior Indian Union Muslim League legislator P.K. Kunhalikutty, whose party is the second-biggest member of the Congress-led UDF in the state, said this is the best decision that has been made. "We and our supreme leader Thangal had said that we want Priyanka to contest. The best decision has come and we all are happy," said Kunhalikutty. IUML supremo Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal told the media that they had informed the Gandhi family that in case Rahul Gandhi vacates Wayanad, they want Priyanka Gandhi to replace him. "The INDIA bloc will be the biggest beneficiary as we need Priyanka also along with Rahul to take on (PM Narendra) Modi inside the Parliament. We are extremely delighted by the decision to have Priyanka. You just wait and see the margin by which she is going to win," he said. Meanwhile, top CPI leader Annie Raja, who contested against Rahul Gandhi this time, said she stands by what she said earlier -- when any person contests from two constituencies, that person should decide which one will be vacated. "I stand by what I said," said Annie Raja, wife of CPI Secretary D. Raja, adding that her party will definitely field its candidate against Priyanka Gandhi. Aden : , June 17 (IANS) A senior military official and five soldiers from the Yemeni government forces were injured on Monday in a Houthi attack in the southwestern province of Taiz, a security official told the media. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said General Abdul Aziz Majidi, the chief of staff of the Taiz military axis loyal to the internationally recognised government, was moderately wounded after the Houthis fired three shells at his convoy during his field inspection of troops stationed in northwestern Taiz, Xinhua news agency reported. Five of Majidi's companions were also injured, some seriously, the official added, noting they were transferred to the hospital for treatment. A protracted civil war erupted in Yemen in late 2014 when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen and forced the government out of the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015 in an attempt to restore the government's rule. The government-controlled Taiz has been under Houthi siege since the beginning of the civil war. New Delhi/Imphal, June 17 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the law and order situation in Manipur, which has been ravaged by ethnic violence since May last year. Manipur government officials said that the state officials apprised the Home Minister about the ongoing situation in the northeastern state. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, Army chief, General Manoj Pande, Army chief-designate Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Advisor to the Manipur government, Kuldiep Singh, state Director General of Police Rajiv Singh and other senior officers attended the meeting. However, Manipur government officials in Imphal refused to disclose the outcome of the meeting. Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday and discussed the situation in the state. She apprised the President about the hardships faced by the displaced persons sheltered in various relief camps in the state, and requested immediate action for their resettlement in their respective villages, the sources said. "The Governor also requested the President to provide financial assistance for the displaced people in the state," a source said. Manipur Raj Bhawan sources said that the President assured to extend all possible support. The Governor also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Rashtrapati Bhavan and requested financial assistance for Manipur. The ethnic strife in Manipur since May 3 last year has left over 50,000 men, women and children belonging to different communities displaced and are now sheltered in 350 camps set up in schools, government buildings, and auditoriums in Manipur. Currently. tension has been prevailing in Manipur's mixed-population Jiribam district, adjoining southern Assam, since the killing of 59-year-old farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh on June 6. Additional CRPF troopers have been deployed in the interior areas of its Borobekra subdivision to maintain peace and tranquillity. Around 900 tribals belonging to the Kuki and Hmar communities took shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages a" Haokippunji and Hmarkhawlienin - in the Cachar district of southern Assam, after violence broke out. Due to the violence and burning of over 100 houses and other properties including two check gates of the police, around 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the Meitei community, are now sheltered in seven relief camps in Jiribam, which is inhabited by Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis, Muslims and non-Manipuris. Kolkata, June 17 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has no respect for the democratic setups of the country although her party Trinamool Congress frequently accuses the Centre and the BJP of violating democratic norms, former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday. Senior BJP leader Prasad is presently in Bengal as the leader of a four-member central fact-finding team of the BJP deputed to review the situation arising out of the post-poll violence in the state. Prasad along with the other team members -- ex-Tripura CM Biplab Deb, former Uttar Pradesh DGP and Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal, and Kavita Patidar, also a Rajya Sabha MP -- reached Kolkata on Sunday evening from where on Monday morning they left for Cooch Behar, one of the most affected districts by the post-poll violence. In Cooch Behar, the team members interacted with the victims of post-poll violence. The fact-finding team was accompanied by BJP legislator Agnimitra Paul. Stating that he also came to West Bengal after the panchayat elections last year, Prasad said, "Even then the BJP workers throughout the state were subjected to post-poll violence." According to Prasad, it is most unfortunate that women were attacked in a state which has a woman Chief Minister. "She (Banerjee) accused the BJP of attempting to change the Constitution. But, the Chief Minister herself does not care about the constitutional norms. Now she is creating a hype over the results of the Lok Sabha elections," the BJP leader said. Shimla, June 17 : Himachal Pradesh Police on Monday said it was wrong to link two clash incidents, including a Punjabi NRI, in Khajjiar-Dalhousie tourist circuit in Chamba district with BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's slap row. It said, "The conduct and behaviour of local people and the image of the state police are being tarnished without ascertaining facts". In one incident, Paramjit Singh, who is the Assistant Sub-Inspector with Chandigarh Police, had come to visit Khajjiar and parked his Toyota Fortuner vehicle in the middle of the road, obstructing the traffic. When police officials requested him to remove the wrongly parked vehicle, he got offended and started arguing with them, said Himachal Police in a statement. An inquiry into the matter was conducted. During the inquiry, the allegations levelled against police officials soliciting support from local taxi drivers to fight with tourists have been found baseless and false. In the second incident, three tourists, including an NRI couple Kanwaljeet Singh and his Spanish wife, had visited Khajjiar from Amritsar city in Punjab. During the probe, it has come on record that Kanwaljeet Singh and his brother Jeevanjeet Singh were forcibly holding hands of women tourists and local women on the pretext of practising palmistry. This led to an altercation among the couple, tourists and locals. The police intervened in the matter and brought the NRI couple to the Sultanpur police post. The NRI couple refused to initiate legal proceedings in the case and did not undergo medical examination despite repeated requests by the local police. Their statement was also recorded in which they refused to register the complaint regarding the scuffle, said the police. It said both the incidents had no relation or connection with the Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut incident at the Chandigarh airport. There was also no altercation with local people regarding the incidents. The incident involving the NRI has sparked a row with Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia demanding action from the Himachal Pradesh government. "Himachal Pradesh Police is a well-disciplined, public-friendly police force and has high value of moral character. We always welcome tourists. Himachal Pradesh is a peaceful state," the police said in the statement. Bhubaneswar, June 17 : Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has appealed to different communities to maintain peace and harmony after a clash broke out between two groups in Bhujakhia Pir area under Town police limits of Balasore district on Monday. CM Majhi also discussed the matter with the Balasore Collector and Superintendent of Police and asked the district administration to bring the situation under control. The Chief Minister has urged everyone to maintain brotherhood, peace and order. "Peace and order will not be allowed to be disturbed under any circumstances. Odisha is a peace-loving state," he said. Local sources claimed that some residents of the Patrapada area after seeing blood flowing in a nearby drain, appealed to the local administration to stop the alleged slaughtering of animals as several religious places were located in close vicinity. The residents later blocked the Chandipur-Balasore main road as the local administration allegedly failed to address their concerns. Upon being informed, police and other officials of district administration reached the spot and tried to placate the protestors Meanwhile, the situation soon got out of control after one of the groups resorted to stone pelting at the spot. The violence prompted the district administration to impose Section 144 in the area from Banka Khajuri Square to Patrapada. As many as five persons, including one Assistant Sub-Inspector, have reportedly sustained injuries in the clash. The rioters also damaged more than 15 vehicles parked at the spot. "The situation is under control now. The primary concern for us is now to control the law and order situation so that it does not aggravate further. Legal action against the persons engaged in the violence will be taken after the situation fully normalises," Balasore Superintendent of Police, Sagarika Nath, told IANS. Bengaluru, June 17 : Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara on Monday reiterated that the state government will not succumb to any kind of pressure, adopt a soft approach or protect anyone in connection with the murder case allegedly involving Kannada superstar Darshan. Talking to reporters, he said that he had already made it very clear that action would be taken without showing mercy in the case. "The Chief Minister has also made his stance clear on this matter. It is not possible to make public statements until the investigation into the murder case of (murdered fan) Renukaswamy is completed. Once the investigation is concluded, the report will be submitted, and action will be initiated without any hesitation," he said. Asked about the reappointment of police officer Girish Naik, who was transferred, in the case, the minister said that the necessary steps for the smooth functioning of the probe would be taken. "Sometimes we have changed investigating officers. Based on efficiency, officers in the department will be reappointed. We will not give any instructions in this regard," he said. Meanwhile, police sources said that they will issue a notice to noted comedian and actor Chikkanna, a friend of Darshan, in connection with the murder case. The probe revealed that Chikkanna had been partying with Darshan at a pub on June 8 - the day when the murder took place. Darshan had left the pub claiming he had some work. Upon learning this, the police have decided to question Chikkanna, sources said. Police are likely to gather information on whether Darshan discussed anything related to the murder during their party. Sources also said that Darshan has been subjected to intense questioning by the police. Initially giving one-word answers, Darshan has now started issuing statements and sharing information. They also said that he has begun requesting the police not to trouble him much and to help him come out of the case. Srinagar, June 18, : Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of the road and highway projects in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. "Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for the big-ticket infrastructure projects in the UT," an official statement said. "We are working with dedication for J&K's strong and glorious tomorrow. The massive infrastructure push has created new employment opportunities, and has also given a big boost to the UT's economy," L-G Sinha said. The L-G later posted on X: "Happy to have welcomed Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to the Raj Bhavan. Discussed important projects including the Z-Morh Tunnel, Ring Road Jammu, 4-laning of Udhampur Ramban road, different sections of Khellani-Kishtwar-Chattroo road, the Chenani-Sudhmahadev section on NH-244 and various other projects under NHAI, NHIDCL & SAMPARK." Patna, June 18 : The severe heat waves and high humidity in Bihar claimed 22 lives in the last 24 hours, officials said on Monday. With the Meteorological Department issuing an alert for heat waves for the next 72 hours, people have been urged to exercise caution. Five patients died due to the heat wave in Sadar Hospital of Arwal district, 4 persons each in Chapra and Patna district, three each in Mohania of Kaimur district and Gaya, two in Arrah, and one in Aurangabad district. Among the fatalities was a truck driver who fell unconscious near the Didarganj toll plaza on the Patna-Bakhtiyarpur highway. A team from Didarganj police station sent him to NMCH but he succumbed during treatment. The driver was identified as Shyamlal, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh. The dead body of a man was recovered from Patna Sahib Railway station from the general bogey of the Kosi Express train. Police said that the deceased was identified as Randhir Kumar Singh, 56, a resident of Chhitrauli village of Mahua block in Vaishali district. Police suspected that he might have died due to heat stroke. Meanwhile, in Kaimur, a former soldier's health deteriorated due to the heat wave and police admitted him to Mohania sub-divisional hospital where he died on Monday during treatment. The deceased retired army jawan was identified as Pramod Tiwari, a resident of Adilapur under Kochas police station of Rohtas district. Sub Inspector Sanjay Raut of Mohania police station said: "A person's health deteriorated due to heat waves and he died. The family of the deceased does not want to get the post-mortem examination done." Over 100 people have reportedly succumbed to the heat in the state so far. Meanwhile, the hottest district of the state on Monday was Buxar, at 46.4 degrees Celsius. According to the Meteorological Department, there is no hope of relief for the next 72 hours, while the monsoon is expected to arrive in Bihar by June 20 to 21. The temperature is likely to increase in Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Vaishali, Samastipur, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Khagaria, Begusarai, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Arwal, and Banka. Bhopal, June 18 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday said that the BJP has further strengthened its position in the state and the same is evident with the party's performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Minister made the remarks while chairing a review meeting on Lok Sabha poll results in Madhya Pradesh at the BJP headquarters here. "People have enormously supported the BJP and now it's the responsibility of the double-engine government to fulfil their aspirations," he added. Chief Minister Yadav appreciated state BJP chief V.D. Sharma for re-establishing the organisation. "Party has achieved a milestone (won all 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state) under his (V.D. Sharma) leadership, which has happened first time in Madhya Pradesh," he said. The Chief Minister also appreciated the party's cadre in the state, saying that the ground-level workers have taken the double-engine government's works deeper, which is why the BJP received more than 60 per cent of votes. The BJP has won all 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh while in the Assembly elections held in November last year, the party had won 163 out of 230 seats. Beijing, June 18 : The Chinese and Australian governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restart strategic economic dialogue with a focus on forward-looking economic issues. Both countries on Monday agreed to enhance communication and exchange with the aim of fostering practical and effective economic cooperation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner. The signature of the MoU was witnessed by leaders of the two countries. Liu Sushe, deputy head of the NDRC, and Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers represented their respective governments at the signing ceremony. In the Australian capital Canberra on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, calling for opposing camp confrontation and a "new Cold War". Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. New York, June 18 : A fire broke out at a house in the US' Georgia state on Monday, leaving six people including three children dead and five others injured, according to media reports. The deceased were aged from 6 to 74, and the five survivors were rushed to a hospital in Atlanta, the state capital, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local authorities. Some of the survivors had serious injuries, local authorities said. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene in Coweta County, southwest of Atlanta, close to 5 a.m., and there were 11 people inside the home when the fire broke out, according to the media reports. British voters go to the polls in less than a month. All signs point to a crushing defeat for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party after 14 chaotic years in power. The Labour Party, ably led by Keir Starmer, is leading the Tories in polls by more than 20 points and appears poised for a strong victory. Like here at home, U.K. voters say the economy is their most important issue. Unlike here, however, K-12 education known as schools policy in Britain is expected to be a key flashpoint. Labour is leaning into the issue, knowing that its important to working-class families fed up with crumbling schools and a government that seems to care little about their childrens academic or mental well-being. This is not the first time that Labour has had to rescue an education system in crisis. The last Labour Prime Minister, Tony Blair, rode into office in 1997 partly on the back of an oft-repeated three-word phrase: Education, education, education. Like his American counterpart, President Bill Clinton, Blair wasted little time pushing through education reforms. Blairs national strategies aimed at reforming the literacy and numeracy curriculums in primary schools. Just three years later, Englands lowest performing school districts in reading were outperforming the average district when the reforms began. In 1999, the Labour government launched the Excellence in Cities Programme, which focused on improving education in six major urban areas, with the idea of rolling it out nationally after identifying the most effective reforms. Because the low-performing schools in London were so bad, with the citys school system widely recognized as a dangerous jungle, Blair in 2002 launched the London Challenge. It identified the worst-performing schools, then placed a dedicated, senior education practitioner in each school to drive reforms. It was a data-driven program that identified precise information demonstrating the effectiveness of a practice in a particular school, then used that data to sell the method to other schools. A decade later, Londons school system went from the worst in the nation to surpassing the rest of the U.K. For example, more than half of all low-income schoolchildren in Inner London met a high academic benchmark, compared to 40% achieving the same benchmark in the West Midlands, the next highest-achieving region. Another Labour-initiated reform, in 2002, granted some schools autonomy from the local authority control. According to a 2007 National Audit Office report, in 2006 Prime Minister Blair announced plans for 400 independent academies to open by 2010, including 60 in London. Today, what we would call a nonprofit public charter school network is known in the U.K. as a multi-academy trust. There are now 1,460 multi-academy trust schools serving British students in every region. After a recent Progressive Britain conference, I had the opportunity to visit one in an industrial neighborhood in East London. School 360 (as in 360 degrees, or the whole child) offers parents who value well-being, relationships, and creativity along with academic rigor a choice that would have been unheard of in prior years. It was refreshing to see young students learning clearly defined literacy and numeracy lessons in a play-based setting, thoroughly engaged and having a good time in the process. But all is not rosy in the U.K.s education sector. Many parents reportedly feel alienated from the schools. Absenteeism is shocking. There are some schools where as many as 57% of students are chronically absent. Shadow Education Secretary and likely soon-to-be Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calls it a crisis and a disaster. Phillipson said, Insofar as they do anything, the Conservative governments policies only tackle the symptoms, not the causes. As education standard bearer for the Labour Party, she is campaigning hard on promises to ensure free breakfast for every child, provide universal early learning, address mental health crisis by offering counselors, especially in secondary schools, recruiting and training 6,500 badly-needed teachers, while ending the use of teachers teaching subjects in which they are not trained. Accountability measures would include bringing in annual checks for attendance, safeguarding, and offrolling (illegally disenrolling poorly behaved or low achieving students). Further, she vows to create a national registry for students. Similar to a social security number, it will ensure needed services and other relevant information follows children from school to school as they matriculate, to ensure that fewer students fall through the cracks. The registry would also keep track of homeschooled students to ensure that they are really learning up to standards, and that their mental health needs are being met. Shes been quite clear in saying that she will not make any promises the government is unable to fund, and has pointed to ending tax exempt status for private schools as a source of revenue to fund Labours vision for getting Britains middle class and low-income students back on track, with expectations of excellence for all. By marginalizing education as an issue, Philipson says the Tories have left parents and their children to struggle too long in a failing system that the current Education Secretary herself rightly described as lose-lose-lose. But perhaps what is most powerful about Labours vision is that it includes real work to repair fractured ties with parents. This sends a message to working-class voters that Labour recognizes now as it did in 1997 and throughout Prime Minister Blairs decade of leadership that earning parents trust is important. Labour knows it has work to do to gain parents enthusiastic participation in their childrens education, but they see that as vital to strengthening the ties that hold communities together. On this side of the pond, all we get from Republicans are voucher schemes that further fractionalize school communities, fights over gender policies, and book-banning campaigns. From Democrats, we arent hearing much of anything on education policy. Labour has less than a month to make its case to voters weve got five. Lets learn from Labours education vision and embrace the relevant policy issues as our own. Given that our students and parents face similar issues, Democrats seeking to make their case to middle-class families would do well to follow Labours lead on bringing education policy to the heart of the national conversation, as Phillipson puts it. Tressa Pankovits is the Co-Director of the Reinventing Americas Schools Project at Progressive Policy Institute Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Fresh plans of privatisation or divestment in central public sector enterprises and public sector banks might take a back seat this financial year because these may require a large consensus among coalition partners. IMAGE: Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge as Union finance minister, June 12, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The first challenge before the finance ministry, under the new coalition government, will be to present a full Budget for 2024-2025 in about a month. While the ministry has started work on the Budget, it is expected to begin industry consultations. Whether the government sticks to the fiscal-deficit target of 5.1 per cent of gross domestic product as pencilled in in the Interim Budget presented in February or goes for aggressive fiscal consolidation, given the record Rs 2.1 trillion dividend from the Reserve Bank of India, will be closely watched. The S&P Global Ratings has said it will closely observe India's fiscal consolidation path for the next two years and could give a ratings upgrade if the government stays committed to the fiscal glide path. The finance ministry may seek to resolve the controversy after it amended the Income Tax Act in the FY24 Budget, mandating that if a large company does not pay a micro, small, or medium enterprise within 45 days in the case of written agreements, starting April 1, 2024, it cannot deduct the expense from its taxable income, leading to potentially higher taxes. However, traders and certain micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have expressed apprehension that it may shift business to unregistered MSMEs, leading to their loss of business. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month hinted at reconsidering the matter, asking MSMEs to make representations before the Budget. The finance ministry will look to speed up the long-pending strategic sale of IDBI Bank, Shipping Corporation, and NMDC. Their privatisation is at various stages. Secondly, it will also try to fast-track secondary market offers of different public-sector enterprises, given the favourable valuations and to maintain overall fiscal balance. However, fresh plans of privatisation or divestment in central public sector enterprises and public sector banks might take a back seat this financial year because these may require a large consensus among coalition partners. On goods and services tax (GST), the government's efforts to rationalise rates may require the GST Council to be cautious. A state panel needs to be reconstituted to review the matter afresh. That may involve some members from allies. The issue of the compensation cess to states and having petroleum within the GST net would emerge again and may need discussion in the GST Council. On direct taxes, implementing the long-delayed Direct Tax Code may be prioritised. In 2019, a task force constituted to prepare the code had submitted the draft report. Some suggestions have been implemented independently. The new government may take a fresh look at the code, keeping emerging tax issues in mind, particularly the digital space. Revamping capital gains tax, reworking legislation governing penalties, and bringing uniformity in taxing all asset classes are among the other items on the agenda of the finance ministry. The ministry may also prioritise the long-pending amendments to the insurance law. The pending Bill, which proposes several changes including composite licences, however, may require a greater political consensus among coalition partners. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The coming weeks are sure to have a lot of drama unfolding in Maharashtra, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy. IMAGE: Narendra D Modi being felicitated by Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during an election rally in Mumbai, May 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo It may be speculative and not so speculative. Reports of churning within Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and call for the reunion of the two Shiv Sena factions in Maharashtra have the potential to shake the Modi 3.0 dispensation at the Centre earlier than critics expect and backers anxiously anticipate. The urgency in the matter owes, no, not to the denial of a Cabinet berth for the NCP, which won only a solo seat in the Lok Sabha poll and the also the denial of a Cabinet berth to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction, which won seven seats. They draw a parallel to the Janata Dal-Secular partner in the National Democratic Aliance in neighbouring Karnataka, where the party with only two seats has been given a Cabinet berth at the Centre. That JD-S nominee and party President H D Kumaraswamy is a former chief minister of a state (on more than one occasion) does not matter to the Shinde Shiv Sena. If that is the argument, the Ajit Pawar NCP points out, how its prospective nominee, Praful Patel, though being a Rajya Sabha member, was a long-serving Cabinet minister under then prime minister Manmohan Singh's UPA I and II. That Praful Patel's problems with the Enforcement Directorate during the two Modi stints at the Centre owed to his innings under the UPA is another matter. Yes, this is all still speculative at the moment. If they all decide to live happily hereafter, the BJP, Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar NCP all may dismiss all current talk of cross-over and/or re-union(s) as figments of media imagination. Some, possibly from the BJP, may still use the choicest epithets to describe 'Lutyens' Delhi'. That could provide them with some much-desired diversion from all talks of 'godi media', or 'lapdog media' that they have been tired of reading through the past three or four months. Maharashtra has the second highest number of 48 Lok Sabha seats, below Uttar Pradesh with 80. The INDIA bloc won 30 of them with the Congress -- yes, the Congress -- coming on the top of the table with 13 seats. Other INDIA partners -- the Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena won nine and the Sharad Pawar NCP eight. In the rival camp, the BJP could manage only nine, followed by the Shinde Sena, with seven, and the Ajit Pawar NCP, just one -- all of it adding up to only 17. There is also an Independent who has since aligned with the Congress. It is not about what the rival combines have in Maharashtra, but it is about what it could become if there is a total cross-over from the NDA to the INDIA bloc, leaving the BJP out of the reckoning. It could well mean that the Uddhav Sena figure could go up to 16 and the Sharad Pawar NCP to nine. The INDIA bloc total could then go up to 38. Of course, no one is talking anything about cross-over from parliamentary groups or the impact of a possible re-merger of the two Shiv Senas and the two NCP factions on individual parliamentary groups. It would have remained so had it possibly not been for the denial of Cabinet berths to the BJP's two Maharashtra allies. By doing it, it is the BJP that might have triggered speculation in the matter. It is equally likely that the Mo-Sha duo had smelt what is in the air and did not want to be embarrassed more than acceptable. They may not be able to stop the cross-over and/or total reunion. But they can at least minimise the impact of headlines if the two parties are given Cabinet berths and those Cabinet ministers were to quit, as per their party orders. IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party Chief Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar files her nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-elections IN Mumbai, June 13, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo At the end of the day, it is about the Maharashtra assembly polls that are due in a few months. If the so-called 'sympathy wave' for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, triggered by the BJP Centre splicing their respective parties, holds until then, the existing NDA alliance may not be able to come back to power, post-poll. Or, that is what the present figures indicate. It is also the reason why there are already all kinds of talks, reports and rumours about NDA legislators, barring those of the BJP, wanting to rejoin the 'parent party', as they would happily call the other(s) if they want to return 'home' as prodigal sons. If such is the case, they would want guarantees to contest their present seats. Whether the parent party could accommodate them all in seat distribution, given the fact that a new set of office-bearers down the line had proved their worth in the Lok Sabha polls, is a million-dollar question. Then, of course, there will be specifics where long-serving Sharad Pawar loyalists from grassroots level upwards may not want the party to take back Ajit Pawar, and may be a few others. The same applies to Shinde if his MLAs were to go over to the Uddhav Sena. IMAGE: Eknath Shinde with Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray at an election rally at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, May 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo It is still only one side of the story. Already, there is educated speculation -- or, motivated rumours - that the Uddhav Sena and Sharad Pawar NCP want to snap ties with the Congress in the assembly elections. Again, no senior leader from any of the stake-holder parties has spoken. Obviously, interested parties, including those that hope for a re-merger to accommodate them in the assembly seat allocation, too, may be at work. Already, some state BJP leaders are openly praising Uddhav Thackeray and have also openly wooing him by claiming that his Congress and Ajit Pawar NCP allies had benefited from him more than his own party. If it is an indication that the BJP wanted to patch up with Uddhav ahead of the assembly polls, party leaders now wooing him should ask themselves as to who caused the break-up in the first place. For those not in the know, dating back to the Vajpayee-Advani era, when the BJP was in power at the Centre, the party was double-timing the Sena and the united NCP ahead and even after the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Once when NCP members of the assembly reportedly were opposed to the party doing business with the BJP as a ruling ally in the state and Shiv Sena boss Bal Thackeray had been hurt enough, L K Advani as Union home minister rushed to Mumbai to cajole the other. The Telugu Desam Party's N Chandrababu Naidu and the Janata Dal-United's Nitish Kumar, not to leave out the JD-S's H D Deve Gowda, have all been around for a longer time in national politics than the Mo-Sha duo, and would remember the past. That the BJP has a history of being an 'unreliable alliance partner/leader' than others may be able to recall. This is especially so after the Congress era under the eminently forgettable Sitaram Kesri's party presidency, which withdrew support for the two non-Congress, anti-BJP United Front governments of prime ministers Deve Gowda and I K Gujral in the mid-nineties. IMAGE: Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the inauguration of the second phase of the Coastal Road in Mumbai, June 10, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo In the normal course, Uddhav should have no problem continuing with the victorious alliance rather than go back to the BJP-NDA. It is the same for Sharad Pawar and the Congress. The coming weeks are sure to have a lot of drama unfolding in Maharashtra. Time is sort of running out for the Mo-Sha duo, and they seem to be aware of it, too. They told the Ajit Pawar NCP to wait for a week or so for their demand for a Cabinet berth to be considered and decided upon. The same may (have to) apply to Shinde Sena's demand for an upgrade. After all, it would be bad publicity for the NDA and Narendra D Modi's macho-man image from the past decade and more (including his years as Gujarat CM) if the perceived Maharashtra scenario is allowed to develop. More importantly, such a turn, even if an isolated development, if at all, could strengthen the bargaining power of the TDP and JD-U allies, even without their working for it! N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The crises of the 21st century, 9/11, the economic meltdown, COVID-19, Russia-Iran war and the Hamas-Israel war seem to be never ending. In this situation, Iran might be contemplating a nuclear deterrent to defend itself, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan, the distinguished long-time Rediff contributor who turns 80 on June 17. IMAGE: Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. Photograph: West Asia News Agency via Reuters Having sat next to Iranian delegates, ranging from first secretaries to foreign ministers at the meetings of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna for four years, I sensed that Iran secretly admired the Indian nuclear strategy. They often inquired how India managed to stay out of the NPT and fought its way to legitimacy as a responsible technologically advanced state and escaped sanctions. They were aware that their cardinal mistake was signing of the NPT and if it wanted to exit the treaty, they would face the same situation as North Korea, which became a nuclear pariah even after signing the NPT. At the same time, they were attracted to the North Korean model, as it was clear that it was its dubious reputation as a nuclear power that deterred others from attacking it. Although there is a fatwa against Iran possessing nuclear weapons, because of the belief that such inhumane weapons were against Islam, Iran aspired to developing a nuclear deterrent, particularly because its arch rivals, US and Israel, had the capacity to launch a nuclear attack on Iran. Iran had begun cooperating with the IAEA ever since Iranian dissidents in Europe revealed the existence of major uranium enrichment facilities in Iran which exceeded the requirements of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Moreover, Iran was not an energy deficient nation to justify a nuclear programme. In fact, it was its oil wealth that enabled it to acquire nuclear material from Pakistan and North Korea. Iran was also sensitive to any criticism on our part about NPT countries acquiring enrichment facilities. India worked with Iran by supporting the right of countries to develop their own energy policies for their development. But we stood firm when there was any sign of the nonaligned group in the IAEA attempting to endorse the NPT or condone excessive enrichment of uranium. We were not participants in the negotiations between Iran and the Western countries on a nuclear deal, but Iran brought the draft agreement to the nonaligned to muster support for its position in the negotiations. We made gentle suggestions to Iran to protect our own position on the NPT. We reconciled our positions in the spirit of our partnership with Iran. But on one occasion, Iran brought to the nonaligned group a formulation which was against our traditional formulation on the NPT. I immediately expressed my reservation on that formulation and requested an amendment. Iran maintained that the Western negotiators had indicated that there should be an outright justification for the NPT and that those countries which had not signed the treaty should do so immediately. When we could not reach an agreement, Iran suggested that India could express reservation and let the text go as a nonaligned draft. I argued that since our meeting was informal, a reservation would be meaningless. I offered that we would deal appropriately with the draft when it came out of the negotiating group. When we reached an impasse, I was told that I had a telephone call outside. I went out and took the call and, to my surprise found that it was the foreign secretary on the line. He asked me to cooperate with Iran as there had been an intervention by Tehran on the matter and we should be helpful. I said that what Iran wanted was against our established position, but I would try and help out Iran to the extent possible. Hardly had I gone back to my seat, when I had another call from Delhi and this time it was the national security adviser, my old boss at the UN. He was normally a purist in such matters and he surprised me by saying that something should be done to avoid a face-off with Iran. When I went back to my seat, I told the Iranian ambassador, "You have set the Ganges on fire." He smiled and said that he was happy that I had been given high level instructions from New Delhi! I said nothing, but asked for an adjournment as it was very late. Iran said that the draft had to be submitted to the bigger group in the morning, but agreed to the adjournment. Then we sat down till morning to work out a formula and all was well that ended well. IMAGE: International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi meets with Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, in Isfahan, Iran, May 7, 2024. Photograph: Iran's Atomic Energy Organization/West Asia News Agency/Handout via Reuters This incident was a clear indication that Iran was determined to strengthen their nuclear option. It was also evident that the Iranian ambassador had the clout to wake up the foreign secretary and the national security advisor on such an issue. After that, whenever we had a different opinion, he would say, "Do you want me to set the Ganges on fire again?" It is well known that Iran made several concessions in reaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPO) between Iran and the Western group, agreeing to limit enrichment and take other measures to avoid any provocative action for fifteen years because of the severe impact of the sanctions on the Iranian economy. When then US president Donald J Trump withdrew from the JCPO and enhanced the sanctions, the Iranians became more tough even with the sanctions in place. The negotiations for reviewing the Plan were close to fruition many times. but an agreement has been elusive. With the collapse of the global order, characterised by the rejection of treaties and the failure of the UN to act decisively even in the midst of daily massacres in Gaza and Ukraine. The crises of the 21st century, 9/11, the economic meltdown, COVID-19, Russia-Iran war and the Hamas-Israel war seem to be never ending. In this situation, Iran might be contemplating a nuclear deterrent to defend itself. Nobody bombs North Korea, but there is no sign of even a ceasefire in Gaza and Ukraine. Moreover, as the sole champion of Palestine, willing to wage war over the issue, Iran must be thinking of developing a nuclear deterrent and then negotiate with the west from a position of strength. In that event, the calculation will be that the new sanctions will not be much more severe than what Iran is facing now. The death of President Raisi and the foreign minister may be the last brick on a deterrent edifice in the making. Ayatollah Khamenei's declaration that Raisi's death will not lead to any change in policy was to be expected, but it should be taken with a pinch of salt. The change of president with implications for the choice of the next supreme leader is an appropriate occasion for introspection and strengthening of national security. It is well known that Iran has sufficient enriched uranium to make a bomb within days. The retribution may be severe, but an Indian style deterrence may be Iran's ambition. IMAGE: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visits the Iranian centrifuges in Tehran, June 11, 2023. Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency via Reuters President Raisi's sudden death has opened up the possibility of a churning in the roles of the president and the other leaders including the successor to the Ayatollah. The exchange of missile attacks between Israel and Iran will have their own impact on military plans of Iran. It has no ally to bank on, while Palestinians are being decimated. China may have some interest in propping up Iran against the US and the West. The peace conference that President Xi Jinping has proposed will shore up the confidence of Iran to take serious actions for its own security. This may be the right moment for Iran to plead vulnerability and announce some kind of tests that will establish its nuclear path. If the decision is delayed beyond the US elections, Trump may take such action that may lead to a regime change and the eventual weakening of Iran. A nuclear deterrent may appear to be the most attractive option for it in the emerging world order. Ambassador T P Sreenivasan is a long-time contributor to Rediff.com. You can read his earlier columns here. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and MPs along with party workers on Monday staged demonstrations across Delhi slamming the Aam Aadmi Party government over the water crisis in the city. IMAGE: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and party workers stage a protest against the ongoing water crisis, at Moti Nagar, in New Delhi on June 17, 2024. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo Carrying bottles of dirty water, the BJP protesters raised slogans against the AAP government and smashed 'matkas' (earthen pitchers) as a mark of protest over water scarcity in the national capital. They also alleged that people were getting sick after being forced to drink dirty water from the taps. At a protest in Geeta Colony, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Haryana was releasing Delhi's full share of water into Yamuna. "This water gets stolen by tanker mafia after it enters Delhi because the ministers and MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party are hand in glove with them," Sachdeva charged. He said the Delhi BJP will continue to protest against the AAP government till people get adequate water. The party has been in power for the last 10 years but people are getting contaminated water, he said. Party MPs Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal and Yogendra Chandolia also participated in the protests held at different places. North East Delhi MP Tiwari, protesting along with party leaders and workers in Mukherjee Nagar, slammed water minister Atishi alleging theft by tanker mafia. New Delhi MP Swaraj alleged AAP was elected by the Delhi people to work for them but the party was involved in publicity and corruption only. "It is so unfortunate that the government that used to talk about giving free water, during their rule, Delhi is struggling for water. This is the voice of the people of Delhi who are in a dire state. They are suffering because the AAP government has not done a single thing to conduct any repair work for Delhi Jal Board's infrastructure in the last decade," she said during a protest in Moti Nagar. Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal alleged that AAP wanted the water crisis to persist so that it could remain involved in politics over the issue. PTI VIT Meanwhile, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the water crisis in Delhi was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Addressing a press conference, Singh accused the saffron party of hatching a conspiracy against the residents of the national capital. "We believe, 'pyase ko paani pilane se zyada punya ka kaam nahi hota,' and there is no bigger sin than stopping water. "I am saying there is a BJP-sponsored water crisis. BJP wants no water for Delhi people and there are doing all conspiracies to ensure it," Singh alleged. He said the Delhi gets water from Haryana, and when the BJP-ruled state does not give the required water, it leads to a shortage. "We are not getting water as per our demand. When we request the Haryana government, they don't listen. We request the LG but he doesn't do the required work," he claimed. Several areas in the national capital have been reeling under a water crisis for weeks, with little to no supply, and shortage being met by private water tankers. The BJP's nationwide vote share saw its steepest decline in Rajasthan, falling by 9.23% from 2019, resulting in the loss of 11 seats, reports Prakash Bhandari. IMAGE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi holds a roadshow with Rajasthan BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena in support of party candidate Kanhaiya Lal Meena in Dausa, April 12, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo In the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan set its sights on an impressive hat-trick: Winning all 25 of the state's seats for the third consecutive time, having swept them in both 2014 and 2019. The party's confidence was initially bolstered by the lack of strong candidates from the Congress, as senior leaders like Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot opted not to contest, leading to significant challenges in fielding viable candidates. When candidates were found, some refused to run, leaving the Congress scrambling to fund and support those willing to contest. IMAGE: Rahul Kaswan, the BJP MP from Churu, joins the Congress in the presence of party President Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi, March 11, 2024. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo The dynamics shifted dramatically when the BJP decided not to field two-term sitting MP Rahul Kaswan, a prominent Jat leader from Churu. The decision to overlook Kaswan, despite his and his family's deep-rooted connections with the BJP, alienated the Jat community, a crucial electoral bloc. Historically, the Jats had been strong supporters of the BJP, a relationship cultivated by leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. However, feeling betrayed by the snub to Kaswan, the Jats realigned their support towards the Congress. IMAGE: Mallikarjun Kharge being welcomed by party leader Sachin Pilot at an election meeting in Chittaurgarh, April 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Congress strategically capitalised on the BJP's faltering support among key demographics. The reserved seats of Bharatpur, Dholpur-Karauli, Ganganagar, and Dausa saw strong performances from the Congress, attributed largely to Sachin Pilot's efforts to unite the Meena and Gujjar communities, reminiscent of his late father Rajesh Pilot's strategy. This unity translated into significant wins in Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Dausa (ST), Bharatpur, and Dholpur-Karauli. The BJP's nationwide vote share saw its steepest decline in Rajasthan, falling by 9.23% from 2019, resulting in the loss of 11 seats. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Rajasthan party leader Ashok Gehlot in Amethi, May 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot played crucial roles in the Congress's campaign. Gehlot was instrumental in strategic decisions, such as supporting Hanuman Beniwal of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party in Nagaur and leveraging local dynamics to challenge the BJP effectively. Meanwhile, Pilot's leadership and ability to galvanise support among diverse communities proved pivotal in several constituencies. Former chief minister Gehlot's influence, however, appeared to be waning. His son, Vaibhav Gehlot, faced a significant defeat in Jalore-Sirohi, indicating a decline in the family's political stronghold. Observers suggested that for the Congress to remain competitive in future elections, it would need to focus on leaders like Sachin Pilot and Govind Singh Dotasara, the current Pradesh Congress Committee president, who demonstrated effective leadership during this campaign. IMAGE: Modi at an election rally in Jalore, April 21, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Despite winning 14 seats, the BJP faced a considerable reduction in its vote share across Rajasthan, with a notable exception in Jaipur where it saw a small increase of 2.84%. The diminished support in traditionally strong regions highlighted the party's growing disconnect with key voter groups, particularly the Jats, who felt marginalised by the BJP's internal politics. In rural and semi-urban areas, the BJP's vote share decline was significant. The Congress's ability to communicate effectively with these communities about issues like reservations helped them secure crucial victories. The BJP's heavy reliance on Narendra D Modi's popularity seemed less effective, as voters appeared resistant to perceived overreach and aggressive rhetoric. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan marked a significant shift in the state's political landscape. The BJP's failure to maintain its sweeping dominance from previous elections, combined with the Congress's strategic gains and voter realignment, underscored the complexities of regional politics. The Congress's resurgence, driven by community-focused strategies and resilient local leadership, staved off the BJP's attempt at a historic hat-trick of sweeps, signalling a possible realignment of political forces in the state. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com If Priyanka wins the Lok Sabha bypolls, it would be for the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan. IMAGE: Congress leaders and brother-sister duo Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra share a hug after the announcement of Priyanka's candidature from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Since her entry in active politics in 2019, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was projected as a possible challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and also as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in the family pocket borough of Raebareli parliamentary seat. However, Congress has decided to field her from Wayanad, the parliamentary seat that her elder brother Rahul won for two consecutive terms. Rahul won comfortably for the first time from Wayanad in 2019 when he had to bite the dust in the family stronghold of Amethi. In the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, Rahul again contested from Wayanad but moved from Amethi to Raebareli. Having won both the seats, Rahul has decided to vacate Wayanad and retain Rae Bareli. The 52-year-old Priyanka, whose name did the rounds as the Congress candidate for Amethi, Raebareli as well as Varanasi parliamentary seats, will finally make her debut in electoral politics from the safe environs of Wayanad in Kerala, a state that Congress has almost swept in 2019 as well as 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "I'm not nervous at all ... I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I'll say is that I won't let them feel his (Rahul's) absence... I have a good relation with Raebareli as I have worked there for 20 years and that relation will never break," Priyanka said after her candidature was announced on Monday. Priyanka is married to businessman Robert Vadra, who had repeatedly expressed his interest in contesting from Amethi in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. The seat was eventually given to family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma, who defeated Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani. If Priyanka wins the Lok Sabha bypolls, it would be for the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan. With the Congress putting up a surprisingly good show in the Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has cemented her position as her party's talisman. "The Congress for a long time was in search of an effective campaigner and in the 2024 elections Priyanka Gandhi has been a revelation in the way she has responded to Modi. Priyanka Gandhi showed Modi can be countered and played a key role pan-India," said Rasheed Kidwai, who has authored several books, including 24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The Congress. Political commentator and former Congress leader Sanjay Jha hailed Priyanka Gandhi as an "outstanding campaigner". "Her sharp and prompt rebuttals to Mr Modi's jibes have worked wonders during the campaign. Her presence has been talismanic," he said. The INDIA bloc won 233 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha elections with Congress emerging as its largest constituent with 99 seats. The election campaign saw a spirited fight back by the Congress with Priyanka playing a pivotal role in countering constant barbs from Modi and other BJP leaders. Countering Prime Minister Modi over his "gold and mangalsutra" remarks, an emotionally charged Priyanka reminded the voters that her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country. The speculation was intense as was the spotlight on everything she said. The Congress general secretary did not take the electoral plunge at that time but has opted to contest the bypoll from Wayanad after guiding the party to a stronger position in Parliament when compared with the results of 2014 and 2019. Discussing her childhood, the pain of her father Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and her mother's grief, she steered the Congress campaign, adroitly walking the tightrope between striking a familial chord and discussing national-level issues, and proved to be a strategist, orator and mass mobiliser. As the curtains came down on Election 2024, analysts totted up the numbers. She took part in 108 public meetings and roadshows. She campaigned in 16 states and one union territory and also addressed two conferences of workers in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Most of her speeches were akin to a conversation with the crowd, establishing a connect and giving people the impression that this is someone they know, someone sharing her feelings and thoughts with them. Accountability was a constant refrain in her campaign speeches across the country. Priyanka Gandhi also made it a point to appeal to people to not vote on emotive issues based on religion and caste and to vote for bread and butter issues to improve their daily lives. Before 2019, Priyanka was seen managing the election campaigns for her mother and brother. In the recent elections, Rahul secured a massive 64.7 per cent vote share in Wayanad, defeating his nearest rival Annie Raja of CPI by a margin of 3.64 lakh votes. The BJP candidate K Surendran finished third with 1.3 lakh votes. The Congress in Kerala on Monday tendered an apology to the Christian community a day after one of its social media posts taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent meeting with Pope Francis triggered a political row in the state. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 summit at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Savelletri, Italy on June 14, 2024. Photograph: Guglielmo/Reuters The party also withdrew the post from its official X handle. In a fresh post on its X handle, the state unit of the grand old party said it tendered an unconditional apology to the Christian faithful if its earlier post had caused any "emotional or psychological distress" to them. In the explanatory post, the party further said the people in the state clearly know that it is not the tradition of the Indian National Congress to insult and disparage any religion, religious priests or idols. The party said no Congress worker would even entertain the remotest thought of insulting the Pope, whom Christians around the world consider as God-like. However, the party is not hesitant to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who insults the faithful of the country by calling himself God, the post said. In that way, people would understand the communal minds of BJP state chief K Surendran and others to portray the Congress' attempt to mock Modi's "shameless political games" as an insult to the Pope, it said. Hitting out at Surendran and other BJP leaders who triggered a row over the issue, the Congress further said their attempt was to "downgrade" the Christians as a group of people who have no self-respect and are the ones who spread communal venom as soon as they inject it. "If there is any genuine love for the Christian community, then Modi and his cohorts, who remained silent when their churches were burned down in Manipur, should first tender an unconditional apology to the Christians," the party added. The BJP in Kerala on Sunday hit out at the Congress party in the state over its social media post on Modi's meeting with Pope Francis during the G7 Summit and alleged that it's X handle was seemingly run by "radical Islamists or Urban Naxals." The grand old party had earlier posted a picture of PM Modi with the Pope on its X handle along with a sarcastic comment that "Finally, the Pope got a chance to meet God!" Irked by the post, BJP state chief Surendran had accused the Congress' state unit of posting derogatory and humiliating content against nationalistic leaders on its social media handle. He alleged that AICC general secretary K C Venugopal was certainly aware of the post and sought to know whether party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi endorsed it. Soon after his criticism, the Congress again gave a sarcastic reply through it's X handle and wished "better luck next time" to Surendran and others from "Modi ka parivar". "Better luck next time, @surendranbjp, @Georgekurianbjp and others from Modi ka parivar!" the Congress in Kerala said in the post. Prime Minister Modi on Friday invited Pope Francis to visit India and said he admired the pontiff's commitment to serving the people. They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. Once rolled out, theaterisation will be the biggest military reform in the country. It will see the creation of unified theatre commands within the 1.7 million-strong Indian armed forces. Photograph: Kind courtesy ADG PI/X Addressing concerns over the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces and continuing the process of making the long-pending unified theatre commands a reality will be two major challenges for the new defence minister. Shortly after the 18th Lok Sabha polls verdict, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party falling short of the majority, the party's alliance partners raised concerns about the Agnipath scheme, which the Opposition during the poll campaign had criticised and promised to scrap. During its second term, the Modi-led government rolled out the Agnipath scheme in June 2022 for short-term induction of personnel to the armed forces. Under it, both male and female aspirants between 17.5 and 21 years of age are recruited into the cadre below the office's rank for four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Those recruited under the scheme are called Agniveers. The Janata Dal-United, a significant partner in the NDA with 12 seats, sought a review of the Agnipath scheme. Speaking to the media, senior JD-U leader K C Tyagi said: 'A section of voters has been upset over the Agnipath scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings, which have been questioned by the public, to be discussed in detail and removed.' On the same day, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan was quoted saying that the Agnipath scheme should be reviewed at an appropriate time. Paswan's party has won all five contesting seats in Bihar and is an NDA constituent. Besides ensuring a 'youthful profile' in the forces, the scheme was meant to reduce expenditure on pension and wages. Those Agniveers who leave the forces after four years do not get post-retirement pension. Instead, they receive a lump sum severance package at the end of their service. The scheme's announcement had triggered violent protests in several parts of the country, with sections of the youth opposing it. Theaterisation of the armed forces Another major challenge for the defence minister will be to maintain the momentum gained in the theaterisation of the armed forces. Once rolled out, theaterisation will be the biggest military reform in the country. It will see the creation of unified theatre commands within the 1.7 million-strong Indian armed forces. These theatre commands will integrate the army, air force, and navy into one architecture, ensuring tri-services jointness. The BJP had made a commitment of military theaterisation in its election manifesto. On May 4, then defence minister Rajnath Singh had said in a media interview that theaterisation was progressing, with a consensus emerging among the three services. However, he had declined to provide a timeline, cautioning that there were countries which took close to 20 years to implement similar plans. Nonetheless, there were indications that theaterisation was seeing forward movement. On May 10, the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act was notified through a Gazette Notification to be enforced with effect from May 10, 2024. The aim was to bolster effective command, control and efficient functioning of Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs). Considered a prerequisite for theaterisation, the Act empowers commanders-in-chief and officers-in-command of ISOs to exercise control over service personnel serving under them for maintaining discipline and administration, without disturbing the unique service conditions of each individual service. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, media reports here. IMAGE: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, founder of the outlawed Sikhs for Justice. Photograph: Courtesy X Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen, in New York. The Czech Constitutional Court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges. US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official. India has however denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted a high-level investigation into the allegations. Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn and expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. Gupta is listed as an inmate at the Brooklyn detention Centre, according to The Washington Post -- the first news outlet to report his extradition. "Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country," the report said. Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid $15,000 in advance. Gupta, through his attorney, has denied the charges and said that he has been "unfairly charged". "Gupta's attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is 'nothing on record to link the petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim'," The Washington Post said. "Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney under the undue influence of US Agencies during the initial phase of his detention." She said India and the United States were 'going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy,' the daily reported. Gupta's extradition comes ahead of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's planned visit to New Delhi this week for the annual initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology dialogue with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship. The Washington Post in April 2024 reported that Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing officer, was the Indian official behind the plot. The paper also said the then R&AW chief Samant Goel sanctioned the operation. The Indian ministry of external affairs, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes 'unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations' to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun. India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will retain the Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and vacate his Wayanad seat in Kerala from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with her sister and party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses mediapersons in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced the decision on Monday after the party's top brass held discussions on the issue at his residence in New Delhi. Besides, Kharge and Rahul, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party general secretaries K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present at the meeting. If elected, this will be the first time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that all three Gandhi family members - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka - will be in Parliament together. The Bharatiya Janata Party has, however, attacked the Congress for the decision saying it is a clear case of dynastic politics being practised. Ruling party spokesperson Shezad Poonawala said, "It proves that the Congress is not a party but a family company". Rahul Gandhi has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4. "Rahul Gandhi won from two Lok Saba seats but as per the law, he has to vacate one seat. Rahul Gandhi will retain Raebareli and we have decided that Priyanka ji will fight from Wayanad," Kharge told reporters after the meeting. "We thank her for keeping our word and having agreed to contest from Wayanad," he said while lauding Priyanka Gandhi's efforts in helping the party win a number of seats in Uttar Pradesh, including in Rae Bareli. Priyanka was the party's star campaigner during Lok Sabha polls and had not contested herself. Asked whether Rahul has decided to take the Leader of Opposition position in Lok Sabha, after the Congress Working Committee urged him to do so in a unanimous resolution, Kharge said that a decision will be taken soon. "But, dhamki to dee hai as president of the party' (he has given a threat as party president)," Rahul Gandhi said when asked if he has agreed to the CWC decision to take up the LoP position. Rahul Gandhi, while thanking the people of Wayanad for electing him again, said he will keep visiting the constituency and fulfil all the promises he has made to the people there. He said both Raebareli and Wayanad "will get two MPs", while noting that they have personal ties with the people of Raebareli and Wayanad. "Dono ko do sansad mil rahe hain (both will get two MPs each)," he said. While Sonia Gandhi has now become a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Rajasthan state, Rahul Gandhi will represent Raebareli and Priyanka Gandhi, if elected in the bye-elections, will represent Wayanad constituency. Sonia Gandhi held the Raebareli constituency for the last over two decades and Rahul Gandhi had earlier held the Amethi constituency, which he lost to Smriti Irani in 2019 and shifted to Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi said it was a difficult decision for him as she has an emotional relationship with both Raebareli and Wayanad. "The last five years as an MP of Wayanad have been a fantastic and enjoyable experience. The people of Wayanad gave me support and gave me energy to fight at a very difficult time. I will never forget that...," he said. "All the people of Wayanad gave me a lot of love and I thank them from my heart. I will visit Wayanad and will fulfil our promises made," he said, adding that it was a difficult decision for him to make. "I have an old relation with Raebareli and I am very happy that I will be representing it. This was not an easy decision, because affection is with both (Wayanad and Raebareli)," he said. Priyanka Gandhi said she will not let the people of Wayanad feel Rahul's absence. "I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I'll say is that I won't let them feel his absence. As he said he will come many times with me. But I will work as hard and I will try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative. "I have a good relation with Raebareli as I have worked there for 20 years and that relation will never break," Priyanka Gandhi said in her brief remarks. Asked if she was nervous as she would be making her electoral debut in Wayanad, she said, "Not at all, I'm not nervous at all." Rahul secured a massive 64.7 per cent vote share in Wayanad, defeating his nearest rival Annie Raja of Communist Party of India by a margin of 3.64 lakh votes. The BJP candidate K Surendran finished third with 1.3 lakh votes. "I want everyone to know that Priyanka is going to fight from Wayanad and the commitments that I have made, we will stand by them. "She is going to be a very good representative for the people of Wayanad. You are now going to have two members of Parliament and I love the people and I will keep visiting," he told the people on announcing his decision to quit the seat. Rahul said he is going to be available to the people of Wayanad. "I am confident that she is going to win the election. People of Wayanad can think about it like this - they are now going to have two members of Parliament - one is my sister and one is me. My doors are always open for you throughout the rest of my life. I love every single person in Wayanad," he also said. You are the owner of this article. OLD BENNINGTON Friends and colleagues from politics, social services and other walks of life attended a memorial service for State Sen. Dick Sears at Old First Church on Friday. Sears friend and Senate colleague, Brian Campion, led in organizing the service. The Rev. Kenneth Clarke, pastor of First Congregational Church, conducted it. Speakers told of a man from humble beginnings who cared passionately for the disadvantaged, a man of sharp political acumen who in his 30-year state senate career authored 617 bills, 128 of which became law. Sears died on June 1 at age 81 at Albany Medical Center surrounded by family and close friends. Clarke said they gathered to remember the life of a remarkable man, a public servant, a kind father, a man who meant so much to this town and this state. And so, we gather in gratitude for the life of Dick Sears. Speakers at the event included Campion and retired Sen. Jane Kitchel, another friend and colleague. Many of Sears fellow Vermont state senators attended. Current Governor Phil Scott spoke and former Governor Peter Shumlin, a close friend of Sears, gave the eulogy. Speaking last was Searss son John Murphy, accompanied by Sears two granddaughters, Kadin and Delilah Murphy. You guys were just as much his family. He loved and respected all of you, John Murphy said to the legislators. I appreciate every one of you. All the speakers told fond stories of Sears, many eliciting laughter. Scott, a Republican, told of how, when he was a new Senator himself, he was at times a bit intimidated by the sometimes-gruff Sears, a Democrat. However, they found a connection in their shared love of Golden Retrievers. Others mentioned Searss love of cruises, the Boston Red Sox and the Senate. Searss beloved late wife, Beverly, also figured in stories. Sears record as an accomplished and savvy legislator resulted in the passage of Civil Unions, judicial reform and much more. Shumlin spoke of how they met in the early 1990s when they were both running for seats in the state Senate and were at a Bernie Sanders campaign event. One of the closest and most loyal friendships of my life had been started. I drove home, hoping beyond hope that we both would win, so that I would have a friend in the Senate. I ended up with a friend for life, he said. Born in Connecticut, Sears after living in three foster homes was adopted by his loving parents, Richard and Charlotte Sears of Framingham, Massachusetts. This experience led him to his lifelong passion of working with at-risk youth. His life from the very beginning was unlikely to come out this way, and he never forgot that for one single second, Shumlin said. Sears dedicated his life to lifting up disadvantaged kids that could have been him, he said. Soon after moving to Bennington in 1971, Sears started "204 Depot Street," a residential program for adolescent youth. He served as its director for thirty-five years, during which time he made an impact on many young people. Shumlin twice referred to Sears as Vermonts Father Teresa. Campion said Sears loved the Senate and the ability it gave him to change lives. Dick loved the work of compromise, the work of finding solutions to problems that are facing Vermont, he said. Dick was funny. One of my favorite memories soon after arriving in the Senate with him was when his friend, the former Senator Claire Ayer didnt quite want to give the Vermont Veterans' Home all the funds they wanted, Campion said. So, he had us report an amendment that would shut down the rural hospitals. Dick was one of the great strategists and policymakers of the Legislature, he said. As an example of Sears legacy, Campion said he noticed that the nurse caring for Sears during his final illness was wearing a pin celebrating gay pride. I told him how the man he was treating instrumental in passing civil unions, he said. The young man smiled and right away grasped the historic significance of what Dick had done for him and so many others. He said, So he is one of the heroes whose shoulders we stand on. Music at the service included These Green Mountains, the state song of Vermont; My Country Tis of Thee; Come, All You Servants of the Lord, and O Beautiful for Spacious Skies. After noting that poet Robert Frost is buried in the Old First Cemetery, Clarke read the poem The Road Not Taken. DORSET Over the past several weeks, the staff of Dorset Equine Rescue has been dealing with joy, loss and tragedy. Excited to welcome another mare to their shelter, which houses and rehabilitates abused and neglected horses, the staff began the necessary preparations. The mare was run through a livestock auction in Missouri and was purchased by a horse dealer in New York, said Jen Straub, founder and executive director of the rehabilitation facility. The mare was so emaciated, he didnt know she was bred. He brought her back to his farm, along with many other horses he purchased. A week later, the mare gave birth to a foal. The foal was born emaciated and dehydrated. His legs were deformed and his knees buckled. The mare was so malnourished that she could not produce milk for the foal, and the horse dealer recognized that the foal wouldnt make it through the night without intervention. The true condition of the mare also became apparent. She had been near starvation when she was purchased, and that was while pregnant with a nearly full-term foal. This was when the horse dealers connections reached out to equine rescue services for immediate assistance, and the Dorset Equine Rescue stepped up. Low end horse dealers buy horses for as little as possible, usually at auctions, explained Straub. They try to flip the horses at other auctions for more than they purchased them for and often sell them for slaughter for their meat. Unwanted horses who end up at auction are at very high risk of selling for slaughter. This mare is very lucky. Due to the emaciated condition of the foal, the development of septicemia and a pneumonia-like condition, as well as the foals deformities, it was arranged that both mare and foal would go to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine before being transported to Dorset. In preparation for arrival at Dorset Equine Rescue, but while the mare and foal were still at Cornell, the staff at Dorset Equine Rescue named the mare Star and the foal Koda. The Cornell team determined that the mare, Star, was young but completely unhandled. They could not catch her to examine her more fully. In an effort to reduce greater trauma, they focused their efforts on the foal, Koda. Dehydrated and unable to get either colostrum or milk from his mother, Koda had developed kidney issues. To combat the loss of colostrum and nutrients, he received plasma, IV fluids, IV antibodies, and was fed with a milk replacer. Cornell University Equine Hospital determined that Koda also needed a procedure for his legs and knees to counteract the deformity. A medication needed to be administered to loosen the tendons, and the legs would then need to be stretched straight and splints would need to be fitted. Unfortunately, Kodas kidneys were not strong enough to endure the medication and the decision was made to bandage the legs for temporary support and forgo the procedure until a later date. By the second day at Cornell, Koda was showing visible signs of improvement. He was nursing out of a pan regularly, but still on IV fluids. Plans were made to keep Star and Koda close together at the veterinary hospital for the next week or week and a half, but during that night, Koda took a turn for the worse. Sepsis had moved into his hock joints and a surgical procedure was necessary. In recovery, Koda suffered a seizure and began to show signs of other neurological issues and the decision was made to humanely euthanize him. In his short time here, Koda touched the hearts of everyone who came in contact with him, with his beautiful open expression and curiosity about life," read a Facebook post from Dorset Equine Rescue. "He touched the hearts of thousands of others who saw his photo, read his story, and reached out to help. We would like to thank the veterinarians and staff at Cornell for their dedication and professionalism. We know they gave Koda his best shot at life. This is the part of rescue that no one likes to have to talk about or face. The painful truth is that no matter how hard we try, there will always be horses that are just too far gone to rehabilitate, that have had the deck stacked against them from the start. Star finally arrived at Dorset Equine Rescue on June 2, and has been struggling to trust. Star came to us completely unhandled and traumatized, said Straub. She is settling in well and now knickers to us at meal times. She is still scared and untrusting of people. Although shes terrified of people, she is very curious and sweet. She has a kind eye and is trying hard to trust us she really wants to. The staff at Dorset Equine Rescue expect Star to make a full recovery, although they still mourn for the loss of Koda. They know that the path to Stars wellness will just take time. She is eating and is slowly beginning to gain weight. It is going to be a slow and deliberate process, as horses in Stars condition run the risk of refeeding syndrome, if they gain weight back too rapidly. Refeeding syndrome occurs as carbohydrate levels increase glucose levels and trigger the release of insulin. This, through a complex process, depletes key nutrients leading to life-threatening conditions, or heart or respiratory failure. Horses with a history of neglect and starvation are at risk of serious health issues, including negative effects on their heart and digestive tract, added Straub. Severely underweight horses need to be carefully managed with veterinary care and slow and careful re-feeding during their recovery. Introducing feed must be done very slowly to allow the horses body to adjust. For now, Stars prognosis at Dorset Equine Rescue is good. They are working to reintroduce her to food, to gain trust, and be able to catch her to get a halter on but, it could take months. Star will never have another foal. Because there is an overpopulation of horses in our country similar to dogs and so many US horses get shipped to slaughter, our organization has a 'no breeding' policy for our rescue horses, explained Straub. Our goal is to rehabilitate her, train her, and eventually adopt her out into a loving forever home. There is no time limit with how long she will be with us. Every horse that comes to us has unique needs. She will stay with us as long as she needs. Chinese artist Xiao Lu at the opening of her performance art exhibit at Sydneys Passage Gallery, June 14, 2024. A Chinese artist is hitting back at the Communist Party's ongoing attempts to censor cultural expression even far beyond China's borders with an exhibit in Sydney depicting the kind of "garbage" that gets produced when artists agree to stay within the government's "red lines." As part of her performance art exhibit at Sydney's Passage Gallery titled "Junk," which runs through July 19 Xiao Lu creates artwork live, but within a pattern of red neon strips, before crumpling it up and tossing it away like trash. "The whole of the Passage Gallery exhibition hall is set up as a black space," Xiao told RFA Mandarin at the launch of her exhibit. "There are red lights that represent China's censorship of art exhibitions and free speech." "In Chinese, we use the phrase 'red lines' to denote lines that can't be crossed," Xiao said. "If you cross them, something bad will happen." She said it's not just in China that Beijing stifles creativity, however. "Self-censorship by art institutions invades everyone's soul," Xiao said, adding that even exhibition venues in Australia can be wary of annoying the Chinese government. "Even here, it's rare to see an exhibit that truly reflects the reality of China," she said. It's not that Australia lacks work by Chinese artists. In Sydney alone, small and large venues alike run frequent shows year round that are lavishly sponsored by Chinese companies. "Most of those exhibits focus on work with 'Chinese characteristics' that is overwhelmingly unrelated to political and social reality in China today," she said. Chinese artist Xiao Lus performance art exhibit at Sydneys Passage Gallery, June 14, 2024. (Lionel TC/RFA) "This is increasingly similar to what's happening in China, where most of the works I see are devoid of content," Xiao said. "Contemporary art shouldn't be about eulogizing something, or focusing on superficial form." "It should face up to the problems of the age it is living in, and raise questions about them," she said. "I don't see this kind of work in China, but I only see it rarely in Australia, which is a problem." Soft-power infiltration Xiao cites an example of Sydney's Vermilion Art gallery, which invited her to write an article about the situation in China during the stringent restrictions of the zero-COVID era. "I was still in China when I received a call from a gallery asking me to write an article about the situation in China," Xiao said. "It was during the pandemic [restrictions], and I wrote an article about lockdown. But the gallery didn't dare to publish it." Radio Free Asia approached Vermilion Art and invited them to respond to Xiao's allegations, but no reply had been received by the time of publication. Taiwan-based artist Kacey Wong, who went to art school in Australia, agreed with Xiao's assessment that Beijing is packaging approved forms of art to be shown in overseas galleries. "They take ancient Chinese culture and add various Communist Party-influenced elements to it, then export it as a form of soft-power infiltration and soft-power confrontation," Wong said. "The Chinese Communist Party turns every walk of life into a battlefield," he said. In January, Xiao boycotted an exhibition of Chinese art linked to former Australian Ambassador Geoff Raby, saying he had been lauded by the Communist Party newspaper the People's Daily in December 2019 for his uncritical attitude to Beijing. In February, she held an exhibit in Melbourne which hit back at Beijing's suppression of the 2019 Hong Kong protests and its clearance operations targeting the low-income population in the Chinese capital. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. New security treaty is expected as both men seek to bolster their profiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin, center right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Updated June 18, 2024, 10:50 p.m. ET. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in North Korea Tuesday for his first visit since 2000, the countries announced, where Putin and Kim Jong Un will sign a new treaty that addresses security issues. The meeting between the two leaders, who last met in December, when Kim traveled to Vladivostok, is likely an attempt to boost their profiles at home and put some fear into their adversaries, experts said. The two leaders will sign a new treaty that addresses security issues, a Kremlin adviser said. Moscow has been cozying up to Pyongyang since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Washington has accused Moscow of using North Korean weapons there, which North Korea and Russia deny. Putin, in a report published by North Koreas state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Tuesday, said Russia and North Korea would develop an alternative settlement system to facilitate commercial cooperation outside the control of the West. We are firmly convinced that we will put bilateral cooperation onto a higher level with our joint efforts, he said. Putin also said Russia was planning to build an equal and indivisible security structure in Eurasia, adding Russia would ramp up exchanges and cooperation with North Korea in other areas such as education, tourism and culture. Putin also extended his appreciation to North Korea for supporting Russias war in Ukraine and voiced his support for North Koreans struggle to defend their sovereignty against the cunning, dangerous and aggressive enemy. People take pictures by statues of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin as sharks in Torres Vedras, Portugal, Feb. 13 2018. (Armando Franca/AP) White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said the trip was part of a charm offensive and that the Biden Administration was not concerned about the trip, but was concerned about the deepening relationship between Russia and North Korea. Not just because of the impacts it's going to have on the Ukrainian people because we know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyangs state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday published a single sentence report confirming that the visit will occur on June 18 and 19. "Several documents will be signed," Putins foreign policy advisor Yury Ushakov told the state-owned Tass news agency. "This can be said about a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty. This document is also being worked on and if it is signed, it will replace the fundamental documents that were inked in 1961, 2000, and 2021." Palestinians hold pictures of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-UN during a protest in support of the people of Gaza, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 20, 2023. (Yosri Aljamal/Reuters) They will replace the 1961 Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance, which stipulated that the Soviet Union would defend North Korea in the event of an attack, the 2000 Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborly Cooperation, which replaced the Soviet-era treaty and put more emphasis on trade and less on military assistance, Tass said, citing Ushakov. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak will be part of Putins delegation. Related Stories Satellite pictures reveal North Korea is preparing for Putin visit North Korea restores train service to Russia, boosting hopes for tourists Rocket men: Kim and Putin fire up their alliance RFA reported last week that satellite imagery of Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang indicated that preparations were underway for a large event, likely to kick off the two-day visit. Get attention The visit is a publicity opportunity for both Putin and Kim, said David Maxwell, vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy in Washington. Both Putin and Kim want to be talked about, Maxwell told RFA Korean. They want to be in the news and they want to make the ROK-U.S. alliance and the U.S. and the international community afraid of their cooperation, referring to South Korea, also called the Republic of Korea. In addition to sending a message internationally, the visit will also serve to boost both leaders profiles at home, he said. A carnival float shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a presentation of canival floats in Cologne, western Germany, Feb. 18, 2020. (Ina Fassbender/AFP) The visit is important for their domestic propaganda and so that they are able to enhance their legitimacy, their reputation internally because they are both suffering from internal threats, said Maxwell. He predicted that North Korea would likely get money and other resources in return for sending artillery ammunition and missiles to Russia. He also said that he did not know whether any advanced technology would change hands, but should Russia deliver missile guidance tech, it would be an advancement for North Koreas nuclear program. A man wearing a Halloween costume with portraits of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin poses for a photograph as he takes part in holiday celebrations in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, October. 30, 2022. (Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP) It is hard to predict what sort of cooperation the meeting will bring, Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation, told RFA. (It) could be just strengthened relations and economic deals or increased economic interaction which would help North Korea, he said, adding that both countries would likely remain tight-lipped about whatever they discuss behind closed doors, especially if it involves military technology transfers. I think they might be wary that it would trigger actions on sanctions against Russian or North Korean entities, he said. But certainly that has been a concern and a speculation for the last year. Face masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen for sale at a market stall on July 16, 2019 in Hong Kong, China. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) He acknowledged that some are speculating that Russia would even give tech that would enhance North Koreas nuclear program, but most experts expect it to be related to conventional weapons, including aircraft and submarines. Klingner also said that it is possible that Pyongyang and Moscow would seek to resurrect a formal agreement of friendship that might include an agreement from Russia to come to North Koreas aid if it were attacked. Following his two-day visit in North Korea, Putin is scheduled to travel to Vietnam for another two-day visit. Russian and North Korean flags fly at the Vostochny osmodrome, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. (Sputnik/Artem Geodakyan/Pool via Reuters) Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Updated to include Putin's remarks. A battle for the administrative center of Maungdaw township follows the recent seizure of nearby junta camps. People flee from a village after renewed fighting between Myanmars military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic minority armed group, in Pauktaw township in western Rakhine state, Nov. 19, 2023. All roads have been blocked out of the key city of Maungdaw in western Myanmar, where the ethnic insurgent Arakan Army has warned the remaining 20,000 civilians of an imminent battle with military junta troops, residents told Radio Free Asia. The Arakan Army, or AA, told residents on Sunday that they should evacuate their homes by 9 p.m. But many residents were unable to leave the city near the Bangladesh border because junta troops had already set up barricades, a Rohingya man who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals told RFA. The junta has taken its positions near and inside the city. People have no way out, he said. The death toll may increase due to the battle. People stand by a destroyed building following fighting between Myanmars military and the Arakan Army ethnic minority armed group, May 21, 2024, in a village in Minbya township in western Rakhine state. (AFP) The Arakan Army has recently seized control of all junta camps in surrounding Maungdaw township, including several key border posts. Attacking the city of Maungdaw the townships administrative center and an important base for junta forces in Rakhine state is the next target, the AA said in a statement. Junta troops have prepared extensively for urban warfare and residents are urged to avoid staying in areas such as roads and houses from which the SAC forces have fortified positions, the AA said, using the initials for the State Administrative Council, the formal name for the military junta. Maungdaw is a key trade hub for goods flowing in and out of Myanmar via Bangladesh. Rohingya in military uniforms The junta has been training Rohingya men in recent months, and some of those new recruits may be used in the upcoming battle. Residents told RFA that Rohingya in junta uniforms and weapons have been seen at military camps inside the city. The junta has been desperate to recruit new soldiers as its ranks are depleted by battlefield losses and mass surrenders to rebel forces. Arakan Army soldiers pose for a photo in June 2024 in Myanmar. (AA Info Desk via Telegram) Rohingyas have been persecuted for decades in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Both sides have pressed Rohingyas into their ranks and at the same time have accused Rohingyas of helping their rivals. Reports suggest that both the AA and junta forces have subjected members of the Muslim minority to violence. Ethnic group trapped Also trapped are about 600 Mro ethnic people who have been taking shelter at a Buddhist monastery after fleeing from two nearby villages, residents said. Theyre facing shortages of food and medical supplies, an aid worker told RFA on condition of anonymity because of security reasons. We need to ask permission to rescue them, the aid worker said. Both the AA and the junta are there, and we dont know who will be responsible for the permission. Arakan Army soldiers pose for a photo in June 2024 in Myanmar. (AA Info Desk via Telegram) The AA, which in November ended a ceasefire that had been in place since the militarys February 2021 coup detat, announced on May 18 that it had captured all military camps in Buthidaung township, which borders Maungdaw township. It now occupies nine townships in Rakhine state, as well as Paletwa township in neighboring Chin state. Attempts by RFA to contact Hla Thein, the juntas spokesman and attorney general for Rakhine state, by telephone on Monday were unsuccessful. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed. Members were allegedly arrested while in possession of explosives, junta media said. Junta forces arrested 13 people in connection to the alleged attempted attack by the Yangon Urban Guerrilla members, taken on June 12, 2024. Junta forces arrested 13 members of an urban guerrilla group on suspicion of planning an attack on the leader of Myanmars military regime, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, state-run media reported. A state-controlled newspaper reported the plot on Monday, confirming that in all 13 people had been arrested in connection with the plot to attack the army chief, who led a 2021 coup, at a Yangon bridge opening in early June. Members of anti-junta forces, speaking to Radio Free Asia on Monday, confirmed the arrests but a member of the Yangon UG Peoples Army group denied that the people arrested had been attempting to attack political officials. Since the coup ended a decade of tentative reform, guerrilla groups in Yangon, Myanmars former capital and main city, have proliferated, bombing junta-occupied buildings and killing administrators who support a junta conscription drive. The Myanmar Alin newspaper reported that soldiers arrested seven people between the ages of 18 and 26 on June 10 for being in possession of two 107-mm rockets and equipment to launch them near the opening of Thanlyin Bridge 3 on June 8. Min Aung Hlaing was one of several high-ranking officials attending the event. A woman and man were arrested June 9, and four other suspects were arrested several days later after being accused of carrying out bomb attacks in Yangon regions Hlaingthaya and Mingala Taungnyunt townships, the newspaper reported. The member of the Yangon UG Peoples Army, who declined to be identified for security reasons, said the military fabricated the attack plot to justify its arrests. People know that the military councils statements are lies. If they want to arrest people, they drag whoever they see under whatever charges they like, he said. All underground guerrilla members need to take special care for security as they move among the dogs, he said, referring to junta forces One of the arrested men, Ye Zaw Tun, could be seen with bruises on his face following the arrest, according to photos released by the military. Min Aung Hlaing, speaking at a meeting on stability and development in Yangon after the plot was broken up, said security must be a priority given the possibility of plans by anti-regime forces to launch attacks, state-owned media said. According to data released by the Assistance Association for the Political Prisoners on Friday, a total of 20,597 political prisoners arrested after the coup are still in detention across the country. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Taejun Kang. Strong statement from Washington after China and Philippines trade blame over collision near disputed shoal. Philippine navy ship BRP Sierra Madre is seen at the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, at the South China Sea, April 23, 2023. Updated at 18:27 ET on June 17, 2024. The United States on Monday condemned escalatory and irresponsible actions" by China to block resupply by the Philippines of an outpost in the South China Sea and warned that attacks on Philippine vessels could trigger a U.S. commitment to come to the defense of its ally. The stern criticism of Beijing, issued by both the White House and State Department, came hours after China gave a much different account of events. It said a Philippine supply vessel dangerously approached a Chinese ship near a disputed shoal, causing a collision. Philippine officials, however, said it was Chinese ships that behaved recklessly as the Philippines sought to deliver supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre in the Second Thomas Shoal. The Sierra Madre is a World War II-era warship that was deliberately run aground on the shoal in 1999 to serve as a Philippine military outpost. The Philippines runs regular rotation and resupply missions to the shoal, which it refers to as Ayungin. There have been frequent cat-and-mouse episodes between China which claims most of the South China Sea for itself and the Philippines. Those incidents have grown in intensity in recent months. In Washington, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby were both strongly critical of China on Monday and supportive of the Philippines. "PRC vessels dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, blocking maneuvers, and towing damaged Philippine vessels, endangered the lives of Philippine service members, is reckless, and threatens regional peace and stability," Miller said in a statement. RELATED STORIES Philippines denies its troops pointed guns at Chinese coast guard personnel Marcos condemns Beijings assertive moves in the South China Sea South China Sea dispatch: Excitement, fear fill Scarborough Shoal voyage Miller said that an international tribunal had found in July 2016 that China has no lawful maritime claims to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal a low-tide feature clearly within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. Miller added that Washington "reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft including those of its Coast Guard anywhere in the South China Sea." Illegal intrusion The incident came two days after the China Coast Guard began enforcing a new order allowing its force to detain foreign ships and crew suspected of trespassing into Chinese-claimed waters. The China Coast Guard said a supply ship from the Philippines illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Reef, which is what China calls the Second Thomas Shoal. It said the Philippine supply ship ignored its warnings, violated international regulations for preventing collisions at sea, and deliberately and dangerously approached the Chinese vessel in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines, it said. Beijings foreign ministry defended the Chinese coastguards actions. China Coast Guard took necessary control measures to stop the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law. The maneuvers at the scene were professional, restrained, justified, and lawful, spokesman Lin Jian said in a news briefing on Monday. 'Aggressive and reckless' But the Philippine National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea claimed China had engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing" while Philippine authorities were conducting a routine rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin. Despite the illegal, aggressive, and reckless actions by the Chinese maritime forces, our personnel showed restraint and professionalism, refrained from escalating the tension, and carried on with their mission, the task force said in a statement. Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats, in blatant violation of international law, particularly the United Nations Charter, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award, it said. Manilas Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said that China's "dangerous and reckless" behavior would be resisted by the Philippine military. We will exert our utmost in order to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights. Tensions Tensions between China and the Philippines at the shoal have in recent months been the most serious in years in the resource-rich South China Sea, where six parties hold overlapping claims with Beijings the most expansive, including more than 80% of the waters, according to analysts. China has been blocking the Philippines efforts to bring supplies to the marines stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, saying the voyages violate Chinas jurisdiction despite the reef being located well inside Manilas EEZ. In March, China Coast Guard and maritime militia ships were accused of firing a water cannon at a Philippine supply boat near the shoal, causing significant damage to the ship and injuring its crew. Edited by Taejun Kang, Malcolm Foster and Mat Pennington. Recasts and updates to include a statement from the U.S. State Department. TASARAL, Kazakhstan -- In the tiny fishing village of Tasaral on the western shore of Kazakhstan's Lake Balkhash, the spawning season is a time for getting other things done. Fishing is banned during this 45-day period that extends until mid-June, so the community of some 500 people that depends on the lake for its existence does odd jobs, such as mending fishing boats, building barns, and refurbishing homes. It is also a time to ponder the future of the huge 17,000 square-kilometer body of water -- the third-largest in Asia -- that gives the village its reason to exist, but which has unfortunately been receding notably the last four years. Residents who grew up with their elders' accounts of the lakes cyclical rise and fall hope this situation is only temporary. But the lake faces growing ecological pressure in the form of climate change and Chinas rising demand for water upstream. Then there is the matter of government plans for a nuclear power plant that, if greenlighted in a nationwide referendum, would likely be built on the lakes southern shore, about three hours from Tasaral. If you cant catch fish, there is no living for you here, fisherman Bauyrzhan Altaev told RFE/RLs Kazakh Service, proudly showing off a Japanese motorbike that he uses to ice fish when Balkhash freezes over in the winter. But these days, you have to travel farther and farther from the shoreline to get to the fish, he complained. Those rocks over there used to be fully under water, but now they are on the surface. Im 60. [The lake] got like this in 1980. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, it started to fill up again somewhat. But since 2020 it has been receding very quickly, said Altaev, gesturing across a scrubby shoreline roamed by two humped camels -- a second form of income for Tasaral residents. 'No One Seems To Know Or Do Anything' Lake Balkhash has been fished since time immemorial. But settlements like Tasaral only became a feature of the lakes shoreline in the 1930s, when Soviet authorities began creating fishing villages for industrial-scale fishing. Fish that were indigenous to what is one of the worlds 20 largest inland bodies of water soon disappeared. Pike were among the first highly predatory fish introduced and then blamed for taking out species further down the food chain. Eldos Kasenuly, another fisherman from Tasaral, said there are fewer of all types of fish now, with the reeds that they feed on also becoming scarcer. A more recent problem is visiting fishermen who use Chinese-made, nylon nets that catch everything. The nets scoop up even tiny fish that form an important part of the lakes fragile ecosystem, he explained. Yet the biggest worry for Kazakhstan is the disappearing water in the lake. Balkhash currently stands at around 341 meters above sea level -- viewed as a critical indicator by experts -- and has a relatively shallow average depth of around 6 meters. The tragic history of the Aral Sea -- a decimated lake split between southwestern Kazakhstan and neighboring Uzbekistan -- is a sufficient warning in terms of the consequences of allowing giant bodies of water in largely arid Central Asia to dry up. To this day, great swathes of the territory surrounding what remains of the Aral Sea continue to be afflicted by toxic dust storms and overly salinated soil that negatively impact agriculture -- not to mention causing pressing shortages of water. What can Kazakhstan do to prevent that scenario from repeating? That was the question being asked at the end of May in Balkhash, a city some 100 kilometers from Tasaral, which hosted an international water forum featuring state officials, civil society figures, entrepreneurs, and academics. But the mood at the forum was pessimistic. Lake Balkhash receives around 80 percent of its water from the Ili River that originates in neighboring China. For about the last two decades there has been a giant expansion of industry and agriculture in Chinas western Xinjiang region, requiring ever greater water diversion upstream. 'Now Their Fishermen Come Here' And while some experts at the conference expressed the point of view that China was still providing the necessary 12-14 billion cubic meters of water that Balkhahsh needs, it is unclear how sustainable this is in the long run, while there is still no bilateral agreement on water-sharing for the Ili River. In China, the Water Resources Ministry is a government within a government. It includes 30 research institutes, each one studying and monitoring its own area, said Anar Tleulesova, an expert whose organization works with the government researching and monitoring the basin areas of lakes Balkhash and Alakol. We have only one institute, where no one seems to know or do anything. Kazakh officials refute claims by Tleulesova and other experts that the government has failed to represent national interests in talks with their powerful partner. Bolat Bekniyaz, deputy water resources minister, argued that Beijing had not reached water-sharing agreements with any country, while Kazakhstan was the only country that China was in talks with over such a deal, he said, claiming that "the level [of Balkhahsh] has not dropped below dangerous levels in the last 20 years. There was little talk at the water forum about the governments plans to build a nuclear power plant on the shore of the town of Ulken. But it is a much-discussed topic in the communities around Balkhash, and not everybody is opposed to the idea. Lively public hearings held in Ulken last year revealed that many residents saw the plant as part of a path to economic revival for a region that remains distinctly postindustrial and poor in many areas. But fishermen from the town were firmly in the naysayers' camp, as is Kasenuly, the Tasaral fisherman. He cited another fishing village called Mynaral, situated between Tasaral and Ulken, as an argument. They built a cement plant there and it polluted everything. Now their fishermen sometimes come here because there are no fish over there, Kasenuly said. If a [nuclear] catastrophe occurs, everything will perish," the fisherman added. "How will we live if [Lake] Balkhash disappears? Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has pledged to hold a national referendum to decide whether Kazakhstan should build a nuclear power plant but has yet to set a date for the vote. U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border in a call on October 9 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. Biden also condemned Irans ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1, a White House statement said. Biden "affirmed Israels right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut," the statement said. Biden spoke with Netanyahu earlier about Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack last week, according to statements from both the White House and the Israeli prime minister's office on October 9. The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu "agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days both directly and through their national security teams." The call comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's expected response to Iran's largely ineffective missile attack, which Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel's escalation in Lebanon, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video published on Israeli media that Israel's response "will be deadly, precise, and above all surprising." Biden last week said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites as part of its retaliation. He also said that, if he were in Israel's shoes, he would think about alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields. Israel has faced calls by the United States and other allies to accept a cease-fire deal in Gaza and Lebanon but has said it will continue its military operations until Israelis are safe. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned on October 9 that Israel must avoid conducting military operations in Lebanon like those it has conducted in Gaza. "I'm making very clear that there should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza," Miller told journalists. The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu discussed the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Biden also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the White House said. Israels bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials said. Hezbollah, a group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its party, which has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The call between Biden and Netanyahu took place as Israeli forces stepped up their ground offensive against Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. On October 9, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters had used artillery and rockets against Israeli troops near the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh. In a separate statement, the group said it engaged in combat with Israeli forces as they "attempted to infiltrate the border town of Blida" in southeast Lebanon. The Israeli Army said early on October 9 that it had intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanon as air-raid alarms sounded in and around Caesarea, a coastal city south of Haifa. The latest fighting comes as fears grow of a larger conflict in the region after Israel also claimed that the successor to Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated." Gallant said on October 8 that Hezbollah was an "organization without a head" and there's no one left to make decisions. Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities." "We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said. Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition remain unknown since an October 2 Israeli strike on a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack. Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States. For two days during the June 15-16 summit for peace in Ukraine, senior officials from more than 90 countries focused on the most devastating conflict in Europe since World War II. As the delegations dispersed, participants lauded the launching of a process to keep the dialogue going and the prospect of a second summit in the near future. But the fact that Moscow was not invited to the event and had derided it as a waste of time and effort cast doubts over the future of any peace process. Although the summits final communique did not explicitly mention Russia, it noted that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties. We, therefore, decide to undertake concrete steps in the futurewith further engagement of the representatives of all parties, the statement continued, noting that the basis for a resolution to the conflict had to be the principles of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. This was an inaugural summit intended to get a peace process moving based on the UN Charter and respect for international law, said Ukrainian analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta political research center. What comes next? One possibility that was discussed on the sidelines of the summit would be to hold a peace conference. Many participants at the peace summit mentioned that in the future another event [with the participation of Russia and Ukraine] must be held, Fesenko added. But without preconditions or ultimatums. Speaking to journalists after the summits first session on June 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: There is no Russia here because if Russia would be interested in peace, there would be no war. 'Trying To Make It Look Like A Compromise' At a special Moscow event on the eve of the peace summit in Switzerland, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out what he described as a peace plan for Ukraine. He said that if Kyiv withdrew its forces from all the Ukrainian regions that Russia has claimed, including territory currently held by Ukrainian forces, and renounced any ambition to join NATO, Moscow would immediately order a cease-fire and be ready to begin negotiations. He added that a peace agreement had to be based on international recognition of Moscows claims to Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, and Crimea regions and the lifting of all sanctions imposed against Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to journalists on June 16, added that the Kremlin considers Zelenskiy to be an illegitimate leader and would not hold talks with him. Putins statement was immediately denounced by Ukraine and many participants in the Switzerland summit as an ultimatum aimed at disrupting the global event. It is clear that he did not mean these proposals as the beginning of negotiations that could lead to peace, said Russian political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky, but rather to Ukraines capitulation or to continued fighting. Putin is demanding he be given what he could not take by military force, all the while trying to make it look like a compromise. What Putin said were preconditions, analyst Fesenko said. They were not proposals to be negotiated. They were preconditions, an ultimatum. A real peace process has to begin without preconditions. Deutsche Welle journalist Konstantin Eggert told RFE/RLs Russian Service that it is clear that Putin does not want peace and that he thinks he can continue fighting for a rather long time and wait out everyone else. China's Interests China, Russias main geopolitical ally, did not attend the Switzerland summit and has proposed together with Brazil its own peace process involving both Russia and Ukraine. In its statements, Beijing has stressed that a peace agreement must be based on respect for national sovereignty while remaining silent on the question of Ukraines territorial integrity. The success of the Switzerland summit, said Russian political scientist Aleksandr Morozov, has created a kind of dynamic that Beijing will have to take into account if it is to proceed as an intermediary. The war is now on the agenda of a large number of countries, he said, adding that the summits statement in support of Ukraines territorial integrity cannot be ignored. Preobrazhensky noted Beijings influence in Moscow but expressed doubt that China could compel a strategic revision of Moscows course. Moreover, he argued Beijings own interests may not be in seeking a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Beijing is not interested in ending the aggression, he said. It has other interests. They want to preserve the status quo. Russia must not completely lose this war, but there is no need from Chinas perspective for it to win either. The Saudi Card En route to Switzerland, Zelenskiy made a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia, where he persuaded the Saudis to participate in the summit. Kyiv reportedly sees Saudi Arabia as a possible host for a follow-on peace conference with the participation of both China and Russia. During the summit session on June 15, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud expressed hope that the summit would provide us the basis of a political track of resolving the conflict. But the path to peace will require some difficult compromises as part of the road map. Any credible process will need Russias participation, he concluded. Analyst Fesenko said the Switzerland summit provides a basis for further discussion on issues where agreement is possible, such as the release of prisoners or the return of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia. But there are questions on which no compromise is possible, including the status of the occupied regions, he said. There could be a Saudi continuation of the global summit, Fesenko said, noting media reports that the European Union supports such an initiative. On the other hand, the process that led to the Switzerland summit could continue with low-level, informal meetings involving representatives of summit participants, together with Ukraine and Russia. These would not be peace talks, he stressed, but rather attempts to agree on the format of future peace talks and the agenda of such talks. Written by RFE/RLs Robert Coalson with reporting by Current Time, RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, and RFE/RLs Russian Service 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. Please note that, starting next week, this newsletter will be published -- or arrive in your inbox if you're a subscriber -- on Tuesday mornings. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues: Ukraine and Moldova opening EU talks in June and the so-called Czech ammunition initiative. Briefing #1: Ukraine And Moldova Set For Late June EU Accession Talks What You Need To Know: Everything is set up for Ukraine and Moldova to officially open EU accession talks on June 25 in Luxembourg, with the bloc keen to hold what are known in EU parlance as Intergovernmental Conferences (IGC) to mark the occasion. The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, presented an oral update on both countries to representatives from the 27 EU member states on June 7 in Brussels. According to the update, later distributed in written form to EU capitals and obtained by RFE/RL, the two countries had completed all the reforms that were required of them, which largely dealt with rule-of-law issues. In the case of Moldova, all of the 27 EU member states agreed with the assessment that the country had completed its reforms. For Ukraine, 26 countries agreed, with one exception: Hungary. Budapest has continued to argue that Ukraine still hasn't done enough to safeguard the rights of its ethnic Hungarian minority in the country. Ensuring the rights of national minorities was one of the four conditions Ukraine had to fulfill. For a moment, it looked like no IGC would take place at the end of the month for either country. (Their paths are coupled in this process.) What needs to happen for the two IGCs to go ahead in June is for EU members to unanimously agree on Ukraine's and Moldova's respective negotiation frameworks, which will essentially plot the path of the enlargement road ahead. EU ambassadors were hoping to adopt these frameworks on June 12, but Hungary insisted it wasn't ready to sign off. There was, however, a late reprieve on June 14 with a compromise that Budapest, the rest of the EU, and Ukraine could all live with. Deep Background: To understand the process, it makes sense to start with what was said in the oral update on Ukraine's progress regarding national minorities. Firstly, the written version of the document outlines what Kyiv did in early 2024 to comply with the European Commission's requirements, including adopting a methodology for the use of national minority languages, producing a road map on education for minorities, and the creation of a Council of Public Associations of National Minorities. The update also notes that Kyiv recently set up a financial compensation mechanism for translations of election material between minority languages and Ukrainian. The document notes that Ukraine has "enacted several laws and taken implementing measures in order to address the remaining [European Commission's] Venice Commission recommendations from June 2023 and October 2023 linked to the law on national minorities and to the laws on state language, media, and education." It then concluded that "while noting that the Venice Commission has not pronounced itself on the follow-up given to its recommendation, the commission considers that Ukraine has taken all the necessary measures. This step is thus completed." Drilling Down According to many accounts of the meeting on June 7, representatives from all countries present gave their clear support for the commission's assessment on Ukraine and asked that the framework be quickly adopted so that the IGC can go ahead on June 25. Hungary, however, remained a stickler, mentioning 11 issues that Budapest said Ukraine hasn't addressed. Broadly speaking, those issues can be boiled down to three main areas: restoring the status of the national minority school system; restoring the right to speak minority languages when dealing with state authorities; and restoring the right to political representation on a regional as well as national level. What Hungary essentially wants is to go back to what Ukrainian legislation looked like before 2015, when Kyiv started amending laws on national minorities and state languages. Those amendments, which were driven by a desire to reduce the amount of Russian spoken, led to the increased usage of Ukrainian in public institutions, such as schools. In this respect, Budapest wanted to add two amendments to the negotiation framework and in the opening statement of the potential IGC. First, Budapest wanted it noted in both documents that Ukraine needs to produce an action plan dedicated to the protection of the rights of national minorities. And second, Budapest asked for written references in the negotiation framework to two documents from 1991: the Treaty On The Foundations Of Good Neighborly Relations And Cooperation, signed by Ukraine and Hungary in 1991; and the declaration on the principles of cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine in guaranteeing the rights of national minorities. In the compromise text, agreed on June 14, the action plan required by Hungary is included along with a statement that the "the right of persons belonging to national minorities should be protected, in line with the constitution of Ukraine. Furthermore, Ukraine is expected to implement relevant bilateral agreements with EU member states." Also noted in the compromise document was that the European Commission will monitor Kyiv's implementation of minority rights reforms and report regularly to EU member states. This might not seem like too much to ask for, but other member states are unhappy that bilateral issues are being dragged into the enlargement negotiations at such an early stage. They fear -- with some foundation -- that Budapest can veto every step of the way by suggesting that Kyiv isn't protecting national minorities enough. Bilateral issues between a member state and a candidate country often slow down the EU accession process. Just look at Bulgaria's refusal to sign off on North Macedonia opening accession talks due to Skopje not amending its constitution to reflect Bulgarians as a founding people. On the other hand, many diplomats I spoke to are at least happy that the concrete references to specific bilateral treaties between Hungary and Ukraine are gone from the document. They also noted that a compromise on this issue always looked possible, especially as Hungary is taking over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, one of the main decision-making bodies of the bloc, on July 1 and is expected to not keep Ukraine high on the agenda for the next six months. So, there was pressure to finalize everything by the end of June. and is expected to not keep Ukraine high on the agenda for the next six months. So, there was pressure to finalize everything by the end of June. There is now just one small hurdle that needs to be cleared before the IGC can go ahead: a debate and vote on the frameworks in the Dutch parliament on June 20. (The Netherlands is the only country taking this step.) This should be a formality with a pro-Ukraine majority in parliament, but since the Dutch general elections in November 2023, lawmakers have become more enlargement skeptic. Briefing #2: The Limitations Of Czech Ammunition What You Need To Know: Much has been said about the inability of the West to provide Ukraine with enough artillery ammunition in its war against Russia. There was much consternation in Brussels when the European Union failed with its initiative, announced in early 2023, to provide Kyiv with 1 million 155 mm shells by March of this year. In the end, around half of the proposed amount was delivered, with another pledge that the EU provide the remaining ammunition by the end of 2024. Ukraine is still being outgunned on the battlefield. During last summer's offensive, it fired 7,000 artillery shells a day, which fell to below 2,000 in the early spring of this year compared to Russia, which at some point was pounding Ukrainian lines with between 10,000 and 20,000 shells daily. It was during this critical time in early spring that a new ammunition enterprise hit the headlines, led by the Czech Republic. The country's president, Petr Pavel, told the audience at the Munich Security Conference on February 17 that Prague had identified 800,000 artillery shells globally that could be directed to Ukraine at very short notice. There are a few points worth clarifying here. Firstly, acquiring ammunition from non-EU states and sending it to Ukraine is not a new thing. The mechanism has been around since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The initiative has only recently caught the media's attention, however. Secondly, it is not just the Czechs but actually a joint Czech-Danish-Dutch initiative. And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the 800,000 figure mentioned by Pavel was just a "milestone," as one Czech government official who wanted to remain anonymous told me. It was not an amount of ammunition that the Czech Republic and its two partners already had in their possession and were ready to provide to Ukraine. Deep Background: After media coverage of the "Czech ammunition initiative," more Western countries have gotten on board. But have they really? And will it have much impact? The jury is out on both counts. Since the war broke out, the Czechs, Danish, and Dutch have provided Ukraine with over 1.3 million rounds of different types of caliber ammunition. This month, the first batch of shells will go to Ukraine since the initiative became an established enterprise. It is expected that Ukraine will receive between 50,000-100,000 shells, with another around 80,000 ordered. By the end of the year, Czech government officials have said that figure should reach 500,000 rounds worth 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion). At the end of May, the three countries, along with Canada, Germany, and Portugal, were the only ones that had actually sent money to Ukraine for the purchase of ammunition, with another 10 in the process of doing so but still grappling with government bureaucracy or parliamentary and budgetary committee approvals. Officials in Prague estimate that Kyiv now needs some 200,000 shells per month in order to just be able to hold the Russians at bay. This costs an estimated 7 billion to 10 billion euros per year. There are also other ammunition initiatives in place, including one by Ukraine itself and one led by the United States. Drilling Down So why is it proving so hard to steadily supply Ukraine with sufficient ammunition? Surprisingly, it is not so much about production capacity, even though that is an issue in Europe. According to Tomas Kopecny, a Czech diplomat who is very much at the center of the initiative, there are "single digit of millions of rounds of ammunition that we are competing for." Speaking recently to a group of journalists in Prague, including RFE/RL, he said it was first and foremost a coordination job among allies to make sure they weren't overpaying. It all really comes down to money -- essentially making sure there is enough cash flow to make prepayments and then the ability to come up with the funds quicker than Russia and its partners. That is largely what determines what side of the conflict the shells end up in. Essentially, the ammo market is like any other, with producers selling to the highest bidder. And since the war started, the price of shells has quadrupled. Diplomats have been reticent about saying where the ammunition is coming from as the sellers prefer to keep a low profile, partly out of the fear of being pressurized by the other side in the conflict, either by diplomatic or economic means. It's not just about money, though, but also political will. France has been reluctant to use EU money to purchase military equipment and ammunition outside the bloc, and Cyprus is reluctant that any cash go to Turkey, a significant producer of ammunition and military equipment. With enough money and enough political will, the West can still help Ukraine. The EU didn't hesitate, for the first time in its history, to utilize joint borrowing -- where the bloc collectively raised funds by issuing bonds on behalf of all its member states -- to the tune of 800 billion euros to counter the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kopecny noted that just a fraction of such a figure, meaning contributions in tens of billions of euros or dollars, would "totally change the landscape in Ukraine's favor in the war." Looking Ahead This evening, on June 17, there will be an informal meeting of EU leaders. This is the first time the 27 heads of state and government will assemble in Brussels after the European Parliament elections on June 6-9 to assess the results. There will also be an initial discussion on who should be the next European Commission president, European Council president, and EU foreign policy chief, although it is expected that the leaders will take the final decision on those key posts at another EU summit in Brussels next week. That's all for this week. And just a reminder that, starting next week, this newsletter will be published -- or arrive in your inbox if you're a subscriber -- on Tuesday mornings. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on X @RikardJozwiak, or on 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. Ken Foxe The master of the National Maternity Hospital expressed fears that the historic iron railings surrounding the hospital were on the verge of collapse. In discussions over how to repair the nineteenth-century ironwork at Holles Street Hospital in Dublin, specialist contractors said it would cost in the region of 343,000 for a restoration and replacement programme. However, they said that some of the railings were so severely damaged they could not be saved and that they also likely contained lead paint, which meant repair could not take place in the city centre. A preliminary assessment of costs said: Restoring the railings and gates on site is not an option apart from the fact that the work would be too noisy and dirty beside a hospital. We would propose to remove sections of railings, shot-blast, prime, restore, repaint and then re-erect and then move on to the next section. The master of the National Maternity Hospital Professor Shane Higgins, also wrote to the Irish Georgian Society in April saying he was worried some of the ironwork would give way. Prof Higgins wrote: The railings are in a serious state of disrepair, and we fear there is a risk of part of the railing potentially collapsing. We would be grateful for your advice as to how we should seek to repair [or] replace the railings and whether there would be any grants for which we might apply for that might assist us with this undertaking. In response, the Irish Georgian Society pointed to a list of skilled blacksmiths that could carry out the work involved, and suggested grants might be available from Dublin City Council next year. The National Maternity Hospital had already been given an estimated cost of more than 340,000 for the work, exclusive of VAT, with the possibility of staggering the project across several years due to the cost. An assessment said about 93 metres of bottom railing had lost more than fifty percent of their original mass and could not be saved. It added: Unfortunately, almost all the decorative rings and collar infill of the newel posts are heavily corroded, little can be restored, and most will have to be replaced. The assessment said there were 47 metres of railings facing onto Merrion Square that could be done in a first phase at a cost of around 116,000. A second phase to restore and replace 135 metres of ironwork that runs along Holles Street and which was in a poorer state of repair had a cost estimate of just under 227,000. Asked about the progress of the project, a spokesperson for the National Maternity Hospital said: The issue is still under consideration and all options are being examined. Fourteen people arrested in connection with a major Garda operation in Dublin have been charged. The operation in Dublin Metropolitan Region North is targeting those alleged to be involved in the sale and supply of drugs, associated criminality and money laundering. Twelve men and two women, with ages ranging from late teens to 50s, were charged in connection with the ongoing investigation. Gardai said ten of the men and the two women are due to appear in court on Monday morning, while the remaining two men will appear in the coming days. Since last September, the DMR North operation has resulted in 48 people being charged with offences, while over 1.2 million in assets have been seized from those suspected of being involved in criminality in the region. The passing of the nature restoration law this morning in Brussels is a black day for Irish Farmers, especially those on peaty soil, according to Roscommon-Galway TD, Michael Fitzmaurice. The Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice believes that the development marked a significant and troubling development for Irish farmers working on peaty soil. Backed by the Green Partys Leader Eamon Ryan, the law has far-reaching implications that Michael Fitzmaurice TD believes have not been fully considered, particularly for those farming in rural areas of Ireland: I have always stated that between now and 2030, the state will be able to manage the transition. However, the real problem will emerge post-2030, especially for smaller farmers farming on peaty soil across this country. The entire economic and social ecosystem of Rural Ireland is in jeopardy, he said. Deputy Fitzmaurice claimed there had been a persistent campaign from the Green Party, supported by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, pushing for this legislation. We've seen what happens once European elections are overother countries capitulate, and this law gets through without resistance. The result is that Irish farmers will bear the brunt of these political decisions. The Roscommon-Galway TD further emphasised the long-term impact, warning: Twelve to fifteen years ago, I cautioned about the Habitats Directive and its consequences. Unfortunately, the people of Lough Funshinagh have found out the hard way that a turlough takes priority over their homes and livelihoods - this is bad law. Today, I am warning about the nature restoration law. Farmers and the public must understand that we are being gradually shut down." He also highlighted what he saw as the regional impacts of the nature restoration law. The West, the Midlands, the North West, and the South West will experience severe consequences down the road. The European Elections arent over a wet week and its plough-on from Europe." With this law now ratified, the focus shifts to its implementation and the potential repercussions for the agricultural sector. He said the call to action is clear: stakeholders must remain vigilant and proactive in addressing the challenges posed by this new regulation. Voluntary is the buzzword, but if you look for CAP next year and you are from peaty soil you will have to undertake not to shore, drain, or plough your lands once your application is in. So, if thats voluntary Id hate to see compulsory legislation because farmers cannot survive without their CAP payment, he said. Panchayat Web Series Real Story: 'Phulera' Village Is Actually REAL!' Phulera village from the web series Panchayat web series, completely resembles the Mahodia village located in Madhya Pradesh. Is Panchayat Web Series Based on True Story? Is Phulera Village in the Panchayat Web Series real? Ever since the Panchayat web series surfaced on social media and people started showering love on it, the people wondered if the Phulera village from the series is real or not. What if we say, the fictional Phulera village depicted in the Amazon Prime original web series is not actually fictional? Exciting, isn't it? Advertisement Well, the Phulera village from the web series Panchayat web series, completely resembles the Mahodia village located in Madhya Pradesh. The physical similarities between the gram panchayat office and the water tank of 'Phulera' village from Panchayat web series and the real Mahodia village in Madhya Pradesh, are not being bought by fans as merely as coincidence. Advertisement Both structures serve as symbolic markers within their respective contexts, reflecting broader societal and environmental themes. In both the fictional village of Phulera from the Panchayat and the real village of Mahodia in Madhya Pradesh, the Gram Panchayat office serves as a pivotal institution for local governance and community interaction. Advertisement In 'Panchayat', Phulera's Gram Panchayat office is depicted as a modest yet bustling hub where administrative decisions are made, village issues are addressed, and community meetings take place. It symbolizes the grassroots level of democracy and the challenges faced in rural administration, resonating with the real-life setup in Mahodia. Alongside the Gram Panchayat office, the water tank is another essential feature in both Phulera and Mahodia, serving as a lifeline for clean water access and a gathering point for villagers to discuss and address water-related issues. These similarities underscore the authentic portrayal of rural governance and infrastructure challenges in Panchayat, reflecting the realities of villages like Mahodia across India. Advertisement In both settings, the physical similarities evoke deeper meanings about societal structures, resource management, and community dynamics. They serve as visual metaphors that enrich the storytelling, emphasizing the interconnectedness between human agency, environment, and governance in shaping rural life and its challenges. The series brings the relatable characters and their interactions to life, from the earnest but inexperienced Panchayat Secretary to the wise and pragmatic village head, reflecting the real people in Mahodia. (For more stories apart from Panchayat Web Series Real Story: 'Phulera' Village Is Actually REAL!', stay tuned to Rozana Spokesaman) Dalhousie accident news: Punjab Policeman's Car Fell into a Deep Gorge in Dalhousie, Cop Dies According to information, his car fell into a ravine, resulting in his immediate death. Dalhousie accident news today: In a tragic incident, a Punjab police officer who went to the hills with his family for a summer vacation, died after his car fell into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie. According to information, his car fell into a ravine, resulting in his immediate death. According to the information received, a Punjab Police Constable identified as Raman Kumar was stationed in the control room. He died when his car fell into a deep ravine in Khajjiar, Himachal while parking. Advertisement Raman Kumar had gone to Dalhousie Khajjiar with his family, and as he attempted to park his car near Khajjiar, it fell into the ravine behind him, leading to his immediate death. Raman Kumar had served in various police stations and was currently stationed in the control room. (For more news apart from Punjab policeman's car falling into a deep ravine in Dalhousie, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Electricity crisis looms large in Punjab; Office timings be changed? Malls and shops to be closed? All India Power Engineers Federation has issued a warning for the potential electricity crisis in the state. Electricity Power in Punjab, office timings change news and malls, shops closure: While the people of Punjab have been dealing with a severe heatwave these days, All India Power Engineers Federation has issued a warning for the potential electricity crisis in the state that might lead to the severe power cuts in the coming days. In a letter written to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the All India Power Engineers Federation stated that "While situation of power availability and supply is becoming serious day by day, neither the Govt of India nor any state Govt has initiated steps to control the power demand. If the situation continues alike, there are fair chances of grid disturbance." Advertisement It added, "In the state of Punjab, the power consumption has gone up by 43% between June 1 to 15, 2024, when compared to the same period during 2023 while the Maximum Demand has gone up from 11309MW in June 2023 to 15775MW in June 2024 With additional agricultural load expected to rise by the end of June due to paddy cultivation in whole the state of Punjab, may lead to an unmanageable power situation." "Sir (referring to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann), AIPEF considers you as the most efficient and pro-public Chief Minister in India and thus requests you to lead the initiatives to control the power consumption enlisted in our aforesaid letter. In our opinion, the situation is going to be serious if these steps reiterated below are not implemented immediately." The steps advised are: Advertisement The office timings should be changed to 7 am to 2 pm. All the commercial establishments, Malls, and shops.should be closed at 7 pm. Peak load restrictions should be imposed on the Industry. Paddy sowing in the remaining areas of Punjab state should be shifted to June 25, and no one should be allowed to violate the date. The water-guzzling varieties like PUSA 44 should be banned and varieties like PR126, Basmati, etc. which mature in 90 days. Power theft should be covered as an offense under NSA. Free power as a state policy should be reviewed forthwith. The Minister of Power, Govt of India, may be approached to allocate at least 1000MW additional power extra from the central pool on top priority. (For more news apart from the Electricity crisis looms large in Punjab, office timings change news and malls, shops closure, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Punjab Bomb Threat News Today: Railway Stations in Punjab on ALERT This comes hours after Mira Road hospital in Mumbai received bomb threat. Punjab Bomb Threat News Today: In a shocking development, Punjab received a major bomb threat on Monday, the sources revealed. It has been reported that the railway stations have been put on alert ever since the news of the bomb threat in Punjab surfaced. It may be recalled that recently a letter was issued by the terrorist group to avenge the death of the terrorists killed in the Jammu and Kashmir encounter. The letter mentioned several railway stations in Punjab, which have been threatened to be blasted with bomb attacks. Advertisement After this, the police and other security agencies have been put on alert. Apart from the Punjab Police, the Railway Police is also engaged at its level. (For more news apart from Punjab Bomb Threat News Today and Railway Stations on Alert, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Summit for Ukraine The Romanian foreign minister Luminita Odobescu took part in the Ukraine peace summit Luminita Odobescu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: mae.ro) Leyla Cheamil, 17.06.2024, 14:00 Romania has supported the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyys peace plan from the very beginning, and Russias so-called peace proposal lacks credibility, says the Romanian diplomacy chief Luminita Odobescu, who took part in the international Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held this past weekend in Switzerland. Luminita Odobescu pointed out that Romanias view is that peace in the neghbouring country should be based on the UN Charter and on the principles of international law. The Romanian foreign minister stated that the peace summit hosted by Switzerland was a success, both in terms of the large number of participants, and in that the participants agreed that peace in Ukraine should rely on the UN Charter and international law. The event was organized at the request of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy concerning the start of a process aimed at fair, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine. Extensive international participation was reported, with over 100 countries and international organisations from around the globe taking part. In a national statement, the Romanian foreign minister highlighted the exclusive responsibility of the Russian Federation for its aggression against Ukraine, which is a serious violation of fundamental principles of international law. She also dismissed the Russian propagandas narratives concerning Moscows alleged willingness to negotiate. Three top-priority themes on Ukraines agenda have been discussed, as part of the peace plan presented by president Zelenskyy, namely nuclear security, food security and humanitarian aspects. Basically, the participants discussed in detail the core principles on which future peace should rely, Luminita Odobescu explained. She also added that while the process is lengthy, the large number of participants from all parts of the world is an indicator of the international communitys interest in finding solutions, and of the fact that a rule-based international order remains a critical foundation of international relations. At the panel on food security, the Romanian diplomacy chief presented Romanias dynamic role in facilitating Ukrainian exports, and the efforts made by Romania, either alone or together with foreign partners, to further improve the transit capacity for Ukrainian food products. The Romanian official also discussed the efforts made by Romania jointly with Bulgaria and Turkey to secure traffic in the Black Sea, under the mine clearance agreement signed by the three countries. At the end of the summit, a joint communique was signed, emphasizing the need for all future talks or peace efforts to be based on the UN Charter and to comply with the principles of international law. (AMP) Racer is to Tata Motors, what N Line is to Hyundai, a high-performance division More Racer versions of Tata cars are expected in the future Tata Motors recently had a mic drop moment when they launched the new Altroz Racer. Essentially, Altroz Racer offers the taste of a race-bred car for mainstream audience. Just how race-bred is it? That question was demonstrated by Indias first F1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan, at CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore. Read along to know more about it. Altroz Racer Track Review Drive and Handling Challenging Hyundai i20 N Line, Altroz Racer aims to Race Past The Routine and offer an exhilarating performance to thrill-seeking Indian car buyers. In that journey, Tata Motors teamed up with Narain Karthikeyan, who gave valuable inputs to developing the cars dynamics and overall handling, especially on a race track. As part of the media drive event, Tata Motors arranged a thorough track session with Altroz Racer at CoASTT High Performance Centre, Coimbatore. Narain Karthikeyan demonstrated Altroz Racers capabilities first-hand. We could see how playful and fun the car can get in skilled hands and also experienced how much more capable it was than standard car. Tata Altroz had a great baseline on which Racer has been built. However, to add that extra Racer sauce, Tata Motors has worked on the suspension in regard to damping, bump absorption and rebound to achieve sharper handling characteristics. When compared to most FWD hatchbacks in India, Altroz Racer promises to keep the body movement to the minimum. In the pursuit of fun and handling, Tata Motors hasnt compromised regular road-going characteristics. In Karthikeyans words, Adaptation of Altroz Racer to the race track is unbelievable. Demonstrating Racers neutral handling characteristics, Narain chucked the car into every single corner, even provoking it and kicking the tail out. Altroz Racer tackles the race track with ease. The tuned steering mechanism on Racer needs very little input to carve high-speed corners. When driven properly, there was not a lot of tyre squeal too, but fatter and grippier tyres would have unlocked Altroz Racers true potential. Tata is offering a re-tuned hydraulic clutch which is light and quick to respond. The best hot-hatch in India? At the high-speed sections of CoASTT, Narain Karthikeyan managed to achieve around 140 km/h in the Altroz Racer, which was truly impressive. We managed to achieve similar speeds too. Shows just how friendly and easy-to-drive Altroz Racer is. Lap after lap, Altroz Racer went on to demonstrate its agility and capability to stay relatively flat on the track. With i20 N Line as the benchmark, Narain mentioned that Altroz Racer surpassed the rivals in terms of performance and other metrics. Speaking of, Altroz Racer now gets the i-Turbo+ powertrain in the form of a 1.2L 3-cyl turbo petrol engine that is capable of kicking out 120 PS of peak power and 170 Nm of peak torque, mated to a sole 6-speed manual transmission. 0-100 km/h sprint is claimed to be 11.3 seconds. Visual treats ln Altroz Racer like the side skirts, black bonnet, racing stripes, larger spoiler and other attributes along with throatier exhaust further ups the hot hatch quotient. With Altroz Racer, Tata Motors intends to nurture the hot hatch culture in India, something that JTP twins were less successive at. At the price point, it is being offered, Altroz Racer is the most affordable hot hatchback in the country. Tata Motors is not actively promoting fast and reckless driving. But the appeal of mass-market hot hatch is strong with Altroz Racer and we should see more people foraying into this niche. Hyundai Creta, Venue and Exter topped sales charts with a combined share of 64% in total sales Hyundai, the 2nd best-selling automaker in India in terms of volumes, saw a total of 49,151 units sold in May 2024. This was a marginal 1% YoY growth when compared to 48,601 units sold in May 2023 while MoM sales suffered a 2% decline over 50,201 units sold in April 2024. Hyundai Sales May 2024 YoY Vs MoM Comparison Hyundai Creta was once again the best-selling model in the company portfolio last month with 14,661 units sold, even as sales improved by just 1% YoY from 14,449 units sold in May 2023. Creta sales dipped 5% MoM as against 15,447 units sold in April 2024. The Creta was also at No. 2 on the list of top 10 SUV in May 2024 after leader Tata Punch. Suffering a YoY decline of 9% but a MoM growth of 2% was the Hyundai Venue, sales of which stood at 9,327 units in the past month. It was followed by the relatively new Exter SUV which appealed to a host of buyers thanks to its class leading features. Exter sales stood at 7,697 units last month. Hyundai has seen lower demand for the Grand i10, sales of which dipped by 17% YoY to 5,328 units in May 2024 over 6,385 units sold in the corresponding month of last year. MoM sales however, showed more promise with a 4% rise when compared to 5,117 units sold in April 2024. Hyundai i20 Elite too saw a marked decline in sales by 15% YoY and 1% on a MoM basis to 5,169 units in May 2024. Reporting lower sales was also the Hyundai Xcent/Aura (4,433 units) and Verna (1,381 units) while Alcazar sales too fell drastically by 61% YoY and 23% MoM to just 944 units in May 2024. There were 2,443 units and 1,219 units of the Alcazar sold in May 2023 and April 2024 respectively. Hyundai has also suffered lower demand for the Tucson (168 units) and Ioniq 5 (42 units), sales of which fell 56% and 74% respectively on a YoY basis and by 16% and 7% MoM. Despite the mixed performance across various models, Hyundai managed to maintain its market share. The Creta, Venue, and the new Exter model were the primary contributors to the overall sales, with their combined sales accounting for a significant portion of the total units sold. Hyundai Creta EV on Test In a bid to refresh the company portfolio, more particularly in the electric vehicle segment, Hyundai is actively testing the Creta EV, which is slated to be launched in early 2025. The Creta EV is expected to draw its power via a 45 kWh battery pack expected to offer a range of around 450 kms. It will be positioned on the same platform as the current Creta and will be produced from the company facility at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. When launched, Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 will rival Speed 400, Hero-Harley 440, 390 Duke, Pulsar NS400Z, Yezdi Roadster and the likes With the Himalayan 450, Royal Enfield flexed its newfound R&D muscle to the world. From offering barebones machines to selling the most feature-packed motorcycle in the segment, Royal Enfield has come a long way with its 450 platform. Royal Enfields upcoming Guerrilla 450 will be an embodiment of this ethos and heres how it might look when launched. Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Rendered On the surface, Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 will be a street naked or roadster version of Himalayan 450 motorcycle on sale. However, there is a lot more riding on Guerrilla 450 than just being a stripped-down version of Himalayan 450. There are a lot of niggles and negatives seen on this new 450 platform with Himalayan 450. Guerrilla 450 is expected to iron out all of these niggles and offer a much more cohesive and seamless experience. So, no pressure, then. Launch is right around the corner and Guerrilla 450 is also expected to cost a lot less than Himalayan 450, which can go very close to Rs. 4 lakh (OTR, Karnataka). Rushlanes render of Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, penned down by rendering artist Pratyush Rout, is based on the innumerous spy shots and test mule sightings in the past couple of years. Visually, Guerrilla 450 looks a lot more pleasing and it even comes off as a more nimble and agile offering than Himalayan 450. When opposed to Himalayan 450, we can see a new fuel tank, a Guerrilla 450 logo, a scooped-out seat for low seat height, a smaller seat (in length), a cleaner tail section (relatively) and more. Headlight is fixed to the handlebar and has a nice-looking cowl, definitely a better implementation than Himalayans. RSU telescopic forks, black fork gaiters, smaller 17-inch alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, LED headlights, rear LED tail lights integrated into the turn indicators, round ORVMs, conventional front fender (mudguard) and other attributes are notable on Guerrilla 450. We have the same TFT Tripper Dash too and we hope the bugs are ironed out with the new offering. Specs, performance and price Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 will share the same frame as Himalayan 450 along with the new Sherpa 450 engine. This is a single-cylinder 450cc engine with DOHC 4V head and features liquid cooling, a 6-speed gearbox, slipper clutch, ride-by-wire and a few other fancy stuff. Peak performance is 40 bhp and 40 Nm. Considering that Guerrilla 450 has missed out on a lot of touring friendly attributes and more expensive cycle parts, it should weigh and cost less than Himalayan 450. Firstly, we expect kerb weight to be around 180 kg and cost around Rs. 2.5 lakh (Ex-sh). Rivals at this price include Triumph Speed 400, Yezdi Roadster, Harley-Davidson X440, Hero Mavrick 440, along with KTM 390 Duke and the recently launched Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z. The total sales for the top 10 motorcycles grew by 1.59% YoY, reaching 8,45,580 units in May 2024 compared to 8,32,305 units in May 2023 After taking a look at the top 10 two wheelers in May 2024, let us now focus on the top 10 motorcycles. The motorcycle market in May 2024 showcased a dynamic landscape with significant shifts among the top players. According to the latest sales data, the total sales for the top 10 motorcycles reached 8,45,580 units, marking a modest growth of 1.59% compared to May 2023. Top 10 Motorcycles May 2024 Hero Splendor Retains Top Spot Despite Decline Hero Splendor continued to dominate the market, securing the number one position with 3,04,663 units sold. However, it faced an 11.05% year-on-year decline, losing 37,863 units compared to May 2023. Honda Shine emerged as a major growth story, with sales jumping to 1,49,054 units, a 43.74% increase from the previous years 1,03,699 units. Bajaj Pulsar maintained its third-place ranking with 1,28,480 units sold, showing a marginal increase of 0.06% (77 units) from May 2023. Its consistent performance accounted for a 15.19% share of the market. Hero HF Deluxe saw a notable decline of 20.13%, with sales dropping to 87,143 units from 1,09,100 units in May 2023. Despite this decrease, it still holds a significant market share of 10.31%. TVS Apache experienced a 9.65% decrease in sales, reaching 37,906 units compared to 41,955 units the previous year. This decline brought its market share to 4.48%. TVS Raider enjoyed an 8.16% increase in sales, reaching 37,249 units, up from 34,440 units in May 2023. This growth allowed it to capture a 4.41% market share. Bajaj Platina faced the steepest decline among the top 10, with a 28.27% drop in sales to 30,239 units from 42,154 units. This significant decrease resulted in a market share of 3.58%. Honda Unicorn made a remarkable entry into the top 10 list with 24,740 units sold, accounting for 2.93% of the market. Its strong performance highlights its popularity among consumers. The Royal Enfield (RE) Classic 350 saw a decline of 9.76%, with sales falling to 23,779 units from 26,350 units in May 2023. This drop brought its market share to 2.81%. A standout performer was Hero Passion, which recorded an astounding 507.04% growth, selling 22,327 units compared to just 3,678 units in May 2023. This dramatic increase elevated its market share to 2.64%. Top 10 Motorcycles May 2024 MoM Performance The total sales for the top 10 motorcycles fell to 8,45,580 units, an 8.82% decrease from Aprils 9,27,355 units. Hero Splendor, although maintaining its lead, saw a decrease of 5.08% in sales, dropping by 16,296 units to 3,04,663 in May 2024 from Aprils 3,20,959 units. Honda Shine bucked the overall downward trend with a 4.42% increase in sales, rising to 1,49,054 units from 1,42,751 units in April 2024. Bajaj Pulsar experienced a significant drop of 11.28%, with sales falling by 16,329 units to 1,28,480 in May from 1,44,809 in April. Hero HF Deluxe also faced a notable decline of 10.21%, with sales decreasing by 9,905 units to 87,143 in May from 97,048 in April. TVS Apache recorded a sharp decline of 16.73%, with sales dropping by 7,614 units to 37,906 in May from 45,520 in April. TVS Raider saw the largest month-on-month decline of 27.10%, with sales plummeting by 13,849 units to 37,249 in May from 51,098 in April. Bajaj Platina experienced a significant decline of 31.36%, with sales falling by 13,815 units to 30,239 in May from 44,054 in April. Honda Unicorns sales slightly decreased by 4.44%, with a reduction of 1,149 units, resulting in 24,740 units sold in May compared to 25,889 in April. The Royal Enfield (RE) Classic 350 saw a significant drop of 19.33%, with sales falling by 5,697 units to 23,779 in May from 29,476 in April. Hero Passion recorded a decrease of 13.30%, with sales dropping by 3,424 units to 22,327 in May from 25,751 in April. Its market share decreased from 2.78% to 2.64%. Hikma Pharmaceuticals said on Monday that it has agreed to buy parts of Xellia Pharmaceuticals , a Copenhagen-based specialty company focusing on providing anti-infective treatments and other critical care therapies, for up to $185m. Hikma will buy parts of Xellias US finished dosage form (FDF) business and assets, including a commercial portfolio and pipeline of differentiated products, a manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio, sales and marketing capabilities, and an R&D centre in Zagreb, Croatia. The acquisition will add eight approved and marketed injectable products to Hikma's US portfolio and 11 pipeline products. The Xellia commercial portfolio comprises the ready-to-use formulation, Vanco Ready (vancomycin), launched in 2019, and other anti-infectives. These products are currently manufactured by a third-party and Hikma will maintain these manufacturing contracts while it upgrades the Cleveland facility, with the goal of moving production of these products in-house. Chief executive Riad Mishlawi said: "Hikma has grown to become a top-three US supplier of sterile injectable medicines thanks to our strong record of successfully making value-enhancing acquisitions like this one. "This acquisition will add significant scale to our US operations and will enhance our US injectable manufacturing capabilities and portfolio by adding complex technologies. I am confident that this transaction will deliver significant future value to our Injectables business, supporting growth over the medium term." Hikma said its guidance for 2024 remains unchanged. The UKs tax authority has not fined a single enabler of offshore tax evasion or noncompliance in five years, despite landmark powers to impose huge fines. Tory ministers claimed new laws introduced in 2017 allowed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to pursue accountants, lawyers and bankers who facilitate offshore tax evasion would create a level playing field, with potential fines of several millions of pounds. Guardian Britains largest manufacturers are expecting orders and output to increase dramatically in the second half of the year, even as a chronic shortage of skilled workers is threatening the ability of some companies to do business. Manufacturing is returning to normal business conditions after wild swings in demand during the pandemic, disruptions in prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the effect on supply chains of blockages and conflict around the Suez canal, according to a survey of 320 companies by the trade body Make UK. Guardian Labours plan to strike a security pact with the European Union will threaten British sovereignty, Grant Shapps has warned. The Defence Secretary claimed the proposal would hand control over key defence decisions to Brussels and sow division within Nato, at a time when the EU is seeking to set up separate military structures to the transatlantic alliance. Telegraph Landlords will be hoping for a welcome boost from the Euros and Olympics this summer, but for many pubs it will come too late. Pubs are disappearing at a rate of 80 a month across England and Wales so far this year, according to analysis of official figures by property consultancy Altus Group. The monthly rate of vanishing pubs has jumped by 56pc compared to last year. The analysis measures the number of premises that have been either demolished or repurposed and includes some that were sitting vacant or up for let before disappearing. Telegraph Blackstone has taken the unusual step of paying directors at Hipgnosis Songs Fund an extra 250,000 in fees for the increased workload associated with getting the 1.2 billion sale of the music rights specialist over the line. The private equity firm improved its offer for the music rights owner to $1.6 billion this month and restructured the deal to make it easier to complete, ending a long-running takeover saga. The Times The rise in the minimum wage is piling pressure on employers, who are cutting back on hiring this summer amid broader fears of labour shortages in key sectors of the economy, according to new figures. Data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, an industry body, shows job postings for temporary summer jobs have fallen sharply in the hotel, restaurant, tourism and construction sectors in April and May, compared with the same months last year after a climb in the minimum wage. The Times STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 27-year-old Staten Island man died after he was ejected from his motorcycle in a horrific crash that occurred over the weekend in Far Hills, N.J., authorities said. Troopers responded to the three-vehicle crash on Saturday at 11:23 a.m. on I-287 north in Somerset County, according to a statement based on a preliminary investigation by the New Jersey State Police. Durmish Golesh was driving a Kawasaki motorcycle northbound on the interstate when his motorcycle struck the rear of a Hyundai passenger vehicle heading in the same direction, according to the statement. The motorcycle flipped over and hit the rear of a north-bound Infiniti, police said. The 27-year-old man sustained fatal injuries when he was thrown from the bike, according to the statement. Golesh lives in New Springville, public records indicate. The crash, where no other injuries were reported, remains under investigation with no additional information available at this time, according to the statement. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. White Castle announces its July lineup of discounts, plus two fresh items for the summer. This season marks the return of Hidden Valley Ranch Chicken Rings and debut of Smoky BBQ Chicken Rings. What exactly are chicken rings? As the company expresses, These versions of the uniquely shaped, lightly breaded and deliciously all white meat Chicken Rings. And a dozen are $3.99, only at White Castle. As for the flavor profiles, says White Castle, the BBQ bites are not too sweet and not too spicy, [and] deliver bold flavor in every bite. Plus, the ranch-inspired goodness comes with a dusting of the Hidden Valley seasoningor. Tasters suggest it as a tangy blend of garlic and chives with just the right touch of buttermilk. The Chicken Rings showcase our culinary teams creativity through bold flavors that promise to take your taste buds on a wild ride, said Chef Phillip Bach, head chef and director of Product Innovation at White Castle. These crafted seasonings elevate our iconic Chicken Rings to a whole new level! Jamie Richardson, vice president for White Castle, added, These Chicken Rings variations are the perfect treat to serve at gatherings with family and friends all summer long. Whether navigating the menu with craft beer, Jamaican ginger beer or a crisp Sancerre in mind, "All deals can be scored through the restaurant chains website, social media or Craver Nation loyalty app. Freebies for July, 2024 Here is the breakdown of July offerings for BOGO. And if youre wondering what BOGO means its buy-one-get-one-free. Summer Solstice sale BOGO free small shake after 8 p.m. For online orders use code Summer. National Onion Day White Castle cares...and to celebrate there are two free sliders (limit two free) from June 27 through June 30. Independence Day BOGO individual combo meal from July 4 through July 7 National French Fries Day BOGO one free small fry order as part of July 12ths forecast. Online orderer-ers should use the code FryDay. National Cheesecake Day BOGO free dessert-on-a-stick. Online peeps should use dhte code CakeDay. On Staten Island There is only one White Castle on Staten Island, located at 2221 Hylan Blvd., Grant City. It is open 24 hours and typically offers the national deals, at least until supplies last. A former borough location closed late last year at 2238 Forest Ave., Mariners Harbor. The building is under renovation, but its new iteration has not yet been announced. Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. For some in New Jersey, sea level rise is never far from the mind. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides readers an interactive tool to see what future rising temperatures could mean for melting ice and by extension rising ocean levels across the Jersey Shore and further. Increased carbon emissions are increasing atmospheric and ocean heating that is melting land-based ice sheets and glaciers and causing thermal expansion of the ocean resulting in coastal sea level rise along most U.S. coastlines, William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer, told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday. In 2022, a report from NOAA noted that it is increasingly likely that the sea level along the nations coasts will rise at least 2 feet by the end of this century due to human-caused climate change. Emissions trajectories to date, a NOAA spokesman said this week, forecast that between about 2.5 and 3.5 feet of sea level rise is likely by 2100. The agencys interactive tool continues to be updated to showcase the latest scenarios. The online map from NOAA illustrates what New Jersey could expect, such as in parts of the Jersey Shore that run parallel to the Atlantic Ocean but also places inland. Below is a depiction of the kind of devastation 2 feet of flooding would bring to places like Tuckerton, Port Republic, Little Egg Harbor Township and Absecon. NOAA's sea level rise interactive map shows how New Jersey could be impacted by climate change. Here, the map is set at 2 feet of level rise, which experts predict could inundate the United States coastline by the end of this century.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Newly proposed regulations in New Jersey would require new structures to be built five feet higher than existing flood elevations established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA. A 5-foot rise in sea level would submerge Holly Park, Cedar Beach and much of Ocean Gate, the tool shows. In Toms River, even places some distance from the closest waterway, like Camelot and Parkway Manor, would see inundation. Down at the Jersey Shore, towns like Margate, Ventnor and Brigantine would be immersed by rising water on both sides from small nearby bays and the ocean. Issues up north would be stark as well, with areas abutting the Hudson River (like Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken) facing flood issues with an increase in sea level too. Sweet said at the local level, viewers can use NOAAs sea level rise trajectories for 2050 and the 2100 rise scenarios from the federal sea level rise report from two years ago together with maps to better understand what land and infrastructure will become at increasing risk to episodic flooding and more permanent inundation. A 5-foot rise in sea level would submerge Holly Park, Cedar Beach and much of Ocean Gate, a NOAA tool shows.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Housing and flooding Between 1911 to 2019, the sea level in New Jersey already rose 1.5 feet along the states coast compared to half a foot in the global mean sea level, according to experts at Rutgers University. Well see faster sea level rise in the future if we continue to (release) greenhouse gas emissions, Robert Kopp, a climate scientist and professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Rutgers, said Wednesday afternoon of the challenges ahead. Kopp said while reducing those emissions would pay dividends late in the century and beyond, noteworthy sea level rise is already anticipated throughout the next two decades. That means we need to adapt to that sea level rise, he said, while discussing the significant amount of development on the states coast. When we think about things like land-use. When we think about things like infrastructure. We have to plan for sea level and the climate of future decades. A Rutgers analysis, provided to NJ Advance Media, also outlined the following for what potential future flooding could mean for renters and homeowners: Of the more than 3 million parcels of land in New Jersey as of February 2024, more than 307,000 were in the 100-year floodplain in other words those properties that have a 1 in 100 (or 1%) chance each year of being flooded That 100-year scenario includes more than 224,345 residential homes at risk (of the more than 2.4 million homes) Parcels in New Jersey at risk under the 100-year-flood plain scenario total over $250 billion in true net assessed value about $156 billion of which are residential homes Sweet, at NOAA, said that New Jersey in particular also faces higher than average rates of sea level rise due to factors like the number of tropical and noreaster storms it faces as well as land subsidence, the slow settling or sudden sinking of the Earths surface which is linked to the last ice age. For more insights about what sea level rise could mean in your part of New Jersey, explore NOAAs map at coast.noaa.gov/slr. You can also visit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections sea level rise information page at https://dep.nj.gov/slr/. Shark attacks have seemingly been on the rise in recent years and the Australian government has taken notice. The continent is now being used as a laboratory testing ground in an effort to curtail dangerous encounters with the monster fish. Last year, there were 10 fatal shark attacks around the globe, though four of them occurred in Australia, according to the University of Floridas International Shark Attack File. Nets and old-school methods of deterring the ocean predator have often proven futile, or endangered other harmless sea life. Now, beaches and lifeguards in Australia have begun utilizing drones and other technology, as well as artificial intelligence, to help track and monitor the shark population for beachgoers. Hundreds of drone pilots have been enlisted as part of the effort, while Australia now boasts the worlds largest coastal drone-surveillance operation, according to a Washington Post report. Pilots can access the drones remotely and monitor lurking sea predators from afar. They can then instantly alert lifeguards and activate a warning system on the beach if sharks are present. The life-saving technology has already proven useful, according to the report. As part of the operation, bait stations, referred to as drumlines, can alert authorities when sharks have taken bait nearby. The latest innovations in the system enable the message to be swiftly relayed to the proper authorities, who can then take precautions. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While Staten Island has historically been viewed as the most conservative corner of New York City, the borough has long had a higher number of registered Democrats than Republicans, though the two parties have inched closer over the past decade. The Staten Island Advance/SILive.com recently analyzed voter registration data from the New York State Board of Elections to determine how the number of Democrats and Republicans as a percentage of all registered voters on Staten Island has changed over the past decade. In 2014, there were a total of 280,265 registered voters on Staten Island, of which 128,554, or 45.87% were registered Democrats, and 81,122, or 28.94%, were registered Republicans. The remaining voters were registered to vote without a party affiliation or belonged to smaller parties, like the Working Families Party or Conservative Party. In the years that followed, the share of voters registered as Democrats has dropped below 40%, while the share of voters registered as Republicans has climbed above 31%, narrowing the boroughs longstanding disparity. As of February 2024, the last date for which voter registration data is currently available, there were a total of 333,282 registered voters on Staten Island, of which 132,385, or 39.72% were registered Democrats, and 104,839, or 31.46%, were registered Republicans. Heres a look at the number of registered Democrats and Republicans on Staten Island over the past decade. 2014 Total Registered Voters: 280,265 Registered Democrats: 128,554 (45.87%) Registered Republicans: 81,122 (28.94%) 2015 Total Registered Voters: 282,235 Registered Democrats: 128,816 (45.64%) Registered Republicans: 80,554 (28.54%) 2016 Total Registered Voters: 281,330 Registered Democrats: 127,575 (45.35%) Registered Republicans: 80,270 (28.53%) 2017 Total Registered Voters: 303,310 Registered Democrats: 134,669 (44.4%) Registered Republicans: 91,014 (30.01%) 2018 Total Registered Voters: 303,390 Registered Democrats: 132,916 (43.81%) Registered Republicans: 90,571 (29.85%) 2019 Total Registered Voters: 313,930 Registered Democrats: 136,701 (43.55%) Registered Republicans: 93,829 (29.89%) 2020 Total Registered Voters: 323,437 Registered Democrats: 139,400 (43.1%) Registered Republicans: 96,788 (29.92%) 2021 Total Registered Voters: 346,957 Registered Democrats: 144,357 (41.61%) Registered Republicans: 107,085 (30.86%) 2022 Total Registered Voters: 334,168 Registered Democrats: 136,921 (40.97%) Registered Republicans: 104,459 (31.26%) 2023 Total Registered Voters: 339,477 Registered Democrats: 137,044 (40.37%) Registered Republicans: 106,969 (31.51%) 2024 Total Registered Voters: 333,282 Registered Democrats: 132,385 (39.72%) Registered Republicans: 104,839 (31.46%) STATEWIDE TOTALS Democrats currently outnumber Republicans two to one in New York, though the political makeup varies significantly on a county-by-county basis. Across New York, there are currently 13,108,347 registered voters, of which 6,404,069 are registered as Democrats, representing 48.85% of all voters, while there are 2,903,144, or 22.15%, registered as Republicans, according to the most recent New York State Board of Elections data. Roughly 24.21% are registered to vote without a party affiliation, with the remaining registered voters belonging to smaller parties. The significant disparity is fueled by New York City, where there are 5,153,272 registered voters, including 3,420,848 Democrats and just 529,310 Republicans, meaning there are more than six times the amount of Democrats than Republicans. When excluding New York City from the calculations, there are 7,955,075 total registered voters, of which 2,983,221, or 37.5% are registered as Democrats, while 2,373,834, or 29.84%, are registered as Republicans. Unsurprisingly, the top four counties in terms of percentage of Democrats are all in New York City, with the Bronx leading the way with 72.72% of all voters registered as Democrats, followed by Manhattan at 70.01%, Brooklyn at 69.65% and Queens at 62.23%. Tompkins County rounds out the top five with 54.82% of all voters registered as Democrats. Hamilton County leads the way in terms of percentage of registered Republicans at 57.22%, followed by Lewis County at 52.57%, Allegany County at 50.89%, Steuben County at 48.80% and Wyoming County at 48.48%. Hastings, N.Y. A 44-year-old man died Sunday after he jumped into Oneida Lake to try to recover his keys from the water, deputies said. The man who died is Anthony Davis, 44, of Clay, according to Lt. Andrew Bucher, a spokesperson for the Oswego County Sheriffs Office. Around 9:51 a.m., the sheriffs marine patrol came across two people in Oneida Lake who were in distress, Bucher said. Davis and Wattie Cappers, 42, of Syracuse, were found near a pier just south of Waterfront Tavern in Hastings, he said. Bucher said Davis, Cappers and another man were fishing for Fathers Day when Davis keys fell in the water. Davis jumped in after them, but was unable to make it back to land, he said. Cappers jumped into the water to rescue Davis, but was also unable to swim back to land, Bucher said. The marine patrol was able to rescue Cappers after they heard someone yelling for help, Bucher said. Cappers was pulled from the water and taken to Upstate University Hospital in stable condition, he said. Bucher said a diver with the Brewerton Fire Department found Davis and pulled him from the water. He was taken to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, he said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. St. John Villa Academy in Arrochar was a vibrant part of the Staten Island educational landscape for more than nine decades before closing in 2018. Villa started with an elementary school, and its first graduating class, in 1926, had 24 students. Villas high school was established in the early 1930s, and its grade school building was completed in 1931. A new chapel was constructed in 1937. The high school building was built in 1956, and the Mother Alberta Stango Gymnasium was completed in 1984. Students and faculty alike were shocked and saddened when it was announced in January of 2018 that Villa would close. The Sisters of St. John the Baptist, the order that ran St. John Villa Academy, cited declining enrollment, a lack of religious education personnel and increased maintenance costs as reasons for the closure. The sisters said there was never a good time to announce the closure. The schools final prom was held on May 24, 2018, and Villas final graduation ceremony took place on June 2. Before it closed its doors for good, the 94-year-old school hosted a final farewell and walk-through of the campus on June 29, 2018. Alumni visited their old classrooms, lockers and the schools chapel. Controversy followed Villa after its closing when the school was used to house migrants who arrived in New York City after entering the country illegally through the southern border. There were large protests at the site. The migrants were eventually removed and it was announced that the Villa site would be home to the first dedicated Gifted and Talented school on Staten Island. Have a look at the gallery above. See yourself or any of your classmates? STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Registration for the 23rd annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk New York City is now open, with the race set to take place on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m. ET. Created by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the 5K Run & Walk recounts the final footsteps of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who, despite already finishing his shift at Brooklyns Squad 1, ran through the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel carrying 60 pounds of gear once he got word of the emergency at the Twin Towers. What began with 1,500 people in 2002 is now considered to be one of the top 5K runs in America, with more than 40,000 participants in 2023. The 5K Run & Walk is a yearly event that occurs on the last Sunday of Sept. providing a run slightly longer than a standard 5K course, as it is approximately 3.5 miles long. Beginning at the Brooklyn portal of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and continuing into the streets of Manhattan, the course finishes at West Street and Murray Street. FDNY Firefighters walk north on West Street toward the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero after the last runner completed the 20th Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5-K Run/Walk. September 26, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez). - 2021 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk Staten Island AdvanceStaten Island Advance Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to do good, by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, said the foundation. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. This year, Tunnel to Towers will honor New York City Police Detective First Grade Jonathan Diller who was shot and killed in Far Rockaway, Queens, earlier this year. He sadly left behind a wife and one-year-old son. The foundation has paid off the mortgage on his familys home. The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk NYC is a tribute to the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers, and thousands of civilians who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and for those who continue to lose their lives to 9/11-related illnesses. It also honors the 7,000 servicemembers who lost their lives. Online registration for the 5K Run & Walk closes Saturday, Sept. 28th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Same-day registration is not available and all registrants must have their bib in hand by 5 p.m. ET day of. No bibs will be distributed on Race Day. The cost of registration for an adult runner with time chip is $65, or $55 no time chip. Adult walkers are $55. Those running with a child under the age of 14, but requesting a time chip for the child, will be charged an additional $10. The race is restricted to only foot traffic, as per the City of New York, for safety and security reasons. The MTA and NYPD prohibit any backpacks, strollers, bags, water bottles, and bicycles in the tunnel. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the foundations programs, including those benefitting first responders, and injured service members. Visit Tunnel to Towers Foundation to learn more, and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to deploy 50 members of the National Guard to provide assistance to New Yorkers during this weeks heat wave. Heat waves can be dangerous with one expected this week, I encourage New Yorkers to take precautions necessary to stay safe and avoid exhaustion, Hochul said. Keep an eye on your local forecast, stay hydrated and postpone outdoor activity as much as possible. According to Hochul, a prolonged period of heat and humidity is anticipated to start Monday in the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes, and then will affect the entire state Tuesday through Friday. A major heat wave begins upstate today & will impact the entire state Tuesday through Friday. Please take this heat wave seriously & take precautions to stay safe: Avoid strenuous activity Stay out of the sun Sign up for emergency alerts: https://t.co/ELyoVQXm1n Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 17, 2024 A combination of high temperatures in the 90s and high humidity could lead to historic days of extreme heat in the I-90 corridor, the governors office said. The heat is expected to peak by Thursday, the office added. This latest announcement from the governor comes after she asked New Yorkers to take precautions ahead of the anticipated heat wave across the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat yearly. State agencies take action In her press release, Hochul listed dozens of state agencies that are taking actions to prepare for the intense heat. The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the Office of Emergency Management are taking steps to ensure cooling centers are available. The State Health Department has distributed guidance to all hospitals and nursing homes, and any scheduled public events with over 5,000 people in attendance. The department will also attempt to increase access to cooling centers and safe spaces during this extreme heat. The New York State Department of Public Service is tracking electric system conditions and overseeing utility response to any situations that may arise as a result of this weeks extreme heat, according to the governor. The Office of Children and Family Services; New York State Office of Mental Health; Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; the Department of Labor; the Thruway Authority; Department of Transportation; the Division of Military; and Naval Affairs all have plans in place to combat the upcoming temperature spike. People at High Risk Hochul wants New Yorkers to keep in mind that extreme heat poses a serious threat to adults over 60, infants and children, those who are pregnant, those with chronic diseases, and preexisting health conditions. People working outdoors should rest regularly in shaded areas, and drink water regardless of if they feel thirsty, the governors office said. Workers should also protect themselves from the sun and heat by wearing light clothing, wide brim hats, and sunscreen. Parents and pet owners should take extra precautions to make sure their child or beloved animal is removed from the car after car rides. Toubani Resources has revealed more high-grade gold results from its Kobada project in the West African Republic of Mali, with the new shallow oxide intersections set to be fed into the companys impending mineral resource upgrade for the 2.4 million-ounce project. The latest highlights from the final batch of resource definition assays show impressive oxide hits of 13m at 6.23 grams per tonne gold from 88m and an eye-watering 1m at 100g/t from 17m accompanied by a slightly deeper 7m segment going 3.06g/t from 37m. Toubani Resources is hunting high-grade gold in West Africa. The drilling program that was carried out between February and May was designed to test key areas of near-surface, open-pittable oxide gold, with the key focus on upgrading and converting as much as possible of the existing resource from an inferred to an indicated category. Sarytogan Graphite has added another string to its bow, with lead acid batteries using anodes made from product from its namesake project in Kazakhstan showing a superior discharge capacity than control results in recent testing. Management says lead acid batteries provide about half of the worlds rechargeable power, with graphite used in the product sold at between US$12,000 (AU$18,170) per tonne and US$20,000 (AU$30,290). The battery anodes are made using ultra-high-purity fines (UHPF), a byproduct of the companys process of creating uncoated spheroidised purified graphite (USPG) and coated spheroidised purified graphite (CSPG). Sarytogan Graphite is eyeing the lead acid battery market as a sales point for its ultra-high-purity fines. Sarytogan says its American technology partner manufactured lead acid battery cells using UHPF from its Kazakhstan project. The performance of the lead acid batteries was measured to have a higher and more consistent discharge capacity when compared to control batteries manufactured with a leading expanded delaminated graphite product. Management says it is pursuing three potential product revenue streams in relatively equal portions. The first is a microcrystalline graphite at about 80 per cent to 85 per cent carbon to be sold for use in traditional industries including refractories, crucibles, foundries, pencils and lubricants. Former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan might earn up to $3 million a year in his new job as Tabcorp chief executive, if he nails his KPIs, but we cant help but wonder if it came up at his job interview that the top job at the troubled gaming giant means locking horns with Racing NSW chief Peter Showbags Vlandys. New Tabcorp boss Gillon McLachlan and Racing NSW boss Peter Vlandys can expect to meet again. Credit: John Shakespeare The two men traded jibes for years as they sat atop the nations two big rival footy codes. Vlandys chairs the Australian Rugby League Commission and practically runs the sport. However, he publicly backed McLachlan who he described as very affable for a spot on the board of Racing Victoria, which wasnt to be in the end. But theres nothing affable about the court clash between Vlandys nags outfit and McLachlans ASX-listed gaming operation. Racing NSW dragged Tabcorp into the NSW Supreme Court, alleging a future loss of at least $6 million because the betting company allegedly failed to live up to its end of a sponsorship and promotion deal for the annual Everest and Kosciuszko races. Tabcorps lawyers reckon Racing NSWs case is vague, embarrassing and irrelevant. Advertisement Eating outJust open Real-deal diners to rooftop bars: A trio of hot new Mexican joints to try Visit a neighbourhood spot for lesser-seen traditional dishes or a five-level CBD venue where the good times (and spicy margs) are already flowing. Tomas Telegramma June 18, 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 This venue appears in the June 2024 Melbourne hit list. See all stories . Some of Melbournes favourite Mexican restaurants are fiercely bound by tradition. Others buck it entirely, using the time-honoured cuisine as a jumping-off point and incorporating flourishes from across Latin America, the US and beyond. Here are three vastly different openings, which represent a cross-section of Melbournes evolving Mexican scene. Hotel Nacionals menu is broadly Mexican-inspired but incorporates influences from all over. Michael Woods Hotel Nacional, CBD Theres a lot going on in Hardware Lanes latest arrival in the old Campari House, care of some of the team behind Latin-inspired bayside eateries Repeat Offender and Rufio. The suave Hotel Nacional spans five levels all replete with warm terracotta hues and textured walls while the cherry on top is a rooftop bar with centrepiece cacti, a retractable roof and a mezzanine with 270-degree city views. We want you to get up here, get a marg, and mentally be somewhere else, says co-owner Alex Greco. Advertisement Your margarita choices are 10-fold (will it be frozen passionfruit or a beer-spiked lagerita?), or you can try a sotol, the distinctive spirit distilled from a desert shrub and cured with rattlesnake venom. Guacamole, pico de gallo and corn chips at Hotel Nacional, CBD. Michael Woods The gluten-free menu is broadly Mexican-inspired, but Argentinian head chef Sergio Tourn grabs influences from all over. He says the slow-cooked lamb honours the flavour of Mexican barbacoa but has some added sweetness from American-style barbecue sauce. Another standout is his chorizo, made in-house and served with roasty salsa tatemada, spring onion and corn chips. Also expect classics like baja and birria (braised and shredded beef) tacos, and lunchtime burrito bowls for the office crowd. Open daily noon-midnight Advertisement 23-25 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, hotelnacional.co El Columpio, Fitzroy Ricardo Garcia Flores is a purist. So, at his recently opened Johnston Street restaurant, El Columpio, the proud Mexican does things as theyre done back home. Its like youre eating in Mexico, he tells Good Food. Im not changing a thing. At a glance, the menu looks small, Flores admits. But every dish is special in Mexico, where its common to find restaurants dedicated to one specific dish, he says. The recipes Flores uses are steeped in history, and he has a story for each. During his uni days, for example, he learned to make the mixiote (pork cooked in maguey leaves) on El Columpios taco menu while working for one of Mexico Citys masters of the method. Advertisement Its like youre eating in Mexico. Im not changing a thing. Ricardo Garcia Flores, El Columpio Flores says diners are excited to find pozole on his menu. Seldom seen in Melbourne, the traditional soup is made from hominy (dried maize kernels), chicken and pork, and comes with a hot sauce he makes using five different Mexican chillies. He also serves handmade tamales, lamb barbacoa tacos (with a flavour-packed consomme for dipping) as a weekend special, and custard-y Mexican flan napolitano. Flores worked his way up from dishwasher to kitchenhand across several of MoVidas Melbourne restaurants before opening El Columpio earlier this year. Since arriving here, hes seen a growing appreciation for and understanding of real-deal Mexican food. Australians, they love to travel to Mexico [and] they know about the food, he says. Their reaction [to the restaurant] is amazing they cant believe there is a pozole! Advertisement Open Tue-Thu 5pm-9pm; Fri noon-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-8pm Level 1, 52 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, instagram.com/elcolumpiomelbourne Bar Mexicos menu offers elote (spicy grilled corn), and a wide range of tacos. Francois Vaccarello Bar Mexico, Preston Neven Hayek and Sandrow Yalda the siblings behind the El Taco stall at open-air Spotswood food hall Grazeland are running the kitchen at a new Mexican-inspired bar. Advertisement The aptly named Bar Mexico, which opened on High Street in Preston on June 13, has taken over the former Northside Food Hall site, evoking Hacienda style with vibrant murals and overhanging greenery in a space that has room for 300 punters. Snacks such as jalapeno poppers lean Tex-Mex, while the popular birria comes in both taco and quesadilla form. Theres also a build-your-own taco feast with all the trimmings. And to drink? Green-habanero spicy margs on tap and more than 50 tequilas (like those from third-generation maker El Cristiano) from importer Agave Lux. A twice-the-size companion venue called Hotel Mexico is slated to open in Yarraville in August. Open Wed 5pm-10pm; Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri 4pm-late; Sat noon-late; Sun noon-9pm Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Chiropractors have once again been banned from manipulating babies spines after a health board reversed its controversial decision to allow the practice. The about-face by the Chiropractic Board of Australia follows revelations in this masthead that practitioners had quietly given themselves approval to resume spinal manipulation of children younger than two from November after a four-year ban. The Chiropractic Board of Australia has reintroduced a ban on practitioners manipulating babies spines. Credit: Getty Images The board expects chiropractors to comply with the interim policy, which advises chiropractors to not use spinal manipulation to treat children under two years of age, until further consultation with health ministers can allow for developing a final position, the boards chair, Dr Wayne Minter, said in a statement on Monday. The axing of the initial ban drew a fiery response from doctors groups and federal Health Minister Mark Butler, who put the issue on the agenda at a meeting of Australian health ministers on Friday. The Minns government is expected to announce a domestic violence package as a key part of Tuesdays state budget. It could not have come sooner. NSW Premier Chris Minns Credit: Dion Georgopoulos Violence against women exploded as a political issue following the April 13 knife attack at Bondi Junction that killed five women and one man. That was followed by the killing of NSW woman Molly Ticehurst by a former partner out on bail despite facing sexual assault charges. And now new data links the disturbing rise in women killed by partners to NSW murder statistics. Using NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data between 2014 and 2024, the Herald built a series of interactive maps based on Sydney postcodes as well as regional local government areas, pinpointing where murders physically took place, murder victims from that area and residents accused of committing murder. A disproportionate number of murders occurred in suburbs and areas where many people are trapped by socio-economic disadvantage: for example, 17 people were killed in the 2770 postcode, centred on Mount Druitt but also encompassing smaller satellite suburbs. This was the most murders in any NSW postcode. Liverpool (14) and Bankstown (13) postcodes had the next highest numbers. Ten people were murdered in the Sydney CBD, with nine in Green Valley, eight each in Wentworthville and Guildford, and six in Parramatta, Peakhurst, St Marys, Kings Langley and Bossley Park. Outside of Sydney, the Central Coast recorded 31 murders, Newcastle 23, Lake Macquarie, Tweed and Wollongong 16 each and Shoalhaven, nine. A former property executive from Sydneys eastern suburbs has been found guilty of stealing a taxi and driving it across the city while drunk. Brett Henson argued he was acting under duress when he jumped into the drivers seat of the vehicle and took off after a night out at Shell House and The Ivy restaurant and bar on November 4, 2022. Brett Henson (left) arrives at court on Monday with his lawyer Paul McGirr. Credit: Steven Siewert The 44-year-old previously told his hearing he had feared he was going to be killed by a group of large men who said they were both the Muslim brotherhood and the police. Henson worked at the time as senior capital transactions manager for property giant Mirvac, but in March said he was unemployed. Yvonne Preston was born in Ipswich in England on October 30, 1937, daughter of a co-op store employee and mathematical whizz, Stanley Miller, and his wife, Kathleen (nee Lovick). She had a twin brother, Gerald, and was to have another brother, John. All the children were very bright and won scholarships. Preston went to a Church of England primary school and won a scholarship to a Girls Public Day School. She was looked down on to an extent because she was not from the upper classes, but taught by true believers in womens education. Preston attended the London School of Economics, where she focused on international relations. Passport picture of Yvonne Preston and her two daughters. Credit: Fairfax She started her working life by producing a magazine for Sunday school teachers. In 1965, she was working for a co-op doing tests on goods and living in rainy Manchester. She saw a sign for Ten-Pound Poms along with a picture of Bondi Beach which she found particularly compelling and decided to give it a try. During the voyage to Australia, she met her husband-to-be, a fitter-and-turner and ships steward, Albert Edward (Bert) Preston. They married on September 25, 1965. Preston, settling with Bert in Sydney, started her work in Australia as a research economist with the Reserve Bank before joining Fairfax newspapers and writing for The Australian Financial Review, The National Times and The Sydney Morning Herald. She gave birth to two children, Louise and Madeleine. Taking up the Beijing posting in 1975, with Bert forever on the high seas, she took the children with her, filing for Fairfax newspapers and also for the London Financial Times. Bert did make some visits and found that his identity was noted by officialdom. Preston said later: The Cultural Revolution was in its dying days; Mao Zedong was still alive, just; the country was dirt poor and isolated from the rest of the world; there were few cars, only bicycles and donkey carts on the streets; and politics consisted of campaigns such as the criticise Confucius, criticise Lin Biao absurdity. On one occasion, my ABC colleague was told, We have no comment and you may not say that we have no comment. Yvonne Preston about working in China But the world was coming to Beijing. She found herself interviewing an array of leaders, dictators and despots visiting Beijing including Yasser Arafat and the president of Yugoslavia, Marshal Tito. She made a visit to Saddam Husseins Iraq. And things did not stay still. China was shaken by an earthquake which nearly put paid to Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and wife Margaret, and she met Whitlam afterwards. She and her family had to live in the Australian Embassy for a time. Mao died. Shortly afterwards the Gang of Four made a bid for power and failed, followed by Maos widow died by suicide. Deng Xiaoping made positive changes to the economy and things started looking up. But the control of media remained just as stringent and all Prestons resources were needed to find out what was really happening, including the repercussions for those suspected of backing the Gang of Four and serious disturbances in Tiananmen Square in 1976. It was a battle. For a start, there was no phone book, Preston said. We had a single number we could ring outside the diplomatic compound for the ill-named Information Department of the Foreign Ministry. Our requests for help, answers, permission to travel, facts, news, confirmations were almost invariably met with a blank, I will take note of your question, I think you know the answer to that question. On one occasion, my ABC colleague was told, We have no comment and you may not say that we have no comment. Yvonne Preston in a Herald work portrait, 1981. Credit: Fairfax Returning to Australia, Preston dealt with social issues, such as joblessness and social disadvantage in Campbelltown. She wrote about the battling family that lived in Paul Keatings Bankstown childhood home. Preston was always concerned about the status of women and their disadvantages. In 1985, she was posted to London as European correspondent and in December that year was reporting on how Muscovites enjoyed Christmas. The snow drifts down in sub-zero temperatures, and the occasional drunk skids across the icy pavement, she wrote. She reported from London on clashes between Brixton rioters and police and the siege of the police station, the need to overhaul Britains welfare system when 20 million of Britains 56 million people were on pensions, the enduring popularity of the royal family and the political machinations surrounding then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The problems of Ulster and sanctions against South Africa took her attention at that time, and she was perhaps inevitably drawn into the endless cloak-and-dagger business of MI5 and what it got up to, particularly the truth behind enigmatic intelligence figure Sir Roger Hollis. Behind all her reports was the steely observant eye that overlooked nothing, and so much of what she wrote was prescient. Of Margaret Thatcher, she wrote: It is not so much a question of Thatchers lack of compassion, as her order of political priorities: her unwilting belief in the perfection of the market mechanism, her refusal to offer any amelioration of the unconscionably harsh consequences of the Thatcher revolution because she does not recognise them. Preston wrote optimistically but realistically on the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, saying the liberated country was not without problems, including ethnic strife. She deplored what she saw as the low-key western reaction to brutal suppression in Burma and maintained her rage about the shocking treatment of women the Ceausescu regime in Romania. In 1989, she was awarded a United States National Order of Women prize for an article on Benazir Bhutto. Preston formed a relationship with a Welsh-born man, Myrddin Phillips. She returned to Australia in 1989, but two years later was back in Beijing. The country had moved ahead in some ways. But memories of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, with the continuing issue over what was happening to those called to account over the incident, was very topical. The United States and China were in constant discussion and bickering, on such issues as trade and arms proliferation. There were other issues to be dealt with, one being population, which was 800 million when she first went to China, but now well over a billion, and there were serious pollution problems. Preston reported on the tight security in Beijing leading up to the 1991 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Credit: AP Preston reported on the tight security in Tiananmen Square in 1991 at the second anniversary of the massacre. A senior Chinese official arrested over the incident remained in jail. Preston got wind of pro-independence demonstrations in Chinas remote western province of Xinjian. She also reported about peaceful dissenters in Inner Mongolia continuing to be the targets of a harsh crackdown by Chinese authorities and a shakeup in the Peoples Liberation Army. With her normal prescience, she sensed that the prospective takeover of Hong Kong in 1997 was not going to usher in an era of peace and security for the province. When the Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, made his first official visit to Beijing, he was snubbed by the Chinese prime minister and a Hong Kong journalist accompanying him was arrested. In 1993, with her second China stint over and having divorced Bert Preston, she was given a Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism. She retired that year with her beloved partner Myrddin. She also took up a hobby she had long wished to make her profession: art, in particular watercolours. Yvonne Preston at her Sydney home in 2020. Credit: Janie Barrett Journalist Jill Sykes said: Yvonne kept up with the world and had strong opinions about its directions, but was extraordinarily modest about the role she played in recording a significant part of the 20th century. Preston nursed Myrddin until he succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimers Disease and died in June 2021. Her daughter Madeleine also died in March 2022, which devastated her mother. The comments mark a significant escalation in the rhetoric of the influential group, signifying deep concern within the universities, which are highly reliant on international students to prop up teaching and research. The eight universities control more than a quarter of the countrys lucrative international education market. The government in May announced it would cap international student numbers as a key mechanism to halve migration by 260,000, in what was a dramatic intensification of its efforts to stem an influx of foreign students. Enrolments in the sector were steadily increasing year-on-year before the COVID pandemic. Student numbers plummeted after border closures but quickly rebounded after the Morrison government introduced cheaper visas and better working rights to help stem workforce shortages. At Sydney University, the largest educator of foreign students in the country, 46 per cent of its cohort comes from overseas, and it relies heavily on the Chinese market. Among its postgraduate degrees, most students are from overseas. In 2023, it made more than $1.4 billion from foreign students and was the only NSW university to report a surplus. At the University of Melbourne, 45 per cent of its students were from overseas in 2023, up from 41 per cent the previous year. The opposition has also promised to cap foreign enrolments should it win the election, and leader Peter Dutton singled out Sydney University for its international student numbers. A really important asset Education Minister Jason Clare said the government intended to set limits for every university, higher education and vocational education provider that educates international students. This is a really important national asset, and we need to ensure it maintains its social licence, he said. We are consulting the international education sector to make sure we get the design and implementation of these critical reforms right, with implementation to begin in 2025. Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the group was happy to discuss managed growth across the whole sector with the government. Its a very easy political hit to just say cut student numbers as part of a broader migration strategy, she said. What the government has failed to do is address to us why would you go so hard on our universities when all of the evidence points to the absolutely devastating effect this will have. Thomson said should the caps be implemented, the 2025 start date would be unworkable given the long lead times in the recruitment of international students. Loading It estimated that 54,000 offers have already been made for 2025 across the eight universities, and about three-quarters of full offers and acceptances were registered by the end of November. We are really concerned because weve got offers in to students on good faith that they would be able to potentially study in Australia from January 1 next year, Thomson said. We dont know if thats the case now because were dealing with a great level of uncertainty. You dont just find hundreds of millions of dollars in your budget as a replacement within several months, that just doesnt happen. Im not sure what the government thinks we are going to do if this goes through in the way that they are suggesting. Overreach The Group of Eight said a 10 per cent reduction in international student numbers would put almost $430 million of research grant funding in jeopardy. The Group of Eights position puts it at odds with Universities Australia the peak body for the sector which has not opposed the cap for institutions but said it should not be applied on a course level. The mother and son killed in a house fire south of Brisbane had endured tragedy decades before their deaths. Carmel Pierce, who was in her 80s, and her son Marcus, aged in his 60s, were killed when their Cypress Street home in Woodridge was engulfed in flames about 6pm on Sunday. Pierces daughter Cary-Jane was murdered and found in bushland near the Gateway Bridge in September 1988. Cary-Jane was 26 years old when she was bashed and strangled to death. No one has been charged with her murder. After bashing his partner to death, Robert Rickerby left his Melbourne home to collect two pizzas for dinner. Jessica Geddes, 27, was slowly dying in the bedroom of their Endeavour Hills property after suffering extensive blunt force injuries to her head and chest. Jessica Geddes was killed by her boyfriend, Robert Rickerby, in their Melbourne home in November 2020. Credit: Nine News But Rickerby didnt immediately call for an ambulance when he returned home, instead eating a few slices of each pizza before calling his parents. They encouraged him to phone triple zero, which he finally did half an hour later. When paramedics arrived, they confirmed Geddes was already dead. The mediator between the owners of Melbourne Airport and the Victorian government in a long-running dispute over a proposed railway station at Tullamarine has also been doing consulting work for the state-run Suburban Rail Loop Authority, prompting questions about a potential conflict of interest. Both the federal and state governments insist there is no conflict of interest in Neil Scales, a former director-general of Queenslands transport department, doing consulting work for a different Victorian government agency while also mediating between the parties. An artists impression of a proposed above-ground station at Melbourne Airport. Scales, who was appointed in April to mediate the fight over the location of the future station at Tullamarine, submitted his final report to federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King last Thursday. The federal government was aware of Scales work for the Victorian government and did not seek any changes to the mediator role, although it has since described him as a negotiator after questions were first raised in Senate estimates hearings. The Australian Defence Force is seeking to gut an independent inquirys ability to investigate the cause of a fatal Taipan helicopter crash that killed four army personnel last year. In a move that has infuriated families of the victims, Defence has made a submission requesting that a shopping list of topics relating to the tragedy be excluded from the inquiry until the organisation has completed its own underpowered probe. ADF inspector-general Margaret McMurdo is investigating the deaths of Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Max Nugent, Warrant Officer Phil Laycock and Corporal Alex Naggs, who died during a Defence exercise on July 28 last year when their Taipan helicopter crashed into the sea off Lindeman Island in the Whitsundays. In a hearing on Monday, Defence asked that the inquiry did not look into the crews actions on the night of the crash, the helmet-mounted sight display worn by the pilot, night-vision systems or human factors. As Australia hosts Chinas Premier Li this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the visit is an opportunity for Australia to advance our interests by demonstrating our national values and that Australia continues to pursue a stable and direct relationship with China, with dialogue at its core. The visit is indeed an important moment to raise three core Australian values: democracy, human rights and press freedom. And the prime minister should take the opportunity to highlight how quickly these values are vanishing in Hong Kong, home to one of the largest Australian communities abroad: 100,000 Australians live there. A protester holds a placard ahead of a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Adelaide Zoo as part of a four-day Australian visit. Credit: AP In the lead-up to this landmark visit, increasingly brazen steps have been taken to crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong. New, draconian national security laws have been introduced despite significant human rights concerns raised by the UN. Peaceful protesters, as well as booksellers, journalists and childrens book authors have been arrested and prosecuted. Fourteen pro-democracy activists have been convicted of subversion for peacefully participating in political activities. Even singing a protest song, Glory to Hong Kong, can now result in prosecution. The prime minister and the foreign minister should raise one particular emblematic case: our client, the media owner and pro-democracy activist, Jimmy Lai, who has been imprisoned since December 2020 under the sweeping National Security Law. Lai was one of Hong Kongs most successful businessmen and his newspaper, Apple Daily, was Hong Kongs most popular Chinese language newspaper. Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021. Amnesty International described it as the blackest day for media freedom in Hong Kong. The mask is back on again. The Chinese Communist Party removed the mask of friendship four years ago and showed us its true face the face of a malign bully. Now it wants us to forget what we saw. To shelve our differences, in the words yesterday of Premier Li Qiang. Why? Because the bullying wasnt working. And because Beijing realised that it had overreached so much that it had alienated and alerted many countries at once in its wolf warrior phase. It wants us to relapse into our customary stupor so it can work towards dominance without disturbance. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Parliament House yesterday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen To show its munificence, its generously removing the illegal trade bans on Australian products as if trade is some kind of favour rather than an exchange for mutual benefit and giving us a pair of therapy pandas. Youd imagine that the Albanese government wont fall for it. To the prime ministers credit, he did raise directly with Li Qiang several of Beijings more egregious harms to Australia. These include the Peoples Liberation Armys dangerous and deliberate harassments of the Australian Navy in international waters, the CCPs illegal interference operations against Australian citizens on Australian soil, the imprisonment of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun under sentence of death, and the last remaining trade bans on Australian abattoirs and lobsters. Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, an Israeli official said, following the departure from government of centrist former general Benny Gantz. Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who had been in the war cabinet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit: AP The move was announced as US special envoy Amos Hochstein visited Jerusalem, seeking to calm the situation on the disputed border with Lebanon, where Israel said tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia were bringing the region close to a wider conflict. The Israeli military said it had killed a senior operative in one of Hezbollahs rocket and missile sections in the area of Selaa in southern Lebanon this week. Jerusalem: The announcement came seemingly out of the blue on Sunday when it was first publicised via the Israeli militarys English and Arabic-language channels: the military would pause its fighting during daytime hours along an important humanitarian aid corridor in the southern Gaza Strip until further notice. Amid some immediate confusion over the scope of the pause, a clarification followed, this time in Hebrew and seemingly for domestic consumption. The change did not mean a cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, that statement said, adding that the campaign in the southernmost city of Rafah was continuing. Military officials said the daily pauses were meant only to facilitate the increased distribution of food aid in Gaza, where international organisations have issued dire warnings about hunger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is presenting different narratives to Israel and the world. Credit: Getty Images The strange choreography of the messaging became stranger still when the government suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu learned of the militarys plan from news reports and had signalled his disapproval. Analysts said the prime minister was probably aware of the plan and that each announcement was tailored to different audiences. The contrasting statements appeared to reflect the competing pressures facing Netanyahu, as he juggles demands from around the world with those of his own hawkish government. His far-right coalition partners oppose any concessions in Gaza, and he relies on their support to stay in power. PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Veronica Jansen-Webster, responsible for Public Health, Social Development, and Labor (Ministry VSA), attended the 112th session of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The ILO is the only tripartite UN agency that brings together governments, employers, and workers from its member states to promote decent work worldwide. Minister Jansen-Webster's presence at the conference was particularly significant for Sint Maarten, one of the countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten was called before the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) to address two labor-related complaints. The first complaint concerned the right to strike, with uncertainties about whether people could strike without facing penalties. The second, more challenging complaint dealt with the identification of employer organizations on the island. This issue had caused delays in appointing members to the Social Economic Council (SER) for over a year due to a dispute over the legitimate representation of employer organizations. Minister Jansen-Websters presentation was well-received. The director of the CAS, Mrs. Corinne Vargha, personally thanked her for attending in person and providing a clear explanation of the situation. The delegation from Aruba's government supported Sint Maarten, participating in numerous meetings during the conference. The CAS committee reviewed the information from the Government of St. Maarten and requested the government to establish clear criteria for the representativeness of employers' and workers' organizations through consultation with social partners. The committee urged the Government of St. Maarten to engage in effective dialogue with these organizations on all relevant issues, adhering to the convention, including the composition of the socio-economic council (SER). Additionally, the committee called for measures to ensure SER representatives are appointed by fully autonomous organizations chosen by workers and employers and to convene the SER promptly. The committee also asked for updates on these recommendations and any outstanding information by September 1, 2024. During the ILO conference, Minister Jansen-Webster also met with the Dutch ambassador Mr. Paul Bekkers and the Netherlands' Minister of Labor, Karien van Gennip. These discussions were fruitful, leading to a report with several recommendations for Sint Maarten to ensure compliance with international labor covenants. PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Viren Kotai proposes seeking funding from the General Pension Fund (APS) to acquire new generators for the ailing utility company GEBE. Kotai will present the proposal and other points during the parliamentary meeting scheduled for Monday, June 17, 2024, about the ongoing GEBE crisis. Kotai said in a press statement on Sunday, "By collaborating with the Council of Ministers (COM), APS, and GEBE, we can address the funding needs for new generators." He emphasized that APS, as a government-funded pension fund, and GEBE, being entirely government-owned, make this collaboration both logical and feasible. According to MP Kotai, GEBE has not invested in new engines, resulting in inadequate electricity production amidst the growing demands of the St. Maarten community. To resolve this issue, GEBE urgently requires funding to purchase new engines, Kotai explained. While alternative energy sources present a promising long-term solution, the immediate need is best met through acquiring reliable, brand-new engines. I propose that APS finance the US$ 30 million required for the purchase of new engines, Kotai continued. Given the national emergency's gravity, we must expedite this process. The Government could safeguard the funds by offering a government guarantee or pledging shares toward the loan. This approach ensures immediate acquisition of new engines and mandates GEBE to stabilize its finances within a year. Kotai also wants to collaborate with the Council of Ministers (COM) in reaching out to the APS, seeking the best way forward in making this a reality. Kotai highlighted the mutual benefits of this solution: APS invests in St. Maarten, securing a healthy return for its pensioners, while St. Maarten gains reliable energy. Once GEBE's financial health is restored, we can then focus on exploring alternative energy sources. Comprehensive studies will be necessary to identify the best options for sustainable energy, particularly during hurricane seasons. Kotai also pointed out that GEBE's concession obligates it to invest in renewable energy, a requirement that has been neglected. It is imperative that our COM enforces this concession to ensure GEBE meets its obligations, he urged. Drawing a parallel, Kotai recalled that Princess Juliana International Airport also received government assistance for its financing, setting a precedent for such collaborative efforts. The urgency of this situation demands immediate action, Kotai asserted. We must unite these two entities, eliminate bureaucratic delays, and implement decisive measures. The short-term solution is nearing finalization, and our next step is to secure financing for new engines at GEBE. Our long-term vision will prioritize alternative energy avenues. The ongoing crisis at GEBE, emphasizes the critical principle of the 5 Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. The previous administration's lack of vision and preparation has brought us to this juncture, Kotai stated. However, it is time to shift our focus from past shortcomings to viable solutions. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) regrets to announce a tragic incident resulting in the death of a one-month-old infant girl. At approximately 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 16, 2024, detectives from KPSM were alerted by the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) regarding a critically ill infant brought to the hospital. Despite the efforts of the medical personnel to resuscitate the child, she sadly succumbed to her condition. Detective personnel were dispatched to the SMMC to initiate an inquiry. Following initial discussions with the parents/ guardians, it became evident that the circumstances surrounding the infant's untimely death were not immediately clear. Subsequently, the detectives informed the Prosecutors Office of the situation. A decision was made to conduct an on-site investigation at the location where the incident is believed to have occurred. The KPSM is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to this tragic event. The Sint Maarten Police Force extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones of the infant. Detectives assigned to this case urge anyone with knowledge or information concerning this incident to contact KPSMs Major Crimes team at +1 721 542 2222, ext. 208, 223, or 214. Alternatively, individuals can provide anonymous tips by calling the anonymous tip line at 9300. KPSM Press Release. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) will be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a conference, hosted by St. Maarten from October 21 to 25, 2024. The conference is expected to attract between 800 and 900 participants. Noting that some stakeholders, like the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), were unaware of this conference until recently, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Telecommunication, Grisha Heyliger-Marten held a strategic planning meeting Friday with representatives of Port St. Maarten Group of Companies, PJIA, Immigration Services, and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. The minister said she was in the process of establishing a Steering Committee to liaise with the FCCA in order to ensure a smooth coordination and execution of conference plans. This committee will oversee all preparatory activities leading up to the event. The meeting discussed conference logistics, including accommodation, with Maho chosen as the primary conference hotel. Other accommodation options are Morgan Hotel, Simpson Bay, and J.W. Marriott. Arrival procedures will be streamlined for a smooth processing of visitors who will proceed through a special lane with identifiable tags on their luggage prior to departure. Given that many FCCA Executive Board members will be flying in privately, the completion of the renovated FBO building will be essential. However, if this is not ready, there would be a need to set up a temporary location to handle those arriving on private jets. Heyliger-Marten further disclosed that the FCCA Coordinating Team is scheduled to arrive on the island on June 24. The Airport Managing Team will provide a comprehensive tour and demonstrate the arrival and departure processes at the airport to ensure seamless coordination. The conference is expected to have a significant and positive impact on our economy, the Minister said. Taxi drivers, bars, restaurants, stores, and other businesses will benefit greatly from the influx of participants. Minister Heyliger-Marten emphasized the importance of providing a warm St. Maarten welcome to the visitors. We have to ensure that the island has a welcoming atmosphere and is clean. I will coordinate with the minister of VROMI in order to achieve this. The minister was pleased to learn that the islands rich cultural heritage will be showcased at the conference, with the yellow sage, the St. Maarten national flower, as theme. Minister Heyliger-Marten further encouraged the involvement of students particularly from schools offering hospitality studies, thus giving them the opportunity to gain valuable experience by participating in this significant event. I cannot stress enough the importance of team work to ensure the success of this conference, Heyliger-Marten said. In fact, it has a double significance since it is being held when our port is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Our goal, therefore, is to exceed the experience our guests had when the FCCA conference was held here ten years ago. Follow-up meetings will be scheduled to constantly review progress and address any potential issues, said Minister Heyliger-Marten. "Bonaire made history as part of the 35 countries participating in the COPPPAL International Observers Delegation during the Mexico Elections on June 2nd, 2024. This historic event coincided with Mexico electing its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Bonaire's delegation comprised James Finies from Pueblo Progresivo Uni, Kalie Finies from Foundation Movement For Change, and Davika Bissessar from the Bonaire Human Rights Organization." Representatives Kalie Finies and Davika Bissessar were specifically assigned to the State of Puebla and James Finies assigned to the State of VeraCruz. James Finies leader of Pueblo Progresivo Uni stated: that being in Dominican Republic and now Mexico Presidential Elections as International Observers in addition of doing my duty as an independent Observer, I also had the opportunity to raise international awareness on our trajectory and works striving for putting Bonaire on the protective list of Non-Self-Governing-Territories of the United Nations. Finies further emphasized the need to protection of real democracy, stating, As we are all born equal in dignity and rights, in contrast to Bonaire's situation, which is marked by inequality and subordinated elected representatives, laws are imposed by The Hague rather than Bonaires so-called elected government, meanwhile facing an demographic and cultural genocide by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, real democracy should ensure that the governance of a society genuinely represents and serves the interests and aspirations of its people. It allows every citizen to express their rights and voice their future desires and wishes Kaile Finies of Foundation Movement For Change noted that her experience during Mexicos historic election was eye-opening. Although it was an honor to be there to witness the first female president get elected, a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure everyone is able to vote in a safe and fair manner. I talked with numerous citizens who expressed their concerns that they wouldnt get to the front of the line in time before ballots ran out. Davika Bissessar Shaw president of BHRO: Mexico with a population over 200 million it is important to highlight the significance of human rights protection during elections, stating, "Respecting human rights is fundamental in ensuring that elections are fair, credible, and reflective of the will of the people." Our delegation was hard working and did a very good job. PHILIPSBURG:--- Womens Desk a division within the Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA), an execution department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, successfully hosted two successful self-defense training programs in the past. However, to change their approach and provide participants with better insight and understanding of what to expect in the upcoming third cohort of the Womens Self-Defense training scheduled for later this quarter, they hosted a two-hour boot camp on June 8th, which saw excellent participation. Recognizing the success and high demand, a second cohort was conducted on June 15th, and enthusiastic attendance was also received. Women's Desk functions as the focal point for the empowerment and advancement of women through its advisory and advocacy role related to women, gender, and family affairs. The bootcamps were facilitated by Ms. Aarti Baran, a distinguished self-defense expert who was the World Champion in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu in 2010 and holds multiple top ten rankings in international martial arts competitions. Ms. Baran has extensive experience in training law enforcement personnel and various private sector companies. Her approach combines mastery of martial arts techniques with the ability to anticipate and react to an opponents behavior in challenging situations. Minister of VSA, Ms. Veronica Jansen, actively participated in the boot camp to support this important initiative and gain firsthand insight into the training participants will receive. Minister Jansen emphasized the importance of self-defense for women, highlighting benefits such as empowerment, increased confidence, physical conditioning, violence prevention, and heightened awareness of one's surroundings, particularly in potentially vulnerable situations like using an ATM or walking to a car. Further information regarding the upcoming training sessions will be shared in a subsequent press release. Women's Desk urges interested individuals to register promptly once registration opens, as space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Women's Desk remains committed to rolling out empowerment programs focused on strengthening the position of women in our community. ~ UPP and NA call on the Council of Ministers to provide solutions. ~ PHILIPSBURG: --- Leader of the United Peoples Party Omar Ottley called on Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and his cabinet to provide the parliament of St. Maarten with solutions to the GEBE crisis. Ottley made clear that he personally did not see the presentation Mercelina gave parliament in the closed-door segment of the Central Committee meeting held on Monday morning. He said that the Prime Minister is pleading with parliament not to play politics with the GEBE crisis. He asked where is the plan to deal with the crisis when exactly will the population of St. Maarten receive relief? Ottley made clear, that it does not matter if the Mercelina cabinet is in office for six weeks or two weeks, reality is they are there now, and the people want relief. Member of Parliament Akeem Arrindell shared the same sentiments as his party leader and asked for tangible solutions. Member of Parliament Viren Kotai asked the board of NV GEBE who is to blame for the crisis the current council of ministers inherited. He advised the management of NV GEBE and the Council of Ministers to approach APS to secure finances to deal with the problems NV GEBE is facing. Kotai said that so far, based on what he read, NV GEBE has not defaulted on their loans for the past 20 years. He said that APS has invested overseas and has no return on their investments. He asked when the last time the financial statements of NV GEBE were audited and where exactly they had looked for financing. Member of Parliament of the National Alliance Cloyd Marlin questioned the Prime Minister on his statements regarding political rhetoric and the fact that members of parliament supporting the 2 x 4 coalition have made statements that have blamed the former council of ministers. Marlin called on parliament and the council of ministers to do what is right by having a meaningful discussion that will bring about solutions. Marlin asked who the Chief Operations Officer of NV GEBE was. He said that person is now sitting in the executive branch of the 2 x 4 government. Marlin said that person could have brought solutions to the crisis. Marlin asked about the solutions that NV GEBE has on the table. He asked what the cost of an electricity barge to St. Maarten will be and how long it will take. Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel said he would sling mud and blame the former government, namely UPP and National Alliance because they were the worst government to have been in office for a full four-year term. He said the 2 x 4 did not give the Grid market any exclusivity. He also said that it was the former government that appointed the members of the supervisory board and the Temporary Manager. Emmanuel described the former government as a set of vindictive people, he even mentioned the fact that he could not obtain a building permit for his business, he indicated that since the 2 x 4 entered office he received the permit. He asked the Council of Ministers how it was possible that they were able to get rid of the Chief Executive Officer of TELEM and the Director of the Kadastre but they are not able to remove the members of the Supervisory Board of NV GEBE and the Temporary Manager of NV GEBE and the Chief Executive Officer of PJIAE. Emmanuel further stated that St. Maarten is not in a crisis but instead it is in a comatose state, he said since the doctor took the helm, he amputated the arms and limbs of NV GEBE and did not provide the prosthetic limbs to hold the company up. He cautioned the Prime Minister that he was not pulling his support from his 2 x 4, but there were times when they had to hear harsh statements. Emmanuel said he does not believe anything that GEBE tells the parliament or the people of St. Maarten simply because he does not trust them. He further said that the government he supports said they could do a better job; thus, he wants Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina to present parliament with the solutions his experts and advisors provided him with. He asked what the plans NV GEBE has in place to compensate its customers for their damaged appliances are. He asked if the chief engineer resigned from NV GEBE? And the reasons behind the resignation. UPP MP Francisco Lacroes called on parliament and the government to stop their game-playing and begin to tell the truth. Based on the stack of old newspapers and motions he has, the same members of parliament passed in 2011. Lacroes said that if the parliament of St. Maarten and the council of ministers did not stop the political rhetoric, he would open a bobol on the floor of parliament. PHILIPSBURG:--- Twenty-one Sundial students completed a shortened version of the Baby Think it Over program. They especially enjoyed the part where they had to take care of the simulation baby dolls and experience the weight of carrying a baby with Pregnancy belly packs. When asked about what they had learnt students said: never hurry to grow up and I learnt that getting pregnant at a young age is a lot of work. This project has been funded by the Government of the Netherlands via the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. The R4CR program is administered by the World Bank, implemented by VNGI, and overseen by the NRPB. Next academic year all second formers at Sundial School will participate in the Baby think it Over program, similar as is already the case at the other SVOBE location, Milton Peters College. NZ PM flies commercial to Japan after problem with air force plane Wellington, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 New Zealand's prime minister was forced to take a commercial flight to Japan after his air force plane broke down while refuelling in Papua New Guinea, his office said Monday. Christopher Luxon switched late Sunday to a scheduled flight from Port Moresby to Tokyo via Hong Kong because of a technical issue with the New Zealand Defence Force Boeing 757 aircraft he had been flying on. A problem with a command module for a small flap on the wing meant the aircraft could not fly as high or as fast as normal, affecting its range, a defence spokesperson said. It was detected while the plane was on the ground in Papua New Guinea. A delegation of business leaders and journalists accompanying Luxon had to wait until Monday to fly on the air force 757 to Brisbane and then catch a commercial flight to Tokyo, the spokesperson said. Luxon is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his four-day visit. In March, the New Zealand leader had to fly commercial to Australia for meetings with Southeast Asian leaders after a problem with the landing gear grounded his defence force plane while still on the tarmac in Wellington. France reducing military presence in West, Central Africa to 600 troops: sources Paris, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 France is planning to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops in line with President Emmanuel Macron's plans to limit the French military footprint in the region, three sources told AFP. In February 2023, Macron announced "noticeable reduction" of French troop presence in Africa, as anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies and countries like Russia are vying for greater influence. According to a plan currently under discussion with African partners, France is planning to drastically reduce its so-called "pre-positioned" forces in Africa. According to two sources close to the government and a military source, who all asked not to be named, France will keep only around 100 troops in Gabon in Central Africa, down from 350 today and around 100 in Senegal, in West Africa, down from 350. Paris plans to keep around 100 troops in Ivory Coast on the southern coast of West Africa -- down from 600 troops today -- and around 300 personnel in Chad in north-central Africa, down from 1,000 now. The reduced presence could be periodically expanded based on the needs of local partners, the three sources said. Contacted by AFP, the French General Staff declined to comment. Until two years ago, in addition to around 1,600 forces pre-deployed in West Africa and Gabon, France had over 5,000 troops in the Sahel region of Africa as part of the Barkhane anti-jihadist operation. But it has been gradually pushed out by the juntas that came to power in Mali in 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. All the three countries have now concluded security agreements with Russia, which has been seeking to expand its footprint on the continent. Chad, ruled by Mahamat Idriss Deby, the son of Idriss Deby Itno who was president for over 30 years, is the last Sahel country to host French soldiers. - 'Reduce visible presence' - Landlocked Chad is surrounded by the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger that host Russian paramilitary forces resulting from the reorganisation of the Wagner group whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash last August. In February, Macron tasked former minister Jean-Marie Bockel with working out the new modalities of the French military presence with African partners. His conclusions are expected in July. In May, Bockel told the Senate that France wanted to "reduce its visible presence, but maintain logistical, human and material access to these countries, while reinforcing our action in response to their aspirations". The French army plans to set up a Paris-based command dedicated to Africa this summer, two sources close to the matter told AFP. The French army is not ruling out "pooling" its bases with Americans or European partners, the chief of staff of France's armed forces, General Thierry Burkhard has said. According to Burkhard, the tighter new structure will make it possible to maintain relations with local military authorities, "gather intelligence" and "pursue operational partnerships", among other tasks. Instead of combat missions, French soldiers will essentially provide training and capabilities to partner countries, at their request. Nine troops injured in Czech military area blast Prague, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 Nine soldiers were injured in an explosion on Monday on a Czech military site used to train Ukrainian troops, the army and a hospital said. Two soldiers with moderate injuries were taken by helicopter to the University Hospital in the nearby city of Olomouc, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the capital Prague, said the hospital's spokesman Adam Fritscher. "Six were transported to an army hospital in Olomouc by ambulance vans and one was treated on the site," he told AFP. Libava, just east of Olomouc, is where the Czech army has been training Ukrainian soldiers since late 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of that year. But military police spokeswoman Katerina Mlynkova told AFP the injured "were not foreigners". The army said on X that "unspecified ammunition had exploded" without giving any further details. frj/mmp/imm One dead, eight wounded in blast at Czech military base Prague, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 A soldier was killed and eight people wounded in an explosion Monday at a Czech military base used to train Ukrainian troops, officials said. The blast occurred at around midday at the Libava military training area near the city of Olomouc, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the capital Prague. "One professional soldier died during an explosion at the Libava military training area," the Czech army said on X. "Seven soldiers and one civilian employee were transported to military and university hospitals in Olomouc," it added. The Czech army has been training Ukrainian soldiers at Libava since late 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of that year. Military police spokeswoman Katerina Mlynkova told AFP the soldiers involved "were not foreigners". The army said "unspecified ammunition had exploded" during a "planned training of pyrotechnicians", adding the soldier died at the site. Olomouc University Hospital spokesman Adam Fritscher told AFP two patients were brought from the base by helicopter. "They suffered moderate injuries and their lives are not in danger," he added. Fritscher said earlier that six patients had been taken by ambulance to an army hospital in Olomouc while another was treated at the base. Putin promotes 'cousin' in latest military shake-up Moscow, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed a woman the West has called his "close relative" to a top defence ministry post on Monday as part of an ongoing shake-up of Russia's military leadership. The appointment comes after Putin removed his long-time defence chief Sergei Shoigu last month, replacing him with economist Andrey Belousov, and following the arrest of several high-ranking military figures on corruption charges. Analysts said the purge at the top of Russia's defence establishment was a sign Moscow believes it can beat Ukraine on the battlefield by outspending and outlasting Kyiv and its Western backers. They said the Kremlin also wants to get tighter control of the military's vast spending. Putin issued decrees on Monday replacing four deputy defence ministers. He named Anna Tsivilyova, the reported daughter of his cousin, and Pavel Fradkov, the son of his former spy boss and prime minister, among their replacements. Britain hit Tsivilyova with sanctions in 2022, naming her "Putin's first cousin once removed" and the European Union listed her a "close relative" of Putin. She headed a major coal company and a government-backed fund to support the families of soldiers fighting in Ukraine. At the defence ministry she will oversee social welfare and benefits for soldiers. Fradkov was a senior official inside Putin's presidential administration and is the son of Mikhail Fradkov, who headed Russia's foreign intelligence service for almost a decade and was one of Putin's prime ministers in the 2000s. A former finance ministry official, Leonid Gornin, was also appointed first deputy defence minister. The changes are part of the largest overhaul of Russia's defence ministry since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. It comes with Russian forces grinding forward on the battlefield and with Putin demanding Ukraine's full withdrawal from the south and east of the country as a precondition to peace talks. Those demands were rejected by Kyiv as a territorial "ultimatum" reminiscent of Adolf Hitler. In a major diplomatic summit in Switzerland over the weekend, Kyiv won support for the principle that its "territorial integrity" should be respected in any peace deal with Russia, though several key countries refused to back that call. France cutting troops in West, Central Africa to 600: sources Paris, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 France is planning to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops in line with President Emmanuel Macron's plans to limit the French military footprint in the region, three sources told AFP. In February 2023, Macron announced a "noticeable reduction" of French troop presence in Africa, as anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies and countries like Russia are vying for greater influence. According to a plan under discussion with African partners, France is planning to drastically reduce its so-called "pre-positioned" forces in Africa. According to two sources close to the government and a military source, France will keep only around 100 troops in Gabon in Central Africa, down from 350 today, and around 100 in Senegal, in West Africa, down from 350. Paris plans to keep around 100 troops in Ivory Coast on the southern coast of West Africa, down from 600 troops today, and around 300 personnel in Chad in north-central Africa, down from 1,000 now. The reduced presence could be periodically expanded based on the needs of local partners, the three sources said. Contacted by AFP, the French General Staff declined to comment. Until two years ago, in addition to around 1,600 forces pre-deployed in West Africa and Gabon, France had over 5,000 troops in the Sahel region of Africa as part of the Barkhane anti-jihadist operation. But it has been gradually pushed out by the juntas that came to power in Mali in 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. All the three countries have now concluded security agreements with Russia, which has been seeking to expand its footprint on the continent. Chad, ruled by Mahamat Idriss Deby, the son of Idriss Deby Itno who was president for over 30 years, is the last Sahel country to host French soldiers. - 'Reduce visible presence' - Landlocked Chad is surrounded by the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger that host Russian paramilitary forces resulting from the reorganisation of the Wagner group, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash last August. In February, Macron tasked former minister Jean-Marie Bockel with working out the new modalities of the French military presence with African partners. His conclusions are expected in July. In May, Bockel told the Senate that France wanted to "reduce its visible presence, but maintain logistical, human and material access to these countries, while reinforcing our action in response to their aspirations". The French army plans to set up a Paris-based command dedicated to Africa this summer, two sources told AFP. The French army is not ruling out "pooling" its bases with Americans or European partners, the chief of staff of France's armed forces, General Thierry Burkhard, has said. According to Burkhard, the tighter new structure will make it possible to maintain relations with local military authorities, "gather intelligence" and "pursue operational partnerships", among other tasks. Instead of combat missions, French soldiers will essentially provide training and capabilities to partner countries, at their request. In Ivory Coast, one of France's strongest allies in West Africa, the reduction in military personnel has already begun, with the number of troops now at 600 from 900 several months ago. In Senegal, France's military presence is also shrinking. The country's new left-wing pan-Africanist president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has insisted on the importance of his nation's sovereignty. In May, Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said the country's wish to determine its path was "incompatible with the entrenched presence of foreign military bases". But he did not call into question bilateral defence agreements. The French base in Djibouti, which is home to 1,500 French troops, will not be affected by the downsizing. France wants to retain a foothold in the small country located at the mouth of the Red Sea, on the western shore of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, through which around 40 percent of international trade passes. NATO chief warns China, says Ukraine 'path to peace' via weapons Washington, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 NATO's chief warned Monday that the Western alliance needs to impose costs on China over support for Russia, while saying that only a regular flow of weapons to Ukraine could end the war. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was paying a visit to Washington to lay the groundwork for the 75th anniversary summit of NATO next month. The July gathering aims to send a decisive long-term message of support for Ukraine as President Joe Biden faces a tough reelection fight against Donald Trump, a skeptic of Western support for Kyiv. Speaking ahead of a meeting with Biden, Stoltenberg accused China of worsening the conflict through what US officials say is a major export push to rebuild Russia's defense industry. President Xi Jinping "has tried to create the impression that he is taking a back seat in this conflict, to avoid sanctions and keep trade flowing," Stoltenberg said at the Wilson Center. "But the reality is that China is fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, and at the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West," he said. "Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point -- and unless China changes course -- allies need to impose a cost. There should be consequences." China argues that it is not sending lethal assistance to either side -- unlike the United States and other Western nations. Beijing steered clear of a weekend summit in Switzerland promoted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that reaffirmed Kyiv's demands for Russia to leave Ukrainian territory for any peace. Russia has insisted that it is interested in talks, but has demanded Ukrainian forces to withdraw from territory seized by Moscow. Trump -- who in the past has voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin -- has boasted that he can quickly end the war, likely by pressing Ukraine to accept demands. In an unstated effort to "Trump-proof" future efforts, Stoltenberg wants the Washington summit both to put NATO in the lead of coordination on Ukraine and to set up a way for long-term military support. "The more credible our long-term support, the quicker Moscow will realize it cannot wait us out," he said. "It may seem like a paradox, but the path to peace is more weapons for Ukraine." The US Congress in April approved some $60 billion in new military funding for Ukraine but only after months of delay due to political fighting and opposition by some of Trump's Republican allies. Philippines says Chinese ships rammed, damaged its boats Manila, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 The Philippine government on Monday accused Chinese ships of ramming and damaging its boats in the South China Sea during a confrontation in waters off the Second Thomas Shoal, home to a garrison of Filipino troops. "The People's Liberation Army-Navy, China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing," Manila's national task force on the West Philippine Sea said in a statement. "Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats." The Second Thomas Shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months. These have often taken place during Philippine resupply missions to a garrison of Filipino troops on a grounded navy vessel, the Sierra Madre, aimed at asserting Manila's claims to the reef. The shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. The Chinese coast guard said early Monday a Philippine resupply ship in the area had "ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side" and that they "took control measures" against it "in accordance with the law." It "approached the... Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision", Beijing said. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, vowed to defend his country's sovereignty, saying China's "dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted". "It should now be clear to the international community that China's actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added. The Philippine government statement did not specify which boats were rammed and the extent of the damage. Manila's allies voiced concern over China's actions. The United States ambassador to Philippines, MaryKay Carlson said in a post on social media X that Washington "condemns" China's "aggressive dangerous maneuvers which caused bodily injury, damaged Philippine vessels, and hindered lawful maritime operations." Japan's ambassador Endo Kazuya expressed his country's "grave concern over the repeated dangerous and aggressive actions" by the China Coast Guard. "We oppose any threat or use of force contrary to international law," reacted the French ambassador Marie Fontanel in a social media post. N.Korea visit shows Putin 'dependent' on authoritarians: NATO chief Washington, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 NATO's chief said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit this week to North Korea showed how Moscow's war effort in Ukraine had become "dependent" on authoritarian leaders. "It demonstrates how dependent President Putin, and Moscow, now is on authoritarian countries across the world," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Washington following a speech at the Wilson Center. "Their closest friends and the biggest supporters of the Russian war effort -- war of aggression -- (are) North Korea, Iran and China," Stoltenberg said. Asked what actions NATO could take, Stoltenberg said that "there are many sanctions already on North Korea. The problem is that Russia is now violating those sanctions." Using a figure given previously by South Korean intelligence, Stoltenberg said that North Korea has already delivered one million shells to Russia. "That flow of weapons continues," Stoltenberg said. "We see them loading the railroad cars and then crossing the border between North Korea and Russia." Russia is a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, which has imposed a slew of sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. Chile tells Argentina solar panels in wrong spot must go Santiago, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 Chilean President Gabriel Boric told Argentina Monday to remove solar panels that were installed on the wrong side of their shared border or Chile itself will do it. In late April, the Argentine Navy inaugurated a maritime surveillance post on the border with Chile, in the Patagonia region of South America. But the solar panels, which provide energy to that military unit, were set up on the Chilean side of the frontier. Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren has said Argentina acknowledged the mistake and apologized. Argentina said it cannot move the panels right away but will once weather conditions permit. It is winter now in those southern hemisphere countries. "Borders are not something that can be ambiguous. It is a basic principle of respect between countries and therefore they must remove those solar panels as soon as possible or we are going to do it," Boric told reporters during a visit to Paris. Chile and Argentina share a border of about 5,000 kilometers (more than 3,000 miles). Philippines says Chinese ships rammed, damaged its boats Manila, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 The Philippine government on Monday accused Chinese ships of ramming and damaging its boats in the South China Sea during a confrontation in waters off the Second Thomas Shoal, home to a garrison of Filipino troops. "The People's Liberation Army-Navy, China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing," Manila's national task force on the West Philippine Sea said in a statement. "Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats." The Second Thomas Shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months. These have often taken place during Philippine resupply missions to a garrison of Filipino troops on a grounded navy vessel, the Sierra Madre, aimed at asserting Manila's claims to the reef. The shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. The Chinese coast guard said early Monday a Philippine resupply ship in the area had "ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side" and that they "took control measures" against it "in accordance with the law." It "approached the... Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision", Beijing said. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, vowed to defend his country's sovereignty, saying China's "dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted". "It should now be clear to the international community that China's actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added. The Philippine government statement did not specify which boats were rammed and the extent of the damage. The United States, an ally of Manila, voiced concern over China's actions. US ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in a post on social media that Washington "condemns" China's "aggressive dangerous manoeuvres which caused bodily injury, damaged Philippine vessels, and hindered lawful maritime operations." National Security Council spokesman John Kirby later told reporters in Washington that China's behaviour was "provocative" and could spark larger conflicts. "It's reckless and unnecessary, and it could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to something much bigger and much more violent," Kirby said. A State Department spokesman meanwhile called the actions "escalatory" and noted that a US-Philippines defence treaty includes "armed attacks" on its Coast Guard "anywhere in the South China Sea." France and Japan also denounced China's actions. Japanese ambassador Endo Kazuya expressed his country's "grave concern over the repeated dangerous and aggressive actions" by the China Coast Guard. French ambassador Marie Fontanel in a social media post said that "we oppose any threat or use of force contrary to international law". NATO chief tells Biden 23 allies on track on defense spending pledge Washington, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that 23 of the alliance's 32 members were on track to meet a decade-old pledge to spend at least two percent of GDP on defense, a long-standing demand of Washington. "Twenty-three allies are going to spend two percent of GDP or more on defense this year," Stoltenberg told President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. "NATO allies are this year increasing defense spending by 18 percent. That's the biggest increase in decades," he said. Biden's rival in November elections, Donald Trump, has long voiced anger at NATO allies he sees as not carrying their fair share, even recently suggesting he would encourage Russia to attack them if they do not pay. When NATO allies made the pledge at a 2014 summit, only three countries met the target -- the United States, Britain and Greece, which has longstanding tensions with neighboring Turkey. Stoltenberg last reported that around 20 allies were meeting the target, with once hesitant nations such as Germany ramping up defense spending following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Argentina starts removing solar panels from Chilean border Santiago, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 Argentina on Monday began removing solar panels that were installed by accident on the wrong side of its shared border with Chile, after a complaint from Chilean President Gabriel Boric. In late April, the Argentine Navy inaugurated a maritime surveillance post on the border with Chile, in the Patagonia region of South America. But the solar panels, which provide energy to that military unit, were set up on the Chilean side of the frontier. In a statement, the Argentine Navy acknowledged the mistake and said it had "transferred personnel and means to begin the removal of a solar panel installed in the territory of the sister republic of Chile, north of the Island of Tierra del Fuego." Earlier in the day, Boric demanded that the panels be removed or Chile itself would do it. "Borders are not something that can be ambiguous. It is a basic principle of respect between countries and therefore they must remove those solar panels as soon as possible or we are going to do it," Boric told reporters during a visit to Paris. Chile and Argentina share a border of about 5,000 kilometers (more than 3,000 miles). The storyline is gripping, chronicling the impact of the illegal drug trade from Cuba to Miami on Roman and his brother, Nestor Cabal (Yul Vazquez). The first episode vividly depicts Roman's struggle to maintain normalcy while being blackmailed by DEA agent Zulio (Michael Chiklis). Years ago, Roman fled Cuba with his daughter, Valeria (Corina Bradley), after losing his wife to Castros forces. Still haunted by her death, he tries to build a new life with Marisol (Tania Watson). However, his world is turned upside down when Zulio coerces him into contacting drug kingpin Nestor Cabal (Yul Vazquez), his estranged brother. This reunion pulls Roman into the cocaine trafficking underworld, transforming him from an upstanding man into someone entangled in deceit, violence, and murder. His journey from a respectable businessman to a reluctant criminal is both compelling and heart-wrenching. The Mutiny - HOTEL COCAINE. Pictured: Danny Pino as Roman Compte and Yul Vazquez as Nestor Cabal. Photo: Carlos Rodriguez/MGM + 2024. All Rights Reserved. The episode does an excellent job of setting the scene in 1978 Miami. The visual effects are commendable, transforming the city back to its retro roots with accurate depictions of buildings, cars, and the overall ambiance of the era. This attention to detail immerses viewers in the time period, adding an authentic backdrop to the unfolding drama. Roman's character is particularly well-developed. Outside the club, he's portrayed as a quintessential family man, deeply caring for his daughter and trying to preserve his Cuban heritage despite their new life in the USA. His daughter's desire to forget Cuba due to the traumatic loss of her mother adds a layer of emotional depth to their relationship. Romans moral struggle is palpable when he's forced to prove his loyalty to Nestor by committing an act of violence, showcasing his vulnerability and conscience. The episode's climax is intense, with Roman initially appearing to cooperate with the DEA, only to double-cross them as he and Nestor enter into a showdown with the Haitians. This twist highlights Roman's descent into the dark underworld he desperately tried to avoid, setting the stage for a thrilling and unpredictable series. The Mutiny - HOTEL COCAINE. Pictured: Danny Pino as Roman Compte. Photo: Carlos Rodriguez/MGM + 2024. All Rights Reserved. "Hotel Cocaine" weaves a complex tale of Roman's struggle to balance loyalty to his loved ones while safeguarding them and himself. His conflicting allegiances to his daughter, his commitment to his job at the Mutiny, and his renewed connection with his brother take a toll on Roman's psyche, transforming him from a well-intentioned man to someone willing to cross moral lines. The series does not hold back in depicting the deadly consequences of large-scale drug trafficking, but it also revels in the glitz of the era. Danny Pino is brilliant as Roman. He delivers a highly convincing performance as a man capable of handling any situation, but even his character begins to show signs of cracking under pressure. His vulnerability and steadfast commitment to his morals make him a likable character that viewers find easy to root for. Creator Chris Brancato, known for "Narcos" and "Godfather of Harlem," describes "Hotel Cocaine" as "Casablanca on cocaine," a fitting analogy given the show's blend of high-stakes drama and historical context. While it shares similarities with other drug-centric shows like "Narcos," its unique setting and character-driven plot offer a fresh perspective on the genre. The Mutiny - HOTEL COCAINE. Pictured: Michael Chiklis as Agent Zulio. Photo: Carlos Rodriguez/MGM + 2024. All Rights Reserved. Overall, "Hotel Cocaine" delivers a strong premiere, with stellar acting and a storyline that leaves viewers eager to see what happens next. Despite not reaching the cinematic heights of shows like "Griselda" or "Narcos," it carves out its own niche with likable characters and an engaging narrative. Time for viewers to weigh in: What did you think of the premiere? Did you feel Roman was a likable character? As he gets more involved in Nestors crime-ridden world, will he be able to stand true to his morals? Share your thoughts in the comments below and follow me on X at @middleofcanada. CRISTINA ALMEIDA Cristina manages the site and reviews several shows. She is an Elementary School Counsellor by day and avid TV buff by night. True Crime, thrillers, dramas and dramedy's are her favourite genres. When she is not at work or managing SpoilerTV, she loves spending time with her two dogs, a Chihuahua Pug mix named Holly and Terrier mix named Penny. She also loves Travelling to visit family. "Hotel Cocaine," kicked off with a bang in its premiere episode. Set in 1978, the show centres around Roman Compte (played by Danny Pino), a Cuban expatriate who manages a high-end Miami hotel, The Mutiny Hotel. As he tries to protect his daughter from both unscrupulous federal agents and his estranged mobster brother, Roman finds himself entangled in a perilous web of crime and deceit. It is a shame that the LBMA has wasted almost 10 months pursuing this application, only to drop it at the 11th hour, but I am very pleased that the litigation is now back on track. * 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. Mr Smith also believes the Conservative Government misjudged the public mood, saying: They believed people would be hostile to strikes, but the opposite was true. Post-Covid, people valued frontline workers and there was huge support for ambulance staff, refuse collection workers and others who have been on strike. As we wrap up, we talk about how artists are important in highlighting change. I think its important to constantly learn and shift how we think about the world. Remember the time everybody though the world was flat? I think about that all the time. I think about how certain things feel like a fundamental truth about the human experience. Then every century or so it changes radically, and youre like, Holy shit! This is not how the world is. The first was that a bomb threat he sent in a text to an off-duty nurse in order to lure people to the car park where he was waiting with the bomb was not seen for almost an hour, and the full-scale evacuation he had hoped for did not happen. That wisdom has proven to be correct. I never saw how this chapter would end, hell, I never even saw it happening. But it did. And I will cherish every moment of it. Temperaturi de peste 400C si rafale de vant de peste 20.000 de kilometri pe ora / BBC vine cu explicatii si scuze dupa ce anuntase sfarsitul lumii AGERPRES special correspondent Mariana Nica reports: On a day when Americans are on the streets, it is very important to promote Romanian tourism, says the vice-president of the Federation of Hospitality Industry Employers in Romania (FPIOR), Corina Martin, who was present at the "Romania Day on Broadway" in New York. "For 23 years a portion of Broadway, in the heart of Manhattan and New York, a whole portion has been closed for Romania to promote its traditions, culture, gastronomy, why not music, dances and, of course, history and image as a country that wants to attract American tourists. And that is why the Consulate General of Romania in New York has invited us to the Romanian Federation of Hospitality Industry Employers. Some of our colleagues came here loaded with promotional materials for Romanian tourist destinations, because we want to attract American tourists to festivals like this one, where we have tens of thousands of people for several hours. On a day when Americans are on the streets, as you can see, it is very important to promote Romanian tourism as well," Corina Martin told AGERPRES on Sunday. In her opinion, Romanian gastronomy is another means "to invite, attract and convince American tourists" to come to Romanian destinations. "In addition, even the president of our federation launched a special brand here today - "Litalsi - niste mititei," [Romanian mici - little mince meat sausages without skin] how else than in New York. A strong launch. Indeed, it's certain that the mici and the Romanian gastronomy, are in fact another means of inviting, attracting and convincing American tourists to come to Romanian destinations. We hope to return next January, this time at the New York Travel Fair. We have very big plans together with the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism where we, the private part, the federations, the employers, have proposed to the ministry to promote Romania through street billboards or in a very big campaign starting next year. So, let's continue what is happening here today, in a festival where many Americans may hear for the first time what Romania means and discover Romania. And, why not, we should come, continue with the promotion," Martin stressed. "Romania Day on Broadway" started in 2000, the event being organised in partnership with the Romanian Embassy to the United States of America, the Consulate General of Romania in New York and the Romanian Cultural Institute. The event included an artistic programme, aiming to promote among Americans the most beautiful aspects of Romanian culture, customs, values and traditions. Dozens of people on Sunday evening participated in a protest rally in Victory Square in Bucharest over irregularities reported in the June 9 elections, with the protesters demanding the resignation of Chairman of the Standing Electoral Authority (AEP) Toni Grebla. The protest was initiated by Corruption Kills and the Romania Initiative, being entitled "We want respect! We want a fair vote! Grebla, step down!' According to the organisers, this is the fourth day of protest for "a fair vote". "We are outraged by the frauds committed in these first elections of a historic year like 2024! There are cases of fraud all over the country, and the stat, led by the Standing Electoral Authority (AEP), is ignoring them. That's why we take to the streets NOT for a particular party or candidate, but to protect our democracy! It is inadmissible that a citizen's vote is stolen, no matter who he voted for!" the protest initiators wrote on Sunday in a social media post. The protesters demand the recount of the votes where there were irregularities and of the invalid ballots in the polling stations where their percentage is high. "It is our duty to protect democracy!" say the initiators of the protest. Liberal leader Nicolae Ciuca on Sunday evening said the PNL (National Liberal Party) and PSD (Social Democratic Party) need to come with their own candidates for the upcoming presidential election, while also saying that it's only natural for the PSD chair and the current PM, Marcel Ciolacu, to run on behalf of the Social Democrats. "I think that the best choice right now would be that the two parties each have its own candidate, because we are talking about the most representative position in the Romanian state, we are talking about the person who receives the highest vote of confidence from the Romanian citizens and, no matter how much we want to talk about this coalition and the benefits of a stable government, we still need to talk about the hardcore voters, on both sides, who will definitely not vote for a joint candidate (...) If we look at the numbers, we can see that, although the joint list, the way I see it, achieved our initial goal of winning half plus one of the mandates, because we did won more than 50%, so, again, even if we did achieve our goal with the joint list, when we look at the scores obtained by PNL and PSD, separately, we won't find the same balance. If we look at the separate scores, the sum of the percentages is much higher than the one obtained on the common list. Which means that we need to learn our lesson and have separate candidates," Ciuca told a broadcast on Prima News private television channel Also, when asked about a possible candidacy of the PSD leader and current PM, Marcel Ciolacu, in the presidential election, Nicolae Ciuca said that it will only be natural for Marcel Ciolacu to run. "If we go by similarity, I think it's normal for him to run. He's the party president, he's prime minister in office (...) So I think He will run. I'm not sure, though," said Ciuca. The PNL chair further admitted that a right-wing construction would be preferable, but the electoral score obtained by ADU (United Right Alliance) does not ensure a majority. "Well, we have to look at the numbers and see what the final score is. Can we make a consistent majority with this final score? We can't. So at the moment we see no other better choice than to stay in this formula. This formula [with the PSD as governing partner - editor's note] represents the only way we can ensure the stability of the country based on a majority. However, if tomorrow we had a score that would give us a majority, it would certainly be preferable to have a political construct on the right," emphasised Ciuca. At the same time, he says that he expected to have a good dialogue with Elena Lasconi, who announced her candidacy for the head of USR [Save Romania Union], one of the parties in the United Right Alliance. "Maybe we can have a dialogue. I want to have a dialogue with everyone, because that seems normal to me. (...) I know Mrs. Lasconi, we have met on two or three occasions. She is a very respectable lady and I expect we will have a dialogue as good as possible," stated Ciuca. NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana in Brasov on Sunday, on the occasion of the launch of his book "The Battle for Romania's Future. The thoughts of a Romanian at the top of NATO," said that "you don't have to be in a high position to be a reliable soldier for the national army," in the fight for change. "There are old habits, things that don't work well in this country and we will need patience and perseverance to change them. I am, however, confident, I am optimistic, I am not one of those who say that things are beyond repair, that the country or the state is broken. I believe, quite simply, that we need a new spirit, new energy and, above all, a team that transcends party colour (...).I am willing to put my shoulder to this fight for a better future for our country, but you don't have to be in a great position to be a reliable soldier for the national army," Geoana said. He pointed out that this book was written during the pandemic, "without any electoral pretensions," is meant to "order ideas and reflect beyond the electoral cycle or one campaign or another to the components of national success." At the same time, answering a question on the creation of a military Schengen, the NATO Deputy Secretary said that Romania is currently in an exceptional situation. "At NATO, we are trying to put some kind of positive pressure on the civilian and political dimension. I am glad to see that countries in the South East European region, including Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, but also those across the Adriatic - are coming up with consistent proposals for military mobility. We are not talking here about creating special infrastructure for military purposes, they just need to be built according to NATO standards, to be able to transport cargo trucks or cars with citizens going on holiday, and if or when the need arises, to be able to transport also what is specifically military. (...) I am glad to see that, at last, the EU has started to acknowledge the need to invest in trans-European corridors, connecting the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine through Romania to Europe and through Poland to Europe. It is an extremely useful moment for us and, if we could also make projects, not just strategies and implement ideas, not just utter them, I think we would be in an exceptional situation. Romania is not a country that does not have the answer to all the problems, but it is indispensable for the balance of Europe and the regions that surround us," said Mircea Geoana. The NATO deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoana, said on Monday, during a visit to the factory in Brasov of the group that produces components for Airbus, that Romania must have and has the ambition to become the fifth institutional player in the Aerotec group. "I know that there is a dialogue between the Romanian authorities and the management of this very important group, which would mean very well-paid jobs, the stabilization of talent here in Romania, and would also mean a more competitive economy. (...) I think that Romania must have the ambition not only to be a beneficiary, but also a partner in such industrial groups. (...) I appreciate the ambitions of the management in Romania for our country to go to the upper level, through additional investments, through jobs and technology. I'm glad to see Romanian companies contributing to this ecosystem: I was looking at the robotics part - one from Cluj makes the software, a company from Brasov transports the finished product to Germany and other destinations. The presence of such an industrial compound does not represent only jobs for those who work here, but also for many other smaller companies in the ecosystem of this elite industry," Geoana said. At the same time, he mentioned that the factory in Romania is certified by the NATO procurement agency, which means that whatever is currently produced in it can be sold in any partner country of the Alliance. "When the Soviets occupied Romania, they tried to destroy the Romanian aeronautical industry and I am glad to see that it is reborn. For the military industry, as well as for the civil one, the association with such concerns represents a path that I encourage and I am convinced that the decision-makers from Bucharest and Toulouse will give it the necessary attention," Mircea Geoana pointed out. The factory in Brasov is part of the European concern Franco-German-Spanish-British EADS, which produces aeronautical equipment including for the European defense industry. Senator Titus Corlatean, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, calls on the Swedish Government to "react very quickly" in order to follow up on the "absolutely rightful requests to stop the absolutely illegal and abusive detention" of two Romanian minors whose parents live in Sweden. "It is absolutely unacceptable what is happening, when a 12 year old girl ends up using poison, ends up wanting to put a noose around her neck, ends up using a piece of tinplate, to cut her wrists or ends up taking a knife, it is an unacceptable matter that we did not think could happen in a democratic state like Sweden. We are waiting for a very quick response from the Swedish state," Titus Corlatean on Monday told a joint press conference with MP Ben - Oni Ardelean, on the case of a Romanian family living in Sweden with their two daughters, Sara and Diana, who "were taken away abusively" by the social worker in the Swedish community where this family lives. Corlatean also asks the Swedish Government to ensure strict compliance with Sweden's international commitments and very good political relations with the Romanian state and to immediately repatriate the two girls, "who are illegally being detained". Senator Corlatean recalls how the Samson family's case began, things that had happened starting with December 2022, and adds that the action of separating the girls is taking place "at an accelerated pace", and the parents are forbidden to see them again, deeds that "violate" international conventions on the matter. "At the moment it is the fourth foster family for each child, with some psychological abuse of the children, with things that the girls are confessing and which have led them, especially Sara, to resort to some reckless gestures. Two weeks ago, Sara's fifth suicide attempt was recorded. So far, she used poison, pills, tried to hang herself, used a piece of tinplate to cut her wrists and last time she used a knife, was stopped by her foster family, reported to the police, taken to the psychiatric ward again. Sara is also undergoing a wrong treatment with psychotropic pills, she has reached 96 kilos at the age of 12 and she is a girl who constantly says: I want my parents back," said the senator. Three Ethiopian citizens were discovered by Arad border police officers in the trunk of a car checked on their way out of the country through the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point, the driver being investigated for smuggling migrants. "A 33-year-old Moldovan citizen showed up for border formalities on the way out of the country. The man was driving a car registered in Moldova and was going to Germany. On the basis of the risk profile, a thorough check of the means of transport was carried out, after which the border police discovered three foreign citizens in the trunk of the car," Arad Border Police informed on Monday. Following the investigation, it was found that the Ethiopians were aged between 22 and 29 and had entered Romania legally. The driver is being investigated for smuggling migrants, while the Ethiopian people are being investigated for attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border. With a vowed quest for her organization to help eliminate the healthcare divide in the region, Riisa Rawlins has been named St. Louis Regional Health Commission (RHC) CEO. Rawlins served as interim CEO since November 1, 2023, for the organization that was founded in 2001 following closure of St. Louis Regional Medical Center. It was the regions last public hospital. I can think of no greater vocation than to advance an equity centered, trauma informed approach into a community and systems partnership framework dedicated to achieving zero health disparities, Rawlins said in a release. I am extremely grateful for the numerous partnerships across systems and in community that have inspired me to embrace collaboration over duplication or competition. In February of 2023, the RHC and Alive and Well Communities (AWC) announced an affiliation to advance health equity across the State of Missouri and beyond. The combined efforts of RHC and AWC are dedicated to improving healthcare access, experience and outcomes for residents across Missouri, with a focus on equity-centered trauma-informed care, according to Dr. Sheila Grigsby, who now serves as RHV board chair as serves as an associate professor at the University of MissouriSt. Louis College of Nursing. I believe wholeheartedly in the vision of the RHC to provide health care for the underserved, said Grigsby, a public health professional, researcher and nurse educator for over 20 years. I look forward to continuing the legacy of the great work that the RHC has shepherded over the past 20 years. She added the RHC is in the right hands under [Rawlins] leadership. Rawlins, who also has over 20 years of professional experience in healthcare and mental health environments, holds a bachelors degree in political science from Loyola University and masters degree in social work from the Brown School at WUSTL where she was a Bettie Schroth Johnson Women in Leadership scholar. She is pursuing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Rawlins joined the RHC in June of 2020 and served as chief operations and strategy officer before being named interim CEO. In the previous role she fostered community and health system partnerships, developed and institutionalized power-sharing frameworks, coordinated the day-to-day management of operations, managed staff and associated contractors, and supported the work of volunteer stakeholder bodies. Alongside Dr. Grigsby, a longtime champion of community voice in healthcare, I look forward to deepening collaboration with our current and future systems and community partners in St. Louis, the Bootheel, Kansas City and beyond, said Rawlins. Rawlins recently delivered the keynote address during the University of Missouri -St. Louis Women Trailblazers Awards, and also presented the commencement speech for UMSLs Fall graduation in December. The RHC has adopted a new strategic plan that integrates the efforts of Alive & Well Communities. This plan aims to facilitate systems-level change, guided by community members who are experiencing unjust health outcomes. According to its website, RHC knows that all communities experience harm from trauma, and those exposed to the trauma of racism are at higher risk of unjust health outcomes. The merger between the Regional Health Commission and Alive & Well Communities implements a statewide strategy of bringing together cross-sector stakeholders and community members around a common goal of building healthy, healed communities. The organization believes it is possible to facilitate co-creation between impacted community members and our states institutions to change the conditions in our state that lead to early death and to facilitate healing from the trauma of injustice. RHC signed on to a letter to the state legislature in opposition of proposed bills that would limiting the ability of public and private organizations to conduct training or implement initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also submitted public comment in support of proposed rule 13 CSR 70-25.160 Doula Services, which would establish the Department of Social Services MO HealthNet Division guidelines regarding coverage and reimbursement for community doula services. ST. LOUIS Defense attorneys say the city jail is blocking access to clients and shirking a judges order to ensure communication between inmates and their lawyers. The citys top public defender said he waited hours last week to meet with a client in the middle of a trial. Another lawyer said he got the runaround from corrections officers and police while trying to meet with a man who had been recently arrested. Jail employees have also refused to follow a judges order allowing attorneys to pass paper evidence and forms to their clients, lawyers say. The delays mean that inmates, most of whom have not yet been convicted of crimes, are unable to share important evidence materials, discuss trial strategy or consult about bond with their lawyers, defense attorneys say. Its unacceptable, said defense attorney Steven Hoffmann. The issues mark the latest controversies at a jail that has come under fire for inmate deaths, slow medical responses, understaffing, and restrictions on food and other basic necessities. Corrections spokesman Monte Chambers said the city is taking the lawyers concerns seriously and is implementing new procedures to address them. He also said the city is following the judges order but said if there are further clarifications needed for jail staff, we will ensure that information is promptly shared. The past year has been especially controversial for the City Justice Center. A civilian jail board struggled to get access to records, inmates and the building itself, leading to months of turmoil. Some called for the resignation of jail Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah. Board members resigned in frustration. Advocates and inmate family members blasted conditions there. Then, in January, a public defender complaining about a lack of health care at the jail released a photo of a client who had developed a cantaloupe-sized hernia on his hip. The mans family complained that the facility was slow to address the issue and had ignored repeated requests for medications. The day after the Post-Dispatch published the photo, the jail banned attorneys from bringing cellphones into meetings with clients, as attorneys had done for years. Weeks later, they stopped attorneys from passing paper forms and printouts to their clients through slots in the glass separating lawyers from inmates when they meet at the jail. In April, the citys presiding judge, Elizabeth Hogan, ordered the jail to reopen the slots and allow attorneys to bring phones into the facility effective immediately. Since that time, however, jail employees have sometimes refused to open the paper-pass slots and have kept a sign hanging in the jail lobby about banned cellphones, attorneys said. The citys chief public defender, Matthew Mahaffey, said an attorney recently visited a client to get a signature on a medical release form only to be told by a jail employee that the paper-pass slot couldnt be opened because there was only one key. They waited an hour for someone to help. Part of the problem, said Hoffmann, the defense attorney, is that three agencies essentially run parts of the jail: The sheriffs department oversees moving prisoners from jail to court. City corrections officers staff the inside of the facility. Police bring people in to be booked. On a recent Sunday, Hoffmann arrived at the jail around 7 p.m. to visit a client. He said staff there gave him the runaround, first refusing to let him into the jail, then telling him he had to walk to the back of the facility because his client was still being booked. It is a constant struggle, he said. This is what has put a bee in my bonnet, Hoffmann said. They play this game of musical chairs of who has technical, legal custody of that person. Hoffmann was eventually able to see his client. But Mahaffey detailed a similar struggle later that same week. He and a colleague arrived at 4:30 p.m. for a scheduled visit with a client to discuss an ongoing trial. Mahaffey said they waited an hour before being told that the person wasnt available. They came back the following day at 6 a.m. for the meeting. Mahaffey said it is essential for lawyers to meet with their clients to discuss strategy, new evidence and testimony. His office has tried for months to work around the obstruction and come up with new ways to meet with clients, he said. But those efforts have been met with radio silence, he said. Chambers, the city corrections spokesman, said in an email that some of the increased wait times could be attributed to the structure of the building, which has only one booth for attorneys to visit clients in each housing unit. We work diligently to make sure that attorney client meetings can occur as expeditiously as possible, he said. Still, Mahaffey said the City Justice Center is the only jail in the region where he had experienced such obstruction. Hoffmann agreed. The idea that someone could be in custody with counsel and not be provided access to that counsel is flabbergasting to me, Mahaffey said. Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers embark on a U.S. C-130J Super Hercules during a Valiant Shield exercise at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan Propellers whirled as Japanese paratroopers and American special operations airmen loaded onto three C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifters Saturday at this airlift hub in western Tokyo. The troops, headed for northeast Japan, were among 10,000 participating in Valiant Shield, a biennial drill going on this month in Japan and on Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau. The drills, which began June 7 and wrap up Tuesday, involve Japanese forces for the first time. The huge piece (of Valiant Shield) this year is that it is now multinational, Col. Andrew Roddan, commander of Yokotas 374th Airlift Wing, said as the U.S. planes and paratroopers of Japans 1st Airborne Brigade prepared to takeoff nearby. The 70-80 Japanese soldiers had planned to parachute onto Japans northern island of Hokkaido but clouds over the drop zone near Chitose meant they went to Misawa Air Base in northeast Japan, instead. Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers board a U.S. C-130J Super Hercules during a Valiant Shield exercise at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) The operation included U.S. loadmasters and Japanese safety personnel, Roddan said. That is about as integrated as you can be, he said. It is operating as one package. The wings role during Valiant Shield involves moving people and gear with the C-130Js and C-12 Huron transports, Roddan said. We are providing mobility to the joint force so we can move whatever needs to be moved wherever it needs to be moved, he said. The planes involved in Saturdays flight included one from Yokotas 36th Airlift Squadron and two from the California Air National Guards 115th Airlift Squadron, according to Capt. Trent Fleener, a pilot with the squadron. During Valiant Shield the C-130Js have also been to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Matsushima Air Field and Hachinohe Air Base on Honshu, the largest of Japans four main islands, he said. Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers prepare for takeoff on a U.S. C-130J Super Hercules during a Valiant Shield exercise at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes) The planes were scheduled to visit Matsushima on Monday to practice hot refueling, a term for gassing up aircraft while their engines continue turning, Fleener said. American forces involved in Valiant Shield include more than 20 surface ships and 200 aircraft, U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Chris Loundermon said by email Monday. The training includes maritime interdiction, counter-air operations, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and command and control, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Haider Mullick, one of the exercises directors, told Stars Stripes earlier this month. This years exercise comes less than a month after China wrapped its own, smaller-scale exercise, Joint Sword 2024A, around Taiwan. Beijing launched the exercise to dissuade Taiwan separatist forces seeking independence, according to a statement from Chinas Eastern Theater Command. Joint Sword began May 23, three days after Taiwan inaugurated President Lai Ching-Te. In his inauguration speech, Lai called on China to face the reality of [Taiwans] existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan. China views Taiwan, a functional democracy, as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Interstate 5 in Washington runs through Joint Base Lewis-McChord. (Gary Warner, Stars and Stripes) A soldier was killed and another injured early Saturday morning in a crash on the portion of Interstate 5 that runs through Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash., according to Army officials. Pfc. Trenton J. Conkling, 22, died at the scene of the crash. Pfc. Jeremiah E. Taylor Smith, 22, was injured and transported to nearby Madigan Army Medical Center at the base. Both soldiers were assigned to I Corps at Lewis McChord, according to Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, an Army spokeswoman. Conkling was driving a 2009 black Chevrolet Malibu southbound on Interstate 5 near the Gravelly Lake exit in the city of Lakewood, adjacent to the base, according to a Washington State Police report. The car left the pavement on the right side of the highway, struck a tree and rolled over, finally coming to a stop back in traffic lanes. State police said they received the first call about the crash at about 2:52 a.m. Conkling was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident, the police report said. Smith was wearing a seat belt. On Monday, the Army said he was in stable condition at Madigan, the medical center at the north end of the joint Army-Air Force installation. The Army would not comment on Smiths injuries. Neither the state police nor the Army would release the hometowns of Conkling and Smith or additional information on their military service. The Army said the next of kin of both soldiers had been notified of the crash. North Korean soldiers are seen at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula in an undated photo provided by South Koreas Ministry of National Defense on Nov. 27, 2023. (South Korea Ministry of National Defense) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea North Korean troops have been observed creating anti-tank barriers, reinforcing roads and carrying out other military projects within the Demilitarized Zone, according to the Souths military on Monday. South Korean intelligence agencies spotted the improvements near the border in recent days, army Col. Lee Seong-jun, a spokesman for the countrys Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a news conference Monday. Lee declined to elaborate on the Norths activities at the border and said the Souths military was still analyzing its operations. North Korean troops were also observed building walls and roads between the Military Demarcation Line the actual border between the two Koreas and the Demilitarized Zone, an unidentified military source said in a Yonhap News report Saturday. The 2-mile-wide DMZ spans 150 miles across the Korean Peninsula from coast to coast. Details of the Norths activities come days after roughly 20 troops crossed the demarcation line and trespassed into the South, according to Seoul. The South Korean military fired warning shots to alert the North Korean soldiers, who then promptly returned to their side of the border on June 9. Lee said Monday the North Korean soldiers may have wandered due to overgrown trees that obscured visibility and the lack of roads in the area. This is not the first military activity the South has observed amid deteriorating relations with the North. Since December, the communist regime has laid landmines near the border, rebuilt guard posts and reinstated its policy to arm border guards, according to the Souths military. Pyongyang has sent more than 1,200 balloons carrying trash over its southern border since May 28 in response to balloons carrying humanitarian aid sent northward by South Korean activists. One of the Norths trash-laden balloons landed near an elementary school on June 2 in Osan Air Base, roughly 30 miles south of Seoul. No injuries or damage were reported. South Korea on June 4 formally suspended its military deconfliction agreement with the North, citing Pyongyangs ballistic missile and satellite tests and its balloon campaign. North Korea conducted four satellite launches within the past year and fired over a dozen ballistic missiles on six separate days of testing since January. The agreement signed in 2018 prohibited the two countries from conducting a host of military activities, including conducting artillery drills and flying aircraft near the border. North Korea is solely responsible for causing this situation and Seoul will resume all suspended activities at the border until mutual trust is restored, the Souths military said in a statement on June 4. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik pool photo via AFP/Getty Images/TNS) SEOUL Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for talks with leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, furthering concerns about the growing military cooperation between the two states at a time when Moscow is hungry for munitions to use in its war against Ukraine. The pair will likely use the visit to again pledge public support for each other, rebuffing U.S.-led efforts to isolate Putin over his invasion of Ukraine and Kim over his pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Ahead of his arrival, Putin praised North Korea for firmly supporting his war against Ukraine. We highly appreciate that [North Korea] is firmly supporting the special military operations of Russia being conducted in Ukraine, Putin wrote in an article published Tuesday by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. The visit was announced by Russian and North Korean media. The visit will also highlight the longevity of autocratic leadership in both countries: Putin last visited North Korea 24 years ago, soon after he became president for the first time, when the country was led by Kim Jong Il, the current leaders father. Putins trip will reciprocate Kims visit to Russias Far East in September last year, when the North Korean leader called his countrys relations with Russia his top priority and pledged support for Moscows sacred struggle against Ukraine. While the two leaders have grown closer in recent years, their moves are a product of the short-term need for each other out of convenience, rather than a formal, lasting alliance especially given their complicated bilateral history, experts say. There is too much mutual distrust between the two countries. The current improvement in their relations is driven by situational circumstances, said Andrei Lankov, a longtime scholar of Russian-North Korean relations and professor of Korean studies at Kookmin University in Seoul. The White House has repeatedly accused North Korea of sending equipment and munitions to Russia to replenish its dwindling supplies for the war in Ukraine, including ballistic missiles with a range of roughly 550 miles and missile launchers. North Korea is believed to have a large stockpile of dated artillery shells and rockets that would be compatible with Soviet and Russian weapons systems used in Ukraine, as well as a production capacity that would help Russia maintain its high ammunition burn rate as the Kremlin seeks to scale up domestic production. These dynamics have given Kim a rare bargaining chip. And its a reversal in their relationship, given North Koreas history of military dependence on the Soviet Union, including in its Soviet-supported invasion of the South that sparked the 1950-53 Korean War. Since Kims visit to Russia last September, North Korea is believed to have exported some 5 million rounds of ammunition to Russia, the South Korean defense minister told Bloomberg News. Russia also is in need of workers, which North Korea can provide. Russia has long used North Korean workers as a cheap and reliable source of labor. As of last year, thousands of North Koreans were still thought to be in Russia in violation of United Nations sanctions that required all of the Norths workers abroad to return home by the end of 2019. Russia used its U.N. Security Council veto in March to neuter a long-running sanctions regime designed to deter and slow Pyongyangs development of its nuclear arsenal, with Russian officials accusing the West of trying to strangle North Korea. Russia may be providing various forms of technological assistance to North Korea in response, some analysts say, although the military agreements between the two sides are opaque. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Swedish think tank, reported Monday that North Korea may have enough fissile material for 90 nuclear weapons and may have 50 nuclear warheads, a significant increase from 2023, although it cautioned there was uncertainty about the number. Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said fears over the deepening relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang had focused on the possibility that Russia could accelerate North Koreas capacity for producing nuclear weapons, but added there was no evidence that had happened so far. The biggest thing weve seen so far in terms of technological transfers have so far been in the space sphere, and I dont think its going to lead to Russia immediately helping North Korea in the nuclear sphere because China is very wary of both Russia and North Korea becoming more escalatory in that area, Ramani said. Pyongyang, for its part, is seeking to boost its beleaguered economy it is grappling with financial hardship and food insecurity following pandemic isolation and years of sanctions and get access to Moscows advanced technology for its satellite and nuclear weapons programs. South Korean and U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the growing military cooperation. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and South Koreas First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun spoke by phone on Friday to discuss the potential visit and agreed to continue coordinating in their responses, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said. Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and other authoritarian states share Moscows eagerness for a global order and international institutions that are friendlier to autocratic regimes, and all have condemned Western sanctions. Analysts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Richard Fontaine, writing in Foreign Affairs magazine in April, coined the term axis of upheaval, stating that trade and direct or indirect military support to Russia from China, North Korea and Iran had strengthened Moscows position on the battlefield and undermined Western attempts to isolate Moscow. Cooperation among the four countries was expanding before 2022, but the war has accelerated their deepening economic, military, political, and technological ties, they wrote. Kirill Kotkov, the head of the St. Petersburg-based Center for the Study of Far Eastern Countries, countered that the evidence wasnt yet there for real cooperation, adding that while China had close ties with Russia, it had never embraced a formal alliance with Moscow. Kotkov said Russias use of its U.N. Security Council veto to block the renewal sanctions against North Korea was recognition that Pyongyang had already become a nuclear power and deterrence was useless. Surely we know very well that North Korea has long created nuclear weapons and it has been in nuclear power for a while, he said. Peter Ward, a research fellow focusing on North Korea at the Sejong Institute outside Seoul, said that while it was unclear whether North Korea has received weapons technology in reciprocation, there are some indications that Russian technology was used in North Koreas most recent and failed attempt to launch a satellite. Kim might use Putins trip to argue his case for such technology, Ward said. During the September trip, Putin took Kim to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which symbolizes Moscows ambitions for pioneering space technology. At the time, U.S. and South Korean officials warned that North Korea might be seeking critical technologies from Russia to boost Pyongyangs nuclear and weapons ambitions, as missiles and rockets use much of the same technology. North Koreas space agency in November put a space launch vehicle its name for what appears to be a military satellite into orbit after two failed attempts. Kim lauded the satellite as a space guard that would intensify his regimes hostile reconnaissance on enemy nations, and the North Korean state media claimed that the satellite had photographed sensitive military and political sites in South Korea and the United States, although it did not release any imagery. Still, experts said in February that the satellite was alive after observing maneuvers that suggest Pyongyang was controlling the spacecraft. Lyric Li in Seoul and Robyn Dixon in Riga, Latvia, contributed to this report. A Patriot missile heads toward a target June 14, 2024, at Capu Midia range in Romania. During the NATO drill Ramstein Legacy, some 1,300 allied troops focused on shooting down targets and testing NATOs ability to counter missile attacks. (Facebook/Bogdan Pantilimon/Romanian Defense Ministry) The U.S. Patriot system was put to the test in a recent Black Sea live-fire exercise that marked a step forward for Romanian forces, who have made the advanced anti-missile weapon a centerpiece of their arsenal. During the NATO drill Ramstein Legacy, which wrapped up Friday, some 1,300 allied troops focused on shooting down targets and testing the alliances ability to counter missile attacks. For Romania, the exercise also was a chance to certify the readiness of a tracking radar, which was involved in a successful intercept of a target at the coastal Capu Midia range. Ramstein Legacy, conducted over 11 days, also brought together troops from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Turkey. Since Russias 2022 full-scale attack on Ukraine, bolstering air defenses in Europe has been a top U.S. military priority. The U.S. Embassy in Romania said during the course of the drills, Romanian troops demonstrated the technical expertise needed to defend against advanced air threats. The successful conclusion of exercise Ramstein Legacy proves that Romania has the air defense capabilities to protect Romanian citizens and territory, the embassy said in a statement. U.S. troops have played a key role in training Romanian soldiers on the Patriot system for several years. In November, Romania conducted its first live-fire test on the system. In 2020, Romanias military received its first of seven Patriot systems as part of a $3.9 billion acquisition. Following that purchase, a team of U.S. Army instructors provided assistance. Operating the Patriot system which includes launching stations, advanced radars and other complex equipment requires extensive training. Typically, it takes several years for a unit to become fully qualified. But there have been exceptions. Last year, a contingent of Ukrainian troops received fast-tracked training that had them firing Patriots against Russian targets within months. U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein meets with Lebanons caretaker prime minister in Beirut on Jan. 11, 2024. Hochstein has again traveled to the Middle East in a bid to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which are threatening to spiral into a full-blown war across the Lebanese border. (Joseph Eid, AFP via Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) U.S. diplomat Amos Hochstein has traveled to the Middle East in a bid to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which are threatening to spiral into a full-blown war across the Lebanese border. Hezbollah has traded fire with Israel almost daily since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on the south of the country, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran and designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. Hochstein, who has visited Israel and Lebanon several times in recent months to try and mediate a resolution, will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and President Isaac Herzog, according to Israeli officials. He will also hold talks with opposition leader Yair Lapid before going on to Beirut, the Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported Monday. Hochstein confirmed he is in Israel on Monday. The U.S. and France are leading efforts to broker a deal to ensure Hezbollah and Israel dont go to war. Hochstein is planning to meet Benny Gantz, chairman of the opposition National Unity Party, a spokesman for the party said. Gantz joined Netanyahus emergency government following the Hamas attack in October, though resigned last week after criticizing the prime ministers strategy and accusing him of not doing enough to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu is now, as expected, dissolving the three-member war cabinet that was formed when Gantz joined the government, an Israeli official confirmed. The prime minister will continue to consult with a small number of participants, Ynet reported, without saying where it got the information or who they would be. Devastating Consequences Hezbollah rockets and drones have caused significant damage and casualties in Israel in recent months, and authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of residents from towns and villages in the north of the country. Israel has responded with air strikes and artillery fire into Lebanon, and assassinated several leaders of the group. Its strikes have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon, most of them members of Hezbollah. Hezbollahs increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said Sunday. Israel has a duty to defend the people of Israel. We will fulfill that duty. Israel is demanding that Hezbollah withdraw northward, away from the border, but the Islamist group has said it wont negotiate without a cease-fire in Gaza, which remains elusive. Under a United Nations Security Council Resolution following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war, armed fighters from Hezbollah are not permitted to enter a designated border area. Hochstein led negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in 2022 and resolved a maritime dispute, in what was a rare diplomatic success. With assistance from Youssef Diab and Ethan Bronner. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. McNaughton first met the retired biology teacher online in 2021 and proceeded to steal tens of thousands of pounds from him after gaining access to his bank accounts. A 29-year-old man who admitted murdering a retired Fettes College teacher in a catfishing plot has been sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve at least 22 years behind bars. Paul McNaughton killed 75-year-old Peter Coshan in a flat in Leith, Scotland, on either August 11 or 12, 2022, after using a fake profile on a gay hook-up site to lure him to the address. McNaughton first met the retired biology teacher online in 2021 and proceeded to steal tens of thousands of pounds from him after gaining access to his bank accounts. When Mr Coshan found out about the thefts, he threatened to go to the police unless McNaughton provided him with free sexual favours, and McNaughton hatched a plot to kill the retired teacher after becoming fed up with the situation. The two men were sentenced at Glasgow High Court (John Linton/PA) Following the killing, McNaughton, along with his flatmate Paul Black, 65, hid the pensioners body until about August 15, when they put it in a suitcase and drove it to a layby on the A696 between Otterburn and Belsay in Northumberland, where they dumped it next to a wall. McNaughton, who admitted murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice in 2023 before Blacks trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars when he was sentenced at Glasgow High Court on Monday. Black was cleared of murder following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in May, with the jury returning a not proven verdict. However, during the trial he admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice and was sentenced to five and a half years for that. Judge Lord Scott said it was made clear to him during Blacks trial Mr Coshan was a loved brother, uncle and friend to those who knew him. He noted Coshan had been diagnosed with Parkinsons in his latter years and told McNaughton he had exploited the former teachers deteriorating health before you decided he must die. Lord Scott went on to discuss how McNaughton then helped himself to bank cards belonging to Mr Coshan and embarked on a spending spree during which he siphoned off more of his money. Having exploited Peter Coshan in life, you continued to do so in his death, he told McNaughton. The judge said Mr Coshan suffered further affront through the pair loading his body into a suitcase and attempting to bury it in a lay-by. He noted a victim impact statement completed by Mr Coshans niece on his familys behalf said his murder had had a devastating impact on them all. His family did not know and may never know what happened in their loved ones final moments, he said. Neither McNaughton nor Black showed any emotion as they were led out the dock in handcuffs. Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: This was a callous and brutal murder of an elderly man who was quietly enjoying his retirement. Peter was loved by his family and friends in the local community. He had a positive impact on the lives of so many people. But his own life was cut short by the despicable actions of Paul McNaughton. He showed a cavalier disregard for his actions and will now serve a life sentence for his crimes. She added: Our thoughts remain with Peters friends and family who have waited patiently for justice to be served as they come to terms with todays outcome. In a statement issued through police at the end of the trial, Mr Coshans family said they remain horrified that anybody could have treated a vulnerable 75-year-old in such a despicable manner. They said: Our life will never be the same and we will always ask the question, what if? There is, of course, no answer to what if, as events have overtaken us and there is no going back in time. However, we have happy memories of Peter and can reflect on the positive impact he had on so many peoples lives. He is to be sent for a jury trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a judge ruled the allegations were too serious to be dealt with at district court level. Nelson Jumbo (32) has not yet entered a plea to the charge A man accused of walking through central Dublin carrying a realistic imitation gun in his hand is facing trial. Nelson Jumbo (32) was arrested by Armed Support Unit (ASU) gardai who were called when he was allegedly seen with a replica firearm on OConnell Street. He is to be sent for a jury trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after a judge ruled the allegations were too serious to be dealt with at district court level. Judge Gerard Jones adjourned the case for the preparation of a book of evidence. Mr Jumbo appeared at Dublin District Court charged with possession of a realistic imitation firearm at Lower OConnell Street last January 29. He was arrested at the time of the alleged offence and his case came back before the court for the directions of the DPP to be given. A garda sergeant said the DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court. Judge Jones asked for an outline of the proposed evidence so he could decide on the appropriate court venue. The sergeant said on the date, it was reported to gardai that a man was walking down OConnell Street at 5pm with a suspected firearm in his hand. Members of the ASU apprehended the accused and seized the gun. The gardai discharged it, and it was found to be an imitation and declared safe. Mr Jumbo was arrested and taken to a garda station. The judge asked what type of gun it was and a photograph was submitted to the court. Judge Jones said in his view it was a serious allegation for anyone to walk down OConnell Street brandishing a realistic imitation gun for the public to see. He said he was refusing jurisdiction in the case, meaning it will be sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when a book of evidence is ready. The charge is under Section 9a of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act and the accused, who was not required to address the court, has not yet entered a plea. Judge Mary Morrissey in the Circuit Civil Court awarded four-year-old Darragh OBrien 2,500 damages, 500 below what the Personal Injuries Assessment Board had assessed A mother has been left having to pay her four-year-old childs legal costs of about 15,000 in a 60,000 personal injuries claim that failed to live up to expectations. Judge Mary Morrissey in the Circuit Civil Court today awarded Darragh OBrien 2,500 damages, 500 below what the Personal Injuries Assessment Board had assessed and which Darraghs mum, Megan OBrien, had rejected as adequate. It meant Judge Morrissey was unable to award Ms OBrien, of Bremore Castle, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, the legal costs of having challenged PIABs assessment of 3,000 in court on behalf of her son. Ms OBrien, who already obtained damages for injuries she suffered in the same road traffic accident, will now have to pay Darraghs legal team. Judge Morrissey did not make an order for her to pay the costs of defending motorist Joanne Sweetman, of Folkstown, Balbriggan, and her insurer FBD Insurance Group, which would have added at least another 15,000 to her legal bill. The court heard that when Darragh was aged only two he was in the back seat of his mothers car when it was struck by Sweetmans car. Counsel said liability was not in issue and the court was being asked to assess damages for the boy (in the absence of knowing any amount assessed by PIAB.) Judge Morrissey was told the accident had happened on 20th May 2022 and Ms OBrien had not taken Darragh to her GP until August 24th, three months after the collision approaching the Ml. OBrien told counsel for Sweetman and her insurer, FBD, that a letter initiating her sons claim had not been sent by her solicitors until a day after visiting her GP and having spoken to them on the phone about her own claim. OBrien told Judge Morrissey her son suffered from anxiety and nervousness getting in a car post accident and was even nervous when the car approached the motorway. Due to this she now avoided the motorway and took the back roads. She had experienced challenging behaviour, shouting, screaming and biting by her son following the accident and had been concerned it was related to the collision. He had displayed intermittent episodes of irritability or excessive anger, suffered from nightmares and had become clinging. Awarding the boy 2,500 damages, Judge Morrissey said the court noted that the first medical assistance sought for him was three months after the accident. Following the hearing a spokesman for Stephen Mackenzie Solicitors for the defence said the 2,500 would be lodged by them in court on behalf of Darragh but declined to comment on the legal costs issue. While the judges dismissed Smyths appeal against his conviction for the attempted murder of James Mago Gately and for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, they overturned Mr McAreaveys conviction for assisting an offender. The Supreme Court has dismissed objections to the use of phone data at a criminal trial in a ruling that could significantly influence the decision in Graham Dwyers murder conviction appeal. Traffic and location data related to mobile phones that the prosecution sought to attribute to Caolan Smyth (31) and Gary McAreavey (56) was correctly admitted into evidence, even though the data was harvested pursuant to a now-invalidated law, the seven-judge court determined. While the judges dismissed Smyths appeal against his conviction for the attempted murder of James Mago Gately and for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, they overturned Mr McAreaveys conviction for assisting an offender. Mr Gately, who the Criminal Assets Bureau alleges is heavily involved with an organised crime group, was shot five times by the driver of a Lexus that pulled up beside him at a petrol station on Clonshaugh Road on May 10th, 2017. Smyth, formerly of Cuillean Court, Donore, Co Meath, was alleged to be the shooter. It was alleged Mr McAreavey, formerly of Gort Nua, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, purchased petrol to destroy the vehicle, which was later found burnt out. Both men pleaded not guilty to their respective charges but were convicted by the Special Criminal Court in January 2021. The non-jury court was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr McAreavey assisted Smyth knowing he was guilty of the attempted murder but found he knew or believed Smyth had committed some arrestable offence and convicted him on this basis. In a ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Maurice Collins said the Special Criminal Court effectively inferred from Mr McAreaveys involvement in the burning-out of the Lexus that he must have believed Mr Smyth committed an arrestable offence of some kind. He held that this was not a sufficient basis for conviction. In a separate decision, Mr Justice Collins set out his reasoning for why it was correct for phone metadata to be admitted at both mens trials. This was the key argument in Smyths appeal, so, the court held, his convictions should remain. Both appeals unsuccessfully contended that certain telephone data evidence, obtained by gardai under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act of 2011, was inadmissible because it was accessed and retained unlawfully. That is because the 2011 legislation was found to be incompatible with EU law in a challenge brought by Dwyer. Mr Justice Collins rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) contention that Smyth and Mr McAreavey could not assert privacy breaches because neither conceded ownership of two unregistered phones used to correlate movements of a car with cell sites. However, he held that the data was admissible for reasons including that there was no deliberate and conscious breach by gardai in relying on the 2011 law in 2017, when it was still on the statute-book. An Garda Siochana was entitled to rely on it, he said. The illegality arose as a result of a subsequent legal development in the form of the Court of Justice of the EUs (CJEUs) decision in Dwyers challenge, the judge said. The communitys interest in the effective adjudication of Smyth and Mr McAreaveys cases weighed decisively in favour of admitting the evidence, while excluding it would bring the administration of justice into disrepute, the judge said. Mr Justice Collins was supported in his decisions by five of his six colleagues. Mr Justice Gerard Hogan agreed with the decision to overturn Mr McAreaveys conviction, but would also have quashed Smyths on the ground that he found the phone data should have been excluded. He held that, although as of June 2017 there was no formal finding that the 2011 Act breached EU law, the continued use of the data collection and retention regime was reckless and grossly negligent. The decisions are likely to have an impact on the awaited judgment in Dwyers appeal against his conviction for the murder of 36-year-old childcare worker Elaine OHara, who was last seen in August 2012 in a south Dublin park. His trial was told a phone found in a reservoir in 2013 was used to send Ms OHara messages, including one about stabbing, culminating in a text dated August 22nd, 2012 the last day she was seen to go down to the shore and wait. He denies murder, and his lawyers argued before the Supreme Court last January that phone call data evidence should not have been admitted to his criminal trial because the 2011 law was struck down. Our exclusive pictures show Michael Frazer nicknamed Mickey Nine Lives making good his exit from Tallaght District Court after the case against him was withdrawn Gardai swoop on the car on the Naas Road in Dublin Gangland target Michael Frazer who has survived six separate attempts on his life looked a relieved man this week as he escaped prosecution over a 30 diesel drive-away. Our exclusive pictures show Frazer nicknamed Mickey Nine Lives making good his exit from Tallaght District Court after the case against him was withdrawn. The rare images of the car dealer show him to be in apparent good health in spite of his many near brushes with death, as he sported a black Under Armour tracksuit for the hearing. Fraser had earlier appeared relaxed in the courtroom, barely glancing at fellow defendants as they came and went, while he waited for his court case to be called. The 45-year-old, whose address we are not disclosing, was before the court charged with making off without payment from the Circle K filling station in Ballyboden after filling his car with 30 worth of diesel on October 6, 2022. As his case was called, Sgt Mick Holahan informed the district court that the charge could be withdrawn. Thats been paid. It can be withdrawn and struck out, he said. Frazer last cheated death in 2017 when he was targeted by hitmen Gary Gleeson and Stephen Dunne, who were contracted to carry out the hit by a senior figure in the Kinahan cartel. The gun seized from Gary Gleeson and Stephen Dunne Gary Gleeson and Stephen Dunne Gardai swoop on the car on the Naas Road in Dublin The pair were arrested and charged after detectives intercepted a Fiat Doblo van during an operation targeting organised crime in Dublin in August 2017. A gun seized from the van was loaded and ready to fire. There was one round in the breach and there were nine further rounds in the magazine. A can of petrol, lighter and rubber gloves, as well as a small amount of cocaine, were found after gardai searched the vehicle. The men had been secretly recorded by detectives as they planned the hit, with Gleeson recorded as saying Aim for the head. Have to get him in the head. Head shots or we wont get paid. To which Dunne replied: Once I get him a bit, Ive to walk right up to him you know what I mean, do you get me? I just keep walking closer yeah, as soon we block him Im going to let a shot off in the van yeah, and then once I get him a bit Ill keep walking towards him yeah, right up to the windscreen and Ill just keep shooting yeah, and around to the side and I keep shooting yeah? James Nellie Walsh got 10 years for gun attack on Frazer Gleeson responded: Riddle him. The Special Criminal Court also heard that detectives found a tracking device under Frazers van, and Dunnes DNA was found on a SIM card which had been inserted into this tracker. This tracker was linked to a mobile phone, and Dunne was caught on CCTV cameras buying 20 phone credit for that phone. In relation to Frazer, gardai said a number of attempts had been made on his life, and he had received a GIM (Garda Information Message) form from officers informing him of that. The two men pleaded guilty before the Special Criminal Court to possession of a semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition at Naas Road, Crumlin, Dublin on August 7, 2017. Gleeson and Dunne were sentenced to 11 and 10 years in prison respectively over their roles in the shambolic murder plot. Michael Frazer After that attempt on his life, Frazer spent time in Turkey and also in the UK but has, in the wake of gardai dismantling the Kinahan cartels organisation in the capital, returned. The 2017 assassination attempt was not by a stretch the closest Frazer has come to being murdered. In 2014, he was blasted in the chest while sitting in a Mini Cooper in the car park of the Church of the Transfiguration in Clondalkin. Frazer managed to drive himself to Clondalkin Garda Station where he abandoned the car outside. Pumping blood, he collapsed in the front office but not before telling gardai he had been shot and indicating was something to do with Crumlin/Drimnagh. The emergency services were called and Frazer was taken to hospital and operated on, but he declined to allow gardai access his medical records and declined to make any statement to gardai. Notorious gangland hitman James Nellie Walsh was later sentenced to 10 years in prison for carrying out the attack. A court later heard the gunman had shot himself in the leg while escaping from the scene. Gardai believe Walsh was hired by Frazers former gang associates in the Crumlin area to shoot him dead. It was one of five different attempts on Frazers life to occur over the space of a number of months that year. Frazer would survive murder attempt in the south inner city, Firhouse, Drimnagh and Islandbridge areas between July and November of 2014. Despite having no serious convictions, Frazer has repeatedly found himself under threat from some of the countrys most serious criminals. Because of his previous friendship with Fat Freddie Thompson, Frazer was a long-term target for the rival Brian Rattigan gang during the bloody feud that claimed up to 15 lives. His family home in Drimnagh was shot at on a number of occasions and a grenade was even thrown into it in June 2008, causing extensive damage. All these incidents were linked to the now defunct Crumlin/Drimnagh feud. Sources said there has been suggestion that Frazer has sorted out some of the disputes and now wants nothing more than to be allowed live in peace. Frazer is the latest in a line of former Kinahan targets to have been pictured by the Sunday World back in the capitals following the cartels demise at the hands of gardai. Patsy Hutch and son Patrick have been photographed by this newspaper on a number of occasions over the past year, while we also snapped James Mago Gately enjoying a coffee in the city. Gerry The Monk Hutch also made it a point to be seen enjoying life in the city after his acquittal on a charge of the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne. Its another sign of the waning influence of the cartel in Dublin, a source said. It may not have been realised at the beginning how serious my illness is The removal of Tom Nevin from his Pub, Jack White's Inn, Wicklow in 1996 Scenes from the removal of Tom Nevin from his Pub, Jack White's Inn, Wicklow, 19/03/1996 (Part of the Independnt Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection). Black Widow Catherine Nevin vowed never to discuss her conviction for the murder of spouse Tom Nevin out of respect for my late husbands family in a letter written just months before her death. The contents of the letter, published for the first time today, also saw the killer praise former MEP Clare Daly for providing her with clothes and toiletries after she was diagnosed with a stage 4 inoperable brain tumour in December 2016. The letter, addressed to the former Director General of the Irish Prison Service Michael Donnellan, is one of the few documents from Nevins correspondence to have become public following her death. The most notorious of all of Irelands female killers, Nevin died in February 2018. Catherine Nevin The letter was typed and signed by the then 65-year-old as she was undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy in a bid to slow the progress of the fatal tumour. She wrote: Dear Mr Donnellan. In the first instance, I would like to thank you most sincerely for facilitating the signing of my release papers by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms Frances Fitzgerald TD. Please be assured that I will live up to the trust placed in me by the signing of these papers. As part of this, I can assure you that I will never give an interview to any media outlet, for four reasons: respect for my late husbands family; respect for my own family; respect for the prison service; respect for myself. Nevin continued that she wanted to express her deep gratitude to a number of prison officers in the Dochas Centre for the care and support she received after she had first taken ill. The Sunday World is not revealing the identities of these officers. Correspondence from Catherine Nevin The letter reads: I would particularly like to commend the diligence of Ms D, the officer who found me on the night of 20 September last, when I was taken ill. The high standards upheld by all these officers remind me of a book by Henri Nouwen, the renowned spiritual writer, called Out of Solitude, and in particular of a quotation from this book to the effect that cure without care is no cure at all. It may not have been realised at the beginning how serious my illness (a grade 4 inoperable root brain tumour) is. This may be the explanation for the fact that I was not provided with appropriate clothing and toiletries in the first few weeks after I became ill and had to rely on the former chaplain, Sr Grainne Haslam, Ms Clare Daly TD and Dr Patricia OByrne to buy what I needed. Nevin also commended several staff members for the care she received in the Dochas and from the probation service. There are some other people I would like to commend also, she said. Firstly, I will mention my probation officer, Ms E.G, who calls in to me regularly and provides me with the information and reassurance that I need. Tom and Catherine Nevin I had always found Ms E.G. to be very caring, and this intensified at the point of my illness, when I most needed her, and it still continues. In addition, I know from discussion every week in our book club that [named officers] are held in the highest esteem by all who avail of their tuition. They are universally respected because they show respect for all with whom they come into contact. This respect contrasts with much of the experience of the women they teach, who often come from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds. Although, over the years, not all of my experiences of the prison service have been positive, I am very happy to say that the humane and understanding way I am being treated at the moment demonstrates mans humanity to man. Yours sincerely. Catherine Patricia Nevin. One other piece of correspondence written by Nevin, while she was battling the brain tumour, was published by the Sunday World following her death in early February 2018. In that letter, she wrote: Ive lost much of my lovely hair (though not my eyelashes or eyebrows) again I can cope with that. Catherine Nevin at Beaumont Hospital in 2016 What matters is that the awful tumour I have is being treated. However, it is not enough to rely on the experts, even though this is very important. You have to do the work yourself as well, she wrote. This applies to life as a patient, as is the case with me at present, but also to life in general. Life is a challenge, I am meeting it. I feel that I am worth fighting for, and I am fighting. For me the tumour is just another blip that has to be dealt with. We have to remember that in reality, money and position and power doesnt count. The outlook for me is not good, but I will embrace the challenge . Remember life can take away only our liberty. It cannot take away our freedom, she wrote. The removal of Tom Nevin from his Pub, Jack White's Inn, Wicklow in 1996 Nevin was serving a life sentence for organising the murder of her husband, Tom, at their Co. Wicklow pub. Mr Nevin was shot dead in Jack Whites Inn, near Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, in 1996. In 2000, she was convicted on three charges of soliciting others to murder him, following one of the most high-profile trials in the history of the State. Prior to her death, the 67-year-old was granted full-time compassionate leave due to her requirement for end-of-life care that could not be provided in prison. She was cremated in a small private ceremony in west Dublin. She continued to protest her innocence until her death and never revealed the identity of the hitman she hired to carry out husband Tom Nevins brutal murder. Separately, Ms Kellys mediator said she has no choice but to travel to Egypt and enter into a custody battle with her husband in the Egyptian courts. My husband kept me a prisoner in a foreign land and now he has my sons in Egypt - Mandy Kelly A public prosecutor in Cairo has asked an Irish mother to travel to Egypt to investigate claims that her husband abducted their two children. Mother-of-two Mandy Kelly was informed through her legal team this week that the authorities in Egypt intend to probe allegations that her estranged husband, Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed, abducted the couples two children while they were on a family holiday in February 2022. Separately, Ms Kellys mediator said she has no choice but to travel to Egypt and enter into a custody battle with her husband in the Egyptian courts. An Irish High Court ordered that the children be returned to their mother, but her husband has failed to do so. Unfortunately Mandy will have to submit to the Egyptian courts, said Miceal OHurley, a mediator acting on behalf of Ms Kelly. It is not in her best interest or the childrens best interest but we have no choice. We have to allow them to hear the case and give them jurisdiction, even though the father submitted to Irish jurisdiction and was ordered to return the children. Mr OHurley said that it is likely his client will be awarded custody in Egypt, but that she will be forbidden from returning to Ireland with her children. There have been 11 cases in Egypt over the last decade, all had bad outcomes for Irish mothers, he said. They are told, Yes, we will give you custody but you have to remain in Egypt. The case is heard in steps. The court is willing to hear the custody issue and then once custody is given to the mother, the father has 30 days to appeal. That portion takes between six to nine months to get heard at the earliest. Then the father argues that the children are well settled and the mother has shown that she can live and thrive in Egypt. Not only is Islamic law favourable to the men but its injurious to the women who are non-national. Mr OHurley said his client was told last week that the authorities are now investigating claims of parental abduction, something that may strengthen her custody case. This isnt a love tug of parents who cant decide custody, he said. This is a criminal act. In Egypt, the public prosecutor has opened a case. Thats a criminal matter. Mandy will have to go to Egypt and give a statement. If the public prosecutor brings the public prosecution, it joins the civil action for custody. Parental abduction is a crime in Egypt. We have every hope of a different outcome from the other cases and that Mandy will be able to return home with the children. Ms Kelly, from Monaghan, was on holiday in Cairo two years ago when Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed locked her in an apartment and took the children away in a car. He allegedly told Ms Kelly the day before they were due to return home that he was keeping the children, both born in Ireland, in Egypt. Zayn, who is now aged five, and his three-year-old brother Kareem have had no contact with their mother since. Ms Kelly said her estranged husband has requested 500,000 for the return of her children, and she has spent around 35,000 in legal fees trying to get them back. Egypt is not signed up to the 1980 Hague Convention, which aims to protect children from international abduction by a parent using diplomatic pressure to ensure the prompt return of the child. We are asking for more assistance from the Irish Government, Mr OHurley said. We are asking the Department of Foreign Affairs to suspend all but essential trade and cultural co-operation with Egypt until the rights of Irish citizens can be assured, and Irish family court orders accepted in Egyptian courts. While many hope to jet off to somewhere balmier than home, experts from Meteored are warning of changes in the usual sunny Spanish weather over the next few weeks. Holidaymakers headed for Spain may face some unexpected weather conditions this summer as forecasts predict muddy rain and dust storms. While many hope to jet off to somewhere balmier than home, experts from Meteored are warning of changes in the usual sunny Spanish weather over the next few weeks. From Monday, a cold drop will move down the coast of Portugal and along the Iberian Peninsula surrounding Spain with conditions expected to last throughout the week. The influence of the low pressure at high altitude could extend at least until Friday, with showers and very strong thunderstorms," meteorologist Duncan Wingen explained. But eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands will experience more desert-like conditions caused by an anticyclonic ridge, meaning temperatures will soar but the air will be dusty due to southerly winds. The dusty atmosphere, hailing from North Africa, combined with cloudy skies will result in tropical nights on Mediterranean coastlines. "The maximum concentrations will arrive between Wednesday and Thursday, with mud showers that may be important on Thursday in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, eastern Cantabrian and points of the western Pyrenees," the forecasters said. Wingen predicts that western Spain will see more rain than usual this summer, particularly in Galicia, the Cantabrian Sea, the Ebro valley, parts of Catalonia and the Pyrenees. But holiday goers headed for central and northern Spain should be off the hook, as the week is set to be much drier in these areas, and Spanish mainlands southeast, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands will see little to no rain at all. And the Iberian Peninsula and Canary Islands may feel cooler than usual, with drops of one to three degrees below average. Mallorca visitors will also experience suspended dust this week as well as some cloudy skies and morning blocks of fog, although daytimes temperatures are predicted to rise again. Last week saw the island hit by heavy rain with flooding at Palma de Mallorca airport. But according to the Aemet weather forecast, June 19 could be a problem for sunseekers as a change in weather is on the cards with clouds, weak rain and mud predicted. Temperatures will experience a little change, the forecasters say, and light wind is likely with dust in suspension once again. Meanwhile, in yet another potentially setback for travellers it was revealed this evening that Aer Lingus pilots could announce strike dates as early as Tuesday. That means any first strike date could be as early as next week. Aer Lingus carries about 40,000 passengers a day during the busy summer season. Pilots backed strike action by a 97.7pc margin last week which could possibly interrupt thousands of flyers holiday plans this summer. The pilots, who are represented by the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA), are looking for pay rises of more than 20pc. Aer Lingus has labelled their demands outrageous, claiming that it would see senior pilots take home an annual salary of just under 350,000. The pilots initially voted electronically in last weeks ballot, but after the airline questioned the results, another paper ballot took place over the weekend. Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe said the result of the second ballot was an incredible reaffirmation of our mandate for industrial action in pursuit of a meaningful pay offer. On Thursday, Aer Lingus asked the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) to give the airline at least 15 days notice of any strike action in order to give it more time to help impacted passengers. Legally, the union has to give a minimum of one weeks notice before any industrial action is taken. Aer Lingus met with IALPA again today for direct discussions with a view to reaching agreement on pilot pay, said a spokesperson for Aer Lingus on Thursday evening. No meaningful progress was made, with IALPA continuing to demand an unsustainable level of increase in pilot pay (up to 23.8pc) that was not supported by any increases in productivity or flexibility, they added. Aer Lingus offered to continue to engage in direct discussions on meaningful productivity and flexibility proposals to enable increased pay, according to the spokesperson. Aer Lingus also offered to request the support of the Workplace Relations Commission in order to further explore solutions. Both of these offers were rejected by IALPA. My Lovely Horse Rescue held a protest outside Shannonside Foods in Straffan on Saturday, questioning why the horses at the plant were removed. Protests at gates of Shannonside Foods after RTE Investigates report on horse cruelty An animal welfare group has called for an investigation into the whereabouts of horses at an abattoir in Co Kildare which was shut down over the weekend. My Lovely Horse Rescue held a protest outside Shannonside Foods in Straffan on Saturday, questioning why the horses at the plant were removed in the days after an RTE Investigates programme filmed activity at the companys lairage using hidden cameras and showed how horses are kept in poor conditions before they are brought to the kill room. The recordings show horses being repeatedly hit, whipped, punched around the head, and struck with long lengths of plastic piping. One horse was seen falling and being too weak to stand to be later prodded with a pitchfork. It died after hours of struggling and was seen dragged out of the shed the next day. Shannonside Foods told RTE that any allegation of an equine being mistreated "will be fully prosecuted". The abattoir has since been "fully suspended by the Department of Agriculture. In a statement, the Department said all carcasses presented for slaughter at the facility in Straffan last week have been detained following the issuing of a legal notice. It also confirmed that no animals have entered the food chain from the Shannonside Foods plant in the past three weeks. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue had previously said his Department is actively investigating the absolutely abhorrent mistreatment of animals and suspected criminality at Irelands only active horse abattoir. He added that the full rigour of the law will be applied where warranted, and no stone left unturned. My Lovely Horse Rescue arrived at the Shannonside Foods site over the weekend to protest the factorys alleged mistreatment of animals to find that there were no longer any horses in the fields on the property. They shared a video online of the empty paddocks, which is usually full with horses. Often they lay dead there. They stand there injured, underweight or sick, a spokesperson explained. Where have all the horses gone? In the video, a member of the group can be heard saying: This is one of the paddocks where horses are kept prior to slaughter, just across the road. As you can see, its empty. We understand there were horses here right up until yesterday evening but theyve since all been moved. Where theyve been relocated to, we do not know. Thats what we would like to ask the Department of Agriculture why have these animals been removed from the site? Why have their movements not been restricted? We understand some of these animals are in very poor condition. Underweight, injured. We need to know the location of these animals as a matter of urgency. The Department of Agriculture has been contacted for comment. Newly-elected councillor insists that cabal of Khazarian Jews want to take control of the world The newly-elected local councillor who said we need Irish women breeding more says he wants to apologise for how he phrased his views and said he has no problem with mixed-raced relationships as most black women have fine bodies. Tom McDonnell added that he believes a secret cabal of Khazarian Jews are running the world and are trying to flood Europe with immigrants as part of plot to replace Irish people. McDonnell, a builder and father-of-five from Newbridge, Co. Kildare, was the last candidate to get over the line in the 949 council seats around the country this week when he was elected to Kildare County Council. McDonnell, who says he is not far-right, grabbed headlines this week when he said Irish people were in danger of dying out because women were not breeding enough. Tom McDonnell is now a councillor on Kildare County Council He told the Sunday World he regrets using the word breeding and said he comes from a farming background. I used the term breeding. It was caught on microphone, he said. Will you say that I apologise to the women of Ireland I meant to say to have more babies. Thats an apology to the people of Ireland. He said a lot of women and lefties didnt like what he said but said others think hes talking sense. He said he would like to see a 17,000 tax-free allowance for women having their first child and increasing it to 25,000 for the second. We need to produce more children of our own origin, of our own people. McDonnell, who is planning to run in the general election, has been at the centre of numerous protests about the housing of refugees in Kildare but said yesterday he had nothing against immigrants and that his own sons emigrated abroad. Some of my loveliest friends are black, he said. He does, however, believe in a bizarre conspiracy theory about what he calls Khazarian Jews controlling the world and a plan by the elites to replace Irish people with immigrants. The Rockefellers, the Rothschilds all these people belong to that tribe. The Khazarian Jew conspiracy revolves around a theory about ancestry of certain Jewish people who secretly rule the world. It has been strongly disputed and has been labelled as anti-semitic. But McDonnell denies having a problem with Jewish people. All Jewish people and the Jewish race are a very honourable race but the Khazarians are very money orientated, he claimed. You need to study these people and tell Irish people who they are. Theyre over the banking. Theyre over pharma, theyre over everything; they control the American government. He added that he suspected they were issuing directives to our reporter on what to write. Andy Heasman McDonnell believes the Khazarian Jews are connected to a debunked conspiracy theory called the Kalergi Plan, which is based around a belief there is a plan to replace white people in Europe through immigration and breeding, creating mixed races which would be ruled over by a Jewish elite. He made comments previously about the theory, saying: Theyre going to interbreed and youre going to lose your culture and youre going to lose your Irishness their plan is by 2030/2040 there will be one-for-one and there will be mixed breeds. However, he told us yesterday that he had no problem with mixed-race relationships. Everyone has a personal choice. I might like a black woman, you might like a black woman, my son might like a black woman. If he rocks up home and he has a lovely black girl from Nigeria, sure thats his business. Some black women are as beautiful as Irish women. Most black women have fine bodies, theyre good-looking they keep themselves well, so whats the problem? He said he has no problem with immigrants coming to Ireland through visa programmes but does have a problem with undocumented asylum seekers All immigrants from all over the world are brilliant, theyre lovely people. People coming in to Dublin Airport or down from Belfast or on the ferries and they are not checked, I have a big problem with that. He said he is an Irish patriot but not far-right and runs food banks every week where he feeds people of all races. I love my flag and love my country. Everyone in Ireland will have a flag outside their house soon. I put that flag up after I was elected. Im an Irishman and Im proud of it. He said he does not agree with the actions of people on the far-right, such as Andy Heasman, and those who turn up outside politicians homes, as happened to Simon Harris this weekend, or those who go into libraries and harass staff over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ books. Tom McDonnell No matter how bad I thought the person was towards this situation I wouldnt go to their house. Thats bad PR by the people who do it. I think a lot of them are agitators and its to give us a bad look. I think there is a lot involved on our side whatever you call it right or whatever or centre ground. You have Andy Heasman going around to the libraries. Thats giving us bad PR. Thats why they do it. Theyre in the pockets of the powers that be. These guys are doing awful damage to the cause. He added: Ive no problem with what theyre doing but you do it in one library and thats it. You shouldnt go on a voyage around the country and doing it in every town along the Shannon. I feel everyone should go to the ballot box and let the people decide your destiny. Dont be going around intimidating or fighting with people. As the interview drew to a close, McDonnell said he feared our reporter might not accurately reflect his various views. Youre going to nitpick and make me look bad. UPDATE: Maia Loftus Amigo (14) has been found safe and well Gardai are appealing to the public for help finding a teenager who went missing from Co Cork over the weekend. Maia Loftus Amigo (14) has been missing from her home in Togher, Co Cork since Saturday afternoon, June 15. The missing girl is described as being 5ft 4in in height with a slight build. She has green eyes and her hair is currently dyed black. When last seen, Maia was wearing a black jacket, black tracksuit pants, white runners and was carrying a black bag. Anyone with information on Maias whereabouts is asked to contact Togher Garda Station on 021 494 7120, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. The skeleton of the child, thought to have been buried around 600AD, was recently uncovered during archaeological works at the site of the former De La Salle monastery A video recorded by someone interfering with the ancient remains of a child found buried in Ballyfermot during an archeological dig has been blasted by a local councillor. Local People Before Profit Councillor Hazel de Nortuin said peoples ideas of what is right and wrong when it comes to social media have gone out the window. The skeleton of the child, thought to have been buried around 600AD, was recently uncovered during archaeological works at the site of the former De La Salle monastery in the Dublin suburb which is being examined prior to a private development. In the video, posted on social media last week, a person recorded the small skeleton and can be seen touching its teeth. There have since been calls from the National Museum of Ireland for people to stop sharing and remove the video. As part of archaeological testing in advance of the construction of a strategic housing development within the grounds of the former Mount Le Salle Monastery and the De La Salle Boys School, a number of early medieval burials were identified, a Museum spokesperson said. "These are in a low burial mound, within a shallow-ditched enclosure. The majority are aligned west to east. A full understanding of the significance of the site must await the excavation, analysis, radiocarbon dating and subsequent reporting by the licensed archaeologist. Cllr de Nortuin said: I was shocked when I saw it. Where peoples minds go and what they think is right or wrong for a social media post has just gone out the window. Why would anyone interfere with the dead? Ballyfermot doesnt have much when it comes to evidence of archeology because everything has been knocked and gone for development over the decades, and this find is very significant for the people of the area and it could give them a sense of their history. Archeologists are trying to sketch and record the remains so they can determine how they were buried, and under what circumstances, and this was being interfered with by someone touching it. The site is a secured building site with a security presence, leading to speculation that the person who made the recording had permission to be on the site rather than being a member of the wider public. It is understood more remains could yet be found in the dig which was started after a Section 26 licence was issued by the National Monuments Service to ensure the site is examined by archeologists and recorded before for development can occur. It is understood the remains were found behind the site of the old De La Salle monastery. Ken Larkin, a member of the local Ballyfermot Heritage Group, said the site may uncover more finds from the period between 400 and 800 AD. I heard other finds like buckles have been located, and any other finds will have to be noted. I think what happened last week was disgraceful and I hear the matter has been reported to gardai, he told the Irish Independent. The facts of this case do not make for pretty listening A drug addict who slapped his mum after leaving her bathroom covered in vomit and faeces has been handed a 12-month probation order. Sentencing Ruari Doey at Coleraine Magistrates Court, District Judge Peter King said: The facts of this case do not make for pretty listening. It is frankly straight out of Trainspotting and if ever there was a set of facts to dissuade people from drug use, its this, declared the judge. On one set of charges 27-year-old Doey, with an address at Hartington Court in Belfast, had entered guilty pleas for assaulting his mother, two counts of criminal damage to her home and a police cell van, two counts of possessing class C prescription drugs and one of possessing class B cannabis on December 22 last year. In relation to a second indictment, Doey admitted having class B and C drugs on March 8 this year. A prosecuting lawyer told the court that when Doey arrived at his mums house just before midnight on December 21 she let him in and went to bed. When she awoke at 6am and went to the bathroom, she found the walls and floor had been covered in vomit and faeces, said the lawyer, adding that when she went downstairs, the victim found food had been strewn all over the floor in the kitchen. Having cleaned it up she went to work but when she came back just after 4pm, she found Doey asleep on the sofa and when she woke him up, he stood up and slapped her across the face and pushed her. Police were alerted and when they arrested Doey officers found prescription drugs Xanax and pregabalin on his person and when he was being taken into custody, Doey spat repeatedly in the cell van. Turning to the offences on March 8, Doey had again stayed at his mothers house the night before but he refused to leave that morning and the police were called. He was arrested and taken to custody and it was there that cannabis fell out of his boxer shorts and at one stage, police saw him reaching behind him and putting something in his mouth and when he spat it out that transpired to be 13 street diazepam tablets. Defence solicitor Garrett Greene highlighted that Doey is currently on probation and is also undergoing a heroin substitute program so its hoped that with probations assistance, he will be before the courts less often. Judge King told Doey he would not interfere with his current probation order and as well as adding on an extra 12 months probation on each of the charges before him, he also imposed a two-year restraining order. Mellon (48) is currently subject to a 10-year requirement under the Counter Terrorism Act A leading dissident republican has admitted breaching counter-terrorism legislation by driving to the Republic to get diesel last year. Thomas Ashe Mellon, from Rathmore Road in the Creggan area of Derry, failed to notify the PSNI of his intention to cross the border from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland. He is currently subject to a 10-year requirement under the Counter Terrorism Act by which he's not allowed to leave Northern Ireland without informing the PSNI of his travel details and times of leaving and re-entering Northern Ireland. Mellon (48) appeared at the Magistrate's Court in the city where he was sentenced today. In court, he pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to give the PSNI his travel details when he crossed the border at Belleek, Co Fermanagh last year on November 2. His solicitor Paddy MacDermott said Mellon had crossed the border to get diesel without realising a section of the garage forecourt was in the Republic of Ireland. The rear of the premises are in Northern Ireland and the front are in the Republic. It's only a couple of yards between the front and rear and he didn't realise he'd crossed the border until he saw the prices in Euros at the pumps. That is the height of the breach, he said. District Judge Barney McElholm said diesel might have been cheaper than across the border but it is not cheaper now. He added that he presumed Mellon did not hold any meetings when he crossed the border. He then imposed a conditional discharge for 12 months. Mr MacDermott then withdrew a bail variation application which had been listed before the court in relation to Mellon. The judge also barred Cummins from going within 250 metres of The Male Room and told him he had missed prison by a whisker A man who punched his barber because he was barred for missing appointments narrowly escaped a prison sentence on Monday A man who punched his barber because he was barred for missing appointments narrowly escaped a prison sentence today. Ordering Gavin Cummins to complete 220 hours of community service as a direct alternative to jail, District Judge Peter King told the 33-year-old it was only his guilty plea saving him from prison. The maximum community service I can impose is 240 hours so thats an indication of how serious I take this, the judge told Cummins. Imposing the 220-hour order as well as a 500 compensation order, the judge warned Cummins that if he failed to complete the hours you will be back here for resentencing and so that you are absolutely aware, the resentencing will be at least six months. Cummins, from Captain Street Lower in Coleraine, had entered a gusty plea to a single charge of causing actual bodily harm arising from an incident on March 29 this year. A prosecuting lawyer told Coleraine Magistrates Court how the victim was at work at The Male Room in the town when Cummins rang demanding to know: Is this how you treat customers? He had been barred from The Male Room because of repeatedly failing to keep appointments, the court heard. A short time later Cummins turned up at the barbers but he was asked to leave. He got into a car parked outside but when the victim came out, the defendant threatened that he would see him in the street. When the victim asked him what he meant, Cummins got out of the car and punched the victim while still holding the car keys, causing a cut to his eyebrow which needed three stitches to close. Cummins defence lawyer told the court that when the defendant tried to book an appointment online but discovered he was blocked, he lost his temper, he lost his cool. Highlighting that Cummins has a limited record, the lawyer said he had been assessed as suitable for community service, adding that he was ready and fit and able to do any hours handed down. Sentencing Cummins, Judge King told him that if he had been convicted after a trial he would have jailed him for nine months. As well as the community service order and compensation, the judge also barred Cummins from going within 250 metres of The Male Room and told him he had missed prison by a whisker. Monica Reid (26) was last seen missing in Matipo Road, Te Atatu in West Auckland on Friday afternoon. A Rose of Tralee contestant has been found dead after being reported missing to police in New Zealand. Monica Reid (26) was last seen missing in Matipo Road, Te Atatu in West Auckland on Friday afternoon. In a statement on Sunday, North Shore, Rodney and West Auckland Police confirmed that a 26-year-old woman reported missing from Te Atatu Peninsula on Friday was located deceased. "Her death is not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the coroner. Police extend our sympathies to the womans family and loved ones, a spokesperson added. Ms Reid was this years Auckland Rose and took part in the New Zealand competition last month to choose a representative to travel to Ireland for the International Rose of Tralee pageant in August. However, she was not the overall winner, as 21-year-old Keely OGrady was crowned the New Zealand Rose last month. Its understood that Ms Reid worked as a transport network organiser and was in the process of completing a master's degree in urban planning. The Auckland Irish Club paid tribute to Ms Reid in a statement online. "Sending lots of love and condolences to the family of Monica Reid. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. May she rest in peace, they wrote. Others have shared tributes to Ms Reid online, with one person writing: "Fly high you beautiful soul! We love you so much and you were loved by so many. Keep being an amazing human up above. RIP." Another said: "This is devastating. Monica Reid was one of the kindest and most lovely people I've had the benefit of working with and calling my friend. I'm sending so much love to her family and friends, she will truly be very, very missed." The actress is lending her support to Vision Ireland's Dip at Dawn Last December, as most of us were prepping for Christmas, actress Victoria Smurfit was getting ready for an even bigger occasion: her wedding to banker Steve Jacobs, an event the honeymooner says has left her feeling very lucky and very happy. It was a glorious small family get together, and it was everything I could possibly have wanted or asked it to be, and better, she tells Magazine+ from her home in London. Did she get some time off to bask in life as a newlywed? Not exactly. Listen, the minute youre a mother its all go, go, go I go to work for a break. I go to work to have a singular focus, she says with a laugh. Victoria is a mother to Evie, Ridley and Flynn, her three children with ex-husband Doug Baxter. Its her relationship with her eldest, in particular, that has guided much of her philanthropic work throughout the past few years. The former Ballykissangel star has long been a partner with Vision Ireland, on account of Evies eye condition that has meant the teenager has experienced significant sight loss. Im involved with Vision Ireland because of my daughter, who five years ago was diagnosed with Stargardts macular dystrophy. And I was looking for support really, finding a community that understood something about the world of sight loss. "I love the fact that theyve changed their name to Vision Ireland. It makes it less scary. I know this sounds very strange, but with the NCBI where it said, you know, for the blind, you think, but, shes not blind. Theyre not blind, she says. Whats fantastic about the rebrand is its for all sight impairment. Because its scary, you dont know who to talk to, and they support you in your journey as a parent, carer, as someone going through it, at every step of the journey. They gave me a lot of support, so Im delighted to be able to support them in return. Victoria's wedding where she got married to banker Steve Jacobs last December The experience of seeking a diagnosis and treatment for 19-year-old Evies condition a rare genetic eye disease that happens when fatty material builds up on the macula taught Victoria and her family a lot about advocacy. Its an important journey: if you know theres something wrong, trust your instincts and keep asking questions until you work it out. Because the sooner you can get to grips with whatever it is, whatever issue you have the better, because theres lots of support out there. "Its also taught us you dont take anything for granted and youre immensely grateful for what you do have. Shes tough as nails. Shes hilarious, adds the proud mum. One thing for certain is that Evies sight impairment doesnt impair her sense of self. A lot of the time, she doesnt even mention it. And then she just reaches out and asks for help as and when she needs to. And she kind of owns it, which is great because, you know, if youre a teenager, you dont want to be different. "Then you find out youre different, and you have a choice, you either hide in the hole, or you go, OK, Im different. Its my superpower. Great, lets go. And so by sort of owning it, its made her a very confident and forward facing young lady, Victoria says. Vision Ireland, sponsored this year by Costcutters, have organised Dip at Dawn, a campaign that encourages everyone in Ireland to donate to the charity and take a swim or a dip in any body of water on June 21, the summer solstice. Victoria will be taking part on the day, but in her own way. Victoria with daughter Evie Im certainly going to try. Im going to be in London, so I dont really want to throw myself in the Thames, Im not going to lie to you. Even if its 6am, foot in the kitchen sink, sadly I dont have a Forty Foot down the road. Its fun, isnt it? Like the idea of having a campaign where everybody, all of Ireland joins in at this one moment, this sort of collective moment, she says. The Dubliners latest project is a new series on Disney+, an adaptation of Jilly Coopers The Rivals. It sees Victoria opposite a dishy co-star, and promises to be a lot of fun. Its a hilarious British romp. It is fun, its heartfelt. I got to see the first episode the other day and its just so fun. But in with all these British people going hunting and shooting, there is an Irish family that arrives. Aidan Turners my husband. He and I and the kids cause carnage, she teases. With James Nesbitt in Bloodlands After so many years in the business, does it ever get hard to watch yourself on screen? Victoria thinks not. I used to hate it, but now I think Im watching it more, sort of, factually. It gets to a point where youre just watching the job. What Im watching is what my friends have been doing, like in the storylines that youre not part of or the bits where I didnt know that was happening, says the 50 year-old. So Im watching those storylines rather than focusing on myself, because then you just become nit-picky about my wrinkles or whatever boring thing thats highly irrelevant. So I think I just enjoy watching my buddies. Vision Irelands Dip at Dawn takes place on Friday 21 June. Sign up or donate at idonate.ie Hato Hone St John is seeking public support as it launches its annual fundraising appeal -Light the Way. The organisation aims to raise $4 million this month to fund 14 urgent repair and new build projects for its ambulance stations. Many of Hato Hone St Johns stations, built decades ago, are now feeling the strain as New Zealands population grows and demand for emergency ambulance services increases. "Every time a New Zealander calls for an ambulance, the lifesaving care they need begins at an ambulance station, says chief executive Peter Bradley. "But as demand for emergency medical care continues to grow, some of our older ambulance stations havent been updated in decades and simply dont have the space or amenities to help frontline crews prepare for each call-out. Ambulance stations are often hidden in communities, yet they provide a crucial role for our frontline teams and the communities they serve. "The work we do can be challenging. We rely on ambulance stations to rest, restock, and recharge after those tough calls we handle every day," says Stephen Potter, a South Auckland ambulance officer. "Its so important to have a place where we can clear our heads and connect with each other for support, making sure were always ready for the next call. But with limited space, getting that crucial downtime can be tough." Demand for emergency services in New Zealand has steadily increased over the past ten years due to an increasing and aging population, and the additional pressures of extreme weather and health events. The funding that Hato Hone St John receives does not include the upgrading or replacing of ambulance stations. The funds raised through the Light the Way Appeal will directly support the construction of 14 ambulance stations in areas where there is either no station, or the existing station is no longer fit for purpose. Locations include Whangarei, Auckland, Waihi, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Pahiatua, Nelson, Rangiora, Akaroa, Oamaru and Invercargill. "The call-out rate has doubled in the past decade across these 14 locations," Bradley explains. "To meet this rising demand, we've increased our ambulance fleet. However, many older ambulance stations are cramped, or not purpose-built, forcing many ambulances to park on roadsides which has directly impacted the efficiency of our frontline teams." Every donation, no matter the size, will make a significant difference," says Peter. "By donating to the appeal, you can help provide a place for our frontline crews to reset, restock and recharge. "Right now, we need your help to build and repair ambulance stations across Aotearoa, so were ready to respond." Donate today and help Light the Way for the Emergency Ambulance Service that could save the life of you or someone you love. Donations can be made online at www.lighttheway.co.nz One person is in hospital after a crash on Papamoa Beach Road. "Emergency services responded to a report of a crash involving two vehicles reported at around 8.15am," says a police spokesperson. "One person has been transported to hospital with serious injuries. "The road is still blocked, but is expected to open shortly. Motorists are asked to take care in the area." At the scene? Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz A man busted piloting his boat back from an unsuccessful 120kg cocaine pick-up from a ship in the Port of Tauranga told police he was out on the water at night practising to be a boat captain. Kuka Koinaki was deemed at the lower end of the hierarchy but he was still fundamental to the operation as his role was to bring the drugs back from the ship, Quest, in a newly purchased Nuline aluminium boat. Koinaki, 52, appeared in the High Court at Hamilton on Thursday where Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith jailed him for four years on charges of conspiring to possess the class A drug, cocaine, for supply and driving while disqualified. He was also given an extra two months in remittance for $8861 in fines. The bulk carrier ship Quest entered New Zealand shores on December 22, 2022 carrying 120kg of cocaine concealed in four packages within the sea chest of the vessel. On January 3, last year, the Quest was finally given a berth in the Port of Tauranga. Police were already aware of the planned drug importation and had seized the drugs by the time Koinaki set off. According to a police summary of facts, about $70,000 was spent by other people over several days in preparation to retrieve the drugs, including buying a secondhand Toyota Hilux, the aluminium boat, along with kayaks and other diving equipment. On January 8 Koinaki towed a small aluminium boat from Auckland to Tauranga, and he went to check out the Quest in the harbour. By January 11, the plan to retrieve the drugs was put into action. At 8pm, Koinaki arrived at Pilot Bay and launched the boat from Sulphur Point 15 minutes later, heading out to the Quest. Koinaki was arrested when he returned several hours later. When questioned by police, he said he was practising to be a boat captain and practising using the boat at night to get his boat skippers licence. Kicked out of rehabilitation Koinakis counsel Nicola Pointer said there was a direct correlation between the offending and his dysfunctional upbringing which had led him into a life of crime. She also urged the judge to issue a discount for his time on electronically-monitored bail to the Grace Foundation, despite being exited for using cocaine and cannabis. Its not perhaps surprising he fell off the wagon given his long-standing issues ... notwithstanding that, hes reached out to Odyssey House [for treatment] and its what he hopes to do once he goes to the Parole Board. She also asked that his $8861 in fines be remitted for extra jail time. Inconceivable you didnt know drugs were involved Judge Wilkinson-Smith found his offending was driven by commerciality rather than his life-long drug addiction. She also took aim at Koinakis continued stance that he didnt know drugs were involved, labelling it completely unbelievable. You towed a boat from Auckland to facilitate the offending and you were located in the sea awaiting the delivery of an item. It is simply inconceivable that you did not know drugs were involved. However, she accepted he was to be sentenced on the fact he didnt know the exact drug or quantity. The judge acknowledged his dysfunctional upbringing which saw him living on the streets as a youngster, huffing petrol and glue. By 15 he was selling cannabis and went on to live in a cycle of drug abuse with little pro-social support. On the other hand, you are a mature man and have been in and out of the prison system for years. She noted an inconsistency in his reports; one noted he had been a patched senior member of the Mongrel Mob as recently as 2020 but he told the pre-sentence report writer that he left the gang 10 to 11 years ago. Ultimately, from an eight-year starting point, she agreed to hand down 50 per cent in discounts, arriving at a jail term of four years. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months in the hope that when he was freed from prison, he could start his life again unimpeded. New Zealand Blood Service is saying a heartfelt Thank You to the countrys 120,000 blood and plasma donors for their life-changing gift of aroha. Every year across Aotearoa 30,000 Kiwis have their lives saved or improved thanks to the generosity of New Zealands donor community. Blood donors may only make up less than four per cent of our population, but they have a powerful impact that is felt across thousands of families and communities, says NZBS Director of Donor Services Brett Paradine. "People become donors for many different reasons, often starting at high school as a great excuse to get out of class! But regardless of how they start their journey, all our donors are heroes, because without them, our frontline health workers wouldn't be able to do their jobs. Celebrated each year on June 14 the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system World Blood Donor Day is a global day of celebration for everyone who generously volunteers their time to donate blood and plasma. "Our donors come from all ages and walks of life, Paradine continues. They may not all be doctors or nurses, but every week rain or shine our donors act as the fourth emergency service in New Zealand. An hour spent donating at one of our donor centers, or at a mobile drive, can mean the difference between life and death for any one of the thousands of people that urgently need blood and blood products every year. Blood and plasma donations are an act of aroha that is life changing to those who need them. They ensure cancer patients receive vital treatment, victims of traumatic accidents get urgent transfusions, and those with autoimmune diseases can get regular treatment to help them lead normal lives. One person who knows firsthand just how life changing a donation can be is Mikyla Winchcombe. At only 21 years of age, she was diagnosed with acute myoid leukaemia and required urgent stem cell transplants. Over the course of her eight-month treatment, Mikayla received over 70 units of blood products. She now works as an NZBS Donor Relations Co-Ordinator in Hamilton as part of a team helping to raise awareness about the importance of blood and plasma donation. Because of all the amazing donors out there, Ive gotten a second chance at life, Mikyla says. To all the donors out there, thank you for your kindness and your selflessness. Youre the reason that I, as well as so many other New Zealanders are still alive today. Mikylas story can be viewed here . Facts about blood and plasma donation in New Zealand: A man has been charged after police unravelled multiple alleged Facebook Marketplace scams that ripped off victims. Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton says police have been making enquiries into the 26-year-old man who had a warrant to arrest in relation to a number of fraud incidents across Tamaki Makaurau in recent weeks. On Saturday evening, police executed a search warrant at an address in Glen Innes, where the man was located and arrested without incident. He is due to appear in the Auckland District Court today on 27 charges of fraud, all of which are alleged to relate to incidents involving Facebook Marketplace. His bail has been opposed by police. The arrest comes at a time when Auckland City Police are seeing a concerning amount of reports of people being duped by other online users. Police are seeing a concerning amount of reports of people being duped by other online users. While it is a very successful buy and sell platform, its also a successful hunting ground for criminals to buy items using a fake bank transfer or sell items that dont exist and dont deliver, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says. Every day, our officers in the Financial Crime Unit are assessing and, unfortunately, filing files where a fake bank transfer has been used by these offenders. Weve noticed the fake images have become more and more convincing, which means more people have fallen victim to their trap. The Financial Crime Unit estimate they are seeing up to 60 files coming across their desks a month relating to this type of crime sometimes up to three reports a day. These types of scams are notoriously difficult for Police to investigate so we are urging those who use the buy and sell platform to exercise caution and do their due-diligence first. Prevention will always be the best tactic to avoid becoming a victim. Police are issuing a warning after seeing a number of fake bank transfer screenshots. Police encourage anyone choosing to use the buy and sell platform to follow the following advice: Insist on meeting to conduct transactions and examine the item before completing the transaction Meet in a public place and take a friend. DO NOT go into someones house or allow them into yours DO NOT deposit money into another persons account before you have received the item Learning more about the person you are buying from or selling to. Note: You can tap on a person's profile on the product listing page to see if you have any friends in common, their marketplace activity, and any ratings they may have received Ensure friends and family, especially anyone vulnerable, understand what to do to protect themselves. Be the person to provide that ongoing support and advice Trust your instincts if its too good to be true or sounds like a scam, it probably is. If you believe you are or have been a victim of fraud, contact Police at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, or call Police on 105 and report the matter. If you have handed over your bank details, contact your bank and immediately suspend your account Seven suspects have learned that they can't outrun the Eagle helicopter. Police say the Eagle helicopter spent two nights last week in the Waikato district to support the search operation for the three missing children, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember Phillips, in Marokopa. "While in the district, it assisted local Police to take fleeing drivers by surprise," says a police spokesperson. "In the early hours of Thursday, June 13, Eagle helped Waikato Police deal with a series of poor decision-making by motorists, some who appeared to have a death wish." The first callout came about 1.20am, after Police sighted a vehicle travelling at speed and through a red light on Anzac Parade in Hamilton. Police signalled the vehicle to stop, however it fled. After being spiked on Ulster Street, the car continued at speed before being abandoned on Scott Avenue. The two alleged occupants, both youths, fled on foot but were swiftly apprehended by Police, guided to their location by Eagle. Both are scheduled to appear in the Hamilton Youth Court on related charges. "A motorcyclists poor decisions brought him to the attention of Police next," says a police spokesperson. About 2am, the bike drove along Heaphy Terrace at speed, passing an officer who was dealing with an alleged drink-driver. The officer called for Eagles eyes, and its crew were soon watching the motorcycle as it allegedly drove at double the speed limit in a 50 km/h area. Officers located the alleged rider soon after. A 23-year-old Hamilton East has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and will appear in court at a later date. "Bad decisions were the theme of the night, and at 3.10am, Police signalled to another speeding driver to stop on Tuhikaramea Road," says a police spokesperson. The alleged driver fled, but it wasnt fast enough to evade Eagle, which guided Police to Livingston Road where two people were taken into custody and a vehicle impounded. "The most dangerous display of driving was yet to come." About 3.25am, Eagles crew spotted a vehicle travelling at high speed on Poaka Avenue. Ground units were notified of the vehicles location and signalled for it to stop. "Shockingly, the vehicle failed to stop and fled at speed, travelling almost triple the 50 km/h limit with no headlights on," says a police spokesperson. "A pursuit was abandoned almost immediately, but Eagle tracked the vehicle for 25 minutes before it was abandoned on Wairere Drive." Eagles crew then helped Police locate the suspected driver, who had been picked up and taken to a Te Rapa Road address. A 40-year-old man appeared in Hamilton District Court on June 13, charged with recklessly operating a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, and failing to stop. He was remanded in custody to reappear on June 27 in Hamilton District Court. We understand that several residents may have got a surprise to hear Eagle in their neighbourhood overnight," says Hamilton City Area Commander Andrea McBeth. "We are fortunate to receive air support to assist us in safely apprehending individuals who cause harm in our community. When offenders make decisions to drive drunk and dangerously on our roads, they put all of us and our loved ones at risk. "We work hard to hold offenders to account for this behaviour before they cause harm. Alberto Gomez Torremolinos Monday, 17 June 2024, 15:00 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The judicial process of Parque Animal, the fake shelter in Torremolinos where hundreds of dogs and cats were killed for money, has lasted almost 15 years. The case, which sent shockwaves across Spain, has so far resulted in two prison sentences for Carmen Marin, the shelter's former boss, for crimes of misappropriation, false documentation and animal abuse. These are the keys to one of the most serious cases of animal abuse in the country. What was Parque Animal? In theory, it was a non-profit association. Founded in 1996, its supposed aim was to collect abandoned animals and find responsible owners to provide them with new homes. Years later it came to have a kennel and a zoosanitary centre. It was financed by donations from its members and profits from the kennel, and also received around 27,500 euros each year from Torremolinos town hall, which owned the land. The association also charged every person who left an animal at the shelter. Zoom What happened? In June 2010, Guardia Civil launched an investigation following a complaint of animal abuse by a veterinarian who had worked at the association. The employee provided several recordings made by mobile phone to prove animals were being euthanised in a cruel manner. In a devastating report, Guardia Civil's animal protection unit (Seprona) reported that, during a surprise visit to the shelter's facilities, found freezers with 44 cats, seven dogs, a seagull and two boxes with offal of chopped meat. Zoom Some of these animals would have been frozen before their death, according to post mortem results. In the rubbish bin, officers also found "two dead cats in plastic bags and dangerous sanitary waste". Guardia Civil also seized five invoices, charged to Torremolinos town hall, for the cremation of 702 animals (dogs and cats) between 30 April and 31 August 2010. The agents were "astonished by the high number of animals cremated in only five months". How were the animals slaughtered? The deaths, carried out by Marin and an assistant, were carried out without veterinary supervision and on days the prosecutor's office described as "authentic extermination sessions". Both would enter the cages early in the morning to euthanise the animals. Beforehand, they would turn off the security cameras and turn up the volume of the radio, connected to the loudspeakers, to silence the yelps of the animals, which would go on for hours as the animals received a lesser dose of the euthanasia product than necessary to save costs. The product was injected intramuscularly instead of intravenously, which caused the animals to suffer painfully and slowly. Zoom Marin outside her first trial. A. G. Witnesses During the trial, one of the employees told Guardia Civil officers that Carmen Marin "boasted about killing animals and criticised that the rest of us spent a lot on euthanasia product and told us that with a less dose they also ended up dying", although the poor administration of it caused "agony" in the pets. The prosecutor estimated that, "by such a cruel procedure", the defendants "slaughtered and cremated" more than 2,180 animals between the months of January 2009 and October 2010. Employees also claimed on one occasion, Marin ran out of animals and went to the El Paraiso shelter in Alhaurin de la Torre to look for dogs. Other witnesses reported they picked up dogs or cats found in the street to take them to the park and that, hours later, when the owners were located, they had disappeared. The official excuse was that they had been put up for adoption, but the law states that abandoned or lost animals cannot be euthanised until at least ten days after they have been received. Why did she do it? For money. The provincial court has just sentenced Marin to two years in prison for a continuous crime of misappropriation after finding she used funds from the Parque Animal association, which was donated by the public, "with the intention of illicit profit and to execute a set out plan". She made payments to a department store for the amount of 104,384 euros to refurbish and decorate the aesthetic medicine clinic of one of her daughters in Los Alamos, the court heard. She also bought a car for 14,000 euros. Marin also made purchases at a well-known supermarket, a car rental service and a department store for wholesalers, the court heard. The Parque Animal account was also used by Marin and her family to pay for 20 classes at a driving school, monthly fees at a gym and a home security system. The sentence, seen by SUR, also claimed Marin paid for stays in luxury hotels in Marbella, Lisbon, Salamanca, Nerja, Bilbao, Jerez de la Frontera, Marrakech, Boston and Saint Petersburg. All these expenses were charged to the current accounts of the fake animal shelter in Torremolinos. Marin made payments in restaurants for amounts in excess of 11,000 euros between 2008 and 2010, the court also heard. Will she go to prison? Marin was in prison for more than two years for falsifying documents and animal abuse. She served her sentence but now has been thrown behind bars again: another two years in prison for misappropriation. She will also need to pay more than 300,000 euros. This new sentence can be appealed before the Supreme Court, so it is not known whether Marin, who also claims she suffers from health issues, will return to prison. Alberto Gomez Torremolinos Monday, 17 June 2024, 12:02 | Updated 15:02h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The former head of the Parque Animal shelter in Torremolinos, Carmen Marin, thrown behind bars in 2017 for three years and nine months in prison for animal abuse and false documentation, has been sentenced again by the courts. This time, the former boss of the fake animal shelter has been sentenced to two years in prison and has been slapped with a fine of more than 300,000 euros for a continuing crime of misappropriation. The provincial court of Malaga found Marin used funds from the Parque Animal association, which was donated by the public, "with the intention of illicit profit and to execute a set out plan". She made payments to a department store in the amount of 104,384 euros to refurbish and decorate the aesthetic medicine clinic of one of her daughters in Los Alamos, the court heard. She also bought a car for 14,000 euros. Marin also made purchases at a well-known supermarket, a car rental service and a department store for wholesalers, the court heard. Marin used 104,384 euros from the association to refurbish the aesthetic medicine clinic of one of her daughters The Parque Animal account was also used by Marin and her family to pay for 20 classes at a driving school, monthly fees at a gym and a home security system. The sentence, seen by SUR, also claimed Marin paid for stays in luxury hotels in Marbella, Lisbon, Salamanca, Nerja, Bilbao, Jerez de la Frontera, Marrakech, Boston and Saint Petersburg. All these expenses were charged to the current accounts of the fake animal shelter in Torremolinos. Marin made payments in restaurants for amounts in excess of 11,000 euros between 2008 and 2010, the court also heard. According to the sentence, there were also cash withdrawals and cheques for more than 80,000 euros. Marin caused damage of more than 30,000 euros to the Torremolinos town hall for the lease of the stand at the fairgrounds that the consistory ceded to the protector by means of a fifty-year concession contract when Pedro Fernandez Montes was mayor, the court found. 'Trying to protect them' The fake shelter led by Marin carried out the slaughter of animals despite people dropping off cats and dogs there under the proviso they would be protected. People paid 60 euros per animal. An earlier indictment found Marin also used funds from the association, which received tens of thousands of euros from Torremolinos town hall in subsidies, to refurbish the lift in one of the buildings she owns. The provincial court applied a mitigating factor for the delay in the judicial process, which has dragged on for almost 15 years. The judgement cited the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms recognises the "right of everyone to a hearing within a reasonable time". This delay has meant that other crimes, such as those for which her daughters and son-in-law were investigated, have become time-barred, something the Association of People Affected by Parque Animal, chaired by Ana Fernandez, criticised. This new sentence can be appealed before Spain's Supreme Court, so it is not known whether Marin, who remained in prison for more than two years and also claims she is suffering from health issues, will return to prison. Slaughter was carried out with injections 'without prior sedation' and in lower doses than recommended, which caused 'painful and prolonged' agony to the animals The first sentence against her for animal abuse was historic in Spain. The ruling stated that the animal deaths were carried out "without any veterinary control", through the injection of euthanasia product "without prior sedation" and in doses lower than those recommended, which caused "painful and prolonged" agony to the animals. But most of that first prison sentence, two years and nine months, corresponded to the crime of false documentation, since the lists of animal cremations sent to Torremolinos town hall, which paid for these services, were "manipulated" to include the participation of veterinarians "who had never intervened". According to the sentence, these 'authentic extermination sessions", as defined by the public prosecutor's office, "did not meet any criteria based on the age or state of health of the animals or because more than ten days had passed since they were housed", but rather had a "lucrative purpose, as in this way the association's facilities were always free to house and receive new animals, charging for it". Chus Heredia Malaga Monday, 17 June 2024, 11:24 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Engineering experts have discussed the possibility of extending the Costa del Sol railway line between Malaga and Estepona underground during a forum organised by SUR. The first 'Los Caminos del Tren Litoral' (The routes of the coastal train) forum was attended by Angel Garcia Vidal, representative of the Civil Engineers Association in Malaga; Carlos Miro, civil engineer; Rainer Uphoff, transport expert and general manager of Mufmi (the on-demand public transport service already implemented in several municipalities in the province), and Ignacio Jardi, civil engineer and representative of the company Ferrovial. SUR journalist Ignacio Lillo chaired the meeting. Garcia Vidal, Miro, Lillo, Uphoff and Jardi during the SUR forum. Photo: Nito Salas / Video: Pedro J. Quero The experts concluded the best option for the Costa del Sol railway extension is an underground route. It should be double track to allow more or less stops and speeds, with a new route between Malaga and Fuengirola and extended to Marbella and Estepona in a first phase and, in later phases, to the Axarquia and the Campo de Gibraltar. 'Absolutely necessary' Garcia Vidal said there were very definite plans for the train in past decades, but years have passed without progress. "It is an essential project for development, quality of life and economy, so that this extraordinary place can continue to be so," he said. Miro said complexity of the project is not a valid counter-argument as the train is a necessary infrastructure. "There were doubts about the AVE high-speed train network and people thought it was impossible to cross the Torcal. The job of the administrations is to convince people that it is possible," he added. "We already have almost ten studies, it is not true that there are none. There are many possibilities. Today we are no longer talking about a line that does not go from one point to another, it is a line divided into two branches. We have to bear in mind that the coast is a key node. To do without the railway is to deny the possibility of its development. It is a project that is worth betting on and overcoming scepticism. And the central government is not doing its homework here, but it is in other places of the country. Even Galicia has its train between Coruna and Santiago," he said. Innovation in transport Uphoff pointed out the importance of innovation in transport. "I don't see that the train can be considered separately, it has to be part of a system. And that system has to be oriented towards the train so the train works," he said. He pointed out the train should reach Estepona "at least". Jardi pointed out the fact that Malaga is the epicentre of the railway technology hub, with 90 partners. "We specialise in solving challenges of any size. Today a technical solution is needed. The railway cluster is ready to support and promote this train. It cannot be missed," he said. The idea of a corridor Garcia Vidal pointed out the concept of a rail corridor with the Mediterranean. "Some 160 years ago, work was already carried out between the Sierra de Cordoba and Malaga. It was important work to bring in coal," he pointed out as an example. Or the access to Asturias with 50 kilometres of tunnels in Pajares for more than four billion euros. "We serve more than 1.7 million people, according to the period, and we don't have the infrastructure. In civil engineering, projects are not expensive or cheap, they are either necessary or they are not," he added. As an example, the Costa del Sol motorway would cost 3.6 billion euros today. Ignacio Jardi echoed Vidal's words. What's more, Malaga would not be the most complex challenge, he said. "It would be just another project with its scope and investments. It is absolutely viable. Not in all its proposed options," he said. "Layout, techniques, rolling stock... everything is there," he added. Convincing and leading Miro said the mission is to convince people and lead the way on the project. "The scepticism of the administrations is worse than that of the citizens. That is why the Cercanias attracts 13 million passengers a year. Because of the ratio of motorways and dual carriageways, we need the train as an alternative, with a big city between Nerja and Manilva," he added. Garcia Vidal praised the Cercanias C1 commuter service and its numbers and its efficiency to serve the airport. He defended improvements of up to 30% in frequency of services, but not in speed. In his opinion, an additional line should be built between Malaga and Estepona to go from Nerja to Campo de Gibraltar, instead of extending the current line which ends at Fuengirola. Jardi pointed out the coast is overcrowded and the mountains are far away, with a middle point essential for a transport option. He said the only viable option is underground. Vidal said the railway must be built where the people are, and that routes cannot be moved away. "It would have been desirable to have reserved land. So there is no other option but to go underground, which can be done without any problem because civil engineering provides answers," he said. An Andalusian agency? Upphoff said the intra-regional trains should not be managed from Madrid, but an Andalusian railway agency could be the solution. Meanwhile, Garcia Vidal added up the millions of commuters by road and train between all the travel links on the Costa, including people who travel through Malaga Airport (24 million per year) and overnight stays (15 million). "Of these 24 million people flying to Malaga, 80% arrived at the airport by train. Any of the numbers are dizzying," he said. In ten years, the absolute collapse Miro predicted an absolute collapse on the Costa del Sol in ten years if solutions such as the railway corridor are not provided, particularly factoring in projections such as those of Malaga Airport where 30 million people could pass through in ten years time. He said the airport railway station should be rebuilt. "The question is not whether to make the train line. Yes. The question is not how. Underground. The question is why aren't we building it now," Jardi said. Uphoff pointed out adapting needs to those of the growing population, citing more night-time public transport services as an example. Miro closed his speech by asking municipal technicians to start thinking about the best ways of integrating the project. Angel Garcia Vidal pointed out large civil projects from the past in a bid to convince people the railway line can be done. "Between all of us we have to make it possible for this infrastructure to move forward. This is the time to make infrastructure policy but not to politicise infrastructures," he added. Cristina Vallejo Monday, 17 June 2024, 16:39 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Malaga province has 152,774 empty homes according to the latest census (2021) data from Spain's INE national statistics institute. The census is carried out every ten years and takes electricity consumption as an indication of occupancy or vacancy: a property is considered vacant if it has no supply contract or if electricity consumption is less than the equivalent of fifteen days per year. This makes the province the sixth highest in the list of unused houses in Spain. Ahead of Malaga are Barcelona and Alicante, with more than 200,000 empty homes, then Madrid with almost 188,000, and finally Valencia (172,575) and A Coruna (163,164). In the country as a whole, there are nearly four million empty homes in Spain (3.83m, to be precise). This state of affairs contrasts sharply with the Bank of Spain's claims that 600,000 homes are needed to meet demand in the national property market: construction has not kept pace in recent years with housing demand, especially when adding in the continued arrival of non-residents looking for secondary properties. The Bank of Spain also points out that Malaga is one of the areas needing the largest number of homes to meet that growing demand. Malaga, together with Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid, is where 50% of all new homes are being built in Spain. However, in the three years that have elapsed since the INE completed the census, things may have changed. In fact, Carlos Smerdou as CEO of Foro Consultores (real estate specialists in Spain) remarks that, in the specific case of Malaga, the number of vacant properties must have reduced since 2021. In his opinion the most recent years since the pandemic has seen demand for housing in the province soar: "When a house comes onto the market, whether for rent or for sale, if it is at a reasonable price, it just flies; in these circumstances, it is rare that someone would decide to keep a house locked up." Still, Julio Rodriguez, spokesperson for the INE, explains that it is not possible to make such an automatic correlation between an increase in demand for properties and the number of homes with a reduction in the number of empty homes. He points out that there are many empty properties that cannot be moved into as-is. Many are very rundown, not to mention that some of them are located in places where people do not want to live or areas with a shrinking population, a phenomenon that is also happening in certain parts of Malaga province. Therefore, he asserts that both facts can co-exist: the Bank of Spain's observation that the supply is not yet meeting housing demand while there are still nearly four million empty homes. Patricio Palomar, a consultant at AIRE Partners, gives a clue to this conundrum: he believes that the rundown housing stock, especially that which is located in city centres or surrounding districts, can be the seed of new supply if it is demolished or refurbished. In fact, he believes that old buildings with few homes in them can be converted into modern blocks providing more housing, although he concedes that this is a solution that would take time. In any case, although in absolute numbers Malaga is among the provinces with the most empty homes, relatively speaking as a percentage of the total housing stock this is not the case. The 152,774 vacant homes in the province represent only 15.33% of the total that stands at over 996,500. This is a similar proportion to that of the whole country: the 3.83 million empty homes in Spain represent 14.41% of a housing stock that exceeds 26.6 million. It should not be forgotten that the proportion of empty homes is much higher in the smaller, inland provinces, in the so-called 'empty Spain', which is losing population. For example, in Ourense and Lugo, empty houses account for around 40% of the total number of properties. Likewise in Ciudad Real, Segovia, Zamora, Teruel, Leon, Soria and Cuenca, where unused houses account for between 25% and 30% of the total property stock. Julio Rodriguez sums it up as follows: "Empty homes in Spain are especially concentrated in cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants." On the other hand, in the Basque provinces, Madrid, Barcelona, Valladolid and Navarre, empty homes do not even represent 10% of the total. For example, although Madrid and Barcelona are the areas with the highest number of unoccupied homes (186,000 and 166,000 respectively), those figures barely register as a significant proportion of a market with a total of more than 2.5 million properties. Those empty homes constitute between 6% and 10%, well below the Spanish average, lower still in the capital itself. In the whole region of Andalucia the province with the highest percentage of empty homes is Almeria, with almost 17% of the total (just over 73,000 out of a total of 433,763). The province with the lowest percentage of unoccupied homes is Seville, with 10.65% (97,189 out of a total of just over 900,000). Figures by municipality So, where are the empty homes in Malaga province then? Marbella accounts for 13% of the province's total, with 20,011 unoccupied homes, which in turn is equivalent to around 20% of the local housing stock, currently at 100,000 properties. This is followed by Malaga city as capital of the province, with around 11% of the total number of empty homes in the province, i.e. just over 16,000. Mijas, for its part, has 8.7% of the unused homes, around 13,200 and Estepona, with 6.75% (10,300). But more relevant than these figures are those that show the proportion of empty homes in each municipality to the total. For example, while in Malaga city the 16,831 empty homes make up only 6.35% of the total of almost 262,000 homes, in Marbella, Mijas and Estepona one out of every five homes, around 20%, are not in use. According to Rodriguez this may be due to two factors: either to the over-building that still occurs in these areas, or to the fact that the older buildings are unsuited to current demand. Still, the numbers of empty houses are more striking in other areas: Benahavis, where 60% of the houses are uninhabited; Algarrobo, where they are at 54%; then in Casares, Ojen, Competa, Gaucin, Canete la Real and Colmenar, the number of uninhabited houses is around 40%. Francisco Grinan Malaga Monday, 17 June 2024, 16:47 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads If there is a fashionable setting for Spanish fiction at the moment it is Marbella. Its mix of luxury and underworld going on are a magnet for news stories, which have not gone unnoticed by film directors who have turned the famous archway leading into the town on the Costa del Sol into a destination for their scripts and cameras. The fifth and latest production in recent months to join the phenomenon is Netflix with its new series, Clans (Clanes), a thriller which links Galician drug trafficking with the Costa del Sol and which premieres on 21 June. Clara Lago and Tamar Novas are the main characters, in which they play a lawyer and a drug dealer from the Padin family who strike up a relationship in the middle of the biggest stash the clan is planning to bring into Spain. Based on a true story that led to Operation Necora, the first major raid against drug networks in Galicia, the script is by Jorge Guerricaechevarria - a regular collaborator of Alex de la Iglesia - while the direction is led by Roger Gual, a veteran who made a name for himself at the Malaga Festival a couple of decades ago with Smoking Room. Zoom The luxury of Puerto Banus is captured in the new series Clans. Netflix Produced by Vaca Films, the plot not only plays cops and traffickers, but also handles the intrigue of the lawyer and her enigmatic arrival in Cambados, after abandoning her promising legal career in Madrid, to settle scores from the past. There is no shortage of scenes in the iconic Puerto Banus, with Porsches and other high-end cars next to luxury yachts, and the sealing of a drug deal with a handshake. Take five Clans joins the list of different productions that in the last six months have exploited the Marbella vein and its ability to combine elegance with corruption and crime on screen. The first series was Los Farad, which premiered on Prime Video last December with the story of a family of arms dealers fond of jet-set parties, reminiscent of the parties thrown by warlord Adnan Khashoggi on the Golden Mile. The series showed scenes from the Marbella Club jetty to Cabopino, via Las Chapas and Guadalmina. The next was the film El Correo, the first big blockbuster of Spanish cinema in 2024, with Aron Piper playing a criminal who proclaims "the Costa del Sol is the fucking paradise" of black money in a plot set in the real estate boom and corruption of the early 21st century. The entrance arch to Marbella also becomes the logo of this film, a symbolic setting that is also used by the series that has portrayed the city's mafias the most and best, entitled Marbella (Movistar). Premiered last April, this fiction has made fortune of the phrase that defines the locality as "the United Nations of organised crime", coinciding also with the scandal of the arrest, release and escape of the leader of the Dutch Mocro Maffia, whose dangerous members are precisely the main protagonists of this series. The paradox is that, despite its Malaga setting and the use of iconic locations such as Cabopino and San Pedro de Alcantara, this production was filmed mostly in the Canary Islands. The only story of sex, drugs and Marbella that has more of the former than the latter and that veers from the plot line of the rest of the other productions premiered on 2 June on the Atresmedia platform, Eva and Nicole, a story of ambition and rivalry between two women. Hiba Abouk and Belen Rueda are at the centre of this plot set in the great nightclub of Marbella, which does not hide the fact that it is inspired by real life and, more specifically, by the reign of the businesswoman Olivia Valere and her legendary nightclub on the Costa del Sol's Golden Mile. It is still pending its free-to-air premiere. The Buffalo Bills released their 2024 training camp schedule on Monday. Buffalo will once again be returning to St. John Fisher University with fans having the opportunity to attend 10 practices. Training camp practices begin on Wednesday, July 24th and run through Thursday, August 8. An eleventh practice on Friday, August 2nd will be held at Highmark Stadium. Here is the complete list of practice dates: Wednesday, July 24 (9:45 a.m.) Thursday, July 25 (9:45 a.m.) Friday, July 26 (9:45 a.m.) Sunday, July 28 (9:45 a.m.) Monday, July 29 (9:45 a.m.) Tuesday, July 30 (9:45 a.m.) Thursday, August 1 (9:45 a.m.) Friday, August 2 (5:30 p.m. at Highmark Stadium) Sunday, August 4 (11:45 a.m.) Monday, August 5 (9:45 a.m. -CLOSED TO PUBLIC) Wednesday, August 7 (9:45 a.m.) Thursday, August 8 (9:45 a.m.) Tickets for training camp will be issued via lottery system. Tickets for preseason and regular-season games are available on Vivid Seats, StubHub and SeatGeek. Per the Bills training camp page: Due to the limited capacity at St. John Fisher, there will be a Training Camp Public Practice Lottery. Fans can request a maximum of four (4) tickets. Entering the lottery does not guarantee you tickets to the general public practices. Ticket availability is limited. Tickets will be made available on a complimentary basis while inventory lasts. The lottery will be open until June 26. If you are awarded tickets, you will be required to accept your tickets in your Ticketmaster account within 72 hours from when the Buffalo Bills notify you. We suggest checking your spam and junk folders to avoid missing any communications from the Buffalo Bills. Tickets are mobile only and are required to attend each practice. Practice is held at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, NY unless otherwise noted. All practice times are subject to change. All seating is general admission. Accessible seating is available in the Polisseni grandstand. You can enter the lottery using the link to the Bills training camp page. READ MORE Buffalo Bills-themed sand sculpture destroyed in Western NY: This is a crime Southwest adds direct flights for Buffalo Bills road games in 2024 Talk about the Bills Be sure to check out and subscribe to SHOUT! The Buffalo Football Podcast with beat writers Matt Parrino and Ryan Talbot. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates about Bills news in your inbox. Check out the links below. Newsletter | YouTube | APPLE | SPOTIFY | FACEBOOK | TWITTER A co-founding member of 90s and 2000s pop-punk band Fenix TX is dead at age 45. Adam Lewis, the original bass player for Fenix TX, died June 5 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to multiple reports. He was surrounded by family and close friends. The Fenix TX family is heartbroken by the passing of our friend Adam Lewis, the band said on Instagram. There are no words that will do justice to the life Adam lived. A memorial fund has been created in his honor to care for the family he loved so dearly. We will do our best to honor his final wishes and make him proud. We love you Adam Lewis. According to his bio, Lewis was born in Texas in 1979 and met bandmates Damon De La Paz, William Salazar, and Donnie Reyes in Houston. They originally named their band Riverfenix, but were hit with a cease-and-desist from the estate of actor River Phoenix. The group changed their name to Fenix TX and moved to California when they signed with MCA/Drive-Thru Records. The band released several albums, including their 1999 self-titled release (which hit No. 3 on Billboards Top Heatseekers Chart), and performed with artists like Blink-182, New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Silverchair and on the Vans Warped Tour. Fenix TX hits included All My Fault, Threesome, Speechless, Katie W, and Phoebe Cates. The band broke up in 2002 but reunited in 2005 for a live album and tour. During the hiatus, Lewis was the bassist for another project known as Sing the Body Electric. Lewis is survived by his life partner, Adrieanne Guerrero, and their children, Lennon and Sloane, according to a GoFundMe for his family. * * * * * Classic rocker frustrated by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub: Were really powerless 90s rock band to perform at Sharkeys in Liverpool Rock guitarist cancels tour, including Upstate NY concerts, due to health issues Rainbow Kitten Surprise to play Central NY concert after canceling tour last year Space Wonder: Voyager 1 has been sending data and amazing photos of space back to Earth for almost 50 years now, and its job isn't finished. The probe was put "offline" by a computer issue a few months ago, but its remaining instruments are now back collecting information. NASA recently said that Voyager 1 is back to its "normal science operations" following the technical issue first discovered in November 2023. The probe still has four working instruments recording data on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles for scientists here on Earth. Back in 2023, Voyager 1 started sending a useless series of ones and zeroes instead of its usual "space reports," leading NASA engineers to fear the worst. The source of the issue was eventually identified as a faulty chip in the probe's flight data subsystem (FDS), one of Voyager 1's three onboard computers designed to package scientific and engineering data before sending it back to Earth. Voyager 1 has long left the Solar System and its protective "bubble" known as heliosphere, which means that NASA cannot possibly send a repair mission to replace the non-working chip anytime soon. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the California center which developed the twin Voyager spacecrafts and many other space exploration programs, conceived a complex plan to bring Voyager 1 back online. The probe started to resume communications this past April, assessing its status and providing the US space agency with the additional time needed to fix it remotely. JPL's Voyager mission team executed the second step of the repair plan on May 19, sending the probe a command to start returning scientific data again. Two of the four working instruments were back to their normal operating modes right away, NASA said, while the other two required some "additional work." While Voyager 1 is again studying outer space, the agency still has some additional minor work to do to clean up the effects of the faulty chip. JPL engineers will now need to resynchronize the "timekeeping software" in the three onboard computers so that they can execute commands sent from Earth at exactly the same time. Furthermore, NASA will have to perform remote maintenance on the "digital tape recorder" aboard Voyager 1, which holds data collected from the plasma wave instrument before sending it to Earth every six months. Most of Voyager's data is sent directly to our planet without being recorded first. The achievements made by the Voyager program, and by Voyager 1 in particular, are nothing short of spectacular from a scientific standpoint. Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977, with the Jupiter and Saturn systems as its main mission targets. Almost 50 years later, the space probe is still operating more than 14.9 billion miles from Earth, and NASA plans to establish its latest contact with the probe by 2036. Voyager 2, meanwhile, is 12.4 billion miles away. A hot potato: The US Surgeon General wants social media to carry the same kind of health warning labels as cigarettes and alcohol. Dr. Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to apply labels to the sites and apps that alert users to the potential mental health harms they cause. Murthy cited research in his op-ed for the New York Times that shows social media has been a major contributor to the mental health crisis among young people. One of the articles, a 2019 American Medical Association study published in JAMA, showed that teens who spend three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. As of the summer of 2023, the average daily use in this age group was 4.8 hours. It would be up to Congress to pass a bill that would put warning labels on social media platforms. Murthy says such a label would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. There have long been studies on the negative effects social media has on young users, from online harassment, increased exposure to problematic content, and the impact it can have on body image. In 2023, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a health advisory regarding adolescent social media usage, but probably the most famous incident was the leaked Facebook documents that showed the company had spent years examining the effects Instagram has on younger users' mental health. "We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls," read a slide from one Facebook internal presentation in 2019. "Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse," researchers said in another presentation from March 2020. Facebook defended the report at the time, but it still put the brakes on the Instagram for Kids project. Would Surgeon General warning labels on social media even make a difference? Murthy seems to think so. He notes that after Congress mandated warning labels on tobacco products in 1965, it increased the public's awareness of the problem and changed their behavior. In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing who said that Instagram contributed to their children's suicides or exploitation. "I'm sorry for everything you've all gone through," Zuckerberg said when asked whether he would apologize to the parents directly. "It's terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered." Why it matters: A manned mission to Mars is a long-term goal of the scientific community. However, a new study has presented a significant challenge to this objective: human kidneys may not endure the long trip to the Red Planet. While scientists are already considering potential solutions, much more research is needed. Elon Musk believes humans will be able to land on Mars within five to 10 years. NASA also expects this will happen at some point. However, new research by scientists at University College London casts doubt on these aspirations. The study found that the structure and function of the kidneys change during space flight, with galactic radiation causing permanent damage. Published in Nature Communications, this study is the largest analysis of kidney health in space flight to date. It also offers the first health dataset for commercial astronauts. "If we don't develop new ways to protect the kidneys, I'd say that while an astronaut could make it to Mars, they might need dialysis on the way back," said Dr. Keith Siew, the first author of the study from the London Tubular Centre, based at the UCL Department of Renal Medicine. Since the 1970s, it has been clear that space flight causes health issues for astronauts, such as loss of bone mass, weakening of the heart and eyesight, and the development of kidney stones. It is theorized that exposure to space radiation, such as solar winds from the Sun and Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) from deep space, is the cause. Earth's magnetic field provides at least partial protection to the manned space flights that take place in low Earth orbit. The 24 people who have traveled to the Moon were exposed to unmitigated GCR, but only for a period of six to 12 days. To determine the health conditions humans might experience during space travel beyond Earth's magnetic field over longer periods, a UCL-led team of researchers from over 40 institutions across five continents conducted a range of experiments, including biomolecular, physiological, and anatomical assessments using data and samples from 20 study cohorts. They also performed 11 space simulations involving mice and rats, seven of which involved mice exposed to simulated GCR doses equivalent to 1.5-year and 2.5-year Mars missions. They found that both human and animal kidneys are "remodeled" in these conditions, with specific kidney tubules responsible for fine-tuning calcium and salt balance showing signs of shrinkage after less than a month in space. Microgravity, rather than GCR, is posited as the likely cause, with further research needed to determine if the interaction of microgravity and GCR can accelerate or worsen these structural changes. With the problem now roughly outlined, the researchers are also considering possible solutions. Shielding won't work, said Professor Stephen Walsh, senior author of the study from the London Tubular Centre, UCL Department of Renal Medicine, but it may be possible to develop technological or pharmaceutical measures to facilitate extended space travel as more is learned about renal biology. "Any drugs developed for astronauts may also be beneficial here on Earth, for example by enabling cancer patients' kidneys to tolerate higher doses of radiotherapy, the kidneys being one of the limiting factors in this regard," he added. Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, is back online and has begun transmitting data from its four scientific instruments, NASA announced. The US space agency announced in November that the satellite stopped sending useful data, forcing engineers to wait 45 hours for a response. In April, NASA recovered the craft's health data and scientific data from two instruments in May. Now that Voyager 1 is back online, NASA's gathering of readings on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and space particle data resumes, according to The Verge. Finally feeling more like me. Still can't believe the work my team is doing from 15 billion miles (24 billion km) away... - V1 https://t.co/2sUqm4kvKW NASA Voyager (@NASAVoyager) June 13, 2024 Voyager 1 is "conducting normal science operations," the US space agency stated, adding that it needs to fix the decades-old satellite's seldom-used digital tape recorder and resynchronize its timekeeping software. Fixing Voyager 1 was a Tough Challenge Fixing the Voyager 1 was a challenge for NASA. Despite the chip's breakage, engineers managed to transfer the code to flight data subsystem (FDS) memory. A faulty chip holding FDS memory and software code caused the loss of crucial science and engineering data, according to NASA. The crew had to break the affected code into segments and update it to maintain operation. After technical issues interrupted data transmission, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft made a crucial breakthrough. Engineers found the issue in the FDS, which packages Earth-bound data. On April 20, 2024, the crew found and moved the erroneous code in the FDS, restoring intelligent data transmission from two of its four scientific instruments, per Space.com. Two months later, all four Voyager 1 instruments are operating again, a major milestone. NASA hopes to resynchronize Voyager 1's timekeeping software and maintain its plasma wave digital tape recorder when it's online. They want to keep Voyager 1 in top shape for its ongoing trip, ensuring a legacy of discovery and exploration. NASA also activated backup power and fired thrusters dormant for decades to extend the spacecraft's mission despite occasional difficulties. Voyager 1: Old But Not Obsolete Voyager 1 is flying at 38,000 mph at 14.6 billion miles (23.5 billion kilometers) from Earth in August 2022, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It debuted two weeks before Voyager 2 on September 5, 1977. Voyager 1, which studied our solar system's outer planets, has survived 45 years. Our comprehension of deep space depends on the probe's data transmission to Earth. Even if Voyager 1 never functioned again, its mission was successful. While Voyager 2 studied Uranus and Neptune, the 1977 spacecraft finished studying Jupiter and Saturn by 1980. Voyager 1 has provided valuable interstellar data since 2012. NASA honors Voyager 1 and 2 for their stunning photos of distant planets and unique scientific investigations that cannot be replicated, according to The Washington Post. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said Voyager 1 and 2 are going to a region "where we have no information," thus they remain important in astronomy. Illegal gold mining eats into Peruvian Amazon Madre de Dios, Peru, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 On the banks of the Madre de Dios river, dredges work day and night in search of gold, part of a scourge of illegal mining that is slowly devouring the Peruvian Amazon. This mega-diverse region of southeast Peru has lost on average 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of rain forest -- an area twice the size of Paris -- every year since 2017 despite policing efforts locals say are insufficient. Where trees used to stand there are now deep sinkholes flooded with brown water where dredges sift through mountains of rubble for the valuable particles. "The community can no longer plant their corn, their bananas, their cassava, because this land is practically dead," Jaime Vargas, a 47-year-old Shipibo Indigenous leader and reforestation activist, told AFP. Although mining is prohibited in their territories, Indigenous people have no choice but to coexist with invading gold prospectors in the Madre de Dios department of some 180,000 inhabitants near Peru's borders with Brazil and Bolivia. Some even end up working for them. As the international price of gold soared in recent years to reach an all-time high in May, the hunt for the precious metal has only increased in Peru -- the world's tenth biggest producer and second in Latin America, according to the US Geological Survey. - 'No production record' - Illegal gold mining, which happens alongside legal, government-regulated extraction, is a major source of financing for organized crime in places like La Pampa, a lawless enclave in Madre de Dios. "Illegal miners are invading us from all sides," resident Lucio Quispe, 40, told AFP with more resignation than anger. With his two brothers, Quispe runs a 200-hectare concession granted by the state. Just hours before the interview, his brothers were brutally attacked by machete-wielding men in a region where clashes over mining spots often turn violent. A process has been underway since 2016 to issue licences to informal but sanctioned miners such as the Quispes. In 2022, official data showed Peru produced 96 tons of gold -- but exported about 180 tons to Canada, India, Switzerland and the United States. "Forty-five percent of exports have no production record," according to an official body tasked with overseeing Peruvian banks and combating money laundering. Independent studies have named Peru as the largest exporter of illegal gold in South America, with 44 percent of the total, ahead of Colombia with 25 percent and Bolivia with 12 percent, according to the Peruvian Institute of Economics, a think tank. - 'Sacrificing the forest' - Trying to get a grip on the problem and protect nature reserves in Madre de Dios, Peru in 2010 demarcated a corridor of 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) where informal miners will be allowed to operate until the end of this year. Of the 9,000 informal miners registered by the 2019 cutoff date, only about 200 have obtained a licence to date, according to Augusto Villegas, regional director of energy and mines for Madre de Dios. In the corridor, every 100 cubic meters of soil dredged yields about 10 to 15 grams (0.35 to 0.53 ounces) of alluvial gold, which today fetches a price of about $63 per gram. "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs; you can't mine in Madre de Dios without sacrificing the forest," said Villegas. Many miners also continue to use toxic mercury to separate gold from the sediment, despite Peru signing an international agreement to scale down its use, and banning imports in 2015. As the price of mercury exploded, some small-scale miners decided to take a bet on "ecological gold." Lucila Huanco, 54, said she stopped using mercury three years ago on her 3,000-hectare concession, instead using a gravitational technique to release the gold. At first, her gold fetched a lower price for its appearance, different to gold mined using mercury. But then she reached an agreement with a buyer in Lima who pays her about $70 per gram. "Honestly," Huanco said, "I don't want us to be known as polluters anymore." Austria's support gets EU biodiversity law over the line Luxembourg, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 EU member countries on Monday gave final approval to a key biodiversity measure, a bloc-wide nature restoration law, after Austria's climate minister defied her chancellor to back it. The about-face by the minister, Leonore Gewessler, gave the law the majority support it needed to be adopted, confirmed Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer declared her decision "unlawful". The law is a central part of the EU's ambitious environmental goals under its Green Deal, which aims to have the bloc become carbon-neutral by 2050, and ecological groups hailed its definitive adoption. Belgium issued a statement saying EU environment ministers had validated the law, which had already received European Parliament assent in February. The approval means protecting EU "biodiversity and the living environment of European citizens," said Alain Maron, environment minister for the Brussels region, who chaired the meeting. "It is our duty to respond to the urgency of the collapse of biodiversity in Europe, but also to enable the European Union to meet its international commitments," he said. The legislation requires the European Union's 27 member states to put in place measures to restore at least 20 percent of the bloc's land and seas by 2030. It focuses particularly on tracts with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. Its passage has sparked anger from some farmers' groups who warn it will threaten their livelihoods and add to what they say is excessive regulation at a time of heightened competition from importers outside the bloc. The conservative European People's Party -- the main grouping in the European Parliament which emerged strengthened from EU elections just over a week ago -- had echoed the farmers' complaints and called the law badly drafted. But after the parliament passed it 329 votes to 275, it was Austria that remained the final obstacle, preventing a weighted majority of EU member states signing off on it. Vienna had threatened legal action against the law at the European Court of Justice. - Impasse broken - The impasse endured until Monday, when Gewessler, a member of the Greens party in Austria's ruling coalition, added her country's backing. Nehammer, who belongs to the conservative Austrian People's Party partnered with the Greens in government, slammed his minister's move. Ahead of Monday's vote, his office said it had "informed the Belgian Council Presidency (of the EU) that federal minister Gewessler's approval of EU renaturation would be unlawful". The Brussels minister Maron said that was viewed as an "internal controversy in Austria" and he emphasised the vote was final. Gewessler said her decision to support the bill was legal. "I'm deeply convinced that today is the day for action... It's a decisive day for nature and our planet in Europe," she told reporters before the vote. Pro-environment groups welcomed the majority vote by EU member states. Greenpeace called the law's adoption "a ray of hope for Europe's nature, future generations and the livelihoods of rural communities". A coalition of organisations comprising WWF, ClientEarth, EEB and Birdlife Europe said: "Today's vote is a massive victory for Europe's nature and citizens who have been long calling for immediate action to tackle nature's alarming decline." It said that, following "one of the most tumultuous journeys in the history of EU legislation... we are jubilant that this law is now reality -- this day will go down in history as a turning point for nature and society". Austria vows legal action over EU nature law approval Vienna, June 17 (AFP) Jun 17, 2024 Austria's conservatives vowed Monday to take legal action at the European Court of Justice after the environment minister helped pass an EU nature bill in defiance of the chancellor and the government. EU environment ministers on Monday approved a milestone bill aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems in the 27-nation bloc. The support of Austria's Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler, a member of the Greens, helped the EU's Nature Restoration Law obtain the majority needed to pass, but angered her country's governing conservatives, the People's Party (OeVP). Right-wing Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the government would file a complaint at the European court against an "unlawful" vote. "No one is above the law," the chancellor's office said in a statement, adding that it would file a separate criminal complaint against Gewessler in Austria claiming "abuse of office". "There is a suspicion that Leonore Gewessler... is acting unlawfully and knowingly... against the constitution -- this constitutes abuse of office," OeVP secretary general Christian Stocker said in a statement. Gewessler said her "courageous" decision to support the bill was legal, adding in a statement that "Today's decision is a victory for nature". Ahead of the vote, Alain Maron, the environment minister for the Brussels region who chaired the EU ministerial meeting, dismissed the row as an "internal controversy in Austria". "The vote is given by the ministers around the table and in the room. And there is no question about that. That's the way it works," he told reporters upon arriving for the meeting, which he chaired because his country holds the EU's rotating presidency. The row between Nehammer and Gewessler is the most serious disagreement since the OeVP and the Greens entered an uneasy coalition in 2020, and comes ahead of national elections set for September. EU lawmakers in February gave final approval to the bill, overriding conservative attempts to torpedo it. The rules are a central part of the EU's environmental goals under its "Green Deal", a set of laws aimed at helping the bloc meet its climate goals, but some farmers say they threaten their livelihoods. The legislation says the EU's 27 members must introduce binding targets to restore at least 20 percent of the bloc's degraded land and marine ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. Press Release June 17, 2024 Hontiveros: Block power rate hike, hold DOE, power companies accountable for failures Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the impending hike in generation charges from this month onward must be disallowed as the Department of Energy (DOE) and power companies must not pass on the cost of their failures to consumers. "Making consumers pay for the failures of the energy sector sets a bad precedent. The upcoming power rate hike must be disallowed," Hontiveros said. "Kapag ang jeep nga nasiraan, binabalik ng driver sa mga pasahero ang bayad. Tapos ang DOE at power companies palpak na nga, magdadagdag-singil pa imbes na managot sa taumbayan. Kaunting hiya naman po." Hontiveros said the DOE and power companies failed to prepare for the effects of El Nino on the operations of power plants, which has led to unplanned and forced outages of more than 30 plants prompting the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to raise red and yellow alerts over the Luzon and Visayas grids. This has also caused the cost of electricity to shoot up in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market which is planned to be passed on by Meralco to consumers at a rate of at least P0.50/kWh in June if staggered or P0.80 to P0.90/kWh in one payment. "Hindi patas at makatao ang ginagamit na regulatory framework ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) sa ganitong mga pagkakataon, na kapag may tumirik na 30 planta sa anumang kadahilanan, o dahil sa kakulangan sa paghahanda dito ng pamahalaan at mga power companies ay sagutin ito ng consumers," Hontiveros said. She continued, "They say crisis is opportunity. Pero huwag naman sanang i-apply ito ng power companies natin sa pagpapatakbo ng kanilang negosyo at palobohin pa ang kanilang kita sa pamamagitan ng pananamantala at pagpapahirap sa consumers." Hontiveros recalled that the Senate's investigation into the power crisis revealed several lapses on the part of the energy sector, including the lack of a contingency plan on the part of DOE, abandoning the use of the Loss of Load Probability method to plan the country's power supply since the enactment of EPIRA, the ERC lacking the ability to check the capacity of power plants, and the weak penalties imposed on power players that do not fulfill their obligations. Hundreds of homes sitting empty in some of Sydneys most expensive suburbs have been classified as inactive dwellings while thousands more are being used as secondary residences, sparking calls for a vacancy tax as a solution to the states housing supply and affordability crisis. NSW crossbench MPs say a tax on unused homes, as has been rolled out in Victoria, could fund further housing for essential workers in addition to putting more properties onto the private rental market. More than 300 dwellings in the suburbs of Neutral Bay and Kirribilli are considered inactive, according to analysis of electricity usage data for thousands of dwellings by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Bondi Beach, Potts Point and Cremorne each have about 200 places where the lights were not turned on for months. He said there also appeared to be blood on the bottom steps and thought there might have been more on the wall, but wasnt 100 per cent sure it was blood. Newman said he was calling out Loughnane and Hamkas names as he headed up the steps, but got no response. When he went into Loughnanes room, he saw clothes on the bed and what he thought was human faeces on the floor, as well as paraphernalia used to take the drug GHB. I peer into the bathroom, and I saw Maryam naked in the corner of the shower, Newman said. He said it was a quick look because she was naked, and he thought she had passed out with her knees up and her head against the wall. Her face looked swollen, as if shes been stung by a bee, and her skin looked quite yellowish, Newman said. She didnt respond when he called out, and Newman went to find Loughnane, who was passed out fully dressed in another bedroom. I tried to wake him up, and he appeared to have had too much GHB, Newman said. Newman decided to let Loughnane sleep it off and left, but came back the next day because he was worried about the pair. He saw Loughnane out the front and asked what was going on. Toby Loughnane has pleaded not guilty to murder. Credit: YouTube [Loughnane] told me pretty quickly that Maryam had overdosed, and I asked him to call an ambulance. He didnt, Newman said. He just kept saying, I cant, I cant Ill get done for manslaughter, Newman said. Newman also asked whether he had hit Hamka, because of the blood he had seen on the stairs, but Loughnane didnt respond. Newman said he believed that Hamka was still in the bathroom when he arrived at Loughnanes home on April 12. He said that on that day, he gave Loughnane the keys to his car and they parted ways. It crossed my mind that hed have to move the body, Newman told the court, and added that he also gave Loughnane $150. He later said he returned to the house and there were signs the stairs had been cleaned. Newman described the relationship between Loughnane and Hamka as very toxic and turbulent, and that they fought most of the time they had been together. He said there was one occasion where she told me that Toby hit her. I asked Toby about it, and he said she was lying. Earlier in court on Monday, Loughnanes neighbours described hearing a distressed female voice sobbing and screaming from 1am until about 3am on April 11. Elizabeth Andrews, who was in the townhouse next to Loughnanes with her husband, Bruce, said they were woken up about 1am by a woman yelling, screaming. It was disconcerting. We put up with it for a couple of hours, said Andrews. She said there was also thumping and a sort of mewling noise from a woman, and the sounds would quiet down and then start again. In hindsight, we should have rung the police ... I dont know what to do in those circumstances, she said. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When the latest hospital data was released this month, no one was surprised to see that emergency departments are under more pressure than ever before. Patients know it many of us have spent hours in waiting room chairs, hallways and overflow tents. Emergency nurses and doctors know it, too theyve been inundated with record numbers of the sickest patients. And Health Minister Ryan Park knows it all too well. ED wait times keep me up at night, he told the Herald last year. Too many people have been forced to go into emergency departments because theres not an alternative pathway. On the eve of a second Labor budget, two main strategies are beginning to emerge. The first is reducing demand by diverting patients away from overflowing emergency departments. The second is boosting the supply of frontline workers to cope with the demand. But as demand has risen, so too has the cost of delivering healthcare. Hospital rebuild costs have blown out by hundreds of millions, the government has lifted a decade-long cap on public sector wages, and unions are negotiating new deals for tens of thousands of frontline workers who feel underappreciated and burnt out. The government is having to spend big just to hold on to what they have. Turning the ship around will cost a lot more. Advertisement By the numbers There were 792,841 visits to NSW emergency departments in the first three months of this year, the most of any quarter since the Bureau of Health Information started counting in 2010. There were also unprecedented numbers of the most serious patients, with 6677 triage 1 patients requiring resuscitation and 123,895 triage 2 patients needing treatment within 10 minutes. That means patients across the board are spending longer in emergency departments. This is by no means a problem confined to NSW. In fact, compared to other states, our hospitals are performing relatively well. In 2022-23, the most recent national data we have, 74 per cent of people in NSW were seen within the target time for their triage category. Advertisement The next closest was Queensland, with 67 per cent of patients seen on time, and Victoria (65 per cent), with the remaining states and territories hovering around 50 per cent. The problems cant be blamed entirely on a growing and ageing population. Almost half of ED visitors are working-age people between 25 and 64, and the number of visits per 1000 residents has increased in the past five years, meaning demand is growing faster than the population. How we got here Park says too many people are using EDs as a first port of call for non-urgent issues because their local GP is unaffordable, unavailable or only open for limited hours. The map above, showing bulk-billing rates as low as 5 per cent in some parts of Sydney, illustrates how dire the situation has become. States are clearly angry that their hospitals are picking up the slack on aged care and the NDIS, too. Advertisement Weve got over 700 patients who are stuck in our hospitals who should be in either aged care or getting treated through NDIS support, Park told ABC radio on Friday morning. Those systems arent working. Park and other state health ministers wrote to the Commonwealth on Friday urging them to increase GP Medicare bulk-billing incentives and lift restrictions that limit the number of medical school places. But doctors and nurses working in emergency departments say GP patients are not the ones who are taking up their time. A lot of them have been referred by their GP in the first place. Patients that can walk, sit in the waiting room they dont stay very long, they dont require a lot of medical and nursing resources to sort them out, says Dr Rhys Ross-Browne, a Sydney emergency doctor and the NSW chair for the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. Why it matters Park has put workforce retention and access to primary care at the top of his governments health agenda. The government has rolled out 16 of its promised 25 urgent care clinics, complementing the 14 Commonwealth-funded urgent care clinics scattered across the state. Advertisement This years budget will include $100 million to fund these services as part of a half-a-billion-dollar package the government says will avoid an estimated 290,000 visits every year. They will also spend $274 million hiring an additional 250 healthcare workers to increase staffing levels at new and upgraded hospitals and $20 million on 32 new paediatric allied health staff. What they said What next The government is yet to broker a new pay deal with its public sector workers. Their offer of 10.5 per cent over three years has been met with anger by the doctors union. Nurses and midwives the states largest group of employees are demanding 15 per cent in one year. The US surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes. In the opinion piece in The New York Times, Dr Vivek Murthy said that the mental health crisis among young people is an emergency and social media has emerged as an important contributor. US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those on cigarette packaging. Credit: AP The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children ... we have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our childrens wellbeing is at stake, Murthy said. It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon generals warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. California Governor Dismisses Groundbreaking SEMA-Sponsored Zero-Emission Aftermarket Conversion Project - "No Budget For Conversions", Reinforces Truth That Climate Change Is Scam SEE ALSO: Gov Newsom Explains Why the veto Backgrounder: California has multiple new car ZEV programs, including the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP) and the Clean Cars for All Program, to promote the purchase of new ZEVs. However, none of these programs assist with ZEV conversions of gas-powered vehicles that started their life with an internal-combustion engine, SEMA says. SB 301 addresses consumers desire for clean transportation options by funding a creative alternative way to make ZEV ownership more accessible and affordable DIAMOND BAR, Calif., June 15, 2024 -- SEMA - the Specialty Equipment Market Association - is deeply disappointed that California's Senate Bill (SB) 301 , legislation aimed at incentivizing the conversion of gas and diesel-powered cars into Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), was vetoed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Authored by California Senator Anthony Portantino, SB 301 sought to establish the groundbreaking Zero-Emission Aftermarket Conversion Project (ZACP) under the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Despite being lauded as a "Job Creator" by the California Chamber of Commerce and receiving unanimous support from lawmakers, the bill faced a veto at the Governor's desk. This program would have provided rebates of up to $4,000 to California residents undertaking the conversion of eligible used vehicles, with stringent guidelines ensuring compliance with safety, range, and affordability criteria. This missed opportunity is glaring, especially as California boasts several programs promoting new ZEV purchases but lacks support for ZEV conversions of existing gas-powered vehicles. This setback hinders the rollout of a program that bolsters cleaner air, reduces carbon emissions, and fuels job growth and economic prosperity statewide. California's reputation as an innovation hub rings hollow with this veto. SB301 was poised to be a catalyst for progress. With over 149,000 jobs and a significant $40 billion economic impact, the specialty automotive aftermarket stands as a vital contributor to California's economy. This bill represented a chance to supercharge the industry, aligning seamlessly with the Governor's stated priority of advancing cleaner vehicles. "SEMA is profoundly disappointed by Governor Newsom's lack of foresight in vetoing SB 301," said Mike Spagnola, SEMA's president and CEO. "This legislation would have advanced environmental sustainability and leveled the playing field for aftermarket conversions while fostering innovation, supporting small businesses, and providing consumers with affordable and sustainable transportation options." SEMA remains steadfast in its commitment to advocating for policies that promote innovation and sustainability within the automotive industry. While SB 301 may not have secured the Governor's signature this time, SEMA will continue collaborating with lawmakers, stakeholders and the community to advance initiatives that drive innovation. For inquiries or further information, please contact Christian Robinson at [email protected] . About SEMA SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $51.8 billion specialty-automotive industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. Association resources include market research, legislative advocacy, training and product development support, as well as leading trade shows such as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, Ind. For more information, visit www.sema.org , www.semashow.com , or www.performanceracing.com . SOURCE Specialty Equipment Market Association Polestar expands commercial footprint and retail operations; announces plans to enter seven new markets during 2025 GOTHENBURG, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Polestar is expanding its commercial footprint and retail operations across existing and new markets, as its model line-up continues to grow. The company is widening its retail footprint with existing and new partners, as part of a shift to a non-genuine agency sales model across Europe. Customers will still be able to configure and order their Polestar online, as well as through the expanding network of Polestar Spaces and service locations, making it easier for more customers to buy and own a Polestar. Sweden and Norway switched to a non-genuine agency sales model earlier this month with other key markets set to follow suit in the second half of the year. Polestar is accelerating its geographic expansion and plans to enter seven new markets during 2025. France is the largest volume market for electric cars in the EU after Germany and represents a significant opportunity for the company. In addition, Polestar will look to launch in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Thailand and Brazil via local distribution partnerships. Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, says: Expanding our retail operations with new and existing partners will enable us to reach more customers. Through these partnerships and expansion, we will capitalize on our strong brand and growing model line-up. To support the brands profitable growth in established markets, the following management appointments, reporting to Kristian Elvefors, Head of Commercial, have been made: Anders Gustafsson succeeds Gregor Hembrough as Head of North America. Anders brings a wealth of experience to the role having spent 13 years at Volvo Cars, including six years as Senior Vice President Americas & President and CEO of Volvo Cars USA. Gregor has successfully led Polestars North American business since it was established in 2018. He now brings his considerable strategic and operational leadership to the role of Head of Global Sales Operations. Matt Galvin succeeds Jonathan Goodman as UK Managing Director, who is retiring. Matt was previously UK Managing Director at NIO and his 22-year career in the automotive industry includes senior roles in the UK at leading brands including Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz. In Norway, Marius Hayler succeeds Alexander Hrthe, who has decided to pursue his career outside of Polestar. Marius joins from NIO where he was General Manager of NIO Germany and Norway. In addition to leading Polestars business in Norway, he will also head up the Nordic region. Marius was previously Country Director for Jaguar Land Rover Norge, Managing Director of Mller Bil Sweden and Vice President of Volvo Car Norge. Kristian Elvefors, Polestar Head of Commercial, says: I am delighted to welcome this group of talented and experienced leaders to the Polestar team. Through these appointments, we are strengthening our sales teams and bringing in additional expertise at a pivotal point in our development, as our model line-up expands to include two new SUVs. EVM a standalone system MUMBAI : A POLLofficial on Sunday said an EVM was a standalone system with robust administrative safeguards to protect it from any kind of manipulation and that there was no need of an OTP to unlock it. Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was reacting to a report in Mid-day newspaper about a kin of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer thin margin of 48 votes, using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during vote counting on June 4. The EVM is a standalone system and there is no need for an OTP to unlock it. It is not programmable and has no wireless communication capabilities. It is a complete lie being spread by a newspaper. We have issued notice to Mid-day newspaper under sections 499, 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news, Suryavanshi said in a press conference on Sunday. As per Vanrai police, Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Waikar, was booked under Indian Penal Code section 188 (disobeying official order) on Wednesday for allegedly using a mobile phone at a countingcentreinGoregaon on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced. Speaking atthe press conference,Suryavanshisaidthe personal mobile phone of one Dinesh Gurav, the data entry operatorofJogeshwari Assembly constituency, was found in the hands of an unauthorised person and action is being taken in this regard. Data entry and vote counting are two different aspects. An OTP enables the AROtoopentheencorelogin system for data entry. The counting process is independent and has nothing to do with unauthorised use of mobile phone, which is an unfortunate incident and is being probed, Suryavanshi added. PM Shri Religious Tourism Air service takes off from Ujjain By Bhavana 'Aparajita' Shukla Aiming to develop the State as a promising destination for religious tourism, Dr Mohan Yadav led Government announced several initiatives. In this series, Chief Minister Yadav, on Sunday, launched PM Shri Religious Tourism Helicopter Service from Ujjain. In the first phase, this service will provide air connectivity between Bhopal, Ujjain, Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and Indore. Devotees will get booking window at IRCTC site. It will boost connectivity between two Jyotirlingas situated in the State. Since two world famous Jyotirlinga Shri Mahakal in Ujjain & Omkareshwar in Nimar fall in this circle, devotees can get visit both the temples in shorter time. The devotees will be able to visit Shri Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Shri Omkareshwar via helicopter. Notably both the Jyotirlingas are situated in Malwa-Nimar region. According to information, an air-circuit of Indore-Ujjain and Omkareshwar has been carved out for the pilgrimage. The devotees can now travel to Mahakal Temple in Ujjain and Omkarehswar Temple as part of the package, which will cost Rs 12,524. He also announced that airport will be built in Ujjain and the Government of India has already given approval for it. The Aviation Department is working as the nodal agency for this air pilgrimage service. As the demand for air travel increases on this route, the number of helicopters will also be increased with Sarv Aviation Company. The Chief Minister extended thanks to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi under whose leadership, the Centre has given nod for airport in Ujjain. 6 drug-peddlers held with 135 kg ganja Staff Reporter The Crime Branch is taking stringent actions against the drug-peddlers to prevent smuggling of ganja in the city. The officials, in its recent course of actions, have apprehended six smugglers for smuggling drugs weighing a total of 135 kg and seized the items worth Rs 40 lakh. According to information, Crime Branch has recently nabbed 6 accused over the charges of smuggling 70 packets of ganja in the capital. The accused who were booked under section 8\20 of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) for illegal possession of ganja and transportation of the drug were transporting the drug from Odisha to Jamboree Maidan via Jabalpur. The accused were identified as Mohammed Umesh (36), a resident of Gas Rahat Housing Board, Karond; Ritesh Prajapati (30), a resident of Mohalla Shyampur, Sehore; Satish Rajput (32), a resident of Shankar Nagar, Dusshera Maidan; Gopal Singh Yadav (42), a resident of Girdhar Colony, Mirjapur; Shamsher Ali (50), a resident of Kolipura; and a minor. As per the records, whistleblower tipped the crime branch off that few ganja-peddlers were coming to Jamboree Maidan, Bhopal from Odisha via Jabalpur in the evening around 6 to 7. He further stated that the peddlers were looking to sell ganja in Jamboree Maidan. A Tale of Bravery: STF troopers resolve echoes heroic spirit Staff Reporter RAIPUR, IN a touching display of courage and determination, Special Task Force (STF) trooper Kailash Netam, wounded in a recent encounter with Naxalites, voiced his unwavering commitment to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai during a heartfelt exchange on Sunday. Reminiscent of the iconic words of Captain Vikram Batra, Yeh Dil Maange More, during the Kargil war, Netams resolute declaration from his hospital bed resonated profoundly. Chief Minister Sai, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, visited Ramkrishna Care Hospital in the state capital to personally meet and inquire about the well-being of troopers injured in the recent Narayanpur district encounter. During his interaction with Netam, the Chief Minister was informed about the incident firsthand. Despite his injuries, Netam expressed his determination to return to duty and neutralize more threats. Sai, visibly moved by Netams spirit, remarked, These brave souls of Mother India inspire us deeply. Their indomitable spirit mirrors the valor of our martyrs, who have always stood firm in defending our nation. Unable to meet injured trooper Lekh Ram Netam, who was undergoing surgery, Chief Minister Sai ensured that his condition was monitored closely by medical personnel. Furthermore, Sai extended his support to DRG trooper Lachhu Kadhati, injured in a separate Naxalite attack in Bijapur recently, wishing him a speedy recovery and ensuring he received the best possible medical care. Accompanied by MLA Motilal Sahu and Director General of Police Ashok Juneja, Chief Minister Sai concluded the visit by reaffirming the governments commitment to provide all necessary support to the brave troopers and instructed medical staff to ensure they received exemplary treatment. AIIMS sets up top tier Brachytherapy unit By Vikas Vaidya Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is awaiting Linear Accelerator, useful for treating cancer patients, since 2018 while the advanced facility of Brachytherapy has been installed in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur. AIIMS has introduced the state-of-the-art Brach-ytherapy Facility for Comprehensive Cancer Care. This shows the difference of handling such issues by Central and State Governments. AIIMS is run by Central Government. AIIMS, Nagpur has launched advanced brachytherapy facility, significantly enhancing its range of oncological services. This new addition ensures that over 90% of cancer patients, who typically require radiotherapy, can now receive comprehensive radiation oncology care under one roof. Under the leadership of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of AIIMS Prof Dr P P Joshi, AIIMS has invested in cutting-edge technology to improve cancer treatment outcomes. The Radiation Oncology Department now houses a brachytherapy machine valued at approximately Rs 2 crore and a high-energy linear accelerator worth around Rs 20 crore. The Radiation Oncology department now houses a brachytherapy machine valued at approximately Rs 2 crore and a high-energy linear accelerator worth around Rs 20 crore (It includes Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)/Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). This substantial investment underscores AIIMS Nagpurs commitment in providing top-tier oncology care. Brachytherapy, a sophisticated method of delivering radiotherapy, uses a radioactive source to precisely target cancerous areas. This technique preserves organ function, improves cosmetic outcomes, and enhances patient survival rates, with significantly less toxicity compared to standard external radiotherapy, elaborated Dr P P Joshi. On the other hand, the Radiotherapy Department of GMCH is awaiting equipments worth Rs 23.20 crore including High Energy Linear Accelearator, Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)/Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), since 2018. From Dr Abhimanyu Niswade, Dr Sunil Gupta, Dr Sajal Mitra to now Dr Raj Gajbhiye, all have followed it up. It is learnt that now the tendering process would start. Due to redtapism, GMCH failed to construct bunker that needs to accommodate Linear accelerator. Dr Krishna Kamble to present Dr Ashok Diwan who is heading the department of Radiotherapy now, tried their best to make this department well-equipped. In this new era, the department is treating patients with the help of outdated Cobalt Unit. Brijmohan Agrawal to resign from post of MLA on June 19 Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Brijmohan Agrawal, a long-serving MLA, has announced his decision to resign from his current post. Agrawal will submit his resignation to the Speaker of the Assembly, Dr Raman Singh, on June 19. This move follows his recent election as a Member of Parliament (MP), reflecting his transition to a new role in the central leadership of the party. Agrawal confirmed his impending resignation, stating that he would step down from his MLA position in accordance with the rules. The central leadership has entrusted him with a major responsibility by making him an MP. He will do whatever the central leadership desires. He also clarified that despite resigning as an MLA, he could remain a minister for up to six months, a privilege accorded by special rights granted to the Chief Minister. Brijmohan Agrawals political journey has been marked by repeated successes. In the 2023 assembly elections, he was nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an MLA candidate for the eighth time. He won with record votes, securing his place in the assembly once again. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Education Minister in Vishnudev Sais cabinet, marking his fifth ministerial roleonce in Madhya Pradesh and four times in Chhattisgarh. Agrawals elevation to MP came during the latest Lok Sabha elections, where he was fielded by the BJP from Raipur. He triumphed over Congress candidate Vikas Upadhyay with a substantial margin of 5.5 lakh votes. Despite speculations of him being included in the Modi 3.0 cabinet, he was not appointed as a minister, leading to ongoing discussions about his future political trajectory. As Agrawal steps down from his MLA position, the focus will now be on his contributions and responsibilities as an MP. The political landscape in Raipur and the state of Chhattisgarh is expected to witness shifts as the BJP navigates these changes in its leadership. CM, Dy CM pay rich tributes to STF trooper Nitesh Ekka Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma visited the 4th Battalion Mana on Sunday to pay their respects to Special Task Force (STF) trooper Nitesh Ekka, who sacrificed his life in a recent Naxal encounter of Narayanpur district. They offered wreaths in tribute to the fallen brave-heart. Both of them solemnly shouldered Ekkas mortal remains and arranged for them to be sent with full honours to his hometown of Chiraidand in Jashpur district. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, Our brave-heart made the supreme sacrifice in the Naxal encounter in Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district. Since assuming office, our government has intensified efforts against Naxalites, engaged in a decisive battle. The martyrdom of our troops will not be in vain; we remain steadfast in our commitment to restore peace in the region. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Sai also met with the family members of the martyred trooper Nitesh Ekka to offer his condolences. The joint operation by the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and Border Security Force was launched on June 12 in the Farasbeda-Dhurbeda area of Narayanpur district. During the operation on June 15, Naxalites initiated indiscriminate firing on security forces, resulting in the neutralization of eight Naxalites. Tragically, two security personnel were injured, and one trooper laid down his life in the line of duty. MLA Motilal Sahu, DGP Ashok Juneja, Additional Chief Secretary Home Manoj Kumar Pingua, ADG Pradeep Gupta, Himanshu Gupta, Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Alang, senior police officials and relatives of the fallen trooper were present. Eid-ul-Adha celebrations in city today Staff Reporter Muslim community will celebrate their significant festival, Eid-ul-Adha (Bakri-ed), on Monday (today) with religious fervor and in traditional faith. According to Islamic scriptures, around 5,000 years ago, Prophet Ibrahim was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his beloved son, Prophet Ismail. This was a test of faith, in which Prophet Ibrahim succeeded and was honored with the title 'Khalilullah' (Friend of Allah). Instead of sacrificing Prophet Ismail, Allah accepted the sacrifice of an animal. In remembrance of this great event, Muslims worldwide observe Eid-ul-Adha by offering sacrifices as a demonstration of their devotion to Allah. Mufti-e-Azam Madhya Pradesh, Hazrat Sufi Zia-ul-Haq Qadri Burhani, extended his greetings to everyone on Eid-ul-Adha and urged people to celebrate the festival with dignity, ensuring that no ones sentiments are hurt. He specifically requested not to share photos or videos of the sacrifices on social media. At Idgah Kala Ranital, the Eid-ul-Adha prayer will be led by Hazrat Sufi Zia-ul-Haq Qadri Burhani at 10.30 am. Worshippers are requested to arrive early. HC Judges Appointment By Adv. R. S. Agrawal THROUGH the judgement of the case Advocate Uday Kumar v. Union Ministry of Law and Justice, Registrar General, Supreme Court of India and others, delivered on May 28,2024, Acting Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Amar Nath (Keshawani), at the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur, have, while, upholding appointment of seven new judges of the High Court, made it amply clear that as the office of High Court Judge is a Constitutional office, which is filled up only and solely by procedure prescribed in the Constitution and not elsewhere. No statute or statutory Rule or executive instruction can supplant or for that matter supplement the procedure prescribed in the Constitution for appointment of High Court Judge. Accordingly, since the Constitution does not prescribe issuance of any advertisement or conduction of any selection by way of written test or vive voce, the procedure being followed cannot be found fault with, the High Court has stated further. According to the HC, it appears that petitioner is labouring under misconception that the office of a HC Judge is akin to a civil post under the executive. This is far from reality as the office of a HC Judge is a Constitutional office. A bare reading of the Article 217(2)(b) of the Constitution relating to the Appointment and conditions of the office of a Judge of a High Court reveals that minimum requisite criteria for an advocate to be elevated as a HC Judge is that of practice as an advocate for a period of at last of 10 years. This does not imply that all advocates who have practiced in the HC for at least 10 years or more are to be necessarily considered by the collegium of the HC and as well as of the Supreme Court. The concept of collegiums is not found in the Constitution, but came to be recognised as principal selecting body for appointment of a HC Judge by Judge-made law in the series of Supreme Court Judgments in S P Gupta v. Union of India and Another- 1981 Supp. SCC 87, Supreme Court AoRA and Others v. Union of India (1993)4 SCC 441; Special Reference No. 1 of1998, RE:,(1998)7SCC 739, and SC AoRA and Another v. Union of India(2016) 5 SCC 1. Relevant extracts from the decision in the case- SC AoRA and Others v. Union of India-(1993) 4 SCC 441 have been quoted here for ready reference: 175. It is beyond controversy that merit selection is the dominant method for judicial selection and the candidates to be selected must possess high integrity, honesty skill, high order of emotional stability, firmness, serenity, legal soundness, ability and endurance. Besides the above, the hall marks of the most important personal qualifications required are moral vigour, ethical firmness and imperviousness to corrupting or venal influences, humility or lack of affiliations, judicial temperament, zeal and capacity to work. In Texas Law Review, (Vol.44) 1966 at pages1068 and 1071, through the following passages emphasis has been placed on desirable qualities of the Judges: It is easy to understand why the active Judges deem noble inner qualities highly desirable. It is also natural that they should give the highest ratings to good repute. Good name in man or woman... is the immediate jewel of their, souls, Shakespeare said, and Judges share with you and me a taste for such treasures. As for good health, is there anyone who does not prize it? Nobility and virtue, good name and well-being these are never out of place. In a man, who wields the power and enjoys the standing of a Judge, they are more than welcome. No one seeking judicial office would boast that he lacked any of them, and no appointing authority would look for men without them. It is high time that all concerned appreciated that for the reasons pointed out above, there cannot be any link between the service conditions of the judges and those of the members of other services. The parity in status is no longer between the judiciary and the administrative executive but between the judiciary and the political executive. Under the Constitution, the judiciary is above the administrative executive and any attempt to place it on a par with the administrative executive has to be discouraged. Through this petition validity and legality of the Notification issued on November 2, 2023, by the Department of Justice of the union Law and Justice Ministry by which appointments of 7 Judges at the High Court of Madhya Pradesh by the President of India was made, were challenged. The names of these judges are M/s Vinay Saraf, Vivek Jain, Rajendra Kumar Vani, Pramod Kumar Agrawal, Binod Kumar Dwivedi, Dev Narayan Mishra and Gajendra Singh. The Collegium owes its existence and legal sanctity to Judge-made law which under Article 141 of the Constitution is the law of the land and is binding not only on every court but also the executive and the legislature. As regards the second ground, it appears that the petitioner is labouring under misconception that the office of a High Court Judge is akin to a civil post under the executive. This is far from reality as the office of the HC Judge is a Constitutional office, which is filled up only and solely by the procedure prescribed in the Constitution and not elsewhere. In another ground, the petitioner has contended that in appointment of HC Judge, adequate and proper representation of all categories SC/ST, OBC or EWS has not been made. In this regard, it has been seen that neither the Constitution nor the Judge-made law as aforesaid prescribe for any reservation or adequate / proportionate representation of all categories in the process of appointment. Thus, providing for any such reservation or adequate /proportionate representation of all categories, would not only be dehors to the Constitutional provision but also the Judge-made law vide aforesaid decisions of the Supreme Court. The ground that the collegium at the High Court as well as Supreme Court level has a very large representation of forward class (unreserved category), of Judges. As already held, while the Constitution does not prescribe for any reservation or adequate or proportionate representation of all categories, any such attempt to accede to the prayer of petitioner would amount to violating the constitutional provision. In conclusion, as the Madhya Pradesh HC has no manner of doubt that the relief sought by the petitioner cannot be granted and, therefore, the HC dismissed the writ petition against appointment of the new seven judges. Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic Date :17-Jun-2024 Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic Monsoon at door, open mines not fenced yet By Ankita Garg Keeping in mind frequent drowning incidents at abandoned mines in Bhopal, district administration directed lease owners to barricade quarrying pits and open mines. Despite strict direction to fence the mines allocated around the rural areas of Bhopal before Monsoon, 80 mines are yet to be fenced. In a recent meeting for monsoon preparedness chaired by the district Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh, the need for barricading area around open mine was emphasised to avoid such incidents. In the meeting, collector was informed that around 80 old mines are yet to be fenced and all of them have been converted into a pond. However, officially these mines have been closed further digging but during rainfall, water logging makes the mines risky. Concerned over the safety issues, Collector Singh asked officials to complete the fencing of remaining 80 mines by the beginning of June. The Collector had asked the officials of Mineral Corporation to complete the task in given time line. According to Weather Department, Monsoon is set to drench the State within three days but fencing work could not be done even for a single open mine. NGOs and social activities have also raised the issue and said that during rainy season, who will be responsible for the accidents? Talking to The Hitavada, Nitin Saxena, RTI activist said, Every year many people lose their lives in these open mines during rainy season. Every year, we read cases in which people get drowned in the open mines. Even legal clause do not support to leave the open mines while it should be barricade immediately. Government should tighten the noose of officials to fence these open mines on immediate basis. New CriminalLaws will takeeffect fromJuly 1: Govt NEW DELHI : MINISTER of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday said that the new Criminal Laws, namely Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, will come into force on July 1, 2024. IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act are changing. After following the due consultation process and keeping in mind the reports of the Law Commission of India, the three laws have been changed, said Meghwal. The three laws will be implemented from July 1 with the names Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. Training facilities for the three new laws are being provided in all States, said Meghwal. He highlighted that Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) is providing training for it. He added, Our judicial academies, national law universities are also providing training for the same. All these three laws which is crucial for criminal justice system will be implemented in the country. Night Combing Operation: 377 absconding criminals arrested in one night Staff Reporter Continuing a rigorous campaign Night Combing Operation against absconding criminals and warrantees, police have nabbed total 377 absconding non-bailable warrantees in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. It may be noted that the state wide special combing campaign has been started under the direction of Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh, Sudhir Kumar Saxena. The campaign has been continued under the supervision of Inspector General of Police (Jabalpur Zone), Anil Singh Kushwaha and DIG Jabalpur, Tushar Kant Vidyarthi in the district. Superintendent of Police, Aditya Pratap Singh briefed the SHOs of urban and rural police stations at Police Control Room before the night combing. During the night combing, 2 to 3 teams from every police station led by SHOs and Sub Inspectors conducted a rigorous search for warrantees and absconding criminals from 12 midnight to 5 am Sunday. Police have apprehended 377 warrantees who were absconding since a long time. IG, Anil Singh Kushwaha, DIG, Tushar Kant Vidyarthi and SP, Aditya Pratap Singh monitored the campaign throughout the night in different areas. In the campaign, total 128 non-bailable and 64 bailable warrantees who were absconding since a long time were apprehended. Besides this, poilce nabbed a miscreant named Rahul Raikwar, resident of Maharajpur in Adhartal and seized a knife from him when he was riding on stolen motorcycle in Panagar. Similarly, Chargavan police arrested an accused named Dalchand alias Dallu Gaud, resident of Dhabhaula who was absconding since a long time in the case of rape. Staff Reporter Conscious of need to preserve the ecology and more particularly an important water body, Nagpurians joined hands with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for a massive exercise to remove Eichhornia weeds from Ambazari Lake. The Sunday exercise was a perfect example of civic body and citizens partnership aimed at restoring the pristine beauty of the Ambazari Lake, the biggest water body of city. NMC launched a comprehensive drive to remove the Eichhornia and had sought citizens help. On Sunday, citizens converged on the banks of lake and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with civic body officials to pull out the water hyacinth that has invaded the lake surface since long. The swimmers who regularly go to Ambazari took the lead in removing the weeds from the lake water threatening its existence. NMC also deployed 10 poclain machines, 10 JCB, 20 tippers, boats, machine that moves into water to pull out the water hyacinth. The swimmers formed a human chain and pulled out the weeds and same was dumped on the dam. The manpower deployed by civic body promptly lifted the removed weeds and dumped it in tippers. Jawans of Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) also pitched-in with their efforts to aid the swimmers, locals and environmentalist. The problem with Eichhornia is that within five days, it multiplies and hence there was an urgency to remove as much weed as possible before monsoon starts in the city. Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari appreciated the efforts of citizens, swimmers and environmentalist in aiding civic body's attempt to rid Ambazari lake of Eichhornia. NMC is continuously engaged in removing the water hyacinth but its growth continues to undermine the efforts. NMC has also sought help of NEERI to find a permanent solution to stop growth of water hyacinth. NMC had appealed citizens and environmentalist to turn-up for removing water hyacinth from Ambazari lake water. Responding to appeal, hundreds of youth, swimmers and other were at the spot early morning. Members of various NGOs also were at hand to help the NMC with removing the weeds. Employees of various departments of civic body also turned-up for the campaign. Dr Gajendra Mahalle, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, NMC; Dr Deepak Selokar, Medical Health Officer; Dr Narendra Bahirwar, Additional Medical Officer; Prakash Varade, Assistant Commissioner, Dharampeth Zone; Ashok Gharote, B P Chandankhede, Chief Fire Officer; Vijay Gurubaxani, Executive Engineer; Veersen Tambe, Chief, NDS; Kaustubh Chaterjee, Founder, Green Vigil Foundation; Dr Amit Samarth; well known cyclist; members of Subhash Mandal, Dolphin Sporting Club, Nagpur District Aquatic Association, Vijayani Group, Digdoh Jagruti Manch, Vidarbha Sarpa Mitra Samiti, Indian Medical Association office bearers and others were prominently present. North Korea says Russian President Putin will arrive in the North on Tuesday Seoul, Jun 17 (AP) North Korean state media says Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in the country on Tuesday for a two-day visit. Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks focused on expanding military cooperation as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Monday that Putin will pay a state visit to the North on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately provide more details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. It will be Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years. The visit comes amid growing international concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putin's war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, their first since 2019. US and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. IN-SPACe announces launch of pre-incubation programme for aspiring space startups Bengaluru, Jun 17 (PTI) Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has launched a pre-incubation entrepreneurship development programme, a pioneering initiative designed to support and nurture early-stage space startups. The pre-incubation entrepreneurship (PIE) programme will cultivate and empower the next generation of space tech innovators, providing them with the tools and guidance necessary to transform their space dreams into reality. "India's space sector is poised for exponential growth, and young entrepreneurs are crucial to driving this expansion. The PIE programme will provide them with a launchpad, equipping them not only with technical expertise but also with the business acumen needed to navigate the complexities of the space industry," said Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe. The programme will target students in technical courses or those with a strong interest in space technology, expected to graduate in 2024, or pursuing Masters or Doctorate programmes and early-stage start-ups focusing on space technologies and aiming to develop entrepreneurial ventures. According to Goenka, the early-stage support will help unlock the potential of innovative minds and contribute to India's leadership in the global space industry. The 21-month programme will guide aspiring entrepreneurs through a comprehensive journey divided into distinct phases of ideation, innovation, and prototype development. It will also ensure that budding entrepreneurs receive structured support at each critical stage of development. Direct access to industry veterans and subject matter experts will provide invaluable insights, feedback, and networking opportunities, added Goenka. "It will inculcate a culture of innovation in entrepreneurs, propelling scientific advancements that generate socio-economic benefits, contribute to broader economic development and create new job opportunities in India's space sector," said Goenka. Applicants should not have received any grants, funding, or monetary support from private or government schemes and all submissions must be original work to qualify. Start-ups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on or after July 1, 2022, are classified as early-stage start-ups. More information is available at www.Inspace.Gov.In. Stop the Munich analogies By Gwynne Dyer SCARCELY a week passes without some media pundit or attention-seeking historian warning that a Great War is nigh. As always, there are enough signs and portents around to make that sort of prediction plausible, but its rarely correct. In fact, it hasnt been correct now for 79 years. Were talking about a really big war involving all or at least most of the great powers, like World War One and World War Two: Ukraine times a hundred; Gaza times a thousand. And these days, such a war would surely be nuclear. To argue that a Great War is coming, the doom-mongers have to pretend that such a war will be necessary to stop the Russians. Thats why they always bring up Munich. The Munich syndrome has been used to justify a great deal of subsequent folly from Vietnam to Iraq. Its a fantasy version of the origins of the Second World War in which it only got so big because Britain and France didnt realise Hitler had to be stopped by force. Instead the cowards tried to appease Hitler at the Munich summit in 1938 by giving him Czechoslovakia, and after that it was too late to stop him. So the West has to vanquish the Russians now in Ukraine, or else Putin will also try to conquer the world.Where to begin with this nonsense? Maybe start with 1932, when the British Government, then still the greatest imperial power, abandoned the Ten-Year Rule. Adopted after the great Allied victory over Germany in 1918, it said that no great war is expected in the next ten years, and therefore little money need be spent on armaments. But they werent asleep at the wheel: the Rule was dropped in 1932, one year after Japan invaded Manchuria and four months before Hitler came to power in Germany. In real life, Britain had decided by 1933 that Germany was the major threat and doubled its spending on the Royal Air Force. The first Hurricane fighters entered service in RAF squadrons just as the much maligned appeaser Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister in 1937. Chamberlain doubled British defence spending in 1938 and doubled it again in 1939. He and French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier sold the Czechs out to Hitler at Munich in 1938 partly because they hoped it was Hitlers last territorial demand in Europe, but mostly because they needed more time to rearm. The first Spitfires entered squadron service in August 1938, the war came in September 1939, and the Germans lost the Battle of Britain in 1940. The United Kingdom managed to hang on alone against Germany until the Soviet Union and the United States were dragged into the war in mid- and late 1941. Thats how the Second World War really got underway, and it doesnt bear the slightest resemblance to what is happening today. Munich is irrelevant. In fact, all that history is irrelevant. The advent of nuclear weapons really has changed the way things work. There has been only one time since 1945 when we even came close to a full-scale war between the great powers: the Cuban crisis of 1962. That was truly dangerous because successful nuclear first strikes were still theoretically possible and the principles of nuclear deterrence were not yet fully understood and accepted. Nevertheless, the two sides managed to think their way through the confrontation and avoided Armageddon. By now everybody knows the steps of the dance and the nuclear doctrines take explicit account of human psychology. In fact, even non-nuclear confrontations are generally managed in ways that minimise the risk of escalation. For example, look at how last Aprils confrontation between Israel and Iran was handled. The Iranians felt they had to strike back when Israel killed three of their top generals in a missile attack on their embassy in Damascus, but they gave the US enough details about the timing and targets of their big retaliatory strike against Israel that their missiles and drones were almost all shot down. Honour was satisfied, and very few people were hurt. Or consider the war in Ukraine, now more than two years old. There has been some escalation, but very slow and very cautious. Moscow occasionally makes vague threats about nuclear weapons, but nobody panics; NATO countries dont mention them at all. Blunders are always possible, but the war still seems well contained. Thats how we got through the past 79 years, one crisis at a time. Aggression needs to be discouraged and if possible contained, but nobody is trying to conquer the world, so dont ever risk the whole world by using nukes. And keep working on building the international rule of law, no matter how frustrating and futile that often seems. Two soldiers killed, three critical Speeding bus collides head-on with auto-rickshaw near Kamptee Kamptee Correspondent A routine shopping trip turned into a tragedy on Sunday evening when a private travels bus collided head-on with an auto-rickshaw carrying eight Army jawans and its driver on the Kanhan river bridge. Two Army soldiers from Guards Regimental Centre (GRC) at Kamptee were killed in the mishap and three soldiers injured seriously in the horrifying accident. Following the accident, locals gathered at the spot and resorted to Rasta Roko which temporarily disrupted traffic on Nagpur-Jabalpur Highway. Soldier Vighnesh succumbed to the injuries at Mayo Hospital while another soldier Dheeraj Rai succumbed to the injuries at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), where another critically injured soldier Nagaratnam, and auto driver Shankar Kharakban are also being treated. Both of them are on ventilator. Soldier Din Pradhan is also being treated at Mayo Hospital. Soldier Kumar P, Shekhar Jadhav, Arvind and Murugan are being treated at Asha Hospital in Kamptee and police said that Kumar P is critical. According to police, two autos were ferrying 15 jawans from the GRC. They had gone for shopping on their day off. Two auto-rickshaws were returning to Kamptee when tragedy struck. Bus of Pawan Travels, coming from the opposite direction, collided with the auto-rickshaw and completely crushed it. The accident caused severe injuries to all passengers and the auto driver, Shankar Mittulal Kharakban (50), a resident of Kamptee. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath as chaotic and stated that the driver of the bus fled the scene immediately after the accident. Frustrated and enraged by the accident, local citizens gathered at the spot and launched rescue operations themselves. Some jawans were stuck in the crushed auto-rickshaw. They were rescued after efforts of more than 15 minutes, the eyewitnesses said. After the jawans were shifted to the hospital, the locals vented their anger by vandalising the bus and blocking the highway. The police quickly responded to the situation and deployed a large number of police personnel. Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr Ravinder Singal also visited the spot and took review of the situation. The injured were rushed to Government Hospital in Kamptee, where initial treatment was administered. Those in critical condition where shifted to Mayo Hospital and later to the GMC&H. Senior officers from the Army Training Center also arrived at the hospitals to oversee the treatment of their personnel. The incident caused traffic disruptions on the Nagpur-Jabalpur highway for approximately one-and-a-half-hour before normalcy was restored by the police. The police have launched an investigation into the accident and are searching for the absconding bus driver Madhukar Vithhal Kale (60). At the invitation of the government of the Republic of South Africa, President Xi Jinpings Special Envoy and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Xiao Jie will attend the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, on June 19. From June 18 to 25, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chen Wenqing will attend the fourth China-Singapore Social Governance Forum in Singapore and visit Singapore and South Africa upon invitation. CCTV: On June 14, the National Assembly (NA) held the first sitting of the new Parliament in Cape Town, and Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of the African National Congress, was reelected as President. Whats Chinas comment on that? Whats Chinas expectation for its relations with South Africa? Lin Jian: South Africa is a major developing country with important influence in African and international affairs. China congratulates Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa on his reelection as President of South Africa, and President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to President Ramaphosa. We believe that under the leadership of the new government, the South African people will achieve greater success in national development. South Africa is Chinas comprehensive strategic partner. Bilateral relations have ushered in a golden era. China values the growth of China-South Africa relations. We stand ready to work with the new government of South Africa to enhance political mutual trust, broaden practical cooperation, strengthen strategic coordination in regional and international affairs, and build a high-quality China-South Africa community with a shared future. Dragon TV: It was reported that an official of the ROK presidential office said on June 13 that Russian President Putin is expected to visit the DPRK in a few days, and that around the same time, the ROK and China will hold the 2+2 diplomatic and security dialogue. The ROK will take all factors into consideration and make sure everything is properly dealt with so that major friendly countries and strategic partners in the region will be on the same track with the ROK on the DPRK-related issues. ROK media commented that as the DPRK and Russia get closer, the ROK should properly manage its relations with China and use the 2+2 diplomatic and security dialogue to nudge China on the DPRK. What is Chinas comment? Lin Jian: As agreed between China and the ROK, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong and Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission Zhang Baoqun will lead a delegation to Seoul on June 18 to hold the first 2+2 vice-ministerial level diplomatic and security dialogue with the ROK. China and the ROK set up the 2+2 diplomatic and security dialogue at the director-general level in 2002, and have since held five rounds of dialogue. In 2020, the two sides decided to upgrade the dialogue to vice-ministerial level and agreed to hold the first vice-ministerial dialogue at an early date. Since then, the two sides have maintained communication on the specific timing of the dialogue in light of the schedules of the officials leading the dialogue and overall bilateral interaction, and agreed to hold the dialogue on June 18 this year. The establishment, upgrade and timing of the 2+2 dialogue mechanism were determined quite early on by the two sides in light of the need of growing bilateral relations and have no particular link to other countries. China will exchange views with the ROK at the dialogue mainly on improving and growing bilateral ties and deepening exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and have necessary communication on international and regional issues of mutual interest. We will release timely information about the dialogue. China Review News: Reuters reported on June 14 that the US Pentagon orchestrated a secret online campaign meant to discredit China during the COVID-19 pandemic through phony internet accounts and social media posts that sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of Chinas CoronaVac. The report cited a senior US military officer involved in the campaign saying that We didnt do a good job sharing vaccines with partners, so what was left to us was to throw shade on Chinas. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: We noted the report. Facts have shown time and again that the US has persistently manipulated social media to spread disinformation, poison public opinion and vilify other countries image. We firmly oppose it. The remarks you mentioned from the senior US military officer reveal the truth and the real intention behind the US disinformation campaigns against other countries. Put simply, when the US wants to contain and suppress a country, it chooses to ignore the facts and truth, and launches smears and vilification through coordination. Such an approach is not only visible in its campaign of fabricating and disseminating disinformation about Chinese-made vaccines, but also in its smears against the widely welcomed Belt and Road Initiative as well as the overcapacity false narrative on Chinas NEVs for which there is strong supply and demand. The list goes on. Such practices by no means show the USs power and only reveal its obsession with supremacy and hypocrisy. The international community needs to be clear-eyed about this. A big country should behave in a manner befitting its status. We hope that the US will right its mindset, shoulder its due responsibilities as a major country and stop propagating disinformation against other countries. AFP: Close to 80 countries signed a joint communique in Switzerland yesterday, calling for the territorial integrity of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement with Russia. China did not attend the conference in Switzerland. How does China view the joint communique? Lin Jian: Chinas position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear. China did not take part in the peace summit and will not comment on its joint communique. Polish Press Agency: Its reported by Polish media that Polands President Andrzej Duda will visit China. Can you confirm it and share with us the background, the program and Chinas expectation of the visit? Lin Jian: Poland is among the first countries to recognize the Peoples Republic of China. In recent years, our bilateral relations have maintained steady growth and have gained greater maturity and resilience. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Poland diplomatic ties. China stands ready to work with Poland to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve more in advancing China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership from a new starting point. On the visit that you mentioned, I have no information to offer at the moment. Please stay tuned. China Daily: The G7 Leaders Communique again hyped up China-related issues, making irresponsible comments on the situation in the Taiwan Strait, pointing fingers on issues related to the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang, and trumpeting up so-called Chinese overcapacity. What is Chinas comment on this? Lin Jian: The G7 Leaders Communique again used China-related issues to vilify and attack China, resorting to the same old false accusations that have no factual, legal or moral basis and are filled with arrogance, bias and falsehood. The G7 does not represent the world. The seven countries only account for 10 percent of the worlds population; year after year their share in global economy has kept dropping; even combined, they contribute less than China to global economic growth; and their economic aggregate in terms of purchasing power parity has already been surpassed by BRICS countries. The G7 has long strayed from its original purpose of coordinating for stability in the global economic environment, and has increasingly become a political tool to perpetuate US and Western supremacy. It puts its own rules and decisions above the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the international law, and has lost its ability to represent the world and credibility among the international community. The G7 is acting against the world trend of peaceful development. While claiming to safeguard world peace, the G7 keeps drawing lines along difference in ideology and values, hyping up the false narrative of democracy vs. autocracy, forming exclusive groupings and inciting bloc confrontation, fanning up flames and shirking responsibilities in regional conflicts, sending military vessels and aircraft into the Asia-Pacific to create tensions, and arming Taiwan to threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. These wrongful moves that disrupt international order and harm peace and security are being increasingly disdained and rejected by forces for good in the world. The G7 is no longer on the right path of win-win cooperation. In recent years, the US has repeatedly overstretched the concept of national security, abused export control measures, rolled out unilateral sanctions, fiercely gone after Chinese companies, and encouraged its allies to take the same wrong moves. This seriously violates the principles of market economy and fair competition and disrupts the international economic and trade order. The G7s Chinese overcapacity allegation is unsupported by facts or the laws of economy. It is just an excuse for protectionism and undermines the global effort for green and low-carbon transition and cooperation on climate response. The G7 is the one truly responsible for economic coercion as it continues to politicize and weaponize trade, which is a reversal of our globalized world where countries interests are already deeply integrated. Such behavior will eventually backfire on the G7 itself. CCTV: Its reported that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a recent interview that it made sense for Malaysia to ramp up ties with China, a country willing to accommodate and listen to his nations suggestions and concerns. This included helping to build Malaysias digital economy, renewable energy and AI capacities. He also stressed that Malaysia neither had any intention of antagonizing the United States nor being swayed by the unilateral action of one country against another. Malaysia is an independent country and will not succumb to pressure. Whats Chinas comment? Lin Jian: We noted the report and commend Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his remarks. China and Malaysia are neighbors across the sea with a time-honored friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations half a century ago, no matter how the international landscape has changed, we have always been good and true friends who treat each other with sincerity, and trust and help each other. China looks to work with Malaysia to carry forward our traditional friendship, deepen cooperation in various fields, and deepen and solidify the China-Malaysia community with a shared future. China, as always, firmly supports Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in upholding their national strategic independence and seeking strength through unity, and will stay committed to upholding ASEAN centrality and an inclusive regional architecture. China will continue to pursue open cooperation and mutual benefit and work with ASEAN countries to build an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. Nikkei: Today, Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the estimated global inventory of warheads. The report said that SIPRIs estimate of the size of Chinas nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, and China may also now be deploying 24 warheads on missiles. Whats Chinas comment? China often says that it keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. Has this belief changed? Does the required minimum level change with the changing security environment? Lin Jian: The whitepaper titled Chinas National Defense in the New Era articulated Chinas defensive nuclear strategy in very clear terms. Our strategy maintains a high level of stability, continuity and predictability. I recommend it to you. If you are truly interested in issues about strategic security, I would also recommend that you turn your attention to the USs heavy investment in upgrading its nuclear triad, and increase in nuclear sharing and extended deterrence. This is the real issue that will have a serious impact on global strategic stability. Shenzhen TV: Its reported that the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on June 15 that the Philippines submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea where it sought to have the exclusive right to exploit resources according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Whats Chinas comment? Lin Jian: China noted the development and we are trying to get more information on this. What I need to say is that there are territorial issues and disputes over maritime delimitation in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines. The Philippines unilateral submission on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea infringes on Chinas sovereign rights and jurisdiction, violates international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and goes against the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Pursuant to the rules of procedure of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the Commission will not consider or qualify the submission by the Philippines if it involves delimitation of disputed waters. Reuters: Last Saturday, relevant regulations of China Coast Guard came into force, according to which, China Coast Guard has the right to use deadly force toward all foreign vessels refusing to leave waters China believes to be its own. This morning, China Coast Guard said a collision with a Philippine vessel happened near Renai Jiao. So does China plan to use deadly force in the future in response to incidents similar to what happened this morning? Lin Jian: The regulations are rolled out by China Coast Guard to enforce Chinas Coast Guard Law, standardize the administrative law-enforcement procedures of Coast Guard agencies and better uphold order at sea. It is consistent with universal practices. On issues related to the South China Sea, China stands to properly handle differences and disputes through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned, and at the same time resolutely respond to any infringement and provocative moves at sea. You mentioned what happened recently. What I can tell you is that on June 17, one supply vessel and two speed boats of the Philippines, without permission from the Chinese government, intruded into waters near Renai Jiao in Chinas Nansha Qundao in an attempt to send materials, including construction materials, to the military vessel illegally grounded at Renai Jiao. China Coast Guard took necessary control measures to stop the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law. The maneuvers at the scene were professional, restrained, justified and lawful. Antara: Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi met Indonesias Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment in Jilin Province. The two ministers actually met in April for the Indonesia-China High-Level Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism in Indonesia. What matter is so important that the two high officials needed to meet again one month apart? Lin Jian: On June 13, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesias Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan held a co-chairs meeting of the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism in Jilin and exchanged views on China-Indonesia relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. China released a readout. Under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China-Indonesia bilateral relations have maintained a robust momentum of growth. The two countries have had frequent high-level exchanges, deepened cooperation, and made strides in building a community with a shared future. Back in March, President-elect Prabowo Subianto paid a successful visit to China. In late April, Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Indonesia and chaired the Fourth Meeting of the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism. The two sides meeting after a little more than one month fully shows the closeness and strength of our bilateral relations. China stands ready to work with Indonesia to have frequent high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation, and solidify China-Indonesia community with a shared future to deliver more tangibly for the two peoples and the two countries. PTI: With regard to what you have said about the new regulations relating to the South China Sea and the coast guard, do the coast guard rules apply to the entire international traffic that goes to the area? And is it just confined only to the conflict between the Philippines and China in that area? Lin Jian: As I just said, the regulations are rolled out by China Coast Guard (CCG) to implement the Coast Guard Law, standardize the administrative law-enforcement procedures of Coast Guard agencies and better ensure order at sea. It is consistent with universal practices. On the specifics of the new regulations, please refer to the information released by the CCG. Beijing Youth Daily: Today marks the 30th Desertification and Drought Day with the theme of Our Legacy. Our Future. We noted that China in recent years has achieved many significant outcomes in desertification prevention and control. Anything you would like to say on that? Can you share more about Chinas role in global desertification prevention and control? Lin Jian: Today marks the worlds 30th Desertification and Drought Day and the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has followed the philosophy that green is gold and made solid efforts in comprehensive desertification prevention and control and developed major ecological projects, such as the Sanbei Protective Forest project, to form a green ecological barrier in northern China. Since 1978, the Sanbei Protective Forest project has added 32 million hectares to afforestation area, and treated 85.3 million hectares of degraded grassland and 33.3 million hectares of desertified land. In key restoration areas, weve realized a historic transformation from sand forcing humans to retreat to trees forcing sand to retreat. We created the worlds largest man-made forest in Saihanba, realized the worlds largest scale ecological restoration project in Maowusu and found a new approach of combating desertification through industry development in Kubuqi. Chinas effort turbocharged the process of creating a cleaner and more beautiful world. We are the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation and reduce both desertification and sandification, making important contribution to meeting the global goal of zero net land degradation by 2030. Chinas forest coverage ratio and forest stock volume have both increased for 40 consecutive years. It is No.1 in the world in terms of forest resource growth and afforestation area and has contributed one fourth of the worlds newly added green area. China earnestly fulfills its obligation under the UNCCD, successfully held events including the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) of the UNCCD, and is making all-out efforts in advancing global desertification prevention and control by promoting international cooperation and sharing experience with the rest of the world with nothing held back. China and the UNCCD Secretariat jointly built the International Training Center on Combating Desertification and the International Knowledge Management Center on Combating Desertification. We are actively forging synergy with the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa and the Middle East Green Initiative through mechanisms including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. The China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification, and Land Degradation was set up last year and the first batch of cooperation projects have been launched. The China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center unveiled in Mongolia last year is now supporting Mongolia in implementing its plan to plant one billion trees. The cooperation between China and other countries in combating desertification has made more countries greener. Desertification is a global challenge faced by all and making joint response is the sure path forward. China stands ready to continue to share its experience in combating drought and desertification with all parties, enhance exchanges on sustainable land governance and together make our world a beautiful place enjoying harmony between nature and humanity. Tragedy struck on Sunday night when a vehicle in the funeral convoy carrying the late Malawi Vice-President Saulos Chilima's body struck and killed four mourners, including a pregnant woman. According to reports, the incident occurred during clashes between local residents, police, and soldiers escorting the convoy from Lilongwe to Chilima's home village for burial, and left 12 people injured The injured individuals are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. The convoy was en route to Chilima's final resting place when the devastating accident occurred. Last week, Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima tragically passed away in a plane crash. His funeral procession took place on Sunday, with thousands of mourners lining the streets to pay their respects as his coffin was transported to his final resting place in Ntcheu, approximately 180 km south of the capital, Lilongwe. However, the somber occasion turned chaotic as the procession approached Chilima's hometown, with some individuals throwing stones at government vehicles and officials, sparking tensions and clashes with security forces. Chilima's burial is scheduled to take place later on Monday. Amidst the chaos, a vehicle veered off the road and struck a group of mourners, resulting in the tragic loss of four lives, as confirmed by the police in an official statement. According to Felix Njawala, the spokesperson for the UTM party, tensions arose along the funeral procession route as mourners insisted on catching a glimpse of the coffin, temporarily blocking the road in Dedza. "The crowd demanded to see the coffin, but eventually, they were calmed down, and the convoy continued on its way," Njawala told AFP. A tragic plane crash in northern Malawi about a week ago claimed the lives of Vice-President Saulos Chilima, 51, and eight others, amidst severe weather conditions. On Sunday, an estimated tens of thousands of Malawians gathered at the national stadium for a funeral service, paying their respects and bidding a final farewell to the late vice-president. The solemn event was a testament to the outpouring of grief and admiration for Chilima's leadership. Waiting for a response from the PM Torbung to Jiribam | Can Manipur now expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take cognizance of the immense human tragedy that has ravaged the State for over 400 days now ? A tough call this would be for the Prime Minister had remained indifferent to the human tragedy here for well over a year and if at all there is a reason to expect Modi to respond to the situation here, it would be the public statement of RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat that the Manipur issue should be a priority for the BJP led Government at Delhi. For over a year the top political leaders of Manipur had failed to meet the Prime Minister, starting from the Chief Minister to all the top rung office bearers of the State unit of the BJP. Take the refusal of the Prime Minister to grant an audience to the State leadership along with his silence on the issue and this should explain the debacle that the saffron party faced at the hands of the Congress in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency. Even the party backed by the BJP in the Outer Parliamentary Constituency, the NPF, had to bite the dust at the hands of the Congress. The election process to the Lok Sabha is over with Modi back as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term and to the people of Manipur the primary question is whether the politics of silence will continue or not. Either way it should be clear to Manipur that things cannot continue like this forever. Something has to give and given the deep sense of distrust and animosity between the Meiteis and the Kukis, Delhi is best placed to take the role of the referee and bring the two sides to the table and talk things over. It should be clear to the Centre that Imphal is today not in a position to settle the matter and this is best exemplified by the fact that the theatre of conflict keeps changing at the fancy and whims of the powers that be that is driving the conflict. From May 3, 2023 to June 16, 2024, the pace and intensity of the clash is being remote controlled by those in the position to do so and from Torbung in 2023 to Jiribam now it should be clear how the clash is being engineered and remote controlled. This is what is worrying and even as Jiribam is now the centre of the conflict, Naga bodies including the United Naga Council, Naga Womens Union, All Naga Students Association, Manipur and Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to repatriate all the refugees who have taken refuge at Kamjong area on the Indo-Myanmar border. Along with the call to repatriate the refugees, the Naga organisations also delivered a powerful point in asking that the Assam Rifles be withdrawn from the border area. Nearly 6000 refugees are understood to be taking shelter at Kamjong area and while the huge number can be understood in the backdrop of the ongoing clash between the military junta and pro-democracy forces in the neighbouring country, it should not be forgotten that the Manipur Gazette of 1963 made no mention of the existence of any place called Kuki hills. In other words this meant that the Kuki population in Manipur was sparse, very sparse and it is only down the years that more and more refugees sneaked into Manipur and in due course of time came to claim indigeniety over the land and its resources. Back in 2002 a Kuki gentleman by the name Paolienlal Haokip had written in the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies that in the programme of Burmanization under General Ne Win around 20,000 Kukis were driven out into Manipur. The Sangai Express has referred to this article written by Mr Haokip on more than one occasion, but it should throw some light on the call for updating the National Register of Citizens with 1951 as the base year. Another 17,000-20,000 Chin and Reang tribals also made their way to Mizoram, said the article and it is significant to note that till date the Mizos of Mizoram have not deemed it right to absorb the Reangs as one of them. The uprising of 1988 gave a further push for immigrants to enter Manipur and till date there is nothing to suggest that the 20,000 refugees who entered Manipur have returned to their home country. It is against this backdrop that the submission of the Naga CSOs to the Union Home Minister should be seen and appreciated. New Delhi needs to show that it has taken cognizance of the gradual infiltration into Manipur for decades and accordingly take up steps to neutralise this. A meeting was arranged between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the Indo-Bangladesh border at Changrabandha in Cooch Behar yesterday in order to establish trust and strengthen the relationship between the two border protection forces of these amicable nations. The initial encounter between the sector commanders of both sides took place. It was recognized during the meeting that these gatherings are crucial for upholding peace and harmony along the Indo-Bangladesh border. This also enhances the relationship between the two countries. During the border coordination meeting at the Border Outpost (BOP) Changrabandha, located in the Cooch Behar district, representatives from the BSF and BGB came together to discuss border issues. These representatives included Brig (Retd) Rajeev Gautam, DIG BSF SHQ Jalpaiguri, Md Mamun R Rashid, BGB Sector Commander Rangpur, and other high-ranking officials from both parties. Advertisement At the meeting, the commanders reaffirmed their dedication to preventing cross-border crimes and illegal immigration. They also stressed the importance of enhancing mutual cooperation between the border guarding forces of both countries, namely BSF and BGB. At the meeting, a variety of topics were addressed, such as improving border management and reducing cross-border illegal activities. The meeting ended amicably and without conflict, official sources said. Notably, after concluding an official visit of North Bengal Frontier from 13 to 16 June, Ravi Gandhi, the additional director general of the Eastern Command of the Border Security Force, departed for the organizations headquarters in Kolkata today. Mr Gandhi, the ADG of BSF Eastern Command, praised the North Bengal Frontier for their efforts in reducing cross-border crimes and effectively securing the Indo-Bangladesh border during their interaction. A secretariat member of the CPMs West Burdwan district committee joined the Trinamul Congress, accompanied by 1,200 CPM cadres in the presence of two ministers at the district TMC office, this afternoon. Pankaj had been holding the charges as CITU state committee member and a lieutenant of the partys IT cell over the years. He was handed over the TMCs political flag by state power minister Arup Biswas, where panchayat minister Pradip Majumdar and newly-elected MP from Bardhaman Durgapur Kirti Azad were present. Biswas said, A bunch of prominent leaders from the BJP and more from the CPM have been keeping in touch with the TMC for the last few days. Weve set to accept them after getting Mamata Banerjees approval. Advertisement Pankaj joined CPM in 1984 and had resigned from his Coal India to get accommodated as a whole-timer, following former CPM politburo member Nirupam Sens instructions. He, along with two others, however, was suspended after a CPM commission found them guilty on deviation charges. He, in recent times, had been struggling against CPMs strategic decisions to confront TMC during the last general elections. Pankaj said, Most unfortunately, I was failing to convince the CPM leadership that at a time when the BJP has polarized the whole country on communal issues, we needed to be more vocal, but the party not only restrained, rather insisted to counter Mamata Banerjees pro-poor welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar, Swastha Sathi. I felt that its only a leader like Mamata Banerjee who is capable most to combat BJPs anarchy. So, I chose to shift. The district CPM of West Burdwan today expelled Pankaj bringing charges of political deviation and anti-party activities during the last elections. Gouranga Chatterjee, CPM district secretary said, Despite repeated cautions, he didnt rectify, so we chose to expel him. The number of blood donation camps have come down drastically in the district due to the prevailing heatwave-like conditions. Some social organizations are trying to set up blood donation camps but due to excessive heat, none of the blood doors are turning up to donate blood. The Serampore Chatra Nandalal Institution, a state-run secondary and higher secondary school, has come forward to help this acute crisis in the district blood banks. The Serampore IMA president, Dr Pradeep Das said due to acute shortage of blood most affected are the thalassemia-affected children, accident victims or in anyone with an emergency condition. Advertisement It is for the first time in the district that a state-run school has come forward to conduct a blood donation camp. Headmaster of the school Shushil Kumar Saha said, The school management, teachers, parents and the students who passed this years higher secondary exam came together to organize a blood donation camp, especially for the thalassemia children. The Calcutta Medical College Hospital, the Serampore Walsh Hospital and Shramjibi Hospital lent a helping hand to the school in their noble effort, held within the school campus. More than 200 names have been enlisted as doners. Many of the people from the neighbourhood also voluntarily come ahead to donate their blood. A teenager was successfully rescued from the Ganga river after the car he was in rolled into the river at Nimtala ghat near the Bhutnath temple on Sunday morning. The car was also retrieved from the river after an hour of effort from local people and rescue teams. According to local sources, on Sunday morning, a family from the Anandapur area of South Kolkata came by car to offer prayers at the Bhutnath Temple. While the family members went to the temple, the youngest son remained in the car. It was at this time that the accident occurred. The teenager apparently caused the mishap while playing with the cars steering wheel. The car rolled into the Ganges. Locals, upon seeing this, immediately jumped into the river and started the rescue operation. Police and a rescue team arrived at the scene after being informed. The teenager was successfully rescued from the car. The car was also tied with rope and pulled out of the water by the locals and the rescue team. The prompt actions of the locals and the rescue team saved the teenagers life. Questions are being raised regarding the familys sense of responsibility Advertisement The ongoing Dharavi redevelopment project does not involve any land transfer to Adani Group but it was only to the Maharashtra governments Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA). The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL), which is a joint venture between the Maharashtra Government and Adani Group, is a developer of housing and commercial tenements and it will hand over the same to DRP/SRA of the state government to allocate as per survey findings. Sources have strongly denied the recent allegations made by Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad over the allotment of land for rehabilitation of Dharavi residents within Mumbai. Advertisement Sources said that as per the tender, while land remains and stands allocated to DRP/SRA at rates decided by the government, DRPPL has to pay to the government as per demand just for development. This is as per tender scheme. In return, DRPPL will get development rights. The state support agreement, which is part of the tender document, clearly states that, state government will support the project by giving land to their own DRP/SRA department. The details of multiple and important government resolutions on Dharavi Redevelopment have been conveyed multiple times to the concerned MP. These include GRs (government resolutions) of 2018 and later of 2022, which gives absolute clarity about the proposed redevelopment of Dharavi and the ensuing rehabilitation of Dharavikars. As far as the Railway land is concerned, it was allocated to DRP even before tendering for which DRPPL has paid a whopping premium of 170 per cent to the prevailing ready reckoner rates. And additionally, is developing a world class township there. The allegations that Dharavikars will be thrown out of Dharavi and rendered homeless are pure fiction and a mere figment to create anxiety among masses. The governments GR of 2022 depicts a unique condition that each and every tenement holder of Dharavi, eligible or ineligible, will be given a home, a copy of which is also publicly available. No Dharavikar will be displaced under the DRP/SRA scheme. This is a unique provision compared to regular SRA scheme wherein only eligible tenement holders were provided a house of up to 300 square feet and it remains in all previous government dispensations, a source said. Under the Dharavi redevelopment project, the tenement holders will be provided a house of 350 square feet, which is 17 per cent more than any other SRA scheme in Mumbai. According to sources, the Dharavi Redevelopment Tender is one of the most progressive in terms of its outlook towards informal settlers of Dharavi. It is completely pro-people which includes free and highly concessional housing, stamp duty and property tax exemption, ten-year free maintenance and a ten percent commercial area in residential premises to enable the prospective housing societies to have a sustainable revenue stream in addition to the corpus being provided, sources submitted. The GRs of 2018, 2022 and the tender clearly spells out eligibility for in-situ rehabilitation for tenements in existence on ground floor before January 1, 2000. Those existing on higher floors and beyond, up to January 1, 2011, will be allotted homes under PMAY outside Dharavi anywhere within MMR for just Rs 2.5 lakh or rental housing as per policy of government of Maharashtra. Tenements which came into existence between January 1, 2011 and date to be announced by the government of Maharashtra will get homes under state governments proposed affordable rental home policy with an option of hire-purchase. The demand for 500 square feet for an informal settlement has no such precedence in Mumbais slum redevelopment schemes and thus is only being promoted to cause anxiety among people. For the eligible tenements of businesses, the government scheme provides for a proper free of cost business place as also a five-year state GST rebate is offered which will result in boosting their profitability, usher them into the formal economy, make them more competitive and offer them multiple growth opportunities. On deliverables, the tender has put stringent timelines and any violation will attract penalties. On the allegation that the allotment of a Kurla land was done without following due process by the state government, sources clarified that the facts are otherwise. Firstly, the land is going to be given to DRP and not Adani Group nor DRPPL. The process under Maharashtra land Revenue (Disposal of Government Lands) Rules, 1971 was duly followed before issuance of the relevant GR. The actual concern and fear of the MP is not for the people of Dharavi or their betterment. The opposition and spreading of such fake narratives is being driven only for electoral ambition to keep the people of Dharavi stay the way they have been with poor or little to almost zero access to basic amenities to lead a dignified life. That is the reason why for so many decades no action was taken to build proper housing for Dharavikars, said a source. The MP (referring to Varsha Gaikwad) is also attempting to build a false narrative and throw a spanner in the works of the state governments scheme to redevelop Dharavi even as its residents are waiting for better houses with world-class amenities for several decades, sources added. The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is a first-of-its-kind initiative that seeks to transform the locality into a world-class city, creating a sustainable and thriving neighborhood while preserving its timeless essence. The project seeks to improve the quality of life for over one million residents of Dharavi through a human-centric approach. Also, a number of additional initiatives are being integrated towards sustainable multi modal transport systems, state of art infra on utilities. Additionally, vocational based skilling is being planned for youth and other wage aspirants of Dharavi to improve their earning potential and facilitate them jobs, which will give them opportunities which are more eco-friendly and benign. Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has received environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance from the Centre to double the capacity of Mundra port at a cost of Rs 45,000 crore, a recent media report has said. With these approvals, the company will be able to nearly double capacity to 514 million tonnes. APSEZ applied to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to increase the Mundra Ports capacity by 289 million tonnes to 514 million tonnes as part of an expansion plan covering 3,335 hectares. Advertisement This expansion may bolster APSEZs position when negotiating an extension of the concession period for the Mundra port with the Gujarat government. The period is set to expire in 2031 after a 30-year term. The Mundra port is located in Gujarats Kutch district, and has the capacity and necessary environmental approvals to handle 225 million tonnes of cargo annually. This includes 9.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). It managed 179.6 million tonnes of cargo, including 7.4 million TEUs, in FY24 accounting for over a quarter of all cargo volumes and more than a third of container cargo in India. For the quarter ending March FY24, the APSEZ reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 2,039.66 crore. This was a 76.2 per cent spike from Rs 1,157.55 crore reported in the year-ago period. Net profit dropped 8.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter from Rs 2,233.47 crore. The Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have significantly reduced their selling streak in Indian equities in June. The development comes after the stability returned to Indian markets with a fall in the VIX volatility index. Further, the FPIs reduced their buying momentum with the onset of the new fiscal 2024-25 (FY25). FPIs offloaded Rs 3,064 crore worth of Indian equities and the net investment turned positive to Rs 4,752 crore as of June 14, taking into account debt, hybrid, debt-VRR, and equities, the data from the National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) said. Advertisement The total debt inflows stand at Rs 5,703 crore till the second week of June. The first week of June witnessed massive volatility in FPI flows in response to exit polls and the actual election results. FPIs bought equity for Rs 6,521 crore on June 3 in response to exit polls. Experts have believed that the FPI strategy is to sell India which is expensive and buy China which is very cheap mainly through Hong Kong. The price to earnings or PE ratio in India is more than double the PE ratio in Hong Kong. However, some are bullish on their verdict and expect inflows to resume soon. The long-term outlook for FPI flows into Indian debt is positive due to Indias inclusion in global bond indices. However, near-term flows are being impacted by global macroeconomic uncertainty and volatility. In May, the foreign investors pulled out a massive Rs 25,586 crore from Indian equities amid uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Lok Sabha Election and outperformance of Chinese markets. Notably, this was way higher than a net outflow of over Rs 8,700 crore in April on concerns over a tweak in Indias tax treaty with Mauritius and a sustained rise in US bond yields. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Sunday that exports continue to stably remain in positive territory, leading to expectations domestic consumption will recover over time. Han made the remark during a meeting involving senior officials of the government, the ruling People Power Party and the presidential office, noting disparities remain in the pace of the recovery between sectors, reports Yonhap news agency. In line with the increase in exports, companies profits will expand, and through wages and dividend payments, household incomes will improve and purchasing power will rise, contributing to an internal recovery, including in consumption, he said, adding the government will focus on maintaining the positive export trend. Advertisement Exports, a key economic growth engine, rose 11.7 percent on-year to $58.1 billion in May, the eighth consecutive monthly gain on the back of strong global demand for semiconductors, among other items, according to government data. Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Monday inspected the Wazirabad barrage and the water treatment plant and said that the water level has gone very low, to the extent that the river bed was visible. Atishi who was speaking to reporters during her visit to the barrage, once again appealed to the Haryana government to release sufficient water, as this water reservoir is the one which feeds important water treatment plants. She further said that unless Haryana releases sufficient water, the crisis will not end in Delhi. Advertisement Talking of the Munak Canal, another important source of Delhis water supply, the minister claimed that sufficient water was not flowing in from the canal as well. She said that Wazirabad barrage receives water from Haryana, which is further pumped to the water treatment plants of Chandrawal, Okhla and Wazirabad, and added that the three important WTPs are now facing issues in the water production. She further questioned that, if there is no water received, how will the water treatment plants work? Atishi further said that the water which is currently visible at the barrage reservoir was because of the recycled water released by the plant to maintain its efficiency, otherwise, she claimed that only sand would be visible, as the level had dropped so low. Meanwhile, the citys water crisis is intensifying with people getting on to streets with the increasing shortage. The struggle is increasing for those staying in areas depending on supply from tankers as people are just somehow managing to collect drinking water, with crowds seen surrounding water tankers in photographs and videos on social media. The BJPs Delhi unit has also stepped up protest against the situation, accusing the Delhi government of negligence and mismanagement that has led to the current situation. On Sunday, Atishi had also written to Delhi Police chief, asking for inspection and protection of main water pipelines of the city after suspecting alleged attempts by unknown people to cause leakages in a pipeline. A fire broke out at a private hospital in Kotla Mubarakpur in south Delhi on Monday. However, no harm was caused to anybody in the incident. According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), after receiving a call at 12:35 pm regarding a fire at Onco Plus Hospital in Kotla Mubarakpur, eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was in meter boards, an official of the DFS said. Advertisement He said the blaze was doused at 1 pm and added that no causality or injury was reported in the incident. The DFS official also informed that another fire incident was reported from Shastri Park. He added the fire was in a pandal in an open area and it was doused at around 4 pm. Notably, last week, 50 shops were gutted after a major fire broke out in north Delhis Chandni Chowk area. Last month, multiple fire incidents were reported in the capital, including the devastating blaze that engulfed Baby Care New Born Hospital which claimed lives of the six infants. It may be mentioned that Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a comprehensive ACB probe into the registration of private nursing homes in Delhi in the wake of the tragic incident. Among other incidents include factory fire in outer Delhis Mundka industrial area and blaze at another garment showroom on Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced that the party would stage a protest against alleged scam in the 2024 NEET-UG exam at the Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday. The party also announced that it will hold protests across the country on 19th June. In a post on X, AAP General Secretary Organisation Sandeep Pathak said: Many irregularities have come to light in the NEET exam. The country will not tolerate such a scam by the Modi government on the hard work and dreams of lakhs of children. Advertisement The AAP will protest across the country against this scam. Tomorrow on 18th June at 10 am, all the respected MPs, MLAs and councilors of AAP will protest against the government at Jantar Mantar. On 19th June, AAP will protest against the Modi government in all the states across the country, he said. Notably , the Congress said that the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government cannot run away from accountability as the future of 24 lakh students is in jeopardy and demanded for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged scam in the 2024 NEET-UG exam. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the allegation and said there was no paper leak in the NEET-UG exam. Subodh Kumar Singh, Director General, National testing Agency (NTA) had also said the integrity of the exam was not compromised. The BJP proposes to keep the post of Speaker in the new Lok Sabha with itself and is unlikely to give it to any of its NDA partners like the Telugu Desam Party, it is learnt. Sources said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is holding talks with key NDA leaders on the alliances choice for the Speakers post. He has already held at least one round of formal talks yesterday. Informal talks have been continuing to finalise the name, sources added. The ruling party may offer the post of Deputy Speaker to one of its allies. Advertisement The BJP has received a strong backing from the Janata Dal (United) in choosing its own member for the coveted post. Senior party leader K C Tyagi reiterated that the JD(U) will support the BJPs candidate for the post. A special eight-day session of the Lok Sabha is scheduled to commence on June 24 and the election for the post of Speaker is likely to be held on June 26. The post of the Speaker becomes much more important in a House where no party enjoys an absolute majority since the occupant of the position has several powers, including the ability to disqualify or suspend members, decide when a question can be asked, expunge unparliamentary remarks of MPs and clear Bills based on voice votes. Sources denied reports that the TDP had demanded the Speakers post. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday hit out at Water Minister Atishi alleging that instead of ensuring water supply in the city, she is busy playing blame games and accusing the saffron party over water leakages. The saffron party leaders and workers led by the Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva on Monday held protests at many major locations across the city against the water crisis, allegedly caused by the negligence of the Delhi government. Sachdeva addressing a protest staged at Geeta Colony, in the Krishna Nagar assembly claimed that the saffron party has not only said, but also proved that Arvind Kejriwal and his government are solely responsible for Delhiites not getting water at present. Advertisement He alleged that Aam Aadmi Party legislators have turned water supply into a business, regardless of whether the people of Delhi get water or not, by sheltering tanker mafias. Sachdeva further said that if water theft and leakage are curbed in the city, every resident will get sufficient water. He further hit out at the AAP MLAs, alleging that they have no sympathy for the people of Delhi, and only cared for alleged earnings, and added saying that the BJP will continue its struggle until every drop of water is accounted for. Similarly, addressing the protest at the Jal Board office in Mukherjee Nagar, BJP MP elect Manoj Tiwari alleged that all departments of the Delhi government are mired in corruption, with the Jal Board being the epicenter. The BJP leader assured that the party and its workers will continue to fight for justice for the people of Delhi. BJP leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri who was at the protest in Khanpur, said that Kejriwal has done nothing to ensure water supply despite being in power for consecutive terms, despite making promises that he will provide 24- hour water from taps. He claimed that the Delhi CM had promised to bring 150 MGD of water from Muradnagar through pipelines, but that has not been done. Bidhuri further hit out at the AAP government, saying that they have not built a single water treatment plant in the past 10 years. At the protest in Moti Nagar, New Delhi MP elect Bansuri Swaraj took a dig at the Delhi government saying that it lacks the will, which is why people of Delhi are suffering for water while their legislators are busy trading water, she alleged. She claimed that the crumbling pipelines and the decade- long AAP government have forced Delhiites to take to the streets for water. Swaraj further said that Water Minister Atishi should address the shortcomings in water availability on the ground, instead of holding press conferences. Addressing the protest at Sangam Park Lal Bagh, BJP leader and Chandni Chowk MP elect Praveen Khandelwal said that the water issue in Delhi is not new, and therefore Delhi CM should explain what the government has done in the past 10 years about the problem. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav has written to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena demanding action against those responsible for the unprecedented water crisis in the national capital. In his letter addressed to the LG, Yadav has pointed out that despite significant water wastage, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Delhi Police have not taken any action against the guilty, as water theft from the DJB pipes have become a regular feature in many parts of Delhi. He claimed that water theft happens due to the collusion of the tanker mafia with ruling party (AAP) politicians, who aid and abet the water pilferage. Advertisement In this connection, the Delhi Congress chief brought to the attention of the LG newspaper reports claiming AAP MLA from Deoli Prakash Jarwal taking an alleged bribe of Rs 60 lakh monthly from the water tanker owners. About 20 water tanker owners reported to have come forward claiming that Jarwal had asked them for money, and four of them recorded their statements before a Magistrate stating that they had paid him Rs 20,000 each to clear their file and Rs 500 for each round of supply, he said. Yadav also mentioned in his letter that he had complained to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) for a demand for investigation into loss of Rs 17,575 crore to the DJB due to water leakage between 2015-16 and 2022-23. It becomes even more noteworthy when considering the substantial investments made by the DJB from its budget toward the replacement and installation of supply lines. With an annual allocation of approximately Rs 30 crore for metering and leakage management, the escalation of this trend becomes even more perplexing. Even if 10-20 per cent leakages are justified due to transmission and distribution loss, approximate loss of Rs 17,575 crore suffered by the DJB, he write to the CVC. He urged the LG to issue a stringent directive to the officials and political leaders involved in the blame game to collaborate in effectively managing the present water crisis. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Election Commission of India (ECI) must either ensure complete transparency of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or abolish them. The latest statement of the Congress leader came a day after he called EVMs a black box in India that cannot be scrutinised, in the wake of a media report claiming EVM hacking at Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. The poll panel official, however, rejected the EVM hacking claim. Advertisement In a post on X, Gandhi said, When democratic institutions are captured, the only safeguard lies in electoral processes that are transparent to the public. EVM is currently a black box. EC (Election Commission) must either ensure complete transparency of the machines and processes, or abolish them. On Sunday, the Congress leader while referring to the media report on EVM, said, EVMs in India are a black box, and nobody is allowed to scrutinise them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability. Notably, Tesla chief Elon Musk on Saturday called for the elimination of EVMs. We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high, he wrote on X. Responding to his post, BJP leader and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, Elon Musks view may apply to US and other places where they use regular compute platforms to build internet connected Voting Machines. But, Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure and isolated from any network or media. Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high level review meeting on the security situation in Manipur. which has lately witnessed incidents of violence. In the important meeting held in New Delhi, the Home Minister was briefed in detail on the situation in the north-eastern state by top officials of security agencies, forces and administration. The Union Home Minister did a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur and directed officials to ensure that no further incident of violence takes place in the state. Advertisement The Home Minister stressed upon strategic deployment of the central forces to restore peace and tranquility in the northeastern state, and added that the forces will be increased, if required. Shah directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence. He said that the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fully committed to ensuring safety and security of all citizens of Manipur. Shah also reviewed the situation in relief camps, especially in respect of proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities. He directed the Chief Secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. The HM underscored the importance of a coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict and also said that the MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis so as to bridge the ethnic divide, at the earliest. The meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande, Union Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau (IB), Chief of Army Staff (Designate) Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, Security Advisor to Government of Manipur, Director General of Assam Rifles, Chief Secretary Manipur, Director General of Police(DGP) Manipur and senior officials of Army and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The northeastern state has been witnessing violent incidents since May 3 last year that have disturbed the state, displacing people and leaving communities traumatized. Meanwhile, the meeting comes a day after Shah chaired a high level security review meeting regarding Jammu and Kashmir and also on preparations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. Shah had directed the agencies to replicate the successes achieved in Kashmir valley through area domination plan and zero terror plan in Jammu division. The HM had also said that the fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase. India and the US on Monday reviewed a range of bilateral issues as well as global developments at the annual meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) between the two countries. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan co-chaired the delegation-level talks between the two countries in the national capital. This is the second iCET meeting between the two countries and is spread over two days17-18 June. The first meeting was held in the US in January last year. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the US-India iCET (iCET) in May 2022 to elevate and expand the bilateral strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of the two countries. Advertisement The two countries also said they are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem based on mutual trust and confidence that will reinforce our democratic values and democratic institutions. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Mr Sullivan. Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues, Dr Jaishankar wrote on X after the meeting. Mr Sullivan is the first top senior American official to visit India after the assumption of office by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term. Mr Sullivan was scheduled to visit India earlier in February but due to other pressing commitments in the US, the annual review meeting was rescheduled for June 17-18. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Sullivans visit comes days after PM Modi met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy and said India and the US will keep working together to further global good. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sought a report from officials over the opulent tourism complex built ostensibly as a camp office for his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Visakhapatnam. The TDP released photographs of the opulent structure at Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam, alleging that the YSRCP chief had built the lavish palace for himself with public funds, anticipating his shift to Vizag after elections. Meanwhile, with the state government downscaling the security of Reddy, a posse of 30 private security guards have taken up the task of guarding Tadepalli residence in Vijayawada. A road that had been kept closed due to its proximity to his residence was also thrown open to the public. Yesterday, TDP MLA and former minister Ganta Srinivas Rao along with local Jana Sena leader visited the newly constructed tourism complex at the hilltop of Rushikonda and later released photographs which show lavishly built dining areas, huge bathrooms with bathtubs as well as chandeliers. Advertisement Ganta Srinivas Rao had drawn a parallel between the former chief minister and Saddam Hussain over the opulence of the property at Rushikonda. If Reddy had won a second time he would have shifted to Vizag to this camp office built at the cost Rs 550 crore after demolishing a government owned tourism hotel, he said. The sea facing property was built on 9.88 acres of land. Clearance for coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) was obtained in the garb of developing it as a tourism project with premium facilities. Environmentalists had objected to the construction due to degradation of the greenery on the hill. Speaking on the issue, IT Minister Nara Lokesh said that the Chief Minister had asked for a report from officials on the matter. Many such things like Rushikonda happened in the state and we will reveal everything once the report comes out, said the minister. The TDP insinuated on social media that it was built for his personal use. He (Reddy) said if he comes to power he will gift his wife a beachside palace and he squandered the government money like this, said the TDP on its X handle. The X handle of YSRCP counter argued: These are government owned assets. These are not private property. These were constructed keeping in mind the priority given to Visakhapatnam by the previous governmentSince 1995 Chandrababu has been shouting that Visakhapatnam is the financial capital. He has become the Chief Minister four times so far. Even if a Prime Minister comes to Visakhapatnam or the President, Chief Minister or Governor visits, there is no proper accommodation to host them. Meanwhile in Hyderabad, the Zonal Commissioner of Khairtabad of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was transferred following demolition of some illegal structures in front of YS Jagan Mohan Reddys Lotus Pond residence. The GHMC had received complaints about the illegal structures. The GHMC comes under the municipal administration department held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday discussed a range of bilateral issues as well as global developments with visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Delighted to welcome US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning. A comprehensive discussion on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues, Dr Jaishankar wrote on X after the meeting. Mr Sullivan is the first top senior American official to visit India after the assumption of office by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term. He is in New Delhi for the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Advertisement Mr Sullivan was scheduled to visit India earlier in February but due to other pressing commitments in the US, the annual review meeting was rescheduled for June 17-18. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will have delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval after which the two countries are expected to issue a joint statement. Many important issues, including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, are also expected to figure prominently during the meeting. Mr Sullivans visit comes days after Modi met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy and said India and the US will keep working together to further global good. In a critical review of the outcome of the Kerala Lok Sabha elections, the Communist Party of India (CPI) held Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan responsible for the poll outcome debacle of the Left Front in. The CPI is the second largest constituent of the CPI-M-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state. The Thiruvananthapuram District Council, on Sunday, pointed out that the chief ministers arrogance and the underperformance of cabinet ministers were the key factors that contributed to the electoral defeat of the LDF in the state. Advertisement Several leaders were of the view that the strategy of overemphasising minority appeasement distanced the electorate from the LDF. They said excessive appeasement of minorities backfired on the front. The minority appeasement went overboard. Most of the political and civic meetings turned into religious gatherings. Religious leaders were given undue importance. Even a candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat was selected from a minority group, said some of the participants. The participants of the meeting also pointed out that issues such as financial mismanagement associated with the Nava Kerala Sabha, delays in disbursement of welfare pensions, and non-availability of essential commodities at the Supplyco outlets led to alienation of the voters. The electoral defeat was also attributed to allegations of corruption involving the chief ministers daughter, Veena Vijayan. The CMs daughter being dragged into a controversy at a time when the elections were due also led to the defeat of the LDF. The debt-ridden Supplycos inability to provide essential items to its outlets also went against the LDF, they said Some reportedly even argued that governance wont improve unless a new chief minister comes to power while others argued that anti-incumbency sentiments significantly affected the outcome. The LDF faced severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. The LDF could win only one of the 20 seats in the state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Centre over the tragic Kanchenjunga Express train accident in Darjeeling and alleged the railway department is facing governments negligence. Speaking to reporters on the issue of Kanchenjunga Express accident, she said that while she started so many things in the railways (during her tenure as Railways Minister), the current regime is only doing publicity of Vande Bharat trains. I started so many things, but they are only doing publicity of Vande Bharat trains. Where is Duronto Express? After the Rajdhani Express, Duronto was the fastest trainToday, the entire Railway Department is facing negligence. I feel proper care must be taken of the Railway Ministry, she said. Advertisement The West Bengal CM said that after the incident, the state government provided all the help to normalise the situation. Right after the incident took place, state govt provided medical team, disaster teams, Ambulance and everything possible to normalise the situation, she added. The Narendra Modi-led NDA government is under fire after nine people were killed and around 50 others sustained injuries in the train accident. The incident took place today morning when a goods train rammed into the Kanchenjunga Express from behind near Rangapani station under Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district. At least three bogies of the train derailed after the accident. Visuals shared on social media showed the wagon of Kanchenjunga Express train suspended in the air after it was rammed by the goods train. According to initial assessment, the goods train overshot the signal and collided with the Kanchenjunga Express. Meanwhile, the Centre has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh for seriously injured. Rs 50,000 compensation will also be awarded to those who sustained minor injuries in the accident. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday announced that former party chief Rahul Gandhi will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate the Wayanad constituency. He also announced that Congress general secretary and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, which will be necessitated following his resignation. Rahul won from both the parliamentary seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Advertisement The Congress president made the announcement after holding a meeting with Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and partys general secretary in-charge of Organisation K C Venugopal at his residence here in this regard. Addressing the media, Kharge said, Rahul Gandhi was elected from two seats. As per the law, he has to vacate one seat and on one seat, he can continue as an MP. We have decided that Rahul Gandhi should keep the Rae Bareli seat because Rae Bareli has a very strong connection with the Gandhi family. We have decided that Priyanka Gandhi should contest from Wayanad. I want to thank both of them as they have agreed. Rahul said, I have an emotional relationship with both Rae Bareli and the people of Wayanad. In the last five years as the MP of Wayanad has been a very enjoyable experience. The people of Wayanad stood with me. The people of Wayanad gave me love and affection, every single person regardless of party, they gave me energy to fight in a very difficult time. So, I will never forget that. I want everyone in Wayanad to know that Priyanka is going to fight the election in Wayanad. But, I am going to be a frequent visitor to Wayanad. I am going to be available to the people of Wayanad and the commitments that I have made, we will stand by them and try to deliver all those commitments. My doors are open for you all throughout the rest of my life, he said. Rahul also exuded confidence that Priyanka will win the election and she will be a very good representative for the people of Wayanad. I am very happy to contest from Wayanad. I wont let them feel his absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and to be a good representative, Priyanka said. In response to a question about her entry into electoral politics, she said, I am not nervous at all. After registering a stupendous victory in the just-concluded general election, the principal opposition Samajwadi Party is set to get a new leader of the opposition (LoP) in both the houses of the state legislature. The party is in a discussion mode to select the LoP representing the Caste factor. The UP assembly will get the new leader of the opposition after the present LoP, Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the SP party got elected from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat. Advertisement SP will get the post of LoP in the Legislative council after a brief absence when its membership rose to 10 in the 100 member House recently. A senior SP leader said here on Monday that the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and Legislative Council will solve the caste equations so that the message goes to the public that PDA (Backwards, Dalits and Muslims) is its top priority. Till now, Akhilesh Yadav was holding the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, but now he will focus more on national politics. The name of Akhileshs uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav is among the front runners for the post of LoP in the state assembly while Inderjit Saroj, Ram Achal Rajbhar and Kamal Akhtar are also in the race. According to sources, while choosing the Leader of Opposition, Akhilesh Yadav will keep in mind who will prove to be more capable of aggressively cornering the BJP government in the House. Encouraged by the results of Lok Sabha elections, SP has decided to follow the strategy of aggressively attacking the policies of BJP. Only the leader who can respond true to this strategy will become the leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Assembly. SP leader in the Legislative Council, Lal Bihari Yadav is said to be ahead in the race for LoP in the upper house. However, other names being considered include Rajendra Chaudhary, Jasmin Ansari and Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali. If Akhilesh Yadav wants to adopt the partys old theory of Yadav- Muslim combination, then a Yadav could get LoP post in Assembly and a Muslim in the Upper House. In the wake of the tragic train accident in West Bengals Darjeeling, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is expected to visit the spot to take stock of the situation. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is leaving for Darjeeling to visit the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site, a news agency reported. At least five people were killed and around 25 others injured after a goods train rammed into Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengals New Jalpaiguri. Advertisement The incident took place on Monday morning when Kanchanjunga Express was hit by the goods train from behind near Rangapani station under Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district. Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Darjeeling Police, who was at the spot confirmed five casualties. Five passengers have died, 20-25 injured in the accident. The situation is serious. The incident occurred when a goods train rammed into Kanchenjunga Express, said Roy. Visuals showed the wagon of Kanchenjunga Express train suspended in the air after the incident. According to initial reports, at least three bogies of the Kanchanjunga Express derailed after being hit by the goods train. As per the reports, the goods train allegedly overshot the signal, which led to the accident. In a social media post after the accident, Railways Minister Vaishnaw said that the rescue operation was going on at a war-footing and teams of NDRF and SDRF were present at the spot. Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site, Vaishnaw said. India is facing a potentially severe agricultural and humanitarian crisis due to the delayed arrival of the monsoon. This delay threatens to prolong an already oppressive heat wave in northern and central regions, impacting millions of lives and jeopardising critical crop cycles. As one of the worlds largest producers of rice, wheat, and sugar, the stakes for India could not be higher. The monsoon, often described as the lifeblood of Indias nearly $3.5-trillion economy, is indispensable for agricultural productivity. Typically, the monsoon begins in early June in the southern regions and spreads nationwide by early July. This year, however, after a promising early arrival in the western state of Maharashtra, the monsoons advance has stalled. This delay is not just a matter of inconvenience; it is a harbinger of potentially devastating consequences. In states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana, the impact is immediate and severe. These areas, known for their extensive grain production, are experiencing temperatures between 42 and 46 degrees Celsius, significantly above normal. This heat wave, exacerbated by the delayed rains, threatens not only the health and well-being of residents but also the viability of upcoming harvests. Farmers in these regions rely heavily on timely monsoon rains for irrigation, as nearly half of Indias farmland lacks sufficient irrigation infrastructure. The repercussions of this delay extend beyond agriculture. Prolonged heat waves can lead to acute water shortages, affecting both urban and rural populations. New Delhi, for instance, recently recorded its highest-ever temperature, a staggering 49.9 degrees Celsius, amid a severe water crisis. Such extreme conditions strain public health systems, increase energy demands for cooling, and exacerbate social inequalities as vulnerable populations bear the brunt of the heat. Moreover, this situation underscores a broader, more troubling trend: the increasing unpredictability and severity of weather patterns due to climate change. Scientists have long warned that human-driven climate change will lead to more frequent and intense heat waves, altered rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. The current monsoon delay and associated heat wave are stark reminders of these warnings becoming reality. Indias predicament is a call to action on multiple fronts. First, there is an urgent need for investment in agricultural infrastructure, particularly in expanding irrigation facilities to reduce dependence on monsoon rains. Secondly, public health systems must be bolstered to better respond to heat-related illnesses and water scarcity. Thirdly, it is imperative that India, along with the global community, intensifies efforts to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing sustainable practices. In the short term, immediate measures are necessary to support affected farmers and communities. This includes financial assistance, access to water resources, and emergency health services. However, these are stopgap solutions. The long-term strategy must focus on building resilience against climate variability and safeguarding the livelihoods of millions who depend on predictable weather patterns. As we navigate these challenges, it is crucial to recognise that our actions today will shape the climate and living conditions of tomorrow. Advertisement Iranian Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated the two countries commitment to further improving ties, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian presidents office. The two leaders made the remarks on Sunday during a phone call, during which they also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, including the situation in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported. Aiming to increase their annual bilateral trade to $10 billion in the near future, Iran and Pakistan should make efforts to swiftly remove the obstacles in the field of economic and trade cooperation, said Mokhber. Advertisement The Iranian Interim President added Iran always viewed Pakistan as its strategic companion and partner, underscoring his countrys commitment to improving their ties in all areas. The Pakistani Prime Minister, for his part, also voiced his countrys willingness to further cement and strengthen its relations with Iran, particularly in the area of trade and economy, reaffirming his governments commitment to reaching the trade target, according to the Iranian statement. Sharif also wished Iran success in its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for June 28, according to the statement. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding Programme) (UN Jobs) Organization: World Food Programme (WFP) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About Organisation: World Food Programme (WFP) is the worlds largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to United help communities rebuild their lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 80 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to food and contribute to lasting solutions, especially in many of the worlds most remote and fragile areas. Job Summary: Under the supervision of Head of Unit (Social Protection & School Feeding), the school feeding officer will provide effective technical and operational support to the school feeding programme that meets the WFP food assistance needs objectives. She/he will be responsible for any school feeding-related issue implemented by the Uganda Country Office. In addition, the officer will be the primary interface with the Ministry of Education, ensuring coordination in WFP between the area and country offices, and integration with other strategic outcomes like AMS, ACL and Nutrition and supply chain. The officer will provide linkages between WFP and other partners. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Provide overall strategic direction guidance on the implementation of Home-Grown School Feeding programme to the Area Offices. Lead the effort and discussion on mainstreaming school feeding in Uganda, including strengthening capacity and the system in all aspects of school feeding. Provide technical support to the DLG and facilitate community engagement to enhance school feeding implementation and results. As activity manager for the school feeding activity, solve problems or challenges that present a risk to WFP, its partners, and the project by providing innovative and forward-looking solutions, including digitizing the school feeding process. Provide technical guidance and backstopping to staff and focal points designated for the School Feeding Programme in area offices, ensuring that the operational and implementation plan is organized, reporting is effective, and engagement with partners and relevant stakeholders is supportive. Follow data gathering and monitoring systems and liaise with the RAM nutrition focal point to maintain rigorous quality standards. Ensure that monitoring and evaluation recommendations are implemented to improve the quality and efficiency of the nutrition activities Undertake regular oversight missions to the selected programme areas for higher-level engagement with relevant internal and external stakeholders encouraging joint oversight missions and coordination with relevant WFP staff from other departments. Liaise with the Food Systems/Resilience and supply chain units to ensure the activity implementation is in line with WFPs corporate guidelines and feeds into policy and strategic discussions. Liaise with relevant internal operational units for follow-up on tasks related to finance, supply chain, procurement, reporting, external engagements, partnerships, and relevant regional and HQ engagements. Spear head the compilation of reports that encompass all programmatic aspects of school feeding and proposal development. Lead the effective internal and external coordination with relevant stakeholders and cooperating partners on school feeding in Uganda. Representation of WFP and school feeding at any UN or humanitarian/development coordination meeting and working groups and engagement with other UN or NGO bodies that are implementing complimentary or related programming in responsibility. Contribute to the development of strategic and innovate solutions for the scale up and diversification of future school feeding mechanism. Other duties as required. Deliverables at the end of the contract: Timely annual and biannual reports Evidence of increased scale, performance quality and sustainability through key performance indicators. Coordination of school feeding internally and externally. Organise and/or attend consultations and technical coordination meetings. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Education: The ideal candidate for the job placement should hold an advanced University degree obtained from a recognized education institution in any of the following areas: Education, International Affairs, Nutrition/ public Health, Agriculture, Social Sciences, or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses. Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years relevant working experience coordinating or managing programmes in reputable organizations in any of the following areas: Education, Agriculture, Livelihood, Nutrition, Policy, or any other related area Knowledge & Skills: An understanding of the principles, issues and global frameworks relating to school feeding health and nutrition. Experience in undertaking school feeding duties. Familiarity with the Uganda policy environment on education, school feeding, health and nutrition, knowledge of education systems strengthening, Experience in implementing technical programs (i.e., nutrition, education etc.). Experience working with government entities. Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to effectively communicate through multiple mediums (e.g. policy, advocacy messaging, reporting, training). Maturity, initiative, courtesy, tact and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Ability to work under tight deadlines. Negotiation and motivational skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels within and beyond the organization. Knowledge of the UN system, including gender-related mandates is an asset. Ability to frequently travel within the country. Languages: Fluency (level C) in English language. How to Apply: All suitably qualified candidates who wish to join the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are encouraged to apply online at the link below Click Here Deadline: 28th June 2024 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Date Posted 2024-06-17T09:25 Valid Through 2024-06-29T00:00 Employment Type FULL_TIME Hiring Organization WFP Uganda United Nations World Job Location Kampala, Kampala, Kampala , 0256, Uganda Related Jobs A high-level meeting to review the security situation in Manipur was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. This is the second such meeting chaired by the Home Minister, since assuming the office, after reviewing the Jammu and Kashmir security situation in the wake of the recent terror attack. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Deka, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief (Designate) Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, GoC Three Core H.S. Sahi, Security Advisor to Manipur Kuldeep Singh, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh and Assam Rifles DG Pradeep Chandran Nair joined the meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs in North Block in Delhi. The meeting comes after Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey visited Shah on Sunday and briefed him about the prevailing violence in the state. Fresh violence, claiming lives and injuring many others, was reported in several parts of Manipur. Recently, violence in the Jiribam district has claimed at least two lives. Over 100 houses have been burnt and more than 2,000 people were displaced. On Monday over 100 trucks carrying essential items to Imphal were blocked on NH 53 near Tatbung in Manipur's Tamenglong district. According to police, people called for an indefinite blockade of the Imphal-Silchar highway to protest violence in Jiribam district. RSS stresses on Manipur peace As the Narendra Modi government got re-elected for the third term, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stressed that Manipur peace should be a priority for the government. Bhagwat had expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year. While addressing a gathering of RSS trainees in Nagpur, he had said, "Manipur has been waiting for peace for the last year. There was peace in Manipur 10 years ago. It felt like gun culture had finished there. But the state has suddenly seen violence". "The unrest either got triggered or was triggered, but Manipur is burning and people are facing its extreme heat", the RSS chief had said. Ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur between the Meiteis and Kukis on May 3, 2023, claimed over 200 lives. The death toll in the Kanchanjunga Express mishap has increased to nine and railway authorities said rescue operations have been completed at the incident site. Officials said help desks have been set up at railway stations at all railway stations on the route. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board told ANI, Rescue operations have been completed. The loco pilot, assistant loco pilot of the goods train and guard of the Kanchanjunga Express died in the accident. Sinha added help desks have been established at all railway stations along the Agartala-Sealdah route. Prima facie, human error caused the accident. The first indications suggest that this is a case of signal disregard. Kavach needs to proliferated, planned for West Bengal," Sinha said. As many as nine persons got killed and 60 persons suffered injuries in the accident after a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani station in West Bengal, PTI reported. Three rear compartments of the express train derailed under the impact of the collision from behind by the locomotive of the goods train, railway officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the incident and said he spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted, Unfortunate accident in NFR zone. Rescue operations are going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached site. The minister said an enhanced compensation of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to families of deceased, Rs 2.5 Lakh for grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for persons with minor injuries. -with inputs from agencies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will talk to both Meitei and Kuki communities at the earliest so as to bridge the ethnic divide in restive Manipur. Reviewing the security situation in Manipur, Shah also said that the central forces deployment will be increased, if required, and that they should be deployed strategically to restore peace and tranquillity in the state, according to an official statement. He directed that strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence in the northeastern state. Shah also directed to ensure that no further incident of violence take place in the state which has been witnessing ethnic clashes for over a year. The MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide at the earliest, Shah was quoted as saying in the statement. He also instructed the chief secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. The home minister said that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is fully committed to ensure safety and security of all citizens of the northeastern state. Shah also reviewed the situation in relief camps, especially in respect of proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities. He underscored the importance of coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict. The Centre has been actively supporting the Manipur government in strengthening the security situation in the state, the statement said. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, over 220 people belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence. Shah reviewed the security situation in Manipur amidst reports of fresh incidents of trouble in the northeastern state. At the high-level meeting, Shah was given a detailed briefing on the prevailing situation in the state by top security officials, sources said. The home minister took stock of the situation in Manipur a day after the state's Governor Anusuiya Uikey had called on him here. It is believed that Uikey apprised him about the law and order situation there. There were reports of fresh violence in capital Imphal and Jiribam recently. The Centre is said to be worried over the violence spreading to new areas like Jiribam, which has been by and large peaceful in the last one year, the sources said. Security Advisor to the Manipur government Kuldiep Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh and Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi attended the meeting on behalf of the state government. However, Chief Minister N Biren Singh was not present at the meeting. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and other senior officials were present at the hour-long meeting. Shah's review of the Manipur situation came a day after he took a similar meeting on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. The union home ministry has handed over the probe in the Reasi bus terror attack case in Jammu to the National Investigation Agency. The central agency will reportedly probe its link with subsequent terror attacks in Jammu. Officials who are in the know about the development told Hindustan Times that the decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday. The central agency has taken over the probe registered its own FIR on Sunday. A bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi plunged into a deep gorge after an ambush by terrorists near Reasi on June 9, the day Modi 3.0 government was sworn in. The militants opened fire at the bus when it was en route from Shiv Khori temple to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area. The bus, a 53-seater, veered off the road and plunged into the deep gorge following the gunfire at around 6:15pm. As many as 9 persons got killed and over 40 persons suffered injuries in the attack. A NIA team had visited Reasi on June 10 and assisted security forces in the probe. The national agencys forensic team had also reached the place to aid in evidence collection from the incident site. In the meeting held on Sunday, Amit Shah directed security agencies to replicate the successes achieved in Kashmir valley through Area Domination Plan and Zero Terror Plan in the Jammu division. According to a release, he directed all security agencies to work in a mission mode and ensure quick response in a coordinated manner. A day after NCERT clarified that it modified references to Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition in school textbooks because it "can create violent and depressed citizens," the Congress targeted the institution, stating it has been functioning as an RSS affiliate since 2014. Asserting that the NCERT was no longer a professional institution but a political tool for the ruling party, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday that NCERT's objective was to produce textbooks, not political pamphlets and propaganda. "It is true that the NCERT is no longer a professional institution. It has been functioning as an RSS affiliate since 2014. It has just been revealed that its revised Class XI political science textbook criticises the idea of secularism as well as what it considers policies of political parties in this regard." He added that the NCERT was mounting an assault on our countrys Constitution in whose Preamble secularism features explicitly as a foundational pillar of the Indian republic. Various Supreme Court judgments have clearly held secularism to be an essential part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Ramesh mocked that the NCERT needs to remind itself that it is the National Council for Educational Research and Training, "not the Nagpur or Narendra Council for Educational Research and Training." Ramesh also took to X to lash out at the National Testing Agency, which blamed the NCERT for the 'grace marks' fiasco in NEET 2024. "That is only drawing attention away from the NTA's own abject failures," he alleged. TMC leader Saket Gokhale also hit out at the NCERT, saying, "Shameless NDA 1.0 Government" is hiding "inconvenient facts" from students. "By this logic, why teach kids about other 'violent depressing things' like the World War?" he said. "Are BJP and Modi ashamed of their history as criminals and rioters? Why hide the truth from students?" Gokhale asked. NCERT stance The NCERT had rejected the accusation of saffronisation of school curriculum. In an interaction with PTI editors, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the tweaks in textbooks are part of annual revision and should not be a subject of hue and cry. Saklani said, "Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens not violent and depressed individuals." He added, "Should we teach our students in a manner that they become offensive, create hatred in society or become victims of hatred? Is that education's purpose? Should we teach about riots to such young children? "When they grow up, they can learn about it but why school textbooks? Let them understand what happened and why it happened when they grow up. The hue and cry about the changes is irrelevant." US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan will be in New Delhi on Monday for the second meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), the first significant meeting since the third NDA government came to power. Sullivan, accompanied by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, will review the overall progress of the ambitious iCET initiative. He is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Sullivan's visit to India was discussed during a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. Biden called up Modi to congratulate him on his re-election for a third term. "President Joseph R Biden, Jr spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India's general election," the White House said in a readout following the call. The US NSA's visit comes after being postponed twice as the US administration had to focus on the Israel-Hamas conflict in West Asia. What's on agenda Topics that will be discussed include the progress made and the importance of the iCET mechanism for the two countries, the situation in West Asia and the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This meeting will be followed by a joint statement between the two nations. As for iCET, one of the key aspects of the initiative is the collaboration between India and the US in specific high-technology areas including semiconductors, next-generation telecommunication, artificial intelligence and defence. The meeting will also see a review of ongoing defence cooperation including an ambitious plan between US defence giant GE Aerospace and India's Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to produce the advanced F414 jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). In August last year, the US Congress approved the agreement between GE Aerospace and HAL to produce the jet engines. Both sides will also discuss the delay in the implementation of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) due to the Israel war. The IMEC, which has been devised to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative, envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among Saudi Arabia, India, the United States and Europe to ensure integration among Asia, the Middle East and the West. The IMEC also envisages an electricity cable network, a hydrogen pipeline, high-speed data cable network to facilitate overall economic growth in the partner countries. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday dissolved the War Cabinet, which was tasked with overseeing the Gaza war. The decision comes after former defence minister and Israel's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quit the emergency government last week. Gantz had demanded that a small Cabinet be formed as a way to sideline far-right lawmakers in Netanyahu's government. The war cabinet members included Gantz, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Gantz had quit the coalition along with Gadi Eisenkot, one of the three observers in the body. Gantz had quit three weeks after laying down a deadline for Netanyahu to come up with a clear post-war strategy for Gaza. Gantz had said that if the Israel PM didnt come up with a proper plan to bring the hostages and governance strategy of a post-war Gaza, then he would quit the government by June 8. Also Read | With Benny Gantzs exit, whats next for Netanyahu government According to sources, Netanyahu will be holding consultations about the ongoing war with a small group of ministers including Gallant and the strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, who had been in the war cabinet. Meanwhile, political experts point out that the dissolution of the war cabinet is not likely to have any meaningful impact on the conflict. With the dissolution, the decision-making will move back to the security cabinet and it is likely to cause significant political issues as well. However, with the dissolution, Netanyahu has sidelined the far-right allies in the coalition, who had been eyeing for seats in the war cabinet after Gantz's departure. Reportedly, Netanyahu told the regular Sunday meeting of the full cabinet that in order to reach the goal of eliminating the capabilities of Hamas, [he had] made decisions that were not always acceptable to the military echelon, but added: We have a country with an army and not an army with a country. Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national who faces charges of plotting to murder Sikha separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, according to reports. Gupta, 52, is listed on the Bureau of Prisons website as being detained in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. He will likely be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. He was arrested by the Czech police at the request of the US last year, and a Czech court cleared his extradition last month. Though Gupta had petitioned against his extradition, his plea was rejected by the court. He was reportedly deported over the weekend, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the news. Extradited defendants are to be produced in court within a day of their arrival in the country. Gupta has been charged with murder-for-hire in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City, according to an indictment. According to prosecutors, a senior Indian government intelligence employee ordered the assassination of Pannun in May and hired Gupta to arrange the hit. U.S. authorities broke up the plot last June before it could be carried out. Gupta was reportedly paid USD 15,000 in advance. The indictment did not name who the Indian government official was. "Beginning in or about early May 2023, in a series of telephonic and electronic communications between CC-1 (Indian official) and Gupta over encrypted applications, CC-1 asked Gupta to arrange the murder of the victim in exchange for CC-1's assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India. Gupta agreed to orchestrate the assassination. In addition to their electronic communications, Gupta also met CC-1 in person in New Delhi in furtherance of the plot," the indictment said. India has denied its involvement in the Pannun murder plot and has constituted a probe committee to investigate the US's allegations. Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges and has said that he has been "unfairly charged". Gupta's attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim, The Washington Post said. Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney under the undue influence of U.S. Agencies during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy, the daily reported. Gupta's extradition comes ahead of the New Delhi visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is expected to be raised by Sullivan before his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. India) Limited is a RBI registered, leading Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) established in 1996. The IPO opens on 19 th June 2024 and closes 21st June 2024. It is a fresh issue of 11, 00,000 shares. Book Built issue aggregating up to 132 cr. Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has been at the forefront of fostering financial inclusion and empowerment across rural and semi-urban geographies in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. With over two decades of experience, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has built a strong reputation for understanding and addressing the unique financial needs and aspirations of the rural populace. Trusted by over 200,000 customers, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited offers a range of tailored financial solutions, including Vehicle Finance and Secured Business Finance Products, that fuel growth and prosperity. Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has been at the forefront of fostering financial inclusion and empowerment across rural and semi-urban geographies in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. With over two decades of experience, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited has built a strong reputation for understanding and addressing the unique financial needs and aspirations of the rural populace. Trusted by over 2, 00,000 customers, Akme Fintrade (India) Limited offer a range of tailored financial solutions, including Vehicle Finance and Secured Business Finance Products, that fuel growth and prosperity. aasaanloans.com is a digital lending platform powered by Akme Fintrade (India) Limited (AFIL) and is pre-integrated with 30+ third-party APIs, making the operational process easier & faster. This differentiated approach aids in the identification of businesses with low risk and high promise, thereby providing opportunities for those who previously had no access to long or short-term financing. Objects of the Issue (Aasaan Loans IPO Objectives) The company proposes to utilize the Net Proceeds from the Issue towards augmenting the capital base of the company to fulfil its future capital requirements, which are anticipated to arise as a result of the expansion of the business and assets. Further, a portion of the proceeds from the Issue will be used towards meeting Issue-related expenses. Gretex Corporate Services Limited is the book running lead manager of the Aasaan Loans IPO, while Bigshare Services Pvt Ltd is the registrar for the issue. (Disclaimer : The above Press Release is provided by HT Syndication and PTI will not take any editorial responsibility of this content.). PTI PWR PWR Hyderabad, India June 17, 2024: Tanla Platforms Limited (NSE: TANLA; BSE:532790), Indias largest CPaaS provider announced the appointment of Abhishek Kumar Jain as Chief Financial Officer, with the appointment effective August 1, 2024. Abhishek will join Tanla post a nearly two-decade stint in Wipro Limited, a leading publicly traded IT Services company. I am very excited to welcome Abhishek to the Tanla family. With his varied experience in the finance domain globally, Abhishek is the perfect partner to accelerate Tanlas momentum across all dimensions of business. I am confident he will scale the function to new heights across business enablement as well as setting new benchmarks on governance. said Uday Reddy, Founder Chairman & CEO of Tanla Platforms Limited. Abhishek was heading Financial Planning & Analysis for Wipro Limited, a ~$30 billion market cap technology company listed in India and NYSE. Prior to that, he has played pivotal roles in investor relations, treasury, business finance including heading the finance function of large acquired companies of Wipro in the US. He has received multiple recognitions including Best IR professional in Sell-side Institutional Investor (ex-Japan) rankings for Technology & IT Services in 2022 and 2023. I am grateful to the Tanla Board for their trust and confidence in me and for giving me this opportunity. I have seen the incredible growth story of Tanla as an outsider and I am very excited to now join Uday and the leadership team to further accelerate the growth momentum and create value for all stakeholders. My priority would be to help drive profitable growth while continuing to elevate the standards of Governance. said Abhishek. Abhishek succeeds Aravind Viswanathan, who will cease to be Chief Financial Officer and Key Managerial Personnel with effect from July 31, 2024. The Board of Tanla would like to thank Aravind for his invaluable contribution to Tanla over the past 3 years as CFO. He will continue in the current role for the closure of financials of quarter ending June 30, 2024, as well as the Annual General Meeting in July and ensure a smooth transition to Abhishek. View this news on our website: https://www.tanla.com/newsroom/tanla-appoints-abhishek-jain-as-chief-financial-officer About Tanla Tanla Platforms Limited transforms the way the world collaborates and communicates through innovative CPaaS solutions. Founded in 1999, it was the first company to develop and deploy A2P SMSC in India. Today, as one of the world's largest CPaaS players, it processes more than 800 billion interactions annually and about 63% of India's A2P SMS traffic is processed through Trubloq, making it the world's largest Blockchain use case. Wisely, our patented enterprise-grade platform offers private, secure, and trusted experiences for enterprises and mobile carriers. Tanla Platforms Limited is headquartered in Hyderabad. Tanla is listed on two national exchanges, the NSE and BSE (NSE: TANLA; BSE:532790) and is included in prestigious indices such as the Nifty 500, BSE 500, Nifty Digital Index, FTSE Russell, and MSCI. (Disclaimer : The above Press Release is provided by HT Syndication and PTI will not take any editorial responsibility of this content.). PTI PWR PWR Kathmandu, Jun 17 (PTI) Nepal police have arrested a Chinese man and an Indian national in separate gold smuggling incidents in different parts of Kathmandu. A Chinese national named Sherab Gyalmo alias Sonam Gurung was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police in Bouddha Tinchuli on the outskirts of Kathmandu with 6 kg of gold and Rs 4.8 million in cash on Monday, police said. The police also confiscated three mobile phones and a Nepalese citizenship document from him. Gyalmo has been linked to a larger gold smuggling operation involving 60 kg and 700 gram of gold concealed in brake shoes, uncovered in July 2023, police said. In a separate incident, police arrested 43-year-old Indian national Nitin Maheshwari with 89 grams of gold at the arrival terminal of Tribhuvan International Airport on Saturday evening. Maheshwari was arrested during a security check after arriving from Bangkok via Thai Airlines. He has been handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation. Melbourne, Jun 17 (The Conversation) Supporters of Yang Hengjun, the Australian citizen incarcerated in China, have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ask Chinese Premier Li Qiang to have the ailing author released on medical parole or otherwise transferred to Australia. Ahead of the Albanese-Li meeting Monday in Canberra, Yangs supporters said in a statement that his medical conditions remain serious and unaddressed. Yangs situation will be one of the contentious issues raised during a discussion between the leaders that is set to emphasise the positives in the relationship. Li was feted on Sunday with a lunch at a winery near Adelaide attended by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt. He also visited the Adelaide zoo, announcing the two Chinese pandas there, which have long been a major tourist attraction but are due to go home, will be replaced by another pair. South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said the announcement was a powerful gesture of the stabilisation of the Australia-China relationship. On his arrival in Australia on Saturday, Li said in a statement released by the Chinese embassy that the China-Australia bilateral relationship was back on track after a period of twists and turns. Albanese has flagged that in Mondays talks he will raise issues causing difficulties between the two countries. These include recent incidents in which Australias military assets and personnel have been targeted with Chinese sonar and flares while they operated in international waters. The Australian government is hoping the visit leads to the early lifting of restrictions on the export of Australian lobsters to China, although Farrell indicated he didnt expect an immediate announcement. This is the last significant Australian product to face barriers arising from Chinese retaliation against the former Coalition government. Farrell told Sky News that restrictions had been lifted on almost $20 billion worth of trade since the Albanese government came to office. In Canberra on Monday, Li will attend a state lunch and will also meet Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. After Canberra he will go to Western Australia, where he will visit a lithium processing plant. At Mondays lunch, Albanese will underline the importance of ongoing dialogue between the countries. Whatever the issue, it is always better if we deal direct with each other. And consistent, steady engagement helps build and maintain stability across our region, the prime minister will say in remarks released ahead of delivery. In their relations, Australia and China must always be ready to engage with each other as mature nations. "There is much that remains to be done, but it is clear that our nations are making progress in stabilising and rebuilding that crucial dialogue. While highlighting their common interests, Albanese will say, We wont always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence. We share a responsibility to build and strengthen the foundation for talking through our differences and for building collaboration in areas where we do find mutual interest. "Creating channels of dialogue and building understanding is how we make it possible for benefits to flow. Across business, trade and education. Climate and health. Culture and the arts. In their statement, Yangs supporters said they had no grounds for confidence that he is receiving adequate medical treatment. Earlier, Wong declined to discuss Yangs medical condition, citing privacy. Asked on the ABC whether she was aware he had been given appropriate medical treatment, wong said, Im obviously constrained for privacy reasons about what Im going to say on a television interview. "We will continue to advocate for Dr Yang wherever we are able, and we will continue to advocate, including for appropriate medical treatment. Yangs supporters say he has waived privacy considerations. Yang, who was born in China, is accused of spying, which he strongly denies. Earlier this year he was given the death penalty, although this would be commuted to life imprisonment after two years of good behaviour. The Australian government has made repeated representations on his behalf, and said it was appalled at the February decision. The statement from supporters said: Dr Yang is innocent and his espionage conviction is spurious. "Yang is an Australian political prisoner who has been sentenced to death because of his writings in support of individual freedoms, constitutional democracy and rule-of-law. "Clearly, it is not possible to achieve a stable, respectful bilateral relationship with China while their officials are threatening to execute an Australian political prisoner, without any semblance of due legal process. There will be no opportunity for Australian journalists to ask Li questions during his visit. (The Conversation) RUP RUP Melbourne, Jun 17 (AP) Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House on Monday to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and China's desire to invest in critical minerals. Li, China's most senior leader after President Xi Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Li planned to underscore China's interest in buying a bigger stake in Australia's critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia before returning to China. Bilateral relations have improved markedly since Albanese's center-left Labor Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Albanese was elected. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said before the leaders' meeting Monday that he would raise the issue of China's ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China, ... since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilizing our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Watt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Australia shares US concerns over China's global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australia's national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. One of the issues around critical minerals is that China absolutely dominates the world market, Watt said. It is, we think, in Australia's interests and global interests to make sure there's a diversity of supply, but we haven't ... a blanket ban against Chinese investment in critical minerals, but any investment decision takes into account a range of factors including national security requirements, Watt added. Albanese's office said the prime minister would tell Li at a state lunch that the "points on which we disagree won't disappear if we leave them in silence. This appears to be in response to a statement by Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Albanese has said he would raise with Li recent clashes between the two countries' militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australia's call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. AP MNK MNK Beijing/Manila, Jun 17 (PTI) The China-Philippines confrontation to assert their claims in the disputed South China Sea took a violent turn on Monday as their naval ships collided in the first such incident after Beijing issued new rules to act against foreign vessels and detain foreigners suspected of violating regulations in the Chinese waters. China claims most of the South China Sea (SCS), which is hotly disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan. A Philippines ship and a Chinese vessel collided after the former illegally entered the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal and dangerously approached the Chinese ship, China Coast Guard (CCG) said. The navies and the coast guards of the two countries were having face-offs in the last few months as the Philippines made a strong bid to assert its claims over the Second Thomas Shoal in the SCS claimed by China. China alleges that the Philippines deliberately ran a naval ship aground in 1999 at the Second Thomas Shoal, which it calls Renai Jiao, and converted the damaged ship into a permanent installation manned by naval personnel. According to the CCG, the Chinese vessel collided with the Philippines ship on Monday morning in a bid to prevent it from delivering construction materials. The CCG statement said its vessel has taken regulatory measures to respond to an illegal intrusion by a Philippine vessel into waters near Ren'ai Jiao on Monday morning. A Philippine supply vessel, in disregard of repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately and dangerously approached Chinese vessels navigating normally in adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao, it said. This violated the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea. The act led to a slight collision, for which the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippine side, the statement added. However, the statement did not mention any damage or injuries on either side. Also, the Chinese Navy has for the first time deployed an amphibious assault ship in Nansha Islands (or Spratly Islands) in the SCS, a move experts said on Sunday is a preparation for any emergency response amid repeated provocations by the Philippines, the state-run Global Times reported. China's Type 075 landing helicopter dock, an amphibious assault ship, was spotted near Zhubi Jiao (or Zhubi Reef) on Friday, marking its first deployment to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, the report said. Defending the CCGs action, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: China Coast Guard only took necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law, and the on-site operation was conducted in a professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful manner. He said a Philippine supply and replenishment ship and two speedboats had attempted to deliver materials, including construction supplies, to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines, backed by the US, is trying to assert its claims over the South China Sea based on a 2016 ruling by a tribunal of the UN Convention of Law of Seas (UNCLOS) endorsing its rights. China had boycotted the tribunal and rejected its findings. This is the first collision of ships after Beijing promulgated a new law on Saturday, authorising its coast guard to seize foreign ships that illegally enter China's territorial waters and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law empowers China's coast guard to fire upon foreign ships if necessary. At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters -- the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan -- have said they would not recognise the law, according to a report by AP news agency. Chinas new law says its Coast Guard will from Saturday be able to detain foreigners suspected of violating management of border entry and exit. A detention period of up to 60 days is allowed for complicated cases, and if the nationality and identity (of detainees) is unclear, the period of detention for examination will be counted from the day their identity is determined, the rules say. Media reports from Manila quoted the Armed Forces of the Philippines saying Chinas claims were deceptive and misleading. "The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights, it said. The armed forces said it would not comment on the operational details of the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission. The CCG in the past has been accused of ramming Philippine supply vessels and using water cannons against them, sometimes damaging the ship and injuring people on board. The Philippines, strongly backed by the US, has stepped up efforts to assert its claims in SCS, much to the chagrin of Beijing. Tensions have also been brewing at Sabina Shoal, known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, around 139 km (75 nautical miles) west of Palawan, the westernmost island province of the Philippines, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The recently concluded G7 Summit in Italy criticised China saying that the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the SCS and the increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres and water cannons against Philippines vessels. Last week, the Philippines submitted a claim to a United Nations body for an extended continental shelf off the coast of western Palawan province in the SCS. This action challenges Chinas sweeping territorial claims in the region, according to the Post report. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state can secure exclusive rights to exploit resources in its continental shelf, which can extend up to 350 nautical miles, including the right to authorise and regulate drilling activities. Seoul, Jun 17 (AP) North Korean state media says Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in the country on Tuesday for a two-day visit. Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks focused on expanding military cooperation as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Monday that Putin will pay a state visit to the North on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Kim. North Korean state media didn't immediately provide more details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. It will be Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years. The visit comes amid growing international concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putin's war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, their first since 2019. US and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. (AP) GSP Mexico City, Jun 17 (AP) A recently elected mayor was shot and killed on Monday in southern Mexico, in the state of Guerrero, local authorities said. Salvador Villalva Flores was on a bus when was he was fatally shot in the head in the town of San Pedro las Playas, according to the Guerrero state prosecutor's office. That beach town is nearly two hours up the coast from Copala, where Villalva was elected mayor on June 2. No additional details on the shooting were provided. Guerrero is home to a number of criminal organizations vying for control of territory. At least 34 political candidates have been killed across Mexico in the run-up to and aftermath of the June 2 election, according to the human rights organization Data Civica. (AP) GSP Jalna, Jun 17 (PTI) Amid the Maratha reservation demand under the OBC category, two activists from the Other Backward Classes have been sitting on a fast in Maharashtra's Jalna district, seeking an assurance that their quota will not be affected. On Monday, a government delegation met the OBC activists, Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare, urging them to end their fast, but they refused. The agitators said they are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota. The OBC activists have been demanding scrapping of the government's draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare (blood relatives) of Maratha community members. An OBC community leader has also warned of fasts across the state if the government's actions negatively impact their quota. Hake and Waghmare have been sitting on the fast for five days at Wadigodri village, located near the Antarwali Sarathi village where activist Manoj Jarange recently held a hunger strike seeking reservation for the Maratha community under the OBC category. Hake is a former member of the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission, and Waghmare is president of the Samta Parishad, Jalna, an organisation working for the welfare of OBCs. On Monday, a government delegation comprising Maharashtra minister Atul Save, Rajya Sabha member Dr Bhagwat Karad and Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre met Hake and Waghmare and requested them to end their fast or at least take water, but they refused. The agitators demanded a written assurance from the government that the Maratha reservation will not affect the OBC quota. The government delegation assured them that their demands would be discussed in a cabinet meeting scheduled on Tuesday. Karad expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Hake and Waghmare, urging them to take water to prevent irreversible kidney damage. "Being a doctor, I request you to take water," he said. However, the activists refused to pay heed to the request. Speaking to reporters, Hake said, "We will not end the fast until the government gives a written assurance." He claimed the government was neglecting the OBC quota issue. "We are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota," he said. On June 13, Jarange suspended his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota and set a deadline of one month before the Maharashtra government to accept the communitys demands. He has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and also seeking a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas. Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the OBC category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits. Hake claimed he and Waghmare were sitting on the fast since five days and stopped drinking water from Sunday after the government's "apathy". On Sunday, former BJP MLA and OBC leader Prakash Shendge met Hake here and extended support to him. Talking to reporters, Shendge demanded withdrawal of the draft notification on "sage soyare". "The government has given 10 per cent quota to Marathas and now Jarange is seeking Kunbi certificates under the 'sage soyare' (notification) which is no acceptable to us," he said. New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday condoled the loss of lives in the train accident in West Bengal, and wished for speedy recovery of those injured. At least 15 people were killed and around 60 others injured after a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani station in West Bengal, police said. "The train accident that happened in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is very sad. I express my condolences to those who lost their family members in this unfortunate accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said on X in Hindi and Bangla. Chennai, Jun 17 (PTI) A woman police constable was attacked allegedly by her husband in neighbouring Kancheepuram, police said on Monday. She sustained cut injuries on her left hand. A few passers-by who came to her rescue rushed her to Kancheepuram government hospital for treatment. Her assailant, however, fled from the place. The incident occurred close to the Vishnukanchi police station where the woman constable was working. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made antisemitic statements during a government meeting over the weekend, Ynet reported. Referring to a corruption case involving a former aide, he said: There are 36 people on the list. Sorry, I dont consider myself antisemitic but more than half of them are Jewish. Do they have a special, privileged role, that they steal and dont think about their future? Do they have privileges? All people living in Belarus should be equal: Jews, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians and Poles, His comments were broadcast on Belarus 1, the state television channel. In 2007, Lukashenko, who has been dubbed the last dictator in Europe, said that the Jews turned the city of Bobruisk into a pig sty and that it was founded as a Jewish city and you know how Jews treat the place they live in. In July 2021, he said that the whole world bows to the Jews after the Holocaust. In December 2023, he said: Armenians are smart people. There is not even one Jew there. In the wake of the report, Israels Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the words of the President of Belarus are unacceptable, outrageous and sound like definite antisemitic comments. The Deputy Director for Eurasia and the Western Balkans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yuval Fox, contacted the Belarusian ambassador in Israel following the statement and protested his words. Belarus President-elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated: Lukashenkos regime is the true source of corruption, not the Jewish community. Such hateful rhetoric is dangerous and must be unequivocally condemned. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening informed his ministers that he is dissolving the war cabinet and will instead hold discussions in the wider Security Cabinet. The move follows the departure of Benny Gantz from the government and the subsequent demand of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to join the war cabinet. Netanyahu explained the decision by saying that the war cabinet was only formed on Gantzs demand when joining the government and now that he left, there is no need for a war cabinet. Those close to Netanyahu say he will hold important war-related discussions with a small group of trusted advisers and decisions will be made in the Security Cabinet. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The Jewish Chronicle revealed fascinating and harrowing details of the dramatic hostage rescue in Gaza last Shabbos. Almost a month prior to the rescue, Israel obtained intelligence about the location of four hostages in the Nuseirat refugee camp area in the Gaza Strip. However, the exact locations of the apartments where the hostages were being held were unknown. An intense effort by every branch of Israeli intelligence was launched to pinpoint the locations. After 19 days of intensive work, intelligence forces gathered reliable information that Noa Argamani was being held in a first-floor apartment 800 meters away from the building where the three male hostages were being held on the third floor. The information, which was kept top secret, was presented to the war cabinet, whose members asked the IDF Chief of Staff and the Shin Bet head to formulate a rescue plan. Meanwhile, training for a potential operation began. A team of undercover officers (including several women dressed in hijabs and long black dresses) were sent into the Nuseirat refugee camp posing as two displaced Gazan families searching for a house to rent. They arrived in the area with two old cars filled with mattresses and clothing typical of those used by locals. They told locals that they had escaped from deadly shelling of the Israeli army in Rafah and expressed interest in renting an apartment in the area, pointing to the building where Argamani was being held. To facilitate matters, they pulled out a large amount of cash and offered to pay triple the going rate. Within three hours, the locals helped them find a large house to rent on the street where Argamani was being held. The Gazan refugees settled in the house, bought food in the local market, and after a few days, when they felt that their presence was not arousing suspicion, they began their work of verifying the exact locations of the apartments. They split into two teams. One team consisted of two commandos disguised as a typical Gazan couple the woman dressed in a long black dress and hijab. Their mission was to confirm the exact address where Argamani was being held. The couple walked down the street with complete confidence as if they were walking down a street in Tel Aviv. To add to their authenticity, they stopped from time to time at stalls along the sides of the street, showing interest in the products while complaining about the difficult situation in Gaza. This was done in fluent Arabic with a perfect Gazan accent. Behind them, walked four more undercover men, armed to give backup in case a Fauda-like situation occurred (Fauda in Arabic means unexpected chaos). The second team was comprised of four female soldiers dressed as typical Gazan locals, (with one even feigning a pregnancy), carrying plastic bags full of groceries. They walked in two pairs (a young Muslim woman is not allowed to walk around alone) towards a nearby residential building, where, on the third floor, the three male hostages were held. Behind them walked four more undercover men armed to give them backup. Five additional undercover officers remained at the rental house as backup. Three hours later, both teams returned to the rental house after successfully fulfilling their missions they had confirmed the exact locations of both apartments where the hostages were being held. The verification was presented to the war cabinet and its members decided to approve a rescue operation. Twenty-eight Yamam commander officers began training on two models designed to replicate the two buildings where the hostages were being held. Three days later, the Yamam commander informed the IDF Chief of Staff that they were ready to launch the operation. On June 5th, the undercover team still in Nuseirat was instructed to leave the area without arousing suspicion. However, four undercover officers remained in the area to keep an eye on the apartments and ensure the hostages werent transferred to another location. At this point, senior IDF commanders and other cabinet members were informed about the operation. On Friday morning, June 6, the 28 Yamam commandos drove toward the buildings in the Nuseirat refugee camp in two trucks. They arrived there at 11 a.m. and awaited the order to attack. Meanwhile, live coverage of the street and alleys separating the two buildings were screened to two command and control rooms in Israel. At 11 a.m., the two teams received the order to attack and stormed both buildings simultaneously. Argamanis rescue went smoothly, with the commandos immediately eliminating the three terrorists in the apartment and evacuating her to the waiting rescue vehicle within three minutes. However, the rescue of the three male hostages hit major and perilous snags. The team of commandos that broke into the apartment was met with massive fire from about 30 Hamas terrorists with machine guns, grenades, and even rocket-propelled grenade missiles. The presence of the 30 terrorists in the apartment was unknown to the Israeli security forces and the assumption is that they had arrived only that morning or the night before to help guard the three hostages. A lengthy gun battle ensued, during which the three hostages hid in the bathroom, protected by several commandos. The commandos eventually managed to kill all the terrorists in the apartment but at a steep price as this was when Arnon Zamora,Hyd, was hit. He fell to the floor bleeding and three medics and a doctor leaned over him and tried to save his life while under heavy fire. The commandos then exited the apartment carrying Zamora on a stretcher but they were met with dozens of terrorists who left their tunnels around the building and fired at them with machine guns and RPGs. They attempted to make their way to the rescue vehicle but it was hit by RPG missiles. This scenario occurred in alleys near the market crowded with thousands of innocent Gazans who were also a very real danger to the Israelis. Plan B was then activated a plan that had been prepared in advance for such a scenario. Hundreds of IDF soldiers and tanks rushed into the refugee camp and engaged the terrorists in close combat while Air Force jets fired from the air and Navy ships fired from the west. Airstrikes hit terrorists only ten meters (32 feet) away from IDF soldiers. Meanwhile, the forces securing the hostages managed to escape the area and rush them to a helipad on the Gazan coast, from where they were flown to Israel. In an open neis, the special forces soldiers managed to eliminate the threats in the area and escape unscathed to the other two helicopters. On the way back to Israel, they continued resuscitation techniques on Zamora, Hyd, but sadly he was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital in Israel. Watch headcam footage of Operation Arnon below: (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Neighbors of the Gazan families who held the hostages rescued last Shabbos were stunned to discover that in a neighborhood where a cough can be heard through the walls, a dark secret was taking place, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The 73-year-old general practitioner Ahmad Al-Jamal was a fixture of his community. He worked mornings at a public clinic in the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Nuseirat and afternoons at his own small private clinic, where residents turned to him for procedures such as circumcisions. He also was an imam at a local mosque, where he was known for his beautiful voice when reciting the Quran. But for the past several months, when he finished his duties each day, he would return home to the apartment he shared with his son, his daughter-in-law and their childrenand the three Israeli hostages they were hiding there for Hamas. It was common knowledge in Nuseirat that the Al-Jamal family was close to Hamas, according to local residents who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. But they said few people in the densely populated area in central Gaza knew of the secret locked in the small, darkened room in the familys apartment. The hostages and Israeli security forces have said their captors included Al-Jamals son, 37-year-old Palestinian journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal. From their locked and guarded room, the hostages said, they could hear Abdullah and his wife, Fatma, a phlebotomist at a local clinic, and their children going about their daily lives in the apartment. A few blocks away from the Al-Jamal home, another family with Hamas links called Abu Nar was holding Noa Argamani, according to local residents and an Israeli official. Argamanis kidnapping at the Nova festival was recorded on video, making her one of the best-known of the roughly 250 hostages taken Oct. 7. The Abu Nar family was also killed, and their building destroyed, local residents said. They were less prominent in the neighborhood than the Al-Jamals, residents said. Surviving members of the Al-Jamal family declined to comment or werent reachable. The June 8 rescue operation was accompanied by heavy airstrikes and turned into a fierce battle with Hamas in the streets, leaving behind death and destruction. In the days since, local residents have discussed the folly of Hamas keeping Israeli hostages above ground in a residential area near a bustling market. Some people said they were surprised by the revelation, because it is hard to keep a secret in the densely built neighborhood. Even a cough can be heard through the walls of the concrete and cinder-block apartment buildings, they said. Others were furious that Hamas had put civilians in danger. Any Israeli military action in the narrow streets of Nuseirat was bound to result in large numbers of dead and wounded, some residents said. Some locals said Hamas should have held the hostages in tunnels. Others said they should have been returned to Israel as part of a deal to end the war. [None of them mentioned that Hamas shouldnt have taken hostages in the first place.] Local residents said Ahmad and Abdullah Al-Jamal were part of an extended family that had a number of ties to Hamas. Mosques throughout Gaza are controlled by Hamas, and imams serve with the approval of the terror group. Ahmads brother Abdelrahman Al-Jamal is a Hamas lawmaker in Gazas legislative council. Abdullah was a freelance contributor to the Palestine Chronicle, a pro-Palestinian news website based in the U.S. He also worked for the Hamas-run news agency Palestine Now, according to Gazas government media office, which noted his death, and had served as a spokesman for Gazas Hamas-run Ministry of Labor. He made no secret of his support for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians. Praise be to GodOh G-d, guide usOh G-d, guide usOh G-d, guide usOh G-d, grant us the victory you promised, Abdullah posted on Facebook on Oct. 7. The Palestine Chronicle said it was saddened by his death and denied he was involved in holding the Israeli hostages. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) A group of pro-Palestinian activists, identifying themselves as Palestine Action, claimed on Monday to have infiltrated a highly secured facility of Instro Precision, a subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, in Kent, England. The activists vandalized the property, damaging computers and machinery. According to a statement posted on social media, accompanied by a video, three activists in red jumpsuits entered the facility by cutting through three security fences. The footage shows the activists using crowbars to destroy computers and hurling supplies across the room. Instro Precision, acquired by Elbit Systems in 2014, specializes in precision instruments and military targeting systems. The activists claimed to have dismantled machinery, technology, and parts used to arm Israels military, which they referred to as the Gaza genocide. The breach and vandalism are the latest in a series of actions by Palestine Action, a group known for its direct action protests against Israel. Elbit Systems and Instro Precision have yet to comment on the incident, but an investigation is likely to be launched into the breach of security and the damage caused to the facility. Meanwhile, police said they had made seven arrested related to the break-in and vandalism. Separately, ten activists associated with Palestine Action were arrested after a Scotiabank branch in London was sprayed with red paint and its doors blocked. The bank was targeted because the pro-Palestinian activists say its subsidiary asset management fund 1832 Asset Management holds shares in the Israeli arms company Elbit. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The IDF announced Monday that it has dismantled approximately half of Hamas fighting force in Rafah. The IDFs 162nd Division has been engaged in intense fighting in Rafah for over 40 days, gradually gaining control over key areas. The operation has been divided into three stages, with the first stage involving the capture of the citys eastern outskirts and the border crossing with Egypt in early May. The second stage saw the division take control of the Brazil neighborhood, while the third stage involved the capture of the entire Egypt-Gaza border, known as the Philadelphi Route, and the northwestern Tel Sultan neighborhood. According to the IDF, at least 550 gunmen have been killed in the Rafah operation, with many more terror operatives killed in strikes against buildings and tunnels. Additionally, an unknown number of terror operatives fled the area as the military began its offensive. The IDF has assessed that two of Hamas four battalions in Rafah, Yabna (South) and East Rafah, have been almost completely dismantled, while the capabilities of the other two, Shaboura (North) and Tel Sultan (West), have been significantly degraded. The IDF has also discovered hundreds of rockets, including dozens of long-range projectiles aimed at central Israel, along the Philadelphi corridor. Furthermore, over 200 tunnel shafts have been located, leading to many underground routes. At least 25 long tunnels have been found, some of which likely cross into Sinai and were used by Hamas to smuggle weapons. The military is investigating these tunnels further. The IDF has established complete operational control over the Brazil neighborhood and the NPK neighborhood of Rafah, near the Shaboura and Yabna camps. The latter neighborhood is considered a major Hamas stronghold, and the army claims to have killed dozens of gunmen inside tunnels there. The 162nd Division has suffered relatively heavy losses during the fighting in Rafah, with 22 soldiers killed, including eight who died on Shabbos in a blast in an armored vehicle that came under attack. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The IDF announced today that it has successfully eliminated a key operative in the Rocket and Missile Department of Hezbollahs Nasser Unit in southern Lebanon. Muhammad Mustafa Ayoub, a senior terrorist involved in promoting and planning attacks against Israeli civilians and communities, was struck and killed by an Israeli fighter jet in the area of Selaa. According to the IDF, Ayoub had been actively involved in terror activities over the past few months, posing a significant threat to Israeli security. His elimination is part of the IDFs ongoing efforts to disrupt Hezbollahs military build-up and prevent the stockpiling of weapons intended for use in terror attacks against Israeli civilians and communities. In a separate operation earlier Monday, IAF fighter jets targeted Hezbollah terror infrastructure and a military structure in the area of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) New venture: Simon Peckham The founder of aerospace technology group Melrose Industries is set to list a new firm on London's junior stock market. Former boss Simon Peckham is leading plans to launch Rosebank Industries on the AIM sub-market for smaller firms. And there are talks to raise more than 40m from institutional investors. The firm will echo Melrose's 'buy, improve, sell' model and also focus on acquiring industrial UK-based firms. And after it buys its first target, it will move to the main London market. It could be the first company to go public in the City under the next government after the General Election on July 4. Melrose was subject to criticism after its 8billion hostile takeover of aerospace stalwart GKN, which resulted in hundreds of job losses. Peckham, who left Melrose after two decades this March, has claimed his takeover had created a British 'aerospace champion' and revitalised a 'fading UK industrial icon'. Earlier this year, Peckham warned that the London stock market was 'in danger of being ordinary'. AstraZeneca revealed that US Food and Drug Administration has approved its lung cancer drug alongside other chemotherapy treatment. In a statement, Britain's largest pharmaceutical group said that Imfinzi, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Imfinzi monotherapy has been approved. The FTSE 100-listed firm added that this was for for adults suffering with 'primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient' (dMMR). AstraZeneca revealed that US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its lung cancer drug alongside other chemotherapy treatment The approval came after a trial showed that the drug was able reduce 'the risk of disease progression or death by 58 per cent in patients with dMMR endometrial cancer versus chemotherapy alone.' Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president, oncology business unit, of AstraZeneca, said: 'There have been limited advances in the treatment of endometrial cancer in the last few decades, and continued innovation is critical as the burden of this cancer is expected to grow in the future. 'Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy is emerging as a new standard of care in this setting, and the approval of Imfinzi offers an important new option for patients with mismatch repair deficient disease.' In the US, endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with more than 66,000 patients diagnosed and almost 12,000 deaths in 2022. The news comes after the Cambridge-based group revealed in April that Imfinzi showed promise in treating highly aggressive small cell lung cancer. AstraZeneca said the trial demonstrated 'statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement' in survival of patients. In 2022, just under 2.5 million lung cancer cases were diagnosed globally. In May, AstraZeneca said it was targeting $80billion in annual revenues by 2030, supported by the launch of 20 new medicines. It achieved $45.8billion in turnover last year, in line with a goal set ten years ago, largely thanks to rising demand for its oncology and diabetes treatments. It now wants to boost annual turnover by an additional 75 per cent by the start of the next decade through continued growth in sales of its oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare disease portfolio. AstraZeneca shares were down 0.26 per cent to 12,478p in Monday morning trading. An animal rights group has condemned the treatment of Irish horses in a recent RTE Investigates documentary as morally and legally "unacceptable". The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) stated they were "appalled" after 'Horses - Making a Killing' aired on Irish television last week. The investigation prompted the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to immediately suspend the license of Ireland's only licensed horse abattoir, Shannonside Foods Ltd, Co Kildare. Hidden RTE cameras at the site - which slaughters horses for human consumption - captured horses being repeatedly hit, punched around the head and whipped. By analysing data, RTE journalists also discovered that two thirds of the horses that had passed through Shannonside Foods Ltd were thoroughbred racers who had raced over 3,000 times between them and earned their owners more than 1.5 million. Outrage at the treatment of the horses was immediate across social media, with calls for immediate consequences. According to the Journal, most Irish horse meat is exported to other countries in Europe. The DAFM has since conducted an investigation, which the ISPCA hopes will be "robust" with steps taken "to ensure that such behaviour does not go undetected again". In a statement, an ISPCA spokesperson said, "The slaughter of horses can be a particularly emotive issue for some, but the slaughter of all species represents a significant animal welfare risk and requires proactive management. Animals destined for slaughter, regardless of species, should be entitled to humane handling throughout transport, lairage, and through the slaughter process. "The manner in which Irish horses were treated in the programme was absolutely unacceptable, both morally and legally. There should be consequences for those involved to show that such ill-treatment of animals will not be tolerated." The ISPCAs CEO, Dr Cyril Sullivan, will look to meet with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine this week to clarify if any more horses are at risk at the site or in need of rescue, and to urge him to urgently review live exports generally. The animal welfare group is opposed to the live export of all animals for slaughter and advocates that humane slaughter be undertaken as near as possible to the place of rearing or residence. Their statement concludes: "This programme follows on from another expose by RTE Investigates broadcast in 2023, which revealed how vulnerable Irish calves were treated during transport. "The ISPCA believes that the treatment of Irish animals shown in both programmes, both in Ireland and during transport abroad, is damaging to the reputation of the Irish farming industry, and the reputation of the country generally." Big picture . . . The off-season hasn't been exceptionally kind to back-to-back Super Bowl champs. In fact, for close news watchers, we notice that many players have a hard time coping with the spotlight as their every move now earns national, if not global, media coverage. Here's more on embattled ballers and their ongoing legal challenges "Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been arrested for the second time in a month after he was booked on a domestic violence/burglary charge in Alabama on Sunday morning and released, according to online records. "Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office records show Buggs was released on $5,000 bond. No further details about the arrest were available. "The Chiefs were aware of the case but declined to comment" Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Chiefs lineman Buggs again arrested in Alabama Chiefs lineman Isaiah Buggs, who was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty last month, was arrested Sunday on domestic violence and burglary charges. Chiefs DT Isaiah Buggs arrested for second time this offseason, this time for domestic violence, burglary Buggs was previously accused of animal cruelty this offseason Chiefs DL Isaiah Buggs arrested for domestic violence/burglary in Tuscaloosa Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs was arrested on a domestic violence/burglary charge and booked into Tuscaloosa County Jail on Sunday, per the jail's records. Developing . . . A dangerous bus stop along with an "eclectic" gathering of locals nearby have rendered this section of Midtown pretty dangerous. We're not saying it's a no-go zone . . . But locals walking through would be wise to watch their step, mind their business and move quickly . . . Which is pretty much the rule anywhere in the urban core anywhere in the world. Still . . . It's not exactly a leisurely locale nearby the drug store for KC denizens who just want to pick up supplies at the drug store without risking their life for a perceived slight to a stranger or because the U.S. doesn't really have any mental health infrastructure. But I digress . . . Here's the info and more reporting . . . Homicide 39th and Broadway This morning at 3:30am officers were nearby in the area of 39th and Broadway when they heard the sound multiple shots fired. Officers responded to the area to investigate and check for any potential victims. Officers located an adult male shooting victim, unresponsive in the parking lot of a closed business on the north east corner of the intersection of 39th and Broadway. Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. They continued medical aid until EMS responded and took over treatment. EMS transported the victim to the hospital with life threatening injuries. While at the scene Detectives were advised that an additional shooting victim, an adult male, arrived at a hospital by private vehicle. That victim advised that he had been shot at the 39th and Broadway location. His injuries are believed to be non-life threatening. Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and processed for evidence and canvassed for any witnesses. Later this morning, detectives were notified that the victim that was transported from the scene by EMS with life threatening injuries was declared deceased at the hospital. Preliminary investigation indicates there was a large number of people gathered in the parking lot when the shots were fired and the victims were struck. Because there are many potential witnesses detectives are hopeful that someone has information that can help them solve this case. If anyone heard or saw anything in this area or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ############### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Overnight shooting in Midtown leaves 1 dead, 1 with non-life-threatening injuries The Kansas City Police Department responded to a shooting that left one injured and one dead overnight. 1 killed, 1 injured in shooting near 39th, Broadway in KCMO One man was killed and another was injured in a shooting early Sunday morning near 39th and Broadway. Developing . . . Another local prog blog shares their perspective, a tacit bit of bias and a glimpse at arguments going forward . . . The basics: "Its been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and remade the national landscape of abortion law. "That ruling cleared the way for Missouri to ban the procedure in all but the rarest circumstances. Kansas voters, meantime, voted convincingly less than two months later to protect abortion rights, and the state soon became a regional destination for women barred from abortions in their home states. "Other court rulings brought things like in vitro fertilization and access to mifepristone, an abortion-inducing drug, into question. This month, the high court dismissed a case that would have limited access to the drug." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Q My teenage daughter is smart but has an eating disorder. I say it like that because she knows exactly how much to eat in front of us, and how much she needs to weigh at the bare minimum, so it doesnt appear that she has a problem. But I know her better than that. She eats some fruit and yogurt for breakfast, takes a full lunch bag to school and brings it home empty and eats dinner with us. But I just know shes not ingesting all those calories. Its also hard to tell by the way her clothes fit because shes either wearing hugely oversized sweatpants and sweatshirts, or teeny tiny halter tops and low-rise jeans. She looks exactly like all her friends, and I havent heard any of the other moms discussing their daughters and whether they have an issue. Do you suggest I talk to my daughter? The other moms? Her pediatrician? Or a therapist? I dont know what to do and Im worried. Skinny daughter A I completely understand your worry, and probably some of what your daughter is thinking. I also faked eating for a while years ago, and I was also very, very skinny, hiding under my baggy hoodies. Yes, I suggest you talk to your daughter and together speak with her pediatrician. Depending on how old she is, she may want to speak with her doctor privately. But you can have a healthy conversation about where she is at physically, where she needs to be and what damage she can cause to her body by not maintaining a healthy weight and eating habits. Together, the three of you can determine whether your daughter would benefit from speaking with a therapist (who wouldnt, really?). And finally, I dont think you need to speak to the other moms unless you feel they could help you, for example, if your daughter spends a lot of time at one of her friends homes, the mom could be your eyes over there; and that they can be trusted. I wish your daughter health and happiness ahead. Q Why are women so bitchy to each other? Shouldnt we be each others best advocates? Dont we have enough on our plates to worry about whether or not our colleagues and compatriots have our back? Daily disgust A Hmmmm . sounds to me like there is more to this story than you have opted to share. I find it interesting that you ask why women are bitchy, because if a man was rude to you or bitchy you may still complain (and rightly so), but not in the same way. I guess, putting gender issues aside (because Im not dismissing anyone who is non-binary, gender-fluid, etc.), people feel that those who are similar should protect and defend their 'own.' I get it. Life isnt easy. We have our families to contend with, our partners, our work colleagues and any number of administrative battles involved in 'adulting.' Life can be exhausting. Thats why we lean on our friends the people weve chosen to have in our corner. The people who believe in us, cherish us, lift us up when we feel down. So I cant answer you why, generally speaking, women can pull out the claws when dealing with each other. But I can help you react. Instead of fighting back, which is our natural instinct, try to diffuse. Dont let whatever is turning this woman angry and embittered affect you. Respond with kindness or simply, walk away. FEEDBACK Regarding the couple disgusted with their long-nailed server (May 14): Reader 1: As a retired infection control practitioner and nurse, I suggest the couple concerned about their servers inappropriate false nails contact the local Public Health department. Food handling protocols include proper handwashing techniques. With the nails described, effective hand hygiene isnt achievable. Restaurants are subject to Public Health inspections and ratings. Reader 2: Im so glad a reader brought up the issue of stupidly long, overdecorated fingernails. I went to the bank and was served by a teller whose nails were super long, curved, with three-dimensional decorative fake gems plastered on top. It was ridiculous. She had to call the manager and she could not properly key in the number on the phone keypad. It was so unprofessional! Most workplaces have dress codes. Theyre going to need fingernail decoration codes too. Hyper-decorated nail madness must end now! In Zurich, Switzerland, the Kunsthaus museum is removing five paintings from an exhibition as it checks if Nazis stole them during World War II. The artworks, including pieces by famous artists like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, are part of the Emil Buhrle Collection. This collection has faced long-standing doubts about the origin of its artworks. Switzerland Reviews Nazi-Era Art Claims The Emil Buhrle Collection, housed in Zurich's prestigious Kunsthaus museum, is under new scrutiny. Named after Emil Buhrle, a German-born Swiss industrialist who sold arms to the Nazis, the collection includes works by some of the most celebrated artists in history. However, the provenance of these artworks has been questioned for years. According to BBC, Switzerland has recently started to take action following international guidelines to address art looted in wartime. As a result, five paintings, including Monet's "Jardin de Monet a Giverny" and Van Gogh's "The Old Tower," are being removed from display. These steps are part of Switzerland's effort to ensure that art stolen during the Nazi era is identified and potentially returned to the rightful owners or their descendants. The Emil Buhrle Foundation, which oversees the collection, has expressed its commitment to finding a fair resolution. They aim to work with the legal heirs of the original owners to address claims over these artworks. The action comes in response to new best practices endorsed by over 20 countries, including Switzerland, earlier this year. In addition to the five artworks, another piece by Edouard Manet titled "La Sultane" is also under review, though it is handled separately. This painting was once owned by Max Silberberg, a German Jewish industrialist forced to sell his art by the Nazis. His tragic story, like many others, highlights the dark chapter of art theft orchestrated by the Nazis. As Switzerland continues to examine the past ownership of these artworks, the international community watches closely. Addresses Claims on Nazi-Looted Art An independent panel in Switzerland has started reviewing a claim involving a painting from a large private art collection last May. As per The Art Newspaper, the painting, by Ferdinand Hodler, was originally owned by a Jewish woman who escaped Germany in 1937. The artwork, depicting Lake Thun with mountains, was part of the collection left by Bruno Stefanini, a Swiss real estate tycoon who died in 2018. This panel, formed by the Foundation for Art, Culture and History (SKKG), is the first of its kind from a private collection to find fair solutions for claims of Nazi-looted art. The foundation is now managed by Stefanini's daughter, Bettina Stefanini. Her father's collection, kept in various old Swiss castles, includes about 6,000 oil paintings, with works by notable Swiss artists like Cuno Amiet and Albert Anker. The foundation has begun a massive project to clean up and catalog these items, with a focus on identifying any items that may have been stolen or sold under pressure during the Nazi era. The commission, led by Andrea Rascher, would make its decisions public after completing its review process. They also plan to potentially display parts of the collection in a new facility near Winterthur, named the Campo, which is not intended as a museum but will be open to visitors. Southwest Airlines is under investigation after one of its flights almost crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The incident happened on April 11 when the plane was flying from Honolulu to Lihue. The Boeing 737 Max 8, operated by Southwest Airlines, plunged towards the ocean, coming dangerously close at about 400 feet above the water. This frightening event occurred during bad weather but, thankfully, ended without any injuries. Southwest Airlines Scrambles After Dangerous Descent The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started looking into the incident right after it happened. According to The Guardian, the plane suddenly dropped at a speed of 4,000 feet per minute. After the descent, the aircraft managed to climb back up and safely returned to Honolulu. This quick action helped avoid a major disaster. Southwest Airlines has stressed that safety is their top priority. They stated that the situation was handled properly through their Safety Management System. The airline always aims to improve and ensure the safety of its flights. This isn't the first troubling event for the Boeing 737 Max series. Another Southwest Airlines flight experienced a problem in May when it performed a Dutch roll-a kind of movement where the plane tilts and rocks from side to side. The incident happened during a flight from Phoenix to Oakland and resulted in some damage to the plane. However, the aircraft landed safely. The recent events have brought more attention to the safety of the Boeing 737 Max planes. Earlier this year, the FAA had already ordered checks on these planes after a serious issue was found with the fuselage on another flight. As investigations continue, Southwest Airlines is cooperating fully to understand these incidents better and to guarantee the safety of its passengers and crew. Related Articles : Southwest Airlines Faces $800K Fine in Religious Liberty Dispute Southwest Airlines Recovers After Frightening Incident In a harrowing incident off the coast of Hawaii, a Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a disastrous crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8, operated by Southwest Airlines, experienced a severe plunge during a flight from Honolulu to Lihue in April, dropping within 400 feet of the Pacific Ocean. The descent occurred under adverse weather conditions, making visibility poor and complicating the landing process. According to The Hindustan Times, the flight, identified as Southwest Flight 2786, was forced to abort its initial landing attempt at approximately 1,000 feet due to the obscured runway. In a critical moment, the aircraft dramatically descended over 4,000 feet per minute. Fortunately, the pilots regained control, quickly correcting the descent by aggressively climbing at a rate of 8,500 feet per minute, and safely returned to Honolulu. No injuries were reported among the passengers and crew. Following the incident, Southwest Airlines reaffirmed its commitment to safety, stating through a spokesperson that safety remains their highest priority. The airline is reviewing the event thoroughly to possibly update its training and safety protocols. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the near-miss, focusing on the details of the flight's rapid descent and recovery. This incident adds to a series of concerns regarding the safety of Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Celebrate Eid Al Adha with a memorable getaway at NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort, a serene and luxurious retreat. Enjoy the breathtaking charm of the Maldives and experience heartfelt warmth and hospitality. (TRAVPR.COM) MALDIVES - June 17th, 2024 - A Special Eid Getaway Escape the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary with our exclusive Eid Al Adha package. Enjoy up to 40% off on accommodations, dining, and spa treatments, ensuring that your holiday is nothing short of extraordinary. Luxury Beyond Compare From the moment you arrive, you'll be greeted with special Eid arrival amenities, setting the stage for an unforgettable stay. Our spacious and luxurious accommodations provide the perfect blend of comfort and sophistication, offering you a sanctuary to unwind and rejuvenate in style. Indulge in Culinary Delights Celebrate Eid with delectable dining experiences featuring daily breakfast and dinner buffets. Delight your taste buds with a diverse array of culinary delights crafted by our talented chefs using the freshest ingredients and finest techniques. Exclusive Perks As part of our Eid Al Adha package, you'll enjoy a range of exclusive perks to enhance your stay. Immerse yourself in the traditional art of shisha with a one-time Shisha experience at Thaari Bar, where you can unwind and soak in the tranquil ambiance of the Maldives. Additionally, pamper yourself with a one-time 60-minute spa treatment for two adults, allowing you to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit amidst the serene surroundings of our island paradise. Book Your Eid Getaway Today Don't miss out on this opportunity to create unforgettable memories with your loved ones this Eid Al Adha. Reserve your stay now for travel between June 1st and June 30th, and embark on a journey of luxury, relaxation, and celebration at NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort. To learn more and book your Eid getaway, reach out to us at: https://world.nh-hotels.com/en/nh-collection-maldives-havodda +960 684 4888 havodda@nhcollection.com Experience the magic of Eid in paradise at NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort - where every moment is truly extraordinary. ### Ukraine should have an advantage in such a technological component as drones, and it will be so. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a video address late on Monday, Ukrinform reports. According to him, there was a special discussion today at a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine about unmanned systems. He said the participants in the meeting reviewed each element of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and there was a report on the combat results of drones. "Very tangible, strong results the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the National Guard, the Armed Forces of Ukraine well done indeed. In particular, in terms of combat drones and the destruction of equipment and other forces of the invader. Drones are the technological component in which we should have an advantage. And we will," he said. Zelensky stated that the Ukrainians are already a global leader in some types of unmanned systems. "This is also evident in our negotiations with our partners many are interested in the experience our warriors already have and in the equipment we produce in Ukraine. In due course, we will definitely help each of our partners to strengthen their security by developing their unmanned forces. Ukrainians know how to be grateful," he said. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine For the past two years, readers of Newsweek may have noticed that the publication has developed an extraordinarily niche interest in the activities of Olivet University, a small Christian college located in California, and its founder, the Korean-American pastor David Jang. Newsweek's interest has led to the skewing of editorial priorities. Apparently, news about Olivet is of greater import than the war in Ukraine and the fallout from the overturning of Roe vs Wade. So what lies behind this extraordinary interest? In a public statement in 2022, Newsweek's Global Editor-in-Chief Nancy Cooper, explained: "We've been accused of being a partisan actor in the shareholder dispute because we've committed resources to covering a little-known Christian sect whose latest troubles have drawn scant attention from other media outlets. If these controversies had no connection to Newsweek's owners, we'd likely not cover them either. But it's crucial for us to report on our proprietors. We absolutely cannot be in the position of knowing about law-enforcement activity related to the company and failing to report on it." Since 2013, Newsweek has been owned by IBT Media Inc. At the time IBT Media Inc. was owned by Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis. IBT maintains that Pragad's current claim of ownership of Newsweek issued from a 2018 agreement is invalid. Until recently, Uzac, Davis and Pragad were all members of the Olivet church founded by Jang. In 2020, Olivet University pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges (and not money laundering). The university has not been charged with any other crimes before or since. Had Cooper made her statement in 2017 or 2018, it would have made sense. However, Cooper was writing in mid-2022, by which time Pragad had ended his association with Jang and Olivet. Davis followed suit just a few months later. "It's crucial for us to report on our proprietors" is clearly not the real reason for the continued coverage of Olivet and Jang. Both apparent proprietors have severed their connections with Jang and Olivet, and yet the coverage continues. So what is the real reason? We now turn to a shareholder dispute and Pragad. Pragad has been accused of reneging on a 2018 deal to return Newsweek to Uzac and of effectively making off with the brand without paying a penny. A lawsuit followed, which was dismissed, but more legal challenges are likely. Davis, whose wife is a former president of Olivet University, initially sided with Uzac and challenged Pragad's management of Newsweek in the courts. Pragad was found to have awarded himself exorbitant pay and bonuses without board approval. In mid-2023, Davis and Pragad came to an undisclosed settlement agreement. However, when the dispute began in early 2022, Pragad allegedly began making threats via mutual acquaintances to use Newsweek's editorial and institutional power to get what he wanted. In her statement, Cooper said, "No one outside the newsroom has any influence on these stories" and that they were "clearly the product of an independent newsroom." But Cooper's claim that the stories relate to holding her proprietors to account are clearly not true - no proprietor is being held to account in the Olivet stories. It is also clear that the beginning of Newsweek's intensified interest in Olivet and Jang coincided almost exactly with Pragad's threats to use the newsroom to his advantage (16 stories in the last two years, compared to none in the previous four). So when Cooper says, "No one outside the newsroom has any influence on these stories," is she lying or has she been lied to? The two key figures here are Naveed Jamali, a self-described former double agent, and Newsweek congressional correspondent Alex Rouhandeh. Both figures appear to have developed a certain modus operandi when it comes to Olivet-related stories. The basic maneuver is to spread allegations (whether founded or not) about Olivet to interested parties and then report on the outraged reaction as if it was news. A Freedom of Information request made to the New York State Education Department by Olivet in 2022 revealed an email exchange between Jamali and NYSED officials regarding unsubstantiated claims of money laundering, trafficking and visa fraud. NYSED ultimately decided not to renew Olivet's permission to operate in the state, leading to the departure of the school from New York. A follow-up Newsweek article dated July 2, 2022, written by Jamali, portrayed the non-renewal as a "shut down" of Olivet. This led to multiple inquiries being opened, but most of the state agencies closed those inquiries, leaving Olivet in good standing. More recently, Rouhandeh's reporting about alleged human labor trafficking at Olivet is based on accusations by four ex-students of the university. These students were formerly anonymous but revealed their identities in a civil lawsuit filed against the school on Sept. 14, 2023, which the university has called frivolous and without merit. On Oct. 26, 2023, the university also filed a cross-complaint against the former students alleging fraud. According to a university employee, Rouhandeh's reporting on the topic was secretive and unusual. "Many neighbors have contacted school personnel, commenting on the 'strangeness' of Rouhandeh's secretive behavior and actions while in town. Rouhandeh did not always disclose his purpose when meeting with people. On occasions when he did admit that he came to write a story about Olivet, Rouhandeh indicated that he was not interested in contacting the school itself directly nor stepping foot onto its campus, despite it being the subject of his story. This puzzled some residents of the town," they said. University staff also said neither Rouhandeh nor any other reporter visited the campus while he was in town writing his story. The four ex-students' civil lawsuit was dismissed in a "motion to demur" in California state court due to lacking such basic details as names, times, and places about the alleged events. The civil lawsuit was then amended and refiled, but the attorney for the students stayed his own case on April 2, 2024. Newsweek had previously published sensationalized headlines accusing Olivet University of human trafficking, but this has shown to be untrue. Newsweek writers then quietly downgraded their rhetoric to accusations of "human labor trafficking." Pragad and Davis may have come to an agreement, but litigation continues to rage between Pragad, Newsweek, Uzac, Jang and Olivet. It is clear that elements of the Newsweek newsroom have been deployed at Pragad's behest either to secure his position at Newsweek or simply because this has become a vendetta for him. Far from seeking the truth or speaking truth to power, as journalists like to say, Jamali, Rouhandeh and quite possibly Cooper, are engaged in spreading highly contested allegations in order to dirty Olivet's reputation, all in the service of the private interests of a businessman who is known to have paid himself vast amounts of company money without board approval. This last fact, of course, has not been reported by Newsweek. William Dove is a journalist based in the United Kingdom. He helped found IBTimes UK. In a move that underscores the mounting challenges faced by higher education institutions, the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh has announced the closure of its Fox Cities campus. This decision, set to take effect on June 30 of next year, is a response to steep financial difficulties and a significant decline in student enrollment. The Fox Cities campus, located approximately 20 miles from UW Oshkosh, is the sixth two-year campus within the Universities of Wisconsin system to be slated for closure in recent years. As the university navigates this complex situation, it must address the concerns of the community and find ways to support the students, faculty, and staff impacted by this significant change. Declining Enrollment and Financial Challenges The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh has recently made the difficult decision to close its Fox Cities campus, a move driven by significant financial challenges and a steep decline in student enrollment. The closure, scheduled for June 30 of next year, marks the latest in a series of shutdowns within the Universities of Wisconsin system, with Fox Cities being the sixth two-year campus to face this fate in recent years. This decision follows an extensive year-long analysis that considered various factors including enrollment trends, demographic changes, and economic conditions in the region. Enrollment at the Fox Cities campus has dropped drastically, with a 67 percent decline over the past decade. In fall 2023, the campus headcount was 562, a sharp decrease from its peak of 1,629 students in fall 2018. Projections indicate that enrollment could fall below 100 by 2032 if current trends continue. These figures underscore the stark reality faced by the institution, making the decision to close the campus an unfortunate but necessary measure to address the financial and operational challenges posed by such dwindling student numbers. READ MORE : Monica Smith Resigns Amid Controversy Over DEI Funding Community Backlash and Reactions The announcement of the Fox Cities campus closure has sparked significant backlash from the local community and officials in Outagamie County, where the campus is situated. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson has been particularly vocal, criticizing UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt and UW System President Jay Rothman for their handling of the situation. In a strongly worded statement, Nelson accused the leaders of failing to uphold basic principles of fairness and responsibility. Nelson's sentiments reflect a broader sense of betrayal felt by many in the community who see the campus closure as a loss not just for current and prospective students, but for the region as a whole. The campus has long been a vital educational resource, contributing to the local economy and providing accessible higher education opportunities. The decision to close it has therefore been met with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and a call for accountability from the university leadership. The Broader Impact and Future Considerations The closure of the Fox Cities campus is part of a larger trend affecting higher education institutions across the country, particularly those facing similar demographic shifts and financial pressures. The decline in student enrollment is not unique to Fox Cities; it is a phenomenon observed in many regions where population growth has slowed, and competition for students has intensified. This trend forces universities to reassess their offerings, operational models, and long-term viability of certain campuses. For the University of Wisconsin system, this closure raises important questions about the future of its two-year campuses and the strategies needed to sustain them. It highlights the necessity for innovative solutions that can adapt to changing demographics and economic conditions. Potential strategies may include developing new and unique academic programs, enhancing online education offerings, and forming partnerships with local businesses and industries to better align educational programs with workforce needs. As the closure date approaches, efforts will need to focus on supporting affected students, faculty, and staff. This includes facilitating transfers to other campuses within the UW system, providing career counseling and job placement services, and ensuring that students can complete their education without significant disruption. Additionally, there will be a need for ongoing dialogue with community stakeholders to address their concerns and explore possibilities for repurposing the campus facilities in ways that can still benefit the region. The decision to close the Fox Cities campus of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh reflects a broader set of challenges faced by higher education institutions today. While the move has sparked considerable controversy and backlash, it underscores the critical need for universities to adapt to changing realities and make difficult choices to ensure long-term sustainability. The focus now must shift to mitigating the impact of this closure and exploring innovative paths forward for the institution and the community it serves. Student loan debt has emerged as a widespread problem in the United States, impacting millions and exceeding $1.7 trillion in total. As the burden of student loans continues to weigh heavily on individuals, the concept of student loan forgiveness has gained traction, particularly in response to economic challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken steps to alleviate this burden, but the landscape of student loan forgiveness is complex and often confusing. This article explores the various options available for student loan forgiveness, focusing on federal programs and recent developments, and provides insights into navigating this intricate terrain. Student Loan Forgiveness in the US Student loan debt has reached unprecedented levels in the United States, with more than 43 million Americans collectively owing over $1.7 trillion in federal and private student loans. In recent times, there has been considerable focus on the concept of the government pardoning federal student debt, particularly heightened during the pandemic. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden employed emergency measures to alleviate the financial strain on college graduates. Nonetheless, maneuvering through the intricate array of student loan forgiveness alternatives has grown more difficult. READ MORE : Biden Struggles To Gain Support For Student Loan Debt Relief, Survey Finds Understanding the Options: Federal vs. Private Loans It's important to note that loan forgiveness typically pertains to federal loans rather than private ones. Given that almost 93 percent of all student debt is federal, exploring the government's forgiveness programs is crucial. President Biden has taken steps to tackle student debt, following in the footsteps of President Trump, who suspended loan repayments and interest in March 2020 due to the pandemic's economic fallout. Despite Biden's ongoing efforts to assist borrowers of all ages, from recent graduates to retirees, the future of these relief measures remains uncertain, leaving many borrowers in a state of financial uncertainty. Navigating Programs and Legal Challenges Despite these efforts, legal challenges continue. Republican state attorneys general have initiated legal actions to impede the SAVE plan, though a case in Kansas suffered a recent setback. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program continues to serve as a feasible choice for public servants, granting debt forgiveness after 120 monthly payments for those in eligible roles. The Biden administration has enhanced this program through reforms, resulting in substantial debt relief for numerous borrowers. Borrowers can still apply for a one-time payment adjustment under a separate Education Department program, with an extended deadline of June 30. This change might result in debt forgiveness or credits that reduce balances. Combining student loans and enrolling in a government-operated income-driven repayment scheme can expedite forgiveness for borrowers. Though these programs can be daunting to navigate, the possible advantages justify the effort. Ultimately, eradicating student debt can greatly enhance borrowers' financial security, despite potential effects on credit ratings. The issue of student loan forgiveness is a multifaceted one, with numerous programs and options available to borrowers. While the Biden administration has made strides in providing relief and improving existing programs, challenges such as legal battles and program complexities persist. Navigating these options requires careful consideration and understanding of the eligibility criteria and application processes. However, despite these challenges, the potential benefits of student loan forgiveness, including improved financial stability and debt relief, make it a pursuit worth exploring for many borrowers. As the landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and seeking guidance from financial advisors or student loan experts can help borrowers make informed decisions about their student loan repayment journey. In recent times, Chinese students have started reconsidering their plans to pursue higher education in Australia due to Canberra's proposed limitations on visa numbers. This shift in sentiment is further exacerbated by soaring visa rejection rates, raising alarms among prospective students despite the high approval rates for university applications from China. Dr. Angela Lehmann, Chair of the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, has highlighted the growing apprehension among Chinese students and the potential repercussions for Australian universities. Visa Cap and Its Ripple Effects Dr. Lehmann noted that the Australian government's proposed visa cap has become a significant point of discussion on social media platforms frequented by prospective Australia-bound students. There is a palpable fear among students who have received offers from Australian universities for the coming year that they may be denied visas or pressured to withdraw their enrollments. This fear is not unfounded, as there have been instances where offers to overseas students, primarily from the Indian subcontinent, were rescinded by Australian universities. Although Chinese students might not fully grasp the nuances of the situation in Australia, they are acutely aware of the high visa rejection rates and the potential for similar actions to impact them. Despite a 97 percent approval rate for university student visas from China, lower success rates in other categories-83 percent for school applicants, 56 percent for English language programs, and 36 percent for vocational education-feed into a broader perception that Chinese students are unwelcome. READ MORE : Chinese Government Detains Academics On Espionage Charges, Sparking Global Concern Economic Implications for Australian Universities The potential decline in Chinese student enrollments could have catastrophic financial consequences for Australian universities, particularly research-intensive institutions. The New South Wales Audit Office reported that Chinese students constitute 51 percent of international enrollments across the state's ten universities, with even higher percentages at major institutions. For instance, the University of Sydney derived 40 percent of its total revenue from Chinese students in 2022, while Chinese students contributed 25 percent of the income at UNSW Sydney. Dr. Lehmann emphasized that Australia's visa policies are often interpreted as "anti-China" in some circles. This perception is exacerbated by the economic importance of Chinese students, who feel undervalued and primarily viewed as economic assets rather than as individuals. The sentiment among Chinese students is a mix of frustration at being seen as "cash cows" and a recognition of their substantial economic contribution to Australia. They are aware that their presence significantly supports university funding and the broader social care system in Australia. Long-Term Consequences and Political Implications The discourse on social media platforms like Xiahongshu (China's version of Instagram) has included speculations about how Australia will sustain its universities and social care systems without the financial input from foreign students. Dr. Lehmann pointed out that overseas students are seen as an "easy target" in political discussions because they do not vote. However, she argued that this perspective is short-sighted. Many foreign students have strong ties with diaspora communities in Australia, which are significant voting populations. Thus, the political influence of these students extends beyond their immediate non-voting status. The financial impact of these perceptions is already being felt. On June 6th, shares in the international education services firm IDP Education plummeted to their lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a market update to the Australian Securities Exchange, IDP highlighted the restrictive policy environment, projecting a 20-25 percent decline in the international education market over the next 12 months. The reconsideration of Australian degrees by Chinese students due to visa cap concerns and high rejection rates signals potential economic and political ramifications for Australia. As the country navigates these challenges, the importance of international students to the fabric of its educational and economic systems cannot be overstated. Addressing these concerns with sensitivity and clarity will be crucial in maintaining Australia's status as a preferred destination for international students. Although prevalent in America, the consequences of political spin are becoming more unbearable. This is notably clear in how higher education is frequently portrayed politically, with Florida serving as a prominent illustration. Governor Ron DeSantis's remarks on June 1 at New College, as reported in The News-Press on June 4, illustrate this pattern. Citing "leftist and woke ideology," the governor suggested that universities and academia's corruption have allowed toxic ideologies to spread in society. Misrepresentation of Academic Intentions Governor DeSantis's politically charged language starkly contrasts with the reality of higher education as experienced by many academics. Frank Fear, who has spent 55 years in higher education, asserts that such accusations are baseless, particularly regarding faculty intentions and roles. Fear, along with many of his colleagues, views the governor's assertions as an unfounded characterization of higher education. Professor Marshall Poe, in an article for Real Clear Politics, agrees, stating that most faculty members are not radical political activists who see students as future revolutionaries. Instead, they are academically inclined individuals motivated by a passion for learning in their specific fields. "What I cared about," Poe continued, "is history, researching and teaching it." These reflections underscore a significant disconnect between political rhetoric and the day-to-day reality of academic life. Academics are primarily driven by a passion for their subjects and a commitment to advancing knowledge. The portrayal of universities as hotbeds of radical indoctrination is not only inaccurate but also harmful, as it undermines the public's trust in these institutions. READ MORE : Protesters Occupy Cal State LA Student Services Building, Barricading President Inside The True Mission of Higher Education The goal of higher education is to teach, progress understanding, and benefit society. Faculty members, drawing on disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and professional knowledge, are steadfast in their commitment to these tasks. The assertion that the higher education system, particularly public institutions, has a "political agenda" is unfounded. The integrity and mission of academia are at stake when such characterizations are made, and it is crucial to defend these principles. The wisdom gained from historical experiences, such as the campus protests of the 1960s, has taught us that higher education institutions should remain neutral and not take public stands on societal issues. The University of Chicago's position during this era is particularly noteworthy. In 1967, Professor Harry Kalven, Jr., a well-regarded authority on the First Amendment, chaired a committee that produced The Kalven Report. This report emphasized that universities should support and nurture critical voices rather than take a critical stance themselves. This principle remains relevant as it encourages an environment where a variety of viewpoints can be openly discussed and examined without bias from the institution. The Threat to Academic Freedom The current level of politicization in higher education poses a significant threat to its core mission. Political advocates who seek to impose their values and outcomes on higher education hijack the politically unburdened inquiry and learning that are fundamental to academia. When successful, this approach converts higher education from a social institution with a civic purpose into a delivery system for partisan outcomes, subverting its historical purpose. Governor DeSantis's recent remarks at New College, where he expressed pride in their progress in higher education and suggested more changes were coming, underscore the increasing politicization. Such rhetoric is concerning, as it suggests a continued and intensified effort to reshape higher education according to specific political agendas. It is essential to maintain the integrity and purpose of higher education. As a society, we must resist efforts to politicize academia and instead support its role as a space for free inquiry, diverse perspectives, and the advancement of knowledge. The stakes are high, and the consequences of failing to uphold these principles could be dire for the future of education and society as a whole. (@FahadShabbir) RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir on Monday visited the Line of Control (LOC) in the Haji Pir sector to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with the troops. The COAS offered Eid prayers with the officers and soldiers at the front line, praying for Pakistans peace and prosperity. On the festive occasion, he paid respects to the the sacrifices of the martyrs of Pakistan, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said. Addressing the troops, the COAS commended their dedication, high morale, and commitment to defending the motherland. He said, As soldiers, we take pride in celebrating such festivities away from our homes and loved ones while on duty, ensuring the security of our country and fellow citizens. Discussing the indigenous freedom struggle of the people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the COAS reiterated Pakistans principled stance, aligned with the relevant United Nations resolutions. He condemned India's ongoing oppression and brutalities against the Kashmiris, saying that post-election, India had been attempting to mask its aggression and victimization of the Kashmiri people with false propaganda and provocations against Pakistan. Such tactics, including manufacturing false flag operations, had become a routine political tool of India, he added. Pakistan has always supported peace and stability in the region; however, any provocation or violation of Pakistans territorial sovereignty will be met with a swift and resolute response, with the full support of the nation, InshaAllah, the COAS concluded. Earlier upon arrival at the LoC, the COAS was received by the Commander of Rawalpindi Corps. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Monday directed Chief Commissioner/Chairman Capital Developemnt Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa to personally monitor the cleanliness operation in the city. Following directions from Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa ensured zero waste operation on the first day of Eid-ul-Azha. There should be no delay in picking up the furniture and disposals it in time, directed Mohsin Naqvi. The cleanliness situation should be improved in all areas of Islamabad on the first, second and third days of Eid, Mohsen Naqvi directed adding that any public complaint should be acted upon without delay in this regard. Chairman CDA established a central control room in Islamabad Safe City to monitor of zero waste operation and action upon complaints from citizens. More than 2500 personnel and more than 200 vehicles and machinery are present in the field during operation. For the first time, CDA has distributed free biodegradable bags to citizens for the disposel of waste. Biodegradable bags turn into waste naturally after some time. Implementation of the Cleanliness Action Plan will continue on the second and third day of Eid-ul-Azha. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Monday felicitated the nation and the Muslim Ummah on the aus[icious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha The minister, in his message, said, "Eid-ul-Azha teaches us about self-sacrifice in our practical life." "We have to pledge to forgo our false ego and personal interests for the sake of Pakistan. W have to refrain from telling lies and hypocrisy, and making verbal claims." The minister said allegiance to the country demanded that everyone should rise above political, ethnic and linguistic differences for the progress and prosperity of the motherland. Eery party, institution, department and individual would have to play a responsible and positive role, and get the country rid of the debts, he added. He urged to help the orphans and the poor and share their happiness to please Allah Almighty. The minister said on the occasion of Eid, the nation should also remember the oppressed sisters and brothers of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. We pay our respects to the brave soldiers of the security forces who have sacrificed their precious lives for the defense of the country and the establishment of peace, Mohsin Naqvi added. "There is dire need to work for the country's development with the spirit of self-sacrifice, brotherhood and unity," he reiterated. Canberra, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) China hailed mended ties with Australia on Monday, saying relations were "on the right track" as the trading partners moved on from a bitter economic dispute despite a duel for influence in the Pacific. Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived to a grand ceremonial welcome at Parliament House in Canberra, before talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The highest-ranking Chinese official to visit since 2017, Li said his trip to Australia demonstrated "that this relationship is on the right track of steady improvement and development". He also offered an olive branch granting Australian citizens limited visa-free access to China, a gesture limited to a relatively small number of nations in Beijing's good books. Despite the goodwill on show, both sides acknowledged lingering "differences" -- a nod to diplomatic jostling in the Pacific and China's ongoing detention of a dissident writer. "We won't always agree, and the points in which we disagree won't simply disappear if we leave them in silence," Albanese said. Police beefed up security in a bid to head off trouble as Li arrived, standing in the middle of chanting human rights protesters and banner-waving pro-China groups. Metal barriers were erected in front of parliament to keep the two sides apart. A brass band played as Li inspected a military honour guard on the forecourt of Parliament House, the 19-gun artillery salute only briefly drowning out the noisy crowds gathered on the manicured lawns nearby. One of the most pressing issues in Australia's eyes is the plight of jailed dissident writer Yang Hengjun. A dual Chinese-Australian citizen, Yang was handed a suspended death sentence in February after a Beijing court found him guilty on espionage charges seen by many as politically motivated. Yang's supporters penned a public letter on the eve of Li's arrival in Canberra, urging Albanese to push for his immediate release to Australia. "We in Australia oppose capital punishment and I reiterated our position there," Albanese said after meeting with Li. Australia has chastised China's military in recent months for its "unacceptable" and "unsafe" behaviour in international skies and waters, and has called for restraint in the South China Sea. Canberra has also become increasingly vocal in its criticisms of China's efforts to accumulate influence with Pacific island nations. "I certainly raised our interests in the Pacific, as well as other issues including human rights," Albanese added. "I did raise the issue of ensuring that foreign interference wasn't acceptable." While regional security is likely to remain a sore point between Canberra and Beijing, relations are far warmer when it comes to trade. "Mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation" are key to the relationship, Li said at the outset of his Australian tour. Ittoqqortoormiit, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) Inuit hunter Hjelmer Hammeken spotted a ringed seal near its breathing hole on the Greenland ice. In his white camouflage, he slowly crept towards it then lay down in the snow and waited. When the right moment came, Hammeken tapped his feet together. The seal lifted its head to look where the noise was coming from and the hunter fired. He butchered the animal there and then, eating some of its liver while it was still warm, as his ancestors have done for centuries -- the hunter's reward. Such scenes are common around the hugely isolated Inuit community of Ittoqqortoormiit, close to Scoresby Sound, the world's biggest fjord on the frozen east coast of Greenland. All the men hunt in this colourful little settlement of 350 souls. While only the professionals track polar bears, everyone hunts seats, narwhals and Arctic musk ox. But for the last two decades climate change and hunting quotas have been threatening the livelihood on which Inuit families have long survived. Hammeken is a legend in Greenland, its greatest polar bear hunter. AFP followed him and other professional Inuit hunters for several days during the hunting season. He killed seven this year to add to his tally of 319 over the last half century. When he arrives at the edge of the ice, where it meets the Arctic Ocean, he commands respect. Hammeken made his reputation in the 1980s. He would go out alone for several weeks at a time, crossing the glaciers of the fjord with his dogs with little more than a tent to bring back up to three polar bears. It was the golden age for the hunters, when polar bear skins could be sold abroad. That ended in 2005 when quotas were put in place to slow the fall in polar bear numbers. This year's quota of 35 had been hit by the end of April, which was why Hammeken was hunting seals, on which there is no quota. Climate change has turned the lives of the Inuit upside down since the beginning of the century -- with the Arctic warming four times faster than the global average. "Before we could hunt all year," said Hammeken, 66. "In winter the ice was harder... and the fjord never melted." But now the ice is retreating and the Sound is open and navigable between mid-July and mid-September. With the young hunter Martin Madsen at his side, Hammeken scanned the horizon. The wind had come up and the sea with it. It was time to go. The ice, which is thin at the edge of the sheet, had become unstable, and risked breaking up and taking him and his protege with it. "In August, all the ice sheet will have melted. There will be just the sea, a rough sea," which will make hunting seals and narwhals -- which are also subject to a quota -- difficult, Hammeken said. With little ice on which to hunt seals, he wondered how the polar bears would survive. Stuck on land and starving now in the summers, they are coming closer and closer to the village looking for food. ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jun, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have agreed to redouble efforts for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as to ensure provision of essential aid to the innocent Palestinian brethren. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid greetings with Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The prime minister conveyed his sincere wishes and prayers for the prosperity and progress of the fraternal people of Malaysia as well as for the Muslim Ummah, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release on Monday. While discussing the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the prime minister appreciated Malaysias principled and consistent stance on the Palestinian cause, under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Underscoring the close and cordial relationship between Pakistan and Malaysia, the prime minister expressed satisfaction on the upward trajectory of bilateral ties. The two sides agreed to further strengthen their relations which were marked by commonality of views on all issues of mutual interest. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further broaden the historic ties between Pakistan and Malaysia in all areas of mutual interest, particularly in trade and investment. While recalling their recent warm and productive meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forums Special Meeting in Riyadh in April 2024, as well as two telephone conversations in the last four months, the two leaders underscored the need for maintaining regular high-level exchanges. In this regard, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for graciously accepting his invitation to visit Pakistan in the very near future. On X account, the prime minister said that he was delighted to have spoken with Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia today and exchange warm greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. Conveyed best wishes and prayers for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Malaysia. Exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and matters of mutual interest, he said. Also agreed to maintain regular high-level exchanges to broaden fraternal ties between our two brotherly countries. Looking forward to welcome Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Pakistan very soon, the prime minister further posted on X. Maria Mazzamuto Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto is a member of the Earth Hologenome Initiative (EHI), an international organization that recently had its first paper published and is currently studying red squirrels in Eurasia. Mazzamuto, a University of Wyoming research scientist in the Koprowski Conservation Research Lab in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, was co-author of a paper, titled A Global Initiative for Ecological and Evolutionary Initiatives, that was recently published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. The University of Copenhagen in Denmark led the research on the paper that outlines the mission and goals of EHI. EHI is a global collaboration that generates and analyzes hologenomic data from wild animals and their microorganisms. Initially focused on vertebrates, the project reexamines ecological and evolutionary questions through the lens of host-microbiota interactions. EHI conducts innovative research; participates in global collaborations; discovers ecological and evolutionary insights; and is considered ethical and inclusive. I am one of the 242 researchers who have voluntarily decided to become part of this global network, Mazzamuto says. I have provided samples for squirrels, marmots and small mammals coming from Mongolia, where I am leading several research projects on the mammalian community of one of the oldest protected areas in the world, Bogd Khan Mountain. Specifically, Im looking at the protected area for the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). In addition to Mazzamuto and John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School, researchers involved in the red squirrel research are from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The group is studying the relationship between ecological niche properties of the Eurasian red squirrel and the Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), their genomic features and their gut metagenomic characteristics across their entire geographical distribution. For more information about the red squirrel research project, go to www.earthhologenome.org/squirrel_hologenomics.html. EHI has already collected more than 8,500 samples from 245 species, generating over 10 terabases of data. Future phases will focus on targeted studies and integrating hologenomic data to address critical biological questions, Mazzamuto says. I have personally contributed through several mammalian samples coming from Mongolia where, with Dr. Koprowski, I have several ongoing projects focused on wildlife conservation, she says. Some of the projects in Mongolia have been funded by the Haub School and UW Center for Global Studies. Mazzamutos research at UW focuses on conservation and behavioral ecology of wildlife, and, broadly, her research interests include spatial ecology, animal personality, interspecific interaction, invasive species and parasitology. Mazzamutos work combines field data collection and statistical and geospatial analyses to examine direct and indirect effects of humans on vertebrate conservation. Mazzamuto received her Ph.D. in biodiversity analysis, protection and management from the University of Insubria-Italy; her masters degree in biodiversity and nature conservation and her bachelors degree in biology, both from the University of Catania-Italy. Highlighting UW's role in this groundbreaking project would underscore our commitment to cutting-edge research and enhance our scientific visibility, she says of EHI. It also could drive more UW researchers to the initiative. For more information about EHI, go to www.earthhologenome.org. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has told Chinese Premier Li Qiang that attempts by two Chinese officials to block cameras from filming a journalist at an event Monday was unacceptable. The journalist, Cheng Lei, was previously jailed by Beijing. Frankly, that was unacceptable and not appropriate behavior, Albanese said Tuesday. The remarks came just as Chinas premier was wrapping up his first visit to Australia in seven years. When you look at the footage, it was a pretty clumsy attempt by a couple of people to stand in between where the cameras were and where Cheng Lei was sitting, he said. That was rude what occurred and, frankly, just counterproductive from the Chinese side and just drew attention to the fact that Cheng Lei was there." Cheng said Monday that Chinese officials attempted to block her at a press conference in Canberra in what appeared to be a bid to prevent critical coverage of Premier Li Qiangs visit to the Australian capital. They went to great lengths to block me from the cameras and to flank me, Cheng told Sky News Australia, where she now works. And Im guessing thats to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, Cheng said. Cheng previously worked as an anchor for the Chinese state broadcaster CGTN until she was detained in Beijing in August 2020, sparking widespread condemnation from international press freedom groups. She was later convicted of espionage in a closed-door trial. After Cheng was released to Australia in October 2023, she revealed that she was jailed for the minor infraction of breaking an embargo by just a few minutes. Video footage posted on social media shows two people standing next to Cheng at the event in between her seat and a line of cameras. Australian officials later moved Cheng to a new seat. Australian media reported that the two individuals were Chinese diplomats, which VOA was unable to immediately verify. On Monday, Albanese said he didnt witness the incident, but he added that reporters should be allowed to participate fully inside the Australian parliament. On Tuesday, he said Australian officials followed up with the Chinese embassy to express our concern." Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also expressed concerned with the incident, telling ABC radio, Freedom of the press is very important to Australia. She said, The prime minister and I understand the importance of standing up for Cheng Lei; that's why we worked for two years to secure her return home. Chinas embassy in Canberra did not immediately reply to VOAs email requesting comment. A BBC investigation that included eyewitness accounts said the Greek coast guard was responsible for the deaths of more than 40 migrants in 15 incidents in the Mediterranean, spanning a three-year period. According to the report, nine migrants were deliberately thrown into the sea. Those people and the other migrants were forced out of Greek territorial waters or turned away after reaching Greek islands. This is the first time the BBC has calculated the number of incidents which allege that fatalities occurred as a result of the Greek coast guard's actions, the British broadcaster said. The Greek coast guard has denied the allegations, which stemmed from the BBCs analysis of 15 incidents between May 2020 and May 2023. The BBC said its sources for the report included NGOs, the Turkish coast guard, local media and witnesses. Our understanding is that what is reported is not proved, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Monday at a press briefing. The BBCs findings will be featured in a documentary, Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? For years, there have been reports that the Greek coast guard forced migrant vessels to turn around and head toward Turkish waters. A number of the migrant boats originate from Turkey. Greece and Turkey have accused each other of mistreating the migrants. Migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East view Greece as a gateway to Europe and a better life in European Union nations. According to Greek law, migrants seeking asylum can register their claims at centers on several islands. But the migrants told the BBC they were stopped by men wearing masks and not in uniforms and were apparently working undercover. The BBC said it showed Dimitris Baltakos, the former head of special operations with the Greek coast guard, footage of the people, including women and babies, being loaded onto a coast guard boat and then put on a raft, which drifted until the group was rescued by the Turkish coast guard. The BBC reported that Baltakos refused to speculate about what the footage showed. But out of camera range and with his microphone still active, he said in Greek to someone that what he saw was obviously illegal and an international crime. One Cameroonian migrant told the BBC that after landing on the island of Samos in 2021, he was planning to register for asylum but was apprehended by police before he could stake his claim. He said the police took him and two other men back out to sea and threw the two men into the water, where they drowned. He said he was beaten before the police threw him into the water without a life jacket, but he was able to swim ashore. The bodies of the two migrants washed ashore on the Turkish coastline. The BBC reported that the survivors lawyers are demanding that Greek officials open a double murder case. In 2023, the Greek coast guard came under international criticism when a trawler with hundreds of migrants onboard sank and more than 600 people died. The Greek coast guard was reported to be in close proximity to the trawler. A Benin court on Monday handed 18-month suspended jail sentences to three Nigeriens at the center of a diplomatic dispute as tensions escalate between the West African neighbors. Ties between Benin and Niger have been strained since last year's coup ousted Nigerien President Mohammed Bazoum, and Benin's Atlantic port of Seme-Kpodji, which exports landlocked Niger's oil, has become a flashpoint. Five Nigeriens were arrested earlier this month at Seme-Kpodji, accused of entering the port illegally. On Monday, Benin's Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) sentenced three of them to 18 months in prison suspended, an AFP correspondent said. Moumouni Hadiza Ibra, Deputy General Director of Wapco-Niger -- a local affiliate of a Chinese company operating a pipeline from Niger to Benin's coast -- and two of her compatriots were jailed after their initial arrest. Wapco has not responded to emails seeking a response. The court on Monday reclassified the charges as "usurpation of title and use of falsified computer data. Lawyers for the three defendants denied all the charges, an AFP correspondent said. Under regional sanctions imposed on Niger after last year's coup, Benin closed the border, but it has since reopened its side of the frontier. Niger's military rulers have refused to reopen their side. Beninese President Patrice Talon had long conditioned the start of loading of Nigerien oil from Benin's port on the reopening of the border. According to Niamey, the arrested team were on a mission to Benin to oversee the loading of oil. The military regime in Niger described the arrests as a "kidnapping" and said it was ready to "take all measures" to have them released "unconditionally. The day after their arrests, the military regime in Niamey closed the valves of the oil pipeline, according to Niger public television. China and the Philippines are blaming each other for a maritime collision that occurred Monday in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands. Manila says the incident occurred in its exclusive economic zone when Chinese vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers, but Chinas coast guard blames a Philippine supply ship. The incident is the latest in a string of confrontations in the disputed waters between the Philippines and China. Separately, just hours after the incident occurred, the United States said in a statement that it completed joint naval exercises in the Philippines EEZ with the Philippines, Japan and Canada. According to Chinas coast guard, a Philippine supply ship deliberately and dangerously made its way to one of Chinas ships. The Chinese coast guard said the result was a minor collision after the supply ship illegally intruded by the submerged reef of Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, a territory claimed by several nations. In a statement on the social media app WeChat, the Chinese coast guard said the supply ship ignored China's repeated solemn warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. The Philippine government did not comment directly on the incident itself but has pushed back against the accusation from China. We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China Coast Guard, said Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine armed forces public affairs office. "The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region." Trinidad said the government would not talk about operational details regarding supply missions. In a separate statement, Manilas national task force on the West Philippine Sea the name the Philippines uses for parts of the South China Sea in its EEZ said China damaged Philippine boats after ramming them in a confrontation. The People's Liberation Army Navy, China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing, the task force said. Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats. In a post on X, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China's "aggressive, dangerous" maneuvers, adding that the collision had "caused bodily injury." Chinas Foreign Ministry has described the coast guards recent activity as professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, which generates over $3 trillion maritime commerce annually. This includes parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. Mondays incident comes as China has taken steps to enhance enforcement in waters it claims as its own. Beijing recently announced new rules, effective June 15, that it says allow its coast guard to employ lethal force against foreign ships in its territorial waters and hold suspected trespassers without trial for 60 days. In a response Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard said it has also deployed vessels to patrol Scarborough Shoal located 641 kilometers (398 miles) north of Second Thomas Shoal for the safety of Filipino fishermen. China hit back on Monday after G7 leaders warned Beijing to stop sending weapons components to Russia, saying their end-of-summit statement was "full of arrogance, prejudice and lies." When Group of Seven leaders met last week in Italy, souring trade relations with China as well as tensions over Ukraine and the South China Sea were a focus of their discussions. The statement released at the end of the summit on Friday criticized China on many of these issues. It included an accusation against Beijing of sending dual-use materials to Russia, which it said were helping the war effort in Ukraine. On Monday China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the statement had "slandered and attacked China". It had "rehashed cliches that have no factual basis, no legal basis, and no moral justification, and are full of arrogance, prejudice and lies," he said at a regular press briefing. The Group of Seven, made up of the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Canada, Britain and Italy, had also taken aim at what it called "dangerous" incursions by China in the South China Sea. Worries of a military escalation between China and its neighbors are rising, and on Monday Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal, according to the Chinese Coast Guard. "We oppose China's militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea," read the G7 statement, using stronger language than at last year's summit in Japan. First, the delegation familiarized themselves with the plenary meeting hall of the Milli Majlis. During the meeting with the delegation, Ali Huseynli, the first deputy chairman of the Milli Majlis and the head of the working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Hungary, warmly welcomed the guests on behalf of the speaker of the parliament, Sahiba Gafarova. He expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of interstate relations and emphasized the special role of the heads of state in deepening the friendship and fraternal relations between our countries. The unique role of legislative bodies in the development of relations between our countries was noted during the meeting. The importance of mutual visits, meetings, regular contacts, as well as close cooperation within the framework of international parliamentary organizations, was emphasized. They discussed the significance of deepening cooperation between the profile committees of parliaments, including parliamentary apparatuses. During the conversation, Ali Huseynli spoke about the large-scale restoration and construction works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. He expressed gratitude to the Hungarian side for its participation in the reconstruction of Soltanli village in Jabrayil district. Elman Nasirov, a member of the parliament's working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Hungary, who spoke at the meeting, touched on the prospects for the development of bilateral relations. He noted the personal relations of the heads of state in deepening relations. Attila Tilki, the head of the friendship group with Azerbaijan, spoke about the goals of the visit to Azerbaijan. He noted the importance of the international conference on "Organization of Turkic States: towards new strategic goals against the background of geopolitical realities and global cataclysms" held on June 15 in Shusha. He emphasized that our peoples are united by common values. Discussing the purposeful policy of the countries' leaders in the development of interstate relations, the head of the friendship group with Azerbaijan emphasized that Hungary always supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. He expressed confidence that this support will be continued at all levels. During the meeting, opinions were exchanged on other issues of mutual interest. On June 17, Attila Tilki, the head of the friendship group of the Hungarian National Assembly with Azerbaijan, along with Istvan Apati, a member of the group, visited the National Assembly, Azernews reports. The SS United States, a historic ship that still holds the transatlantic speed record it set more than 70 years ago, must leave its berth on the Delaware River in Philadelphia by September 12, a federal judge says. The decision issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Anita Brody culminated a years-old rent dispute between the conservancy that oversees the 1,000-foot ocean liner and its landlord, Penn Warehousing. It stemmed from an August 2021 decision by Penn Warehousing to double the ship's daily dockage to $1,700, an increase the conservancy refused to accept. When the conservancy continued to pay its previous rate, set in 2011, Penn Warehousing terminated the lease in March 2022. After much legal wrangling, Brody held a bench trial in January but also encouraged the two sides to reach a settlement instead of leaving it up to her. The judge ultimately ruled that the conservancy's failure to pay the new rate did not amount to a contract breach or entitle Penn Warehousing to damages. But she also ruled that under Pennsylvania contract law, the berthing agreement is terminable at will with reasonable notice, which Penn Warehousing had issued in March 2022. "The judge's decision gives us a very limited window to find a new home for the SS United States and raise the resources necessary to move the ship and keep her safe," Susan Gibbs, conservancy president and granddaughter of the ship's designer, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Besides finding a new home, the conservancy also must obtain funds for insurance, tugs, surveys and dock preparations for a move. "The best hope of everyone involved was that the conservancy could successfully repurpose the ship," said Craig Mills, an attorney for Penn Warehousing. "But after decades of decay and delay, it is time to acknowledge the unavoidable and return Pier 82 to productive commercial service." Christened in 1952, the SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage in 1952, it shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions, when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph), The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship. On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner. It became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it but eventually found their plans to be too expensive or poorly timed. It has loomed for years on south Philadelphia's Delaware waterfront. Nearly 6.5 million that is the number of Ukrainian refugees the United Nations counts in the third year of Russias full-scale invasion. According to the world body's latest report, most of them hope to return home one day. Lesia Bakalets talked to Ukrainians who have already done so. VOA footage by Vladyslav Smilianets. An Indian man suspected by the U.S. of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic, the Czech justice minister said on Monday. Nikhil Gupta has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. resident who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. Gupta traveled to Prague from India last June and was arrested by Czech authorities. Last month, a Czech court rejected his petition to avoid being sent to the U.S., clearing the way for the Czech justice minister to extradite him. "On the basis of my decision on (June 3), the Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, who is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire with intent to cause death, was extradited to the U.S. on Friday (June 14) for criminal prosecution," Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said on social media platform X. The comments confirmed an earlier Reuters story reporting on the extradition that cited the federal Bureau of Prisons website and a source familiar with the matter. An inmate search by name on the Bureau of Prisons website showed on Sunday that Gupta, 52, was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. A U.S. Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. Gupta's U.S.-based lawyer, attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe, had no immediate comment. The discovery of alleged assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada has tested relations with India, seen by Western nations as a counter to China's rising global influence. India's government denies involvement in such plots. Canada said in September its intelligence agencies were pursuing allegations linking India's government to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 in Canada. In November, U.S. authorities said an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Pannun, who is a U.S. and Canadian citizen. Gupta is accused of involvement in that plot. Pannun told Reuters on Sunday that while the extradition was a welcome step, "Nikhil Gupta is just a foot soldier." India's government has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy. It has said it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington. The Italian coast guard is searching for dozens of missing migrants after rescuers rushed to aid two sinking ships from which 11 people are confirmed dead. The search and rescue operations began late Sunday after a distress call from a French sailboat carrying more than 70 migrants about 190 kilometers off the Italian coast. The boat is believed to have departed from Turkey. Rescuers recovered 12 survivors from the half-sunken boat. They were taken to the Calabrian port in southern Italy for medical treatment. One of the 12 later died, while another 60 passengers are missing and possibly lost at sea. Doctors without Borders (MSF) provided psychological assistance to all survivors, stating they "supported first aid activities for 12 people, including a woman who died shortly after disembarkation due to her severe medical condition." Details of her condition were not provided to the media. Farther south, rescuers found 10 people dead below the deck of a wooden boat off the Italian island of Lampedusa. The crew of the Nadir, a vessel operated by the German aid group Resqship, managed to save 51 people. "A total of 61 people were on the wooden boat, which was full of water. Our crew evacuated 51 people, including two who were unconscious and had to be cut free with an axe," the group reported. "The 10 dead are in the flooded lower deck of the boat." Survivors were from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria. According to the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, over 3,150 migrants died or disappeared in the Mediterranean last year. The Central Mediterranean is the deadliest migration route, accounting for 80 percent of deaths and disappearances in the sea. Many migrants fleeing conflict or poverty set off from Tunisia or Libya, aiming to enter the European Union via Italy. The EU recently toughened immigration controls. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in office since 2022, has pledged to reduce the number of migrants crossing from North Africa. New rules limit charity ships' rescue operations and assign them distant ports. This can have dire consequences for migrants, forcing charity crews to choose between complying with authorities and risking their ships being impounded. Arrivals by sea to Italy have dropped significantly this year, with 23,725 people landing so far compared to 53,902 in the same period in 2023, according to the interior ministry. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. In a sweeping act of clemency involving a drug now in widespread recreational use, Wes Moore, the governor of the U.S. state of Maryland, signed an executive order Monday pardoning 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions. Moore said the action was meant to address the injustices the state's drug policies have had on African Americans. The pardons will reach anyone with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession or paraphernalia. "Cannabis convictions for hundreds of thousands of people here in Maryland were scarlet letters, modern-day shackles," said Maryland's Attorney General Anthony Brown. "This morning, I can almost hear the clanging of those shackles falling to the floor," Brown said. The order comes after a similar pardon was made by the Massachusetts governor last spring. The Biden administration in April tried to make marijuana a less serious crime at the federal level. Maryland's pardons were celebrated by criminal justice reform activists, including Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project, who was arrested at age 16 for marijuana possession. "Today is literally the most powerful day in cannabis justice history for the entire nation. That's an incredible thing," Ortiz told Agence France-Presse News Service. Moore, Maryland's first Black governor, said he planned to help reverse the harm that's been done through marijuana policy, pointing out that convictions have limited peoples access to employment, education and housing opportunities. He said that nearly half of all state drug arrests in the early 2000s were for cannabis. After a statewide referendum in 2022, Maryland legalized the adult use of marijuana in 2023. The governor also said that Black Marylanders were three times more likely than white residents to be held on cannabis-related charges. "We cannot address the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization," Moore said. Although 33 percent of Maryland's 6 million residents are Black, Black men make up over 70 percent of the male incarcerated population. Marijuana use and possession is illegal under federal law, but 24 U.S. states have legalized its recreational use under state law. Around 1.39 million people from 177 countries traveled through Mexico so far this year trying to reach the United States without entry papers, the Mexican government said Sunday. The vast majority were men or women traveling alone, while almost 3,000 were unaccompanied minors, the National Migration Institute said, providing figures for January through the end of May. The figure of 177 countries of origin represents almost the whole world -- the United Nations has 193 member states. By country, the largest number of would-be migrants at nearly 380,000 came from Venezuela, which has endured severe economic hardship for years, followed by Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Haiti, all of which are hard hit by gang and drug-trafficking violence. Others attempting the dangerous trek through Mexico in search of a better life in the United States came from as far afield as China, India, Mauritania and Angola, the institute said. In 2023 alone more than 2.4 million people crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without the required documentation, according to U.S. figures. The flow hit a record of 10,000 people per day in December although it has fallen as both countries cracked down on such crossings. Muslims in Asia on Monday celebrated Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, with food and prayers for people in Gaza suffering from the Israel-Hamas war. One of the biggest Islamic holidays, the occasion commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith through slaughtering livestock and animals and distributing the meat to the poor. It's a joyous occasion for which food is a hallmark where devout Muslims buy and slaughter animals and share two-thirds of the meat with the poor and it's a revered observance that coincides with the final rites of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Much of Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, observed Eid al-Adha on Monday, while Muslims in other parts of the globe, including Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt, and Yemen celebrated the holiday on Sunday. On Monday, worshippers shoulder-to-shoulder joined in communal prayers in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Preachers in their sermons called on people to pray for Muslims in Gaza and Rafah. "Our prayers and thoughts are with our brother and sisters who are now suffering in Palestine," worshipper Adi Prasetya said after praying at a field in southern Jakarta. "There are many opportunities for us now to channel our help through charities." "May Allah give strength to those ravaged by war... may those who are divided can live in peace again," said another devotee, Berlina Yustiza. Although Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country in the world, its traditions to mark Eid al-Adha have been influenced by other religions. Residents in Yogyakarta, an ancient center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties going back centuries, believe that if they manage to catch the crops arranged in the form of a cone-shaped pile called "gunungan" that is paraded from the royal palace to the Kauman Grand Mosque, it can bring them good luck. They scrambled to grab various food offerings, made of fruit, vegetables and traditional snacks. A day before the sacrifice festival, people in East Java's Pasuruan city expressed their gratitude and respect for the sacrificial animals by dressing them as beautiful as a bride. The sacrificial cow is wrapped in a seven-fold garland, a shroud, turban and prayer mat and paraded in a tradition called "manten sapi," or bride cow, before being handed to the sacrificial committee. Villagers in Demak, a town in Central Java province, celebrated the holiday with a procession of livestock called "apitan" as a form of gratitude for the food and harvest. They bring foods in bamboo containers to the town's square that they eat together after praying. Locals believe the procession will provide prosperity and that disaster would come if it was abandoned. Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac. In Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined thousands of congregants, including foreign tourists, and offered morning prayers at a mosque near his office in Putrajaya, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile at a wholesale market in Selayang, just outside the capital, Muslim workers there knelt on mats placed on a large piece of white cloth laid outside the market to perform their prayers. In his message, Anwar said the opportunity to go on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is one of God's great gifts and should make one more ascetic and simpler. "I invite Muslims to live the message of simplicity that is preached in Hajj, to always be humble and not be mesmerized by the attraction of temporary worldly riches," Anwar said, "Let's not deviate from this goal. The world should be a bridge to the eternal land." In upcoming years, the twinkle of stars in the night sky might be joined by the glow of laser beams. A new NASA space project, the Landolt Mission, plans to launch an artificial star into Earths orbit. The project will be used to more accurately determine the absolute flux calibration of stars, also known as their brightness. The mission ground control will be based at George Mason University in the state of Virginia. The mission expands on the work of its inspiration and namesake Arlo Landolt, the late astronomer and pioneer of stellar brightness catalogs. His last name is famous in the whole astronomy community. The Landolt standard stareveryone knows what that is, said Daniel Huber, an associate astronomer and professor at the University of Hawaiis Institute for Astronomy. The new project will compare the brightness of the artificial star to the brightness of actual stars. The star, actually a satellite outfitted with eight lasers, will orbit the earth 35,785 kilometers into space, a distance far enough to mimic the features of a genuine star. While the satellite will not be bright enough to see with the naked eye, it will be visible through a personal telescope. Scientists will conduct ground observations of the star from telescopes in various locations, including at the University of Hawaii. Since the satellite has a known emission rate of photons, scientists will be able compare the brightness of the lasers to the brightness of the stars, developing more precise measurements of brightness and new stellar brightness catalogs. The project, if successful, could have wide-reaching impact. We always relate on the amount of light stars send us to derive almost everything in astronomy, Jonathan Gange, the scientific adviser for the Montreal Planetarium and an adjunct professor at the University of Montreal, told VOA. Gange is one of the scientists involved in the project, and will help choose which stars to measure. The results of the project can be applied to understanding the evolution of stars and the composition of exoplanets planets that could potentially harbor life. The more accurate measurements could also lead to better knowledge of dark energy and the expansion rate of the universe. The project could even be used to help find other Earth-like planets for humans to live on in the future. Theres a group of people, the exoplanet experts, who like to make predictions as to where they might see an Earth-like planet, and for them its really important to understand the properties of stars, said Susana Deustua, a physical scientist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and liaison to the mission. While the project has many potential practical applications, members are also excited about its intangibles, such as the mentoring of a new generation of scientists. According to Peter Plavchan, George Mason associate professor of physics and astronomy and the Landolt Mission primary investigator, the collaborative and pedagogical nature of the project even borrows from humanities disciplines. We developed this novel approach that actually borrows from theater. Its an understudy system, pairing senior project roles on the mission with junior scientists and junior engineers. Its a true partnership, Plavchan told the VOA. The launch date has not been finalized but is expected to take place sometime in 2029. Other partner institutions include Blue Canyon Technologies and the University of Victoria. Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Pyongyang Tuesday for a rare visit that could result in the signing of a strategic partnership treaty, according to Kremlin officials. Described as a friendly state visit, the trip will be Putins first to North Korea in 24 years as he looks to bolster support of his military offensive in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused Pyongyang of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers; Ukrainian government officials have documented North Korean-made shells found on the battlefield. Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are expected to sign a new partnership agreement that would include security issues, according to Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. Russia and North Korea are among the most-sanctioned countries in the world. The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory, said Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Any kind of weapons trade between the two countries would violate several U.N. Security Council resolutions that permanent-member Russia endorsed. According to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, Putin is scheduled to arrive in the capital Tuesday and stay through Wednesday. Kim visited Russia's Far East in September. Both the United States and South Korea have also said that Russia has provided North Korea with technical assistance for its satellite program and food. The two countries have had a relationship since the Soviet Union aided in creating the state after the Korean War. Both Russia and China have blocked attempts by the U.S. and partners to impose more sanctions on North Korea over banned missile tests. A Russian veto at the United Nations in March ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea. Putin has also made plans to visit Vietnam, where he is scheduled to meet with General Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the Vietnamese Communist Party, President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. The United States, after spending years attempting to develop a relationship with Vietnam, responded to this information critically. As Russia continues to seek international support to sustain its illegal and brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate that no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities, said a statement by a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Vietnam. The government of Peru said Monday that it would investigate sex abuse allegations leveled by hundreds of Indigenous children against teachers in a jungle region of the South American country. A total of 524 cases of rape and abuse dating as far back as 2010 have been reported by girls and boys from the Awajun Indigenous group who attended public schools in the Condorcanqui province in Peru's north. The alleged crimes at school residences were revealed last month by Rosemary Pioc, representative of an Awajun women's association. "We have to investigate the facts. We'll stand with the victims," government spokesman Alberto Adrianzen told foreign correspondents Monday. "We reject all forms of sexual abuse." The announcement of an investigation came after two government ministers provoked widespread anger by equating the alleged abuse with "cultural practices." "To say that these are cultural practices is to endorse these actions. ... Rape is not a practice in our community," Pioc told RPP radio on Monday. Adrianzen said the victims "will have to receive comprehensive health care," including psychological help and HIV treatment if necessary. Peru's human rights ombudsman called Monday for implicated teachers to be "immediately removed" from the schools at which they taught. Four Russian deputy defense ministers on Monday were dismissed from their roles by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who replaced one with what European Union officials are describing as a close relative. The dismissal of defense deputies Nikolai Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, Tatiana Shevtsova and Pavel Popov follows April reports of bribery among multiple high-ranking ministry officials. Putin dismissed former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in May. Wire news reports indicate the dismissals are part of a military shakedown by Putin as part of an effort to strengthen Russian forces on the front lines in Ukraine. The last time the ministry saw a similar shift followed the February 2022 full-scale invasion. The four people filling the vacancies include Anna Tsivileva, a daughter of Putins late cousin. Tsivileva previously headed a Russian state fund to support troops, a position that was also presidentially appointed. The other newly appointed individuals are Pavel Fradkov, former deputy head of the presidential administration and son of former prime minister and foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov, former deputy economics minister Oleg Savelyev, and former high-ranking economic development official Leonid Gornin. The removals come after Putins recent preconditions for peace talks with Kyiv, which demands Ukraines full withdrawal of troops from Russian occupied portions of the country. Some information for this report came from Reuters and AFP. The 12-month grace period for student loan borrowers ended on September 30. The "on-ramp" period helped borrowers who are struggling to make payments avoid the risk of defaulting and hurting their credit score. "The end of the on-ramp period means the beginning of the potentially harsh consequences for student loan borrowers who are not able to make payments," said Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Around 43 million Americans have student loan debt, amounting to $1.5 trillion. Around eight million of those borrowers had enrolled in the SAVE plan, the newest income-driven repayment plan that extended the eligibility for borrowers to have affordable monthly student loan payments. However, this plan is currently on hold due to legal challenges. With the on-ramp period and a separate program known as Fresh Start ending and the SAVE plan on hold, student loan borrowers who are struggling to afford their monthly payments have fewer options, added Yu. Student loan borrowers who haven't been able to afford their monthly payments must consider their options to avoid going into default. If you have student loans, here's what you need to know. What was the on-ramp period? The Education Department implemented this grace period to ease the borrower's transition to make payments after a three-year payment pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this year-long period, borrowers were encouraged to keep making payments since interest continued to accumulate. "Normally, loans will default if you fall about nine months behind on making payments, but during this on-ramp period, missed payments would not move people towards defaulting and then being subject to forced collections. However, if you missed payments, you still be falling behind ultimately on repaying your loans," said Abby Shaforth, director of National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Since this grace period has ended, student loan borrowers who don't make payments will go delinquent or, if their loans are not paid for nine months, go into default. Borrowers who cannot afford to make payments can apply for deferment or forbearance, which pause payments, though interest continues to accrue. What happens if I don't make my payments? Borrowers who can't or don't pay risk delinquency and eventually default. That can badly hurt your credit rating and make you ineligible for additional aid and government benefits. If a borrower missed one month's payment, they will start receiving email notifications, said Shaforth. Once the loan hasn't been paid for three months, loan servicers notify to the credit reporting agencies that the loan is delinquent, affecting your credit history. Once the borrower hasn't paid the loan for nine months, the loan goes into default. If you're struggling to pay, advisers first encourage you to check if you qualify for an income-driven repayment plan, which determines your payments by looking at your expenses. You can see whether you qualify by visiting the Federal Student Aid website. If you've worked for a government agency or a non-profit organization, you could also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years. What happens when a loan goes into default? When you fall behind on a loan by 270 days roughly nine months the loan appears on your credit report as being in default. Once a loan is in default, it goes into collections. This means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go towards paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments. What if I can't pay? If your budget doesn't allow you to resume payments, it's important to know how to navigate the possibility of default and delinquency on a student loan. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid. If you're in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance allowing you to temporarily suspend payment. To determine whether deferment or forbearance are good options for you, you can contact your loan servicer. One thing to note: interest still accrues during deferment or forbearance. Both can also impact potential loan forgiveness options. Depending on the conditions of your deferment or forbearance, it may make sense to continue paying the interest during the payment suspension. What is an income-driven repayment plan? The U.S. Education Department offers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a fixed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have difficulty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that offer lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven options have been offered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower's discretionary income. If a borrower's earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased. What is the latest with the SAVE program? In August, the Supreme Court kept on hold the SAVE plan, the income-driven repayment plan that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts. Eight million borrowers who had already enrolled in the SAVE plan don't have to pay their monthly student loan bills until the court case is resolved. Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected. The next court hearing about this case will be held on October 15. What happened with the Fresh Start program? The Fresh Start program, which gave benefits to borrowers who were delinquent prior to the pandemic payment pause, also closed on September 30. During this limited program, student loan borrowers who were in default prior to the pandemic were given the opportunity to remove their loans from default, allowing them to enroll in income-driven payment plans, or apply for deferment, among other benefits. After a weekend peace summit on Ukraine, Russia's war in grinds on with fresh air attacks that leave tens of thousands without power. Nearly eighty countries represented at the Summit on Peace in Switzerland agreed that territorial integrity and principles of international law should be the basis for any negotiation. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea this week amid international concerns over the two countrys military cooperation. Despite Russias invasion, Ukraine remains a popular destination for overseas parents seeking surrogate mothers. Journalists reporting on the U.S. presidential election are facing significant physical and digital threats, says a media support group. Data released by the International Womens Media Foundation, or IWMF, found that with just five months to November 5, more than 37% of journalists have been threatened with physical violence and 30% say they were threatened online. The data is taken from a survey of more than 350 local journalists covering politics in eight swing states in the country. Those represented had taken part in newsroom safety workshops that the IWMF provided. The main areas of concern cited in the survey were threats, attacks or arrests at campaign rallies or protests, the survey found. Another issue is digital violence from right-wing extremist groups, said Nadine Hoffman, deputy executive director at IWMF. Nearly 40 percent of the 350+ journalists weve trained in the U.S. this year reported threats of or experiencing physical violence; 30% reported digital threats and attacks; 27% experienced legal threats, Hoffman told VOA via email. To help newsrooms better prepare for election coverage, the IWMF provided safety training in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We have upcoming training planned in Illinois and California. Well also be offering safety training at journalism conferences across the country this summer, said Hoffman. The organization believes that newsroom leaders need to instill a culture of safety to protect their reporters including freelancers from a range of threats. Risk is not one size fits all, and editors need to have open and honest conversations before sending their reporters into the field about how best to mitigate the risk they face, Hoffman said. For example, journalists of color, LGBTQI+ reporters, and women may face a greater risk of harassment both online and offline, she added. Data released by the Pew Research Center in June 2022 found more than a quarter of Black and Asian journalists and around a fifth of Hispanic journalists say they have experienced threats or harassment that centers on their race or ethnicity. I believe that press freedom depends on a diversity of voices and perspectives, and we need to offer more support to the journalists most at risk of being attacked based on their identities, so they are more likely to stay in the profession, said Hoffman. A rise in hostility toward the media in recent years led to workshops being offered on journalism safety for reporters inside the U.S. The journalists face threats all year round, which is why our training is necessary, said Hoffman. She added that the IWMF is joining with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to include sessions on legal rights for media. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which since 2017 has collected data on arrests, attacks and threats to journalists in the U.S., has documented an increase in threats to the media during elections. Election season is not the only time when journalists face threats considering the profession but there is an increase in the intensity of threats like physical violence, targeted interference, and online harassment during this time, said Harlo Holmes, head of digital security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. The foundation oversees the Tracker, which was founded by a coalition of press freedom organizations. I believe that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, especially when it comes to the safety of journalists, Holmes added. News crews should have a plan for if a situation escalates or turns violent. And journalists should clean up their online footprints to make sure personal information isnt easily available to trolls, Holmes said. The IWMFs Hoffman said newsrooms can better prepare with simple measures like the buddy system for teams, setting up a communications plan, and having crews check in at agreed-upon times with their editors when theyre on a potentially risky assignment like covering a protest or rally. Emphasizing the risk to mental health of journalists, Hoffman further suggests that the newsrooms should take trauma seriously. Covering school shootings, civil unrest or police brutality takes a toll, she said. The United States on Monday condemned the unjust sentencing of two activists in China, according to State Department officials. We urge the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) to immediately release Huang and Wang, as well as other individuals unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental freedoms, said a prepared statement by spokesperson Matthew Miller. We continue to call on the PRC to live up to its international commitments and to respect the human rights of all persons, including freedom of expression and fair trial guarantees. The statement follows a Guangzhou courts decision to sentence independent journalist Huang Xueqin and labor rights activist Wang Jianbing for inciting subversion of state power. Huang is facing up to five years in jail, while Wang could face up to three years and six months. The verdict comes almost 1,000 days after the two were imprisoned. Huang created a social media platform for victims to report sexual harassment during the peak of Chinas #MeToo movement. She shared surveys that stated that sexual harassment was a concern at universities and workplaces. She was also arrested in 2019 for joining the protest in Hong Kong. Wang has been an advocate for workers rights and for those with disabilities since 2014. According to the online support group Free Huang Xueqin & Wang Jianbing, Haung plans to appeal the sentence. "Stereophonic," the play about a Fleetwood Mac-like band recording an album over a turbulent and life-changing year, got a lighters-in-the-air cheer at the Tony Awards on Sunday, winning best new play while theater history was made for women as Broadway directors and score writers. "Stereophonic," the most-nominated play in Tony Awards history, is a hyper-naturalistic meditation on the thrill and danger of collaborating on art the compromises, the egos and the joys. It was written by David Adjmi with songs by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler. "Oh, no. My agent gave me a beta-blocker, but it's not working," Adjmi said. He added that the play took 11 years to manifest. "This was a very hard journey to get up here," he said. "We need to fund the arts in America." He dedicated it to all the artists out there. Danya Taymor whose aunt is Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony Award for directing a musical became the 11th woman to win the award. She helmed "The Outsiders," a gritty musical adaptation of the classic American young adult novel. "Thank you to the great women who have lifted me up," she said, naming producer Angelina Jolie among those on her list. Then Shaina Taub, only the second woman in Broadway history to write, compose and star in a Broadway musical, won for best score, following such writers as Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori. Taub, the force behind "Suffs," won for best book earlier in the night. Her musical is about the heroic final years of the fight to allow women to vote, leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment. "If you are inspired by the story of Suffs, please make sure you and everyone you know have registered to vote and vote, vote, vote!" she said. Taub also said the win was for all the loud girls out there: "Go for it," she urged. Earlier, Alicia Keys electrified the show when she teamed up with superstar Jay-Z on their hit "Empire State of Mind." Keys appeared at the piano on the stage of the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center as the cast of her semi-autobiographical musical, "Hell's Kitchen," was presenting a medley of songs. She began singing her and Jay-Z's 2009 smash before leaving the stage to join the rapper on some interior steps to wild applause. Host Ariana DeBose kicked off the telecast with an original, acrobatic number, and Jeremy Strong took home the first big award of the night as Broadway's biggest party opened its arms to hip-hop and rock fans. Strong, the "Succession" star, landed his first Tony for his work in the revival of Henrik Ibsen's 1882 political play "An Enemy of the People." The theater award for best lead actor in a play will sit next to his Emmy, Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe. The play is about a public-minded doctor in a small town who discovers the water supply for the public spa is contaminated, but his efforts to clean up the mess pit his ethics against political cowards. "This play is a cry from the heart," he said. Kara Young, the first Black performer to be nominated for a Tony three consecutive years in a row, won this time as best featured actress in a play for "Purlie Victorious," the story of a Black preacher's scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner. "Thank you to my ancestors," she said, adding thanks to her mom and dad, brother, partner, cast, her co-star Leslie Odom Jr. and her director, Kenny Leon. She saved her last thanks to playwright Ossie Davis and his star Ruby Dee, who originated the role. "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe cemented his stage career pivot by winning a featured actor in a musical Tony, his first trophy in five Broadway shows. He won for the revival of "Merrily We Roll Along," the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical that goes backward in time. "This is one of the best experiences of my life," Radcliffe said, thanking his cast and director. "I will never have it as good again." He also thanked his parents for playing Sondheim in the car growing up. Kecia Lewis, who plays a formidable piano teacher in "Hell's Kitchen," took home her first Tony. The 40-year veteran made her Broadway debut at 18 in the original company of "Dreamgirls" and endured amazing moments and heartbreak. "This moment is the one I dreamed of for those 40 years," she told the crowd. "Don't give up!" "Appropriate," Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play centered on a family reunion in Arkansas where everyone has competing motivations and grievances was named best play revival. Jacobs-Jenkins in his remarks thanked Davis, saying there would be no "Appropriate" without "Purlie Victorious." Three-time Tony-honored Chita Rivera got a tribute by Tony winners Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth. Images of her work in "Chicago," Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "West Side Story" were projected while dancers mimicked her hit numbers. DeBose, who won an Oscar in Rivera's old "West Side Story" role of Anita, also joined in. Thailand faces a critical week of court cases that could trigger a political crisis in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, with the fate of the prime minister and the main opposition hanging in the balance. Four cases before the courts on Tuesday involve the country's most powerful politicians: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, former prime leader Thaksin Shinawatra, the popular opposition Move Forward party and upper-house lawmakers. For decades, Thailand's politics has been shaped by a struggle between its conservative-royalist establishment, supported by the military, and populist parties such as those backed by Thaksin and the current opposition Move Forward party. "These cases highlight the fragility and complexity of Thailand's political climate," ANZ Research said in a note. "On the economic front, the immediate concerns are the potential for disruptive protests and delays to fiscal policy implementation." How is the prime minister involved? Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a political novice who took office last August, has been accused by a group of conservative senators of breaching the constitution when he appointed a former lawyer with a conviction record to his Cabinet. Srettha, who denies any wrongdoing, could face dismissal if the Constitutional Court rules against him. If Srettha is removed from office, a new government must be formed, and his ruling Pheu Thai party would need to put forward a new candidate for premier to be voted on by parliament. The court will likely announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday. What is the case against Thaksin? Thaksin, the influential former premier who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, is to be formally indicted in a criminal court in Bangkok Tuesday for allegedly insulting the countrys royalty and other charges linked to a 2015 media interview. The court will then decide whether to grant bail to the billionaire politician, who said he is innocent. "This case has no merit at all," he told reporters earlier this month. Thailand's lese-majeste law, one of the world's toughest, carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years for each perceived royal insult. The 74-year-old returned to Thailand to a rock star's reception last August after 15 years of self-imposed exile. Hours after his arrival, the Shinawatra family-backed Pheu Thai party and Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to pick the prime minister, fueling speculation that Thaksin had struck a deal with his former enemies in the conservative establishment. Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party have denied this. Is the opposition under threat? Another case could lead to the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward party, which has 30% of seats in the lower house after winning last year's closely fought election but was blocked by conservative lawmakers from forming a government. The dissolution of Move Forward's predecessor party, Future Forward, in 2020 over a campaign funding violation was among the factors that triggered massive anti-government street protests. The Constitutional Court is considering an Election Commission complaint that alleges the Move Forward party breached the constitution with an election campaign to reform the country's royal insult law. Move Forward, which denies any wrongdoing, ceased efforts to change the law following a January verdict from the same court that ruled the party's plan to amend the law was a hidden effort to undermine the monarchy. The court is expected to announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday. What about the senate election? The Constitutional Court will also deliver a verdict Tuesday on the ongoing selection of a new 200-member Senate, after accepting a petition questioning whether parts of the complex, three-tier process were lawful. If the process is canceled or delayed, it would temporarily extend the term of military-appointed lawmakers who have been central in determining government formation, including last year's maneuver to block Move Forward from forming a government. The current upper house was hand-picked by the military following a 2014 coup that ousted an elected Pheu Thai government that had been led by Thaksin's sister, who still lives in self-imposed exile. Tens of thousands of Muslim minority Rohingya are feared to be caught in fighting in western Myanmar, as a powerful armed ethnic group bears down on junta positions in a coastal town on the country's border with Bangladesh. The Arakan Army, which is fighting for autonomy for Myanmar's Rakhine region, said late on Sunday that residents of Maungdaw town, inhabited primarily by the Rohingya, should leave by 9 p.m. ahead of a planned offensive on the settlement. The Arakan Army's attack on Maungdaw is the latest in a months-long rebel onslaught against the Myanmar junta, which took power in a February 2021 coup, and now finds itself in an increasingly weakened position across large parts of the country. "We are going to attack the remaining posts" of the junta, the Arakan Army said in a statement, asking residents to stay clear of military positions in Maungdaw for their own safety. A junta spokesman did not respond to a call seeking comment. Around 70,000 Rohingya who are in Maungdaw are trapped as the fighting draws closer, said Aung Kyaw Moe, the deputy human rights minister in Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government. "They have nowhere to run to," he told Reuters. Thousands of Rohingya fled toward neighboring Bangladesh last month, seeking safety from the escalating conflict, although the neighboring country is reluctant to accept more refugees. Their movement was triggered by battles in and around the town of Buthidaung, about 25 km to the east of Maungdaw, that was captured by the Arakan Army after intense fighting during which the rebel group was accused of targeting the Rohingya community. The Arakan Army denies the allegations. Rohingya have faced persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar for decades. Nearly a million of them live in refugee camps in Bangladesh's border district of Cox's Bazar after fleeing a military-led crackdown in Rakhine in 2017. Scores of participants attending a two-day international summit in Switzerland on peace in Ukraine, signed a document saying that Ukraines territorial integrity should be the basis for a peace agreement with Russia and that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Moscow on ending the war. Texas Christian University professor Ralph Carter provides analysis. Israels military announced a tactical pause Sunday in daytime fighting around a critical aid route in Gaza. The plan falls short of a total cease-fire outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden. VOAs Ricki Rosen in Tel Aviv shares the details. U.S. soldier Gordon Black pleaded not guilty in a Russian court on Monday to charges of threatening to kill his girlfriend but admitted he was "partially" guilty of stealing from her, Russian state media said. Black, arrested last month in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, is one of at least a dozen Americans currently held in Russia on criminal charges, at a time of acute tension between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine. RIA news agency said the soldier, speaking through an interpreter, "partially" acknowledged his guilt on the charge of stealing 10,000 rubles ($113) from his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk's purse but said that "there was no intent." On the other charge, Black denies the accusation that he grabbed Vashchuk by the neck during a quarrel, causing her to fear for her life. RIA said Vashchuk testified that Black needed psychiatric help, not heavy punishment, and that she was not willing to reconcile with him because she had not received compensation. Another state news agency, TASS, quoted Vashchuk as saying that Black had been aggressive to her more than once. The pair had met in South Korea, where Black was stationed. The Pentagon has said that he broke army rules by traveling to Russia without authorization, having passed through China. Black has a wife and child in Texas. His wife, Megan, told Reuters last month that he and Vashchuk had a tempestuous relationship and that once, during a video call, she and her daughter saw Vashchuk pull a knife on Black and leave him with a bloodied face. Black's mother, Melody Jones, told Reuters he had followed his girlfriend to Russia even though they "fought like cats and dogs." Regarding the theft charge, TASS quoted Black as saying in court that he had transferred a total of over $500 to Vashchuk via an acquaintance before he was arrested - much more than the amount he was alleged to have stolen. TASS quoted Vashchuk as saying he had also contributed most of the cost of an apartment where they had been staying. Black said he had transferred about 300,000 rubles to her before he arrived in Vladivostok from South Korea. Both sides will present arguments in court at the next session on June 19, where Black will have a chance to make a concluding statement. JOHANNESBURG (REUTERS South Africa's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party will join an alliance of smaller opposition parties in parliament in a bid to take on the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance-led coalition government, it said on Sunday. The ANC and its largest rival, the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance, agreed on Friday to work together in a coalition it called "government of national unity," a step change after 30 years of ANC rule. Former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe party came in a surprisingly strong third in the May 29 election which saw the ANC lose its majority. MK won 14.6% of the vote, which translated into 58 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly. However, MK lawmakers boycotted the first sitting of the National Assembly on Friday after filing a complaint at the country's top court alleging vote-rigging, which the court dismissed as without merit. Reading a statement on behalf of Zuma, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela told reporters that the MK party will join the alliance called the "Progressive Caucus," which includes the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the center-left United Democratic Movement. This alliance commands close to 30% of the seats in the National Assembly, Ndhlela said, sitting next to Zuma - who had a cough but answered questions after the statement - and the leaders of a number of small parties. "This united effort is necessary because the 2024 election has also resulted in the consolidation of right-wing and reactionary forces who are opposed to economic freedom, radical economic transformation, racial equality and land repossession," he said. Ndhlela said that MK had decided to take up its seats in the National Assembly after receiving legal advice and that it would continue to raise its allegations of a rigged election in parliament and in courts. The Independent Electoral Commission has said the election was free and fair. Zuma also slammed the unity government -- which includes two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance -- calling it "meaningless" and a "white-led unholy alliance." Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday, with both sides accusing the other of being to blame for the incident. Known in Chinese as the Ren'ai Reef, the shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area. These have often taken place during Philippine attempts to supply a garrison of Filipino troops on a grounded navy vessel, the Sierra Madre, which serves to assert Manila's claims to the reef. The Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. The Chinese coast guard said that a Philippine resupply ship in the area had "ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side". It "approached the... Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision", Beijing said, accusing the ship of having "illegally broken into the sea near Ren'ai Reef". "The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law," it added. But the Philippine armed forces called China's version of events "misleading", decrying "the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone". Manila's national task force on the West Philippine Sea later said the Chinese vessels had "engaged in dangerous manoeuvres, including ramming and towing". "Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats," it said. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, meanwhile, vowed to defend his country's sovereignty, saying China's "dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted". "It should now be clear to the international community that China's actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea," he added. - Expansive claims - Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. It deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into militarised artificial islands. It has in recent months stepped up moves against Philippine vessels in the area around Second Thomas Shoal. This month, Manila accused Chinese boats of illegally seizing food and medicine airdropped to the Philippine outpost in the area. It was the first time supplies had been seized, the military said. Chinese personnel on the boats later dumped the items in the water, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said. It was not clear if they belonged to the Chinese coast guard or navy, the military said. China in response insisted the Sierra Madre was illegally grounded on the reef and urged the Philippines to "stop making trouble". - 'Dangerous' incursions - On Saturday, new Chinese coast guard rules took effect under which it can detain foreigners for alleged trespassing in the disputed sea. The Philippines has accused the Chinese coast guard of "barbaric and inhumane behaviour" against its vessels, and President Ferdinand Marcos has called the new rules a "very worrisome" escalation. China has defended its new coast guard rules. A foreign ministry spokesman said last month they were intended to "better uphold order at sea". Chinese coast guard vessels have used water cannon against Philippine boats multiple times, and there have been collisions that injured Philippine troops. The Group of Seven bloc on Friday criticised what it called "dangerous" incursions by China in the South China Sea. Confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict over the sea that could involve the United States and other allies. Trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes through the South China Sea annually, and huge unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under its seabed, though estimates vary greatly. ll-oho/smw/ser Sarah Paulson and Elle Fanning in Appropriate. Photo: Joan Marcus This review was originally published on December 18, 2023. At the 77th Tony Awards, Appropriate won three awards including, Best Revival of a Play. Plenty of therapists will tell you: When you have the urge to say but, pause and replace it with and. It sounds a little hokey, but and its a small, shockingly easy-to-open door into spaces of greater complexity. Those spaces can be terrifying to enter people structure their whole lives so as to avoid acknowledging the existence of the door and if we forced ourselves over the threshold more often, we might live in a different world altogether. I love you and youre hurting me. Hes suffering and what hes done isnt okay. Violent antisemitism is real and once again rising in the world, and Israel is acting indefensibly in Palestine. Branden Jacobs-Jenkinss writing lives entirely and electrically in the space of and. The cataclysms he builds toward are the result of simultaneous truths every one of them unfaceable, identity-destroying, or even, in plain fact, fatal for someone crowding and thickening the atmosphere like gas slowly leaking from a stove, until at last the igniter sparks. In Appropriate, the air is so clotted its barely breathable. Jacobs-Jenkinss 2013 play takes place during a queasy reunion of three adult siblings at the former plantation in Arkansas that belonged to their recently deceased father and, if anything, the past ten years have only taken a whetstone to the storys blade. There was a big debate about whether to update it, Jacobs-Jenkins told the New York Times. I didnt think I could, because these people would look like true idiots if they had not paid attention to what everyone else has paid attention to since then. Although that makes sense, whats striking is that the play doesnt sound like a smart period piece. The voices Jacobs-Jenkins has fashioned for his cast of white characters all talking like white people around other white people, in their private home, in the South are still devastatingly credible, even after that decade of cultural shift. In the sensitive hands of director Lila Neugebauer and her top-notch cast, these people are complicated and theyre blinkered, monstrous and pitiable, trying and failing, not individually hateful and collectively matured in a slow cooker of unexamined bias and malice. First, theres Toni (the absolutely fearsome Sarah Paulson), eldest of the Lafayette siblings. With a bitter divorce and a messy job loss right in the rearview mirror, Toni has arrived in Arkansas in a righteous fury, dragging her teenage son, Rhys (Graham Campbell), in her wake and determined to organize the estate sale and auction of her fathers house herself (Mom fired the estate people, Rhys dully informs one of his uncles). In from New York are the Kramer-Lafayettes: Tonis brother Bo (a perfectly pitched Corey Stoll); his wife, Rachael (Natalie Gold); and their kids, 13-year-old Cassidy (Alyssa Emily Marvin, wonderful in her repeated frustrated howls of Im almost an adult!) and 8-year-old chaos-rocket Ainsley (I saw Lincoln Cohen, who alternates with Everett Sobers in the role). And if thats not enough personality already packed into the old plantation, the estranged youngest sibling, Franz (Michael Esper), has just snuck in through the window with his willowy, sage-burning, part-time-vegan-chef fiancee, River (Elle Fanning, making her Broadway debut with serene Shes making jewelry now energy). Jacobs-Jenkins, who often speaks of his fascination with the 19th-century melodramatist Dion Boucicault (and whose stupendous adaptation of Boucicaults The Octoroon won him the 2014 Obie, jointly with that years Off Broadway premiere of Appropriate), knows how to build an intricate structure on top of a land mine. The Lafayette siblings and their various familial appendages are already bringing enough of their own combustible material onto the stage to power a three-act play, but we know from the beginning that the clamor of their bickering will be dwarfed inside a greater symphony of nightmarish uproar. We know because the first thing we hear, as soon as the theater goes dark, is the droning of cicadas, rising and warping until sound designers Bray Poor and Will Pickens have our brains vibrating with the shrieking cacophony part mesmerizing and part horrible, like so many banshees. (The plays opening stage directions specify that this incessant chatter should go on long enough to make the audience wonder, Is this it? Is this the whole show?) Spirits are as real as we are, warns River, and shes more right than she knows. The Lafayette homestead has blood in the floorboards, in the lake, in the trees. The cicadas are the hum of all this unacknowledged carnage, all this buried history and, in their mating dance, theyre also the hum of desire, the desperate struggle of something new trying to be born. Their song softens but never goes away (Is this the whole show? No and yes). Its always in the background and in the moments when the characters have the wool ripped from their eyes, it surges like a cresting wave. What are you Oh my God, says Rachael, distractedly grabbing something Ainsley has pulled off a shelf somewhere in the big old house. Its the bomb weve been waiting for: an old photo album full of pictures of the lynched bodies of Black people. Rachael drops it as if it has just emerged from a 500-degree oven. It lies there smoking. Now, for the rest of the play, the family will play a particularly grisly game of hot potato. That Jacobs-Jenkins recognizes and structures the consequent appalling events with such ludic precision is part of what makes his play so sharp: Hes using the building blocks of comedy, even farce, to reveal a smoldering chasm of cruelty, cowardice, equivocation, and shame. It is funny, and it does burn. Crucially, though, its not played for laughs. Neugebauer understands that the layer Jacobs-Jenkins is adding to the conventional undulations of melodrama a family with damning secrets, a haunted estate on the brink of loss, a plot full of gaspy twists is to turn its stock cutouts into people, catastrophic failings and all. In 2014, my predecessor, Jesse Green, disagreed: He saw the Lafayettes as nasty and flat. I cant speak to that production, but I can imagine an Appropriate that pushes too hard for morbid humor, that tries to send up its floundering souls which is a way of saying, Look at these fools; we know better rather than granting them, however unearned, a measure of grace. Neugebauer has bravely steered in the opposite direction. She and her actors are taking the risk of taking these people seriously. And it is a risk. The Lafayettes are those other white people, exactly the ones we and here I mean we lefty white theatergoing folks, in all our anxious 2023 hyper-self-awareness want to distance ourselves from. But Paulson, Stoll, Esper, and their castmates are all doing their goddamned job, which is to make it hard, despite everything, for us to dismiss them and their pain out of hand. I believe that everyone onstage is suffering, Jacobs-Jenkins told the Times. They all believe they are suffering. But how do we judge how can we judge someone else as suffering or not? When Franz crumples in agony, shouting, Its been ten years! How much more am I supposed to suffer for my mistakes, Toni?! Why wont you let me be different?, we know the nauseating depths of Franzs mistakes, and yet we have to consider the question. To Franzs siblings, hes Frank, and River admits to Toni that her given name is Patricia. Their desire for total transformation becomes a real ethical quandary: They say they want to change should they be allowed to? Who grants permission? Whose forgiveness is needed? That apology isnt yours! shrieks Toni at her brother Bo as he half-heartedly moves to accept an Im sorry from wayward Franz. That apology isnt for you to accept! That forgiveness isnt for you! Its for me! Its mine! Paulsons voice hoarsens and cracks; fury leaks out of her pores. Shes enacting the tragedy of the plays double-edged title: Its root words mean to own. The verb to appropriate still carries its etymology more overtly, but the adjective is whats interesting something is appropriate if it feels comfortably ownable, if we want to acknowledge and possess it. Its inappropriate if we dont want to associate with it, if we refuse to lay claim to it. Descended from enslavers, the Lafayettes are still as brutally certain of what is theirs that apology, a third of this house, my daddy as what absolutely isnt. Who is Emmett Till? asks Cassidy, Googling around on her phone. I dont know, replies River. I didnt enslave anybody! screams Bo, his reasonable facade finally crumbling into the jagged shards of shortsighted white resentment. Neugebauer is doing fine work with the whole ensemble, and Paulson and Stoll provide a supercharged core. He tries to stay rational and cool while she runs molten hot, but even as Toni may seem like the most closed off of the three siblings, the most resolutely in denial of the accumulating facts, whats really going on is thornier than that and sadder. Wasnt I doing what I was supposed to be doing? she asks wretchedly. Taking care? Shes the crazy person, the bitch, the sabotaging fucking cunt and she meekly asks her teenage son for a hug every time she talks to him. In a moment of deadly calm, she says to her brothers, You know what I just realized? Ive known both you idiots your whole entire lives I remember holding both of you Theres no one alive whos held me And think whatever you want about him now, but Daddy held me. Toni sees herself as having spent her life caring for others. She sees her father as having cared for her. Its not that shes in denial over the photos, the history, the facts its that shes incapable of prioritizing them above her own emotional experience. Horribly, both are the truth. In the introduction to James Baldwins play Blues for Mister Charlie which is distantly based on Emmett Tills murder he described how he long avoided sitting down to write the piece because he feared he wouldnt be able to create a true picture of the murderer. In life, he wrote, obviously, such people baffle and terrify me and, with one part of my mind at least, I hate them and would be willing to kill them. Yet, with another part of my mind, I am aware that no man is a villain in his own eyes. Something in the man knows must know that what he is doing is evil; but in order to accept that knowledge the man would have to change The human being, then, in order to protect himself, closes his eyes, compulsively repeats his crimes, and enters a spiritual darkness which no one can describe. But if it is true, and I believe it is, that all men are brothers, then we have a duty to try to understand this wretched man; and while we probably cannot hope to liberate him, begin working toward the liberation of his children. In this schema, the Lafayette siblings are both parent and child, and its not their active malevolence that has begun to trickle down to the younger generation but their selfishness and unconcern. Things come out of Rhyss and Cassidys mouths that give the lie to Oscar Hammersteins optimistic lyric Youve got to be carefully taught. The dreadful truth is that its just the opposite: The teaching is automatic, easy the poison enters by osmosis. What really takes care is the unlearning. But that is a house that the Lafayettes havent yet acknowledged they own. Appropriate is at the Hayes Theater. Photo: Matthew Murphy Editors note, June 16, 2024: This review was published on October 10, 2023. At the 77th Tony Awards, Merrily We Roll Along won four awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Heres a thing about the so-called classics: We may have all sorts of feelings, valid ones, about how often they come back around, what was wrong with them in the first place, whats wrong with them now, and what may or may not be worthier of a current airing; but the fact that they come back around forces us to pause and do that most imperative and unsettling of things reconsider. To look at something again really means looking at ourselves again: approaching the same mirror ready to see a different reflection, perhaps even ready to admit that we no longer agree with our past selves. In the Russian director Anatoly Efross rehearsal diaries, he returns to Three Sisters several times over the course of many years. One later entry begins, Perhaps the beginning of Three Sisters should not be exactly as I thought before. Another, still later: Obviously, our production of Three Sisters was not clear enough. The old plays that keep coming back make us confront the possibility frightening, vital of change. Four years ago, in a different world, I reviewed a production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furths Merrily We Roll Along, and in large part I blamed the book (by Furth, based on the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart) for the shows limited effectiveness. I was hardly the first: When Merrily premiered in 1981, my colleague Frank Rich, then writing for the New York Times, famously called it a shambles, holding Furths book responsible for its major dramatic failure, anticlimactic plot exposition, and unearned nastiness. A rewrite came along later, and the show has been back through New York a few times, but never at Broadway scale. Now a starry new version of this hot-take-magnet of a musical rolls along, and I find myself facing the mirror, reconsidering. Perhaps Merrily is not exactly as I thought before. The hype around Maria Friedmans production (which ran at NYTW last December and began its life ten years ago at Londons Menier Chocolate Factory in what was, remarkably, her directorial debut) has involved a lot of excited language about solving or saving the play. I dont know about that the chatter feels a bit flat and final to me but I do know this: Friedman and her ensemble render the show exquisite. The nastiness Rich spoke of is nowhere to be found. The cynicism and jadedness that have tended to hang in a sour cloud around the backwards-told story of the gradual selling out of three big-dreaming artistic friends theyve mellowed into honest heartache. Something has shifted, a key has subtly but significantly changed, and the shows bitterness has been lovingly infused with sweet. Friedman understands something crucial about Merrily, one of those elusive things that seems so simple when we actually, at last, see it happen: We need to love the three aspiring hearts who begin the play middle-age suffering, compromised, hating each other and end it as 20-year-old music-makers and dreamers of dreams. I mean, really love them enough that, as we watch their story reassemble itself, like a rewound film of a shattered vase, our hearts cant help cracking, in an inverse relationship to the thing were seeing be repaired, the thing we know, in real time, is still broken. Love them enough that our knowing the structural inevitability of the play is neither a flaw nor, in fact, the point. And we need to see that they really love each other. Furths book with its quippishness and its lack of deep character background cant be solely depended on for this, nor, even, can Sondheims inimitable lyrics and often ravishing music. You need actors, and not just anyone. Enter, as a gloriously playful and supportive trio, Lindsay Mendez, Jonathan Groff, and Daniel Radcliffe. This crack teams commitment to each other, and to getting at the storys innards, starts immediately that is, immediately after the shows fantastic overture and its eerily bright-eyed title number. (The wonderful band, conducted by Joel Fram, plays with precision and gusto from the second story of Soutra Gilmours slick and evocative David Hockneyesque set.) Its 1976, and were at a swanky party in Bel Air. Franklin Shepard (Groff) has just produced a hit film. Everyone whos anyone is at his L.A. mansion, toasting to the future. He has taste, he has talent / Is he the best? sings the simpering ensemble. Plus a fine head for business / The man is blessed. Merrily takes a risk by introducing its protagonists at their most unlikeable point. Frank, we learn, is a brilliant composer who has largely put his art aside to make money producing popular schlock. (The movie, apparently, is terrible.) Hes also cheating on his actress wife, Gussie Carnegie (Krystal Joy Brown), with the younger actress (Talia Simone Robinson) whos starring in his new film. (A similar affair with Gussie, years earlier, destroyed his marriage to his first wife, Beth, played by a bright, sympathetic Katie Rose Clarke.) Meanwhile, his deepest, closest, best friend in all the world his words the theater critic Mary Flynn (Mendez), is sitting in a corner drinking herself into a dull, contemptuous fury, getting ready to poop the party in spectacular fashion. Frank and Marys former kindred spirit, the Pulitzer-winning playwright Charley Kringas (Radcliffe), is absent; at this point, his name is anathema. Its possible for Frank to swing and schmooze his way through this scene as the worst version of himself: Who says, Lonely at the top? / I say, Let it never stop! he sings to his crowd of sycophants. But Groff is an actor whos able to communicate hurt and humanity even through a carapace of ego and moral deficiency. (In this way he reminds me of Matthew Macfadyen: Who among us has any business feeling empathy for Tom Wambsgans? And yet ) All through Merrilys opening scene, Groffs eyes are dead hollows deep, dark wells with reservoirs of tears way down at the bottom, threatening to make their way up. He smiles, he sings, his body propels itself around the room, and hes not there. His Frank is the worst version of himself, but he knows it, and hes terribly alone and afraid. Watching Groff who, as the show moves forward and backward, becomes visibly younger: driven, yes, but also sweet and earnest, almost puppyish I thought of Chekhovs successful, unprincipled writer Trigorin, who tells his lover: I havent got any willpower. I never have had Go on, take me, take me away with you. But please, dont ever let me out of your sight. Groff makes clear that Franks is a tragedy of weakness, not simply of greed. Which is why poor Mary, who loves him and has tried to serve as his backbone, has been dragged down, too. Mendez is marvelous as Mary, the shows toughest role and a part that can be all angles and jabs a mess of sloshed vodka and bitter zingers a la Elaine Stritch. But Mendez isnt hardened or ironic: Shes still, after all these years and despite all her sharps, faithful, open, and vulnerable. I tell everything, then go home and suffer, she says to the boys in the plays last scene the long-ago, youthful meeting of the characters, up on a roof in their pajamas, trying to get a glimpse of Sputnik. Mendez takes young Mary at her word, beginning the play with that core truth still true. She keeps the characters heart exposed, and though it takes beating after beating, it never closes up. Her rendition of the beautiful Like It Was is simple and wrenching. She sits with her shoulders a little hunched, looking suddenly childlike, and her clear, flexible voice pours out imploringly but without shaking. You and me, she sings to Charley, we were nicer then. And Charley! As the twitching, high-integrity, high-anxiety writer, Radcliffe is a complete delight. Next to Groffs Frank, whos tall, square-shouldered, and at least outwardly self-possessed, Radcliffe is a vibrating sprite, the kind of person whose big brain you can practically see smoking as it spins. Not long after the show begins, Charley has to launch into one of its fastest, most relentless songs certainly its most enraged. Franklin Shepard, Inc. is a public breakdown set to music, a frantic, brutally funny screed in which Charley excoriates his estranged best friend and collaborator on live TV. Its an acrobatic number, and Radcliffe full-on sticks the landing. In the applause that follows (and indeed, throughout the show), theres something very special radiating from him, even through all Charleys angst: Its the undiluted, joyful rush of performing onstage. The enlivening pulse created by Radcliffe, Mendez, and Groff gains strength and drive through the productions rock-solid ensemble. Gilmour (also the costume designer) dresses them in softly period, unified swaths of color as the play moves back in time blues, then beiges, then, in the lavish, La Dolce Vitaish early 60s, in hard black and white. Theres something smart happening here: Groff, as Frank, wears varyingly sophisticated versions of the same white shirt and black trousers throughout the show, but at the top of Act Two, as Gussie (not yet his wife) seductively introduces him to The Blob a pulsating swarm of influentials, the ones who know everyone that everyone knows Franks clothes match the companys for the first time. He is, whether consciously or not, getting sucked into something. No it already has him. Some shows can withstand miscasting turns out, Merrily cant. (Its often said that the casting of very young actors was a large part of the original productions failure.) Even the big producer, Joe Josephson, who can come off as a Hollywood hack with dollar signs for pupils, is brought a sense of hangdog appeal by Reg Rogers. You get the feeling that Josephson is affable at heart, tired in soul, and that even he might have had ideals once. Friedmans great insight perhaps owing to her own long career onstage is to have sought out actors she, and we, can entirely trust, and to trust them. (It sounds simple. Its not.) She locates the plays potential to be caring rather than callous not on the page but in the specific human beings who are here, doing this thing, right now. A central trio as sensitive and superb as this one doesnt just make Merrily more moving; it makes it much more fun. It even adds a faint glimmer of something resembling hope. If Frank can reconsider, then he may yet change. Or he may not. But either way, an actor must show us, as Groff does, a true encounter with the mirror. With their irresistible energy and chemistry, Mendez, Groff, and Radcliffe lift Merrily up, yet keep it grounded with real, apparent affection and emotional heft. They are the ones reviving the play, by revealing and jump-starting its heart. Merrily We Roll Along is at the Hudson Theatre. From Purlie Victorious at the Music Box Theatre. Photo: Marc J. Franklin This article was originally published on April 27, 2023. At the 77th Tony Awards, Kara Young won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. At the Music Box Theatre, the house lights fade and a recording of director Kenny Leons voice welcomes us to the show so far, so standard. But this announcement goes on to do more than ask us to turn off our cell phones. Leon lets us know that this production is the first major revival of Ossie Daviss Purlie Victorious since its 1961 Broadway run. (The last time New York saw the writer-director-actor-activists play, Ringo hadnt yet joined the Beatles.) Then Leon asks us to lean in: He tells us that this play is built on both humor and rage and that we should sit forward, get set, and open ourselves up to both. Finally, he asks, spread the word if we like it, we should gram it, TikTok it, tell a friend! And if we dont, we should keep our mouths shut. That jokes a golden oldie, but it tends to crop up at the end of fringe shows. Whats happening in this big commercial house is subtle but striking: The production is both setting its terms in a climate of distraction and disruption, it is explicitly asking its audience to know what were showing up for and to show up for it and confessing its vulnerability. Every piece of theater thats not a product of the Disneyverse feels like an especially perilous leap of faith these days, even amid the affluence of Broadway. It requires the kind of spirit that animates both Daviss protagonist and his audaciously funny firecracker of a play: that divine impatience without which nothing truly good, or truly bad, or even truly ridiculous, is ever accomplished in this world. Happily, I have no need to keep my mouth shut about Purlie Victorious. (Conveniently, too, since my job is to run it constantly.) Fast, fierce, and big-hearted, the show crackles with the verve of its central performances, and the play, at 62 years old, feels wittier, braver, less careful, and more caring than much contemporary writing. Both unflinching and generous, its just about as sharp as satire gets. Set in the Jim Crow South of the late 50s or early 60s (Time: The recent past, says the script), Purlie follows the story of a magnetic aspiring preacher, Purlie Victorious Judson. His name is pronounced like pearly, and hes played with sparkling showmanship by Hamiltons Tony- and Grammy-winning Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom Jr. Purlie has just blown back through the doors of his childhood home in Georgia with a cunning plan. Hes going to buy the towns old church, Big Bethel, set up shop in its pulpit, and liberate his friends and neighbors from the tyranny of Ol Capn Cotchipee (Jay O. Sanders), the linen-wearing, whip-wielding landowner in the big white house up the hill who has essentially re-enslaved the local sharecroppers through debt and who lives his life according to the credo God is still a white man. Crucial to Purlies scheme are his brother, Gitlow (Billy Eugene Jones); his sister-in-law, Missy (Heather Alicia Simms); and especially the young protegee he has taken under his wing, Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (Kara Young). Plucked from a junior choir in Alabama and spirited back to Georgia, Lutiebelle is the key to Purlies whole enterprise. Shes supposed to impersonate his dead cousin Bee, for whom Ol Capn is holding a $500 inheritance in trust. Freedom, Missy, thats what Big Bethel means, Purlie rhapsodizes in the face of his sister-in-laws hesitation. For you, me, and Gitlow. And we can buy it for $500, Missy. Freedom! You want it, or dont you? Davis originated the role of Purlie himself, alongside his multi-hyphenate wife, Ruby Dee, as the hopeful, seemingly hapless Lutiebelle. The ceaseless bravado of both roles isnt just impressive; its radical, and its moving. When the industry was still casting Black actors as maids and bellhops, Davis crafted an extraordinary pair of characters for himself, his partner, and teams of actors to come (though given the plays long hibernation, not nearly enough of them). Odom and Young leap into their parts with the trust and panache of a couples trapeze act. Unsurprisingly, Odoms got charisma for days, and this time, hes playing a character whos not seething and contained like Burr. Hes hardly ever still, darting and dancing across the stage, a man ablaze with vision a man were delighted to believe when he insists, I aint never in all my life told a lie I didnt mean to make come true, some day! We somehow dont resent him at all (though we may laugh at him a little) when he turns to the starry-eyed Lutiebelle in a moment of soaring rhetorical passion and pops, well, a question: Theres something I want to ask you something I never in all my life thought Id be asking a woman would you I dont know exactly how to say it would you Would you be my disciple? Another Lutiebelle might have found herself lost underneath the laugh this line gets. But not Kara Young. Yes, Odom gets the entrance applause, and yes, he could charm the shell off a snail, but Young is the real revelation of the show. Her Lutiebelle, fantastically funny and completely rooted, is the kind of performance young actors should study. Shes got heavyweight-class comedic chops the way she flicks her wide-eyed gaze from target to target, the way her voice jumps and dives and cracks, the brilliantly warped gait she adopts when, while wearing Cousin Bees fancy, constricting duds, she tries to waltz her way out of Ol Capns commissary with $500. (Its as if shes doing Blanche DuBois while trying to carry an invisible pineapple between her knees.) Its challenge-level clowning and all the more impressive because its so grounded, so full of intense intention and need. Young creates a woman whos essentially sitting on top of a geyser: Theres the decorous mask she has been trained to present, especially to white folks like her former employer Miz Emmylou, and then there are the absolute torrents of awe, desire, and her own divine impatience that rumble under the surface, shooting out in rainbows every time they find a crack. That Would you be my disciple line? Its great and whats even greater is the ecstatic basso profundo in which Youngs Lutiebelle responds, her whole body vibrating from the root chakra outward, Oh yes, Rebn Purlie, yes!!! Performances like Youngs and Odoms would go a long way toward carrying any show, but here, theyre far from alone in making Daviss text sing and dance. Leons whole ensemble is aces from the hulking, roaring, sputtering Sanders (particularly good when he plays up what a needy child Ol Capn really is) to Noah Robbins as Charlie Cotchipee, the well-meaning kid Ol Capn acknowledges with chagrin as my boy, my own lily-white, Anglo-Saxon, semi-Confederate son, who has somehow managed to hold on to a conscience. Heather Alicia Simms and Vanessa Bell Calloway are both sharp, witty, and poignant without sentimentality as the plays two matriarchal figures, the formidable Missy Judson and Idella Landy, the wry, worldly-wise housekeeper who essentially raised Charlie. And as Gitlow Judson, Billy Eugene Jones is doing extraordinarily committed, gutsy, and delicate work in what may be the plays toughest role. Gitlows name is a harsh pun: His particular role both in Purlies scheme and in his own daily life for reasons of subversion and survival is to dance attendance on Ol Capn. Always so high and mighty, he launches at Purlie in a moment of defiance. Dont pay no tention to Gitlow; naw hes a Tom. Tease him low-rate him laugh at ol Gitlow; he aint nothing but a fool! A part like Gitlow is explosive material. Its funny as hell and no laughing matter, and Jones threads that needle with utmost grace. Theres a bit of singing in his part, and it turns out he also has a gorgeous voice. (In 1970, there was a musical adaptation of Purlie, and something tells me a lot of this cast would probably be just as at home in full song as they are in Daviss buoyant, melodic text.) Purlie shares a good deal of DNA with the best of the fast-talking, vaudeville-inspired plays and films of the 1930s and 40s the dialogue whizzes and twinkles, and the physical comedy demands both scale and agility. Leon keeps it flying along at a gallop, fast enough that you have to lean in, and the list of why-dont-they-write-jokes-like-this-anymore moments is long. A taste: As Lutiebelle picks her way through the minefield of reciting Cousin Bees past in front of Ol Capn, she flubs a part of it But Henrietta had already died, herself: largely from smallpox. No! hisses Purlie behind her, and she course-corrects with a rictus grin: Smally from large pox? Good satire also has to sting, and the shows laughter never lets us off the hook. Its just that, when it comes down to it, the play doesnt worship a god of anger. In a lot of ways, Purlie is a trickster story, which means it runs on a combination of brains, guts, and charisma; its deities are Anansi and Coyote and Brer Rabbit; and it was probably always destined to offend the congenitally serious. Looking back on his play several decades later, Davis wrote that even his dearest friends were far from united over it. Some, he recalled, felt Purlie was condescending, if not demeaning, that the cause was serious, and laughter was the last thing we needed White folks already looked upon us as a race of clowns [and] what we needed from the theater was not buffoons but heroes hurling invectives a play with characters speaking manfully of our anguish To them, humor was not a weapon; it was rather a confirmation of our cowardice. But courage has many faces, and a revolution takes all sorts and one made up only of unsmiling soldiers is likely to lead only to war. What Davis summoned with Purlie, and what Leons revival makes joyously clear, is a different kind of divinity. When Purlie says he has never told a lie he didnt mean to make come true, he isnt just cracking wise. He is, just as Lewis Hyde describes in his marvelous study Trickster Makes This World, opening a door. Trickster, writes Hyde, isnt a run-of-the-mill liar and thief. When he lies and steals, it [is] to disturb the established categories of truth and property and, by so doing, open the road to possible new worlds. Purlie Victorious is at the Music Box Theatre. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Its not every day that a producer assistant gets to attend the Tonys, let alone see her show win Best Musical. But thats the night Vivienne Jolie-Pitt had. Angelina Jolie took daughter Vivienne to the 2024 Tony Awards during which the show she helped produce, The Outsiders, won Best Musical. Vivienne got to take the stage when The Outsiders won, as well as posing for pics with Outsiders score and co-book writer Justin Levine and Idina Menzel. The Jolies showed up on the red carpet in coordinating sea foam green fits: a gown for Angelina and a vest-bowtie combo for Vivienne. Angelina has spoken before about how Vivienne got her involved in Broadway. She saw an early workshop a few times and then invited me to it, she told People. She has been there to assist in any way she can and has learned so much from Justin Levine and the whole creative team. Without the source materials Sophies Choice torment, its just another scene of violence in a show full of scenes of violence. Photo: HBO Spoilers for the House of the Dragon season-two premiere, A Son for a Son, and relevant portions of George R.R. Martins books Fire & Blood and The World of Ice & Fire. Mark this day down for the unlikely words I am about to type: The child-murder scene in the House of the Dragon season-two premiere, A Son for a Son, should have been more base and barbaric. Simply killing a child offscreen isnt enough. Let me explain! For all of HOTDs explicitness crabs and crows feasting on corpses, fully nude sex scenes, age-gap incest, that time we saw the decayed half of King Viseryss face its been steadfastly subdued when it comes to violence involving children. We didnt see Prince Luceryss body ripped apart after Aemond and Vhagar chomped him, nor did we spend too much time with the underage fighters in Flea Bottom (unlike Aegon). Theres conservative wisdom in leaving George R.R. Martins most depraved descriptions of, say, child prostitutes on the page and off the screen. But the changes HOTD made to the source material when it comes to Blood and Cheeses attack on the royal family are anticlimactic not because they denied us a glimpse of the brutality inflicted upon Jaehaeryss body, or excluded the rape threats Cheese made to the boys twin sister, but because the scene as written in Martins Fire & Blood and The World of Ice & Fire has a level of emotional agony and reckless cruelty that HOTD fails to re-create. Without Helaenas Sophies Choice torment of being forced to choose which child shes going to save and which shes going to let die, its just another scene of violence in a show full of scenes of violence. As the war between Teams Black and Green heats up, HOTD has deviated from Martins books to suggest that the conflicts major moments were a series of accidents. Alicent misunderstands Viseryss use of the name Aegon, assuming he wanted their firstborn son to rule instead of Rhaenyra; Aemond describes Vhagars murder of Lucerys as unintentional. Now, Daemon sends Blood and Cheese to kill Aemond in retaliation, with the series cutting away from Daemons negotiations with the assassins before we see his answer to whether they should kill other members of the royal family if they cant find Aemond. This storytelling approach keeps the characters from becoming too villainous, creates intrafamilial tension when members of the same team disagree with each others choices, and positions the characters as antiheroes we can root for in line with HOTDs all must choose marketing. But it also makes these characters look like they dont know what theyre doing, an approach that undermines Daemon in particular, sapping his commission of Blood and Cheese of the nefariousness it has in the text. This man murdered his first wife in cold blood, and youre making one of his most heinous decisions a whoops? In Fire & Blood, Daemon isnt interested in going after Aemond (at this point, anyway), nor does he go to Kings Landing himself. Daemon knows the more devastating play is taking out one of Aegons heirs as Aemond took Rhaenyras. From Harrenhal, Daemon sends a message to the Black Council on Dragonstone (An eye for an eye, a son for a son. Lucerys shall be avenged) and taps Mysaria, who is still in the capital, to find two appropriate mercenaries. Martin writes of the two men, One had been a serjeant in the City Watch; big and brutal, he had lost his gold cloak for beating a whore to death whilst in a drunken rage. The other was a ratcatcher in the Red Keep. Their true names are lost to history. They are remembered (would that they were not!) as Blood and Cheese. A Son for a Son slides into horror-movie mode once Daemon sneaks into the city to enlist the pair. Director Alan Taylors camera floats alongside them and their dog assistant as they make their way through the Red Keeps claustrophobic sewers and shadowy staircases. The lighting provided by their fiery torches is stark and vivid, while Ramin Djawadis score evokes a frantic caterwaul. As soon as Blood and Cheese enter Helaenas quarters, though, the scene screeches to a dramatic halt. In Martins writing, Helaena and Aegon have three children: 6-year-old twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera and 2-year-old son Maelor. The crux of the Blood and Cheese scene, what makes it so sickening and what provides it with agonizing impact beyond merely the death of a child (which weve already seen tons of in this story), is that the self-described debt collectors make Helaena choose which of her sons is going to live and then kill the son she opted to save instead of the one she fingered for death. This whole exchange is only a couple paragraphs long, but it is packed with horrific details that linger in ones memory: On her knees, weeping, Helaena named her youngest, Maelor. Perhaps she thought the boy was too young to understand, or perhaps it was because the older boy, Jaehaerys, was King Aegons firstborn son and heir, next in line to the Iron Throne. You hear that, little boy? Cheese whispered to Maelor. Your momma wants you dead. Then he gave Blood a grin, and the hulking swordsman slew Prince Jaehaerys, striking off the boys head with a single blow. The queen began to scream. Helaenas desperation and shock at her elder sons death, Maelors knowledge that his mother picked him to die, Jaehaera old enough to understand everything going on, Helaena having to live with what happened its a macabre menagerie that emphasizes exactly how ruinous this war will be. There will be intentional decisions made within Teams Green and Black that will tear families apart and haunt them for generations. House of the Dragons adaptation, while effective in its use of limited perspective (we only hear Blood and Cheese sawing off Jaehaeryss head, a nightmarish squelching sound design), doesnt hit as much emotionally as it does visually and aurally. In the series, Aegon and Helaena have only the aged-down twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. Phia Saban has been solidly spooky as Helaena in the series reimagining of her as somewhat clairvoyant (her line delivery of Im afraid not the dragons, the rats is solid foreshadowing), but when faced with Blood and Cheese, the scant dialogue underserves her. Shes rigid and barely speaks, offering her necklace as barter before quickly identifying Jaehaerys. Neither reaction feels as intense as this scene needs, and theres no attempt from her to save her son, even though she knows hes the kingdoms only male heir. This isnt to suggest that the only valid emotions in a traumatic situation are big, exaggerated ones. However, since Helaenas marriage to Aegon, HOTD has primarily coded her as a mother; giving her the impossible choice from the text would have accentuated whatever conflicted, pressured, or dutiful feelings she has about motherhood and her children. Without the terrible choice to bring her into sharper focus, and without more proactivity from Helaena in the episode, this scene passes by without the acute theres no turning back from this feeling it should have. There should be magnitude and mania (in the novels, Helaena basically goes insane from the guilt of her choice, and Alicent takes over raising Maelor) and a suggestion not just for what the death of Jaehaerys will mean for Aegon (who gets a requisite I love my son scene earlier in the episode), but for Helaena, too, whose involvement so far in this war and the series, for that matter has felt fairly ancillary. Its odd, then, that A Son for a Son chooses to end not on Helaenas grief or a personalized sense of her loss (They killed the boy is weirdly cold, even accepting, phrasing, isnt it?), but on the confused face of Alicent, caught having sex with Kingsguard Lord Commander Criston Cole (a dalliance that perhaps led him to ignore his security duties, allowing Blood and Cheese to slide in). Alicent and Coles oath-breaking relationship serves as another gaffe HOTD is weaving into its tapestry of accidental conflict escalation, but the mistake the show makes is diminishing the details that elucidate Blood and Cheeses viciousness, and the deliberate calculations of the man who sent them. Without them, what should be one of House of the Dragons most infamous scenes minimizes the guilt and grief of everyone involved. Raglan James (rejected stage name for Michigan J. Frog) must have heard the news about AMC green-lighting a Talamasca spinoff series, because the international man of mystery is bringing his sassy ass around again. As Debussy plays in the background, Da Bussy himself pulls up a stool at the omakase counter, where Daniel asks if the Talamasca can protect him. From being killed? No! Were particularly poor at keeping our assets alive. RJ also has this ominous advice: You fear Armand. You should fear the other one. Cut to: Armand and Louis, literally just staring at a blank wall in the apartment, fighting in even-toned voices after last weeks revelations. And now that Daniel remembers what Armands like on a bad day, hes worried hes not gonna make it out alive. It doesnt help his chances that the boys down in whatever the Talamasca version of Quantico is have a list of a few hundred questions they want him to ask the vamps during the interview. Back on the interview couch, though, Louis and Armand just want to talk about ancient infighting at the repertory company. Daniel thinks hes in Silence of the Lambs; Louis and Armand think theyre in Slings and Arrows. Indulge the buffoon is what Louis had advised Armand at the time regarding growing disquiet in the Paris coven. Feed Santiagos own ego back to him and smother mutiny with praise. In retrospect, the buffoon was in the audience, says Armand, referring to himself. Heres the deal: Sam has written a flaccid, full-length play for Santiago thats intentionally meandering and circuitous and happens to have no roles for women (typical). Armand thinks that running rehearsals for this extremely long and difficult-to-memorize play will keep Santiago under his thumb every night in the theater. Au contraire. The whole thing is a Mousetrap (befitting Ben Danielss Santiago-Hamlet headcanon), a ruse of a show designed to ensnare its watcher. The theater is a front that Armand takes way too obsessively seriously, and the play is just pretentious and brooding enough to completely work on Armand. So while hes getting lost in script notes and staging, Santiago is orchestrating a coup with his mind! He has stolen Claudias diary and has the whole crew passing it around to each other to rile up discontent. Because there are no roles for women, he sends Estelle and Celeste on a mission to find Lestat and invite him to the premiere. This season has already established the fun trick of a character like Santiago or Lestat reciting their lines onstage while also having a full-fledged telekinetic conversation with someone else. Now we can see its mutinous applications. But Armand cant. Armands distracted. Hes in love! And hes in love with a guy going through something. Louis has gone kind of Dark Louis mode ever since that guy told him hell never be Gordon Parks. Hes colder, harder. Hes got a good eye, so hes turned it toward art collecting, bringing home a Jackson Pollock. Armand doesnt see the vision; he thinks it looks like someone got sick on the canvas. Watch, says Louis, pairing his love of art and beauty with a ruthless, exploitative knack. Ill sell it for five times the price in a year. Thirty times if he keeps drinking and dies. (Pollock died in 1956 Louis, what did you know!) As if this show didnt already delight me completely, making its lead a vampire art collector investing in famous artists and reaping millions in rewards decades down the road is just too rich. Hell flip the Pollock and reinvest in more art, in stocks and dividends, in a plane. We saw a bit of this side of him in episode one when he was running his businesses; he dampened that side of himself and let emotions and instincts govern for so long, so Im not sure if this turn feels like development or a retreat. The first vampire capitalist, the first vampire pilot, Armand jokes, Frenchly. Louis, looking away, tells him to take off his clothes. Armand says hes busy and that he has to read Sams latest pages. Clothes off, face down, in the coffin. You can read em to me while I fuck you. Who is gonna match these guys freak?! Claudia and Madeleine, thats who. Madeleine Eparvier is on the verge of getting assaulted by a gang of French hooligans who have broken into her dress shop, when Claudia comes to her rescue, killing them all and revealing her nature. Madeleine, all things considered, takes it pretty well. She asks Whats it like to drink blood? Is it like drinking life itself? Shes not going through the usual doomed-human-vampire-lover plot beat of disgust and horror. Shes into it. Louis is not. He walks in on them and yells at Claudia and asks if its romantic (Claudia: No; Madeleine: Not yet), and Claudia gives a lovely plea about being a third all her life and getting to choose one thing for herself. And its her, a weird white lady I met by happenstance. Paris is truly the city of Love! She wants Armand to turn Madeleine because Louiss got that tainted Lestat blood. I wouldnt want that for anyone. Good enough for us, he says. Not for her. Its funny to think that theyve got that Lestat brand of crazy in them. Its also a little sad. Louis appeals to Armand, whos resistant, by saying that theyll be happier as a couple when he loses the burden of Claudia. Ouch. In his office, Armand interviews Madeleine, a bad bitch with no fucks left to give eating an apple with a spoon. She could not be less intimidated by Armand. Their interview is almost entirely in French and about existential questions of life and survival, so it plays like exaggerated art-house pastiche, which is fun and a compliment, actually. Meanwhile, Claudia and Louis smoke in the parlor like 1950s dads outside a delivery room. She can also tell that Louis has turned harder and stronger. I can feel it. But youve got to give up something to get something. Its a no from Armand for now because hes essentially a vampiric ace volcel: Hes never sired a vampire, and the idea disgusts him. Hed much rather hyperfixate on community theater. Speaking of Okay, remember a few episodes ago when Jean-Paul Sartre casually popped up as Armands friend and I commended the show for taking a big swing with the Midnight in Paris thing? The swings are, uh, theyre a-swangin now. Because the play that Sam has written for Santiago as a decoy, the one thats long and existential and meandering? Its called Enduring for Guido. The cast is holding bindles and wearing boulder hats and wondering when something will actually happen and when bloody Guido is going to bloody arrive. Irish-accented playwright Samuel Barclay Enduring for Guido Bowler hats No discernible plot Oh no Oh God THIS SHOW IS SUGGESTING THAT SAMUEL BECKETT WAS A VAMPIRE WHO WROTE WAITING FOR GODOT AS PART OF SOME VAMPIRE SCHEME TO TRICK ARMAND. This is absolutely unhinged, uncalled-for, unprecedented TV-writing behavior. Im gooped and gagged. I am the very spirit of a million chefs, giving a million kisses! Mwah! This is so very cuckoo. This would already be a wild-enough turn, but what sets it over the edge for me is that theyve changed Beckett to Barclay and Godot to Enduring for Guido, because now we are no longer in Midnight in Paris territory. We are in Riverdale. This is deeply, fundamentally, a Riverdalian act. Could they not get the rights to Godot? Did the Beckett estate oppose? Doesnt matter. Im pleased as punch. Plays require events, Sam! And there are no events in your shitty little play! Santiago yells at the world-renowned playwright Samuel Barclay while flying and storming off and telling him telepathically, I love your work, Sam, apologies. Sam answers, well played, maitre. The coup is underway. Armand is losing control. Some months pass, and Louis tells Armand hes going to do it; hes going to turn Madeleine and try to bring a vampire into the world in a way that could be beautiful for once. He wants Armand to attend, and Armand goes, Are you asking or making me? In that sub-way, he does, which makes Louis draw back a bit. Hes just really at sea, yall. Hes been used to certain things being certain ways for hundreds of years. He cant just let go and let god. Louis and Claudia perform a backroom operation on Madeleine, and we learn something (I think) new about how vampires gain peoples feelings and memories as they drink from them. It seems to be much more intense of an exchange when its a full-on turning. This doesnt happen every time they feed, right? Is it only when you make someone a vampire? Book readers, please advise. Anyway, we get an almost Barbie or Tree of Lifetype hazy montage, in which Louis sees Claudia as Madeleine sees her in her minds eye. The two leave town and Armand finds Louis later on, his wrist slashed back open. He says he can feel his fledgling and that he tried to throw the blood back up. I thought Id feel like I was losing Claudia. I did not care. Armand has been banished from the coven and moves in with Louis. In present day on the interview couch, Armand finally brings up the elephant in the room: Louis and Daniel have their memories back, and Louis is very angry at him. You asked me to do it, Armand tells him. He doesnt know what to believe. I failed Louis once in my life. It wasnt in San Francisco. And as for the missing pages in Claudias diary, that was to protect me from you, Mr. Molloy. Why did I owe you my shame? Why did I owe you my one act of cowardice? The series of abhorrent consequences that followed? I spent the rest of my life trying to make up for it. Ill never make up for it. But he forgave me for it. Brace yourselves, because we are about to learn a mystery thats hung over the entire series: what that big transgression was. Back in Paris, Armand and Louis are catching up with Claudia and Madeleine for a drink at a jazz bar. The new couple is happy, and Louis and Madeleine share a moment where they talk about how they can feel each other as fledgling and maker. Hes weirded out by the experience, the intimacy of it, so he cuts through it with awkward joking. Then, Armand does the mind-freeze trick so the coven can ambush and kidnap Louis, Claudia, and Madeleine. The choice he made with the coven was not to be killed or leave; it was be killed or give up the others. Despite the violent hijacking, this isnt mob justice Its drama club justice! The coven, led by their new maitre, Santiago (wearing a Timmy Chalametstyle harness), stage their first-ever, one-day-only matinee performance, called Trial!, for a laughing, raucous crowd. Are you ready, you filthy animals? The jury may be seated! Santiago calls to them, before donning a barristers wig and pulling the hoods off of a bewildered Madeleine and Claudia and beat-and-bloody Louis. Downstairs, an illustrious guest performer is smoking at the vanity as one of the covens gives him his ten-minute warning. Thank you, ten minutes, says gaspe! Lestat! Notes on Vamp This tweet. Like the Light by Which God Made the World Before He Had Made Light is a great episode title. Fuck these vampires. Big LOL at Claudia reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. This troupe was just not having her, and girl was trying! She really was! She says another word, Ill break her arms and throw her out the window. Again, Louis has just been so cold lately! Hes back to how he acted as a human whorehouse owner, fronting, aggro. There were a lot of reasons for it then: constant racism, stresses of providing for his family and dealing with his brother, the closet. The thing that changed it all was Lestat. And now that hes banished his Lestat hallucinations hes right back to how he was behaving before they met. Oooooh, whats up your arse tonight? [swishes cape]. Is your [cough] companion stuck up there chewing on your inner bits like a hamster? Santiago should be arrested, and this show should be illegal, actually! I cant believe my last glass of wine is a Chardonnay. Madeleine, tu me tues. Madeleine welcomed my fangs. The lamb smiling up at the wolf with unsettling passivity. What in the Forks, Washington, is this? Madeleines sister was called the family idiot because she would eat pinecones. So, if you wanna kill your lover or fuck your mother, itll have to wait! Santiago, ca suffit! Okay, so we learn that Armand and Louis had a house in Sausalito as recently as 1973. Do you think they still had it in 1976? Do you think they ever partied with Stereophonic? Do you think I should write this crackfic? Photo: Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection/Getty Images In Andrew McCarthys new documentary, Brats, the actor assembles a thorough retrospective on the Brat Pack title that he and his fellow young actors were begrudgingly given in the mid-80s. Coined by New York Magazines David Blum as a play on Rat Pack, the term became a reluctant moniker for a troupe of young movie stars who were changing the cultural landscape with youth-focused films like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and St. Elmos Fire. Over 30 years later, McCarthy and many of his former co-stars now reckon with that label, as well as the cultural phenomenon it encapsulated, in Brats. As the documentary investigates that unique moment in culture, one thing remains uncertain: Could such a phenomenon happen today? Malcolm Gladwell argues that it couldnt because todays youth culture is far too fractured. That lack of monoculture would make it harder for such a clearly defined group to emerge, let alone have such a strong impact on both the culture and industry. On the other hand, Rob Lowe suggests that the Brat Pack paved the way for other youth-oriented cultural touchstones like Glee and the CW. You see that moment recycle every generation with different people, with different names, and different places, but its the same story, he says. There always will be people who will go through that moment every generation. Perhaps both can be true, where a more fractured culture means there isnt one all-powerful Brat Pack but, rather, different packs with varying impacts. With the tenets of the original Brat Pack label in mind and outlined in depth here lets consider what our modern-day equivalents might be. The Platt Pack Core Members: Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Beanie Feldstein, Molly Gordon, Kaitlyn Dever, Ayo Edebiri. This batch of theater kids, led by Ben Platt because his name is the one that rhymes, is perhaps the closest we currently have to the original Brat Pack because of their intersecting filmographies. For this group, their Breakfast Club is Theater Camp which features Gordon, Platt, Galvin, and Edebiri. Gordon and Edebiri also co-star in The Bear. Dever, meanwhile, starred in Dear Evan Hansen with Platt and Booksmart with Feldstein, Galvin, and Gordon. Feldstein and Platt will eventually star in Richard Linklaters Merrily We Roll Along when were all long dead, and thats to say nothing of Alice by Heart and its many workshops, for which wed need an additional 1,000 words. Its a web reminiscent of the Brat Pack, but many of Platt Packs connections actually run much deeper, featuring lifelong friendships, engagements, and unrequited childhood crushes. The @ Pack Core Members: Your favorite social-media creators. The biggest difference between the cultural landscape of the 1980s and today is ALF is off-the-air social media. While the Brat Packs draw was that audiences wanted to be a part of that friend group, todays itch is often scratched by social-media creators, many of whom once embraced now-defunct Brat Packesque labels themselves (Vlog Squad, Hype House, Team 10, etc.). Now we see these influencers such as Tana Mongeau, Alix Earle, Jack Shane, Alex Cooper, and more teaming up for podcasts (and more important, the clips of said podcasts that go viral on TikTok) and subsequently guesting on each others shows in an infinite loop. That constant cross-pollination, along with the rapidly evolving landscape, makes it a fools errand to try to define just one specific group. brat pack and its the same but its with charli xcx so its not Core Members: Charli XCX, Julia Fox, Rachel Sennott, Addison Rae, Troye Sivan, and more. Hulu must have known it would be a Brat summer thanks to Charli XCX. Are the dueling drops synergy or an SEO nightmare? Whos to say! But fittingly, Charli has a brat pack of her own many of whom were on display in her It-girl-filled music video for 360. Rachel Sennott (whos Platt Pack adjacent), Julia Fox, Chloe Sevigny, Gabbriette, Chloe Cherry, Blizzy McGuire, Quen Blackwell, and more all made appearances. And who could forget her frequent collaborator and Queen of Pop Addison Rae as well as her tour co-headliner Troye Sivan? The Chat Pack Core Members: The co-hosts of The View Just as the members of the Brat Pack are forever tied together by a cultural entity bigger than themselves, so are the many co-hosts of The View. Whereas The Breakfast Club had a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal The View has its own regular archetypes. Theres the journalist, the comedian, the lawyer, the former child star, and the conservative nepo baby, just to name a few. The St. Pat Pack Core Members: Paul Mescal, Nicola Coughlan, Barry Keoghan, Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Ayo Edebiri. Photo: Photo by Carlo Paloni/BAFTA via Getty Images. The music industry in the 1960s experienced the British Invasion, and now Hollywood is in the midst of an Irish Invasion. Theres been an influx of breakout Irish stars recently, but unlike the breakout of the Brat Pack via ensemble films, this recent trend has largely been by way of individual efforts. But once they gain enough pull, an all-Irish ensemble film called St. Patricks Fire will surely be on the way. The Splat Pack Core Members: Lexi Featherston, cigarette, open window. No ones fun anymore! Whatever happened to fun? God, Im so bored I could die. The get him back Pack Core Members: Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, Iris Apatow, Madison Hu, Joe Locke, Louis Partridge. Olivia Rodrigos friend group, unlike the Brat Pack, wasnt assembled by chance via a casting department. But this circle ultimately reflects the perception of the Brat Pack a cool, young, sprawling friend group rather than the reality of it. As we learned in the documentary, the Brat Pack didnt really hang out all that much outside work save for a night at Sammy Davis Jr.s house that marked the one crossover between the Rat and Brat Packs. In conclusion if any of these names stick and offend, I will happily participate in a documentary 30 years from now where I apologize to Noah Galvin on-camera. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Photo: CBS via YouTube Its something every parent wants to shield their children from, something we all fear despite knowing its not real, the thing that goes yuck in the night: Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Normally, there are societal guardrails in place to protect us all from such things; namely, the ticket prices are so exorbitant that no average person will ever have to worry about being exposed to it. This is freak shit for rich creeps who want this sort of thing. First of all, its not your fault. I want you to take a deep breath and really internalize that. Nothing could have prevented this from happening. On Sunday nights Tony Awards broadcast, the Best Revival of a Musicalnominated production of the so-good-and-classic-its-honestly-hard-to-fuck-it-up-this-bad Kander and Ebb show staged a performance of its opening number, Willkommen, without so much as a trigger warning. Redmaynes portrayal of the role made iconic by Joel Grey is scary in all the wrong ways. The Emcee should definitely be a menacing, uncanny figure, but hes also actually supposed to lure the audience in for the shows knife twists to work. This song is an invitation and an induction. The Emcee must have a degree of charm, or sex appeal, or feeling of camaraderie, so that you get that gut-sinking feeling of complicity as the fascism closes in. But Redmayne is repulsive and confusing, igniting a fight-or-flight response in thousands of innocent viewers who did nothing to deserve this. Looking like a waxy Five Nights at Freddys malfunctioning animatronic stripped of its fuzzy bulk and coated in a taut layer of borrowed human skin, he is shot in extreme close-up as he makes direct eye contact through the television screen into your living room. He can see you. He can eat your thoughts. If given the choice between Redmayne and Samara, I would try my luck with Samara. Having watched this, I am not convinced I wont die in seven days. Eddie Redmayne in closeup cant hurt me Eddie Redmayne in closeup cant hurt me Eddie Redmayne in closeup cant hurt me Cody Dericks (@codymonster91) June 17, 2024 we didn't bully eddie redmayne enough E. Alex Jung (probably) (@e_alexjung) June 17, 2024 me and my friends wouldve killed eddie redmaynes emcee with hammers i can tell you that much https://t.co/kfYo0qnYVA barry pierce (@BarryPierce) June 17, 2024 And then there is the voice, which many have compared to Kermit the Frog, which is such a mean thing to say to Kermit the Frog. Redmaynes milk-curdled timbre and Dexters Lab accent simply do not make for an endurable listening experience. Eddie Redmayne in Cabaret is my new sleep paralysis demon. jesus christ#TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/Sm3WYHwFrE Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 17, 2024 Eddie Redmaynes choreography in Cabaret: pic.twitter.com/e23BMWj0w3 Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) June 17, 2024 A gay in my group chat just got literally removed for saying he liked Eddie Redmayne's Emcee Connor Lounsbury (@ConnorLounsbury) June 17, 2024 Eddie Redmayne swallowing every word and also having frog voice with a major case of peanut butter tone when will jesus deliver us please Chris Murphy (@christress) June 17, 2024 Eddie Redmayne: Willkomen - Audiences everywhere: pic.twitter.com/vpP9KapT8Y Connor Lounsbury (@ConnorLounsbury) June 17, 2024 Then the rest of the cast pops into frame, jump-scare style, with their spoooooky dancing and scaaaaary makeup, and at least we have other focal points on the screen for a minute. Gayle Rankin comes in screaming from the audience where she spins co-star Bebe Neuwirth around (dont bring Bebe into this). Its a tiny respite until were back to the stage, and suddenly Eddie Redmayne is scampering around on all fours, weaving through the ensembles legs like some albino cockroach. you see this scattering across your apartment floor what do you do pic.twitter.com/b60hY6DNtU Vulture (@vulture) June 17, 2024 To those defending the performance, saying its unsubtle because its meant for a live theater and not TV, and furthermore, its taken out of context: I have seen this performance in its context at the August Wilson Theatre. It is just as frightening because he is there in the room with you. To those saying that American audiences simply dont understand the dark and grotesque themes that Redmayne & Co. are getting at (this production is a London import): au contraire, mon cher. These themes are made very clear in the book and score of this musical; its just that other productions and performers trust audiences to figure it out for themselves, whereas this team thinks they need to spoon-feed and scream the banality of evil messaging at you. By holding audience members hands and guiding them through upsetting material encased in the enticing, friendly form of a musical, this production is far less radical than it thinks. Brits have a tendency to fix what isnt broken, especially when it comes to American musical theater. Cameron Kelsall (@CameronPKelsall) June 17, 2024 Plus, the role is supposed to be queer, and the Kit Kat Klub (the real, provocative spelling, you cowards) can totally at times be grotesque. But here we have a straight thespian seeming to make the queerness, in itself, grotesque. Eddie Redmayne may very well be a nice man. He always looks kind in fan interactions posted online. He just happens to make capital-D Decisions that are often weird and bad. This might just might be the weirdest of all, if not the worst (hello, Danish Girl). But you dont even need all these arguments and justifications to be haunted by this terrible creation. Maybe this is how you do things over in London, wherever that is, but round these parts, we like our Emcees to be good at singing and to maybe not look like theyre making fun of people with scoliosis. Its all deeply unsettling, and Im sorry you had to go through that. Youre allowed to feel scared and confused. That is valid. If you or your loved ones have been exposed to Eddie Redmaynes Tony Awards performance, you may not be entitled to compensation, but know that youre not alone. Theres more of us than there are of him. Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony. Photo: Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro Not to cast any doubt about the prognosticating powers behind our 100 percent accurate Tonys predictions, but as it turns out, the Tony voters really loved The Outsiders! Maybe love is too strong a word, but they certainly gravitated toward the YA adaptation strongly enough to award it Best Musical and a prize for Danya Taymors direction perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, since she was up against Merrilys resuscitator Maria Friedman. (You could notice how Friedmans sister, producer Sonia, gave her the space to talk during their Best Revival speech.) Watching the Tonys from my perch in the third balcony of the David H. Koch Theater, I felt the momentum start to shift toward The Outsiders around 7:30 p.m., when Cody Spencer won the award for Best Sound Design in a Musical. Its the kind of category where voters tend to default to assuming their favorite show sounds the best (Id expected Hells Kitchen), and that felt like an early hand tilt in the direction of Tulsa (that and the deafening cheers of enthusiasm whenever the show was mentioned from the sizable pro-Outsiders portion of the audience). As a bonus, inside the theater you could actually hear Spencer announce, I cant believe Im crying in front of so many fucking people I know in his speech before the profanity got bleeped out on Pluto TV. The rationale behind The Outsiderss win, in retrospect, isnt hard to follow: Even if the book and score arent stellar (and the Tonys for both went to Suffss Shaina Taub), its a grand inky spectacle thats not a jukebox (maybe an Achilles heel for Hells Kitchen) and is crucially already selling well. Also, that rain fight plays like gangbusters and seemed to win over my less theater-familiar Vulture colleagues watching on TV even if it required a whole crew of men and a mini-Zamboni to mop up the stage of the theater during a commercial break. Talk about an Outsiders sweep! Photo: Jackson McHenry That victory came hand in hand with my other favorite event to observe behind the scenes: the herding of the co-producers. For reasons of space and decorum, this year the Tonys had tried to be strict about how many people could come onstage to accept an award for Best Musical/Play/Revival, because at this point each show has a list of co-pros in the dozens; theyre people who dont have significant creative input but contribute some of the millions that make these shows possible. Thats much to the chagrin of the co-pros themselves, who insist their fundraising is crucial to the success of a show. (Also, Im sure they want the Instagram photos of themselves onstage; rich people getting photos of themselves winning awards is half of what makes commercial theater possible.) This time around, the solution was to put together a photo opportunity in the lobby of the Koch Theater for the co-pros, where they could stand on risers for a live feed that would play behind the lead producers and talent accepting on the actual stage of the theater and then also briefly wave to their friends back home when the television feed cut to them for a few seconds. From friends who watched on CBS, Ive gathered that the cuts to a whole group of other people smiling and waving during an acceptance speech went unexplained. As the Best Musical prize was being announced, I figured I had to go watch the co-pros in action as they all stood in groups under paper signs for their musicals, cheered for their productions, and then raced to the risers as soon as their show won. The glamour of theater! Photo: Jackson McHenry After the awards themselves, theres the annual ritual of hopping around the after-parties circuit. This year, the official gala event (tickets available for purchase for a couple hundred dollars, or if you just ask the PR people nicely) was right across the Lincoln Center Plaza at the David Geffen Hall, where there was risotto on tap, free portable phone chargers, and enough Fiji water to fill the Nile (meanwhile, I paid $5 for a bottle in the theater itself). Its where you see winners and nominees in their first shell-shocked moments after their stops at the press room, and I spotted Kelli OHara catching up with Alex Edelman, Andrew Rannells in line for a Shake Shack burger (minutes after I discovered hes not in Tammy Faye after all), and Shaina Taub figuring out how to manage toting around two awards. From there, I headed off to P.J. Clarkes across the street, where Stereophonic was celebrating with Caesar salads, roast beef, and rock classics on the sound system. Newly minted winner Will Brill was letting people spin his statuette, and there were appropriately chic rumors (unconfirmed, which makes them even more chic) that Wes Anderson was somewhere in attendance. Finally, I sped off to the Carlyle Hotel, where O&Ms Rick Miramontez hosts the big after-after-party that tends to collect everyone back together in a big, brackish, tidal estuary where Hollywood and Broadway, business networking and drunk messiness, all overlap. There, after slipping past a producer outside who was reciting her credits to a bouncer to insist she was in fact on the list, I saw the likes of Nicole Scherzinger and her very tall beau; Kara Young looking incredible posing for photos; and Kecia Lewis holding court at a table in the midst of a throng of people all moving in circles trying to spot other people (shout-out to the Stage Whisperer reader who asked me if I had seen Sarah Pidgeon; Im sorry I hadnt!). Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was at one table greeting stars from Appropriate (Ella Beatty! What are we doing here!?). By the time I got to the Carlyle around 2 a.m., the party had just started a late-night breakfast offering omelets and French fries upstairs next to a dance floor, where I saw a few other Broadway reporters and we all traded stories about the other after-parties; the Hells Kitchen bash was apparently the most lavish, though the vibe was off given no Best Musical win. Near 4 a.m., the crowds started to dissipate, and I could catch a glimpse of Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff taking selfies in a blob of admirers at the bar before the lights went on and I figured it was time to get back to Brooklyn. By that point, a few committed partiers were heading off to suites upstairs, but most ended up at the taxi line, where I could see Sonia Friedman and Stereophonics Juliana Canfield among those waiting for black cars at the same time. Happy end of the 202324 season! Im popping several aspirin and downing a Gatorade or two before napping for the rest of the day. Hope you all do the same! Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images Vin Diesel celebrated every facet of his fatherhood this Fathers Day. What does that mean? Glad you asked! Diesel acknowledged his kids in the post, sure, but only in passing and as part of a dinner invite to Vladimir Putin. First, Diesel frames himself as the patriarch of the entire Fast family. The Fathers Day Instagram picture is what Diesel describes as the concept art from Fast X. (Side note: Diesel describes the film as the American road trip, so thats a little plot detail to keep in mind.) Second, Diesel links Fathers Day with the Riddick franchise. Does Richard B. Riddick prioritize family in the same way as Dom Toretto? No, but Diesel has been midwifing this franchise for nearly as long. Diesel famously agreed to cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in exchange for the rights to the character setting in motion both the greater Riddickverse and the Fast movies bonkers chronology. On Fathers Day 2024, Vin spent the day location scouting for Riddick: Furya. But its the last part of Vins Papa Post that took things to a global scale. On a side note I saw warships off my countrys shores. Hmmm. Im not the Tucker type. he wrote. As a father my kids live in that country. Hmmm. Putin, I will fly to the Caribbean. Come have dinner. Lets not let foolishness dictate the future. #happyfathersday. Were left with many questions for Dom, namely: Who is or is not the Tucker type, and which Tucker we talkin bout? Carlson? Chris? Famous vaudeville comedienne Sophie Tucker, the Last of the Red Hot Mamas? As a father my kids live in that country. Does Vin Diesel only care about America (we are talking about America, right?) because his children live there? Or are all Americans Vins kids? Are we all in the Fast family? Is Putin in the Caribbean? What kind of dinner can Vin Diesel have with Putin that will heal international relations? The drinks will be Coronas, natch, but what entree? What side? Should they have Baked Alaska for dessert, or would that be seen as poking the bear, diplomatically speaking? Anyway, #happyfatehrsday to all the dads in all the countries. Riddick: Furya begins production this August. Salis had been held in Hungary for over a year. Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis returned to Italy on Saturday after being released from house arrest in Hungary following her election to the European parliament. Salis, a 40-year-old Italian teacher, had been held in Hungary for 15 months on charges relating to an alleged assault on far-right demonstrators in Budapest in February 2023. In a high-profile case that sparked a diplomatic incident, Salis was charged with attempted assault and accused of being part of an extreme left-wing organisation. Images of Salis shackled in a Hungarian courtroom caused outrage in Italy, prompting Rome to intervene diplomatically to secure her transfer from jail to house arrest in May. Earlier this month Salis was elected to the European parliament after running as a candidate for the left-wing Green and Left Alliance (AVS), obtaining more than 170,000 votes and securing parliamentary immunity. Her father Roberto Salis, who collected his newly-released daughter in Budapest before driving her back home to Monza in northern Italy, told reporters on Saturday: "A nightmare is over". Amid the bustling chaos of Ostiense, where the busyness of nine-to-five workers meets the carefree nature of families who live in the area, sits a hidden gem: Marigold. Marigold is one of the citys few specialty coffee shops that also serves as a restaurant and mini-bakery. This enchanting haven of a restaurant offers an oasis, an escape from the tourist-filled areas of Rome, inviting locals and those in the know to indulge in locally sourced dishes and really good coffee. Running the joint is an innovative tag team of owners who want to bring about the modernization of coffee, food, and service to the curious wanderers of Romes streets. Marigold stands out in Ostiense, not just because its attempting to change the coffee and brunch culture in Rome, but because the shop is a very modernized institution that dares to buck the trend of Italys centuries-old, jealously guarded, and highly resilient coffee culture. I sat down and was immediately greeted by Freja, a Danish hostess who moved to Italy. After ordering, I took the time to watch over the blissful chaos that was Marigold. Young Italian couples and friends all having quiet conversations about everything and nothing. A clueless British couple that appeared to be lost in the madness of Rome. Young entrepreneurs sharing laughs over lattes. And nestled in the corner of the shop, hard at work on her computer, sat a woman. I sat down with Sofie Wochner, one of the owners, while she had her morning breakfast: fresh sourdough toast with homemade strawberry marmalade and homemade butter. Marigold was founded by Sofie and her partner, Domenico Cortese, in 2018, after years spent doing pop-up dinners at their home in Monteverde. The pop-up transitioned into a weekly bake sale, then a private chef service catering for Romes embassies, and now a brick-and-mortar store. She says she and Domenico spent a very long time looking for the perfect place to set up shop as they wanted to find a real neighborhood where real people live, real Italians live, and not just a kind of place where its easy to get the crowds, the tourists. Being a barista back in the States, I had the pleasure of getting to discuss specialty coffee with Sofie. She and her partner are actively trying to change the culture around not just coffee in Italy but the way Italians view meals as well. Coming from Denmark, the culture is very established there. Ive been drinking specialty coffee for the last 20 years and it couldnt be more different in Rome. Not only the coffee, but everything they do at Marigold is different from typical Roman and Italian culture. For starters, brunch is not an established practice in Rome, let alone Italy. Being that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, according to Sofie, she feels she should share her love for it with Rome. Marigold is only open until 3 in the afternoon, meaning you wont see primi, a second plate, let alone aperitivo. When it comes to coffee, Sofie says one of her main jobs includes sourcing all of the ingredients at Marigold, which includes coffee beans. In an attempt to not stray from Italian tradition, she tried finding good coffee beans in Italy. The product was not good, so she ventured elsewhere, eventually finding a roaster abroad. Today, Marigold offers two rotating single-origin espressos: El Salvador La Montanita and Ethiopia Idido Rocko Mountain. Sofie and Marigold are trying to teach Italians that coffee is a fruit, and how it grows and how its roasted makes the flavor differ for every bean. Like great Italian wines, specialty coffee also has flavor notes and pairings that can enhance the drinker's experience. With Marigolds El Salvador espresso particularly, the flavor notes include mango, almond, and brown sugar. Sofie admits that while she likes to claim that they are very Italian, Marigold sticks out among the crowd. Romans are a bit like, Wow! Where is the antipasti? Where is the primi? Oh my god, this coffee is very sour. We take that as an invitation to kind of like (change the culture). One of the main goals of Marigold is their promise to practice sustainability. We dont have anything that is prepared. Everything from the butter to the lemonade, everything is made in-house. Sofie also made it a point to express that she doesnt just practice and talk about sustainability for the simple fact that its a buzzword but because its something theyre both deeply committed to. Everything you eat in the restaurant is a local ingredient found at a nearby farm or at Mercato Testaccio. Sofie went on to explain how Marigold is actively making strides to touch more and more of the city of Rome. Although most of her regulars are customers from the surrounding Testaccio and Ostiense area, she says many people travel from all over Rome to, at the very least, try the idea of brunch and non-Italian coffee. Now we are such an established place that (peoples misconceptions) have turned around a lot. There are a lot of Italians, also locals, that really appreciate specialty coffee and everything else we do as well. The idea of brunch was foreign to most Romans, and Sofie has started that conversation here in Rome. The idea of drinking and enjoying non-Italian coffee? Try having that very difficult conversation. Sofie did. I wrapped up my conversation with Sofie asking what stamp she wants to leave with Marigold. Sofie hopes that she and her business can leave an imprint on her staff as well. She hopes that when her employees move forward and start working elsewhere, they understand the importance of sourcing local ingredients and the fundamentals of working in a good kitchen. As for Rome? I believe we have been helping Rome a little bit. Small steps and in the little parts this place can. She believes the ideals she and Domenico have instilled into their staff and into the surrounding areas can make an impact on food culture in Rome. She hopes that all restaurants can go back to using locally sourced, fresh ingredients. So every customer and every person that has ever stepped foot in the shop is taking a little bit of Marigolds ideals with them. Sofie appreciates everyone that stops in her shop, especially the locals and regulars who have opened their minds and given the brainchild of Sofie and Domenico a chance. They just keep coming back. Day after day, week after week. And that is something that makes me really happy. 526,000 students in Italy to sit maturita this week. More than half a million final-year students in Italy will start the maturita state exams, the Italian public high-school diploma, on Wednesday 19 June. The maturita kicks off at 08.30 with a written Italian exam, with students given up to six hours to write an essay providing analysis or critical reflection on one of seven different literary texts. The maturita comprises two written tests assessing students' comprehension of the Italian language and another subject - which depends on the type of school they attend (classical, scientific, technical etc) - followed by an oral test based on the courses taken by the student. Students are given a score out of a maximum of 100 points, with 60 points needed to pass the exam. Walking into a store filled with wonder, adventure, education, and romance condensed into pieces of paper with ink is not an everyday occurrence in our media and technology-reliant world. Bookstores are few and far between nowadays, and for many, there is an overwhelming difficulty in staying afloat. Zalib was a beloved bookstore for over twenty-one years, owned by Marco Zavarone. Its name is derived from "Za-" for Zavarone and "lib-" for Library. In 2017, economic struggles brought Zalib face-to-face with the possibility of closure. Zalib had been a safe and cherished space for many of Trasteveres high school teensa place where they could study and escape the everyday hustle and bustle of their Roman lives. With closure imminent, the high schoolers rallied together to fight for what they cared about so deeply. They created a social movement to advocate for their space via social media and local newspapers. After a year of struggling, the Metropolitan of Rome granted them the location they stand in today, allowing them to redesign their bookstore into something more for their community. Today, Zalib is a "left-leaning arts and cultural center where people can be free to express themselves," as Max, a worker there, described. This transformation is reflected in comments on their Facebook page, calling it "a place of life!" and "one of the most active and freshest cultural laboratories in the capital." In the beginning of Zalibs new life, there were no membership fees due to its status as an independent association. However, as time went on, there was a need to ensure Zalib could obtain the proper documentation to operate legally. Therefore, an eight-euro annual membership fee was introduced. This money goes towards documentation, allowing it to operate as an independent association that can legally sell alcohol, coffee, food, and more. Zalib offers much to its communitya place for work, fun, and fitness. They host events such as acting workshops, book presentations with famous authors, family events, poetry readings, comedy shows, and gym fitness sessions every Friday evening. "Mostly we do presentations because we have had trouble with the neighborhood in the past with loud live music," states Jasper, a worker there for four years. They used to host live bands and movie nights, but due to noise complaints from the surrounding neighborhood, they had to cease these activities. It is clear that Zalib and its employees care deeply for their community. As Jasper remarked, "We work in a bar, but it is a communitythis space is for everyone who follows our mindset." Zalib is more than just a bookstore; it is a beacon of community, culture, and resilience. In a time where bookstores are struggling to survive, it has created a unique space by transforming itself into a dynamic multi-cultural safe space. Through its history of overcoming adversity, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, and offering a number of different events for all, Zalib exemplifies the power of community, human connection, and creativity. As digital media continues to grow, the existence of places like Zalib becomes even more critical. They serve as reminders of the importance of physical spaces where people can gather, share ideas, and experience human interaction face-to-face. Its journey from a struggling bookstore against new norms to a thriving cultural center is a story of hope, innovation, and the enduring power of community support. It stands as a model for how we can adapt and flourish in this changing world, proving that with community and a willingness to evolve, anything is possible. South East Technological University (SETU) released a statement after a meeting with staff over the ongoing war in Gaza. In May, over 180 members of staff signed a letter addressed to President Veronica Campbell that urged the university to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and to cut ties with Red Hat Media over their involvement with the Israeli military. The statement supported the Government call for a ceasefire in the war-torn region, but made no reference regarding Red Hat. It stated: "As an educational institution ourselves, we particularly condemn the destruction of universities and educational facilities in Gaza as it not only denies individuals of their right to education and a bright future, but it also deprives society of the educated people needed to meet its future challenges." The statement revealed that SETU has no Erasmus exchange with Israeli universities or collaborative research funding. The University added that several SETU students are from Palestine and Israel, and the institution is currently trying to help a student in Gaza. "SETU offers eight Sanctuary Scholarships each year and has been working over the past few months to directly assist a student to leave Gaza and come to study at SETU, and we will continue our efforts to assist students in dire need going forward." Michelle Byrne, a member of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) South East, accused the University of 'whitewashing' during a busy election news cycle. She said: We commend the efforts of staff and students which have led to Palestine being put on the agenda of their governing body, in their meetings and have forced the college to release a statement. However, we are compelled to address the lack of substance in the statement issued by the college, which we find deeply disappointing and misleading. "The statement, released in the midst of election results coverage, is a glaring example of PR whitewashing aiming to make it look like they are taking positive action." She added: "Red Hats website openly promotes its relationship with the Israeli Occupation Forces, even citing a military commander as a testimonial." Lecturer at SETU Mark Graham added: "SETUs strategic plan states we act ethically and the University is a leader in advancing equality. "There is an opportunity for our President and Governing Body to put these ideals into action in relation to what the International Court of Justice (ICC) has deemed plausible genocide in Gaza. "Are these ideals just words in a document or are they something we actually put into action? As Karim Khan of the ICC put it, do we value strategic interests above childrens lives? A Waterford man will serve two years in prison for a Section 7 money laundering offence. Gavin Hanrahan (44), of 13 Kilmeadan Apartments, Kilmeadan, Co Waterford, appeared before Judge Eugene O'Kelly at Waterford Circuit Court. On November 3, 2021, Hanrahan was observed pacing in front of a house on Briot Drive, Templar's Hall shortly after 4pm. He was seen gaining access into a house, leaving the party seconds later, getting into his Audi vehicle and driving away. Gardai stopped him further down the road, where he appeared "nervous and scared". A Garda witness said: "He (Hanrahan) immediately jumped up out of the car and proceeded to give the officer a 'ball of cash', valued at 7,850." A further 1,100 was recovered from the car. Gardai found on his phone multiple exchanges between Hanrahan and other parties arranging appointments for money collection and drug dealing. The text messages were from the period of October until November 2021. Cannabis was termed as 'green', cocaine was termed as 'paint' and money was referred to as 'paper'. Defence counsel Paul W. Hutchinson informed Judge O'Kelly that his client had difficulties with drugs, and had incurred a drug debt while sharing a flat in Kilmeadan and had not had an official job since 2010. Judge O'Kelly said: "People who are drug mules are essential cogs in drug dealing." Tramore Housing planned 35 houses are planned to be constructed at Newtown Park in Tramore. A planning application for the development was submitted last week by applicant Cosmo Developments Newtown Limited. Eight of these units will consist of two-storey, four-bed semi-detached houses and four units will consist of two-storey, four-bedroom semi-detached dual fronted houses. 12 two-storey, three-bedroom, semi-detached houses are also planned. The remaining units range from two-bed to three-bed semi-detached and terraced houses. Motor home park refused Permission for the construction of a motor home park with a street food plaza, playground area and four glamping pods has been refused in Tramore. The application for the development at Tramore Burrow was submitted last September by Aengus Rory Walsh. The park was to fit 53 motor home pitches and included a one-storey surf club. The planned street food plaza was to include eight street food trucks and an outdoor seating area. A two-storey cafe building was also submitted in the plans. Waterford City and County Council said they refused the application, having regard to the mid-range future scenario flood mapping for the city and surrounding area, which takes account of the impact of climate change. Glamping pods in Cheekpoint A planning application has been submitted for six serviced glamping pods in Cheekpoint. A project assessment document attached to the application, for Coolbunnia, Cheekpoint, states: Glamping is a growing business in Ireland and it is intended to provide five two-berth pods fully equipped with toilet/shower, kitchen, breakfast bar, living area and stove with a small decking to the front. The pods will be situated behind mature trees with the plan to introduce further hard landscaping to increase the privacy for the guests, local area and the environment itself. Customers will benefit from comfortable accommodation providing benefits of your own private space, washing facilities, living area, eating area, cooking area etc. 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 Lucy Coleman wanted to put a different kind of woman on Australian screens. She just didnt expect it to be in a story inspired by the aftershocks that came from a violent sexual assault she experienced in her early 20s. I wanted to write this story because it was part reflective plus still in a very tumultuous period in my life, she says. And I was wanting to explore the maladaptive behaviours that had sprung from a traumatic event. I was wanting to look at the push and pull of the rage and desperation that I felt in relation to the relationships that I was having with men. So both this kind of burning rage at them and then also a desperation for their validation. Alice Englert plays Jacs, who is determined to find the mysterious man in her best friends life, in Exposure. Credit: Lisa Tomasetti It was just such an irreconcilable place to be in but something that, when I looked up and looked around, I wasnt the only woman going through this. So it was me wanting to put pen to paper and explore that and put [the character of] Jacs on this journey to really be forced to look her demons in the face. Coleman is the creator and writer of Exposure, a mystery thriller that follows Jacs (played by Alice Englert), a 27-year-old photographer grappling with the suicide of her best friend Kel (Mia Artemis) and the discovery of a mysterious number on Kels phone. Exposures creator and writer Lucy Coleman (left) and director Bonnie Moir. Saved as Do Not Message, Jacs becomes convinced the person behind the number is the reason Kel committed suicide, so she uses herself as bait to lure the men Kel had contact with to try and find the person behind Do Not Message. At the same time, Jacs is struggling with her relationships with men, which have become self-destructive to say the least. I dont know whats wrong with me, she says at one point. Advertisement Shes held together, in part, by her mother (played by a tremendous Essie Davis, whose husband Justin Kurzel, of Snowtown fame, is one of the producers) and her friend Angus (Heartbreak Highs Thomas Weatherall). If that sounds heavy and it is dont turn away thinking its another depressing story about female trauma. Yes, its an unsettling watch, but it pulls the same threads as Michaela Coels critically acclaimed drama I May Destroy You, which explored sexual consent after a woman struggles to remember what happened on a night out. Actor and writer Michaela Coel shone a light on the survivors of sexual assault in the groundbreaking I May Destroy You. The British series was one of a number of international shows that inspired Coleman, who wanted to look beyond the types of women usually found on Australian screens smart but slightly daffy, likeable at all costs and create something sharper. The big shows that have been so inspirational to me in the last 10 years of my life have mostly been UK or American, with that same kind of inclusive and really bold and provocative female storytelling, she says. Im rewatching Girls and its just fantastic. Its incredible storytelling. And then shows like I May Destroy You, Sharp Objects, The Fall [they are] shows that really, really dig into the hard truths of the female experience. I meet Coleman and the cast, as well as director Bonnie Moir and executive producers Shaun Grant and Nicole ODonohue, on a steamy November afternoon, crammed in a back room of an art gallery in Camperdown, in Sydneys inner west. Advertisement For a show that has such heavy themes holding it together, they are all buoyant and seemingly running on adrenaline. The gallery was a late, last-minute location find the catering tents have been set up in the dog park around the corner and later that night the crew will move to Carriageworks to film a night scene. Grant is even doing double duty, tapping away at the script for The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the TV adaptation of Richard Flanagans award-winning bestseller, while keeping an eye on filming. Alice Englert (left), Essie Davis (middle) and Thomas Weatherall in Exposure. Englert, meanwhile, is in the next room, shooting some of the six-part series final few scenes. She looks overwrought on screen, but it lifts as soon as she sits down to eat an early dinner with the crew. Loading It has that jagged edge of grief, but it also has these weird moments of just full-blown lightness, says Englert of the show. That feels so wrong and true at the same time, but that was what really drew me to it, its depiction of the heavy felt really, really genuine and it didnt feel punishing. For Englert, best known for the TV series Dangerous Liaisons and Top of the Lake 2, directed by her mother Jane Campion, the fact the story leans all in on the character of Jacs is what she found so compelling. Its deeply subjective, she says. And its completely aware of that. And it plays with that idea of something being truthful, and then what is really behind the reason that we make that picture for ourselves, or the reason why it starts to look a certain way. Its usually because theres something that hasnt been expressed yet. Advertisement Even though the script is incredibly personal in parts Coleman stresses she doesnt have a friend who committed suicide, nor did she go on any type of crazed manhunt it helped her process her feelings about her assault. When things feel super urgent to me, theyre the things that I want to dive into the most as a writer, she says. And I think this was something that I just hadnt seen reflected on screen. And looking at these long, affected, maladaptive behaviours, and how humiliating and how shameful it can be, I felt such an urgency to share that with a female audience and to alleviate that loneliness. Englert said she was drawn to Exposure because its depiction of the heavy felt really, really genuine and it didnt feel punishing. Credit: Tim Ashton But yeah, then it did prove to be f---ing hard. Writing episodes one to four was the part that flowed out of me pretty ferociously because it was this character in this state of being that I knew so well ... this state of rage and desperation. But then when it hit episode five, and then I was having to really confront that trauma, and it was really hard, I was crying every day. It was also extremely cathartic because the first time in my life I had truly hit a point of acceptance about what happened. I mean, I had a whole show commissioned off this event and I still had to come to a full place of acceptance. So that was really quite extraordinary, to be sitting in that kind of space while all the cogs are turning and the drafts are due and the wheels are spinning, to be like, Oh, holy shit, this is the first time Im really genuinely accepting what happened. I think Ill look back at that in 10 years time and be like, that was mental. Advertisement And while Coleman is thrilled her first TV series has finally come to fruition - she also wrote and directed the AACTA-nominated microbudget film Hot Mess in 2020, and earlier this year her film Lean In won best short at Flickerfest, plus best screenplay and best actress at Venices short film festival she jokes that its not as easy as it looks. You just claw and claw and claw and claw away and I definitely hope Exposure is something that now goes out to the world, she says. Im feeling hopeful and excited, but, you know, its the film industry. Im still also feeling completely terrified about the future of my financial stability. Loading Now shes put herself through the emotional wringer in the name of storytelling, would Coleman recommend other women do the same? I think if youve got a story in you that youre so desperate to tell, which is exactly where I was with Exposure, then absolutely, the world wants to hear your stories, and the world especially wants to hear female stories, she says. And its so important that complicated female stories are told, and that were seeing and hearing the full range of the human experience, which can be messy and shameful and humiliating and pathetic and then at the same time, can be empowering and incredible and hopeful and everything else. So I would say, dont do it if you havent been to therapy and you havent got a level of self-awareness and you havent done at least three quarters of the processing. Then again, I say that, and I still havent even reached full acceptance. But I would say yes because I want to read your stories, and I want to watch your shows. And I think the connection that is created from storytelling is so vital and it only empowers women more. Exposure streams on Stan from June 20. Nine is the owner of Stan and this masthead. Hundreds of parents have been left up to $11,000 out of pocket after the abrupt collapse of a tour company offering school students once-in-a-lifetime study trips to NASA headquarters. Actura Australia said it had gone into liquidation last week, immediately cancelling all of its 2024 and 2025 international space school expeditions. Lucia Haigh has lost $7000 in deposits paid for her daughters to attend a space camp. Credit: Wolter Peeters Up to 700 students have been affected nationally, with private and public schools in Victoria and NSW holding emergency meetings over the companys collapse. Some students were due to leave in less than a fortnight. The affected schools include Reddam House, The Kings School and Forest High in Sydney, and Mentone Girls Secondary College, Firbank Grammar School and Korowa Anglican Girls School in Melbourne. Two teenagers will face court on Monday charged over a stabbing in Karrinyup on Sunday that left two men with critical injuries. The 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested after members of the public helped guide police to their locations. The teenagers were arrested by police and charged on Sunday. Credit: Nine News Perth Police allege the boys were armed with knives when they arrived at a pre-arranged meeting with two 18-year-old men on Northgate Street. They claim the boys then threatened the two men and that during an altercation, one of the 18-year-old was stabbed in the stomach. The other, they allege, sustained slash wounds to his wrists and thigh. Back to politics now, and Radio 6PRs Oliver Peterson has revealed WA MP Mia Davies is being wooed by senior figures within the federal National Party to run in the newly proposed seat of Bullwinkel. Peterson said it was understood The Nationals intended to send a strong message to Canberra regarding the ban on live sheep exports by 2028, a move it has vowed to overturn if it wins government at the next election. Nationals MP Mia Davies. Credit: Peter de Kruijff The electorate named after wartime nursing hero Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel would encompass Perths eastern suburbs, sections of Liberal-held seats Canning and OConnor and parts of the Wheatbelt, including Davies hometown of Northam. The major parties have their eyes on the new seat ahead of 2025, which would be held by Labor on a 3.3 per cent margin based on the 2022 ballot. Davies declined to comment, but Peterson said the former opposition leader was weighing it up. The Member for Central Wheatbelt stood down as opposition leader in 2023, declaring she had no fuel in the tank and would not contest her seat at the next state election. The 45-year-old became the first Nationals opposition leader in almost 80 years in 2021 after former premier Mark McGowan took WA Labor to the biggest political victory in Australian history. Liberal moderate Katie Allen is expected to seek a return to politics in the suburban Melbourne electorate of Chisholm at the next election and progressive independents may target senior NSW Liberal Angus Taylor after a proposed redistribution triggered a round of jockeying for seats. The Australian Electoral Commissions draft seat boundaries have given more certainty to party officials about the territories in which the next election, due by May 2025, will be fought, prompting a hardening of plans among political aspirants from all sides. Katie Allen lost the seat of Higgins to Labor at the last election. Credit: Eddie Jim In Victoria, Allens former inner-Melbourne seat of Higgins is set to be abolished, with much of the area expected to move into the Labor-held Chisholm, where the margin of Labor MP Carina Garland is estimated to have been halved to 3.3 per cent. Allen will continue to campaign as the preselected candidate in Higgins in the faint hope the electoral commission changes course. But Allen is keen to run in Chisholm where a Liberal candidate has been picked and has support from top party figures to do so, according to senior Liberals not authorised to speak publicly. Playgrounds is integrated into other apps where you might want to whip up a custom image as well, and anywhere you find emojis you can also create custom icons by describing them. Taking a cue from some of its rivals, Apple will also be able to scan your photographs and remove unwanted background elements, or turn your sketches into AI illustrations, with a tap. Loading With its revamped Siri, Apple seems to want its AI to be more personal than the creativity focused chatbots we have seen, securely soaking up context from all of a users data and behaviour in the background, so when you ask for something it knows what you mean. For example, if you mention something to do with the recipe from yesterday, it should know what you are talking about. Though we are still a few months away from Apple Intelligence, the announcements were met with some trepidation. Most AI processes will be handled on-device by Apples processors, but some will need to run through cloud servers to make use of larger and more complex language models. Apple says it has created secure private servers that wont store information, but has not clarified if users will know when their information is moving from their device, or if they will be able to turn it off. To provide the broader chatbot experience some users want, Apple is partnering with other AI providers, much in the same way it partners with search engines rather than develop its own. So far, it has only announced compatibility with OpenAIs ChatGPT, which can accomplish tasks beyond Apple Intelligence, such as drafting entire scripts. Apple has been clear that no personal data from this process is stored by OpenAI, but the announcement still sparked some privacy concerns, and also led some experts to worry about the amount of data being centralised at OpenAI that it could use to further develop its products. Users who pay for an OpenAI subscription will be able to access more powerful capabilities directly through their Apple devices. Microsoft Copilot+ and the ARM race Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI, but rather than use ChatGPT directly it has adapted the technology into its own offerings, including the AI-powered search engine Bing and various Copilot features that show up in everything from Office to Teams. However, its big consumer push is to integrate Copilot into the Windows and Surface experience, as it moves to head off Apple and its AI-enhanced MacBooks. In fact, you could argue that AI is bringing us back to the good old days of PC vs Mac. Apple had differentiated itself by creating its own ARM architecture Apple Silicon chips, leaving Intels x86 processors behind. But now, in its pursuit of AI power and Mac-beating efficiency, Microsoft is doing the same, with ARM chips from Qualcomm featured in its latest Surface portable PCs due for release this week. It has created a new designation for Windows machines with powerful AI-capable chips and its full Copilot experience (for which other device-makers using ARM or x86 chips can qualify) called Copilot+ PCs. Recall, which will work Copilot+ PCs, remembers everything you do on the PC so you can scroll back through time. These devices have powerful neural processors that allow on-device AI to run much more efficiently than they would on other Windows PCs, and they have a dedicated key to summon the CoPilot chatbot which, like Apples Siri, will be able to take context from whatever you are doing at the time you are asking questions. Like Apple, Microsoft says some AI experiences will need to be processed in the cloud and will be done securely, thanks to a Microsoft-designed security processor in every CoPilot+ PC, but it is unclear where that line between local and cloud is. However, Microsoft is focused on promoting a few AI tasks that are completely local and exclusive to Copilot+. One is Recall, which keeps track of everything displayed on your screen to help you remember it later. Microsoft said it has designed this to be a more friendly alternative to trying to remember what a file was called, or what website had the thing you were reading, or discerning what a picture was when it is called IMG3114.jpg. With Recall, if you were trying to find that video of a dog you were watching earlier, you would just type dog and it would take you back to the Reddit post, even if the word dog didnt appear anywhere on the page. Microsofts Cocreator draws alongside you to create an AI-generated image. Another Copilot+ feature is Cocreator, which lives in apps such as Paint. You tell it what you are attempting to draw, and the AI interprets your drawing in a separate window. Theres a creativity dial you can use to customise that interpretation, giving you more control over composition than standard AI-generated artwork. Loading Of course, hitting the market with an AI PC first also opens Microsoft up to more scrutiny, which we have already seen with Recall. The company seemed unprepared for the backlash against this feature, with security experts wondering if a stolen PC could hand full histories of passwords, banking information and black-mailable material to thieves. The company clarified that this was an entirely on-device feature that was securely encrypted and accessible only to the person enrolled in the devices password or biometric locks. However, ultimately, it walked the feature back and said it will be off by default, and will require biometric authentication and proof of presence to decrypt. Washington: Joe Biden is banking on Hollywoods A-list to help propel him to victory in November, but their star power has yielded a mixed bag for the embattled US president. Big-name actors and musicians, from Robert De Niro to Barbra Streisand, have enticed donors to back Bidens re-election effort, but theres little evidence theyve energised their fans to come out in support of him. Meanwhile, a cadre of younger stars have yet to publicly back Biden in his race against Republican Donald Trump. US President Joe Biden has leant on celebrities and former running mate Barack Obama to win favour with voters. Credit: AP Biden sought to capitalise on celebrity support at a high-dollar fundraiser at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles last week, joined by stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts, as well as former president Barack Obama. Roberts, Clooney, and other stars including White Lotus actress Connie Britton, sent texts to supporters soliciting donations ahead of the event. The night raised more than $US30 million ($45 million), according to the Biden campaign. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel warmed up the audience with jabs at Trump, mocking him as an orange Julius Caesar before moderating a discussion with Biden and Obama. Asked by the late-night host how they would appeal to Republican voters frustrated by their presumptive nominee but wary of backing a Democrat, Obama cited Trumps recent conviction for falsifying business records a verdict that made the Republican the first former US president found guilty of a felony. Under the auspices of the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project and with the kind host of Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), the final Working Group activity (WG5) of the Master Trainer Programme (MTP) on Rules of Origin (RoO) for English speaking was held in Gaborone, Botswana from 20 to 31 May 2024. The MTP aims to establish self-sustainable and autonomous training capacity in key Customs work areas in the participating regions by developing a pool of well-qualified trainers and training materials/programmes that meet regional needs. To this end, the MTP trains the same nominated participants (WG members) from the participating Customs administrations through five working group (WG) sessions and intersessional activities for 2-3 years. About 150 Master Trainers (MTs) were developed by June 2021, and more than 49,000 people received training from MTs in 2018-2023. Twenty-five WG members from 13 WCO Members participated in the working group activity: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. At the opening ceremony, Ms. Jeanette Makgolo, Commissioner General of BURS, and Mr. Tonokawa Hiroyasu, Resident Representative of JICA Botswana Office, highlighted the key role of Rules of Origin in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the continents economic growth. During this final WG activity, the fifth in a series of progressive training activities, the WG members conducted a training session in a real scenario for certification as Master Trainers (MT) once they were recognized as having sufficient capability. To this end, the activitys first week was conducted in collaboration with the BURS, who invited 39 participants from its Customs administration, and the MTP WG members conducted training sessions for them. WCO and Japan Customs experts greatly assisted WG members in successfully conducting their training sessions. Following the successful completion of the training sessions for the BURS invitees, all 25 MTP WG members were certified as Master Trainers. These MTs will actively conduct capacity-building activities as regional assets. At the closing ceremony, the Acting Commissioner of BURS, Mr. Tonokawa Hiroyasu, Resident Representative of JICA Botswana Office, Mr. Christopher H Onyango, Director Trade and Customs of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and Ms. Hildah Moleofe, Chief Technical Advisor of Southern African Development Community (SADC), emphasized the importance of AfCFTA for regional integration and encouraged the MTs to actively engage in the capacity-building activities. Following this workshop, the successful MTP WG members attended a WCO pre-accreditation workshop on RoO, held at the same venue from 27 to 31 May 2024. All the participants demonstrated their competencies as expert trainers on RoO and were evaluated by experts from the WCOs Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate and the Capacity Building Directorate. The successful participants of the pre-accreditation workshop will be invited to the next stage of the WCO expert accreditation process, consisting of field missions as pre-accredited WCO experts in RoO, to achieve full accreditation to support future WCO capacity-building activities. The workshop was a significant achievement towards the implementation of the WCOs capacity-building strategy, as it will increase the pool of experts capable of independently leading training and technical assistance activities on behalf of the WCO. For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit LOCAL NOTES: BALLINTUBBER - WESTERN PEOPLE (JUNE 11 EDITION) Congratulations to Ann Burke who celebrated her 92nd birthday recently with friends from the Active Retirement Group in Ballyheane Community Centre. She is wished good health and continued happiness in the years ahead. Congratulations and best wishes are also extended to Patrick Jennings who celebrated a very special birthday with family and friends. Patrick is wished every success by his wife Siobhan and sons Robert and Jack. Additionally, congratulations and best wishes to Kevin Brady and his twin sister Ann who celebrated a special birthday recently. Kevin, who now lives in Chicago, and Ann (Belcarra) celebrated the special occasion with family and friends in Westport recently. They are wished good health and great happiness in the future. Castlebar's Shane Lavelle has been selected for the next stage of the prestigious Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). The competition aims to find the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland over the past year. Mr Lavelle has been shortlisted in the Back on Earth Landscape category for his image, Winter Milky Way. While a high-profile judging panel will select the overall winning entries in the coming weeks, an online vote was recently launched so members of the public can also have their say. Over 230 images were submitted to the competition in total this year the most ever received with 50 selected for the shortlist and public vote. Entrants were invited to submit entries across five distinct categories in the competition: 1. Night Sky in Your Hand: Images taken with only a smartphone, and without telescopes, of an astronomical scene. 2. Out of this World Planetary: Images of the planets, sun and moon. 3. Out of this World Deep Sky: Images of celestial objects that exist outside our solar system such as nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. 4. Back on Earth Landscape: Images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements such as nature, land or water. 5. Back on Earth Landmark: Images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements such as cityscapes, buildings, houses, historical structures or monuments. Winter Milky Way, the image by Castlebar's Shane Lavelle, has shortlisted in the Back on Earth Landscape category. The winning images selected by the judging panel and the public vote will be announced in July, and an outdoor exhibition will be staged by DIAS to showcase the best images. Alongside the winner of the Public Choice Award, the overall winners will be chosen by the judging panel for Reach for the Stars, which includes: Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS; Brenda Fitzsimons, Picture Editor of The Irish Times; Michael McCreary, President of the Irish Astronomical Society; and Niamh Breathnach, Director, Alice Public Relations. Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: The online public vote to select the winner of the Public Choice Award is a chance for the public to have their say in this years top astro-photographs. The online exhibition is a great opportunity for people to learn about our solar system, the galaxies around us and what lies in the night sky. It will be a difficult task to choose a favourite from the shortlisted entries! Im so impressed by the level of creativity and skill we have amongst photographers in Mayo and right across the country. This year has seen the highest number of entries in the history of the competition, and we hope to see the interest in our night skies continue to grow. Also, commenting today (13.06.24), Professor Peter Gallagher of DIAS said: Im delighted to return for a fourth year of judging for the Reach for the Stars competition. Photographers have shown great creativity and technical skill capturing everything, from stars and galaxies that are millions of light years away to stunning scenery back on earth. We hope the people of Mayo will get involved again this year and have their say by voting for their favourite image. Votes for the Public Choice Award are restricted to one vote per person, and voting will close at midday on Friday, July 5. All shortlisted images can now be viewed on the Reach for the Stars website, www.reachforthestars.ie, and members of the public can cast their vote for their favourite image. By Claudia Savage and Rebecca Black, PA Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he endorsed DUP candidates Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson on a personal basis and not in his capacity as party leader. Mr Farages endorsement sparked confusion last week because of Reform UKs alliance with Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), a rival unionist party to the DUP in Northern Ireland. Reform UKs co-deputy leader Ben Habib later insisted his party unequivocally backs TUV leader Jim Allister in the UK general election. Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister during the launch of the partys candidates for the Westminster elections at the Dunadry Hotel in Antrim in May (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Allister is running as a candidate in North Antrim, where Mr Paisley is also running. Mr Wilson is running in the East Antrim constituency, where the TUV candidate is Matthew Warwick. The TUV formed an electoral alliance with Reform UK ahead of Julys poll and is standing in 14 constituencies in Northern Ireland. Reforms pact with the TUV was announced by the partys then-leader Richard Tice in March this year. While it will only be the TUV name on the ballot paper on July 4th, the parties said they would promote a joint message on the campaign trail. On Monday, Mr Farage told the PA news agency that he is endorsing Mr Paisley and Mr Wilson on a personal basis. Asked if he would be endorsing DUP leader Gavin Robinson, Mr Farage said: [Mr Paisley and Mr Wilson] are two friends of mine who Ive endorsed previously, thats a personal thing not a party thing. He added: Ian Paisley, Sammy Wilson are friends of mine. I came into this party as leader very recently, after a different arrangement had been done. I didnt do it as leader of Reform UK, I did it on a personal basis. Weather Alert Bulletin: ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 degrees will result in frost formation. * WHERE...A portion of central Pennsylvania. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants and vegetation from the cold. Potted plants should be brought inside. The frost will occur mainly in valley locations. && Info: Type: Frost Advisory start_time_local: 2024-10-11T02:00:00-04:00 end_time_local: 2024-10-11T09:00:00-04:00 county_name: state: PA headline: Frost Advisory from FRI 2:00 AM EDT until FRI 9:00 AM EDT county_fips: category: Met url: urgency: Expected severity: Minor certainty: Likely geographicname: Schuylkill County state_name: Pennsylvania Representatives of Moscow, Tehran and Baku agreed to create a working group on freight transport within the international North-South transport corridor and inspected border and customs terminals on the Russian-Azerbaijani and Azerbaijani-Iranian borders, the representative of the government of Dagestan at the trade mission of the Russian Federation in Iran, Andrei Tanayev said, Azernews reports. We held a trilateral meeting at the expert level in Derbent between the Russian, Azerbaijani and Iranian delegations and inspected customs and border points," Tanayev said. According to Tanayev, a total of 27 people took part in the meeting at the expert level, 9 from each side. The Russian delegation was headed by the Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Automobile and Urban Passenger Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation Sergei Semenov; the delegation also included representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Service for Supervision of Transport. The Russian authorities expect that the North-South corridor can become an alternative to the Suez Canal, allowing for an end-to-end route for supplies both in transit to Europe and from Russia to the Persian Gulf. Students put on a kung fu performance to mark Chinese Language Day on April 20 at the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia in the country's capital Lusaka. [Xinhua] Sixteen-year-old Peyton Fu-Sarosa, who lives in the United States, attends an online Chinese class every week. With her teacher from Shanghai on screen, she reads books and practices conversations. She's also part of a Chinese club at school. In April, she visited Taiwan with classmates studying Chinese. She noticed a big improvement in her Chinese skills during the trip, and often helped translate for her friends. Fu-Sarosa comes from an Indonesian Chinese family. She lived in China from 3 to 7 before moving to the US. Three years ago, she started learning Chinese again, and found that it was fun. Every day, she spends about five minutes practicing on language-learning platform Duolingo, which she's been doing for over 300 days. "I know Chinese will be really useful. My grandma and other family members speak it, so I hope to chat with them in Chinese," she says. There is a surge in global demand for learning Chinese, particularly evident in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. At the same time, online platforms have emerged as a favored avenue for acquiring linguistic proficiency. A plethora of online education platforms have emerged, offering apps tailored to learning Chinese. The apps cater to different aspects of language acquisition, including the use of pinyin, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, mainly in English. Examples include Wukong, Du Chinese, Learn Chinese, and Chineasy: Learn Chinese Easily. Students study Chinese in a class at the Confucius Institute at the National University of Equatorial Guinea in Malabo. [Xinhua] According to HolonIQ's 2023 report, the Chinese language learning market is valued at $7.4 billion and is projected to double in the next five years. Ministry of Education statistics from 2021 underscored this trend, revealing that over 25 million individuals overseas were engaged in learning Chinese at the time. Notably, Duolingo had over 12.9 million users dedicated to mastering the language last year, marking an annual growth rate of 31 percent. Duolingo's latest language report for 2023 sheds light on data about Chinese learners for the first time. Compared to the global average, a whopping 76 percent of foreign users studying Chinese are under 30. This report analyzes language trends and user behavior from millions of Duolingo learners worldwide. Chinese ranks ninth in popularity among the app's courses and is the second most popular language in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Among the fastest-growing countries for Chinese learners are Bangladesh, Mongolia and Myanmar, with growth rates exceeding 100 percent annually. Bangladesh experienced a 180 percent increase in Chinese learners last year. Their motivations include communication, educational support, using their time more efficiently and career advancement. In November 2017, Duolingo introduced a course for learning Chinese through English, initially created with the help of volunteers teaching Chinese to English speakers. As the course gained popularity, Duolingo improved it over time. They also launched courses for learning Chinese through Japanese and Vietnamese, according to Tan Xiuting, Duolingo's course designer. "We realized there's a large audience of Chinese learners from different language backgrounds worldwide. So, we're developing a Chinese course tailored to them," Tan says. To tackle the challenge of tones, they introduced a pinyin practice section and added exercises for writing Chinese characters. A competitor displays calligraphy during a Chinese language contest in Ljubljana, Slovenia, last month. [Xinhua] "We include various aspects of Chinese culture in our courses, such as traditions like the Spring Festival, martial arts, and Peking Opera. We also introduce new cultural knowledge relevant to daily life," Tan explains. Tan, who has experience teaching Chinese in classrooms, believes online education allows more people to learn, and with the help of AI, online courses can provide more personalized and targeted practice for each student. "The gamification of online learning makes it fun and easy for Chinese learners to study. Features like leaderboards and streaks help users build a habit of learning every day," Tan says. "I understand that many learners also attend live classes, but they use our app for additional practice and to study by themselves since teachers aren't always available to answer questions," she adds. Maxime Chaussignand, a French expatriate in Singapore, is teaching himself for the Chinese Proficiency Test, and uses Duolingo to keep his skills sharp. He hopes that when he next visits his wife's hometown of Chongqing, he'll be able to communicate smoothly with her relatives in Chinese. Chaussignand's journey with Chinese began at university, and in 2015, he moved to Shanghai for work. Three years ago, he and his wife relocated to Singapore. For now, he doesn't find listening and speaking too hard, but reading and writing are still tough. It's hard to read Chinese characters if they're not on a computer or in a book, he says, explaining that he writes characters the way they look on computers. "For me, writing is the toughest part because many of the characters are like drawings," he explains. To learn, he writes each character out 50 times, practicing twice a week. "I am trying to learn Chinese to specialize in finance, to be able to read financial news in Chinese," he says. (Source: China Daily) Editor: Wang Shasha Click the photo and watch the video. * Through persistent efforts spanning several decades, Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located at the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, has reclaimed 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) out of its total 1.68 million mu of desert through afforestation. * In addition to achieving remarkable progress in desert control, the city has leveraged its remaining 180,000 mu of desert to develop desert tourism, photovoltaic, farming and breeding industries, lifting many out of poverty and improving the livelihoods of locals. * The city, through its innovative desert control and harnessing practices, stands as a microcosm of the country's ambitious Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), initiated in 1978 to combat desertification. YINCHUAN, June 16 (Xinhua) Amid the vast expanse of desert in the Shapotou scenic spot, located in northwest China's Zhongwei City, a group of students watch carefully as their tutor demonstrates the technique of paving straw checkerboard, China's remarkable method for sand control. For these local teenagers, who were excited to receive hands-on experience in making the straw checkerboard, the desert no longer holds a monstrous image. However, for older generations, the desert once represented a life-or-death crisis, as they feared the city might be engulfed by sand. Students learn to pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 31, 2024. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua] Through persistent efforts spanning several decades, Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located at the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, has reclaimed 1.5 million mu (about 100,000 hectares) out of its total 1.68 million mu of desert through afforestation. This endeavor has expanded its vegetation coverage from less than 1 percent to 42 percent at present, effectively pushing back the Tengger Desert by 25 kilometers. In addition to achieving remarkable progress in desert control, the city has leveraged its remaining 180,000 mu of desert to develop desert tourism, photovoltaic, farming and breeding industries, lifting many out of poverty and improving the livelihoods of locals. As the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought approaches, it's worth taking a closer look at Zhongwei's journey from battling desertification to thriving amidst the sands. The city, through its innovative desert control and harnessing practices, stands as a microcosm of the country's ambitious Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), initiated in 1978 to combat desertification. Serving as a key focal point along the shelterbelt, Zhongwei plays a crucial role as an ecological barrier for north and northwest China, as well as the upper-middle reaches of the Yellow River. China is among the countries most severely affected by desertification, with desertified areas primarily concentrated in the northwest, north and northeast regions, collectively known as the "three-north." To combat this challenge, China has proposed transforming the TSFP into a robust and enduring "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier across the country's north. An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows straw checkerboards paved in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua] Bolstering 'Green Great Wall' "When I was a primary school student, a sandstorm struck one day on my way home from school. The powerful winds blew many of my classmates into a nearby ditch, and some even lost their lives," recounted Tang Ximing, 60, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei. While Ningxia is surrounded by desert on three sides, Zhongwei is the hardest-hit city, highly vulnerable to sandstorm catastrophes. In 1958, when a railway that runs through Zhongwei opened to traffic, foreign experts predicted it would be inundated by sand in less than 30 years. The railway was the country's first to run through a desert. To protect the railway route, the city embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows workers paving an enhanced version of straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua] By partially burying a layer of straw into the sand, the straw "stands up" as a barrier. When connected into square-shaped grids, these straws form a sprawling "checkerboard" that effectively locks up the sand like a giant mesh. Seedlings planted within these checkerboards have significantly higher chances of survival. Tang's life is intertwined with the desert. Once eager to escape his sand-ravaged hometown, he was assigned a job as a forestry engineer in Zhongwei after graduating from college. Embracing the challenge, he has dedicated himself to transforming his hometown. Planting a tree in the desert is extremely challenging, even with the support of straw checkerboards, due to the shallow reach of the root system. Drawing on his experiences, Tang has crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, introduces his invention, a steel tool featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip that enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer, in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua] This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions in northern China. Tang has also worked together with researchers to develop an enhanced version of straw checkerboards that can be mass-produced using machinery, thereby extending the service life of these sand barriers. A worker uses a machine to make brush-like straw cable, the material for an enhanced version of straw checkerboards, in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. [Xinhua/Feng Kaihua] Tang is one of many Chinese researchers and grassroots sand-control practitioners who have committed their professional expertise, practical wisdom and strenuous efforts to fortifying the "green Great Wall." Digging Gold from Sand "I never expected there was such a nice-looking hotel in the middle of a desert," exclaimed Khalifa Mtumwa, a foreign student from Tanzania who visited Zhongwei, referring to a newly opened premium resort hotel in Shapotou scenic spot. Ranked as China's top desert destination, Zhongwei has made significant strides in enhancing its desert-themed tourism industry. In addition to sightseeing, visitors can enjoy a variety of leisure activities including sand surfing, sand sliding and stargazing, among others. In another part of the desert, a cattle ranch has been established. "It's dry and well-ventilated in the desert, therefore raising cows in the desert can reduce the incidence rate of some common diseases among cows," said Yang Fei, whose company runs the farm. He added that with a daily output of over 330 tonnes of fresh milk, the farm has become an important source of income for more than 20,000 rural households in 54 local villages. As industries thrive in Zhongwei by harnessing the resources of the desert, the aim of the TSFP extends beyond desert control to improving livelihoods. Preliminary statistics show that the TSFP has lifted approximately 15 million people out of poverty solely through forestry and fruit cultivation. Tang is on the brink of retirement, yet his journey is far from over. Having garnered recognition in the field of desert control, he is now sought after to assist in fighting desertification in various regions. With a packed agenda, Tang aims to combat desertification in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, address coastal sand erosion in South China, and even offer his help to Mongolia. Reporting by Tian Ying, Liu Ziling, He Chenyang, Liu Hai, Ma Sijia, Xie Jianwen; Video reporters Liu Hai, Ma Sijia, Feng Kaihua, Xie Jianwen; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Zheng Qingbin, Zhu Cong, Liu Ruoshi (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Jiang Ping [People's Daily Weibo account] A 17-year-old student recently amazed millions of people worldwide by ranking 12th in the preliminary round of a global math competition, despite being up against formidable rivals from top universities, her own mentor and even artificial intelligence. Jiang Ping, who is majoring in fashion design at Lianshui Secondary Vocational School in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, taught herself advanced mathematics for about two years, and then made it to the finals of the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition with a high score of 93 out of 120. She became the first vocational school student to reach the finals and the only girl among the top 30 contestants. Most of the finalists, totaling around 800, are from prestigious institutions such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, MIT and Princeton University. Vocational schools like the one Jiang attends usually focus on providing students with practical knowledge and training related to specific professions. Jiang's story, which has touched and inspired countless internet users, clearly demonstrates that one's potential does not necessarily depend on one's educational background, and that dreams do come true if one is diligent and persistent. Jiang's keen understanding of numbers began in junior high school, when she was easily able to solve complex math problems. Most students in China learn advanced math in college. "I lean toward subjects such as advanced math, as they spark my desire to explore," she said. "I enjoy the step-by-step process of mathematical deductions, and reaching the desired result brings me great joy." Jiang said she believes that regardless of which subject she is studying, fashion design or advanced mathematics, interest and effort are both crucial. The teen, who spends most of her spare time solving math problems, keeps an English dictionary handy, so that language doesn't become a barrier when she's learning from Lawrence C. Evans' book Partial Differential Equations. All of Jiang's books are full of notes, as she hopes to attend college someday and further explore her interest in math. Wang Runqiu, a teacher at the vocational school, recognized Jiang's talent in mathematics and recommended books to her on the subject. He offered her personal guidance and encouraged her to give the Alibaba competition a shot. Wang, who himself ranked 125th in the preliminary round of the contest, said, "I want to help young people as much as possible, and let them know they can have a different future." Multiple top universities congratulated Jiang on her success, and some even encouraged her to pursue higher studies at their campus. In a post addressed to Jiang on Sina Weibo on Friday, Shanghai-based Donghua University wrote: "Welcome to apply to Donghua University!" Two photos uploaded with the post showed the university's leading position in China in both fashion design and math. Jiangsu University, based in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, also welcomed Jiang through Weibo. Tongji University in Shanghai said on Weibo: "Every effort will bring its own rewards." Jiang's story has also received widespread attention on social media. A hashtag item about her, which read "In a life not defined by others, anyone can be a dark horse", garnered more than 16 million views as of Sunday. The annual Alibaba math competition, which started in 2018, is open to all math enthusiasts regardless of age and background. Tens of thousands of people from across the globe participate in it every year. This time, the competition was open to AI, but it failed to enter the finals. The competition's organizing committee told JSTV.com that questions asked in the preliminary round were equivalent to undergraduate level, while those in the final round would be comparable to doctoral programs. The eight-hour final round is scheduled for Saturday, and all participants will answer online. This year's competition will select five gold medalists, 10 silver medalists, 20 bronze medalists and 50 excellent award winners. The total prize money is $560,000, according to the competition's website. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Editor: Wang Shasha The British Army trains in Kenya. Many women say soldiers raped them and abandoned children they fathered Candidates vying for Clwyd North hotly contested Westminster seat This article is old - Published: Monday, Jun 17th, 2024 Clwyd North will be hotly contested by six election candidates on July 4. The new constituency has been formed from two former Tory held seats, 69.8% of the former Clwyd West constituency, represented by David Jones, who is retiring this election, and 64.1% of the old Vale of Clwyd seat, which is being abolished. Consequently, North Wales will have seven, not nine constituencies as a result of the review. Labour candidate Gill German is currently the deputy leader of Denbighshire County Council. Cllr German outlined her promises: Clwyd North needs a Labour MP. The empty promises of the Tories have rung for too long, and our communities have had enough. We need an MP with an established local profile and the passion, drive, and proven ability to work towards a better future for us all. My name is Gill German and I am that MP. This place is part of who I am. I grew up, brought my children up, and live my life here. A local teacher for many years, my route into politics came straight from the inequalities I saw grow year on year from those classrooms. As a development officer working across Wales on Welsh Governments project to tackle the impact of poverty on education, that picture became starker still. She added: That first-hand experience of the detrimental effects caused by callous Westminster policies led me to go out and campaign for what Labour has to offer fairness, opportunity, and equity so that every one of us can fulfil our potential. The Green Partys Martyn Hogg is also a Denbighshire County Councillor, serving the St Asaph East ward, and said the environment was one of his top priorities. He said: Millions of people in our country are deeply worried about the future. We live in one of the richest countries on the planet, yet nurses are using food banks, our childrens schools are crumbling, a roof over our heads is all too often unaffordable, and hospital and dentist appointments are like gold dust. Meanwhile, the climate emergency continues to accelerate. Scientists warn that we are currently on track for global temperatures to rise by at least 2.5C, far beyond levels at which humanity can safely survive. Our promise to you is that all this can change. We can create a greener, fairer country together one in which we are all safer, happier, and more fulfilled. This will only happen if we get more Green MPs elected. and it will take the kinds of policies set out in our manifesto. He added: Voting Green on 4 July is your way of showing you believe a fairer, greener world is possible and is worth fighting for. Darren Millar, Conservative, has served as the AM and MS with the Welsh Government for over a decade and a half and vowed to fight for his constituents in Denbighshire if voted into Westminster. He said: Ill fight hard for the things that matter to you, your loved ones, and your community. On July 4, youve got a big decision to make because youll have the opportunity to elect your next MP. Ive been a member of the Welsh Parliament, representing Clwyd West for 17 years. Ive seen the damage that the Welsh Labour Party has done to Wales, whether its slowing our economy down through default 20mph speed limits, problems in our NHS with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in special measures, or the cuts theyve imposed in education, which is damaging local schools and libraries. Its not good enough. And on 4 July, youll have the opportunity to send the Labour Party in Wales a message. So back me, back my campaign, and Ill fight hard for the things that matter to you, your loved ones, and your community. Candidate Jamie Orange is standing for Reform. He said: My name is Jamie Orange, and Im proud to be your Reform UK candidate for Clwyd North. Having lived in Wales my entire life, Ive witnessed the damage inflicted by the Welsh Labour government and the failures of the Conservatives in Westminster. The people of Clwyd North and all of Wales deserve better. We need to embrace a more free-market approach to ensure our local businesses can thrive. I propose scrapping business rates and raising the VAT threshold to make trading easier both domestically and internationally. Farmers are the backbone of our country. I will work to scrap the unrealistic Net-Zero targets and the re-wilding scheme enforced by the Welsh Labour government, which coerces farmers into surrendering 20% of their land for wild flowers and trees in exchange for subsidies. Its essential to freeze immigration and stop illegal crossings. Mass immigration has strained our housing, healthcare, schools, and wages. By freezing immigration, we can focus on building adequate housing for current residents. He added: The people of Clwyd North deserve a representative who will fight for their interests and work tirelessly to bring about real change. I am that candidate, and I am committed to making Clwyd North and Wales a better place for all. Candidate Paul Rowlinson is standing in the Clwyd North Constituency for Plaid Cymru. A Plaid Cymru profile stated: Paul Rowlinson is your Plaid Cymru candidate for the seat of Clwyd North. Born in Cheshire, Paul Rowlinson worked in the chemical industry in Germany before moving to Wales to train as a teacher at Bangor University. He later worked in housing and local government finance and then as a freelance translator, working across North Wales. He is married and has three children. He lives in Bethesda and has served on Gwynedd Council for the last seven years, working tirelessly on matters such as housing, flooding, roads, and waste collection. Paul helped to set up and run a community hydroelectric scheme that has reduced the carbon footprint locally and provides an income for the benefit of the community. With others he founded a successful local voluntary environmental group. He is also a member of the Books Council of Wales and serves as the chair of governors for his local secondary school. David Wilkins. is the Liberal Democrats candidate. Expressing his enthusiasm about being selected as the candidate, he said: Many local residents feel let down by the choices presented by Conservative and Labour politicians in Westminster. The compassionate and caring nature of our local community has too often been overlooked as Conservative policies have veered towards cruelty and moral bankruptcy. I am proud to stand once more, aiming to put an end to the Conservative mishandling of the economy and advocating for the restoration of funding for schools, hospitals, and essential services. Ive observed that our current Conservative MP and MS have often aligned themselves with the Party in Westminster, voting against the concerns held by local people. They have supported an unelected Prime Minister and a failing government, leaving us in need of a local champion who will be more vocal and prioritise our area. If given the opportunity to serve as Clwyd Norths MP, I am committed to putting our community first and being that champion. The full list of candidates standing are: Gill German (Labour) Martyn James Hogg (Green Party) Darren Millar (Conservatives) Jamie Orange (Reform UK) Paul John Rowlinson (Plaid Cymru) David James Wilkins (Lib Dem) By Richard Evans LDR Employment tribunal rules in favour of blind employee against Village Bakery This article is old - Published: Monday, Jun 17th, 2024 A local employment tribunal has ruled in favour of a blind employee, finding that The Village Bakery (Wrexham) Limited failed to make reasonable adjustments for his disability, ultimately leading to his dismissal. The judgment (PDF here), delivered at the Mold Justice Centre, highlighted several significant shortcomings by the employer in meeting its obligations under the Equality Act 2010. The case involved Mr Stanley, who has been registered blind since 2010. Mr Stanley was employed as a night shift production operative, starting on 17 July 2023. However, his employment was terminated just over a month later, on 30 August 2023. During this brief period, issues regarding his performance and the absence of reasonable adjustments to accommodate his disability were brought to light. The tribunal ruled in favour of Mr Stanley on several key complaints. One of the main issues was the employers failure to extend Mr. Stanleys probationary period, which would have allowed him more time to adjust to his new role and work environment. The tribunal deemed this a reasonable adjustment that was necessary for his successful integration. Another point was the lack of provision for a support worker. The tribunal found that having a support worker would have facilitated Mr Stanleys ability to perform his duties effectively. Additionally, the tribunal determined that informing Mr. Stanleys colleagues about his sight impairment was a reasonable adjustment that would have fostered a more supportive working environment. Furthermore, the tribunal noted that providing Mr Stanley with high-visibility clothing was a straightforward and necessary adjustment that was not made. While these complaints were upheld, the tribunal dismissed several other grievances regarding the failure to make reasonable adjustments. The tribunal also addressed the issue of unfavourable treatment related to Mr. Stanleys dismissal. It was found that his termination was directly linked to his disability, arising from the employers failure to accommodate his needs adequately. The Equality Act 2010 mandates employers to make reasonable adjustments to support employees with disabilities. This includes modifications to the work environment or changes in the way tasks are performed to mitigate disadvantages faced by disabled employees. The full narrative judgement can be found here. Two royal harpists heading to Llangollen for a summer of string! This article is old - Published: Monday, Jun 17th, 2024 Two royal harpists are heading to Llangollen this summer to play in two festivals within days of each other. Alis Huws will be playing at the Llangollen Eisteddfod and Catrin Finch the Llangollen Fringe. The two festivals are this year working together to promote all that the Denbighshire town has to offer. Alis Huws, current Royal Harpist to King Charles III, will be joining folk superstars Calan and Britains Got Talent semi-finalists Johns Boys Chorus at the glittering Wales Welcomes the World concert on Wednesday 3 July as part of the 2024 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Six days later, on Tuesday 9 July, celebrated former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch will also be heading to the Welsh town to perform at Llangollen Town Hall as part of the Llangollen Fringe Festival, along with the Irish violinist Aoife Ni Bhriain. Alis Huws is a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician. Alongside her royal role she regularly gives recitals across the UK and internationally, having toured Japan, Europe, the US, Hong Kong and the Middle East. Last year Alis performed at His Majesty King Charles IIIs coronation at Westminster Abbey, and has just signed a record deal with Decca Classics. Im so looking forward to performing at Llangollen in July, especially getting to join Calan and Johns Boys on the stage. It should be a fun evening, said Alis Huws. Catrin Finch, the celebrated Welsh harpist, arranger and composer, performs in Llangollen six days after Alis. Catrin is an internationally acclaimed musician and composer, and like Alis is one of the most accomplished harpists of her generation. She was official harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004, and has been delighting audiences for over two decades. Catrin has a reputation for collaborating with musicians from outside of the classical genre, such as the Dublin-born Aoife Ni Bhriain, whos one of Irelands foremost traditional fiddle players and a classical violinist of international repute. Their debut album, Double You, hit number one in the iTunes Classical Charts, and also topped the World Music Charts Europe in December 2023. Their show has been described as spell-binding and the duo say they cant wait to bring it to Llangollen Town Hall in July. This year the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Llangollen Fringe Festival are presenting their biggest festivals ever. Artistic director of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, Dave Danford, said: To have one royal harpist in Llangollen is fantastic, but to have two in less than a week is amazing. Alis Huws has an amazing reputation, and is central to our Wales Welcomes the World concert with folk superstars Calan and Britains Got Talent semi-finalists Johns Boys Chorus on Wedneday 3 July. Llangollen Fringe chair Paul Keddie said: Catrin Finch has been one of our most requested artists, and were delighted to be bringing her to Llangollen this summer. Catrin is a Welsh icon and her album with Aoife Ni Bhriain is simply spellbinding. This year, the Fringe is really pleased to be working in tandem with the Eisteddfod to bring a month of tremendous artists to the town, including two royal harpists. An investigative report published by Reuters on June 14 revealed that the Pentagon conducted a secret anti-vaccine disinformation campaign during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of massive psychological warfare operations waged by Washington against China. Targeting the Philippines in particular, the lies and disinformation spread by the US military at the peak of the pandemic contributed to keeping the countrys vaccination rate at the lowest in Asia and led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The Reuters report is detailed and extensive. In early 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Pentagon deployed part of its vast network of military personnel and contractors dedicated to the production of online propaganda and disinformation to wage a crusade of fear-mongering and racist attacks on China across various social media platforms, including Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram. Above all, the campaign targeted Sinovac, the Chinese company manufacturing an anti-COVID vaccine that was the first vaccine available in the Philippines. One senior military officer involved in the program bluntly told Reuters, We werent looking at this from a public health perspective. We were looking at how we could drag China through the mud. Hundreds of troll accounts and online bots operated by the US military attacked the vaccine with a barrage of lies in Tagalog and other languages: the vaccine was rat poison, it was part of a Chinese plot to take over the Philippines, it contained pork gelatin and was an attack on Muslims. The campaign was coordinated around the racist hashtag: #ChinaAngVirus (China is the virus). A health worker prepares to administer Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine inside the Makati Coliseum, in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Most of this propaganda has now been taken down from Twitter, but its disgusting residue can still be seen on Facebook. The Pentagon trolls manufactured crude racist imagery, attacked Chinese manufactured and donated face-masks, COVID test kits and the Sinovac vaccine. The US Defense Department acknowledged the accuracy of the Reuters investigation, but claimed that its anti-vax campaign was a response compelled by Chinas disinformation campaign to falsely blame the United States for the spread of COVID-19. This was not disinformation. More than any other country, Washington was responsible for the rampant spread of COVID-19 globally, due to its dominant role in world economy and politics. The herd immunity policy of mass infection pioneered by the Trump administration facilitated the spread and mutation of the virus, and the White House, under both Biden and Trump, put extraordinary economic and diplomatic pressure on other countries to follow suit. What the Reuters report documents is the extent of the culpability of Washington in the mass death wrought by the pandemic. US imperialism not only compelled much of the world to reopen, subjecting billions to infection and killing over 25 million people, it was the military headquarters of anti-vaccine propaganda. The military conducted the campaign out of a psychological operations center on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, employing both personnel and contractors. With hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, the operators impersonated Filipinos and other nationalities to attack basic public health measures and whip up fear of the only available vaccine. Their online lies were picked up by and trumpeted in the mainstream media. Only 2.1 million Filipinos out of a population of 114 million had been vaccinated by the middle of 2021. This was among the worst vaccination rates in Asia and any country where vaccines were available. The failure to vaccinate the population contributed to the Philippines having one of the worst death rates in the region. The people of the Philippines already had a low level of trust for vaccines. The botched 2016 roll-out of a French manufactured vaccine for dengue fever, Dengvaxia, that placed about ten percent of 800,000 vaccinated schoolchildren at risk of severe infection, led to widespread vaccine skepticism. The Pentagon played on these fears, doing irreparable damage to popular confidence in basic science and public health measures. On March 1, 2021, as the Sinovac vaccine was just being rolled out, the official COVID death toll in the Philippines stood at 12,289. By November 15, 2021, that same figure was 45,581. When one examines excess deaths above pre-pandemic figures, a more accurate measurement of the death toll, the actual death toll during this period was 228,059. This was largely due to the Delta variant, and the vast majority of these deaths would have been prevented had there been higher uptake of the Sinovac vaccine. In other words, the US military disinformation campaign, a form of biological warfare, was directly responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 Filipinos in 2021 alone. Official deaths and excess deaths estimates for the Philippines, March 1 to November 16, 2021 [Photo by Our World In Data / CC BY 4.0 The Pentagon trolls also circulated claims that face-masks produced in China were infected with COVID and that Chinese manufactured COVID test kits were defective. The US military disinformation campaign was not limited to the Philippines. It was a global war of disinformation. In Central Asia and the Middle East, they manufactured propaganda claiming that Sinovac contained pork gelatin and was thus haram, or forbidden by Islamic law. Crude images, circulated on social media in Central Asia, showed a Chinese businessman purveying syringes full of pig blood to the Muslim population, using the Chinese flag to hide the pigs. Sinovac denied that their vaccine contained any porcine materials and Muslim clerics issued statements that even if it did, it would not make the vaccine haram as the vaccine was needful to save human life. What the Reuters investigation exposes is more than just this one campaign of US military disinformation. Murderous in its own right, the anti-vaccine crusade of the Pentagon is part of a vast online apparatus of lies and propaganda run by the US government. This was not a rogue unit, operating beyond its instructions. The Reuters report documents that the Trump White House launched the campaign and the Biden White House allowed its continued operation until the middle of 2021. There were National Security Council meetings held to discuss it. Leading US State Department officials stationed at embassies in targeted countries were aware of the campaign and raised objections to it, but they were overridden by the military. The anti-vax campaign of the Pentagon was part of an extensive and ongoing operation of online disinformation whose existence is widely known in official circles. According to Reuters, the Pentagon began using social media tools in 2010 to create a sprawling ecosystem of online propaganda and disinformation. One of the limitations of this campaign, however, is the fact that in peacetime, the Pentagon needed approval of embassy officials before conducting psychological operations in a country. In 2019, prior to either the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine, then Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed a secret order that later paved the way for the launch of the US military propaganda campaign. The order elevated the Pentagons competition with China and Russia to the priority of active combat. By secretly declaring that the United States was effectively in a state of war with Russia and China, the military gave itself the de facto power to conduct limitless campaigns of disinformation, so-called influence operations, around the globe. Donald Trump, flanked by Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after the clearing of Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) This is funded with billions of dollars. A study published by the Stanford Internet Observatory in 2022 documented some of the US covert influence operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. The report documented the production of fake news, fake faces, fake followers, and sham media outlets. Among the many campaigns it reported was the use of a fake persona and a sham media outlet in Central Asia to manufacture accusations against China of committing genocide against the Uyghurs, including alleged organ trafficking, forced labor, sexual crimes against Muslim women and suspicious disappearances of ethnic Muslims in Xinjiang. The US disinformation trolls operate with the full knowledge of social media executives. Reuters reports that Facebook executives were alarmed at the anti-vax propaganda of this particular disinformation campaign and threatened to shut down the fake accounts. At the direct request of the military, Facebook allowed the accounts to continue and did not take down the anti-vax content. In early 2021, Facebook officials arranged a meeting with the Biden National Security Council to discuss their anger over this particular campaign and the Biden administration agreed to shut it down. The anti-vax campaign was officially ended in the middle of 2021, according to Reuters. The Reuters report reveals the intimate coordination that exists between the giant social media corporations and the US government apparatus of disinformation. Facebook is not only aware of the US operations on its network, it coordinates them with the military and even called a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss it. Washingtons mass manufacture of lies in service of global waractive combat with Russia and Chinais expanding. Reuters reported, In an unclassified strategy document last year, top Pentagon generals wrote that the U.S. military could undermine adversaries such as China and Russia using disinformation spread across social media, false narratives disguised as news, and similar subversive activities [to] weaken societal trust by undermining the foundations of government. The very actors responsible for the anti-vax campaign, with the blood of hundreds of thousands on their hands, are a key part of these operations. Reuters noted that in February, the contractor that worked on the anti-vax campaignGeneral Dynamics ITwon a $493 million contract. Its mission: to continue providing clandestine influence services for the military. Washingtons hypocrisy knows no bounds. Baseless accusations of Russian trolls meddling in American elections or of Chinese bots undermining democracy have been the mantra of US imperialisms war-mongering for nearly a decade. Social media executives have been called on the carpet by Senate investigative committees for allowing this alleged activity. Tiktok is threatened with a US ban for being a vehicle of Chinese disinformation. And yet it is Washington that has launched a blitzkrieg of online lies and propaganda. It is Pentagon trolls who not only peddle disinformation about China, but manufacture mass anti-vaccine sentiment in the midst of a global pandemic. The very social media executives performatively upbraided for allowing Russian trolls to operate are secretly meeting with the National Security Council to discuss the conduct of the US disinformation machine. US imperialism operates as if it is already at war with Russia and China. Its machinery of online propaganda and disinformation exists to whip up a public frenzy in support of this war. The anti-vax campaign was one of its many noxious products. It reveals much, but above all this: there is no human cost too high for Washingtons war aims, not even the deaths of hundreds of thousands from US manufactured lies. French President Emmanuel Macron said last week he had suspended, but not withdrawn, New Caledonias contentious amendment to expand the countrys voter rolls and allow recent immigrants to vote in local elections. The move triggered violent unrest in the French Pacific colony. French President Macron, 2nd right, chairs a security and defence council at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, May 20, 2024 [AP Photo/Benoit Tessier] During a press conference in Paris on June 12, Macron referenced the now-dissolved National Assemblys pending projects, saying my wish is that they can be resumed [after Frances snap elections] once a majority is confirmed, enlarged or formed with other partners. Macron said the bill on New Caledonia had to be suspended in order to give maximum strength to the dialogue on the ground and to return to order. The amendment was approved by both houses of parliament but is yet to be ratified by a vote at the Congressa bicameral sitting with a 60 percent majority needed to amend the constitution. Following a visit to New Caledonia on May 23, Macron declared he would summon Congress before the end of June but would not force through the changes. Earlier, Macron had appointed three senior public servants to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with New Caledonias contesting parties on the colonys political future. The officials have since been recalled to Paris. The constitutional change is opposed by pro-independence parties and groups which claim it will dilute the vote of indigenous Kanaks who make up over 40 percent of the population. The passage of the law through Frances National Assembly on May 13 provoked an eruption of social anger by thousands of Kanak youth, devastating the capital Noumea and nearby districts. During his visit, Macron made clear that full independence was off the agenda. He told political leaders that the third self-determination referendum, held in December 2021 in which 96 percent voted to stay with France amid a boycott by the pro-independence parties, would not be relitigated. I will not go back on this, he insisted. The situation is in limbo until after the French elections on June 30 and July 7. The Congress will not be able to convene before mid-July. The New Caledonia amendment, as endorsed by both Houses, is formulated in such a way that it must come into force on 1 July 2024, meaning it will lapse. The election is being conducted amid a sharp rightward shift by the French ruling elites following large gains for far-right parties in the recent European Parliamentary elections. Macrons party, Renaissance, polled less than 15 percent of the vote while the anti-immigration National Rally headed by fascistic Marine Le Pen secured over 31 percent. Le Pen is, if anything, more committed to strengthening Frances hold on New Caledonia than Macron. She bluntly tweeted in 2017: New Caledonia is France. In their joint election manifesto, the parties of the so-called leftist popular frontFrance Unbowed (LFI), the Socialist Party (PS), Communist Party (PCF) and Greenscall for the New Caledonia reforms to be abandoned as a gesture of appeasement and to return to the path of dialogue and a search for consensus. The document promises a common destiny in the spirit of the Matignon and Noumea Accords, with impartiality of the French State. This is a complete fraud. Whatever happens in the election, France is not about to cede control over the strategically significant territory. All factions of the political establishment are preparing intensified war on the working class at home and imperialist war abroad, including against China in the Pacific. New Caledonia hosts a major French military base and holds nearly a quarter of the worlds reserves of nickel, essential to the defence industry. The colony remains under the heel of a repressive police-military operation intended to suppress the simmering unrest under control. Macron imposed a 12-day state of emergency on May 15 and demanded pro-independence leaders use their influence to get protesters blockades around the main island dismantled. French security forces, now numbering some 3,500 and supported by armoured riot vehicles, will stay as long as necessary to maintain Republican order, Macron has declared. Last week, Frances High Commissioner in Noumea, Louis Le Franc, announced that the 6pm-6am curfew would remain in effect until at least June 17. Public gatherings, the sale and transport of weapons and the sale of alcohol are prohibited. The riots have left an estimated 7,000 people without jobs. Damage of 1 billion has hit the economy with some 500 business and stores looted or destroyed by arson and the nickel industry on minimum capacity. Shortages of food and fuel are contributing to ongoing tension. More than 2,700 French and foreign tourists and visitors have been evacuated by military aircraft. Intensive military-police activities against Kanak protesters are ongoing. On June 13, Islands Business correspondent Nic Maclellan posted scenes on X of a major operation involving 200 police, helicopters and armoured cars around Mount Dore, a town south of Noumea that has been isolated from the capital for weeks. One of the French police units is the notorious Groupe dIntervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN), which is bitterly resented by the Kanak community. GIGN forces were active alongside elite French commandos during the May 1988 hostage crisis on the island of Ouvea. The resulting massacre saw 19 Kanaks killed, some executed after surrendering. Data from the French High Commission shows that nearly 1,200 people were arrested between May 13 and June 10. According to Maclellan, Camp Est, the main prison in Noumea, is desperately overcrowded with deplorable conditions and 90 percent of inmates Kanak. Some convicted protesters are now being deported to France. A ninth person was reported to have died in hospital from injuries on June 12. The Kanak man in his thirties was shot in the chest by a GIGN officer on May 29 in the suburb of Dumbea. Offering his condolences, New Caledonias pro-independence President Louis Mapou said: Nine too manya deeply regrettable situation for our country. He reiterated calls for calm and insisted on the removal of remaining roadblocks. The various factions of the local political elite are positioning themselves to push their respective agendas in the coming election. A united coalition of anti-independence parties, including the two closest to France, the Loyalistes and extreme-right Rassemblement National, has formed to contest the two local electorates. However, the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) coalition delayed a Congress scheduled for last Saturday over reported differences. Tensions have simmered between two of the four parties, Union Caledonienne and Parti de liberation Kanak (Palika), as Macron ramped up pressure on them to bring the rebellion to heel. The FLNKS, which represents a privileged Kanak layer within the local establishment, was caught flat-footed by the uprising that erupted from below and outside its control. Behind the pro-independence slogans, the riots have been driven by deepening social and economic misery, particularly affecting alienated young Kanaks. The poverty rate among Kanaks, the largest community, is 32.5 percent, compared to 9 percent among non-Kanaks. Youth unemployment is 26 percent. French intransigence is, at the same time, undermining its ambitions to cement its diplomatic and military presence in the wider Pacific, including among island governments concerned about unrest among their own citizens. On June 12 Papua New Guinea, which saw devastating riots in January, and Fiji, with an unstable authoritarian government, urged the UNs Special Committee on Decolonization to immediately send a mission to assess the situation in New Caledonia. Fijis UN representative Filipo Tarakinikini said; Taking up arms against each other is not the solution, nor is the militarization and fortification by authorities in the territory the correct signal in our Blue Pacific continent. New Caledonia has been listed by the UN as a non-self-governing territory under French administration since 1986. In the Pacific, American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, Pitcairn and Tokelau are also on the list, among 17 territories worldwide that are home to 2 million people and mostly part of the former British empire. Around 640,000 people marched in cities across France to protest the rise of far-right parties in the June 9 European elections, amid fears that the far-right National Rally (RN) could gain a record vote in snap elections President Emmanuel Macron has called for June 30 and July 7. Hundreds of thousands of workers and youth protested to express their anger and opposition to the existing order. Protesters spoke of their concern over NATO military escalation against Russia, genocide in Gaza, and austerity and police violence at home. These sentiments reflect deep-going opposition to French and international capitalism. French workers and youth rally on Republic Square in Paris to protest the rise of the far right vote, 15 June 2024. This opposition runs directly into the obstacle posed, however, by the pro-capitalist Popular Front alliance that called the protests, together with the union bureaucracies. It brings together Jean-Luc Melenchons France Unbowed (LFI) party, the big business Socialist Party (PS) and the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF). The PS and the PCF are parties of capitalist government that have imposed decades of austerity and war on the workers; Melenchon is a former PS minister. Melenchons staggering cynicism was on display Sunday, when he warmly greeted former PS President Francois Hollande into the Popular Front. Seven years after leaving office, Hollande remains deeply unpopular. He is infamous for invading Mali, imposing a two-year state of emergency that suspended democratic rights, and using savage police state violence to suppress strikes against his labor law, as well as other anti-worker policies. One cannot fight the far right in alliance with Hollande, who feverishly promoted its growth. In 2015, he became the first French president to welcome a neo-fascist official, RN leader Marine Le Pen, to the Elysee presidential palace. During his state of emergency, he tried to effect a reconciliation with the neo-fascists by legalizing deprivation of nationalitya policy used during the Nazi occupation of France to justify deporting Jews and resistance fighters. Melenchon embraced Hollande, however, after the PS announced that Hollande would come out of retirement to run as a Popular Front candidate for his old seat in Correze. Melenchon tweeted: The Socialist Party chooses the candidates it wants. Any ally is welcome to fight the RN, including Francois Hollande. We must throw old grudges by the wayside. This alliance with brutally reactionary forces, justified on the bankrupt grounds of voting for the lesser evil, is a political trap for the working class. It ties the workers to representatives of French finance capital who not only call to escalate the NATO war with Russia in Ukraine, but have played a central role in legitimizing neo-fascism. It works thus to demoralize and sow political confusion among workers and youth mobilizing against the far right. "Don't make 2024 a new 1933," the year the German ruling class installed Hitler in power as Chancellor. WSWS reporters intervened at rallies in Paris and in southern France. In Paris, Emilie and Claudia told the WSWS they were protesting the rise of the far right and were also concerned about the NATO escalation against Russia. They said, It is frightening to think that we could soon be at war. We have seen that at no point has anyone asked what the French people want about this. Asked why so many people vote for the far right despite the French far rights historical record of collaboration with Nazism, Emilie pointed to the bankruptcy of the establishment left parties, saying: Everyone is totally fed up. People have the feeling that none of the other parties represent them. She also pointed to the financial aristocracys promotion of the far right, particularly by the media empire of French billionaire Vincent Bollore. She said: The media also play a role, with CNews, which is now the most widely watched cable news channel in France. They distill fear. People live in the countryside, never meet immigrants, and start thinking the threat is everywhere. Social media also play an enormous role. Videos of [RN candidate Jordan] Bardella showed him as a charismatic person and gave no idea of what his politics actually are. Claudia, who lived in former mining areas of northern France deindustrialized by PS governments, which now vote heavily for the RN, said: People there feel so abandoned that they turn towards the only people who seem to pay any little bit of attention to them at all. They fall into the trap of telling themselves, We havent tried this party yet, even if they also deep down know thats very false, too. The WSWS interviewed Sarah and Lucie, who also stressed the ruling class promotion of the neo-fascists. Sarah said: It has been years that the far right was presented as respectable, democratic and harmless parties. All Bollores TV stations give them the green light. And the left-wing parties have for a long time been deeply disappointing. We had disgusting laws under Hollande, and then we had Macron. So certain people react against that and say the far right is not so bad, given what else they have been served up. Lucie said she might hold her nose and vote for the PS anyway: The left must unite. If they all start saying, Yes but I want this, if they demand all sorts of things as usual and ultimately there is no real unity, well have the right, even the far right in power. Obviously the left parties are not without faults, but I dont want to start talking about whether we ally with the PS or not. As long as they respect the Popular Front electoral accords, we must focus on elections and fight for them to keep their promises. When WSWS reporters noted that the PS has a long record ever since coming to power in 1981 of rapidly violating its election promises and being impervious to popular opposition, Lucie said: Then there will have to be a general strike. We will have weapons of war facing us on the other side then, we will have to avoid being massacred by the police. "Macron, Le Pen, History will judge you" The WSWS also spoke to Anna, a supporter of the middle-class Lutte Ouvriere (LO) party who also reads the WSWS. Asked why she was at the rally, she said: War tensions are mounting as are far-right pressures not only in France, but worldwide in general. These parties bring us towards war and destruction. If things continue like this, we are headed straight for World War III. That scares me. French workers have no interest in fighting Russian or Ukrainian workers. Karl Liebknecht said that the enemy is in our own country. Anna expressed her distrust of the Popular Front: The trade unions, the Popular Front alliance, Im not necessarily for them. This alliance from Hollande to [NPA presidential candidate Philippe] Poutou is lying to the workers. It says, Vote for us, well do the rest. She noted that the disillusionment and apathy generated by these parties creates fertile terrain for the rise of the neo-fascist vote: The people have not become fascists, but there is no movement in the working class. However, in line with LOs longstanding opposition to building a revolutionary leadership in the working class, Anna argued against building an organization to give political leadership to mass opposition to the neo-fascists, which should, according to her, remain entirely spontaneous. She said: There is a reaction to the rise of the far right, it must be much stronger. However, it must come from the workers themselves. We cannot have any unilateral leaderships. The threat of far-right rule and global war are in reality urgent warnings to the working class in France and internationally that a Marxist revolutionary leadership must be built. Plans are very advanced for a massive military escalation targeting Russia, which will be the topic of a NATO summit in Washington only two days after the final round of the French elections. Melenchons alliance with Hollande and the PS underscores that LFI and the Popular Front will be no real obstacle to the eruption of a broader, even bloodier war, combined with calls for further deep austerity in order to finance Frances military build-up. This underscores the urgency of building a Marxist internationalist revolutionary leadership that can crush the influence over workers of the capitalist parties and lead workers in a struggle for state power and for socialism. Mehring Books recently published a second, expanded edition of David Norths The Logic of Zionism: From Nationalist Myth to the Gaza Genocide. The book now contains five lectures and speeches delivered between October 24, 2023 and March 12, 2024, in Michigan, London, Berlin and Istanbul, in the midst of the ongoing imperialist-backed Israeli genocide against the people of Gaza. The lectures address the most urgent political questions preoccupying masses of workers and young people throughout the world: What are the causes of the genocide in Gaza, and how can it be stopped? North, the chairman of both the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party in the United States, provides a Marxist analysis of the historical development of Zionism, the nationalist ideology which justified the founding of the state of Israel in 1948 and the violent expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians from their land through massacres of innocent people and the destruction of hundreds of villages. The book demonstrates how Zionism originated in the nineteenth century, with the support of the imperialist powers, in direct opposition to the widespread support for socialism in the Jewish working class. And North explains the socialist and internationalist strategy that is necessary to mobilise the working class against the Netanyahu regime and the imperialist system, which is now leading the planet into a devastating third world war. David North speaking at the University of Michigan on October 24, 2023. Israels slaughter of tens if not hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, the destruction of entire cities, hospitals, schools, mosques, and the imposition of mass starvation on Gazas 2.3 million residentsall this has produced profound shock and anger towards the Netanyahu regime and its imperialist backers in the US, Britain, Germany and elsewhere. It has fueled the political radicalisation of millions of workers and young people, for whom Zionism is now synonymous with some of the worst atrocities committed anywhere since the Second World War. One aspect of this radicalisation is a surge in interest in the history of the oppression of the Palestinians. Critical historical works are being widely read, including Rashid Khalidis The Hundred Years War on Palestine (2017) and Ilan Pappes The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (2006). The latter went through five reprintings in 2023 in the English language edition. These works set out, in detail, the crimes of the Israeli ruling class and the imperialist powers in Palestine, Lebanon and throughout the Middle East. The solutions they propose, however, do not go beyond appeals for reconciliation and compromise between the Israeli regime and the Palestinian people. They express the hope that growing popular sympathy will persuade governments to secure the Palestinians their basic rights. The middle-class organisations that currently dominate the anti-genocide protests advance the same political strategy of pressuring capitalist governments to bring about a ceasefire. This strategy has manifestly failed. Despite the unprecedented scale of the protests, the imperialist powers continue to arm and give political support to the Netanyahu regime. The Biden administration and its counterparts in Europe, Australia and Canada have amply demonstrated that they are impervious to public opinion. These governments, abetted by the corporate media, are engaged in a vile campaign to smear protesters as antisemitic, and have unleashed police state violence against peaceful demonstrations. In opposition to the prevailing perspective, The Logic of Zionism makes the case that the fight against war can only be based on an international revolutionary strategy. North explains that the genocide in Gaza and the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine are two battlefronts in a rapidly escalating Third World War, whose scale and ferocity, unless stopped by a mass anti-war movement of the international working class, will surpass that of World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). Israel, a heavily armed imperialist outpost, plays a central role in US operations against Iran, Syria and Yemen. The Biden administrations endorsement of the mass murder of the Palestinian people is a warning to workers in these countries, as well as Russia and China, of the methods that will be used against anyone who resists the imperialist drive to reconquer the world. North rejects the boundlessly hypocritical propaganda that, in the words of President Joe Biden, Hamass October 7 attack on Israel was an act of pure unadulterated evil that must be avenged. The Gaza breakout can only be understood as the product of decades of brutal oppression by Israel, just like many other violent anti-colonial uprisings throughout history, including the Sepoy mutiny in India, the uprising of the Dakota Indians against the settlers, the rebellion of the Boxers in China, of the Hereros in Southwest Africa, and in more recent times, the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. Many questions remain about why the Hamas attack was not prevented by the Israeli forces. It has, however, provided the pretext for a long-planned operation to ethnically cleanse Gaza, as well as the West Bank. While refusing to join in the hypocritical moral denunciations of the October 7 attack, North explains that the bourgeois nationalist program of Hamas is incapable of defeating the Zionist regime: In the final analysis, the liberation of the Palestinian people can be achieved only through a unified struggle of the working class, Arab and Jewish, against the Zionist regime as well as the treacherous Arab and Iranian capitalist regimes, and their replacement with a union of socialist republics throughout the Middle East, and, indeed, the entire world. This is a gigantic task. But it is the only perspective that is based on a correct appraisal of the present stage of world history, the contradictions and crisis of world capitalism and the dynamic of the international class struggle. The wars in Gaza and in Ukraine are tragic demonstrations of the catastrophic role and consequences of national programs in an historical epoch whose essential and defining characteristics are the primacy of world economy, the globally integrated character of the productive forces of capitalism, and, therefore, the necessity to base the struggle of the working class on an international strategy. This is the essence of Leon Trotskys theory of permanent revolution. Before Israel launched its genocide, North had intended to deliver a series of lectures on the history of the Trotskyist movement. Last year marked the centenary of the founding of the Left Opposition, led by Leon Trotsky to oppose the usurpation of power from the working class by the bureaucracy led by Stalin, whose regime would repudiate the program of world socialist revolution. Last year also marked 70 years since the 1953 Open Letter written by American Socialist Workers Party leader James P. Cannon, opposing the attempt by a pro-Stalinist faction in the leadership of the Fourth International led by Michel Pablo to liquidate the movement into the numerous Stalinist, bourgeois reformist and middle class nationalist parties throughout the world. The Open Letter marked the founding of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). As North explains, Israels onslaught against Gaza required a shift in focus, but the lectures nonetheless demonstrate the profound connection between the present crisis and critical issues of Marxist theory, political perspective and socialist program that were at the heart of the struggle waged by the Left Opposition against Stalinism. Describing this as the most consequential political struggle of the 20th century, North points out that had the internationalists prevailed, the entire course of history would have been radically different: Hitler could have been stopped. Trotsky advocated a united front of the Social Democratic and Communist parties, the two mass parties of the German working class. He wrote that nothing was more critical than the defeat of Hitler, and warned that the defeat of the working class and the coming to power of Hitler would be a global catastrophe of unimaginable dimensions. And Trotsky warned as well that one of those catastrophes would be the annihilation of European Jewry. Those warnings were ignored. Hitler came to power, with horrifying consequences. This set into motion a train of events that remain operative in the political situation we are experiencing today. Without the victory of Hitler, without the victory of fascism, there would never have been a mass Zionist movement, there would never have been a mass migration of Jews to Palestine. And one of the major factors in the escalating crisis that we are now witnessing simply would not exist. In other words, The creation of the Zionist state was the direct outcome of the defeats of the working class in the 1920s and 1930s because of the betrayals of Stalinism and Social Democracy. Norths analysis powerfully refutes the Big Lie that equates any opposition to Zionist ideology and the state of Israel itself with antisemitism. This is endlessly repeated by the US and European politicians and media to delegitimise mass opposition to the Gaza genocide. On one level, North explains, such claims are simply absurd, given the prominent participation of so many Jewish people in the anti-genocide protestsincluding, one could add, a developing movement within Israel itself. He also points out the brazen hypocrisy of the howls of antisemitism given the open alliance of the imperialist powers with the regime in Ukraine, whose principal national hero, Stepan Bandera, was a vicious fascist and antisemite, the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which collaborated with the Nazis in the extermination of the Jews of Ukraine. More fundamentally, North states that the establishment of the Zionist state was not only a tragedy for the Palestinians; it was, and is, a tragedy for the Jewish people as well. Zionism never was, and is not today, a solution to the historic oppression and persecution of the Jewish people. He quotes the assessment of Leon Trotsky, who warned in 1938 that the Jews faced the threat of physical extermination in the coming war, and declared in July 1940, one year after World War II had begun: The attempt to solve the Jewish question through the migration of Jews to Palestine can now be seen for what it was, a tragic mockery of the Jewish people. Never was it so clear as it is today that the salvation of the Jewish people is bound up inseparably with the overthrow of the capitalist system. Modern antisemitism emerged, North points out, as a weapon of political and ideological struggle against the emerging working class and socialist movement. Hitlers hatred of Jews was inextricably linked to his hatred of Bolshevism and the workers movement, which included many Jews in its leadership. At the same time, Zionism developed as a right-wing nationalist reaction against the widespread support for socialism among Jewish workers and intellectuals, who associated social progress and the achievement of democratic rights with their assimilation, rather than segregation from society. North pays particular attention to Moses Hess, the first major figure to advance the perspective of a Jewish state in Palestine in his 1862 book Rome and Jerusalem: The Last National Question. Theodor Herzl, who is considered the father of the Zionist movement, later commented that if he had been familiar with Hesss book, it would not have been necessary for him to write his own Der Judenstaat, the Jewish State. Moses Hess in 1870 [Photo: Unknown] Hess had been a socialist and a friend of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, but became demoralised by the defeats suffered by the working class in the revolutionary wave that swept across Europe in 1848. In direct opposition to Marx, Hess insisted on the primacy of race over class, writing: All history has been that of racial and class war. Racial wars are the primary, class wars the secondary factor. He advanced the deeply pessimistic positionwhich is at the core of Zionismthat Jews could never be assimilated because antisemitic hatred was so deeply ingrained in the European population. On this basis, Hess opposed the socialists fight against antisemitism and asserted that a Jewish homeland was needed for the survival and progress of the Jewish people. Like Herzl, Hess understood that a Jewish state in Palestine would require the support of a major imperialist power, which he argued would be France. Although Hess is known as a founder of Labor Zionism, i.e., an ostensibly left-wing current, he advanced the same racialist and nationalist positions that were later propounded by Herzl and all the Zionist leaders. The fascist Zeer Jabotinsky paid tribute to Hess as someone who paved the way for the Balfour Declarationthe 1917 statement in which the British foreign secretary expressed the British Empires support for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. There are striking echoes of Hesss positions in present-day racialist politics, which the World Socialist Web Site has subjected to devastating criticism. In its comprehensive refutation of the New York Times 1619 Project, the WSWS exposed its falsification of American history as an intractable conflict between whites and blacks, with the class struggle erased from the record. The misinterpretation of history as a never-ending race war serves to divide the working class and prevent an effective movement against the source of racial oppression: the capitalist system. This was recognised long ago by socialist-minded Jews, whose attitude to the Zionist movement from the 1880s onwards, North explains, was one of irreconcilable hostility. In the Russian Empire, where the Zionists had support from the tsarist regime, The anti-Zionism of all factions of the socialist movement prevented the Zionists from making serious inroads into the working class. The Jewish socialist Bund, according to historian Jossi Goldstein, launched a war to the death against Zionism, which it referred to as a rotten corpse and a mask behind which to exploit the workers and deceive the toiling people. Perhaps the most politically explosive issue examined in The Logic of Zionism is the record of Zionist collaboration with the Nazi regime. As North explains, There is no other period of historyprior to the founding of Israel in 1948that so thoroughly exposed the reactionary character of Zionism and its fraudulent claim to represent the interests of the Jewish people than its conduct during the 1930s. He cites Jewish historian Saul Friedlander, who documented the Zionists cooperation with the Nazis to facilitate emigration to Palestine. This included inviting a writer from Goebbels newspaper to visit Palestine and produce a series of articles promoting emigration. On June 22, 1933, the Zionist Organisation for Germany sent an infamous memorandum to Hitler, which hailed the rebirth of the national life of a people, which is now occurring in Germany through the emphasis on its Christian and national character. The letter stated that the Jewish people must undergo a similar national rebirth. Apologists for Zionism have repeatedly launched vicious slander campaigns against anyone raising these damning historical facts, including the philosopher Hannah Arendt, who was denounced as a self-hating Jew following the publication of Eichmann in Jerusalem in 1963. Socialist writer Jim Allens 1987 play about Nazi-Zionist collaboration, Perdition, directed by Ken Loach, was smeared as antisemitic by every major British newspaper, and Zionist pressure led to it being cancelled by the Royal Court theatre the day before it opened. North stresses that the sympathy expressed by the Zionist organizations for Nazism cannot be merely explained as a manifestation of cowardice and grotesque tactical opportunism. Zionism, which emerged as an offspring of imperialist colonialism and as an enemy of socialism and a scientific conception of history and society, necessarily based itself on the most reactionary elements of nationalist politics and ideology. The Netanyahu regime is carrying on the tradition of collaboration with far-right nationalists, including openly antisemitic politicians from the United States, Hungarys Viktor Orban, the fascistic Meloni government in Italy, and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaroto name just a few who have visited Israel in recent years. This history exposes the utterly fraudulent equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism. As North puts it, a process of semantic inversion is underway: A phenomenon historically associated with the political right is transformed into a central attribute of the political left. In the smear campaigns against former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and musician Roger Waters, a prominent supporter of freedom for Palestinians, the term antisemite has been completely separated from its actual historical and political meaning. In Germany, police-state measures are used to suppress protests in defence of Palestinians on the grounds of antisemitism. Humboldt University in Berlin, where North delivered his third lecture on December 14, did not allow the International Youth and Students for Social Equality to promote it with a title that mentioned the Gaza genocide. Responding to the demonisation of Jewish opponents of genocide as self-hating Jews, North points out that Jewish opposition to the political theology of Zionism goes back more than 350 years. Baruch Spinoza, one of the most important philosophers of the Enlightenment, was excommunicated by the elders of Amsterdam in 1656 for denying the authority of the Bible, and denying the claimwhich was central to Judaism as a religion and Zionism as a political ideologythat Jews are a chosen people. "Excommunicated Spinoza," 1907 painting by Samuel Hirszenberg [Photo: Samuel Hirszenberg] North quotes Isaac Deutscher, the biographer of Trotsky, who viewed Spinoza as one of the major Jewish intellectual forebears of Marx, Trotsky and Rosa Luxemburg. According to Deutscher, these were non-Jewish Jews, in the sense that they had gone beyond Jewry and instead espoused the message of universal human emancipation. The doctrine of the chosen people serves to justify the fascistic Theology of Revenge, which explicitly demands the annihilation of all enemies of Israel, denoted in Biblical terms as Amalek. When Netanyahu told Israelis in November to remember what Amalek has done to you, he was invoking this genocidal ideology. A key exponent of the Theology of Revenge was Meir Kahane, founder of the fascist Jewish Defense League in the US and the Kach Party in Israel, who called for the driving out of all Palestinians. According to an essay by Adam and Gedaliah Afterman (which North cites), Kahanes theology centred on the claim that the State of Israel was established by God as an act of revenge against the Gentiles for their persecution of the Jews, and that its military might must be placed at the service of redemption-bound revenge, including through the violent annexation of the West Bank and Gaza and the complete ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. North characterises Kahanes writings as a Hebrew-language variant of the philosophy of Hitlers Mein Kampf. Kahanes Kach Party was banned in 1988 and Kahane was assassinated in 1990. For many years he was viewed as a right-wing extremist on the fringe of Israeli politics; yet today his followers are at the heart of the government. Netanyahus fascist ally Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, is a fervent disciple of Kahane. He recently led a fascist march through the Old City in East Jerusalem, with his followers wearing shirts emblazoned with the Fist of Kahane symbol. The Zionism of the Israeli regime, in short, represents the extreme counter-revolutionary antithesis and repudiation of everything progressive, democratic and socialist in the Jewish intellectual tradition. To reinforce this point, North takes the unusual approach of speaking publicly, for the first time, about his own familys remarkable history. He does so because there are elements of my personal experience that may resonate with a younger generation and encourage them to intensify their struggle in defense of the Palestinians and against all forms of oppression. Norths grandfather, Ignatz Waghalter, left his home in Warsaw at the age of 17 and travelled to Berlin, where he trained as a musician, and, despite facing numerous obstacles as a result of antisemitism, became a highly respected composer and a conductor, who occupied a significant position in the cultural life of Berlin. After the coming to power of Hitler, Ignatzs career came to an end and he fled the country, first to Czechoslovakia and Austria, eventually arriving in New York in 1937. Within days of arriving, North says, Ignatz initiated a project of historic significance, the creation of the first classical music orchestra composed of African American musicians. Driven by powerful democratic convictions, he stated, Music, the strongest citadel of universal democracy, knows neither color, creed nor nationality. Ignatz summed up his credo with the words: Wherever it may be, I wish to serve art and humanity in accordance with the words of Moses, You were freed from slavery in order to serve your brothers. North comments: Clearly, my grandfathers conception of Jewish ethics was very different from that which prevails in the Netanyahu government and the present-day Zionist state. He would be appalled and horrified if he knew what was being done in the name of the Jewish people. Ignatzs brother Joseph died in the Warsaw Ghetto, his brother Wladyslaw died in 1940 after a visit to Gestapo headquarters, and two of his three sisters perished in Poland during the war. Despite this, North states that his mother Beatrice, Ignatzs daughter, never expressed a trace of hatred or bitterness towards Germans. In Norths household, the dividing line between good and evil had not been between German and Jew, but between left and right. The final lecture in The Logic of Zionism, titled The Gaza genocide and the death of Aaron Bushnell: What are the political lessons? addresses the crisis of political leadership in the protest movement, through an analysis of the tragic suicide of the 25-year-old member of the US Air Force. On February 25, Bushnell set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. while shouting Free Palestine! North insists that the sorrow evoked by the death of Aaron Bushnell and respect for his idealism and sincerity must not extend to justifying and praising his suicide, let alone recommending such a self-destructive act of extreme protest as an effective form of political opposition to the Gaza genocide and, more generally, the crimes of imperialism. He polemicizes against those, including pseudo-left presidential candidate Cornel West, and particularly the left-liberal journalist Chris Hedges, who are counterposing the futile protest of the individual martyr to the building of a politically conscious movement of millions that is necessary to stop and put an end to imperialist barbarism and the capitalist system upon which it is based. Placing Bushnells suicide in its social and political context, North writes that although he was repelled by the culture of indifference and brutality of the military, he did not find a viable alternative in collective political action, and felt driven to respond to the Gaza genocide in a highly individual way. Bushnell grew up after the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union, when mass strikes and working class struggles virtually disappeared, suppressed by the trade union bureaucracy. Meanwhile, in the universities, left politics was reinterpreted in a manner that focused not on the decisive question of social class but on various forms of personal identity. This had the effect, and still has the effect, of strengthening the influence of the reactionary and demoralizing outlook of individualism. North cites the Bolshevik theorist and member of the Left Opposition Evgeni Preobrazhensky, who pointed to The high percentage of suicides in an epoch of counter-revolution and social disorder when old associations fall apart and the new have yet to emerge, when the centrifugal forces of society prevail over the centripetal and the individual feels powerless, isolated and loses his equilibrium. North responds sharply to Hedges claims that individual self-sacrifices often become rallying points for mass opposition and that Bushnells action was a siren call to battle radical evil. North accuses Hedges of acting as in effect, not only an accomplice after the fact in the young mans death, but also an instigator of future protest suicides. Rejecting Hedges false premise that such desperate actions are required to shake the masses out of their supposed indifference, North writes that the problem confronting the anti-genocide movement has not been a lack of support, but that The protests have remained within the confines of the existing structures of bourgeois politics, directed not toward the independent political mobilisation of the working class against capitalist rule, but, rather, to the application of pressure on bourgeois governments to change their policies. North contrasts Hedges positionwhich speaks to the pessimism, intellectual bankruptcy and essentially reactionary character of middle class pseudo-leftismwith that of Trotsky, who opposed individual acts of martyrdom in the fight against fascism. In a memorable article paying tribute to 17-year-old Herschel Grynszpan, a Polish-born Jew who assassinated a Nazi diplomat in Paris in November 1938, Trotsky wrote: to all the other would-be Grynszpans, to all those capable of self-sacrifice in the struggle against despotism and bestiality: Seek another road! Not the lone avenger but only a great revolutionary mass movement can free the oppressed, a movement that will leave no remnant of the entire structure of class exploitation, national oppression, and racial persecution. North concludes that These words resonate in our own time andchanging what needs to be changed in accordance with the circumstancespowerfully sum up the political lessons that should be drawn from the tragic death of Aaron Bushnell. This brings us back to the central argument of The Logic of Zionism: Only the unification of the working class across all nationalities, in the fight for world socialist revolution, will put an end to war and racial or national oppression. The program of nationalism, which insisted that Jewish people could be protected by separating themselves and creating their own state, has led to a century of oppression of the Palestinians, repeated wars, and a fascistic regime that is carrying out genocide in Gaza. The calls being made today for a two-state solution are no less bankrupt. An impoverished Palestinian state, built on a pile of rubble and a mountain of corpses, would be, to use Trotskys phrase, a tragic mockery of the Palestinian people. It would ensure their continued oppression at the hands of Israel and the imperialist powers, assisted by the Palestinian bourgeoisie. In a thoroughly globalised world economy, the division of the world into rival states is a reactionary anachronism. It serves only the interests of the criminal ruling classes, who are setting in motion another catastrophic imperialist war to redivide the world and its wealth and resources. The Logic of Zionism shows that there was always a progressive alternative to Zionism, and that this alternative remains. As millions of people are driven into struggles against war, dictatorship and the evisceration of living standards, Norths book will be an important weapon in the struggle to overcome the influence of middle-class radicalism and all forms of nationalist and race-based politics, in order to win workers and young people to the internationalist perspective and program of the Trotskyist movement. On Thursday, Tesla announced its shareholders had reapproved an unprecedented pay package for CEO Elon Musk, which is currently valued at more than $45 billion. As noted by the Delaware judge who previously blocked the payout for unjustly enriching the billionaire, the sum is the largest potential compensation opportunity ever observed in public markets by multiple orders of magnitude. Elon Musk, center, attend the 10th World Water Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia on Monday, May 20, 2024. [AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati] The payout is a form of social robbery, equivalent to every single household in America being forced to send the worlds richest man a check for $350 at a time when most can barely pay their bills. The aristocratic robber barons of the Middle Ages stole from travelers one by one on the side of the road. But through the workings of the capitalist free market, Musk and his fellow oligarchs are swindling and defrauding all of humanity. Musks payout is larger than what is estimated it would cost to eliminate homelessness ($20 billion) and hunger ($25 billion) in the US. It is equivalent to what is made, before taxes, by 1.2 million workers who earn the median income in the US ($37,500) in an entire year. According to the latest Forbes list of the top 10 richest people, Elon Musk is already the wealthiest individual on the planet, with a net worth of $208.4 billion. Along with others in this group, including Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta/Facebook) and Bernard Arnault (LVMH), Musks wealth is greater than the gross domestic product (GDP) of three-quarters of the worlds countries (156 out of 212). The decision by Tesla shareholders to award the package to Musk takes place within the context of an accelerating growth of social inequality, financialization of the economy, imperialist war and the collapse of democratic government. According to figures published by the Financial Times on Saturday, trends in executive compensation are increasing at the fastest rate for at least the last 14 years, bringing the separation of the ultra-wealthy from the rest of the population to record levels. The FT report says: So far in 2024, median chief executive pay at S&P 500 companies has risen by 12 per cent, according to ISS Corporate, part of proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services. That compares with a 4.1 per cent year-on-year increase in US wage growth, according to official figures. The FT quotes William George, former compensation committee chair on Exxons board and former chief executive of Medtronic, who said executive pay has gotten out of control. He added that the Musk pay package sent the message that the skys the limit here . . . you can earn as much as you want to. Expressing concern over the growth of social anger and opposition, George warned: This is going to cause a further split in our country between the haves and the have nots. This is a grave concern to me because I think there will be a loss of trust [in companies]. The wealth controlled by Musk and other oligarchs is directly related to the extreme social crisis facing millions of workers and young people in the US and around the world. Officially, there are 582,500 homeless people in the United States, which is known to be a significant undercount. While tens of billions are being handed over to Musk, workers and their families are confronting soaring prices and working multiple jobs just to get by while the government is cutting funds for social programs, education, healthcare and infrastructure. Both the Democrats and Republicans at every level of government claim there is no money for basic social programs, while the rich pay little or no taxes, and countless billions are provided for the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli government. The wealth accumulated by the billionaire elites is bound up with the decades-long rise of the stock market, a mechanism for funneling societys wealth into the hands of the corporate and financial oligarchy. The $45 billion going to Musk is in the form of Tesla stock options, a reward for the rapid increase of the companys share values since 2018 from $50 billion to $558 billion today. The rise in share values is the result of unrestrained speculation on Wall Street, fueled by a Federal Reserve policy of printing money for the rich. The transfer of assets from the central bank to the extremely wealthy reached a high point during the response of Democrats and Republicans to the coronavirus pandemic, when $3 trillion was handed over to the financial oligarchy between February and June 2020. After the CARES Act was passed in March 2020, the ruling class launched a campaign to force workers back to work, leading to more than 1.5 million excess deaths in the US and more than 27 million globally. Musk was a leading proponent of mass infection with COVID-19, even defying California state law and reopening Tesla plants, a criminal policy that was accepted by the Democrats, who controlled the state government. In its statement published at the beginning of the year, the World Socialist Web Site explained: The accumulation of personal wealth, while immensely significant in its own right, is secondary to and connected with the immense concentration of economic power in a small number of mega conglomerates owned by the capitalist ruling elites. The WSWS statement noted, in particular, the massive influence of a handful of technology companies, which exercise enormous power over the internet and social media, citing Musks ownership of Twitter/X. The multi-billionaire has used his control of the company to promote far-right conspiracy theories and fascistic political organizations and individuals such as Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election. The statement explained the relationship between the extreme concentration of economic power and the growth of authoritarianism and dictatorship throughout the world. It stated: These are the forces sucking the oxygen out of democracy all over the world. The idea that basic democratic rights can be preserved without addressing the underlying economic forces and interests at work is mere wishful thinking. Responding to the announcement by Tesla, Socialist Equality Party candidate for US President Joseph Kishore issued a statement, which said in part: The necessity for the expropriation of the expropriators, for the abolition of capitalism and its replacement with socialism in the US and throughout the world has only become more pressing over the past four years. The oligarchs, engorged on wealth, have normalized mass death in the pandemic, normalized genocide in Gaza and are driving humanity to the abyss of nuclear war. There is not a single social problem confronting masses of workers throughout the world that can be addressed outside of a fundamental restructuring of social and economic life. The obscene wealth accumulated by the corporate and financial oligarchy must be seized and redirected to meet pressing social needs. The gigantic corporations and financial institutions must be placed under democratic control and run on the basis of social need, not private profit. This program is the only rational response to the extreme growth of social inequality. Its realization is possible only though class struggle in opposition to the entire ruling class and its state apparatus. This means the development of a movement of working class that has as its aim the conquest of power and the socialist reorganization of economic life in the US and throughout the world. Autoworkers: Sign up for the Autoworker Newsletter to receive the latest updates and stay informed! The crisis within the United Auto Workers union bureaucracy has deepened with the publication Friday of a letter from UAW Vice President Rich Boyer to UAW President Shawn Fain. It contains damning revelations about the role of all sections of the UAW apparatus in the betrayal of temporary workers and the membership as a whole. UAW President Shawn Fain and UAW Vice President for Stellantis Rich Boyer during the livestream on November 2, 2023 [Photo: UAW] The publication of the letter follows the issuing of a status report June 9 from the monitor in charge of overseeing the UAW bureaucracy that it is investigating systematic corruption within the Fain administration, targeting in particular Fain and Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock as well as an unnamed regional director. Mock, as well as Boyer, said they had been targeted because they refused demands by Fain to authorize the misuse of union funds. The monitor explains in its status report that Fains office has been obstructing access to information needed for the investigation for months. Boyers letter was written in response to his removal by Fain as head of the unions Stellantis department in late May. Attempting to deflect workers anger over mass layoffs directed at the UAW bureaucracy as a whole, Fain charged that Boyer had betrayed the membership by allowing Stellantis to run roughshod over the collective bargaining agreement. In his letter, Boyer admits that both he and Fain were aware that the claim that all temporary workersknown as supplemental employees (SEs) at Stellantiswould be converted to full-time under the new agreement was a blatant lie. The promise of full-time work for temp workers was used by Boyer and Fain to sell the contract to the membership, when in fact they knew Stellantis was planning mass layoffs in order to avoid having to promote SEs to full-time. Boyer writes, The company told us during bargaining that they were not going to convert all 5,500 SEs, and we ensured that we communicated to you that they would only convert 3,200 after ratification. Furthermore, we informed you that the company only wanted to retain 500 SEs or less on role. This confirms the WSWS assessment at the time that the UAW was fully aware of the companys plans to eliminate the jobs of thousands of SEs before they were converted and deliberately misled workers to get the pro-company contract ratified. The letter from Boyer was a response to one written by Fain previously, which accused Boyer of agreeing to concessions such as excluding temps from profit-sharing and imposing a strict attendance policy. Fain also blamed Boyer for the delayed reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant. Boyers demotion by Fain was an expression of a deep crisis in the corrupt UAW apparatus, which faces enormous rank-and-file anger over job cuts and attacks on working conditions, including the sacking of thousands of supplemental workers. In recent weeks, the UAW bureaucracy faced a mass rebellion by tens of thousands of UAW academic workers at the University of California system, who carried out a political strike against the US-backed genocide in Gaza, and suffered a defeat in the unionization vote at Mercedes Benz in Vance, Alabama. In another sign of the turmoil wracking the UAW leadership, the Detroit News reported that UAW Local 7 President Eric Fleming, at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, attempted to raise a motion Friday at a meeting of the UAW Stellantis Council to reinstate Boyer. The motion was ruled out of order. The head of the UAW removing the VP, thats huge, Fleming told the Detroit News, Thats major. Theres confusion on the (plant) floor. The crisis in the UAW apparatus has serious implications for Bidens reelection campaign, particularly in the vital swing state of Michigan. Fain has emerged as a key backer of Bidens faltering campaign under conditions where Biden is widely hated for his support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza and his anti-democratic and pro-corporate policies. Boyers damning letter responding to Fain comes just one day after Fain was the subject of a fawning interview by Vermont Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, another key Biden supporter, who promoted the UAW president as a great labor leader. In his letter, Boyer denounced Fains statements as a direct attack on my character and an insult to me and my staff. He goes on to state, Your action against me implies that you or your staff had no visibility or involvement in our discussions during the 2023 negotiations with Stellantis, calling it a blatant lie, insult and personal attack on my credibility. Boyer affirms that Fains staff, including Democratic Socialists of America operatives within the UAW such as Chris Brooks and Ben Dictor, were intimately involved in the negotiations with Stellantis and apprised of all the terms of the sellout agreement that was ultimately crafted. Boyer stated that Fains staff was fully aware of major concessions contained in the Stellantis deal, including the implementation of a punitive attendance policy and the exclusion of SEs from profit-sharing. In demoting Boyer, one of the grounds cited by Fain is Boyers decision to hold a meeting of the UAW Stellantis Council in Puerto Rico March 17-18 at the luxurious San Juan Sheraton Hotel and Casino, with discounted rooms costing $298 per night. There are no auto plants in Puerto Rico, but plenty of warm sun and sandy beaches. The hotel features, according to its website, stunning views of San Juan Bay from the rooftop infinity pool as well as a private poolside cabana. Defending the junket, Boyer writes, One of the Councils objectives was to provide backing for the UAW members encountering impediments in bargaining rights in Puerto Rico. My presence was motivated by my desire to express solidarity with my peers, and the assembly proved to be highly productive. He notes that the meeting did not cost more than other similar paid getaways for UAW bureaucrats living high on the workers dime; in fact the cost was marginally lower. This gives an indication of the real motives involved in the unseemly faction fight within the apparatuscontrol over literally billions of dollars in UAW assets and the union-controlled retiree healthcare fund and the lavish lifestyle this provides for a bloated union apparatus comprising hundreds of over-paid and under-worked bureaucrats and their hangers-on. Workers at the Stellantis Warren Truck Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit were furious when told about the admissions by Boyer. Of course they knew about the layoffs, they dont care about us, said a production worker at Warren Truck. An SE who had been laid off from Warren Truck in January said, I just came back in April. Everyone should be treated equally. Everyone who negotiated this contract should get what they deserve. Fain was installed as part of a US government-sponsored election aimed at giving the corrupt union apparatus a facelift after a federal corruption investigation resulted in more than a dozen high-level UAW officials being sent to prison, including two former presidents. It confirms the warning made by rank-and-file Mack Trucks autoworker and socialist Will Lehman, who opposed Fain and former UAW President Ray Curry in the election, that the UAW apparatus cannot be reformed but has to be abolished and power put in the hands of the rank and file. All the documents relating to the monitors corruption investigation should be made public to the rank and file as well as the all the side deals and unpublished agreements with management. This requires that workers take the initiative by building rank-and-file committees in every workplace. These committees, democratically run by workers themselves, would map out a program based on what workers actually need, not what the UAW apparatus and companies say is allowed. Imperialism can look back on a long history of the destruction and theft of cultural property, which has played an important role in the realisation of genocidal intentions for imperialist purposes. Take the period of German colonialism, for example, in regard to which it is still unclear how many artefacts were brought to Europelargely by the German military. There are over 40,000 artefacts in German museums from the territory of Cameroon alone, more than from anywhere else in the world, including Cameroons capital Yaounde, from which 6,000 objects were taken. Or the book burnings by the Nazis in 1933, who deliberately destroyed literature that ran counter to National Socialist ideology. The history of the occupation of Palestine by the Zionist state of Israel is also characterised by the targeted eradication of cultural knowledge. For example, in the form of book looting during the Nakba in 1948 or in the 1970s and 1980s, when Israeli archaeologists plundered an archaeological site in Deier el-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip under the protection of the army. More than 3,000-year-old Canaanite artefacts were then brought to Israel and are still on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem today, thereby serving the Zionist agenda. According to the Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh, at least 60 percent of all culturally significant sites in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged since October 7, 2023with the help of US and German weapons. These include religious sites, monuments, museums and archaeological excavation sites. In addition, numerous educational institutions, archives, libraries and contemporary art venues have been affected. In its report on Israeli damage to archives, libraries and museums in Gaza, the group Librarians and Archivists with Palestine emphasises that due to the ongoing, brutal bombardment of the Gaza Strip, it can be assumed that the number of unreported cases of destroyed cultural items is high. Screenshots of two Instagram stories by the director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Eli Ekozido. The first shows IDF soldiers in an archaeological depot in the Gaza Strip and the second a display case in the Knesset where archaeological finds from the Gaza Strip are exhibited. At the end of November, for example, the Gaza City Archive was completely destroyed by Israeli shellingand with it thousands of papers dating back over 150 years, which document historically significant buildings in Gaza City, among other things. On November 25, 2023, the Tamari Sabbagh Library was destroyed. In addition to hundreds of Palestinians who had sought shelter in the library building, tens of thousands of books also fell victim to the Israeli bombardment. Also, at the end of November, Israeli air strikes levelled Gazas municipal library to the ground. Gaza is rich in archaeological sites, which are important sources of historical knowledge about the region and provide global contexts. The oldest sites date back to antiquity. According to Palestinian archaeologist Fadel al-Otol, all that remains of the Greek city of Anthedon, for example, about two kilometres north of the Port of Gaza, is a hole in the ground. It is just one of at least 200 archaeological sites completely destroyed by Israeli air strikes. Gazas oldest mosque, the seventh-century Omari Mosque, was also almost entirely destroyed on December 8, 2023, along with a collection of manuscripts dating back to the 14th century. An Israeli strike on the early fifth century Church of St Porphyrius killed at least 16 people and injured many more who had sought shelter in the building. The Shababeek Centre for Contemporary Art, the last centre for contemporary art in the Gaza Strip, was razed to the ground in April as part of the Israeli offensive on Al-Shifa Hospital, taking with it over 20,000 works, mostly by contemporary Palestinian artists, for whom the centre was one of the most important meeting points and exhibition venues in the region. Art therapy programmes for dealing psychologically with war and occupation have always been part of the centre. One of the co-founders of the centre, the artist Basel El Maquousi, currently lives in a tent in Rafah, where he provides art workshops for women and children. On January 18 of this year, the Israeli military deliberately blew up Al-Israa University and the National Museum, which housed over 3,000 archaeological artefacts. Eli Eskozido, director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, posted a photo on Instagram in January of some of the looted artefacts, which were subsequently exhibited in the Knesset, following a video of the Israeli armys looting of archaeological pieces. This represents a deep humiliation of the Palestinian population and is reminiscent of a colonial practice in which stolen artefacts were and are proudly displayed as trophies in the government buildings, national museums and private rooms of the imperial power. A look at history and the current figures show that the destruction of cultural property is by no means collateral damage, but a targeted, historically proven and well-established tactic. The purpose of the removal and destruction of culturally significant material is the destruction of historical knowledge and the application of psychological torture and humiliation, as well as an attempt at the sustained erasure of cultural memory. In addition to the tens of thousands of victims of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians, and the extensive destruction of infrastructure, the massive, irretrievable destruction of their cultural heritage also shows that appeals to the ruling class achieve nothing. As an effective weapon of war, the destruction or deprivation of historical material allows the occupying power to triumph, not only militarily but also culturally, over the victims of the war of annihilation by depriving them of their history and thus of the sustained possibility of reconstruction. The aim of the imperialist powers and the Israeli government is the eradication or expulsion of the population of the Gaza Strip for geopolitical purposes. Only the building of an international mass movement of workers and students against war and fascism guided by a socialist perspective can put a halt to the ongoing genocide and the accompanying destruction of cultural heritage. Over the past four years, the joint US-Australian Pine Gap spy base in the Northern Territory has undergone the largest expansion in its history. The development of the base appears to be aimed at integrating Australia into the American governments planning for nuclear war, confirming its status as a key target in the event of any conflict. Those explosive revelations were contained in an article published by the Saturday Paper on the weekend. Its author, Peter Cronau, is a former producer of the Australian Broadcasting Corporations prestigious Four Corners program. Satellite photo of Pine Gap in 2024 [Photo: Google Earth] As a founder and editor of Declassified Australia, Cronau has previously written other significant exposures of Pine Gap and the broader military build-up. His latest article includes material from Professor Richard Tanter of the Nautilus Institute, who has sought to track the development of the base over decades. According to Cronau, since 2020, 10 new satellite dishes or antennae have been constructed at Pine Gap. That includes three large satellite dishes in the western portion of the base, four smaller dishes in the northern section, and three new dishes in the south. Cronau explains, The new satellite dishes are built inside radomes, large ball-shaped structures covered with a plastic and fibreglass composite material to protect from the desert dust and sun, and from observation. The total number of satellite radomes, smaller dishes and antennas at the base is now the highest ever, at 45, with 25 of the largest housed inside radomes and the other 20 uncovered. The article includes satellite imagery of the base since 2020. That is a graphic and shocking display of the expansion, with the facility growing by up to a third. It enables Cronau to provide a detailed expansion timeline, a multi-year program requiring vast resources and planning. Satellite photo of Pine Gap in 2020 [Photo: Google Earth] It has previously been documented that Pine Gap receives and processes information from two Orion geosynchronous signals intelligence satellites over the Indian Ocean. Those satellites cover a vast portion of the world, from Africa, to the Middle East and Europe. That makes Pine Gap more a central military planning headquarters than simply a spy base. Of the latest expansion, Cronau writes: Linked remotely from Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, these new Pine Gap satellite antennas can collect an enormous amount of intelligence on missile and rocket launches, including location, size, type, likely warhead, range, speed, trajectory, tracking and target location. They operate as an integral part of the US nuclear war-fighting strategy, providing real battlefield intelligence. He adds that The expanded thermal imaging capability to detect and track ballistic missiles through all phases of flight will play a new critical role in US battlefield operations worldwide and in upgrading missile defence for the US and Japan. As Cronau and Tanter both note, the new capabilities are clearly directed against China. Tanter states that the expansion means a greater Australian involvement with US nuclear war fighting planning and operations, while Cronau comments: The primary purpose of the new antennas is believed to be to hunt and target Chinese nuclear missile silos. This is of vast significance, making Pine Gap one of the central US-led military facilities worldwide and, thus, a potential target. Over the past 13 years, the US has conducted an expanding military build-up throughout the Indo-Pacific, explicitly directed to preparing for a conflict with China, which is viewed as the chief threat to American military dominance. Australia has been thoroughly integrated into this program under successive governments, beginning with the Labor administration of Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2011. In 2017, the US National Security Strategy declared that great power competition had supplanted terrorism as the primary threat to national security. It specifically identified Russia and China as the chief targets. Similar statements have been repeated each year since. In Europe, the US and NATO succeeded in provoking a reckless Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That conflict has evolved into an increasingly direct war between the US and its NATO allies on the one side and Russia on the other. The US has repeatedly crossed red lines that President Biden and others admitted would risk nuclear war, including with the announcement last month that American-supplied munitions could be used to strike targets inside Russian territory. The continuous escalation of the Ukrainian war has been accompanied by an ever more open discussion of the possibility of nuclear weapons being used. Those calculations are not unique to Europe. In the Indo-Pacific, top US commanders have repeatedly predicted that there will be a war with China this decade. They have established a network of aggressive alliances throughout the region targeting Beijing, while engaging in a vast militarisation. Taiwan is being primed to play an analogous role to Ukraine in provoking China into military action and providing the casus belli for US intervention and a broader war. The US, while presenting its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent, has never ruled out the prospect of its use in a first strike. As Cronau notes, the expansion of Pine Gap and its involvement in planning for a nuclear conflict coincided with official US statements reaffirming the possibility of such a first strike. In October 2022, the Pentagon released a National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review. In summarising the documents, the first point raised by the Pentagon was that they targeted the growing multi-domain threat posed by the Peoples Republic of China. The third declared aim was Deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessaryprioritizing the PRC challenge in the Indo-Pacific region, then the Russia challenge in Europe. The summary stated: The United States would only consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its Allies and partners. That is an open-ended declaration that a nuclear first strike is on the table. At the same time as the Pine Gap expansion was underway, it was revealed in October, 2022 that the US had been given authorisation to station its B-52 bombers in northern Australia. The B-52s are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and the US never confirms or denies which of its assets is carrying a payload. That decision thus overturned Australias status as a nuclear-weapons free country. B-52s have also visited South Korea and other countries in the region. As with the stationing of the B-52s in the north, there has been no discussion or announcement, let alone a popular mandate sought for the Pine Gap expansion. Every aspect of the military build-up takes the form of a conspiracy against the population, which is kept in the dark as its growing anti-war sentiment is egregiously violated. The Pine Gap expansion began under the former Liberal-National Coalition government and has proceeded seamlessly since Labor was installed in the May 2022 federal election. It is a joint facility with the US, which means that both the major Australian parties are directly responsible. That underscores the reality that whatever their tactical differences, Labor and the Coalition are effectively two factions of a single war policy. On the question of questions, the US drive to war, which threatens nuclear armageddon, there is not a slither of difference between them. That includes full support for the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, to which Australia has contributed more than a billion dollars, backing for the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the transformation of Australia into a frontline state for conflict with China. Cronaus latest revelations have not been reported on by a single mainstream publication outside the Saturday Paper. An article he wrote in November, featuring the comments of a former Pine Gap employee who alleged the base was almost certainly involved in providing targeting information for Israeli strikes on Gaza, was also blacked out. The campaign by the World Socialist Web Site for the release of 25-year-old Bogdan Syrotiuk, jailed by the Zelensky regime for opposing NATOs war on Russia, is winning powerful support in Australia and internationally from workers, youth, artists, intellectuals and other defenders of democratic rights. Bogdan Syrotiuk, April 2023 Syrotiuka socialist opponent of both the Zelensky and Putin regimeswas arrested on bogus charges of treason by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, on April 25. He is a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist organisation fighting to unite the Russian and Ukrainian working class on a socialist and internationalist antiwar program. The statements published below are from documentary photographers Jack Picone and John Hulme, both currently working in Thailand, and Shantan Kumarasamy, a Sri Lankan based in the Netherlands. Jack Picone is the recipient of several of photographys most prestigious international awards. This includes the Picture of the Year International award, which he has won three times, the UNESCO Humanity Photo award, the Mother Jones/IFDP Grant for Social Documentary Photography award and the World Press Photo award. His photographs have been finalists in Australias annual Walkley Awards and the Amnesty International Media Awards. Jack Picone Picone has covered wars and major social issues in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, including the 1994 Rwanda genocide. He is a co-founder of Australias REPORTAGE photography festival, the founder of Reportage Workshops (a series of documentary photography workshops in Asia) and a member of the war photographers collective SOUTH. His work has been exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum New York, Musee de lHomme in Paris and Museum aan de Stroom in Amsterdam and is held in collections at the Australian War Memorial, the State Library of NSW and the National Portrait Gallery in Australia. Picone was an Artist-in-Residence Visiting Professor of Lingnan University in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2014 and has been a media studies lecturer at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand since 2017. With alarming rapidity, we are approaching two months since a socialist opponent of the Ukraine-Russia war being waged by the Zelensky regime, NATO and the US, was arrested. In a sinister Cold War Soviet Stalinist-era style swoop, Bogdan was arrested on April 25 and incarcerated by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, in his hometown in Southern Ukraine. The 25-year-old Bogdan, who is in fragile and failing health, is now being held in the notorious Nikolaev prison. What was his perceived crime? In fact, no crime has been committed. Bogdan has been unlawfully arrested and falsely accused of supporting Russia in its dirty war against Ukraine. These allegations are a delusional and fantastic fiction, and a polemic against reality. Bogdan is a humanist, a socialist, an anti-war activist, and a vigorous opponent of the capitalist Putin regime and its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Bogdans anti-war passion and politics apply to Ukraine and internationally. When the SBU handcuffed Syrotiuk in Pervomaisk, it not only stilled his physical freedom but violated his right to be a socialist and anti-war activist. While Ukraine has been under martial law since the Russian invasion, it still claims to be a democracy, but a true democracy doesnt carry out gross violations of human rights and shut down freedom of speech. Similarly, Ukraine has now banned one of the worlds most credible and objective media organisations, the World Socialist Web Site. Human rights, inclusive of freedom of speech, is a barometer for a functioning and healthy democracy. While it may be hard to list and precisely define all human rights, Bogdan Syrotiuks incarceration in a grim, life-threatening Ukrainian prison bluntly shows what happens to a person without human rights. On a micro level, banning individuals for their constructive socio-political belief systems and peace activism in tandem with banning a media organisation like the WSWS on a macro level conclusively confirms that democracy in Ukraine is corrupted, ethically compromised, and has lost its moral compass. This is a fight for justice for Bogdanhis freedom and his lifeand a fight for justice, liberty and life for people everywhere. It is a fight to recognise that when democracy is no longer recognisable as democracy, then capitalism and democracy are fundamentally compromised and corrupted. There is a system failure. The system has crashed. The system is nefarious. Democracy and capitalism are broken. Humanists like Bogdan Syrotiuk and media organisations like the WSWS have a right to co-exist equally within and outside Ukraine; anything less is not freedom, not democracy. It is hypocrisy. It is fascism. ~ Jack Picone John Hulme, a UK-born, Northern Thailand-based photographer, has spent decades documenting social issues in Europe, Thailand, Burma, India, Bangladesh and Japan, focusing in particular on the plight of so-called illegal migrants and other brutally exploited workers. John Hulme Hulmes photographs have been published by the Independent on Sunday, the Financial Times and the Sydney Morning Herald and has been widely exhibited in the UK, the US and Thailand. His best-known photo-essays and exhibitions include Burmas Forgotten War and In Search of a Jobany Job about Burmese migrant workers in Thailand. I want to add my voice to all those demanding the immediate release of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk from Ukraines high-security prison where he has been held since April 25 on trumped up charges. Bogdans call for the unity of Ukrainian and Russian workers against war had begun to resonate within Ukraine, which is why he has been arrested, and why the Ukraine government has now banned the World Socialist Web Site. There is growing opposition to this proxy war which has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men and maimed countless thousands more. The reactionary and crisis-ridden Ukrainian regime of Zelensky is fearful of this growing anti-war sentiment and is responding in the only way it knowswith brutal state repression and the abolition of whatever remains of basic democratic rights. While the US, NATO and their international allies promote Zelensky and his government as defenders of democracy, the Ukrainian people are living under a de facto dictatorship. Essential human rights have been dismantled, demonstrations banned, and left-wing dissenters arrested and imprisoned. Tens of thousands of men of military recruitment age are not prepared to die in this proxy war and have fled the country. All this is occurring in a world where governments are turning toward fascistic forms of rule with state repression of student protests and encampments against the Gaza genocide and other anti-war opposition. I urge workers, students and all young people to support the international campaign for the release of Bogdan Syrotiuk. The spectre of a united global working class fighting for his release and the popularisation of his socialist and internationalist antiwar policies keeps the ruling elites awakeand rightly so. It is an inseparable part of the struggle against imperialist wars and the capitalist profit system. ~ John Hulme Sri Lankan-born and Netherlands-based documentary photographer Shantan Kumarasamy sent the following statement. Shantan Kumarasamy [Photo: https://www.with-light.org/] Kumarasamys work includes photographic essays of Tamil plantation workers and their families in Sri Lanka, and images documenting the impact of Sri Lankan governments three-decade communalist war against the Tamils in the islands northern provinces. Bogdan Syrotiuk was arrested by the Ukrainian secret service on April 25th. Less than six weeks later, on June 3rd, the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) was banned nationwide by the fascistic Zelensky regime. These draconian actions expose the true character of the US and NATO-led war in Ukraine and set a dangerous precedent for framing-up opponents of the war as Russian agents. This blatant assault on basic democratic rights and suppression of free speech must be opposed by all. Bogdan steadfastly opposed the US and NATOs war based on internationalist socialist principles. He bravely worked under extremely harsh circumstances in Ukraine to unite the Russian and Ukrainian workers against the corrupt regimes in Moscow, Kiev, as well as the complicit NATO allies. I demand the immediate and unconditional release of Bogdan Syrotiuk and the dismissal of all false and fabricated charges against him! Lift the ban on the WSWS! ~ Shantan Kumarasamy The World Socialist Web Site appeals to all readers and supporters to get involved in the campaign to free Bogdan Syrotiuk, stop the war in Ukraine, end the genocide in Gaza, and deepen the fight for world socialist revolution. Sign the petition below to demand Bogdans freedom and join the campaign to secure his release today! 25 years ago: Texas executes Canadian citizen Stanley Faulder On June 17, 1999, Stanley Faulder, a 61-year-old native of Jasper, Alberta, was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas. His final appeal to the US Supreme Court was rejected 75 minutes before he was put to death. Faulder became the first Canadian executed in the US since 1952. Aspiring presidential candidate and Texas Governor George W. Bush did not intervene to halt the execution. The Texas Board of Parole and Pardons voted 18-0 to deny Faulders request for reprieve or commutation of sentence. Although Bush could not override their ruling, he could have granted a one-time 30-day delay. Then Texas governor, George W. Bush signing paperwork to stand in the New Hampshire presidential primary [Photo by Craig Michaud / CC BY 3.0 Plans to execute Faulder had provoked international protest because Texas authorities failed at the time of his arrest to inform him of his right to seek assistance from the Canadian consulate. In violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Faulder had been in prison for 15 years before the Canadian government was informed of his arrest and conviction. The United States is a signer to the treaty, although Texas claims it is not required to abide by it, as the state did not sign it. Amnesty International, the human rights group, reported that it knew of 73 foreign nationals from 24 countries sitting on death row in the United States at the time of Faulders execution. Of those, only three were informed of their consular rights. Texas had executed three foreign nationalsCarlos Santana, Ramon Montoya and Irineo Tristan Montoya. The state of Virginia executed Paraguayan Angel Francisco Breard early in 1998, despite protests from the International Court of Justice. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had intervened in the Faulder case, urging a full clemency review and the granting of a 30-day reprieve. The Canadian government had also called for a stay of execution. Faulder's lawyer Sandra Babcock argued as well that the 22 years the prisoner spent on death row and his nine previous execution dates constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Faulder was convicted in 1977 for the 1975 murder of an elderly woman in Gladewater, Texas, and was sentenced to death. The victims wealthy family hired private prosecutors, and their case relied upon the testimony of an alleged accomplice in the crime who was granted immunity. The family offered this witness a large cash payment in exchange for testimony incriminating Faulder. The prosecution also hired expert witnesses to testify to Faulders supposed sociopathic tendencies. Faulder was provided with a court-appointed lawyer, who never brought out at trial that Faulder had suffered a massive head injury at the age of three, causing permanent brain damage and mental impairment. The attorney carried out no pre-trial investigation and called no witnesses. Texas law did not forbid the execution of the mentally impaired. 50 years ago: Pinochet establishes Gestapo-like police agency in Chile On June 18, 1974, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet reorganized the countrys intelligence agency, removing it as a branch of the Army and making it an independent entity. The Direccion de Inteligencia Nacional (National Intelligence Directorate) known as DINA, then became Pinochets Gestapo, carrying out warrantless arrests, torture, assassinations, and other forms of political terror on behalf of the dictatorship. The DINA was essentially a local branch of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operating in Chile. While kept officially secret at the time, declassified CIA reports have confirmed that DINA took its orders directly from Washington with its head, Manuel Contreras, being a paid agent and considered among the CIAs most trusted assets. Manuel Contreras After his coup deetat on September 11, 1973 ousted Chiles Popular Unity coalition government of the Social Democratic Party and the Stalinist Communist Party, resulting in the death of President Salvador Allende, Pinochet had already begun a campaign of political repression of all left-wing political tendencies with a series of raids and arrests of know political leaders. However, it became clear that for the military regime to hold onto power and stop mass eruptions of working class struggle it would need to construct a constant state of terror. This was the basic purpose of DINA: to spy on and hunt down all political opponents of Pinochet and his fascist regime. The agency established a network of secret detention centers where tens of thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured, and killed. The main targets of DINA were the leaders of the Popular Unity coalition and the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR), a pseudo-left party that shared political responsibility with Allende for disarming the working class in the face of the fascist military revolt. Both within Chile and internationally with the support of the CIA, DINA tracked down and murdered virtually all the principal leaders of these organizations. The victims included Orlando Letelier, who had served as the Chilean ambassador to the United States during Allendes presidency. Letelier was arrested after the September 1973 coup and held for one year under harsh conditions and torture. After protests from several nations, Letelier was released and moved to the US where he represented the opposition to Pinochet in exile. In 1976, DINA assassinated Letelier in a car bombing in Washington, D.C. that also killed his aide Ronni Karpen Moffitt. International uproar over the assassination forced Contreras to step down as head of DINA. The agency officially disbanded shortly after, but was immediately replaced by the National Information Center (CNI), which served the same purpose. In an interview from prison after he was arrested and sentenced for the murder of Letelier in 1993, Contreras explained that it was the CIA who planned and ordered the assassination with DINA playing the role of hitman: The CIA could not act within the United States; it could only act through foreigners. So they killed him and put the blame on us. In a series of trials after the fall of Pinochets dictatorship, Contreras was sentenced to over 500 years in prison for crimes committed while head of DINA. 75 years ago: Central Intelligence Agency Act comes into effect On June 20, 1949, US President Harry S. Truman signed into law the Central Intelligence Agency Act, providing the legislative framework under which the recently established CIA would function. The act provided the agency with sweeping secrecy and exemptions from norms for other government bodies. The creation of a powerful foreign intelligence agency with its tentacles stretching across the globe was inextricably linked to American imperialisms bid for global geopolitical and economic hegemony. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a predecessor of the CIA, had been established in 1942, shortly after the US entry into the Pacific theatre of World War II, which marked a key turning point in its attempts to supplant British imperialism as the dominant world power. In the aftermath of the war, the OSS, a wartime body, was dissolved. Under conditions of extensive US operations throughout Europe, aimed at securing preeminence on the continent, a discussion immediately developed about the need to forge a more powerful foreign intelligence service. In 1946, Truman established a Central Intelligence Group, the immediate predecessor of the CIA. Truman The following year, Congress passed the National Security Act at Trumans urgings, which in July 1947 formed the CIA. The act was part of a major expansion of the federal government and consolidation of state bureaucracy associated with the developing Cold War against the Soviet Union. The Central Intelligence Agency Act was essentially drafted by the leadership of the agency at the request of Truman. The Act exempted the CIA from having to disclose its organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed. That set in place the conditions for the agency to operate entirely behind the backs of the American population. The CIA was also exempted from usual procedures relating to the appropriation and use of federal funds, on similar secrecy grounds. Civil liberties organisations would brand these exemptions as a potential violation of fundamental elements of the Constitution, including those parts requiring public legislation for the appropriation of funds. Over the following decades the size of the CIA would balloon and it would develop criminal counterrevolutionary actions in every corner of the globe. The agency would also defy legislation prohibiting it from spying on and conducting operations against American citizens. 100 years ago: Canadian postal workers strike On June 18, 1924, thousands of members of the Canadian Federation of Postal Employees stopped work in a wages dispute, limiting processing and delivery to first class mail. Postal service in Ontario and Quebec was badly crippled according to the New York Times. Seven hundred postal workers in Montreal, then Canadas largest city, had handed in their delivery bags even before the union attempted to postpone the strike for 24 hours. Toronto workers had also ignored the union executives attempt to delay the strike. Reports indicated that by the night of June 19, only 10 postal workers of 300 were at their jobs in Toronto. Canadian postal worker weighing a letter, circa 1920 Workers in Calgary and Ottawa voted against the strike and postmen in the Maritime Provinces largely stayed on the job. But the strike was gaining strength in Toronto, where workers held a mass solidarity meeting in the Labour Temple, and where the Railway Workers Mail Clerks Association also ordered its members to strike. By June 20, the Canadian government was raising the possibility of forcing workers back to work under the Industrial Disputes Act. The government issued a return-to-work ultimatum, but a closed meeting of workers in Toronto rejected the demand. Talks deadlocked, with the Postmaster insisting that the strike would only be settled on the governments terms. The strike ended on June 29 without a firm agreement on wage issues and a promise from the reactionary government of Liberal Prime Minister Mackenzie King to raise the issue in a committee of the House of Commons. Last Thursday, the Student Parliament (StuPa) of Berlins Humboldt University passed a resolution condemning the brutal police action against the occupation of the Institute of Social Sciences (ISW) by students. The resolution, which was introduced by the Left List (LiLi), opposes the unlawful instruction by Berlin Mayor Wegner (Christian Democrat, CDU) and State Minister Czyborra (Social Democrat, SPD) to the Humboldt University (HU) Executive Board to stop permitting the occupation, as well as the public communication by Mayor Wegner as a serious interference in university autonomy and a direct attack on students rights. The Student Parliament advises the Presidential Board of the HU to have the illegality of the instruction established by legal action. It also condemns the escalating actions of the police in the course of the occupation, in particular the interference of the police in university autonomyincluding by taking the personal details of the participants of the discussion event at the Institute of Social Sciences, the use of police violence against students, the attack on the press and on the professional practice of a lawyer as well as numerous anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents in the context of the police operation, which are in the racist tradition of the German state. During the ISW occupation, the personal details of all those present were recorded. In the past few days, almost all of them have received letters from the police stating that investigations have been initiated against them for aggravated trespass. This also applies to those who had left the building in good time before the deadline set by the university management, including a lawyer, seven members of the RefRat [Referent innenrat, student government], who were only in the building as mediators and observers, as well as professors who were present. An application by the RefRat to the StuPa for financial support for the lawyers fees was accepted almost unanimously. At the same time, the Left List resolution accused the occupiers of using anti-Semitic and Hamas symbolism and portrayed the role of the university management as seeking dialogue. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) tabled an amendment to delete these paragraphs. Gregor Kahl, StuPa representative of the IYSSE parliamentary group, explained the amendment: We as IYSSE call for the student parliament to take an unequivocal and crystal-clear stand against the brutal police operations on campus and the general crackdown on student opponents of the war. We are therefore in favour of limiting the resolution to points 1 and 3 and have tabled a corresponding amendment to the LiLi motion. We have to realise what is happening right now: The university management is trying to ensure that the HU remains a centre for war propaganda and wants to create a situation in which nothing may be said that is contrary to German great power interests. In recent months, it has repeatedly responded to any expression of opposition to the war with brutal police violence. Although the ISW occupation never posed any danger to people, virtually everyone involved was prosecuted. Criminal charges were even brought against an advising lawyer, and a journalist from the Berliner Zeitung was brutally beaten up by the police, although he clearly identified himself as a member of the press. Several student protesters were attacked so severely by the police that paramedics had to be deployed. Even members of the RefRat who were only there to observe are now being persecuted, as we have just discussed. But it didnt just start with the occupation: the HU management also immediately called in the police against the completely peaceful sit-in in front of the main building in May, put the entire campus under siege and had the participants forcibly removed. If we allow anti-war activists to be beaten up by the police on campus, then we will no longer have a free university. Academic events against the massacre in Gaza are being subjected to anti-democratic restrictions, such as our own on Tuesday or the Decolonise Charite event, where a school class was prevented from entering. At the same time, student posters are being destroyed on campus, not just our posters, but also posters from Grunboldt and the Action Weeks against the Right. Professors who have defended the democratic rights of us students in an open letter are being slandered by the Bild newspaper and persecuted by the Ministry of Education, as the broadcaster NDR has now revealed. And all the while, a right-wing smear campaign is taking place that equates opposition to the massacre in Gaza with antisemitism. We should not join the chorus of this campaign. Nor should we glorify the role of the university management, as is done here in the LiLi motion. From our point of view, it is clear that the mayor, science minister and university management jointly created the situation of the police crackdown, and it is a fact that the university management was in favour of the police deployment on campus. Mrs Blumenthals presidency also banned regular events against the massacre in Gaza at the university, such as an event we wanted to organise. The StuPa meeting is not about whether we agree with individual demands of the occupation or not but should simply make it clear that we unreservedly reject the police operation and defend the democratic right of all students to protest, regardless of whether we agree with individual demands and actions of individuals or not. The IYSSE amendment received two votes from student lists in addition to the IYSSE votes and was therefore rejected by a majority. The unamended motion of the Left List was adopted with the IYSSE abstaining and the SPD, CDU and FDP youth organisations voting against. Humboldt University President Julia von Blumenthal (back row right) talks to police officers during the sit-in at Humboldt University, May 3, 2024 Elections to the StuPa are taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The IYSSE is the only list running with a programme against the militarisation of universities. Its election statement reads: We are running in the Student Parliament (StuPa) elections to oppose police violence against students who express critical anti-war views and media smears against lecturers. We will not allow opponents of war to be silenced at Humboldt University and for it to be turned into a training school for German militarism. It is not only our right, but our historical duty to speak out against the terrible genocide in Gaza, which is supported by the German government in every respect. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating why a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft went into an unsafe back-and-forth motion, a so-called Dutch roll, during a Southwest Airlines flight on May 25. The pilots were able to regain control of the aircraft and successfully land in Oakland, California. None of the 181 passengers and crew were injured. Boeing 737 Max jets at Sky Harbor International Airport, Thursday, March 14, 2019 in Phoenix. [AP Photo/Matt York] A Dutch roll occurs when an aircraft is forced to oscillate on both the planes yaw and roll axis simultaneously, with the nose of the aircraft tracing out a figure 8 pattern perpendicular to the direction of flight. It occurs when the stability for flight provided by a planes rudder is weakened or compromised. A preliminary inspection by the FAA showed that the MAX 8 aircraft involved in the incident had damage to the backup power to the rudder, which likely played a key role in triggering the incident. That jetliner has been removed from service and a more complete report on the accident is expected to come out later this month. The incident is the latest in a series of safety and quality failures on Boeing planes in the past six months, after a door blew out of a 737 MAX 9 mid-flight in January. Fifty people were injured, some seriously. It has since been determined that four door plug bolts designed to prevent such an occurrence had been taken out during an inspection of the planes fuselage in the course of production and not reinstalled. A sampling of other accidents in the past few months include: In February, stuck rudder pedals during a landing of a 737 MAX jet, possibly caused by loose bolts in the rudder control system In March, a fuel leak on a 777-300 was reported shortly after takeoff and forced an immediate landing In April, the engine cover on a 737-800 fell off after take-off and struck a wing flap In May, a 767 cargo plane was forced to land without its front landing gear after the gear failed to deploy. The dangers of flying on Boeing planes have also been highlighted by a deluge of whistleblower complaints since the door blowout in January. Among the most recent was a report by Roy Irvin, a quality investigator at Boeings plant in North Charleston, South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. According to the Guardian, Irvin alleges he was written up as insubordinate for warning management about quality issues that could impact the safety of Boeings 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Missing safety devices on hardware or un-tightened hardware means that youre not going to be able to control the airplane if those fail, Irvin said. The safety device is on there. If the fastener is not secured correctly, its going to fall off and youre not gonna be able to control the airplane. Irvin also reportedly knew John Mitch Barnett, another whistleblower, who was found dead on March 9. He was in the middle of giving a three-day deposition against Boeing when he failed to appear in court and was found in his rental car with a self-inflicted wound, according to the Charleston County coroner. A family friend has since asserted that Barnett told her, If anything happens to me, its not suicide. Another Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, testified before Congress in April about potential unresolved issues of the 777 and 787 aircraft, all of which could result in the aircraft breaking in half while in flight. Salehpour testified, Effectively they are putting out defective airplanes. Salehpour also told Congress: I was told to shut up, I was sidelined, I received physical threats. My boss said, I would have killed someone who said what you said in a meeting. The hostile work environment at Boeing is also present at Boeings main supplier, Spirit AeroSystems. A former quality manager, Santiago Paredes, told CBS News recently, If quality mattered, I would still be at Spirit. He added that he was told to minimize the problems found while inspecting fuselages to be delivered to Boeing, despite the fact that It was very rare for us to look at a job and not find any defects. Paredes also commented on the January door blowout: Whyd that happen? Because Spirit let go of a defect that they overlooked because of the pressure that they put on the inspectors... I said it was just a matter of time before something bad happened. The impact on Boeings stock has been immense. An estimated $50 billion has been wiped out from the companys market cap since January. The stock initially collapsed after the door blowout. It has stayed down over the past several months, rallying for a time only to plunge again as another safety issue emerges. In March, CEO David Calhoun announced he is stepping down at the end of the year as part of a restructuring of the companys upper management. In reality, however, nothing will change. Calhoun was an executive when two MAX 8 jetliners crashed in October 2018 and March 2019, killing in total 346 passengers and crew. Then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg was forced to step down and Calhoun replaced him, initiating a revolving door of corporate heads. The FAA has also announced that Boeing reported a voluntary disclosure of low-quality titanium used on fuselages supplied by Spirit AeroSystems to both Boeing and its European competitor Airbus. The material was reportedly found after an inspection revealed holes from corrosion. Boeing says it has traced the faulty material through companies in Italy, Turkey and China. That Boeing claims the faulty titanium is coming from China has special significance in the broader geopolitical context. The expanding war drive of the US political establishment, currently raging against Russia in Ukraine and in Gaza against the entire Palestinian population, is ultimately aimed at China. A claim that a Chinese company undermined the integrity of Boeing aircraft, a key component in the American military-industrial complex, could be used to build up war propaganda against China. The nonprofit group StopAntisemitism called on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to fire associate curator Dara Jaffe for her work on its Jewish founders of Hollywood exhibit, Hollywoodland, which has been widely criticized as being antisemitic. The nonprofit jointly posted to Instagram with influencer Tanya Zuckerbrot, a proud Jew and Zionist, on Sunday slamming Jaffe as a toxic leftist radical who is engaged to Egyptian lighting designer Omar Madkour, who appears to be in this country illegally and calls for violence against Jews on Instagram. The post does not provide evidence that Madkour is in the country illegally, but posts a screenshot of anti-Israel posts from his Instagram account, which is private. The nonprofit said that as curator, Jaffe went out of her way to vilify Hollywoods Jewish founders, using words like predator and tyrant. The account, which has over 200,000 followers and whose post had over 3,700 likes and 100 comments at the time of this articles publication, said that a former coworker said Jaffe had white savior guilt. StopAntisemitism and Zuckerbrot also listed contact information for members of the museums board Ted Sarandos, Miky Lee and Kimberly Steward to demand Jaffes immediate dismissal. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, the posts caption read. Read it in full below. Representatives for the Academy Museum did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment. As TheWrap exclusively reported earlier this month, the controversial exhibit dedicated to the Jewish founders of Hollywood quickly earned criticism for perpetuating antisemitic tropes and focusing on the founders flaws rather than their achievements. A series of explosive letters were sent to the Academy by prominent Jewish members criticizing the exhibit for taking pains to point out Jewish founders flaws using derogatory terms like predator and tyrant. Last week a new letter signed by 300 prominent Hollywood Jews surfaced calling on the Academy to redo the exhibit, and the Academy promised immediate changes. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures made those changes on Wednesday, a development also exclusively reported by TheWrap, removing the most offensive words. Panels in the exhibit were swapped out with new text. A description of Hollywoods Golden Age as a period of oppressive control was removed on the Studio Origins panel. On the Warner Bros. panel, a frugal approach was replaced by smaller budgets and the description of Jack Warner as a womanizer was removed. For Columbias Harry Cohn, the reference to the execs reputation as a tyrant and a predator was replaced with earning a reputation as an authoritarian. And on a panel about The Jazz Singer, a comparison between assimilationist ambitions of Jewish founders and the films Jewish lead character was removed. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures associate curator Dara Jaffe speaks during Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital immersive exhibit media preview (Credit: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images) We have heard the concerns from members of the Jewish community regarding some components of our exhibition Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital, the Academy Museum said on Monday in a statement obtained by TheWrap. We take these concerns seriously and are committed to making changes to the exhibition to address them. We will be implementing the first set of changes immediately they will allow us to tell these important stories without using phrasing that may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. TheWrap has further learned that the museums Chief Audience Officer Amy Homma, incoming director and president of the museum, is meeting on Monday with three members of the creative community including two people who originally sent the letters of complaint to the museum to further discuss concerns about the exhibit. An individual with knowledge told TheWrap that the Jewish attendees plan to ask for further changes to the exhibit, such as the inclusion of Jewish filmmakers and other Jewish creatives who were key contributors to the early history of Hollywood. In addition, the museum is convening an advisory group of experts from leading museums focused on the Jewish community, civil rights and the history of other marginalized groups to advise us on complex questions about context and any necessary additions to the exhibitions narrative. The Academy declined to share with TheWrap who would be participating in this group of experts. Still, these measures apparently did not satisfy StopAntisemitism and its supporters for calling for the firing of its associate curator. The former president of the museum, Jacqueline Stewart, stepped down for unrelated reasons last month. The permanent exhibit Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital focuses on studio founders like Jack and Harry Warner, Harry Cohn at Columbia, Marcus Loew and Louis B. Mayer at MGM and Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zukor at Paramount, among others. The exhibit was created in response to criticism that the museum omitted the Jews who founded the industry. Sharon Waxman contributed to this article. Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Amy Homma is now leading curation of the Academy Museums Hollywoodland exhibit. That has since been corrected. The post Jewish Group Demands Academy Museum Fire Leftist Radical Curator of Hollywood Founders Exhibit appeared first on TheWrap. Joe Biden's Granddaughter Maisy Joined Him in Italy at the G7 Summit Joe Biden's Granddaughter Maisy Joined Him in Italy at the G7 Summit "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Maisy Biden made a fashion statement at the White House State Dinner in October, celebrating the Prime Minister of Australia. Wearing a Brooks Brothers suit (and a white bow tie!), Maisy joined her sisters Finnegan and Naomi, and her brother-in-law Peter Neal, for the big event. Here, get to know President Biden's third-eldest grandchild: Tomohiro Ohsumi - Getty Images Maisy has two older sisters. TIM SLOAN - Getty Images Maisy Biden was born in 2001, the youngest daughter of Hunter Biden and Kahleen Buhle. She has two older sisters, Finnegan Biden and Naomi Biden, and a younger half-brother, Beau Biden. She attended high school at Sidewell Friends with Sasha Obama, and the two were reportedly close. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI - Getty Images The whole Biden family was in attendance for her graduation, including her grandparents President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. According to the Associated Press, "Before the commencement, some students waved at the president and took photos. He waved back and pumped his fist. But other than that, Biden was just another face in the crowd, albeit a very recognizable one. The family sat stage left, apart from the rest of the audience." Maisy is an artist. Her Instagram account, @_________m______e_______, highlights her work and shares glimpses of her personal life. She is also active on TikTok @scoobeydoobey. On occasion, she joins her grandparents on the campaign trail and White House events. Drew Angerer - Getty Images Europa Press News - Getty Images During Biden's run for president in 2020, Maisy joined her sisters and their cousin, Natalie Biden, in speaking about their grandfather in a video. "He always calls with the same energy, even after he's just done 15 interviews in a row" Maisy says, calling her grandfather "Pop." Maisy attended the inauguration with the rest of her family, wearing a purple suit and Air Jordan 1s. You Might Also Like Kenya Moore is getting support from her co-stars on the Real Housewives of Atlanta as she speaks out against her critics. Moore shared her thoughts on Instagram Live shortly after ET suspended her from The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Friday for allegedly showing explicit posters of her new co-star Brittany Eady as they were filming the show on June 6, People reported. Kenya was suspended for allegedly depicting Brittany performing a sexual act at the grand opening of her Kenya Moore Hair Spa in Atlanta, from images allegedly found online, the network said in a statement, per ET Online. The network is still reviewing the content Kenya displayed during filming. Moores colleagues, Drew Sidora and Porsha Williams, were among those who wrote comments during the Instagram Live to show love to the TV star. Sidora uplifted Moore with a compliment on her hair while Porsha described her as a queen and said We love you!! Co-stars Shamea Morton, Angela Oakley also supported. Kelli Ferrell also was also watching the live but did not comment. Moore, who is indefinitely suspended from filming the 16th season of RHOA, told her Instagram followers that theres just a lot going on and she needs a little bit of TLC. As she continues to face public criticism following the suspension, the 53-year-old star said she is fighting the haters and she is determined to become a successful business owner. The way that people go out of their way to disparage your name or ruin your business, Ill never understand it, Moore said. Leave me alone. Im a single mom. Im out here just like anybody else. I am not getting child support, Im not getting anything. Im taking care of my daughter on my own. Moore showed off her new salon during the live stream and made it clear that she is focused on achieving her dreams no matter what. I stay winning, you know? she said. It is in my blood. Success matriculates around me. So, I accept that. God has given me that, but I also give back as much as I possibly can. Oklahoma story 'The Outsiders' wins best musical, plus 3 other prizes, at the Tony Awards "The Outsiders," the stage adaptation of Oklahoma writer S.E. "Susie" Hintons iconic coming-of-age novel, won best musical, along with three other prizes, at Sunday night's Tony Awards. And the novelist was in the star-studded crowd to witness the show's victories at the 77th Annual Tony Awards, which which honored distinguished achievement in 2023-2024 Broadway productions and aired lived on CBS. "Susie Hinton wrote 'The Outsiders' 60 years ago, and she has gratefully received accolades ever since. But she often says that she still gets overwhelmed when told that 'The Outsiders' changed someone's life, because she'll say, 'Who am I to change anyone's life? It's the book; it's not the author. It's the message, not the messenger,'" said Matthew Rego, a producer on the musical, in accepting the final award on the Tonys broadcast. "Well, Susie, I'm here to tell you that your story and its eternal message of love and family and staying gold has forever changed all of our lives. We love you; thank you." A scene from the new Broadway musical The Outsiders, based on the book by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppolas film. It was nominated for 12 2024 Tony Awards. Among the cast and creative team members who took the stage to accept the best musical Tony were Oklahoma City native Laura Galt, who is a co-producer on the production and has been involved in its development since 2018, and Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, who joined as a producer on the musical at the urging of her 15-year-old daughter, Vivienne. Now a first-time Tony Award winner, Jolie introduced the show-stopping Tonys performance for "The Outsiders." The company performed a medley of the songs Tulsa '67" and "Grease Got a Hold" before ending their Tonys showcase with a dramatic staging of the story's famed rumble in the rain, which meant that crews had to mop off the stage at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City before the awards show could go on. "Susie Hinton wrote 'The Outsiders' in high school; a half a century later, it still speaks to us," Jolie said in introducing the performance. "Society changes, but the experience of being an outsider is universal. To any young person, any person, feeling on the outside, you are not wrong to see what is unfair. You are not wrong to wish to find your own path. As the cast raise their voices, I hope it inspires many of you watching to value yours." NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: (L-R) Vivienne Jolie-Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776133753 ORIG FILE ID: 2157876335 'The Outsiders' was nominated for 12 Tonys and won four Inspired by her experiences at Will Rogers High School, Susan "Susie" Eloise Hinton penned the tale of two rival Tulsa gangs the poor Greasers and the privileged Socs (pronounced Soshs) when she was still a teenager. The Outsiders musical is set in Tulsa in the 1960s and focuses on young Greaser Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant), his two older brothers and their chosen family of outsiders struggling to survive in a world of haves and have-nots. "The Outsiders," the musical theater version of Hinton's landmark 1967 book and Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppolas iconic 1983 movie adaptation, went into Sunday's awards show with 12 Tony nominations, including best musical. The show's dozen Tony nods came in second only to the 13 nominations for "Hell's Kitchen," a new musical featuring the songs of Grammy winner Alicia Keys, and "Stereophonic," a play about a feuding 1970s band set entirely in a recording studio. "Stereophonic" led the victors with five Tonys, including best play, followed by four wins for "The Outsiders" and Stephen Sondheims "Merrily We Roll Along," which won best revival of a musical, along with acting trophies for stars Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff. "Hell's Kitchen" won two Tonys. Along with best musical, "The Outsiders" won best direction of a musical for Danya Taymor; best lighting design of a musical for Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim; and best sound design of a musical for Cody Spencer. "It is an honor to be among this group of directors, especially the group of women directors, a record number this year," Taymor said. "Directing 'The Outsiders' changed my life." "The Outsiders" also was nominated but didn't win Tonys for best book of a musical for Adam Rapp and Justin Levine; best original score (music and/or lyrics) for Jamestown Revival and Levine; best orchestrations for Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival; best choreography for Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman; and best scenic design of a musical for AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian. In the acting categories, Grant was nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical, and two "The Outsiders" cast members were among the nominees for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical: Sky Lakota-Lynch, who plays Ponyboy's best friend Johnny Cade, and Joshua Boone, who portrays tough Greaser Dallas "Dally" Winston. Although the show is continuing to play on Broadway, the producers of "The Outsiders" recently announced that the hit musical officially will open a North American tour in fall 2025 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'The Outsiders' wins four Tony Awards, including best musical Jonestown, the experimental settlement that existed for four years in Guyana, South America, initially sounded like a utopia, with all medical care, rent, and food taken care of. Instead, it was a living nightmare, Yulanda Williams, who briefly lived in Jonestown when she was a college student, tells TIME. Williams says that women had to take showers in one big room with no curtains between them. Residents were not allowed to eat any meat, vegetables, or dairy and subsisted primarily off of rice pudding and peanut butter. Everyone had to be awake at 5:30 a.m., and reading books or newspapers was forbidden. The only thing residents looked forward to were the talent shows, and Williams remembers once singing Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack. Perhaps the performance was eerily prescient. On Nov. 18, 1978, 912 people died in Jonestown after its leader Jim Jones ordered them to inject themselves with poison, right as U.S. government authorities were looking to investigate him for human rights abuses. The incident inspired the phrase drink the Kool-Aid" to refer to people who willingly follow a cult-like leader. But in the new documentary, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, streaming on Hulu on June 17, director Marian Mohamed illustrates how the people who died there were victims of a mass murder. One Day in Jonestown features never-before-seen footage filmed by a former follower of Jim Jones, interviews with Jones son Stephan, and several former residents like Williams talking about what motivated them to follow Jones and their memories of that fateful day. Mohamed hopes that when viewers hear the audio of Jones urging his followers to die with dignity on that fateful day, they will have more empathy for survivors who thought they were joining a community and then got totally misled. They weren't loonies. They weren't crazies, Mohamed says. These were people that wanted to be part of something. People lie on the ground dead from being forced to commit suicide. Over 900 people died by the direction of Rev. Jim Jones. Frank Johnston/The The Washington PostGetty Images The appeal of Jonestown Jim Jones was a charismatic pastor in San Francisco who led a racially diverse congregation called the Peoples Temple from 1955 to 1978. Jonestown was one of the many social experiments that came about after the radical 1960s, when the idealism of the era inspired people to try different ways of living. Many of Jones followers had become disillusioned with the federal government after the Vietnam War and were rattled by the unrest in cities nationwide following the 1968 assassinations of Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Williams tells TIME that her family started following Jim Jones when she was about 12, after MLKs assassination. With the lack of a civil rights leader to fill his shoes, they started attending Jones services. We were more vulnerable, and it was our vulnerability that allowed us to be deceived by someone like Jim Jones, she says. Williams father also had numerous health issues, and was hoping that Jones could heal his maladies. Former People's Temple member Yulanda Williams poses for a portrait during an interview for "Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown." (National Geographic/Xiao Hou) National Geographic/Xiao HouDisney In Jonestown, Williams said Jones would repeatedly lecture residents about why they shouldnt return back to the United States. In reality, it was Jones who wanted to do the controlling. He confiscated peoples passports so he could have complete control over residents comings and goings. Throughout the day, loudspeakers broadcasted Jones past sermons. All you ever heard 24/7 was his voice, says Williams. It was a way for him to consistently control our minds, our thoughts, our energy, our being. Jones son Stephan, who was not in Jonestown on the day of the massacre, offers a window into his fathers mindset in the documentary: He's constantly managing his own insecurities, and there were many. The attention always had to be on dad. Read More: The Jonestown Massacre, Remembered Getting out of Jonestown Williams and her family were among the few who had permission to leave Jonestown before the massacre, so she could finish her studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Before she was allowed to leave, she says Jones made her agree that she would never speak negatively about Jonestown. If we violated those conditions, he told us that the angels would get us. When he was referring to the angels, he just meant that he would have someone in the church kill us. The Peoples Temple compound is seen in aerial view as helicopters approach Jonestown. Courtesy of Hulu via National Archives and Records Administration No such angels went after her, as Jones was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head on the day of the massacre. Shortly after, she testified in any way she could to help U.S. government officials who were investigating what had happened. She even went on to work in law enforcement as a police officer, retiring just two years ago. Williams took the oath to serve and protect to mean to ensure that other people don't get caught up in these cults. Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com. 44 Photos Of Terrible Bosses And Workplaces That Have Me Drafting Angry "I QUIT!" Letters To Companies I Don't Even Work At 1.This boss texted their employee to come in the day after their friend died by suicide because "Sylvia needs help." 2.This boss fired an employee over a medical emergency. 3.Hmmmm, I wonder why they're short-handed? 4.'Cause everyone is totally thinking, "How can I best serve my company?" on vacation. 5.This has got to be illegal, right? RIGHT??? 6.This, too. 7.Yep, definitely illegal. 8.Sounds like this employee's a real flake who totally deserved that reply. 9.Just give the poor people more time off!!! They're out for a MEDICAL REASON. 10.Who thought this was a good idea? 11.What a great, thoughtful gift! 12.I'm just grateful that managers and bosses are so kind and respectful when you have to quit. 13.Or they just don't let you quit. 14.This is giving Big Brother. 15.Wow, I'm SO happy companies are forcing employees back to the office. Productivity must be skyrocketing! 16.At least you have great free supplies in-office! 17.I mean, working at the office is just SO much better than working at home. 18.Don't worry if you're loyal to a company long enough, you'll be rewarded. 19.You could even get a five-minute break as a reward! 20.Why would anyone spend non-work hours doing this? 21.Yep, blame "undependable teenagers" and not, I don't know, dangerous conditions. 22.This poor employee fractured their femur, and their boss decided to bring up some other employee who worked on crutches (who is 100% a natural person and not someone they just made up to suit their purposes). 23.I just love how flexible managers are. 24.While it's nice to help out a fellow employee (in this case, one who makes $140k), shouldn't the company itself pay for this stuff rather than asking for money from lower-paid workers??? 25.I get the need to have phishing tests, but is this level of cruel hope really necessary? 26.Sorry, but denying time off is giving indentured servitude... 27.Thank god your boss will only call you in (in the middle of the night, no less) if it's 100% necessary. 28.Even after you're fired, apparently, they still need you. 29.Maybe it's just me, but I feel like if your job accidentally overpays you, that's on them, and you should get to keep the money. 30.It's nice when your boss takes safety concerns into account. 31.And comfort. 32.New coffeehouse near work? Yay! Discontinuing your breakroom coffee so you HAVE to purchase coffee from the new shop if you want any? Not yay! 33.I love how workplaces maintain the break room facilities so nicely. 34.Workplaces also love keeping their surroundings beautiful and peaceful for employees! 35.Looks like an appropriate replacement. 36.Don't you love how easy bosses are on you right when you get back from vacation? 37.This seems like a totally fair reason to fire someone. 38.But don't worry about getting fired getting back into the job market is easy! 39.Companies' job requirements are totally reasonable. 40.No company or business would ever make you interview, do a sample shift, and then tell you they're not hiring. 41.Seriously this never happens! 42.Rejections are always polite. 43.Companies ask totally fair questions on job applications. 44.And finally, they always, always pay you fairly. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The term garbage disposal is really a bit of a misnomer. If youve ever had one, you probably know that you cant run random garbage through it. Instead, theyre designed to grind up and dispose of food waste that you would otherwise compost. What makes a good disposal, what features you should look for, and how much should you spend? To answer those questions, we installed and tested several promising models (and researched a few more) to learn more about how they work and what to look for. Check out quick info on our top picks below, then scroll down for more in-depth reviews of these and other top-performing models, plus buying advice. Looking for more helpful appliances to dispose of your waste? Read our reviews of the best trash compactors, trash cans, and compost tumblers. The Best Garbage Disposals How Do I Choose a Good Garbage Disposal? First, make sure you can use a garbage disposal in your house. Some municipalities or cities have ordinances regarding the installation and use of garbage disposals. In some cases, towns without public wastewater treatment plants, where residents have their own septic systems, may not allow them. There are models out there specifically designed for use with septic systems. Conversely, some cities require disposal units in kitchen sinks to be sure all waste entering its treatment system is small enough to be handled efficiently. What to Consider Continuous Versus Batch Feed Continuous-feed garbage disposals turn on with a switch and grind food waste passing through the drain and into the grinding chamber. These disposals are the most convenient due to their simple, one-step operation. Batch-feed disposals grind only with the drain cover in place. You cant put additional waste in unless you remove the drain cover and the garbage disposal is off. And with many batch-feed models, putting the cover on and taking it off is how you start and stop the grinding. While the latter may be less convenient and slower than continuous disposals, theyre clearly safer because you cant reach in while the garbage disposal is running. They also require no separate switch, which, if you don't already have one, can entail some electrical work to install. Horsepower Garbage disposals typically have 1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4-, or 1-horsepower motors. More horsepower generally indicates more robust grinding. Some manufacturers suggest power that corresponds to the number of people in the family and how much action the garbage disposal will see. Smaller families can opt for lower horsepower, whereas larger families should buy a disposal with higher horsepower, simply due to the higher volume of food waste. Regardless of family size, the number is also worth keeping in mind because garbage disposals with more horsepower have stronger components and may last longer. They may also have an additional boost of power for hard-to-grind items like corn cobs. Noise Grinding noise and vibration are some of the biggest concerns consumers have about garbage disposals. The appliances usually connect to the sink with a heavy rubber gasket or union that helps reduce vibration. More expensive units may be enclosed in a cover filled with sound-deadening insulation. Electrical Connections Garbage disposals may come pre-wired with a power cord and a plug, with a cord and a plug you have to wire yourself, or with no cord at all. The latter two options are best for replacing an older, hardwired unit. The remote switch that controls the garbage disposal needs to be within reach of the sink. If youre installing a garbage disposal where there wasnt one previously, youll need to run power to both that switch and an outlet installed in the sink cabinet for the garbage disposals plug. How We Tested We test garbage disposals in our office in Easton, Pennsylvania. The first four models you see below have all gone thr0ugh the process, along with several others that are either now out of stock or did not make the cut. During testing, we installed each garbage disposal under the same sink in the same basic, laminate-covered, particle board cabinet. The sink itself is an inexpensive, stainless-steel, double-bowl unit, with sound-deadening spray on the bottom. Lakota Gambill We used a clear P-trapthats the pipe under the sink with an S-shaped bend in itattached to the discharge tube and diverted waste into a screen over a 5-gallon bucket for inspection. We put carrots, celery, baked beans, chicken bones, and raw corn on the cob through each modela selection used to simulate the breadth of food waste consumers typically use disposals for. Finally, we took stock of how much noise each produces by recording the sound levels while running half ears of raw corn through the disposals we tested. Lakota Gambill We held a meter, which logged one sound level reading per second, about 6 inches from the rim of our test sink and aimed it at the drain. We started recording sound levels with the water turned on to get a stable level, then flipped the garbage disposal on until the sound returned to a steady level, indicating it had finished grinding up the corncob. We also researched and vetted a few options that we havent gotten our hands on yet, keeping an eye out for innovative features, sound-deadening, efficiency, and ease of installation. You can find those models in our Other Garbage Disposals Worth Considering section. Our Full Garbage Disposal Reviews Shop Now Evolution Pro 750 Garbage Disposal overstock.com $318.68 InSinkErator The Evolution Pro 750 is a compact model, and the shortest of all the garbage disposals we tested, meaning theres plenty of room under it for spray bottles and cleaners. That said, it boasts many of the best features a garbage disposal can have, like stainless-steel grinding components and sound-dampening insulation. All told, this garbage disposal took about 15 minutes for us to install. The stainless-steel sink drain mounted fairly easily, as its Quick-Lock name implied. The Evolution Pro took everything in our food waste medley in stride and ground the baked beans, raw carrots, and celery to an average particle size. Chicken bones seemed to grind a little coarser than with some of the other models. Still, the Evolution Pro does a good job balancing speed, noise, capability, and build quality, making it our clear best overall. Shop Now Whirlaway 291PC Garbage Disposal amazon.com $80.74 Whirlaway Very few garbage disposals at this price offer the same value at the Whirlaway 291PC. This Whirlaway shares the same EZ-mount as the Waste King below, making it straightforward to install without tools, and it also comes with a corded plug. Installation took us only about 10 minutes, slightly faster than the InSinkErator above. Carrots, baked beans, and celery went right through it, and the food particles were reasonably fine and uniform. The corncobs were surprising, as this unit ground them up in about 30 seconds, on par with the more powerful garbage disposals. It diced the bones up finely too, though the grinding was a bit louder. While its inexpensive and comes with a smaller motor than other selections on our list, the 291PC handles many of the same foods as the more expensive garbage disposals at a mere third of the price. Shop Now L-111 Garbage Disposal amazon.com $75.09 Waste King Waste Kings L-111 comes pre-wired, ready to install, and at a price thats hard to beat. A rubber gasket seals the sink-flange connection, and the garbage disposal body is made from a reinforced polymer (a type of plastic) and attaches to the flange with a twist-lock connector. The discharge pipe connects to your existing P-trap with a compression fitting (not included). Theres a fitting for a dishwasher discharge hose if required. Installation was straightforward with the instructions provided. The garbage disposal chewed though carrots, celery, and baked beans, although the carrots lingered a little before being completely ground. The baked beans liquified easily, but we had to push them through the stiff, rubber splash guard. Chicken bones ground up completely, with patience, as they were still clinking around in the garbage disposal for several seconds after they seemed to be done. Raw corncob was the most tenacious material we tried and required a few start-stop cycles to grind completely. It appeared to hang up the L-111 in such a way that the impellers stopped pushing it into the grind ring. The garbage disposal never jammed and eventually handled everything we threw down it, albeit with more difficulty than other options we tested. Shop Now GXB75C Garbage Disposal walmart.com $199.99 Moen Moens GXB75C grbage disposal exhibits the fine fit and finish one would expect from the brand. The body and motor are housed in a svelte black cover that also contains sound insulation. This batch-feed garbage disposal comes with a drain cover that, when inserted completely, activates the garbage disposalwater may still pass with the cover inserted. The discharge pipe turns 90 degrees out of the garbage disposal body and should connect with your existing P-trap with a compression fitting (not included). The unit comes ready to install, pre-wired with a corded plug, and the installation was fairly easy with the included instructions. This unit, being a batch-feed garbage disposal, doesnt have a splash guard, so waste is very easily inserted through the drain unobstructed. Carrots, celery, and baked beans all ground easily and without issue. The particle size of disposed carrots and celery appeared to be very slightly finer than coming out of the other units we tested. The GXB75C efficiently shredded chicken bones, while the corncob required a couple of off/on cycles to completely grind up. While disposing of the corncob, this unit seemed to vibrate more, which contributed to the higher noise level we recorded. Still, it completely ground and ejected everything we put in itno jams or clogs. Other Garbage Disposals Worth Considering We havent gotten our hands on any of the models below, but we can vouch for their merits based on our expertise and other testing. If the models above arent available or dont work for you, here are a couple of great alternatives well worth considering. Shop Now Badger 5XP Garbage Disposal amazon.com $140.89 This model is more compact that most, ideal for tight spaces underneath the sink. Thanks to a Quick Lock Mount, it should be easy to install and replace. The Badger 5XP has a continuous feed and stainless-steel grind components for rust-resistance and longevity, plus it comes with a cord. The garbage disposal is also notable as a septic-compatible choice. As long as your septic tank is well maintained, the disposal should work easily with it, without giving your plumbing any issues. Theres also a four-year warranty attached, which offers replacements if the disposal is damaged in that time. While it may not be the quietest, its a solid choice if you need a small unit thats relatively affordable. Shop Now GX50C Garbage Disposal walmart.com $116.99 If youre looking for a quiet garbage disposal close to $100, consider this model from Moen. Its septic-safe and comes equipped with sound-deadening insulation that reduces grinding noise, even on loud, brittle items. While motor produces just -horsepower, the garbage disposal should still comfortably chew through corncobs, chicken bones, and other difficult items without any jams or major issues. The disposal also features stainless-steel components and a Universal Xpress Mount, so you wont have to deal with difficult installation. It also has a pre-installed power cord for easy setup. You Might Also Like CHILLICOTHE She found something incredibly fulfilling. I was always fascinated with art and history, recalled Zoey Zickafoose. I was a big dreamer and was naturally drawn to all sorts of creative pursuits. As I got a little bit older, I think the pressures of conforming to the real world stunted my creativity and dreams before I realized it was possible to have a creative career. While I knew deep down I wanted to work creatively, I would have never guessed this is the route my life would have taken. Zoey Zickafoose does design and metalsmithing at Halfryal, a company she co-owns with Jordan Baxter. Today, Zickafoose is co-owner, with Jordan Baxter, of Halfryal. I do the designing and most of the metalsmithing work with Halfryal, Zickafoose explained. We came up with the name Halfryal when we were looking at historical jewelry and gold and came across an old English gold coin called a Half Ryal that was minted in the 15th century right on the cusp between the medieval and early modern periods that really touched us. We liked the idea of being that bridge between the past and future. We wanted our designs to have nostalgia but still be contemporary so we thought the Half Ryal was a great symbol of that. Zickafoose grew up in Huntington Township, graduated from Huntington High School in 2012, then earned degrees in psychology and strategic communication from Ohio State in 2018. In college, I worked in the fashion industry, she said. I worked primarily in the public relations sector. I had it in my head that I needed to work in a creative-adjacent role for job security purposes. During this time, I got to meet a lot of creatives who were actually making careers from their passions which was the first time I had ever seen this. Getting that exposure to designers, photographers, models, and artists was so inspiring and allowed me to consider a different route for myself for the first time. After college, I worked in advertising, she continued. I knew almost instantly I couldnt work a traditional 9-5 role for the rest of my life. When the pandemic hit, my best friend, Jordan Baxter, and I started thinking more seriously about what we wanted to do with our lives. We had always played around with the idea of starting our own business together. Even as kids, we had a natural knack for working well together. Together, we bring a range of skills to the table, each filling in the gaps for the other. We had always talked about how if we started a business, Zickafoose noted, we wanted that to be an authentic expression for us both, and jewelry holds that special place in our hearts. Some of our strongest childhood memories revolve around exploring our grandmothers jewelry boxes, and seeing all the beautiful pieces they collected throughout the years. Baxter remembers it well. Zoey and I have been friends since we were 3, said Baxter. Shes always had such an incredibly gifted mind and it shows in her art. Shes dabbled in many different hobbies and crafts, and it seems her two focuses photography and jewelry allow her to express the depths of her creativeness. It was always obvious that she would grow up to be the type to work for herself and pave her own path. I know she is so capable, and I am excited to see where she leads her businesses. I love trying something new and tinkering, responded Zickafoose. Ive found jewelry is incredibly fulfilling to me. It feels good to reach a place of comfort and to see tangible growth. I think I needed to take this path. Im so grateful for all of the opportunities Ive had to learn and see what I really value in life. For more information about Halfryal, log on www.halfryal.com. About the Series Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs whether theyre unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com. This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Aces of Trades: Zoey Zickafoose does design and metalsmithing at Halfryal Whats allowed and not allowed on metro-east bike trails? It depends where you are. In 2000, voters on both sides of the Mississippi River signed off on a new sales tax to fund construction of a bi-state greenways trail that would connect citizens on bike or on foot to the sites of St. Louis or the rolling fields of the metro east. The system has grown to include more than 200 miles of asphalt trail, with plans for more spurs and connectors in the works across both St. Clair and Madison counties. The paved paths descend into tunnels, cross over waters and highways, linking acres of natural greenspace with city landmarks and countless neighborhood routes in between. Riders and walkers can access and use the trails anytime from sunrise to sunset. What can and what cant you bring onto the trails? The directors of the metro-east transit districts helped us flesh out the basic rules along with some sound recommendations: What is allowed? Bicycles Electric bicycles (15 mph speed limit may apply) Electric longboards Roller skates and roller blades Skateboards Razors and other people-powered scooters Electric wheelchairs and other mobility devices Your pets as long as theyre on a leash thats less than 6-feet long and as long as you pick up their poop. Tobacco cigarettes and vape sticks Food there are picnic areas with tables along some trails Large groups are OK, but organized events require approval from the St. Clair County Transit District What is not allowed? Cars Any motorized vehicle not listed above, including motorized bicycles Horses (allowed in designated areas in St. Louis County) Hunting Alcohol Marijuana Any illegal drugs or other illegal substances Firearms (concealed carry allowed in Madison County) Litter (there are plenty of trash cans available) Unleashed animals Not required, but recommended Helmets for cyclists and skateboarders (required for minors in St. Louis County) Water or other non-alcoholic hydration Doggie-doo bags Picking flowers or removing rocks its best to leave nature as you find it Want to mix in a train ride? MetroLink trains have bike racks available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Other regulations Stay on the right hand side of the trail Pass on the left and announce that youre passing Cyclists yield to pedestrians Everyone must give way to horses where they are permitted on a trail Additional information Any bridge on the trail meets Illinois Department of Transportation requirements in terms of weight limits The rules are enforced by local law enforcement, and trail maintenance staff may remind trail-goers of the rules if theyre being broken While some exceptions exist, Madison County and St. Louis County trails have similar rules to this system Young single adult Latter-day Saints in Kansas City, Mo., hold hands around the Heart Forest. This gathering was one of three simultaneous conferences (all with the theme of Think Celestial, the title of a general conference talk from President Russell M. Nelson) held from Wednesday, May 29, through Saturday, June 1, 2024, for young single adults in the churchs North America Central Area. | Jodi Vander Woude On a recent Saturday, about 500 volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrapped around an 8-acre forest in the middle of a field in Kansas City. The scene was captured in a striking aerial shot, and what stands out the most when you look at it is the unusual shape of the forest. In the early 1990s, local families, members of local churches, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts gathered at this site to plant 1,600 trees in the shape of a heart a kind of environmental art installation imbued with symbolism and history. Back then, the trees were just 2-3 twigs with roots dangling on the bottom and sparse leaves on the top. You could hold 10 of them in one hand, said Bob Berkebile, a sustainable architect and community planner, who designed the forest and was part of the group that planted it. The idea was inspired by the Chief Leon Shenandoah of the Iroquois Nation, a Native American leader who visited the Peace Conference in Kansas City in 1987, and believed that the land possessed a special heart spirit and that people could use a reminder to have more heart in their daily lives. So Berkebile and a few other enthusiasts designed a heart-shaped forest in a field near the Kansas City Airport. Over the years, a community coalesced around it: families gathering for picnics, poetry readings and kite-flying events. Pilots overhead pointed out the heart dotted with young trees to the passengers. But once the forest was fully planted, the enthusiasm around it began to wane. Some early volunteers got busy, others moved away. One of the leaders lost his wife and pulled back from the project. But as the people moved on, the trees kept growing. Today, the red cedars and white oaks are 50 feet high. Dense and overgrown, the forests heart shape is now less defined. Flooding has eroded parts of the forest, creating patchy spots throughout. Designed as a symbol of the heart of America, the forest today is symbolic of the broader state of a nation that has drifted apart and lost some of its definition. Perhaps like America, it needs reshaping and loving restoration to be the symbol it is meant to be. This is the most important resource on the planet today, said Brian Weinberg, director at the Foundation for Regeneration and one of the leaders spearheading the effort to restore the forest and open it to the community. The purpose of revitalizing it is to teach people to have more heart. This is why hundreds of Latter-day Saint volunteers, who were participating in a conference, set out to help revive the green oasis on that June Saturday. Were reimagining and relaunching what was once there, said Weinberg, who reached out to Just Serve, the churchs site for volunteer projects and managed to wrangle the largest group of volunteers the forest has had since it was planted. But the forests story is not only about reviving a whimsical art installation its also about the attention and care that it takes to sustain what was once started and reviving a community bound by the shared purpose of helping the trees thrive. This forest there is something quintessential about the cycle of life, Weinberg told me. About death and generations, and passing on the torch. Young single adult Latter-day Saints in Kansas City, Mo., gather at the Heart Forest to plant trees and clear trails. | Intellectual Reserve, Inc From twigs to mature forest On a recent June morning, armed with rakes and shovels, Cameron Jensen worked on clearing the trail leading toward the forests center. Jensen, a Latter-day Saint who lives in Omaha, Nebraska, shaped the trails borders with dead branches he found laying around. It was really powerful to be able to think about the work that had gone into creating the forest, said Jensen. And the symbolism of what it means to the influence of the heart on the human body and how we need to make sure our hearts and minds are aligned with Christ and with God. Others in the group planted 40 new trees to replace the ones that were damaged by erosion. Berkebile welcomed hundreds of the Latter-day Saint volunteers at the forest. Hes known in the sustainable architecture community for shaping the LEED certification standards for green buildings and leading the effort to green the White House in 1994. He witnessed the very origins and the evolution of the heart forest. Young single adult Latter-day Saints in Kansas City, Mo., gather at the Heart Forest to plant trees and clear trails. This gathering was one of three simultaneous conferences (all with the theme of Think Celestial, the title of a general conference talk from President Russell M. Nelson) held from Wednesday, May 29, through Saturday, June 1, 2024, for young single adults in the churchs North America Central Area. | Intellectual Reserve, Inc In the early 90s, volunteer groups from schools and churches came to plant additional trees, adding new tree species and gradually expanding the forest. The community grew along with the forest there was a newsletter called Voice of the Forest and an annual event called Wild at Heart. These volunteers were also the stewards of the forest. When the bagworms attacked the cedar trees, Berkebile opposed the instructions of the Missouri Department of Conservation to spray the forest with chemicals. Instead, he rallied hundreds of volunteers to remove the bagworms from the trees with their hands, one by one. Other times, community members removed poison ivy and discouraged the deer from eating the crops. When all the trees were planted, the general sentient among the group was: Just let them grow. Uncovering lost stories There is one photo from the 1990s that Weinberg often thinks about: In it, a girl of about 6 years old, wearing red glasses and a blue headband, holds up a worm while squinting against the sunlight. Who is she? Where is she now? Weinberg has wondered. I just really want to know what shes doing right now. A girl who participated in the Heart Forest planting in the 1990s. | Brian Weinberg Another photo shows a Boy Scout troop assessing the task ahead. A toddler in oversized blue gloves and a pink jacket is digging in the dirt. A billboard says: Support the heart forest: connect the earth with the sky. Weinberg has been pulling boxes of documents from the garages of early volunteers from the 1990s. Hes discovered stacks of heart forest stationary, the clippings from newspapers and airline magazines, a key to an old lawn mower. Using old lists of volunteers and donors, hes been trying to track down those who once cared for the forest. What did they remember about the early days of the forest? Did they have a good experience? These are the questions he asks when people pick up the phone. There are all these micro-stories Im trying to collect and document them now, he said. Weinberg hopes that once the forest is more established, more early supporters will come out of the woodwork. I cant wait to find some of these young Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and that girl with the worm they could be bank executives, who are they now? said Weinberg. Each of us has a role to play Helping with the project was especially meaningful for Haylie Wong, another volunteer from the church group. Our church itself is built on pioneers something that was created decades ago (in which) we could be a part of and where each of us has a role to play. While planting the trees and caring for them overtime is not as dramatic as Biblical miracles like the parting of the Red Sea or turning water into wine, seeing a healthy forest mature, to Wong, is a miraculous process. Sometimes we may feel overlooked like our efforts dont matter but in the long run, they make a significant difference that we may not be able to see at first, she said. Over time, it creates its own miracle. The forest is currently closed to the public, but the group has an ambitious vision for the project. The whole concept now is to make it a community asset to teach those who come to have more heart, said Weinberg. Along the trail through the forest, the group is planning to build artistic, inquiry-based stations that will guide visitors through the forest for instance, a mirror would suggest a question for a visitor to answer while looking at their reflection. The clearing in the middle of the forest the heart of the heart will be reserved for meditation and reflection. Weinberg and Berkebile are building the stewardship council, which includes a German experience designer and a crop artist. In the marketing deck for the project, Dwight Eisenhowers quote echoes up the essence of the effort: Whatever America hopes to come to pass in the world, must first come to pass in the heart of America. And while geographically the heart of America may be found in the field of the Kansas City airport, the lasting change, the heart forest stewards believe, begins with the look inward. Young single adult Latter-day Saints in Kansas City, Mo., hold hands around the Heart Forest. | Jodi Vander Woude Established in 2023, the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail lists 13 locations across the county where visitors can find a tasty scoop. Ranging from homemade to brand-name and from ice cream to custards and yogurts, the trail offers something for everyone. Heres a list of all the spots and what to expect: Baabals Ice Cream Shop & Family Grille Baabals Ice Cream Shop & Family Grille offers the most variety of any stop on the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail. With 36 ice cream flavors and 40 milkshake flavors, Baabals Ice Cream Shop & Family Grille offers the largest selection of any other parlor on the trail. In addition to scoops and milkshakes, the spot also offers traditional ice cream-based desserts, including banana splits, sundaes and ice cream floats. Owner Roy Dickerson said the most popular flavor day in and day out is cappuccino crunch. The shop is located in an early 1900s stone house with a wrap-around porch. The main level of the house serves ice cream and food, while the upstairs is a vintage consignment shop. Dickerson said being on the ice cream trail brings new customers in every day. Happiness and ice cream are kind of the same thing, Dickerson said. The one goes along with the other. I got into this as a retirement job because I wanted people to realize that ice cream was happiness and theres never stress. Address: 188 St. John Road in Fletcher Celtic Creamery Celtic Creamery in Hendersonville is part of the Ice Cream Trail that debuted on June 1. This chain ice cream spot specializes in Irish-inspired ice cream where everything is made in-house including the waffle cones. There are more than 50 flavors in rotation at Celtic Creamery, with 14 flavors available each week. The parlor also offers eight signature sundaes. In addition to ice cream, Celtic Creamery sells mini donuts sprinkled with the customers choice of powdered or cinnamon sugar. Address: 227 7th Ave. East in Hendersonville Dairi-O Construction workers continue work on the new Dairi-O, which will be located across the road from East Henderson High School on Upward Road. The North Carolina-based chains first Western North Carolina location is in Flat Rock. The store offers more than 30 flavors of ice cream, both hand-scooped and soft serve. Soft serve cones can be dipped in a coating of chocolate or butterscotch. Dairi-O started in King, North Carolina in 1947 as a drive-up hamburger stand. The Flat Rock location continues to serve these hamburgers, along with hot dogs, salad and wraps with a two-lane drive-thru and dining room. Address: 140 Upward Road in East Flat Rock El Rio Ice Cream & Paleteria The family-owned business opened in 2014 and a serves more than 30 flavors of homemade ice cream. Popsicles known as paletas are also on the menu, as are seasonal varieties of sorbet. Banana splits, ice cream floats, frozen strawberries and a traditional Mexican drink called chamoyada round out the cold treats available at El Rio. The shop also offers street corn on the menu. Address: 2000 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 200 in Hendersonville Harrys Grill & Piggys Ice Cream Piggy's Ice Cream is located at 102 Duncan Hill Road in Henersonville. A Hendersonville staple, Piggys ice cream opened in 1979 and currently serves a range of 24 to 30 flavors each day. The ice cream at Piggys is supplied by both Mayfield and Blue Bell. Milkshakes and banana splits round out the ice cream menu. Piggys is also home to Harrys Grill, serving hamburgers, hot dogs and barbecue. Address: 102 Duncan Hill Road in Hendersonville Karolina Kremes Karolina Kremes offers 12 flavors of hand-scooped ice cream in addition to vanilla and chocolate soft-serve. In addition to scoops, the shop also offers more than 50 different milkshake options. Food, including burgers, hot dogs and wraps, is also served. Address: 96 Etowah Center Drive in Etowah Kilwins The national chain has several locations throughout Western North Carolina, including one on Main Street in Hendersonville. The shop offers 32 flavors on a daily basis, along with rotating seasonal options. Other treats ranging from fudge to caramel apples to truffles and more supplement the ice cream at Kilwins. Address: 506 North Main St. in Hendersonville La Vida Loca Ice Cream & Mexican Snacks The family-owned restaurant specializes in homemade sorbets, of which there are 14 rotating flavors. Other cold treats include chamoyada and popsicles. On the food side of the menu, La Vida Loca offers tamales and street corn. Address: 825 Spartanburg Highway, #16 in Hendersonville Luv Ice Cream One of the newer locations on the trail, Luv Ice Cream opened in 2023 and serves 14 varieties of Hersheys ice cream. Waffle cones and bowls are made in-house. In addition to ice cream, the shop also offers a variety of food and drinks including sushi, poke, ramen and boba tea. Address: 5591 Hendersonville Road in Fletcher McConnell Farms Ice Cream Started in 1999, McConnell Farms Ice Cream originally only served strawberry ice cream made in a 1908 machine. After two years, the shop upgraded the equipment and now serve a variety of flavors that often incorporate items grown on the farm. Fruits and vegetables grown on the farm are also available for purchase at the shop. Address: 177 Old Dana Road in Hendersonville sweetFrog A national chain with most locations in the eastern part of the country, sweetFrog is a frozen yogurt business. The shop has 21 flavors available on a daily basis, 14 of which are individual flavors and seven combinations. Six flavors original tart, strawberry, no sugar added vanilla, cake batter and cookies and creme are available year-round. The rest are available on a rotating basis. A more than 40 item topping bar lets customers personalize their treat just as they like it. Address: 201 North Main St. in Hendersonville The Bakers Box The Bakers Box offers six flavors of homemade ice cream each day. Chocolate and vanilla flavors are always available and the other flavors rotate. Toppings are available for scoops of ice cream. In addition to scoops, the shop also offers milkshakes, including drunken milkshakes, which add alcohol to the dish. Owner Mara Nicholas said she doesnt know of anyone else in Hendersonville that does this. The Bakers Box also offers lunch and dinner food items, including sandwiches, salads and wraps. In addition to ice cream and food, The Bakers Box also acts as a display of Nicholas Lego collection with the sets filling the space. I like bringing the joy to people, Nicholas said. Address: 1509 Asheville Highway in Hendersonville Whits Frozen Custard A national chain, Whits offers a treat not found at any other spot on the ice cream trail: Frozen custard. Frozen custard is denser and creamier than traditional ice cream. The frozen custard is made fresh daily and is available in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, flavor of the day and flavor of the week. Other frozen treats include sundaes, cakes, pies and custard-and-cookie sandwiches. Address: 602 Kanuga Road in Hendersonville Karrigan Monk is the reporter for Black Mountain News and Hendersonville Times-News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail celebrates 1 year The 102-year-old Holocaust survivor Margot Friedlander is to be honoured with a front-page exclusive by Vogue Germany magazine in its upcoming edition themed about love. The double issue for July and August will present Friedlander in a red coat on the cover and delve into her experience of the Nazi period, her return to Germany and her commitment as a Holocaust survivor, the magazine said on Monday. The editorial team met with Friedlander four times for the multi-page profile. "The most positive person I know is on our cover in this issue," Vogue Germany's editorial head Kerstin Weng said about Friedlander in a press release. "She is known to many as a Holocaust survivor, but she not only survived the Nazis, but also betrayal and loss. She would have every reason to be bitter, but she remains open-minded and refuses to take sides." Friedlander is one of the few living witnesses to the persecution and murder of Jews during the Nazi era. She has been honoured several times for her efforts to ensure the horrors of that period are not forgotten. The double issue will be available from June 22. For more than 150 years, June 19 has been a day to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. Communities across the country will be marking the day when in 1865 slaves in Texas learned that they, and all other slaves in the U.S., had been granted freedom. And Central Florida is no exception. 1887 Juneteenth Weekend Celebration in Eatonville Date: June 14- 19 Location: 307 East Kennedy Blvd, Eatonville The Town of Eatonville invites community members to learn about Juneteenths significance and celebrate the achievements of African Americans throughout history. Click here for more information. Read: Moon Music: Coldplay announces 10th record; LP made from plastic bottles 4th Annual Facets of Freedom: A Celebration of Juneteenth Date: June 19 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Orlando Family Stage, 1001 E. Princeton St., Orlando The art event will have musical performances, dance, and spoken word that showcase the history of African American artistry. Click here for more information. Read: Goodwill plans new west Orange County store Orange County Mayors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration Date: June 19 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Orange County Multicultural Center, 7149 West Colonial Drive, Orlando. Residents are invited to join Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and the Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative. The event is free to the public and will showcase the progression of African American culture through song, dance, cultural artifacts, and education. Click here fore more information. Read: DreamWorks Land, other attractions open at Universal Orlando Resort Juneteenth Concert in Longwood Date: June 19 Time: 5 p.m. Location: 200 W Warren Avenue The City of Longwood announced its third annual Juneteenth celebration at the Longwood Community Building. There will be live music by Silkee Smoove Band, complimentary small bites by Icing on Top LLC., and vendors. Click here for more information. Read: Walt Disney World to shut down this original attraction Juneteenth Celebration at Citrus Club Date: June 19 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: 200 W Warren Avenue The Citrus Club will be hosting a Know Your Place screening. The event will have an open bar and small bite prior to the film, as well as a post-film discussion with Attorney Michael Moore. Click here for more information. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. When is Juneteenth? Did the holiday start in Texas? Heres everything you need to know Juneteenth, a commemoration of freedom for the last African American slaves in Texas, will be celebrated nationwide this week. It was on June 19, 1865 that General Order No. 3 was issued to Texas notifying the enslaved of their freedom, two and a half years after it had already been declared. Following the news, former slaves and their descendants celebrated the day each year with barbecues, rodeos, and prayer sessions. Emancipation Park in Houston was purchased by a group of former slaves to become the official grounds for the celebration in 1872. In 1979, Texas became the first to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. After Fort Worths own Opal Lee walked 1,400 miles to Washington D.C to get nationwide recognition of Juneteenth, President Joe Biden signed legislation designating it as a federal holiday in 2021. More trending stories from our newsroom: As Fort Worth population booms, pushback against new apartments isnt budging What Kevin Costner had to say to Mac Engel about 'Horizon' Will Fort Worth Stockyards lose historic character with $1B expansion? Heres what we know Whats open and closed? Juneteenth falls on Wednesday which means itll be a paid day off for federal employees. Fedex and UPS will be open but the United States Postal Service will not make regular deliveries. Banks will also be closed. Businesses are free to choose whether or not to remain open on Juneteenth so give them a call before you visit. City hall and other federal, state and local government offices will be closed along with Fort Worth schools. A Call to Action Marking its declaration as a federal holiday, Biden encouraged Americans to reflect on the past and take action. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity. Since Opal Lees historic walk to Washington D.C, Texans have joined her in a 2.5 mile Walk for Freedom through Fort Worths historic Southside neighborhood each year on Juneteenth. The celebration will move to Dallas this year to demonstrate its impact on communities in other cities. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Juneteenth at the beach continues at The Oceanfront. The 3-day festival invites families out for a long list of activities. We have the opportunity to make Virginia Beach one of the go-to destinations to celebrate Juneteenth, said Micah Walls, the L.A.M.B.S. Foundation creative director. There is so much history that, comes along with African American culture. The L.A.M.B.S foundation stands for Love All My Brothers and Sisters, and was started in 2011. The foundation was started after the loss of a close friend Cordaro Lil Lamb Simpkins, Walls said, who was a professional boxer here in Virginia. I think he [Cordaro] would be really happy, Walls said. His spirit is always with us. Its just crazy how far we came. Walls said with the support from the city of Virginia Beach, T.E.A.M. L.A.M.B. was able to host the event for the third year. We actually got a sponsorship of $100,000 this year to help put this on, Walls said. We want to continue to keep growing and continue to partner with the City and make it bigger and better each year. Next year, we want to be on the sand! Thats our vision. The weekend of events is for the entire community. We provide a platform for local businesses, local emerging artists, brands and just people it doesnt matter what race, color, [or] creed you come from, just come together, celebrate this day, Walls said. The event is meant to help bring awareness to what Juneteenth stands for and experiences marginalized group of people have felt in the past, said Michele Naughton, the Norfolk Assistant Police Chief and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter. Marisa Marsey, 1st Place for Womens 60-69 race Courtesy of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter Courtesy of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter On Sunday, Virginia Beach Councilman Chris Taylor organized the first ever Jubilee Run to Celebrate Juneteenth 5K and mile run with the Tidewater Striders. I decided to do my first 5-K today and it was not as bad as I thought it [would be], said Walls. I feel awake, alive, ready to take on the day. On Wednesday, the 24th Street Stage will be packed again for a day of events starting at 11 a.m. The NAACP kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. Later in the day, Black Brand will host a panel and pitch competition. Its an exciting time to celebrate Juneteenth, said Dr. Eric Majette, Virginia Beach NAACP President. Come down and have an opportunity to see all the vendors and the festivities that are going in Virginia Beach. Learn more at www.juneteenthatb.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 WAVY.com. Heres what to know, where to go for Opals Walk on Juneteenth Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, will lead the community on June 19 in her annual 2.5-mile walk at the African American Museum of Dallas to recognize the two and a half years it took for the news of freedom to reach enslaved people in Texas. Opals Walk for Freedom starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, beginning at the African American Museum of Dallas at 3536 Grand Ave. It will cost $35 for adults to participate in the walk; $10 for spectators; and $15 for non-walkers to buy a shirt. The walk that started in 2016 lobbied for establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday. Following its official designation in 2021, the walk now focuses on educating people about the celebration of freedom, said Dione Sims, Lees granddaughter and president and founder of Unity Unlimited Inc. that manages the walk. Unity Unlimited is a nonprofit that helps young people confront and defy racial stereotyping. Walkers will assemble in Dallas this year instead of Fort Worth, highlighting the wide impact Juneteenth has in other cities around the country, Sims said. Cities across the country and world are expected to have walks to coincide with the walk in Texas, including in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and Tokyo. In 2025, Opals walk will return to Fort Worth, followed by Washington, D.C., in 2026 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. For years, Lee championed for national recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday to commemorate the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln had signed more than two years earlier. In 2016, an 89-year-old Lee campaigned for the national holiday with a symbolic walk to Washington, D.C., crossing 14 states and 1,400 miles. She relaunched the campaign in 2019, crossing over seven states until the COVID-19 pandemic eventually cut the trip short. On Juneteenth in 2020, Lee walked 2.5 miles down Lancaster Avenue from the Fort Worth Convention Center to the Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium. Lee watched on June 17, 2021, as President Joe Biden signed the bill to nationally recognize the holiday. To help support a planned National Juneteenth Museum, $6.19 from each registration for the walk will contribute to a fundraising campaign for programs at Unity Unlimited and the museum, which is scheduled to open in 2026. Walkers must register at OpalsWalkDallasTX.raceroster.com prior to the event. Let's Cook: You'll be eating this easy Thai coconut soup on repeat. Here's how to make it. Summer isn't exactly soup season, but once you've tried this creamy, spicy Thai coconut soup, you'll forget that it's 90 degrees outside. My journey into Thai cuisine was unexpected. When I tell people I spent my formative years working in the food industry, they often assume my family owned a Greek diner (I wish). In reality, I grew up next door to a family of restaurauteurs and was drawn into their world. I spent my weekends, evenings and most holidays working at Thai restaurants through high school and college. Tom Kha Soup is an incredibly flavorful soup consisting of coconut milk, lime, chili and a handful of aromatics, and it's fairly simple to make. Sure, it wasn't the most authentic Thai cuisine you'll ever eat, as most of it catered to the tastes of the older, less adventurous patrons of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, but it was far from bland. And despite spending most of my time handling front-of-house duties, we were not immune to pandemic-induced staff shortages, in which I found myself side-by-side with the cooks for extended periods. During those particularly challenging nights, I found myself immersed in kitchen tasks: portioning sticky rice, cooking coconut milk cream over the stove, slicing mangoes and more. It opened my eyes to the techniques behind the many dishes I both served and enjoyed, many of which I now make at home. One dish in particular remains a favorite of mine to this day: Tom Kha Soup. It's an incredibly flavorful soup consisting of coconut milk, lime, chili and a handful of aromatics, and it's fairly simple to make. If you're able to get your hands of makrut lime leaves, definitely use them in this soup, it is a flavor game changer. Like galangal however, it's not the easiest ingredient to find so a regular lime will work just fine. Tom Kha soup Before we get into the recipe, here are a few notes on key ingredients you will need to have ready. This is the part most people dread when scrolling through a recipe, but trust me, it's helpful! Coconut milk: I don't think you need to shell out $4 for a can of authentic Thai coconut milk, and after preparing this soup with various brands, I think any brand can work just fine, as long as it is a can of full fat, unsweetened pure coconut milk, not coconut creamer or the type you use in your coffee. Ginger: Traditional tom kha calls for galangal, but it's not the easiest spice to find in your local supermarket, so fresh ginger is usually a great substitute. Tom Kha Soup is an incredibly flavorful soup consisting of coconut milk, lime, chili and a handful of aromatics, and it's fairly simple to make. Lime/lime leaves: If you're able to get your hands of makrut lime leaves, definitely use them in this soup; it is a flavor game changer. Like galangal, however, it's not easy to find so a regular lime will work just fine. Red curry paste: While it's not the most authentic ingredient in tom kha, it's going to add a brilliant flavor, which makes up for the lack of lime leaves and galangal, and you only need a tablespoon or two. Lemongrass: Available in the herb section of most big-name supermarkets (I got mine from Giant), lemongrass is a crucial aromatic ingredient in Thai cuisine. Fish sauce: One of the smelliest but most flavorful condiments used in Thai cooking, fish sauce is going to be our main source of sodium in the soup. It is available in most grocery store chain international aisles. Now, let's cook! Ingredients 2 cans, full fat unsweetened coconut milk 4 cups chicken broth 10 oz. sliced, fresh mushrooms 1 tablespoon avocado oil 1-2 tablespoons red curry paste 1 pound chicken breast (sliced) 1 clove garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced) 1 stalk lemongrass (sliced) Small bunch fresh cilantro Juice of one lime 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 green onions/scallions (chopped) Tom Kha Soup: An incredibly flavorful soup consisting of coconut milk, lime, chili and a handful of aromatics, and it's fairly simple to make. Instructions: Heat a large pot to medium-low and add your curry paste, minced garlic, ginger and sliced lemongrass. Cook for two to three minutes. Your kitchen is going to smell amazing. Once aromatic, add the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once your soup mixture reaches a boil, this is when you'll want to work fast. Gently add the raw chicken and cook for two minutes. Then reduce the temperature to a simmer and add your mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, fish sauce and fresh lime juice. After five minutes, add your chopped green onion and your soup is ready to be enjoyed. Taste for salt, and if needed, add a splash more of fish sauce or extra lime juice depending on your taste. Did you try this recipe out? Would you like to see more stories like this? I'd love to hear from you. Reach out via email at etzivekis@ydr.com! This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Thai coconut soup tom kah recipe easy 30 minutes YORK, Maine Wiggly Bridge Distillery was recently named Maine Distillery of the Year in the esteemed New York International Spirits Competition. The recognition highlights the distillery's commitment to excellence in crafting small-batch spirits and its dedication to quality. In addition, Wiggly Bridge Distillerys New England Single Malt received a Gold Medal in the competition. David Woods, longtime York business owner, launched Wiggly Bridge Distillery with his son David Woods II in 2012. The New York International Spirits Competition, known for its blind judging process and industry expertise with top trade buyers, evaluated hundreds of spirits from around the world. "We are absolutely thrilled to hear this news and to bring this honor to York, Maine, our home," said David Woods, founder and distiller at Wiggly Bridge Distillery. "This award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire team, as well as the incredible support from our loyal customers and community. We are deeply grateful forthis recognition and look forward to continuing our tradition of crafting exceptional spirits." Wiggly Bridge Distillery, a family-owned business, is known for its handcrafted, small-batch spirits that blend traditional techniques with modern innovation. Wiggly Bridge Distillerys New England Single Malt received a Gold Medal in the New York International Spirits Competition. The distillery invites its customers and community members to stop by the distillery and cheers to the achievement. "Weve been through a lot the past few years, especially from COVID and beyond. We've been working incredibly hard to run our business and contribute to our community," said Amanda Woods, head of marketing for Wiggly Bridge Distillery. "Earning Maine Distillery of the Year and having our spirit receive gold is a welcomed achievement. We are so grateful for those who have supported us and have been part of our journey." Wiggly Bridge Distillery was founded in 2012 by David Woods and his son David Woods Jr. The idea to make craft spirits all started when David Woods and his son, Dave joked lets make our own whisky over a family dinner. Since then, the father-son team have taught themselves how to fabricate their own copper stills by watching YouTube videos and developed craft spirits based on techniques they learned from reading books from the 1800s. The distillery is named after the Wiggly Bridge, a small wooden pedestrian bridge in York, which is claimed to be the worlds smallest suspension bridge. The distillery offers a range of spirits, including bourbon, rye, rum, gin, and vodka, as well as tours, tastings, and events. Wiggly Bridge Distillery has won several awards and recognitions for its products, including the 2019 Best in Category at the Seattle International Spirits Competition. For more information about Wiggly Bridge Distillery and its award-winning spirits, please visit www.wigglybridgedistillery.com. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wiggly Bridge Distillery triumphs in New York Spirits Competition When the Faulk family held their first family reunion in the 1980s, Thomasine Kashaka said she remembers watching her kids meet and become friends with their cousins. The large family had spread out, so it wasnt always possible for the children to meet each other. When we started, they were little children, said Kashaka, speaking about her kids and their cousins. Almost 40 years later, those same children are now the adults in charge of planning the next family reunion. The Faulk family has held an annual family reunion in the Myrtle Beach area for decades. The family originates from Dothan, North Carolina, a neighborhood near Tabor City, North Carolina, so holding it in Myrtle Beach acts as a homecoming for a lot of family members, Antwan Dozier said. Family reunions are often a staple of Black families in the United States. Its common to have three to five generations of family attending a reunion. Myrtle Beach is home to many family get-togethers every year, and taking part is a cultural hallmark. Melanie Doty, the Visit Myrtle Beach specialty market sales manager, said shes helping out with 70 family reunions so far this year. In 2023, 73 families contacted her, so shes hopeful that number will grow through the rest of the year. The Myrtle Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau helps plan family reunions by coordinating with hotels, getting group tickets and helping to estimate costs. Doty said family reunions had a steep drop-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it has been slow to pick back up. She said 2024 is the year where she feels like were back. Because we cant go back, its up to us to go forward Black family reunions can be dated back to the end of slavery when former slaves tried to find their families after being freed, according to the Smithsonian. Often slave owners split up families. People would use newspaper ads, letters and word of mouth to try and find family, although it could be difficult to bring everyone together. Ultimately, the separation of family proved to be so effective a tool of oppression to disempower African Americans, that its legacy persisted long after the abolishment of slavery, wrote the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Faulk family spending time on the beach in North Myrtle Beach during a family reunion. They typically host their annual family reunion in the Myrtle Beach area every year. Nikki Miller-Ka, who held her annual family reunion in Myrtle Beach in 2022, said she had difficulty finding records of her ancestors before and during slavery. I cant trace anything much further than the 1850s and that reason alone is the reason why we keep having a family reunion, Miller-Ka said. Because we cant go back, its up to us to go forward. For the Faulk family, its important everyone knows their family history. There is a scholarship given out every year to one to four family members who are continuing education, either through trade school or college. One of the requirements to earn the scholarship is being able to name their ancestors. What does a family reunion look like? Most Black family reunions follow the same three-day structure: a meet-and-greet on Friday, activities on Saturday, which is followed by a large family dinner and a church service and cook-out on Sunday. The reunion is often held during summer break and families tend to choose a theme. For example, this year, the Faulk Family Reunion theme is The Heritage Awards, said planning committee president Tequila Harris. The Faulk family wants to honor their past, present and future. Faulk spelled out in corn cobs for a boil one year at a Faulk family reunion. The Faulk family reunion is centered around Ella May Faulk, who started the reunion, and her 15 siblings. To honor the theme, family members will wear T-shirts with the face of a Faulk sibling they are directly related to at the Friday meet-and-greet. The Faulk reunion will be held in late August. Typically the reunion can move around locations based on where family lives. Miller-Ka said her family has held the reunion at Ahoskie, North Carolina, the most because thats where her family is from, but they have also come to Myrtle Beach, Washington D.C. and Virginia. Dozier said the Faulk family usually hosts their reunion in Myrtle Beach but has also hosted it elsewhere. He said the crowd is largest at Myrtle Beach. A true labor of love Planning a family get together with over 100 attendees is no small feat. Theres so much planning that goes into it that a planning committee is formed. Who will be on the committee for the next family reunion is decided during the current family reunion. Dozier, who is on the planning committee this year, said it can be stressful. Since the Faulk family typically hosts theirs at a resort, they have to coordinate with the resort, using the resort facilities and booking activities for all ages and catering. Faulk family hanging out during a family reunion. It can be a little overwhelming sometimes, especially having to deal with different venues or the facility you want isnt big enough to accommodate all your folks, Dozier said. Despite the work that goes into a reunion, Faulk family reunion planning committee president Harris said she feels like its an honor to help plan the annual family reunion. Its a job thats moved through multiple generations. It feels like the baton has been passed, Harris said. Now that its our turn, remember we did this as small children, it feels like an honor as well as a great responsibility. This popular chain has one restaurant in Boise, Nampa. Meridian soon will have two Theres no need for Noodles & Company to throw its concept at the wall in Idaho. Because, at this point, the answer is clear: It sticks. After debuting at The Village at Meridian in 2012, the popular chain is doubling down a decade-plus later. A second Meridian store will open on Wednesday, June 26, at 3103 W. Milano Drive. Thats off North Ten Mile Road near West McMillan Road. It will be the fourth Noodles & Company location in the Treasure Valley. Theres also one in the City of Trees at 535 N. Milwaukee St. (near Boise Towne Square) and in Nampa at 275 N. Happy Valley Road. At Noodles & Company, customers order globally inspired noodle dishes at the counter and wait for them to be delivered to tables. The menu includes the fast-casual industrys first tortelloni and new chef-curated salads, according to a publicist. Theres also a generous rewards program for guests along with convenient curbside pickup, delivery and dine-in at the restaurant. Founded in 1995 in Colorado, Noodles & Company has grown to hundreds of locations by celebrating noodles and selection. Rather than specializing only in, say, Asian noodle dishes, its menu offers worldwide variety. From Penne Rosa to Japanese Pan Noodles, our Med Salad to our world-famous Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, our menu is full of made-to-order, globally inspired noodle bowls and dishes, Noodles & Company brags on its website. As the price of dining out increases, Noodles & Company also remains cost-conscious, if not always health-conscious. Check out the $10 Mac & Cheese Meal Deal: a regular bowl of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese Now 50% cheesier a Coca-Cola Freestyle drink and a Rice Crispy Treat. Yum. For that price, well count the Rice Krispies as a vegetable, Mom. She got clean and got back her daughter. Now Waretown woman needs a break to afford a home Mary Bostwick (right) and daughter Keegan with one of their cats in their Waretown apartment. WARETOWN - Mary Bostwick was homeless, staying in a tent in Allaire State Park, trying to kick a heroin addiction. I had the clothes on my back and Ritz crackers, she said. Raccoons ate the crackers. That wasnt all she lost. The state removed her daughter Keegan, age 5 at the time, from her custody after theyd been evicted from their home in Brick. This was in 2016. The year before, Keegan lost her father to a drug overdose. Unfortunately, she was the one who found him (dead) that morning, Bostwick said. This is the story of two survivors. It doesnt have a happy ending yet. Bostwick got clean and regained custody of Keegan in 2018. They live in a two-bedroom apartment, along with two cats they rescued, amidst a retail complex just off Route 9. Mary has worked really hard. She has a desire to become a better version of herself, said Raquel Rodriguez, who was her court-ordered substance abuse counselor and continues to work with her on life skills and prevention. Her desire has always been to give her daughter a better life. 'I never expected to be living here': In the Toms River woods, homeless tell their stories 'Its been her and Keegan against the world' That desire has collided with a cold reality: the cost of housing. Their modest apartment cost $1,600 a month. Bostwick is between jobs. Keegan, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression, needs her around. And Bostwick is battling an autoimmune condition that limits some of her capabilities. Its been her and Keegan against the world, said Rodriguez, who works for Agape Counseling Services in Lacey. Its a lonely place to be. So theyre scratching it out right now, treading water. 'Got me back on my feet': Toms River close to getting first shelter for homeless families Mary Bostwick (right) speaks with Sheena Horahan, case manager with Just Believe Inc. Mary has a lot working against her, but shes a great mom, said Sheena Horahan, a case manager with Just Believe Inc., a nonprofit that advocates for Ocean Countys home-insecure population. Ive worked with a ton of clients who call me and just ask me for things. Mary advocates for herself and her daughter and thats unusual. Some clients have some entitlement, but Mary is working on her case herself and is persevering in the best way she can. The most recent survey of New Jerseys homeless population, which was published late last year, showed a 17% rise in the count from 2022. Affordability, coupled with an end to pandemic-era moratoriums on evictions, are the biggest reasons. 'A pain so deep, it hurts your soul' Some of the headwinds Bostwick faces have roots in her past. Her turnaround started after an arrest in Berkeley, when a police detective, upon learning she has a degree from Georgian Court University, asked her, What are you doing here? A relative picked her up from the station and Bostwick uttered the words that no recovery journey can begin without: I need to get help. When I was in the depths, thinking about how Keegan lost her father was killing me, knowing shes going to lose her mother, too, if I dont do something about this, she recalled. It was, I cant even put words to it a pain so deep, it hurts your soul. Helping the homeless: Ocean County establishes Homelessness Trust Fund Task Force Bostwick has worked to rebuild her relationship with Keegan. They bond over music (Keegan likes to listen to Melanie Martinez, Stray Kids and Ghost) and their shared challenges. Though shes out of the woods of addiction, the uphill climb continues. Bostwick recently launched a GoFundMe campaign, in which she offers lessons in mediation and yoga for donations. Horahan and her colleagues at Just Believe Inc., who have worked wonders in the past, are helping the mother and daughter find a path to financial stability. On Friday, Horahan showed up to their apartment bearing two bags of groceries. A sign on the apartment wall reads, Always chase your dreams, its better than running from your fears. Mary Bostwick is somewhere in between. Providing a stable home for Keegan is the dream. Shes very strong the true definition of a survivor, Bostwick said of her daughter. Every single day, I have told her I love her. Those years I missed, you dont get that time back, but Im trying. Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shores interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Waretown mom and daughter have survived so much, need affordable home Laura crawled into bed beside me at 10:00 PM, the approximate time we wind down each night. After a moment, she turned her head toward me and said I dont want to admit to this, but last night, I got hot. I smiled and said, Well Ill be darned. This was a big confession. Weve lived together in harmony for years now. The closest thing we have to fights is over the thermostat and it is a painfully common domestic squabble. Every night, I walk into the bedroom, only to see her under a blanket, with her hands over the top of it, head poking out, and giving me her sad puppy face, Can we p-p-please make it warmer? Weve run into a minor hurdle in resolving the dispute. As Ive progressively raised the temperature to accommodate her, Ive also hit my own critical limit. Weve realized Im good at 74 and below, and wake up in sweats at 75 and above (we are American, so assume henceforth my numbers are in Fahrenheit). She sometime claims to be, Freezing to death when it is colder than that, but she is a bit dramatic. In my attempts to alleviate our problem, I made a well-intended mistake: I bought an expensive mattress with gel cooling technology. My hope is that it would help me stay cooler at warmer temperatures. What I hadnt anticipated, was that in the hours prior to us getting in, that mattress would absorb the houses cold, and become a 200 pound ice cube we had to cuddle with. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Part of the challenge is with set body temperatures. Im a larger guy. More body mass tends to result in a higher body temperature and conservation of heat. Laura is smaller, and has an inborn intolerance for cold which is why she fled her hometown of Albany, New York to Tampa, Florida. Ideal sleep temperature and financial concerns In the winter of 1977, President Carter advised northern Americans to keep their thermostats at 65 during the day, and down to 60 at night, all in an attempt to save energy during the Arab oil embargo. It perhaps gave an easy out for partners like me, who stood by the thermostat with feigned resignation and shrugged to their spouse, Hey, presidents orders! I went through several forums on Facebook and Reddit, seeing endless examples of roommates squabbling over their home temperature. The fights were endless, with so many plot points, and genuine animosity building between people. One renter said his landlord/roommate refused to lower the house below 78, which was giving him terrible insomnia. Anothers vindictive roommate set the heat for 90 and left the house after locking the thermostat. It was a reminder to keep these fights in check. When you fall asleep, your body goes through several changes. The first is that your core body temperature decreases as your heart rate and blood sugar falls. Generally, you should keep the bedroom slightly colder than you think, in part because it helps your body lower its temperature faster to match these changes. Per sleep psychologists, your bedroom should stay around 60 to 67 degrees and be like a cave that is dark, quiet, and cold. That range feels a bit cold for me but when visiting my parents up north, I sleep quite well and their house stays in that window. A good blanket and socks resolve the cold and I wake up more rested. Lower ambient temperatures are even proven to help people with sleeping disorders. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The challenge is that having the room too hot or too cold is linked to poor REM sleep. And determining those two extremes is a highly subjective experience, which is why this becomes such a thorny problem. When I visit Lauras family in Albany, Im in the same boat as her. Her father is frugal and hates running the heat, so I often wake up with my skin feeling completely frozen, with several blankets layered over me. In perusing forums, the general consensus is that the colder person should adapt more to the heat sensitive person, because barring getting completely naked, the hot person has fewer options to adapt. With some modicum of shame, I tried shaving my torso and arms, thinking it would help me cool off but it only had minimal effect. Laura and I eventually found a workaround. We have a guest bedroom adjacent to the master. We close the AC vents in it so that it gets warmer. Then, we keep our master bedroom around 74 to 75 and if she gets too cold, she sneaks out at night. But usually, shes OK. Ive also bought her nice blankets and warm comfortable socks and pajamas, to help meet her halfway on the problem. I would caution against using electric blankets as a resolution, only because of a personal experience. Our family friends entire house burned down because they left an electric blanket on and forgot about it. Newer electric blankets are safer, but Id still be careful. Just know that you arent alone in this squabble. My friend was explaining he and his wifes thermostat war and his explanation went on for five full minutes uninterrupted, with an elaborate backstory, and back and forth between them, and one person sneaking out and changing the temperature without the other knowing. It included his wifes mother getting sick, and them having unwritten contracts about the temperature, and a list of side arguments. I realized this fight was about more than just the thermostat which is often the case. So if theres a power struggle, problems, or ego battle, squash them before you get to the temperature. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theres no need to throw dishes and insults. Maybe the problem will never be fully resolved, but you can at least make the problem smaller. I lost hours reading about temperature disputes and felt an odd sense of relief in seeing how much worse they were for some people. Ultimately, the goal is for both of you to rest. Quality sleep improves your brain performance, mood, health, and reduces the risk of many diseases. Approach this subject with care. Dont be a dictator. Make an effort to help the other person meet you half way. Even if you cant meet them there, the effort will go a long way. Whack! The sword came down with force through the cake. Retired Army Pfc. Chester "Buck" Sloan, 100, and Lt. Sebastian Houng, 25, directed the ceremonial sword through the frosted vanilla sponge cake at the U.S. Armys 249th birthday celebration in Austin on Friday. Tradition requires the oldest and youngest soldiers at the birthday celebration to cut the cake every June 14, representing the Armys history as well as its future. Sloan, a World War II veteran who just returned from Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, said it has been an honor to serve for the most wonderful country in the world. World War II veteran Chester P. Sloan, 100, cuts the celebratory cake with help from Sebastian Houng, 25, far right, while Gen. James E. Rainey, far left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian A. Hester, center left, stand by during the Army Futures Command celebration of the Army's 249th birthday on Friday. According to tradition, the youngest soldier present joins the older soldier present in the cake-cutting ceremony. On his fifth visit to Normandy last week, Sloan was greeted by French schoolchildren who had learned the U.S. national anthem to sing for the returning soldiers. He returned the gesture by singing a song he wrote about his time in the 2nd Division on those same beaches 80 years earlier. Second Division in World War II made the Normandy landing to Hill 192. Oh, the 2nd Division was second to none, he sang. Chester P. Sloan, 100, holds a cap during the national anthem at the beginning of the Austin-based Army Futures Command's celebration of the Army's 249th birthday. The WWII veteran said it has been an honor to serve for the most wonderful country in the world. His advice to younger soldiers was to do everything you can for your country because theres only one of them. Houng, a quarter of Sloans age, said cutting the cake alongside the veteran is a memory that will stick with him forever. Fridays birthday celebration, hosted by the Army Futures Command at its headquarters in downtown Austin, included singing The Star-Spangled Banner, The Army Song and Happy Birthday led by a small band from Camp Mabrys 36th Infantry Division Band. Sebastian Houng, 25, takes a bite of cake during Friday's cake-cutting ceremony. With a crowd about 200 strong in attendance, former Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, a retired Navy pilot; Gen. James E. Rainey; and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Hester addressed the audience. Two hundred forty-nine years thats older than the United States of America, and Im very proud of that, Rainey said. We put this country on its feet, and through good times and bad, weve seen the greatest, freest country in the world on the backs of the men and women who decided to serve. That's really what today's about. Hester said that in the Army Futures Command which was established in 2018 to ensure the Army remains at the forefront of technological innovation and warfighting ability its like a family of 600 with the U.S. Constitution as the tie that bonds them. He said seeing them every day is like seeing your family when you go home, but when you start to meet the other 900,000 people in the Army, that circle grows wider. Pieces of cake wait for attendees during the celebration at Army Futures Command's downtown Austin headquarters. The most interesting thing is, you'll run back into them, and you haven't seen them for a year or two years, and you'll start back. The conversation will start back, the camaraderie will start back (and) your commitment to each other instantaneously," Hester said. "That's the Army and the Army family. It's very powerful. And that is in essence, one of the best things about being part of this organization. It's the mission, it's the people, it's the commitment to each other that allows us to do the things that we do. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: WWII veteran, young lieutenant help celebrate US Army's birthday It's Been 103 Years Since the Tulsa Massacre, And Here's Why Black Folks Still Dont Know The Horrific Story History books are notorious for leaving out information, especially about racism in America. Have you ever heard of Black Wall Street? Or were you ever taught in school about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921? Although there have been pop culture efforts to highlight this tragedy in shows like The Watchmen starring Regina King and Lovecraft Country with Michael K Williams, its clear that the majority of Americans are still clueless about one of the most defining events of the 20th century. 1921 was not that long ago. Today, there are only two known survivors from the Tulsa Massacre, and they have just been denied reparations. Last Wednesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court refused to grant trial to Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108, and Viola Fletcher, 109. This comes four years after the original reparations suit, filed by Randle, Fletcher, and Hughes Van Ellies, who died at age 102 in 2023. Under the states Nuisance Law, the trio argued that the bloody massacre of 1921 still affects their lives and impacts the Tulsa community to this day. The Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa was coined Black Wall Street for its thriving Black population and community. There, Black Americans from across the country would come to visit Greenwoods booming scene. On May 31, 1921, those businesses were destroyed, houses were burned down, and an estimated 300 Black men, women, and children were killed by a white mob, according to History.com. Randle, Fletcher, and Ellies were only children when it happened, but they still remember that night. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and fire, Fletcher told the House committee in her 2021 testimony. With the burning of the affluent Black Wall Street, children like Fletcher lost their chance to proper education and sense of community. Fletcher said she never advanced past the fourth grade. The damage of the riot did not end in 1921. Randles family never bounced back financially from the massacre, and in 1980, she was forced out her family home due to ongoing urban developments, according Justice for Greenwood, an organization advocating for survivors and descendants of the massacre. The detailed testimonies from the survivors and the well documented history of the event were not enough for the states Supreme Court to grant a fair trial. Though plaintiffs grievances are legitimate, they do not fall within the scope of our States public nuisance statute, said the Court. Many fear this was the last chance for the survivors to truly get some form of justice for what theyve endured, but that doesnt mean the fight is over yet. In 2020, a bill was introduced which aimed to nationally recognize the centennial anniversary of the massacre in 2021. Although the resolution was never passed, this marked the first time in American history that Tulsa was acknowledged as a racial war ground. President Biden also visited Tulsa in 2021 and spoke at the ceremony marking 100 years since 1921. In 2024, there remains efforts to acknowledge this tragedy and right the wrongs of the past. Currently, the Senate is deciding on a bipartisan bill which would recognize the Greenwood neighborhood as a National Monument. With support from New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, the bill will illuminate the incredible legacy of Black excellence and commemorate those who perished during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, according to the Historic Greenwood District Black Wall Street National Monument Coalition. For more information about the coalitions efforts, visit the official website here. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. CHILLICOTHE - This spring, the Basic Peace Officer Academy run by Pickaway-Ross Adult Education in partnership with Ohio University Chillicothe, welcomed 11 cadets preparing to serve and protect their communities as law enforcement professionals. The Basic Peace Officer Academy Class of 2024. This spring, the Basic Peace Officer Academy run by Pickaway-Ross Adult Education in partnership with Ohio University Chillicothe, welcomed 11 cadets preparing to serve and protect their communities as law enforcement professionals. The academy, which graduated its inaugural class of six cadets in December, provides cadets with the fundamentals necessary for seeking certification and employment as peace officers in Ohio. Peace Officer Academy cadets represent several different counties in south-central Ohio and bring diverse backgrounds and experiences to the academy. All share a desire to contribute and make a difference in their communities. Terri Mikesh, who served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for over 20 years and has taught as an adjunct Law Enforcement Technology faculty member at Ohio University Chillicothe for nearly 20 years, leads the academy. Our program is designed to equip these future peace officers with the skills, knowledge, and integrity required to serve and protect our communities with excellence, Mikesh said. We give the cadets the training and hands-on experience they need to meet the challenges of modern policing with courage and compassion. A transformative ride-along experience in Georgia inspired Chris Green Jr. to seek a law enforcement career. Currently a corrections officer at the Pickaway County Jail, Green said he aspires to become a canine officer and serve as a role model and a beacon of hope for people of color in his hometown of Obetz, Ohio. Brayden Woodbridge, inspired by his uncle in law enforcement, has long aspired to a career in the field. He began his journey in high school, participating in SkillsUSA for crime scene investigation, and later enrolled in the Law Enforcement Technology program at Hocking College. Recently returning to Ross County to join the Basic Peace Officer Academy, Woodbridge volunteers with the Green Township Fire Department and aims to become a patrol officer after graduation. His ultimate goal is to work in narcotics to combat drug problems in Chillicothe and Ross County. Taylor Jackson has dreamed of being a police officer since studying criminal justice in high school at age 15. Currently a juvenile detention officer at the Multi-County Juvenile Detention Center in Lancaster, she previously served with the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office for six years. After becoming a mother, Jackson momentarily set aside her dream, thinking the profession was too dangerous. This year, with encouragement from a close friend, she applied to the Basic Peace Officer Academy, hoping to be a role model for her daughter. As a single parent, she values the support from her employers and family, who help care for her daughter while she works and attends classes.I've had to sacrifice a lot of time with my daughter, but it'll pay off in the end when I'm able to provide a much better life for her and let her see that her mom is strong and she can be strong like her mom and get through anything, Jackson said. Jackson hopes to become a detective, focusing on crimes against children and sex crimes, with her ultimate goal being to serve as a U.S. Marshal. The cadets acknowledge the challenges of juggling classes, full-time jobs, and family obligations but manage with the support of their families, instructors, and employers. Green balances work, training, and family, aiming to set a good example for his two-year-old son. The cadets also form close bonds as they train together. We're really getting to become a family, said Jackson, noting that classes are not only an opportunity to learn new skills and concepts, but to spend time with new friends.Mikesh expressed her pride in the cadets and the strong bond they form. "This academy class is truly a family that supports and encourages each other," Mikesh said.Green also appreciates the expertise and knowledge that Mikesh and other instructors bring to the academy, noting how they want them to succeed and always encourage the cadets to ask questions. The instructors care about us being here and put the effort into teaching us and making us good officers, Woodbridge, who is excited about how much he is learning as a Basic Peace Officer Academy cadet, said. The collaboration between Pickaway-Ross Adult Education and Ohio University Chillicothe has proven to be a successful partnership in delivering top-notch training for aspiring law enforcement professionals. Cadets attend classes five evenings each week as part of the 820-hour program. Most of the classes and training take place on the campus of Ohio University Chillicothe, while cadets also participate in physical training at several local high school tracks and practice driving at Pickaway-Ross Career and Technical Center. We are proud to partner with Pickaway-Ross Adult Education to offer this much-needed and high-quality program, said Ohio University Chillicothe Dean of Campus and Community Relations Roberta Milliken. These cadets are fortunate to have the opportunity to train with Terri Mikesh who is recognized for her comprehensive law enforcement experience and knowledge. The cadets have chosen a noble career path, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments when they graduate from the academy later this year. This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Basic Peace Officer Training Academy prepares cadets for law enforcement careers At least 11 firearms were found in the home of the suspect in Saturday's Rochester Hills splash pad shooting that injured nine people, including children, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Monday. Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township, believed the government was tracking him, Bouchard said during a news conference in Pontiac. Family members told detectives that he'd walk around his home with a gun, saying things like "shut your phone off, we're being watched, they are listening to us," Bouchard said. Oakland County Sheriff Micheal Bouchard holds a press conference to discuss the details of mass shooting that occurred on Saturday at splash pad in Rochester Hills, and give updates on the health of shooting victims alongside Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett at the Oakland County Sheriffs headquarters in Pontiac, Mich. on Monday, June 17, 2024. Among the weapons police discovered in Nash's home were rifles, shotguns and pistols. When officers first entered the home, they found an assault-style rifle sitting on the kitchen table. Nash's motive was still unknown, Bouchard said. Detectives have not found any notes or manifestos, or any explanation. We may not be able to find one," he said. Nash is accused of unleashing 36 rounds an increase from 28 rounds police previously reported toward families at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad who were enjoying a summer day, then "calmly" leaving to his Shelby Township home. He reportedly died in the home by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Detectives recovered a gun, which Bouchard said was legally obtained in 2015, and two magazines at the scene of the shootings, along with numerous electronics, including a phone, laptop, tablet and hard drives. Bouchard didn't elaborate on why those items were left behind but he said police have searched the phone but found nothing to indicate a motive. The other items are still under investigation. Bouchard said Nash is believed to have brought two guns to the splash pad; one that he left at the scene, another he used to shoot himself later. Among the victims: a husband and wife who successfully shielded their two young daughters from the bullets, and in the process, were shot a total of seven times, and a mother and her two young sons, one of which, an 8-year-old, was shot in the head. The conditions of the victims have not worsened, Bouchard said. The 8-year-old is making "amazing progress," he said. The youngest victim is 4. The oldest is 77 or 78. There is no known connection between the gunman and the victims, Bouchard said. Nash has no criminal record and is believed to have struggled with mental illness. Nash's sister declined comment when a Detroit Free Press reporter spoke with her at her home Monday. The tragedy that unfolded at the Rochester Hills splash pad was one of three mass shootings that occurred in Michigan on Saturday, all in metro Detroit. In Lathrup Village, six people were shot at a house party shortly after midnight. Two were in critical condition. In Detroit, a woman was killed and four other people were shot late Saturday night. The victims in both shootings were teenagers and young adults. Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills on Sunday, June 16. 2024. Bouchard, at the news conference, emphasized the need for more mental health resources, for community members as well as law enforcement officers. I can't bang the drum enough about mental health," Bouchard said. "We need help." Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442 or asahouri@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rochester Hills shooting: Michael William Nash had 11 guns in home 119 combat clashes took place on contact line over the past day, fighting continues in Serebrianka Forest Ukraine's General Staff Over the past 24 hours, Ukraines defence forces have struck 13 clusters of Russian personnel and 119 combat clashes have taken place on the contact line. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: In the course of the day, Russian troops have launched two missile attacks using two missiles and 32 airstrikes using 39 aerial bombs and 475 kamikaze drones. The Russian forces also fired on Ukrainian positions and settlements almost 2,600 times using tubed and rocket artillery, mortars, small arms and armoured vehicles. On the Kharkiv front, 14 Russian attacks took place in the Vovchansk area and one near the village of Lyptsi. Ukraine's troops repelled 10 Russian assaults in Vovchansk. On the Kupiansk front, the number of combat clashes has increased to 14 since the beginning of the day. Ukrainian troops repelled nine attacks near Sinkivka. One Russian attack in the area of Stepova Novoselivka was also unsuccessful. Fighting continues near Pishchane, Berestove and Stepova Novoselivka. The situation is under control. On the Lyman front there were 13 combat clashes. Russian troops attempted to advance in the areas of Hrekivka, Makiivka, Terny, Torske and Serebrianka Forest. Eight attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders. Fighting is still ongoing near Hrekivka and Terny and in the Serebrianka Forest. Quote: "On the Kramatorsk front, enemy assaults near Klishchiiivka were unsuccessful. Fighting continues in the areas of Hryhorivka and Chasiv Yar. The Pokrovsk front remains the most difficult. The enemy keeps trying to find weaknesses in our defence, conducting continuous assault operations and trying to break into the combat formations of Ukrainian units. Today they launched 42 attacks, 32 of which were repelled. Fighting continues in the areas of Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Novoselivka Persha, Yasnobrodivka and Sokil. The defence forces are taking measures to prevent the enemy's advance. The aggressor's losses on this front today are estimated to amount to almost 300 occupiers (killed and wounded). One armoured combat vehicle, four vehicles and three enemy cannons were destroyed. On the Kurakhove front, the number of combat clashes has now increased to 11. The occupiers are concentrating their efforts on Krasnohorivka, where three of their attacks were repelled and four are still ongoing. Enemy activity near Heorhiivka and Paraskoviivka was unsuccessful. Measures are being taken to prevent the occupiers from advancing. On the Prydniprovske front, the Russian aggressor attacked our units three times on the left bank of the Dnipro River. They were unsuccessful." Support UP or become our patron! LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) The Lynchburg Police Department announced the multi-agency operation Gang-Green resulted in 13 people being arrested and charged in connection to gang-related activity in Lynchburg on June 14. According to the police, on Friday, LPD officers, the U.S. Marshal Service, Virginia State Police, and the Alcohol Tobacco Firearms (ATF), targeted prolific offenders in the Lynchburg area. Police said the operation was the culmination of months of thorough investigation and represents significant arrests for the community. Additionally, law enforcement allegedly seized 2 firearms during the operation. One-on-One: LPD Chief shares update on Kingston Campbell & Terrion Marshall case The individuals below have been arrested and charged with the following: Tajuan Jerome Banks Gang Recruitment of Juvenile Assault by Mob Gang Participation Larneaux Jaivelle Allen Possession of Stolen Firearm Gang Recruitment of a Juvenile Gang Participation Kanye Shimik Phillips Gang Recruitment of Juvenile Assault by Mob Gang Participation Rodrick Earl Ford Gang Participation Thomas Edward Tanner Jr. Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor Use of Electronic Means for Child Pornography Christian Anthony Cruz II Gang Recruitment of Juvenile Assault by Mob Gang Participation Jordan ONeil Banks Gang Recruitment of Juvenile Assault by Mob Gang Participation 17-year-old juvenile male Gang Recruitment Assault by Mob Gang Participation 17-year-old juvenile male Gang Recruitment Assault by Mob Gang Participation Damani Omar Bailey Gang Participation Assault by Mob 17-year-old juvenile male Gang Participation Assault by Mob Possession with Intent to Distribute (Approx. 2 Ounces) Pending Possession of Firearm by Juvenile Pending Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon Pending TaShaun Jermaine Howell Concealed Weapon 2nd (Felony) Gang Participation Adrian Lashad Watson Contempt of Court Fail to Appear Surety Capias Failed to Post Bond Lynchburg Police Department would like to express its gratitude to the U.S. Marshal Service, Virginia State Police, and ATF for their invaluable partnership and contributions to the success of Operation Gang-Green. WFXR News will update you with more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. 15-year-old arrested after stabbing sleeping mother, starting fire in Gulfport, police say Authorities charged a Mississippi Coast teenager with attempted murder after she attacked her sleeping mother with a knife, then tried to start a fire in her home, Gulfport Police said. The 15-year-old faces one count of attempted murder and one count of first-degree arson, Gulfport Police said in a news release Monday. Police responded about 2:30 a.m. Friday to the 13000 block of Dee Avenue in reference to a cutting incident, authorities said. They found a victim suffering stab wounds, police said. The victim was the girls mother, police said Monday. Investigators found the victim had been sleeping and awoke to the 15-year-old stabbing her with a knife, police said. Authorities rushed the victim to a hospital for treatment and quickly extinguished the fire, Gulfport Police Lt. Jason Ducre said. Police had no updates on the victims condition on Monday. Under questioning, the teenage suspect said she planned to kill her mother because she thought she was weird, according to police. Police also said the suspect accused her mother of suppressing the black in her. Ducre said the teenager did not appear to have prior arrests in Gulfport. The 15-year-old suspect was booked into the Harrison County jail on a $1,250,000 bond. Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) About 15 people were displaced after a fire at a hotel in Alamogordo, New Mexico, over the weekend, the Alamogordo Fire Department said in a news release. The fire happened a little after 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 14 at 2404 N. White Sands Boulevard. Thirteen rooms within the hotel were damaged and the building suffered significant structural damage, according to the Alamogordo Fire Department. There were no reported injuries. The people displaced in the fire were all long-term residents of the hotel, according to the Alamogordo Fire Department. Teamwork between Alamogordo Police Department, Alamogordo Fire Department, American Red Cross and Mountain View Church ensured all affected parties were provided lodging, food and assistance to ensure they had safe lodging for the weekend, the news release said. The AFD Fire Investigations Unit, Alamogordo Code Enforcement Division, New Mexico State Fire Marshals Investigation Division and the Alamogordo Police Detectives Division are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the fire. Otero County Emergency Services and the Holloman Fire Department also responded to the incident. No adjacent buildings or powerlines were damaged, according to the Alamogordo Fire Department. 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. MCARTHUR, Ohio (WCMH) An 18-year-old high school student from the Logan-Hocking school district is dead after a motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon in Vinton County. NBC-affiliate station WSAZ reported that Logan High School student Mason White was killed in the crash at around 4:30 p.m. on State Route 56 in Swan Township. WSAZ reports that the Ohio State Highway Patrol ruled that he lost control of the motorcycle and hit a mailbox and ditch. Live updates: Central Ohio heat wave begins in earnest Monday The Logan-Hocking School District said grief counseling services will be provided Monday and Tuesday. Mondays services will be through Hopewell Health from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays at the Logan High School Counseling Office during the same hours. 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. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A 19-year-old Tampa man was killed in a shootout after he allegedly killed both of his parents and injured a deputy in an overnight standoff, according to Florida authorities. Shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office were called to a Tampa home after a woman called dispatch, saying her husband had been shot. More Local News While she was on the phone, several more gunshots were heard by the dispatcher. When deputies arrived, they found the alleged shooter, 19-year-old Christos Alexander, and his mother outside the home. The sheriffs office said the suspect then shot his mother in the back of the head and fired his gun at the law enforcement officers, injuring 26-year-old Deputy Shane McGough. Five deputies returned fire at the suspect, hitting Alexander and knocking him to the ground. However, he then crawled back inside the home and barricaded himself inside, Sheriff Chad Chronister explained. The HCSO SWAT team, crisis negotiators, and a robot arrived on scene to help enter the home. Deputies used their robot to enter the home through the front door. Unfortunately, the first person we encounter on the ground is the father, the sheriff said. The father had succumbed to his injuries. The SWAT Team then entered the home, finding Alexander dead from his injuries in another room. The monster we encountered this evening isnt just responsible for injuring our deputy, hes also the subject who killed his own mother and father, Chronister said after the incident. McGough was hospitalized at St. Josephs Hospital and is expected to recover, officials said. He was expected to undergo surgery to remove the bullet from his leg on Sunday morning. [The] deputies do a great job, the sheriff continued. Their training kicks in. They start rendering aid. They remove the deputy from this dangerous position and place where he was exchanging gunfire, get him out of the line of sight from our bad guy, and immediately start lifesaving measures by applying a tourniquet on his leg so he doesnt bleed out. According to Chronister, Alexander lived with his parents. Deputies were called to the home 10 times before the deadly shooting, mostly for mental health services and violence against his parents. Video: Sheriff Chronister provides an update to the media following Saturdays incident. The details he provides may be disturbing, viewers discretion is advised. The sheriff said there was also an active risk protection order against Alexander that led to deputies seizing his guns. Investigators are working to find out how he obtained the gun used on Saturday. How did this mentally ill subject have access to any type of firearms when we took his firearms, the sheriff said. Theyre in our custody. How did he have access to any type of firearms to be able to inflict this type of violence this evening? The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the incident. None of the deputies involved used deadly force prior to Saturday night, according to 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 PIX11. Two airmen were permanently disabled in an all-terrain vehicle rollover after failing to wear their seatbelts while speeding down a remote island road in February 2023, an Air Force investigation found. The driver, a male captain, and one passenger, a female staff sergeant, were traveling along the beach in a search-and-rescue tactical vehicle when it rolled over near North Field on the tiny island of Tinian in the western Pacific on Feb. 17, 2023. Safety oversights, inexperience at play in deadly 2020 ATV rollover at Ali Al Salem Both airmen were attending Cope North, an annual multinational exercise that tests collaboration between the U.S., Australian and Japanese air forces in the Pacific, according to the report. The captain, a tactical air control party officer, had arrived on Tinian to manage air-to-ground communications for the exercise while the staff sergeant took photos and videos of the event. The Air Force did not disclose the names of the airmen, who were assigned to the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. As the airmen climbed into the vehicle around 3 p.m., the staff sergeant asked the captain for assistance with her seat belt. She had never ridden in a tactical vehicle as a passenger before and wasnt sure how to properly buckle up, according to the investigation. The captain insisted that seat belts were unnecessary for a five-minute drive, the report said. He also failed to inform her that passengers riding in all-terrain vehicles are required to don certain protective gear, like helmets and eye guards. The staff sergeant told investigators that once the captain made his way onto the road, he began speeding. She asked him several times to slow down, but he ignored them, the report said. Most roads on Tinian originally a B-29 bomber launching site for American forces during World War II that the U.S. now sees as a key staging ground for countering China in the Pacific are unpaved and overgrown. The car began swerving between the road and the plants that surrounded it, with gravel from the ground spraying everywhere, according to the staff sergeant. To no avail, the woman again asked the driver to slow down as the vegetation hit her in the face. The ATV then swerved off the road completely, ejecting the two airmen as it rolled. Humvee mishaps kill 2 airmen in 2 months, prompting investigations The driver sustained injuries that paralyzed him from the waist down; the passenger fractured her pelvis as she flew out of the vehicle and then collided with it. Her injury required several surgeries, including to amputate her leg above the knee. A civilian who witnessed the mishap alerted security forces, who soon arrived to administer first aid. The staff sergeants injuries were judged to be dire and she was quickly sent to Guam on a U.S. Air Force C-130 transport aircraft to receive immediate medical attention. The captain was eventually transported to Guam as well aboard a Japanese UH-60J helicopter to receive treatment for his wounds. In an interview with investigators, the captain said a problem with the steering wheel had caused the car to veer on and off the road. He also said he didnt remember the staff sergeant telling him to slow down. The investigation determined that the vehicle was traveling between 40 and 50 mph. Though there was no posted speed limit, law enforcement officers said that 15 miles per hour was an appropriate speed limit given the roads limitations. The Air Force uses the SRTV-SXV tactical vehicle to transport Guardian Angel special operations forces who perform search-and-rescue and personnel recovery missions. The report noted that the Air Force was aware that the vehicle had a propensity to roll over and that its steering technology could make it twitchier at high speeds. While BC Customs, the vehicles manufacturer, recommended adding wheel spacers to make the vehicle wider and potentially safer, the Air Force instead issued a notice asking airmen to obey their training and safety guidelines to prevent rollovers. BC Customs was unaware of this recommendation and completed the 2-inch spacer modification to the ATV involved about three weeks before the accident, the report said. The Air Force logged 18 major on-duty mishaps in a personal or government-owned vehicle in fiscal year 2023, according to the Air Force Safety Center. 2 arrested following York breaking and entering incident; 1 suspect found in attic YORKTOWN, Va. (WAVY) Two people were arrested on Friday following a breaking and entering incident on Old Williamsburg Road. According to officials, Deputy Sheriff Phillip Lake was dispatched to the 100 block of Old Williamsburg Road at 11:45 p.m., after a homeowner claimed to see two suspicious individuals on her property. Deputy Sheriff Lake arrived to the scene and was able to quickly detain 52-year-old Jonathan Wayne Bolton. Deputies Sean OBrien and Cody Seals located the second suspect, 60-year-old Karen Emily Canniff, in the attic area of the house. Both suspects were then arrested and charged with breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools and possession of schedule I or II drugs. Jonathan Bolton (Courtesy: Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail) Karen Canniff (Courtesy: Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail) Bolton and Canniff were also found to be wanted in additional jurisdictions for the following charges: Bolton : Wanted out of King and Queen County : Burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property Canniff : Wanted out of Newport News : 10 counts of burglary, two larceny offenses and two charges of obtaining money by false pretense Wanted out of King and Queen County : Burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property Bolton and Canniff are both currently being held at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. Continue to check WAVY.com for updates. 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 WAVY.com. Two men were arrested after police heard a gunshot on Pittsburghs Side Side early Monday morning. Pittsburgh police said just before 2:15 a.m., detectives patrolling in the area of Wrights Way heard a gunshot in an adjacent parking lot near S. 18th Street. Detectives found four people actively fighting and several others running from the area. The people fighting were detained and questioned at the scene, police said. Rayshan Hammond, 30, from Penn Hills was arrested after further investigation and review of city camera footage. Hes charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, persons not to possess, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property, disorderly conduct and prohibited acts. Police said a stolen gun was recovered from underneath a car. Around 30 minutes after the gunshot, another man returned to a car in the parking lot, which police said was stolen out of Detroit. Police said detectives saw a gun with a Glock switch underneath the drivers seat. Andre Yates, 24, was arrested and charged with persons not to possess, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property and prohibited acts. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman charged with killing baby in Shadyside, injuring his twin At least 7 people injured in crash in North Versailles VIN-cloning scam on the rise VIDEO: Pittsburghers prepare to beat the heat this week DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts INWOOD, Manhattan (PIX11) Two men were killed in a triple shooting in Manhattan Sunday night, according to the NYPD. The shooting happened near West 207th Street and 10th Avenue in Inwood around 11:40 p.m. A 44-year-old man was shot in the face, a 40-year-old man was shot in the chest and a 37-year-old man was shot in the leg, according to authorities. More Local News The 44-year-old man and 40-year-old man were both pronounced dead at local hospitals just after midnight. The third victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, police said. The suspect was last seen wearing all black with a black ski mask. He fled the scene eastbound on 206th Street. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. 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. In 2024, age is on the ballot. Here's how old all the candidates are. Seven candidates are still in the running for the 2024 presidential election, and with the exception of Chase Oliver, the other six contenders were alive when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office, can access a 401(k) without penalty, and are now eligible to collect Social Security. Joe Biden, 81 Donald Trump, 78 Jill Stein, 74 Marianne Williamson, 71 Cornel West, 71 RFK, Jr., 70 Chase Oliver, 38 Theres a minimum age to run for president, but there isnt a maximum, as evidenced by the past two commanders in chief. Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump set the record for the oldest elected president during their respective terms. How old is Donald Trump? The GOP frontrunner celebrated his 78th birthday on Friday. Despite the narrow age difference of three years, he often criticizes Biden, suggesting that the incumbent is unfit to be president because of it. Trumps team continues to make Bidens age an issue in the campaign, saying the oldest president in U.S. history has exhibited signs of cognitive decline while wandering around during a photo opportunity at the G7 in Italy, as previously reported by USA TODAY. In actuality, Biden was giving a thumbs-up to a skydiver. Critics of the former president have also commented on his memory, as he repeatedly confused Joe Biden for Barack Obama during multiple speeches in the last year. He has also faced criticism for his meanderings and gaffes during recent speeches. Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30, 2024. How old are the Democratic candidates? U.S. President Joe Biden during a star-studded campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 15, 2024. Born on Nov. 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden, 81, is currently the oldest U.S. president ever elected. If he wins in November, hed be 82 by the time he takes office and 86 by the end of his term. Biden must convince voters that he is more fit for office than Trump, who is just three years his junior, while combating low approval ratings that are worse among younger voters. During the last State of the Union, the president directly addressed concerns about being older. When you get to my age, certain things become clearer than ever before, Biden said. Best-selling author Marianne Williamson, born July 8, 1952, in Houston, Texas, is 71 and will turn 72 before the general election on Nov. 5. She relaunched her long-shot 2024 presidential bid earlier this year, focusing on justice and love less than one month after dropping out. In a February statement, she said she was getting back in to fight Trumps dark and authoritarian vision after earlier suspending it because she was losing the horse race, according to Reuters. How old are the third-party candidates? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is 70 years old. Born Jan. 17, 1954, in Washington D.C., he is the second-youngest presidential candidate this year. He was initially running for the Democratic nomination but switched to an independent in October 2023. Robert F Kennedy Jr. announces his entry to the 2024 presidential race as an independent candidate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2023. Kennedys campaign confirmed that he was officially on the ballot in a handful of states, including California, Michigan and Utah. But he still faces a challenging and costly battle to be listed in all 50 states. He has also faced criticism about undisclosed health issues after the New York Times reported that a dead parasitic worm was found in his brain in 2010. The doctor believed the short-term memory loss was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died, Kennedy said in the deposition. Cornel West, the political activist, philosopher and academic, is making a third-party bid for president that is most likely to appeal to progressive, Democratic-leaning voters. West, 71, initially ran as a Green Party candidate but said in October that people want good policies over partisan politics and declared himself an independent. He has promised to end poverty and guarantee housing. Jill Stein, a third-party candidate running for U.S. president, arrives for a news conference outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S. December 5, 2016. Jill Stein, 74, a physician who ran under the Green Party in 2016, is trying again in 2024. She launched her current campaign accusing Democrats of betraying their promises for working people, youth and the climate again and again - while Republicans dont even make such promises in the first place. Stein raised millions of dollars for recounts after Trumps surprise 2016 victory. Her allegations resulted in only one electoral review in Wisconsin that showed Trump had won. Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver speaks to the media after participating in a debate at the Georgia Public Broadcasting offices in Atlanta, Georgia on October 16, 2022. While the Libertarian Party invited both Trump and Kennedy to speak at their convention in late May, it ultimately selected Chase Oliver, 38. Oliver ran for a Georgia state Senate seat in 2022 and garnered 2% of the vote. Whats the minimum age to run for U.S. president? According to the U.S. Constitution, a natural-born U.S. citizen has to be at least 35 years old to run for president. To date, the youngest U.S. president was Theodore Roosevelt at age 42, and the oldest is Joe Biden, who took office at 78 and was the only president to serve in their 80s. Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story. Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's 78. Biden's 81. Are the other candidates that much younger? Editors Note: Karen Finney is a CNN political commentator. She was senior spokesperson and senior advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. Read more opinion at CNN. Like millions of Americans, Ive used contraception. Using birth control was as much about preventing pregnancy and the decisions I make about whats right for my health and well-being as exercising my basic right to control my body and my future. Karen Finney - Ralph Alswange And like millions of female athletes, as a college rower at UCLA, I also used birth control to help regulate my periods during our competitive season when I needed to be at my peak. Its a right that my mother fought for and one I honestly took for granted for most of my life. But this basic right that I and millions of Americans have had for almost 60 years is seriously at risk, threatened by the same extreme agenda enacted by former president Donald Trump, MAGA Republicans and their right-wing allies who led to the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade two years ago. In addition to the torrent of extreme new measures imposing all-out bans on abortion in some states and onerous new restrictions in others following the decision, many of the former presidents same right-wing allies have scaled up their decades-old effort to attack access to contraception. Probably recognizing that Make America Chaste Again is not a winning 2024 message in a country where nine in 10 adults view contraception favorably, it is not surprising that as with his position on abortion Trump continues to try and have it both ways on reproductive freedom, obfuscating his record on birth control as well as the threat posed by the Republican Party. In a recent television interview, Trump said he was considering restricting access to birth control and leaving the decision to the states. A short time later, the gaslighting started. Taking to social media, Trump falsely claimed that neither he nor the Republican Party supported imposing restrictions on or banning birth control. Both statements are demonstrably false. Both as a candidate in 2016 and again now in 2024, Trump has supported dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would impact millions of women who have access to birth control with no out-of-pocket costs through the ACA. While he was unsuccessful in overturning the ACA, Trump did weaken the ACAs contraception mandate by issuing rules that allowed employers to refuse to cover contraception in their health care plans. The Trump Administration also cut hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from teen pregnancy prevention programs. He cut Title X funds used for reproductive health services and to increase access to birth control for low-income Americans, as well as international clinics that provide contraception and STD testing. And as he likes to brag, he appointed the conservative judges to the US Supreme Court who were instrumental in overturning Roe v. Wade another blow to Americans reproductive freedoms. While President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been able to reverse most of Trumps actions and expanded access to contraception, a second Trump term particularly if Republicans control Congress could result in additional restrictions, some even based on the 1873 Pro Chastity era Comstock Act. The Comstock Act made it a federal crime to mail anything obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile, anything designed for immoral use a concept extended to contraception by the GOP. Policy proposals taking aim at birth control are part of the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025, viewed by many in the Republican Party as a blueprint for Trumps second term. While Trumps campaign team has tried to downplay any connection to the project, former Trump Administration officials are integral to the effort, including former senior adviser Stephen Miller and former Trump Health and Human Services Department official Roger Severino, two architects of Project 2025. The plans call for again attacking birth control through executive action, including threatening access to IUDs and emergency contraception. Severino, who is credited with drafting the health care section of the document, has also downplayed efforts to restrict access to contraception in the wake of Trumps comments saying, The notion that theres a formal organized movement to ban contraception across America is downright silly. Yet, many right-wing groups who are both allies of former president Trump and are involved in Project 2025 have been actively working to restrict and, in some cases, ban access to some forms of birth control. The anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, is one such organization. In the 2020 election, the group launched a $52 million effort to support then-President Donald Trumps re-election. It also spent millions supporting Republican candidates. These allied anti-abortion groups have made it clear that they expect the president to restore anti-choice policies that were overturned by Biden when he took office and expand on them in a second term. In contradiction to Trumps claims, Servino and others, over the last two years in more than 20 states the anti-birth control effort has worked to spread dangerous disinformation and to block measures that would codify the right to contraception and access to contraceptives, including IUDs, emergency contraception, hormonal birth control, the morning after pill and other forms of contraception. In Arizona, GOP Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli absurdly suggested that women could simply hold an aspirin between their knees as birth control. Indiana has seen misinformation campaigns that falsely label IUDs as abortifacient, or capable of inducing abortion. In Iowa, legislation falsely conflated birth control with abortion to block the approval of over-the-counter birth control pills. In Wisconsin, a legislator argued that contraception leads to infidelity, a proliferation of STDs and is unnatural. And just days before Trumps comments, Virginias Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a state version of the Right to Contraception Act, which would have protected Virginians right and access to contraception, including condoms, birth control, IUDs, and emergency contraception. Democrats along with reproductive rights groups have successfully fought many of these state efforts, proactively introducing versions of the Right to Contraception Act in 12 states across the country, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. While Congressional Republicans have been trying to soften their anti-woman image, earlier this month Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called their bluff by bringing the Right to Contraception to the floor for a vote. The measure would have codified the right to access the full range of contraceptives without government interference. Earning the support of only two Republicans, the bill failed but forced the Republicans who voted against it to demonstrate where they stand on comprehensive access to contraception. Yet Republicans know that the stakes are high. Even former Trump Advisor Kellyanne Conway has warned congressional Republicans about the potency of contraception as a galvanizing issue for the 2024 electorate. Democrats must continue to effectively connect reproductive rights including abortion, contraception and in the wake of a state court decision in Alabama, IVF to their broader message protecting basic rights and freedoms so fundamental to our democracy. Given the broad support for birth control across the political spectrum this issue, and efforts to codify the right to abortion and protect IVF, are expected to help drive turnout in support of reproductive freedom and Democrats in the 2024 presidential and down-ballot elections. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, voters have overwhelmingly used their voices at the ballot box to send a clear message that reproductive freedom is an American value. Trump and the GOPs true agenda is clear: they cannot be trusted to stand with the majority of Americans who support access to contraception. Between now and November, we must continue to force politicians to articulate their comprehensive positions on reproductive rights, including access to abortion, IVF, and contraception. The outcome of the fall election will literally determine the future of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy for future generations to come. Will we be the ones who lose these fundamental freedoms weve had for decades? We cannot allow our country to go backward. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Friday attracted business, educational and government leaders to celebrate Delaware's STEM workforce. That is, a workforce to come. A package of proposals and new programs was announced that morning, steps from the EastSide Charter School STEM Hub soon to erect in Riverside. At a glance: Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training : The launching organization will serve as a regional catalyst for the next generation of life-science talent, according to a press release from Delaware BioScience Association. Pilot program : A $3 million, three-year program will look to recruit and train individuals in basic laboratory and advanced and biomanufacturing skills. Key initial funding here comes from a $2.1 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant supported by U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, according to DBA. Introduction of the DE-STAR Act : The legislation, House Bill 435, introduced by Reps. Krista Griffith and Mike Smith and Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, aims to create the "Delaware STEM Talent Advancement and Retention. This program looks to attract university graduates to Delaware STEM employers, by supporting a portion of their college loan payments. The pilot effort would see successful applicants receive up to $1,000 for an associate degree, $4,000 for a bachelor's degree and $6,000 for a graduate or post-graduate degree for up to four consecutive years. As written, the pilot would be funded on an annual basis by the General Assembly at a minimum amount of just $100,000. These initiatives were fueled in part by Delaware BioScience Association research, alongside partners. Two years ago, the association released a report calling out the need to invest in "the development of a diverse, prepared and resilient workforce" to ensure growth in the state's life-science industry. The life science industry continues to be an important part of our economy, said Gov. John Carney in a statement following the announcements. Programs that invest in Delawareans to be the next generation of life science workers and leaders will yield positive results for our state. U.S. Sen. Tom Carper helps announce a package of proposals and new programs aimed at STEM investment in Delaware on June 14, 2024, at EastSide Charter School in Wilmington. Carper, Coons and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester joined in to mark the event, according to Delaware BioScience. I am thrilled to join Sen. Coons to deliver the funding to start the pilot program to recruit and train our future biomanufacturing workforce, Carper said in a statement. Its important that we create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation, and this training will go a long way to support Delawares first-class workforce and thriving biosciences industry. Background at EastSide: One Wilmington charter school marks community history, eclipsing some other event Monday Looking to fuel STEM in Wilmington Members of the EastSide Charter School community gathered to celebrate a different near-totality on the day of the eclipse completion of its Chemours STEM Hub, right next door, on Claymont Street in Wilmington on April 8, 2024. The Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training will look to train and deliver a "robust" life-science workforce, according to organizers. One early focus of that center will come with the pilot training program, with over $2 million in federal funds, designed to equip participants for biomanufacturing and laboratory roles. That should launch in early 2025, according to Delaware BioScience. Partners will help make it happen, with The Warehouse, West End Neighborhood House, and East Side Charter already on board. This initial pilot will find a home in the Chemours STEM Hub. Having a diverse pool of workers trained in science, laboratory operations and manufacturing is crucial to the success of science-based companies like Agilent, said Bryan Fisher, associate vice president, Global Service Contact Centers of Agilent Technologies, one of many leaders contributing to a release. In Legislative Hall now, the proposed STEM Talent Advancement and Retention Program or STAR Program will soon see consideration on the House floor. EastSide Charter School Chief Executive Officer Aaron Bass speaks during the topping-off ceremony at the school in Wilmington on Monday, April 8, 2024. Basically, Delaware employers are growing but face challenges in recruiting and keeping talent. The bipartisan proposal would seek to combat that by offering post-secondary graduates who are employed in Delaware personal income tax credits to reduce the debt on their student loans. At UD, we are constantly striving to be an engine of innovation and economic growth for the State, Dennis Assanis, University of Delaware's president, said in a statement. This program provides another avenue that would not only help us attract the highest quality students to Delaware, but also retain them in our state after graduation to fill critical jobs in our growing science and technology-based economy. Sussex news: Milford school board proposes policy changes banning 'controversial' issues in schools Got a tip? Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on X @kpowers01. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware marks a $3 million pilot program, STEM investments to come WASHINGTON, N.C. (WNCN) Some river sites in North Carolina failed a weekly water quality test that checks for fecal bacteria, according to a group that surveys sites across the state. Many sites of more than 50 tested passed the test this week, which officials attributed to a lack of rain that kept nasty stuff from being washed into rivers, according to a news release from Sound Rivers. Sound Rivers, which issues a weekly report called the Swim Guide, checks recreational sites throughout the summer in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds. Elevated levels of fecal bacteria in the water can bring an increased risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin infections for pets and humans alike. But, along the Neuse River, Slocum Creek southeast of New Bern failed the test this week for a fourth week in a row. Officials with Sound Rivers said a lengthy investigation revealed the likely source is failing septic systems. Further east, two sites failed on the Pamlico River area this week: the Washington waterfront and Blounts Creek at Cotton Patch Landing, east of Washington, Sound Rivers reported. Sites across North Carolina rivers are monitored for E. coli bacteria in freshwater and enterococci bacteria in salt water, Sound Rivers said. Results are released every Friday afternoon by Sound Rivers. 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. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Department of Justice says a 30-year-old Fresno man has been sentenced to 15 years and nine months in prison for attempted coercion of a minor and enticement of a minor. Christopher Contreras, the 30-year-old man in question, will also have his access to minors, computers, and the Internet restricted upon release, according to the DOJ. The DOJ also says Contreras sentence will include 20 years of supervision on his release as well. According to court documents, Contreras used the messaging applications Skout and Snapchat as well as text messages, to engage in sexually explicit communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Contreras was actually communicating with undercover law enforcement investigators, according to the DOJ. When Contreras traveled to Fresno on July 31, 2020, to meet up with the minor for sex he was arrested and booked into Fresno County Jail. Contreras was released on bail and in October of that same year, the DOJ says law enforcement officers responded to a call about a missing juvenile. An investigation found that Contreras picked the juvenile up at a location in Fresno after making arrangements through messages on the Meet Me app. The DOJ says Contreras was arrested for numerous felony violations of California law and booked again at the Fresno County Jail. He was later charged federally in this case and has been in federal custody since June 10, 2021. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Fourth Amendment rights and religious freedom were the main arguments during a court hearing in the legal battle over migrant documents between the Texas Attorney General's Office and El Paso's Annunciation House. Judge Francisco X. Dominguez, who presides over the 205th District Court, made no ruling on whether Annunciation House will have to turn over shelter migrant documents to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The hearing was held Monday, June 17, over video conference and broadcast on YouTube to avoid security issues, courthouse officials said. Hearing in the 205th District Court Judge Francisco X. Dominguez to hear motions between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and El Paso's Annunciation House Annunciation House attorney Jerome Wesevich argued during the hearing the Texas Attorney General's Office failed to show reasonable cause for requesting documents on the migrants the organization has housed, failed to follow the law and attempted to violate the organization's Fourth Amendment and religious freedom rights. "He (Paxton) is required to use the less restrictive option because of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act," Wesevich said. "That act provides that a religious organization and their free exercise of religion cannot be substantially limited by the government. Unless the government uses the least restrictive way to do so, there's no legitimate dispute that Annunciation House serves undocumented persons as a expression of the Catholic faith and Jesus' command to love one another." The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Paxton sent three attorneys to the Annunciation House in February, demanding the organization turn over private documents on the migrants it has after they were released from federal immigration custody. The documents included names, dates of birth, medical history, medications needed by the migrants and the names of the migrants' family members. Annunciation House officials refused to provide the documents until a judge ruled on which, if any, documents the nonprofit Catholic organization must turn over. Wesevich argued the attorney general is only demanding the documents in an effort to shut down the Annunciation House. More: Texas AG, Annunciation House head to court again in battle for organization's documents "The Attorney General is not looking for documents," Wesevich said. "What the Attorney General is looking for is an excuse to close the Annunciation House." The demand for documents without a search warrant also violated U.S. law. "They (Texas Attorney General's Office) just said that all businesses in Texas must turn over any documents sought by the attorney general immediately," Wesevich said. "In 2015, the Supreme Court looked at a statute like that and said, on its face, it's unconstitutional. It violates the Fourth Amendment." The alleged religious and constitutional violations by the Attorney General's Office should result in Judge Dominguez issuing a summary judgment. A ruling of summary judgment would mean Dominguez would dismiss the case because it has no merit to proceed to trial. "This is a matter of law that the sole statute that the Attorney General relies on for his authority to request documents from the Annunciation house is unconstitutional," Wesevich said. "That is appropriate for summary judgment." Jerry Wesevich, attorney for Annunciation House listens during a hearing for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and El Paso's Annunciation House via a zoom meeting on Monday, June 17, 2024. Texas Attorney General's Office attorney Robbie Farquharson argued that a temporary injunction issued by Dominguez March 11, allowing the Annunciation House not to release any documents to the attorney general, should be dismissed. He claimed the Annunciation House is harboring illegal migrants and has prevented law enforcement from entering its premises. "The Annunciation House admits that," Farquharson said. "They publicize their willingness to shelter people regardless of immigration status. Annunciation House also publicizes that they're the primary receiving site for people who have fallen from the border wall." He added the Annunciation House has no right to withhold any documents from the Attorney General's Office. "We believe that the evidence demonstrates concealment, harboring and shielding because Annunciation House denies entry to law enforcement without a reasonable expectation of privacy," Farquharson said. "Annunciation House withheld documents pertaining to illegal aliens based on frivolous and pretextual objections and because Annunciation House does not comply with document keeping requirements relating to the Emergency Food and Shelter program, which require Annunciation House to maintain daily logs of the migrants that they serve." More: Judge: Texas AG's office acted "unprofessionally" in request for Annunciation House records Dominguez then questioned Farquharson's claim that Annunciation House was legally required to turn over documents without the attorney general first getting a search warrant. "Are you saying that the Annunciation House, regardless of what they do and who they're housing or 'harboring' to use your language, are you saying that they have a diminished Fourth Amendment right?" Dominguez asked. "In terms of homeless shelters, are you saying that law enforcement has the right to go into any homeless shelter without regard to the Fourth Amendment rights of the organization and the residents that are living there?" Farquharson responded, "I think that would depend on the facts of the reason." The evidence and testimony turned over so far in the case shows law enforcement knows of the services Annunciation House provides, Dominguez said. "It seems from the record that I have before me so far that law enforcement knows what they (Annunciation House) do," Dominguez said. "So that's certainly not being concealed. They (law enforcement) certainly know or are aware of what they do. And so that, however, does not necessarily give them the right to just go in without a warrant." Rob Farquharson, an assistant attorney general, speaks during a hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024. What law enforcement officials actually know remains in question, Farquharson said. He then turned his focus on the record keeping of the Annunciation House. "We would dispute there is law enforcement knowledge," Farquharson said. "We certainly do have opposing counsel's representations in their filings. I don't know that we have evidence of law enforcement's knowledge. The point that I'm making here beyond law enforcement entry into Annunciation House is record-keeping practices, is that there are records that were requested and there was objections that were made to prolong the withholding of them." Wesevich said the attorney general's arguments are "utter nonsense." "Under the Texas Constitution, they've provided no authority saying that they have a cause of action directly under the constitution," Wesevich said. Dominguez expects to have a ruling within the next two weeks, he said. The Annunciation House, which has been operating for more than four decades, provides various services to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in the El Paso area after they are released from federal immigration custody and await the outcome of their asylum petition cases. The organization provides temporary shelter, legal services, food, medicine, donated clothes and connects migrants to family members they have in the U.S. Legal battle for Annunciation House documents The legal saga started when Paxton sent three attorneys to the Annunciation House in February, demanding the organization turn over the private documents of the migrants they have sheltered after being released from federal immigration custody. Annunciation House officials declined to release the documents until a judge ruled on what documents, if any, the nonprofit Catholic organization is legally required to turn in. The organization's attorneys filed a lawsuit against the Texas Attorney General's Office, seeking a judge to determine if the organization was required to turn over any documents. 205th District Court Judge Francisco X. Dominguez listens to arguments in motions during a hearing between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and El Paso's Annunciation House Paxton then countersued the Annunciation House claiming the organization was a a "stash house" providing illegal services to migrants and "facilitates astonishing horrors, including human smuggling." The first hearing in the lawsuits was held March 7 before Judge Dominguez. The Annunciation House argued during the March 7 hearing that releasing the documents could put the migrants in danger. They argued releasing the information would make it possible for the people and gangs the migrants fled from in their home country could find them. They also argued turning over the documents could be "detrimental" by causing migrants to lose trust in the nonprofit organization. The Texas Attorney General's Office attorneys countered that they failed to show how turning over the documents violated any constitutional rights. The attorneys added that the information had already been released by the Annunciation House when the organization applied for federal grants. More: Texas AG Ken Paxton's moves to have El Paso's Annunciation House closed temporarily Judge Dominguez issued a ruling March 11, siding with the Annunciation House. He stated that the organization did not have to turn over the documents until he reviewed them and determined which, if any, documents must be released to the Texas Attorney General's Office. In his ruling and during the March 7 hearing, Dominguez questioned the motives of the Texas Attorney General's Office tactics and motivations for the documents. "The Attorney General's efforts to run roughshod over Annunciation House, without regard to due process or fair play, call into question the true motivation for the Attorney General's attempt to prevent Annunciation House from providing the humanitarian and social services that it provides," Dominguez said in his March 11 ruling. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso shelter, Texas AG battle over migrant documents in court NEWNAN, Ga. (AP) Six people, including three children, were killed in a fire that destroyed a home southwest of Atlanta early Monday, the local coroner said. The childrens ages were 6, 12 and 13, the Coweta County Coroners Office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The oldest victim was 70, authorities said. Their identities were not immediately released. Our hearts go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss, the Coweta County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. We ask that everyone please keep the victims and their loved ones in their thoughts and prayers. Newnan is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta. Few other details were immediately available Monday morning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. 8 injured in crash between semi and SUV near Byers DENVER (KDVR) Eight people were injured on Interstate 70 near Byers in eastern Colorado after an SUV and an Amazon truck crashed and caught fire. Just after 2 a.m. on Monday, Colorado State Patrol responded to a crash where they said an Amazon semitruck was heading westbound and hit a guardrail. The semi then allegedly went through the median and hit an SUV going eastbound, carrying eight people. Serious crash on eastbound I-70 at Byers (Courtesy of Arapahoe Sheriffs Office) Serious crash on eastbound I-70 at Byers (KDVR) CSP said in a press release that those eight people were taken to the hospital, one with serious injuries, while the driver of the semi was unharmed. Around 4 a.m., the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office tweeted about the crash that closed all lanes of eastbound I-70. Deputies said both vehicles involved caught fire after the crash. See the latest traffic conditions in Denver on FOX31 FOX31 was on the scene where an Amazon truck was severely burnt and debris was scattered across the road. Around 9 a.m., CSP was still on the scene and said crews were cleaning up debris on the highway and making sure there werent remaining hazardous material concerns. Just before 10 a.m., CSP Limon tweeted that the interstate was 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 FOX31 Denver. 7 people are charged after brawl breaks out on Rhode Island boat dock Seven people were arrested and charged after a fight erupted on the Block Island ferry dock in Rhode Island. Police officers responded to reports of a physical altercation at 304 Great Island Road in Narragansett just after 8 p.m. on the evening ofJune 16, according to a press release. When officers arrived, they saw 20 to 30 people fighting one another. As officers were making arrests, numerous individuals began interfering and were given warnings to stand back or they would be arrested for obstructing, the release states. All told, seven people were arrested, while two others were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the melee. Its not immediately clear why the brawl broke out or whether those fighting knew one another. The Independent has reached out to Narragansett Police for more information. Manuel Pina, 42, was charged with felony assault, resisting arrest, obstructing an officer in execution of duty and disorderly conduct. Gilda Antunes, 28, was charged with obstructing officer in execution of duty. Elsa Lopes, 31, was charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, obstructing officer in execution of duty and disorderly conduct. Henry Lopes Jr., 32, was charged with disorderly conduct. Victor Manuel Gomes Depina, 39, was charged with obstructing officer in execution of duty and disorderly conduct. Michael Gomes Lopes, 36, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. A 16-year-old, who was not named, was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct. They are all expected to be arraigned in District Court 4th Division on Monday. 70% of Ukrainians believe Zelenskyy should stay in office until end of martial law 70% of the respondents in a recent poll agreed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy should remain president of Ukraine until the end of martial law. Source: Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) Details: 22% of respondents disagreed with this statement. The percentage of respondents who agreed varies between 65% and 74% depending on the oblast where they live, meaning that the vast majority of Ukrainians do not question the presidents legitimacy, sociologists say. More than half of Ukrainians approve of the leader's performance in office. The majority of Ukrainians (58%) also agree that the Ukrainian government should not compromise in negotiations. Another 30% believe that Ukraine will continue to fight as long as necessary. Background: Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said he believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's legitimacy has "come to an end". Support UP or become our patron! 72-year-old Bluffton man could face 80-year sentence for sexual exploitation of a minor A Bluffton man is accused of distributing sexually explicit files of children and could face up to 80 years of imprisonment. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office received a tip about Donald King, 72, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led to his arrest. The investigators are alleging King distributed files of child sexual abuse material. King was arrested on Friday. Hes been charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree. Each charge could result in up to 10 years imprisonment. King was out on bond from a separate charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, from 2023. South Carolina Attorney General, Alan Wilson, will prosecute the case against King. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. An 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head in a mass shooting at a Michigan splash pad is making "amazing progress" in his recovery, the local sheriff said. The 8-year-old, his 4-year-old brother and their mother were among nine people shot at the Brooklands Plaza splash pad in Rochester Hills on Saturday, according to officials. The suspect, Michael William Nash, allegedly fired 36 shots before fleeing the scene and then dying by suicide at his home, authorities said. PHOTO: Police investigate the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad June 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) The 8-year-old boy and his mother, 39, remain in critical condition, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said at a news conference Monday. The 4-year-old brother was shot in the thigh and is in stable condition, the sheriff said. PHOTO: Police investigate the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad June 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) MORE: Multiple people shot at Michigan splash pad park, suspect dead: Police The sheriff said he met with the family, noting that out of their family of four, three are in the hospital. "Reeling would be an understatement," Bouchard said. "That poor family went through things that no family should ever have to face." PHOTO: US Rep. John James (R-MI) (2nd L) watches Oakland County Sheriff Evidence Technicians document the scene where a shooting took place at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, June 15, 2024. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) The 4-year-old is among five victims in the hospital in stable condition, the sheriff said. The two other victims have been released from the hospital, the sheriff said Monday. All victims besides the two brothers are adults, officials said. PHOTO: Oakland County Sheriff Evidence Technicians document the scene where a shooting took place at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, June 15, 2024. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) Nash, 42, apparently had two handguns with him at the scene, the sheriff said. Authorities recovered a trove of other weapons from Nash's home, including handguns, rifles and shotguns, the sheriff said. PHOTO: Oakland County Sheriff Evidence Technicians document the scene where a shooting took place at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, June 15, 2024. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) A motive in the mass shooting hasn't been determined, Bouchard said. It appears Nash "had been musing about different things, saying, 'Shut your phone off, were being watched, they are listening to us.' Walking around the house with weapons ... talking about how the government was tracking him," Bouchard said. "It appears to me ... he's had some mental health things going on," the sheriff said, adding there's no information these apparent mental health issues were brought to anyones attention. MORE: 2 killed, 14 injured in shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Texas; police searching for suspect The splash pad shooting came hours before another mass shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, Texas, that left two dead and 14 injured. The White House is coordinating with officials in Michigan and Texas, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. "The president has been tracking these tragedies. We are praying for the families who lost loved ones to this senseless violence and wishing all those who were injured a speedy recovery," she said. "As the president has said, this is not normal, and Congress must act. At the same time, he will continue to use every tool at his disposal to end the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart," she said. 8-year-old boy shot in head at splash pad is making 'amazing progress': Sheriff originally appeared on abcnews.go.com I-83 overpass in York area to close this weekend for maintenance work: PennDOT A bridge over Interstate 83 in the York area will be closed this weekend for maintenance, according to the state Department of Transportation. The Church Road (Route 238) bridge over Interstate 83 in Manchester Township will be closed to traffic this weekend for maintenance work, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Traffic will be detoured around the closure. The Church Road (Route 238) bridge at the Emigsville interchange (Exit 24) in Manchester Township will be closed to traffic from 9 p.m. Friday, June 21 through Monday, June 24, a news release states. Traffic will be detoured around the closure, using the Susquehanna Trail, Lightner Road and George Street (Route 181), the release states. Crews will be paving the bridge, the release states. The work will be done weather-permitting. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: I-83 Emigsville interchange bridge to close this weekend for paving 9 People, Including 2 Children, Wounded in 'Random' Michigan Mass Shooting: 'This Has Become All Too Common' The suspect died by suicide after the shooting, authorities said Oakland County Sheriffs Office/Facebook An Oakland County Sheriff vehicle A "random" shooting in Michigan has left nine people, including two children, injured, authorities said. A gunman opened fire at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills on Saturday, June 15, at around 5 p.m. local time, the Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard announced in a press conference recorded by Click on Detroit. Bouchard said authorities were "on the scene in two minutes" and deputies provided "emergency first aid" to the victims. Eight people were then hospitalized, Bouchard said. He added that an 8-year-old boy was left in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head and a 4-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the thigh was in stable condition. A 39-year-old woman, also in their family, was listed in critical condition. Other victims include a 39-year-old woman, a 30-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, a 78-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man all considered to be in stable condition, per Bouchard. Getty A stock image of police car lights According to CBS News, authorities identified the shooter as 42-year-old Michael William Nash, who was found dead by suicide in a home after the shooting. Per the outlet, Bouchard said the shooting appeared to be "very random" and the suspect had "no connectivity to the victims." According to the Associated Press, which cited Bouchard, the shooter is believed to have fired as many as 28 shots. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "I, in my worst nightmare, couldn't imagine standing up here again talking about another active shooter," Bouchard said during his press conference on Saturday. "Unfortunately, this has become all too common in America, but especially too common in our community. And I am very, very proud of our people again in very difficult circumstances," he continued. Related: New Jersey Man Charged with Fatally Stabbing His Mom, 61, in the Chest While She Slept The suspect "did not have a criminal history that we're aware of," the sheriff said. Per WXYZ, Rochester Hills mayor Brian Barnett said at a press conference that things "have been a nightmare" since the mass shooting. "I've been blessed to be the mayor of this city for 18 years, and [I] never thought I'd see my city in the same sentence as some of the other cities that have experienced mass shootings," Barnett said. "Whenever you have a situation like this, you are reminded of the immediate tragedy and then of course encouraged by the support of people that surround themselves almost immediately." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. (Photo courtesy of Eesha Pendharkar) Starting this week, award winning reporter Eesha Pendharkar is joining the Maine Morning Star team. Pendharkar, who will be serving as a senior reporter, has covered K-12 and higher education nationally, and in Maine, for seven years. She has also worked as a general assignment reporter and is an experienced data journalist, training other journalists within her newsrooms and speaking at national data journalism conferences. Pendharkar worked at the Bangor Daily News for three years, during which time she broke several important stories that led directly to changes in public policy. For example, her investigation into unchecked systemic racism at Bangor High School resulted in the first independent investigation and equity audit into district culture. Another investigation into the use of restraints and seclusion for students in special education resulted in changes in statewide policy. She won several Maine Press Association awards, including first place for best spot news story in 2018, first place for best education story in 2021, and second place for best education story in 2019. Pendharkar is returning to Maine from Washington, D.C., where since 2021 she has worked as a national reporter covering race and opportunity in education across the country for Education Week. At EdWeek, she covered the anti critical race theory movement, book bans, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and other policy and educational equity issues for almost three years. For the past several months, Pendharkar served as senior education reporter and data editor for The Maine Monitor. Editor Lauren McCauley said Maine Morning Star is honored and excited to welcome Eesha to join our team. Her skills and experience will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our coverage of state policy and its impact. McCauley added, I know the people of Maine will be the real beneficiaries of her work. In a statement, Pendharkar said, Im looking forward to covering state politics and helping build the Maine Morning Stars presence in the state as part of States Newsroom, and to bring my expertise in education and enterprise reporting to the organization. I think this opportunity to report on state government and examine the impact of laws on Mainers lives is what makes this new job most exciting for me, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Acclaimed journalist Eesha Pendharkar joins Maine Morning Star team appeared first on Maine Morning Star. The man accused of acting as lookout during the prison killing of the notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger wont serve additional prison time after pleading guilty Monday to a charge of lying to federal agents. Sean McKinnon, one of three men indicted in the 2018 prison beating death of 89-year-old Bulger, is now set to be released from custody after a judge on Monday sentenced him to time served. Bulger was infamously the head of the Boston-area Irish mafia Winter Hill Gang, who spent 16 years on the run before being captured in 2011. The sentence reflected the time McKinnon, 38, had served since his arrest in August 2022. Two defendants, Paul DeCologero and Fotios Freddy Geas, are set for sentencing in August. McKinnon was already out of prison by the time of his indictment. Bulger, who lived a double life as a mobster and FBI informant, had been convicted of 11 murders and been sentenced to life in prison. Within 12 hours of being transferred from a prison in Florida to to a penitentiary in West Virginia in October 2018, he was set upon and killed. Prisoners later reported to investigators some of the accused men said Bulger had been killed because he was a snitch. He was beaten to death using a lock attached to a belt in less than five minutes. The assailants had also tried to gouge out his eyes. Related: Whats the real story behind James Whitey Bulgers violent murder? McKinnon reportedly told his mother that everyone on the prison unit knew of Bulgers impending arrival. You should know the name Whitey Bulger, he said on the call. Oh Jesus, McKinnons mother said. Stay away from him please. McKinnon said he couldnt; his cellmate Geas was a henchman for a mob family out of New York and Boston. (Geas is serving a life sentence for the 2003 gangland murders of the mob boss Adolfo Big Al Bruno.) The third accused prisoner, DeCologero, was a member of an organized crime group on Bostons North Shore that robbed rival drug dealers and killed a teenage girl they thought might give them up. Kevin Cullen, a columnist for the Boston Globe and co-author of a bestselling biography of Bulger, said at the time that it doesnt make any sense that the Bureau of Prisons would put him [Bulger] within striking distance of people like Freddy Geas or Pauly DeCologero. Any organized crime or mafia guy would have a beef with Whitey because he was a rat, Cullen added. But there are any number of prisons where there arent any Boston-area gangsters. It was like, Whiteys coming and were going to kill him. This article was originally published in West Virginia Watch. Six West Virginia schools were notified Thursday that policies in their student handbooks may violate students First Amendment rights by requiring them to participate in certain activities like standing for flag-raising ceremonies and the Pledge of Allegiance and removing hats for the national anthem, among other things. The notice which was sent as a letter to the schools came from the West Virginia arm of the American Civil Liberties Union on the 81st anniversary of the landmark legal case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette. In 1949, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in that case that students cannot be forced or compelled to salute a flag or recite the Pledge in schools. Policies that direct otherwise, according to the case, are a clear violation of the students freedom of speech. The Constitution affords protection for Americans to freely express our beliefs and ideas. That protection expands beyond written and spoken word; it extends to symbolic speech as well, ACLU-WV Legal Director Aubrey Sparks wrote in the letter. One powerful way that people can express themselves is by choosing to remain silent when everyone else is agreeing, or remaining sitting when everyone else stands. Barnette codified that right. Students still have that right in schools today. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Staff from the ACLU, according to a news release, reviewed student handbooks for all schools in the state to ensure their policies were compliant with the rulings in Barnette. Schools that received the letters due to having policies in violation of the law are: Calhoun Middle/High School, Riverside High School in Kanawha County, Summers County Comprehensive High School, Richwood High School in Nicholas County, Sissonville Middle School in Kanawha County and John Adams Middle School, also in Kanawha County. The policies in the student handbook vary school by school. Riverside High, for example, directs that students must rise and remove hats during the national anthem and flag ceremonies held during extracurricular activities. At Sissonville and John Adams middle schools, the handbooks state that students must stand for the Pledge of Allegiance during class. If they dont recite the Pledge, they must remain silent. The letters sent Thursday urge leaders at the listed schools to review their policies with consideration of the Barnette ruling and amend them if needed to ensure that they meet constitutional obligations. Schools are often the first places that students learn about their civic obligations, their constitutional rights, and the importance of being brave enough to engage in speech thats not always popular, Sparks wrote in the letter. The First Amendment exists to safeguard the diversity of thought and expression, which are essential components of a thriving democratic society. Protecting free speech in public schools is paramount, something that was determined by the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. Barnette eighty-one years ago. West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com. Follow West Virginia Watch on Facebook and X. BROWNSVILLE, Brooklyn (PIX11) Activists and neighbors in Brownsville, Brooklyn, are protesting violence and calling on local politicians for a safer neighborhood after two people were shot in a park on Saturday night. The NYPD shared a picture on Sunday night of the three firearms recovered from the shooting in Livonia Park. The shooting happened on Saturday evening around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Livonia Avenue and Powell Street. A 71-year-old woman was shot in the right leg and twice in the torso, and a 61-year-old man was also shot once in the left leg. Both victims were transported to Brookdale Hospital to be treated for their injuries. More Brooklyn News Brandon has been living in Brownsville for 20 years. He said authorities held a community meeting just one day before the shooting. Cops had an event right here in this building right behind us, so for there to be a shooting right after that, thats crazy, he said. Its my community. I wish I could fix things, I cant, and I want to, his friend Danny added. Minister Isaac Mickens is a community leader working at Community Checkpoint, Inc. Hes been advocating for a plan to eradicate senseless shootings; he calls it a bulletproof community checkpoint, which will serve as the authorities eyes and ears. Community checkpoints going to say something because thats their job, in order to see something, and their protections are bulletproof booths, Mickens said. Others are more skeptical, stating additional patrolling and stricter gun laws will not prevent further acts of violence. More Crime News Theres police officers all around the place, so if crime is going to happen, its going to happen regardless of whos there, Keith said. Theres a business behind the gun deals; if they can control the business, they can systematically take the guns out of people who have guns, Jacques Rene said. Police also confirmed that five people were taken into custody to be questioned, but no arrests have been made. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). 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. LONDON (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency named British actor Theo James as a global goodwill ambassador on Monday. James, who acted in television series "The Gentlemen" and "The White Lotus", has supported UNHCR since 2016, and has travelled to Greece, France and Jordan to meet asylum seekers and refugees, the agency said. James said his own family's experience had "given me an understanding of the sacrifices and struggles that refugees face". "During the Second World War, my grandfather was forced to flee on a small boat from Greece to Syria, and his courage and resilience has inspired me to help make a difference to the lives of displaced people," he said in a statement. "... My grandfather was welcomed and offered shelter by the people of Syria, which enabled him to rebuild his life as a doctor and give something back. That is why it is important for me to stand in solidarity with refugees who have fled conflicts today and to help share their stories. They need our support now more than ever." The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said last week the number of people forcibly displaced stood at a record 117.3 million at the end of last year, and that this figure could rise without without global political changes. "No one chooses to become a refugee. But we can all choose how to respond to people in need of sanctuary, whose lives depend upon it," James said. (Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Addressing an epidemic. Fayette will put vaping sensors in some middle schools Fayette County Schools is installing vaping sensors in four Lexington middle schools to confront what school officials have called an epidemic leading to addiction and health issues for Lexington students. The district will use settlement money from a lawsuit against the vaping companies, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said last week. District documents identify the middle schools as Beaumont, Jessie Clark, Southern and Winburn. Education Week reported in 2023 that more school districts are turning to a technology that detects chemicals from e-cigarettes in the air and notifies school staff that students could be vaping. Some school district officials around the country say they are using money from legal settlements with the e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs to pay for the sensors, Education Week reported. The Fayette County Public Schools board in March 2023 entered into a settlement with JUUL after the board filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette company in late 2019. Louisville attorney Ron Johnson previously told the Herald-Leader that tobacco company Altria, formerly called Phillip Morris, was the second defendant in the case. Liggins said Fayette County Public Schools would use some money from that settlement to install the sensors and the middle schools were the first in the district to get the sensors. Fayette school district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith said Monday that the district has received at least $770,000 in the Atria settlement disbursement. It was not immediately disclosed how much the school district is spending to install the sensors. Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced in 2022 that Kentucky would see $14 million from settlements with JUUL. School board member Amy Green at the School Boards June 10 planning meeting asked that the services of the two companies providing the sensors be reviewed after one year. School board member Marilyn Clark asked whether other schools would get the sensors. Liggins said the school board could consider using the sensors in other schools. Fayette Schools spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith told the Herald-Leader on Friday that Tates Creek High School did a trial run of the sensors but did not implement the use of vape sensors in FCPS high schools. FCPS Middle schools are the only ones with sensors. Kentucky Youth Advocates in April reported that efforts were made in the 2024 General Assembly to address vaping in schools, a rapidly increasing problem across the Commonwealth. House Bill 142, which passed, ensures all Kentucky schools adopt a vape-free campus policy and provide tobacco and nicotine education to each student, a Kentucky Youth Advocates blog said. The bill also requires schools to adopt a discipline policy for vaping incidents, including confiscating products and providing cessation resources. The bill leaves additional discipline actions up to local school boards but requires data collection on these incidents that will be reported to Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Youth Advocates blog said. "We cannot celebrate the benefits of [cannabis] legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Monday. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI June 17 (UPI) -- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Monday issued a "historic" pardon of more than 175,000 individual marijuana convictions, his first since the state's legalization of recreational cannabis went into effect last year. "We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization," the first-term Democrat governor said Monday. Cannabis is legal for medical use in 38 states and recreational in 24. Maryland voters in 2022 approved a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana that took effect July last year. Monday on social media, the governor's office called it "the most sweeping state-level pardon in any state in American history." Moore's automatic pardon will clear more than 150,000 misdemeanors for possession and more than 18,000 possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia convictions, including for deceased persons. But while the pardons affect those with charges occurring before January 1 of last year, it will not result in any individual being released from prison. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore acknowledged on Monday that cannabis legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by this war on drugs or erase the fact that nearly half of all drug arrests in Maryland during the early 2000s were for cannabis. File Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI Amid conflicting laws and changing opinions, states and the federal government have been taking incremental steps over recent years to either legalize marijuana or reduce penalties for it. A Gallup poll from November last year showed that national grassroots support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high of 70%. President Joe Biden in October 2022 issued pardons for federal marijuana offenses and urged states to follow and called on governors to do the same at the state level, which nine others have since done. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (L) said Monday in a statement that Moores pardon is a step towards healing in what he called a visceral and tangible legacy of what the war on drugs has had on Baltimore. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI The city of Baltimore will comprise roughly 23% of Moore's pardons. Moore pointed to decades of social and economic injustice with respect to marijuana convictions for low-level offenders. Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement that Moore's pardon "is a step towards healing" in what he called a "visceral and tangible" legacy of what "the war on drugs has had" on Baltimore. Cannabis is legal for medical use in 38 states and recreational in 24. Maryland voters in 2022 approved a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana that took effect July last year. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI "We still see and feel the wounds every day in the lives, families, and communities that were disrupted and destroyed," the mayor said. "For those receiving the pardons -- which includes thousands upon thousands of Baltimoreans -- it will be life changing." But Moore acknowledged on Monday that legalization "does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by this war on drugs" or "erase the fact that nearly half of all drug arrests in Maryland during the early 2000s were for cannabis." "I'm ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I'm signing to right a lot of historical wrongs," Moore said in a recent Washington Post interview ahead of Monday's sweeping pardon. "If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color," he said at the time. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration in April agreed to reclassify marijuana, removing it from the ranks of deadly drugs such as heroin, therefore acknowledging that cannabis has moderate to low risk for users. "It doesn't erase the fact that black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested than white Marylanders," Moore said Monday. But the governor's office noted that while a pardon is not the same as a criminal record expungement which is an extra step, the charge still will appear on an individual criminal record. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown called it "a momentous day" as he said it was "significant for several reasons." "First, it's long overdue," Brown, a former congressman and the state's former lieutenant governor, said. He added that Moore took "bold and decisive action." "As a nation, we've taken far too long to correct the injustices of a system that is supposed to be just for all," Maryland's Democrat attorney general said. Here we go again. Another Sacramento City Council meeting about the generous pay for City Manager Howard Chan? Another violation of state law? Outgoing councilmember Katie Valenzuela told The Bee she wants City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood to determine whether the city violated the states open meeting law in a two-hour closed session on June 11 labeled as a performance evaluation of Chan. Im very disturbed to hear that the salary negotiations are not allowed to be conducted in closed session under the Brown Act, said Valenzuela, who was informed about Brown Act restrictions related to salary negotiations by a Bee reporter. I will be asking the city attorney for an investigation into whether a violation occurred on Tuesday. Opinion It appears that the words matter here and that if a closed session about performance drifts into a conversation about pay, a legal line has been crossed. The Brown Act, Californias open meetings law, states that government bodies in closed session evaluating performance shall not include discussion or action on proposed compensation except for a reduction of compensation that results from the imposition of discipline. The only relevant exemption is when a council wants to negotiate a labor agreement, including one for its city manager. These negotiations should be publicly noticed as such on the council agendas as a conference with labor negotiators (Brown Act section 59454.5). For Alcala Wood, the gold standard of guidance from her peers is the Brown Act Committee of the League of California Cities. It publishes a meticulous report on how city attorneys can comply with the law. It does not appear that Alcala Wood followed the guidance. A closed session on a city managers pay is to be placed on an agenda as part of a labor negotiation, according to the league. This specific issue of legally placing a closed session about pay on an agenda is yet another example of the importance of using correct agenda descriptions. We await an explanation, but the citys recent track record on Chans pay does not inspire confidence. Alcala Wood is the same city attorney who presided over a meeting last December about Chans pay that turned out to be illegal and did nothing to stop it. At that time, Chan scheduled a special meeting about his compensation with barely a days notice for a Dec. 12 proposal to raise his pay by 5% and the city attorneys as well. Also proposed was an exclusive bump in vacation pay for Chan that he could cash out six additional weeks. Chan had received an astonishing 64 weeks of extra leave from the council in two separate actions the year before. That December meeting violated a state law that precludes any jurisdiction from calling an urgent special meeting simply to increase the top executives pay. The meeting was rescheduled for January. But by then, a chastened council majority tabled any discussion about Chans pay. And the council removed Chans ability to place his pay on any future agenda. Only a few weeks ago, outgoing Mayor Darrell Steinberg told a member of The Bee Editorial Board that he had no intention of bringing Chans contract, which expires this year, back to the council for any deliberation. He said he would await the guidance of his successor, who will be elected this November. Yet here we are again. Did Chan put a discussion of his performance on a closed-session agenda? Did Steinberg change his mind about Chans pay for some reason? So far, the city hasnt answered The Bee. Chan was Californias highest-paid city manager in 2022. His job is to make the mayor and City Council look good. But time after time, when it comes to his pay, he has made his bosses look bad. In the end, it is the mayor and the council who are creating a distraction from the publics business. On Friday, councilmember Lisa Kaplan posted a comment on X that the Brown Act 100% allows councils to discuss raises in closed sessions as it relates to employee evaluations. Even if she is correct, and we doubt that she is, there is a larger point that eludes a tone-deaf Kaplan and too many of her colleagues: Why are you discussing another raise for Chan after illegally trying in December; after raising his base salary by 42% between 2017 and 2022 and after granting Chan 64 weeks of paid leave that he could cash out at any time? Chans contract runs out in December, and it seems his compensation will be an obsession for him and the city council until he walks out the door. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved UAB's new AI in medicine Master's program as the state's first AI-focused medical degree. A Torobo humanoid robot is demonstrated during the Japan Robot Week 2022 event on October 19, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. The event showcases service robots and robot manufacturing technology and will be held from October 19 to 21. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) on Friday approved a new graduate program on artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The proposed degree, a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, would be implemented by January 2027. The program will be the first in the state to specialize in the use of AI for medical purposes and aims to meet the needs of the health care industry in Birmingham and throughout Alabama. This program does really seem to be at the leading edge of whats going on across the country and therefore its very exciting, said Robin McGill, deputy director for academic affairs at ACHE. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The program aims to train students for AI-focused medical roles. The health care industry is increasingly using AI as the global AI health care market is projected to grow to $12.2 billion by 2030, according to the proposal. The program will train health care professionals in AI applications in medicine, including skills in deep learning, computer vision, and large language modeling for healthcare data. Rubin Pillay, chief innovation officer at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, said to the commission that by 2025, when the program is expected to begin, the university system would have the most comprehensive AI in medicine and healthcare training programs globally. UAB will not only be the only institution in Alabama offering this comprehensive suite of AI training. They will be the only one nationally and globally as well, Pillay said. Stephanie C. Dolan, associate director of planning and policy, gave the commission an informational presentation on AI prior to UABs degree presentation. In it, she said that training people on AI will be fundamental for the future workplace, especially with an estimated 12 million people needing to change jobs due to AI. This means [employees] have to be upskilled and reskilled now, not later, Dolan said. The proposal estimates that $4.5 million in new funds will be needed for the program over the first seven years. During this period, the program is projected to generate $6,246,000 in tuition revenue and is expected to be self-sustaining from the first year. Interested applicants need a four-year US bachelors degree equivalent in computer science, data science, statistics, AI, biomedical, electrical or related engineering fields, as well as a 3.0 minimum GPA and a strong background in calculus, statistics, and linear algebra. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post New AI in medicine graduate program approved at University of Alabama at Birmingham appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Air raids last 16 hours per day on average in Kharkiv Oblast obstructing business operations, governor says Air raids in Kharkiv Oblast last an average of 16 hours a day, which significantly complicates business operations, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on June 17 on national television. Moscow has recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as well as Kharkiv Oblast, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians. "Work for businesses is hampered by incessant air raids 16 hours on average (per day)," Syniehubov said. "The power outage schedules are also in effect. We are constantly communicating with our retailers to maintain their presence in the oblast." Syniehubov said that Russian forces continue to strike regional settlements and destroy civilian infrastructure. Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure? Nearly 50,000 residents in Kharkiv Oblast are without electricity supply due to the destruction caused by the Russian attacks, according to the governor. The local authorities are trying to restore the power supply, but the work of the services is complicated by the proximity to the Russia border, Syniehubov added. Russia launched a new offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast on May 10 in a push that involved as many as 30,000 troops, according to a Ukrainian official. Russian forces suffered around 4,000 troops killed or injured during their offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast between May 10 and June 10, according to the Ukrainian military. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A former president of Albania has been banned from entering Britain over his alleged links to organised crime. Sali Berisha, who is currently the countrys opposition leader, was told on Monday that his appeal against his exclusion from the UK on public safety grounds had been rejected. He will now face a lifetime ban after the Special Immigration Appeals Commission found he had clear links to organised crime groups who presented a threat to public safety in the UK and Albania. The Home Office said he had used the links to boost his political ambitions, and accused him of using his elected positions to engage in corruption and criminal behaviour in order to enrich himself and his inner circle. He is one of a number of Balkan politicians with alleged links to organised crime who were targeted by a secret Foreign Office and Home Office operation, codenamed Crime State Nexus to stop Albanian crime bosses operating in the UK. Mr Berisha, 79, faces allegations in Albania that he used his influence while prime minister between 2005 and 2009 to favour his daughters husband in the privatisation of state land, which he and his daughter deny. Former Albanian president and opposition leader Sali Berisha makes a victory salute after casting his vote at a polling station in Tirana on Sunday, 24 June 24, 2001 - ARMANDO BABANI/EPA He was placed under house arrest in December although prosecutors have not filed any criminal charges. Britains decision to bar Mr Berisha from the country came a year after he was excluded from the United States over alleged corruption and abuse of power. Mr Berisha appealed against the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in London in March, arguing he was banned from the UK on the basis of unproven false assertions. Documents pointed to the alleged abuse of power when he was prime minister including the appointment of corrupt officials, interference in Albanias judicial system to protect subordinates from investigation and judicial proceedings and illegal surveillance of political opponents. Internal reporting provides a consistent and clear picture of widespread corruption through Berishas period of government, but particularly in the run-up to the 2012 elections. This was used to further his interests, aid his allies and buy political support, the court was told. The joint Home Office-Foreign Office operation was set up to weaken the threat posed by organised crime groups (OCGs) and to protect Britains interests in the region. Democratic party and 'Unity for Victory' coalition leader Sali Berisha waits for official results of the Albanian national parliamentary elections, in Tirana, Albania, on June 24, 2001 - ANDREW MEDICHINI/AP The court was told links between politics and crime in the Western Balkans create a permissive environment in which serious criminals and OCGs can operate and benefit from the political protection of corrupt politicians from law enforcement activity. This political protection provides OCGs with additional routes to launder money and enables them to use Albania as a safe haven from which to operate, a Home Office document stated. In exchange, OCGs will help a politician during elections by buying votes and intimidating voters, it added. Berisha said in a statement: There is no evidence or fact for any illegal action. I remain convinced that the path of justice that I will continue will serve the truth and will hit transnational corruption in a way that it deserves. 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. TechCrunch Arne Schepker, the CEO of the popular Berlin-based language learning platform Babbel, is stepping down, and the company's co-founder and former CEO Markus Witte is stepping back in to lead the company "into a new phase while searching for Arnes successor with patience," the company said. Witte will not claim the CEO role for the time being, but instead will be executive chairman and managing director. After almost exactly five years as the sole CEO and a few months prior as co-CEO together with Witte, who had held the position in the preceding years Schepker decided not to renew his contract, he told me. A local lawmaker plans to introduce a bill to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania. Reps. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny, and Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, say they will introduce a comprehensive, bipartisan adult-use cannabis legalization bill in the House of Representatives that prioritizes public safety, consumer protection, social equity and criminal justice reform. The proposed legislation would create jobs and generate significant tax revenue for the Commonwealth while helping eliminate the illicit market plaguing many communities, they said in a news release. It is well past time for the Commonwealth to legalize cannabis for recreational use, address the injustices of the failed War on Drugs, and ensure that Pennsylvanians can benefit from this industry in the same way our neighboring states have, said Kinkead. Our bipartisan effort to provide specific language that takes the best practices from other states is the next substantial step in finally getting this done. The bill would allow farmers to participate in the legal cannabis market and would create opportunities for those disproportionately impacted by outdated cannabis policies, the representatives said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman charged with killing baby in Shadyside, injuring his twin At least 7 people injured in crash in North Versailles VIN-cloning scam on the rise VIDEO: Pittsburghers prepare to beat the heat this week DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts View of the exterior of the U.S. Steel Tower, headquarters of USX Steel, on March 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nippon Steel has said that it would relocate its U.S. headquarters from Houston to Pittsburgh, where U.S. Steel (X.N) is located, if their acquisition deal goes through. Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images. KEEWATIN, Minnesota Big shots usually dont come to this small town for the American Legion Veterans Day spaghetti feed. Nor are they frequent shoppers at the Sinclair station next to the public housing complex. But politicians, journalists and the local hoi polloi rolled through town last month on their way to a U.S. Steel press event at Keewatin Taconite. On their way, they might have noticed the new billboard along Highway 169. The wordy banner hard to read at full speed reassures skeptics that the proposed merger between U.S. Steel and Japans Nippon Steel would preserve jobs on the Mesabi Iron Range. U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt stuck to this message as he celebrated his companys $150 million investment in a new kind of pellet production at Keetac on May 23. These direct-reduced grade pellets resemble traditional taconite, but with higher iron content and less silica. They feed newer, greener methods of steel production rapidly becoming the industry norm. But I imagine the politicians in attendance shifted in their seats a bit when Burritt extolled the $14 billion sale to Nippon as good for the Mesabi. Its an election year. Supporting the Nippon deal is arguably the single least popular position a local candidate of either party could take heading into November. Its not about whether the deal makes sense; its about the way Japanese ownership of U.S. Steel makes people feel. Thats how foreign money pouring into the American economy at prodigious rates can be regarded as bad news by people demonstrably benefiting from it. It might help explain the uneasy politics of our times, too. Sentiment on the Iron Range tilts heavily against the Nippon-U.S. Steel merger. The same is true in most parts of America dominated by iron mining or steelmaking. The United Steelworkers union publicly reiterated its opposition to the deal just recently. There are several reasons for the mergers frosty reception. The first stems from visceral distrust of foreign money controlling a company formed to stabilize and expand the U.S. economy a century ago. Other companies have long since succumbed to foreign owners, but U.S. Steel was a symbolic breakwater. The Steelworkers also cite past labor disputes with Nippon, and warn that the companys scheme to run U.S. Steel through an independent subsidiary could allow the company to use bankruptcy to escape its obligations to workers. This charge hits hard. National Steel used a strategic bankruptcy in 2002 to shed pensions before U.S. Steel took over the Keewatin plant. Some of those miners worked an extra decade or more because their retirements were mostly lost. But National Steel wasnt a foreign company; it was an American one. The discarding of legacy costs is a hallmark of corporate leadership around the world, incentivized with bonuses and promotions. Foreign owners like ArcelorMittal and Cyprus Minerals have operated here before. Local leadership rolled out the red carpet for Indias Essar Group when that company broke ground on a still-incomplete iron ore facility in Nashwauk. Even today, some local officials tout Essars ability to resurrect its project, which stalled when that company went through its own bankruptcy. Alternatively, Nippon is well funded and ready to put billions into U.S. Steel. At the heart of this matter is a partnership between the United Steelworkers and Cleveland-Cliffs, now the largest integrated steelmaker in America. Cliffs, under its famously outspoken CEO Lourenco Goncalves, forged an unprecedented alliance with its union. Together, the company and union seek to kill the Nippon merger so that Cliffs can buy U.S. Steel for itself, at a lower price. U.S. Steels board remains committed to the Nippon deal, accusing Cliffs of interference. Cliffs keeps pounding on the table, insisting that the merger will never happen. It makes for interesting theater, to be sure, and lawyers will surely benefit over time. But the fickle acceptance of some foreign investments while rejecting others creates an even more interesting dynamic. In this, Minnesotas Iron Range isnt isolated from the world, but rather an integral part of a global chess match. Queen or pawn? The mines have long served as a key political and economic power on the Range, shaping policy, election results and land usage since the 1890s. That remains true. Today, however, energy companies, construction firms and trade unions join to form an even larger political syndicate. Mining might employ a small fraction of the workers from a century ago, but its producing similar amounts of iron ore and gross domestic product from the regions resources. And it all runs on electricity, most of it sold by Minnesota Power. On May 6, Allete, the parent company of Minnesota Power, announced it would be acquired by a privately held group headed by Global Infrastructure Partners and the Canadian Pension Plan Investments corporation. This deal shocked thousands of Minnesota Power employees and retirees, mostly from northern Minnesota (my father-in-law among them). Reassurances emerged that Canadas close alliance with the U.S. would be a stabilizing force. Canadian public pensions are, after all, long term investments allowing the company to reinvest rather than maximize short-term profits. But the lead dog was always Global Infrastructure Partners, an American multinational firm. On May 17, Walker Orenstein of the Star Tribune reported that the worlds largest asset manager, BlackRock, would itself be acquiring Global Infrastructure Partners, making it the owner of Minnesota Power. BlackRock holds $10 trillion in assets, twice what the U.S. government collects in taxes each year. According to Orensteins report, BlackRock already owns a sizable minority share of Allete stock, along with energy competitors like Otter Tail and Xcel Energy. BlackRock also owns large minority chunks of Minnesota Powers two biggest customers, the aforementioned Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel. Deals like this are carefully crafted to avoid antitrust complaints, but the power of a company like BlackRock even with minority stakes carries a majority impact. From electrical generation to the sale of flat-rolled steel, BlackRocks investors make money every step of the way. So, heres an honest question: Is this better or worse than Nippon Steel buying U.S. Steel? Does the fact that BlackRock is based in New York mean that Americans have any meaningful leverage in the event of layoffs or plant closures? Im not so sure. Foreign firms have purchased other mainstay companies in northern Minnesota before. In 2004, Canadian National Railway purchased the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad. The DM&IR was itself a former U.S. Steel property, linked in corporate synergy with Iron Range mining concerns since the beginning of ore operations. That deal prompted local complaints at the time, but the controversy gradually faded into the mists of economic reality. Just this year, Canadian National put 600 new iron ore hopper cars into service, building them with raw materials from U.S. Steel and painting them with the classic colors of the DM&IR. The cars were, however, assembled in Mexico. North American trade relationships have a huge impact on jobs, but are largely accepted. Could this ever become the case with Japan? One argument for the Nippon/U.S. Steel merger suggests that the deal would be of diplomatic value to the United States. Its a way for Japan to help the U.S. while the U.S. helps Japan in southeast Asia against China, a common rival both economically and geopolitically. Compare that to what Cleveland-Cliffs is doing trying to buy the American assets of Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), a Russian steel firm that supplies that countrys defense industry. NLMK is led by Vladimir Lisin, the third-richest oligarch in Russia, a man who nevertheless escaped economic sanctions in every country but Australia. How? By threatening layoffs in those countries. To recap: A firm supplying Russias invasion of Ukraine could cash out its American holdings without penalty, thanks to the same company trying to kill a legal deal with an American ally. In other words, everywhere you look, you see the intermingling of foreign investment and American industry. Before you say we need to avoid that road at all costs, i.e., the Nippon deal, consider the alternative, given the requirement for investment dollars to stay viable: American corporations like Cliffs and U.S. Steel prostrating themselves to hedge funds and investment firms, chewing at each other like desperate animals at a very bad zoo. This would not preserve or expand jobs on the Mesabi Iron Range, or anywhere else for that matter. In fact, its a road to mass unemployment and wider economic disparities. If were lucky, our kids might find work in the wars. The post Allies in alloys appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Three tourists, including one American, have died and two others remain missing in Greece as the country faces extreme temperatures amid a string of heat waves that have prompted authorities to close schools and historical sights. The body of an American from New York, who had been missing since Tuesday, was found Sunday on the island of Mathraki, his family confirmed to CBS News on Monday. Toby Sheets was found dead the previous day on a beach on the island, his cousin Greg Sheets and father Ronnie Sheets said. His father said Sheets was "a very hard worker and he was doing what he loved, training horses," and added that he was loved and "will be dearly missed." Toby Sheets, a New York man whose body was found on the Greek island of Mathraki on June 16, 2024, is seen in a file family photo provided to CBS News by his family. / Credit: Courtesy of the Sheets family. Another body was found Saturday on the island of Samos, where a Dutch hiker had been missing for a week. Earlier this month, the body of British television personality Dr. Michael Mosely was discovered days after he disappeared during a walk on the island of Symi. Albert Calibet, 59, a retired police officer who holds duel U.S.-French citizenship, was still missing Tuesday after he set out on a hike alone a week earlier on the island of Amorgos. His brother Oliver, in Greece with a small group of other friends and family to help with search efforts, posted a video Monday on YouTube pleading for more help to find Calibet. He said Greek authorities appeared to be doing what they could with limited resources, but decried the U.S. government for not sending more assets to help in the search. Two French women were also missing, including one who called the owner of the guest house where she was staying on Friday to ask for help, according to the Reuters news agency. Ilias Gavanas, the guest house owner, told Reuters the woman had sent him a selfie and message early Friday morning indicating that she had fallen. A member of a search team is stretchered away from the Agia Marina in Symi, Greece, where a body was discovered during a search for British TV doctor Michael Mosley, after he went missing while on vacation, in a June 9, 2024 file photo. / Credit: Yui Mok/PA Images/Getty He told Reuters that he replied to her in both French and English, asking her to provide her location and urging her to call the European emergency number 112. He said he also alerted the local police. A Greek rescue operation leader said tourists appeared to be unaware of the risks they face walking in the extreme heat. Heat stress can turn deadly even sooner than previously thought "We saw a couple [of tourists] walking a trail in 41C [105.8F] without hats," Dimitris Katatzis told local media, according to Britain's Independent newspaper. "It defies logic." Greece has seen extreme temperatures arrive earlier in its summer season than ever before this year, according to meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos. "This heat wave will go down in history. In the 20th century, we never had a heat wave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June," Giannopoulos told Greek state television channel ERT. Tourists are seen at a viewing site beneath the Acropolis ancient ruin during high temperatures in Athens, Greece, June 13, 2024. / Credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty The heat has prompted warnings from the government and, last week, the Acropolis and other tourist attractions were closed as winds from North Africa pushed temperatures in Athens to around 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Schools and day care centers were also shut, and firefighters remained on high alert to respond to any blazes. Scorching heat waves "virtually impossible" without climate change, experts say "The early start of the heat waves, combined with the dry winter, has led to a very difficult fire season," Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection said, according to the Independent newspaper. The high temperatures have hit Greece after a European climate watchdog, the Copernicus program, said data from 2023 showed the continent had experienced a record number of days of "extreme heat stress," meaning temperatures felt like about 114 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Copernicus said heat-related mortality in Europe had risen by around 30% over the past two decades. New Jersey diner owner, who is blind, dishes out friendship and inspiration Justin Timberlake arrested on DWI-related charges in New York Breaking down Biden's immigration order for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens The man, who hasnt been named, was found by another tourist on Sunday, June 16 on a remote beach on Mathraki island Getty Stock Image of Corfu, Greece An American tourist has been found dead in Greece after he was reported missing on Thursday, June 13. According to CNN, the man who hasnt been named was found by another tourist on Sunday, June 16 on a remote beach on Mathraki island. The tourist, who had been reported missing by his Greek-American friend, was last seen at a cafe with two female tourists on Tuesday, June 11, added CNN. The women have reportedly since left the island. Mathraki has an estimated population of just 100 people and is located west of the island of Corfu, per Sky News. PEOPLE did not immediately receive a reply from the Greek authorities when asked for further details. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Getty Stock image of Mathraki island, Greece The president of the community of Mathraki Island told ABC News that the body of the tourist was found at 1:30 pm local time on Sunday near a beach near the old port of Mathraki Island. According to the outlet, the late mans Greek-American friend, who was also his host, called the police after he arrived home on Thursday and saw that the American tourist was missing with his identification and travel documents. The host also found the house door open, the lights on and the air conditioning unit still running. Related: TV Doctor Michael Mosley Goes Missing While on a Walk in Greece: 'No Trace of Him' Brook Mitchell/Getty Dr Michael Mosley This news comes after another American tourist was reported missing in Greece amid the countrys severe heatwaves which have brought temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. According to CNN and the BBC, Albert Calibet, 59, hasn't been seen since he failed to return from a hike on the island of Amorgos on Tuesday, June 11. Amorgos deputy mayor of tourism Popi Despotidi told CNN that the retired police officer had been traveling to Amorgos almost every year for the last 10 years. It is strange because he is not a person who walked the route for the first time, Despotidi told international news organization Greek Reporter. He knows Amorgos better than me. Related: American Scientist Missing in Greece Found Dead After Nearly a Week: 'Her Loss Is Unbearable' This came days after British TV doctor Michael Mosley was found dead on the island of Symi on Sunday, June 9, after he disappeared while going for a walk. According to multiple reports, an initial post-mortem examination found that Mosley died of natural causes. However, according to U.K. newspaper The Times, the coroner was unable to make a determination of his exact cause of death due to the delay in finding his body during the extreme heat. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Malcolm Reid at home in Decatur, Georgia, with his dog, Sampson. Reid, who recently marked his 66th birthday and the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis, is part of a growing group of people 50 and older living with the virus. (Sam Whitehead/KFF Health News) DECATUR, Ga. Malcolm Reid recently marked the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis on Facebook. Diagnosed with HIV 28 years ago, AND TODAY I THRIVE, he wrote in a post in April, which garnered dozens of responses. Reid, an advocate for people with HIV, said hes happy he made it to age 66. But growing older has come with a host of health issues. He survived kidney cancer and currently juggles medications to treat HIV, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. Its a lot to manage, he said. But Reids not complaining. When he was diagnosed, HIV was sometimes a death sentence. Im just happy to be here, Reid said. You werent supposed to be here, and youre here. More than half of the people living with HIV in the United States are, like Reid, older than 50. Researchers estimate that 70% of people living with the virus will fall in that age range by 2030. Aging with HIV means an increased risk of other health problems, such as diabetes, depression, and heart disease, and a greater chance of developing these conditions at a younger age. Yet the U.S. health care system isnt prepared to handle the needs of the more than half a million people those already infected and those newly infected with HIV who are 50 or older, say HIV advocates, doctors, government officials, people living with HIV, and researchers. They worry that funding constraints, an increasingly dysfunctional Congress, holes in the social safety net, untrained providers, and workforce shortages leave people aging with HIV vulnerable to poorer health, which could undermine the larger fight against the virus. I think were at a tipping point, said Melanie Thompson, an Atlanta internal medicine doctor who specializes in HIV care and prevention. It would be very easy to lose the substantial amount of the progress we have made. People are living longer with the virus due in part to the development of antiretroviral therapies drugs that reduce the amount of virus in the body. But aging with HIV comes with a greater risk of health problems related to inflammation from the virus and the long-term use of harsh medications. Older people often must coordinate care across specialists and are frequently on multiple prescriptions, increasing their risk for adverse drug reactions. Some people face what researchers call the dual stigma of ageism and anti-HIV bias. They also have high rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Malcolm Reid is pictured on the staircase at his home, with is lined with photos. Many have lost friends and family to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Loneliness can increase the risks of cognitive decline and other medical conditions in older adults and can lead patients to stop treatment. It isnt an easy problem to solve, said Heidi Crane, an HIV researcher and clinician at the University of Washington. If I had the ability to write a prescription for a friend someone whos supportive and engaged and willing to go walking with you twice a week the care I provide would be so much better, she said. The complexity of care is a heavy lift for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the federal initiative for low-income people with HIV. The program serves more than half of the Americans living with the virus, and nearly half of its clients are 50 or older. Many of the people aging with HIV were pioneers in HIV treatment, said Laura Cheever, who oversees the Ryan White program for the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Researchers have a lot to learn about the best ways to meet the needs of the population, she said. We are learning as we go, we all are. But it certainly is challenging, she said. The Ryan White programs core budget has remained mostly flat since 2013 despite adding 50,000 patients, Cheever said. The Biden administrations latest budget request asks for less than half a percent bump in program funding. Local and state public health officials make the bulk of the decisions about how to spend Ryan White money, Cheever said, and constrained resources can make it hard to balance priorities. When a lot of people arent getting care, how do you decide where that next dollar is spent? Cheever said. The latest infusion of funding for Ryan White, which has totaled $466 million since 2019, came as part of a federal initiative to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. But that program has come under fire from Republicans in Congress, who last year tried to defund it even though it was launched by the Trump administration. Its a sign of eroding bipartisan support for HIV services that puts people in extreme jeopardy, said Thompson, the Atlanta physician. She worries that the increasing politicization of HIV could keep Congress from appropriating money for a pilot loan repayment program that aims to lure infectious disease doctors to areas that have a shortage of providers. Many people aging with HIV are covered by Medicare, the public insurance program for people 65 and older. Research has shown that Ryan White patients on private insurance had better health than those on Medicare, which researchers linked to better access to non-HIV preventive care. Some 40% of people living with HIV rely on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people. The decision by 10 states not to expand Medicaid can leave older people with HIV few places to seek care outside of Ryan White clinics, Thompson said. The stakes are high, she said. We are in a very dangerous place if we dont pay more attention to our care systems. About 1 in 6 new diagnoses are in people 50 or older but public health policies havent caught up to that reality, said Reid, the HIV advocate from Atlanta. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, recommends HIV testing only for people ages 13 to 64. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE Our systems are antiquated. They, for some reason, believe that once you hit a certain number, you stop having sex, Reid said. Such blind spots mean older people often are diagnosed once the virus has destroyed the cells that help the body fight infection. In acknowledgment of these challenges, HRSA recently launched a $13 million, three-year program to look at ways to improve health outcomes for older people living with HIV. Ten Ryan White clinics across the United States participate in the effort, which is testing ways to better track the risk of adverse drug interactions for people taking multiple prescriptions. The program is also testing ways to better screen for conditions like dementia and frailty, and ways to streamline the referral process for people who might need specialty care. New strategies cant come quickly enough, said Jules Levin, executive director of the National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project, who, at age 74, has been living with HIV since the 1980s. His group was one signatory to The Glasgow Manifesto, in which an international coalition of older people with HIV called on policymakers to ensure better access to affordable care, to ensure patients get more time with doctors, and to fight ageism. Its tragic and shameful that elderly people with HIV have to go through what theyre going through without getting the proper attention that they deserve, Levin said. This will be a disaster soon without a solution. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News free Morning Briefing. The post Americans with HIV are living longer. Federal spending isnt keeping up. appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. A rare temperate rainforest in the north of England has been declared a National Nature Reserve as part of the King's Series to mark the country's National Nature Reserves Week, according to The Guardian. The Borrowdale rainforest is one of only a few regions like it in the U.K. that remain a "mysterious and untouched" landscape, per the report. These areas only cover about 1% of the country and have been waning due to rising global temperatures and human deforestation dating back to the 1800s. This newly designated National Nature Reserve will aim to conserve and restore a variety of ancient oaks, birches, and ferns while supporting the 1,782-acre area's vast biodiversity. It's just the first of five areas this year to get such special protections, and the program will continue for four more consecutive years. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: "Temperate rainforests are among our most precious landscapes teeming with wildlife and bursting with rare lichens and mosses, which are found only here." They're also rich carbon stores that help battle Earth's overheating. Borrowdale won't be put under lock and key, however. As part of the program, access to the area will be expanded for locals and visitors. Tenant farmers, who have long worked to improve the area, will see new funding that should assist in their conservation work and help support the area's longstanding cultural heritage, according to the U.K. government website. Anne Cornthwaite, a tenant farmer at Ashness Farm in the area, said: "At a time when there are really big changes happening within British farming, it is very exciting to see the small changes we made 10 years ago in the way we delivered our environmental stewardship at Ashness Farm, has contributed to Moss Mire being bestowed the most amazing status as temperate rainforest." Conservation efforts like these benefit everyone involved. They support local wildlife, reduce carbon in the atmosphere, and help protect the land from erosion. When deforestation is left unchecked, as it was notoriously in the Amazon, it could take centuries of effort to reverse, if at all. As Marian Spain, Chief Executive of Natural England, said: "This landmark declaration is an important step forward for nature recovery in England. Operating at a landscape scale, reconnecting parcels of the forest and creating corridors for wildlife will make these iconic habitats more resilient to the impacts of climate change." Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Defense tech company Anduril Industries said it will build a new production facility in Rhode Island capable of churning out as many as 200 of its Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicles annually. The company will use its own money, plus some support from the state of Rhode Island, to establish the factory in Quonset Point. The factory is set to open in late 2025, being operations in early 2026, and then reach full capacity by the end of that year: 50 hulls a year, with the ability to scale up to 200 a year if customer demand calls for that. Until the facility opens, the company will continue to build Dive-LD hulls in its Quincy, Massachusetts, maritime engineering center. Anduril in February received a contract to provide the Defense Department with Dive-LD vehicles through Defense Innovation Units Commercial Solutions Opening process. The U.S. Navy subsequently awarded the company an $18.6 million award using that contract vehicle. Andurils chief strategy officer, Chris Brose, told reporters June 11 the company proved the maturity and utility of its Dive-LD vehicle during a swim-off event last year that led to the DIU contract. But a remaining and recurring question from the government has been, can Anduril ramp production to really hit high-rate manufacturing numbers? He said the Quonset Point factory will show the U.S. government that we are ready to and able to deliver on large contracts, if those contracts are forthcoming. The standup of the 100,000-150,000 square foot production facility will create more than 100 jobs in the next five years. It will also allow Anduril to try to realize its vision to build a massive fleet of AUVs. A company statement notes the Dive-LD family of vehicles is designed from the ground-up for production at scale, with a heavy emphasis on commercial-off-the-shelf components with robust supply chains, a modular design, and advanced, scalable manufacturing techniques that enable rapid iterations based on customer needs. The company can build 12 Dive-LD vehicles at the Quincy facility today, or could scale up to 24 a year if needed by adding extra shifts. Were out of space in terms of our ability in the Quincy facility to meet the demand that were seeing from the Navy at present, let alone where we believe thats going in the future, Brose said. This is the challenge that I think all defense companies have in terms of, how much to facilitize in order to meet a demand that is not always crystal clear, Brose continued. Our approach to that is, were going to lean forward. Were going to invest in ourselves; were going to invest in our ability to produce these kinds of systems in a totally different way. And were going to put the facilities in place to meet a demand that that we expect to grow, rather than wait for the government to award a contract and have to play catch-up in building a larger factory. As for the location in Quonset Point, Brose said the region is a phenomenal center of undersea expertise and production. Nav[al] Undersea Warfare Center, other major contractors that are performing on significant undersea programs, access to the water you just have an enormously rich environment of undersea expertise, talented workforce, and its phenomenal for Anduril to be a part of that and plug into that, Brose said. Indiana Republican Party Chairwoman Anne Hathaway will step down from her role with the state party once a successor is chosen to replace her later this month, the party announced late Sunday, one day after the state party convention. Hathaway made party history in August when Gov. Eric Holcomb tapped the Republican consultant to lead the state party, the first woman to hold the role. Joe Elsener, executive director of the state Republican Party, is also planning to step down. Hathaway shared the news Friday with the Republican state central committee after she was unanimously reelected as Indiana's national committeewoman to represent the state on the Republican National Committee, according to the party news release. In late May, Sen. Mike Braun's senior advisor Josh Kelley told reporters that Brauns gubernatorial campaign team would not recommend party leadership changes while Holcomb was still in office and that it would be up to Hathaway if she wanted to leave before that point. The Republican state committee is expected to elect a new chair, likely a recommendation from the Braun campaign, on June 24, according to the party. Braun is eying Daviess County GOP chair Janet Schuler-Hicks, who works for his Senate office, as a potential replacement for Hathaway. In a statement Monday afternoon, Braun emphasized the role of the state central committee in that decision. "Anne Hathaway did an excellent job as Chairwoman of the Indiana Republican Party, and her decision to leave means now is the time for a new leader who will bring fresh ideas to help Republicans across Indiana," he said. "The State Central Committee will decide our next leader, and I am confident they will find a conservative leader who will help Republicans, including Donald Trump, Jim Banks, Todd Rokita, Micah Beckwith, and I, win in November so that we can implement our conservative agenda in 2025." Anne Hathaway poses for a portrait Saturday, June 15, 2024, during the 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The timing of the partys announcement late Sunday evening, first reported by Importantville, follows the Republican state convention Saturday where delegates chose ultraconservative Noblesville pastor Micah Beckwith to run as lieutenant governor, rejecting U.S. Sen. Mike Brauns endorsed running mate, state Rep. Julie McGuire. The success of Beckwith's unconventional campaign was a major blow to the state party establishment. In the past, delegate typically have chosen whomever the Republican gubernatorial candidate wants on his ticket. State GOP convention: Bucking tradition, Indiana Republicans nominate Micah Beckwith for lieutenant governor But Hathaway told IndyStar in May she promised to serve in the state party role through the primary elections and to see the party through the state convention. Hathaway is leading the RNC's committee on arrangements, which oversees the critical operations for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month, where the national party is expected to formally nominate Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for president. Hathaway said she intended for the state party role to be temporary so the next Republican nominee for governor could pick their partner to run the party. We know that you have to focus on pivoting from primary to general election, and so well take one day at a time, Hathaway told IndyStar in May. At the end of the day this is a Republican team. We're focused on making sure that we win and that we have all the grassroots tools in the toolkit and that our party is focused on having the tools that they need to win. Hathaway is the president and chief executive officer of Indianapolis-based Hathaway Strategies. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana GOP chair to depart; Braun may tap Daviess County chair EL PASO (Nexstar) Migrant shelter Annunciation House defended itself in court Monday against the states attempts to close its door following claims the charity amounts to a stash house aiding illegal immigrants. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking a judge to pause the shelters operations after the shelter fought his offices requests for a swath of records. Paxton accuses the shelter of encouraging people to cross the border illegally and hindering law enforcements efforts to arrest illegal immigrants. Paxton moves to shut down charity housing undocumented migrants Any non-governmental organization (NGO) facilitating the unlawful entry of illegal aliens into Texas is undermining the rule of law and potentially jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of our citizens, Paxton said last month. All NGOs who are complicit in Joe Bidens illegal immigration catastrophe and think they are above the law should consider themselves on notice. Annunciation Houses attorney accused the Attorney General of violating the charitys religious freedom, subjecting them to unreasonable search and seizure, and making false claims to generate negative press about chaos on the border. El Paso migrant shelters future in doubt What the Attorney General is trying to do here is wrong, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid attorney Jerry Wesevich said. Were talking about the fundamental teaching of Jesus: love one another, no exceptions. If that does not get protection, what does? This is a disappointing attack on religious freedom, period. Wesevich called Annunciation House the best of the Catholic faith, arguing the shelter helps keep people already in the United States off of the streets. Democratic District Judge Francisco X. Dominguez told the parties he will have a decision within the next two weeks. 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. An anti-abortion group in South Dakota sues to take an abortion rights initiative off the ballot FILE - South Dakota Republican state Rep. Jon Hansen, shown here Feb. 21, 2024, in the state House of Representatives in Pierre, S.D., is a co-chair of Life Defense Fund, an anti-abortion group which filed suit, June 13, 2024, to block an abortion rights initiative from the November ballot. (AP Photo/Jack Dura, file) An anti-abortion group in South Dakota has sued to block an abortion rights measure from the November ballot. In its complaint filed Thursday, Life Defense Fund alleged various wrongdoing by the measure's supporters, as well as invalid signatures and fraud. The group seeks to disqualify or invalidate the initiative. In May, Secretary of State Monae Johnson validated the measure by Dakotans for Health for the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The measure's supporters had submitted about 54,000 signatures to qualify the ballot initiative. They needed about 35,000 signatures. Johnson's office deemed about 85% of signatures as valid, based on a random sample. Life Defense Fund alleged Dakotans for Health didn't file a required affidavit for petition circulators' residency, and that petitioners didn't always provide a required circulator handout and left petition sheets unattended. Life Defense Fund also objected to numerous more signatures as invalid, and alleged petitioners misled people as to what they were signing. The public should scrutinize Dakotan for Healths comments and carefully consider its credibility. In the end, the Court will determine whether such unlawful conduct may result in the measure being included on the ballot, Life Defense Fund attorney Sara Frankenstein said in an email Monday. Dakotans for Health called Life Defense Fund's lawsuit a last-ditch effort to undermine the democratic process." "They have thrown everything they could, and now the kitchen sink, to stop the voters from weighing in this November. We are confident that the people of South Dakota are going to be able to make this decision, not the politicians, come this November, co-founder Rick Weiland said in a statement Friday. The measure would bar the state from regulating a pregnant womans abortion decision and its effectuation in the first trimester, but it would allow second-trimester regulations only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman." The constitutional amendment would allow the state to regulate or prohibit abortion in the third trimester, except when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the womans physician, to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. South Dakota outlaws abortion as a felony crime, except to save the life of the mother, under a trigger law that took effect in 2022 with the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade. The measure drew opposition from South Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year. The Legislature approved a resolution officially opposing the measure, and it passed a law allowing petition signers to withdraw their signatures from initiative petitions. The latter is not expected to affect the measure going before voters. Life Defense Fund is also seeking to ban Dakotans for Health and its workers from sponsoring or circulating petitions or doing ballot initiative committee work for four years. South Dakota is one of four states along with Colorado, Florida and Maryland where measures to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution will come before voters in November. There are petition drives to add similar questions in seven more states. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the nationwide right to abortion two years ago, there have been seven statewide abortion-related ballot measures, and abortion rights advocates have prevailed on all of them. ___ Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota. Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this story from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. People attend the annual March for Life rally on the National Mall on January 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. Amidst snow and freezing temperatures anti-abortion activists attended the annual march that marked the anniversary of the Supreme Courts, now overturned, 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling which legalized abortion in all 50 states. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Michigan Advance. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images for UltraViolet). In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling last week to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, providing abortion opponents a partial road map in their fight against abortion medication. (Courtesy Pat Mahoney) Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. Nikki Madsen, Abortion Care Network The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Chris Coduto | Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. After justices rejected the legal standing of anti-abortion doctors, activists search for plaintiffs that say they were harmed by the drug Mifepristone, an FDA-approved for pregnancy terminations. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The Justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on NC Newsline. Mifepristone, FDA-approved for pregnancy termination up to 10 weeks gestation, is used in about 63% of U.S. abortions. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images) In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups, in conjunction with conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, sought to revert the FDA guidelines to 2016, when the prescribed gestational time frame was three weeks shorter and there were more requirements around who could prescribe it and where and when provider visits had to take place. The case made its way to the nations highest court after outspoken anti-abortion U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ruled that mifepristones approval should be revoked, followed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that agreed in part, saying the restrictions should revert to pre-2016 rules. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In a unanimous decision rejecting the anti-abortion groups challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations regulation of the drug, justices agreed that the case lacked standing, saying there was no clear injury to the plaintiffs to warrant reinstating the restrictions. The plaintiffs do not prescribe or use mifepristone. And FDA is not requiring them to do or refrain from doing anything. Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the opinion. Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiffs desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. Wendy Heipt, attorney for advocacy organization Legal Voice, said the fact that the unanimous ruling is focused on standing is helpful, because thats an area of law that has been in question in many reproductive rights-related cases since the Dobbs decision in 2022. Im not relaxing; its not over. But the fact that this one rogue judge in Texas opened the courthouse doors to people who had no right to be there was a real challenge to the way our judicial system works, so I am reassured that there are still rules, Heipt told States Newsroom. Many reproductive rights and medical organizations issued statements following the ruling, including the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization that has closely tracked abortion pill use in the two years since the Dobbs decision. We are relieved by this outcome, but we are not celebrating, said Destiny Lopez, acting co-CEO of the Institute, in a statement. From the start, this case was rooted in bad faith and lacking any basis in facts or science. This case never should have reached our nations top court in the first place and the Supreme Court made the only reasonable decision by leaving access to medication abortion using mifepristone unchanged. Nikki Madsen, co-executive director of the Abortion Care Network, said she wasnt surprised by the ruling, but noted it only preserves the status quo. Its just not enough, Madsen told States Newsroom. We know that the anti-abortion extremists are relentless, and their goal is to truly chip away at any abortion access. So todays decision just preserves access, but its really not enough for the people across the country who are truly navigating a human rights crisis right now. Three intervenor states expected to continue fight at district court level Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative law firm that argued the case, is the same organization that argued in favor of the Dobbs decision that returned abortion regulation to the states. In a statement, ADF attorney Erin Hawley said the ruling was disappointing, but that they will continue to advocate for womens health. The FDA recklessly leaves women and girls to take these high-risk drugs all alone in their homes or dorm rooms, without requiring the ongoing, in-person care of a doctor, Hawley said, adding that ADF is grateful to attorneys general in Idaho, Kansas and Missouri who successfully intervened in the case at the district court level with Kacsmaryks approval, because they intend to keep litigating the case there. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote, Todays ruling only applies to standing; the court did not reach the merits. My case is still alive at the district court. We are moving forward undeterred with our litigation to protect both women and their unborn children. Baileys spokesperson did not give any further details about what that case would look like, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradors office did not respond to a request for comment. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a national anti-abortion organization, those attorneys general will move forward with the case based on harms suffered by women in their states. Abortion opponents target abortion drugs from multiple angles Anti-abortion opponents have been fighting against the expansion of access to medication abortion since the FDA first approved the regimen in 2000, and they say they are not deterred by Thursdays ruling. The justices simply discussed the issue of legal standing and did not reach the merits of the case, Carolyn McDonnell, litigation counsel at national anti-abortion policy shop Americans United for Life, told States Newsroom in a statement. Its still an open question whether the FDA unlawfully deregulated mifepristone. Longtime anti-abortion activist Rev. Pat Mahoney, chief strategy officer for the Stanton Public Policy Center, said the Supreme Courts decision in this case was instructive, if not what abortion opponents wanted. Theres, I think, a misconception that a loss is a loss, and that isnt always the case, Mahoney told States Newsroom. Sometimes a loss helps define the parameters for bringing the next case and next case, and believe me, there are going to be next cases on medical and chemical abortions. So now we know this isnt a route to go. Mahoney said that like past legal defeats for the anti-abortion movement, this ruling offers at least a partial road map, such as the one abortion opponents followed after the Supreme Court ruled in 1992s Planned Parenthood v. Casey that abortion until fetal viability was a federal right but that states could pass regulations that didnt create an undue burden for people seeking abortions. That ruling led to hundreds of restrictions and regulations around the country that kept nudging the viability and undue burden lines limiting abortion access even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Mahoney said his organization and others are pursuing various legislative proposals, such as regulating the disposal of embryonic and fetal remains following a medication abortion, which most people have at home or in private settings. Americans United for Life said in a statement following the ruling that it will continue to offer legal prescriptions for the strengthening of protections for unborn children from abortion pills through action on the federal and state levels in both executive and legislative branches of government, including through executive enforcement of the Comstock Act and RICO Act. Ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, resurrecting the long-dormant Comstock Act to ban the mailing of abortion drugs and equipment (something legal scholars and historians say is an inaccurate interpretation of the law and how it was applied) has been the long-term focus of East Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson and his partner Texas attorney Jonathan Mitchell. They have been pushing various legal and legislative strategies to prevent people from obtaining abortions in states where its still legal. They have helped pass dozens of local ordinances in Texas and other states with restrictions that challenge current federal law, such as banning interstate travel to obtain an abortion. In New Mexico, where abortion is legal and largely unrestricted, a challenge to two local ordinances based on the Comstock Act await a ruling from the New Mexico Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did not address the Comstock Act in its opinion, but Kascmaryk cited the old law in his initial ruling last year. Major conservative groups are pushing former President Donald Trump, if reelected this fall, to enforce the Comstock Act along with other federal abortion regulations. Trump has stayed silent about what he will do. In the meantime, anti-abortion groups have not stopped pursuing other cases. I can confirm that there are several attorneys in the pro-life movement that are planning on bringing a number of different lawsuits relating to abortion-inducing drugs and the harm that they cause to mothers and their unborn children, Dickson told States Newsroom. Mahoney also said groups like his are working with attorneys on a potential class-action lawsuit against abortion-pill manufacturers. He said they are actively gathering testimony and information from women who have been hurt through medical chemical abortions. Were working on it, said Mahoney, adding, It took us 50 years to overturn Roe. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Courts mifepristone ruling wont deter them appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Anti-woke water becomes a hit for conservatives who brag about the unapologetic drink Water is being pushed on conservative voters as anti-woke that is unapologetic. Freedom2o is becoming all the rage for some right-wing voters and now Alex Clark, a MAGA-world talking head, is pitching the water in a cringeworthy ad during Turning Points Peoples Convention over the weekend, according to Mediaite. The label tells consumers that "this water isn't free, but your speech is" and its marketing seems to suggest that by simply drinking the special "anti-woke" water that consumers are engaging in an act of rebellion. Clark pitches the product - where a 12-pack of 16.9oz bottles cost $21 - by insisting that every sip of the conservative water is not just refreshing, its rebellious, and its unapologetic to drink this in public. Conservative political commentator Alex Clark hawks a bottle of Freedom2o, a self-described anti-woke water brand (TP Peoples Convention) Its a reminder that even the most ordinary acts, like taking a sip of water, can be infused with meaning and purpose by choosing to drink Freedom2o. Youre not just choosing the brand, youre choosing to stand up for what you believe in, Clark insists. But, according to Clark, its really the thought that counts. She told the TPUSA audience that the product isnt just about whats inside the bottle, its about the message it sends with every sip. It's never made clear why drinking Freedom2o in public would be rebellious, or how the water is anti-woke. On its website, an animated graphic invites consumers to "speak your thirst, protect the first," referencing the First Amendment. It is unclear what "speak your thirst" means or how it relates to firearms, however. It also claims to "empower" drinkers to use their voices "without fear," though it provides not explanation of how in either instance. The water also advertises it has a frequency of 432hz. Some New Age spiritualists believe that sounds tuned to the frequency can promote spiritual growth or healing or chakra alignment or any other number of beneficial effects. Rudy Giulianis new coffee product, pictured, comes as he faces bankruptcy and a legal battle in Arizona (Rudy Giuliani) Water isnt the only product that has its own conservative-specific brand. One conservative entrepreneur tried to capitalize on the right-wing Bud Lite boycott by starting his own Ultra-Right beer company. While Budweiser is still going strong, Ultra-Right beer is having some issues. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani who is grappling with bankruptcy and a string of legal issues recently launched his own coffee business. Rudy Coffee offers three different bean styles, and assures consumers that theyre not just treating yourself to exceptional coffee, youre also supporting our cause.And what cause is that? The cause of truth, justice, and American democracy, of course. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Police Department released photos Monday of four men believed to be involved in a deadly shooting on June 8 outside of an Austin Waffle House. Police said two people were shot, one fatally, after an argument between two groups around 6 a.m. at a Waffle House on Dessau Road in northeast Austin. APD said the suspects left the scene after the shooting. MAP: Where have Austins homicides occurred in 2024? APD previously identified Tykeisha Lewis, 25, as the victim who died. On June 11, police said the second female victim was in stable condition. APD is asking for the publics help to identify the men believed to be connected with the shooting. The Austin Police Department released photos of four men believed to be involved in a deadly shooting on June 8 outside of an Austin Waffle House. (APD photo) Police described the suspects as Hispanic men with short black hair between the ages of 16 and 20. If you have information, you should call the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. Tips can be sent anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A $2,000 reward may be available for any information that leads to an arrest. 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. Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's minister of security, visits the Terrorism Confinement Center with her team in Tecoluca, El Salvador - Government of El Salvador/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Argentina is considering emulating El Salvadors controversial crackdown on violent crime after a visit by President Javier Mileis security minister to the countrys new mega prison. Patricia Bullrich, a longtime law-and-order hardliner, toured the Terrorism Confinement Centre on Sunday. She praised the iron-fist approach taken by Nayib Bukele, president of the Central American nation. From a country overtaken by violence, drug-trafficking and the maras [gangs] who murdered 150,000 El Salvadorans to one of the safest in the world, where families have recovered their lives and live in peace. This is the path. Tough against the criminals. Freedom for Argentines, she posted on X. Built in 2023 in a remote area 50 miles southeast of the capital San Salvador, the jail can hold 40,000 prisoners, reputedly making it the largest prison in the world. Its also the centrepiece of Mr Bukeles draconian campaign to tackle the countrys street gangs. Before Mr Bukele came to power El Salvador was one of the worlds most homicidal countries, with the murder rate hitting 107 per 100,000 people in 2015 more than 100 times higher than in the UK. But in March 2022 he placed the entire nation in an official state of emergency, suspending constitutional rights and due process. Since then, nearly 80,000 alleged gang members, often identifiable by their shaven heads and tattoos, have been locked up, making areas that were previously police no-go zones safe. Human rights violations But the crackdown has been tarnished by allegations of thousands of wrongful arrests as well as torture and deaths in custody. Human Rights Watch has accused Mr Bukele of launching an assault on democratic institutions and widespread human rights violations. Uploading a video of her visit on Sunday to X, Ms Bullrich spoke to the camera as dozens of inmates dressed in white uniforms sat crammed into a cell behind her. El Salvador was the most violent country. It has since become a country where families can walk and live in peace and tranquillity, she said. Ms Bullrich had previously hailed Mr Bukeles approach as a model for Argentina. The relationship between Mr Milei and Mr Bukele has blossomed. The Argentine president was one of a handful of world leaders who attended the inauguration, held in private, of Mr Bukeles second term earlier in June. The pair were pictured beaming at a one-on-one meeting afterwards There are, however, doubts about whether the El Salvadoran model could work in Argentina. Ariel Larroude, a former head of crime policy in the South American nations security ministry, says the two countries are not comparable. El Salvador had been dominated by the bloodthirsty mara gangs, whereas most crime in Argentina is opportunistic and petty, such as muggings and robbery, he told CNN. We havent reached the level of conflict that El Salvador has now had for a long time, he added, warning that Argentinas annual homicide rate over the past two decades had never surpassed nine per 100,000 residents, less than a 10th of El Salvadors. Mr Milei is not the only Latin American admirer of Mr Bukele. Last week, Xiomara Castro, the leftist leader of Honduras, unveiled plans to build a new prison to hold 20,000 gang members there. Ms Bullrich is due to remain in El Salvador until Wednesday and is expected to meet with Mr Bukele. 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. Staff with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission attend a meeting of the Joint Budget Committees Special Language subcommittee in Little Rock on June 17, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Lawmakers moved quickly Monday afternoon toward approval of an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission appropriation bill, a primary reason Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called a special session this week. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, filed the bill Friday to set the agencys budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which starts July 1. The bill passed with no discussion through two state Joint Budget Committee meetings and with some constructive comments about the nature of the process during a meeting of the Joint Budget Committees Special Language subcommittee. I think weve learned something from this, Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, said during the Special Language meeting. I hope we never come back to this point, and thats for [legislative] members and thats for Game and Fish. Keep open dialogue so we dont have to deal with this type of issue ever again. I say that as an admonishment to everyone. The appropriation bill would have typically been approved during a fiscal session, but lawmakers were unable to come to an agreement before adjournment last month due to concerns about the directors maximum salary. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, presents a bill to fund the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to the Joint Budget Committees Special Language subcommittee on June 17, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Under the newly proposed budget, the directors salary cap would be set at $170,437, and any salary increases greater than 5% of the current earnings would require legislative approval. The restriction is only effective through June 30, 2025. I would hope that we dont allow any of whats transpired regarding Game and Fish becomes the norm, Dismang said. No. 1: leaving without reaching a compromise on the appropriation, but then No. 2, that we dont set this type of threshold in place. If we want it to be a specific amount, then I think we should do that while were actually in session. Game and Fish Director Austin Booth told reporters afterward that it was a great day for Arkansas with the budget closer to approval. While the future of Game and Fish operations has been in limbo, Booth said employees losing their jobs and health insurance coverage have kept us up at night. Following that impact, Booth said the next major concerns were the states hatchery system to stock waterways with millions of fish, and the ability to sell hunting and fishing licenses. Austin Booth, director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, talks with reporters in Little Rock on June 17, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) As for the bill restricting increases to his current $152,637 salary, Booth said he was totally fine with it. He noted Game and Fish staff did not initially request the salary cap that lawmakers deemed too high, and he didnt say if he regretted that a legislator made that amendment. Going forward, Booth said the agency will continue to improve communication with the Legislature. For three years now, Ive sat at that table right in there, and I have said that we recognize that we have to do better, that we want to increase and improve dialogue, Booth said. The bill is expected to head to the full Senate and the House of Representatives for approval on Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The post Arkansas Game and Fish Commission budget moves along swimmingly appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. Armie Hammer called the sexual abuse allegations against him 'career death.' Here's a timeline of the actor's controversial fall from grace. Accusations of sexual violence and cannibalism against Armie Hammer began surfacing in January 2021. After investigating Hammer, TMZ reported the LAPD closed the case without pressing charges. Hammer addressed the allegations and his downfall in a new interview on the "Painful Lessons" podcast. Armie Hammer has been the subject of intense scrutiny since claims of a cannibalism fetish began spreading in January 2021, when an anonymous Instagram account posted unverified purported DMs with the actor. In his first interview since the scandal, Hammer told Air Mail in February 2023 that he was sexually abused by a pastor as a teenager and that he became suicidal after his downfall. He also denied any criminal wrongdoing, saying instead that he never pushed BDSM relationships or encounters on anyone. He echoed the same statements in an interview on the "Painful Lessons" podcast in June 2024. A woman also accused him of a "violent" rape that took place in 2017 and spoke at a press conference in March 2021. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed to Insider the same month that it was investigating Hammer as the main suspect in a sexual assault allegation. An anonymous source told TMZ in December 2021 that the case had wrapped with the actor unlikely to face charges. It all started when the Instagram account @houseofeffie posted dozens of screenshots of direct messages that it claimed Hammer had sent women between 2016 and 2020. The woman who shared the screenshots, who has since been identified as Efrosina Angelova, per The Hollywood Reporter, is the woman who accused Hammer of rape at the press conference in March 2021, according to Variety. The messages in the screenshots, which are unverified, referred to fantasies involving domination and cannibalism, among other claims. Hammer denied certain allegations against him, such as the allegation of rape, and simply avoided or refused to address others. He was dropped by two projects, including "The Offer," Paramount's series about the making of "The Godfather." He was also dropped by his agency and his publicist. Hammer first began trending on social media in 2021 over alleged NSFW direct messages shared by the account @houseofeffie In January 2021, an Instagram account called @houseofeffie began to share messages that the account claimed were from actor Armie Hammer. The messages, which remain unverified by media outlets including Insider, detailed fantasies including drinking blood, sexual domination, and even acts of cannibalism. The messages began to go viral after being amplified by the Instagram gossip page @deuxmoi, which has 590,000 followers. After @houseofeffie surfaced the claims, the account began to share other stories from women who it said had come forward with their own experiences and screenshots of their conversations with the 34-year-old "Call Me By Your Name" actor. While it is unconfirmed whether these messages are genuinely from Hammer, @houseofeffie insists they are and has tried to prove it by releasing what appear to be previously unseen photos of Hammer, which have since been deleted. "Women approached me with their affair stories as we talked overwhelmed with grief for days and nights without sleeping or eating, with some ending up in the ER," the account admin wrote in an Instagram story, which was saved to the account's highlights reel. "We collectively decided we have to speak out after how we were treated and seeing how the women in 2020 were being treated by him," the statement continued. "We cannot allow more women to endure what we are going through in the future." Hammer stepped down from his next movie over what he called 'vicious and spurious online attacks' in mid-January Hammer at the 13th Annual Go Gala at NeueHouse Hollywood on November 16, 2019, in Los Angeles. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP On January 13, 2021, days after the controversy had begun to unfold online, it was announced that Hammer had stepped down from a coming rom-com called "Shotgun Wedding," in which he was set to play the lead opposite the star and producer Jennifer Lopez. "Given the imminent start date of 'Shotgun Wedding,' Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision," a production representative confirmed to Insider. The role was recast with Josh Duhamel taking Hammer's place. The actor and his team vigorously denied the allegations against him. "I'm not responding to these bulls--- claims, but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I'm grateful to them for that," Hammer said in a January 13 statement to People. Hammer's ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers and other exes have since commented on the alleged messages Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers married in 2010 but split in 2020. Leon Bennett/WireImage During the timing of the alleged messages, Hammer was married to Elizabeth Chambers. Prior to the current scandal, Hammer and Chambers had decided to end their 10-year marriage. Chambers filed for divorce on July 10, 2020, citing irreconcilable differences, according to People, and asked for primary custody of their children. According to an expose written by Vanity Fair's Julie Miller on March 11, 2021, "The Hammers had been in expensive family therapy, but, to Elizabeth, the indiscretions and more notably his decision to flee the family during a global pandemic were the final straw." The article went on to claim that Armie mistakenly sent raunchy text messages meant for someone else to Chambers, which helped initiate the divorce. At first, Chambers was tight-lipped as the controversy unfolded on social media. But on February 1, 2021, she posted a full statement on Instagram saying she was "shocked, heartbroken, and devastated." "Heartbreak aside, I am listening, and will continue to listen and educate myself on these delicate matters," she wrote. "I didn't realize how much I didn't know." "I support any victim of assault or abuse and urge anyone who has experienced this pain to seek the help she or he needs to heal," she continued. Chambers is not the only one of Hammer's exes to speak out publicly about the supposed messages or share their own experiences with the actor. Previously, another ex named Courtney Vucekovich, 30, told Page Six that Hammer once told her that he "wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it" in addition to alleging emotional abuse. And ex-girlfriend Paige Lorenze shared explicit messages she claimed are between herself and Hammer to Page Six as well as detailing instances she claims were abusive. "These latest messages are just further evidence of the reality of his dangerous proclivities and his reaction shows his blatant disregard for the women he has traumatized," the 22-year-old student told the publication. "I want to offer my continued support to the other women who have been preyed on by men and have the courage to come forward." "These assertions about Mr. Hammer are patently untrue," his lawyer Andrew Brettler said in a statement shared to outlets including Page Six and Fox News. "Any interactions with this person, or any partner of his, were completely consensual in that they were fully discussed, agreed upon, and mutually participatory. The stories being perpetuated in the media are a misguided attempt to present a one-sided narrative with the goal of tarnishing Mr. Hammer's reputation, and communications from the individuals involved prove that." The Daily Mail also reported that one of Hammer's exes, the writer Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, whose Twitter account is private, had posted about her experience with Hammer. "If you are still questioning whether or not those Armie Hammer DMs are real (and they are) maybe you should start questioning why we live in a culture willing to give abusers the benefit of the doubt instead of victims," Henriquez tweeted, according to the Daily Mail. Hammer's past behavior and quotes are now being re-examined with new scrutiny Given the nature of the supposed messages, fans are going back through old interviews to find any connection. In a Netflix Brazil interview for "Rebecca" in November 2020, for example, Hammer said his dream dinner guest would be the Marquis de Sade, an 18th-century French philosopher and writer famous for his erotic work that heavily involved sexual violence. The words "sadism" and "sadist" derive from de Sade's name. And in 2013, Hammer described himself in an interview with Playboy magazine as being a "dominant lover." "Well, if you're married to a feminist as I am, then it's ... I don't know how much we can put here without my parents being embarrassed, but I used to like to be a dominant lover," the actor said. "I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change," he continued. "And I mean that for the better it's not like I'm suffering in any way. But you can't really pull your wife's hair. It gets to a point where you say, 'I respect you too much to do these things that I kind of want to do.'" That same year, the actor told Elle magazine that a former girlfriend tried to stab him while they were having sex. "She was like: 'True love leaves scars. You don't have any.' And then she tried to stab me with a butcher knife," he said. "Of course I promptly broke up with her. Seven months later." Hammer was dropped by both his agency, WME, and his personal publicist, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported on February 5, 2021. The LAPD investigated a rape allegation against Hammer The LAPD confirmed to Insider in March 2021 that they were investigating an allegation of rape against Hammer. It was not immediately clear whether the investigation was related to the accusation made by Angelova, who spoke about her alleged assault during a press conference Thursday alongside Gloria Allred, a high-profile women's rights attorney. "On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles," she said at the conference, "during which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall, bruising my face." She added that Hammer "also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent." Angelova said that she tried to get away from Hammer, "but he wouldn't let me." Hammer's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, denied the allegations in a statement provided to Insider. "Effie's own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations," Brettler said in the statement. The statement continued, "It was never Mr. Hammer's intention to embarrass or expose [Effie's] fetishes or kinky sexual desires, but she has now escalated this matter to another level by hiring a civil lawyer to host a public press conference. With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight." Allred, Angelova's lawyer, told Insider in a statement: "I challenge Armie Hammer to present all, not some, of his communications with Effie to the Los Angeles Police Department and answer all of their questions directly rather than through his lawyers." An anonymous source with "direct knowledge" of the case told TMZ in December 2021 that the LAPD wrapped its investigation and passed on their findings to the district attorney. They added that the actor wasn't likely to face charges because the case "wasn't strong." In June 2023, the LA district attorney's office announced it wouldn't file charges against him. Hammer addressed the scandal in an interview with Air Mail The actor told Air Mail in February 2023 that he contemplated suicide while quarantining in the Cayman Islands in February 2021. "I just walked out into the ocean and swam out as far as I could and hoped that either I drowned, or was hit by a boat, or eaten by a shark. Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldn't do that to my kids," he said. He also said his desire to engage in BDSM emerged after he was molested by a youth pastor at age 13, citing a need for "control." "What that did for me was it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control," Hammer said. "I was powerless in the situation. I had no agency in the situation. My interests then went to: I want to have control in the situation, sexually." Hammer denied Angelova's rape allegation. Instead, he told Air Mail that the two engaged in a "scene" that they planned together over Facebook Messenger. He called the encounter a "consensual non-consent scene." While he admitted to being emotionally abusive to his partners, he denied any criminal wrongdoing. "I'm here to own my mistakes, take accountability for the fact that I was an asshole, that I was selfish, that I used people to make me feel better, and when I was done, moved on. And treated people more poorly than they should have been treated," he said. Armie Hammer on the "Painful Lessons" podcast in June. Painful Lessons Hammer said he's sober during an interview on the "Painful Lessons" podcast In June 2024, Hammer appeared on the "Painful Lessons" podcast hosted by his friend and self-described "longtime Armie pal" Tyler Ramsey to once again speak about addiction and how the previous allegations against him led to a "career death." Hammer said he attempted a "half-assed suicide attempt" but didn't go through with it because he thought about his two children. "I hit really dark low points," Hammer told Ramsey. "There was a time where I was standing on the shore, and I just looked out at the ocean, and I thought, 'Yep, this is it.' And I just swam out really fucking far, and I thought, 'You know what, like I'm I'm done, like there's nothing back there for me,'" Hammer said. Hammer denied rumors that he is a cannibal, calling them "bizarre," and said he's now sober after doing an extended stint in rehab. "I'm now at a place in my life where I'm really grateful for every single bit of it," Hammer said, looking back on the past few years, "because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me I didn't feel good." Moises Mendez II and Gabi Stevenson contributed to previous versions of this post. Read the original article on Business Insider Cotton is Pakistans largest industrial sector, per the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. And yet, the industry is losing up to 15 percent of its value through traditional agricultural practices. Thats one of the reasons Artistic Fabric Mills (AFM) launched the afm.Regenerative Cotton project last year: to enhance and promote the bio-diversified ecosystem while ensuring equitable conditions for the farmers in the Balochistan region of Pakistan. More from Sourcing Journal The vertically integrated denim and jean manufacturer announced last week that the farms under the project are the first regenerative farms in Pakistan to be Regenagri certified by Control Union, an agricultural certification body that sets standards across all aspects of regenerative agriculture. With AFM production facilities previously Regenagri certified, this milestone completes the chain of custody for regenerative cotton processing at AFMensuring traceability, responsibility and eco-conscious practices from farm to fashion. Saba Iqbal, director of AFM, being the first farms in Pakistan with Regenagri certification is a testament to its teams commitment. It will contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change by reducing emissions and sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate resilience, she said. We believe this initiative will have a positive impact on the entire cotton value chain. AFM remains dedicated to scaling up regenerative cotton farming, working closely with all stakeholders to promote sustainable agriculture practices and fostering positive change in the denim industry. Covering the Barkhan region of Baluchistan, which accounts for 500-plus farms across over 7,600 acres of land, AFM said this is a landmark step toward environmentally-conscious farming initiatives in Pakistan. The program is made possible through funding from AFM and implementation by WWF Pakistan. To protect the health of regenerative crops, AFM has also adopted natural pest control methods, integrated pest management (IPM) techniques and organic fertilizers made with waste, plants and herbseliminating the need for toxic chemicals and pesticides. AFM is committed to reform the cotton farming sector through the initiatives and practices under afm.Regenerative Cotton, said Iqbal Ahmed, chairman of AFM. This is a pivotal moment for the agricultural and textile community in Pakistan, putting our country on the map for traceable, sustainable and future-forward agricultural and textile processing that is shaping the global supply chain. With certified Regenagri cotton, AFM can present sustainable collections to its buyers while providing a complete chain of custody detailing the products journey through the supply chain. Not to mention, regenerative practices support small-scale farmers by encouraging fair labor practices and engaging local female farmers to improve livelihood and community development, the company said. The project is built on a continuous improvement model, the women-led company said, covering the complete supply chain. Various aspect of farming including soil health management, livestock management, holistic vision and landscape management, environmental impact to reduce carbon footprint, and farmer community development are measured through periodical assessments. The result is regenerative cotton with complete transparency documented and approved by the accredited organization. The entire processfrom cotton crop to ginning and spinning to weavingis Regenagri certified. The full chain of custody certification ensures data transparency and integrity throughout the production journey, including authenticated regenerative product delivery. AFM said its a pioneer in regenerative cotton farming and prioritizes ethical sourcing. By doing so, Pakistans transition toward regenerative cotton farming can have a ripple effect on the global textile market, potentially inspiring others to make greener choices. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative, which not only benefits our planet but also improves farmers livelihoods and enables us to produce high-quality cotton products for our valuable customers, said Asma Omar, AFMs CSR and strategic programs manager. Right now, the activists targeting Barclays sponsorship of summer music festivals are celebrating. After bands threatened to boycott events supported by the bank which invests six-figure sums in festivals staged by promoter Live Nation, including Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight amid pressure over its links to defence companies supplying Israel, it opted to pull its support for the cultural fixtures of our summer. The activists, put simply, have won. It must be nice to live in a lofty world where staff intimidation and the vandalism of Barclays branches are a just means to an end and the grubby issues of funding can be disregarded. You cant get stuck in the weeds with that stuff. But as they polish their halos, I wonder how many of these protesters have thought ahead to next year, to the simple mathematical equation BBC DJ Liz Kershaw was forced to lay out for them on Twitter/X on Saturday: No sponsor = no festival. Bullying of bands = no festival. The same equation applies across the arts world a world which, incidentally, has seen a dramatic decline in government funding over the past 15 years and been left battered by the pandemic. In 2019 Hay Literary Festivals main sponsor, the conglomerate Tata, pulled out after being accused of harming poor communities in India. But relief at the securing of a new sponsor was short-lived. It turns out that the Scottish asset manager Baillie Gifford also failed to pass purity tests. Best known for its early investments in Tesla, the company was forced to pull its funding after it was accused by critics of profiting from fossil fuels and indirect links to Israel. In another coup for protesters, Baillie Gifford has now cancelled all of its remaining deals with literary festivals. Its now hard to imagine why any company would put themselves through the ethical wringer for arts festivals in the future. After all, the sponsorship of major events is only a worthwhile marketing strategy if it shows businesses up in a good light, and you have to wonder who, in 2024, would be considered pure enough to fund the arts? It would, of course, help if there were an actual, literal, purity test that potential funders could be made to sit. Does your board meet the necessary diversity targets? Has it met those targets throughout its history I mean, from day one? Because nowadays morals are backdated, retrospective, and we no longer behave like that is no defence. Do you or have you ever employed someone who has behaved badly? Never mind that in a globally interconnected economy, everything is linked to everything, can you, hand on heart, swear that you have never had links to anyone, or anything, deemed to be problematic? Perhaps drawing up a vast document outlining all the potential ethical violations a sponsorship company might be guilty of is the answer. In which case, lets get the protesters to sit through that same purity test, shall we? Lets quiz them on their links, however tenuous. Since social media tends to be their moral guide, the bible from which they learn right from wrong, Id like to know who makes the devices theyre glued to? Apple has been known to hire US lobbyists who work with those devilish fossil fuel companies, as has Google and Microsoft. X has been found to incentivise violent content. Time and again Meta has been accused of harming childrens mental health and failing to protect its young users from sexual exploitation. Amazon has been regularly sued for workplace abuse, discrimination, and maltreatment of workers. Where do all these violations figure on activists ethical barometers? One of the greatest characteristics of Gen Z is their ethical backbone; the way they hold people and companies to account. I certainly wasnt thinking about those things at their age, and young people should be idealistic but not to the point that it eclipses practicality and rationality. Not if it means an inability to understand the bigger picture. Not if the whole concept of commerce is to be seen as dirty, if the arts world is to be sacrificed and we are to be left with a culturally barren landscape. Nobody has put it better than Sir Ian Blatchford, the director of the embattled Science Museum, who back in 2022 saw the way the wind was blowing and warned: If the arts world is not careful, it will be eaten alive by its own piety. 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. Aselsan was the 47th-largest defense company in the world in 2023, according to Defense News Top 100 list, which ranks firms by their defense revenue. The company also set a new export record in 2023 with new contract of $601 million for 30 different countries Ahmet Akyol took the helm of the company in June 2023 from Mr. Haluk Gungor who was appointment as the President of Defense Industry Agency. Prior to Eurosatory 2024, which began in Paris on June 17, Akyol talked to Defense News about the future of Aselsan. How does Aselsan drive to localize production clash with your goal to expand into more export markets? Localization is not a contradiction but rather a supporter for our goal to expand in the global market. Our engineering capability and research and development activities are based on developing high-technology products with domestic resources. With domestic resources we reduce import costs from abroad which gives us the possibility to be more cost effective in some areas in the global market. Aselsan represents Turkey in the world with independent defense technologies on many platforms and systems today with its localization activities in order to reduce external dependence and supply risks in the defense industry, and it can offer many products that cannot be obtained from outside due to embargoes to its users. Which products do you plan to highlight for an export-oriented growth strategy? Which markets, globally, do you aim to focus on? We have established offices and subsidiaries in 16 countries and accelerated our efforts to access new markets and expand in these markets. With the establishment of our new offices in Poland, Chile, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in 2023, our presence in many countries around the world has been sustainably enhanced. We are selecting our target countries according to the regions that we prioritize. We have determined Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates in Middle East; Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines in the Pacific region; North African countries, especially Egypt and Algeria in Africa; and east European countries, especially Poland and Romania as our focal points. Aselsan stands out with its naval systems in the Pacific region, whereas it has become focus of attention in South America with the tank modernization project it has undertaken in Chile. We aim to expand our presence in Middle East with the solutions we present in the field of air defense and by closely monitoring ongoing potential projects in this region. We are also proud to demonstrate our engineering power with the systems we provide to Eastern Europe with other Turkish platform producers. Ahmet Akyol is the CEO of Aselsan. (Aselsan photo) What are your plans to accelerate the process of transitioning from research and development to the final product? Aselsan has recently launched an integrated roadmap that lays out our technology and product plans and shows how they are interrelated, over spanning multiple years. This helps us to assess how each research-and-development project ties into the products we want to introduce to the market. We have also developed an internal roadmap management system to monitor progress. This lets us track the roadmap progress in monthly basis and act quickly if any big divergence is spotted. This roadmap ensures that progress aligns with strategic goals, keeping pace with the evolving needs of customers and stakeholders. This approach ensures readiness and adaptability in a rapidly changing technological landscape. In addition, we incorporate product prospects throughout the course of our R&D projects. Right from the start, we require commercialization plans to ensure each project has a strong market potential. Commercialization is a key factor on how we evaluate the success of our R&D efforts. This year we have initiated 4 important investments valued over $400 million for the mass production in the area of following systems: FLIR cameras, air defense systems, micro-electronic and AESA radars. How does Aselsan plan to position itself in air defense systems, specifically, in international markets? Our KORKUT Air Defence Gun System is one of our most remarkable air defense systems which we will exhibit also during Eurosatory 2024. This system will be showcased for the first time integrated on an 8x8 vehicle in an international exhibition. The system is already in the inventory of Turkish Armed Forces integrated on tracked vehicle configuration, however depending on the operational requirements of our clients KORKUT system could be provided as stationary, integrated on tracked vehicle and integrated on 8x8 vehicle configurations. GURZ, our multipurpose short- and very-short-range, autonomous air and missile defense system is designed to endure and perform in severe environments. One of its key operational concepts is to perform an effective air and missile defense task alongside mobile units and in the transport of valuable elements. Moreover, it is to remark that the system exhibits effective air and missile defense against low-cost targets such as kamikaze drones. We have also developed GOKKUBE, a ground-based air defense system, to counter existing air threats, including rockets, artillery and mortars. What are the key challenges in the Turkish National Aircraft program Aselsan is facing? Developing avionics, radars, and sensors for a fifth-generation fighter aircraft involves numerous challenges. These include ensuring advanced stealth capabilities, enabling high data processing, and ensuring compatibility with current and future systems while keeping up with rapidly evolving technology. The Turkish National Aircrafts advanced payloads, such as radar, electronic warfare, electro-optics, communication, and navigation subsystems, are designed to meet these demanding requirements. A key component of this program is the MURAD-100A AESA Nose Radar. This Multi-Purpose AESA Airborne Radar was initially developed for the indigenous F-16 Upgrade Program OZGUR and the AKINCI high-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle. MURAD-100A excels in air-to-air, air-to-ground, and SAR screening, thanks to its advanced AESA technology. One of the main challenges in developing the MURAD-100A was fitting it into the constricted nose cone of the F-16 and AKINCI. The radars modules feature unprecedented density levels, and cooling these high-powered modules was another significant hurdle. Comprehensive thermal and mechanical design studies were conducted alongside RF and digital design, test, and verification processes to overcome these challenges. Flight tests on unmanned combat aerial vehicles and F-16s have yielded exceptional results, and preparations for the radars serial production are underway. Asylum claims are down over 40% in Mexico, but migrants still stranded at southern border Asylum applications have fallen by 41.9% in Mexico in 2024; however, migrants complain that the decrease is due to legal obstacles in the process at the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar). Between January and May, there were 26,576 applications less than the 63,436 registered during the same period in 2023. Mexico registered a record of 140,982 applications in 2023, the third highest in the world after the United States and Germany, according to the government. Asylum seekers came mainly from Honduras (15.389 requests), followed by Cuba (8.029), Haiti (3.353), El Salvador (2.896), Venezuela (2.068), Guatemala (2.014), Colombia (1.010), Nicaragua (456), Ecuador (337) and Chile (192) and other unspecified countries. Comar reported that it resolved only about one in three cases, of which 73% were approved. NGOs dispute these figures, claiming that the decrease is due to delays in the asylum application process. Obstacles for migrants Jose Gildardo Galdamez, president of the Migration and Human Rights Lawyers Association, told EFE that Comar is receiving fewer people but is also increasing obstacles, not allowing them to be accompanied by an advisor and giving them late dates for appointments. The Comar offices, the National Migration Institute and the National Guard, are not issuing documents for migrants, humanitarian visas are being granted in dribs and drabs, it is very complicated, you have to get a lawyer, the Comar is using the law to harm and not to help, he argued. Constitutional lawyer Jose Luis Perez, a specialist in migratory issues in Tapachula, believes that the number of refugee applicants at the southern border remains the same as in 2023, and that Comar takes so long to process them that it does not register the petitions in its statistics. When Comar notifies the migrant to go to their interview, four months have already passed and that person is already at the northern border, Perez said. It is a mirage; there has been no reduction in asylum or refugee applications. There are still the same; there is only procrastination and turtle speed, he added. Undocumented migrants still trapped The drop comes as immigration restrictions have increased in Mexico and the US, after President Joe Biden implemented an executive order two weeks ago to limit asylum and speed up deportations. Cuban Carlos Alberto Ochoa has been in a makeshift camp in Tapachula for two months, where he waits in the rain for his asylum application to be processed. I have been waiting for two months, and I still have not been called for the recorded interview, and this (June) 18 I go to the fourth appointment at Migration. It has been very difficult for me, in a rented house they stole everything, I had to come here because they left me without money, he said. The Nicaraguan Maria Mercedes del Rio assures that, despite the decrease in requests, the offices of Comar continue to be saturated. An Athens man recently entered a guilty plea in Clarke County Superior Court to three felony crimes and three misdemeanor crimes stemming from the burglary of an Athens home in September 2023. The plea was negotiated between District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez and Western Circuit Assistant Public Defender Matthew Lester. But the decision ultimately lay with Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott. In the end, Lott on June 13 rejected the plea bargain for seven years in prison. Instead, she imposed a 20-year prison sentence on the defendant, Rashard Timothy Blackshear. And she granted a motion to give him recidivist status due to her determination he was repeat offender. FILE - Athens District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez The defendant had a right to back out of the sentence because it didnt follow the bargain he was expecting. And he did. Blackshear now faces a possible jury trial on the still-pending charges. Blackshear, a 35-year-old man, who has been in and out of jails and prisons for much of his 35 years, has a criminal history that includes more than a dozen felony convictions ranging from numerous theft cases, unlawful drugs, and burglary, with a scattering of sexual offenses, according to court documents. Marsy's Law: Judge rules DA's office violated Marsy's Law in vehicular homicide case Those criminal convictions occurred in Clarke, Oconee and Tattnal counties, the recidivist records show. At the outset of the hearing, Lott was advised by Gonzalez there would be dissent on how the court should handle the case. She noted the victims were opposed to the proposed sentence and their attorney Kevin Epps has been disrespectful to people in her office. The district attorney urged the judge to maintain decorum in the courtroom, but Lott declined to comment on the difficulties between the two parties. Blackshear entered the hearing already serving seven years in prison after Lott revoked his probation last December when he admitted he violated his probationary status, which included being arrested for loitering and prowling on the University of Georgia campus. FILE - Kevin Epps speaks at the Clarke County Mentor program fundraising breakfast at Athens First United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Epps in the past has filed Marsys Law complaints against the Athens District Attorney's Office. The proposed plea bargain would have run concurrent with the seven years he is now serving. Epps said he was representing nine victims, all University of Georgia students, who were in the house on Waddell Street when it was burglarized late at night in 2023. One student told police she awoke to find Blackshear standing near her bed and masturbating. Epps also complained that Blackshear called this particular victim from jail, something Blackshears lawyer said was an attempt to apologize to her. In arguing against the plea agreement, Epps pointed out a burglary conviction against Blackshear in 2014 in which he entered the room of an 11-year-old girl and pulled her bed covers off. That same year he was convicted of misdemeanor charges of distributing obscene material. Tara Baker case: New attorney takes over representation of suspect charged in Tara Baker death In supporting Blackshears plea-bargained sentence, Lester described the difficult young life of his client, who suffered abuse and inherited a psychiatric condition. As youth, he was in and out of youth detention centers. Lester shared that Blackshear has a history of drug abuse from methamphetamine to fentanyl and alcohol. Lester maintained the victims in this recent case will be sophomores at UGA this fall and they dont want him released from prison before they graduate. Lott, who said she was familiar with Blackshear, said that by imposing a 20-year prison term she was taking into account his significant criminal record of 16 felonies. Additionally, she ordered that he have no contact with the victims and she barred him from the UGA campus and areas in Athens of the most recent crimes. After she imposed the sentence, Lott told Blackshear he is legally entitled to withdraw his plea because he pled under a negotiated deal that she did not accept. Epps told the court he had considered a Marseys Law violation against the district attorneys office because he felt the victims rights have been violated. Epps has filed such complaints against Gonzalez in the past. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens man balks at jail sentence imposed after plea deal rejected Atlanta to receive nearly $1M in federal funding to address water infrastructure The City of Atlanta will receive some help through federal funding to look into the citys aging water infrastructure. Sen. Raphael Warnock, Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Nikema Williams announced on Monday that the city will get $993,500 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Atlanta Watershed Department responded to multiple water main breaks across the city earlier this month. The largest two breaks occurred at Joseph E. Boone Blvd. and James P. Brawley Dr. and W. Peachtree St. and 11th St. The breaks impacted dozens of businesses that either didnt have water or were under a boil water advisory for days. The funding acquired by Georgias U.S. Senators and District 5 Representative will go toward the citys efforts to review its aging water infrastructure, some of which dates back 80 years, and what long-term upgrades are needed. While Im proud of the important steps weve taken through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more to strengthen our water infrastructure, the recent water crisis in Atlanta highlights how much more work we have left to do on that front, Warnock said. RELATED STORIES: Its not the only federal government involvement after the Atlanta water crisis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also accessing the citys water infrastructure. The Corps is working with the city to investigate the viability of doing a Planning Assistance to States study to perform a full physical and operational assessment of the entire water system with the city of Atlanta, the Corps said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Attack on Lexington motorcyle club cited in charges against 14 members of rival gang An alleged attack on a motorcycle club in Lexington figures prominently in federal charges against members of a rival gang. A federal grand jury last week indicted members of the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club (TRMC) chapter based in Dayton, Ohio, on charges of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy and attempted assault. The indictment names 14 TRMC members, though not all were charged in all counts. One incident the indictment cites as an example of the clubs alleged illegal activities happened in Lexington in April 2023, when more than half a dozen club members rode from Ohio to Lexington to retaliate against a rival motorcycle gang known as the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, according to the indictment. Members of the TRMC suspected two of their Kentucky members had been attacked by Outlaws MC members, the indictment says. The two clubs have been in conflict over control of territory, according to the indictment. TRMC members from Ohio met up with members from the clubs Richmond chapter at a gas station on North Broadway in Lexington and switched the Ohio license plates on their motorcyles with stolen Kentucky plates, the indictment charges. Club members then went to the Outlaws MC clubhouse on Bryan Avenue and fired at least 192 shots into the building, according to the indictment. The building was occupied at the time. The indictment did not say whether any Outlaws MC members were hurt. The attack and the planning leading up to it were the basis for the conspiracy charge in the indictment against 10 TRMC members. A Kentucky club member who allegedly helped supply stolen license plates, Joseph Michael Rader, 32, was arrested last week and was scheduled for an initial court appearance Monday in federal court in Lexington. Background on Dayton club The indictment says the TRMC established the Dayton chapter in 2019. Juan Anthony Robles, 45, one of the men named in the indictment, was instrumental in setting up the new chapter and is the current head of the organization in the Midwest, according to the charges. The organization itself was founded as an outlaw motorcycle gang in 2004 and has chapters throughout the U.S. and in other countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, according to the indictment. The organization makes money from dues from members, payments from support clubs and other methods that include illegal alcohol sales and stripper shows, the indictment says. Members have engaged in extortion, identity fraud and violent acts including murder, arson and assault, according to the indictment. Other incidents cited in the indictment include blowing up a vehicle owned by a former member of the club who hadnt paid the $1,000 fee to get out of the organization, and firing more than 40 shots into a Chevrolet Tahoe at a Dayton liquor store, killing one of the occupants. The men in the SUV had gotten into a confrontation with TRMC members after being turned away from a club event, according to the indictment. The Dayton Daily News reported that about 300 police officers from various agencies took part in rounding up TRMC members in four states last week. Federal authorities said at a news conference that police seized about 100 guns and 15,000 rounds of ammunition during the arrests, according to the newspaper. A man accused of attempted murder has escaped from custody in Southern California, according to authorities. Deshaun Stamps broke out from the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga during an outside recreation period on Sunday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. It was not immediately clear how he escaped. PHOTO: An undated photo of Deshaun Stamps, 29, who escaped from custody in San Bernardino County, California, on June 16. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) MORE: 2 killed, 14 injured in shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Texas; police searching for suspect Stamps, 29, has been in custody for attempted murder since Jan. 30, 2023, the sheriff's office said. A search for Stamps is ongoing, authorities said. PHOTO: An undated photo of Deshaun Stamps, 29, who escaped from custody in San Bernardino County, California, on June 16. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) Stamps is bald with green eyes and has tattoos on his neck and head, according to the sheriff's office. He stand at 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. Authorities urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 911. PHOTO: An undated photo of Deshaun Stamps, 29, who escaped from custody in San Bernardino County, California, on June 16. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) A trial date hasn't been set for the attempted murder charge. Stamps was next due in court in August. Attempted murder suspect escapes from custody in California originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A man facing attempted murder charges escaped from a jail in Southern California on Sunday, June 16th. The search remains ongoing. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is currently investigating how Deshaun Stamps, 29, managed to escape the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday. Stamps was last seen during an outside recreation period. Inmate Escapes From Custody In California View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABC News (@abcnews) The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department reported that jail guards learned that Stamps escaped from the jail at 12:19 p.m. However, details about the circumstances surrounding the escape were not made public. The 29-year-old was in jail after being charged with attempted murder, removing a police officers firearm with special circumstances, obstructing or resisting an officer, vandalism, and other charges. After the news broke, several social media users asked how the jail guards could let this happen. "How could this happen? Seriously?" one X user asked. "How in the heck did he escape?" another questioned. How Did Deshaun Stamps Escape? ? #BernardinoCounty | #California#DeshaunStamps, a 29-year-old inmate detained for attempted murder, has escaped from the West Valley Detention Center. The escape occurred during an outdoor recreation period on Sunday afternoon. This inmate has been in custody since January pic.twitter.com/BNVE0FvxPO ? ???LEG?CY??? ? (@iamlegacy23) June 17, 2024 Social media users continued questioning what went wrong, bombarding news reports with comments. "How the hell did he escape and I was double doored at West Valley ( no door opened until one door was already closed) that's crazy," one user said. "They should fire the deputys that are responsible for this guys escape!!!!!" one Instagram user expressed. Another claimed, "For the people that dont have knowledge on this ridiculous justice system. The prisons are so over populated. We have people in jails for many years for murder. If youre not serving for being a sexual violent predator or serial killer you wont serve life. If you served 15+ years for murder you will be released as long as you were in good behavior in prison/jail." Idaho Inmate Escaped Custody Canva Stock Images This news comes months after an Idaho inmate escaped custody, prompting a massive manhunt. As The Blast reported, Skylar Meade, 31, was transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho for self-inflicted injuries in March. He was set to be transported back to the corrections facility around 2:15 a.m. However, instead of going back to prison, he escaped custody with the help of another individual. Meade had an accomplice, later identified as Nicholas Umphenour, who surprise attacked multiple corrections officers after he opened fire, according to police. Two officers were shot -- one with non-life-threatening injuries and the other who was stable in critical condition. The third sustained non-life-threatening injuries during crossfire with Boise Police, according to police. Was It A Coordinated Attack? (1/3) An officer-involved shooting investigation is underway after an incident at Saint Alphonsus early this morning. Officers have secured the scene. Boise Police are looking for two outstanding suspects traveling in a grey four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic with ID plates. pic.twitter.com/Km3mdKw7XP Boise PD (@BoisePD) March 20, 2024 "Boise Police officers responded to the hospital to reports of an active shooter, with one officer firing his duty weapon at an armed individual near the entrance," the police department confirmed at the time. "That individual was later determined to be an IDOC employee. He was not seriously injured and is receiving treatment for his injuries." Adding, "The hospital was locked down as officers searched the area for the suspect. A preliminary investigation indicates Meade and the shooting suspect got into a gray four-door sedan and fled the area just prior to Boise Police officers arriving." Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in a press conference that they "believe that this was a coordinated attack, ambush on the department of corrections officers and certainly a planned endeavor to free him from custody." What Does Deshaun Stamps Look Like? #BREAKING Attempted-murder suspect escapes from Rancho Cucamonga jail; public is urged to call 911 if you see Deshaun Stamps, 29, of Riverside but do not approach him https://t.co/5MtUOkFChJ ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 17, 2024 According to the sheriff's office, Deshaun Stamps, who escaped from a jail in Southern California on Sunday, June 16th, is described as bald with green eyes and has tattoos on his neck and head. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. According to ABC, Deshaun Stamps has been in custody for attempted murder since January 30, 2023. Anyone with information on Stamps whereabouts is urged to call 911. Do not attempt to make contact with Stamps. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463), or you may leave the information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com. LAFAYETTE, Ind. Earlier this year, the Indiana Supreme Court established a commission aimed at addressing the state's critical shortage of attorneys. Virtually all 92 Hoosier counties have fewer lawyers per capita than the national average, and the gap is especially acute in Indianas rural and most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, as well as in the public service sector. This shortage threatens the institution of the legal profession, public trust in the courts, the rule of law, and the civic health of our communities, the Indiana Supreme Court statement reads. This shortage has been an issue affecting Tippecanoe County over the last few years, with both the public defenders and prosecutors offices attempting to attract new talent with varying success. Tippecanoe County, like other Indiana counties, is experiencing a shortage of attorneys. Seen here is the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. This issue was on display for the public defenders office at Junes Tippecanoe County Council meeting, where the council approved Chief Public Defender Amy Hutchison's request to break up a full-time position into two part-time positions. Within a year, Hutchison has filed this request a few times, seeing the countys public defender office replace three full-time public defenders with six regular part-time positions. Indiana has a pretty significant attorney shortage, Hutchison said. In 2021, we had combined part-time and hired full-time people because we had people interested in the jobs at the time. But when I posted full-time positions in 2022, I had no bites. No applications. To ensure that the county had an adequate number of public defenders over the years, Hutchison said she would react to the market, either by consolidating part-time positions into full-time positions or vice versa. But breaking full-time positions into part-time positions has occasionally seen pushback from county leadership, primarily because of the additional cost. According to Tippecanoe Countys 2024 proposed pay grid, full-time felony prosecuting attorney and public defender's salaries could range from $82,875 to $106,005 with benefits, depending on the experience of the attorney. But a regular part-time felony public defender is required to work only about 30 hours a week, and the prosecutors office is not allowed to hire deputy prosecuting attorneys as regular part-time. Some of the pushback that the public defender office received was regarding the potential increased cost for the county by hiring two regular part-time felony public defenders over a single full-time attorney. Depending on the experience of the attorneys, the cost on average would increase by $30,000. But Hutchison argues that although the overall cost would increase the countys budget, when broken down on a case-by-case cost, having the two additional attorneys would ultimately save the county money because of an increase in active cases being handled per attorney. Over the past few years, local officials have become more understanding of the attorney shortage hitting the state and, in turn, have been more willing to help out both the county public defenders office and prosecutors office, Prosecutor Pat Harrington said. Harrington noted that over the last seven years, the countys prosecutors office has had trouble maintaining a full staff of 31 prosecuting attorneys. Pat Harrington (left) and Jason Huber (right) talking as Indiana primary election results rolled in, at the 2022 Primary Election, on May 3, 2022, in Lafayette. Were down about 25 percent of our attorneys, Harrington said about his current staff. Last year, my attorneys put in 650 hours of overtime on average for which they did not receive one penny because they are exempt. That amount of overtime is equivalent to working 14 to 15 extra weeks with no pay. For many attorneys who have recently graduated from law school, this looming issue of unpaid overtime and a mountain of work is a high hurdle that prosecutors offices around the state have been trying to overcome, Harrington said. And because of the high demand for new attorneys in both the public and private sectors, the going rate for an attorney in the private sector is much higher than most public prosecutors offices and public defenders offices can reasonably counter, he said. Since the closure of Valparaiso University's Law School a few years ago, the pool of available attorneys has continued to shrink year over year, which has made the average graduating attorney more valuable to the legal market. These are just short-term solutions to a long-term issue. Harrington and Hutchison have been advocating for the state to work on a plan in hopes of addressing these issues, which is why the Indiana Supreme Courts April commitment came as a surprise to many. The Commission on Indianas Legal Future will explore several options aimed at addressing Indianas attorney shortage and offering recommendations to the court for future actions. The commission goals: "Business & Licensure Models: Identify ways in which the current law firm business model and professional regulations can be improved to meet the needs of modern and future practice and make recommendations on alternative legal licensure models." "Pathways to Admission & Education: Identify and make recommendations on models for alternative pathways to legal practice in Indiana and on models to strengthen and streamline connections between secondary, undergraduate and law school institutions." "Incentivizing Rural Practice: Identify and make recommendations on ways to connect law students, practitioners and other legal professionals to business and professional opportunities within rural communities." "Incentivizing Public Service Work: Identify and make recommendations on ways to promote interest in public service-oriented legal work, including in the criminal justice system, in family services, in civil legal aid, and in municipal, county and state government." "Technology Applications: Identify and make recommendations on ways to safely and ethically utilize emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence and online dispute resolution, to fill gaps in legal representation." The commission is expected to submit its proposals to the court for action with a final report by July 1, 2025. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: County officials tackle Indiana's attorney shortage Karl Nehammer, Austria's Chancellor, attends a press conference after a meeting and a joint cabinet meeting with the Minister President of Bavaria in the Hofgarten. Sven Hoppe/dpa The Austrian government is to continue, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, despite a serious crisis engulfing his coalition on Monday, after an environment minister voted against government policy in support of a much fought-over EU conservation law. Asked if he wanted to end the coalition Nehammer said that despite his emotional reaction that it "makes no sense" for his government to continue after such defiance, he would not plunge Austria into chaos. European Union environment ministers on Monday approved the controversial Nature Restoration Law with Austrian Environment Minister Leonor Gewessler's decision to back the law - against the wishes of Nehammer - providing the necessary majority. Her decision sparked uproar in Vienna, with Nehammer saying he will seek to overturn the decision in the EU's top court. Gewessler's actions "were more than a breach of trust," Nehammer said. The purpose of the Nature Restoration Law is to regrow forests, re-wet moors and return rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The law has proven controversial, particularly because of fears of heavy restrictions on farmers. Ministers for 20 of the EU's 27 member states voted in favour, representing 66% of the population. A decision by EU member states was held up until now because not enough national ministers were prepared to back it, despite a preliminary agreement among senior diplomats last year. Gewessler, a member of Austria's Greens, is also facing legal action from Nehammer's governing Austrian People's Party (OVP) with a charge of abuse of office. The OVP argues Gewessler deliberately infringed constitutional law by voting for the EU law over the objection raised by Austria's states. Gewessler believes that this veto is no longer valid. FILE - The Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer speaks at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at Federal Chancellery Ballhausplatz in Vienna, during a visit to Austria, Tuesday May 21, 2024. Nehammer said Monday, June 17, 2024, that his conservative Austrian People's Party would continue the current government coalition with its Green party junior partner even though his environment minister voted in a European Union vote in favor of the the so-called Nature Restoration plan that Nehammer's has opposed. (Jordan Pettitt/pool photo via AP, File) BERLIN (AP) Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said his conservative Austrian People's Party would remain in the current government coalition with its Green party junior partner even though the Green's environment minister voted on Monday for the so-called Nature Restoration plan, which Nehammer has opposed. Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler's vote in a European Union ballot earlier on Monday came after months of domestic political debate and infuriated the senior partner in the coalition government ahead of a national election set for Sept. 29. Before Nehammer's statement, speculation had been growing in Austria about whether he would break up the coalition government. The emotion would be there for an end to the coalition, but Nehammer told journalists it was his "responsibility, as federal chancellor, to ensure an orderly path until the parliamentary elections, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported. I won't do it, he added. After her vote, Gewesseler wrote on X that my conscience tells me unmistakably (that) when the healthy and happy life of future generations is at stake, courageous decisions are needed. Earlier, the chancellery said Nehammer informed the Belgian EU presidency that a vote in favor of the plan by Gewessler would be unlawful, the Austria Press Agency reported. Nehammers office later said Austria plans to file a suit at the European Court of Justice to nullify the vote. His party also announced that it would press criminal charges against Gewessler for alleged abuse of office. The Nature Restoration plan is part of the EUs European Green Deal that seeks to establish the worlds most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. In the buildup to the EU elections that saw a shift to the right earlier this month, European farmers complained about the many environmental laws governing the way they work, arguing that the rules were harming their livelihoods and strangling them with red tape. Nehammer himself is under pressure in Austria after a narrow win by the far-right Freedom Party over the chancellor's conservative Austrian Peoples Party in the European Parliament election last week that saw hard-right parties achieving major gains across the 27-nation bloc. Following his partys defeat in the European election, Nehammer acknowledged there is great dissatisfaction, APA reported. He also vowed his party would convince voters of how seriously it took their concerns over the coming months confronting issues of migration and overregulation. Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler gives a press conference on current developments relating to the EU renaturation law. Alex Halada/APA/dpa Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler is facing legal action from the country's governing Austrian People's Party (OVP) for backing the European Union's new Nature Restoration Law. OVP general secretary Christian Stocker said that a charge of abuse of office would be laid against Gewessler, a member of Austria's Greens, arguing that she had deliberately infringed constitutional law by voting for the EU law. The OVP is the larger party in a coalition with the Greens in Austria. "Leonore Gewessler is placing herself above the constitution, because she is unable to act in line with the law on account of her Green ideology," Stocker said. The conservative OVP argues that Gewessler is bound by an objection to the law raised by Austria's states. Gewessler believes that this veto is no longer valid. Austrian Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler attends EU Environment Ministers Council in Luxembourg. Cajetan Perwein/BMK via APA/dpa Authorities across US grapple with a rash of violence in final days of spring Officials with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, Rochester Hills Fire Department and other jurisdictions secure the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Rochester Hills, Mich. (Daniel Mears/Detroit News via AP) Communities across the country are grappling with a rash of violence in the final days of spring that included at least four mass shootings in one weekend, and continued Monday with stabbings outside an Indiana strip mall. On Saturday, a lone gunman opened fire at a recreational splash pad in suburban Detroit, injuring nine people, including an 8-year-old who was shot in the head. In Texas, fatal gunfire broke out at a Juneteenth celebration, with two people pronounced dead. Other shootings and stabbings, in locations from Massachusetts to Indiana, marred the days before spring turns to summer as sweltering heat takes hold in many regions. Chris Dennison, a sociology professor at the University of Buffalo who researches crime, said the arrival of seasonable weather presents more opportunities for crime and violence, amid heightened concerns about mental health issues and destructive outcomes. More people are out, more people are traveling, days are longer, weather is better: People are just far more inclined to be out and about, and with that, the potential for crime is just invariable there as well, Dennison said Monday. The rash of violence is a counterpoint to FBI data pointing to a sharp drop in violent crime nationwide earlier this year. Brian Higgins, a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said summer heat, large social gatherings and alcohol consumption typically fuel a seasonal increase in violence. This is to be expected, said Higgins, a former police chief for Bergen County, New Jersey. "Is it worse than other years? That remains to be seen. Splash-pad shooting In suburban Detroit, nine people were injured, including two young children and their mother, as a shooter opened fire Saturday at a splash pad where families gathered to escape summer heat. An 8-year-old among the victims was shot in the head and remained hospitalized Monday in critical condition. Authorities said 42-year-old shooter Michael Nash fired as many as 36 times, stopping several times to reload. He subsequently went home to Shelby Township, where he killed himself. Nash had no prior criminal history but apparently struggled privately with mental health challenges, according to police. Michigan law empowers a judge to take away someones guns if a family member steps forward about possible danger, but authorities said there's not an indication so far that concerns were raised. A splash pad is a recreational area with a nonslip surface where people can play in fountains and water sprays. Also Saturday, six people were shot in a residential neighborhood in Lathrup Village, another Detroit suburb. Juneteenth party Gunfire broke out Saturday night during a Juneteenth celebration at a public park in Texas, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of Austin. Police in Round Rock on Monday identified the two women killed in the shooting as Lyndsey Vicknair, 33, and Ara Duke, 54. Neither woman was involved in an altercation at the event that escalated into the shooting that injured 14 others, police said. There were no immediate arrests as police searched for a suspect. The shooting at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock also wounded two children, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said. Indianapolis stabbing In Indianapolis, nine people were injured three of them critically in the predawn hours Monday in a stabbing outside a strip mall, police said. Officer William Young of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said investigators believe a disturbance between two groups preceded the stabbings in a parking lot outside a restaurant and lounge. Three of the hospitalized were in critical condition. No immediate arrests were made, while police spoke to multiple witnesses and solicited surveillance camera footage. Also Monday, police in Chicago said 11 people were injured in two shootings that unfolded about one hour apart in the city's Humbolt Park and Englewood neighborhoods. Pop-up party Seven people were shot and wounded while running away when gunfire erupted Sunday at a large gathering of young people in Methuen, Massachusetts. Authorities say the gunfire began at 2 a.m. after hundreds of people gathered for a pop-up party organized on social media. Victims ranged in age from 17 to 22, with two people listed in critical condition. Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said authorities monitor hot spots where such gatherings typically take place, but Sundays gathering happened in a new location and turned violent. Also on Sunday, officers in Denver shot and killed a woman who was holding a large, hunting-style knife at a downtown intersection. Officers used a Taser on the woman twice, but she began advancing toward them as they tried to back up from her, Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said at a news conference. In South Carolina, two armed men were shot and killed by sheriffs deputies in separate episodes. Charis Kubrin, a professor the University of California Irvine's Department of Criminology, Law and Society, said a recent overall decline in violent crime as documented by the FBI comes with limitations because violent crime tends to intensify mid-year and some cities will run counter to national trends. Not every city or neighborhood or street segment experiences that decline, she said. ___ Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Colleen Slevin in Denver, and Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, contributed to this report. Authorities in Wisconsin searching for man who drew handgun and robbed Walmart MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) Authorities in southern Wisconsin are searching for a man who allegedly entered a Walmart, approached a clerk, and drew a handgun before stealing money. According to a release from the Madison Police Department, officers were sent to Walmart on the 7000 block of Watts Road for a report of an armed robbery. Manitowoc woman dead, two others in critical condition after crash in Sturgeon Bay Officers arrived on the scene and spoke with the clerk, who reported that the suspect drew a small black handgun before stealing money and fleeing before police arrived. No arrests have been made at this time, and the Madison Police Department is asking anyone who may be able to identify the individual in this incident to contact them at 608-255-2345. 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. Workers at an electric vehicle battery plant ratified a deal between the United Auto Workers union and Ultium Cells to make batteries for General Motors electric vehicles. On Sunday, Ultium a joint venture between GM and LG announced that 1,600 of its hourly employees will be represented by the contract, which goes into effect on Monday. The contract includes higher wages, overtime provisions, 70 minutes of breaks per shift and the implementation of health and safety programs. The deal for workers at the Lordstown, Ohio, plant was tentatively announced last week, and ratified over the weekend. It comes amid broader questions surrounding whether workers who build electric vehicles will make the same wages as those who make gas-powered cars, particularly as traditionally unionized automakers like GM make a larger foray into a space with historically non-union players like Tesla. President Biden, who has grappled politically with the labor implications of the nations move toward electric vehicles, celebrated the agreement in a statement and sought to contrast his administrations policies with those of presidential rival Donald Trump. Five years ago, the previous administration made false promises to Lordstown workers and then stood by as the community lost jobs and faced economic devastation. Today, Lordstown is a comeback story and it didnt happen by accident, Biden said in a written statement. With the help of my Investing in America agenda, the UAW and companies like General Motors are building the future of autos in America while we bring back good paying union jobs to communities like Lordstown, he added. The Biden administration has pushed electric vehicles as a tool for combating climate change. However, Trump has railed against these vehicles, warning that they could result in job losses for autoworkers. The conflict, both among the candidates and for the workers themselves, came to a head amid broader strikes last 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 The Hill. A North Texas woman missing since May 27 was found dead last week in the back yard of a home, and investigators believe they know who killed her, according to a news release from Azle police. The body of Heather Treibly was found June 12 in the 100 block of Ty Lane, according to police. Officers were dispatched there in response to a call about a suspicious incident. When they arrived, they found a body concealed in the back yard. Investigators used unique tattoos described by the people who reported her missing to identify the body as that of Treibly, police wrote in the news release. They identified Shane Breshers, 52, as a primary suspect and arrested him on June 14 without incident. Breshers was originally charged with tampering with or fabricating evidence, but police said he has since also been charged with murder. Breshers attorney, Brian Goza, could not be reached by the Star-Telegram for comment Monday afternoon and he did not immediately respond to a voicemail. Breshers is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on $650,000 bond, with $500,000 on the murder charge and $150,000 on the tampering with/fabricating evidence charge. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office has not released autopsy information on Treibly, including the cause of death or the date investigators believe she died. Police in Azle said they were assisted in their investigation by the Texas Rangers, the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office and the medical examiners office. Ukraine's Azov Brigade has pushed Russian troops from positions in the Serebryansky forest in Luhansk Oblast, advancing 1 kilometer, the unit reported on June 16. Russian forces have spent much of the full-scale war trying to seize control of the Serebryansky forest, viewed as the gateway to the city of Lyman, an important but destroyed train hub. Ukraine liberated Lyman one day after Russia said it is annexing it with four Ukrainian regions on Sept 30, 2022. In a Telegram post on June 16, Azov announced that together with the 1st Operational Brigade "Bureviy" of the National Guard of Ukraine, troops had advanced 1 kilometer, adding the gains were across a 2 kilometer front. In a comment to the Kyiv Independent on June 17, the brigade said further results of the operation, which began on April 21, could not be reported at this time to protect the "safety and success of operations." The reports come a few days after Azov deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, complained in a post on Facebook that earlier media reports of Russian troops leaving their positions in Serebryansky forest failed to credit Azov with forcing them out. Appealing to journalists to "write honestly," Palamar suggested they were deliberately not naming the brigade despite them "knocking out (Russian troops) every day, every hour for months." Elsewhere, Azov also released a video on YouTube showing the work of soldiers in charge of what they describe as "the nastiest weapon" the SPG-9. The SPG-9 is a tripod-mounted 73 millimeter caliber recoilless gun, operated by a crew of two. It fires rocket-assisted projectiles that are effective against armored vehicles and utterly devastating against human targets. "No matter who you ask, this is the nastiest weapon," one of the Azov soldiers says. Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. New Hampshire National Guard Sgt. Timothy King keeps watch on four people at the border in Eagle Pass, Texas. Hours later, they cut the fence upriver, climbed through, and asked to be turned over to the authorities. (Annmarie Timmins | New Hampshire Bulletin) Bulletin writer Annmarie Timmins traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas, in collaboration with New Hampshire Public Radio, to shadow the 15 National Guard soldiers sent by Gov. Chris Sununu to assist with border patrol. This is one of several stories on the deployment. The relentless Texas heat, even during their overnight shift, was a challenge. Not every soldier appreciated Edgar, the tarantula living in their gym. The Alamo was less impressive than they expected. The 15 National Guard soldiers Gov. Chris Sununu deployed to the Texas border in April returned to New Hampshire this month with other memories that were far harder to share. At the top of the list was seeing families, especially children, risk so much, even their lives, to reach the United States. Sgt. Timothy King wiped away tears recalling the young girl he saw lying on the Mexico side of the border fence, looking near death from heat stroke. Soldiers were denied permission to cut the fence to reach her and instead passed ice sheets over it to cool her body. Before King knew whether the girl, about 4, lived or died, he was called away for a fight involving nearly 100 migrants. I called the chaplain and did a prayer for the kid, said King, 26, of Fremont. I was trying to talk myself out of the kid was dead. It sticks with you more than you think. Learning later that the girl and her father, also suffering from heat stroke, survived didnt make the encounter any easier to share. New Hampshire Guard troops have deployed to the Mexico-U.S. border before under federal orders to assist the U.S. Border Patrol. This time, Sununu used $850,000 in state money to send them to Eagle Pass, Texas, to help it beef up security at its border. The soldiers were not authorized to detain individuals. Instead they monitored for suspicious activity and reported breaches in the fence and illegal crossings to Texas authorities. In their two-month deployment, the soldiers averaged about 35 detections a night of suspicious activity and illegal crossings. A few migrants tried to run into the woods after clearing the fence but most were give ups, people who requested asylum immediately, said Spc. Conner Sills. Nights were often busy even before their 1.5 miles of responsibility along the fence doubled. You have to pay attention and be observant of whats happening not only in front of you at the anti-climb barrier, but whats happening in the river, and whats happening on the opposite bank, Lt. Ryan Camp told the Bulletin during its reporting trip to Eagle Pass in April. Every encounter we have on the border is different, and we have to adapt every night to every scenario. When Sununu welcomed the soldiers back Tuesday at the Guards Pembroke armory, he congratulated them on their work. Its not like getting duty in Vegas or somewhere exotic and exciting. It can be a tough place and obviously, tough temperatures, even at night, he said. Theres no doubt you made a difference. In their two-month stint, nightly detections of individuals went from an average of 35 to zero, a drop soldiers credited largely to Texas decision to fence off its border with Mexico and line it with soldiers from around the country. As of April, the most recent data available, encounters in the Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, were down 14.3 percent over last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. People come up (from Mexico to cross) and say, Maybe not here, King said. You see it on the news and youre like Thats sad, and you change the channel and forget about it. But going down there and seeing it firsthand, its definitely eye-opening. Kayli Gilman, 21, of Weare The soldiers declined to talk about the politics of the border or respond to criticism from some New Hampshire leaders who called Sununus decision to deploy them a political stunt. Nor would they share their thoughts on learning during their flight home that President Joe Biden had signed an executive order allowing him to close the border under certain conditions. But the troops will tell you that its nearly impossible to grasp the complexity of the border crisis from nearly 2,000 miles away in New Hampshire. You need to see it firsthand, they said. There are thousands of variables, and when youre not exposed to it, you think theres maybe one or two that go into how a decision should be made, said Sgt. Connor Decker during interviews with soldiers after they returned. But its heavy. Its a heavy geopolitical climate. Its heavy in humanitarian services. Its heavy in every single way you could fathom, and its too complex to say that something is right and absolute and wrong and absolute. Its almost like there is no right or wrong answer to how to handle things. Decker, 28, of Salem, added, Which is why we leave all the decisions for the people way above us and just carry out what we (are ordered to) do. Capt. Joshua Lynde, commander of the 237th Military Police Company, did not travel with the soldiers but debriefed with them Tuesday. If you only hear something on the news what you might experience and realize is that its not always malicious, he told them. Its also people who are just desperately trying to find a better life somehow. And then when you see a family unit of parents and children and they just walk 1,000 miles to get there? Its difficult. Sometimes its those experiences that will help you broaden your perspective. That was true for Spc. Kayli Gilman, 21, of Weare, who hadnt been deployed to the border before. Asked what stuck most with her, she said a change in perspective. You kind of get kind of blind to the fact that we have it so good here in a way, Gilman said. You see it on the news and youre like Thats sad, and you change the channel and forget about it. But going down there and seeing it firsthand, its definitely eye-opening. Now, if Im having a bad day in my head I remember that I could always have it worse. It could always be worse. Decker, who had deployed to the southern border before, recounted some of those worse moments. He watched several adults with a child trying to make their way over the fence coils of razor wire. It tested my personal resolve for the safety of that child, he said. That rattled me. That was really tough to look at (because of) how that could have gone. Decker didnt have to imagine the possibilities because he saw it go badly another night when someone cut their femoral artery trying to clear the fence. Also challenging was being unable to assist because their orders prohibited them from helping migrants, including getting a child over the fence safely. Were just the call-out guys (who report incidents). So having to watch is very tough at times, he said. Sills, 21, of Windham, who had been deployed to the border before, echoed that and recalled seeing a woman hurt her wrist and ankle jumping over the fence as her husband and child waited. Her child on the other side started crying. Then her husband started crying and she started crying, Sills said. This played out within sight of the legal port of entry, where the family could have requested asylum. Its just not a good feeling to have these families that are doing everything they can to get their freedom, but knowing that theyre not doing it the right way. Several of the soldiers said as emotionally hard as it was at times, theyd volunteer again. You feel like you make a difference, said Pfc. Madalyn Delotto, 21, of Derry. Even if its small, it still feels good to know that I did what I could at the time, to put on the uniform and do what I signed up to do. Working alongside National Guard troops from other states gave Pfc. Macenzi Connors, 20, of Sandown, a sense of pride, too. She felt better trained and felt her unit treated the migrants with more respect than she saw from other troops. She wasnt alone. We had a lot more discipline than the other states and just seeing how other states treated families versus how we treated them, she said. I noticed that the first day down there. The post Back from the border, troops have new perspective: Its heavy in every way. appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. A student walks on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City in April. Utah has enacted a new law that prohibits schools from using diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, bars state institutions from relying on specific individual characteristics in employment and education decisions, and eliminates central offices dedicated to DEI. (Erika Bolstad | Stateline) SALT LAKE CITY Shortly after taking office in 2023, Republican state Rep. Katy Hall heard from constituents complaining about how their adult children were required to write diversity, equity, and inclusion statements while applying for medical and dental schools and other graduate programs in Utah. It doesnt seem right, Hall said. It doesnt seem like it belongs in an application. It took two legislative sessions, but Hall successfully sponsored a new law that not only prohibits the use of such DEI statements but also bars state institutions from relying on specific individual characteristics in employment and education decisions. Additionally, it eliminates central offices dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. In Utah and beyond, lawmakers are enjoying growing success in their pushback against DEI programs at public universities, many of which have hired administrators and established departments dedicated to creating more diverse faculties and student bodies. Some schools requirement that job and student applicants explain in writing how theyd bring DEI initiatives to their work or schooling has aroused especially strong opposition. Some states have dismantled DEI departments and programs, as well as ended race- and gender-based programs and scholarships. Many in Utah describe their approach as more measured than that of other states. The law, which goes into effect July 1, includes a carve-out that allows DEI to be discussed in classroom instruction as well as in research and for accreditation purposes. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, who signed Halls legislation into law in January, said it offers a balanced solution even as it prohibits the type of training sessions he required of his staff when he first took office in 2021. The intent of the legislation, Hall said, is to shift higher education away from a focus on identity. This is what we felt was a more nuanced way to say: We want diversity, we want equality of opportunity, we want inclusion, but we want diversity of opinion and a diversity of thought and diversity of religion and diversity of everything. Not just external, personal identity characteristics, Hall said. We used to be able to have discussions about politics without it coming to a judgment of someones moral character, she added. My hope is that there will be a little more political neutrality where you can have discussions and feel safe to have those discussions without it being so divisive. But the bill passed along party lines, pointed out state Rep. Angela Romero, a Democrat who serves as the House minority leader in Utah. She described whats happening in her state as part of a broader culture war aimed at painting higher education as elite and out of touch. This is a national agenda, Romero said in an interview. Its a machine and its been going for a while and its picking up momentum. Utahs rollback is among dozens of simultaneous efforts to scale back DEI programs to varying degrees in state capitals and on higher education oversight boards in other Republican-led states. In at least 22 states, the legislature has enacted legislation, or public universities have set policies prohibiting or modifying DEI measures at state university systems, according to a running tally in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Among the earliest passed was 2023 legislation in North Dakota that prohibits asking students and prospective university employees about their commitment to DEI. Florida followed last year with a law that does away with diversity statements and DEI offices. Alabama in 2024 enacted a law restricting public employees from being forced to agree with so-called divisive concepts, including the idea that by virtue of an individuals race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, the individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously. In South Dakota, the Board of Regents recently enacted a policy that bars employees at its six public universities from putting their preferred gender pronouns or tribal affiliations in email signatures, according to Inside Higher Ed. Most recently, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted last month to shift $2.3 million of DEI spending toward public safety and policing on campus. Then, the entire UNC System Board of Governors voted to abolish DEI policies in place since 2019 at all 17 of its campuses. A chilling effect Many of the efforts to roll back DEI initiatives in states have the same roots as a campaign against critical race theory spearheaded by Seattle documentary filmmaker Christopher Rufo, who in 2020 elevated a once-obscure theory about the pervasiveness of racism in American law and institutions to a household term. Often, efforts to undo DEI initiatives argue that students especially white students are harmed by learning about the history of racism in the United States because it may leave them feeling guilty or ashamed of their identity. Multiple states, including North Dakota, have adopted near-identical language in anti-DEI legislation that bans instruction that might prompt a person to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individuals race or sex. In April, polling by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist found that 77 percent of Republicans say they believe that discrimination against white people is as problematic as discrimination against Black Americans. Anti-DEI laws have had a chilling effect on higher education wherever theyve been enacted, said Irene Mulvey, the president of the American Association of University Professors, a nonprofit membership association of faculty and other academic professionals. The laws are deliberately vague so that professors have to be constantly thinking, If I say this, will I be breaking the law? Will I lose my job or be arrested by the government if I say this in my classroom? Mulvey said. I mean, thats where we are in America in 2024. These are the worries faculty have in an authoritarian society, and they have no place in a democracy. At the University of Texas, anti-DEI legislation led the system to eliminate 300 positions recently and to cut diversity training programs at multiple campuses. The situation is similar in Florida, said Paul Ortiz, a professor of history and a union leader at the University of Florida. Hes leaving the school after 15 years for a position at Cornell University in New York. The fallout from the states DEI policies wasnt the only reason hes leaving he got a great job offer but it contributed to his decision, Ortiz said. To pretend that its not having an effect on the cultural and intellectual life of the state is the worst thing of all, Ortiz said. Im hoping the pendulum is going to swing back. Students are the real losers, Mulvey said. At the University of Oklahoma, for example, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitts executive order ending DEI programs in state offices and agencies effectively shuttered the National Education for Womens Leadership program. The program encourages undergraduate women to engage in politics and public policy. Since its founding in 2002, more than 650 students have attended. Stitt told the Oklahoma Voice that his executive order was about race, not the womens leadership program, and called the backlash against his policy political criticism. What were seeing now is nobodys helped when these offices are closed or programs are shut down, no ones better off, Mulvey said. Were having watered-down discussions and anodyne classes because faculty without tenure are afraid of losing their job if they say the wrong thing or if someone takes it out of context or tapes them and puts it online. DEI statements DEI statements in university hiring have been one of the easiest targets nationwide, in part because theres less support for them even among more progressive educators who support wider DEI initiatives. Editorial boards and columnists at outlets as varied as The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the New York Post have railed against diversity statements, saying they too often result in self-censorship and ideological policing on college campuses. Many elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, have reconsidered DEI statements as a requirement of employment applications. At best, critics argue, theyre boilerplate that echoes what employers want to hear, rendering them useless. At their worst, they serve as ideological litmus tests. We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they dont work, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement to WBUR in May, confirming the universitys new approach. But DEI statements have their defenders. Suzanne Penuel, an associate professor who teaches first-year literature and writing at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, said she witnessed how high-quality DEI statements set job candidates apart when she served on the hiring committee for a position teaching American history. Nearly all academic applicants have polished curriculum vitae, impeccable recommendations and pitch-perfect cover letters, she wrote in an op-ed in The State. Their DEI statements gave them personality, Penuel said in an interview. It was easier to tell which applicants would take a student-centered approach to their work; one applicant wrote that the textbooks used in the schools history courses ought to be free, an interpretation that the hiring committee viewed as an inclusive approach to education. She worries that the assault on already slim DEI initiatives in South Carolina is a continuation of a trend that began with a 2021 legislative requirement that all college students be taught certain aspects of American history, and a proposed state-level ban on some books in elementary schools. I hope I never see the day when there is this prescribed list of texts from a narrow list of publishers, and only some topics can be discussed, Penuel said. In Utah, where Democrats hold just 14 of the 75 seats in the state House of Representatives, Romero fought unsuccessfully to keep the anti-DEI legislation from passing. Her reasons for opposing the legislation were partly personal. As a first-generation college student at the University of Utah, she took advantage of what was then called the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, an academic advising center that could now be considered a DEI initiative. It was a safe place in a state where the dominant religion and culture often excludes people of color, Romero said. Because of her association with the center, Romero landed an internship at the state legislature in 1994, leading to a career working in municipal government in Salt Lake City. And now, she serves as president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. Because of that, Im here now, Romero said on the House floor when the bill was up for debate. What it did is it addressed the disparities. Theres unintentional consequences when we just try to sweep things and say were all the same, because were not. Theres still a lot of things that have to change in this country for us all to be on a level playing field. This story was originally published by Stateline, which like the New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post Backlash against DEI spreads to more states appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. A student walks on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City in April. Utah has enacted a new law that prohibits schools from using diversity, equity and inclusion statements, bars state institutions from relying on specific individual characteristics in employment and education decisions, and eliminates central offices dedicated to DEI. (Erika Bolstad/Stateline) SALT LAKE CITY Shortly after taking office in 2023, Republican state Rep. Katy Hall heard from constituents complaining about how their adult children were required to write diversity, equity and inclusion statements while applying for medical and dental schools and other graduate programs in Utah. It doesnt seem right, Hall said. It doesnt seem like it belongs in an application. It took two legislative sessions, but Hall successfully sponsored a new law that not only prohibits the use of such DEI statements but also bars state institutions from relying on specific individual characteristics in employment and education decisions. Additionally, it eliminates central offices dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. In Utah and beyond, lawmakers are enjoying growing success in their pushback against DEI programs at public universities, many of which have hired administrators and established departments dedicated to creating more diverse faculties and student bodies. Some schools requirement that job and student applicants explain in writing how theyd bring DEI initiatives to their work or schooling have aroused especially strong opposition. Some states have dismantled DEI departments and programs, as well as ended race- and gender-based programs and scholarships. Many in Utah describe their approach as more measured than that of other states. The law, which goes into effect July 1, includes a carve-out that allows DEI to be discussed in classroom instruction as well as in research and for accreditation purposes. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, who signed Halls legislation into law in January, said it offers a balanced solution even as it prohibits the type of training sessions he required of his staff when he first took office in 2021. The intent of the legislation, Hall said, is to shift higher education away from a focus on identity. This is what we felt was a more nuanced way to say: We want diversity, we want equality of opportunity, we want inclusion, but we want diversity of opinion and a diversity of thought and diversity of religion and diversity of everything. Not just external, personal identity characteristics, Hall said. We used to be able to have discussions about politics without it coming to a judgment of someones moral character, she added. My hope is that there will be a little more political neutrality where you can have discussions and feel safe to have those discussions without it being so divisive. An anti-bias sign on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City in April. (Erika Bolstad/Stateline) But the bill passed along party lines, pointed out state Rep. Angela Romero, a Democrat who serves as the House minority leader in Utah. She described whats happening in her state as part of a broader culture war aimed at painting higher education as elite and out of touch. This is a national agenda, Romero said in an interview. Its a machine and its been going for a while and its picking up momentum. Utahs rollback is among dozens of simultaneous efforts to scale back DEI programs to varying degrees in state capitals and on higher education oversight boards in other Republican-led states. In at least 22 states, the legislature has enacted legislation, or public universities have set policies prohibiting or modifying DEI measures at state university systems, according to a running tally in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Among the earliest passed was 2023 legislation in North Dakota that prohibits asking students and prospective university employees about their commitment to DEI. Florida followed last year with a law that does away with diversity statements and DEI offices. Alabama in 2024 enacted a law restricting public employees from being forced to agree with so-called divisive concepts, including the idea that by virtue of an individuals race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, the individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously. In South Dakota, the Board of Regents recently enacted a policy that bars employees at its six public universities from putting their preferred gender pronouns or tribal affiliations in email signatures, according to Inside Higher Ed. Most recently, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted last month to shift $2.3 million of DEI spending toward public safety and policing on campus. Then, the entire UNC System Board of Governors voted to abolish DEI policies in place since 2019 at all 17 of its campuses. A chilling effect Many of the efforts to roll back DEI initiatives in states have the same roots as a campaign against critical race theory spearheaded by Seattle documentary filmmaker Christopher Rufo, who in 2020 elevated a once-obscure theory about the pervasiveness of racism in American law and institutions to a household term. Often, efforts to undo DEI initiatives argue that students especially white students are harmed by learning about the history of racism in the United States because it may leave them feeling guilty or ashamed of their identity. Multiple states, including North Dakota, have adopted near-identical language in anti-DEI legislation that bans instruction that might prompt a person to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individuals race or sex. In April, polling by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist found that 77% of Republicans say they believe that discrimination against white people is as problematic as discrimination against Black Americans. Anti-DEI laws have had a chilling effect on higher education wherever theyve been enacted, said Irene Mulvey, the president of the American Association of University Professors, a nonprofit membership association of faculty and other academic professionals. The laws are deliberately vague so that professors have to be constantly thinking, If I say this, will I be breaking the law? Will I lose my job or be arrested by the government if I say this in my classroom? Mulvey said. I mean, thats where we are in America in 2024. These are the worries faculty have in an authoritarian society, and they have no place in a democracy. At the University of Texas, anti-DEI legislation led the system to eliminate 300 positions recently and to cut diversity training programs at multiple campuses. What were seeing now is nobodys helped when these offices are closed or programs are shut down, no ones better off. Irene Mulvey, president of the American Association of University Professors The situation is similar in Florida, said Paul Ortiz, a professor of history and a union leader at the University of Florida. Hes leaving the school after 15 years for a position at Cornell University in New York. The fallout from the states DEI policies wasnt the only reason hes leaving he got a great job offer but it contributed to his decision, Ortiz said. To pretend that its not having an effect on the cultural and intellectual life of the state is the worst thing of all, Ortiz said. Im hoping the pendulum is going to swing back. Students are the real losers, Mulvey said. At the University of Oklahoma, for example, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitts executive order ending DEI programs in state offices and agencies effectively shuttered the National Education for Womens Leadership program. The program encourages undergraduate women to engage in politics and public policy. Since its founding in 2002, more than 650 students have attended. Stitt told the Oklahoma Voice that his executive order was about race, not the womens leadership program, and called the backlash against his policy political criticism. What were seeing now is nobodys helped when these offices are closed or programs are shut down, no ones better off, Mulvey said. Were having watered-down discussions and anodyne classes because faculty without tenure are afraid of losing their job if they say the wrong thing or if someone takes it out of context or tapes them and puts it online. DEI statements DEI statements in university hiring have been one of the easiest targets nationwide, in part because theres less support for them even among more progressive educators who support wider DEI initiatives. Editorial boards and columnists at outlets as varied as The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Post have railed against diversity statements, saying they too often result in self-censorship and ideological policing on college campuses. Many elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, have reconsidered DEI statements as a requirement of employment applications. At best, critics argue, theyre boilerplate that echoes what employers want to hear, rendering them useless. At their worst, they serve as ideological litmus tests. We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they dont work, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement to WBUR in May, confirming the universitys new approach. But DEI statements have their defenders. Suzanne Penuel, an associate professor who teaches first-year literature and writing at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, said she witnessed how high-quality DEI statements set job candidates apart when she served on the hiring committee for a position teaching American history. Nearly all academic applicants have polished curriculum vitae, impeccable recommendations and pitch-perfect cover letters, she wrote in an op-ed in The State. Their DEI statements gave them personality, Penuel said in an interview. It was easier to tell which applicants would take a student-centered approach to their work; one applicant wrote that the textbooks used in the schools history courses ought to be free, an interpretation that the hiring committee viewed as an inclusive approach to education. She worries that the assault on already slim DEI initiatives in South Carolina is a continuation of a trend that began with a 2021 legislative requirement that all college students be taught certain aspects of American history, and a proposed state-level ban on some books in elementary schools. I hope I never see the day when there is this prescribed list of texts from a narrow list of publishers, and only some topics can be discussed, Penuel said. In Utah, where Democrats hold just 14 of the 75 seats in the state House of Representatives, Romero fought unsuccessfully to keep the anti-DEI legislation from passing. Her reasons for opposing the legislation were partly personal. As a first-generation college student at the University of Utah, she took advantage of what was then called the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, an academic advising center that could now be considered a DEI initiative. It was a safe place in a state where the dominant religion and culture often excludes people of color, Romero said. Because of her association with the center, Romero landed an internship at the state legislature in 1994, leading to a career working in municipal government in Salt Lake City. And now, she serves as president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. Because of that, Im here now, Romero said on the House floor when the bill was up for debate. What it did is it addressed the disparities. Theres unintentional consequences when we just try to sweep things and say were all the same, because were not. Theres still a lot of things that have to change in this country for us all to be on a level playing field. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X. The post Backlash against DEI spreads to more states appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Editors note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter. As an Army infantryman, Ernest Barrington was very familiar with the thick smoke and fumes that came off the burn pit at Joint Base Balad in Iraq. The toxic dust that wafted from the huge, open-air ditches where the military burned everything from tires and ordnance to medical waste and plastic would coat his skin and settle on the inside of his nose and under his eyelids. You go to take a shower, its in the shower with you. So youre cleaning your skin, and as youre drying, the stuff is landing on your body. By the time you make it back to your room, you have the toxins right back on you, he said. Every day that youre there, youre breathing it in. Ernest Barrington (left), pictured with interpreter, Abdulah Al Harbi, during Barringtons time as a contract worker in Saudi Arabia, training with the Saudi Arabian National Guard in 2009. (Photo courtesy of Ernest Barrington) Everyone on base breathed it in Barringtons fellow soldiers and the foreign military members from allied nations, the burly ex-Special Forces operators who took lucrative gigs working contracted security, the workers from Pakistan, the Philippines, and Nepal who ran the laundry and the chow hall and drove the fuel trucks. The toxic ash was the same, but access to care for those battling cancers almost two decades later is not. Veterans are now guaranteed coverage; the estimated tens of thousands of contract workers debilitated by burn pits are not. One group who served their country during the forever wars is now rightly protected, advocates say. But members of the other group are left to fight with insurance companies, one by one, claim by claim, beaten down by bureaucracy, exhausted by illness. Barrington understands the predicament. A historic commitment When he retired from the Army in 2007, Barrington turned around at 40 and picked up a series of private contracting jobs, which took him from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia and eventually back to Iraq. In 2020, on a trip from Washington, D.C., to Erbil, the charter plane Barrington was in landed hard on the tarmac. He felt his back seize up. Over the next few weeks, the pain got worse. An MRI revealed multiple shattered vertebrae, he told The War Horse. It was an unusual injury, doctors told him, so they ran some tests. Soon it made more sense. They diagnosed him with two separate types of cancer: prostate and multiple myeloma, a fairly uncommon blood cancer. In the 13 years since Barrington had put his uniform away, veterans who served at bases with burn pits started getting sick with respiratory diseases and unusual cancers. Certain forms of multiple myeloma were among them. Years of advocacy around the issue led to the passage two years ago of the PACT Act, a historic commitment that for the first time removed veterans burden for proving their exposure to burn pit toxins was directly responsible for their sickness. The law established a presumptive service connection for certain diseases if a veteran was diagnosed with a condition on the list and had served at a base with a burn pit, VA would presume it was caused by their service, and the veteran would be entitled to care. After the law passed, Barrington said, he filed a claim with VA. But Barrington, who now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, says its unclear if his cancer stemmed from his time at Balad Air Base as a soldier, or if its connected to the toxins he was exposed to during his time working as a contractoror both. So hes also filing a claim under a World War II-era law called the Defense Base Act, which requires contracting companies to carry insurance for their workers war zone injuries or illnesses. The hundreds of thousands of private contractors who served alongside uniformed service members in Iraq or Afghanistanoften doing similar work have many of the hallmark injuries and illnesses of the post-9/11 wars: rare cancers, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries. But those contracted workers injured on bases overseas arent protected by the PACT Act for cancers or lung diseases that follow their deployment. Instead, they must file a workers comp claim under the Defense Base Act, which can lead to medical coverage and monetary compensation for sick workers. Civilians who work directly for the government must file an entirely different type of claim. But many workers are unaware that they are covered, and the arcane, bureaucratic process to see a claim through means civilian workers can wait years to get compensation for the harm they suffered. Many never get any at all. The growing camo economy Last month, President Biden announced that VA had granted more than a million PACT Act claims to veterans for cancers and lung diseases stemming from burn pit exposure. In the 23 years since 9/11, only about 150,000 Defense Base Act claims for every type of illness or injury have been filed by contractors who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The disparity is even more significant considering another trend: Civilians are playing a dramatically larger role in Americas wars. For 200 years, the ratio of U.S. military members to contract workers remained fairly constant about one contractor for every 100 soldiers. But that changed after Vietnam. The American public had little stomach for the heavy toll the war had taken on its troops, and the end of the draft significantly decreased the size of the fighting force. Privatizing government work was popular in Washington, and jobs previously done by soldiers, sailors, and airmen were increasingly contracted out to civilians. By the first Gulf War, there was one contractor for every 50 military personnel. By 2009, the ratio was 1-to-1 in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as troops began to withdraw, many contract workers stayed and soon exceeded the number of military members. When we talk about how many American troops are going overseas, were not also counting the number of contractors going overseas, says Heidi Peltier, a Brown University economist who has studied what she calls the camo economy the military contracting industry. And when they talk about injuries and deaths, thats usually the military injuries and deaths, not the contractor injuries and deaths. The impact is much less visible. Brown Universitys Costs of War project has estimated that more contractors than service members died in the post-9/11 wars 8,189 to 7,053. In Iraq and Afghanistan, civilian workers guarded bases, fuel convoys, and American diplomats. They maintained equipment and weaponry. They cooked and cleaned and did laundry. Some of that work paid well. Private security contractors who worked for companies like Blackwater could make upwards of $1,000 a day. But much of the labor was subcontracted out to foreign workers from poorer countries, who were sometimes paid just $300 or $400 a month. This is one of the things my Afghan friends always used to joke about, they would sort of call the base an American base. But if you went onto the base, there were very few Americans there, says Noah Coburn, a political anthropologist at Bennington College who has studied foreign labor on U.S. bases. Coburn says that ostensibly, the military only uses contractors in support roles. But in reality, many civilian workers face the dangers of war: Macedonian janitors were taken hostage by the Taliban. Pakistani fuel tank drivers dodged enemy fire. Ugandan security guards were ambushed with rocket fire. Under the Defense Base Act, anyone who works for a U.S. military contractor overseas is entitled to file compensation and health care reimbursement claims for injuries or illnesses that resulted from their work. In practice, though, filing can be nearly impossible for workers who return to their home countries with little idea how to navigate the process. It can be nearly impossible for workers to connect with American lawyers to file paperwork, Coburn said. Doctors abroad may not be aware of how to best document a medical condition to increase a claims chance of success. Coburn has found that workers who file a claim from a non-U.S. address have a lower chance of getting claims approved than those from U.S. addresses. But even for Americans, getting compensation for their injuries can be difficult. Theres a whole bunch of these people that need help, says Scott Dillard, a former Army officer who later worked as a contractor in Afghanistan and now helps fellow former contractors navigate the claims process. They have no clue that there are resources available to them because theyre not educated on it. Military contractors are supposed to inform their employees about the Defense Base Act and post notices about workers rights to compensation. But Dillard says he never saw a notice. When civilian contractors do file a claim, proving the condition stemmed from their work overseas can be difficult. The laws statute of limitations begins when a worker becomes aware of his or her condition. That means that if an illness pops up years later, a worker can still potentially file for benefits but it may be harder to prove what caused it. That can be a problem. Collecting evidence can be difficult and expensive, and insurance companies say they need to scrutinize claims to make sure people arent abusing the system. U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Dillard uploads ammo for upcoming missions at the ammunition holding area near Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004. Dillard later went to Afghanistan as a contracted worker and now educates fellow contractors on the Defense Base Act claims process. (Photo by Thomas Sjoerup, courtesy of Scott Dillard) When it comes to losses like this, youre going to have people that are going to see what they can get for free, and youre going to have legitimate claims, says Brian Smith, who specializes in Defense Base Act coverage as a vice president at Insurance Office of America, an insurance broker firm. The issue has to do with the validity of the claim when you go back that many years. Not going to deal with this Veronica Landry knows well the white-hot scrutiny of insurance companies. In 2004, she took a contract job in Mosul, Iraq, staffing the base gym and the recreation center, then was quickly promoted to working as an operations specialist and historian. The work wasnt as danger-free as it sounded. The air turned black when tires were in the burn pits. During her assignment, the dining facility was blown up by a suicide bomber. And when a soldier was hit with a mortar round in a separate incident, Landry tried to use CPR to keep her alive, she said. She filed a claim for PTSD when she came home, but she says the insurance company denied it. Lawyers who spoke with The War Horse said thats not unusual. If an insurance company denies a claim, the person who files it can escalate it to a formal adjudication process through the Department of Labor. But Landry didnt know that at the time. I thought when they said denied, its just, thats it. Youre done, she said. And she didnt feel up for a fight. Veronica Landry during her time as a contract worker in Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Veronica Landry) As the years passed, Landry began having trouble breathing. In 2015, her lungs collapsed. When she was diagnosed with obliterative bronchiolitis, an irreversible lung condition, she suspected her exposure to burn pits in Iraq might be the cause. This time, she said she did her research. She was prepared for the fight. Landrys new claim took two years to wind its way through the process. There are only 37 administrative law judges in the Department of Labor and more than 10,000 Defense Base Act claims pending adjudication as of March, according to data provided by the department. For others, the wait can stretch past three years. And for those who arent able to work because of their injuries, it can feel interminable. Youre four years in, says Howard Grossman, a lawyer who specializes in Defense Base Act claims, and the client is living on ramen noodles and microwave popcorn. Landry says that investigators for the insurance company, AIG, combed through her social media accounts and used photos of her exercising to make the case that she wasnt as sick as she said she was. AIG declined to comment. Grossman said he has seen private investigators for insurance companies convince people to sign blank authorization forms that the firms can use to access personal medical and pharmaceutical information. The VA is not perfect, as we know, but its role in life is to help injured veterans, says Gary Pitts, the attorney who represented Landry. What happens with the contractors is they come home, and they have to deal with a workers comp insurance company whose role in life is to help the workers comp insurance companies. But Landrys case was a victory: In 2018, a judge ruled that her condition was related to her toxic exposure in Iraq, citing Landrys description of breathing in the thick, black burn pit smoke, and her doctors determination that she suffered from a deployment-related lung disease. It was the first judicial decision in the country linking any burn pit exposure to a serious lung condition. Groups advocating for the PACT Act seized on the ruling as evidence that VA should do more to help veterans with lung diseases and cancers who were exposed to burn pits. Veronica Landry poses with a recent diagnostic scan of damage in her lungs. (Photo courtesy of Veronica Landry) Obliterative bronchiolitis became one of the conditions that VA guarantees coverage for veterans under the PACT Act. But contractors like Landry, with the same condition, are still on their own and must find a lawyer to fight on their behalf for compensation. Its one by one, Pitts says. In 23 years of working on the Defense Base Act, his firm has filed around 11,000 claims. In Landrys case, the judge determined her insurance company should pay her medical bills. But Landry says that she had to fight AIG for every bill to be reimbursed. Eventually, she gave up and settled out of court. Before settling, she was also awarded monetary compensation. The amount ended up being as small as the system made her feel. Just $4 a week. This War Horse feature was reported by Sonner Kehrt, edited by Mike Frankel, fact-checked by Jess Rohan, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Abbie Bennett wrote the headlines. CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) More bear sightings have been reported in Cumberland County, and officials are reminding community members to leave the animals alone. The reported bear sightings have been in the area of Dover Court in the Canterbury Estates neighborhood, Upper Allen Township Police said in a news release Tuesday. It was reported there may be a large and small bear together in the area, but so far there have been no reports of the animals being hostile or aggressive, police said. Cumberland County man tried to give up dog by reporting it as found Bears are attracted to trash and bird feeders, so police urge residents to move that stuff inside. Police urge residents to not approach the bears if they are seen. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is aware of the bear sightings, police said, and residents are asked to call police by 911 or at 717-238-9676 for concerns regarding their safety. There were previous reports in May of black bear sightings in the area of East Winding Hill Road and Winding Hill Drive, police said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Morning Weather Earlier in June, a bear near a local high school in Camp Hill fell from a tree, after the animal was tranquilized, into a giant tarp amidst public safety, wildlife and rescue officials. Afterward, the bear was taken to state land in central Pennsylvania and released. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Jim Bopp, right, chats with U.S. Sen. Mike Braun before a Jan. 25, 2024 gubernatorial forum in Carmel. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun faces a serious threat to his candidacy after Noblesville pastor Micah Beckwith was selected as his running mate, according to an internal campaign memo penned by prominent conservative attorney Jim Bopp. The five-page report, obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle Sunday evening, outlines several negative effects of Beckwiths nomination, including concerns that Beckwith will cause division and chaos and undermine Brauns leadership. Chief among Bopps worries, however, is the possibility that Beckwith could keep Braun out of the Statehouse altogether. Beckwiths nomination as Lt. Gov poses a serious threat to the Braun candidacy, election and administration, Bopp wrote, later saying in the memo that the Democrats have a real opportunity to launch a serious campaign in the fall because of Beckwiths nomination, and it has already begun. By running against Beckwith, the Democrats will be able to (raise) unlimited funds from their left wing allies and billionaire liberal supporters. In taking down Beckwith, they take down Braun. And they will paint the whole ticket, including Todd (Rokita), with this brush. Jim Bopp memo The Terre Haute-based lawyer and staunch anti-abortion advocate theorized that current Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick could be swapped out with Joe Donnelly, a former U.S. senator from Indiana, and she would be moved to the lieutenant governor spot on the ticket. Bopp said the Democrats campaign would focus almost exclusively on Beckwith and his radical views. He pointed specifically to a video Beckwith made after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in which he said the assault was divinely inspired. Bopp predicted tens of millions would be spent on endless ads quoting and featuring the radical pastors statements on that issue and others, forcing Braun to begrudgingly support or distance himself from Beckwith either of which could sacrifice votes. Braun will be asked, and held in account, for every statement Beckwith has ever made. So how does Braun respond? If he is viewed to be repudiating Beckwith or even distancing himself from him, he loses support from hardcore Beckwith supporters and if he embassies Beckwith, he feeds into the Democrat campaign, Bopp wrote. And since Beckwith wins if Braun wins, how can Braun really separate himself from Beckwith if he tried? And does saying I am in charge really work when the convention has just nominated Beckwith to hold Braun in account(?) (A)nd it is obvious that Beckwith has no interest in following Brauns lead if he does not want to. Lieutenant governor candidate Micah Beckwith chats with Republicans at the Indiana GOPs convention on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) By running against Beckwith, the Democrats will be able to (raise) unlimited funds from their left wing allies and billionaire liberal supporters, Bopp continued. In taking down Beckwith, they take down Braun. And they will paint the whole ticket, including Todd (Rokita), with this brush. When asked about the memo, Bopp said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle that, I do not discuss confidential communications with others. And I think it was despicable that someone leaked it. Josh Kelley, a senior advisor to Braun, separately told the Capital Chronicle that Bopps memo represented his personal views, and there was no way that he implied otherwise. Mike Braun is excited to lead the Indiana Republican Party with Micah Beckwith to historic victories in November, Kelley said in a statement. Braun remains focused on enacting a bold conservative agenda as governor and is excited to have Micah Beckwith as his partner to get the job done. A serious threat Indianas GOP delegates narrowly named Beckwith as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in a shocking vote at the partys convention Saturday, rebuffing first-term Rep. Julie McGuire Brauns handpicked choice for the role who had received a last-minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Beckwith ran an unorthodox solo campaign for the number two spot, publicly pitching himself as both the prospective governors cheerleader and a check on his power. Story continues below. INGOP Convention After-Action Report #1 final Bopp noted he ran a campaign to the right of Braun, and that his agenda to hold the Republican Establishment in account includes Braun, most particularly. He will do so with the bully pulpit of Lt. Gov. and endorsement of the Indiana Republican Party at our convention. He has been very active in public speaking over the years, expressing his views on numerous subject(s), and has explicitly run as a Pastor and Christian who will bring that to state government, Bopp said. Since both Braun and Beckwith are voted on together as a team, this poses special challenges to the Braun campaign. Beckwith is the pastor at Life Churchs Noblesville campus and co-hosts a podcast called Jesus, Sex and Politics with another pastor. He also operates a small business a music school and remains involved in his familys dairy company. He has additionally spent about five years doing policy work with the Indiana Family Institute and was prominent in a Hamilton County public library effort to relocate allegedly inappropriate books. In his assessment of Hoosier voters, Bopp looked to the 2022 general election to surmise that 25% is the default Republican margin expected this November. He looked, too, at Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales, who in 2022 won by 15%, despite facing a modest counter-campaign that detoured some soft/moderate Republican voters. A door opening for Democrats? Bopp cautioned that Braun might not fare so well against campaign attacks, however. The memo highlights Trumps May primary results in Indiana, which suggest 10% of GOP voters were not convinced to support the former president. Bopp further noted Braun only got 40% of the Republican primary vote, and that Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater will be on the ballot to drain off some conservative votes, as well. it is perfectly plausible that 8% of Diegos general election vote could be (peeled) away by a vigorous campaign by the Democrats targeting Beckwith Bopp said. This makes the general election very dicey. Bopp also expressed concern for incumbent Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who could still face additional charges from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. if disciplinary charges are brought against Todd during the general election, this will add an additional threat to Todd that he will have to meet. And those charges will also be used to smear the whole team, Bopp wrote. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Donnelly did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suggestion he could be tapped to run. The only way this could happen is if McCormick withdraws from the ballot. The Indiana Democratic Party has so far excoriated Beckwiths positions as extreme, and in a statement, Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl told the Capital Chronicle that Beckwiths absurd views have Republicans scrambling, and rightfully so. The Bopp memo shows that even the lawyer who wrote Indianas draconian abortion ban thinks that Micah Beckwiths views are out of the mainstream, Schmuhl said. (Beckwiths) presence on the ticket shows how far the Indiana GOP has gone to appease the most extreme members of its base at the expense of the majority of Hoosiers. As we move toward November, Hoosiers deserve to hear and see all of the outlandish claims Beckwith has made and his views on the issues of the day, he continued. He is not remotely qualified to step into the Statehouse, let alone be next in line to be governor, and the Bopp memo outlines the real danger he poses to their ticket and our states future. Jennifer McCormick has the experience to be a leader for all Hoosiers from day one, and her administration will put Hoosiers freedoms and their hard work first. Shell support our local schools, and reject divisive extremism. A spokesperson for McCormicks campaign told the Capital Chronicle late Monday that she has not been asked to step aside, nor would she consider doing so. The campaign said in an announcement last week that McCormicks lieutenant governor pick is expected soon. Jennifer is in this race to win it. Hoosiers deserve better than what they have now and certainly better than a radical, extreme Braun-Beckwith administration, said Kelly Wittman, McCormicks campaign manager. It is time for a return to common sense, bipartisanship, and civility. Indiana does not need nor want more chaos and fear. Hoosiers want optimism and opportunity, and that is exactly what a McCormick administration will bring. The post Beckwith poses a serious threat to Brauns campaign, says GOP powerhouse lawyer appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. A Belleville man admitted to police that he threatened to shoot and kill the employee of a St. Louis business because of their sexual orientation, according to court records. William Hendree, 36, was charged in St. Louis with first-degree harassment, a felony, on June 15 after he sent threatening messages. According to St. Louis Municipal Court records, the threats were made on March 4 at an undisclosed business on Laclede Avenue in the citys Central West End. Hendree sent messages saying he would use hollow point bullets to kill the employee and that he was waiting outside where they worked, the records allege. In a statement to police, Hendree admitted sending the messages and that he was in the area at the time the threats were made. He told them he was targeting the person because of their sexual orientation and that he had made similar threats against others at the business. Its not clear if he was also targeting them for their sexual orientation. Those incidents are being investigated, according to court records. Hendree, who was arrested and charged Sunday, will make his initial court appearance is scheduled to be at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 17, at the Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis. A circuit judge denied Hendree bond and ordered him held, calling him a flight risk because of his Illinois residency and that he was a danger to the public because he admitted to making the other threats, according to the court records. As of late Monday morning, court records did no list an attorney for Hendree. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A Berkeley, Missouri, woman is due in court next month for trying to deposit a bad check worth six figures at a Clayton bank. According to the Clayton Police Departments probable cause statement, the incident took place on Aug. 11, 2023, at the Chase Bank at Forsyth Boulevard and South Hanley Road, in downtown Clayton. Police received a report from Warex LLC that a check made payable to United Healthcare in the amount of $105,905 was intercepted and altered. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Investigators claim Tyrhonda Williams (age not provided) got the check and made it payable to herself and her company, Loc Lab Studio LLC. Surveillance video at the bank shows a woman matching Williams description depositing the check, now in her name, at Chase Bank. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Williams with forgery. Williams was issued a criminal summons to appear in court on July 22. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Students take part in commencement at Idaho State University's Pocatello campus on May 4, 2024. (Courtesy of Idaho State University) In my short time as Idaho State Universitys 14th president, I have come to appreciate even more that there is no single path to success. My experience has shown me the transformative power of education, and I want every Idaho student, whether at ISU or any other college or university, to have access to this incredible power. Education has been a pivotal force in my life, opening unforeseen doors and shaping who I am and who my family would become. It all started with a bachelors degree in psychology. Along the way, I got married, had a child and trained to become a seminary teacher for our church. Our next big leap was a move to a new city where I began my teaching career. As our family grew, so did my career ambitions, leading me to pursue an executive masters of public administration to advance in administration. Juggling teaching, administrative duties and part-time jobs, I commuted 40 miles each weekend for classes. A brief entrepreneurial venture with family further clarified my career goals. Ultimately, my wife Tracy and I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in New York, moving across the country with our five children. This journey reinforced my belief in education as a series of opportunities adaptable to lifes unique changes. Todays students come from various backgrounds and have unique needs. Some are beginning their higher education journey right out of high school, while others are returning to college after starting families or careers. We must meet them where they are, offering flexible programs, supportive environments and practical skills and knowledge that prepare them for the future. For some, they might be seeking a more transactional experience a better job, advancement or life development. For others, they attend ISU with hopes of transforming their lives through undergraduate and graduate research, professional education or artistic contributions. At Idaho State University, outstanding faculty and staff are committed to equipping our students with the tools needed for success no matter why they come to us at any of our campuses, or through online education. We offer a wide range of programs, spanning from doctoral degrees to career-technical certifications and everything in between. We partner with our sister institutions and community colleges to make transferring and stacking credentials easier and more efficient than ever. Our aim is to open doors and empower our students to excel, just as various educational options have empowered me, Tracy and our five children. Interestingly, our own children represent the very breadth of Idahoans we serve. Our oldest son excelled in business, where his bachelors degree taught him, among many other things, leadership and entrepreneurialism. Our oldest daughter earned a masters degree in a professional counseling field, while another son pursued a technical education certificate with a great job waiting for him upon completion. We also have a son who stopped out of his university experience and thrived in a 16-week software programming bootcamp with a well-paying job waiting at the end. And now our youngest daughter is earning her bachelors degree in the liberal arts and using internships to open doors for employment. No matter which path they chose, all of our children have been empowered with the skills and knowledge they need to build successful lives and contribute to their communities. Higher education must aim for greatness, offering diverse opportunities and fostering excellence in our students. Trying to be everything to everyone usually has a negative connotation. However, it is imperative that colleges and universities be responsive to both student and workforce needs, offering plenty of on-ramps and off-ramps along the way. Education should not be a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a customizable journey that meets students where they are and takes them where they want to go. It is possible, and at ISU we embrace this responsibility. I am excited about the future of Idaho State University and the role we play in shaping the lives of our students. Colleges and universities can be beacons of innovation, exploration and creative excellence. Having just experienced my first graduation ceremonies at ISU, Ive seen firsthand how our institution empowers students for a brighter future. But, we must do more to ensure that an even greater number of Idahoans can access these transactional and transformational opportunities. I look forward to partnering with you and the remarkable communities around our state to create a brighter future for all, because thats exactly what we are meant to do. I have experienced it, and so can many others. Come, join us! SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The post Beyond the degree: Building a bright future for Idahoans appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. UPPER FREEHOLD - The public is likely to get their say Tuesday in a proposal to build two warehouses less than 100 feet from residential backyards, in a debate that has seen accusations of improper favoritism and claims of danger to protected species and historic land from the Battle of Monmouth campaign. The Borough of Allentown is fighting its neighbor Upper Freehold to prevent construction of the two warehouses totaling 453,720 square feet. The 0.6-square-mile historic village hired its own set of experts to argue against the warehouses development before the Upper Freehold Planning Board. Public comments could begin Tuesday at Allentown High School at 6 p.m. Wall-based developer Active Acquisitions has built other industrial buildings ranging between 100,000 square feet to one million square feet in Howell, Millstone and Jackson, among other municipalities in New Jersey. The Borough of Allentown has argued that the states development and redevelopment plan considers the section of land next to Probasco Drive, also known as the Stein property, a historic and cultural site. An architectural rending of the proposed Active Acquisitions warehouse at the Upper Freehold planning board on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at Allentown High School in Upper Freehold, New Jersey. It has also argued that three members of the Upper Freehold Planning Board have previously heard discussions or engaged in discussion themselves about the Active Acquisitions warehouse and therefore cannot vote on the application. The three members are Upper Freehold Mayor Dr. Robert Frascella, Township Committeeman Stephen Alexander and Anthony Garaguso. The planning boards attorney, Matthew Kalwinsky, has previously stated that as long as the planning board members feel they can make an unbiased decision, they can vote on the warehouse proposal. A letter sent by the Upper Freehold Township Committee attorney Dennis Collins to the Committee in August stated that planning boards are quasi-judicial. Collins wrote, No person acting in a judicial capacity, or who may act in such capacity, should ever engage in discussions centering around the appropriateness of a pending land use application without both sides present and adherence to the impartial nature of the process. It makes a mockery of the process and seriously undermines the integrity of the government. In March, a Superior Court judge in Sussex County disqualified all eight members of the Sparta planning board, who were appointed by the mayor who publicly opposed 660,000-square-foot warehouse by the developer Diamond Chip Realty. All the members were part of a Facebook group formed to opposed the development. Upper Freehold resident Sue Kozel and her husband Chris Berzinski said they have either had phone conversations with the planning board members or know the members were present when discussions of the warehouse project were taking place. What did the mayor say? The Upper Freehold planning board members listen to plans for two warehouses at the boundary with Allentown on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at Stone Bridge Middle School in Upper Freehold, New Jersey. Kozel said she had contacted Monmouth County asking about ways to preserve the Stein Property. She then called Mayor Frascella, who she said was a bit angry with me that I contacted the county without his permission. She said the mayor said the ratables would provide $1.6 million for township salaries and he stated he could not vote against the AAESUF warehouse septic plan and it was state of art. She said the mayor said the county was taking a lot of Upper Freehold land for open space, which was causing property taxes to rise on the remaining land that can be taxed. Frascella denied talking about the warehouse and said he had told Kozel that I cannot comment on any potential application but that he could talk about planning and zoning principles in general. He said the county has taken close to $300,000 off the townships tax rolls, which equate to salaries in the township. He said, I never, ever, ever told you we needed ratables on this property to pay salaries. Kozel said she called Alexander, who she said supported farmland preservation for two other properties, but laughed when the Stein property was brought up. She said Alexander spoke of the need for ratables for staff salaries and that the Amazon Matrix warehouse development in nearby Robbinsville also had Revolutionary War history, but what difference did it make? Berzinski said he later spoke with Alexander who said, Theyve been dumping s--- on this property for 200 years and the Stein property has no historical value. Alexander said he might have said that and argued that as township committeeman he has to prioritize different projects. He said 57% of the township is open space and he was not on the planning board when the phone calls and conversations were taking place. He argued that the law allows members of the township committee who would later be on the planning board to wear different hats without being in conflict. Kozel said planning board member Garaguso was present during discussions of the proposed warehouse at township committee meetings. Garaguso said he came to the meeting as a member of the public and did leave after seeing Frascella and Alexander leave. Revolutionary War history A map of the British armys 1778 advance from Philadelphia to Sandy Hook in red that was presented during an Upper Freehold planning board on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at Allentown High School in Upper Freehold, New Jersey. According to John Fabiano, retired executive director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission, in 1778, the British withdrew from Philadelphia with a 12-mile baggage train. They made their way northeast, fought at the Battle of Monmouth before reaching Sandy Hook. On their way, the British encamped in Allentown and skirmishes occurred. Its the last piece of undeveloped land that would show activity of the (the skirmishes), Fabiano said. The developers archaeologist Matt Tomaso said his firm conducted shovel tests. There is essentially nothing out there currently that represents the British encampment, he said. We didnt find anything that is diagnostically meaning, most definitely of an 18th-century origin. According to the archaeology report, artifacts including glass jars, ceramic pieces, a hatchet, a well and 1864 Indian head penny were found, among other items. The majority of the items were found around the former farmstead. Tomaso said if a property has an eligible resource, the state may request mitigation as opposed to preservation. Kozel, who retired from teaching history at Kean University, said its not surprising that no artifacts from the encampment were found due to the short duration of the stay. But she said the site needed to be further investigated for its full history that could include its Black history. Protesters line Main St. just outside of Allentown where developers are proposing to build a warehouse and pave over a Revolutionary War site. Emile DeVito, who works with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said the environmental impact report did not conduct a thorough enough job identifying species living on the property. He said he visited the property three times and saw an American Kestrel foraging on the field. While restricted from access to the property, he said he suspects a nest in the woods along Indian Run Creek. While the developer stated that a Department of Environmental Protection inspector did not find any species of concern, DeVito said the state agency relies on databases of protected species that are woefully inadequate when it comes to private property. He also said many animals only appear during specific hours during certain seasons. Allentown is also looking to the state and county to preserve the Stein property. Allentown resident Kemani Scott, who is also the policy coordinator for state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, said there are two budget resolutions under consideration. One is sponsored by state Sen. Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, and it proposes to give $8 million to Monmouth County to purchase the property. The other is sponsored by Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, D-Burlington, and it would give $8 million to Allentown to purchase the property. The county is also negotiating with the developer over the property. We are such a small community. Its often overlooked. Scott said, adding, We have seen overdevelopment crippling our small towns and our communities. We need to make some systemic changes across our state about this issue." Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Upper Freehold warehouse plan to go before the public With just more than a week until the first presidential debate, President Joe Biden's campaign is increasing attacks on former President Donald Trump's felony conviction, announcing on Monday that it's launching a $50 million ad buy targeting voters in battleground states highlighting the verdict in Trump's hush-money trial. The 30-second spot, which will air in battleground states throughout the rest of June, trades clips of a smiling Biden greeting voters with shots of Trump scowling in court. "This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family," a narrator says. MORE: Biden slams Supreme Court during star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Masseria San Domenico on the sidelines of the G7 Summit hosted by Italy in Apulia region, on June 13, 2024 in Savelletri. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The Trump campaign's spokesperson criticized the new ads and are using the opportunity to push the false claims that Trump's legal troubles stem from political motivations. "This new ad once again proves the sham trial was always meant to be election interference, but Americans see through it," Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted on X in response to the ad. PHOTO: Donald Trump gives the keynote address at Turning Point Action's 'The People's Convention' on June 15, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Since the verdict, which made Trump the first former president convicted of felony crimes, the Biden campaign has steadily leaned in to using Trump's conviction as a strategy to show he isn't fit for office. The Democratic National Committee launched billboards near a Trump event calling him a "convicted felon," while Biden himself used that language at a Connecticut fundraiser. MORE: Biden marks Eid while acknowledging the suffering of civilians in Gaza "Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump," Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign's communications director, said in a statement Monday. Polling since the end of the trial has suggested the conviction harms Trump among voters still making up their minds about their presidential pick. A Politico Magazine/Ipsos poll published on Monday found that Trump's conviction makes 32% of registered independents less likely to support Trump compared to 12% who said it makes them more likely to support him. Forty percent said it had no impact. ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report. Biden campaign launches $50M pre-debate ad blitz focusing on Trumps conviction originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Donald Trump and Joe Biden are neck-and-neck in many polls but a recent poll suggested 21% of independent voters were less likely to back Trump after his conviction. Donald Trump and Joe Biden are neck-and-neck in many polls but a recent poll suggested 21% of independent voters were less likely to back Trump after his conviction. Photograph: Reuters Joe Biden is seeking to exploit Donald Trumps recent felony conviction in a television advertising blitz, amid polling evidence that the presumptive Republican nominees criminal status is hurting him with independent voters. A new 30-second advert released on Monday homes in on Trumps 31 May conviction in a Manhattan court on 34 counts of falsifying documents to conceal the payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels, an adult actor, who testified that the pair had sex. The ad featuring black-and-white courtroom images of Trump also highlights his losses in two civil court cases, one from the writer E Jean Carroll, who said the former president raped and defamed her, and a $355m fraud ruling against his businesses. We see Donald Trump for who he is, the ads narrator says. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Bidens been working, the narrative continues in a calculated comparison between Trump and his successor in the Oval Office. This election is between a convicted criminal who is only out for himself and a president who is fighting for you and your family. The ad will run in key battleground states and is the Biden campaigns most aggressive commentary yet on Trumps criminal status after a muted initial response. It is part of a $50m advertising onslaught as the Biden election machine seeks to make Trumps character a central issue in the run-up to the first scheduled televised debate between the pair on CNN on 27 June. In the immediate aftermath of the verdict which Trump has appealed the president appeared to play it down, saying: Theres only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box. The apparent change of course follows polling indicators that the conviction may sway potential swing voters, widely deemed crucial in a close race. A fresh poll for Politico shows 21% of independent voters saying it makes them less likely to vote for him in November a potentially decisive factor in a contest in which opinion surveys have shown the two candidates running neck-and-neck, with Trump leading narrowly in many instances. The poll also recorded 43% of voters as believing that the verdict was intended to help Biden. Related: Trumps lead over Biden narrows after conviction, analysis shows One of Trumps leading surrogates, the Florida congressman Byron Donalds, who has been tipped as a potential vice-presidential contender, called on the US supreme court which has a six-to-three conservative majority, largely because of Trumps nomination of conservative justices while he was president to reverse the conviction, despite it having no jurisdiction over state cases. In New York, the only ability for this to be overturned is going to be happening two or three years from now, he told NBCs Meet The Press. Thats why what happened in lower Manhattan was to interfere with an election, which is why Speaker [Mike] Johnson, myself included, and many Americans believe the supreme court should step in to this matter. At a fundraising event in Los Angeles, attended by former president Barack Obama, and actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, Biden told the comedian Jimmy Kimmel that a Trump victory would result in at least two more conservative justices being appointed to the supreme court, which he said would be very negative in terms of the rights of individuals. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is planning to announce a sweeping new policy Tuesday that would lift the threat of deportation for hundreds of thousands of people married to U.S. citizens, an aggressive election-year action on immigration that had been sought by many Democrats. Biden will announce the new program at a White House event to celebrate the Obama-era dreamers directive that offered deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants, according to three people briefed on the White House plans. The policy will allow roughly 490,000 spouses of U.S. citizens an opportunity to apply for a parole in place program, which would shield them from deportations and offer them work permits if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years, according to two of the people briefed. They all spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly. The White House on Monday declined to comment on the announcement. The announcement will be a significant marker for Biden. He opened his presidency with promises to fight for widespread relief for the millions of immigrants who live in the country without permanent legal status. But as the number of migrants reached historic levels and he prepares for a reelection contest against Donald Trump, Biden earlier this month enacted a border clampdown that critics say is similar to those pursued by his predecessor. The White House's decision earlier this month to implement a restrictive proposal that essentially halted asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border angered many of Biden's political allies. However, Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., who chairs a Democratic group of lawmakers called the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said she expected the policy announcement Tuesday would cause tears of joy paired with some sighs of relief from the families of those who stand to benefit. Families who would potentially benefit from Bidens actions were expected to attend the White House event Tuesday afternoon. For some time, administration officials have been deliberating various options to offer protections for immigrants who lack legal status in the U.S. but have longstanding ties. The authority Biden is invoking not only gives deportation protections and work permits, but removes a legal barrier to allow qualifying immigrants to apply for permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship. It's a power that's already been used for other categories of immigrants, such as members of the U.S. military or their family members who lack legal status. Today, I have spoken about what we need to do to secure the border, Biden said at a June 4 event at the White House, when he rolled out his order to suspend asylum processing for many migrants arriving now to the U.S. In the weeks ahead and I mean the weeks ahead I will speak to how we can make our immigration system more fair and more just. Biden was also expected to announce a policy of making recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program eligible for visas, rather than the temporary work authorization they currently receive, according to two of the people briefed. Immigration advocates praised the policy expected to benefit the spouses of U.S. citizens, saying on a conference call Monday that it is often impossible for the spouses to gain legal status even though they have deep ties in the country. This is a defining moment in history, and we need to meet this moment," said Ashley DeAzevedo, the president of American Families United, which advocates for U.S. citizens married to foreign nationals. Still, Biden's use of the authority could come under legal challenge, just as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has faced. The White House on Tuesday afternoon is marking the 12th anniversary of that program, which was created by then-President Barack Obama to protect young immigrants who lacked legal status, often known as dreamers. In recent weeks, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called on Biden to act to shield the spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation as well as to consider a policy making work visas available to graduates of U.S. colleges who came to the country without authorization as children. Biden's announcement was expected to receive a warm reception from Democrats, and several House lawmakers were traveling back to Washington for the announcement. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., called Biden's action justice that was long overdue for the people who have been waiting but are key to so many thriving families and communities. Advocates also argued that the policy made political sense for Biden. We anticipate that immigrant and Latino voters will express their gratitude at the ballot box in November," said Gustavo Torres, the president of CASA in Action. Trump, meanwhile, has said he will deport millions of migrants across the country if hes reelected, doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric that fueled his previous rise to power. Biden's policy would only apply to longtime U.S. residents, but Republicans were nonetheless critical. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called it a huge magnet for would-be immigrants, saying it was going to attract even more people to the border. Biden Blasts 'Out Of Step' Supreme Court In Warning Over Second Trump Presidency President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning about the impact that electing Donald Trump would have on the future composition of the Supreme Court. Speaking at a Hollywood campaign event Sunday, Biden said whoever wins Novembers presidential election could get to name two Supreme Court justices. He argued the court has never been so out of step as it is now and suggested the trend would continue under a second Trump presidency. As president, Trump nominated three conservative justices to vacancies on the high court; they helped to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away federal abortion protections. Biden, who appeared alongside former President Barack Obama at a fundraising event moderated by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, also referred to Justice Clarence Thomas arguing for the court to revisit cases that have already been decided related to contraception and same-sex marriage. When asked by Kimmel what people should do if they fear their rights are under threat, Biden responded: Elect me again. The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees. Two more, he added before referring to Trump. Hes already appointed two that have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals. Heres what you can do to prevent any more far-right Supreme Court justices appointed by Donald Trump: Reelect me. pic.twitter.com/y1k6EJZ8kv Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 16, 2024 Biden then took aim at Justice Samuel Alito and the controversy surrounding two flags flown at his homes. The idea that if [Trump] is reelected, hes going to appoint two more, flying flags upside down, Biden said. He added that Trumps influence on the court would be one of the scariest parts of his return to power, saying: The fact of the matter is that this has never been a court thats been this far out of step. The decisions made by the court today are a by-product of the 2016 election and voters who sat out, the president continued. They said, Well, were not enthusiastic enough. Were not feeling inspired enough. Why bother? Biden said. And hopefully, we have learned our lesson because these elections matter in very concrete ways. And were now seeing how much it matters when it comes to the Supreme Court. Related... The Biden campaign launched a battleground state ad Monday that lambastes former President Trump as a convicted criminal, highlighting his numerous legal problems and his recent felony conviction in New York. The ad, titled Character Matters, will run on general market television across battleground states and on national cable. It is part of a broader $50 million paid media campaign for June and comes less than two weeks before the first debate between President Biden and Trump. In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud, the narrator says in the 30-second ad while images of Trump in New York court play. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has been working, lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share. This election is between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself, and a president whos fighting for your family, the ad concludes. The ad marks one of the most aggressive efforts to date from the Biden campaign to attack Trump over his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records following a weeks-long trial in Manhattan. It comes as Biden and Trump are set to face-off on June 27 for the first of two planned presidential debates. It will be hosted by CNN in Atlanta. Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump, said Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign communications director, in a statement. Thats why he was convicted, thats why he encouraged a violent mob to storm the Capitol on January 6, and its why his entire campaign is an exercise in revenge and retribution; because that man is blind to the people a president should be serving and will do absolutely anything for his own personal gain and for his own power, Tyler added. Trump has railed against the legal system amid his numerous legal troubles, claiming they are being orchestrated by the Biden White House to hurt him politically ahead of November. There is no evidence the White House has played a role in the various cases against Trump. In addition to the guilty verdict in New York, a jury found Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and later defamed her by denying her claims, and a New York judge ordered him to pay nearly $355 million in penalties in a civil fraud case. Trump is still facing criminal cases in Washington, D.C., Florida and Georgia, though none of those cases appear likely to go to trial before November. President Bidens son Hunter Biden was found guilty last week on three felony counts alleging he lied about his use of illicit drugs when obtaining a gun in 2018 and then unlawfully possessed the firearm for 11 days. Trumps campaign dismissed Hunter Bidens conviction as a distraction from claims of corruption against the Biden family. 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. From the Dispatch Politics on The Dispatch Happy Monday! We hope all the dads out there had a happy Fathers Day. Wed like to give our condolences to former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who lost her father yesterday morning. Up to Speed President Joe Biden raised $30 million at a California fundraiser Saturday that featured former President Barack Obama and several Hollywood stars, his campaign said. Celebrities such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Barbra Streisand all made appearances at the event, which broke a record for a single Democratic fundraiser. Biden and the Democrats had a significant fundraising advantage earlier in the campaign, but former President Donald Trump has made serious gains in the wake of the guilty verdict in his hush money trial. That verdict may not help Trump this fall as much as many pundits have predicted, according to a Monday poll from Politico. Twenty-two percent of respondents in the pollincluding 21 percent of political independentssaid the conviction would impact the way they plan to vote and that it made them less likely to vote for Trump. At the same time, though they do not represent the lions share of respondents, a significant number of Americans (32 percent) did not believe the verdict came from a a fair and impartial judicial process. Whats more, 43 percent believed prosecutors brought the case to help Joe Biden, compared to 51 percent who did not. Biden seeks to capitalize on the political fallout from the verdict, launching a $50 million ad buy set to run in every swing state that attacks Trump for his conviction, Axios reported Sunday. In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is, the ads voiceover says. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. It goes on to contrast those qualities with Bidens time in office and asserts that this falls election is between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself and a president whos fighting for your family. The Trump and Biden campaigns agreed to rules for their debate on CNN set to take place June 27. The network will mute the candidates microphones when they are not speaking during the 90-minute debate, which will have two commercial breaks, during which campaign staff may not interact with the presumptive major-party nominees. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may qualify for the debate, but it is unlikely, according to the network. Kennedy has reached 15 percent in three of four national polls he needs to qualify, but he is only on enough state ballots to garner 89 electoral votes, well short of the 270 required. Rep. Garret Graves, a five-term Republican from Louisiana, announced Friday that he would not seek reelection this fall in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that allowed a redistricting map that altered his district lines. It is evident that a run in any temporary district will cause actual permanent damage to Louisianas great representation in Congress, he said in a statement. Campaigning in any of these districts now is not fair to any of the Louisianians who will inevitably be tossed into yet another district next year. Graveswhom former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy tapped last year to negotiate a debt-ceiling deal with Democrats that President Joe Biden eventually signed into lawjoins a spate of House Republicans this term who have resigned or announced they will not run for reelection. Elsewhere in Congress, House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson on Sunday endorsed Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, who is challenging caucus chair Rep. Bob Good in a primary Tuesday, Politico reported. While Good has received the support of caucus members like Reps. Chip Roy, Andrew Clyde, and Andy Biggs, former President Donald Trump endorsed McGuire late last month. Multiple members of the Freedom Caucus last week shared their disapproval of Trumps recent endorsements, complaining that the former president has chosen more moderate candidates over more conservative ones. Biden Campaign Expands Effort to Win GOP Votes President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Girard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 29, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) With a national Republican engagement director on board, President Joe Bidens campaign is intensifying efforts to woo center-right voters reluctant to pull the lever for presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. But dont expect to see much public evidence of this program before Labor Day. The Biden campaign launched its bid for disaffected Republicans in early March, soon after Nikki Haley dropped her bid for the GOP presidential nomination. The millions of voters who supported the former South Carolina governor and ex-United States ambassador to the United Nations in Republican primaries were and are the Biden campaigns targets. Now, with veteran Republican operative Austin Weatherford in place to lead the effort, the presidents team has quietly accelerated the program. The Biden campaign had already begun message-testing spots that targeted Haley Republicans while sketching out an ad and grassroots outreach strategy in battleground state communities that were hostile to Trump in GOP primaries. Campaign sources told Dispatch Politics that Weatherfords hiring has facilitated next steps. As a GOP operative for 25 years who has made the jump to supporting Biden, he brings credibility and a shared experience to his conversations with dissatisfied Republicans. We dont expect Republican voters to agree with this president 100 percent of the time. Thats normal, Weatherford told NPR. What Im going to be doing is building up the permission for Republican voters to vote for President Biden. Weatherford was Adam Kinzingers chief of staff for 10 of the 12 years the Illinois Republican served in the House of Representatives. Kinzinger, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, was a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. The Biden campaign declined to make Weatherford available for comment to Dispatch Politics. A key aspect of the program Weatherford is overseeing is timing. The Biden campaign believes the effort can be most successful if it pops in the fall, as Americans begin to pay closer attention to the 2024 electionand as early and mail-in voting get underway in various states. Its then that team Biden is planningor perhaps hopingto unveil a collection of endorsements from prominent Republicans, similar to that of Geoff Duncan, Georgias former lieutenant governor. Until then, most preparations, carried out by a dedicated GOP outreach staff, are taking place behind the scenes. However, it might be possible to get a sneak peek of what the Biden campaign has planned by looking out for advertising and grassroots engagement in the swing-state suburbs that will decide the election. For example, the Biden campaign hopes to pick off Republican primary voters who supported Haley in Wisconsins WOW counties. In Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington, the former Trump Cabinet official finished with 14 percent, 17 percent, and 12 percent of the vote, respectively, versus her old boss. Bidens team is also targeting the 155,000 voters who backed Haley over Trump in Pennsylvania, who were heavily concentrated in the Philadelphia suburbs. This approach also applies to: The Atlanta suburbs of Georgia. Haley won 40 percent of the primary vote in DeKalb County, 23 percent of the vote in Cobb County, and 38 percent of the vote in Fulton County. The Detroit and Grand Rapids suburbs of Michigan. There, Trump underperformed, by the Biden campaigns estimation, in Oakland, Washtenaw, Ottawa and Kent counties. The Charlotte and Raleigh suburbs of North Carolina. There, Haley performed well in Durham, Mecklenburg, Orange, and Wake counties. Meanwhile, Trump continues to lead Biden in polling averages, both nationally and in the decisive battleground states. Derrick Anderson and Cameron Hamilton vie for Virginias 7th District GOP Primary An upcoming Republican primary in a closely watched swing district has turned into the latest iteration of intra-GOP fissures. Two leading candidates have emerged in a crowded field vying for the Republican nomination in Virginias 7th Congressional District in Tuesdays primary. Retired Green Beret Derrick Anderson has the backing of GOP House leadership, while Cameron Hamilton, a retired Navy SEAL, has the support of senior and notable members of the House Freedom Caucus. In 2020, Joe Biden won the districtwhich stretches from the Washington suburbs to the exurbs of Richmondby nearly 7 points, before Republican Glenn Youngkin took it by a similar margin in 2021s gubernatorial election. Anderson and Hamilton are looking to succeed Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who has represented the district for three terms since she defeated incumbent Republican Rep. David Brat in 2018. An exceedingly competent campaigner, Spanberger won her first two races by less than 2 points and her third term by a little less than 5 points. Last November, she announced her plan to retire and run for governor in 2025, opening up her seat for a presidential-election-year battle. The National Republican Congressional Committee had already listed Spanberger as one of its top targets, and it responded to the news of her gubernatorial run with a declaration that Republicans will flip this seat. But before they can do that, theyll need to choose a winner in a primary that has become a proxy battle between factions in the party. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson endorsed Andersonwho finished second in the 2022 GOP primaryback in December. Majority Whip Tom Emmer followed suit in March. Meanwhile, Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good has endorsed Hamilton, as have Reps. Chip Roy and Byron Donalds. In an interview with Dispatch Politics, Hamilton attributed leaderships decision to coalesce around Anderson to the perception that he will be more malleable to House leaders wishes. Anderson will essentially be a traditional Republican that will vote in line with what Republican Party leadership will ask for, Hamilton said. For his part, Anderson noted the large amount of support he has received from fellow Republicans, specifically naming Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Rep. Ronny Jackson. Jackson has been reported as an ally of the Freedom Caucus, and retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko, a member of the caucus, has endorsed Anderson as well. Weve been endorsed by a wide range of conservative leaders, Anderson told Dispatch Politics. We have a large, big tent of people that are supporting us and, again, thats what its going to take to win in November. The most notable policy disagreement between the two candidates deals with Ukraine aid, which has also divided members of House leadership and the Freedom Caucus. While Anderson is open to aiding Ukraine, Hamilton is skeptical and more insistent that border security come first. In his interview with Dispatch Politics, Hamilton said that foreign aidnot only to Ukraine but also Israel and Taiwanmust come after a deal to secure the southern border. Im willing to go toe-to-toe with my own party to say that anything that does not prioritize our southern border right now is almost, by definition, frivolous or is secondary in priority, he said. He added that he has a lot of skepticism about Ukraine aid and less skepticism about such help to Israel. Anderson said he did not want to send a blank check to Ukraine and expressed concerns over whether the type of equipment America was sending is useful to the Ukrainians. But in contrast to Hamilton, he indicated openness to aid concurrent with the pursuit of border security measures. Were able to do multiple things at once, Anderson told Dispatch Politics. Were able to support Ukraine. Were able to support Israel. Were able to support our allies overseas while, at the same time, support our southern border. But right now, thats not what were seeing the Democrats willing to do. The winner of Tuesdays primary will face the victor of a similarly crowded Democratic primary that features Eugene Vindman, known for his role in the first impeachment saga of former President Donald Trump. Vindman has raised more than $5 million this cycle, dwarfing his Democratic opponentsand surpassing Andersons $1.1 million and Hamiltons $720,000. Notable and Quotable If the president asked me to serve in any capacity, I would, of course, entertain it. But, right now, Im very happy being a senator representing the people of Arkansas and working to elect President Trump and a majority in the Congress so we can begin to repair some of the damage that Joe Biden and the Democrats inflicted over these last four years. Sen. Tom Cotton in response to a question on CNNs State of the Union about whether he would say yes if former President Donald Trump asked him to be his running mate, June 16, 2024 Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. After holding back for weeks, the presidents reelection campaign took aim at the former presidents historic guilty conviction in the hush money case. A screengrab from the Biden campaign's new ad focused on former President Donald Trump's conviction. (Biden Campaign via YouTube) After holding back for weeks, President Bidens reelection campaign released a new television ad Monday attacking former President Donald Trump over his historic felony conviction in May in his New York hush money trial. What does the ad say? The 30-second spot, titled Character Matters, begins with a black-and-white image of Trump taking his seat inside the Manhattan criminal courtroom where a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges stemming from his efforts to conceal a hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 presidential election. In the courtroom we see Donald Trump for who he is, a voice-over says before reminding viewers of the hush money conviction as well as the Trump Organizations conviction in a tax fraud case and how the former president was found liable for sexual assault in E. Jean Carrolls lawsuit. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working, lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share, the voice-over continues, adding: This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family. What does the Biden campaign say? The ad makes clear that Trumps status as a convicted felon isnt just a label, the campaign said in a press release. Its a reflection of a spiraling and unhinged man who will do anything for power, revenge, and retribution. The spot is part of a broader $50 million ad campaign the Biden team is rolling out ahead of the presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta. Trump approaches the first debate as a convicted felon who continues to prove that he will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump, Michael Tyler, a spokesman for the Biden-Harris campaign, said in a statement. The president of the United States should be someone who understands that the highest office in the land is about you and your family not a vehicle to enrich yourself. That is the ethos Joe Biden puts into the job every day: to fight for safer communities, for the middle class, and to ensure that corporations are paying their fair share. Its a stark contrast. What was the Trump campaigns response? Trump at a Turning Point Action event in Detroit on June 15. (Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu via Getty Images) Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that the Biden administration had weaponized the justice system against Trump, and that the contrast between the former presidents strength and success and Joe Bidens weakness, failures, and dishonesty will be made clear on the debate stage next week. What do the polls say? Ahead of the hush money trial, some independent voters who supported Trump said they would be less likely to vote for the former president if he was convicted of a crime. And a new poll conducted by Politico following Trumps conviction found that 21% of independent voters said it made them less likely to vote for him in November. Whats next? Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. He is facing up to four years in prison for each of the 34 felony counts, though legal experts say he would probably serve each sentence concurrently meaning he is likely facing a maximum prison sentence of four years and as a first-time offender is likely to receive far less jail time, if any. Meanwhile, President Bidens son Hunter was convicted in federal court in Delaware earlier this month of three felony charges for lying about his drug addiction while purchasing a gun in 2018. He is facing up to 25 years in prison at sentencing, a date for which has yet to be set. Insights from The Los Angeles Times, Politico, and The New York Times The News US President Joe Bidens 2024 reelection campaign took its most direct shot at his Republican rival Donald Trumps legal woes in a new TV ad calling him a convicted criminal. This election is between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself, and a president whos fighting for your family, a voice says over an image of Trumps mugshot from the Georgia election interference case that is yet to go to trial. The ad also references Trumps 34-count conviction for hush money payments in Manhattan, the civil case in which he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll, as well as the $355 million civil fraud ruling against his business. The Biden campaign spent $50 million on ads this month, and said the TV spot is intended to set up a contrast ahead of the first Biden-Trump debate on CNN on June 27. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Biden campaign ramps up direct Trump attacks Sources: The Los Angeles Times, Axios The ad, titled Character Matters, comes as the Biden campaign has started to launch more direct attacks on Trump. In a notable escalation of their rhetoric, Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and former President Barack Obama took shots at the former president at a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser over the weekend, The Los Angeles Times reported. I could have done nothing and done better than him, Biden said of Trumps White Houses record. The fundraiser raked in more than $30 million the largest cash haul from a one-night event in the Democratic Partys history. Trumps criminal conviction could hurt him with independents Source: Politico Its unclear to what extent Trumps criminal conviction will sway voters, but a new Politico poll shows that 21% of independents said it would be an important factor in their vote and made them less likely to support him. But theres also reason to believe that Trumps efforts to malign the justice system are getting through to voters, former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori argued in Politico: 43% of Americans believe the charges were meant to help Biden. However, the poll suggests that Americans views on the Trump verdict may still be malleable and could get better or worse for Trump, Khardori wrote. Biden reelection doubts compounded by sons guilty verdict Sources: Semafor, Axios, The New York Times In the wake of the presidents son Hunter Bidens conviction on federal gun charges, some Biden aides are torn about whether he should be running at all, Axios reported. Revelations from Hunters trial which revealed deeply personal details about the Biden familys troubles have some concerned that the president is too distracted by family turmoil to campaign. Whether Hunter Bidens guilty verdict will have a direct impact on Bidens reelection efforts remains to be seen: In a Reuters poll earlier this year, 23% of respondents said Hunters legal problems made them less likely to vote for his father, and a conservative New York Times columnist pointed out that the evidence against Hunter could undercut Bidens advantage over Trump on ethical issues. President Bidens Hollywood fundraiser raked in $30 million over the weekend for his reelection bid, the most of any Democratic fundraiser in history, according to the Biden campaign. Biden was joined at the fundraiser Saturday by former President Obama, actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. The president in his remarks warned against a second term for former President Trump and focused on the Supreme Court and his recent trip to Italy for the Group of Seven (G7) summit. The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees, Biden said, repeating a prediction he has made before. The idea that if hes reelected hes going to appoint two more flying flags upside down, he added, referring to Justice Samuel Alito, who has faced controversy over an upside-down American flag flying over his Alexandra, Va., home. The president also noted that he had just returned from the G7 summit, where he met with European allies. Were in a situation where I promise you, not because of me, but because of America, they have enormous faith in America, Biden said, referring to the allies. Obama, meanwhile, warned against Trump during the fundraiser, saying the U.S. has normalized behavior that used to disqualify someone from serving as president. We have the spectacle of the nominee of one of the two major parties sitting in court and being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts, Obama added. Obama, alongside former President Clinton, helped Biden raise more than $25 million in New York City in March. Trumps largest single fundraiser haul this cycle was roughly $50 million at a Palm Beach, Fla., fundraiser in April. The former president also raised $53 million in online donations in the 24 hours after he was convicted. The Biden campaign launched an ad Monday targeting Trump as a convicted criminal to highlight his legal troubles and recent conviction on 34 counts in New York. This story was updated at 2:13 p.m. to reflect the latest amount raised. 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 U.S. President Donald Trump walks to speak to the media after being found guilty following his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. The former president was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. Trump has now become the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felony crimes. (Photo by Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images) With 10 days to go before the candidates for president face off in the first debate, President Joe Bidens reelection campaign launched a new $50 million ad campaign on Monday with a spot that focuses on former President Donald Trumps conviction last month on 34 felony counts. Titled Character Matters, the ad refers to Trump as a convicted criminal whos only out for himself, comparing him to Biden, a president who is fighting for your family. Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement that Trump will do absolutely anything for his own personal gain and for his own power, adding His entire campaign is an exercise in revenge and retribution. After his conviction on 34 felony counts in New York, Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, days before the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee. The new Biden campaign ad, which will run on general market television in battleground states and on national cable is the first time the Biden campaign is taking direct aim at Trumps conviction. A pro-Trump super PAC ran an ad campaign in Pennsylvania in April critical of the Biden administrations immigration policies. The ad ran the same week Biden visited Pennsylvania, campaigning in Scranton, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, ahead of the states April 23 primary. A Trump campaign spokesperson on Monday repeated several of Trumps complaints about the trial, and said Biden and Democrats weaponized the justice system against him. This new ad once again proves the sham trial was always meant to be election interference, but Americans see through it, Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaigns national press secretary, said in a statement Monday. Despite Bidens failing campaign spending nearly $70 million on media buys, President Trump continues to crush Joe Biden in the polls, leading in every key battleground state and winning independents by double digits. Trump has said repeatedly that he believed the trial was politically motivated. He has said he would appeal the verdict. Polls in Pennsylvania have shown Trump has a slight lead over Biden in the contest for the states 19 electoral votes. A June 12 Marist poll showed Trump leading Biden by 2 points in Pennsylvania. Trump has complained repeatedly that the trial was politically motivated Trump is scheduled to appear in Philadelphia on Saturday for a rally at the Liacouras Center on Temple Universitys campus. The visit will be Trumps fourth to Pennsylvania in 2024 and his second to Philadelphia this year. He spoke in February to a National Rifle Association gathering in Harrisburg, and announced a new line of Trump-branded sneakers in Philadelphia at SneakerCon that same month. Trump held a rally in the Lehigh Valley in April, his most recent visit to Pennsylvania. Biden has made eight appearances in Pennsylvania so far this year, visiting Philadelphia with Vice President Kamala in late May to announce the launch of Black Voters for Biden-Harris at Girard College. The majority of Bidens visits to Pennsylvania have been in the southeastern part of the state, a heavily Democratic region. In the 2020 election, Biden beat Trump in Pennsylvania by just over 80,000 votes. This article was updated at 9 a.m. June 17, 2024 with comment from the Trump campaign. The post Biden campaign releases new ad focused on Trumps conviction appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Biden campaign slams "convicted criminal" Trump as part of new $50 million ad campaign President Joe Bidens re-election campaign has launched a new ad calling Donald Trump a convicted criminal." The 30-second ad titled Character Matters, not only references Trumps 34 felony convictions, but also his past cases of sexual abuse and defamation. Meanwhile, Joe Bidens been working lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share, the ad narrator states, comparing the two presidential candidates. This election is between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself and a president whos fighting for your family, the narrator continues over images of Trumps mugshots. Trump has denied any wrongdoing throughout his many court battles and has dismissed his most recent hush money trial rigged. He is due to be sentenced next month. Biden, whose son, Hunter, was convicted of three felony charges last week, has said it is it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict. The ad comes just a 10 days before the first presidential debate in Atlanta and will air in swing states across the country, as well as national cable. It is part of a $50 million ad buy from the Biden campaign this month, which includes more than $1 million of media targeting Black, Hispanic and Asian-American voters. "We will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself," Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement. President Biden is expected to unveil a new regulation allowing undocumented spouses of Americans to apply for legal residency. (AFP via Getty Images) President Joe Biden has unveiled a new program that will give a path to citizenship for people who are illegally in the United States but are married to Americans, as well as people who graduate from American universities and receive offers for high-skilled jobs. Biden announced the new program at a White House event on Tuesday to mark the 12-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program shields some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children from deportation and provides them with legal work authorization. He said the new path for high-skilled graduates would benefit people, including dreamers, who have graduated from US colleges and universities, landed jobs in high demand, high skilled professions that we need to have grow to see our economy grow. I want those who've been educated us, college universities, put their skills and knowledge to work for here in America, he said. Biden also said the new program to aid undocumented immigrants who are married to Americans is about keeping families together, These couples have been raising families, sending their kids to church and school, paying taxes, contributing our country for every for 10 years or more, he said, adding later that the average amount of time a person eligible for the program has been in the US is 23 years or more, during which theyve lived with fear and uncertainty. We can fix that, and that's what I'm going to do today, he said. Biden added that the current process for people who are undocumented but married to Americans is cumbersome, risky, and separates families because it requires such persons to leave the country for ten years before becoming eligible for a spousal visa. They have to leave their families in America with no assurance that theyll be allowed back in the United States. So they stay in America, but in the shadows, living in constant fear of deportation, he said. According to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the plan late Monday, it could benefit as many as 500,000 American families in so-called mixed-status marriages in which one parent is not present in the US legally. This new process will help certain non citizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence status that they are already eligible for without leaving the country and potentially putting themselves in harm's way. This action could protect approximately half a million American families and approximately 50,000 non citizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a US citizen, they said. The official also said Biden will announce new actions to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high skilled job offer, including for people who currently benefit from the DACA program. These measures show that the administration is committed to taking action within its legal authorities to secure our border and ensure that our immigration system is more fair and more just, the official added. The spouses of Americans have always been eligible to become US citizens themselves, but people who did not enter the US legally but later married a US national have long had roadblocks that make it more difficult compared to those who entered legally. Anyone who enters the country illegally, absent other relief, must leave the US and remain abroad for a full decade before they are eligible for a legal pathway to residency and citizenship - even if they married an American after entering the country. But the Biden plan would make use of an executive authority known as parole, which allows the government to set aside an illegal entry and grant work permits and residency status. Eventually, undocumented immigrants married to Americans who receive relief through parole would be able to apply for permenant resident status, and later, US citizenship, by virtue of their marriage to a US citizen who would serve as their sponsor. A Department of Homeland Security official said the new program for spouses of Americans would only apply to those whove been present in the country for a decade as of June 17, 2024. No one who entered the country after June 17, 2014 would be eligible. The DHS official said the presidents actions will advance our country's interest in keeping American families together, while ensuring anyone known to pose a threat to public safety cannot take part in our immigration system. The presidents move to create pathways to citizenship for undocumented spouses of Americans comes just weeks after he incurred the ire of immigration advocates by approving new harsh restrictions on asylum at the US-Mexico border. Republicans are expected to oppose Bidens plan and accuse him of creating incentives for illegal migration even though the new program only applies to people whove been in the US for ten years and will not benefit anyone who has entered the United States since 2014. Karoline Leavitt, former president Donald Trumps campaign press secretary, said in a statement that the program amounts to mass amnesty that will undoubtedly lead to a greater surge in migrant crime, cost taxpayers millions of dollars they cannot afford, overwhelm public services, and steal Social Security and Medicare benefits from American seniors to fund benefits for illegals draining the programs Americans paid into their entire working lives. Deirdre Schifeling, the chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union (which is suing the Biden administration over his asylum restrictions) praised this latest action as one that will help keep committed, loving families together, which strengthens all of our communities and is popular with voters. This act by the president is the type of humane and commonsense action that has made America stronger, with resilient, hardworking, and patriotic people coming to our cities and small towns, building lives and vibrant, stable communities, generation upon generation, she said. Progressive congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas hailed the move as a historic announcement that will allow hundreds of thousands of parents to drive their kids to school, get a job that pays a living wage, and participate fully in American society. Congress must pass comprehensive immigration reform, but this is a compassionate step forward. I look forward to working with the Biden administration to help families access this relief, he said. Biden protections for LGBT students blocked in six more states By Nate Raymond (Reuters) - A federal judge in Kentucky on Monday blocked President Joe Biden's administration from implementing new protections for LGBT students from discrimination in schools and colleges based on their gender identities in six Republican-led states that challenged the federal rule as unlawful. The ruling by Lexington-based U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves brought to 10 the number of states where judges have blocked the U.S. Department of Education rule from taking effect on Aug. 1 as planned. The rule, issued in April, extends to LGBT students protections provided by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 against discrimination "on the basis of sex." Republican state attorneys general from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia and an association of Christian educators sued to block the rule. Reeves sided with the plaintiffs, finding that the rule violated Title IX. That civil rights law, the judge found, was intended to level the educational playing field between men and women by barring discrimination "on the basis of sex" under any education program or activity receiving federal funding. "At bottom, the department would turn Title IX on its head by redefining 'sex' to include 'gender identity,'" wrote Reeves, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush. The judge said the rule also would run afoul of the free speech and religious freedom rights of educators under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by requiring them to use pronouns consistent with a student's gender identity rather than biological sex. The ruling mirrored that of another federal judge in Louisiana who on Thursday blocked the rule from taking effect in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho. Lawsuits by 16 other states challenging the rule remain pending. Republican state attorneys general welcomed the ruling. They said the rule would require schools to allow transgender students who were born male to use women's restrooms and locker rooms at schools. An Education Department spokesperson said it stands by the rule, saying it was crafted "to realize the Title IX statutory guarantee." In issuing the rule, the department said it clarified that the prohibition against sex-based discrimination in Title IX also includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The department cited a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that a ban against sex discrimination in the workplace contained in a different law, Title VII, covered gay and transgender workers. Courts often rely on interpretations of Title VII when analyzing Title IX, as both laws bar discrimination on the basis of sex. The Education Department before adopting the rule issued guidance that extended similar protections to LGBT students. A federal appeals court on Friday declined to overturn a ruling that blocked the guidance's enforcement in 20 states. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi) U.S. President Joe Biden declines to comment after reporters question him about the criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump as Biden departs the White House on March 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. Credit - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Joe Bidens re-election campaign is hoping to leverage Donald Trumps recent criminal conviction in a bid to sway voters, debuting a new television advertisement on Monday that calls the presumptive Republican presidential nominee a convicted criminal whos only out for himself. The ad, part of a $50 million investment that will air in battleground states in June, marks the Biden campaigns first attempt using Trumps legal woes in its advertising campaigns since the former President was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up an affair in his New York criminal trial last month. In the courtroom we see Donald Trump for who he is, the ads narrator states as black-and-white photos of Trump in court appear on screen. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and committed financial fraud. The ad concludes by casting the election as a stark choice between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself and a president whos fighting for your family. Its a theme the Biden campaign is hoping to sear into the minds of voters ahead of the June 27 presidential debate, particularly as Bidens approval ratings last week reached the lowest point in his presidency. The ad marks a strategic shift for Biden, who had so far largely avoided direct attacks on Trumps legal troubles. Bidens campaign began engaging on the topic by holding a press conference outside Trumps courtroom in the final days of the trial. Read More: How Trumps Life Will Change Now That Hes a Convicted Felon Michael Tyler, communications director for the Biden campaign, described Trump in a statement on Monday as someone who will do anything and harm anyone if it means more power and vengeance for Donald Trump. The ad rollout comes amidst a broader Democratic push to highlight Trumps legal entanglements for voters, with some current and former members of Congress and state elected officials calling on Biden to capitalize on Trumps conviction. Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt condemned the Biden campaigns tactics as a political ploy. Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats have weaponized the justice system against President Trump, Leavitt wrote on social media Monday. She dismissed the ad as part of an effort to interfere with the election process. Political analysts suggest that the Biden campaigns decision to highlight Trumps legal issues reflects a calculated strategy to sway undecided voters. Recent polling indicates a tightening race. Its great to see the campaign leaning into The Choice... and fighting to make this critical month of June, when so many people are beginning to tune into the election, count, longtime Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg wrote on his blog in response to the ad. Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here. Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com. Biden says Trump would pick more Supreme Court justices who like "flying flags upside down" President Joe Biden is warning Americans that their basic freedoms could be rolled back if Donald Trump returns to the White House and appoints more conservatives to the Supreme Court. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel on Saturday, Biden, appearing alongside former President Barack Obama, stressed what a Trump presidency could mean for the nation's highest court. Trump is "likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees," Biden said, adding that Trumps already-appointed justices have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals. There is currently a six-justice conservative majority in the Supreme Court, with three of the right-wing justices appointed by Trump: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The three appointees were pivotal in overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Biden noted that, after the court ruled that there is no right to an abortion, you had Clarence Thomas talking about the fact that there are going to be other things we should reconsider, including in in vitro fertilization, including contraception, including all these things." Look," Biden continued, "the fact of the matter is that there has never been a court thats been this far out of step." If elected, Biden warned that Trump could appoint two more justices who would be flying flags upside down, a reference to conservative justice Samuel Alito, who flew an upside down flag outside his Virginia home following the January 6 insurrection (a symbol adopted by Trump supporters who claimed the 2020 election was stolen). Both Biden and Obama urged Americans to vote in the upcoming election. And hopefully, we have learned our lesson because these elections matter in very concrete ways," Obama said. "And were now seeing how much it matters when it comes to the Supreme Court." A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPMs Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Call Him What He Is A new Biden campaign ad titled Character Matters focuses on Donald Trumps felony conviction (and his losses in his civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll cases): What Are We Doing Here? The NYT write-up of the new Biden ad takes on the kind of weird distancing that political reporting sometimes offers up as objectivity. The headline Biden Campaign Ad Paints Trump as a Felon suggests maybe its an open question whether Trump is a felon. Sure, the Biden campaign is painting him that way, but who is to say, really? The storys lede continues with that weird posture: President Bidens campaign on Monday began its most aggressive effort to brand former President Donald J. Trump a felon, with the introduction of a new television advertisement that focuses on the presumptive Republican presidential nominees criminal conviction. It mentions the criminal conviction explicitly, but what is up with the ascribing the branding of Trump as a felon to the Biden campaign? Why does that have to be hedged as a Biden campaign effort rather than an established fact? Its damned if you do, damned if you dont situation. Fail to highlight Trumps criminal conviction and youre rightly treated like a damn fool. But highlight it, and suddenly it becomes a he said-he said contest. Late update: The NYT changed its headline since Morning Memo was published. It now reads: Biden Campaign Ad Calls Attention to Trumps Felon Status Gloves Off President Biden used a big fundraising event in LA to place the Supreme Court at the center of the campaign. Among Bidens comments: Trump getting to appoint a predicted two more justices is one of the scariest parts of Trump II presidency. Hes going to appoint two more [justices] flying flags upside down. This has never been a court thats so far out of step. About The Decline Of Local News The laments about the hollowing out of local news across the country over the past two decades are totally well-founded but are often focused on the shuttering, consolidating, and weakening of existing news outlets but thats just one side of the problem. The other important related issue is simply how bad by design the outlets that are left often are. Take this story out this morning from Judd Legum on the propaganda campaign being run by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is notorious for piping disinformation and right-wing partisan talking points through its network of 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. This month, Sinclair Broadcast Group has flooded a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting that President Biden is mentally unfit for office. The articles are based on specious social media posts by the Republican National Committee (RNC), which are then repackaged to resemble news reports. The thinly disguised political attacks are then syndicated to dozens of local news websites owned by Sinclair, where they are given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, and CBS. Sounds bad, right? Its quite a bit worse than that. As Judd points out, the kinds of material Sinclair has been pumping through it local stations are the most rancid of the attacks on Bidens age and mental fitness. Im talking about things like Biden pooping on stage during the D-Day commemoration, supposedly freezing during other public appearances (according to deceptively edited videos), and his slurring or stuttering of words. This flood of disinformation is nonstop, its still often under the radar, and its saturating millions of American homes. The Resistance Girds For Trump II NYT: A sprawling network of Democratic officials, progressive activists, watchdog groups and ex-Republicans has been taking extraordinary steps to prepare for a potential second Trump presidency, drawn together by the fear that Mr. Trumps return to power would pose a grave threat not just to their agenda but to American democracy itself. Ground Rules Set For First Presidential Debate The candidates and CNN have finalized the ground rules for the June 27 presidential: The microphone of each candidate will be muted until its his turn to speak; No props or pre-written notes will be allowed, just a pen, pad, and bottle of water. No studio audience; 90 minutes long with two commercial breaks, during which the candidates may not interact with their staffs. 2024 Ephemera Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) makes another pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago today, along with NRCC Chair Richard Hudson. Bidens big Los Angeles fundraiser over the weekend pulled in $28 million. The veepstakes on the GOP side took an even more overtly slavish turn over the weekend. Were Going To be Spending A Lot Of Time On This The expiration of the Trump tax cuts at the end of 2025 would normally be a campaign-defining issue, but it has taken a back seat to that piddling little concern about whether democracy will survive a Trump II. Still, its happening regardless of who wins the White House and will be a major issue throughout 2025. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), probably keenly aware that tax debates often get framed in one-sided and unhelpful ways, is taking an early stab at setting the terms of the debate with a speech today in Washington. Things Going Great At The WaPo! New WaPo publisher Will Lewis and his incoming executive editor Robert Winnett faced two more major news stories over the weekend about the baggage they bring to the jobs from their long careers working in the British press including an expose of Winnetts past work by the very same WaPo newsroom he will lead after the November election: NYT: Washington Post Publisher and Incoming Editor Are Said to Have Used Stolen Records in Britain WaPo: Incoming Post editor tied to self-described thief who claimed role in his reporting Pot Pardons Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is issuing a blanket pardon for low-level marijuana possession that will impact about 100,000 people in the state. What To Even Say Byron Donalds on if he's ready to serve as Trump's VP: "I'm actually pretty intelligent." pic.twitter.com/Ro38BbRaTr Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2024 Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know! Fascinating and important stuff in presidential politics this weekend as the Joe Biden and Donald Trump campaigns engaged in detailed discussions about an impending decision that one of them will have to make about the corporate tax rate. While both sides acknowledged that marginal adjustments to the rate could have unforeseen effects on the balance between productivity and worker wage growth, theyhaha, just kidding. The main activity in presidential politics for the past 36 hours has been arguing about which candidate is allegedly more of a drooling vegetable. Both candidates provided arguable evidence to support the oppositions claims of senility on Saturday night. Biden, appearing at what must by law be described as a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser featuring actor George Clooney and Netflix producer Barack Obama, seemed to freeze for a second before leaving the stage, but only if you look at the video from a certain angle shot from the crowd. (In the closer-up broadcast angle circulated by pro-Biden forces, it just looks like hes pausing to acknowledge part of the audience.) Yikes! wrote the RNC Research account on X, formerly known as Twitter. (Yikes!) Trump, meanwhile, gave a speech on Saturday night in Detroit in which he challenged Biden to take a cognitive acuity test, claiming he had done well on one when it was given to him in the White House by a former presidential doctor who now serves in Congress. Doc Ronny Johnson. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history, said Trump. Ronny Johnsons name is actually Ronny Jackson, as a Biden campaign account immediately noted. (Its not really that crazy of a slip-up.) Jackson, for his part, is a beloved Washington character who was reportedly known for being quite generous with the old prescription pad, if you get our drift, during his service in both Obamas and Trumps White House. (He has denied engaging in any inappropriate conduct.) Last summer, while a member of Congress, he was detained by Texas law enforcement officers at a rodeo for allegedly threatening to assault a state trooper while intoxicated. The trooper, in the state polices account, had asked Jackson to step away from a patron whod suffered a seizure so he could be treated by an EMS responder. (This responder, the police report further noted, disagreed with Jacksons plan to put a gumball in the seizure victims mouth to raise his blood sugar.) A Jackson spokesperson denied that he had been intoxicated, and he was not charged with a crime. Long story short, Slate fully endorses the idea of a live, televised presidential cognitive fitness contest administered by Rep. Ronny The Pill Daddy Jackson after hes had several glasses of rodeo juice. The current nominal corporate tax rate is 21 percent, although some companies pay a much lower effective rate by using deductions and exclusions. Biden has proposed raising that number to 28 percent, arguing that recent reductions in the rate merely resulted in higher executive pay. Republicans would like to lower the rate to as little as 15 percent, and say (with some evidence to support their case) that raising it could incentivize U.S.-based companies to move their bases of operations abroad. The first presidential debate is next Thursday, June 27. Joe Bidens campaign is unleashing its most biting attack yet against Donald Trump, ripping into his 34 felonies in a TV ad for the first time after largely ignoring his criminal trial for weeks. The ad, part of the campaigns $50 million June ad buy, represents a test of whether a scorching negative campaign against the former president can drag him down from his current polling lead. The ad, which will air across battleground states starting Monday, casts the election as a stark choice between a convicted criminal whos only out for himself and a president whos fighting for your family. Its a full-on assault on Trump and a theme the campaign is turning to in an effort to reset Bidens reelection from a referendum on his job performance to a choice between the president and his predecessor. In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault and he committed financial fraud, the ads narrator says, flashing photos of Trump sitting in the courtroom. Meanwhile, Joe Bidens been working lowering health care costs and making big corporations pay their fair share. The campaigns shift to more forceful and direct rhetoric comes just more than a week before the June 27 debate, when Biden and Trump will face off for the first time in four years in Atlanta. And with Biden aides believing that voters have largely not yet tuned into the general election campaign, it represents an opening salvo in their messaging against Trump. The ad, leaning hard into Trumps felony convictions for the first time, marks a reversal for the Biden campaigns approach to the former presidents legal entanglements. In May, Biden and his campaign took a subdued approach, cautioning that there is only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office, by voting in November, even as other Democrats urged them to go on the attack. But by early June, after the Biden campaign held a press conference outside Trumps courtroom and Biden road-tested the convicted felon line at a fundraiser, one campaign official said that they were not going to shy away from what the reality is of Trumps convictions. In its social media posts, the campaign also started ratcheting up the pressure in recent weeks, more regularly referring to Trump as a convicted felon. During Trumps trial proceedings, the campaign sold shirts saying Free on Wednesdays," a jab at the former presidents schedule, which required him to be in the courtroom most weekdays during the trial. And earlier this month, the Democratic National Committee tagged Trump as a convicted felon in billboards in swing states, the first paid effort to emphasize his new status. The ad is part of a $50 million ad buy for June, airing in swing states and nationally on broadcast, cable and connected TV through the rest of the month. The campaign did not say how much money it was putting behind the new ad, specifically. Trump has used his guilty verdict in the hush-money trial as a rallying cry for his base, raising tens of millions of dollars in trials aftermath and portraying the proceedings as rigged. Campaigning in Michigan over the weekend, he told supporters that all of their persecution of me and others is only happening because Im running for president and leading very big in the polls. In a statement released alongside the ad, the Biden campaigns communications director, Michael Tyler, called the 2024 election a stark contrast, and its one that matters deeply to the American people. He added, And its why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself. Bikers attack security guard in Hollywood A violent incident involving a group of bikers and a private security officer was captured on video in Hollywood on Sunday. Los Angeles police officers responded to the area of Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, possibly after a traffic collision, just before 6 p.m., authorities said. A video posted on social media by Street People of Beverly Hills shows several bikers attacking an ADT security SUV, grabbing items from inside the vehicle, and then riding off. Bikers Attack According to the Los Angeles Police Department, one person was taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon. The was also a vandalism report, police said. Its unclear if anyone sustained serious injuries as no further details were made available. Street People of Beverly Hills is a social media page dedicated to posting footage of crimes, violence, and generally strange behavior in the Los Angeles area. 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. The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tests samples from animals for viruses such as avian influenza. (Courtesy of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) Avian flu was recently detected in cattle of two dairy herds in northwest Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported Friday, which increases the total number of affected herds to five. The latest highly pathogenic avian influenza infections in cattle were discovered in a 3,000-cow herd in Plymouth County and a herd of 1,000 in Sioux County, said Don McDowell, a spokesperson for the department. The infections cause a significant drop in milk production, but cows typically recover within two weeks. The virus can be more devastating for poultry operations because it is very transmissible and lethal, and entire flocks are destroyed to prevent its spread. That includes the 4.2 million chickens in an infected flock in Sioux County last month. Federal agriculture officials have stressed the need to increase cleaning procedures and limit visitors to dairy farms and poultry operations. In a Thursday report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said most of the spread of the virus from Texas where it was first identified in March to other states was due to the transportation of infected cows. There is evidence that the first infections in Texas happened as early as December. When the virus arrived in other states, it likely spread to more herds via people and equipment. The USDA noted that some infected herds in Michigan had not received any new cows within a month of their infections. The USDA said it has likely been transmitted by veterinarians, workers who operate at multiple farms and workers who live with people who work at other farms. The department has not found evidence that wild birds are the sources of infection in states beyond Texas. The other detections in Iowa dairy cattle were at two other herds in Sioux County and one in OBrien County. McDowell said an investigation into the initial source of the infections is ongoing. This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. The post Bird flu found in two more Iowa dairy herds appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Unknowns loom, and uncertainty lingers. Its been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, striking down the federal right to an abortion, limiting access in many states, and potentially exacerbating disparities in whos most likely to suffer severe complications in maternal health and die. Women wonder whether their doctors should know when they see traces of blood or believe they might be having a miscarriage. Would my doctor know how to treat me? they worry. What treatments can I have? Whats illegal? Who can help? Were not even really sure where we can get an answer, said Marsha Jones, executive director of the Afiya Center, a reproductive justice organization in Dallas. Its hard to know how to maneuver the landscape and understand what type of assistance can be provided, she said. Her state was among the first to pass one of the most extreme restrictions on access to care. Senate Bill 8, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021, barred physicians from performing abortions after six weeks in pregnancy. Since, similar policies have cascaded into law across the country, particularly after the 2022 Dobbs decision that left it up to state legislatures to decide the fate of abortion access. And the implications have been far reaching, from the ability to receive medication to the debates around in-vitro fertilization. The Supreme Court remains in the throes of pivotal abortion care decisions. Last week, the high court unanimously struck down a lawsuit seeking to restrict nationwide access to mifepristone, one of two drugs that can be used to end pregnancies or manage miscarriages. Later this month theyre expected to rule on whether pregnant patients have the constitutional right to an abortion when their health is severely at risk. Many of the restrictions are largely concentrated in the South, where over half of the countrys Black population resides and the maternal mortality crisis continues to devastate local communities. We already were in a health care crisis in this country, said Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, an Atlanta-based reproductive rights organization. With federal protections overturned, it drove us further into crisis. Residents are leaving to get care in states where abortion is legal, and in turn, facing economic, travel, and child care barriers. Still, amid the urgency that maternal health care folks feel, theres a sense of hope. Theres a space where fear flirts with faith and anger brushes up against optimism. This moment requires creativity and innovation, they say. It calls for a return to their roots, which looks like a celebration of 30 years of the reproductive justice movement, which was developed in Chicago during the 1990s to include the perspectives of marginalized communities. It also means honoring the pivotal moments in civil rights history. I have seen our people do the impossible over and over and over again, Simpson said. The gaps have been magnified Jones remembers one woman who had gotten pregnant shortly after Texas passed Senate Bill 8. In the midst of the uncertainty, a doctor refused to give a sonogram, worried about what the implications of treating a miscarriage could be. Because they werent sure what treatment would look like, she went to another state. There, appointments were full. So she sought care in yet another state, where she fell sick and ended up in the hospital. She was afraid, Jones said. She was scared. A few years removed, the family wants to try again for a baby but isnt sure. The woman worries that, given the state of access and maternal mortality statistics, she might not make it. So much harm could happen, Jones said. We cant step away from the dangers of birthing as a Black person, especially in the South. It is real. Maternity care deserts make it hard to reach physicians. And, advocates and experts say that many of these states refusal to expand Medicaid is contributing to the Black maternal death rate. With more people having to take their pregnancy full term, what does that mean for the number of folks who are suffering severe complications and dying in childbirth? The Dobbs decision has really magnified the gaps that are there and increased them with no solution, Jones said. In Florida, a six-week ban on abortion access took effect on May 1, and the final decision on whether to protect abortion in the states constitution will be left up to residents through an amendment on the November ballot. State Rep. Angie Nixon describes it as a crisis of epic proportions, but perspectives vary among her constituents in Jacksonville. Many residents are older and conservative. Often, she finds herself sharing more about the tenets of reproductive justice and whats at stake when access to abortion shrinks. Shes worried about the number of OB-GYNs who are choosing to leave the state to practice elsewhere because theyre worried about criminalization. Its tough and Im scared, Nixon said. Black women and brown women will die. Theres room for hope When Regina Davis Moss found out she was pregnant with her son, she reveled in the moment. She was excited about the first prenatal care visit. The nine months that followed were filled with wonder and curiosity, she said. She could read about all the miraculous developments happening in her belly without too much worry about a contingency plan. Shes heartbroken that the political landscape of maternal health care access has spiraled into widespread fear among Black families around what it means to be pregnant and seek medical care. It makes me very angry, Moss said. The idea that many are anxious throughout pregnancy is unsettling for her. Pregnancy, she said, should be a joyful experience. Instead, many must be vigilant about how theyre going to survive. The added stress itself frustrates her. Research shows that living in a constant state of hypervigilance and chronic stress has a poor impact on both physical and mental health outcomes. Read More: Racisms Relentless Toll on Black Health in America Moss fears that when her son goes on to have children, the birth outcomes for his generation may be worse than hers. Black maternal mortality rates have been spiking, thrown off slightly by a significant uptick in deaths during the coronavirus pandemic. The most recent data available shows the numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels. Still, the maternal mortality rates in the U.S. far surpass other high-income countries. But, in the mix, Moss leaves room for hope. She lives in Washington, D.C., and is the president and CEO of In Our Own Voice, a national reproductive justice organization. To engage in this work, you have to be a believer, she said. I am always hopeful. She and many others are looking at the past three decades of a reproductive justice movement for inspiration. Jones, who runs the Afiya Center in Texas, had always been clear about why she founded her organization to address HIV rates and support reproductive health care for Black women: It was figuring out how to put the pieces in motion that stumped her. She said she found the answers she was looking for by studying the founders of the reproductive justice movement. Central to the movement is the idea that no piece of ones identity needs to be suppressed. It asks folks to come unapologetically with all aspects of their identity, including race, gender, sexuality, and everything else. The goal is human rights, Jones said. Simpson is also studying history to guide her current efforts. Images of Harriet Tubman and the Montgomery Bus Boycott flash through her mind. They literally had to think outside of what was in front of them, she said. From there, she has teased out lessons. We have to be willing to make ourselves uncomfortable in order to see something better than whats in front of us. The urgency is being met with inspiration, opportunity to envision something new, and courage to speak up. We really wont stop, Jones said. The post The Black Reproductive Justice Leaders in a Post-Dobbs Era appeared first on Capital B News. Samuel Woodward, the alleged killer of former classmate Blaze Bernstein in what prosecutors describe as an anti-LGBTQ and anti-Jewish hate crime, returned to the stand in his Santa Ana trial on Monday. Samuel Woodward is shown in a booking photo released by the Orange County Sheriff's Department on Jan. 12, 2018. Woodward first took the stand Thursday in what The Orange County Register described as early testimony [that] did not touch on many of the major issues in the case, including Bernsteins killing, Woodwards ties to a racially motivated hate group, Woodwards creation of what prosecutors have described as a hate diary or what Woodwards attorney has described as Woodwards struggles with his sexuality. The trial, which began in April, comes six years after Bernstein was found stabbed to death in Lake Forest. Blaze Bernstein is seen in an image provided during a news conference on Jan. 10, 2018. (Credit: KTLA) Bernstein, who was Jewish and gay, attended the University of Pennsylvania but was back home in Orange County in January 2018 when his body was discovered in a shallow grave in Borrego Park. A variety of forensic evidence including a knife found in Woodwards room with blood matched on it through DNA to Bernstein helped investigators tie Woodward the last person known to see Bernstein alive to the killing, The Register reported. Long-awaited hate crime murder trial begins in Orange County Woodwards attorney has disputed that his client was motivated by hatred toward Jews or the LGBTQ community. There is this narrative thats been pushed: Nazi kills gay Jew. From the defense perspective, thats inaccurate, Assistant Public Defender Kenneth Morrison said during a preliminary hearing, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. 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. 'Bling Bishop' Lamor Whitehead Finally Scammed His Way Into the Pokey. Here's What We Know Its official: the viral Bling Bishop Lamor Whitehead from Brooklyn is about to trade his Gucci-down ensembles for an orange jumpsuit. Whitehead was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison following a conviction on several charges of conning millions of dollars, including from his own congregation. Whitehead was accused of being a con man after an elderly member of Leaders of Tomorrow International claimed she was scammed out of $90,000 on a false promise hed buy her a home, per the U.S. Attorneys Office. Prosecutors claim he turned around and spent that money funding his flashy lifestyle. He was also accused of trying to defraud a businessman through extortion and lying to FBI agents who raided his Jersey mansion. A jury found him guilty on the fraud and extortion charges. Now, instead of receiving tithes and seeds, hell be paying thousands in restitution. Read more from CBS News: A judge sentenced Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead to nine years in prison Monday after his conviction on multiple charges. He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit $95,000. Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners. He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at his trial. Todays sentence puts an end to Whiteheads various schemes and reflects this Offices commitment to bring accountability to those who abuse their positions of trust, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. News of the scam came to light following an armed robbery where two goons targeted the Bishop during a 2022 Sunday service. However, prosecutors say his scamming habits go all the way back to 2017 including crimes like applying for loans with fake bank statements and more, per PIX11. In response to the sentencing, New York Mayor Eric Adams said Whitehead is in his prayers and wishes the best for him. Whiteheads attorneys said they plan on appealing the conviction, per CBS News. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Book of war testimonies by deceased Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina to be published in US St Martin's Press, an imprint of American publishers Macmillan, is to publish A War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War by the Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who was killed in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, on 1 July 2023. The publisher's website says the book, priced at US$29, will be available to order from 18 February 2025. "When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Victoria Amelina was busy writing a novel, taking part in the countrys literary scene, and parenting her son. Now she became someone new: a war crimes researcher and the chronicler of extraordinary women like herself who joined the resistance. These heroines include Yevheniia, a prominent lawyer turned soldier, Oleksandra, who documented tens of thousands of war crimes and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and Yuliia, a librarian who helped uncover the abduction and murder of a childrens book author. Everyone in Ukraine knew that Amelina was documenting the war. She photographed the ruins of schools and cultural centres; she recorded the testimonies of survivors and eyewitnesses to atrocities. And she slowly turned back into a storyteller, writing what would become this book," the description of the book says. Victoria Amelina said at the 29th BookForum in Lviv that she was writing a book in English about Ukrainian women who are "trying to achieve justice in different ways". "Among the heroines are Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, journalists Natalka Humeniuk and Vira Kuryko, documentarians of war crimes from the NGO Truth Hounds, lawyers Yevheniia Zakrevska and Larysa Denysenko... Obviously, I myself also feature in the novel, as do Ukrainian cities, towns and villages like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Izium, Balakliia, Kryvyi Rih, Chernihiv, Kapytolivka, Verbivka, Vysokopillia, Novoselivka, and others," she said. Victoria Amelina's book will be released in the US. Photo: Macmillan Publishers, St Martins Press Tetiana Teren, Executive Director of PEN Ukraine, noted that Amelina's book will also be published by a number of other leading foreign publishers. "The structure of this book changed several times, as evidenced by Victoria's archive, and the writer eventually settled on documentary writing, which included diary entries, reportage stories from her heroines, the voices of witnesses to crimes, investigations and reports of field missions, interviews, essays, historical excursions, and poems. What was originally defined and remains unchanged is that it had to be a book in English to testify to the world about Russia's atrocities and genocide against Ukrainians, which has been going on for several centuries," Teren added. Victoria Amelina was a writer and public figure, winner of the Joseph Conrad Prize and the National Coronation of the Word Award in 2014. She was a member of PEN Ukraine. In 2021, she was nominated for the Central European Angelus Literary Award. That same year, Amelina organised and hosted the first New-York literary festival in the village of the same name in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk. In the year of the full-scale invasion, she joined Truth Hounds, an organisation that documents human rights violations in Ukraine. Victoria also discovered the journals of Volodymyr Vakulenko, another Ukrainian writer and poet, in Kapytolivka, near Izium, after the village was liberated. Vakulenko had been executed there by the Russians. She was killed while on a trip accompanying Colombian writers to Donetsk Oblast. Victoria Amelina in New-York, Donetsk Oblast. Photo: Victoria Amelina on Facebook At the close of 2023, it was announced that Arrowsmith Press would publish an anthology of writings in tribute to Victoria Amelina entitled Nothing Bad Has Ever Happened: A Bouquet For Victoria Amelina. In April 2024, the Staryi Lev ("Old Lion") Publishing House opened the pre-sale of Victoria Amelina's debut poetry collection, Testimonies. Amelina started writing the poems in the anthology when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The last poem was completed just a few days before her death on 27 June 2023 as a result of a missile strike on Kramatorsk. Support UP or become our patron! Hitlers brilliant propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, famously told the Fuhrer, Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. Donald Trump and the MAGA faction of the Republican Party have taken Goebbelss advice to heart, and its going to make this falls election one like weve never seen before. Already theyve been lying so often and so effectively that nearly all Republicans, and majorities or near-majorities of Americans, believe: the GOP lie that were in a recession (were in better shape, in most ways, than any time since the 1960s, and inflation last month was zero, while Ronald Reagan never got it below 4.1 percent in his entire eight years); Republican lies about crime being up (its down dramatically since Trump); their lies that Democrats want elective abortion up to the moment of birth (none have ever said that); Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump by voter fraud; GOP lies that the southern border is wide open; the Republican lie that Social Security is on the verge of bankruptcy and must be saved by privatization or benefits cuts; their vicious lie that queer people are pedophiles targeting Americas schoolchildren; and their NRA lie that more and more deadly guns will keep our kids safe. At the level of presidential politics, its gotten so brazen that Trump is actually asking people if theyre better off today than they were four years ago. Thats four years ago when people were dying from Covid that he was not handling well, the economy was in the tank, millions had lost their jobs, and people were so desperate for food they sat in their cars in five-mile-long lines for food banks. Its also migrated to congressional Republicans. As Marc Elias writes for his brilliant Democracy Docket newsletter: Over the last month, you can feel that something important has happened. A tipping point has been reached. Republicans who used to act like they had not heard or read the latest Trump outrage now show up at his trials and parrot his most vile lies. The GOP now openly extol the virtues of political prosecutions and disparage the rule of law. Even Republicans on the Supreme Court have gotten into the act. Justifying his decision to legalize bump stocks, Clarence Thomas was so audacious as to insert this naked lie into his decision, announced last Friday: The shooter must release and reset the trigger between every shot. The whole point of a bump stock is that you can simply hold the trigger down continuously and spray up to 800 bullets a minute. Tragically for American politics, as former Republican strategist and attorney George Conway recently noted, The Republican Party has become addicted to lies under Trump. Americans are generally used to believing their politicians are telling the truth, albeit often a slightly shaded version for political convenience. But what happens when politicians stop bothering with even a fig leaf of truth to justify a giant, world-altering lie and are instead just make things up out of whole cloth? How can a political system survive such an assault on the truth? The last time the GOP embraced outright lies in a widespread way like this was in the lead-up to Americas participation in World War II, as multiple Republican senators, representatives, and media figures were taking direct cash bribes and talking points from Hitlers intelligence service. (Rachel Maddow has documented much of this in her book Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism and her podcast Ultra.) In response, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on October 23, 1940, warned the nation: Truthful campaign discussion of public issues is essential to the American form of Government; but willful misrepresentation of fact has no place either during election time or at any other time. In Roosevelts time there was a right-wing press, but it was mostly fringe. Todays press bears little resemblance to the media of the 1940s. Over 1,500 right-wing and 800 religious radio stations and hundreds of right-wing television stations daily sing the praises of Trump and the GOP, repeating the latest insane lies as if theyre gospel truth. This has created the perfect opening for a soulless Republican Party and its MAGA candidates to fully embrace Goebbelss Big Lie strategy. And theyre doing it with gusto. Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger writes on his Substack blog: In the latest how-low-can-they-go, the GOP and Fox News seem to have worked together to distribute a maliciously doctored bit of video that targets President Bidens mental capacity. The video supposedly shows him wandering away from other leaders at the G-7 summit in Italy, as if he doesnt quite know where he is and whats going on. In fact, the entire video in context shows no such thing, but the deceptive edit seems to prove that Biden is losing it. In a transparent effort to prevent fact-checking of GOP lies, congressional Republicans launched an inquiry into the Stanford Internet Observatory, the gold-standard organization for determining the veracity of political information circulating online. That was followed by a lawsuit from Stephen Millers America First Legal and a second one that is heading for the Supreme Court. The Washington Post reports that the observatory is shutting down its operations, having been financially crippled by the cost of the Republican lawsuits and the congressional investigation. The organization that was the first to out Russian online support for Trump in 2016 will soon be no more: Two ongoing lawsuits and two congressional inquiries into the Observatory have cost Stanford millions of dollars in legal fees, one of the people told The Washington Post. Students and scholars affiliated with the program say they have been worn down by online attacks and harassment amid the heated political climate for misinformation research, as [Republican] legislators threaten to cut federal funding to universities studying propaganda. This falls election will be like none weve ever seen before in American history. Already Fox and other right-wing outlets are using doctored videos, Trump has published multiple deepfakes, and across the GOP theres a full-on commitment to reciting easily debunked lies. Most concerning, its impossible to know in advance what their next lie will be. But you can bet it will be more malicious than the Bush campaigns amplifying slurs on John Kerrys Vietnam war service record or Trumps despicable, racist, birther attacks on Obama. Now that so much of our media is so frequently failing to call out GOP lies, and the nations #1 cable channel revels in repeating lies for profit, the pushback against this evil, democracy-destroying strategy falls to us. (Bloomberg) -- The number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border has fallen since President Joe Bidens move to restrict asylum claims, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. Most Read from Bloomberg US officials logged around 2,600 encounters between ports of entry on the southern border Sunday, down sharply in the two weeks since Biden announced the changes, he said. Mayorkas said it was one of the lowest totals since the start of the administration. The numbers have been decreasing week-over-week, and rather materially, Mayorkas told a group of Bloomberg News reporters and editors on Monday. I think its too early given the dynamism of the migration phenomenon, but we are indeed seeing results. The Biden administration rolled out the asylum restrictions earlier this month, targeting the record migrant encounters that have dogged Biden for much of his term and emerged as a leading political vulnerability ahead of the November election. Biden Says Trump Left Him No Choice as He Moves to Seal Border The policy curtails asylum access for migrants crossing illegally when the border is considered overwhelmed a status thats triggered when US border agents encounter more than 2,500 individuals between southern ports of entry a day. The 2,600 encounters Mayorkas cited are well below the 4,300 daily average the Border Patrol reported in April, but further reductions would be needed to lift the restrictions. Under Bidens June 4 proclamation, the measures will be lifted only when crossings between regular points of entry average under 1,500 per day for a week. The fundamental goal of this is to disincentivize people from arriving in between the ports of entry, and rather accessing our lawful pathways, Mayorkas said. Mexico Shift Total border encounters surged late last year, topping 300,000 in the month of December, a month Mayorkas said that Mexico had no funding for enforcement. Biden spoke to Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, that month before Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country; enforcement increased and crossings fell. Causation, not just correlation, Mayorkas said. US Border Agency Ramps Up Speedy Deportations After Biden Order Claudia Sheinbaum won Mexicos presidential race earlier this month and is poised to succeed Lopez Obrador in October. Theres been no change in Mexicos enforcement since her election, Mayorkas said. Immigrants rights advocates are challenging the Biden asylum policy in court. Mayorkas said he was confident in the legal footing. Not only as a general matter, but as a specific matter, we dont take actions that we consciously understand to be unlawful, he said. The Department of Homeland Security over the past two years created a series of new ways for prospective immigrants to enter the US legally, including through appointments at official ports of entry and a special application process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. Republicans and border hawks have argued that Bidens move to curtail asylum is too little too late, a claim Mayorkas disputed. I dont think we can overstate how operationally significant of a shift this is, he said while praising DHSs workforce. Its a shift in policy of course, but its also a significant operational shift in terms of how we process individuals whom we encounter at the border. The secretary also pointed to separate asylum restrictions the administration established last year and Congresss failure to approve supplemental border funds or pass a border deal this year. Weve tried that twice, pushed forward twice, and now we take this action, so I would say the chronology is a perfectly understandable one, he said. Bidens Bid to Get Tough on the Border Falls Short With Critics Turmoil Threats Mayorkas also acknowledged many factors are outside the administrations control the rise of gangs that the government of Ecuador has labeled terrorist organizations, for example could prompt more migration in the region and threaten further turmoil at the border. Another area of concern is the presidential election at the end of July in Venezuela, which, after Mexico, was the largest country of origin for undocumented migrants encountered at the US southern border in the most recent fiscal year. Some polls have shown Venezuelans would be more prone to leave home if President Nicolas Maduro secures a third term. The reasons people leave their countries persist, Mayorkas said. That is why its a multi-pronged approach and a multinational approach, he said. --With assistance from Eric Martin and Josh Wingrove. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Bradenton man sentenced to prison on gun charge after police chase, prosecutors say A judge sentenced a 26-year-old Bradenton man to federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida announced. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Dovontate Wright to two years and six months in federal prison after he previously pleaded guilty in March, according to a news release. Court records show Wright was already in prison for drug charges imposed in Manatee County in 2021. Wrights sentence will run consecutively to that sentence, which was five years and six months in prison, according to court records. Prosecutors say Wright was in the front passenger seat of a silver Nissan Altima driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road when officers with the Sarasota Police Department stopped the vehicle. Wright then fled on foot into a nearby auto parts store, according to a news release. Bradenton man sentenced after police chase Once inside the store, detectives say Wright ran toward the back and stumbled into a product bin as he attempted to pull a fully loaded black Smith and Wesson 40C pistol from his waistband. After placing the gun into the product basket, detectives said he continued to run to the back wall of the building before an officer was able to take him into custody and recover the gun. The gun was loaded with ammunition and there was one round in the chamber, according to arrest records. During an interview, detectives say Wright admitted to having a firearm and told them he was a convicted felon. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. Wright previously served three years in a Florida prison for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and grand theft of a motor vehicle, according to a news release. Wrights 2021 drug charges in Manatee County came after an undercover officer with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office said they purchased $50 of marijuana and another $50 of rock cocaine from him at a Circle K in Bradenton. Costco isn't exactly secretive about the companies that supply products for its Kirkland Signature line, but it isn't forthcoming either. That said, there are certain items for which the provenance is established. For instance, the cooked, tail-on, farm-raised shrimp comes from Kader Exports, an Indian processor of seafood. The company provides shrimp for a range of brands, including Aqua Star Reserve, Censea, Unistar, Tops, Fresh Market, and Wellsley Farms. Kader Exports sources its shrimp from various seafood farming operations in Asia, and Kirkland Signature cooked shrimp is labeled as a product of Vietnam. The shrimp are deveined and ready-to-eat once thawed making them a great option for quick meals and topping salads or throwing in a wrap or sandwich. These shrimp would even make a great addition to many of our favorite shrimp recipes, from Garlic Shrimp Mac and Cheese or Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice. Each bag weighs 2 pounds and contains about 31 to 40 shrimp per pound. While Tasting Table has yet to review these cooked shrimp, they likely fare better in their simplicity than the Tastee Choice seafood boil kit the store sells which had many customers turning up their noses. Read more: 14 Popular Chain Grocery Stores For Meat, Ranked Worst To Best Kader Exports Have Run Afoul Of The FDA Multiple Times fda scientists testing food - Fg Trade/Getty Images Being an overseas company and one that doesn't traffic in direct-to-consumer sales, Kader Exports has a minimal online presence. As such, information about the company is hard to come by. According to the company's LinkedIn page, Kader Exports is based in Mumbai, has cold storage units in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and deals mostly with shrimp exports. As mentioned, the company has been in the news due to past recalls that have forced them to remove shrimp from shelves, including Costco's. The potential risk of exposure to salmonella was behind a 2020 recall of cooked shrimp across many of the purveyors of its seafood. The company has also been cited by the FDA for a range of issues. Those have included having "one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans, veterinary drug residues, and for filth" as well as being added to an FDA Import Alert due to contamination with the antibiotic Chloramphenicol. While these sorts of actions and alerts can be alarming, it is important to note that Costco has rigorous standards that apply to all products bearing the Kirkland Signature name. Read the original article on Tasting Table. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday urged his government to speed up actions in the Amazon to combat organized crime that has contributed to destruction of the world's largest tropical rainforest. Lula complained that it had taken a year for a security plan for the Amazon, known as AMAS, to get off the ground, and said there was still much to be done to set up an international police center in Manaus. "We need to speed up the process, because my term is only four years. If we cannot execute this plan, someone else will come along and do nothing," he said at an event sealing the transfer of 318 million reais ($58.6 million) to fund the security plan. The resources come from the $1.3 billion Amazon Fund originally set up by Norway to back sustainability and stop illegal deforestation in the Amazon. The fund, managed by Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDES) has been supported by donations from Germany, Britain, Denmark, the European Union and the U.S. The Amazon security plan is the first project sponsored by the Fund aimed at combating environmental crimes in the vast region. The eight countries of the Amazon Basin will join forces in the International Police Cooperation Center in Manaus, which plans to gather intelligence and coordinate enforcement with the use of helicopters, river patrol boats and 34 bases to be established across the Amazon. The center was initially scheduled to begin operating in the first half of this year. The rainforest has faced systematic destruction from illegal logging and gold mining, and criminal gangs use it as a conduit for drug trafficking and the smuggling of tropical animals. A government statement said Federal Police efforts to improve the tracing of gold to illegal wildcat prospects will help crackdown on a booming trade in the precious metal that is increasingly smuggled out of Brazil to countries such as Switzerland, Britain, Turkey and the United States. Brazil has made progress in slowing deforestation in the Amazon since Lula became president last year and sought to restore his country's leading role in global efforts on climate change. In his first year in office, deforestation in Brazil's Amazon declined by 50% to a five-year low. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Anthony Boadle; Editing by David Gregorio) Mike Braun is going to spend his twilight years trapped in a political hell of his own making. Braun, 70, is on path to become Indiana's next governor and he's already lost control of his impending administration. Christian nationalist pastor Micah Beckwith on Saturday defeated Braun's preferred running mate, Julie McGuire, in a convention vote to win the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. This campaign just became all about Beckwith from here to November, when Beckwith err, I mean, Braun is slated to face Democrat Jennifer McCormick in the general election, barring a surprise run-in from former Sen. Joe Donnelly. Beckwith is not here to be subservient to Braun. He ran on a platform tax cuts, pro-gun legislation and fighting the "woke agenda in our schools" that falls entirely under the purview of the governor and Indiana General Assembly. Does that sound like a No. 2 to you? Welcome to the Micah Beckwith show The Micah Beckwith show is just getting started. Beckwith is a master at drawing attention to himself, often for spouting deranged ideas. One video clip making the rounds over the weekend shows Beckwith claiming that, while in prayer, God told him he sent the rioters to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. That's just perfect, because, as I wrote on that infamous day, Braun also invited the rioters to Washington, posing for a photo to show he was signing my objection to Arizona electors, as he jockeyed with other Republicans to placate their man-toddler president who was seeking to overturn the election. When the mob broke in, threatened to kill then-Vice President Mike Pence and forced all of Congress into hiding, things got a little too real for Braun. He dropped his objections to election certification, in contrast to other Republicans who were more committed to the bit. Micah Beckwith gives his acceptance speech after earning the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor Saturday, June 15, 2024, during the 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Now, Braun marches toward the governor's office under the cattle prod of an enforcer who's there to ensure he remains committed to the bit or else. Braun thought he could play voodoo with the forces of MAGA while reaping all rewards and no consequences. It's time to pay the piper. Mike Braun almost gets it It's a befitting final chapter for a heretofore respectable man who put on the armor of nihilism and shape-shifted his way from Democratic-voting businessman to Trump toady, all for the sake of ego and power. Even now, Braun deludes himself into thinking he's taming the current that's sweeping him away. "There's no doubt about this: I'm in charge," Braun told reporters Saturday, mere moments after 891 Republican delegates voted for Beckwith and sent a clear message that he is not in charge. "Micah is going to be someone that works with me. And, if he doesn't, I think that means that it will probably not be as fruitful in terms of what we can get done." You see there? Beckwith has all the leverage and Braun has nothing. You think Beckwith cares whether Braun's time as governor is "fruitful," as defined by Braun? Braun is processing his fate in real time and almost getting it. Let me spell it out. Braun's footsie with the dark arts summoned a MAGA high priest who just subsumed Braun's gubernatorial campaign, his dignity and any hope of successful governance. Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican nominee for governor, speaks on the election results for his lieutenant governor nominee, Micah Beckwith, on Saturday, June 15, 2024, during the 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Beckwith was not Braun's choice for a lieutenant governor nominee, but Braun assured the media that their partnership would still yield positive results for the state. Braun's first choice was Rep. Julie McGuire. Braun is not alone in his delusion. Just two years after Diego Morales executed a similar convention coup to become one of the most embarrassing statewide office holders in Indiana history, establishment-wing Republicans again approached Saturday's convention professing unearned confidence that their lieutenant governor pick, McGuire, would come out on top by a wide margin. It's like they're not paying attention to their own party. The Indiana Republican Party, like Braun, is blinded by hollow victories of the past eight years. The country club Republicans think they've harnessed MAGA to achieve their own ends, but MAGA has put the establishment's head on a pike. Even the most mild-mannered Republicans have spent the Trump years catastrophizing enemies, trading policy for cruelty, and embracing words and behaviors that no responsible parent would want their children to emulate. Republicans' decade of moral and cognitive corrosion has put Morales atop the Secretary of State's Office that once fired him; sent Twitter troll Jim Banks on an unabated path to the Senate; and catapulted Beckwith toward statewide office and, possibly, frontrunner status to win the next Republican nomination for governor, maybe in as few as four years. Hell, as I mentioned, Braun is 70 and has a habit of giving up when things get hard. We might not even have to wait four years to see Beckwith as governor. If you hadn't considered that prospect yet, well, you're welcome. Republicans think their base is stupid So many Republicans fooled themselves into thinking they could contain a duality, performing for the unwashed masses in public and playing businesslike leaders in private. Establishment Republicans think Trump supporters are too simplistic and stupid to see who's with them and who isn't. Convention delegates saw through it. They saw Beckwith, an unhinged pastor who's unqualified to lead most mainstream churches, as one of their own and correctly identified Braun and McGuire as fakers. Braun tried everything. He tried reverse psychology, saying nice things about Beckwith to show he's cool and of the people, while also cajoling statewide officeholders (even Morales!) to endorse McGuire. Braun got the big gun, Trump himself, to fire off an endorsement at the last minute. Hopeful delegates thought the Trump endorsement sealed the deal for McGuire. I didn't. Neither did Beckwith, who noted Trump doesn't even know McGuire and correctly viewed the endorsement as a sign of how close he was to winning. Spectators cheer with the announcement that Micah Beckwith is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Saturday, June 15, 2024, during the 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Establishment Republicans refused to believe Beckwith had the votes and, after he won, they blamed their defeat on McGuire supporters for failing to show up to the convention. It's a turnout problem, you see, and not a party problem. No. It's a party problem. Republicans put their true faith in Trump, a showman who tricked them all into thinking he is a great and powerful wizard. MAGA is not only about Trump, the person, though. It's a movement powered by airing grievances, finding scapegoats and taking vengeance against them. Beckwith is the man for this moment, with or without a Trump endorsement. Beckwith is the new conservative movement leader in Indiana. Braun must answer to that movement every step of the way from here on out. He deserves every minute of this oncoming dumpster fire. So do state Republican Party leaders. They brought it on themselves. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we'll pay the price for Republicans' education in MAGA. Contact James Briggs at 317-444-4732 or james.briggs@indystar.com. Follow him on X and Threads at @JamesEBriggs. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Micah Beckwith isn't here to play No. 2 to the next Indiana governor Britains richest family spent more on pet dog than on servants, Swiss court hears Prosecutors have called for Ajay Hinduja (L) and his wife Namrata to receive jail sentences of four and a half years each - SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Britains richest family spent more money on their pet dog than they did on one of their servants, a Swiss court has heard. Prosecutors have called for the billionaire Hinduja family to face jail time over allegations of trafficking and exploitation of staff at their Lake Geneva villa. Speaking at a hearing at Genevas criminal court on Monday, prosecutor Yves Bertossa said: They spent more for one dog than one of their servants. Mr Bertossa claimed that one woman was paid as little as seven Swiss francs (6.19) to work for up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, he cited a budget document entitled Pets, which he said showed how the family spent 8,584 Swiss francs in a year on their family dog. Staff contracts are said to have excluded reference to specific working hours or days, with the prosecutors suggesting employees had to be available at any time on request. Mr Bertossa said the employees had little to no freedom while working for the family, citing how their passports had been confiscated and that they were not permitted to leave the house without their employers permission. Hindujas reject claims servants were mistreated Lawyers for the Hinduja family rejected the claims, citing testimony from servants who said they had been treated with dignity and respect. They also accused the prosecutor of painting a misleading picture of how much the workers were paid. Yael Hayat, a lawyer for family scion Ajay Hinduja, said salaries alone did not accurately reflect pay for staff as they were also provided with board and lodgings. She added that the notion of an 18-hour day was an exaggeration. Ms Hayat said: When they sit down to watch a movie with the kids, can that be considered work? I think not. The lawyer argued that one of the staff members had said her pay in Geneva was good compared to what she earned in India, adding that she kept returning to the job of her own free will. Ms Hayat said that while it may be tempting to break the rich to make the poor less poor, the Geneva prosecutors office was conflating justice with social justice. The Hinduja family is the richest in Britain, with a net worth of more than 37bn, according to The Sunday Times rich list. Through their conglomerate Hinduja Group, they control businesses across almost a dozen sectors, ranging from finance and IT to infrastructure. They also own prime real estate in London, including the Raffles Hotel at the Old War Office in Whitehall, where a top suite goes for 25,000 a night. Since the death of patriarch SP Hinduja last year, the empire has been led by his brother Gopi. Gopi Hinduja has taken over the running of the family empire since his brother SP died in 2023 - Clara Molden for The Telegraph The Swiss lawsuit has been filed against four members of the family, including 78-year-old Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata. During the trial, Ajay testified that he did not have a detailed knowledge of employees working conditions as recruitment was handled by the Hinduja Group in India. However, he said that staff are now no longer paid informally and all hiring is done locally through a third party. Prakash and Kamal did not attend the trial in Geneva, citing health reasons. Mr Bertossa accused the pair of showing contempt for the court, as they had been travelling freely between Dubai and Cannes. Prosecutors urge prison sentences for Hindujas He called for a prison sentence of five and a half years for Prakash and Kamal and four and a half years for Ajay and Namrata. The prosecutor also demanded that the family cover 1m Swiss francs in court costs and pay 3.5m Swiss francs into a compensation fund for staff. The Hinduja family and their staff last week reached a settlement in a civil case over worker exploitation, which was first filed six years ago. However, the criminal case continues this week. Romain Jordan, a lawyer for the Hinduja family, said: This indictment is as excessive as it is detached from the legal and factual elements of the case. The prosecutors contempt shows an unacceptable bias, and no other family would have been treated in this way. Our clients remain determined to defend themselves and have confidence in the judicial system. 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 British Army trains in Kenya. Many women say soldiers raped them and abandoned children they fathered Seventeen-year-old Marian Pannalossy cuts a striking figure wherever she goes in Archers Post, a small town 200 miles north of Nairobi. She lives alone and is light-skinned in a place where mixed-race people are a rarity and therefore ostracized. They call me mzungu maskini, or a poor white girl, she told CNN at her single-room house, a tremor in her voice. They always say Why are you here? Just look for connections so that you can go to your own people. You dont belong here. Youre not supposed to be here suffering. Marian believes that her father was a British soldier, but she has never met him. She does not even know his name. Marian Pannalossy pictured at her home. Her mother was one of many Kenyan women who accused British soldiers of rape. - Festo Lang/CNN Marian is among a group of mixed-race children whose mothers say they were conceived after rape by British soldiers training in Kenya. Her mother, Lydia Juma, was among hundreds of Kenyan women who filed complaints with the UK military over the years, as documented by Kenyas human rights body. I dont know why God is punishing me. I dont understand, Juma said through tears in a powerful 2011 documentary, The Rape of the Samburu Women. Marian, aged four at the time, sat on her lap, sometimes hugging her mother as she wept and recounted how she was violated and the suffering she had endured since. Jumas live-in boyfriend, with whom she had two older children, left her after she gave birth to Marian, a mixed-race child, because rape is a taboo in their culture. The moment he saw that the child is white, he went, and he went forever, she said in the film. Generica Namoru pictured with her five-year old daughter Nicole. Namoru says she was in a consensual relationship with a UK soldier but he has abandoned her and their child since leaving Kenya. - Festo Lang/CNN Juma died two years after that interview without ever finding the man she says raped her. Mixed-race children continue to be born in the remote villages where the British Army trains its soldiers in Kenya. The British Army Training Unit, Kenya (BATUK), is headquartered in the town of Nanyuki, about 70 miles southwest of Archers Post. BATUK is currently under investigation by the Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committee of Kenyas National Assembly. It has held public hearings in several areas where British troops train and heard a litany of complaints about abuse, exploitation, and sexual assaults from communities around them. It intends to hear from BATUK officials and the British High Commissioner to Kenya at the end of its work later this month, according to a schedule shared with CNN. One of the more contentious accusations against British soldiers involves the case of Agnes Wanjiru. Wanjiru, a 21-year-old Kenyan woman, vanished in 2012 after entering a hotel with British soldiers, according to reports. Her body was later found in a septic tank. Despite a Kenyan inquest ruling her death a murder and the reported identification of a suspect by fellow soldiers, the British soldier allegedly involved hasnt faced charges. Wanjirus family believes British officials are indifferent to her case and pleaded with the King for help during his visit to Kenya. A British High Commission spokesperson said it takes all allegations raised by the community seriously and it will ensure thorough investigations. All sexual activity which involves the abuse of power, including buying sex whether in the UK or abroad, is prohibited, the British High Commission, speaking on behalf of BATUK, said in a statement to CNN. We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation in any form and investigate and hold to account any Service Personnel found to be involved in it. British boys behaving badly Britain pays Kenya about $400,000 a year to allow its soldiers to train in the East African country, mostly in the expansive wildlife conservancies in Laikipia and Samburu counties. Kenya renewed the defense pact in 2021 despite strong local opposition. BATUK has a permanent training base in Nanyuki, to the south of those wildlife conservancies, with 100 full-time staff. The Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees work has renewed scrutiny of the British Armys operations in Kenya and once again brought attention to the cases of the women who have accused soldiers of rape over several decades. Allegations of rape and other crimes, including murder, by British soldiers deployed there date back to the 1950s. This to us is an example of British boys behaving badly, said Marion Mutugi, a commissioner for the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. This is a matter of taking care of the vulnerable in our society who our constitution says require special protection. Shes referring to hundreds of women from the mostly pastoralist Maasai and Samburu communities who accused the British Army of rapes in the 1970s and 80s. They were represented by the British lawyer Martyn Day in a landmark civil case in London in the early 2000s. Ntoyie Lenkanan, 72, was among the complainants in the British case. Nearly forty years later, her voice trembles with emotion and barely controlled anger as she recounts her ordeal. Ntoyie Lenkanan pictured at her home - Festo Lang/CNN I was going to fetch water when I was ambushed by a group of British soldiers who were hiding in the grass near the river. One of them grabbed me and raped me, she told CNN at her home in DolDol, about 35 miles north of Nanyuki. She has been waiting years for an official acknowledgment of the violation and compensation, but neither has come. A few miles from Lenkanans home in the sparsely populated arid lands of DolDol, Saitet Noltwalal who is in her 70s, sits under a tree. She is blind and frail, relying on her family for everything. Saitet Noltwalal says she was raped by a British soldier a few decades ago. - Festo Lang/CNN She, too, says she was raped by a British soldier at a hill near her home a few decades ago but she no longer remembers the exact period. I have been waiting a long time and I can no longer fend for myself. I wouldnt like what happened to me to happen to anyone else, she said. Her quality of life nosedived after the rape as she miscarried the child and lost her eyesight shortly after, she said. Some of her peers who accused the British Army of sexual violations have died while waiting for redress. In 2007, Britains Ministry of Defense dismissed claims of rape brought by 2,187 women, Lenkanan and Noltwalal among them, saying there was no reliable evidence to support any single allegation. A Royal Military Police investigation at the time concluded that most of the Kenyan evidence appeared to have been fabricated. The UK investigators did not conduct DNA tests on any of the 69 mixed-race children alleged to have been born from rape by British soldiers. Some of the women testified in 2009 about being preyed on by British soldiers as they went about their daily chores to Kenyas Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, set up in 2008 to hear from victims of injustices spanning from 1963 to 2008, including ethnic conflicts and political violence among others. And Kenyas Truth Justice and reconciliation commission claims the government in Nairobi lost the case files, without explanation. The most horrific allegation of rape is said to have (occurred) in October 1997 at Archers Post where 30 women were gang raped by British soldiers, often at knifepoint and sometimes inside the victims own manyattas (compounds), the 2009 report said. A new day in court British soldiers can now be sued in Kenyan courts for any wrongdoing as part of a new addition to the 2021 defense pact signed between both countries. It means many of these women may finally have their day in court. Kenya also has no statute of limitations on cases involving alleged human rights abuses. So, 17 years later, lawyer Kelvin Kubai has signed up more than 300 of the women who previously brought rape claims and is working to reintroduce the case in Kenyan courts. Seventeen-year-old Marian will be the lead plaintiff. Lawyer Kelvin Kubai meets women who accused BATUK soldiers of rape - Festo Lang/CNN It is traumatic and psychologically disturbing to people like Marian and many others who continue to see the British training amidst them with all these unresolved trauma and historical injustices, Kubai told CNN after meeting some of the pastoralist women who allege wrongdoing by British soldiers. We can win because we have a very progressive constitution. The Kenyan legal system offers a better redress than what is available in the UK, he said. Abandoned children Kenyan women say they continue to struggle for recognition even for children conceived in consensual relationships with British soldiers. Generica Namoru, 28, says she started a consensual relationship in 2017 with a soldier while she worked at the BATUK headquarters in Nanyuki. He went back to the UK when I was two months pregnant. He is the one that chose her name when she was born, she told CNN. Namoru says the soldier sent his passport and other personal information for the newborns birth certificate. Her daughter Nicole, five, bears his last name, she told CNN, but he has never supported her. Namoru is unemployed and has to hustle for her and Nicoles upkeep by selling fresh water in the semi-arid town where they live. Im a woman with a white child. Its not easy for my family especially because a child is expensive, she said, pointing out that Nicole has no health insurance nor a permanent home. Shes suffering for no reason. I want him to take care of her education, health and shelter. Nothing else. In the meantime, Kabui the lawyer and his team have set up a crowdfunding campaign to support Marian, Nicole, and other abandoned children of British Army soldiers in Kenya with education and legal fees, he told CNN. Namoru says that she has tried without success to get the Kenyan or British governments to locate her ex-boyfriend and compel him to take financial responsibility for his daughter. The British High Commission in Nairobi told CNN that it cooperates with local child support authorities in paternity claims. Neither Nicole nor Marian have UK citizenship even though they qualify if they can prove their fathers are English. Its not like these kids are looking for a free ticket to the UK. Were just saying that they deserve to get parental care from their fathers that every child deserves, Mutugi of the Human Rights Commission said, claiming that the British government had shown no interest in resolving the cases. These children deserve British citizenship. Theyre British kids. Their fathers were British! Mutugi said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Broken A/C? Heres where to cool off in Central Illinois CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) The weather is getting hot and humid as summer officially arrives later this week. While the heat can bring great opportunities for outdoor fun, it can also bring severe health and safety risks. Thats why places across Central Illinois are opening cooling centers to help beat the heat. Before heading outside, the National Weather Service (NWS) recommends drinking plenty of water and putting on light clothing and sunscreen. They also suggest limiting outdoor activity and going out either early or very late in the day. If you must spend extended time outside, take frequent breaks in the shade. WCIA 3s Weather Now Forecast People may also be vulnerable to heat even while indoors, so be sure to check on those who are sick, elderly, or without air conditioning in such weather conditions. The NWS also warned never to leave a pet or child unattended in a vehicle, especially in extreme heat. They added these extra pet safety tips: Image credit to the National Weather Service. If you or someone you know does not have the means to cool down this summer, they may visit any of the following cooling center locations throughout Central Illinois: Champaign-Urbana Homeless veterans needing a place to stay cool should call 217-278-9897. Department of Human Services 206 West Anthony Drive, Champaign Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Social Security Administration 101 South Country Fair Drive, Champaign Hours: Monday Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Champaign County Public Health District 201 West Kenyon Road, Champaign Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Champaign Public Library 200 West Green Street, Champaign Hours: Monday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Urbana Free Library 210 West Green Street, Urbana Hours: Monday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday from 1 p.m. 5 p.m. Market Place Mall 2000 North Neil Street, Champaign Hours: See website for daily operating hours. Lincoln Square Mall 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana Hours: Everyday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Hospital Emergency Rooms Convenient Care Offices Midwest to experience extreme heat wave this week Rantoul Forum Fitness Center 200 West Flessner Avenue Hours: Monday Thursday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rantoul Police Department 109 East Grove Avenue Hours: Always open. Rantoul officials said you may also call 911 for directions to the closest Champaign County shelter. Springfield Municipal Center East 800 East Monroe Street Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Municipal Center West 300 South Seventh Street Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lincoln Library 326 South Seventh Street Hours: Monday Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Office of Community Relations 1450 Groth Street Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. St. Johns Breadline 430 North 5th Street Hours: Monday Friday, indoor dining from 8 a.m. to 9 am, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & Holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Salvation Army (Main Campus) 1600 Clear Lake Avenue, entrance on south side off Martin Luther King Drive Hours: Monday Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Washington Street Mission 408 North 4th Street Hours: Monday Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday from 8:30 a.m. 10 a.m. Helping Hands 2200 Shale Street Hours: Everyday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Overnight shelter from 4:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Danville Aquatic Center reopens over Fathers Day weekend Danville The Dwelling Place 100 North Franklin Street Hours: Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. First Presbyterian Church Gym 100 North Franklin Street Hours: Monday Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CRIS Healthy-Aging Center 309 North Franklin Street Hours: Monday Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Danville Rehabilitation Services Office 407 North Franklin Street, Suite A Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. DHS Family Community Resource Center in Vermilion County 220 South Bowman Avenue Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Danville Village Mall 2917 North Vermilion Street Hours: Monday Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Danville Public Library 319 North Vermilion Street Hours: Monday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Danville Family YMCA 1111 North Vermilion Street Hours: Monday Thursday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Decatur Decatur Civic Center 1 Gary Anderson Plaza Hours: Monday Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oasis Day Center 243 West Cerro Gordo Street Hours: Everyday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Macon Count Dept. of Human Service 707 East Wood Street Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Decatur/Macon County Senior Center 1430 North 22nd Street Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Decatur water main project making progress Iroquois County Ashkum Coliseum 117 East Main Street, Ashkum Chebanse Community Building 185 South Chestnut Street, Chebanse Cissna Park Village Hall 109 West Church Street, Cissna Park Gilman City Hall 215 North Central Street, Gilman Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Iroquois West CUSD #10 529 East Second Street, Gilman Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Milford City Hall Community Center 15 South West Avenue, Milford Milford Christian Church 811 East Hickory Street, Milford Sheldon Public Library 125 North Fifth Street Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday from 10 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Saturday from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. Watseka Public Library 201 South 4th Street, Watseka Hours: Monday Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Watseka Park District 110 South 3rd Street Hours: Monday Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watseka Walmart 1790 East Walnut Street, Watseka Hours: Everyday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Trinity Church 1658 East Walnut Street, Watseka Hours: Monday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Iroquois County CUSD #9 Administration Office 1411 West Lafayette Street, Watseka Fire officials highlight dangers of fires from houses struck by lightning Douglas County Arcola Center Route 45 and West Main Street, Arcola Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Annex Building 209 East Van Allen Street, Tuscola Hours: Monday & Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuscola Community Building 122 West North Central Avenue Hours: Monday Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hindsboro Civic Center 403 Missouri Street, Hindsboro Hours: Monday Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Newman Community Center 207 South Coffin Street, Newman Hours: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Senior Center Zest For Life 610 Harrison Street, Villa Grove Hours: Monday Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Edgar County Paris Public Library 207 South Main Street, Paris Hours: Monday Wednesday & Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Paris Senior Center 256 West Court Street, Paris Hours: Monday Friday from 8:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Brocton Community Center 203 South Boyer Avenue, Brocton Hume Community Center 101 Front Street, Hume Chrisman Fire Station 104 East Madison Avenue, Chrisman Hours: Always open. Chrisman Public Library 108 North Illinois Street, Chrisman Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday & Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kansas Christian Church 110 North Franklin Street, Kansas Hours: Monday Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Worship at 9:30 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 WCIA.com. Editors Note: The above video originally aired on Feb. 26, 2024. BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) A Brooklyn bishop known for his flashy style and a mid-sermon robbery was sentenced to nine years in prison related to fraud and extortion charges in an unrelated case, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced Monday. Bishop Lamor Whitehead stole around $90,000 of his parishioners retirement savings after he promised to help her buy a home, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Brooklyn bishop pleads not guilty after allegedly defrauding parishioner Lamor Whitehead is a conman, Williams said. [He] is a career conman and liar who has been committing frauds for over 20 years to finance his extravagant lifestyle. Whitehead used the parishioners money on luxury goods and other personal expenses, prosecutors said. Meanwhile, she lost everything [she] had worked for, including $40,000 in penalties and legal fees for withdrawing money from her retirement early and taxes on the money spent by Whitehead, court records show. Whiteheads attorney, Dawn Florio, said in a statement that he still maintains his innocence. We will explore all available legal avenues to ensure that justice is served. Our dedication to proving Bishop Whiteheads innocence is unwavering, and we will immediately begin the appeal process, Florio said. Whitehead was found guilty of a slew of other schemes dating back to 2017, including fraudulently applying for a $250,000 business loan using doctored bank statements and extorting a businessman for $5,000 all while promising favors in return from Mayor Eric Adams, prosecutors said. He then lied to FBI agents as they raided his mansion in New Jersey, according to prosecutors. Through it all, Whitehead has shown an utter lack of remorse, Williams said in a June 10 filing. The bishop will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence and must pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000, Williams said. Prosecutors noted Whitehead had faced a number of other charges over the last 20 years, including allegedly trying to bribe an officer after stealing a Mercedes, allegedly using stolen identities to purchase car loans, and allegedly driving a fraudulently purchased Range Rover, court records show. Whiteheads name dominated headlines for a different reason in 2022 when he was robbed at gunpoint during a livestreamed service at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry. The robbers allegedly made away with $1 million in jewelry. One suspect in the case was later killed by law enforcement in New Jersey. 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. Lamor Whitehead, the flashy Brooklyn pastor best known for rocking Gucci suits and being robbed of his expensive jewelry on a church livestream, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday for swindling a parishioner and extorting a businessman to fund his flamboyant lifestyle. Its the second time Whitehead, whom New York Mayor Eric Adams once called a mentor, brother, and friend, will do prison time. He did six years for identity theft in 2017 and credited his time in prison for bringing him closer to God. Whitehead, 45, formed a small Brooklyn church called Leaders of Tomorrow Ministry once he got out of prison but prosecutors arrested him in late 2022 for allegedly convincing a female parishioner to part with $90,000 from her retirement savings that would be used to get her a home and invest in his real-estate business. The money was instead spent on designer duds and other luxury goods. Whitehead leaves the Brooklyn Federal Court in 2022. Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty In another scheme, Whitehead extorted Brandon Belmonte, the operator of a Bronx auto shop, for $5,000, using threats of force, according to an indictment. Whitehead then tried to get Belmonte to lend him $500,000 and give him a stake in certain real estate transactions in return for favorable actions from the Mayor of New York City, prosecutors said. Whitehead was, however, well aware he could not actually carry out that promise. In addition to the nine-year prison sentence, Whitehead was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000. 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 development project on a North Carolina intercoastal waterway was paused when construction crews found bones. A subsequent archaeological dig at the site turned up over 2,000 artifacts, including remnants of longhouses and evidence of a Native American village. The location has turned into a political debate, with the modern housing project at odds with the historical nature of the site. An archaeologists dream can be a developers nightmare. Thats definitely been the case in North Carolina, as the builders of the new Bridge View neighborhood along the intercostal waterway near Cedar Point uncovered ancient bones while trying to construct a new housing development. Now, the fate of what the acting state archeologist calls the most significant find hes seen in the state in the past 30 years sits in a political battle, according to the television station WRAL. The crews first found bones. But as archeologists took over the site, they uncovered an additional 2,000 artifacts, including evidence of longhouses, fish drying racks, and ritual sites that all point to an early Native American village. In the [European] contact period, it could have been a part of the Powhatan Confederationthe Indians that were met by the Jamestown settlers, Chris Southerly, acting state archeologist, told WRAL, adding that the site has a rich history of multiple Native American groups converging for cross-cultural interactions. But some in the North Carolina legislature are more focused on the present, pushing an effort to allow the Cedar Point Developers to continue building dozens of waterfront hohttps://www.popularmechanics.c...mes on property they paid millions of dollars for. To make it happen, a new bill in the legislature aims to make it tricky for the states archeology office to get involved in historically significant finds. This one discovery has now sparked a larger debate across the state over what will happen to archeological findsNative American or otherwisein the future. Civil War battlefields and cemeteries would also be negatively impacted by this legislation, a local indigenous activist group, 7 Directions of Service, wrote in a letter. Historical and heritage tourism could take a nosedive if legislators are not mindful of continuing to protect these cultural gems in our great state of North Carolina, in addition to shamefully disturbing the protected remains of the states longest ancestral residents and its fallen heroes. Finding a solution to the current problem wont be easy. While the station reports that 98 percent of all projects that unearthed archeological items were still given the green light to proceed, something as monumental as a lost village may fall within that other 2 percent. In this example Down East, youve got human femurs that have been foundand are still lying there, exposed, on some of these properties, said Sen. Mike Woodward about comparing examples, according to WRAL. Thats a little different than finding a few arrowheads. You Might Also Like Marcus Faber, the newly elected chairman of the Bundestag defence committee, has visited Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts to learn about the current needs and problems of the Ukrainian military. Source: European Pravda with reference to MP Yehor Cherniev, the head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Details: This is Faber's first trip abroad in his new position, and he chose to go to Ukraine, although usually, newly elected chairmen of the German parliament's defence committee make their first visit to a neighbouring country. "And we appreciate it," Cherniev stressed. Cherniev noted that during Faber's visit, "we immersed ourselves in a lot of practical issues, up to the quality of certain types of shells for German self-propelled artillery systems and parts that are essential for the repair of equipment." "We have identified certain critical issues that need to be addressed immediately, and Marcus promised to help promptly upon his return to Germany. And I know he will help," Cherniev said. He said that during Faber's visit, a German-delivered Panzerhaubitze 2,000 self-propelled artillery system destroyed a Russian howitzer along with its ammunition "as a nice bonus". Background: Ukraine recently received another large batch of weapons from Germany, including air defence systems, tanks and armoured vehicles. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced the aid package during his visit to Odesa in late May. Support UP or become our patron! Corpus Christi community members will soon have a modernized bus facility on the citys West side when the new Port Ayers Transfer Station opens on July 1. Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority hosts an opening ceremony for the rebuilt Port Ayers Transfer Station on Ayers Street and Port Avenue, Friday, June 14, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Representatives of the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority joined public officials on Friday, June 14, at a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new station, located at 4311 Ayers St. - one of the corridors with the highest ridership in the city. The new station, which replaces the original Port Ayers station that was built in 1994, will have enhanced safety and security features and amenities, including Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility at each of the bus bays, along with greater pedestrian access. The station is located near Corpus Christi Medical, several HEB stores and a Social Security services office. The previous station, which featured bright colors with handcrafted tiles created by local artists, became the second busiest station in town over time, according to CCRTA, but it was past its useful life when construction on the new station began. The new station is funded by a $7.23 million competitive federal grant 5339(b) that CCRTA won from the Federal Transit Administration in 2019. The grant was aimed at supporting bus and bus facility improvements. The new facility is one of three transfer stations in Corpus Christi. CCRTA also maintains a transfer station in Robstown. Like the predecessor, the new Port Ayers station works towards fulfilling our mission of providing riders with safe, accessible, convenient, and sustainable transportation solutions that unite communities and promote local economic growth, said Derrick Majchszak, the chief executive officer of CCRTA. Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority's Port Ayers Station on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. The CCRTA has plans for a new Port Ayers bus station on the site of the Kleberg Bank building at 4311 Ayers Street. Nueces County commissioners and City Council members spoke during the event, thanking congressional and state leaders, as well as CCRTA board members who supported the facility. Multiple speakers averred that an upgraded bus station is needed on the city's Westside to support a growing population and provide multimodal options for people without cars who wait for transportation in the South Texas heat. "This new Port Ayers transfer station is the culmination of years of work and will increase accessibility to everyone, including those with disabilities," said Sylvia Campos, Corpus Christi City Councilmember in District 2. "Every time we choose to use the bus, we actually are lessening our footprint in the area. "It's all about the small steps that we take," she said. Nueces County Precinct 3 Commissioner John Marez told a story of growing up within a few minutes' drive of the former facility, reminiscing about the building's colorful mosaic exterior. "This is exciting, from my perspective of growing up in this area, with how much transportation means to us," he said, noting the option that public transportation provides for people to choose mass transit as a way to help with their environmental footprint. During the ceremony, Corpus Christi artist Jeremy Flores unveiled an aluminum statue he created on commission with CCRTA that will be on display at its center. The statue, which was based on a theme of transportation on the Westside, was designed for the neighborhoods residents and to give children living in the area something to look at and be proud of, he said. Its really good to be able to put some work here in the community on the Westside, he said. My goal is to show these kids they can be proud of where theyre from, too." Arthur Granado, CCRTA board chair, pointed out some of the key enhancements at the new station, which include a route display board, adding that a long-term goal will be to provide on-site restrooms. As the organization looks at ways to move people more efficiently and effectively around the city, adding additional routes or extending the hours of current routes will be strategies, he said. One person who takes the Corpus Christi bus is Miguel Rendon, CCRTA's deputy CEO. He said it's important to know what customers experience when they ride. Of our customers, about 85% are dependent riders who dont have a car and cant afford gas, he said. They depend on us to be here on time and move them from point A to point B, whether theyre going to work, the store, or to visit relatives. Route frequency and longer service hours are the top two concerns among bus riders, he said, so for someone who relies on public transportation to get from the Ayers Street area to neighborhoods on the Southside or Flour Bluff, transfers are important in helping them with affordable fare on their daily commute. More: CC RTA plans for a new Port Ayers bus station More: This is why a new Port Ayers bus station will be a big deal for riders in Corpus Christi This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: New Corpus Christi bus transfer station opening on Ayers Street July 1 This summer, longtime CNN Washington Bureau Chief Sam Feist is set to become the new CEO of C-SPAN. Hes taking over a venerable and respected Washington institution, which is really saying something these days. But the network is deeply intertwined with another Washington institution that is in far more sorry shape: the United States Congress. This transition in leadership may be a good time for C-SPAN to reflect on its own significant, if unintended, role in the degradation of the national legislature, and to consider whether a greater awareness of the costs of transparency might point it to some ways of helping mitigate Congress dysfunction. The Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network has been a fixture on Capitol Hill for almost half a century, broadcasting floor proceedings from the House of Representatives since 1979 and from the Senate since 1986. It has covered most committee hearings (on the air or online) since the mid-1990s. All of this coverage of Congressalong with a great deal of programming about public policy, history, and civicshas been offered in an exquisitely non-partisan way from the start, and always flavored with earnest sobriety. If you like the wonkier side of politics, you are surely a C-SPAN junkie. The network is hard not to love. And yet, C-SPAN has also contributed to the deformation of Congress workand of our political culture. This is not a function of how the network has approached its work, but of the very nature of its core purpose: televising floor and committee proceedings. Since its launch, transparency has been C-SPANs watchword. Its purpose was to bring the Peoples House to the people and let Americans see and hear what their representatives were up to. Yes, transparency is an essential democratic good. But all good things are a matter of degree, and there is such a thing as excessive transparency in political institutions. Cameras have turned all of Congress deliberative spaces into performative spaces, leaving less and less room and time for members to speak and work in private. The most obvious consequence of this transformation has been the explosion of grandstanding in both chambers. There has obviously always been grandstanding in Congress, but the omnipresence of cameras has taken that vice to new lows. To make matters worse, the ubiquity of cameras has attracted cadres of members who understand public performance as the essence of the job. But more important is what is not happening in Congress because of the presence of cameras. The institutions core work is legislative negotiation, and negotiation cannot really happen in public. Politicians cant afford to be seen making concessions or trading among key priorities in real time. They can be held accountable in public for what they ultimately produce or how they vote on a compromise bill, but to publicize the process is to suffocate it. This reality hasnt changed in the era of C-SPAN. Actual legislative bargaining still requires protected spaces for negotiation. But now, the leadership offices around midnight as a government shutdown approaches are often the only such spaces left, so it is hardly surprising that this is where a great deal of important legislation gets crafted. Thats better than nothing, but leadership talks are not a substitute for bargaining in committee. Congress work plainly suffers from a shortage of negotiated agreements, and since Congress is the only venue for such horse-trading at the national level in our system, our entire political culture has grown more polarized as a result. To be sure, televising Congress isnt entirely to blame for this phenomenon. The increasing partisan embitterment of our political culture has been driven by a great many interlinked causes. But when it comes to Congress in particular, the transformation of deliberative spaces into performance stages has done serious damage. C-SPAN arose to advance an idealistic civic purpose, but has contributed to a demoralizing civic breakdown. The solution is not to burn down C-SPAN. The network does a lot of good, educating viewers about public affairs and American history. And in any case, there is no turning back now from the televising (and YouTubing) of much of Congress work. But by taking account of the problems to which it has contributed, C-SPAN could help advance some solutions. One useful step might seem counterintuitive: To make Congress just a little less performative, C-SPAN should push for a loosening of the reins on its coverage of the floors of both chambers. The House and Senate floors are not where most bargaining has ever happened in Congress. They are venues for voting, and on rare occasions also for debate. But since the televising of floor action began, they have also been prime venues for grandstanding, because Congress rules require C-SPAN to only show close-up shots of the person speaking. This keeps the audience from seeing that the speaker is often addressing an empty chamber, and the dramatic video clip is purely for show. It turns C-SPAN into reality television, rather than facilitating the televising of Congress reality. Wide shots of the House floor could cut down on the production of such clips. We know that could help, because Congress actually let C-SPAN do this for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To curb made-for-TV grandstanding by Newt Gingrich and others, Democratic House leaders allowed C-SPAN to pan out during speeches. The House ended that practice in 1994, at Gingrichs behest. C-SPAN has requested permission to resume it several times since then, to no avail, so there is no way to know if another push would succeed. But its worth a try, particularly as part of a broader effort to rethink video coverage of Congress. That broader effort should particularly focus on creating space for some committee work to be done in private. Formal hearings will surely continue to be televised, and the case for undoing that is not one many politicians could afford to embrace. But committees in both houses could openly treat hearings as public performances and officially use them for that purpose while formally organizing a new mode of core legislative work: private working sessions devoted to floating proposals and hammering out legislative deals. Such business sessions, or whatever committees wanted to call them, would not replace hearings but supplement them. Ideally, they would provide members with a much-needed forum for genuine deliberation. If the experience of the intelligence committees is any guide, many members would love that private format. And C-SPAN itself should not resist such change; it should encourage and welcome it. In fact, a further avenue for the network to help address some of Congress dysfunction would be to make Congress 21st-century problems a central focus of its programming over the coming years. Instead of ignoring the unavoidable effects that televising legislative work must have on that work, C-SPAN should lean into the fact that its medium and format can shape the culture of Congressand should seek to shape it for the better. The network could, for instance, regularly host formal, structured conversations among members of key committees from both parties, to give them a public venue to talk together about the work of their committee and their own priorities. In such a setting, the presence of television cameras would actually discourage grandstanding. It would also help members get in the habit of speaking respectfully with each other across party linesand get C-SPAN junkies more accustomed to seeing that happen. Public discussion on C-SPANs terms could reinforce private discussions held away from the cameras. C-SPAN could also launch a body of programming aimed at considering Congress challenges and dysfunctions and learning about potential reforms. That could involve hearing from experts about Congress history, learning about ideas for rethinking its rules and practices, drawing on the work of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and giving both members and outsiders a chance to talk about how the institution could work differently. The audience for such programming would obviously be rather narrow, but reforming Congress only requires the support of its own members, and its a safe bet that C-SPAN can have some effect on their internal culture. These are far from silver bullets, to be sure. But they are all modest ways for C-SPAN to acknowledge the costs of excessive transparency in Congress, to lean into its identity and audience, and to acknowledge that todays Congress is dysfunctional in some ways that prevent it from facilitating cross-partisan bargaining and accommodation. Such negotiation across lines of difference is ultimately the purpose of the national legislature, and an essential purpose of the Constitution. The framers of our system understood that working toward negotiated bargains required some degree of privacy. The Constitution itself reflects that fact, since it was conceived by a convention held behind closed doors. Had the deliberations been open, Alexander Hamilton argued in 1792, the clamours of faction would have prevented any satisfactory result. Any observer of the contemporary Congress can see that he was right, that a Congress capable of advancing the cause of greater national unity requires some relief from the glare of the cameras. 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. Assembly Democrats are fracturing over California legislative leaders decision to make changes to some retail theft bills that are designed to derail a controversial November ballot initiative aimed at toughening laws against such crimes. Some hardline progressive Democrats already disagreed with the legislation, but now moderates have joined them. I dont support the amendments, said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, a moderate Democrat from Irvine, on Thursday, a view echoed by some others in the party. Law enforcement groups have been pressuring lawmakers to oppose the changes, although legislators have not directly attributed their concerns to the influence of outside groups. Petrie-Norris said she had gotten outreach from our local law enforcement folks sharing their concerns. On June 8, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, urging other officials to contact your lawmakers and urge them to OPPOSE the poison pill perversion. Last week, law enforcement officials joined Republicans to protest the change. Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire called it quite simply dirty. He said its placing politics over problem solving. The bills are good, but they dont go far enough, Gire said. They dont go far enough in holding repeat thieves accountable. Thats what the initiative will do. The center-lefts reluctance could prevent Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, from passing the bills quickly. Fast approval would allow the measures to take effect as soon as Gov. Gavin Newsom signs them. That kind of fast-track legislation requires a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the Assembly, which could be tough to achieve if Democrats are not unified in their support. Rivas and McGuire are using their considerable clout to push the package of 14 bills seven from the Assembly and seven from the Senate. They recently-proposed changes to some of the bills would enact them immediately if Newsom signs them and the repeal the legislation if voters approve a November initiative. Driving their effort is their opposition to the ballot measure that would change Proposition 47, a 2014 voter-approved initiative that reduced certain lower-level crimes to misdemeanors and set a $950 threshold for shoplifting. The legislation package is similar to the ballot measure in many ways. A significant difference is a portion of the ballot initiative that would add penalties for someone convicted of shoplifting who has two or more previous theft-related convictions. Democrats defect from amendments Rivas has remained convinced the legislative strategy was sound. On June 10, he said he was confident in our approach, Im confident in the bills that we have worked so hard to get right. But last week, the Assembly and Senate Public Safety committees did not add leaderships changes. Assembly Public Safety Chair Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, said he thought it would have been inappropriate to insert them. He said he didnt support them and backs the bills in their current form, although he did not explain why. On Monday, when the Senate Appropriations Committee added the changes to Assembly bills, chair Anna Caballero, D-Merced, announced McCarty had pulled the retail theft bill he authored. Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, presented a bill from Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, saying she had removed her name. Rivas will be taking it over, Berman said. Soria told reporters later that day she took her name off the bill in response to law enforcement opposition to the changes. The Sacramento Bee has reached out to Rivas office requesting a comment on McCarty and Sorias actions. To get enough votes to enact the bills right away, leaders would need to remove the addition voiding the legislation if voters approve the initiative, Petrie-Norris said on Thursday. Tensions in the Legislature are running really, really high around this issue, Petrie-Norris said. Progressives against increasing penalties A handful of progressive Democrats have always been against a chunk of the retail theft bills, which they believe will disproportionately affect Californians of color and will not address the underlying issues that prompt people to commit crimes, such as poverty. Five to six Assembly members from the Progressive Caucus did not support all of the retail theft legislation when the bills advanced from the Assembly floor. The caucus has at least 30 members in the Assembly, according to the houses website. The Assembly Democratic Caucus currently has 62 members, according to its website. Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, said the Progressive Caucus does not have an official stance on the bill package, but there is a lot of cause for concern amongst members. Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans in the Assembly and Senate. We are concerned about responding to the politics of fear, he said. And going back to the tough-on-crime era. And so I think, for us, we wanted to really make sure that if were going to pass anything, they actually made sense and they werent just to appeal to the fear politics out there. Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, declined to vote or voted no on five of the seven Assembly bills. Lee declined to vote or voted against four of the bills. Two bills received the least amount of support from progressives. A handful did not vote on Assembly Bill 3209 from Berman, which would allow restraining orders against people convicted of retail theft, vandalism or other battery offenses. Five Democrats voted against Assembly Bill 1960, the bill Soria previously authored, which would add sentencing enhancements for people who destroy property while committing a felony if the loss is more than $50,000. Bryan said he understands the need for the Legislature to respond to step into this space to avoid kind of greater harm from the ballot measure. But, he said, if the choice is significant harm or less harm, from my vantage point, I choose neither. I think theres an opportunity to do good, Bryan said. And to recenter this conversation about people and about struggle and about the conditions that create the kind of economic insecurity and anxiety that results in symptoms like petty theft. Researchers dont often put electronic tags on elephant seal pups. At more than $3,000 per satellite tag, losses are just too high to risk the expensive technology. But in one recent case, it paid off big time. One tagged pup not only survived, she returned to the Central Coast with new and exciting data showing a journey that stretched nearly 5,000 miles, spanning the entire West Coast all the way up to Alaska far beyond what the Cal Poly researchers tracking her exploits previously believed a young pup could travel in its first migration. Now the pup, nicknamed Monarch, is resting peacefully back on the Vandenberg Space Force Base beach where she was first tagged, and the researchers are left to analyze the data from her surprising journey. Graduate student Katie Saenger with Monarch, excited that the team successfully retrieved her tags. Activities performed and photo taken under NMFS permit 22187-04 and 27514. Cal Poly researchers tag 10 seal pups to examine migration habits Elephant seals are migratory, with the adults swimming north along the coastline as far as Alaska and out into the northern Pacific. After they are weaned and have spent a month on the beach working on their breath-holding and swimming skills the pups will also venture out. They cant live off the blubber they gained while nursing forever, after all. Weaned pups make their first migration alone, without adult guidance. They leave the beach in the spring, and those that survive return in the fall. Without guidance, pups somehow find their way. Although pups havent before been tracked on that first migration, the accepted wisdom was that they didnt get as far as adults on that first migration. Cal Poly associate professor Heather Liwanags research set out to see how far they did go. They learned that while most dont get that far, at least one did. Katie Saenger, one of Liwanags masters students, tagged five pups at the Vandenberg Space Force Base beach and five pups on San Nicolas Island off Ventura County in April 2023. Their electronic tags allowed the researchers to follow the pups in real time. The researchers chose nicknames for the seals from local wildlife like Frog, Plover and Goby. Monarchs name turned out to be especially apt; Monarch butterflies are also long-distance migrators. Nine of the pups stayed conservatively close, migrating along the California-Mexico coast. The team retrieved a device from one at King Range National Conservation Area, near Cape Mendocino in Northern California, and one from Ano Nuevo, north of Santa Cruz. Another was tracked to San Francisco Bay, but the beach he hauled out on in the Farallon Islands was inaccessible to humans. Monarch swam north and kept on going. The satellite tracking record shows how much farther Monarch, shown here in orange, traveled than the other tagged elephant seals. The point where her path ends is when the batteries on her satellite tag died. Central Coast elephant seal pup swims to Alaska Like other elephant seals, Monarch didnt swim across the surface. She dove down and came back up, making forward progress. Females like Monarch are believed to also feed along the way, snapping up small fish. Team members and other elephant seal observers watched her progress with excitement: She was doing so great! Going farther than previous research led them to believe pups would travel. Go, Monarch! The up-and-down zig-zagging readings coming from the tracker indicated that she was finding food in those cold Alaskan waters, even far out to the edges of the Aleutian Islands, nearly to Russia. On Oct. 5, 2023, after six months at sea and about 2,600 miles away from the beach where she was born, Monarch turned south and headed for California. All seemed fine until Oct. 26 when Monarchs transmitter went silent. The bad news for seal pups is that usually means they met their fate in the jaws of a white shark. Thus goes the cycle of ocean life. But not this time. The transmitters battery had failed, but Monarch hadnt. She was still swimming back. Monarch returns to Central Coast beach 73 pounds heavier A scientist taking a bird survey saw her on May 12, hale and hearty. Julie Howar, senior marine ecologist and a Geographic Information System specialist from Point Blue Conservation, was performing bird surveys at Vandenberg when she saw two elephant seals wearing transmitters on their heads on the beach. One was this years weanling, Aurora, who had not yet left the beach after being tagged in April. The other was a juvenile. Identifying elephant seals is a challenge. Because they molt their skin every year, dyed marks fall away with the skin. This young seal had no dye marks, but she had a flipper tag that was partially visible. Howar used her spotting scope to take a photo. She was able to read a couple of digits on the seals flipper tag and reported the sighting to Liwanag. It was Monarch. It was amazing that Julie knew what to look for and reached out to me, Liwanag said. Surviving the first migration is significant, since only about half of the pups do. They usually gain little, if any, weight. Monarch went a step better: She gained 73 pounds. The fishing in Alaska was good it seems. We were so excited when we figured out it was her, Liwanag said. She is the first seal to demonstrate that weanlings can go as far as Alaska, which we did not expect. The tagging crew (and helpers from the military) hiking gear down to the beach with gear at Vandenberg. Vandenberg ornithologist Nick Todd, an experienced climber, helped the team set up a rope to help safely access the beach there. Cal Poly team recovers elephant seals tag on Central Coast beach The Cal Poly researchers then pulled together a team to retrieve the devices on Monarchs head and back. The pups got satellite and Very High Frequency (VHF) radio transmitter tags. The satellite tag was zip-tied to a polyester mesh glued to the seals head with marine epoxy. That tag sends signals to the satellites when the seal comes up for a breath and her head is out of the water. The batteries on Monarch, and other seals in that 2023 cohort, ran out of juice and stopped transmitting, which implied the young seals may spend more time at the surface than adult seals, running the batteries down. The researchers adjusted for that possibility in their next cohort by programming tags to transmit less frequently, extending battery life. Meanwhile the VHF radio transmitter was zip-tied to polyester mesh on the seals back. We use that to home in on the exact location on the beach, Liwanag said. We only want to hear that signal when the seal is completely hauled out. Those polyester mesh patches will fall away as the seals molt their skin, putting the researchers at a time crunch. Thats why we hustled down there to retrieve her tags as soon as we could, Liwanag said. She was in the process of molting off those patches, and we were worried that the tide might take the tags away if she molted them onto the beach. Saenger led the team, since Monarch is part of her thesis project. Liwanag and graduate student Maria Lopez-Neri joined, along with veterinarian Heather Harris and veterinary technician Lauren Campbell from The Marine Mammal Center and Vandenberg biologists Rhys Evans, Nick Todd and Zia Walton. Accessing the beach at Vandenberg is always an adventure, Liwanag said. Todd is an experienced climber, skills he uses as an ornithologist specializing in falcons. He guided the group in setting up a rope to help them climb the bluff to the beach. The last part is especially steep, and its best to move down backward not quite rappelling, but definitely not just hiking, Liwanag said. It is a challenge to get our team and all our gear down the hill (and back up), especially with our heavy weighing gear. A safe dose of sedative calms the animal to allow researchers to handle her safely, without endangering the seal. But the amount of sedative needed is based on the seals weight, and weighing a seal involves a tripod with a scale. The seal is lifted in a tarp to be weighed. Nothing involving elephant seals is easy. On the beach with the seal, The Marine Mammal Center veterinary team, Harris and Campbell, administered the sedative and monitored the seal while she was sedated during the tag removal. Monarch was cooperative enough that the team could weigh her before they gave her the injection. The zip ties were cut. Success! Devices in hand. What did researchers learn about elephant seal migration? Back at the lab, they downloaded the data. Preliminary results showed Monarch dove as deeply as 600m (2,000 feet), with many dives between 400m (1,300 feet) and 500m (1,600 feet) deep. These are impressive dive depths for a young seal pup, Liwanag said. Saengers masters thesis project focuses on that first foraging migration of newly weaned northern elephant seals. The paths reported by the tracking devices map out where they travel, which can then be related to ocean factors that adult seals are known to use to navigate, such as sea surface temperature, the ocean floor including the Alaskan coastal shelf and the seamounts along her return trip and productivity. That data will help researchers to better understand the path pups take during their crucial first migration. We simply dont know where these seals go on their very first migration, or how they decide where to go, Liwanag said. Other possible influences are whether the seal is born in a new or an established rookery, and whether they are male or female. Adult female and male seals migrate to different places, with different foraging strategies. We know the adults have very different migration patterns between males and females, but we expect that these differences may not be as pronounced at this age, Liwanag said. So far, we see that there is a lot of individual variation in migration patterns. This makes sense, because the seals have to find their own way with no instruction from anyone. They dont learn from their mom, and they dont travel together. After removing the devices, the team watched over Monarch until she recovered from the sedative. Monarch moved back near her original napping spot and seemed to be doing just fine, Liwanag said. Monarch rested on the beach after her tag recovery. Photo taken under NMFS permit 27514. California environmental groups appeal court ruling in favor of plan to build new reservoir A coalition of environmental groups appealed a court rejection of their challenge to Californias plan to build Sites Reservoir in a valley north of Sacramento, its first new major reservoir in decades. They argue the project would harm Sacramento River ecosystems and threaten imperiled fish species. The groups include the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Friends of the River, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network and Save California Salmon. For the sake of the Delta community and the fish and wildlife already struggling in this sensitive ecosystem, I hope the true environmental harms of this reservoir will be taken seriously, said John Buse, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. There are still numerous hurdles before the Sites Reservoir and thats because the states strong environmental laws demand a thorough review for potentially damaging projects. In a May ruling, a Yolo County Superior Court judge sided against advocates and determined that the projects environmental review was sufficient. Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the decision, saying the project had cleared a major hurdle. He had sought to speed the California Environmental Quality Act process through an infrastructure streamlining law that requires courts to decide on environmental challenges within 270 days when feasible. California needs more water storage, and we have no time to waste projects like the Sites Reservoir will capture rain and snow runoff to supply millions of homes with clean drinking water, Newsom said after the ruling. With a maximum capacity of 1.5 million acre-feet of water, state officials say at its maximum, the proposed $4.5 billion reservoir will store enough water to supply the yearly usage of 3 million households. To do so, state agencies would inundate nearly 14,000 acres of ranch lands in Glenn and Colusa counties with water diverted from the Sacramento River through new a system of dams, pipelines and a bridge. Environmental advocates with the group Friends of the River and other groups have long opposed the project, voicing concerns that diverting water would harm struggling fish populations and the ailing ecosystem of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They filed their lawsuit in December, arguing that the project underestimated its environmental impacts and failed to consider alternatives to achieving the same amount of water storage. But the court found that the environmental review of the project and consideration of alternatives was sufficient, and within jurisdiction of the Sites Reservoir Authority. Before construction begins, the project must still acquire a multitude of state and federal permits. That includes a water rights application with the State Water Resources Control Board. That public proceeding will consider fish and wildlife protection. A series of several public hearings at the Water Board began Monday and are scheduled to continue through October. The California National Guard is doubling the number of its troops deployed statewide to combat the spread of illegal drugs, including at ports of entry along the southern border, according to a recent announcement from the state governors office. The Guards counter-drug task force is increasing from 155 troops to nearly 400 service members, said the June 13 release. Our top priority is the safety of our communities statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the statement. By working with state, local, and federal partners to take down transnational organizations and the illegal drugs they attempt to bring into our state, the states Counter Drug Taskforce is making a profound difference to hold smugglers accountable and take deadly drugs off our streets. The announcement comes as other states National Guard troops take part in southern border missions. This California Guard mission focuses on preventing the trafficking of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, according to the press release and the Guards website. Last month, the governors office announced that over the first four months of the year, the California Guards operations supported the seizure of 5.8 million pills containing fentanyl a synthetic opioid that has devastated communities across the country. Last year, California National Guard-supported operations resulted in the seizure of more than 62,000 pounds of the narcotic. A government watchdog report from April found that the Department of Defense needs to improve its coordination and assessment of its counter-narcotic activities. In 2022, the task force deployed 30 National Guard troops to ports of entry across the state, from San Ysidro to Calexico. In the ensuing years, those numbers have grown to around 392 service members aiding the initiative, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the adjutant general for the California National Guard, said in the press release. Newsom called on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson in a social media post to provide more resources to support U.S. forces working along the southern border. The California National Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. California retail theft measure is headed for the ballot box. Heres what we know so far Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, left, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, speak in June at the state Capitol about amendments to a package of bills to address retail theft. In the Spotlight is a Sacramento Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email metro@sacbee.com. One of the tangible effects of a retail theft California November ballot measure that, among other changes to a previously passed proposition, aims to increase penalties, is that it most likely will result in an increase in county jail populations across the state and incarceration costs. The new measure, among other things, would give prosecutors the ability to charge certain offenses as a felony instead of a misdemeanor. The initiative is another attempt to alter Proposition 47, which was approved by voters in 2014. That measure reduced some theft and drug crimes to misdemeanors and set a loss of $950 threshold for shoplifting. County jail population could go up, but to what extent it is really difficult to say, said Magnus Lofstrom, the policy director and senior fellow at the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California. He said the results would depend on arrests, charges and sentencing. Viral videos of smash-and-grab scenes have spotlighted the problem of retail theft crimes, whether they document a problem supported by data or create a perception of its severity. Recent trends in retail theft and robbery vary across the state and by type of offense but the data indicate a rise in shoplifting, especially in the Bay Area, and a broader rise in commercial burglary among urban counties, Lofstrom said in testimony in December before the inaugural hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft. These patterns plausibly contribute to differences in how retailers and residents perceive the problem of retail theft and robberies. At a December 2023 Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft hearing, PPIC policy director and senior fellow Magnus Lofstrom provided testimony on trends in shoplifting and other offenses, including variations across the state. #CAleg Learn more https://t.co/Ko15MnDtRZ Public Policy Institute of California (@PPICNotes) May 24, 2024 The data, Lofstrom noted, does not extend beyond December 2022 and is limited to incidents reported to law enforcement. Retail theft is likely underreported, especially low-value theft, he said. Furthermore, agencies may vary in how they report and categorize an offense. Lastly, the data do not allow specific identification of so-called smash-and-grab incidents, or retail theft that is organized. Loftstrom said that a statewide overview of approximately the last decade shows shoplifting remained 8% below pre-pandemic levels, despite a 29% jump in 2022 over 2019. However, both commercial burglary and robbery have been ticking up, by 16% and 13% in 2022, compared to 2019, Lofstrom testified. Newsoms stance As negotiations continue between proponents of the ballot measure, lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration, a raft of retail theft legislation to tighten penalties for the crimes is simultaneously winding its way to the governors desk. Democratic lawmakers are racing to get the bills onto Newsoms desk ahead of a June 27 ballot qualification deadline. The bills are similar to many elements of the initiative and toughen laws related to retail crimes. Proponents of the ballot measure and the Republicans are frustrated with the amendments dubbed poison pills that would void them should the measure succeed at the ballot box in November. The governor has spoken about his opposition to changing Proposition 47. In January, Newsom unveiled a legislative framework that called for creating new classes of crime targeting professional retail thieves and going after people who break into vehicles. And, last month, he called for new legislation expanding criminal penalties to hold criminals accountable and bolstering police and prosecutor tools to combat theft and take down suspects who profit from smash and grabs, retail theft, and car burglaries. Everyone I know is rushing to reform Prop. 47 to raise the ($950) threshold (to charge offenses as a felony), Newsom said during his January budget proposal. Thats not the fundamental issue, he said. The issue is other issues that are not 47 related the nature of retail theft has changed, its not the onesies, twosies. Yes, thats an issue, I dont deny that and thats why we put up hundreds of millions of dollars but its also become deeply organized. And thats what we need to go after. The states current $950 threshold is the 10th toughest in theU.S., Newsom pointed out. Texass threshold, for instance, stands at $2,500. The organized (retail theft) folks blow through the $2,500, the governor said. Thats where we need to capture new laws and a new framework and also address the issue of auto burglary. Newsom acknowledged that Prop. 47 was not perfect. Again, not to say everything about 47 is hunky-dory and perfect and we want to help fix some of the ambiguities there but we can do it without reforming or going back to voters (on) 47 itself, he said. said. With several moving parts the ongoing negotiations between proponents, the administration and lawmakers and the series of bills targeting retail theft being finalized what changes materialize on the ground for Californians remains to be seen. Proponents of measure optimistic Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, who is a part of the coalition of district attorneys and retailers in Californians for Safer Communities, believes voters will approve the measure in November. The CA Assembly & Senate politicians who seek to pervert & sabotage the fair democratic process of a citizens statewide inititiative, that qualified for the Nov 24 ballot with over 900k voter signatures, through their unethical use of a poison pill designed to vindictively pic.twitter.com/zhw8YGC2C6 Jeff Reisig (@jeffreisig) June 13, 2024 The previous attempt to reform Proposition 47 in 2020 via Proposition 20 fell short because the latter was what he called more of a shotgun approach and tried to do too much. Proposition 20 failed with nearly 62% of voters opposed and 38% in favor. This initiative is in a totally different ballpark, Reisig said. The new initiative, he said, has three pillars. First, using a carrot and stick approach with a treatment mandated felony for third drug offenses, violators will have a choice of electing to go into treatment or face up to three years in county jail. Second, prosecutors will have the discretion to charge a third petty offense as a felony (the judge could still knock it down to a misdemeanor). The threshold of $950 does not change but the initiative would allow the value of previous thefts to be aggregated to reach the mark. The county jails will definitely see an increase for these felons doing repeated crimes, Reisig said. But he said communities will see less retail theft and more drug treatment for offenders. Currently, nobody is serving any jail time and the thieves know it, he said. The third pillar is focused on fentanyl dealers, he said, bringing them in line with the other drug dealers with sentencing enhancements when armed with a firearm. Were extremely confident this (initiative) is going to win, Reisig said. Incarceration costs California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced last week that the new initiative that allows felony charges and increases sentences for certain drug and theft crimes was eligible for the November ballot, noting that the measure, in part: Allows possession of certain drugs, including fentanyl, and for thefts under $950 with two prior drug or two prior theft convictions, to be charged as felonies. Increases sentences for other specified drug and theft crimes. The increase in sentences may reduce savings that currently fund mental health and drug treatment programs, K-12 schools, and crime victims; any remaining savings may be used for new felony treatment program, the initiative summary states. The summary of fiscal impact on state and local governments included for the measure by the Legislative Analysts Office and Department of Finance noted that costs to the state and local criminal justice systems would rise. Its summary said increased state criminal justice system costs could potentially be in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, primarily due to an increase in the state prison population. It noted some of those costs could be offset by reductions in state spending on local mental health and substance use services, truancy and dropout prevention, and victim services due to requirements in current law. Taxpayers have saved nearly $1 billion since 2014 by not incarcerating people for low level crimes that Prop. 47 covers, said Matt Sotorosen, the president of the California Public Defenders Association. That money has been earmarked for community-based programs. The new initiative, he said, would dismantle Proposition 47, adding that no data shows incarceration deters crime. He pointed to a National Institute of Justices Five things about Deterrence, which concludes, among other things, that the fear of getting caught is stronger than the punishment. A different political climate? The measure comes in a very different political climate and during an election year in which appearing soft on crime can be problematic for politicians. We are in a very different political moment than we were in 2020, said Chesa Boudin, executive director of the Criminal Law & Justice Center at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Thats when Prop. 20 failed. Whether or not its such a different moment that it would result in a different outcome than 2020, I dont want to speculate, he said. Boudin, the progressive former San Francisco district attorney, was recalled in 2022. In 2020 George Floyd was murdered and there was a massive movement for police accountability and criminal justice reform, said Boudin. (Now there is more focus) on punishment and enhancing law enforcement capabilities and much less on law enforcement accountability or racial justice. Boudin said in this election year retail theft is a very common talking point. Crime clearance rates Even though data show a spike in shoplifting from 2019 to 2022, it still remains below pre-pandemic levels. Lofstrom said the effects of the new initiative will depend on the responses in the criminal justice system. None of this will have an impact unless theres an arrest, he said. And, he said, clearance rates matter because they represent how many of all incidents reported to law enforcement have led to arrests. About 16% of incidents reported to law enforcement before Proposition 47 led to arrests; after the proposition became law the percentage dropped to 10%, Lofstrom said. Then came the pandemic, leading to further decline in arrests, down to 7%. And, he noted, arrests and jail bookings and the jail populations decreased since Proposition 47 and again during the pandemic. And then what I am saying is that if you look at the changes in commercial theft or shoplifting, those increases happened in the last couple of years, he said. The county jail population would likely go up if the new initiative is approved. Should the prison population also rise, it would decrease prison system savings, Lofstrom said. One aspect of Proposition 47 called for savings from prison expenditures to be redirected to programming, including allocations for behavioral health issues. Unless withdrawn by proponents of the initiative by June 27, it will be certified by the Secretary of State to be on the ballot. The question is: What is the likelihood of someone committing these offenses being apprehended and whether this would have a desired effect of decreasing retail theft? Lofstrom said. David Cameron is back from outer space to tell us Nigel Farage wants to destroy the Conservative Party, that hes playing dog-whistle politics and, we can infer, the Tories ought to run a mile from him. Thus the battle lines of the next leadership contest are drawn. Early advantage goes to elites who will say the party wandered too far to the Right a view endorsed by a billion deadly dull podcasts made by people who think the Today programme is insufficiently subjective. Lets put this myth to bed so I never have to write this column again. The Tory party is not Right-wing. It won in 2019 when people thought it was Right-wing, that it would implement Brexit, cut immigration and lower taxes. It is losing now thanks to a record of higher taxes, soaring migration and a Brexit you might think had never happened (unless you try to smuggle a dog into Ulster). Moreover, the Tories are not losing to Reform but to Labour, which is pretending to be low-tax and low-immigration. Though one or two polls show Reform neck and neck with or outpacing the Tories, others have it hovering around 14 per cent. In fact Reform is not yet as popular as Ukip was under David Cameron, when it placed first in the 2014 European elections and won two seats in Parliament. It once hit 25 per cent in the polls; in July 2013, it stood within a single point of beating the Tories, who languished 13 per cent behind Labour. Nostalgic wets forget that Ed Miliband led Cameron throughout much of the Coalition period, or that George Osborne was booed at the 2012 Paralympics (the pinnacle of Big Society Britain). George has also made an intervention this year, quoting John Majors advice that we will never win while we remain in thrall to the hard Right of the party. In 2024, Im not sure who this hard-Right is or who is supposed to be thralling over them. Liz Truss? Jacob Rees-Mogg? All relegated to the backbenches and sadly ignored. As for Major, he lost in 1997 because the country had endured a painful recession and the Tories raised taxes to cover it. Factionalism didnt help, granted, but its precisely a leaders job to paper over the cracks. All in all, theres a better case for claiming David Cameron destroyed the Tory party than Farage. If youre a Remainer, youd say he was guilty of doing exactly what hes now warning the Tories against: he capitulated to the swivel-eyed loons by pledging to hold an in/out referendum while cutting down green crap and labelling multiculturalism a failure. As a PM, Dave blew enough whistles to trigger a riot at Crufts. If youre a Brexiteer, on the other hand, the problem with Dave was that he made a virtue out of alienating traditionalists. Centrist dads believe that for every Right-wing vote the Conservatives deliberately lose, they gain four from the middle. But Farage has proven you still need a base to win; Starmer, that the middle is mobile. The centre-ground in 2024 has shifted dramatically to the Right. Hence, when asked at the ITV debate who would like to cut legal migration, all four main parties raised their hands including the Lib Dems. Maybe they are all wrong. Maybe immigration is a moral good and we need more of it in which case, why didnt previous Tory leaders explain this to us rather than cook up an unrealistic policy of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands. Remind me: who did that? Brexit didnt destroy the Conservative Party; it revived it in 2019. Farage didnt destroy the Conservative Party; he made Boriss majority possible by effectively pulling out of that election. Lockdown destroyed the chances of any government getting re-elected by wrecking the economy, the work ethic and the NHS. But Cameron also destroyed the partys ability to weather such storms by uprooting Toryism from its constituency and philosophy. Deprived of soil and water, it lies dying. Putting matters into perspective Conservatism, said Peter Hitchens recently, is love of God, of country and of family, of liberty, of truth, of duty, of courage, of the law of the land, of tradition, of beauty and honour. I might add love of Midsomer Murders, but otherwise: bingo. By this definition, the greatest moment in conservatism was not, as Rishi Sunak seems to believe, Nigel Lawsons 1988 budget but when Jose Sanchez del Rio, executed by Mexican revolutionaries, used his last breath to draw a cross on the ground with his blood. Contrast that with the Conservative manifesto, which contains no coherent statement of philosophy and, with its retail offer of policies we surely cannot afford, has all the idealism of the Argos catalogue. The longer the election goes on, the madder the Tories look Penny Mordaunt yelling higher taxes! at bemused panellists on The Weakest Link and the greater ones resentment that they are still in office, or that there is any government at all. Only in the kingdom of the dogs can one see clearly. In the nearby field last week, dogs queued up they really did take it in turns to roll in something. Dont worry, a woman said, its just a worm. And my dog, once hed taken a few tumbles, captured some sun on his belly and refused to move. He lay tanning himself on top of a worm, blissfully unaware of polls, tax rises or Sir Keir Starmer. 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. OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian Liberal government, criticized by opposition legislators for sending a patrol ship to Havana while Russian vessels were there, on Monday said the visit was meant to send a message of deterrence to Moscow. The Canadian navy patrol ship sailed into the harbor early on Friday, two days after the arrival of a Russian nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate. Canada and the United States said they were closely monitoring the vessels. "The deployment ... sends a very clear message that Canada has a capable and deployable military and we will not hesitate to do what is required to protect our national interest," Defence Minister Bill Blair told reporters. "Canadian Armed Forces will continue to track the movements and activities of the Russian ships," he added. "Presence is deterrence. We were present." Both the U.S. and Cuba say the Russian warships pose no threat to the region. Russia has also characterized the arrival of its warships in allied Cuba as routine. Canada has traditionally been one of Cuba's closest Western allies and maintained ties after the 1959 Cuban revolution. Relations though tend to be better under Liberal governments, since the official opposition right-of-center Conservatives are more staunchly anti-Communist. "Why is the Trudeau government sending a Canadian warship to 'celebrate' relations with a communist dictatorship at all - let alone while Russian warships are docked there? Cuba and Russia are not allies of Canada," Conservative foreign affairs spokesman Michael Chong said in a social media post. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid an official visit to Cuba in November 2016. When former leader Fidel Castro died a few days later, Trudeau referred to him as a "remarkable leader", prompting Conservative unhappiness. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Canada's Defence Ministry says the time is not right to send military instructors to Ukraine Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair believes that the circumstances are not yet right for Western military instructors to return to Ukraine. Source: European Pravda citing Reuters Details: Commenting on a decision made at a meeting of NATO defence ministers, Blair said the Allies had discussed a NATO mission to enhance training for the Ukrainian military. "At the present time, the circumstances are not right to deploy in my view the Canadian trainers in Ukraine. There is, I think, quite an understandable concern about expanding a training mission into Ukraine at the current time," he added. Canada withdrew its instructors from Ukraine just before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and they are currently working in the UK and Poland. Background: Last month, the media reported that French President Emmanuel Macron had formed a coalition of states willing to send military instructors to train Ukrainian soldiers directly in Ukraine. In mid-May, The New York Times reported that some NATO members were openly discussing the prospect of deploying military instructors or contractors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers and assist with equipment repairs. Support UP or become our patron! United Kingdom National Health Service cancer specialist Dr. Clive Peedell condemned an article in the U.K. Telegraph for its coverage of Kate Middletons appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday. As a cancer specialist, I find this level of journalism absolutely appalling. Its hard to know where to begin, when the lack of understanding of how cancer might affect people is this poor, Peedell tweeted. On Saturday, Allison Pearson penned a piece titled Our Fair Lady: Princess of Wales selfless display was the tonic that Britain needed. Pearson described Middleton, who shared her diagnosis of cancer in March after weeks of speculation about her health and safety, as an absolute trouper for appearing at the annual event to support her family. Im more than happy to speak to Allison Pearson to explain why this is so bad, Peedell added. Pearson quickly fired back, writing, Ive spent the past four years campaigning for cancer services, Clive. And pointing out the dire consequences of shutting them down during lockdown. The issue for the doctor wasnt Pearsons purported advocacy for cancer services, as Peedell made clear in a follow-up tweet. He answered, My criticism is about the tone of your article. You may want to reflect on it. As for the pandemic, you cant run cancer services if hospitals are overwhelmed by profoundly sick patients. It was the only way to slow infection rates before the vaccines became available. Kate briefly patted her stomach, whether to smooth her dress after being seated on the journey from the Palace or a reflex to protect herself after recent surgery it was hard to tell, Pearson wrote. Illness has definitely taken its toll. More slender and with heavier make-up than usual, the 42-year-old Princess appeared brighter than she probably felt. How brave to face the gaze of the world when your body is in the business of betraying you. God knows what it cost her to put on that impeccable, elegant display, to make the last thing she felt like doing the first thing to do, but I hope it was a good day for her because it certainly was for us, she concluded in her piece. When Catherine walked back onto the national stage, the clouds parted and all heaven broke loose. I hope shes back at home now putting her feet up with a nice cup of tea. Thank you. Thank you. At the center of Peedells reaction and the reaction of many who read the article and replied to him is Pearsons assertion that when lesser mortals would have stayed at home, Catherine proved that the show goes on. The use of lesser mortals in reference to people who have battled cancer, or whom are currently doing so, justifiably angered many. As one user explained, My late mother was one of those lesser mortals I can remember pushing her in a wheelchair down to the shops when she was wrecked with agony. Allison Pearson is just foul. My late mother was one of those lesser mortals I can remember pushing her in a wheelchair down to the shops when she was wrecked with agony. Allison Pearson is just foul wingsoftoast (@piotralexb) June 16, 2024 Another user echoed this sentiment. Lesser mortals how disgusting is that, I had breast cancer, mastectomy and chemo, it was hell, I had no one to look after me and I had two children scared they may lose their mother no one to look after them too, I had to try and stay strong for them I fought for them, they wrote. Lesser mortals how disgusting is that, I had breast cancer, mastectomy and chemo, it was hell, I had no one to look after me and I had 2 children scared they may lose their mother no one to look after them too, I had to try and stay strong for them I fought for them. Jennifer Johnson (@lhsaapso1) June 16, 2024 Pearson is notably no stranger to controversy. She publicly came out against mask wearing and vaccines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (and even insisted it was a good thing after her son and his friends caught the virus). She also heads the Global Warming Policy Foundation, one of the most prominent climate change denialist organizations in the U.K. That she was the author of a piece that offended Peedell and countless others seemed unsurprising to many in the country. Sadly Clive, Allison Pearson is known for being an abhorrent human being willing to say anything if it gets her attention, good or bad. But she sticks to the bad because it gets more engagements. Shes an awful person. I admire your willingness to try and educate her but some Katie (@LuxMeaMundiAM) June 16, 2024 As one person put it on Twitter, Sadly Clive, Allison Pearson is known for being an abhorrent human being willing to say anything if it gets her attention, good or bad. But she sticks to the bad because it gets more engagements. Shes an awful person. I admire your willingness to try and educate her but some people will always believe they know better. Even when youre an oncologist and shes a garbage rag columnist, the commenter added. Middleton has not publicly shared what type of cancer she has nor what treatment she has received. The post Cancer Specialist Condemns UK Telegraph Column Praising Kate Middleton Making Public Appearance: Absolutely Appalling appeared first on TheWrap. Carrying a gun on a Delaware campus could soon be a felony: Education roundup Things are cooking right along in Legislative Hall. And from a bill providing free lunch to any Delaware student already qualifying for free and reduced lunch, to another focused on extending School Safe Zones to university campuses in Delaware education is on the mind. Another bill, requiring the Department of Education to "update content standards and regulations using a non-exhaustive list of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups," also heads to the House floor for final consideration. In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on these and more education updates you may have missed. [Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.] Free lunch bill, school safety zone changes advance in Dover Don Shifflett and Audrey Comm serve more than 450 school lunches at the Rehoboth Beach Elementary School in Rehoboth Beach in 2014. Bipartisan legislation passed the House last Tuesday, looking to require all public schools to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students who are eligible for meals at reduced prices. Rep. Sherae'a Moore's bill, paired with fellow sponsors in Sen. Elizabeth "Tizzy" Lockman and Republican Rep. Bryan Shupe, could take effect as soon as next school year. It still needs to pass in the Senate and seek signature. Food insecurity is not only hard on the body, but also on the mind. We cannot expect our students to succeed in school if they are dealing with hunger or worried about where their next meal will come from, said Moore, D-Middletown, in a press release after the passage. As a teacher, I saw firsthand the heartbreaking impact of poor nutrition and stress on my students' health and wellbeing. It's time we did something about it." The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program already provide students with low-cost meals at school, typically to the tune of $1.75 and $1, respectively. The cost to cover this in Delaware, projected over three years in the bill, comes at around $250,000 for each fiscal year, 2025 to 2027. Shupe, R-Milford, thinks this proposal shows responsible stewardship in two ways. First, it ensures our most vulnerable children receive vital meal assistance, supporting their physical and mental development," he said in a statement. "Second, by carefully tailoring the bill's scope, we're maximizing the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars. Free school lunch? Delaware lawmakers consider compromise on free student meals Over in higher education, campuses could be joining Delaware's "Safe School Zones." House Bill 311, led by primary sponsor Rep. Cyndie Romer, calls out violence on college and university campuses carried out with firearms. The bill looks to add these institutions to the Safe School Zone felony offense criteria so that "any person who knowingly possesses a firearm, as defined in Title 11, while in or on a college or university facility or campus may be charged with this additional offense." It found support in the House last week, at 24 votes to 16. The draft legislation would add commissioned security guards to existing exceptions, like a constable or police officer. Otherwise, violation here would equate to a Class E felony. This comes after tragedy rocked Delaware State University in late April, with the killing of Camay De Silva, a Wilmington teen visiting friends on campus. It also lands at a time when crimes reported by campuses across the country have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according to federal data. Remembering Camay: Wilmington family remembers a 'bright light' in teen lost to shooting at Delaware State Delaware's vo-tech high schools come together to support new 'STEP' path program Wilmington University College of Arts and Sciences and College of Business commencement ceremony at the Chase Center Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Wilmington where 338 graduates took part. Vocational school districts New Castle County Vo-Tech, Polytech and Sussex Tech applauded a new "Smart Transfer Enrollment Program" for their vocational workforce last week. This STEP Path will enable Delaware apprenticeship students to apply their vocational time and experience toward college credits to obtain a college degree, according to a joint press release. It's possible due to a partnership announced in May between Wilmington University and the Delaware Department of Labor, allowing select apprenticeship programs at statewide Vo-techs to earn up to 42 college credits toward a bachelors degree. "The Registered Apprenticeship programs offered at each of our county Adult Technical Centers are the proven model for learning a skilled trade and earning a highly valued industry credential, the Journeyperson Certificate," said Betsy Jones, Polytech Adult Education director, in a statement. "The Wilmington University STEP Path Program recognizes the real-world value of these programs by providing graduates with additional career options. This is one more example of how registered apprenticeship pays dividends in our workforce and for our economy." Beach guide: Welcome to our Delaware 2024 Summer Guide Delaware State's early childhood center honors scholars A campus police officer keeps things moving as upperclassmen move in to the University Village housing on the Delaware State University campus in Dover, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. Delaware State University's Early Childhood Innovation Center marked its first "Rising Up Together" ceremony last week honoring over 100 Delaware child care providers earning credentials. The center launched as an initiative to redesign Delawares early childhood education support model, according to Delaware State, funded with $30 million from the state, $10 million of which is from the American Rescue Plan. Work began in 2022, and the concept launched in summer 2023, while ground broke on a soon-to-come building. These honorees were the first cohort of the initiative, having completed courses designed to equip them to deliver a higher-quality education experience to youngsters. Meeting tonight: Milford school board proposes policy changes banning 'controversial' issues in schools Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online/The News Journal and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on X @kpowers01. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: School Safe Zones, free lunch and more on the legislative mind in Delaware CARTERET - When a Washington state man was apprehended by police Wednesday following a daylong manhunt for the gunman responsible for fatally shooting one woman and critically injuring another, he was found armed with a 9mm handgun, for which he had no permit, and an extended magazine with bullets, according to court papers. Court documents show that when Gaurav Gill, 19, was searched after he was arrested, a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm handgun was found in his waistband and an extended magazine with 9mm rounds was found in his front pocket, according to the criminal complaint which states Gill did not have a permit to carry the weapon. Gill has been charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons offenses in the Wednesday morning shooting of two women on Roosevelt Avenue in West Carteret. A 29-year-old Carteret woman, who has been identified as Jasvir Kaur, died from her injuries while a 20-year-old Carteret woman remains in critical condition in the hospital, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office released this photo of the suspect in a Carteret shooting Wednesday that left one person dead. The criminal complaint indicates Kaur was shot multiple times by a handgun and the other woman was shot at least once. Court documents state Carteret police responded to Roosevelt Avenue on June 12 after receiving a report that two females had been shot. The victims were transported to separate hospitals and one of the victims was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Video surveillance of the area showed a man wearing a black hoodie, black pants and white sneakers fleeing after the shooting, according to court papers. The sweatshirt that residents say the suspect dropped after the shooting on Clauss Street in Carteret. One surveillance camera showed the same individual racking a firearm which ejected a 9mm round that was recovered. The round was the same caliber as the one recovered at the shooting crime scene, according to court documents. Video surveillance also showed the same individual removing the black hoodie, which revealed a white T-shirt, and leaving the hoodie on the ground which was recovered. Additional surveillance footage showed the same man fleeing the area in the same clothing, now with a decal visible on the front of the white T-shirt, court documents state. While searching the area police were notified that a man matching the description of the shooter was spotted in a residents backyard. Police responded to the area where the suspect was found wearing black pants, white sneakers and a white T-shirt with a decal and placed under arrest, court documents state. A Ring camera video of the suspect's arrest posted on a Carteret public Facebook page showed a man wearing a white T-shirt standing in a yard near a green and white striped fence with his hands in the air as police instruct the man not to move. One officer was heard saying "we got him" before the man was handcuffed while lying face down on the grass. Email: srussell@gannettnj.com Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Carteret NJ murder suspect arrested with handgun, court papers say The case for state funding for the Ohio State Board of Education The Ohio Department of Education in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) The Ohio State Board of Education (SBOE) faces a financial crisis that threatens the future of public education in Ohio. To sustain its mandated operations and avoid detrimental impacts on teacher retention and recruitment, the SBOE urgently needs additional state funding. Without this support, Ohios classrooms risk severe teacher shortages, negatively affecting student learning and community well-being. The SBOE requires approximately $17 million annually to operate, including $6 million mandated for non-licensure responsibilities. Licensure fees generate between $9 million and $11 million annually. Without additional funding the Board, already operating at a skeletal level, may need to cut 50% of its personnel. Failure to act will have immediate consequences: Extended processing timelines: Teacher licensure processing times will extend from days/weeks to months, delaying the entry of qualified teachers into classrooms and leaving many classrooms without teachers at the start of the school year. Increased financial burden on educators: Raising licensure fees imposes an undue financial burden on teachers, exacerbating the current teacher retention and recruitment crisis in Ohio. Worsening teacher shortage: Record numbers of teachers are leaving and fewer individuals are entering the field. Additional financial burdens deter potential educators from pursuing or continuing a teaching career. Compromised education quality: If fewer teachers are available due to licensure delays, schools will rely on substitute teachers, negatively impacting education quality and student outcomes. The Ohio Senate has the funds to resolve this issue. The SBOE unanimously passed a resolution requesting the return of its originally approved budget and an additional $10 million previously taken from its coffers. However, under Senator Matt Huffmans leadership, the Senate has chosen to ignore this resolution, diverting funds to private and parochial schools instead. This decision undermines public education and disregards the will of the elected SBOE. Qualified and licensed educators are the cornerstone of a thriving public education system. Restoring the SBOEs budget affirms a legislative commitment to Ohios children and communities. Failing to provide necessary funding will result in immediate and severe consequences, including a significant reduction in education quality. The Senate must act to prevent this crisis by ensuring the SBOE is adequately funded. The Ohio State Board of Education is at a pivotal moment. The Senate must restore the originally approved budget to support the Boards operations. This action will prevent a shortage of teachers, support the recruitment and retention of educators, and ensure Ohios students receive the quality education they deserve. The future of Ohios public education system depends on this critical funding, and the bipartisan support in the House and executive branch makes it imperative for the Senate to prioritize the needs of its students, educators, and Ohios economic future. In conclusion, the Ohio Senate has both the resources and the responsibility to ensure the SBOE is fully funded. By taking action now, we can prevent a looming educational crisis and affirm our commitment to the children and future of Ohio. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post The case for state funding for the Ohio State Board of Education appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey at the groundbreaking for a project to make SEPTA's Broad Street Station fully accessible joined by State Reps. Danilo Burgos and Darisha Parker, state Sen. Sharif Street, Philadelphia City Councilmember Cindy Bass, SEPTA CEO Leslie Richards, and more. (Capital-Star photo by John Cole) PHILADELPHIA For lawmakers and advocates standing at Broad and Erie on Monday morning, the work on a project to make the transit station more accessible was just beginning, but its still a reason to celebrate. This is a day thats been long in coming to finally, finally, be breaking ground on this station and to make the full commitment to accessibility that this city and this commonwealth and our country shouldve been committed to a long time ago, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said. Were just getting there, we have a long way to go, but this is a good day today. Casey joined local lawmakers and advocates to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of a new $38 million project which will make the Erie station on the Broad Street Line fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by the summer of 2026. The updates for the station will include the installation of a new elevator from street level to the station mezzanine and new elevators from the mezzanine to the northbound and southbound platforms. SEPTA service is a gateway to so many opportunities for so many people, but only if it is accessible, SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie Richards said. The funding was made possible by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), more commonly known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, part of the Federal Transit Administrations All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). A U.S. Department of Transportation official said Monday that the Erie Station ADA project is the first station accessibility project in the nation to advance to construction with funding from this program. Casey said he worked on the initiative with U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to ensure rail transit systems have the funding needed to make stations accessible to people with disabilities. Speaking to the Capital-Star following the groundbreaking, Casey said its not an inexpensive commitment, but a critical investment, and part of the goal was to make the infrastructure bill focus not just on transit funding broadly, but to focus specific, targeted dollars for accessibility. When you do that, youre reallyfulfilling the goals and the aspirations of the now 34-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act, Casey told the Capital-Star. So were late getting to this as a country, but were finally making this investment and its the right thing to do. In December 2022, SEPTA was awarded $56 million through the first round of ASAP grant funding to support six accessibility projects. SEPTA recently completed an ADA project at Susquehanna-Dauphin Station and is on track to complete its 13th fully accessible Broad Street Line [B] station, when work at Tasker-Morris Station is finished later in 2024. SEPTA officials said on Monday that their board is scheduled to vote on the 2025 Capital Budget and 12-year capital program at its next meeting. Sixty-one percent of all Broad Street Line, Market-Frankford Line, and Trolley trips are currently accessible stations, but the 12-year program will make all of them accessible. The post Casey, local elected officials celebrate SEPTA accessibility project appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Catching up with Dr. Zind a local formerly stuck in Gaza Catching up with Dr. Zind a local formerly stuck in Gaza GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Dr. Barbara Zind found herself stuck in the middle of the war in Gaza October 2023 while volunteering as a pediatrician with the Palestinian Childrens Relief Fund. After weeks of surviving gunfire in Gaza and bouncing between camps and refuges, she finally made it back home to Grand Junction, Colorado in November 2023. Although she is back with her husband and settling into her old routine, Dr. Zinds mind remains in Gaza. She continues to work with organizations to help the millions of Gazans make it through. The latest Heal Palestine. Dr. Zind remains in contact with Heal Palestine workers stationed in the Middle East and local Gazans she met there, including the manager of one motel where she took refuge. But Dr. Zind is not so easily shakenshe plans to go back once things settle down. And while she waits, she continues to travel and help those in need. In February, Dr. Zind and her husband Paul went to Guatemala to administer medical care and interpret together. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. (Bloomberg) -- One of the worlds most unpopular presidents is losing support among a powerful constituency: the chief executives of Perus largest companies. Most Read from Bloomberg Just 12% of CEOs now approve of the job being done by the administration of President Dina Boluarte, down from 71% a year ago, according to an Ipsos survey published by weekly Semana Economica. That result puts Boluartes approval among business leaders much more in line with the 6% popularity rating she has among the general population, according to Ipsos. When Boluarte came to power in late 2022, she initially had significantly more support among business leaders than with the population at large. But the country went through a recession in 2023, undermining optimism within the business community. This unpopularity is a problem of communication, a problem of image, that is why we are doing so much to try to reverse it, said Gustavo Adrianzen, the countrys prime minister in a press conference with foreign media in Lima. I am sure that this 12% among CEOs will reverse. Adrianzen is now touting the economys surprising recovery in April, when it expanded 5.3% compared to a year earlier, more than twice the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Adrianzen said the recovery will continue and the economy could expand more than previously forecast, as much as 3.5% for full-year 2024, which he hopes would boost business confidence. Ipsos said it had surveyed 143 CEOs from Perus 2,500 largest companies for its study. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Despite Charlottes rapid growth and constant redevelopment, there are entire communities that lack access to healthy affordable food. Driving along Statesville Avenue just north of Uptown, you will see apartments, a senior living facility, and homes. What you wont see is a supermarket. Despite living about a mile from the heart of Charlotte, people living in the surrounding neighborhoods are in a food desert. RELATED: Find out the vision Concord leaders have for a food desert in dilapidated area Oh, the community has been vocal about this for years and years and years, Executive Director for the North End Community Coalition Melissa Gaston said. Since moving to the area nearly 20 years ago, the community advocate says access to fresh food has been a challenge for many. And until I actually talked to somebody, and they told me what it takes for them to go to the grocery store, I was like. wow, thats crazy, Gaston said. Those without a car have two options: walk to a grocery store in Uptown or catch multiple buses. And then you got to get back on the bus to get home and its a process, Phillis, a longtime resident of a senior facility on Statesville Avenue said. How long could that process take all together? Queen City News asked her. A few hours, she said. Its sad, you know what I am saying? This area has no grocery store period. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said urban food deserts are low-income neighborhoods where at least 33% of the population live more than a mile from a large grocery store or supermarket. According to the departments most recent data, there are at least 353 food deserts across North Carolina, impacting more than 1.6 million residents. It needs to be something for everyone. There needs to be access to fresh food its a health concern, co-founder of Boundary Street Advisors William Haygood III said. NC House Bills target predatory towing Haygood and his business partner, Rodney Faulkner, have had a long-time goal of bringing a grocery store with fresh affordable food north of Uptown. We were looking for one and couldnt find one. And so, luckily, some friends of mine have a location in a very nice grocery store in California and they wanted to move to North Carolina. So, I thought this might be the perfect spot for them. Thought it might tailor to the current residents as well as the new residents that are in that area, Haygood said. Last month, Mecklenburg County Commissioners approved $1.5 million to help bring the 8,000 sq foot grocery store to Statesville Avenue. The store is expected to open by the end of next year. Haygood said they are looking forward to proving the concept and are looking at the possibility of additional locations. This is going to be a great opportunity for the residents. They are going to be able to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables and not have to take busses to get to one place to the next to get to the grocery store and worry about how much you are buying, Gaston said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. TROUTMAN, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Charlotte man is wanted after fleeing from officers during a traffic stop, according to the Troutman Police Department. On Thursday, July 13, officers found a vehicle involved in a domestic violence incident on Weymouth Avenue and conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Charlotte Highway and the I-77 South on-ramp. Woman killed, suspect sought in northwest Charlotte shooting: PD The suspect, 40-year-old Jerome Cunningham, was the passenger in the car. Officials say he quickly got out of the car and fled on foot from officers, who lost sight of him in a wooded area. The K-9 unit was called to the scene and they were also unable to find him; however, officers did find 44.1 grams of MDMA and 15.38 grams of marijuana in the car that belonged to Cunningham. Police have not said if the driver of the car was involved in the domestic violence incident or if he helped Cunningham escape. Warrants have been obtained for Cunninghams arrest. Anyone who knows where he may be is asked to call the Troutman Police Department at 704-528-7610. This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates 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. Charlotte man who went fishing with friends drowns at Jordan Lake Authorities have identified a man who died at Jordan Lake in Chatham County on Saturday night as 25-year-old Pradip Kumar Bhujel of Charlotte. Emergency responders were dispatched to a possible drowning shortly before midnight at the Jordan Lake Wildlife Area on N.C. 751, the Chatham County Sheriffs Office said. Bhujel had gone fishing with friends when eyewitnesses said he waded into the water and disappeared, according to a news release. First responders included Chatham County Emergency Management, the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department, FirstHealth EMS, and the Medical Examiners Office. Bhujels body was found, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the news release. June is the deadliest month on NC waterways. Fatalities have climbed in the Charlotte area. The Chatham County Sheriffs Office will work with the medical examiner to investigate the incident. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Pradip Kumar Bhujel, Sheriff Mike Roberson said in the release. Our team is thoroughly investigating the incident to understand the circumstances that led to this tragic event. It was the second drowning at the lake in the past month. Bryan Guzman, 16, of Winston-Salem, was celebrating a friends birthday when he went swimming near a picnic area off Beaver Creek Road and drowned, The News & Observer previously reported. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district leaders plan to present their five-year Strategic Plan at Mondays Summer Leadership Conference. The plan will show what steps they aim to take to accomplish goals school board members adopted in October 2023. Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill told Queen City News shortly after the board finalized its Goals and Guardrails the priorities came from input from the community and student performance data. We have lots of things to celebrate. We had green arrows going up across reading and math but its certainly not good enough, Hill said. The boards priorities include upping reading proficiency for K-2 students, math proficiency for all learners and college and career readiness for high school seniors. District officials said they drafted around 70 strategies to reach those goals and a long-term spending plan to fund them. CMS officials outlined a $2.1 billion budget for the 2024-2025 school year. Its an increase of $56 million from the previous year. A large part of the increase would go toward teacher salaries. Hill said during budget planning meetings in the spring they need to create incentives for experienced teachers to stay with the district. Where were really targeting teachers in year 20+ and its all to retain all teachers but we know we need to be intentional about being able to retain our most experienced teachers as well, she said. The leadership conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. 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 Queen City News. Chemical agent at Baltimore Pride event deemed to be Mace, injures 3, police say BALTIMORE The chemical agent released at a Baltimore Pride event on Saturday evening was determined to be Mace, injuring three people, Baltimore Police confirmed Monday. During the annual Pride parade and block party, a fight broke out between two groups in front of the main music stage near North Avenue and Charles Street around 8:30 p.m., when the Mace was sprayed, police said. Three people came into contact with the Mace and were treated and released at a local hospital, according to the police department. Fireworks were set off around the same time, which led to a large crowd fleeing, causing several injuries, police said Sunday. The Charles North event was closed while the Baltimore City Fire Department treated the injured. The Baltimore Pride event was part of a series that ran June 10 to Sunday, hosted by the nonprofit Pride Center of Maryland, which has not responded to requests for comment. _____ CHICAGO The city on Monday issued a formal apology to Black Chicagoans for the harm that slavery, Jim Crow laws and present-day policies have had on them and their descendants. The acknowledgement is included in Executive Order 2024-1, signed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, creating a Reparations Task Force to develop a Black Reparations Agenda that will ultimately offer recommendations on remedies to the polices that have harmed African Americans in Chicago for generations. He previously earmarked $500,000 in the city budget to study the issues. Todays Executive Order is not just a public declaration; it is a pledge to shape the future of our city by confronting the legacy of inequity that has plagued Chicago for far too long, Johnson, the citys fourth Black mayor, said in a statement. We are continuing to build on the bedrock of my administration to move forward in reconciliation through targeted investments aimed at rectifying decades of deliberate disinvestment in Black neighborhoods and communities. The order apologizes, codifies that the legacy of chattel slavery and Jim Crow are incompatible with present-day values and establishes a timetable and goals for the task force in looking at generational inequities in housing, health, education, policing policies and more. Today is a major step forward, and I am thankful to the Johnson Administration for its continued support and commitment to addressing the deep wounds inflicted by centuries of injustice against the Black community, said Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16th Ward). We will not be ashamed of who we are, and what we have overcome. A few cities around the country, including San Francisco, Detroit and Asheville, North Carolina, have launched similar efforts to study the legacy of slavery and systemic racism. Evanston in 2021 became the first U.S. city to make reparations available to its Black residents for past discrimination. A conservative activist group earlier this month filed a legal challenge to the program. Executive-Order-2024-1Download 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. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Monday to establish a Reparations Task Force to develop a reparations plan for the city. According to the mayors office, the task force will conduct a study and analysis of policies that have affected Black Chicagoans from slavery to the present day. Based on this analysis, the task force will recommend remedies to racial inequities caused by such policies. Chicago has a large Black population, making up almost 30% of the city's residents. Today's Executive Order is not just a public declaration; it is a pledge to shape the future of our city by confronting the legacy of inequity that has plagued Chicago for far too long, Johnson said in a press release. PHOTO: Mayor Brandon Johnson speak onstage during the 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards at Lyric Opera Of Chicago on June 10, 2024 in Chicago. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images, FILE) MORE: California reparations efforts eyeing $5 million payments, restitution Reparations can appear in many forms, including financial payments, assistance, land restitution, social services, and more, according to the NAACP. In his executive order, Johnson said the country and city perpetuated, condoned, profited and benefited from the system of chattel slavery. He then noted several Jim Crow-era policies from 1877 to 1963 that legalized and perpetuated racial segregation and discrimination. These policies -- including housing discrimination, redlining and highway construction -- led to "disparities in life expectancy, unemployment, homeownership rates, home value, incarceration, and more," Johnson's office states. MORE: Reparations to be considered under new New York policy The discussion on reparations has been ongoing -- and controversial -- in the U.S. since slavery was abolished in 1865. Some opponents of financial reparations say they are too expensive or discriminate against people who are not Black. Some supporters of financial reparations say they can address inequalities caused by discrimination that have harmed families for generations. Evanston, Illinois -- not too far from Chicago -- became the first city in the country to fund reparations in 2021, committing $10 million over the next decade to repay Black residents for accumulated losses incurred by generations of housing discrimination. However, a conservative legal group recently challenged the program in court, claiming the policy "discriminates against anyone who does not identify as Black or African American," the group Judicial Watch states. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signs executive order for reparations task force originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Oleg Demchenko, Chief Designer at Russias Yakovlev Experimental Design Bureau, is still not subject to sanctions, and his family owns properties in France and the UK and a business in Czechia. Source: Trap Aggressor Details: A report by Trap Aggressor has highlighted the fact that Demchenko currently works and lives in Russia with his wife and he is still not subject to sanctions (except in Ukraine), and that his son and grandchildren own property and run businesses in Europe. The report says the Russian designer's family owns a villa with a swimming pool in France. Initially, his French property was registered in the name of Paris-based company SCI Olara, with Oleg Demchenko himself, his wife Larisa Vaitsekhovskaya, and their two grandchildren Anastasia and Oleg listed as the owners. Oleg and Larisa Demchenko handed over their stakes in the company, and therefore the villa, to their grandchildren Anastasia and Oleg on 9 August 2023. Anastasia, the Russian engineers granddaughter, currently lives in London with her husband, Matvei Livshits. According to extracts from the UK Land Registry, Anastasia owns a luxury flat in central London for which the couple paid 1.5 million (approximately US$2 million) in 2021. Demchenkos grandson also lives in London. Demchenkos son Viktor has owned Czech company Olvy International s.r.o. since 1999. According to the companies register, Olvy International s.r.o. is a retailer, but its right to buy and resell items was taken away in February 2023. Reference: In the course of its history, the Yakovlev Experimental Design Bureau has created over 200 types and modified versions of aircraft, including over 100 serial models. At various points in his career, Demchenko has served as the company's general designer, director, and board member. In 2017-2018, he joined the Russian government's Aviation Board. The Yakovlev Bureau is part of the Irkut Corporation, which, according to the Bureau, also mass-produces Yak-130 combat training aircraft and Su-30 fighter jets. Background: Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, enacting a decision made by Ukraines National Security and Defence Council, has applied personal sanctions against 86 legal entities and seven individuals, including foreign nationals. Support UP or become our patron! Child care worker Marci Then helps her daughter, Mila, 4, put away toys to get ready for circle time at the Little Learners Academy in Smithfield, R.I. A state program for child care workers subsidizes Mila's tuition. A handful of other states have similar programs, which advocates say has beneficial ripple effects through the state economy. Elaine S. Povich/Stateline SMITHFIELD, R.I. Child care worker Marci Then, 32, looked over at two 4-year-olds in her care who were tussling over a toy plate in a model kitchen set. Are we sharing? she gently asked them. They both let go. Then works at Little Learners Academy child care center near Providence, Rhode Island. Her daughter, Mila, 4, is enrolled there, so Then is able to keep a watchful eye on her in addition to about a dozen other 4-year-olds. Mila calls her mother Miss Marci at school, but Mom at home. Most of the time, Mila is in another room with a different worker at the center, adhering to rules that dont allow parent caregivers to watch their own children in a licensed setting. But for today, Mila is around her mom for a bit to show a reporter around. Mila proudly chirps her age, then helps put toys away so the kids can quietly gather for circle time. Then said that without help she would not have been able to afford the $315 a week for Mila to come to Little Learners. But she is taking advantage of a one-year state pilot program that authorizes the use of federal funds to pay for care for the children of early education workers. Its been life-changing for me, said Then, a single mom who is also responsible for a disabled young adult whom she adopted. Without it, Id have to rearrange my life. In 2022, Kentucky lawmakers changed the employer child care assistance program to specifically include child care workers at all income levels who work at least 20 hours a week. Other states, including Rhode Island, have since launched programs modeled after the one in Kentucky. The Kentucky program was to end Sept. 30, but Stephanie French, spokesperson for the states Cabinet for Health and Family Services, wrote in an email that the state will be using a combination of federal and state funding to continue the program. At least half a dozen states now have similar programs or are considering legislation to start them, according to EdSurge, a news site that covers education issues. Supporters, including Republicans and Democrats, see retaining child care employees as a benefit not only to the workers and the centers facing worker shortages, but also to the states economies. For many people, the lack of affordable child care is a barrier to joining the workforce. Charlene Barbieri, founder and owner of four Little Learners Academy locations in Rhode Island, said in an interview that it is difficult to hire and keep qualified employees. The child care subsidy program helps, she said. Early learning here is very expensive as we know, right? Barbieri said. So any supplemental programs, monetary or otherwise, are exceptionally beneficial. We have had many teachers come to us to say that if this program wasnt here, we could not afford to send our children to child care and still help our families by bringing in additional income, she said. Rhode Island lawmakers added the child care subsidy to its fiscal 2025 budget this spring, moving the program out of the pilot category. Democratic Gov. Dan McKee is expected to sign the budget this week. Rhode Island state Reps. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith, left, and Grace Diaz, both Democrats, confer this month over the proposed budget, which includes funding of a program to subsidize child care for caretakers kids. Elaine S. Povich/Stateline Its a good program, and weve seen great results with it, Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi, a Democrat, said in an interview. We have a labor shortage across the whole spectrum of our labor market. So, by giving [caregivers] free child care, theyre able to get back in and take care of other kids, which allows more people to enter the workforce. Other states that have launched programs or are considering them include Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska, according to EdSurge. The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, a research center at the University of California, Berkeley, estimated that if every state followed Kentuckys lead, some 234,000 workers with children under age 6 could benefit. We see it as a no-brainer, said Anna Powell, senior research and policy associate at the center, who co-authored a report on the program. The educators are parents why shouldnt they be at the front of the queue? Every time an educator stays in the field, it benefits many parents. Budget challenges In some states, though, budget woes are challenging lawmakers who want to make their pilot program a permanent one. Arizona had a one-year Education Workforce Scholarship program that assisted child care workers and public school teachers with paying for their own kids child care, but that program was funded with federal pandemic dollars and ends June 30. Its unlikely to be renewed because of state budget shortfalls. Child care workers who now get that assistance would instead need to apply for aid through the states broad child care assistance program. That program, administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, is based on income levels, Tasya Peterson, a department spokesperson, wrote in an email to Stateline. Barbie Prinster, executive director of the Arizona Early Childhood Education Association, a nonprofit that represents child care centers, said 3,541 children were approved for care subsidies under the early educator program this year, about three-quarters of them from families with a child care worker. The rest are from teachers families. She predicted that hundreds of workers may have to quit if the subsidy isnt renewed. I think providers are employing more moms that have young children because of this subsidy, she said. In Nebraska, state Sen. John Fredrickson, a Democrat and the dad of a 5-year-old son, introduced a bill this session that would have granted no-cost child care to employees of state-licensed child care programs, whether in-home care or at centers, who work at least 20 hours a week. He estimated the potential subsidy, which he modeled on Kentuckys idea, could have brought in 2,175 parent-providers. If each worker cared for eight children, there would be 16,000 children receiving care, and at least that many parents working, he estimated. Fredrickson said the initial fiscal estimate for the bill was about $20 million, which proved to be a heavy lift, so he halved it to $10 million. But even that proved to be too much, he said, and the effort failed. He plans to reintroduce his bill next year. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, approved a bill May 1 extending a child care subsidy pilot program for early childhood caretakers and educators, regardless of income, for two years at a cost of $10.2 million using the states Childcare Development Fund. Colorado agreed to continue a program for child care providers with children ages 6 weeks to 13 years old, giving them full child care benefits, regardless of the employees income. And Indiana agreed to study the issue of child caregiver and early educator compensation. Good for Rhode Island Sitting together in a hearing room just off the Rhode Island House chamber earlier this month, Democratic state Reps. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith and Grace Diaz said they understand the issue of caring for children firsthand. Both are mothers, though their children are grown now, and both are experienced child care center owners. Shallcross Smith remembers putting up flyers in the local drug store, advertising her in-home care. She now owns 15 centers. When the issue of paying child care workers for their own kids tuition came up this year, she was all for it, and went to House Speaker Shekarchi with her arguments. No. 1, its good for Rhode Island, she said, adding that its also good for business. Diaz, a mother of five, said she, too, talked to the speaker. But perhaps the biggest driver in getting the program into the state budget, she recalled, was the day that they brought a bunch of little kids from various child care settings to the Capitol to be a living example of the need. When they saw the little kids at the State House, they all wanted a picture, Diaz said. Child care worker Kayla Champagne watches her son, Jaxson, 3, climb at the Little Learners Academy in Smithfield, R.I. Elaine S. Povich/Stateline Back on the Little Learners playground, care worker Kayla Champagne, 39, of Lincoln, Rhode Island, smiled up at her 3-year-old son, Jaxson, who peeked over the top of a climbing structure. Champagne, who has three other children ages 18, 14 and 8, is relieved that she can take advantage of a program that helps her pay for Jaxsons care. She used to work at another day care place but could only afford to send Jaxson there a few days a week, she said. At Little Learners, staff helped her apply for the state subsidy. Thats one of the reasons I left my other child care to come here, she said. Now I can work full time while having four kids. Rhode Island Current reporter Nancy Lavin contributed to this report. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST What about the children? Republicans' attack on IVF is an attack on family values. The thought of in vitro fertilization being unattainable for military families is a slap in the face for service members who are unable to conceive. This shouldnt be a political issue, but leave it to Republicans to weaponize and oppose legislation supporting access to IVF. On Thursday, Republicans in the Senate blocked passage of the Right to IVF Act, introduced by Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Patty Murray of Washington. The block came after Republicans' recent unsuccessful attempt to pass an alternate IVF bill, the IVF Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. That bill would have withheld Medicaid funding to states that ban IVF, but it did not address the legal implications of discarding nonviable embryos. In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF should be considered children, making the discarding of embryos a crime. A month later, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation that provides civil and criminal immunity to medical professionals and patients if embryos are destroyed or damaged during IVF procedures. Last week, the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, passed a nonbinding resolution that opposes the use of IVF and calls on church members to only utilize reproductive technologies that affirm the unconditional value and right to life of every human being. The Roman Catholic Church, with an estimated 52 million adult members in the United States, has long opposed the use of IVF. Some commentators have predicted that opposition to IVF is the next crusade for opponents of abortion two years after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Infertility rates are higher among military families Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., speaks alongside Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., on June 12, 2024, on Capitol Hill about the Right to IVF Act. It's an issue of profound importance to military families. Active-duty female troops experience infertility at rates three times that of civilian American women, according to Military.com. A 2018 survey found that 37% of active-duty women reported struggles with infertility, while 30% of female veterans said they experienced infertility while trying to get pregnant. Is IVF a human right? The right to IVF isn't guaranteed or affordable. Congress has a chance to change that. Many military members and veterans, including Sen. Duckworth, have relied on IVF to conceive children. But Tricare, the militarys health insurer, does not cover assisted reproductive technology under general circumstances. Sens. Duckworth and Murray introduced the Veteran Families Health Services Act last year. It includes provisions to improve fertility treatment coverage for veterans and allow service members to freeze their eggs or sperm before deployment without expensive storage fees. IVF is unaffordable for most military families The out-of-pocket cost for IVF averages around $15,000 and can sometimes exceed $30,000. With the average military pay rate at $40,000 a year, most military members suffering from infertility simply can't afford to conceive using IVF. Father's Day triggers mixed emotions: Military life pulls fathers away from their kids, even at the moment of their birth Military spouses like Julie Eshelman, founder and CEO of the Building Military Families Network, and Courtney Deady, the 2024 Armed Forces Insurance National Guard Military Spouse of the Year, have taken their fight for access to IVF for military families to the Senate, including advocating for affordable care and interstate access to treatment. For military members, who move frequently, there is a heightened concern about access to IVF in conservative-led states. When asked about the Senate's decision to block the IVF bill, Deady said: "The failure to pass the IVF bills is a devastating blow to families, denying them the chance to pursue their dreams of parenthood and perpetuating inequality in access to reproductive health care. It casts a shadow of despair over families struggling with infertility, leaving them without crucial support and potentially forcing them to confront financial and emotional burdens on their journey to conception." Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Affordable access to comprehensive health care should be a given for Americans. The Right to IVF Act includes measures to prevent states from imposing restrictions on IVF and to make the treatment more affordable. Denying military families access to IVF treatments not only disregards the profound sacrifices made by service members but also perpetuates a system of inequity and neglect within military health care. By providing affordable IVF options, we can uphold the values of fairness and support that are integral to the military community, ultimately reinforcing the nation's gratitude and responsibility toward its service members. Marla Bautista is a military fellow columnist for USA TODAY Opinion. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did GOP oppose IVF bill? Fertility care is critical for families While Russian forces continued their thrust towards Kharkiv over the weekend, world leaders descended on the Swiss resort of Burgenstock in attempts to work out what a peace deal should look like. Vladimir Putin, predictably, had no interest in attending, but the absence of another world leader was more significant. Even as the US gears up to pivot its military attention to the Indo-Pacific to confront an increasingly assertive China, Xi Jinping chose not to attend. Admiral Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, recently declared his intention to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape in order to buy time in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The idea was to use classified capabilities likely including surface vessel and long endurance UAVs to make the lives of Chinese soldiers utterly miserable for a month. In the meantime, the concern is that while the US is developing combat capabilities in the region, China is building ships at a rapid clip. Paparo has previously noted that while the US is not overmatched, he does not like the pace of the trajectory. With Europe distracted by Russias war in Ukraine and American assets diverted by the turmoil in the Middle East, the Chinese Communist Party has perhaps its best ever chance for a successful war of conquest. Xis deadline of 2027 for the Peoples Liberation Army to be ready to invade Taiwan is likely to fall in a period of geopolitical chaos elsewhere. It is, in other words, unsurprising that Xi had no interest in this weekends peace conference. Keeping an increasingly politically fractured and economically reluctant Europe tied down in war, ties down Washington by extension, and frees up China in the Indo-Pacific. If we are to avoid adding a third entry to our list of global conflicts, Europe will need to step up to the plate. At present, far too much of the burden falls on the United States even when on paper at least European Nato members and the European Union can and should be able to foot the bill and supply the weapons for Ukraines fight for freedom. Washington knows that it has spread itself increasingly thin, and that this cannot be sustained indefinitely. If it is divided between propping up European countries unprepared to financially commit to the security of their own continent and the Indo-Pacific when Chinas preparations for war flip over to the real thing, then it is at serious risk of losing a great power war for the first time. 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. (Bloomberg) -- China will include Australia in its visa waiver program, Premier Li Qiang announced after meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, in the latest sign of warming relations between the two countries. Most Read from Bloomberg We agreed to provide each other with reciprocal access to five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business and visiting family members, Li said through a translator. China will also include Australia in its visa waiver program. No initial details were provided on how the program would work. However, a similar announcement in May allowed 12 countries mainly from Europe but also including Malaysia to enter China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism or visiting relatives and friends. Speaking after the annual leaders meeting with Albanese on Monday, Li said China and Australia would deepen their cooperation on energy, mining and climate change, while adding they had held a candid conversation on differences between the two governments. Following the meeting, Australia and China signed five agreements across a range of areas, including education, cultural exchanges and trade. Lis visit is the first trip to Australia by a Chinese leader of his seniority since 2017, a sign that relations are stabilizing after seven years of diplomatic tensions. The premier is the second-highest official in China. High-level meetings between Beijing and Canberra had been suspended following allegations of foreign interference made by Australia in late 2017. In 2020, calls by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19 prompted Beijing to impose trade restrictions on Australian exports. Since the election of Albaneses center-left Labor government in May 2022, relations between Australia and China have steadily improved. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Chinese nuclear arsenal is expanding and quickly, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published this week. The number of operational nuclear warheads globally is increasing every year, the report found, with the most rapidly-increasing stockpile belonging to China. The institute predicted the Chinese arsenal of active intercontinental nuclear missiles could grow to match the American and Russian armaments by 2030. While the global total of nuclear warheads continues to fall as cold war-era weapons are gradually dismantled, regrettably we continue to see year-on-year increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads, SIPRI Director Dan Smith said in a statement. This trend seems likely to continue and probably accelerate in the coming years and is extremely concerning. The Chinese stockpile of nuclear weapons grew from 410 to about 500 operational warheads in 2023, SIPRI estimated. China is also believed to be deploying warheads during peacetime, what would be a first for the country, the institute said. While Chinas total stockpile of nuclear weapons is expected to remain much lower than the U.S. or Russia, its aggressive deployment could see it match the other countries active armament in the coming years, SIPRI predicted. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, SIPRI associate senior fellow Hans Kristensen wrote. But in nearly all of the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces. About 2,100 nuclear missiles are believed to be deployed and operational at any given moment, SIPRI reported, with almost all of them owned by the U.S. or Russia. Chinas armament buildup comes as global tensions rise, between active conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and constant simmering over Taiwan. China has increased its military drills near Taiwan in the last year, with some analysts believing it is eying an invasion of the disputed country. The projected increase echoes a Pentagon report last October, which similarly stated that China is believed to have around 500 operational nuclear weapons. The Pentagon said Chinese capabilities could expand to about 1,000 weapons by 2030. The nuclear expansion also comes as most countries move to expand or modernize their stockpiles, SIPRI found. The institute said North Korea, France and India have made moves to expand their armament in the last year, while Israel which does not officially acknowledge that it has nuclear weapons is believed to have worked to modernize its stockpile. China has continued its significant investment in defense despite a struggling economy and slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. A SIPRI report in April found that China invested about six percent of its budget into defense, the 29th consecutive year that its defense budget has increased. 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. Slaughtered pigs at the slaughterhouse of the producer group 'Goldschmaus Gruppe' in Garrel, Germany. China has launched an investigation into illegal subsidies relating to the importing of pork and dairy products from the European Union, the Trade Ministry in Beijing announced on Monday. picture alliance / dpa China has launched an investigation into illegal subsidies relating to the importing of pork and dairy products from the European Union, the Trade Ministry in Beijing announced on Monday. The anti-dumping probe is being seen as a response to the punitive tariffs the EU is considering on electric vehicles imported from China, following an EU investigation into subsidies to Chinese carmakers that are allegedly distorting competition in the European market. The Global Times, a Chinese communist party mouthpiece, reported that evidence was being prepared to launch an anti-subsidy investigation into the two categories. It cited "business insiders." Products intended for human consumption were at the centre of the probe, the Trade Ministry said. Last year China imported pork worth 23.2 billion yuan ($3.2 billion), according to Chinese customs statistics. EU authorities say the figure was much lower at around $500 million. In January, the Chinese Trade Ministry said it was probing brandy imports from the EU, with French producers the main target. Analysts had predicted that the announcement by the European Commission last week that it was considering tariffs on Chinese electric cars would provoke a response. But Beijing would not impose tariffs on products that it really needed, Jacob Gunter of the Berlin-based Merics Institute said. "These include machinery, high-value industrial goods, chemicals, medical technology and other products," he said. Major European carmakers could also be spared, as they invest heavily, create jobs and pay taxes in China, Gunter said. He predicted that agricultural products would be the target, as Chinese consumers could get by without them or Chinese producers could provide sufficient, as in the case of pork. Slaughtered pigs at the slaughterhouse of the producer group 'Goldschmaus Gruppe' in Garrel, Germany. China has launched an investigation into illegal subsidies relating to the importing of pork and dairy products from the European Union, the Trade Ministry in Beijing announced on Monday. picture alliance / dpa China has launched an investigation into illegal subsidies relating to imports of pork and dairy products from the European Union, the Trade Ministry in Beijing announced on Monday. The anti-dumping probe is seen as a response to punitive tariffs the EU is considering on electric vehicles imported from China, following an EU investigation into subsidies to Chinese carmakers that are allegedly distorting competition in the European market. The Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, reported that evidence was being prepared for an anti-subsidy investigation into the two categories. The newspaper cited "business insiders." Products intended for human consumption were at the centre of the probe, the Trade Ministry said. Last year China imported pork worth 23.2 billion yuan ($3.2 billion), according to Chinese customs statistics. EU authorities say the figure was much lower at around $500 million. In January, the Chinese Trade Ministry said it was probing brandy imports from the EU, with French producers the main target. In a first reaction, the EU said on Monday that it reserved the right to take legal action against the new Chinese investigation. A spokesman for the European Commission in Brussels said the proceedings would be very closely followed in consultation with industry and the EU member states. If necessary, the commission would also intervene to ensure that the investigation fully complies with all relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the spokesman said. Analysts had predicted that the announcement by the European Commission last week that it was considering tariffs on Chinese electric cars would provoke a response. But Beijing would not impose tariffs on products that it really needed, Jacob Gunter of the Berlin-based Merics Institute said. "These include machinery, high-value industrial goods, chemicals, medical technology and other products," he said. Major European carmakers could also be spared, as they invest heavily, create jobs and pay taxes in China, Gunter said. Chinese consumers could get by without agricultural imports, or Chinese producers could provide the same foods, as in the case of pork, he said. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Russia and China are helping each other expand their territorial reach, and democracies must push back against authoritarian states that threaten their rights and sovereignty, Taiwans outgoing foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said in an interview with The Associated Press. His comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin was on a visit to China amid Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed their no-limits partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West. Wu called on democracies to align in countering Russia and Chinas military assertiveness in Europe, the South China Sea and beyond. China threatens to invade Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that it claims as its own territory. Kansas lawmakers law license suspended over conflicts of interest in murder case Putins visit to Beijing is an example of the two big authoritarian countries supporting each other, working together with each other, supporting each others expansionism, he said. In particular, Wu called on Western powers to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia to send a message that democracies will defend one another. If Ukraine is defeated at the end, I think China is going to get inspired, and they might take even more ambitious steps in expanding their power in the Indo-Pacific, and it will be disastrous for the international community, Wu said. Wu warned about the risk of a potential conflict in the South China Sea, a resource-rich area and key transit route for global trade, where China has overlapping territorial claims with several of its neighbors. The Philippines in particular has had numerous territorial skirmishes with China in recent months, some of which have led to minor collisions, injuring Filipino navy personnel and damaging supply boats. Wu said tensions in the South China Sea are more dangerous than those in the Taiwan Strait, and they indicate Chinas ambition to project power in the region. SOURCE: Topekas NiJa Canady enters transfer portal (China) wants the international community to focus on the Taiwan Strait and forget about Chinas actions in different parts of the world, Wu said. And I think we shouldnt lose the vision that the expansionism of authoritarianism is everywhere in the Indo-Pacific. Wu said joint military drills between China and Russia in the region raise tensions in Japan and other neighboring countries. He also criticized Beijings strategy of pursuing security agreements with nations such as the Solomon Islands, a former Taiwan diplomatic ally, and increased military presence across Asia and Africa. Wu said Taipei is committed to continuing a policy of maintaining peace and the status quo in relations with Beijing, as the island prepares to inaugurate its new president, Lai Ching-te, on Monday. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be retaken by force if necessary, and maintains military and economic pressure on the island by sending warships and military vessels near it almost daily. China and Taiwan have had separate governments since the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, retreated to the island after losing a civil war to the Communist Party in 1949. We dont provoke the other side of the Taiwan Strait, and we dont bow to the pressure, Wu said. But at the same time, the policy approach from Taiwan is that we keep our door open for any kind of contact, dialogues or negotiations in between the two sides in a peaceful manner. And that door will remain open. He added Beijing is trying to change the status quo with Taiwan through a series of actions, including by ramping up military pressure, conducting information warfare and introducing new flight routes along the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an informal demarcation zone. Wu said security pacts like those between the U.S., Australia and Japan, and the new AUKUS partnership between Australia, Britain and the U.S. serve to deter China from becoming even more aggressive in the region. On Taiwans relationship with the U.S., Wu said he was confident Taipei will continue to have very close ties with Washington no matter who wins the November presidential election. Car show brings a new tradition for the community and church Wu, who once described his work as probably the most difficult foreign minister job in the world, will leave his post after six years and return to a previous job as secretary-general of the National Security Council. He will be replaced by presidential aide Lin Chia-lung. The outgoing diplomat said the Taiwan foreign minister job still comes with plenty of challenges. China bars its diplomatic partners from having formal exchanges with Taipei, and during Tsais years in office, Beijing poached several of Taiwans diplomatic allies, bringing the remaining number down to 12. Despite the losses, Wu has worked to improve unofficial ties with European and Asian nations and the U.S., which remains Taiwans strongest unofficial ally and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Delegations from several European countries have visited Taiwan in recent years, and Lithuania opened a trade representative office a de facto embassy in Taipei. Wu said European nations have become more sympathetic to Taiwans cause and cautious of China due to a series of factors including Chinas actions in the South China Sea, its human rights crackdowns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and Beijings handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Nobody should be thinking that they are immune from authoritarian influence, Wu said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. China's Xi accused the US of trying to trick him into invading Taiwan, but said he won't take the bait, report says China's Xi accused the US of trying to trick him into invading Taiwan, but said he won't take the bait, report says Xi Jinping accused the US of trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, the Financial Times said. The Chinese leader made the claim to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, per the FT. One expert told BI it's a sign that China is "genuinely surprised" by the attitude of US officials. China's leader, Xi Jinping, accused the US of trying to trick China into invading Taiwan but said his country wouldn't take the bait, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The FT said Xi made the accusation in April last year during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Xi has issued the same warning to officials in his own country, one person told the FT, but this is first known case of him making the claim to a foreign leader, the outlet said. During the meeting, according to a press statement released at the time, Xi said Taiwan was at the "core" of China's interests, adding: "If anyone expects China to compromise and concede on the Taiwan question, they are having a pipe dream and would shoot themselves in the foot." Xi's accusation against the US wasn't featured in the statement. For decades, the US has adopted "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan, positioning itself as the country's most steadfast ally, while declining to explicitly say whether it would come to Taiwan's aid if China attacked. But the mood in Washington, DC, seems to be shifting, with Congress showing itself more "overtly supportive of Taiwan than only a few years ago," Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider in November. Last month, a US congressional delegation met with senior Taiwanese officials to discuss US-Taiwan relations a few days after China conducted military drills around the island. During the visit, Rep. Andy Barr, a cochair of the Taiwan caucus in Congress, said there should be "no doubt" and "no skepticism" in the US, Taiwan, or anywhere else around "American resolve to maintain the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait," according to the Associated Press. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that the US would defend Taiwan. Kerry Brown, the director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, told BI that Xi's reported accusation is a sign that China is "genuinely surprised" and "shocked" by the US's more recent "aggressiveness." "The US has plenty of public figures now talking of Taiwan like it is a new Ukraine, and some even saying it needs to be diplomatically recognized," Brown added. Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state during the Trump administration, and John Bolton, a former national security advisor, are among those calling for such a measure. This is a problem for China, Brown said, as it's "clearly a red line and one that it will need to do something about if it is crossed." During a meeting in April, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken not to cross China's "red lines" on sovereignty, security, and development interests. Brown, who served as first secretary at the UK Embassy in Beijing from 2000 to 2003, said that behind Xi's "complaint" was the hope that other Western allies "might just calm the US down." Whether it will have any impact is another matter, he added. Last week, Adm. Samuel Paparo, the top US admiral in the Pacific, told The Washington Post that the US could deploy thousands of drones if China invaded Taiwan, with the "unmanned hellscape" buying time for the US military to come to Taiwan's aid. Correction: June 17, 2024 An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of an analyst. It is Thompson, not Thomson. Read the original article on Business Insider Chinese Premier Li Qiangs four-day visit to Australia this week was set to be focused on repairing long-strained relations between the two countries. But apparent efforts by Chinese officials to stand in front of an Australian reporter during a press briefing have shone a spotlight back on frictions between the countries. Cheng Lei, a TV anchor who was held in detention in China for more than three years before her release in 2023, told Sky News Australia the officials went to great lengths to block her from the cameras during a press event Monday where Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed cooperative agreements. Video footage appears to show two people involved in the incident, with one of them, described by the outlet as a Chinese embassy employee, trying at one point to push closer to a seated Cheng, despite being blocked by another woman, identified by Sky News as an Australian official, who intervenes to give her space. Im only guessing this is to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look, Cheng told Sky News, where she has been employed as a news presenter and columnist since late last year. Cheng added that such behavior was typical as Chinese officials wouldnt want voices of discord or the presence of someone whos a bit controversial when they are aiming to present a friendly facade. Multiple media outlets that were also in attendance at the press conference, including the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, reported the same details. CNN has requested comment from Chinas embassy in Canberra. Chinas security state keeps tight control on media and information within the country, where officials are not subject to the kind of robust questioning common to democratic countries. Beijing has also long been condemned by Western nations and rights groups for wrongful and arbitrary detentions. Cheng, previously a business anchor for Chinas state broadcaster CGTN, was detained by Chinese authorities in August 2020 on opaque espionage charges that came as diplomatic tensions were escalating between Beijing and Canberra. The mother of two spent more than three years in detention before being released by Beijing and returned home to her family in October, weeks before Albanese made the first visit of an Australian leader to China in seven years. Speaking to Sky News ahead of the news conference Monday, Cheng said it was a very emotional day for her to be covering the major visit. Surely the fact that one minute Im sitting in incarceration and being raised as a topic at these visits then the next minute Im actually covering the visit is testament to how wonderful freedom is and democracy is, she said. Chengs detention had been a deep point of contention between the two governments, as has the jailing of writer and democracy activist Yang Hengjun, an Australian citizen who earlier this year was handed a suspended death penalty sentence for espionage following years of detention. Yang has denied the charges, which rights groups have said are politically motivated. Albanese said he raised Yangs case with Li, but declined to give an update on the health of the democracy activist, who has said he fears he could die in jail due to health issues. When asked during a press conference later about Cheng being blocked from view by officials during the document signing, Albanese said he didnt see the incident described but added it was important that people be allowed to participate fully and thats what should happen in this building or anywhere else in Australia. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands during a signing ceremony in Canberra on June 17. - Lukas Coch/AP Pandas and visas The situation Monday stands as a stark reminder of Beijing-Canberra tensions and deep concerns within Australia, a staunch US ally, about Chinas authoritarianism amid a trip that was otherwise meant to instill goodwill. The four-day visit of Li, Chinas No. 2 official, to Australia is the highest-level trip to a US-allied country of any Chinese official in seven years. It comes as the two countries have made strides in mending deep tensions over issues of trade, security and Beijings alleged political influence in Australia and the South Pacific. Speaking alongside Li following the signing ceremony, Albanese called the visit another important step in stabilizing the relationship. The Chinese premier, speaking via a translator, pledged that China would work with Australia in a spirit of mutual respect, seeking common ground while showing differences and mutual benefit. Li announced Sunday that China would provide a new pair of giant pandas to the Adelaide Zoo in southern Australian after its current pair return to China later this year extending a classic gesture of friendship from China often called panda diplomacy. China would also add Australia to its visa-waiver program, Li said Monday. Details were not immediately announced but follow similar visa arrangements with other countries in recent months as China struggles to draw in more international tourists to boost its flagging economy following years of Covid-19 border restrictions. Li announced a waiver scheme for New Zealand during a visit there Friday. The two leaders agreed to greater military-to-military communication, according to Albanese. The agreement follows recent close encounters of the two powers. In May, a Chinese fighter jet fired flares into the path of an Australian helicopter over the Yellow Sea in a move Albanese condemned at the time as completely unacceptable. Lis Australia visit comes as China has gradually rolled back a number of crippling trade controls that it placed on key Australian imports including beef, barley, timber, coal and wine from 2020 after then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an international inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in China. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Chinese and Philippine ship collision just the latest in a string of South China Sea confrontations FILE - Filipino fishermen and activists wear boat costumes to protest against alleged Chinese aggression at the disputed South China Sea as they stage a rally in front of the Chinese consulate ahead of Independence Day in Makati, Philippines, on June 11, 2024. China has been at odds with many other countries in the Asia-Pacific for years over its sweeping maritime claims, including almost all of the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway around which Beijing has drawn a 10-dash-line on official maps to delineate what it says it its territory. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) BANGKOK (AP) China has been at odds with many other countries in the Asia-Pacific for years over its sweeping maritime claims, including almost all of the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway around which Beijing has drawn a 10-dash-line on official maps to delineate what it says it its territory. Beijing is in the midst of a massive military expansion and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claims, giving rise to more frequent direct confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, though it is also involved in longtime territorial disputes with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. A 2016 arbitration ruling by a United Nations tribunal invalidated Beijings claims in the South China Sea, but China did not participate in the proceedings and rejected the ruling. At stake are fishing rights, access to undersea oil reserves and other natural resources, as well as the possibility of establishing military outposts. The U.S., a treaty partner with the Philippines, has raised concerns about China's actions and President Joe Biden has pledged ironclad support for Manila. That's sparked fears that if an incident escalates, it could spark a wider conflict. In the latest incident, a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday. Chinas coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands thats part of territory claimed by several nations. The Philippine military called the Chinese coast guards report deceptive and misleading. Here's a look at some other incidents and developments in recent months: June 4: Philippine officials say the Chinese coast guard seized food dropped for Filipino naval personnel on an outpost on Second Thomas Shoal. Philippine Gen. Romeo Brawner says the Chinese may have suspected the packages contained construction materials intended to reinforce the rusty Philippine navy ship deliberately run aground at Second Thomas Shoal to serve as a Philippine outpost. May 16: About 100 Filipino activists on wooden boats change plans to distribute food to Filipinos based on the Second Thomas Shoal after being shadowed by Chinese coast guard ships through the night. Instead, they distribute food packs and fuel southeast of the disputed territory. April 30: Chinese coast guard ships fire water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near the Scarborough Shoal, another hotly disputed area where tensions have flared on and off. Philippine officials say water cannons could damage their ships engines, or even capsize the smaller vessels. China called its move a necessary measure, accusing the Philippines of violating Chinas sovereignty. China also re-installed a floating barrier across the entrance to the shoals vast fishing lagoon. April 23: A Chinese coast guard ship blocks a Philippine patrol vessel near Second Thomas Shoal, causing a near-collision. Before the incident, a Chinese naval vessel had shadowed two Philippine patrol boats as they cruised near Subi, one of seven barren reefs in the Spratly Islands that China has transformed in the last decade into a missile-protected island military outpost. Subi is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. March 23: Chinese coast guard hits Philippine supply boat with water cannons near Second Thomas Shoal, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, Philippine officials say. China says the Philippines intruded into its territorial waters despite repeated warnings. March 5: Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels are involved in a minor collision off the Second Thomas Shoal, and four Filipino crew members are injured when China blasts a supply boat with water cannons, shattering its windshield. China's coast guard says the Philippine ships were illegally intruding in the areas waters and accused one of them of ramming a Chinese vessel. Jan. 12: Filipino fishing boat captain says Chinese coast guard drives him away from Scarborough Shoal, forces him to dump his catch into the sea. Dec. 9, 2023: The Chinese coast guard surrounds a supply ship, blasts it with a water cannon in the area around Second Thomas Shoal. The head of the Philippine military, who was aboard the supply boat, says they were also bumped by a Chinese ship. Nov. 10, 2023: China blasts Philippine supply ship with water cannon near Second Thomas Shoal; China says it acted appropriately under maritime law to defend its territory. Oct. 22, 2023: A Chinese coast guard ship and accompanying vessel ram Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal. Chinese coast guard says the Philippine vessels trespassed into what it said were Chinese waters. Sept. 26, 2023: The Philippine coast guard says it removed a floating barrier from blocking the entrance to the lagoon at the Scarborough Shoal, put in place by China to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering. China would later replace the barrier. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, right, speaks across the table to Australian Prime Minster Anthony Albanese during a leaders meeting at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, June 17, 2024. Li, Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House on Monday to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and China's desire to invest in critical minerals. (Lukas Coch/Pool Photo via AP) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Chinese Premier Li Qiang said he agreed with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday to properly manage their nations' differences as they emerge from a hostile era in which minister-to-minister contacts were banned and trade barriers cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year. Li, Albanese and senior ministers of both administrations met at Parliament House to discuss thorny issues, including lingering trade barriers, conflict between their militaries in international waters and Chinas desire to invest in critical minerals. Li, Chinas most senior leader after President Xi Jinping, arrived in the South Australian state capital of Adelaide on Saturday and the national capital of Canberra late Sunday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years. Li told reporters after Monday's meeting that the bilateral relationship was on the right track of steady improvement and development. We ... had a candid exchange of views on some differences and disagreements and agreed to properly manage them in a manner befitting our comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said through an interpreter. Albanese, who in November last year became the first Australian prime minister to visit China since 2016, described the discussions as constructive. Australia advocates that we should all work together to promote a regional balance where no country dominates and no country is dominated, Albanese said. Ive made it clear as nations with different histories, political systems and values, we will cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in the national interest, the Australian leader added. Their relations have improved markedly since Albaneses center-left Labor Party was elected in 2022 following nine years of conservative government in Australia. Most of the official and unofficial trade barriers Beijing introduced in 2020 on coal, cotton, wine, barley and wood have been lifted since Albanese was elected. Beijing had banned minister-to-minister contacts as it froze out the previous Australian government diplomatically. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said before the meeting that he would raise the issue of China's ban on Australian rock lobsters and exports from two beef processing plants. The mere fact that we have the first visit by a Chinese premier, the second-most powerful person in China, ... since 2017 is an enormous opportunity to continue that dialogue, to continue stabilizing our relationship and address some of the outstanding issues, Watt said. Li was served lobster at a business lunch with winemakers on Sunday and wagyu beef at a state lunch Monday, news media reported. Li planned to underscore Chinas interest in buying a bigger stake in Australias critical minerals sector, which is essential to the global transition to renewable energy sources, by visiting a Chinese-controlled lithium processing plant in Western Australia state Tuesday. Li visited New Zealand before Australia and is scheduled to stop in Malaysia late Tuesday before returning to China. Australia shares U.S. concerns over Chinas global dominance in critical minerals and control over supply chains in the renewable energy sector. Citing Australias national interests, Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently ordered five Chinese-linked companies to divest their shares in the rare earth mining company Northern Minerals. Watt said Chinese investment was not banned from the sector, but must meet national security criteria. Albanese later told Li at a state lunch, "We won't always agree and the points on which we disagree wont simply disappear if we leave them in silence. That appeared to be in response to a statement by Li, released by the Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday, that he recommended shelving differences between the two countries in the interests of bolstering relations. Albanese confirmed he had raised with Li recent clashes between the two countries militaries in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea that Australia argues endangered Australian personnel. Chinese and Australian officials had agreed at the meeting to discuss improving military-to-military communications to avoid unintended incidents, Albanese said. Relations tumbled over Australian legislation that banned covert foreign interference in Australian politics, the exclusion of Chinese-owned telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the national 5G network due to security concerns, and Australias call for an independent investigation into the causes of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benjamin Herscovitch, a China expert at Australian National University, said he did not expect China to get any firm commitments from Australia during Lis visit. The two countries signed several agreements on Monday to cooperate on trade, education, climate change, culture and intellectual property. Beijing would like to remove Australian opposition to China joining a trade bloc known as the CPTPP, more investment in Australian critical minerals and ambitious new cooperative agreements on science and technology, Herscovitch said. But Australia had already made a concession to China in rebuilding relations through inaction by not imposing sanctions on Chinese entities that help Russias war effort in Ukraine, he said. Australia is essentially giving China a free pass on that issue, Herscovitch said, while Australian allies, including the United States, Britain and the European Union were imposing sanctions. Hundreds of pro-China demonstrators, human rights activists and democracy advocates have lined the routes of Lis cavalcades in Adelaide and Canberra. Chuck Schumer didnt think he would be the one getting cooked after posting a bizarre Fathers Day photo of himself on social media. On Sunday, the Senate majority leader showed off his supposed culinary skills in a photo on X (formerly Twitter). Unfortunately, Schumer appears to have put cheese on top of seemingly raw burger patties. Our family has lived in an apartment building for all our years, but my daughter and her wife just bought a house with a backyard and for the first time were having a barbeque with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill! Schumer initially captioned the now-deleted photo, Fox News reports. Fathers Day Heaven! he added. Schumers critics immediately sharpened their knives, pointing out the obvious food safety hazards of putting cheese on an uncooked burger and accusing the senator of staging the photo. This is now the greatest picture in all of politics lmao. If anything ever virtue signaled the fake bullshit everywhere in our government, it's Chuck Schumer putting cheese on a raw burger on an unlit grill right next to fully grilled hot dogs with him holding one on the spatula pic.twitter.com/SJoTn9Dj7z ebc2021 (@ebcp2021) June 17, 2024 Im not a grill master by any stretch. You dont have to be to know Chuck Schumer has no clue what hes doing. This photo looks very staged and someone probably said: Wait, throw a slice of cheese on one of the burgers, make it look real. No one there knew you cook the pic.twitter.com/4NgKAgi1Gs Mayor (@Mayoralpodcast) June 17, 2024 I'm a #Democrat and never really cared for @SenSchumer. But I mean come on man. Who in their right mind puts cheese on a raw burger? Not only did you destroy the cheese, you also destroyed the meat. I don't blame the thousands of people that "#grilled" him over this post, pic.twitter.com/Sk6VisTZ9r Jason Safoutin (@dragonfire1024) June 17, 2024 Others dove into identity politics, complaining that Schumer was NYC clueless about barbecuing and hadnt mastered what they described as basic male tasks and standard American life skills. Senator Chuck Schumer has no idea how to do basic male tasks like run a grill. His staff and family saw this happen and none of them thought putting cheese on a raw patty was odd. That's the type of company & advisors this man surrounds himself with. This guy is making pic.twitter.com/l8aG8KET8D vontae (@vontae300) June 17, 2024 Much has been said about Sen Schumer's now deleted tweet about his 1st experience with a backyard barbecue. Yes, cheese on raw hamburger shows he is NYC clueless about barbecuing But, he appears to not be using an Electric Grill, not good, since he was an anti-gas zealot He is pic.twitter.com/vZFzRHWJr6 Michael Clark (@midpushMike) June 17, 2024 But not everyone was unified in condemning Schumers grilling skills. One person who still said they considered the New York Democrat one of the most evil people in this whole country pointed out that the cheese-topped burger on his grill had clearly visible grill marks. You can clearly see grill marks on the "raw burger" seriously, are you guys blind? Am I seeing things? Schumer is one of the most evil people in this whole country and this the "criticism" these scam artist Con, Inc. people come up with? pic.twitter.com/35xdbuGmjd (@revenant_MMXX) June 17, 2024 HuffPost has reached out to Schumer for comment. Though Schumer deleted his previous tweet, his other Fathers Day message from Sunday morning is still up on his page. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there!, he wrote. Related... Former President Donald Trump speaks during a community roundtable in Detroit, Michigan on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) ANALYSIS: Donald Trumps attacks on immigrants seek to recruit Black Americans through resentment over historically unfair exclusion in the labor market. Democrats must strategically counter Trumps claims rather than avoid tough conversations. If you listened closely during Donald Trumps most recent visit to a Black church in Detroit, you mightve heard whispers of the ghost of political pasts. Theyre invading your jobs, Trump said. The people coming across the border all those millions of people theyre inflicting tremendous harm to our Black population and to our Hispanic population. Trumps dire warning was a claim that isnt new but has been repeated in different political eras, sometimes even by Democrats themselves. After all, President Bill Clinton, in 1996, signed a law that made it easier to deport more immigrants while narrowing the path to legal immigration. For many Black Americans, theres still no there there to them, immigrants are their allies, exploited by similar economic systems meant to marginalize the other. But for other pockets of voters in the broader Black community, even if its not politically correct to say out loud, Trumps claim of immigrant competition may be appealing. For these voters, immigrants more often than not, Latino immigrants are allegedly the cause of Black Americans losing jobs and being marginalized in the very country they helped build with their own sweat and blood. To them, while immigrants have gotten to pursue the American Dream, sometimes being branded as hardworking, Black Americans have been stepped on while climbing the nations ladder of racial and social caste. If immigrants didnt take jobs, at the very least they sometimes clashed culturally. So, whose interpretation is right? The question of whether or not immigrants take Black American jobs and opportunities is touchy for advocacy groups and certain political circles because the answer requires nuance. The American Immigration Council argues there is no significant correlation between high immigration levels and high unemployment for Black Americans because immigrants often work complementary roles in the labor market. Those jobs are lower-skilled, which open paths for native-born workers to fill higher-paid roles. However, in the journal article Beyond Conflict and Competition, authors Chrisshonna Grant Nieva, Laura Pulido and Nathan J. Sessoms explain the following: While many assume that Latinas/os have simply displaced African American workers, the reality is more complicated. In a few sectors, there has been significant displacement. The most oft-cited example is the janitorial industry: as older, Black, unionized janitors retired, they were replaced by nonunion immigrant Latinas/os. In other sectors, however, the influx of immigrant workers has enhanced the economic position of African Americans, as they have the requisite language and cultural capacity to assume supervisory or management positions. While this shift has benefited educated and skilled Black workers, this is not the case for the less-skilled. Immigrants from Haiti, who crossed through a gap in the U.S.-Mexico border barrier, wait in line to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 20, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images) In short, the answer depends on your occupation and your level of education. This research shows us that the political framing of immigrant competition must address complexities, or it will appear dismissive of some peoples real experiences. For those who want simple answers, heroes and scapegoats, the above explanation doesnt satisfy either side of the debate. But that doesnt mean it should be avoided by Democrats. Doing so only strengthens the argument as an effective tool for the Republican Party. Look no further than the scores of immigrants bused to predominantly Black Chicago neighborhoods to sow deep resentment from residents. Our specific frustration lies in the continuous and blatant disregard for the safety and overall quality of life for Black residents, as many of these migrants have been dumped in our neighborhoods without a plan in place to monitor and house them long-term, said Natasha Dunn, a Chicago resident quoted in a Fox News article about a housing plan that sought to place migrants in an abandoned school nearby. Speaking of Fox News, one search of Black and migrants yields multiple articles framing migrants as a threat to Black communities. Somehow, the same right-wing media brands that disparage and demonize the Black Lives Matter movement, DEI, racial justice efforts and Americas first Black president are concerned about the welfare and pain of Black communities. The savviest media consumers may clock the contradictions. But others will not care about the source of the news. It also doesnt negate the concerns of Black Americans, especially if they live in swing states where each vote could make or break the election. Democrats tend to house the most racially and ethnically diverse communities under their one big tent of voters, with Black and Hispanic (which includes Black Hispanic/Latino) voters as part of their voting coalition. For Democrats to fend off these attacks from Trump, who characterizes them as a party out of touch on immigration at the expense of Black communities, they must have a clear explanation of how the concerns of immigrant communities align with Black American communities. Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen at an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) They must also be prepared to tell the story of how these groups formed a coalition. Just as Black Americans arent a monolith, neither are immigrants who come to America, especially Latino immigrants who come from more than 20 countries, speak different languages and constitute different races. In cities like New York during the 1960s, Black American and Puerto Rican migrant communities fought alongside each other for their civil rights, with groups like The Black Panthers and The Young Lords demanding healthcare, education and a cease in exploitation. While Puerto Rican migrants are American citizens, there are still lessons to be taken from cross-cultural collaboration (and sometimes tensions). What was it about their situations that made them align with each other at all? Some scholars argue that the concept of linked fate persuaded these communities to work in partnership. Differences in immigrant nationalities (Mexicans, Cubans, Jamaicans, Dominicans), race (Black, white, Asian, mixed-race), and geography (West coast vs. Northeast vs. American South vs. Midwest), combine to create difference reactions to immigrant and ethnic competition narratives across the country. Democrats should tailor their immigration messaging and not treat all voters the same. Democrats also have a great deal to work with in countering Trumps claims that hes Black Americas champion: his death wish to the Central Park Five; his very fine people on both sides claim after neo-Nazi marches; verified disdain for Black employees; threats of military action against BLM protestors; sparking the birtherism movement; and his sh*thole countries comment that deemed people from predominantly Black countries as unworthy immigrants. But its not enough to pull a Kanye and say, Donald Trump doesnt care about Black people. Dems must show how their policies actively demonstrate care for Black peoples economic and personal well-being. They have plenty to work with, from child tax credits and prescription drug caps to student loan forgiveness. But for immigration, they need to be more direct and intentional with messaging. They should remind the public that on his first day in office, President Biden proposed immigration reform, the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The bill was shot down by Republicans and didnt have a chance with the Senate filibuster in place. Democrats should explain how they created a bipartisan immigration bill that wouldve addressed the most urgent aspects of the crisis, but Trump discouraged its passage, largely to prevent a Biden legislative win. They should also demonstrate why the party believes legal immigration improves the overall economy for all Americans, and though immigration has been broken under Democratic and Republican presidents, they have a plan to fix it. But most importantly, Dems must be clear that Black Americans wont be left behind in their 2025 vision for America and beyond. Because for these voters, being prioritized is mandatory, not optional. Recommended Stories Natasha S. Alford is VP of Digital Content and a Senior Correspondent at theGrio. An award-winning journalist, producer, and TV personality, Alford is the author of the book American Negra: A Memoir (Harper Collins) and writes frequently on issues related to politics, policy, and identities. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford. More must-reads: (Bloomberg) -- Risks from Frances political upheaval helped trigger a Citigroup Inc. downgrade of European stocks, with its strategists preferring more growth-oriented US equities. Most Read from Bloomberg Strategists led by Beata Manthey lowered their view on European shares to neutral from overweight on heightened political risks as well as a narrowing market and potential for a further unwind. They upgraded US stocks to overweight from neutral, with technology and industrial shares in focus. We upgrade the US due to its substantially higher growth tilt relative to Europe, and more defensive nature in episodes of uncertainty, the strategists wrote in a note. Political uncertainty could cool US investors recent rotation into European equities for the time being. French President Emmanuel Macrons shock announcement of a snap election last week sparked a rout that wiped off about $258 billion from the market capitalization of French firms. The nations sovereign bonds sold off amid warnings of further deterioration in the countrys finances. Investors have recoiled from the prospect that Macrons centrist, pro-business Renaissance party will lose further ground in Parliament in a two-round vote scheduled for June 30 and July 7. Prospects for a far-right majority in the French parliament has introduced considerable uncertainty, raising questions around fiscal consolidation, funding for Ukraine, and European industrial policy, the Citi strategists wrote. The shockwaves have been felt across European markets, with the regions stocks losing 2.4% last week, sharply underperforming their US peers. The downgrade comes just a week after Citi predicted the pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 could rise a further 14% to a fresh record by mid-2025. READ: French Politics Flips the Script on Bullish Europe: Taking Stock Still, French markets began this week showing some signs of stabilization after far-right leader Marine Le Pen pledged to work with Macron if she prevails in the upcoming elections. Analysts elsewhere are also more optimistic about the prospects for US stocks. Goldman Sachs strategists have boosted their year-end target for the S&P 500 Index for a third time, reflecting Wall Streets optimistic outlook for earnings growth and the US economy. Evercore ISI strategists are predicting another double-digit rally through the end of 2024, with the S&P 500 Index setting record after record. RBC Capital Markets strategists also noted that US stocks may benefit from safe-haven seeking if flows to European equity funds deteriorate due to political uncertainty. --With assistance from Farah Elbahrawy. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. AUSTIN (KXAN) The City of Round Rock is offering mental health resources to help individuals and families heal in the aftermath of Saturdays shooting at a Juneteenth event at Old Settlers Park. We encourage everyone affected by this tragedy to understand the importance of prioritizing your mental health and take advantage of these resources, said Crisis Response Unit Program Manager Annie Burwell. Together, as a community, we can support each other and begin the process of healing. Round Rock Fire Departments Crisis Response Unit can be reached during special extended hours of 8 a.m.-8 p.m. from June 16-21 by calling 512-218-5501. The press release said team members will be available to answer calls and provide guidance and education, and to set up an in-person appointment if needed. Outside of CRUs extended office hours, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations Disaster Distress Helpline is available 24/7 to U.S. residents. Multiple languages are available by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990. 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. Clues of bloody Biblical battle between angel of God and 185K invading soldiers uncovered in Jerusalem: new research A newly discovered archaeological site may provide evidence of Biblical truth. Researchers in Jerusalem have uncovered an ancient military base that may provide clues of a battle ground for Gods army against Assyrian soldiers who came to conquer the Holy Land around 2,700 years ago, per a Sunday report in the Daily Mail. As the Bible story goes, an angel of the Lord is said to have descended on the invading troops and killed 185,000 soldiers in a night. This stone carved relief depicts an attack on Lachish during Sennacheribs campaign of 701 BC. Universal Images Group via Getty Images The Assyrian Empire reigned from 1,365 to 609 BC, led by King Sennacheribs campaign to control all routes across the Syrian Desert that led to the Mediterranean Sea. A previously known carving on the stone walls of Sennacheribs palace depicts the conquest of Lachish, a city 42 miles south of Jerusalem, including an illustration of a military base floor plan. With this ancient engraving, archaeologist Stephen Compton was able to cross-reference aerial photos of the alleged area part of a hisotric taken site in Israel called Ammunition Hill in 1910 to discover the maps matched up. The Bible tells the story of an angel sent by God to smite Assyrian soldiers as they slept to prevent a siege on Jerusalem. Getty Images This appears to be the site of Sennacheribs camp from the siege of Jerusalem, which was featured in the three books of the Bible, Comtpon wrote in a June 4 press release. The drawings pointed to ruins of a perimeter wall and buried pottery shards revealed to be at least roughly 2,600 years old, according to Coptons analysis. The site is now believed to have been abandoned after Sennacheribs invasion. Researchers hope to use similar methods to uncover similar military bases and other ancient cities destroyed by the Assyrian Empire. The memorial site now known as Ammunition Hill was left undisturbed after the Assyrian armys retreat until 1930. Corbis via Getty Images An aerial view of Jerusalem circa 1910. Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In some cases, it has also been possible to use the newly discovered camps to locate the sites of ancient cities that were known to have been besieged by the Assyrians but whose locations were unknown or uncertain, Compton said. And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses 2 Kings, 19:35 Three Bliblical scriptures tell the story of Gods victory over the Assyrians in Jerusalem: Isaiah, 37:36-38; 2 Kings, 19:35; and 2 Chronicles, 32:21. The ancient Assyrian military base was discovered on Ammunition Hill, a memorial war site in Jerusalem. NurPhoto via Getty Images The story tells that Jerusalems ruler Hezekiah prayed to the Israelite deity Yahweh understood as God among Christians for protection and was sent an angel to ambush soldiers as they slept. Other retellings of the attack cite a plague for the massacre of the Assyrian camp, while a version from Greek scripture describes an invasion of mice that chewed through the soldiers weaponry. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released a new five-year strategic plan on Monday morning. CMS superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill outlined four key areas. They can include early literacy in grades three through eight, math and post-secondary readiness. Parent Darius Moore is one of hundreds of parents to learn from CMS how they plan to achieve their goals set out in their five-year plan. Amazing experience for us. But Ive heard varying experiences from parents, Moore said. The goals include having 25% more K-8 students reading at or above national standards, nearly doubling their number of students scoring college career ready on their math assessments. The district intends to make sure students are more likely to have a job when they leave school, enroll in the military go to college after they graduate, all by 2029. CMS intends to use those goals by using their nearly funded $2 billion dollar budget to retain and attract teachers, keep schools safe and engage with each child. ALSO READ: Electric buses make debut at CMS this fall We have a belief that all students can and will be successful, Dr. Hill said. When we look in the faces of every single student, regardless of what they look like, regardless of where they come from, we believe they can achieve at a high standard. Moore thinks the plan is ambitious, but says thats the mindset the school district needs. Its good to see that they have something in place for it in writing, Moore said. I think the worry from parents alike is that their child isnt getting that individual focus. Theyre not having their talents catered to, or their passions. Dr. Hill added Monday she will ask for teacher pay increases with each new budget The strategic plan was created through community input and data. (WATCH BELOW: Idea of CMS Teacher Village sparks wide-range of opinions online0 Donald Trump struggled to make sense during another campaign stop over the weekendbut this time couldnt help himself from boasting one more time that he aced a cognitive test during his presidency. While speaking during a rally in Detroit Saturday, Trump returned to degrading the concept of electric batteries, going as far as to mock the idea of environmental sustainability while alleging that environmental activists were pushing the U.S. Army to make their war machines sustainable. They want to make them now electric. So that when you go into enemy territory, and you obliterate the enemy and you knock down what those tanks are firing, you do it in an environmentally friendly way, Trump said to rising laughter. The problem with the Army tanks like cars and like trucks, the problem is that you would have to bring a battery pack along. Youre going to pull it like a little wagon, like a child pulls a wagon. So they want to build an Army tank. But, you know, the battery is very big and very heavy. Trump: The problem with the Army tanks like cars and like trucks, the problem is that you would have to bring a battery pack along. You're going to pull it like a little wagon, like a child pulls a wagon. So they want to build a army tank. But, you know, the battery is very big pic.twitter.com/ezyt4AHZ0x Acyn (@Acyn) June 15, 2024 Trump has been on a tirade recently against the basic concept of electric batteries. Speaking at a Las Vegas rally last week, Trump tried to explain his opinions on why electric batteries might be a bad addition to boats and other water-based vehicles, but ended up complaining about his fear of sharks. But Trumps recent gripe with environmental advocates may have started with misinformation: a Greta Thunberg deepfake that went viral last fall, in which the manipulated image and voice of the youth environmental activist called for biodegradable missiles, vegan grenades, and sustainable tanks and weaponry. Despite the complete lack of coherenceor precedentfor claiming that environmentalists want green war, Trump then went on to remind the crowd how he aced a cognitive test but forgot his doctors name while doing so. I took a cognitive test, and I aced it. Doc Ronny. Doc Ronny Johnson. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? Trump said, misremembering Representative Ronny Jacksons name while challenging President Joe Biden to take a cognitive test. He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history, so I liked him very much immediately. In fact, he said if I didnt eat junk food, I would live to 200. Thats what he said. But I said, Ronny, should I take a test? He said, well, you know, its Walter Reed. Its sort of a public hospital. If you dont do well, theyre going to find out about it. I said, well, you know, like Im a smart person and, how tough is it? He said, it gets very tough as you get to the middle of it. And I did something that hes never seen done. I aced it. I got every question right. I aced it, Trump boasted. Trump: I think he should take a cognitive test like I did. I took a cognitive test and I aced it. Doc Ronny. Doc Ronny Johnson. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in pic.twitter.com/CR5GnTb8Fl Acyn (@Acyn) June 16, 2024 Trump has taken to arguing that cognitive exams should be mandatory for higher office since special counsel Robert Hur issued a damning, 388-page analysis of Bidens mental acuity, in which he described the 81-year-old president as having significant limitations. In the years since he aced the exam, Trump has invariably tweaked the questions he allegedly received on the test, at times boasting that he had correctly recited five words and performed basic multiplication, while at other times insisting that he passed thanks to correctly identifying a whale. That is, in spite of the fact that the tests authors claim that none of the three versions in circulation actually have a whale on them. (Getty Images) With just over a week to go until Colorados 2024 primary election, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boeberts fundraising advantage over her rivals for the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional District has only widened further. Boebert announced in December that she would move across the state and switch districts after representing the Western Slopes 3rd District in Congress since 2021. Since then, Federal Election Commission reports show that she has raised over $2 million from donors in her bid to win the seat previously held by former U.S. Rep. Ken Buck double the amount raised by her five GOP primary rivals combined. Republicans hold a strong advantage in the 4th District, which includes Douglas County and most of Colorados Eastern Plains, and the winner of the GOP primary on June 25 will be heavily favored to win a full term in Congress in November. The remainder of Bucks term will be served by the winner of a separate special election, also on June 25, contested by Republican Greg Lopez, a self-described placeholder candidate, and Democrat Trisha Calvarese, who is also seeking a full term. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Deborah Flora, a conservative radio host, is Boeberts best-funded primary rival, having raised over $418,000 since announcing her campaign last November, according to FEC reports. Former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, who has been endorsed by a long list of GOP establishment figures, has raised over $345,000, while state Rep. Richard Holtorf of Akron, has raised $110,383 and supplemented that total with over $38,000 in personal loans to his campaign. On the Democratic side, Ike McCorkle, a Marine veteran who unsuccessfully challenged Buck in the 2020 and 2022 elections, holds a strong fundraising advantage over Calvarese, a labor organizer, and addiction recovery advocate John Padora. McCorkle has spent over $1.2 million during the 2024 election cycle and reported having over $163,000 in cash on hand as of June 5. Padora had raised a little over $300,000, while Calvarese had raised about $139,000. Boeberts erstwhile challenger in the 3rd District, former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch, has continued to lead Colorado congressional candidates in quarterly fundraising totals even after Boeberts district switch, adding further to the record-setting hauls he reported in 2023. Frisch reported another $1 million in contributions to his campaign in the period between April 1 and June 5, bringing his total fundraising haul in the 2024 election cycle to over $13.7 million. After coming within 546 votes of unseating Boebert in 2022, he is unopposed in the 3rd District Democratic primary, and even after spending over $10 million to date, he is on track to enter the general with the largest campaign war chest of any Colorado congressional candidate, with over $3.7 million in cash on hand. Though Republicans hold a moderate advantage in the 3rd District, which encompasses much of the Western Slope and Pueblo, the winner of a six-way GOP primary next week will begin their matchup with Frisch at a major financial disadvantage. Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd, who has the support of deep-pocketed conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity, has raised the most by far of any candidate in the 3rd District Republican primary, having spent over $847,000 to date and boasting $219,000 in cash on hand. Several of Hurds rivals, including financial adviser Russ Andrews and car-dealership scion Lew Webb, have relied on large personal loans to their campaigns. One candidate, far-right conspiracy theorist and former state Rep. Ron Hanks, has reported spending just $7,438 on his campaign, but he has been the beneficiary of hundreds of thousands of dollars in super PAC spending by a Democratic group in an apparent effort to secure a more favorable general election opponent for Frisch. All three GOP-held seats open Bucks resignation, Boeberts district switch and the retirement of Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs, who has represented the 5th District there since 2007, mean that all three of Colorados GOP-held congressional seats are up for grabs in 2024. Colorado Republican Party chair Dave Williams, a former state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully against Lamborn in the 2022 primary before being elected as state party chair last year, is seeking the seat again. In the primary he faces Jeff Crank, a longtime GOP operative and regional vice president for Americans for Prosperity. Cranks $370,000 in campaign expenditures to date are more than six times what Williams has spent, and Crank has also benefited from at least $1.4 million in outside spending by Americans for Prosperity and other super PACs. Williams, a far-right election denier who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is the target of a formal FEC complaint over his use of state party resources to support his candidacy. A group of county-level GOP officials has also launched a campaign to remove him as party chair. A fourth competitive GOP primary next week will decide who takes on Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton in the 8th District. Caraveo was narrowly elected two years ago to represent the evenly split district, which includes parts of the northern Denver suburbs and southern Weld County. State Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton has spent over $420,000 to date in his head-to-head Republican primary matchup with former state Rep. Janak Joshi, and reported another $225,000 in cash on hand as of June 5. Evans candidacy has also received outside support from Americans for Prosperity. Joshi has faced criticism during the campaign for misrepresenting himself as a physician despite surrendering his medical license in 2008, and only moved to the 8th District in February of this year. His candidacy has largely been funded through $168,000 in personal loans to his campaign. Joshi has accused Evans of being wishy-washy in his support for Trumps agenda, though Trump endorsed Evans earlier this month. Meanwhile, Caraveo has spent a little over $1 million on her reelection campaign to date, and will enter the general election with another $2.3 million in cash on hand. Races in Colorados other four congressional districts the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th involve Democratic incumbents who are either running unopposed or are expected to prevail in the primary. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Colorado Dems are dedicating more resources to county races. Here's how it may impact Pueblo Colorado Democrats are launching a statewide effort to funnel more resources into county-level races. The party already has a substantial majority in the state legislature and most statewide elected positions, but local races tend to be more dominated by Republicans. For example, of the states nearly 200 county commissioners, only one-third are Democrats, according to the party. In Pueblo, Democrats are also the minority on the three-member board of county commissioners. In 2022, Zach Swearingen was the first Republican elected to the BOCC in decades and late last year, Epimenio Eppie Griego left the Democratic Party to run as an independent candidate. Miles Lucero, the Democratic candidate selected to run for county commissioner in District 1, signs paperwork after the Pueblo County Democratic Assembly on March 16, 2024. Why Colorado Democrats are increasing emphasis on local races The start of the Colorado County Comeback is coinciding with the end of the 546 Project, an initiative the party launched in June 2023 to re-engage voters in Colorados 3rd Congressional District and target then-incumbent Lauren Boebert, who won by 546 votes over Democrat Adam Frisch in an unexpectedly tight race in November 2022. While Boebert is still serving the remainder of her term as the representative for CO-3, she has moved to the Eastern Plains and is running in the GOP primary for the state's 4th Congressional District following the resignation of Ken Buck. Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democrats, told the Chieftain that the 546 Project was focused in Pueblo County. For example, the staffer who was hired for the program was based here. Across CO-3 with the 546 Project, the party reached over 7,000 voters who didnt vote in 2022 to commit them to vote in 2024, according to a presentation at a recent virtual press conference. How the program could be deployed in Pueblo County parties with less than $30,000 cash on hand such as the Pueblo Democrats can apply for direct grants from the state party for the program. Bri Buentello, the chair of the Pueblo County Democratic Party, confirmed in a text message to the Chieftain that the local party is planning on applying for grants. Like the saying says, 'All politics is local,' and this money will be instrumental in creating an effective campaign infrastructure, Buentello said. How that funding could be spent is still under discussion, she added. Pueblo County Commissioner Daneya Esgar speaking at Fuel and Iron Food Hall in downtown Pueblo on December 12, 2023, as Dawn DiPrince, the President and CEO of History Colorado, listens. County Commissioner Daneya Esgar, the only Democrat currently serving on the Pueblo BOCC, told the Chieftain that she is not yet sure how exactly the program will help her campaign, but she said it could help spread the message that the Democratic Party is the party of the working people. I'm excited to see the state party really focusing in on county-level races," Esgar said. "I think it's very important and something that we need to continue to focus on besides just federal and state level races, it's refreshing to see more investment into local races, because the more local a race is, the more impact it has directly on communities." Miles Lucero is the other active Democratic candidate currently running for county commissioner in Pueblo. Lucero is facing incumbent Epimenio Eppie Griego as well as Steven Rodriguez, the only person running in the GOP primary. Lucero, who is relatively new to local politics, said that one of the potential benefits of the program is mentorship from other Democratic county commissioners around the state. He said that hes already had conversations with Esgar and other former county commissioners in Pueblo, but outside perspectives can be helpful. More Pueblo politics news: Pueblo's 2024 primary election is June 25. Here's who's running and what's at stake Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado Democrats are dedicating more resources to county races COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) The Columbus Police Department is asking for the publics help with finding a juvenile. Police say Naomi Lowe was last seen near Fort Benning Road and Vine Street on Monday at about 7 a.m. She was wearing a pink jumpsuit and a black bonnet, and she was carrying a camouflage bookbag. Lowes hair was in a short ponytail with two blonde extensions on each side. Lowe is described as standing at 5-foot, 6-inches and weighing 230lbs. She has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call 911, the CPD Special Victims Unit at 706-225-3449, or lead investigator Detective Stice at 706-225-4366. 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. UPDATE 6/17/24 1:42 p.m.: Stanley-Randall was located and is safe, according to CPD. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) The Columbus Police Department (CPD) is seeking information regarding a woman who went missing early Monday morning. QuaNiya Stanley-Randall, 20, was last seen in the area of the 3500 block of St. Marys Road at about 1 a.m. According to CPD, Stanley-Randall has brown hair and brown eyes. She stands at 5-foot-6-inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. Stanley-Randall was last seen wearing a black sleeveless body suit and green and white sneakers. CPD is asking anyone with information to contact CPD Special Victims Unit at 706-225-3165 or Detective K. Maymi at 706-587-6497. 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. Commander says Army did all it could to address mental health concerns ahead of Lewiston shooting Hundreds of law enforcement officers were involved in the manhunt for Robert Card, the sole suspect in the Lewiston mass shooting that killed 18 people and wounded 13 others, who was found dead in Lisbon on Oct. 27, two days after the shooting. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A U.S. lieutenant colonel said the members of his unit did all they could when they were made aware of Robert Card IIs deteriorating mental health in the months before the reservist carried out a mass shooting in Lewiston, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. In testimony before the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston on Monday, U.S. Army LTC Ryan Vasquez, the battalion commander of Cards regiment, said he and other Army officials did not have the right to seize Cards personal weapons, nor did they have explicit authority to store them at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Saco. Vasquez also stressed the lack of authority the Army command structure has over those in the reserves in general. Commission member Paula Silsby, former U.S. attorney for the District of Maine, asked Vasquez whether he thought his unit did everything they could have done, given these limitations in authority, with respect to Card. Yes, and some, Vasquez responded, adding, I dont know a lot of average reserve units that would have handled that better than we did. What the U.S. Army knew and the actions taken regarding Cards mental health leading up to the shooting has been questioned by the families of the Lewiston shooting victims and Maines congressional delegation. An Army Inspector General investigation into the events leading to the shooting is forthcoming, though the release date remains unclear. Ahead of the hearing, Vasquez said he asked an Army force protection officer whether personal weapons could be stored in a reserve center, and received a response on May 30 stating that the practice wasnt recommended or generally permitted. A copy of the memo was not made available at the time of Mondays hearing. Vasquez told the commission that Card would have had to voluntarily allow his personal weapons to be secured. He has a Fourth Amendment right, Vasquez said, of the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. I dont have the right I cant go into his house. That purely falls on local officials or federal officials in his area. In his testimony, Vasquez also continuously highlighted the limitations of Army authority over reservists like Card, who are part-time, reiterating many of the points previously made by a colonel in testimony to the commission last week. Card wasnt communicating with the Army on a regular basis following his discharge from a mental health facility in August 2023 and had told officials that he wanted to retire, Vasquez recalled. When asked by the commission whether reservists have the right to not talk to their superior officer, Vasquez said while that is not the case, it is difficult to discipline reservists who dont. We can put them out eventually, Vasquez said. If we have the right paperwork, we can discharge them, but for not showing up or insubordination, but the process is very slow. Vasquez provided text communications with his predecessor, Lt. Col. McKinley Wood, for Mondays hearing, in which the two discussed the unit before Vasquez took over command in June of 2023. However, Vasquez said they never discussed concerns about Card. The first time Vasquez recalled hearing Cards name was in July 2023, when the reservist started behaving erratically at West Point and underwent a command directed evaluation, which Vasquez said had been the appropriate response. Card thereafter spent time in a psychiatric facility before being discharged, along with a report recommending that measures be taken to remove all firearms and weapons from his home. Commission member Geoffrey Rushlau, a former Maine District Court judge, questioned why Vasquez contacted local law enforcement as opposed to making a referral to the Maine State Police, pointing out that the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Department often only has two or three people for the entire county. Vasquez said it has long been his practice to contact the most local officials, thinking they have the closest relationship with the community. I assume Maine State Police means highways, Vasquez said. Sheriff is more local. So I would go to the sheriff first. In an interim report released in March, the commission found shortcomings throughout the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Department and specifically mentioned Sgt. Aaron Skolfield for only making limited attempts to contact Card when he was called to do a wellness check the month before the Oct. 25 shooting. Additionally, the commission said Skolfield failed to follow up on leads and review the available information that showed Card was a threat. Commission member George (Toby) Dilworth, former assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine, asked Vasquez, What could the Reserve have done differently? Vasquez declined to say. If you want to ask me about a fact, Ill answer a fact. I dont want to speculate. Dilworth pressed again, But as the commanding officer of this unit, you must have thought about things that could have been done differently? Vasquez responded, Obviously, sir, but went on to say, I think that mental health is a national issue. Its very complicated. Theres a lot of layers to it, and people need to understand it better. Everybody. We need to fund it better, and also appreciate the limitations I have as a part-time commander in the reserves as far as my authorities go and do not go. Following the anticipated release of the Inspector Generals report, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she intends to draft legislation to require military services to report when a service member poses a threat to themselves or others, while still protecting Second Amendment rights. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Commander says Army did all it could to address mental health concerns ahead of Lewiston shooting appeared first on Maine Morning Star. The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine has awarded a $400,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy from the Richard H. and Mary Jo Stanley Environment Preservation Support Fund. After the Stanleys died, funds were distributed using designated funds at the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine. (Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine) Dick and Mary Jo were world citizens, committed to understanding and strengthening the lives of our local and global neighbors, said Charla Schafer, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine. Sustaining their charitable vision is a privilege that we hold in the highest regard. Dick and Mary Jos legacy will continue to have a powerful impact on the causes they were passionate about today and far into the future. The Richard H. and Mary Jo Stanley Environment Preservation Support Fund was created to support local, national or international organizations working to fight climate change, reduce harmful emissions and pollution, support sustainable development and preserve and repair natural lands and the environment. This grant will contribute to The Nature Conservancys global priorities by funding local work including protecting and restoring lands and waters, reducing and storing carbon through natural climate solutions, promoting regenerative food systems and partnering with Indigenous peoples and local communities. The Nature Conservancy is grateful to receive this extraordinary support from the Richard H. and Mary Jo Stanley Environment Preservation Support Fund, said Graham McGaffin, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. The environmental challenges our natural world faces require bold and ambitious strategies, paired with bold and ambitious actions like the Stanley Family and the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine have exhibited with this gift to support our efforts to conserve the lands and waters that all life depends on. For more information on the Richard H. and Mary Jo Stanley Environment Preservation Support Fund, click here. For more on The Nature Conservancy, 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Idaho officials must feel like exhausted parents of independent toddlers. As any parent of young kids can relate to when you tell toddlers, Dont do it, you really hope they wont because if they ignore you there will be a mess. A mess is exactly what Idaho elected officials are facing this week after they told the Bureau of Land Management dont do it in regard to the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project last fall. The federal bill, Dont Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain Act would require the secretary of the interior to deny solar or wind energy projects that were opposed by the state legislature. The bill has only been introduced and has not moved forward. Recently, the BLM announced the project is still moving forward. Though the proposed mess of the federal government is not as big as originally designed, it still promotes Californias green energy priorities over the priorities of Idaho residents. Idaho officials are voicing new concerns about the mess Lava Ridge makes of federal overreach, grazing permits, recreational use, prioritizing California over local Idahoans and aviation paths. Gov. Brad Little said: This is the latest example of the Biden Administrations unsound energy agenda. The BLM is determined to give California electricity from Idaho despite overwhelming opposition from Idahoans and contrary to formal actions by Idahos county, state and federal elected officials, including federal legislation and federal law. It may not matter in Washington D.C., but it matters to those of us who live here. Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke echoed the frustration by saying: Ranching, farming, and recreation are a major part of the Magic Valleys heritage the BLM disregarded Idahoans input on a project that is in our backyard and, instead, favored Californians energy needs. Simply put, California will reap the benefits and Idaho will get all the negative impacts. We will know California is serious about green energy when we see wind turbines in Hollywoods hills. In addition to these concerns, Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Congressman Mike Simpson all made statements on the Lava Ridge Project. Additionally, State Attorney General Raul Labrador filed an appeal with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fighting the project. The filing states: If built, the wind turbines would increase the difficulty and safety risks of performing aerial applications that are already quite difficult and risky. In some locations, or under certain conditions, the increased difficulty and risk may effectively preclude aerial applications to the crops or fields. Unfortunately, for opponents of the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project in Idaho, the Bureau of Land Management is still moving forward, albeit with a smaller scope. The new proposal would reduce the project by almost 50%, from 400 turbines to 241, removing them from sensitive historical and natural areas, and limiting the height to 660 feet (still taller than the Seattle Space Needle). Some activists are praising the move saying, the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project would help Idaho become more energy independent, as the Idaho Capital Sun reported. But in the trade of any commodity, especially electricity, independence is not only a myth but a damaging pursuit. Think about the consequences of pursuing production independence in any commodity. We talked with Todd Myers, current Vice President and former Environmental Director with Washington Policy Center. Myers said: States should not be energy independent. We are not car independent, or steel independent, or software independent or even food independent. Thank God we dont require Washington or Idaho to be coffee independent. Build things where they make sense and trade. Additionally, electricity doesnt work that way. We not only trade with other states in the aggregate, we trade at different times of the year and even within the day. Electricity independence is such a monumentally dishonest concept. It is appreciated that the BLM reduced the size of the project and relocated the wind farm away from historically sensitive areas, but the voices of todays Idahoans have been largely ignored in favor of out-of-state interests. The Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project overlooks the realistic outcomes of its design. Pursuing energy independence denies the benefits of trade and competitive and comparative advantages between states. Wind energy is usually inefficient at the hours of peak demand. Idaho ranchers, farmers and recreationists will be burdened while California benefits. Now the frustrated officials who said, Dont Do It, need to find a way to negotiate with the federal government. Hopefully, the Idaho elected officials will be able to gain traction through the judicial or legislative system, because the federal executive branch appears set to continue to ignore Idaho residents. Madi Clark is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Mountain States Policy Center , a research organization based in Idaho, Montana, eastern Washington and Wyoming. Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Rojem is sworn before addressing the Pardon and Parole Board on Monday, June 17, 2024. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 5-0 Monday to deny clemency to death row inmate Richard Norman Rojem Jr. who insisted again in a brief statement that he is innocent. Rojem, 66, is set to be executed June 27 for the murder of a 7-year-old girl in 1984. Speaking for less than 90 seconds, Rojem told the board he rejected plea bargains in 1985 that would have spared him from a death sentence. "An innocent man doesn't ever plead guilty to a crime he hasn't committed. And the reason for that is obvious. If there is justice to be had, it won't be had. "I wasn't a great human being for the first part of my life," he also said. "And I don't deny that. But I went to prison. I learned my lesson. And I left all that behind." The victim, Layla Dawn Cummings, was his former stepdaughter. She was abducted late July 6 or early July 7 in 1984 from an Elk City apartment while her mother was at work at a McDonald's restaurant. A farmer found her body on the morning of July 7 in a plowed field near Burns Flat. She had been raped and stabbed. Rojem, then 26, lived at the time in Burns Flat. He married the victim's mother, Mindy Cummings, while he was in prison in Michigan for sex offenses against two teenage girls, according to court records. She was the sister of his cellmate. He came to Oklahoma after being paroled in 1982. He and his wife had been divorced for about two months at the time of the murder. He had been seeking a reconciliation. The decision Monday means Gov. Kevin Stitt cannot change Rojem's death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In Oklahoma, a governor can commute a death row inmate's sentence only if the board recommends clemency. Layla Cummings He has been on death row for decades because he twice won challenges to his punishment. Jurors at his 1985 trial in Washita County District Court chose the death penalty as punishment after convicting him in only 45 minutes of kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder. Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Rojem addresses the Pardon and Parole Board on Monday. His first death sentence was thrown out in 2001 because of a mistake in jury instructions. A new jury in Washita County District Court went with the death penalty again at a resentencing trial in 2003. His second death sentence was thrown out three years later because of a mistake in the jury selection process. A second resentencing trial was held in Custer County District Court in 2007. Jurors there also agreed to the death penalty. Rojem exhausted the appeals of his third death sentence in 2017. In upholding his conviction in 1988, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals noted he "was connected to the offenses by a significant amount of circumstantial evidence." At the hearing Monday, his attorneys attacked the fingerprint evidence against him as flimsy and said male DNA found underneath the victim's fingernails was not his DNA. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Crabb pointed out at the hearing that there also was direct evidence against Rojem from an eyewitness. The victim's older brother, Jason, said he saw "Rick" in the apartment at the time she was taken, according to trial testimony. He was then 9. The victim's mother did not attend the hearing but urged the board in a May 28 letter to deny clemency. Cummings told the board in the letter that her son has blamed himself despite assurances there was nothing he could have done. "Rather, it is a miracle that he wasn't killed that night as well, to remove the possibility of him being a witness," she wrote. She also told the board that a friend had asked her recently how old Layla "would be today." "Through the years, my answer to this common question has always gently been the same," she wrote. "I cannot maintain a count of how old she would be each year, had she lived. For me, it is meaningless. Everything she might have been was stolen from her, one horrific night. She never got to be more than the precious seven year old that she was. And so she remains in our hearts forever 7." Washita County District Attorney Angela Marsee reminded the board that Rojem was involved from death row in a murder-for-hire plot in 1986. "It is time for him to reap what he has sown," she said. The execution is set to be carried out by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Rojem had faced execution on Oct. 5, 2023, under a schedule released in 2022 for 25 inmates. That schedule was eventually scrapped. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Rojem loses clemency bid Two countywide officials and two Canaveral Port Authority commissioners have been reelected without opposition, as the candidate qualifying period for their offices ended Friday. In an earlier candidate qualifying period, the races for two multicounty offices also were decided without a single ballot being cast. William Scheiner, the candidate for Brevard-Seminole state attorney, and Blaise Trettis, incumbent Brevard-Seminole public defender, did not have any opponents by the time the qualifying period ended April 26. All six candidates who won unopposed races are Republicans. Here are the details: Property appraiser Brevard County Property Appraiser Dana Blickley will serve a fourth four-year term in that position, which pays $184,356 a year. Blickley also was reelected without opposition in 2016 and 2020. She was first elected in 2012, defeating two other Republican candidates in a GOP primary, then a Democrat in the general election. As the qualifying deadline passed without an opponent, Blickley said she appreciated the "vote of confidence" in being reelected, and cited "the entire Brevard County Property Appraiser Office team for allowing me to lead such an amazing group of people." Clerk of the Circuit Court/comptroller Rachel Sadoff, Brevard's clerk of the Circuit Court and comptroller, also drew no opposition for her countywide office. She was first elected to the post in 2020, also without opposition. She succeeded Scott Elis, who did not seek reelection. After securing another term on Friday, Sadoff said she wanted "to thank all who have supported me and the team members of the Clerk of Court and Comptroller's Office. It is absolutely my pleasure and honor to serve the citizens of Brevard County. I welcome another term as your clerk of court and comptroller, and will continue to bring efficiency, accuracy and transparency to the Space Coast." The position has a four-year term and an annual salary of $184,356. Public defender Blaise Trettis Trettis was first elected as public defender in 2012, when he won a Republican primary, then was unopposed in the general election. He was unopposed in 2016 and 2020. With no opposition this year, he wins another four-year term. Before the 2012 election, Trettis worked as an assistant public defender. The position has an annual salary of $212,562. State attorney William Scheiner This is Scheiners first election. The incumbent state attorney, Phil Archer, is not seeking reelection this year. Scheiner started his position as chief trial attorney for the Brevard County office last year. His LinkedIn account shows that he served in the state attorneys office as an assistant state attorney for 16 years, and was hired on by then-State Attorney Norm Wolfinger. Scheiner initially had an opponent, former Assistant State Attorney Christopher Cusmano. But Cusmano dropped the race because of his service with the U.S. Army Reserve. Scheiner is the only non-incumbent state attorney candidate in Florida to win without opposition this year. The position has a four-year term and an annual salary of $212,562. Canaveral Port Authority Micah Loyd Two Canaveral Port Authority commissioners were reelected to the five-member board without opposition Micah Loyd in District 2 and Kevin Markey in District 4. All five port commissioners are Republicans. The position has a four-year term and an annual salary of $11,047. Kevin Markey Loyd was first elected to the Port Authority in 2016 and was reelected in 2020. He is a certified general contractor and owner of Titusville-based Loyd Contracting. Markey, an attorney, was first elected to the Port Authority in 2020. The District 1, District 3 and District 5 seats will be up for election in 2026. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54 J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. On X: @JDGallop. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Some Brevard incumbents win reelection without opposition Micayla and Eric Coughlin and their young daughters were at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills on Saturday for less than a minute when a gunman pulled up in a vehicle and fired at least 28 rounds at the families gathered there. They had just gotten ice cream, according to a GoFundMe page created for the Coughlins by a family friend. When they heard the gunfire, they grabbed their daughters, ages 2 and 7 months, to protect them. They succeeded. Police officers stand among yellow evidence markers mapping spent shell casings after a gunman opened fire at families at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills on Saturday. Nine people, including two children, were wounded. But in the process, the Coughlins were shot a total of seven times and remain hospitalized, according to the GoFundMe account posted by family friend Noel Wakul. The GoFundMe account was verified by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. The Coughlins were among nine people shot by the gunman, identified by police as Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township. Authorities described the scene as chaotic people were scrambling, falling and getting hit by bullets as they tried to run; ice cream cones and flip flops were covered in blood. Police said other victims included an 8-year-old boy who was in critical condition with a wound to the head and a 4-year-old boy who was stable condition with a wound to the thigh. A 39-year-old woman shot in the abdomen and leg was also in critical condition. The tragedy that unfolded at the Rochester Hills splash pad was just one of three mass shootings that occurred in Michigan Saturday, all in metro Detroit. In Lathrup Village, six people were shot at a house party Saturday morning shortly after midnight. Two were in critical condition. In Detroit, a woman was killed and four other people were shot late Saturday night. The victims in both shootings were teenagers and young adults. "We're getting all too good at this," Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said on Sunday at a news conference. What happened on Saturday "I can only describe the last 24 hours as a nightmare," Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said Sunday. He said he never thought he'd see his city written in the same sentence as other cities who have experienced mass shootings. Barnett said he cried when he made it to the splash pad on Saturday, where police say Nash had pulled up around 5:11 p.m., exited a vehicle, walked up the stairs to the splash pad's platform and opened fire. Nash reloaded his weapon, fired again at the victims, reloaded once more, and calmly left the scene, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. He described the shooting as "very random" and "bizarre;" the suspect has no known connections to the victims. Police responded to the scene in less than two minutes, Bouchard said. By then, the gunman had left and contained himself in a nearby Shelby Township home. A weapon, a 9mm Glock, was recovered at the scene along with three magazines. Bouchard said after attempts to contact the suspect failed, drones were deployed to examine the home, where Nash was found dead of an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound. Also inside the home on the kitchen table was what looked like a semi-automatic rifle, Bouchard said. He suggested Nash may have had plans for a "second chapter." Bouchard described the Rochester Hills tragedy as a "gut punch." He referenced the Nov. 2021 shooting at Oxford High School, where 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley shot and killed four classmates, and the Feb. 2023 shooting at Michigan State University, where three students were killed. More: Rochester Hills splash pad shooting suspect identified by Oakland County Sheriff's Office More: Police: 9 injured, suspect dead after shooting at splash pad in Rochester Hills Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills is fenced off on Sunday. Community members react to tragedy Many in the Rochester Hills community remain shocked, describing their city as a safe place where tragedies like mass shootings are unheard of. In the mobile home park Dequindre Estates in Shelby Township, where Nash reportedly lived with his mother, neighbors like Paul McCracken, didnt know what was going on or the severity of the situation until police sent out an alert around 6 p.m. Saturday for nearby houses to evacuate. McCracken told the Free Press on Sunday that residents didnt receive the clear that they could return until much later that night, so he and his family were forced to spend the night at another family members house. They came home Sunday afternoon, while some other evacuated neighbors were reportedly still too uneasy to return to their homes. Adam Urquhart Sr. and his 9-year-old son, Adam Jr., were fishing at the lake in the center of Dequindre Estates on Saturday when they saw about a hundred cop cars race into the neighborhood. Adam Urquhart was with his son Adam Urquhart Jr., 8, fishing at the pond in the Dequindre Estates in Shelby Township on Saturday when police poured into the neighborhood looking for Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad shooting suspect Michael William Nash. Were fishing and minding our business, and next thing you know, theres guys walking down the street with bulletproof vests and AR-15s strapped, the father said. I was like, Yeah, its time to go home.' The senior Urquhart, who was visiting his son who lives with his mother in the park, said he used to live just a couple of blocks away from the splash park and later lived in the neighborhood, which made the tragedy even more appalling to him. Everyone in here knows each other. Its a small park, everyone in heres nice people so everyone kind of looks out for each other," he said. "This is a safe area, and thats why Im so shocked at what happened, he continued. When it happens this close to home, its hard. A neighbor named Carol, who did not want to provide her last name, said she knew the suspect and his mother, who she says had been traveling before her son allegedly opened fire at the splash park. "The mom wasn't so bad, but I got bad vibes from him," Carol said, referring to Nash. Amber Holliday, who grew up in Dequindre Estates and met many of the neighbors during her childhood days riding a bike through the neighborhood, says she and her partner, Josh, also didnt know the suspect or his family. He wasnt someone who was out, I guess. Id never seen him, said Josh, who did not want to provide his last name. Amber Holliday, shown with her son 8-month-old son Zayden on Sunday, grow up in the Shelby Township neighborhood where police say Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad shooting suspect Michael William Nash lived with his mother. The two said they frequent the splash pad with their 8-month-old son, Zayden; Josh had even considered taking Zayden to the splash pad just before the shooting occurred on Saturday before deciding to put him down for a nap instead. Shortly after, Joshs phone filled up with concerned texts and calls from loved ones checking to see if the young family was OK. Now, on the warm Sunday afternoon, Josh said the neighborhood was eerily empty. Normally the streets would be packed with kids biking and skateboarding and families fishing and spending time near the lake, especially on a holiday like Fathers Day, but his family was one of the few in the neighborhood spending the afternoon outdoors. Although Dequindre Estates is still Hollidays home and shes not going to let the tragedy push her out, she now feels the need to be cautious with neighbors she doesnt know well, she said. Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442 or asahouri@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rochester Hills shooting: Couple hit by gunfire while shielding kids The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images) Last weeks unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to maintain access to mifepristone, a medication used for 60% of all abortions, was less about protecting womens reproductive rights, and more about protecting the reputation of the court. By rejecting the case on standing, which means the court concluded the anti-abortion doctors who filed the case couldnt show actual harm, the nine justices rebuked the judges on lower courts including the influentially conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that somehow let this flimsy case get this far. Given how impossible it is to get all nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to agree on anything these days, the unanimous decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine is clear evidence that the court wont tolerate lawyers or judges jamming their docket with frivolous lawsuits. And with any luck, our local Utah Supreme Court will see this emphatic decision as a bulwark for them against the threats and bullying tactics of the Utah Legislature and the Utah Attorney Generals Office. Back in Utah, two important cases challenging the absolute power of the Republican juggernaut remain undecided by the states highest court: electoral gerrymandering and the abortion trigger ban. Both cases were argued before the courts five justices last summer, and the wait for these blockbuster decisions has gone months longer than normal with no timeline for a resolution. At stake in both cases is whether residents of Utah have the right to even question the Legislatures decisions on crucial matters related to voting and reproductive health. And even if a majority of residents told the Legislature what we want as we did with 2018s ballot initiative to stop partisan gerrymanders could it be long-lasting since vindictive lawmakers could overrule the peoples choice the next day? During the oral arguments over the gerrymandering case, Justice Paige Petersen asked, When do the people have the last word? Youre saying they cant have the last word through the initiative process. People structurally dont ever have the last word. I think she was telling the Legislature to just sit on their hands every once in a while. The waiting game for the abortion decision goes back even longer almost two years to June 2022 when a state court blocked the enactment of Utahs abortion trigger ban following the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. As a result, abortion is legal and accessible in Utah up to 18 weeks even as a dozen other states like Idaho, Texas, and Indiana have completed shutdowns on abortion access. The glacial pace of the judicial system years since the trigger ban was blocked and months since the Utah Supreme Court took this case under advisement has frustrated Utah legislators like Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who lash out when they dont get their way, ignoring current laws and rules. First, she tried to sneak a second de-facto abortion ban the so-called clinic ban by the courts, but they blocked it anyway. Instead of banning abortion, this law (which never went into effect) would have eliminated all the places Utahns could get abortions. Knowing the blocked clinic ban was doomed, Lisonbee convinced her fellow lawmakers to repeal most of it this year, telling them it would unclog the courts to resolve the trigger ban case sooner. That doesnt make sense given the trigger ban is in front of the Utah Supreme Court, and the clinic ban was at a district court. Plus, it is generally believed that passing laws to influence the outcomes of cases currently in front of the states high court is a violation of the separation of powers act. But if Republican lawmakers want to repeal an abortion ban (even for the wrong reasons), no one is going to try to stop them. The post Court protects its reputation in mifepristone decision appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. A pregnant Columbus woman whom police say was beaten to death by an abusive boyfriend reported the man for assaulting her and threatening to kill her days before her death, according to court records. Brooke Devinney, 19, told police on Thursday that Devon Blair, 23, had punched her in the eye, struck her on the back of the head and threatened to kill her. Blair has been charged with killing the woman on Sunday. At about 7:28 a.m. Sunday, the citys 911 center received a text from a family member stating Blair was at Devinneys home and was assaulting her. Officers saw Blair fleeing the scene on foot when they arrived, according to court records. Devinney was pronounced dead at 8:45 a.m. Her unborn child was pronounced dead four minutes later. According to court records, she was 14 weeks pregnant. Blair was arrested hours later Sunday. Crime scene tape At the time of Devinneys death, Blair was wanted on charges for domestic violence, aggravated menacing and assault stemming from the Thursday assault report. According to court records, Devinney approached a Columbus police officer at about 6:40 a.m. Thursday in a police station parking lot and told him she was a victim of domestic violence. She told the officer that she and Blair had begun arguing about breaking up as she drove in her vehicle at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Blair warned Devinney she better not get off at this exit, referencing an off-ramp that led to Devinneys parents house. When she took the exit, Blair punched her right eye and hit her several times in the head. He also picked up a can of car cleaner and threatened to bash her head in, according to court records. Devinney also told police Blair had stabbed her previously and that shed been hospitalized in the past due to Blairs assaults. Devinney also reported that Blair beat and threatened her Dec. 28, according to court records. Devinney was trying to leave for an appointment at about 2 p.m. that day when Blair began threatening her and made her take off the clothes he had bought her for Christmas, forcing her to strip naked on the street, according to court records. Devinney fled to the garage naked when Blair bashed in her windshield, she told police that afternoon. Blair punched her, grabbed a knife, and dragged her by her hair inside the house. He continued hitting her and put the knife to her throat while he held her in a chokehold and said, Ill kill you, Devinney reported. He also jabbed the knife into her stomach. Blair punched an officer and bit him in the head when police arrived, according to court records. According to court records, Blair had been charged with felonious assault, strangulation, assault on a police officer and felony domestic violence as a result of the December attack. On May 16, Blair entered guilty pleas to the police officer assault and the felony domestic violence. Franklin County Common Pleas Court records show Judge Michael Holbrook allowed Blair to remain free on a $10,000 recognizance bond meaning Blair didn't have to pay any money to ensure his appearance for sentencing after the guilty plea, despite an objection from the prosecutor in the case. A sentencing date was scheduled for July 22. As part of his release, Holbrook ordered Blair to wear an electronic ankle monitor and stay away from Devinney and where she would be, according to video from Blair's plea hearing. "You can't afford it, dude," Holbrook said. "That was just cold-blooded making her take off her stuff in the middle of the street. Cold-blooded. Not cool." Holbrook told Blair during the hearing that he had faith in Blair's ability to turn things around, but that he would be bothered if Blair violated the terms of his release. "If you violate that at all, I'll throw you in until we're done," Holbrook said. "I'm taking a chance, don't disappoint me." On May 31, records show Blair's recognizance bond was revoked for unspecified violations of his release and failure to participate in a pre-sentence investigation report. A warrant was issued for Blair's arrest. Dispatch reporter Bethany Bruner contributed to this report. bagallion@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Murdered pregnant woman reported beating by suspect days before death Crime Reports: Suspect accused of robbing a victim with machete in Abilene Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law. Incidents 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road Theft of Property A suspect was arrested for theft of clothing from an Abilene store. 200 block of Moon Beam Path Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon A suspect is accused of pointing a firearm at his wife and threatening to kill her. 1700 block of Highway 351 Assault Family Violence Mulitple calling parties witnessed transients fighting each other. 1600 block of Ambler Avenue Burglary of Vehicle A burglary of motor vehicle report was taken in north Abilene. 2500 block of S 2nd Street Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon Two suspects report a family member had threatened them with a weapon. 2300 block of Amarillo Street Assault Family Violence A suspect was arrested for assault family violence in south Abilene. 300 block of Shadow Wood Drive Assault Family Violence A victim was assaulted by her husband. 1900 block of Denton Street Assault Family Violence A report was taken for assault family violence. 600 block of Westwood Drive Assault Family Violence A victim reported his girlfriend hit him during a verbal altercation. 3000 block of Catclaw Drive Assault Family Violence Impede Breath A report was taken for assault family violence.. A victim reported her husband placed his hand over her mouth. 8000 block of Buffalo Gap Road Assault A victim reported he was assaulted by a known suspect. 1200 block of S San Jose Drive Assault Family Violence A suspect was arrested for assault family violence. 5200 block of S 1st Street Theft of Property A bicycle worth $80 was reported stolen. 5300 block of Congress Avenue Evading Arrest Detention A report for aggravated assault and evading arrest has been taken. 3800 block of Aviator Drive Assault Family Violence Assault family violence was reported in south Abilene. 1700 block of Avenue D Assault Family Violence A suspect was arrested for assault family violence. 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road Theft of Property Bathing suits were reported stolen from an Abilene store. 1200 block of Mimosa Drive Theft of Firearm A firearm worth $300 was reported stolen. 300 block of N Judge Ely Boulevard Terroristic Threat An unknown susepct threatened a clerk after she refused to sell him a vape for being underage. 3000 block of W Lake Road Robbery A report for robbery was taken in north Abilene. 2300 block of Shelton Street Criminal Mischief 1900 block of S 1st Street Criminal Trespass A suspect was arrested for criminal trespass in south Abilene. 3000 block of Lafaye Court Criminal Mischief A victim reported a known suspect damaged his vehicle. 3800 block of Westchester Drive Burglary of Habitation A motorcycle was reported stolen, as well as cash from a vehicle. 700 block of S Treadaway Boulevard Aggravated Robbery An unknown suspect robbed a vicitm on a bicycle of his wallet while weilding a machete. 1000 block of S 10th Street Criminal Mischief An unknown suspect entered a victims property and damaged the back windshield. 500 block of E Ambler Avenue Theft of Service A vehicle was reported stolen 800 block of Elm Street- Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon Arrests Nicholas Traylor Warrant Charles Case Assault Threat/Contact Preston Smith Assault Threat/Contact Tosha Burdett Warrant Aleaijah Mack Theft of Property Angela Leiffer Possession of Dangerous Drug Joseph Stiles Assault Family Violence Tracy Keele Public Intoxication w/3 Prior Convictions Gary Martin Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon Tina Dye Warrant Christina Brown Warrant Anthony Yonce Assault Family Violence Dakota Strickland Warrant Danielle Salazar Public Intoxication Nathan Jackson Driving While Intoxicated Lee Sanchez Driving While Intoxicated, Resist Arrest Search or Transport David Gallegos Driving While Intoxicated Luciano Jasso Reckless Driving Jonathan Burns Public Intoxication Martin Tristan Assault Family Violence Alvin Swiney Warrant Marques Davis Evading Arrest Detention, Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon Julia Burt Assault Family Violence Katina Shivers Warrant Gabriella Valdez Theft of Property, Failure to Identify Lawrencia Sanders Evading Arrest Detention, Resist Arrest Michael Thompson Warrant Linda Adame Assault Family Violence Christina Cherry Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information, Theft of Mail Benjamin Zuniga Warrant William Barnes Possession of Controlled Substance Austin Garrett Warrant Glenn Elkins Criminal Trespass Brandon Hunter Warrant Adrian Gallegos Public Intoxication, Resist Arrest Search or Transport Jaycee Mitchell Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, No DL, Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility Richard Baumgardt Public Intoxication Matthew Turner Warrant Marcelino Martinez Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. After cutting homeschool regulations, lawmakers may look to schools to fix oversight issues After the Republican-led Legislature rolled back homeschooling reporting requirements, state lawmakers could ask public schools to bolster how they check in on homeschool families who havent followed regulations. Paul Hardesty, president of the West Virginia State Board of Education When youve got people trying to pull children out of the public school system, why would you put the burden back on [the schools]? questioned Paul Hardesty, president of the state board of education. The focus on homeschool regulations follows the death of 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller, who was found in a skeletal state in her Boone County home in April. Her mother and grandparents have been charged with child neglect related to her death. The girl had been homeschooled since 2021, according to school records, but her mother hadnt turned in any assessments required under state law to track student progress. While Child Protective Services and the West Virginia State Police were aware of the Kyneddi prior to her death and both are tightening up their abuse and neglect referral systems Gov. Jim Justice, his administration and some lawmakers have pointed to homeschool regulations for students and local school districts as a way to possibly prevent future child tragedies. The Republican-led legislation has been rolling back homeschool requirements in a wave of school choice legislation. While drafts of bills arent yet available, school districts could be tasked with following up on homeschool students who havent followed state law on reporting requirements. There has been continual activity by the Legislature to take away requirements with regard to homeschool. I think its time for all the stakeholders to come back, sit down at the table and lets find something that works, Hardesty said. This poor child is proof positive that what were doing currently is not working. Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, vice-chair of the House Committee on Education, has backed legislation aimed at rolling back homeschool regulations. Earlier this year, he voted yes on a bill that would have eliminated the homeschool assessments requirement in current law. I believe theres enough blame to go around for everyone to share, including us, he said. In light of this situation, how do we find that piece of accountability that were missing? Something that is triggered that does not allow these situations to happen. Homeschool parents are required to submit assessments in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 to their county school board as one of their options for maintaining contact with the local school district. State law doesnt require that public school employees follow up on homeschool families who have failed to report a childs progress. Former state Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, speaks on the Senate floor in 2020. (West Virginia Legislative Photography) Lawmakers roll back homeschool regulations in 2016 West Virginia homeschool regulations decreased in 2016, when Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed what was known as the Homeschool Modernization Act. Homeschool advocates said the legislation rolled back burdensome regulations on homeschooling families. The Republican-sponsored bill, which made a number of changes to homeschool law, did away with a requirement that parents submit annual assessments about their childrens progress. There were too many restraints put up on homeschoolers, so we kept trying to find that balance, said Statler, who was a cosponsor of the bill. He expected that lawmakers would again in 2025 consider legislation that would do away with some of the current homeschool reporting requirements. Former state Sen. Mike Romano, D-Harrison, attempted to amend the 2016 bill to require annual assessments from homeschool students. While pushing for his amendment on the Senate floor, he said that theyd have to worry about abuse and neglect. Speaking with West Virginia Watch, Romano recalled, My position was always that children would not lose contact with their local school system. Without any checks and balances, youre not going to know who are the good homeschooling parents and who are not. There were not a lot of facts on the other side, he added. In response to his amendment, which was defeated, Sen. Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, said that homeschooling was one of the most effective ways of education in the state with poor public school outcomes. The vast majority of states have zero reporting requirements This is red tape to throw at homeschoolers, Karnes said. We need to fix our public school system. Hardesty, a former lawmaker, said the 2016 bill basically [took] away those covenants and restrictions with regard to homeschooling. Maybe they went too far. You know, from one extreme to the other, he said. Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, speaks on the House floor in May 2024. (West Virginia Legislative Photography) Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, is a public school teacher in the county he represents. Schools shouldnt have to take the blame for Kyneddis death, Pritt said, but he added that his district would welcome legislation that gives county attendance directors a stronger response to homeschoolers who arent compliant with state law. School officials have said that taking action against a family in court is legally burdensome, and there are loopholes in which parents can get around turning in the required assessments. This is not a school choice issue, this is an accountability issue, he said. Weve tied the hands of our public school systems. Pritt said that there may need to be additional staff added to help bolster accountability. A hopefully collaborative approach moving forward Hardesty, who noted that school staff are stretched thin, said he hopes lawmakers will invite school personnel and educational officials to give input on legislation. House Democrats have been meeting with their local school employees about the adequacy of the current assessments for homeschool students and enforcing current truancy laws to protect children, according to a news release. We need to collaborate with local school officials to ensure that they have the resources and necessary information to protect children whose parents do not comply with home school regulations, said Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion. We know that most homeschool parents are doing the right thing for their children, but we need to correct loopholes in the law and empower local boards of education to act where the law is not followed so children are not abused or falling through the cracks. Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, will continue to advocate for a piece of legislation known as Raylees Law, which would have paused or potentially denied a parents request to homeschool if a teacher has reported suspected child abuse. The language was added in an amendment to a homeschool regulation bill that passed the House earlier this year; it failed to be taken up in the Senate. Raylees guardians and Kyneddis family removed those girls from public school, places where these girls could be seen and heard and now they are no longer here to tell their stories, Fluharty said. Republican lawmakers who are homeschool parents and advocates have already pushed back on any changes to West Virginia homeschool regulations. It is wholly inappropriate and unacceptable to attribute this tragic death to homeschooling, which unfairly maligns the thousands of West Virginia families who are responsibly and effectively educating their children, Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, wrote in an op-ed. She added that shed like to focus on legislation addressing the states overburdened CPS workforce during the states foster care crisis. Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, in a separate op-ed, wrote, This administration is promoting false narratives about homeschooling Rather than implementing new homeschooling laws, we should be looking at substantial reform to our child welfare system. Justice previously said he may call a special session for lawmakers to take a closer look at homeschool regulations. Pritt said he is meeting with local homeschool families in search of a compromise. Im going to ask them, Where are you willing to meet? Where are you willing to do these things and dont feel this is too burdensome? he said. Just like we should be holding bad teachers accountable, we should be holding homeschool parents accountable who are not doing their job, as well. The post After cutting homeschool regulations, lawmakers may look to schools to fix oversight issues appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Dreamers with a college degree and a work permit are outearning their parents and achieving social mobility in a wide array of professions, according to a new survey by TheDream.us and Golden Door Scholars. The survey polled more than 2,000 alumni of a scholarship program run by the two organizations, following up on a similar 2022 one that found a 94 percent workforce participation rate among graduates of the program. The new survey found that 66 percent of respondents are the first in their family to attend college; 63 percent are outearning their parents combined, compared to 50 percent in 2022; homeownership has risen to 14 percent from 10 percent two years ago; and 26 percent of respondents are the primary providers in their families, compared with 22 percent in 2022. The survey report illustrates a critical truth: when given the opportunity, Dreamers not only succeed they excel. At Golden Door Scholars, we are committed to turning the dreams of undocumented students into tangible successes, Golden Door Scholars CEO Lisa Shasky said. The scholarship caters mainly to Dreamers, immigrants living illegally in the U.S. who arrived in the United States as minors, whether they have work status through programs like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or not. The typical survey participant is 26 years old and arrived in the United States at age 4. DACA beneficiaries make up 76 percent of the surveys respondents. Eleven percent are permanent residents, 8 percent are undocumented, 3 percent are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status and 2 percent have another status. The survey found drastic differences in outcomes for Dreamers with work authorization and those without. Of the respondents with work authorization, 93 percent said they are currently working, and 7 percent said they are looking for work; only 69 percent of respondents without work authorization said they are currently working, and 31 percent said they are looking. Though the number of program participants without work authorization is relatively low, it has nearly tripled to 8 percent of respondents, from 3 percent in 2022. And with DACAs legality up in the air, a majority of the scholarship programs graduates are worried they could get sidetracked in their careers. A broad majority 96 percent of alumni said they felt some level of anxiety over their immigration status in the past year, and 59 percent said losing work authorization is their biggest professional concern. Despite the demonstrated successes of DACA and other opportunities for Dreamers in unleashing their potential, many of our Alumni are anxious about their futures or unable to put their degrees to work. Undoubtedly, many of their employers share in this anxiety, knowing that the future of valued employees work authorization remains uncertain, said Gaby Pacheco, president of TheDream.us. 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. Most of the Miami Valley is under a heat advisory because of the dangerously high temperatures expected throughout the week. As reported on News Center 7 Daybreak, starting today, for the next two weeks Rumpke crews will be collecting trash earlier in the day. The high temperatures predicted for the upcoming weeks make our job more dangerous. To help protect our team members from heat-related illnesses and ensure customers still receive timely collection, we must adjust our operations, Operations Manager Ben Rumpke said. >> Area cooling centers open due to dangerous heat News Center 7 also talked to Bladecutters, a landscaping company, who are also starting their days earlier. They said once the temperatures get into the mid 90s its too dangerous to be out working, even with the safety precautions they currently have. We just monitor everybody in the supervisors on each crew just keeps a look on it and everybody makes sure everybody takes plenty of breaks and stays hydrated, John Scott, the president of Bladecutters said. For the next couple of weeks, Rumpke is asking everyone to bring their trash out at night so you dont miss a pickup. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) San Diego beachgoers are urged to take precaution on Monday as strong surf is expected to create dangerous rip currents along the regions coast, according to the National Weather Service. A beach hazards statement was issued for San Diego County by the weather agency Sunday night, ahead of the strong surfs peak. According to NWS, waves of about three to five feet tall are expected with sets to six feet through 7 p.m. Monday. The heightened surf should mostly subside by Tuesday. While the beach hazards statement is in place, dangerous rip currents are a risk for swimmers and surfers, NWS said. San Diego Fire-Rescue lifeguards are encouraging beachgoers to remain out of the water to avoid hazardous conditions. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains, rip currents, which are narrow, localized currents, are caused by breaking waves piling up along the shoreline as the water retreats. These currents are present on beaches nearly every day of the year, but under certain wave or tide conditions, the flow of water away through the channel can increase to dangerous speeds. When getting caught in a rip current, lifeguards say people should remain calm and avoid fighting the current. The best escape is to turn sideways to the shore and wade or swim until getting out of the current before continuing to the shoreline at an angle. For those stuck in a rip current, going with the flow could also be an option. As NOAA explains, rip currents often do not go very far. As soon as it begins slowing down, lifeguards would then encourage a swimmer to make their way back to the shore heading towards the breaking waves. Above: A FOX 5/KUSI video on how to escape a rip current. SDFD Lifeguard Chief James Gartland told FOX 5/KUSI that his teams are monitoring the beach conditions and will be ready for any incidents should they arise. The rip currents are pulling right now and it can happen to experienced surfers or novice surfers, Gartland said. But really who we are most concerned with are those people who are coming here to enjoy the beach. He said beachgoers are urged to swim near lifeguard towers and to check in with any on-duty personnel when arriving at the beach or before going in the water to make sure youre spending the day in the eyeline of a lifeguard. This year so far has already shaped up to be a busy one for lifeguards. During Fathers Day weekend, lifeguards conducted close to 150 rescues, according to SDFD. 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. The Mediterranean is a cemetery for migrants who attempt the perilous crossing from North Africa to Europe. Stories appear in the press with depressing regularity, but Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? (BBC Two) focused on a tragedy that stood out for sheer weight of numbers. The Adriana was a rusty fishing trawler which capsized off the coast of Greece last summer. Patently unseaworthy, it was packed with 750 migrants. The people-smugglers threw the passengers supplies overboard in order to fit more bodies on board. After a rescue effort by the Greek authorities or a botched attempt to tow it into Turkish waters; survivors have claimed the vessel keeled over, after which they saw crew members gazing down at them in the water but made no move to pull them out 600 people drowned. You may be thinking: its a risk these people willingly took. You may not care what happened to them. You may think that stories like this act as a deterrent, and that the Greeks are perfectly within their rights to get tough (although they reject all accusations of illegal activity). But if there is a cover-up if a government is lying about its activities, as is alleged here then it should be exposed. The most comprehensive reporting here was done by a New York Times journalist, Matina Stevis-Gridneff, who meticulously chronicled the route of the Adriana and alleged the Greeks decided to send a boatload of masked special forces operatives, rather than a rescue vessel, to intercept it. Months before this, another journalist, Fayad Mulla, had taken covert footage on the island of Lesbos of migrants including a baby and young children being unloaded from the back of a van by masked men and put on a Greek coastguard vessel. According to the documentary, those same migrants were later picked up by the Turkish coastguard, drifting in a tiny inflatable, although we saw no firm evidence that they were the same people. The aim of award-winning filmmaker Ben Steele was to establish a pattern of behaviour. What theyre doing to people is so specific, so coordinated and so repetitive across geography and time that it can only be policy, Stevis-Gridneff said. But Steele didnt quite nail this. While the evidence was powerful, it was difficult to know how widespread these alleged practices are. Steeles own interviewing of those in power was weak, and the most damning moment came in an off-camera admission by an interviewee who had forgotten that his mic was still recording. On an emotional level, however, it struck home, whether in the sorrowful testimonies of two men who survived the Adriana sinking, or the words of the British founder of a search-and-rescue operation who simply could not understand how anybody in his line of work could willingly send people in need of help back out to sea. Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? is on BBC Two on Monday 17 June at 9pm, and available on BBC iPlayer now 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 coal preparation plant was photographed from the air on Nov. 1, 2023, the day after its collapse. Louisville Emergency Management took the photo via a drone. (Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet records) On a cool evening in late October, David Peyton heard a pop then a warning scream to get out. Within seconds two men were trapped under 11 stories of steel and concrete. Peyton ran to where Alvin Nees and Billy Joe Bo Daniels were trapped in the collapsed Pontiki/Excel coal preparation plant in Martin County. He talked with the men but lost contact with Nees after a half hour, maybe a little longer. Alvin Nees (Photo from obituary) Peyton, a subcontractor on the project to demolish the plant, told state investigators that he had refused to do the demolition himself because of his concerns about the plants decades-old condition. Thats according to a report by state workplace safety officers and released to the Lantern through an open records request. Emergency responders from across Kentucky worked for several days in a dangerous but ultimately futile attempt to rescue Nees and Daniels. Both men died from their injuries, a loss that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in early November called a heartbreaking situation. A months-long investigation by the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet found that it was a situation that might have been averted had federally-required safety precautions been followed. The investigation found multiple safety violations that preceded the collapse, including: Billy Joe Bo Daniels (Photo from obituary) Not having an engineering survey and plan before demolition. Not bracing corroded load-bearing steel columns or ensuring the columns were not overstressed before using welding torches to cut into them. Not having someone certified in first aid on site. Not informing Nees and Daniels of the hazardous conditions involved with the demolition. The cabinet on April 30 fined Skeens Enterprises, the primary contractor charged with demolishing and scrapping the plant, $31,500 for five violations that preceded the deaths of Nees and Daniels. A voicemail and text message to Peyton from the Lantern asking about the state report were not returned. Attempts to reach Stanley Skeens, the CEO of Skeens Enterprises, or a representative of Skeens Enterprises were not successful. What state and federal officials found The Lexington Coal Co., a prominent mining operator with a history of environmental compliance issues, holds the state permit to reclaim the site of the coal preparation plant, which had been operated by Alliance Resource Partners until it was closed and sold in 2014. Lexington Coal Co. is led by Jeremy Hoops, the son of Jeff Hoops whose bankrupt coal company, Blackjewel, in 2019 withheld final paychecks from employees who then blocked a coal train for two months. Jeff Hoops was Blackjewels CEO and president. Lexington Coal Company contracted with Pike County-based Skeens Enterprises to demolish and salvage the plant. Skeens Enterprises then subcontracted with Tennessee-based Bordeau Metals, LLC to help with the demolition including with the loading and transportation of metal. Bordeau Metals, led by Brad Bordeau, then subcontracted with Peytons McLean County-based company Ace Welding and Fabrication to conduct the demolition of the plant. State workplace safety inspectors made note of the corroded steel in the coal preparation plant. (Public Records) State workplace safety officials noted in their report that Lexington Coal Company required in its contract with Skeens Enterprises that the contractor get permission before subcontracting the demolition work. Lexington Coal Company was unaware that subcontractors had been brought on or that demolition work had begun in late October, according to the state report. State officials investigated Lexington Coal Company separately after the collapse but didnt issue the company any citations. Peyton, head of the welding company, had his doubts about the demolition project going back to September 2023. Peyton told Skeens in September he wasnt comfortable demolishing the plant due to its condition. The steel of the idled preparation plant had been widely corroded. State inspectors later attributed the corrosion to decades of exposure to chemicals used and coal ash created by crushing and removing excess rock from the mined coal. Skeens persisted in keeping Peyton on the project; the two agreed that month that Peyton would move forward with his work if Skeens could get the building on the ground. But in late October, Peyton told Brad Bordeau, the other subcontractor, he wasnt going to go forward with his part in the demolition project. Bordeau then decided to bring in a Louisville company specializing in demolitions to look at the structure. Bordeau informed Skeens and Peyton he was bringing in the Louisville company. Skeens, the primary contractor, had another idea. He reached out to Bo Daniels and Alvin Nees, unbeknownst to Bordeau. Daniels had worked with Skeens before but not on a demolition project, according to the state report, and Skeens had demolished around a dozen coal preparation plants before tackling the project. Skeens asked Peyton if Nees and Daniels could use Peytons welding torches and equipment, which Peyton provided them, along with protective gear. Peyton also taught Nees and Daniels how to use the torches. On the day of the demolition, Oct. 31, 2023, Nees and Daniels began cutting two-foot notches out of the steel columns at the base of the plant. It was Skeens screaming that Peyton heard when the plant began to collapse, according to the state report. Skeens felt sick following the collapse and was taken to the hospital. State officers didnt find any evidence of an engineer conducting a survey before the demolition was done as required by federal regulations. Nor was there someone certified with first aid at the plant site, also required by federal regulations, though Skeens had a first aid certification that had expired in 2008. Skeens told state officers he didnt advise Daniels on how to drop the building other than to have it fall to the east. Daniels and Nees were supposed to be paid $5,000 for their work. That same day, Bordeau had brought in Jon Davies, the president of Louisville-based Complete Demolition Services, to price the demolition of the plant. State officers write Skeens said Davies told him at the plant site the demolition process Nees and Daniels were undertaking looked good. But when state officers interviewed Davies, he told them the demolition process was not how he would do it and that he requested to get away from the building. A federal engineering report stated that while using welding torches isnt uncommon with a demolition, the cuts made into load-bearing steel columns on the ground floor of the plant posed a serious risk to the structural integrity of the building. One of the columns that had been cut into by the torches had a calculated load of 56,000 pounds, or the equivalent of more than a dozen large SUVs. That column was overstressed and in a precarious state even before the collapse transpired, Alan Lu with the federal Office of Engineering Services wrote. Field investigations further reveal that some columns in the eastern section of the building were subjected to torch cuts resulting in the complete loss of their load bearing capacity. The inadequate demolition procedures ultimately culminated in the premature and catastrophic collapse of the building during demolition operations, Lu wrote. Rescuers from around the state worked for more than two days, using dogs, listening devices and cameras to search the unstable debris. The county sheriff told the Mountain Citizen of Inez that responders crawled under tons of steel and concrete that was snapping and popping and at one point attempted to free Daniels by surgically amputating his leg. The two men were remembered last year by their families and loved ones as a great father and a great person. The post Deaths of 2 Kentucky workers demolishing coal-prep plant bring $31,500 fine for safety violations appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Deceased man found in Niagara Falls after he was on personal watercraft BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) New York State Park Police have announced the discovery of a deceased man in Niagara Falls. Just before 11:40 p.m. Sunday night, New York State Park Police Marine units were called for a man on a personal watercraft who did not return from the water. A deceased 60-year-old man was located on the shoreline of the Niagara River. The investigation is ongoing. 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. As Iran-backed Houthi rebel groups continue to use attack drones to target ships in the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit are partnering to prototype a counter uncrewed aircraft system that can disable or shoot them down. The Navy is looking for a system it can easily integrate with a range of platforms to defend against such adversary drone attacks, DIU said June 14. The program, dubbed Counter NEXT, aims to quickly test prototypes and field them on vessels around the globe. It is expected that solutions will be capable of expeditious worldwide deployment, integrated with a variety of naval platforms and must display the ability to be easily integrated into the existing sensors onboard a naval vessel, DIU said in a statement. Since last fall, Iran-backed groups have used drones, uncrewed surface vessels and anti-ship ballistic vehicles to launch dozens of attacks on U.S., allied and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The incidents have disrupted global trade in key waterways and killed three merchant sailors. According to a June 13 report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, 65 countries and 29 major energy and shipping companies have been affected or have had to alter their routes in response to these aggressions. The growing threat of adversarial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) poses significant risks to U.S., allied and partner forces, naval vessels, and commercial vessels transiting key maritime routes across the globe, DIU said. The U.S. is committed to protecting commercial maritime trade and, more importantly, service members conducting maritime operations in contested environments. DIU has a portfolio dedicated to leveraging commercial and off-the-shelf technology to defend against these types of drone threats. Matthew Way, who leads that effort, said counter UAS is a high priority for the organization, adding that DIU plans to use a portion of the $800 million budget increase Congress provided in fiscal 2024 to fund efforts like Counter Next. Weve really got to focus on, how do we get after those more advanced capabilities . . . and how do we protect ourselves from adversarial threats that are employing this technology as well, he said during Applied Intuitions June 13 Nexus conference in Washington, DC. Pentagon officials have emphasized that defending against enemy drones will require a layered approach, including electronic warfare and kinetic effects. Counter Next is focused on kinetic systems that cost less than a traditional missile or air defeat system and rely on mature technology that can be ready for testing within 90 days of a contract award. And while its not required, DIU may prioritize proposals that demonstrate the ability to take out surface vessel threats. Companies must also be able to deliver at least five systems within 12 months of being selected. Delaware lawmakers Thursday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have expanded absentee ballot and early voting in the First State. Senate Bill 3, which was approved by the state Senate last year, was defeated in a 25-10 vote in the state House of Representatives, with six Republican lawmakers not voting on the measure that would grant no-excuse absentee voting in Delaware. A House amendment would have provided additional protections for early voting to the constitution, requiring the state to offer in-person early voting for 10 days before a general, primary or special election, including the weekend before Election Day. The constitutional amendment was proposed due to recent court decisions striking down efforts to expand early voting and vote by mail, which state legislators initially had done through changes in law. Election workers hang up signs in 2022. The Delaware Constitution sets out specifics about how elections are to be administered and supersedes any changes in state law. House Minority Whip Lyndon Yearick said Republicans could not support the measure for a number of reasons, including combining absentee voting with early voting and wanting to wait on a decision by the Delaware Supreme Court. Yearick introduced a constitutional amendment to ensure early in-person voting, but it has yet to be taken up by the House Administration Committee. "We want the court decision to happen first and foremost," he said. "It may make this a moot point." SUPERIOR COURT DECISION: Delaware lawmakers consider options after court tosses out early voting, mail-in ballots The bill was the first leg of a constitutional amendment process that aimed to eliminate from the state constitution all limitations for when an individual may vote by absentee ballot. It would have allowed the General Assembly to enact general laws providing the circumstances, rules and procedures for absentee voting, according to a statement from Rep. Sheraea Rae Moore and Sen. Darius Brown, sponsors of the bill. "This outcome is deeply disappointing, not just for us, but for the thousands of Delawareans who face significant barriers getting to the polls on Election Day, Moore and Brown said in a joint statement following Thursdays vote. For the past several months, we have negotiated in good faith with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, striving to find common ground and ensure that every eligible Delawarean has the opportunity to vote. The bills sponsors said in the last election cycle alone, more than 55,000 Delawareans took advantage of early voting. A member of the public waits in a long line in the cold to cast their vote on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Bear. This should not be a political issue. Both absentee and early voting have consistently proven to be secure and effective methods in Delaware, boosting voter turnout and ensuring that more voices are heard in our democratic process, the legislators said. Delawareans deserve the ability to vote without undue hardship, whether through in-person early voting or secure and accessible no-excuse absentee voting." Republican House Caucus spokesperson Joseph Fulgham blasted Democratic representatives for the statement issued after the vote, claiming legislators knew they did not have the support to pass the bill but ran it anyway for the sole purpose of issuing a prewritten partisan press release." CAMPAIGN FINANCE: How Hall-Long's refusal to release audit findings sparked elections reform talks House and Senate Democrats have only themselves to blame for the failure of the previous laws they enacted on early voting and permanent absentee voting, Fulgham said. They were warned repeatedly that their proposals violated the state constitution but, exhibiting their usual disregard for our state's foundational document, they passed them anyway. What are the current rules for absentee voting? Fulgham said that if Delawareans want to vote absentee, it remains legal, available and easily accessible. The state constitution limits absentee ballot voting to those who: Are in public service of the United States or state, or a citizen of the U.S. temporarily residing outside the country, or such persons spouse or dependent when residing with or accompanying such person, or absent from Delaware because of illness or injury while serving in the U.S. armed forces. Are in the U.S. armed forces, or the merchant marine, or attached to and serving with the armed forces of the U.S. in the American Red Cross or United Service Organizations. Provides care for a parent, spouse, or child living at home and requires constant care due to an illness, disability, or injury; works with students; or is an eligible person who is incarcerated. Are sick or physically disabled, whether temporary or permanent. Will be away on vacation. Are unable to vote at a certain time or day because of the tenets or teachings of one's religion. Learn more about absentee ballot voting in Delaware or apply online for an absentee ballot. What does this mean for future voting reforms? Because one of the bills sponsors, Democratic Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, changed her vote to no before the final tally was taken, it allows lawmakers to bring Senate Bill 3 back to the floor for a vote before the end of the legislative session. PREVIOUS VOTING REFORMS: Changes in voting laws expected to boost turnout in Delaware Delawareans deserve the ability to vote without undue hardship, whether through in person early voting or secure and accessible no-excuse absentee voting. No one should have to choose between earning a paycheck and having the opportunity to vote, nor should they need to justify their chosen voting method, Moore and Brown said in their statement. We remain committed to advocating for all residents' ability to vote safely and securely, whether through this amendment or other initiatives." The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware expressed disappointment with the Houses failure to pass critical and necessary reforms to voting in the state. Officials from the organization pledged to continue to push for expanded voter access in Delaware. Two-thirds of states already offer no-excuse absentee voting and only three other states in the country do not offer early in person voting options: Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire states with long histories of disenfranchising voters, said Andrew Bernstein, Cozen Voting Rights Fellow at ACLU-DE, in a news release. Delaware has become a tragic outlier in our nation when it comes to protecting and expanding access to the ballot." Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why Delaware House defeated expanding absentee ballot, early voting Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum, left, is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Oregon's 5th Congressional District. (Campaign photos) Democratic congressional nominee Janelle Bynum on Monday challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to three debates in an Oregon district that could determine which party controls the House. Bynum is seeking to reclaim for Democrats Oregons 5th Congressional District, which stretches from Bend to Portland and which Chavez-DeRemer won by 2 percentage points in 2022. Voter registration numbers and past election results show a slight advantage for Bynum, but its one of a handful of competitive races nationwide. Bynum called for three debates: One hosted by a TV station in the Portland market, one hosted by a TV station in the Bend market and one live-streamed and hosted by an organization or several organizations in conjunction with a print or radio news outlet. She wants the debates to occur between Sept. 9 and Oct. 15, with proposed debate dates and terms submitted to the campaigns for approval by July 15. Bynum also demanded that debate hosts schedule events with an empty podium with a placard displaying Chavez-DeRemers name if Chavez-DeRemer refuses to participate in debates. Families all across the 5th District are telling me how concerned they are about Lori Chavez-DeRemers extreme MAGA positions, and as an elected official, its her obligation to explain herself to the voters, Bynum said in a statement. Lori: you owe Oregon voters an answer about why youre backing convicted felon Donald Trump and why youve spent your tenure in Congress enabling his extreme anti-woman, anti-justice, and anti-democracy vision for America. The least you could do is justify your record directly to Oregonians on stage with me. Chavez-DeRemer spokesman Aaron Britt said Chavez-DeRemer looks forward to making her case to voters. While we wont be negotiating a debate calendar via press release, the congresswoman welcomes the opportunity to highlight her bipartisan accomplishments, which contrasts sharply with her opponents track record of being soft on criminals, against law enforcement and for tax hikes that have resulted in high crime and a weak economy, Britt said. She debated 2022 nominee Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Bend-based KTVZ and Portland-based KATU. The post Democratic candidate Bynum challenges U.S. Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to three debates appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. In North Carolina it has long been understood that public records are the property of the people. This makes sense: government officials are appointed and elected to do the publics business. The records we create doing that work are the publics records your records. Broad public access to records ensures that government is truly doing the publics work. At base, broad government transparency underpins representative democracy. Unfortunately, as with many things today, long-held norms can no longer be relied upon. Where in the past it was broadly understood that government officials would hand over records when asked, today we increasingly find ourselves in a time of government secrecy and closed-door dealings. Sen. Graig Meyer Rep. Pricey Harrison In 2023, the Republican supermajority passed a new law that exempts all state legislators from public records laws. Legislators are no longer required by law to provide their documents to the public. Worse, the new law gives them the power to destroy, or even sell, those records as they see fit. The change also included eliminating the specific law guaranteeing public access to all records of legislative redistricting processes. Given North Carolinas history with gerrymandering, including the recent N.C. Supreme Court ruling that allows partisan gerrymandering, the public now has even less power to stop legislators from stacking the deck in their own favor. It may not be surprising that this public records rollback was made without committee debate or a chance to amend the language. This was legislating in the dark to keep the people in the dark. Consequently, the Society of Professional Journalists awarded the N.C. General Assembly its annual Black Hole Award for undermining the publics right to know. With old norms shattered, it is time to enshrine the publics right of access into our state constitution. On June 5, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee that government actions are public and legislators remain accountable to the people. The proposed amendment would ensure that the people of North Carolina have a constitutional right to access information about government business. It would make clear that public records are the property of the people, not the politicians. The amendment would also require that all meetings of public bodies, whether at the state or local level, be open to the public. Any restrictions to this baseline level of transparency would need to serve a compelling public interest to be lawful. We are asking that this amendment to the constitution be placed on the November ballot so that the people of North Carolina can have the final say as to how their government functions. This is more than just a piece of legislation; it is a call to action for every North Carolinian who believes in the principles of transparency and accountability. And this is not a partisan pitch. In fact, the proposed amendment echoes the proposed Sunshine Amendment championed by current GOP Senators Ralph Hise, Brent Jackson and Buck Newton in 2011. The time has come for North Carolinians to demand a government that works for them, not behind closed doors. We deserve leaders who are willing to be held accountable, and we must be willing to do our part to hold them to that standard. This is our chance to reclaim our right to know and ensure a government that truly serves its people. Sen. Graig Meyer and Rep. Pricey Harrison are N.C. General Assembly members. A group of Democratic senators is urging the State Department to increase pressure on the Indian government, following credible allegations it was involved in a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh activist, who was also a U.S. citizen, on American soil. In a letter sent Monday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the senators urged a strong diplomatic response to ensure that all of those who were involved are held accountable. The group, led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), also requested a briefing to understand the extent of the U.S. governments engagement with the Indian government on this matter. While we fully support the DOJs efforts to bring Gupta to justice and the Department of States prior statements, the Administration must match words with actions to hold Indian officials involved in the plot accountable, and to send a clear message that there will be consequences for such behavior, Merkley wrote in the letter, which was signed by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). It is imperative that we take an unequivocal stand against such a threat to the rights of a U.S. citizen and violation of U.S. sovereignty, which are examples of Indias increasingly irresponsible efforts to silence critics of its government among its diaspora around the world, the letter continued. The Justice Department in November accused Indian national Nikhil Gupta in an unsealed indictment of participating in a failed assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who lives in New York and is a U.S. citizen. The indictment said Pannun was recruited by an unidentified Indian government official. Pannun, who supports the secession of Punjab from India and the creation of a sovereign Sikh state, is considered a terrorist by the Indian government. Gupta was arrested in Prague last June, after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) foiled the assassination plot against Pannun. Gupta denies involvement in the plot. On Friday, Gupta was extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States to face charges of murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said on Monday. The Associated Press reported that Guptas Czech attorney, Petr Slepicka, previously said he was planning to file a constitutional complaint to the countrys highest legal authority and asked the minister not to allow the extradition, calling it a political case. As the United States continues to seek deeper ties with India, the senators urged the administration to be firm and resolute in opposing transnational repression, no matter the perpetrator. The United States and India have a crucial relationship across multiple domains from security cooperation, to trade and investment, to strong cultural and people-to-people ties. As the two largest democracies in the world, this partnership must not only be based on mutual strategic interests, but also grounded in shared commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law, including respect for sovereignty and the individual rights and freedoms that are fundamental to any democracy, they wrote in the letter. They later added: India must maintain its commitment to respecting human rights at home and abroad as it aspires to global leadership. Now that Indias 2024 general election has concluded, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Modi returning to power, the United States has an opportunity to include this issue as a core agenda item with the Indian government. The Hill has reached out to the State Department for a response. 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 The Hill. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen has announced that Denmark has started negotiations on putting an end to the transportation of Russian oil by its shadow fleet of tankers across the Baltic Sea. Source: European Pravda, citing the minister's interview with Danish news outlet Information and Danwatch Quote: "Denmark has gathered a group of countries to consider further measures against the shadow fleet. It is important that all new measures can be implemented in practice and are legally sustainable." Details: Rasmussen did not elaborate on what the new measures would entail but added that he "takes the problem of the shadow fleet very seriously". Outdated oil tankers make up Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which it uses to circumvent sanctions on oil exports. The foreign minister noted that Denmark is engaged in a "confidential dialogue" with other Baltic Sea nations and the EU. Rasmussen did not disclose what countries would try to curb the shadow fleet. Background: Earlier, the Group of Seven (G7) countries promised further restrictions to combat Russia's use of shadow fleets to circumvent their sanctions. Last week, the United Kingdom announced new sanctions against Russia, seeking to hamper its ability to wage war against Ukraine. Prior to that, media reports indicated that there were still disagreements among EU countries over measures targeting Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", which consists of semi-legal oil tankers. Support UP or become our patron! DENVER (KDVR) The Denver City Council is proposing a bill that would let voters decide if the city should raise its sales tax by 0.34%. The proposal would help Denver Health cover costs for patients who cannot pay bills, largely due to a lack of health insurance, officials said. Denver Health estimated there were $140 million in unpaid medical bills in 2023 and said it cant maintain its current cost of care without a solution. Officials said, along with population growth, one of the problems is that city funding specifically set aside for unpaid medical bills has not increased in 15 years. Lakewood police use drone to save an intoxicated teens life Some council members expressed concern that if the proposal passed, Denver would have the 11th-highest sales tax in the state. If the proposal passes out of the city council, Denver voters would have the final say on the November ballot. Monday nights meeting will be the first reading of the bill. The council will make its final vote on June 24. 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. HERNANDO, Miss. Days after a DeSoto County Jail inmate walked out of court on his own and disappeared, a lot of questions remain as to how something like this could happen. Last Friday, Joshua Zimmerman walked out of the Hernando, Mississippi courthouse, he hasnt been seen since. DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Bartons office was set to be in court for Zimmermans hearing. This is as dangerous and as bad as they get, Barton said. Hes a career criminal. He has no regard for the safety of other people. Its a miracle that nobody was hurt in the courthouse or on our square. He has not been indicted, Barton said. We actually had his case, scheduled to go on our next grand jury and thats the status. That was the update we were going (with) for a while with the court on Friday. Manhunt underway after inmate escapes from courthouse in DeSoto County, MS Zimmerman has not yet been indicted but the case was scheduled to be heard by the next grand jury. The case involves an attempted murder charge. Zimmerman is accused of attacking an elderly Southaven man who hired him to work at his house last September. But when he went to court, Zimmerman escaped.From the courtroom, down the stairs, past the metal detectors and guards at the front entrance, Zimmerman apparently went unnoticed. Barton told WREG what happened before Zimmerman even got to the courtroom. So Ive actually Ive seen a video from inside the courthouse, Barton said. They came inside the courthouse, theyre going upstairs to the courtroom. Hes wearing shackles and a jumpsuit like everybody else. He broke from the line (and) went through a door. Sometime later, he left the courthouse with no shackles and street clothes. The image above is all the Sheriffs Department has released at this point and they arent saying why no one seemed to notice Zimmerman slip away, especially since the line of inmates are supposed to be guarded and escorted. WREG asked the Sheriffs Office how something like this could happen and if anyone would face any disciplinary action. However, those questions have gone unanswered. Zimmerman has a beard in his most recent photos (Photos courtesy of the Desoto County Sheriffs Office) Zimmerman has a beard in his most recent photos (Photos courtesy of the Desoto County Sheriffs Office) But, WREG has learned that Zimmerman was in this courthouse at least two times before, back in April and May to get an attorney assigned. He is being represented by a public defender. Barton said that the Sheriffs Office is dedicated to finding Zimmerman. I mean quite honestly, Im frustrated, Barton said. Im kind of angry about it. But you know, right now is the time to focus on solving the problem moving forward. U.S. Marshals offering $5K reward for info on DeSoto County escaped inmate The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force is now handling the search for Zimmerman. This weekend, they issued a $5,000 reward for his capture. The DeSoto County District Attorneys Office has now doubled that to $10,000. 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. ABOARD THE USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER IN THE RED SEA The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower may be one of the oldest in the Navy, but its still fighting despite repeated false claims by Yemens Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and online accounts supporting them repeatedly have alleged they hit or even sank the carrier in the Red Sea as it leads the U.S. response to the rebels ongoing attacks targeting both commercial vessels and warships in the crucial waterway. Thats put its leader, Capt. Christopher Chowdah Hill, and his social media profile directly in what has become an increasingly bizarre internet front line as the campaign goes on. And while he shrugs off his posts, they represent the new level of information warfare the Navy is having to fight as it faces its most intense combat since World War II and tries to keep the morale of the nearly 5,000 personnel aboard the Eisenhower high and munitions ready as their deployment stretches on. I think its been about two or three times in the past six months weve allegedly been sunk, which we have not been, Hill told The Associated Press during a recent visit to the carrier. It is almost comical at this point. Theyre attempting to maybe inspire themselves through misinformation, but it doesnt work on us. The visit by two AP journalists and others to the Eisenhower represents part of the effort the Navy has made to try to counter the Houthi claims. While on board for about a day and a half, journalists escorted by sailors crisscrossed the nuclear-powered ships 1,092-foot length. AP journalists also repeatedly circled the Eisenhower from the air in a Seahawk helicopter. All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of) Other than rust on its side from the hot, humid Red Sea air and water apparently leaking from a pipe in a dining room, the ship appeared no worse for wear. Its flight deck bore no blast damage or gaping holes, just the stink of jet fuel, pooled puddles of oily water and the scream of engines before its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets took flight. The other half of the information warfare effort has been Hill himself, a native of Quincy, Massachusetts, something noticeable immediately in his South Boston accent. While even the secretive leader of the Houthis, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, has name-dropped the carrier in speeches while making false claims about the vessel, Hill has offered ceaselessly positive messages online about his sailors on board. Behind the scenes look at the Ike Warrior of the Day weve got a yeoman driving the ship, pictures being taken, and some learning going on. Leaders can always squeeze in some recognition time. #ThisIstheWay pic.twitter.com/cKmtn49Fz8 Chowdah Hill (@ChowdahHill) June 14, 2024 Videos of flight operations from the bridge and images of sailors eating cookies in the captains chair are constant staples. After one false Houthi claim, Hill responded by posting images of cinnamon rolls and muffins in the bakery on board the Eisenhower a subtle jab at the claims. The whole intent of the social media outreach was to connect with families, to bring them closer to the ship, Hill said. So if I can post pictures of sons and daughters, husbands and wives out here, or even fathers and mothers, get it out there, it just kind of brings the family closer to us. And again, thats our support network. But it also took on another role because everyone else was watching to see what were doing. Then theres the Star Wars memes and images of Captain Demo, the Labrador-golden retriever mix who roams the ship as a support animal for sailors. And as far as the Houthi forces watching his postings, Hill takes special pleasure in writing about Taco Tuesday on the ship. Were going to celebrate Taco Tuesdays because its my absolute favorite day of the week. That will never end, the captain said. If you call that an information warfare campaign, you can. Its just who I am, you know, at the end of the day. But morale remains a deep concern for Hill and other leaders on board the ship. The Eisenhower and its allied ships have gotten just one short port call during the eight-month rotation so far to Greece. The carrier also has been the most-deployed carrier among the entire U.S. fleet over the last five years, according to an analysis by the U.S. Naval Institutes news service. One sailor, Lt. Joseph Hirl from Raleigh, North Carolina, wore a patch reading: Go Navy, Beat Houthis. While thats a play on the classic call for the annual Army-Navy football game, the naval flight officer stressed that he knew the combat was deadly serious. Its pretty much the day-in, day-out stress of knowing that we are being shot at definitely gives a realism to the whole experience that this is not a normal deployment, Hirl said. A sailor transports ammunition to a fighter jet on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Meanwhile, munitions also remain a concern. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told the U.S. Senates Armed Services Committee in May the Navy had spent at least $1 billion in armaments to fight in the Red Sea. Every leader on board the Eisenhower that the AP spoke to acknowledged the Navy was trying to use the right weapon against the Houthis, whose asymmetrical warfare sees them use far cheaper munitions. My sailors, my ships are priceless thats not a calculus I want a captain to have, said Capt. David Wroe, the commodore overseeing the guided missile destroyers escorting the Eisenhower. Now, using the appropriate effect weapon system on the appropriate threat to preserve magazine depth, to have more missiles, is certainly a germane tactical question. Presenting a fine warrior from Lockhaven, PA who manages all pay for his squadron. If you dont think pay affects morale, you crazy! To his mom, he says, Love you and thanks for the embarrassment! His advice for future Sailors: Go to school and pay attention. pic.twitter.com/77qYgaXdAA Chowdah Hill (@ChowdahHill) June 13, 2024 For now, the Eisenhower continues its patrol along with the cruiser Philippine Sea, and two destroyers, the Gravely and the Mason. Its been extended twice already and theres always the chance it could happen again. But Hill said his sailors remained ready to fight and he remained ready to continue to captain in his style. I came to a revelation at some point in my career that, one of the things that all humans require is to be loved and valued, Hill said. So I shouldnt be afraid, as a leader, to try to love and value everybody, and also to expect other leaders that Im responsible for to love and value their sailors. Correction: An earlier version of misstated the author of this report. The report was written by Jon Gambrell of The Associated Press. During a time of anti-immigrant fervor in the U.S., The 74 set out to test whether schools are turning away older immigrant students and to capture high-stakes enrollment conversations that otherwise take place beyond view. As part of our investigation, senior reporter Jo Napolitano posed as the aunt of a newcomer student named Hector Guerrero, who recently arrived from Venezuela with limited English skills. Napolitano told school staffers her nephews education had been interrupted after ninth grade. Through those exchanges, The 74 was able to document how school districts react to such registration requests, revealing widespread refusals to enroll the older student or forceful efforts to steer him to alternative programs. The 74 would not have garnered the same responses by contacting individual schools or districts in every state and asking them about their policies. Related: Hundreds of U.S. High Schools Wrongfully Refused Entry to Older, Immigrant Student Napolitano called a minimum of five high schools in every state plus Washington, D.C., totaling 255. She then added hundreds more spread throughout the country, based primarily on the number and percentage of Hispanic and immigrant residents living in each state. The calls were made between February 2023 and May 2024. Each school was presented with the same information about Hector: his age, his English proficiency, how far he had gotten in high school. Napolitano told district staffers her nephew was eager to restart his education so he could earn his diploma and go on to college. Using her own name, she said Hector was living with her and provided a home address within school district boundaries to establish his residency. Some answers came quickly, but most required multiple follow-up calls spread over several days or weeks. The 74 recorded these conversations in 34 states and D.C., where the law allows someone to record their own conversation without the other partys consent. These recordings number just over 1,000. In the 13 states where two-party consent is required, Napolitano transcribed these conversations. In a few instances after the initial phone call, subsequent communications occurred by e-mail or text at the school districts request. https://docs.mapbox.com/help/tutorials/create-interactive-hover-effects-with-mapbox-gl-js/--> Accepted Probably Yes Refused Probably No No Answer Napolitano reached out multiple times to school staffers who were fully quoted and named in our story; to those who were partially quoted and not named but their school was identified and to persons who were neither named nor quoted but whose school we identified in reporting how they responded to us. She explained the circumstances surrounding their original conversation and gave them an opportunity to respond. School staff were deemed to have refused Hector when they said outright they would not enroll him. Those who did not render a firm decision but strongly indicated the outcome were classified as probably yes or probably no. Schools that failed to respond after at least three calls were classified as no answer. The 74 determined the maximum high school attendance age in all 50 states and D.C., by researching sometimes convoluted regulations. In 35 states and the District of Columbia, students have a right to attend high school until at least age 20. Napolitano then worked for months to confirm our findings with every state department of education and D.C. All but a handful were responsive. The 74s code of ethics requires that reporters openly identify themselves. Engaging in undercover reporting or obtaining information by trickery or disguise, it states, is not permissible except in very rare circumstances. Such cases require the approval of a supervising editor and an explanation to the reader. Napolitano and her editor, Kathy Moore, believed this story met the very rare circumstances standard and sought and received approval to do an undercover investigation from The 74s Editor-in-Chief Steve Snyder. In some respects, our story reflects Newsdays 2019 award-winning investigative series, Long Island Divided, which equipped private citizens posing as first-time home buyers with training and hidden cameras to expose racial steering and unequal treatment in the residential real estate market. A significant number of the participants were actors. The 74 would like to express our appreciation to the Education Writers Association for awarding us a $7,500 grant to pursue this reporting project. Their support acknowledges as we said in our proposal that being turned away at the schoolhouse door cuts off a critical pathway toward earning a high school diploma and moving onto college or the workforce for this struggling group of students. (NEXSTAR) It has been nearly three weeks since former President Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal alleged affairs during the 2016 campaign. The jurys decision was the most striking legal blow to Trump, who now stands as the only U.S. president in history to be criminally convicted. But did Trumps conviction impact his standings in the polls at all? We still have a few months before we can say for sure, of course, but polling numbers show its seemingly unlikely. Polling in the days leading up to his conviction shows Trump edging out President Joe Biden, though they were relatively close across the board. A YouGov/The Economist poll of roughly 1,500 registered voters released on May 28, two days before Trumps conviction, gave the former president a 1-point lead over Biden. Trump held a 2-point lead over Biden in a poll of 10,000 registered voters released by the Morning Consult that same day. White House slams bad faith videos that claim to show Biden confused The next day, a Morning Consult/Politico poll of nearly 4,000 registered voters had Biden and Trump tied. Biden had a 7-point lead over Trump in a poll by Emerson College Polling, The Hill, and Nexstars WPIX of 1,000 New York voters. When long-shot candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Cornel West were factored in, Biden maintained a 44% to 38% lead over Trump. Another poll of 801 likely Ohio voters by National Public Affairs showed Trump leading by 8 points, with and without long-shot candidates. NEW YORK, NEW YORK MAY 30: Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) In the days and weeks after Trumps historic conviction, polling shows the race has remained relatively close. While a New York Times/Siena College recontact poll conducted June 1-3 showed Trumps lead dip slightly in six battleground states after his conviction, various others put him in the lead. A poll conducted immediately after the conviction gave Trump a 5-point lead in Georgia. He held the same lead among North Carolina residents surveyed a few days later. Pollsters said a survey of registered voters nationwide, published June 6, showed Trumps support held steady at 46%, but his lead over Biden dropped from 3 points to 1 point. An Iowa poll of over 800 residents conducted last week put Trump ahead by nearly 20 points. (Former President Barack Obama won that state, twice.) Trump also holds the lead in Florida, though that is narrowing, polling shows. Trump also received some early signs of support in the 24 hours after the verdict was reached: Eric Trump told Fox News his fathers campaign had raised $52.8 million. New Biden campaign ad targets convicted criminal Trump Biden appears to have held strong in some states, however. Among likely voters in Minnesota which hasnt voted for a Republican presidential candidate since President Richard Nixon in 1972 Biden held a 4-point lead over Trump, according to a survey conducted June 3-5. A poll published Sunday showed a majority of Black voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan said they would vote for Biden in a hypothetical match-up. WASHINGTON, DC APRIL 24: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after signing legislation giving $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan during a ceremony in the State Dining Room at the White House on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) In a CBS poll conducted June 5 and 7, more than half of respondents who expressed support for Biden said they were mainly backing him to oppose Trump, The Hill previously reported. That same poll put Biden and Trump neck and neck, nationally and in battleground states. A Fox News survey from June 1-3 also kept Biden and Trump tied in Virginia, though the same survey put Trump ahead in Nevada and Arizona. (Trump holds a 7-point lead over Biden in Arizona, according to a poll published last week.) Biden and Trump were also close in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to a poll released on June 4. Some of those same polls also showed voters agreed with the guilty verdict in Trumps hush money case. The Georgia polling showed half of the voters surveyed approved of the guilty conviction. In the North Carolina poll mentioned above, 29% of respondents said Trumps guilty verdict made them less likely to vote for him this year (though 37% said the verdict had no impact on their vote). Almost 1 in 5 Republicans in three battleground states said in a survey released on June 4 that they believed Trump was guilty in the hush money trial. Half of those surveyed in an ABC News/Ipsos poll said they believed Trump should end his campaign after his guilty verdict, and about half in an Associated Press/NORC survey said they approve of Trumps conviction. Over 20% of independents in a Politico/Ipsos poll published Monday said they are less likely to vote for the former president due to his conviction. Still, an election forecast model launched last week gave Trump a 2 in 3 chance of winning the general election in November. Overall, the polling tracked by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Trumps lead has, on average, held steady over Biden since his conviction. As of June 17, The Hill/Decision Desk HQs polling gives Trump a narrow 0.9% lead over Biden when put against each other in a hypothetical matchup. When Kennedy is added in, Trumps lead jumps to 1.6%. Still, Democrats appear hopeful Trumps conviction will only bolster their odds of winning. I think the prevailing view is it is an extremely close election and the conviction, while not a game changer, helps on the margins with a small group of voters, Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist and donor, told The Hill a week after Trumps conviction. It may temporarily juice enthusiasm on Trump side but doesnt gain any new voters 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 Queen City News. 'I didn't plan on any of this': Why downtown Peoria serves as center of homeless outreach Glenn Giles, 59, hangs out in his tent under a tarp, chatting with visitors in an encampment along Interstate 74 behind the Peoria's Womens' Club and New Hope Apartments in downtown Peoria. Living in a tent on a grassy strip of land in downtown Peoria is not an easy life, but it is a "tolerable" one, says Glenn Giles, a homeless man living in the city. Giles, 59, has been living in a tent one of roughly eight that make up a small encampment in downtown Peoria since November, he told the Journal Star. He once held a job at the Peoria Civic Center and had a place to live, but now he is a de-facto leader of this small encampment and one of the hundreds of people that face homelessness in Peoria every year. The encampment, which is much smaller and much cleaner than the homeless encampments that popped up on Knoxville Avenue and Dries Lane in Peoria last year, sits on a narrow patch of land located between Interstate 74 and Fayette Street. Its relative cleanliness and "out of sight, out of mind location" are both by design, Giles said. The location of the camp puts it in close proximity to many of Peoria's homelessness services. United Way, Phoenix Community Services, JOLT Harm Reduction and the Salvation Army all have a presence in or near downtown. Giles himself is "patiently waiting" on a list for housing through Phoenix and is also working with JOLT to secure an ID. He hopes those two things will help him land back on his feet. More: 'Survival mode': A look at Peoria's homeless camps and the community effort to help them Why homelessness services are centered downtown Tents are set up behind a fenced-in parking lot along Fayette Street in downtown Peoria. Connecting people like Giles to the services offered by groups such as Phoenix and JOLT, who Giles credits as being tremendous help to those living in the encampment, is crucial to tackling the issue of homelessness in Peoria. Giles said the process of securing an ID and obtaining housing has been like "pulling teeth," but, nonetheless, it wouldn't be possible without JOLT or Phoenix. Setting up camp downtown makes connecting with those services easier, which is part of the reason the outreach groups center some of their efforts in that area. Molly Pilgreen, the vice president and chief operating officer at Phoenix Community Development Services, said downtown Peoria provides close proximity for homeless people to food, transportation and health services, all within walking distance. "For us, it's just about the accessibility of those services, making sure they can go to where they need and what they need," Pilgreen said. "The other thing about it that's been kind of nice and unique is there is a community among those who experience homelessness or have experienced homelessness, and so there's this idea they build their own little community and participate in events we're hosting at one of our properties and they can all walk to that or use transportation because we do offer transportation." More: New shelter plans call for demolition of nearly 100-year-old Peoria building Kate Green, the executive director of United Way's Home for All Continuum of Care, said developments like the new downtown shelter planned by the Salvation Army at the site of the former Labor Temple and the continuation of other programs downtown could go a long way in combatting homelessness. She said the consolidation of multiple services into particular areas such as the city's downtown is pivotal in that effort. "What we see, not only here locally but across the country, is that individuals experiencing homelessness have a lack of access to a lot of resources, including things like transportation. So making sure that we have a lot of those primary needs consolidated in an area where they can access all of those health care, access to food, transportation, employment those all have to be solidified in a way that it's easily accessible for those experiencing homelessness," Green said. Homelessness services in downtown Peoria is not a new or recent part of downtown's landscape, Green said. The Salvation Army, for example, has had a presence on Jefferson Street for decades. Services since then have expanded to meet needs as part of a "natural evolution," she said. "That's what downtowns have served as for a long time, and individuals experiencing homelessness are just as much an integral part of our landscape of our communities and making sure that we adequately meet their needs," Green said. This year in Peoria, there are 381 people experiencing homelessness, according to Phoenix. The city of Peoria is "hitting its stride" when it comes to addressing the needs of homelessness, said 2nd District City Councilmember Chuck Grayeb, saying he is "very proud" to see what has happened in downtown Peoria. "But with the homeless services we need mental health services, which has been a great challenge for our country and for our city," Grayeb said. "That's why I remain so pleased that we have the investment at Heddington Oaks." Heddington Oaks, the former nursing home facility, is a planned behavioral health center in Peoria County. What life is like for the homeless in downtown Peoria Shawn Williams tidies up his new tent at a homeless encampment behind New Hope Apartments in downtown Peoria. On a warm June afternoon, Scotty Shepherd was hanging out with Giles at his tent in downtown Peoria, sitting in the shade of a tarp and umbrella. But Shepherd isn't living at the encampment with Giles not anymore. Shepherd, who was celebrating his 49th birthday that day, is one of the success stories of the homelessness services offered in downtown Peoria. Shepherd used to live in the downtown encampment. In fact, the tent Giles was living in used to be his. But now, Shepherd had his own room, his own bed, and much to his enjoyment, his own TV and DVD player, at Phoenix's Veteran's Haven Home. Shepherd has his own place to live now, but he hasn't forgotten about his friends at the encampment. To celebrate his birthday, they gathered in the common area at the Veteran's Haven Home, where Shepherd brought his TV and DVD player from his room so they could all watch together. He still tries to embody the three qualities he says are necessary to survive living in a homeless encampment: Respect, trust and brotherhood. "Morals are the main thing," Shepherd said. The same expectation of respect and trust the people living in the camps expect from each other, they hope to get from the public as well. Giles said the people who live there are not "bums" or "derelicts" and said the experience of being homeless has been "very humbling" for him. "I didn't plan on any of this," Giles said. "I know it's an eyesore." In the encampment, people take care of each other, Giles and Shepherd said. They often pool together their resources for food and other necessities. Drugs and fighting are not a problem at this camp either, Giles said, adding that anyone who has tried to make those things an issue has been run out of the camp. There is admitted alcohol use in the camps, evidence of which can be seen in empty cans strewn here and there. Occasionally, there's been instances of theft at the encampment, but those get policed by the residents. Giles says he went from making $20-$30 an hour at his previous job to now making about $20-30 a day junking. It's not much, but it can be enough to feed himself and others in the camp. He said others who live there often come to him for advice on things and he is often the man tasked with settling disputes within the camp as well. It's not the life he expected, but it does give him some feeling of solace to have that role in the camp. "I guess I do matter in some way," Giles said. The lifespan of this small encampment figures to be a short one, however. One of the nearby downtown buildings is in need of plumbing repairs, Giles said, and the water pipes that need to be dug up run right underneath the camp. Where they will go when the work happens, Giles says he doesn't know yet. Shepherd and Giles say they want to the public to know a few things about the people in the camps. They are not looking for handouts but rather "hand ups," which they say means helping out however you can, whether that means a dollar or two or helping someone find work. They also say people "would be amazed" at some of the talents and intelligence that resides in the camp. "I think the perception from the public when they see folks experiencing homelessness or panhandling there is this othering that occurs where we feel uncomfortable or maybe fear those individuals," Pilgreen said. "I do not think, to my knowledge, that anything that occurs downtown events-wise, business-wise is encumbered because of homelessness." Grayeb said he believes Peoria is a city that is striving and is happy to provide homelessness services to those who need them, adding no one can say Peoria "does not care." "I believe the people of Peoria have almost a boundless determination to give people a hand up when they need it," Grayeb said. More: Once a vibrant shopping district, this section of Downtown Peoria needs reinvestment This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Why Downtown Peoria is the center of city homeless services SWATARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) Swatara Township Police are asking for help identifying 15 20 dirt bikers who rode through Dauphin County. According to Swatara Township Police, on June 15, 2024, cameras caught 15-20 individuals riding ATVs and dirt bikes along Interstate 83 and surface streets at around 10 p.m. Police say the bikers broke multiple traffic laws and restricted the flow of I-83 South traffic. Officers obtained the photos of two of the riders, seen below. Anyone with information on who the suspect is encouraged to call the Swatara Township Police Department at 717-564-2550 or submit a tip on Crime Watch. In 2022, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1183, which deems the operation a snowmobile, dirt bike, or ATV on any street or highway that isnt designated for them unlawful. Individuals who violate this law are subject to having their illegal vehicles seized by law enforcement. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. The United States House of Representatives passed a ban on the future sale of DJI drones in the U.S. on Friday, making the DJI ban more likely than not. The "Countering CCP Drones Act" is part of the United States' 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA), a major piece of yearly legislation allotting defense spending for the coming year. Drone maker DJI is based in China and controls over 70% of the world's drone market share, a combination that threatens U.S. lawmakers. As we first reported in April, 6% of DJI stock lies in the hands of Chinese state-owned businesses, which has led to fears of Chinese government backdoors, national security risks, and other fears of Chinese surveillance using the company's drones. And of course, there lies the more real concern for U.S. lawmakers that DJI's success would continue to strengthen the Chinese economy. Elise Stefanik, the Republican representative from New York who sponsors the anti-DJI legislation, said of the drones, "DJI presents an unacceptable national security risk, and it is past time that drones made by Communist China are removed from America." Of course, this unacceptable risk has not seemed to faze the U.S. military and police complex, which generally favors use of the drones in law enforcement. DJI products have also been used in the Russian war against Ukraine, a use-case U.S. lawmakers fear though DJI has denounced all military use of its drones. The Countering CCP Drones Act, along with a scattering of other pet laws and culture war staples, is buried within the folds of this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA must be passed every year, though some political theater may delay its passage, and both houses of the United States Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate) have moved the spending bill through its early phases. The House has fully passed the bill, including the Countering CCP Drones Act, and now we wait for the Senate to pass its version, so the two can be combined and signed into law by President Biden. The current state of legislation would not prohibit the use of already purchased DJI drones in the United States, only the sale of DJI products in the U.S. Doing so would eliminate the most popular and highest-end drones used in the United States. The bill, while popular in Congress, still has a chance of being stopped. Concerned U.S. residents who disagree with the bill should contact their U.S. Senators and ask for the Countering CCP Drones Act to be dropped from the NDAA. While not as direct an attack on China as some moves associated with the U.S.-China trade war over semiconductors, the DJI ban would follow a tradition of tariffs and bans against successful Chinese companies in the U.S. Most bans affect the most commercially successful companies and entities from operation in the U.S., though lawmakers claim the goal is safety rather than a trade conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently argued, "What we're focused on is only the most sensitive technology that could pose a threat to our security. We're not focused on cutting off trade, or for that matter containing or holding back China." A coalition of doctors has urged the Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule that requires emergency rooms to provide needed abortions, even in states that otherwise ban the procedure. (Photo by Al Drago | Getty Images) With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to decide this month whether federal law protects emergency room abortions including where the procedure is banned doctors in states with abortion on the ballot this November urged the high court to preserve access. As physicians weve taken an oath to care for our patients and ensure their best outcomes and do no harm. These bans directly oppose our oaths and the standards of science-based, data-driven medical care, said Arizonas Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, an ER doctor in Glendale, during a June 14 online news conference hosted by the Committee to Protect Health Care, a left-leaning group whose membership includes more than 20,000 doctors and health care advocates. In April, the Biden Administration argued that a near-total abortion ban in Idaho, which criminalizes doctors for performing an abortion except in cases of rape or incest or when women face life-threatening complications, violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The law, commonly referred to as EMTALA, requires hospitals that participate in Medicare (which is the vast majority of them) to provide patients facing critical health conditions with stabilizing care before discharging or transferring them. A ruling is expected by the end of June but its unclear in which direction the court will move, as the justices appear split on the issue. The case has the potential to further narrow abortion access in states with restrictive laws, including in Arizona, which is currently under a 15-week ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest. A near-total ban from 1864 that threatened doctors with prison time for performing abortions for any reason other than saving a womans life was briefly in effect in 2022 until a court ruling blocked it. An attempt to revive that Civil War-era law was thwarted by Democrats in the state legislature who successfully repealed it and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who used legal maneuvers to ensure that repeal has time to go into effect this fall. There is so much uncertainty that I know there are a lot of physicians and providers that have been involved in abortion care that have fully removed themselves from doing so because of the concern of the backlash whether it is criminal proceedings or fines or a threat to their practices. Arizona Dr. Hiral Tipirneni A ballot measure headed for the November ballot seeks to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution up to the point of fetal viability, with ample exceptions beyond that time if the health care provider deems it necessary to preserve the life, physical or mental health of a patient. The Arizona Abortion Access Act has so far exceeded its signature requirement to qualify for the ballot and is poised to undergo the final step, signature verification, next month. The committee sent the U.S. Supreme Court a letter in May signed by 6,000 doctors from all 50 states calling for the preservation of EMTALA. Tipirneni said Arizonas anti-abortion laws undermine the work of doctors, who are dedicated to helping their patients stay safe. She added that the bans are driving doctors in Arizona out of the profession, and increasing the likelihood of women being forced to travel out of state to receive care. Access to abortion in Arizona is already severely limited, with only nine clinics in Arizona providing the procedure. There is so much uncertainty that I know there are a lot of physicians and providers that have been involved in abortion care that have fully removed themselves from doing so because of the concern of the backlash whether it is criminal proceedings or fines or a threat to their practices, she said. Dr. Joey Adashek, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist based in Las Vegas, Nevada, where voters will consider their own constitutional protection in November, said that preserving EMTALA is more important than ever, as anti-abortion politicians move to attack the procedure across the country. This boils down to whether hospital emergency departments in states that ban abortions can refuse care to patients who need an abortion even if its to save their life, he said. Denying life-saving care goes against everything we believe and work for as doctors. And, he added, upending the protection for emergency abortions threatens to undermine the legal shield for all other emergency care. Before the federal law was approved in 1986 to mandate that doctors and hospitals ensure patients receive immediate care for critical conditions, many were turned away without help. Can you imagine being in an emergency health crisis, showing up at the hospital, and being told to leave? Adashek asked. Can you imagine being pregnant, suffering a life-threatening complication, and being told in an emergency room that theres nothing that the doctors can do even when there is? That will be the reality in cases and states across the country if the Supreme Court rules that EMTALA doesnt apply to abortion care. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Some doctors shared stories of patients who were negatively impacted by the abortion bans they lived under, and said they feared the elimination of EMTALA protections would lead to even more women facing life-threatening conditions. Dr. Cecilia Grande, an OB-GYN in Miami-Dade County, Florida, said that women in her area would need to book a flight or drive for more than eight hours to access out-of-state care, leaving many with little recourse to resolve pregnancy complications. One of Grandes patients was found to have an irreversible cervical dilation at nearly 20 weeks into her pregnancy. While doctors should have been able to induce labor to lessen the womans pain, they were prevented from doing so by Floridas restrictive 6-week abortion ban until she presented with a fever or a premature ruptured membrane, which risks infection. Another woman had a blood test done to check for what was suspected to be Edwards Syndrome in the fetus, a rare genetic condition that causes multiple birth defects and usually prevents children from surviving beyond their first year. Waiting for the results of the test, which is administered only as early as 10 weeks, would take several days and even with results of the fatal fetal condition, two doctors would need to testify that an abortion was warranted and a willing hospital would need to be found to schedule the procedure most, Grande said, are hesitant to do so. I want my colleagues in the emergency room to be able to act to help my patients in their moment of need. The government should not be getting in the way, she said. Like in Arizona and Nevada, Florida voters are also expected to consider a ballot initiative to preserve abortion access and strike down the states restrictive ban in November. Missouri OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Smith pointed out that hostile abortion laws dont only affect women, but also the healthcare field as a whole. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that states with abortion bans have a marked decrease in medical residency applications, with emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynecology seeing a worse decline in states with bans than in those without them. In Arizona, the rate of emergency medicine residencies, which had already seen a 19.3% decline in the 2021-2022 application year, didnt improve in the following years, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion and the state teetered between some access and virtually no access to the procedure. In the first full year after the Dobbs decision, residency applications for emergency medicine plummeted as much as 30% in the Grand Canyon State. The next year continued to be dismal, with a decline in applications of 15.5%. And the number of OB-GYN applications in 2023-2024 dropped 26.4%, the worst rate in five years. Dr. Rob Davidson, an ER doctor from Michigan, criticized the continued effort from Republican politicians and conservative judges to cut women off from abortion care. Abortion, he said, is health care, and should be treated the same as all other kinds of emergency medical interventions. There just isnt another issue where politicians and judges have decided to jump in and say, Well, you can treat heart attacks to a certain point. If theyre going to die, yes treat them. But if its just a matter of, theyll be a little medically compromised or go into heart failure or be disabled from heart failure, well at that point you cant do it, he said. Davidson pointed out that doctors and hospitals have undergone years of training and numerous certifications to be able to provide medical care, while the politicians and judges seeking to enact restrictions against abortion have no such expertise. We just want to do whats right for our patients and its sickening to think that a court of nine people could tell us You dont get to do that, he said. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Quality Journalism for Critical Times With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to decide this month whether federal law protects emergency room abortions including where the procedure is banned doctors in states with abortion on the ballot this November urged the high court to preserve access. As physicians weve taken an oath to care for our patients and ensure their best outcomes and do no harm. These bans directly oppose our oaths and the standards of science-based, data-driven medical care, said Arizonas Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, an ER doctor in Glendale, Arizona, during a June 14 online news conference hosted by the Committee to Protect Health Care, a left-leaning group whose membership includes more than 20,000 doctors and health care advocates. In April, the Biden Administration argued that a near-total abortion ban in Idaho, which criminalizes doctors for performing an abortion except in cases of rape or incest or when women face life-threatening complications, violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The law, commonly referred to as EMTALA, requires hospitals that participate in Medicare (which is the vast majority of them) to provide patients facing critical health conditions with stabilizing care before discharging or transferring them. A ruling is expected by the end of June but its unclear in which direction the court will move, as the justices appear split on the issue. The case has the potential to further narrow abortion access in states with restrictive laws, including in Arizona, which is under a 15-week ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest. A near-total ban from 1864 that threatened doctors with prison time for performing abortions for any reason other than saving a womans life was briefly in effect in 2022 until a court ruling blocked it. An attempt to revive that Civil War-era law was thwarted by Democrats in the state legislature who successfully repealed it and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who used legal maneuvers to ensure that repeal has time to go into effect this fall. A measure headed for the November ballot seeks to enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona Constitution up to the point of fetal viability, with ample exceptions beyond that time if the health care provider deems it necessary to preserve the life or physical or mental health of a patient. The Arizona Abortion Access Act has so far exceeded its signature requirement to qualify for the ballot and is poised to undergo the final step, signature verification, next month. The committee sent the U.S. Supreme Court a letter in May signed by 6,000 doctors from all 50 states calling for the preservation of EMTALA. Tipirneni said Arizonas anti-abortion laws undermine the work of doctors, who are dedicated to helping their patients stay safe. She added that the bans are driving doctors in Arizona out of the profession and increasing the likelihood of women being forced to travel out of state to receive care. Access to abortion in Arizona is already severely limited, with only nine clinics in Arizona providing the procedure. So much uncertainty There is so much uncertainty that I know there are a lot of physicians and providers that have been involved in abortion care that have fully removed themselves from doing so because of the concern of the backlash whether it is criminal proceedings or fines or a threat to their practices, she said. Dr. Joey Adashek, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist based in Las Vegas, Nevada, where voters will consider their own constitutional protection in November, said that preserving EMTALA is more important than ever, as anti-abortion politicians move to attack the procedure across the country. This boils down to whether hospital emergency departments in states that ban abortions can refuse care to patients who need an abortion even if its to save their life, he said. Denying life-saving care goes against everything we believe and work for as doctors. And, he added, upending the protection for emergency abortions threatens to undermine the legal shield for all other emergency care. Before the federal law was approved in 1986 to mandate that doctors and hospitals ensure patients receive immediate care for critical conditions, many were turned away without help. Can you imagine being in an emergency health crisis, showing up at the hospital, and being told to leave? Adashek asked. Can you imagine being pregnant, suffering a life-threatening complication, and being told in an emergency room that theres nothing that the doctors can do even when there is? That will be the reality in cases and states across the country if the Supreme Court rules that EMTALA doesnt apply to abortion care. Some doctors shared stories of patients who were harmed by the abortion bans they lived under, and said they feared the elimination of EMTALA protections would lead to even more women facing life-threatening conditions. Eight hours Dr. Cecilia Grande, an OB-GYN in Miami-Dade County, Florida, said that women in her area would need to book a flight or drive for more than eight hours to access out-of-state care, leaving many with little recourse to resolve pregnancy complications. One of Grandes patients was found to have an irreversible cervical dilation at nearly 20 weeks into her pregnancy. While doctors should have been able to induce labor to lessen the womans pain, they were prevented from doing so by Floridas restrictive six-week abortion ban until she presented with a fever or a premature ruptured membrane, which risks infection. I want my colleagues in the emergency room to be able to act to help my patients in their moment of need. The government should not be getting in the way. Dr. Celia Grande, Miami-Dade County Another woman had a blood test done to check for what was suspected to be Edwards Syndrome in the fetus, a rare genetic condition that causes multiple birth defects and usually prevents children from surviving beyond their first year. Waiting for the results of the test, which is administered only as early as 10 weeks, would take several days and even with evidence of the fatal fetal condition, two doctors would need to testify that an abortion was warranted and a willing hospital would need to be found to schedule the procedure most, Grande said, are hesitant to do so. I want my colleagues in the emergency room to be able to act to help my patients in their moment of need. The government should not be getting in the way, she said. Like in Arizona and Nevada, Florida voters will consider a ballot initiative to preserve abortion access and strike down the states restrictive ban in November. Missouri OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Smith pointed out that hostile abortion laws dont only affect women, but also the health care field as a whole. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that states with abortion bans have a marked decrease in medical residency applications, with emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynecology seeing a worse decline in states with bans than in those without them. Losing OB-GYNs In Arizona, the rate of emergency medicine residencies, which had already seen a 19.3% decline in the 2021-2022 application year, didnt improve in the following years, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion and the state teetered between some access and virtually no access to the procedure. In the first full year after the Dobbs decision, residency applications for emergency medicine plummeted as much as 30% in the Grand Canyon State. The next year continued to be dismal, with a decline in applications of 15.5%. And the number of OB-GYN applications in 2023-2024 dropped 26.4%, the worst rate in five years. Dr. Rob Davidson, an ER doctor from Michigan, criticized the continued effort from Republican politicians and conservative judges to cut women off from abortion care. Abortion, he said, is health care, and should be treated the same as all other kinds of emergency medical interventions. There just isnt another issue where politicians and judges have decided to jump in and say, Well, you can treat heart attacks to a certain point. If theyre going to die, yes treat them. But if its just a matter of, theyll be a little medically compromised or go into heart failure or be disabled from heart failure, well at that point you cant do it, he said. Davidson pointed out that doctors and hospitals have undergone years of training and numerous certifications to be able to provide medical care, while the politicians and judges seeking to enact restrictions against abortion have no such expertise. We just want to do whats right for our patients and its sickening to think that a court of nine people could tell us You dont get to do that, he said. This article first appeared in the Arizona Mirror, a member with the Phoenix of the nonprofit States Newsroom network. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post Doctors speak out as U.S. Supreme Court weighs future of ER abortions appeared first on Florida Phoenix. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A 39-year-old man faces up to a decade in prison after pleading guilty Monday to a $25 million tax fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors. The fraud perpetrated by Miguel Martinez, of Bakersfield, occurred from November 2019 through June 2023, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of California. He and others filed hundreds of false tax returns for people who supposedly worked at businesses that were also determined to be fake, prosecutors say. 4 arrested after Tulare drug and weapons investigation The IRS paid $2.3 million in tax refunds as a result of the scheme, according to the release. Additionally, federal agents searched Martinezs three homes and found $750,000 in fraudulent tax refund checks, ID cards for more than 200 people and guns and ammunition, according to the release. Sentencing is set for Sept. 23. Co-defendant Victor Cruz, a Bakersfield tax preparer, is awaiting trial, prosecutors say. 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. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Two Fresno residents pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court records, from December 2014 through November 2018, in Madera and Fresno, Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, 49, a pharmacist, dispensed over 200,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on prescriptions delivered to him by Kelo White, 43, and co-defendant Donald Ray Pierre, 55, of Fresno, that they knew were forged and fraudulent. Talbert says Ntukogu reviewed each prescription and rejected the ones that he believed regulators may deem suspicious. For example, Ntukogu rejected prescriptions that were written by certain doctors or that were written for individuals who were having prescriptions filled at other pharmacies. He also alerted White and Pierre when the required language on the prescription pads changed. According to the DOJ, Ntukogu dispensed the pills through his New Life Pharmacy in Madera. Upon doing so, he required cash payments from White and Pierre and increased the price that he charged over time. The DOJ says Ntukogu and White are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2024. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Over the weekend Donald Trump committed one of his worst verbal "glitches" of the campaign so far. After delivering his standard line about how Joe Biden should be forced to take a cognitive test and rambling on about how he had "aced" his, Trump then said: Doc Ronny Johnson, does everyone know Doc Ronny Johnson from Texas? He was the White House doctor and he said that I was the healthiest, he feels, president in history so I liked him very much. Trump was very close with this former White House physician and Navy admiral who was demoted to captain for a range of inappropriate behavior, including drinking on the job who is now in Congress. I wrote about their relationship some years back: Brig. Gen. Dr. Richard Tubb said in a letter that the doctor had been attached like "Velcro" to Trump since Inauguration Day. Tubb explained that [the] office is one of only a very few in the White House Residence proper, located directly across the hall from the presidents private elevator. He said that "on any given day 'physician's office,' as it is known, is generally the first and last to see the President." So Trump surely knows, or at least used to know, that the doctor's last name is Jackson, not Johnson. He does that a lot, doesn't he? Recall that he repeatedly confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi at another rally earlier this year. But doing it in the same breath as he slags Biden's cognitive abilities takes it to a whole other level. If I had to guess, maybe Trump was confusing Jackson's name with that of House Speaker Mike Johnson, whom he's reportedly been haranguing to somehow overturn his New York criminal conviction. (Which really isn't something the Congress can do perhaps he confused him with his former fixer Michael Cohen.) Politico reports that Trump is obsessed with the idea of using congressional power to go after Democrats he believes have "weaponized" the justice system: Its a campaign he orchestrated in the days after his May 31 conviction on 34 felony counts in New York, starting with a phone call to the man he wanted to lead it: Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump was still angry when he made the call, according to those who have heard accounts of it from Johnson, dropping frequent F-bombs as he spoke with the soft-spoken and pious GOP leader. We have to overturn this, Trump insisted. That's an interesting choice of words, don't you think? He has a habit of calling people up and demanding they "overturn" outcomes he doesn't like. Recall the famous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanding that he "find" enough votes to overturn the election result in that state. He said publicly, more than once, that he believed the Supreme Court would overturn the results of the 2020 election, largely because the three justices he'd put on the bench owed it to him. At one point he was just posting #OVERTURN on social media. That obviously didn't work, but it hasn't stopped him from deploying the same demands in the wake of his conviction last month. Unlike Raffensperger, Johnson appears ready and willing to do what he can to help. After all, he was an election denier before it was cool. Back in 2020, Johnson was among those who argued that the way some state officials had changed voting procedures during the pandemic was unconstitutional. He reportedly strong-armed 125 House members to join him in a Supreme Court brief supporting a lawsuit filed in Texas to undo the election results in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin. According to ABC News, Johnson "told them Donald Trump was watching" and let it be known that he was in close contact with the then-president. The Supreme Court refused to take that case due to lack of standing but Johnson didn't let up. He trafficked in some of the kookiest election conspiracy theories, including the one about how Dominion voting machines were rigged and somehow tied to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013. In other words, Johnson is a card-carrying election denier who will do everything he can to help Trump this November if he wants to challenge the results again (which he and the Republican National Committee are already setting up to do, should Trump lose). Trump obviously knows this, which is why he immediately got Johnson on the horn after the conviction, hurling the aforementioned "F-bombs" and demanding that Johnson find a way to throw out his conviction. Politico reports that Johnson was already on board: The speaker didnt really need to be convinced, one person familiar with the conversation said: Johnson, a former attorney himself, already believed the House had a role to play in addressing Trumps predicament. The two have since spoken on the subject multiple times. Whether the speaker can fulfill Trump's demands is another story. House Republicans managed to vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt last week but that wasn't easy to pull off and will have no practical effect. It's unclear whether they can pass any of their proposals to punish those who are prosecuting Trump, let alone a proposed law that would allow presidents to move state cases to federal court. While Johnson is reportedly still interested in trying to "defund" special counsel Jack Smith's office, one senior appropriator told Politico that was a "stupid" idea. Needless to say, no such bills will pass the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Johnson may be doing all this to appease the hard right and fend off another effort to oust him from the speaker's office. I'd say it's more likely that he's trying to help Trump because he's a true believer. After Trump demanded that Johnson overturn the conviction, the speaker appeared on "Fox and Friends" to reassure the faithful that his pals on the Supreme Court would take care of it: I think that the justices on the court I know many of them personally I think they are deeply concerned about that, as we are. So I think theyll set this straight. This will be overturned, guys, theres no question about it; its just going to take some time to do it. That had to be music to Trump's ears and no doubt made him love the speaker even more. But I hope Johnson doesn't expect the ex-president to remember all these favors. He's having a little trouble in that department lately. At this point, Trump could confuse him with Mike Pence and all that goodwill would go right out the window. Donald Trump is looking for a fighter as his running mate in this years presidential election and regards factors such as their gender or race as irrelevant, according to sources close to the former US president. Conventional wisdom used to hold that Trump was likely to choose a woman or a person of color as his potential vice-president in an effort to broaden his appeal. But aides close to the presumptive Republican nominee currently say he will not take so-called identity politics into account. Instead, Trump, who is still trying to make up his mind, wants a candidate who is media-savvy and will fight for him on adversarial TV networks. In short, a Trump ally said, he wants someone who is everything Mike Pence wasnt. Former vice-president was a valuable asset during the 2016 and 2020 campaigns the Christian conservative who shored up support among Republicans suspicious of the thrice-married reality TV star. But Pences refusal to comply with Trumps demand to overturn the 2020 election led to a falling out and made Pence a target of the January 6 rioters. Trump is seeking a Goldilocks running mate this time: strong but loyal, in tune with Maga but not over-rehearsed, telegenic but not likely to outshine him. His choice will go up against Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to serve as vice-president. But his campaign does not regard having a Black candidate such as Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina as intrinsically helpful, preferring to reach voters of color through community outreach and policy plans. A source said the campaign hears from Black voters that identity politics matter less to them than the economy and community safety. Biden is 81 while Trump turned 78 on Friday. Both candidates have already served one term, putting more focus on the vice-presidency than in a typical election year. Fifteen vice-presidents have gone on to be president, eight of whom succeeded to the office upon the death of the incumbent. Jim McLaughlin, a former pollster for Trump, said: Its got to be somebody that he knows can be the president of the United States because he hasnt said this but other people are saying this this could be a person thats in the White House for the next 12 years, so he understands the importance of that. Speaking on a panel in Washington organised by polling firm JL Partners, McLaughlin added: I think its also somebody who definitely believes in his agenda. I dont think hes going to go for somebody to have some sort of an ideological or necessarily political balance. Hes going to want an America first Republican to be his nominee. I get calls a lot of times from candidates: Can you help me with the Trump endorsement? My first question to them is: what kind of relationship do you have with him? Because loyalty is huge with him. Its got to be somebody he is comfortable with as a person. Earlier this month, ABC News reported that Trumps campaign had started a process of formally requesting information from a small handful of potential running mates. It named Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota; JD Vance, a senator for Ohio; and Marco Rubio, a senator for Florida. Speculation around Burgum, a 67-year-old multimillionaire businessman, has been gathering momentum in recent weeks, culminating in an 1,800-word profile in the New York Times. The article included details such as Burgum having worked as a chimney sweep in college, wearing a black-top hat and tails to evoke Dick Van Dykes character in the film Mary Poppins. Rubio, 53, a son of Cuban immigrants, could potentially help the former president peel away Latino voters from Biden and, as the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, brings foreign policy experience. The US constitution poses a headache, however, since it bans electors from selecting a president and vice-president from the same state and both Trump and Rubio call Florida home. Vance, 39, rose to fame in 2016 with his memoir Hillbilly Elegy about growing up poor in Appalachia. That year, he was a fierce critic of Trump, at one point calling him cultural heroin. Since 2018, however, he has embraced the 45th president and befriended his son, Don Jr. Vance is seen as an intellectual standard bearer for the America first ideology with a connection to blue-collar voters. Reed Galen, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group, said: Vance tends to make the most sense. Theres the anti-Trump video that will be played a million times, but everyones got something like that now probably except for Ben Carson. But Vance seems to me to be the person who can bring youth to the ticket. He can lay back on that Hillbilly Elegy bootstraps bullshit that Republicans love. He added: Trump is certainly more dynamic on stage because hes nuts hes a coked-up Tasmanian devil but I would venture to say that, for a lot of Republicans, Vance reminds them of a Republican party that they want. Burgums boring but hes got money. Hes not going to hurt you. Hell do whatever hes told. I think Vance would, too. Other contenders include former housing secretary Ben Carson, the senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the representative Byron Donalds of Florida, the former Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, the Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and the representative Elise Stefanik of New York. Scott, of South Carolina, who is African American, challenged Trump in the Republican primary race but is now a staunch advocate. Asked by the Newsmax network recently whether he is close to choosing a running mate, Trump replied: I thought Tim Scott didnt run as good of a race as hes capable of running for himself, but as a surrogate for me, hes unbelievable. Hes been incredible. Governor Burgum from North Dakota has been incredible. Marco Rubio has been great. JD Vance has been great. Weve had so many great people out there. Trump has ruled out Nikki Haley, his former US ambassador to the UN, who eviscerated him during the primaries but now says she will vote for him. Another potential pick, Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, is widely seen has having disqualified herself after writing in a memoir that she shot dead an untrainable dog that she hated on her family farm. Trump is expected to make the announcement at next months Republican national convention in Milwaukee. Given his mercurial nature and flair for theatricality, anything is possible. The names circulated by Trump, his campaign and the media might yet be upstaged by an entirely unexpected nominee. Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center thinktank in Washington, said: It would not at all surprise me if Trump were to pull a name out of left and right field that hes really been looking at and this is an entire misdirection. Will it matter? Not much, if history is any guide. Olsen added: If somebody is going to move the needle for Trump, its going to be somebody like a woman or a Black person. I guess I just wont predict that because its quite clear going back decades that the identity of a vice-presidential nominee has a very limited and regional effect, if it has an effect at all. You can be somebody who is callow and unprepared for office, like Dan Quayle, and George Herbert Walker Bush still comes from 17 points behind to win a comfortable seven-point victory. You can be somebody who clearly is out of her depth, like Sarah Palin John McCain still rises or falls on his own merits, not Palins problems. Dozens of trains cancelled ahead of Englands opening Euro match as a result of rail staff shortage DO NOT TRAVEL that was the stark warning from Northern Rail to passengers in northwest England on Sunday afternoon and evening. The state-run train operator warned passengers of significant disruption and cancellation, meaning later services will not be able to run. Passengers who had been hoping to watch the England-Serbia match and then travel home by train were told: Last services will now be earlier and train services will not be replaced by buses. Northern blamed: High levels of train crew sickness and non-availability. About half of the rail firms train drivers do not have Sundays within their working week. On-board conductors also have only a Monday to Saturday working week. Those employed on the west side of the Pennines never have to work on Sundays if they prefer not to do so. On a day when Englands first match coincided with Fathers Day, it was clear that many staff had chosen not to work. The picture was replicated elsewhere in the country. Between Penzance and London Paddington on Great Western Railway (GWR), there was a gap of over seven hours between services. The 10.18am departed on time, but the following two trains were cancelled. The 5.55pm did run, but had only five carriages (instead of up to 10) and arrived late in London, by which time much of the Tube had shut down. GWR told passengers: Owing to a shortage of train crew, train services on routes across our entire network are subject to delay and cancellation. In a couple of isolated instances consecutive services along the same route have been adversely affected. The film maker Franny Armstrong posted on X: Seems there was a shortage of train crew across the country on the evening of the first England mens Euro 2024 match. Many staff working for Great Western Railway are not obliged to work on Sundays, even though it is now one of the busiest days of the week. A GWR spokesperson said: We are really sorry to anyone who faced disruption on Sunday. Because of a shortage of train crew, we had to cancel or amend some of services. We appreciate how frustrating this was for customers affected, and would encourage anyone whose journey was affected to get in touch to seek your Delay Repay compensation. On the East Coast main line, 10 LNER expresses were cancelled or curtailed, mainly between London and Edinburgh. Some of the trains that did run were reported to be full and standing. A spokesperson for the government-owned rail firm said: We are sorry that we had to make a small number of unavoidable timetable changes. When this happens we proactively contact customers who have booked directly via e-mail. We also use social media channels and live updates on our website and from our app. Customers are always advised to check before they travel. Last year the transport secretary, Mark Harper, said: Sunday services are essentially dependent on drivers volunteering for overtime. Which means, despite best efforts, we cant run a reliable seven-day-a-week railway on which customers can depend. He vowed: Modernising working practices must be part of reform. Driving on I-5? Expect 40-minute delays in Sacramento area due to major construction Drivers can expect traffic delays on Interstate 5 this week due to major highway construction, according to Caltrans. On Friday, crews will start by placing protective concrete barriers on a section of the interstate just north of downtown Sacramento, according to a Thursday news release from the California Department of Transportation. Theyll then remove the deteriorated roadway and replace it with asphalt and concrete, the release said, as well as replace guardrails and restripe the roadway. The roadwork will affect a section of I-5 stretching from 0.2 miles south of the American River Bridge to Arena Boulevard in Natomas, Caltrans said. Speed limits in the construction zone will be reduced to 55 mph, Caltrans said, adding that the California Highway Patrol will ticket any speeding motorists. Which Interstate 5 lanes, exits will be closed in Sacramento? A number of lanes and exits on I-5 will be closed due to construction, including connector ramps to Interstate 80, the release said. According to Caltrans, the following closures will take place from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, June 24: Richards Boulevard on-ramp to northbound Interstate 5 Northbound I-5 at Garden Highway will be reduced to two lanes Southbound I-5 at the I-80 interchange will be reduced to two lanes What detour can I take to avoid construction? Traffic is expected to be heavy during the roadwork, so motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes. Motorists and airport employees scheduled for flights out of Sacramento International Airport should leave at least 40 minutes earlier than the recommended time to be on time for flights and work shifts, Caltrans said. Drivers can take Richards Boulevard as a detour. Caltrans recommends continuing westbound on Richards Boulevard and taking southbound I-5. You should keep right and take the J Street off-ramp Exit 519B) then stay left and continue to Fifth Street. Make a left at the signal onto I Street, staying in the far-right lane, and take the north I-5 on-ramp to Redding, Caltrans said. Interstate 5 construction that will take place Friday through Monday. How long will I-5 roadwork last? The project is expected to be completed by October, Caltrans said. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. A 30-second video of a routine traffic stop that ended with Rochester police smashing in a Black mans car window was enough to rattle Mike Johnson. The man in the video posted a clip of the May 7 incident to his Facebook page earlier this month. The video was short and left much unseen, but Johnson, a community activist with the group Save Rochester, had questions about what happened. When Rochester police released a statement and body-worn camera footage of the confrontation this week, Johnson said their answers revealed thinly veiled discrimination. In a press release, RPD said they caught motorist Marvin Taylor driving with an expired inspection and ran his plates to see if the car was stolen. It was not. The agency accused Taylor of failing to stop immediately for police. In body-worn camera footage, one officer used this as an excuse to approach Taylors car with his gun drawn. Community members pray over Marvin Taylor at the end of a June 13 press conference outside of the Public Safety Building. A review of addresses given by police show Taylor stopped less than a block away 10 houses or less from where they attempted to pull him over at the corner of Remington and Dale streets. And after Taylor was forcibly removed from the car, an officer accused him of trying to conceal illegal drugs. None were found. Its almost as if officers are excused for treating Black citizens like criminals before theyve even begun an investigation, Johnson said in an interview. At a press conference for Taylor Thursday morning, Rochester resident Frederick Walker put it more plainly: This is known as being stuck with DWB, he said. Driving While Black. How did a routine traffic stop end with smashed windows? Police said they broke Taylors window and pulled him from the car because he ignored orders from officers to roll down his tinted rear windows and exit his vehicle. Taylor said he refused to get out of the car because officers wouldnt explain to him why they pulled him over when he rolled down his driver side window to talk to them. He wouldnt learn until later that police claim he failed to use a turn signal at the intersection. Rochester police officers shattered Marvin Taylor's car window after he refused to exit the vehicle during a traffic stop. Taylor said he did not get out of his car because an officer approached with his gun drawn and refused to tell him why he was being stopped. In an interview, the 22-year-old said hes been stopped by police at least a dozen times over the last few years. Twice, he said, police ordered him out of the car and searched it only to come up empty-handed. This time, with a gun drawn in his direction, Taylor wanted to know why he was stopped. He was almost home. He had only turned onto Dale Street because his house, one block over, was on a one-way street. Our officers are tasked with doing an incredibly dangerous job on a daily basis, RPD Chief David Smith said in a statement about the incident. Situations, like these, in which a motorist refuses a reasonable direction to lower the windows creates an unsafe situation for everyone involved. Cooperation from the motorist would easily have prevented this incident from escalating. Johnson said he knew video of Taylor refusing to roll down his back windows would cause doubt in the community over whether police force in this case was justified. But he points back to the officers gun and the immediate orders as reasons for Taylors apprehension. More: A police officer orders you to exit your car during a traffic stop. Do you have to comply? Would a different approach have changed outcome in Dale Street traffic stop? He lives in a part of Rochester that historically has limited power and faces heavy police presence. There is a legacy of mistrust and fear of the police within the Black community because of prior negative interactions. Of course we want officers to be safe, Johnson said. But when you approach citizens in a combative manner, treating them as criminals, it immediately puts us on the defense. And when were on the defense, officers use that as justification for escalating the encounter. New York police must have probable cause to initiate a traffic stop, but they are not required to immediately tell you why they pulled you over. Still, research shows that in traffic stops that ended with police force, officers were more likely to start with an order and withhold the reason for the stop. A video shows Sandra Doorley refusing to follow Officer Cameron Crisafullis commands and cursing at him while wandering in and out of the garage of her home and at one point entering her home on Fallen Leaf Terrace in Webster, where the stop ended. And Johnson said Taylor is being unfairly scrutinized for his actions during the traffic stop when, two weeks prior, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley showed more aggression and evasion of police during a traffic stop for speeding. Doorley ignored a Webster police officers lights and sirens for nearly a half mile, parked in her garage, rebuffed the officers orders, berated him with insults and went in and out of her home with impunity. Officers never moved to restrain her and pleaded with the district attorney for nearly 15 minutes before issuing a ticket. The police interaction with Taylor lasted about three minutes. After police pulled him from the car, they forced him to the ground, where one officer placed their knee on Taylor's head and neck to restrain him. More: Two traffic stops, two outcomes: Comparing Doorley and Taylor incidents It was like a soliloquy explaining to Sandra Doorley why she was wrong, Johnson said. Marvin couldnt get a basic explanation of why he was pulled over. As a Black man, it is so infuriating to see that played out, he continued. Weve been saying this type of treatment, this discrepancy, existed for so long, and to just see it played out in front of everyone and people still not acknowledge it? Its just so frustrating. 'I'm a Black man in America. This happens every day' Stories of mistreatment by police are shared like cautionary tales among Rochesters Black community. Treshaun Moore said as a young, Black man, he was taught that police would have no problem stopping someone who looked like him on the street, just to hope they catch someone with guns or drugs to justify their actions. It hasnt happened to him yet, but watching the video of Taylors traffic stop someone he has known almost his whole life was all the evidence Moore needed to believe those stories are more than just folktales. Marvin Taylor, 22, stands on Dale Street close to the intersection with Joseph Avenue, near where he was pulled out of his car and arrested by Rochester Police on May 7, 2024. He said police failed to realize his friends potential character: Taylor has lived in that neighborhood since he was a boy and started helping his mom pay the bills as a teenager. He breeds French Bulldogs and American Bullies and spends his free time traveling to dog shows across the country. In the body-worn camera footage, a police supervisor approached Taylor in the back of the cruiser with a hint of astonishment: They tell me you don't even have a record." Its preconceived notions, Moore said. At the press conference, Taylor said he wasnt sure if rolling down his tinted windows would have changed the situation. Do you think they were still not going to drag me out the car? he asked. Im a Black man in America. This happens every day to somebody, he said. Kayla Canne reports on community justice and safety efforts for the Democrat and Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter @kaylacanne and @bykaylacanne on Instagram. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com. Reporter Madison Scott contributed reporting to this article. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 'Driving While Black:' NY traffic stop unsurprising to activists A registered nurse demonstrates how to prepare an IV infusion of Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer's disease, at a UCLA clinic in January. Some physicians say they will not prescribe the medication. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seventy-nine-year-old Genevieve Lane volunteered to take the Alzheimers drug Leqembi in a clinical trial because she was forgetting words and misplacing her keys. Infusions of the drug gave her headaches so severe they sent her to bed. A week after the third dose, she was at a restaurant with her best friend when her speech slurred and she had a seizure. Five days later she was dead. An autopsy found that Lane died of a mysterious side effect that has a name that sounds as if it might be part of an Italian opera, but has doctors on edge. The complication called ARIA has nothing to do with music. It is a term adopted by an influential group of pharmaceutical executives and academic scientists to describe potentially fatal bleeding and swelling in the brain caused by drugs like Leqembi. Mom believed the drug would help slow progression of her memory problems or do nothing, said Lanes daughter, Yvonne Battaglia. She didnt know it might kill her. Lanes death, and that of two other trial participants, has raised concerns among some doctors, who question whether Leqembis risks are worth its benefits, particularly for the population of older adults it was approved for. Some of these doctors are urging that a new name be given to the drugs potential side effects to better alert healthcare professionals to its risks. ARIA is short for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, with imaging referring to the MRI scans needed to find the brain bleeding and swelling. Clearly, it is more than just an imaging abnormality, said Dr. Matthew Schrag, a Vanderbilt University neurologist who helped with an autopsy that concluded Lane died of brain swelling and bleeding that was probably caused by Leqembi. My feeling is that ARIA is too euphemistic of a term. It conveys that this isnt serious, and it certainly can be, he said. Leqembi, known generically as lecanemab, is a monoclonal antibody that works to remove a protein called amyloid from the brain. It received full Food and Drug Administration approval in July. Eisai, a Japanese drugmaker that has partnered with Biogen, is promoting Leqembi to doctors and people concerned about their memories. Get ahead & stay ahead for longer, an Eisai website says about the drug. It also says that ARIA usually occurs early in treatment and is usually asymptomatic, although serious and life-threatening events rarely can occur. In a recent article, a Stanford neurologist and his colleagues detailed their concerns about ARIA, which they called a soothing acronym for brain bleeding and swelling. It does certainly have the ring of something that a pharmaceutical company or public relations person would come up with, Dr. Michael Greicius said in an interview. Leqembi is approved for mild dementia and a diagnosis known as mild cognitive impairment, in which patients have more memory problems than others their age but can compensate and continue their daily activities. People with MCI have been found to be at greater risk for developing dementia, but in many cases their memory problems stay the same or even improve. The FDA has required that the company warn doctors about ARIA. The agency says the condition, which affected more than 20% of those taking the drug in a large trial, can be managed by requiring patients to get repeated MRI scans to look for bleeding and swelling. The FDA maintains that the benefits of Leqembi outweigh its risks when used according to the approved labeling, said Dr. Teresa Buracchio, director of the FDAs neuroscience office. Libby Holman, an Eisai spokesperson, called ARIA globally established nomenclature. Because of the risk of ARIA, some Los Angeles medical centers are taking extra precautions. At Keck Medicine of USC, a neurologist is available 24/7 to take calls from families of those taking Leqembi, since a headache or sudden confusion can be a sign of ARIA, said Dr. Helena Chui, chair of the neurology department. At UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, warnings pop up in a patients electronic health record to ensure that all medical staff know the patient is taking Leqembi, because it can interact with certain other medications to make brain bleeding far worse. And at all three medical centers it takes more than a single doctor to prescribe the drug. Each patients case must be reviewed by a panel of doctors and other staff similar to how complex cancer cases are evaluated. We want to keep safety first, said Dr. Keith Vossel, a professor of neurology at UCLA. This is the most complicated, complex drug that weve prescribed in the dementia field. Other physicians say they wont prescribe the drug. If there was a medication that worked, I would be the first person to use it, said Dr. Clifford Sigel, a neurologist in Santa Monica. But I wont be using this in my practice. He pointed to a large clinical trial of Leqembi that led to its approval. It found that patients who took the drug saw their memory decline 27% more slowly or less than half a point on an 18-point cognitive scale than their counterparts who took a placebo. Sigel and other doctors doubt patients or their families would notice the difference. Eisais Holman disputed claims that the drug does not work. She noted that a panel of outside experts convened by the FDA had voted unanimously that trial data confirmed its clinical benefit. The name ARIA traces to July 2010 when turmoil ensued at an international scientific conference that the Alzheimers Assn. holds each year, according to an article by two scientists working in the field. The FDA had proposed that companies testing new anti-amyloid drugs exclude any volunteer from clinical trials who had more than two brain microbleeds, according to an Alzheimers Assn. report. The tiny hemorrhages are sometimes found in healthy people and those with Alzheimers or other illnesses. The agency also said it would require any volunteer who experienced a brain microbleed during the clinical trial to cease taking the drug. The companies and academics working on the trials viewed the new FDA requirements as excessively restrictive, said the report by the association, a nonprofit that has become a powerful force in dementia science. The industry and academic scientists feared the FDA proposal would stall research on the experimental drugs, the report said, and limit their use. The drug companies asked the association to debate the FDAs guidance at its Research Roundtable. Pharmaceutical and medical testing companies can become members of the roundtable by paying the association a $50,000 annual fee. The association said that one key question taken up by the roundtable was whether ARIA was a temporary symptom of the new drug much the way nausea and hair loss are side effects of chemotherapy or evidence that anti-amyloid medicines may have more serious adverse effects. That question was never settled. Current knowledge doesnt provide definitive answers to this critical question, the association said in the 2011 report explaining the roundtables work. Despite the unknowns, the roundtable proposed that volunteers be allowed into the trials even if they had as many as four brain microbleeds. The group said volunteers could keep getting the drug infusions if they developed brain bleeding as long as they did not have significant worsening of symptoms such as headaches and confusion. The roundtable also proposed calling the brain bleeding and swelling ARIA. The FDA subsequently revised and updated the original advice in a manner consistent with the roundtables suggestions, wrote three of its members. Scientific evidence at the time led the work group to propose excluding people who have four or more microbleeds from clinical trials, the association told The Times in a statement. The FDA agreed. The association declined to answer questions on whether the name ARIA should be changed. An FDA official told The Times that the industry groups advice was just one of the factors the agency considered before it revised its 2010 guidelines. More than a decade later, little more is known about why ARIA occurs or how to recognize it. One problem is that a patient with ARIA can look like theyre having a stroke. And when stroke patients are taken to an emergency room, the first treatment doctors often consider is a clot-dissolving medicine called tPA, which can make brain bleeding worse. Thats what happened to a 65-year-old woman taking Leqembi in a trial who arrived at a Chicago ER with stroke-like symptoms, according to a report published in February 2023. Doctors gave her tPA. As soon as they put it in her, it was like her body was on fire, the womans husband said in a news story in the journal Science. She was screaming, and it took like eight people to hold her down. The woman died, and an autopsy showed extensive bleeding in her brain, leading doctors to conclude the combination of the two drugs may have caused her death. Knowing about that risk, Southern California doctors have been teaching emergency room staff to find out whether patients thought to be suffering a stroke may be taking Leqembi. Weve had to train and discuss this with the ER, the neuroradiology team and urgent care, said Dr. Sarah Kremen, who leads Cedars-Sinais Alzheimers clinical trial program. You must ask this person, Are you taking this medication? An FDA database that collects reports of adverse drug reactions from doctors and others shows 23 deaths of patients taking Leqembi. Holman at Eisai said it would be incorrect to assume the deaths were caused by Leqembi. She noted that Alzheimers patients have a higher risk of death because of the natural course of the disease. In the large trial, less than 1% of patients died the same rate whether they were taking the drug or the placebo. Buracchio at the FDA said the agency takes all adverse event reports seriously. But she said the agencys evaluation of the reports must take the treated population into account, which in this case is typically older or elderly adults. To teach doctors about ARIA, Eisai created a website called understanding- aria.com. It tells doctors that ARIA usually resolves without intervention or treatment modification. In a brochure for healthcare providers, Eisai assures physicians that infusions may continue if an MRI turns up evidence of microbleeds as long as there are four or fewer and that the discomfort doesnt disrupt the patients activities. For Genevieve Lane, an MRI discovered four brain microbleeds before she started taking Leqembi in the trial. After Lane died, an autopsy found more than 30 microbleeds in her brain, including some that could not be seen on the MRI, according to a report in Nature Communications. The reports authors, who included Schrag at Vanderbilt, questioned whether the pre-treatment limit of four brain microbleeds was stringent enough and called for higher standards. The FDA told The Times that the agency had reviewed the available data and had not identified a specific number of preexisting microhemorrhages that would make it unsafe for patients to take anti-amyloid drugs like Leqembi. However, we will continue to monitor the accruing safety data, the agency said. Other doctors have questioned what happens to the memories of those who suffer ARIA, even if the bleeding and swelling appear to resolve. Dr. Madhav Thambisetty, a senior researcher at the National Institute on Aging, said he was concerned by a report in a French medical journal about two women with mild dementia who experienced serious ARIA during a trial. One suffered severe seizures; 11 months later, her memory score dropped by nine points on a 30-point scale. The other patient developed a brain bleed described as massive; she lost a significant part of her vision, and her memory score declined by 12 points on the same scale. An FDA scientist reviewing reports of patients who suffered high numbers of microbleeds in the clinical trial also noted the possible harm to their cognition in her January 2023 report on Leqembi. One of the patients that Dr. Deniz Erten-Lyons pointed to was a 68-year-old man who had four microbleeds before starting the infusions. After treatment, he began to lose his vision and was hospitalized because of a seizure. An MRI found 96 microbleeds. Thambisetty said he and Dr. Rob Howard of University College London wrote to Eisai last year to request information about what happened to the cognition of those who suffered ARIA in trials. Eisai has not responded to their request, he said. Im concerned about the lack of full and transparent reporting, Thambisetty said. Its really important to know what happens to these patients. Holman said the companys analysis of trial data showed that ARIA did not affect cognition. Eisai is transparent, she said. The company follows guidelines for sharing clinical data established by PhRMA, the industry trade association, Holman said. Greicius, the Stanford professor, also asked Eisai for trial data that would break down results for each volunteer to better understand ARIA and whether patients benefited as more amyloid was removed from their brains. The response from Eisai, he said, was, Thanks for your interest, but we cant release the data. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Drunk people fought in pool before shots were fired and person was killed, SC cops say One person was killed Sunday when an incident in a pool turned into a shooting that involved law enforcement officers, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office. At about 7:45 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a fight in a swimming pool between drunk people, the sheriffs office said Monday in a news release. The incident happened in the Pacolet area of Upstate South Carolina, according to the release. Information about the number of people involved and why they were fighting was not available. As deputies got to the scene they were told that shots had been fired, the sheriffs office said. The deputies took cover in the wood line, where they saw shots fired inside the residence, according to the release. More law enforcement officers, including negotiators, were called to the scene where a perimeter was set up and deputies and tried to make contact with the armed person in the home, the sheriffs office said. The sheriffs office attempted to negotiate with the individual for approximately two hours, but those attempts failed as an armed person fired several shots in the direction of officers, according to the release. It was then that the person, still armed with a loaded weapon, charged into the road in a very aggressive manner, and the deputies on the scene opened fire in response to the actions of the suspect, the sheriffs office said. The armed person died, according to the release. The Spartanburg County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the person. No deputies were hurt, and no other injuries were reported by the sheriffs office. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will lead the investigation into the shooting, the sheriffs office said. During Watergate, the Supreme Court spoke with one voice. Can it do the same in Trump's case? Former President Trump claims immunity from charges for his part in efforts to reverse his election loss. Many supporters are in prison for storming the Capitol on his behalf on Jan. 6, 2021. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) Fifty years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court was mulling a landmark case with profound implications for America's democracy. The question before justices in the Watergate tapes dispute was whether the president was above the law, shielded from prosecutors and a judge who were investigating a crime. The court's answer was clear, unflinching and unanimous. A unanimous Supreme Court ruling helped resolve another constitutional crisis in 1974, when President Nixon claimed executive privilege over his White House tapes during the Watergate investigation. (Associated Press) The Constitution has no "absolute, unqualified presidential privilege of immunity," the court said in July 1974 in United States vs. Nixon. The president's claim of executive privilege for his White House tapes, justices said, "cannot prevail over the fundamental demands of ... the fair administration of criminal justice." Chief Justice Warren Burger, an appointee of then-President Nixon, wrote the court's opinion. The Watergate case marked a high point for an often divided and contentious court and helped bring together a nation that was in the grip of a constitutional crisis. Read more: Supreme Court upholds FDA's approval of abortion pills for early pregnancies The same basic issue is before the court again in Trump vs. United States: Are presidents above the law, immune forever from criminal charges for their actions in the White House? Or can they be prosecuted and held to account for breaking the law? The decision figures to rewrite the law on the powers of the president and a cast a lasting shadow on the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Few are predicting the current court will rise to the occasion and deliver a clear, unanimous ruling. The two sides of the debate drew a sharp contrast when the court heard arguments in late April. "Without presidential immunity from criminal prosecution," Trump's attorney John Sauer told the court, "there can be no presidency as we know it." Justice Department veteran Michael Dreeben replied that presidential immunity had been rejected in the past and should be rejected now. "All former presidents have known that they could be indicted and convicted. And Watergate cemented that understanding," Dreeben said, arguing on behalf of special counsel Jack Smith. The Justice Department's Michael Dreeben, speaking to justices on April 25 in this artist's sketch, argued that "all former presidents have known that they could be indicted and convicted. And Watergate cemented that understanding." (Dana Verkouteren / Associated Press) If the justices split along ideological lines, with the three liberals in dissent, the decision is sure to be condemned as partisan. So the chief justice is likely to try to put together a majority that includes at least one liberal for what could be seen as a middle-ground position. That would mean rejecting Trump's claim of absolute immunity as well as Smith's view that a former president has no shield from being prosecuted, even for truly official acts. Read more: Supreme Court rejects California man's attempt to trademark Trump T-shirts Trump was indicted last year on accusations of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he'd lost to Joe Biden, including by making false claims of election fraud and encouraging thousands of his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when the House and Senate met to confirm Biden's election. Trump pleaded not guilty and insisted that his actions taken while he was president should be forever immune from prosecution. Several Justices some of whom have worked in Washington for decades said during arguments in April that a president's use of his "core executive powers" should be off-limits to future charges. They are wary of opening the door to politically driven criminal investigations. Prior to Trump, no president had been indicted after leaving office, though at times charges were contemplated. Could President Reagan have been prosecuted for the so-called Iran-Contra affair, a secret White House scheme to sell arms to Iran to support rebels in Nicaragua after Congress blocked their funding? Could President George H.W. Bush have been prosecuted for denying he knew about the scheme when he was vice president? While no such charges were brought, an independent counsel looked into those allegations. President Reagan, seen in 1987, and his vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush, were investigated for possible charges in the Iran-Contra scandal, but were not among the 13 people indicted. (Dennis Cook / Associated Press) President Clinton was also threatened with prosecution after leaving office for having lied to investigators about his relationship with a White House intern. To take a more recent example, could former President George W. Bush have been investigated or prosecuted by a Democratic administration for his responsibility in the harsh treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or over the alleged torture of prisoners at secret CIA sites in Europe? The Obama administration did not pursue any such charges, but former White House lawyers, including now-Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, voiced concern about subjecting presidents to criminal charges after they leave office. A critical question in the Trump case is: What qualifies as an "official" act by a president, and what sort of actions are considered private, even potentially criminal? Read more: Supreme Court rules for Starbucks, limits power of judges to protect fired union organizers Most of the justices appeared to agree during arguments in April that Trump had been indicted over a private scheme, not for the use of any core executive powers. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, noted that the former president was accused of enlisting lawyers to submit "false claims of election fraud" and to send "fraudulent slates of presidential electors" to Congress. "Sounds private," she said. Trump appointee Amy Coney Barrett was among a majority of justices in April who seemed to agree that the former president had been indicted over a private scheme as a candidate, not for official presidential actions. (Morry Gash / Associated Press) Sauer, the Trump attorney, agreed. "So you would not dispute those were private, and you wouldn't raise a claim that they were official?," Barrett asked. Again, the lawyer agreed. Later, when pressed by others, Sauer agreed with a lower court that had drawn a distinction between the conduct of an officeholder and that of a candidate for office. Prosecutors relied on that distinction, arguing that Trump was indicted for his actions as a failed candidate for reelection, not as an officeholder carrying out his official duties. Barrett's questions hinted at the possibility of a narrow ruling rejecting Trump's claim of immunity from charges that he conspired to overturn his election defeat. The three liberal justices could agree with that. But conservative Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said they favored a broader shield for presidents when they use their official powers. If that becomes the majority opinion, the court's liberals may well refuse to go along. They voiced concern about shielding a president who abuses his power. What if the president orders a "military coup?" Justice Elena Kagan asked during the arguments. As commander in chief, if a president "told the generals: 'I don't feel like leaving office. I want to stage a coup,'" she asked, would that be an official act, shielded from future prosecution? "It could well be," Sauer replied. John Sauer, right, with the former president and fellow Trump lawyer John Lauro in January, said in April that a president "could well be" be shielded from prosecution for ordering a military coup to stay in office. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) So the problem facing the chief justice is that an opinion supporting a president's immunity for official acts could drive the three liberals to dissent, while some conservatives may balk and refuse to join a ruling if it only holds that an ex-president can be prosecuted. Four years ago, Roberts had a solid 7-2 majority rule against a Trump claim of "absolute immunity" and order the then-president to turn over financial and tax records to New York prosecutors. The chief justice said the presidential supremacy claimed by Trump had never been part of Americas history. In our judicial system, the public has a right to every mans evidence. Since the earliest days of the republic, every man has included the president of the United States, Roberts wrote in Trump vs. Vance. Two conservative justices, Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented. Critics say the Roberts court has already delivered a victory of sorts for Trump by taking so long to decide on his immunity claim. "This case goes to the heart of our democracy, and they've been slow-walking it," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy21 and a champion of campaign funding limits since the Watergate era. The court decided the Watergate case 16 days after the oral argument, he noted. This year, by contrast, the justices have taken months to ponder a claim of immunity, a delay that has postponed Trump's federal prosecutions and is almost certain to prevent a jury from deciding before the November election whether he conspired to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. "The court should never have taken this case," Wertheimer said. "The voters were entitled to know whether Trump engaged in criminal conduct to overturn an election he lost." He's not the only Watergate-era lawyer who is troubled. In 1974, Philip Lacovara, as counsel to the special prosecutor, urged the Supreme Court to reject Nixon's claim of executive privilege with a "definitive" ruling. Nixon had hinted he may defy the decision if the justices were divided. Vice President Gerald R. Ford, in the foreground at Nixon's final Cabinet meeting before his August 1974 resignation, would go on to pardon his former boss ahead of his "possible indictment and trial for offenses against the United States." (David Hume Kennerly / Getty Images) Just 16 days after the court ordered him to disclose the tapes, Nixon resigned. A month later, President Ford granted him a full pardon, after saying his predecessor was facing "possible indictment and trial for offenses against the United States." In a recent interview, Lacovara warned against making a former president immune from criminal prosecution, noting that history has shown that sometimes strong men with no moral compass can win election. "That's why this could be the most dangerous decision the court has ever made," he said of Trump's case. "Once you crack it open and say the president gets to violate some laws, there's no way to constrain it. You have started down a very dangerous road." 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. Dust in the wind: Nebraskas oldest operating wind turbines to be removed The two windmills visible to drivers of Interstate 80 near northeast Lincoln are coming down next month. (Courtesy of Lincoln Electric System) LINCOLN The oldest continuously operating wind turbines in Nebraska are coming down in July, changing a landmark seen while driving into northeast Lincoln along Interstate 80. Lincoln Electric Systems two 290-foot-tall turbines north of I-80 near North 70th Street have reached the end of their productive runs and will be removed, LES announced Monday. They were two of the earliest examples of what utility-class wind production in Nebraska might require when they were installed in late 1998 and 1999. The only other utility in the state operating wind turbines at the time was the Nebraska Public Power District, which operated two near Springview from 1998 to 2007, NPPD confirmed. Scott Benson, who helps LES plan for future power generation, said the Lincoln turbines helped the utility learn enough about wind power to enter its first small contracts for wind farms. We learned a lot from them, he said. The utility now has contracts for 100 megawatts each of wind power from wind farms in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, including spots near Broken Bow and Petersburg in Nebraska. Combined, the two turbines produced about 1.3 megawatts of electricity. Thats enough to power about 300 average homes in the Lincoln area, LES estimates. They will be taken down in early to mid-July, with cleanup done by the end of the month. Both turbines could have lasted a little longer, but LES said it saved $100,000 by taking both down now. The first was being removed because the city swapped the land it is on to build a new state prison. LES estimated the cost of decommissioning and deconstructing the turbines at $600,000. The post Dust in the wind: Nebraskas oldest operating wind turbines to be removed appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. KSNF/KODE Early voting is underway in Oklahoma. The early voting kicked off on Thursday, residents began voting for the primary election set for June 18. Voters are set to weigh in on county and state races. Polls are set to open at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 7:00 p.m. at your nearest voting polls. In order to vote in the primary election you must be a registered voter for that specific party, and have proof of your identity. Ottawa, Craig, and Delaware counties are all on the ballots. The counties are looking for state, legislative, district, and county officers. 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. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 24: In this photo illustration, marijuana joints and buds, also known as 'flower', are viewed on May 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. A new study by Carnegie Mellon University has found that marijuana consumption has overtaken alcohol as more Americans now use marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis than those who drink alcohol at a similar frequency. (Photo Illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Weeks after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration proposed loosening a federal prohibition on marijuana, the next phases of policy fights over the drugs status are starting to take shape. Public comments, which the DEA is accepting on the proposal until mid-July, will likely include an analysis of the economic impact of more lenient federal rules. Administrative law hearings, a venue for opponents to challenge executive branch decisions, will likely follow, with marijuanas potential for abuse a possible issue. Congress, meanwhile, could act on multiple related issues, including banking access for state-legal marijuana businesses and proposals to help communities harmed by the decades of federal prohibition. U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon and longtime advocate for legalizing marijuana whos retiring at the end of the year, is encouraging his colleagues to build on the administrations action by taking up bills on those related issues. The politics of the issue should favor action, even in the face of an upcoming campaign season that typically slows legislative action, Blumenauer said in a May 17 interview, noting the popularity of a more permissive approach to the drug. Congress may not do a lot between now and November, but they should, the 14-term House member said. Because its an election year, theres no downside to being more aggressive. Economic impact In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register last month, the DEA specifically asked commenters to weigh in on the economic impacts of moving the drug from Schedule I to the less-restrictive Schedule III list under the federal Controlled Substances Act. That will likely mean the agency will consider the impact of allowing state-legal marijuana businesses to deduct business expenses from their federal taxes, Mason Tvert, a partner at Denver-based cannabis policy and public affairs firm Strategies 64, said in an interview. Under current law, no deductions are allowed. That issue is seen by advocates, including Blumenauer and fellow Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, who chairs the tax-writing U.S. Senate Finance Committee, as paramount for the industry. Thousands of state-legal businesses struggle to earn a profit or operate at a loss under the current system, Blumenauer said. Potential for abuse The DEA typically looks at three factors when assessing how strictly to regulate a drug: its medicinal value, potential for abuse relative to other drugs and ability to cause physical addiction. A 2023 analysis by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that looked at data from states where medicinal marijuana is legal showed that there exists some credible scientific support for the medical use of marijuana. That finding could lead DEA to look at other factors, Tvert said. The battleground that well see will be around how we define potential for abuse, he said. Agencies split? But the DEA proposed rule revealed a divided view among government agencies about the drugs potential harms, Paul Armentano, the deputy director for the longtime leading advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, told States Newsroom. The text of the proposed rule shows a lack of consensus among HHS, the Attorney Generals Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, he said. There are several points in the DEAs proposed rule where they express a desire to see additional evidence specific to concerns that the agency has about the potential effects of cannabis, particularly as they pertain to abuse potential and potential harms, Armentano said. The HHS addresses those issues, but the DEA essentially says, Wed like to see more information on it. Kevin Sabat, the president and CEO of the anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, agreed that the DEA did not appear to agree with the HHS conclusion that medical uses exist. The proposed rule just brings up all these issues with the HHSs determination and it basically invites comment on all those issues, he said. Administrative law hearing Sabats group will also be petitioning for a DEA administrative hearing, he said. An administrative law judge could rule that the proposal should not go through or that it should be amended to remain stricter than the initial proposal described. Were going to highlight the fact that, first of all, this does not have approved or accepted medical use, he said. Tvert said the accepted medical value question is likely not to be a major factor in an administrative law hearing. Several medical organizations and states that allow medicinal use have already endorsed its medicinal value, he said. Instead, the focus will turn to the drugs potential for abuse, he said. What will be critical is looking at cannabis relative to other substances that are currently II or III or not on the schedule, and determining whether cannabis should be on Schedule I when alcohol is not even on the schedules and ketamine is Schedule III. As of June 6, nearly 12,000 people had commented on the proposal in the 18 days since its publication. While opinion polls show that most Americans favor liberalizing cannabis laws a Pew Research Center survey in March found 57% of U.S. adults favor full legalization while only 11% say it should be entirely illegal the public comments so far represent a full spectrum of views on the topic. This rule is a horrible idea, this should remain in Schedule I, one comment read. Marijuana is a gateway drug and ruins lives. There are no negative side effects to its use, another commenter, who favored fully legalizing the substance, wrote. Its not harmful. The only harm is what the government has done to me and America. Shame on the people that continue to oppose this. Seriously shame on anyone that would stand in the way of this change. Congressional action? Blumenauer authored a memo last month on the path forward for reform as the rescheduling process plays out. He listed four bills for Congress to consider this year. One, sponsored by House Democrats, would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substance Act schedule entirely and expunge prior offenses. A bipartisan bill would make changes to the banking laws to allow state-legal businesses greater access to loans and other financial services. Another, cosponsored with Florida Republican Brian Mast, would allow Veterans Administration health providers to discuss state-legal medicinal marijuana with veteran patients. Blumenauer has also co-written language for appropriations bills that would prevent the Department of Justice from prosecuting marijuana businesses that are legal under state or tribal law. All of these things are overwhelmingly popular, theyre important, we have legislative vehicles and supporters, he said. Still, there may be disagreements about what to pursue next. Recent years have seen disagreements among Democratic supporters of legalization over whether to prioritize banking or criminal justice reforms. A banking overhaul has much greater bipartisan support, and advocates on all sides of the issue agree its the most likely to see congressional action. But some who support changes to banking laws in principle object to focusing on improving the business environment without first addressing the harms they say prohibition has caused to largely non-white and disadvantaged communities. As recently as 2021, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described banking reform legislation as too narrow. Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, called it a common-sense policy but said that he favored a more comprehensive approach. Ive gone around with Cory on that, Blumenauer said. More than anybody in Congress, Im in favor of the major reforms, and weve been fighting for racial justice and equity but (racial justice and banking reforms) are not mutually exclusive. In September, Booker agreed to co-sponsor the banking reform bill after winning a promise from Schumer that a separate bill to help expunge criminal records would also receive a vote. Neither measure has actually received a floor vote. In a statement following the administrations announcement on rescheduling, Booker praised the move, but called for further action from Congress. That includes passing a bill hes sponsored that would decriminalize the drug at the federal level, expunge the records of people convicted of federal marijuana crimes and direct federal funding to communities most harmed by the failed War on Drugs, according to a summary from Bookers office. We still have a long way to go, Booker said in the statement on rescheduling. Thousands of people remain in prisons around the country for marijuana-related crimes. They continue to bear the devastating consequences that come with a criminal history. Blumenauer said Congress should act on the proposals that have widespread support from voters. This not low-hanging fruit, this is having them pick it up off the ground, he said. There is no other controversial issue that has as much bipartisan support thats awaiting action. The post Easing federal marijuana rules: Theres still a long way to go appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. A special poignancy surrounded the recent ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, for the battle that foretold Nazi Germanys defeat. It was likely the last such decennial celebration that the surviving heroes of Operation Overlord indeed of any Allied campaign would be able to attend. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that only 1,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II will still be alive for the next one in 2034. By then, all of them would be well over 100. One veteran died on his way to Normandy this month. The Greatest Generation is almost gone. With living memory on the verge of extinction, theres reason to fear historys diminishing influence on the multitudes, especially in the U.S., who may become indifferent to the freedom that they owe to the many heroes of D-Day. A wavering world Is the free world wavering in its devotion to the principles of liberty and democracy that hung in the balance on D-Day? Might this be the last time anybody still cared? The troops who parachuted from the sky and stormed beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword were understandably more concerned with surviving than with what history would say of them and the battle that changed history. On June 5, 1944, Hitlers regime ruled Europe with an iron fist. After June 6, German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt bluntly advised the Nazi general staff: Make peace, you fools. The consequences of failure that day would have been unthinkable. So are the consequences of failing to defend democracy and decency from the forces conspiring against them now. A new evil empire The United States that saved the free world in World War II is in danger of descending into despotism. Donald Trump intends to rule with his own iron fist if he returns to the office he disgraced when he whipped up a violent insurrection that he hoped would keep him there, despite losing an election. Trump has already convinced a majority in his party that neither our free elections nor our courts are to be trusted. He cultivates contempt for democracy itself. Its how every dictator comes to power or clings to it. To build himself up, Trump tears America down. He talks so furiously about seeking retribution on opponents that even some Republicans in Congress say theyre worried. But theyre not worried enough to call him out for the thug that he is and to renounce their allegiance to him. Hes the most openly racist politician to have led any Western government since World War II. He fawns over other right-wing authoritarians, especially Russias Vladimir Putin and Hungarys Victor Orban. Threats against NATO Nothing would disparage the future of democracy worldwide more than for us to elect a president who threatens to destroy NATO, the great international system we and our allies built to defend democracy and to avert World War III. The D-Day ceremonies had hardly ended when European voters gave an enormous boost to far-right political parties. The chilling message from those returns was enough to upset the domestic politics of France and Germany, the two pillars of the European Union. In France, President Emmanuel Macron was shocked into dissolving his parliament and calling a snap election. Whatever the outcome, he has two years in his term. But a clear victory for the far-right National Rally could cripple Macron and embolden neo-fascism not only in Europe, but in the U.S. In 1838, a young prairie politician named Abraham Lincoln told an audience that America, insulated by two great oceans, had nothing to fear from foreign enemies and was in danger only from itself. The defense is simple, he said: Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well-wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. Even then, political passions were tearing America apart. It led to a great Civil War and to the decisive battle at Gettysburg, where Lincoln declared that the living would best honor the dead by ensuring that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Democracies are fragile. They can be destroyed by ballots as well as by bullets. Gettysburg and Operation Overlord repelled the bullets. The ballots are up to us. ____ The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com. ___ Last week, the nation dodged a bullet with the Supreme Courts 9-0 decision tossing a lawsuit that had sought to end the decades-old FDA approval of the drug mifepristone, which is used in medication abortions. The trouble for the plaintiffs was that they could not point to any specific harm that they or anyone else suffered from the approval of a drug that is safer than most over-the-counter drugs. In truth, this case should have never gotten go far. A divided high courts unanimity here makes clear just how ridiculous this effort was, particularly since the court never gets above the fundamental issue of standing. Of course the plaintiffs here doctors who maintained theyd suffer practical and personal hypothetical injuries from having to treat patients suffering from the exceedingly rare complications of mifepristone had no right to challenge this federal regulation. Any first-year law student could have answered that question right on the exam, yet this had to go up to the Supreme Court for the simple reason that the plaintiffs could rely on sympathetic lower court judges to move things along. The case was first heard by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who just so happens to be the only federal judge at the courthouse in Amarillo, Texas; wouldnt you know it, he gets a suspiciously high volume of right-wing agenda items before him. Kacsmaryk is a poster child for the practice of judge-shopping given his historically reliable role as triggerman for far-right causes. Its no surprise then that Republican senators railed against a recent policy change by the Judicial Conference a sort of intra-judicial regulatory body to limit the practice. The new policy would have lawsuits that seek an immediate ruling or injunction on state or federal regulatory or executive actions be assigned to a random judge in the district, instead of letting interested parties basically pick their judges. All of the legal and procedural questions around this case, while worth dissecting, shouldnt obscure the base reality of what has happened here: a group of dark-money funded conservative doctors attempted to upend one of the most reliable tools for abortion access in this country. Had they been successful, the result would have been that abortion care would have been completely cut off in large swaths of the country, in which all other forms have collapsed under heavy state bans. The result would have been more girls and women would be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, to suffer through potentially permanent or even life-threatening complications and in some cases to die. While were happy that the court reached the decision it did, we cant commend them too much given that they unleashed this in the first place through their ideologically-driven overturn of Roe v. Wade, including the votes of several justices who had said in their confirmation hearings that they viewed it as settled law. The attacks will keep coming, against abortion drugs and procedures and even birth control and IVF, because the ideological opponents are committed to taking away any choice that the people might have in their reproductive health. It cant be left up just to the courts. Congress should act to protect these rights. ___ The Education Department has determined that neither the University of Michigan nor the City University of New York properly responded or investigated certain reports of antisemitic and anti-Arab discrimination on their campuses after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Monday's "resolutions" are the first ones issued by the agency's Office for Civil Rights in connection to incidents that occurred after the sweeping attacks by Hamas. But the Education Department avoided weighing in on specific protest rhetoric, including chants of from the river to the sea and intifada, that have been deemed antisemitic by Jewish groups and played a major role in congressional hearings about campus antisemitism. Hate has no place on our college campuses ever. Sadly, we have witnessed a series of deeply concerning incidents in recent months, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. Theres no question that this is a challenging moment for school communities across the country. The recent commitments made by the University of Michigan and CUNY mark a positive step forward. Key context: The Education Department has opened dozens of civil rights investigations into schools since the Oct. 7 attacks spurred a wave of campus activism. Both Muslim and Jewish students have expressed fear of harassment on campus, and some schools have had incidents of physical violence. The department opened its first investigations into schools in November. The department expressed concern that the policies at the institutions are unclear, especially with how the universities will respond to reports of discrimination. Several schools also did not adequately investigate incidents of harassment. The resolutions, which institutions must agree to or risk losing their federal funding, are used to ensure schools comply with Title VI, a federal law that bars discrimination based on "shared ancestry," ethnic characteristics or national origin. They also outline how other schools must respond to similar incidents. University of Michigan: OCR reviewed 75 reports of shared ancestry harassment and discrimination from the 2022-23 school year and through February 2024. The office said it found no evidence that the university complied with its Title VI requirements. The institution did not assess whether incidents were creating a hostile environment on campus and it did not take steps to end it or prevent it. An example the department gave was a chant from protesters used in October: Nazi liberation. OCR said the universitys records did not identify any steps it took to assess the incident or respond to it other than forwarding the report to the public affairs office. The school also did not take action when a Jewish student reported being targeted and harassed on social media. The Jewish student had viewed a graduate student instructors Instagram story that discussed pro-Palestinian topics, which led the instructor to screenshot that the student had viewed the story. The instructor then posted a new story on the social media platform and tagged the student in the post, saying, Did you like my educational talk. The university told the Jewish student that formal conflict resolution is not a path forward at this time, according to OCR, because social media is largely going to be protected as free speech. Additionally, a student reported to the university in November that someone accused her of having terrorist friends because of her participation in a pro-Palestinian protest. The university facilitated discussions called restorative circles to address the incident, but took no further action. The university has committed to review its case files for each report of discrimination covered by Title VI during the 2023-2024 school year. It will also report to OCR on its responses to reports of discrimination for the next two school years. The university also agreed to administer a campus climate assessment and to revise its university policies and procedures on how to address Title VI complaints, among other resolutions. City University of New York: OCRs investigation into CUNY included nine complaints against five of its campuses and its central office, including discrimination concerns from academic year 2019-2020 and on. The schools included: Hunter College, CUNY School of Law, Brooklyn College, Queens College and Baruch College. OCR investigated whether the university system, Hunter College, Brooklyn College, the School of Law and Baruch failed to respond promptly and effectively to alleged discrimination and antisemitic harassment since 2019-2020. OCR also investigated whether the university system, Hunter College, the School of Law and Queens have discriminated against students perceived to be of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and/or South Asian ancestry since October 2023. At Hunter College, OCR found that Jewish students were told not to speak as some students and faculty disrupted two sessions of a required college course by using class time to call for the decolonization of Palestine. Several students expressed that the disruption made them fearful and at least one student left class early, the department said. The school said the class disruption did not deny the students access to education at the institution, but did not interview students in the class. Hunter College also didnt communicate with students the results of its investigation. CUNY committed to resolve all nine complaints to ensure all 25 CUNY campuses protect students against shared ancestry discrimination. The university system will reopen or initiate investigations of Title VI complaints and provide OCR with the results and actions taken by the institution. It must also provide training to employees on how to investigate incidents and training for campus peace officers. CUNY must also ensure that its colleges administer a climate survey by Sept. 30 and continue third-party reviews being conducted at the request of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. A statute of Dr. Martin Luther King is unveiled Friday June 14, 2024 in Montgomery. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector) The Equal Justice Initiative Friday unveiled a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery in honor of his legacy and work for civil rights. The statue is the second of three that are planned at EJIs Legacy Museum meant to offer people insights into racism, racial oppression and the violence that went along with it. The nonprofit unveiled a statue of civil rights activist Rosa Parks in February. Another planned monument will honor John Lewis, a civil rights activist who later became a congressman. There is no American that is greater that this country has produced than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said EJI Executive Director Bryan Stevenson at Fridays event. He changed America in profound and lasting ways. He reshaped the American South. We could not sit here, in this collective body, with this diverse group of people, but for the legacy and the leadership that he, and the extraordinary people who joined him, created. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Bernice King, Martin Luther Kings daughter, attended the event along with Basil Watson, the artist who created the sculpture. The statue of King, about eight feet tall, depicts King in prayer at a moment of reflection. His hands are nearly clasped together, his head slightly facing down with his back turned away from the action and chaos in the time he is immersed. I call it Prayer in the Wind because he is twisting, turning, facing and enduring the wind of change, the wind of the history we have faced, said Watson. In the face of that, he prays for progress. I think one step forward is a big step. King pastored Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (now Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church) from 1954 to 1960, and helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, sparked by Parks refusal to give up a seat on a segregated bus to a white man. The statue is the first of King in Montgomery. In developing the design for the monument, Watson said he studied Kings speeches and his different works, and a theme began to develop. The recurring theme for me has always been hope and love, that we cant build by destroying, Watson said. We have to build by building. We have to look at the positives, and we have to have a positive outlook for where we are going and where we are coming from. I have always tried to project that message of hope. Both the state and the city of Montgomery have taken several steps in recent years to honor the memory of the civil rights battles fought in the city. The city in 2019 dedicated a statue of Parks near the spot in Court Square in 1955 where she boarded the segregated bus. Alabama is preparing to dedicate another monument to Parks at the Alabama State Capitol. This marks a new era in this community, and I dont think we should underestimate that, Stevenson said. When I moved to Montgomery in the 1980s, you could not find the word slave, slavery, or enslavement anywhere in a public space in this city. We have done so much to maintain racial hierarchy and white supremacy, schools named after the perpetrators of that violence, streets named after the people who believed that Black people were not equal to white People and that was everywhere. EJI next plans to dedicate a statue to Lewis, who helped lead the Freedom Rides and the Selma-to-Montgomery march and was physically attacked at both events. Lewis was later elected to Congress, and represented an Atlanta-area U.S. House district until his death in 2020. The organization has not set a date for its unveiling. The organization hopes the statutes will serve as a place for people to reflect on the struggle to expand civil rights and the steps needed to do so. We, holistically, in every generation, have a call to the freedom struggle, Bernice King said. Not coming here just to experience a museum, to learn, but how can I begin to incorporate what I learned into my life as I become a part of this freedom struggle. Updated at 4:30 p.m. to add that the King statue is the first of the civil rights leader in Montgomery. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post EJI unveils statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery appeared first on Alabama Reflector. For years, scientists have observed elephants' high levels of intelligence when it comes to herd activity. A new potentially groundbreaking study shows just how smart they might actually be. The research, published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal, examined African elephants' responses to the sounds they make for each other and whether they mirror similar behaviors observed in dolphins and parakeets. In those species, however, the animals mimic each others' calls as a way of getting each other's attention. "Clear evidence for arbitrary names in other species is lacking," the authors wrote in the study. "Bottlenose dolphins and orange-fronted parakeets address individual conspecifics by imitating the receivers 'signature' call, a sound that is most commonly produced by the receiver to broadcast their identity." "Non-imitative learned vocal labelling may be more cognitively demanding than imitative labelling, as it requires individuals to make an abstract connection between a sound and referent," they added. "Evidence that arbitrary vocal labelling is not unique to humans would expand the breadth of models for the evolution of language and cognition." Related: African Elephants Were Dropping Dead, Now Scientists Know Why To test their theory, the scientists analyzed 469 calls from wild African elephants in Kenya that had a known caller and receiver. They then identified which sounds appeared to be "names" and played them back over a speaker, prompting a response from the animals. The team found that the elephants "approached more quickly, vocalized sooner, and produced more vocalizations in response to playbacks of calls addressed to them than to another receiver, which indicates that they can recognize and respond to their own 'name,'" they said. "We [found] that African savannah elephants address members of their family with individually specific, name-like calls," they stated. "These 'names' are probably not imitative of the receivers calls, which is similar to human naming but unlike known phenomena in other animals." More research needs to be done to determine the validity of these sounds as individual names and just what the elephants are responding to when they hear them. Plus, the authors note that it could teach us a lot about our own cognitive abilities considering humans and elephants shared an ancestor approximately 90 to 100 million years ago. Elephants have been observed exhibiting humanlike behaviors in the past, including grieving when a member of their herd dies or celebrating when reuniting with loved ones after time spent apart. The saying doesn't go "an elephant never forgets" for a reason. DAYTONA BEACH Fiduciary maleficence. Fraudulent activities. Discriminatory bias in employment procedures and policies. Ongoing harassment and retaliation against employees who speak up. Breaches of confidentiality, unethical behavior and fostering a toxic work environment. Those are the allegations three employees of First Step Shelter have formally made against the nonprofit and its executive director, who they'd like to see put on paid administrative leave until the conclusion of an investigation because they say they don't feel safe at work. Whether those accusations provide a disturbing behind-the-scenes glimpse into serious problems at the shelter that helps homeless adults, or if they're the untruthful and embellished rumblings of disgruntled employees seeking revenge will be determined in the coming months. At a specially called meeting last week, First Step Shelter's nine board members voted unanimously to retain an attorney to look into the complaints detailed in written documents submitted to the board in recent days. "We want to figure out what's going on," said Mayor Derrick Henry, who serves as the board's president and chairman. Daytona Beach's First Step Shelter for homeless adults is about to undergo an investigation into complaints that include mishandling of money, harassment, discrimination and fraud. Three employees have brought a formal written complaint. Local attorney Scott Simpson will be paid up to $5,000 to conduct a preliminary investigation that will include talking to the shelter's 15 employees. After he submits his findings, shelter board members will decide whether to look deeper into the allegations, consider corrective actions, or end the investigation without further response. Simpson was not given a deadline to complete his investigation. Board member Mike Panaggio said he doesn't "want to sweep this under the table," but he was hesitant to launch a major probe. "How much of it is actually true?" Panaggio questioned. "There are some things that are pretty easy to determine whether they're factual," said Henry, who has spoken with at least one of the employees raising the concerns. Allegations: Harassment, safety risks, financial fraud First Step Shelter Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg, who has led the facility since it opened four and a half years ago, is the central target of many of the complaints, but she said she didn't feel she could comment on an ongoing investigation. The three employees making the accusations are Patrick Smith, the shelter's director of philanthropy and engagement; shelter housing coordinator Pamela Alexander; and shelter nurse Kim Kelly. Smith, who said he started notifying Henry of problems at First Step more than a year ago, has stopped coming to the shelter in recent weeks. Alexander said she's been knocked down to a part-time employee. But Smith, Alexander and Kelly are all still employed by First Step, and they've sought protection under Florida's whistleblower law. First Step Shelter Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg is pictured at this year's annual Mayor's Gala to benefit First Step Shelter at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, which had an Old Hollywood theme. Their complaints run the gamut, and include accusations that Fahlberg submitted to an accountant a fabricated receipt for the sale of a car donated to the shelter, and that Fahlberg put a sexual device in a former employee's box of belongings to make the employee uncomfortable. Smith claims Fahlberg asked him to pick up the device, and he said he was "horrified, embarrassed and shocked that my supervisor had once again created an inappropriate, sexually harassing environment." Smith, who has worked at the shelter for two years, said Fahlberg also openly discussed a former employee having a sexual relationship with a shelter resident. Smith insinuated that he, as an openly gay man, and two Black female employees were disciplined more harshly than other employees. In an 11-page letter to the mayor, Smith wrote that the health and safety of residents sleeping in beds in the health clinic area were at risk. He said shelter admission policies were not being followed and claimed grievances filed by staff and residents were being ignored. He alleged that "a senior LGBT resident is bullied and taunted by residents." He said the staff was endangered by allowing physically abusive residents to remain at First Step. Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry has served as First Step Shelter Board's president and chairman for several years. He's working now to lead the nonprofit through a challenging period of allegations. In a May 26 letter to Henry, Smith noted that he had received a written warning from Fahlberg and felt his job was in danger. But he said he wasn't writing the letter "with personal animus towards Dr. Fahlberg." Nonetheless, his written complaints include multiple, detailed accusations against Fahlberg. He accused her of instructing him to backdate and create fraudulent donations to the city's "Discourage Panhandling" sign campaign. He said that was also connected to the shelter's former director of operations being accused of stealing and misusing money, something police investigated. Smith accused Fahlberg of publicly lying about the "Discourage Panhandling" program raising money. He also alleged that Fahlberg told him she suspected a local elected official was trying to undermine her because she refused to go on a date with him. 'I'm passionate about what I do' Daytona Beach City Attorney Ben Gross sits in on First Step Shelter Board meetings, and he has been provided with the written allegations, as have all board members. Henry said he wants the shelter and all of its activities to be transparent. He also wants shelter employees and residents to feel supported. The two former shelter residents and five current and former First Step employees who came to Wednesday's First Step Shelter Board meeting also want things handled openly. Alexander, who's been First Step's housing coordinator for close to three years, said both residents and staff members feel unsafe at First Step. She said security guards aren't properly checking residents, and some knives and prescription drugs have slipped in without being handled through proper procedures. She said someone staying in the shelter's outdoor safe zone was acting aggressively toward her and calling her racist names, and a security guard just walked away. She said a nurse is being stalked by a resident who has said inappropriate things to her. "She reported it, nothing's been done, and the resident is still there and doing it to other women as well," Alexander charged. Another Daytona homeless shelter: A Safe Place: New transitional housing for homeless senior citizens in Daytona opening She said she provided proof of a former employee stealing $1,700, but feels she's been treated worse since then. She believes First Step can become a better place to work, but she's not going to stick around to see if that happens. She's looking for another job. "I used to love my job," Alexander said. "The only reason I still come in is because I'm passionate about what I do." She was dismayed by the reaction First Step Shelter Board members had to the situation during their meeting on Wednesday. "I could not believe my ears at the meeting," Alexander said. "Those people are so heartless. It's all about the money and image with them." You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach First Step homeless shelter under investigation Engine problems preceded a fatal plane crash near Siler City Municipal Airport on Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report Monday. The aircraft crashed about 12:45 p.m. Friday, landing in a wooded area and catching fire, the FAA reported. Flight instructor McMillan Abernathy, of Beech Mountain, and student Justin Strauss, of Raleigh, were killed in the crash. Executive Flight Training and Services, a flight school in Lee County, owned the aircraft, a 1969 Piper PA-28. It had left Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford, 24 miles away, at 12:29 p.m. James Crouse, an aviation attorney who has studied more than 500 flight crashes, told The News & Observer on Friday that the Piper PA-28 is frequently used as a training plane and doesnt generally have safety issues. Executive Flight Training and Services did not respond to a Monday phone call for comment. It is not an FAA-certified, Part-141 flight school, meaning it is not required to use a structured training program and syllabus. Still, it must follow minimum flight hours and other requirements before issuing students their pilots certificates. Google provides some memento buttons for guests at a 2022 event announcing a Nebraska expansion project. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Enrollment opens this week for the University of Nebraskas new partnership to offer Google Career Certificates in a variety of fields. Beginning Wednesday, June 19, NU students, alumni and Nebraskans at large can begin to apply through NU Advance for a variety of self-paced, noncredit courses. Interim NU President Chris Kabourek said that since announcing the NU-Google partnership in April, with little marketing, more than 1,000 people had already pre-registered. Melissa Lee, NUs chief communication officer, said 1,247 people had registered as of Friday. Of those registrants, 20% are current NU students and 40% are alumni, meaning hundreds of Nebraskans who might have no connections to NU are interested in more education. Interim NU President Chris Kabourek. June 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) I just think it solidifies what we thought, that Nebraskans are yearning for more skill sets and more education, Kabourek told the Nebraska Examiner. An email last week to pre-registrants the week of June 10 from Ana Lopez Shalla, lead for NUs microcredentials, offered resources and a guide to completing the minicourses. She wrote that registrants were helping to drive impact not only in your own career, but in our regional workforce, too. The Google Career Certificates will be offered in three cycles in the next year, with 2,500 seats available for each session. They begin in August, December and April. Enrollment will be open through July 31; courses in the first session will begin the next day. In April, NU announced a special first-year rate of $20 per enrollment. Kabourek said at the time that the partnership is designed for opportunities, not revenue, and that funds would be used to cover costs and any associated technological needs. Six foundational and three advanced certificates will be offered: Cybersecurity. IT support. Data analytics. Digital marketing and e-commerce. Project management. User experience (UX) design. IT automation with python. Advanced data analytics. Business intelligence. Kabourek, who will return to his sole role as NUs chief financial officer come July 1, said one of his priorities as interim president has been to help the university reconnect with Nebraskans, which will include getting out to visit high schools in the fall. As a rural Nebraskan from David City, Kabourek said, he knows every Nebraskan can find a place within NU. We never want your ability to go get your education or develop your skill sets or enhance your resume to be limited by your family situation or your location, Kabourek said. The post Enrollment opens this week for University of Nebraska-Google Career Certificates partnership appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. An Entire Family of 4 Went Missing. Police Just Allegedly Found Remains on Their Friend's Property The family was last seen with Rory Atwood, who has since been arrested in connection with remains found on his property Pasco Sherfif's Dept. Rain Mancini. Karma Zilliot & Phillip Zilliot III Authorities in Florida are searching for a family of four they say went missing after the parents reportedly had an argument with a friend. Days after they disappeared, the friend was arrested when authorities allegedly found human remains on his property suspected to be those of the members of the missing family. Police have identified the missing family members as Rain Mancini, Phillip Zilliot II, Karma Zilliot & Phillip Zilliot III who were last seen on Wednesday, June 12 in the city of Hudson, Fla., the Pasco Sheriffs Office said in a statement last week. On June 14, authorities found human remains on a Hudson property while investigating multiple homicides and arrested a man they believe may have committed multiple homicides, the sheriffs office said in a follow-up statement. Pasco Sherfif's Dept. Phillip Zilliot II (left), and his family Rain Mancini, Karma Zilliot & Phillip Zilliot III The statement did not name the detained man but Sheriff Chris Nocco identified him as Rory Atwood, WFLA, ABC Action News and the Tampa Bay Times reported. As of Monday morning, police have not confirmed the nature or quantity of the remains found on the property, WFLA reported. But Nocco said they likely belong to members of the missing family, per ABC Action News. Atwood, 25, was charged with first-degree murder of a "John Doe" in connection with the remains being found, WFLA, ABC Action News and the Tampa Bay Times reported, citing Pasco County authorities. We believe [the family members] may be on the property deceased, but we do not know that definitively, Nocco said, per WFLA and ABC Action News. And we will do everything we can to track them down. Mancini, 26, and Phillip, 25, were reportedly drinking with Atwood on Wednesday night when an argument ensued, a friend told Pasco County sheriff officials, according to WFLA. Before leaving, Rains friend hears someone say, because the last time this happened, you pulled a gun on us, referring to Rory, Nocco said, per WFLA. We do not have any police reports about that. Pasco Sherfif's Dept. Rory Atwood has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with remains found on his property Early Thursday morning, a friend of Atwoods received a call where Atwood allegedly sounded panicked and said he had shot someone, Nocco said, per WFLA and ABC Action News. (Nocco said the sheriffs office had received this tip about Atwood from third or fourth-hand sources.) Police carried out an initial search of Atwoods property and did not find anything, the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News reported, citing authorities. 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. On Friday, relatives of the Mancini and Zilliot family told police they had not heard from the family, which was odd to them. Nocco said the family was transient, going from one place to another, per ABC Action News. "Their living situation was never the best, he said, adding that they were staying at Rory's for awhile and something happened. An argument came out of this one. Atwood, who was convicted of battery in 2022, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and has been assigned a public defender, online court records show. PEOPLE was not immediately able to reach his attorney. A missing persons investigation remains open. Pasco County Sheriff is requesting anyone with information to contact the Pasco Sheriffs Non-Emergency Line at 727-847-8102, option 7, or report tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Kurt Vogel, director of the Humane Handling Institute, speaks with meat-industry trainees during a workshop about stunning equipment maintenance and repair. Eleven years ago, in the small Wisconsin town of Plum City in Pierce County, Brandon Clare bought J.M. Watkins meat packing plant. With no experience beyond what he learned from the previous owners, he eventually found that the way that plant ran was getting outdated and not sustainable. Changes needed to be made. Clare found the answer in an emerging program just 40 minutes away. The Humane Handling Institute at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls trains workers in the meat industry to ethically handle animals from farm to butcher shop. The whole idea is that we are focused on making sure that animals do not experience suffering and distress during that process, and we take that really seriously, said Kurt Vogel, program director and UW-River Falls professor teaching animal welfare. The program is a two-day workshop open to everyone, especially those associated with slaughter establishments. Meetings are held on the UW-River Falls campus. The cost is $1,000 per participant for one workshop although grants are usually available. How the Humane Handing Institute got started The idea for the program came in 2010 when Vogel was working as an industry consultant. He realized almost all the animal welfare issues were a result of a lack of consistent training in how to handle and stun them. Stunning an animal prior to killing renders it unconscious and insensible to pain by disrupting normal brain function, the Humane Slaughter Association notes on its website. In 2013, Vogel started putting together an undergraduate research project that highlighted improper stunning as a big concern in handling livestock. But before Vogel could move forward, he needed project approval and funding. In 2022, Gov. Tony Evers announced a $5 million investment in meat industry workforce training for the Meat Talent Development Program. I pitched this idea of starting a humane handling and stunning training center, Vogel said. They thought it was a really great idea and asked for a full proposal. Teaching ethical stunning After receiving about $500,000 of funding, Vogel was able to launch the program in partnership with the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and UW-River Falls. The program focuses on hands-on experience with the proper use of equipment, including stunning. Within the first year of offering training workshops, they had about 100 trainees. Their journey began locally but has since expanded to be recognized internationally. The program teaches brain functions of different animals to educate trainees where and how to stun an animal to minimize harm. Models of animals are also used to create a no-pressure environment. Vogel said that's the key issue: practice and training, over and over, both for animal well-being and worker safety. If we train people to be sensitive toward that, then we can really help to alleviate a lot of suffering because then they know exactly what to do, Vogel said. Like Vogel, Ashlynn Kirk, program manager for the institute, has a special passion for the workshops. Hers comes from her childhood. "I grew up on a beef farm in central Wisconsin and I like to think that, you know, from the time that I've seen these little calves and raise them and then that next step in the process of sending them to a slaughter plant. I like to have some peace of mind," Kirk said. What are the current program findings? Kirk said the amount of positive feedback they've received has been heartwarming. "There's been people that have given us hugs at the end of the workshop because they're so happy about the confidence that their employees have gained from working with us," Kirk said. Although Vogel expected a positive outcome for livestock, he was pleasantly surprised to see how well the program resonated with trainees. He explained that the first meat packing plant that worked with them had a long history of struggling with enforcement actions for improper stunning. "It's really sensitive for the plant, right, because it's embarrassing for them," Vogel said. "And they've become one of our most outspoken supporters because of how much it's changed their culture because they know exactly what to do now." Clare also said the program had resounding results for his plant. The program led him to buy an additional gate for his plant, which helped to maintain a more controlled environment. "I go to this class, and it really helped us realize there's better ways of dealing with animals than what we're used to," Clare said. "It dealt more with looking at your plant through the eyes of the animal." The first time, he went with his son. Then, he sent two of his employees who work the most with handling the animals. "It worked out to be great for us because it taught us a lot about animal welfare, how to deal with animals and how to make sure that animals remain calm while they're at our facility," Clare said. The future of meat Long term, the program could have an impact, Vogel hopes, on the larger meat industry. Thursday, they received a $1 million gift from the Rosen Family Foundation. The donation is expected to help ensure development and sustainability of the program. It's really central for the sustainability of eating meat in general, because it's not sustainable if we're inflicting suffering at every turn, Vogel said. "Few things make your stomach turn worse than imagining the animal suffered that you're eating." Contact Jolan Kruse at Jkruse@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What the workshop outcomes tell us about the future of meat The Council of the European Union adopted a decision on 17 June to extend the sanctions imposed by the EU in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June next year. Source: press service of the EU Council, as reported by European Pravda Details: The restrictive measures currently in place were first introduced in June 2014 and include a ban on imports to the EU of the goods originating from illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol, as well as on infrastructure or financial investments and tourism services from illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol. In addition, EU restrictions also apply to exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in illegally annexed Crimea in the transport, telecommunications, and energy sectors, as well as to the prospecting, exploration, and production of oil, gas, and mineral resources. The EU does not recognise and continues to condemn the Russian Federation's illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, viewing it as a violation of international law. Background: The EU countries have been unable to agree on the next package of sanctions against Russia due to Germany's objections. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claims that Germany is not blocking the new sanctions package but is trying to make it as effective as possible. The Belgian presidency of the EU Council sought to finalise an agreement on the sanctions package before the Group of Seven summit in Italy but failed to do so. Support UP or become our patron! From right, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris, European Council President Charles Michel and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Monday, June 17, 2024. The 27 leaders of the European Union gather in Brussels on Monday evening to take stock of recent European election results and begin the fraught process of dividing up the bloc's top jobs, but they will be playing their usual political game with a deck of reshuffled cards. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) BRUSSELS (AP) Leaders of European Union countries reached no final agreement on candidates for the bloc's top jobs Monday, but several praised the record of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and she appeared on track to secure their endorsement later this month for a second term in office. There is no agreement tonight at this stage," EU Council President Charles Michel said after chairing an informal dinner summit in Brussels. The 27 leaders were weighing the fallout from the recent European elections and how to take those results into account as they nominate candidates for the top posts. This conversation was today a useful step to prepare the next European Council," Michel said, referring to the next meeting of EU presidents and prime ministers June 27-28. He refused to be drawn out on the chances of von der Leyen and others, saying only: It will be clarified next week. The June 6-9 elections saw the European Parliament shift to the right and dealt major blows to mainstream governing parties in Paris and Berlin. The Franco-German motor that usually propels EU politics along was notably weakened, and hard right parties there gained ground. Still, names for the big posts have circulated in Brussels for months. Former Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa is frequently mentioned for Michel's job the role of council president. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, well known for her tough line on Russia, has been floated as the blocs potential top diplomat. Under the EUs treaties, the leaders choice of candidates should reflect the results of the election, sharing the posts among the winners. In a post on X, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who leads a staunchly nationalist government, said that the will of the European people was ignored by the other leaders. He complained that mainstream parties had made a deal and divided the top jobs of the EU among themselves. They dont care about reality, they dont care about the results of the European elections, and they dont care about the will of the European people. Under the EUs complicated division of powers, the leaders get to nominate the next president of the commission, which is responsible for drawing up EU policy on everything from climate to the colossal shared budget. Im positive about Ursula von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters as he arrived for the meeting. Over the last five years, Von der Leyen led a huge drive to secure billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses during the pandemic, set up an economic recovery fund and drummed up support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, including by backing Kyivs future EU membership. But Rutte added: Im not saying that we support her. There is a big possibility that we will, but it will be of course a question of how the whole package will emerge. That package involves three other top jobs: Council president; EU foreign policy chief, currently Josep Borrell of Spain, from the center-left; and president of the European Parliament, currently the conservative Roberta Metsola from Malta. The council presidents job is to broker deals between the 27 member states, while the top diplomat represents the EU on the world stage. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dodged questions about whether he personally endorsed von der Leyen for a second term, but underlined that his backing would depend on her working with mainstream parties rather than right-wing parties. Ahead of the election, many socialist and Green lawmakers criticized von der Leyen for trying to win the support of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who is from the right-wing populist Brothers of Italy party. What is clear is that there cannot be a commission presidency based on the support of right-wing and right-wing populist parties, Scholz said. Several leaders had said they did not expect a final agreement on the nominees Monday night, but they did insist the process should not drag on. I dont think therell be any gratitude from Irish citizens or European citizens if politicians here in Brussels are talking for weeks on end about whos going to do what role when there are so many pressing issues on a European and global level, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said. Von der Leyen, a German conservative who did not speak to reporters as she arrived at the summit, is well placed after a strong showing for her center-right European Peoples Party (EPP) parliamentary group. But nothing is guaranteed. Von der Leyen's presidential style has at times riled her commission colleagues, and she is deeply unpopular in some corners of the EU Parliament, where she will need the support of 361 of the 720 lawmakers to keep her job. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said mainstream parties like the EPP he hails from, the center-left Socialists and Democrats, and the pro-business liberals still hold a majority in the assembly, despite hard right successes in France and Germany. My feeling is that its enough to arrange the whole new (job) landscape, including the president of the commission, he told reporters ahead of the meeting. But Tusk did call for some public clarification, what is the legal situation surrounding Costa and the corruption scandal in Portugal that forced him out of office. Costa stepped down after eight years as head of government. He has not been accused of any crime. ___ Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. Ursula von der Leyen, the CDU's lead candidate for the European elections and President of the European Commission, attends the CDU Presidium meeting in the Konrad Adenauer House. The CDU was the strongest party in the 2024 European elections. Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa EU leaders are due to meet on Monday for a special summit to discuss who will fill the 27-nation bloc's top posts in Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a German centre-right Christian Democrat, is seeking support for a second term in office. Her group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party (EPP), scored a clear victory in this month's elections for the legislature, strengthening her chances for another five-year term. But she will still need the backing of a few other political groups in parliament, plus the support of a majority of the EU's national leaders. "It is clear that after the results of the elections everything speaks in favour of Ursula von der Leyen having a second term in office," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a Saturday interview. The future president of the European Council and the post of EU high representative for foreign affairs are also likely to be negotiated when leaders meet over a working a dinner in Brussels on Monday. Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa is currently seen as a likely candidate for the council post, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is tipped as the bloc's next foreign affairs chief. The leaders of the EU states will also meet again the following week for a regular summit. By this time, the personnel planning is hoped to have been finalized and will only need to be formalized. If not, the national leaders will continue discussions about filling the top posts in Brussels. European Union environment ministers on Monday approved a much fought-over conservation law intended to restore habitats to their natural condition, in a vote that was live-streamed publicly. The purpose of the Nature Restoration Law is to regrow forests, re-wet moors and return rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The law has proven controversial, particularly because of fears of heavy restrictions on farmers. Ministers for 20 EU member states voted in favour, representing 66% of the population. A decision by EU member states was held up until now because not enough national ministers were prepared to back it, despite a preliminary agreement among senior diplomats last year. The Austrian environment minister's decision to back the law - against the wishes of her country's chancellor - provided the necessary majority. But Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said he will seek to overturn the decision in the EU's top court. Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden voted against the legislation. Belgium, which is currently responsible for chairing talks among member states, abstained. Austrian Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler attends EU Environment Ministers Council in Luxembourg. Cajetan Perwein/BMK via APA/dpa European Union environment ministers on Monday approved a much fought-over conservation law intended to restore habitats to their natural condition. The purpose of the Nature Restoration Law is to regrow forests, re-wet moors and return rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The law has proven controversial, particularly because of fears of heavy restrictions on farmers. Ministers for 20 of the EU's 27 member states voted in favour, representing 66% of the population. A decision by EU member states was held up until now because not enough national ministers were prepared to back it, despite a preliminary agreement among senior diplomats last year. Austrian Environment Minister Leonor Gewessler's decision to back the law - against the wishes of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer - provided the necessary majority. Her decision sparked uproar in Vienna, with Nehammer saying he will seek to overturn the decision in the EU's top court. Gewessler may face criminal charges in Austria for abuse of office, a senior political official in Vienna said. Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden voted against the legislation. Belgium, which is currently responsible for chairing talks among member states, abstained. The conservation law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the bloc's land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. Funding for the improvements is expected to come from both the private sector and member states' budgets, though some EU programmes - such as regional development funding - could help cover some of the costs. According to EU figures, around 80% of habitats are in poor condition. In addition, 10% of bee and butterfly species are threatened with extinction and 70% of soils are in an unhealthy state. Welcoming the ministers' decision, EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said on X, "We are still on track to reverse the biodiversity loss, lets now start work together and show that EU is still leading the way." Confirming the adoption of the bill, the Belgian government said on X that it is "the final step before this law can enter into force." But EU farming union Copa-Cogeca posted on X that the law "will cause legal battles at regional, national, and [EU] levels, with the future unclear as to how or when this law will be implemented." EU member states had struck a deal with the European Parliament last year, meaning Monday's vote would normally have been a formality. It was held up, however, by huge farmers' protests lashing out at the constraints of EU regulations, among other things. In Austria, the general secretary of Nehammer's conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) argued that Gewessler - of the Greens - had deliberately infringed constitutional law. The two parties are in coalition. "Leonore Gewessler is placing herself above the constitution, because she is unable to act in line with the law on account of her Green ideology," general secretary Christian Stocker said. The OVP argues that Gewessler is bound by an objection to the law raised by Austria's federal states. Gewessler believes that this veto is no longer valid. Before the vote, Nehammer's office on Sunday informed Belgium - which holds the EU presidency - that Gewessler was not authorized to endorse the law on Austria's behalf, and that if she did, the Chancellery would seek to annul the decision in the European Court of Justice. After ministers approved the law on Monday, a coalition of environmental campaigners, including the World Wildlife Fund, said in a statement that the vote is "a massive victory for Europes nature and citizens who have been long calling for immediate action to tackle natures alarming decline." Welcoming the law, German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said it struck a balance between all interests, noting that "an intact nature is the web that supports us all." A general view of the EU Environment Ministers Council in Luxembourg. -/EU Council/dpa Evolution as a top research university: UNF unveils its first Ph.D. program in computing The University of North Florida is offering its first Ph.D. program among doctoral offerings. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The new Ph.D. in Computing is now accepting applications for Fall 2024. Its taken the university several years to get the program established. As UNFs first Ph.D. program, this serves as an important step in UNFs evolution as a top research university, Dr. William Klostermeyer, dean of UNFs College of Computing, Engineering and Construction said. It will help us recruit new faculty and students as well as enable new partnerships with local industry, other universities and funding agencies. The Ph.D in Computing program will focus on intelligent systems and cybersecurity. This will include AI, data mining, computer security, and algorithms. RELATED: UNF ranked as one of the Best Online Programs by U.S. News & World Report UNF already offers professional doctoral degrees such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Doctor of Education Degree (EdD), but this will be the first Ph.D. program among doctoral offerings. For more information and to apply, visit the Ph.D. in Computing website. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Former CDC Director Robert Redfield suggested that a bird flu pandemic among humans is inevitable and would be extremely lethal. (Watch the video below.) Redfield, who headed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2018 to 2021 after being appointed by the Trump administration, gave an alarming interview to NewsNation on Friday after the World Health Organization announced the bird-flu-related death of a 59-year-old man in Mexico. I really do think its very likely that we will, at some time its not a question of if, its more of a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic, Redfield said. A wide variety of mammals have been found harboring the virus including cows, cats, ferrets and elephant seals. The odds are increasing of a scourge between humans that could kill 25 to 50 percent of those it infects, Redfield warned. The overall case-fatality rate for COVID-19 before vaccines were available was 1.7%, according to CDC stats. Redfield said scientists have found that the bird flu virus hasnt yet adapted to spread from humans to humans, but that once it does, thats when youre going to have the pandemic, The Hill reported. And as I said, I think its just a matter of time. Another expert expressed similar concern. Are we watching the beginning? Is this where were seeing repeated spillovers that one day take off? Or is it like in COVID, where suddenly theres a cluster of human cases and then its too late? Louise Moncla, an avian flu researcher and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told the CBC. The World Health Organization reported earlier this month that the 59-year-old man in Mexico, who had comorbidities and died from the virus in late April, had no known contact with poultry or other animals. The strain he had, called H5N2, had never been found in humans before, The Associated Press reported. The bird flu strain currently affecting dairy cattle, H5N1, has reportedly given three U.S. farmworkers mild symptoms. Since its discovery in 1996, however, H5N1 has infected some 900 people around the world, with a mortality rate of about 50 percent. The risk here of something going from one or two sporadic cases to becoming something of international concern, its not insignificant, CDC Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah told Politico in May. Weve all seen how a virus can spread around the globe before public health has even had a chance to get its shoes on. Thats a risk and one that we have to be mindful of. According to a CDC timeline of avian influenza outbreaks, 36 people in China were diagnosed with HPAI H5N6 in 2021, and 18 of them died. Bird flu usually spreads among birds and other animals, but can infect humans exposed to an animals body excretions, like spit or feces. Related... (Bloomberg) -- If Donald Trump returns to the White House, he should sever all economic ties with China, consider deploying the entire US Marine Corps to Asia and resume live nuclear-weapons testing, his former national security adviser writes in an article offering the most detailed account of what foreign policy may look like in a second Trump term. Most Read from Bloomberg The proposals are spelled out in an article set to appear in Foreign Affairs magazine written by Trumps last national security advisor, Robert OBrien, who may get another top job if Trump wins a new term as president in November. While OBrien was a hardliner and helped fuel the tougher stance toward China that emerged late in Trumps time in office, the prescriptions he spells out go far beyond anything he publicly advocated at the time. As China seeks to undermine American economic and military strength, Washington should return the favor, OBrien writes in the articles most explosive policy prescription, saying that Washington should, in fact, seek to decouple its economy from Chinas. Theres no guarantee Trump would adhere to the policy proposals on China that OBrien lays out in the article, especially one that would have such a seismic impact for the US and the world given how interwoven the two countries economies have become. But OBrien said recently that he remains in regular contact with the former president, and hes taken the public stage more often in recent months, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and criticizing President Joe Biden for what he considered an insufficient response to attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria. The article is only the latest in a series of such initiatives from former Trump administration officials and conservative think tanks. But OBriens previous role and the prospect of his return give it more weight than others. Christian Whiton, a State Department political appointee under Presidents George W. Bush and Trump who helped OBrien produce the article, said OBrien gave a copy to Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles. Whiton said Wiles showed a printed copy to Trump. But Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign representative, disputed that account, saying it wasnt true that Wiles had shown the article to the former president. Let us be very specific here: unless a message is coming directly from President Trump or an authorized member of his campaign team, no aspect of future presidential staffing or policy announcements should be deemed official, Wiles and Chris LaCivita, a campaign senior adviser, said in a statement that Leavitt provided on Monday evening. At more than 5,000 words, the article The Return of Peace Through Strength: Making the Case for Trumps Foreign Policy argues that the 60% tariffs on China that Trump has floated should be only the first step, followed by tougher export controls on any technology that might be of use to China and other measures. This morass of American weakness and failure cries out for a Trumpian restoration of peace through strength, OBrien writes. He also advocates a military challenge to China beyond the additional attention the Biden administration has paid to the Asia-Pacific region. OBrien argues for the US to help expand the militaries of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, increase military assistance to Taiwan and boost missile defense and fighter jet protection in the region. OBrien, who co-founded a consulting firm after leaving the White House, calls for a complete reorientation of US forces, saying the US should consider deploying all its 177,000 Marines to the Pacific region, relieving it in particular of missions in the Middle East and North Africa. Nuclear Tests, Ukraine The US should strengthen its nuclear arsenal by conducting underground nuclear tests for the first time since a self-imposed ban in 1992, and he argues the US should resume production of uranium-235 and plutonium-239 if China and Russia continue to refuse to engage in good-faith arms control talks. Trump has said hed end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. OBrien writes in the article that Trump has made clear that he would like to see a negotiated settlement to the war that ends the killing and preserves the security of Ukraine. He writes that Trumps approach would be to continue to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, financed by European countries, while keeping the door open to diplomacy with Russia and keeping Moscow off balance with a degree of unpredictability. There are moves OBrien doesnt call for, and that may be a pleasant surprise to uneasy allies. Theres no mention of withdrawing from NATO in fact, he says Trump made the defense alliance stronger by demanding that European governments spend more on defense. OBrien calls on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to rotate ground and air forces to Poland to boost its capabilities close to Russias border and to make unmistakably clear that the alliance will defend all its territory from foreign aggression. OBrien also takes on what he sees as the Pentagons bloated procurement policies. He advocates a push toward nimble newer defense suppliers such as Anduril and Palantir, companies that he says are rooted in the innovative tech sector to get away from costly and unnecessary programs. Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey hosted a fundraiser for Trump in California earlier this month. There was no authoritative preview of Trump foreign policy 2016, Whiton said of OBriens thinking about the article. The audience is foreigners and the establishment. As much as Trump views himself as an insurgent, theres utility in calming things down and providing some things. I think youre seeing that. --With assistance from Stephanie Lai. (Updates with Palmer Luckey, in the penultimate paragraph. The Trump campaign corrected its statement in a previous version of the story to indicate that the article was shown to Wiles but that it wasnt shown to Trump.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. "An example to Russian soldiers": Ukraine's marines replenish prisoner swap stocks near Vovchansk video A video has been released showing a Russian soldier being taken prisoner by Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynsky's 36th Marine Brigade in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: 36th Marine Brigade on Facebook Quote: "The Bilynsky [Brigade]'s marines near Vovchansk continue to replenish the stock of prisoners to exchange so that our brothers might return from Russian dungeons. This occupier chose life, which we continue to advise Russian soldiers to do. If not, we have enough lead for each one of them." Support UP or become our patron! (This June 17 story has been refiled to add the dropped word 'against' in paragraph 1) By Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's approval of arms export licences to Israel dropped sharply after the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, with the value of permits granted for the sale of military equipment to its ally falling by more than 95% to a 13-year low. The figures, which have not previously been reported, are based on information provided by government officials to Reuters and data from the Department for Business and Trade's Export Control unit. The United States and Germany increased arms sales to Israel after the start of the war with the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year. However, the value of British-approved licences between Oct. 7 and Dec. 31 last year dropped to 859,381 pounds ($1.09 million), government officials told Reuters. That is the lowest figure for the period between Oct. 7 and Dec. 31 since 2010. This compares with the government approving 20 million pounds of arms sales to Israel for the same period in 2022, including small arms ammunition and components for combat aircraft, according to government data. In the same period in 2017, the government approved 185 million pounds in arms sales to Israel, including components for tanks and surface-to-air missiles, the data shows, the highest figure for the period in publicly available data going back to 2008. The issue of arms sales to Israel has been controversial, with some politicians and pro-Palestinian groups saying such sales should halt because of the huge death toll among Palestinian civilians and the destruction wrought on Gaza during the more than eight months of warfare. The British government says Israel has the right to self-defence and its legal advice permits continued sales, although it has declined to publish that advice. The Department for Business and Trade said licences continue to be granted to export some military items to Israel, including components for fixed-wing aircraft and small arms ammunition for training. The department said due to the government's strict rules around approving licences, reviews may take longer than normal to be approved, but the most recent legal advice regarding transferring arms to Israel was unchanged. Unlike the U.S., Britain's government does not give arms directly to Israel but rather issues licences for companies to sell weapons, with input from lawyers on whether they comply with international law. Many of the licences approved in the period after the start of the war in Gaza were for items listed for "commercial use" or non-lethal items such as body armour, military helmets or all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection. Israel's embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment. RESTRICTIONS Israel's conflict in Gaza was triggered when Hamas fighters charged into Israel on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed more than 37,400 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. Members of Britain's parliament and human rights groups have criticised the government for the lack of public information about arms sales to Israel since the start of the conflict. Some countries such as Italy, Canada and the Netherlands have imposed restrictions on arms exports to Israel because of concerns about how the weapons could be used. While Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326 million euros last year, 10 times more than in 2022, the volume of approvals fell to around 10 million euros in the first quarter of this year. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been one of Europe's strongest advocates of Israel's right to respond with overwhelming force against Hamas. He has resisted calls to halt arms transfers to Israel but has said the government adheres to a "very careful licensing regime". Britain is expected to provide information about arms sales to Israel in the first half of this year in the coming months. The government has in the past blocked arms sales to Israel, such as in 2009 when it revoked some licences, and in 1982 when there was a formal restriction after Israel's invasion of Lebanon. ($1 = 0.7885 pounds) (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Kate Holton, Alison Williams and Angus MacSwan) Fact Check: Reports Say Canada Preparing for 2nd US Civil War. Here's What We Know Claim: Social media posts in June 2024 accurately stated Canada was preparing for a second U.S. civil war. Rating: Rating: Mixture What's True: In April 2024, the Canadian government did publish a report saying the country needed to be prepared for a potential civil war in the U.S. What's False: However, the document did not say any preparations were under way. It also described such an event as "underanticipated" and listed it alongside seven other "underanticipated disruptions" and 10 more probable "prominent disruptions." On June 16, 2024, a Facebook user posted a status claiming Canada was making preparations in the event of a second American Civil War. "Did you Know? Canada is preparing for the US to have a Civil War," the user wrote. https://www.facebook.com/chriscanney/posts/pfbid0soeSKT6R9ZvZvTr3yC5FAfA9jofXc1DvEGgAiP9mpNdjGxTrMRnhGVk4bKHsTh3ql Similar posts appeared elsewhere on Facebook, with one user asking: "Is the Canadian government genuinely worried about the possibility of an American civil war?" The claim also cropped up on X in June 2024, where one user posted a link to a YouTube Short with more than 200,000 views at the time of this writing that also posited Canada was preparing for another U.S. civil war. A TikTok user linked to the YouTube account also posted the video, where it had amassed more than 770,000 views at the time of this writing. The video's narrator claimed the Canadian government published a "new report" titled "Disruptions on the Horizon," which proposed a civil war south of the country's border "as a scenario worth worrying about." He said the document cited escalating "ideological divisions, democratic erosion and domestic unrest" as the potential causes of a civil conflict in the U.S., but added the Canadian government considered it an "improbable, but ultra high impact event." The document in question was published by the Canadian government on April 22, 2024, and it did cite a civil war in the U.S. as a potential future disruption that Canada needs to be prepared for. However, it did not say any preparations were under way, which is why we have rated this claim and the YouTube and TikTok video as a "Mixture" of truths and falsehoods. Policy Horizons Canada (PHC) which describes itself as "the Government of Canada's centre of excellence in foresight" titled the report "Disruptions on the Horizon." PHC is a Canadian government organization that provides the government with future-oriented proposals to influence decision making; however, its publications are not necessarily government policy. In "Disruptions on the Horizon," PHC noted its content "does not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada." In a section titled "Reflections on key disruptions," which "explores 18 disruptions that could have significant impact for Canada," the document cited the possibility of a second civil war erupting in the U.S. as an "underanticipated disruption." It said escalating ideological divisions, democratic erosion, and domestic unrest could plunge the U.S. into civil war, which is why Canada needed to be prepared for such an event. However, it did not say the Canadian government had started preparing for a civil war. Other underanticipated disruptions deemed necessary for Canada to prepare for included antibiotics no longer working, the basic daily needs of Canadians such as housing, food and water not being met, and a third world war breaking out. Prominent disruptions included citizens being unable to tell what is true or false due to misinformation, emergency services becoming overwhelmed, artificial intelligence running wild, and billionaires taking over the world. The document added: Exploring both prominent and underanticipated disruptions can help decision makers think through potential implications, policy considerations, and preparedness. One disruption could have cascading implications in unexpected areas, and the occurrence of one disruption could set off others. Numerous media outlets reported on the Policy Horizons Canada document, such as Politico, The Economic Times and the Daily Mail. Sources: About Us Policy Horizons Canada. https://horizons.service.canada.ca/en/about-us/index.shtml. Accessed 17 June 2024. Canada, Employment and Social Development. Disruptions on the Horizon. 22 Apr. 2024, https://horizons.service.canada.ca/en/2024/disruptions/#Reflections. 'Canada's Big Worry: A US Civil War'. Politico, 11 June 2024, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/06/11/canada-us-civil-war-00162521. 'Is US on Brink of Civil War? Why Is Canada Upset and Why Does It Apprehend Unrest in Neighboring Country? Details Here'. The Economic Times, 11 June 2024. The Economic Times - The Times of India, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/is-us-on-brink-of-civil-war-why-is-canada-upset-and-why-does-it-apprehend-unrest-in-neighboring-country-details-here/articleshow/110917456.cms?from=mdr. Poleo, Germania Rodriguez. 'REVEALED: Canada's Plans for American CIVIL WAR after the Election'. Mail Online, 12 June 2024, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13521773/Canada-preparing-American-CIVIL-WAR-election.html. My family of 4 ate at STK Steakhouse for the first time. Our $460 meal was pretty great, but the atmosphere wasn't our cup of tea. My family of 4 ate at STK Steakhouse for the first time. Our $460 meal was pretty great, but the atmosphere wasn't our cup of tea. My family of four ate dinner at STK Steakhouse for the first time. Our meal cost $460 and included drinks, side dishes, four entrees, and a shared dessert. We loved the side dishes and dessert, but the loud music was a little too much for my family. There aren't a lot of chain restaurants at Disney World, and with lots of dining options across the parks, my family hasn't been to many of the property's franchises. But recently, my husband, two teens, and I visited STK Steakhouse at Disney Springs for the first time. STK walks the line between an upscale steak house and a trendy lounge it's known for having live DJs spinning club-style music while diners feast on entrees like seafood, lamb, and beef. In addition to Orlando, the restaurant has several locations in the US and worldwide, including New York City, Toronto, Milan, and Dubai. However, the chain's parent company, The One Group, reported that first-quarter revenue at STK was down nearly 7% from 2023, so I wondered if the chain's food and dining experience would really match the high-end image it depicts. Here's what our experience at STK Steakhouse was like. STK Steakhouse is known for its steaks, raw bar, and specialty cocktails. Some friends of ours had recommended STK Steakhouse. Terri Peters STK Steakhouse has over 25 locations worldwide. It's known for its steaks, impressive raw bar, long lists of craft cocktails, and happy hour. I'd heard a lot about STK from friends, so I was curious to try it for myself. My family visited STK on a Friday evening for dinner. We sat in the main dining room, decorated with vibrant flowers and neon lights and booming with music spun by a live DJ. We started our meal with a round of drinks. Each of us got one or more drinks during the meal. Terri Peters To kick off our Friday-night meal, my husband ordered a $22 Cucumber Stiletto cocktail made with vodka, muddled mint, and cucumber. My daughter and I ordered nonalcoholic mocktails, mine with muddled watermelon ($12) and hers a virgin mojito ($8). My son, who has simpler tastes, was happy with a $4 soda. Later in the meal, I ordered a $4 glass of club soda, and my husband ordered a $21 glass of Champagne and an $18 glass of wine. We liked the pull-apart bread, which was topped with blue cheese and served with chive olive oil. We were delighted that STK Steakhouse served a unique bread. Terri Peters The restaurant's complimentary pull-apart sourdough bread was topped with blue-cheese butter and served with chive olive oil for dipping. We found STK's bread service unique and delicious a nice change from the plain rolls and butter often served at restaurants. When my husband tried STK's oysters, he had a few notes. My husband had mixed feelings about the half-dozen oysters he ordered. Terri Peters My husband ordered a half-dozen oysters from STK's raw-bar menu for $31. He liked that the dish came with two oyster varieties, but he noticed they were still connected to their shells. I'm not an oyster eater, but he commented that he's used to eating them already severed from the shell. In this case, he was surprised to have to cut each one out himself. Still, he found the oysters fresh and flavorful and liked the cocktail and mignonette sauces they were served with. We shared a wedge-salad appetizer that cost nearly $30. The blue-iceberg salad was pretty good, but hard to eat. Terri Peters We almost always order a wedge salad at a steak house, so we were sure to try the blue-iceberg option. The $26 salad, topped with creamy blue cheese, bacon, and cherry tomatoes, was beautiful and tasted great. Our only note? It was a little difficult to eat. When trying to cut through the lettuce, part of the salad flew across the table and made a mess. I ordered filet mignon as my entree. I enjoyed the filet mignon with au poivre sauce I ordered. Terri Peters I'm a filet-mignon girl through and through, and I loved to see a peppery au poivre sauce on the menu. I ordered a 6-ounce filet ($59) and added au poivre sauce at no extra charge. Adding an additional sauce would've been a $2 upcharge. My filet was delicious, buttery, easy to cut, and cooked to a perfect medium temperature. It was crisp and salty on the outside, and the inside was tender and moist. The peppery, creamy au poivre sauce added even more flavor. My husband tried the New-York strip. My husband liked the New-York strip steak. Terri Peters My husband wanted to try STK's ribeye spinalis ribeye caps known for being tender cuts of meat. Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of this dish the evening we went. Instead, he tried the 14-ounce New-York strip steak with au poivre sauce, which cost $71. Like me, he was pleased with everything about his steak, including its bold flavor. Our side dishes were the stars of the meal. We loved the crispy Brussels sprouts and Yukon-gold mashed potatoes. Terri Peters The real MVPs of our meal were the side dishes my husband and I shared. We chose Yukon-gold mashed potatoes ($19) and crispy Brussels sprouts ($19), served family-style for the table. The buttery mashed potatoes, topped with crispy Parmesan cheese, were pillowy and delicious. The crispy, perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts were full of bacon pieces and glazed with a sweet-cider mixture that added an incredible flavor and brought the entire dish together. My daughter's pasta dish cost almost $60, which seemed a little pricey. My daughter enjoyed her mushroom-and-truffle tagliatelle, but it was a little pricey. Terri Peters My daughter ordered the mushroom-and-truffle tagliatelle, which featured decadent pecorino cheese, an assortment of mushrooms, and shaved black truffle. The delicious $58 dish was packed with smooth and earthy mushroom flavor, but it felt expensive. However, she was happy with her choice and loved having leftovers the following day. My son wanted a burger but had to settle for wagyu sliders. My son ordered Lil' Brgs wagyu sliders, which he didn't love. Terri Peters My son is a simple eater and loves trying steak-house-style burgers when we dine at high-end chains. Unfortunately, he was disappointed that there wasn't a full-sized burger on the STK menu. Instead, he ordered Lil' Brgs wagyu sliders ($28) from the appetizer menu with only cheese to suit his picky palate. Since the sliders didn't come with a side, we spent an additional $19 for a family-style side of fries. In his ranking of steak-house burgers, STK was at the bottom, so it wouldn't be a spot he'd recommend for slider enthusiasts. Our elevated doughnut dessert was out of this world. The Bag O' Donuts came with three delicious sauces, but the raspberry one was our favorite. Terri Peters Another bright spot in our meal at STK was the $16 Bag O' Donuts, which the four of us shared. The cinnamony, sugary doughnuts were served warm in a small paper bag and came with three dipping sauces. Though the dulce de leche and chocolate sauces were very good, we all kept going back to dip our warm doughnuts into the raspberry sauce, a clear winner of the trio. Unfortunately, parts of our meal felt out of sync, and there were lags in service time. My husband's red wine arrived close to the end of the meal, which wasn't the best timing. Terri Peters At the beginning of our meal, my husband ordered Champagne with his oyster course and a glass of red wine with his steak. However, both of these drinks came out closer to when he was finishing the course, not as an accompaniment to the dishes. Our food seemed to come out promptly and on schedule, but we had long waits for small things like additional drinks, water refills, and to-go boxes. Our server was amazing and attentive at our table. Still, it was clear that he was stretched thin over many tables full of diners on a busy Friday night. Additionally, every STK location has loud, club-style music spun by a live DJ. In this case, the noise level was a bit high for our liking. When we dine out with our kids, we prefer to talk with them, not shout over music to be heard. I also think STK may not be the best dining option for parents of small kids with sensory issues because it can be a little overwhelming. Our meal at STK tasted great, but I'm not sure I'd go back. Next time, I think my husband and I will return to STK Steakhouse without our kids. Terri Peters Our meal at STK was very good, but I'm not sure I'd return to the steak house with my family of four. We've paid similar prices at other steak-house chains and found them to be quieter, more relaxing dining environments. We also enjoyed the food and service at these more relaxed restaurants just a bit more. However, my husband and I would return to the bar for happy hour or to have drinks and share an appetizer. The vibe at this high-end steak restaurant is distinctly more grown-up and club-like than some of its competitors, so for us adults, that may be a better fit. Read the original article on Business Insider Father Who Abused Twin 6-Year-Old Daughters Over Bedwetting Gets Life in Prison After Girl Dies Arianna Battelle died in October 2020 after being severely beaten for bedwetting. Now her father, Justin Hopper, has been convicted of murdering her Brazos County Jail; Facebook; Brazos County Jail Justin Joel Hopper, Arianna Rose Battelle, Jessica Bundren A Texas man was convicted of abusing his twin 6-year-old daughters and sentenced to life in prison after one of the girls died. On Thursday, Justin Hopper, 33, was found guilty of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury for abusing his twin daughters, a pattern of behavior that resulted in the death of 6-year-old Arianna Battelle, court documents reviewed by PEOPLE state. Hopper was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole and was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. The jury deliberated for 15 minutes before reaching the verdict, KBTX reports. In 2023, the twins stepmother, Jessica Bundren, was convicted of injury to a child intentionally causing serious bodily injury in the childs death and sentenced to life in prison. Hopper and Bundren physically abused Arianna and her sister for bedwetting and not eating fast enough, according to the probable cause affidavit, KBTX reported at the time. As PEOPLE previously reported, Arianna was found dead on October 27, 2020, in her familys home after Bryan police responded to a 911 call about a child not breathing, KBTX reported at the time. Related: 6-Year-Old Girl Found Dead After Stepmother Allegedly Beats Her With Metal-Studded Belt Bundren initially told police said Arianna fell down the stairs and when she went to check on her later in bed, the girl wasnt breathing, KHOU reported. Officers found Arianna on the floor of her bedroom under a sheet. She had bruises on her face and legs and welts with puncture marks on her torso. Bundren later told police she beat Arianna with a belt and made her sleep on the floor after wetting the bed, The Bryan-College Station Eagle reported. A forensic nurse who said she has treated hundreds of children, testified that this was the worst abuse case she had ever seen, KTBX reports. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Kimberly Elias, Hoppers stepmother, said she was pleased with the verdict. I think justice was served, and I think anything less than the maximum wouldve diminished the seriousness of the crime, she said, KBTX reports. Hopper will be eligible to apply for parole in 2054. His attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. UPDATE: Sgt. Mauk said that people should stay away and to not approach the suspect. Anyone who believes they have seen the suspect should call 479-587-3555. UPDATE: As of 11:45 a.m., Fayetteville police have rendered the bomb threat as safe, according to a social media post. The department said the search for the suspect and the investigation are ongoing. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Fayetteville police are on the scene of a bank robbery and bomb threat, the department confirmed. The department said in a social media post that around 10 a.m., it responded to a bank robbery and bomb threat at United Bank on Joyce Boulevard. Callers reported that a person entered the bank and presented a suspicious item on the counter saying it was an explosive device, according to the post. Police say he demanded money and left on foot. Sgt. Stephen Mauk with FPD said the suspect left east out of the bank and north onto College Avenue. 20-year-old man found dead in Pea Ridge pool (Courtesy: Fayetteville Police Department) The suspect is described by police as a man with tan skin, wearing an orange hoodie, sunglasses and a yellow surgical mask. The man also has a tattoo on his left hand. FPD says anyone with information should call the department at 479-587-3555. The department also said if possible to avoid the area. This is a developing story. Stay with KNWA/FOX24 for the latest. 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. The FBI has completed a data collection project on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases on the Wind River Reservation in northern Wyoming. The aim of the project to compile an accurate list of cases involving Native Americans who are missing or are the victims of unsolved homicides and determine which resources are needed to move the needle may have fallen short due to limited community engagement, according to one MMIP advocate. The project included a dedicated tip line, email address, and two in-person sessions to give community members the opportunity to provide information on MMIP cases. Nicole Wagon (Northern Arapaho), founder of advocacy group MMIP Wind River, said that many people didnt know about the in-person sessions, or if they did, were unable to attend due to them being held during working hours. Sessions were held on April 16 at the Shoshone Rose Casino from 1-3 pm; and on May 8 at the Wind River Hotel and Casino from 4-6 pm. They failed with communication, Wagon told Native News Online. Nobody had any idea about the in-person sessions. I had so many emails, calls and text messages of people saying they couldnt attend because of the time frames. Wagon lost two daughters to the MMIP crisis within the span of a year. Her daughter Jocelyn was killed at age 30 in January 2019; 23-year-old Jade was found dead on the Wind River Reservation in January 2020. She was optimistic about the FBIs project when it was first announced in February, telling Native News Online that it would give victims families an opportunity to be heard. The MMIP crisis is prevalent across the country, with Indigenous peoples being murdered at a rate ten times the national average. Homicide is the leading cause of death for Native women ages 10-24 and the fifth-leading cause of death for Native women 25-34. While the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates there are 4,200 unsolved MMIP cases, the actual number is likely higher, Native advocates say. Native American people make up about 3.5% of Wyomings population but represent 15% of the missing persons recorded in the states National Crime Information Center. The Not Invisible Act Commission a federal commission tasked with developing federal recommendations to solve the nations MMIP crisis released its final report to Congress last November. The report identified inconsistent, inaccurate, and disparate data as a driving force for high rates of unsolved missing persons and murder cases in Native communities. It cited that there are more than 18,000 federal, state, county, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S., all of which have their standard operating procedures and guidelines for data collection and entry in their agencys case management systems as well as others they may use to help solve cases. Wagon says she invited the FBI team to the Wind River MMIP March, hoping it would help them build relationships with the community to enhance the outcome of the data collection project. The march was 250 attendees strong, with booths and tables from organizations offering assistance to families and victims. If the FBI attended the march, it would build a relationship with the community, Wagon said. It possibly couldve built trust for the MMIP victims and families to open up to them for information and possibly set appointments to talk to them. The result, she says, is an inaccurate picture of the crisis. According to a statement from the FBI, through the data collection project on Wind River, they received 35 tips and, from those, identified four homicides and three missing persons cases. All seven of those cases had previously been reported through appropriate law enforcement channels. The Bureau says it is evaluating those cases to ensure they were properly investigated. No previously unknown cases were identified. We will continue the dialogue among tribal communities and federal state and local law enforcement, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Leonard Carollo said at a press conference on Tuesday. We have justice as our common goal and we will continue to investigate and advocate on behalf of the victims on the Wind River Indian Reservation. When Native News Online asked if the results of the project are an accurate reflection of the MMIP crisis in Wyoming, Wagon answered, No. Not at all. About the Author: "Elyse Wild is senior editor for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. " Contact: ewild@indiancountrymedia.com The Department of Education said Monday that both the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of Michigan failed to live up to federal standards in addressing recent antisemitic and anti-Palestinian incidents on their campuses. Both schools have agreed to resolutions to address the complaints after the two universities were found to be out of compliance with Title VI. The Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reviewed 75 complaints against the University of Michigan, ranging from the 2022-23 school year to this February. OCR found no evidence that the university complied with its Title VI requirements to assess whether incidents individually or cumulatively created a hostile environment for students, faculty, or staff, and if so, to take steps reasonably calculated to end the hostile environment, remedy its effects, and prevent its recurrence, the office said. One example the office used was an October incident when a protester shouted Nazi liberation on campus, though records do not show the university took any steps to address the matter besides forwarding the reports to its public affairs office. In response to the investigation, the school has committed to multiple steps, such as reviewing files from that time frame to ensure each gets a just resolution, reporting incidents of discrimination to the office during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, revising policies and trainings on Title VI and administering a climate assessment on campus. Meanwhile, CUNY, OCR said, failed to promptly respond to incidents of antisemitism and discrimination against Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and/or South Asian ancestry in the results of a probe that goes back to 2020. The university agreed to reopen some cases and provide the new findings to OCR, provide updated Title VI training to employees and also conduct a campus climate survey. Hate has no place on our college campusesever. Sadly, we have witnessed a series of deeply concerning incidents in recent months. Theres no question that this is a challenging moment for school communities across the country. The recent commitments made by the University of Michigan and CUNY mark a positive step forward. The Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights continues to hold schools accountable for compliance with civil rights standards, including by investigating allegations of discrimination or harassment based on shared Jewish ancestry and shared Palestinian or Muslim ancestry, Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. We will continue to work with school leaders, educators, and students across the country to ensure that everyone has a safe learning environment, Cardona added. The resolutions come as dozens of investigations have been opened by the OCR against colleges and universities for antisemitic or anti-Palestinian incidents during the 2023-24 academic school year, in particular in the wake of Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. The OCR can punish schools by taking away federal money, but most investigations end in agreements with the universities. Updated at 1:30 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. Feds OK Kentucky plans to roll out $1 billion for broadband. Heres what happens next. One of the next steps in deploying the money is ensuring the accuracy of Kentucky's broadband access maps. (John Lamb/Getty Images) Federal officials have approved Kentuckys plan to deploy almost $1.1 billion to expand broadband, a key step toward connecting homes and businesses throughout the state. The funding was given to the state last year. Earlier this month the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the second volume of Kentuckys proposed plans for using the money through the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, or BEAD, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Those approved plans include how grants will be awarded to internet providers, what affordability mechanisms will be available to help Kentuckians pay for internet service once its expanded, and how workers will be trained to help build broadband connections. Kentucky will require internet providers applying for the funding to offer a low-cost option, which would be $30 a month or less, though internet providers could negotiate the price of that low cost option to a max of $65 a month. No charges for installation, maintenance or repairs are to be allowed in the monthly cost. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in a Monday press conference said the internet expansion spurred by the funding should provide a route for more Kentuckians to have affordable internet. If broadband and high speed internet is just as important as roads and bridges, then everybody needs to be able to use it. So, affordability is absolutely critical, Beshear said. Beshear also called the recent expiration of a federal program that provided up to $30 a month to low-income households for internet access a shame. Approximately 1 in 4 Kentucky households were enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. The next steps to roll out Kentuckys funding include a process for ensuring the accuracy of the states broadband access maps. Meghan Sandfoss, the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Broadband Development, said her office has received more than 400,000 challenges to the maps from internet providers, nonprofits and local governments, and the challenge process should finish by July. Accurate maps will better identify underserved and unserved parts of the state and make sure broadband expansion isnt duplicative, Sandfoss said. From there, the state has less than five years to distribute broadband grants and build internet connection. Sandfoss said the state has until 2028 to distribute the more than $1 billion in BEAD funding. She said broadband projects underway that were previously funded by the state with hundreds of millions of dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act have to be finished by the end of 2026. Sandfoss said about 12% of Kentucky is either underserved or unserved by internet providers, according to federal data, and the BEAD funding should close the gap all the way. Theres quite a lot of activity going on right now, and it will continue for the next four years, Sandfoss said. The post Feds OK Kentucky plans to roll out $1 billion for broadband. Heres what happens next. appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. (Photo credit: Getty Images) Missouris delays in processing Medicaid applications among the worst in the nation have the attention of federal regulators, who will conduct a focused review of the problem, according to a letter obtained by The Independent. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a letter sent to the state May 22 and obtained Friday afternoon under Missouris Sunshine Law, said it is concerned the state is not doing enough to achieve and sustain compliance with federal rules on Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program. Because of these concerns, the agency will intervene to help Missouri identify strategies to come back into compliance. Medicaid applications for low-income Americans are required to be reviewed within 45 days. In Missouri, the most recent federal data from February shows 72% of applications took more than 45 days to process the worst in the country that month. Thats up from 58% in January. Nationwide, most applications were processed within 24 hours last year. The Missouri Department of Social Services, which oversees the states Medicaid program, is required to submit specified data to the feds this month to work on strategies for coming back into compliance. If it doesnt improve, Missouri could be subject to formal compliance actions, including an official corrective action plan, and would be at risk of losing federal funding. A similar letter was sent to Texas, according to the business publication Modern Healthcare. A CMS spokesperson didnt immediately answer a question about which other states were included. Long processing times can cause low-income patients and those with disabilities to forego medical care and prescriptions. Patients have told The Independent they are delaying medical care during pregnancy because they cant get enrolled in Medicaid. The federal government said in the May letter it is concerned particularly given the prolonged period of the states noncompliance. In December, more than half of Missouris applications took longer than 45 days to process. As of February, Missouris 72% noncompliance rate stands far above other states. The next highest were New Mexico (58%), Alaska (53%) and Texas (46%). Tim McBride, a health policy analyst, professor at Washington University in St. Louis and former chair of the board that oversees Missouris Medicaid program, said it is very concerning just how much Missouris issues stand out. If we compare the states processing time to other states, we appear to really be an outlier, he said, and in not such a good way. Its not clear why Missouri cant meet the 45 day requirement, McBride said. We have heard the problem is understaffing, antiquated computer systems and a problematic call center, he said. But more could be done to rectify this. In summer 2022, the federal government initiated a formal mitigation plan with the state to get the processing time down. It worked, but wait times started creeping back up in October, according to the letter. In October, 34% of determinations exceeded 45 days. Although we understand that the state continues to employ the strategies outlined in its July 2022 mitigation plan, the letter states, due to the persistent nature of the current backlog, we believe it is critical for the state to review its current processes and adopt additional alternative strategies that will mitigate the harm being caused to applicants. Missouris social services agency is committed to cooperating with the federal probe and improving the wait times, spokesperson Baylee Watts said, and will submit the data by the deadline. The Department of Social Services is actively working to furnish the information needed for CMSs review process, Watts said. Our goal is always to strive towards continuous improvement when serving Missourians, and we will continue to work with our federal partners to achieve that. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The letter states that CMS engaged with Missouri staff in January to try to understand and fix the backlog, and that the state attributed the problem to an increase in applications at the time. From November to mid-January, during open enrollment season for the federal insurance marketplace, the state generally sees an uptick in Medicaid applications. McBride said that influx in applications should have been anticipated around open enrollment. And the increase in applications hasnt leveled off as much this year as was expected, officials previously said. McBride said some of the continual increase in applications could be due to people losing coverage and reapplying. The state around a year ago began re-checking every Medicaid participants eligibility, after a federal COVID-era suspension on annual renewals expired. Around 356,000 people have lost coverage in the renewal process, preliminary state data analyzed by the Center for Advancing Health Services Policy and Economics Research at Washington University in St. Louis, shows. Around half of them were children. Net enrollment, which includes the number of people who got on the program as others were getting removed, fell by 212,203 people. Over half Medicaid participation sits at 1.3 million as of May, down from 1.5 million in June of last year. Joel Ferber, director of advocacy at the nonprofit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, said hes glad the feds are finally taking action to require Missouri to explore more strategies for compliance. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is one of the states legal aid programs that provides free legal assistance to low-income and disadvantaged Missourians, including on Medicaid application issues. Advocates for months have noted the intensifying bureaucratic hurdles for Missourians to access and retain coverage, including issues with the states online portal to upload eligibility documents. Ferber has been urging Missouri to pause its disenrollments while it makes improvements. Too many are falling through the cracks under the current system, Ferber said. Another issue the state identified, according to the letter, was that it faced shortages in eligibility staff due to the needs of other human services programs, which compete with the states Medicaid and [Childrens Health Insurance Program] agency for resources. One of those programs competing for the Department of Social Services resources is food stamps: A federal court last month ruled Missourians were being illegally denied food aid by the state, in part due to hours-long call center wait times. The call center wait time issues seem to cut across all of DSS programs Medicaids average call wait time was the longest in the nation in Missouri as of February, according to federal data, though its not the focus of this probe. It was 56 minutes in February. The post Feds to scrutinize Missouris worst-in-the-nation Medicaid application delays appeared first on Missouri Independent. A war is waging near battlefields that have been quiet for over 150 years. But instead of muskets and cannons, opposing forces are using campaign signs. And this time, the battle threatens to split the Republican Party in Virginias Fifth Congressional District. Campaign signs dot the side of the road on Patrick Henry Highway in Amelia County, about one or two every few miles. They switch off, one in support of Rep. Bob Good, the chair of the Freedom Caucus who is up for re-election, and one in support of state Sen. John McGuire, his primary opponent. Recently, some of those signs have gone missing or have been defaced, according to business owners and officials within the Fifth Districts Republican Party, in an otherwise quiet part of rural Virginia. Ive never had this problem even with Democrats here, with the signs, Martha Muniz, chair of the Amelia County arm of the Republican Party of Virginia, said. Its ridiculous. Those signs are expensive. And the fight over the signs and the candidate's they advertise could signal a potential rift among Republicans in the staunchly conservative Fifth District. It's difficult to pinpoint the start of the unrest. Some say Good is at fault for endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump in May 2023. Others blame McGuire for jumping into the race immediately after he won his state Senate seat in November. Few, if any, blame the former president and his recent endorsement of McGuire, though it seems that endorsement and the drama that followed may have been the catalyst for the sign wars of Amelia County. Trumps endorsement and a cease-and-desist Trump issued his endorsement of McGuire on May 28 through a post on his social media Platform, Truth Social. Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA. He turned his back on our incredible movement and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and loving Endorsement But really, it was too late, the post read. Prior to that endorsement, Goods campaign had printed and placed signs around the Fifth District including Trumps name. The inclusion of Trump's name on Good's signs was meant to reflect the Republican ticket, the Congressman has said. On May 31, Goods campaign received a cease-and-desist letter from Trumps attorneys to halt the use of the presumptive Republican nominees name or likeness on the Congressmans campaign material. To be clear, neither you nor your campaign are authorized to use President Trumps name or the Campaigns to falsely imply their support of your candidacy. Nor are you or your campaign authorized to claim that you represent or are otherwise associated with President Trump or the Campaign, Trumps attorney, David Warrington wrote in his letter to Good. On June 1, Muniz said she saw the first Good/Trump campaign sign with Goods name cut out. A campaign sign that used to include Rep. Bob Good's name along with former President Donald Trump's. Good's name was cut out by an unknown person after the Trump campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to Good to halt his use of the former president's name. Then, the candidates and their proxies took the war online. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R - Georgia, recently campaigned with McGuire in Virginia. She called Good a liar in a video published on X while standing next to a Good/Trump sign on the side of the road in an undisclosed location in the commonwealth. "President Trump himself and his campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter telling Bob Good to stop using signs that use President Trump's name. Bob Good has refused," she said. "This is what a horrible person he is." Bob Good is a LIAR! Here are the signs that President Trump told Bob Good to take down.@JohnMcGuire4VA is the ONLY Trump-endorsed candidate for VA-05. pic.twitter.com/Lav3LMMtdP Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) June 5, 2024 Days later, Good took to X. His campaign posted video that showed Good complaining about the placement of one of McGuire's campaign signs in front of a business in Campbell County. "Here's what my opponent does, right beside me. He puts up an unauthorized sign," Good said, as he gestured toward a McGuire campaign sign placed in front of an auto parts store. "And my friend, Benny Cunningham at Cunningham Brothers (Auto Parts) has asked that sign to be taken down, they're going to take it down today because they support me." A Good campaign sign stood about fifty yards behind him, in the background. My opponent continues to put up unauthorized signs without permission. This is his dishonest campaign, but the people of the 5th District are rejecting it! pic.twitter.com/tuw3j304fv Bob Good for Congress (@GoodForCongress) June 8, 2024 Our signs are legal and we support President Trumps re-election, Diana Shores, Goods campaign manager, said in a statement. This is a critical election year and after Tuesday, were all on the same team. McGuire's campaign reported that landowners removed the Good/Trump signs from their own property after seeing the cease-and-desist letter, according to a post published by Politico's Olivia Beavers on X. John McGuires campaign reports seeing a change of heart after showing VA landowners with pro-Bob Good signs the cease and desist letter sent by the Trump campaign Says they are getting requests for McGuire: Endorsed by Trump signs to replace Goods signs pic.twitter.com/2d9sK5Uoqt Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) June 7, 2024 A spokesperson for McGuire's campaign said they have no other direct knowledge of the disappearance or vandalism of the signs, when asked by USA Today. Theft or defacement of political or campaign signs is considered a misdemeanor in Virginia and can carry a penalty of up to a $2,500 fine or, potentially, jail time. The mystery of the disappeared campaign signs Muniz, who endorsed Goods reelection, said signs in support of the Freedom Caucus Chair have been found on the ground, in the road, in the woods close to where they stood, or theyve just disappeared. Todd Tatum, who works at Tatums Hauling on Patrick Henry Highway in Amelia County, said he watched a game of musical signs play out recently in front of his cousins business. Sen. John McGuire put his own campaign sign up in front of the business a couple of weeks ago, he said. Then, in bad weather, the sign blew off of the T post, a piece of metal or wood used to hold up signs. The girl that came and put up a Bob Good sign didnt know it and she just put her sign right up on the T post, Tatum said. Then, he said, someone took Goods signs down to collect the T post. And then a member of the Good campaign came by to put their signs back up. Goods sign still stood in front of the business on Thursday. A campaign sign in support of former President Donald Trump and Rep. Bob Good stands outside of Tatum's Hauling in Amelia County. The sign has drawn criticism from supporter's of Good's primary opponent, Sen. John McGuire, as well as Trump, whose campaign issued a cease-and-desist to halt the use of his name by Good's campaign. I dont know what yall are doing, I said, and I dont care. Ive got too much work in here to do, Tatum said. He had collected the wayward signs to keep in the building until each campaign was able to retrieve their materials. Carolyn Bowman, co-owner of The Farmers Daughters in nearby Prince Edward County, calls herself a big time Trump supporter. A handful of large McGuire and Trump signs are prominently displayed on her business property. She said McGuire had impressed her when he opted to put up his own signs on her property, and took time to visit with her while doing so instead of dropping off the materials and leaving, when he was running for his state senate election. That was before the Fifth District primary race and Trump's endorsement. Goods campaign put a sign up on the corner of her business property earlier in the primary but, Bowman said, it disappeared. I dont know what happened to it, she said. Then McGuires sign went up in its place and she got a call from Goods campaign asking what happened to theirs. Later, she said, some of Goods supporters began to attack her through Facebook Messenger. I call them Bad Bobs Bullies, she said. Penny Osborn and Carolyn Bowman, sisters and co-owners of The Farmer's Daughters, a greenhouse and landscaping company in Prince Edward County, pose for a photo with a McGuire campaign sign on the business' property. Bowman said she supports McGuire and hopes the Republican Party in the Fifth District can unify after the primary. A rift in the Republican Party It feels wasteful, and it feels selfish, Muniz said, of the conflict surrounding the primary and the campaign signs. This election is so ugly. More than $1.5 million has been spent by both Good's and McGuire's campaigns in the Fifth District primary race so far. More than $10 million has been spent by independent groups, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Of that, $2.4 million went to anti-McGuire efforts and $3.4 million went to anti-Good efforts. Those efforts include spending on attack ads that appear on television or social media, or through direct mail. That money and energy spent in the primary could have been saved for the November election, Muniz said. Signs in support of both McGuire's campaign and Good's campaign are prominently displayed at the intersection of I-15 and I-60 in Virginia's Fifth Congressional District. Good's sign has drawn ire from former president Donald Trump for the use of his name, after the former president endorsed Good's opponent in the primary race. And, she noted, the Republican Party in the Fifth District is at a crossroads with this primary election. If McGuire wins, she expects to see some resignations from county leadership positions, she said. Though shes hopeful the party can pull together after June 18 regardless of the outcome. Bowman said she also sees the divide growing between Republicans in the Fifth District over the primary race between Good and McGuire, and her feelings about that divide are mixed. The Republican Party needed a wake up, but they dont need to keep on fighting amongst each other, she said. They need to join together and get over this bashing bull-crap and bullying and join together after this catastrophe is over. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: A rift in Virginia's Republican Party on display through campaign signs EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two fast growing fires around the Mescalero Apache Reservation and near Ruidoso, New Mexico, are forcing evacuations and road closures, including the entire Village of Ruidoso. South Fork Fire near Ruidoso. Photos courtesy of Lincoln National Forest Around 7 p.m., an immediate evacuation order was issued for the entire Village of Ruidoso, according to the Villages Facebook page. The entire village from Sudderth/Mechem to Freeedom Bloom at Big O Tire has been ordered to evacuate. Residents have been told not to gather any belongings or to try to protect their homes. Both Highway 48 and Highway 70 at Apache Summit are closed so the only route for evacuation is on Sudderth to Highway 70 and out to Roswell. Ruidoso Downs is also being evacuated. As of 11 p.m., the South Fork Fire is estimated to be 5,252 acres with 0 percent containment, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division. The New Mexico Forestry Division says that multiple structures are threatened with unknown structures lost. A second fire near the Apache Summit started up and is forcing the evacuation of Apache Summit and the closure of U.S. Highway 70. Highway 70 is closed from Botella Road to Highway 244, the tribe said. Other smaller fires are being reported in the Ruidoso area. The second fire is being called the Salt Fire. As of 11 p.m., the New Mexico Forestry Division estimates the Salt Fire to be 2,815 acres with 0 percent containment. Fire as viewed from Capitan High School. Photo by Tirza Ortiz/KTSM NM Highway 48 is also closed from Alpine Village/University to NM Highway 220. Residents and visitors who want to voluntarily evacuate can now seek shelter at Capitan High School. The Ruidoso Convention Center is not taking any more evacuations and those who are there will shelter-in-place should the status at the Convention Center change, according to the Village of Ruidoso Facebook page. Those with pets can take them to the Humane Society of Lincoln County located at 25962 U.S. Highway 70 in Ruidoso. For Mescalero Apache residents, an evacuation center is available at the Mescalero Community Center Gymnasium. For those who cannot go to Capitan because of the Highway 70 closures, a shelter has been set up at 52 University Blvd. in Roswell. Livestock can be held at the Mescalero Rodeo Grounds, for those in need. You can call (575) 464-9878 if you need help with hauling your livestock. If you can get there safely, an evacuation center at Inn of the Mountain Gods Convention Center is available for anyone, tribal or non-tribal. Hot ash from the South Fork Fire has been falling in parts of Alto and along Airport Road. The Otero County Electric Cooperative has been requested to shut power off in the area around Penn Scott Drive and Cow Camp due to wildfires in area. It is unknown when service will be restored. Interactive outage maps can be accessed on at www.ocec-inc.com. The City of Alamogordo said it is sending a team of firefighters to Ruidoso. Alamogordo Police have also mobilized to potentially assist with any traffic control needs. Also, staff at the Alamogordo Civic Center has been placed on standby and is ready to open the facility as needed. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement her administration has been in close contact with state, tribal and federal officials and they are deploying as many resources as possible to protect people and property. Those with questions can call the Emergency Operations Center at (575) 258-6900. This story will be updated when we learn more. 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. A former employee at Elon Musk's brain-computer interface startup Neuralink is suing the company, alleging that she was forced to work with lab monkeys that carried Herpes and even got scratched by one on her bare skin through a glove. As Bloomberg reports, former Neuralink employee Lindsay Short also claims she was fired after informing her supervisors that she was pregnant. All told, Short is accusing the company of retaliation, wrongful termination, and gender discrimination all allegations that have already been made against Musk's other companies, including SpaceX. It's yet another sign that the mercurial CEO likes to crack the whip at his ventures, with a notable disregard for employee safety, discrimination, sexism, and more. The lawsuit paints a troubling picture of what's going on behind closed doors at Neuralink. Short details encountering a "work environment fraught with blame, shame, and impossible deadlines," once she was transferred to the company's site in Fremont, California. She claims she was scratched through a glove by a monkey that carried the Herpes B virus, and was never given adequate protective equipment to work with the animals. According to the lawsuit, she was threatened with "severe repercussions" by her boss if she were to insist on medical treatment again. Short was fired a day after informing her department she was pregnant. She had been promoted two months earlier. Neuralink's use of lab monkeys has already been the subject of much controversy. Last year, Wired reported that as many as a dozen rhesus macaques suffered from a variety of terrifying symptoms after being implanted with Neuralink chips, including brain swelling, partial paralysis, and self-harming behavior, eventually leading to them being euthanized. Musk has since denied the report, claiming the monkeys had been terminally ill without ever providing proof to back up his claims. Neuralink has also come under investigation by the US Department of Transportation for illegally moving implants removed from the brains of monkeys that may have been contaminated with pathogens, including Herpes B and other hard-to-kill bacteria like Staphylococcus and Klebsiella. Short's allegations are serious and not entirely surprising. It's far from the first time we've heard of gender discrimination at a Musk-run company, with Short's lawsuit being only the latest in a string of complaints. Just last week, eight former SpaceX employees sued the company and its CEO, claiming they were wrongfully fired for raising concerns over rampant sexual harassment. More on Neuralink: First Neuralink Patient Wants Tesla Robot He Can Control With His Mind As wildfires continue to rapidly spread across California, firefighters are doing what they can to combat the intense blazes. Angeles National Forest shared a video of current firefighter efforts in the greater LA metro area. The wildfires erupted over the weekend up and down the state, burning thousands of acres and forcing communities to evacuate. Over 1,200 people were evacuated from Hungry Valley Park, which is north of Los Angeles. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the I-5 freeway corridor in northwest LA County. Winds are expected to pick up on Monday and Tuesday. Firefighters knock down brushfire off 101 Freeway in Hollywood Hills Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department knocked down a three-acre brushfire in the Hollywood Hills Sunday that prompted the closure of an exit off the southbound 101 Freeway. It took more than 100 firefighters a little less than two hours to stop the forward progress of the blaze at 2699 Cahuenga Boulevard, according to a LAFD news release. Crews responded to reports of the fire, which was just north of the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, at around 2:17 p.m. Officials said firefighting helicopters made strategic water drops at the head of the fire while crews on the ground got water on both flanks of the brusher, creating a containment perimeter. L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) L.A. firefighters knocked down a 3-acre brushfire off the 101 Freeway in the Hollywood Hills on June 16, 2024. (TNLA) Officers with the California Highway Patrol had closed the southbound Highland Avenue exit off the 101 Freeway while crews battled the fire. It is unclear if the off-ramp has since been reopened. The cause of the brusher is under investigation. No injuries were reported, and no structures were damaged. Two other wildfires in Southern California continue to rage. The fast-moving Post Fire off the 5 Freeway in Gorman that prompted evacuation orders Saturday has burned more than 12,000 acres and remains only 2% contained. In Hesperia, mandatory evacuations were also ordered on Saturday as a brushfire in the 18000 block of North Highway 173 ravaged several hundred acres and has since grown to more than 1,300 acres and is at 7% containment. Firefighters will remain on the scene in the Hollywood Hills overnight to ensure there are no additional flare ups, officials said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. First of 3 men charged in prison killing of James Whitey Bulger pleads guilty to false statement to a federal agent One of three inmates charged in connection with the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger has pleaded guilty to falsifying statements to federal agents. Sean McKinnon was sentenced Monday to time served, as hes been in custody since he was charged, the US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of West Virginia told CNN. According to a plea agreement, McKinnon faced up to a five-year sentence for the charge. Prosecutors have accused McKinnon of acting as a lookout on October 30, 2018, while fellow US Penitentiary Hazelton inmates Fotios Geas and Paul J. DeCologero bludgeoned Bulger to death less than 12 hours after the former crime boss was transferred to the facility in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. Bulger was the much-feared leader of Bostons Irish mob who evaded capture for more than 16 years before his June 2011 arrest. He found unresponsive in his prison cell and died of blunt-force head injuries as a result of being assaulted by others, according to his death certificate. He was 89 at the time of his death. Geas and DeCologero are accused of striking Bulger several times, resulting in his death, according to the US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. They face first-degree murder and assault charges in relation to the killing, and Geas is also charged with murder by a federal inmate serving a life sentence, court filings show. McKinnon, Geas and DeCologero each agreed to plead guilty, according to motions filed by prosecutors last month. Each man was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent regarding his knowledge of Bulgers killing. CNN asked the US attorneys office Monday whether McKinnons conspiracy to commit murder charge had been dropped, since he was sentenced only for the charge of making false statements. According to the plea agreement, McKinnons false statements included: Telling FBI agents he was not aware of what happened to Bulger the day Bulger died Saying he spoke with fellow inmates Geas and DeCologero the morning of October 30, 2018, but did not discuss Bulger Saying he knew nothing about an incident involving Bulger on that day McKinnon was already in prison, serving a 96-month (8-year) sentence for firearms theft. DeCologero is scheduled to appear in court on August 1 to enter a guilty plea and be sentenced and Geas is expected in court for the same reasons on September 6, according to court records. Bulgers criminal reign as head of south Bostons Winter Hill gang from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s made him one of the most wanted men in the US, who avoided arrest from federal authorities on racketeering and murder charges for over a decade. A judge later described Bulgers terrorizing of Boston as involving unfathomable acts. Federal prosecutors say he led the gang through the mid-1990s. Bulger, who inspired Jack Nicholsons character in Martin Scorseses 2006 film, The Departed, was arrested in California in 2011 and sentenced to two life terms in prison in 2013 after a jury found he was responsible for 11 deaths among other crimes, CNN previously reported. In a now-dismissed lawsuit, Bulgers family in 2020 sued prison employees after he died, alleging they were intentional or deliberately indifferent to dangers the former crime boss faced in prison, and that it appeared Bulger was deliberately sent to his death. Though a judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2022, the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General released a report in December of that year outlining a series of missteps by prison authorities that may have jeopardized Bulgers safety during his prison transfer. Bulgers placement into the West Virginia facilitys general population after guards spoke of his impending arrival in front of inmates is mentioned in the report as one of the mistakes made. The report said inmates prior knowledge of Bulgers arrival at Hazelton on October 29, 2018, significantly increased the likelihood that he faced imminent harm at the facility. CNNs Ray Sanchez and Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We are seeing the first image of the Houthi drone boat that struck the bulk cargo carrier M/V Tutor. Video has emerged on social media offering the first view of the Houthi uncrewed surface vessel (USV) that struck the M/V Tutor in the Red Sea last week. It also shows the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk cargo carrier security crews perplexed reaction as the USV approached. Though the Iranian-backed rebel group has constantly attempted USV attacks after launching their assault on shipping in November in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, this incident marked the first time they actually struck a ship during this current campaign. The Houthi USV had what appear to be dummies onboard, with no obvious signs of an antenna, though it is hard to tell from the distance it is seen and the resolution of the video. Those drone boats are often made to look like fishing vessels common in the Red Sea region and are typically fashioned out of fiberglass or wood, the Ambrey maritime security firm reported in its assessment of this incident. In January, one washed up in the Bab al Mandeb Strait. Inspectors found three electronic switches connected to 25kg (about 55 pounds) of C4 explosives - approximately 33.5kg (about 74 pounds) of TNT equivalent, and 50kg (about 110 pounds) of TNT, Ambrey reported. The switches seen have been pressure contact switches and, in the past systems, these have been facing forward-, starboard- and port-facing. You can see how the Houthis have developed their USVs in this chart below. Government of Saudi Arabia The use of dummies in the June 12 attack was significant, according to Ambrey, as it increases the threshold for use of force as doing so would, at least to the defender, be deadly, as opposed to just disabling or destroying a small boat. It has been proven time and again that the threshold for kinetic actions is far lower against uncrewed vehicles as opposed to crewed ones for these reasons. This modus operandi has been seen before, their assessment explained. This can disguise the nature of the threat and can draw defensive fire toward the operator. Ambrey noted that in previous attempts by the Houthis to attack shipping with USVs, a second skiff was observed within two nautical miles guiding the drone boats to its target. That was not the case in this attack. From this second skiff, the operators have radio-controlled the unmanned devices, Ambrey noted. At the time of writing, no second skiff had been reported. The Houthis have the proven capability to track these modified vessels using GPS and to utilize a video feed. It is assessed as possible that this was controlled remotely from land. The M/V Tutor was struck 66 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The video also shows security personnel taking no action against the USV. One is seen looking at it through binoculars while two guards hold their Hecker and Koch G3 rifles pointing inexplicably straight up instead of at the USV. The three watch as it steadily approaches for about 30 seconds. The video cuts away before the USV impacts. The video does not show the impact but instead cuts to the security personnel racing to the bridge and the panicked crew inside trying to figure out what to do next. While it is possible the semi-automatic rifles 7.62x51mm NATO rounds might have been able to detonate the USV or stop its engines before it hit the Tutor or damaged its guidance systems, there is no way of knowing. Security crew about the M/V Tutor watch the Houthi USV approach the ship. Joshua Hutchinson, Ambrey's Managing Director of Risk and Intelligence, declined to comment on the security teams reaction because they were from another company. The attack caused severe flooding and damaged the engine room. One civilian mariner remains missing. The bulk cargo ship M/V Tutor before it was attacked. Via Twitter After the crew was adrift on the damaged ship for three days, sailors assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG) rescued them on June 15, according to Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). A helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 airlifted 24 civilian mariners from Tutor to Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), NAVCENT stated in a media release. From there, helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 transported the group to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). After being medically checked on IKE, the mariners were flown ashore for follow-on care. Sailors from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group render assistance to distressed mariners at sea in the Red Sea, June 15. U.S. Navy As we have previously reported, the Yemeni militant group has used kamikaze drone boats before they actually pioneered the operational use of kamikaze USVs years ago. We first reported about this capability in January 2017, when an explosive-laden Houthi USV struck a Saudi frigate. Iran developed various crude kamikaze USVs years ago and those weapons soon migrated to their Houthi proxies, which used them first operationally. You can see the January 2017 attack in the video below. https://youtu.be/1kGJ_4aJTbE The Houthis began launching USVs at Red Sea shipping in its current campaign back in January . At the time, the deputy CENTCOM commander said the USV was destroyed. Despite repeated efforts by the U.S. and allies to go after Houthi drones, missiles and USVs after they are launched and the facilities they launch from , they have been ramping up their shipping attacks. A day after the Tutor was hit, they struck M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated bulk cargo carrier in two separate missile attacks, CENTCOM stated. The crew issued a distress call indicating they were abandoning the ship. M/V Anna Meta responded to render assistance. Anna Meta recovered the mariners and transported them to safety, according to CENTCOM. The crew abandoned ship due to continued fires and an inability to control them. The Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was eight nautical miles from M/V Verbena and did not respond to the distress call. The drone boats the Houthis are launching are less expensive and capable than those the Ukrainians have been using to attack Russian warships as well as the Kerch Bridge . Still, there is no apparent end in sight for the Houthi attacks, which are giving the U.S. Navy its biggest challenge in decades. But now that there are clear images circulating showing the latest iteration of their USVs and how the Tutor crew reacted, other ship crews could potentially avoid the same fate in the future. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Five things to know about investigation into NC legislature spending, Tim Moores $45M As Republicans in the state legislature continue to hold firm majorities in both chambers, they have grabbed more power while making it harder to track what they are doing. These two trends are resulting in state budgets laced with spending and meaty policy changes that often show up at with scarce time for public review or debate, News & Observer reporting shows. The first installment of our ongoing Power & Secrecy investigation focused on the state budget. Here are five things the reporting uncovered: Big money helps a congressional run Last year, state budget writers added $100 million to a contingency account for transportation projects that critics have long complained is a slush fund. House Speaker Tim Moore points to heavy traffic at the I-85-I-485 intersection in western Mecklenburg County at a press event announcing $45 million funding to add new lanes to reduce a bottleneck. For many years that fund, which is split between the House speaker, Senate leader and NCDOT secretary, spent roughly $10 million annually. Legislative leaders typically spent their shares in their districts and on projects requested by favored lawmakers. That continued last year, too, but in a big way. A month after the budget passed, House Speaker Tim Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, took nearly half of the $100 million and committed it to an interstate interchange that is a major gateway to the newly-redistricted 14th Congressional District. Hours after Moore led a press conference announcing the spending, his campaign confirmed he was running for that seat. Budgets built behind closed doors Twice over the past six years, House and Senate leaders didnt produce their own budget proposals. They inserted budget bills with roughly $30 billion in spending and new policy into unrelated bills already passed in each chamber. That eliminated the opportunity for debate or amendments. In one of those budgets, legislative leaders took the rare step in 2022 of providing $6 million to a private company attempting to develop a light-based device to combat COVID-19. EmitBio has connections to House Speaker Moore. Its parent company, KNOW Bio, paid Moore for legal work in 2017, four years after he had helped the companys founder, Neal Hunter, with state legislation that kept 751 South a major mixed use development in South Durham that included him as a partner on track. Hunter and Moore have other financial ties. The offices of KNOW Bio and its subsidiary EmitBio in a Morrisville office park. Last year, state lawmakers gave EmitBio another $20 million in the state budget, funding proposed first in a House budget bill. Lawmakers locking up records State lawmakers have downplayed a provision added to last years state budget that exempts them from the public records law, saying it would have little impact on record requests. But when The N&O sought records regarding the EmitBio spending, only two documents were provided. EmitBio spending in the 2023 state budget. One was Rep. Jason Saines request to the state budget office to put the spending on hold; the other was a letter from Moores chief of staff eight days later that said Saine and other House budget writers wanted the state funding to continue. But several questions about the funding remain unanswered that could be answered with records. They include: How did EmitBio seek the appropriations? What information did EmitBio provide to convince budget writers to grant the money? Which budget writers were directly involved with advancing these appropriations? Budgets block environmental protections GOP legislators have for years used special provisions in the budget to limit environmental regulators and give themselves increased power over regulations. This started as soon as Republicans took full control of the legislature in 2011, for the first time in more than a century. Lawmakers tucked into that years budget a new version of a rule that said in cases where a federal regulation already exists, state regulations cannot be tougher. Volunteer Jo Buehrer wades into the Third Fork Creek to collect trash as members of the Haw River Assembly and volunteers empty a trash trap in Durham, N.C., Saturday, May 25, 2024. Styrofoam is far and away the most common item found in the trash trap. The most recent budget includes at least three examples of the General Assembly stepping in to limit actions that would have protected the environment The Republican-controlled General Assembly prevented liberal governments in Asheville and Durham from curbing the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam in their jurisdictions. That provision was included in the final version of the budget with no warning, a point at which lawmakers must either vote for or against the whole document. Other provisions in the 2023 budget prevented North Carolina from enacting rules intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and power plants. In one, the General Assembly stymied progress toward a rule that would have required bus and truck manufacturers to steadily increase the number of electric vehicles sold in the state. In the other, lawmakers forbid North Carolina from joining a cap-and-trade program. Several environmental groups had requested that the state join such a program, and the N.C. Environmental Management Commission had directed environmental regulators to start crafting a rule. Business groups, most notably the NC Chamber, celebrated the halting of both policies. It wasnt always this way The practice of inserting new policy and spending in the final version of the budget used to be forbidden by the operational rules of the House and Senate. This rule held in the late 1980s to the mid-2000, until the state Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats, began adding wiggle room in 2003. The House followed suit in 2011, when Republicans began running the legislature. Ran Coble, retired executive director of the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, a former nonpartisan watchdog group, recommended that lawmakers make that rule a law. This would protect rank-and-file legislators from last-minute surprises that cant be easily untied from the budget items and other measures that had already been agreed on, Coble said. State budgets have grown dramatically in recent years. In 2021 and 2023 they exceeded 600 pages. An N&O review of budgets going back to 2001 shows only two others exceeded 400 pages, in 2015 and 2017. This story is one of a series of News & Observer reports called Power & Secrecy. It explores the rise of both in the N.C. General Assembly. The five worst muddles politicians have got themselves into over trans rights Trans rights may be one of the most divisive and contentious topics of the day, but Tony Blair believes politicians are needlessly getting themselves into a tangle over the issue. I dont know how politics got itself into this muddle Biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis, the former Prime Minister said. His intervention offered a rare moment of conviction and clarity in the trans debate, which has caused a succession of politicians to tie themselves in knots in recent years. Here are some of the most glaring examples of the muddle Blair was speaking of. Sir Keir Starmer What he said first Given one of the key questions in the trans rights debate is what is the legal definition of a woman?, you would be forgiven for assuming that a barrister and former director of public prosecutions would be well placed to answer it. But Starmers stance on the subject since becoming Labour leader has been defined by inconsistency. In March 2022, during an appearance on Nick Ferraris LBC radio show, he repeatedly refused to answer the question of whether a woman can have a penis. I dont think that discussing this issue in this way helps anyone in the long run, Starmer said. The exchange came six months after the Labour leader dismissed comments made by Rosie Duffield, the long-suffering gender-critical MP for Canterbury (who has employed private security during the current election campaign for fear of attack from trans rights extremists), who said all women have a cervix. Asked by the BBC whether Duffields position was transphobic, Starmer replied: Well, it is something that shouldnt be said. It is not right. What he said later In April 2023, Starmer appeared to shift his tone, saying trans rights could not be allowed to override womens rights. He stressed that 99.9 per cent of women havent got a penis and pledged there would be no rolling back of hard-won womens rights should he be elected prime minister. I think there is a fear that somehow there could be the rolling back of some of the things that have been won, Starmer told The Sunday Times. There are still many battles that need to go ahead for women and I dont think we should roll anything back. I think we should go on to win the next battles for women. And that is a very important sort of starting point for this debate. Earlier this year, he also appeared to row back on his dismissal of Duffields remarks, saying she was correct in her assertion that only women have a cervix after all. Biologically, she of course is right about that, Starmer told ITVs Good Morning Britain in April. Theres a distinction between sex and gender, he added. Penny Mordaunt What she said first During her stint as Equalities Minister in 2018, Penny Mordaunt said trans women are women and trans men are men and pledged to do more so that LGBT people could thrive in the UK. What she said later Fast-forward to the Conservative leadership campaign of 2022 and the group Conservatives for Women labelled Mourdant a committed warrior for the trans lobby. In response she tweeted Do I Know What a Woman Is? in bold letters, followed by the statement, Some people born male and who have been through the gender recognition process are also legally female. That DOES NOT mean they are biological women, like me. Mordaunt also criticised what she called the trans orthodoxy and praised Sharron Davies, the former Olympic swimmer and one of the leading campaigners for biologically female-only sporting competition. Ive never supported self-ID, she declared, seemingly at odds with her stance four years earlier. Wes Streeting What he said first When asked about the subject by The Sun earlier this year, the shadow health secretary said, If youd asked me a few years ago I would have said trans men are men and trans women are women but now he no longer agreed with that idea or with the notion that people should just get over it. What he said later In the wake of the Cass Review into NHS gender care, Streeting also said he no longer agreed with the assertions of the LGBTQ+ rights group Stonewall where he had once worked. Dr Hilary Cass published her report in April, and said much of the evidence for gender medicine was flimsy and that puberty blockers should be used with extreme caution. Now I sort of sit and reflect and think actually, there are lots of complexities, Streeting told The Sun. I take the criticism on the chin. Streeting said he had spoken to women in the Labour party who had been reluctant to raise concerns about womens sex-based rights. They said to me they felt silenced, he said. That cant be a good thing and its led to a more toxic debate and conversation. However, Streeting maintained trans people had been utterly failed by the NHS. In light of his apparent U-turn, feminist author Julie Bindel demanded an apology from the Labour politician for failing to support her gender-critical views when he was president of the National Union of Students (NUS). Bindel was no-platformed by the NUS in 2008, when Streeting headed the body, over her alleged transphobia. John Swinney What he said first The new First Minister of Scotland was Nicola Sturgeons deputy when she and the Scottish government pushed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill through Holyrood in December 2022. The Bill would allow anyone over 16 to change their legal sex by signing a declaration. Swinney voted for it and remains committed to the legislation, although he now admits it cannot become law while it continues to be vetoed by the UK Government. Last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh rejected a challenge launched by the Scottish government to overturn the veto. The Bill came amid controversy over the convicted transgender woman Isla Bryson who committed two rapes while living as a man being assessed in a women-only prison. Bryson was eventually moved to a mens prison and Sturgeon said a rapist should not be in a womens prison, but the SNP suffered as a result of the former SNP leaders repeated, uncharacteristically unclear answers to the question of whether Bryson was a man or a woman. What he said later Scottish politics recent preoccupation with the trans debate means Swinney has been unable to avoid the topic since becoming the SNP leader. His initial response after taking the role in May this year was to say, I believe a woman is an adult female born as a woman, and I also accept that transgender women are defined as women. To LGBT people in our society, the Scottish government is on their side, he added. Adding to the ambiguity over whether his remarks signalled a slight shift in position, Swinney said he believed the Cass review was substantial and evidence based. Gillian Keegan What she said first In 2020, in response to a question during a meeting in her Chichester constituency, the Education Secretary stated trans women are women, adding that trans people should have equal access to safe spaces. What she said later In April this year, the Today programme presenter Emma Barnett put it to the Education Secretary that you used to say trans women are women but you wont now. Keegans response, to say that she had herself been educated, ended in some Kafkaesque exchanges. What happened in 2020 was that Id never really come across the subject, said Keegan. In December 2020 nobody had any idea that this was a campaign or code for something [gender self-identification] and we were just trying to be sensitive to what turned out was a campaign I have learnt a lot in the last four years. Confusion: Gillian Keegan has contradicted herself multiple times - Eddie Mulholland Keegan attempted to make the distinction between someone who self-identifies as a different gender from their biological sex and someone who has had full gender reassignment surgery. But she appeared to somehow simultaneously agree with and contradict all her previous assertions especially alarming given her department was issuing guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in the Commons, which included an instruction to teachers that gender ideology should not be treated as fact. Ive always known that trans women arent women, Keegan told Barnett in April. But in 2020 you wrote that trans women are women, the presenter replied. What we were thinking about then was when a man who has fully transitioned is known as a woman, said Keegan. 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 monster we encountered this evening is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Authorities at the scene in Tampa, Fla. A Florida teenager fatally shot his parents and injured a sheriffs deputy before being killed during a standoff with authorities. On Saturday June 15, just after 11 p.m., deputies responded to a home in Tampa on a report of a shooting, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said in a press release. The caller, later identified as Rebecca Ann Themelis, 48, said her husband, Christos Byron Themelis, 51, had been shot, authorities said. While on the call, dispatchers reported hearing shots being fired. When they arrived, deputies found the suspected gunman, Christos Alexander Themelis, Jr., 19, and his mother Rebecca outside of the home, the release states. The sheriffs office said the suspect then shot his mother and began shooting at five deputies, one of whom suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The deputies returned fire, prompting the suspect to barricade himself inside the home. When law enforcement teams went inside the home, they found the suspect dead. According to the sheriffs office, the wounded deputy, identified as 26-year-old Shane McGough, was expected to survive after undergoing surgery the following day. The monster we encountered this evening is responsible for not only injuring our deputy but also killing his own mother and father," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. 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. "Our deputies responded to a chaotic scene and immediately put themselves in harm's way to protect our community. Without our deputy's quick and skillful response, an entire neighborhood would have been in danger." While authorities have yet to share a motive for the deadly shooting, Chronister said law enforcement had been called to the home 10 times previously, pertaining to mental health services and violence against the suspects parents, WFLA reports. The sheriff added that there was an active risk protection order against the suspect, per the outlet. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, per policy. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Worried that Florida's long-lauded government transparency laws are in "a state of crisis," open access advocates are pursuing legislation they hope will turn the tides. Bobby Block, the First Amendment Foundation's executive director, announced Saturday that his group and others will bring forward a measure that would toughen penalties against the government for wrongfully delaying or denying a public records request and create an independent office to oversee appeals and complaints. Abilene Police Officers Assoc. members look through documents as they negotiate a new contract for officers with City Hall Thursday June 13, 2024. "Right now the problem is too many people are delayed, denied or ignored," Block said in an interview after the announcement, which came during a Tallahassee awards ceremony organized by his group. "If that happens, you have no recourse, whether you're a company, which are the biggest users of public records law, whether you're an individual, whether you're a news organization or whether you're a lawyer." No recourse, that is, short of suing, which requires a large amount of time and resources. "We want to put more heat on the government so they think twice before delaying, denying or ignoring," said Block, a former journalist. Joining the First Amendment Foundation in pushing the legislation is the Florida Center for Government Accountability and the University of Florida's Brechner Center for the Advancement of the First Amendment. The next legislative session begins March 2025. Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration alone faces multiple high-profile legal challenges for an alleged lack of transparency in how it handles public records requests, including one from the Washington Post and several from the Florida Center for Government Accountability. Bobby Block, the First Amendment Foundation's executive director, speaking at his group's award ceremony in Tallahassee at the Florida State University College of Law on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The awards The award ceremony celebrated news industry and First Amendment rights wins in Florida at a time that many of the speakers on Saturday remarked was marked by the pressures put on both. "Our freedoms only exist because of the actions taken by individuals who believe in them, and that's why we're here today," Block said. "They understand that free speech only works when it works for everybody. Unfortunately, far too few people feel and act this way." Jim Lake of the free speech and press law firm Thomas & LoCicero was given the James Adkins Sunshine Litigation Award. Two Floridians were given the Pete Weitzel/Friend of the First Amendment Award: Bill Bunkley and Stephana Ferrell. Bunkley's a conservative Christian talk show host who spoke against legislation that would have made it easier to sue journalists and others for defamation, alarming media groups that worried it would be used to chill speech. Ferrell is co-founder and director of research and insight for the Florida Freedom to Read Project, advocating against books removals in schools statewide. "The efforts of some of today's award winners have made a concrete difference by shining a light on government malfeasance, thwarting books bans, which is especially dear to my heart," said Lyrissa Lidsky, the ceremony's keynote speaker and UF's Raymond and Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law. "Because I will tell you, I came from a town of 1,000 people a 100 miles from the nearest city, and books saved my life. They truly saved my life." The Lucy Morgan for Open Government Award went to Tracey McManus, the Tampa Bay Time's Clearwater and Church of Scientology reporter. "Her reporting has brought to light critical issues within local governance and public institutions, driving conversations about transparency and public accountability," the First Amendment Foundation wrote in a press release. "Notable works include investigations into Belleairs substandard drinking water, delays in arresting a Pinellas politicians son, and Scientologys interference in a Clearwater housing project." This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida First Amendment advocates pushing for Sunshine Law protections Florida's ag commissioner will speak at Republican Women's Club of Lakeland luncheon Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson will be the featured speaker at the June 26 lunch meeting of the Republican Women's Club of Lakeland. The Republican Womens Club of Lakeland will hold its monthly luncheon meeting on June 26 at the Grasslands Country Club, 1600 Grasslands Blvd., Lakeland The featured speaker is Wilton Simpson, Floridas commissioner of agriculture. Check-in is 11 a.m. Because seating is limited, all attendees must go online to LakelandRepublicanWomen.com to either purchase lunch or reserve a seat by June 21. Meetings are open to the public with a reservation. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida's ag commissioner will speak at Lakeland Republican lunch For three years, Mary has been supporting women who decide to end their pregnancies. But on May 1, the day Floridas 15-week abortion ban turned into a six-week abortion ban, they stopped asking for help. Mary, not her real name, is a North Florida-based doula, a trained professional who supports someone through birth. Her expertise also includes miscarriage and abortion. (She didn't want to use her real name for fear of harassment.) When Florida became the only state in the Southeast without a total or near-total abortion ban, Mary would get calls from women in neighboring states who needed help with transportation, child care, or sometimes they just needed a hand to hold. It's easier to ask a stranger. Obviously there's still a major stigma attached to abortion, so a lot of women, whenever they do it, they do it solo, said Mary. They do it without really asking or reaching out for much help, which is very sad. Last year, abortion fund organizations were helping women who needed medication or a procedure travel into Florida. After May 1, theyre helping get Florida women out. Four out of the five organizations that provide monetary assistance for those seeking abortions in Florida say they have seen drastic increases in the number of callers and costs since May 1. While the average gestational age of the fetus at the time of the abortion is going down, the abortion costs are going up. Because of Floridas near-total abortion ban, more people are having to travel to Baltimore, Maryland; Washington D.C., and New York for care. Map visual of abortion access across America by Guttmacher Institute, showing states "certain or likely to ban abortion" in orange, states "unlikely to ban abortion that would have the nearest provider" for those in states where abortion is banned in blue, and states "unlikely to ban abortion that would not have the nearest provider for people in states where abortion is banned" in gray. This new update from Florida only intensifies something that's already been happening, said Jade Hurley with the DC Abortion Fund. People have already been spending every dollar they have in order to get their abortion, spending every dollar they have just to get here, which means costs have been driven up for abortions. 'Held together by spit and tape' As previously reported, the Heartbeat Protection Act took effect May 1, a month after the state's 15-week ban went into effect in April. The 15-week ban, passed in 2022, stalled in the Supreme Court until this April, when the court overruled a 34-year-old decision that said a privacy provision in the state's constitution protected a womans right to terminate a pregnancy. Once the 15-week-ban took effect, it triggered the six-week ban, which was passed in 2023. Mary said these changes have made people confused and scared. You probably haven't been paying attention for two years because the world has been absolutely crazy, bonkers. So the fact that it's gone from 24, to 15, to six (weeks) so quickly, is just very frightening, Mary said. Its easier for people to fly from Florida directly into Washington, D.C., or Baltimore. The travel is more expensive, but the logistics are less complicated. Abortion-rights and anti-abortion activists voice their opinions outside the Florida Supreme Court after the Court heard arguments on the proposed abortion amendment Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. While North Carolina is the closest state without a six-week or total abortion ban (the state allows abortion up to 12 weeks), the 72-hour in-person waiting period makes it difficult for many to make the somewhat drivable distance for an appointment. The next closest is Virginia, where abortion is banned in the third trimester. But it's hard to find direct flights, the nearest abortion provider can be an hour from the airport and those clinics are already at capacity. "It's almost this game in this little (abortion fund) network that's held together by spit and tape," Hurley said. "We have to work together all the time in order to make abortion access happen." The need for abortion 'intensifies' in Washington, D.C. Four out of the five organizations that provide abortion funds in Florida spent approximately $165,000 for procedures, travel and lodging for the month of May. The Women's Emergency Network, Access Reproductive Care Southeast, the Emergency Medical Assistance Abortion Fund and the Florida Access Network all provided their May numbers to the USA TODAY Florida - Network. The Tampa Bay Abortion Fund did not respond. Data from one of those organizations, the Womens Emergency Network in Florida, shows a dramatic increase in both funds and people needing abortions. People fill the Florida Supreme Court gallery o hear arguments on the proposed abortion amendment Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. In May 2023, they assisted 53 Floridians in accessing abortion services, in and out of state, for a cost of $18,600. By May 2024, that number jumped to 184, and the cost skyrocketed to $74,400. The cost for travel increased more than 15 times over. Data from Access Reproductive Care Southeast shows 89% of callers from Florida in May 2024 needed to travel to get an abortion, compared to 57% of callers last year. Florida callers also traveled an average of 592 miles to access care in May, compared to an average travel distance of 359 miles in 2023. In Washington, D.C., abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in DC and is provided when patients and physicians, together, determine it is medically appropriate, according to the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia. Hurley, who works for an abortion fund in Washington, D.C, said on April 1, when the Florida Supreme Court announced the Heartbeat Protection Act would take effect May 1, the need for abortions increased. Nine people received funds in April, and 21 received funds in May, for a total of 30. The previous three months, from January to March, the fund assisted 22 Floridians in total. Also during this time, the average gestational age of the fetus was 19 weeks. In May, gestational age dropped to 17 weeks. We don't have a practical support infrastructure to support everybody coming to the D.C. area. That was the case three months ago, that was the case six months ago, and it only intensifies, Hurley said. The demand for abortion access from Florida, including appointments and funds for travel and procedures, is exhausting the resources from minute to minute, even though there are 12 abortion clinics in Washington, D.C. Were just at the beginning of a change in the landscape that's probably going to lead to D.C., the D.C. region, and I want to expand it to even the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia) being underwater, she said. 'It's diabolical,' says one abortion advocate Jessica Hatem is the executive director of the Emergency Medical Assistance Abortion Fund, which serves people in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. She said people are confused and dont know how the six weeks is calculated, even after the Heartbeat Protection Act has taken effect. The law uses the term gestational age, which means the time measured from the mothers first day of her last period. As of May 1, 14 states have banned abortion outright and seven states have an abortion ban based on gestational age, of which Florida, Georgia and South Carolina ban abortion at six weeks. We have seen in this month of this, some people actually be able to catch that they are less than six weeks pregnant, but that's very few, Hatem said. Most people are still needing to leave the state for abortion care. Since May 1, the organization has shifted from supporting other Southerners coming to Florida for abortions to pretty much exclusively supporting Floridians leaving the state. But shes still keeping an eye on what's going on in those other Southern states, like Texas and Louisiana. She believes Florida could be next. From USA TODAY: Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication mifepristone A new law in Louisiana labels the two abortion medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, as Schedule IV substances. That means theyre in the same category as anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Valium. The law makes it a crime to possess them without a prescription or outside of professional medical practice, punishable by one to five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000. And in Texas, the Supreme Court upheld the states total abortion ban at the end of May. The law has an exception for women facing "life-threatening conditions, but physicians who break the law can face severe penalties, including first-degree felony charges, punishable with up to life in prison, and fines of more than $100,000. The anti-choice movement keeps moving the goalposts. Looking at what has happened in Texas is a good indicator for what is to come, for the rest of us, Hatem said. We're in the process of losing more as time goes on. I by no means believe that this is where we're landing. This is what's happening now. And it's diabolical. Ana Goni-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Floridians head north for abortions now that six-week ban in effect Simmers could face potentially dangerous conditions this week along the Georgia coast, officials warned Monday. Lifeguards will be flying red flags due to strong surf, strong longshore currents and rip currents, Tybee Island Ocean Rescue posted on its Facebook page. The National Weather Services Charleston office said there would be a moderate threat of rip currents for coastal waters in Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry through Friday. Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water moving up to 8 feet per second that can pull swimmers toward open water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue, NOAA said. 2022 drowning: Woman dies after being pulled from Tybee Island north jetties Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that 100 people are killed by them annually. If caught in a rip current, don't fight it, NOAA advised. Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle. Mild daily temperatures in the upper 80s and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms are in the daily forecast for the rest of the week, the National Weather Service said Monday. John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tybee, coastal Georgia swimmers face dangerous conditions As forecasters watch 2 tropical systems, something else to bring rain to Tampa Bay Hurricane forecasters are starting to get busy as two weather systems one in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Atlantic off the Florida coast threaten to strengthen into tropical systems this week. However, neither is expected bring much rain to the Tampa Bay area. What is expected to drop rain later this week: The daily afternoon and evening storms that usually crop up every summer, but were largely absent last year. Heres what Tampa Bay can expect from the weather this week. A look at tropical weather On Monday morning, forecasters said an area of thunderstorms in the Atlantic could develop in the next few days while it moves west or northwest. The system will likely reach the Southeast United States on Thursday or Friday, forecasters said Monday morning. Models are not yet in agreement of where the disturbance could come ashore along the Southeast coast, according to Christianne Pearce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Services Tampa Bay office. Pearce said that should the system reach an area like Jacksonville, it could bring showers to northern areas of the Tampa Bay area. If the system moves farther north, say to South Carolina for instance, rainfall in Tampa Bay would be less likely because the system would suck moisture out of our area. That system has a 30% chance of tropical formation in the next week, forecasters said. Pearce said the other disturbance the hurricane center is watching is not likely to bring any weather to Tampa Bay. Forecasters said the low pressure system forming over the Bay of Campeche is likely to become a tropical depression or storm by midweek while it moves west, further away from Florida. Forecasters said the system as a 70% chance of formation in the next couple of days. If it muscles up into the first named storm of the year, it would be called Alberto. Tampa Bay weather this week While tropical weather is unlikely in the next few days, the Tampa Bay area can expect rain later this week. The week will start out dry, with just a 10-20% chance of rain through Wednesday, according to Spectrum Bay News 9. By Thursday, however, a Bay News 9 forecast anticipates a 40-60% chance of rain through the end of the weekend. Pearce said the rainy weather is likely to come from our typical afternoon thunderstorms. Those storms were more rare than usual last year, largely because the location of a weather pattern called the Bermuda High stunted their development. This week, conditions will be more conducive for those storms to form. The drier days of the week will be hot, with highs nearing the mid-90s. The weather service expects the heat index with hover around 100 degrees in Tampa early this week. By Wednesday much of Pinellas and parts of Hillsborough will have a level 3 heat risk, which is considered major and would affect anyone without proper hydration and a place too cool down, according to the weather services HeatRisk tool. The scale runs from 0 to 4, with zero meaning no risk and 4 meaning an extreme, rare risk. The expected afternoon showers will cool off the area slightly. From Friday through Sunday, high temperatures are more likely to be in the low 90s, though the chance of dangerous heat remains high through the weekend, according to the weather service. DENVER (KDVR) Crews are battling a forest fire on a mountain in Douglas County on Sunday. The Douglas County Sheriffs Office told FOX31 that the call about the Bear Creek Fire came in at around 10 a.m. Police: 11 taken to hospital after driver crashes into 4 vehicles Parker Road The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked the fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. This embedded content is not available in your region. Two helicopters, one from Douglas County and one from the U.S. Forest Service, and a hand crew were working to suppress the fire. SkyFOX flew over the scene: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said lightning sparked a fire about 14 miles northwest of Castle Rock in the South Platte Ranger District, which is near Platte Canyon Reservoir. (SkyFOX) As of Sunday, the fire had burned about three acres. Smoke could be seen from several miles away. 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. Forget fighting crowds in Paris this summer. My charming Canadian city has plenty of museums, baguettes, and francophones. With the olympics this summer, Paris is bound to be a zoo, but luckily there's always Montreal. I live in the European-feeling Canadian town, and I love the French culture around every corner. If you're looking for charm, history, and food, Montreal is the perfect summer destination. Paris may be on your travel bucket list, but it's bound to be packed with tourists as the 2024 Summer Olympics unfold in the City of Lights in July. Fortunately, there's another option if you don't want to spend your whole trip waiting in long lines and paying surge prices on the metro. Montreal the second-largest city in Canada features much of the European charm you'll find in Paris from its long history of French influence. The city comes alive in the summertime after suffering through freezing-cold winters. Its residents, suddenly full of "joie de vivre," take full advantage of the plentiful parks, pedestrian-only streets, festivals, and patios. It's also the city I'm lucky to call home, so here are eight reasons you should travel to Montreal instead of Paris this summer. If youre looking for a historic, European feel, youll find it in Old Montreal. The city has several pedestrian-only streets. Mira Miller Lined with cobblestone streets and historic brick architecture, the Old Montreal section of the city feels like you're walking through 18th-century Paris. Quebec, the province Montreal is located in, is a unique corner of Canada where the majority of locals speak French or some version of what we call Franglais (a combination of French and English). Because of this, most of the street signs and banners in Old Montreal are in French. It's certainly one of the most touristy parts of the city but for good reason. The area is home to some of the best restaurants, art galleries, shops, cafes, and bars. The historic district also runs along the St. Laurence River. There are stunning waterfront views. Mira Miller Strolling along the beautiful boardwalk on the St. Laurence River, you'll find a marina filled with boats, a selection of food trucks, the longest urban zipline in Canada, and a Ferris wheel. There's also the Montreal Science Centre, a science museum sure to delight all ages. Forget Notre-Dame in Paris Montreal has its own. There's a famous Notre-Dame in Montreal, too. Mira Miller Just like Paris, we have plenty of historic cathedrals to admire, including a particularly spectacular one named Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. Although undoubtedly more famous, the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris is still under construction after a fire in 2019, so if you went to Europe, you wouldn't be able to go inside it anyway. If museums are what youre after, Montreal also has plenty of those. The Pointe-a-Calliere Museum is in Old Montreal. Mira Miller Whether you're interested in art, history, archeology, or science, Montreal has a host of acclaimed museums that can satisfy your thirst for knowledge. Some of its best include the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Biodome, and the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum. The latter is a history museum in Old Montreal that features many exhibitions about the people who founded the city in 1642. Montreal can easily satisfy your craving for a croissant or a baguette. I can get fresh bread every day. Mira Miller One of the best parts of visiting Paris is eating wonderful French pastries and treats, like croissants and fresh baguettes. Luckily, my city is filled to the brim with adorable, independent cafes that claim to sell the best baked goods in the city. If you visit, you'll find that choosing the best isn't an easy task because many of them really are that good. Youll find plenty of foodies dining al fresco. I love eating outside in the summer. Mira Miller As soon as the weather is remotely tolerable, Montrealers emerge outdoors, eager to soak up the sun. Like Paris' famous outdoor cafes, our patios (called terrasses) appear on the streets and sidewalks almost overnight. Residents eagerly fill them, drinking wine or beer and eating foods inspired by cuisines all over the world. Like Paris, Montreal is also one of the worlds fashion capitals. The vintage stores in Montreal are top-tier. Mira Miller The city is known for its particularly well-dressed dwellers, with many residents sporting unique looks that are artistic, vintage, and high-fashion. That's partly thanks to the many boutiques scattered throughout Montreal. Whether you're looking for something secondhand or locally made, you're sure to find it. There's no shortage of greenspaces and public seating options. The Tam-Tams festival is a summer staple. Mira Miller As many North American cities adopt "hostile architecture" that discourages gathering in public spaces, Montreal has parks filled with benches for sitting and reading. There are also plenty of grassy, shaded areas for Parisian-style picnics. And we can't forget Mount Royal the mountain for which the city is named. Located just west of downtown, the massive mountain is home to a large park, historic monuments, a lake, a lookout with a stunning view of the city skyline, and walking trails. On Sundays, locals and visitors gather on the eastern slope for Tam-Tams, a weekly summer festival where people play hand drums. Read the original article on Business Insider Former Harris aide says Vance would pose greatest threat in VP debate Ashley Etienne, a former communications director for Vice President Harris, said Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) would be the greatest threat on a debate stage to her former boss. I think JD Vance would pose the greatest threat to Kamala Harris, Etienne told CNNs Laura Coates in response to a question during an interview Friday. I mean, hes an incredible debater. I think he has this quality that makes him seem palpable to that 1 to 2 percent that actually might vote or thats undecided, that will actually pay attention to the debates because most people dont pay attention to the debates. I think hes just got a quality about him where hes super smart and sharp and quick-witted. I just think theyd like it, I think its going to be a challenge to see the two of them face-to-face. I mean, maybe its just me, but I think hes gonna be the greatest threat, she added. Coates had noted that former President Trump may be choosing a vice presidential candidate based on who he thinks would do well in a debate against Harris. Trump has ramped up his vice presidential search this month, sending vetting requests to some potential candidates. That list includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Vance. Tumps list also reportedly includes Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Ben Carson, his former Housing and Urban Development secretary. Vance was elected to the Senate last year, and at age 39, he is one of the youngest members of the Senate and one of the youngest on Trumps potential vice president list. In the days after a New York jury convicted Trump of 34 felony counts, Vance took to television to defend him alongside other potential vice presidential candidates. Last week, Trump told Fox Newss Aishah Hasnie that his vice presidential pick was probably in the room with him when he met with the entire Republican congressional delegation on Capitol Hill. Trump has said that he will unveil his pick at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which will take place July 15-18. Harris has said she is ready to face any of the potential candidates for vice president. Im ready to make the case whoever he picks, no matter who it is, she said, according to a Democratic National Committee news release. During the 2020 election, Harris faced off against former Vice President Mike Pence, and a CNN poll at the time showed that nearly 6 in 10 voters who watched the debate believed that Harris won. This story was updated at 2:03 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. Former National Guardsman facing child sex crimes in Dale Co. DALE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) A former officer in the Alabama National Guard is facing child sex charges. Dale County Jail records show 43-year-old Ryan Gericke was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12. He was released on bond Sunday evening. Sheriff Mason Bynum said the allegations against Gericke, a former officer in the Alabama National Guard, are over five years old but were reported by a female victim just last week. Bynum confirmed to WDHN that Gericke is a registered sex offender. Court records reveal Gericke served three years in prison with five years probation following a conviction in Houston County on electronic solicitation charges. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Former PTA Thrift Shop in Carrboro may have to close doors after 72 years A 72-year-old community thrift shop in Carrboro desperately needs donations to stop a pending foreclosure. The CommunityWorx thrift shop building and an office building next door were listed for sale at $4.7 million in December. The thrift shop started in 1952 as the PTA Thrift Shop, selling second-hand goods to support the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The sale was a last-ditch effort to keep the nonprofit thrift store and its YouthWorx on Main center next door in business, board of directors Chairman Kevin Hicks told The News & Observer at the time. On Monday, CommunityWorx president and chief executive officer Barbara Jessie-Black emailed supporters asking for donations. Fidelity Bank, which holds the mortgage, has started foreclosure proceedings to close the thrift shop, she said. We urgently need the support of community heroes who care about racial equity, the environment, education, and the nonprofits that depend on these resources, Jessie-Black said. Major cash donations are crucial to prevent commercial developers from taking over these properties, which would strip away a cornerstone of community support. The nonprofit organization would have to pay the whole amount remaining on the mortgage to stop the foreclosure, Hicks told The N&O in a phone call Monday. Artist Tyrone Smalls worked with students Ash Granda-Bondurant, Carina Rockart, Theo Preston and Cyani Jacobs to paint this Black Lives Matter mural on the wall of CommunityWorx, located at the intersection of Jones Ferry Road and West Main Street in Carrboro. How much does CommunityWorx owe? Tax returns show the thrift store owed $4.2 million on its mortgage as of June 30, 2023. CommunityWorx was trying to work with financial relief programs offered by Fidelity Bank, Jessie-Black said. The hope was that an investor would buy the property, totaling over 26,000 square feet on 1.7 acres, and let the thrift store stay as a tenant, while leasing out the 7,330-square-foot office space on its second floor, Hicks said previously. There have been several potential buyers, he said Monday. One recently had the property under contract but wanted the nonprofit organization to remove the Black Lives Matter mural on the side of the building before signing the deal. The mural was painted on the side of the building in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, by artist Tyrone Small and a group of local students. The town owns the mural, Hicks said, and CommunityWorx did not petition the town to have it removed, because that would not have been in line with the organizations values. They have run out of time to find other solutions to the financial problem, he said. What led to this situation? The former PTA Thrift Shop took out a $5.5 million mortgage to build a new thrift shop and the CommunityWorx building next door, which leases co-working space to several community operations. The new store opened in late 2013. The thrift shop reduced its distributions to local PTAs in 2012, after issuing $265,000 in 2011. That year, Jessie-Black told the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board that distributions could be $400,000 or more within five years. The schools have received little to no money since the building started, causing a rift between the thrift shop and the PTAs, and after a short legal battle, the nonprofit was forced to change its name to CommunityWorx in 2019. A six-month shutdown in 2020 because of the global pandemic caused a significant loss of revenue, Jessie-Black said in Mondays email. It also forced CommunityWorx to close its second location in leased space at Village Plaza shopping center in Chapel Hill. The sale would let the nonprofit organization break even and continue operating, Hicks said. Available tax returns showed CommunityWorx earned $785,270 in the last 11 years, while losing $1.2 million. The PTA Thrift Store opened in Village Plaza shopping center in 1981. In December 2020, the renamed CommunityWorx will close its doors. What other groups would be affected? The YouthWorx on Main building houses nine community nonprofit organizations that serve local young people: Grow Your World Youth Mentoring Collaborative Musical Empowerment Refugee Community Partnership Reintegration Support Network SKJAJA Fund Triangle Bikeworks Weaver Community Housing Association The Humane Society of the United States The sale could also affect CommunityWorxs local partnerships, including a voucher program that helps people experiencing homelessness through the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service and food programs with the Carrboro Farmers Market and Camelia Culinary Consultation LLC. How to help CommunityWorx Donations can be made online at communityworxnc.org or contact Barbara Jessie-Black at bjessie-black@communityworxnc.org. NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com Former State Sen. Colby Coashs new memoir focuses a lot on growing up in Bassett, a ranch town on the edge of Nebraskas Sandhills. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Running Naked is an apt title for a recent memoir by a former Nebraska state senator. Former State Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln once ran naked across a theater stage during a performance when he was studying acting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But the 246-page coming of age memoir also bares all about growing up in a small Nebraska ranching town, Bassett, as well as the pain of a family split by divorce and impacted by the farm crisis, and the anxiety over whether to continue in the family business or run to a bigger city and pursue higher goals. Running Naked: Surviving the Legacy of Family in Rural Nebraska, reveals a lot about Coash, particularly about the conflicted views of kids growing up in small towns like Bassett, a town of 1,010 people far from city lights, at the edge of the Sandhills in north-central Nebraska. For decades, young people in rural areas have been lured away by bigger cities, and through the former senators eyes, we experience the sometimes gut-wrenching emotions confronted in making such a decision. Something of a rebel Many Nebraskans are caught in a dilemma, Coash said. As I wrote in the book: Sometimes you choose a vocation. But in small-town Nebraska, the vacation usually chooses you not by choice, but rather by birthright. Children carry on by following in the footsteps of the generations before them. A small communitys balance always depends on the next generations embrace of such a duty and responsibility. In Coashs case, his life was set his father was a civic leader in Bassett and the operator of a long-running family business, a fertilizer plant. Running Naked is available on Amazon. Lincoln author Colby Coash said he is working to make it available at local, independent bookstores as well. But Colby Coash was restless, kind of a rebel, and wanted to run, following a painful path left by his mother, who ran from the family to a new life in California and asked Coash, then a teenager, to drive her there. People born in Bassett tend not to wander far from the town, he wrote. Some choose to stay, but most never consider leaving because they can hardly imagine or risk dreaming of leaving the confines of a town that covers two square miles. There is a certainty that at least some Bassett residents can rely on as they settle comfortably into their roots. Coash, a self-proclaimed bad boy as a teen, who had long hair and loved heavy metal music, chose to run to Lincoln, where he attended the university and bared all during a theater performance during his senior year that drew some protests. Later, as a state senator representing south Lincoln, he was known for famously outworking a better-known rival who had soundly defeated him in the primary. Coash, crediting the work ethic he learned in cleaning bins at the family fertilizer plant in Bassett, refused to take the defeat sitting down. He hit the streets and neighborhoods of his district, knocking on some voters doors up to five times each, along with his wife, to connect with residents. Then 33, he even began using a Razor scooter so he could more quickly go from door to door. The self-proclaimed compassionate conservative ended up winning the general election in 2008 by less than 100 votes. His upset win is often cited as an example of how shoe leather campaigning and face time with voters still wins local elections in Nebraska. Upbringing sharpened him Coash told the Nebraska Examiner that while he couldnt wait to escape his hometown, he later realized how his upbringing had sharpened him into someone who worked hard, didnt give up and could think for himself. You just dont realize the impact a community has on you until years later, Coash said. As much as I pushed against it, they instilled in me things that served me well. In the book, he said he wrote the memoir as a long thank you to those who helped mold him, including his father, Don, and the community of Bassett. But it was also a way, Coash said, to explain why he was who he was to his 14-year-old son. Now he can understand a little bit about what made me, me, the former senator said. He said he was inspired to write a memoir after listening to an audio book written by actor Matthew McConaughey. An initial draft extensively covered Coashs most notable vote as a state senator to repeal the death penalty in 2015, a historic move for a conservative state like Nebraska that was later overturned in a referendum by the states voters. As a first-time author, Coash said he had to decide if he was writing a political book or a coming-of-age memoir. The final draft dropped out the death-penalty chapters though the book does cover his disgust at attending the demonstration/celebration outside the Nebraska State Penitentiary on the night of the 1994 execution of Walkin Wili Otey. Instead, the book instead focused on several episodes in Coashs life including watching how his father weathered the farm crisis, working overtime to buy a fancy Thunderbird and spending a summer in Africa, including a harrowing confrontation with a gorilla. In some way we are all running Especially heart-wrenching were chapters about his mother, who desperately wanted to run from Bassett, and, in the end, asked her teenage son to help her by driving her to a new boyfriend and life in California. The book, available only on Amazon currently, was quietly released in April. It has been circulating among the crowd that follows happenings at the State Capitol, where Coash still works as a lobbyist/associate executive director for the Nebraska Association of School Boards. In some way we are all running, either from our past or toward our future, he said. I wrote this book so readers could see the impact of family, legacy, and the small towns that shape our journey, he said. I hope readers, especially Nebraskans, will see the hopefulness in their own story by reading mine. The post Former senators memoir confronts sometimes painful, but often instructive, small-town beginnings appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Four former students are suing an ex-teacher who spent his career at Folsom Cordova Unified School District, alleging grooming and acts of sexual abuse while they were his student. They are also suing the school district, which they say acted negligently and failed to protect its students from serial molestation taking place over the course of several decades. The plaintiffs allege serial molestation beginning in the 1990s with the most recent case of abuse taking place in 2021 at Cordova Meadows Elementary School. Defendant Steven Richard Kester, 78, was a full-time teacher at Folsom Cordova Unified since 1976, retiring in May 2012. He became a part of the districts substitute teacher pool a few months later. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple felony counts of child sexual abuse in June 2021. He pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail, according to Sacramento County court records. The four litigants all report experiencing abuse in different time periods and range from 11 to 39 years old. The mother of the 11-year-old is suing on behalf of her daughter, who, according to the complaint, was abused from 2017 through 2021 when she was 5-9 years old. The child, according to the complaint, reported to her family that Kester had been abusing her. She disclosed this information following an incident when he held her in a Cordova Meadows Elementary bathroom and molested her for several hours, the complaint states. This led to Kesters eventual arrest. The other litigants said they experienced abuse at varying times between 1998 and 2008 at Cordova High School and Folsom Middle School. The plaintiffs allege that school administrators were notified of Kesters inappropriate behavior and that the schools did nothing to protect his victims or the other students. The complaint says that Kester openly groomed plaintiffs in the presence of other teachers, school officers, leaders, supervisors, agents and/or employees and that the school district had ample red flags and warnings that Kester presented an unreasonable risk of harm to its female youth students. A spokesperson at Folsom Cordova Unified said the district has not yet been served with the lawsuit and that they are unable to comment on pending litigation. The complaint alleges that Kester was known as Kester the molester throughout the Cordova High student body due to his pervasive and inappropriate touching of the female students and also that he was known to stand outside the girls locker room every day. The earliest incident in the lawsuit that dates to 1998, involves another plaintiff, who was in Kesters PE class at Cordova High. She reported that Kester would often inappropriately touch her and fondle her breasts during class while pretending to assist her with the course required-pull ups. She asked to be placed into a different PE class. Another plaintiff who attended Cordova High also reported she was groped by Kester in her PE class in full view of her classmates. When she reported this behavior to administration, she was required to stay in his PE class, where the abuse continued, the complaint reads. A fourth plaintiff also alleges she was abused in her PE class at Folsom Middle School often being made to demonstrate the days activity in front of the class while Kester would inappropriately touch her in the name of spotting her. The womens lawyer said that the school should have never allowed such serial abuse to happen. They are being represented by Michael Carney, a partner at Slater Slater Schulman who specializes in sexual abuse and assault cases. Anytime a teacher gets arrested, convicted and proven to have committed these sort of acts on their students, there are always going to be questions as to what (the school district) could have done to prevent it, Carney said. When it becomes a situation where that person is a serial perpetrator that has committed multiple acts over years, the question becomes, How could they have possibly allowed this to happen? Because there is no excuse as to how a serial child molester could offend so many times on campus. Carney said that the four plaintiffs of the lawsuit are not the only survivors of Kesters who he has spoken to, and that those four are just the ones who are ready to move forward. Many adult survivors choose not to seek justice through a criminal or civil justice system for personal reasons. In a 2021 public statement following Kesters arrest, the district said that his employee file showed no arrest reports or disciplinary action. Fox News is making some changes to its White House bureau subtle changes, at least. The cable news channel has promoted White House correspondents Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich to senior White House correspondents. They will both continue to cover the Biden administration, with Heinrich also continuing to host Fox News Audios Fox News Rundown podcast. More from The Hollywood Reporter Doocy, who covered President Bidens campaign in 2020 and continued in the White House, has long been something of a thorn in the side of Bidens press team, occasionally sparring during briefings with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and before that Jen Psaki. The promotions lock in Foxs White House team during a long 2020 election process. Peters commitment to providing viewers with hourly news and insight from the White House has remained steadfast since he started in this role straight off the 2020 campaign trail and were thrilled to have him continue doing so, said Fox News president Jay Wallace. Covering the White House has been the privilege of my career, and I am humbled and grateful to continue serving our viewers in this capacity, Heinrich added. From the North Lawn to foreign summits to the campaign trail, it is my daily honor to seek answers for the American people on the issues impacting them most. Best of The Hollywood Reporter (Bloomberg) -- The far-right leader of the National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, has added surprising new supporters ahead of Frances legislative election as the traditional norms that have kept nationalist groups out of power are falling apart. Most Read from Bloomberg One of Frances most prominent Jews said he would consider voting for Le Pen rather than an alliance of left wing parties that has emerged as her main challenger. A former spokeswoman to French President Emmanuel Macron said shed abstain rather than vote against the far right if she was faced with the same choice, citing allegedly anti-semitic comments by the far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon. In a bid to shore up the center, Macron has opted not to field candidates in more than 10% of seats, judging that moderates from either the center-right or the left would stand a better chance. The goal is to pick the candidate who is the most republican and the most democratic, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Monday on RMC radio. For generations, the French establishment had a tacit agreement that prevented far-right parties from getting close to the levers of government. But in the week since Macron dissolved the National Assembly, his opponents from across the political spectrum have been engaged in frantic negotiations to seal alliances that would maximize their chances in the two-round ballot that concludes on July 7. This has created an opening for the far right. If Le Pens National Rally can extend its lead in the polls to cement a majority, it would pose a fundamental challenge to European Union leaders who are gathering in Brussels Monday to discuss how to ramp up the fight against climate change and stiffen their response to Russian aggression. The process of choosing candidates ended on Sunday and it leaves Macrons party, Renaissance, under assault from both left and right, and trailing a distant third place in the polls. The political uncertainty and increasing likelihood the next government will push through costly measures for public finances spooked investors last week. Government bonds were at the heart of the rout, with the premium that investors demand to own 10-year OATs over German bunds posting the biggest weekly jump on record. The selloff wiped out $258 billion from the market capitalization of French firms last week. Shares of banks Societe Generale SA, BNP Paribas SA and Credit Agricole SA all big holders of government debt lost more than 10% each. The losses allowed the UK to overtake France as the biggest equity market in Europe. Markets calmed on Monday after traders assessed Le Pens comments that shed work with Macron if she won the election. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde a former French finance minister who typically is the go-to name when the country needs to fill a top post domestically only skirted the topic on Monday, saying officials are being attentive to financial market-developments Earlier on Monday, Philip Lane the ECB chief economist was sanguine about the turmoil of the past week, when questioned on the matter at a Reuters event in London. What were seeing in the markets is, of course, a repricing, he said. Its not, you know, the world of disorderly market dynamics. Le Pens task is being made easier by the increasing radicalization of part of the French left and by the uncomfortable alliance among groups ranging from the far-left France Unbowed to the more moderate Socialists. That could undermine the so-called republican front, under which mainstream parties would always join forces to defeat the far right. Macrons political group has decided not to field candidates in 65 electoral districts so as to clear the way for other parties with a better chance of barring the road to the far right and a new leftist alliance, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Monday. In particular, they wont field a candidate against the former Socialist President Francois Hollande, who is running in his historic constituency of Correze. The main parties on the French left have leapfrogged Macrons party in the polls by forging a fragile alliance of parties centered on Melenchon, the charismatic leader of the far-left group France Unbowed. Their campaign pledges, unveiled last week, would rip up Macrons legacy of economic reforms and set the country on course for a collision with the European Union over fiscal policy. Add in Melenchons history of using anti-semitic tropes and that means that voting for the New Popular Front is beyond the pale for many centrists. Even Macron has refused to say for whom he would vote if he had to choose between Le Pen and Melenchon. His former government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire said Sunday that she would abstain. I cant vote for a man who describes the situation of anti-Semitism in France as residual, Gregoire told RTL on Sunday. Its beyond me, its not possible. Allegations of anti-semitism have hung over Melenchon since 2013, when he accused the Socialist economy minister, Pierre Moscovici, of not thinking French, but international finance, evoking the cliche of the Jewish banker. Melenchon said at the time that he wasnt aware that Moscovici was Jewish. Serge Klarsfeld, a Jewish historian known for his fight to hold Nazis to account, told LCI on Saturday that he would vote for Le Pens movement over Melenchons, saying it had anti-Semitic overtones and violent anti-Zionism. To be sure, the New Popular Front is a fragile alliance and its members have papered over a number of deep-rooted differences in an effort to avoid fragmenting the left-wing vote, so it could still be undermined by public infighting in the two weeks until the first round of voting. On Sunday, in an effort to stabilize the alliance, Melenchon said that hes prepared to let someone else become prime minister if the New Popular Front wins a majority. A Melenchon protege who had previously been convicted for domestic violence also withdrew from the election on Sunday following a backlash from other parties in the alliance. As the campaign shifts up a gear on Monday, Le Pen and her allies are trying to capitalize on that development by reaching out to mainstream voters by insisting they can be trusted on the economy. Ill restore order in the streets and in the public accounts, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella told France 3 television. Le Pen has said that Bardella will be prime minister if she can form a majority. The National Rally is already on track to become the biggest party in the lower house, according to projections by polling companies, a prospect which has caused alarm among investors, Frances international partners and a section of the French public. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday to oppose Le Pens stance on human rights, the environment and the economy. The National Rally hasnt yet set out its policy proposals in detail but it has said it would slash sales taxes on fuel and energy at a cost of about 20 billion ($21 billion) and pledged to take back control of energy policy from the EU. It has also promised to lower the retirement age to 60 and increase wages for some public servants. Financial markets dont really understand the National Rallys project, Le Pen told Le Figaro. They have only heard the caricature of our project. When they read about it, they find it rather reasonable. --With assistance from Farah Elbahrawy, William Horobin and James Regan. (Updates with Lagarde comment in the 11th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A member of the House Freedom Caucus endorsed a primary challenger to the groups chair, a move that is sure to inflame tensions in the hard-line conservative group. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) on Sunday endorsed John McGuire, a Virginia state senator and former Navy SEAL, in his challenge to Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), the Freedom Caucus chair. In Virginias 5th District, John McGuire is conservative and effective. He will work well with others to deliver conservative results, Davidson said in an endorsement statement shared by McGuires campaign on the social platform X. I look forward to serving with him in the 119th Congress to support President Trump and the America First agenda. Drain the swamp! The race for the central Virginia district, which will be decided Tuesday, is one of the most continuous primary campaigns of the year and could result in the first incumbent loss of the cycle. Former President Trump endorsed McGuire, an apparent effort to punish for Good endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for president last year, despite Goods quick public support for Trump after DeSantis dropped out. And Goods vote to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) prompted many of his House colleagues, as well as McCarthy himself, to support and campaign for McGuire. Good has gotten support, though, from other Freedom Caucus members and many of Trumps allies including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a reported contender to be Trumps running mate. Over the weekend, Freedom Caucus members Chip Roy (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) campaigned for Good ahead of primary election day. But Davidsons endorsement, which was first reported by Politico, put tensions within the hardline conservative group on display. In December, Davidson said he would not seek reelection to the Freedom Caucus Board after it recommended Good to be the groups next chairman, writing in a letter to colleagues that the group often relies too much on power (available primarily due to the narrow majority) and too little on influence with and among our colleagues, and that it is not a strong foundation for success. Those concerns culminated with Goods recommendation to be chair, Davidson wrote. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who was removed from the Freedom Caucus amid personal clashes with its members and publicly disagreeing with them, has also endorsed Goods challenger McGuire. 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. ST. LOUIS The names listed are unsettling to read. Samuel Slaughter, A Negro Lorinda, A Free Girl of Color James, A Person of Color But those descriptors were the exact ones used to describe the plaintiffs who sued for their freedom in the years leading up to the Civil War. Theyre among the more than 300 courageous men, women, and children who filed whats known as Freedom Suits. Since it was unveiled in June 2022, The Freedom Suits Memorial in downtown St. Louis has drawn thousands of visitors, in person and online. The idea was years in the making for St. Louis Circuit Court Judge David Mason, the founder of The Freedom Suits Memorial. Mason and Attorney Paul Venker, President of The Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation, joined Fox 2s Jasmine Huda to talk about the response to the memorial and foundations larger mission to encourage discussion about slavery and race relations in the United States. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. (Bloomberg) -- French government bonds won some respite after assurances from far-right leader Marine Le Pen that she would co-operate with President Emmanuel Macron should she prevail in upcoming national elections. Most Read from Bloomberg Yields steadied across the curve on Monday after Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, said she wont try to push out Macron if she wins in an appeal to moderates and investors, telling French newspaper Le Figaro that she is respectful of institutions. Investors have taken fright at Macrons surprise decision to call a snap vote given the lead that her party enjoys in the polls. A victory for National Rally opens the door to looser fiscal policy that risks piling pressure on Frances stretched public finances. The 10-year yield spread over safer German notes widened the most on record last week, according to data compiled by Bloomberg going back to 1990. Still, the market remains fragile ahead of the first round of voting on June 30. As trading kicked off, the 10-year yield gap over German bonds grew to more than 80 basis points, the widest level since 2012 on a closing basis. While that largely reflected a change in the underlying benchmark bond and not a fresh bout of selling, strategists warned against chasing the move. Investors should stay out of it at the moment, said Evelyne Gomez-Liechti, rates strategist at Mizuho International. While there can be some short-term small consolidation, theres still huge uncertainty given a lack of clarity over the National Rallys economic policies, she added. The yield on a French bond maturing in 2034 rose one basis point to 3.19%, while the five-year yield rose three basis point to 2.97%, in line with peers. The Italian 10-year bond spread over Germany also retreated in a sign that last weeks risk-off sentiment was easing. It fell four basis points to 153 basis points. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. South Carolina civil rights legend John Alexander Gaines, who spent a month in the York County jail in 1961 after protesting segregation in his hometown of Rock Hill, has died in Florence. Gaines, 83, died June 5, according to the Florence County Coroners Office. A retired lawyer, Gaines lived in Florence for much of his adult life. In 1961, Gaines and others affiliated with Friendship Junior College were arrested at a Rock Hill lunch counter that was whites only. They were convicted of trespassing the next day and spent a month in jail rather than pay the $100 fine. Their Jail, No Bail strategy, adopted after months of citywide sit-in protests that began February 1960 in Rock Hill, was crucial in bringing attention to segregated conditions in the South. The Friendship Nine protesters, also dubbed the Rock Hill Nine, spent a month on the York County chain gang. The Jail, no Bail movement spread throughout the country as the public saw protesters who demanded an end to segregation were willing to stay in jail to show their commitment to positive change. The movement inspired others across the county. Gaines: A life in civil rights A student leader of the NAACP who helped organize many of Rock Hills protests in the civil rights era, Gaines graduated from Benedict College in Columbia and Howard University Law School. Gaines served as a clerk for Matthew Perry, the legendary African-American lawyer in South Carolina for whom the federal courthouse in Columbia is named. Gaines came back to Rock Hill before he joined the NAACP Legal Defense team in Florence. Through most of his adult life, Gaines was a civil rights lawyer who continued to fight for others, said another Friendship Nine member, David Williamson Jr. John Gaines was a warrior, Williamson said Monday. He was never afraid. He believed in what we were doing then and did it all his life. He always put others before himself. On the 50th anniversary of the 1961 protests, Gaines told The Herald he and the other young Black men in the Friendship Nine wanted a better country for all people. We had no idea at the time we did this that our actions would re-ignite the civil rights movement across the South, Gaines said in 2011. The movement was waning because protests had gone on for almost a year without gains, but us going to jail and the attention it received brought new energy to the movement. The actions did make a difference in Rock Hill and all over, even if it took some years, and encouraged me to become a lawyer so that I could help others of all races, and make my country a better place. Funeral services for Gaines are pending. The Friendship Nine The Friendship Nine in 1961 was a group of eight students at Friendship Junior College in Rock Hill and Thomas Gaither, a civil rights organizer. Surviving members are Willie Dub Massey, Gaither and Williamson. Other Friendship Nine members who have died are Mack Workman, Willie McLeod, Robert McCullough, Clarence Graham and James Wells. The stools at Kounter restaurant on Main Street, the site of the original sit-in and arrest, have the names of all the protesters on them. The protest on Jan. 31, 1961 involved the Friendship Nine sitting down at the McCrorys lunch counter after a year of marches by civil rights protesters in downtown Rock Hill. Members of the Friendship Nine, from left, John Gaines, W.T. Massey, Clarence Graham, Willie McCleod, and Mack Workman listen in court as their convictions are vacated in 2015 at the Rock Hill Municipal Court. In January 2015, the convictions of the Friendship Nine were vacated in a historic court hearing in Rock Hill. Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, York Countys top prosecutor, apologized on behalf of the state and public at that hearing for the convictions based solely on the African-American race of those arrested and convicted. The surviving members of the Friendship Nine and other civil rights protesters whose 1961 convictions for trespassing were vacated in January by a judge. From left, David Williamson, Kenn Gaither (standing in for his father, Thomas Gaither), Mack Workman, Willie McCleod, John Gaines, Clarence Graham, W.T. Massey, Charles Jones, Charles Sherrod and James Wells (seated). Donald Trump apparently made time on Fathers Day to mount an all-out attack on The Washington Post, furiously claiming the newspaper has fools and stupid people while namechecking a columnist who recently questioned his mental fitness. After firing off one bonkers Truth Social message to RADICAL LEFT DEGENERATES earlier on Sunday, the former president then turned his ire on the Post, baselessly accusing it of absolutely blowing up with Fake Stories! They ought to clean up their act, he continued, Start writing the TRUTH, and maybe theyd get some of their Readers back, considering that theyve lost over 50% in just a short period of time. Trump Lets Loose With Unhinged Fathers Day Message for His Enemies The Post says its audience has halved since 2020 and its new CEO and Publisher Will Lewis revealed last month that the company lost $77 million over the last year. Lewis himself has come under fire recently amid claims that he tried to kill stories about his alleged involvement in covering up a hacking scandal at Rupert Murdochs British tabloids (Lewis denies all wrongdoing). In his Truth Social post, Trump also linked to a new Post investigation exploring alleged links between Robert Winnett, the man Lewis appointed to become the newspapers editor after the November election, and a self-described thief who claims to have used illegal methods to obtain information for a British publication. Lewis declined to comment to Post reporters for the article. Trump, meanwhile, appeared more concerned with the newspapers coverage of himself. They have fools and stupid people, like Eugene Robinson, who are in no way qualified to be doing what they are doing, Trump grumbled in his Truth Social rant. It seemed somewhat strange that Trump would specifically insult Robinson, a columnist who did not write the article the presidential candidate then included in his post. Trumps name-calling was more likely a retaliation for an op-ed Robinson wrote last week with the headline: Is Donald Trump okay? In the article, Robinson warned that journalists are becoming inured to Trumps verbal incontinence and the frightening glimpses the presidential candidate gives into a mind that is, evidently, unwell, citing his recent, bizarre campaign rally screed about choosing between being electrocuted or attacked by a shark. The Washington Post is on its last leg, theres no reason for them anymore, Trump wrote in his post. He later added that you would think Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and owner of the Post, who is losing more than $100 Million a year on that RAG, would want to at least see REAL Journalism, not Fake Stories that do nothing but hurt and demean our Country. 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. SOUTHLAKE Robert Morris, the founder and pastor of Gateway Church, is being accused of sexually assaulting a child in the 1980s. The evangelical church, one of the largest in the U.S., has nine campuses in North Texas. Morris founded the church's first location in Southlake in 2000. The woman, Cindy Clemishire, claims Morris sexually assaulted her starting in 1982 when she was 12. Morris was a traveling Evangelist in his early 20s and had become close with her family. The allegations against Morris were first published Friday by The Wartburg Watch, a North Carolina-based church watchdog blog. The Christian Post then picked up the story on Saturday. Clemishire told The Wartburg Watch the alleged abuse continued until 1987. In a statement to The Christian Post, Morris admitted to "inappropriate sexual behavior." "When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying," he said. "It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years." According to a statement posted on social media from elders at the church, the allegations were brought to light 35 years ago. After that, he stepped away from ministry for two years to receive counseling. He acknowledged in a sermon in 2014 that he was "sexually immoral" when he was a teenager. He returned to ministry in March of 1989, two years after his abuse was exposed, he says with blessing from the girl's father and church elders. He further noted that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in October 1989. Morris has already announced plans to turn leadership of Gateway Church over to his son James Morris next year, according to a bio on the church's website, but Morris plans to continue giving some sermons. As of Monday morning, there was no indication Morris had stepped down from his position. CBS News Texas has reached out to the church for additional comment. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg on fatherhood New Jersey diner owner, who is blind, dishes out friendship and inspiration Mom creates camp for kids with chronic pancreatitis By Gwladys Fouche OSLO (Reuters) - Hostilities continue in Rafah and southern Gaza despite the Israeli military's announcement on Sunday of tactical pauses in operations to allow humanitarian aid to enter, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Oslo on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticized plans announced by the military to hold daily pauses in fighting along one of the main roads into the Palestinian enclave. Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, the main organisation delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, said that there had been no pause in the fighting. "There has been information that such a decision has been taken, but the political level says none of this decision has been taken," Lazzarini told a press conference. "So for the time being, I can tell you that hostilities continue in Rafah and in the south of Gaza. And that operationally, nothing has changed yet." The Israeli military said on Monday its forces were continuing focused, intelligence-based operations in the Rafah area, which included close combat with militants and seizure and destructions of weapons. The military had announced at the weekend the daily pauses from 0500 GMT until 1600 GMT in the area from the Kerem Shalom Crossing, in southern Israel, to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards. It later clarified that normal operations would continue in Rafah, the main focus of its operation in southern Gaza. Meanwhile residents said Israeli forces were advancing deeper into the central and western areas of Rafah under heavy fire from the ground and the air on Monday. Armed groups led by Hamas were fighting from close range inside the Al-Shaboura camp in the heart of Rafah, according to militants and residents, who reported hearing sounds of non-stop explosions and gunfire. Lazzarini later told Reuters UNRWA received a notification from the Israeli military that there would be a pause, but that it was in English only, not in any other language and was soon followed by the government contradicting that instruction. "For the time being, I see nothing which would qualify to the definition of a pause," he said. (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, writing by Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche, editing by Louise Rasmussen and Alex Richardson) General election: When does the new government term begin and the prime minister take office? General election: When does the new government term begin and the prime minister take office? People in every region of the UK have voted in one of 650 constituencies today, as another general election arrives.In the House of Commons, the chosen MP will serve as a local representative of his or her constituency for a maximum of five years. But when does the new prime minister take office and what happens to losing MPs? Heres what we know. When does the new prime minister take office after an election? Labour has won the General Election and Sir Keir Starmer is set to become the next Prime Minister. Follow all the latest results here on our General Election 2024 liveblog Over the weekend of 67 July, the government is expected to be formed and cabinet ministers appointed. After a prime minister is appointed by the monarch he or she often returns to make a speech outside the front door of No 10 Downing Street. Once the new PM enters through that famous door, the real business of government begins. The PM will be clapped into the building by the No 10 staff, greeted by the cabinet secretary and then will receive preprepared civil service briefings. When does the new prime minister meet the King? The UK has a constitutional monarchy, meaning that before any new business begins, the new prime minister must first meet the head of state, King Charles. The prime minister makes decisions in the Kings name, although he plays no part in governing, and must first meet him before that work can begin. The day after a general election in this case Friday July 5 the new leader will meet the monarch in private who will ask the new prime minister to form an administration. How long does it take to get a new parliament up and running? It differs; normally the first 72 hours are filled with official appointments and calls. The new prime minister will appoint the cabinet and also write to the commanders of the UKs four nuclear submarines, which maintain the nuclear deterrent, giving instructions for what to do in the event of a nuclear war. The new leader is likely to make and receive a number of calls to and from other world leaders. Parliament usually begins business about a week after an election but there are no official guidelines for this. As a guide, here are a few example of past elections. 2019: two working days between election day (December 12) and parliaments return (December 17) 2017: two working days between election day (June 8) and parliaments return (June 13) 2015: seven working days between election day (May 7) and parliaments return (May 18). The first tasks for the Commons is to choose a speaker and finish swearing in MPs and peers. Following these events, a King's speech can be given, and then there can be a discussion about the speech (basically, a discussion about the speech's content). This is the first opportunity for a new government to show that it has the support of MPs, as well as the first substantive item that parliament will debate. What happens to the losing MPs? They receive a certain amount of money from what is known as the winding up budget. It helps former MPs afford their living expenses after their salary ends.Depending on their age and duration of service, MPs who have served for two years or more may also be eligible for a loss of office payment, which is double the amount they get from the winding up budget. Staff members of MPs who lose their seat are made redundant. How are government ministers appointed? The prime minister appoints ministers from among the members of the House of Commons and House of Lords. One of Americas most deeply entrenched political machines is finally coming apart. New Jersey political insiders struggled to come up with big enough words Monday morning morning to describe what they were hearing: The state attorney general was about to indict South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, one of the most formidable and fearsome operators in state history, on corruption charges. Earthquake, one told POLITICO. Atomic bomb, said another. Norcross ruled much of New Jersey for decades and, at his peak, wielded power rivaling governors shaping elections, legislation and the political careers of Democrats across the state. His indictment is just the latest in a series of political shockwaves that have struck New Jersey over the past year. Sen. Bob Menendez, another powerful political boss held in awe by lower-level political players, is in the middle of a corruption trial. And that comes just months after a federal judge struck down the county line a tool long used by New Jerseys political machines to suppress intra-party challengers for the 2024 Democratic primary. New Jerseys notoriously boss-driven political system has never been imperiled like this before, at least not in living memory. And now, a crop of younger New Jersey Democrats are ready to dance on its grave. 2024 is going to go down as the most significant change that New Jersey has ever seen for its electoral and political process, said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, 47, who at times fought publicly with Norcross and whos now running for governor in 2025. Youve had this culture of a handful of people with disproportionate influence. The public didnt necessarily realize how all of this stuff was monetized, and now the situation has changed. Norcross was charged along with his brother Phil, former Camden Mayor Dana Redd and three other longtime associates. The indictment alleges a dozen years of extortion and other corruption by the Norcross enterprise at the expense of a downtrodden city located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. (Another Norcross brother, Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross, is not facing any charges). George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in the state for at least the last 12 years. This alleged conduct of the Norcross enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, the people of the state of New Jersey and especially especially to the city of Camden and its residents, state attorney general Matt Platkin said at a news conference with Norcross, uninvited, sitting just feet in front of him. That stops today. Platkin, who has not run for office before, is among a younger group of progressives like Fulop, Rep. Andy Kim and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka seen as potential reformers of the states political system. Although Platkin has not publicly expressed ambitions for elected office, a bill in the Legislature would bar him from doing so for three years after leaving his position. Norcross lashed out at Platkin afterwards and demanded that a trial start in two weeks. I want Matt Platkin to come down here and try this case himself, he said outside the attorney generals office in Trenton. Because he's a coward, because he has forced people in this building to implement his will. Decades of influence without holding office Norcross, a 68-year-old insurance broker, has never held elective office. But hes been one of the most influential figures in the state since the early 1990s, able to channel millions of dollars for his chosen candidates and against his political enemies. Norcross forged alliances with governors of both parties most notably Republican Chris Christie, who was arguably his closest governing partner and whose administration worked with Norcross and his allies to design the tax credit system that Norcross is charged with exploiting. And Norcross held huge sway over virtually every member of South Jerseys state legislative delegation. Super PACs with close ties to Norcross have often been the top spenders in New Jersey elections going back a decade. Meanwhile, his insurance brokerage, Conner Strong & Buckelew, profited from millions of dollars in public work across the state. Norcross was also childhood friends with former Senate President Steve Sweeney, and virtually every South Jersey Democratic state lawmaker past and present owes their election at least in part to Norcross fundraising prowess. That has given Norcross immense bargaining power and a seat at the table for some of the states biggest political decisions. His power increased immensely shortly before Christie was elected, when he and Sweeney put together enough votes to oust longtime Senate President Dick Codey, a Norcross foe. Many politicians feared crossing Norcross. He was a guy who never lived a day smiling, Codey, who retired in January after 50 years in the Legislature, said of his former nemesis Monday. Its about time, and New Jersey is a better place without people like him who think running the government is what they should be doing even though theyre unelected, Codey said. Another Norcross critic, for a time, was Gov. Phil Murphy. Murphy, when Platkin was his chief counsel, hired an outside law firm to investigate the Christie-era tax credit programs and Norcross influence in both shaping and generating them much of which is featured in the new indictment. Norcross and Murphy would later set aside their differences for an uneasy political detente. Murphy even raised money for Norcross super PAC earlier this year, and Norcross political machine backed first lady Tammy Murphys aborted run for Menendezs Senate seat. But Platkin, who broke with the Murphys when he refused to defend the county line in court against a lawsuit by Kim, now the Democratic Senate nominee to replace Menendez, never let the power broker out of his sights. Im kind of speechless, honestly, said Sue Altman, former executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance. In 2019, when the Legislature convened a friendly committee hearing that gave Norcross an opportunity to push back against the Murphy administration's tax credit investigation, Altman was forcibly removed from the room by State Police as Norcross looked on. Now Altman is the Democratic nominee for Congress in Central Jerseys 7th district. Norcross shadow remains over even that race. New Jersey Globe reported last week that, due in part to her fights with the South Jersey Democratic machine, the AFL-CIO some of whose Building Trades members are closely aligned with Norcross chose not to endorse her. Its a little bit of a sad day for Camden. It sort of proves what we knew all along: The people of Camden were far down the line of constituents who were considered when these plans were being hatched, Altman said. But, she added, its an opportunity and a moment for change in New Jersey, for accountability in politics, and to replace old party structures and old power with people committed to the public good and public service. Ronsha Dickerson, an anti-Norcross Camden advocate, said the indictment felt like bricks being lifted off our chests. Dickerson said that the tax incentives built shining new office buildings, but noted that few Camden residents actually got jobs in them, and that promised necessities to benefit locals, like supermarkets, never materialized. It kind of confirmed that were not crazy. For years, people just thought we were doing some conspiracy theory stuff, Dickerson said. It felt like someone finally understood that we were telling the truth down here. Political heavyweights knocked down in 2024 The potential downfalls of Norcross and Menendez coincide with the elimination of the county line, which bosses of both parties wielded for decades to give their candidates advantages on primary ballots. The line enabled the party to list all its endorsed candidates in a single row or column. Those challenging the party apparatus sometimes found themselves in obscure, hard-to-find parts of the ballot known as ballot Siberia. Democrats in Camden County, where Norcross power is most concentrated, were particularly notorious for their use of the county line. They were also its most vociferous defenders against Kims challenge to it , and made headlines when several Camden County Democratic officials blocked a Democratic Senate candidate from entering party headquarters while Tammy Murphy spoke inside the building. Progressive Democrats even uncovered evidence that Camden County Democrats recruited phantom candidates just to take up space on the ballot against rivals. Norcross political machine suffered a series of major political defeats in 2021, capped off by the shocking defeat of Sweeney by a virtually-unknown truck driver named Ed Durr. Norcross, whose official residence is now Florida, told POLITICO last year that he was stepping back from state politics, though few took his word seriously. And indeed, with Norcross still helping finance elections through his super PAC, South Jersey Democrats in 2023 reclaimed many of their losses from two years earlier. But there have been signs that the grip on power by Norcross, Menendez and other party bosses has been loosening. Altman, who led the effort to eliminate the line even before Kim did, is one of several Democrats coming into their own who either challenged or fell out with New Jerseys boss-driven political culture. Kim, a former Obama administration diplomat who was elected to Congress on the anti-Trump wave, was one of the first elected Democrats to call on Menendez to resign following his September indictment and turned the tide against the county line. Fulop was also openly critical of Menendez and was an early elected official to call for the end of the line. Baraka, whos also running for governor in 2025, also supports ending the line. Sweeney, who in 2023 declined to seek a return to his state Senate seat, is also running for governor in 2025. Norcross, along with his brothers, last week hosted a $1,500 per-head fundraiser for Sweeney in South Jersey. Sweeney declined to comment through a spokesperson. While theres no doubt New Jerseys Democratic political boss system is wounded, its not dead. Even without the county line, Democratic county parties managed to dominate most seriously-contested elections in the primary earlier this month. And despite outcries from the progressive wing of the party and many of the Democrats running for statewide office, the Democratic Legislature passed and Murphy signed a bill putting new restrictions on the states Open Public Records Act a move seen by some as a vestige of New Jerseys boss-driven political culture. Theyre fighting back. We just witnessed the OPRA changes as one example, said Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray. Theyre not going to go quietly here, but there certainly is a sea change in the comfort level that these organizations have had over the past few decades. Daniel Han contributed to this report. Georgia inmate who killed worker in prison cafeteria was in a relationship with the victim Jaydrekus Hart (left) fatally shot Aureon Grace (right) before dying by suicide on Sunday morning. Officials say the two may have been in a relationship (Georgia Department of Corrections/Lovett & Sons Funeral Home) An incarcerated man who shot and killed a 24-year-old woman working in the prisons kitchen before turning the gun on himself was in a relationship with the victim, officials say. Jaydrekus Hart shot Aureon Grace, an employee of food service company Aramark, early Sunday morning in the kitchen of Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that a personal relationship existed between Aramark employee Grace and offender Hart, a Georgia Department of Corrections spokesperson said in a Monday statement. A suicide note was also discovered that appears to have been left by offender Hart. The investigation is still ongoing, the spokesperson said, and it is still unclear how he obtained the weapon. The gun is now in the hands of investigators. Hart was serving 20 years for voluntary manslaughter in Carroll County, with a maximum release date of June 2043. Jaydrekus Hart, pictured, left behind a note before he killed Aureon Shavea Grace and turned the gun on himself Sunday morning (Georgia Department of Corrections) Aramark is assisting Department of Corrections officials with the investigation. We are heartbroken over the loss of our colleague and our hearts and prayers go out to her family, Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert said in a statement. This is a tragedy for all of us. Friends and family have since paid tribute to Grace, describing her as kind and pure-hearted. Loved ones describe Aureon Grace, pictured, as sweet, kind, and pure-hearted (Lovett & Son's Funeral Home) It was a pleasure working with you and getting to know you especially your laughter and we both love to eat, wrote one colleague on an obituary page. Praying for your family and your babies. U are truly going to be missed. Another wrote: Sending prayers and love to the family, especially her kids. She was a really sweet young lady, close friends to my daughter, were really gonna miss her. We love you. Georgia prison inmate shoots employee, then turns gun on himself The Georgia Department of Corrections is investigating a deadly shooting inside a metro-area prison. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The shooting involved an employee and an inmate on Sunday morning. GDC said at approximately 4:30 a.m. Sunday, inmate Jaydrekus Hart shot an Aramark food service employee while working in the kitchen at Smith State Prison. The employee was pronounced dead. CLICK HERE to read the full story by WSB-TV. Read: First Alert Weather Team tracking a few isolated showers, late-week potential for tropical moisture [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. German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke speaks during an interview. Britta Pedersen/dpa German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has praised Monday's approval of the much-debated Nature Restoration Law by EU member states, describing it as a crucial step for a healthy environment in Europe. "I very much welcome that EU member states have today adopted the regulation on nature restoration," the Green politician said of the decision taken with her EU counterparts in Luxembourg. She said the law struck a balance between all interests. EU member states had demonstrated responsibility for nature in Europe, she noted. "An intact nature is the web that supports us all," Lemke said. The purpose of the Nature Restoration Law is to regrow forests, re-wet moors and return rivers to their natural, free-flowing states. The law has proven controversial, particularly because of fears of heavy restrictions on farmers. The law only received the required majority backing due to a change in Austria's stance. Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler of the Greens voted for the law, against the wishes of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Justice Benjamin Limbach speaks, during a press conference on the record cocaine find worth billions in a cross-state raid, in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, June 17, 2024 . German investigators said Monday they seized 35.5 metric tons of cocaine worth 2.6 billion euros ($2.78 billion) on different container ships and made seven arrests in connection with what they called the largest cocaine find in the country so far. (Roland Weihrauch/dpa via AP) BERLIN (AP) German investigators announced Monday that they seized cocaine worth 2.6 billion euros ($2.78 billion) from several container ships and arrested seven people in what they called the biggest ever cocaine find in the country. Prosecutors in the western city of Duesseldorf said they confiscated the 35.5 metric tons (39 U.S. tons) of cocaine last year following a tip from Colombian authorities. They added they found 25 tons of cocaine in the port of the northern city of Hamburg, another 8 tons in the Dutch port of Rotterdam and almost 3 tons in Colombia. The drugs were hidden among vegetables and fruit. The drug seizures had not previously been announced. The suspects aged between 30 and 54 were arrested in recent weeks and are believed to have been behind the smuggling. The seven include German, Azerbaijani, Bulgarian, Moroccan, Turkish and Ukrainian nationals, the prosecutors said in a statement. Their identities were not given in line with German privacy rules. A businessman from the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia set up 100 letterbox companies to make the transports appear legal, they said. Specifically, the suspects are accused of organizing the transport of 10 sea containers with large quantities of cocaine from Latin America to Europe in the period from April to September 2023 with other as yet unknown accomplices allegedly residing in Turkey via front companies set up for this purpose, a written statement by prosecutors said. The state justice minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Benjamin Limbach, praised the huge cocaine seizure at a news conference in Duesseldorf. This is a blow to international organized criminality," Limbach said. "Its a precise punch in the jaw that hurts the drug lords. Lisa Paus, German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, takes part in the press conference on the "Federal Situation Report on Domestic Violence". German Family Minister said that loneliness also harms democracy. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Young Germans are acutely susceptible to feelings of loneliness in modern society, according to a new study published on Monday as the government launches a campaign highlighting the issue. "Who knew that younger people are among the loneliest after coronavirus. This finally deserves attention," Family Affairs Minister Lisa Paus told the Funke media group of newspapers. "We must take loneliness, including that of young people, seriously and take action," Paus said, noting that the issue also impacts political participation and, ultimately, democracy. According to the study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, an independent think tank in the north-western city of Gutersloh, almost half of 16 to 30-year-olds in Germany feel lonely. More than a third (35%) of 2,532 respondents in this age group said they were moderately lonely, while 10% said they were "very lonely." In response to the issue, a government-sponsored campaign week titled "Together out of loneliness" will run until Sunday, with many different events planned across the country. Compared with studies conducted in 2021 and 2023, slightly fewer young people now said they were socially and emotionally lonely. However, the high ranking of young people in the assessment of loneliness requires a rethink, the authors of the study said. "Loneliness is no longer a phenomenon that only affects older people. In recent years, it has become clear that young people are also increasingly affected by loneliness and therefore represent a new risk group," said Anja Langness of the Bertelsmann Foundation. Several other recent studies also described loneliness among young people as a problem. Loneliness has long been known to be as harmful to those affected as smoking, obesity or air pollution, said Family Minister Paus. Less well known is that it also has an indirect negative impact on democracy. "Those who lose confidence in society also lose confidence in democracy, political participation decreases, as does the willingness to vote," she said. "Loneliness is an underestimated phenomenon." PARIS GM Defense hopes that a resurgence of the car giants commercial business in Europe will pave the way for sales of militarized trucks used by special operations units, a company executive said. The company makes the Infantry Squad vehicle, based on the Colorado pickup truck, which is in production for vanguard U.S. Army formations including the 82nd Airborne Division, and is readying a slightly larger variant, the Light Tactical Wheeled Vehicle, based on the Silverado truck. Executives now hope to find buyers in Europe, with acquisition competitions Denmark, Spain and the U.K. adding to a combined $1 billion in potential business, according to Bradley Watters, vice president of international development. The push aims to cut into the hold of the militarized Mercedes Benzs G-class rides popular with armed forces here, Watters explained. The key proposition is similar: The backing of an automotive industry titan means assured spare parts and scaleable pricing. Plus, he added, electrification options provide stealthy operations on the battlefield, among other advantages. GM is making a comeback in Europe, Watters said in an interview ahead of the Eurosatory trade show here. Last fall, the company opened a showroom in Zurich, Switzerland, for the Cadillac brand, followed by another one here late last month. Our customers tell us, We like big U.S. trucks, Watters said. Notably, GM Defenses campaign relies on vehicle nimbleness over armor. The ISV vehicles are constructed without major protection at all, banking instead on the idea that dicey battlefield situations are best left in the rear-view mirror. If sales materialize, they would likely come in the form of direct commercial sales, as opposed to foreign military sales through the U.S. government. Thats because the U.S. Army is just at the beginning of outfitting its own formations, Watters said. Earlier this year, Arizonas Supreme Court issued a deeply unpopular opinion resurrecting an abortion ban from 1864. Immediately, justices who had taken part in the ruling and who were on the ballot in retention elections faced a serious threat of being kicked off the bench by voters. How have members of the Republican establishment in Arizona responded? If you guessed that theyre reconsidering extremist anti-abortion positions and moderating support for bans, LOL. No, as in other states across the nation, the backlash that the Arizona GOP is facing from voters for its wildly unpopular abortion positions caused the party to respond by trying to take away voters power to hold it accountable for those positions. Indeed, abortion rights groups are opposing two state Supreme Court justices in the November elections, but a proposed amendment would make those justices untouchable. Since the Arizona Supreme Court resurrected the 1864 abortion ban a few months ago, pro-choice groups and progressives have mounted an unprecedented effort to oust two justices in this years elections. It could be the first time in U.S. history that progressives or leftists oust a high court justice in a judicial retention election. If the effort is successful, Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who signed a repeal of the broadly unpopular ban, will appoint two new justices. But the voters decision may not even matter. Thats because earlier this month, Republican state lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment, by a one-vote margin, that would keep the justices on the bench regardless of what happens on Election Day. If Arizonans approve the amendment, it would make the states high court justices nearly as unaccountable as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his colleagues in Washington. They would serve until age 70 and not face any retention elections unless they committed some kind of misconduct. Republican state Sen. Shawnna Bolick voted for the constitutional amendment, refusing to recuse herself even though her husband is one of the justices who could lose his job on Nov. 5. If Bolick had recused herself, the amendment wouldnt have passed. Democrats oppose the amendment. State Rep. Analise Ortiz, who represents Phoenix, described it as authoritarianism. Other lawmakers cited Justice Sandra Day OConnor, who helped establish the states system of merit selection and retention elections when she served in the Arizona Legislature. Sen. Flavio Bravo said, It would be a shame to take this action six months after Justice Day OConnors passing. Bravo argued that retention elections provide the kinds of checks and balances critical to our democracy. The merit selection system, sponsored by OConnor nearly 50 years ago, established retention elections and bipartisan judicial nominating commissions, which evaluate applicants for judgeships and submit a list of the most qualified to the governor. Governors must choose a nominee from the list, but the previous governor, Republican Doug Ducey, stacked the appellate court commission with conservatives to get a less qualified justice on the court. Ducey also filled two new seats on the high court in 2016 and changed its ideological leaning. Conservatives have played judicial hardball in Arizona for years, and it has resulted in a state Supreme Court that is one of the most conservative in the nation. This years retention election was the first chance for progressives to strike back. Given the unpopularity of the courts abortion decision, it seems as if pro-choice groups may actually pull it off. No Arizona justice has ever lost a retention election, which requires that they receive 60 percent of votes to remain on the bench. But some judges in Phoenix have been voted out in recent years, as activists have begun to get people involved in the process of choosing and evaluating judges. Fourteen states have retention elections for their justices, and those seats are rarely contested. However, anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ+ groups have tried to oust justices and did so successfully in Iowa in 2010. Decades ago, justices in California and Tennessee lost their seats over rulings in death-penalty cases. And in 2022, voters in northern Illinois became the first in the states history to oust a high court justice; billionaires like Ken Griffin donated millions of dollars for attack ads that tied a state justice to a controversial Democratic politician. Now that pro-choice voters could oust two Arizona justices, Republicans want to get rid of judicial elections and lock the current right-wing high court majority in place. Arizona Republicans arent the only ones seeking to end judicial elections. A similar amendment was proposed this year in Louisiana, where civil rights groups have successfully pushed for a second majority-Black high court election district. But that amendment didnt go forward. Texas Republicans set up a commission to explore switching to an appointment system, after Black women and Democrats performed relatively well in the 2018 elections. In North Carolinawhere lawmakers last year created 10 new judgeships that are chosen by the Legislature, not the voterslegislators are considering an amendment that would double the terms of elected judges and ensure GOP control of the high court for nearly a decade. As a result of its decision, in Dobbs, to end the constitutional right to an abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court falsely promised that voters across the country would now, state by state, decide the abortion question. But Republicans want to strip voters of the power to determine the fate of abortion laws. As the Arizona amendment is happening, Republicans in Ohio and elsewhere are trying to make it harder for voters to put constitutional amendments on the ballot and enshrine abortion protections into law. Progressive voters in Arizona and across the country have begun to realize, through the ballot, the power they have to protect abortion rights, including by selecting judges that will strike down laws depriving patients of reproductive care. Hopefully they will also continue to be savvy enough to reject efforts, like the one pushed by the Arizona GOP, to take that power out of their own hands. Got illegal fireworks? You can turn them in at this Sacramento-area event and not face trouble (FOX40.COM) With the 4th of July approaching, Elk Grove officials are hosting an event for people to turn in illegal fireworks without facing any questions or prosecution. Residents who have illegal or legal fireworks that they would like to surrender can do so at the Fireworks Amnesty Event on Saturday, June 29. Upcoming Interstate 80 closures to affect Northern California residents The event is being hosted by the city and the Cosumnes Fire Dept. at Fire Station 81, located at 8760 Elk Grove Blvd. A Facebook post from the Cosumnes Fire Dept. said that people will be able to hand over fireworks with no questions asked and no criminal prosecution. The dept. said that it cannot accept homemade fireworks at the event. 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. Gov. Tony Evers shared a first look Monday at who exactly might be conducting an audit of Milwaukee Public Schools' operations an audit he called for as the school district reels from major accounting errors and the departure of Superintendent Keith Posley. In a press release, Evers said the operational audit, and a subsequent audit of MPS' academic practices, were necessary to "fully identify the extent of the problems" in order to find solutions. To move quickly, Evers said his office would be choosing an auditor from a list of companies that have already been vetted through another state contract, a consulting contract for the UW System. Milwaukee Public School Superintendent Keith P. Posley, left, and Gov. Tony Evers take a tour Sept. 26, 2022, at the Academy of Accelerated Learning in Milwaukee on the first day of school for Milwaukee Public Schools. Those companies are: The firms will have through June 24 to submit proposals for the audit. The Department of Administration will oversee the selection process, according to Britt Cudaback, Evers' office's communications director. The operational audit will examine the district's financial management, workflow, job duties of key positions, and staff retention. It will also look at improving transparency between administrators and the school board, MPS families and the public. Evers is also pursuing a separate audit of the district's instructional practices, including classroom learning environments, staff training, curriculum and leadership. Evers previously told reporters he hopes to see both audits done within six months, but added: "You never know with those types of things." "We want it to be a really, really deep, deep, deep dive for these two firms that are going to be doing that," Evers said, according to a transcript provided by Cudaback. "And on the educational side, thats going to mean theyre going to have to talk to a lot of people: parents, teachers, everybody as many people as they can in the Milwaukee area." Cudaback said the timelines, and costs, will depend on what they hear from potential auditors. A previous press release said funding would come from "federal dollars available between underspending of previously awarded contracts and funding already allocated for Milwaukee that has not yet been spent." Cudaback hasn't provided further details about the funding sources. After proposing the idea for audits June 7, Evers said he decided to move forward when the plan won support from state Superintendent Jill Underly, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and Milwaukee School Board members, among others. In a statement Monday, Milwaukee School Board President Marva Herndon said the board welcomed the auditing. We, too, are committed to identifying root causes of district challenges so they can be addressed moving forward," Herndon said in the statement. Evers said the audits will mark the first examination of MPS of its kind since an initiative 15 years ago, when then-Mayor Tom Barrett and then-Gov. Jim Doyle obtained an independent evaluation of MPS' finances and operations. While Evers' audits get underway, MPS will also be carrying out a corrective action plan, overseen by the state Department of Public Instruction, to fix urgent vacancies and flaws in the district's finance office. MPS is seeking a new superintendent, chief financial officer and comptroller, among many other positions. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Evers names possible auditors of Milwaukee Public Schools Gov. Jeff Landry will close state offices Wednesday in honor of Juneteenth. (Photo Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus) Gov. Jeff Landry will close state offices Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Landry issued an executive order at the end of last month directing the heads of state agencies and institutions to honor the day off in conjunction with the federal government. Juneteenth Day has been celebrated as a special day of celebration for freedom, and the celebration of this day has grown into a day of learning, sharing, and giving respect to the history, culture, and achievements of African-Americans, reads the proclamation signed by the governor. Juneteenth honors June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned from Union soldiers that they were free. The news reached them two months after the end of the Civil War, and 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. In 2021, the Louisiana Legislature unanimously passed a law that declared the third Saturday in June a state holiday in honor of Juneteenth. That year, former Gov. John Bel Edwards also started issuing proclamations giving state workers time off during the workweek for the celebration. The weekday observance has coincided with the federal Juneteenth National Independence Day, which was also started in 2021. Juneteenth was the first new federal holiday created since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established. Juneteenth is not listed in Louisiana law as a state holiday where state employees must be given time off, like New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mardi Gras, Good Friday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The governor has flexibility to declare other state holidays through a proclamation, however. Like Edwards, Landry this year decided to take action to make Juneteenth a workweek holiday. The post Gov. Jeff Landry gives state workers Wednesday off to observe Juneteenth appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. State lawmakers join Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee for the ceremonial signing of the state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 at the State House on Monday, June 17, 2024. (Office of the Governor) The second-highest state spending plan on record is now law after Gov. Dan McKee lent his John Hancock to the fiscal 2025 budget at a ceremony at the State House Monday. The ceremonial signing, complete with a cake for McKees 73rd birthday on Sunday, marks the final stop for the $13.96 billion spending plan that starts July 1. The approved budget falls just shy of the $14 billion high-water mark that characterized fiscal 2024, but is $271 million more than what McKee proposed in January. The Rhode Island House and Senate previously backed the budget in separate, sweeping votes of 69-5 and 31-4, respectively. Flanked by top lawmakers in the Rhode Island General Assembly, McKee echoed praise of other lawmakers who have touted the budgets investments in key areas like education, health care and housing while sparing taxpayers from any broad-based increases. We came together as a team and delivered a budget that continues to put Rhode Island on a path to improve educational outcomes, raise incomes for all Rhode Islanders, and build a healthier state, McKee said in a statement. I am proud to sign a budget that makes smart investments in Rhode Islands future and I thank the Speaker and Senate President for their collaboration. Among its provisions are sweeping changes to the much-maligned education funding formula that determines state aid for K-12 schools, adding in money for multilingual learners along with extra funds to offset a decrease in federal aid. The budget also includes the full $160 million in state and federal funds to increase reimbursement rates for certain Medicaid providers, as recommended by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner in a single year, rather than the three-year phase-in McKee had planned. A historic $120 million housing bond, including dedicated funding for homeownership and housing production is one of four borrowing proposals that will be decided by voters on the ballot in November. The other three would allow for state-issued debt on $160 million worth of programs at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, $53 million in assorted green economy investments and $10 million for the arts community. The budget also revives annual, cost-of-living increases for the 19,000 retired state workers and teachers who stopped working before the 2011 pension reforms took effect, along with other updates to state pension policy that benefit a wider swath of retired and active state workers and teachers, costing the state an expected $27.5 million this year. The post Gov. McKee signs FY 25 budget appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Government should not force transgender and non-binary students to deny who they are Re: "I use people's preferred pronouns out of respect. Not because the government said so," by Cameron Smith, June 14. "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. I thank Cameron Smith for his column on the role of government and peoples pronouns for two reasons. First, we both agree it is respectful to use peoples pronouns. Second, I am grateful when social conservatives explain their positions. When these issues come up in the Legislature, we get the raw exercise of power with little discussion. Parents of transgender children and LGBTQ rights advocates gathered at the First Lutheran Church to protest Tennessee's slate of anti-LGBTQ bills signed into law in 2021. We differ on whether government entities should require the use of a persons pronouns in some settings. Rather than an abstract question, the issue is quite focused in Tennessee. Transgender and non-binary public school students are regularly on the hostile end of state legislation. In particular, we should consider the 2023 law that says school personnel do not have to use a students pronouns and the 2024 law that says that students who request an accommodation for their gender identity such as pronouns will be outed to their parents. We have a state government going into battle against trans and non-binary students via their pronouns. Students are better served by policies that respect their identities. They are at school to get an education without barriers, not to serve as an opportunity for adults to exercise virtue by choice. Experiencing an agent of the state using the wrong pronoun in front of ones peers day after day is something students should not endure. Government employees should not have more of a right to define a students identity than the student does. Chris Sanders of Nashville 37221 is executive director, Tennessee Equality Project and Tennessee Equality Project Foundation. His pronouns are He/him. Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to letters@tennessean.com. Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LGBTQ rights: Pronouns matter, but Tennessee targets students' freedom Gov. Maura Healey on Monday promised more information soon on her pick to lead the Massachusetts State Police, amidst renewed calls for reform at the agency. The State Police have been in the spotlight again after a troopers crude text messages were read aloud on the stand during the widely-watched Karen Read murder trial last week. Meanwhile, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security says its close to picking a final applicant as the next superintendent and colonel of the agency, 16 months after the job opened up. Interim Col. John Mawn Jr. has been leading the State Police since Col. Christopher Mason retired in February 2023. From the beginning of our search process, we, in fact, have opened it up for the first time ever to consider candidates outside of the Massachusetts State Police, Healey said Monday in response to a reporters question about looking outside the agency for its next leader. She is the first governor able to take advantage of a provision of the 2020 policing reform law allowing the State Police colonel to be hired from outside of the departments current ranks. I want folks to know the following: As governor and former attorney general, I want to make sure that we have the very best personnel throughout the ranks in the Massachusetts State Police. And that includes the position of colonel, thats a process that is underway. Well have more on that soon, Healey said. She added, And I spoke last week to comments made by the individual who is in the [unit] assigned to the district attorneys office in the Read investigation. Read is accused of backing her car into her Boston police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe, and leaving him to die outside a Canton home in January 2022. Her attorneys contend she is being framed as part of a larger cover-up and the trial has attracted the attention of the media and internet sleuths from around the world. Trooper Michael Proctor was a lead investigator on the case and took the stand in Dedham District Court last week. During cross-examination, Reads attorneys had Proctor read aloud text messages he sent to other troopers and friends disparaging Read, commenting on her physical appearance using vulgar language, suggesting he had made up his mind based on evidence as to Reads guilt, and saying he wished Read would kill herself. Healey told reporters last week, Its terrible ... Its completely unprofessional. It does harm, frankly, to the dignity and the integrity of the work of men and women across the State Police and law enforcement. So as a former attorney general and as governor, I am disgusted by that. Asked on Monday to respond to Proctors texts and subsequent calls to reform the State Police, Senate President Karen Spilka said that bringing on a new colonel would help. Theyre looking at a new leader right now, and I think that clearly, this has been going on for quite a while, Spilka said. It needs a plan, and there will be new leadership. 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 More from Footwear News French fashion label Goyard is coming after sneaker customizer The Shoe Surgeon in a new lawsuit. In a suit filed in the Central District of California last week, the French brand claimed that The Shoe Surgeon used designs that were identical, indistinguishable from, or confusingly similar to Goyards protected designs without the brands consent. The designs in question were featured on lighters and shoes sold by The Shoe Surgeon. The canvas material used by defendants which contain the Goyard Marks are not intended or authorized for use by defendants and are not intended or authorized for use as the featured element of footwear or lighters created by defendants who have no relationship with Goyard, read the suit. The complaint also pointed out that the product descriptions for these items say they include authentic Goyard canvas but, as Goyard suggests, it is unclear if the material in question is fake or not. The Los-Angeles, Calif.-based Shoe Surgeon is a custom shoe-making business known for its products that blend various brand elements into one design. For example, the company might take a well-known Nike or Birkenstock silhouette and combine it with materials and identifying marks from brands like Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and Gucci. Goyard, however, says it did not consent to its inclusion on the footwear and accessories products in question, which the suit alleges have also appeared for sale in retailers like Harrods and Urban Necessities. According to the complaint, Goyard sent two cease and desist letters to Shoe Surgeon founder Dominic Chambrone in 2022 but received no response. The products were removed for a bit until they came back on the marketplace about a year later, the suit said. FN has reached out to The Shoe Surgeon and Goyard for comments. While still in early stages, the lawsuit could have interesting implications for the sneaker customization world and what constitutes trademark infringement versus art. Other brands like Nike have previously sued several sneaker customizers for trademark infringement and selling counterfeit shoes. In 2021, Nike filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against MSCHF, the company that created and sold a number of Satan Shoes in collaboration with Lil Nas X in March. The sneakers were based off the Nike Air Max 97 and ultimately recalled by MSCHF after a settlement agreement was reached that same year. Story continues Best of Footwear News Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Beaches in Gran Canaria were closed over the weekend after a hammerhead shark swam up to the shoreline and sent bathers fleeing. The shark, which appeared to be around 7ft long, was filmed on Saturday rapidly approaching the sandy beach of La Melenara, its fin poking above the surface of the water. Holidaymakers scrambed out the sea after a man spotted the shark circling in the water for a second time in two days - JAM PRESS As it gets closer it circles and thrashes around the water, alarming bathers who rush to the shore and get out. However no one was hurt and the shark swiftly retreated to deeper waters, suggesting it had been pursuing a fish or other prey. Police said that a drone sighting confirmed that in both instances it was a hammerhead shark - A/NPZ/SM The hammerhead is one of several shark species that live in waters around Gran Canaria, but it rarely comes close to the shore. While it is not known for being aggressive to humans, the sharks, able to grow up to 20ft, can be a formidable sight. Local police and lifeguards on Gran Canaria were taking no chances, urging all bathers to get out of the water and closed the beach for the rest of Saturday. Bathers were urged to get out of the water as the shark approached - Jam Press The closure was extended to Sunday along with the closure of nearby Salinetas beach after police drones caught the shark again lurking near the coast, according to the local newspaper La Provincia. The police, the civil protection authority and the company that provides lifesaving services on Teldes coastline have said they are working to prevent the shark from approaching the coast again by deploying drones and jet ski patrols. According to local media, the beaches in the area just north of Gran Canarias airport were all set to reopen on Monday. Hammerheads are usually found in warm waters like Gran Canarias but theyve also been found to migrate to cooler waters in the summer. In 2019 one was spotted off British waters for the first ever time. Dr Paul Conolly, director of fisheries and ecosystems services at the Marine Institute, said the UK sighting shows the importance of our fishery surveys to monitor our marine environment, and to observe changes in our oceans and marine ecosystems. 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. Canton police officer William Watkins talks with Abigail Malatesta, 8, and Sophia Moya, 7, of Canton during this year's first Canton City Police Department-sponsored We Believe in Canton free community event, which was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. The Greater Stark County Urban League is calling for a reimagined Canton City Police Department. Thomas West, president and CEO of the Greater Stark County Urban League, said a Canton police officer's use of a police dog to bite a city resident who already was lying face down with his arms crossed behind his back demonstrates a need for changes within the department. In a June 3 letter to city leaders, West wrote the reimagined department would be where integrity and respect for fellow citizens and our city are paramount. Separately, the Urban League and the Stark County NAACP also are working together to create the framework for a new police oversight commission that would have subpoena powers and be independent of city government. The agencies recommendations are expected to be given to city leaders within the next couple of weeks. What does the Urban Leagues reimagined police department look like? West said a reimagined department would embody eight key principles and practices: The eight principles are: Community-centered policing, where officers regularly engage with community members and groups through events and outreach programs to build relationships, understand community needs and build a network of support for crime prevention. Transparency and accountability, including the mandatory use of body cameras; an independent review board with community representation to oversee investigations into police misconduct; and regular publication of detailed reports on police activities, use-of-force incidents and departmental policies. Training and development, including programs focused on de-escalation techniques, mental health crisis intervention and cultural competency; ongoing training in best practices; and prioritizing the recruitment of officers who reflect the diversity of the community and demonstrate a commitment to public service and ethical behavior. A supportive internal culture that includes mental health support for officers and leadership that models integrity and ethical behavior, and holds all officers to the highest conduct standards. Fair and just policies such as placing an officers pay in escrow or requiring the officer to use vacation time when the officer is under investigation instead of placing the officer on paid administrative leave; and having strict and clear guidelines on the use of force that emphasize the sanctity of life and the importance of minimizing harm. Technological and operational excellence such as utilizing advanced technology for crime prevention, data analysis and community engagement and ensuring resources are allocated effectively to areas of great need with a focus on preventive measures rather than punitive actions. Collaborative problem-solving, where community members are included in the development and review of departmental policies and practices and restorative justice programs are established to address minor offenses through community-based solutions rather than traditional punitive measures. Respect for civil rights, including officers trained to respect and uphold citizens civil rights and active measures to eliminate racial profiling and ensure fair treatment for all community members. By embedding these principles into its structure and operations, a reimagined police department can foster a culture of trust, integrity and mutual respect, creating a safer and more harmonious community, West wrote. Canton police chief: The community would be happy to know how much of that we do. Canton Police Chief John Gabbard greets Jagger Bennett, 7, of Canton during this year's first We Believe in Canton free community event that was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. Police Chief John Gabbard said he agrees that many of the points in the Urban Leagues letter are important for a police department to follow, which he said is why the department already does them. (The letter) signals to me that one of my weak points has been in really advertising how much of these things we actually do, said Gabbard, a 26-year veteran of the department who became chief in 2022. We need to get better at that. The community would be happy to know how much of that we do. Two of Gabbards priorities since becoming chief have been creating opportunities for officers to interact with residents outside of arrest and law enforcement situations, and helping officers handle the daily stress of the job with mental health and wellness resources. Gabbard started the free community events called We Believe in Canton in 2022, partnered with the J. Babe Stearn Center last year to establish a community outreach post in southwest Canton and has announced a Police in Parks initiative as ways to bring officers and residents together outside of arrest or law enforcement situations. Canton police officer Nicole Jones plays football with kids during this year's first We Believe in Canton community event, which was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. To help officers with their mental health, the department has partnered with Legacy of Honor in Louisville for the past two years for a variety of wellness, counseling and mental health awareness activities. Regarding transparency, Gabbard said he has made it a point to release officer-worn body camera video, involved officers' names and related reports as soon as the redactions required under law have been made. The department released the body camera video of K-9 officer Nicholas Casto the same day a social media video surfaced that showed Casto using his police dog, Scooby, to bite a man whom three officers already had lying face down on the ground. I think too many police departments sometimes hold back (information) until they can steer a narrative or come out with a way to present something, and I dont think thats a good service to the community, he said. Gabbard said the release of information or statements could be delayed or limited when the investigation has been turned over to an outside agency, such as the Ohio Attorney Generals Bureau of Criminal Investigation. It is the departments policy to have outside investigators examine incidents involving use of force by a city officer that causes death or serious injury. That has kind of posed a challenge to me because if youre dedicated to having an independent (investigative) process, then you cant speak freely or make comments on that process, Gabbard said. Or else you risk, at least risk the perception of, steering that narrative or influencing that investigation. And thats the last thing I would do. Police chief is open to new ideas for training The Canton City Police Department held its first 2024 "We Believe in Canton" community event on Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. Gabbard said the department already provides de-escalation and scenario-based training, but he still welcomes new training ideas. If you are dedicated to having the best training, youre always open to new ideas, Gabbard said. I think thats one of the aspects of being a department with a culture of education and training. Im always open to new ideas. Gabbard and 12 other city officers are learning Spanish through the Urban Leagues new six-week Stark Cops Speak class that is designed to teach officers basic Spanish phrases that are most often used in law enforcement situations to help officers interact with Stark Countys growing Hispanic community. The only recommendation from the Urban League that Gabbard said he didn't believe the department could do is put an officer's pay in escrow while the officer is under an internal investigation. He questioned the legality of doing so, citing the Fair Labor Standards Act and the collective bargaining agreement between the city and the unions that represent the officers. He also said the departments policy is to immediately place an officer on paid administrative leave when an internal investigation is conducted even if the officer likely acted within departmental policies. He also said that investigations conducted by outside agencies take months to complete. I understand the sentiment of not paying someone who may have done something wrong while awaiting the process, but there are contracts and laws that control what protections are in place and theres protection for due process, Gabbard said. West said while he understands the police department may already do some of the principles listed, he hopes the Urban League and other community organizations can help the department do them better. Its one thing to be doing it and its another to be doing it well, West said. I think we all can do better. As an example, he said the Urban League is providing a list of implicit bias training experts to the department, which he said currently relies on training conducted by former or current police officers. Urban League, Stark NAACP plan to recommend independent police oversight commission Stark NAACP President Hector McDaniel said a review of the Canton City Police Departments 74-page rules and regulations shows the department and its officers have strayed from the departments stated mission, guiding principles and rules of conduct that govern how they are to uphold the law. If you take a look at (the police departments) mission, you will clearly see that the community is not experiencing what that mission outlines, McDaniel said. If talking about protecting and serving the community, I think the community will probably respond that they dont feel protected and they dont feel served. McDaniel believes the department would have a better relationship with the community if it followed its own handbook. Even if we didnt create anything other than said, You need to align yourselves to the rules and regulations already written, we would see a difference in policing in that alone, McDaniel said. McDaniel believes establishing an independent oversight commission would be a good beginning step to ensure officers follow the stated rules and to gradually change the department's culture. There doesnt seem to be any accountability to do what is written that you said you would as an officer of the law for the Canton police, McDaniel said. McDaniel, who sits on the city's existing oversight commission called the Community Relations Board, said the agencies are still reviewing whether the new oversight commission would replace the existing board or if they would co-exist. What do Canton residents, activists say? The Canton Repository reached out to the DiCello Levitt law firm, which is representing multiple families whose loved one was killed by a Canton police officer or who died while in police custody, to get their perspective on the changes they believe are needed at the Canton Police Department and about the Urban Leagues letter. The firm's representative initially responded that she would be back in contact, but never did. The Repository also contacted five residents and activists who have advocated for police reform during recent Canton City Council meetings. Two didnt respond. Sierra Mason, who was arrested on May 25 on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct while she led a protest in downtown Canton, said her attorneys have advised her to not comment. Kimberly Bell, a frequent critic of city leaders who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year, believes the community has passed the point of asking for police accountability and transparency. We asked for all of that during the murder of James Williams, and it got us four or five more murdered by this police department and now (an officer) using their K-9 to attack a man, Bell said. She believes a more drastic approach is needed, suggesting the mayor fire most of the departments existing officers and ask Clevelands police chief to help with policing until Canton can hire new officers. Justin Nicely, a Massillon resident who administers the Canton Hall of Shame social media pages that seek to expose police and government abuses of power, believes no changes within the police department will be effective until city leaders view their roles as civil servants to the community and not authority figures with titles. The problem is if the underlying issues at hand do not get addressed first, all incentives and efforts to try to close the disconnect mentioned will be in vain, only to go back to the same revolving door of problems, he said. We will never be able to fix what is wrong until we can get the foundation of accountability, transparency, and a genuine give-a-damn to want to actually change what is going on. Reach Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com. Canton police officer Aminata NDiaye paints the face of Jania Wilson, 9, of Canton during this year's first We Believe in Cantonon Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. Canton police officer Jon Versiackas engages with children during this year's first Canton City Police Department-sponsored We Believe in Canton community event, which was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. Donald Jackson, 3, of Canton checks out a police car during this year's first We Believe in Canton community event, which was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. Children jump in a inflatable police car during this year's first We Believe in Canton community event, which was held Wednesday at Centennial Plaza in Canton. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark Urban League calls for changes at Canton City Police Department A Syrian migrant helps children get off an inflatable boat after it arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey to Greece (AFP via Getty Images) The Greek coastguard has been accused of causing the deaths of more than 40 migrants in the Mediterranean over a number of years including nine who were allegedly thrown overboard into the sea and allowed to drown. Victims said they had either been thrown into the sea or cast afloat in damaged inflatable rafts before they could make asylum claims in Greece. One man said the Greek coastguard had thrown him into the sea with his hands zip-tied together, saying: They wanted me to die. Greece has long denied accusations of pushing people back towards Turkey where they crossed from, which is illegal under international law. The countrys coastguard has repeatedly denied all accusations of illegal activity. The allegations will air in a new BBC documentary on Monday night. Journalists analysed 15 incidents over the three years to May 2023 in which people are claimed to have died as a result of the coastguards actions. While the initial sources for the documentary, titled Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? were primarily local media, NGOs and the Turkish coastguard, the BBC said it had corroborated four of these cases through eyewitness testimony which they said showed a clear pattern. In four of the five cases in which migrants said they were thrown into the sea, they described being hunted down by Greek officials after landing on Greek islands. The Greek government said it had rescued more than 250,000 migrants over the past decade (AP) We had barely docked, and the police came from behind, said one man from Cameroon, who landed on the island of Samos in September 2021. There were two policemen dressed in black, and three others in civilian clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes. He and two other men from Cameroon and Ivory Coast were transferred to a Greek coastguard boat. He told the BBC that the other Cameroonian was the first to be thrown in the water. The Ivorian man said: Save me, I dont want to die and then eventually only his hand was above water, and his body was below. Slowly his hand slipped under, and the water engulfed him. Before throwing him in the water too, he described his abductors as raining punches down on his head like they were punching an animal. Refugees in a dinghy are lit by a a Greek coast guard patrol boat's spotlight during a rescue operation in 2019 (AP) While he was able to swim ashore, the bodies of his two companions, Sidy Keita and Didier Martial Kouamou Nana, were found on the Turkish coast. His lawyers are demanding that Greece open a double murder case. Another man from Somalia claimed he had been caught by the Greek army after arriving on Chios, who handed him over to the coastguard. They threw me zip-tied in the middle of the sea. They wanted me to die, he said. While he was able to free one of his hands and make it to land, three people in his group did not survive. In other cases, migrants were allegedly put onto rafts without motors, which then deflated, or appeared to have been punctured, the BBC reported. In the deadliest such alleged incident, a boat carrying 85 people required help after its motor cut out near Rhodes. Mohamed, from Syria, said the Greek coastguard returned them to Turkish waters and put them in life rafts. Mohamed says the raft he and his family were given had not had its valve properly closed. We immediately began to sink, they saw that They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us, he told the BBC. The first child who died was my cousins son After that it was one by one. Another child, another child, then my cousin himself disappeared. By the morning seven or eight children had died. My kids didnt die until the morning right before the Turkish coastguard arrived. Shown footage of a forced return near Lesbos in which women and children were among a group put aboard a raft, abandoned and later rescued by the Turkish coastguard, Dimitris Baltakos, the former head of special operations with the Greek coastguard, refused to speculate on what the footage showed. But during a break in the interview, the microphone caught him telling someone out of shot in Greek: I havent told them much, right? Its very clear, isnt it. Its not nuclear physics. I dont know why they did it in broad daylight Its obviously illegal. Its an international crime. The footage was filmed by Austrian activist Fayad Mulla and published by the New York Times in May 2023. The Greek coastguard denied the documentarys findings, telling the BBC its staff worked tirelessly with the utmost professionalism, a strong sense of responsibility and respect for human life and fundamental rights, adding that they were in full compliance with the countrys international obligations. It added: It should be highlighted that from 2015 to 2024, the Hellenic Coast Guard has rescued 250,834 refugees/migrants in 6,161 incidents at sea. The impeccable execution of this noble mission has been positively recognised by the international community. The Independent has approached the Greek government for further comment. The Greek coastguard threw nine migrants overboard to their deaths and caused dozens more to die over the past three years, an investigation has found. Witnesses said they saw nine people drown in the Mediterranean sea. They were among more than 40 alleged to have died after illegal pushbacks from Greek islands or territorial waters. Migrants said they were thrown directly into the sea by Greek authorities in five of the incidents. In four cases, they landed on Greek islands but were hunted down by the authorities. Others said they were put on punctured and sinking inflatable rafts without motors. Greece has long been accused of illegal forced returns of migrants hoping to reach Europe back towards Turkey. Some 41,561 migrants arrived in Greece last year out of 263,048 sea arrivals in Europe. The coastguard said it strongly rejected all accusations of illegal activities when the claims were put to it by the BBC. Migrants say they were put on punctured and sinking inflatable rafts without motors - Anadolu The broadcaster analysed 15 incidents resulting in 43 deaths from May 2020-23. The BBC spoke to eyewitnesses in four of the cases, which is extremely rare, for a new documentary Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? Its other sources were local media, the Turkish coastguard and NGOs. A Cameroonian asylum seeker was caught by Greek authorities after landing on the island of Samos in September 2021. We had barely docked, and the police came from behind, he told the BBC. There were two policemen dressed in black, and three others in civilian clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes. He was transferred to a coastguard boat with another man from Cameroon and another from the Ivory Coast. He said: They started with the [other] Cameroonian. They threw him in the water. The Ivorian man said: Save me, I dont want to die and then eventually only his hand was above water, and his body was below. Slowly his hand slipped under, and the water engulfed him. He was beaten like an animal before being pushed into the water without a life jacket. He managed to swim to shore but the bodies of the other two migrants, who were called Sidy Keita and Didier Martial Kouamou Nana, were found on the Turkish coastline. Protesters took to the streets in Greece last June after the a migrant ship capsized - LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP A Somalian man told the BBC he was caught on the island of Chios and handed to the coastguard in March 2021. He said the coastguard tied his hands behind his back and threw him into the water. They threw me zip-tied in the middle of the sea. They wanted me to die, he said. He survived by floating on his back until he could free his hands. He made it to land where he was spotted by the Turkish coastguard. Three in his group died, he told the BBC. In a separate September 2020 incident, a Syrian migrant called Mohamed said seven or eight children died after the coastguard left them on a sinking raft. A boat was carrying 85 migrants close to Rhodes when the engine cut out. The Greek coastguard returned them to Turkish waters and put them in life rafts. Mohameds raft began sinking because its valve was not closed properly. They heard us all screaming, and yet they still left us, he told the BBC. The first child who died was my cousins son After that it was one by one. Another child, another child, then my cousin himself disappeared. By the morning seven or eight children had died. My kids didnt die until the morning right before the Turkish coastguard arrived. Men working undercover Human rights groups allege thousands of people have been illegally forced back from Greece and denied their legal right to seek asylum. Greek law allows asylum seekers to register their claims at special centres on several islands but the interviewed migrants said they were detained before they could reach them. They claimed the men stopping them were non-uniformed, often masked and apparently working undercover. The Greek Coastguard said it obeyed international law and worked tirelessly with the utmost professionalism, a strong sense of responsibility and respect for human life and fundamental rights. It added: It should be highlighted that from 2015 to 2024, the Hellenic Coast Guard has rescued 250,834 refugees/migrants in 6,161 incidents at sea. The impeccable execution of this noble mission has been positively recognised by the international community. The coastguard was criticised last June after more than 600 people died in the biggest migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean for a decade. Greece insists that the Adriana was not in trouble and on its way to Italy and so did not attempt a rescue. Ten die following two incidents It comes as ten migrants died with dozens of others feared missing after two shipwrecks off Italy on Monday. Rescuers coming to the aid of migrants on a wooden boat off Lampedusa found 10 bodies below deck, the German aid group ResQship posted on X, formerly Twitter. The crew aboard ResQships vessel, the Nadir, is currently caring for 51 people on board. The rescue came too late for 10 people, the German charity said. A total of 61 people were on the wooden boat, which was full of water. Our crew was able to evacuate 51 people, two of whom were unconscious - they had to be cut free with an axe, it said. The 10 dead are in the flooded lower deck of the boat, it added. Meanwhile Italys coastguard said it was searching off Calabria for people overboard after a separate shipwreck, with local media reporting that up to 60 migrants were missing, according to the survivors. Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis denied the claims. We monitor every publication, every investigation, but I repeat: what has been reported is in no way proven, he said, adding the coastguard saves dozens of human lives each 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. Passengers head to gates at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in early June 2024. An increase in post-pandemic air travel in and out of the Warwick airport is a factor in a nearly 9% rise in greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) After a pandemic hiatus that forced travel to a standstill in 2020, Rhode Islanders returned to the roads and the skies in 2021, ramping up the states greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management published Monday. The 2021 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory shows the state produced 9.82 net million metric tons of carbon dioxide that year, up 8.9% from 2020. Two big factors: increased travel, particularly the resumption of flights in and out of Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, and higher residential heating emissions due to a slightly colder and snowier winter, according to the report. This inventory should serve as a call to action that we must continue to work collaboratively to advance progress towards the next benchmark mandated by the Act on Climate to address the effects of climate change that Rhode Islands communities are increasingly contending with, Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement on Monday. The rise in greenhouse gas emissions coinciding with the reopening of the post-COVID economy came as no surprise to state officials, reflecting similar trends regionally and nationwide. Terry Gray, DEM director, also noted that the 2021 data does not account for steps taken since the state passed a landmark decarbonization law, Act on Climate, that same year. DEM is pleased to release the 2021 inventory of GHG emissions in Rhode Island which reflects the year when the Act on Climate was signed into law, Gray said in a statement. Since 2021, state agencies throughout the McKee administration have applied for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to help lower Rhode Islands GHG emissions. The programs funded by the grants already received are aggressively being implemented and the benefits of those investments will be seen in future inventories. But advocates remained worried that the state needs to ramp up the pace, and pressure, to meet its aggressive decarbonization targets. Compared to 1990, we are still going in the right direction, but now we need to take that right direction and accelerate it, Patrick Crowley, a labor organizer and co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island, said in an interview on Monday. Patrick Crowley, co-chair of Climate Jobs Rhode Island and secretary and treasurer of Rhode Island AFL-CIO, speaks at a spring rally calling for more funding for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. Crowley also serves on the agencys board of directors. Behind him is Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The law calls for incrementally decreasing Rhode Islands greenhouse gas emissions over the next 27 years, with the requirement of hitting net zero by 2050, as measured against a baseline emissions amount from 1990. By 2030, the law requires the state to reduce emissions by 45% compared to the 1990 baseline. Emissions measured in 2021 were 14.5% below the 1990 baseline more than 35% above the amount the state needs to meet by the end of the decade. The law also charges a consortium of state agencies, the Executive Climate Coordinating Council, with laying out the map for how Rhode Island meets its decarbonization mandates. Projections included in the councils prior, 2022 update suggest the state is poised to fall short of that 2030 milestone, though the report emphasized that the model is simple and preliminary. That makes the groups next report, due in 2025, all the more crucial in Crowleys eyes. That blueprint needs to be very explicit in how we get from good progress to meaningful action, he said. Among the biggest question marks still hanging over the states decarbonization plans: how to make its aging, behemoth buildings and homes more heat-efficient. Building heating is the second-highest source of state emissions with an 11% jump in residential heating from 2020 to 2021, according to the report. Transportation, which comprised more than 37% of 2021 emissions, was up 5.4% year-over-year, with the largest annual rise due to resumed aviation activity. Electricity consumption grew 12.5% year over year, comprising 18.5% of 2021 emissions. While Rhode Island has made strides toward addressing the two other biggest emissions culprits transportation and electricity consumption little has been done to assess, or reduce, building heat emissions, said Amanda Barker, co-vice president of policy for the Environmental Council of Rhode Island. The Environmental Council named as a top priority from the 2024 legislative session a proposal that would have required new buildings to be electric ready meaning wired to eventually switch to heat pumps while taking stock of the energy use from existing residential, industrial and commercial buildings over a certain size. Despite strong support from environmental advocates and the Senate, which approved the bill in a 31-6 vote on June 12, the House got cold feet amid last-minute opposition from industry representatives and the state agencies tasked with conducting the assessment. The watered-down resolution ultimately approved on June 14 eliminates any decarbonization requirements on new construction and asks for state agencies to conduct a less comprehensive inventory of existing building energy use. We were disappointed, Barker said Monday. In order to reduce emissions, it is imperative we have a building performance standard to require large buildings to reduce emissions. Crowley pointed to the legislation as an example of why the state needs to build its renewable energy workforce. Lack of staff at the government agencies that would be required to assess and periodically update building energy use was one reason why the original bill failed, he said. Our workforce just needs a lot more bodies to eliminate some of these structural barriers, Crowley said. The inventory also considers emissions from industrial product uses, agriculture and waste, while accounting for trees and natural lands that absorb some of the greenhouse gases released. The post Greenhouse gas emissions rose 9% in post-pandemic rebound, DEM report says appeared first on Rhode Island Current. After months of speculation, tens of millions of campaign dollars spent, and 45 days of early voting, Virginia's 2024 primary elections will take place on Tuesday. All of Virginia's contested House of Representatives seatssix Democratic and three Republicanand a Republican primary for the U.S. Senateare up for election, but only a handful of primaries are competitive. Early voting concluded on Saturday, and 110,044 Democratic voters and 72,857 Republican voters across the commonwealth cast their ballots ahead of June 18, according to Virginia Public Access Project data. People fill out their ballots at an early voting site in Arlington, Virginia on September 18, 2020. U.S. Senate Republican primary Five Republican candidates are on the June ballot, seeking their party's nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. The Republican primary race has seen approximately $5.7 million in spending, including funds from independent groups and withdrawn candidates. Despite the Democratic stronghold label from the Cook Political Report, Republican hopefuls continue to pursue Kaine's seat. The top three contenders are Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 and launched a super PAC in 2023, Edward "Eddie" Garcia, a combat Army veteran, and Scott Parkinson, the Vice President for Government Affairs at the conservative non-profit, Club for Growth. U.S. House District 5 In the solidly Republican 5th Congressional District, Trump-endorsed state senator John McGuire has challenged incumbent and head of the Freedom Caucus Representative Bob Good. The race has been fiercely fought, with 14,125 Republican voters casting early ballots. An estimated $12 million has been spent, and the primary winner is expected to win the seat in November. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill following a vote on April 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. U.S. House District 7 Following Representative Abigail Spanberger's decision not to seek re-election to Congress in favor of running for Virginia governor in 2025, over a dozen candidates have entered the race for U.S. House District 7. Six Republicans and seven Democrats are on the ballot for the June election. Early voting saw 15,310 Democrats and 9,461 Republicans cast their ballots. The region leans Democrat, but Republicans are aiming to win the seat. About $4.3 million has been spent on the Republican primary. The top contenders are Derrick Anderson, a former U.S. Army combat veteran, and Cameron Hamilton, a retired Navy SEAL pledging allegiance to the House Freedom Caucus if elected. Cameron Hamilton In the Democratic primary, approximately $6.5 million has been spent, and five out of seven candidates remain competitive. These candidates are Eugene Vindman, Briana Sewell, Elizabeth Guzman, Margaret Angela Franklin and Andrea Bailey. U.S. House District 10 In U.S. House District 10, more than a dozen candidates are running after Wexton chose not to seek re-election due to health reasons. Four Republicans and 12 Democrats will be on the June ballot. 18,453 Democratic voters and 8,455 Republican voters have cast their early votes in the northern Virginia district. District 10 is considered "solidly Democrat" by the Cook Political Report, but some Republicans are hoping to win the seat. Approximately $746,200 has been spent on the Republican primary. The leading candidates are Mike Clancy, a senior executive and lawyer at a global tech company, and Aliscia Andrews, a Marine Corps veteran who previously won the Republican primary for the 10th Congressional District in 2020. Andrews currently serves as Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022. Around $11.1 million has been spent on the competitive Democratic primary in Virginia, with five out of 12 candidates vying for the nomination. The contenders include Eileen Filler-Corn, Suhas Subramanyam, Dan Helmer, Krystle Veda Kaul, and Jennifer Boysko. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: In Virginia primary election, congressional seats to watch WINFIELD, Kan. (KSNW) A standoff in Winfield lasted most of the night. It started just before 1 a.m. Monday with the report that someone fired a gunshot in the 700 block of East 13th Avenue. This embedded content is not available in your region. As Winfield officers were heading to the address, they also were told that someone had possibly shot a dog in the home. When the officers arrived, they heard from three people who had been in the house. The witnesses said a woman inside the home allegedly threatened to shoot them if they didnt leave the house. They left and then heard what they described as a gunshot come from inside the house. Tax cuts could save Kansans $1.2B over 3 years The Winfield Police Department says the officers tried to contact the woman by phone, but she allegedly refused to comply or leave the home. Police asked Southern Kansas SWAT to help, and they got a search warrant for the home. According to the police department, SWAT members tried for hours to get the woman to surrender peacefully. Around 7:20 a.m., SWAT got into the house and took her into custody unharmed. Investigators say it turned out that no animals had been injured either. Winfield Fire/EMS evaluated the 45-year-old woman at the scene before she was taken to jail. Police booked her on suspicion of criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, and interference with law enforcement. 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. Habitual felon sentenced for shooting at CMPD officers during foot chase A man who was arrested after shooting at Charlotte police officers during a foot chase in 2021 has been sentenced to prison, the Mecklenburg County District Attorneys Office said Monday. Shelton Smith was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, and being a habitual felon. Smith was arrested in May of 2021 after police were investigating an armed robbery. Smith matched the description of a suspect, and when Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers tried talking with him, he ran away. RELATED: Suspect shot after firing at officers during foot chase, CMPD says The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department had said that Smith shot at the officers while running away, and one officer shot back. Smith was hit but recovered. According to the district attorneys office, Smith was sentenced to 334-425 months in prison. (VIDEO: Murder suspect out on bond cited for hit-and-run) 79 combat clashes occurred in the combat zone on 17 June, almost a half of them on the Pokrovsk front, where "the situation is tense". Source: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Quote: "The situation along almost the entire contact line is dynamic. Russian occupiers concentrate their main efforts on the Pokrovsk front." Details: On the Kharkiv front, five combat clashes took place. The Russians do not give up their attempts to break through Ukrainian defences near the settlements of Vovchansk and Lyptsi, where the fighting is ongoing. On the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces have repelled seven Russian attacks near the settlements of Synkivka, Pishchane and Stepova Novoselivka, and two more are ongoing. On the Lyman front, heavy fighting is ongoing. Seven combat clashes have occurred near the settlements of Torske, Terny and Makiivka. Near the latter Russian troops launched an attack with non-guided aerial missiles. Two more Russian attacks are ongoing near the settlement of Hrekivka. On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians carried out four attacks near the settlements of Hryhorivka, Klishchiivka and Nove. Two of them are ongoing. The Russians supported their actions with an airstrike near the Novyi district. On the Pokrovsk front, the Russians keep pushing. Russian troops have tried to breach Ukrainian defences near the settlements of Yevhenivka, Novooleksandrivka, Novoselivka Persha, Sokol, Umanske and Yasnobrodivka 32 times. More than half of the combat clashes on this front are still ongoing. The Russians are actively deploying aircraft, both fighter jets and assault aircraft, to support their offensive actions. As of now, six airstrikes were launched in total. On the Kurakhove front, the number of Russian attacks has increased to nine. Six attacks have been repelled. The Russians keep pushing near the settlement of Krasnohorivka fighting is ongoing in three locations. On the Vremivka front, Russian forces, supported by aircraft, assaulted Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Staromaiorske, Vodiane and Urozhaine four times. Support UP or become our patron! Hamas killed my parents 8 months ago. US and world leaders, help us bring them home. Eight months more than 250 days and the international community has watched Hamas hold my parents' remains hostage while terrorism wins. This time of year is filled with opportunities to express gratitude and love for parents with Mother's Day in May, Fathers Day in June, and the United Nations-proclaimed Global Day of Parents on June 1. These holidays are about acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices parents make for their families, but for me and my three siblings, they are now accompanied by unfathomable tragedy. My parents two of the eight Americans held hostage in Gaza were on their morning walk through the Kibbutz Nir Oz fields on Oct. 7 when hundreds of Hamas terrorists stormed the area and dragged my parents to Gaza. For over 80 excruciating days, we kept hope that they were among the living hostages. That was until Israeli intelligence and the FBI confirmed my worst fear: The terrorists had brutally murdered my mother, 70-year-old Judy Weinstein, and my father, 72-year-old Gad Haggai. They now hold their bodies captive as bargaining chips and a sick trophy to commemorate the death and destruction they wrought. US must help free Hamas hostages: For five months, we thought our son was alive. Release Hamas hostages and spare others our pain. Hamas killed more than a thousand innocent people on Oct. 7 and took hundreds more hostage. My kibbutz has become a community of refugees Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai enjoy homemade coffee before their morning walk in Kibbutz Nir Oz in an undated photo. Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel. Before their attack, my kibbutz was a quiet place full of families actively working toward peace. Now, more than a quarter of its residents have been murdered or taken hostage. More than half of the homes were burned to the ground, some with families still inside. Today, my kibbutz is vacant the ones who survived the massacre are now a community of refugees with no stability, no future to plan, searching for a place to call home again. More than eight months since Oct. 7, and not a single international aid organization has visited the hostages. The International Committee of the Red Cross has not provided any proof of life, medicine or care. It took the U.N. Security Council more than seven months to call a meeting for the hostages. Womens organizations have stayed silent, even after new video footage showed Hamas torturing seven female hostages. Daily threat of sexual violence: Hamas hostages in Gaza are still enduring sexual violence. Believe the survivors. The fate of Hamas hostages can change every second As we passed the 200-day mark, an 18-country coalition led by the United States issued a joint statement on April 25 demanding the immediate release of all hostages. It was one of the most powerful responses to the hostage crisis since Oct. 7. On May 31, President Joe Biden called on the world to pressure Hamas into accepting a cease-fire deal: Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and let the leaders know they should take this deal. Just days later, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations issued a statement calling on Hamas to accept this deal. This is momentum, and the international community cannot let it go unharnessed. We need to use it to get our loved ones home and to work toward peace in the region. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Egypt last week, the regional governments must press Hamas to say yes. Iris Weinstein-Haggai with her parents, Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai, on their morning walk in Israel's Kibbutz Nir Oz in an undated photo. This crisis is not political. It is a global humanitarian issue, a global threat. The reality is that no one can guarantee Oct. 7 won't happen again. As a matter of fact, it seems closer than ever. Dozens of Americans were slaughtered on Oct 7. It can happen anywhere in the world, and tragically, Americans have experienced that firsthand. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Hamas is connected with the Iranian regime, and while I cant thank the Biden administration enough for all that its doing, it is time for the United States to push all G7 leaders to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, cut off their income, pass sanctions on them and their allies, and continue to lead to a terror-free world. Time has run out; the fate of the hostages can change every second. Its been too long. Let me and my siblings mourn the loss of our parents. Please, to all of the world leaders, give us the chance to heal and live the life they wanted for us. Bring them home. Iris Weinstein-Haggai Iris Weinstein-Haggai is the daughter of 70-year-old Judy Weinstein and 72-year-old Gad Haggai, who were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hamas killed my parents. Now they hold their bodies hostage in Gaza As of Jan, 1, 2025, the Granite State will be among 11 other states that have fully banned marriage for those under 18. (Getty Images) Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday that will bar those under 18 from getting marriage licenses in New Hampshire, adding the Granite State to a list of 11 other states that have fully banned marriage for minors. Senate Bill 359 states that: No person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such persons shall be null and void. Under current law, that age is 16. The new law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. New Hampshire lawmakers most recently raised the marriage age in 2018, from 14 to 16. The current law allows those 16 and 17 to apply in writing for a marriage license to a state family court, which would make the final determination. But SB 359 will repeal any judicial alternatives in that law. With its no-exceptions 18-and-older marriage age, New Hampshire joins Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, according to the Most Policy Initiative. Maine allows 17-year-olds to be married with written consent from their parents. But anyone under 18 who is married in another state after Jan. 1 and moves to New Hampshire will not have their marriage license recognized in the Granite State. This year, some Republicans had argued that marriage should remain an option for 16- and 17-year-olds to help provide stability for teenage pregnancies. But Democrats and other Republicans who voted to raise the age contended that marriage at those ages is too early and could give rise to abuse and coercion. In 2018, New Hampshire took the first step in this process and raised the marriage age to 16, Sununu said in a statement after his signature. This legislation is supported by a majority of our citizens and is a commonsense move that is right for New Hampshire. New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Dana Wormald for questions: info@newhampshirebulletin.com. Follow New Hampshire Bulletin on Facebook and X. The post New Hampshire Gov. Sununu signs bill raising marriage age to 18 appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Harper says Slotkin doesnt want to give me any oxygen in Michigan US Senate race Actor Hill Harper (L) and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (R) | Ken Coleman and Andrew Roth photos Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Hill Harper says hes not concerned that U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) has secured key Black endorsements for the Aug. 6 primary election. Its not troubling to me, said Harper, an African-American actor and business owner from Detroit, referring to Slotkin as the establishment candidate. Slotkin has been endorsed by former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins. Last week, the Council of Baptist Pastors, Detroit and Vicinity, a largely African American organization, also backed the three-term congresswoman, who is white. Detroit demands effective representation in Washington and having seen Elissa Slotkins dedication to the city over the last year we know she is the right leader we need in this hour, said the Rev. Richard White, the councils president. Now more than ever, we need leadership not only qualified, but dedicated to creating opportunities for everyone, stabilizing our neighborhoods, and ensuring safer communities for our youth. Slotkin said she was grateful for the support. When I launched my campaign, the first place I started was Detroit, and Ive held over 100 events and meetings there since because I know its on me to show up, introduce myself, listen, and keep coming back, she said. Harper made his comments on Thursday during a virtual press conference with reporters. He stressed that he also has key Black endorsements, including former U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, a Southfield Democrat, and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. Harper also said that more than 80 pastors have endorsed his candidacy. Michigan is 14% African American, but has never had a Black U.S. senator. Originally, there were three Black candidates running in the Democratic primary, but Michigan School Board President Pamela Pugh and former state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) bowed out of the race. The African-American vote is critical in Democratic primaries. Harper and Slotkin are vying to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing). On the GOP side, the field features former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake, former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Cascade Twp., business executive Sandy Pensler and physician Sherry ODonnell During the news conference, Harper said that if hes elected in November, he would like to continue Stabenows work in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, where she serves as chair. He also continued to criticize Slotkin for not participating in the Detroit Regional Chambers debate at its Mackinac Policy Conference last month. Rogers, Amash and Slotkin declined to participate and the chamber canceled the event. In a press conference at the Mackinac Policy Conference, Harper challenged Slotkin to four debates. Noting she was at the event, he declared, We should debate right now! Harper continued to criticize Slotkin over debates during his press call last week. Her campaign is playing a very dangerous game and stealing a page from the [Donald] Trump MAGA [Make America Great Again] playbook, Harper said. Trump said, Hey Im in the lead here. Im not going to debate because theres no advantage to educating the voter about who I am. Harper called Slotkins campaign posture on the issue sadly strategic and added that she doesnt want to give me any oxygen. A Slotkin spokesperson told the Advance that the team has reached out to Harpers campaign and the congresswoman plans to debate before the primary, something she told the Detroit News last month. Im sure. We just have to figure out when and how, Slotkin said, referring to debate logistics. The post Harper says Slotkin doesnt want to give me any oxygen in Michigan US Senate race appeared first on Michigan Advance. New Delhi At least eight people were killed and more than 50 others injured when a freight train slammed into a passenger train Monday in India. The crash happened in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, when the goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express in the New Jalpaiguri area, derailing at least three of the passenger train's cars. The Kanchanjunga Express was travelling from Silchar in Assam state to Sealdah in Kolkata when the collision occurred. Stark images broadcast on Indian TV news channels showed hundreds of people watching rescuers try to save passengers trapped in the mangled train cars, one of which was left jutting up into the air at a steep angle. India's national NDTV network said the relatively low death toll, given the severity of the crash, could be due to the fact that the freight train slammed into the rear carriages of the passenger train, which were not believed to be carrying passengers. People gather near the site of a collision between a passenger train and a freight train in Nirmaljote, near Rangapani station in India's West Bengal state, June 17, 2024. / Credit: DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/Getty "Five people, including the loco[motive] pilot of the Kanchanjunga Express, died on the spot. Twenty-five people are injured," Abhishek Roy, Additional Superintendent of Police for the Darjeeling Police District, told reporters at the scene, adding that efforts to rescue people trapped in the train continued. Officials later raised the confirmed death toll to eight. The accident forced a suspension of all train services on the Kolkata-Siliguri line, officials said. "The rescue work is complete," Jaya Verma Sinha, chairperson of the Indian Railway Board told reporters, adding that injured victims were being provided "the best possible treatment." Sinha said human error appeared likely to have caused the accident, as "it seems that the driver of the goods train disregarded the signal." People gather near the site of a collision between a passenger train and a freight train in Nirmaljote, near Rangapani station in India's West Bengal state, June 17, 2024. / Credit: DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/Getty A detailed investigation was expected to confirm the cause of the fatal crash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash "saddening" and announced informal government relief payments of 200,000 Indian rupees (about $2,400) for the families of people killed in the incident and 50,000 rupees (about $600) for those left injured. Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced separate state compensation of 1 million rupees (about $12,000) for each family that had someone killed in the crash, and 250,000 rupees (about $3,000) for those injured. India has one of the largest rail networks on the planet, but accidents are common. In June 2023, one of India's deadliest train accidents, involving three trains in the eastern state of Odisha, killed almost 300 people and left more than 1,000 others injured. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg on fatherhood The Dish: Adejoke Bakare on making history as the UK's first black female Michelin-starred chef Lily Gladstone, Isabel DeRoy-Olson on personal connections to new movie, "Fancy Dance" Hendrick Automotive Group gifts 23 acres of land in Matthews to Central Piedmont Community College Central Piedmont Community College is set to receive nearly 23 acres of land from Rick Hendrick and his Hendrick Automotive Group. Central Piedmont will use the donated property that is adjacent to the colleges Levine Campus in Matthews to build a new first responder training facility. ALSO READ: CIAA choses Durham to host football championship Hendrick and Central Piedmont have had a long-standing relationship which dates back to 2006. Plans for the first responder training center include law enforcement, fire and rescue, EMS, forensics, detention, and telecommunicator facilities, a release said. (WATCH BELOW: City council to discuss three major projects) Here's how much tuition will increase at Topeka's Washburn University and Washburn Tech Washburn University and Washburn Institute of Technology students can expect to spend more on tuition in the coming academic year. The Washburn University Board of Regents unanimously approved two tuition rate increases. Washburn will see a 3.85% tuition rate increase and Washburn Tech tuition will go up 4%. The Washburn University Board of Regents members met Thursday to discuss tuition rates. How much will Washburn and Washburn Tech tuition cost? At Washburn University, tuition will go from $338 per credit hour to $351. For a full-time 15 credit hour semester, the cost will go from $5,070 to $5,265. Washburn Tech's tuition will go from $152 per credit hour to $158 per credit hour. For a 15-credit hour semester, the cost will go from $2,280 to $2,370. Washburn Tech hasn't had a tuition increase the past two years, said Lori Hutchinson, Washburn University executive director of strategic communication and marketing. Hutchinson said this rate increase will help the institution catch up on costs after those two years of fixed tuition. What are other Kansas universities doing with tuition rates? Multiple Kansas universities requested tuition rate increases May 15. The University of Kansas proposed a 3.5% tuition increase, after last year's 5% increase. Kansas State University asked for a 2.8% tuition increase, after last year's 5% increase. Wichita State University proposed a 3.9% tuition increase, after last year's 5.9% increase. Emporia State University requested a 4% tuition increase, after last year's 5% increase. Pittsburg State University proposed a 3.5% tuition increase, after last year's 5% increase. Fort Hays State University asked for a 6% tuition increase, after last year's 7% increase. The Kansas Board of Regents will further discuss and vote on those universities' tuition rate requests Thursday. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Washburn University and Tech to see tuition increases this fall JERUSALEM Missiles launched by Hezbollah hit an Israeli defense factory last week, according to the Lebanon-based militant group. The Plasan firm makes vehicle-protection products and components, and it also operates factories in France and the United States. The company reports that a large majority of its wares are exported to the U.S. military. Hezbollah claimed that at least two of its missiles on Wednesday morning hit the Plasan facility located in Sasa, which is about 2 miles from the Israeli border with Lebanon. Defense News contacted the Defense Ministry as well as Israel Defense Forces reservist Col. Moshe Elazar, who serves as the CEO of Plasan. They declined to comment for this story. However, Rami Ziv, the secretary of the Sasa community, told Defense News that the factory is fully operational, but would not provide further details. The Israel Tax Authority, which is responsible for compensating private and business property damaged as a result of warfare, also would not comment, citing confidentiality baked into taxation laws. Plasan has partnered with Oshkosh Corp. for the production of the M-ATV, a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle chosen to replace the Humvee. The U.S. Army previously ordered Oshkosh-made vehicles for its operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Earlier this week, a group of pro-Palestinian activists filmed themselves breaking into the facility of an Elbit Systems subsidiary in Kent, England. According to the footage, the group vandalized the Instro Precision property. Elbit declined to comment. Israel is currently fighting a war against the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, while battling Hezbollah in the north. Firefighters worked to further contain the 45-acre Hidden Fire, burning in northeast Redding in Jones Valley. As of Tuesday morning, June 18, the blaze is 60% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Crews worked on containment lines around the fires perimeter on Monday and Tuesday, said Public Information Officer Jas Shaw with Cal Fire's Shasta-Trinity Unit, and started "mopping up" the burn area: Checked for smoldering hot spots and burning logs and stumps. The Hidden Fire is centered around Silverthorn Road and Hidden Valley Drive, according to Cal Fire. June 17: Hidden Fire evacuation orders lifted. Fire burns in northeast Redding, Jones Valley Firefighters battled a wildfire burning near the northeastern edge of Redding on Monday morning, after it forced evacuations for Bear Mountain Road communities on Sunday. The Hidden Fire scorched 45 acres on both sides of Bear Mountain Road in Jones Valley as of 10 a.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire was 35% contained as of 10:30 a.m. Monday, said Public information Officer Jas Shaw with Cal Fire's Shasta-Trinity Unit. Ground and air crews spent Sunday night "throwing everything we've got" at the blaze, Shaw said, successfully stopping its spread Monday morning. The Hidden Fire scorched 45 acres at Bear Mountain Road, and was 35% contained as of Monday morning, June 17, 2024, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Crew are "mopping up now," and will continue monitoring the burn area this week, Shaw said. No homes, businesses or other structures burned in the Hidden Fire, she said. Bear Mountain evacuation orders lifted. Evacuation warnings in place The Shasta County Sheriff lifted evacuation orders on June 17 for Redding and Jones Valley residents living near the fire. Those communities are now under evacuation warnings, meaning residents should be ready to leave if conditions change, according to the sheriff's office. Dry Creek Road, north of the Hidden Valley Market, is closed to residents, Shaw said, and the Jones Valley Boat Launch and Jones Valley Campground are closed. Traffic controls are in place near the burn area, the sheriff's office said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according the Cal Fire. The Hidden Fire burns in Jones Valley in northeast Redding on June 17, 2024. The fire scorched 45 acres and was 35% contained as of Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Dry fire weather to continue at least through Tuesday The Hidden Fire started at the northern edge of a dry weather pattern that could spread fire starts quickly, according to the National Weather Service. The agency issued a Red Flag Warning, in effect at least through 8 a.m. June 18. Weather service meteorologists said gusty winds and dry air and vegetation are increasing the danger of fires catching and spreading in an area that includes the Sacramento Valley from Redding to Sacramento, and south of the valley past Merced. The weather service and Cal Fire cautioned North State residents to be careful not to spark fires: Avoid driving or parking on grass and brush, safely dispose of cigarettes and cigars, and make sure nothing drags from vehicles and that trailers and other towed items are secured properly. Wind spreads Hidden Fire after Sunday start The Hidden Fire started before 4:33 p.m. on June 16, according to Cal Fire. It spread through dry grasses and vegetation, spread by strong gusty winds. The Hidden Fire started in Jones Valley in northeast Redding on June 16, 2024, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As of Monday morning, the fire's southern edge burned on Bear Mountain Road at the Bear Mountain Lookout turnoff, less than half a mile from the Bear Mountain Road and Hidden Valley Drive intersection, according to Cal Fire fire maps. The Hidden Fire's southeastern edge scorched the west side of Bear Mountain Road. The blaze crossed Bear Mountain Road north of the Idle Hour restaurant and bar, according to Cal Fire. Evacuation orders were lifted at 9 a.m. on June 17 for Redding residents living north and south of Hidden Valley Drive, south of Sunshine Way, east of Bear Mountain Road, west of Marin Drive and Backbone Road, north of Ravine Road, east of Bollibokka Way, and west of Marin Drive and Ravine Court. A temporary evacuation site housed evacuees at Bella Vista School on Old Alturas Road on Sunday, according to Cal Fire. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Hidden Fire 60% contained, evacuations lifted The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the northeastern United States, with heat index values reaching 100 degrees. For the next three days, from noon Tuesday to Thursday at around 8 p.m., the entirety of New York State is under a heat advisory, and the National Weather Service is urging people to take caution and be prepared. You may want to turn on your air conditioner the next few days, as a heat wave is predicted for the region. Whenever anyone thinks of deadly weather phenomenon, they think of hurricanes and tornadoes, said Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mark Pellerito at the Binghamton National Weather Service. You dont have dynamic video of heat. And yet its the number one killer weather-wise. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), extreme heat is increasing in the United States and is projected to be more frequent and intense. While serious health and safety effects are preventable in many cases, approximately 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year, the CDC reports. Heat waves can be dangerous with one expected this week, I encourage New Yorkers to take precautions necessary to stay safe and avoid exhaustion, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. Keep an eye on your local forecast, stay hydrated and postpone outdoor activity as much as possible. Ahead of this heat wave, Hochul has activated 50 National guard members to provide assistance as needed. And while some may try to wave off 100 degrees as something they can handle, Pellerito explained that a heat index of 100 degrees is different than what most people think and more dangerous. Heat Index Pellerito said the heat index is a combination of not just the heat, but the humidity and the humidity is what plays a dangerous part in the next few days. If its very humid, your body has less ability to cool itself off, he explained. The body cools itself off by sweating and the sweat drying off. But when its humid, the sweat doesnt dry off quickly. So your ability to cool down is lessened. This can cause it to feel a lot hotter than it actually is. If the temperature is 95 degrees out and the relative humidity is 50%, itll feel like 107 degrees, and your body will react accordingly. However, according to the National Weather Services website, heat index values were devised for shady, light wind conditions. Exposure to full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 15 degrees. So, instead of feeling 107 degrees, youd feel 122 if you worked in the hot sun with no shade. In ideal conditions in New York, a heat index of 100 makes sunstroke, heat cramps, and heat exhaustion a strong possibility with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity. Being in direct sun for long periods greatly increases that risk. And this isnt going to be a one-day affair. Prolonged Pellerito has concerns, considering this kind of weather is projected over the next three days. Weve all seen a hot day here or there before, but to have multiple hot days with very little cooling at night is what makes this a particularly dangerous heat wave, Pellerito said. According to the National Weather Service, the last time New York had high temperatures like this for three or more consecutive days was back in 1988. The heat had been building in the south-west and west, according to Pellerito, and the weather pattern had shifted, creating a dome of high pressure thats stuck over the region and not moving. With this prolonged heat, the National Weather Service is asking people to do the following Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. And remember, the impacts of heat are cumulative, Pellerito said. Most people can deal with a single hot day. But not day after day. Especially once the humidity starts to come into play with a heat index of 100 plus. Really, monitor yourself and your loved ones to ensure they can cope with the long duration of heat. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: National Weather Service warns over high heat New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin unsealed a 13-count indictment alleging racketeering against southern New Jersey political heavyweight George E. Norcross III, one of the states most powerful Democrats. The charges, laid out in an 111-page indictment, accuse Norcross of using his influence over government entities to acquire lucrative waterfront real estate in Camden, N.J. Alongside Norcross, the state charged Philip Norcross, his brother; former Camden Mayor Dana Redd; William M. Tambussi, Norcrosss personal attorney; and John ODonnell. The state alleges that George Norcross has been running a criminal enterprise in the state for at least the last 12 years. This alleged conduct of the Norcross enterprise has caused great harm to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, the people of the state of New Jersey, and especially to the city of Camden, Platkin, a fellow Democrat, said at a press conference announcing the indictment. The FBI and US attorneys office of New Jersey were also involved in the case. Platkin said Norcrosss company used its power and influence to gain favor with state and local officials to further its interests. In doing so, the Norcross group was able to obtain the rights to build multiple buildings and hundreds of millions of dollars in government-issued tax credits, the attorney general said. They allegedly did this with the complicity and acquiescence of various state and local elected and appointed officials who turned a blind eye to their duties and obligations to the people of New Jersey to instead serve the interests of a powerful few, he said. Norcross was sitting in the front seat as Platkin unsealed the indictment against him at the Trenton press conference. An aide with the attorney generals office tried to make Norcross move, but he refused. His attorney could be heard on the live press conference feed saying, Is there someone who deserves to sit here more than the lead defendant in the case? In a press conference outside the attorney generals office, Norcross called Platkin a coward, according to Politico. An attorney for Philip Norcross wrote to The Hill that he is entirely innocent of these outrageous, politically motivated charges. The state alleges that from 2012, Norcross and the other co-conspirators used their power and influence over government officials to craft legislation that would benefit Norcross Enterprise. According to the indictment, this was possible due to the cooperation of Camden Mayor Dana Reed (D) and other officials. All six face first-degree racketeering charges, as well as various second-degree counts of financial facilitation, misconduct by a corporate official, and official misconduct and conspiring to commit theft by extortion, criminal coercion, financial facilitation, misconduct by a corporate official, and official misconduct, according to the attorney generals office. First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Official misconduct has a minimum jail time of five years. The arraignment for defendants is scheduled for July 9 in front of a Mercer County judge. Per the indictment, George Norcross threatened a property developer who held property that Norcross Enterprise wanted to build, saying he would f you up like youve never been f up before. The indictment then alleges that George Norcross conspired to have Camden condemn the developers property through legal action, and also plotted for city officials to call the developer not a reputable person. The indictment also lays out how Norcross tailored a 2013 tax credit and development state law to benefit his enterprise. Norcross served on the Democratic National Committee until 2021, when he moved from New Jersey to Florida. The Norcross family has been involved in South Jersey politics for decades. George Norcrosss brother, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), represents Camden in Congress. His office did not respond to requests for comment. George Norcross III built up the South Jersey Democratic machine, which is one of the most formidable political machines in the country, and exerted his influence in state politics for decades. His childhood friend, former state Sen. Steve Sweeney, was the president of the state Senate. Sweeney lost his reelection bid in 2021 to a Trump-supporting truck driver who barely raised any money. After Sweeney lost, George Norcross told Politico that he was stepping back from politics. This is a great day for democracy, South Jersey Progressive Democrats President Kate Delany told The Hill. Sue Altman, a Democrat who is running against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) in the states 7th Congressional District, posted on X that George Norcross and his South Jersey cronies are finding out that breaking the law for personal gain has consequences. It is a new day for New Jersey politics, she added. The campaign of Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who is the Democratic nominee for Senate, declined to comment on the indictment. Norcross had backed Kims opponent in the primary, Gov. Phil Murphys wife, Tammy Murphy. However, Murphy dropped out before the primary election took place. Kim launched his Senate campaign the day Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) was indicted for corruption and bribery, focusing his campaign on restoring public faith. Updated at 4:02 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. Social media users are fuming after hearing what went down at the Georgia high school ceremony and how the students with special needs were treated. The news comes after Linda Ramirez exposed her daughter's high school for discriminating against students with special needs, as they were not allowed to fully participate in their May 25 graduation ceremony. Georgia High School Under Fire For Graduation Ceremony Canva Stock Images A high school graduation ceremony should be a lasting memory for students and their parents. Unfortunately, for some of the recent graduates at Sprayberry High School, the big day will be remembered, but for the wrong reasons. Linda, the mother of Sprayberry High School student Ashlynn Rose Rich, said her daughter and the other special ed students were separated from the rest of the graduating class at the ceremony, causing an uproar on social media. She told People Magazine that she expected her daughter to participate in the main commencement ceremony just like her older siblings had, but Ashlynn and several other students with special needs didn't have that opportunity. Graduation Ceremony Leaves Parents Upset Canva Stock Images Shortly before the commencement began, Linda asked one of the teachers: I said, Where will [Ashlynn] be sitting? Oh, she's not sitting with the general ed students. And I said, What? Then it got very noisy and I hung up the call. I don't know if it was because I was upset because I heard something I didn't want to hear, but it was too late. The ceremony started at that point," she told the outlet, adding that the special ed students couldn't see or hear what was happening at the ceremony, meaning they missed out on several speeches and the music played. They call the special needs students one by one [to] walk across the stage and exit out a left hallway, to exit outside behind the building," she recalled. "And by the time they were done, they were just starting the general ed kids commencement ceremony as far as issuing diplomas. I was very upsetI'm like, Why did we even come? Everybody that had a special needs child got up to go collect their kids, she continued. And during this, the commencement ceremony is in full, it's happening. So our kids missed it all. They didn't get the turn of the tassel. They didn't get to see the opening speeches, and they didn't get that big walkout. School Issues An Apology Canva Stock Images A representative for the Cobb County School District released an apology after the news got out. Every year we graduate approximately 8,000 students and every special needs parent, in every Cobb school, chooses how their child is celebrated. Some Cobb families choose a full graduation ceremony, some choose to protect their child from noise, stimuli or attention in a variety of ways," the statement read. "Every child's needs are discussed individually, and confidentially, so the specific needs of our special needs students are met. This year, although initial reports indicated those choices were offered, we discovered they were not offered to one student at Sprayberry High School, the statement continued. Our expectation, and the parent's, was not fully met. As a result, [Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale] apologized to the student and family in last nights [June 13] Board meeting. School Receives Backlash From Social Media Users Canva Stock Images While the school acknowledged its wrongdoing in its apology, social media did not forgive the officials for their actions. "Apology isnt enough," one social media user expressed after hearing the story. "A happy and celebratory memory turned into a memory of hurt, conflict, and exclusion. Graduation memory is tainted. Those students and their families cant get that memory back. Shame on the school. An apology isnt even a band aide for resolution for this scenario." "Absolutely unacceptable and heartbreaking to them and their families," another chimed in. The School Owes The Special Ed Students More Than An Apology Canva Stock Images "Their sorrys mean nothing," a third commented. "They knew what they were doing and didnt care. So tired of people thinking they can treat peoplle like crap and all they have to do is say sorry to fix it. Not good enough." One individual called the school's actions "the cruelest thing in the world," as another left a lengthy comment. "Well...the school should have a 'do over'!!! Make it mandatory for all graduates to come back and do the ceremony over ..THEN!!!!..include those students that were made to feel less of a human being," they said. "And let them have their day walking across that stage with ALL classmates just like all the other students who got to participate in walking to get their diploma.....OR...ALL parties involved in the planning of the graduation exercises should be FIRED!! Interested in capping off your trip to Hong Kong with a long weekend in Beijing or Shanghai? A new high-speed sleeper train service is making that possibility easier than ever. Two new overnight routes connecting the city with Beijing and Shanghai entered into service on June 15. Both trains depart Hong Kong West Kowloon Station in the evening and arrive in Beijing at 6.53 a.m. and Shanghai at 6.45 a.m., making the journeys around 12.5 hours and 11 hours respectively. Return trips depart from Beijing and Shanghai at around 8 p.m. and arrive in Hong Kong at 8.47 a.m. and 7.29 a.m. These routes run four days a week, departing all three stations every evening from Friday to Monday. It will be more comfortable and faster, reducing the travel time by about half, and will cover a wider range of destinations, including popular tourist attraction cities, John Lee, Hong Kongs chief executive, said in a press statement, referring to the previous overnight train routes that connected Hong Kong with Chinas two biggest cities. Those intercity railway services, Beijing-Kowloon and Shanghai-Kowloon, launched in 1997. The train ride to Chinas capital took around 24 hours while the journey to Shanghai was about 19 hours. A passenger with a child boards the high-speed sleeper train in Beijing for its inaugural journey to Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station. - Jia Tianyong/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images The services were suspended during the pandemic in 2020 and have been replaced by the new high-speed options that launched on June 15. But while the new trips do indeed slash the overnight travel time by almost half, the high-speed sleeper services take slightly longer than the daytime bullet trains already in service connecting Hong Kong and the two cities in mainland China. Currently, the train company operates one daily high-speed connection to Beijing, which takes around 8.5 hours, and one to Shanghai, which is around 7.5 hours. Why bother with the longer journey then? The new sleeper trains might not be the fastest way to get between Hong Kong and Beijing or Shanghai, but they are a great option for business travelers who need to arrive well-rested before standard office hours, as well as leisure tourists who dont want to waste a full day on the train or wish to save money on accommodations. Inside the sleeper trains Each of the electric multiple unit (EMU) trains used to service the routes has 16 carriages, including 13 sleeper cars, two second-class seating cars and one dining car. There are three types of seats to choose from: Second class (without a bed), sleeper and deluxe sleeper. A standard sleeper class cabin consists of two bunk beds, sleeping four passengers, in a cabin. The deluxe version, only available on the Hong Kong-Shanghai route for now, features a bunk bed, wardrobe and sofa. Prices range from HKD937 to HKD1,506 ($120-$193) for the Hong Kong-Beijing route and HKD682 to HKD2,128 ($88-273) for the Hong Kong-Shanghai route. Passengers who want to book a seat can reserve their tickets on China Railways official ticketing site 12306.cn. Note that for trains departing from Hong Kong, you have to search hkwestkowloon. International travelers can also book through ticketing platforms such as Trip.com or buy their tickets at the West Kowloon Station directly. A joint immigration checkpoint inside West Kowloon Station allows passengers to avoid additional checks when crossing the border in and out of Hong Kong. However, travelers still need to have a valid China visa or travel document to ride the train. (Although part of China, Hong Kong is governed under a separate legal framework.) Each of the electric multiple unit (EMU) trains used to service the new overnight routes has one dining car. - Jia Tianyong/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images Hong Kongs controversial high-speed railway Opened in 2018, the 26-kilometer Hong Kong high-speed railway is a part of the larger Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL). Costing more than $10.7 billion to build, the Hong Kong section connects the city with Chinas 25,000-kilometer national high-speed rail network. But the project, which marked the first time mainland Chinese laws were given jurisdiction inside Hong Kong territory, stirred much controversy, even well before its opening. The massive price tag, the limited traveling speed (the Hong Kong section has a maximum speed of 200 kilometers/hour much lower than the usual 300 kilometers/hour due to its short distance) and the political implications all cast a shadow over the new railway. Controversy aside, the introduction of the Express Rail Link provided an alternative way to travel to major Chinese cities through Hong Kong and avoid Chinas notorious flight delays. The Hong Kong station now offers direct trips to 78 destinations around China and some 70,600 passengers use the network daily according to official figures. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com High temps settle over Louisville for the rest of the week. Here's what you need to know The sun casts an orange glow as it sits over Floyd County, Indiana on June 14, 2022. Louisville residents are advised to plan outdoor activities carefully this week as a persistent summer heat wave settles in the region. According to a Monday morning forecast from the National Weather Service in Louisville, the city may not see a high temperature below 94 degrees through Sunday. The hottest day of the week could be Friday, with a high near 99 degrees. Breaks from the heat may be limited, as there are only a few chances for isolated rain showers and thunderstorms, mainly on Monday night and Tuesday afternoon. Though the heat wave will be prolonged, it should not be "overly intense," the weather service office in Louisville said. "Those most likely to be impacted are people working outdoors, those without access to air conditioning, and other vulnerable populations," the weather service said in a statement Monday. Beat the heat: When do pools open in Louisville? Here is what you need to know about them this season Heat advisories may be necessary in Louisville this week, the weather service said, as heat index temperatures of over 100 degrees are possible Friday and Saturday. Advisories are issued when heat indices are expected to be over 100 degrees for consecutive days and when night time lows are not expected to drop below 75 degrees. A heat advisory is already in effect for much of the Cincinnati metro area and is expected to remain active until 8 p.m. Friday. Louisville 5-day forecast Monday night: There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. It will be partly cloudy, with a low around 75 and southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Tuesday: There may be isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. It will be partly sunny and hot, with a high near 95 and south wind 3 to 7 mph. There is a 20% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night: It will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 75, with south wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Wednesday: It will be partly sunny and hot, with a high near 94. The wind will be calm. Wednesday night: It will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Thursday: It will be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Thursday night: It will be partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Friday: It will be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. More: Fun in the sun: Louisville parks with spray pads, spraygrounds to enjoy this summer This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville weather forecast: High temperatures to last through Sunday This story will be updated. Please check back. A brush fire off Interstate 5 near Gorman that grew to 15,610 acres Monday morning and burned hundreds of acres in Ventura County was 8% contained, officials said. The fire, dubbed the Post Fire, started in Los Angeles County and entered Ventura County near Hungry Valley late Saturday night, burning into wilderness in the southeastern portion of the Los Padres National Forest, the Ventura County Fire Department said. The fire initially erupted around 1:45 p.m. Saturday near the small community of Gorman in northwest LA County, near the border with Kern and Ventura counties. It quickly grew to thousands of acres, according to Los Angeles County fire and sheriff reports. The cause remained under investigation. California State Parks evacuated about 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley park Saturday, fire officials said. Pyramid Lake had been closed due to fire threat. Two commercial properties had been damaged and two remained under threat, fire officials said. U.S. Forest Service crews from Los Padres National Forest fought flames Sunday on the Post Fire, which started outside Gorman on Saturday. By Monday, approximately 130 Ventura County firefighters were on scene with a total of 1,148 firefighters assigned to the incident, said Andy VanSciver, a spokesman for Ventura County Fire. On Sunday afternoon, the fire was 2% contained. The fire was burning in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest in steep terrain, VanSciver said. Aircraft was being used to knock down hot spots and hand crews are building fire containment lines, he said. One person camping in Hungry Valley suffered minor burn injuries from the fire and was taken to a hospital, VanSciver said. The National Weather Service had also issued a red flag warning Monday, indicating a heightened wildfire risk, VanSciver said. The red flag warning, in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, forecasted gusty northwest to north winds shifting to the northeast combining with low to very low humidity for the Interstate 5 corridor in northwest Los Angeles County and the Ventura County mountains, according to the weather service. The weather service also issued a high-wind warning with winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph until 3 a.m. Tuesday. Smoke from the fire was expected to affect air quality in Ventura County and beyond. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District issued an air quality alert Monday morning because of the unhealthy conditions, saying the issue would affect sensitive groups in the Simi Valley area with the potential to reach unhealthy levels for all in the overnight and morning hours. The alert was expected to stay in effect until conditions improve. Andrew Madsen, a spokesman with Los Padres National Forest, said the blaze had only really crept into a small portion of the national forest but their U.S. Forest Service crews were among the many agencies assisting. Much of the land burning is part of the Angeles National Forest, Madsen noted, but the terrain is similar to neighboring federal land. It's steep, rugged, and filled with chaparral and scrub brush, he said. The past two rainy seasons have also seeded a "bumper crop" of grass, which he described as a "flashy fuel." The grass carries the fire into the thicker vegetation. The fire was also being fanned by winds, which can be unpredictable, Madsen said. "That's always the wildcard in any of this," he said. An evacuation order was in place Monday for areas west of Interstate 5 between Pyramid Lake and Gorman, including the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. Evacuation warnings remained in place for communities south of Hungry Valley. A unified command with Los Angeles County and Ventura County fire departments and the U.S. Forest Service is overseeing the incident. Authorities directed people to www.vcemergency.com for more information on the fire and evacuations. Kathleen Wilson covers courts, mental health and local government issues for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-206-8805. Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: California wildfire: Post Fire at 15,610 acres, 8% contained Highway serial killings in Iowa and US needlessly going unsolved, FBI author says Nearly 200 unsolved serial killings along highways remain active investigations in the U.S., but law enforcement agencies, especially in rural areas, often arent aware of a database that could help solve those crimes, according to a former top director at the FBI and author of a new book on the subject. Thats important to know in a state such as Iowa, home to several notorious serial killers and crossed by interstate highways such as I-35, I-80 and I-29 that are known as human trafficking hubs. Long-haul trucking has been the No. 1 profession of serial killers by far, according to Frank Figliuzzi, a retired 25-year special agent who served as assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI. Around 25 are in prison for multiple homicides related to highway killings, he said. The author of LONG HAUL: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, released last month, Figliuzzi said the FBI, using DNA evidence, has had luck finding some extraordinarily hard-to-catch serial killers who were long-haul truckers. But the agencys biggest challenge in solving the crimes is that law enforcement officials sometimes arent entering information about murders in a database created through the Highway Serial Killings Initiative. This is the problem: Many dont even know the database exists, he said. If the police department doesnt know about it or they know but dont have resources to fill out the forms, then weve got nothing. The FBI knows that many serial killers who are long-haul truckers remain on the loose, he said. About 450 suspects have been identified in the national database, which includes about 850 victims, and bodies often are dumped in rural areas. If there is one takeaway from his research, Figliuzzi said, it is that families of missing, suspected victims can be instrumental in persuading local law enforcement officials to enter information in the national database so that analysts can discover links between crimes and how they were committed. LONG HAUL: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, by Frank Figliuzzi, a retired FBI special agent, recounts the agency's efforts to track down long-haul truckers turned serial killers. One example, he noted: There are generally two kinds of serial killers those who kill quickly and those who want to prolong their control of their eventual victims. Knowing how someone was killed can help reduce a suspect pool. A crime scene, Figliuzzi said, can have a dead victim tell us who killed her. Which is why the database is so essential. Part of my goal with this book is to champion the cause of these victims who cant speak for themselves. The criteria to enter information into the Highway Serial Killings Initiative database is simple: The victim must be a female victim of opportunity, last seen alive and later found dead near a highway, he said. More: From John Wayne Gacy to the 'I-65 Killer,' how these 11 serial killers are connected to Iowa Trucker Clark Perry Baldwin charged in 2020 with killing 3 women DNA evidence was key in helping authorities nab Clark Perry Baldwin, then 58, in Waterloo in 2020 for the killings of three women in Wyoming and Tennessee in the 1990s, including two who were pregnant. Baldwin had graduated from Nashua-Plainfield High School in 1979 and worked most his career as an over-the-road trucker, living in Nashua and Waterloo in Iowa and in Springfield, Missouri. Clark Perry Baldwin, 59, shown in an undated mugshot provided by the attorney general for the 22nd Judicial District in Tennessee. In 1991, he was charged with raping a 21-year-old hitchhiker at gunpoint in Wheeler County, Texas. But the charges were dismissed after the state couldn't find the victim, court documents show. In 1997, Baldwin and two female associates were indicted on counterfeiting charges. Baldwin was sentenced to 18 months in prison and released in 1999. Tennessee reopened another case in April 2019, and using DNA recovered from the crime scene, authorities were able to create a DNA profile of the suspect. When put into a national database, the DNA came back as a match for a suspect in the two unsolved homicides in Wyoming. Tennessee investigators used DNA that had come back as a match from the Wyoming killings to lead them to Baldwin through a close match with a relative who'd submitted DNA to a genealogy business. Baldwin was subsequently charged with two counts of murder in the 1991 killing of 32-year-old Pamela Rose McCall and her unborn fetus. McCall was found in woods off Interstate 65 in Spring Hill, Tennessee, in March of that year. McCall was last seen at a Tennessee truck stop days before her killing. An autopsy determined McCall died of strangulation. In Wyoming, Baldwin also was charged in the deaths of two women whose bodies were found in 1992 roughly 400 miles apart. The women, who were never identified, were referred to as "Bitter Creek Betty" and "I-90 Jane Doe." The FBI had secretly collected DNA from Baldwin's trash in Waterloo and a shopping cart he used at Walmart. When put into a national database, his DNA came back as a match in connection with the two unsolved homicides in Wyoming. Figliuzzi said about two-dozen slayings nationally fit Baldwins pattern of killing. One involved Rhonda Knutson, a 22-year-old truck stop convenience store clerk in northern Iowa who was bludgeoned to death during an overnight shift in 1992. She was not sexually assaulted, and robbery was not considered a motive at the time. Knutson had lived in nearby Nashua, where Baldwin also had lived. Two truckers whom witnesses reportedly saw in the convenience store the morning Knutson was killed were sought for questioning but never found. Both men were described as heavyset with dark hair and ages 35 to 45. Was Grinnell College student Tammy Jo Zywicki killed by an ex-con trucker? Another possible victim could have been Tammy Jo Zywicki, who was murdered a month earlier the same year. A native of New Jersey who grew up in South Carolina, Zywicki dropped off her brother at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, then vanished in central Illinois on Aug. 23, 1992, after her car broke down on Interstate 80 as she was driving to Grinnell College to begin her senior year. Zywickis petite body was found nine days after her disappearance, about 500 miles away in a ditch off a stretch of Interstate 44 between Springfield and Joplin in Missouri. She had been stabbed eight times, raped and rolled up in a red blanket, sealed on both ends with duct tape. The 21-year-old's murder made international news. Figliuzzi said Zywickis abduction and murder were very likely committed by someone who had killed before because it was a risky move. The way the crime played out on a busy interstate, the way her body had been bound with duct tape, suggested the person responsible was emboldened by past crimes, he said. Several other suspected highway serial killers also have been raised as possible suspects in the Zywicki case over the years, including Lonnie Bierbrodt, an ex-con trucker with ties to both Illinois and Missouri who died in 2002. In 2014, an investigator who was on the first task force assembled after Zywickis death, retired Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Marty McCarthy, told Watchdog that Bierbrodt should be suspect No. 1. The retiree said law enforcement appeared to give up on Bierbrodt after Bierbrodt's ex-wife a nurse who had shown off a musical watch similar to one belonging to Zywicki and went missing after her abduction refused to talk to investigators. Bierbrodt lived in Missouri, close to the stretch of highway where Zywicki's body was discovered. He drove a Kenworth truck, according to news reports, and the red blanket in which Zywicki's body was found had a Kenworth logo. Bierbrodt, a LaSalle County native, also confirmed to investigators that he'd been near the spot on I-80 where Zywicki was last seen on the day of the abduction. His brothers and mother lived in the Peru, Illinois, area, and he'd been trying to get a job there. 'The Truck Stop Killer' suspected in up to 50 murders With DNA evidence, the FBI can link suspects with crimes no one has unraveled. Experts have said Council Bluffs native Robert Ben Rhoades a gruesome killer who tortured and photographed victims may have murdered as many as 50 people, though he was convicted in court of only three. Rhoades became known as The Truck Stop Killer because police discovered him assaulting a woman who had been handcuffed and chained to bars he had installed in the sleeper compartment of his truck. Rhoades was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 14-year-old Illinois girl whose skeleton was discovered in a barn in 1990. At the time, he was already serving a six-year prison sentence in Arizona for the attempted kidnapping of a woman police found him torturing. Rhoades was later put on trial for the 1990 kidnapping and murder of a newlywed couple in Texas, for which he narrowly escaped the death penalty and instead received two further life sentences. 'I-65 Killer' led life of crime, but wasn't charged with murders Dubbed the I-65 Killer, Harry Edward Greenwell wasnt identified until nine years after his death. Though he spent a significant amount of time in prison for crimes from burglary to sodomy, he died while living in northeast Iowa without ever being charged for murder. Harry Edward Greenwell DNA evidence tied him to the murder of at least three female victims, and the sexual assault of at least one more, in Indiana and Kentucky from 1987 to 1989. Greenwells victims, Vicki Heath, Margaret Peggy Gill and Jeanne Gilbert, all worked as motel clerks along the I-65 corridor at the time of their deaths. Greenwell assaulted each of his victims and then shot them to death, according to investigators. The investigation into Greenwells crimes spanned more than 30 years. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How an FBI author says highway serial killings in Iowa could be solved Hillsborough deputy released from hospital after being shot by man who killed his own parents Hillsborough deputy released from hospital after being shot by man who killed his own parents TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Hillsborough County deputy who was shot in a gunfight with a man who killed his own parents has been released from the hospital, according to the sheriffs office. Deputy Shane McGough was shot Saturday night while he and several other deputies responded to an active shooter situation. Monster: Tampa 19-year-old kills parents, shoots deputy in gunfight, sheriff says Sheriff Chad Chronister said the shooter, Christos Alexander, killed his father and his mother before firing at deputies, who then returned fire. After a brief standoff, deputies confirmed that Alexander died of his injuries. McGough was injured in the firefight, suffering a gunshot would to his right leg. However, after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet and install a rod in his leg, the deputy was sent home to a round of applause Monday. Today is a day of relief and gratitude as we welcome Deputy Shane McGough back home. His courage and resilience in the face of such a tragic event exemplify the dedication and bravery of all our deputies, Chronister said. We will continue to support him and his family as he heals and moves forward. Chronister said the deputys recovery is expected to last three months. 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. BALTIMORE Gov. Wes Moore issued more than 175,000 pardons for misdemeanor cannabis possession and use convictions Monday morning one of the largest state-issued pardons in United States history. Well be clear: This is just a step this is not a conclusion, Moore, a Democrat, said in a interview Monday morning. You have to be able to right these wrongs in order for the right steps to be made. The pardons apply to over 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for cannabis possession and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Moore called this the largest such action in our nations history. Marylanders voted on an overwhelming margin to approve recreational use cannabis for adults during the 2022 general election. Cannabis officially became legalized in the state on July 1, 2023. Mondays pardons will not result in the release of any currently incarcerated person from prison. The cases receiving pardons for misdemeanor use or intent to use drug paraphernalia were not tied in with convictions on other charges. Officials from the Moore administration were unclear Monday morning exactly how many people will be affected, because some individuals will be pardoned for multiple convictions. People with these convictions can see if they received a pardon by visiting the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website, which will reflect those pardons in about two weeks. Those who are eligible but did not receive pardons can apply for them through the regular application process, which can be found on the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services website. At least a quarter of these pardons will apply to convictions in Baltimore City. Marylanders of color, particularly the Black community, have been disproportionately represented among these convictions. Moore said Mondays pardons were a hard-fought victory, not just for those who will receive them, but for the soul of our state. Undoing decades of harm cannot happen in a day, but were going to keep up the work, were going to keep up the pace and were going to do it together. This is about recognizing our collective, shared humanity, he said. This is about how changing how both government and society view those who have been walled-off from opportunity because of broken and uneven policies. According to the ACLU of Maryland, 71% of the states prison population is constituted of Black men the highest percentage among states across the country and more than twice the national average. Moore said at Mondays pardon signing ceremony that Black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related charges than white Marylanders before legalization. In a statement, Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, a Montgomery County Democrat and the chair of Marylands Legislative Black Caucus, celebrated Moores historic order, while also recognizing the work that needs to be done in partnership with the General Assembly to reduce the long-term impact of criminal convictions. Those with criminal convictions for cannabis possession face barriers to housing and educational and employment opportunities. Attorney General Anthony Brown said the enforcement of cannabis laws has not been colorblind, noting that, though Black, Latino and white Marylanders use cannabis at the same rate, Black and Latino users face higher rates of arrests and convictions. The shackles of slavery, though removed, left an indelible mark on our state, on our nation, Brown, a Democrat and Marylands first Black attorney general, said. He pointed to post-reconstruction-era Jim Crow laws, the convict leasing system, the war on drugs and the disproportionate arrests and convictions as the residuals of slavery. This morning, I can almost hear the clanging of those shackles falling to the floor, Brown said. Homeowners are paying their higher tax bills, but sometimes with help or heartbreak Higher property taxes as a result of skyrocketing home values has led to protests from property owners, a deluge of "heartbreaking" pleas to elected officials, and a proposed constitutional amendment to cap tax increases. What it hasn't led to at least so far is a rise in people unable to pay their taxes. Statistics from county treasurers in Greater Cincinnati show no increase in people failing to pay their taxes, an Enquirer check found. Property owners in Clermont, Butler and Hamilton counties paid 95% to 97% of the taxes owed in the first round of bills that came out in January, statistics obtained by The Enquirer from the county treasurers showed. These are the three counties where properties were due for reappraisals for this tax cycle. The 2% to 5% of property taxes past due tracks with the rate from previous years, staff from the offices of local treasurers and auditors told The Enquirer. Olga "Ollie" Helm at her home in Northside. Helm said she struggled to pay the first half of her property tax bill this year after it more than doubled to just over $6,000. Warren County will reassess property values next year. Warren County Treasurer Barney Wright said the current rate of delinquencies in his county is about 2.4%, about where it normally is. Property owners just received the second bill for the year from their local treasurers. Whether delinquencies will rise won't be known until after Aug. 10, when counties determine what taxes are delinquent, according to state law. "It's too early to tell" what the statewide trend is for property tax delinquencies, said Kevin Futryk, executive director of the County Treasurers Association of Ohio, which represents all 88 county treasurers in the state. 'I just need help' While most residents appear to be paying their taxes, that doesn't mean it hasn't been tough for property owners. "In February, I had calls, particularly from elderly, single-income Social Security people, and it was heartbreaking," said Clermont County Treasurer Jeannie Zurmehly. "I had two little old ladies tell me they would have to eat less in order to pay their taxes. I told them I understood and to do the best they could. And I contacted the legislators and said, 'You've got to do something to give these seniors some relief.'" Olga "Ollie" Helm is a 93-year-old Northside resident who owns her home on Hamilton Avenue outright. She said she needed help coming up with the money to pay her property taxes, which doubled to more than $6,000 this year in the wake of Hamilton County's latest property reassessments. Helm's reassessed property value shot up from about $186,000 to just over $306,000 last year, according to Hamilton County property records. "My neighbor, Sandy, helped me get some assistance from a government agency, and I paid the rest," said Helm, who lives on just over $1,700 a month in Social Security benefits, plus $500 a month in rent she collects from her widowed son. She said her first half property tax bill took "a big chunk" of her income, and she'll have to cut back on spending even more. "I've already cut off the cable; cut off the Internet. There's no place else to cut. I just need help," said Helm, who spent more than 20 years helping others as a volunteer at a local food pantry. Officials cautioned against using one billing cycle as a gauge of how homeowners are faring. "Although there has not been a significant increase in delinquency, the real impact in higher taxes has to be measured over time," Butler County Treasurer Michael McNamara said in an emailed statement to The Enquirer. "Perhaps taxpayers were able to draw on reserves this cycle, and those reserves may not be available next cycle. Impact of new assessments may vary In Hamilton County, for example, an earlier Enquirer analysis found residents in a handful of neighborhoods saw little to no increase in their property taxes or even a decline. Meanwhile, residents in several low-income Black neighborhoods saw their property taxes rise as much as 60% or higher, The Enquirer found. Wynn Shields holds up a sign while being held by his mother, Latasha Shields of Walnut Hills, outside the County Administration Building during a taxation protest organized by a Hamilton County homeowners group in March. "I don't know how many more increases like this I can take," said Carol Owens, who lives on Crane Avenue in Evanston. She saw her annual property tax bill more than double to about $2,732 after her property value was reassessed last year at $104,000, up from about $39,000, according to Hamilton County property records. Owens' taxes were paid on time through an escrow account. But her total house payment spiked dramatically as a result. Owens believes she's a victim of gentrification in the once mostly working-class Black neighborhood that has seen a steady influx of new residents and new construction, driving home values higher. "I chose this neighborhood because I thought in the long run I'd be able to remain in Evanston, but that's not my reality now," she said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why are property taxes so high? An Atascadero City Council meeting was bombarded with people spewing anti-LGBTQ+ and racist remarks on Tuesday, just days before the citys first-ever scheduled Pride event. After the City Council opted not to declare June as Pride Month as part of a change in its overall policy on proclamations, several members of the LGBTQ+ community members and activists gave public comment urging the council to revisit the decision. They also invited members to the Pride event on Sunday at the Charles Paddock Zoo. I wanted to personally invite each and every one of you, honorable council members and city officials and staff of this city, to our-first ever Atascadero Pride festival, Nadia Levine, Atascadero resident and co-producer of the upcoming event, said during the meeting. Levine added that the amount of hatred that the LGBTQ+ community faces on a daily basis has been very concerning and that the Pride festival is meant to spread love. Nadia Levine, co-producer of Atascaderos first-ever Pride festival, spoke during a City Council meeting that was bombarded with people spewing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and hateful comments on June 11, 2024. Levines 14-year-old daughter also speak at public comment and talked about her personal experience being bullied and how people at school have repeatedly told her to kill herself. Declaring June as Pride Month in this city would make me as a person feel so much safer, because I felt like I was in danger, she said. The question of recognizing June as Pride Month arose after a change last year regarding how the city issues proclamations. Last year, the council issued a proclamation recognizing Atascadero LGBTQ+ citizens during Pride Month, but since then, the city elected to stop issuing proclamation and instead offer letters of recognition for policies. Thats what Councilwoman Funk did with Pride Month this year. City spokesperson Terrie Banish said the city decided to change its policy in July because the sheer volume of keeping up with proclamations got in the way of city business. We really have to focus on our government services, and what were doing is getting that information consistently out there, Banish said. She added that the change applied to all groups that wish to have proclamations from the city. What was meant to be a typical public hearing, however, spiraled into hate-filled, homophobic rhetoric by people who joined to give public comment online. Online commenters spew hate speech When comments transferred from in-person to online, three callers entered the Zoom call and spewed homophobic speech for nearly 10 minutes. I heard that we are having our first Pride event, and I find this to be quite scary, said the first Zoom caller, who identified herself as a resident of Atascadero. The speaker said that it was an oxymoron to have Pride and family-friendly in the same sentence. She then spread misinformation about the LGBTQ+ community for the remainder of her speaking time. The second speaker came on beginning with a scripture from the Bible, before saying that LGBTQ+ people should be hanged or drowned. A third speaker said the Pride event was something he did not wish to promote, especially toward children. He then made disparaging comments directed at the 14-year-old who spoke earlier in the meeting, saying that he hoped she would realize shes not what she claims to be. During City Council meetings, callers have the option to join by video, and they are not required to have their cameras on. Though each of the callers identified themselves by a name, the identities seemed fictitious, and their faces were not shown. Co-producer of the Pride event Thom Waldman, who also spoke during the meeting, told The Tribune the comments were traumatizing for everyone in the room. Im all for free speech, Waldman said. But he said he felt threatened in the moment. Waldman said he was concerned with the City Council and mayors handling of the situation, and he wished someone could have shut off the microphone sooner. The last Zoom caller did get cut off as he started to spout racist remarks. It was unclear whether the plan to Zoom-bomb the meeting was premeditated, but Waldman said it was possible the callers had heard him on Dave Congaltons KVEC radio show where he announced he would be at the meeting. Organizer says hate continues to spread ahead of weekend Pride event Levine told The Tribune on Friday that she felt the comments should have been cut off a lot sooner. When it turns from a free speech issue into a hate speech issue, I feel like they should have done that, Levine said. Levine said she was furious about the comments made toward her child and the other hateful remarks directed at members of the LGBTQ+ community. Where is our humanity? Levine said. Shes a 14-year-old kid. Shes a good kid. Levine was also frustrated by the lack of response from the City Council. She said aside from hearing back from Funk and city manager Jim Lewis, others with the city have not reached out to her after the incident. She was especially concerned considering as of Friday, a post shared on the private Everything Atascadero Facebook group promoting the Pride event had been overloaded with hundreds of comments, many denouncing the event. The Gala Pride & Diversity Center posted a statement on social media about the meeting, saying it was derailed by hate speech and violent rhetoric targeted towards BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people. We are gravely disappointed by the Atascadero City Councils decision to not recognize June as Pride Month this year, the social media caption read. We are furthermore appalled by the failure of the council or city manager to intervene in explicit hate speech and violent rhetoric against BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, and a mother and child in the chambers in front of the council. JBird, director of operations for GALA, said the original idea for the Pride event was to create a space for showing love and unity. My personal hope is that we can show love and appreciation for our community, JBird said. On June 11, 2024, an Atascadero City Council meeting was bombarded with anti-LGBTQ public comments ahead of the citys first-ever Pride event. On Friday, a post shared on the private Everything Atascadero Facebook group promoting the Pride event had accumulated more than 350 comments, many of which featured homophobic rhetoric. City responds to hate speech comments during meeting The city of Atascadero issued an official statement in response to the meeting. Here is the statement in full: Unfortunately, like many cities across the state, Atascadero experienced hateful and derogatory comments towards members of our community via the Zoom platform. The speech last night was painful and hurtful to the public, Council and staff and does not reflect the values of our community. However, because a topic was brought up by those supporting a proclamation and an event that were both arguably within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council, it opened the matter to comments from all, including those not in favor of it. We are a country of rights and laws, and while we were shocked and repulsed by the content of what a handful of speakers said, they have a right to speak. Free speech, protected by the First Amendment, allows those comments, however the Zoom link was temporarily suspended after a third commenter made comments disruptive to the meeting and not within the subject matter jurisdiction/purview of the City Council. The zoom link was reinstituted as soon as possible. Numerous social groups approach the City that want recognition or affirmation of their cause. In Atascadero, our priorities are on the services that local government commonly provides and that benefit all such as public safety, homelessness, housing, public infrastructure, and economic development. The City of Atascadero is a loving community where people are appreciated, valued and all are welcome. We will continue to focus on serving, building community, and enhancing quality of life. Insights from DW, El Pais, Associated Press, and Telemundo The News Honduras announced new measures to tackle organized crime, including the building of a megaprison that could host up to 20,000 inmates, doubling the countrys current prison capacity. The plan also includes holding mass trials and labeling gang members as terrorists. Honduras President Xiomara Castro placed the country in a state of emergency in December 2022, giving the government more power and suspending parts of the Constitution, in an effort to curb the gangs dominance over parts of the country, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Plan echoes El Salvadors zero-tolerance approach to violent gangs Sources: DW, El Pais, Semafor, GORSTRA Honduras megaprison plan and broader crackdown on violent crime closely resembles that of neighboring El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele. Bukeles tough-on-crime strategy has led to a drop in murder numbers and a rise in his approval rates. Other Latin American countries like Ecuador have attempted to follow the Bukele plan, and the president of Honduras reportedly met him in early June to discuss his successful measures. But human rights groups say Bukeles approach has led to widespread human rights abuses, and in Honduras, has proven largely unsuccessful so far, with gangs and drug-trafficking groups still controlling large swathes of the country, El Pais reported. Environmentalists oppose controversial Honduran Alcatraz plan Sources: El Pais, Telemundo, Associated Press The new megaprison project in Honduras follows another 2023 plan for a maximum-security detention center a Honduran Alcatraz to be built on a remote island off the coast of the country to imprison gang leaders. El Pais characterized it as a desperate measure from the government to try and curb violence, and the plan also drew criticism from biologists over its potential environmental impact on the island, an uninhabited and diverse ecosystem that was designated as a protected territory. The government recently claimed they had obtained the required environmental permits to go forward with the island prison. Inmate violence at megaprisons raises questions about their effectiveness Sources: Associated Press, El Faro, InSight Crime Other megaprisons across Latin America housing thousands of inmates see violence, riots, and the dominance of gangs, InSight Crime wrote, raising questions about the effectiveness of such detention facilities in combating violence. One Latin America expert predicted last year that this could likely happen in Honduras: A new prison is quite useless if you dont first regain control of the others you already have, he told the Associated Press. Criminal gangs have shown throughout their history that they can adapt. A wave of violence in a womens prison last summer that resulted in the death of 46 inmates prompted El Faro to describe it as another episode in the tradition of death in Honduran prisons. Hospital in L.A. County asking for publics help in identifying patient A hospital in Los Angeles County is asking for the publics help in identifying a patient who has been hospitalized since late April. Officials at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance say the man was brought to the hospital by ambulance after suffering a medical emergency at a bus stop at Torrance Boulevard and Earl Street on April 23. The patient had no identification and has been unable to participate in his care, hospital officials said. A man hospitalized since April 23, 2024, seen here who had no identification and has been unable to participate in his care. (Providence, Torrance) A man hospitalized since April 23, 2024, seen here who had no identification and has been unable to participate in his care. (Providence, Torrance) A man hospitalized since April 23, 2024, seen here who had no identification and has been unable to participate in his care. (Providence, Torrance) He is described as a Black male adult standing around 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing approximately 193 pounds with brown eyes, black hair a beard and a mustache. Attempted murder suspect escapes custody in Southern California The man has several tattoos, including the word California across his abdomen, the date 1997 above his left eyebrow and the word Lady over his right eyebrow. Anyone who may recognize the patient or know any of his family members is urged to contact officials at 661-755-1322. 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. Hot and dry before monsoon pattern moves into New Mexico Hot and dry before monsoon pattern moves into New Mexico It was another hot day across the state and the heat will continue into early next week, with high temperatures falling only a couple degrees. Windier weather develops Monday afternoon, bringing a high fire danger across parts of the state. The windy weather wont last long with quieter conditions again by Wednesday. A monsoon-like pattern will develop late week and bringing back scattered afternoon rain and thunderstorm chances beginning Thursday and will likely continue into the 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) The Longview Fire Department said that a Longview home caught on fire Sunday and the cause is believe to be related to hot grease left on the kitchen stove. Police: Man shot after entering Longview home, fleeing from crash Firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire at a home on Miami Drive at around 7:15 p.m. When Longview firefighters arrived on scene they reportedly saw white smoke coming out of the homes front door. Photo courtesy of Longview Fire Department. The fire was designated as a working fire and crews began to attack the fire. The fire was contained to the kitchen and was quickly extinguished. According to Longview Fire Department, the cause of the fire was accidental and associated with hot grease left on the stove. Missing Crockett man found dead in southern Henderson County No injuries were reported from the fire but five residents have been displaced and they are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Longview Fire Department had three fire engines, two ladder trucks, one ambulance, four support vehicles and 21 workers 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. House Democraic leader Rep. Robert Reives (Photo: NCGA) North Carolina Republican legislative leaders sprang a big surprise on their Democratic colleagues and just about all legislative observers recently when they suddenly unveiled a new, out-of-nowhere and extremely complex proposal to rewrite state campaign finance laws. The legislation, which would provide wealthy individuals with new ways to give unlimited amounts of cash to support North Carolina candidates while keeping their identities hidden, emerged as an add-on to a controversial bill on the wearing of masks in public. The proposal quickly raised the ire of Democratic lawmakers and good government groups who objected to both the substance of the bill and the questionable tactics used to advance it. NC Newsline sat down with House Democratic leader, Rep. Robert Reives, to get his take on the bill as well as some other high priority decisions that face state lawmakers in the coming days. The post House Dem. leader Rep. Robert Reives on a controversial proposal to rewrite campaign finance laws appeared first on NC Newsline. A supporter of banning smoking inside Rhode Island's casinos exits the State House basement on June 13, 2024. The House Committee on Finance that day gave their approval to a bill that seeks to clear the air inside of Ballys casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) A push by progressive lawmakers to end the exemption from the states indoor smoking ban at Rhode Islands two casinos briefly reignited at the start of the last night of the 2024 legislative session. That has sparked hope among public health advocates and casino workers that the momentum to make Ballys Twin River Lincoln and Ballys Tiverton Casino and Hotel smoke-free will continue next year. The House Committee on Finance at a last-minute meeting on Thursday afternoon voted 10-0 in favor of a bill by Rep. Teresa Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, who has tried unsuccessfully for the past few years to clear the air inside the two casinos. Before the final day of the session began, many had thought Tanzis bill had stalled in committee, as has been the case since 2021. Tanzi acknowledged that the end of session committee vote was largely symbolic. It was really a signal more than anything, she told Rhode Island Current. It shows were fully aware of everything workers have been saying. The House did not bring Tanzis bill to the floor for a full vote. Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said in a statement Wednesday there was not enough time for both chambers to consider the legislation before session ends. This is an important issue that we were unable to resolve this legislative session, but I wanted to vote this year to continue the discussion and momentum going forward, he said. I encourage Ballys workers and management to continue to discuss this, and I am hopeful they will be able to work out a resolution before we return in January. That Shekarchi took any position on the matter came as a shock to Table Game Dealers Laborers Local 711 President Matt Dunham, whose union has long petitioned state leaders to ban smoking. Ive always taken him as sort of a middle of the road type of guy that didnt want to upset anybody, he said Thursday. This really just dropped out of the sky. Companion legislation by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, a South Kingstown Democrat, did not get the same treatment from the Senate Committee on Finance, where it was held for further study May 14. Should the Providence-based casino giant be unable to reach a new deal with union leaders, Tanzi said she planned to re-submit her smoking ban bill next January at the start of the 2025 legislative session. As of Thursday, Dunham said there had been no talks between Ballys management and union leadership on the indoor smoking policy. Ballys spokesperson Patti Doyle was not available for comment Friday. Ive always taken him as sort of a middle of the road type of guy that didnt want to upset anybody. This really just dropped out of the sky. Table Game Dealers Laborers Local 711 President Matt Dunham on House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchis openness to resolving debate over making casinos go smoke-free Ballys Corp. has long opposed efforts to ban smoking at its properties in the Legislature. This year, the companys Board of Directors also opposed an activist shareholder proposal calling for a study on the economic costs and benefits of going smoke-free at its May 16 virtual annual shareholders meeting, calling it unwarranted and unreasonable. The push by Michigan-based Trinity Health and California-based American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation marked the first attempt at the investor level to force Ballys to go smoke-free. The proposal was rejected by most Ballys shareholders, but gained enough support to come back at the companys 2025 annual meeting. Testifying before the House Finance Committee May 9, Ballys Senior Vice President of Rhode Island Regulatory Craig Sculos touted the addition of a 40,000 square foot HVAC system at the Twin River casino in Lincoln as a way to lessen smoke in the building. That system has been earning generating positive reviews from staff as well as from patrons, he said. Sculos also highlighted the opening of a new smoke-free section at the Twin River on May 3 an area Table Game Dealers Laborers Local 711 previously told Rhode Island Current would bring little change. This story was updated to note the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation co-filed on the shareholder push to study the effects of smoking inside Ballys casinos. The post House panel backs smoke-free casino bill, fanning the flames of hope for next year appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Attorneys for Hunter Biden want a new trial for the incumbent presidents son, they argued in a motion filed Monday that a federal court in Delaware did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. The motion, however, was quickly withdrawn by the counsel, leaving open the possibility that it will be re-filed with corrections later. Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted on all three counts against him after just a short deliberation by jurors last week. He was charged with lying on an application for the purchase of a firearm by omitting his history of drug abuse on the paperwork. In the original filing of the application, lawyers for the younger Biden argued that the appeals court had not issued the order denying their clients appellate bid to have the charges dismissed. Penned by Abbe Lowell, it stated that the Third Circuit, however, did not then and has not yet issued its mandate as to the orders dismissing either appeal, Thus, when this Court empaneled the jury on June 3, 2024 and proceeded to trial, it was without jurisdiction to do so. The Independent has reached out to Hunter Bidens attorneys for comment. Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted last week on three felony counts related to accusations that he lied about his drug use on an application to purchase a firearm (AP) The effort by Hunter Biden to play legal checkers with his conviction presents yet another awkward situation for the White House and the presidential campaign of Joe Biden, which are confronted by the realities of the conduct of the presidents adult son and his efforts to dodge the repercussions of a deception which many of Bidens own supporters say that Hunter is obviously guilty of committing. It couldnt come at a worse time for the incumbent president, who is seeking to distinguish himself from his 2024 opponent Donald Trump and the 34 felony counts on which Trump was just convicted in New York. Joe Biden has publicly said that he would not pardon his son were he to be convicted (and the convictions upheld.) He has faced questions from reporters regarding whether hed work around that promise by commuting his sons sentence, which has not yet been set by a judge. I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal, the president said in a statement last week. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Hunter added in his own statement after the conviction: I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time. The presidents son has long been a bogeyman for the Republican Party, which has sought to paint the Biden family as corrupt and guilty of various crimes. They have done so even as the GOPs standard-bearer, Trump, has increasingly become mired in his own scandals and legal troubles. Ariana Baio contributed to reporting Magellan of Idaho is set to take over managing mental health benefits for around 400,000 Idahoans on Medicaid on July 1. (Getty Images) Editors note: This is the first story in a two-part series on the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan contract. The second story will focus on how the new contractor, Magellan of Idaho, hired three former state employees which officials say isnt against state law. Some Idaho mental health providers worry their payments could be delayed as Idaho switches to a new Medicaid mental health contractor. Magellan of Idaho is set to take over managing mental health benefits for around 400,000 Idahoans on Medicaid on July 1, when it takes over the contract for the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan, or IBHP. Some providers worry Magellan might be delayed in sending payments like Optums delayed payments after the company first took over the contract a decade ago citing technical issues accessing its test billing system. When Optum took over in 2013, Idaho providers had better cash flow to weather delayed payments, said Laura Scuri, co-chair of the behavioral health subgroup in the Idaho Association of Community Providers. But if payment is delayed again now as other insurance companies struggle to pay providers Scuri worries it could push providers to close. Access Behavioral Health Services is a mental provider in Boise. I dont think that a lot of the providers have the resiliency to make it through any big glitches with payment, let alone operations, said Scuri, co-owner of Access Behavioral Health Services in Boise. Scuri said she doesnt know a provider that has been able to test the payment system yet, saying Magellans testing is only partial. Scuri said shes especially worried about small providers, which dont process as many payments or have access to more intricate technologies. Magellan, Department of Health and Welfare officials say payment system testing is on track But officials with Magellan and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare have tried to reassure providers worried about the possibility of delayed payments. Magellan spokesperson Lilly Ackley told the Idaho Capital Sun in a statement that Magellans systems, including claims payment, are on track for the contracts launch. Magellan Healthcare follows a consistent readiness protocol, which includes provider participation throughout the testing process, Ackley said in a May 28 statement. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare does not have reason to believe that providers will be unpaid after the contract transition, agency spokesperson AJ McWhorter told the Sun in a May 24 email. Officials and leaders at the state health department and Magellan have been in constant contact with providers and provider associations on concerns and questions, he said. Providers have shared their appreciation with both the Department and Magellan through this transition and the availability of staff to quickly problem solve. We know this transition will not be without some bumps in the road and are confident that both (the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare) and Magellan are prepared to quickly address any issues and mitigate impacts to providers and participants, McWhorter said. Magellan has been testing claims for several weeks with the goal of identifying issues before (the contract starts). Providers have successfully tested claims and Magellan will continue to support providers through the transition, McWhorter said in June. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US The new $1.2 billion Idaho Behavioral Health Plan Idahos largest state contract was pushed back from taking effect March 1 of this year. In December, McWhorter told the Sun the contracts July launch date reflected an industry-standard 12-month implementation period, and stakeholders collaborated on that date to prioritize doing this right over doing this fast. Magellan and Idaho Department of Health and Welfare hyper responsive to provider concerns Magellan and the state health department have been hyper responsive to concerns by providers recently, said Idaho Association of Community Providers lobbyist David Lehman. There has been a significant amount of resources put into getting things caught up over the last two months, than the previous six months. So, they have heard our concerns, I think, pretty clearly and have made the effort and put the resources in place to address them, Lehman told the Sun in an interview this month. Whats new about the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan contract? The previous contract tasked Optum with managing outpatient care, like therapy visits. But the new contract also tasks Magellan with managing inpatient mental health care, like hospitalizations. This partnership will bring Idahos transformational behavioral health program to life and help nearly 400,000 Medicaid members and other Idaho residents get the care and support they need. The IBHP consolidates services under one managed care organization and will improve coordination of care and reduce fragmentation for members, Magellan spokesperson Kristen Durocher told the Sun in an April 29 statement. At STARR Family Behavioral Health in Boise, Program Director Jessica Trents billing employee has played around with the new test system. But Trent says she hasnt been able to actually test it. Trent said shes sent emails to Magellan seeking help but hasnt gotten answers. How do we know if its going to work? Trent told the Sun in an interview this month. And thats how we run our company is through providing services, getting paid and paying our employees. If were not paid, we cant pay them. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Planning for delayed payments is routine, provider says In Idaho Falls, Childrens Supportive Services President Kelly Keele told the Sun in an interview that he isnt concerned about delayed payment. He said he suspects there will be some delays, but thats what businesses plan for, noting that hes still getting payments from Optum for services his clinic provided weeks ago. Theres only so much they can do in terms of testing systems with a sampling of providers, until the system actually goes live. And realistically, all of us whove been in business have payment in the pipeline from services weve provided in the past three to four weeks thatll continue to be coming in during that first couple of weeks, Keele said. Its not expected that you provide a service and you get paid that week. Idaho mental health clinic owner Kelly Keele testifies before the Idaho Legislature in 2011. And while he said theres still a lot of information to learn before July 1, he said Magellan has built in grace periods of 90 days and longer to get up to speed with its new systems. I feel like weve got complete information to contract with them to provide the services, Keele said. Theres going to be a learning curve. There always is with a new managed care organization. But the information is out there. And theyre being, I believe, very helpful in guiding us to find the information we need. Providers say they still lack fine detail on whats acceptable Magellan is often holding trainings with providers, Scuri said, such as how to access a system to upload documents to care for patients. But Scuri said providers dont have all of those documents yet. We still are lacking that fine detail that tells us whats acceptable and whats not when we deliver a service, she said. Providers are used to developing a plan for the treatment services that they think will help patients most, she said. But the assessment document theyd use doesnt exist, she said. She said she doesnt know what information Magellan needs to determine medical necessity like in requests for prior authorizations or Magellans process of denying services. McWhorter pointed toward Magellan of Idahos website for providers seeking more contract information. Amid the transition, provisional contract arrangements are allowed, he said. If providers are feeling strained while trying to balance operating their business and treating their clients, and getting credentialed and contracted with Magellan, we recommend they reach out to the Magellan network team at IdahoProvider@magellanhealth.com, McWhorter told the Sun in a June 12 email. The department has worked with Magellan to allow for provisional contract arrangements for providers during the transition. To Magellans credit, the company is expanding services, Scuri said, but before they really identify what existing services are allowed to do. We can do that for a little while, Scuri said. But what we risk is an increase in fraud. Cant be fraud if you didnt know what you were doing, and they just told you to go. Providers, she said, will get frustrated and quit. How to learn more about the contract Information for providers about the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan is available online at Magellan of Idahos website, said Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson AJ McWhorter. That includes: DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post Idaho mental health providers worry pay could lapse amid Medicaid contractor change appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. Russian investigators have reported that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's circle of associates may be involved in high-profile political assassinations, and that Kadyrov himself is preparing his successors due to illness. Source: investigation by the Russian media outlet Proekt Details: The media outlet recalls that the Kadyrov family came to power in Chechnya in 1999. At that time, Akhmat Kadyrov, who had previously declared war on Russia, agreed to take up the post of head of Chechnya's administration. The investigators write that in exchange for loyalty to the Kremlin, the Russian authorities offered candidates for the head of Chechnya five million dollars in cash, a house in Sochi, and permission to "hand over" a large Russian city, such as Novorossiysk. Akhmat Kadyrov then received not only all of Chechnya as a gift from Putin, but also a prayer rug, which he was particularly proud of, a family friend said. Ramzan Kadyrov, Akhmat Kadyrov's youngest and favourite son, has been serving as commander of an armed detachment under his father since 2000, helping the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation) search for separatist supporters in Chechnya. Akhmat Kadyrov, who had begun to have disagreements with the Kremlin, was killed in an explosion during a parade at the Dynamo Stadium in Grozny on 9 May 2004. The bomb was planted right under the seat that Kadyrov senior was sitting in. Ramzan Kadyrov was not with his father that day, but in Moscow. Putin immediately welcomed him and made it clear that he would be the next head of Chechnya. As a result, the media outlet writes, "Under Kadyrov, Chechnya has effectively withdrawn from the Russian legal framework, becoming a unique region with its own army and its own essentially Sharia law, where, unlike the rest of the country, the death penalty is actually in force, where colossal sums of money are stolen and no one is punished for it". Proekt believes that the Chechen leader's circle may be involved in many high-profile political murders. In particular, there is a Chechen mark in the murders of politician Boris Nemtsov, former Chechen deputy prime minister Yakov Sergunin, Forbes magazine editor-in-chief Paul Khlebnikov, Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and Natalia Estemirova, a member of the Memorial Human Rights Centre. Regarding Kadyrov's illness, which has been repeatedly reported by the media, the newspaper, citing sources, writes that Kadyrov did have kidney problems which had been cured, at least for a while. He began to prepare his successors he put members of his family in almost the entire vertical of Chechen power. Officially, Ramzan Kadyrov has one wife, Medni Kadyrova, who gave birth to 14 children by the age of 42. In fact, the investigation claims, the head of Chechnya has a harem of concubines (not always adults) and his children were born by at least four women. Support UP or become our patron! Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, speaks to colleagues on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives before the start of the session on Feb. 6, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) HB 56 the anti-immigrant bill passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2011 is a perfect example of the laws our legislators make. Thats not a compliment. HB 56 was a mean, miserable statute. It was legalized bullying in line with Alabamas very worst traditions of attacking people with few if any means of fighting back. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The law declared that illegal immigration was causing economic hardship and lawlessness in Alabama without giving a single example of that actually occurring. It used a seemingly innocent data-collection process to scare families into keeping their undocumented children out of school, a vicious way to evade a now-40-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the right of those children to get a public education. It made it illegal for undocumented workers to apply for a job. It put religious organizations that transported a person without legal status at risk of legal sanctions. It allowed law enforcement to detain people they suspected of being in the country unlawfully (only the federal government can determine immigration status). On and on. Its 71 pages of paranoia and nastiness. It took a while for the federal courts to catch up with the law. In the meantime, many families fled the state. And the alleged benefits of the law never materialized. Alabama lawmakers, who have a fascinating tendency to exalt rural life and demean agricultural labor, confidently predicted that Alabamians would flood into jobs taken from native-born residents. They soon discovered that tomato crops were rotting in the fields because no one could pick them. Farm work is skilled labor. In time, federal courts overturned most of HB 56. But a few provisions remain. One is a ban on undocumented students attending Alabamas public institutions of higher education. Thats pretty terrible. Perhaps not as terrible as arresting a job applicant, but rooted in a politics-as-segregation attitude that wafts off the law like smoke. So the effort to repeal it in the last legislative session was notable. Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, sponsored a bill to alter the ban. Under Ingrams bill, undocumented students who had completed high school or something akin to it and who had applied for legal status would be able to attend Alabamas public colleges or universities. If somebody comes over the border illegally, or are not wanting to contribute to society, then I dont have any use for them going to college, but as long as they really want to work and get a job and give back to the community its those people that we were targeting, Ingram told Jemma Stephenson last month. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, a co-sponsor of HB 56 in 2011. It passed the House and a committee in the Senate. However, the legislation stalled in the Senate over an attempt to require undocumented students to have applied for citizenship at least three years before enrolling in college. Ingram sold the bill as a workforce development project. It was a reasonable approach: making it easier to go to college will help improve the workforce. And in a Republican-controlled Legislature, thats probably the best way to sell it. But the bill doesnt seem likely to have much of an effect. A big reason people cross into the country without permission is because the legal route can take years, and sometimes decades. The U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) said at the end of last month that applications for employment-based permanent residence in Atlanta can take over two years to process. A child cant put off their hunger pains for two years to accommodate that backlog. Its even harder for a person who is already in the country to apply for status. Starting the process can lead to a 10-year ban on returning to the country if you ever go outside of it. You can apply for a provisional waiver of that ban, but as of the end of last month, the processing time for that was almost four years. Whether you think undocumented immigrants should be able to attend college, very few will do so under this measure. What we really need is a full-on repudiation of HB 56. An anti-HB 56, if you will. One that acknowledges the reality of immigration in Alabama (namely, that there isnt much of it) and our limited ability to shape the issue, for good or ill. But also one that encourages immigrants to build lives in Alabama. That includes letting kids go to college. But it would also allow their parents to obtain professional licenses. It might try to give them some kind of drivers license to help them work. Maybe it would offer legal resources to those seeking status. Its unlikely to happen in Alabama but not out of the realm of possibility: Other states in recent years have adopted policies similar to these. And our state could really use more people. Alabamas population is aging. Our rural areas are in decline. Our workforce participation rate is below the national average. Could our government look at immigrants as future Alabamians, and not threats? I hope so. Thats the only way we can move on from HB 56 and all the grief it caused. Thats how you bring people of good faith to this state. You dont tinker with a terrible law. You tear it up and then extend your hands to embrace the stranger. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post Imagine Alabama welcoming immigrants appeared first on Alabama Reflector. ELIZABETH, NJ - FEBRUARY 23: People protest outside of the Elizabeth Detention Center during a rally attended by immigrant residents and activists on February 23, 2017 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Over 100 demonstrators chanted and held up signs outside of the center which is currently holding people awaiting deportation. The demonstrators, five of whom were arrested, denounced President Donald Trump and his deportation policies. Around the country stories of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have sent fear through immigrant communities. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Immigrant advocates in New Jersey are alarmed that a federal judges 2023 ruling that allowed a private immigrant jail to remain open could mean there is little they can do to prevent another immigrant detention center from opening in Newark. My concern is that New Jersey may become a private prison-only immigration detention state, and thats really terrifying because all immigration detention is terrible, but private prisons in particular, said Katy Sastre, director of First Friends of New Jersey and New York. Dolly Hernandez, executive director of immigrant rights advocacy organization Casa Freehold, said shes troubled by a recent letter from the state Attorney Generals Office to the federal judge that could make it easier for the new jail to open. Its time to stop dehumanizing people. We are not money makers, she said. Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 signed a law that bars public and private entities from entering into contracts to house immigrant detainees. But U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch last year declared the law partially unconstitutional, saying the state cannot prevent the federal government from contracting with a private entity to jail immigrants. Kirschs ruling allowed private firm CoreCivic to continue operating its immigrant jail in Elizabeth. Attorney General Matt Platkins office has appealed. In April, a second company, GEO Group, sued Murphy and Platkin, arguing that the 2021 law was preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from signing a contract with the company to jail immigrants at Delaney Hall, a facility it owns near Essex Countys jail. That case is also going before Kirsch. On April 25, Solicitor General Jeremy M. Feigenbaum, writing on behalf of Platkins office, told Kirsch that as long as Kirschs order regarding CoreCivic is still in effect, the state would not attempt to enforce the 2021 law with regard to GEO Group. Most of New Jerseys congressional delegation signed recent letters to federal officials asking them to back away from immigrant detention contracts here, citing President Bidens prior comments criticizing privately run prisons. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-08) told the New Jersey Monitor that the states D.C. Democrats have been vocal in their opposition to migrant detention centers in conversations with federal officials. Its not in alignment with how we want to operate, how we want to reflect our values to the community, having a privately-run detention center is not an alignment there, Menendez said. So while we cant get the entire fix that we want today, we cant allow bad decisions to be made. An ICE spokesman said theres no contract with GEO Group to house immigrants at Delaney Hall and declined to comment on pending contract negotiations. Currently, 243 detainees are housed at CoreCivics Elizabeth Detention Center, he said. Immigrant advocates are criticizing Platkins office for telling Kirsch it would not enforce the 2021 law with regard to GEO Group. Michael Symons, spokesman for the Attorney Generals Office, said the office had to take that position because there were no material differences between the federal constitutional legal claims brought by GEO Group and by CoreCivic. While the district courts injunction remains in effect, we have acknowledged that we cannot enforce that state-law provision against any private detention facility. But we await oral argument on our fully-briefed appeal, and we hope to overturn the injunction, Symons said. Menendez called the legal terrain challenging but said he remains hopeful that an appeal will be successful. Were going to take an exhaustive approach to make sure that any opportunity that we have to challenge the continuation of the (Elizabeth Detention Center) or the reopening of Delaney Hall, we do, he said. Life for immigrants picked up by ICE, meanwhile, has gotten worse, immigrant advocates say. Sastre said some detainees have been moved from the Elizabeth jail to one in Moshannon Valley in Pennsylvania thats nearly 300 miles away and families dont find out until they show up for visitation. Hernandez recalled a local resident who was picked up by ICE in late April and taken to Elizabeth. By the time Hernandez and the detainees wife showed up a few hours later, officials told them he wasnt there and was being transferred to Moshannon. Hes been there awaiting trial for about a month and a half, Hernandez said. I think things havent changed. I think theyve gotten worse, she said. According to ICE detention management data, detainees remain at the Elizabeth jail for an average of 17 days before being moved. Our standard is that immigration detention shouldnt exist at all, but the way that it is currently being done in New Jersey, in New York, its causing a lot of confusion and fear, Sastre said. And I think its probably on purpose. Most of ICEs tactics tend to be for the purpose of causing fear. The Elizabeth Detention Center can house a maximum of 300 people. In its lawsuit, GEO Group says its contract with ICE could lead to up to 600 detainees at Delaney Hall. Sastre fears the increase in beds will lead to an increase in ICE arrests. Its really concerning that we just might be inviting more of that kind of treatment of our community into New Jersey, she said. My gut feeling is that were going to end up with GEO Group and CoreCivic operating in New Jersey, and that is terrifying to me. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Immigrant advocates alarmed by prospect of new immigrant jail in Newark appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Addressing a potential new immigration battlefront, the Supreme Court has blocked immigrants from challenging their deportation orders even when the government's initial hearing notices are incomplete. In a 5-4 decision on Friday, the high court sided with the federal government and said immigrants can be ordered deported "in absentia" if they don't show up for their immigration hearings as long as the government provides a notice at some point. Three immigrants challenged their deportation orders after missing their hearings, claiming the government didn't provide adequate information about the place and time of the proceedings. A migrant in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, reacts after Texas National Guard soldiers discover a breach in the concertina wire at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on June 4, 2024. Migrants cut holes in the concertina wire in hopes of turning themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents. In separate cases that were rolled into one before the court, Esmelis Campos-Chaves, Varinder Singh and Raul Daniel Mendez-Colin each asked the courts to rescind an "in absentia" deportation order and allow them to stay in the country. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied one of the petitions, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the other two. 'Notice to Appear' in immigration court When migrants seek asylum or other protection at the southern border, and they clear a criminal background check, Border Patrol agents typically provide them with a "Notice to Appear," or NTA, with a hearing date in immigration court. The notice is typically for a hearing in their destination city in Chicago, Dallas or New York, for example not at the U.S. border. "Though the facts vary, the key details are the same in each case," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. "The Government failed to provide a single document NTA, but eventually provided each alien with a notice specifying the time and place of the removal hearing." The U.S. code uses the word "alien" to describe foreigners, though immigrant advocates view the term as pejorative. Migrants approach the Rio Grande from Mexico as they look to cross the Rio Grande on June 4, 2024. In one of the cases, Campos-Chaves, who is from El Salvador, didn't show up for his immigration hearing in 2005. An immigration judge ordered him removed. Thirteen years later, Campos-Chaves challenged the immigration judge's "in absentia" order of removal on the grounds that he didn't receive a proper Notice to Appear. But the Board of Immigration Appeals said he had received a subsequent, complete notice a fact Campos-Chaves didn't dispute. The Supreme Court found immigrants without lawful status can have their "in absentia" deportation orders rescinded only if they can demonstrate they never received notice of the proceeding. Conservative Supreme Court majority rules against the immigrants Alito was joined in his majority opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered a dissenting opinion and was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch and Elena Kagan. For years, the government has failed to ensure its Notices to Appear contain even basic information for immigration hearings such as the time or date, Brown Jackson wrote. "Although Congress allows the Government to seek removal of noncitizens in absentia, it tempers that power with process," Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent. Twice before, "this Court made clear that when the Government issues an NTA, that document must contain the time-and-place particulars that the statute requires." Alito wrote that the Court's decision doesn't mean the government is free of its obligation to provide hearing notices that are complete and compliant with the law. But immigrants may not "seek rescission of removal orders in perpetuity based on arguments they could have raised in a hearing that they chose to skip," Alito wrote. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Immigrants lose Supreme Court case over deportation notices Imminent risk of collapse. Miami apartment complex charred by fire to be demolished City of Miami Fire & Rescue firefighters take a short break with others suit up to continue to battle the fire. Multiple fire stations from the City of Miami Fire & Rescue responded to the 3-alarm fire. City of Miami Fire & Rescue with assistance from multiple stations battled the fire for several hours, preceded by a report of a shooting inside the Temple Court Apartments shortly after 8:15 a.m. on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Miami, Florida. A South Florida apartment building engulfed in flames last week leaving more than 40 residents without a home is on the verge of imminent collapse, officials said. Taking precautionary action, the City of Miami will demolish the structure Tuesday. The citys announcement Monday comes a week after Juan Francisco Figueroa set ablaze Temple Court Apartments, a four-story complex, after shooting a worker there, Miami police said. It took 126 people to extinguish the flames, and 43 people many of them low-income elderly were displaced. READ MORE: Police take custody of man who they say shot another, ignited apartment fire in Miami Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the June 10 fire was one of the worst in the citys history. The City of Miami noted the apartment building will be torn down for two reasons: the fire and the heavy rainfall South Florida has seen the last few days. The building has sustained severe damage, with the upper floors of the two wings currently supporting debris from the collapsed roof, the city said. These floors have also been exposed to the weight of recent rainfall, exacerbating the already dangerous condition. READ NEXT: Man charged with shooting in Miami apartment fire, convicted of attempted murder in 1990s Officials warn it is in such a precarious state that significant winds could cause walls to collapse. Residents are barred from collecting personal items because of the severe safety hazard. The demolition is set to begin at 7 a.m. The Rhode Island Life Science Hub was an idea born in the COVID pandemic when everyone was an epidemiologist and life happened between panes of plexiglass. Democratic National Committeeman Joe Paolino introduced then-Rhode Island Foundation President Neil Steinberg to key players in Massachusetts' public-private biotech ecosystem, who then got House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi interested. Then the gusher of federal pandemic aid created a golden opportunity for economic development seed money. Now the Hub is a living, breathing, quasi-state agency with $45 million to invest and a mission to tap the vein of biotech business coursing through Boston and bring some down Interstate 95 South. But it is not 2020 anymore. Could Rhode Island be getting into the life sciences game a bit late? The state has been through more than its fair share of aborted economic development moonshots and has the collective cynicism to prove it. A banker-turned-nonprofit leader, Steinberg retired from the Rhode Island Foundation last year and has led the Hub through its initial months of existence, through its inaugural summit last month and the hiring of former Pfizer researcher and startup founder Patrice Milosas interim president. Neil Steinberg is chairman of the volunteer board of the Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub. As he steps back, slightly, into his role as chairman of the volunteer board, Steinberg spoke to The Journal about what he's learned in his crash course in biotech. Here, edited for length, is what he had to say. Journal: You had around 500 people at the biotech summit. What did you learn from the conversations there? Steinberg: There's a lot of people here in Rhode Island, or who are interested in Rhode Island, that aren't connected. So I've been getting phone calls since the minute I was appointed as the chair from people who were in the state, used to work for a pharma company in New Jersey, maybe have a connection at one of the universities, their in-laws live here or they're commuting to Boston, would prefer to work here. There's a lot of people that we found in the industry that were looking to get connected and didn't know each other or didn't know other players in the sector. So the takeaway was there was a purpose for this, and we validated the purpose. I will say the outcome has been overwhelmingly excited, positive; now we've got to do it, as they say. Journal: Anyone pull you aside and tell you something you didn't know about or hadn't thought of that way before? Steinberg: Yeah, there probably are. I wasn't taking a survey, but a good example is that the technology transfer needs to get better at our universities. We need to focus and match some of the other areas in the country where there's more commercialization that is leading to the jobs. There are some key areas where we have great areas of competence. Medical devices is big. The emerging field is RNA COVID vaccines. Neuroscience is another. So what I started to hear were where the pockets of potential and pockets of excellence are here in Rhode Island that, again, need a boost. Journal: One of the things we've been wondering about at the State House since the governor's budget included an $80 million bond for a new University of Rhode Island biomedical building, is what role that plays in the Hub. And does that move the center of gravity away from the Providence Jewelry District and Brown? Steinberg: So one of the things I usually have to explain is the Hub, the real life science Hub, is not a location. It's not a place. It's an organization. People ask me, where is it located? Where are you building the buildings? We're not building the buildings. We just happened to pick that as the name with a lot of key players. So Brown is a big research institution. They're going to break ground on a new life science building in the coming months. URI's got the bond. URI is a research institution. So we've got to get over the Providence-to-Kingston [distance], right? I mean, you'd still be in, what, Dallas or something with that distance in other parts of the country. Worcester is a major center now that's 35 minutes away. We've got to all collaborate. This is a growing sector, industry, body of science. And there's more than enough. But the Jewelry District became a hub because of location. So yes, Brown is there, but so is the Brown medical school. So are the two hospitals. So is the nursing school. So that is a natural area to do research, but not necessarily for manufacturing. Our largest company in the sector is Amgen, down in West Greenwich with a thousand people. They are doing a lot of training and things with URI. Journal: So I think that touches on it a little, but what do you see as the specific focus of the URI investment? "Life sciences" is a broad category. They aren't going to be starting a medical school, at least not yet. Is it more the manufacturing side down there? Steinberg: This will just be a newer facility. You'll have more lab space, which is needed to do the research. And I'll give you an example. I don't like to single out companies, but there's a company that was started at URI and it's called EchoWear. And I met the faculty member who started it. He started at URI. He's working with Rhode Island Hospital and has set up the company, this small operation in Pawtucket. So that's an example of how this is not just there. Wherever there is. Yes, the research might start in a lab there. It might start in a lab in Providence. It might start in a lab in Newport. But we need to integrate these things if they need capital, if they need additional infrastructure. Journal: The Hub is going out to bid for lab space. When I heard that, I thought, isn't there going to be lab space in the new State Health Lab and the Wexford Science and Technology Building? Steinberg: So I don't want to jump the gun on the proposals and stuff. Yes, the State Health Lab will have commercial space up above. What we're talking about is specific incubator space, not Pfizer taking a floor or something like that. That's the commercial use that I think down the road they're looking for companies taking space. This is an incubator space. There's one in Mansfield. There's a big one in Worcester. There's several in Massachusetts: small, growing companies can rent benches. Benches sounds not very scientific, but they are science benches, where they could do the research and get access to equipment, get access to resources on a shared basis. That's what we're looking to create. Journal: So if the owners of the Wexford Building, which was a Gina Raimondo initiative, were to put in a response to that RFP, you guys might listen? Steinberg: Correct. Same with the other building, too. And the hope is that you have the incubator over three or four years. It builds up, and companies then get bigger, and some of them will need additional commercial lab space for themselves, and then, hopefully, we'll have that in some of these buildings. Journal: A couple of weeks ago there were stories and a flurry of concern in Boston that spec lab space that was started in the pandemic won't find tenants. Are you at all concerned that we are building the lab space just after peak demand, on the downslope, and there might be a glut? Steinberg: So I got half a dozen calls after that glut of lab space in Boston. And my initial reaction was: I wish we had a glut. We don't have anything to have a glut of. So we're starting at ground zero on the commercial lab space. It's a growing industry. The real estate part goes up and down. It's cyclical, but even that, if we decide in the near future where we're going to put in this incubator, it won't be up for a year. And so the incubator that we're doing is not subject to that. Those get filled up in different locations. Those are the startups. The other relates to real estate cycles. They overbuild in hotels. They overbuild office buildings, and then it catches up, it fills up. Journal: Let's say four years out, how will you measure the Hub's success? Steinberg: So the classic [measures] are company creation, funding obtained and jobs. One of the things about this on the job side is that there's a focus on quality of jobs, not just on numbers. So these are not typically minimum-wage jobs. So I think the quantity of good-paying jobs, company creation, fundraising ... it just takes time. That's why we want to balance it with research, new product innovation, hopefully some manufacturing where you get bigger numbers. We want to be attractive. So that as with Amgen and Vertex, they're not headquartered here, but they have major facilities here. We're not going to steal headquarters for large companies from Massachusetts. That's not the gig. It's to get them to look at it regionally and for us to be a very good alternative for their next research facility, their next manufacturing facility. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Life Science Hub hopes to attract biotech business to state Fire damage sustained at Independence Towers on June 17, 2024, after firefighters were called out to douse an early morning blaze in a second floor apartment which displaced tenants in 27 apartment units over three floors. Residents of several dozen units at Independence Towers were displaced early Monday morning after a fire damaged the building. Eric Michel, Battalion Chief of Fire Prevention in Independence, said tenants in 27 apartments were evacuated due to smoke and fire damage to three floors of the building. Fire officials responded to the multi-story apartment building around 4:15 a.m., and discovered heavy smoke and fire in a second floor apartment. The fire was contained to one apartment and was put out quickly, according to Michel. No injuries were reported. Earlier this year, residents of Independence Towers joined KC Tenants, a tenant union, complaining of cockroaches, mice and other pests. In the summer, they said theres frequently no air conditioning, and in the winter, no heating. Tenants who spoke to The Star at that time said that described some of the poor living conditions they had endured at the apartment building located at 728 Jennings Road. At that point, Independence Towers was being managed by Tango Management, which is owned by FTW Investments, a company which also managed a complex which The Star reported on in Jan. 2023 for leaving tenants for days without heat in the winter. On May 16, a Jackson County judge appointed property management company Trigild Inc. as receiver of the property, after FTW Investments allegedly failed to pay back Fannie Mae for the loan and maintaining the building according to their loan agreement. A joint investigation into Mondays fire by Independence Fire, Independence Police and the Missouri State Fire Marshals Office is ongoing. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Red Cross is helping those affected find temporary housing. The Independence Tower leasing office refused to comment to The Star, saying they didnt have permission to be discussing the incident. Indian man extradited to US in connection with alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist An Indian national has been extradited to the United States to face charges he directed a plot to kill a critic of the Indian government in New York City. Nikhil Gupta is accused of paying a hit man to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of Sikhs for Justice, who has been advocating for the creation of a sovereign Sikh state. Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic late last year. He faces charges of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy. He appeared Monday in Manhattan federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. PHOTO: A member of United Hindu Front organization holds a banner depicting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to be based in Canada during a rally along a street in New Delhi, Sept. 24, 2023. (Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images) "As alleged, the defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in November at the time of Gupta's arrest. "We will not tolerate efforts to assassinate U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, and stand ready to investigate, thwart, and prosecute anyone who seeks to harm and silence Americans here or abroad." A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered the alleged plot to kill Pannun after a different Sikh separatist was killed in Canada, sources familiar with the case told ABC News. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accuse New Delhi in what became an international incident. MORE: International assassination plot against Sikh separatist in New York foiled: Indictment Nijjar was killed on June 18 near a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, according to The Associated Press. Three Canadians were arrested last month, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for the murder of Nijjar: Karan Brar, 22, of Edmonton; Kamalpreet Singh, 22, of Edmonton; and Karanpreet Singh, 28, of Edmonton. PHOTO: In this June 2023 photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, an undercover agent posing as a hitman holds money received as an advance payment for the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen, during a transaction in New York. (U.S. Attorney's Office via AP, FILE) Like Nijjar, Pannum advocates for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland in India's Punjab region. Gupta was directed by an unnamed "senior field officer" in the Indian government with intelligence experience "to orchestrate the assassination of the victim," according to the indictment filed in November. The purported hitman Gupta hired was actually a confidential source working for U.S. law enforcement, the indictment said. In May 2023, Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 for the hit job, with the U.S. Attorney's Office sharing photos of wads of cash being exchanged by Gupta as a down payment on the assassination. Gupta had fought extradition, but the Czech Constitutional Court cleared the way for him to be brought to the U.S. in a ruling late last month, according to the BBC. ABC News' Aleem Agha contributed to this report. Indian man extradited to US in connection with alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An Indian national pleaded not guilty in federal court in Manhattan on Monday. He is accused of being involved in a failed $100,000 murder-for-hire plot in June 2023 to assassinate a Sikh separatist living in New York. File photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI June 17 (UPI) -- An Indian man accused of being involved in a failed $100,000 murder-for-hire plot in June 2023 to assassinate a Sikh separatist living in New York pleaded not guilty Monday in a Manhattan courtroom. Nikhil Gupta is charged with engaging a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a member of a banned Sikh movement that advocates for an independent Sikh state in India's Punjab region and a U.S. citizen. Gupta also faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. According to prosecutors, unbeknownst to Gupta the "hitman" was an undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officer. Gupta entered the Lower Manhattan courtroom and entered his not guilty plea. To reporters before the arraignment, Gupta's lawyer, Jeffrey Chabrowe, read a statement, describing the case as "complex," The New York Times reported. "Background and details will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light," he said Gupta, 53, was extradited from the Czech Republic on Friday, seven months after the U.S. Justice Department laid charges and almost a year after he was arrested at the request of U.S. authorities, who allege Gupta was under the direction of an Indian government official, dubbed CC-1, in the murder-for-hire plot which was orchestrated from Indian soil. "This murder-for-hire plot -- allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government employee to kill a U.S. citizen in New York City -- was a brazen attempt to silence a political activist for exercising a quintessential American right: his freedom of speech," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Monday in a statement. "The extradition of the defendant is a vital step toward justice." In its indictment in November, the Southern District of New York accused Gupta of being a person involved in "international narcotics and weapons trafficking," based on his communications with CC-1 and others, while CC-1 is said to have described himself as a field officer who had served in India's Central Reserve Police Force" and received officer "training" in "battle craft" and "weapons." The Czech Constitutional Court threw out a bid by Gupta to avoid extradition in May. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison, 10 years for each count. His lawyer says he is an innocent businessman who has been trapped in the crosshairs of a foreign policy spat between Washington and New Delhi. Pannun, who is also a lawyer, said in a statement Monday that he has "full faith and confidence that not only will Gupta but all those behind his alleged assassination attempt will be held to account. "The attempt on my life on American Soil is the blatant case of India's transnational terrorism challenging America's sovereignty and unequivocally proves that Modi's India believes in using violence to suppress the dissenting political opinion while pro Khalistan Sikhs believe in votes to promote their cause," he said, referring to the president of India, Narendra Modi. "If the cost for organizing the Khalistan Referendum is assassination at the hands of Modi's death squad, I am willing to pay that price." The Indian government banned Pannun from entering the country after designating him as a terrorist in 2020, an accusation he rejects. Prosecutors allege that 24 hours after Hardeep Nijjar, a colleague of Pannun and fellow Sikh separatist was gunned down in a parking lot in British Columbia in June 2023, Gupta messaged the undercover DEA agent "now no need to wait" to kill the victim. Nijjar's killing, which remains unsolved, plunged Canada-India relations into a deep freeze after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement resulting in Ottawa expelling diplomats and New Delhi suspending visas. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government vehemently deny the allegations involving Nijjar who was killed 11 months after India's counterterrorism agency offered a $16,000 reward for information leading to his arrest in connection with a deadly bomb attack on a cinema in Punjab in 2007. The Indiana Republican State Committee unanimously elected consultant Anne Hathaway as the partys next chair on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. (Courtesy photo) For the second time in a year, the Indiana Republican Party is looking for a new leader. Chairwoman Anne Hathaway informed the Indiana Republican State Committee on Friday she will be stepping down effective upon the election of her successor. Executive Director Joe Elsener is also resigning. From day one, Joe and I made it clear that we would commit to serve through the primary and then transition to new leadership. The timing is right having just concluded our 2024 State Convention, and I look forward to working with Senator Braun and the members of our Republican State Committee to select our next chair, Hathaway said in a statement. She has served for 10 months after former Chairman Kyle Hupfer left to lead Brad Chambers campaign for governor. Gov. Eric Holcomb tapped Hathaway and she was the first woman to serve in that role. With her departure, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun the defacto leader of Indiana Republicans after winning the GOP gubernatorial nominee will choose a successor. Members of the state committee have to confirm Brauns pick and will hold a vote on June 24. Braun released a statement saying Hathaway did an excellent job as chair. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Her decision to leave means now is the time for a new leader who will bring fresh ideas to help Republicans across Indiana, he said. The State Central Committee will decide our next leader, and I am confident they will find a conservative leader who will help Republicans, including Donald Trump, Jim Banks, Todd Rokita, Micah Beckwith, and I, win in November so that we can implement our conservative agenda in 2025. Multiple inside sources believe Braun will recommend Jan Schuler-Hicks. She is the Daviess County GOP Chair and works for Brauns Senate office. Hathaway will remain one of Indianas two Republican National Committeemen, alongside new appointee Victor Smith. It has truly been my honor to serve the Republican Party in this capacity for the last 10 months. When Governor Holcomb asked me to serve as Chairwoman, I was both humbled and excited. I have truly enjoyed working with Republicans from all 92 counties to strengthen our grassroots, Hathaway said. As the Republican National Committeewoman, I am not leaving, I am just returning to my seat on the committee. I look forward to continuing to represent Indiana within the RNC and to continue to support our grassroots operations across the state as we work to elect our next President, Governor and Republicans up and down the ticket. The post Indiana Republicans to get a new leader again appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. High voltage power lines run along the electrical power grid on May 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The U.S. Senate approved three of President Joe Bidens nominees to serve on the nations top energy regulatory panel this week. Industry, renewable power and environmental groups cheered the vote on the new members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Three nominees by President Joe Biden to serve on the nations top energy regulatory panel, which had risked losing a quorum, were approved this week by the U.S. Senate. The vote to approve the new members two Democrats and a Republican for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was cheered by industry, renewable power and environmental groups alike, who said a full a complement of commissioners is essential to the body meeting the challenges posed by an aging electric grid, a fast-shifting generation mix and debates over natural gas infrastructure, among other pressing energy issues. We are pleased to see FERC will be restored to a full roster, which will help provide regulatory certainty and the attention needed on key questions impacting our nations energy systems, said Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, or EPSA, which represents companies that own power plants in competitive electricity markets. Having a full complement of five commissioners will allow FERC to keep advancing the vital work needed to deliver reliable, affordable and clean power to everyone around the country, said Ted Kelly, director of clean energy at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund. FERC, which regulates interstate transmission and wholesale sales of electricity, as well as interstate transmission of natural gas and oil, among other responsibilities, rarely shows up on peoples radar screens, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. But its mission is essential. Every time you turn on the light or touch the thermostat or see new power lines go up, the rules, regulations (and) policies of FERC are at work. Leaving the seats vacants, Schumer said, could create serious backlog and delay, potentially slowing down new projects that power peoples homes and cites. The new commissioners are: David Rosner, a Democrat and FERC energy industry analyst; West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See, a Republican who led the states successful legal fight against the Environmental Protection Agencys carbon rules; and Judy Chang, a Democrat, energy economist and the former undersecretary of energy and climate solutions for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is also an adjunct lecturer and senior fellow at Harvards Kennedy School. The Senate approved Rosner and See on Wednesday and Chang on Thursday. They join Chairman Willie Phillips, a Democrat, and Commissioner Mark Christie, a Republican. Commissioner Allison Clements, a Democrat, announced earlier this year she would not seek a second term. By law, FERC has five members, with no more than three from the same political party. They are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate and serve five-year staggered terms. Though the commission will maintain a 3-2 Democratic majority, at least one environmental group has been critical of Rosners selection. Friends of the Earth called Rosners fossil fuel ties disqualifying and blasted his work with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, headed by the powerful and pro-coal Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia who in May switched his registration from Democrat to independent. Manchin recommended Rosner, who was also previously a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy and an associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Centers energy project, for the commission seat last year, Politicos E&E News reported. The Koch Industries-linked American Energy Alliance has also criticized Changs past opposition to new natural gas pipelines. But for the Senate, at least, the relatively smooth confirmation process appeared to show that having a full complement of commissioners was preferable to picking fights over individual nominees. We all know that having a fully staffed FERC is going to make a lot of difference in what we do in this country, Manchin told his colleagues Tuesday, adding that each of the nominees had cleared his committee with extremely strong bipartisan support. Each of the nominees demonstrated deep experience on energy and legal matters, a commitment to follow the law and work within the authorities Congress has provided to FERC and a recognition that all of our nations sources play an important role providing affordable, reliable energy to families and businesses across our country. Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming and the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, noted that FERC went for seven months without a quorum during the Obama administration, putting many projects that help keep the lights on, help heat our homes and aid our allies abroad on hold. While I may not agree with each of the nominees on all the items all the time, all of them are well qualified, he said. ___ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of FERC Chairman Willie Phillips last name. The post Industry, clean power groups breathe a sigh of relief as Senate approves energy regulators appeared first on Source New Mexico. High voltage power lines run along the electrical power grid on May 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The U.S. Senate approved three of President Joe Bidens nominees to serve on the nations top energy regulatory panel this week. Industry, renewable power and environmental groups cheered the vote on the new members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Three nominees by President Joe Biden to serve on the nations top energy regulatory panel, which had risked losing a quorum, were approved last week by the U.S. Senate. The vote to approve the new members two Democrats and a Republican for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was cheered by industry, renewable power and environmental groups alike, who said a full a complement of commissioners is essential to the body meeting the challenges posed by an aging electric grid, a fast-shifting generation mix and debates over natural gas infrastructure, among other pressing energy issues. We are pleased to see FERC will be restored to a full roster, which will help provide regulatory certainty and the attention needed on key questions impacting our nations energy systems, said Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, or EPSA, which represents companies that own power plants in competitive electricity markets. Having a full complement of five commissioners will allow FERC to keep advancing the vital work needed to deliver reliable, affordable and clean power to everyone around the country, said Ted Kelly, director of clean energy at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund. FERC, which regulates interstate transmission and wholesale sales of electricity, as well as interstate transmission of natural gas and oil, among other responsibilities, rarely shows up on peoples radar screens, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. But its mission is essential. Every time you turn on the light or touch the thermostat or see new power lines go up, the rules, regulations (and) policies of FERC are at work. Leaving the seats vacants, Schumer said, could create serious backlog and delay, potentially slowing down new projects that power peoples homes and cites. The new commissioners are: David Rosner, a Democrat and FERC energy industry analyst; West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See, a Republican who led the states successful legal fight against the Environmental Protection Agencys carbon rules; and Judy Chang, a Democrat, energy economist and the former undersecretary of energy and climate solutions for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is also an adjunct lecturer and senior fellow at Harvards Kennedy School. The Senate approved Rosner and See on Wednesday and Chang on Thursday. They join Chairman Willie Phillips, a Democrat, and Commissioner Mark Christie, a Republican. Commissioner Allison Clements, a Democrat, announced earlier this year she would not seek a second term. By law, FERC has five members, with no more than three from the same political party. They are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate and serve five-year staggered terms. Though the commission will maintain a 3-2 Democratic majority, at least one environmental group has been critical of Rosners selection. Friends of the Earth called Rosners fossil fuel ties disqualifying and blasted his work with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, headed by the powerful and pro-coal Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia who in May switched his registration from Democrat to independent. Manchin recommended Rosner, who was also previously a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of Energy and an associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Centers energy project, for the commission seat last year, Politicos E&E News reported. The Koch Industries-linked American Energy Alliance has also criticized Changs past opposition to new natural gas pipelines. But for the Senate, at least, the relatively smooth confirmation process appeared to show that having a full complement of commissioners was preferable to picking fights over individual nominees. We all know that having a fully staffed FERC is going to make a lot of difference in what we do in this country, Manchin told his colleagues Tuesday, adding that each of the nominees had cleared his committee with extremely strong bipartisan support. Each of the nominees demonstrated deep experience on energy and legal matters, a commitment to follow the law and work within the authorities Congress has provided to FERC and a recognition that all of our nations sources play an important role providing affordable, reliable energy to families and businesses across our country. Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming and the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, noted that FERC went for seven months without a quorum during the Obama administration, putting many projects that help keep the lights on, help heat our homes and aid our allies abroad on hold. While I may not agree with each of the nominees on all the items all the time, all of them are well qualified, he said. The post Industry, clean power groups breathe a sigh of relief as Senate approves energy regulators appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Miya's parents and two others were charged with abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering after an infant's remains were allegedly found in the Rudd home Kentucky State Police Miya Tucker / Miya Rudd Miya Rudd was last seen in April 2024, police say Her parents and her grandfather Ricky Smith were arrested in connection with the disappearance Now, four people have been charged with evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse in connection with discovery of an infant's body, per police Police in Kentucky say they have recovered remains consistent with 8-month-old Miya Rudd, whose disappearance since April has led to arrests of several of her family members. On June 6, Kentucky State Police responded to a welfare check in Reynolds Station, Ky., and could not locate Miya, the department said in a statement earlier this month. (Miya was previously identified by the department as Miya Tucker, but has been named Miya Rudd in their follow-up statements). In the ensuing investigation, police arrested the infant's parents Tesla Tucker, 29, and Cage Rudd, 30, and her grandfather Ricky Smith on several charges in connection with her disappearance. Daviess County Detention Center Miya Rudd's mother Tesla Tucker (left), and father Cage Rudd Miya was last seen in April by her family members, according to an arrest affidavit cited by the Courier Journal. When police initially went to her home, her parents told them she had been taken by child services a claim police allegedly determined to be false, News 14 and K 105 reported, citing authorities. In the home, authorities allegedly found drug paraphernalia, including methamphetamine, during the welfare check, heightening their fears about Miya's potential exposure to drugs. When she was born in October 2023, her umbilical cord tested positive for methamphetamine, Kentucky State Police previously said, per News 14. On June 14, troopers found a decomposed body, which they say was hidden in a concealed manner in the Rudd residence, the department said in a statement. The remains are suspected to be Miyas. The decomposed body was located inside the residence hidden in a concealed manner, the statement reads. The remains were taken to the Kentucky Medical Examiners Office in Louisville, the Ohio County Coroners Office confirmed with PEOPLE. The coroner's office declined to comment further citing the pending investigation. Related: What Happened to Miya Tucker? 3 Relatives Have Been Arrested in Connection with Mysterious April Disappearance GoFundMe Miya Rudd On the day they discovered the remains, authorities charged Tucker, Rudd and Smith with additional charges of abuse of a corpse, evidence tampering and failing to report a death, according to the statement. Brodie C. Payne, 28, was also charged with the same offenses, the statement said. Payne, who had been living in the Rudd residence for several months, was initially arrested on drug charges and charges related to organized crime among other offenses. Tucker and Rudd were previously charged with child abandonment and drug possession among other offenses, police said in their June 6 statement. Smith had previously been charged with child abuse, child abandonment, drug trafficking and possession of firearms by a felon, state police said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. Authorities had also arrested both of Miya's grandmothers and her other grandfather during their investigation, but they were not charged in connection with her disappearance. Her grandparents Taletha D. Tucker, 50, and David Tucker, 53, were taking care of Tesla's three other children, who have since been removed from their care. Kentucky State Police, Daviess County Jail Miya Rudd's grandfather Ricky Smith (left), and family friend Brodie C. Payne A GoFundMe set up by a woman identifying herself as Miya's aunt says they are raising funds for her memorial. "We are absolutely devastated due to this tragedy and need your help in raising enough money to give her the proper burial and memorial she deserves," the fundraiser reads in part. In an update on the GoFundMe, it says relatives are starting their preparation for a funeral. Police are yet to identify the remains as Miya's. 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. It wasn't immediately clear if the four detained individuals have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf. An investigation is ongoing, troopers said in their statement, adding that there may be additional charges to come. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The dream started with a sickly mother at an Indianapolis apartment complex known for trouble. Carl King, 25, decided early in his teens that nursing was going to be his career path. That reality was hard to realize growing up inside a bank of east-side apartments in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. The complex may have changed names several times over the years, but residents know it as "Hillside." Within their home was an environment that fostered academia. I always lived in Hillside. I grew up with a single mother and two sisters, but Ive always taken AP honors classes. My big sister was valedictorian at her school, King said. More: Martindale-Brightwood loses its sense of self as gentrification moves in, residents say Outside of it was an environment known for fostering crime. Hillside's struggles and people trying to change it Thom Kenneth has been a maintenance worker inside Hillside, currently named New Bridge, for a while and said he has seen it all. I try to do more and go beyond with the kids here. We really try to talk to them you know, Kenneth said, Theres no safe spaces for them to enjoy being kids. Despite its reputation for challenges, Martindale-Brightwood residents, organizations, churches and community leaders are actively working to redefine the Hillside narrative. The New Bridge apartment complex has has Indianapolis Metropolitan Police investigate seven homicides in less than five years. The Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood is bounded by East 30th Street on the north, Sherman Drive on the east, Massachusetts Avenue, East 21st Street on the south, and the Monon Trail to the west. The area of just under 9,500 people includes primarily Black residents according to the Martindale-Brightwood Quality of Life Plan, an annual report compiled by community stakeholders. More than 60% live at or below the poverty line. Gangs have played a significant role as far back as the 1980s, according to The Polis Center's timeline on the neighborhood. Related: Former Indianapolis violence reduction director to lead Brightwood Community Center Fast forward to the present day and the annual report from the Marion County Coroners Office shows that the 46218 ZIP code, which is where Martindale-Brightwood is located, had the most deadly shootings in 2023. The 46218 ZIP code was the highest ZIP code with firearm homicide deaths in 2023 At Hillside alone, there have been seven homicides in less than five years, making it one of the deadliest complexes in the city. Shelly Corken became the new property manager four months ago. She has made safety changes for the complex including hiring an on-site security team and adding more cameras in and around the complex. "I have no tolerance for crime to keep coming in here and keep disrupting my tenants that have been here since 1988," Corken told news outlets in April. More: Why Martindale Brightwood is getting $3.5 million from the city of Indianapolis Carl King said he has lived inside New Bridge Apartments since he was a young child and although his environment may have been negative there were many neighbors who celebrated his academic prowess. A juvenile record and a dream derailed Hillside's influence derailed Carl King's nursing dreams. I was in 10th grade just turning 16 and I still remember it. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, King said. He was arrested and charged with two counts of robbery resulting in bodily injury. King spent three days in the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center, right around the corner from the apartment complex. One charge was then waived to adult court so he would spend time in the county jail before being transferred to Pendleton Correctional Facility. Ive never been in trouble before. Im still a kid, King said. When his public defender visited him in prison, King learned his other charge stayed in juvenile court. While discussing his case, the lawyer asked him a question that would change the course of his detainment. What do you want to do? "I want to be a nurse." What makes you think that you could do that? "I was in AP honors." That conversation, King believes, led to him being released. He had been sentenced to seven years for the charge that was waived to adult court. Five were suspended but he spent one year in community corrections and Pendleton with the other year on house arrest. If he got in any trouble again, he would be back in the system with an automatic sentence. Carl King with loved ones celebrating his graduation from Arlington High School. King enrolled at Arlington High School that fall where he said he maintained a 4.3 GPA. That is when he met representatives from Walker Charitable Foundation an organization established to fulfill the dream of Charles and James Walker, two African American brothers who personally knew the hardships involved in attaining higher education. The group provides scholarships to colleges and operates solely inside Indianapolis Public Schools. Carl King was a part of our first cohort, Walker Foundation board member Lee C. Christie said. Christie is also a partner at Christie Farrell Lee & Bell. King would be awarded the foundations scholarship to Ivy Tech Community Colleges ASAP Program after writing an essay about the greatest hardship he had ever endured: Being in prison. Christie said King was a "star student" who came with little worry from mentors about his academic future. King graduated high school and started attending the college, which accepts students with criminal backgrounds. Everything seemed OK, until he got a summons in the mail. His old case was back to haunt him years later. Christie was shocked when he received a call from King's mom that he was back in jail. Prosecutors were trying to waive the case to adult court, but at the time retired juvenile Judge, Marilyn Moores, was very protective of her kids. Shed say, No, keep him here. Even still, this was in the background for all that time and was finally waived to adult court, Christie said. Christie, a lawyer, assembled a team to help King and served as a character witness in his case. King pleaded guilty to get out of jail and put the situation behind him. He had a no-bond hold, too. So, he would have been in there for a while, Christie said. King's case saddened Christie because not everyone has a team of lawyers ready to jump to their defense. Hed have been stuck in the system otherwise," Christie said. "He would have flunked his finals, too. King was released on probation and got back in the classroom, but put a pin on becoming a nurse. Carl King pictured with his Walker Charitable Foundation, Inc. mentor Dr. Golam Mannan In my mind, my back is against the wall. Im wondering how Im going to be a nurse. I cant get a job at all. Im living off my college stipend and grant money, King said. King pulled from another Hillside childhood experience to calculate his next move. Im a felon still living in Hillside in this environment," King said. "I grew up in Hillside with no central air and I used to turn on the stove to heat up the house all the time. He joined Ivy Tech Community College's HVAC program. Christie encouraged him to email the Marion County Prosecutor's Office about getting his records expunged, but King had little hope that anyone in the judicial process would be on his side. At the same time, King was watching his mother the whole reason he wanted to become a nurse deteriorate. She had been on dialysis for eight years and had three heart surgeries and a quadruple bypass. He felt hopeless. I tell her, Stuff I did as a kid I cant overcome it, Mama. Im tired. She told me to keep sticking with it. She never gave up on me. Carl King and his two sisters who he says, along with his mom, had a tremendous positive influence on him. His mother passed away a week before his 23rd birthday. We were at home. Inside this Hillside apartment. She gave me a hug and said she loved me before she passed. King would vent his troubles to his college counselor at Ivy Tech. He wanted to quit. It's going to take time, the counselor said. "I don't got time," King retorted. The next day King got an email from the district prosecutors office saying his cases were being expunged. He could be a nurse, after all. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Kings progress from being a youth in the juvenile justice system to being an adult trying to succeed was the reason his office petitioned for the court to grant expungements for his records. We saw that he had tremendous support and this commitment to his academics. We saw his grades. He was a young person who had really done what we want young people in the juvenile justice system to do, Mears said. Previously incarcerated people who have jobs and homes, Mears explained, tend to not commit crimes again. The type of expungement King received doesn't happen often, but a judge reviewed his case and King's commitment to personal growth to give him another chance. King is not taking that for granted. He earned his Licensed Practical Nurse certification in the spring and plans to enroll to become a registered nurse in the fall. Thats my story," King said. "Dont let your environment stop you." This article was produced for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms 2023 Impact Fund for Reporting on Health Equity and Health Systems. Surveys collected within the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood were done via an USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms engagement grant. Contact Jade Jackson at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis ex-felon defying the odds with his pursuit for nursing Interlaken fire containment grows to 86% after nearly full week of burning DENVER (KDVR) Over the weekend, the Interlaken wildfire grew to over 730 acres partly because of more accurate mapping, but also because of the fire burning near the Twin Lakes shore. Still, containment grew to 86% up from 45% on Saturday as crews sought to protect historic structures and natural features in the area. The fire was most active on its north end, backing downhill 500 feet in some areas from the Colorado Trail towards the lake shore. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Crews also used an infrared detection flight to better map the fires boundaries. The Interlaken fire incident management team wrote in its daily update, provided Monday at 8 a.m., that the northern area is still uncontained. The incident team also reported some additional interior fire activity on the northeast end of fire where the fire burned up to the 2018 Flume Creek prescribed burn area and stopped. Last week, the U.S. Forest Service announced that the fire was human-caused, showing a campfire that was improperly extinguished and continued to burn. The Forest Service said the campfire had probably been abandoned several days before the blaze accelerated on June 11. The official Interlaken Fire Information page shared these photos on Monday of the smoke inversion impacting the town of Twin Lakes and areas near Independence Pass. Photos taken by the U.S. Forest Service from the Dexter Campground. The official Interlaken Fire Information page shared these photos on Monday of the smoke inversion impacting the town of Twin Lakes and areas near Independence Pass. Photos taken by the U.S. Forest Service from the Dexter Campground. More smoke was visible throughout the weekend as interior pockets of unburned fuel began to ignite. On the west side of the fire, crews used water pumps and hoses and made good progress to secure. Crews also reported progress on the south end, finding no more hot spots outside the fire perimeter. Helicopters provided water drops on the southwest corner to cool down interior heat pockets, which prevents spotting outside the fire perimeter. Because the helicopters are on standby or actively in use, the fire incident team once again warned nearby residents to refrain from using drones or other aircraft. If you fly, we cant, the team wrote. Do not fly or operate drones in this area, as it will impede firefighting efforts and ground our aircraft. Denver weather: Hot and breezy on Monday with increased fire danger On Monday, crews were planning to attack the heat near the fire perimeter using hose lays. On the north end of the fire, crews plan to limit the impact on trails and preserve the trees as the fire backs down to the lake shoreline. Crews are also seeking to remove hazard trees along trails and the 399-road system, according to the incident management team, to make the area safe for future recreationists. Helicopters are still reportedly available for assistance. The official Interlaken Fire Information page shared these photos on Sunday of the smoke rising from the interior of the fire as it consumed fuels that had previously not ignited. Photos taken by the U.S. Forest Service. The official Interlaken Fire Information page shared these photos on Sunday of the smoke rising from the interior of the fire as it consumed fuels that had previously not ignited. Photos taken by the U.S. Forest Service. An abandoned campfire is blamed for the Interlaken wildfire thats so far burned more than 400 acres in the popular Colorado recreation area near Leadville, and investigators are looking for anyone responsible. (U.S. Forest Service) Interlaken Fire near Leadville Size and containment 731 acres, 86% as of Monday, June 17 7 miles south-southwest of Leadville Map of the fire containment as of June 17 at noon Evacuations, pre-evacuations All pre-evacuation notices were lifted on June 16 at 7 p.m. Weather, smoke The incident management team warned inversion smoke could impact the Twin Lakes and Highway 82 corridor during morning and evening hours but should be in light to moderate concentrations during the day. Additionally, the area (like much of Colorado) is under a red flag warning and fire weather watch on Monday through 8 p.m. because of dry, windy, hot conditions. Winds could pick up in the afternoon to around 16-20 mph from the southwest. Road, trail closures The U.S. Forest Service for the Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands issued a closure notice beginning June 14 and lasting through July 15, unless rescinded. Closures include: Interlaken trailhead and parking area Willis Gulch trail Willis Stump Trail Sheep Gulch trail Colorado Trail and Continental Divide National Scenic Trail segments in the Twin Lakes Area (from Clear Creek Road to State Route 82) Red Rooster day use area Moache day use area Dexter Point day use area and campground Deception Point day-use area Forest Service Road 399 Forest Service Road 398 Dispersed camping around the lake The surface area of Twin Lakes Emergency alerts Residents and visitors can sign up for Lake County emergency alerts and Chaffee County emergency alerts. Interlaken fire tip line, information line Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 303-275-5266. The Interlaken Fire information phone line is staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 719-301-4284. Information can also be offered via email at 2024.interlaken@firenet.gov. 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. Former President Donald Trump had a significant lead over President Joe Biden in the June 2024 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. (Photos by Mario Tama and David Dee Delgado/Getty Images, illustration via Canva) Even after former President Donald Trumps criminal conviction, he leads President Joe Biden by nearly 20 percentage points among likely Iowa voters, the most recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. The poll results, published Monday, show 50% of likely Iowa voters said they would support Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee in the general election if it were held today. Biden, the incumbent president who defeated Trump in the 2020 election, had the support of 32% of likely voters. Outside of the main two candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent after failing to win the Democratic nomination against Biden, earned the most support. The poll found 9% of likely voters supported Kennedy, while libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver earned 2% of likely voters support. Another 3% said they would support someone else, 1% would not vote, and 3% are not sure. Trump won Iowa in the 2020 presidential election, earning 53% in the state to Bidens 45%. He also won Iowa in the 2016 election with 52% to Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons 42%. The latest poll results show Trump having a greater lead against his Democratic opponent heading toward the Nov. 5 election, with an 18 percentage point margin. Previous Iowa Polls from this election cycle showed a similar margin: Trump led Biden 48%-33% in the March poll. The latest results come on the heels of Trumps criminal conviction, when a New York jury found the former president guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments during the 2016 campaign season. While other polls have found independents and swing voters are less likely to support Trump following the verdict, the Iowa Poll found that Trump remains at a higher favorability with likely voters than Biden. The GOP presidential candidate is viewed favorably by 51% of poll respondents and unfavorably by 47%, while Biden is seen favorably by 33% and unfavorably by 66%. Compared the March poll, more Iowa independents have a positive view of Trump than before 48% of independents view him favorably compared to 50% unfavorably, a better margin than the 42%-53% favorability he earned in the earlier poll. However, Trump still has a worse margin with independent women, with 41% saying they have a favorable view and 58% an unfavorable view. Though he has a net positive favorability score, there is still a significant portion of likely Iowans who strongly dislike Trump. In the poll, 37% of Iowans said they have a very unfavorable view of Trump. Biden had 50% of poll takers who said their feelings toward him were very unfavorable. Overall, 13% of respondents have an unfavorable view of both presidential candidates, according to the poll. In this group of so-called double-haters, more plan to vote for Biden, 26%, than Trump with 16%. Among people who see both Biden and Trump unfavorably, 26% support Kennedy, who held an event in April to qualify for the Iowa general election ballot. The Iowa Poll was conducted June 9-14 by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines. Results are based on responses from 806 Iowa adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Of those respondents, 632 were likely voters, and questions to this group have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The post Iowa Poll finds Trump leads Biden by double digits among likely Iowa voters appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Iowa, which has ranked first in on-time high school graduation rate since the 2010-11 school year, fell to No. 3, according to the report.(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Iowa scored relatively well in education rankings among the states, but with declining test scores and on-time high school graduation rates decreasing, the state has fallen from its highs of previous years, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Sixty-seven percent of Iowa fourth-graders in 2022 were not proficient in reading, which is two percentage points worse than the 2019 pre-COVID rates, according to the Kids Count report. Among eighth-graders, 72% were proficient in math, five percentage points worse than the 2019 rates. Having good foundational reading skills by fourth grade prepares students for future analytical reading, and having foundational math skills by eighth grade prepares students for more complicated math, said Anne Discher, executive director of Common Good Iowa, which helped with the report. Were really looking at an incredible educational challenge where weve got kids going through their school careers hitting important milestones and probably not having the skills we wish they would, Discher said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE Iowa, which has ranked first in on-time high school graduation rate since the 2010-11 school year, fell to No. 3, according to the report. Chronic absenteeism rates are also on the rise, with more than 1 in 4 Iowa students chronically absent, according to the report. The report gave Iowa an overall rank of 13th out of the 50 states in education. This rank puts Iowa behind neighboring states like Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin. Discher said to reverse these trends the state needs to go beyond just investing more in Iowa schools. Tackling childhood food insecurity, improving kids home internet connections and increasing Medicaid accessibility for young children should lead to better test scores, Discher said. When you think about the fact that suddenly were not first in high school graduation, that our test scores arent that far off national averages, it feels like were starting to maybe see in data a real change in priorities in our state, Discher said. The post Iowa scores in 50-state education rankings decline from years past appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Gallant hold a joint press conference at Israel's Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli defence exports rose to a record $13.1 billion in 2023, a government report said on Monday, citing hundreds of contracts signed at various defence firms. Some 36% of exports came from missile, rocket and air defence systems, followed by radar and electronic warfare, weapon stations and launchers at 11% each, with crewed aircraft and avionics at 9%, the Defence Ministry said. Defence exports, which totalled $12.5 billion in 2022, have doubled over the past five years. The ministry said defence exports had become a central priority as part of an effort to strengthen security-strategic relations worldwide, enter new markets, remove bureaucratic barriers and reduce regulation. "While our industries are primarily focused on providing the defence establishment with the capabilities to support our troops and defend our citizens ... they are also continuing to pursue areas of cooperation and exports to international partners," said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Palestinians walk among the rubble of houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Israeli military says it will soon have achieved its aims in the offensive in Rafah. Half of the combat units of the the militant Palestinian organization, which governed Gaza prior to the war that broke out in October, have been destroyed, the army said. Some 60-70% of the territory of the city in the southern Gaza Strip is under the "operational control" of Israeli troops, the army said on Monday. It would only take a few more weeks before the military operation in the city is completed, the army said. Israel's army launched the operation in Rafah, which lies on the border with Egypt, at the beginning of May. The declared aim was to dismantle the last Hamas combat units. The offensive was highly controversial internationally because more than 1 million Palestinians were in Rafah at the time. Most of them had fled there from other parts of the Gaza Strip to escape the war. Almost all of these people have now fled from the city to an area to the west, where they are finding it difficult to get supplies. According to unverified army reports on Monday, Israeli troops killed around 550 Hamas fighters in 40 days of fighting in Rafah. Twenty-two of their own soldiers in the fighting. In the course of the operation, they found an extensive system of tunnels as well as large quantities of weapons and explosives. At least 25 underground tunnels are said to run under the border with Egypt. This information likewise cannot currently be independently verified. By taking control of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land running along the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, Israel has greatly increased its control over what goes in and out of Gaza. Although Egypt denies it, in the Gaza Strip it was an open secret that goods ranging from everyday necessities to luxury goods were smuggled through tunnels, on which Hamas then levied customs duties. Palestinians walk among the rubble of houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Palestinians walk among the rubble of houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on the second day of Eid al-Adha. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Israeli tanks and soldiers are seen at a gathering point as fighting between Israeli troops and the militants of the Palestinian group Hamas continues. Israel's defence exports reached a new record high last year, according to official figures. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Israel's defence exports reached a new record high last year, according to official figures. The Defence Ministry announced on Monday that Israeli arms exports amounted to the equivalent of about $12.9 billion in 2023 - the third year in a row that arms exports had broken records. Israeli arms exports have doubled within the past five years. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "Israel continues succeeding in its international cooperation and industrial defense exports even during a year marked by war." According to the ministry, 36% of the revenue came from agreements in the field of missile and air defence systems. Some 48% of arms exports went to the Asia-Pacific region, 35% to Europe and 9% to North America. Smaller percentages went to Latin America and to Arab countries with which Israel recently signed the so-called Abraham Accords, and to Africa, which accounted for just 1%. Germany has purchased the very long-range missile defence system Arrow 3 from Israel, which is due to be delivered in 2025. Israel's exports in 2023 are similar to Germany's arms exports over the past year. Political tension in Israel over the conduct of the country's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip spilled out into public view again Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded an influential group that had, since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 terrorist attack and sparked the war, helped to set Israel's war policy. Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet, a coalition of political rivals created after the Hamas attack to both sow and show unity at the top level of the Israeli government during the conflict. That unity collapsed last week when Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's leading moderate opponent, resigned from his position in the government and the war cabinet over what he had said was a failure to present any plan to govern Gaza following the war. Protesters hold up flags in front of a banner with a photo of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that reads: The now-dissolved war cabinet was also formed to bypass some far-right ministers in the wider cabinet, and many people inside and outside Israel feared Netanyahu would lurch toward the far-right in the wake of Gantz's move. Netanyahu formed his current coalition government Israel's most extreme right-wing cabinet ever with members of far-right Israeli parties who remain in key posts, and those figures are the linchpin of his ongoing ability to govern effectively, and even to keep his job. Increasing Israel-Hezbollah clashes stir U.S. fear of wider conflict Officials with Netanyahu's Likud party said Monday that the prime minister was forming a new small group with whom to consult on war-time decisions. Sources indicated that the extreme far-right government ministers still would not participate in the day-to-day running of the war, but major policy decisions related to the conflict will still be taken by the wider Israeli security cabinet, which includes the far-right members. The shakeup at the top came a day after Israel announced a "tactical pause" in the fighting along a roughly 7.5-mile stretch of road in the Rafah area. The pause will take effect during daylight hours, and only on that particular road near the southern Gaza city, which has seen serious fighting in recent weeks as Israel goes after what it says are the few remaining Hamas combat units in the Palestinian enclave. The Israel Defense Forces said the pause was intended to allow more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza through the vital Rafah border crossing with Egypt and then to be distributed by the United Nations and other organizations further north in the territory. After the military announced the plan, Netanyahu's office issued a statement stressing that combat operations against Hamas would continue in Rafah city and elsewhere across Gaza. The war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the enclave's Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and the bloodshed continued Monday as Muslims around the world marked the holiday of Eid al-Adha. It was a muted holy day for thousands of displaced Gazan families, including one that spoke with CBS News' team in Gaza as they took refuge in a stable. "Our hearts break when we hear of people eating Eid sweets," the grandmother told our team. "We don't even have shoes. I couldn't take anything with me but my disabled daughter and my newborn grandchild. I feel paralyzed, like I am dead." Children line up to receive food at an UNRWA-run school in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip, June 17, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. / Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP/Getty The Biden administration and Israel accuse Hamas of stalling on an agreement to secure the release of more than 70 hostages still believed to be held alive in Gaza, along with the remains of about 30 others, in exchange for a cease-fire. Hamas, the U.S. said last week, has demanded a number of changes to the current draft proposal on offer, some of which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said were not acceptable. If the newly announced daily pause in fighting along the key road across southern Gaza holds, it could at least help to address some of the overwhelming humanitarian needs of the Palestinian territory's people, as Israeli forces continue to pursue the remaining Hamas brigades in Rafah. But the fighting all around that road in Rafah looked set to continue. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed over the weekend when their armored vehicle was struck by an explosion in the area. In central Gaza, meanwhile, nine people were killed late Sunday night when a home was struck by Israeli fire. The tactical pause does not apply there, and the fighting goes on. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg on fatherhood New Jersey diner owner, who is blind, dishes out friendship and inspiration Mom creates camp for kids with chronic pancreatitis FILE - From left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz speak during a news conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 28, 2023. Israeli officials said Monday, June 17, 2024, that Netanyahu has dissolved the influential War Cabinet that was tasked with steering the war in Gaza. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File) TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential war Cabinet that has overseen the fighting in Gaza, a government spokesperson said Monday, days after a key member of the body bolted from the government over frustration with the Israeli leader's handling of the war. The move was widely expected following the departure of Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief. Gantz's absence from the government increases Netanyahu's dependence on his ultra-nationalist allies, who oppose a cease-fire. That could pose an additional challenge to the already fragile negotiations to end the eight-month war in Gaza. Government officials said Netanyahu would hold smaller forums for sensitive war issues, including with his security Cabinet, which includes far-right governing partners who oppose cease-fire deals and have voiced support for reoccupying Gaza. The war Cabinet was formed in the early days of the war, when Gantz, then an opposition party leader and Netanyahu rival, joined the coalition in a show of unity following the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas. He demanded that a small decision-making body steer the war, in a bid to sideline far-right members of Netanyahus government. It was made up of three members Gantz, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The move to scrap the war Cabinet comes as Israel faces more pivotal decisions. Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its attack. Israeli troops are still bogged down in the Gaza Strip, fighting in the southern city of Rafah and against pockets of Hamas resurgence elsewhere, in addition to a dramatic escalation last week on the northern border with Lebanon. After launching hundreds of rockets and drones toward Israel in some of the most intense barrages in the conflict, Hezbollah sharply reduced the number of projectiles fired toward northern Israel on Sunday and Monday. The lull continued even after Israeli military officials said they killed a key operative in Hezbollahs rocket and missile department, Mohammed Ayoub, in a drone attack on Monday morning. The Israeli military said it tracked just two missiles fired Monday from Lebanon, and they did not enter Israeli territory. In the past 48 hours, there were just six launches, down from more than 200 on Thursday. The lull could be due to the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha that began Sunday morning, as well as a visit from Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden. Hochstein is in Israel to discuss the volatile situation along the Lebanon-Israel border. He is scheduled to be in Beirut on Tuesday. The U.S. has been trying to ease tensions along the frontier, and Hochstein made several trips to the region in recent months. Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the Israel-Hamas war erupted, and daily exchanges of fire have been commonplace since then. In recent weeks, the exchanges have intensified, with fires breaking out on both sides of the border. Netanyahu has played a balancing act throughout the war, weighing pressure from Israel's top ally, the U.S., and growing global opposition to the fighting, as well as from his government partners, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both have threatened to topple the government should Israel move ahead on a cease-fire deal. The latest proposal is part of the Biden administration's most concentrated push to help wind down the war. For now, progress on a deal appears to be stalled. Critics say Netanyahus wartime decision-making has been influenced by the ultra-nationalists in his government and by his desire to remain in power. Netanyahu denies the accusations and says he has the countrys best interests in mind. Gantz's departure, while not posing a direct threat to Netanyahu's rule, rocked Israeli politics at a sensitive time. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israels credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel finds itself at its most isolated. Gantz is now an opposition party leader in parliament. Gantzs decision also prompted another resignation. Former army chief and fellow party member Gadi Eisenkot left the war Cabinet, where he had observer status. Netanyahu's government is Israel's most religious and nationalist ever. In Israel's fractious parliamentary system, Netanyahu relies on a group of small parties to help keep his government afloat. Without the support of Gantz's party, Netanyahu is expected to be more beholden to far-right allies. Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts in the New York hush money casebut theres a lengthy appeals process ahead. And what ever happened to the other three cases against him: Jack Smiths federal election interference and classified documents cases and Fani Willis Georgia election interference case? All three have hit various roadblocks. To make it easier to follow Trumps ongoing legal entanglements, each Monday well give you updates on the latest developments in Keeping Up With the Trump Trials. Programming note: Keeping Up will be taking a brief summer hiatus next week but returning Monday, July 1. All eyes are on the Supreme Court as the justices are expected, any day now, to release their opinion on whether Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in his federal election interference case. Meanwhile, Judge Aileen Cannon rejected an attempt by the former presidents attorneys to dismiss the classified documents indictment. Over in Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson has been busy having private conversations with Trump over his criminal conviction. Judge Aileen Cannon turned down a motion from Trumps defense team to dismiss special counsel Jack Smiths classified documents case, but at the same time, she agreed to strike one paragraph from Smiths indictment that she found legally unnecessary. The paragraph was about a meeting Trump had had in August or September 2021 in which he allegedly said that an ongoing U.S. military operation was not going well and proceeded to show a classified map that depicted where the operation was happening. Trump disclosed this information to a person, who is identified merely as PAC Representative but is presumed to be Susie Wiles, a conservative political strategistPolitico has called her the most feared and least known political operative in America. Trumps attorneys requested that a series of allegations included in Smiths indictment be removed, and after reviewing them all, Cannon obliged on this one, though it will not affect any of Trumps charges. She criticized Smith for creating a speaking indictment, i.e., an overly descriptive charging document, that included various nonessential allegations more akin to a narrative about the governments theory of prosecution. Smith is likely waiting with bated breath to see how the Supreme Court rules on the question of whether the former president enjoys presidential immunity and whether his federal election interference prosecution can move forward. Through the month of June and likely into early July, the court will issue decisions every week for its 202324 term, and Trumps presidential immunity case is one of the most consequential rulings expected. During oral arguments back in April, the justices seemed poised to give the former president a big win, with Samuel Alito suggesting that total presidential immunity is required for the functioning of a stable democratic society. Meanwhile, Trumps attorney argued that the presidency as we know it would be over if presidents are not granted immunity from criminal charges, and an attorney for Smiths office argued that SCOTUS has never before recognized absolute presidential immunity. Depending on how the court rules, the case could end up getting kicked back down to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or to D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Its almost certain that the election interference case wont go to trial before the November election. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trumps hush money trial, earlier this year placed the former president under a gag order that limited what he could say publicly about prosecutors, witnesses, and members of the jury. Now that the trial is over, Trumps attorneys want the gag lifted. Trumps opponents and adversaries are using the Gag Order as a political sword to attack President Trump with reference to this case, on the understanding that his ability to mount a detailed response is severely restricted by the Gag Order, Trumps attorneys wrote in a court filing to Merchan. They equate the gag order to an extraordinary, unprecedented, and unwarranted restriction on Trumps free speech rights and, given that the hush money trial is over, argue that theres no need for it any longer. However, prosecutors for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg want the gag order to stay in place until at least July 11, when Trump is due to be sentenced, suggesting that its necessary in order to protect the integrity of these proceedings and the fair administration of justice. Since the former president became a convicted felon about two weeks ago, hes been busy trying to undo the Manhattan jurys verdict, and, according to unnamed sources who spoke to Politico, this included petitioning GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson to leverage his power in Congress. The speaker has shown hes an ally to Trump, attending his hush money trial. Shortly after the jury found the former president guilty, Johnson went on Fox News and urged the Supreme Court to intervene and set this straight. The two have also been in frequent contact, according to Politico, about creating a pathway for House Republicans to somehow overturn Trumps felony conviction. (Trump allegedly said, We have to overturn this.) However, Johnson doesnt exactly have House Republicans in his pocket. The GOP holds just a razor-thin majority, and Johnson was nearly ousted from the speakership by his fellow Freedom Caucus members last month. Its not clear how Republicans in Congress would get Trumps conviction overturned, though they have introduced legislation that would allow presidents to transfer state-level prosecutions to federal courts, and the Judiciary Committee is considering how to target Smith, who is leading the charge in two separate criminal indictments of Trump. Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. As of June 2, Japans Health Ministry had recorded 977 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which has a mortality rate of up to 30%. Some 77 people have died from the infection between January and March, the latest figures available. The ongoing outbreak in Japan has already surpassed last years previous record of 941 preliminary infections the highest since statistics began in 1999. Japans National Institute of Infectious Diseases reported 97 deaths due to STSS last year, the second-highest number of fatalities in the past six years. STSS is a rare but serious bacterial infection that can develop when bacteria spread into deep tissues and the bloodstream. Patients initially suffer from fever, muscle pain and vomiting but symptoms can quickly turn life threatening with low blood pressure, swelling, and multiple organ failure as the body goes into shock. Even with treatment, STSS can be deadly. Out of 10 people with STSS, as many as three people will die from the infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most STSS cases are caused by the group A streptococcus (GAS) bacteria, which mainly produces fever and throat infections in children. In rare circumstances, strep A can become invasive when bacterium produces a toxin that enables it to gain access to the bloodstream, causing serious illnesses such as toxic shock. Strep A can also cause flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis, which can lead to loss of limbs. However, most patients who contract that disease have other health factors that may lower their bodys ability to fight infections, such as cancer or diabetes, according to the CDC. Invasive group A strep infections were largely curbed by Covid-19 controls, such as masking and social distancing, but after those measures were relaxed many countries reported a rise in cases. In December 2022, five European countries reported to the World Health Organization an increase in invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS), with children under 10 the most impacted. The CDC said it was also investigating an apparent increase in the disease at the time. In March, Japanese authorities warned of a jump in STSS cases. Japans National Institute of Infectious Diseases released a risk assessment saying the number of STSS cases caused by iGAS has increased since July 2023, especially among those under 50 years of age. The CDC says older people with an open wound are at increased risk of contracting STSS, including those who have recently had surgery. However, experts dont know how the bacteria got into the body for nearly half of people who get STSS, the CDC said on its website. The reason for this years rise in cases of STSS in Japan remains unclear, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Professor Ken Kikuchi, of Tokyo Womens Medical University, told NHK the rise could be due to peoples weakened immune systems following Covid. We can boost immunity if we are constantly exposed to bacteria. But that mechanism was absent during the coronavirus pandemic, Kikuchi said. So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Rinat Kiramov, 36, is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Russia after being found guilty of practicing his Jehovah's Witnesses religion, banned by the Kremlin as extremist in 2017. Recently, he told his church that he was tortured, including having been waterboarded. Photo courtesy of Jehovah's Witnesses June 16 (UPI) -- A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses serving a seven-year sentence in a Russian prison for practicing his faith was recently tortured for information about other members of the church, according to the Christian denomination. Rinat Kiramov, 36, says he's been punched, bound, tased, waterboarded and deprived of food and sleep by fellow prisoners demanding that he give them names of Jehovah's Witnesses in his city of Akhtubinsk, located in southwestern Russia near the border with Kazakhstan, according to the Christian denomination. "Such egregious acts of violence -- especially against non-violent Christians -- are crimes against humanity," Jarrod Lopes, a spokesperson at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses, told UPI in a statement. Hundreds of Members of the Christian denomination have been jailed in Russia over practicing their faith since its Supreme Court criminalized all activity by the Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist in April 2017. The believers are being persecuted under the same law that has been used by authorities to target other religious groups as well as critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, notably Alexei Navalny, who died in the Kremlin's penal system in February. Kiramov was arrested Nov. 9, 2021, along with several other Jehovah's Witnesses by Russian security forces who raided their homes in Akhtubinsk and nearby Znamensk. He was charged with organizing Jehovah's Witnesses meetings, including videoconferencing, and was sentenced to seven years in prison in April 2023. His church recently said that Kiramov was tortured over several days in April after being transfer for suspicion of tuberculosis from his penal colony to a medical correctional institution in Tula region. Kiramov said that the torture began on April 20, two days after his arrival. Prisoners at the facility demanded that he give them the names of other Jehovah's Witnesses in Akhtubinsk. After he refused, he was punched, knocked to the floor, bound with duct tape and beaten. "I was shocked with a stun gun on my palms, chest, abdomen and legs. At some point, my feet were forcibly lowered into a bucket of water and I continued to be shocked through the water," he said, according to the church, which was relaying excerpts of a recent discussion between Kiramov and his lawyer. He then said he was dragged to the shower, where he was laid on his back and a cloth was placed over his face. He was then waterboarded, a type of torture and interrogation technique where the subject experiences the sensation of drowning. It is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. "I could hardly breath. At the same time, one of the prisoners stepped on my stomach. I began to suffocate," Kiramov said. "This lasted about 10 minutes, so that I began to spit out blood along with the water." On April 23, he said he was beaten again by two prisoners. He said he was punched in the face and kicked in the chest. "After I fell, I was punched and kicked multiple times in the body. After that, I was lifted up by my legs and kicked several times in the groin," he said. "They threatened me that I would never be able to have children." He said that during his four days of torture, he was denied sleep, forced to stand in a corner and permitted only one meal -- lunch -- a day. "During this entire ordeal, I was threatened with rape," he said. His wife, Galina, said via the church that she spoke with Kiramov a day after one of his beatings. "He was barely able to walk," she said. "Every part of his body was hurting. His hands were shaking and his face was smashed." She said that despite the torture, Kiramov did not give them the information they sought. According to the church, Kiramov is one of at least 28 of its practitioners who have been tortured in Russia since 2017. It said Russia is known for bribing other prisoners as rewards for retrieving information and forced confessions from fellow inmates. Russia's bewildering crackdown on Jehovah's Witnesses has been widely condemned and the European Union's highest court ruled its ban on the religion unlawful in 2022. "For reasons passing understanding, Russia continues to shamelessly conduct mass home raids and dole out lengthy prison sentences that upend the lives of peaceful Witness men and women, as well as their innocent children," Lopes said. "It's well documented in history that the Witnesses outlasted their persecutors in Nazi concentration camps and the Soviet Gulags. Thus, Jehovah's Witnesses are neither surprised nor shaken by Russia's systematic persecution. They fully expect to outlast their persecutors." According to the church, more than 809 of its practitioners have been criminally charged for practicing their religion since 2017, with 414 having spend time in Prison. At least 135 are currently behind bars. TRENTON, New Jersey New Jerseys attorney general on Monday charged one of the states most powerful Democrats and his allies in a sweeping indictment alleging a long-running corruption scheme. The charges against George Norcross represent another seismic event in New Jersey politics in a year thats already seen a drastic disruption of its notorious boss systems. And George Norcross is often held up as the symbol of a New Jersey political boss. He has long been the subject of scrutiny by law enforcement and a political task force, but has never been charged. The indictment, brought by Attorney General Matt Platkin, portrays years of extortion and threats. Norcross has run a criminal enterprise for at least the past 12 years, Platkin said, causing hurt to businesses, individuals and especially especially to the city of Camden, one of the states poorest cities. "The Norcross enterprise manipulated government programs and processes designed to attract development and investment to instead suit their own financial desires," Platkin said at a press conference. "Instead of contributing to the successes of the city of Camden, through a series of criminal acts alleged in the state's case, the Norcross enterprise took the Camden waterfront all for themselves." The South Jersey power broker personally attended the press conference uninvited and sat in the front row closest to the podium, staring at Platkin as he announced the 13-count indictment on racketeering and other charges. His team of attorneys objected when a staffer for the attorney generals office asked him to sit somewhere else and objected to attorneys not being able to ask questions during the press conference. I want to witness an extraordinary embarrassment and outrageous conduct from a government official who stands up there and tries to act like he's holier than thou, Norcross told reporters outside the Attorney Generals office. Norcross criticized Platkin in intensely personal terms and said he wanted a trial to start in two weeks. I want Matt Platkin to come down here and try this case himself, he said. Because he's a coward because he has forced people in this building to implement his will. The indictment is also an indictment of the states political culture. New Jersey has long had a reputation for corruption, and its senior senator, Bob Menendez, is midway through his second federal bribery trial. It's often said that in New Jersey politics is a blood sport. And what's meant by that is that if you don't go along with the demands of those in political power, you'll get hurt, Platkin said. But there is nothing inherent In our state's culture that requires us to accept politics and government that functions in this way, Platkin added. And as we so clearly [say] in this indictment, there's nothing legal about it either. Norcross whose brother Donald is a member of the House has wielded tremendous influence in New Jersey politics for decades, all without holding elected office. He is an insurance broker by trade but built up whats known as the South Jersey machine, a Democratic political coalition considered one of the strongest in the state. He was a member of the Democratic National Committee and counted figures like Nancy Pelosi among his friends. At his peak, Norcross was known as the most powerful unelected official in New Jersey. His influence peaked under Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who worked hand in hand with Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney, a childhood friend of Norcross. But after losing legislative elections in his power base of South Jersey in 2021 including the one held by Sweeney Norcross conceded he'd been diminished and told POLITICO that he was stepping back from state politics. Platkin also charged Norcross brother Philip, a lawyer and lobbyist; his longtime lawyer Bill Tambussi; former Camden Mayor Dana Redd; Sidney Brown, the CFO of trucking company NFI; and John ODonnell, a leader of the residential development company The Michaels Organization. The indictment came three days after Platkin charged two South Jersey Transportation Authority board members for allegedly retaliating against an engineering firm whose executive refused to go along with a political request from Norcross. The charges against Norcross and others referred by Platkin as the "Norcross enterprise" include racketeering, misconduct and financial crimes and carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. The 111-page indictment details more than a decade of alleged criminality, much of it touching on tax credits and waterfront development extensively reported on in the news media. In one example, Norcross allegedly threatened a developer who had waterfront property rights after he would not give up those rights on Norcross' terms. Norcross told the developer that he would "f**k you up like you've never been f**ked up before," according to the indictment, and make sure the developer never did business in Camden again. Others then conspired to have the city condemn the developer's rights and plotted for city officials to publicly accuse the developer of being "not a reputable person," according to the indictment. Read the indictment here. Jewish Democratic senators are alarmed by conservative Justice Samuel Alitos sympathy for basing government on Christian principles something he expressed at a Supreme Court gala when he endorsed the idea of returning the nation to a place of godliness. Democratic senators, including several Jewish lawmakers, fear Alitos majority opinions in several high-profile cases, such as the Dobbs decision, which overturned the right to abortion, were driven by his religious views. And they are not buying Alitos claim that he had nothing to do with and couldnt prevent the flying of an Appeal to Heaven flag, a symbol of the Christian nationalist movement, at his New Jersey beach house. Senate Democrats say members of the Supreme Court have a right to religious freedom but warn that when they try to impose their religious views on others, it crosses a line. A Jewish Democratic senator who requested anonymity to comment on Alito said he is pushing a sectarian religious agenda on the court. I dont think theres really any doubt. I dont think Alito and [conservative Justice Clarence] Thomas are being shy. They have a view of the world, and theyre trying to establish an official religion, and a specific denomination, the lawmaker said. Five of the courts conservative justices are Catholic, and a sixth, Justice Neil Gorsuch, was raised as a Catholic but also attends Episcopal services. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who is Jewish, said its alarming when you take a look at Dobbs and see how the majority in the Supreme Court could disregard precedent that protects the individual against the abuses of power, including what he called the power of religious fundamentalism. He said the conservative majoritys erosion of individual rights, including the right to abortion and potentially the right to contraception or same-sex marriage, is especially worrisome to those of us that have different religious views. I do worry that when you get these fundamentalist views that were a Christian state when were not a Christian state, the minority religions are going to be in trouble, he said. Cardin said the trend of this court is you see four or five justices that have seemed to be pretty determined for an agenda to take us in a wrong direction. When Im in a meeting, a public meeting, I dont particularly want to hear government officials supporting one religion over another. And Im in a minority religion, being Jewish, so I want to make sure theres not an expansion for that, he said. Cardin said hes often invited to churches as a senator and doesnt mind being in the midst of Christian worship, but I dont want our government doing that. Alito found himself embroiled in controversy once again this month after he was recorded telling a liberal activist at a Supreme Court gala that he agreed the country needs to return to a place of godliness. The activist was posing as a conservative, and Alito did not know he was being recorded. The recording became public a few days after The New York Times reported an Appeal to Heaven flag, which has become a symbol of Christian nationalism, was displayed at his New Jersey beach house. Alito explained in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) that his wife hoisted the flag at his property and insisted he had no involvement in the decision to fly [it]. He also said he was not familiar with the Appeal to Heaven flag when my wife flew it. But Democratic senators are skeptical of that claim in light of Alitos expressed sympathy for returning the nation to a place of godliness, as well as his opinion in Dobbs and other high-profile cases centered on religious conflicts. I think there is a far-right group that is exploiting religion for a political agenda that is anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-science and wants to roll back our essential constitutional rights, and theyre exploiting every institution, whether the Supreme Court or Congress, to advance that agenda, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who is Jewish, said when asked about the rise of Christian nationalism on the right and the display of the Appeal to Heaven flag at Alitos property. Im not a sure that a lot of the faith leaders in this country realize how potentially damaging to democracy it is, he said. Blumenthal said hes worried Alitos biggest decisions have blurred the line between church and state. Its downright scary, he said. The founders of our Constitution came to this country or descended from people who made that journey here because they wanted to be free of the government telling them what their faith and religious belief should be. Blumenthal emphasized hes a person of faith, and I respect other peoples faiths, but he said to advance one faith over another or to discriminate against any faith is abhorrent and repugnant and should never be part of any law in this country. My hope is that Alito and others who seem to share that view that they want to turn this nation into a country reflective of only one faith will be rejected by the vast majority of Americans, he said. Another Democrat senator, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), balked at Alitos claim that Congress has no power to regulate the Supreme Court. Hes reading the Constitution selectively, he said, arguing we could in fact require some basic ethics disclosure like every other federal employee. These guys think they are nine lifetime unelected clerics that get to decide everything for the rest of us, he said. Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, a strictly nonpartisan group that represents 850 reform congregations across the country, said Alitos statements and conduct have sparked alarm among Jews across the country. What Im hearing from my congregants is real concern, he said. When the state gets involved in matters of religion, it mucks them up. They should stay out of the walls of our synagogues and our mosques. Its, generally speaking, the kind of white Christian tradition that imposes itself on the public square, then all minorities suffer, he said. What Im hearing from my congregants is a real concern with this rising trend of white Christian nationalism. A Pew Research Center poll of more than 7,166 voters published June 6 found 6 in 10 white evangelical Protestants who support former President Trump said government should support religious values and beliefs. And the survey found 69 percent of Trump supporters said the Bible should have some influence on U.S. laws, with 36 percent saying it should have a great deal of influence. The reports about Alitos desire for the nation to return to godliness and the Appeal to Heaven flag put new scrutiny on his Alitos majority opinions in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the 2022 abortion rights case, and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, when the court in 2014 recognized the right of a corporation to deny employees health coverage of contraceptives. Another decision coming under review is Alitos 2019 opinion in American Legion v. American Humanist Association, in which seven justices ruled a 40-foot cross honoring fallen soldiers from World War I could remain on state land in Bladensburg, Md. Alito argued for the court that while the cross is a symbol of Christianity, there are many contexts in which the symbol has also taken on secular meaning and instances in which its message is now almost entirely secular, citing its use as a registered trademark for Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Bayer group as examples. Alito has spoken out on several occasions about what he sees as the threat posed to religious liberty by expanding government. Speaking in Rome after he wrote the Dobbs decision, Alito warned, Religious liberty is under attack in many places because it is dangerous to those who want to hold complete power. And he told graduates of Franciscan University in Ohio last month that their freedom of religion is imperiled. When you venture out into the world, you may well find yourself in a job or a community or a social setting when you will be pressured to endorse ideas you dont believe, or to abandon core beliefs. It will be up to you to stand firm, he said. But critics of Alitos rulings say they threaten the very religious liberty he purports to defend. Everyone in this country whether Christian, another religion or non-religious should be alarmed when one of the highest-ranking jurists in the land is rejecting church-state separation, which is a foundation of our democracy, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. We are witnessing surging Christian nationalism, she said, describing it as a reaction to the first Black president, Black and female vice president, marriage equality, the Me Too movement, the Black Lives Matter movement. 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. Joe Bidens campaign announced a $50 million ad buy for this month, including a spot that contrasts the president with convicted criminal Donald Trump. The spot, Character Matters, will run on general market television and connected TV in all battleground states, and on national cable, according to the campaign. More from Deadline The ad, part of a push in advance of the June 27 debate, references not only Trumps recent criminal conviction, but his civil cases, in which a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. In another case, a New York judge found him liable for civil fraud, slapping him and his company with a $450 million judgment. Trump is appealing all of the verdicts, which he says are politically motivated. The narrator in the Biden ad says, In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. Hes been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Bidens been working, lowering health care costs, and making big corporations pay their fair share. This election is between a convicted criminal who is only out for himself, and a president who is fighting for your families. The campaign also announced ad buys in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander, Black and Latino media, with seven figure purchases in critical channels across television, radio, print, and online. The Trump campaign also is making ad buys in advance of the debate. According the AdImpact, the former president has so far reserved $39,000 in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona and Nebraska. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Joe Elmore, who took viewers across the state as host of 'Tennessee Crossroads,' dies at 80 Joe Elmore, who took viewers of public television's "Tennessee Crossroads" to nearly every small town and quirky corner of the Volunteer State for 37 years, died Monday after a long illness. He was 80. "Tennessee Crossroads" and Nashville Public Television, which produced the show, confirmed his death. We have lost a legend and a dear friend. Well miss his phenomenal skills, his kind-heartedness, and his wonderful sense of humor, said Ed Jones, his longtime executive producer. Tennessee Crossroads was his baby." In a Facebook post Monday afternoon, show producers pledged to continue making the beloved show, which chronicles life in Tennessee. "As Joe would've wanted," the post read, "the show he helped create will continue, as will his spirit." Co-workers and viewers thought of Elmore as a kind, consummate professional who helped Tennesseans discover charming parts of the state they might not have known about. "Soft-spoken, humble, a true gentleman and the best representative of the state of Tennessee I ever have known," said longtime Nashville broadcaster Laura Faber, a "Tennessee Crossroads" producer since 2020. "He was a comfortable soul," she said, "always professional and kind, and the best story teller." A 2005 picture of Joe Elmore on set of WNPT-Channel 8's "Tennessee Crossroads". Elmore died in June 2024 after 37 years of hosting the show WKRN News 2 news anchor Bob Mueller, Nashville's longest-running television personality, called Elmore "a legend in local broadcasting." "His constant smile and professionalism for his craft will be missed," Mueller told The Tennessean. "On air, he was always educating, highlighting nuance and unique aspects of each story. You could tell he loved his work and interacting with his viewers." "Tennessee Crossroads" reporter and former Fox 17 news personality Miranda Cohen said Elmore made fundraising appearances for Nashville Public Television as recently as March. From left, Laura Faber, Joe Elmore and Miranda Cohen of TV's "Tennessee Crossroads" at Midtown Cafe in April 2024 "It was fun to be at events with him because it was fun to see peoples reactions to him," Cohen said. "They just lit up!" And Elmore's fans were equally disappointed when the "Tennessee Crossroads" van pulled up to a small town and Elmore wasn't inside, she said. "They'd look right past us and say, 'Is Joe here? Is Joe here?' They were so truly disappointed!" Cohen said, laughing. "And I get it. He was really phenomenal. "If you were fortunate enough to meet Joe Elmore, you met the exact same wonderful man whom you saw on television sharing his love of exploring the beloved highways and byways of his [adopted] home state." An excited fan meets 'Tennessee Crossroads' host Joe Elmore on June 20, 2023, at Calvary United Methodist Church in Nashville as WNPT producer Laura Faber looks on Elmore launched TV career in Memphis Elmore launched his television career in Memphis, when he served as weekend reporter and anchor at WHBQ. Later, he co-hosted the station's "PM Magazine" show, a role where he produced nationally broadcast stories, the "Tennessee Crossroads" website says. A native of Paragould, Arkansas, a town of about 30,000 in the northeastern part of the state, he performed in pop and "garage rock" bands, starting in the 1960s. Generally a bass guitarist, Elmore played in several high school and college bands, including "The Blazers" and "The Tarantulas." The view from Memphis: Joe Elmore, 'Tennessee Crossroads' and Memphis 'PM Magazine' host, has died More notably, Elmore recorded and toured internationally, from the 1960s through the early 1980s, with one of Memphis' most storied musical institutions, the Bill Black Combo, founded by Bill Black, who had played bass with Elvis Presley (notably on the famous "Sun Sessions"). Joe Elmore, host of WNPT's "Tennessee Crossroads" in his senior year of high school. With Elmore in the band, the Combo played everywhere from New York's famed Peppermint Lounge to the Admiral Benbow Inn near the Memphis airport. Elmore made mark in music In 1973, as a solo artist, Elmore recorded his own composition, "Ride On Rock and Roll," which was released as a 45rpm single by the Mega label. "Music is my nemesis," Elmore joked in a 1983 interview in the Memphis Press-Scimitar. At the time he was a fixture onstage in Overton Square, performing with Mike Crews and, with his latest band, the Spoilers. "I've tried to kick the habit. I get a lot of strange comments," he said. "It doesn't bother me too much unless someone tells me I ought to stick with TV." Elmore studied journalism at Arkansas State University and film and television at Memphis State University before landing that first TV job in Memphis. After three years, Elmore moved to Nashville and did some freelance work for cable TV's The Nashville Network before helping launch "Tennessee Crossroads." The Nashville/Midsouth chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) inducted Elmore into its Silver Circle recognizing 25 years of service in TV in 2014. Elmore is survived by his daughter, Lily Elmore of Boston; his sons, Chris Elmore of Jonesboro and Bobby Elmore of Orlando, Florida; his sister, Beth Elmore of Nashville; and a former wife, Afsoon Elmore of Orlando. A memorial service will be organized in Nashville. Nashville Public Television said a broadcast tribute to Elmore is planned. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Joe Elmore, host of NPT's 'Tennessee Crossroads,' dies at 80 Joe Gow, fired as UW-La Crosse chancellor for porn videos, is fighting to keep his faculty job A disciplinary hearing this week to decide whether Joe Gow should be fired as a faculty member from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is not technically a trial. But it will closely resemble one, with witness questioning, cross-examinations and closing statements. Most of it will play out publicly, which appears to be highly unusual for these cases and comes at Gow's specific request. Gow led UW-La Crosse for nearly 17 years until the UW Board of Regents removed him as chancellor last December after discovering he and his wife had created sex tapes, sometimes with adult film stars, and posted them on porn websites. The couple also published two books about their unorthodox hobby. Gow still retains his tenured faculty position and can only be fired if there is just cause. Both UW-La Crosse and Gow will make their case on whether there is in what is scheduled to be a two-day hearing beginning Wednesday. For UW-La Crosse, the hearing is the first step in a two-part process to finally purge Gow from its payroll and move on from what many see as an embarassing chapter that damaged the university's reputation. The university declined to comment, saying it was an ongoing personnel matter. For Gow, it's an opportunity to clear his name and eventually return to the classroom to teach. Joe Gow, shown in December, led the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for nearly 17 years until the UW Board of Regents removed him as chancellor last December. "This is a matter of principle, and I'm not going to be intimidated into just going away," Gow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Here's the latest on a case that's drawn international attention: Where and when is Joe Gow's faculty hearing? Five UW-La Crosse professors led by associate biology professor Anne Galbraith make up the "jury," or the hearing committee assigned to Gow's case. The committee is scheduled to meet June 19 and 20 at the Omni Center, a convention venue in Onalaska about eight miles north of UW-La Crosse. The hearing is not being livestreamed. In a pre-hearing meeting last month, Gow objected to the hearing's location and date. He asked for it be held on campus in May when faculty were still on contract. Media were not allowed to attend the pre-hearing conference meeting. Gow recorded and shared it with the Journal Sentinel. Galbraith told Gow during that meeting that the week of June 17 was the first when all committee members were available to meet. She said professors would receive additional pay for their work. Betsy Morgan, who is serving as interim UW-La Crosse chancellor through June 30, said she tried requesting space on campus but no rooms were free, primarily because of incoming freshman orientation scheduled the same week. What happens during a faculty disciplinary hearing? Like a trial, the hearing will begin with opening statements and end with closing statements. In between, each side gets up to three hours to make their case, call witnesses and cross-examine people testifying for the other side. Before June 19, the committee will also review documents submitted by both sides. These may or may not also be discussed during the hearing. Who is representing each side in the hearing? UW System attorneys Wade Harrison and Jennifer Lattis are representing UW-La Crosse. Gow is representing himself. He argues the UW System and UW-La Crosse are posing a conflict of interest in their handling of the case because one UW System lawyer, Noah Brisbin, is advising the hearing comittee while Harrison and Lattis are representing UW-La Crosse. "It feels like the same law firm advising the prosecution and jury," Gow said during the pre-hearing meeting. Harrison told Gow it was relatively routine for someone in the UW System legal office to advise the hearing committee and another to advise the administration. The attorneys do not talk in depth about the case with the other side as it proceeds, he said in the recording. What is Joe Gow accused of doing? The complaint UW Sytem President Jay Rothman filed with UW-La Crosse indicated investigators may look into whether Gow violated state laws or policies on using public positions for private gain and on disclosure of financial activities. The letter Morgan sent to Gow recommending his dismissal cited different charges: unethical and potentially illegal conduct, failing to cooperate with the investigation and violating information technology use policies. The charges mostly relate to Gow's time as chancellor. But the hearing focuses on whether he is unfit to teach. Two organizations, the American Association of University Professors and the free speech organization known as Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, have raised doubts about UW-La Crosse's case and whether it seeks to punish Gow for his controverisal lifestyle. State rules say UW faculty members are "entitled to enjoy and exercise all the rights and privileges of a United States citizen." What's at stake for Joe Gow? If Gow is fired, the UW Board of Regents could revoke his unused sick leave. UW-La Crosse told Gow he has accumulated more than $313,000 in unused sick leave. It's unlikely Gow would lose his pension. A state worker's pension is an earned benefit that generally cannot be taken away because of termination or criminal charges, according to the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds, which administers pensions. State law carves out an exception to withhold someone's pension when the department is ordered to as part of a restitution order. The court may issue a restitution order if the crime is both felony theft and misconduct in public office, and the crime resulted in a loss to the defendant's employer. Gow has not been criminally charged. When will the committee vote on Joe Gow? After the hearing ends, the committee will meet behind closed doors to decide whether there is just cause to fire Gow as a faculty member. A two-thirds vote four of the five members is needed to justify dismissal. How soon the decision comes out after the hearing is unclear. State law says the committee must submit its recommendation to both Gow and the university as soon as practicable." Well do this as quickly as we can," Galbraith said during the pre-hearing meeting. "We dont want this hanging or lingering. What happens after the committee's decision? The committee's recommendation then heads to the chancellor. Regardless of the recommendation, the chancellor can send their own recommendation for dismissal to the UW Board of Regents. The board would then hold its own disciplinary hearing, which Gow can again request be held publicly. Morgan, the interim UW-La Crosse chancellor, has already told Gow she believes there is just cause to fire him. How rare is it for a faculty disciplinary hearing to be public? Neither UW System nor UW-La Crosse were able to say whether any other faculty had ever requested their disciplinary hearing be made public. The Journal Sentinel is unaware of any other UW faculty disciplinary hearing held publicly over the past six years. Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.comor 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about UW-La Crosse hearing on Joe Gow's future as professor John Gaines, civil rights leader and member of Friendship Nine, has died John Gaines, a civil rights leader from South Carolina who made history during a sit-in at a Rock Hill restaurant, has died. The Ideal Funeral Parlor in Florence confirmed to Channel 9 on Monday that Gaines passed away. Gaines was one of the Friendship Nine, a group of college friends who were arrested during a sit-in at McCrorys Five and Dime in Rock Hill on Jan. 31, 1961. At the time, it was a store and lunch counter, that did not serve Black people. Gaines, Thomas Gaither, Clarence Henry Graham, W.T. Dub Massey, Robert McCullough, Mack Workman, James Well, David Williamson Jr., and Willie McCleod were all convicted of trespassing. SEE THE STORY >> Member of Friendship 9 recalls fateful day that changed history Their arrests helped spark a revolution - after their sentence at the York County Prison Farm, more people participated in sit-ins and marches around Rock Hill. Five decades later, in 2015, each of those convictions were dismissed. McCrorys is now a restaurant called Kounter, and theres a seat inside dedicated to the Friendship Nine and the stand they made. (WATCH: Dr. Kings legacy: Nonprofit inspires kids, teens through civil rights icons teachings) By Elizabeth Piper and William James MERTHYR TYDFIL, Wales (Reuters) -British Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage pledged on Monday to get migration under control and cut taxes for smaller businesses, using the unveiling of his Reform UK's policy plans to try to poach support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives. Farage, whose entry into the campaign before a July 4 election dealt a further blow to the Conservatives, who are badly trailing the Labour Party in the polls, said only his right-wing party could offer the kind of robust opposition to a government likely to be led by Labour's Keir Starmer. And while he knew his young party could not win the election this time round, he said the unveiling of his policies was the first step in winning over traditionally Conservative voters to finally overtake the governing party and bring about its demise. It was a bold play by Farage, one of Britain's most recognisable and divisive politicians, who has pressured governments into more aggressive stances on immigration and helped bring about Britain's 2016 vote to leave the European Union. While he might finally succeed in his eighth attempt to become a lawmaker if he wins in Clacton-on-Sea, southeast England, his party is unlikely to take more than a handful of seats. "We are not pretending that we are going to win this general election," Farage said at the launch of a 24-page policy document, which he described as a "contract" with voters for the next five years. "Our aim and our ambition is to establish a bridgehead in parliament and to become a real opposition to a Labour government," he told an audience in Merthyr Tydfil, a venue chosen to highlight what Reform says is Labour misrule in Wales. Farage's unexpected entry into the election race - having initially said he would not run and wanted to concentrate on campaigning for Donald Trump in the United States - has split support among Britain's right-of-centre voters. 'SUMS DO NOT ADD UP' Reform's policies were designed to suck support from Sunak's Conservatives, focusing on immigration, which has divided the governing party. Reform promised to immediately freeze "non-essential" immigration, to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, and push migrants arriving by small boats back to France before they land on British shores. It also proposed an extra payroll tax on companies who employ foreign workers. That tax was one of a raft of measures, including shaving 15 billion pounds ($19.04 billion) off the benefits bill to raise money that would be spent on tax cuts elsewhere, such as increasing the income tax threshold to 20,000 pounds from 12,570, slashing fuel duty by 20 pence per litre and freeing more than 1.2 million small and medium sized businesses from corporation tax. Carl Emmerson, deputy director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said even with the extremely optimistic assumptions about how much economic growth would increase, "the sums in this manifesto do not add up". Farage dismissed any criticism, saying: "We're unashamedly radical, we want change, this isn't working." But to supporters waiting for Farage to leave a community centre in a deprived part of Merthyr Tydfil, Farage spoke their language - a feeling shared by some voters in Clacton. With the Labour Party around 20 points ahead in opinion polls, Farage said his focus was now on the election after this one, and that his contract was showing his party's direction of travel to win over more voters. In one poll last week, Reform overtook the Conservatives, and Farage has set a target of winning six million votes at the July 4 election. Other polls put Reform far behind the governing party. Since announcing his return, the Reform campaign has made much of Farage and his populist appeal. The 60-year-old received an expensive private education and worked as a commodities trader but has successfully styled himself as a man of the people taking on an out-of-touch political establishment. "We want real, genuine change to give us a better, brighter and stronger future and I promise you all this is step one," he said. "Our real ambition is the 2029 general election." ($1 = 0.7878 pounds) (Writing by William James in London; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Susan Fenton) Not many questions were answered in Chancellor IAshea Myles courtroom Monday morning after a week filled with controversy in the Covenant School shooting records lawsuit. Myles told the attorneys and packed gallery Monday morning that she was prepared to release a 60-page ruling on which records should be released last week, but she stopped herself once she got word that conservative news outlet and party to the case the Tennessee Star had published articles with leaked documents. Myles initially called Mondays hearing threatening contempt proceedings and sanctions against the Star and its editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy for the publication of the materials. Free speech advocates argued such sanctions would have been unconstitutional. But thats not what was discussed Monday. Chancellor I'Ashea Myles talks to attorney Rick Hollow during the show cause hearing over the release of documents related to the Covenant School shooting at the Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. What ended up happening was unusual. Myles limited the hearing to getting the lay of the land of the records case after the leak, asking the lawyers for all three sides Metro, Covenant and the records requesters if they felt the case was still live and relevant. They all said it was. Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said shed never been to a hearing like Mondays. This was much ado about nothing, in my view, Fisher said. Russell Nobile, a lawyer from the conservative activist group Judicial Watch representing former Hamilton County Sheriff James Hammond and the Tennessee Firearms Association, said it did seem that things had settled down a bit since Myles initial order. Everyone came in a little hot, and I think its cooling off some, Nobile said. Daniel Horwitz, a First Amendment and criminal defense lawyer brought on to represent Leahy and the Star following Myles order threatening contempt actions, was glad to see that Leahy wasnt being prosecuted. I dont want reporters going to jail for lawful reporting, Horwitz said. In early June, the Tennessee Star published dozens of articles with information from photographs of the shooters journal that it said it had obtained from a source. Parents of Covenant School students said on Monday that the publication has been very hard on the children and families. "As a parent, we want to protect our kids and prevent any further harm," said Stefan Banks, a parent of two children at the Covenant School present at the hearing. Their lawyers argued that the court could possibly prevent the release of materials other than the roughly 80 pages that the Star claimed it has already obtained. Metro Legal on Monday all but pinned the leak to the Tennessee Star on former lieutenant Garet Davidson of the Metro Nashville Police Department. Davidson resigned in December and filed a lengthy complaint against the department alleging that police officials worked with lawmakers to pass legislation to abolish oversight boards. Lora Fox from Metro Legal on Monday requested making Davidson an involuntary plaintiff to the case and then ordering him to return the documents. Myles did not seem thrilled with the idea and asked Fox if it was necessary, to which Fox said no. On March 27, 2023, a former student entered the Covenant School in Nashville and shot and killed six people, including three third graders. They were 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs; headmaster Katherine Koonce; custodian Mike Hill; and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak. In the days and weeks after the shooting, reporters and others requested certain records related to the shooting. Many of those requests were denied. In response, six groups, including The Tennessean, sued Metro Nashville about a month after the shooting. They sought a court order to grant them access to several different records, most notably a pair of journals found in the shooters home and car, which was parked at the school. Why is The Tennessean asking for the release of the records? In seeking the records, The Tennessean has cited an interest in bringing to light "additional facts regarding this incident, societal and mental health issues, and issues regarding firearms more broadly, which have not yet been revealed through other means," according to the newspaper's complaint. The records requested by The Tennessean are the documents in the shooter's possession prior to death, including those in the shooter's car and home; all police reports of the shooter in MNPD's possession; all calls for service to The Covenant School and the shooter's home from the past five years; and incident reports from MNPD's responses to the shooter's home on March 27. The Tennessean has no plans to publish the writings verbatim and has sought to center coverage on public policy, the victims and the community. Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Covenant School shooting documents case: Records leak delayed ruling Though some boaters are celebrating as if southwest Cape Corals controversial Chiquita Lock were almost gone, environmental advocates plan a challenge if the state approves its scuttling. Offering Gulf access at Cape Harbour, the lock has been a chronic irritation for boaters, who often have to wait for others to pass through the structure, which was built to curb pollution and protect mangroves and habitat. Earlier this week, administrative law judge Suzanne Van Wyk ruled the city could ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for permission to demolish the dilapidated barrier between saltwater and fresh at Camelot Canal and the Southwest Spreader Waterway. Matlacha attorney Michael Hannon, who's leading the charge to keep it in place, points out that it's only a recommended order. "The secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Shawn Hamilton, has the final say for the department. We are confident that either Mr. Hamilton or the Florida District Court of Appeal ultimately will deny the application." Why? "Because the recommended order ignores the obvious: Cape Coral's pollution of the Matlacha Pass and the Caloosahatchee River has increased under Florida's regulatory process." What's more, Hannon says, "The Florida permitting process recently was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in Washington, D.C. The department's own data confirms its process is broken, and (Van Wyk) apparently believed she lacked the power to face these facts at her level of authority." Controversial Chiquita Lock broken since Hurricane Ian The lock hasn't worked since Hurricane Ian, says Cape Coral Councilman Tom Hayden: "The storm surge and all the salt water took care of all the mechanisms inside the lock. So it's been open for more than a year and a half now (and) the city decided it had been rendered ineffective (and to) apply for a DEP permit to have it removed. The lock was court-ordered more than three decades ago after the citys early developer, Gulf American Corp., damaged mangrove wetlands in the 1970s, says retired longtime planner and biologist James Beever. Along with another structure, the Ceitus Boat Lift, the lock would retain some 800 acres of brackish water, allowing it to slowly filter through a protected mangrove fringe before entering Matlacha Pass and the Caloosahatchee, Beever says. This was important because at the time, that part of the Cape was on septic instead of the municipal sewer network now in place, and the system was supposed to function as pollution control. In order for such a system to function, it had to be plugged, Beever says: The lock was one plug; the Ceitus boat lift the other. But by 2018, with central sewer in place, the lock had outlived its usefulness, Hayden says. Through the years after the utility expansion the lock started to fail, boaters struggled with it and marine life struggled with it." The city began asking for its removal. Aerial view of Chiquita Lock in Cape Harbour, Cape Coral. Thus began an elaborate chain of legal proceedings, of which Van Wyks ruling is the latest. And it certainly wont be the last, vows Hannon. He promises if the DEP green-lights the permit, the fight will continue in a higher court. Environmental groups: 'The lock should remain in place' Last year, several prominent environmental nonprofits withdrew from the case, after the city hired a law firm known for what Hannon calls "scorched earth" tactics designed to "quash citizen involvement in local government affairs (by) running up fees on the taxpayers dime, and intimidating the non-profit organizations and individual citizens", Calusa Waterkeeper said in a statement. The threat of potentially crippling legal fees caused Waterkeeper as well as the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation to back away from the action. We are disappointed that we are not able to continue as a petitioner, SCCF CEO James Evans said at the time. However, we remain committed to our position that the lock should remain in place and to our mission to protect and care for Southwest Floridas coastal ecosystems. Environmental groups retreat: Nonprofits cite "intimidation" from Cape Coral over Chiquita Boat Lock Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce told The News-Press he couldn't risk his organization's financial future. "We are a grassroots organization, (and) need to survive to continue to provide for our community and a safeguard for water quality." Cape Coral Realtor: 'We finally have won, and rightly so' Yet many in the Cape are convinced things will be fine without the lock, including Realtor Gloria Tate, who's also served on city council. "We finally have won, and rightly so," she said. Tate has witnessed years of dangerous behavior by boaters and visitors, including people swimming in the canal along with dolphin and manatees, "so it's really dangerous." On holidays, she's watched as multiple boats backed up behind the lock waiting to get out. "You know how people are driving it's the same way with boating: Somebody gets a little upset, you're not going fast enough and before you know it you've got a traffic jam." Most importantly, Tate says, "We corrected the environmental issues they were concerned about," she said. "The people of Cape Coral hoping the lock would be removed are stewards of the environment," she insists. "They're stewards of the mangroves and stewards of safety and not just boating safety peoples safety." Hannon's not buying it. He points out that the environmental permitting process is based on computer modeling done in 2009, "where the so-called scientists and engineers came up with an imaginary calculation of the pollutants that are in the Caloosahatchee River basin." From that model, they determined who was responsible for cleaning up the pollution, divvying it up between municipalities, including Cape Coral. Like others, Cape Coral had to prove it was reducing pollution. Problem is, Hannon says, last year, the DEP determined the actual pollution level is "mega-factors greater than the model anticipated in 2009, and that all of the (calculations) are no longer sufficient and have never been sufficient to accomplish the goal ... The inefficiencies are built in in order to permit development." What's next for the Chiquita Lock? Judge Van Wyk's recommendation goes to the Department of Environmental Protection, which can grant a demolition permit. Opponents have 15 days to file objections, then each side has another 10 days to file replies, Hannon says, before Secretary Hamilton makes a final decision. It he does recommend demolition, opponents will take their challenge to the appellate courts. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Is Cape Coral's Chiquita Lock on its way out? Ruling heads to state Elizabeth Fox-Doerr, seated next to one of her attorneys, Robert Phillips, reacts after learning she has been found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 EVANSVILLE A judge sentenced Elizabeth Fox-Doerr to serve 90 years in an Indiana prison on Monday for the 2019 killing of her husband, longtime Evansville firefighter Robert F. Doerr II, during an emotional, standing-room-only hearing. Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Pigman, who presided over Fox-Doerr's trial in May, handed down the ruling and stated that Fox-Doerr, 52, would serve consecutive, decades-long sentences. That came as a relief to Doerrs family, friends and colleagues, who had fought for years to see the firefighters assailants prosecuted. As Pigman read Fox-Doerrs sentence, whispers of yes, could be heard in the gallery. For aiding, inducing or causing murder, a Level 1 felony, Pigman sentenced Fox-Doerr to serve 60 years. For conspiracy to commit murder, also a Level 1 felony, the judge sentenced her to serve 30 years. Because the court deemed the two offenses to have been separate acts, the sentences will be served one after the other. Fox-Doerrs lead defense attorney told Pigman on Monday that given Fox-Doerr's age, any sentence would "effectively be a life sentence." During a lengthy and contentious trial in May, Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers told jurors that Fox-Doerr enlisted her "lover," 45-year-old Larry Richmond Sr., to carry out the fatal shooting of her husband, Doerr, on Feb. 26, 2019. Doerr, 51, served with the Evansville Fire Department for 28 years. He died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds that investigators believe were attributed to a powerful Taurus Judge revolver. Detectives did not recover the murder weapon, according to testimony presented during Fox-Doerr's trial. "He wore his badge with pride and dignity," former Fire Chief Mike Connelly said at Doerr's funeral. "His legacy of integrity is what the foundation of this department is built upon." Evansville Firefighter Robert Doerr II Richmond Sr., who was convicted of a prior murder and released from prison not long before Doerr's killing, stands accused of firing the fatal shots. According to court records, he has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He is scheduled to go before a jury in November. During victim impact statements on Monday, Doerrs friend and fellow firefighter, Larry Wildt, told the court that Fox-Doerr had turned a lot of peoples lives upside down. I lost my best friend, my go-to if I had a bad day, Wildt said. I lost my fishing partner, my bowling partner. Doerrs killing was senseless, Wildt added. Wildt's sentiments were echoed from the witness stand by members of Doerrs family. Angie Roybal, Doerrs sister, told Pigman that she suffered from "nightmares" in the aftermath of her brothers killing. She lamented the fact that Doerrs father passed away before a trial in his case could be held. (Fox-Doerr) robbed my Dad of his last years with his son, Roybal said. She concluded her statement by recalling Doerrs memorial service: I will remember the funeral procession and the community paying its respects. Doerrs daughter, Lindsey Griffin, tearfully recounted on Monday the moment she learned that her father had been shot and killed outside his Evansville home just as he returned from an extra shift at a firehouse. I replay that night over and over again, Griffin said. Fox-Doerr, according to Griffins testimony, showed no emotion after Doerrs killing. It crushed me, Griffin told Pigman. Moers, who tried Fox-Doerr alongside veteran prosecutor Stan Levco, told the Courier & Press that she was pleased with the consecutive sentences handed down by the court. There are issues with conspiring to do something and then actually taking the next step and committing the murder, Moers said. So were very happy with the sentencing today. It brings some peace and healing to the family, hopefully. Justice is never really served, because Robby Doerr is gone, but were happy with our efforts and with the courts findings. After Pigman sentenced Fox-Doerr, she informed the court she would appeal her conviction and sentence. Her lead defense attorney, special public defender Mark Phillips, told Pigman that he would petition the public defender's office to appoint his office to represent Fox-Doerr in her appeal. During arguments ahead of Fox-Doerr's sentencing, Phillips said that one of the jurors who found Fox-Doerr guilty approached his office after she was convicted, a fairly common practice in criminal legal settings. The juror, Phillips said, contended that there was no evidence that directly showed Fox-Doerr had entered into an agreement with Richmond Sr. to have her husband killed. During an interview after the hearing, Phillips told the Courier & Press that the juror likely made that remark in response to a question. Regardless, he argued that the state had not proven Fox-Doerr guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and that they would petition the appellate court to hear arguments in her case. I was taken aback by the number of years, Phillips said of Fox-Doerrs sentence. And by the idea that it was consecutive. Heres the thing: in Indiana judges have complete and total discretion to make those decisions. I was surprised. Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Judge sentences Elizabeth Fox-Doerr for killing of firefighter husband A trial date could soon be set in the case of Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students who were brutally killed at their off-campus house. The 29-year-old criminology PhD student is currently awaiting trial for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. Police linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cell phone data, an eyewitness account, and his white Hyundai Elantra. He was arrested six weeks after the murders. Kohberger declined to enter a plea prompting Judge John Judge to enter his plea as not guilty on his behalf in May 2023. Latah County prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. The judge has not yet set a trial date in the complicated case but has scheduled a hearing for June 27 where attorneys are expected to discuss dates for the trial and sentencing. Bryan Kohberger is escorted into a courtroom to appear at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho (AP) They will also discuss whether the trial should be moved outside the county where the crime occurred to seat an impartial jury. The state has been opposed to the move, while the defense is in favor of it. Last month, the defense argued that prosecutors had not handed all the evidence over for them to review and have filed multiple motions to compel the state to do so. Prosecutors insisted they are doing all they can to share evidence but have been partly delayed by federal rules, due to the FBIs involvement in the investigation. Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in Novemver 2022 (Instagram) This evidence in question is said to include dashcam footage, video and audio recordings of a white sedan close to the crime scene in Moscow, as well as lab testing results information police used to arrest Kohberger. But Kohberger claims to have an alibi for the time of the murders: that he was driving around looking at stars and was in Pullman, which is about eight miles west of the off-campus student home at 1122 King Road home, where the slayings unfolded. Earlier this year, Kohbergers attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the murder charges against him, citing a biased grand jury, inadmissible evidence and prosecutorial misconduct. But Judge denied the motion. Court-martial proceedings for an Air Force two-star general charged with sexual assault are being held this week in Texas, marking only the second time in history that a general officer in the service will head to trial while facing accusations of a sexual crime. Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart, a two-star general who formerly commanded the 19th Air Force prior to his charges, began administrative proceedings Monday at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas. Jury selection is scheduled to start Tuesday, according to an Air Education and Training Command spokesperson. The members of the jury will need to be the same rank or higher than Stewart, not an easy task among the limited numbers of general officers the service has -- fewer than 300 in total and less than half of them being higher or equal rank. Read Next: US Military's Troubled Gaza Aid Pier Mission Would Be Ended Under Proposals in Congress That jury selection process is raising alarm for Stewart's defense team, especially given that only six of the eight jurors who make up the panel need to be in agreement on a guilty verdict to convict the Air Force officer. It is possible for his legal team to seek a bench trial, too, in which a judge would hear the case and render a verdict instead of a jury. Meanwhile, attorney Sherilyn Bunn, Stewart's senior defense counsel, said in a statement that there are overall concerns that Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, head of Air Education and Training Command, decided to send the charges against the Air Force officer to court-martial in the first place. The legal team has told Military.com that the judge for the Article 32 hearing -- similar to a grand jury proceeding in the civilian world -- suggested that the sexual assault charge be dropped and the other charges not go to trial. But Robinson still referred the charges to court-martial, and he's also responsible for pulling potential jurors into the panel. "Given that a seasoned judge found no probable cause for the sexual assault charges at the Article 32 preliminary hearing, I have grave concerns about Lt. Gen. Robinson's perplexing decision to refer those same charges to court-martial," Bunn said. "Even more worrisome, Lt. Gen. Robinson also chose the potential panel members for this case. ... The process hardly seems fair." Spokespeople for the Air Force's Air Education and Training Command told Military.com on Monday that there were 13 general officers in town to be considered as potential jurors. Military.com reported last month that Stewart's request to seek retirement instead of facing a court-martial proceeding was ultimately denied by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. In May 2023, Air Education and Training Command announced that Stewart was being relieved of his role as the head of the 19th Air Force, the numbered component that oversees flight training with 32,000 personnel and more than 1,350 aircraft. A redacted charge sheet provided to Military.com months after Stewart's firing revealed that he allegedly committed a sex act on a woman without her consent near Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma in April 2023. Other charges include conduct unbecoming an officer after allegedly asking someone to spend the night with him in his hotel room alone in Colorado in March 2023, as well as a charge of extramarital sexual conduct. Stewart also faces a dereliction of duty charge for allegedly pursuing an unprofessional relationship, and another specification of that charge for allegedly taking control of an aircraft "after consuming alcohol within 12 hours prior to takeoff," according to the charge sheet. The redacted charge sheet did not identify the name of the people involved, and Military.com does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault. The only other Air Force general to face a court-martial for sexual crimes, and the first to be convicted, was then-Maj. Gen. William Cooley, formerly the head of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Cooley, who decided against a jury trial and sought to have his case heard by a judge instead, was convicted of abusive sexual contact in 2022. Military judge Col. Christina Jimenez sentenced Cooley to forfeiture of $10,910 of pay for five months and a letter of reprimand. He was later reduced to the rank of colonel and retired, but ultimately avoided jail time. Stewart's trial also comes on the heels of the U.S. government's nearly $1 million settlement last year to an Army colonel who filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against Air Force Gen. John Hyten, who was appointed to vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former President Donald Trump. Related: Air Force General Charged with Sexual Crimes Has Retirement Request Denied by Service Secretary Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announces he is suing Pfizer during a June 17, 2024, news conference at the Statehouse in Topeka Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announces he is suing Pfizer during a June 17, 2024, news conference at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a civil lawsuit Monday against pharmaceutical company Pfizer, alleging that Pfizer misled the public that it had a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, violating the states Consumer Protection Act. The state seeks civil monetary penalties, damages, and injunctive relief from misleading and deceptive statements made in marketing its COVID-19 vaccine, Kobach said. In the complaint, Kobach alleges that Pfizer willfully concealed, suppressed and omitted material facts relating to the COVID-19 vaccine, the most egregious ones regarding safety of the vaccine for pregnant people, in regard to heart conditions, its effectiveness against variants and its ability to stop transmission. Pfizer marketed its vaccine as safe for pregnant women, Kobach said. However, in February of 2021 (they) possessed reports of 458 pregnant women who received Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. More than half of the pregnant women reported an adverse event, and more than 10% reported a miscarriage. The percentage of adverse events which is a term that means any negative reaction was higher in pregnant women than the general population by roughly 17 percent, according to a study published in the journal Medicine in February 2022. An earlier study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2021 offered preliminary findings that did not show any significant safety concerns among pregnant individuals who received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, indicating that observed miscarriages were not unusual and likely not a direct result of the vaccine. Kobach says that Pfizer marketed the vaccine as safe in terms of heart conditions such as myocarditis and pericarditis. He referenced a question Albert Bourla, Pfizer CEO was asked in January 2023 of if the vaccine caused severe myocarditis, to which Bourla responded we have not seen a single signal, although we have distributed billions of doses. However, as Pfizer knew, the United States Government, the United States Military foreign governments and others have found that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine caused myocarditis and pericarditis, Kobach said. According to the CDC, cases of myocarditis and pericarditis caused by the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, and most patients experienced resolution of symptoms by hospital discharge. Kobach says Pfizer marketed its vaccine as effective against COVID-19 variants, even though data available at the time showed Pfizers vaccine was effective less than half the time. His final allegation in the complaint was that the company falsely marketed the vaccine as preventing transmission. Pfizer urged Americans to get vaccinated in order to protect their loved ones, clearly indicating a claim that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccination stopped transmission, Kobach said. Pfizer later admitted that theyve never even studied transmission after the recipients receive the vaccine. In a statement, Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine saved countless lives and that the companys claims about the vaccine were accurate and based on science. The company believes that the states case has no merit and will respond to the suit in due course, the statement said. Pfizer is deeply committed to the well-being of the patients it serves and has no higher priority than ensuring the safety and effectiveness of its treatments and vaccines. Kansas is the first state to file such a lawsuit, though Kobach says five other states will be joining. They will make announcements independently. The only other confirmed state is Idaho. More suits may follow, depending on Pfizers reaction, Kobach said. In 2023, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Pfizer for unlawfully misrepresenting the effectiveness of the companys COVID-19 vaccine and attempting to censor public discussion of the product. That suit was also based on the states Consumer Protection Act. The case is filed in Thomas County. Kobach says this is because they wanted to go to a place with a lighter workload, to make sure they had the time to deal with it. When asked if hed received the Pfizer vaccine, Kobach declined to answer. I think whether Ive received the vaccination is irrelevant to the lawsuit, its not about me, he said. Its about the statements that were made to the people of Kansas. The post Kansas AG Kris Kobach accuses Pfizer of misleading vaccine marketing in lawsuit appeared first on Kansas Reflector. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Republican Kansas lawmaker who already dropped his re-election campaign last month after he was arrested in a traffic stop has now been barred from practicing law for at least a year for mishandling conflicts of interest in a murder case. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that state Rep. Carl Maughan of Colwich violated professional standards while representing 57-year-old Bret Blevins in a 2016 crash that killed two men, according to the Kansas City Star. Maughan did not respond immediately to an email from The Associated Press on Sunday nor did he answer a phone call from the newspaper Friday. He had previously defended the way he handled the Blevins case although Blevins is now suing Maughan over it. The conflicts of interest in the case came up because Maughan had previously represented Blevins girlfriend, Tammy Akers, in DUI cases and he accepted $30,000 from Akers and her husband to defend Blevins. Akers and Blevins were the only occupants of the vehicle that struck and killed the two men in a van. Akers served as a key witness at the trial where Maughan blamed Akers for the crash and suggested she was the driver. The Supreme Court ruled that conflict-of-interest waivers Maughan had Blevins and Akers sign didnt adequately address the situation or fully inform them of the consequences. Ultimately, Blevins was sentenced to more than 60 years in prison in 2017 after he was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder. But the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled four years later that he deserved a new trial because of Maughans conflicts of interest. He then pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison. Maughan announced last month that he would drop out of the race for his House seat, but his name will still be on the primary ballot alongside three other Republicans because he missed the deadline to withdraw it. He is facing two misdemeanors and two traffic violations after a traffic stop in Topeka in March. He was charged with possession of a firearm while under the influence, DUI, failure to signal a lane change and failure to maintain safe passage from a single lane. His attorney in the Topeka case didnt immediately respond to an email Sunday. 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. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing Pfizer over its COVID-19 vaccine, alleging the company engaged in "false and misleading marketing." Kobach announced the consumer protection lawsuit in a Statehouse press conference Monday morning. He said it will be filed in Thomas County District Court in western Kansas. Kobach said that as people made decisions about whether to get vaccinated and which vaccine to choose, it was "imperative that Kansas making that decision receive the truth, they needed the truth, all Americans needed the truth. And in multiple respects, Pfizer did not provide the truth." Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, seen here in a May file photo, announced Monday that he is suing Pfizer over marketing of its COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer administered over 3.3 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Kansas, accounting for more than 60% of all the doses in Kansas. The AG's complaint says that the company advertised that its vaccine was "life-saving" in three ads in 2021 that were seen by up to 190,000 people. Pfizer said the claims in the lawsuit are baseless and defended its representation of its vaccine in response to the lawsuit. "We are proud to have developed the COVID-19 vaccine in record time in the midst of a global pandemic and saved countless lives," a Pfizer representative told The Capital-Journal. "The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based. The Company believes that the state's case has no merit and will respond to the suit in due course." What Kobach is claiming to be misleading Kobach said the "most egregious" examples of Pfizer's claims are that it's safe for pregnant women, that it failed to report instances of myocarditis, effectiveness of the vaccine against variants and that the vaccine protected against transmission. Kobach cited a study on rats injected with full doses of the COVID vaccine and a collection of self-reported adverse side effects from pregnant women after taking the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID and that adverse reactions are similar to non-pregnant people who get vaccinated. Myocarditis and pericarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, have been found to be a rare side effect of COVID-19 vaccinations. A study found less than one per 100,000 people who took the vaccine experienced vaccine-related myocarditis. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach talks during a press conference where he laid out a lawsuit he plans to file over the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday. But Kobach claims Pfizer knew that myocarditis was a potential risk factor when its CEO said he hadn't seen a "single signal" to alert them of negative reactions, even though the United States government had found potential links between the vaccine and myocarditis. The original COVID vaccine became less effective at preventing transmission with subsequent variant strains of COVID, while still being associated with less severe cases of COVID-19. Kobach said up until late 2021 Pfizer didn't advertise the extent of dwindling effectiveness of the vaccine against delta and omicron variants. Pfizer didn't test for transmission before the initial rollout, but its officials are quoted as saying that not getting a vaccine would put people around them at risk. Social media censorship? Kobach also alleged that Pfizer engaged in censorship of critical voices when its board member Scott Gottlieb complained to Twitter executives about a self-published column written by Scott Berenson, a former New York Times opinion writer and a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under former President Donald Trump. Pfizer participated in joint programs with government agencies and other companies that engaged social media companies, flagging content it deemed to be misinformation. Following Texas' lead Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach enters a room at the Statehouse for a press conference where he laid out a lawsuit he plans to file over the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pursuing a similar lawsuit against Pfizer, which the vaccine maker has said "has no merit." Paxton filed the Texas case in November, alleging that Pfizer had misrepresented the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and attempted to censor public discussion around it. Paxton said the claim that the vaccine was 95% effective against infection was misleading. Pfizer made the claim in November 2020 after a study with about 43,000 participants confirmed 170 cases, of which only eight happened among the vaccinated group. This was before the more severe delta variant or the more contagious omicron variant spread across the United States. When releasing the data, Pfizer gave notice that there are variables that could change the future effectiveness. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a case that has many of the same claims as one filed in Kansas on Monday. In Kansas the claims are similar, but the laws governing consumer protection vary by state. "Texas' claims are made under their consumer protection act, so there are some differences. In addition we have prior settlements with Pfizer that were also pointing to in the complaint as additional illegal actions taken by Pfizer," Kobach said. "But the deceptive statements are the same, or virtually the same, in the two cases." Federal courts picked up Texas' case in January, and Pfizer recently requested the case be thrown out because the people taking the vaccine weren't paying consumers. Kobach said they're going after Pfizer but would do the same for other vaccine manufacturers if they believed they'd misled the public in a similar manner. Pfizer wasn't involved in Operation Warp Speed, a government program that fast-tracked vaccine development, which allowed Pfizer scientists to have less government supervision during development. While Shawnee COunty is where Kobach typically files cases, he said he is trying the case in Thomas County due to the amount of work required for the case. "This is going to be a very heavy load, so we wanted to go to a place with a lighter workload," Kobach said. The Thomas County courthouse is in Colby, about 300 miles west of Topeka. It is part of the 15th Judicial District, which is comprised of seven counties in the state's northwest corner. The entire district has one chief judge, one additional district court judge and six magistrate judges. Kansas hired controversial law firm to assist The Kansas lawsuit is being assisted by the James Otis Law Group, a firm that Kobach contracted with for a secretive pharmaceutical case. Justin Smith of the James Otis Law Group is the lead attorney on the contract and was listed on the lawsuit filing. The request for proposals had said the attorney general's office was "in the early stages" of an investigation into "alleged unfair or unconscionable acts or practices involving the drug manufacturer industry" targeting "a particular firm." That St. Louis-based law firm was the only bidder to respond to the RFP. Prospective bidders were allowed to get additional information on the case in order to evaluate whether they would submit a bid. The firm was founded by former Missouri solicitor general Dean John Sauer. He has represented former President Donald Trump, arguing that he should be immune from criminal prosecution for charges connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Sauer gained national attention when arguing in a federal appellate court that presidential immunity could hypothetically cover ordering Navy SEALs to assassinate a political rival. The law firm's contract sets a 20% contingency fee, and the state is responsible for certain costs and expenses of the litigation. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas AG Kris Kobach sues Pfizer over COVID vaccine marketing Dangerous heat levels are becoming routine in Florida as state leaders look the other way and do little to combat global warming. (Getty Images) Quality Journalism for Critical Times Two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation preventing local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoors workers, Tampa Bay-area Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor is calling on the Biden administration to finalize federal workplace protections against heat-related injury and illness. The Florida law (HB 433), set to go into effect on July 1, will allow private companies to avoid any mandate to provide basic protections like shade, accessible water, and breaks from the excessive heat and humidity that takes place daily in Florida throughout the summer months. It was introduced months after Miami-Dade County activists worked with local leaders in crafting an ordinance that would have provided heat protections for outdoors workers in construction and agriculture, after at least two farm workers died from excessive heat in South Florida last year. Congresswoman Kathy Castor The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a South Florida contractor in April for lack of protection after a heat stroke killed a 26-year-old farm worker at a sugarcane farm in Belle Glade; hed worked in an open field after the heat index reached 97 degrees. The devastating health and economic consequences of the climate crisis continue to grow, and the Tampa Bay region is particularly at risk for extreme heat and worsening air quality on hot, humid days, Castor wrote in her letter to Douglas L. Parker, assistant secretary at OSHA, and Julie Su, acting secretary at the Department of Labor. Workers deserve access to breaks, appropriate personal protective equipment, access to water and cooling stations, and education on how to recognize heated related illness. We need to take swift action and use every tool at our disposal to strengthen communities and workers resilience against such extreme heat and weather events. Were going to follow OSHAs rule Panama City Republican Jay Trumbull, sponsor of the measure in the Florida Senate, said, Were going to follow OSHAs rule, when asked by Democrats on the floor about who would protect outdoor workers. However, OSHA imposes no specific heat exposure standards, although the agency is authorized to enforce the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which calls upon each employer to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to its employees, according to a legislative analysis. In September 2021, President Joe Biden directed OSHA to begin the rulemaking for heat stress standards. In April, OSHA presented the draft rule during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health. The committee, which advises the agency on safety and health standards and policy, unanimously recommended OSHA move forward expeditiously on the notice of proposed rulemaking. Rep. Castor said that with temperatures continuing to rise and workers toiling under increasingly hazardous conditions, I urge OSHA to move forward expeditiously to propose and finalize a rule to protect workers across the country, including in Florida. In the meantime, I also urge OSHA to continue existing outreach and enforcement in areas where workers are exposed to heat hazards and increase inspections in high-risk industries like construction and agriculture, Castor wrote. Shortly before DeSantis signed the heat-safety ban, the Phoenix, Arizona, City Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance requiring city contractors and their subcontractors to provide access to rest, shade, water, and air conditioning for all employees who work outdoors. The post Kathy Castor calls on OSHA to speed up federal heat protections for outdoor workers appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Used syringes are ready for safe disposal at a needle exchange clinic where users can pick up new syringes and other clean items for those dependent on illegal injectable drugs, Feb. 6, 2014 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The leader of the agency that makes grants from the states opioid settlements declined to support funding for a syringe-exchange program, saying Attorney General Russell Coleman does not support such programs which are considered a key tool for reducing harm to people who inject drugs. Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Director Chris Evans, who works for Coleman, passed on a June 4 vote that approved a grant to the Boyle County Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention, one of 119 such county agencies. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman (Kentucky Lantern photo by Mathew Mueller) This application does increase outreach, which includes educational training, Narcan distribution and referrals to treatment, Evans said. However, the request does increase the funding of the syringe-service position, which the Office of the Attorney General does not support syringe exchange programs. So I will be passing on the vote of this application. Asked later why Coleman opposes syringe-exchange programs, Coleman spokesman Kevin Grout said in an email, Attorney General Coleman is committed to supporting effective prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts. He strongly supports the distribution of Naloxone and other overdose reversal drugs. However, he cannot support syringe-exchange programs, which he believes enable drug use without effectively promoting recovery. Elected in November, Coleman, a Republican, is a former FBI agent and former U.S. attorney under President Donald Trump. Syringe exchanges are supported by research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says injection drug users who have access to syringe exchanges are five times more likely to get treatment than those who dont. Another study says the exchanges do not encourage drug use or increase the frequency of drug use among current users. The exchanges were authorized by the states 2015 anti-heroin law, in an effort to thwart the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, which are commonly spread by the sharing of needles among intravenous drug users. As of March 14, the state had 80 operational syringe exchange programs in 65 counties. Mark Metcalf Later voting against the grant request because of their opposition to syringe exchange programs were commission members state Treasurer Mark Metcalf and retired Master State Trooper Darren Foot Allen, whom Coleman appointed to fill a slot representing law enforcement. Allen said, Theres some people that I trust that tell me this is okay. However, Im just not in favor of needle exchange. I suspect that this time next year, I wont change my position but I am open to looking at that option, he said. Despite the opposition, Boyle Countys ASAP grant request for $282,610 passed with a 6-2 majority vote. The commission is comprised of nine voting and two non-voting members from the legislature. Third round of grants approved The Boyle County grant was the only one put up for a vote that had any opposition at the commissions June 4 meeting. In all, the commission members approved 51 organizations to receive just over $12 million in grant money. D. Christopher Evans The legislature created the commission to distribute the states portion of the approximately $900 million in settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, half of which goes to the state and the other half goes to cities and counties. The commission is housed in the attorney generals office and is headed by Evans, a former chief operating officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Of the $12 million in this round of grant money, 28 of the awards were given for treatment and recovery, and 23 were given for prevention. This is the third round of state grants, with $32 million awarded to 59 groups in the first round and $13.9 million awarded to 34 groups in the second round. Asked for brief details of each grant, Grout said they would be announced next Thursday at a press conference at DV8 Kitchen-East End in Lexington, one of the grant recipients. The 28 new treatment and recovery grants are: Appalachian Regional Healthcare, $94,572. Backroads of Appalachia, $167,025. Boyle County ASAP Board, $282,610. Celebrate Recovery Fairdale, $30,004. Center for Employment Opportunities, $255,109. Chrysalis House, $227,273. Comprehend Inc., $426,087. Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, $450,000. Family Nurturing Center of Kentucky, $221,937. Family Scholar House, $245,110. Grin Grant, Lexington, $361,251. Hope Center, Lexington, $680,280. Hope Springs Church, $50,462. Horsesensing Inc., $115,219. Isaiah House, $250,000. Ky. Hospital Research and Ed. Foundation (Ky. Hospital Assn.), $250,000. Lake Cumberland Area Development District, $277,552. Life Learning Center, $498,500. Mercy Health Marcum and Wallace Hospital, Irvine, $179,834. Natalies Sisters, $88,356. Northeast Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization, $331,997. Ramey-Estep Homes, $222,801. Recovery Cafe Lexington, $276,278. Transitions Inc., $156,000. Voices of Hope Lexington, Inc., $538,021. Volunteers of America Mid-States, $664,587. Four Rivers Behavioral Health, $232,251. Young People in Recovery, $301,440. The 23 new prevention grants are: Anderson County ASAP, $171,100. Appalachian Research & Defense Fund (Legal Aid), $125,000. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, Inc., $185,301. Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana, $200,000. Carter County Public Library, $101,500. Covington Partners, $225,450. Cumberland Trace Legal Services (Legal Aid), $125,000. DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation and DV8 Kitchens, $151,730. Girl Scouts of Kentucky Wilderness Road Council, $59,052. Jewish Family and Career Services, $77,207. Legal Aid Society, $125,000. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, $125,000. Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital, $76,552. Operation Parent, $87,011. The Safety Blitz Foundation, $126,335. Scott County Sheriffs Office, $91,847. Taylor County Schools, $208,824. Three Rivers District Health Department, Owenton, $320,803. University of Kentucky Research Foundation, $380,572. Operation UNITE, $751,850. Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation, $90,472. WestCare Kentucky, $100,404. Young Mens Christian Association of Greater Louisville, $248,487. The grant application portal is closed until the commission opens it for the next round of awards. This article is republished from Kentucky Health News, an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. The post Kentucky attorney general opposes syringe exchanges despite evidence of their efficacy appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Killed by a scam: A father took his life after losing his savings to international criminal gangs. Hes not the only one Editors note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website. For support outside of the US, a worldwide directory of resources and international hotlines is provided by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide. Sitting at the kitchen table, Matt struggles to recount the events of the past few months. As soon as I found out that it was a suicide, I was 100% sure that it was the scam, he says. Our father was, from the day I was born until six months ago, always a positive, happy person. This was literally the only thing in his life that had happened, to where it changed him, and it just crushed him. On a horse farm in northern Virginia, surrounded by sprawling fields and stables, the family gathers at their younger sister Adriannes house - something theyve done a lot in the three months since their father took his own life after falling victim to a so-called pig butchering scam. Loving father Dennis Jones, 82, withdrew from his family and after he befriended a woman going by the name Jessie on Facebook. - CNN The scams mostly run out of Southeast Asia - are given that name because they involve fattening up victims before taking everything they have. The con artists behind them take on false online identities and spend months financially grooming their victims to get them to invest on fraudulent cryptocurrency websites. Dennis Jones, an avid runner and photographer, was adored by his children and grandchildren. Described as a bit of an activist by his family, the 82-year-old spent much of his retirement working with refugees and debating politics online. But in the last few months of his life he withdrew from his family and, having been divorced for years, befriended a woman going by the name Jessie on Facebook. The two had been talking online for months and built a close relationship. Eventually, Jessie convinced Dennis to invest in crypto. Dennis complied. Without ever meeting Jessie in person, he spent everything he had, and when he had nothing left, she demanded more. Until one day the money disappeared, leaving him in ruin. In early March, Dennis children scheduled a meeting to help their father get back on his feet after the scam. The plan was for him to move in with Adrianne and her family. We wanted him to know that he was going to be taken care of, Matt said. But the morning of the meeting none of them could reach Dennis. Matt drove to Denniss apartment but he wasnt home, and all calls went straight to voicemail. They figured he must be out on one of his long runs. An hour later, police knocked on Matts door to inform him that Dennis had taken his own life. Dennis was one of countless victims of a massive global criminal operation predominantly run by Chinese gangs who have built a multibillion-dollar scam industry in Southeast Asia. There, theyve assembled an army of scammers, many held against their will in guarded compounds and forced to con people all around the world out of their life savings. Its theft at a scale so large that investigators are now calling it a mass transfer of wealth from middle-class Americans to criminal gangs. Last year, the FBI estimates, pig butchering scams stole nearly $4 billion from tens of thousands of American victims, a 53% increase from the year before. While the crime takes place online, its real-world consequences are devastating. Law enforcement sources predict that losses will continue to grow in the next year, and as the criminals remain out of reach, money and lives will continue to be lost. Victims victimizing victims Santa Clara county prosecutor Erin West has dedicated the last few years to fighting pig butchering scams. Ive been a prosecutor for over 25 years, Ive done all kinds of different types of crime. I spent nine years in sexual assault. And Ive never seen the absolute decimation of people that Ive seen as a result of pig butchering, she says. Being in the heart of the tech industry in Californias Bay Area, Erin and her team were some of the first to begin investigating pig butchering scams. Weve got victims victimizing victims and the only winners are Chinese gangsters, she says. Shawn Bradstreet, US Secret Service special agent in charge of the San Francisco field office, told CNN that some of the money stolen from American victims is spent on expanding the scam operations and the massive compounds that house them and other illicit activities. Santa Clara county prosecutor Erin West is part of a small group of US law enforcement agents working to find ways to tackle pig butchering scams. - Jim Castel/CNN West and Bradstreet are part of a small group of US law enforcement agencies working to find ways to tackle a crime that largely takes place online and overseas. Social media is flooded with scammers hunting for victims, on WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn and, increasingly, dating apps such as Bumble and Tinder. The unfortunate reality is that scammers may pull on the heartstrings on those looking for love or connection - on dating apps and on all online platforms, a spokesman for Match group, which owns Tinder, said in a statement. Match, Bumble, Facebook and Whatsapp parent company Meta told CNN they are working to prevent scammers from using their platforms, by flagging suspicious language and educating their users. In a statement to CNN a Bumble spokesperson said they have introduced AI to help identify spam, scam and fake profiles aiming to take action before such profiles have the opportunity to interact with members. CNN has reached out to LinkedIn for comment. In May, a group of tech companies including cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase, Meta, Match group and the anti-scam charity organization GASO announced the Tech Against Scams Coalition, acknowledging that scams are a pervasive issue across the entire tech landscape. But West says thats not enough. She recently set up a task force called Operation Shamrock to bring together law enforcement, social media, crypto exchanges and traditional banks to tackle crypto scams. A 2023 CNN investigation revealed that many of the scammers are themselves victims of human trafficking. Lured to Southeast Asia with promises of white-collar jobs, they are instead trafficked into Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and other destinations. Since a 2021 military coup, Myanmar has become Asias scam capital where criminals can operate freely under the cover of a bloody civil war. Today, city-sized compounds loom over the Myanmar side of the border with Thailand, with nothing but a dried-out river separating the two countries. Inside are what can only be described as scam factories offices full of hundreds of slaves, working 16-hour days to befriend victims and convince them to invest in cryptocurrency on fake platforms that mimic legitimate crypto exchanges. Those kept inside tell stories of torture and abuse, of scammers who dont bring in enough money being beaten with electrical sticks and forced to do hundreds of squats as punishment. Rakesh, an Indian national, was trafficked to a compound called Gate 25 in Myanmar after applying for an IT job in Thailand in late 2022. There he signed a scamming contract under threat of execution, and was trained to scam. For 11 months he posed as Klara Semonov, a Russian investor based in Salt Lake City. To avoid gruesome punishments inflicted by his captors, he said he sent romantic messages to victims like Dennis to convince them to invest their money. Seventy to 80% fall for fake love, he said. Rakesh was eventually released in 2023 when his contract ended. He believes he was let go because he simply wasnt good enough at scamming. They (were) treating us like slaves, he told CNN days after his release in 2023. Conveniently located on the border, the compounds use telecoms services from the Thai side. In November 2023 Thai Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said they were working to cut off the compounds. Pachara Naripthaphan of the Thai National Broadcasting Transmissions Commission has since told CNN that in May they instructed all telecom operators to shut off wireless services in proximity to any areas bordering Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia. Despite that, their data shows that illicit activity has continued at a baseline level as criminals adjust to using other means of connecting to the internet such as Starlink. Even here on the border, where the physical distance is reduced to nothing but a narrow river, the criminals remain out of the reach of law enforcement, either locally or internationally. Many of these perpetrators are beyond my reach. And in order to establish deterrence, we need to prosecute some individuals who are running these operations in Southeast Asia, Santa Clara district attorney Jeff Rosen says. According to FBI data, out of nearly $5 billion dollars lost to cryptocurrency fraud in 2023, $3.96 billion was stolen in pig butchering scams. While Rosens office and the Secret Service have had some success in retrieving millions of dollars in stolen funds, no American law enforcement agency has been able to arrest a single suspected scammer. Hard to believe Carina, who asked CNN to only use her first name, met Evan on Bumble in May 2023. His photos showed a blond man with piercing blue eyes. He claimed to be Dutch and showed off his wealth expensive cars and Rolexes, though none of that appealed to Carina, a chemistry PhD and triathlete. Their relationship moved fast. Right away he suggested they move their conversation to WhatsApp and delete the Bumble app to focus on getting to know each other. A few days later he started calling her honey. Were doing that already? Carina asked, in a text conversation seen by CNN. Carina met her scammer Evan Van on the dating app Bumble. - Jim Castel/CNN Evan claimed he had made his money running a company with his uncle and investing in crypto. He told her she could pay off her student loans in a matter of months by investing. Carina was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to put in $1,000. He told her not to use the official app of the Kraken crypto platform, and instead sent her a link to a parallel website which they used to trade in the coming months. As their investments grew, so did their relationship. The two made plans for the future, romantic weekend getaways and family introductions, though they were yet to meet in person. Ive never met anyone like you before. Hard to believe Im falling for a man I have never seen or spoken to, Carina told him just a few weeks in. The first red flag emerged when Evan pressured Carina to enter an event where she would have to invest $150,000 by the end of July to make extra profit. If she failed to reach the target, her account and money would be frozen. Scared to lose the money she had already put in, Carina panicked. She took out a high-interest loan and borrowed money from friends and family to meet the deadline. Despite all his purported wealth, Evan refused to help her, instead lying and telling her he was struggling to meet his target of $500,000 and needed her help, she said. At one point, Carina found herself consoling her scammer, telling him the money didnt matter as long as they loved each other. Major psychological stunt After Dennis took his life, his adult children were left piecing together what happened by going through his Facebook messages. There, they learned for the first time what Dennis had been dealing with. I have been having dark thoughts about my life and it being over. Certainly it looks like my financial life is done, Dennis messaged his scammer in the months before his death. And the ultimate pain here is that I have betrayed family trust. This is unbearable, he writes in screenshots of their conversation seen by CNN. Whats most heartbreaking is reading through these messages. He was talking about having signs of a nervous breakdown. And so these were all shared with the profile, Adrianne says. Instead of sharing with us, Matt adds. Whats amazing here is that these scammers overseas have figured out a way that they can get victims to trust them over their own families, West says. Its a major psychological stunt that theyre pulling on the rest of the world. Carina didnt tell her family about what had happened and the stress she was under until the very final moment. After hitting their event targets, Carina tried to withdraw some of her money, but was unable to do so, having violated platform rules by investing in the same account as Evan. After months of hiding it, Carina told her family, who suggested she speak to Kraken directly. The next morning she called Kraken customer services, who informed her there was no account under her name. I realized I had been scammed at that point. And I broke down, Carina says. It was all fake. It was a fake profile. It was a fake story. The amount of time that he spent grooming and getting to know me was incessant. Reading through their conversations a year later, Carina barely recognizes herself. Its actually heartbreaking for me to see the state that I was in, she says. The emotional and financial entanglement had taken a toll on her, and she was left reeling from a breakup and bankruptcy at the same time. In the aftermath, Carina had to move back in with her mother. It will take her at least a decade to repay her debts. Playing on emotions Their grief still raw, Adrianne and Matt are only now starting to understand what happened to their father. He wasnt up against one person. Its a multibillion-dollar criminal organization with a playbook thats playing on the emotions It was almost like he was brainwashed to some extent, Dennis daughter Adrianne says. As the criminals tactics continue to evolve and law enforcement struggles to find a way to stop them, there will be more victims in 2024, and more people like Matt and Adrianne, who suffer a loss far greater than money. He died embarrassed, ashamed, financially devastated, heartbroken. And if sharing our story helps somebody else or another family, then its worth it, Adrianne says. If you think you are a victim of a cyber scam the FBI recommends you report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice This story has been updated. CNNs Kocha Olarn in Bangkok contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com ISIS staged attacks that killed scores of Syrian government soldiers in June. The ISIS attacks are a sign of the weakness of the Assad regime and the factions fighting it. "I do not see ISIS making an important comeback in the near future," a Syria expert said. The Islamic State terror group may have lost its territorial caliphate, once equal in size to the United Kingdom, years ago, but its militants are still killing soldiers and civilians in the Syrian desert. In two attacks on Wednesday, ISIS militants reportedly killed a total of 19 Syrian government troops in the Homs desert in central Syria, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. Wednesday's attacks followed another attack on a Syrian army convoy in Homs' eastern countryside, killing five soldiers on Monday. ISIS killed an estimated 84 Syrian soldiers and 44 civilians in central Syria in March, making it the most violent month in the ISIS desert campaign since late 2017. Another attack on May 3 killed an estimated 15 pro-government fighters. Another four Syrian troops were killed in another desert attack in late April. Coupled with the latest attacks, 2024 has already seen the deadliest violence perpetrated by ISIS in Syria so far this decade. ISIS lost the territory it declared a decade ago in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019 and it now lacks the fighters and revenue it had then. But it still has enough armed adherents to attack opponents in the splintered Syria civil war in an attempt to recruit more to its cause of holy war. The attacks aren't a sign of growing ISIS strength, said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. "Over the past several years, ISIS has been able to make regular attacks in the desert," Landis told Business Insider. "In particular, it has had success in killing Syrian soldiers on buses as they travel between Deir ez-Zor and Syria's major western cities." "All the same, the frequency of its attack has decreased, particularly in Iraq but also in Syria," Landis said. "It has been active in killing Syrians who venture into the desert to hunt for truffles." The Badia desert in Homs is known for its high-quality truffles that poor Syrians often venture in search of in February-April each year, many of them risking death at the hands of ISIS or the various landmines and explosives strewn across the area. In early March, ISIS murdered 14 civilians collecting truffles in the area. Landis noted that the Syrian military is picking up its efforts to attack ISIS in the Homs-Palmyra region. He speculates this might be the reason for these latest attacks and subsequent deaths, which he describes as "a sign of the Syrian military's engagement with the problem" rather than of state weakness. "I do not see ISIS making an important comeback in the near future," Landis said. "ISIS is a product of state weakness and the strength of opposition forces more generally." While President Bashar al-Assad's government remains weak compared to before the civil war began in 2011, the opposition is also much weaker than at any time since then. "The comparative advantage of the Syrian military is growing stronger every year," Landis said. The ISIS attacks are one of many crises in Syria and are a sign of the weakness of the regime and the factions fighting it, another Syria expert said. "The group's ability to recover depends on how the conflict evolves and on future choices by other actors, including foreign governments," Aron Lund, a fellow with Century International, told BI. "Even if it's killing more people, the Islamic State is still a very minor threat compared to what it used to be. They don't hold significant territory, they have no meaningful population centers under their control, and they keep losing top leadership figures." Aside from a "weak and disjointed opposition," Lund noted ISIS remnants are fighting the Assad government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces while "playing cat and mouse" with rebels backed by Turkey elsewhere. For ISIS, increasing the level of violence is important as it creates both "a perception of threat and momentum," Lund explained, which can influence local populations while simultaneously maintaining the morale of its foot soldiers. "All-out religious war is their raison d'etre, after all," Lund said. Syria is still riven by internal tensions ISIS would love to exploit, and their hand could be strengthened if the US follows through on a complete troop withdrawal from northeast Syria. That could give them an opportunity to reorganize against a weaker Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces administration, especially since thousands of ISIS militants remain in SDF-run prisons and detention centers, where they're often being held indefinitely. ISIS already attempted a well-planned, coordinated prison break in northeast Syria's Hasakah in January 2022, which took the SDF, with US support, almost two weeks to suppress. Professor Landis noted what's left of the opposition forces receive little foreign funding compared to the height of the Syrian war in the 2010s, and any remaining funding they can get isn't "at a level" to undermine the Syrian military. "The intent of Western governments in extending sanctions on Syria is to prevent the Syrian military and state from rebuilding," Landis said. "All the same, the Arab governments have normalized relations with Damascus, which will help it to rebuild its forces and better police the desert." While the Syrian military does carry out combing operations in the Homs desert, ISIS remnants are far from Damascus's top priority. "The Syrian government seems more focused on the Turkey-backed rebels and on the SDF, but that's just common sense from Damascus's point of view," Lund said. "These groups are a much bigger political problem, and they represent a bigger potential threat to Assad's rule, even if there's currently little fighting along those frontlines." The Century fellow believes ISIS remains a "serious nuisance" that will continually prove difficult to eradicate but only has "limited current power" and future potential. Even if the group does manage to pose a "serious menace again," regional and international powers will likely intervene. "All things considered, I would not expect Damascus to prioritize a terrorist-listed rural insurgency over these other two hostile actors, both of which govern large chunks of territory in a state-like fashion and enjoy significant foreign support," Lund said. "That doesn't mean the Islamic State is an insignificant problem for Assad, but let's keep things in perspective." Read the original article on Business Insider LONDONBritish soldiers are still wearing cap badges from the era of the late Queen Elizabeth II because of fears that the Chinese manufacturers might bug new King Charles-branded badges. A report in the Financial Times said that British authorities have pressed pause on the delivery of the new insignias, designed to be worn on soldiers berets, over fears that some of the components manufactured in China could have been fitted with tiny tracking devices. The security concerns explain the riddle of why British army regiments are still wearing assorted cap badges from Elizabeths reign almost two years after Charles acceded the throne. The FT said that concerns the tiny trinkets might double as GPS trackers were raised after it emerged that the Yorkshire-based company which makes the badges, Wyedean Weaving, sources some of its manufacturing capacity from factories in China. There is a fear that tracking devices or a GPS transmitter could be embedded in the cap badges, a senior U.K. defence official told the paper, The result is a delay in the introduction of the cap badges as the U.K. does not have the capacity to manufacture them as quickly or as cheaply. The badges are of varying designs and made of embroidered cloth or metal and bear the monarchs initials and chosen emblems. Susannah Walbank, Wyedeans systems director, told the FT: China is part of our supply chains, we have been there for 15 years, have long-standing relationships, and there has never been any concern. Tobias Ellwood, a U.K. lawmaker who has headed up the British parliaments defense committee, said similar concerns had affected the production of ceremonial coins intended for visiting dignitaries. The coins were ultimately made in the U.K. despite costing five times as much as they would have if they had been made in China. One western security official told the paper that security meant that of course the cap badges should be made in Britain. But another said that there was little risk as the badges were so small, that no bug would have much battery life or be able to emit a signal over distance. A third official told the outlet that relations with China were going to get weirder before they get clearer. 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. UPDATED: What we know about the mass shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad Rochester Hills Mayor Brian Barnett at a press conference on the Rochester Hills shooting, June 15, 2024 | Anna Liz Nichols A sunny summer day at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills turned into a tragic one after a gunman opened fired on children and parents, leaving nine wounded with the discarded weapon laying inches from abandoned race car and rainbow-colored childrens sandals. Authorities on the scene Saturday lamented the seemingly random act of violence which led to ice cream cones being strewn alongside bullet casings. Its a hard hit for the county, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Saturday, as the area is still trying to heal after the Oxford High School shooting in 2021 that killed four students. Police on Sunday identified the gunman as Michael William Nash, 42, of nearby Shelby Township. He had no known run-ins with the law that police are aware of and no known connection to the splash pad or the victims, Bouchard said during a Saturday news conference hours after the shooting. Bouchard gave an update on the statuses of the victims Monday. The victims The Oakland County Sheriffs office isnt identifying the nine victims or many details about their statuses at this time, but shared their ages: 4, 8, 30, 31, 37 39, 39, 40 and 77. The 4- and 8-year-olds are brothers, Bouchard said Saturday, and their mother, age 39, was wounded, as well. As of Monday, the 4-year-old boy, who had suffered a wound to the thigh, is in stable condition. His 8-year-old brother, who was wounded in the head, and his mom, who was wounded in the abdomen and leg, both remain in critical condition. The boys aunt, Tiffany Holcomb has made a GoFundMe to support the boys dad as he takes care of his family. Right now their father is trying to navigate through life and being by their sides. The community has been amazing, along with the nurses and doctors who are caring for them, Holcomb says on the GoFundMe page. The 37-year-old woman and 77-year-old man who were wounded have been released from the hospital. A different 39-year-old woman who sustained wounds to the forearm and back could potentially be released from the hospital Monday, Bouchard said. Other victims, besides the mother and son, remain stable and in the hospital. No ones worse, Bouchard said, praising the youngest victims progress in particular. The young child that had the head wound, hes made amazing progress. I saw him yesterday and the father. Reeling would be an understatement. That family went through things no family should ever have to face. Youve got a family of four, and three are in the hospital. Because bottom feeders are already creating fake fundraisers for fake victims for their own personal gain, the Oakland County Sheriffs office shared a legitimate fundraiser for two other victims, husband and wife Micayla and Eric Coughlin of Rochester Hills. We investigated that, our investigators made contact with GoFundMe, that site was shut down, the money had never been dispersed to the scammer and was returned to the donors, Bouchard said. Their GoFundMe page, set up by a friend, says the pair had gotten ice cream with their daughters, ages 2 and 7 months. The family walked to the splash pad where seconds after arriving, they heard gunfire. They each took one of their daughters and shielded them from the bullets, sustaining seven gunshot wounds between the two of them, the page says. They are hospitalized and undergoing necessary treatment. Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening, the page says. A bystander who told the Advance and other reporters on the scene that he rendered first aid to the victims before the paramedics arrived said one victim, the grandfather of a friend, was shot several times in the stomach as the gunman tried to shoot through him to get to everybody else. Jarrett Schmidt, 43, said he had been at his mothers house near the splash pad when he realized what was happening and grabbed the medical kit he owns because he carries a concealed weapon. Some of these people I know personally, Schmidt said. Ive lived here all my life. I put compression bandages and tourniquets on people; thats what I was here to do. The Brooklands neighborhood where the splash pad is located is the oldest neighborhood in Rochester Hills and is a very close-knit community, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett said Saturday. The shooting impacts the whole city, he added. Barnett said one of the victims is the wife of a city employee. Hes been communicating with her family and is focused on supporting the city. When I got on scene, I started to cry because I know what a splash pad is supposed to be. Its supposed to be a place where people gather, where families make memories, where people have fun and enjoy a Saturday afternoon. And it wasnt today, Barnett said. Were going to do everything we can to help them be able to provide the resources and begin to get our community back on its feet. The shooter The violence of Saturday is a bizarre situation, Bouchard said Saturday, as the man police have identified as the gunman, Michael William Nash, seems to have no connection to the victims or the splash pad. As of Monday, Bouchard said police still dont know Nashs motive, and they might never know the motive. At around 5 p.m. Saturday, police said Nash drove up to the splash pad, exited his car and proceeded to open fire into the crowded splash pad, causing chaos as families attempted to flee. Originally law enforcement found 28 bullet casings, but as of Monday, police report that Nash fired 36 shots into the crowd. Then he just left, Bouchard said Saturday, appeared to leave in no rush, just calmly walked back to his car. Nash then went to his mothers home half-mile from the splash pad in Shelby Township. Law enforcement surrounded the home after establishing that he was inside, Bouchard said Saturday. Law enforcement deployed drones into the home and discovered that Nash was dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Quick police response and containment of the gunman was critical, Bouchard said Saturday, as near Nashs body, there was an AR Platform rifle laying on the kitchen table. We dont know what the next chapter was gonna be, Bouchard said. I believe that because we had quick containment of him that if he had planned to do anything else and it wouldnt surprise me because having that [the AR rifle] on the kitchen table isnt an everyday activity that there was probably something else, a second chapter potentially. In total, one handgun was found on the scene, and police believe he had a second handgun with him, which was found at the house, as well as the AR rifle and at least 10 other firearms that law enforcement is determining ownership. When I got on scene, I started to cry because I know what a splash pad is supposed to be. Its supposed to be a place where people gather, where families make memories, where people have fun and enjoy a Saturday afternoon. And it wasnt today. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett Why the gunman open fired on the splash pad is unknown to law enforcement as of Saturday, Bouchard said. There was evidence police found that suggests that Nash was going through mental distress, and investigators are looking for a potential manifesto or social media postings to get to the bottom of why the shooting happened. There appears to be no connection between the victims and the location whatsoever. A person doesnt live in Rochester Hills, he went to a Rochester Hills Park, so it may be very much like Michigan State University where the person had no connection to Michigan State but just decided to go there and find victims, Bouchard said Saturday, referring to the mass shooting at the East Lansing university in February 2023 that killed three students. Mental health support is strained in Oakland County, Bouchard said. Nashs mother informed law enforcement after the shooting that Nash had been suffering with paranoia that the government was watching him. Someone is typically in a position before incidents of mass casualties to identify signs of mental distress and share with public safety or mental health professionals and they dont, Bouchard said. Theres a mental health crisis going on. Ive been asked by a number of people at the federal and state levels, what they can do, what they can do is send resources, not just to the sheriffs office, but to the community for mental health, Bouchard said. Ive been asking for more mental health resources for the community. Were responding to mental health calls almost daily. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post UPDATED: What we know about the mass shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad appeared first on Michigan Advance. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer. He says the company made misleading and deceptive claims about its COVID-19 vaccine and needs to be held accountable. Kobach said there was a lot of panic and anxiety over the coronavirus, especially as the elderly and people with various medical conditions were dying. When vaccines became available, people had to quickly decide if they would get vaccinated and which vaccine to get. You do not deceive consumers, and you especially must not deceive consumers when consumers are making an urgent, frantic decision, believing that their life might be on the line. Kobach held a news conference Monday to announce the lawsuit. He said much of the information in the suit came after an organization filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against Pfizer. Accusations He said the 69-page complaint he filed goes into great detail, but these are the four items he considers to be the most egregious: 1. Pfizer marketed its COVID-19 vaccine as safe for pregnant women. However, in February 2021, Pfizer possessed reports for 458 pregnant women who received Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, Kobach said. More than half of the pregnant women reported an adverse event, and more than 10% reported a miscarriage, many within days of the vaccination. 2. Safety relating to heart conditions like myocarditis. Pfizer consistently denied any evidence of a connection or safety signal between its COVID-19 vaccine and myocarditis or pericarditis, Kobach said. However, as Pfizer knew, the United States government, the United States military, foreign governments and others had found that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine caused myocarditis and pericarditis. 3. Effectiveness regarding variants. Pfizer also claimed that its COVID-19 vaccine protected against COVID-19 variants even though data available at the time showed Pfizers vaccine was effective less than half the time against variants, Kobach said. 4. Transmission. Pfizer urged Americans to get vaccinated in order to protect their loved ones, clearly indicating a claim that Pfizers COVID-19 vaccination stopped transmission of COVID-19, Kobach said. Pfizer later admitted that it had never even studied transmission after its recipients received the vaccine and whether they could say it stopped transmission. 2024-06-15-pfizer-complaint-(002)Download Pfizer knew of multiple side effects, which I already talked about, and did not disclose, and, in some ways, you know, made statements that were contrary, Kobach said. Its more than just a failure to say that there are side effects. They made statements saying there are no side effects in particular cases when, in fact, they knew there were side effects, and they had data indicating those side effects. His complaint also alleges that Pfizer coordinated with social media officials to censor speech critical of COVID-19 vaccines and declined to participate in the federal governments vaccine development program, Operation Warp Speed, to avoid government oversight. Kobach said Pfizer has violated previous consent judgments with the State of Kansas in which Pfizer promised never to use deceptive information to market their products. Pfizers response KSN News contacted Pfizer for its response to the accusations and lawsuit. Its media relations team sent this response: Kobach acknowledged that the company has done good things. Pfizer is a great corporation that has produced many, many life-saving drugs, and they have done many great things, he said. The fact that they have done many great things, however, does not give them a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to deceiving the public. Lawsuit details The attorney general filed the lawsuit in Thomas County instead of in Shawnee County, where his office is located. This case is extremely complex, and our Consumer Protection Division sometimes files cases, many times, files cases outside of Shawnee County, Kobach said. This is going to be a very heavy load, so we wanted to go to a place with a lighter workload. He said it would be up to Pfizer whether they seek to get the case moved to federal court. He said the lawsuit is part of a multi-state collaboration. Four more states are considering joining. He named Idaho but did not name the others, saying they would make their own announcements in their own time. Texas filed its own separate lawsuit last year. The federal government conferred immunity on the vaccine manufacturers for tort suits seeking damages from injuries people might receive because of the COVID-19 vaccines. That did not free any of the vaccine manufacturers from their obligation to not mislead the public or make deceptive statements in marketing it, Kobach said. He says the Kansas lawsuit against Pfizer seeks civil monetary penalties, damages and injunctive relief. 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. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian ruler, has claimed that the effectiveness of the Global Peace Summit Russia wasnt invited to allegedly "approaches zero". Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti Quote by Peskov: "This was a widespread viewpoint at this event, many of them [the participants ed.] confirmed the futility of any serious substantial discussions in the absence of our country. We documented this as well." Details: In fact, only Turkiye expressed disappointment that Russia was not invited to the Peace Summit. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Russia's involvement in the Global Peace Summit would have made the gathering "more result-oriented". Peskov stressed that Russias relations with Hungary, Serbia and Turkiye, which had signed the final document of the conference, would not deteriorate. "Of course, we will take into consideration the position of these countries, it is important for us. And we will keep explaining our reasoning to them," Peskov said. Read more: Ukraine Peace Summit turns hard on Russia. How leaders amended the final decision under criticism Background: On 14 June, Russian leader Vladimir Putin dreamed up new "conditions for the start of peace talks": Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territory of four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, and Kyiv must make a declaration about the absence of plans to join NATO. Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that Putin was trying to disrupt the Global Peace Summit with his so-called ultimatum for the start of "peace talks". Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared Putins actions to those of Nazi Germany. Participants in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland issued a joint communique on the foundations of peace in Ukraine. The final declaration of the Global Peace Summit, held in Switzerland, was signed by 80 countries and four organisations. Later, the Swiss Foreign Ministry released the list of countries that signed the communique. Iraq and Jordan appeared to have retracted their signatures, thus reducing the number of states that signed the document to 78. Support UP or become our patron! The city of Los Angeles has agreed to pay the legal bills for a local journalist and a group of activists whom it took to court last year for publishing photographs of LAPD officers, part of a tentative settlement that will end a lawsuit some saw as an assault on media freedom. Under the agreement, which still needs to be approved by the City Council, Knock LA journalist Ben Camacho and the group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition will receive $300,000 for lawyer fees. They were sued for publishing thousands of officers' pictures that the city had itself provided in response to a public records request. The agreement allows both sides to put the matter behind them without conceding any wrongdoing, although several other legal actions related to the officer photos remain pending, with the city still attempting to hold Camacho and Stop LAPD Spying responsible. A court hearing on the matter is set for Tuesday afternoon. Read more: Crime stats disappear from public view amid LAPD records system overhaul The city had asked the court to order Camacho and Stop LAPD Spying to return the images of officers in sensitive roles, to take them off the internet, and to forgo publishing them in the future. Those demands will now be dropped. Constitutional and media rights experts widely denounced the suit, which was argued by the office of Los Angeles City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, as meritless and a brazen attack on protected news-gathering activity at a time when press freedoms are being threatened across the country. The Los Angeles Times was among the outlets to join a coalition of news organizations that spoke out against the lawsuit. Attorneys for Camacho and Stop LAPD Spying argued to have the case dismissed, but last August a judge ruled that the city could proceed because publication of the photos threatened the safety of officers working undercover. Normally, such prior restraint on the speech of a political group is allowed only under extraordinary circumstances. Stop LAPD Spying Coalition organizer Hamid Khan said he was happy with the case's resolution, but he still feels Feldstein Soto was "sending a message to silence people's dissent and silence people's desire to have more open government." Taxpayers were ultimately left footing the bill, he said. Khan said the city attorney's insistence on continuing the suit appeared to be an attempt to appease the powerful Los Angeles Police Protective League. It just shows us who she is beholden to, Camacho said of Feldstein Soto. The settlement just means the public is on the hook for an abuse of power for the city attorney, he said. The city attorney's office didn't immediately return an email seeking comment on Monday morning. The legal drama dates back to last spring, when Stop LAPD Spying turned the photos Camacho received from the city into a searchable online database called Watch the Watchers, which also includes such details as an officer's ethnicity, rank, date of hire, salary and assignment as of 2022. Users can look up an officer's photo using their name or badge number. Read more: LAPD cant get rid of their bad cops. Heres what they want to do about it Camacho obtained the images via a California Public Records Act request. When the LAPD initially refused to fully comply with the law Camacho took legal action and the city released the records. Shortly after the Watch the Watchers site went live in March 2023, LAPD officials said they had inadvertently released photos of officers who worked undercover. Then-LAPD Chief Michel Moore ordered an internal investigation, while the LAPD inspector general's office launched a separate probe. LAPD officers and their union alleged that the release of the photographs compromised the safety of officers working in sensitive assignments and threatened future criminal investigations. Some of those officers sued the city, alleging their families had also been placed in danger. The city, in turn, sued Camacho and Stop LAPD Spying, trying to claw back the photos. Feldstein Soto also began lobbying California lawmakers to weaken the states public records law to allow government agencies to decline future public records requests that seek images or data that may personally identify employees. The Protective League, which represents the LAPD's rank and file, also sued Moore, who after the photos' publication said he was unaware of the release, and later issued an apology. In April the Protective League agreed to drop its suit, according to online court records. Officers who have signed on to the legal challenge against the city numbering in the hundreds and listed as John Does have argued the release put scores of LAPD employees in harms way, particularly those working in sensitive assignments who have to go to great lengths to disguise their identities. Lawyers for the officers say blame for the disclosure lies with Moore and Elizabeth Rhodes, a civilian director who runs the department's office of constitutional policing, who reportedly allowed the release to go forward without Moores knowledge. Since then, the case has sprawled in several directions. Earlier this year, the city filed a counter-complaint denying the officers' claims, and named Camacho and Stop LAPD as cross-defendants. That case remains pending. Read more: Who should be the next LAPD chief? Public shrugs as city asks for input Susan Seager, an attorney for Camacho, called Feldstein Soto's decision to press on with the other lawsuit "a cowardly attack on the press that she thought would buy her political points with the cops." "Feldstein Soto has provided a powerful lesson for government agencies: You can't sue journalists after you willingly give them government records," said Seager, head of UC Irvine School of Law's Press Freedom Project. "It's too bad that taxpapers must pay for her stupid mistake, but if the city doesn't settle now, the city will have to pay even more money for Ben's attorney's fees after we win the court of appeal." She pointed to case law that repeatedly ruled against similar efforts to claw back published information that journalists had obtained legally. "It's important to remember that the LAPD did not submit a single piece of evidence that any officers were harmed by the disclosure of these photographs," she said. "This was never about officers being harmed by disclosure of their photos. It was always about officers being mad that they be held accountable for their actions." 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. Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, says Labour's plans would give Brussels control over key military decisions - Justin Tallis/AFP Labours plan to strike a security pact with the European Union will threaten British sovereignty, Grant Shapps has warned. The Defence Secretary claimed the proposal would hand control over key defence decisions to Brussels and sow division within Nato, at a time when the EU is seeking to set up separate military structures to the transatlantic alliance. Mr Shapps said: To secure a future where Britain stands tall and resilient, we must maintain control over our own military decisions, a cornerstone of which is our steadfast support for Nato. It is this sovereign capability which has allowed us to be at the forefront of responding to the war in Ukraine. It is clear the Labour Partys future defence policy will lead to a divided Nato. Shadow defence secretary John Healey (left) with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - Stefan Rousseau/PA He was responding to a new report by the Legatum Institute, a think tank, published on Monday. It warns that Sir Keir Starmers plan to strike an EU security pact risks tightly binding Britains defence industry into rules created by Brussels, effectively subordinating UK defence policy. The report says: Advocating for a formalised UK-EU defence relationship seems inimical to the UK national interest if it entails assisting the emergence of a distinct EU defence union. It may also undermine the UKs ability to act independently. Labour risks compromising the advantages the UK currently enjoys as an independent power able to balance its interests through its relations with key allies, by subordinating the UK to EU-led defence initiatives. It adds that the EUs desire to play both a role in developing capabilities and operational command structures poses a growing challenge to Nato. EU security pact is key priority for Labour Both David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, and John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, have said that forging closer defence ties with Europe will be a key priority for a Labour government, primarily through a new UK-EU security pact. They have not yet set out any detail of what the pact will entail. There is speculation that it could involve signing up to a range of EU defence cooperation and procurement schemes that are designed to give Europe more strategic autonomy, triggering concerns that they will drive a wedge between EU countries and Nato. Legatum suggested that Labour may explore joining the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (Card) process and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) mechanism, as well as participating in EU battle groups. On Sunday night, Labour insisted closer cooperation with Europe was vital following Russias attack on Ukraine and pointed out that under the Conservatives the UK was already in the process of trying to join part of Pesco related to the cross-border movement of troops. Our commitment to Nato is unshakeable A Labour spokesman said: As our manifesto clearly stated, Nato will be the cornerstone of our security with a Labour government. Our commitment to Nato is unshakeable and Labours defence strategy will be Nato first. Thats why we will apply a Nato test to major defence programmes to ensure we meet our obligations in full. The Legatum analysis is wrong. Britain has left the European Union and there is no question of binding the UKs defence into the EU. Putins war in Ukraine is a profound threat to wider European security and his aggression has made closer cooperation with our European allies vital to our national security. Thats why we have suggested an EU-UK Security Pact and new bilateral agreements to reinforce Nato. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Banks and asset managers including HSBC Holdings Plc and BlackRock Inc. are helping finalize proposals for UK housing and energy policy that could form key planks of the Labour Partys growth agenda if it wins next months general election. Most Read from Bloomberg Ideas discussed Monday in a breakfast meeting between Labours shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and executives who sit on the partys British Infrastructure Council include investing in skills to retrofit thousands of homes with insulation, double glazing and other energy-saving measures as well as ways to make affordable housing viable for developers across the country, people familiar with the matter said. With Labour leading national polls by a wide margin and just 17 days to go until election day, Reeves wants to enter the Treasury with detailed ideas that can be put to officials immediately for costings and viability, with the aim for getting several projects off the ground quickly, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about a private meeting. I am determined that a Labour government will hit the ground running to show that Britain is open for business and to begin to attract the investment we need to make working people better off, Reeves said in a statement before the meeting. Separately, Reeves told workers and reporters in Southampton on Monday that Labour would look at incentivizing local authorities to act quickly. Where a place hosts infrastructure they should get something back from that whether its discounts on their energy bills or better local infrastructure, she said. We really have to focus on wealth creation and that means reforming the planning system so we can actually get stuff built again. The council was created by Labour in November to help form policy that could secure the buy-in of business while helping the party toward its key aim of stimulating growth. As well as HSBC and BlackRock, members include other banks and asset managers such as Lloyds Banking Group, Santander, Phoenix Group, CPP Investments and CDPQ. They are operating in an independent capacity, but several members acknowledged that it looked increasingly likely that Labour would be in power in a few weeks. Key to the success of Labours ambitions for growth is whether it can attract private capital alongside public funds. Executives at the breakfast discussed ways in which the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank, both taxpayer-owned, could be liable for the first loss on complex and long-running projects, while also earning a rate of return that would be seen to be good value for the public, one of the people said. Private sector money is likely to mainly come from big UK banks through syndicated loans, insurers and pension funds, the people said. There would be only limited involvement in these sorts of projects from private equity because the rate of return may be too low, they said. However, Labour has also engaged with private equity firms and acknowledged their role in growing the economy. Labour late on Sunday said it would hold a global investment summit in its first 100 days of government. A spokesman for Blackstone Inc., which played a major part in investment summits held by the current Conservative government, said: As one of the largest investors in the UK, we really appreciate this strong focus on global investment to drive economic growth. Labour has pledged to target tax perks enjoyed by private equity, saying it will treat carried interest as income rather than as a capital gain a policy that implies a higher tax rate, though the party has yet to provide full details. One idea raised at Mondays meeting was a potential new entity to make it easier for overseas investors to engage with the government. However a person familiar with the matter said Labour is not actively entertaining that idea. Thats despite foreign investors frequently complaining that dealing with multiple government departments is confusing, and pointing to other countries with a more streamlined system. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A former White House doctor accused of sexually harassing women and a lawmaker accused of plotting an attempt to overthrow millions of Americans votes are the newest members of a key congressional committee that oversees national intelligence information. Now, Democratic and Republican lawmakers are bracing for the worst after House Speaker Mike Johnson tapped two hard-right GOP members for the influential House Intelligence Committee. The appointments of Reps. Scott Perry and Ronny Jackson both allies of Donald Trump who face their own legal and ethics probes have roiled members of both parties and reportedly surprised both the committees top Democrat as well as the committees Republican chair. House Speaker Mike Johson has appointed two controversial Trump allies to the House Intelligence Committee (AP) GOP lawmakers spoke out anonymously and candidly over the last several days, warning that their scandals and alleged corruption threaten to derail key work of the committee while hanging by a thread to preserve their party majority. Just do not teach the lesson that the only way for us to be effective here is threatening, because Ill take the lesson and Ill do it, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw told Politico. This is not a place to play games, another GOP lawmaker told The Washington Post. This is not a place to appease somebody. This is where you got to do the real work. Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a member of the panel, wrote to Johnson herself, pleading with the House Speaker to get both men off the committee. There are literally hundreds of duly elected and upstanding members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who understand the gravity of their responsibilities of oversight, she wrote. Republican Rep. Scott Perry is one of the people appointed to the committee. GOP lawmakers spoke out anonymously and candidly over the last several days, warning that their scandals and alleged corruption threaten to derail key work of the committee while hanging by a thread to preserve their party majority. (Getty Images) Perry played a central role in the former presidents alleged criminal efforts to stay in power he reportedly attended a White House meeting about rejecting election results in the days before January 6, 2021, and he allegedly sought a presidential pardon before Trump left office. During her testimony to the House select committee investigating January 6, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified Trump talked with Perry about going to the Capitol that day, while a Trump-fueled mob broke into the halls of Congress. Perrys phones were also seized by the FBI as part of an investigation into the Capitol attack. He will now be on a panel with oversight of federal law enforcement, while hes in the middle of a lawsuit with the Department of Justice about his phones. Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson is the otehr new appointee. GOP lawmakers spoke out anonymously and candidly over the last several days, warning that their scandals and alleged corruption threaten to derail key work of the committee while hanging by a thread to preserve their party majority. (Getty Images) Jackson, the former presidents physician and a right-wing media mouthpiece, was demoted by the Navy in 2022 following an inspector generals report from the Pentagon that found he bullied staff and sexually harassed women. He also was accused of abusing alcohol and sleeping pills while serving as Trumps doctor, while the White House was allegedly awash in speed. Last year, Jackson was captured on camera unloading profanities on a Department of Public Safety officer when he was detained. He is also in the running for Health Secretary, if Trump is elected. Both men have defended their appointments. Perry said he looks forward to offering up a fresh perspective as opposed to what he called blind obedience to some facets of our Intel Community that all too often abuse their powers, resources, and authority to spy on the American People. Jackson said he hopes to restore the American peoples complete faith in our intelligence community. House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner told CBS News on Sunday that hes aware of the reports about Jackson but the allegations are unrelated to the handling of classified information. Perry and Jackson have have had access to classified information before and theres been no reports of any incidences of their mishandling of classified information, Turner added. Trumps MAGA allies in Congress are seeking greater influence on committees, which help steer legislation but act as a televised sounding board for their grievances. Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana who like Perry is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus also reportedly rankled other House Republicans after his appointment to the House Armed Services Committee. A Lake Norman Italian restaurant whose bar area was a Cheers-type hangout for 21 years closed permanently this month, owner Steven Hackett confirmed to CharlotteFive on Friday. In a text, Hackett didnt say why he closed Roccos Pizzeria & Spirits, the former longtime Sebastianos Pizzeria, on Brawley School Road in Mooresville. He promised further details this week. Roccos Pizzeria & Spirits on Brawley School Road in Mooresville closed permanently on June 7, 2024. Roccos didnt announce its June 7 closing on social media. Customers learned about the closing by the two large Closed signs in black marker on the front doors. [ANOTHER CLOSING: Popular family restaurant in downtown Mooresville to close after 32 years: Bittersweet.] Hackett and his wife, Megan, bought the casual dining establishment in April 2023 from Sebastianos owner Tommy Lacon, the Observer reported at the time. He named the restaurant after his late grandfather, Rocco Sandano, just as the name Sebastiano honored Lacons grandfather, Sebastiano Charles Testa. Hackett, 36, worked on and off at Sebastianos since age 17. On Facebook Feb. 5, the restaurant announced the end of its pasta, chicken, veal and eggplant entrees. Roccos said it wanted to focus on customer favorites: Its gourmet pizza, and its rolls, calzones, apps, heroes, fresh salads and our corner/neighborhood bar vibes. Location: 862 Brawley School Rd #101, Mooresville, NC 28117 (closed) Instagram: @roccospizzeriaspirits Lakeland is raising fees for downtown monthly parking permits. What you need to know Lakeland is raising its prices for monthly parking permits downtown, from a mishmash of rates now to a -- mostly -- standard $90 beginning in October. That rate will increase to $100 in year two. Lakeland has taken the first step in changing some of its parking fees, making parking more expensive for some downtown workers and regulars but not changing the popular two-hour free parking. The City Commission voted unanimously Monday to raise the cost of monthly parking permits to $90 per month beginning in fiscal year 2025, which starts Oct. 1. The price of a permit will increase to $100 a month the following year. "We are not changing the on-street or off-street metered parking," said Tess Schwartz, the city's traffic operations manager. "We are making changes to the off-street permit rates, monthly permits in our lots and garages." What do spaces cost now? The city leases parking slots in several of the downtown garages on a monthly basis to businesses and individuals. The current price at the Main Street Garage for individuals ranges from $35 for a rooftop space up to $70 for a covered space, as per the city of Lakeland's Parking website. The city's negotiated long-term contracts with businesses have variable rates. As of February, the city had two contracts with Broadway for 14 and 15 spaces, Lofts for 20 spaces and Terrace Hotel for 40 spaces. These and others with existing fixed-rate leases will not see a price change until their contract expires or is terminated. Those who park in the city's surface parking lots, including Oak Street, South Tennessee Avenue, Lot C or North Tennessee Avenue, currently pay a lesser published rate of $37.45. The new rate approved Monday does not provide a lesser rate for surface parking lots, with one exception. Schwartz said downtown employees who don't want to pay new $90 to $100 monthly rate can seek a permit for the South Tennessee Lot, formerly known as Lot B, located at 165 E. Lime St. It will offer a monthly parking permit at the reduced rate of $50. "Someone who doesn't mind walking a few blocks can get a permit there at a lower rate," she said. What about steet-side parking? City officials including Commissioners Guy LaLonde and Mike Musick said they've been contacted by several residents and businesses concerned the city was raising its parking rates or worse, eliminating its policy of offering two hours free on-street parking. Lakeland's free on-street parking has caused a lot of headaches for commissioners, city staff and drivers. "It's a point of confusion that we see a lot where people come in saying, 'I only parked for an hour before, so I still have an hour,'" Schwartz said. "That's unfortunately not how it works." The new monthly parking fee of $90 that Lakeland approved Monday for downtown lots will not differentiate between garages and surface lots, except in one case. The city lot on South Tennessee Avenue will offer monthly passes for $50. The first time a driver parks in an on-street, metered parking spot each day, it's free for up to two hours. Any time the vehicle is parked there beyond the initial two-hour period will cost $1 per hour. Regardless of whether the car is parked in the on-street metered space for 30 minutes or two hours, once the vehicle is moved, the driver's free parking is over. Once the car is moved or parked in a different space, whether immediately or later in the day, it costs $1 an hour effective immediately. "Lets say you go downtown in morning and you park for two hours, or park for an hour and half, you have used your free parking," Schwartz said. "If you park somewhere else downtown at another time during the day that's considered a second parking session." Warnings and an appeal process Schwartz said there is a process allowing residents to appeal their first citation for violating Lakeland's downtown parking ordinances. She said city staff is working to create a warning program in which an educational flyer would be placed on the windshield of first-time violators. Public pool closing: Lakeland shuts down one of its popular swimming spots for emergency repairs "When people come down to park, we don't want them getting tickets, getting fines and getting frustrated," she said. "We want the parking system to be easy to use. " The fine for violating city's downtown parking laws is $25. "We want accessibility, affordability and the warning ability," Mayor Bill Mutz said. "Someone who has gamed the system is a different issue." Schwartz told commissioners at Friday's agenda study that several other changes are in the works, including new Wayfaring signage to help direct visitors to public parking. The new signage will be color coded and include symbols in the city-owned garages, hopefully with some graphic work to help visitors identify and remember where they parked based on color. One place where the signage has already been changed is the South Tennessee lot, Schwartz said where the city has transitioned from permit-only to a hybrid model that allows for monthly permit uses and metered parking. Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland raises monthly parking permit fees, more changes to come A Lakewood infant was shot. A case that raised questions about alleged gunman is over A lawsuit filed in the aftermath of a shooting that injured an infant at a Lakewood apartment complex has been resolved with confidential settlements and one defendant getting dismissed from the case, court records show. The suit, filed in May 2023 on behalf of the boy, sought accountability for allowing the alleged gunman to live at Prairie Oaks, the housing development for vulnerable families where the shooting occurred two months earlier. Earnest Lee Hamilton had a criminal record and purportedly caused trouble at the complex. Hamilton, 42, pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree assault and two lesser charges stemming from the shooting in a case that court records show is scheduled for trial June 25. He is accused of firing at least 22 rifle shots into his neighbors apartment, leading to the boy being struck by bullet fragments while inside a baby swing. The lawsuit originally named two defendants: Living Access Support Alliance (LASA), a homeless service nonprofit that operates the complex, and Spinnaker Property Management. An amended complaint in August added the Tacoma Housing Authority and Pierce County Housing Authority as defendants. The suit raised the argument that Hamilton was negligently permitted to live at Prairie Oaks. He should never have passed a screening and the defendants failed to act on his history of violent behavior toward other tenants prior to the shooting, it claimed. In January, the case against LASA, Spinnaker and the Tacoma Housing Authority was settled, court records show. The matter against the PCHA was dismissed on June 7, officially putting an end to the lawsuit. We were able to resolve the case, attorney Brian Mickelsen, who was representing the plaintiff, said in a brief interview. Mickelsen declined to answer any questions, saying the settlement terms were confidential. Prairie Oaks offers housing to people who had been experiencing chronic homelessness. LASA executive director Jason Scales said in a statement that its significantly traumatic for individuals to have nowhere to go and to face a lack of affordable housing options. Our hearts go out to the child who suffered additional trauma while living in the complex, Scales said. We hope the settlement will provide him with long-term housing safety and stability. A Spinnaker representative likewise offered sympathy. This was an unfortunate incident that deeply affected all parties involved, Kathy Talerico, the property management companys accounting director, told The News Tribune. Our hearts and prayers are with those affected and we wish them the best in their healing process. Messages to lawyers representing the two housing authorities were not returned. A troubled history Before the shooting, Hamilton had allegedly committed domestic violence against his girlfriend, threatened other tenants with a gun, carried an assault rifle on the complex grounds and caused disturbances, according to the lawsuit, which claimed LASA and Spinnaker never called police or brought in security. In answers filed in court, attorneys for the defendants denied allegations in the complaint. The screening process was central to the claims against the PCHA, which administers the federally funded and regulated Section 8 voucher for the unit that Hamilton lived in. The unit is under a contract with the Tacoma and Pierce County housing authorities, court records show. The PCHA was responsible for conducting the background check on Hamilton. Before then, Hamilton had been living with his girlfriend despite not being on the lease, according to court filings, when his girlfriend in response to compliance notices from Spinnaker and eviction threats requested his addition to the lease and unit voucher. Hamiltons criminal record included a 2021 arrest in Texas for alleged possession of a firearm as a felon, as well as convictions outside of Washington for robbery, child cruelty and firearm possession between 2000 and 2016, according to court records. In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, attorneys for the PCHA said that Hamiltons background check through the Washington State Patrol the agency the housing authority typically runs checks through passed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development screening standards. A housing specialist for the PCHA, in a deposition, described examples that would disqualify someone under federal rules and authority policy: a felony conviction within the past year, a conviction for manufacturing methamphetamine or being a registered sex offender, among them. Unless arrests point to disqualifying conduct, they alone werent enough to fail a screening. Ultimately, the depositions in this case have confirmed that not only was PCHA neither the landowner, the landlord, nor property manager in for Prairie Oaks, but there was nothing in E.H.s criminal background, either known or unknown, that would have permitted PCHA to discriminate against him and deny adding him to (his girlfriends) voucher, the dismissal motion said. Attorneys representing the plaintiff suggested that the PCHA essentially bungled the background check and was downplaying the control it exercised over Prairie Oaks. Attorneys also claimed that the housing authority previously expressed concern about Hamiltons criminal history. A Pierce County Superior Court judge sided with the PCHA, granting its motion to dismiss and ordering all claims against it be thrown out with prejudice, meaning they cant be re-filed, court records show. Insights from Die Presse, Politico, and Euractiv The News European climate ministers on Monday gave the final approval for a landmark European Union nature restoration bill, meaning member states are now obligated to restore at least 20% of the EUs land and sea by the end of the decade. The bill considered one of the pivotal components of the EUs so-called green deal faced huge opposition from farmers and conservatives, and only barely managed to get the required approval of two-thirds of member states after Austrias Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler broke from her conservative government and voted in favor of the legislation. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Austrian government at risk of collapsing over ministers vote Sources: Die Presse, Consultant Andy Scollick, AFP Despite opposition from the Austrian Peoples Party which heads that countrys governing coalition the law remained incredibly popular with the Austrian public: more than 80% of the countrys voters approved of the initiative, according to Austrian newspaper Die Presse. Gewessler, a member of the Green Party, cited that poll in defending her vote. But her defiance could well bring down the Austrian coalition government, wrote consultant Andy Scollick. The Peoples Party on Monday filed criminal charges against Gewessler for abuse of office, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years if convicted. European conservatives rallied against already watered-down bill Sources: The Guardian, Politico The center-right European Peoples Party, still the largest group in the European Parliament after this months election, was responsible for watering down the final bill and voted against it this year, according to the Guardian. Green lawmakers accused the EPP of backtracking on the legislation to score political points among farmers who this year staged protests against environmental proposals. Unlike other parts of the EUs green deal such as boosting green technology in the region nature restoration is still considered a cost for the economy, said one Center for European Policy Studies fellow. Restoration is economically beneficial just not immediate Source: Euractiv While European farmers are worried that the new restoration laws could be costly, the long-term economic benefits of restoration could help them in the long-run, two members of the Wildlife Conservation Society wrote for Euractiv. Currently, up to 80% of EU habitats are in poor condition and up to 70% of the blocs soil is unhealthy, costing farmers more than $1 billion per year in agricultural productivity, the two wrote. Restoring nature can improve farming conditions, and every dollar spent on restoration ultimately has a net return of between $9 to $41 as crop production increases from things like better pollination, they argued. Gov. Wes Moore on Monday signed a historic executive order pardoning 175,000 Maryland convictions related to the possession of cannabis, including convictions for misdemeanor possession of cannabis and certain convictions for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. The order represents the largest pardon for misdemeanor cannabis possession charges for any state in the country, and the inclusion of paraphernalia makes Maryland the first state to take such action. "Maryland made history when we legalized cannabis by referendum. But we cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization while forgetting the consequences of criminalization. No Marylander should face barriers to housing, employment, or education based on convictions for conduct that is no longer illegal," said Gov. Moore. "Today, we take a big step forward toward ensuring equal justice for all. But this won't be our last effort. We must continue to move in partnership to build a state and society that is more equitable, more just, and leaves no one behind. Business news: Indian Aroma opens in Salisbury, Goin Nuts Cafe closes after 32 years | What's Going There Who is eligible to receive a pardon with Maryland move? Gov. Wes Moore celebrates with attendees after signing a historic executive order pardoning 175,000 Maryland convictions related to the possession of cannabis, including convictions for misdemeanor possession of cannabis and certain convictions for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. The governors pardon follows the constitutional amendment passed during Marylands 2022 legislative session that legalized adult use and possession of cannabis and was overwhelmingly approved by popular referendum. Of the 175,000 pardons issued, more than 150,000 represent misdemeanor convictions for simple cannabis possession and more than 18,000 represent misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Eligibility criteria for the pardons include: Convictions for misdemeanor possession of cannabis or misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia; Convictions for misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia were in cases associated with misdemeanor cannabis possession and no other charges were incurred; Related disposition of guilty or probation before judgment; Charges occurring prior to January 1, 2023, when possession of personal use amount of cannabis was decriminalized. The enforcement of cannabis laws has disproportionately and overwhelmingly burdened communities of color. Opportunities were denied because those who were convicted faced steep obstacles to jobs, education, and housing, said Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. Gov. Moores pardons will remove these barriers and enable thousands of Marylanders to lead productive lives without the impediments created by their prior convictions. I thank Gov. Moore for his bold and decisive action in the name of fairness and equity. Who has best fries? Vote here: Who has the best french fries in Ocean City and Salisbury? Vote in poll through Friday. How soon will new Maryland pardons take effect? Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Thursday before a press conference at Roxbury Correctional Institution begins. As a result of the executive order, the Maryland Judiciary will ensure that each individuals electronic docket is updated with an entry indicating that the conviction has been pardoned by the governor. The process is expected to take about 2 weeks. Gov. Moores executive order also directs the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to develop a process to indicate on an individuals criminal record that the conviction was pardoned. This process is expected to take about 10 months to complete. Last Prisoner Project applauds Gov. Moore and his administrations actions to rectify racial disparities caused by cannabis prohibition. Todays historic pardon is the boldest measure undertaken by any governor and will finally provide a light at the end of the tunnel for people who are dealing with the collateral consequences of a record inability to find housing, employment, education, or even insurance or financial products, based solely on a scarlet letter from their past, said Last Prisoner Project Director of Strategic Initiatives Jason Ortiz. By answering President Biden's continued call on governors to grant cannabis clemency, Gov. Moore has become a champion of cannabis justice that other governors can follow. Big improvements for Salisbury Zoo: Salisbury Zoo announces new exhibit spaces, other big improvements at gala. All to know. How to view your Maryland legal record online Gov. Wes Moore' signs a historic executive order pardoning 175,000 Maryland convictions related to the possession of cannabis, including convictions for misdemeanor possession of cannabis and certain convictions for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Gov. Moore signed the executive order using the Last Prisoner Projects Pen to Right History, a pen that family, friends and loved ones of people impacted by cannabis incarceration all around the country have used to write letters to elected officials asking for justice. The pen is a powerful symbol to represent the real impact that legislation and executive action have to help rectify the wrongful imprisonment of victimless cannabis-related sentences. The governors pardon will not release any incarcerated individuals, but it is an important first step to ensuring the fair and equitable administration of justice surrounding cannabis convictions in Maryland. Individuals do not need to take any action to receive the pardon. After the Judiciary updates the electronic dockets to reflect the pardon, a process that should take about 2 weeks, individuals can check online or at a public kiosk at any courthouse in the state to verify whether they were included in the pardon. To review individual records, visit the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website: casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch/. To locate the nearest courthouse, visit mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/courtlocations. How to apply for a future Maryland pardon Anyone who is eligible for a pardon but who was not included in the mass pardon may apply for a pardon through the regular application process as may be the case for individuals whose convictions pre-date electronically available record formats. To apply for a pardon, visit dpscs.state.md.us/publicservs/pdfs/Application-for-Pardon-Revised.pdf. This courageous action by Gov. Moore is an important piece of a much bigger puzzle of addressing the devastating drug war, which disproportionately harmed, and continues to harm, marginalized Black and brown communities, said University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform Executive Director Heather Warnken. We celebrate this historic win and look forward to partnering with the administration on the work ahead. A pardon is different from an expungement. Though the Maryland Judiciary will make a note on the record that the offense has been pardoned, it will still appear on the individuals record. Expungement is the process by which a criminal conviction is destroyed and removed completely from the public record. Individuals who want to remove a conviction from public records must file for an expungement. Learn more about filing for expungement at mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/expungement. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issues 175K marijuana pardons in landmark move Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair of President Bidens campaign, pushed back on recent polling that shows former President Trump doing well with Black voters, saying there is no universe where he will win 21 percent of the demographics vote in November. Theres no universe in which Donald Trump is going to get 21 percent of the Black vote, Landrieu said during an appearance on CNN. Thats never going to happen. And so its not that were not worried about that, but were fighting very, very hard for every vote. Landrieu was reacting to a question from CNNs Sara Sider based on data compiled by CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten that is based on an aggregate of polling data. The records of each of these men is clear in this regard. Polling is always important. But it is true and I think you guys have to recognize that it has been vastly wrong for a lot of time, especially in the recent past, Landrieu said. Janiyah Thomas, Black media director for the Trump campaign, touted the figure in a statement to The Hill. The Biden campaign sees that President Trump is up to 21% in the polls with Black voters, a record high that we havent seen in decades. President Trump knows that Black voters prefer lower taxes, which he delivered in his first term, and like all Americans, oppose Bidens hiking tax rates. Ultimately, President Trumps economic policies offered more opportunities to build generational wealth for Black families, Thomas said. Biden boot licker Mitch Landrieu is an idiot, said Steven Cheung, campaign spokesperson for Trump. Both Bidens and Trumps campaigns have stepped up efforts in recent weeks to get their messages out to Black voters. Multiple polls have shown President Bidens support among Black voters could be shrinking ahead of Novembers election. The Biden campaign recently launched Black Voters for Biden-Harris, an initiative to mobilize support in the Black community for the president. Biden has tried to paint himself as a contrast to Trump to Black voters, arguing last month that the former president was pandering and peddling lies and stereotypes for their vote. Trump has also tried to appeal to Black voters by making a trip to the South Bronx last month and by speaking to supporters in Detroit over the weekend. He also launched a coalition targeting Black Americans over the weekend as he made his pitch to the voters. A poll from The New York Times/Siena College/Philadelphia Inquirer, released last month, suggested that Bidens support among Black voters could be falling. Biden still led Trump among Black voters with 63 percent support to 23 percent, but that is down from the 87 percent of Black voters who backed Biden in 2020. This story was updated at 1:51 p.m. EDT 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. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee has announced he will be retiring from the department. According to a Lansing Police spokesperson and the Lansing mayors office, Chief Sosebee will be out of office by the end of this month. According to the city of Lansing website, Chief Sosebee joined the Lansing Police Department in 2002 and was assigned to road patrol. Over a ten-year period, Ellery served on the departments Tactical team, Honor Guard, and Emergency Management team. In 2012 Ellery was promoted to Sergeant. During a two-year span In 2014 Ellery was promoted to Lieutenant in 2019 Ellery was promoted to Captain In 2021 on June 26th Captain Sosebee was promoted to interim Police Chief and by the end of 2021, was promoted to Chief of Police. Chief Ellery Sosebee rose through the ranks of LPD over the course of his career, eventually becoming our Police Chief, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor told 6 News. He has been a dedicated officer and leader for the City of Lansing and I have been incredibly honored to work with him. Ellerys strong, steady leadership during some stressful times has been a tremendous asset to this City and to me personally. I appreciate his years of service and truly wish him well as he begins this next chapter. Mayor Schor said he has asked Assistant Chief Rob Backus to step into the role as interim chief during the upcoming transitional period. This is breaking news and this story will be updated as new information is confirmed. 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. Lansing's crash-prone Pennsylvania Avenue bridge can be a punchline, but is it a safety concern? Signage warns the driver of a cargo truck that the truck exceeds the 12-foot-tall clearance threshold of the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge in Lansing, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The driver turned into the entrance of Potter Park Zoo to avoid hitting the bridge. LANSING The Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge remains undefeated, surviving despite suffering blows from untold dozens of trucks. Built in 1928, the railroad bridge near Potter Park Zoo's entrance with 12 feet of clearance, exactly, has proved to be sturdy. Just how sturdy? That's unclear. City, state and federal agencies told the State Journal they do not keep records of collisions with the bridge, which is often the subject of jokes on social media due to frequent crashes from tall trucks and equipment. MDOT does not collect bridge strike data from local or railroad-owned bridges, like the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge, nor do federal regulators, according to Aaron Jenkins, an MDOT spokesperson for the capital region and Warren Flatau, a spokesperson for the Federal Railroad Administration. While the state does track bridge strikes at state roads, it is likely that many or most of the most-hit bridges in the state are in local jurisdictions and wouldn't appear on the state list, Jenkins said. The bridge was recently hit at least three times within a month's time: A driver struck the bridge May 11, sheering the top off a semi trailer; a box truck on May 21 almost made it under the bridge but was pinned underneath; and last week, on Tuesday, a large metal shipping container was knocked off a truck and landed in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue. The Lansing Police Department responded to handle traffic control during the May 11 incident, and city officials confirmed the other two incidents. The bridge is owned by Montreal, Canada-based Canadian National (CN) Railway. Ashley Michnowski, a spokesperson for the railroad, declined to answer questions about how often the bridge gets struck or whether it gets inspected after a strike is reported. Michnowski said, in an emailed statement, that the company's "bridges are inspected at a minimum annually by qualified designated bridge inspectors working under the direction of designated railroad bridge engineers to ensure the utmost protection of communities and those involved in railway operations." Crashes into the bridge, regardless of the lack of tracking by local agencies, are well-known. Social media photos show plenty of other strikes over the last year and well beyond with newspaper records showing hits have been happening "frequently" for decades. More: Police: 35-year-old man killed Saturday in Lansing shooting More: Lansing area expected to get days-long heat wave that could break records Is the bridge safe? A cargo truck standing six inches higher than the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge's 12-foot clearance turns around in Lansing Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Jenkins said potential damage to the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge may not be as severe as expected due to its location and that it is on a local road, adding it's likely local bridge strikes could be less severe, since the speeds would generally be slower. But there will be exceptions, he said. Max Mather, public engagement coordinator for the city's public service department, declined to address, whether those three recent strikes were reported to the railroad company. However, he said the city of Lansing typically reports the bridge strikes to CN Railway whenever the road department becomes aware of the collisions. He said the city does not track how often those collisions are reported. Every two years, the city inspects the bridge, part of federal regulations since the bridge goes over a city road, Mather said. City officials inspected the bridge in October 2023, and they knocked "down loose concrete with permission from CN Railroad," he said in a statement. The city otherwise does not perform maintenance on the bridge since it is a railroad bridge. Railroad bridges as old as this one were often designed to handle steam engines, typically far heavier than today's diesel engines, Flatau said. He said any safety concerns would likely be raised by local road departments in those regular city inspections. Flatau said the most common methods to curb bridge collisions are not the pricey physical changes like raising rails or lowering roads. It is investing in warning or prevention signage. A semi trailer was sheered by the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge in Lansing on May 11, 2024, with the aftermath shown on images from a Lansing Police Department body camera. There are at least three signs ahead of the railroad bridge in each direction, warning in yellow about the "12 ft 0 in" clearance. And there's a digital sign with flashing warning lights that will turn on if an over-height truck approaches. A small green sign on the bridge says it has been 69 days since the last accident, but that could be a prank. Mather said the city wasn't aware of the sign. The CN railroad did not respond to a question about whether that sign reflects the most recent inspection. Railroads are supposed to check on bridges after a collision by doing a track inspection, Flatau said. There are no sensors or city cameras at the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge, so for bridges like the one in Lansing, railroads rely on city, county and state road departments or police to alert them when a bridge is hit, Flatau said. What can be done? A semi trailer was sheered by the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge in Lansing on May 11, 2024, with the aftermath shown on images from a Lansing Police Department body camera. So what can be done about a bridge that gets smashed on a regular basis by trucks? Don't expect construction. Pennsylvania Avenue was lowered in the 1980s to help with the clearance problem, Mather said. The bridge clearance used to be 11 feet 3 inches. On June 4, 1987, the State Journal updated readers about a frozen food truck that became stuck. The city had already been planning by that point to dig the road 9 inches deeper, as deep as possible, and construction would happen in September. The bridge's location near the zoo entrance and a slightly more elevated footbridge would make any future changes more complicated, Mather said. A separate railroad bridge, 325 feet west of the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge and over the Red Cedar River instead of the road, would also need to change height if the Pennsylvania bridge were altered, Mather said. "This would all come at a considerable cost," he said. Michigan's bridge hit data The most-hit bridge in the state's road system was at Interstate 94 and Warren Avenue in Detroit. It was hit and then inspected nine times in a decade, before being significantly altered in 2019, according to MDOT's data tracking strikes in the past decade. The bridge went through a major fix in 2019, aimed at eliminating the beams that were often hit. The runner-up, also on I-94 but at Martin Road in St. Clair Shores, was hit four times in a decade. The rest of the top ten most-hit state bridges, none of them in the capital region, each had three bridge strikes over a decade. Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415 This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Is Lansing's crash-prone Pennsylvania Avenue bridge a punchline or a safety concern? (Stock photo by Scott Bauer/USDA Agricultural Research Service) One of the largest dairy farms in the state with a herd of about 10,000 in Sioux County has cattle that are infected with avian flu, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported Monday. It is the seventh Iowa dairy herd with a confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza infection. Five of those are in Sioux County, which has the most dairy cows of any Iowa county, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Infected herds are not culled like poultry flocks. While the virus is often fatal to domestic birds, affected cows typically recover within two weeks. Dairies suffer a temporary loss of production because the milk of sick cows which contains large amounts of the virus is discarded. Investigations are ongoing to determine how the virus arrived in northwest Iowa, said Don McDowell, an IDALS spokesperson. OBrien and Plymouth counties also have infected herds. The virus is believed to have infected cows in Texas as early as December and spread to other states via the transportation of sick cows. It is likely spread locally by people and equipment that move between farms. The virus has been identified in more than 100 herds in 12 states since late March, according to USDA data. The avian flu variant that has been infecting cows was first discovered in Iowa in late May in a flock of 4.2 million egg-laying chickens in Sioux County. About a week later on June 5, testing confirmed the virus had infected an OBrien County dairy herd. Agriculture officials have implored dairies to increase their biosecurity measures and to limit visitors. The virus has been shown to transfer from dairy herds to poultry flocks and, in a few cases, it has infected people who work closely with sick animals. Here is a timeline of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection reports in Iowa herds and flocks this year: May 28: A commercial egg-laying chicken flock in Sioux County with about 4.2 million birds. June 2: A commercial turkey flock in Cherokee County with about 103,000 birds. June 5: A dairy herd in OBrien County with about 4,500 cattle. June 7: A dairy herd in Sioux County with about 250 cattle. June 12: A dairy herd in Sioux County with about 1,700 cattle. June 14: A dairy herd in Sioux County with about 1,000 cattle. June 14: A dairy herd in Plymouth County with about 3,000 cattle. June 15: A dairy herd in Sioux County with about 520 cattle. June 17: A dairy herd in Sioux County with about 10,000 cattle. The post Large Sioux County dairy has bird flu appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. GLEN BURNIE, MarylandIncumbent Republican congressmen are retiring in droves amid frustration with their dysfunctional House majority. Three of the most prominent bipartisan dealmakers in the SenateKyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Mitt Romney of Utahdecided to head for the exits rather than be purged in their respective primary elections or face likely defeat in November. Against this backdrop, why on earth did Larry Hogan, the moderate Republican former governor of Maryland, decide to run for the United States Senate in 2024? Its funny, Hogan told The Dispatch last week while sitting on a bench outside a florist shop after a full day campaigning at small businesses. My close friends actually said, I had no idea you were going to run for the Senate. And I said, Yeah, I had no idea either. It literally was a last minute kind of reversal of position. I had been saying for more than two years that I wasnt interested. An executive at heart, Hogan had rebuffed pleas from Republicans to run for Senate for years because he said he viewed the job as arguing all day and getting nothing done. But days before Marylands February 9 Senate filing deadline, he was in a meeting in New York City with officials from No Labels, the centrist political group that had hoped to field a presidential ticket this year. They were asking me to be their candidate for president, and were showing me polls and modeling and whatnot that showed we could run a pretty good race, Hogan said of the meeting. I think I started at 23 percent with Biden and Trump in the high 20s. The pitch was tempting, but while he was still in New York, he received an influential call from former President George W. Bush. I just dont think you can win, Bush said of a potential No Labels presidential bid, according to Hogan. I think you cant get to 270 [electoral votes]. But the former Republican president urged Hogan to consider a bid for the Senate. You can make a bigger difference than you think, Hogan remembers Bush saying. I never really wanted to be a senator. I know you dont want to be one either, but I think the party needs you and the country needs you. Youve got an important voice. I think itll give you a platform for that voice. Hogan said he doubted he could accomplish much, but Bush disagreed: I think youre going to be the guy in the middle of every deal. Youre going to be like a Joe Manchin or a John McCain. Hogan concluded he shouldnt run for president. I didnt want to be a spoiler for anybody. I didnt want to help enable Donald Trump or Joe Biden, he told The Dispatch. Two nights after the No Labels meeting, Hogan said he was actually tossing and turning at night as he contemplated a run for Senate. The collapse that week of a bipartisan deal in the Senate to reform border policy and provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan was sort of like a turning point, Hogan said. Trump said, Dont do it, dont vote for it. So everybody changed their position. Hogan says thats what propelled him to change his mind. This is such B.S., Hogan recalled thinking. They need some grown-ups down there. I think I can go down and kind of talk some sense into people where we get some things done. With his wifes blessing, Hogan filed to run for Senate hours before the Friday filing deadline in the race to replace retiring Democrat Ben Cardin. Despite his popularity as governorHogan left office in January 2023 with an approval rating in the high 70sit would be an understatement to say that Hogan has his work cut out for himself in November. In 2020, Trump lost Maryland by 33 points, making the state a slightly deeper shade of blue than California, which Trump lost by 29 points. One way to think about Hogans task in 2024 is that even if he were to win every Maryland Trump voter, he would then need at least one out of every four Biden voters to back him to defeat Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks, currently the executive of Prince Georges County. Of course, its unlikely that every Marylander voting for Trump will cast a ballot for Hogan in November given the friction between the two. In February 2021, Hogan said he would have voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial had he been in the Senate. And last month, shortly before a Manhattan jury announced its guilty verdict in the trial about Trumps falsification of business records to cover up an affair, Hogan wrote on X: Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leadersregardless of partymust not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law. The condemnation from Trumpworld came swiftly, with Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita replying: You just ended your campaign. Lara Trump, Republican National Committee co-chair and Trump daughter-in-law, later said on CNN that Hogan doesnt deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party. Still, Senate Republicans of all stripes have said theyre hoping for a Hogan victory, and when Trump himself visited Senate Republicans last Thursday, he agreed with the sentiment. Id like to see him win, Trump told Fox News Aishah Hasnie. We got to take the majority. The Hogan campaign replied: Governor Hogan has been clear he is not supporting Donald Trump just as he didnt in 2016 and 2020. It would be quite surprising if a Hogan victory is the one that gives Republicans a majority in the Senate simply because its hard to imagine a national political environment in which Maryland votes Republican and Montanaa Trump +16 state in 2020retains incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. But by providing Republicans with a 52nd or 53rd seat, Hogan could dim Democratic hopes of a filibuster-proof Senate over his six-year term. While Alsobrooks is campaigning to abolish the 60-vote rule, Hogan believes we absolutely ought to keep it, he told The Dispatch. The filibuster requires you to persuade people and to find compromise and reach that middle ground, which I think is a good thing, Hogan said. Without the filibuster, Hogan warned the country would be swinging back and forth every four years with crazy policy. The filibuster is just one matter of many on which Hogan distinguishes himself from Alsobrooks. I think were different on almost every single issue, he said. Asked to name key differences, Hogan focused on spending and crime. We left the state in the best fiscal shape its been in years, Hogan said, but both Prince Georges County and the State of Maryland are now being downgraded, put on a threat advisory, because theyre going too far in debt, spending too much money, and spending beyond their means. (While the county and state have not lost their AAA bond-rating status, Moodys recently revised its outlook for Prince Georges County and the state of Maryland from stable to negative.) Alsobrooks slashed police budgets in Prince Georges County, Hogan said, adding that the county is experiencing a shortage of hundreds of police officers. The crime is completely out of control. Murders have doubled under her watch. Carjackings are up 600 percent. Shes very soft on crime. Im very tough on crime. I pushed tougher sentences for repeat violent offenders and people that commit felonies with a handgun. She was not in favor of that. Alsobrooks campaign communications director Gina Ford defended the candidates record on crime and economics: As county executive, Angela increased the police departments budget by 22 percent over her tenure, she said in a statement to The Dispatch. And when she was the chief law enforcement official, Angela Alsobrooks oversaw a massive 50 percent decrease in violent crime. As for her economic record, Ford said that under Alsobrooks, Prince Georges has become a top job creator in Maryland and the home to the most new businesses of any Maryland county. Ford noted the county had secured new the FBI headquarters under Alsobrooks (something Hogan also lobbied for as governor). On social issues, Hogan is running as a liberal and trying hard to differentiate himself from almost all congressional Republicans by endorsing a federal bill to codify Roe v. Wade. Yet even there he has also drawn a contrast with Alsobrooks. Shortly after the primary concluded on May 14, Hogan told the New York Times he backs federal abortion legislation to codify Roe sponsored by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine but does not support the Womens Health Protection Act, legislation backed by Alsobrooks and every Senate Democrat except Joe Manchin of West Virginia, because it would prohibit even modest state limits on abortion allowed under Roe. Asked if he had any tests for Supreme Court nominees, Hogan told The Dispatch: I dont believe in litmus tests, but I have more experience appointing judges than anybody in the Senate. Hogan said that as governor, he appointed nearly 200 judges, including six out of the seven members of our Supreme Court. Three of them I appointed were women, two of them African American women. I took every one of [the judicial nominations] completely seriously, he added. I never asked someone to prejudgetell me how you might decide on this future case that might come before you. Hogan has campaigned on holding whichever presidential candidate wins accountable. One of the things I have a reputation for is being very blunt and very direct and that I dont have any problems whatsoever standing up and saying when I disagree with somebody where I think somethings wrong, Hogan said. And I have a 10-year track record of standing up to Trump and Biden and the Democrats and the Republicans. Alsobrooks, by contrast, would be a rubber stamp for the Biden administration, he added. But in a state as blue as Maryland, which hasnt elected a Republican senator since 1980, its plausible a majority of voters may very well want a guaranteed vote for the Democratic agenda. If people decide that all they care about is keeping Democrats in charge of the Senate, then Im probably not going to win, Hogan said. But if theyre fed up with Washington and politics as usual, Im convinced that were going to pick up not only Republicans and independents, but a whole lot of Democrats like we did in the last two races. Hogan won his first race for governor by 4 points in the 2014 red wave and managed to win reelection by 12 points in the 2018 blue wave, becoming only the second Republican governor the state has reelected. The first time I ran it was the biggest surprise upset in America, Hogan told The Dispatch. They said it was impossible. Weve done the impossible twice already. I just have to do it three times in a row. If Hogan does win, it will be due in no small part to the fact that many voters simply like him and his record. On the campaign trail last week, Hogan moved with ease as he began the day touring and speaking to factory workers at Marlin Steel in Baltimore. If this Senate thing doesnt work out, I might learn how to weld, he said. Over lunch at the Essen Room, a Jewish deli in Pikesville, he was mobbed by supporters. After our interview outside WildFlower florist shop in Glen Burnie, a man approached Hogan to shake his hand as if he were a rock star. Hes a great man, Carlos Suncar of Silver Spring told The Dispatch. I like everything. Suncar, who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1989, characterized Biden as too soft on immigration and Trump too tough. When it comes to the top of the ticket, I think Im going to leave that box empty because I dont like Biden, I dont like Trump, so Im only going to vote for senator, Mr. Hogan. 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. Barbara Walden, historian and executive director the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation, speaks during a devotional held at the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, on Sunday, June 16, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News KIRTLAND, Ohio Standing together in the historic Kirtland Temple on a beautiful Sunday morning, the voices of close to 300 people, including members of Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, closed the 59th annual Mormon History Association conference by singing the hymn The Spirit of God. It was an tearful moment on June 16 for many in the lowest level of the historic house of the Lord. I couldnt imagine a better way or better place to end the conference, said David Howlett, an eighth-generation Community of Christ member who serves as this years Mormon History Association president. To read the full story, visit TheChurchNews.com. PARIS The international coalition to supply drones to Ukraine has received almost $600 million in commitments from Western allies, with Italy and France being the latest countries to join the alliance, the Latvian minister of defense said. The four-month old initiative, which was born in mid-February and now counts 14 participating nations, outlined an ambition to deliver at least one million unmanned aerial vehicle systems to the embattled country. The caveat in this goal is to specify that while, yes, quantity is important, so is providing quality systems so with this number we arent only talking about providing one type of drone but the full spectrum of them, including electronic warfare and counter capabilities, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said during a panel at the Eurosatory trade show here. According to the official, the drone alliance has received over 500 million euros ($590 million) in international pledges, which he expects will increase further in the future. Spruds added that the coalition, which is spearheaded by his home country and the U.K., recently gained two new members Italy and France following a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. On a national level, Baltic states have accelerated their drone procurement and training programs, with a special focus on first-person-view types, which have come to dominate the battlefield in Ukraine. FPV drones are a game-changer for the current and future battlefield the most expensive pieces of equipment will be destroyed by these cheaper drones, Linas Idzelis, Commander of Lithuanias Riflemens Union, a paramilitary non-profit organization supported by the Lithuanian government, told the audience. The officer said that the country is currently training roughly 6,000 cadets on how to use these cost-effective weapons, with a teaching course taking about 60 hours to complete. According to Arunas Kumpis, a volunteer soldier in Ukraine who also operates FPV drones, one team typically launches between 30 and 35 of these systems daily to hit assigned targets. The soldier detailed the usual setup of three-person FPV teams in Ukraine, which hide in concealed and entrenched locations such as bunkers and can operate up to 100 meters away from antennas. These platforms have proven to be a headache for armored vehicles near the frontlines in recent weeks, with reports that the threat even led U.S. officials to request that donated Abrams main battle tanks no longer be deployed to these areas. If armored vehicles are 10-15 kilometers from the frontlines many of these drones can generally hit them you need to move fast as FPVs have a fast reaction time, around one minute to start, and ten minutes to fly to a target, Kumpis said. Latvia sent first batch of drones to Ukraine, preparing second one Latvia has already dispatched the first batch of drones to Ukraine and is preparing a second one, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said in an interview with ArmyInform published on June 17. The first group of drones was organized within the Latvian national program, but Riga has also begun to implement joint international purchases, Spruds said. Latvia and the U.K. are the leaders of the international coalition to supply Ukraine with drones, which have become a crucial capability on Ukrainian battlefields. Spruds announced back in May that the Latvian government would invest around 20 million euros ($22 million) in the drone coalition this year and a similar sum to the development of Latvia's own drone capabilities. The defense minister said the coalition has also received international commitments totaling 549 million euros (around $590 million). "So the next step is to use that funding effectively, and we're doing that on several levels," Spruds said. "One of the first levels is national procurement. Latvia has already organized a batch of drones, and they have already been sent. "Now we are already collecting the second batch of drones, which should soon be sent to Ukraine." According to the minister, the international purchases have so far amounted to the "modest sum" of 350,000 euros (over $370,000), but "this is the first step." Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban The Los Angeles Unified School District board is considering a resolution that would ban student cellphone use. (Matt Cardy / Getty Images) Los Angeles school officials on Tuesday fed up with kids distracted by social media and concerned about abuses such as cyberbullying are poised to join a growing number of school systems across the country that are banning the use of cellphones during the school day. The hope is that a ban would lead to improved learning, less bullying, distraction and anxiety and more meaningful communication with peers and adults. Some parents, however, want their children to have cellphones for safety and communication and school administrators say the ban could be difficult to enforce. The proposal was spearheaded by Los Angeles Unified School District board member Nick Melvoin. "It's been something I've been thinking about for years as I've just walked around campuses and seen kids on their phones and in class with their AirPods in," said Melvoin. Co-sponsoring the resolution are board President Jackie Goldberg and board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin. A fourth vote is required to pass the measure in the seven-member body. The resolution would not immediately put a ban into effect. It directs staff to "develop and present to the public" policies that would prohibit student use of cellphones and social media "during the entire school day," including lunch and breaks. Input would be solicited from "experts in the field, labor partners, staff, students and parents," and details would come back to the school board for approval within 120 days. Read more: Amid school crime spike, task force wants L.A. campuses to decide whether they need police Elements to be worked out include different approaches for various age groups and a range of technologies, such as smartwatches. Options under consideration include providing cellphone lockers or pouches that keep devices locked up and inaccessible until they're tapped against a magnetic device when exiting campus. Technology also could be used to block access to social media platforms. "More kids are getting phones at younger ages," Melvoin said. "They're bringing them to campus. And then I don't remember as much phone-based drug sales. Or coordinating fights or some of the cyberbullying." Key evidence at confidential expulsion hearings sometimes includes students' text messages, he said. The policy would go into effect in January 2025. The largest employee unions did not offer an immediate reaction to the proposal when contacted last week. Read more: Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools One elementary principal said the policy would be overkill that would result in unnecessary work. He said about 25% of his students have smartphones, but they are a problem for fewer than 10; those can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The principal spoke not for attribution because he was not authorized to be interviewed. Another elementary principal noted on the Facebook group Parents Supporting Teachers that she does not "see the need for Apple watches and cellphones on our young students. Now, as a parent of an LAUSD high school student who sometimes walks home, I DO see the need. It is a safety issue. All in all, I think they cause a lot of unnecessary drama on campuses, but need my HS student to have hers." AnneMarie Fulton noted on the Facebook group that her daughter will be starting middle school "10 miles from our home. I dont want her to not have access to call me if needed. Im strict on phone usage anyway, but taking that ability to contact away from a child doesnt exactly seem right." There are also parents and employees who support the proposal. Parent Mimi Hess referenced the Jonathan Haidt book "The Anxious Generation," which makes the case that cellphone use is harming middle and high-schoolers. "I very much hope that the LAUSD board passes a total cellphone ban in schools," Hess said. "Simply put, they make kids more depressed and just plain dumber." District high school teacher Terri Derrickson Barraza wrote in a social media post that she "would love to see some type of ban on cell phones BUT ONLY if the district is going to back up the ban with logical consequences. If we are passing a ban with no backbone simply for PR reasons, it just makes my job harder." The resolution did not specify a penalty, but the most obvious response to a violation would be for a phone to be confiscated for a period of time deemed appropriate. Read more: Teens know how social media affects mental health. So they created resources to help Although Melvoin acknowledges that his own observations about the harms of cellphones are anecdotal, the board resolution cites research in line with the proposed policy. The resolution cites a national survey on drug use and health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that found that among those born after 1995, anxiety increased 139% from 2010 to 2020, coinciding with the rise in smartphones and social media. Researchers note that a correlation between two trends does not mean that one caused the other. In addition, the U.S. surgeon general wrote in a 2023 advisory that social media may be linked to a growing mental health crisis among teens. The resolution also cites a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 16% of U.S. high school students in 2021 said they had been bullied via text message or social media over the previous year. While social media provide a convenient platform for bullying, it's difficult to say how much that would change with a school-day cellphone ban, since the devices and social media would be available at other times. Important to the district's goals are long-standing lessons on "digital citizenship" at all grade levels. All students who are provided online access must participate in an internet-safety education program. Read more: The pandemic took a harsh toll on teen girls mental health, CDC says Moreover, current policy sets out that "approved social media is to be used at school for educational purposes only and under the direction of a teacher or school leader. Home use of social media on district or personal electronic devices is limited to only sites approved by the districts web filtering system." The resolution also cites a 2016 Common Sense Media survey that found half of teens feel addicted to their phones. A 2023 study of 200 students by the same group found that 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds used their phones during the school day. The resolution also states that there is evidence that "limiting cellphone usage and social media access during the school day increases academic performance and has positive effects on student mental health." Districts and schools across the country have adopted policies restricting student smartphone use. In 2023, public schools in Florida began prohibiting student phone use during instructional time and blocking access to social media on district Wi-Fi. Oklahoma, Kansas, Vermont, Ohio, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have introduced similar legislation, according to the resolution. California Assembly Bill 3216, introduced in February, would require school districts to adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the student use of smartphones while at school or under the supervision of a school employee. The law would go into effect July 1, 2026. Misuse of cellphones Some students are using cellphones to set up fights, film them and post the footage online. With no access to phones during the day, this misuse could be reduced. "We're finding more and more things are being arranged via Instagram direct message or texting during the school day," Melvoin said. The April 15 fatal shooting of a Washington Preparatory High School student appears to have been recorded on more than a dozen cellphones. The incident took place a couple of blocks from school. Students also use cellphones to provide campus accountability, documenting student walkouts, misconduct by adults or poorly maintained or locked bathrooms. Anti-police activists have concerns. "In the past, some students have used phones to capture criminalization or police violence like incidents of arrest or pepper-spraying of students at schools, or [to] connect with their parents or lawyers/advocates when their rights were being violated," said Joseph Williams, the director of Students Deserve, which recruits and assists student activists. It could be argued that a new resolution is unnecessary, and the real issue is enforcement. More than three-quarters of the nation's school districts, including L.A. Unified, already prohibit nonacademic cellphone use. Under existing policy, L.A. Unified prohibits "the use of cellular phones, pagers, or any electronic signaling device by students on campus during normal school hours or school activities, excluding the students lunchtime or nutrition breaks." The policy was adopted in 2011, and Melvoin said it needs to be updated. Under the policy, students are permitted to possess phones, pagers or electronic signaling devices on campus provided they remain off and are stored in a locker, backpack, purse, pocket or other place where they are not visible during normal school hours or activities. 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. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A group of state lawmakers have sponsored a new piece of legislation to formally name the AR-15 Michigans official state firearm. The bill was introduced last week by state Rep. Brian BeGole, R-Antrim Township. Twelve lawmakers sponsored the bill, including three from West Michigan: Pat Outman, R-Six Lakes, Angela Rigas, R-Alto, and Rachelle Smit, R-Shelbyville. In a statement, BeGole said AR-15 owners regularly face criticism for the weapon. Millions of people across the country and thousands in Michigan own an AR-15, BeGole stated. This distinction recognizes these law-abiding gun owners who are often vilified just for having a firearm as a hobbyist or to keep their homes and families safe. Sign up for breaking news alert emails He continued: More and more often, AR-15 owners are ostracized and criticized for their perfectly reasonable and legal decisions to possess a firearm. Thats just not right. BeGole believes this distinction would help change the negative public image that he claims is portrayed on the gun. I believe this recognition will go a long way in removing that stigma, which is creating an environment for laws and bills that erode our Constitutional protections, increase government overreach, and ultimately make us all less safe, he stated. According to the Firearm Industry Trade Association, AR-15 platform rifles are among the most popular firearms sold today. AR-15s are a semi-automatic rifle that supporters say provides a key blend of accuracy and reliability. They can be used to hunt both big and small game and are also used in target shooting competitions. Federal prosecutors cracking down on gun violence this summer However, those same qualities also make them ideal weapons for mass shooters. According to data from the Associated Press, USA Today and NBC News, an AR-15 has been used in 12 of the 22 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. since 2006, including the two deadliest: The 2017 attack on the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas and the 2016 attack on the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Florida. Gun control advocates have long called for a ban on assault weapons a term with a wide-ranging and vague definition for both gun advocates and opponents. President Joe Biden and leading Democrats have pushed for a nationwide ban. Several states have put bans in place, including in Maryland, a state that enacted a law in 2013 after the deadly attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. In the wake of the deadly attack in Maine last year where 18 people were killed, Biden renewed his call for a federal ban, asking bluntly who the hell needs an assault weapon that can hold, in some cases, up to 100 rounds? Whitmer signs bills expanding gun restrictions for abusers The AR-15 was invented by Eugene Stoner as a military weapon, one designed to give American troops an advantage over Russians and their AK-47. Stoner died in 1997, before the spark of mass shootings in the U.S. and before the AR-15 became a popular weapon for civilians that inspired dozens of similar designs. His family told NBC News in 2016 that they believe Stoner would have been horrified and sickened by these incidents. The ex-Marine was a sportsman, hunter and skeet shooter, but he never owned an AR-15 of his own. After many conversations with him, we feel his intent was that he designed it as a military rifle, the family said, saying Stoner was only focused on making the most efficient and superior rifle possible for the military. 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 WOODTV.com. Amid being battered by rough seas and weathering international logistical headaches, the U.S. military's humanitarian aid pier in Gaza is facing another obstacle: Congress. A pair of bills advanced last week in the House seeks to end the mission that was billed as the Biden administration's flagship effort to aid Palestinian civilians on the brink of starvation after months of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip in its war against Hamas. While possibly more symbolic than practical -- the bills in question are not likely to become law for months when the pier effort may already be over -- the moves are the strongest sign yet of Congress' frustration with a mission that has been plagued by issues almost from the start. Read Next: Coast Guard Relieves Commander of Biggest Station for Failing to Act on Harassment Claims "From a purely cost-based analysis, investing in a pier off the coast of Gaza is an inefficient use of our defense budget," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in a statement last week. "The pier project has proven to be a logistical nightmare, with significant challenges and costs far outweighing any potential benefits. Our taxpayer dollars should be dedicated to projects that directly enhance our national security." The annual defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that the full House approved Friday included two separate amendments from Mace and Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, that would prohibit Pentagon funding from going toward building or maintaining a pier in Gaza. Both were approved by a voice vote as part of a bipartisan package of amendments. Meanwhile, the fiscal 2025 Pentagon spending bill that was advanced by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday included a similar amendment from Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., barring funding for the Army's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, capabilities or any other pier-like structure in or around Gaza. JLOTS is the system being used for the pier now. The amendments come after the pier has faced logistical hurdle after logistical hurdle since shortly after President Joe Biden announced the mission during his State of the Union address in March. Ships deployed to help build the pier hit trouble en route to the Mediterranean Sea, including a Navy vessel that had to turn around and go back to port after suffering a fire in its engine room. Once the pier was finally up and running, efforts to distribute the aid were complicated by desperate Palestinians overrunning aid convoys shortly after they moved out of the secured area around the port. Later in May, three U.S. soldiers involved in the pier mission were injured, including one critically, in a non-combat incident. Then, on May 28, the pier broke apart and was damaged by rough seas. Three Army boats were also beached by the sea conditions. The pier was repaired and operational again last week. But bad weather forecasts forced the U.S. military to dismantle it again this weekend and relocate it to the Israeli port of Ashdod to prevent structural damage, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Friday. United Nations World Food Programme director Cindy McCain also announced last week that the organization had paused distribution of aid from the pier. The group is reviewing whether it can safely continue after Israeli forces used the beach by the pier to evacuate Israeli commandos and rescued hostages after an operation that also killed more than 270 Palestinians. Pentagon officials have stressed that the pier itself was not used in the Israeli military operation. Since May 17, about 3,500 metric tons of aid has been delivered over the pier, the equivalent of less than 200 truckloads, Central Command said in its Friday statement. Even in the best conditions, the pier was expected to handle up to 150 truckloads of aid per day, far short of the 500 truckloads Gaza received daily before the war. The Pentagon said last week the pier is expected to cost $230 million, down from its $320 million price estimate in April. Defense officials have also stressed that the pier is meant to be only a temporary measure. Sea conditions are expected to worsen as fall approaches, and the cost estimate projected just 90 days of operations. During the House Appropriations Committee's debate about its amendment last week, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., also noted the mission is slated to end in August with no plans for the operation to continue into fiscal 2025. "Has it been as successful as we hoped it would? Absolutely not," McCollum, the ranking member of the committee's defense subpanel, said while speaking in opposition to the amendment. "But do you ever stop trying to provide children food? I don't think in this country we do that." But those who supported the amendment argued the pier is not worth the risk to U.S. troops. "The continued operation of this pier risks escalating tensions in the region by putting U.S. service members in harm's way and into the crosshairs of America's enemies," the amendment's sponsor, Clyde, said in a statement read at the committee meeting by Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas. Both the NDAA and appropriations bill still have multiple steps before becoming law and will need to be negotiated with the Democratic-controlled Senate. The final NDAA is expected to pass by December. Lawmakers also anticipate that the appropriations process will again drag on past the end of the fiscal year in September. One of the most vocal opponents of the pier has been Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Most recently, after the pier was reattached earlier this month, Wicker released a statement saying the operation "needs to end immediately." But the Senate's version of the NDAA does not appear to go as far as the House. The text of the bill has not yet been released, but a summary released Friday notes only that the bill "directs the DoD inspector general to conduct a report on the Gaza pier." Related: US Soldiers Were Stuck in Beached Boats Along Gaza After Storms Broke Apart Aid Pier In this screengrab, James Lawson accepts the Chairman's Award during the 52nd NAACP Image Awards on March 27, 2021. (Photo by NAACP via Getty Images) After the years-long effort, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna tells theGrio, Theres not enough knowledge about how profound a role James Lawson played in the civil rights movement in this country. Following the recent death of civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson, lawmakers hope to finally achieve a years-long effort to award him a Congressional Gold Medal. Theres not enough knowledge about how profound a role James Lawson played in the civil rights movement in this country, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told theGrio in an exclusive about re-introducing a bill to honor Lawson with one of the United States oldest and highest civilian awards. Khanna, who developed a personal relationship with Lawson over several years, called the activist and theoretician a civil rights hero and argued that his story needs to be better celebrated and told. The progressive congressman, along with nearly two dozen co-sponsors, reintroduced legislation that would award Lawson, who died on June 9 at 95, with the Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to the advancement of civil rights through nonviolent methods in the United States. Khanna described Lawson as the architect of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, which was steered by civil rights leaders like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis. Khanna pointed out that many Americans may not know that Lawson imparted the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to Black civil rights activists. This became an effective strategy that galvanized Americas consciousness and eventually led to groundbreaking legislation that advanced Black freedoms, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lawson went to India and learned about nonviolence and Satyagraha, and he really helped impart that teaching to King and John Lewis and others, Khanna said. Hes one of the key reasons that tied the Indian independence movement with the civil rights movement. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) questions witnesses during a roundtable discussion on Supreme Court ethics on June 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Court Accountability) Khanna came to know Lawson personally after they were connected because of Khannas grandfather, Amaranth Vidyalankar, who was imprisoned alongside Gandhi during the Indian independence movement. His grandfathers activism inspired the future congressman to a career committed to advancing human rights. Even as the U.S. became more polarized during the political rise of former President Donald Trump, Khanna recalled Lawson encouraged listening to the American voters who supported Trump to understand where theyre coming from in terms of their fears and anxieties and finding our common humanity as Americans. I would call (Lawson) sometimes when I was very concerned about the direction of the country, upset about the vitriol on the other side, and he always calmed me down and talked about healing and reconciliation and transcending division, Khanna said. He had such a wonderful perspective and hopeful perspective about America. Khanna has introduced legislation to award Lawson every year since 2018 without success. He said it would pass in both chambers if my colleagues just got to see what he stood for and know what he helped to achieve. Lawsons death might make a difference. Im hoping that now that hes passed, there will be more clarity into the magnitude of his achievements. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., a mentee of Lawson and a co-sponsor of the bill, told theGrio in a statement that he was humbled to join fellow members of Congress in the important effort to honor the civil rights leaders life, legacy, and colossal impact. Reverend Lawsons teachings and inexorable commitment to nonviolence techniques proved pivotal in the fight for civil rights, shining a light on the horrors of Jim Crow and providing a path to salvation for millions to follow, Cleaver said. He continued, There are few Americans in history who have done more to ensure the nation lives up to its founding promise of equality and freedom for all, and the Congressional Gold Medal is an appropriate recognition from a grateful nation for his lifetime of service. Civil Rights icon Rev. James Lawson at a union rally in Inglewood, California on Feb. 11, 2022. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) As an Indian American, Khanna acknowledged the deep connection between the Indian American and Black American communities, formed by leaders like Lawson, who made his American success story a reality. There would be probably no King if there were no Gandhi, but there would be no Indian American community if there were no King. Indian American immigration happened post 65, said Khanna, who noted that the Immigration Reform Act, which made it possible for Indian immigrants to come to the United States, resulted from the civil rights activism of Lawson, King and others. The Indian American community owes a huge debt to the civil rights movement, said Khanna, including the fact that many Indian Americans served as faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) because the Harvards and Stanfords wouldnt hire them. He added, In fact, Nikki Haleys father was at one of them. Given that shared connection, the congressman said he envisions a future where Indian American and Black communities come together around new economic opportunity, new wealth generation, technology. On Sept. 30, Khanna will convene 40 HBCUs and tech leaders from companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft to create economic opportunity and jobs for HBCU graduates, including funding their businesses and creating scholarships. A lot of the Indian American community has had success in tech, he acknowledged. We need to recognize the connection between the communities this coalition can be very powerful in American politics. Recommended Stories More must-reads: FILE - Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., talks during a news conference, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. A group of Democratic members of Congress, led by Sen. Markey, is seeking reassurances that workers at hospitals owned by Steward Health Care will have their health care and retirement benefits protected. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, file) BOSTON (AP) A group of Democratic members of Congress, led by Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, is seeking reassurances that workers at hospitals owned by Steward Health Care will have their health care and retirement benefits protected. Steward last month said it plans to sell off all its hospitals after announcing that it filed for bankruptcy protection. In a letter to acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on Monday, Markey said Stewards bankruptcy poses concerns for the nearly 30,000 workers including nearly 10,000 in Massachusetts, who rely on Steward Health Care for their paychecks, health care plans, and retirement benefits. We write to ask that the U.S. Department of Labor ensure that Steward workers and retirees receive the health care and retirement benefits to which they are entitled. Workers and retirees must be protected from further harm resulting from Stewards gross financial mismanagement, Markey wrote. Representatives of Steward did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on what steps, if any, the company has taken to ensure workers receive their benefits. The Dallas-based company, which operates more than 30 hospitals nationwide, has said it does not expect any interruptions in its hospitals day-to-day operations throughout the Chapter 11 process. Markey said many workers who rely on Steward Health Care for their livelihood are already facing financial uncertainty and anxiety. In Massachusetts, he said, paychecks to Steward workers were delayed following the bankruptcy filing due to processing delays. Markey and the other lawmakers are asking the Department of Labor to take steps to protect workers, including determining Stewards plan for continuing benefits during bankruptcy as well as in the event of a facilitys closure or buyout and making sure health claims are paid throughout the bankruptcy process. "Although the responsibility for this crisis rests exclusively on Steward and its corporate collaborators, a resolution to this crisis that protects workers, patients, and communities demands involvement and collaboration among federal, state, and local authorities," Markey said in the letter. In addition to Massachusetts, Steward employs workers in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. The letter was also signed by Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Stephen Lynch, James McGovern and Seth Moulton, all of Massachusetts also signed the letter. ___ This story has been corrected to remove a mention of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, whose name was not on the final letter. At least 12,000 civilians confirmed to have been killed since beginning of full-scale war, Prosecutor General says At least 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 551 children, have been confirmed as being killed since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Presidential Office said on June 17, citing Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin. Russia's war of aggression has taken a staggering toll on Ukraine's civilian population. The U.N. said in April that it had recorded almost 11,000 civilians killed and over 20,500 injured. The actual number is likely higher, as Russia prevents independent monitoring in the occupied areas that suffered the heaviest destruction, like Mariupol. The number of civilian deaths in the almost three month siege of Mariupol alone could have exceeded 25,000, Ukrainian officials said in November 2022. An investigation by the Associated Press in December of the same year found that the true figure could be up to three times higher. Speaking at the global peace summit in Switzerland, Kostin emphasized that the figure of at least 12,000 represented only the confirmed deaths. He added that law enforcement officials have documented almost 130,000 cases of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers, including more than 300 episodes of sexual violence. Earlier in June, Kostin said that over 800 Ukrainian children have been killed since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. At least 4 hospitalized after bus with 57 Ukrainians on board crashes in Romania Four people were hospitalized after a bus with 57 Ukrainians on board crashed near the Romanian city of Constanta, the Romanian media outlet Digi24 said on June 17. Forty-two of the passengers on the bus were Ukrainian minors, two of whom were hospitalized after the accident. Fifteen people in total required medical assistance, including 13 children. The extent of the injuries suffered by the four people who were hospitalized was not specified. Romanian authorities told Digi24 that the accident occurred at a railway crossing between the towns of Tariverde and Baia, located some 111 kilometers (69 miles) from the Ukrainian border. According to the U.N., more than 80,000 Ukrainian refugees were registered in Romania as of early June. Almost 170,000 Ukrainians have received temporary protected status in the country since the beginning of the full-scale war. Read also: Romanian police: 11,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed border into Romania since February 2022 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. To the editor: The so-called protesters who camped at Cal State Los Angeles took over the student services building last week, forcing the campus to close. The president and other administrators who allowed the encampment in the first place are reaping what they sowed. What was billed as a peaceful protest has now turned into something different. Of course, it was never different in the first place. Encampments on university property are either illegal or against university policy. This is not free speech. It is a form of intimidation. Ill bet that many of the individuals who were encamped and took over the building were not Cal State L.A. students. Most of the students I have taught over the past 20-plus years have much more immediate personal concerns. Some are homeless, some are hungry, and many work while they go to school and take care of parents or siblings. Now, our campus has been hijacked. My mother used to say, "If I give you an inch, you take a mile." The president of Cal State L.A. now finds herself in this position. Henry D. Schlinger, Glendale The writer is a professor of psychology at Cal State L.A. .. To the editor: Apparently, the protesters don't understand that "peaceful protest" does not include vandalism and defacing of public property. The lack of arrests means there can be no claims for restitution. The protesters gain no support for their cause when they force students and taxpayers to pay for their damages. Mason Nakamura, Santa Ana .. To the editor: When I first heard about the Ohio National Guard shooting and killing students protesting the Vietnam War in 1970, I could not grasp how such a thing could have happened in the United States. Now I understand. ("About two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at UCLA, ordered to stay away from campus," June 10) On June 10, UCLA allowed police to brutalize students peacefully conducting a vigil for the many Palestinians killed in Gaza. The videos of police brutality directed against the students are agonizing, showing that students faced considerable risk from police actions. If this frightening situation were not enough, the university released a statement announcing that student actions "injured people, threatened the safety of our community and vandalized our campus." I see now how we can go from permitting cops on campus to students injured and killed, as they were at Kent state. My campus is unrecognizable as a place of learning where there is a deep commitment to social justice. It is instead a militarized zone. Sherene Razack, Los Angeles The writer is a professor of gender studies at UCLA. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Andre Gordon Jr., the 26-year-old homeless man charged with murdering three people earlier this year is facing new criminal charges for alleged violent behavior at Bucks County Correctional Center. Gordon has been charged with eight felonies including aggravated assault and disarming a law enforcement officer and eight related misdemeanor and summary offenses stemming from outbursts in May that left two corrections officers injured. Andre Gordon Jr., center, walks into district court in Falls Township on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. He is charged with three murders, carjacking and other charges in a March 16, 2024 crime spree in Lower Bucks County and Trenton. How the Levittown murder spree unfolded Inside deadly Levittown rampage: 911 calls, witnesses tell of unfolding chaos at homes Authorities allege on May 23, Gordon, who is housed in the jail's mental health unit, was observed by an officer allegedly sharpening a spoon and attempting to pop the lock on his cell door, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Gordon initially complied with the officers, but when they attempted a body pat down he tried to pull away, the affidavit said. An emergency code was called and responding officers took Gordon to the ground where he continued to resist until his legs were shackled. Three hours later, an officer assigned to move Gordon back to his cell noticed that he had manipulated his cuffed hands from behind his back to the front of his body, the affidavit said. When Gordon was told that his hands were going to be cuffed behind his back, he allegedly attacked nearby officers. Less than a half-hour after the second incident, Gordon continued to refuse to comply with the escort to his cell prompting the jail to use multiple applications of pepper spray, the affidavit said. No officers were injured in the three confrontations, according to the affidavit. Andre Gordon Jr. allegedly told officer to "leave him alone." Here is what allegedly happened next On May 29, authorities allege corrections officers were conducting cell searches for maximum custody inmates in the mental health unit. When the officer informed Gordon that his cell was going to be searched, he told the officer to leave him alone, and that he didnt trust him. After Gordon refused multiple orders to come to the cell door to be handcuffed, "multiple applications" of pepper spray were used on him. When a four-man team attempted to enter the cell, Gordon allegedly positioned himself in front of the door. After the team entered, Gordon allegedly started fighting with officers. During the struggle Gordon knocked off a gas mask used to protect officers from the pepper spray fumes, the affidavit said. The officers were eventually able to gain control of Gordon and shackle his legs and wrists and place him in a restraint chair. Two officers were treated for injuries at Doylestown Hospital including a fractured finger and a bite wound, the affidavit said. Gordon had not been arraigned yet on the new charges as of Monday. His formal arraignment on charges in the murder case is scheduled for July. He faces a long list of offenses in Pennsylvania in the March 16 crime spree including three first-degree murder charges in the deaths of his stepmother, Karen Murphy Gordon, 52, his half-sister Kera Gordon, 13, and Taylor Daniel, 25, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his two children, and the attempted murder of his father, Andre Gordon Sr. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted. Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Why is triple murder suspect Andre Gordon Jr. facing new charges Tension between members of the Bethel School District Board escalated at a recent meeting after a proposal to put forward a resolution affirming support of the LGBTQ+ community failed in a split vote. At the Tuesday, June 11 meeting, board member Roseanna Camacho called out superintendent Tom Seigel and several members of the board for promising to put a resolution supporting the LGBTQ+ community on the June 11 agenda but not following through. The resolution was brought forth by board member Erasmo Ruiz, the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Bethel School Board. Ruiz told The News Tribune he got the idea after attending the National School Board Directors Conference in April where he saw templates for LGBTQ+ resolutions that had been approved by other school boards across the country. A copy of the draft resolution obtained by The News Tribune proclaims support for LGBTQ+ youth, staff and families and affirmed commitment to providing a safe learning and work environment where all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect, as well as commitment to investigate all forms of bullying and harassment, support for LGBTQ+ clubs and adequate training for staff. Ruiz said the language of the resolution was approved by the districts legal counsel on May 23. Tuesday night, since the resolution was not on the meeting agenda, a motion was made to add it. That motion failed on a 2-2 vote. Ruiz and Camacho voted in favor. Board vice president Terrance Mayers Sr. and member Teresa Cosio voted against. Board president Marcus Young Sr., the tiebreaker, was not present due to a death in the family, as announced at the beginning of the meeting. Later in the meeting Camacho questioned why the resolution never made it to the June 11 agenda and called for some members resignations. I didnt receive any communication about it from our superintendent, our president of the board or our vice president. It just disappeared. And then when we try to make an amendment to add it back, because, mind you, weve been talking about this for weeks we have these two board members vote nay, she said. Voters of Pierce County and our school district, look at how your representatives on this board are voting and please ask for their resignation or dont vote them in when they come up for re-election, because theyre clearly not making the right decisions, and theyre certainly not even-keeled players. Tensions escalated further when Camacho accused Mayers of having an agenda that favored Black students over other students. Mayers appeared shocked at the accusation and the meeting ended shortly after. Wow. That is offensive beyond all means, he said to those present. My apologies for not having decorum in this setting. Later that night as board members were leaving the school district office Camacho said Mayers made a comment to her she perceived as threatening, saying, Be prepared for whats next. Camacho reported the incident to the Pierce County sheriff deputy on site. According to a written incident inquiry authored by the deputy, Ruiz and Cosio also witnessed Mayers say that. Mayers told the deputy he directed the comment to Camacho not to threaten her but because her behavior in the board meeting was unacceptable, the incident inquiry said. Because of her bias discrimination he believed she is bullying him, according to the incident inquiry. The deputy told Camacho freedom of speech allows people to make comments. Mayers comment was not deemed a threat and did not meet the elements of a crime, so it was not documented in a criminal report, the deputy wrote. Camacho told The News Tribune on Wednesday she and Mayers had been really good friends the last couple of years before these last few months. We didnt always agree, but it was always a mutual respect, she said. After his comment, Camacho said shes had trouble sleeping and felt scared and vulnerable. Ruiz said he also felt intimidated enough to ask his spouse to come to future meetings for support. Mayers told The News Tribune on Friday, This actually hurts quite a bit to have the police weaponized against me. Knowing I have biracial children, for her to say that Im only here for Black people, Black students I considered her my friend, he said. I lost a whole field of respect for her in that moment. Mayers said hes had many experiences with microaggressions and had his demeanor weaponized against him before. Im a big Black guy, so I know my presence can be perceived as a threat, he said. I do my best to try to stay even-keeled in my approach and not be emotional, thats just something thats trained for a lot of Black young men. Mayers said his comment Tuesday was directed to Ruiz and Camacho, warning them of potential violations of open meeting laws, although he did find Camachos public comments unnecessary and uncalled for. Young, who is also a Black man, told The News Tribune on Thursday he was hurt that Camacho reported Mayers comment to the Sheriffs Department. Young said graduation and the kids of the school district should be on the forefront and taking the focus, but instead we got adults and were taking the focus. Why wasnt the resolution on the agenda? When asked by The News Tribune why the LGBTQ+ resolution wasnt on the regular agenda, Young said it was because there were legal concerns related to the Washington Open Public Meetings Act unrelated to the wording of the resolution. Young said time needed to discuss the resolution was not the issue. When pressed further, Young said he couldnt discuss what was talked about in an executive session prior to the public school board meeting June 11. There was some legal concerns that were brought up on how we got to the point of putting it on the agenda, he said. Because of that, my role as the president is to protect our school district, our school board and our community, and with those questions being out in regards to that, pulling it off was the best thing to do right now until we can get that cleared up. In response to a voicemail left for Seigel by The News Tribune, district director of communications Doug Boyles said board meeting agendas are approved by the Board of Directors and, The District does not comment or speculate on the working relationships of members of our Board of Directors. Ruiz told The News Tribune he was unaware of legal concerns related to the resolution and was open to having a study session to discuss and address them. He brought up the resolution hoping it would pass during Pride month before school ended given attacks on LGBTQ rights nationwide, but Ruiz said his impression is that some board members are trying to avoid the situation and dont want to take a public stance on the issue of LGBTQ+ rights. Camacho told The News Tribune she believed that was the case as well. Bring it for a vote, Ruiz said. Im aware that were in a conservative district and theres people that are not for the LGBTQ community, [but] we have a lot of students that are LGBTQ, and the fact that we cant even recognize them with this resolution is really sad, because its literally just a one page resolution saying that we acknowledge you and we see you and we support you. Young told The News Tribune the Bethel School Board hasnt historically approved non-essential resolutions and questioned the value of those resolutions as compared to action. Resolutions, proclamations are just words, you know? Lets make sure were doing work. Work sustains. Work brings change, he said. Theres no arm that enforces a resolution in any entity. Moving forward the board will get training from the Washington State School Directors Association on how to present resolutions to reduce confusion and possible legal violations in the future, Young said. In terms of current support for LGBTQ+ students and staff, he said there are three equity specialists and an equity director in the school district that are on the ground talking to people about what support is needed. In 2022, a teenager accused of fatally shooting a young mother in the back of the head in Morris was caught driving a stolen car with the help of a license plate camera. That same year, a man wanted for a slaying in Maywood was arrested in Northbrook after police traced his car there through license plate cameras. The man had previously been released after serving time for a 1994 murder. Earlier this year, after a woman escaped from being abducted, police were able to track down the vehicle in Waukegan and charged the suspect with kidnapping. Automated license plate recognition, known as ALPRs, have helped police arrest suspects for a number of heinous crimes in the Chicago area. But they dont just track criminals. They track everyone in their sight, marking each cars location, when it is first detected by a camera and in what direction its heading billions of license plates nationwide. Alarmed by the reach and rapid expansion of these cameras, privacy advocates have filed suit in Illinois, saying the cameras violate the Constitutions protections against unreasonable search. They say it amounts to a national surveillance system of innocent drivers. This system has brought Big Brother to Illinois, said plaintiff Stephanie Scholl of Chicago. That isnt a reasonable security measure its a dystopia playing out in real time, in our backyards. The cameras, mounted on poles or on police cars, can automatically take photos of every passing vehicle, logging the plate number, GPS position, time, direction, and in some cases the make and model, and possibly the occupants. The information is then run through a list of hot plates from the FBI, state and local police, wanted as stolen or for other crimes, or for Amber Alerts or missing persons. Police typically pay private companies to install the cameras, pay for operations and maintenance, and must agree to share their photos with the provider to get access to data nationwide. State police say the cameras are not used for petty crimes such as speeding, which is done in Chicago and some other places with another set of cameras. Critics are concerned that the networks could be misused, as when police have stalked ex-wives or romantic rivals by tracing their plates, or when the wrong vehicles are mistakenly pulled over. In the Chicago area, the impetus for the license cameras was driven in part by a rash of expressway shootings. In 2019, in response to postal worker Tamara Clayton being shot and killed on Interstate 57, lawmakers passed a law with $12 million to install the cameras on every expressway in Cook County. In 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker expanded that authorization for $20 million to expand into 21 more counties, including tollways. There are now more than 300 cameras statewide. Since the cameras were installed, the number of shootings on the expressways has decreased dramatically. From a peak of 310 such shootings in 2021, the number dropped almost in half in 2022, and another 32% in 2023. The rate of shootings is down again this year, while the number of arrests, gun seizures, and recovered carjacked or stolen cars has increased significantly. State police credited the cameras, along with other measures, for helping reduce shootings, and said the information is only used for law enforcement. They also created a transparency page to address questions about the cameras. Jeffrey Schwab, one of the attorneys who filed suit challenging the cameras, noting that there were far fewer shootings in 2019, before the cameras were installed, than in 2022 or 2023. Shootings have come down nationally since a record high in 2021. The statistics dont show that the cameras themselves were effective at reducing the number of shootings on Illinois expressways, Schwab wrote in an email. Correlation does not equal causation, he said. Furthermore, a reduction in shootings wouldnt justify violating every single persons constitutional right to privacy, especially because the government has other constitutional means of addressing this issue. The suit was filed on behalf of two Chicago-area residents by the non-profit Liberty Justice Center against Illinois State Police. But numerous suburban police departments have joined national camera surveillance systems as well. Officials say theyve been instrumental in catching criminals, including an arsonist in Homer Glen, after shootings in Elmhurst and Woodridge, and following a kidnapping in Waukegan. John Millner, director of government relations for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said the cameras are crucial for solving crimes. I dont know how we did without them, he said. Were catching people for kidnapping, arson, murder. You know if we didnt apprehend them, these people would continue committing these crimes. He said police are very careful to protect privacy. Privacy is a big deal to us, he said. We dont live in the Soviet republic. We dont look at people who havent done anything. The extent of the cameras goes far beyond police. Schools, universities, health care systems, businesses and homeowner associations nationwide also use the cameras. A few large companies dominate the ALPR business. One of the biggest is Motorola Solutions, whose Vigilant system boasts more than 2,000 clients, 15,000 cameras, and 44 billion license plate scans. Flock Safety reports 175 police departments in Illinois use its system, and 4,000 communities nationwide, about half of which are police departments. Vernon Hills alone used it to help recover 14 stolen vehicles and three missing persons, and to identify 39 wanted vehicles. One vendor that focuses on private commercial uses, DRN, boasts it collects more than 300 million license plates a month in more than 600 jurisdictions. DRNs information can also be sold to third parties for collections, repossessions, or marketing, building customer profiles including name, address and phone number. The companys sales pitch is, Transform passing vehicles into customers. Responding to privacy concerns, Illinois passed a law to prevent the information from being used to track people traveling for abortions from states where the procedure is banned, and to prevent tracking immigrants suspected to be in the country without legal permission, but enforcement of such laws can be difficult. More broadly, privacy advocates say, even if the cameras are useful for responding to current crimes, they shouldnt be kept to look into past whereabouts. Yet many systems can keep the recorded information up to 90 days because police say crimes often arent discovered or reported until well after they occur. The American Civil Liberties Union questioned the efficacy of the cameras, and raised concerns about private companies and law enforcement running an artificial intelligence-enhanced, Orwellian mass-surveillance system. Manufacturers acknowledge that the cameras are not always accurate, which could lead to dangerous misidentification of innocent drivers as being wanted. ACLU also reports that the FBIs license plate database is notoriously inaccurate, such as when recovered stolen cars are left on the list. For its part, Flock has said that it has strict measures in place to protect resident privacy. It doesnt use face recognition, doesnt sell information to third parties, and keeps data for 30 days. Homeowner clients may register their license plate to be eliminated from captured footage within their association. For communities that have surveillance cameras, the ACLU recommends measures to limit their use. New Hampshire state law, which requires law enforcement to delete non-hit license plate data within three minutes, is one model. The ACLU recommends destroying data if it doesnt match a wanted plate within 72 hours; banning sharing with beyond law enforcement; and keeping the information to the agency that recorded it. Former Eastridge-Mid-Valley city Rep. Lily Limon is looking to make a comeback. After losing her reelection bid for District 7 seat on the El Paso City Council in 2017 to current city Rep. Henry Rivera, whose two terms on the City Council are expiring this year, Limon believes she has the experience and know-how needed to do the job. "I bring knowledge and experience since I served for four years on City Council," she wrote in an email. "In the eight years between the end of my term and today, I took the opportunity to participate in numerous community events and activities. Lily Limon carries a candle with the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe as she speaks of the COVID-19 deaths during an interview at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on March 9, 2021. "My time was filled with learning and leadership activities that will help me make sound decisions on (City) Council." So far, two other candidates have announced bids for the seat, which will appear alongside a myriad of high-profile national, state and local elections on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot. Limon will face Fabiola Campos-Lopez and Alan Serna in the District 7 contest. At least three other City Council seats will be up for grabs in November. West-Central city Rep. Josh Acevedo, who won his District 2 seat in a special election last year, will be running for reelection, as will city Rep. Joe Molinar in District 4. The District 3 seat is likewise in flux and the District 1 seat could be if current West Side city Rep. Brian Kennedy opts to run for mayor. Serving the community A graduate of Austin High School, who went on to receive bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Texas at El Paso, Limon is a retired educator who worked as a Spanish teacher, vice principal and principal in the Ysleta Independent School District. After retirement, she turned her attention toward advocacy, leading or being involved with a number of area organizations, including the Centro Cultural Mexican Paso del Norte, the Dioscese of El Paso Commission on Migration and the El Paso Commission for Women board of directors, according to her campaign website. Limon first joined the City Council in 2013 but was defeated four years later by Rivera, something she blames on "false character attacks" in the wake of her criticism of then-City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. "I worked very hard to resolve 1,872 constituent concerns filed with my office, tackling frustrating residential needs such as graffiti removal and missed trash collection," she said of her time on the City Council. "I invested heavily in supporting my district in addition to attending every City Council meeting and committee session during my four-year term. "I was outspoken in support of taxpayers, questioned the city manager's actions that weren't always in line with taxpayers' needs and fought for those who were underrepresented," Limon continued. "That led to a lot of false character attacks." The years following her ouster on City Council saw her working as a political consultant with multiple successful El Paso candidates, including Mayor Oscar Leeser, El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin and, most recently, El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez. The eight years since that defeat, she said, have been spent showing voters "those attacks were clearly inaccurate" and proving that she knows how to "effectively work on behalf of District 7. "I have nearly 100 endorsements already after just recently declaring for office," Limon said, "proving a wide range of El Pasoans know and trust me." 'Time to pull our belt tighter' When it comes to key priorities for the city, Limon's follow the same trend as every other candidate: lowering taxes. "I believe that it is time to pull our belt tighter and focus on carving down our debt, which is presently over $1 billion," she said. "Our focus needs to be on what is needed. I believe that the majority of the residents look forward to one day paying lower taxes and having no debt." Beyond that, Limon said she wants to improve the quality of streets throughout District 7 and bolster public safety, which she said on her website is a "growing concern." More: El Paso area crime: Driver arrested in fatal West Side hit-and-run. Tornillo cocaine bust "The top challenges facing District 7 and the entire city of El Paso are well known," she wrote on her website. "I pledge to use my vast experience to advocate for District 7 residents and make sure city services are allocated to our neighborhoods. In short, I will cut through red tape and make this a stronger, healthier community." This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Taxes, safety top priorities in Lily Limon El Paso City Council run Lithuania has observed increased Russian aircraft activity for second week in row Lithuania's Defence Ministry has been recording increased Russian aircraft activity in the Baltic region for the second week in a row. Source: European Pravda, citing Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT Details: The Lithuanian Defence Ministry attributes this activity to NATO military exercises in Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. "The activity of Russian aircraft in the region may be related to the international exercises BALTOPS, Iron Wolf 2024-1, which are currently taking place in the Baltic region," Lithuania's Defence Ministry said. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence reported that last week, NATO fighter jets conducting an air policing mission in the Baltic States flew 11 sorties to detect and escort Russian aircraft that violated international airspace rules over the Baltic Sea. A total of seven Su-24 tactical bombers, five Su-27 fighters, four Su-30 fighters, two Su-34 fighter-bombers, four Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, two An-30 reconnaissance and aerial mapping aircraft, and an Il-96 passenger aircraft have been detected and escorted. The majority of those aircraft were flying without flight plans, with radar transponders switched off, and without radio communication with the regional flight control centre. Most of them took off from Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in international airspace and landed in the same place Kaliningrad Oblast. The week before last, NATO conducted 11 sorties for air policing in Lithuania to identify and escort Russian aircraft flying in international airspace. Typically, there are only a few such incidents per week. For reference: The Baltic Sea is currently the site of the largest military exercise to date, BALTOPS'24, which involves about 9,000 troops and other personnel, more than 50 ships, and over 80 aircraft from 20 NATO countries. Background: Last week, Finland reported that a Russian military aircraft had violated its airspace, the first such incident since the country joined NATO last year. Later, the Finnish authorities elaborated that not one but four Russian military aircraft violated the country's airspace. Earlier, it was reported that the number of NATO fighter jets deployed to intercept Russian aircraft approaching NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea region increased by 20-25% in the first quarter of 2024. Support UP or become our patron! A little more than half of Black voters back Biden in 2 swing states: Poll A majority of Black voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan say they would vote for President Biden in a hypothetical general election match-up, but a significant share of 2020 Biden voters support third-party candidates or say they are undecided, according to a poll released Sunday. The USA TODAY/Suffolk University polls, conducted June 9-13, include 500 Black voters in Pennsylvania and 500 Black voters in Michigan two states seen as critical to winning the presidency in November. In both states, Biden sees his support decline from 2020. In Pennsylvania, 56.2 percent of surveyed Black voters say they would vote for Biden today, down 20 percentage points from those who say they voted for him in 2020. In Michigan, 54.4 percent of surveyed Black voters say they support Biden, down 22 percentage points from those who say they voted for him in 2020. Exit polls showed 92 percent of Black voters supported Biden in 2020, but 76 percent of respondents in the new survey told pollsters they voted for Biden in 2020. Trumps support ticks up slightly from 2020, with 10.8 percent backing him in Pennsylvania, compared to about 8 percent in 2020, and with 15.2 percent backing him in Michigan, compared to 9 percent in 2020. In Pennsylvania, asked to choose between six candidates for president, 16.4 percent of respondents support a third-party candidate: 7.6 percent back independent Cornel West, 7.4 percent back independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 1 percent back Green Party candidate Jill Stein and 0.4 percent back Libertarian Chase Oliver. In Michigan, results are similar. Kennedy gets 8 percent of surveyed Black voters support, West gets 6.2 percent, Stein gets 1 percent, and Oliver gets 0.2 percent. Another 13.8 percent of Black voters in both states say they are undecided. David Paleologos, who directs Suffolks Political Research Center and led the poll, told USA Today that most voters put Biden as either their first or second choice. In Michigan, for example, 54 percent of respondents support Biden, but an additional 45 percent put Biden as their second choice, he said. In both states, Black voters who back any independent candidate first are more likely to put Biden than Trump as their second pick. Kennedy voters in Pennsylvania are more likely to pick Biden as their second choice over Trump, by 27 percent to 11 percent. In Michigan, they are more likely to pick Biden over Trump, by a margin of 48 percent to 13 percent. Paleologos said, according to USA Today, that while there is an opportunity for Biden to pick up some third-party voters, Biden faces a unique challenge of needing to retain such a high level of support from 2020 while having little room to grow support. Why would they vote in 2024, if they didnt in 2020? Paleologos asked, USA Today reported. The least-connected, the least involved people matter the most in these swing states. The survey comes as both Trump and Biden have ramped up their outreach and messaging toward Black voters, especially Black men, underscoring the political power the demographic will hold in November. In the recent poll, Trumps support among Black men is more than double his support among Black women. In Pennsylvania, 16 percent of surveyed Black men support Trump, compared to 6 percent of Black women. In Michigan, 22 percent of Black men support Trump, compared to 9 percent of Black women. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Another court hearing took place Monday as a part of the ongoing legal process on whether to make the Covenant School shooters writings public. The show-cause hearing came after the Tennessee Star, an online news publication, published a portion of the shooters writings. The publication said they obtained at least 80 pages of the writings from a source close to the investigation. PREVIOUS | Covenant hearing set for Monday after portion of shooters writings published A recent court filing from a lieutenant with the Metro Nashville Police Department suggests that a whistleblower is tied to the leak of the writings. During the hearing on Monday, Davidson County Chancellor Iashea Myles said she was prepared to issue a more than 60-page ruling last week when she learned that some of the documents had been leaked. In April, Judge Myles spent two full days listening to both sides of the arguments for and against releasing the documents. At the time, only the judge and police department had seen the unreleased writings. The Tennessee Star and its Editor-in-Chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, have been among the petitioners calling for the release of the documents in the ongoing court case, bringing into question whether the publication is in contempt of court. RELATED: Metro officer suggests department whistleblower leaked Covenant writings However, the focus of Mondays hearing was on whether the judge can still issue her initial ruling or if the leak of the documents would make the case moot. This court has worked very tirelessly on the many different opinions presented by all of the parties on this case, Myles said. I was ready to issue my ruling when I was informed that perhaps something had come about in this case. According to Lora Fox, who is representing the Metropolitan Government in the case, it doesnt appear that a significant portion of the writings have been leaked yet. Fox said the articles published by the Star only reflect two full pages of the shooters journal. Fox went on to state that Metro certainly believes the person who leaked the documents has violated the courts orders, but that the courts ruling would still be important to determining what the police department releases at the end of its investigation. SEE ALSO: Tennessee Star files appeal to cancel Covenant hearing, calls it unconstitutional Both the petitioners and interveners in the case appeared to agree that with only a fraction of the writings being leaked, the judge should still issue a ruling on whether the entirety of the writings and investigative file should be made public. There is so much speculation about where these documents came from, said Doug Pierce, who is representing Clata Renee Brewer in conjunction with the National Police Association. These are two separate issues, and it should not slow down the public records case. Rocklan King, the attorney for The Covenant Presbyterian Church, suggested that Judge Myles likely has far more than the 80 or more pages that the Star boasts they have in their possession, adding that her ruling will provide the first step of clarity. Judge Myles, who referred to herself as a neutral arbiter of the law, ended the hearing after all parties were given a chance to speak. The judge will soon issue a separate ruling on what the next steps in the case will be. RELATED | Covenant School Mass Shooting Continuing Coverage There could potentially be a separate hearing regarding the Tennessee Stars leak of the documents. After the judges initial order calling for a show-cause hearing, the publication filed an appeal to cancel the hearing. In the appeal, the attorney for the Tennessee Star argued that her order was legally and constitutionally infirm on numerous grounds. He further stated that the hearing would violate Tennessees Media Shield Law, which protects reporters from revealing the source of their information. Mr. Leahy cannot lawfully be compelled to participate in a show cause hearing that requires him to disclose any information or the source of any information procured for publication or broadcast, his attorney said in the appeal. Such compulsion would also seriously undermine freedom of the press and newsgathering generally. While there has been some speculation around the source of the leak, the judge has not yet asked for the Star to reveal who gave them the documents. A violation of court orders could lead to consequences at the judges discretion. 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Local employers in Oklahoma are looking to level up your career with a hiring event that will be a one-stop shop for all your job-seeking needs. Get your resumes ready and dont forget to dress to impress. Headlines When: Thursday, June 27th | 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Where: Embassy Suites by Hilton Will Rogers World Airport, 1815 S Meridian Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73108 Here is a brief list of confirmed employers set to be in attendance: First Hospitality Lively Hotel on Oak Heavy Equipment Colleges of America, Kirby-Smith Machinery Morrison Cup, Nortek Tinker Air Force Base Civilian Division Grit Resources Titan Professional Resources Parking and admission are free. For more information 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. While the US Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on bump stocks, the devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to be shot at high rates of fire are still illegal here in Florida. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< But in light of the ruling, Floridas ban on bump stocks has become the latest piece of the public safety law passed in the wake of the Parkland shooting that may be at risk of repeal. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) told Action News Jax hes looking at filing a bill to repeal the states bump stock ban. I think its unconstitutional. The constitution says these rights shall not be infringed and thats my position, said Black. Patricia Brigham with Prevent Gun Violence Florida called Blacks proposal dangerous. RELATED: Supreme Court strikes down federal ban on bump stocks Lifting the ban on these bump stocks, you might as well put a machine gun back in someones hands, said Brigham. She noted state lawmakers have in recent years attempted to repeal other parts of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act by filing legislation that would reduce the age to purchase a gun from 21 to 18 and another bill that would have watered down the mandatory three-day waiting period for firearms purchases. Were living in a time where we put more priority on gun rights than on people having the right to live their lives without being in fear of being shot at any time any where, said Brigham. RELATED: What to know about bump stocks and the Supreme Court ruling striking down a ban on the gun accessory Black supported those proposals, which both passed off the floor of the Florida House last year. Those efforts failed to gain traction in the Florida Senate. However, next session there will be a new Senate President who could possibly see the issues differently. Black said hes optimistic they may stand a better chance of making it to the Governors desk in the next legislative session. Its never the wrong time to do the right thing and I think its the right thing to lift the ban on bump stocks and I think its the right thing to restore Second Amendment rights to 18 to 21-year-olds in the State of Florida, said Black. [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. Local construction and trades workers rallied Monday in support of the $150 million city share of the community benefits agreement in the Jags stadium renovation deal. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< With the city considering investing $925 million on the stadium renovation and community benefits agreement, President of the North Florida Building and Construction Trades Council Lance Fout told Action News Jax he wants to ensure local workers arent cut out of the project. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Nobody is talking about who is gonna build the stadium of the future. I mean, we want to be part of that, said Fout. He and other construction and trades workers rallied outside city hall ahead of a council meeting on the stadium deal Monday calling on members to support the $300 million community benefits agreement, some of which would fund workforce development programs. This is all about workforce development and registered apprenticeship programs, said Fout. RELATED: New stadium will feature turf surface over grass, breaking long-standing Jags tradition Fout said he wants to see that workforce development funding go towards apprenticeship programs that could be leveraged during the remodeling of the stadium. But currently, he noted theres no language in the deal guaranteeing local workers will be utilized. You know, when we drive by some of these big major projects we see a lot of out-of-town license plates. We want to see Florida license plates. We want to see Duval County license plates, said Fout. The mayors office told Action News Jax there is a plan to incorporate local apprenticeship programs during the stadium construction. RELATED: Draft contracts reveal new details of proposed $1.7B stadium renovation The City of Jacksonville, Jaguars, and local construction leaders have developed a plan to increase the number of local apprentices working on the stadium renovation, and we will continue working together to grow apprenticeship participation in the largest public infrastructure investment in Jacksonville history, said Mayor Donna Deegan in a statement sent to Action News Jax. Still, Fout is hoping to see that commitment formally inked into the stadium deal legislation. Jacksonville hasnt seen a project this size. Weve done the courthouse. The courthouse was $450 million. Mayo Clinic, you know, another 400. This is a billion dollars bigger than this. If theres any project to start with having apprenticeship language, its the stadium project, said Fout. [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. An image by the Spitzer telescope of stars in WL 20 (left). An expanded view of the twin stars with matching jets streaming into space from their north and south poles in the artists illustration on the right. The stars appear to have pushed away the billowy orange clouds within which they formed, suggesting their birth processes are nearing completion. | Credit: U.S. NSF/ NSF NRAO/B. Saxton.; NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA Shrouded in a dense cloud of gas and dust, a young star in the constellation Ophiuchus that astronomers have studied for decades has been found to be a duo. It would also appear that both members of the pair are encircled by a disk of material within which planets may have just begun coalescing. The twin stars, which reside about 400 light-years from Earth in the WL 20 group, are less than a million years old and appear to have pushed away the billowy orange clouds within which they formed, suggesting their birth processes are nearing completion. That means astronomers can observe the stars as they transition into adulthood. For decades, telescope observations showed the WL 20 group, which lies within a massive molecular cloud called Rho Ophiuchi , hosts three stars spread out like points of a triangle. Although they were born in the same pocket of gas and dust, two stars were roughly two million years old. The third star the faintest among the group perched at the southern tip of the triangle appeared to be younger than a million years. "How could this be?" Mary Barsony, an independent astronomer who led the discovery, said on Wednesday (June 12) while presenting the discovery at the 244th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Wisconsin. Many astronomers, including Barsony, have studied the triplets in WL 20 and their cosmic home Rho Ophiuchi for decades. "We thought we knew it pretty well," she said in a statement provided by NASA. Related: 'Supernova discovery machine' James Webb Space Telescope finds most distant star explosion on record Yet, when the James Webb Space Telescope observed the region, its powerful Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) found the third star, called WL 20S, to be in fact a pair of twins itself each member of the pair with matching jets streaming into space from its north and south poles. Additional observations by ALMA (short for Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), a large network of 60 radio antennas in Chile that work as a giant telescope, revealed each of the twin stars were also surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. If one of the twin stars were to replace our sun, its disk would extend beyond Saturn 's orbit, said Barsony. a long hazy gaseous line is neighbored by a shorter blue stubby line, both marked with purple lines with lables. "We were absolutely stunned when we first saw these images," she told reporters during a press briefing. Without MIRI, astronomers wouldn't have known about the twin star or the jets, she added. "It's like having brand new eyes." a panel of four square images shows three dots in varying colors and focuses. Astronomers don't fully understand how multiple star systems such as the one involving four stars in WL 20 form. So, future observations of the quadruplets could shed more light on the underlying processes. "It's amazing that this region still has so much to teach us about the life cycle of stars," said study co-author Mike Ressler, who is a project scientist for MIRI at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and has been studying the WL 20 group for nearly 30 years. When Ressler was awarded some observing time with JWST, he chose to point the telescope toward WL 20, which was in the opposite part of the sky than his other targets. "I thought, 'why not sneak it in? I'll never get another chance, even if it doesn't quite fit with the others,' said Ressler. "We had a very fortunate accident with what we found; the results are stunning." The Midwest and Northeastern US are expected to experience record-breaking heat this week as extreme temperatures hit the region. Much of the Midwest, the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic will experience the hottest temperatures of the summer so far, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The duration of this heat wave is notable and potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations, the NWS wrote. High temperatures across the region, with some areas due to find themselves in daily and monthly record-breaking heat, are possible from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast from Monday to Saturday, with local maximum heat indices approaching 105F degrees. Extreme heat has been forecast for Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany and Boston. Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., are also expected to see major heat over the next few days. While temperatures will drop into the mid-70s during the night, the heat will offer little to no relief as the weather will still be warm. The National Weather Service has also warned that rapid onset drought is possible across the eastern Corn Belt and the Mid-Atlantic. The heat wave will expand from the central Plains, across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Northeast on Monday, and it will remain across the Northeast through midweek. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said that the last time they experienced the temperature levels expected in their city over the next week was 30 years ago when it reached 95F or warmer for six days straight in June 1994. The service said that stands as the longest stretch of 95+F days on record, saying that they now have a shot at tying or beating that. The weather service office in Indianapolis, which is also expecting extreme heat, said that the heat is potentially dangerous and has advised people impacted by the scorching temperatures to limit outdoor activities, drink plenty of water, wear lighter clothing and sunscreen, and work outdoors early or very late in the day. Record-breaking #heat is forecast to expand from the Midwest and Great Lakes to the Northeast this week, potentially lingering through early next week. The duration of this heat wave is notable and potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations. pic.twitter.com/4nJ1PS4qih NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) June 16, 2024 We know its really the first hot weekend of 2024 for us, National Weather Service senior meteorologist Andy Chiuppi told USA TODAY over the Fathers Day weekend. Were just pushing out all the safety information: people make sure theyre staying hydrated. Even if youre not going outdoors, make sure youre drinking enough water and fluids. In total, more than 135 million Americans face temperatures above 90 degrees this week, with some areas crossing the 100-degree mark. There is no expected rain under the heat dome to provide temporary relief. A heat dome is a large area of high pressure that stops over an area, traps air, and blasts it with sunshine for days or weeks. The resulting heat becomes more intense the longer a heat dome lasts, according to the National Weather Service. While the record-breaking heat will be blasting the Midwest and Northeast, other areas of the country will be battling heavy rain and severe thunderstorms, the National Weather Service says. The north-central US will experience a cluster of thunderstorms containing severe weather and heavy rain over the next couple of days, that will expand across the northern Plains. Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency for the city of Boston ahead of the incoming hot temperatures expected for the rest of the week. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 90s with the heat index expected to reach mid-90s to 100 degrees. According to city officials, the heat emergency will begin on Tuesday and run through Thursday. Weather Alert: Extreme heat on the way Heat waves are a risk to our community, so everyone should make sure to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity when possible, wear plenty of sunscreen, and check on your neighbors and loved ones, Mayor Michelle Wu said. Boston Public Schools are encouraging students and families to prepare for the hot weather, as there are currently 10 buildings in the district without air conditioning. Officials say those schools will have surplus supply fans running as well as bottled water on site. Additionally, outdoor activities will either be adjusted or moved indoors as a result of the expected heat wave. Having a fun and safe summer together here in Boston requires our community to come together to take necessary precautions to stay safe from extreme heat, Mayor Wu said. 14 BCYF community centers will be used as cooling centers on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A list of those centers can be found here. City officials also say more public pools will be open this year than in previous summers. For more safety tips on how to beat the heat, click here. 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 Photographers Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberovs have posted photos of Ukrainian soldiers liberated from Russian captivity. The photographers stressed that the pictures taken in the rehabilitation centre are being released with the permission of the defenders themselves. The Liberovs sent some of these photos to the Peace Summit in Switzerland, where prisoner-of-war (POW) swaps were discussed. "It was our most challenging shoot in the last six months. After meeting and talking to the guys, we couldn't recover from what we had seen and heard for a week. We are posting this footage with the guys' permission. I remember one of them telling me that we must do everything we can to ensure this never happens again, [never happens] to others. But it happens every day," the photographers wrote. All photos: Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberovs The photographers say the Ukrainian soldiers lost 40-50kg of weight during their stay in Russian torture chambers. At present, rehabilitators and psychologists are working with the soldiers. "We cannot retell what we heard from the guys. But these photos speak for themselves. And this is despite the fact that the guys had gained 10kg of weight in a week at home by the time we met. To understand what it means to lose 40-50 kg of weight (which is how much they lost during captivity), look at the pictures where the guys show their photos before captivity. But what is important is that [the Russians] failed to break them. And each of them repeated it: I was not broken," the photographers wrote. In conclusion, the Liberovs mentioned that thousands of Ukrainians are being held captive by Russia and expressed hope that Ukraine's international partners would act more decisively on the issue of POW swaps. "We spoke to doctors at the rehabilitation centre where the guys were staying at the time of our meeting. They said that most survivors of captivity come down over time. The first few weeks back in their homeland are marked by euphoria from the realisation that they survived," added Kostiantyn and Vlada. Background: On 31 May 2024, the 52nd POW swap took place, during which Ukraine liberated 75 of its citizens. In particular, Azov soldier Nataliia Manuilova and police officer Mariana Checheliuk, who had been in captivity for more than two years, were brought back home. About 1,500 defenders of Mariupol are still in Russian captivity. In October 2022, the Liberovs released the first photos of Azov soldiers Mykola "Frost" Kushch, and Dmytro "Orest" Kozatskyi, after the men were released from captivity. Support UP or become our patron! Pro-Palestinian students are met with counter-protesters while marching for divestment at LSU (Matthew Perschall / LSU Reveille) Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has enacted a law to exclude acts of civil disobedience from free speech protections on college campuses. Senate Bill 294 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, was billed as a pro-free speech proposal. The bill was designed to shore up protections for campus speech, Hodges said What we need on college campuses is education, not activists, Hodges said. Students and faculty opposed the bill because they fear it will criminalize free speech. The new law specifically excludes any act that carries a criminal penalty from free speech protections, meaning campus free speech policies would no longer protect acts of civil disobedience. Criminalizing free speech is not the answer, Pablo Zavala, a Loyola University of New Orleans professor, said during a committee hearing on the bill in May. Just because someone does not agree with what students are saying or what they are protesting does not give lawmakers authority to curb their rights. Civil disobedience was perhaps most famously used against segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. It has since been upheld by many, including conservatives, as an ideal form of nonviolent protest. Louisianas new law also excludes any activities in which an individual or group is knowingly being monetarily funded or organized by any individual, corporation, business, or organization that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization or foreign adversary by the United States Department of State from free speech protections. In presenting her bill during the legislative session, Hodges made several references to pro-Palestinian protests that have become commonplace on university campuses since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war. This bill protects free speech for everyone but makes it very clear that criminal activity and pro-terrorist, giving support to terrorist groups, does not belong on our college campuses, Hodges said during a committee hearing on the bill. An Axios analysis found that nearly 3,000 pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested on university campuses nationwide, including at Tulane University in New Orleans. Hodges legislation also includes several provisions that seek to protect religious students. It prohibits schools from discriminating based on political, ideological or religious beliefs and requires that universities do not restrict a student organizations beliefs or require it to accept leaders of other religions. The law also prohibits professors from imposing their views by requiring them to attend a protest or engage in political activity outside the classroom that aligns with their beliefs. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post New Louisiana law seeks crackdown on civil disobedience in campus protests appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Lowell man arrested on 28 charges, including five rape charges LOWELL, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Lowell man has been arrested on more than two dozen charges, according to a social media post from the department. Juan Medina (Courtesy: Benton County Jail) Juan Manuel Medina was arrested on June 12 on 28 charges: Five counts of rape Three counts of internet stalking of a child Three counts of computer child pornography Three counts of distributing, possessing or viewing child pornography Three counts of sexual extortion Two counts of sexual indecency with a child Three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor Three counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor Three counts of sexual solicitation Fayetteville police on scene of bank robbery, bomb threat LPD said on June 10, it received a call regarding a possible sexual assault. The department interviewed witnesses and victims and received electronic evidence. Medina is being held at the Benton County Jail on a $1 million bond, according to his booking. LPD said this in an ongoing investigation and no other information can be released 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 KNWA FOX24. Macon transit buses will go all-electric by 2030. What will it do for the city? Alfred, one of Macon Transit Authoritys diesel buses, may soon meet his doom. The Macon Transit Authority is working to achieve a fully electric bus fleet by 2030. The fleet is part of MTAs goal to significantly reduce its carbon footprint while improving efficiency in routing scheduling, and rider safety. So far, MTA has four electric fixed-route buses in service, and it is slowly integrating six electric ParaTransit buses and four electric MicroTransit buses into its fleet. Switching to electric buses is a big deal for cutting down on emissions and cleaning up the air in Macon-Bibb, said Transit Planner Mark Strozier. How will Electric Buses affect Macons air? Diesel buses emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and other pollutants from tailpipes. This negatively affects Macons air quality, and can cause health effects, especially for those with higher exposure levels. Effects for short-term exposure to high concentrations include asthma attacks and headaches, according to state climatologist Bill Murphey. Electric buses dont release tailpipe emissions, which a spokesperson for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division said could have an immediate local effect. Communities near areas where buses congregate would no longer be exposed to the pollution they were with diesel and gasoline buses, especially when replacing an old fleet, said the spokesperson. There are still several other pollutants that affect Macons air quality. Murphey pointed to controlled burns, wildfires and traffic as sources of air pollution, and if the conditions are exactly right, air pollutants from Atlanta can even travel down Interstate 75 to Macon, Murphey said. What will electric buses cost for Macon? Electric buses are expensive. In 2020, an electric bus was approximately $250,000 more expensive than a comparable diesel bus, said Strozier. Additionally, the cost of electricity to charge an electric bus is comparable to the cost of diesel consumed on a diesel bus. However, MTAs first electric buses, Sparky and Bolt, were a result of a $1.75 million federal grant, and Macon-Bibb County pitched in $1.2 million for the chargers. While theres an initial investment in the buses and charging infrastructure, were not putting it all on taxpayers, said Strozier. Plus, the buses cost less to run and maintain over time, said Strozier. They have fewer breakdowns and delays, and provide a more pleasant ride for transit users. Its a smoother, quiet experience, said Strozier. You wont hear that diesel engine rumble. In addition to going electric, Strozier said the company is also working on improving bus routes and reviewing their 1,200 bus stops to determine which stops are still in use, and which can be removed. They have already made some route changes downtown. Strozier said hes happy to be making a positive change for Macon-Bibb. Its fulfilling to be even a small part of a hopeful future. I feel like Im making a difference for our riders, our community, and the environment. Sure, there are challenges, but all in all, MTA is working to effect a positive change for Macon-Bibb and this is why I love my job, said Strozier. (Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macrons group and its allies wont field candidates in about 60 electoral districts so as to clear the way for other parties with a better chance of barring the road to the far right and a new leftist alliance, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. Most Read from Bloomberg He pointed to Correze, in central France, where they would back a conservative Republicans opponent against both the candidate from Marine Le Pens National Rally and former President Francois Hollande, who is running on the New Popular Front ticket that includes the far-left France Unbowed. There are some 60 places where we know that its not our candidates that are the best-placed to avoid the election of the extremes to power, Attal said Monday in an interview on RTL radio. Our candidates are useful against the extremes. A victory by the National Rally would be a catastrophe for the country, he added. He pointed to what he called hundreds of billions of euros in pledges for unfunded programs on both sides that would hurt the economy and feed unemployment. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party will not put up candidates in constituencies where they have little chance of winning, but will encourage its supporters to vote for other centrists, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told broadcaster RTL on Monday. "There are certain constituencies where we know that our candidates are not in the best position to prevent a victory of the extremists," Attal said. Renaissance would be supporting other candidates instead, he said. Attal said that 65 of the 577 constituencies were in this category. Responding to a surge in support for the right-wing National Rally led by Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen in European Parliament elections earlier this month, Macron called snap National Assembly elections to be held in two rounds on June 30 and July 7. Voting for the National Assembly is by simple majority, with at least the top two candidates going through to the second round if no one gains a clear majority in the first round. Analysts believe the voting format could play to Macron's advantage compared to the voting system in the European elections, which is based on proportional representation. Both the leftist New Popular Front alliance, which includes La France Insoumise, described by Macron as extremist, and the National Rally, would be catastrophic if they were in government, Attal told RTL. The MAGA civil war surrounding House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Goods (R-Va.) primary in Virginias 5th Congressional District is coming to a head, pitting usual bedfellows against each other. The intraparty battle has positioned former President Trump against some of his key allies, including his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who are supporting Good. Trump has endorsed state Sen. John McGuire, a former Navy SEAL. For Trump, the contest is incredibly personal, going back to last year, when Good endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) presidential bid as Trump was facing multiple indictments. This was, This guy screwed me. This guy stabbed me at my lowest time when I got indicted, said John Fredericks, a conservative radio talk show host who chaired Trumps Virginia presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. Thanks, Bob. Virginias 5th District stretches from the western Richmond suburbs to Charlottesville and Lynchburg and all the way south to the North Carolina border. While the district is a safe, relatively rural Republican seat, its GOP primary has garnered national attention thanks to Trumps decision to wade in. Other Republicans, in addition to the former president, have also come out against Good after the incumbent congressman went up against them in other races. Over the weekend, Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.), who outlasted a Good-backed primary challenger last week, chartered a bus from Washington, D.C., to the 5th District. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has also launched a revenge effort against those who sought to oust him last year, with Good high up on that list. Freedom Caucus members Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) campaigned alongside Good in Louisa County on Friday. But Sunday, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), another Freedom Caucus member, publicly turned his back on the groups chair by endorsing McGuire. In order to get that majority vote and succeed and win, you have to blend quite a few things, said Zack Roday, a Republican strategist based in the district. The narrative, the challenge of national politics, those factors, but certainly also tactically on the ground you have to be very well-organized. Recent polling shows McGuire with a comfortable lead over Good. A survey released Wednesday by the conservative Virginia Faith and Freedom Coalition found McGuire leading Good with 41 percent support to the incumbents 31 percent. Twenty-nine percent of survey respondents said they were undecided. Goods campaign has touted its ground game, announcing Monday that the candidate has made 208,000 direct voter contacts. The campaign noted the achievement is more than five times the expected voter turnout for the 5th district primary. I see a lot of signs that Bob Good knows what hes doing, and certainly John McGuire knows what hes doing, Roday said. Good has been careful in how he has handled Trump, even as the former president leads a revenge effort against him. The congressman has continued to publicly tie himself to Trump; prior to the former presidents endorsement of McGuire, Good even traveled with other congressional Republicans to New York City to support Trump in his criminal hush money trial. Goods campaign has put up yard signs labeling him as a Trump Republican and has included the phrase Make America Great Again in press releases. Last month, Trumps attorneys sent Good a cease-and-desist letter ordering Good to stop using Trumps name and likeness in his campaign material. What Good has done a good job in is trying to muddy waters by the yard signs, one Republican strategist said. Hes running as a Trump ally, so hes trying to neutralize the endorsement. While Republicans point out the race has created an obvious division within the party, many are skeptical it will have any consequences for the GOP beyond Tuesdays primary. This is not tearing up the party as much as people think. Theres a reason why Donalds and Gaetz are endorsing Good, the same Republican strategist said. The strategist noted how Good and many of his allies are united in their association with the conservative group the Club for Growth. In addition to Good, the group has backed Donalds, Gaetz, Roy, Clyde and Biggs. Theres going to be no dissension afterwards, but it is about Trump making a point about whos running the party and Bob Good not being able to read the tea leaves, the strategist said. Others say the internal squabble between the House conservatives should not come as a shock. Freedom Caucus members going after their own is no surprise, said Doug Heye, a GOP strategist. It seemed inevitable from its creation. 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. On June 12, an estimated 60 people were abruptly laid off by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Conservatives and extremists whove been profiled by the SPLC quickly cheered on the news. In a hell of a self-report, Sean Davis, founder and CEO of conservative website The Federalist praised the layoffs on X (formerly Twitter). Your entire organization is trash, and America will be better off when its forced to lay off every single employee, wrote Davis. Moms for Liberty, an SPLC-designated anti-government extremist group, boosted the SPLC Unions criticism of the organization for hoarding donations, with MfL co-founder Tina Descovich declaring, Everything WOKE ends up rotting. Far-right troll Andy Ngo, whose own follower committed a deadly mass shooting inspired by his rhetoric, praised the layoffs in stereotypically unimaginative fashion, writing, I hope the whole lot of you goes down, & one day in the future people can read about the shameful period of American history you were involved in. Ngo has been covered previously by SPLCs Hatewatch and described as a far-right provocateur. The conservative rage against SPLC is to be expected, given the groups detailed work monitoring far-right extremist movements. Moms for Liberty, for example, was categorized by the SPLC in 2023 as an anti-government extremist group for its ongoing efforts to roll back federal protections for LGBTQ youth, praising Hitler, threatening violence, and banning books. The layoffs instead hit projects that work to serve communities in need, shuttering the Southeast Freedom Initiative, which provides pro bono legal services to detained immigrants, and the Economic Justice Project, which works to break the cycle of poverty among the countrys most impoverished communities, among other projects, according to HuffPost. Adding to the dark celebration by far-right groups over SPLCs sudden shrinkage, the layoffs hit 60 unionized workers, including a union chair and five union stewards, according to a statement from the union. The layoffs came two years after the SPLC reached a collective bargaining agreement with the then-nascent union, and ate a quarter of the organizations workforce, as part of a restructuring effort. SPLCs decision has a catastrophic impact on the organizations work in support of immigrants seeking justice and its mission to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance human rights through support of educators, the SPLC Union wrote on X (formerly Twitter). How will todays layoffs help us achieve our goals of fighting hate, decarcerating Black and Brown people, defending democracy, and eradicating poverty? The answer is: they wont, the union added. * This piece has been corrected to clarify who was impacted by SPLC layoffs. The Magura V5 naval drone can now be equipped with an anti-aircraft platform and R-73 air-to-air guided missiles, Ukraine's military intelligence said on June 17. The Vympel R-73, also known under the NATO reporting name AA-11 Archer, is a short-range infrared homing missile developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s, mainly for use by aircraft like MiG-29 or Su-34. One of the Magura drones has already been equipped with these missiles, creating a serious challenge for the Russian Air Force operating in the region, the commander of the military intelligence Group 13 unit said in an interview with journalist Maksym Krapivnoy. "These modifications are effective, the Russians are very afraid of them," the commander said. According to the military intelligence agency, the new platform has already been used during combat operations in the Black Sea. The Magura is a multi-purpose naval drone developed by Ukraine and has been extensively used in attacks against the Russian Black Sea fleet, mainly by ramming into enemy vessels while loaded with explosives. Ukraine previously destroyed several Russian ships with Magura drones, including a landing ship Caesar Kunikov, a Sergei Kotov patrol ship, high-speed Serna and Akula landing crafts, and a Tarantul-class Ivanovets missile corvette. Read also: Source: SBU has a new weapon Grad-equipped Sea Baby drones Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. For some Maine families, upcoming increase to TANF benefits could be a lifeline Legislation signed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills in April will provide a 20% increase to monthly benefits under TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. (Photo courtesy of Maine Equal Justice) For Ashley McLaughlin, an extra $50 a month could mean the Bangor mother no longer needs to donate plasma to afford her 7-year-old sons medication not covered by insurance. Five years ago, McLaughlins son, Leon, was diagnosed with leukemia. He finished treatment two years ago, but it left him with other health problems that require full-time care, leaving McLaughlin unable to work. Although they receive disability benefits for Leon, McLaughlin said they also rely on a cash assistance program called TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Currently, she receives $350 a month, but thanks to a bill passed by the Maine Legislature earlier this year, that will increase by $70 starting in October. Bangor resident Ashley McLaughlin and her 7-year-old son, Leon. (Photo courtesy of Ashley McLaughlin) Its a little bit of a burden lifted off my shoulder, McLaughlin said of the pending increase. Shes hoping that it will be enough for her to stop donating plasma. LD 1877 was first introduced in May 2023. However, the bill was carried over and amended before Gov. Janet Mills signed it into law in April. Originally, the bill proposed a greater increase, but now will provide a 20% boost to TANF benefits starting Oct. 1. Rep. Michele Meyer (D-Eliot), who introduced the bill, worked with a team of parents who were former TANF recipients to craft the bill. They wanted to work on legislation that would get more income to those who need it, explained Allina Diaz, a community organizer for Maine Equal Justice, an advocacy group and civil legal aid provider that worked with the families. What this team wanted to see was an impactful increase, Diaz said, adding that they hoped to provide enough additional money that a family could afford something concrete that they couldnt previously, like a car payment. The increase will be funded through a TANF block grant provided by the federal government for the state to administer the program, according to Lindsay Hammes, press secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. As of September 2023, more than 13,600 families which translates to nearly 46,500 adults and children in Maine received TANF benefits, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. Monthly benefit allotments are determined by each state, but Maine currently has the lowest of any New England state. In July 2022, Maines maximum monthly benefit for a single parent caring for one child was $469, well below its regional neighbors who provide between $580 and $670 a month. New Hampshire surpasses them all, allocating $915 a month. Maine hasnt had a meaningful increase to its monthly TANF benefit since 2017, when it was raised 20% with yearly adjustments pegged to the cost of living. If I could work full time, if I could do what I wanted with my life, it would be so much easier to provide for my family, McLaughlin said. But since thats not possible for her right now, having the assurance of extra income through TANF means a lot. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post For some Maine families, upcoming increase to TANF benefits could be a lifeline appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Malawi's vice president laid to rest as president calls for an independent probe into his death BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima was laid to rest Monday in his village south of the capital, following a funeral where President Lazarus Chakwera called for an independent probe into his death in a plane crash. Chilima and nine other people died in the plane crash last week in Malawi's northern region of Mzimba. The state funeral was held at the Bingu Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Sunday, where Chakwera and other dignitaries paid their final respects to the late vice president. In his address, Chakwera called for an independent investigation into the crash. "Our tears are about the desire to know what delayed the search for this plane. I would like to assure you, Malawians, that this accident will be investigated by an independent expert, Chakwera said amid boos and jeers from the crowd. Hundreds of soldiers, police officers and forest rangers had searched for more than 24 hours before the wreckage was discovered in a forest plantation south of Mzuzu. The plane was on a short flight from Lilongwe to the northern city of Mzuzu when it went missing last Monday morning. Chakwera had said earlier that air traffic controllers had told the plane not to land in Mzuzu because of bad weather and poor visibility and to return to Lilongwe. Air traffic controllers then lost contact with the plane. Chakwera on Sunday called for unity and patience as the investigations continued, saying, We need answers, but we must remain calm and supportive of each other during this difficult time. He said that the Malawi Defense Force cannot conduct an investigation that can be credible on its own, which is why we need an independent investigation. He did not elaborate. The military rendered a 19-gun salute as the body was laid to rest, followed by a long trumpet post and reveille. Those who laid wreaths included Chakwera, all of Malawis three former presidents and Chilimas wife, children and relatives. The Chilima family also called for an independent probe. We are grateful to the pathologists who carried out tests to ascertain the deaths, but there is need for a thorough investigation on what exactly happened. Such a probe is important to ensure that such an accident does not happen again, said Ben Chilima, the late vice-presidents brother. In another tragic accident, four people died at the funeral on Sunday when a vehicle crashed into bystanders, authorities said. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Soon after the announcement that the Macys at Oak Court Mall was listed for sale, an anchor restaurant in the Wolfchase Galleria is now closing its doors. So what does the future of major malls look like as so many people now turn to online options? Once a major restaurant staple in malls, The Cheesecake Factory says after nine years of business, it will serve its final meal in less than a month. Cheesecake Factory at Wolfchase Galleria closing in July Mercy Hill, a shopper at Wolfcase, heard the news. Im like hmmm, where are we gonna eat at now? My sister is going to be really mad because she comes way over from Marion, Arkansas, and she loves the Cheesecake Factory, said Hill. The closure comes as historic retailer Macys, an anchor store at malls across the country, announced it is closing 150 stores nationwide. In Memphis, there are two locations. Just last week it was announced that the Macys at the Oak Court Mall has been listed for sale. Oak Court Mall Macys listed for sale On Monday, a spokesperson with Macys told us that the specific locations that are closing have not been decided, but they did say that there is a current evaluation underway comparing the potential real estate value and the future sales growth profitability potential. If a closure were to come, it would not be until 2025. Hill says she has seen the shopping scene change over the years, as so many more turn to the convenience of online shopping. I came out here last month and you wouldnt believe how many stores are gone, she said. I guess the world we live in the mortar and brick buildings, theyre gone, and I do a lot of shopping online so its very seldom that I come. Hill says she does appreciate other smaller, locally owned businesses still open in Wolfchase. While she says shes seen changes too, Hill believes it is important malls still get plenty of business, as she uses the space to get in her daily walk. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. Theres nowhere safe in Memphis to really walk and I come here early in the morning to do my daily walk, said Hill. A spokesperson with The Cheesecake Factory says the company is working with staff to help transition them to other opportunities, including transfers to restaurants in other areas. We also reached out to the property management companies for both the Wolfchase Galleria and Oak Court about whats next for the malls. So far, a Wolfchase representative has responded, sending this statement: 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. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) More than three years after four bodies were discovered inside a truck at the Albuquerque International Sunport, Sean Lannon has been sentenced for the murders of three of those individuals. Lannon, who previously admitted to killing one of the victims, Randall Apostalon, back in May, pled guilty to second-degree murder for the deaths of his ex-wife Jennifer Lannon, Justin Mata, and Matthew Miller earlier this month. Story continues below In 2021, Lannon brutally beat Apostalon to death in a southeast Albuquerque apartment parking lot after hiring him to help move bins containing the bodies of Jennifer Lannon and two other men from Grants. The bodies of these victims, along with Apostalons, were found in a car at the Sunport. Last month, Lannon was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of Apostalon. In a subsequent plea deal on June 5, Lannon accepted reduced charges, pleading guilty to three counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of his ex-wife and the other two men from Grants. He received a 45-year prison sentence for these murders, which will run consecutively to his sentence for Apostalons murder. Lannon is also serving a 35-year sentence for the murder of Michael Dabkowski in New Jersey, which occurred after the killings in New Mexico. This New Jersey sentence will run concurrently with his sentences for the New Mexico murders. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A man was arrested in connection to the August 2023 killing of Rachel Morin, a mom of five whose body was found near a popular hiking trail in Maryland, authorities announced Saturday. Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, was arrested Friday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and faces first-degree murder and rape charges in Morins killing, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler announced in a news conference on Saturday. The case had been shrouded in mystery for months after Morin was killed while out for a run, even as investigators connected DNA from the then-unknown suspect to another crime scene across the country. On Aug. 18, weeks after Morins body was found on Aug. 6 near Bel Airs Ma & Pa Trail, investigators announced that the DNA believed to belong to the suspected killer matched DNA collected from a hat left behind by the man suspected in a March 2023 home invasion in Los Angeles. Residential security camera video from the LA home invasion had captured the man, but in spite of the footage and a police sketch, he remained unidentified. The body of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mom of five, was found near a popular hiking trail in Maryland. A man who was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is facing murder and rape charges in connection to her killing. Family of Rachel Morin via their attorney Randolph Rice of Rice, Murtha & Psoras Ultimately, FBI investigators used genetic genealogy methods to identify Martinez-Hernandezs family members and then pinpoint his location, Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno said at Saturdays news conference. Martinez-Hernandez is a citizen of El Salvador and entered the U.S. illegally in February 2023, the sheriff said. Authorities said he is suspected of the brutal murder of a young woman in his home country and came to the U.S. as he fled accountability. The sheriff also provided more details about the Los Angeles home invasion, saying that a 9-year-old girl and her mother had been brutally attacked there. Investigators believe that Martinez-Hernandez had spent some time in Maryland, but do not know whether the alleged attack was random or targeted based on her running routine. Morins mother, Patty Morin, thanked investigators which comprised federal, state and local authorities for their tireless efforts. [They] gave me such hope that they really did care about our family, my daughter, that they were going to work diligently to find the person that murdered her. At one point, when things seemed really bleak and hopeless, the lead detective said to me, Patience will win in the end, Patty Morin said at the press conference. Morins family is incredibly relieved about the arrest and grateful to investigators for their exceptional work, their attorney told HuffPost on Monday, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing. An arrest was made June 15 in the August 2023 killing of 37-year-old Rachel Morin in Maryland. Family of Rachel Morin via their attorney Randolph Rice of Rice, Murtha & Psoras Were asking the public to continue providing information they may have that can help this investigation and prosecution, Randolph Rice said. Gahler said authorities have initiated the process to extradite Martinez-Hernandez from Oklahoma to Maryland. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained an attorney. Rebekah Morin, Rachels older sister, paid tribute to her in a Facebook post on May 20, her birthday. She was vibrant, spirited, always laughing even when she was sad. She was quiet and thoughtful, loved fiercely, sang loudly and danced freely. She was a light that shone bright into the darkness and someone who had NO RIGHT took that away, Rebekah Morin wrote. Related... TOPEKA (KSNT) One man is in custody and faces charges of animal cruelty and cockfighting in Shawnee County. It comes after deputies with the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office responded to a residence in the 9800 block of Croco Road on Saturday, June 15, on reports of multiple unkown persons and vehicles on the property. According to the Shawnee County Sheriffs office, upon arrival, deputies found illegal paraphernalia that was associated with cockfighting. Eight roosters were rescued as a result. 66-year-old Clinton E. Dick was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of the following: Felony animal cruelty Unlawful conduct related to cockfighting unlawful possession of cockfighting paraphernalia The Kansas Highway Patrol also assisted in the investigation. This incident is still under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Man climbs into chimney, gets stuck in downtown Los Angeles Man climbs into chimney, gets stuck in downtown Los Angeles Firefighters were called to rescue a man stuck in a chimney in downtown Los Angeles Sunday. The incident was reported just after 7:30 p.m. at a vacant four-story building on Flower Street near Pico Boulevard. Video shows the man climbing into the chimney moments before he got stuck between the second and third floors. Man climbs into chimney A witness said she heard the man screaming from inside the chimney. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel used cameras to pinpoint the mans location and then breached the wall with power tools. After spending about two and a half hours inside the chimney, the man was rescued. Woman arrested after deadly gang-related shooting in Orange County He was taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries. There was no word on what motivated the man to climb into the chimney. 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. For the past 10 years, as each May gives way to June, Jennifer Byrum has celebrated her sobriety. Each year is a reminder of the life she left behind and the life she has now. This past year has been the most difficult as shes had to wade through shock and grief after her father died on May 26, 2023, after suffering for hours in a jail cell at the Knox Countys Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. The medical examiner's office ruled Ricky Lewis' death "accidental" and "drugs/poisoning." Any death is enough to wreck a person, but the nature of Lewis' death spurred Byrum to file a federal lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff's Office and its jailers. She's alleging, among other things, that the sheriff's office violated her father's 14th Amendment rights. The constitutional protection is designed to shield a person from losing their life, liberty or property without due process. The events that cost Lewis his life began at 4 a.m. May 26, 2023, when the 54-year-old man called police while under the influence of drugs on an unlit county road. His final hours were torturous. He was left alone for hours as he suffered a mental breakdown, ending up naked and thrashing in his own feces. Last month, as Byrum prepared to celebrate her 11th year sober, she planned a balloon release in honor of her late father. The two dates are now forever linked. Rickys problems Lewis was an addict. His criminal record dates back to the 1980s and is 57 pages long, a wide range of mostly low-level offenses. He fought alcohol and substance abuse for decades, alienating friends and family at his worst, drawing them in with encouragement and warmth at his best. His last week alive was more of the former. He also struggled with mental health issues likely escalated by his drug use. Specifically, he struggled with anxiety and depression, according to medical records and confirmed by his ex-wife Kim Murphy. In 2012, he tried to hang himself while in a jail cell. He later said the attempt wasnt serious, that he was joking with a cell mate. His depression and anxiety were deep-seated and debilitating. His parents, he told his daughter, "never said 'I love you.'" "I think," Byrum said, "between the mental health and the addiction he was just trying to cover up his demons where he didnt feel anything and he didnt think about stuff. Related: Knox County lacks adequate mental health facilities, exacerbating jail problems Arrest and custody Lewis had been living with Byrum, her husband and two kids up until the week before his death when, she said, he began relapsing. Because of this, she told him to leave, and he bounced around from place to place, homeless. Those close to him don't know why he called the police around 4 a.m. May 25. He told responding deputies he was trying to take his blue 1990s-model Chevrolet pickup truck to his fathers house where he would sometimes sleep in the driveway but they werent buying it. Deputy Dennis Sosville told Lewis he was stranded outside a known drug house and Lewis, for his part, was incoherent at times. After searching his truck which Lewis consented to another deputy found a pipe. Deputies said they later found what they said was heroin in his wallet. The encounter didn't end well for Lewis. Deputies said he tried to resist arrest, though the body camera footage doesnt show exactly what happened. Regardless, Lewis was taken to the ground and handcuffed. Once in custody, video obtained by Knox News shows Lewis in various states of unrest, often refusing to cooperate with jailers and medical staff. And as the encounter extended, his treatment by jailers and medical staff worsened. Lewis loses consciousness Shortly after his arrest and booking, around 6:45 a.m., Lewis was in what appears to be an intake hallway surrounded by jailers and nurses, according to a six-minute body camera video obtained by Knox News. Slouched against the wall, Lewis couldn't keep his head up as he dipped in and out of consciousness. After unsuccessfully trying to wake him, a nurse put smelling salts under his nose, which briefly woke him before he slouched again. This was repeated. Jailers and nurses huddled around him there were up to nine at one point trying to figure out what to do with Lewis. Their general consensus, caught on the bodycam video? Lewis was faking it. All right, that sounds awesome. Come on man, stand up for me since you want to play games. Walk! an unidentified jailer said. Now, come this way since you want to act up. Just walk for me. Eventually, the jailer dragged Lewis up, bending his fingers back toward his wrist, and moving him to a holding cell. He spent the next nine hours there. The hours stretch on and on Lewis lay on the concrete floor still in the clothes he was arrested in: blue jeans and a T-shirt. He wore no socks. He spent most of his time curled up in a ball, rolling back and forth. After being in the cell for three and a half hours, Lewis began rolling violently and shaking. An hour later, someone dropped a bag of food through the hole in the door. Lewis never touched it. Occasionally, someone passed by the window but it's impossible to tell from the video which shows only a limited view of the hall whether someone was checking on him. Presumably, jail staff could monitor Lewis cell in real time, said Dan Stanley, Byrums attorney. After nearly five and a half hours in the cell, Lewis defecated and removed his clothing. Over the course of the next three and half hours, he rolled around in it constantly. It can seem like inexplicable behavior, but it's a not uncommon reaction by people suffering mental breakdowns while isolated in a cell, and a well-known response to trained jailers. Jailers employ a restraint chair and leave Lewis on a gurney Lewis was taken from the holding cell to shower off, then moved to a different holding cell. There, he beat the window so severely that the glass began to crack, so jailers put him in a restraint chair and strapped down his arms, legs and chest. This, the jailers said, they did partly for his own safety and partly to calm him down. And thats how Lewis stayed for nearly two hours, pulling at the straps the entire time. After roughly 90 minutes, someone shone a flashlight on his face through the window, presumably checking on him, but no one visited him in the cell. If someone was watching him from the window, the video from the room does not show it. Around 8:30 p.m. jailers took Lewis out of the restraints and allowed him to use the bathroom. They placed him back in what appears to be the same holding cell with the cracked window and gave him water. Knox News has no video of what happened over the next two hours, but at the end of that time jailers found Lewis minimally responsive, or code blue. An unnamed nurse said Lewis was fine five minutes before, according to body camera footage reviewed by Knox News. After about 12 minutes of nurses performing CPR, Rural Metro emergency crews arrived at 10:51 p.m. They also performed CPR before placing Lewis on a gurney and wheeling him away 15 minutes later. Less than 24 hours after he called police, Ricky Lewis was all but dead. He arrived at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in a state his daughter described as "brain dead," and died at 4:23 p.m. May 26 after his daughter made the wrenching decision to remove his life support. I will never forget this because I had to live through it, Byrum said. I have to live with it every day knowing that my dad got treated like s--- for the last 18 hours of his life. He died in that jail. And I know that for a fact. Expert says Lewis' treatment was 'unconstitutional' Experts in incarceration said Lewis never should have been left alone in his state. Marc Bullaro is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He retired after 29 years of service with the New York City Department of Corrections, leaving as an assistant deputy warden. The medical staff could have and probably should have called 911 when Lewis arrived at the facility and wasnt responsive to treatment, Bullaro said. It could have saved his life. Jennifer Byrum sits holding a portrait of her father, Ricky Lewis, in New Harvest Park, Knoxville, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Marc Stern is a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington and a jail health care consultant. The system jail staff and nurses failed Lewis, he said. An ambulance, or a doctor at the very least, should have been called. There was a responsibility for figuring out what was going on, and ignoring someone who had a sudden change of behavior is unconstitutional at the very least they have a constitutional obligation to provide medical care and they failed to respond, Stern said. At least one person Corrections Lt. William Howard thought Lewis state was concerning enough that he should have been sent to the hospital, according to Lewis medical screening form obtained by Knox News. But a nurse within the jail ruled Lewis was fine, signing off on the report at 6 p.m., 20 minutes before he was placed in the restraint chair. PER CORRECTIONS INMATE WAS BROUGHT TO MEDICAL FOR MONITORING, nurse Herbert Trent wrote. INMATE APPEARS TO BE IMPAIRED BY ILLICIT SUBSTANCE. INMATE REPORTS BEING ON A 3 DAY METH HIGH. HE CONTINUES TO CURSE, YELL, LAUGH, HIT THE CELL DOOR BUT IS HEMODYNAMICALLY STABLE. WILL MAINTAIN INMATE IN SMALL HOLDING UNTIL DEEMED APPROPRIATE TO HOUSE IN GEN POP OR MH HOUSING. WILL PASS ON TO ONCOMING SHIFT. Stern said it appears the jail staff did what they were supposed to do alert medical professionals but they could have called for an ambulance for Lewis even if the nurse cleared him. Separately, Bullaro said, no person should ever be left to roll in their own feces. It happens and hes seen it, he said, but beyond getting the necessary equipment to handle the situation and care for the inmate, the person should be attended to within 20 minutes tops. They shouldve taken some more medical care and of course mental health care. Not to mention, just as a matter of humanity and decency, stopped him from rolling around the floor in his own feces for three or four hours to have that go on for several hours is unreasonable," he said. "You have to have some problems to roll around in your own feces. Thats not something even someone who is acting is going to do. Byrum's attorney, Dan Stanley, put it simply: the jailers and nurses simply didn't care. So, youre going to look at both whether or not hes had a serious medical condition, which I think anybody can see theres definitely a serious mental condition going on, he said. And then you look at their actions and say any reasonable person (could see) they obviously didnt give a shit. The inaction was obvious. You dont have to beat them, just let them sit there and writhe in pain any objective person would say thats not right. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation typically investigates an inmate death, but only at the request of the local district attorney's office. Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen did not request an investigation into Lewis' death. Knox County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kimberly Glenn told Knox News on June 12 she had forwarded 13 questions about Lewis' incarceration and death to Sheriff Tom Spangler and Chief Jailer William Purvis. Neither responded to the questions, including how jailers monitor incarcerated people, whether Lewis' death was reviewed and how many deaths have occurred at the jail in the past five years. Lewis' daughter pushes for justice Life without her dad will always look different for Byrum, there's no changing that. No more phone calls or celebrations. Lewis was planning on taking her children fishing, but that won't happen. Her dad meant something, she said. They had their differences, but he was at the center of her life. Now she is hoping his story will force officials in Knox County to look at how inmates are treated, especially those experiencing mental health complications. Jennifer Byrum holds a portrait of her father, Ricky Lewis, in New Harvest Park, Knoxville, Thursday, May 2, 2024. I feel like there should be justice because Im pretty sure my dad isnt the only one. These officers and these nurses need to be trained on how to handle somebody who is an addict, that has mental health (issues), Byrum said. Thats whats wrong with a lot of places. Because theyre not properly trained to handle people with crisis. All they see is they have the authority to treat somebody however they want. It shouldnt be like that. These people are humans An animal was treated better than what my father was and those videos prove that. Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. Jennifer Byrum (center) stands next to her mom, Kimberly Murphy (right) and daughter, Brooklyn, as they wear special T-shirts she made for a May 26 balloon release in memory of her father, Ricky Lewis. Jennifer Byrum stands next to her daughter, Brooklyn, at Strawberry Plains Cemetery ahead of a May 26 balloon release honoring her father, Ricky Lewis, who died after being held at Knox Countys Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. Ricky Lewis' father, R.B. Lewis (center), stands alongside Linda White (left), Ricky's aunt, and his grandson, Jason Hoover (right), ahead of a balloon release honoring Ricky at Strawberry Plains Cemetery on May 26. Jennifer Byrum, surrounded by family, releases balloons in her father Ricky Lewis' memory on the one-year anniversary of his death, May 26. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: A man died in Knox County jail. Experts say it's 'unconstitutional' Man on fishing trip drowns trying to retrieve his keys from New York lake Man on fishing trip drowns trying to retrieve his keys from New York lake HASTINGS, N.Y. (AP) A man drowned in a lake in upstate New York after his keys fell into the water and he tried to retrieve them, police said. Anthony Davis, 44, was fishing with two other men in Oneida Lake in the town of Hastings just before 10 a.m. Sunday when Davis keys fell in the water, Lt. Andrew Bucher, of the Oswego County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release. More Local News Davis went into the water to try to get his keys but could not make it back to land, Bucher said. One of the other men, Wattie Cappers, 42, went in after Davis but also was unable to get back to land. Personnel from several local police and fire departments arrived and tried to rescue the two men, Bucher said. Davis was pulled from the water by a diver from the Brewerton Fire Department and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Cappers was rescued by Oswego sheriffs deputies and was stable at the hospital. 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. Man injured in attack on Poltava Oblast dies in hospital A civilian man who was injured in a Russian attack on Poltava Oblast last week died of his injuries in hospital on 17 June. Source: Poltava Oblast Military Administration Details: The authorities said the attack took place in Myrhorod district last week. The man was wounded and doctors had to amputate his arm. About 10 houses were damaged in the attack. Background: The Russians struck civilian infrastructure in Poltava Oblast on 17 June. Nine people were injured, and others may still be trapped under the rubble. Support UP or become our patron! BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) One of three men accused of a fatal shooting on Union Avenue told police he didnt kill anyone but his friend did. William Wendell Darden said he was walking through a parking lot with Joey Elias and Dalton Ray Thompson when a man approached, according to reports filed by Bakersfield police. Tehachapis only movie theater reopens with renovations There was an altercation between Thompson and the man that ended with Thompson pulling a gun and firing two rounds into him, Darden said according to the reports. Thompson grabbed the mans backpack and they ran, he said. William Darden advised he took the backpack due to Dalton Thompson running slow and put it on, causing blood from the victim to be transferred to his sweatshirt, the reports say. William Darden described the backpack as a leopard print backpack, and it was still at his residence. Joey Elias Thompson, 25, William Wendell Darden, 23, and Joey Elias, 22, have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and robbery and are being held without bail. They have a preliminary hearing scheduled in August. The shooting happened at about 11:30 p.m. on May 20 in the 100 block of Union Avenue, police said. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter activation found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Two 9mm casings were found. He was declared dead at the scene. As of Monday, his name had not been released by coroners officials. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage Police reviewed surveillance video that captured the suspects before and after the shooting, according to the reports. On May 28, police saw the three suspects walking in the 100 block of Eye Street. They wore the same clothing seen in the surveillance video, the reports say. The three were taken into custody. Detectives searched an apartment on Chester Avenue and seized a 9mm handgun and ammunition, cellphones and a backpack with dried blood on the left shoulder strap, according to the reports. Thompson and Elias denied being involved in a homicide, the reports say, but Elias later said he remembered hearing gunshots and running. He confirmed a backpack was taken. The reports say Thompson told police, they roughed up a homeless guy. We didnt kill anybody. 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. A man who illegally left the boardwalk, climbed over a fence and dangerously walked to within 15-20 feet of the Steamboat Geysers steam vent at Yellowstone National Park was given a sentence designed to deter him and others from such reckless behavior in the iconic park. An on-duty park employee witnessed Viktor Pyshniuk, 21, walking off the boardwalk at the aforementioned location and reported him to Yellowstone National Park law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, District of Wyoming. The employee took photos of the man beyond the fence and walking up the hillside toward the unpredictable geyser. Pyshniuk, who is from Lynwood, Washington, told the officer he left the boardwalk to take photos. While speaking with Pyshniuk, the officer showed him the signs posted throughout the area stating it is illegal to leave the boardwalk and explained that walking in a thermal area is very dangerous due to possible weak ground layer, the geothermal features of mud pots, heated steam and water, and all other dangers associated with walking in a heated, unpredictable geothermal area, the attorneys office stated in a press release on Thursday. Pyshniuk was sentenced to seven days in jail for thermal trespass at Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin. He was also ordered to pay $1,550 in fines and fees, and was placed on two years of unsupervised release. He also received a two-year ban from Yellowstone for a closure violation. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on June 4, the attorneys office stated. During sentencing she explained to the defendant that the sentence was designed to deter him, specifically, but also the public from leaving the boardwalk in this area. She expressed her concern that the defendants actions were seen by the people around him, and they might have thought it was okay to do the same thing. And if every visitor to YNP disobeyed the rules, the park would be destroyed, and no-one would be able to enjoy it. Steamboat Geyser is the worlds tallest active geyser and the most dangerous, as it has erratic and unpredictable eruptions that can rise from 6 to 300-feet high. Intervals between eruptions range from three to 89 days, according to Yellowstones website. Trespassing in closed, thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park is dangerous and harms the natural resource, said Acting United States Attorney Eric Heimann. In cases like this one where we have strong evidence showing a person has willfully disregarded signs and entered a closed, thermal area, federal prosecutors will seek significant penalties, including jail time. Photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. Story originally appeared on For The Win The man who threatened to kill Representative Maxine Waters, pictured, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison with a hate crime enhancement (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) A Texas man who threatened to kill Representative Maxine Waters because she is Black has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison with a hate crime enhancement. Brian Gaherty will spend 33 months in federal prison and pay a $10,000 fine after threatening to kill the California congresswoman two years ago, according to a statement from the US Attorneys Office, Central District of California. US District Judge Robert Klausner handed Gaherty a hate crime enhancement after finding he specifically targeted Waters because of her race. The sentence comes after Gaherty pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a US official in January, admitting he threatened Gaherty multiple times from August to November 2022. In August 2022, prosecutors say Gaherty threatened to put a cap between the congresswomans eyes, cut [her] throat and stomp her. Gaherty also said Waters better move because he and his boys in the area had a contract on her life, prosecutors claim. The man who threatened to kill Representative Maxine Waters, pictured, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison with a hate crime enhancement (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Prosecutors say police contacted Gaherty in October warning him to stop. Then, a month later, Gaherty left Waters two voicemails. In the messages, he threatened to meet her on the street and get in her face, prosecutors say. You f***** up man, Gaherty said in a voicemail, according to the indictment. You snitch m***********. Now we gotta come over here and take care of our f****** business. Threats to harm or kill elected officials are anathema to our nations values and must not and will not be tolerated, United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in the statement. Defense attorney Joe Vinas said Waters was present for the sentencing and Gaherty extended a sincere and heartfelt apology to her. Because of his mental health condition, that includes but is not limited to his PTSD, he did not remember making the comments to her, Vinas told The Independent. However, he now realizes he did and is incredibly remorseful. The Independent has contacted Waters for comment. This article was updated to include comment from Joe Vinas. Man turns himself in after using stolen credit card at Walmart MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Madison County Sheriffs Office (MCSO), said that a man turned himself in after recognizing himself in surveillance photos. According to MCSO, deputies posted images of two people at a Walmart in Hazel Green who were accused of using a stolen credit card. Upon further investigation, detectives identified one of the people in the surveillance photos as Jarvis Stubbs, of Thomasville, Alabama. MCSO said that Stubbs turned himself in on Monday after seeing himself in the photos posted to the Madison County Sheriffs Office Facebook page last week. Stubbs was charged with fraudulent use of credit/debit and was given a $1,000 bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Scrapping the interest on student loans. Dramatically raising the threshold paying income tax. Replacing the NHS with a French-style social insurance system, offering tax relief on independent school fees, and massively raising the inheritance tax threshold. In some alternative universe, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would go down fighting. He would present a radical, Conservative manifesto, one which would shift the parameters of debate. Unfortunately, however, it has been left to Nigel Farages insurgent Reform UK to shake up the election. Sure, anyone can pick holes in some of the pledges. But this was the contract the Tories should have made with the people. Reform has, without question, offered something new. In a single document, it has smashed taboos in a British policy debate that is about as lively as a drizzly Wednesday afternoon in Clacton. Instead of incessantly raising taxes to help rescue our health service, it says, could we borrow some ideas from France, Germany or the Netherlands where the same amount of money buys far better treatment? Instead of taxing parents who educate their children privately, perhaps we should recognise that since the state doesnt have to pay for them we should offer some modest tax relief instead? Maybe we should withdraw benefits after someone turns down two job offers, instead of tolerating a fifth of people of working age relying on state hand-outs, and almost a third in Wales? The list goes on and on. In a whole series of areas, Reform is offering radical new ideas, learning from global rivals, and setting out a blueprint for a very different economy, state, and welfare system. We can expect the usual commentators will dismiss it as nutty, impractical, even electoral suicide. It is an irony of British politics that the people who are most devoted to the EU also think it is impossible to learn anything from our neighbours across the channel, where healthcare, planning and infrastructure are often far superior, or from Asia, where tax rates are far lower. True, some of the maths looks like it may have been written on a beer mat. Yet one point is surely clear. If Reform can get above 15 per cent on this platform, it will prove there is an appetite for real change, and not the vacuous sound-bites served up by the Labour Party. After 14 years in office, and with a miserable track record, Sunak should have offered a bold vision that broke with the past. It would not have won him the election, so deep-rooted is the sense of betrayal many voters feel towards the Tories. But at least it would have thrown down a challenge to Starmer. At least it would have broken away from the soggy blancmange of centrist manifestos that please no one, in an election that may be more negative than any other in our history. 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. Manufacturing camps for students to be held in North Central Ohio WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the 12th year of hosting summer manufacturing camps designed to help young Ohioans learn about manufacturing jobs available in Ohio. Summer manufacturing camps help introduce kids and their parents to an up-to-date, real-world understanding of American manufacturing. I often hear from parents that something they love most about these camps is how they help get their kids interested in careers in their own communities. You shouldnt have to leave town or leave the state to find a good-paying, rewarding career, Brown in a news release. The technologies of the future will be invented in Ohio and manufactured in Ohio. These talented, curious students are an integral part of that future. Sen. Sherrod Brown says manufacturing camps for young Ohioans will be held in at least 29 Ohio counties this summer, including Marion and Richland. This year, Browns office will help to organize at least 51 camps in 29 counties. They include camps in Marion and Richland counties. Marion Technical College will host an engineering camp July 22-26. Shelby Local Schools will hold a camp titled "Enlist, Enroll, Employ" with dates still to be determined. A "Water and Sustainability in Action" camp is planned in Mansfield July 15-19. The camps allow children to learn about careers in their communities, tour local manufacturing facilities and learn from experts. Students learn how products are made, participate in team-building exercises, and often work on a project specific to their community. For more information, visit brown.senate.gov/summercamps2024. The website list will be updated as details for each camp are finalized with local partners. This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Manufacturing camps for young Ohioans in Marion, Richland counties The Senates proposed National Defense Authorization Act would leave the militarys planned purchases of 68 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in fiscal 2025 unchanged. The chambers draft NDAA, which members of the Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled Friday, represents the latest of three different approaches lawmakers are taking to F-35 purchases for next year, which must be reconciled at some point. The Air Forces FY25 budget proposal requested money to buy 42 F-35As, and the Navy and Marine Corps budgets would buy 13 F-35Bs and 13 F-35Cs. The Houses version of the NDAA would drastically slash F-35 purchases, cutting the initial order down to 58. That bill, which the House narrowly approved Friday, would then bar the Pentagon from accepting delivery of 10 of those remaining jets until it shows problems with the F-35 are fixed. But the Houses proposed defense appropriations bill, a separate piece of legislation, would add eight more F-35s two F-35A and six F-35C jets for a total of 76 new fighters in FY25. House Armed Services Committee staffers said members of the panel have grown frustrated with the F-35 program, most recently with the delayed Technology Refresh 3 upgrades. The TR-3 hardware and software upgrades, which will give the F-35 better displays, computer memory and processing power, are now about a year overdue, and the military has refused to accept delivery of the newest jets since July 2023. This led the committee to propose cutting F-35 purchases in the House NDAA and reinvesting the roughly $1 billion that would save to ensure the jets work properly. The Senate NDAA would also grant the Air Forces request to retire 56 A-10 Warthog attack planes, 65 older F-15C and F-15D Eagle fighters, and 11 F-16 Fighting Falcons. But it would block the services effort to retire 26 F-15Es and 32 F-22 Raptors. The House NDAA likewise would allow the A-10, F-15C, F-15D and F-16 requirements, while blocking the retirement of the F-22s and temporarily pausing the F-15E retirements. The Air Force said those older Block 20 F-22s are not combat-capable and would cost too much to prepare for a fight. The service therefore wants to retire them to free up money for other priorities. And the Senate NDAA would require the Air Force to hold onto 16 E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft until they can be replaced by the Boeing-made E-7, or until the service can retire the E-3s without causing a capability gap. The Senate NDAA would also add money for the Air Force to buy five more HH-60W combat rescue helicopters, while reducing funding for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center doomsday plane and the VC-25B Air Force One due to contract delays. A program to expand the C-40 VIP transportation aircraft fleet would also have its funding cut. The Senate draft also calls on the Air Force to submit an annual report on its tactical fighter force structure, and for the Air Force and Navy to jointly conduct a study on the militarys future air superiority mission in the 2030s and 2040s. The two services are working on their own future fighter aircraft they each call Next Generation Air Dominance, which could start to come online beginning in the 2030s. Firefighters across California are working to extinguish multiple wildfires including several blazes that broke out over the weekend and others that flared up early this week as the state contends with a mix of hot, dry weather and powerful, gusty winds. More than 90,000 acres have burned so far this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire. More than half that toll came from three major fires in June. Officials have released a series of wildfire maps plotting the fires' expansion. The largest is now the Sites Fire, in Colusa County, which was first reported Monday and quickly grew, reaching over 19,000 acres by early Thurssday. The Post Fire, burning near Gorman, northwest of Los Angeles, spread to 15,690 acres, while the Point Fire, in Sonoma, covered about 1,200 acres. Another blaze, known as the Aero Fire, in Calaveras County, scorched 5,350 acres, fanned by winds that gusted up to 60 mph. Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires across California, as seen on this map from Tuesday, June 18, 2024. / Credit: CalFire Windy conditions and an overall dip in humidity over parts of California combined to create the arid and blustery conditions that allow fires to rapidly spread, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center warned in a fire weather outlook. Meteorologists forecast elevated fire weather concerns for the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, the western Transverse Ranges and the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range areas of concern that collectively encompass a massive chunk of California. The interactive map below shows recently updated data on wildfires burning in California and other states, including New Mexico where the fast-moving South Fork Fire broke out Monday. That blaze prompted evacuations in Ruidoso, about 150 miles southeast of Albuquerque. .credit { font-size: 14px; font-family: "Proxima Nova"; color: rgb(130, 130, 130); } /* Media query for mobile devices - */ .embed__resizer { padding-top: 600px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 768px) { .embed__resizer { padding-top: 525px; } } Map: Grace Manthey and John Kelly / CBS News Source: National Interagency Fire Center and Calfire A red flag warning was in effect Wednesday for a portion of central California. The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when the combined presence of warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds fuel an elevated risk of fire danger. Smoke and haze conditions were also forecast for areas of California and other Western states, stretching across southern Nevada and large expanses of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. This map from CalFire shows areas with red flag warnings in red, and the smoke and haze forecast in yellow and orange, as of Wednesday, June 19, 2024. / Credit: CalFire Cal Fire has registered at least 2,237 wildfires in total so far this year, which have burned more than 93,667 acres and destroyed at least 26 structures. No deaths have been reported in connection with the wildfires. Post Fire One of the largest active blazes, the Post Fire erupted as a brushfire on Saturday and prompted evacuations in Gorman, a rural community in northwestern Los Angeles County. By Tuesday morning, officials said the Post Fire had enveloped more than 15,600 acres of land in both L.A. County and neighboring Ventura, as it swept over the grassland hills of Hungry Valley State Park and moved in a southeastern direction toward Lake Pyramid. As of midday Friday, crews had managed to contain 61% of the blaze, Cal Fire said. More than 1,700 personnel were involved in fighting the Post Fire. "Steep terrain and brush continue to make access difficult for fire personnel," the agency said. Air tankers dispatched from around California were flying over the area to drop fire retardant as conditions allowed, according to Cal Fire. The Post Fire in Los Angeles County was the largest active wildfire reported in California on June 17, 2024. / Credit: Cal Fire "Firefighters continue to make significant progress on the Post Fire," the agency said Wednesday. "Weather conditions last night were favorable and allowed crews to increase containment lines. Today, warm and dry conditions are expected, with winds gusting around 20 MPH in the afternoon. A significant warming trend is expected to begin Thursday and continue through the weekend." Cal Fire had said Monday that 1,200 people had been evacuated from Hungry Valley Park due to the wildfire and Pyramid Lake was closed as the flames headed closer to it. An evacuation warning was in place for people in areas south of the lake, who were advised to be prepared to leave if the wildfire expands further. Craig Little, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, told CBS Los Angeles that the wind "has been a major factor" in the fire's rapid spread "along with the terrain," which is already dry. "That's all a recipe for a very quickly moving flame," he said. Fire crews battle a hot spot at the Post Fire in northern Los Angeles County on Sunday, June 16, 2024 in Gorman, California. / Credit: Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Firefighters said some buildings in the area around the Post Fire were threatened Monday and two had sustained damage, but none were destroyed, CBS Los Angeles reported. Sites Fire The Sites Fire in Colusa County, in the northern Sacramento Valley, exploded in size to more than 19,000 acres in its first few days. It was 25% contained as of Friday. CBS Sacramento reports evacuations were ordered Monday night. A map from CalFire shows the location of the Sites Fire, in Colusa County, as of Tuesday, June 18, 2024. / Credit: CalFire "Several structures are threatened, evacuations are ongoing," Cal Fire reported. "The fire is burning in a remote area and with the high winds on Monday, it had been difficult to control." Aero Fire The Aero Fire ignited on Monday, June 17, in Calaveras County, east of Stockton, and was over 5,300 acres by Wednesday morning, according to CalFire. The blaze is 67% contained as of Friday. Some evacuations were ordered. The fire is burning in an area of grass and oak woodlands that has not experienced a large fire since 2003, CalFire said. Map shows spread of the Aero Fire in Calaveras County, California, on June 18, 2024. / Credit: CalFire CalFire said 945 personnel with 114 engines and other equipment were involved in fighting the Aero Fire as of Friday, and that air tankers are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow. Point Fire The Point Fire, burning in the wine country area of Sonoma, north of San Francisco, was 75% contained by Friday, according to Cal Fire. The blaze had spread over 1,207 acres of land extending southeast from the bottom of Lake Sonoma. Firefighters had contained 20% of the Point Fire, burning in Northern California's wine country, on Monday, June 17. / Credit: Cal Fire Favorable weather conditions overnight into Tuesday allowed crews to build and strengthen wildfire control lines around the perimeter of the blaze, Cal Fire said. "Control lines are secured around the entire perimeter of the fire," the agency said in a Wednesday morning update. "Heavy mop-up operations will be taking place inside the perimeter of the fire." It added that "relative humidity levels are increasing, providing a huge advantage to firefighters." A view of flames from the Point Fire burning in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County, California, on Sunday, June 16, 2024. / Credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Hundreds of people were evacuated as the Point Fire grew quickly on Sunday, while another 4,000 residents in the area were placed under an evacuation warning, CBS San Francisco reported, citing the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. An evacuation center was established at a high school in Forestville, about 15 miles from Sonoma, according to the station. At least two residential structures were destroyed as of Monday night, Cal Fire said. At least one firefighter has been injured while battling the Point Fire, Cal Fire said in an incident update issued at around 6 a.m. local time Monday. The update did not give details about the nature of the injury or the circumstances surrounding it. Homeowners enlist "Squatter Hunter" to get back their homes New York incumbent Jamaal Bowman loses fierce congressional primary race Supreme Court admits Idaho abortion document briefly uploaded Marylands governor issued pardons for more than 175,000 marijuana convictions Monday a significant act of mass clemency that reflects the rapidly changing attitudes toward a drug that an increasing number of Americans want to see legalized. The pardons by Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, will forgive low-level marijuana possession and certain paraphernalia charges for an estimated 100,000 people, the governors office said noting it was possible for a person to have more than one conviction pardoned. The Washington Post first reported the news. This is about changing how both government and society view those who have been walled off from opportunity because of broken and uneven policies, Moore said at a signing event Monday, almost two years after Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. The governor described his executive order as the most sweeping state-level pardon in the countrys history. In an acknowledgement of the disproportionate impact the issue has on Black and brown people, the event coincided this week with Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the US, The Washington Post reported. Mondays order will result in the pardons of more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis and more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, the governor office said. About 25% of those convictions stem from the city of Baltimore. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during a press conference in Baltimore on Monday. - WMAR The pardons which will also apply to people who have died, the Post reported will not result in people being freed from incarceration, the governors office said, and it noted Mondays action was not the same as expungement. The order signed Monday directs the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional services to devise a way to indicate the pardon on an individuals criminal record. But those seeking to have their conviction removed from the public record must still petition the courts. Marylanders approved recreational cannabis for adult use amid a marked change in the way cannabis is viewed by the public: In November 2023, a record 70% of Americans surveyed by Gallup said they supported cannabis legalization. In 2014, the share was 51%. We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization, Moore said, noting that the convictions pardoned Monday meant a harder time with everything everything from housing, to employment to education. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown said at Mondays event there was a deeply rooted bias in drug related arrests and sentencing, which he described as a vestige of slavery. Cannabis convictions for hundreds of thousands of people here in Maryland were scarlet letters, modern day shackles, he said. I can almost hear the clanging of those shackles falling to the floor with your pardon this morning, governor. Restrictions easing Moores pardons Monday are just the latest illustration of the waning restrictions around marijuana, which has so far been legalized for adult recreational use in 24 states, two territories and Washington, DC, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirty-eight states allow the medical use of cannabis products. And while the drug remains illegal federally, there have been signs of change at that level, too. In April, the US Department of Justice recommended marijuana designated for more than 50 years as a Schedule I substance be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance, which would bring its classification in line with prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine. Substances classified as Schedule I like heroin and ecstasy are by contrast considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, and they are subject to the strictest of restrictions. The recommendation followed a US Food and Drug Administration review at the direction of President Joe Biden, who in 2022 had written to the Justice Department supporting marijuanas reclassification. State-licensed cannabis dispensaries and retail shops are expected to generate $32.1 billion in sales this year, according to estimates from MJBiz, a cannabis industry trade publication and events organizer. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Gov. Wes Moore ordered more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions on Monday, saying the most sweeping state-level pardon in any state will help reverse harms from the past caused by the war on drugs. During a news conference, Moore said the executive order will affect tens of thousands of Marylanders" convicted of misdemeanors. Some may have had more than one conviction pardoned through the process. We are taking actions that are intentional, that are sweeping and unapologetic, and this is the largest such action in our nation's history, Moore, a Democrat, said. Though the pardons will not result in anyone being released from incarceration and nor will they result in having past convictions automatically expunged from a person's background check advocates praised the move as a way of removing barriers to housing, employment, or educational opportunities based on convictions for conduct that is no longer illegal. Heather Warnken, executive director of the University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform. described the pardons as a win for thousands of Marylanders getting a fresh start to pursue education, employment, and other forms of economic opportunity without the stain of a criminal conviction. Recreational cannabis was legalized in Maryland in 2023 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 with 67% of the vote. Maryland decriminalized possession of personal use amounts of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2023. Now, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis. This is about changing how both government and society view those who have been walled off from opportunity because of broken and uneven policies, Moore said. Moore said legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by this war on drugs." He continued: "It doesnt erase the fact that Black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white Marylanders before legalization. It doesnt erase the fact that having a conviction on your record means a harder time with everything, everything, from housing, to employment to education. Shiloh Jordan, who lost his job on his second day at work after a minor cannabis conviction appeared in a background check by his employer, attended the news conference. Moore noted that even though Jordan went back to college and now works for the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore, he still had the cannabis conviction on his record. Well today, that ends," Moore said. Jordan said he was thankful that his experience could be used as a testimony and offer a lot of change for the people of Maryland. It means a lot, because I know a lot of people that have been convicted for petty cannabis charges, and it really affected their whole way of life and their whole way of thinking, Jordan said. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, who attended the news conference, said the action was long overdue. As a nation, we have taken far too long to correct the injustices of a system that is supposed to be just for all. The attorney general also noted the magnitude of the governors actions, and he said it was about equity. Its about racial justice. While the order applies to all who meet its criteria the impact is a triumphant victory for African Americans and other Marylanders of color who were disproportionately arrested, convicted and sentenced for actions yesterday that are lawful today. More than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis will be affected by the order, which also will cover more than 18,000 misdemeanor convictions for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, according to a summary by the governors office. Now that Moore has ordered the pardons, the Maryland Judiciary will ensure each individual electronic docket is updated with an entry indicating the conviction has been pardoned by the governor, a process that should take about two weeks, the governor's office said. The governor's order also directs the state corrections department to develop a process to indicate a pardon in an individuals criminal record, a process expected to take about 10 months to complete. The pardons absolve people from the guilt of a criminal offense, and individuals do not need to take any action to receive the pardon. A pardon is different from an expungement. Although the Judiciary will make a note on the record that the offense has been pardoned, it will still show on the record. Expungement is a process that lets a person ask the court to remove certain kinds of court and police records from public view. Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a blanket pardon for low-level marijuana convictions in the state today, a move that the governor's office estimates will clear the records of an estimated 100,000 people. Moore's office claims it is the largest mass pardon by a state related to marijuana, and the first to include offenses for the possession of paraphernalia as well. Maryland legalized recreational marijuana last year after voters approved a 2022 constitutional amendment by 67 percent. Moore says the pardons are an effort to remove the burdens of felony convictions, such as barriers to employment and housing, which have fallen particularly hard on minority neighborhoods that were targets of the drug war. "I'm ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I'm signing to right a lot of historical wrongs," Moore said in an interview with The Washington Post, which first reported the story. "If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color." According to Moore's office, Maryland located every conviction or guilty plea in the state's electronic court records system for simple marijuana possession or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, adding up to around 175,000 cases, and will issue automatic pardons, including in cases where the offender is dead. Nine other states have issued large-scale clemency orders for old marijuana offenses, and two dozen others have launched expungement campaigns, resulting in the expungement or sealing of 2 million marijuana-related cases since 2018, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced a similar blanket pardon for misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in March, and former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced in 2022 that she would pardon an estimated 45,000 Oregonians with marijuana offenses on their record. "Hundreds of thousands of Americans unduly carry the burden and stigma of a past conviction for behavior that most Americans, and a growing number of states, no longer consider to be a crime," NORML deputy director Paul Armentano said in a press release. "Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization." The first major cracks in prohibition have started to show at the federal level as well. The Drug Enforcement Administration recently proposed reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drugalthough as Reason's Jacob Sullum wrote, the impacts will be modest and the Justice Department still had to strong-arm the agency. President Joe Biden also issued mass pardons for low-level federal marijuana offenders, but those actions still left in place the framework for marijuana convictions and the "needless barriers to housing, employment, and educational opportunities" that Biden has lamented. The mass pardons are an acknowledgement, though, that public support for marijuana prohibition has collapsed. Seven out of 10 Americans now oppose pot prohibition, and it's legal at the state level in some form in more states than not. The pardons are also an acknowledgment that pot offenders are still being punished with a criminal record for voluntary, nonviolent behavior that the vast majority of people no longer think should be a crime. And although the pardon proclamations issued by governors are often couched in terms of racial justice, Reason has pointed out many times over the years that the drug war would still be immoral even if it was waged without bias. Criminal prohibition is a policy that's failed everyone except drug cartels. The post Maryland Governor To Issue Mass Pardon to More Than 100,000 Marijuana Offenders appeared first on Reason.com. When Deputy Chief Glenn Johnson was a rookie firefighter 30 years ago he was put in charge of teaching the Auburn fire safety education programs; his role has changed over the years now he determines the best use of state grant money that is dedicated to educating children and senior citizens essential fire safety skills. Its a very important program, Johnson said. First things first. In case of fire, the chiefs agree, the first thing to do is get out. The second, call 911. Auburn is one of 214 municipal fire departments in Massachusetts that will share $1,138,565, with the city receiving $5,698 for its in-school programing and another $2,396 for its senior citizen programming. A dozen regional departments also received grants to continue fire safety programs within their jurisdictions. We use some of the funding to purchase materials for our school visits, Johnson said. Department members visit the schools year-round to discuss fire safety with youngsters; firefighters also attend events directed at the municipalitys senior citizen population. Firefighters will go to senior housing complexes, attend events at the senior center and partner with interested organizations to discuss fire safety and emergency measures. A portion of the funding is also set aside to install working smoke detectors in certain homes. Over the years, he has noticed a difference in the number of calls for service and the outcomes of those calls. The earlier people call 911 to report an emergency, the better the health outcomes, Johnson said, explaining that past generations of people were reluctant to call 911. If my grandfather had been having a heart attack, he would not have called 911. That reluctance has disappeared. All the children Johnson taught to stop, drop and roll, to make sure they have two ways out of their homes in case of fires, to practice EDITH (exit drills in the home) are adults now. And they have no problem dialing 911 in case of an emergency. The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE programs are a priority for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, said Richard MacKinnon, president of the organization that represents more than 12,000 professional firefighters. It is one of the funding priorities of the organization; it puts firefighters in schools and in the community, MacKinnon said. The Worcester Fire Department has a different approach; going into each third-grade classroom every year to teach fire safety measures to eight- and nine-year-olds. Firefighters are also in the schools at other times, conducting fire drills and attending end of year field day programs. We send any company thats available, said Assistant Chief Adam Roche. The city received $10,200 for its school-based programming and another $3,099 for its senior outreach program. The city always sets aside a portion of the grant to purchase and install smoke detectors in homes where firefighters see a need. Assistant Chief Adam Roche with the Worcester Fire Department's 95-foot Seagrave tower ladder truck. We place a heavy emphasis on smoke alarms, their proper placement and the proper type to have, Roche said. Firefighters also discuss the need to identify two ways out of a dwelling and to make sure the exits are not blocked by furniture or other impediments to egress. When discussing fire safety with older residents, firefighters stress home safety measures as well; to plug heavy-duty appliances, air conditioners, refrigerators and in the winter months, space heaters, only into dedicated wall outlets. And to ensure that they are not overloaded. We discourage the use of extension cords and power strips for appliances, Roche said. This grant funding allows us the opportunity install smoke alarms where there is a need and to maintain our education efforts in the community. The grants were announced earlier in June by the Healey/Driscoll Administration. In discussing the grants to departments in his district, Sen. Michael O. Moore noted that, Keeping the commonwealths most vulnerable populations safe is critically important and funding programs like these are an excellent way to raise awareness about what to do in case of a fire. Initiated in 1996 by the state, the curriculum is designed and distributed through the state Fire Marshall, Department of Fire Services. Since the beginning of the programs, the number of child fire deaths in Massachusetts has dropped significantly and in 2021 the state reached a two and a half-year mark without a child fire fatality, the longest period in the history of the state. In 2014, the Department of Fire Services launched the Senior SAFE grant program, to offer similar fire safety trainings to the states most vulnerable population, according to a release distributed by Rep. Michael Soter, R-Bellingham. I am extremely grateful to learn that our district has been selected to receive this funding, Soter said. The opportunity for the students in our district to learn the importance of fire safety is crucial to their safety and educating our district on the many preventative measures that can be taken will be beneficial to the safety of our community as a whole. Departments in Worcester County receiving grants include: Blackstone Fire Department: $4,700; Senior SAFE $2,200 Grafton Fire Department: $$5,699; Senior SAFE $2,399 Medway Fire Department: $4,700; Senior SAFE $2,200 Shrewsbury Fire Department: $7,200; Senior SAFE $2,600 Uxbridge Fire Department: $4,700; Senior SAFE $2,200 Westborough Fire Department: $5,700; Senior SAFE $2,400 This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Mass. fire depts. share $1M in state grants for fire safety education (FOX40.COM) The historic Hotel Marysville in Northern California went up in flames after a massive fire was ignited on Saturday night. At around 9:30 p.m., the Linda Fire Protection District said it responded to reports of heavy smoke coming from the second and third floor of the vacant hotel building located at 420 5th Street in Marysville. Within about an hour, small flames turned into a fiery scene. Hotel Marysville is the largest building in the Marysville Historic Commercial District, according to its website. Its been in the area for nearly a century and was designed by San Francisco architect Edward Glass in the Georgian Revival style. Celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Bob Day once stayed at the hotel during their trips to Northern California and although its been vacant since the 1980s, restoration plans were in the works. It appears that numerous fires were burning, Fire Chief Kyle Heggstrom told FOX40.com. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Firefighters battled the fire from Saturday night until the early morning hours. At around 10 a.m. on Sunday, smoke and flames were still coming from the hotel as fire crews and law enforcement worked to keep the area secure. On Sunday, Heggstrom said Highway 70 at E Street will remain closed off and traffic diverted for at least the next 24 hours for safety reasons. The closure was later extended because officials worry the building might collapse or pose other dangers as a result of the fire damage. Im really concerned about the structural integrity of the building, Heggstrom said. We have a structural engineer coming out to make a determination. Several spectators watched and waited in shock as fire consumed the once-bustling hotel. It reportedly went on the market for sale just a few months ago after the owner died. It looks intentional. The sad part about it is they were going to try and bring this hotel back to life, said resident Debra Monks who fought back tears as she watched the building burn. Now itll probably just be torn down because its a total loss. Its completely gone inside. Even with its vacancy, Hotel Marysville has a special place in some of the locals hearts. I was born and raised here. Its really sad because this is a really historic building, Gizelle Romero told FOX40.com. I didnt think it was an eyesore. I thought it was pretty cool. It was a part of our community. 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. Rep. Maxine Waters hosts a community meeting in 2020. A judge has sentenced a Houston man to nearly three years in prison for making threatening phone calls to her office. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters stood at the lectern in front of a federal judge to tell him of the nightmares that stemmed from a Texas mans threats, including one to cut her throat. Waters told U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner on Monday that her family members several of whom were present in the Los Angeles courtroom live in fear every day due to violent threats made by Brian Michael Gaherty, a Houston resident. Gaherty, 61, pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to one count of threatening a United States official. In his plea agreement, he admitted to threatening to assault and murder Waters in phone calls he made in 2022, in which he repeatedly referenced the congresswomans race and used racial slurs. This growing effort to target people of color and women of color ... has given me nightmares. I am in fear of my life, said Waters (D-Los Angeles), who is Black. I believe that we must all be accountable, she added. Nobody is above the law. Klausner agreed, sentencing Gaherty on Monday to nearly three years in prison and fining him $10,000. Finding that Gaherty had targeted Waters due to her race, the judge applied a hate-crime enhancement to the sentence, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California. Gahertys attorneys, who had asked the judge to sentence their client to time served, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As U.S. marshals prepared to take Gaherty away, he told reporters he was sorry this happened and added, I have no hatred in my heart. Threats to harm or kill elected officials are anathema to our nations values and must not and will not be tolerated, U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada said in a news release Monday. My office and the entire Department of Justice will continue to combat threats against public officials and other attempts to chill democracy. In his plea agreement, Gaherty admitted to making threats against Waters four times in 2022 twice on Aug. 8, once on Nov. 8 and once on Nov. 10. On Aug. 8, around 11 p.m., Gaherty called Waters Hawthorne office and left an expletive-filled voicemail, accusing her of messing with my people and saying, Imma cut your throat, according to the agreement. In his voicemails, Gaherty talked about putting a cap between Waters eyes and threatened to stomp her. He also warned that she better move because he and his boys in the area had a contract on her life. Gaherty was arrested in April 2023 after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint outlining the threats to Waters and alleging Gaherty had threatened other elected officials and a news reporter in Houston. A grand jury later indicted Gaherty on federal charges. In court, Gahertys attorney, Joseph Vinas, said his client had mental health issues and recounted a litany of horrible incidents that had affected him. Vinas said Gaherty was injured on the job and later laid off, and had been shot in the back at one point while in his driveway. Vinas said Gahertys threats against Waters were not credible, and there was no evidence that he ever came out here to Los Angeles or went out to Washington, D.C. He never did anything to even attempt to follow up on these threats, Vinas said. Assistant U.S. Atty. Laura A. Alexander said that Waters didnt realize Gaherty was sitting in Texas when he called her and that she had no way of initially knowing whether the threats were credible. Alexander said Gaherty had also threatened a Latina congresswoman. Hearing Gaherty wanted to slit my throat, Waters told the judge, has unnerved her. She described herself as haunted. When someone calls her name out from behind, she said, she doesnt answer because she doesnt know whether that person is trying to identify her so that they can kill [her]. I came here today because I want to understand; I want to know why we have people with that much hatred and that much dislike of people of color, Waters said. When Gaherty spoke, he clasped his hands and turned to Waters, who sat on a bench in the front row, and said, Im sorry for what I did. He said it was not about race, and told the court that his godchildren are Black and that hes had five Latina girlfriends. After the judge handed down his sentence, Waters hugged her family members and told Alexander shed done a good job. Im hopeful that this will be a deterrent to those who believe they can threaten an elected official, threaten to kill us and terrorize us,Waters said outside the courtroom. I really think this goes a long way to holding him accountable. 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. Mayor-elect of town near Acapulco taken off bus, assassinated A man is assisted in casting his vote in the Mexican general elections at a polling station in Acapulco, Mexico, on June 2. Salvador Villalba Flores, who was elected mayor of Copa in those elections, was assassinated Monday. File Photo by David Guzman/EPA-EFE June 17 (UPI) -- Salvador Villalba Flores, the mayor-elect of a small town near the Mexican resort city of Acapulco, was assassinated early Monday, local prosecutors said. Flores, who was elected mayor in the June 2 general election, was to take office in October in Copala, a town of about 4,000 residents about 80 miles southeast of Acapulco. He was shot dead while traveling on a highway, prosecutors in Guerrero state said in a statement. The State Attorney General's Office "reaffirms its commitment to the Guerrero women to ensure access to justice and fight impunity." Flores was traveling around 3 a.m. on a bus when he was attacked in gunfire near the town of San Pedro las Playas, according to El Universal. El Sur de Guerrero newspaper reported that Villalba was a retired Navy captain who was usually protected by National Guard escorts, but was traveling alone to Mexico City when he was killed. "The mayor-elect was taken off the bus he was traveling on when it stopped near San Pedro las Playas" and shot, the outlet reported. Villalba had decided to run for mayor after a candidate, a friend, was murdered in June 2023. Since Mexico's campaign season began last September, more than two dozen political candidates have been killed, according to Data Civica, a non-governmental organization. At least 12 people died from gunshots wounds around Acapulco last month. On the outskirts of Acapulco, four people were killed and one was injured in two armed attacks that occurred almost simultaneously in the Ricardo Flores Magon district. ST. CLOUD Steven Schillers dreams of reaching the mayors office didnt die with his nearly 27-point loss to Mayor Dave Kleis in 2020. Now, the St. Cloud native is giving it another try by eliminating the fear of diversity, which is at the top of his bucket list. When asked about his plans, Schiller criticized politicians for focusing their campaigns on a single issue, such as housing. He said St. Cloud needs to bring the community together as a whole and everything else will fall into place from there. The former insurance industry professional said St. Cloud is divided because many of its residents are scared of diversity, and bringing different demographics together will bring forth solutions for the collective city. Schiller, 61, plans to start the conversation by networking with regional leaders. Once leaders from different demographic backgrounds are identified, Schiller said hed like to bring them together, forming a board to serve as an example of different backgrounds collaborating toward one goal. That goal would be exploring solutions to accommodate each group's needs. Over the last 20 years, we've become a very diverse community, Schiller said. Diversity can cause separation and fear because while we live together, we don't always understand each other. St. Cloud native Steven Schiller is running for mayor. He previously ran against Mayor Dave Kleis in 2020. The mayoral candidate said his relationship with his wife, Lulu Schiller, is one example of increased cultural awareness. The Schillers met on eHarmony when Lulu was a professor in Mexico and Schiller was living in St. Cloud. He said learning about her culture helped him become more familiar with the Hispanic community. Being able to understand her culture and how she grew up allows me to better understand the Hispanic community and how they operate, Schiller said. More: Minnesota GOP looks statewide GOP, DFL recruitment strategies reduce uncontested Minnesota House races by 69% However, this feeling of community isnt just related to race and socio-economic backgrounds. The 22-year U.S. Army veteran said his armed forces community helped him readjust to civilian life despite suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. This experience is one of the reasons why Schiller said St. Cloud needs to change its views surrounding diversity to create a more inclusive environment. Schiller has a business background, after running an insurance company for nearly 20 years, he is currently selling essential oils under the Young Living Essential Oils brand. This experience helped him understand St. Clouds economic downfalls and its lack of job opportunities as another pain point the candidate wants to address. Hed like to take a proactive approach to bringing businesses to St. Cloud, he said. Currently, he's having conversations with key stakeholders to bring a car chip company to the area. He hopes this endeavor will help replace the jobs lost when Electrolux left town. If we don't work on creating more income and providing more opportunities for people, how do we expect them to spend more money? How do we expect businesses to grow and more opportunities to come? Schiller said. Corey Schmidt covers local government for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Diversity, job creation top of mind for mayoral candidate Graduates of the University of the Pacifics McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento earned the highest pass rate throughout California on the February bar exam. Almost 65% of first-time test-takers who graduated from the Oak Park school of law passed the exam, and 46% of repeat test-takers passed, too, according to the law school. In contrast, statewide data shows that approximately 55% of first-time test takers from California ABA-accredited schools passed, while 41% of repeat test-takers passed. Only 34% of all test-takers in California passed the February bar exam. (McGeorge graduates) embrace a Pass Attitude that McGeorge has supportively woven into the bar support curriculum, Lindsay Harrington, director of bar support and assistant law professor at McGeorge, wrote in a statement to The Sacramento Bee. In my opinion, this is what sets them apart from other bar candidates. The results from this past February mark the fourth consecutive year that McGeorge graduates have scored the first or second-highest pass rate on the February bar exam for first-time test-takers throughout the state. The law schools accelerated honors program also retained its record of a 100% pass rate for first-time test-takers. Harrington pointed to McGeorges Bar Exam Advantage Training program and Deans Incentive program as contributors to McGeorges bar pass rate. For example, the Bar Exam Advantage Training program matches graduates with a bar support professor who provides individualized feedback on their simulated written practice exams and one-on-one conferences to build confidence and exam skills, with a focus on mindset and wellness, Harrington said. Michael Schwartz, dean of the law school, added that about 40% of McGeorge students are the first in their family to attend college, much less law school. The students intelligence, determination, and willingness to work hard were contributors to their success, he said. The California State Bar has faced questions in recent months about the future of the exam. In May, the State Bar planned to consider a proposal to hire test prep company Kaplan North America to develop its own bar exam, potentially saving $4.2 million annually for a branch of the State Bar facing insolvency. The move was interpreted as a rejection of the National Conference of Bar Examiners new Next Gen Bar Exam, which 18 states have already committed to using once it is released in July 2026. However, the California State Bar has since shelved the proposal to hire Kaplan after deans of 13 California-accredited law schools called the plan hasty, risky, and poorly planned and asked the organization to delay it. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) This story references suicide. If you need help, you can call 988 to speak with a trained listener, or visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services and more information. A measure directing Ohio hospitals to develop safety plans as well as protocols for reporting violent incidents is drawing support. But a recent amendment doesnt address some of the biggest asks presented by health care workers. The bill and the amendment Health care providers say theyre seeing a dramatic increase in workplace violence. And they worry about a vicious cycle, as understaffed hospitals breed patient frustration, and the resulting outbursts only encourage more providers to leave the field. To that end, state Reps. Andrea White, R-Kettering, and Rachel Baker, D-Cincinnati, put forward House Bill 452 which requires hospitals to create security plans with input from frontline health care providers and to develop systems for reporting violence when it occurs. The bill further mandates hospitals post signage warning visitors violence wont be tolerated and directs health and higher education officials to figure out if students are getting enough training in de-escalation. Supporters in the health care community applauded those steps while urging lawmakers to go further. The Ohio Nurses Association argued hospital units should have a minimum number of staffers trained in de-escalation tactics, and that it should be a felony to assault health care workers with bodily fluids. The amendment White introduced last week didnt take them up on those recommendations, but it did include a few others. These are things that have been suggested and we wanted to be responsive, she explained. (The amendment) requires the team that develops the hospital security plan to include at least a patient or former patient of the hospital or family member of a patient (and) at least 50% of the members are health care employees that are direct line. The changes also allow hospitals to post notices about violence with physical or digital signage and gives them flexibility in the exact phrase of their warnings. The bill would also require hospitals to inform new hires about the incident reporting during new hire orientation. More people weigh in Thus far, no one has voiced opposition to White and Bakers bill. Recently the Smith family, whose youngest daughter Tristan was a nurse who died by suicide, added to the chorus calling for greater safeguards at hospitals. Tristans father, Ron Smith, and sister Sarah Smith, technically spoke as interested parties rather than supporters of HB 452. Still, Sarah made it clear the status quo is unacceptable. Our nations health care system is broken, and it broke my sister, she said. Her passion for nursing had turned into a nightmare. She was in trouble. Nurses are in trouble. Female nurses commit suicide at twice the rate of the general population. We need to do better. Sarah read her sisters letter to my abuser, which speaks to the nursing profession as if it were an abusive romantic partner. At several points in the letter, Tristan referenced her fears about workplace violence and her frustrations with the inadequate response of hospital leadership. Ron called the letter a stark reminder that our health care system is failing those who stand on the frontlines. Our nurses deserve to feel safe at work, he said. They deserve laws that protect them security measures that safeguard dam and health care administration that values their lives as much as the lives they save. The family has put its efforts behind a different piece of legislation, HB 285, mandating minimum staffing nurse to patient staffing ratios. Researchers argue its a regulatory move that improves safety and morale, while saving hospitals money in the long run by reducing turnover. They also contend those kinds of protections could bring back nurses who previously left the field. Hospitals, however, vehemently oppose the top-down approach. In the short term they would likely have to hire a lot of new nurses, and industry groups contend theyre already having a tough time recruiting. Ron urged committee members not to stop with HB 452 but to support HB 285 as well. Let us ensure, he said, that no other family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one because we failed to act. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. You can reach them on the phone at 988 to speak with a trained listener or visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services. Help is also available through The Crisis Text Line. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Measure to prevent violence in hospitals picks up amendment, new interest appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Efforts to resolve a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee over its plans for demonstrations during next month's Republican National Convention fell apart in a mediation hearing Monday, according to court records. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin sued the city in federal court earlier this month, saying the city's plans for demonstrations during the July 15-18 RNC violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 and seeks a determination that the city's "extraordinary event ordinance" for the RNC is unconstitutional. It also seeks a temporary restraining order prohibiting the city from enforcing portions of the ordinance during the RNC. A hearing scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Monday before Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries ended mid-afternoon with the parties unable to reach an agreement, according to federal court records. The case now returns to U.S. District Court Judge Brett H. Ludwig. "The city refuses to play ball with anyone other than the Republicans," coalition Co-Chair Omar Flores said at a press conference outside the federal courthouse in Milwaukee Monday evening. He said the group does not plan to try to go past the barriers that are expected to be set up in a "hard" perimeter around the primary RNC venues, rendering the area accessible only to those with credentials. He declined to detail the reasons the negotiations broke down or the specific route the group is planning to march, citing a confidentiality order Dries issued to the parties Monday. The inability to reach an agreement comes a month before the RNC begins in downtown Milwaukee. City spokesperson Jeff Fleming said the mediation process is still "open," but did not comment further on mediation talks. He also said the city still hopes to have march and demonstration sites available to the public as soon as late this week. "Our goal is to give people a full opportunity to express their First Amendment rights, and we're also interested in making sure all events in and around the convention are safe, so we aim to achieve both of those goals," Fleming said. Where the city locates demonstration areas and a march route depend on the boundaries of the "hard" perimeter that the U.S. Secret Service is expected to announce in the coming days. That perimeter will surround the three primary convention venues of Fiserv Forum, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center. The lawsuit's demands include that the city have their parade route within sight and sound of Fiserv Forum, remove of all unjustified time, place and manner restrictions on First Amendment activities within the security footprint and process all permit applications to use the podium and march routes immediately. That the city has not announced the RNC demonstration route "deprives the Coalition of the right to seek meaningful judicial review of that decision," case documents state. The Coalition plans to March the first day of the convention with "an assembly with several speakers at a location within sight and sound of the RNC venues," court documents state. The groups planned route goes directly next to the conventions main site, Fiserv Forum. Robby Knapp, member of the Students for a Democratic Society at UW-Milwaukee, holds a sign showing the march route during a press conference held by the the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 announcing a lawsuit against the city regarding its permitting process for demonstrations during the RNC on Thursday June 6, 2024 at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Milwaukee, Wis. The lawsuit was filed against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute over a park that had been expected to serve as a protest area. Pere Marquette Park on the west side of the Milwaukee River and two blocks from Fiserv Forum was long expected to be the site where the city would have a podium for demonstrators. Leaders of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 have argued the park is not close enough to Fiserv Forum, the primary convention site where former President Donald Trump is expected to formally accept the partys nomination to run for another term in the White House. Members of the media from across the nation and globe are expected in Milwaukee for the event. Meanwhile, the RNC and top Republicans have pushed to prevent the park from becoming a protest zone, with an attorney saying it would become a mandated confrontational area between demonstrators and RNC attendees. The Republican National Committee has sought instead to book the park for its own events during the RNC. Nearby businesses, too, have rejected the parks use as a demonstration area. This story will be updated. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com. Tristan Hernandez can be reached at thernandez@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mediation fails in ACLU suit over Milwaukee's RNC demonstration plan Ashley Biden is President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden's only daughter, but despite being First Daughter, she often shies away from the spotlight. "It took about two years to get into the groove of being in this position," she told Elle in 2023. "Im doing my work as I always have been, but kind of figuring out the role as First Daughter, and how can I use it in the most positive way, where its not about me, its about Americans. And what Ive learned is, I want to tell the story of othersI want to lift up organizations and share this information." Pool - Getty Images This year, however, she's made more public appearances, including at State Dinners at the White House and at a White House Pride Month event, where she spoke: SAUL LOEB - Getty Images Ashley is set to introduce her father at the Democratic National Convention tonight. Here, everything you need to know about Joe and Jill's daughter Ashley: Ashley was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Mark Reinstein - Getty Images She was born on June 8, 1981, the daughter of Joe and Jill Biden. She had older half siblings Beau Biden and Hunter Biden. Growing up, Ashley didn't realize her dad was a Senator. "My family really did keep it super down-to-earth so I didnt know," Ashley said. "I knew Dad took the train and was trying to solve the problems of the world. But as a little girl, hes just Dad." She attended Wilmington Friends School and Tulane University. She attended high school at Wilmington Friends School in Delaware, then got her bachelors degree in cultural anthropology in 2003 from Tulane University. The White House - Getty Images She is a social worker. In 2010, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice with a master's in social work. Initially, she thought she wanted to be a therapist, but decided to focus on policy instead. "The only thing my parents always said to me was, 'Follow your passion.' There was never any pressure to go into service, but I saw my mother, a teacher, and my dad, who was working on issues Americans care about," Ashley says of her career. MANDEL NGAN - Getty Images In 2019, she left her job at the Delaware Center for Justice to work on her dad's presidential campaign. She's currently applying for a doctorate in clinical social work at Penn, and one day, she hopes to teach. She attends some White House events with her parents. Alex Wong - Getty Images Ashley has joined her parents during a few key events during Joe's tenure as president, including joining her dad at a Juneteenth concert (above) and her mom on a trip to France last summer (below). Christian Liewig - Corbis - Getty Images Most notably, Ashley joined her mom, Jill, at the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif. She and her mom arrived hand-in-hand to Zahran Palace, where they were greeted by King Abdullah and Queen Rania ahead of the ceremony. Courtesy of the Royal Hashemite Court Ashley married Dr. Howard Krein in 2012. They had an interfaith Catholic-Jewish wedding. Dr. Krein is an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia. In July 2024, when President Biden spoke about ending his reelection campaign from the Oval Office, Ashley was pictured sitting next to her husband: JIM WATSON - Getty Images You Might Also Like Melania Trump is set to host a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans in her residence at Trump Tower in New York next month her second for the group during the 2024 campaign. The former first lady is listed as the headliner of a July 8 for the nations largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO. She held another event for Log Cabin Republicans in April at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida club, where she lives with former President Donald Trump. Trump campaign representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the famously private Trump has kept a low profile throughout her husbands third presidential campaign, never speaking publicly about any of his legal troubles. She has generally steered clear of political events, though there have been a few exceptions. In April, she attended a fundraiser for her husband held at the South Florida home of investor John Paulson. In March, the Slovakian-born former first lady joined a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the former president. The co-host for the committee includes Richard Grenell, who was acting director of national intelligence during the Trump administration, as well as Bryan Eure and Bill White and Nazee and Joseph Moinian. Investor Hannah Buchan will host a reception after the Melania Trump event, according to the invitation. Attendees are being asked to contribute up to $100,000. The proceeds are to benefit the groups Road to Victory program, which is aimed at turning out voters for Trump and other Republicans. South Carolina Highway Patrol Honor Guard prepare to carry the coffin of church pastor and South Carolina state Sen. Clementa Pinckney to lie in repose at the Statehouse Rotunda on June 24, 2015 in Columbia, South Carolina. Pinckney was one of nine people killed during a Bible study inside Emanuel AME church in Charleston. (File/Joe Raedle/Getty Images) On Sunday, Yvett Anderson will light a candle at her church for the nine souls brutally murdered nine years ago at Charlestons Mother Emanuel AME Church. She was so close to two of the victims Rev. Daniel Simmons and Cynthia Graham Hurd that she speaks of them as family. The congregation in Andersons church, Ebenezer Mt. Zion AME in Mount Pleasant, will follow the lighting of candles by slowly saying the names of the Emmanuel Nine. The rituals help to alleviate the pain that returns like a dark cloud June 17. Every time an anniversary comes around, it seems like the wound is open again, Anderson said. As she remembers the Emanuel Nine, shell also say a prayer for the victims families and survivors of the church shooting. Shell say another prayer that state lawmakers will finally close whats dubbed the Charleston loophole. Thats the name for the dangerous gap in the federal background-check system that allowed Dylann Roof to purchase a weapon he used to kill the Emanual victims during a Wednesday prayer meeting. Anderson leads the Charleston chapter of Moms Demand Action, a group urging lawmakers to fix the Charleston loophole and adopt other gun safety measures. Anderson is not a lifelong activist but felt compelled to join Moms Demand Action after the Charleston shooting that claimed the lives of her good friends. So far, she and other gun-safety advocates have been largely ignored by legislative leaders, she said, though a few lawmakers are willing to listen. Safeguarding South Carolinians At the time of the Charleston church shooting on June 17, 2015, it seemed to many that a tragedy of this magnitude would goad state lawmakers into action, prompting them to adopt safeguards to protect South Carolinians. After all, protecting the well-being of South Carolinians is a fundamental responsibility of state government. Who could have predicted that things would hardly change at all? South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley embraces U.S. Sen Tim Scott, R-S.C., at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church on June 21, 2015, four days after a mass shooting that claimed the lives of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state senator, and eight worshippers at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Church elders decided to hold the regularly scheduled Sunday school and worship service as they continue to grieve the shooting death of nine of its members. (File/David Goldman-Pool/Getty Images) True, there were glimmers of hope during those dark days. Charlestonians came together to share their grief and promote unity and love in the face of hate. Then-President Obama journeyed to Charleston and mourned with us in a graceful eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney that will long linger in the memory. Pinckney was the churchs pastor and a state senator. Its true also that then-Gov. Nikki Haley and state lawmakers later removed the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds. That was a good and necessary step, but that symbolic action should have been followed by life-saving legislation. Ironically, the Charleston shooting prompted other states to do more to protect their citizens from crime. Twenty-three states, for instance, have closed or limited the Charleston loophole, which allows gun sales to proceed after three business days even if a background check has not been completed. Thats how Roof, an avowed white supremacist with a history of drug use, obtained a weapon in South Carolina that he should not have been able to legally purchase. Roof had confessed to drug possession months before the Charleston shooting. That should have prevented him from buying a .45-caliber Glock pistol. But the FBI didnt complete his background check within three business days. When it takes longer than three days, that often is a red flag that something is amiss. Background checks delayed more than three days are four times more likely to result in a denial determination, according to the gun violence prevention organization Everytown. The 23 states that have closed the loophole give government officials more time, if needed, to complete a background check. A fitting memorial So, while other states have adopted pragmatic policies to protect their citizens, the state whose largest city gave the loophole its name has done little or nothing. In fact, weve gone in the wrong direction, loosening gun laws such as with the permit-less carry law. South Carolina remains one of the worst states in the nation for gun violence. The state rose from 11th in the nation in the rate of gun deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021 to 10th highest in 2022, when including Washington, D.C. (in ninth place), according to the National Center for Health Statistics. South Carolina should not be loosening gun restrictions but tightening them up mandating universal background checks, enacting red-flag laws and requiring the safe storage of guns. Closing the loophole should be a top priority. What better memorial could there be for the Emanuel Nine than if state lawmakers found the courage to close the Charleston loophole by one year from now on the 10th anniversary of the shooting: June 17, 2025? We cant alter the tragic past, but we can create a better future. Until then, Anderson and other gun safety advocates will continue to light candles, think of the Emanuel Nine, pray and fight. Im not the sort of person to give up, she said. The post A memorial for the Emanuel 9: Close the Charleston loophole appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. On menu at KY Democratic dinner: a new twist on Trump, taking a bite at GOP supermajority For a Kentucky Democratic Party led by a second-term Gov. Andy Beshear, Friday nights Forward, Together, party dinner wasnt just a step forward. It was a new walk altogether. At least that was the case when it came to discussing state legislative races and former Republican President Donald Trump. Seeking re-election in 2023, Beshear did not speak ill of the former president now the presumed nominee in this years race who has claimed 20-plus point wins in Kentucky unless asked. At Fridays dinner, Trump was the first thing he mentioned. Folks, Im grateful to be here tonight, grateful to talk about how we move forward together, and grateful because together last November we beat Donald Trumps hand-picked candidate for governor, Beshear told the crowd of roughly 300 attendees. In referencing the candidate, his gubernatorial opponent former attorney general Daniel Cameron, Beshear also mentioned Camerons ties to Kentuckys U.S. Senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, pointing out his win in Pauls home of Warren County. Beshears father, former governor Steve Beshear, also made his own Trump remarks. For the very first time the other day I shouted hallelujah 34 straight times, the elder Beshear said in a dig at the 34 counts of falsifying business records on which Trump was recently found guilty. Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics Newsletter A must-read newsletter for political junkies across the Bluegrass State with reporting and analysis from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Never miss a story! Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics newsletter to connect with our reporting team and get behind-the-scenes insights, plus previews of the biggest stories. Bookending the anti-Trump vibe was former Alabama Democratic U.S. senator Doug Jones. Jones, a former U.S. district attorney, struck a particularly prosecutorial note against Trump, grilling him for his attempts to subvert the 2020 election. The topic fit the timing of the dinner. The party was meeting on the eve of its state convention for the first time in eight years since the 2016 presidential election cycle, as the 2020 dinner was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the crowd chatter centered around Saturdays convention and who would get to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where Democratic President Joe Biden is expected to gain the partys nomination, in Chicago later this Summer. While no pundit or politician is predicting that Biden will beat Trump in Kentucky, some Democrats are hopeful that suburban distaste for Trump may help flip a handful of seats in Louisville, Lexington and Northern Kentucky. That was another prevailing theme from the states top Democrats: predictions that the top of the ticket will work in tandem with state legislative gains. That would be new. Democrats have become accustomed to diminished relevance in the state House and Senate since 2016, when the House became the last legislative chamber in the American South to flip from blue to red. In 2023, the focus was almost solely on Andy Beshears re-election tilt, and while many understood the strategy it didnt please every corner of the party. There was some self-congratulation Friday night by five points the governor jokingly interjected from the crowd as party chair Colmon Elridge celebrated the win but the most frequently discussed elections were those for the state legislature. We are going to pick up seats in our state legislature this November, Beshear insisted. Republicans hold four-fifths majorities in both chambers. Democrats claim only 20 House members in the 100-person chamber and seven Senators in that 38-person chamber. A lot of that has to do with the amendment on the ballot in November asking voters allow the state to provide public dollars for nonpublic and charter schools is one way, many speakers posited. No Democratic lawmakers voted for the GOP-backed House Bill 2 in this years General Assembly. For them, its not a matter of if the amendment will fail, but how badly. Gov. Beshear: Were going to resoundingly beat constitutional Amendment No. 2 and protect public education. Former governor Beshear: Were gonna blow that thing off the map. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman:I keep telling (Beshear) I want to crush it, and he says, Would you be okay if we just beat it? No, I want to crush it. Such a predicted result could parlay into some legislative successes, they said. Its also important that we make the people who voted for that amendment pay, Coleman added. Wed like to make sure we hold accountable the folks who dont support public education and send more people to Frankfort who do. You better believe that just as hard as we have worked to build this economy, to fight for public education, we will be out there helping these candidates every step of the way. Because weve got to have some help in Frankfort. That enthusiasm spilled over into the crowd. Former Lexington Democratic Senate candidate Chuck Eddy, who before switching parties led Republicans for Beshear in the governors first gubernatorial push, left the dinner hopeful. Eddy guessed that Democrats in the House could pick up three to five total seats. Hes convinced that Beshear and Coleman, unburdened by their own elections, are going to do more for candidates in the state I feel that theyre very much going to devote their time, Eddy said. I think theyre gonna get out there more. What about the issues? In general, Beshear waxed more progressive than he has in years past. He stressed that his win showed the country that Democrats who stand strongly against Republicans on hot-button issues like abortion rights; diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and LGBTQ rights can win. Yes, we focus on those things people worry about every single morning, but think about this: we reelected a governor and a lieutenant governor that stood and said womens reproductive rights and freedoms are critical, we reelected a governor and lieutenant governor that have proudly stood with our LGBTQ+ community (and) we won that election proudly standing up for DEI programs. Also of note: both Beshears touted Court of Appeals Justice Pamela Goodwines run for the Kentucky Supreme Court, in a move tying the Democratic party closer to Goodwine, who is running in a contested race to replace outgoing Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter for the Central Kentucky-based 5th Kentucky Supreme Court District seat. Goodwine was among the first candidates that Gov. Beshears political action committee endorsed. Republican embrace of a supreme court candidate, and vice versa, two years ago raised alarm among Democrats and the Kentucky Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee. Beshear put emphasis on the historic nature of her candidacy, predicting to major cheers that Kentuckians would elect the first black woman as a Supreme Court justice in our history. This story was a collaboration between St. Louis Public Radio and the Belleville News-Democrat . Along the border of Venice and Madison in the metro-east, a 1.4 million-square-foot factory and former 40-acre dump site sit next to several blocks of homes. From the late 1950s to early 1960s, the factory owned by Dow Chemical Co. at the time performed work with uranium and thorium that was used in the nations nuclear weapons program. It also used thorium for commercial purposes for most of its history. It wasnt until 2007, however, that the cleanup of the resulting millions of pounds of radioactive waste was finished. This is the largest radioactive waste site in the state of Illinois and no one knows it, said Larry Burgan, who worked there from 1989 to 2003 when it was owned by Spectrulite Consortium Inc. Burgan and Calvin Ratliff, who worked at the facility before Burgan and whose childhood home sits directly adjacent to it, separated by a fence, are among a group pushing to get federal compensation for residents who have developed diseases they say are a result of their exposure to the radioactive contamination. The Ratliff family home sits second from the left on June 10, 2024, next to the facility along the Venice-Madison border where radioactive elements were processed. An informal survey they conducted over several years starting in 2009 found 368 cancer cases among residents in a six-block radius of the site. No government agency appears to have formally documented the cancer rates or health outcomes of residents in the community surrounding the plant. While a related federal program has paid more than $64.5 million to 383 former employees of this facility and another just north in Granite City, area residents have never been eligible for government compensation. Between the two facilities, more than 500 cases of cancer were confirmed to be more than likely caused by workers exposure to radiation, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. These certain cancers were identical to a lot of the cancers that the people in the community have, Ratliff said. Now, why would a fence make a difference? Venice and Madison are not alone in the push to get compensation from the federal government for residents health issues. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, has paid more than $2.65 billion for 41,000 claims since it was created in 1990. That compensation has gone specifically to former uranium workers in western states and residents who lived downwind of a test site. But in recent months, federal legislators, led by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., have been pushing to expand RECAs coverage to include other downwinders, as well as communities near facilities where radioactive material was processed, stored and dumped. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, speaks to reporters outside the Senate chambers on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Federal legislators, led by Hawley, have been pushing to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include other downwinders. The U.S. Senate passed a bill to reauthorize and expand RECA in a bipartisan vote 69-30 in March, but that effort failed to gain traction in the House. The bill included 21 Missouri ZIP codes in and around St. Louis. U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, wants to add Venice, much of Madison and small portions of Granite City to the legislation after hearing about the plight of residents from Burgan, Ratliff and longtime Venice Mayor Tyrone Echols. Budzinskis district includes these communities in the 62060 ZIP code. We really think that this reauthorization is an opportunity for us to really right some of the wrongs and the impacts of our past and the current effects for what they look like for our communities, Budzinski said. Including Madison, Venice and Granite City is going to be really important to get my support. RECA expired June 7, however, and the reauthorization the Senate passed got caught in the political fray of the House of Representatives, as some Republicans expressed resistance to expanding the act due to the potential costs. Legislators on both sides of the Mississippi River recently mobilized a different route to get people across the St. Louis metro area compensation. A bipartisan group, including Budzinski and Missouri House members, submitted an amendment of the annual defense spending bill with the 62060 ZIP code and many others to the House Rules Committee. The committee rejected the amendment last week, leaving residents waiting yet again for government aid. St. Louis-area advocates are still urging Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring Hawleys bill passed by the Senate for a vote in the House. A photo taken by the Mallinckrodt-St. Louis Sites Task Force Working Group in 1960 of deteriorating steel drums containing radioactive residues near Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County. History of the site Just like St. Louis and St. Charles counties, metro-east facilities processed radioactive elements for Mallinckrodt Chemical Works on behalf of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, or AEC. From 1957 through 1960, the Venice-Madison site machine-shaped uranium metal and straightened uranium rods for nuclear weapons. It also produced thorium-alloyed magnesium for many decades. Some of that magnesium was sold to the AEC in the late 1950s, but it wasnt until the late 2000s that the government acknowledged they used it. The work with radioactive elements left two buildings with leftover radioactive contamination, government records show. Dust, perched mostly out of sight of workers on the buildings rafters, contained both uranium and thorium. After Dow, Consolidated Aluminum Corp. owned the 10 buildings from 1969 to 1986. By the late 1980s, Spectrulite Consortium acquired the facility. From 1989 to 1992, Dow and Consolidated Aluminum paid for the cleanup of more than 105,000 tons, or 210 million pounds, of thorium-contaminated material from the 40-acre parcel to the east of the facility, according to the cleanup report. Another survey around the same time found elevated concentrations of the two radioactive metals inside the factory. The federal government identified the location as needing remediation in 1992 for the uranium-laced dust, according to records. At the time, the Energy Department initially concluded thorium was used just for commercial purposes and not to build atomic weapons meaning it didnt need to be cleaned up by the government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers later removed 60,000 pounds of radioactive dust from the industrial site but not until 2000. In all, the removal from overhead surfaces, like window ledges, trusses and beams, took 12 days. By 2003, Spectrulite declared bankruptcy. Magnesium Elektron North America, a part of the England-based Luxfer Group, is now the site tenant. A representative of Luxfer declined to comment. The Pangea Group of St. Louis, an engineering and surveying firm, finished its cleanup of the thorium-contaminated dust on behalf of the Army Corps of Engineers and Spectrulite in 2007. In 2021, a Brooklyn, New York-based company, named Grand Landmark LLC, purchased the facility from Cherokee Properties Inc. in 2021 for $10 million, according to Madison County property records. Larry Burgan shows a photo of him in the 1980s working with his feet perched upon a machine while working at the Venice-Madison site when it was owned by Spectrulite Consortium Inc. Burgan and Ratliffs health At 42 years old, Burgan thought he was perfectly healthy. But by the time he left Spectrulite in 2003, his health took a turn for the worse. He thought he was going to die. He said he was losing a concerning amount of weight. He found himself struggling to breathe. His eyesight got worse, and his teeth started to fall out. Burgan later found out after combing large amounts of government documents that he worked in the most contaminated part of the factory. The proximity also left him with radiation burns. It looked like someone had taken handfuls of concrete and slapped them on his skin, said Penni Livingston, the first lawyer who worked on behalf of Burgan and other former workers. I never saw anything like that in my life. Larry Burgan shows where burns on his arms were that he said he received from radioactive dust falling on him while working at the Venice-Madison site when it was owned by Spectrulite Consortium Inc. It never healed, Burgan said, and thats the kind of stuff we worked around every day. But Burgans health later rebounded. Even though he worked in that facility for 14 years, and he said radioactive-contaminated dust fell on him regularly, hes never contracted cancer. For some reason, Ive been blessed because, perhaps, helping everybody else has been my reward not to develop cancer, Burgan said. Id like to think that. But at the same time, Im realistic. Its only a matter of time because of where I worked and how long and what I was exposed to. His children and grandchildren havent been as lucky with their health. His daughter and daughter-in-law have lost pregnancies at six months. Two grandchildren were born with health complications or birth defects and died as babies, he said. Its not in my sisters or any other part of my family or any other part of my wifes family. Its only ours, Burgan said. The only common denominator is me bringing home this radioactive dust home to [my wife] and my children for all those years. Burgan hasnt been eligible for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, the government program for workers, because hes never been diagnosed with cancer or an equivalent illness. Ratliff has also never been eligible under that program to receive compensation. He worked at the factory for 10 years, and his doctors diagnosed him with cancer in 2017. Under the workers program a scientific test must determine a residents cancer has a 50% chance of being caused by radiation exposure. Ratliffs test did not. I fall in the category of with a lot of other people who, yeah, worked over there and have fallen between the cracks, he said. Calving Ratliff stands with his sisters Patricia and Dianne in the backyard of their Venice, Ill., home on June 10, 2024. Ratliff and his siblings, some of whom still live next to the factory, have thyroid issues and low white-blood cell counts, they said. While Ratliffs cancer is currently on the mend, if it comes back, he could get tested again to qualify for the workers program. Other former workers in the metro-east have been more successful, however. At the former Dow site in Venice and Madison, 170 workers have received $25.46 million in compensation and $5.89 million in medical care through the separate program. Just north in Granite City, former employees of General Steel Industries got $31.78 million in compensation and $1.38 million in medical care, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. Ratliff and Burgan keep a list of former employees to connect them to organizations, like Cold War Patriots and CNS Cares, that can help navigate complex governmental programs. The group also meets every couple of months in Granite City to receive basic medical care and stay in contact. Larry Burgan shows documents of where he used to work at Venice-Madison site when it was owned by Spectrulite Consortium Inc. Well keep going The two have spent the better part of the last 20 years researching and documenting their communitys struggles. While the sickest former employees of the factory have been compensated, the residents havent been eligible. Therefore, theres more work to be done, they said. When they first started their surveying, two area moms told them about their children. A 6-year-old developed leukemia, and an 8-year-old had a tumor on his liver. It has been frustrating, but then I hear stories from the community, Ratliff said. The voices, yeah, it gives me strength. So, until we succeed, well keep going. Echols, the mayor of Venice for 41 years, said he thinks it would be in the federal governments best interest to compensate the many residents for their illnesses. In his eyes, communities of color have had a rough enough time in this world. Taking care of this problem could build their trust in the federal government, he said. Its amazing thinking about governmental entities and some of the things they did in times of war, Echols said. Some of it may be understandable. I guess your backs up against the wall. You do what you have to do and suffer with the effects afterwards. But they should be aware that theyre responsible. Step up to the plate and do the right thing. By Sarah Morland MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Polls commissioned by Mexico's ruling MORENA party show support for a proposed reform of the country's judiciary, including support for the popular election of Supreme Court judges, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday. "These polls are information, they don't have another objective," Sheinbaum told a press conference. "This is just information to be considered in the discussions that will start in the coming days." She is scheduled to hold talks with senators and lower house lawmakers on Tuesday, and has pledged public forums to discuss the plan more widely. According to three polls commissioned by MORENA, which won a landslide victory in the June 2 general elections, around 80% of people believe it is necessary to reform the judicial system. According to the three polls, some 70% backed the popular election of Supreme Court judges and nearly 90% supported an independent judicial watchdog to probe possible misdeeds or corruption. Around 40% said they believed most judges, magistrates and ministers were corrupt. The polls jointly surveyed some 3,855 people between June 14-16 with margins of error of just under 3%. Sheinbaum, who is set to take over from her mentor and outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in October, added that she would announce the first nominees to her cabinet on Thursday. Lopez Obrador had proposed the reform prior to June 2 but reiterated calls following the landslide election of Sheinbaum. The peso briefly dipped after Sheinbaum's poll announcement, before stabilizing at around 18.5 pesos to the U.S. dollar. "Investors don't need to worry, this is a survey and after this there will be dialogue and debate," Sheinbaum told reporters at the conference. "The peso is a strong currency and it will continue to be under my mandate." Sheinbaum reiterated pledges to responsibly manage the public debt and budget, as well as conserve the autonomy of the Mexican central bank. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Raul Cortes, Noe Torres, Ana Isabel Martinez and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by Kylie Madry and Aurora Ellis) Health officials are again warning people not to consume a brand of microdosing mushroom-infused treats after the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Association (FDA) announced even more people have become ill after eating them. The FDA issued an initial warning on June 7, saying a 'severe' illness associated with some Diamond Shruumz Microdosing Mushroom Chocolate Bars had landed several people in the hospital suffering medical issues including seizures, vomiting and abnormal heart rate. Originally, the FDA, in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Americas Poison Centers and state and local partners, said it was investigating eight illnesses reported from four states, six of which landed people in the hospital. In a recent update, the FDA has reported additional illnesses, bringing the total up to 12 reported cases and 10 hospitalizations across eight states. It also expanded its warning from focusing on Diamond-Shruumz chocolates to include all Diamond-Shruumz products. Here is what you need to know about health officials' warnings including which products are making people sick. Sample Product Images from the Investigation of Illnesses Diamond Shruumz-Brand Microdosing Chocolate Bars, Cones, & Gummies. New STD fungus infection: Sexually transmitted ringworm found in NYC marks 1st case in US Which mushroom candies are making people sick? All Diamond Shruumz-brand Microdosing sweets are included in the FDA warning, including Diamond Shruumz-brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies. All types of the Diamond Shruumz Chocolate Bars and Gummies, both of which come in various quantities and flavors, are subject to the warning. All flavors of Diamond Shruumz Cones, which are ice cream cone-style treats, are also covered by the warning. What states are affected by Diamond Shruumz Microdosing Mushroom products As of June 11, 2024, a total of 12 illnesses have been reported in eight states: Alabama (1 case) Arizona (4) Indiana (2) Kentucky (1) Missouri (1) Nevada (1) Pennsylvania (1) South Carolina (1) The FDA is warning people not to consume Diamond Shruumz-brand microdosing chocolate bars and other treats. Where are the mushroom candies sold? The candies are sold nationwide online and in person at a variety of retail locations including smoke and vape shops, as well as at retailers selling hemp-derived products including cannabidiol (CBD) or delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC). A complete list of retailers selling the product is not known, the FDA reported. The investigation is ongoing. Soda recall: Company recalls drinks sold at restaurants for chemicals, dye linked to cancer: What are the symptoms of the Diamond Shruumz candy illness? According to the FDA, all 12 people who fell ill have reported seeking medical care and 10 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported as of June 11. According to the Diamond Shruumz website, the chocolate bars are made with a "primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms." The website also claims its products are "Lab Tested For Potency, Quality, And Safety." It was not immediately known what caused the illness but people who became ill after eating the product reported a variety of symptoms including: Seizures Central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness) Agitation Abnormal heart rates Hypertension (Blood pressure too high) and hypotension (Blood pressure too low) Nausea Vomiting Another variant? There's another COVID variant you should know about: KP.3 now makes up 25% of COVID cases FDA: Throw the affected mushroom candies right away The FDA advises safely disposing of any Diamond Shruumz-brand products. Consumers who may have the products in their homes should immediately discard them if found. Diamond Shruumz products should not be eaten, sold or served. The agency also advised parents and adults to discuss the advisory with children and teenagers, as the products are marketed as candy and may appeal to younger consumers. Retailers should not sell or distribute any flavor of Diamond Shruumz-brand items and should hold any stock in a secure location until additional instructions can be provided on how to return or safely dispose of the product. Anyone who becomes ill after consuming Diamond Shruumz chocolates, gummies or cones should call the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 and/or contact their healthcare provider immediately. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Microdosing mushroom chocolate from Diamond Shruumz sickens more: FDA The future of the Right? If Farage fails, more nativist leaders like Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella will rise in Britain too - Christian Hartmann/Reuters Amid the rough and tumble of our general election, some have paused to puzzle over the peculiarity of Britain being about to hand a massive majority to a humdrum technocrat, just as the hard-Right surges in Europe. One could endlessly dissect this British exceptionalism, from the Tory partys self-immolation to the distortions of first-past-the-post. And yet, unless Britain changes course, we too could be ruled by the hard Right in five to 10 years time. This may seem far-fetched. It is tempting to dismiss France where Marine Le Pen is heading for a dramatic electoral showdown with a radical Leftist alliance as a unique basket case, for instance. It has a formidable history of impassioned polarisation. The countrys ghettoised banlieues, ravaged by anomie and nihilism, are the outcome of a conceited post-war technocratic project to build Le Corbusier-style concrete cities for the working class. Frances guiding philosophy of laicite, rooted in an Enlightenment philosophy that vehemently opposes obscurantism and pious display, is irreconcilable with Islam and its adherents demands for religious respect. The rise of the hard Right in other European countries can be explained away in a similar fashion, from Italys previous dabblings with fascism to Germanys enigmatic Eurasian mindset, a powerful country situated between East and West. And yet there is also a common story. These countries are drifting to the Right because their ruling classes have failed to tackle the twin existential issues facing the West: economic stagnation and unsustainable mass migration. Europe is a warning of where we could soon end up if we dont confront these issues ourselves. True, Britain has long prided itself on its relaxed attitude to migration. Yet polls suggest that views are hardening. Repeated broken promises have made mass immigration a symbol of elite deception. Uncontrolled borders have become emblematic of a country where all commitment to order, all will to fix problems, has withered away. Nor should we be blind to the toxic peculiarities of the British migration problem. Our elites carnivalesque fondness for multiculturalism, coupled with their disdainful indifference to left-behind areas, has led to a highly distinctive form of British chain migration, with virtually self-contained communities being transplanted from abroad to inner city tenement blocks and Northern towns. Very soon all this is going to explosively intersect with stagnation. Britain may be tipping into a dangerous paradox, whereby mass migration drives GDP growth and at the same time because we are incapable of building infrastructure to support population growth undermines living standards. What is alarming is that, as pressing as these issues are, the coming years under Labour will almost certainly be a write-off. The key question is: to what extent? Keir Starmer is in many ways an irrelevant nonentity, the tedious point B that the mechanistic laws of linear time demand comes between A and C. But the question of whether his interregnum is mediocre or shambolic may well decide the course of history. An optimistic take is that Labour can lay some useful if limited groundwork, before being ejected from office due to its timidity once the Right has got its act together. Perhaps it will make a start on planning reform and bring some order to asylum. But somehow I suspect that the Left will, as usual, respond to the great challenges of our age with a mixture of pomposity and paralysis. For one thing, Europes Right-wards lurch threatens to upend Starmers velvet glove approach to migration. His hopes of managing asylum flows through multilateral cooperation are already in ruins. His pledge to scrap the Rwanda policy is disastrously timed. A perception that Britain is softening its borders when Europeans are moving to shut theirs may well result in a spike in Channel crossings. If Starmer does try to pivot to a harder deterrent plan, there is a serious question over whether his party full of human rights lawyers and refugee activists could sink to such an act of national pragmatism or would prefer to heroically fall on its sword, committing political suicide. Nor does Labour have a growth plan that might help it evade the migration challenge. Ultimately, this country has stagnated because big business has ceased to innovate. The next reforming government will have to knock our corporate laggards into shape through the removal of subsidies and, in the case of Big Pharma, reform of overly indulgent intellectual property laws. With Labour so desperate to position itself as the party of big business and so gullible towards corporate blather about Brexit being the root of their ills, the elephant in the room will continue to be ignored. Any notion that Labour can get around it by building a few more houses and wind farms is absurd. The scenario that the country should fear most is one in which Labour fails and the centre Right is still out for the count. That is why there is a lot riding on whether Reform is able to either swallow the Tory party or force it into an electable form. Some are aghast at the growing influence of Nigel Farage. But if he does not win the ideological war on the Right, a far nastier, more nationalistic movement could appear. Unless a party emerges that is willing and able to slash migration, within a few years the demand to reduce numbers could morph, as it has across Europe and America, into talk of the need to actively deport illegal, criminal, non-assimilated and even non-white foreigners. The window in Britain for a populist movement focused on not just giving the people what they want, but fixing deep problems is also steadily closing. In Europe and America, a socialist brand of populism is taking hold which indulges in the obscene falsehood that the West would be a land of milk and honey were it not for scrounging immigrants and greedy corporations. For now, Reform has opted for the more accurate message that Britains problems include immigration but they also transcend it. Faragism, with its desire to cut migration but also to reduce public spending and overhaul the NHS, stands for an intriguing mixture of mass empowerment and Thatcherite tough love. But if this fails to make headway, whoever moves into this space may well adopt the dangerous magical thinking of Le Pens National Rally, which rails against vital changes to pensions, or the anti-capitalism of Giorgia Melonis Brothers of Italy, which favours squeezing big business to fund public goods. That Britain is heading for a period of turbulence is an understatement. We may be about to live through the most important juncture in our history since the Second World War. 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. Cleburne County Coroner Adam Downs said officials did not spot the boy in the water at first because it was "so cloudy" Ranburne Police Department DJ A missing 4-year-old Alabama boy has been found dead in a backyard swimming pool, authorities said. The Cleburne County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post on Saturday, June 15, that the boy went missing near the area of Cleburne County Road 49 and County Road 111 just before 6 p.m. local time. Chief Barry Nolen of the Ranburne Police Department confirmed in a Facebook post around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday that the boy was found dead. "I would also like to ask everyone to please keep the family in your prayers," Nolan wrote. Cleburne County Coroner Adam Downs confirmed the child's identity in a statement to PEOPLE. "I can confirm the death of DJ Jarrell. A 4-year-old from Ranburne Al. He was found in a swimming pool in the yard of his family home," Downs said. Related: Father Drowns While Saving His 3 Kids from New Jersey River, Police Say Authorities have not released any additional information at this time, including how the boy left the home unnoticed. 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. Downs previously told AL.com that DJ "slipped away" out of his home and was found in the pool after a nearly two-hour search. Related: Ohio Boy Drowns in Neighbors Pool After Wandering from Home: 'This Is Not Fair,' Says Dad The coroner told the outlet that the boy's family is urging other families with young children to pay attention if they have swimming pools. Related: Fla. Boy, 2, Drowns in Family Members Pool, Police Say: Every Parents Worst Nightmare' "Please make sure that they keep the gates locked and secured to where a child cannot get into that pool, Downs said. He noted that officials did not spot the boy in the pool at first because the water was "so cloudy." DJ's drowning came just days after 5-year-old Kyrie Jefferson drowned in an apartment pool in the Alabama town of Opelika, ABC affiliate WTVM reported. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A missing skier who was found deceased at Mount Rainier National Park has been identified. Karen Jackmin, 38 of University Place, died from multiple blunt-force injuries on May 18. Her manner of death is listed as an accident, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiners Office. Jackmins body was recovered on June 8. She was last heard from on May 18 before she set out on a ski tour above the Paradise area of the park. Park rangers initiated a search the next day as she was overdue to return, according to a news release from the park. A ground team of two rangers searched Deadhorse Creek Basin, Panorama Face, and Alta Vista, looking for tracks over the Nisqually drainage, the release said. A team of two climbing rangers from Camp Muir looked over the Nisqually and Paradise glaciers and searched the Muir Snowfield to Pebble Creek and Panorama Point. A team of two volunteers conducted a visual search of the Nisqually drainage. The parks helicopter located an unresponsive person who appeared to have fallen about 200 feet at the base of Pebble Creeks Moraine Falls. Park rangers recovered Jackmins body during a period of favorable weather. A memorial service was held for Jackmin at Evangelical Reformed Church in Tacoma on June 15, according to the churchs website. Mississippis new internet safety act comes under attack from powerful trade association A trade association with members like Google and X filed a federal lawsuit to block the states new bipartisan internet safety law. The Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, or House Bill 1126, requires social media services to verify the ages of their users and bans digitally-produced or modified images of child pornography. The bill is named after Walker Montgomery, a Starkville teen who took his own life after being the victim of a sextortion scheme. Under the new law, minors cannot sign up for social media websites without their parents permission. Social media sites cannot advertise harmful material to minors or collect, sell or share their personal information. The law takes effect July 1. Last week, trade association NetChoice filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state to block it. In a press release, NetChoice called the new law a violation of Mississippians privacy and freedom of speech. They warned that the bill would open the door for censorship and put users personal information at risk. Parents and guardians are best situated to control their familys online presence. HB 1126 usurps the parental role and seizes it for the State, the lawsuit reads. NetChoice is a trade association of tech companies that advocates for free speech and expression on the internet. It is a major lobbyist against government regulation of social media. Its members include major online companies such as Etsy, X and Google. Walker Montgomerys story inspired Jilil Ford, R-Madison, Fabian Nelson, D-Jackson, and Larry Byrd, R-Petal, to work on the bipartisan bill. Nelson did not comment on the lawsuit, but defended the bill. Our motivation behind this legislation was not to infringe upon anyones rights. Our motivation with this legislation was to protect our children, he said. Nelson emphasized the need for legislation that keeps up with technological advancements. He was also personally touched as a father of three by Montgomerys story. Sitting quietly while things like this happen makes us worse than the perpetrators, he said. Mississippi is one of several states to pass a law requiring social media users to verify their ages. NetChoice launched lawsuits across the country opposing them in the name of preserving freedom of speech. American Civil Liberties Union Staff Attorney Vera Feilman was also critical of the law, saying, Such age-verification laws rob users of anonymity, pose privacy and security risks, and could be used to block some people from being able to use social media at all. The ACLU filed an amicus brief supporting NetChioices lawsuit in Arkansas over a similar bill. Students hold up anti-abortion signs at the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent). Missouris near-total abortion ban does not fly in the face of the state constitutions separation of church and state, a St. Louis judge determined. The ruling came Friday, several days shy of the 2-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the constitutional right to an abortion and paved the way for Missouri to become the first state to ban the procedure. Last year, 14 Missouri clergy members across seven denominations sued the state, alleging the ban violated Missouris strict separation of church and state. They demanded that the abortion ban be lifted. The clergy members in their initial complaint took issue with state law which says life begins at conception, arguing that lawmakers weaponized their religious beliefs in a way that not every religion or religious person agrees with. But in a 44-page ruling that delved into the states abortion restrictions dating back to 1825, St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser decided the state had not erred and dismissed the lawsuit. While the determination that life begins at conception may run counter to some religious beliefs, he wrote, it is not itself necessarily a religious belief. The ruling In 2019, while debating what would become the states trigger law, many Missouri lawmakers called on their faith as their guide in supporting the legislation. That included then-state Rep. Nick Schroer, who co-sponsored the legislation dubbed the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act. Schroer, who is now a state senator, said at the time that his Catholic faith instructed his decision to file the bill. His bill ultimately passed, making it possible for Missouri to outlaw abortion in June 2022, when laws around abortion were returned to state leaders hands. Now in Missouri, abortions are only legal in emergency situations to avert the death of the pregnant woman or for which a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. Health care providers who perform abortions not necessary to save the womans life can be charged with a class B felony, which means up to 15 years in prison. Their medical license can also be suspended or revoked as a result. By legislating that life begins at conception, the Missouri legislature dictates a narrowly Christian perspective onto all of Missouris diverse faith communities, the lawsuit reads. The clergy members pointed to a different part of the state constitution when making their argument. Specifically a section that reads: The state shall not coerce any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity. Sengheiser disagreed with their assertion that the trigger law is unconstitutional on these merits. The intent of the Missouri legislature has become increasingly couched in religious language, the judge wrote. But he added that lawmakers have also made extremely detailed medical and scientific findings in state law based on increased knowledge of fetal development. Clergy members share abortion stories At least three clergy members who filed the suit have previously had abortions. Among them is the Rev. Cynthia Bumb, of the United Church of Christ in St. Louis, who had a surgical abortion in 1993 in Missouri at 12 weeks pregnant after she learned the fetus was nonviable. And Rabbi Susan Talve, of Central Reform Congregation of St. Louis, who had an abortion in 1973 in New York City when she was 19, a choice she wrote she was immensely relieved to have. The lawsuit also included the story of the Rev. Barbara Phifer, a United Methodist minister in St. Louis County, in which she told her own story of needing an abortion in Missouri in 1978. She wrote that while she was in seminary, she experienced a miscarriage in which the fetus didnt pass naturally. Phiger said it took her five weeks to be admitted into a Missouri hospital to receive a surgical abortion, during which time she said she could have died. Now a Democratic state representative and candidate for secretary of state, Phifer said she often counsels families who ask her advice on whether to have an abortion. She said she encourages them to consider factors such as their finances, emotional resources and health. Phifer in the suit wrote that she believes current state laws remove the decision-making capacity from pregnant people, which conflicts with her belief that all people are made in Gods image as autonomous beings with equal capacity to direct their lives. No ruling on TRAP laws The lawsuit also asked the court to dismantle a series of TRAP laws put into place in the years leading up to the states near-total abortion ban. These targeted regulation of abortion providers laws impaired abortion access across the state until only one abortion clinic remained in Missouri by 2019. The clergy members argued the following TRAP laws were also in violation of the separation of church and state: A mandatory 72 hour waiting period between an appointment to inquire about an abortion and the actual procedure, which must be done by the same physician seen initially and a state-mandated pamphlet given to patients that states abortions terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being. Sengheiser ruled the argument against TRAP laws was no longer ripe, since the abortion ban essentially negated the need for any of those laws to be enforced. The clergy members in a statement Friday said they are considering whether to appeal. The post Missouris abortion ban does not violate separation of church and state, judge rules appeared first on Missouri Independent. Child care workers press NC legislators to fund their industry as federal stabilization grants sunset. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) All eyes will be on the North Carolina House this week as leadership prepares to roll out its recommended budget adjustments for the coming year. A looming and unanswered question remains whether the House (and the Senate) will agree to appropriate $300 million to keep North Carolinas child care facilities open when federal stabilization grants sunset at the end of this month. Childcare workers have been making the case for months now, warning that without financial support from the state, three in 10 childcare programs could close something that would impact as many as 90,000 children. With the industry facing this funding cliff, the U.S. Chamber Foundation along with the NC Chamber Foundation and the childrens advocacy group NC Child commissioned a survey of North Carolina parents with children under the age of six to assess the direct financial impact of insufficient childcare coverage on North Carolinas economy. Heres what they found: Childcare issues result in an estimated $5.65 billion annual loss for North Carolinas economy. Without safe, affordable childcare, parents dont go to work. Businesses are left understaffed or forced into a cycle of retraining new workers. The health of North Carolinas economy is directly tied to the strength of its workforce. This survey shows that our state is not realizing its potential when it comes to both families and economic competitiveness, said Meredith Archie, President of the NC Chamber Foundation, in releasing the report last week. This weeks Monday numbers column, takes a closer look at the findings from the report, Untapped Potential. 35 of the parents who say they experienced disruptions to their work in the last year, the percentage who reported leaving the workforce as a direct result of issues with childcare $4.29 billion the annual estimated cost of childcare-related employee turnover and absenteeism for North Carolina employers $1.36 billion the annual amount in tax revenue that North Carolina misses out on due to turnover and absences stemming from childcare issues 15 the percentage of working parents who are planning to leave their employment over the next 12 months 46 the percentage of parents attending school or worker training who needed to make a significant adjustment to their schedule due to childcare issues in the past year 24 the percentage of parents who said they have worked (onsite or virtually) over that last six months while simultaneously caring for a child 22 the percentage of parents who said they have worked fewer hours over that last six months to provide childcare 23 the percentage of parents who said they have alternated work hours with another member of the household over that last six months to provide childcare 12 the percentage of parents who say they have delayed entry into the job market because of childcare issues 51 the percentage of North Carolinians who departed from their education due to childcare issues who anticipate waiting at least a year before returning to their course of study (another 5% said they either did not plan to return or did not know when they would be able to return to their education) $9,255 the average annual cost for full-time childcare at childcare centers in North Carolina for an infant. $7,592 the average annual cost for full-time childcare at childcare centers in North Carolina for a 4-year-old. According to the report, low-income families more often use price as the sole deciding factor when choosing their childcare setting as compared to parents with higher incomes, who may consider other factors like quality and proximity to work. Erica Palmer Smith, executive director of NC Child, summed it up this way: Quality early childhood education lays the foundation for our children during the most formative years of their lives. Further, we know that childcare access helps parents maintain employment, which is critical for supporting their children. This research clearly shows the importance of investing in the childcare system here in North Carolina. Click here to read the full Untapped Potential report. The House Appropriations Committee will take up their proposed spending plan Tuesday at 9:00am. The post Monday numbers: NCs childcare industry awaits a state budget and a lifeline appeared first on NC Newsline. The Monroe County Board of Elections, and in particular its poll workers, are ill prepared for a contentious 2024 general election, according to a recent report to the Legislature from a polling site supervisor. Carrie Remis, a good government advocate and polling site co-chair in the town of Irondequoit, told the Legislature that the local election apparatus is "woefully under-prepared to handle the palpable increase in voter frustration and distrust." "Despite the demand for it, MCBOE has allotted little to no additional training time for leaders to ask questions about how to handle disgruntled or belligerent voters, role-play or learn from real-world case studies, all considered best practices in adult learning," Remis wrote in her memo, dated May 23. A poll worker in Pittsford in 2020. State data shows that Monroe County has an unusually high level of turnover among poll workers, something Remis attributed to increasingly stressful conditions at polling places. One in four poll workers in 2022 were serving for the first time, twice as many as in any other large county and four times the state average, state data shows. She said the two top local election officials, Jackie Ortiz and Lisa Nicolay, "have kept a lid on the problem and dismissed good faith efforts aimed at addressing the underlying reasons for the shortage." Ortiz, a Democrat, and Nicolay, a Republican, pushed back on the criticism, saying there has been no measurable increase in confrontations at the polls and accusing Remis of seeking "salacious headlines," in Ortiz' words, rather than actual improvements. "I feel like this woman is complaining about things that dont exist either for her own self-promotion or because shes an instigator," Nicolay said. Remis sent her memo to the Legislature and various elected officials and voter advocacy groups, but not directly to the media. "It's disappointing that the county would shrug off poll worker concerns without so much as an investigation or hearing," she wrote in an email. "If Commissioners Nicolay and Ortiz spent any time at all listening to the poll worker corps and the larger voting public, they would know that we are uneasy and looking to them for reassurance. Turning a deaf ear to concerns and ideas for improvement is not leadership. I hope they reconsider." Carrie Remis Harassment on the rise but not here? Since 2020 there have been widespread reports from around the United States of poll workers and elected officials being harassed and intimidated by disgruntled voters and self-appointed election inspectors, including many on the far right who have come to doubt the very validity of democratic elections. The U.S. Department of Defense's Election Threats Task Force in March announced it was investigating dozens of threats to election workers across the country and highlighted the challenge for local and state elections boards. A poll by the Brennan Center for Justice found that more than half of local election officials were concerned for the safety of their staffs. Its a tough time (for poll workers) and some of them have said, I dont need this,'" said Paul Smith, senior vice president the Campaign Legal Center. In Monroe County, though, Ortiz and Nicolay said they haven't seen the same effect. "We do not have this plethora of complaints or incidents that (Remis) is talking about," Ortiz said. "If its happening, its not being documented." Grosh cited reports to her organization of "Republican poll workers sitting around and talking about whether you can even trust elections these days." "That strikes me as a bad, bad thing to have going on," she said. "If the poll workers are spreading those kinds of rumors, its pretty hard to fight." Ortiz said that while there have been isolated instances of that sort of forbidden chatter, she believes they are few are far between, in part because of the law requiring a Democrat and Republican to serve together. "Theyre not allowed to talk about anything like that," she said. "If theyre a Republican, they know theyre sitting next to a Democrat. So why would you even have that conversation?" Does turnover matter? Ortiz and Nicolay said they didn't know why Monroe County has such high turnover among poll workers compared to other counties but said it doesn't matter as long as they're well trained. "I bet theres a lot of turnover at McDonalds, too," Nicolay said. "Does anybody care about that?" Republican Elections Commissioner Lisa Nicolay, at left, in 2020. They also cast doubt on Remis' assertion that "there are election deniers in the poll worker ranks" a concern repeated by local League of Women Voters President Barbara Grosh. They said the training provided to poll workers adequately covers safety issues, including how to escalate problems to law enforcement. "Even though it's only one or two slides during the training, it generates a very robust discussion," Ortiz said. The poll worker manual posted on the county Board of Elections website contains no reference to safety precautions. A slideshow on "verbal de-escalation techniques" recently posted to the website includes instructions that poll workers "stand at an angle so you can side step if needed," and "keep your hands out of your pockets (and) available to protect yourself." That physical combat advice may be of limited value to the 25% of Monroe County poll workers who are over the age of 70, according to state statistics. A slide from the "verbal de-escalation techniques" slideshow on the Monroe County Board of Elections website. "The training is pretty superficial," Grosh said. "So far nothing terrible has happened, but Im a long way from knowing what to do in a million different situations. Theres nasty, angry people coming in to vote." The poll workers are not only relatively inexperienced; there also will be fewer of them in 2024. The county has a target of 3,500 poll workers this year, down from 4,800 in 2020. Nicolay said 3,500 will be sufficient because more people are expected to vote early compared to the last presidential election. Recommendations not heeded Remis' memo calls on the Legislature to take several concrete actions. Form a standing elections oversight committee Create a local election workers' code of conduct Require greater transparency with data about poll worker staffing and safety as well as registration processing Use county and community resources "to dispel election disinformation" and recruit and train poll workers" The transparency recommendation notes in particular a sharp drop in new local voter registrations in 2022: 29,000, down from 106,000 in the most recent mid-term year and far off the 125,000 projected. That information was never shared with the Legislature or the public, Remis said. Dave Long, a Democratic legislator from Irondequoit who met with both Remis and Ortiz, said he doesn't believe there is any need for legislative action. "I didnt find anything I was immediately concerned about," he said. "There hasnt been discussion really with others that Ive heard about this." A spokeswoman for Monroe County Executive Adam Bello referred to Ortiz and Nicolay for comment. They said they didn't see a need for any additional resources or legislative oversight. "If they want to have an oversight committee yeah, whatever," Nicolay said. "That doesnt intimidate me one bit." Primary day is June 25, with early voting from June 15 to 23. The general election is Nov. 5, with early voting from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3. Justin Murphy is a veteran reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle and author of "Your Children Are Very Greatly in Danger: School Segregation in Rochester, New York." Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CitizenMurphy or contact him at jmurphy7@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: County officials dismiss concerns over poll worker safety, turnover The Montana State Capitol photographed on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan) The State of Montana wants the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of the Montana Supreme Courts March decision striking down four voting laws passed by the 2021 Legislature, and a filing last week shows the state plans to advance portions of the controversial independent state legislature theory that has mostly already been rejected by the nations high court. Last week, an attorney with the Montana Department of Justice wrote to the Supreme Court that utilizing the four election laws in another challenge would be an ideal vehicle for the court to address what the administration believes are holes in the U.S. Supreme Courts decision from last summer that could allow for the mostly right-wing theory to take hold in the U.S. court system. Because the Montana Supreme Court has assumed a de facto new role as the final arbiter of all election legislation in Montana, this courts review is urgently needed, Montana Department of Justice Counsel of Record Peter Tortensen wrote in the filing. The independent state legislature theory contends that since a clause of the U.S. Constitution says legislatures shall set the time, place and manner of elections for U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, that state courts cannot infringe on election laws for those races written into law by a state legislature. The Montana Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, filed a request for an extension of time last Wednesday with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to give the office until Aug. 26 to file its petition with the court calling on it to take up the appeal, referred to a petition for writ of certiorari. The Attorney Generals Office is representing Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen in the request. The document was obtained and posted online by the election law news outlet Democracy Docket, which also first reported on the filing. A spokesperson for the Secretary of States Office did not respond to an email requesting a copy of the filing and any others in the case on Monday. But the filing shows the Gianforte administration hopes the justices agree to take up the case to review the Montana Supreme Courts March decisions striking down the four bills passed in 2021. The filing says the administration believes the Montana Supreme Courts decisions in those cases were egregiously wrong and highlight the need for this courts guidance on how to determine whether a state court has impermissibly interfered with a state legislatures authority. The Montana Supreme Court unanimously found that a law prohibiting giving voters absentee ballots before they were 18, even if they would be 18 by Election Day, was unconstitutional. But the court was split 5-2, with Justices Dirk Sandefur and Jim Rice dissenting, that three other laws were unconstitutional. A district court judge had previously struck down all four laws. One sought to eliminate Election Day registration; another banned the use of ballot collectors who receive a pecuniary benefit; and the third sought to eliminate university identifications being a legal document to register to vote. The majority found the state had failed to show a compelling state interest in restricting Montanans ballot access and right to vote with those three bills, though Sandefur and Rice disagreed in their dissent, saying they believed the laws should have held up under scrutiny because the court majority was stepping on the toes of the Legislature and the laws it writes with its decision. In last weeks filing, Tortensen asked the court to give the state until Aug. 26, instead of the current June 25 deadline, for an extension to ask the court to hear the case, based in part from Sandefur and Rices dissent. The request also cites dissenting opinions from three conservative justices that were part of a North Carolina gerrymandering case in which the majority found state courts can review federal election laws passed by state legislatures. In that case, Moore v. Harper, a 6-3 majority found state courts can apply constitutional restraints to elections laws passed by legislatures. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion that mostly rejected the theory. The majority found the Elections Clause does not vest exclusive and independent authority in state legislatures to set the rules regarding federal elections (and) does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review. But the court also found that state courts have to act within ordinary bounds of judicial review when reviewing federal elections laws made by state legislatures. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion that the Supreme Court should and presumably will distill that general principle into a more specific standard. The states filing last Wednesday says that begs the question of its appeal: What showing is required to show that a state court has so far exceeded the bounds of ordinary judicial review as to unconstitutionally intrude upon the role specifically reserved to state legislatures by Article I, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution? Last weeks filing says the U.S. Supreme Court partially resolved some of the issues surrounding the theory in its decision last year regarding the bounds of judicial review, but the state believes there is more to be tested. It left open the question of how to determine whether a state court has transgressed that boundary and impermissibly interfered with a state legislatures authority, the filing says. The state argues the level of scrutiny the Montana Supreme Court applied to the four voting laws to overturn them violated the authority given to the legislature by the state constitution to regulate elections and overstepped the limits laid out in the Moore case. The filing also cites Sandefurs dissent in the March opinion, in which he said the court was exercising unrestrained judicial power and struck down the three laws on the most dubiously transparent of constitutional grounds. Tortensen goes on to say that questions about the independent legislature theory will continue to arise until the Supreme Court fully addresses them, citing increased focus on election integrity around the country. Other states have tried to use the independent legislature theory to block courts from reviewing redistricting maps, but the Supreme Court has also mostly rejected their arguments, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Former President Donald Trump also utilized it in claiming state legislatures were the ultimate arbiters of Electoral College votes and could overturn election results, but that claim also failed to be approved by the majority. Lawmakers from Pennsylvania are also asking the court to take up a case centered on the independent state legislature theory involving a voting rights executive order from President Joe Biden, though the court has yet to agree to hear the case. The request from Jacobsen and the Attorney Generals Office is an initial step in asking the court to hear the appeal. The court may grant or deny the extension request; if it is denied, the state would have just more than a week to prepare its application for an appeal. Even if the extension is granted, the court could still decline to hear the case. 2024-06-12-MT-Secretary-of-States-application-for-an-extension-of-time-to-file-petition-for-certiorari The post Montana aiming for SCOTUS appeal of decisions that struck down voting laws appeared first on Daily Montanan. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) said Monday that Dr. Thomas Taylor would be its new superintendent. According to a post on the X platform, Taylor is an MCPS alumnus. His appointment is scheduled for June 25. Prior to being named as MCPS superintendent, Taylor served as the superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) in Virginia, according to the school systems website. Nonprofit raises funds to rebuild Potomac playground after fire SCPS said that Taylor is from Washington, D.C. He previously worked as deputy superintendent in Chesterfield County. He was acknowledged as the Region III Superintendent of the Year in Middlesex County in 2016 and was the University of Virginias Alumni Outstanding Principal in 2012 in Charlottesville City. According to SCPS, Taylor serves on community boards in Virginia. He also serves on the College Boards Superintendent Advisory Council, co-leads the National STEM Consortium and is the Chair of the Virginia Wesleyan University Alumni Council. MCPS previous superintendent, Monifa McKnight, stepped down in February following calls for her to resign. 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. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) will be issuing a mass pardon for more than 175,000 marijuana convictions Monday. The pardons will be one of the countrys biggest acts of clemency involving the drug thats now widely used recreationally. In an interview with The Washington Post, Moore said it will be a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harmed people of color. Im ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what Im signing to right a lot of historical wrongs, he said. If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color. The Post noted that nine other states and multiple cities have pardoned hundreds of thousands of previous marijuana convictions in recent years, but Moores actions impact communities of color significantly because Maryland has one of the countrys worst records for disproportionately incarcerating Black people. The Post also noted that the pardons fall on the same week as Juneteenth celebrations across the country, which symbolizes the end of slavery. Moore is the only Black governor of a U.S. state. The pardons rival only Massachusetts, where Gov. Maura Healey (D) issued a blanket pardon in March that is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of people, the Post reported. The pardons will not release anyone from prison because it will affect misdemeanor cannabis charges, which carry short sentences, and prosecutions for those charges have stopped since its now legal to carry small amounts of marijuana in the state. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (D) said the pardons are overdue. While the pardons will extend to anyone and everyone with a misdemeanor conviction for the possession of marijuana or paraphernalia, this unequivocally, without any doubt or reservation, disproportionately impacts in a good way Black and Brown Marylanders, he said in an interview with the Post. Maryland is the only state in the Washington, D.C., region that has fully legalized cannabis sales. 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. Gov. Wes Moore signs an executive order June 17 to pardon 175,000 misdemeanor cannabis convictions. Photo by William J. Ford. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed an executive order Monday pardoning 175,000 misdemeanor cannabis-related convictions, forgiving low-level convictions for a drug that is now legal in Maryland for medical and recreational use by those over age 21. There is no official count for the number of people who will receive pardons the executive order applies to a list of convictions compiled by the states courts, not of individuals convicted but administration officials estimate that as many as 100,000 people could be affected. Those people should see updates to their electronic court files in the next two weeks noting that they have been pardoned for their convictions on simple marijuana possession or possession of drug paraphernalia, the two crimes covered by the executive order. Its done, a smiling Moore said after he signed the order inside the governors reception room. The pardons come two years after lawmakers voted to put a referendum on the November 2022 ballot to allow possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by those over age 21. That measure was approved by just over two-thirds of voters, and took effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project, said the governors order Monday represents the most powerful day in cannabis justice history. The order directs the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to develop a process for criminal background checks that will note that a person has been pardoned for the misdemeanor possession and paraphernalia charges. The administration said it could take up to 10 months for that system to be in place. Moores pardon does not strike the conviction from a persons criminal record it would still show up, eventually with a note that the crime had been pardoned. In order to have the conviction stricken from their records, people would have to apply with the courts for an expungement. According to the administration, more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple possession of cannabis will be pardoned by Moores order, and another 18,000 misdemeanor convictions will be pardoned for use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. When asked to explain the apparent 7,000-conviction gap between those numbers and the overall 175,000 cited by the administration, officials said those were not an exact number. An administration-supplied county-by-county list of convictions subject to pardon does add up to 175,000. Baltimore City accounted for the highest numbers of convictions with 39,856, or 23%. Baltimore County recorded the second highest convictions with 22,298, or 12.7%. Prince Georges County was third with 21,080 convictions, or 12%. Administration officials said those pardoned dont have to take any action, but they can check online at the Maryland Judiciary case search to see if a conviction has been pardoned at casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch/, or visit a local courthouse to verify whether they received a pardon. One person to be pardoned is Shiloh Jordan, who was at the State House on Monday. The governor said Jordan was convicted on a minor cannabis offense after he dropped out of college. Jordan was hired after his conviction, but fired on the second day of the job because he didnt pass his background check. The only thing on his record is a minor cannabis charge, said Moore, who added Jordan took job training courses and eventually graduated college from Bowie State University. Gov. Wes Moore, left, gives a handshake to Shiloh Jordan on June 17 inside the governors reception room in Annapolis. Attorney General Anthony Brown looks on. Photo by William J. Ford. Jordan, 32, now works as an outreach coordinator for the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore. Im thankful that they can use my story as a testimony andwe can try to offer change to people in Maryland, Jordan said after the ceremony attended by state lawmakers, administration officials and criminal justice advocates. I know a lot of people that have been convicted of petty cannabis charges and it really affected their whole way of life. Maryland represents one of the most diverse states in the nation, with Blacks accounting for about 29% of the population in 2020. But Blacks made up about 70% of those incarcerated in the state. According to a racial equity impact note for the 2022 cannabis referendum, Blacks were twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as other groups in the state. Blacks accounted for 59% of those arrested for marijuana possession in 2020, compared to about 39% for whites. The pardon comes two days before the celebration of Juneteenth on Wednesday, which became a federal holiday three years ago and a recognized holiday in Maryland two years ago for state employees. It symbolizes the end of slavery in the United States. We know how difficult it is for Black and brown people to navigate through the system in terms of employment and housing and education, said Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue, who was also on hand for the signing of the order. This act by the governor will allow such great opportunity for so many who has been shackled by a conviction that keeps them from doing better for themselves. The post Moore signs order pardoning 175,000 misdemeanor cannabis convictions appeared first on Maryland Matters. More than 10,000 Tennesseans travelled out of state for abortions last year, new study finds Source: Guttmacher Institute More than 10,000 Tennesseans crossed state lines to obtain an abortion last year, according to estimates from an abortion rights group. The Guttmacher Institute began detailed tracking of interstate travel for abortions after the Supreme Courts 2022 Dobbs decision ushered in bans or restrictions in nearly half the country, including Tennessee. Their report is based on data gathered from the nations abortion providers. Abortion has been almost completely banned in Tennessee since August 2022. The states law doesnt allow an exception for rape or incest and provides only narrow exceptions for certain medical emergencies. Of the 10,570 abortions Tennessee residents obtained in other states last year, 7,120 traveled to Illinois, 1,280 to North Carolina and 880 to Virginia, the institute reported. Tennessee residents also obtained abortions in California (220), Georgia (950), and South Carolina (120). In total, 171,000 patients nationwide sought abortions outside of their home states. Medication abortion accounted for 63% of all pregnancy terminations last year, a procedure that is routinely offered via telemedicine in other states, alleviating the need for an in-person office visit. Tennessee also outlaws telehealth abortions. The law has uncertain legal ramifications for doctors outside the state who prescribe abortion pills to patients in Tennessee, but nevertheless may be prompting Tennesseans to leave the state to obtain them. The post More than 10,000 Tennesseans travelled out of state for abortions last year, new study finds appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. More than 100 tortoises were removed from burrows at Hyundai site ahead of construction The gopher tortoise is one of the oldest species found in the Southeast. Construction of Hyundai Motor Companys $7.6 billion electric-vehicle manufacturing plant near Savannah has made national headlines and upended the lives of residents in northern Bryan County. But one sentence buried deep in a 167-page environmental permit for the mega-project revealed some under-the-radar activity at the 2,450-acre site months before construction commenced in January 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers document noted that gopher tortoises living on what was then still fields and forests had been removed from the site in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. In all, 106 tortoises were collected and transported about 30 miles to the Fort Stewart Army base, said Rick Lavender, a spokesman for WRD, an agency within the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Conserving gopher tortoises Georgias state reptile and the native habitats they need has long been a DNR focus, Lavender added in an email. As is routine with such removals, most of the tortoises were excavated from burrows. They were then carried in containers for release in appropriate habitat at Fort Stewart. Gopher tortoises, which can reach 15 inches in length and typically live 40 to 60 years, are classified as threatened in portions of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi but not in the eastern section of their range, which includes Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and a portion of Alabama. Their status here can be credited largely to the Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative. That public-private partnership is on the brink of its goal to permanently protect 65 viable tortoise populations in the state, an effort that contributed to the Fish and Wildlife Services 2022 decision not to federally list the species in the eastern part of its range (which includes Georgia), Lavender explained. Savannah-based Resource and Land Consultants relocated the tortoises with DNRs approval and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services recommendation. Carrying out such a project is no small task. The burrows, which can go as deep as 12 feet and extend more than 60 feet, are designed to protect the tortoises from predators and severe weather. They are the ideal location for hibernating during winter and escaping the summer heat. In fact, gopher tortoises spend as much as 80% of their time in burrows. Hundreds of other species take up residence in the dugouts, and many of them wouldnt survive without the protection. They include the threatened Eastern indigo snake, which was of particular concern in the environmental permitting process for the Hyundai site (none were spotted on the property). Like the gopher tortoise, Eastern indigo inhabit areas dominated by longleaf pine trees that once covered 90 million acres from Texas to Virginia but now have been reduced to about 10% of their original coverage. Species rescue: Flights fuel Georgia's largest release of endangered sea turtles at Jekyll Island Young longleaf pines grow at the Fort Stewart Army base in Georgia. Logging and a 20th-century move away from prescribed burns to manage the forest understory contributed to the loss. But development in the booming Southeast with the Hyundai project as a prime example continues to drive longleaf clear-cutting. Conservation and restoration efforts have added about 2 million acres to the nations longleaf pine inventory, but experts say the species will never again approach its peak prevalence. Fort Stewart was a practical choice for the tortoises displaced by the Hyundai project. Through a partnership between the Army and conservation groups, more than 400 acres of longleaf pines have been preserved or restored on the coastal Georgia base. The effort has led to the resurgence of another species that thrives in longleaf forests. Populations of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker have surged by nearly two-thirds at the installation, the Army reported. Longleaf pines, which can live an average of 250 years if undisturbed, also act as long-term protectors of the planet by absorbing heat-trapping pollution that causes climate change. The relocated tortoises, meanwhile, will be insulated from future disruptions on an undisturbed section of the 279,000-acre Fort Stewart, the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River. And as expected development overruns habitat near the Hyundai plant, the transplanted reptiles will have plenty of space for sprawl themselves. The Army and Georgia Land Trust, through agreements with property owners, have partnered to preserve 3,000 acres of mixed pine and hardwood forestland around the base. This effort is a great example of modern conservation, said Andrew Schock, Georgia state director for The Conservation Fund. The easement protects the forests while the property is sustainably managed for its timber resources and remains on the tax rolls. ... Its a relationship where everyone wins the military, the environment and the community. John Deem covers climate change in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Gopher tortoises moved from Hyundai site to Fort Stewart Army base More than 200K have information compromised after L.A. County Health Dept. targeted by hacker Upwards of 200,000 people had their personal information compromised after a hacker targeted the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The health department revealed the privacy breach on Friday; in their statement, officials said that the hacker was able to gain login credentials for 53 employees through a phishing email attack that was carried out between Feb. 19 and Feb. 20. Gusty winds to drive 14,625 acre Post Fire burning in Los Angeles, Ventura counties Once the phishing scheme was discovered, the health department disabled the impacted email account, reset and re-imaged the users devices, blocked websites that were part of the scheme and quarantined all suspicious incoming emails. Public Health also implemented numerous enhancements to reduce exposure to similar email attacks in the future, including a one-year partnership with financial and risk advisory firm Kroll at no cost to affected clients. Information that was potentially compromised includes Public Healths clients, employees and other individuals first and last names, date of birth, diagnosis, prescription, medical record number or patient ID, Medicare of Medi-Cal number, health insurance information, Social Security Number and other financial information. American tourist found dead on small Greek island west of Corfu; 3 other tourists, including SoCal deputy, still missing Affected individuals may have been impacted differently and not all of the elements listed were present for each individual, officials added. While Public Health cannot confirm whether information has been accessed or misused, individuals are encouraged to review the content and accuracy of the information in their medical record with their provider. Anyone who may have been impacted by the phishing campaign will be notified by the health department by mail; for individuals who do not have a mailing address available, information is also posted on the departments website. In addition, officials have notified the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and other agencies as required by law. Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels like those on cigarettes For tips on how to protect your information, visit Public Healths Steps You Can Take to Protect Against Identity Theft and Fraud fact sheet. To see if your information was stolen, call the health departments newly established dedicated call center at 1-866-898-4312 (available weekdays from 6 a.m. to 5 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 KTLA. A row of backpacks at a Virginia school. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) A handful of Virginia school boards are exiting the Virginia School Board Association, the longest-running organization dedicated to supporting school boards in the commonwealth, over claims that it has failed to meet their needs and doesnt align with their conservative values. Gina Patterson, executive director of VSBA, established in 1906, said she would not comment on the claims made by the few boards but instead responded that the associations decisions are based on the school boards priorities, not staffs. School Boards that did not renew VSBA membership Bedford County Isle of Wight County Orange County Rockingham County Warren County *List as of June 14 at 5 p.m. What we do is based on the decisions of the majority of our members, based on legislative positions and how they want us to lobby for or against something at the General Assembly, Patterson told the Mercury. VSBA offers school boards networking opportunities, professional development sessions, optional add-on policy and legal services, governance training, and can assist with superintendent searches. Conservative and some newly elected board members, including those from Warren and Orange counties, said the organization wasnt incorporating their legislative priorities and providing training that mirrors their principles. Before they were elected, some of those school boards members campaigned on certain parents frustration with how school boards operated by allowing divisive concepts in schools, endangering students, adopting controversial policies around transgender students and books, and renaming schools and mascots connected to the racist ideals of the Confederacy. Gov. Glenn Youngkin focused his campaign on many of the same issues. Tiffany Van Der Hyde, executive director of We The People, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization tracking shifts in school board memberships, said Gov. Youngkin rallying with parents over education issues in 2021 contributed to some Virginia school boards political polarization and the exodus of many of their members. Youngkins election empowered a lot of far-right candidates to seek office in this space, and we saw a lot of really great conservative, local school board members across the state decide not to run again, Hyde said. They just didnt want to be a part of it and when they left, the more extreme candidates filled those gaps. Boards exit from VSBA Some school board members claimed that VSBA, which the boards pay through agreements, has failed to prove its value to their communities. Warren County Board Member Ralph Rinaldi said during a Sept. 6 vote to leave the VSBA that he believed the school staff and board could govern themselves and implement policies relating to issues like school discipline without the association. They do provide some services that are worthwhile, but I look at the return for what were putting in and what were getting, then I look at our geographic location, and there are other counties here in the [Shenandoah Valley] that sort of get snubbed by them, Rinaldi said. The Warren County School Board became one of the earliest to decline to renew its membership with VSBA, followed most recently by boards in Orange County and Rockingham County. Rockingham voted to begin its membership with the alternative School Board Member Alliance, but keep VSBAs policy services. On May 20, board members in Orange County voted not to renew their agreements with VSBA, citing thousands of dollars in costs and saying they could find resources elsewhere. Members are also only attending some training sessions, which carry additional fees. Orange County board member Darlene Dawson claimed that the VSBA has been a monopoly for a long time. They self-identify as a lobbying organization, and they lobby for many things that I, on principle, stand against, and Im not interested in supporting them, Dawson said in May. I prefer to take my training from someone who supports my values. A controversial alternative The School Board Member Alliance of Virginia, a conservative-leaning group and nonprofit organization, has emerged as a popular alternative for some of VSBAs former school board members in the past year. As of June 12, the association represents one-tenth of Virginias school boards members and supports parental rights, educational freedom for families and traditional academics. Unlike the VSBA, the Alliance offers individual memberships. Our professional development is based on the powers and duties afforded to school board members under Virginia law, said Shelly Norden, spokesperson for SBMA. We believe every child deserves a quality education in a safe and disruption-free environment. School boards have the legal authority to ensure this is happening. Alliance members and leaders have reportedly threatened a board member in York County (which the SBMA refutes) and rebranded two schools with Confederate names in Shenandoah County. Norden said the alliances members were elected to local school boards to serve their constituents. SBMA launched to give school board members a choice when it comes to professional development, Norden said in an email to the Mercury. Our goal is to continue adding professional development opportunities and services that will enable our members to serve their communities effectively. Keeping the agreement Some board members have been unsuccessful in swaying their colleagues to retain their membership with VSBA, despite the organizations long history and track record of advocacy. Others remain optimistic. I think you get out of these organizations, what you put into them, and if you choose to attend the professional development conferences and sessions that each organization offers, I think you will get more out of it than you think, said Robert Hundley Jr., a Hanover County school board member and former VSBA board president, at a June 11 Hanover County School Board meeting. Other members across the commonwealth expressed concern that leaving VSBA could impact whether their schools policies and procedures would be updated to ensure the divisions compliance with state laws. Thats what it does, said Orange County Board Member Jack Rickett, who voted against leading VSBA. Can other people do that? Yes, they can Lawyers are going to cost money, and we will have extensive legal fees when we remove ourselves from the VSBA. In Rockingham County, board member Jackie Lohr pointed out that VSBAs position as a lobbyist for school boards gives members a way to influence policymakers that they wouldnt otherwise have. When were no longer members, we no longer have a voice, we no longer have a vote, Lohr said at the June 10 Rockingham school board meeting. They are a big, big machine and they will continue to lobby, and they have the ears of a lot of politicians and if were not there to provide the conservative voice, no one else will be. Correction: This story inadvertently published that Warren County Board Member Tom McFadden Jr. voted against renewing the membership instead of Ralph Rinaldi. The post More districts leave Virginia School Board Association appeared first on Virginia Mercury. PERTH AMBOY Morris Habitat for Humanity (MHfH) in partnership with several city organizations has broken ground on two new homes for low- and moderate-income families. The homes will be at 99 and 101 Pearl Place and have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. They will each have a private entrance, a porch, a one-car garage and driveway, and will be available for families between three and six. The homeowners have not been selected yet but will be through a lottery process. The lottery will contain any low- and moderate-income families who attend a Program Information Meeting at MHfH, but preference will be given to veterans. Homeowners will qualify for an affordable 30-year mortgage but will also have a minimum 30-year deed restriction. The homes will be priced at $170,000 each for low-income families and $230,000 for moderate-income families. Finally, all selected homeowners will have to put in 300-400 hours of sweat equity so MHfH insures this house is not a hand-out, but a hand-up. One of our principles is we want to make sure we arent giving a hand-out to this family, said Liz DeCoursey MHfH CEO, The future home buyers have to help build their home and their neighbors home as well. It brings everyone together. DeCoursey hopes to have the houses finished by the end of the year, but that is no small task. She relies on the collaboration with her partners and volunteers from all around the state. Property doesn't just naturally appear, someone almost has to invite you in and have a shared vision that a community needs affordable housing, said Decoursey, We collaborate with so many different organizations and have some many volunteers, whether its groups or individuals. We couldnt do it without them. These partners were all in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony on June 13 as volunteers, organizations, and even people walking in town crowded the small lot where two houses would soon be built. Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin Caba speaks at the Morris Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking. Mayor Helmin Caba thanked MHfH and all their partners, while emphasizing his views on affordable housing. Our commitment to affordable, safe sustainable housing is evident in every detail from the very last nail hammered, to the smallest utility bills save, and the vital pipes that carry water into each home, said Caba, Through this we are addressing housing issues, and building a more equitable and inclusive city for every resident." He then gifted MHfH a $187,153 check through the Perth Amboy Home Investment Partnership Program to be used toward the construction of both homes. Also present at the ceremony were two crucial partners in Lorissa Luciani, an administrator at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, and Doug Dzema, the Executive Director of both the Housing Authority of the City of Perth Amboy and the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Team for Neighborhood Enterprise and Revitalization or P.A.R.T.N.E.R. P.A.R.T.N.E.R. has been crucial to MHfHs affordable housing efforts in Perth Amboy. Douglas Dzema, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Perth Amboy, speaks at the Morris Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking. In 2020, MHfH came down to take over construction of a house Middlesex Habitat for Humanity had left unfinished when it ran out of money and closed. P.A.R.T.N.E.R. had been working on the house as well, and the town organizations were quickly thrown into collaboration. Now, they have built six houses in less than four years. Dzema has been a big part of this effort, but he gives most of the credit to MHfH. They (MHfH) have an absolutely fantastic inter core of individuals and a very interested board that puts them above and beyond anything Ive seen before, said Dzema, They have the ability to pull together resources and have many pro-bono professionals at their disposal. We are happy to be a part of the team. P.A.R.N.T.E.R. was vital in acquiring the property from the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Authority (P.A.R.A) and has helped bring many new partners to MHfHs projects over the years. The Rotary Club of Old Bridge - Sayreville donates a check at the orris Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking. One of these partners, the Rotary Club of Old Bridge Sayreville, contributed $20,000 to the two new houses at the ceremony as well. Construction on the two houses will begin as soon as possible and MHfH is welcoming anyone who is willing to help. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Morris Habitat bringing two more affordable homes to Perth Amboy The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation confirmed that the Ukrainian Air Force shot down a rare Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft over the Azov Sea back in February, killing ten crew members. Ukraine's military intelligence agency, together with the Air Force, shot down the aircraft on February 23, 2024, killing 10 crew members. The agency announced that the downing was "another serious blow" to Russia's military capabilities. The Russian Ministry of Defense didn't comment on the information at the time. The Russian Investigative Committee issued an arrest in absentia on June 17 for the commander of the Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile brigade that destroyed the A-50. The A-50 provides several critical functions for the ongoing war in Ukraine, such as detecting air defense systems, guided missiles, and coordinating targets for Russian fighter jets. Russia possesses less than ten of these planes. A-50 aircraft have an estimated price tag of around $350 million. The destruction of the jet is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes. Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter jet in the Pokrovsk sector. The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed "Frogfoot" by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft that provides close air support for Russian ground troops. Ukraine had previously downed a Russian A-50 over the Azov Sea on Jan. 14. An Il-22 airborne control center was also reportedly damaged beyond repair in the same operation. Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter jet in the Pokrovsk sector. The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed "Frogfoot" by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft that provides close air support for Russian ground troops. Russia's total losses during the all-out war amount to about 685 aircraft 359 planes and 326 helicopters, according to Ukraine's General Staff. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones target industrial facilities in 3 Russian regions Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) The Calhoun County Public Health Department is encouraging residents to be diligent in taking precautions against mosquito bites after a bug tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus. So far this year, positive tests have been found in seven mosquito pools across the state. In addition to the positive test in Calhoun County, data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows four pools in Saginaw County and two pools in Bay County have tested positive, all for JCV. Jamestown Canyon virus is found throughout much of the United States, but cases have been trending upward in the Midwest. It is spread to people through bites from infected mosquitoes. Illness can develop within a few days to two weeks following a bite from an infected mosquito, the CCPHD said in a statement. While most people do not become ill, initial symptoms can include fever, headache and fatigue. In rare cases, it can cause severe disease in the brain and/or spinal cord including encephalitis and meningitis. Sign up for the Storm Team 8 daily forecast newsletter Health officials say the warm, wet spring triggered a large crop of May mosquitoes. It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause a severe illness, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the states chief medical executive, said in a statement. We urge Michiganders to take precautions such as using an EPA-registered insect repellent when outdoors, avoiding areas where mosquitos are present if possible, and wearing clothing to cover arms and legs to prevent bites. Last year, 30 people tested positive mosquito-borne viruses: 24 cases of West Nile virus and six cases of JCV. One horse and one deer also died from Eastern Equine encephalitis. 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 WOODTV.com. MS woman is guilty of manslaughter in crash that killed an officer. I think I passed out. A Mississippi woman pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter for causing a one-vehicle crash that killed off-duty Waveland police officer and mother-of-two Katie Cash. A tearful Angela Christina James of Carriere admitted to being legally drunk and reaching a speed of up to 100 mph as clocked by a sensor in her vehicle when her vehicle ran off the road in a curve and flipped, trapping her in the car and ejecting two of the passengers. Cash, who was a passenger in the car with James, died at the scene. The crash happened one day after Cash graduated from the Harrison County Law Enforcement Academy. Waveland Police Officer Katie Cash The one-car crash happened around 3:45 a.m. on July 18, 2021, on a curve just before the intersection at Highway 603 and Paradise Lane. The car was headed north when it left the highway and flipped, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said at the time. During her plea hearing Monday before Judge Christopher Schmidt, James said she thought she passed out while she was driving and that her vehicle went off the road as a result of her negligence because she was legally drunk and barreling down the highway at such high speeds. Angela James leaves the courtroom after pleading guilty to manslaughter in Hancock County Circuit Court on Monday, June 17, 2024. A Hancock County grand jury indicted James on one count of manslaughter and four counts of felony DUI causing death or disfigurement. In exchange for her guilty plea, Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Necaise and Daniel Christopher said prosecutors agreed to dismiss the four other felony charges. James entered an open plea in the case, leaving it up to the court to decide her sentencing since James was not satisfied with the prosecutors recommendation for a prison sentence, her attorney, James Jim Gray, said. The judge will ultimately decide what sentence James will receive. After entering the plea, a bailiff led James, now 45, out of the courtroom pending her transport back to the Hancock County jail pending sentencing. Schmidt deferred sentencing until August to get a pre-sentence report. James could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined up to $10,000 for the crime. Cashs family did not attend the plea hearing. Angela James stands with her attorney Jim Gray as she appears in Hancock County Circuit Court to plead guilty on Monday, June 17, 2024. James pled guilty to manslaughter in the death of Katie Cash after a fatal 2021 crash. Those who were there to support James, along with her attorney, declined to comment after the hearing. In the aftermath of the crash that killed Cash, Waveland Police Chief Mike Prendergast made an emotional post about losing Cash, 33, and asked the community to keep Waveland police officers in their prayers as well as Cashs family, especially her two children. Glen Collins, who attended law enforcement training with Cash, also spoke of how much of an impact she had on his life in the short time they spent training for law enforcement. Cash joined the George County Sheriffs Department after graduating from the academy. 11 weeks! 11 weeks is how long Ive known you Katie Cash!, Collins wrote at the time of the deadly crash. Ive grown so fond of you and this morning I wake up to the news of your passing! 11 weeks was not long enough! You had your whole life ahead of you and you were just getting started in your LEO career. Im gonna miss you dearly. Your little girls and your entire family are in my prayers. MSNBCs Alicia Menendez used a board game to slam former President Donald Trump over how he stacks up to President Joe Biden after leaders met at the Group of Seven summit in Italy last week. Its amazing because you think about the fact that the president is playing chess and the former president, at best, is playing like, Hungry, Hungry Hippo, Menendez said in a reference to the Hasbro game on Saturday. If that. Maybe Uno, Im gonna give him Uno, maybe, replied Symone Sanders-Townsend, her co-host on MSNBCs The Weekend. Hes playing Uno. Uno and somebody keeps telling him Draw Four. The president has since returned to the U.S. after meeting with the G7, which agreed to loan $50 billion to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets. The Weekend co-host Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee, declared that Biden had back-to-back great weeks. How should the presidents team contextualize these types of images, these types of moments, both now and going forward? Steele asked Lincoln Project co-founder Reed Galen before adding that Bidens opponent is a 34 indicted former president thats wailing and speaking incoherently at rallies. Galen noted that theres a large number of Republican voters a group he referred to as Nikki Haley voters who dont like Trumps stance on national security. So I think the more that the White House and the campaign can make the president look like the commander-in-chief, put him in a position of showing that America is in its place in the world as a leader, Galen said. I think its very good not only to bolster support with the Democratic base, because a lot of the Democratic base is pro-Ukraine, but I think also with those soft Republicans who really dont want to go back to Trump, theyre not quite convinced on Joe Biden yet. H/T: Mediaite Related... A University of Missouri banner is taken down as a storm rolls over the Phi Gamma Delta house during the fraternity's move-out day Oct. 24, 2021. Five days prior a fraternity pledge Danny Santulli was hazed, forced to drink a bottle of vodka, leading to alcohol poisoning and brain damage. The dropping of charges in one final University of Missouri hazing case brings an end to at least two years of hearings, trial delays and pleas from the 11 criminally charged after the alcohol poisoning of Danny Santulli on Oct. 19, 2021, at the now closed Phi Gamma Delta fraternity on the MU campus. Benjamin Karl was to have a hearing Monday, but felony hazing charges were dropped Thursday by Boone County Assistant Prosecutor Nick Komoroski. This follows charges dismissed against other hazing defendants Samuel Lane, John O'Neill and Benjamin Parres after Santulli's "pledge dad" Ryan Delanty pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges last month. Terms of Karl's case dismissal were not known by time of publication. Inquiries seeking to confirm dismissal were sent to both Karl's defense attorney Ben Faber and the Boone County Prosecutor's office. The Boone County circuit court provided confirmation of case dismissal. Nearly two dozen civil lawsuits previously were settled. While four defendants had their cases dismissed, seven others, including Delanty, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges where most had minimal jail time among other penalties. Delanty was described in court documents as Santulli's "pledge dad" at the hazing event. Included in the documents was Delanty's text to a friend "my son is dead." Delanty gave Santulli a full bottle of vodka, taped to his hands, which he was expected to drink. Former University of Missouri Fiji pledge Daniel Santulli who suffered alcohol poisoning and brain damage after a hazing incident October 2021. After collapsing and becoming unresponsive, Santulli was resuscitated by emergency room personnel at University of Missouri Hospital. The alcohol poisoning left Santulli with brain damage, unable to see, speak or walk. He is under constant care of his family at their home in Minnesota. It's about time, said Santulli family attorney David Bianchi by phone during Delanty's guilty plea hearing in May. "This is the first time Ryan Delanty has ever stepped up and admitted he's guilty of hazing and supplying alcohol to a minor," Bianchi said at the time. "At least he's finally admitting it. He deserves to be held accountable. This is a step in the right direction." The remaining defendants should take note, he said prior to their cases being finalized. "Nothing good comes from dragging this out and delaying justice," Bianchi said. The family is working hard and Santulli is making slow improvement, he added. Danny Santulli was rushed to a Columbia hospital after he became unresponsive following a hazing event at a Phi Gamma Delta party at the University of Missouri October 2021. Santulli suffered brain damage from alcohol poisoning, and he remains blind and unable to walk or talk. Criminal case results Ryan Delanty, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, six months jail and six months home detention; Samuel Gandhi, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, 15 days jail, two years unsupervised probation, among other plea deal terms; Benjamin Karl, charges dropped after Delanty guilty plea; Samuel Lane, charges dropped after Delanty guilty plea; Samuel Morrison, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, two days jail, one year suspended sentence, two years unsupervised probation, among other plea deal terms; Blake Morsovillo, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, two days jail, required drug and alcohol education program participation; John O'Neill, charges dropped after Delanty plea; Benjamin Parres, charges dropped after Delanty plea; Harrison Reichman, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, 15 days jail, two years unsupervised probation, among other plea deal terms; Thomas Schultz, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges, 30 days jail, one year suspended sentence, two years unsupervised probation, among other plea deal terms; Alec Wetzler, pleaded guilty to misdemeanors (did not originally face felony charge), two days jail, six month suspended sentence, two years unsupervised probation, $500 fine. Roger McKinney, formerly of the Tribune, contributed. Portions of this story previously were published. Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Final Mizzou hazing case dismissed, closing out Danny Santulli cases Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams (both dressed in blue) were welcomed June 6 aboard the International Space Station following a successful docking. Starliner launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on June 5 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. File NASA image/UPI June 17 (UPI) -- NASA will join Boeing on Tuesday to review the repeatedly delayed Starliner mission and the craft's departure from the International Space Station as part of the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test. The 12 p.m. EDT pre-departure media teleconference will evaluate mission requirements and weather conditions at available landing locations in the southwestern U.S. "before committing to the spacecraft's departure from the orbiting laboratory," according to NASA. Starliner's return to Earth has been delayed to June 22 or later, the federal space agency announced Friday. The news conference participants will include Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager; Dana Weigel, NASA's International Space Station Program manager; Mike Lammers, flight director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Mark Nappi, Boeing's vice president and program manager for the commercial crew program. This was the Starliner's second delay in the return to Earth following a recent announcement that the spacecraft would disembark June 18 from the International Space Station. A ULA Atlas V rocket launches the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on its maiden June 5 crewed flight from Complex 41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Starliner's return to Earth has been delayed to June 22 or later, the federal space agency announced Friday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, 61, and Suni Williams, 58, who embarked on the long-awaited Boeing Starliner mission launch June 5 and docked at the ISS the following day, will have to wait until June 22 or later to return, NASA said last week. The two astronauts were originally set to complete a full Starliner assessment while on board the ISS in just under a week, but the mission was lengthened due to a need to collect more information about the spacecraft. The return mission originally was pushed forward to give ISS astronauts more time to perform a space walk originally planned for June 13, but that mission was scrubbed an hour before it started because of what astronauts said was "spacesuit discomfort." Since arriving at the ISS, Wilmore and Williams have contributed to the station upkeep and assisted with spacewalks and scientific research. Since then, four other helium leaks have been discovered, as well as a valve in the capsule's service module that was not properly closed. Next year, the entire U.S. House and one-third of the Senate will be up for reelection, with possibly acrimonious congressional primaries on both sides of the aisle and the battle over selection of a Republican presidential nominee. (Getty Images) The Arizona Secretary of States Office is working to reach Native voters across the state with Native Voting Hour, a way to hear from voters within Indigenous communities directly as well as provide them with information about their voting rights. Native Voting Hour is a monthly virtual meeting series held on Zoom on the last Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. The meeting is open to the public and dedicated to empowering and educating Native voters across the Grand Canyon state. The program was established as a way for our office to be approachable from the community, said Millicent Michelle Pepion, the outreach coordinator and tribal liaison for the Arizona Secretary of States Office. Pepion understands that meeting virtually in the middle of the afternoon may not be ideal for many people. However, having the program set for a regular time every month helps with consistency and reliability. Each monthly virtual meeting is an hour long and focuses on a theme. It features three to four guest speakers with various backgrounds related to the months theme. The theme for June is Native Voter Outreach: Surveying Rural and Urban Strategies, and it will feature Rosetta Walker, a deputy registrar for the Maricopa County Recorders Office, Liv Knocki, the executive director for Wingbeat 88, and Susan Levy, the communications and community relations director for NATIVE HEALTH. Pepion said that the Secretary of States Office often works with different organizations, universities, school departments and tribal councils. However, the Native Voting Hour program is different. The program is a way for the Secretary of States Office to reach out directly to Indigenous community members, she said, and let them know the office is trying to learn what issues are happening within Native communities and how to best address them. Pepion said that their work is to reach Native people who are hesitant to register to vote, are not motivated to vote, or who need help understanding how their votes can promote change. As the tribal liaison for the Secretary of State, Pepion said she makes an effort to connect with all 22 tribal nations in Arizona and has visited about 12 of them so far. She visits community events and talks about the services her office provides for Indigenous communities. We are engaging directly with tribal councils and we would love to continue the relationships we have created and establish more, she added. We are doing boots on the ground and trying to not just stay in Maricopa County. Pepion said that the Secretary of States efforts strives to inform Indigenous community leaders and help to get more people engaged in voting. If we can help the Native American community in this effort to vote, we will actually be helping other communities that suffer similar experiences, she added. The next Native Voting Hour is scheduled for June 25. Walker, one of the speakers, has advocated for Native voting rights in Arizona for decades, and for the last 12 years has been working as a deputy registrar with the Maricopa County Recorders Deputy Registrar Program. When she learned that the Arizona Secretary of State has a tribal liaison and started hosting Native voting hours, she was excited to participate in any way possible. Im planting seeds of advocacy, Walker said of her work. She said that she is planting the seeds that people need to understand what is happening at the Legislature so people know who the candidates are and make wise decisions at the polls. Im just encouraging you and letting you know the power of the vote, Walker added. Walker, 63, is Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, but she has lived in Arizona for nearly 30 years. Walker said when she started advocating for voting rights, she always made sure to share her familys story. Walker said her family has many military veterans, including her grandfather, who served during World War I, but when he returned home, like all other Indigenous veterans, he did not have the right to vote, even though they were citizens of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. I do that because so many people dont understand the power of vote, Walker said. She hopes that her work to get more information out to the community about Native voting will help voters understand how powerful their vote is. You can have an impact on your local elections, your tribal elections, your state and federal elections, she said. Walker said that when she first started volunteering with the Maricopa County Recorders Office, there were not many resources being shared with Native voters. She did not see many Native people participate as poll workers or become deputy registrars. In the last five years, Walker said she has seen that slowly change, and she thinks thats because of the advocacy that Indigenous people do within their community. If you want to be part of your community, then the best way to take part is to be a volunteer, she said. Step up to be a poll worker (and) learn how to register people to vote. Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and X. The post Native Voting Hour program seeks to inform, encourage Indigenous peoples to vote appeared first on Source New Mexico. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the Alliance is engaged in discussions regarding the deployment of more nuclear weapons due to the increasing threats posed by Russia and China. Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with The Telegraph Details: Stoltenberg emphasised that NATO must demonstrate its nuclear arsenal to the world to send a direct message to its adversaries. He also stated that consultations are ongoing among NATO members regarding the withdrawal of missiles from storage and their readiness for deployment as a means of deterrence. Quote: "I wont go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. Thats exactly what were doing." Details: Stoltenberg emphasised that nuclear transparency must be the basis of NATO's nuclear strategy to prepare the Alliance for what he described as "a more dangerous world". The Telegraph noted that nuclear exercises were conducted under strict secrecy when Stoltenberg took over NATO 10 years ago. Now, he openly praises NATO's 32 allies for their contributions to deterrence, including recent investments by the Netherlands in dual-capable fighter aircraft capable of carrying US nuclear weapons. Quote: "Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance." "NATOs aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world." Details: Stoltenberg warned that China, in particular, is investing substantial resources in modern weapons, including its nuclear arsenal, which he stated is expected to grow to 1,000 warheads by 2030. Quote: "And that means that in a not-very-distant future," he said, "Nato may face something that it has never faced before, and that is two nuclear-powered potential adversaries China and Russia. Of course, this has consequences." Details: Stoltenberg's warnings came after last week's G7 group sharply criticised China and Russia in a communique. It called on Beijing to halt military technology supplies to Moscow and opposed China's "militarisation" in the Pacific. The US and the UK have transferred their nuclear deterrence forces to NATO, while other European allies share the responsibility burden by keeping nuclear weapons on their territory and investing in launch systems. The number of active nuclear warheads is kept secret, but estimates suggest the UK has about 40 of the 225 that could be deployed at any time, while the US possesses around 1,700 of the 3,700. France, NATO's third nuclear state, does not place its atomic arsenal under the Alliance's command due to a longstanding decision to maintain independence in matters of deterrence. Stoltenberg emphasised that the US and their European allies are currently modernising their nuclear deterrent forces due to the increasing threats from Russia. Quote: "The US is modernising their gravity bombs for the nuclear warheads they have in Europe and European allies are modernising the planes which are going to be dedicated to NATOs nuclear mission." "Then, of course, you have the United Kingdom, which is special because the United Kingdom has its own nuclear weapons." Details: Stoltenberg refused to discuss how many warheads should be withdrawn from storage and brought into combat readiness but mentioned that consultations on this matter are ongoing in real-time mode. Quote: "The reality is that we all reduced defence spending when tensions went down after the end of the Cold War. And now we need to increase defence when tensions are going up again. I have been prime minister for 10 years, I know that its hard to find money for defence because most politicians always prefer to spend money on health, on education, infrastructure and other important tasks." "But when we reduce defence spending when tensions go down, we have to be able to increase them when tensions go back up and thats exactly what allies now are doing, the United Kingdom, but also other allies." Support UP or become our patron! NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said 23 of the alliances 32 member states will spend at least 2 per cent of their respective gross domestic products on defense, meeting a threshold which former president Donald Trump has repeatedly mischaracterized as a prerequisite to receiving American help in a crisis. Stoltenberg made the announcement during remarks at the Wilson Center in Washington, not long before he was set to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House. Europeans are doing more for their collective security than just a few years ago, he said. Alongside Biden in the Oval Office a few hours later, Stoltenberg said NATO allies are raising their defense spending by a combined 18 per cent, calling it the biggest such increase in decades. That's more than twice as many as four years ago, and demonstrates that the European allies and Canada are really stepping up and taking their share of the common responsibility to protect all of us in the NATO alliance, he said. Stoltenberg also said it was important for the US to remember that the increased defense spending by NATO countries benefits the US defense industrial base because a lot of the funds involved are used to buy American-made arms. Allies are buying more and more equipment from the US. So NATO is good for US security, but NATO is also good for US jobs, he said. The record number of NATO countries meeting the 2 per cent defense spending goal marks a quadrupling from 2021. In that year, only six of the alliances members spent that amount, despite it being a longstanding goal of the now 32-member bloc. But in the years since Biden took office, Russias invasion of Ukraine has galvanized the Western defensive pact, which is set to hold its 75th annual summit in Washington next month. Since the invasion of Ukraine, two long-neutral nations Finland and Sweden have been admitted to the alliance. Kyiv has also expressed a desire to join at an appropriate time following the resolution of the now two and a half-year-old war with Russia. The effort by most of the alliances members to spend 2 per cent on defense also represents what appears to be a preemptive effort to hedge against an unfavorable American election result should Biden be defeated by his predecessor, former president Donald Trump, when US voters go to the polls in November. Former officials who served in the White House during Trumps first term in office have said the then-president repeatedly threatened to pull America out of the North Atlantic Treaty and would seek to carry out that threat in a second term. In February, Trump bragged of having told NATO heads of state that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that are delinquent in terms of their payments to the alliance. Speaking at a rally in South Carolina, he told supporters he would let Moscow run rampant over countries that did not, in his estimation, spend enough on their own defense. You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump recalled saying. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. LONDON (Reuters) - NATO is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons, taking them out of storage and placing them on standby, in the face of a growing threat from Russia and China, the head of the alliance said on Monday. Jens Stoltenberg told Britain's Telegraph newspaper that there were live consultations between members to use transparency around its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent. "I won't go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That's exactly what we're doing," he told the paper. "Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance." "NATO's aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world." Stoltenberg said last week that nuclear weapons were NATO's "ultimate security guarantee" and a means to preserve peace. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Moscow could use nuclear weapons to defend itself in extreme circumstances. It accuses the U.S. and its European allies of pushing the world to the brink of nuclear confrontation by giving Ukraine billions of dollars worth of weapons, some of which are being used against Russian territory. NATO, which has taken on a greater role in coordinating arms supplies to Kyiv, rarely talks about weapons publicly, although it is known that the U.S. has deployed nuclear bombs to several locations in Europe. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Navarre siblings - one off to West Point, the other to the skies On July 1, a nervous but excited Brenner Mavity, only 17 years old, will report for "R-Day (Reception Day) at the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He'll turn 18 not long after. His sister, 16-year-old Lauren Mavity, won't be home to see him off. She's at a Navy summer flight program in Delaware through Aug. 2. When she returns home to Navarre she'll be 17, and, a bigger deal, she will have earned her FAA pilot's license. Lauren, who will start her senior year at Navarre High School in August, is one of 28 students selected for the intensive eight-week U.S. Navy Summer Flight Academy aviation program at Delaware State University, which began June 9. Navarre High's Lauren Mavity is one of 28 people chosen for a prestigious Navy summer flight academy in Delaware where she will earn her pilot's license. Recent Navarre High graduate Brenner Mavity will enter the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, next month. "I'm very proud of her," Brenner said of his sister. "But I'm a little jealous she's getting her full pilot's license." Brenner is close to earning his license as well. Last year, he attended a similar U.S. Air Force aviation camp, and did get flight hours in, including solo hours, but the program stopped short of students earning their pilot's license. Both Lauren and Brenner are products of Navarre High's Navy JROTC program. Their younger sister Kerra will start her second year of JROTC during her upcoming sophomore year, and their brother Casey will follow after his siblings' footsteps when he and starts at Navarre High in a year. "You couldn't keep him out of it," father Graham Mavity said of his youngest son, adding that the youngest of his and wife Sharon's four children is already joining in with the West Point-bound Brenner on various military-style runs and workouts as the older brother prepares for his entrance into Army life. Of course, the couple is proud of their children's accomplishments. "We have great kids who have had the family support structure they have needed to succeed,'' said Graham Mavity, a long-time Air Force reservist and a Department of Defense firefighter for the Air Force as well. "My wife was a teacher with a background in childhood development. The expectations were made known to them and they had supportive people around them to help them reach those goals. They're really worked hard. It's been a neat experience as a parent." Both Sharon and Graham Mavity credited Navarre High JROTC director/instructor retired Navy Capt. Michael Fisher and his staff in helping Lauren and Brenner grow and reach their potential. You may like: Pace High took on the top Navy JROTC programs in the nation. See how they did Brenner said he's already hearing "Go Navy, Beat Army" from his Navy leaders and is looking forward to yelling the reverse come this fall. Meanwhile, Lauren, who like Brenner swam and played lacrosse at Navarre High, is at the flight academy in Dover, Delaware. Besides the STEM-heavy aviation academics courses, she will also undergo more than 40 hours of flight training in either a Vulcanair V 10 single-engine aircraft or a Piper Warrior (PA-28). She will also have to complete 17 hours of solo flights to earn her pilot's license. "She's already flying," said Sharon Mavity, adding that just a week into the program and her daughter is already working on stall and recovery procedures. "It's a really intense eight weeks and their days are 16 hours. We're very, very proud of her." Like Brenner, Lauren Mavity hopes to be nominated and accepted into a United States service academy after graduating from Navarre High in 2025. In May, she received the Daedalian Award, given to JROTC students who are aspiring aviators. Recipients of the award must meet certain criteria, including ranking in the top 10% of their JROTC class and upper 20% of their high school class. "She would like to attend a military academy," said Sharon Mavity, a former educator with a master's in education degree who now works at Navy Federal Credit Union. "If not, she'll attend college and then she wants to serve in the military." Navarre JRTOC student Lauren Mavity was given the JROTC Daedalian Award for JROTC future aviators in May. Lauren, who will soon start her senior year at Navarre High is currently at a Navy summer academy where she will earn her pilot's license. The U.S. Navy Summer Flight Academy was launched in 2021 under the command of the Commander, Naval Air Forces division (CNAF). It is also referred to as CNAF Flight Academy. The Navys sponsorship of the program with an approximate value of $28,000 per student lets participants attend without imposing financial burdens, officials said. There is no charge or obligation to students, who also earn five college credits along with their pilot license. The academy is only open to Navy and Marine Corps JROTC students. The goal of the scholarship program is to inspire and expose exceptional young talent from communities across the nation to a career path in Naval Aviation, said Tamara Graham, deputy director, CNAF Flight Academy Program manager. Lauren Mavity has demonstrated incredible potential, and the Navy is honored to play a part in her personal and professional journey. Brenner said he and his sister have a healthy competitive streak. "It's not really a rivalry,'' he said. "We just lovingly heckle each other." Does he think he'll catch a little grief when his sister comes home with a pilot's license? "I guarantee it." This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Navarre High JROTC sibling Brenner Lauren Mavity shoot for the sky Navy captain shared erotic photos of his ex while impersonating her online, feds say When a woman learned a fake Facebook account with more than 1,000 friends was impersonating her and shared private photos of her online, she was devastated and confounded by who could hate her so much, according to court documents. Then her mother found a LinkedIn account, which wrongly listed the woman as a pole dancer. The account was also impersonating her, court documents say. The person behind the accounts was U.S. Navy Capt. Theodore E. Essenfeld, the womans ex-boyfriend, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California. Essenfeld, 52, spent more than a year impersonating his ex-girlfriend online while using her name, information and photographs of her to harass her, federal prosecutors said. He did so while they were dating and after their break-up, according to court documents. Under the fake Facebook account, Essenfield joined dating groups, liked multiple users posts, sent users kissy-face emojis and messages and posted erotic and sexually explicit content of his ex, prosecutors said. On June 14, a federal jury convicted Essenfeld, of Chula Vista, California, of cyberstalking and identity theft, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a news release. Criminal defense lawyer Kerry Lee Armstrong, who represents Essenfeld, told McClatchy News on June 17 that he and his client are dejected about the verdict, but they respect the jurys decision. While Mr. Essenfelds actions in this case were immature and juvenile, I do not believe they rose to the level of a crime, Armstrong said. Fake accounts are created Essenfield and his ex-girlfriend, who was previously in the Navy, met on Match.com and began dating in the Spring of 2018 when they both lived in San Diego, according to court documents. After the Navy transferred Essenfeld to Colorado in January 2020, he and his ex-girlfriend were in a long distance relationship, according to the trial brief. By the Fall of 2020, they both went on Match.com without the others knowledge, the trial brief says. Essenfeld eventually discovered his then-girlfriend on the site and created two fake Match.com profiles under the names Ed and Jerry to message her, according to the filing. With the fake accounts, he ultimately told her that the Ed and Jerry personas knew about Essenfeld and that they would confront him if she did not tell (Essenfeld) about what she had done, the trial brief says. The woman then told everything to Essenfeld, who never told her that he was Ed and Jerry, or that he was also contacting people on Match.com, according to the trial brief. Essenfeld and his ex-girlfriend stayed together and she moved in with him in Colorado in May 2021 before they broke up in August 2021, the trial brief says. More imposter accounts In November 2020, Essenfeld created a fake Yahoo email account and Facebook account pretending to be her, the trial brief says. On the fake Facebook account, he blocked his ex-girlfriend, her family and his family, according to prosecutors. Using the account, he engaged with the womans prospective employers social media accounts, former co-workers, the university she attended, the Navy and gyms she used to visit, prosecutors said. The month of their breakup, Essenfeld created the imposter LinkedIn account, according to the trial brief. A few months later, in December 2021, a relative of the woman was using an alternative Facebook account and came across the fake account Essenfeld created, according to the trial brief. The womans family alerted her to the account before she soon learned of the LinkedIn account, the trial brief says. Though she reported the Facebook account more than 400 times, Facebook didnt take it down because it appeared more authentic than the victims actual account, prosecutors said. In February 2022, Essenfeld posted a new Facebook photo album under the Facebook account for his ex-girlfriend called Bedroom Fun, according to prosecutors. Sixteen sexually explicit photos shared in the album showed the woman and a man believed to be Essenfeld, whose face wasnt shown, the trial brief says. After she suspected Essenfeld was running the fake accounts, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service started investigating, the trial brief says. Possible prison time For one count of cyberstalking, Essenfeld is facing up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, prosecutors said. He faces a maximum 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for one count of identity theft, according to prosecutors. Armstrong told McClatchy News that the crime of cyberstalking really came down to the definition of what harassment was, and the court rejected my proposal of how to define that word for the jurors. He said Essenfeld is appealing the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and has hope that the Ninth Circuit will overturn his conviction,he said. Essenfeld is set to be sentenced on Sept. 6, according to prosecutors. Mr. Essenfeld deserves to be held to account for his cruel campaign to stalk, harass, and intimidate his victim, Nicholas Carter, the special agent in charge of the NCIS Southwest field office, said in a statement. Man relentlessly stalked 31 victims, posted porn of victim and had pets stolen, feds say Man stalks former co-worker and uses Apple AirTag to track her to her home, PA cops say Facebook user threatens interracial couple, warns woman shed be raped, killed, feds say Man taunted college students with stolen nude photos from their Snapchats, feds say Nellie Farrell freaked out when she pulled up to her Grand County ranch headquarters and was "100% sure'' she saw a wolf about 30 yards from her sheep and buildings. She honked the horn, yelled at the wolf, waved her hands to scare it away and took a video of the animal that eventually ran off among the family's horses in a pasture. "I left my truck running and was doing jumping jacks and yelling at it and it didn't run away and didn't even seem to care that much about me,'' she told the Coloradoan regarding the May 30 incident at their ranch near Kremmling. "What freaks me out is if you pull up in your vehicle, any other predator, coyote, mountain lion, bear runs away. "I have kids ages 3 and 5 and we are outside doing chores twice a day. If they are outside by themselves in that area, how will they scare away the wolf?'' Such close-to-home sightings could become more frequent in Colorado. No wolf pups seen yet, but wildlife officials believe summer home of the wolves could be near ranches Farrell said Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials informed the family there is likely a wolf rendezvous site located on public land behind the family's hunting lodge. Wolf rendezvous sites are where wolf pups and family members congregate after the pups leave the den and spend the summer. As summer turns into fall, the wolf parents and pups roam farther away from the site to hunt. Wildlife officials previously confirmed two wolves released in December near the ranch had a den in the area, but no other den sites are known to the agency. Reid Dewalt, the wildlife agency's assistant director of Aquatic, Terrestrial and Natural Resources, told the Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners at Thursday's meeting in Winter Park that no pups have been spotted. He said wolves have pups in April and around eight weeks later, the pups and family move from the den to rendezvous sites. Those sites generally are in an area such as a meadow with cover and water nearby and where there is little disturbance. Eric Odell, the wildlife agency's wolf conservation manager, told the commissioners the agency isn't entirely sure where the den and rendezvous sites are located. "We do believe the den is on public land,'' he said. "The rendezvous sites are polygons and they can move around and could be on both private and public land.'' DeWalt said the agency is monitoring the area to see if they can spot the pups. He said if pups were born, they would be about 15 pounds by now. Hillie Jo Farrell, 3, plays with her mother, Nellie Farrell, as Conway Farrell feeds the cattle in Grand County, Colo., on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Grand County has become ground zero for wolf depredations on livestock. Wolf pups: Good news for Colorado's recovery plan, potentially bad news for ranchers The last confirmed wolf pups born in Colorado were in northern Jackson County in April 2021. That's when two migrating wolves from Wyoming produced the state's first litter, six pups, in 80 years. That den site was approximately 12 to 15 miles from the Wyoming border. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials spotted those pups around the first week of June. At least three of the wolf pups were legally shot in Wyoming in late September 2022. The only known remaining members of the North Park pack are the breeding male and one male sibling, both of which were captured and fitted with radio collars and still reside are mostly in Jackson County. In December 2021, about eight months after the North Park pack pups were born, the first wolf depredation of livestock in more than 70 years took place on the Sherman Creek Ranch leased by Don Gittleson, in northern Jackson County. That pack's den and rendezvous sites were located near Gittleson's ranch. In 2022, Gittleson and area ranchers had 13 cattle and two working cattle dogs confirmed killed by the eight-member North Park pack. The 15 depredations represent half of the total confirmed wolf depredations to date. Gittleson's request for the state to remove the North Park pack's breeding male, which he claimed to be present at all of his confirmed kills, was denied by Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis. Six of the seven confirmed wolf kills of cattle in Grand County since April 2 have occurred on the ranch where Nellie and husband Conway Farrell run cattle and sheep. They believe other livestock were killed by wolves, but those have not been confirmed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Wildlife agency spokesperson Joey Livingston stated in an email response to Coloradoan questions that the commission has formally denied two wolf depredation compensation claims since 2021. Conway Farrell spoke to the commissioners at Thursday's meeting during the public comment period. He expressed his disappointment in the upper management of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Department of Natural Resources and Gov. Jared Polis for what he called the "mismanagement of the wolves.'' His main issue was over the state not lethally removing the two released denning wolves as allowed under the wolf management plan's removal of chronic depredating wolves. He said his ranch in recent months has experienced five separate wolf events, seven kills, four premature calves in six days, two dead calves 30 yards apart, two missing calves and one missing ewe. "If this ain't chronic depredation, what is?'' Conway Farrell asked the commissioners. "Your wolves have been causing nonstop damage to my family and livestock for the last five months. If CPW was not ready to follow the wolf management plan, why did they release these animals? The stress on the CPW employees, the ranchers and community is something that cannot be fixed. This has now led to locked gates and an end to a lifetime worth of relationships.'' Director Davis has repeatedly denied the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association's' requests for removal of the two wolves, saying removing them, or even just the breeding male, would result in den failure and a setback for the state's wolf recovery plan. The state's wolf management plan calls for reintroducing 30 to 50 wolves each year for three to five years. Colorado Parks and Wildlife initially reintroduced 10 wolves captured in Oregon and released in Grand and Summit counties in late December 2023. The agency planned to release five more wolves early in 2024 but scrapped the idea after receiving heavy criticism from ranchers, county commissioners and legislators over some of the released wolves having a recent history of livestock depredation in Oregon. It plans to release 15 more wolves in late 2024 captured on Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation land in northern Washington. Conway Farrell told the commissioners he feared for the safety of his two children, given the close encounter his wife experienced and that in the last week ranchers irrigating fields and fixing fences saw wolves on four different occasions within 300 yards of people in broad daylight. He said despite the use of nonlethal means, including nightly patrols from a range rider, the wolves persist in and around his and other ranches. "These animals are not afraid of people,'' he said. DeWalt said at Thursday's commission meeting the agency is creating a temporary ad hoc group comprised of ranchers, wolf advocates and wildlife agency staff to discuss chronic depredation and other issues He added the agency has provided 5.5 miles of fladry (electrified wire fencing) during this year's calving season, as well as 60 fox lights and numerous cracker shells to help ranchers ward off wolves. He said the fladry has proven successful in deterring wolves. The Colorado Department of Agriculture provided $20,000 for the Grand County range rider. Nellie Farrell said the family, fourth-generation ranchers, are used to living around coyotes, bears and mountain lions but has never had one of those come close to where her children play. Wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare in the Lower 48 states. There has been one since 1900, a nonfatal attack in Minnesota in 2013. But those numbers don't allay Nellie Farrell's fears. "I dont want to live my life in fear,'' she said. "I have no idea where we go from here. There are a lot of questions without any real solutions, which is frustrating.'' This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado ranch wife 'freaks out' after close wolf encounter Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, center left, joins State Sen. Rita Sanders of Belleuve and advocates for Asian American affairs in a ceremonial signing of Legislative Bill 1300 in May 2024. (Courtesy of Gov. Jim Pillen's Office) LINCOLN Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appointed 13 inaugural members Monday to the states new Commission on Asian American Affairs, which will enhance the cause of Asian American rights. State lawmakers approved the 14-member commission in April on a 46-0 vote. It will be similar to other state commissions on Indian Affairs, Latino-Americans and African American Affairs when the law takes effect July 19. A final member will be appointed in the future, and members serve four-year terms. An executive board of the commission will oversee operations between meetings, consisting of a chair, chosen from among the membership, and four other members. Meetings must be held at least once every quarter, in January, April, July and October. Members will receive $50 for each day performing their duties as well as related expense reimbursements. The purpose of the commission is to join representatives of Asian Americans in Nebraska to do all things which the commission may determine to enhance the cause of Asian American rights and to develop solutions to problems common to all Asian Americans residing in Nebraska, the law, approved in Legislative Bill 1300, states. State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, who is Filipina and the only current state lawmaker of Asian descent, introduced the legislation in LB 2 last year. It stalled in the previous biennium. Sanders said in April that the commission is important for a small but growing population in Nebraska. This includes a committee of advocates who joined to push for the bill, including in a meeting with the governor. If we can educate and integrate into the community, the more successful everyone will be, Sanders said at the time. The commissions duties as required by law will be to: Promote state and federal legislation that would be beneficial to the states Asian American community. Coordinate programs relating to the Asian American community regarding housing, education, welfare, medical and dental care, employment, economic development, law and order, and other related problems. Work with other state and federal government agencies and elected officials to develop the coordinated programs. Keep the Nebraska Governors Office apprised of the status of Asian American affairs in the state. Provide relevant information and education to the public. Develop programs to encourage the total involvement of Asian American people in activities for the common benefit of the community. The members so far are: Maureen Brase of Raymond (founder and director of Kokyo Taiko, Nebraskas only Wadaiko performance group Japanese style drumming). Weysan Dun of Omaha (a former FBI special agent). Dr. Deepak M. Gangahar of Elkhorn (a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon). Maorong Jiang of Omaha (director of Creighton Universitys Asian World Center). Tram Kieu of Lincoln (grants manager for the Cooper Foundation). Joanne Li of Omaha (chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha). Yunwoo Nam of Lincoln (professor of community and regional planning at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln). Arunkumar Pondicherry of Lincoln (president of the India Association of Nebraska Lincoln and member of the Nebraska Library Commission). Rebecca (Jueyezi) Reinhardt of Lincoln (cultural program coordinator and Chinese community advocate for the Asian Community and Cultural Center). Vickie Sakurada Schaepler of Kearney (Japanese Hall and History Project coordinator for the Legacy of the Plains Museum). Ryo Suzuki of Kearney (senior director for strategic marketing and external relations at the University of Nebraska at Kearneys College of Business and Technology and the Nebraska Safety Center). Hiep Vu of Lincoln (associate professor at UNLs Nebraska Center for Virology). Carol Wang of Omaha (executive director of the Metro Omaha Medical Society). The post Nebraska Gov. Pillen appoints inaugural members to Commission on Asian American Affairs appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, an Israeli official said on Monday, in a widely expected move following the departure from government of centrist former general Benny Gantz. Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who had been in the war cabinet. The move was announced as U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein visited Jerusalem, seeking to calm the situation on the disputed border with Lebanon, where Israel said tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia were bringing the region close to a wider conflict. The Israeli military said on Monday it had killed a senior operative in one of Hezbollah's rocket and missile sections in the area of Selaa in southern Lebanon. The military also said its operations were continuing in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, where its forces have been battling Hamas fighters in the Tel Sultan area of western Rafah, as well as in central areas of the enclave. Hochstein's visit follows weeks of increasing exchanges of fire across the line between Israel and Lebanon, where Israeli forces have for months been engaged in a simmering conflict with Hezbollah that has continued alongside the war in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes on both sides of the so-called Blue Line that divides the two countries, leaving eerily deserted areas of abandoned villages and farms hit by near-daily bombardment. "The current state of affairs is not a sustainable reality," government spokesperson David Mencer told a briefing. Netanyahu had faced demands from the nationalist-religious partners in his coalition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet. Such a move would have intensified strains with international partners including the United States. The forum was formed after Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the start of the Gaza war in October. It also included Gantz's political partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers. Gantz and Eisenkot both left the government last week, over what they said was Netanyahu's failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war. PROTESTS An agreement to halt the fighting in Gaza still appears distant, more than eight months since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel led by Hamas fighters that triggered Israel's military offensive in the Palestinian enclave. The Oct. 7 attack killed some 1,200 people and about 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's offensive has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health ministry figures, and destroyed much of Gaza. Although opinion polls suggest most Israelis support the government's aim of destroying Hamas, there have been widespread protests attacking the government for not doing more to bring home around 120 hostages still being held in Gaza and against Netanyahu's handling of the war. Protesters calling for new elections clashed with police in Jerusalem on Monday. By sundown, a crowd of thousands had gathered outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, before marching to Netanyahu's private home. Some protesters tried to break through barriers set up by the police, who pushed them back. At one point a bonfire was lit in the street, and police used a water cannon to disperse the demonstration. The northern border was relatively quiet on Monday, the second day of the Muslim Eid celebration, compared with previous days, when rocket fire set off widespread brush fires in heatwave conditions. A survey for the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem-based think tank, found 36% of respondents favouring an immediate strike against Hezbollah, up from 26% a month earlier. Israeli aircraft and artillery have pounded southern Lebanon and last week killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike against a command and control centre that drew a further intensification of attacks. In addition to attacks by missiles and anti-tank rockets, there has been a marked increase in drone attacks that have underlined the strength of the arsenal Hezbollah has built up since the last major conflict between the two sides in 2006. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell and James Mackenzie; Editing by Ros Russell, Timothy Heritage and Cynthia Osterman) People take part in a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, demanding new elections and the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, outside of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded his war Cabinet Monday, a move that consolidates his influence over the Israel-Hamas war and likely diminishes the odds of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip anytime soon. Netanyahu announced the step days after his chief political rival, Benny Gantz, withdrew from the three-member war Cabinet. Gantz, a retired general and member of parliament, was widely seen as a more moderate voice. Major war policies will now be solely approved by Netanyahu's security Cabinet a larger body that is dominated by hard-liners who oppose the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal and want to press ahead with the war. Netanyahu is expected to consult on some decisions with close allies in ad-hoc meetings, said an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. These closed-door meetings could blunt some of the influence of the hard-liners. But Netanyahu himself has shown little enthusiasm for the cease-fire plan and his reliance on the full security Cabinet could give him cover to prolong a decision. Heres key background about the war Cabinet, and what disbanding it means for cease-fire prospects: Why did Gantz join and then quit the war Cabinet? The war Cabinet was formed after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel when Gantz, an opposition party leader, joined with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a show of unity. At the time, Gantz demanded that a small decision-making body steer the war in a bid to sideline far-right members of Netanyahus government. But Gantz left the Cabinet earlier this month after months of mounting tensions over Israels strategy in Gaza. He said he was fed up with a lack of progress bringing home the dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. He accused Netanyahu of drawing out the war to avoid new elections and a corruption trial. He called on Netanyahu to endorse a plan that among other points would rescue the captives and end Hamas rule in Gaza. When Netanyahu did not express support for the plan, Gantz announced his departure. He said that fateful strategic decisions in the Cabinet were being met with hesitancy and procrastination due to political considerations. How will Israel's wartime policies likely be changed? The disbanding of the war Cabinet only further distances Netanyahu from centrist politicians more open to a cease-fire deal with Hamas. Months of cease-fire talks have failed to find common ground between Hamas and Israeli leaders. Both Israel and Hamas have been reluctant to fully endorse a U.S.-backed plan that would return hostages, clear the way for an end to the war, and commence a rebuilding effort of the decimated territory. Netanyahu will now rely on the members of his security Cabinet, some of whom oppose cease-fire deals and have voiced support for reoccupying Gaza. After Gantz's departure, Israel's ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, demanded inclusion in a renewed war Cabinet. Monday's move could help keep Ben-Gvir at a distance, but it cannot sideline him altogether. The move also gives Netanyahu leeway to draw out the war to stay in power. Netanyahu's critics accuse him of delaying because an end to the war would mean an investigation into the government's failures on Oct. 7 and raise the likelihood of new elections when the prime minister's popularity is low. It means that he will make all the decisions himself, or with people that he trusts who dont challenge him, said Gideon Rahat, chairman of the political science department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. And his interest is in having a slow-attrition war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet on Monday, a spokeswoman for the prime minister confirmed. The key political decision-making body for how the war in Gaza was being conducted was dissolved just over a week after the withdrawal of influential opposition leader Benny Gantz. Israeli media had earlier leaked the news about the break-up of the cabinet, which was formed after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. A spokeswoman for Netanyahu confirmed the news on Monday. Government sources said that Netanyahu would discuss critical decisions regarding the conflict in smaller forums in future. The cabinet had been formed in an attempt to demonstrate political unity after the Hamas attack. Netanyahu leads a government composed of far-right and religious parties, but the war cabinet contained Gantz, a key opposition figure. Last week, Gantz - a former general and defence minister - announced his withdrawal due to differences of opinion with regard to the Gaza war and what would happen to Gaza after the war is over. An observer member of the cabinet, Gadi Eisenkot, also withdrew, leading to even greater expectations that the cabinet would be dissolved. Investigations continue into deaths of eight soldiers The Israeli army said on Monday that it believes an anti-tank missile was used in an attack on an Israeli armoured vehicle in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip which killed eight soldiers on Saturday, according to Israeli media. The incident is one of the most serious for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the start of the war more than eight months ago. Initial findings showed that a door of the Namer armoured personnel carrier was open contrary to instructions, the newspaper Israel Hayom wrote on Monday. All of the vehicle's occupants were killed instantly when the rocket hit the vehicle. The incident is still being investigated. Israel says Rafah offensive goals nearly achieved The Israeli military says it will soon achieve its objectives in Rafah. Half of the combat units of Hamas militants governing Gaza before the war broke out in October have been destroyed, the army said. Some 60-70% of the territory of the city in the southern Gaza Strip is under the "operational control" of Israeli troops, the army said on Monday. They expect to complete the operation in a few weeks, the army added. Israel's army launched the operation in Rafah, which lies on the border with Egypt, at the beginning of May. The declared aim was to dismantle the last Hamas combat units. The offensive was highly controversial internationally because more than 1 million Palestinians were in Rafah at the time. Most of them had fled there from other parts of the Gaza Strip to escape the war. Almost all of these people have now fled from the city to an area to the west, where they are finding it difficult to get supplies. According to unverified army reports on Monday, Israeli troops killed around 550 Hamas fighters in 40 days of fighting in Rafah. Twenty-two of their own soldiers in the fighting. In the course of the operation, they found an extensive system of tunnels as well as large quantities of weapons and explosives. At least 25 underground tunnels are said to run under the border with Egypt. This information cannot currently be independently verified. The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, with more than 1,200 dead, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7 last year. The actions of the Israeli army have been criticized internationally - especially the operations in Rafah, where many displaced Palestinians sought refuge from the war raging elsewhere in Gaza. Background to the Gaza war The war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre carried out by militants from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 7. The militants murdered more than 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages to the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 37,000 people have been killed and more than 85,000 injured in the course of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. The figures, which do not distinguish between fighters and civilians, cannot be independently verified. Netanyahu dissolves Israel's war Cabinet after key member resigns what it means and what happens now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he had disbanded his war Cabinet managing the armed conflict in Gaza and has no plans to replace the coalition. The move comes days after war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quit in protest of Netanyahus handling of the war in Gaza and as international pressure has grown for a ceasefire agreement. In recent weeks, the Palestinian death toll has continued to rise and the humanitarian crisis has grown even more dire in the enclave. What was the war Cabinet? The Israeli war Cabinet was set up days after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. It consisted of a team of political rivals and was meant to demonstrate government unity in the wake of the horrific attack. The Cabinet consisted of Netanyahu, his main political rival and former general Gantz, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three observers, government ministers Aryeh Deri and Gadi Eisenkot, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. However, the political coalition unraveled last week when Gantz and Eisenkot both of whom are of the National Unity Party resigned, citing differences regarding the direction of the war in Gaza. Gantz announced his complex and painful decision in a televised speech on June 9, citing his reasons that a postwar plan for the enclave never materialized. He also said that Netanyahu has not prioritized recovering the remaining Hamas-held hostages. Gantzs presence in the war Cabinet gave it more credibility with international leaders, including U.S. officials, with whom he has good working relations. Why did Netanyahu dissolve the war Cabinet? One possibility is that without Gantz and Eisenkot in the war Cabinet, there was no point in keeping an even smaller coalition, CNN reported. News of Gantzs resignation had prompted far-right members in Netanyahus government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to demand that they join the war Cabinet. But one of the reasons the smaller war Cabinet was created was to bypass Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, according to CBS News. Hardliners such as Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have urged Israel to maintain its assault on Gaza until Hamas is completely defeated, and they have also threatened to resign if Netanyahu accepts the ceasefire proposal introduced by President Biden last month. That includes the release of more than 70 hostages still believed to be held alive in Gaza, along with the return of the remains of about 30 others. Those resignations could result in the collapse of Israels governing coalition, meaning Netanyahus term in office would end. Netanyahu may have also dissolved the war Cabinet to avoid heeding calls from Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to allow them to join the war Cabinet to avoid further straining Israels relationship with the U.S., CNN reports. What happens now? Going forward, Netanyahu will hold smaller meetings with some of his government members on key war decisions, according to the Associated Press. Its unclear whether the smaller group would include Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. Major policy decisions regarding the Israel-Hamas war will still be taken up by the wider security Cabinet, which includes the far-right politicians. Whats going on between Netanyahu and the military? On Sunday the Israeli military announced a daily tactical pause in fighting along a 7.4-mile stretch of road in the Rafah area to allow a backlog of desperately needed humanitarian aid to get in through a main aid entry point at Kerem Shalom Crossing in southern Gaza, which is controlled by the Israeli military. The military, which made the announcement apart from the government, said the daily pause in fighting will occur every day until further notice during daylight hours, but it is not considered a ceasefire. Their actions prompted criticism from Netanyahu, as reported by Israeli TV stations, who said, We have a country with an army, not an army with a country. Netanyahu also said the Israeli military's plan was unacceptable to him, according to an official who spoke with NBC News. Insights from Jewish Insider, The Guardian, Reuters, and Haaretz The News Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member war cabinet, officials said Monday, a week after the resignation of the centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz. The Jewish Insider reported that a source said the cabinet was formed as part of the coalition agreement with Gantz, at his demand. The moment Gantz left, there is no such forum anymore. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Gantz exit left no counterbalance to Netanyahu Source: Jewish Insider Gantzs departure left Netanyahu with no counterbalance in his war cabinet and meant he could no longer say that his decisions over the war in Gaza drew broad-based support, the Jewish Insider noted. With only religious groups left in the coalition, Netanyahus Likud party was the only nominally secular one remaining in the coalition: Gantzs departure gave Netanyahu less political and diplomatic cover to say that Israels maneuvers have support from both sides of the aisle. Netanyahu has sparred with IDF in recent days Source: The Guardian, Reuters The Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday that the army would enact a daily humanitarian pause in Gaza to allow aid into the enclave, a plan that was criticized by Netanyahu, showcasing growing divisions between him and the IDF. We have a country with an army, not an army with a country, he said, according to Israeli TV outlets. The war cabinet has had a series of disagreements with the military over how the war has been conducted, and Gantz before his departure argued that Netanyahu did not have an effective strategy in Gaza, Reuters noted. Israel heading towards war with Hezbollah in Lebanon Source: Haaretz Disagreements between cabinet members and with the IDF come as Netanyahus government seems to be steering towards a second war front, Haaretzs military correspondent Amos Harel reported. Israel has traded fire with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant organization in Lebanon, since the war began but fighting has intensified in recent days. France and the US are working to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza before total war breaks out in the region, he noted, but Israeli officials have criticized those efforts, and accused France of anti-Israeli actions. Assessments that the IDF will fairly easily overcome Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, sound divorced from reality and rely on a false reading of Israeli military strength, Harel wrote. When will the next big blue cranes ship out of Manitowoc? Heres the latest. MANITOWOC No one knows just when those giant blue cranes manufactured in the heart of Manitowoc will begin their long journey to U.S. Navy shipyards. Many of you will remember Big Blue, the giant blue crane manufactured at Broadway Heavy Fabrications in 2021. Big Blue became a local social media hit, with fans showing up on shore to watch her on her way or keeping track of her location online. Construction of two more cranes, both 200 feet tall, finished up late last year, and they now await their shipment by barge to their new homes. One of the two giant blue and yellow cranes are nearing completion along the Manitowoc River, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. Brett Hartman, director of business development for Broadwind, said last year the cranes could move out in spring of 2024. Now, Broadwind, curious community members and apparently the Naval shipyards must wait patiently. Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry: Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry promotes new VP and general manager Theres no timeline on the cranes as of now, Hartman told the Herald Times Reporter on June 13. The ship date will be determined by the Navy. We are hoping to hear something from them in the next 30 to 60 days. The cranes were designed and contracted by the Finnish company Konecranes, and components were made by Broadwind. They are part of a U.S. Navy contract and will be used to service submarine fleets. Giant blue and yellow cranes are nearing completion along the Manitowoc River, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. Big Blue became a popular sensation and was named the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin in a contest hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce that year. Once completed, Big Blue traveled slowly by barge for a few weeks through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and into the Atlantic Ocean. The $55 million crane arrived at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, near the border of New Hampshire. The crane could lift twice the weight of other cranes in the Naval yard. Hidden forest: Hidden forest estimated to be 13,500 years old discovered along Lake Michigans shore in Manitowoc County The two new cranes will also travel to Naval shipyards via barge, but this time to the Pacific Ocean. One will go to Washington state and the other to Hawaii. They will travel through the Great Lakes and then along the East Coast on the Atlantic. They will pass through the Panama Canal, and then either up to Pacific Northwest or to the Hawaiian Islands, according to Brett Hartman, director of business development for Broadwind. A seagull soars around one of the giant blue and yellow cranes which are nearing completion along the Manitowoc River, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. This is a very unique product, Hartman said last year. Were proud that something like this is built in Manitowoc, and proud to be part of the project. These cranes are used to service submarines, so in a way harken to the communitys long shipbuilding history. During World War II, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy. Sign up for local business news with our new Manitowoc Streetwise newsletter Its nice the project was named to the Coolest list, Hartman said. I think it helped people see that Broadwind does more than fabricate wind towers. Being part of this is a feather in our cap. Got a tip, question or comment for Streetwise Manitowoc? Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling and on Instagram @PGPatti. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Big blue cranes in Manitowoc still have no ship date to US Navy bases MPS has a temporary superintendent. Here are the steps to find Posley's permanent replacement. While school board members pick up the pieces of a financial mess left behind by Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley, who resigned this month with a hefty payout, they must also find his replacement. In the meantime, Southwest Regional Superintendent Eduardo Galvan is the top administrator. On Monday night, board members named him as the district's "acting superintendent" in a temporary agreement that will last until the board selects a longer term interim superintendent. The interim superintendent, who board members hope to employ before the next school year begins, will be in the post until the board finds a permanent candidate. The whole process could take about a year. Here's what we know about what to expect. Superintendent Keith Posley's resignation is effective June 30 Posley, who announced his resignation at the end of a late board meeting on June 3, signed an agreement that made his resignation effective June 30. Posley didn't say what he would be doing during June, while he is still collecting his salary. After announcing his resignation, he immediately lost the responsibility of facilitating day-to-day operations. He is not listed as having any role in the district's corrective action plan being overseen by state officials. Posley was not present for the June 13 school board meeting, when board members approved a budget for the next school year. Board member Megan O'Halloran confirmed she hadn't heard from Posley since he agreed to resign. Posley will leave with a $160,000 severance payment. As part of the agreement, he and the school board agreed not to disparage each other. Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley speaks as part of the Milwaukee Public Schools trades fair at the Milwaukee Tool offices in downtown Milwaukee on Oct. 4, 2023. Regional Superintendent Eduardo Galvan is now the top administrator Immediately after Posley's resignation, the school board announced that Southwest Regional Superintendent Eduardo Galvan would be supporting and facilitating day-to-day operations. In officially naming Galvan as the district's acting superintendent Monday, board members gave him the full powers of a superintendent, O'Halloran said. That includes allowing Galvan to make hiring decisions, O'Halloran said, though the school board also must approve hires. The district needs to hire staff for numerous key positions, including its chief financial officer and comptroller who both left this month. Galvan thanked board members Monday for the "opportunity to serve the families and students within MPS." "I've done this my entire adult life, and I will do my best to do the best that I can for this wonderful, wonderful community," Galvan said. Milwaukee Public Schools administrator Eduardo Galvan listens during a school board meeting at the MPS offices in Milwaukee on Thursday. The next step: Milwaukee School Board members will choose an interim superintendent School board members have already begun looking for candidates to serve as the district's interim superintendent before the board launches a national search for a more permanent superintendent, according to O'Halloran, who is taking a lead in researching best practices for the search. Board members reviewed lists of possible candidates in a closed session meeting Thursday night, including suggestions from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators and the Council of the Great City Schools, O'Halloran said. Many of the candidates are retired superintendents or current superintendents who are about to retire, O'Halloran said. The next step is for board members to reach out to candidates to see who might be interested in the job and get more information about their credentials. O'Halloran said she hopes the board will have a list of final candidates, which will be made public, by the end of June. The board will likely interview those candidates in closed sessions before voting in public on their pick, O'Halloran said. Ultimately, there will be a national search for a more permanent superintendent School board members have said they intend to launch a national search for a more long-term superintendent. They will likely hire a search firm this summer, O'Halloran said. It's a process that many Wisconsin school districts have been through recently. The Madison Metropolitan School District hired Chicago-based Alma Advisory Group for its superintendent search, which concluded in February when the school board chose St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Joe Gothard. In Madison, Alma Advisory Group conducted surveys and held input sessions last fall with community members to develop the "leadership profile" of an ideal Madison superintendent, the Cap Times reported. The district posted the job opening in November and received nearly 60 applicants by January. The school board in Madison conducted a first round of interviews behind closed doors, according to the Cap Times. They created community panels to interview finalists, and the district livestreamed those interviews. In Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson has already said he'd like to be part of those interviews, and O'Halloran said she would welcome his involvement. "I want it to be a community-driven process," O'Halloran said. "We have stakeholders from parents to community organizers, to students and staff. The next superintendent will impact the whole community so I would like to have representatives driving this process." Given the lengthy search process, and the possibility that candidates may be leaving jobs that run until June 30, O'Halloran said it's possible the new superintendent wouldn't start the job at MPS until July 1, 2025. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS replacing Keith Posley; here are steps to find new superintendent NHS Dumfries and Galloway admits test results and complaints records are likely to have been stolen in a cyber attack The NHS has warned nearly 150,000 patients that criminals could attempt to blackmail them after their health records were published online. NHS Dumfries and Galloway is to send out leaflets to all patients in the region to advise them of the extremely serious situation, in which it admits test results, internal correspondence about them and complaints records are likely to have been stolen in a cyber attack. The leak could leave patients open to extortion attempts from either the hackers or others who have viewed their NHS records online, the health board admitted. A ransomware attack in which criminals steal information and then threaten to publish it online unless they receive payment hit the health board in February. Data was then published in March on the dark web after the hackers demands were rejected. The health board previously said that hundreds if not thousands of patients and staff may have been affected, but it is now feared that figure is far higher. The leaflets will tell residents that the best approach is to assume that some data relating to them is likely to have been copied and published. Those deemed especially high risk are to be contacted individually. In a message from Julie White, the health boards chief executive, she said: We are advising people in Dumfries and Galloway that the best approach to take is to assume that some data relating to you is likely to have been copied and published. This is an extremely serious situation, and everyone is asked to be on their guard for any attempts to access their computer systems, or any approaches by anyone claiming to hold their data or someone elses data. Threaten people She said it was an acknowledged risk that stolen data could be used to exploit or threaten people. Anyone who is subjected to a blackmail threat is urged to contact Police Scotland. The force is investigating the attack and NHS Dumfries and Galloway has said its computer systems are now secure. The health board, which covers an area home to an estimated 149,000 people, has said that while criminals were able to copy information they had not changed patient records. It admitted in May that some child mental health data had been published. Colin Smyth, the Labour MSP for the South of Scotland, said: It is clear that the scale of the leak and the number of people affected is significantly higher than was first envisaged It still remains unclear just exactly what has been leaked on each person, despite significant work by the NHS to work through millions of items. He said the only saving grace was that the data did not appear to have been used against anyone so far. 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. NICHOLS, S.C. (WBTW) A home in Nichols was heavily damaged in an overnight fire, according to Horry County Fire Rescue. No one was hurt in the fire on Hillendale Drive, but two residents will be offered assistance by the American Red Cross of South Carolina, HCFR said. Crews were called out at 10:55 p.m., and it took about an hour to get the fire under control. This embedded content is not available in your region. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No additional information was immediately available. The Loris Fire Department, the Tabyor City Fire Department and Fair Bluff Fire and Rescue assisted. * * * Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. 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. For all the terror he triggers in Brian Cox, Nigel Farage is a saloon bar bore, not a beer hall putscher. Winning power doesnt really interest him. He has never had any sort of governmental responsibility: the perfect tribune for disgruntled Right-winger, who can be safe in the knowledge that none of his ideas really matter. Deport asylum seekers to the Moon? Sounds tremendous! But Reform UKs once-and-future leader is a victim of his own success. With the real prospect that a Farage-Davey tag team will push Rishi Sunak into the abyss, many Right-wingers will have been paying close attention to todays manifesto launch. Sorry contract launch. But unfortunately for those hoping for a serious policy prospectus, the document has the imagination and incontinence of a back of a fag packet doodle after a hearty lunch. Lifting income tax thresholds. Scrapping net zero subsidies. freezing non-essential migration, quitting the ECHR, and cutting NHS waiting lists to zero. Whats not to love? Yet its all too good to be true. Pledging to cut taxes by cutting 50 billion in spending is easy. But what happens when you tell the Treasury or your backbenchers start demanding a new A&E in their seat? Farage is great at identifying problems stifling taxes, ridiculous immigration levels, climate lunacy but providing genuine solutions would be too much like hard work. If Reform UK ever got into power, the Sir Humphreys of the Whitehall Machine would stump him within a week. Rather than resolve Britains problems, hed soon decamp from Number 10 to drown his sorrows in The Red Lion. But Farage isnt interested in power. This is not a plan for government, but a Santa list of cask strength policies designed to woo wavering Tories. Farage isnt aiming for Downing Street, but to hand every Conservative MP their P45. His proposals will strike many Tories as exactly what we should have been doing in government these last fourteen years. If Labour wins anyway, why not vote for it? Reforms contract might be a far from serious document. But Conservatives only have ourselves to blame if we find it so attractive. 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. Nikki Haley mourns the death of her father on Fathers Day Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley posted online announcing the death of her father on Fathers Day. This morning I had to say goodbye to the smartest, sweetest, kindest, most decent man I have ever known, Haley posted on the social media platform X, along with a photo of her hugging her father. She said her heart is heavy knowing he is gone. Her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, immigrated to the United States from India. He was a professor at Voorhees University in Denmark, S.C. He taught his kids the importance of faith, hard work, and grace, Haley said. He was an amazing husband of 64 years, a loving grandfather and great grandfather, and the best father to his four children. She wished her father a happy Fathers Day and said the family will miss you dearly. The South Carolina Post and Courier said Haleys father was there when she announced her GOP presidential bid last year. She paused her campaign in January to visit her father in the hospital after he had been diagnosed with cancer. Haley suspended her presidential campaign in March. Last month, she said she would vote for former President Trump in the election this fall. 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. No legal issues in using proceeds from frozen Russian assets US Treasury US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has stated that there have been no legal issues with using the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to provide Ukraine with a US$50 billion loan. Source: Voice of America, citing Janet Yellen in the programme This Week on 16 June Details: Yellen dismissed Putin's accusations that using the proceeds from Russian state assets for Ukraine's benefit is supposedly theft. Quote: "There is no sense at all in which it's theft. The Russian assets remain in this institution. Theyve been impounded. The investments that Russia had have matured. So, Russias funds are sitting in cash, but they're generating income for the institution which Russia has no claim on." Details: Yellen added that nearly US$200 billion of immobilised Russian state assets will remain frozen in a Belgian financial institution, which receives income from them. The European Union has agreed to transfer the income from these immobilised Russian assets to Ukraine, which is estimated to be around US$3 billion per year. Quote: "So there's no legal issue here." "We're really in a battle of wills with Putin. Putin, I think, believes that our coalition will crumble in the sense we won't go on providing Ukraine with the resources that they need to fight this war and to keep their economy running. And this is a way of showing that we have the capacity and the will to do so." Background: Last week, the G7 agreed on a plan to provide Ukraine with a US$50 billion loan. The loan will be funded through the income from Russian assets. Putin called this plan "theft" and threatened that it "will be punished". Support UP or become our patron! POTOMAC, Md. (DC News Now) A nonprofit group in Montgomery County is raising funds to help rebuild a playground at Greenbriar Local Park, which someon set on fire in early May. The fire at the park on Glen Road on May 8 and caused about $1 million worth of damage. The Maryland National Capital Park Police said it was investigating the case as arson. Neighbors said it was a terrible thing that happened at such a peaceful place. Its a shame to hear that any kind of vandalism or property destruction is going on around here, Will Kuttruff said. It makes you kind of wonder like who did it and why they did it? Park Police: Potomac playground fire caused around $1M in damage Klein visits the park several times a week. He said he never imagined something like this would ever happen. I was absolutely shocked because this is such a fun-loving place, he said. Kids here all the time and adults, just everybody having good fun. The Montgomery Parks Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, said it is trying to help rebuild the park. The fire caused an estimated $1,000,000 in damage to the playground, and we are hoping with the support of community members like you, we can help offset the costs, the foundation wrote on its website. We wanted to mount a campaign asking Montgomery County neighbors and residents to make small gifts or large gifts to bring this playground back online, Montgomery Parks Foundation executive director Katie Rictor said. The playground has been closed since the fire, although another undamaged playground in Greenbriar Local Park has stayed open for children between the ages of two and five. 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. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) The New Orleans Police Department is investigating two separate incidents on Monday morning, June 17, that left a man dead and a victim shot. According to NOPD officers, at 4:13 a.m. they were called to a scene in the Pines Village neighborhood in the 4600 block of Downman Road. Responding officers said when they arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Two toddlers dead following drowning incident in Metairie An investigation revealed that the victim was closing the business for the day when the suspect approached and began a fight. The altercation resulted in the suspect shooting the victim and then fleeing in an unknown direction. The man was pronounced dead on the scene. The NOPD is in the process of gathering evidence and information to determine a possible suspect and motive. The Orleans Parish Coroners Office identified the victim as 42-year-old Vernon Davis on Wednesday, June 19. The homicide comes after another person was wounded in a shooting in the 7th Ward around 2:23 a.m. Monday. Officers said the victim arrived at a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. The shooting remains under investigation. 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. The headline of a June 19, 1983, article in the StarNews showed one party's popularity in Brunswick County: "10 Democrats trying for sheriff's job in Brunswick." Each of the 10 men looked to fill the unexpired term of the Democratic sheriff who had been forced to resign after he was convicted on five counts of conspiring to smuggle drugs, according to the report. "From what I understand and, again, I wasn't here you couldn't even get a job around here unless you had a 'D' next to your name," said Bill Moore, current chairman of the Brunswick County Republican Party. Forty years later, two Democrats running for one elected position in Brunswick County is hard to imagine, let alone 10. All locally elected officials from Brunswick are Republican. The countys sheriff seat has been held by a Republican since 2009. Strictly Republicans have been elected to the five-member Brunswick County Board of Commissioners and five-member Brunswick County Board of Education since at least 2008. Several officials have switched from Democrat to Republican. Brunswick remains one of the fastest growing counties in North Carolina. But its also an anomaly: As it grows, the county gets redder. "Brunswick may become the flagbearer for the state going red," Moore said. Bucking the trend In the last 20 years, Brunswick County's growth has also meant more people affiliated with the Republican Party. Brunswick has seen an 85% increase in its population over the past 20 years, making it the fastest-growing county in the state and the fourth-fastest-growing county in the nation, according to its Blueprint Brunswick 2040 planning document. Also in those two decades, Republicans seeking local offices have seen great success, despite Democrats holding many elected positions in decades past. Chris Cooper, director of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University, said this combination of growth and Republican political success is fairly unique. Usually, growth counties are counties that are trending bluer, so Brunswick County kind of bucks that trend, Cooper said. Brunswick County is a place that is experiencing high-end migration but also increasingly friendly environments for the Republican politics, and so thats what makes it unusual. Statewide, Cooper said, North Carolina is a deeply purple state with competitive presidential, gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. The counties in North Carolina, on the other hand, are largely very red or very blue. This chart shows the number of voter registrations by party in Brunswick County, based off March 2024 data from the Brunswick County Board of Elections. Our counties are becoming increasingly redder or bluer, Cooper said. [Brunswick County] sort of fits the pattern of very, very few purple counties in a purple state. It bucks the pattern because it is growing and reddening. According to county voter registration data, Democratic Party registrations in Brunswick County have nosedived, especially in the past four presidential election cycles. In that time, Republican voter affiliations have grown slightly, and unaffiliated registrations have grown steadily. In 2012, about 37% of the countys registered voters were Republican, 34% were Democratic and about 30% were unaffiliated. From 2012 to 2024, the percentage of Republican registered voters grew to around 40% (53,258 of 131,766 registrations) while the share of Democratic registrations plummeted to around 20% (27,202). Around 38% (50,496) of the registered voters in the county are unaffiliated. There are just a handful of Green Party and Libertarian registrations (810 total). Shelley Allen, chair of the Brunswick County Democratic Party, said unaffiliated voters tend to align more with the more represented party in their area so in Brunswick County, unaffiliated voters tend to lean more Republican. Moore agreed, adding that unaffiliated voters side with Republicans in the county about two-thirds of the time. Right people, right place, right time Today, all locally elected officials in Brunswick are Republican: including, namely, the five members of the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, the five members of the Brunswick County Board of Education and the three state legislators whose districts include Brunswick. The shift wasn't sudden, rather, Republicans slowly took control of the boards and offices in the county. In the 2002 general election, Republicans took control of both the board of commissioners and board of education a flip that had happened a few times in the preceding decade. But, this time, it was different. In September 2002, just weeks before the November general election, the board of commissioners had four Democrats among its five members. Then came a party switch. Former Brunswick County commissioner Bill Sue said he changed from a Democrat to Republican because he believes the Democratic Party did not align with his religious beliefs. Then-Commissioner Bill Sue surprised the county with an announcement that September that after more than 30 years as a Democrat, hed be changing his party affiliation to Republican. I was elected to a four-year term in 2000 as a Democrat, Sue recalled. And I couldnt stomach them anymore. Sue said he made the switch largely because he felt his religious beliefs did not align with the Democratic Party, specifically when it came to the issue of abortion. Less than two months later, Democrat Don Warren lost his seat to Republican Phil Norris after two consecutive terms on the board. With David Sandifer retaining his seat, the board then had a Republican majority of 3-2. It just happened, and it happened because of the right people in the right place at the right time, Sue said. In the 2008 primary election, Democrats fought to secure their spot on the November ballot in several races, including the District 1 and District 4 seats on the board of education, and the District 3 and 4 seats on the board of commissioners. Ultimately, these contests saw Republicans prevail in November. Democratic incumbents on the board of commissioners, May Moore and Tom Rabon, easily won their primary contest but were unseated in the general race, resulting in the creation of a fully Republican board. Republicans have been elected to the five seats on both boards ever since. Moore attributes the partys ability to meet the needs of the county as the reason for its success. I think people got tired and they wanted fresh ideas and they wanted change, Moore said. Republicans at that time offered that change and, up to this point, theyve delivered on it, which is why theyre still in office. Sue attributes the countys growth over the past two decades to the Republican leadership. Under the Republican leadership, Brunswick County moved to the forefront, Sue said. We expanded water. We instituted sewage. We built a bunch of new buildings. We built a bunch of new parks. We built a new [administration] building, a new social services building, a new courthouse, a new parks and recreation building all projects he said wouldnt have happened under Democratic leadership. We built the infrastructure so that people could come, Sue said. Making the switch Sue wasnt the only Brunswick leader who jumped from a blue boat to a red one. In 2008, the Brunswick County Democratic Party nominated John Ingram to replace former Sheriff Ronald Hewett after Hewett was removed from office and convicted on obstruction of justice charges. In November 2009, Ingram stunned local party leaders when he announced via news release that he was switching his party affiliation to Republican. John Ingram was a Democrat when he became Brunswick County Sheriff, but then switched to the Republican Party in 2009. In a statement at the time, Ingram explained the switch by saying, It is after much reflection and contemplation that I have decided to join the Republican Party. Though my career in law enforcement as a Democrat has brought me to this place in time, it is my humble choice to live free as my conservative principles and discipline desire. Ingram retired in April 2023, and the Brunswick County Republican Party recommended Brian Chism to serve the remainder of Ingram's four-year term, which ends in January 2027. While serving as a member of the board of education, Charlie Miller changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 2008. He told the StarNews at the time he made the switch so he could vote for Ingram in the 2010 election. When Ingram changed his affiliation to Republican, Miller switched back, a move that created an all-Republican board of education in Brunswick. Olaf "Bud" Thorsen was a longtime board of education member in Brunswick County. For 10 years, he served on the board as a Democrat before losing the 2004 Democratic primary. He switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and secured a seat on the board again in 2008 and 2012. Moore said its Brunswick Countys low tax rate and geography (namely, beaches) that has attracted Republicans. Why change something that works? he said. Looking forward The Brunswick County Democratic Party has not yet lost hope. Were still fighting to get Democrats elected in Brunswick County, Allen said. This year, Democratic candidates look to challenge Republican incumbents in each of the board of commissioners' races. Three seats on the board of commissioners are up for election in November Districts 3, 4 and 5. Each of the Republican incumbents in those seats Pat Sykes, Mike Forte and Frank Williams are seeking reelection. Democrats Tom Simmons and Jonathan Damico are running against Forte and Williams, respectively. Democrat Robert Fulton is running against Sykes, though he will appear on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. Allen explained that Fulton was not approached to run for the position until after the filing deadline had passed. (The candidate initially running as a Democrat had to withdraw due to personal reasons, Allen said.) North Carolina law says a candidate can petition to appear on the ballot after the filing deadline, but they will appear as an unaffiliated candidate and must collect signatures from 4% of the countys registered voters approximately 5,200 signatures. Three seats on the Brunswick County Board of Education are also up for election in November. Only one race is contested the District 4 seat in which Democratic challenger Janis Simmons looks to unseat Republican incumbent, and the boards current chair, Steven Barger. Republicans Catherine Cooke and Vickie Smith are running unopposed. Were not giving up, Shelley said. Its far too important. Moore said he doesnt see a flip coming any time soon. I think as long as the Republicans continue to stick to their values and deliver to the people, I think theyll be in office for a while, Moore said. I think well have a bright future in Brunswick. Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Whats behind the move to Republicans in Brunswick County, NC? Staff count packets of signed petitions in the Secretary of States Office on Feb. 9, 2024, in Bismarck. The petitions call for placing a measure on the election ballot to establish an age limit for North Dakota congressional delegates. (Mary Steurer | North Dakota Monitor) A newly passed North Dakota law could give the U.S. Supreme Court an opportunity to revisit restrictions on who can run for federal office, a legal expert says. North Dakotans voted Tuesday to make it illegal for anyone to be elected or appointed to represent the state in Congress if theyd turn 81 before the end of their term. The measure passed with nearly 61% approval from voters, according to unofficial results from the North Dakota Secretary of States Office. Despite the amendments clear popularity with North Dakota voters, officials are expecting it to trigger a legal battle. A committee of state legislators estimated in April that the measure would take roughly $1 million to defend in court if passed. State leaders have said the law may conflict with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 1995 that found states cannot restrict who can run for federal office. Justices cited this same case U.S. Term Limits vs. Thornton in March when they voted unanimously that states could not disqualify former President Donald Trump from appearing on election ballots. If there is a lawsuit against North Dakotas age limits measure, and it does make it to the Supreme Court, theres no guarantee justices will continue to affirm that precedent. The high court could always decide to rethink its 1995 ruling, said Michael Thorning, director of the Bipartisan Policy Centers Structural Democracy Project. The current court has demonstrated a willingness, I think, to review current precedent and overturn it, Thorning said. He pointed out only one current justice was on the bench back when the 1995 case was decided, Clarence Thomas. Notably, Thomas was against the ruling. He authored a dissenting opinion joined by fellow conservatives Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as Justice Sandra Day OConnor, a moderate. Nothing in the Constitution deprives the people of each State of the power to prescribe eligibility requirements for the candidates who seek to represent them in Congress, Thomas wrote in the opinion. Overall, its statistically unlikely that the Supreme Court will hear the case. The court takes up only a tiny fraction of cases theyre petitioned to review. Jared Hendrix, who led the charge to get the measure on the ballot, said he would support the court overturning the 1995 ruling. I do believe the (Thornton) case was very flawed in its reasoning, Hendrix said. Hendrix has said the measure is a way for voters to ensure that congressional delegates are mentally and physically fit for the job, and that they are in touch with the needs of their constituents. The measure is especially timely considering some of the nations most visible politicians are also some of its most aged, Hendrix has said. President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, are the oldest and third-oldest American presidents ever, respectively. The current average age of Congress is also one of the oldest in the nations history, according to the Pew Research Center. Hendrix has disputed lawmakers estimate that the measure could cost the state $1 million in legal fees, calling the figure inflated. In order for the Supreme Court to weigh in on the law, someone would first have to sue the state over the measure. Not just anyone would have standing to bring such a case. To have the right to fight a law in court, plaintiffs generally have to prove the law harms them in some way. One example might be a candidate who is barred from seeking office under the policy, Thorning said. None of North Dakotas current D.C. delegation or anyone in the state currently seeking election to Congress is near age 81. The states oldest member of Congress, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, is 67. The 1995 Supreme Court case, which struck down an Arkansas congressional term limits law, stemmed from lawsuits originally filed by a private citizen, the League of Women Voters and a U.S. representative. What would happen if the Supreme Court overturned the 1995 term-limits case? States would have much greater authority to gatekeep who could run for federal office, Thorning said. This wouldnt be limited to age. Would it be allowable, then, for the state, for instance, to say that members of Congress can only be elected from certain counties within their state, or certain cities, or only ones that have met certain educational qualifications? he asked. States would still have to comply with the 14th Amendment, he noted, which would prevent states from barring someone from running for Congress based on race or gender, for instance. What if the Supreme Court declines to take the case, or upholds its 1995 ruling? Congress could vote to amend the U.S. Constitution to set a nationwide age limit on elected officials. Hypothetically, state legislatures could also bypass Congress by passing resolutions calling for the amendment to be adopted through a constitutional convention. According to U.S. Term Limits website, some states have already passed such resolutions. They would need a total of 34 in order to trigger a convention. Theres only ever been one U.S. Constitutional Convention, which took place in 1787. This story was originally published by the North Dakota Monitor, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post North Dakota congressional age limits law could lead to new legal review appeared first on Daily Montanan. Sites Fire jumps to 4,400+ acres as three wildfires close to Sacramento prompt evacuations We've dropped the paywall on this article delivering critical public safety information in this developing story. Please consider a digital subscription to The Bee to support local journalists. A wildfire raged through a large swath of western Sacramento Valley vegetation after it broke out Monday one of three sustained blazes burning on the fringe of the capital region shooting above 4,400 acres as firefighters battled to control the wildfires dangerous rate of spread. The Sites Fire began about 2 p.m. near Sites Lodoga Road in Lodoga, a census-designated place in Colusa County with about 200 residents, according to Cal Fire. Gusty, northerly winds in the region led to fast-spreading flames, authorities said. The fire was burning 73 miles northwest of Sacramento and 47 miles west of Yuba City. The fire is burning in remote, rural territory east of East Park Reservoir still, evacuations were ordered for homes and ranches along: Leesville Lodoga Road to Leesville Leesville to Huffmaster Road Huffmaster Road to Sites Leesville Road to Antelope Valley Ranch and parcels north of Antelope Valley Ranch Sites Lodoga Road at Sites hard road closure in place An evacuation center has been set up at the Colusa Veterans Hall, 100 E. Main St. Firefighters have not contained the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The western side of the Sacramento Valley from Solano County to Redding is especially susceptible to a spark under a red flag warning. The advisory was in effect until 8 a.m. Tuesday for most of Northern Californias lower elevations due to dangerous fire weather, including buffeting north gusts and low humidity, according to the National Weather Services station in Sacramento. Fires burning within 60 miles of Sacramento include: Aero Fire in Copperopolis, Calaveras County Across the Central Valley in an area of Calaveras County above Tulloch Reservoir, the Aero Fire has chewed through 5,009 acres (7.8 square miles) as of 8:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire data. Evacuations around Copperopolis shown on Genasys, formerly Zonehaven Aware, were zones: 139-A, 147-B, 152, 153, 156 through 173. Evacuation warnings were in effect in zones 139-B and 147-A. Evacuation shelters for residents, pets and livestock were shared by the Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services via Genasys. Shelters were in place at the following locations: MyMotherLode.com reported that an information line was set up by the county at 209-754-6777. The news site said evacuations had spilled into Tuolumne County as well. The fire was 10 times the size of Monday evenings Douglas Fire along Sunrise Boulevard south of Rancho Cordova Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews controlled it within hours and five times as large as Sundays Excelsior Fire, which ripped across pastures along Jackson Road before firefighters halted embers at the Highway 16 junction with Sunrise. The Aero Fires perimeter was 58 miles southeast of Sacramento and a few minutes west of Angels Camp, San Andreas and New Melones Lake. Road 12A Fire near Zamora, Yolo County Another fire on the western tier of the Valley also prompted evacuations Monday night. The Road 12A fire burning 5 miles west of Zamora, and not far from Interstate 505, has not had acreage updates given by Yolo County or Cal Fire LNU officials after it broke out just before 6 p.m. But Yolo County officials said in social media posts that mandatory evacuations were issued for the area west of Interstate 505 to County Road 89, as well as areas south of County Road 14 to County Road 16. An evacuation center opened in Winters was closed after an hour when Yolo County emergency officials declared: No homes or structures threatened at this time. Officals said they would be monitoring conditions and had additional resources available if needed. The fire was burning 30 miles northwest of Sacramento, with Woodland nearly half the distance in a straight line. (FOX40.COM) A Northern California woman was recently arrested after police officers found her unconscious at a stop sign with her car running and three daughters in the backseat. According to the Redding Police Department, the woman, 35 was arrested for three counts of felony child endangerment and driving under the influence of alcohol before being booked into the Shasta County Jail. On Tuesday, police officers received reports of an unconscious driver inside a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Creekside Street and Sacramento Drive around 3:45 p.m. Driver arrested for DUI after CHP finds vehicle submerged in Northern California waterway When officers arrived at the scene, they found the woman, who was still unconscious, and three young girls in the backseat. Officers later learned the young girls were the daughters of the driver. Police said the woman appeared to be extremely intoxicated, which was confirmed when a test revealed her blood alcohol level was four times over the legal limit. 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. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre has announced the allocation of a package to help recover Ukraine's energy infrastructure, specifically for hospitals in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Interfax Ukraine Quote: "Norway will support Ukraine, your right to defence, as well as in your civilian sectors. Today, we have presented a support package for the repair of your power system to ensure electricity for hospitals in Kharkiv and the security of these essential services. And we will continue to support you in bringing your children back," Jonas Gahr Stre said at the second plenary session of the Global Peace Summit. The PM stated that Norway will stand with Ukraine "at the next stage" and noted that preparations for the next summit will begin after this one. "We must be wise and smart. We must preserve the unity of many states. You can count on us," he added. Stre emphasised the importance of cooperation to make the next summit successful. "And after this summit, I feel even more encouraged that we will succeed on this path," he said. Background: According to Western media reports on Sunday, Norwegian Prime Minister Stre announced that Norway will provide Ukraine with US$103 million to repair its energy system and ensure electricity supply before winter. Stre emphasised the need to begin recovery work before winter. Additionally, US$11.2 million will be allocated for repairs in Kharkiv Oblast, including the installation of solar panels in several locations. In 2022, Norway provided Ukraine with US$196 million to support the energy sector, and in 2023, it provided US$177 million. Media outlets recall that Oslo had previously pledged US$7 billion to assist Ukraine in military and humanitarian spheres from 2023 to 2027. Support UP or become our patron! A group of gray whales that spends its summer on the Oregon coast is shrinking, with young whales on track to be around 5 feet shorter than their elders, a new study finds. In total, more than 14,000 gray whales roam the northeastern Pacific, which extends from Mexico to Alaska, and most spend their summers in the Arctic. The new study focused on just 200 whales that linger in the warm, shallow waters along the coast of Oregon and tend to be in worse shape than other gray whales. Researchers from Oregon State University used drones to monitor these whales and gauge changes in their size over time. They found that, while a whale born in the year 2000 could be expected to grow to around 40 feet in length, a whale born in 2020 would end up closer to 35 feet in length. Researchers said the shift in size is dramatic, comparable to the average American woman shrinking from 5 feet, 4 inches to 4 feet, 8 inches in the space of just 20 years. The study, published in Global Change Biology, echoes other research finding that many fish, birds, and amphibians are shrinking, and that climate change may be playing a role. One explanation is that smaller creatures cope better with high heat. Another is that in a hotter, more turbulent world, some animals are not getting enough to eat, and so are not growing to full size. For gray whales, the drop in size coincided with a shift in upwelling currents, which draw nutrients from the deep and deposit them in shallow waters along the coast. With climate change, researchers said, winds are shifting and the ocean is growing warmer, though it is not yet clear what effect this may be having on upwelling. Scientists warned that a drop in size poses a threat to the long-term survival of the Oregon gray whales. Shorter whales tend to have smaller reserves of blubber, meaning they have less energy stored away for lean times. Experts worry that these shorter whales will have a harder time recovering from boat collisions and other injuries, and may struggle to reproduce. ALSO ON YALE E360 Octopuses Are Highly Intelligent. Should They Be Farmed for Food? Number of people injured in Russian missile attack on Poltava increases to 22 Aftermath of Russian missile attack on Poltava on 17 June. Photo: the Poltava Oblast Prosecutors Office Twenty-two people, including three children, were injured in a Russian missile attack on the city of Poltava on 17 June. Source: the Poltava Oblast Prosecutors Office Quote: "Early reports say that the enemy struck the civilian infrastructure with a Kh-59 cruise missile. As a result of the strike civilians have been injured at the moment there is information about 16 people, including 6 children. Six people were taken to hospital." Details: In addition to this, the Prosecutors Office reports that residential buildings, a kindergarten, power lines and garages were damaged. Update: Later, the Poltava Oblast Prosecutors Office clarified that 22 people required medical attention. Three of them were children, and one child was hospitalised. Eight adults were hospitalised as well. Background: The head of the Poltava Oblast Military Administration reported that the Russians struck civilian infrastructure in Poltava Oblast on the afternoon of 17 June. Support UP or become our patron! NY primaries have it all: Democratic Socialist upstarts, underdog pol targeting AOC and even an ex-con Upstart Democratic Socialists, an underdog businessman seeking to topple Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ex-con Hiram Monserrate are among those seeking office in New Yorks primary elections June 25. The primarys nine days of early voting started Saturday. Lefty Democratic Socialist incumbent Ocasio-Cortez faces off against little known moderate retired Wall Street banker Marty Dolan in the 14th Congressional District covering parts of The Bronx and Queens. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing a primary challenge from retired Wall Street banker Marty Dolan. X / @MartyDolanNY Ocasio-Cortez has refused to debate Dolan. Getty Images AOC has tried to ignore her opponent refusing to debate him while running TV ads promoting her re-election bid. She has instead chosen to focus much of her attention on re-electing embattled fellow Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who faces a formidable challenge from moderate George Latimer, the Westchester County executive. AOC is organizing a rally for Bowman on Saturday with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Rep. Jamaal Bowman greeting people on Westchesters first day of early voting in New Rochelle on June 15, 2024. Mark Vergari/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK In the 1st Congressional District, which covers most of Suffolk County on Long Island including its tony East End several Democrats are hoping to win the party nod to run for Republican Lee Zeldins former House seat and take on first-term GOP incumbent Nick LaLota. Centrist John Avlon a former Rudy Giuliani mayoral speech writer and CNN analyst will be facing off against liberal Stony Brook University Professor Nancy Goroff in the primary. Zeldin defeated Goroff in 2020 before relinquishing his seat to run for governor in 2022. Avlon has won the support of moderates such as Reps. Tom Suozzi of Long Island, Gregory Meeks of Queens and Dan Goldman of lower Manhattan/Brooklyn, as well as state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, also the neighboring Democratic leader in Nassau County. John Avlon is running in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District on Long Island. John Avlon Womens groups, including Emilys List, are backing Goroff. Meanwhile, Democratic Socialist candidates are trying to topple incumbents in the state Assembly, and there is a Conservative Party primary fight that could impact a state Senate race in the Hudson Valley. A primary battle in the 56th Assembly District in Brooklyns Bedford-Stuyvesant is pitting two-term incumbent Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman against her DSA-backed opponent, Eon Huntley. Brooklyn Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman is being challenged by Eon Huntley in her Bedford-Stuyvesant district. Paul Martinka Much of the African-American leadership in Brooklyn has rallied around Zinerman, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, state Attorney General Letitia James and Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairwoman Rodneyse Bichotte. Huntley is backed by the DSA, state Sen. Jabari Brisport and the left-leaning New Kings Democrats, who say the challenger will be stronger champion for tenants. Real-estate interests are funding a Super Pac backing Zinerman. Huntley is supported by the DSA. instagram/eontyrellhuntley In a rematch in the Bronxs 82nd District which covers Co-op City, Throgs, Neck, Pelham Bay, Country Club, Westchester Square and City Island DSA-backed challenger Jonathan Soto is again trying to topple veteran Dem Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. Benedetto is confident he will prevail again. My opponent is backed by the Democratic Socialists and supports defunding the police. Public safety is a big issue, said Benedetto, 76, a retired teacher first elected in 2004 and chairman of the assemblys Education Committee. Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto has also faced a DSA-backed primary opponent. Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images Benedetto bashed Jonathan Soto for supporting the defund the police movement. YouTube / MNN NYC Assemblyman Ron Kim who has represented the Flushing-Bayside area in the 40th CD in Queens since 2012 and is seeking a seventh term faces a formidable primary challenge from businessman Yi Andy Chen. Kim, the first Korean-American elected to the legislature, took on ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo over COVID-linked nursing home deaths including that of his uncle as the Assembly Aging Committee chairman. New York City Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Kim at a rally Saturday, and the candidate is also backed by state Sen. John Liu, the former city comptroller, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim is being challenged by local businessman Yi Andy Chen. AP But some of his positions are to the left of his conservative Korean-Chinese American constituency, and he barely won re-election against a Republican two-years ago. A Super PAC backed by real-estate interests supports Chen, a healthcare executive, as does the NYC Police Benevolent Association. Chens support from a business group with ties to Chinas communist government the American Chinese Commerce Association has raised eyebrows. Republican Assembly members made a friendship delegation trip to China last year, which was paid for by the same group. Chen is supported by the NYC Police Benevolent Association. @YiAndyChen / X Convicted felon Hiram Monserrate, a former city councilman and ex-state senator from Queens attempting another comeback in the vacant 35th Assembly District covering Elmhurst and Corona, is challenging party favorite Larinda Hooks. The seat is up for grabs after the retirement of Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry. In Queens 37th AD, first-term Dem incumbent Assemblyman Juan Ardila, tarnished by sex-abuse accusations, is being challenged by party-backed candidate Johanna Carmona and DSA-supported Claire Valdez. Assembly candidate Hiram Monserrate (center) at a rally against a migrant hotel in Queens on June 9, 2024. John Roca A Conservative Party primary in the 42nd state senatorial district in the Hudson Valley could have an impact on who wins the general election for the seat. Democratic Sen. James Skoufis, who is running for election to a fourth term, has an expected rematch against Republican Dorey Houle, whom he defeated narrowly by 1,400 votes in 2022. The Conservative Party in Orange County has cross-endorsed Houle, who ran on the partys ballot line in 2022. But she faces a Conservative Party primary challenge from Tim Mitts, a tax preparer who was convicted of filing fraudulent returns in Kentucky in 2008. State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said Mitts could play spoiler by siphoning votes from Houle if he wins the Conservative Partys primary, leaving both of them on the general election ballot, although for different parties. Mitts came out of nowhere. He only helps Skoufis if he wins the primary. He hurts our candidate, Dorey, Kassar said. A hate-filled suspect destroyed 160 Pride flags around the historic Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, cops say. A hate-filled suspect destroyed 160 Pride flags around the historic Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, cops say. Newly released surveillance video shows the moment a man approaches the fencing around the gay-rights monument in Manhattan on Thursday and begins yanking the adorning flags off one by one, CBS News reported. A suspect destroyed 160 Pride flags around the historic Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village. He yanked flags down across the display, one by one. @ebottcher/X New York City Council member Erik Bottcher shared follow-up images of the vandalism, showing some of the flags snapped off the fence, broken, shredded and littered on the sidewalk. Bigots vandalized the Stonewall National Monument, snapping flag sticks & stealing 3/4 of the flags around the [perimeter] of the park, Bottcher, who is a member of the gay community, wrote on X. Anyone who thinks this will intimidate our community is badly mistaken, he added. Mayor Eric Adams, who was celebrating an LGBTQ Pride Month gathering at his residence in Gracie Mansion at the time of the incident, also condemned the crime. Hate has no place in our city, and nothing will change that, Adams said in a statement. We love the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate them during Pride and all year round. Well always have your back, and we will bring whoever defaced the Stonewall monument to justice, he added. Bigots vandalized the Stonewall National Monument, snapping flag sticks & stealing 3/4 of the flags around the [perimeter] of the park, City Council member Erik Bottcher, who is a member of the gay community, wrote on X. @ebottcher/X Mayor Eric Adams, who was celebrating an LGBTQ Pride Month gathering at his residence in Gracie Mansion at the time of the incident, also condemned the crime. Helayne Seidman The NYPD said the investigation over the incident remains ongoing. This is not the first time the monument has been vandalized during Pride Month. Last year, a group of three men were caught on video tearing down several Pride flags at the national monument in Christopher Park. The monument became Americas first national one recognizing LGBTQ rights in 2016 under then-President Barack Obama. Six days of riots and protests in 1969 against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, located across the street from the park, sparked a turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Three fires at two schools in Holt over the weekend are under investigation as arson by the Delhi Township Fire Department and the Ingham County Sheriffs Department. The first fire took place just after 3 p.m. on Friday at Washington Woods Middle School, where authorities responded to a report of a dumpster fire. On Saturday, firefighters responded to a reported fire on the roof of Horizon Middle School just before 7 a.m. The fire took approximately two hours to extinguish. The Horizon fire appeared suspicious, and we worked with Michigan State Police to have their specially trained dog come out to determine whether accelerators were used to start the fire, said Brian Ball, chief of the Delhi Township Fire Department. The dog got a hit and we are treating both fires, at Horizon and Washington Woods, as arson. Upon returning to Washington Woods after the fire at Horizon, firefighters determined that an additional fire had been set there after the dumpster fire was extinguished. This fire went out on its own. Both Washington Woods and Horizon were also vandalized with graffiti over the weekend. Authorities are asking anyone with information about these incidents to contact Chief Brian Ball of the Delhi Fire Department at (517) 268-3043 or Sgt. Brad Delaney of the Ingham County Sheriffs Department at (517) 676-8251. 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. Federal court cases from the Western District of Oklahoma are adjudicated at the William J. Holloway Jr. United States Courthouse in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/ Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Officials on Monday said they were exploring how a federal judges decision to temporarily block enforcement of parts of a controversial law that forbids the teaching of some gender and race concepts would impact Oklahoma school districts and universities. U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin late Friday afternoon issued his temporary injunction against parts of House Bill 1775. The decision comes more than two years after a coalition of teachers, students, activists and college professors first sued, arguing the law is vaguely worded and confusing. It bars eight race and gender concepts from public school classrooms and bans universities from requiring certain mandatory diversity training. Goodwins decision, among other things, temporarily bars the state from enforcing provisions of the 2021 law that bans public colleges and universities from including information on race or sex in orientations and prohibits public schools from teaching some specific concepts about race and gender discrimination. Goodwins order also blocks the state from implementing any administrative rules that violate his decision while litigation continues. Among other things, House Bill 1775 forbids teaching that a person is inherently racist, that people are responsible for the actions of others of their race or sex and that students should feel discomfort or guilt over previous actions committed by others of their gender or race. Critics said it is impossible to teach students the states academic standards and comply with the law. They argued because the law is written so vaguely, it violates their constitutional rights to due process and free speech. They said free speech protections ensure educators rights to speak about controversial subjects and for students to hear them. Supporters argued that while teachers cant endorse any banned topics, they can teach about race and gender as long as it relates to the lengthy list of topics that must be taught in public schools. Those include race relations, the Ku Klux Klan and the Tulsa Race Massacre. Teachers who violate the law could have their licenses revoked.Tulsa Public Schools already experienced an accreditation downgrade because of implicit bias statements in a training. State Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, who authored House Bill 1775, said hes certain the law will end up being upheld because he believes the concepts being prohibited are very clear. Its going to be a long process, I think, getting through exactly what the ruling is and the overall effect is going to be for the immediate, West said. I am glad that it happened now. We still have the summer to figure all of that out so that we dont have a lot of confusion in the schools as to how it gets applied. He said lawmakers can also use the summer months to determine whether follow up legislation is necessary to clarify some provisions. I dont necessarily see a disruption because between the attorney general, myself and several others, were going to be looking at this really close and see what adjustments need to be made, West said. Barring a quick apparel and ruling, West said he believes the biggest adjustment will be to the administrative rules put in place to enforce HB 1775. He said officials have about a month to sort those out so that theres not a major disruption when school starts in August. A spokesperson for the State Department of Education said the ruling was still being reviewed by legal counsel Monday, so the agency had no comment. But in a statement Monday, the Attorney Generals Office said it believes the injunction will have a negligible impact on teachers and schools regarding how topics regarding race and gender are taught. It is gratifying that the Court rejected the push by the ACLU and its fellow plaintiffs to allow teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another, said spokesperson Phil Bacharach. Our office is reviewing the full ruling, which is complicated and nuanced. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union, whose attorneys were among those to challenge the law, said the partial injunction will blunt the impact of Oklahomas classroom censorship law. This ruling is an important victory for our clients and other Oklahoma students and teachers who value inclusive education. HB 1775s prohibition on teaching banned concepts can no longer be applied in college classrooms, and K-12 teachers are now safe from the Acts most confusing restrictions, said Emerson Sykes, an ACLU attorney. We look forward to the court permanently striking down this unconstitutional classroom censorship law. The ACLU said the law cannot be enforced in university classrooms while the lawsuit continues. The ruling also provides guidance to educators. While they cant endorse banned concepts, they can discuss sexism and racism, attorneys said. We are thrilled that robust and nuanced discussions of history, identity, and culture may return to Oklahoma university classrooms and that K-12 teachers have some much-needed guidance in navigating the law, said Megan Lambert, ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation legal director. We will continue to defend Oklahomas students and teachers from politically motivated censorship and racial discrimination. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Officials unsure how federal ruling will affect Oklahoma law banning race, gender discussions appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. A warning call signaled by the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County last month for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Lake Monroe has local officials reviving discussions about a long-term solution to the problem. Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in Floridas freshwater environments. A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats that give off unpleasant odors. Blue-green algal blooms are environmentally harmful, discolor water and can emit unpleasant odors. Regional officials in Volusia County are seeking a regional solution to the issue at Lake Monroe. The large lake is between Deltona and Sanford. Lake Monroe has a park in Volusia County with fishing docks, boat ramps and other amenities. "Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days, warm water temperatures, still water conditions and excess nutrients," according to the health department. "Blooms can appear year-round but are more frequent in summer and fall." People should be careful because the toxins can be harmful to humans and pets. Is hemp the answer to algae blooms? Looking to take a fresh approach to the ongoing issue, community leaders in Volusia County are considering how hemp plants could battle toxic algae blooms by cleaning polluted waterways as some studies show. Steven Edmonds, founder of Hemp4Water and a political science instructor at Valencia College in Orlando, made a presentation at a May city council meeting in Deltona at the request of Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. Edmonds has been an advocate for water quality and cannabis legalization for years. He started Hemp4Water first as a Facebook group in 2013 to encourage using hemp to improve water quality; it is now a nonprofit organization. "In the research myself and others in the field have done, you can grow hemp plants on industrial biomats and that will help cut down on the excess of surface nitrogen and phosphorus that is the food that feeds algae, so to speak," Edmonds said. But the fix doesn't come cheaply. Before algal growth can be maintained, levels must first be reduced. That can be achieved by shocking the water in an environmentally friendly method employed by Natura Solve, a " biological solutions" company based in Utah. Neutralizing the lake could produce results within about a month, according to Edmonds. Cost estimates for the shock treatment are about $9 billion, with an additional $50,000 for the hemp biomats. "If we had the cooperation and approval, we could try to move forward with this," Avila said in a recent phone interview with The News-Journal. Matt Reinhart, a councilman with Volusia County, is also open to the idea and suggested seeking a regional partnership with officials in Sanford and Seminole County since Lake Monroe borders both Volusia and Seminole counties. "Then we could go after a multi-municipality grant, seeking governmental subsidies to offset the cost," Reinhart said. One area of potential controversy, however, is the use of hemp. Edmonds said the form in which the plants would be used would render them non-smokable. Reinhart said that to allay any concerns, fencing and security cameras could be installed. Avila said he intended to continue discussions around the issue with regional officials. Reinhart admitted, however, it might be a tough sell given the expense. "Even in the short term I've served, I can tell you it's a very conservative council and budget season," Reinhart said, "and we're already facing tax issues with SunRail (the commuter rail system linking Central Florida)." Precautions around algae blooms DOH-Volusia advises residents and visitors to take the following precautions in and around Lake Monroe: Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with waters where there is a visible bloom. Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have any contact with algae, or discolored or water that smells unpleasant. Keep pets and livestock away from the area to avoid any contact with water. Waters where algae blooms are present are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should use an alternative source of water when algae blooms are present. Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate toxins. Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish thoroughly. Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Is there a long-term solution to the algae problem at Lake Monroe? WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio (WJW) An Ohio firefighter was injured Sunday morning while trying to stop an attempted ambulance theft at a hospital, the Willoughby Hills Fire Department reported. An ambulance crew had stopped at the University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center around 10:30 a.m. to make a drug box exchange. As they were leaving the hospital, they saw a man getting into the parked ambulance and starting to drive off. Motown singer claims hospital racially profiled him, rejected claims of his identity According to the fire department, firefighter Brian Paladino, who is also a paramedic, dove through the open drivers side window to subdue the man and get the steering wheel out of his hands. As a result, it caused the ambulance to jump a curb and crashed into the helicopter landing pad of the hospital bringing the stolen ambulance to a halt, the fire department said in a statement. Hospital staff and other first responders descended on the crash and reportedly held the suspect in place until Willoughby police arrived and took him into custody. Paladino suffered a minor ankle and arm injury in the incident, firefighters said. Watch: Officer rides womans wheelchair to hospital after medical emergency Officials said the suspect, who was not injured, was not a patient at the hospital. Someone [making] the extremely poor decision to steal a public safety vehicle is putting themselves and everyone around them at risk, Fire Chief Robert Gandee said in a statement. Thankfully, the quick heroic actions of Firefighter/Paramedic Brian Paladino averted a potentially more disastrous scenario. 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. Ohio student proficiency in key benchmarks in math and reading fell again in recent years, reflecting a nationwide educational challenge in the wake of the COVID pandemic, according to a new report. The number of Ohio eighth grade students not proficient in math rose from 62% in 2019 to 71% in 2022 meaning nearly three-fourths of Ohio eighth graders are not meeting benchmarks in math skills, according to the 2024 Kids Count Data Book, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving the well-being of children. Desks sit inside a classroom of Columbus Alternative High School, part of Columbus City Schools. The number of Ohio eighth grade students not proficient in math has risen from 62% in 2019 to 71%. The same study also found that the percentage of Ohio fourth graders not proficient in reading also increased, growing from 64% to 65% from 2019 to 2022. It's not just Ohio. Students nationally are struggling with reading and math, according to the report. In 2022, 74% of eighth graders were not proficient in math, up from 67% in 2019. At the fourth grade level, 68% were not proficient in reading, two percentage points worse than in 2019. The study also found that 30% of all students (14.7 million students) were chronically absent, nearly double pre-pandemic rates of 16% in 201819. Two out of three students attended schools plagued by chronic absenteeism. Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said in a release that the report shows the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that not enough is being done to provide students with what they need to thrive at their highest level, including resources like tutoring and mental health services. Our policies and priorities have not focused on these factors in preparing young people for the economy, short-changing a whole generation," Hamilton said. Local districts improved a bit in 2023 last year, another study shows A study published by Harvard and Stanford Universities in early 2024 found that math and reading scores had relatively improved since the onset of the pandemic, but that more work needed to be done. The study found that several central Ohio districts, including Columbus, Hilliard and South-Western City Schools all improved math scores from 2022 to 2023. The study also found that many central Ohio districts improved on reading levels, although Columbus City Schools slightly declined. The study did find, however, that Ohio, Massachusetts and Connecticut were among the leading states in an unequal recovery from COVID, led by "the wealthier districts which lost the least during the pandemic." Sean Reardon, professor of poverty and inequality at Stanford and one of the studys co-authors, said academic performance remains "lower and more unequal than in 2019 in all but the wealthiest communities in America." "We shouldnt lose sight of the fact that the recovery has been uneven and we have a long way to go," Reardon said. State emphasizing 'science of reading' Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been a champion of what he says is a science-based method of teaching children to read called structured literacy (or the "science of reading"), which teaches students to break words down into their phonemes or sounds. At his State-of-the-State address earlier this year, DeWine urged universities to teach future educators about structured literacy to help address shortcomings in Ohio reading levels. More: 'We know what works' DeWine pushes Ohio schools to adopt science-based literacy education The other method widely used in schools is called balanced literacy or whole language, and gives children strategies to decipher unfamiliar words by looking at a picture or context of the known words in a sentence. These are called cues, and while sounding the word out can be one, it's only supposed to be used as a measure of last resort. Last year, Ohio lawmakers approved changes in the two-year budget that require schools to teach the science of reading. Cbehrens@dispatch.com @Colebehr_report This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Casey Foundation study shows Ohio kids losing ground in math, reading The Oklahoma Ethics Commission discusses replacing the Guardian System during a meeting on June 14, 2024 at the State Capitol. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Make Oklahoma Great Again Political Action Committee will pay the state $25,000 to settle an Oklahoma Ethics Commission complaint. According to the settlement made public Friday, MOGA failed to register as a political action committee and to file contribution and expenditure reports. As a result, Jonathan Krems will pay $25,000 in civil penalties to the states General Revenue Fund as treasurer of MOGA, according to the agreement. The payment must come from personal funds and not campaign funds, as stated in the agreement. As a further condition of the settlement, Krems agreed to receive education by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission prior to representing any political action committee in the future, in accordance with the settlement. Krems did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. According to the agreement, Krems admits responsibility in his failure to comply with the ethics rules. Krems is an attorney based in Tulsa. He is the founder and managing attorney of Liberty Legal Solutions, a firm offering business legal services to small business owners. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma Ethics Commission settles with Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to deny clemency to Richard Norman Rojem, Jr. on Monday after hearing from his defense team, the Attorney General's office and victim impact statements. (Photo by Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied a convicted killer clemency in a 5-0 vote Monday. Richard Norman Rojem, Jr., 66, is on death row for the 1984 kidnapping, rape and murder of his former stepdaughter Layla Cummings, 7. He is scheduled to be executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on June 27. Rojems defense team argued the quality of the evidence was not sufficient to warrant death and he did not kill Layla Cummings. The Attorney Generals office argued the crimes timeline, evidence and three previous jury verdicts demonstrated Rojem did not deserve clemency. Layla Cummings body was found in a field near Burns Flat on July 7, 1984, where she was face-down in her mothers nightgown. She sustained three stab wounds, according to a medical examiners report. Vicky Cummings, the aunt of Layla Cummings, spoke via Zoom during the hearing. She asked the Board to vote no to granting clemency. (Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice) Layla Cummings aunt, Vicky Cummings, spoke at the hearing via Zoom. She said she wanted her familys 40 years of suffering to come to an end. I have become so weary all these years pressing against that prison door trying to keep him in, Vicky Cummings said. Having to relive and reiterate this horror time and time again. Please, just 10 more days. Mindy Cummings, Layla Cummings mother, did not attend the hearing. Instead, a representative read a letter she wrote to the Board. She wrote that her daughters death has taken a heavy toll on her son, who saw Rojem take Layla Cummings from their apartment, and her ex-husband, who committed suicide after his daughters death. She asked the Board to deny clemency based on savage, barbaric and torturous acts Rojem made against her daughter. Richard Norman Rojem, Jr., swore he did not kidnap, rape or kill Layla Cummings. (Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice) Rojem spoke at the hearing via Zoom from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He said, though offered numerous plea deals before his 1985 trial, he did not take one because he is innocent. Rojem was previously convicted for the rapes of two teenage girls in Michigan, according to court records. I wasnt a good human being for the first part of my life, and I dont deny that, Rojem said. But I went to prison. I learned my lesson. And I left all that behind. I did not kidnap Layla. I did not rape Layla. And I did not murder [her]. Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he agreed with the Boards decision.I am pleased the Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for the monster who savagely raped and murdered an innocent child and caused unimaginable suffering for her family, Drummond said in a statement after the hearing. Justice for Layla will be served when he is executed on June 27. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denies clemency to convicted killer appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Attorney General Gentner Drummond participates in District Attorneys Council meeting on Aug. 17, 2023. Photo by: Carmen Forman/Oklahoma Voice OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahomas attorney general in an unusual move publicly warned a state senator to correct his campaign expenditure report or face possible consequences. A spokesperson for Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Monday said that the move less than a week before the Republican primary election was not an attempt to bolster the campaign of a candidate trying to unseat Sen. Cody Rogers. He said that Drummonds letters to Rogers and the state Ethics Commission had nothing to do with Drummonds chief of staffs former ties to a campaign consultant representing Rogers opponent. The Attorney Generals actions were prompted by complaints about a recent campaign filing by Sen. Rogers that clearly fails to report contributions and expenditures as required by law, said Phil Bacharach, a spokesman, on Monday. The Attorney General would have taken the same action regardless of who the candidate is or who his or her consultant is. In a Friday letter to Rogers, R-Tulsa, Drummond alleged that Rogers has failed to report his campaign expenditures in his effort to be reelected to Senate District 37. The letter was posted on Drummonds social media account on Friday. The primary election is Tuesday. I am deeply concerned that you have failed to file any information whatsoever regarding your campaign expenditures, Drummond wrote. This failure has deprived Oklahoma citizens of their right to know how your campaign is expending lawful receipts. While a small handful of omissions might be considered inadvertent, I am aware of the multiple expenditures bearing your campaigns disclaimer. These expenditures include but are not limited to mail pieces, yard signs and printed materials. Drummond wrote that violations of Oklahoma Ethics rules may result in significant penalties and criminal prosecution. Rogers faces Republican Aaron Reinhardt, of Jenks, in Tuesdays primary. The winner faces independent Andrew Nutter, of Tulsa, in the general election. Reinhardt has paid campaign consultant Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals in excess of $110,000, according to Ethics Commission records. Well-known political consultant Fount Holland is a founding partner of the company. Holland is also a former business partner of Trebor Worthen, Drummonds chief of staff. I had no idea it (the letter) was going out, Holland said. None. Holland said he did not request Drummonds intervention. Holland said his company also worked for Rogers in 2023 and was paid $3,750. Matt Parker, the chief operating officer of Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals, worked on Drummonds campaign in 2020. Parker said he did not ask Drummond to intervene. He said Rogers is in blatant violation of ethics rules for not reporting expenditures. Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals will get a $10,000 bonus if Reinhardt wins the seat, Parker said. It is standard that all of our contracts have a victory bonus component, Parker said. Rogers did not respond to a request for comment. In a separate Friday letter to Lee Anne Bruce Boone, Oklahoma Ethics Commission executive director, Drummond said the oversight appears to be a violation of ethics rules. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission does not accept complaints alleging rules violations during an election cycle. The blackout period is from the date the candidate formally declares and files for office to the end of the general election. But Drummond, in the letter, said that the rule allows for a member or staff member to accept a complaint. Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Commission initiate an inquiry, Drummond wrote. Alternatively, it might be helpful for Commission staff to contact the senator about the discrepancy. I trust your discretion in how best to resolve this matter. A spokesperson for the Ethics Commission said the agency could not comment. Reinhardts pre-primary report indicates he has raised $165,769 and spent $125,578. Rogers pre-primary report indicates he loaned his campaign $250,000 and has no expenditures. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma senators failure to report expenditures draws attention appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Oklahomans will head to the polls Tuesday to vote in the primary election. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished without a Getty subscription.) OKLAHOMA CITY Voters head to the polls Tuesday to select candidates for the statehouse, Congress and Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Fount Holland, a Republican political strategist, said Republican primaries bring out some of the most conservative voters who are normally older, such as 55 and older. Oklahomans are more conservative than they have been in the past, Holland said. Republican primary voters are very much followers of President Trump, and so theyre running to reflect the people that make up the state, and not just that make up the state, but the people that care enough to show up to the polls, Holland said. Thirty-four Republican incumbents face challengers. The District 4 seat for the U.S. House of Representatives has been highly publicized, with incumbent Tom Cole facing Paul Bondar, whose residency has been called into question. Cole chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Millions in advertising has been spent on the race for and against Cole and Bondar. Andrew Hayes, Nick Hankins and Rick Whitebear Harris are also seeking the Republican nomination. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will advance to the runoff primary election, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. State Rep. Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, who is nonbinary, is not seeking reelection. Instead, three Democrats, Nicole Maldonado, Ellen Pogemiller and Paula Sophia, are seeking the seat. Maldonado currently works as Turners legislative assistant. Senate Majority Leader Greg McCortney, R-Ada, will face Jonathon Wingard on Tuesday. Rob Crowley, who initially filed to run, withdrew from the race. McCortney has been selected as the next Senate president pro tem. If he loses, another senator will be chosen to fill the leadership post. The Republican nomination for the Corporation Commission is a showdown between Brian Bingman, Justin Hornback and Russell Ray. Bingman is a former leader of the Oklahoma State Senate and Oklahoma Secretary of State. Hornback is a welder. Ray is the director of communications and marketing for CareerTech. Misha Mohr, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Election Board, said making turnout predictions for a primary election is difficult because not all voters have an election every two years. Its very difficult to make an apples to apples comparison when it comes to the primary election, Mohr said. Early voting for Tuesdays primary ended Saturday. As of Friday morning, over 24,500 votes had been cast, either in person or via mail. Mohr said some precincts have nonpartisan elections, which all voters are eligible to participate in. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters in line at their designated polling locations by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters must show photo identification, a county election board voter identification card. Oklahoma has closed primary elections, meaning voters are limited to voting in their registered partys primary. However, the Democratic party has opened its primaries to independents for 2024 and 2025, Mohr said. If necessary, the primary runoff will be held Aug. 27. The general election is Nov. 5. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma voters head to the polls Tuesday appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Treated as a pariah by the West, Putin set for warm welcome in Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong Van, a collector and seller of Russian souvenirs who lived and worked in Russia for 20 years, at her shop in Hanoi Nguyen Thi Hong Van, a collector and seller of Russian souvenirs who lived and worked in Russia for 20 years, at her shop in Hanoi HANOI (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely portrayed as a pariah in the West, but he looks set to receive a warm welcome when he visits Communist-ruled Vietnam this week. Vietnam is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, and ties between Hanoi and Moscow have been strong for decades. Like Moscow, Hanoi also keeps a close eye on what is reported by national media, and Western advocacy groups say media freedoms and freedom of expression are severely limited in Vietnam. "I was very happy when I learned that Mr Putin is coming to Vietnam because he is very talented, truly a world leader," Tran Xuan Cuong, a 57-year-old Hanoi resident, said in front of a statue of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin in the Vietnamese capital. Another Hanoi resident, Nguyen Thi Hong Van, said gifts in her Russian souvenir shop sell well. "Vietnamese people love Russian products very much," she told Reuters, surrounded by Matryoshka dolls and caps featuring the embroidered letters CCCP, the Cyrillic abbreviation for the Soviet Union (USSR). Putin will visit Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, state media said. The Russian leader has travelled little since the ICC ruling, which Moscow says it does not recognise. Russia also denies committing war crimes in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion Putin launched in February 2022. TRADITIONAL TIES Russia is the top supplier of weapons to Vietnam, and Russian firms extract oil and gas in Vietnamese fields in the South China Sea that are claimed by China. Tens of thousands of cadres went to study in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, including top business leaders and the current head of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, a Marxist-Leninist ideologist. Hanoi is dotted with Soviet-style buildings, including the museum of modern Vietnam's founding father Ho Chi Minh, and an imposing Vietnam-Soviet friendship palace, built in the late 1970s on the site where a bombed French exhibition hall stood. In a country that is strictly controlled by its Communist leadership, and where advocacy group Human Rights Watch says rights to freedom of expression are strictly limited, Putin is unlikely to face open criticism. "The Russian spirit is a wonderful thing. It can be gentle and has a lot of affection and love for peace," said Tran Xuan Viet, 83."I will always have respect and compassion for Putin. In fact, there are many things about him that I often (..) apply in my daily life." Some younger Vietnamese also welcomed Putin's visit. "I quite like Russian President Putin. I hope this visit will increase solidarity, cooperation and friendship between Russia and Vietnam," said Pham Hoang Hai Dang, a 20-year-old student. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Michael Perry and Timothy Heritage) The German Rheinmetall company is assessing whether Cold War-era Leopard 1 tanks can have their turrets swapped out to be fitted with the Skyranger 35 short-range air defense system. The initiative is driven by Ukraines insatiable demand for ground-based air defenses, but its indicative of a broader resurgence in interest in short-range air defense systems (SHORADS), especially as the drone threat continue to proliferate around the globe. The German Rheinmetall company is assessing whether Cold War-era Leopard 1 tanks can have their turrets swapped out to be fitted with the Skyranger 35 short-range air defense system, turning them into highly mobile counters to a range of aerial threats. The initiative is driven by Ukraines insatiable demand for ground-based air defenses, but the company is also pitching its more modern Leopard 2 with the same turret, indicative of a broader resurgence in interest in short-range air defense systems ( SHORADS ), especially as the drone threat continues to proliferate around the globe . Plans to modify the Leopard 1 with the Skyranger 35 turret were announced by Bjorn Bernhard, Head of Land Systems at Rheinmetall. There are still a lot of Leopard 1 battle tanks on whose chassis we could put the Skyranger turret with the 35mm cannon, Bernhard told the German newspaper Bild . A German Army Leopard 1A5 tank. Bundeswehr/Jonas Weber While the Leopard 1/Skyranger 35 is aimed squarely at Ukrainian requirements, Bernhard noted that the modification effort is currently a secondary priority compared to Rheinmetalls continued work to refurbish standard Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine. https://www.twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1802647956140490920 The SHORADS conversion of the Leopard 1 tank remains an experimental project at this stage, but it could be a compelling capability for Ukraine. https://www.twitter.com/20gimsack/status/1802322104446050639 The latest Skyranger 35 is a development of the enduring 35mm revolver cannon developed by the Swiss Oerlikon company, one of the most widely used anti-aircraft guns. The modular design of the Skyranger 35 turret means it can be fitted with a range of different sensors to detect and engage aerial threats, with options including active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, optronic packages, and passive radio frequency detection systems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb1FA12q6_w While capable of operating completely independently, the Skyranger 35 can be integrated with a wider air defense network via the Skymaster command and control architecture, including datalink and identification friend-or-foe (IFF) components. The modular nature of the Skyranger 35 extends beyond the sensors, with options for other weapons, too. In addition to the baseline 35mm x 228 KDG revolver cannon, the same turret can accommodate a 30mm x 173 KCE gun, as the Skyranger 30 . In its latest application, these rapid-firing guns are provided with Oerlikons AHEAD air-burst ammunition, which releases a cloud of sub-projectiles just ahead of a target, increasing the probability of a kill and making it better suited to tackling low, slow, and small air threats like drones, rockets, and mortar projectiles. Air-burst rounds also significantly reduce the risk of collateral damage on the ground. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdwjcayPuag According to Rheinmetall, the 35mm caliber offers a counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar, or C-RAM capability out to an effective range of 2.5 miles. The 30mm caliber has an effective range of up to 1.8 miles. To extend its range further, and tackle other types of threats, the turret is designed to also mount short-range air defense missiles, typically a twin launcher for FIM-92 Stinger or Mistral missiles. Both those missiles are already used by Ukraine. Looking further ahead, Rheinmetall says the turret can be integrated with vertically launched missiles for the counter-precision-guided munition (C-PGM) role, while integration of a high-energy laser is also being explored. At the Eurosatory defense exhibition taking place outside Paris this week, Rheinmetall is displaying the Skyranger 35 integrated with the Leopard 2 tank (the successor to the Leopard 1), while the Skyranger 30 is presented integrated with the Boxer 8x8 armored fighting vehicle and the Lynx KF41 tracked armored fighting vehicle. https://www.twitter.com/JonHawkes275/status/1802630080792768587 Rheinmetall concept artwork showing an expanded fleet of Boxer-based Skyranger SHORADS vehicles. As well as a gun vehicle, these comprise a Search Radar Control Node (SRCN), one with pods for Stinger-type missiles, and one with vertically launched Cheetah missiles. Rheinmetall At this point, its worth noting that Germany has already provided Ukraine with two Rheinmetall Skynex systems that comprise 35mm anti-aircraft turrets firing AHEAD ammunition based on an HX 6x6 truck chassis and integrated with an X-TAR3D acquisition radar and Skymaster battle management system. Understood to have been delivered at the beginning of the year, the two Skynex systems have so far not been seen in Ukrainian service, but there have been suggestions that further examples may also be transferred. The Rheinmetall Skynex air defense system. Rheinmetall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5_F4_Eod8 The capabilities of the Leopard 1, meanwhile, are something that TWZ has explored in the past , also in the context of transfers of these vehicles to Ukraine. At the latest count, at least 135 Leopard 1s all of which are Leopard 1A5 variants have been secured by Germany for transfer to Ukraine. These come from former Danish, Dutch, and German stocks, while others were purchased by Rheinmetall from a Belgian private dealer . Although transfers of Leopard 1s to Ukraine have been underway since at least July 2023, these tanks have not been widely seen in active service in the conflict. https://www.twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1733048568309485704 As we pointed out in the past , the age of the Leopard 1s means they are likely being held back from the most critical offensives and there may well also be problems in securing ammunition for the tanks 105mm rifled main gun. These factors make the Leopard 1 an even more suitable candidate for conversion as SHORADS vehicles, whether based on the tanks already delivered to Ukraine or by securing additional examples. While Bjorn Bernhard says there are still a lot of Leopard 1 battle tanks available, he didnt state where these might come from. As we have noted in the past, the Leopard 1 remains in limited service around the world, with operators in its original role including Brazil, Chile, Greece, and Turkey. Meanwhile, specialist versions of the Leopard 1, including armored recovery, bridge-layer, and combat engineer models, are more widely used, including by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. A Leopard 1A5 takes part in an exercise at the Klietz military training area in Klietz, eastern Germany, on February 23, 2024, during the effort to train Ukrainian soldiers on the tank. Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images Rheinmetalls proposed SHORADS solution is especially noteworthy given Ukraines positive experience operating the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. The Gepard is based on the hull of the Leopard 1 and also has a turret armed with 35mm guns, albeit in a twin mounting, with a gun on each side. Based on multiple Ukrainian reports, the Gepard has proven especially successful in countering Russian drones , and in some cases cruise missiles, which continue to lay siege to critical infrastructure and cities across the country. Securing ammunition for the Gepards was also an issue since this is produced in Switzerland, which has a policy of neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine. To get around this, the German government pursued a deal with Rheinmetall to restart production of 35mm ammunition early last year. From left to right: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, and German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius look at 35mm anti-aircraft ammunition during the inauguration of a new Rheinmetall ammunition factory, in February 2024. Photo by Philipp Schulze/picture alliance via Getty Images Like the Gepard, the Leopard 1/Skyranger 35 would offer Ukrainian air defense operators a well-protected and highly mobile platform that could be used to provide point defense of critical installations and in support of units on the battlefield, including those that are on the move. Its modular nature means that it would be able to operate independently where required, but also plug into existing air defense networks. A German Army Gepard during a live-fire exercise before the vehicle was withdrawn from German service. Bundeswehr As for the Leopard 2/Skyranger 35 combination, this is likely directed at higher-end customers, perhaps including those poised to start withdrawing older examples of the tank from their normal combat roles, replacing them with new-generation vehicles , which could free up hulls for SHORADS conversions. Offering the Skyranger 35 turret combined with the veteran Leopard 1 and the Leopard 2 reflects a broader growing interest in SHORADS, after many years of neglect by many armed forces, epitomized by the fact that the Gepard was essentially a dying breed in NATO before the war in Ukraine. These tanks provide a highly mobile air defense solution and are both immediately available, with the Leopard 2 also still in production. Change is now being driven by the requirement for expanded counter-drone and counter-cruise missile capabilities , to address threats that TWZ has highlighted in the past and which Ukraine is now facing on a daily basis. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army laid out plans to significantly expand its air and missile defense units, reflecting concerns about these and other aerial threats that have been growing for years now . Whats perhaps most notable about these threats is how they extend all the way from the kinds of large-scale warfare that would be anticipated in a future conflict between China and the United States in the Pacific , all the way down to smaller national armed forces , and even to non-state actors . Examples of how Germany's Gepards have been used in Ukraine against low-flying aerial threats can be seen below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PWJ97KcnmA\u0026t=11s Therefore, its not only the U.S. military that is being forced to play catch-up in developing ways of countering these threats, with the demand for bolstered SHORADS capabilities being felt around the world. Its no surprise that SHORADS solutions including other turret-based systems like the Leopard 1/Skyranger 35 are a prominent feature of the Eurosatory exhibition. https://www.twitter.com/RheinmetallAG/status/1802671069511172253 Key trends include porting these air-defense capabilities onto highly mobile armored vehicles that have their own sensors, and which have the capacity to combine gun and missile armament. Gun-based systems, however, like the Skyranger family offer a significant advantage over pure missile systems, with rounds of 35mm ammunition being far cheaper than a guided missile, each of which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to procure. Obviously, this has particular resonance when facing a threat from massed drones. Globally, its very clear that armed forces are facing a need for significantly more units to defend against aerial threats, especially drones and cruise missiles. For Ukraine, in particular, Rheinmetalls hybrid between a modern air defense turret and a veteran tank could well be part of the answer to that challenge. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com DULUTH The Rev. William C. Graham, removed from active priest duties for nearly eight years amid allegations of sexual misconduct, marked his Vatican-approved return to St. Michael's Catholic Church in mid-May with a media conference backed by a dozen supporters and a dry stone baptismal fountain. He used biblical terms to describe the Catholic church discipline department's finding that there wasn't sufficient evidence that he was guilty of the allegations. "Light triumphing over darkness," Graham called it. Now, weeks after his hard-fought return, Graham will retire June 30. He said Bishop Daniel Felton gave him the option to transfer to the Cass Lake area, appeal the transfer or retire. Graham did not say mass on Sunday morning at his home church. A letter outlining a restructuring within Duluth's east side churches recently went out from from Felton to affected pastors. "Subsequently to that communication, this week Father Graham informed his parish leadership and Bishop Felton that he plans to retire on June 30, 2024, and Bishop Felton accepted that decision," diocese spokesman Kyle Eller said. T.J. Davis is glad to see the priest gone again. It was Davis' accusations of "unpermitted sexual conduct" that led to the priest's suspension from daily duties in 2016. "I'm numb," he said of Graham's retirement. "After seven and a half years of fighting to get your job back, two weeks in you resign?" Davis accused the priest of abuse during the three-year window provided by the Minnesota Child Victims Act, which offered a chance to come forward after the statute of limitation had passed. His allegations about Graham, dating back to the late 1970s when he was a teenager, were part of a lawsuit against St. John's Church, St. Benedict's Church and Duluth Cathedral High School. He filed as Doe 446 part of a wider-reaching lawsuit against the diocese, but didn't stay anonymous for long. Graham said he found out Davis's identity after overhearing a conversation between his and Davis's lawyers that was conducted on speakerphone. Two months later, Graham filed a lawsuit against Davis for interfering with his livelihood and claiming emotional distress. The priest was awarded $13,500 for the loss of work, but was denied on his charge of emotional distress. The ruling which didn't prove or disprove Davis's claims, only that Graham's employment was affected was upheld by an appeals court. Within the diocese, Graham was still considered "credibly accused" at the time. He was banned from saying mass, hearing confessions or delivering sacraments. He described himself as being in exile. Graham spent years trying to get his job back until the ruling came and he was back at the front of the church in late May. The Vatican acquitted him, with a decree of absolution. His restrictions were lifted, his name removed from the diocese's list, and he returned to active ministry at his former church. Davis said he was horrified and shocked by this turn, which he was told by a past bishop would never happen. "It was like being abused all over again," Davis said days after the news conference surrounded by a handful of supporters. Among them: a woman who shared an affidavit by her son about similar abuse at the hands of Graham. She said it was filed with the diocese in 2021. During his May news conference, Graham credited God and the Vatican for declaring his innocence "after a painful seven years and 10 months of suffering under a demonstrably false accusation." He said he and his parishioners would pray together, listen to each other and then ask, "Where do we go from here?" The return called for legwork. Graham said that day he didn't know how many people were in his congregation and that he had no office or maintenance staff. He had returned to an empty church. In the months leading up to his return, the church bulletin listed a robust staff names that were no longer in the weekly newsletter after April 28. Former staff members did not return calls for comment. "I am very happy to be restored," he said in an interview Monday. "I'm happy to have my reputation back. I'm sorry for all of the sadness that this episode has caused to so many people. I'm sorry that St. Michael's was without a pastor for eight years and that they and I were both surprised by how it was ending, how it is ending." Graham has had sharp words for the Duluth diocese. He spoke of its lack of support from the pulpit and at the news conference. He told his audiences that neither the diocese nor Bishop Felton had expressed any regret for what he and his parish had gone through. "I'm still awaiting it," he said Monday. On Sunday, substitute priest Peter Lambert came out before mass started and addressed the congregation, which numbered fewer than 100. "I'm Father Peter and I'm filling in this weekend," he said. "I guess you get a lot of that here, don't you. In fact, we're going to change the name of the parish to 'Our Lady of Perpetual Surprise.'" Members of the congregation laughed. Once nicknamed Murderapolis, the city that became the center of the Defund the Police movement is grappling with heightened violent crime Marnette Gordon was doing laundry at home in Minneapolis one summer morning last year when a call came from her 36-year-old son. She figured her son, Telly Blair, was checking in to see if she wanted a soda from a gas station down the street, where he often went for fuel and snacks. Mom, Ive been shot, he said. Call the police! Marnette, her other son Tamarcus and his 12-year-old daughter rushed to the gas station from their home in the citys north side, a part of town long beset by violent crime. Blairs family came upon his blue 1986 Chevy Caprice at pump No. 5 beating police and paramedics by a few minutes, they said only to find him slumped in his car, bleeding from multiple bullet wounds in his chest. A 17-year-old male in an orange hoodie had fired nine rounds from a handgun into Blairs car before running off. While an off-duty nurse in scrubs whod been at the gas station tried to stop his bleeding, Marnette a heart-transplant recipient couldnt bear to watch and stood at a distance. Telly was her caretaker. It was just horrible to see him sitting there, waiting on the ambulance, she told CNN. The 12-year-old called 911 while watching her uncle struggle to breathe. Oh my God, please, the girl, who was crying, said to a dispatcher, according to 911 transcripts of the August 9, 2021 shooting obtained by CNN. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry, hurry, hes dead, hurry up! Telly Blair was among 93 people who were murdered in Minneapolis last year, city crime data shows. Thats just a few shy of the total killings in 1995, when the city earned the nickname Murderapolis. (Neighboring St. Paul witnessed 38 murders last year a historic high.) After the police murder of George Floyd in May of 2020, Minneapolis became a worldwide symbol of the police brutality long endured disproportionately by Black people. In a kind of Newtonian response, the city became the epicenter of the culturally seismic Defund the Police movement. But that progressive local effort fizzled with a decisive referendum last November. Now, with its police department under investigation by the Department of Justice, the city of 425,000 is trying to find a way forward amid a period of heightened crime that began shortly after Floyds death. That year, the number of murders soared to nearly 80 dwarfing the 2019 body count of 46. It has cooled somewhat this year, though the amount of killing and violent crime in general remains elevated far above 2019 levels and homicides are on pace to surpass the 2020 figure. The reasons why are far from clear. KG Wilson, a longtime resident of the Twin Cities, said police withdrew from violent neighborhoods in the aftermath of Floyds killing a common sentiment among locals. The criminals were celebrating. They were getting rich, he said. They were selling drugs openly. Wilson told CNN the violence devastated his own family: His 6-year-old granddaughter was killed in May of 2021 after getting caught in the crossfire of a gunfight in north Minneapolis. The culprit remains at large. Another factor was the pandemic, which some observers see as the biggest impetus for the crime surge. It unsettled settled trajectories, said Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor who is now a professor at St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis. Kids who were going to school, who would have graduated but drifted off because there is no school were seeing a lot of the violent crime is by juveniles. Citing sinking morale in the wake of the unrest after Floyds killing, leaders at the Minneapolis Police Department say the officer head count has shrunk from 900 in early 2020 to about 560 in August a loss of more than a third of the force. KG Wilson created a memorial for his granddaughter Aniya Allen in his SUV. The car seat cover of her face rests on the seat where she would ride with him. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN Against this backdrop, the political pendulum on public-safety matters in this reliably liberal city the Mini Apple hasnt had a Republican mayor since 1973, and that was for just a single day seems to have swung away from a progressive mindset towards the middle. And on matters of public safety, the middle is where many of the citys Black residents already were. Last year, progressives touted a ballot measure that was said to be a referendum on the defund concept. Question 2, as it was known locally, would have replaced the Minneapolis Police Department with a new public health-oriented Department of Public Safety and removed a minimum staffing requirement from the city charter. It failed in November, with 56% of voters rejecting it. That figure was 61% in north Minneapolis, a pair of neighboring city wards where Blacks make up a strong plurality of the roughly 66,000 residents. All but one of the 17 precincts in the north voted against the measure. We did not believe that the police should be defunded, but we do believe in police reforms, said Bishop Richard Howell of Shiloh Temple, a north-side church founded more than 90 years ago. Rae McKay-Anderson Telly Blairs sister said you cant possibly defund the police in a way thats going to benefit the Black community. Dealing the final blow to the local defund movement last year was a city council vote to essentially refund a cut theyd made the prior year. Mayor Jacob Frey is proposing another budget bump for the next two fiscal years. The question of the moment is, if the police budget has been restored, and if all the anti-cop shouting by politicians and activists that left officers demoralized has weakened to a whimper, why are citizens especially in the rough parts of north Minneapolis still feeling neglected by police and fearful for their safety? A feeling of lawlessness, a sense of neglect Residents of the north side describe a landscape that can feel lawless. Indeed, about 60% of police calls for shots fired this year have come from the area, even though it makes up just 15% of the population, according to city data. Paul Johnson, 56, said young men openly sell drugs during the day in public places, such as a gas station on Broadway Avenue that has been dubbed the murder station due to all of the fatal shootings there. (It is near the one where Blair was killed.) You pull up to get gas they try to sell you drugs, he said. And not just three or four, but its a bulk of people. The perception among many residents is that the police ignore the area. They just let it go on, said Johnsons friend, Brian Bogan, 42, who said he moved from north Minneapolis to relatively safer St. Paul due to his kids growing up in an area where they dont know if its fireworks or gunshots. A memorial for Aniya Allen lay on the ground of the corner store near where she was shot in north Minneapolis. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN While Minneapolis is far from the nations most dangerous city, its rate of increase in homicides the count in 2021 was about double that of 2019 is among the highest in the nation, said Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri- St. Louis and co-author of an annual study on crime trends. On per-capita murders, it has ranked fairly high 19th out of 70 jurisdictions in the US during the first half of this year, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association. The city ranked even higher on other per-capita crime measures, such as robbery (4th), rape (8th) and aggravated assault (13th). Juliee Oden, 56, cant even count the times she has called 911 to report gunfire outside her north-side home. One night last summer, a volley of shots jolted her out of bed while she was watching TV it was coming from her front lawn. I hit the floor, she said. My phone went flying. I had to crawl on my stomach to get to the phone to dial 911. It got to the point where it was hard to sleep at night and Oden, who works at a construction company, had colleagues install a bulletproof panel behind the headboard of her bed. Now I go in my room with complete confidence, she said. If somebody is to shoot directly at my house, I know: As long as Im behind my headboard, Im 100% safe. Oden was among eight residents in north Minneapolis who filed a lawsuit in the summer of 2020 calling on the city to replenish the police department by filling vacant positions. The suit singled out city council members who supported the radical dismantle the police idea and accused them and Mayor Frey of creating a hostile environment for the police. It was largely upheld by a state Supreme Court decision this summer meaning the city needs to staff up to at least 731 police officers. Doug Seaton, an attorney representing the eight residents, said the successful suit was filed in direct response to how progressive city council members had embraced the defund idea. It demoralized the police department and ultimately led to a mass exodus of officers, he said. That is, we think, the major reason that crime has spiked throughout the city and hasnt gone away yet, Seaton said. Meanwhile, as the MPD headcount has shrunk, wait times have grown for people who call 911 to report serious priority 1 incidents, which can include shots fired, robberies, assaults and mental health crises. Average 911 response times jumped the very month of Floyds death May of 2020 from around 10 or 11 minutes early that year to 14 minutes, according to public records obtained by CNN. They kept rising in 2021 to 16 minutes; response times in the north sides fourth precinct last year actually surpassed 17 minutes, where they remain. Some nights are so busy that the dispatchers are directed to hold all non-priority-1 calls citywide; these would include reports of property damage, suspicious persons or theft. That happened during a frenetic five-hour stretch on the night of September 8, when officers responded to multiple shootings and calls for shots fired many of them in north Minneapolis; one near the murder station that left two dead and seven wounded. The Minneapolis Police Department has even flatly refused to respond to certain crimes in a timely manner. One couple who run a property management business recently took it upon themselves to investigate the theft of their van, box truck and tools by a culprit who brought the stolen goods into a homeless encampment on the north side, according to local news reports. Police told KARE 11 that the hostility towards police on the part of some encampment dwellers compels them to take a slower approach when investigating property crimes there. But by and large, police officials have said the slower response times are the expected byproduct of a depleted force that has witnessed an overwhelming wave of retirements, resignations and disability leaves due to post-traumatic stress. Much of that exodus owes to a bottoming out of morale in the wake of a crisis that left police officers feeling reviled, said interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman. Theres really been a very fundamental challenge to our sense of purpose in law enforcement, Huffman said of the post-Floyd era. (Minneapolis) is the eye of the storm. So all of those challenges and the pressure is magnified, you know, a hundred fold a thousand fold. Similar headcount plunges have plagued police departments from coast to coast. Some law enforcement officials have attributed the mass resignations and retirements to pandemic-related reasons, but Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith of the National Police Association said morale is a major factor. Its no secret that law enforcement especially in the last two and a half years, has been badly vilified and wrongly vilified, she told CNN. You cant call an entire profession racist and expect people to just sit back and say, okay, you know, keep piling on. The gas station where Telly Blair was fatally shot in north Minneapolis. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN In June, the embattled Minneapolis department was hit with more bad press this time for its abysmal numbers on unsolved murders in recent years. Since 2016, the clearance rate (or the percentage of homicide cases closed) in Minneapolis sank from around 54% the most recent national average to 38% in 2020, according to the latest available data from the FBI. Figures for last year havent been released by the FBI, but Huffman insists the rate has improved considerably, claiming that the unofficial figure for this year to date is back to 54%. Even so, some family members of murder victims say they have felt compelled to take a lead role in the homicide investigations of their own loved ones. Residents take matters into their own hands Among them is Dorothy Royston, a 26-year-old healthcare professional who said she spent weeks proactively feeding police information shortly after her unarmed younger brother, Charles Royston Jr., was gunned down on a snowy street in north Minneapolis on a January night in 2021, according to police reports. They had a lot of the information or the logistics of what was like bullet casings and stuff like that, Dorothy said. But when it comes to who was involved with the actual shooting, who was around and the people information? I actually provided that to the police. Dorothy provided CNN with text messages between her and a lead investigator on the case. In February of 2021, the investigator told her in a message that there would be a warrant out for the arrest of a suspect by the next day. He still hasnt been arrested, Dorothy said. She said communications from the investigator fell off around March of 2021. A couple months ago, about a year and a half after the killing, Dorothy said, she called the investigator to ask for an update. He told me that he was currently doing something and that he would call me back, she said. He never called me back. (The investigator agreed to talk with CNN, but a police spokesperson called off the interview. ) Taken together, the current state of crime and policing in Minneapolis from slow response times to recent brutality complaints to the poor clearance rates has fostered an atmosphere of distrust. The distrust paves the way for some to assume bad intentions. Dave Bicking, a board member of the Minneapolis-based Community United Against Police Brutality, goes so far as to suggest the police since Floyds death may have engaged in a sickout that is, that officers are purposefully sluggish to respond to or investigate certain crimes. Its still going on to a considerable extent it was dramatic in the beginning, Bicking told CNN. The police would simply, if they showed up at all, say, Oh, we dont have anybody to deal with that, or You people dont want us here, so were not going to do anything. Dave Bicking outside his facility, Communities United Against Police Brutality, in Minneapolis. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN Bicking, who has been publicly critical of the defund tactic from the get-go, said he bases the sickout claim on a drop-off in jail bookings shortly after Floyds death and on more than 2,300 interviews the CUAPB has conducted over the past year and a half with Minneapolis residents about their experiences with the MPD. He added that the CUAPB persuaded the Department of Justice to include in its investigation of the MPD the alleged lack of Minneapolis police investigations into murders of people of color. Chief Huffman did not respond to follow-up questions related to sickout allegations, but in her earlier interview with CNN she said Minneapolis has unique challenges. For one, she said, Minneapolis has a relatively low rate of domestic murders, which are typically easier to solve, and a high rate of gang murders, which are more difficult. But the bigger factor again comes down to attrition. Huffman said the Minneapolis Police Department has lost about 100 investigators in its investigations bureau since early 2020. Still, Huffman said the MPD is committed to solving homicides, adding that unsolved murders can have serious negative repercussions that ripple through communities for years and devastate families. The lack of justice for families who have had family members murdered is completely unacceptable, she said. And its incumbent on us to make sure that were doing everything we can to solve those cases. Huffmans new boss, Cedric Alexander who was hired in August as the citys first ever community safety commissioner said he understands the communitys frustration. When you have a body drop and another body drops and another body drops, what you have oftentimes is ongoing violence it certainly does overwhelm an agency that already is struggling with a great deal of shortages, he told CNN. It does give people the perception nothing is being done. But I can assure you that it is. And in any of these violent cases where we have victims, it is taken at a very high priority. How defund failed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is shouted at by protesters at a Defund the Police march in early June of 2020 to protest the police killing of George Floyd. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux) - Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux In June of 2020, nine of the Minneapolis City Councils 13 members stood on a stage adorned with an oversized sign saying DEFUND POLICE. Around the same time, in another spectacle that made national news, Mayor Frey was booed and jeered by activists at a George Floyd protest near his home for saying in response to a question that he did not support the full abolition of police. As he walked away, the crowd broke into a Go home Jacob! chant. It was a lonely walk, Frey told CNN recently. At that moment there was a very loud chorus of people, including elected officials that were all calling very loudly to defund the police. Its well established that those widely viewed events boosted a movement in Minneapolis that would later fail at the polls last November. Lesser known is how the very community most directly impacted by crime and policing in the city the north side was among the least supportive of the defund idea. I think whats at issue is the White progressives belief that theyre helping us, said Lisa Clemons, a former Minneapolis police officer, who is Black and runs a gun-violence organization called A Mothers Love in north Minneapolis. Oftentimes they are hurting us. Clemons said people in north Minneapolis dont want to get rid of cops they just want respectful cops. Lisa Clemons, a resident of north Minneapolis and former cop, at the Northside Community Center at Cub Foods. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN Minneapolis voters not only resoundingly rejected what was seen as the defund initiative, they also voted to strengthen the office of the mayor and reelected Frey, whod become a local avatar for moderate Democrats put off by the partys most liberal wing. The Minneapolis area with the largest Black population Ward 5 on the north side also proved a strong base of support for Frey in his reelection, according to a CNN analysis of voter data. Frey said that while no demographic group is a monolith, White progressives in the aftermath of Floyds death often seemed out of sync with ordinary Black residents. I heard a lot of White activists purport to be speaking on behalf of communities of color. And I was listening to them listening to communities of color and they werent saying the same things, Frey said. Id walk down the street and Id hear from White people, Defund the police! Defund the police! And then Id hear from a Black person a half block later, Hey, we really need to have some additional help. Sheila Nezhad, a community organizer who turned out to be one of Freys most competitive mayoral opponents in November, noted that turnout was lower in north Minneapolis than the citywide average, and that the advocacy group called Yes 4 Minneapolis that proposed the ballot measure that came to be seen as the defund referendum was led by Black people. And Im not White, she said. So when Jacob Frey talks about only White people want to defund or whatever I think that he is perhaps shaping the narrative to benefit his political goals. Even before Floyds killing, the MPD had drawn criticism for its approach to policing the Black community. In 2016, anti-police protests erupted after it was announced that two Minneapolis officers involved in the shooting death of Jamar Clark a 24-year-old Black man who scuffled with the officers and, according to authorities, reached for one of their guns would not be charged. Two years later, after responding to calls of a man shooting a gun in the air, police chased and fatally shot 31-year-old Thurman Blevins, who said please dont shoot me as he ran away from them; body cameras showed officers yelling at him to drop his gun. Police say Blevins turned with his gun toward the officers, who ultimately were not charged. And then came May 25, 2020. In a nine-minute video that seemed to last an eternity, a police officer defiantly knelt on the neck of a handcuffed, face-down Floyd, whose pleas for help went unanswered until he fell silent. Now infamous, the officer, Derek Chauvin whod already had 18 prior complaints filed against him was convicted of Floyds murder and sentenced to 21 years in federal prison. A person holds a sign displaying a portrait of George Floyd during a vigil at an art installation honoring victims of police burtaliuty in Minneapolis in June 2020. (Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images) - Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images For me, it was a moment of deep grief, said Nezhad, who still wants to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department. And the days that followed offered a glimpse into just how ready so many people are for massive change. In April, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released a report, two years in the making, charging that the Minneapolis departments officers have engaged in a pattern or practice of race discrimination when conducting traffic stops or using force. It called for ordering a consent decree, which is essentially a court-enforced settlement to reform the department. The report also blasted the MPD for ineffective accountability, saying that almost every investigation of a police misconduct complaint against an MPD officer is assessed or guided by sworn MPD officers. The city is in negotiations with the human rights department over the consent decree, and Frey has indicated that some of his budget priorities are in direct response to the report. Don Samuels a former Minneapolis City Councilman who surprised political observers this summer by nearly defeating US Rep. Ilhan Omar, an icon of progressive politics in America said the video of Floyds death was the most evil thing I had ever seen. That was so painful just painful to watch and to see a Black man, of dark complexion, under the knee of a dispassionate White male, Samuels said. It conjured up all kinds of slavery imagery. And yet, Samuels, a 73-year-old immigrant from Jamaica who lives in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of north Minneapolis experienced another kind of dismay when he saw the nine council members on the Defund stage while watching the news on TV with his wife. Don Samuels, the moderate Democrat who nearly unseated US Rep. Ilhan Omar on August 9, photographed in his home in north Minneapolis. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN It was like a World Trade Center moment for us, he told CNN. Our jaws fell to the floor. Literally, we were aghast. We looked at each other and said, Oh, my God. Its going to be Crime City in Minneapolis. That summer, Samuels joined the residents of north Minneapolis who sued the city for its police shortage. Half of the plaintiffs are Black. During his campaign for Congress, Samuels ran a kind of middle-ground campaign on public safety. We dont have to choose safety or police we can have both/and, Samuels said at a town hall campaign event in August. Lets get rid of the bad police, lets fix the fixable police. He lost, but the both/and approach appears to be the current path that the city of Minneapolis is on. Both-and: A post-Defund approach On a morning this August, in a scene that offered a sharp contrast from two years ago when Mayor Frey made his lonely walk through an angry crowd he and Commissioner Alexander, both smartly dressed, strode triumphantly through corridors of City Hall. Alexander, a 67-year-old former deputy sheriff with a doctorate in psychology who was hand-picked by Frey, had just been confirmed as the citys community safety commissioner in a contentious council meeting. His newly created position amounts to the first piece of Freys proposed plan to combine 911, police, fire, neighborhood safety and emergency management under one roof. Cedric Alexander speaks about policing in America during CivicCon at the Rex Theatre in downtown Pensacola, Florida, in September 2021. (Gregg Pachkowski/News-Journal/USA Today Network) - Gregg Pachkowski/USA Today Network The number one, first priority is the fact that people in this community dont feel that theyre safe, said Alexander who served on the 21st Century Task Force on Policing under former President Barack Obama during an impromptu press conference minutes after his hiring. The fact is that we have violent crime thats occurring, and occurring way too frequently. Alexander, who retired in 2017 as the public safety director in DeKalb County, Georgia, in the metro Atlanta area, added that the MPD isnt likely to become fully staffed overnight probably not even in our careers and stressed the importance of data-driven policing and building relationships. If we dont build relationships with these people in our communities, you aint solving crime nowhere, said Alexander, a former CNN contributor on law enforcement issues. Osler, the St. Thomas professor, said at the moment, people dont want to work for the MPD, where officers are not respected. And to be straight-up about it, MPD earned that lack of respect. In the meantime, he said, the department needs to focus on two key metrics: improving homicide clearance rates and executing search warrants for violent criminals, which, Osler acknowledged, is no easy feat. Think about it from the perspective of the person executing that warrant, Osler said. Youre going to bust down the door and who you know is on the other side is someone whos probably already shot somebody. Thats a tough job. No wonder people dont want to do it. Exterior of the police department's 3rd Precinct in south Minneapolis that was burned by rioters in May of 2020. To this day it remains boarded up. Its officers are currently headquartered a few miles away downtown. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN On the policy front, the wheels of change seem to be grinding forward, however slowly. Since Gov. Tim Walz signed a police accountability law two years ago that banned chokeholds and warrior style police training, the city of Minneapolis appears to be finding a path forward that avoids having to choose between building the police force and reimagining public safety. The city is not only looking at further beefing up the police budget but is also piloting a slate of programs that send unarmed responders to nonviolent 911 calls. Mayor Frey has proposed making them permanent in his recommended budget for 2023-2024. Frey argues that the centerpiece of his proposed public safety plan creating a new Office of Community Safety captures much of what the defund movement was after in the first place. The concept is to match the best possible people with what is actually being experienced on the street, Frey said. Anybody who was for that before but is not for it now is pretty disingenuous. When it comes to hiring, the MPD is trying to entice young blood with incentives for instance by covering the cost of tuition for potential recruits who need law-enforcement coursework but only have a high school degree. Its a big challenge not just because so many officers have left, but also because there is a shortage of young people across the country getting into law enforcement, Alexander said. The city has made headway when it comes to filling the top job: Frey recently announced three finalists all of them from outside Minneapolis for the permanent chief position, which Huffman has filled on an interim basis since December. Last summer, the police presence in the city was so thin and the rate of violence so high that a group of volunteers in the faith community went to heroic measures to break the cycle. The idea was simple. In an initiative called 21 Days of Peace, church volunteers simply hung out in some of the most deadly neighborhoods to engage in violence prevention. The effort was considered a success, but for one volunteer it came at a cost. Gloria Howard, a grandmother, had just handed out snow cones to two women with young children at one of the violence hotspots near a liquor store on Broadway Avenue when a barrage of gunfire sent people scattering. Howard crumpled to the ground. When she tried to get up, she couldnt shed been shot twice. Gloria Howard, a survivor of gun violence, poses for a portrait a few yards away from where she was struck by bullets in north Minneapolis. She was serving snow cones as a volunteer for 21 Days of Peace when it happened. - Andrea Ellen Reed for CNN People from a nearby church rushed out of the building to render aid and call the police. When I got to the hospital, the doctors were like, Well, youre some lucky lady and you must be somebody special because you have no metal fragments in your body, Howard said. The bullets, she said, went through and through. Howard, who was against the defund initiative, said there are specific reforms she would like to see, starting with a push to require more officers to live in the city they serve. (A 2017 Star Tribune report found that just 8% of MPD officers lived in Minneapolis. Chauvin lived in the suburb of Oakdale, where nearly 72% of the residents are White.) All Black men are not big and scary, Howard said. All Black women are not angry. So, you know, you have to be able to know the community. But she realizes that even with such reforms, improvement would take time. I dont even walk Broadway anymore, Howard said, while eying the thoroughfare from a distance, close to where she was shot. Ive seen the cars speeding up and down when theyre chasing each other. And then when they start shooting, it can come from anywhere. So I dont even do that anymore. And I never used to be afraid coming over here. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com One injured in SE Oklahoma City shooting One injured in SE Oklahoma City shooting OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) One person was injured in a shooting in southeast Oklahoma City Sunday night. According to Oklahoma City Police, the shooting happened at an apartment complex near I-240 and Sunnylane Rd. around 11 p.m. LOCAL NEWS: Still against the law: OKCPD issue reminder to gun owners after road rage arrest Officials say one person was shot and taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) told FOX21 that a police presence on the west side of Colorado Springs was the result of an isolated incident where one person was injured. Courtesy: FOX21 News Photographer, Matthew Putnam Courtesy: FOX21 News Photographer, Matthew Putnam Courtesy: FOX21 News Photographer, Matthew Putnam CSPD reported on Monday, June 17, that there was a disturbance in the 1100 block of Ganer Street. Police said there was a stabbing with one person injured. Another person is in custody and police said the incident was isolated and there is no threat to the community. 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 FOX21 News Colorado. Ukraines military has spent the last two years chronically short of planes. Its prewar stocks were already small in number and mostly dated from the Soviet era. When NATO and other countries sent help, they focused on either sending the same older models or keeping existing aircraft in the air through maintenance and spare parts. Russia, meanwhile, has a larger and often more advanced air force. However, new planes are on the way to help Ukraine. For nearly a year, countries like the Netherlands have promised limited numbers of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. Recently, Belgium also committed to sending 30 F-16s from its own stocks. These aircraft can come in handy in a few ways. Firstly, they can engage Russias air force, balancing out its numerical advantage. Ukraines dynamic and improving air defense efforts have already made things challenging for the Russian air force, but they still maintain a large advantage. Their airpower lets them launch munitions at Ukraines forces and cities and force Ukrainian pilots to be extremely careful with their own operations. Degrading Russias air force relieves some pressure on Ukraines beleaguered ground forces, which are struggling to hold back intense Russian offensives supported by Russian bombing. F-16s can also help ground forces directly by dropping their own munitions and firing long-range missiles. Having F-16s opens the door for more and better Western weapons, which were designed to work on an F-16 but could not be adapted to Ukraines Soviet-era airframes. Ukraine will also get more out of Western systems already sent. Some partners have helped jerry-rig upgrades so that Ukraines air force could use weapons not designed for Soviet planes. In videos over the past year, Ukrainian pilots showed tablets in their cockpit which operated Western-provided missiles. While they already function in a limited capacity, these systems will be more effective when used in F-16s as intended. Donating F-16s touches on a major ongoing debate among Ukraines partners: whether to allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russian territory. Some U.S. policymakers worry that letting Ukraine use their weapons in areas other than occupied Ukrainian territory will trigger escalation with Moscow. The Biden administration has nonetheless OKed strikes in limited circumstances. Others, notably in Britain, do not consider this escalatory and argue that Russia can take advantage of restrictions by keeping parts of its military in Russia, where Ukraine has less ability to hit them. Ukraine does have some long-range weapons of its own, such as its one-way attack drones, but these are limited in stock and less effective against well-defended targets than the traditional missile or artillery systems provided by Western partners. In the debate over how Ukraine can use donated weapons, Belgian officials told the press that Ukraine ought to only use donated aircraft for utilization by the Ukraine Defense Forces on Ukraine[s] territory. The restrictions prompt a few questions. Since many Russian aircraft launch bombs and missiles from Russian territory, could a Ukrainian jet enter Russian airspace to intercept them? Could a Ukrainian jet stay in Ukrainian territory but fire a missile provided by another country at a target in Russia? These questions are key to the effectiveness of the donated aircraft and how Ukraine will try to use them once theyre operational. Aircraft other than F-16s are also on the way. On May 29, Sweden promised to send two ASC 890 surveillance aircraft, which add an extra dimension to Ukraines future airpower. The ASC 890 is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft with a powerful radar that can track potential air and ground threats far beyond Ukraines ground-based radars and the F-16s own suite of sensors. It can also send that information directly to Ukraines new jets. While the F-16 is a formidable aircraft, it benefits from broader awareness of whats in the area. Sweden had previously indicated it was willing to send its own Gripen aircraft, but paused their plans so that Ukraine could focus on servicing and maintaining F-16s instead of trying to incorporate two new kinds of aircraft at once. In all, donations mean that Ukraine will likely end up with two AEW&C aircraft and several dozen F-16s, though some will likely be held in reserve for contingencies, training, or spare parts. The big question is when any of these aircraft will arrive in Ukraine. Currently, Ukrainian pilots are in the midst of training with donated F-16s in Romania, but the actual delivery of aircraft to Ukraine will be anyones guess. Belgium, one of the largest donors, has only committed to sending some of the pledged jets by the end of the year. The U.S., despite being the manufacturer and one of the largest operators of F-16s, has not pledged any at all, though they are training Ukrainian pilots and giving the green light for countries to send them to Ukraine. Jets are not a guarantee of Ukrainian victory, but they are essential to Ukraines defense. Like tanks, aircraft are just a part of a larger complex system. However, gaining more freedom in the air is a vital step for Ukraine to stabilize its front lines with Russia, and potentially regain some of the territory its lost to Vladimir Putins forces. 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. Editor's note: This story was revised at 5:15 p.m. June 17 to include comments from Carey Baker. Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker shot himself in the foot Friday, ending up as a write-in candidate by not plunking down a $10,685.04 qualifying fee or hundreds of petition signatures, said Alan Hays, supervisor of elections. He waited until almost noon, the qualifying deadline, and minutes later candidate Mark Jordan qualified for a ballot spot in that race. The job pays $180,084 per year. Jordan is the brother of David Jordan, the county tax collector. Carey Baker David Jordan said he was in the Supervisor of Elections Office on Republican Party precinct matters when Baker came in and put his name in as a write-in candidate. How do you know someone else wont qualify? Jordan recalled asking him. Im not worried; it would be a pay cut for you, he recalled Baker replying. Baker ignored the warning, such as it was. David Jordan knew someone else was coming in to qualify. I didnt tell him it was my brother. I told David what I was going to do. I considered him to be my friend. This couldnt have happened unless it was a friend that double-crossed me, Baker said Monday in a phone interview. Baker said he does not remember David suggesting that someone else might qualify. I was in a room with people I know. David was there and Mark was there. I didnt see anybody else that was there that might qualify or I would have paid the $11,000. Mark Jordan could not be reached for comment. It was just one of the surprising late changes in the election. Anthony Sabatini dropped out of the U.S, House of Representatives race on June 13 and into the crowded District 1 County Commission contest. Sabatini did this when former President Trump endorsed longtime congressional incumbent Daniel Webster. Sabatini went on Facebook over the weekend calling on Mark Jordan to immediately resign over election fraud and deception. He also called for a censure motion at the next monthly meeting of Lake County Republicans. But he didnt do anything wrong, David Jordan said, and he is not the only one who thinks that way. Lake Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays ordered his staff to do what he called an after-action report, going over every document and recollection. Sabatini claimed Baker filed for re-election as a write-in candidate at 11:59 a.m. on June 14, knowing no one else could file against him at 12 p.m., Carey Baker left the building. Once he walked out of the office and doors were closed and locked, candidate Mark Jordan, in conjunction with Tax Collector David Jordan, waited until Baker was out of sight, then withdrew his candidacy paperwork for the North Lake County Hospital Board race, and then filed instead for the Republican nomination for Lake County Property Appraiser stealing the nomination from Mr. Baker. But Sabatini got his timeline wrong, as well as some other errors, Hays said. Anticipating a last-minute rush, Hays said he had people on hand to make sure no one missed the deadline because of a shortage of staffers. Candidates filled out a form and the forms were time-stamped. The idea was similar, Hays said, to making sure voters in line before a 7 p.m. deadline could still vote if a long line kept them from casting their ballot on time. Voters who show up after 7 p.m. are not allowed to get in line and vote. Hays said he expected to have all the facts gathered before 2 p.m. Monday, though he was certain no laws were broken. He said he consulted state election officials on how to handle the dispute so it was not some home-brewed solution. Mark Jordan had been in the election office several times in prior days asking. What if I do this, or that? Hays said. We had no idea what was going to happen and there was nothing we could do to stop it even if we did. David Jordan had no sympathy for Baker. He had over $21,000 in campaign contributions; it wasnt even his money; he could have paid the qualifying fee, Jordan said. The alternative was to gather about 2,700 petition signatures. Really, about 3,000 since some are thrown out. Baker said he has filed last minute in the past so he could return campaign contributions to the donors. Sabatini was disappointed over Trumps endorsement of Webster. I dont always agree with Donald Trumps endorsements, but I understand the political reality of what they are, Sabatini said in an earlier Facebook post. We need stronger Republicans in local office fighting for the America 1st agenda. District 11 will have to wait for another day, he wrote. Baker was elected to the property appraiser post in 2012. He made the same move with the qualifying fee in the last election cycle, but he faced no opposition, so it did not hurt him, Hays said. The two candidates will square off in November. Bakers name will not appear on the ballot. Voters will have to go to a blank space and physically write his name. Baker was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000 and was reelected in 2002. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2004 and reelected to that post. Baker said the move has ignited a firestorm on social media and that the Lake County Commission might take a vote on the controversy. He said he intends to challenge it, but if he doesn't succeed. "We'll just have the biggest write-in campaign in the history of Florida." Sabatini, who is a lawyer, is a former member of the Florida House of Representatives. This is how the other local races shake out: Mollie Cunningham and Gavin Rollins are running against each other for District 4 School Board. + Marie Aliberti and Susan Hooper are competing for North Lake Hospital Board Seat 1 + Carolyn Maimone and Ralph Smith are running for Hospital Board Seat 2 + Hays faces opposition for his position as elections supervisor from Edward Prosienski, Tom Vail, and write-in candidate Ronald Wingerter + Sabatini is running against incumbent Douglas Shields, Sam Simmons, Vara Vail, and write-in candidates Brett Kness and Yasmira Saldana + Sabatinis wife, Francheska, is running against incumbent County Judge Chad Monty. Where there is a race with a write-in candidate, those names will appear on the November ballot. Everyone will be able to vote in the non-partisan county judge and school board races in the August primary. Incumbents David Jordan, Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, School Board member Tyler Brandeburg, Clerk of Court Gary Cooney, County Commissioner Kirby Smith, County Judge Sarah Jones and Hospital Board member Thomas Hansing were elected without opposition. Timothy Morris was unopposed for the District 5 County Commission post. This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Property appraiser in Lake County, Florida stuck as write-in only on ballot Opal Lee Now Holds Ownership Of A Texas Property That Was Once Stripped From Her Family By Racist White Mob Pioneer Opal Lee has received the keys to her new home. As AFROTECH previously reported, in 1939, 12-year-old Lee along with her family were removed from their home in Fort Worth, TX, by a racist white mob. Just to know that there might be children that we could have played with, that we might have known their families, Lee told CBS News Texas. We just wanted to be good neighbors, thats all. The outlet also notes Lee never lost hope that she would one day own that very land. Her wishes would come true in January 2024 when she received a homecoming and acquired ownership of the land that was stripped from her family. Building on this milestone, a home was recently constructed for Lee on the property, and she has received the keys to her new home. She was given the property for $10 thanks to North Texas organizations such as Trinity Habitat for Humanity and Texas Capital. Additionally, HistoryMaker Homes is credited for building the home free of charge, and JCPenney aided to furnish the home. Im so happy I dont know what to do, said Lee, according to AP News. Nelson Mitchell, CEO of HistoryMaker Homes, commented to CBS News Texas: Dr. Lees contribution to our nation through her work for racial justice cannot be understated, and we are deeply honored to have built her new home that now proudly stands where great injustices once occurred. Gage Yager, CEO of Trinity Habitat for Humanity, explained per the outlet: With tears of sadness for past atrocities and tears of joy for this momentous occasion, we are humbled and honored to welcome our friend Opal home. There truly is no place like home! Looking ahead, Lee says she will welcome her neighbors to what she says will be a happy place. Everybody will know that this is going to be a happy place, she expressed to AP News. The announcement comes just days before Juneteenth, June 19, a holiday that celebrates the ending of slavery in the United States as those in Texas were the last to hear the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a national holiday on June 17, 2021, and Lee is one of the activists who championed the cause. Today, she is recognized as the Grandmother of Juneteenth. Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke on Monday in Brussels with his Italian counterpart Georgia Meloni and former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki about the prospects of right-wing parties in the European Union. The consultations on the sidelines of a special EU summit of EU leaders on Monday were confirmed by Orban's spokesman Bertalan Havasi, the Hungarian state news agency MTI reported. Speculation is mounting whether Orban's Fidesz party will align with the Brothers of Italy (Fdl), led by Meloni, and Poland's nationalist conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), to which Morawiecki belongs, in the European Parliament. The initial outcome of the discussions remains unclear. Orban spoke with Meloni about "political issues relating to the European right," the outcome of the June 9 European elections and the Hungarian EU Council Presidency, which begins on July 1, Havasi said. The conversation with Morawiecki, who led the Polish government from 2017 to 2023, was about a potential merger of the European right, he said. Continent-wide elections for the European Parliament on June 9 saw the EU's centre-right European People's Party (EPP) group celebrate a victory. Far-right parties also made gains in the vote. EU leaders are meeting on Monday to discuss who will fill the 27-nation bloc's top posts in Brussels. Several new legislative proposals would require the state and school districts improve outcomes for students with disabilities. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Oregon kids are healthier than average but lag their peers nationwide when it comes to education, according to a new report. The Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation releases annually a report called Kids Count that ranks how well states support kids using state and federal data. The latest report, the foundations 35th, was released last week and includes data collected in 2021 and 2022. It shows Oregon is in the middle among states for overall child well-being. Although Oregon is in the top 25% of states for supporting child health as measured by health insurance coverage, birth weight, childhood death and obesity rates the state ranks near the bottom in education, at 43rd among the 50 states. In Oregon, nearly three-quarters of 4th graders were not considered proficient readers in 2022, up 6% from pre-COVID pandemic levels in 2019, according to the report. Nearly 80% of 8th graders were not considered proficient in math, a 10% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The pandemic also drove a 10% increase in chronic absenteeism since 2020. According to the report, about 40% of Oregon students were chronically absent in 2022, meaning they missed 10%, or 16 or more days, of school during the year. Declining proficiency in key subject areas and increases in student absenteeism are troubling trends in most states, researchers found. This lack of readiness will result in major harm to the nations economy and to our youth as they join the workforce. Up to $31 trillion in U.S. economic activity hinges on helping young people overcome learning loss caused by the pandemic, a news release from the foundation read. Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams said she and the agency are focused on improving outcomes for students and schools still feeling the impacts of the pandemic. The data clearly shows that this is still a challenge. Were in an important moment where we have to get really clear about our existing resources, how do we strategically invest and maximize what we have, and any additional resources to accelerate the lift in our scholars learning and achievement, she said in an email. Researchers pointed to unreliable transportation, unstable housing, food insecurity, large class sizes and decaying school infrastructure in Oregon as issues that exacerbate learning and school attendance issues. Other challenges include low-economic prosperity in the state. Oregon ranked 29th among states for economic well-being. This is because 14% of kids live in poverty and 30% of kids live in households with a high housing cost burden. The report recommended increased investment from the state Legislature and schools to ensure universal and reliable internet access, as well as low-cost or free meals and staff and space for students to get help with studying and tutoring at school. Authors criticized Oregon schools and the Oregon Department of Education for not more closely regulating and ensuring $1.6 billion in federal COVID relief money was used to improve educational outcomes for kids. Schools have spent nearly all of the money. This disheartening fact ties to Oregons overall lack of oversight and accountability for data driven results in how the 197 school districts chose to utilize this vital resource, they wrote. The post Oregon ranks middle among states for child well-being in new report appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, speaks on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on rural health care. (Screenshot) U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is pushing for a pathway for rural hospitals to continue to provide maternal care in small communities. Wyden, D-Oregon, on Monday released a draft bill that outlines a series of financial incentives to encourage hospitals to continue to offer birth services. The bill includes higher Medicaid rates and additional payments to cover the cost of on-call staff for expectant mothers in small communities with low numbers of births. Wydens bill is backed by 15 other Senate Democrats one-third of the Democrats in the chamber. It comes in response to last years closure of the birthing center at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City. The only maternity ward in the rural eastern Oregon county with nearly 17,000 people had served the area for a century. The move has forced expectant mothers to travel to Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. In Baker County, you have to drive at least 45 miles further to the next hospital to give birth on roads that can sometimes be impassable because of winter weather or summer wildfires, Wyden said in a Monday press call. We believe that Oregonians and Americans deserve better. The fallout in Baker City is part of a trend thats unfolding across rural America as hospitals decide what services to offer based on cost, demand and profitability. Thats translated into reduced birth services in rural communities, especially those with dwindling birthrates and aging populations. Between 2011 and 2021, one out of every four rural hospitals nationwide stopped providing obstetrics services, or more than 260 hospitals, according to a national report. Today, only about 45% of rural hospitals deliver babies, and in some communities, only 33% do, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. In Oregon, one-quarter of its 32 rural hospitals offer obstetrics care. The bill would provide more funding for hospitals with a low number of births called low-volume payment adjustments so they continue to stay in their communities. It also would require each state to study and report the costs of providing labor and delivery services in rural areas to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The legislation would improve overall maternal services for women by offering incentives for states to expand depression and anxiety screening for mothers before, during and after birth and requiring states to provide coverage for women on Medicaid after delivery for 12 months, Wyden said. Hospitals would be required to provide a timely notification of when they plan to close birthing centers so communities and families have adequate time to plan. What we want to do is find a way to create smart, cost-effective choices for the future in these communities, Wyden said. We recognize that these are changing times. The Hospital Association of Oregon, which represents 61 hospitals, said it supports the legislation. The proposal acknowledges the need for emergency staffing options to help rural providers temporarily fill obstetrical positions as needed, the importance of Medicaid coverage for midwives and doulas and the critical need for a simplified Medicaid enrollment process for out-of-state obstetrical providers, the association said in a statement. The proposal recognizes the costs involved in maintaining and staffing obstetrical units 24/7. Daniel Grigg, CEO of Wallowa Memorial Hospital, located in rural northeastern Oregon, said the bill is an important step in protecting access to maternity care in rural areas. This bill will support rural families and communities by boosting reimbursement for labor and delivery services and providing payments to hospitals with low-birth volumes, Grigg said in a statement. Wyden said this issue is bipartisan and he hopes to see support from both sides of the aisle. The other lawmakers to sign on so far are Democratic Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Maria Cantwell of Washington Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Tom Carper of Delaware, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Michael Bennet of, Colorado, Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Mark Warner of Virginia, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Corey Booker of New Jersey. The post Oregon Sen. Wyden proposes legislation to preserve rural maternal care appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. Members of Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church march to celebrate Juneteenth on June 19, 2021 in Galveston, Texas. Credit - Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images This June on the 19th, many Americans will gather to celebrate Junteenth, now the newest federal holiday in the United States. Though its been celebrated by Black Americans as early as in the mid-late 1800s, Juneteenth is a date that was long omitted from history booksand wasnt designated as a federal holiday until 2021, after police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people in the U.S. renewed a push for conversations on racial justice and the holidays enshrinement on a national level. It recognizes liberation, it recognizes freedom. Some people will refer to it as Black Independence Day. Its a day to celebrate the ending of an era of 246 years of enslavement that African Americans experienced in this country, says Daina Ramey Berry, Professor of History and Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Many Americans might not know why the date is significant or even celebrated, since many might not have learned about the event in school. Many people assume that freedom began with the Emancipation Proclamation and think of Lincoln as the great liberator, says Berry. But the real history is more complicated than that. On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that "all persons held as slaves" in the Confederacy or states that seceded from the Union, "are, and henceforward shall be free." But that freedom did not come immediately, as the Civil War continued on and Union soldiers went from state to state to enforce the measure. Essentially, very few enslaved people were freed in 1863, says Berry. On June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and two months after the Civil War officially ended, Union Army General Gordon Granger and 2,000 of his soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved people of their freedom. When the Union army reached Galveston and notified Black people of their freedom, it generally signified that the last segment of the roughly four million slaves in the South, now knew they were officially free, Nafeesa Muhammad, Associate Professor of History at Spelman College, told TIME in an email. And this is the significance of Juneteenth. Galveston was a key port city at the time, making the city an important hub for business and information. Many merchants had businesses in Galveston, so the word would spread, says Tommie Boudreaux, Galveston Historical Foundation's Chair of African American Heritage. It was the most important city in the state of Texas. Read More: When Did Slavery Really End in the U.S.? The Complicated History of Juneteenth The Union Armys arrival in Texas didnt bring about freedom for all enslaved peoplemany in the border states of Delaware and Kentucky did not see an end to slavery until the passage of the 13th Amendment abolished it throughout the United States. Though Juneteenth doesnt mark the official end of slavery, its a day that provides an opportunity to examine and reflect on the entire history of slavery and the struggle for freedoma struggle that continued on with the passage of Jim Crow that passed soon after the Civil War. There are different ways to look at freedom, says Berry. There were Black people that were free before June 19, 1865, free before December, 1865 [when the 13th Amendment passed], free before April 15, 1865, when the Civil War ended, and free before January 1,1863 with the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. One way many Black Americans mark the day is by reading aloud General Order No. 3 the relatively progressive order that promised formerly enslaved people absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and clarified the relationship between slaveholders and enslaved as one between employer and hired labor. In Galveston, celebrations include a massive parade, picnic, and lectures. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas and other Southern states as early as 1866, Berry says. Many Texans pushed for the holiday to be recognized by the state a designation that finally came in 1980. But where exactly did the term Juneteenth come from? Boudreaux says it was a Houston paper that first shortened "June 19th" to "Juneteenth" around 1890. "I just assume that it was a mouthful to say the whole thing, and apparently it stuck," she says. Berry adds: It went from a small regional understanding of freedom to a federal holiday [where] we now learn about the institution of slavery in this rich history of liberation and freedom. Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) The New Orleans Police Department welcomed its newest recruit class on Monday, June 17. NOPD leaders said Recruit Class 202 attended an event at the NOPD Training and Education Academy before undergoing 27 weeks of academy-based training. Autopsies resume at Orleans Parish Coroners Office following air conditioning issue The class, comprised of 11 men and five women, was welcomed by Deputy Superintendent Jonette Williams, City of New Orleans Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security John Thomas and New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation President and CEO Melanie Talia. NOPD leaders said the class includes men and women from Louisiana, Florida and New Jersey. Four recruits are bilingual, and two recruits have military experience. 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. Over $2.5M in new federal funding for infrastructure upgrades at GA airports announced More than $2.5 million in new federal funding for infrastructure upgrades at Georgia airports was announced this week. U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced the grants on Thursday that were awarded through the Federal Aviation Administrations Airport Infrastructure Grants program and made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The combined awards will go towards parking lot construction, runway infrastructure upgrades, and more. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Georgia Department of Transportation is responsible for distributing the money. Macons airport will receive $1 million for runway repairs and upgrades and to improve safety. Cairos airport will receive $110,000 for construction of a parking lot. The airports in Toccoa and Dublin will receive $448,000 each for runway upgrades and lighting installation. Reidsvilles airport will get $113,000 for planning for airport updates. And the airport in Sylvania, Georgia will receive $448,000 for runway repairs and upgrades. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Over 20 NATO allies to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense in 2024, says Stoltenberg FILE PHOTO: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to media at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels By Jonathan Landay, Daphne Psaledakis and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -More than 20 NATO members will meet the alliance's target of allocating at least 2% of GDP to defense this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, highlighting how allies have raised military spending since Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Stoltenberg told U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House that the number of NATO allies now meeting that spending target compares to less than 10 members five years ago. "Across Europe and Canada, NATO allies are this year increasing defense spending by 18%, that's the biggest increase in decades, and 23 allies are going to spend 2% of GDP or more on defense this year," he said. Speaking earlier at the Wilson Center think tank, Stoltenberg said the increase in defense spending by the allies "is good for Europe and good for America, especially since much of this extra money is spent here in the United States." Stoltenberg was in Washington for preparations for next month's NATO summit in the U.S. capital, a topic that he and Biden discussed as well. Biden said the alliance is facing one of the most consequential moments for Europe since World War Two as Ukraine battles Russian forces. "We've strengthened NATO's eastern flank making it clear that we'll defend every single inch of NATO territory," said Biden. Stoltenberg said that when NATO leaders set the 2% of GDP target at their summit in 2014, only three members - the United States, Greece and Britain - met that target. At that time, there were 28 members. NATO now has 32 members. Meeting with reporters after his appearance, Stoltenberg said the trend in increased military spending by NATO members was triggered by Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014. NATO defense spending has become highly contentious in recent years, particularly as former U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Europeans of spending too little on their own security and relying on the United States for protection. Earlier this year, Trump - the presumptive Republican candidate in this year's U.S. presidential election - sparked outrage by suggesting he would not protect NATO members that failed to spend enough on defense and would even encourage Russia to attack them. Defense spending by many European nations has risen sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and NATO officials have been keen to stress that its European members are now stepping up to the plate. NATO defense spending will be a major topic at next month's alliance summit in Washington, Stoltenberg said, followed by Russia's war against Ukraine. He warned that the delay in the provision of U.S. military aid to Ukraine that occurred earlier this year cannot be allowed to happen again. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay, Daphne Psaledakis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Susan Fenton and Deepa Babington) The Town Council voted to pause new applications for businesses in the commercial districts during its recent meeting at Town Hall. Palm Beach has paused new applications for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges and for-profit private clubs in the towns five commercial districts. Town Council members cited the town's traffic woes and a slew of projects that are eyeing a Palm Beach location in a "zoning in progress" declaration June 11 that was codified via a resolution June 12. "There were what, two more clubs that have already said to us, 'We want one (a location in Palm Beach),'" said President Bobbie Lindsay. "So this is a cumulating thing we need to get started and we need to deal with this." The amount of restaurant seats in town, 9,787, trumps the town's population of, 9,245, she said. "It's a lot, and I think we need to say at this point, let's take a look at restricting, freezing or whatever it comes out to be," Lindsay said. For the six-month period spanning June 11 to Dec. 10, the town will not accept new development proposals for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges and for-profit private clubs. Applications accepted before the June 11 declaration will advance through the development process and be eligible to receive building permits under the town's existing code and any conditions of approval, Wayne Bergman, the town's director of planning, zoning and building, told the council. Those who missed the application deadline can apply for a waiver request, which will be considered by the Town Council, he said. Under "zoning in progress," the Planning and Zoning Commission, town staff and Town Attorney Joanne O'Connor, will study which policies can best limit the development of these businesses through changes to the zoning code, Bergman said during the June 11 meeting. "So, if an applicant truly had been working on it (a proposal) and just hadn't filed with the town yet, they can still come before you and make a case to submit something that you could consider even during the zoning and progress," Bergman told council members. Council Member Julie Araskog said the town needs a new means of limiting restaurant developments, noting that the "special-exception use" these businesses apply for are too lenient in comparison to a zoning code variance. "The burden of proof is on us and it's not as specific as a variance," Araskog said. With the town now in its off-season, Lindsay said it was the perfect time to initiate the pause. While all council members agreed a study of ways to limit development was in order, Council Members Lew Crampton and Ted Cooney were not completely in favor of pausing applications. "I'm cautious about over-stifling the business community; it's fragile," Cooney said. "I know COVID poured gas on Florida, but just before COVID we were about to spend a lot of money on a retail study because we were worried about the death of our business community." Cooney said that in his experience, these businesses aren't the only factors negatively impacting traffic. He also said the issue could be one of valet management, not the volume of traffic experienced by restaurants. Crampton asked if town staff had formed a plan on how to carry out the study, to which Bergman replied they could develop a plan. Crampton asked O'Connor to take a leading role in the study and policymaking process, noting the multiple documents the Planning and Zoning Commission had already been tasked with reviewing. "They've got the comprehensive plan, they've got the zoning review, they've got big issues on their plate," he said. "So, this needs to be done very carefully and in a very structured way. Otherwise, we're getting nothing from this." The council voted unanimously June 11, while the vote was 4-1 on June 12, with Cooney casting the nay vote, on a resolution to codify the "zoning in progress" declaration. Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach pauses new projects in commercial districts Hoping to curb New Yorks ever-worsening retail crime challenges, state lawmakers last week passed a bill requiring many retailers to install panic buttons in their stores. This may sound logical, and it was undoubtedly well-intentioned. But the truth is that its a costly mandate that will do little to reduce retail thefts and other crimes and is only likely to create new headaches for state law enforcement officers. Gov. Kathy Hochul should veto this bill or, at the very least, demand that the Legislature amend it and instead focus on real solutions for cracking down on retail crime. No one questions an employees right to feel safe in their workplace. In theory, a bill forcing retailers to add numerous panic buttons throughout their stores would help achieve this goal. But the bill that now awaits action by the governor ignores two important realities. Gov. Kathy Hochul has spent recent weeks pushing her plans to ban tech companies' ability to use addictive social media feeds and collect data in ways that are harmful to children. She is shown during a media briefing in Albany on May 28, 2024. First, adding a slew of new panic buttons in stores will almost undoubtedly trigger far more false alarms than actual alerts of crimes in progress. This will send already-strained local police forces many of which are facing unprecedented labor shortages on wild goose chases to stores where an employee either misinterpreted a situation or inadvertently tripped an alarm. In other cases, police may rush to a shoplifting scene only to find out either that a store owner does not want to press charges, or the alleged perpetrator has already escaped with their stolen merchandise in hand. Panic button alerts are also far less useful to law enforcement responders than a 911 call, because a panic button alert would provide no additional details about the possible crime in progress. Second, panic buttons do nothing to address the real problems that are driving up rates of retail crime. At the top of that list are the high rates of recidivism among those who are caught shoplifting. A recent study by the New York City Police Department found that 327 people were responsible for 30 percent of shoplifting arrests in the city in 2022 an average of 20 arrests each. These criminals already know that they will face almost zero consequences even if they are arrested for shoplifting. Why would a panic button deter them? Instead of focusing on panic buttons, state leaders must take action to stop these repeat offenders. This includes empowering prosecutors to charge shoplifters with felonies after repeat offenses. Lawmakers must also revisit bail reform so that repeat offenders can be held in jail rather than sent back on the streets to continue victimizing retailers and customers. Hochul was on the right track toward taking a stand against retail crime back in April, when she secured $45 million in the state budget to form a retail crime task force led by law enforcement. The budget also made it a felony to assault retail workers a recognition that stronger penalties are needed when it comes to curbing retail crime. Hochul also ushered in the concept of retail theft aggregation that permits prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods when they file larceny charges. This allows property taken from different retail stores to be aggregated to reach a higher larceny threshold, which means persistent shoplifters can be charged with felony-level crimes. Now, we need state lawmakers to take that same approach to those who are so brazenly targeting just about any type of retail establishment from big chains to independently owned groceries and bodegas. The bill awaiting Hochuls signature will not make retail employees safer and will only serve to undermine her work to find real solutions to the problems facing retailers across the state. The governor should veto this bill outright, and work with law enforcement to give them resources they need to do their jobs and curb this growing scourge in New York. Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon is president of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, or DAASNY, Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond is president of the New York State Sheriffs Association, or NYSA. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY panic button mandate must be vetoed by Gov. Kathy Hochul The U.S. Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding announced Monday the construction of a new parking garage that will bring 2,000 new parking spaces to downtown Newport News and enhance the working experience for shipbuilders and sailors assigned to the shipyard. The new parking structure, which will have 2,800 parking spaces, will be constructed on two Newport News Shipbuilding parking lots, between 37th and 39th streets, and Huntington Avenue and Warwick Boulevard. Contractor W.M. Jordan will build the garage with some pre-construction fabrication occurring offsite. Our sailors and shipbuilders are part of the backbone of our nation and our community, said state Sen. Mamie Locke, one of the speakers at the news conference at Victory Arch. They deserve a community that supports their dedication and hard work. This entire initiative will not only alleviate parking challenges but also contribute to the vibrancy of our community. Last year, following a wave of suicides among Hampton Roads-based sailors, the Navy began a massive effort to improve sailors quality of life, including providing more options for off-base housing. This followed a comprehensive investigation that concluded the Navy failed its own personnel on an individual and systemic level. Inadequate access to parking at the shipyard was cited as an issue in the Navy report. Of more than 7,500 parking spaces needed just for Navy personnel, only about 3,400 were available within walking distance of the shipyard. The lack of parking for shipyard workers has sparked frustration among North End Huntington Heights residents, who have complained that sailors and shipyard workers were parking in their neighborhood. As a team, we needed to make improvements, said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Casey Moton on Monday. Specifically, inadequate nearby parking was cited as one of the foremost challenges and is often cited by our sailors as one of the best things that we can do to improve their quality of service. So as part of that to address our sailors concerns, the Navy team worked with our partners at HII to develop a plan to construct a new parking garage. Moton said the Navy awarded HII a $120 million contract to support the project. Construction is expected to commence this year and will take about two years to complete. HII spokesperson Todd Corillo said that HII will own the garage and cover the operating costs. NNS President Jennifer Boykin said the new parking was a long time in coming and would greatly benefit shipbuilders and sailors. Change is rarely immediate, and I remain committed to fighting for what is important to better serve our shipbuilders and our sailors needs, she said Newport New Mayor Phillip Jones said the parking garage is one of many planned investments in the downtown area, adding that it will also see an influx of apartments and retail space at the intersection of 28th Street and Washington Ave. Locke said the state recently committed a $40 million treasury loan to support construction of Navy housing downtown with these conditions: the Navy has committed sufficient resources to fund the project, the city has provided matching funds and the 75% of non-state funds secured for the project have been expended. State and local officials previously stated the Navy could contribute up to $400 million to house sailors and revitalize downtown. Moton said the Navy is examining what the options look like for expanding housing but had no details at this time. Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com Workers at the Starbucks in Parsippany-Troy Hills are moving ahead with a bid to unionize, along with 17 other locations from the global coffee chain. The workers are calling for fair compensation, job security and a voice in decisions that affect us, in a letter addressed to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan. They are organizing with Starbucks Workers United. Though we work at different stores, we are united through our shared experiences and in our demand for higher wages, fair and consistent scheduling, improved benefits, and a safe and dignified workplace, the letter states. Starbucks has launched a limited-time Pairings Menu. Starbucks spokesperson Jay Go Guasch said that the coffee chain prefers a "direct relationship" with its staff rather than a union, but maintained that "we respect our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions." The Parsippany-Troy Hills location would be the latest in New Jersey looking in the midst of unionization. In North Jersey, Starbucks workers at locations in Ledgewood, Montclair and Summit have also unionized. Workers at locations in Hamilton and Penington have also unionized, while Cherry Hill workers rejected a union bid. This past November, thousands of Starbucks workers walked off the job during the global coffee chains Red Cup Day. Where does union membership stand? The COVID-19 pandemic renewed interest in union membership, from Amazon to Starbucks. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 15.8 million American workers represented by a union in 2021, which increased to 16.2 million workers last year. The low wages, irregular schedules and difficult work environments that are common in the hospitality industry have contributed to the shortage of workers willing to fill these positions, Todd Vachon, a Rutgers University professor and director of the schools Labor Education Action Research Network, which partners with workers' rights groups, said in a 2022 interview. Medieval Times unionizing efforts failed The unionization bid also occurred as other labor-organizing efforts falter, including at Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, which effectively ended its campaign for a contract in March. A bid to unionize staff at the Apple store in Short Hills also failed. Other businesses have been accused of conducting illegal anti-union behaviors, including Starbucks and the cleaning company contracted by the American Dream mall in East Rutherford. Starbucks was successful in a U.S Supreme Court decision last week effectively making it harder to force businesses to rehire workers who say they were fired for labor union activities. Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record. Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Parsippany-Troy Hills Starbucks workers form bid to unionize Paul Pressler, an influential former Texas judge who spearheaded a movement to shift the Southern Baptist Convention in a conservative direction, has died at the age of 94. In 2017, a civil lawsuit accused Pressler of sexually abusing boys and men, including one of his Bible study students, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The lawsuit was settled six months before his death earlier this month, according to the Texas Tribune. Pressler was never criminally charged, but an investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News led to revelations that top leaders ignored warnings and downplayed allegations. Pressler died June 7, but it was apparently not acknowledged during last weeks Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Indianapolis. His funeral was Saturday. Officials from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth did not return a message seeking comment. In 2019, a stained glass window featuring Pressler and other leaders who pushed the convention to the right were removed from the seminarys MacGorman chapel. Pressler, a former appeals court justice in Houston, led efforts that ousted liberal members from the convention and helped elect conservative politicians. The son of a Houston oil company executive, Pressler was born on June 4, 1930. He graduated from the private Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and earned a bachelors degree in government from Princeton University in 1952, according to the Texas Tribune. He served in the Texas state house from 1957-59. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A man has been arrested for a shooting that injured a woman in Las Cruces this past Saturday, June 15, according to Las Cruces Police. Police say Christian Nieto Cervantes, 19, is charged with felony counts of shooting at a house or dwelling, aggravated residential burglary, and aggravated assault. Cervantes also faces three misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. Police say at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, police were dispatched to the 1900 block of West Picacho Avenue about shots fired at an apartment located in the area. Police say they arrived and learned that Cervantes discharged several rounds into an apartment. Court documents obtained by KTSM say Cervantes initially fired a shotgun at the front door of an apartment and then entered the apartment. Cervantes pointed the shotgun at a 36-year-old woman and said that he was looking for a stolen vehicle, according to court documents. Court documents say Cervantes continued to fire the shotgun several times inside the apartment and then fled the area in a black SUV. The woman suffered minor injuries and received medical attention at the scene after she was able to jump out of a rear window. No other injuries have been reported. According to court documents, Cervantes told police that he went with another man and his uncle to locate his uncles stolen truck. Cervantes told police that they went to an unknown apartment where subjects took out firearms and began to fight, then he ran from the scene, according to court documents. Court documents also say that Cervantes story kept changing. Cervantes uncle also told police that his truck was stolen and that Cervantes went to look for it, according to court documents. Police say they located Cervantes Sunday morning, June 16, and arrested him. Police also recovered a shotgun in his possession. Cervantes was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is initially being held without bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Australian Minister Bill Shorten, head of his countrys delegation at the peace summit in Switzerland, says he was surprised by the event. Shorten has been in politics for eight years and was a trade union representative for 15 years before that. He's now the country's National Disability and Insurance Scheme and Government Services minister. In his experience, politics has its high notes, and other times it's just going through the motions. There were more high notes here than I expected, he told the Kyiv Independent on the sidelines of the summit, which brought together over 90 countries to discuss three major themes in Ukraines 10-point peace plan: nuclear safety, food security, and prisoner exchanges. I was impressed by the caliber of leadership present, particularly the Eastern European leadership. Sometimes people think politics doesn't have enough quality leaders, but there were some good leaders at this gathering. Delegations included representatives from all continents, with a notable exception of China, who turned down the invitation. Russia wasnt invited, provoking discussions on what peace could be achieved without the belligerent and one of its major allies in attendance. I don't judge the success of it by whether or not the Russians sent us an email this afternoon and said they surrender and they're pulling the tanks out. That was never going to happen, Shorten said. Instead, the summit was a good show of global solidarity, according to Shorten, and tops off several weeks of Ukrainian diplomatic successes: a third recovery conference since the start of the full-scale invasion, and the Group of Seven (G7) summit, which resulted in the signing of two new security agreements with the U.S. and Japan. Read also: Ukraines Peace Summit is over what were its highs and lows? The event was also a smart way to combat Russian propaganda that has sought to portray Ukraine and its Western allies as warmongers uninterested in peace. People get bombarded with a lot of disinformation, but Russia cant say it didnt happen, cant say that every participant is uninterested in peace. They may say it, but its just not true. Bringing peace to Ukraine Shorten has no illusions, however, that peace between Russia and Ukraine is imminent, saying there will be no real peace until the Russians are up for it. But the summit was a start, according to the Australian minister. The world wants to see us working out the framework for peace, and letting people know what that framework is and what we support. That framework was largely laid out in the final communique published at the end of the summit, which calls for the safe operation of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under civilian Ukrainian control, the free civilian maritime passage in and out of the Black Sea, and the release of all prisoners of war. Seventy-eight countries, including Ukraine, and four European institutions signed the final joint communique. The text doesnt go as far as calling for Russias withdrawal from the plant likely a compromise, according to various participants at the summit who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and heads of states and country representatives pose for a family photograph during the summit on peace in Ukraine, at the Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 15, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Shorten doesnt think that ensuring the safety of the plant is possible without the Russians moving out, but says he isnt focused on the exact wording of the communique, saying their language is more politics than Shakespeare. If the two sides can reach a deal about the kids and stop them from being adopted out to Russian families, that would be a start; if they could reach a deal providing Ukrainian prisoners of war the same access to independent third parties that Russian prisoners of war get in Ukraine, that's a start, he said. There's no trust, and there may never be any trust, but you've got to do something. If you can't get the whole deal, take it one at a time. One thorn in the side of the summits conclusion is a group of notable participants who didnt join in on the final communique, including India, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. Their reticence has led some to wonder whether Ukraine was able to bring anyone else on its side outside of Europes border a region by and large already firmly in Ukraines camp. But Saudi Arabias absence, for example, from the document doesnt diminish the role it can play in future negotiations, according to Shorten. Read also: Zelensky: Ukraine to present action plan to Russia at second peace summit Saudi Arabia plays a very important role regardless of whether they're on the communique or not. They're one of the level-headed influencers in the Middle East, he said. Saudi Arabia hosted an earlier summit on Ukraines peace formula in August 2023. It has also played an important role in negotiating prisoner exchanges with Russia, helping Ukraine to achieve a major exchange involving nearly 300 people in September 2022. As for India, Shorten said not joining the communique is part of its traditional ties with all sides, and in his experience, India is a very good actor on the international stage. And as an Australian, he says his countrys position is that the rise and development of India is a good thing. Australias unique position Shorten also feels that Australia has a unique role to play as an advocate for Ukraine in its own region, the Indo-Pacific. Australia is obviously a supporter of Western, Democratic liberal values, but we are not of Europe or North America, so we understand the perspective of other countries. This allows Australia to bring a non-European set of thinking to the debate, and to keep momentum behind the conversation on peace in Ukraine far beyond Europes borders, he believes. There are countries outside of the EU, who know us and like us and they'll be interested in what we have to think about this. Those countries include others in attendance at the summit, including Indonesia, with whom Australia has very close ties, as well as Singapore, New Zealand, Fiji, Pilau, and other Pacific nations in its near north like Japan and Korea. At international forums, Australians and Indonesians will seek each other out. We're closer than many other places, he said. Australian Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten arrives to take part in a summit on peace in Ukraine at the luxury Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne in central Switzerland, on June 15, 2024. (Denis Balibouse / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) For its part, Australia has contributed over a billion Australian dollars (around $660 million), military hardware, energy resources, and support for people with disabilities to Ukraine. Shorten says the country will continue to evaluate what it can meaningfully contribute and will stand alongside Ukraine until we succeed. Even though Australia is a long way from Ukraine, Shorten said Australians still know were connected. Australia is linked to all the other nations by our shared humanity and we understand that if Russia was to succeed in Ukraine, and Ukraine to fail, that would be a bell tolling for all humanity. We understand that Russias illegal criminal invasion of Ukraine threatens all nations so we don't need to be told for whom the Ukrainian bells toll. Its for all of us. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. There should be no consequences for Donald Trump lying about federal law enforcement officers and falsely claiming he nearly escaped death because they were authorized to kill him, two dozen Republican attorneys general argue in a brief filed Sunday in the former presidents classified documents case. In May, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, just before he was convicted on 34 felony counts in his hush-money trial, told his followers on Truth Social that he had been targeted for assassination by Crooked Joe Bidens Department of Justice when FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home to search for national security secrets he took from the White House. In order to do so, Trump and far-right allies like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., distorted the exact same standard procedure the FBI always follows, including when Trump was president, under which agents are authorized to use force if they encounter a deadly threat while carrying out a law enforcement operation. Special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump with stealing state secrets, wants to bar the former president from lying about law enforcement again. In a filing last month, he asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump appointee overseeing the former presidents oft-delayed case, to impose a gag order that would prohibit statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Cannon has not yet definitively ruled on the matter, so far only chiding the prosecution for lacking professional courtesy by failing to discuss it first with Trumps legal team. In the meantime, in the wake of MAGA incitement, one avowed Trump supporter has already been arrested in Texas for threatening to kill federal law enforcement officers specifically, texting an FBI agent and threatening to slaughter you like the traitorous dogs you are, per a June 13 press release from the Department of Justice. So what? Thats the response from the 24 Republican AGs, including Texas Ken Paxton. In a June 16 filing, they ask Cannon to grant them permission to intervene in Trumps case, claiming the former presidents freedom to slander law enforcement is sacrosanct. A gag order barring Trump from making false claims about the law enforcement agents involved, specifically, in his classified documents case may affect the election, the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans, and will prevent [former] President Trump from opining on this important national election matter, the Republicans argue. In that, the AGs are merely echoing the argument from Trumps own legal team, which last week argued that Trumps incitement is actually campaign speech, suggesting hed like to talk about his scheduled June 27 debate with President Joe Biden, and that a gag order would constitute totalitarian censorship of core political speech. Ignoring the arrest in Texas, they also maintain that the government has failed to demonstrate that the specific agents Trump accused of trying to kill him are themselves at risk. Although it is possible she sides with the government, legal experts who have observed her thus far say there is now an established pattern of the judge siding with the defense, perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that, a year after being randomly assigned the case, there are no indications that she will schedule a trial before November. Bradley Moss, a criminal defense attorney who specializes in national security issues, told Salon that Cannon should not even be wasting the court's time by considering arguments from outside parties. She's already scheduled a hearing at which right-wing attorneys who aren't part of the case will be given time to argue that the Constitution prohibited the appointment of a special counsel in the case. "The influx of amicus briefs in this case is unheard of and largely the result of Judge Cannons decision to allow everyone under the sun to chime in on a criminal matter," Moss said. "This should be a simple legal issue to resolve over modification to bail conditions. It does not require input from the peanut gallery." The constant, self-imposed delays on Cannon's part have come despite the fact that the case is arguably the most straight forward of all those against Trump: He definitely took the documents in question hes on tape discussing top-secret Iran war plans and admitting that he has no right to share them and definitely did not hand them all back. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The main thing that [has] stood out to me is how she has constantly caused delay in the case instead of moving it forward, Shira Scheindlin, a former federal judge, told NPR over the weekend. The second: [S]he seems to have a visceral dislike of Jack Smith and his team. Shes constantly criticizing them. Shes constantly being sharp and sarcastic with them, and she almost never treats the defense that way. She is inept, Scheindlin said, but also perhaps cynical. I think she is inexperienced and I think it makes her insecure in her rulings. She's tentative, Scheindlin said. But the motivation may be mixed in with intentionally delaying enough to make sure this doesn't go before the election. Cannon has scheduled a hearing on Smiths gag order request for June 24, although it is unclear when she might actually issue a ruling. That hearing will come more than a month after the case was originally set to go to trial. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has fanned the flames of the internal Democratic battle over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coming speech to Congress, questioning the wisdom of the invitation just days after it was endorsed by Democratic leaders in both chambers. Pelosis comments and her decision to air them on national television have struck a nerve with some rank-and-file Democrats, who are voicing concerns that shes made it only more difficult for her successor, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), to steer the caucus through a stormy debate on a hot topic thats divided the party with increasing intensity amid Israels war with Hamas. I was disappointed because I think it does make things more difficult for our leadership, Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) said. They made a decision, the decision was a tough one, and we usually hang together. Honestly, when she was Speaker, we hung with her, and I was hoping she would do the same. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), who is leaning toward boycotting Netanyahus speech to protest his handling of the war, nonetheless supports the decision by Democratic leaders to invite the prime minister to Washington. Hes echoing Vargass warning that Pelosis comments will only exacerbate the partys differences over Israel to the benefit of Republicans. Israel is an ally, and many of us support Israel without supporting Netanyahu. And I think thats the basis upon which Mr. Jeffries made his decision. This was a courtesy to an ally, and not anything more, he said. Obviously, shes the former Speaker of the House, and I think comments like that are not helpful to the cohesion of the party. Democrats are jousting over Israels military response to Hamass attacks last October, which led to the death of roughly 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 more. In the eight months since then, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, infuriating liberal Democrats who have accused Netanyahu of doing far too little to avoid civilian casualties. Some consider him a war criminal. Republicans, by contrast, are virtually united over the war, backing Netanyahus aggressive show of force and urging Israel not to stop until Hamas is eliminated. To promote that message, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in March drafted an invitation for Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress a move derived, at least in part, from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers (D-N.Y.) explosive floor speech days earlier bashing Netanyahus leadership and calling for new elections in Israel to replace him. After consulting with the White House, both Jeffries and Schumer endorsed the letter earlier this month. We made the decision that we were going to take the same approach that weve taken with other heads of state, Jeffries said last week. Pelosi disagrees, and in an appearance on CNN earlier in the month, she said plainly that the decision to invite Netanyahu was wrong, warning that it would only fuel the already heightened domestic unrest surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict. I feel very sad that he has been invited, she told the network. The liberal Pelosi, who led the Democrats for most of this century, has a long history of clashing with the conservative Netanyahu, Israels longest serving prime minister a feud that reached a previous height in 2015, when Netanyahu last addressed lawmakers on Capitol Hill. That invitation came from then-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who sidestepped President Obama and Democratic leaders to bring the Israeli leader to the Capitol an episode she still resents. He came and he criticized Obama on the Iran nuclear deal, she said last week. It was awful. Even in light of that acrimonious history, Pelosis recent remarks to CNN made waves. On the left, the comments energized some liberals, especially the most vocal Netanyahu critics who are planning to boycott his speech next month. Those lawmakers are cheering her pronouncement, saying it gives voice and gravitas to sentiments held by a large faction of the caucus. Also, they add, it was no accident. Nancy Pelosi is very strategic in everything that she does, and shes also very discreet in everything that she does, said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), who is boycotting the speech. And so for her to come forward, I think shes expressing what a lot of members feel. And she is giving cover to members who might be in tight positions who feel the way that she does. Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn.), a former head of the Democratic caucus, expanded on that argument, saying Pelosi was sending several different messages to several different audiences. They include liberal lawmakers, but also liberal voters infuriated over the soaring number of Palestinian deaths, as well as her allies in the White House who have been rebuffed by Netanyahu throughout the war in Gaza. Shes expressing the sentiment of a number of voters and a number of members, said Larson, who plans to attend the address. And shes especially upset with the way hes treated Biden and [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken. Other Democrats, however, are warning that anything less than a strong show of support for Netanyahus visit undermines the chances that Hamas will be defeated, the hostages rescued and a peaceful resolution achieved. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) declined to comment specifically on Pelosis comments. But, he quickly added, if I were the leader I would have signed the letter. Hes the prime minister of one of our closest allies, Schneider said. This is a very complex issue with a lot of nuance, and lots of people are trying to suppress the nuance to create political advantage for their position or their side. It does none of us any good to divide Congress, divide either party, in support for a key ally. Pelosi, for her part, is making no apologies, amplifying her opposition to Netanyahus address in a brief interview last week. I think that its going to be very provocative, and he shouldnt be invited, she said. I dont know what hes going to say, but its going to provoke protesters anyways. Pelosi made a point not to criticize either Jeffries or Schumer, with whom she speaks frequently and has close ties, saying they had little choice but to endorse the invitation once Johnson had drafted it. She also rejected the idea that she might have undermined their decision to join the invitation, or complicated their efforts to tamp down internal discord heading into the visit. No, no, we have a freedom of speech here, she said. And I said on CNN, I said I dont agree, but I respect that they made their own decision. Jeffries is also downplaying the episode, saying hes not concerned it will highlight internal divisions over Israel. She certainly has the ability to speak on behalf of herself, and House Democrats will respect her perspective, he said. But our view is that members will make a decision one way or the other based on their own individual feelings relative to this particular visit, similar to every other visit. Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also dismissed the clashing approaches to Netanyahus visit, saying Pelosi was simply asked a question on TV and she just answered it honestly. Hakeem is not Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi is not Hakeem their styles are different, he said. Theres nothing wrong with that. 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. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Pennsylvania lawmakers have unveiled a bipartisan bill to legalize adult-use marijuana. Reps. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) and Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) say the bill prioritizes public safety, consumer protection, social equity, and criminal justice reform. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The lawmakers also say their bill would help create jobs and generate significant tax revenue while targeting the illegal marketplace. In March, the Independent Fiscal Office released a report that said legalized marijuana in Pennsylvania has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in tax revenue over the next five years This bill underscores our commitment to responsible regulation of the cannabis industry while addressing the diverse needs of Pennsylvanias communities, said Kaufer. By prioritizing public safety and consumer protection, this legislation will build on the successful regulatory structure of the states medical cannabis program, continuing stringent standards for product quality, packaging and labeling to ensure the well-being of all consumers. Farmers would also have an opportunity to participate in the legal market. It is well past time for the Commonwealth to legalize cannabis for recreational use, address the injustices of the failed War on Drugs, and ensure that Pennsylvanians can benefit from this industry in the same way our neighboring states have, said Kinkead. Our bipartisan effort to provide specific language that takes the best practices from other states is the next substantial step in finally getting this done. Lawmakers say the bill would also place a strong emphasis on social equity and criminal justice reform by creating opportunities for individuals disproportionately impacted by outdated cannabis policies. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) A wind-driven wildfire burning by Lake Sonoma in Sonoma County spread to 1,200 acres within just 24 hours and destroyed multiple homes. The wildfire, named the Point Fire, was 40 percent contained as of Tuesday morning and evacuation orders remain in place, according to Cal Fire. Containment rose from 20 percent to 40 percent between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Firefighters are patrolling around homes, wineries, and ranches to provide structure protection. Four-hundred firefighters are battling the blaze, including 10 dozers on the ground and helicopters waging an air attack. The Point Fire burns through wildland in Sonoma County on June 17, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) The fire is under a north-west wind influence, so its (active in) the southeastern portion. We are under red flag conditions, Cal Fire Assistant Chief Mike Wink told KRON4. The Point Fire ignited at 12:33 p.m. Sunday in the area of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road north of Healdsburg. A huge plume of dark smoke billowed up from burning brush and timber. First responders went door-to-door urging residents to leave evacuation zones. The Point Fire spreads along Lake Sonoma in Sonoma County on June 16, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) Firefighters are making fast progress strengthening control lines lines. Cal Fire officials confirmed two homes were destroyed. They have not released a total number of structures destroyed by the Point Fire. 3 counties issue air advisories due to drifting wildfire smoke Sonoma County rancher Davey Door evacuated himself and his cattle after he saw spot fires ignite near his cattle pasture. Resident Bengt Akerlind said he evacuated as the wildfire spread toward his home. It was close. I saw obviously intense smoke, Akerlind told KRON4. For a few hours he was unsure if his home was still standing. A flare up is seen along a ridge line during the Point Fire in Healdsburg, Calif., Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Photo by Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) Local residents were allowed through evacuation checkpoints on Tuesday to quickly retrieve some of their belongings. Evacuation orders, however, remain in effect. Cal Fire LNU wrote on X, Thanks to the strong work by firefighters over the last 24 hours and favorable weather conditions, containment on the fire is now up to 40% at 1,207 acres. Crews continue to fortify control lines and will begin heavy mop-up operations inside the perimeter. A firefighter carries a hose while battling the Point Fire along West Dry Creek Rd. in Healdsburg, Calif. on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Sonoma County officials declared a local emergency Monday night to request federal and state assistance. An evacuation center set up at Laguna High School in Forestville shut down at noon Tuesday. People impacted by the Point Fire can call 211 for information and resources. Evacuation Orders From Sonoma County Sheriffs Office: Evacuation order for residents in Zone SON-2E2 North and East of Chemise Road South of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road West of Dry Creek Evacuation warning for residents in Zone SON-2E3 North of Mill Creek Road South of Chemise Road East of Wallace Creek Road West of Dry Creek KRON4 has reporters in Sonoma County near the Point Fire. This breaking news story will be updated. 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. 11 taken to hospital after driver crashes into 4 vehicles on Parker Road DENVER (KDVR) Nearly a dozen people were taken to the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles happened in Aurora on Sunday. The crash happened on Parker Road near the Cherry Creek Reservoir. Plane hit road sign before crash in field near I-25: Law enforcement The Aurora Police Department told FOX31 that the driver of one vehicle was believed to be speeding when they crashed into at least four other vehicles. As a result, two vehicles rolled and at least 11 people were taken to the hospital, police said. Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospitals after a crash involving multiple vehicles on Parker Road near Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora Sunday. (KDVR) Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospitals after a crash involving multiple vehicles on Parker Road near Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora Sunday. (KDVR) Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospitals after a crash involving multiple vehicles on Parker Road near Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora Sunday. (KDVR) Nearly a dozen people were taken to hospitals after a crash involving multiple vehicles on Parker Road near Cherry Creek Reservoir in Aurora Sunday. (KDVR) The adult male driver of the vehicle that police believe hit the other vehicles and his juvenile male passenger sustained severe injuries in the crash. Northbound Parker Road was closed from Quincy Avenue to E. Hampden Avenue. Southbound Parker Road remained open, but police said there were a lot of backups. Police were asking the public to avoid S. Atcheson Way. At 6:48 p.m., the police department posted on X saying the road closure was expected to last for at least another hour. 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. A white man in Washington has been arrested and placed on a $500,000 bail after allegedly targeting and attacking a Black sixth-grade student walking with classmates during a field trip. Paul Jonathan Bittner, 42, has been charged with malicious harassment and the assault of a child in the second-degree, according to the Whatcom County Jail. During a walking field trip to a nearby film center Wednesday, students from Whatcom Middle School, part of the Bellingham School District, were near the Bellingham Police Department when Bittner allegedly joined in with their group, according to a statement issued from the school. Bittner allegedly pushed a Black student and questioned how the child would act towards a white man, according to the Tri-City Herald. Are you going to talk to a white man like that? Bittner allegedly asked the student. Then, Bittner allegedly punched the student in the face. Bellingham School District has not released the full details of the students injuries, but did say that he had a chipped tooth from his alleged attack from Bittner, the newspaper reported. The childs name has not been released. In a statement to The Daily Beast, the Bellingham schools communications director would not verify if the student was the only Black child in the group and said they could not provide the racial identities of the other students for the sake of privacy. Not long afterwards, Bittner was arrested and steadily hurled racial slurs, according to the Tri-City Herald. Whatcom Middle School Principal Mischelle Darragh issued a statement on the schools website after the incident, saying the victim was receiving support after being physically assaulted and being the target of racist comments. We are angry and shocked by what happened today, Darragh stated. These events are extremely upsetting for everyone at our school and beyond. We are wrapping around our students and doing all we can to support them. We will have additional counseling support available to all students as long as its needed, she continued. Today, sixth graders will be concluding the day with a classroom circle where students can share their feelings and concerns. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1209823567095298&t=70 Darragh added that police were investigating the incident as a hate crime. Bellingham School District Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker also addressed the attack, calling it an act of racism. Bellingham Public Schools is absolutely opposed to anti-Black racism, and racism in all forms, Baker issued in a statement on the districts website. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not just a statement but a Promise to all students. We recognize that racism is deeply rooted and affects our systems and the lives of many individuals and families in profound ways. It is a collective responsibility to address and dismantle these injustices. He wrote that the district was collecting notes and well wishes for the student and the students family who appreciate the outpouring of support and empathy. We look forward to the community coming together to denounce racism and take action against hatred, Baker wrote. I welcome your thoughts and feedback. Bittner made his first court hearing on Thursday, according to The Spokesman-Review, where the victims family, community activists, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund, and Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig made an appearance. Lund and Mertzig also shared a video on the City of Bellingham Facebook page, addressing the alleged hate crime and vowing that they stand with [their] community against hate and discrimination. The incident yesterday involving a child is intolerable, Lund said. Acts of violence and intolerance are a painful reminder that we have work to do as a community and nation to prevent and respond to discrimination and hate crimes. Bittner has so far not been released on bail. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) San Diego Police have announced an arrest in the stabbing of a pregnant woman in Mira Mesa on Saturday. The San Diego Police Department released photos of the suspect to the public after a woman who is four months pregnant was stabbed several times at an ATM in what police are calling an unprovoked attack. Pregnant woman stabbed multiple times next to ATM; police release photos of suspect The incident happened around 10 a.m. while the victim was standing outside of her vehicle at a drive-through ATM by the Mira Mesa Target. She was injured in her neck, left shoulder, and chin. In a news conference Sunday evening, San Diego Police announced the arrest of 27-year-old Cole Klemke, a Carmel Valley resident who SDPD say is considered to be homeless. SDPD report the victim is at home recovering after being treated for her injuries at the hospital. Detectives say they were able to obtain photos and video of the suspect in the Target just before the crime happened. Detectives were also assisted by several tips from community members, who were able to help identify the man through the photos released to the public. Police released these photos to the public Saturday evening in hopes of finding the suspect: San Diego Police release photos of the suspect accused of stabbing a pregnant woman multiple times next to an ATM in Mira Mesa (Photo: San Diego Police Department) San Diego Police release photos of the suspect accused of stabbing a pregnant woman multiple times next to an ATM in Mira Mesa (Photo: San Diego Police Department) SDPD have taken Klemke into custody. He is being held in the San Diego Central Jail. He is facing a charge of attempted murder in the first degree. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. This story is breaking. Stay with FOX 5/KUSI for the latest. 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. DENVER (KDVR) A home break-in turned deadly in Commerce City overnight, according to police. The Commerce City Police Department said the break-in happened between Saturday and Sunday in the 5300 block of E. 64th Avenue. Denver police: Woman with hunting-style knife shot, killed by officers According to police, the resident said he was attacked by an unknown intruder. He shot and killed the intruder. No further details were immediately available. Police said the alleged intruder will be identified by the Adams County Coroners Office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Police: Motorcyclist arrested for driving over 140mph in New Hampshire A motorcyclist was arrested after driving over 140 miles per hour in New Hampshire Sunday, state police say. Around 8:30 a.m., a trooper in the air above I-93 in Bow noticed a motorcycle racing down the road between 124mph and 141mph as it passed other vehicles. A trooper on the ground then pulled over Aaron LaFlower, 21, of Belmont. LaFlower was arrested and charged with reckless operation. He was processed and released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in Concord District Court on July 26. The stop was part of a scheduled traffic enforcement operation, Thirty vehicles were stopped, 28 of which were traveling over 90 miles per hour. 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 BRUNSWICK, Ga. A masked man snatched a woman from a day care in coastal Georgia and drove her north to a small cemetery. Near ivory marbled tombstones and stone angel statutes, Javier Sanchez Mendoza Jr. beat his victim. He planned to stab her and dump her body in the grass under towering oak trees and swaying gray ribbons of Spanish moss. However, the day care worker fought back, wrestling the knife from Mendoza's grip. It landed between his truck's console and seat, out of reach. As the Brunswick area day care notified police, Mendoza changed his plan and drove the woman further north toward his home in Jesup, Georgia, 66 miles southwest of Savannah. Ronnie Cooper, a veteran officer with the Glynn County Police Department in Brunswick was on his way home after a long shift when he heard the crackle of his police radio: Day care worker kidnapped. Suspect armed with a knife. Northbound. Silver truck. Retired Glynn County Police officer Ronald Cooper stands inside a cemetery in unincorporated Gardi, Georgia on Sunday, May 26, 2024. In November 2019, Javier Sanchez Mendoza, Jr. kidnapped a woman at knife point and drove her to the cemetery with plans of killing her. Cooper rushed north as his lieutenant relayed location information, or "ping" data, tracking the woman's cell phone. Cooper called his partner, Jeremy Stagner. Both sped along U.S. 341, unaware Mendoza had already spread a large tarp on the floor in preparation for a prolonged ritual killing. In May, Cooper talked about the 2019 incident, one of the most haunting in his 19-year career, with The Courier Journal at the cemetery where Mendoza first tried to kill his victim. Cooper described the tense search for the woman and the improbable rescue amid a murder in progress. "This is the cemetery where the offender in this case brought the victim to kill her," the veteran lawman said, standing in the shade at the tiny cemetery in the Wayne County community of Gardi, 38 miles northwest of Brunswick. "She was able to fight and get the knife away from him." "He was going to kill and leave her here." 'She came here looking for happiness and found pure hell' A cross decorates a grave at a cemetery in unincorporated Gardi, Georgia. In November of 2019 Javier Sanchez Mendoza, Jr. kidnapped a woman at knifepoint and drove her to the cemetery with plans of killing her. Police arrested Mendoza as part of an expansive trafficking network with an estimated 71,000 victims from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, according to U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the lead agency that toppled the criminal ring through a three-year investigation. The men and women were recruited under the guise of working on farms as part of the H-2A visa program for temporary agricultural workers. The scam operated from at least 2015 through 2021, prosecutors alleged in court records, with the criminal organization, likely tied to Mexican cartels, profiting more than $200 million. Others who were supposed to be program participants paid larger fees and were allowed to abscond, he said, leaving the program and relocating in the U.S. without permission. The case illustrates how Mexican cartels not only profit by blanketing the U.S. with drugs, but by smuggling humans and forcing them into modern-day slavery. Even in rural coastal Georgia, thousands of victims were hidden in plain sight, scared to seek help after they or their families in Mexico were threatened. Human trafficker Javier Sanchez Mendoza Jr. exploited hundreds of Mexican residents through a migrant farmworker scheme. He selected one woman to become his sex slave. When she escaped, he tried to kill her, but police interrupted the ritual killing in progress. Experts say human trafficking is a growing problem, much larger in scope than many Americans realize. "I think it's going on all over the U.S.," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gilluly, who worked on the case. "It's mind-blowing." Julio Lopez, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, testified during Mendoza's sentence hearing that he spoke to more than 200 victims of the labor scam. Many didn't speak English, were poor and intimidated by the scammers, he said. This visa scam centered on southern Georgia but also expanded to other parts of the U.S., Lopez told the judge. Mendoza worked as a farm labor contractor for the U.S. program even though he wasn't in the country legally. He sneaked into the U.S. and used aliases to become a crew leader for the criminal network, later claiming he netted $27,000 a month, though prosecutors suspect he made much more. Mendoza recruited the kidnapping victim and 564 other women and men as guest farm workers. A statue of an angel at a cemetery in unincorporated Gardi, Georgia. In November of 2019 Javier Sanchez Mendoza, Jr. kidnapped a woman at knifepoint and drove her to the cemetery with plans of killing her. Many of the victims were exploited by being forced to pay fees that weren't legal. Others, were forced to live in deplorable conditions and weren't paid what they were promised. The Savannah Morning News reported this as one of the largest human trafficking cases ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Mendoza made trips to Mexico to recruit program participants, bringing 565 workers from Mexico to the U.S. Many were charged illegal visa processing fees, often totaling $1,000. They were forced to work for free to pay off those fees, a criminal scheme known as "debt bondage," or "debt servitude," Gilluly said. Mendoza had the power to decide where the workers lived and where they worked. When Mendoza's kidnapping victim and 37 others arrived on a packed bus from Mexico in September 2018, Mendoza took their passports, then pointed at her and told her she would be his wife. To force compliance, he threatened her and her family in Mexico, including her young son. Operation Blooming Onion, which involves foreign laborers brought to the U.S. on seasonal visas to do agricultural work (such as harvesting onions), is one of the nations largest human trafficking cases ever prosecuted. Photo showing Mexican passports and money included as an exhibit in a criminal case stemming from the Blooming Onion investigation. The woman, whose name has been withheld because she is the victim of a sexual crime, envisioned a brief stint in the U.S. harvesting food for a farmer so she could take her earnings back to her family in Mexico. Instead, Mendoza forced her to live with him and follow his orders. "It was all about power and control," Gilluly said. "If she didn't do what he wanted, she was punished." Mendoza took the woman to a Georgia courthouse and forced her to sign papers in English, claiming they were married. Prosecutors said they found no legal documentation of a marriage and it would be illegal anyway because the woman was under duress. But in Mendoza's mind, he owned her. Federal prosecutor Greg Gilluly, with the Southern District of Georgia, prosecuted a large network of human traffickers bringing over thousands of victims from Mexico. "Shackles aren't always visible," Gilluly said. "She came here looking for happiness and found pure hell." The woman testified during Mendoza's sentence hearing that she eventually worked up the courage to call police in 2019 when Mendoza tried to rape and strangle her. She borrowed a phone from one of the two men who lived in Mendoza's trailer and called 911. The men tried to protect her as they ran down the street, while Mendoza chased after her with a knife. Mendoza remained in jail for two months, giving the men time to help relocate the woman. While he was locked up, the men helped the woman escape. She relocated to Brunswick and was enjoying a sunny day on Nov. 9, 2019, watching children at play outdoors at the day care when Mendoza, whose face was covered with a purple bandana, rushed in and dragged her to his truck with the blade of his knife pressed against her throat. A teen-age girl called 911 as younger children relayed what had happened, according to a recording of the call. "He just came really fast," the teen told a female dispatcher. "We saw him grabbing her and putting her inside his truck. He had a knife. "She was screaming." During the drive to his home in Jesup, Mendoza called his contact in Mexico, believed to be a cartel associate, and put the call on speaker, so the woman could listen as he and another man discussed whether she should be killed in Mexico or in the U.S. The men decided she should die on this day in Georgia. It's unclear who gave the orders from Mexico, but Gilluly, the veteran prosecutor, said: "Sinaloa tends to have a large presence in our district," referring to the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, once headed by notorious drug lord El Chapo. Javier Sanchez Mendoza's Santa Muerte shrine, including blood and hair from his victim. Once they arrived at Mendoza's trailer, he placed his knife to the woman's cheek and sliced her skin, then dripped her blood on the statute of the death saint's scythe, a large agricultural hand tool historically used for cutting grass or hay, Cooper said. Cartel members believe the saint can protect their business and keep them from getting caught by police. More: Mexican cartels use 'witches' in US to detect snitches and ward off police With candles flickering near the statute, Mendoza offered up grapes, liquor and other sacrifices. The name of the victim and her birthday were scrawled on paper and left on the altar, along with her photo. Her face was scratched off, and the photo was placed upside down. The victim, who recognized the patron saint of death, later told the judge she knew she was about to die. Meanwhile, Cooper and Stagner, task force officers with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, drove out of their county and into Wayne County, heading to the small town of Jesup. As members of the federal task force, both had the authorization to cross into other jurisdictions, preventing possible delays in handing the case over to another department. Two police officers from southern Georgia spotted the silver truck of kidnapping suspect Javier Sanchez Mendoza Jr. and rushed to rescue the female victim before Mendoza killed her. They drove around and spotted the suspect's truck, parked outside his trailer. Police in Jesup called in their SWAT team but assembling the specially trained unit would take time. Cooper and Stagner decided they couldn't wait. They hid behind large oak trees and watched the trailer, and when Mendoza walked outside during a phone call, they tackled him to the ground. "If they waited for the SWAT team, it would have been too late," Gilluly said. Mendoza continued to threaten the victim's life and her family, shouting in Spanish in front of the lawmen. Cooper used a translation app to decipher the suspect's rants. Mendoza pleaded guilty in 2021 in federal court in Brunswick, just five miles from the kidnapping site, to conspiracy to engage in forced labor. At the time of his arrest, about 300 more men and women in Mexico were in the process of coming to work for him and had already paid illegal fees, prosecutors said. Standing in front of a judge, Mendoza dropped to his knees during his sentence hearing and begged for mercy. Prosecutors sought to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. The judge sentenced him to serve 30 years in federal prison, where parole is not an option. Mendoza's former attorney, Steven Blackerby, didn't return calls in May and June seeking comment on the case. Gilluly said Mendoza's crimes were perpetrated by a "monster." He now trains police on watching for red flags that could indicate human trafficking, and he recounts the kidnapping victim's case, always while fighting back tears. "It rips my heart out every time," the prosecutor said. "She was on the edge of death. "The horror of what she went through will always stay in my mind." The U.S. State Department offers tips on possible signs of human trafficking at www.state.gov/identify-and-assist-a-trafficking-victim/. The National Human Trafficking Hotline,1-888-373-7888, is a toll-free and 24-hour resource with multilingual operators. It's accessible to everyone, from victims to police and concern citizens. More: 'Queenpin' reigned over cartel-fueled drug ring in coastal Georgia This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Georgia police stop ritual killing amid Mexican trafficking network The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing administers the state's Board of Behavioral Science as well as other licensing boards. (Main photo by Getty Images; logo courtesy State of Iowa) A therapist charged with sexually abusing a 13-year-old patient allegedly has a long history of complaints related to his conduct, despite there being no public record of any licensing sanctions against him. On May 30, OBrien County prosecutors charged therapist Martin W. Wallace, 75, of Sibley with two felonies: sexual abuse in the second degree, and sexual exploitation by a therapist. Wallace was also charged with the misdemeanor offense of lascivious acts with a child. According to police, Wallace had improper contact with a 13-year-old male patient on multiple occasions inside his Sheldon office placing a vibrating toothbrush in the childs pants, kissing the youth, and pulling down the childs pants and underwear. Sheldon police also allege that during a May 16 search of the office, Wallace was asked to provide records related to the alleged victims care and steered police to a different set of records pertaining to the alleged victims brother. During the search, police said, they left Wallace unattended in a therapy room, then heard sound of a shredder running inside the room. Officers intervened and asked Wallace what he had just shredded, and he allegedly replied, I dont know, it was just a paper from the desk. Days later, a former intern at the therapy office allegedly told police about records that were stored on a computer that was different from the one Wallace had given to police. The intern also reported that Wallace used video cameras in the office something Wallace had allegedly denied during the course of their initial search. Based on the new information, police conducted a second search of the office and discovered two cameras, including one that officers described as a very small, magnetic hidden camera stuck to a lamp in the corner of the patient room. During that same search, officers asked Wallace for his cell phone, which he allegedly claimed to have left at home. Court records indicate Wallace then left the building and approached his vehicle, which was parked outside the office. Police reported they saw Wallace retrieve his phone, at which point they seized the device, which was displaying messages that appeared to be of a sexual nature. Police records indicate Wallace has been accused of misconduct in the past, although theres no public record of state licensing officials taking any action against him prior to his arrest. In a written communication with the court, one Sheldon police officer involved in the investigation asserted that he had reviewed an investigative report from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which administers the states licensing boards. The report dealt with past complaints about Wallaces conduct. Wallace has a long history of complaints about boundary issues with clients, Sheldon Police Sgt. Eric Meinecke told the court. Some notable complaints involved an intern in 2012 seeing an image of two naked men on Wallaces work computer at the Creative Living Center; Wallace and a client being seen lying on the floor together in 2017; numerous complaints about Wallaces communication with clients outside of business hours; and a report of Wallace using cameras in the Creative Living Center, hidden and without permission. Prior to working at the Creative Living Center, Wallace spent 13 years working as a school counselor for the Sibley-Ocheyedan School District. On June 6, one week after the criminal charges were filed against Wallace, the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science issued an emergency order suspending Wallaces license and charging him with engaging in sexual activity with a patient. A hearing on the board charges is scheduled for July 30. In the criminal case, Wallace recently entered a plea of not guilty. A trial date has yet to be scheduled. The post Police: Therapist charged with sex abuse has a long history of complaints appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. President Donald Trump makes his way to his limousine at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. | Scott G Winterton An endorsement from former President Donald Trump makes nearly 4 out of 10 Utah Republican primary voters more likely to support a candidate in statewide and congressional races, according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. A similar portion of registered primary-voting Republicans are not impacted by a Trump endorsement, the poll found. Trumps endorsement makes around one-fifth of Republican voters less likely to support a candidate in a primary election whether it be for U.S. Senate, U.S. House or governor. As of Monday afternoon, Trump had endorsed two candidates in Utah Republican primaries. Rep. Celeste Maloy received a nod from the former president on Monday. Maloy, who has only been in office seven months, was facing a reelection bid made more perilous after Sen. Mike Lee endorsed her challenger, Colby Jenkins. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who is running to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate, was the first Utah candidate to receive Trumps stamp of approval this election cycle. Trump put his kingmaker status to the test in Utah with his Staggs endorsement just hours before the state Republican Party nominating convention on April 27. Staggs came away with nearly 70% of delegate support, making him the official GOP nominee ahead of the June 25 primary election. Staggs will appear on the ballot alongside three signature-gathering candidates, former state House Speaker Brad Wilson, Moxie Pest Control CEO Jason Walton and 3rd District congressman John Curtis, who came in second at convention with 30%. While polling and fundraising metrics favor Curtis, the GOP presidential nominees thumb on the scale could complicate the outcome of the hotly contested four-way competition. Especially as Senate hopefuls continue to jostle over a near-plurality of still undecided voters. The poll found that 39% of registered Utah Republicans who did, or plan to, vote in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate say Trumps endorsement makes them more likely to support a candidate. Slightly more, 43%, say the former presidents endorsement makes no difference to them. And 18% say it makes them less likely to support a candidate. The results are almost identical, within 1-3 percentage points, for the governors race and U.S. House races in Utah. DN graphic-endorsement Trumps backing comes at a critical time for Maloy. The incumbent candidate, freshly elected in November, has had little time to build her name ID or a voting record during her seven months in office. Since Lee endorsed Maloys challenger, the senator has gone all in for Jenkins, securing endorsements and touring the state with the former Green Beret. This primary season, Gov. Spencer Cox faces a challenger from his right, state Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, who has emphasized his support of Trump in campaign messaging. Rep. Blake Moore, of Utahs 1st Congressional District, is being challenged by Ogden electrician Paul Miller. 4th District Rep. Burgess Owens is running unopposed for his partys nomination. Trump has made no indication that he will weigh in on any other Beehive State contests. The poll was conducted by HarrisX between June 4-7. There were 424 likely GOP primary voters polled, with a margin of error of +/-4.8 percentage points for that group. A recent Deseret News focus group with likely GOP primary voters explored feelings surrounding Trumps endorsement of Staggs. To me, its a minus, said Jacob Fried, a self-described moderate living in Sandy. I do not think Trump is anything resembling what a real Republican is. ... So his endorsement, to me, is a big negative. Another participant, Herriman city council member Sherrie Ohrn, defended Trump but questioned whether his endorsement should be a deciding factor for voters. I definitely support President Trump, Ohrn said. But it doesnt make or break the Senate candidates for me. Matt Knio, owner and founder of the popular MK Cannelle patisserie in metro Detroit, will soon delight customers with another retail location offering artfully designed and crafted traditional French pastries and other baked goods. According to a Monday morning Instagram and Facebook post, a Keego Harbor location is expected to open in July. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our newest Cannelle location in Keego Harbor, Michigan. Our target date is set for July 12! Were happy to be part of this bustling community and look forward to serving you soon, according to the Instagram post. The location on Orchard Lake Road is 2,000 square feet and will have a beach-like vibe. The decor, the colors, the tile, everything gives you a vibe like a place at the beach in Europe, Knio said. Croissants are prepared at the Cannelle production facility in Warren on April 15, 2022. More: These 6 recipes will keep you cool on hot Michigan summer days This is the fifth location for the popular patisserie. Last September, Knio opened a spot in downtown Farmington. Other Cannelle locations are in Ann Arbor, Birmingham and Detroit. Knio said is he is expanding and looking to open locations. "My initial (goal) was a minimum of 10 stores in the surrounding areas," he said. Cannelle by Matt Knio plans to open Sept. 5 in downtown Farmington. Knios retail locations are charming with an inviting atmosphere to enjoy coffee, pastries, sandwiches and salads. Its cases display a huge variety of beautiful confections and baked goods. Early in 2023, Midwest Living magazine named Cannelle Patisserie, the best bakery in the Midwest. Cannelle is beloved for its beautiful, elaborate and delicious French pastries including croissants, bread, cakes and tarts. French-trained, Knios traditional French pastries, from sweet or savory croissants, fruit tarts and macarons are a work of art. Knoi is also the founder of the Golden Wheat Bakehouse. Knio (pronounced nee-oh) got his start and discovered his love for baking working in a bakery, according to cannelledetroit.com. An opportunity to work on a cocoa plantation took Knio to Africas Ivory Coast. Several years later, Knio returned to Paris, France, honing his craft working under master pastry chefs and attending Academies De Versailles. Knio launched Canelle Cafe in 2003 followed by the Golden Wheat Bakehouse in 2005, which provides many of Knio's breads, buns, croissants and other products to metro Detroit Businesses. MK Cannelle in Keego Harbor is located at 3425 Orchard Lake Rd. Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter.) Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cannelle by French-trained chef Matt Knio opening in Keego Harbor 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. Power & Secrecy: Five things to know about N&O investigation into the NC legislature As Republicans in the state legislature continue to hold firm majorities in both chambers, they have grabbed more power while making it harder to track what they are doing. These two trends are resulting in state budgets laced with spending and meaty policy changes that often show up at with scarce time for public review or debate, News & Observer reporting shows. The first installment of our ongoing Power & Secrecy investigation focused on the state budget. Here are five things the reporting uncovered: Big money helps a congressional run Last year, state budget writers added $100 million to a contingency account for transportation projects that critics have long complained is a slush fund. House Speaker Tim Moore points to heavy traffic at the I-85-I-485 intersection in western Mecklenburg County at a press event announcing $45 million funding to add new lanes to reduce a bottleneck. For many years that fund, which is split between the House speaker, Senate leader and NCDOT secretary, spent roughly $10 million annually. Legislative leaders typically spent their shares in their districts and on projects requested by favored lawmakers. That continued last year, too, but in a big way. A month after the budget passed, House Speaker Tim Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, took nearly half of the $100 million and committed it to an interstate interchange that is a major gateway to the newly-redistricted 14th Congressional District. Hours after Moore led a press conference announcing the spending, his campaign confirmed he was running for that seat. Budgets built behind closed doors Twice over the past six years, House and Senate leaders didnt produce their own budget proposals. They inserted budget bills with roughly $30 billion in spending and new policy into unrelated bills already passed in each chamber. That eliminated the opportunity for debate or amendments. In one of those budgets, legislative leaders took the rare step in 2022 of providing $6 million to a private company attempting to develop a light-based device to combat COVID-19. EmitBio has connections to House Speaker Moore. Its parent company, KNOW Bio, paid Moore for legal work in 2017, four years after he had helped the companys founder, Neal Hunter, with state legislation that kept 751 South a major mixed use development in South Durham that included him as a partner on track. Hunter and Moore have other financial ties. The offices of KNOW Bio and its subsidiary EmitBio in a Morrisville office park. Last year, state lawmakers gave EmitBio another $20 million in the state budget, funding proposed first in a House budget bill. Lawmakers locking up records State lawmakers have downplayed a provision added to last years state budget that exempts them from the public records law, saying it would have little impact on record requests. But when The N&O sought records regarding the EmitBio spending, only two documents were provided. EmitBio spending in the 2023 state budget. One was Rep. Jason Saines request to the state budget office to put the spending on hold; the other was a letter from Moores chief of staff eight days later that said Saine and other House budget writers wanted the state funding to continue. But several questions about the funding remain unanswered that could be answered with records. They include: How did EmitBio seek the appropriations? What information did EmitBio provide to convince budget writers to grant the money? Which budget writers were directly involved with advancing these appropriations? Budgets block environmental protections GOP legislators have for years used special provisions in the budget to limit environmental regulators and give themselves increased power over regulations. This started as soon as Republicans took full control of the legislature in 2011, for the first time in more than a century. Lawmakers tucked into that years budget a new version of a rule that said in cases where a federal regulation already exists, state regulations cannot be tougher. Volunteer Jo Buehrer wades into the Third Fork Creek to collect trash as members of the Haw River Assembly and volunteers empty a trash trap in Durham, N.C., Saturday, May 25, 2024. Styrofoam is far and away the most common item found in the trash trap. The most recent budget includes at least three examples of the General Assembly stepping in to limit actions that would have protected the environment The Republican-controlled General Assembly prevented liberal governments in Asheville and Durham from curbing the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam in their jurisdictions. That provision was included in the final version of the budget with no warning, a point at which lawmakers must either vote for or against the whole document. Other provisions in the 2023 budget prevented North Carolina from enacting rules intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and power plants. In one, the General Assembly stymied progress toward a rule that would have required bus and truck manufacturers to steadily increase the number of electric vehicles sold in the state. In the other, lawmakers forbid North Carolina from joining a cap-and-trade program. Several environmental groups had requested that the state join such a program, and the N.C. Environmental Management Commission had directed environmental regulators to start crafting a rule. Business groups, most notably the NC Chamber, celebrated the halting of both policies. It wasnt always this way The practice of inserting new policy and spending in the final version of the budget used to be forbidden by the operational rules of the House and Senate. This rule held in the late 1980s to the mid-2000, until the state Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats, began adding wiggle room in 2003. The House followed suit in 2011, when Republicans began running the legislature. Ran Coble, retired executive director of the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, a former nonpartisan watchdog group, recommended that lawmakers make that rule a law. This would protect rank-and-file legislators from last-minute surprises that cant be easily untied from the budget items and other measures that had already been agreed on, Coble said. State budgets have grown dramatically in recent years. In 2021 and 2023 they exceeded 600 pages. An N&O review of budgets going back to 2001 shows only two others exceeded 400 pages, in 2015 and 2017. This story is one of a series of News & Observer reports called Power & Secrecy. It explores the rise of both in the N.C. General Assembly. GRINNELL, Iowa A for-profit company has proposed turning a boarded-up former nursing home here into a psychiatric hospital, joining a national trend toward having such hospitals owned by investors instead of by state governments or nonprofit health systems. The companies see a business opportunity in the shortage of inpatient beds for people with severe mental illness. The scarcity of inpatient psychiatric care is evident nationwide, especially in rural areas. People in crisis often are held for days or weeks in emergency rooms or jails, then transported far from their hometowns when a bed opens in a distant hospital. Eight nonprofit Iowa hospitals have shuttered their psychiatric units since 2007, often citing staffing and financial challenges. Iowa closed two of its four mental health institutions in 2015. The state now ranks last in the nation for access to state-run psychiatric hospitals, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center. The national group, which promotes improving care for people with severe mental illness, recommends states have at least 50 state-run psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. Iowa has just two such beds per 100,000 residents, the group said. Two out-of-state companies have developed psychiatric hospitals in Iowa in the past four years, and now a third company has obtained a state certificate of need to open a 60-bed facility in Grinnell. Before 2020, Iowa had no privately owned, free-standing psychiatric hospitals. But several national companies specialize in developing such facilities, which treat people in crisis from conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, sometimes compounded by drug or alcohol abuse. One of the companies operating in Iowa, Universal Health Services, says it has mental health facilities in 39 states. Lisa Dailey, the Treatment Advocacy Centers executive director, said that for-profit hospitals dont necessarily provide worse care than nonprofit ones but that they tend to be less transparent and more motivated by money. Private facilities are private, she said. As a result, you may not have a great insight into why they make the decisions that they make. Dailey said solid data on privately run mental health hospitals nationwide is scarce. But she has heard for-profit companies have recently set up free-standing psychiatric hospitals in several states, including California. The California Department of Public Health confirmed three such facilities have opened there since 2021, in Aliso Viejo, Madera, and Sacramento. The latest Iowa psychiatric hospital would be housed in a vacant nursing home on the outskirts of Grinnell, a college town of 9,500 people in a rural region of the state. The projects developers noted there are no other inpatient mental health facilities in Poweshiek County, where Grinnell is located, or in any of the eight surrounding counties. The nearest inpatient mental health facilities are 55 miles west in Des Moines. The Indiana-based company proposing the hospital, Hickory Recovery Network, primarily runs addiction treatment centers in Indiana. But it opened psychiatric hospitals in Ohio and Texas in 2023 and 2024, and it told Iowa regulators it could open the Grinnell hospital by August. An affiliated company ran the facility as a nursing home, called the Grinnell Health Care Center, until 2022, according to a Hickory Recovery Network filing with Iowa regulators. Medicare rated the nursing homes overall quality at just two out of five stars. And in 2020, the facility was suspended indefinitely from Iowas Medicaid program because of billing issues, state records show. Officials from Hickory Recovery Network responded only briefly to KFF Health News inquiries, including about how the former Iowa nursing homes spotty record could affect the proposed psychiatric hospital. In a short telephone interview in February, Melissa Durkin, the companys chief operating officer, declined to say who owns Hickory Recovery Network. Durkin denied in the interview that her organization was associated with the company that ran the defunct and troubled Grinnell nursing home. However, Hickory Recoverys application for a certificate of need refers to the nursing home operator as Hickorys affiliated company. In testimony before Iowa regulators, Durkin made a similar reference as she expressed confidence her organization could find sufficient staff to reopen the facility as a psychiatric hospital. We have a history with that building. We operated a nursing home there before, she said at the video-recorded hearing. Durkin said in the interview that company leaders had not decided for sure to redevelop the vacant Iowa nursing home into a psychiatric hospital, although they twice went through the complicated process of applying for a state certificate of need for the project. The first attempt was stymied in 2023 by a tie vote of the board that considers such permits, which are a major hurdle for large health care projects. The second application was approved by a unanimous vote after a hearing on Jan. 25. Keri Lyn Powers, a Hickory executive, told regulators the company planned to spend $1.5 million to remodel the building. The main changes would include making rooms safe for people who might be suicidal, she said. The company predicted in its application that 90% of the hospitals patient revenues would come from Medicare or Medicaid, public programs for seniors or people who have low incomes or disabilities. It doesnt mention that the nursing home was suspended from Iowas Medicaid program, which covers about half of the states nursing home residents. Iowa authorities suspended the Grinnell Health Care Center nursing home in 2020 for failing to repay nearly $25,000 in overpayments from Medicaid, state records show. When the nursing home closed in 2022, its former medical director told the local newspaper part of the reason for its demise was its inability to collect Medicaid reimbursements. Iowa administrators recently notified the owners that the former nursing home owed $284,676 to Medicaid. A state spokesperson said in March that neither amount had been repaid. The proposal to reopen the building as a psychiatric hospital won support from patient advocates, Grinnells nonprofit community hospital, and the regional mental health coordinator. The only opposition at the state hearing came from Kevin Pettit, leader of one of Iowas two other private free-standing psychiatric hospitals. Pettit is chief executive officer of Clive Behavioral Health Hospital, a 100-bed facility in suburban Des Moines that opened in 2021. Pettit told regulators he supports expanding mental health services, but he predicted the proposed Grinnell facility would struggle to hire qualified employees. He said despite strong demand for care, many Iowa psychiatric facilities are limiting admissions. The beds exist, but theyre not actually open, because were dealing with staffing issues throughout the state, Pettit testified. Overall, Iowa has 901 licensed inpatient mental health beds, including in psychiatric units at community hospitals, in free-standing psychiatric hospitals, and in the two remaining state mental health institutes, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. But as of January, just 738 of those beds were staffed and being used. Pettits facility is run by Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services in partnership with MercyOne, a hospital system based in the Des Moines area. In an interview, Pettit said his hospital only has enough staff to use about half of its beds. He said its especially difficult to recruit nurses and therapists, even in an urban area with a relatively robust labor supply. State inspectors have cited problems at the Clive facility, including four times declaring that deficiencies put patients safety in immediate jeopardy. Those issues included insufficient staff to properly monitor patients and insufficient safeguards to prevent access to items patients could use to choke or cut themselves. Pettit said such citations are not unusual in the tightly regulated industry. He said the organization is committed to patient safety. We value the review by our regulatory entities during the survey process and view any finding as an opportunity for continuous improvement of our operations, he wrote in an email. Iowas other privately owned psychiatric hospital, Eagle View Behavioral Health in Bettendorf, also has been cited by state inspectors. The 72-bed hospital was purchased in 2022 by Summit BHC from Strategic Behavioral Health, which opened the facility in 2020. Both companies are based in Tennessee. State inspectors have cited the Bettendorf facility twice for issues posing immediate jeopardy to patient safety. In 2023, inspectors cited the facility for insufficient supervision of patients, resulting in inappropriate sexual activity between adult and adolescent patients. In 2021, the facility was cited for insufficient safety checks to prevent suicide attempts and sexual misconduct. Eagle View officials did not respond to requests for comment. Advocates for Iowa patients have supported the development of free-standing psychiatric hospitals. Leslie Carpenter of Iowa City, whose adult son has been hospitalized repeatedly for severe mental illness, spoke in favor of the Grinnell facilitys application for a certificate of need. In an interview afterward, Carpenter said she was optimistic the new facility could find enough staff to help address Iowas critical shortage of inpatient psychiatric care. She said she would keep a close eye on how the new facility fares. I think if a company were willing to come in and do the job well, it could be a game changer. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. The post For-profit companies open pyschiatric hospitals in areas clamoring for care appeared first on Daily Montanan. Lawmakers and performers celebrate Juneteenth at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg (Capital-Star photo by Sarah Nicell) Young Professionals of Color of Greater Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus came together to host this years Juneteenth celebration at the state Capitol on Monday. Its unspoken theme: Gradual progress. Elected officials, organizers and creatives spoke in front of a crowd of visitors and press in the state Capitols East Wing Rotunda about the importance of June 19s third year as a federal holiday. Juneteenth, if anything, while it was progress delayed, is progress nonetheless, Rep. Justin Fleming, D-Dauphin, said. He is the treasurer of the Legislative Black Caucus. Pennsylvania was the first state in the Union to pass an act abolishing slavery in 1780. In actuality, the legislation mandated gradual freedom, granting emancipation for only those enslaved after the bills passage and only once they turned 28 years old. The common misperception about Juneteenth is it marks the anniversary of Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. But June 19, 1865 was the day when the last group of enslaved people were informed of their freedom in Texas during the final stretch of the American Civil War. Then, in yet another delay, Juneteenth awaited its federal holiday designation for more than 150 years. June 19 became a recognized Texas holiday in 1980 and a federal one in 2021. For the first time in our nations history, all people were free, Auditor General Timothy DeFoor said in the Rotunda. DeFoor is the first Black auditor general and first person of color elected to a statewide row office in Pennsylvania. Young Professionals of Color of Greater Harrisburg organized several events leading up to Juneteenth in addition to tMondays conference, including a Saturday concert featuring rappers Ghostface Killah and Jim Jones and an educational summit at Harrisburg University. The summit is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and will feature Angela Rye, chief executive officer of IMPACT Strategies and correspondent on ESPN, as keynote speaker. I invite you to come and celebrate with us this week, Kimeka Campbell, Vice President of Young Professionals of Color, said. I also invite you to come and learn with us this week. Other parts of Mondays celebration focused more on fun. The cast of HairStory: Reclaiming Our Crown, a play about uncovering the history of Black hair within African tradition, performed an excerpt of the show featuring spoken poetry and dancers in colorfully patterned dresses and skirts. Drummers provided a beat to move to. It could even make its own magic, one actor called into his microphone, describing the historical origins of African hair. Later, the sound of drums filled the East Wing rotunda as a group of five dancers performed a West African dance called KuKu, meant for harvests and celebrations. Most danced barefoot on the tile. Food trucks lined up by the Soldiers and Sailors Grove throughout the day for guests to peruse. A spot in the East Wing was designated as an arts and crafts space for children to make their own picket signs to learn more about Black history. Aetna, AmeriHealth, South Central PA Sickle Cell Council and Tri-County OIC tabled in the East Wing and advertised their services as speakers took turns discussing Juneteenth and related goals in the Black community. Im deeply aware of the disparities that exist in healthcare access for quality and outcomes among Black people, Paula Starnes, chief operating officer at Aetna Better Health of Virginia, said. Aetna was one of several sponsors of the days events. These disparities are not just statistics. They represent real people, real families and real communities whose lives are impacted every day by the systemic barriers to quality and equitable health care. House members present included Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), Rep. Dave Madsen (D-Dauphin), and Fleming. They spoke in favor of legislation to move forward in the Senate that has already passed the House, such as the Crown Act, which would prohibit race-based hair discrimination in the workplace. Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas and Harrisburg City Council President Danielle Bowers also spoke at the Juneteenth conference. This year, Dauphin County recognized Juneteenth as a countywide holiday for the first time. It expresses to the county that we see it as something historic that we should reflect on, Douglas said. That were even giving our workforce of 1,600 employees the day off to reflect on. Bowers used her time to urge onlookers to read up on the Commonwealth Monument Project. The project has attempted to keep the memory alive of the primarily Black, Jewish, and immigrant neighborhoods of the Old Eighth Ward that were destroyed in the 1910s to build the state Capitol park. Know about where youre standing today, Bowers said. Young Professionals of Color will continue to celebrate Juneteenth throughout the week through community events, a Black performance night and a block party to finish off the week. The Harrisburg-based organization has worked to form communities for Black professionals since 2016. The post Progress delayed is progress nonetheless: Harrisburg celebrates Juneteenth appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. VERGENNES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team has announced another area of interest after elevated levels of a PFAS compound have been confirmed. The team is focused on a stretch of O E Bieri Industrial Drive, between Godfrey Street and Vergennes Street, less than a half-mile away from the Flat River in Vergennes Township. Study: PFAS building up in 3 of 5 Great Lakes MPART says it was notified by the Kent County Health Department after a business owner installed a new water well and conducted sampling as part of the permit process. (Courtesy MPART) The test results showed 34 parts per trillion of perfluorononanoic acid, PFNA. The maximum contaminant level for PFNA in Michigan drinking water is 6 ppt. The health department requested a second test to confirm the result, which came back at similar levels. KCHD reached out to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to conduct more testing at nearby properties on O E Bieri Industrial Drive. Tests on one other property registered 13 ppt. MPART is planning to conduct more sampling to get a better reading on the area. Groundwater from the property flows east toward the Flat River, but it is not clear if any surrounding waterbodies have been impacted by PFAS. Study highlights monumental cost of PFAS remediation PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large group of compounds first developed in the 1940s and incorporated into all sorts of products for waterproofing and heat resistance. Decades later, research showed that PFAS compounds take a long time to break down organically and can build up in the human body, causing serious health problems including cancer. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, there are more than 15,000 known PFAS compounds. The Environmental Working Group says there are now more than 5,000 confirmed PFAS-contaminated sites across the United States, including at least one in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and two American territories. 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 WOODTV.com. View a previous report on the boutique hotel proposal in the video player above. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A proposal that would have put a high-rise development on a 0.1-acre lot in Franklinton was unanimously struck down by an area commission last week. The Franklinton Area Commission rejected the Rob Ellis-owned Pink Development and Constructions proposal Tuesday in a 12-0 vote. Since a house on the lot was demolished in 2019, the parcel of land at 278 S. Glenwood Ave. has remained empty. Members of the commission expressed concern for the appropriateness of the high-rise on that parcel, according to Trent Smith, the executive director of the Franklinton Board of Trade, who attended the meeting. A representative from the Franklinton Area Commission itself did not respond to a request for comment on the reasoning behind the vote. (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditors Office) Pizza Hut abruptly closes four central Ohio locations Originally submitted as an 11-story boutique hotel with 41,731 square feet of total floor space featuring 81 apartments, retail space and more, the proposal had been revised with multiple significant changes leading up to its presentation. Changes to the proposal included that it would no longer be a hotel and would be 20 stories instead of 11. With no plans for on-site parking, the building would feature a valet car tunnel and loading area. Renderings of the proposal showed a nail bar, retail shop, 11th-floor bar, amenity deck and infinity pool among Ellis plans for the development. Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Rendering of the 11-story building proposed for Franklinton. (Courtesy Photo/City of Columbus) Smith said the vote was not a rejection of affordable housing in Franklinton, but a rejection of this proposal. 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. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Prosecutors are no longer pursuing murder charges against two men in an August 2023 shooting death. Last week, the Kent County Prosecutors Office said that Abdinajib Abdullahi Abdi and Abdirizak Jeylani Abdiyow would no longer face open murder charges for the Aug. 17, 2023 death of 18-year-old Paul Anthony Pearson. Prosecutor Chris Becker said that the testimony given during the preliminary hearing was insufficient evidence to proceed on a murder (charge). Fight interrupts hearing for 2 homicide suspects They still face trial on assorted weapons offenses. 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 WOODTV.com. DENVER (KDVR) Pro-Palestinian protesters convened at the personal home of a Jewish University of Colorado regent but were met with pro-Israel demonstrators. The regent, Ilana Spiegel, is an outspoken Jewish woman and a member of Temple Sinai. She was targeted by SDS Denver [Students for a Democratic Society] because she is a CU regent. They are upset that CU is not abiding by their demands to divest from Israel, said Miri Kornfeld, director for Stand With Us Colorado. On Thursday, the Jewish community said they discovered there was going to be a march on a regents home by the SDS Denver on social media. Were trying to say that no business as usual under a genocide, as well as apply pressure to the board of regents who have been ignoring student protesters, said Khalid Hamu, with SDS Denver. Supposed to be safe in my home: Denver mother of 5 struck by stray bullet On Sunday at around 2:30 p.m., approximately 30 minutes before the Palestinian protesters were set to arrive, pro-Israel demonstrators occupied the small park near Spiegels home. We are here in order to be happy; we are here in order to celebrate Israel and the Jewish people. We are here, most importantly, in order to support Ilana, Kornfeld said. People were encouraged to bring flags. They gathered in the shade or on the grounds listening to presenters who asked people not to engage with the pro-Palestinian protesters. Were showing that the Jewish people are strong, but we can be strong without tearing other people down, said Rich Sokol, a neighbor of Spiegel. Pro-Israel protesters demonstrated in a small park near the regents home to show support (KDVR). Pro-Palestinian protesters set up in front of the home of a CU regent (KDVR). Law enforcement arrived on scene to keep the peace between both protesting groups (KDVR). Regent Ilana Spiegel said later she was thankful for the law enforcement keeping her family and others safe (KDVR). Then, as the afternoon wore on, SDS Denver arrived at the neighborhood where they gathered in front of the regents home. This is the house of one of the people on the board of regents at the University of Colorado Denver who has the power to introduce resolutions to get the endowments, or like the investments, that the university has engaged in to fully divest, cut all ties, Hamu said. Law enforcement also arrived to keep peace between the pro-Palestinian protesters and others from the demonstration who trickled in to observe. Hamu said they are continuing the efforts and feeling encouraged by the steam that is picking up nationwide. The student movement is on the rise again, Hamu said. Ultimately, you take a step back its a very beautiful thing to see. You know, students all across the country, theyre making change. Eastbound I-70 closed near Byers after crash causes semi, SUV to catch fire Later, Spiegel sent out a statement on the protest at her home: Targeting me and my family, American Jews and descendants of Holocaust survivors at my personal home is un-American. It was and is blatant, brazen and dangerous antisemitism, which we as Americans cannot tolerate. She also responded to the concerns of the protesters as to why it seemed like their demands were being ignored. The Board of Regents has not ignored the demands of protestors. We said: No regent is offering any policy changes in response to the demands. In my opinion, that is saying NO. The decades-old Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement they are part of aims to dismantle the Jewish state and end the right to Jewish self-determination. It forbids people-to-people exchanges, dialogue opportunities, or interactions between those with opposing viewpoints. It is antithetical to the ideals of higher education as a marketplace of ideas. CU Board of Regent Ilana Spiegel While some accepted the right to a difference of opinion, they disagreed with the method they chose to voice those opinions. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Regent Spiegel is doing her job. This is not the proper form for this kind of political protest, Sokol said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki has agreed to be interviewed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said this week. McCauls committee has for months been seeking testimony from Psaki about President Bidens withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. In a letter to Psaki dated Monday, McCaul wrote that his office was accepting Psakis commitment to appear for a transcribed interview on July 26. However, I understand you have conditioned your appearance on approval by the White House, McCaul wrote. As my staff informed your counsel, it is incumbent on a witness appearing before the Committee to make any third-party arrangements. The chairman said he expects Psaki to resolved the conditionality of your appearance by June 26, 2024. If not, I must treat your June 12 response as a refusal to appear and you will be compelled to sit for a deposition on July 26, 2024, McCaul said. In a letter to McCaul dated June 12 and obtained by The Hill, an attorney for Psaki noted she must defer to the White House Counsels Office and allow them to engage in the constitutionally mandated accommodations process, because the Committee [is] seeking information about Ms. Psakis service as White House Press Secretary and Assistant to the President. Psaki is a private citizen who has no authority to make decisions on behalf of the Executive Branch or to weigh the confidentiality interests at issue, her attorney wrote in the June 12 letter obtained by The Hill on Monday. The Hill has reached out to a representative for Psaki for comment on McCauls Monday letter. McCaul earlier this month threatened to issue a subpoena to compel Psaki to testify if she did not agree to speak with the committee about Bidens withdrawal of troops voluntarily. At the time, Psakis attorney told The Hill the former top White House aide respects the important oversight function of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and wishes to be as helpful as possible in responding to the Committees legitimate oversight requests. Psaki left Bidens White House in 2022 and has since joined MSNBC as a leading host and political analyst. Updated: 2:43 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. Putin appoints relative to defense ministry post in yet another shake-up Russian President Vladimir Putin has sacked four deputy defense ministers and appointed a relative to fill one of the resulting vacancies in the latest shake-up of the ministry. According to Kremlin decrees, Nikolai Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, Tatiana Shevtsova and Pavel Popov all lost their jobs. Anna Tsivilyova, a daughter of Putin's late cousin, took one of the empty spots and will be responsible for improving social and housing support for military personnel. She is president of the Russian coal mining company JSC Kolmar Group and was sanctioned by the UK government in 2022. Tsivilyova is married to Sergei Tsivilyov, Russia's energy minister. The changes are the latest moves to have shaken-up Russia's defense ministry. Read also: New Defense Minister Belousov to put Russias economy on war footing Putin last month officially appointed Andrei Belousov as the country's new defense minister, replacing the long-standing Sergei Shoigu in a surprise reshuffle of Russia's security and defense apparatus. Shoigu had faced criticism for the Russian military's poor performance in Ukraine. And in April, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on the suspicion of receiving a bribe. Ivanov, who was Russia's top official in charge of the country's construction of military facilities, was detained and remains in jail ever since. Russia's Investigative Committee noted that an investigation is ongoing and did not provide any details on the allegations. On May 13, a day after Shoigu was moved from the defense ministry to the security council, another top defense official was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe. Yuri Kuznetsov, who oversaw the ministry's personnel, was arrested for allegedly taking 30 million rubles ($335,000). Major General Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army, was arrested on May 21 on charges of corruption and Defense Ministry's Communications Department Head Vadim Shamarin was arrested in his office on May 23. Read also: Azov reports advances in Serebryansky forest, releases video of nastiest weapon Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Putin may be permitted to attend second peace summit despite arrest warrant, Swiss president says Russian President Vladimir Putin may be permitted to attend a potential second global peace summit, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him, Swiss President Viola Amherd told reporters on June 16. When asked if Switzerland would be obliged to arrest Putin as a signatory of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Amherd said that exceptions can arranged in order for Putin to appear in person. "If the presence of (Putin) is necessary for holding the conference, then an exception can be made. In case of the negotiations on peace in Ukraine with Russia this can be such an exception," Amherd told reporters following the conclusion of the first peace summit, adding that a "decision must be adopted by the (Swiss) government." On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of at least tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-occupied territories. The ICC asserts that there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that Putin holds direct accountability for supervising the deportations and that he neglected to exert authority over Russian soldiers and civilians executing the crime across occupied Ukrainian regions from the onset of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. All 123 countries that are members of the ICC and have ratified the Rome Statute, which establishes crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the court, are obliged to cooperate with the court's demand to arrest Putin. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis echoed Amherd's comments, noting that exceptions would need to made alongside the ICC. "It is possible according to our laws. Of course, we have to do it together with the ICC, but as a host country, we can make an exception to this," Cassis said. Russia was not invited to attend this year's peace summit. A number of countries have called for Russia to be present at the peace summit, despite Russia having ruled out their participation in mid-March. After the conclusion of the first peace summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote that a second peace summit "should lay the foundations of lasting and just peace." Read also: Zelenskys office outlines next steps for diplomatic effort after peace summit Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not interested and is unlikely to be interested in sincere peace talks in Ukraine in the near future. Source: ISW Details: On 15-16 June, Switzerland hosted the Ukraine-initiated Global Peace Summit. Most participating countries and international organisations signed a joint statement on 16 June reiterating their commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The communique also emphasised support for Ukrainian control over the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to ensure nuclear safety, promoted unrestricted and secure commercial navigation in the Black Sea for global food security, and called for the release of all prisoners of war (POWs) and the homecoming of all "deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children" and other detained Ukrainian civilians. More than 80 countries and international entities signed the statement, but Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Armenia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Brazil (which participated as an observer) were among those that did not. The Office of the President of Ukraine highlighted that the summit's goal was to establish a "fair peace ... based on the United Nations (UN) Charter and international law," underscoring Ukraine's drive to gain global support to end the war without compromising its territorial integrity or sovereignty. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte declared on 16 June that "Russia should not be at the [negotiating] table now" and that peace in Ukraine will only come "when Russia agrees to international principles and the UN Charter." The ISW continues to believe that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not genuinely interested in negotiations, using the pretence of talks to lure the West into making premature concessions that would undermine Ukraine's sovereignty. Putin's recent rhetoric suggests he foresees a Russian victory in Ukraine, relying on the belief that Russian forces can sustain incremental advances on the battlefield to outlast Western support for Ukraine, making sincere negotiations unlikely in the near future. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 16 June: The vast majority of the countries and international organisations that participated in the Ukraine-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on 15-16 June signed a joint communique on 16 June reaffirming support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. A limited prison break and hostage situation at a Russian pretrial detention centre in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, prompted Russian ultranationalist complaints highlighting Russia's failure to crack down against domestic Islamic extremism following the 22 March Crocus City Hall terrorist attack. The Kremlin and Kremlin affiliates continue efforts to use Russia's relationship with Republika Srpska (the Serbian political entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina) to destabilise the Balkans. Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk and Donetsk City. The Russian military reportedly continues to coerce Russian conscripts into signing military service contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), likely as part of ongoing crypto-mobilisation efforts. Support UP or become our patron! New Russian deputy defence minister Anna Tsivileva is the daughter of a late cousin of the Russian president and is married to the country's energy minister - ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/AFP Vladimir Putin has sacked four deputy defence ministers and appointed one of his relatives to the role as he carries out a sweeping purge of officials in charge during the botched invasion of Ukraine. Anna Tsivileva, the daughter of a late cousin of the Russian president, is married to the countrys energy minister and is sanctioned by the British government after using her ties to Putin to become the president of a coal mining business. Ms Tsivileva, whose maiden name was Putina, also runs the Defenders of the Fatherland fund for war veterans Also promoted in the reshuffle on Monday was Pavel Fradkov, the son of one of Putins former prime ministers. Mr Fradkov had previously worked in the presidential administration. Their promotion comes as Putin looks to put more trust in the children of close associates, rather than outsiders, after a series of disasters in the early months of the war, analysts say. This is nepotism and collective succession in action. Putin is not yet like Kadyrov, but he trusts relatives, children of establishment members and security guards, said Andrey Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, referring to the Chechen leader who has lined up his sons as his successors. Anna Tsivileva, who also runs the 'Defenders of the Fatherland' - a fund for war veterans, meets with Vladimir Putin - ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/AFP Leonid Gornin, previously Russias first deputy finance minister, was also promoted to be first deputy defence minister in the reshuffle to increase the transparency of financial flows, a further sign of a shift by Putin towards favouring economists over generals to run the ministry of defence. Putin has blamed incompetent generals working in the ministry of defence for his armys failure to capture Kyiv by mid-March 2022 and the subsequent rout from outside Kharkiv, but he has been feeling more confident this year as his forces advance slowly along the front line. Last month, Putin sacked Sergei Shoigu as defence minister and arrested his associates for corruption. In Mr Shoigus place, he promoted Andrey Belousov, one of the Kremlins top grey-suited economists to run the ministry of defence. Kremlin propagandists hailed the reshuffle as another Putin masterstroke to impose more accountability on the ministry of defence, which he has repositioned as the fulcrum of Russias economy in preparation for a long-term confrontation with Nato. For now, this only means that Shoigus entire team is leaving, said Sergei Markov, a former speechwriter for Putin. The new deputies are the ones I know personally and they are normal guys. The whole country wishes them success. However, John Foreman, previously Britains defence attache in Russia, doubted whether the incoming Russian team would greatly improve Russias military. Rearranging the deckchairs Im not convinced Belousov and his team will be able to really get to grips with the ministry of defence as they dont really understand how defence works and have never worked in it, he said. Is this just rearranging the deckchairs? According to an investigation in 2022 by a Russian opposition media unit, Ms Tsivilevas father was Yevgeny Putin, Putins cousin. She is married to Sergey Tsivilev, Russias energy minister and the governor of the coal-rich Kemerovo region. She is also the owner of a 70 per cent stake in Kolmar Group, a valuable coal mining company. In June 2022, the British government sanctioned Ms Tsivileva, saying that she significantly benefited from her relationship with Putin. Her appointment as a deputy defence minister comes 10 days after she and Putins two daughters gave speeches at the St Petersburg Economic Forum in an unusual high-profile set piece that highlighted the increased profile and promotions of sons and daughters of Kremlin insiders. Mr Fradkov is the son of Mikhail Fradkov, Putins prime minister between 2004 and 2007 and then head of Russias notorious SVR foreign intelligence service until 2016. 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. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea this week as the two countries deepen an alliance forged during the war in Ukraine. Putin will pay the be in the country Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Kremlin and North Korean state media. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un extended the invitation to Putin after he visited Russia in September. How the North Korea-Russia alliance could damage Biden in 2024 The U.S. has accused the two leaders of cooperating with weapons and technology transfers, with North Korea supplying Russia with artillery shells for use in Ukraine in return for critical technology that can help boost Pyongyangs missile and space satellite development, among other things. Russia has increasingly turned to other countries to supply its troops in Ukraine. Iran has provided explosive drones, and the U.S. says China has given technology to support the development of Russian assets used in the war. Its not clear what Putin and Kim may discuss in North Korea, including any new trade agreements, or if the visit is a formality and an opportunity to increase ties. 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 Kremlin has officially announced that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on 18-19 June and Vietnam on 19-20 June, having apparently been invited by the leaders of these countries. Source: official page of the Kremlin on Telegram; Russian propagandistic sources; Reuters Details: Reportedly, Putin will come to North Korea on a "friendly visit" on an invitation from Kim Jong Un. "During Putins visit to Vietnam it is planned to discuss the development of partnership between Moscow and Hanoi, the issue of international and regional agenda," the press service of the Kremlin reported. Based on the results of Putins negotiations in Vietnam, the sides plan to make a joint statement and sign a range of bilateral documents. Reuters notes that the visit to Vietnam follows Hanois refusal to join the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland last weekend, while sending its deputy foreign minister to a BRICS meeting in Russia earlier last week. The US, which improved its relations with Hanoi last year and is now Vietnams main trade partner, reacted to Putins trip harshly. "No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities," a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Hanoi said in an interview for Reuters when asked about the impact of the visit on ties with the United States. "If he is able to travel freely, it could normalise Russia's blatant violations of international law," the spokesperson added, referring to the invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022. Background: Putin visited North Korea only once during all his time in office in 2000 when Kim Jong-Il was the leader of this country. Latest visit of the current North Korean leader to Russia was in September 2023. In 2023 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin due to the war in Ukraine. North Korea and Vietnam do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. Putin visited China in May. Support UP or become our patron! Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on June 18 and Vietnam the following day, the Kremlin's press service reported on June 17. With Russia's military stocks running low and domestic production capacity simultaneously hampered by Western sanctions, North Korea has been shaping up to be Russia's leading weapons supplier, reportedly providing Moscow with extensive military packages, including ballistic missiles and around 5 million artillery shells. Despite the increasingly strong alliance, Putin has not visited North Korea since 2000, when he met with previous North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Current North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un met with Putin in Russia in September 2023. Alexander Matsegora, Russia's ambassador to North Korea, told the state-controlled media outlet Kommersant earlier in June that Putin was planning to visit North Korea in the near future but did not provide a specific date. Putin has visited Vietnam four times previously, but not since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Vietnam and Russia have long had close relations, dating back to the Soviet Union's support for North Vietnam and its proxy forces during the Vietnam War. Vietnam has maintained a neutral stance regarding Russia's war against Ukraine. Putin will meet with top Vietnamese officials, including the recently elected President To Lam. The purpose of the trip is to discuss the "further development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in the trade, economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian fields, as well as to exchange views on current issues on the international and regional agenda," the Kremlin said. While North Korea is a pariah state with few international allies, Vietnam and the U.S. have close ties despite their fraught history. The announcement of the visit elicited a rebuke from U.S. officials. "No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities," a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam told Reuters. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Read also: North Korea could send up to 5 million artillery shells to Russia, Seoul says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Putin's visit to North Korea is proof of his dependence on authoritarian countries NATO Secretary General NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Russian ruler Vladimir Putins upcoming visit to North Korea is evidence of Russias increasing dependence on authoritarian countries. Source: European Pravda with reference to a speech by Stoltenberg at the think tank The Wilson Center in Washington on 17 June Details: Stoltenberg said that Putins visit to North Korea demonstrates how much Putin and Moscow now depend on authoritarian countries all over the world. Russias closest friends and the biggest admirers of Russian military efforts and war of conquest are North Korea, Iran and China, the official added. Asked what measures NATO could take to address cooperation within this "axis of evil", Stoltenberg noted that many sanctions have been imposed on North Korea. The problem is that Russia is now violating these sanctions, he said. He stated that North Korea has already delivered over 1 million artillery shells, and the flow of weapons continues. The Kremlin has announced that Putin will visit North Korea on 18-19 June. Background: Russia and North Korea have enhanced their military cooperation over the past year. Moscow has received North Korean ballistic missiles and ammunition and has promised to supply Pyongyang with its own technology for satellite and missile programmes in return. Shin Won-sik, Minister of Defence of South Korea, said North Korea has sent containers big enough to hold nearly 5 million artillery shells to Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Puyallup schools wont say what jobs they cut to tackle deficit. Heres what we found out Some employees in the Puyallup School District wont have a job there next school year. The school district notified staffers in the equivalent of 37 full-time positions in May that their provisional certificated contract would not be renewed due to budgetary reasons. As per the terms of those contracts, they are subject to nonrenewal. Those with a provisional certificated contract are generally teachers, counselors, librarians or specialists in their initial years of service. The school district can choose not to renew a contract due to an employees performance or the districts budgetary constraints. When asked what 37 full-time equivalent positions were cut, school district spokesperson Sarah Gillispie wouldnt give specifics. Gillispie wrote in an email: Out of respect for the privacy and well-being of the individuals involved, we believe it would be inappropriate to disclose further information that could potentially identify those impacted. The reductions were carefully planned to align with the anticipated number of students for 2024-25, Gillispie said. The impacted positions are spread across various levels and programs within the district, without particular focus on any specific area, Gillispie wrote in the email. Puyallup Education Association President Bob Horton said librarians and educators who teach elementary, junior high, high school, physical education and art are affected. The cuts affect 43 educators of which 32 educators lost their complete job and the others were partially non-renewed, he said. It impacted 17 elementary educators, 10 junior high educators, eight high school educators, four physical educators, one art educator and three librarians, he said. We are concerned about how removing these educators from key positions will affect the education of our students and their social emotional development. Our students need as much support as they can get as they are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, Horton wrote in an email. Gillispie said five of the affected employees have been rehired into elementary school positions for next school year, and that it is possible more could be rehired. The districts staffing needs will continue to change through September, she said. The News Tribune reported in March that the school district has a budget deficit for the 2024-25 school year because enrollment numbers are down, and the district spent all of its federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. Gillispie said the school district had projected a $14 million deficit at the time. After the state legislative session ended, it turned out that the district was facing a $12 million deficit. The school district has over 1,530 certificated staff members, Gillispie wrote in an email. A little over 130 of those staffers are on provisional certificated contracts. Certificated staff members have a valid teaching or administrative certificate from the state. They are teachers, counselors, speech therapists, school administrators, librarians and other specialists. David Wetzel, a retired Puyallup High School teacher, told The News Tribune that he was concerned about the employees who plan to find a job at another school district. He said not having their contracts renewed is a black mark that will follow them. One of the first things that is asked is: Have you ever been terminated or non-renewed? and they have to check yes. That is a filtration system that puts them at a distinct disadvantage, Wetzel said. Gillispie said the nonrenewal letters clearly state the reasoning: budgetary. It is not considered as a negative mark, she said. An employees performance did not play a role in the decision. Its important to note that many school districts are currently facing similar financial challenges, Gillispie wrote in the email. Therefore, this situation is not unique to our district, and being nonrenewed for budgetary reasons should not negatively impact an employees future job prospects in other districts. Horton said the union has been trying to work cooperatively with the school district to keep the cuts away from classrooms. Cutting teachers decreases the districts ability to meet the individual needs of students, he said. The school districts strategic plan includes academic achievement as well as social and emotional support systems in classrooms. Horton said making cuts to teaching staff is misguided in terms of the districts priorities. You cant balance your budget on the backs of the students and the teachers, Horton said. To tackle the $12 million shortfall, the school district will make reductions in four areas: central office, school expenditures, districtwide supports and fund balance. About $5.6 million in cuts will come from the central office level. Gillispie said this includes mandatory furlough days and voluntary partial leave of absence for unrepresented staff. Department budgets and operational spending are also being reduced by 20 percent. About $5 million in cuts will come from school expenditures. This includes the 37 full-time equivalent positions on provisional certificated contracts. Gillispie said it is common for school districts to reduce the number of those employees first when faced with staffing reductions. When asked how much of the $5 million is from cutting those positions, Gillispie wrote: We can confirm that reducing 37 employees on provisional non-renewal contracts is the majority of this savings. The remaining has been made through staffing allocation and expense adjustments, program restructuring, and utilization of carryforward budgets. About $915,000 will come from district-wide supports such as unrepresented staffing allocation adjustments, mutually agreed upon changes to bargained expenses, and department budget reductions, Gillispie said. About $500,000 will come from the districts contingency fund balance to reduce the reductions from $12 million to $11.5 million, Gillispie said. In August, the Puyallup School Board is expected to hold a public hearing and vote on the school districts operating budget for 2024-25. The school districts overall budget for 2023-24 is about $405 million, and the reductions are about 3 percent of the general fund for the forthcoming year, Gillispie said. This 3% reduction, while significant, is a relatively small portion of our overall budget. However, it still requires careful consideration and planning to ensure that essential services and programs are minimally impacted, Gillispie wrote in an email. The school district serves over 22,800 students. Sign Up: East Pierce Pulse Know whats happening in Puyallup, South Hill, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Orting, Buckley and beyond. Get the latest news from the cities, towns and rural communities of East Pierce County. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Tuesday. Quiz: Most Americans are overconfident in their ability to spot fake news. Are you one of them? Over the past few years, misinformation and distrust in the media have become hot-button issues for Americans. As many as 3 in 4 Americans overestimate how well they can spot misinformation, researchers for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found in 2021. As artificial intelligence gets thrown into the mix, its become harder than ever for the average internet user to discern real from fake. Yahoo News spoke to Isabelle Frances-Wright, the director of technology and society at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, to create a quiz for Yahoo readers to test their digital literacy skills. (The Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to researching and analyzing extremism and misinformation online.) Test your knowledge to see how well American internet users are or arent protected online. Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of Congress party, speaks during a media briefing at the party headquarters in New Delhi Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of Congress party, speaks during a media briefing at the party headquarters in New Delhi By Sakshi Dayal NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has chosen to represent his family bastion of Raebareli in parliament as his Congress Party seeks to build on the stronger than expected showing of opposition groups in the national election. India allows people to stand in multiple constituencies but they can only represent one in parliament and which seat Gandhi would choose to retain has been the subject of keen interest as commentators examine the election fallout. The political scion of a dynasty that has given India three prime ministers, Gandhi contested Raebareli and his previous constituency of Wayanad, in Kerela, in the recently concluded polls and won both. His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the election that will be held in Wayanad to fill the vacant seat, the party said. Vadra has not contested elections herself before but has been a formidable campaigner for her brother, mother, and other party members over the years. She said she would try to be a "good representative". Located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of lawmakers to the lower house of parliament, Raebareli has been won by Congress candidates in 17 of the 20 elections held there. Gandhi's mother Sonia won the constituency during the previous elections in 2019 but is now a member of the upper house of parliament. "Rahul Gandhi will retain his Raebareli seat because Raebareli has been close to him from before, that (area) has great attachment to the family, they have been fighting (in elections) from there for generations," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters on Monday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a government last week but, unlike his earlier two terms, had to depend on his allies - some of who are known to be fickle - to get past the halfway mark of 272 in the 543 member house. Gandhi was among the key leaders in an opposition alliance of over two-dozen parties which won more than 230 seats, trimming Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party's share by over 60 seats. (Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Alison Williams) When Kwaneta Harris was a little girl, she dreamed of being a librarian. Books offered a world of possibility and safety, and the hope of one day opening that world to others sustained her throughout her childhood in Michigan. I loved to immerse myself, she said of browsing the shelves at her local library. It was how I coped. Not just reading the books, but the circumstances: where I was and how I felt. It is a comforting memory to me. Things I read that remind me Im not alone. Today, that memory is Harriss lifeline. In 1997, she was sentenced to fifty years in prison for killing her abusive partner. Now fifty-two, she has served the past eight years in solitary confinement at Lane Murray Unit, a Texas womens prison. The same solace she found in books at her hometown library is once again keeping her spirit and her mind intact, even within a prison cell. Solitary confinementits designed to drive us mad, she said. So the only way I can try to have a remembrance of sanity is to read. In 2022, the number of people living in prison increased for the first time in nearly ten years, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics . The overwhelming majority of the more than 1.23 million incarcerated people in America are serving sentences of one year or more. And many of them, like Harris, say that access to libraries, books, magazines, and other reading material is both sanity-saving and life-preserving. But navigating the prison library system and obtaining books from the outside can be fraught. The people who need information the most, who need access to books the most, are often the ones who would have the most difficulty accessing books, said Alexandra Schoenborn, the program coordinator for Books Beyond Bars, a nonprofit organization sending books to inmates in New York state prisons. Its not everything. Its not enough. But its something we can do for now to combat some of these dehumanizing effects of incarceration. Reviewing the most popular books in prisonand the ones people are most often unable to accesspaints a vivid picture of life behind bars. Nearly three quarters of the books inmates request from Books Beyond Bars are nonfiction titles. They ask for self-help books related to law, finance, spiritual growth, and more. Many are supplementing their education programs with additional reading, and others ask for help making business plans or studying their own legal cases. Books provide a way for people to imagine a future after their sentence ends, when their life on the outside will resume. What we hear a lot is that books can be a really important way to prepare for reentry, Schoenborn said. A thing lots of people forget is that most people who are incarcerated are eventually going to get out, and theyre going to have to navigate a world that has changed a lot. They need to be prepared mentally. Even fiction can open up a similar portal to the outside world. Prisoners most often request thrillers and mystery books, Schoenborn saidanything that can help pass the time. But reading in prison is more than a hobby. Turning pages and marking progress in a book can help someone keep track of their time served. Following along with your cellmates reading list builds community, and noticing where one library book naturally falls open can reveal what people found most interesting or useful, as can noting other readers marginalia and dog-eared pages. Harris said she often rereads books she loved as a teen or a child, since keeping those memories close is another way to remind herself of the person she has always been, both behind bars and beyond them. Schoenborn recalled one man who requested back issues of a niche magazine on fishing and gaming. He remembered loving it on the outside, and he wanted to bring that feeling to his cell. As Jeanie Austin, a jail and reentry services librarian with the San Francisco Public Library, pointed out, reading also offers a choice, the spectrum of which is painfully limited in prison life. Deciding what book to read next, adding your name to a wait list, perusing even the minuscule options on display at the prison libraryeach decision point offers readers a path to feeling closer to human. Reading becomes a survival strategy for people inside, emotionally and mentally, but its also a way of thinking through a future, thinking through a past, thinking through a present, or in some cases, thinking through their own freedom, Austin said. John J. Lennon, an award-winning prison journalist and a contributing editor at Esquire, remembered one especially meaningful recommendation that challenged him to better understand where his past, present, and future intertwine. A mentor told him to pick up Paradise Lost, John Miltons epic poem of heaven, hell, and spiritual warfare. Im sorry, but I wasnt reading Paradise Lost before this, Lennon said. And hes like, No, you need to read this. You murdered a man. You need to read this and grapple with this shit. And when I read it and we got to talking about it, I saw why he wanted me to read it. Even something as small as reading a new word, or noticing changing depictions of new norms and social trends, can help someone stay connected to life beyond the prison cell. Leonel Cerda served fifteen years in a prison in upstate New York. After being released, he was shocked to see sidewalks clear of pay-phone booths. Hed spent a decade and a half assuming that when he exited, hed be able to find a pay phone, drop a few quarters in the slot, and call a family member immediately. Its crucial to keep track of time, Cerda said of reading. But it also keeps you motivated. It keeps you practicing your reading skills and your writing skills, and it gives you up-to-date information. If Id had information, I wouldve known when I got out we didnt have pay phones. Which books find their way into prisoners hands and which are banned or censored is even harder for them and their lawyers to understand, said Zack Greenamyre, an Atlanta-based civil rights attorney. There is an incredible patchwork of policies throughout different state-prison systems and different county jails throughout the country, he said. Its on a totally ad hoc basis and its generally very hard for incarcerated folks to challenge, even if it seems flagrantly unconstitutional in a lot of cases. An individual institutions policy can vary greatly depending on the location, the particularities of that prisons security, the sheriff in power, and many more variables. Because there isnt a national law governing incarcerated peoples right to read, prisons and jails are constrained solely by the Constitution, Greenamyre said. Given that wide berth, many institutions interpret the rules more loosely, if at all. Even when you have a policy thats written, half the time or more its not even followed, and that hurts incarcerated folks, Greenamyre said. They throw up new unwritten hoops to jump through or hurdles to jump over. Its on a day-by-day, place-by-place basis. Many institutions offer a law library to help prisoners research their ongoing appeals or better understand their cases, as well as another library stocked with general-interest books. But the conditions vary widely depending on the individual institutions population, staffing, budget, and more. One formerly incarcerated person described his prison library as a roomy, welcoming space with high ceilings. By contrast, another visiting librarian said their recent trip to a facility revealed abysmal conditions, including leaking ceilings, damaged books, and shelves hidden under heavy black tarps. As Austin pointed out, Prison libraries are still part of a prison. Jose Ramos, a formerly incarcerated police officer who now works for the Center for Appellate Litigation, said his own experience was similarly primitive. The library space was often as hostile as any other section of the prison, and he remembered happening upon other inmates using sections of the shelves for sexual activity and black-market dealing. But once Ramos reentered civilian life, the stark contrast between the sparse shelves at his former prison and the ones at his otherwise-tiny local public library overwhelmed him. In a real library, there are so many books in there you have to narrow down, he said. I could go to a prison library and touch every book in the library in just one day. Lennon said hes more inclined to judge a library by its selection than by its ambience. Some prison libraries are able to acquire newer titles and broaden their selections; others are stocked mostly with out-of-date and damaged books. But most important, he said, readers in the outside world have the luxury of sourcing recommendations from librarians and other professionals. Its not like youre having a conversation with the librarians like, What classics should I have under my belt, maam? That is not the experience youre going to get, he said. There is no one taking you by the wrist and saying, Have you read Hemingway? At Sullivan Correctional Facility in upstate New York, where Lennon is serving a twenty-eight-years-to-life sentence, he had to make his own curriculum. And now hes making it for others as an ambassador for Freedom Reads, a nonprofit that sets up community libraries at prisons around the country, conveniently located in individual cell blocks. The power of these community libraries, Lennon said, is the accessibility and the flexibility they offer curious would-be readers. When you have a general library in prison, you have to work it into your schedule, he said. And people say, Well, what schedule? What else are you doing? But they may have a job, they may work in the kitchen, they may have a workout partner, they may have college classes. So when you have a curated library in cell-block tiers, that is pretty powerful. The libraries also give individuals a better way to connect over books and build community with one another. There are some smart guys in these living-quarter areas, and theyre reading the books and theyre putting them back, Lennon said. The conversation is more natural: I dont know if you read this shit, but read it and holler at me. Now you have a one-stop shop of a very informed, caring personnot necessarily a librarianbut someone saying, You should check this out. In solitary confinement, inmates like Harris arent typically permitted to visit their prison libraries in person. Instead, theyre given forms to request a limited number of titles from an existing catalog. But at Lane Murray Unit, Harris says, theres only one catalog to serve nearly two hundred women in solitary confinement. Passing it around, shell often find missing pages or titles listed that turn out to be unavailable. In the rush to get their requests in, her neighbors will merely write mystery books or James Patterson books. Because theyre at the mercy of those fulfilling the orders, theyre hoping to just get somethingany book at allthat falls within the category. A handful of years ago, Harris faced another, much less expected problem. One of the people on the other side of the request formthe one pulling books from the stacks to be sent to solitaryhad an agenda of their own. When Harris requested books about abolitionism, activism, and other issues, she instead received religious titles from Christian and evangelical authors. She tried requesting more banal material, such as a Malcolm Gladwell book. Surely, she thought, a pop-psychology book wouldnt offend this person. Instead, she received something written by Joyce Meyer, a best-selling evangelical author who writes books like Finding Gods Will for Your Life and Healing the Soul of a Woman. Harris was furious but also helpless. The de facto censorship continued for more than a year. The limitations on which books do and dont make it to prison-library shelves confound inmates and librarians alike. They take security to any level possible, said Cerda. Certain topics, like weapons, drugs, and violence, are predictably off-limits. But books removed for explicit content may feature nothing more than an occasional sex scene or an openly queer protagonist. Others arent available in the library catalog for reasons entirely unclear to inmates; for example, Cerda remembered desperately wanting to read The Secret, the blockbuster self-help book from Rhonda Byrne. But for whatever reason, he couldnt get his hands on it when he was behind bars. Similarly, Harris said she once requested a book about surviving childhood sexual trauma, only to discover that it had been removed from the catalog altogether. All those book bans in Texas, we were the guinea pigs for that, she said. The end of 2023 saw an unprecedented surge in book bans across the country, according to a report from PEN America . Texas, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina are among the states with the most book bans; unsurprisingly, these states also have high prison populations. Books written by LGBTQIA+ authors and people of color are far likelier to be targeted by book banners, and the censorship extends to books about violence, abuse, and even health. Growing up as a gay teen, Michael Shane Hale sought books and magazines about LGBTQIA+ life to better understand his queerness. I was always looking for myself or trying to find answers, he said. I was trying to figure out why I was different, trying to figure out, Who was I? Where is my place? Hes now serving a fifty-year sentence for murdering his partner in 1995. At Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in upstate New York, he helped redesign the prison library to be a more welcoming, inclusive space. He drew a handwritten map of the Dewey Decimal System and labeled different genres to help visitors find what they wanted, even creating a new section of books on Black culture. He relabeled and repaired thousands of damaged titles. He even purchased a handful of books by queer authors and donated them to the library, forming its first-ever LGBTQIA+ section. It makes you want to believe there is some other purpose and meaning, he said of his work there. It almost minimizes your pain and suffering and your guilt. A number of individual lawsuits and legal challenges across the country are hoping to clarify which books are available to incarcerated people and why, Greenamyre said. Some take up the case on behalf of the person requesting access to the book, while others represent the author, publisher, or institution trying to make it available. Greenamyre is currently representing Avid Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Athens, Georgia, in a First Amendment suit related to a county jails mail policy. Because the Gwinnett County jail doesnt recognize the bookstore as an authorized retailer, people were unable to mail books from the store to an inmate. Furthermore, Greenamyre said, theres no explicit path for Avid to be recognized as an authorized retailer, even as vendors like Amazon are permitted. Its hard to police this issue and police the Constitution, Greenamyre said. There are not great incentives for attorneys to take on these kinds of cases, because youre not going to get a whole lot of damages. Its about principles, and its about the Constitution. Before she was placed in solitary confinement, Harris found her own way of living out the librarian dream shed once held as a child. In talking with some of her neighbors, many of them young, she discovered that an astonishing number struggled with reading comprehension or couldnt read at all. She decided to host a regular story time on her cell block. Shed read aloud from a variety of books, including two of her favorite titles: Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers, by Deborah Turkenheimer, and Who Gets a Childhood?, William S. Bushs examination of juvenile justice in the state of Texas. Reading in prison is an escape, but what happens when you have a large population that is semi-literate? she said. Its soothing, but it demonstrates a failure of the educational system. Like librarians on the outside, she saw firsthand the teaching power books holdboth for herself and for the listeners. Other inmates would slip her little notes after story time, asking questions about the material or asking her to define a word they didnt know. According to Greenamyre, the same patchwork of policies that restrict reading behind bars can occasionally help incarcerated people. One day, a book is not allowed; the next, its suddenly stocked on shelves. Librarians and advocates can throw up their hands at the absurd conditions, but they continue sending books nonetheless. Until theres a greater understanding of whats accessible and why, inmates like Harris, Lennon, and Hale are just hoping to slowly build their own systems in the meantime. Lennon keeps his books stacked on the radiator, a makeshift personal library. As they await change, incarcerated people are finding their own ways around the mercurial system. One woman described keeping a decoy book jacket on hand in order to hide any political materials with a benign-looking white womans author photo. Another mentioned stocking library shelves with books sent to him from the outside so that other browsers with less helpful connections could benefit from some secondhand largesse. Other people declined to share their tricks for hiding, finding, and concealing books on the inside. With material this valuable, they say, they cant risk one more thing being taken away. You Might Also Like Who really controls our food and water? Here are the 6 most shocking revelations from "The Grab" The next world war may be fought over food and water. Thats what agripreneur Edward Hargroves predicts in The Grab, a new documentary thriller from Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Over the course of six years, the documentary spotlights Nathan "Nate" Halverson, an Emmy-winning reporter for the Center for Investigative Reporting, who has been looking into a dire global trend in which governments, financial investors, and private security forces are quietly acquiring the worlds last remaining food and water resources. From Chinas acquisition of a major pork producer in the US to Russias importation of American cows, grass, and even cowboys, the examples are both vast and plentiful. Food and water are basic necessities for mankind. However, because there isn't enough arable land on Earth to accommodate for a growing population in the near future, the value of such natural resources is now astounding. The 20th century had Opec, said Halverson in the film. In the future, were going to have Food Pec. For Halverson and his team, their investigation is still a work in progress. The revelations that have been made are enough to conclude that the international scramble for food, water, and farmland is very much real. And various parties whether thats nations, major companies, or mercenaries are doing whatever it takes to grab the most resources possible. As food and water become more precious, countries are looking to grab up that resource for themselves, whether its to wield power or whether to make sure theyre feeding their people, Halverson said. And so the question is, what countries are doing this? Where are they doing it? And how are they doing it? Here are the six biggest moments from the documentary: 01 Chinas takeover of the worlds biggest pork producer raises some eyebrows In 2013, Smithfield Foods, the worlds largest pork producer, was acquired by a Hong Kong-based company called WH Group (formerly known as Shuanghui International) for nearly $5 billion. The business deal was the largest-ever Chinese acquisition of an American company, thus prompting lawmakers and the media to wonder whether a hidden player was involved. Smithfield Foods CEO at the time, Larry Pope, told Congress that the Chinese government was not behind WH Groups purchase. However, Halverson proved that untrue. While on a reporting trip to WH Groups headquarters, Halverson obtained a secret document that revealed the government-owned Bank of China approved the hefty loan to buy Smithfield in a single day. The document also specified that the Bank had a social responsibility in backing the deal for national strategy. When a similar story was uncovered this time involving several Saudi-owned companies making profit off of acquired land in Arizonas La Paz County Halverson picked up on a pattern: Other countries around the world were growing increasingly worried about food and water, he said in the documentary. And their strategies was to buy and purchase and grab other countries food and water supplies. 02 Global climate change is expected to benefit Russias agriculture and food supply Russian officials have proclaimed that Russia will benefit from climate change, which they say will expand the growing season in certain parts of the nation. But scientists argued the opposite, saying that rising temperatures would exacerbate the environmental impacts already plaguing Russia, including flooding, heat waves, drought, and wildfires. Some Russian cities in high-latitude regions report infrastructure damage from thawing permafrost and soil instability for up to 80 percent of buildings and for pipelines, according to researchers and members of the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS) in a February study. Russian officials, however, have disregarded the consequences and instead, are encouraging citizens to view the impacts in a positive light. Despite the warnings, officials believe high temperatures will provide a more livable climate along with a year-round Arctic sea route. Additionally, Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine further intensifies its climate consequences, scientists said. The humanitarian disaster is of the utmost importance the number of deaths and structures that were destroyed but the collateral damage is intense destruction to the atmosphere, explained Debra Javeline, associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. 03 Russias cattle supply could provide geopolitical power As explained by Halverson, when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, cows were slaughtered in huge numbers, causing the number of cattle in Russia to plummet. When Putin came to power in 1999, he decided to rebuild Russias cattle herd. Not just to feed Russians, but to give Russia geopolitical power, Halverson said. According to some Russian officials, cattle will award the nation more strength in their oil reserves and weapons. Of course, its food that has becomemuch more powerful than oil. And in the future, food will be driving the world. Its for sure, said Viktor Linnik, the founder of Miratorg Agribusiness Holding, a privately-held Russian agribusiness company based in Moscow. [I]n the future, for Russia, the driver will be agriculture. We will feed all the world. 04 The dehumanizing email exchanged between Erik Prince and his right-hand man Amid their reporting, Halverson and his team uncovered another alarming story, one concerning displaced farmers in Zambia. The farmers, who have lived and farmed for generations in their homeland, were being expelled by mercenary militias via a deeds system that allocated the land to commercial farms controlled by outside parties in a slew of nations, including the US and China. The displacement effort is the new colonization of Africa, said Brigadier Brig Siachitema, a Zambian human rights lawyer who is advocating for communities that have lost their rightful land. There isnt a sole villain fueling the displacements. Rather, an intricate yet obscure network of private contractors is at play, a Russian doll of LLCs and LLCs who are controlling these farms, explained Halverson in the film. Halverson and his team gained access to a collection of emails within the private equity firm Frontier Services Group (FSG), which was founded and led by Erik Prince, who was also behind the private military contractor Blackwater. In one particular email exchanged between Prince and Sean Rump a partner at Prince's FSG its made clear that African land will be taken in any way possible, even if it comes at the expense of innocent lives. If you come across some run over, shot, or otherwise f**ked up native, say a prayer for them. You dont help injured, bleeding people in Africa. AIDS, Hep A, B and C and a myriad of ailments that keep their life expectancy around 42 is to be avoided at all costs. People die in the third world. Its Darwin selection at its most pure, the email read. With a story like this, youre also dealing with the fact that youre witnessing the callousness of the way were seeing people treat other humans, Halverson said. It gets to you after a while. 05 Erik Prince resigned from FSG shortly after United Nations report In 2021, a United Nations report alleged Erik Prince violated an arms embargo on Libya. The confidential report, obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, said Prince deployed a force of foreign mercenaries and weapons to military commander Khalifa Haftar, who has fought to overthrow the UN-recognised Libyan government, in 2019. Shortly after, on April 13, 2021, Prince resigned from his positions as executive director and deputy chairman of Frontier Services Group. Six days later, Princes longtime attorney and business associate took a seat on the companys board, the documentary said in its conclusion. 06 There is enough water in the world to grow enough food to feed the world, per Halverson There is enough water in the world to grow enough calories to feed everyone in the world. Not just today, but in the year 2050 when theres nine billion people and when theres 10 billion people. The intelligence community says this is solvable. Engineers say this is solvable. If we solve it," Halverson said. "The Grab" is out in theaters and on-demand June 14th. Watch a trailer for the documentary below, via YouTube: Remains in Former Home of Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Killing Wife Identified as Those of Missing Ex-Girlfriend JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) Authorities say human remains found in the former home of a man recently convicted in the slaying of his wife have been identified as those of his missing former girlfriend. Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees told reporters last week that the remains of Jilly Todaro were identified through body imaging by a forensic odontologist and anthropologist. Lees declined to go into detail about the cause of death but called it homicidal violence.The remains were found buried in the basement of the former Johnstown home of 48-year-old Brian Giles a day after he was convicted in the death of Nancy Giles, who went missing in October 2018. Nancy Giles remains were found in May 2019 in a shallow grave near a trail on the Inclined Plane hillside in downtown Johnstown. Todaro, Giles girlfriend after the disappearance of his wife, also lived at the home and disappeared in December 2020. District Attorney Greg Neugebauer told reporters that he expects charges to be filed in the near future in her death. Brian Giles defense attorney, Timothy Burns, declined comment a week ago on the discovery of the remains before they had been identified. In the trial over Nancy Giles death, he had cited his clients report of mental health struggles and called the convictions disappointing, saying the defense would explore its options. Brian Giles himself professed his innocence as he was led from the courtroom. Neugebauer said the search of the residence a day after the verdict came after authorities had for the first time very specific information relative to where a body would be located. Obviously, when we went there, we expected it to be Jilly, he said. He said she had been deceased for quite a while, and finding the remains in the manner they did had made the prosecutions case significantly stronger.Relatives of Todaro, who was 43 when she disappeared, were very grateful that she had been found and they could start the healing and grieving process, Lees said. Assistant District Attorney Jessica Aurandt said she wished Todaro could have seen, in her lifetime, the amount of people who rallied together, who made a lot of sacrifices to ensure that she was found and treated with the dignity that she deserved. I wish she could have seen how many people care, Aurandt said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. James Kent, a successful New York City chef and restaurateur, died on Saturday. Kris Connor via Getty Images James Kent, a celebrated chef and New York City restaurateur, died on Saturday, his hospitality group announced. We are heartbroken to share that James Kent passed away unexpectedly earlier today, Saga Hospitality Group, the holding company of his Manhattan venues Crown Shy, Saga and Overstory, posted on Instagram Saturday. The Saga Hospitality Group family is focused on supporting each other and most importantly Kelly, Gavin and Avery as we grieve James loss, it continued, referencing Kents wife, Kelly Kent, and two children. Celebrate Fathers Day with your loved ones, the statement concluded. Kents cause of death was not disclosed. The New York native, born Jamal James Kent, owned two Michelin-starred restaurants, Saga and Crown Shy, which shared a building with his award-winning cocktail bar, Overstory, in downtown Manhattan. Earlier this month, Eater New York reported that Kents Saga group was planning to open five new restaurants in 2025 in partnership with Paris luxury department store Printemps. He was also working on an expansion of his business to include a seafood restaurant on Park Avenue and a bakery in Brooklyn, according to Eater. Harrison Ginsberg, the bar director for Kents trio of Manhattan venues, paid tribute to the chef on Instagram. Thank you for all the memories, Laughs, meals, and lessons, he wrote. I was always in awe of how much you supported me, my career, the bar industry. You didnt have friends. You had family. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your family. I appreciate every moment I had with you, he added. James, Ill forever remember the lessons you taught me. Ill forever hold myself to a higher standard. Numerous high-profile chefs and restaurant industry insiders also expressed grief and shared memories. It is not that the world lost someone special, we lost a giant, please pray for his family, continue to tell stories about him, he would want that, posted Gavin Kaysen, an award-winning chef and restaurant founder. He would want you to play biggie as loud as you can in your restaurant, he would want you to laugh at yourself and he would want you to be you, Jamal was always him, it was the trait I loved about him the most. Mitt Romney probably blew his chances of becoming president in May 2012 when he suggested to a roomful of wealthy people at a Boca Raton, Florida, fundraiser that America spoils its lower-income citizens by not taxing them enough. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Romney wrote in his diary after Mother Joness David Corn reported his remarks, according to McKay Coppinss 2023 biography, Romney: A Reckoning. Now Donald Trump has amplified Romneys error by stating explicitly that the progressive income tax ought to be replaced by tariffs. That would do Romney one better by returning the United States economy to the nineteenth century. The Washington Posts Catherine Rampell was quick to point out that eliminating the income tax and substituting revenue from tariffs would constitute a huge tax increase on the lower/middle income classes. Unlike Romney, Trump seldom gets held accountable for anything that comes out of his mouth, so maybe hell sail past this gaffe. Whatever the fallout, Trumps suggestion is stupid, stupid, stupid. During the past four decades, the U.S. income tax got less progressive at the high end but more progressive at the low end, thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Conservatives love that the top marginal rate has fallen from 70 percent in 1980 to 37 percent today, and that other taxes that target the wealthy, such as the corporate tax, the capital gains tax, and the inheritance tax have all come crashing down. But the right doesnt like that the proportion of the population too poor to pay income tax doubled after 1980 from about 20 percent of the population to about 40 percent. (In Mitts heyday, famously, it was roughly 47 percent.) Conservatives bemoan this even though the change resulted from conservative policies. The Earned Income Tax Credit was signed into law by Republican Gerald Ford and expanded by none other than Republican Ronald Reagan, both presidents hailing it as a conservative alternative to welfareas did Democrat Bill Clinton when he expanded it further. The Child Tax Credit was created under Clinton but championed by pro-family conservatives. (Congressional Republicans now refuse to restore its Covid-era expansion, which nearly halved the child poverty rate.) Poor folks should pay more taxes has a Dickensian ring to it, so conservatives seldom say that out loud. A memorable exception was a 2002 Wall Street Journal editorial titled The Non-Taxpaying Class, which branded those unable to earn enough to pay income tax lucky duckies. Various commentators (including me) had a field day with that, driving this doctrine underground, where it has largely remained ever sincewith the exception of Romney, of course. Thereafter Republicans spoke of this only through the code phrase, broaden the tax base; when called on it they pretended they meant only to close certain (never specified) loopholes, not to raise taxes on the proletariat. That was Romneys strategy in 2012 until he blew his cover by griping about the 47 percent, Story continues who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. These are people who pay no income tax. The idea was that people who dont pay income tax inhabit a sort of Skinner Box that trains them to regard government as cost-free and munificent rather than costly and burdensome, and therefore to vote Democratic. Never mind that these people still pay regressive payroll and assorted state taxes and that the higher end of this cohort has been lately voting Republican. More respectable conservatives dont suggest, as Trump does, that the income tax ought to be replaced with tariffs (partly because they tend not to favor tariffsor didnt before Trump came along). But the respectable right has long chafed at the progressive income tax. It prefers an across-the-board flat tax of, say 17 percent, or, failing that, to collapse the existing seven tax brackets into, say, two, as the Heritage Foundations Mandate for Leadership 2025 (a sort of shadow manifesto for the Trump campaign) proposes. Such proposals get sold as tax simplification, but their chief value to conservatives is that they make the tax code more regressive. Were there no income tax already, its doubtful, in this dismal political moment, that Republicans would permit one to be created. Before 1913, the United States had no income tax except, briefly, to finance the Civil War, with two brackets of 3 percent and 5 percent. Virtually all federal revenue came from tariffs on manufactured goods. These were popular in the industrial Northeast because they protected the livelihoods of factory workers, but they were unpopular among farmers (especially in the South) because they enjoyed no parallel protection; for them, tariffs served only to raise prices. Much of the impetus for the Populist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was agrarian resistance to high tariffs. The man who says, Impose upon somebody else a tax for my benefit, says what the pickpocket says, Representative William Jennings Bryan, Democrat of Nebraska, declaimed in 1892. But the man who says, Take away the burdens imposed on me for other peoples benefit, says simply what every honest man says, Let me alone to enjoy the results of my toil. Congress tried to revive the Civil War income tax in 1894, but the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. It took a constitutional amendment (proposed in 1909 by a Republican, President William Howard Taft!) to bring back the income tax. When reintroduced in 1913, it was very low, with brackets of 1 percent and 6 percent, and limited to high incomes (in todays dollars, the two thresholds were $96,000 and $16 million). The modern income tax, with employer withholding and the federal government largely eliminating its reliance on regressive tariffs and excise taxes, was created in 1943 by President Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt justified it as a wartime measure, much as President Herbert Hoover justified an earlier increase in 1932 as an emergency measure necessary to fight the Great Depression. Both presidents set the top marginal rate well above current levels: Hoover at 63 percent and FDR at 90 percent. Roosevelt had actually sought a top bracket of 100 percent, complementing the minimum wage hed codified in 1938 with a maximum wage of $25,000. If Bidens pledge to cancel the Trump tax cut for incomes above $400,000 shocks conservatives, they should consider that Roosevelts proposal prohibited any American earning one cent above todays equivalent of $465,000. Even today, tariffs are a regressive tax, imposing a burden more than twice as great on the bottom 10 percent as on any other income group, according to a 2017 study by economists Katheryn Russ of University of California Davis, Jay Shambaugh, currently undersecretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department, and Jason Furman of Harvard (and a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers). A February 2024 study by economists Miguel Acosta of the Federal Reserve and Lydia Cox of the University of Wisconsin further found that, going back to the 1930s, tariffs on luxury goods have been significantly lower than tariffs on low-end goods. For example, they wrote, the tariff on a $400 handbag made of reptile leather is 5.3 percent, while the tariff on an $8 plastic-sided handbag is 16 percent. Tariffs may be necessary in limited instances to encourage the growth of certain industries (as the Biden administration is trying to do with electric vehicles) or to protect vital supply chains (as Biden is trying to do with microchips). Even in those instances, though, the prospect of a trade war makes me a little queasy. To embrace tariffs, in the modern age, as a source of revenue is simply insane. Trump has already proposed a 10 percent tariff on all foreign goods that, by one estimate, would cost the median American household $1,500 per year. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Richard Rubin and Alex Leary calculate that to replace the $2.5 trillion the IRS collects annually in income tax, tariff rates would have to be 70 percent or higher. Congratulations, lucky duckies. Trump wants to hit you with a 70 percent tax hike! Dont say I didnt warn you. Israeli soldiers stand around the flag-draped casket of Israeli soldier Wassem Mahmoud, who was killed when an armoured personnel carrier exploded near the southern Gaza city of Rafah, during his funeral in Beit Jann. Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the armed forces said on Saturday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa The Israeli army assumes that an anti-tank missile was used in Saturday's attack on an Israeli armoured vehicle in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, which killed eight soldiers, according to Israeli media. The incident is one of the most serious for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the start of the war more than eight months ago. Initial findings showed that a door of the Namer armoured personnel carrier was open contrary to instructions, the newspaper Israel Hayom wrote on Monday. All of the vehicle's occupants were killed instantly when the rocket hit the vehicle. The incident is still being investigated. Other media reported possible secondary explosions caused by explosive devices attached to the outside of the tank. It took two hours after the heavy explosion before troops were able to approach the destroyed vehicle. According to military sources, the soldiers had been travelling in a convoy of armoured vehicles after an operation in the north-west of Rafah. It was initially reported that it was unclear whether the explosion was caused by an anti-tank missile or a booby trap. The military arm of the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Israel wants to smash one of Hamas' last strongholds in Rafah. The IDF has been stepping up ground operations against Hamas there since the beginning of May, but wants this to be understood as a limited operation, not a large-scale offensive. US President Joe Biden had declared the latter to be a "red line." Due to the many deaths and the catastrophic humanitarian situation, Israel's actions in the Gaza war are internationally controversial. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addresses a news conference in South Florida on Nov. 2, 2023, in Boynton Beach. Source: Screenshot/Florida Channel Quality Journalism for Critical Times Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addresses a news conference in South Florida on Nov. 2, 2023, in Boynton Beach. (Source: Screenshot | Florida Channel) Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. This story was written and produced by the Florida Phoenix which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on Daily Montanan. Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments on April 23, 2024, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial (Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images). Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general, including Missouris, have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. This story originally appeared in the Florida Phoenix, a States Newsroom affiliate. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on Missouri Independent. Former Republican President Donald Trump is shown in June 2023 in Columbus, Ga. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general including North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. Special Counsel Jack Smith is shown on June 9, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and X. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird held a news conference May 31, 2024, announcing the results of her office's audit of victims' services. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general, including Iowas, have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. In addition to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, attorneys general in West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and X. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addresses a news conference in South Florida on Nov. 2, 2023, in Boynton Beach. (Screenshot/Florida Channel) Twenty-four Republican state attorneys general, including Nebraskas Mike Hilgers, have interceded in the classified-documents prosecution of Donald Trump, opposing special counsel Jack Smiths request that the trial judge bar Trump from making hostile statements against federal law enforcement. In a 27-page amicus brief filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the states complain that Smiths motion to amend the former presidents bail conditions amounts to interference in the presidential election. The free-speech right is at its strongest when it protects political speech, the brief says. Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment against former President Donald Trump at the Justice Department on June 9, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Smith in a separate election interference case on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to expedite a decision on Trumps claims of presidential immunity. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Yet special prosecutor Jack Smith, on behalf of the United States, asks this court to curtail that right by ordering a prior restraint on President Trumps constitutionally protected speech. Such an order is presumptively unconstitutional, the document continues. Republican AGs in Iowa, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming have joined Moodys brief. If granted, this request would prevent the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States from speaking out against the prosecution and the criminal trial process that seek to take away his liberty, the brief reads. That prosecution, of course, is led by a department that President Trumps political opponent controls, it adds, referring to Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice. Once again, we are witnessing a prosecutor seek to keep the presumptive Republican nominee for president from speaking in the midst of an election. The First Amendment, at its core, is designed to protect political speech, and I along with my colleagues will not stand idly by and watch the Biden administration trample the free speech of a Florida citizen, Moody said in a written statement. Trump stands accused of willfully retaining national defense information, conspiring to obstruct justice, and destroying evidence in the case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, a Trump appointee. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering Trumps claim for presidential immunity from federal criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising from his alleged attempt to interfere with the election is on hold in Georgia state court. On May 30, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger On May 24, Smith filed a motion to alter Trumps conditions of release to make clear that he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Former President Donald Trump on Monday, June 10, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Trump and his supporters made several intentionally false and inflammatory statements, Smith argued, that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, during which federal agents seized the classified documents at issue. Trump and others cited a wording in the search warrant reiterating the FBIs standard and unobjectionable language setting out the Department of Justices use-of-force policy, which prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person, Smiths motion says. It notes that agents coordinated with Trumps Secret Service detail and entered when Trump was away from his home. Trump, however, has distorted the standard inclusion of the policy limiting the use of deadly force by mischaracterizing it as a claim that the FBI WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME, was just itching to do the unthinkable, and was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger, the document continues. Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment. The court has an independent obligation to protect the integrity of this judicial proceeding and should take steps immediately to halt this dangerous campaign to smear law enforcement. Campaign in full swing Attorneys for Trump, in a brief filed Friday, cited Smiths most recent shocking display of overreach and disregard for the Constitution. It accuses Smith of seeking to restrict President Trumps campaign speech as the first presidential debate approaches at the end of this month. Smiths motion goes one step further in his efforts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and assist President Biden, by seeking improper restrictions on President Trumps core protected speech that would continue through the Republican National Convention in July, and thereafter, until this case is dismissed for one or more of the myriad reasons we have identified. Moodys brief argues that restricting Trumps speech would require showing of a clear and present danger to the administration of justice. Shes a Republican who has been an ardent supporter of the former president, filing numerous legal proceedings supporting him and attacking President Biden. The special prosecutor cannot make that showing because he has not demonstrated that President Trumps comments have threatened law enforcement or that his comments have resulted in threats to law enforcement, her latest brief says. [T]he presidential campaign is in full swing. As Americans turn their attention to the upcoming presidential election, courts should take special care to ensure voters can judge the candidates on their own merits. A prior restraint that might limit a candidates ability to campaign must meet exacting standards. The proposed order here would not meet those standards, the brief adds. The post Republican state attorneys general oppose new gag order in Trump documents case appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. One person killed after plane crashes in Merrimack River in Methuen One person has died after a small plane crashed in the Merrimack River in Methuen on Monday afternoon, authorities said. The FAA had previously said the pilot was the only person on board that plane. The pilots identity has not been released. Massachusetts State Police says its Marine Unit and Dive Team responded to the site. and removed the victim from the plane and transferred that person to the custody Medical Examiners office. The plane that crashed was a single-engine Vans RV-6A and only the pilot was on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A preliminary investigation revealed that the plane crashed in the river around 2:15 p.m., the FAA added. Lawrence Municipal Airport is not far from the scene of the crash. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading an investigation into the crash. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency says its also monitoring the situation. Note: An earlier version of this story had North Andover as the location of the crash based on preliminary information from first responders. 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 WASHINGTON - A retired New Jersey State Police trooper accused of taking part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was acquitted of the two felonies he faced but convicted of four misdemeanors, according to court records. Michael Daniele, 61, of Holmdel was accused of being one of the first to breach a barricade at the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, according to a court filing from the U.S. Department of Justice. He was charged with two felony counts of obstructing law enforcement officers or civil disorder, and the four misdemeanors: entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Daniele appeared before U.S. District Judge Ahmet P. Mehta in Washington, D.C. in a bench trial that ended Friday. Michael Daniele, a retired New Jersey state trooper, was acquitted of felony charges in a Jan. 6 Capitol riot case. This photo shows Daniele, after being pushed by the crowd, stopping himself with his foot on a barricade that a Capitol police officer tried to upright. "Spurious' accusation: NJ man wins $50,000 defamation suit against imprisoned Jan. 6 rioter His attorney, Stuart N. Kaplan, said he worked to show how the video evidence in the case was presented out of context by the government. He did not engage in any violent or crazy protesting, Kaplan said. He was a spectator. In a still taken from one of those videos and filed with the complaint, Daniele is shown with his foot appearing to press down on a fallen barricade at the Peace Circle around 12:53 p.m. as a Capitol police officer attempts to lift it back up. But a frame-by-frame review of the video showed that Daniele was pushed from the crowd behind, Kaplan said. His boot was only on that barricade for less than a second and he only put his foot up to stop this forward motion, Kaplan said. Daniele then backed away from the barricade some five or six yards, Kaplan said. 'Epitome of disrespect for the law': Toms River man sentenced for his attack on a police officer at Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection Kaplan said Daniele was also accused of confronting a Capitol police officer, but a detailed review of the video showed that Daniele approached the officer to return the cap of another officer that Daniele found on the ground, Kaplan said. After photos of suspects were widely distributed, a New Jersey State Police detective identified Daniele as a suspect on March 9, 2021. A complaint was filed against him in February 2023. Interviewed by FBI agents at his home in Holmdel, Daniele admitted to entering the Capitol, a criminal filing says. Posted pictures on her Facebook page: Former Brick woman accused of taking part in Jan. 6 Capitol riot He told the agents he took a charter bus to Washington, D.C., where supporters of then-President Donald Trump occupied the Capitol to thwart the election of President Joe Biden. He entered the Capitol around 2:19 p.m. and left the building at 2:26 p.m. after failing to find a bathroom, he told FBI special agents. Daniele identified himself in videos and photos of the riot. He also identified his black jacket, with the letters "MFIC" on a sleeve, and his brown work boots. Of the four misdemeanors, two are on appeal. Kaplan said the judge agreed to acquit Daniele of those counts if the appeals court rules in Danieles favor. Those two counts carry a fine and a prison term of up to a year. The two lesser misdemeanors not out on appeal carry a fine and a possible jail term of six months, Kaplan said. Kaplan said Daniele has not contested the two lesser misdemeanors. If you trespass and you're a spectator, you're still guilty of trespassing, Kaplan said. FBI manhunt in NJ: Jan. 6 suspect Gregory Yetman in custody after two-day search Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 4. Kaplan said he will argue that Daniele deserves to avoid incarceration given his clean record and career with the State Police. "He dedicated himself to the New Jersey State Police for 26 and a half years without a blemish," Kaplan said. Daniele retired in 2013 with a monthly pension of $6,372, according to state pension records. Ken Serrano covers breaking news, crime and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Retired NJ state trooper acquitted of felonies in Jan. 6 Capitol riot Rex Sinquefield at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis on May 7, 2012 (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images). Missouris most prolific political donor dropped another $1 million into the campaign of his preferred candidate for governor last week, bringing the total hes spent during the 2024 election cycle to almost $3 million. Retired investor Rex Sinquefield has given more than $45 million in contributions since he became a significant donor around 2006 mostly to Republicans, though not exclusively. His donations last week included $1 million to American Dream PAC, which supports the gubernatorial campaign of Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, and $250,000 to Liberty and Justice PAC, which supports Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Sinquefield has donated roughly a third of all money received by American Dream PAC since the beginning of 2023. American Dream PAC, which can raise money alongside Kehoe but must spend its funds independently of his official campaign, is already the richest in the race for governor. It reported $4.5 million on hand on March 31, more than double the amount in the PAC backing Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and four times the funding available for BILL PAC, which is supporting state Sen. Bill Eigel. The Sinquefield checks, one for $250,000 and another for $750,000, were reported Thursday to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Other large donors have given Kehoes PAC $182,674 since the last full report was filed. The commission requires contributions of more than $5,000 to be reported within 48 hours of receipt. Ashcrofts spokesman, Jason Roe, said Kehoe has been bankrolled by the Jefferson City lobbyists and special interest groups because they know what they are going to get a transactional big government governor. He has the endorsement of nearly every special interest group in the state because they know he will raise taxes, they know he will increase spending and they know they will be the beneficiaries. Ashcrofts PAC, Committee for Liberty, has raised $155,661 in large donations since March 31. The largest, $50,000, was from his mother, former First Lady Janet Ashcroft. With those reports, it has reported raising just under $1 million since the beginning of 2023. The committee reported $1.9 million on hand on March 31. Sophia Shore, Eigels campaign manager, said Kehoe is no doubt the establishment donors choice; he has enough money to burn a wet mule. Eigels joint fundraising committee, BILL PAC, has received only one donation greater than $5,000 since March 31 $10,000 from Joan Langenberg of St. Louis on May 6. The PAC has raised $2 million since Jan. 1, 2023. Sinquefield has a long history of cutting massive checks for his preferred candidates. He has often focused his efforts on cutting income taxes and changes to the states education system. In 2016, he bankrolled a slate of candidates in GOP statewide primaries, spending nearly $11 million supporting candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer. Of the candidates he supported, only one prevailed. In September 2020, Sinquefield parted ways with his longtime advisors, Pelopidas, owned by Travis Brown. He made no political contributions until late 2021, and since the beginning of 2022 has made $4.3 million donations, including $1.7 million reported since Jan. 1. Pelopidas closed its doors after Sinquefield withdrew his backing. In 2021, a Missouri appeals court ordered Brown and the firm to pay $7.5 million to Rachel Keller, Browns former wife and business partner, in a case filed in 2016, two years after the couple. Both Eigel and Ashcroft have received donations from Sinquefield, but not since he fired Pelopidas as his consulting firm. As a candidate for state Senate in 2014, Ashcroft received a donation of $25,000 from Sinquefield. In 2020, when he sought re-election as secretary of state, Sinquefield contributed $2,650. There were no limits on contributions directly to candidate committees in 2014. Those limits were imposed by a constitutional amendment and for this years elections, the limit for statewide candidates is $2,825. BILL PAC received $225,000 from Sinquefield in 2019 and 2020, when Eigel sought re-election to the state Senate. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Rex Sinquefield drops big donations into GOP governor, AG primaries appeared first on Missouri Independent. One used to lunch in the restaurant at Tate Britain and study the remarkable 1927 mural by Rex Whistler, The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats. Whistler was barely out of the Slade, and just 21, when he began this fantasy, showing people about the same age as the artist going through an imaginary landscape looking for food. Part of the murals delight is its sheer romanticism, at odds with the modernism of the time when it was painted. However, it is now contended that to admire it is racist. In 2020, an outcry orchestrated by two women charmingly calling themselves The White Pube drew attention to a kidnapped black child being pulled along on a string by a young woman, while his mother watches from a tree, and to caricatures of Chinese people. No one seemed or wanted to know about the artists motivations. Whistler was no racist, but was known for his mordant wit. He was acutely conscious of the shocking inequalities that stood below the mindless high society of the 1920s, and is clearly satirising them in his painting, much as Evelyn Waugh would soon do in his novels. Whistlers art was insulted to the point where, in 2022, the Tate closed the room so the public could not see it. The gallery is a Grade I-listed building and, whether it likes it or not, it could not remove this component of that structure. However, in March it sought to contextualise the mural by complementing it with a film that claims to explore the social and political context of 1920s Britain. All this is typical of how creative people from the past are put in the dock of a court set in a land they do not know and tried for offences that at the time were nothing of the sort. It makes some today feel better, but it is entirely unhistorical. Incidentally, in reporting the making of the new film, the BBC described the mural as offensive, though, unlike me, it did not put that adjective in quotation marks: it had made up its own mind and discarded any shred of objectivity. Canceled? Detail from Whistler's The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats, 1927 - Eraza Collection / Alamy Stock Photo Next month, on July 18, falls the 80th anniversary of Whistlers death, killed in action, in Normandy. Despite being in his mid-30s when war broke out, he was commissioned into the Guards Armoured Division, so determined was he to fight the racists who were then conquering most of Europe. He was killed having left his tank to go to the aid of other men in his unit; apparently, The Times received more letters about his death than for that of any other war casualty. That either shows the extent of support for a racist, or just what a greatly admired artist he was. The Salisbury Museum in Wiltshire has recently opened an exhibition entitled Rex Whistler: The Artist and His Patrons, which runs until September 29. It takes a more nuanced and less hysterical view of the mural. We should be wary of censoring or destroying art that does not fit with our twenty-first century values, says the museums director, Adrian Green and of course he is right. Others who love exhibiting only their self-righteousness should stop showing off. 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 inability to clearly define what we share as Americans has led to a focus on individual and group needs rather than the national good. (Getty image) A number of Jewish Americans are now suggesting that they will vote for Donald Trump because the Biden administration is insufficiently supportive of Israel, and not concerned enough about antisemitism. Arab Americans, in some number, are saying publicly that they will not vote for a second term for the Biden administration, in order to rebuke them for their support of Israel. Billionaires generally are endorsing Trump for President, apparently fearing the current administration is too liberal and will increase financial burdens on the wealthy. Many on the American left wing will not endorse voting for Biden/Harris in 2024 as this administration will not sufficiently burden the wealthy. Much as it pains me to agree with Rhode Islands anchorman, Gene Valicenti, we are living in a time when people want what they want, exactly when and how they want it (as he regularly says on his morning radio show). And when the demands are nonnegotiable, and contradictory, there appears to be no way forward. I am not minimizing the goals and concerns of any of the above groups. On the whole, they all have articulated positions on the issues that have considerable appeal, and urgency, for like-minded individuals. And all can argue that what is important from their perspective is also good for the country. But I will not pretend I do not understand the complexity of trying to govern a country as diverse in opinion, needs, and affiliations as is the United States of America. Especially in a time of so much conflict in the world at large, and within our web of alliances and international relationships. If we are polarized as a nation, which may or may not be as profound as reporting seems to indicate, one way it is being expressed is in political decisions based on concerns not for the country as a whole, but for the issues most central to our closest affinities. Because we are not able to clearly define what we share as Americans in any cohesive way, we are freed to focus on the needs of our own group rather than the national good. There has been quite a lot written about our loss of social cohesion and sense of common citizenship, and what it might look like to begin to bring it back. Perhaps it would look like more education, a national service requirement, some kind of shared, inspirational goal (preferably not a war). But these are deliberate processes, and we cannot pause time, and slow the process of the international conflicts, elections, and policy decisions that would all benefit from our having some sense of common goals. Because we are not able to clearly define what we share as Americans in any cohesive way, we are freed to focus on the needs of our own group rather than the national good. Both political parties suffer from this phenomenon, but our current Democratic President, because he cannot ignore his diverse constituency as he runs for a second term, suffers the most. And this fractiousness is giving explicit or tacit approval to a second Trump term. Thats even though Trumps expressed goals are flatly autocratic, and potentially theocratic, as laid out explicitly in Project 2025 and in his campaign speeches. Even now that he is a convicted felon. What Trump is offering us, is something that appears to some to be a solution to our disunity the removal from the body politic of the diversity of opinions, and of people. He suggests he will stop much of the immigration to the United States, and deport many who are here based on their ethnicity and/or political expressions. He will remove from power those who disagree with him, and clamp down on protest and free speech. He will make us one, not by uniting us, but by limiting who we are. I am convinced that, on some level, this is his appeal. The problem of course is that if America has ever been a great nation, ever been exceptional, it is because of our acceptance of diversity. And its because of the scope of brilliance, enterprise, and culture that has been included in that embrace. An embrace that began at the very beginning, and most completely, here in Rhode Island in 1636. We may have a lot of work to do to fulfill even our original promise. Solutions may seem elusive and difficult, but we cannot get there on a path of repression and exclusion that gives the lie to our founding values. It would deform us, like amputating needed limbs, in addition to being horribly, morally wrong. The post The rise of non-negotiable, contradictory logic in picking a president appeared first on Rhode Island Current. UPDATE: MONDAY 6/17/2024 7:20 a.m. (COLORADO SPRINGS) According to CSPD, Diana Currington has returned home safely and is in good health. ORIGINAL STORY: At-risk adult missing from Southeast Colorado Springs ORIGINAL STORY: SUNDAY 6/16/2024 10:40 p.m. The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is asking the community for assistance in locating 75-year-old Diana Currington, a diabetic patient with dementia. CSPD says Currington walked away from her home on the citys southeast side, near Hancock Expressway and Chelton Road around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. CSPD says she is wearing a white T-shirt, baggy blue jeans rolled at the cuff, and white slippers. They say she has gray-weaved hair that was last seen in a bun. Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department CSPD is asking the community to call 911 with any information. 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 FOX21 News Colorado. State Sen. Mark Mullet, left, and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, right, are both running as Democrats for governor in 2024. (Photos courtesy of Mullet and Ferguson campaigns) In their race for governor, Mark Mullet thinks its fishy how frontrunner and fellow Democrat Bob Ferguson is going about raising money for the state Democratic party. Mullet, a state senator, is convinced somethings amiss with a six-figure donation that Ferguson, who is currently attorney general, made to the party in April. Hes contested, thus far to no avail, the appropriateness of that $750,000 transfer, which Ferguson made from a surplus account containing funds raised for past campaigns. Mullet also wants to shed more light on the $1 million Ferguson says hes raising for the partys statewide efforts to elect Democrats. Ferguson wont disclose from whom hes getting the money, just that hes halfway to the goal. Party officials are mum as well. That silence reveals the extent to which the party and Ferguson are aligned in this Democrat-on-Democrat duel, working to isolate Mullet and prevent him from achieving his objective of finishing second in the Aug. 6 primary. That outcome could allow Mullet to square off with Ferguson one-on-one in November. But Mullet is struggling mightily to gain traction as a viable alternative to Ferguson and leading Republican Dave Reichert. A spate of polls find him in single digits, well behind those two and nearer Semi Bird, the GOP candidate endorsed by the state Republican Party. Thats led him to intensify his criticism of Ferguson. Bob is willing to bend or break the law if it will help him get elected, Mullet said last week. Fergusons campaign has dismissed Mullets accusations as desperate attempts by a flailing campaign to gain relevance. Respectfully, we just arent spending time responding to these attacks. The State Partys fundraising is public, just like Bobs, Bayley Burgess, Fergusons campaign manager, wrote in an email Thursday. Political gambit On June 7, Mullet filed a complaint with the state Public Disclosure Commission contending the $750,000 Ferguson transferred to the state party should have come out of his gubernatorial campaign stash instead of his surplus account. He argued Ferguson earmarked those dollars to uphold his end of a deal with Democratic officials. Ferguson earlier this year agreed to a $1 million buy-in to the partys coordinated campaign with half due by June 1. With the buy-in, Ferguson is assured inclusion on party materials to turn out voters. Mullet also had a chance at the buy-in but couldnt afford it. Burgess called Mullets June 7 complaint a desperate attack from a dying campaign. But four days later before commission staff informed Mullet there was no evidence of a potential violation Burgess sent a note to Shasti Conrad, chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, characterizing the six-figure check as a donation to use as you see fit as opposed to money specifically dedicated to cover the buy-in cost. If this is in any way inconsistent with your understanding, I trust this clarifies the intent, she wrote. And, she went on, Ferguson has helped the party raise approximately $500,000 and are well on our way to reaching $1 million. Please consider these resources Bobs buy-in to the Coordinated Campaign, which, as you wrote in your Prospectus, benefits all Democratic candidates on the ballot. Burgess, who forwarded a copy of the letter to the Public Disclosure Commission, declined to answer questions on the note, fundraising details and why the transfer was not considered for the buy-in obligation. Conrad, through a Democratic Party spokesman, declined to comment. Party officials would not confirm the $500,000 fundraising figure cited by Burgess. Mullet, upon learning of the letter, said it was Fergusons attempt to cover his tracks. He said he will amend his complaint to the Public Disclosure Commission. Money trail The state Democratic Party funnels money into campaign activities through two committee accounts one labeled exempt, the other nonexempt. Both are regulated by the Public Disclosure Commission. There are no limits on contributions to these committees from individuals or the surplus funds of candidates. Unions, corporations, political action committees and other entities have a $6,000 per year contribution limit for the nonexempt account. Theres no such cap for the exempt one. Money collected can be spent on a host of things including get-out-the-vote campaigns and writing and distributing literature such as slate cards and how-to-vote guides. But direct contributions to candidates can only be made from the nonexempt account. Meanwhile, the 2024 coordinated campaign which Fergusons buy-in would go toward is run through the partys federal account, known as the Washington State Democratic Central Committee. Reporting requirements are enforced by the Federal Election Commission. Ferguson sent the $750,000 in April to the partys nonexempt account. A few thousand dollars have gone out from that account, primarily to Democratic groups in various legislative districts. Mullet says by sending the money to this account, Ferguson is circumventing contribution limits. Donors could give the maximum $4,800 donation to his current campaign for governor and have their older, unspent donations in the surplus account sent to the party, where they will also help support his bid. If Ferguson is raising money for the federal account, the details will emerge soon. Reports on contributions and expenditures are compiled monthly. Information on May financial activities should appear online as early as this week. A pattern? While Mullets latest accusations against Ferguson deal with the details of campaign finance rules, he argues that they fit a broader pattern of Ferguson resorting to aggressive and sometimes questionable campaign tactics. In May, Mullet accused him of going too far in his effort to get two opponents who share his name out of the governors race. Ferguson also pressed Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to redo the order of candidates on the ballot if the other Bob Fergusons didnt withdraw. Hobbs declined, saying state law didnt give him authority to do so. The other Bobs withdrew making it a moot point. Mullet filed a complaint with the state Executive Ethics Board, insisting it was wrong for one state official to ask another to violate state law. The State Auditors Office is handling this complaint because the executive director of the ethics board is an employee of the attorney generals office. No action has occurred. Mullet also is not bashful about reminding voters what happened last year when Ferguson came under scrutiny for shifting $1.2 million of contributions from his surplus fund into the account for his 2024 run for governor. A complaint filed by a Seattle-based attorney argued that the individual donors of those contributions had to be identified and their past donations originally for Fergusons reelection as attorney general should count toward contribution limits in his campaign for governor. The commission eventually clarified its rules on the issue, Ferguson complied and disclosed the donors names. He did return roughly $80,000 to his surplus account, presumably because it came from donors who had already given the maximum amounts. The buy-in But Mullet is particularly galled by what has transpired with the coordinated campaign deal. It reflects how much hes been iced out by the states Democratic Party establishment as it has gravitated toward Ferguson in the governors race. For years, Ferguson has been widely viewed as the next Democrat in line for the job after Gov. Jay Inslee, who is not running for reelection. Mullet, on the other hand, is a business-oriented moderate with a reputation for slowing progressive priorities in the Legislature. Party officials offered Ferguson and Mullet the same million dollar buy-in option in March but said only one would get it. An ad hoc committee of appointed party officials interviewed both and made a recommendation. Mullet said he was asked if he was in a position to send the party $500,000. He wasnt. Though Mullet has raised $1.27 million, hes spent roughly two-thirds. Much of the remainder is only available for the general election if he gets through the Aug. 6 primary. By contrast, Ferguson has raised $7.4 million and Reichert $3.7 million. Mullet said he learned April 11 that Ferguson received the endorsement and agreed to meet the buy-in requirements. Eight days later Bob sent them $750,000. It was 100 percent crystal clear this was not about doing joint fundraising events, Mullet said. It was about cutting them a check. The post Rival Democrats spar over fundraising maneuvers in Washington governors race appeared first on Washington State Standard. OSSINING John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper's longtime patrol boat captain and vice president for advocacy, retires this month after 24 years keeping watch over the Hudson. He's remaining on the river, though, as he helps transition to the next boat captain, Luis Melendez, an experienced educator and vessel operator. The Riverkeeper community is grateful to Boat Captain John Lipscomb for his unwavering and deeply felt commitment to the Hudson," Riverkeeper President and Hudson Riverkeeper Tracy Brown said. "If the river could talk, it would surely echo these sentiments tenfold." John Lipscomb, boat captain and vice president of advocacy for Riverkeeper, gives a tour of the Kingston area on the Hudson River Oct. 25, 2023, which would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier. The patrol board captain helms Riverkeeper's fleet, recently expanded to three: the R. Ian Fletcher, a 36-foot wooden vessel similar to a lobster boat; the Bob Boyle, a floating lab of sorts, that can provide real-time water quality testing results; and a smaller, unmarked boat that's used to access narrow tributaries or for surveillance. The Bob Boyle launches: How Riverkeeper's newest boat keeps an eye on Hudson, just like its namesake did Riverkeeper vessels cover some 4,000 miles a year, from the Upper Hudson and Mohawk River to New York Harbor, Throgs Neck and the Verrazano Narrows, keeping tabs on the river and using science and law to protect the fragile estuary and drinking water resource for tens of thousands of New Yorkers. And for fans of Batu, the yellow Lab who's accompanied Lipscomb on many a river journey, the friendly dog "retires" too with his owner. The John Lipscomb file Lipscomb has patrolled the Hudson since 2000. For scofflaws, his watchdog work led to enforcement, plus millions of dollars in fees and fines. For communities along the Hudson, Lipscomb has helped revive a precious recreational resource. In 2008, Lipscomb founded Riverkeepers water quality monitoring program. John Lipscomb, boat captain and vice president of advocacy for Riverkeeper, and his dog Batu, after a boat ride on the Hudson River in the Kingston area Oct. 25, 2023, which would be affected by the Coast Guard's decision to redefine the restricted "Port of New York" region for the placement of anchorages for barges in the Hudson. This plan was fought and legislated against earlier. Lipscomb has been out on the river to raise alarms about potential and actual harmful exposures, from sewage spills to polluted runoff. He's played an integral role in Riverkeeper's various campaigns, from monitoring river protections during the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project to keeping tabs on pollution and environmental damage from the former Indian Point nuclear power plants. His expertise on how to balance the Hudson's role as a working river and an environmental treasure has helped shape policy. That includes the fight against industrial anchorage expansion. Meet Luis Melendez Melendez joined Riverkeeper this month. He has worked with New York Harbor School and Billion Oyster Project, which works on restoring New York Harbor's oyster habitat and leads educational initiatives about the key role the reefs play in protecting from storm damage and preserving ecological balance. Melendez was chief dockmaster at Dyckman Marina for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation until taking over as Riverkeeper captain. Luis Melendez has been named patrol boat captain for Riverkeeper, the environmental organization that protects the Hudson announced in June 2024. He knows New York Harbor waterways and has experience piloting a wide variety of vessels. This is a chance to merge my lifelong passion for our local waterways with my extensive experience navigating and restoring them," Melendez said in a statement. "I can't wait to embark on this journey, working alongside like-minded individuals dedicated to leaving our waters better than we found them. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Riverkeeper John Lipscomb retires after 24 years protecting Hudson Ross Harris, accused of leaving 2-year-old son in hot car to die, released from prison A man accused of leaving his nearly 2-year-old son in a hot car to die in 2014 has been released from prison. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Justin Ross Harris was originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the death of his son Cooper Harris on June 18, 2014. According to Georgia jail records, Harris was released from Macon State Prison on Sunday. Hes now listed as an inmate at the Cobb County jail as of June 16. Its unclear why he was transferred to the jail or how much time he may have to serve there. RELATED STORIES Harris told police he forgot to drop 22-month-old Cooper at daycare that morning, driving straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot without remembering that Cooper was still in his car seat. Cooper died after sitting for about seven hours in the back seat of the vehicle outside his fathers office. Temperatures that day reached at least into the high 80s. Ross Harris was convicted of all eight counts related to Coopers death on Nov. 14, 2016. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The case attracted national attention. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Harris was having multiple extramarital affairs, several with underage teenage girls. Harris appealed his convictions for murder and first-degree child cruelty in 2022. In his appeal, Harris and his attorneys argued the evidence presented at the trial wasnt enough and the trial focused too much on his extramarital, and sometimes illegal, sexual activities. The Georgia Supreme Court took up the case and ultimately reversed the counts related to Coopers death because the jury heard and saw an extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence, the court said in a release. The district attorneys office decided not to retry the case. After much thought and deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to not retry Justin Ross Harris on the reversed counts of the indictment, the DAs office said in a statement. Cooper will always be remembered by this Office and those who fought for him. Harris stood convicted of the remaining counts of the indictment, including criminal attempt to commit sexual exploitation of children and dissemination of harmful material to minors. He was sentenced to ten years on those charges. Harris was initially incarcerated on Dec. 6, 2016. ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) Round Rock police on Monday released the names of the two people who were killed in a shooting Saturday night at Old Settlers Park. Police identified the victims as Lyndsey Vicknair, 33, from Manor and Ara Duke, 54, from Pflugerville. The shooting, which also injured 14 others, happened during a Juneteenth celebration at the park around 10:50 p.m., following a fight between two groups who were at the event, Round Rock police said. Turn yourself in: Round Rock police chief has message for suspect in deadly shooting during Juneteenth celebration Neither Vicknair nor Duke were involved in the original altercation, RRPD said. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of innocent lives and the injuries sustained by several others in Saturdays senseless act of violence, Round Rock PD Chief Allen Banks said in a statement. Our deepest condolences go out to the families affected by this tragedy. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community and will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice. Together, we will stand strong and support one another during this difficult time for our community. Ara Duke IDEA Public Schools confirmed Duke was one of its employees. The district released a statement about her death to KXAN Monday morning. IDEA Public Schools is mourning the loss of an IDEA Rundberg team member who passed away in a tragic incident over the weekend. She was a valued member of our team, and we will greatly miss our friend and colleague. Counselors will be made available on campus to provide emotional support for students as needed. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones as they navigate this difficult time, the statement read. Kimberly Holiday, a Pflugerville City Council member, said she counted on Duke as a longtime supporter and described her as just a beacon to everyone who knows her. If you were to scroll her social media page, every picture has a beautiful smile, Holiday said. She loves her family. Shes just been a beacon of light for everyone who knows her. She is an educational advocate as well in the city of Pflugerville. We just all love her, and she will be deeply missed by all. Round Rock shooting victim Ara Duke (right) pictured with Pflugerville City Council member Kimberly Holiday (left). (Courtesy Kimberly Holiday) Despite the shock and sadness of losing her friend, Holiday said she went to work Monday at the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, where she serves as a crisis counselor. The center opened early Monday to offer help at no cost to anyone impacted by the shooting. For me I felt it was very important to get up today and show up and be ready to support others and to let them know the services that we have available because the community is hurting as a whole, Holiday explained. The center, which is located on the third floor of the office building at 6633 E. Highway 290, will hold several group sessions Wednesday at 12 p.m. to assist shooting survivors and discuss calls to action moving forward. Lyndsey Vicknair The Austin Bar Association released a statement about Vicknair on Monday, saying she was part of the Chapman Firm. According to her biography on the firms website, she worked in various types of law, including construction and business. Austin Bar and AYLA member Lyndsey D. Vicknair of The Chapman Firm was killed at the Round Rock Juneteenth concert. Our prayers go out to her husband, Kevin, and their three children, the association said. Vicknairs husband, Kevin, held a press conference Monday at Old Settlers Park to talk about the loss of his wife. I cant put into words what they took from me, my children. They took something from me that God gave me to be responsible for and to protect. They took a mother who loved her family, her kids. She loved me, Vicknair said. Vicknair received the honor of being named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2023. Rudy Metayer, a Pflugerville City Council member who knew her through the Austin Black Lawyers Association, said he wanted to underscore just how notable this honor was for a young attorney because it was voted on by her peers. Lyndsey Vicknair was killed in a shooting during a Round Rock Juneteenth event on June 15, 2024. Round Rock shooting victim Lyndsey Vicknair pictured with her husband and children. Kevin Vicknair, alongside his family, speaks after his wife was shot and killed at a Juneteenth event in Round Rock. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez) It is very few times when you actually see someone who just pops when you first meet, and Lyndsey was one, Metayer said, not just by how she took herself up, how she acted and how she approached her own personality. But in fact, how she balanced everything. Metayer said he and his fellow lawyers, especially in the Black legal community in Austin, will work on being there for Vicknairs family. Her family, her young ones, her loving husband theyre part of our family, too, and we need to make sure that they get support and care that they need, he said. Suspect search Round Rock police are still searching for the shooting suspect. Police provided this description of the suspect on Sunday: Black man 5 feet, 7 inches tall Thin build 19-20 years old Hair in short dreads Last seen wearing a white hoodie Anyone with video or information about the shooting can call Round Rock Police Detective Maio at (512) 341-3135 or email rmaio@roundrocktexas.gov. RRPD also asks anyone with photo or video evidence to submit it here. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. KXAN is working to speak with community and family members who knew the victims. This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. TOPEKA (KSNT) The 2024 Kansas primary is closing in and you may have started seeing political ads on TV or online. Soon, youll start seeing those political signs in peoples yards. June 21 is when Kansans are able to start placing political signs in their yards, but there are certain rules youll have to follow. If youre putting a sign in your yard, just make sure its not next to a corner street corner and then look at the citys website to make sure you understand those right of way requirements, Shawnee County Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said. For Topeka, that public right-of-way is 15 feet behind the curb, or one foot behind a public sidewalk in residential areas. Signs are also not allowed to be attached to traffic signs and signals or utility poles. And thats just a few of these rules. Theres over 600 statutes relating to election, so I think it is tough for the public to know exactly who to call on some of these things, Howell said. I expect to get some phone calls about it. Well probably, generally, if its just about campaign signs and where theyre placed well probably encourage people to call the city, or call the township or call the county. Its not just within city limits. The Kansas Department of Transportation says theyre not even allowed on highway right of ways. The primary reason is it distracts drivers, and secondarily it gets in the way of our maintenance activities primarily, KDOT Highway Maintenance Superintendent David Studebaker said. And then of course the political thing, is always a, multiple sided thing. We dont take sides. Thats not our job. But it is their job to pick those signs up if they see them. If its there were going to remove it, were going to bring it to the nearest KDOT office and well put it in a storage area, Studebaker said. If you lose a sign that has some value, If you contact KDOT, well try to find it for you if we picked it up. When it comes to after the election, any political signs that have not been claimed from K-Dot will be disposed of. For a full list of the city rules on political signs 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 KSNT 27 News. A viral claim has made its way from literary and oral retellings to the internet: that Black people living in Jim Crow South couldn't have vanilla ice cream except on the Fourth of July. We often such claims in which history is repeated as folklore and vice versa. Firsthand encounters are retold so often, details get lost or rewritten in the process. Why Vanilla Ice Cream? The claim has gone viral on TikTok, and numerous articles have circulated versions of it for several years. As to why Black people were denied this flavor specifically, social media users presented numerous theories. A viral 2023 TikTok post with more than 2 million views said vanilla ice cream was "a privilege that some white Southerners didn't believe Black people deserved to have." Another post on TikTok claimed, "It was seen as pure and for white people only during slavery and after through the Jim Crow segregation era." The same post connected Black people's love of butter pecan ice cream as having grown out of necessity and accessibility pecans were reportedly native to the South and in the absence of being able to get other flavors, Black communities gravitated toward it. Other TikTok posts highlighted the irony of the development of vanilla ice cream it became possible due to the ingenuity of an enslaved Black boy named Edmond Albius from the French island of Reunion. In 1841, he discovered a method to hand pollinate the vanilla bean that became used worldwide. Historical and Oral Accounts Many examples of Black people being denied vanilla ice cream emerged from family lore and memoir. Maya Angelou's 1969 memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," detailing her life as a child in Stamps, Arkansas, documented one such instance of discrimination through secondhand accounts. She wrote: "People in Stamps used to say that the whites in our town were so prejudiced that a Negro couldn't buy vanilla ice cream. Except on July Fourth. Other days he had to be satisfied with chocolate." Writer Audre Lorde discussed her childhood summer trip to Washington, D.C., in her autobiography "Zami: A New Spelling of My Name." In a passage titled "The Fourth of July," she described being denied vanilla ice cream at a white establishment: Two blocks away from our hotel, the family stopped for a dish of vanilla ice cream at a Breyer's ice cream and soda fountain. Indoors, the soda fountain was dim and fan-cooled, deliciously relieving to my scorched eyes. Corded and crisp and pinafored, the five of us seated ourselves one by one at the counter. There was I, between my mother and father, and my two sisters on the other side of my mother. We settled ourselves along the white mottled marble counter, and when the waitress spoke at first no one understood what she was saying, and so the five of us just sat there. The waitress moved along the line of us closer to my father and spoke again. "I said I kin give you to take out, but you can't eat here. Sorry." Then she dropped her eyes looking very embarrassed, and suddenly we heard what it was she was saying all at the same time, loud and clear. Straight-backed and indignant, one by one, my family and I got down from the counter stools and turned around and marched out of the store, quiet and outraged, as if we had never been black before. The waitress was white, and the counter was white, and the ice-cream I never ate in Washington, D.C., that summer I left childhood was white, and the white heat and the white pavement and the white stone monuments of my first Washington summer made me sick to my stomach for the whole rest of that trip and it wasn't much of a graduation present after all. Culinary historian Michael Twitty wrote about his father's experience being denied vanilla ice cream in a 2014 article for The Guardian. In the article, titled "Black People Were Denied Vanilla Ice Cream in the Jim Crow South except on Independence Day," he wrote about how this practice was "custom" rather than "law." He also argued for its truthfulness because of the way it communicated to Black children about the rules of living in that time period. He wrote: My father, for instance, first learned the rules when he first visited South Carolina with my grandfather in the 1940s. In our family's home county of Lancaster, Daddy asked the general store owner if he could buy some candy and ice cream, referring to the white man as "Sir". The store owner promptly grabbed my father by the collar, and yelled at him in the presence of my grandfather. Then he informed the elder man, "You'd better teach this little [N-word] to say 'Yassuh', boy! 'Sir' ain't good enough!" My grandfather grabbed his son and sped off. At the end of the article, however, he wrote, "Perhaps the memory of being denied vanilla ice cream is not a literal memory for most: maybe it is just commentary. The racism of the time period was not just about dignity and self-esteem it was embodied and mythologized in physical terms." We searched for first-hand historical accounts that corroborated the above custom of denying Black people vanilla ice cream (and permitting it on July 4). We reached out to numerous historians of Jim Crow and food culture, and will update this story as we learn more. We also found a photograph on Getty Images of writer James Baldwin standing outside an ice cream parlor in 1963 in Durham, North Carolina. The door behind him said, "Colored entrance only," and a white man can be seen looking out the parlor window. It seems that the parlor was accepting Black customers while enforcing segregation, but whether they actually served them ice cream (or vanilla flavor) is up for debate and would require firsthand accounts from Black people in that parlor. A 1939 Library of Congress photograph also shows a group of Black people eating ice cream in a public space, though the exact flavors are unknown. (Russell Lee/Library of Congress) Given that we could find no direct accounts that proved a connection between stories of discrimination from the Jim Crow era and the practice of denying vanilla ice cream except on July 4, it is likely they may fit into a wider pattern of white establishments generally denying services to Black patrons. In other words, the stories may have had little to do with the exact ice cream flavor, or the decision to only serve vanilla ice cream on July 4. What Really Happened? Did the above instances of discrimination never take place? Twitty's father's memory, along with Lorde's firsthand account of being denied ice cream of any flavor, certainly may have occurred (along with numerous stories of Black people being denied other services at establishments). Were they connected to an unspoken rule of specifically denying vanilla ice cream except on July 4 to Black people? Even Twitty admitted to us that this may not have been the case, but it doesn't make the experiences of racism in general any less impactful. When we asked Twitty for details around his vanilla ice cream claim, he expressed regret that his article had been taken literally. "I have some regrets about the story," he said, "But I forgive myself because I ask better questions now." "With my father, I didn't hear the July 4 part [of the social media claim], but did hear about him being denied vanilla ice cream in South Carolina," he said. He added that such histories are "colloquial and discretionary." He said, "Jim Crow wasn't logical, Jim Crow wasn't nice. It was about lynching children and putting men in their place. Custom was worse than written law, and Jim Crow was about customs, where a Black man could not look a white woman in the eye [for example]." He also brought up Angelou's reference to the lore in Arkansas. "That's where we get ideas of this apocryphal folklore that comes from real trauma in people's lives. This passes from person to person and turns into a commentary on American jingoism [referencing July 4]." He also thought elements of the claim about Black people turning to butter pecan as an alternative as somewhat illogical. "When I wrote my commentary [in The Guardian], other readers connected it to butter pecan, while forgetting that [Black families] could make vanilla ice cream at home. It was the favorite ice cream in my household. Both my grandmothers had ice cream makers, there was no reason why they couldn't have made their own vanilla ice cream." Darryl Goodner, co-owner of Louisville Cream in Kentucky and creator of the Butter Pecan Podcast, found that the vanilla ice cream story proliferated as folklore but remained unverified. "We don't have a definitive answer from the research, but it seems to be Black people chose whatever was the other things around," Goodner told the Louisville Courier Journal. "Looking at the South particularly, the flavor butter pecan makes sense. So many pecans are grown in Georgia." We reached out to Goodner to learn more. Jennifer Wallach, professor of history at the University of North Texas, told us internet stories of Black people being denied vanilla ice cream were drawn from oral histories in Black families, but she had never run across any evidence showing this to be a widespread practice. "I certainly would not want to refute those family histories, and I would guess that this kind of thing may have happened before. In this case, the core truth about inequality and discrimination, even over very trivial matters, is, of course, unambiguously true," she said. However, she added, it was not a widespread practice simply because of economics: I don't think the practice of denying vanilla ice cream was widespread for the fundamental reason that white business owners typically seemed content, or perhaps to put it more plainly, eager, to take Black money. In the drugstores, for instance, where many of the sit-ins took place in the 1960s, Black people could shop. They could spend money. They just couldn't sit at the lunch counter on equal terms with white customers. Restaurants, of course, often had separate seating areas or take-out windows for Black customers. These practices were designed to be humiliating and discriminatory but not to deny Black customers an opportunity to spend their money on goods. (There were exceptions, of course, like, famously, the Pickrick in Atlanta that would not serve Black customers at all.) In general, Black and white southerners ate similar foods, and white supremacists relied on spatial cues to signal racial difference and Black inferiority, rather than refusing to eat the same foods or policing what could be eaten. There is, of course, an argument to be made about "white foods" as symbols of purity, etc. that could map onto white supremacy, but why would vanilla ice cream be singled out? Were Black people supposedly denied other white foods like historically coveted white bread or milk? Many Black southerners were impoverished due to white supremacy, Wallach added, and did not have expendable income for luxuries like ice cream. "Focusing on the vanilla ice cream story could be a distraction from fundamentally more brutal truths about the impact of white supremacy on Black southerners," she continued. But the story still proliferated because it struck a chord among Black people on social media. "It's about sugar, dessert and pleasure. It's about the denial of pleasure unless you have a certain skin color and privilege. [This discrimination] sounds diabolical because you are also denying a child. It does a good job of articulating what we can't otherwise say," Twitty said. We have encountered such folklore emerging from historic moments of trauma before. In 2022, we reported on the internet claim that Black slaves would create maps in cornrows to help others escape slavery in the South. We could not definitively address the veracity of the claim but found that such stories mattered to the Black community as rich and varied tales surrounding their movement towards emancipation. Over the course of our reporting on that story, Patricia Turner, folklorist and professor of African American studies at University of California Los Angeles, told us, "I am reticent to say anything too concrete, because I want lay people to want to know more about what life was like for enslaved people. There is no real value added to harshly saying 'no' to a story." She continued, "You can couch your language [and say] 'Well, no slave narrative covers it.' Others will say, 'Well that doesn't mean it didn't happen.'" The same tension between history and folklore applies to this story as well. Whether Black people were denied a specific ice cream flavor over its symbolism is besides the point the fact that they were denied similar services consistently and systematically is the underlying message of such lore that has persisted for generations. Sources: Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York : Bantam Books, 1971. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/iknowwhycagedbir0000ange_m6v8. Accessed 11 June 2024. Cohen, Sascha. "Why the Woolworth's Sit-In Worked." TIME, 2 Feb. 2015, https://time.com/3691383/woolworths-sit-in-history/. Accessed 11 June 2024. "Forced To Seat Blacks, Ala. Restaurant Complied With History." NPR, 13 Dec. 2014. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2014/12/13/370470745/forced-to-seat-blacks-ala-restaurant-complied-with-history. Accessed 11 June 2024. Ghabour, Dahlia. "'Is Butter Pecan Ice Cream a "Black Thing"?' Louisville Podcast Explores How Race Impacts Food." The Courier-Journal, https://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/food/2021/01/26/black-owned-louisville-cream-launches-butter-pecan-podcast/4151700001/. Accessed 11 June 2024. "How a 12-Year-Old Boy Made Vanilla a Global Spice." BBC, https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240118-the-little-known-truth-about-vanilla. Accessed 11 June 2024. Lee, Russell, photographer. "Negroes eating ice cream in front of hardware store. San Augustine, Texas." Apr. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, . Accessed 11 June 2024. Lim, Angela. "'A Story of Survival': Food Influencer Explains the Racist History behind Butter Pecan Ice Cream." The Daily Dot, 27 June 2023, https://www.dailydot.com/irl/butter-pecan-ice-cream/. Accessed 11 June 2024. Lorde, Audre. "The fourth of july." Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/the_fourth_of_july. Accessed 11 June 2024. "Mississippi and Vanilla Ice Cream; a Complicated History." WJTV, 28 Feb. 2024, https://www.wjtv.com/hidden-history/black-history-month/mississippi-and-vanilla-ice-cream-a-complicated-history/. Accessed 11 June 2024. Twitty, Michael W. "Black People Were Denied Vanilla Ice Cream in the Jim Crow South except on Independence Day." The Guardian, 4 July 2014. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/04/black-people-vanilla-ice-cream-jim-crow-independence-day. Accessed 11 June 2024. Twitty, Michael W. Phone call, 10 June 2024. Wallach, Jennifer. Email, 11 June 2024. "Writer James Baldwin Stands Outside an Ice Cream Parlor with a..." Getty Images, 26 Apr. 2016, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/writer-james-baldwin-stands-outside-an-ice-cream-parlor-news-photo/525578174. Accessed 11 June 2024. Rupert Murdochs Sad Little Super PAC: White House Pushes Back Again At New York Post, This Time Over Biden-Obama L.A. Fundraiser Video UPDATED: The White House again is pushing back at the New York Post over a video that the Murdoch-owned publication claimed showed President Joe Biden freezing up at the end of his blockbuster fundraiser in Los Angeles with former President Barack Obama. Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks LA fundraiser, the Post wrote on X/Twitter on Sunday, in a post the quickly traveled across social media and was picked up by other outlets on the right. More from Deadline In the video, taken after they wrapped up their conversation, Obama and Biden and moderator Jimmy Kimmel are waving to the crowd. The president turned to face another section of the audience and, about six seconds later, Obama took his arm, then put it around Bidens shoulder and they walked offstage. Andrew Bates, White House senior deputy press secretary, wrote, Fresh off being fact checked by at least 6 mainstream outlets for lying about @POTUS with cheap fakes, Rupert Murdochs sad little super pac, the New York Post, is back to disrespecting its readers & itself once again. Their ethical standards could deal with a little unfreezing. By pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong, all theyre really admitting is once again is they cant take on the leadership thats fueling the strongest economic growth in the world & bringing violent crime to a 50 year low, Bates wrote. Bates also accused the Post and other outlets, including Breitbart and the Daily Mail, of parroting Republican National Committee talking points. While were on the subject of mental sharpness, its ironic that these same 3 partisan outlets dont realize its obvious from public time stamps that they treat the RNCs cheap fakes account as an editor, he wrote. Eric Schultz, senior adviser to Obama, wrote, This did not happen. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters they are cheap fakes videos; they are done in bad faith. She noted that Obama and Biden are friends. Theyre like family to each other. And I think thats what you saw. Last week, the White House hammered the Post for cropping a video of Biden at the G7 summit, making it look as if he had wandered off from other world leaders watching a skydiving demonstration. A wider shot of the moment, however, showed that the president was in fact congratulating another diver who had just landed. Even after the White House objected to the Posts social media characterization of the G7 video, the publication featured it on their front cover on Friday, with the headline, Meander in Chief. Piers Morgan, the British talk host, on Sunday tweeted out the fundraiser video, taken by The Hollywood Reporters Chris Gardner. Morgan called the moment so embarrassing. So embarrassing. The Democrats cant let this go on, surely? pic.twitter.com/ptCtWBbFfh Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 16, 2024 But others at the event shared a different angle of the moment, taken from the streaming feed of the event, disputing characterizations of Biden freezing. I recorded the ending of the fundraiser.. watch it below and ALWAYS FACTCHECK BEFORE SHARING NONSENSE https://t.co/SS2VoNIHVE pic.twitter.com/OJeKERWoSJ Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) June 16, 2024 The event at the Peacock Theater, raised $30 million, according to a campaign official. Deadlines Dominic Patten also captured the moment. With $29M & rising in the coffers from tonight's mega-fundraiser, two @POTUS exit the stage in #DTLA after Jimmy Kimmel Q&A Read more from myself & @tedstew on @DEADLINE now pic.twitter.com/yzKJxNNLE0 Dominic Patten (@DeadlineDominic) June 16, 2024 Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. American journalist Evan Gershkovich will stand trial behind closed doors in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg starting on June 26, state-run news agency TASS reported Monday, citing the courts press service. Gershkovich, 32, has been imprisoned since he was arrested while on a reporting trip in March last year by the FSB, Russias federal security service, which accused him of trying to obtain state secrets. Gershkovich, the US government and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, have vehemently denied the charges against him. The Russian Prosecutor Generals office said last Thursday it had approved the indictment and referred Gershkovichs case to a trial court. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. The case will be heard in the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, TASS reported Monday. A US State Department spokesperson said Monday the US was concerned about reports the trial would be held behind closed doors, but said members of the US Embassy in Russia would try to go to it anyway. We will try to attend the trial, as we try to attend the trial of any American citizens who are detained in Russia, but ultimately I dont have an answer for you yet whether thats going to be possible, said the spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing. Miller said the US would continue to try to free Gershkovich as well as fellow wrongfully detained US citizen and former Marine Paul Whelan. For more than a year since his arrest, Gershkovich has been imprisoned in Moscows notorious Lefortovo Prison, and his pre-trial detention period had been extended numerous times. The trial venue of Yekaterinburg is more than 1,100 miles east of the capital. Miller said he did not know if Gershkovich had yet been moved from Lefortovo to Yekaterinburg. Last week, Russian prosecutors said the FSB had established and documented that Gershkovich was acting on CIA instructions in the month he was arrested, alleging he had collected secret information about a Russian tank factory. Gershkovich carried out the illegal actions using painstaking conspiratorial methods, it said in a statement. Gershkovichs detention has been a source of tension between Washington and Moscow, whose relations were already deeply strained due to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The White House has previously alleged the Kremlin is using Gershkovich, the first American reporter detained in Russia on allegations of spying since the Cold War, as a geopolitical hostage. On Thursday, the State Departments Miller said the allegations against Gershkovich have absolutely zero credibility. We have been clear from the start that Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime. The charges against him are false, and the Russian government knows that theyre false. He should be released immediately, Miller said at a State Department briefing. The US has repeatedly warned American citizens not to travel to Russia. Additional reporting by CNNs Stephanie Halasz, Anna Chernova, Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's espionage trial of detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who denies charges of collecting secrets for the U.S. CIA, will be held behind closed doors, the trial court said on Monday. Gershkovich, 32, was detained by the Federal Security Service on March 29, 2023, in a steak house in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, 1,400 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. The first American journalist to be detained on spy charges in Russia since the Cold War more than three decades ago, Gershkovich has denied the charges. The Journal says Gershkovich was doing his job and denies he is a spy. The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said Gershkovich was trying to collect secrets about Uralvagonzavod, a Russian defence enterprise that is one of the world's biggest battle tank producers, for the CIA. "The process will take place behind closed doors," the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg said. "According to the investigation authorities, the American journalist of The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich, on the instructions of the CIA, in March 2023, collected secret information in the Sverdlovsk region about the activities of the defence enterprise JSC NPK Uralvagonzavod for the production and repair of military equipment." The first hearing is scheduled for June 26, the court said. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters the U.S. was concerned that the trial was to be held behind closed doors. "We have a concern about that. We are going to attempt to attend the trial - don't know if that will be possible," he said. The White House has called the charges "ridiculous" and President Joe Biden has said Gershkovich's detention is "totally illegal". Russia said Gershkovich was caught "red-handed". President Vladimir Putin has said there has been contact with Washington about potentially swapping Gershkovich but that such negotiations should be held away from the media. The Journal said Gershkovich was on a reporting assignment when detained and that his fate illustrates the threats journalists face trying to report on the front lines of major global stories. It has demanded his release. "This latest development means a sham trial is imminent. We expect that all parties will work to bring Evan home now. Time is of the essence," the Journal said. "The Russian regimes smearing of Evan is repugnant and based on calculated and transparent lies. Journalism is not a crime, and Evans case is an assault on free press." SWAP FUND? Gershkovich's arrest illustrated how far relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated over the Ukraine war since hopes of friendship were raised after the Cold War ended with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. There are now almost no U.S. reporters in Russia. U.S. diplomats say that Gershkovich was not a spy and was detained by Russia's FSB to build up a store of arrested U.S. citizens who could later be swapped for Russians detained in the West. Among the detained Americans is Paul Whelan, an ex-Marine arrested in Moscow in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison on spying charges in 2020. Putin suggested in February that Gershkovich could be swapped for Vadim Krasikov, convicted of the 2019 murder of a Chechen dissident in Berlin, although he did not mention Krasikov by name. Putin said in March he had agreed the idea of potentially swapping Alexei Navalny a few days before the opposition leader died in unexplained circumstances at a Russian prison on Feb. 16. A fluent Russian-speaker born to Soviet emigres and raised in New Jersey, Gershkovich moved to Moscow in late 2017 to join the English-language Moscow Times, and subsequently worked for the French news agency Agence France-Presse. It was unclear whether Gershkovich, on his reporting trip to the Urals, was planning to report on Uralvagonzavod, based in Nizhny Tagil. The enterprise sits at the heart of the Urals region, where Russia conducts some of its most secret weapons production and research. It is part of Rostec, Russia's vast defence corporation run by Putin ally Sergei Chemezov. (Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson, Timothy Heritage and Alison Williams) The wreckage of the downed MH17 at a presentation of the report on the cause of its crash. Gilze-Rijen Air Base, Netherlands, 13 October 2015. Photo: Reporter/East News The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has claimed that it will stop considering the claims of Australia and the Netherlands to the International Civilian Aircraft Organisation (ICAO) regarding the downing of the MH17 flight above Ukraine in July 2014. Source: the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia published on 17 June, as reported by European Pravda Details: Russias Foreign Ministry claims that it was not given the opportunity to participate in the investigation of the MH17 catastrophe and considers the conclusions drawn by the international investigation to be inaccurate. "In such conditions it is impossible to talk about an unbiased establishment of facts, leave alone a fair decision. The ICAO council is not a suitable place for seeking the truth," Russias Foreign Affairs Ministry claims. Besides blaming the West, Russia ends its statement saying it "ends its participation in this farce" and does not recognize the Councils authorisation "to consider the claims by Australia and the Netherlands, as well as any decisions it will make in connection with them". Australia and the Netherlands initiated a court case against Russia in the ICAO due to the downing of a MH17 Malaysia Airlines flight in March 2022. As it is known, the Hague District Court sentenced Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko to life in prison in absentia for their role in downing the MH17 liner above Ukraines Donbas and ordered their arrest. The court obliged them to pay over 16 million of compensation to the families of the deceased. The Hague court also judged that Russia controlled the unrecognised Donetsk Peoples Republic when the MH17 plane was downed. Support UP or become our patron! Russia overtook US in May as leading gas supplier to Europe, FT reports Russia overtook the United States in the month of May as the lead supplier of liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe for the first time in nearly two years, the Financial Times reported on June 16. According to the International Commodity Intelligence Service (ICIS), Russian-piped gas LNG shipments made up 15 per cent of supply delivered to the EU, UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, FT reported. While U.S. LNG supplies made up just 14 per cent of the supply. The report attributes decreased U.S. exports to a one-time outage at a major LNG export facility, combined with Russia delivering more gas through Turkey ahead of planned maintenance in June. Despite the one-time reversal, Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at ICIS, told the Financial Times that the export trend was "not likely to last," as Russia prepares to deliver more LNG to Asian countries. China remains Russia's largest gas customer, having ended 2023 purchasing over 6.8 million tonnes of gas. Russian gas giant Gazprom commissioned a report in June that revealed the country will not be able to recover losses incurred from Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine for at least 10 years. Despite Brussels' target to be free of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, several EU members remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, and imports of LNG from Russia reached record highs last year. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on May 6 that there are currently no sanctions against Russian LNG, but EU energy ministers "made a decision and proposed a tool to limit the access of Russian liquefied natural gas to our energy terminals." The EU is working on a proposal to limit imports of Russian liquified gas (LNG) as part of the upcoming 14th package of sanctions. Read also: FT: Ukraine signs first major deal with US company for LNG supplies Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Vladimir Putin is set to travel to North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday, the Kremlin said, in the Russian presidents first trip to the country in more than two decades and the latest sign of a deepening alignment thats raised widespread international concern. This is a rare overseas trip for Putin since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022 and a key moment for North Korean President Kim Jong Un, who has not hosted another world leader in Pyongyang among the globes most politically isolated capitals since the Covid-19 pandemic. The closely watched visit is expected to further cement a burgeoning partnership between the two powers that is founded on their shared animosity toward the West and driven by Putins need for support in his ongoing war on Ukraine. Following his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Hanoi Wednesday for another two-day trip, in a display of Communist-governed Vietnams ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Putins trip to North Korea will have a very eventful agenda, his aide Yuri Ushakov said during a press conference Monday. Both leaders plan to sign a new strategic partnership, Ushakov said, with main events of the visit scheduled for Wednesday. Ushakov insisted the agreement is not provocative or aimed against other countries, but is meant to ensure greater stability in northeast Asia. He said the new agreement will replace documents signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 1961, 2000 and 2001. The parties are still working on it, and a final decision regarding its signing will be formed in the coming hours, Ushakov said, according to Russian state media RIA. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies shows preparations for a large parade in Pyongyangs central square. One image shows a grandstand being constructed on the eastern side of Kim Il Sung Square, the site where all major parades in North Korea are held. In an earlier image, taken on June 5, North Koreans can be seen practicing marching formations. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un during a visit to Russia's Vostochny osmodrome, September 2023. - Sputnik/Reuters US national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday the Biden administration wasnt concerned about the trip itself, but added, What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries. The US, South Korea and other countries have accused North Korea of providing substantial military aid to Russias war effort in recent months, while observers have raised concerns that Moscow may be violating international sanctions to aid Pyongyangs development of its nascent military satellite program. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. Putins trip reciprocates one Kim made last September, when the North Korean leader traveled in his armored train to Russias far eastern region, for a visit that included stops at a factory that produces fighter jets and a rocket-launch facility. It also comes as tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula amid heightened international concern about the North Korean leaders intentions as he ramped up bellicose language and scrapped a longstanding policy of seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea. South Korea fired warning shots on Tuesday after North Korean soldiers working in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas briefly crossed into the South, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second incident of its kind in the last two weeks. An advancing partnership Kim last week hailed the future of the countries meaningful ties and close comradeship in a message to Putin commemorating Russias national day on June 12. Our people give full support and solidarity to the successful work of the Russian army and people, Kim said, according to the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper. In an article for the Rodong Sinmun newspaper published early Tuesday local time to coincide with the trip, Putin thanked Pyongyang for showing unwavering support for Russias war in Ukraine and said the two countries were ready to confront the ambition of the collective West. He said the two were actively advancing their multifaceted partnership and would develop alternative trade and mutual settlements mechanisms not controlled by the West, jointly oppose illegitimate unilateral restrictions, and shape the architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia. The meeting comes just days after a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) developed economies in Italy attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where Western leaders reiterated their enduring support for Ukraine and agreed to use profits from frozen Russian assets to back a $50 billion loan to the war-torn country. It also follows a Kyiv-backed international peace summit over the weekend attended by more than 100 countries and organizations, which was meant to drum up support for Zelenskys vision for peace, which calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Putin rebuffed those efforts a day ahead of the gathering by offering his own peace conditions, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four partially occupied regions and that Kyiv withdraw its bid to join NATO a position seen as nonstarter by Ukraine and its allies. Putins visit to North Korea is widely viewed as an opportunity for him to seek to bolster Kims support for his war a goal that may be increasingly urgent as long-delayed American military aid for Ukraine comes online. Last month, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told American lawmakers the provision of North Korean munitions and missiles, as well as Iranian drones, had allowed Russian forces to get back up on their feet. Between August and February, Pyongyang shipped about 6,700 containers to Russia, which could accommodate more than 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or more than 500,000 rounds of 122 mm multiple rocket launchers, South Koreas defense ministry said earlier this year. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied such arms transfers, with a senior North Korean official last month calling such allegations an absurd paradox. When asked about concerns that Russia is considering the transfer of sensitive technologies to Pyongyang in exchange for those goods, a Kremlin spokesperson last week said the countries potential for developing bilateral relations was profound and should not cause concern to anyone and should not and cannot be challenged by anyone. Putin on the world stage Putin last visited North Korea in 2000, his first year as president of Russia, where he met with Kims predecessor and late father Kim Jong Il. His travel now to North Korea and then Vietnam comes as the Russian leader appears keen to re-establish himself on the global stage, chipping away at an image of isolation in the wake of his widely condemned invasion of Ukraine by drawing in like-minded partners. Last month Putin made a state visit to Beijing, where he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a sweeping affirmation of their shared opposition to what they see as a US-led world order. Moscow last week hosted foreign ministers from countries including China, Iran, South Africa and Brazil for a meeting of the BRICS group of major developing economies. US national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday called Putins latest travel a charm offensive following the leaders re-election. Putin won his fifth term earlier this year in a contest without true opposition. Putins move to bolster North Korean ties has also been a boon for Kim, who remains unbowed by years of international sanctions over his illegal nuclear weapons program. The visit from a leader of a permanent member country of the United Nations Security Council will provide a signal to Kims domestic audience of his global clout and a chance to push for deeply needed economic and technological support from Moscow. Russia previously backed international sanctions and UN-backed investigations into North Koreas illegal weapons program, which includes tests of long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles that could in theory reach the US mainland. But Russias apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic. In March, Moscow vetoed a UN resolution to renew independent monitoring of North Koreas violations of Security Council sanctions. Additional reporting by Mariya Knight, Yoonjung Seo, Betsy Klein and Paul P. Murphy For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com If Russia Has Real Case Against WSJ Reporter, Why Hold the Trial in Secret? A court in Russia on Monday announced that the espionage trial of a detained American journalist will take place in secret, a court said. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal, will be tried in closed-door hearings beginning on June 26, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg said. The 32-year-old was arrested in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 and accused of spyingallegations vehemently denied by both the Journal and the Biden administration, which considers Gershkovich wrongfully detained. One-Two Punch From the Skies Is a Massive Blow to Putin Russias FSB security service claims Gershkovich was acting on the instructions of the CIA when he tried to obtain secrets about Uralvagonzavod, a Russian defense company which manufactures tanks, according to Reuters. The court said Russias investigative authorities allege Gershkovich collected information about the production and repair of military equipment. The Journal says Gershkovich was on a reporting trip for the newspaper when he was detained last year. Russian authorities have not publicly presented any evidence to support their claims against the journalist, with the White House describing the case as ridiculous. Gershkovich could face a sentence of up to 20 years if convicted. Separately on Monday, U.S. soldier Gordon Black denied charges in a Russian court of threatening to kill his girlfriend, according to state media, which also reported that he partially admitted to stealing from her. Black was arrested Vladivostok in May, the month after he arrived in the city to visit a woman he met in South Korea, according to RIA Novosti. Prosecutors claim Black forcefully grabbed the woman by the neck during an argument, the state-owned news agency reports, before allegedly stealing 10,000 rubles (around $113) from her purse. The woman perceived the alleged grabbing as a real threat to her life, prosecutors claim. Black told the court through an interpreter that there was no intent to steal the money. He also said hed transferred $500 to the alleged victim via an acquaintance before he was arrested, according to Tass. The outlet also claimed the woman told the court that Black had been aggressive toward her several times. The Pentagon previously said Black had broken Army rules by traveling to Russia through China without authorization. Both Black and Gershkovichs cases come amid strained diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington, D.C., over the grinding war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously indicated that a prisoner swap deal could be made to free Gershkovich in return for the release of an FSB assassin currently incarcerated in Germany. A similar agreement was reached to free WNBA star Brittney Griner after she spent most of 2022 detained in Russia following the discovery of cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at Moscow Airport. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland over the weekend achieved nothing, Russian President Vladimir Putin's official spokesman said in Moscow on Monday. A total of 93 states and international organizations participated in the talks near Lucerne. A large majority backed the final declaration that stressed Ukraine's sovereignty within internationally recognized borders. "If one talks about the results of this meeting, then they tend naturally to zero," spokesman Dmitri Peskov said. Moscow was not bothered by the fact that a number of normally friendly states had voted for the final declaration, he said. "We will of course take into account the attitude that these countries have taken. It's important to us. We will continue to explain our arguments to them," Peskov said. The final declaration said noted that the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya, which is occupied by Russia, should be under Ukrainian control. Russia was not invited to the summit, and China declined to attend. Major countries that did attend did not sign the final declaration, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa. Peskov said that Putin's peace proposals remained on the table for discussion, according to Russia's state-owned TASS news agency. Putin presented his own peace plan a day ahead of the summit, demanding that Ukraine surrender the territory held by Russian forces and withdraw its application to join NATO. Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Russia carried out an attack on the city of Poltava on June 17, hitting a civilian infrastructure site, Governor Filip Pronin reported. At least nine people were injured in the attack, but no fatalities were reported at around 2 p.m. local time, Pronin said. The number of injured was 12 at of around 4:30 p.m. local time. Two children are among the victims, according to Pronin. At least three people were hospitalized. The regional prosecutor's office reported the number of casualties rose to 16, while six people were hospitalized at around 7:30 p.m. local time. At least 22 people, including three children, have sought medical care following the strike, Pronin said at around 9:30 p.m. local time. One child and eight adults were hospitalized. Russian forces could launch the strike with a Kh-59 cruise missile, the prosecutor's office said. Several multi-story buildings have been reportedly damaged. The governor previously said that some people may be trapped under the rubble. The attack also damaged power lines in the region. Around 53,000 civilian and 2,400 industrial customers are without power, according to Pronin. Poltava Oblast lies in the central-eastern part of Ukraine. Read also: Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 1, injure 15 over past day Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia to try detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich in secret Evan Gershkovich, seen here in court in Moscow in April, will be tried in secret - Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist detained by Russia on espionage charges, will be tried in secret next week, the court overseeing his case has said. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) correspondent was arrested in March 2023 on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg and has been held in Moscows notorious Lefortovo prison since. He was the first Western journalist since the Soviet era to be arrested for alleged spying. Last week, Russias prosecutor-general accused him of working for the CIA and collecting secret information about tank maker Uralvagonzavod in the Sverdlovsk region where he was arrested. The United States said the charges had zero credibility and the Wall Street Journal called Russias announcement outrageous. Moscow had not previously provided any public details of its case against Mr Gershkovich, saying only that he was caught red-handed. The US said the charges against Mr Gershkovich were baseless - Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty On Monday, the Sverdlovsk regional court said in a statement that the trial would start on June 26 and be held behind closed doors. The 32-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. Mr Gershkovich, his family, his employer and Washington have denied all charges against him since the start, insisting that the journalist was simply doing his job. Evan Gershkovich is facing a false and baseless charge. Russias latest move toward a sham trial is, while expected, deeply disappointing and still no less outrageous, Emma Tucker, the WSJs editor-in-chief, said in a joint statement with the papers executives. Washington last year declared Mr Gershkovich wrongfully detained, which effectively means the White House regards him as a political hostage. We have been clear from the start that Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place, Matthew Miller, the US state department spokesman, told journalists last week. The charges against him are false, and the Russian government knows that they are false. He should be released immediately, he added. Washington has accused Moscow of arresting its citizens on baseless charges to use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, said in February he would like to see Gershkovich freed as part of a prisoner exchange and that talks were ongoing. But Putin made clear he wanted any deal to involve the release of a Russian jailed in Germany for killing a Chechen dissident. 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. Russian attacks against Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 over the past day, regional authorities said on June 17. Russia targeted a total of nine Ukrainian oblasts Chernihiv, Poltava, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter three regions. A Russian attack on the village of Nova Poltavka in Donetsk Oblast injured seven people, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. The Pokrovsk and Bakhmut districts also came under Russia's attacks. Two people were injured in the town of Krasnohorivka and one in the town of Toretsk, according to Filashkin. In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian air strike damaged four houses and an ambulance in the village of Pisky Radkivski, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. A 13-year-old boy, a man, and a woman suffered injuries, he added. Russian forces also attacked a children's camp in the city of Kharkiv with aerial guided bombs overnight on June 16, damaging a building, according to Syniehubov. No casualties were reported. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast damaged seven houses, critical infrastructure, a car, and a gas pipeline, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Two people were injured in the region over the past day, according to Prokudin. Russian "kamikaze" drone also attacked a car in the village of Osokorivka in the morning of June 17, killing a man born aged around 50, the governor reported. Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian defence conglomerate claims to have delivered batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers Rostec, a Russian state firm, stated that it had delivered the Russian Ministry of Defence with another batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers. Source: Rostec Quote: "After conducting a set of factory tests, aviation equipment was sent to the troops." Details: The corporation does not provide a precise number of vehicles delivered. It is worth noting that the planes used by Russia to hit Ukraine are built at the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant named after Valery Chkalov. Rostec emphasises that the Su-34 fighter-bombers are designed to hit ground and air targets, as well as infrastructure assets protected by air defence systems and placed at a significant distance from the base airfield. It is also stated that the aircraft can operate under fire and facing electronic countermeasures day and night, under various weather conditions. Rostec promises that Russian aviation producers are now "increasing aircraft production." According to the Rostec website, this years first batch of Su-34 bombers was transferred to the Russian forces in early April. Background: On 11 June, it was reported that the Russian Aerospace Forces' Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed during a planned training mission in a mountainous area of North Ossetia, killing two crew members. Ukraine's Defence Intelligence claimed in early April that Russia's fleet consisted of approximately 100 Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-35 multirole fighters. Support UP or become our patron! A Russian kamikaze drone has attacked a civilian car in Osokorivka, Kherson Oblast, on the morning of 17 June, killing one person. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "In the morning, the Russians attacked a car in Osokorivka with a kamikaze drone." Details: He said that the strike killed a 50-year-old resident. Prokudin expressed condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Support UP or become our patron! Emergency workers dealing with the aftermath of a Russian attack. Stock photo: Ukraines State Emergency Service Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure in Poltava Oblast on the afternoon of 17 June, 12 civilians were injured, including 2 children. Source: Filip Pronin, the Head of Poltava Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine More updates on this topic: Number of people injured in Russian missile attack on Poltava increases to 22 Quote from Pronin: "Early reports indicate that the enemy has hit civilian infrastructure in Poltava Oblast. There are casualties, people may be trapped under the rubble of a building. Information is being gathered." Details: Earlier, Pronin said that an air-raid warning had been issued in Poltava Oblast. Ukraine's Air Force reported that the Russians had fired a missile on Poltava Oblast, in particular, the city of Myrhorod. Updated: Later, Pronin reported from the scene that nine people had been injured. "Early reports indicate no fatalities. Several high-rise buildings have been damaged. Information is being gathered," the official concluded. Pronin further noted that the Russian attack had damaged power lines in Poltava district, leaving 53,000 residential and 2,400 commercial customers without electricity. "Emergency crews are already working to deal with the aftermath and resume the power supply as soon as possible. Keep calm. The situation is under control," Pronin emphasised. Updated at 18:18: The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported that 12 people had been injured in the attack, including 2 children. Aftermath of Russian missile attack on Poltava on 17 June. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Aftermath of Russian missile attack on Poltava on 17 June. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Quote: "Civilian infrastructure was damaged, a fire broke out. The blast wave damaged the windows of residential and administrative buildings nearby. Power lines were damaged as well." Aftermath of Russian missile attack on Poltava on 17 June. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Support UP or become our patron! Moscow A U.S. soldier held in Russia denied threatening a Russian woman with murder while also pleading "partially" guilty to theft in a court in the far eastern city of Vladivostok Monday, according to Russia's state-run media. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was arrested in early May in Vladivostok, where he was visiting a Russian woman he met and dated while serving in South Korea. He is the latest U.S. citizen to be held in Russia. The 34-year-old was detained after the woman, named by Russian media as Alexandra Vashuk, reported him to the police after an argument. Russian media on Monday quoted Black as saying he was "partially guilty" of theft but that it was not premeditated, and that he was "not guilty" of allegedly threatening Vashuk with murder. CBS News has not been able to obtain contact details for any lawyers representing Black in Russia, and it is not possible to verify information reported by Russian state media. Russia's state-run news outlets had said previously, in mid-May, that Black had entered a guilty plea to theft charges and was cooperating with investigators in the case. Vashuk had accused Black of allegedly stealing some 10,000 rubles (100 euros) from her and said he had physically attacked her. Gordon Black, a U.S. soldier detained in Russia, poses for a selfie in a file photo obtained from social media. / Credit: Gordon Black via Facebook via Reuters Black said she had started an argument after drinking. He said the pair met in October 2022 on the dating app Tinder in South Korea and had dated there, before Vashuk then invited him to come to Vladivostok. He said he did not plan to take the money and intended to give it back, saying he took it because he could not access his money in Russia, as it is held in a U.S. bank. Black was detained in Vladivostok on May 2 and been held in pre-trial detention since then. He was stationed in South Korea, Pentagon officials told CBS News, and was in the process of changing duty stations to Fort Cavazos, formerly known as Fort Hood, in the U.S. when he went to Russia on unofficial travel. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in early May that the U.S. was "aware of this case," but that he couldn't "say much about it right now." The charges against the American soldier carry up to five years in prison. Black has been kept in pre-trial detention since his arrest in May. Unlike U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, who's facing trial on espionage charges in Russia, the U.S. government has not declared Black to be wrongfully detained by Russian authorities. A court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg announced Monday that Gershkovich's trial would begin on June 26 behind closed doors, as is typical of espionage cases in Russia. His family, his employer The Wall Street Journal, and the Biden administration have all dismissed the charges against him as baseless. U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan is also imprisoned in Russia, where he has remained behind bars since his arrest five years ago. He also stands accused of espionage, allegations the U.S. government and his family have rejected repeatedly as baseless. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg on fatherhood New Jersey diner owner, who is blind, dishes out friendship and inspiration Maryland Gov. Wes Moore pardons 175,000 marijuana convictions (Reuters) - A Russian official said on Monday that fighting was gripping parts of Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region which Moscow has been trying to seize and added that Ukraine's military was pouring men and equipment into the contested area. Ukrainian President Voldodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv's forces were gradually pushing Russian troops out of the contested area. His top commander predicted that Moscow would try to press forward pending the arrival in Ukraine of sophisticated Western equipment, including U.S-made F-16 fighter jets. Russian forces crossed into parts of Kharkiv region last month and officials say they have seized about a dozen villages. Vitaly Ganchev, Russia-appointed governor of the areas of Kharkiv region controlled by Moscow, said Russian forces were beating back Ukraine's latest counter-attacks in areas near Vovchansk, five kilometres (three miles) inside the border. "There is fighting still going on in the Kharkiv sector. The fiercest clashes are in Vovchansk and near Lyptsy," Ganchev told Russian news agencies. "The enemy is sending reserves and trying to counter-attack but is meeting a fierce response from our armed forces." Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incursion sought to create a "buffer zone" to prevent Ukraine from shelling border areas, including Belgorod region, opposite Kharkiv. Over the past week, Ukrainian officials have said the Russian advance is firmly under control. Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, said Ukrainian troops were "gradually pushing the occupiers out of the Kharkiv region". The military's General Staff reported 10 Russian attacks were repelled near Vovchansk and Lyptsi. Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksander Syrskyi, said on Telegram that Moscow's commanders "were building intensity and expanding the geography of military activity. "The enemy clearly understands that the gradual arrival of weapons and equipment from our partners, the arrival of the first F-16s, strengthens our air defences," he wrote. "Time is one our side and their chances of success will diminish." Ukrainian military bloggers said Kyiv's forces were holding positions around Vovchansk and trying to break through Russian lines to consolidate units around the town. Russian forces seized much of Kharkiv region in the early weeks of the February 2022 invasion, but Ukraine recaptured large swathes of territory later that year. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, 30 km (18 miles) from the border, stayed out of Russian hands, and months of Russian attacks have eased, Ukrainian officials say, thanks to the arrival of new weaponry. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar; Editing by Bill Berkrot) North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un (L) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) during the Russia-North Korea Summit on September 13, 2023, at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region, Russia. On Tuesday, Putin will travel to North Korea for a reciprocal meeting with the North Korean leader as the two countries strengthen military ties. File Pool Photo by Kremlin/UPI June 17 (UPI) -- For the first time in 20 years, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea on Tuesday to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, for their second meeting in nine months, as the two countries strengthen military ties amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. The Kremlin announced Putin will spend two days in Pyongyang before traveling to Communist-governed Vietnam on Wednesday. Putin and Kim are expected to sign a new strategic partnership Wednesday, to update documents signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 1961, 2000 and 2001, according to Putin aide Yuri Ushakov. While Ushakov said the agreement does not target other countries, it will ensure greater stability in northeast Asia. "The parties are still working on it, and a final decision regarding its signing will be formed in the coming hours," Ushakov said, according to Russian state media RIA. Putin's visit follows Kim's trip to Russia in September, when the two countries exchanged weapons and economic assistance. The last time Putin traveled to North Korea was in 2000, when he met with Kim's father and former leader Kim Jong Il. North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un (L, 2023) and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to sign a new strategic partnership Wednesday, to update documents signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 1961, 2000 and 2001, according to a Putin aide. Pool Photo by Kremlin/UPI Russia and North Korea's relationship has "developed into invincible ties between comrades-in-arms and a far-reaching strategic relationship, thanks to our significant meeting ... in September last year, and they are steadily developing into a new high," Kim said in a statement last fall, carried by official Korean Central News Agency. On Monday, U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House that the Biden administration is "not concerned about the trip," but added there is concern about the growing anti-West coalition. "What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries not just because of the impact it is going to have on the Ukrainian people, since we know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, and because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula," Kirby said. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told U.S. lawmakers last month that North Korean weapons and Iranian drones had helped Russian forces prolong their war in Ukraine. "We saw Russia engage North Korea, who provided quite a bit of munitions and missiles, and the drones provided by Iran really helped to begin turning the tide there for Russia a bit, and allowed them to get back up on their feet," Austin said. Putin's meeting in North Korea comes less than a week after world leaders met at the Group of Seven summit in Italy, where they reaffirmed their support for Ukraine by agreeing to back a $50 billion loan funded by profits from frozen Russian assets. A Russian soldier says his unit was almost wiped out by Ukrainian fire and drones, with half killed on their first night in Kharkiv A Russian soldier says his unit was almost wiped out by Ukrainian fire and drones, with half killed on their first night in Kharkiv A Russian soldier has described heavy losses for his unit in Kharkiv, with only 12 of 100 remaining. Russia launched a new front in Kharkiv on May 10, quickly capturing territory. But the soldier's account adds to assessments that Russia has fumbled the offensive so far. A Russian soldier has described the "massacre" of his comrades on Ukraine's Kharkiv front, saying only 12 of his 100-strong unit were left to fight. Anton Andreev, speaking to the influential Russian Telegram channel Astra, said that half his unit had been killed on the first night of fighting in a key town. The video interview was posted on June 2, around three weeks after Russia opened up a new front in the Kharkiv region in northern Ukraine. Business Insider was unable to independently verify the video or its content. Russia launched the attack on Kharkiv on May 10, with an estimated 30,000 troops taking advantage of ill-prepared Ukrainian defenses to quickly capture around 99 square miles of territory, reaching the strategic town of Vovchansk, some 28 miles northeast of Kharkiv city. But Andreev said that after capturing one of Vovchansk's streets, his unit came under intense machine-gun fire and, targeted by drones, started taking heavy losses. He claims his unit, the 5th company of the 1009th regiment, was sent forward armed only with machine guns and bulletproof vests, according to Astra. "They just chop us up," he said, per The Guardian's translation. "We are sent under machine guns, under drones in daylight, like meat. And commanders just shout 'forward and forward,'" he added. The streets would seem quiet, but then "you get caught up in a massacre," he said. Andreev was also critical of the military leadership who, he said, sent Russian soldiers to die "like meat." Two days after Andreev's post, a Russian Telegram channel purporting to bring news to soldiers' families said that the 1009th regiment had been defeated. It also said another regiment refused to carry out orders. The report was quickly dismissed as fake news by multiple state-friendly Russian outlets, who questioned the channel's origins and said that the Russian Ministry of Defence had not reported any such losses. But Andreev's account, if confirmed, would give some weight to claims that Russian forces have been poorly equipped and supported in the offensive in Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces have released a video that appears to show dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering in Vovchansk. Experts told BI that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's May estimate of casualties in Kharkiv that around eight times as many Russians were being killed as Ukrainians was plausible. Experts told BI last week that Russia had so far fumbled a golden opportunity in Kharkiv. At the time of the initial Kharkiv advance, Ukraine was particularly stretched for both defenses and ammunition, which pressured it to move forces from its already-strained main front line. The offensive has left some experts, like University of Bath military analyst Patrick Bury, commenting on "how little so far Russia has actually achieved." Even so, Ukraine remains in a vulnerable position, and a broader and better-equipped Russian offensive in the north remains a possibility, RAND geopolitical strategist Ann Marie Dailey said. Meanwhile, on June 7, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby declared the Kharkiv attack as "all but over." Read the original article on Business Insider The Russians shelled Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with artillery, injuring three people on 17 June. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Details: Three women aged 44, 86 and 71 were injured. They were provided with medical assistance and will be treated on an outpatient basis. Quote from Lysak: "The aggressor also attacked the city with kamikaze drones. The Russians also attacked Marhanets hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.]. The enemy dropped ammunition from a UAV on the territory of the hromada. Photo: Serhii Lysak Food and industrial businesses, 12 houses, 4 outbuildings, 7 lorries, 2 cars, and a power line were damaged." Support UP or become our patron! The nuclear-powered Russian submarine Kazan leaves the port of Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 17, 2024. A fleet of Russian warships arrived in Cuban waters last week ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean. (AP Photo/Ariel Ley) HAVANA (AP) A fleet of Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, left Havanas port on Monday after a five-day visit to Cuba following planned military drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise has been seen by some as a show of strength by Moscow against the backdrop of tensions as U.S. and other Western nations support Kyiv in Russias war on Ukraine. The submarine, a frigate, an oil tanker and a rescue tug slowly departed from the port on Monday morning. Its unclear what the fleets next destination is or where it will dock next in the Caribbean, although U.S. officials said days ago that the vessels could possibly also stop in Venezuela. Officials with the Biden administration said last week that they were monitoring the vessels and confirmed that they did not pose a threat to the region or indicate a transfer of missiles. Still, the United States docked a submarine, the USS Helena, at its Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The American naval base, located in the southeastern part of the island about 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) from the capital of Havana, is considered by the Cuban government to be illegally occupied territory. Last week, the Russian ships arrived at the port after the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the fleet successfully conducted military drills in the Atlantic Ocean, simulating a missile attack on targets that could be more than 600 kilometers (375 miles) away. The fleet, made up of the frigate Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the tanker Pashin, and the tug Nikolai Chiker, was received in Havana with a 21-gun salute. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the frigate on Saturday and interacted with the sailors, according to a post by the president on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Meanwhile, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio rejected the presence of the American submarine at Guantanamo Base, stating it was unwelcome and uninvited. A State Department spokesperson said last week that Russias port calls in Cuba are routine naval visits and do not pose any danger. On Thursday, a day after arriving, hundreds of people lined up to visit the frigate. The ship was also open to the public on Saturday, which is a common practice when vessels arrive at the port. Canadas navy patrol boat Margaret Brooke entered the Havana harbor on Friday. Russians attack on 8 fronts, fighting continues on 6 of them Ukraine's General Staff The Russians are attacking along the entire line of contact in Ukraine. A total of 123 combat clashes have taken place over the past 24 hours, with 42 clashes occurring since the beginning of Monday. Fighting is currently taking place near 12 settlements. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 10:00 on 17 June Quote from the General Staff: "Over the past 24 hours, the enemy launched a total of two missile attacks on the positions of our troops and populated areas, using three missiles, and 45 airstrikes, which included the dropping of 66 aerial bombs. They also fired over 3,500 times, 93 times from multiple-launch rocket systems." Details: At the same time, Ukraines Air Force struck 10 areas where Russian personnel were concentrated over the past day. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that the total losses of the Russians had amounted to 1,080 people, 2 tanks, 18 armoured combat vehicles, 14 artillery systems, 8 operational and tactical UAVs, 24 vehicles and 12 units of special equipment. Since the beginning of the day on 17 June, 42 combat clashes have already taken place. The Russians launched 27 kamikaze strikes and fired at Ukrainian troops' positions and populated areas more than 500 times. On the Kharkiv front, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian positions near Vovchansk two times. Fighting continues there. "The Russians lost 175 soldiers killed and wounded on this front yesterday; two vehicles and a unit of the aggressor's special equipment were destroyed. In addition, 33 clusters of enemy personnel and an ammunition storage point were destroyed," the General Staff noted. On the Kupiansk front, fighting is underway near Pishchane. The situation is under control. On the Lyman front, the Russians are actively attacking in the areas of Hrekivka, Makiivka and Torske. A total of seven combat clashes are ongoing. The General Staff emphasised that the situation is under control of the Ukrainian defence forces. On the Siversk front, two Russian assault operations are ongoing near Vyimka and Rozdolivka. On the Kramatorsk front, two combat clashes took place near Klishchiivka since the beginning of the day. Since the beginning of 17 June, the Russians tried to drive Ukrainian defenders from their positions on the Pokrovsk front 14 times. "One attack towards Novooleksandrivka was repelled. Fighting continues in the areas of Yevhenivka, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske and Novooleksandrivka. The enemy is most active near the latter," the General Staff said. It was also noted that the Russians lost 321 people killed and wounded on the Pokrovsk front on 16 June. Ukrainian troops destroyed one armoured combat vehicle and damaged another and hit five clusters of Russian military personnel. On the Kurakhove front, the Russians are trying to break through the Ukrainian defences in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Paraskoviivka. Ukrainian troops successfully repelled four attacks. A Russian assault operation near Krasnohorivka continues. According to updated information, Russian losses on this front over the past day amounted to 60 soldiers killed and wounded, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed an electronic warfare system belonging to the Russians. On the Orikhiv front, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to force Ukrainian troops out of their positions in the areas of Robotyne and Mala Tokmachka. "Thanks to the flexibility of our defence system and the coherence of the units' actions, Ukrainian soldiers are confidently holding their positions. In some places, they are conducting active operations. In particular, Ukrainian soldiers captured an enemy tank and took several Russian occupiers captive in Donetsk Oblast," the General Staff summed up. Support UP or become our patron! Russians injure 10 civilians in Donetsk Oblast in one day Aftermath of the Russian attack on Nova Poltavka on 16 June. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration Ten people were injured as a result of a Russian attack in Donetsk Oblast on 16 June. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The Russians injured 10 civilians in Donetsk Oblast on 16 June: seven in Nova Poltavka, two in Krasnohorivka and one in Toretsk." Details: It is noted that the number of Russian casualties in Donetsk Oblast has been given without taking Mariupol and Volnovakha into account. Background: The Russians attacked the village of Nova Poltavka in Donetsk Oblast on 16 June, injuring seven civilians, including two children. Support UP or become our patron! Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with the senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry. -/Kremlin /dpa Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit North Korea and Vietnam, the Kremlin announced on Monday. Putin's visit to North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday follows an invitation from ruler Kim Jong Un, a statement said, describing the trip as a "friendly state visit." Putin is then due to travel on to Vietnam for two days. Russia maintains close ties to North Korea, which is viewed with great suspicion in the West. The isolated communist country with nuclear ambitions is believed to be supplying Russia with ammunition for its war against Ukraine. Kim paid a rare foreign visit to Russia in September. In Vietnam, the Kremlin announced that Putin would meet the heads of state, government and the Communist Party. The talks are to focus on expanding the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. Last year, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin, in relation to alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. He is therefore restricted in his international contacts and can only visit allied countries that - like Russia - do not recognize the court. Since the start of his new term of office in May, Putin has visited Belarus, China and Uzbekistan. Rutherford, TN, officials want to preserve farmland: 'We have been overtaken by the growth' Farmers and officials such as Pettus Read hope fast-growing Rutherford County can preserve historic farmland, as well as other fast-growing counties around the state. "Agriculture has been my life since I was a kid," said Read, a Rutherford County Commissioner who's chairman of the county's Regional Planning Commission. Pettus Read, a Rutherford County Commissioner, shows off his farm land in the Versailles community on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, as he talks about wanting to preserve some of the rural land in Rutherford County. Read resides on 40 acres of the remaining 170-acre farm that belonged to his maternal grandparents on the far southwest side of Rutherford. The back of his hay farm has a view of a tall wooded hill known as the Versailles Knob. The Tennessee government owns the 40-acre hilltop to protect rare endangered mustered plants in the Versailles community, where Native American tribes were known to hunt and gather at a fort on the knob, said Read. He's found arrowheads on those hunting grounds, a small token of its rich history. Rutherford lost 22,044 acres of farmland between 2014 and 2023, according to recent studies from the University of Tennessee Center of Farm Management and American Farmland Trust. Rutherford, Sevier and Williamson are the top three counties losing the most farmland in a state that's ranked third in the nation for loss of farmland, according to the studies. 'All about the money': Rutherford County residents in low density rural area irritated by Murfreesboro's heavy industrial zoning plan Read and other county officials want a new comprehensive plan and are crafting one to preserve historic farmland and prevent higher density development in the rural areas. I think we have been overtaken by the growth," said Read, who's retired from a a 44-year career with the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation in Columbia, Tenn. that included being a writer and director of communications for the organization. The "PlanRutherford" Steering Committee, working on the comprehensive plan, will meet at 2:30 p.m. June 26 in Room 205 of the Rutherford County Courthouse in the center of the downtown Public Square in Murfreesboro. 'Celebrity' pig's burial plot preserved: Rutherford County school board to buy part of historic Batey family farm that dates back to 1807 Rutherford is losing farmland while topping all TN counties in growth The loss of farmland coincides with Rutherford adding 6,419 residents in 2023 to reach a population of 367,101. The gain of people topped the state's 95 counties, according to a University of Tennessee study from the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. The study also showed Rutherford's 1.8% population increase in 2023 slowed from the county's 2.7% growth rate in 2022 with 9,500 more people. The 2023 gain of residents fell below a 2% growth rate for the first time since 2010 during the Great Recession. The red in this map of Rutherford County shows where 22,044 acres of agricultural land has been lost to residential, commercial and other development uses from 2014 to 2023. "In fact, just three times since 1980 has the county experienced a growth rate below that mark," the study said. Rutherford from 2010 to 2023 added 104,497 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 'Haves and the have nots': Williamson gets more growth taxes than Maury, Rutherford More: Maury County century farmer preserves family farmland in fight to sustain rural life in Tennessee Tennessee is projected to lose a million acres of farmland The American Farmland Trust study, "Farms Under Threat Tennessee," examines expected trends from 2016 to 2040. If recent trends continue, 1,014,600 acres of Tennessees farmland will be paved over, fragmented, or converted to uses that jeopardize agriculture," the study says. Tennessee ranks behind Texas, with a projected loss of nearly 2.2 million acres of farmland or ranchland from 2016 to 2040. North Carolina has the second most projected loss of farmland at nearly 1.2 million acres. The American Farmland Trust studies for each state recommends a "Better Built Cities" approach with compact residential and commercial development in urban areas instead of poorly planned development and low-density residential sprawl that rapidly replaces farmland and ranchland. The Better Built Cities approach, according to the "Farms Under Threat Tennessee" study," can save 844,500 acres of farmland, 7,100 farms, $223 million in farm output and 12,200 agricultural jobs based on county averages from Census of Agriculture in 2017. School to replace farmland: 'Breathtakingly beautiful piece of property': Crews break ground on new Blackman school Future Ford Blue Oval factory will mean loss of West Tennessee farmland West Tennessee counties between Jackson and Memphis will see significant growth and loss of farmland when the Ford Blue Oval factory opens to build automobiles off Interstate 40 in Haywood County, said Kevin Ferguson, an extension specialist and coordinator for the University of Tennessee Center of Farm Management. The large Blue Oval development also will attract supply businesses for the factory and a lot of employees to the area who will need more housing that will be built on farmland, Ferguson said. Ferguson expects many people pursuing jobs tied to the Blue Oval project will move to the Jackson area because the city offers schools and places to eat and other amenities. The University of Tennessee Center of Farm Management also has tracked how much of Rutherford's farmland has been converted to residential and commercial development the past 10 years, said Ferguson, who has an office at the county's Lane Agri-Park in Murfreesboro. He also lives in Rutherford on the other side of the Versailles Knob from Read's farm. Ford factory plans: Megasite Authority of West Tennessee approves Blue Oval suppliers Proposed policies seek to slow the loss of farmland Ferguson said there have been proposed policies at the county and state levels seeking to slow down the rate of lost farmland, such as through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. The Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, for example, backed a proposed $25 million investment recommended by Gov. Bill Lee in February to establish a farmland conservation fund to support farmers through voluntary conservation programs "to slow the dramatic loss of farm and forest land," Eric Mayberry, the farm bureau's president, said in statement on the organization's website. The proposed legislative bill had strong support from the Tennessee House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate, the farm bureau reported in April. Ferguson expects the farm bureau to support revised legislation on a farmland conservation fund being proposed by the governor again in 2025. 'Williamson farm is a special place': Family agritourism blends with development off I-24 PHOTOS: Maury County century farmer preserves family farmland in fight to sustain rural life in Tennessee Rutherford official opposes 'sprawl development' Policies on farmland at the Rutherford County level await the crafting of a new comprehensive plan. The PlanRutherford Steering Committee, Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission and elected Rutherford County Commission will be holding a yet-scheduled joint meeting in early July, said Doug Demosi, the county's planning director. The PlanRutherford Steering Committee has met five times to work on the document. Planning officials also organized several community meetings in 2022 and 2023 to hear what residents and business owners have to say about crafting a new comprehensive plan. County Commission chairman Jeff Phillips said he expects to hear more public input on a plan with improved development standards in the rural and suburban areas outside of the Rutherford's cities of Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville. "We really need to make sure that people are heard, and the wishes of the citizens of Rutherford County are followed up," Phillips said. He also has served on the county's regional planning commission for 30 of the past 34 years, including 16 years as chairman. Phillips said the wishes of the people are more important than out-of-county developers and home builders who want no limits on lot sizes for homes. "Special-interest groups are not concerned about Rutherford County and the long-term effects of what I would call sprawl of development," said Phillips, a Murfreesboro resident who grew up in a rural part of Rutherford in the La Vergne area prior to growth. Rutherford leadership Rutherford County Commissioners appoint Jeff Phillips to be chairman & remain on planning commission Rutherford County Commission chairman wants agricultural zoning Pettus Read, a Rutherford County Commissioner, shows a map showing rural areas in Rutherford County on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. The new comprehensive plan will replace a previous one crafted in 2010 that Phillips said was "watered down." "Our long-term plan should take a look at where we've been and especially where we are and what we want to look like 20 years from now, 30 years from now or 40 years from now," Phillips said. The county for decades has had an outdated approach that zoned all land outside the cities residential. The new comprehensive plan should include agriculture zoning, Phillips said. "We need to protect whats left of our farmland," Phillips said. Preserving farmland New Murfreesboro road plans spare historic Batey family farm 'Protect the beauty of Rutherford County' A hay field at the home of Pettus Read, a Rutherford County Commissioner, in the Versailles community on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Fellow Commissioner Read said most of what's left of Rutherford farmland is on the outer edges of the county and away from the urban areas. We have got to be careful and take care of what weve got," said Read, adding the county has been losing about 2,000 acres of farmland per year. Much of Rutherford's former prime farmland off Interstate 24 in the middle of the county is all gone, Read said. Although the county can't adopt a moratorium to stop development as some people want, Rutherford officials can craft policies that will require builders to protect neighbors from water runoff in rural areas with many sink holes, Read said. "We just cant go in there and build every little space into a house," Read said. A photo showing the original home on the Pettus Read, a Rutherford County Commissioner, farm that hangs in his Versailles community home on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. The pending comprehensive plan also should "protect the beauty of Rutherford County" because that's "what a lot of people come down for," said Read, noting that the log house where he was born, built in the early 1800s, still exists. The plan should create areas that preserve farmland for people who want to farm, Read said. "If people want to live in a rural area, we'll try to keep some of it rural," Read said. 'Its a slap in the face': Rutherford's Kittrell community opposes P.E.A.Y. building name Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. Lost Rutherford County farmland acres 2014-2023 Agricultural to residential: 9,818.3 Agricultural to commercial: 603.2 Agricultural to other: 4,864.9 Farm to residential: 323.4 Farm to commercial: 5,415.4 Farm to other: 1,018.7 Total: 22,044 Source: University of Tennessee Center of Farm Management This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Fast-growing Rutherford, TN, officials hope to reduce loss of farmland A scathing grand jury report released Monday criticized Sacramento City Unified School Districts special education department, saying that it continues to utterly fail its most vulnerable students. The results of the Sacramento grand jurys eight-month investigation show that the district does not meet the needs of its students with learning, physical and behavioral disabilities despite receiving recommendations for improvement from national, state and local education experts. The problems with special ed in the district are concentrated in three areas: lack of early intervention programs, disproportionate racial makeup of special ed students and failure to follow Individualized Education Plan (IEP) requirements. The report states that the district fails to provide early intervention services that could prevent students from entering the special ed program altogether, instead funneling students with learning challenges into often-isolated special ed programs. The gold standard for special ed programs is to provide students with a least restrictive environment, meaning that they participate in classes with their peers in general ed as much as possible. Sacramento City Unified has been met with harsh criticism of its special ed program for nearly a decade. The district started to receive letters from education experts in 2017 with recommendations on how to improve the program. Two years later, the Black Parallel School Board (BPSB) alongside three students sued the district on behalf of all students with disabilities on issues including the racial segregation of special ed students and failure to provide necessary services and support. The two parties settled the case in 2023 on the condition that the district abide by a BPSB-recommended action plan. The grand jury found over the past seven years SCUSD received reports with specific recommendations for best practices in special education services, grand jury Foreperson Rick Caruso said. Incredibly, theres no plan for the more than 7,000 special education students in the district. Both the board and the administration seem content to ignore these students and their parents. The grand jury report makes 13 recommendations for the school district in an effort to ensure change and accountability. These include developing and adopting a comprehensive special ed plan by February, taking corrective action to reduce the number of students of color in special ed programs, mandating professional development for teachers and identifying a point of contact for parents of special ed students at each school site. The district has 90 days to respond to the letter from the grand jury, but said in a late Monday statement that the report is a sobering reminder that our students and families deserve better and we must do better by them. As uncomfortably difficult as it is to read, the report ... identified accurate shortcomings with regard to SCUSDs past practices in special education, district officials said. The notion that we are failing to provide appropriate educational services to our most vulnerable students and those with disabilities is unacceptable to every educator and administrator in Sacramento City Unified. The board also acknowledged the reports conclusions, said Lavinia Phillips, its president. The findings, related concerns, and recommendations provided by the grand jury will be reviewed and responded to with the focus on our most important constituents: students, and our most important goal: improving their outcomes, she said in the districts statement. Special education at Sacramento City Unified has known issues Sacramento City Unified is reportedly infamous for its negligent special ed programming. The district received a letter from the state Department of Education in April that not only reprimanded the district for not being in compliance with federal and state disability education laws, but for being unresponsive to 40 emails and 22 phone calls requesting district officials turn in state required documentation regarding its special education program. At a May board meeting discussing the letter from the state, Board of Education member Taylor Kayatta said that people dont normally write letters like this unless things are f---ed up, and they are in our district, and they have been for way too long. Kayatta, who is a parent of a child in special ed, went on to say that he advises parents sue the district to get the services they need for their children. To every single parent that comes to me I say, You know what? Dont trust anyone in this district to help your kids with special ed needs, he said. Sue them immediately and fast, because thats the only way theyre going to take you seriously. In a public comment in the same meeting, West Campus High student Justine Chueh-Griffith addressed the board, speaking about Rosa Park Middle Schools failure to provide her brother with the one-on-one aid required in his IEP for most of the school year. She spoke about how her parents routinely had to attend school with their son to provide him the help he should have received from a staff member. If I did not have a stable teacher for the entire school year, it would be a number one priority at my school site to get me a teacher, she said. However, when the same is essentially true for my brother nothing is done without strong parent intervention. Chueh-Griffith also spoke of a lack of interaction between general and special ed students across school sites, fostering negativity and division on campus. Ive witnessed students using terms like sped or the R-slur as insults daily on my own campus, she said. I believe this is a direct result of the lack of interaction between special ed and general ed students. Transitional kindergarten expansion has added thousands of students in Sacramento County but enrollment still lags behind other urban areas, new state data show. Local educators say that the numbers may not be telling the whole story. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in 2021 setting aside about $2.7 billion to eventually make transitional kindergarten available to all 4-year-olds. The expansion started in earnest last school year, as 4-year-olds who turned 5 between September and April became eligible. Transitional kindergarten is optional and some districts are seeing many more students enroll than others. In Sacramento County, TK students accounted for about 20 of every 1,000 public school students in 2023-24, according to state data released in May. By comparison, TK students accounted for about 26 of every 1,000 public school students statewide. TK enrollment in Sacramento County grew from about 2,000 students in 2021-22 to about 5,000 students in 2023-24, faster than the states rate of growth. But Sacramento Countys TK enrollment lagged so far behind the rest of the state that the increase could not close the gap. Among the 20 California counties with the most public school students, Sacramento County had the lowest proportion of students enrolled in transitional kindergarten. TK students accounted for just 16 of every 1,000 students in Twin Rivers Unified last school year. In Sacramento City Unified and San Juan Unified, the rate was 18 of every 1,000 students. In Elk Grove Unified, the rate was 21 of every 1,000 students. Among large unified school districts, only Natomas Unified beat the statewide average, with 27 of every 1,000 students enrolled in TK. Another way of looking at the numbers is to compare TK enrollment with kindergarten enrollment. By that measure, Sacramento also lags. It enrolled 3.2 TK students for every 10 kindergarten students, compared to a statewide rate of 4.1 TK students for every 10 kindergarten students. Sacramentos rate of TK-to-kindergarten students was the lowest among the 20 California counties with the most public school students. The numbers likely cannot be explained by a lack of 4-year-olds. The birth rate in Sacramento County in 2019 was higher than the statewide rate. Many children born in 2019 would have been eligible for transitional kindergarten last year. Other local counties seemed to have managed to enroll more students in transitional kindergarten. TK students accounted for 28 of every 1,000 students in El Dorado County last school year. In Placer County, the rate was 27 of every 1,000 students. In Yolo County, the rate was 22 of every 1,000 students. So whats going on in Sacramento? Why the numbers may be low Local education experts say that this data is not necessarily representative of the success of TK in the county. There are myriad factors that contribute to a lower rate of TK students enrolling in a given area. Laura Hill, policy director and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, pointed out that the greater the enrollment decline in a given district, the more TK rates would suffer. She also said that the nature of the local child care market in a given region could have a large impact on TK enrollment. TK is also not the only form of preschool available. There are myriad federal-, state- and privately-run programs that offer different hours, teaching styles and levels of accessibility. Sacramento County Office of Education pursues a mixed delivery system for early education, supporting a variety of programs that can meet the diverse needs of families across the county. Julie Montali, executive director for Early Learning at the Sacramento County Office of Education, said that the lower TK rates likely do not indicate lower than average participation in preschool in the region overall. Part of the departments work is providing resources and professional development for a variety of local programs and their staff. Sacramento is a big proponent of the universal pre-K mixed delivery system which really is this umbrella of different options for families, Montali said. TK is an important piece of the puzzle, but there are other pieces as well. Other preschool programs, which range from the federally-operated Head Start program for low-income families to informal programs provided by family, friend and neighbor caregivers, may offer specialized services that are more attractive or accessible for certain parents. How Sacramento educators closing the TK gap From local school districts leaders perspectives, TK enrollment is going just fine. Sources say that they are largely meeting their own metrics of success filling and staffing TK classrooms and expanding offerings to more school sites each year. Sacramento City Unified spokesperson Al Goldberg reported that the district expanded its TK offerings to 33 of its school sites in the 2023-24 school year and that capacity was reached at all but one site. The district began reaching out to Spanish speaking families early in the year to ensure awareness of the program. At a time when enrollment is declining statewide, marketing is a key component of reaching families, especially those with kids under 6, who are not yet required to attend school. Twin Rivers Unified holds several Kindergarten Roundup events in winter of each year in an effort to help local students get a successful start to their school careers. But the resources offered at the fair are not limited to their own TK program; district director of Early Childhood Education Corrie Buckmaster said that the roundup is tailored to multiple prekindergarten options, including local preschools and the state-run Head Start program. The whole goal of the push for universal pre-K was to have flexibility to be able to meet individual and family needs, Buckmaster said. Still, the TK program at Twin Rivers is growing each year, and much of that growth happens during the school year. In the 2023-24 school year, Twin Rivers Unified started with 465 kids enrolled in TK and ended with 599. Around 700 students have signed up for TK this fall, Buckmaster said. Other districts say they are on track with their own expectations. Elk Grove will offer at least one TK class at each of its elementary school sites by this fall, one year ahead of the state recommendation to do so. Elizabeth Rueda, director of pre-K-6 Education at the district, said that 48 of the 62 classes scheduled for this fall are at capacity. Were definitely considering it a success, she said. Hurdles to TK enrollment and accessibility As TK expands to more schools in California, there are still a number of factors that could prevent parents from enrolling in their local school district. TK is a great option for many people, but it is only one of a variety of options for families, Montali said. Many people may be looking for things that make TK not their best option. If a familys neighborhood school does not offer a program it may discourage them from choosing TK at another school within the district. In Sacramento City Unified, just 33 of 54 elementary school sites will offer a TK class next year. Getting TK to all or most sites in a district may be key to capturing higher enrollment. Similarly, families may be seeking full day programs, which many school sites may not be offering yet. School districts are largely still figuring out how to offer a full day of care. This may be achieved through blending and braiding programs, or layering morning, afternoon and after school extended learning programs to ensure a child can stay for a full nine hours of care. Districts are meant to be offering more hours of aftercare, but I think thats rolling out a bit slower, Hall said. Districts that are successfully able to offer full day TK and make it possible for families to have their children stay for longer days, may be popular for families that need that care. Implementation challenges Despite touting successful TK expansion, many districts have reported similar challenges they have faced when rolling out these programs. Housing TK classes in appropriate facilities is a common problem for local districts. When our schools were built they were not designed as TK-6 campuses, Rueda said about Elk Grove. Few classrooms were built with small bodies in mind. Windows, whiteboards, sinks, drinking fountains and furniture must be appropriate heights for these students. Restrooms should be contained within a classroom, so that a teacher or paraeducator does not have to chaperone a student during class time. In Twin Rivers, building and modernizing classrooms to accommodate the expanding TK classrooms has become a key initiative. The district recently built new classrooms at two elementary schools, with one more currently in construction. The new facilities include appropriately sized infrastructure, dedicated open play areas and age-appropriate outdoor play structures. Another challenge for districts has been staffing classrooms with qualified educators, but efforts made on a district-, county- and state-level are actively combating this. Elk Grove works with the Sacramento County Office of Education to support working TK classroom staffers to earn their multi-subject teaching credential while they work as paraeducators supporting teachers. Montali is feeling positive about the state of preschool in the Sacramento region and across the state given recent efforts to expand access to early childhood education. I think people should feel really optimistic about our preschool options, whether its private, public or through a local educational agency, Montali said. Monte Land is a lake person. He and his wife have lived on Possum Lake in North Texas for decades. They used to boat and jet ski, though those activities have tempered over the years. Now they like to fish and enjoy being away from the city. But Land and his neighbors are worried about the lake he calls home. The city of Abilene is planning to take water from the lake for its water supply. On its way, the water will go through reverse osmosis in Breckenridge a process that will filter the water to remove salt. The salt that is filtered out would then go back into the lake in the form of waste water, known as reject water. Its the last part thats raising concerns for Land, who is president of the Possum Kingdom Lake Association, and others in the community. I think its going to hurt the environment of the lake, especially in that area over there, he said, referring to the discharge site at the Cedar Creek portion of Possum Kingdom Lake in Stephens County. The bulk of the lake is in Palo Pinto County, about 90 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Abilene has been permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to pull water from Possum Kingdom Lake and discharge the reject water back into it, but hasnt ever done so. The permit allowing reverse osmosis is now up for renewal. At the request of state Rep. Glenn Rogers, a Graford Republican, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is holding a meeting Tuesday to answer questions about the project. A contested case hearing could also eventually be requested. Rogers said he has received calls from constituents with concerns and wanted them to have a chance to ask questions and understand the facts. We certainly recognize the city of Abilene needs additional water sources, but we also recognize that the health of Possum Kingdom Lake is vitally important, in terms of the regions economy and their tax base, recreation, water supply, wild life. The lake brings in a 1 million visitors a year, according to the Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce. The projects history Abilene provides water to the city itself as well as other customers in the region, getting its water from Lake Fort Phantom Hill north of the city and Hubbard Creek Reservoir, outside of Breckenridge. Around 2011, the city was in a tough spot when it experienced a drought that had officials scrambling for additional water supplies to help bolster existing sources of water, said Rodney Taylor, Abilenes director of water utilities. The city contracted with the Brazos River Authority to purchase water from Possum Kingdom, but in order to do so it had to build a facility in Breckenridge to treat the lakes salty water. The water was to be used in drought conditions as a supplemental source. The city rushed to build the plant, and about the time it was almost done, the drought subsided, Taylor said. Its never been needed since then. Abilene, a city of 129,000, grew 3.1% percent between 2020 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census. As we move into the future, the yield of those lakes decline, and so we have to find new sources to make up for the water that were losing out of our existing sources, Taylor said. About 50 water supply facilities in Texas have permits for reverse osmosis water treatment, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Taylor said its his understanding there are other discharge sites on Possum Kingdom Lake, aside from the one at the center of Tuesdays meeting. He noted that more salt will be taken out of the water than whats returned to it. An annual average of 1.51 million gallons per day of water treatment waste could be discharged back into the lake, according to a draft TCEQ permit shared by the neighborhood association. If water conditions continue on their trajectory, Taylor predicted the city would start getting the facility ready to operate over the next year. Once we get to a point where we need that plant, there is a lot of time and expense to go in there and to start it up, to operate it, Taylor said. Once its up and running, its possible it would become a constant water source for the city into the future, he said. Possum Kingdoms concerns Those concerned about the project dont object to water being taken from the lake, said Mert Fewell, a past president for Possum Kingdom Neighborhood Association, who has lived on the lake for 19 years. What were resisting is their putting it back in the lake in not a safe manner, he said. Land and the Possum Kingdom Neighborhood Association have several concerns about the returning reject water. Theyve even hired experts to look at the matter for them. For one, the association says the city of Abilene is operating under the notion that the lake will be full all of the time, which they say is not the case. The lake was nearly full as of Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The site pipe where the reject water will be discharged is closer to the shore than its suppose to be, they say. The association also believes the water at the discharge site is stagnant, and the lack of a current would hamper the reject water from mixing with the rest of the water in the lake. We do not believe that the city of Abilene nor the TCEQ has adequately demonstrated that the facility is safe, i.e. it will not violate the standards, water standards, and could be harmful for wildlife, fish, aquatic life, human health etc., Fewell said. Taylor said the modeling the city relies on for its TCEQ permit accounts for variations in lake levels and the characteristics of discharge point. He also maintained that the discharge site is in the correct place. A spokesperson for the TCEQ did not directly address the associations concerns, but noted that draft water quality authorizations prepared by the commission comply with state and federal water quality rules and regulations. When the public comment period closes on Tuesday, the commissions executive director will provide written responses to all timely comments. Tuesdays public meeting on the project is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Possum Kingdom Lake Chamber of Commerce in Graford. We feel good about our renewal process, and obviously we understand that there are public concerns, Taylor said. We accept that, but we just want to make sure that good, factual information is out there and hopefully people can take that information and make good, sound decisions based off that information. For Land, one possible solution is to pick a new discharge site, in a deeper part of the lake where theres a current, but the ultimate goal is to have the water not returned to the lake at all: Take it somewhere else, putting it in a drying bed ... use it for fracking water, he said. (Bloomberg) -- Less than three weeks before the UKs general election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was beset by a series of damaging opinion polls over the weekend that suggest he has little chance of turning his Conservative Partys fortunes around before the vote on July 4. Most Read from Bloomberg After Britains two main parties published their election manifestos last week, Keir Starmers Labour opposition extended its lead over the Tories in polls by Opinium for the Observer and Savanta for the Sunday Telegraph. More damagingly for Sunaks party, seat-by-seat analysis by Survation found Labour to be on course to a large majority, with the Conservatives winning 72 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, compared with 365 at the last election in 2019. Nigel Farages Reform UK, blamed by many Tories for siphoning off right-wing votes, was forecast to win seven. In a sign of concern among senior Conservatives, Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Sunday told BBC TV that defecting voters risked giving Starmer an unassailable majority. Its very clear if youre somebody who voted for us in 2019 and you want lower taxes and you want to control migration, if you vote for anybody else other than the Conservatives youre going to get a Labour government with a large majority and a blank check, Harper said. Robert Jenrick, a former Tory minister and one-time close ally of Sunak, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that the UK risks sleepwalking into a very dangerous future, before pulling apart his own partys record in government and saying he understood why Conservatives are being drawn to Reform. Not only do I understand their frustrations, I share many of them, Jenrick wrote. The tax burden is too high, criminal justice system too soft and public services too inefficient. My disagreements with the government on immigration policy meant I resigned from the Cabinet. Savantas poll put Reform UK on 13%, its highest rating yet by the pollster, while Opinium put the party up two percentage points on 14%, also a record. Bloombergs poll of polls on Friday also had Reform at an all-time high after a YouGov survey last week put the insurgent party ahead of the Tories for the first time, prompting Farage to declare Reform the opposition to Labour. Reform on Monday will publish its election manifesto, which its calling a contract with the people. And while Farage said last week that the Conservative Party brand is done, hes also gunning for Labour, as shown by his choice of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales a Labour seat for the manifesto launch. If you want a picture of what the whole country will be like with a Starmer government and a feeble Conservative opposition, come to Wales, Farage said in a statement Sunday. Schools are worse than in England, NHS waiting lists are longer than in England, Covid restrictions were even tighter than in England and now Welsh motorists are being soaked by literally hundreds of speed cameras, he said. The Scottish National Party is also set to publish its electoral promises this week. Its new leader, John Swinney, sought in a statement late on Sunday to portray Labour as joining the Tories in offering only cuts, austerity and stagnation. In other campaign news: The Tories said Labours plan to end new licenses for oil and gas exploration would create a 4.5 billion ($5.7 billion) budget black hole in lost tax revenues, an accusation Labour dismissed as desperate nonsense Labour on Monday plans to pledge to hold a global investment summit in its first 100 days in office to show that Britain is open for business Longtime Tory donor Spencer McCarthy, chief executive of Churchill Retirement Living, said he might switch to Labour because he was impressed by Starmers manifesto, the Telegraph reported Labours shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, urged junior doctors to cancel a planned strike in the run-up to the election and said hed phone them for talks on day one of a Labour government Labours shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will reiterate plans to invest 7.3 billion in a new National Wealth Fund, and promise to create 650,000 good jobs, according to a party statement Reeves told the Financial Times she wants to see closer alignment with the European Union on issues such as chemical regulations and mutual recognition of professional qualifications that would benefit the City of London. Survations so-called Multilevel Regression and Post-stratification poll put Labour on 456 seats, the Liberal Democrats on 56, and the SNP on 37, a drop from 48 in 2019. The modeling is based on more than 42,000 interviews conducted between the May 31 and June 13. Savanta gave Labour a 25-point advantage and said potential electoral extinction awaited the Tories. Opinium has Labour leading by 17 points. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. In nine of Michigan's 13 congressional districts, an incumbent faces no credible challenger in the Aug. 6 primary. In four of those districts, that's good news. Michigan Democrats should not hesitate to cast ballots for these U.S. representatives in the Aug. 6 primary: HILLARY SCHOLTEN , 3rd District, parts of Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties DEBBIE DINGELL , 6th District, Washtenaw County and parts of Wayne and Oakland counties HALEY STEVENS , 11th District, most of Oakland County RASHIDA TLAIB, 12th District, western Wayne County and part of south Oakland County The 6th, 11th and 12th districts are so heavily Democratic they will be effectively be decided in the Aug. 6 primary, despite nominal Republican opposition this fall. Tlaib and Dingell have no primary opponents; a Democrat running against Stevens is not a credible challenger. U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, who won the 3rd District by a 13-point margin in 2022, is likely to easily clear the primary and will face a Republican candidate in the Nov. 4 general election. Hillary Scholten Scholten was elected in 2022 to the 3rd District seat formerly held by moderate Republican Peter Meijer, after Meijer lost the GOP primary to a right-wing challenger. Scholten has represented this Democrat-leaning district well. A former immigration attorney, she brings real-world experience to fraught debates over immigration reform. She has a primary challenger in Salim Al-Shatel of Norton Shores. He had not filed a campaign finance statement at the end of the last reporting period. Hillary Scholten smiles as she listens to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during a canvassing event for Scholten Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, in Grand Rapids. Debbie Dingell In 2014, Dingell won the seat after redistricting, now the 6th held for 60 years by her husband, the legendary Congressman John Dingell, who left office in 2015 and died in 2019. She has deployed an in-depth knowledge of Washington, accumulated over three decades of marriage to one of the U.S. Congress' most influential members and her own lengthy career in philanthropy, and paired her deep convictions and political savvy with deep roots in Michigan and an unmatched understanding of the constituents she serves. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, left, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, chat during the 21st Detroit Martin Luther King Day Rally and March at St. Matthew's & St. Joseph's Episcopal Church in Detroit on Monday, January 15, 2024. Rashida Tlaib Tlaib, who represents what is now the 12th District, can a lightning rod for controversy often simply because of who she is, not what she has done. Tlaib is a hard-working lawmakers, tirelessly canvassing her district to ensure she understands the concerns of the Michiganders she represents, and offers top-notch constituent services. She's sharp, smart and principled. But as the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, she and her family are the subjects of frequent, credible threats and a stream of abuse well beyond what has, unfortunately, become the norm. The last eight months haven't changed that. Tlaib has been an outspoken advocate for a cease-fire in Israel's war on Gaza, an advocate for Palestinian statehood and a loud critic of the Israeli government. Tlaib's fervor which some have dubbed antisemitic led many to speculate that she'd face a serious primary or general election challenger this year. One businessman reportedly offered to bankroll any primary candidate who'd take Tlaib on, to the tune of $20 million. No one took the offer. That alone is a testament to what Tlaib has accomplished. Residents of the 12th District will be well-served by Tlaibs return to Washington. (Middle) Rep. Haley Stevens, running for re-election laughs with volunteer workers handing out literature, Sonya LeDuff, 55 and Beatrice Wright, 72, both from Pontiac outside of the Bowen Center where precincts four, five and six are in Pontiac on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022. Haley Stevens Stevens, of Michigan's 11th District, cut her political teeth in the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, later serving as chief of staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue Taskforce, the group that orchestrated the 2009 bailout of the American auto industry. She ran for office as a staunch Democrat with an instinctive understanding of the moderate voters in her Oakland County district. Few members of Congress can rival Stevens' knowledge of the auto industry, American manufacturing and the ingredients for resurgence and success. Stevens has a nominal opponent in Ahmed Ghanim of Ferndale, who likewise has not reported any financial contributions. Editorial: 1 tip to change the outcome of elections Detroit Free Press How to vote Local clerks will mail absentee ballots to Michigan voters on June 27. Registered voters may cast ballots early, in person, from July 27 to Aug. 4 check with your local clerk for the location of early voting sites and ballot dropboxes. And, of course, you can vote and register to vote in person on Aug. 6, Election Day. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may run it online or in print. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Freep endorsements in Dem primary: Scholten, Dingell, Stevens, Tlaib Rose chairs extremist School Board Sarasota County School Board Chair Karen Rose gets an A for gaslighting and fabricating School Board history (Tough decisions, great leadership have put Sarasotas school district on the right path, June 8). Extremist politics started with Board Member Bridget Ziegler co-founding Moms for Liberty and championing its issues. It continued with the majoritys Thanksgiving 2022 massacre of Superintendent Brennan Asplen. Before the meeting, I asked Rose if the board planned to fire Asplen. She responded that the conversation was already over, while Ziegler indicated the board couldnt dismiss him at that meeting. Minutes after the swearing in, Rose made the motion to consider firing Asplen at a special meeting the following week. The majority hastily approved her motion. It surely was leading the district down a different path, but the cruel, divisive, several-hundred-thousand-dollar action starkly contrasted with that of the visionary leader Rose tried to portray in her guest column. Superintendents were fired around Florida wherever a school district differed slightly from Gov. Ron DeSantis COVID policies, and coordinating such firings would have violated our Sunshine law. In Sarasota, controversies have erupted over the Vermilion contract, book banning, grooming, CRT and for-profit charter school choice rip-offs all right-wing politicization. Sarasota County School Board Member Tom Edwards walked out of a March 21, 2023, board meeting after a speaker aimed homophobic remarks toward Edwards during public comments. More: Reading scores are rising in Sarasota's schools. Let's remember the true heroes behind it. Weve seen nonstop extremist politics since Rose and the three others formed a board majority. As gaslighters often do, they accuse opponents of the horrors they have inflicted. Robin Taub Williams, retired teacher, Sarasota Blame DeSantis if local theaters close My wife and I were devastated to learn that Gov. Ron DeSantis shortsighted funding veto could destroy the beloved performing arts culture in Sarasota (Fla. arts groups reeling as DeSantis vetoes funding, June 15). Gov. Ron DeSantis is presented "The Sword of Liberty" by Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice, left, and Tina Descovich, second from right and executive director of program outreach Marie Rogerson during the first Moms for Liberty National Summit on July 15, 2022 in Tampa. The thought that one ignorant man could do so much damage to the arts capital of Florida is truly breathtaking! Assuming our worst nightmare comes true, we suggest that every venue that is forced to close its doors, even temporarily, put up a large sign that reads: This Theatre Closed! Blame Gov. Ron DeSantis! Gary Reinmuth, Sarasota No migrant surges seen at Mexican border In response to I design ports of entry. There is no chaos at the border, a column June 6 by Eddie Jones: Like Jones, we were also on the El Paso border some time ago and never saw any caravans, invasions or surges. What we did see was an orderly process of locals, just south of the border, making their routine shopping excursions into El Paso to shop for goods unavailable in their communities. This type of unfettered neighbor-to-neighbor commerce has gone on for generations. Asylum-seeking migrants from Mexico use umbrellas to stay under shade while waiting at the border wall to be transported, after U.S. President Joe Biden announced a sweeping border security enforcement effort, in Jacumba Hot Springs, California, U.S. June 4, 2024. REUTERS/Go Nakamura Biden's new immigration rule: Executive order authorizes U.S. to turn away migrants at Mexico border And for the border security deniers, the miles of fencing that we saw at this major port of entry were fully intact and in very good order. While in Texas, on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park, we also witnessed and spoke with Mexican nationals who ride their horses or wade across the shallow part of the river unhindered to sell their crafts and even freshly made enchiladas to tourists like us visiting the park. No eyebrows are raised; this is just life in this remote part of our country. Where do the disorder-at-the-border naysayers get their information Fox News? Oh, thats right, I guess they do. John Marggraf, Sarasota Write to us: How to send a letter to the editor This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Rose chairs extremist School Board in Sarasota County Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is planning to hold a vote on legislation to ban gun bump stocks this week, after the Supreme Court invalidated the Trump-era ban. The Senate can help restore this public safety rule, and next week, it will try. As majority leader, I have the ability to allow a unanimous consent vote, and well see just what Republican MAGAs do: Will they allow it to go forward, or will they cower to MAGA and hurt the American people? Schumer said in a Sunday press conference, shared by CBS News. The Supreme Court last week invalidated the national ban on bump stocks, which can convert semiautomatic weapons to ones capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The Trump administration issued a final rule prohibiting bump stocks in 2018 following the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, which was the deadliest in U.S. history. Following the decision, Schumer called on Congress to pass a bill that would counter the Supreme Courts 6-3 ruling. He said the only way to permanently close this loophole is through legislation. Bump stocks have played a devastating role in many of the horrific mass shootings in our country, but sadly its no surprise to see the Supreme Court roll back this necessary public safety rule as they push their out of touch extreme agenda. Theyre even further to the right of Donald Trump, Schumer said. President Biden said he would sign a bill banning gun bump stocks immediately if Congress passed one. Todays decision strikes down an important gun safety regulation. Americans should not have to live in fear of this mass devastation, Biden said in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling. 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. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer might be feeling the burn from critics: Hes getting roasted for a Fathers Day grilling snapshot. The New York Democrat posted a photo on the social platform X on Sunday to mark the dad-centric holiday, showing him grinning while balancing a burger on a spatula. Our family has lived in an apartment building for all our years, Schumer wrote in the post, but my daughter and her wife just bought a house with a backyard and for the first time were having a barbecue with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill! Fathers Day Heaven! the 73-year-old senator exclaimed. But the barbecuing lawmaker fanned the flames of criticism from grilled meat mavens with a whopper-sized snafu, firing up conservative media detractors who mocked a seemingly uncooked hamburger being topped with a slice of cheese. I get that youre playing to the masses, Donald Trump, Jr. said on X, but literally no one puts cheese on a raw beef patty. If you need help learning how to do basic grilling stuff let me know. Nice try relating though, the 46-year-old son of former President Trump said. Im not a grill master by any stretch. You dont have to be to know Chuck Schumer has no clue what hes doing, another X user responded. By Monday, the post disappeared from X. Schumers office didnt respond to ITKs request for comment. Schumers seemingly undercooked episode, some critics noted, was reminiscent of other flame-related foul-ups by politicians. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) was mocked in 2022 for posing for a grilling pic while sporting a spotless white dress. In 2021, Terry McAuliffe, at the time a Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate, took some heat for posting a Fourth of July video that appeared to show him cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on a grill that wasnt powered on. The Virginia Republican Party targeted McAuliffe in a fiery reaction to the burger-flipping brouhaha, calling it McAuliffes week that never got cooking. 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. Scientists confounded by observation that fish are shrinking: 'We still don't understand' Scientists have observed a strange phenomenon in oceans worldwide: Fish are getting smaller, even in areas unaffected by overfishing. The exact reason is unknown, though researchers have a few theories. What's happening? According to The Washington Post, an analysis published in the journal Science found that almost 75% of marine fish across the globe have decreased in size between 1960 and 2020. While overfishing and rising average temperatures caused by human-induced air pollution levels are key drivers of this phenomenon, scientists still aren't sure why fish are shrinking in size in response to warmer ocean temperatures, per the Post. "This is a pretty fundamental question," a University of Massachusetts at Amherst conservation biologist, Lisa Komoroske, told the outlet. "But we still don't understand why." However, since over three billion people worldwide depend on seafood such as fish for a significant portion of their calorie intake, according to the World Bank, it's crucial for scientists to understand the mechanisms behind this evolutionary response. Why is it concerning that fish are shrinking? As the Post explained, since billions of people rely on fish for protein, they will have to catch more fish to get the same amount of calories. Not only does this put pressure on coastal communities that count on a healthy ocean for income and food, but it also threatens fish populations already struggling because of hotter ocean temperatures, pollution, and overfishing. Komoroske told the Post this phenomenon is known among scientists as the "temperature-size rule," and it's been observed in both protected and unprotected marine areas. For years, the scientific consensus was that fish were shrinking because their gills couldn't handle having a larger body. Rising ocean temperatures mean they need more oxygen to survive, so having a bigger body would be an evolutionary disadvantage. However, a recent study led by Komoroske and her colleague, Joshua Lonthair, found that the brook trout they'd raised in warm water had gills that were an adequate size for their oxygen requirements. Scientists posit that the shrinking of fish could simply be a product of evolution or that another organ besides their gills is causing stunted growth. It's important to understand the root cause of the fish shrinking since the Post reported that it could disrupt marine ecosystems and reduce profits for fishermen. "It's a problem for the fishery," Art Bloom, a salmon fisherman in Alaska's Bristol Bay, told the outlet. "They don't present as well in the supermarket." What's being done about smaller fish? As the Post explained, scientists are working hard to figure out what's causing fish to shrink in response to hotter ocean temperatures. In addition, commercial fishing and whaling bans around the world are helping restore balance to ocean ecosystems and give fish and other sea life a better chance of survival. There's also a huge movement underway toward clean energy sources such as solar and wind, which will reduce pollution and, consequently, the rising temperatures putting pressure on animals, including fish. Reducing our reliance on oil and thus the importing and exporting of that oil will also reduce the likelihood of oil spills that threaten ocean life. Plus, there's a silver lining to the fish shrinking. Ines Martins, an ecologist who discovered that fish are getting smaller, told the Post that many of these fish are increasing in population despite their reduced size. We can also help our fish friends by making the switch to an electric vehicle, installing solar panels, or even eating less meat. By reducing the amount of pollution we produce, we give all life a chance to thrive. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. New Yorkers outside during the summer A heat dome will strike the northeast this week, sending Big Apple real-feel temperatures soaring past the mid-90s and city dwellers should start preparing now for what could be a historic scorcher, experts told The Post. The torrid weather is expected to roll into New York City around Tuesday, with the mercury rising to about 90 degrees on Tuesday and creeping up from there, according to the AccuWeather forecast. Temperatures will likely reach their high-water mark on Thursday and Friday with both days expected to top 95 degrees, AccuWeather said. New Yorkers should make sure they drink enough fluids if they staying outside and they know to go to a cooler spot if they start feeling ill. James Keivom The heat wave is expected to send temperatures upwards of 20 degrees above what is typical in mid-June, with heat indices in the dangerous range. FOX Weather But it will likely feel even hotter, with peak heat index values in northern New Jersey, southern Connecticut and New York City expected to hit 100 to 105 degrees, the National Weather Service said in a hazardous weather warning issued Sunday. Not only is it going to be hot, its going to be stagnant conditions, FOX Weather meteorologist Steve Bender said. Youre not going to have any kind of breeze that will cool you off either by the time we get into the middle to latter half of the week. The tremendous warmth will be held in whats known as a heat dome, or a hot air mass that develops when a high-pressure system traps the warm air below it, blocking it from rising into the atmosphere, according to New Scientist. Experts advised to stay in during the mid-day hours, which are typically the hottest. Paul Martinka The high-pressure system keeps the skies clear which, in turn, means lots of sunshine that further warms the already-superheated air, the outlet said. This dangerous cycle can cause issues for those unprepared for it, according to Frederic Klein, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross and Greater New York. To combat the deleterious effects, Klein said people should: Drink plenty of fluids Wear breathable, lightweight clothign Apply sunscreen Stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day Watch out for heat-related illness, especially among the elderly, the young and pregnant women Klein also said its critically important to know the signs of heat exhaustion and when to call an ambulance if it strikes someone nearby. Trouble typically begins with heat cramps, which includes muscle pains and spasms in the legs or abdomen, he said. Heat exhaustion is the next level, and includes heavy sweating, nausea, dizziness, weakness and exhaustion as well as cool, moist and pale skin. These conditions can typically be remedied by moving to a cooler spot, drinking water and stretching some, Klein added. Keep an eye and call 911 if the person stops drinking water, starts vomiting or starts beginning to lose consciousness, he said. Heat stroke is the most serious, and can be fatal if left untreated. Thats life-threatening and thats when you want to call 911 immediately, Klein said. The condition is punctuated by hot, red skin, vomiting and passing out. Victims should be treated by professionals right away. New York City hasnt seen a 100-degree day since July 18, 2012, which was during one of the worst heat waves in modern history, Fox said. Staying out of the sun is also helpful to keep internal temperatures low. Robert Miller Unfortunately, overnight temperatures wont fall much meaning the evenings wont be the escape they usually are, and might induce further heat stress, the network added. New Yorkers didnt appear to be too worried Sunday about the rising temperatures some didnt even know it was happening at all. That sounds wild, Edens Fleurizard, 26, told The Post after learning about the impending heat wave. When its hot in general, I personally am inside, Fleurizard said as he read a book in Flushings Kissena Park alongside his girlfriend, Mari. And even now when were out in the park, she likes to lay in the sun and Im more of a shade guy. So that doesnt sound like a great time. Well definitely be putting the blinds down as a way to try to reduce some of the heat without necessarily blasting the air conditioning but theres only so much you can do there. Others were more conflicted. Heat stroke can be fatal, so be prepared, experts said. William Farrington Aspiring nurse Onyinye sat in the Herald Square shade Sunday as she told The Post that theres pros and cons to the summer scorcher. I feel like the heat makes everything you know, intense, the Connecticut native said. So its hard dealing with that. But its really nice when youre just walking outside. So I love that the heat has that too. When it gets too hot, she said she likes to hit the beach. I love sitting by the water, she added. Some experts worry the excessive heat could hurt the power grid as desperate customers start cranking their air conditioners at the same time. Klein, of the Red Cross, said New Yorkers can prepare for this by finding their local cooling center ahead of time. The city does a pretty good job of pushing out where those cooling centers are so know where the closest one is going to be, he said. Its better to be prepared before you go out than to get caught not being prepared after [for example] the power goes out. Search continues for US tourist and two French women missing in Greece Greek police are still searching for a US citizen who went missing on the Greek island of Amorgos, as well as two French women on the island of Sikinos in the Cyclades, a police spokeswoman told CNN on Monday. Albert Calibet, a 59-year-old American, has been missing since June 11, Petros Vasilakis, head of the Southern Aegean Police press office, told CNN. Calibet was vacationing alone on the island of Amorgos, Vasilakis said, adding that it was 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) when he went missing. After searching the island, police are now concentrating on a specific area, and are examining 15 hiking routes in particular, Vasilakis said. The two French nationals, aged 64 and 73 years old, went missing during a walk on the island of Sikinos, Vasilakis said. The search for them is in progress, but police do not know exactly where they were walking and what their destination was. Vasilakis told CNN one of the women sent a message of distress to the guest house where she was staying. The person who received the message raised the alarm. In recent weeks, there have been several cases of tourists dying or going missing while walking in extreme heat on the Greek islands, including British TV personality and health guru Michael Mosley, whose body was found on June 9. Mosely went missing on June 5 while walking alone on the Greek island of Symi, sparking an enormous dayslong search involving the police, fire service, coast guard and volunteers. The search operation for a missing Dutch tourist whose body was found in a ravine - Hellenic Rescue Team of Samos A 55-year-old American tourist was found dead on Mathraki, a small island west of Corfu, on Sunday. He has subsequently been identified, Greek police said on Monday, though his identity has not yet been made public. The mans body will undergo a forensic examination later Monday to determine the cause of his death, police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told CNN. On the island of Samos, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found by a fire department drone on Saturday lying face down in a ravine about 300 meters (328 yards) from the spot where he was last seen six days earlier, walking with some difficulty in the blistering heat. CNNs Amy Cassidy and Mariyah Knight contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in private negotiations with legislative leaders over how to close the budget deficit. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With hundreds of thousands of Californians losing homeowners insurance as companies pull out of an increasingly tinder-dry state, political leaders in Sacramento have spent the last two years trying to figure out how to solve the crisis. Yet even though they've held a raft of public hearings and workshops on potential new laws and regulations, another plan is germinating behind closed doors. A select group of Democratic senators recently began discussing insurance issues privately on Zoom with no public notice of their meetings, no public agenda and no opportunities for anyone other than invited guests and lobbyists to participate. The arrangement is legal because the California Legislature exempted itself from the state's open meetings law that other government agencies must obey. And its not uncommon at the Capitol for politically sensitive disagreements to get resolved behind closed doors. But the amount of backroom negotiations underway this month is especially intense due to two upcoming deadlines. The governor must sign a balanced state budget by June 30, and the deadline to put measures on the November ballot is June 27. This year's secret budget conversations are intertwined with dealmaking around the 2024 ballot. Read more: With deadline nearing, Newsom and lawmakers disagree over solutions to California budget crisis Every year there are pieces of legislation that ignite a firestorm among the public and result in huge amounts of activism in and around the Capitol, said Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause. Equally important, or more important, decisions are being made through the budget process, and billions of dollars are being distributed with a comparatively much, much smaller amount of public involvement, public oversight and public activism. The Legislature passed a temporary budget Thursday that reflects agreements between the Senate and the Assembly. As they cast their votes, Democrats repeatedly emphasized how open theyve been in crafting their budget. Weve had 72 public hearings, Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) said after the vote. I have sat through hours of public comment, as have all of the sub chairs. I think Californians have a good understanding of what the major issues are that are at stake in this process. But the Legislatures budget is not a done deal. Closed-door meetings continue with the governor as they work to close a $45-billion deficit and land a final funding plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Beyond the budget, elected officials are also negotiating with interest groups over proposed statewide ballot measures that include billions of dollars in bonds to build schools, housing and environmental projects. Read more: Amid budget shortfall, lobbyists push for multibillion-dollar climate bond Though California is famous for its citizen-led initiatives that allow anyone with enough money or political support to gather signatures to place a proposal before voters, a relatively new law gives politicians more say in what reaches the ballot. Changes enacted a decade ago give initiative proponents a window of time to pull their measures off the ballot. That's created a rush of negotiations as Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers try to persuade some interest groups to drop their initiatives in exchange for policy changes from Sacramento. These are some key issues being deliberated in secret: How to get tough on crime: Lawmakers have spent months crafting a package of bills to address retail theft and fentanyl addiction. The legislation has gone through multiple public hearings and debate at the Capitol. Meanwhile, district attorneys have been collecting signatures for a ballot measure to roll back parts of Proposition 47, the decade-old law that changed some felony drug and property theft offenses into misdemeanors. Their initiative, which is backed by law enforcement groups and major retailers, just qualified for the ballot last week . But Newsom and legislative leaders have so far said they dont want to bring Proposition 47 back to voters. Thats where the backroom dealmaking comes in. In a closed-door meeting two weeks ago, representatives for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) made a strong-arm move to try to persuade the proponents of the ballot measure to rescind their proposal, telling them lawmakers are adding a provision to the anti-theft bills that will revoke the legislation if the ballot measure passes. Legislative leaders said the move is necessary to avoid technical conflicts between the ballot measure and the bills. But it had the effect of jump-starting negotiations over what it could take for proponents to pull their measure off the ballot, or to agree to reforms both sides can live with. Read more: Column: Stop playing politics on retail theft crackdown When to give healthcare workers a raise: Last year the governor signed a law to raise the minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25 an hour a plan lawmakers changed so significantly at the last minute that no cost estimate was available when they passed the bill . It turned out to be one of the most expensive new state laws in years, with Newsom's Department of Finance projecting a price tag of $4 billion . After signing the bill, Newsom told The Times he privately reached an understanding with lawmakers that the state would have the power to tweak the plan in times of financial distress. But when and how to delay the raises? Those details are the subject of secret negotiations that have been going on for months among Newsoms administration, labor union representatives and other healthcare interests. The governor said in May that he wont sign a budget until the issue is resolved. But he wouldnt say much more than that about how he wants to change the policy that could affect about 400,000 Californians. Democrats who supported the legislation have been just as tight-lipped. One of the things I've learned the hard way is talking too publicly about a process that's unfolding in real time, Newsom said at his budget presentation in May. Weeks later, he shot down transparency concerns, saying California law requires that bills be made public for 72 hours before lawmakers can vote on them. Theres a lot of public review, a lot of transparency. Its just a lot of work when you're governing one of the largest economies in the world, there are a lot of moving parts, he said. We actually have some of the most transparent public processes in the country. In many ways, were a model. The Service Employees International Union lobbied for the $25 minimum wage for healthcare workers. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) How much to bend to big business: Some of the largest companies in the state have banded together to place two measures on the November ballot that unions and Democrats oppose. One would make it harder for the state to increase taxes, the other would curtail a unique California law that allows workers to sue employers on behalf of other workers. Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, participated in private meetings last week with Rivas and Senate leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) to discuss elements of the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act. The business group is a proponent of the measure, which Lapsley describes as a necessary check and balance on a supermajority of Democrats running California government. Removing the initiative from the ballot is a top priority for labor unions, Newsom and Democratic lawmakers. Lapsley has said he's been "crystal clear" that he would meet with anyone who wants to discuss the measure. So far, it's unclear whether the opponents can offer strong enough incentives for him to end his campaign, which Democrats have challenged in the California Supreme Court. Read more: The battle brewing over California workers' unique right to sue their bosses How to pay for expanding Medi-Cal: A fight playing out in the dark over funding for Californias healthcare system for the poor is pitting Newsom against some of his top allies. Anticipating the state budget crisis to continue in the years ahead, the governor proposed using revenue from a tax on managed care organizations, called the MCO tax, to avoid cuts to Medi-Cal. A coalition led by the California Medical Assn. and Planned Parenthood called for the governor to stick to an agreement he made in 2023 and reneged on this year to use some of the funding to increase payments to providers who accept Medi-Cal patients. The group is leading a charge to pass a measure on the 2024 ballot that would permanently establish an MCO tax to fund higher reimbursement rates. The coalition argues that increasing rates is critical to improving access to care as the state expands enrollment to immigrants who are in the country illegally. The governor wants the coalition to delay the measure from taking effect, or take it off the ballot. But the coalition, which has struggled to secure an ongoing funding source for rate increases for over a decade, is afraid Democrats will divert the money again if it stands down. Gabriel, the Assembly member who leads the budget committee, said Thursday that it's been a complicated conversation. How much money to ask voters to borrow: Last year lawmakers introduced roughly a dozen bond proposals totaling $100 billion in borrowing. Many of them were debated publicly early in the year, but then shelved. Now, as lawmakers face the June 27 deadline to place bonds on the November ballot, negotiations have heated up behind closed doors. The debate has centered on how much money to ask voters to borrow and which of three possible bonds to put on the ballot: school construction, affordable housing and infrastructure to help manage extreme weather exacerbated by climate change . Democrats in the Senate and Assembly have been deliberating during private caucus meetings, which are attended only by lawmakers of the same party. Those conversations resulted in Democrats choosing to place bonds on the ballot to fund climate change programs and school facilities instead of housing, sources say. But nothing has been announced publicly. Read more: Column: Newsom finally gets moving on fixing California's homeowner insurance crisis What to do about the homeowners insurance crisis: Theres been no shortage of public attention to the problem of insurance companies declining coverage for homes they deem too risky due to wildfires. California lawmakers have held hearings on legislation to stem the problem. The state insurance commissioner has crafted new regulations to stabilize the market. Newsom is backing a bill to speed up the process for reviewing requests by insurers to raise rates. But McGuire, the state Senate leader who comes from a wine country region where many constituents have had their insurance dropped after a wave of devastating blazes, said the changes proposed so far are not enough. Thats why he brought together several Democratic colleagues to form a working group on insurance. He said hes hoping to build consensus on how the state can give homeowners assurance they will be covered if they take steps to make their property fire-resistant. I have been kicked in the teeth over and over by industry on this issue, McGuire said in an interview. Shame on me if I don't use this opportunity to be able to advance legislation that we should have implemented years ago that would help stabilize the market and give homeowners the tools they need to make their neighborhood more fire safe. He said hes trying to develop legislation that could pass by the end of August but realizes it may take until next year. He said any bills that emerge from the private working group will go through the Legislatures public vetting process. 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. Russian security forces stormed on June 16 a detention center in Rostov-on-Don, killing at least some of the prisoners who took two prison staff members hostage, state-owned news agency TASS reported. Six prisoners, some of whom were accused of links to the Islamic State terrorist group, took the two employees hostage on the morning of June 16. The attackers were armed with a pocket knife, a rubber baton, and a fire axe but failed to take possession of a firearm, Russian law enforcement agencies told the local media. It is believed that the hostage-taking had been prepared for several months. Even though the prisoners were kept in different cells, they managed to communicate with each other. Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service reported later on June 16 that the hostages were freed during a rescue operation that resulted in at least some of the prisoners killed. None of the hostages were injured, the authorities claimed. TASS claimed that three of the prisoners were residents of the Ingushetia Republic: Shamil Akiev, Tamerlan Gireev, and Azamat Tsitskiev. The three men were sentenced to up to 18.5 years in prison last December under terrorism charges, namely for allegedly preparing to blow up the Supreme Court building in Karachay-Cherkessia. The Islamic State was also likely behind a Crocus City Hall concert hall shooting near Moscow that resulted in 145 people killed and over 550 injured. Russian authorities, for the first time, acknowledged in May that the Islamic State was behind the deadly attack, even while continuing to make accusations of Kyiv's involvement without providing any evidence. Read also: Moscow shooting aftermath: Repressions, racism, terror Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Sen. Laughlin, Erie Reader are suing each other. What they claim In July 2022, after a column critical of state Sen. Dan Laughlin appeared in the Erie Reader, stacks of copies of the free alternative newspaper were removed from racks at various gas stations. Two people took the stacks of papers, Laughlin's wife testified at a deposition. She identified the two as herself and the senator. Peggy Laughlin testified that the column a piece related to Donald Trump that was published in print on July 13, 2022, and posted online on July 14, 2022 so upset her and her husband, a Republican whose 49th District includes most of Erie County, that they drove around separately after the column appeared and collected a total of "hundreds" of copies of the Erie Reader. Pennsylvania state Sen. Dan Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist., is running for reelection to represent most of Erie County. At the same time he is campaigning, he is suing his Democratic opponent, Jim Wertz, over a column Wertz wrote for the Erie Reader in July 2022. She said her purpose was not to read the newspaper herself. Her purpose, Peggy Laughlin testified, was to "prevent maybe somebody from reading all of the ridiculous, unjustified, completely dishonest, unprovoked attack on my husband." Peggy Laughlin said the column, by Democrat Jim Wertz, incensed her husband. "His mood was extraordinarily angry, perhaps angrier than I've ever seen him," she testified during the deposition. "He was indignant about what we both considered to be an unjustified, dishonest, completely unprovoked published attack on him." A lawyer asked Peggy Laughlin about what her husband did in response to the column. "Do you remember the senator driving around Erie and collecting copies of the print publication from various gas stations?" "Yes. Yes," Peggy Laughlin testified, according to a transcript that the Erie Times-News reviewed. She was asked how many copies he took. "I saw stacks of Erie Readers," she said. She was asked how many papers she took. "Hundreds," she testified. Peggy Laughlin, who was deposed on May 19, 2023, said the newspapers were kept in the garage of the Laughlins' house in Millcreek Township, but were no longer there. "We kept some and got rid of the rest," she testified. The column in the Erie Reader landed the publication and Wertz, the columnist, in Erie County Common Pleas Court, where Dan Laughlin sued them for defamation in August 2022. With the libel case advancing toward a January trial date, the disappearance of the copies of the Erie Reader in July 2022 has landed Dan and Peggy Laughlin in court. The Erie Reader is suing the Laughlins. It is claiming they caused damages of $12,000 when, in July 2022, they "unlawfully and wrongfully took hundreds of newspapers and converted the same to their own use," according to a civil complaint the Erie Reader filed with an Erie magistrate judge on June 11. Court battles take shape as Laughlin and Wertz face off at polls One of the editors in chief and cofounders of the Erie Reader, Adam Welsh, filed the civil complaint. It does not involve Wertz, the Erie Reader's codefendant in the libel case. The civil complaint nonetheless shows how much the legal feud between the Erie Reader, Laughlin and Wertz has escalated at the same time the two are engaged in a political fight the race for state Senate in the 49th District, where Wertz, the Democratic nominee, is opposing Laughlin as he seeks reelection to a third consecutive four-year term. The race is considered pivotal for control of the state Senate, where the GOP holds a 28-22 advantage. The Democrats have targeted the 49th District and two other senatorial districts in their effort to gain control of the upper chamber in the November election. A 25-25 deadlock would mean Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis would break the tie in any party-line vote. Wertz, 45, a city of Erie resident and an associate dean at PennWest Edinboro, resigned as head of the Erie County Democratic Party in November to run against Laughlin, 62, who was a homebuilder before he entered politics. Wertz was the chair of the local Democrats and a contributing editor at the Erie Reader when he wrote the column that is the target of Laughlin's suit. Wertz stopped writing for the Erie Reader when he announced his candidacy for state Senate on Dec. 5. Welsh said the deposition testimony in the libel case a case that Dan Laughlin initiated and that led to the taking of the depositions prompted the Erie Reader to sue over the disappearance of the copies of the newspaper following the publication of the column. "We were dismayed to learn of this in the depositions," Welsh said in an interview. He said the Erie Reader, though free, still costs money to print. He said businesses and others advertise in the monthly publication knowing that copies of the newspaper will be available to readers through distribution at gas stations, convenience stores and other locations throughout Erie County. The Erie Reader's print circulation was 10,500 copies for the issue published on July 13, 2022, Welsh said. "So much goes into this print edition time, ink, paper all of it," Welsh said. Referring to the Laughlins, he said, "We are looking to recoup the costs caused by the defendants." Laughlin characterized civil action as diversionary tactic Dan Laughlin characterized the civil complaint as the Erie Reader's attempt to distract attention from the underlying libel case. "This civil suit is a childish attempt to divert public attention from the fact they printed a defamatory article," Laughlin told the Erie Times-News. "That's my statement." The Erie Reader filed the civil complaint before Erie 2nd Ward District Judge Ed Wilson, whose jurisdiction includes the area where the Erie Reader's offices are located at 1001 State St. Requests for damages are capped at $12,000 in civil cases filed before district magistrates. Lawsuits that request higher damages go to Common Pleas Court. Welsh said the Erie Reader waited to file the complaint until it gathered more evidence in depositions, including Dan Laughlin's, which started in early April and is to resume soon. The Erie Reader filed the complaint within the two-year statute of limitations for most civil cases in Pennsylvania. Welsh said the Erie Reader does not have a precise figure for its damages request. He said the Erie Reader does not know exactly how many copies of the newspaper disappeared. Erie Reader says Laughlins 'intentionally interfered" with its distribution The complaint claims that the Laughlins "conversion" of the newspapers "intentionally interfered with" the Erie Reader's "agreement with Erie businesses to distribute the newspapers for customers' use and reading." The complaint states the Erie Reader is seeking "damages, attorneys fees and costs for Defendants' unlawful conversion as well as Defendants' intentional interference with contractual relationships." Welsh said the complaint goes beyond a focus on monetary damages. By collecting the newspapers, as the Erie Reader says the Laughlins did, Dan Laughlin impeded on free speech, Welsh said. A constitutional argument is also behind the Erie Reader's defense in the libel case that Laughlin has been pursuing against it and Wertz since he filed it on Aug. 26, 2022. The Erie Reader and Wertz are seeking to get the case dismissed, arguing that the column, aimed at a public figure, is an opinion piece protected under the First Amendment. Jim Wertz delivers a victory speech to supporters at the Nuova Aurora Club, 1518 Walnut St., in Erie on April 23. Wertz won the Democratic nomination in the race the 49th District state Senate seat held by the Republican nominee, Dan Laughlin, the incumbent. "This has been going on for two years," Welsh said. "To have an elected public official go to these lengths to silence someone in the community a small business is really hard to comprehend." Laughlin's libel suit on track for trial in January In his libel suit, Laughlin is seeking $1 million in damages each from Wertz and the Erie Reader for "reputational, emotional and economic harm." Laughlin has shown no signs of letting up on the case. In his latest pretrial move, Laughlin and his lawyers are pushing to have the presiding judge disqualify lawyers with the the nonprofit Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press from continuing to represent the Erie Reader and Wertz due to Wertz's status as a political candidate. The representation of the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press in the libel case is free. The committee is not involved in the case over the missing newspapers, Welsh said, Judge Christopher St. John, a senior judge from Mercer County, heard arguments on the disqualification request at a hearing at the Erie County Courthouse on June 6. St. John is handling the case because all the judges on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas recused themselves due to potential conflicts of interest. St. John said he would rule on the disqualification request after he receives proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law from the lawyers for the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press and Laughlin's lawyers, with the Philadelphia-based firm of Kleinbard. St. John must also rule on separate matters related to the scope of the rest of Dan Laughlin's deposition, which started April 3. But St. John said he would rule on those matters after Laughlin's deposition resumes within 30 days. Laughlin's failure to sit for a deposition earlier in the case led St. John to sanction him and his legal team $240 in March. Laughlin said he was following his lawyers' advice on sitting for the earlier deposition. Once all the pretrial disputes are over, St. John said, a trial will occur in January. He scheduled a pretrial conference for Dec. 12. "I know we need to move this case along," St. John said in court June 6. The timeline means a trial in the libel case will not take place before Laughlin and Wertz face off in the general election on Nov. 5. Whether civil complaint over the taking of the newspapers will be unfinished by then is uncertain. A ruling at the magistrate level can be appealed to Common Pleas Court, a move that would extend the case for months. 2020 presidential election central to Wertz's column The column at the center of the legal disputes was called "A Congressman and a State Senator Walk Into a Bar." The title referred to Laughlin and fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, whose 16th Congressional District includes Erie. U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, of Butler, R-16th Dist., blasts a column in the Erie Reader at a news conference at Erie County Republican Party headquarters in Millcreek Township on July 22, 2022. Wertz in the column claimed Laughlin and Kelly "found themselves on a pardon request list" before then-President Donald Trump following the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Wertz based his assertion on a letter that then-U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, a Republican from Alabama, sent to a Trump administration official in late January 2021. Brooks wanted Trump to pardon any Republican who voted against certifying the election results, which would have included Kelly, or anyone who signed onto "the" amicus curiae brief, also known as a friend-of-the-court brief, in the case of Texas v. Pennsylvania, which sought to block the results of the election. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the suit. The names of Kelly and Laughlin and others weren't specifically stated in Brooks' pardon request. The case also included more than one amicus brief. Kelly and Laughlin had signed onto different ones. Laughlin said the brief he signed, filed Dec. 10, 2020, did not call for the election results to be set aside, but only sought the U.S. Supreme Court's "advice on a decision by the state Supreme Court to arbitrarily extend the deadline for mail-in ballots in the last election." That didn't matter, Wertz contended in his column Kelly responded by blasting the column as "a false narrative" at a news conference he called about a week after the column ran. He threatened to sue, but did not. Kelly also demanded a retraction. The Erie Reader rejected the request and stood by the column. Laughlin sued. He claimed the statements in the column were false and defamatory. 'It was pretty traumatic,' senator's wife says Peggy Laughlin said she and her husband heard about the column around dinnertime the day the column appeared in print in July 2022. After dinner, according to her deposition, they took a drive to get ice cream and pick up a copy of the Erie Reader. She read him the headline while he was driving. The column so perturbed her husband, she testified, that he pulled over to the side of the road. "It was pretty traumatic, actually," Peggy Laughlin testified at her deposition, which Dan Laughlin, Wertz and the Erie Reader's Welsh attended. "It's traumatic to think about it now." "It was traumatic for me because he has worked very hard to be fair and transparent and the voice of reason, and this completely dishonest, unjustified attack can quickly undo all of the good work that he has been trying to do." Peggy Laughlin said the column misconstrued Laughlin's views about the 2020 presidential election. Unlike Rep. Kelly, Laughlin has largely rejected Trump in recent years. More: In brief in Texas case, Laughlin says he's not claiming fraud but worried over Pa. action "Another aspect of this," Peggy Laughlin testified about the column and her husband, "would be the length that he went to be transparent in his view of the elections, and then the misrepresentation and the lies that were published that dispute what he was on the record of having said about his views of the election." Peggy Laughlin recounted how she and her husband drove around to collect copies of the Erie Reader. She said her effort to gather up copies of the newspaper and blunt the effect of Wertz's column did not last long. "I gave up," Peggy Laughlin testified, "because I realized quickly that there was no way to prevent or impact in any way the effect that this would have." Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Reader counters senator's libel lawsuit by suing him, wife A Senate Democrat lamented the brazenly corrupt and brazenly political Supreme Court even as his partys leadership says it sees no path to correcting it. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) appeared on CNNs State of the Union Sunday and reacted to a Senate investigation that found this week that Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the Courts most conservative members, had neglected to disclose millions of dollars in unreported gifts from a major conservative donor who has worked to get cases before the court. Murphy told CNNs Jake Tapper that it was up to the American people to elect more Democrats this fall and ensure the presidents party had the numbers required to push for a code of ethics on the Supreme Court or other measures aimed at holding the justices to an ethical standard. "I think it would be irresponsible for the president not to talk about the fact that this court is becoming brazenly corrupt and brazenly political," Murphy said on CNN. "It's up to the American people this election to do something about that." Senator Chris Murphy is pictured during a committee hearing. He called the Supreme court brazenly corrupt in a recent interview. (Getty Images) His remarks allude to the fact that Democrats, who control the upper chamber of Congress and the White House, have found themselves politically stymied when it comes to the issue of responding to the cascade of stories that have come out about Supreme Court justices in recent months. Thomas and a fellow conservative justice, Samuel Alito, are now both known to have spouses personally involved in what appears to be clear political support for the efforts by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election even in the days leading up to and after the bloody attack on the Capitol. Ginny Thomas, wife of Clarence, is known to have personally reached out to state lawmakers in support of the fake electors scheme to change the results of the election through the Electoral College. Alito has been in the spotlight in recent weeks for flying flags outside his homes that are often used by far-right groups. The justice blamed his wife and said it stemmed from a dispute with a neighbor. Alito has resisted calls for his resignation after the scandal. But Democrats in the Senate have no clear path to addressing any of this; the justices have repeatedly turned down offers to testify before the Judiciary Commitee, where Democrats say they lack the numbers to issue a subpoena which would be largely unenforceable, and also would almost certainly fail to pass the full chamber. Dick Durbin, Democratic chair of the Judiciary Committee, lambasted progressives this week for pressuring him to call for a vote on a subpoena when their party lacks the votes to pass one. Quite honestly, subpoenaing a Supreme Court justice is not in the cards, he told HuffPost on Wednesday. Its not going to happen. He did note, however, that senators on the committee have issued subpoenas for some of the sugar daddies referring to the wealthy conservative donors who have plied the justices with gifts. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a Sunday interview the Supreme Court seems poised to fundamentally rewrite the Second Amendment and raised concerns about the high courts decision to strike down the Trump-era ban on bump stocks. In an interview on CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Murphy said he is worried the high court will take steps to limit Congresss power to regulate guns. Murphys biggest concern, he said, is that this Supreme Court has been signaling, in some of their decisions on guns, that they are readying to fundamentally rewrite the Second Amendment and take away permanently the ability of Congress to do simple things, like require people to go through a background check or move forward on taking dangerous weapons like AR-15s off of the streets. So I think this court is poised to make it very hard for Congress or state legislatures to be able to regulate guns and keep our communities and schools safe, Murphy added. The court struck down the ban Friday on ideological lines, ending the nationwide prohibition on bump stocks, which convert semi-automatic weapons into ones capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The Biden administration defended the regulation in front of the high court after the Trump administration first implemented it in the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the deadliest in U.S. history. Authorities said the shooter used guns equipped with bump stocks to kill 60 people and wound hundreds of others. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had classified the devices as machine guns under long-standing federal law, making their possession a criminal offense. The case before the Supreme Court did not implicate the Second Amendment. In a 6-3 decision authored by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, the court said the ATF stretched the law too far, ruling in favor of the challenger. Justice Samuel Alito joined Thomass opinion but separately wrote that a simple remedy is for Congress to amend the law to allow for the bump stock ban. This is a Republican administration that banned bump stocks. At the time, Republicans in the Senate and the House were supportive of it, Murphy said in Sundays interview. But now that they have got a Supreme Court that seems ready to unwind the entirety of the Second Amendment and take away from Congress or the executive branch the ability to keep our communities safe, theyre once again lining up behind the gun industry. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that he is planning to hold a vote on legislation to ban gun bump stocks this 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 The Hill. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) using protective glasses to look at the partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Photo by Danielle J. Brown. Over the past several decades, the presiding officers in the Maryland General Assembly have either been lawyers, business owners or longtime local government employees. So it seems significant that Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) has just taken a job as general counsel and senior vice president with a renewable energy company. Its an important development for Ferguson personally and professionally, of course but it also seems to subtly and indirectly elevate renewable energy as a policy priority in Annapolis. And it highlights the challenges members of Marylands citizen legislature can face trying to earn a living. Ferguson is joining CI Renewables, a Baltimore-based solar energy firm with about a dozen employees. Ferguson said that as the companys general counsel, hell be mostly focused on transactional work, rather than lobbying or making policy decisions. Its exciting, he said in an interview. I feel like Im back in law school a bit. Im trying to tap into my commercial law and contract law classes from 14 years ago. But Ferguson said he is fully on board with the companys mission and eager to help CI Renewables fulfill its potential. Founded in 2010 and originally based in New Jersey, the company develops, owns and operates commercial and industrial-scale solar power generating installations throughout the mid-Atlantic. As the companys projects in Maryland mounted, CI executives, who had Maryland roots, migrated the corporate operations to Baltimore two years ago. A few years back, the company won a 25-year contract with a five-year option to help Howard County government dramatically expand its use of solar energy, at county-owned facilities and on agricultural properties (agrivoltaics, the installation of solar arrays on farmland, is one of CI Renewables specialties). This year, the company signed contracts with the University of Maryland, Baltimore to put up solar installations on top of two garages on campus, and with the University of Maryland Medical System to install solar arrays at three hospital garages across the state. For Ferguson, these projects align with his own vision of how to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy in Maryland while also expanding opportunities for renewable-energy jobs. Since passage of the Climate Solutions Now law in 2022, Ive really been trying to focus on how the energy transition can happen, he said. Its become a passion. I think climate change is an existential threat and figuring out how to respond and transition quickly is essential. Ferguson said the CI Renewables executive team is going through a generational transition and that hell be able to learn his new duties from the outgoing general counsel, who plans to retire next year. The companys leadership team includes one other familiar name in Maryland policy and political circles Joshua Feldmark, the former director of community sustainability for the Howard County government who is now a senior vice president at CI Renewables. An artists rendering of a proposed solar array on top of a garage at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. CI Renewables photo. In a recent social media post, Feldmark, a longtime environmentalist and progressive activist and the husband of state Del. Jessica Feldmark (D-Howard), welcomed Ferguson to the team. Excited to have another wonk in a sea of engineers, he wrote. And while hes not officially part of the corporate family, former Allegany County Commissioner Jake Shade (R) serves as a strategic joint development partner with CI Renewables, and is helping the company scout out business opportunities in Western Maryland. Like most of the 188 members of the General Assembly, Ferguson has struggled at times to balance his legislative duties with his professional career. Shortly after his election to the state Senate in 2010, he served for eight years as director of reform initiatives at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education (Hopkins is a frequent refuge for current and former elected officials), a gig that came to an end around the time Ferguson was taking over as Senate president at the beginning of 2020 a development that preceded the pandemic by mere weeks. While juggling his new duties in the legislature and the dual public health and economic crises caused by COVID-19, Ferguson became a program director at America Achieves, a national nonprofit that promotes economic opportunity. But the CI Renewables job is a more permanent arrangement. Ferguson concedes that the process of figuring out how to earn a living while remaining in the legislature and eventually landing with the solar energy company took quite some time. I had lots and lots and lots of conversations with people to find out what will work, he said. Just this year the legislature passed a measure called the Brighter Tomorrow Act, which requires state agencies to set standards to encourage more solar developments on rooftops and other properties, and also provides greater tax incentives for solar installations. The projects that will be enhanced by that new law, which is taking effect incrementally over the next several months, will generally be smaller than those that CI Renewables routinely works on. Ferguson said he doesnt anticipate having to excuse himself from most legislative debates on energy and climate legislation as a result of his new job, even as lawmakers scramble to figure out how to meet the aggressive carbon reduction and renewable energy goals laid out in the Climate Solutions Now law. I really homed in on trying to find where I could use my skills and make a difference, he said. Three weeks in, it feels like a really good fit. The post Senate president takes job with solar energy company appeared first on Maryland Matters. The Scoop The State Department should put more pressure on Indias government to punish those behind a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh activist on US soil, a group of Democratic senators argue in a new letter. Citing credible allegations of Indian government involvement in the murder plot, the group is asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to undertake a strong diplomatic response, according to a copy of the correspondence shared with Semafor. The group, led by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, is also requesting a briefing from the Biden administration on the status of its engagement with the Indian government about the plot, which was uncovered last year. The Administration must match words with actions to hold Indian officials involved in the plot accountable, and to send a clear message that there will be consequences for such behavior, the letter states. It is imperative that we take an unequivocal stand against such a threat to the rights of a U.S. citizen and violation of U.S. sovereignty, which are examples of Indias increasingly irresponsible efforts to silence critics of its government among its diaspora around the world. The letter is also signed by Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also signed the letter. Step Back The senators letter cites reporting from The Washington Post that said an individual with Indias intelligence service, Vikram Yadav, was the official involved in the plot and that other officials in the spy service with higher ranks were also implicated. Earlier reporting from Bloomberg said that an Indian government investigation blamed rogue operatives not authorized by the government for orchestrating the scheme. This is a serious matter, and were taking that very, very seriously, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in April of reports about Indias intelligence service being involved in the plot. Were going to continue to raise our concerns. But the assassination continues to be a delicate issue for the Biden administration, which has sought to deepen ties with India, viewing it as a critical counterweight against China in Asia. The letter comes as White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is in India for discussions on technology cooperation. Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was just reelected, briefly spoke at the Group of Seven summit in Italy last week but the two did not have a fuller bilateral meeting. India must maintain its commitment to respecting human rights at home and abroad as it aspires to global leadership, the senators letter to Blinken states. Now that Indias 2024 general election has concluded, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Modi returning to power, the United States has an opportunity to include this issue as a core agenda item with the Indian government. Notable Canada has been sharing more information with India about an assassination of another Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil, Bloomberg reported. Canadian police have charged four Indian nationals in the plot and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged a link to the Indian government. Sending our kids to summer camp was more expensive than a family trip to Europe. We enjoyed it so much we ended up moving to Portugal. Patrice Poltzer realized it was cheaper to go to Europe than pay for a summer camp for 10 weeks. On their return, the mom and her husband realized more than ever that they were in the NYC rat race. They moved their family to Portugal in 2023, and Potzer said their new lifestyle was way better. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patrice Poltzer. It has been edited for length and clarity. I got sticker shock in 2017 when researching summer camps for my two oldest boys. We rented in Brooklyn; even the most basic day camps cost more than $1,000 for the two of them. My husband, Olly, and I calculated that we'd spend at least $12,000 sending them for 10 weeks. It wasn't as if they would be at camp all day 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead. When we did the math, we figured it would be cheaper to travel to Olly's native England instead. We stayed with his family most of the time, but we used London as a hub to visit other parts of Europe, like Croatia. Our trips to Europe felt like an adventure It wasn't as if we were paying for fancy hotels. We stayed in a couple of AirBnBs and then spent three weeks with friends in Zagreb, followed by an island where their relatives owned a home. Olly and I worked remotely. Many parents are scared to travel with little kids, but they're adaptable. There were some challenges with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old at the time. But it was an experiment a cool adventure. We did the same thing several years in a row because it made financial sense. We spent time in France and Spain before venturing into Portugal. Poltzer found the cost of living in New York City unsustainable. Courtesy of Patrice Poltzer Portugal had a stunning, rugged landscape with seemingly untouched beaches. We felt like explorers of a different planet. "I could live here," I told Olly in the summer of 2019. Each time we returned to the US, I was conscious that we were doing what everyone else did in New York working harder to make money so we could live a certain way. The price of living was crazy. I once spent $50 on bagels. I'd go to Target for one thing and come out with $1,000 of stuff. "How did that happen?" I'd ask myself. Meanwhile, we always wanted the next upgrade: a better apartment one with a washer/dryer. Then, when I got pregnant with our youngest son, my landlady said, "You're going to need a larger place." Our kids integrated into the Portuguese culture Then, in 2022, Olly's boss moved with his family to Spain full-time. We thought, "If the boss can do it, we can do it too." We were on vacation in Mexico City over the New Year of 2023. Olly and I sat in a bar, and he said, "Are we going to do this?" Portugal made the most sense. Within eight months, we moved to Lisbon. We chose an ornate, high-ceiling apartment straight out of Architectural Digest. The cost in Euros was a fraction of our rent in Brooklyn. We chose an international school for our kids, where many Portuguese children want to learn English. I liked that our boys were integrated into the culture. Poltzer said Portugal was a kid-friendly country. Courtesy of Patrice Poltzer. The adjustment wasn't quite so easy for me. After all my years in the city, I'd attached my identity to living in New York. I didn't speak the language, and there was red tape. I started crying in a coffee shop because my American credit cards were denied again. We'd applied for Portuguese credit cards, but they took forever to come through. Slowly, I found my groove. My video production business is doing well. Olly set out on his own in tech. I'm seeing Lisbon in color. Things are magical. There's no Amazon. There's no Target. I don't waste money on things we don't need. I don't want to return to New York City I don't worry about healthcare bills any longer. My mom has embraced the laid-back European lifestyle and often flies from Chicago to watch the boys. It's a kid-friendly environment. This is how I want to live my life; I'm at that point where, if you had to tell me we had to go back to New York tomorrow, I wouldn't want to contemplate it. Do you have an interesting story about living away from your native country that you'd like to share with Business Insider? Please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider This column is part of a weekly round-up of notable grand jury indictments and court decisions, following through on cases reported by Savannah Morning News public safety reporter Drew Favakeh. If there are cases you're curious about, email Drew at AFavakeh@Gannett.com. The Judge's Bench for State Court Judge Gregory Sapp inside the Chatham County Courthouse. Man found guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence, murder charges dropped On June 7, a Chatham County jury found Ruben Rios guilty of two counts of tampering with evidence. Georgia law dictates the minimum sentence for tampering with evidence is one year, while the maximum sentence is 10 years. An accusation in that case was filed on June 6 of this year. Chatham County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Brian DeBlasiis chose to not prosecute Rios for the murder counts due to "the defendant's agreed upon cooperation with the State," according to a court document. According to a press release issued by the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Rios was arrested and charged on May 28, 2022, with the death of 23-year-old Maranda Dover, who was found shot to death on the night of April 10, 2022, inside a vehicle at a mobile home park on the 800 block of Quacco Road. At the time, CCPD detectives did not believe the crime was random. Rios was taken into custody in Chicago, Illinois. In August 2022, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Rios and a co-defendant for the same incident. Rios was indicted for two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Dwayne McCloud was named as a co-defendent in the indictment. He was charged with felony murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the indictment, McCloud robbed two men who then chased down McClouds vehicle. McCloud and the two men got into a shoot-out in their respective vehicles, according to the indictment. According to the indictment, Rios allegedly shot at McCloud's vehicle in which Dover was an occupant, killing her. On April 21, 2023, Jonah Pine, a defense attorney for Rios, filed a motion to suppress any and all statements made by Rios to law enforcement officers during and after his arrest in Chicago, where CCPD detectives had traveled to interview him. At the Chicago Police Departments 16th Precinct, Pine alleged that Rios spoke about the incident without an attorney and without a proper reading of his Miranda rights. Jury trial in McClouds case is scheduled for June 17. Two men indicted for March 2024 murder On June 12, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Vershan Ervin and Brandon Jones for malice murder, two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit a felony, aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Jones was also indicted for cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated assault. The indictment alleges that on Feb. 21, Ervin and Jones shot and killed Phillippe Moore. According to media reports, CCPD arrested Ervin and Jones on March 13, in connection with the shooting that occurred at the Viera at Whitemarsh apartment complex on Johnny Mercer Boulevard. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: chatham county georgia court updates for week of June 16 2024 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The National Weather Service issued tornado and thunderstorm warnings across parts of West Michigan Sunday night. Rains and high winds caused damage and flooding, and a tornado warning was issued but quickly canceled for several counties as the storms passed through. Kalamazoo County was under a flood advisory until 8 a.m. Monday. Around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety was called to the intersection of Crosstown Parkway and Howard Street for stuck vehicles after heavy rain flooded the intersection. Police advised drivers to find another route until the flooding subsided. A brief tornado warning that was issued for Allegan, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties was canceled by the National Weather Service after a short time. Storm Team 8 weather alerts Storm damage at Westnedge Avenue and I-94 in Portage on June 17, 2024. A line of storms over US-131 at 44th Street in Wyoming on June 16, 2024. (Courtesy Tom) A hazardous line of thunderstorms capable of producing wind gusts up to 60 mph and hail between a half-inch and an inch in diameter moved east across the area at approximately 30 mph. Many severe thunderstorm warnings were issued across West Michigan counties with similar threats of 1-inch hail and wind gusts near 60 mph. Some damage was reported near Kalamazoo, although the extent of the damage is unclear. 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 WOODTV.com. VERONA The Dairy Queen in Verona received a bomb threat Friday night, according to the Augusta County Sheriff's Office. Authorities have determined the call originated from an Alabama state prison, a press release said. At 9:26 p.m. on Friday, the sheriff's office said a caller phoned the Dairy Queen, located at 79 Lee Highway, and alleged there were multiple explosive devices in the establishment. The Dairy Queen on Lee Highway in Verona was targeted in a bomb scare Friday, June 14, 2024, the sheriff's office said. Deputies from the sheriff's office and personnel from Augusta County Fire-Rescue responded to the scene and evacuated the building, which remained closed throughout the night. The Explosives Detection Canine Team from the University of Virginia Police Department was used to search the Dairy Queen. No explosive devices were found, the press release said. The sheriffs office said it determined the phone call came from the Easterling Correctional Facility in Clio, Alabama, and said an inmate at the prison is under investigation for making the alleged threat. The heavy presence of law enforcement Friday night at the Dairy Queen generated considerable local interest on social media. The increased law enforcement and fire and rescue presence in the Verona area was out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our community, said Sheriff Donald Smith. At no time was there a threat to the Verona area." More: Reimbursements of nearly $120,000 made after Staunton attorney disbarred More: Possible thunderstorm could make heat worse for Shenandoah Valley Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter). This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Sheriff: Friday night bomb threat at Verona DQ came from a prison Sheriffs Office arrest six after drive-by shootings on Lee Rd. 379 leaves one injured LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) The Lee County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) said that six were arrested in connection with two separate drive-by shootings that left a woman injured after she was shot in her home while sleeping. According to LCSO, on June 5, the sheriffs office received multiple reports about two drive-by shootings in the 12000 block of Lee Road 379. LCSO said both shootings happened at the same residence two hours apart. At least 40 shell casings were recovered from the residence including .40 caliber and .556 caliber casings. Besides finding the shell casings, investigators noted that several bullets hit the house and a vehicle. On the morning of June 10, LCSO said the Valley Police Department received a report about a drive-by shooting that resulted in a female being shot inside her home while sleeping. Authorities found 60 shell casings at her residence including casings for a .40 caliber, .556 caliber, .300 blackout and a 9mm. APD arrests two on multiple theft-related charges A few days later on June 15, LCSO investigators and the Lee County SWAT team executed three warrants at multiple residences simultaneously. Authorities searched homes in the 200 block of South Raintree Street, the 300 block of Wittel Avenue, and the 500 block of Antioch Circle. During the searches, law enforcement recovered eight firearms, marijuana and cash. Following the search and recovery of evidence, the six individuals listed below were arrested and charged with: Jamarion Satterwhite Timothy Lamar Bell Demarious Tyquez Stemario Ross Kymi Jaqwon Davis Alijah Dayshun Moss-Rowell Cord Smith Jamarion Satterwhite, 19, from Waverly, Alabama Two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling Shooting into an unoccupied vehicle Timothy Lamar Bell, 19, from Opelika, Alabama Two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling Shooting into an unoccupied vehicle Demarious Tyquez Stemario Ross, 19, from Opelika, Alabama Two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling Shooting into an unoccupied vehicle MISSING: Opelika Police searching for a man last seen in Wytheville, Virginia Kymi Jaqwon Davis Second-degree receiving stolen property Alijah Dayshun Moss-Rowell, 18, from Opelika, Alabama Second-degree possession of marijuana Cord Smith, 37, from Opelika, Alabama, was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants our of Lee County. LCSO says that Satterwhite, Bell, and Ross are currently being held at the Lee County Jail on a $105,000 bond. The others have posted bonds on their listed charges since the incident. 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. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Its been about a day since a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in Rochester Hills, and the Oakland County Sheriff is sending out a warning that some people are using the shooting as a fraud opportunity. Sheriff Michael Bouchard warned in a news release Sunday evening that some nefarious characters have created phony Go Fund Me pages under the guise of benefitting victims of Saturdays shooting. These bottom-feeding scumbags are preying off this tragedy, Bouchard said in the news release. An officer with the Oakland County Sheriffs Department secures the scene of a shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Rochester Hills, Mich. (Katy Kildee, The Detroit News/Detroit News via AP) He said the sheriffs office has no knowledge so far of anyone collecting funds for the victims. We are unaware of any legitimate charity collecting donations for these families. I encourage anyone interested in donating to check with the Sheriffs Office first. If there are legitimate sites, we will let the public know. One phony Go Fund Me page, for example, is claiming to collect funds of behalf of a Kyle J. Thompson, his pregnant wife and childrenbut no Kyle J. Thompson nor his family were victims in Saturdays shooting. However, people have already donated $15,000 to the fraudulent charity page, the sheriff said. The general information number for Oakland County Sheriffs Office is 248-858-5000, and the email is ocso@oakgov.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 WLNS 6 News. German defense contractor Rheinmetall is pitching a containerized launcher concept for Hero family loitering munitions , also known as other kamikaze drones, from Israeli firm UVision. The modified shipping container with 126 launch cells opens up a host of operational possibilities on land and at sea. The War Zone has called attention to the value of notional capabilities exactly like this in the past, including in the maritime domain . A rendering of the shipping container launch system is included in a Rheinmetall brochure. Rheinmetall and UVision signed a strategic partnership agreement regarding the Hero family in 2021, which includes the production of certain versions in Europe via Rheinmetall's Italian subsidiary RWM Italia S.p.A. The Hero product line has been steadily growing in popularity internationally in recent years, including with the U.S. military . The full rendering of the containerized launch system for Hero family loitering munitions from the Rheinmetall brochure. Rheinmetall Specific details about Rheinmetall's containerized Hero loitering munition launcher are limited and The War Zone has reached out for more information. The rendering looks to show an ISO-standard shipping container with a total of 126 launch cells in three distinct 42-cell arrays. This points to a modular scalable system that could be adapted to 10, 20, and 40-foot-long containers with differing numbers of total cells. What specific types of Heros the containerized launch system might be to launch is unclear, but the rendering looks to show Hero-120s being fired. The Hero-120 is one of the most popular types within the larger Hero family . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV6Czl2Lowg Hero-120 has a maximum range of between around 25 and 37 miles (40 and 60 kilometers), and it can stay aloft for up to 60 minutes, according to Rheinmetall and UVision . The baseline version has a high-explosive warhead weighing around 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). Warheads better optimized for use against armored vehicles, as well as dual-purpose ones that combine anti-personnel and anti-armor effects, are also available. The Hero-120 has an operator-in-the-loop control system, a concept partially pioneered by Israeli firms along with the basic idea of loitering munitions . This allows a human user to 'see' what the munition sees via its nose-mounted electro-optical and infrared cameras throughout the entire course of its flight. This, in turn, gives the operator the ability to make fine course corrections for improved accuracy in the terminal phase or to wave off attacks entirely should circumstances change, such as the sudden appearance of innocent bystanders in the target area. The sensors also help with positive target identification and give Hero-120s a secondary surveillance and reconnaissance capability. Control of Hero-120s can be passed off from one operator to another, including personnel riding in helicopters or other vehicles, which can help extend their functional range beyond the reach of line-of-sight links to the launching platform. Hero-120s are also capable of operating "with a high degree of automation," including the ability to attack a designated set of coordinates without any further operator input, according to UVision. The complete Hero family includes types that are smaller and larger than the Hero-120, with differing performance and warhead sizes, but that all operate in the same general manner. The long-rest-range member of the Hero line, the Hero-1250, has a maximum range of around 124 miles and, if it could fired from Rheinmetall's containerized launcher, would give the system a stand-off strike capability. In 2022, Rheinmetall and UVision also unveiled a line of quadcopter-type loitering munitions that are marketed as the Hero-R (for rotary wing) series. The full page from the German-language Rheinmetall brochure that includes the rendering of the containerized launcher. Members of the original Hero family and the new Hero-R line are shown here, as well. Rheinmetall There are already several available methods for employing different types of Hero loitering munitions. This includes man-portable single-tube launchers, as well as multi-cell types integrated onto armored vehicles and fitted to crewed and uncrewed watercraft . A US Marine Corps LAV-M light armored vehicle equipped with a launcher for Hero-120 loitering munitions. UVision A US Marine Corps Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV) fitted with a launcher for Hero-120s. USMC Air-launched options for Hero types have also been demonstrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhF_NrJBQg Even if Rheinmetall's containerized launcher can only be used to fire Hero-120s, this could still be a very potent combination. A single container with 126 launch cells, and potentially even more depending on the system's scalability, would allow a relatively small force to flood a significantly sized area with loitering munitions. In the past, The War Zone has highlighted the immense potential battlefield impact of a capability like this, which other countries, especially China , are also actively pursuing. The video below shows a test of a Chinese truck-mounted launcher design capable of being loaded with up to 48 kamikaze drones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUg5GZqttkA Now, the war in Ukraine has fully driven home the point that even large numbers of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) uncrewed aerial systems converted into kamikaze drones can dramatically limit the ability of a conventional ground force, including one with heavily protected tanks and other heavy armored vehicles, to maneuver freely. "I think what we're seeing, and not just in Ukraine, but really around the world, is that the availability and the impact of small unmanned aerial systems and the threats that they present on the battlefield is here to stay," Gabe Camarillo, the Under Secretary of the Army, said during a talk the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank hosted back in May. "It is an evolution of a scale that is rapidly increasing to change the battlefield. So, in a nutshell... [this threat] is complex, ubiquitous, and is really transforming what the battlespace looks like." "It is very difficult to remain concealed in this environment. It is a very contested and congested battlespace," Camarillo added. "We know that electromagnetic signature[s] , the availability of ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] capabilities brought about by these UAVs, really prevents any forces from being largely concealed or massed together." Highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones that require an operator to pilot them throughout their entire flight have become a particular scourge on both sides of the battlefield in Ukraine. Loitering munitions with ever-higher degrees of autonomy, especially when it comes to spotting and engaging targets without human input, will only compound this existing threat picture. Combining that increased autonomy with the ability to operate cooperatively in networked swarms looks set to be game-changing, as The War Zone has previously explored in detail . Containerized launchers, whatever they are designed to fire, also just offer immense flexibility. With Rheinmetall's system, any truck capable of carrying ISO shipping containers could be used to unleash hordes of Hero loitering munitions. Those same trucks could also bring the containers relatively rapidly to designated static sites, including after being brought to a general operating area first by plane or ship. Any truck capable of carrying standard ISO shipping containers, such as the US Army M1074 Palletized Load System (PLS) truck seen here, could carry Rheinmetall's launcher system. US Army Any other platform, including trains or ships, capable of carrying standardized shipping containers could potentially be equipped with this launcher system, too. Kamikaze drones have already emerged as a very real threat in the maritime domain thanks in large part to Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen . In a naval context , loitering munitions and long-range one-way attack drones might not be able to sink larger vessels, but could still cause so-called mission kills by targeting key systems like radars and communications arrays that would limit a warship's capabilities or even render it entirely combat ineffective. Costly and lengthy repairs could then be required to get that ship fully back into the fight. Ship-launched loitering munitions could also be used to destroy smaller watercraft, including explosive-laden uncrewed boats, another threat that the Houthis, as well as the war in Ukraine , have put a particular spotlight on. Last week, a Houthi drone boat attack in the Red Sea left the Liberian-flagged cargo ship M/V Tutor severely damaged and dead in the water. A member of its crew remains missing. You can read more about what is known about that attack here . A picture of the M/V Tutor, with its aft end now sitting low in the water, following last week's Houthi drone boat attack. via Twitter Ships could use loitering munitions to attack targets ashore, or fire them and then hand off control to forces further inland, as well. Earlier this year, The War Zone laid out a detailed case for how enabling U.S. Navy ships to launch swarms of drones, including loitering munitions, could give them significant and increasingly critical additional strike, surveillance and reconnaissance, networking, and defensive capabilities. At the time, we highlighted the specific additional value that containerized launch systems would bring to the overall equation, writing : "The drones in their launch tubes could also be packed in large quantities inside a customized shipping-like container and placed aboard any ship, for added flexibility. This could offer U.S. Navy support ships an aerial multi-role standoff capability. Yet having them installed and ready to go on major surface combatants, so they can be integrated into all the ship's other capabilities where they could even help defend the vessel would be very advantageous. Still, a modular concept could make any ship with enough deck space a 'shooter' and a multi-role aerial capability mothership." Containerized launchers, regardless of whether they are employed on land or at sea, offer the inherent ability to be disguised as innocuous shipping containers , which creates targeting challenges for an opponent. Altogether, containerized systems capable of launching large volumes loitering munitions and other drones make perfect sense. Rheinmetall's particular take on the concept for use in combination with UVision's Hero family may well turn out to be part of a broader trend. Special thanks to user @lfx160219 on X for bringing the Rheinmetall brochure showing the containerized Hero launcher to our attention. Contact the author: joe@twz.com An investigation is underway after repeated thefts of donations at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Maiden. Channel 9s Dave Faherty learned that folks have been dropping off donations sometime in the evening, and then within minutes, someone comes by to steal them. The store has surveillance cameras all around. They captured images of some of the thefts, and workers say theyve been stealing since last fall. Catawba County- police in Maiden are confirming there have been several thefts at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. ... Posted by Dave Faherty on Monday, June 17, 2024 More recently, the thefts have become a nightly occurrence. Lu Spurrier has heard about the theft, so she dropped off donations during store hours. This is for a good cause. It is shocking that someone would steal form an organization that is so good, Spurrier told Faherty on Monday. Inside the store, rows of clothing and furniture donations were ready for sale. Workers say by reselling the donated items, the Salvation Army gets funding to help other programs and families in the area. Eda Lawrence says she sometimes shops here and couldnt believe the number of times the store has been hit. I think its crazy. You got people trying to help other people and then you got people trying to take away from them, Lawrence told Faherty. Police in Maiden say they believe several people may be involved in the thefts, and theyre working to identify everyone responsible. Lucas Short was shopping on Monday and said he hopes they make arrests soon. I really do; if youre back here stealing, I really hope theyre coming for you, Short said with a finger snap. The store told Faherty theyre open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and thats the best time to make donations right now. (WATCH: Woman seen stealing baseball bats, hiding them in her skirt) I was screaming: Mother relives shooting of recent graduate in Boston Seaport Just days after her daughter was shot in broad daylight in the Seaport District, one mother spoke out while her 18-year-old is recovering. The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, told Boston 25 her daughter was graduating from Boston Collaborative High School Thursday at an event in the Seaport. After her daughter received her diploma, the mother said she noticed an altercation at the ceremony. Some kid got into a discussion with another person, she explained. The mother said her daughter went to a parking garage off Pier 4 Boulevard shortly after graduating. Alongside her boyfriend and aunt, the group reportedly got in the aunts car. As my daughter was getting in the car, thats when the bullet hit her on her hip, the mother explained. She told Boston 25 she was waiting for the car outside the parking garage, finding out her daughter was shot when they drove the car towards Northern Avenue. She added, I was screaming and yelling. I thought I was going to lose my daughter She was just pale and trying to stay alive. The mother and other family members allegedly tried to stop the bleeding while an ambulance and police rushed to the scene. Boston Police have yet to announce any arrests made in connection to the incident. The mother said there is no connection between the suspect and her daughter. She also added that she is uncertain what the argument and violence was over. The 18-year old was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital and was released Saturday. The mother told Boston 25 that her daughter can only walk on one leg, has nerve damage, and a broken pelvis. Calling for justice, she denounced the violence. She finished, I wouldve lost my daughter for absolutely no reason. Boston Police say they are still investigating the incident. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A 65-year-old man was arrested Sunday after his neighbors found an unconscious puppy on the side of the road in Florida. The Lee County Sheriffs Office was called to a home on Third Avenue in Fort Myers to investigate an animal cruelty case after the Chihuahua puppy was found on the side of the road on Fifth Avenue. Despite life-saving efforts, the puppy tragically died. Following the incident, deputies learned the puppys owner, Thomas Byers, 65, had been leaving the dog in a kennel outside for multiple days without food or water, the sheriffs office said. PHOTOS: 5 dogs, 3 cats rescued from Brooksville home after kitchen catches fire Witnesses told detectives that Byers noticed the dog was acting abnormal and left the residence with the pup. When deputies arrived at the 65-year-olds home, they found a second Chihuahua puppy in a kennel outside, according to the sheriffs office. The second puppy was surrendered. Thomas Byers Puppy that was rescued Leaving animals outside in the heat with no food or water is sickening, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. I wont tolerate this kind of abuse and will make certain this man never owns an animal again. Byers was arrested for two counts of animal cruelty, the sheriffs office said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Sinclair Broadcast Group, the right-wing media behemoth swallowing up local news stations and spitting them out as zombie GOP propaganda mills, is ramping up pro-Trump content in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Its latest plot? A coordinated effort across at least 86 local news websites to suggest that Joe Biden is mentally unfit for the presidency, based on edited footage and misinformation. Twitter screenshot Judd Legum: 1. @WeAreSinclair is flooding a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting Biden is mentally unfit At least 3 articles published this month falsely suggest BIDEN POOPED HIMSELF during an event The thinly disguised political attacks are given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, & CBS According to Judd Legum, Sinclair, which owns hundreds of television news stations around the country, has been laundering GOP talking points about Bidens age and mental capacity into news segments of local Fox, ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates. One replica online article with the headline Biden appears to freeze, slur words during White House Juneteenth event shares no evidence other than a spliced-together clip of Biden watching a musical performance and another edited video of Biden giving a speech originally posted on X by Sean Hannity. The article was syndicated en masse on the same day at the same time, Legum found, suggesting that editors at the local affiliates were not given the chance to vet the segment for accuracy. Most outrageously, the article, along with at least two others posted in June, makes the evidence-free claim that Biden may have pooped himself at a D-Day memorial event in France, based on a video of the president sitting down during the event. According to Legum, one of the articles URLs includes the word pooping. Tweet screenshot Judd Legum: 7. The article concludes by promoting an absurd rumor, based on a deceptively edited clip, that Biden soiled himself on stage while attending a D-Day celebration in Europe a few days earlier. "Bidens strange stooping motion caused several terms to trend on X, including 'diaper,' 'pooping' and 'pooped,'" Sinclair's National Desk reported. The shoddy evidence behind the segments, originally published by Sinclairs National Desk, appears to have been lifted directly from social media posts by RNC Research, the X account operated by the Lara Trumprun Republican National Committee. On at least one occasion, a Sinclair piece quotes directly from the Trump campaign social media teams response to an RNC Research post. Lights are on but no ones home, the campaigns reply to a post showing a dazed Biden watching a musical performance, was included in the syndicated article. Sinclairs takeover of local news is a dire development for the future of independent journalism in the United States. But the gutting of newsrooms (and the weaponization of their remnants by right-wing conglomerates) across the country isnt just a problem for tomorrow; its having devastating effects on American democracy today. Levant Mine, Cornwall. The Levant Mine operated from the late 18th century until its closure in 1930, mining tin and copper from beneath the sea bed. Credit - Peter ThompsonHeritage Images/Getty Images In May 2024, the British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch claimed that Britain was enriched by national ingenuity and industry rather than by colonialism and trans-Atlantic slavery. Her statement flew in the face of mounting historical evidence to the contrary, notably the acclaimed Legacies of British Slavery database. In fact, Britains trans-Atlantic slavery business developed an entire infrastructure that shaped many British institutions and communities: transport, ports, docks, customs houses, warehouses, counting houses and all their employees. It encompassed plantation ownership and management, financial services and much more. And that doesnt even include the reinvestment of slavery profits into British industry. Cornish copper mining, generally considered as part of a British national story of ingenuity and industry illustrates the economic impact of the slavery system on British rural life and physical landscapes during the industrial revolution. From the 18th century, the industrial revolution marked a shift from an agrarian economy to one dominated by machine-based industry during a period of technological change in which copper played a defining role, beginning in Cornwall. Read More: What Was Revealed When British Officials Calculated How Much a Colonial Subject's Life Was Worth Surrounded on three sides by sea, Cornwall is Englands most south-westerly county. Today, holiday-makers love its mild climate, dramatic coastlines, and secret coves. Once a maritime hub for shipping, global trade, and communications, the county has an air of mystique with its history of smuggling and piracy. Cornish copper mines were worked intensively beginning in the 1680s. Copper has special properties. It conducts heat easily, is malleable, and can be combined with alloys to make brass (using zinc) and bronze (using tin, which the region also possessed in abundance). Visit any antiques fair in Britain today and you will find an abundance of old copper jugs, pans, kettles, and coal scuttles. The copper extracted by Cornish miners was widely used across the Atlantic. Once extracted from Cornwall, Cornish copper was mostly smelted in Wales. But this gleaming orange metal was not just made into kettles and coal scuttles. By the late 1720s, global demand was such that over half of Britains copper and brass was exported. British laborers made products specifically designed for trade along the West African coast. One such item was a two-foot copper rod, designed for winding around arms and legs. According to a Swedish traveler at the time, these pliable rods were then known as Negros. Another was manillas, or bracelets, made at metalworks in the Welsh town of Swansea. Both these decorative items were then in great demand along the African Gold Coast, used as currency by European enslavers to pay local slave-traders for captured African people. By the following decade, copper exports to West Africa amounted to 20 tons annually, shipped by the Royal African Company as well as by private enslavers. Vast quantities of Cornish copper were also used on sugar plantations in the West Indies, used as rods for crushing cane, for boiling cauldrons, copper coolers and utensils. In 1732 just one estate in St. Kitts in the Caribbean, colonized by the British, needed 1000 of copper equipment and, by the mid-18th century, a single plantation worked by 300 people needed five tons of copper vessels, produced by London coppersmiths. Read More: How the World Got Hooked on Sugar Copper was also used for British vessels, helping to make ships wooden hulls last longer. In 1779, the Royal Navy sheathed its entire fleet with copper and, two years later, three quarters of British slave-ships had their hulls wrapped in copper sheeting. This sped up sailing times by up to 12 days, lowering the risk of provision shortages, mutiny, and sickness. From the callous perspectives of enslavers and their investors, sheathing increased slavery profits by reducing deaths on the Middle Passage. By 1824, Gwennap Parish, in South Cornwall, produced over a third of the worlds copper. As a result, it was once termed the richest square mile on earth. The nearby town of Redruth served as the beating heart of the copper business where smelters bid for copper ore. Further east lay Truro, where wealthy copper investors and shareholders mingled in polite society. For many workers, the story was different. The village of Gwennap is dominated by the church of St. Wenappa, which once served 10,000 parishioners from the surrounding mining community. These mining families lived in relative poverty and worked in dangerous conditions, laying explosives to extract copper ore from the rocks. Accidents and deaths were common. Families contended with the environmental degradations caused by the mining industry. What had paved the way for this copper boom were advances in steam power. James Watts famous 1776 steam engine had initially been designed to pump water out of deep copper mines. This new steam technology went on to power the nations cotton mills in the second half of the industrial revolution from this period and well into the 19th century. Britains industrialists imported raw cotton picked by enslaved people in the southern United States. British factory workers produced finished cotton cloth in the factories of East Lancashire. Wages sustained the households of both copper and cotton workers, while profits bolstered the British economy. To suggest, then, as Badenoch has, that colonialism and slavery were not central to the history of British wealth and power is to overlook the impact that colonial trade and enslavement had on British labor history. For decades, British historians similarly dismissed the contention that slavery profits partially sustained the industrial revolution, an argument made back in 1944 by Eric Williams, in his book Capitalism and Slavery. New evidence from sources like the Legacy of British Slavery database means that economic historians are inclined to agree. Read More: Inside Barbados' Historic Push for Slavery Reparations Even today, walking through these old Cornish places provides plenty of food for thought. Standing at the green edges of a disused Gwennap pit you can see flocks of yellow-winged goldfinches enjoying a lush, green setting that was once scoured of vegetation, the air filled with toxic vapors as workers mined the copper that would build the nations wealth and line the pockets of its richest families. When the global market became flooded with copper in the mid-19th century and the market crashed, copper mining vanished from Cornwall. But all around, the remains of these mines still define the landscape, with old spoil heaps, engine houses, and abandoned brick chimneys poking above the greenery. On the coast, pink daisies line the lane to an old inn with a wobbly thatched roof at the seas edge. Beyond that is a pier which protrudes from Englands western tip and points to the American continent far beyond, where so much of the valuable mineral entered those old circuits of empire and enslavement. Countryside walks are an opportunity for quiet reflection. As one walks through central South Cornwall, one can see how heated conversations about this sensitive history so regularly get. In Britain it is common for historians of empire to be told they are denigrating the nations history by linking the British countryside to the trans-Atlantic slavery system. Yet we cant acknowledge the uncomfortable parts of this historylet alone address themunless we know in more detail what actually happened. Most nations have histories that they would rather forget, and Britain is no exception. But by recovering rural and local histories that explain and explore the legacies of slavery and colonialism, we can better understand Britain and its place in the world. Corinne Fowler is the author of The Countryside: Ten Rural Walks Through Britain and Its Hidden History of Empire (Scribner, 2024). Copyright 2024 by Corinne Fowler. Originally published in Great Britain in 2024 by Allen Lane as Our Island Stories. Adapted from the book THE COUNTRYSIDE: Ten Rural Walks Through Britain and Its Hidden History of Empire by Corinne Fowler, published by Scribner, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. Printed by permission. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com. Dementia is a major global issue and some 135 million people around the world are set to suffer from it by 2050. Research has now shown that social isolation is a clear risk factor for this devastating condition. Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa Being socially isolated is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia, new research suggests. According to the study, it is social isolation rather than the feeling of loneliness that is linked to the condition. Researchers suggest this means isolation could be used to predict the risk of someone in the UK developing dementia. Social isolation is measured by the behaviour, by how isolated from other people a person is, whereas loneliness is a subjective, self-reported measure, meaning someone may have lots of connections but still feel lonely. Using data from the UK Biobank study, researchers applied modelling techniques to investigate the links between the two and dementia. After taking into consideration various risk factors, including chronic illness and depression, socially isolated people were shown to have a 26% increased likelihood of developing dementia. Further analysis showed the effect was prominent in those aged over 60. According to the research, social isolation was directly linked with changes in the brain structures associated with memory, making it a clear risk factor for dementia. Although loneliness was also associated with later dementia, that association was not significant, the study found. Professor Edmund Rolls, neuroscientist from the University of Warwick Department of Computer Science, said: There is a difference between social isolation, which is an objective state of low social connections, and loneliness, which is subjectively perceived social isolation. Both have risks to health but, using the extensive multi-modal data set from the UK Biobank, and working in a multidisciplinary way linking computational sciences and neuroscience, we have been able to show that it is social isolation, rather than the feeling of loneliness, which is an independent risk factor for later dementia. With the growing prevalence of social isolation and loneliness over the past decades, this has been a serious yet underappreciated public health problem. Now, in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic there are implications for social relationship interventions and care particularly in the older population. The researchers say their findings highlight the importance of an environmental method of reducing risk of dementia in older adults through ensuring they are not socially isolated. Professor Barbara Sahakian, of the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry, said: Now that we know the risk to brain health and dementia of social isolation, it is important that the government and communities take action to ensure that older individuals have communication and interactions with others on a regular basis. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Warwick, University of Cambridge and Fudan University using neuroimaging data from more than 30,000 participants in the UK Biobank data set. It is published in the Neurology journal. In a separate study, researchers found having multiple conditions that affect the heart is linked to a greater risk of dementia than having high genetic risk. Led by Oxford University and the University of Exeter, the study is among the largest ever to examine the link between several heart-related conditions and dementia, and one of the few to look at the complex issue of multiple health conditions. Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the study looked at data from more than 200,000 people aged 60 or above and of European ancestry in the UK Biobank. Researchers identified those who had been diagnosed with diabetes, stroke, or a heart attack, or any combination of the three, and those who went on to develop dementia. Within the study group, they found the more of these three conditions a person had, the higher their risk of dementia. People who had all three conditions were three times more likely to develop dementia than people who had a high genetic risk. Dr Xin You Tai, lead author and doctoral student at the University of Oxford, said: Dementia is a major global issue, with predictions that 135 million worldwide will have the devastating condition by 2050. We found that having such heart-related conditions is linked to dementia risk to a greater extent than genetic risk. So whatever genetic risk you were born with, you can potentially make a big impact on reducing risk of dementia by looking after heart and metabolic health throughout life. Dr Kenneth Langa, study co-author and Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan and the Veteran Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, said: Our research indicates that protecting the heart throughout life likely also has significant benefits for the brain. Dr Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimers Research UK, said: The evidence is clear that whats good for your heart is also good for your head. A persons risk of developing dementia is a complex mix of their age, their genes, and aspects of their lifestyle. These findings reiterate the importance of treating the causes of poor heart health, not just for its own sake, but also the added benefit in terms of reducing the number of dementia cases. Social media sites should be labelled as health risks, says US health official Dr Vivek Murthy said social media has contributed to a mental health emergency among teens - Susan Walsh/AP Cigarette-style health warnings should be displayed on social media sites to keep young people safe, the most senior doctor in the US has said. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, said unleashing powerful technology which had never been proven safe had contributed to a mental health emergency among teenagers. He urged Congress to force social media firms to display health warnings, adding that he worried about his two children being exposed to harmful content or dangerous people online. Dr Murthy admitted the move would not automatically clean up social media, but said it would lead to a change in attitudes and behaviour. Congress should also introduce legislation to shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears, he wrote in the New York Times. He added: The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use. The surgeon general is the most senior US doctor - Jessica McGowan/Getty Platforms should be transparent about research they have conducted about the impacts they have on health, Dr Murthy said, adding: Americans need more than words. We need proof. Research from Instagram-owner Facebook now Meta found that the platform was harmful to its teenage user base, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2021. Thirty-two per cent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse, one internal Facebook document said. Parents feel shame Dr Murthy claimed that parents can feel powerless as they try to keep their children safe online, which he said was often a source of stress and anxiety and even shame. One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it, he wrote. There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world. Congress introduced warnings on packs of cigarettes after an intervention by the surgeon general in 1965, in a landmark report linking smoking to lung cancer and heart disease. 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. This is a photo of kids in a line all on cellphones. This article was originally published in South Carolina Daily Gazette. COLUMBIA Public school students across South Carolina will be barred from using their cellphones during the school day under a clause legislators agreed to add to the state spending plan Thursday. Education officials and teachers backed the proposal. For years, teachers have been asking the state for help controlling student cellphone use, said Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association. Cellphones are a mega distraction, said East, who also teaches high school science. Its hard to teach with kids on their cellphones. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The clause was one of a number of funding stipulations that a committee of three House members and three senators approved during days of negotiations on the states more than $13.8 billion budget. To continue receiving state funds, public school districts must adopt the statewide policy, which the state Board of Education will write. How the state board plans to enforce the policy, ensuring schools and districts are actually keeping phones out of students hands, remains to be seen. There are also questions over whether to allow certain exceptions for safety situations. We think cellphones are a huge distraction in the classroom, East said. We are happy to see something being done about it, but its all going to be down to implementation. For example, some parents have questioned whether they would be able to reach their children in case of an emergency, state Superintendent Ellen Weaver said during a board meeting last month. That concern will need to factor that into the final policy, she said. While we certainly dont want to ever deny a parent access to their child, at the same time, I think we have to balance these very real safety and instructional concerns that cellphones create, Weaver said. Varying policies The goal is to improve students mental health and reduce bullying both in-person and online, Weaver said. While social media has some benefits, it can also hurt young peoples mental health, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. In some cases, students use their cellphones for legitimate learning purposes. Peter Lauzons biomedical sciences class in Lexington-Richland School District Five often takes photos of nature as part of their assignments, which they submit online. The problem is when students use their phones as a distraction, Lauzon told the SC Daily Gazette. If youre competing with their favorite show on Netflix, thats not always an easy thing to do, Lauzon said. But there is use for phones. Nationwide, about 77% of schools banned students from using their phones during school hours except for instructional purposes during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the latest available data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Across South Carolina, policies vary. Greenwood School District 50 trustees voted this week to ban phones during the school day. Charleston County School District only allows students to use their phones during certain parts of the day, such as at lunch. Richland School District One bans phones during class time. Other districts have no policy at all. Related Kids, Screen Time & Despair: An Expert in Economics & Happiness Sounds the Alarm House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister initially questioned whether the state needed an overarching rule, considering many districts already have their own rules about cellphones. Shouldnt independently elected school boards weigh in on that? Bannister said during budget debates Wednesday. But going statewide will allow education officials to standardize policies across districts, Weaver said. That will likely involve working with superintendents who already have policies in place, making sure that there is a benchmark for uniformity across the state, Weaver said. While the idea is popular among teachers, who have been calling for a solution for years, it may not be so popular among students. Im willing for us to be the bad guys at the state level, if necessary, because I think this is just the No. 1 most common-sense thing we can do to start to get ahold of some of the discipline and mental health issues that our students are facing in school, Weaver said. The House and Senate both already had passed proposals limiting students cell phone use. But the two chambers differed on times those limits should be in place all day or just during class time. On Thursday they agreed to a full-day ban, as the Senate proposed. Other measures Also on the list of special budget rules agreed to Thursday were two controversial measures from the Senate. One will require libraries to get parental permission before allowing children and teenagers to check out books with sexual content or risk losing state funding. The other will require students to use bathrooms and locker rooms aligned with their biological sex at birth. While the Republican senators who proposed the measures said they will protect children from inappropriate content or boys pretending to be girls to go in the wrong locker room, some Democrats pushed back. Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Columbia, argued restricting library books will penalize small libraries. She also argued requiring students use certain bathrooms will open up the state to lawsuits, as well as hurt transgender students who want to use the bathroom aligned with their gender. Both proposals passed the Senate along party lines. The six-legislator committee agreed to add them to the final spending proposal. SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: info@scdailygazette.com. Follow SC Daily Gazette on Facebook and X. South Korean soldiers work next to a military facility where loudspeakers dismantled in 2018 used to be, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju By Hyun Young Yi SEOUL (Reuters) - The loudspeakers deployed by South Korea to wage psychological warfare against North Korea faced audits and legal battles claiming they are too quiet, raising questions over how far into the reclusive North their propaganda messages can blast. South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts directed at North Korea on June 9 for the first time since a now-defunct inter-Korean agreement banned them in 2018. The current speakers were among 40 systems purchased in 2016 after the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire in a 2015 dispute over the broadcasts. The military says the systems were designed to blare pop music and political messages as far as 10 kilometres (6.21 miles), enough to reach the city of Kaesong and its nearly 200,000 residents. But audits released at the time, seen by Reuters, showed the new speakers did not meet those standards and were not as powerful as the military called for. According to former navy officer Kim Young-su, although the speakers passed two out three initial tests in 2016, the trials took place in the morning or at night, when sound travels furthest. South Korea rarely operates the speakers during those times now, so as not to disturb nearby South Korean residents as much, said Kim, who investigated and raised the issues to government corruption watchdogs and the police. The issues led the Ministry of National Defence to sue the manufacturer, but a court dismissed the case, saying that too many environmental factors can affect the performance. Tests in 2017 showed that messages or songs from the speakers could not be understood further than 7 kilometres, and more often closer to 5 kilometres, according to the audit and Kim, not enough to reach a city such as Kaesong. The ministry told Reuters in a statement that performance may vary depending on conditions such as temperature, humidity, and terrain, but that it did not consider the loudspeakers' performance to be restricted. Kim Sung-min, who defected from the North in 1999 and runs a Seoul radio station that broadcasts news into North Korea, said the mountainous border terrain and North Koreas own loudspeakers in the area further diminish the reach of South Koreas psychological warfare. North Korea's broadcasts are less aimed at winning over people in the South and more at "suppressing" the South's broadcasts by overpowering or muddling the message, he said. Still, for North Koreans who hear the South Korean messages or catchy K-pop tunes that are banned in the North, the broadcasts can have a significant psychological impact, Kim Sung-min said. "These broadcasts play a role in instilling a yearning for the outside world, or in making them realize that the textbooks they have been taught from are incorrect," he said. At least two North Korean soldiers from the frontlines defected to the South in 2017 after listening to loudspeaker broadcasts, local media reported, citing South Korean officials. The angry North Korean reaction to the broadcasts also suggests the loudspeakers strike a nerve with the authoritarian country, said Steve Tharp, a retired U.S. Army officer who spent years working along the border. "We know that the North Koreans find them partly effective because they have spent a lot of time getting them turned off," he said. (Reporting by Hyun Young Yi; Additional reporting by Josh Smith; Writing by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Southern Baptists may have rejected a constitutional amendment opposing female pastors, but that does not mean they are changing their views on womens leadership in church The recent annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention saw a number of motions related to women. The Conversation asked Susan Shaw, a gender and sexuality studies scholar who studies Southern Baptist women, to explain the votes and other developments in the nations largest Protestant denomination. The Southern Baptist Convention rejected a proposal that would explicitly state that only men could be pastors. Does that mean that the SBC is changing and becoming more accepting of women in leadership roles? Absolutely not. The day before the vote on the denominations proposed constitutional amendment to exclude churches with women serving in pastoral roles, the convention expelled the First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia, for its views that women can serve as pastors. That vote wasnt even close at 6,759 to 563. How many female pastors are in the SBC at the moment? Could you also explain some of the history of the opposition to women serving in leadership? There are somewhere between 1,000 to 1,800 women serving with the title of pastor in Southern Baptist churches. Few, if any of these women, are senior pastors. Instead, they are associate pastors, youth or childrens pastors, womens pastors or other kinds of pastors, all working under the supervision of a man who is senior pastor. The SBC passed a resolution in 1984 rejecting women as senior pastors. While resolutions are not binding on local churches, the proposed constitutional amendment would have defined a church as in cooperation with the SBC only if it [a]ffirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. In order to amend its constitution, the convention must first approve any proposed amendment at an annual meeting and then confirm it with a final vote at the following annual meeting. That vote requires a two-thirds supermajority approval for the amendment to become part of the constitution. The amendment on women pastors passed in 2023 but failed this year because it received only 61% of the vote. Some of those who opposed the amendment argued the convention has already spoken on the issue, has mechanisms to address churches with women pastors, and therefore does not need to amend its constitution. Nothing in this argument suggests support for women, and, in fact, those opposing the amendment often affirmed their support for the denominations stance against women pastors. Protestors stand outside the venue of the Southern Baptist Conventions annual meeting on June 11, 2024, in Indianapolis. AP Photo/Doug McSchooler For many Southern Baptists, the exclusion of women from being senior pastors does not prevent their participation in other pastoral roles that do not have the supervisory authority of the senior pastor or require ordination. That certainly was the language of the promoters of the 1984 resolution, and the move to expel churches that have women in pastoral roles other than senior pastor, as they recently did in Alexandria, Virginia, reaches beyond the intent of the earlier resolution. Southern Baptists also highly value what they call the autonomy of the local church. This deeply held Baptist belief means that each local church is self-governing and is not in any way controlled by the SBC. By expanding its exclusion of women from pastoral roles, the SBC may have been perceived as infringing on the autonomy of the local church. In 2023, the Southern Baptist Convention refused to welcome Saddleback Church back into its fold after its ouster earlier in the year for having women pastors. What do you think this vote will change? I dont think the vote will change anything. While Saddlebacks women pastors were not senior pastors, they were ordained, and the church did affirm womens ability to hold any pastoral role. We can see from this years expulsion of First Baptist Alexandria that the SBC will continue to purge churches that affirm women in all pastoral roles. The only thing this years vote showed us is that a significant minority of messengers Southern Baptists term for delegates to the SBC annual meeting do not want to meddle with the conventions constitution. At the same time, the SBC voted to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization. Could you explain this vote and SBCs historical views on fetal personhood? This resolution extends Southern Baptists rejection of any procedure that terminates fetuses or embryos. The resolution sympathizes with infertile couples but argues that because embryos are often stockpiled and destroyed following a successful implantation that the process is ultimately the destruction of embryonic human life. In the 1970s, before the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC in the 1980s and early 1990s, Southern Baptists generally opposed abortion on demand, but they also worried about government interference in womens decision-making about their own bodies. In the 1980s, the convention made a hard right turn with the goal of having abortion outlawed again. The SBCs language changed from fetal life to pre-born or unborn persons. Now we see the SBC talking about embryos as full human beings and advocating for the government to restrain actions inconsistent with the dignity and value of every human being, which necessarily includes frozen embryonic human beings. What else was significant about the meeting? Despite pressure in recent years for the SBC to do something about its sexual abuse problem, the convention has repeatedly failed to make significant progress, especially on its long-awaited database to track offenders. This year, again, messengers voted to pass various abuse reforms, but survivors found themselves disappointed with how little change is really happening. Significant change, it seems, always fails due to concerns about insurance and liability. Taken together, the vote against the constitutional amendment, the resolution opposing in vitro fertilization, and the lack of action on sexual abuse reform underline that nothing in the denominations ultraconservative beliefs about women is changing. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Susan M. Shaw, Oregon State University Read more: Susan M. Shaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. HAWAII (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Another close call for Southwest Airlines is adding to a laundry list of mid-flight scares. Passengers experienced abrupt ups and downs as what might be felt on a rollercoaster as their plane plunged toward the sea at an excessive rate that triggered alarms. The incident happened in April but is just now coming to light. As first reported by Bloomberg, citing a memo that Southwest Airlines distributed to its pilots, a Boeing 737 Max 8 passenger plane plunged within 400 feet of the ocean off Hawaii, before recovering with a rapid climb up to a safe altitude. A less experienced first officer inadvertently pushed the control column forward, then cut the speed causing cockpit alarms to go off before the captain ordered an aggressive climb, the Southwest memo said. According to flight tracker data, Southwest Airlines flight 2796 dropped from an altitude of 1000 feet down to 400 feet above the ocean in just seconds. This all happened after aborting a landing while attempting to land in bad weather and low visibility in what is known as a missed approach. Officials said no one was injured and no damage was done to the plane, which returned safely to its departure point in Honolulu. While instrument approaches to runways in bad weather are common, the plane experienced an unusual brief dive that rattled passengers. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said, Nothing is more important to Southwest than safety. The event was addressed appropriately as we always strive for continuous improvement. The FAA is continuing to investigate the incident. 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. He spent 20 years in solitary. Now hes fighting for reform from behind bars in Missouri When Anthony Gay spent his first weeks at a federal prison in Missouri earlier this year in solitary confinement, it felt like the walls were closing in. Just being trapped in a cell, from a psychological standpoint, its like time descended like the lid of a coffin, he said during a call from the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners Springfield. The 50 year old had been transferred in January to Springfield, Missouri, from a federal facility in Indiana. Gay was sent there after engaging in self-harm. He was confined to a cell for 22 to 24 hours a day with limited social contact. Because of his multiple incident reports for self-harm, he is required to remain in locked status for an indefinite period of time while the disciplinary process runs its course and his sanctions are determined, a behavior management plan said. Gay, who has spent more than 20 years in solitary confinement during state and federal stints, is advocating for federal reform to greatly reduce the use of solitary confinement and to prohibit its use in response to self-harm. Sending someone to solitary confinement because they have mental health problems, creates a vicious cycle and is wrong, he said. Its akin to trying to dry off in the shower, Gay said. It defeats the whole purpose. Gay said he supports a bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Cori Bush, both Missouri Democrats. Cleaver said he was proud to co-sponsor the End Solitary Confinement Act. The measure limits the use of solitary confinement, with some exceptions for short-term, emergency de-escalation and other situations. It bans involuntary solitary confinement for those with a disability, mental health need and those under age 25 or over 55. I believe strongly that every individual should be held accountable for their actions but they should also be treated with the dignity that all human beings deserve, Cleaver said in a statement. Whether it is providing incarcerated workers with fair wages or expanding library resources to help reduce recidivism, there are a whole host of prison reforms that are worth undertaking to the benefit of our communities and incarcerated Americans; and putting an end to solitary confinement is certainly on that list. Emery Nelson, a spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said the agency doesnt house prisoners in solitary confinement, but places them in restrictive housing for disciplinary segregation. They may be removed from the general population if they pose a threat to themselves, other prisoners, staff or security. Cell the size of a parking spot Gay grew up in Rock Island, Illinois. He pleaded guilty to stealing a hat and $1 bill during a fight when he was a teen and was placed on probation. In 1994, when he was 20, he was caught driving without a license. That was a probation violation, and he was sent to prison. Gay said he struggles with borderline personality disorder. That manifested in prison where he acted out, and in 1998, he was sent to solitary. He spent the next 20 years in a small cell with little human interaction, court documents said. According to a lawsuit Gay filed against the State of Illinois, solitary confinement was catastrophic. Gay mutilated himself hundreds of times by cutting and stabbing himself. He told The Star that he resorted to hurting himself because it was a form of release. It was like a twisted therapeutic relief. Doing so was also a cry for help and could compel social contact with medical providers, he said. In 2018, Gay was released from prison and became a fierce advocate to dismantle solitary confinement in America. He garnered support from figures such as renowned activists Angela Davis and Jesse Jackson. But he got in trouble in 2020 for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and was sent to federal prison. Hes been in and out of solitary or lockdown, which also restricts interaction and movement, since then. At times, he has engaged in self-harm, which is categorized by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as a high severity level prohibited act. Gay engaged in self-mutilation at least seven times last year, according to incident reports he provided. Those write-ups carried over to Springfield. He was in solitary for nearly a month after arriving in Missouri. He said his cell, which included a mattress and a toilet and sink, was the size of a parking spot. Its overwhelming, he said. Like, panic. I felt like I was trapped and I couldnt escape. He said he thinks its disgusting that the BOPs response to self-mutilation is to place someone in solitary confinement instead of adequately treating their mental health. Is it torture? Craig Haney, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, interviewed Gay in 2018 while he was researching solitary confinement in Illinois. Gay was profoundly traumatized, Haney said. Solitary confinement is a psychologically and even physically damaging experience for people, Haney said. Theres extensive research now. The consensus, scientific view of this is not even in debate. The severity of the damage can depend on the length of time someone spends in solitary and if they have mental health issues. People who are vulnerable, who react badly to being incarcerated, end up gravitating towards solitary confinement because the prison system doesnt know what to do with them and doesnt have the resources to properly address their needs, Haney said. Prisoners placed in solitary confinement are deprived of meaningful social contact. COVID-19 gave people a glimpse into that isolation, but solitary confinement is the pandemic on steroids, its times 1,000, Haney said. Those placed in solitary have high prevalence rates of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline. Some prisoners Haney interviewed said they self-harmed because it was one way of demonstrating to themselves that they still have a physical presence, they can still feel things and its a way of provoking a reaction from themselves that reaffirms that they still exist. Haney said it was naive to think solitary confinement could be banned overnight, but that it should only be used as an absolute last resort for the shortest time possible. The United Nations says more than 15 consecutive days in solitary is torture. Haney also said the fact that Gay has been in solitary in the federal system has to be unbelievably, unfathomably traumatizing for him. If somebodys being placed in solitary confinement because theyre a risk to themselves, as apparently, the BOP decided Anthony was, he may need to be separated from the unit that he was in, but placed in a therapeutic environment, Haney said. Nelson, the BOP spokesperson, said the agency offers individual counseling, group therapy and crisis intervention. Those who engage in self-harm undergo a suicide risk assessment. The bureau provides services to those who pose a threat to themselves, Nelson said, in a manner consistent with accepted community standards for a correctional environment. Sanctions are not imposed in a capricious or retaliatory manner. The Inmate Discipline Program is administered based on specific individual details of each incident and may vary from facility to facility, Nelson said. Disciplinary action is not common after a suicide attempt. Gay is eligible for release in April 2028, according to BOP records. The News The British military delayed rolling out new cap badges in honor of King Charles III for fear the redesigned insignia may contain Chinese-installed tracking devices. The British company contracted to make the new badges outsources some manufacturing to China, and a defense official told the Financial Times that tracking devices or a GPS transmitter could be embedded. Know More Western countries are unsure whether to treat China as a friendly trading partner or an implacable foe, the FT said. Britain banned the use of Huawei equipment in its new 5G networks in 2021, and espionage fears are not unfounded two British men were charged with spying for China in April. But one lawmaker said: To say all China is bad is poor policy. An embattled Squad Democrat facing a hotly contested primary has ignited a feud with a neighboring congressman he said is pandering to the pro-Israel lobby to gain political power. Rep. Jamaal Bowman an Israel critic whos trailing moderate challenger George Latimer by 17 percentage points, according to a recent poll took a shot at Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres in a podcast last week. I think that hes trying to gain political power for himself towards an ultimate objective, Bowman told Marc Lamont Hill on the Night School podcast last week. I dont know if its [for] US Senate. I dont know what it is, the Yonkers Democrat said of Torres. Rep. Jamaal Bowman accused Rep. Ritchie Torres of attempting to gain political power by supporting Israel. Mark Vergari/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK Torres fired back Sunday, telling The Post that Bowmans opinion is worse than a rubber stamp and referenced Bowmans conviction last year for falsely pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon Office building that delayed a vote to avert a government shutdown. Bowmans challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, has gained the inside track largely due to the incumbents stance on Gaza and a series of other political missteps. The race is for the 16th Congressional District that takes in much of Westchester and parts of the northern Bronx. Torres responded by telling The Post that Bowmans opinion is worse than a rubber stamp. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images Bowman suggested that Torres may attempt to run for US Senate at some point. Anadolu via Getty Images Hill, who is also a critic of the Jewish state, has asked Bowman why Torres is a staunch backer of Israel despite siding with progressives on a host of other issues. Ritchie is very calculating in this way Ritchie he just seems to be always plotting, always calculating something, Bowman said. He said Torres and other Democrats are wary of bucking the pro-Israel position because of the power of the Israel lobby whose supporters fill campaign coffers. But Bowman gave a pass to pro-Israel House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has already endorsed Bowmans re-election. Torres speaking to Nova festival survivor Ofir Amir during a visit to the memorial for the victims of the terror attack in Reim Israel on April 1, 2024. Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images He said Jeffries seems authentic compared to calculating Torres. Torres has so far remained neutral in the Bowman-Latimer race but issued a withering response to Bowmans criticism of him. They both were elected to Congress in 2020. As for Jamaal Bowman, I care as much about his opinion on me as I do about his opinion on how to properly pull a fire alarm or his opinion on how to remain in Congress, Torres said Sunday. Torres poked fun of Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building. His opinion is worse than a rubber stamp it leaves no impression, much like his legislative record or his recent attendance record. Torres noted hes been a staunch backer of Israel for some 10 years, noting his visit to the Jewish State as a city councilman in 2015. Bowman also noted that Torres is not part of the Squad that includes liberal Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri, among others. The Squad has a group chat. Ritchie Torres aint in it, Bowman also said on the show. Torres told The Post four years ago he wouldnt join the Squad because some members support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, which he considers antisemitic. Bowman casting his ballot on the first day of early voting in Westchester at New Rochelle City Hall Annex on June 15, 2024. Mark Vergari/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK Bowman is trailing his opponent Westchester County Executive George Latimer by 17 points, according to a recent poll. Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK Meanwhile, Bowman has flip-flopped on his alliance with the anti-Israel Democratic Socialists of America, which backs the BDS movement. He was backed by DSA in 2020 but had a falling out after some members criticized him for visiting Israel and voting for Iron Dome defense funding for the Jewish state. At one point he claimed he let his membership lapsed, but recently sought and won DSAs endorsement again after telling members of the group during a recent meeting that he supported the BDS movement against the Jewish state and now opposes military aid to the country, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza. Torres later added, I have a general rule of not weighing in against a Congressional Democrat who has not weighed in against me. But Bowmans gratuitous attack on my character might cause me to rethink that rule. Stay tuned, he said. St. Johns County Sheriff's Office cordons off the area of U.S. 1 and Old Moultrie Road on June 7 where a man died in what's now been ruled a self-inflicted gunshot as deputies also fired. The cause of death for the suicidal man who died in the June 7 confrontation with St. Johns County deputies who opened fire has been ruled self-inflicted, according to the Sheriff's Office citing the medical examiner's report. John David Herron, 65, of St. Augustine was a retired U.S. Marine who ran a landscaping business and had documented mental health struggles. On June 7 a concerned family member contacted the Sheriffs Office shortly after 5 p.m. saying he left home with a firearm and had been drinking alcohol and making suicidal threats. Deputies located him in his pickup truck on Old Moultrie Road at U.S. 1 South and attempted to communicate with him. When he began to ram one of the patrol vehicles, the Sheriff's Office said four deputies started shooting. But Herron fired what was determined to be the fatal blow, according to the findings. Court records show he was institutionalized under the state's Baker Act in July 2023 for threatening suicide. He was upset that a loved one wanted him to contact the Veterans Suicide Hotline. He told deputies multiple times that he was a trained Marine and had guns. He also had been drinking Fireball all day and wanted them to try to take him out. The Sheriff's Office was advised he suffered from bipolar disorder. In 2022 he was charged with DUI, resisting an officer and battery in the same truck. It was reduced to misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and resisting without violence, to which he pleaded no contest. His business profile states he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years active duty from 1976 to 1984 and was meritoriously promoted three times to the rank of sergeant. In 2009 he started Du All Landscaping. People can call the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 by dialing 988 and pressing 1 or texting 838255. Help can also be sought at The Fire Watch, "Floridas fight to end veteran suicide," by visiting thefirewatch.org website. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: St. Augustine Marine's death ruled suicide during shooting by deputies PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Several weeks after two sacred items were stolen from a Catholic church in downtown Portland, one has been found. The congregation at St. Michael the Archangel Church prayed for the return of their golden tabernacle and the holy item inside it after it was stolen overnight on May 28. Womans body found outside Legacy Good Samaritan in NW Portland Father Ignacio Llorente previously told KOIN 6 News that on the night of the first break-in, he saw surveillance footage that someone had been camping on the stairs of the historic church. They climbed through the stairs to the bell tower, then broke into a bell tower, broke a window, enter, went down, then broke in our door. And then he entered the kind of office area, Llorente said. Llorente said that the person spent some time inside, then left, taking several things with him, including a set of keys. The next day, the man returned. Suspect dead after being shot by Vancouver officers He came back at 1 a.m. Wednesday and he came in twice. So he came 1 a.m., took a bike and a speaker from our house, Llorente said. Then broken again at 4 a.m. he entered our chapel and took what in the Catholic faith is called the tabernacle. The tabernacle, made of wood painted gold, contains a blessed sacrament used for the Catholic religion. (Courtesy: St. Michael the Archangel Church) A sacrament known as a monstrance remains missing from the St. Michael the Archangel Church. (Courtesy: St. Michael the Archangel Church) On June 15, the church received notice that a woman had the tabernacle and wanted to return it. However, police said the woman is not a suspect in the burglaries. Llorente told KOIN 6 News the tabernacle looks expensive, but its wood painted gold. That said, many consider whats inside a blessed sacrament used for the Catholic religion to be invaluable. Beverly Beach State Park to remain closed until end of July One item, a sacrament known as a monstrance, remains missing. The burglaries remain under investigation, and no one has been charged with the crimes, officials said. However, detectives believe the same suspect committed the burglaries. Anyone with information on the burglary is encouraged to contact police or the church directly at 503-228-8629. 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. St. Paul city planners are considering further restrictions on fast food drive-thrus, which critics say make neighborhoods more hostile to pedestrians and cyclists. A city study released for public comment in March drew a wide range of reactions. Proposed zoning amendments would limit where future drive-thrus can be installed while also heightening design standards. Among the questions pitched to the public: Should St. Paul prohibit future fast food drive-thrus altogether? Or perhaps the city could just ban them downtown and in mixed housing and retail T2 traditional neighborhood zoning districts, with the goal of promoting walking over driving in mixed-use areas. Those options, still being considered by the St. Paul Planning Commission, are opposed by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and Hospitality Minnesota, the states lodging and restaurant association, as well as individual restaurant owners. During a June 7 hearing before the Planning Commission, a representative of Border Foods, which operates almost every Taco Bell in the state, said drive-thrus account for up to 80% of their business. Some retailers say that given crime and safety concerns, the alternative to a late-night or all-night drive-thru isnt a more pedestrian-friendly, walk-in experience its to add parking and close their fast-food eatery earlier. They also recalled that drive-thrus were integral to surviving the coronavirus pandemic, when the state imposed restrictions on on-site dining. The reason Im sitting here today and still in business is because of the carry-out business I had, said Eddie Sharif, a proprietor of Burger Moes on West Seventh Street, addressing the Planning Commission. In order to encourage business growth, real estate attorney Brian Alton said, just like weve done with housing choices, we should be less restrictive, not more restrictive. St. Paul already limits new drive-thrus by requiring eateries in most zoning districts to seek city approval, through a conditional use permit. Bill Lindeke, a former planning commissioner, said what distinguishes St. Paul retail areas like Snelling-Selby and Grand Avenue from the suburbs is pedestrian access between bakeries, coffee shops and other retailers. Once a drive-thru business is installed, it bisects pedestrian foot traffic, he said. It almost becomes an island, he said, recalling a drive-thru that created infamous traffic backups from a Selby Avenue Starbucks into the busy intersection at Snelling Avenue. Former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch required wrist surgery in October 2019 after getting hit by an SUV outside the location. After years of controversies, the drive-thru was replaced with a patio. Some business advocates argue drive-thrus benefit the disabled, as well as parents with small children and others with mobility challenges. Lindeke argues just the opposite. Drive-thru curb cuts, once cars start going over the sidewalks with snow and ice, its almost impossible to get the ice off the sidewalk, he said. It becomes the slipperiest part of anyones trek. Planning Commissioner Simon Taghioff echoed that sentiment. I am a young parent, he said. I often hear in these debates young parents co-opted into this assumption that we cant walk. In Manhattan, they seem to have a bunch of Taco Bells and other fast food joints. And none of them have drive-thrus. I wonder how those operate? Minneapolis in 2019 banned new drive-thrus, calling them unfriendly to pedestrians and the environment. St. Paul officials counted 77 drive-thrus in the city, mainly at restaurants and banks but also several pharmacies and two coffee shops. The Planning Commission is likely to revisit the drive-thru zoning study this summer before the issue goes before the St. Paul City Council around August. Related Articles Human activities have resulted in a huge number of animal species becoming extinct or threatened. But humans can also aid in the recoveries of those species, as evidenced by the case of the osprey, which is on the verge of being taken off the New Jersey endangered species list, the Lavallette-Seaside Shorebeat reported. Ospreys, also known as sea hawks, river hawks, or fish hawks, are large raptors that patrol coastlines looking for fish to dive into the water and catch. In the 1970s, there were only around 50 osprey nests left in New Jersey. Today, thanks to concerted efforts from conservationists and local citizens, there are around 800. One of the major factors that aided in the recovery of osprey populations was the banning of DDT, a toxic pesticide, in 1972. The ban has been credited with saving both ospreys and bald eagles. A lot of individual humans in New Jersey also deserve credit for helping the ospreys to thrive (or, at least, not be in imminent danger of extinction) by taking climate action. Shore residents have banded together over the past three decades to save the iconic birds, building nests themselves, setting up cameras to livestream the hatching of chicks, and working to raise awareness of the ospreys' plight. "The de-listing of eagles and ospreys is a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in New Jersey and is a testament to the dedication of DEP professionals and volunteers who over the years stood watch over nests in all forms of weather, nurtured hatchlings, and worked tirelessly to educate the public about the importance of sustaining wildlife diversity," said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. Efforts to save the ospreys (and other seabirds) have not just been limited to New Jersey, either. Similar steps have been taken in places like South Australia, which recently had a livestream of a hatching osprey chick. Off the coast of the United Kingdom, Danish wind farm company rsted built three massive artificial bird nests to help support populations of a seabird called the kittiwake. According to the Shorebeat, the DEP will hear comments on the proposed removal of the osprey from the list until Aug. 2. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. AUSTIN (KXAN) A trial centered around the validity of the funding structure behind Austins Project Connect mass transit system began and quickly halted Monday, as Attorney General Ken Paxtons office filed an interlocutory appeal to delay proceedings. That appeal from the AGs office is centered around whether or not Austin Transit Partnership the local government corporation created and tasked with developing the Project Connect mass transit system has the jurisdiction to bring forth a bond validation lawsuit, a petition ATP filed back in February. The AGs office claims that ATP is not a qualifying entity and, therefore, is not subject to an expedited process provided by a bond validation petition. Now filed, the AGs appeal will freeze the trial on the merits of our lawsuit as well as freeze the Austin Transit Partnerships (ATP) attempt to issue debt for Project Connect in the interim until the courts system can rule whether ATP is legally allowed to do so, per a news release Monday. In response, ATPs executive director Greg Canally confirmed ATP will file an emergency motion to dismiss the AGs filing as a baseless appeal. That battle will hash out in the Third Court of Appeals. In the meantime, he promised his staff would continue work on advancing light rail, particularly as the mass transit program has recently begun its project development phase via the Federal Transit Administration. Should the Third Court of Appeals rule in favor of ATP, the fight will likely not end there. Bill Aleshire co-counsel representing a group of plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against Austin City Council and ATP over Project Connect in November said theyd appeal the Third Court of Appeals ruling to the Texas Supreme Court, should a ruling in favor of ATP happen. We were looking forward to making our legal attacks in court when we filed our original lawsuit. Had ATP not rushed to borrow huge sums of money years before they even need it with this bond validation lawsuit, and instead proceeded to trial with our original case, we would have been able to show the proposed financing mechanism was never legal, the plan sold to voters was never realistic, and the Contract With The Voters has been breached too many times to list, Aleshire and fellow co-counsel Rick Fine said in the Monday release. ATPs decision to bring this bond validation lawsuit is yet another mishap by our local officials in trying to perpetrate this farce on all of Austin. Mondays intended start of the trial marked a delay from its initial start date, slated for May 28. The consolidated case is centered around two key issues: the bond validation petition filed in February by the ATP to validate the light rails funding structure, as well as the lawsuit filed against Austin City Council and Austin Transit Partnership in November related to changes in the light rail plan. Mondays intended bench trial was overseen by Judge Eric Shepperd. Heres the backstory on both respective components of the trial. Bond validation petition A driving component of Mondays trial is verifying or denouncing the validity of Project Connects funding structure. In November 2020, City of Austin voters approved increasing the citys property tax rate, with a dedicated 8.75-cent revenue stream to fund the Project Connect mass transit system. ATP officials have cited Senate Bill 2 passed by the Texas Legislature and adopted into law in 2019 as justification of the funding mechanism. Among a host of property tax rate changes adopted through this law, it stipulated that municipalities increasing the tax rate by more than 3.5% must have voter approval before any property tax rate increases take effect. ATP argues that the City of Austin has the right to pay that Project Connect tax revenue pursuant to an interlocal agreement between the two entities, and that ATP has the authority to use those revenue payments as repayment for its bonds and any other obligations incurred through the process of developing the light rail system. PAST COVERAGE: Trial set in Project Connect funding structure debate The bond validation petition filed by ATP aims to expedite a determination from an impartial court to affirm ATPs bond program, per a February statement from the local government corporation. However, the validity of that funding mechanism has been challenged, most notably by Texas attorney general. He issued an opinion in May 2023 where he argued Texas tax code does not authorize a municipality to earmark use of a voter-approved increase in its maintenance and operation property tax revenue for debt service. In a pre-trial brief from Paxton filed earlier this month and shared with KXAN, Paxton referred to the 2020 propositions ballot language as necessarily defective and misleading, arguing the City of Austin used a tax ratification election outside the purposes for which it was designed. Had the City merely submitted to voters a tax bond proposition for the proposed capital project and the voters approved it, there would be clear statutory authorization to issue ad valorem tax bonds up to the maximum principal amount authorized, assuming all other state law requirements had been met. But the City did not want to limit itself to a maximum amount of bonds. Rather, the City sought to earmark a percentage of its maintenance tax rate collections to be handed over indefinitely to a local government corporation under a funding agreement to pay the local government corporations bonds. That agreement was void ab initio upon its execution because it created an unconstitutional debt. Pre-trial Brief of Attorney General If Shepperd sides with ATP on this issue, it would essentially force the AG Offices hand to approve the programs bond issuance. However, if Shepperds verdict rules against ATPs bond validation petition, the Texas AG would have jurisdiction to decide whether ATP could issue bonds. Background on the lawsuit against Project Connect Bill Aleshire is serving as the lead attorney and representing the plaintiffs in the November lawsuit filed against Austin City Council and ATP. Included in the suit against Project Connect leadership are Austin restaurant Dirty Martins, former Texas Democratic State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, former Austin City Council Member Ora Houston, Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez and PODERs director Susana Almanza. The basis of the lawsuit centers around revisions made to Project Connects light rail plan, adopted by Austin City Council, ATP and CapMetro in June 2023. That revised plan broke up light rail implementation work into stages, with a nearly 10-mile route running from 38th Street to Oltorf Street and then to Yellow Jacket Lane adopted as phase one. ICYMI: Lawsuit filed against Austins revised Project Connect light rail plan ATP officials have said this would be only the first phase of a series of planned mass transit enhancements and light rail development as part of the Project Connect program. But lawsuit plaintiffs have said that the City of Austin and ATP are collecting and spending tax dollars approved by voters in 2020 for a dramatically different Project Connect. The initial, full-scale plan presented to voters prior to the November 2020 election and for about a year and a half afterwards highlighted multiple light rail lines, expanded regional rail connectivity and bolstered MetroRapid bus lines. A portion of the map of Project Connect, Austins transit system expansion. On the map, the Broadmoor station will stop at Uptown ATX (Map courtesy: Project Connect and Capital Metro) The Austin Transit Partnership is recommending the 38th Street to Oltorf Street to Yellow Jacket Lane is the first phase of light rail services to be built under Project Connect. (Courtesy: Austin Transit Partnership) The city and ATP are collecting and spending tax dollars approved by voters in 2020 for a dramatically different Project Connect than was recently approved by the City, Aleshire said in a November release. The law does not allow property tax revenue approved by voters for one project to then be used for an inferior replacement project. Nor can Austin just ignore statutory and constitutional restrictions on use of property taxes. ATP officials declined to comment on the lawsuit at the time, citing pending litigation and the corporations continued focus to advance the project. Reactions from ATP, lawsuit plaintiffs legal counsel Canally said in a statement to reporters the transit organization has followed state law with every step and they were prepared to defend their case at Mondays trial. The vocal opponents to transit were not ready today, and the reason theyre not is because they know that this is a delay tactic and that the law was not on their side and on their position, he said, adding: We have the full faith the Third Court of Appeals will act quickly. Canally added he anticipates the Third Court of Appeals will act judiciously in ruling on the matter and returning the case to its trial setting. While addressing reporters, Aleshire said he and his team of plaintiffs were looking forward to trial proceedings beginning on a project he referred to as a bait and switch. He blamed ATP for Mondays delayed proceedings and the organizations decision to move forward with a bond validation petition in February. As a result of choosing this litigation, they are the ones that brought the Attorney General into the case, not us, he said, adding: It is time, if theres any leaders left in the City of Austins government, for them to recognize that the current plan for Project Connect is doomed one way or the other. He instead said city leaders need to consider hosting a November bond election for light rail with a finite price tag affiliated with the program, as opposed to the tax revenue stream format approved by voters in the November 2020 bond election that greenlit Project Connect in the first place. Nancy Crowther has lived in Austin since 1980 and first voted for expanded public transit in Austin back in 1985. As a wheelchair user, she said shes dependent on transit and was disappointed by Mondays delayed outcomes. Id like to get this trial over with, she said. I would like to see the taxpayers get their moneys worth that they voted for. A spokesperson for the City of Austin said officials are disappointed by the delayed proceedings, but expected it and will continue moving light rail plans forward. Because the Attorney General had been very clear about his intention to appeal this matter, we were not surprised, the spokesperson said over email. We are disappointed to have a delay in the proceedings but not surprised. Project Connect continues to move forward despite these legal proceedings. Those same sentiments arent shared by one Austin City Council member. In an emailed statement, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said 2020 city leadership chose not only to overpromise on Project Connect but also to pay for it through a legally questionable funding mechanism. Austin voters and taxpayers will have to continue to wait for a drawn-out legal battle to unfold before transit improvements can be deliveredif they can ever be delivered at allall while continuing to pay 21% higher taxes to the City in the meantime, her statement read. As the Council begins deliberations on the Citys annual budget, I will be working to provide Austinites tax relief on Project Connect until the dispute over its financing structure is resolved through the court system. 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. (KRON) Graduates of Stanford University walked out of their commencement ceremony on Sunday in protest for Palestine. In a video provided by a viewer (see above), multiple Stanford graduates walked out of their graduation ceremony with the Palestinian flag as their sashes. The students and graduates are demanding the university divest from companies that are providing funds to Israel for the war against Hamas. Chevron, Lockheed Martin and Hewlett-Packard are amongst the companies the students and graduates want Stanford University to pull funds from. Red Flag Warning to go into effect in these North Bay areas According to a press release from the Stanford for Palestine organization, the group will host an alternative ceremony called The Peoples Commencement. The ceremony will honor the victims of genocide in Palestine and the continuation of student organizing for divestment. Multiple protests for both sides of the war have commenced on Standfords campus since Oct. 7. According to NPR, more than 30,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the ongoing war in Gaza. 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. Ukraine's state-of-the-art surface drone has been presented at the International Black Sea Security Forum 2024 in Odesa. Source: Dumska, an Odesa-based local news outlet Details: The unmanned boat called Stalker 5.0 is 5 metres long and 1.2 metres wide. It can deliver water, food, military equipment and other supplies to islands or coastal areas where the Ukrainian defence forces are stationed in a special bin in the drone body. In addition, it can be used for reconnaissance and coastal patrolling in sea and river border areas. A 60-horsepower petrol engine propels the drone to speeds of more than 40 knots (about 75 kilometres per hour). For comparison, a cruisers standard speed is about 30 knots (55 kilometres per hour). The drone is equipped with a Starlink-based video communication and control system. One sample costs about 60,000. The latest Ukrainian surface drone. Photo: Dumska The latest Ukrainian surface drone. Photo: Dumska Support UP or become our patron! State, federal races on the ballot for Tuesday's primary election in Oklahoma A person fills out their ballot as they vote Thursday at the Oklahoma County Election Board during early voting in Oklahoma City. Voters head to the polls Tuesday to select candidates for the statehouse, Congress and Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Fount Holland, a Republican political strategist, said Republican primaries bring out some of the most conservative voters who are normally older, such as 55 and older. Oklahomans are more conservative than they have been in the past, Holland said. Republican primary voters are very much followers of President Trump, and so theyre running to reflect the people that make up the state, and not just that make up the state, but the people that care enough to show up to the polls, Holland said. Oklahoma primary elections guide 2024: Who's on the ballot, where to vote, results Millions have been spent in high-profile Oklahoma primary races Thirty-four Republican incumbents face challengers. The District 4 seat for the U.S. House of Representatives has been highly publicized, with incumbent Tom Cole facing Paul Bondar, whose residency has been called into question. Cole chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Millions in advertising has been spent on the race for and against Cole and Bondar. Andrew Hayes, Nick Hankins and Rick Whitebear Harris are also seeking the Republican nomination. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will advance to the runoff primary election, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. State Rep. Mauree Turner, D-Oklahoma City, who is nonbinary, is not seeking reelection. More: Oklahoma voter guide Instead, three Democrats, Nicole Maldonado, Ellen Pogemiller and Paula Sophia, are seeking the seat. Maldonado currently works as Turners legislative assistant. Senate Majority Leader Greg McCortney, R-Ada, will face Jonathon Wingard on Tuesday. Rob Crowley, who initially filed to run, withdrew from the race. McCortney has been selected as the next Senate president pro tem. If he loses, another senator will be chosen to fill the leadership post. The Republican nomination for the Corporation Commission is a showdown between Brian Bingman, Justin Hornback and Russell Ray. Bingman is a former leader of the Oklahoma State Senate and Oklahoma secretary of state. Hornback is a welder. Ray is the director of communications and marketing for CareerTech. Will voters show up for the Oklahoma primaries? It's hard to say Misha Mohr, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Election Board, said making turnout predictions for a primary election is difficult because not all voters have an election every two years. Its very difficult to make an apples to apples comparison when it comes to the primary election, Mohr said. Early voting for Tuesdays primary ended Saturday. As of Friday morning, over 24,500 votes had been cast, either in person or via mail. Mohr said some precincts have nonpartisan elections, which all voters are eligible to participate in. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters in line at their designated polling locations by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters must show photo identification or a county election board voter identification card. Oklahoma has closed primary elections, meaning voters are limited to voting in their registered partys primary. However, the Democratic party has opened its primaries to independents for 2024 and 2025, Mohr said. If necessary, the primary runoff will be held Aug. 27. The general election is Nov. 5. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma elections: Voters headed to the polls on Tuesday The state of patriotism in America: This Fourth of July, will people celebrate with pride or pessimism? Navy veteran Jeff Link, of Lorton, Va., salutes as the American flag is carried past him during the national Veterans Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. | Cliff Owen Is it popular to be a patriot? Simply put, being a patriot means supporting ones country. As America approaches its most patriotic holiday which is also during a heated presidential election year this year how many people will be proudly celebrating their citizenship in the United States? Less than half (39%) of Americans would say they are extremely proud to be Americans, according to a survey taken a year ago by Statista. Twenty-eight percent identified as moderately proud, 7% were only a little and 4% of Americans were not at all proud. Multiple surveys have found a year-over-year gradual decline in patriotism in the U.S., with a few exceptions, in the last two decades. The U.S. is neither a shining beacon of goodness nor a uniquely malignant force of oppression, Richard Lloyd, an associate professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University, told WalletHub. What it is, is both a flawed experiment, whose imperfect founders brilliantly built a framework geared towards becoming less flawed not perfect, but more perfect. And succeeding generations were conscripted to answer the call in pursuit of that project. In light of Independence Day, WalletHub surveyed which states outranked the rest when it came to patriotism under key indicators, including the number of military enlistees per state and the number of people who voted in the 2020 presidential election. Top five most patriotic states according to WalletHub: Virginia. Alaska. Montana. Maine. Oregon. Top five least patriotic states: Arkansas. New York. Massachusetts. Rhode Island. Florida. Utah ranked 19th overall as the most patriotic state. The survey also reported that blue states seemed to have more American pride than their red counterparts. However, different polls tell different stories. A Gallup survey published a year ago found that with patriotism at a record low, Republicans still expressed far greater pride in their country than Democrats or independents did. Extreme pride in America by political party: Republicans: 60%. Democrats: 29%. Independents: 33%. Age also plays a role. 50% of U.S. adults aged 55 and older say they are extremely proud to be American, 40% of those aged 35 to 54, and 18% of 18- to 34-year-olds say the same. Perhaps it starts with what is being taught in public education or lack thereof, but younger generations, like Generation Z, who were born between 1999 and 2012, are more liberal than other generations were at the same age. History scores have been on the decline for a decade; civics scores had largely stayed flat until now, Ingrid Jacques wrote in her opinion piece on USA Today. Conservatives and liberals have very different ideas about how history and civics should be taught and what should be prioritized. Along with the decline in patriotism, young Americans also have negative feelings towards Americas capitalist economy, Jacques added. More than half of Gen Zers (54%) have a negative view of capitalism versus the 42% who favor the economic and political system. When it comes to teaching younger generations about what it means to fulfill their civic duties as an American, Sheri Parks, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland at College Park, told WalletHub that young Americans need to learn about the optimism of the American spirit. Surveys suggest that we are losing our optimism, but that would be both a great shame and a self-defeating movement, Parks told WalletHub. We should be teaching our children to be Americans the best of America in the world. The U.S. still holds a unique position in the world. We are who we are because of that spirit. This country is an amazing story. It has not always been good or easy, but there have always been good and brave people who survived and overcame. People in other countries see it the American spirit is one of optimism, of can-doism. Even in the face of horrendous odds, we have kept at it, she added. Pharmacist George Tadross takes care of a customer at MAC Pharmacy in Cleveland in May 2024. Insurance companies, and the pharmacy benefit management companies that handle prescriptions for them, often refuse to cover a specific drug until after the patient has tried cheaper alternatives, a process known as step therapy. (Sue Ogrocki/The Associated Press) Cassidy Yermal, 32, began experiencing debilitating migraines when she was 17 years old. As a teenager growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, she saw numerous neurologists and tried a variety of medications before finding one that provided relief. In 2022, her new insurer asked her to prove it. Yermal now lives in Marlboro, Maryland, where shes a sales representative at a furniture store. She is married and receives health care coverage through her husbands employer. In 2022, their new insurer told Yermal that it wouldnt pay for her medication unless she tried several less expensive drugs first or could prove that she already had. I was like, I dont know why theyre asking for this documentation now. My other insurance company didnt ask for it, Yermal told Stateline. It was really frustrating to me to have to dig up the kind of things that I knew didnt work. Millions of Americans have experienced similar frustrations under protocols known as step therapy, or fail-first policies. Insurance companies, and the pharmacy benefit management companies that handle prescriptions for them, often refuse to cover a specific drug until after the patient has tried cheaper alternatives. Insurers argue that step therapy taking drug treatment one step a time prevents wasteful spending by directing patients to less expensive, but still effective, treatments. But patient advocacy groups and physicians say doctors, not insurers, are best qualified to know which drug or treatment is likely to be most effective. Delaying the implementation of that decision, they say, often harms patients. At least 36 states including Maryland, where Yermal lives have laws that are supposed to limit insurers use of step therapy. But most only apply in certain cases, and enforcement has been spotty. Most important, states do not have the power to regulate the self-funded insurance policies that large employers typically offer to their workers and 65% of Americans are covered that way. Only Congress has the power to curb the use of step therapy in self-funded plans; a bill that would do just that is pending on Capitol Hill. In the meantime, legislatures in several states, including Illinois, Kentucky and New Mexico, this year approved measures designed to close loopholes in their step therapy laws and extend protections to more people. The Kentucky and New Mexico bills are now law. States are really where the action is on health care. Changes and reforms depend on the state. Kaye Pestaina, vice president and director of patient and consumer protections at KFF The Illinois measure, which is awaiting the signature of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, is especially far-reaching: It would ban any insurers regulated by the state, including Medicaid, from using step therapy. But because states cant regulate self-funded insurers, many Illinois residents wouldnt be covered. Knowing that our hospitals have hundreds of employees on staff just to deal with the insurance companies really says something, Democratic state Rep. Anna Moeller, chief sponsor of the bill, told Stateline. Nobody should be turned away in the middle of a mental health crisis or spend months potentially failing on other drugs while the doctors know they wont work. No one should have to go through that. Illinois Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine, another sponsor of the bill, acknowledged that forcing large insurance companies to abide by the ban would be a challenge. Our Department of Insurance is going to have to come in. This is where we are going to have to make rules. How do we make sure that these laws are being carried out as written? she said. Nevertheless, Fine said, the ban almost certainly would be a huge improvement over the current step therapy law in Illinois. That law is so weak, she said, that for most people subjected to step therapy rules, you could complain about it, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Now, were saying, No, this is not [allowed], Fine said. And so, you can complain about it, and something can get done. In Maryland, Yermal had to wait two months for her insurer to approve her preferred migraine medication, Emgality, which has no generic form and can cost more than $700 for the once-a-month dose. During that time, she suffered pounding headaches; it was hard to live my life, and it was hard to do basic things, she said. She also said that taking medications that dont work can have long-lasting effects. More than a decade later, she said, she is still feeling the impact of her time on a migraine drug that didnt help her. I still cant think straight. I used to be a really fast learner and pick up on stuff really quickly, Yermal said. I took that medication over 10 years ago and I still feel that I never recovered. Increasing use Insurers argue that by preventing excessive spending, step therapy yields savings for consumers in the form of lower insurance premiums and less expensive prescriptions for everyone on the plan. James Swann, a spokesperson for AHIP, a trade group formerly known as Americas Health Insurance Plans, said step therapy protects patients from potentially harmful or unnecessary care, and that legislation to restrict it would lead to clinically inappropriate care and could raise costs for all consumers and purchasers. Swann also suggested that insurers have a holistic perspective on the health care system that even doctors lack. But Dr. Jack Resneck, former president of the American Medical Association, rejected that idea. I would make an argument that physicians who have gone to medical school and have the patients entire medical record can help keep patients way more safe, Resneck said. [Insurers] are often recommending things to me that are frankly unsafe. He added: Is it true that we have seen some drug prices go up astronomically? Absolutely. The solution is to fix drug pricing. Its not to tell patients that the drug theyve been on thats been great for them is one they cant be on anymore. Recent research suggests that the use of step therapy by insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers is increasing and that it is often divorced from clinical evidence. In a study published earlier this year in the journal Health Affairs, researchers looked at about 10 years worth of Medicare Part D plan data and found that insurers increasingly imposed restrictions on patient access to medications. They did so through step therapy, requiring doctors to get insurers permission before prescribing a drug, or by excluding drugs from coverage. The percentage of drugs restricted by the policies increased from 32% in 2011 to 44% in 2020. While plans justify the use of these tools as a means to control costs, restricting access to an increasing number of drugs raises concerns that these policies may adversely affect patients health, Geoffrey Joyce, chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics at the University of Southern California and an author of the study said in an interview. A study published in Health Affairs in 2021 found that 17 of the largest commercial health plans applied step therapy policies about 40% of the time for treatments related to 10 diseases. The researchers found that there was wide variation among the companies use of step therapy, and that the policies requirements often departed from clinical guidelines. The protocols were more rigid than clinical guidelines at least half the time for patients with hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis and psoriatic arthritis. For psoriasis, the step therapy protocols were stricter more than 99% of the time. James Chambers, an associate professor at the Tufts Medical Center Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies and an author of the study, told Stateline that the inconsistency maybe raises a red flag about how these protocols were developed and for what reason. From experience, we see very different step therapy protocols across plans for the same drugs for the same uses, Chambers said. Its not just subtle differences, but impactful differences for patients. Current laws limited The loopholes in existing state laws and the fact that the laws dont apply to people with the most common form of insurance frustrate patient advocacy groups. Dozens of them have been involved in lobbying for tougher state rules and the stalled federal bill. We have a ton of inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune patients in our network. And this population typically has to undergo step therapy, which causes major delays in treatment, said Zoe Rothblatt, director of community outreach at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, which advocates for patients with chronic diseases such as migraines, arthritis, osteoporosis and psoriasis. Patients can spend a lot of time months in pain, not able to work, Rothblatt said. They could have disease progression. Joyce said it wont be easy to further restrict the use of step therapy, either at the state or the federal level. He noted the country is spending more than $4 trillion annually on health care, and the reason its so hard to change things is because that money is somebodys income whether its yours, or a doctors or a pharma companys. And the health care companies, he said, dont want reform. They all fight it tooth and nail, and they all have lobbyists in Washington fighting for their interests, he said. Kaye Pestaina, vice president and director of patient and consumer protections at KFF, a health research organization, said innovative approaches to regulating insurance companies are more likely to occur on the state level, and that civil lawsuits are a powerful enforcement tool. States are really where the action is on health care. Changes and reforms depend on the state, Pestaina told Stateline. The state law says how much the civil penalty is, what the circumstances are, when a government investigates, what makes something a violation and what doesnt. Fine, the Illinois senator, said the measure set to be signed by the governor is evidence of a growing legislative appetite to regulate insurers, a change that is shifting state government. I feel our Department of Insurance now is very consumer-focused, Fine told Stateline. For a long, long time, everything was sort of slanted towards industry. And now, you know, the scale is kind of changing. And were slanting towards, How is this helping the consumer? Yermal, meanwhile, says shes doing fine now, although she still suffers from some headaches. Shes happy she can at least get the medication she needs to deal with them, she said. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter. The post States struggle to help patients navigate insurance hurdle known as step therapy appeared first on Missouri Independent. Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on Nov. 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser / Getty Images) WASHINGTON The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cagesnow requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weightdemonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Source New Mexico. Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on Nov. 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) WASHINGTON The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cages now requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weight demonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on Nov. 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) WASHINGTON The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cagesnow requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weightdemonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on Nov. 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows chats with poll worker Sue Pastore at Deering High School in Portland. (Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cagesnow requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weightdemonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on Nov. 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images. WASHINGTON The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cagesnow requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weightdemonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 03: Hired security personnel wait for voters outside the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office on November 3, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. After a record-breaking early voting turnout, Americans head to the polls on the last day to cast their vote for incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. (Photo by Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) WASHINGTON The federal government has sought to bolster election security for years through a popular grant program, but the wildly fluctuating funding levels have made it difficult for state officials to plan their budgets and their projects. Rising misinformation and disinformation about elections, often fueled by conspiracy theories, as well as threats against election workers, make the grants especially important, according to elections officials. But U.S. House Republicans are seeking to eliminate funding for election security grants known as Help America Vote Act, or HAVA grants in this years appropriations process, a move they unsuccessfully attempted last year as well. We continue to unnecessarily risk the very integrity of our elections and American democracy, Georgia Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said Thursday during committee debate on the funding bill. Bishop, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was concerned about the outdated and the insecure voting systems around the country that pose a very, very serious threat to our national security and to our democratic system. It is irresponsible to ignore the wake-up call, Bishop added. Our nations election systems are currently and constantly under attack by foreign actors that are threatening our democratic values. The bill was approved by the GOP-led House Appropriations Committee with no money in it for the grants. Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One & Issue One Action, said during an interview with States Newsroom that while the grants have traditionally been bipartisan, several factors have affected backing for the program in recent years. It remains something that many Republicans in both the House and the Senate support, Cohn-Postar said. But its also been caught up, I think, in some of the false information about elections that began to spread in 2020. Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Issue One writes on its website that the organization strives to unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Grant funding decreases Congress approved $55 million in election security grants during the last appropriations process, which wrapped up this spring. That action came after the Republican-controlled House, which proposed zero dollars, conferenced with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had proposed $75 million in funding. That final funding level was a decrease from the $75 million that Congress approved in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. Congress didnt approve any election grant funding in the annual appropriations bill during fiscal year 2021. However, that followed lawmakers allocation of $425 million in the prior years bill as well as an additional $400 million in one of the COVID-19 emergency spending bills. Cohn-Postar said that several states have sought to make their HAVA grants last more than one year by spending less than they receive, or saving the money up for bigger projects. Louisiana, for example, hasnt spent any of its election security grant funding since 2018, in preparation for overhauling its election system. New Hampshire passed a state law that collects the grant funding in an endowment and then only spends a portion of that each year. But that careful budgeting and uncertainty about how much grant funding Congress might provide in the next year has led federal lawmakers to look at states use of the grants skeptically, Cohn-Postar said. The key thing weve come across is about half of the states have only spent about half of their HAVA grants, Cohn-Postar said. And that gets brought up in every conversation that Congress has about these grants. They say, Hey, why should we appropriate more if you havent spent? Congress, he said, sometimes uses states careful, thoughtful budgeting as an excuse to not give them money. Republicans in Congress are also looking to reduce federal spending overall and have made cuts throughout many of the dozen annual spending bills, including the Financial Services bill, which includes the HAVA grants. Incredibly important in Maine Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said during an interview the grants have been incredibly important, especially in the absence of sustainable elections funding from the federal government. We have seen the rapid evolution of cybersecurity threats and threats against election infrastructure over the last several years, Bellows said. As the threats evolve, so must our preparedness. The election security grants are fundamental to our ability to make investments in improvements in our central voter registration system and cybersecurity protections for that system. Congress inability or unwillingness to create a predictable, stable funding program for states to administer federal elections is unfortunate, she said. We are very proud that Maine has always enjoyed safe, free and secure elections, Bellows said. But make no mistake, the lack of sustainable ongoing federal funding is a potential vulnerability in the future. Washington state Elections Director Stuart Holmes said in an interview he plans his annual budget around not getting HAVA election security grants and is pleasantly surprised when Congress does provide the funding. Through my entire career, theres only been two rounds of HAVA that were significant investments into elections, Holmes said. So its a great surprise to get an extra million dollars at the beginning of the year. But it does make it pretty much impossible to prepare and plan for anything if you have to spend it. The grants dont expire at the end of the fiscal year and the federal government doesnt claw back unspent funding, allowing the states to take different approaches to how they use the money. Holmes said during his interview with States Newsroom that the funding approved in fiscal 2020 allowed the state to create an entire team of cybersecurity professionals to be dedicated to protecting our infrastructure. In the state of Washington, we have a centralized voter registration and election management system, and never before had we had dedicated election professionals that are watching the logs, preparing our system, testing our system and collaborating with other professionals to do testing, Holmes said. So were in a better position than weve ever been. Even so, he said, local election officials would certainly look forward to a stable funding source from the federal government as it relates to federal elections. New Hampshire election fund New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan said when Congress passed the HAVA program in 2002, it told states the funding was primarily to set up a statewide voter registration database, ensure every polling place had accessible voting equipment, provide poll workers with training and set up voter education programs. The New Hampshire Legislature at the time told the secretary of state to use the initial allocation from Congress to meet the requirements, but then to establish an election fund with the remaining money. Originally, the secretary of state could use one-twentieth of the total funding in the account for annual costs of maintaining the federal mandates, but that is currently one-twelfth of the total amount in the fund. New Hampshire has been doing a good job with the money that we have, but theres no question that the funds have helped us put in place security measures for our electronic systems, Scanlan said. The state, he said, has used its federal election security grants to hire vendors that specialize in keeping the electronic systems safe. When New Hampshire set up a new voter registration database, the state used the funding to ensure none of the software included anything nefarious. Weve really been making sure that the systems that were building are clean and that theres not something malicious lurking in the shadows, Scanlan said. Weve taken some really good steps that give me real confidence that our systems are in good shape. Advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding JP Martin, deputy communications director for the Arizona secretary of state, declined States Newsrooms request for an interview with the secretary of state, offering only to provide written responses to questions on HAVA election security grants. Martin wrote in an email that fluctuating levels of federal funding have significantly impacted our strategic planning and budgeting. The uncertainty of future allocations compels us to be cautious with expenditures, focusing on priorities such as enhancing physical security measures for voting equipment, Martin wrote. For instance, securing equipment in cagesnow requires a liftgate-equipped truck due to their increased weightdemonstrates the challenges of managing technological and budgetary constraints under limited HAVA funding. Congress declining to provide election security grants in the future could significantly strain Arizonas election infrastructure, he wrote. Currently, the state is under a hiring freeze, and our focus remains on supporting counties, especially with the recent changes such as the date of the primary and legislation extending ballot curing to weekends, Martin wrote. We are prioritizing increased cybersecurity training and advocating for consistent, reliable federal funding to ensure the smooth administration of elections, emphasizing the necessity of sustained financial support from Congress. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post States struggle with unreliable federal funding for making sure elections are secure appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Courtney Sebesta, a homegrown journalist who has risen from an entry-level newsroom position to top management at the Austin American-Statesman, will lead the publication as its new executive editor. Gannett, Co. Inc., owner of the Statesman, which is part of the USA Today network, announced Sebestas promotion Monday following a national search. She will become the Statesmans top editor effective July 1. Sebesta, a graduate of the University of Texas School of Journalism and Media, will oversee all aspects of the Statesmans editorial operations, including developing content strategy and innovation as well as efforts to reach new audiences. More: Statesman staff garners highest honors in state journalism awards Courtney Sebesta addresses the newsroom as she is named executive editor of The Austin American-Statesman Monday, June 17, 2024. Courtney has an extensive and impressive track record as a journalist and longstanding member of the Austin community, said Gannett Media Chief Content Officer Kristin Roberts. Her talent and expertise will further our mission to deliver impactful, relevant news and content to her fellow Texans. The Statesman staff broke into applause when executives made the announcement. Michael Anastasi, Gannetts vice president of local news, said Sebesta emerged as a front-runner for the job among a competitive field of applicants nationally. We are looking forward to the journey ahead, he said. The way we look at it, we are just getting going. Courtney Sebesta is applauded by colleagues as she is named executive editor of The Austin American-Statesman Monday, June 17, 2024. Ray Rivera, vice president of news for Gannetts Middle America Region, called Sebesta a digitally savvy editor and strategic thinker who will lead the storied newsroom to new heights of audience growth. He added that Sebestas connection with the newsroom stands out with the compassion she exudes for everyone she works with and how everyone she works with feels the same about her. Sebesta began her career at the Statesman 22 years ago as an editorial assistant, answering newsroom phones and triaging news tips from the public, before serving the publication in roles that include features reporter, digital editor and senior editor. She later managed digital sites across the USA Today Network before returning to the Statesman in 2022 as managing editor. Ray Rivera, Vice President and Middle America Region Editor, names Courtney Sebesta as the new Executive Editor of The Austin American-Statesman Monday, June 17, 2024. I am thrilled to continue my career in the place I call home with the stellar journalists Ive worked alongside for many years, Sebesta said. I look forward to leading this award-winning team I admire and know so well. Sebesta led the Sunbelt's regional digital optimization team that worked closely with the Statesman in its coverage of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting that won an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the Gold Medal for meritorious Public Service, among other honors. Her teams have also won numerous Online News Association Online Journalism Awards, an International News Media Association Award, Local Media Association awards and multiple Headliners Awards and Texas Managing Editors awards. Sebesta and her husband live in Austin with their two daughters. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin American-Statesman names Courtney Sebesta as executive editor Steve Bannon is naming names and specifics on Donald Trumps anticipated retribution list. Speaking at a Turning Point Action convention on Saturday, the former Trump adviser and soon-to-be incarcerated criminal dropped that Trump will be targeting the Justice Departments powers that be, should he return to the White House after November. Were coming after Lisa Monaco, Merrick Garland, the senior members of DOJ that are prosecuting President Trump, Bannon told the crowd. Jack Smith. And this is not about vengeance. This is not about revenge. This is not about retribution. This is about saving this republic! Were gonna use the Constitution and the rule of law to go after you and hold you accountable. Elsewhere in his speech, Bannon urged a cheering crowd to give it all on the battlefield between now and Election Day, and posited that a Trump win in November would either be victory or death. Legal analysts were alarmed by Bannons violent rhetoric and described his motivations as chilling. The career ranks at DOJ, the people who do their jobs day in and day out and are committed to the Constitution, those folks arent legitimate targets for retribution, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance told MSNBC. And I think its chilling to hear whats going on here. This is payback for Donald Trump being held accountable. Bannon was sentenced to prison more than a year and a half ago, but he has remained free this whole time to spew disinformation and hatred online. Earlier this month, the far-right conspiracy theorist was ordered to submit to federal prison on July 1, when he will begin his four-month sentence for refusing to answer a congressional subpoena during the January 6 House select committee hearings. He stole millions from a mentally ill Malibu doctor. Now he'll spend nearly 16 years in prison A Fresno hairstylist will spend nearly 16 years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from a mentally ill doctor and then attempting to defraud the mans estate after his death. Anthony David Flores, also known as Anton David, pleaded guilty last year to nine felony violations for his role in the scheme, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. His ex-girlfriend, Anna Rene Moore, 40, pleaded guilty to seven felony violations in the same case, according to Flores plea agreement. Before issuing his sentence, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson referenced Flores cruel disregard of the victims suffering and the lack of value that he placed on a human life. What this defendant did erodes core values that we as a people have of empathy, compassion and kindness, Anderson said. This conduct was solely driven by greed. [Flores] became lost, if you will, in the glitz and the glamour, the cars and the jewelry, living at the beach. Anderson also ordered Flores, 47, to pay $1 million in restitution. During sentencing, Flores family members packed the courtroom and watched as their loved one, who had a chain around his waist and his hands cuffed in front of him, read a letter to the court. Im ashamed of myself, Flores said, adding that hed allowed temptation and greed to get the best of me. He said that he and the victim, Mark Sawusch, were like brothers and that he loved him and would never forget him. Your brother? Your friend? Anderson scoffed. What is so galling and so disturbing is you knew exactly what you were doing. You knew it was wrong, you knew it was immoral and it simply didnt matter to you. As Flores prepared to leave the courtroom, he turned and smiled at his family and told them, I love you. Flores attorney, Ambrosio E. Rodriguez, argued for a sentence of no more than 33 to 41 months, stating that his client took responsibility and pleaded guilty and has no criminal history. Obviously we accept the judges sentence, but were disappointed, Rodriguez said after sentencing. He described Flores family, who declined to speak to reporters, as devastated. In a statement provided to reporters, the Sawusch family said they were finally finding some comfort in knowing these relentless criminals have pled guilty, confessed to their widespread web of deceit and lies, and are facing the consequences. There is nothing worse than those who prey upon the highly vulnerable, the statement read. Read more: The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house Flores and Moore met Sawusch, an ophthalmologist worth more than $60 million, at an ice cream parlor off Venice Beach in June 2017. Sawusch suffered from bipolar disorder and had lost the ability to care for himself after multiple hospitalizations, according to the U.S. attorneys office for the Central District of California. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Within days of meeting Sawusch, federal prosecutors said, Flores and Moore moved into his beachfront Malibu home where they lived rent-free and pretended to be his caregivers and new best friends. They lived with Sawusch from September 2017 until his death in May 2018. Flores admitted in the plea agreement that he persuaded Sawusch to grant him power of attorney during a mental breakdown so severe that it ended in the doctors arrest in September 2017. Flores told Sawusch on recorded jail calls that it would be a very limited power of attorney and only used to manage his affairs while he was in custody. Anthony Flores, Anna Moore and Mark Sawusch in 2017. (Federal court filings) But the power of attorney was never revoked after Sawuschs release from jail. Flores used it to open bank accounts in Sawuschs name and gain access to his money, prosecutors said. Days before Sawuschs death, Flores and Moore gave him LSD, which sent Sawuschs mental health into a tailspin, authorities said. While Sawusch was under the influence, Flores changed the two-factor authentication on Sawuschs brokerage account to go to Flores phone, then initiated two $1-million wire transfers that ended up in his and Moores bank accounts. Sawusch died alone in his home that Memorial Day weekend. The plea agreement revealed that, before his death, Flores and Moore had been surveilling Sawusch from a luxury hotel in Santa Monica via the security cameras in his house. The L.A. County coroner found it was an accidental death caused by ketamine and alcohol intoxication. But a pathologist who did an autopsy found that the therapeutic levels of ketamine and small amount of alcohol did not significantly contribute to the immediate cause of death. Sawusch died as a result of two heart conditions, the pathologist concluded: dilated cardiomyopathy and a congenitally narrow coronary artery. After his death, Flores and Moore continued to withdraw money from his accounts until Sawuschs mother and sister sued them. The funds were frozen, but Flores and Moore attempted to salvage them through various money-laundering schemes. In late 2018, Flores and Moore claimed Sawusch had promised them his house and one-third of his estate, but he was unable to change his will before his death. The ensuing litigation over Sawuschs estate resulted in the pair withdrawing their claims and agreeing to repay the estate $1 million. During the sentencing hearing, Anderson said that judgment remains unpaid and some of the funds Flores misappropriated remain unaccounted for. Flores offered an apology to the Sawusch family for using the legal system against them. Rodriguez, Flores attorney, gestured to the more than a dozen family members and friends who were seated in the courtroom. This is not a person who has created a life of crime, Rodriguez said. He has created friends and families that are here to support him. Assistant U.S. Atty. Andrew M. Roach acknowledged that Flores had his family there and had their support, but he noted Sawusch was really targeted because he didnt have that support. That allowed [Flores] to get control and take control of his life, Roach said. Moore is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 28. 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. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. One man is in custody and two others are at large in connection with a stolen credit and debit card ring in Sunset Hills. All three are Chilean nationals with no known permanent address and no known ties to the St. Louis area. According to multiple probable cause statements filed by the Sunset Hills and St. Louis County Police Departments, the crimes happened between February and April, with victims reporting their credit and debit cards stolen from their vehicles at local parks. On February 1, a woman told police several credit cards were taken from her car at Watson Trail Park. A short time later, one of the cards was used to purchase more than $1,200 in merchandise at Sams Club on Manchester Road. That same day, several people reported similar thefts while their vehicles were parked at Laumeier Sculpture Park. Those cards were later used at West County Center. On February 3, a man told police several of his cards and a cellphone were taken from his car at Emenegger Nature Park. One of the cards was used to make a purchase of nearly $2,500 at Best Buy on South Lindbergh Boulevard. Autopsy reveals Mizzou student Riley Strains cause of death Another victim said credit cards and $300 to $400 in cash were stolen from his unlocked vehicle while it was parked at the Meramec Greenway Trailhead in Valley Park. One of the stolen cards was used at the Best Buy in Chesterfield to purchase more than $1,300 in merchandise. The thieves made other unsuccessful attempts to use the stolen cards at a nearby Wal-Mart. Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the thefts and tied those individuals to a vehicle seen on license plate readers in the vicinity of the thefts at the times they occurred. On April 21, a woman told Sunset Hills police that several credit and debit cards were stolen from her car, which was parked at Stieren Park. By the time she learned her cards had been taken, one of the debit cards had been used at the Wal-Mart in Fenton to purchase more than $800 in merchandise. Store surveillance video linked the suspect and his vehicle to the other thefts. Police claim Matias Montes-Vega rented the vehicle in Florida using a forged Venezuelan drivers license under a different name. Investigators questioned employees at the various stores where the stolen credit and debit cards were used and successfully tied Montes-Vega and two accomplices, Angelo Jana-Nanculeo and Sebastian Rubio, to the thefts. According to a Sunset Hills Police Department spokesman, Rubio was arrested in Alabama and remains in custody there, pending extradition. Meanwhile, a judge has issued at-large warrants for both Jana-Nanculeo and Montes-Vega. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Sunset Hills Police Department or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the media upon his arrival ahead of the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence at NATO Headquarters. -/NATO/dpa More than 20 NATO allies will spend 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday in Washington. New data from NATO shows that 23 allies are expected to meet the alliance's defence spending target, up from an earlier estimate of 18 members in February. According to the figures, the European allies and Canada alone would even achieve an increase of 17.9% in defence spending. "This is good for Europe and good for America," Stoltenberg said in a speech in Washington, praising the increase in expenditure, "especially since much of this extra money is spent here in the United States." "Over the last two years more than two-thirds of European defence acquisitions were made with US firms. That is more than [$140 billion] worth of contracts with US defence companies," he said. Since 2006, NATO members have pledged to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, but only a few have ever met this target - to the frustration of the US, the alliance's largest member and dominant military power. Former US president Donald Trump has particularly railed against allies that have not met the alliance's defence spending metrics. Later in the aftermath of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO agreed to make this 2% figure a minimum for defence spending. The NATO secretary general is on a visit to Washington to visit US President Joe Biden and lay the groundwork for a major summit of NATO leaders in July. In Washington, alliance leaders are expected to adopt a plan for NATO to coordinate military aid to Ukraine for the first time under a formal mission called the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU). Previously, NATO countries coordinated support to Ukraine through an informal, United States-led group called the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. TEL AVIV, IsraelAn Israeli incursion into the central Gazan refugee camp of Nuseirat earlier this month left Abdallah Aljamal, a journalist publishing frequent dispatches from the war-torn Strip, dead in his home. The catch? The raid was actually an operation to free three Israeli civilians abducted by terrorists on October 7, and Aljamal, a known Hamas affiliate, was one of their captors. That a self-proclaimed journalist was holding Israelis hostage came as no surprise to Israeli officials, who have long warned about Hamas manipulation of the media in Gaza. Nor did Aljamals regular contributions to a U.S.-based media outlet, the Palestine Chronicle, one of many websites spreading pro-Hamas propaganda in America and abroad. But his involvementand its limited coverage by major international news agenciesmay be indicative of a larger problem: Hamas weaponization of the press and the role of journalists as both witting and unwitting accomplices. Hamas sees press, and especially press that is stationed inside Gaza, as a tool in its war, Maj. Nir Dinar, an Israeli military spokesman, told The Dispatch. The only goal is to survive, and [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar knows that the only way in which he can survive is creating international pressure on Israel. For the Palestine Chronicle, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in Washington state, generating anti-Israel sentiment under the guise of independent journalism appears to be the guiding mission. The outlets website states that its team consists of professional journalists and respected writers and authors who dont speak on behalf of any political party or champion any specific political agenda. Yet a closer look at the digital footprint of the organizations contributors reveals clear pro-Hamas sympathies among the Chronicles international and U.S.-based staff members, including Aljamal and its editor-in-chief, Ramzy Baroud. The former, who was identified by the freed Israeli hostages as one of their captors, made several Facebook posts exposing his support for Hamas. In 2021, for example, Aljamal shared an image featuring the funeral procession of a man draped in the Hamas flag and being carried by Hamas fighters. In 2023, he posted two photos of a young boy wearing the terror groups garb and wielding toy weapons at what appears to be a Hamas training camp. On October 7, Aljamal thanked God for the attack in which nearly 1,200 Israelismostly civilianswere violently murdered by Gazan terrorists who breached the border into southern Israel. Palestinian Chronicle contributor Abdallah Aljamal praises Hamas October 7 attack on Israel (screenshot from Facebook). The Palestine Chronicle has sought to distance itself from Aljamal since three of the four hostages Israel rescued earlier this monthAndrey Kozlov, Almog Meir Jan, and Shlomi Zivwere found in his charge. On June 7, a day before the Israeli operation, the news website listed him as a correspondent for The Palestine Chronicle in the Gaza Strip. Two days later, as Aljamals name began to circulate, the Chronicle updated his title to contributor. The outlet has since sought to cast doubt on the validity of Israels account that the captives were found in the reporters home while simultaneously denying claims of his employment. Aljamals relationship with the Palestine Chronicle was that of a freelance contributor, the staff wrote in the slain terrorists obituary. He was neither a staff writer nor a contractor. But Aljamal was not alone among those connected with the Chronicle in his support for Hamas and October 7. Baroud, the Chronicles U.S.-based editor-in-chief, set the websites editorial tone just two days after the cross-border attack during an X spacea live chat on the social media site formerly known as Twitterladen with praise for the perpetrators and misinformation about their victims. At one point, Baroud incorrectly claimed that the offensive targeted Israeli settlements on occupied Gazan territory. At another point in the conversation, he seemed to praise Hamas foresight to take hostages and falsely stated that the October 7 abductees were mostly soldiers. The majority of the estimated 250 people kidnapped that day were civilians. We cannot or should not apologize for the resistance, Baroud proclaimed in the recorded interview. Resisting is a human right. The Chronicles top editor has been similarly outspoken on his personal social media accounts. On October 7, Baroud wrote on Facebook that violence begets violence, and that military occupation and apartheid begets resistance. He has also posted lobbying appeals for the Hamas-linked Americans for Justice in Palestinea U.S.-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization providing funding to the student protest groups behind a wave of Gaza solidarity encampments at American universities this spring. Baroud and at least five of the Chronicles other published writers have contributed stories to Iranian state-run media, the Washington Free Beacon first reported last week. And the U.S.-based outlets ties to Tehran are equally clear in its own published work. One story hailed the recently deceased Iranian President Ebrahim Raisiknown to many as the butcher of Tehran for his persecution of religious and political minoritiesas a supporter of the oppressed. Another described Iran as the only regional power that constantly and unconditionally supported the Palestinian cause. The Palestine Chronicle did not immediately respond to requests for comment or additional information. In light of Aljamals role as hostage captor, a group of six Republican senators are now urging the Biden administration to revoke the Palestine Chronicles tax-exempt status over its apparent ties to a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The potential link between this publication and Hamas terrorists should be more than enough justification for the IRS to open an investigation into their tax-exempt status in the United States, GOP Sen. Ted Budd of North Carolina said in a statement. If the terrorism links are proven and substantiated, this status should be immediately revoked. Yet the Chronicles potential ties to terror organizations have received little attention from major U.S. media outletsitself an indicator of the way in which many journalists approach the Israel-Hamas war. Instead of shedding light on the hostages captors, reporting on the rescue operation earlier this month has largely centered on an unsubstantiated civilian death toll. The Associated Press coverage is illustrative. On June 8, the news agency published its first detailed analysis of the casualty figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, ultimately finding a series of contradicting numbers and statements from the Hamas-run organization that most major outlets have relied on in their ongoing coverage of the war. Two days later, however, the AP again cited the Health Ministrys death toll in its headline piece about the hostage rescue: How an Israeli raid freed 4 hostages and killed at least 274 Palestinians in Gaza. Nearly every major Western media outlet adopted a similar framing. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, estimated that the operation had killed under 100a figure that included Hamas operatives as well as Gazan civilians caught in the crossfire as gunmen fired on the Israeli soldiers and hostages as they fled. The coverage of the hostage rescue was a microcosm of the medias longtime approach to Israel and the Palestinians, said Matti Friedman, an author and journalist who worked for the Associated Press between 2006 and 2011. Hamas exploitation of the media has followed a predictable pattern in every major conflict since 2008, he argued. Hamas attacks, Israel has some legitimacy to respond, the legitimacy runs low as the number of civilian casualtiesreal or manufacturedincreases, and, at some point, Israel has to stop fighting and Hamas has time to regroup and attack again, Friedman told The Dispatch. This is predicated on the Western press playing ball [with Hamas]. Hamas pressure campaign begins at home. The terrorist group, aware of Israel and the international communitys desire to avoid civilian casualties, has inflated death tolls, conflated civilian and combatant deaths, and falsely attributed destruction wrought by stray Palestinian rockets to Israeli airstrikes. Hamas also embeds its fighters and weapons in residential buildings from mosques to schools and hospitals, forcing Israel to avoid striking to prevent collateral damage or, if Israel does attack anyway, provoking renewed international scrutiny. Case in point: Hamas vast tunnel network beneath densely populated areas of Gaza, which was designed to protect Hamas fighters while leaving civilians vulnerable. Hamas webbed the civilian landscape of Gaza with these military tunnels. Even though all the big Western news organizations have permanent offices in Gaza, you didnt hear much about it. Because thats the story youre not supposed to cover, Friedman said. It would subvert the political goal of the coverage, so the press has been more or less happy, as far as I can tell, to look where Hamas tells them to look. 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. Hot and sticky conditions are expected this week in the Kansas City area, and the above-average temperatures are expected through next week, according to the National Weather Service. Warm and humid conditions expected the next several days with highs in the mid 90s each day with heat indices approaching 100, the weather service said in its forecast discussion. Overnight lows may remain above 75 in the KC Metro. Typically, Kansas City sees temperatures climb to the mid-80s during the day and dip into the night this time of year. The warm overnight temperatures are a concern as the body recovers from the daytime heat. Temperatures at 80 degrees or warmer do not allow people to rejuvenate. The weather service said that warm overnight temperatures have raised minor concerns for vulnerable populations, especially across the Kansas City metro. A large area of high pressure over the eastern United States is causing the extreme heat, the weather service said. Southerly winds are pumping warm, humid air into the region from the Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures on Monday will reach the low to mid-90s across the Kansas City forecast area, with heat index values between 97 and 100 degrees, according to the weather service. Afternoon winds may gust between 25 and 35 mph. Some may see rain Very similar weather is expected on Tuesday. However, nighttime showers and thunderstorms are possible. Northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas have the greatest chances of storms. Rainfall and thunderstorms will be possible for some during the day Wednesday, but unfortunately it will provide little in the way of relief from the warm temperatures, the weather service said. The second half of the week looks to be mainly dry for most of the Kansas City area, although the forecast for rain chances is uncertain. Temperatures will return to a warming trend for the end of the week and into the weekend, the weather service said. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-90s daily, with heat index values approaching 100 degrees. Rain may return over the weekend, the weather service said. Summit Metro Parks is abandoning a name long used at its popular Sand Run area after concluding the term carries culturally insensitive connotations. Mingo Lodge and Mingo Trail are being renamed, the park district said, as part of an effort led by archaeologists and historians in its conservation department to more meaningfully honor the land's original inhabitants. "Through my connections with other archaeologists and people who have contacts with tribal nations, we had heard that 'Mingo' might be a name that could be questionable so we wanted to look more into this," said Megan Shaeffer, supervisor of cultural resources for the district. "We also had a member of the public reach out to us with concerns about the name as well during our research process, which started around 2019," she said. The park district doesn't take such concerns lightly. "We wanted to take a look at our representation of the Indigenous cultures and we realized some of the names for a few of our (park structures) could be problematic, and that led us to looking into the history a little more and the ties of that history to our area and that eventually led to the decision to renaming these structures," Shaeffer said. What did Metro Parks discover in this process? The "Mingo" were a group of displaced indigenous people from multiple tribes including Seneca, Cayuga and Lenape who settled in Summit County. The term itself is derived from a Lenape word meaning "sneaky" or "treacherous," and is what the European settlers in the area used to refer to this group of displaced Native Americans, known today as the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. "We came to the conclusion that we could come up with a better name, something that is more representative of who we are as a park system and public that we serve," Shaeffer said. 'We should decide': Native American speakers urge Copley-Fairlawn to change Indians mascot What will be the new names for trail and lodge at Sand Run Metro Park? The Mingo Lodge will be renamed the Chestnut Lodge, and the Mingo Trail will now be known as the Nuthatch Trail. The lodge's new name pays homage to the chestnut tree, which Indigenous people in the area used for things such as food, materials and medicine, Schaeffer said. While most mature chestnut trees were wiped out in the early 20th century due to parasitic fungus, some of the wood from these decaying trees were used in the 1930s to construct some of park system's earliest structures, including the formerly-named Mingo Lodge. As for the renaming of the trail, the nuthatch is a common bird in Northeast Ohio, especially at Sand Run. Nuthatch Trail, formerly known as Mingo Trail "The nuthatch is one of the smaller species in (Sand Run Metro Park) that are often overlooked but they have an intrinsic and symbiotic relationship with the park's environment and we wanted to name the trail something that focused on the importance and prevalence of these animals," Shaeffer said. The sign for the lodge is scheduled to be replaced within the coming weeks and other trail directional signs and park maps with the former name will also be replaced this summer, said Lindsay Smith, chief of marketing and communications for the district. "The trail markers for Nuthatch (formerly Mingo) Trail will remain the same the feather image spoke well to the trails new bird-based name," Smith said. Native American mascots, Ohio schools: Ohio schools have more Native American mascots than any other state. Will that change? Accurately representing, honoring Indigenous history an 'ongoing task' Shaeffer noted the renaming of the Chestnut Lodge and Nuthatch Trail is only the beginning of the process of correcting any inaccuracies in the way the park system represents local Indigenous communities. The Summit Metro Parks has set out to evaluate its role in commemorating these marginalized groups that populated the area. This ongoing task involves cultural resources establishing ties with local Indigenous people and groups to learn how to better celebrate and honor their history. "We have such a supportive community of organizations and we've made some links to Indigenous individuals and groups that are helping us understand things also," Shaeffer said. "We recently had the tribal reservation officer from the Seneca Nation talk to us about incorporating Indigenous perspectives into our understanding of our park spaces. It's been a really meaningful process." Native American nicknames: Answers from schools with Native American nicknames differ years after Guardians were born LaDonna BlueEye, who has a contract with the Summit Metro Parks as a cultural resources consultant, is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and can attest to her culture and language being misrepresented. She thanked the park system for working to empower the voices of local Indigenous communities who used to live in Summit County."Summit Metro Parks have done an amazing job of giving a voice back to the original inhabitants of the land, I'm especially honored to have any opportunity to work with them," BlueEye said. "They've done this on their own there's a basic compliance level but they've gone well beyond that and that's something that Summit County should be very, very proud of." As the Summit Metro Parks continue to look for opportunities to properly represent marginalized groups in the future, Shaeffer noted the importance of continuing to foster relationships with those people and groups who have historically had their voices and contributions minimized. "Something that we have learned through this process is that creating relationships with any marginalized groups that want to have feedback about how we represent them is so important, we want to maintain the relationships that we've started and the ones we have with Indigenous communities," Shaeffer said. "This will be important for us moving forward." Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mingo Trail and Lodge to be renamed at Sand Run Metro Park Sunday Conversation: GBI Director Chris Hosey talks about the criminal street gang task force being established in Columbus DECATUR, Ga. (WRBL) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is about to stand up a nine-person criminal street gang task force in Columbus. The unit, which will work in concert with the Columbus Police Department and the Muscogee County Sheriffs Office, will be operational at the end of the year. Gov. Brian Kemps fiscal 2025 budget included almost $5 million to fund the task force to help fight what law enforcement and city leaders say in a growing criminal street gang problem in Columbus and West Georgia. This weeks Sunday Conversation is with GBI Director Chris Hosey, the man responsible for hiring the special agents and establishing the task force. WRBL interviewed Hosey recently at the GBI headquarters in Decatur, Ga. He talked at length about the task force and what it will do here. Part 1 Part 2 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. The final version of House Bill 1002 targets people or companies that file sweeping public records requests for commercial purposes. (Getty Images) Come August, the public will pay more to get public records under the right-to-know law, though a bill signed Friday includes several exemptions. Individuals who cant afford to pay and the media would not be charged. Nor would people who request information that, if disclosed, would help the public better understand governmental actions and decisions. The original version of the bill did not include those exemptions and would have included higher fees of $25 an hour to gather and prepare documents. Prime sponsor Rep. Katelyn Kuttab, a Windham Republican, worked with the bills critics, namely the New Hampshire Press Association, ACLU of New Hampshire, and Right to Know NH, to reach a compromise. The final version of House Bill 1002, signed Friday by Gov. Chris Sununu, targets people or companies that file sweeping public records requests for commercial purposes, which can be so broad they require hours or weeks to fulfill. For example, a solar company obtained dozens of building permits from communities through right-to-know requests to identify potential customers. The new law drops the hourly fee and allows municipalities and agencies to charge for only electronic communications, such as emails and text and chat messages. And there could be no charge for the first 250 communications. It takes effect 60 days from Friday. Governmental agencies and municipal offices can still charge for the cost of copying records, something allowed under current law. A second right-to-know bill, House Bill 1069, failed to make it out of the Legislature. It would have replaced the word citizen in the right-to-know law with person. The bill was intended to stop communities from denying public records requests filed by nonresidents or people who lived in other states, or making it harder for them to get documents. For example, the city of Rochester stopped sending the editor of the Rochester Voice public records via email and made him come retrieve the documents in person because he lives just over the New Hampshire border, in Maine. The House and Senate could not reconcile changes each made to the bill. The new law will take effect on Jan. 1. (Getty Images) Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday that will bar those under 18 from getting marriage licenses in New Hampshire, adding the Granite State to a list of 11 other states that have fully banned marriage for minors. Senate Bill 359 states that: No person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such persons shall be null and void. Under current law, that age is 16. The new law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. New Hampshire lawmakers most recently raised the marriage age in 2018, from 14 to 16. The current law allows those 16 and 17 to apply in writing for a marriage license to a state family court, which would make the final determination. But SB 359 will repeal any judicial alternatives in that law. With its no-exceptions 18-and-older marriage age, New Hampshire joins Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, according to the Most Policy Initiative. Maine allows 17-year-olds to be married with written consent from their parents. But anyone under 18 who is married in another state after Jan. 1 and moves to New Hampshire will not have their marriage license recognized in the Granite State. This year, some Republicans had argued that marriage should remain an option for 16- and 17-year-olds to help provide stability for teenage pregnancies. But Democrats and other Republicans who voted to raise the age contended that marriage at those ages is too early and could give rise to abuse and coercion. In 2018, New Hampshire took the first step in this process and raised the marriage age to 16, Sununu said in a statement after his signature. This legislation is supported by a majority of our citizens and is a commonsense move that is right for New Hampshire. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) In a New York Times op-ed piece Monday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy implored Congress to append a warning label on all social media platforms as a step towards improving the ongoing mental health crisis in young people. There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids, Dr. Murthy wrote. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world. Dr. Murthy also acknowledged that a warning label is just a small step towards making social media safe for young people. The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory last year, in which research showed that up to 95% of 13-17 year olds report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media almost constantly. In his essay, Dr. Murthy referenced the societal responses to 20th-century issues like tobacco use and safe driving measures, or more recently commercial air travel safety. The regulation and implementation of protection from the risks of social media would, in theory, use those historical examples as a road map. The strong bipartisan support for making social media safe for children is a tenet of Dr. Murthys confidence that more specific recommendations are achievable. Some examples of such recommendations are the requirement of social media companies to provide all data they have on the health effects of their platforms and allowing independent safety audits. Legislation and government intervention are not the only suggestions that the surgeon general has for the U.S. He also pointed to groups like Log Off movement and Wired Human that focus on supporting young people in adjusting their relationship with social media. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our childrens well-being is at stake, Dr. Murthy warned. 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. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says the risks posed by social media to young peoples mental health are so severe that platforms should be required to carry warnings labels like those on alcohol and tobacco products. The mental health crisis among young people is an emergencyand social media has emerged as an important contributor, Dr. Murthy wrote in a New York Times op-ed Monday, citing studies linking adolescent social media use with increased risk of mental health issues. It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents, he added. New York City Declares War on the Public Health Scourge of Social Media Such labels will require congressional action and cannot be unilaterally imposed by the surgeon general. But Murthy pleaded with lawmakers to make them a reality in order to regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. The call for labels comes after Murthy released an advisory last year about the potential harms social media can pose to childrens well-being. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisisone that we must urgently address, Murthy said in a statement at the time. In the new op-ed, Murthy pointed to the success that warning labels have had in raising awareness about the health risks of tobacco. Congress voted in 1965 to require all cigarette packaging to carry a warning reading: Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health, after a groundbreaking surgeon general report. About 42 percent of adult Americans smoked at that time, a figure that had fallen to 11.5 percent as of 2021. Murthy said a similar label on social media platforms would not, on its own, make social media safe for young people, and that legislation is still required to protect them online from abuse, harassment, and exploitation, while also preventing their exposure to extreme violence and sexual content in their feeds. The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use, Murthy wrote. He also invoked previous legislative efforts to protect public health, citing safety features that were mandated in carslike seatbelts and airbagsin the last century to reduce the number of crash deaths. Murthy also pointed to more recent examples, including the FAA grounding Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a door plug blew out of one mid-flight in January. Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? Murthy asked. These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability. The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children, Murthy wrote, adding: We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act, Murthy wrote. Our childrens well-being is at stake. Aside from warning labels and legislation, Murthy said schools should also ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences, whole parents should similarly create phone-free zones around bedtime, meals, and social gatherings to protect kids sleep and real-world connections. 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. Amid a surge in public awareness and scientific study on the effect social media apps have on the mental health of young people, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is calling on Congress to require platforms to carry a surgeon generals warning label one akin to those found on cigarettes and alcohol. In a Monday op-ed published in The New York Times, Murthy wrote that it is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. Murthy pointed to evidence showing that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and that nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. To be clear, a warning label would not, on its own, make social media safe for young people, Murthy added. The Surgeon General called on Congress to pass additional measures that would shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content, as well as prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll. Murthy also expressed his support for restrictions on access to social media before middle school, and the creation of phone-free zones at schools, social events, and family time. The push to more heavily regulate the manner in which social media companies can interact with underage Americans has been in the works for some time now. In October, a coalition of 33 states sued Meta the parent company of Facebook and Instagram over accusations that the company had misled the public about the mental health risks for young people and teens. In 2021, a trove of internal documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal showed that Meta at the time still operating under the name Facebook Inc. was aware of studies showing that Instagram use was linked to issues of anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation especially among teen girls. It doesnt have to be this way, Murthy wrote. These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our childrens well-being is at stake, he concluded. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling on Congress to require warning labels on social media, saying emergency action is needed as rampant use of the platforms has ignited a mental health crisis among adolescents. It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents, he said in an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Monday. Such labels, like the ones mandated for cigarettes and other tobacco products, would regularly inform parents and adolescent users that social media has not been proved safe, which could improve behavior patterns, he said. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Monday that Congress needs to impose warning labels on social media platforms due to the significant mental health harms they can impose on adolescents. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images Adolescents spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media, according to a Gallup survey conducted last fall. Those who spend more than three hours a day face a heightened risk for mental health problems, a 2019 study on social medias mental health effects found. Social media giant Meta, which owns platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, responded earlier this year to child safety concerns by announcing new features that restrict teens from viewing certain content, including posts about drugs, nudity, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders. A Meta spokesperson also told NPR in January that the company is investing in age verification tools and technology that can better detect when users lie about their age. This response comes as the company faces a federal lawsuit from dozens of states, accusing it of seeking to maximize young users engagement while developing addictive features. The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and other social media companies were also hammered before Congress earlier this year over parents claims that social media platforms contributed to their childrens suicide, exploitation or overdose deaths. A warning label placed on the platforms would inform parents and adolescent users that social media has not been proved safe, Murthy said. Chesnot via Getty Images A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on Murthys opinion piece and recommendations. In the piece, Murthy outlined his own suggested safeguards for younger social media users, including restrictions on certain features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which he said prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use. Social media platforms should also be prohibited from collecting sensitive data from children, and these platforms should be required to share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public, he said. While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words. We need proof, he said. A more recent warning label for cigarette packs is seen after its release from the Food and Drug Administration. Murthy wants similar mental health warnings for social media platforms. Handout via Getty Images Murthys recommendations touched on parents, educators and heath care workers as well. School classrooms, he said, should be phone free, and doctors, nurses and other clinicians should educate patients about social medias harmful effects. At home, parents should restrict social media use until after middle school and households should have phone-free zones around bedtime, meals and social gatherings to safeguard their kids sleep and real-life connections both of which have direct effects on mental health, he said. This is much easier said than done, which is why parents should work together with other families to establish shared rules, so no parents have to struggle alone or feel guilty when their teens say they are the only one who has to endure limits, he said. Related... A push by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to slap tobacco-style warning labels on social media galvanized supporters on Monday but with no power to issue warnings unilaterally, Murthy can only plead with Congress to act. It's really all the administration has at this point. They can make an announcement, but I don't think they'll be able to get bipartisan support, said Nu Wexler, a tech policy consultant who worked at Google, Twitter and Facebook. As anxiety about children's social media use has grown, President Joe Biden has repeatedly tried to use the childrens safety issue as a way to jumpstart longstanding efforts to enact national regulation on technology. The result, however, is a three-year litany of calls to action, unfilled proposals and bills that have stalled out in the House and Senate. Biden mentioned children and technology in all three of his recent State of the Union addresses, and launched a kids online health and safety task force last May. Murthy himself has weighed in on childrens online safety before, publishing a health advisory outlining potential harms. His advisory last year had an effect it was a source of inspiration for the bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act but the bill itself has failed to move this Congress so far. A White House spokesperson said the president was not involved in Murthys op-ed, but that he believes social media platforms should be held accountable for their role in the youth mental health crisis. In addition to calling for a warning label, Murthys op-ed in The New York Times included a wish list of provisions for social media safety legislation an issue that has frustrated advocates and many policymakers for years. Several attempts by Congress to draft legislation have foundered against the unwavering objections of the tech industry, as well as disagreements among policymakers about how strictly tech platforms should be regulated, and whether a federal law should preempt the myriad state laws that have now advanced. Contacted by POLITICO, several members of Congress involved in tech safety issues either did not respond to Murthys call to enact a warning label, or offered statements supporting their own bills. Two key senators supporting kids online safety Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) jumped on Murthys op-ed to push their own legislation. They called for passage of their Kids Online Safety Act, to force tech platforms to prevent the spread of harmful content online, which has been introduced multiple times but never gotten a floor vote. When asked specifically if theyd back legislation to create social media warning labels, the lawmakers' offices said they believe their bill already addresses the underlying issue by requiring social media platforms to clearly disclose when their products pose a risk of harm to minors. Their bill has the backing of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with nearly 70 cosponsors this year, but faces opposition from tech and free speech groups. Murthy said that getting tech companies to disclose harms is a good goal, but that a Surgeon General's warning has specific advantages. "Many people know about Surgeon General's warning. They've seen them on alcohol bottles or on tobacco products," he said. "I think our office has a long history of being trusted on issues related to public health." To people who have been watching these efforts, the Murthy op-ed, if anything, served as a reminder of how little high-profile public moments can accomplish. A theatrical hearing this spring, meant to re-focus Washingtons attention on children and social media, created a dramatic moment when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was forced to apologize directly to parents. But legislation designed to fix the problem has still never passed Congress. Social media policy experts say they dont expect Congress to act on social media regulation immediately. Do I believe this will happen in short order no, said Alix Fraser, director of the Council for Responsible Social Media at the nonprofit Issue One. But, he is optimistic and said theres more momentum than ever before on kids online safety. We just don't see bipartisan support like this on anything else right now at all. A handful of state-level experiments to regulate social-media use for kids are either too new to have taken effect, or also stuck though lawmakers say the surgeon generals column could give them new ammunition for their proposals. Colorado recently created a law that will require social media companies to send pop-up notifications to users under 18, after they spend an hour online, with information about the mental and physical impacts of using social media. The requirement would start in 2026. Murthys idea could create momentum for other state-level pushes. In California, Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, who has been involved in efforts in various states to safeguard children from the harms of technology, said he will push for warning labels in California in the absence of federal action. He sees the idea as simpler to pass than more complicated privacy regulation. The youth mental health crisis exists here in California, Steyer said. It exists all across the country. And so you need a concerted and coordinated effort to take it on. A warning level is a great idea, because it sort of wakes the public up. California is already an example of one reason legislation has stalled in Congress and in some states: the threat that tech groups will sue, using the power of the First Amendment to knock down restrictions on online platforms. They have so far successfully blocked state kids online safety laws in California, Arkansas, Utah and Ohio. Tech lobbying group NetChoice, which sued California over its kids-safety law, responded to Murthys op-ed by saying warning labels infringe on free speech. "A warning label oversimplifies this complex issue that assumes that every child is the exact same, said Carl Szabo, general counsel for NetChoice. "In reality, every child is different and struggles with their own challenges." Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is pushing to require a warning label on social media platforms to advise users that social media has been connected to mental health risks for adolescents. Murthy in an opinion piece for The New York Times called for a surgeon generals warning label to be placed on social media platforms, similar to those warning labels that appear on tobacco and alcohol products. He noted that studies have shown that warning labels on tobacco products can increase awareness and change a users behavior. It is time to require a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents, he wrote. A surgeon generals warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe, he added. He also wrote that a warning label alone would not make social media platforms safer for young people. He referenced an advisory he put out last year that warned that social media is contributing to the youth mental crisis and advised policymakers, platforms and members of the public to heed his recommendations to make social media safer for adolescents. Murthy called for legislation from Congress that would shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content. He also said social media companies should share their data with the public and allow independent safety audits. He also advised schools and parents to create phone-free environments, especially around meals, right before bed and at social events. He wrote that parents should wait until their children are done with middle school before allowing them to have social media and suggested they work with other families to create shared rules. These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability, he 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. Protesters take to the streets March 26, 2024, outside the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices questioned attorneys about broad changes in access to mifepristone. (Sofia Resnick/States Newsroom) The U.S. Supreme Court likely had no idea of the furor it would unleash when it overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. You could see the justices take a tentative step backward Wednesday when they unanimously voted to preserve access to abortion pill drug mifepristone. As the ruling was a technical one, based on standing, we can debate whether the court actually has changed its opinion on reproductive freedom, but its clear that our nations top court had second thoughts about pushing the anti-choice agenda further. For that, the entire nation can think Kansas. It can be easy to forget the onetime conventional wisdom about the Kansas ballot measure that would have removed abortion care as a state constitutional right. The Value Them Both amendment had long seen as a shoe-in by supporters. It may have been so if it had appeared on the ballot before the overturning of Roe v Wade. Instead, it came to voters on Aug. 2, 2022 less than two months after the shocking decision. Even then, the conventional wisdom had only shifted to predicting a close outcome. But when push comes to shove, voters understood what was at stake. Voters saw that removing the right to choose in Kansas could lead most probably would lead to a total abortion ban in the state. They didnt want that. They dont want that. And they will not want that in the future. The supposedly tight vote instead was a blowout for pro-choice forces. Nearly 60% of Kansas voters rejected the amendment. Some 40% voted for it. That roughly 20 percentage point margin has been one of the most surprising and heartening results in all my years watching Kansas politics. Other statewide votes followed. Resident of California, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all weighed in. More will have an opportunity to do so on election ballots this November. They will have the wind of Wednesdays decision at their backs. The Supreme Court affirmed the most basic principle of the American legal system today: hypothetical scenarios dont make for actual legal claims, said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. Anti-abortion activists tried and failed to block patients from exercising their rights even in states where abortion remains legal, she continued. We know this fight isnt over and that attempts to prevent care and stigmatize patients will continue, but its a relief to know that we can continue to provide medication abortion the way it has been offered for years: safely, effectively, and without out-of-state activists dictating care here at home. Im not sure exactly what anti-abortion forces expected to happen after the demise of Roe. For that matter, Im not sure that the pro-choice forces knew what to expect. Abortion rights had been part of our nations settled political landscape for half a century. Both sides probably expected some version of the past to be prologue. That is, the issue would be seen as a roughly 50-50 one, with anti-choice forces holding an edge in voter enthusiasm. Instead, the exact opposite transpired. Pro-choice forces racked up a string of political wins beginning here in Kansas. Abortion opponents are on their back heels and casting about for a new strategy: At this point, it appears to be attacking abortion-rights supporters. That approach hasnt worked over the past two years, and Im not sure why they expect it to work now. Regardless, the Supreme Court surely knew that outlawing or severely curtailing access to mifepristone at this stage would induce an even larger and angrier backlash. So they swatted down the issue. In overruling Roe two years ago, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote that women are not without electoral or political power. The good justice, when hes not living in a home with an upside-down American flag or claiming that one side must emerge victorious from the culture wars, has a point. Women do wield political power. They have shown they know how to use it. But that shouldnt obscure the grievous harm done to women and all Americans from ending Roe. It cannot obscure all the work that supporters of reproductive freedom have ahead of them. Kansas showed the way after Roe. But there is still an awfully long path ahead. This story was originally published by the Kansas Reflector, a States Newsroom affiliate. The post Surprised by U.S. Supreme Courts abortion pill ruling? You can thank Kansas voters. appeared first on Missouri Independent. Jackie Speier was shot five times by gunman sent by the Rev. Jim Jones Janet Fries/Getty Jim Jones in his office in San Francisco, California on July 3, 1976. Jackie Speier had a premonition in the days leading up to an impending fact-finding mission to Jonestown, a remote jungle settlement in Guyana founded by Rev. Jim Jones and his followers in the Peoples Temple church. Speier's boss, California Congressman Leo Ryan, wanted to investigate reports of abuse in Jonestown, where some of his San Francisco-area constituents were living. I didn't think it was safe, Speier, who was 28 at the time and the congressmans staffer, tells PEOPLE. I told Congressman Ryan, I think we should wait. We had heard from defectors about how maniacal Jim Jones was. She was so concerned that before they left, she put a letter to her parents in a drawer of her desk. "Mom and Dad, I love you, the note read. Should anything happen, be proud, because my life has been full of the love you have given me. I have no regrets. Love Jackie." At the bottom, she wrote: "$1,000 life insurance policy with the Credit Union. Fireside certificates in the second desk drawer." Jacquelyn Martin - Pool/Getty Jackie Speier Related: From Beloved Preacher to Madman and Mass Suicide: the Dark Descent of Jim Jones and Jonestown Speier along with Ryan, a handful of journalists and concerned family members of Jones' followers flew to Guyana in Nov. 1978. The mass murder-suicide of more than 900 congregants that followed and the deadly ambush that killed Ryan and others and severely injured Speier is the subject of a three-part National Geographic docuseries, Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, now streaming on Hulu. Speier and the rest of the delegation were picked up at the landing strip and driven in dump trucks to the 3,800-acre jungle compound on Nov. 17. The delegation met Jones that same day. He was sitting at a table, recalls Speier, now 74. He kept saying things like, We just want to be able to live here on our own. Everything is wonderful. All you're hearing are lies, and he wore those sunglasses. He looked like he was sick, or he was sweating profusely. He seemed a little manic, and he was not the powerful charismatic leader that attracted 900 people into the jungles of Guyana. At one point, Speier says, a reporter, who had been walking around the perimeter of the open-air pavilion handed them two notes. UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Aerial view of buildings at the People's Temple compound in Jonestown, Guyana. Related: Jonestown Cult Victim's Daughter Was Haunted Until Her Death: 'I Wish that Bullet that Got Mom Had Killed Me' And that's when we knew that everything we had been told was true, that people were being held against their will, and there were people that wanted to leave, she says. The following morning, after she spoke to two followers about defecting, the word spread, and more and more people wanted to leave, and Jim Jones got more and more agitated. 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. AP/Shutterstock Leo Ryan A second plane was ordered for those who wanted to escape, and the delegation and defectors headed to the airstrip. The group started boarding the planes when they were ambushed by gunmen sent by Jones. I started to turn around and Congressman Ryan had been hit, and he said something, and then he was hit again and fell, she says. I just ran under the other side of the plane and hid behind a wheel and played dead. The gunman approached and shot us at point-blank range. Ryan had been shot over 40 times. And then they came and shot me. I was shot five times. The whole right side of my body was blown up. Ryan and four others were killed. Nine others, including Speier, were wounded. After the airstrip shooting, Jones summoned his congregation to the compounds open-air pavilion, telling them that soldiers would soon be parachuting into Jonestown to kill everyone. Many of the group's members drank a poisoned grape-flavored drink prepared by church leaders under Jones' direction. 908 people died, including Jones and 304 minors, including babies, in the mass murder-suicide. Speier, who spent two months in the hospital, promised herself she would pursue political office if she survived. She kept her promise. She served six years on the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County, 18 years in the State Legislature and 15 years in Congress before retiring. In March, she decided to return to politics and got elected in March to the San Mateo Board of Supervisors again. Despite the horrors she witnessed and endured, she still has faith in the goodness of people and remains motivated to make a difference: I can't stop myself, she says. Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown is now streaming on Hulu. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A man accused of climbing through a fast food drive-through window and assaulting an employee in east Columbus has been arrested. According to court documents, Columbus police responded to reports of an assault on May 30 at a Wendys on East Main Street in Eastmoor. Two employees told police that at 5:50 a.m., a man was banging on the drive-through window at the restaurant, holding up a cellphone with the store managers name on it, implying there was a phone call from him. One hospitalized after rifle fired during Islamic ceremony in west Columbus One employee opened the window, assuming the manager wanted to speak with him. The man asked for a woman, who was also working inside the Wendys, which was not yet open at that time. While one employee walked away to find the other employee, the man climbed through the drive-through window to look for the woman. The man, later identified as 44-year-old William Foster, followed the woman to the managers office and allegedly struck her in the head several times before she fell to the ground. Foster reportedly took the womans cellphone and walked out of the office. This embedded content is not available in your region. Police said after the woman got back up, she ran from the office and climbed outside through the drive-through window. She attempted to get into the drivers side door of Fosters vehicle. Foster followed the woman out of the drive-through window and shoved the woman away from the vehicle before leaving the scene. A cell phone belonging to the victim was found inside the restaurant, police said, and the incident was captured on video surveillance. One Local Cantina in central Ohio will shut its doors The manager was interviewed and positively identified Foster from a photo array. The manager told police that Foster and the victim were living in his basement. Foster, who admitted to police he assaulted the victim, was arrested Saturday and appeared before a judge in Franklin County Municipal Court on Monday. He was charged with aggravated robbery, issued a $750,000 bond, and is next scheduled to appear in court on June 25 for a preliminary 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man is dead after he was shot by Vancouver police officers early Monday morning, authorities said. According to Vancouver police, shortly before 1 a.m., an officer was flagged down on Northeast Andresen Road where several people reported that a man had pointed a gun at them in the parking lot of a McDonalds. More officers came to the scene and they found the suspect a few blocks away. The suspect didnt listen to police commands, authorities said, so one officer released his K9 on him, and thats when the suspect pointed his gun at the officers. Womans body found outside Legacy Good Samaritan in NW Portland Vancouver police said that four officers all fired on the suspect, hitting him. The K9 was also shot in the tail during the incident. William Buschtschosik told KOIN 6 News he had been camping near the shooting and heard at least seven shots ring out. Pop pop pop, rapid fire, he said. Next thing I know, everyones over there hiding from the police, it was crazy as hell. Authorities said they attempted to provide medical aid to the suspect and eventually he was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead. The police K9 underwent surgery on his tail. There were mass sirens going to that area. They couldve handled the situation without them getting hurt, Buschtschosik said. 2 confirmed measles cases in Clackamas County; OHA warns about unreported cases Following the protocol, the four officers involved are all on critical incident leave. Anyone who witnessed the shooting incident is asked to contact police. The Clark County Sheriffs Office is leading an independent investigation into the shooting, though they and Vancouver police declined interview requests with KOIN 6 News. However, they did say body camera footage will eventually be released. This marks the second man killed by Vancouver police in 2024 and in less than 10 days. That is twice the number recorded in 2023. Last Friday, Vancouver police released this dashcam video showing officer Brandon Riedel shoot and kill 43-year-old Vadim Sashchenko, whose dog allegedly bit at least one person. He can be seen pointing a gun at the officer before tossing it on the ground. One witness, Rose, told KOIN 6 News there was no effort to de-escalate the situation from what I saw. VPD confirmed Reidel had been involved in two previous police shootings, including the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Joshua Wilson. The armed robbery suspect was killed outside Safeway in May of last 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 KOIN.com. Suspected NYC jihadist was a quiet kid who showed no signs of extremism, friend says: Something snapped in his head A suspected jihadist busted with an arsenal of weapons near LaGuardia Airport was a quiet kid who often spoke about staying positive until something snapped in his head, his friend claimed. The friend, who asked to be identified as Jay, told The Post he was stunned by allegations that cops found the weaponry in 29-year-old Judd Sansons black Ford Explorer when they pulled him over just blocks from La Guardia International Airport last week. Hes a quiet kid, he speaks about positivity, said Jay, who has known Sanson since the two went to middle school. I would never expect this from him. Im so shocked. I honestly dont know what to think. A friend of suspect jihadist Judd Sanson (pictured) said he was shocked by the allegations against him. Shawn Inglima/Pool He never spoke about violence or terror plots, he continued. I think something snapped in his head. He never talks about his problems Judd was always hard on himself. He has a heavy accent, he was embarrassed about it. People bullied him at school for his accent. Sanson, a father of two, also hails from a devout Catholic family originally from the Philippines but he had converted to Islam at some point during the last few years, according to the distraught friend. He did it, Jay said, to find peace. But he doesnt seem to have found much of that especially after a Wednesday morning bust revealed he allegedly had a loaded 9mm gun, nine loaded magazines, an NYPD vest, handcuffs, two axes, a stun gun, multiple knives, a weighted whip and an expandable baton inside his car, NYPD officials said. Cops say they seized a ton of weaponry from Sansons car, including guns, knives and a bulletproof vest. Desheania Andrews He also had more than a hundred rounds of ammunition inside, cops sad. Desheania Andrews Sanson also had a makeshift sword near the drivers seat. BRIGITTE STELZER Cops had pulled him over near LaGuardia at about 1:30 a.m. that day, and prosecutors say he nervously reached under the drivers seat as the officers approached. Sorry, there is a lot of drunk people nowadays, Sanson allegedly told the cops after they stopped him for having obscured license plates on the vehicle. I live in Jamaica. I was visiting my uncle. But he also had a loaded Glock under the seat, cops said. Eagle-eyed cops pulled him over just a few blocks from La Guardia International Airport, police said. Brigitte Stelzer Police found a knife strapped to his leg, along with an MTA reflective vest and a makeshift axe hanging from the ceiling and a makeshift sword inside the vehicle, Queens Assistant District Attorney Dylan Nesturrick said last week in Queens Criminal Court. Sanson who has addresses in Tennessee and Maryland, but lives with his dad in the Hollis section of Queens had also posted a disturbing photo on his Facebook page, Nesturrick said. This car stop averted what could have been a disaster for the citizens of Queens, New York City and potentially even the country, the assistant DA said. Sanson has been sent to Rikers Island without bail. Brigitte Stelzer for NY Post The court sent Sanson to Rikers Island, where he is being held without bail pending a Monday court appearance. Jay told The Post that shop owners in the neighborhood would tell him that there was something wrong with Sanson whenever the two talked in. But he brushed off the warnings. I dont believe it, Jay said. He would never hurt anybody. File Art - Handcuffs SOUTH BEND The South Bend Police Department arrested a suspect on suspicion of aggravated assault in connection to a suspected road rage shooting over the weekend. The department's Violent Crime Unit arrested 48-year-old Kenneth Satterlee of Canton, Ga., in connection to a shots fired report on June 16 by the St. Joseph Valley Parkway and Brick Road. Officers responded to the scene around 9 p.m. and received information about a male shooting victim in a vehicle on the U.S. 20 Bypass just east of Ironwood Drive. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Police said initial evidence suggests that the shooting stemmed from a road rage incident on the Bypass. On June 17, police reported that Satterlee is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail. He awaits a formal charging decision from the St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office. Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend police arrest suspected road rage shooting suspect The Swiss government intends to discuss the outcomes of the global peace summit with countries that have not attended, including Russia and China, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on June 16. Switzerland hosted the inaugural peace summit for Ukraine between June 15 and 16, with around 100 countries and organizations in attendance. Russia was not invited to take part, while China has rejected the invitation. "We have a working embassy in Moscow, and every two weeks, we communicate with Russia's minister of foreign affairs, and we also have an intention to discuss the results of this conference with Russia," Cassis said at a press conference following the summit. The minister said that Switzerland also intends to discuss the results with other nations "on whose doors we knocked, but they did not come, like, for instance, China." Ukraine's Presidential Office said that the conference's participants aim to formulate a joint peace plan that would be presented to a Russian representative during a second summit. The Swiss leadership previously said that a peace process without Russia's participation is "inconceivable" and that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be permitted to visit Switzerland for the second summit despite the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant. The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023 over the forced deportations of Ukrainian children. It is unclear whether Russia would be interested in participating in the future summit. It has repeatedly dismissed the inaugural conference as pointless and said it would not attend even if invited. Speaking one day ahead of the summit, Putin laid out his own conditions for peace talks, namely Ukraine's full withdrawal from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, including territories currently held by Ukraine. Kyiv has rejected this ultimatum. In turn, Ukraine sought to engage China in the peace summit but Beijing rejected the invitation, saying that its conditions for attendance were not met. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that China has most likely declined the invitation at the Kremlin's request. Beijing has instead lobbied for its own alternative peace plan, first presented by China and Brazil in May and calling for a conference recognized both by Ukraine and Russia. Read also: Ukraine war latest: 78 states, organizations sign Ukraine peace summits joint communique Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Man charged after teen killed in North Nashville shooting, police say Man charged after teen killed in North Nashville shooting, police say NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A teenage girl is dead and a man is in custody following a Sunday afternoon shooting in North Nashville, according to authorities. Metro Nashville dispatch said a shooting involving a juvenile was called in shortly before 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 from the 2500 block of 25th Avenue North. 2 felons facing charges following robbery, shooting on Elm Hill Pike: MNPD The Metro Nashville Police Department said 17-year-old Ebonique Farris was shot in a courtyard at the Cumberland View apartments. The teen was brought to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died. Officials said 23-year-old Anthony L. Brooks surrendered himself to police at the scene, adding that his gun was recovered. In an interview, Brooks reportedly admitted to shooting Farris during an argument. Anthony L. Brooks (Source: MNPD) According to the Davidson County Sheriffs Office, Brooks is charged with criminal homicide and being held in the Downtown Detention Center. My mother instincts just instantly kicked in: Witness speaks out after deadly teen shooting in Madison No additional details have been released about the circumstances surrounding this deadly shooting. 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. WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (PIX11) A 17-year-old boy was shot twice on a Manhattan street Sunday night, police said. The teen was struck in the torso near West 186th Street and Wadsworth Avene in Washington Heights at around 9:45 p.m., according to the NYPD. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police are searching for two teens who ran from the scene after the incident, according to the NYPD. There have been no arrests. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis police have arrested two teens they say carjacked a woman and her two young children at gunpoint outside a Frayser gas station overnight. The 16-year-old boys are facing charges of carjacking, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, two counts of reckless endangerment, and evading arrest on foot. I-240 shooting suspect accused of shooting carjacking victim days earlier The whole incident at the EZ Express in the 2300 block of Frayser Boulevard was captured on the stores surveillance camera. Masked suspect wanted in home invasion robbery The victim said she pulled up to a pump just after midnight and was approached by four suspects. She said one of the suspects told her to get out of her SUV while pointing a gun at her. According to police, she told the carjackers she needed to get her two kids. The surveillance video shows her holding a toddler and a young boy standing beside her as the suspects drive away in her vehicle. Police said at 12:24 a.m., officers spotted the victims car in Raleigh, near Ridgemont Avenue and New Allen Road. Police chased the vehicle after the suspects refused to stop. They said three suspects bailed out of the vehicle at Lewier Street and Wellons Avenue in Frayser. Identity thief opens MLGW account, leaves over $700 balance: MPD MPD says two of the suspects were caught and taken into custody. If you have any information regarding this incident, call Memphis CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. 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. Telegraph: NATO in talks to put more nuclear weapons on standby, Stoltenberg says Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comment from NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah. NATO countries are in discussions to deploy more nuclear weapons on standby, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the Telegraph on June 16 as Russia continues to threaten the use of nuclear weapons. Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Stoltenberg called on NATO countries to demonstrate their nuclear arsenal, adding that consultations among NATO members on taking nuclear weapons out of storage and into standby are in progress. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without its nuclear arsenal. Stoltenberg also urged NATO members to demonstrate nuclear transparency as a deterrent for nuclear aggression. "Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance," Stoltenberg told the Telegraph. "NATO's aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world. Stoltenberg's comments echo ones made last week by Pranay Vaddi, the White House's senior director for arms control, who said that the United States may have to increase its deployment of strategic nuclear weapons amid growing threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries. "Absent a change in adversary arsenals, we may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required," Vaddi said on June 8. "We need to be fully prepared to execute if the president makes that decision. If that day comes, it will result in a determination that more nuclear weapons are required to deter our adversaries and protect the American people and our allies and partners," Vaddi said. On June 17, NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah clarified Stoltenberg's comments. "NATO is committed to ensuring a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent," he said in a comment to the Kyiv Independent. "For that purpose, we have an ongoing modernization programme to replace legacy weapons and aircraft. "Beyond that, there are no significant changes to our nuclear deterrent." As Russia's nuclear sabre-rattling continues, Stoltenberg also warned of perceived threat that China poses as it continues to develop its nuclear weapons arsenal. "Nato may face something that it has never faced before, and that is two nuclear-powered potential adversaries China and Russia. Of course, this has consequences," Stoltenberg said, referring to estimates citing that China may have as many as 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. Earlier this week, Russia and Belarus began the second stage of their tactical weapons nuclear drills, simulating the use of nuclear weaponry in Ukraine. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, the drills are in response to "provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation" - although the ministry did not specify which Western officials were making threats or provocative statements. The Group of Seven (G7) warned in a joint statement on June 14 that a situation where Russia would use nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine would be "inadmissible." The G7 also highlighted China and other third countries "that materially support Russia's war machine," and said it would continue to sanction entities based in these countries "that facilitate Russia's acquisition of items for its defense industrial base." Read also: G7 warns Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has approved legislation allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions, a change the Republican-controlled Statehouse championed amid concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court has banned capital punishment in such cases. Lee, a Republican, quietly signed off on the legislation in May without issuing a statement. The new Tennessee law, which goes into effect July 1, authorizes the state to pursue capital punishment when an adult is convicted of aggravated rape of a child. Those convicted could be sentenced to death, imprisonment for life without possibility of parole, or imprisonment for life. Floridas Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted a similar bill nearly a year ago. A few months after being enacted, Florida prosecutors in Lake County announced in December that they were pursuing the death penalty for a man accused of committing sexual battery of a minor under the age of twelve. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the case is considered the first to be pursued under the new law. Meanwhile, Idahos GOP-controlled House approved similar legislation earlier this year, but the proposal eventually stalled in the similarly Republican-dominated Senate. While many supporters of Tennessees version have conceded that even though the Volunteer State previously allowed convicted child rapists to face the death penalty, the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately nullified that law with its 2008 decision deeming it unconstitutional to use capital punishment in child sexual battery cases. However, they hope the conservative-controlled Supreme Court will reverse that ruling pointing to the decades-long effort that it took to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide but was eventually overruled in 2022. Maybe the atmosphere is different on the Supreme Court, said Republican Sen. Janice Bowling last month while debating in favor of the law. Were simply challenging a ruling. Lee told reporters Tuesday that he didnt sign the bill hoping it would be tested in court. Instead, he said crimes against children are some of the most heinous that there are. Democratic lawmakers and child advocates worry that the law may instill more fear into child rape victims that speaking out could potentially result in an execution, warning that many children are abused by family members and close friends. Others have alleged that predators could be incentivized to kill their victims in order to avoid a harsher punishment. Execution law in the U.S. dictates that crimes must involve a victims death or treason against the government to be eligible for the death penalty. The Supreme Court ruled nearly 40 years ago that execution is too harsh a punishment for sexual assault, and justices made a similar decision in 2008 in a case involving the rape of a child. Currently, all executions in Tennessee are on hold as state officials review changes to its lethal injection process. Gov. Lee issued the pause after a blistering 2022 report detailed multiple flaws in how Tennessee inmates were put to death. No timeline has been provided on when those changes will be completed. 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. As Tennessee State University prepares teenagers to become the next generation of airplane pilots and technicians, it is marking a momentous occasion for the school and its students. According to WKRN, the U.S. Air Force selected TSU to host 19 aviation trainees from across the country and abroad, including students from Japan. As a result, dreams are coming true for students like Preston Jones and Naomi Hill, who attend the Aim High Flight Academy. Additionally, with this program, high school students can fly in simulators. TSU and the U.S. Air Force are funding the program. I think being around people who look like me and being in an environment similar to where Im at home, helps me adjust a lot more, Hill said in an interview with News Channel 5 Nashville. It really feels nice and cozy, in a way. Furthermore, the Aim High Flight Academy is for teens ages 16 to 18. TSU received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to host the program. In addition to lectures and flight simulators on campus, participants will receive hands-on training at John C. Tune Airport. After completing the three-week program, students will have gained up to 15 flight hours toward a pilot license. They can also use the hours towards STEM education. Mark Tian, a California resident and incoming first-year at Stanford University, said this program allows him to be of service. For me, engineering is one of my childhood passions, but just being able to make change with your own two hands, like, to be able to see a problem in front of you and not just be a bystander, Tian told WKRN, but be someone who actively works to solve a problemIm very happy and very impassioned to be surrounded by such motivated and talented people and that really pushes me to do my best, as well. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons Office accused the El Paso Annunciation House of human smuggling during a declaratory judgment hearing Monday morning, June 17. Texas AG says migrant nonprofit not complying with records requests The hearing was held via Zoom, where state attorney Rob Farquharson said the Annunciation House was in violation of record-keeping practices and knowingly concealed undocumented migrants from law enforcement. An attorney representing the Annunciation House, Jerry Wesevich, said there was no evidence of concealing evidence from law enforcement and added that corporations have Fourth Amendment rights. Wesevich also said the AGs Office claims were too vague and unconstitutional, adding that the Annunciation House serves migrants under the Catholic faith and restricting its practice or shutting down the migrant advocacy nonprofit would be a violation of religious freedom. Wesevich also asked for state District Judge Francisco X. Dominguezs analysis of Paxtons demands to prevent the threat of future demand. Judge Dominguez concluded the hearing by saying that he would give an answer in two weeks. Texas AG sues Annunciation House, seeks to revoke its ability to operate in state Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The Democratic challenger for the Fort Bend County Precinct 3 commissioner in Texas is facing charges for allegedly creating fake social media posts writing racist comments directed at himself. Commissioner Andy Meyers, the Republican incumbent, requested the Fort Bend County district attorneys office begin an investigation in October into the social media posts directed at Taral Patel, his opponent, ABC 13 reported. Meyers requested the investigation after Patel posted a statement last September with screenshots of various racial hate comments. Many of the usernames were concealed, but Meyers said he recognized an account named Antonio Scalywag as someone who had attacked him before. Investigators found that the fake account used a photo of someone else and issued a subpoena to Facebook and Google. They were able to obtain data that matched Patels address, phone number, Texas drivers license number, bank card number and other personal information, the outlet reported. In his post online in September, Patel claimed the comments were examples of the deep and misguided fear from within the Republican Party. Patel was arrested last Wednesday on a third-degree felony for online impersonation and a Class A misdemeanor charge for misrepresentation of identity. His bond was set at $20,000 for the felony and $2,500 for the misdemeanor. He bonded out of the county jail early Thursday and has a court appearance scheduled for July 22, ABC 13 reported. Fort Bend Countys GOP Chair Bobby Eberle said in a statement that the arrest was deeply concerning. Patel garnered widespread news coverage (like his former boss) for claiming that racist social media posts were made against him, Eberle said in a statement, comparing him to actor Jussie Smollett. Eberle said Fort Bend County residents deserve better than Patels action. Whether Republican or Democrat, such tactics should be unequivocally condemned by all who value integrity and accountability in politics, he said. ABC 13 noted that requests for comment from Patel went unanswered. 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. At the brink of what may be the hottest summer on record, the Texas oil and gas industry is pumping out planet-heating fuels at record levels, a new report has found. Estimates from the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) released Monday found the state umped out a record 5.7 million barrels per day of crude oil in May, and it sold a record 32 billion cubic feet of gas. Those record numbers come out as much of the U.S. experiences its longest heat wave in decades, with more than 135 million Americans at risk from extreme heat. Climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels is making heat waves longer and hotter, according to conservative climate advocacy group C-Change Conversations. The May TXOGA estimates come on top of official oil and gas production numbers out this week from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA). The EIA found that Texas produced 28.2 billion cubic feet of methane gas per day in March less than half of which was used by the states consumers. Texas-based industry and the state power grid used 12.5 billion cubic feet 44 percent of the total gas produced in March, with most of the rest going to export. Those exports netted the industry an estimated $56.8 billion from January to March, according to the EIA. Because it burns cleaner than coal, natural gass supporters have for decades touted it as a greener alternative to other fossil fuels and argued it is a more climate-friendly energy source to lean on amid the transition to renewables. But it has raised concerns from environmentalists and communities near terminals, largely due to leaks at the wellhead and along pipelines. Natural gas is predominantly composed of methane, which heats the atmosphere up to 80 times more intensely than carbon dioxide, the leading climate contaminant. When the methane leaks which it is notoriously prone to do natural gass climate advantage over coal plants ebbs. How much gets leaked is a matter of controversy. On the high end, a 2020 study in Science found that 3.7 percent of the gas extracted in the Permian Basin Texass largest producing region leaks or gets vented into the atmosphere. And a 2022 study of the corner of the Permian in New Mexico found a leakage rate of almost 10 percent. On the low side, a natural gas advocacy group found the rate is more like 0.12 percent. If the 3.7 percent leak rate is correct, then Texas vented about 70,000 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere every day in May the annual equivalent of the tailpipe emissions from 420,000 cars, released every day, according to EPA data. For all of May, that leakage rate would have been the equivalent of the annual emissions from 14 coal plants. And if the high New Mexico numbers are right, it would have been equivalent to 37.8 coal plants operating for six months. If the gas industrys low estimates are correct, meanwhile, May contributed roughly as much heat to the planet as a coal plant running for half a year. All of those figures would only include emissions before any of the fossil fuels are burned. Burning crude oil releases about 78 percent as much carbon dioxide as coal, and transportation which almost exclusively runs on oil is the second-leading contributor to climate change after the power sector. 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) -- Former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra faces a trial in a royal insult case while a top court ordered his ally and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to submit more evidence in a case seeking his ouster, deepening a political crisis thats gripped the Southeast Asian nation. Most Read from Bloomberg Thaksin, a two-time former prime minister and the de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai party, was arraigned under Thailands stringent lese majeste law that protects the royal family from criticism. The 74-year-old politician was granted bail after his lawyer posted a 500,000 baht ($13,590) bond. Read: Thai Royalists Make Risky Bet in Fresh Showdown With Thaksin Hours after Thaksin was indicted, Thailands Constitutional Court asked Srettha who heads the Pheu Thai-led coalition government to furnish more documents and evidence in the case seeking his removal. This was in relation to allegations of ethics violations in appointing a cabinet minister who spent time in prison. While the outcomes of the cases are far from certain, the litigations pose risks to Sretthas government that was formed in the aftermath of last years messy general election. They also signal the possible unraveling of a deal that saw Pheu Thai and a clutch of pro-royalist and military-aligned parties joining hands to take power and paved the way for Thaksins return from a 15-year exile. The political uncertainty have rattled Thailands financial markets, prompting foreign investors to pull almost $4 billion from the nations stocks and bonds. The benchmark SET Index of stocks has slumped to a near four-year low, ranking it the worst-performer of all global bourses tracked by Bloomberg in the past year, while the baht is Asias worst performer after the Japanese yen this year. Rising political risks have dampened any investor optimism about Thailands quick economic recovery, said Varorith Chirachon, an executive director at SCB Asset Management Co. The lingering legal cases against Srettha and key political parties will probably derail governments attempts and focus in implementing much-needed economic policies and stimulus. The Thai stocks index pared gains in the afternoon session when it got a chance to react to court news. It ended morning session 1% higher but is now down 0.6%. The charges against Thaksin, 74, stem from an interview he gave in Seoul in 2015 that prosecutors deemed had breached Article 112 of Thailands penal code. It carries a maximum jail term of 15 years for each offense of defaming the monarchy. The attorney general last month decided to indict Thaksin, saying there was enough evidence to press ahead with a trial. Thaksin has rejected the charges and his lawyer has vowed to contest the case in the court. The case is baseless its fruit from a toxic tree, Thaksin told reporters on June 8, in his first public comments about his legal troubles, which stem from remarks he made in 2015 in the wake of the military takeover. Its an example that shows how charges are abused after a coup. The court seized Thaksins passport and ordered him to be present on Aug. 19 when it will begin scrutinizing the evidence in the case. Thaksin is currently on parole after being sentenced in corruption cases. Hes due to walk free after his royally commuted jail term ends in August. He held the countrys top political office from 2001 until being ousted in a 2006 coup. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was overthrown by a coup, remains in exile after leaving Thailand in 2017 before a court sentenced her to five years in prison for dereliction of duty over a controversial rice purchase program. Sretthas Troubles The legal trouble for Srettha meanwhile arises from a petition by a group of 40 senators who alleged serious violation of ethical standards in the April appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer for the influential Shinawatra family. Pichit was not qualified to become a minister after being sentenced to six months in jail in 2008 for attempting to bribe court officials while representing Thaksin, according to the senators. Although Pichit resigned from the cabinet last month, saying he wanted to save Srettha from any legal troubles, it hasnt stopped the court from probing the accusation against the prime minister. Srettha has said he was confident he could weather the court scrutiny, adding that his decision to appoint Pichit followed the law. Srettha now has 15 days to furnish fresh evidence. The court will review the case again on July 10. The constitutional court will also resume hearing a case on whether to disband the pro-democracy Move Forward party over its pledge to amend Thailands lese majeste law on July 3, it said in a statement. The party, which won the most seats in last years election, is seen as the biggest threat to the royalist establishment. Move Forward has said it plans to fight tooth and nail against the dissolution threat, saying its loss would amount to an attack on democracy. (Updates throughout. An earlier version corrected the lead paragraph to say Thailand is in Southeast Asia.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. In the 18 months Gilberto Morales has spent working for the Los Angeles Metro, the 23-year-old has administered Narcan to someone overdosing twice, helped riders who had fallen off train platforms and offered an ear to people experiencing mental health crises. But most of the time, his days consist of surveying the stations in the Los Angeles transit system and helping riders reach their destinations. Morales is one of Metros almost 350 ambassadors outreach workers in bright lime green jackets whose friendly faces have become staples in the citys sprawling transit system. Metro launched the program as a pilot in September 2022, at a moment of colliding crises. The pandemic had caused ridership on public transit across the country including LA, to plummet and the beleaguered system initially struggled to rebound amid a rise in violent crime, attacks on workers and growing concerns over homelessness. At the same time, the city had increasingly been studying alternatives to law enforcement to improve public safety. Since the programs launch, ambassadors serving the systems 1 million riders have had a million interactions and saved more than 250 lives, according to officials, from people experiencing drug overdoses to medical emergencies. Transit riders have reported marked improvements at key stations including the citys famed Union Station. A survey from last year found that 63% of passengers reported feeling safer when they see ambassadors. And the program has been praised by local activists, who have asked Metro to expand the number of ambassadors. The success of the program and its ability to improve perceptions of public safety on the Metro could play a key role in growing ridership in the car-dependent city of 4 million, where few people utilize public transportation and many believe that public transit is unsafe. If Metro finds an effective approach, it could serve as an example to other cities, such as New York, where a recent spate of high-profile violence has fueled fears about the subway system. New York state recently deployed the national guard on to city trains. For ambassadors like Morales, who joined the program at its inception two years ago, its all about helping people. I like helping people, Morales said. We are customer service, we help with directions and everything, giving them different resources that we have in the system. *** On a recent Wednesday morning, Morales and his colleague Richard Nguyen took me from Union Station, a landmark in the heart of the city and the biggest terminal in the American west, to the historic Bunker Hill station in one of the oldest parts of LAs downtown. They surveyed the walls of the platform, looked for graffiti, made sure elevators and escalators were working and chatted with riders. Nguyen announced the incoming trains in a booming baritone. Sometimes its almost like my own stage theater, the 30-year-old said. Both Morales and Nguyen had experience riding Metro before they became ambassadors. Morales was previously employed at a park where he was used to working with people and decided to apply for the ambassador position. When I saw this job was open, I said its kind of the same thing, and I get to work with Metro, maybe just let me just try my luck, he said. And here I am. Karen Parks, Metros senior director of special projects who oversees the initiative, explained the type of person Metro sought out for its program: We wanted a care-based uniform presence with lived experience to represent the ridership that rides our system, she said. Ambassadors receive a three-week training that covers everything from mental health to de-escalation tactics before officially hitting the platform. Our key focus is the customer experience enhancing the journey. Ambassadors are our additional eyes and ears. We support our riders and safety. We connect riders to resources. And we report incidents on our system, Parks said. Ambassadors conduct wellness checks on passengers. While riding a train headed to Little Tokyo, in one of the only Japantowns in the US, Morales sees a person who appears asleep, lying down on the seats. Ambassadors are our additional eyes and ears. We support our riders and safety. We connect riders to resources Karen Parks Because I saw him move his leg, I know hes awake and hes conscious, he said, adding that he didnt need to wake him. When they dont wake up, we start to look for signs they are overdosing. Every ambassador carries Narcan and has received training on how to use it. Morales used it for the first time shortly after he started carrying it, administering four doses to a man who was unconscious and turning purple before he regained consciousness, he recalled while working at the citys Little Tokyo station. A few weeks later, he used it on the same person. We give them second chances. He [needed] more help but we try to connect them with help, Morales said. Stuff like that does get to you. It takes a lot to do. Its not an easy task. One ambassador reported using Narcan to help ailing passengers 21 times in 15 months, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some of the lives they have saved are people who were experiencing mental health challenges or are at risk of harming themselves. Some people are vocal about their intentions while others display particular signs ambassadors look for. They kind of linger. Its something you feel, Morales said. Before becoming a supervisor, Nguyen helped a person on a platform who was struggling, he said. I talked him out of it. I sat down with him, talked to him for a good one and a half hours, connected with him, introduced myself, and [got] him the help he needed. We hopped on the train and [I said] lets meet some people that can help you. They occasionally encounter aggressive people, Morales said. Earlier this year, an ambassador was assaulted by a rider at the Little Tokyo station. But by and large people are kind and appreciative, Morales said. Oftentimes people who lash out will come and apologize later, he said. And what sticks out most in his memory are the people hes helped, riders who were lost or an unhoused woman he helped get food who tracked him down weeks later to offer a gift. It almost made me cry, he said. Then I saw her again. And then she said that she has an apartment now. And shes doing way better. Related: California socialite receives 15 years to life for fatally striking two boys with car As Morales and Nguyen stood on the platform a man carrying a guitar came to ask for help, and they guided him to an elevator. Thank you Im going to make you a song, he said, smiling as the elevator doors closed. *** Less visible than the ambassadors interactions with riders, is the data aspect of their jobs. Nguyen and Morales are constantly logging their interactions with riders on tablets and flagging bigger issues for police, while providing real-time feedback to Metro. Data collection is a crucial part of the program, Parks said. Ambassadors track every engagement and incident, and where they occur, which is how Metro calculated that the workers have had 1 million interactions with passengers, Parks said. The information helps the system figure out what kind of problems different stations are facing and where more resources are needed. We give them second chances ... It takes a lot to do. Its not an easy task Gilberto Morales There are currently about 346 ambassadors working within Metro, on two different shifts, meaning between 6am and 10pm, Monday through Friday, and 8am to 10pm on the weekends, there are roughly 125 of the workers deployed on city trains and buses. Past listings for the role have said that ambassadors are responsible for identifying potentially unsafe situations and reporting them to Metro and law enforcement, who ambassadors work closely with. While ambassadors play a role in public safety, they are not a substitute for law enforcement, Parks said. We were never to replace law enforcement, we have a clear role, Parks said. [Law enforcement] are vital to our system. But [they] come at a huge cost and they cant be everywhere. Until now, the ambassador program has been a pilot, but Metro has announced plans to make it permanent. Parks expects the program to mostly stay the same, though Metro might expand hours and increase training for ambassadors, particularly around human trafficking. Shes hopeful that the program, along with recent changes in the system, could change the perception of Metro. A recent survey found that those who ride Metro tend to think it is safer than those who do not. Once people ride our system and see that its easy to do, then they feel more comfortable in doing that, she said. Multiple 7-Elevens in Los Angeles County fell victim to armed robberies overnight as thieves continued to target stores across the region. According to police, the most recent string of robberies took place in the San Gabriel Valley. Authorities were dispatched to a 7-Eleven on the corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Duarte Road in East San Gabriel around midnight on Monday on reports of three armed men wearing ski masks storming the store. CNBC financial pundit who became fugitive of law arrested by FBI Two of the suspects were armed and pointed their weapons at the clerk, while the third suspect ransacked the cash register. The thieves were able to get away with approximately $300, law enforcement officials said. According to the East San Gabriel stores manager, the suspect who was pointing the gun at the clerks head was ordered by another suspect to shoot him. The clerk was not injured but was understandably shaken, the manager said. Security footage depicts a 7-Eleven store being robbed in East San Gabriel, CA on June 17, 2024. Security footage depicts a 7-Eleven store being robbed in East San Gabriel, CA on June 17, 2024. Security footage depicts a 7-Eleven store being robbed in East San Gabriel, CA on June 17, 2024. Security footage depicts a 7-Eleven store being robbed in East San Gabriel, CA on June 17, 2024. Around two hours earlier, another 7-Eleven on Duarte Road in Monrovia was also hit by three armed, masked men, authorities confirmed. How much cash was taken and whether any merchandise was stolen is not known. Several nearby residents who frequent the East San Gabriel 7-Eleven told KTLA 5s Gene Kang on Monday morning that they had seen sketchy individuals in the area in the past. I see stuff going on that looks suspicious and I usually tell [the store employees] Hey, watch out, a man named Jerry, who worked for a local police department before retiring to work as a security guard, told Kang. There are people sitting in carsespecially during the nighttimeand after midnight, we see [what I think are] transients walking around. Im ashamed of what happened here, he added. Women attacked by rock-throwing minors on e-bikes in Ventura Late Monday morning, police confirmed to KTLA that they were investigating another 7-Eleven robbery early Sunday morning, this time on East Huntington Drive in the City of Duarte. Only one suspect was seen in that incident and they fled on foot, preliminary information indicates. Investigations into all three incidents remain ongoing, and no official suspect descriptions have been released. Whether the three robberies are connected is still to be determined. Nationwide Insurance to non-renew 100,000 pet insurance policies The East San Gabriel, Monrovia and Duarte robberies come less than a month after three separate L.A. County 7-Eleven locations were targeted by thieves in the span of an hour. That same night, three other 7-Eleven stores in Long Beach were also robbed, police said. In addition, in January, a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputy walked in on a group of four suspects allegedly attempting to rob a 7-Eleven in Carson. Whether that group was involved in an earlier string of 7-Eleven robberies in the area was not immediately established. 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. Thousands of Catholics could take part in a pilgrimage with over 50 stops in the Milwaukee area. Here's what to know. Catholic seminarians and priests lead a Eucharistic procession during the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Eucharistic Congress in 2022, a gathering to mark the beginning of a multi-year initiative to renew interest in devotion to the Eucharist. Organizers expect potentially thousands of Catholics in southeast Wisconsin to take part in processions, Masses and other events as a national pilgrimage focused on renewing interest in the Eucharist weaves through the region. The pilgrimage will stop at over 50 Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from Tuesday to June 26. It's coming from the north the first stop will be in Kiel and will continue south to Kenosha. It's part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, in which faithful from across the country are walking along four routes to converge in Indianapolis for a major gathering centered on the Catholic sacrament of communion. Here's what to know about the pilgrimage as it passes through the Milwaukee area. More: At Mass for retiring Milwaukee archbishop, faithful say Listecki was 'exactly what we needed' What is the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage? National organizers told the Associated Press that the pilgrimage, and the National Eucharistic Congress set for Lucas Oil Stadium, are the first since 1941. Pilgrims set off in May from four routes around the country with stops planned at churches and shrines along the way to Indianapolis. The pilgrims passing through Milwaukee are traveling on the Marian route, which began in northern Minnesota. Hundreds of pilgrims take part in a procession in Hanover, Pennsylvania. It was one segment of a several-mile walk between churches as part of a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. While a handful of people are traveling the entire route, local parishioners are expected to take part in processions along shorter segments of the route. In the Milwaukee area, those processions range in length from a quarter-mile to over six miles. They will take place on sidewalks and trails and are not expected to close any roads. Organizers have scheduled stops at five to 10 parishes each day, with stops as short as 15 minutes, and longer for prayer services, Masses and service projects. In the processions, worshippers will follow a priest who carries a monstrance, a "sunburst-patterned vessel that displays the host, or bread wafer consecrated by a priest at Mass," the Associated Press reports. When will the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage pass through the Milwaukee area? The pilgrimage crosses into the northern edge of the Milwaukee archdiocese on Tuesday in Kiel. It reaches Waukesha on Thursday, and it will be in the city of Milwaukee and its suburbs through June 24. By June 25 and 26, it will be in Racine and Kenosha. Find a list of pilgrimage stops organized by date here: archmil.org/Pilgrimage/stops. And find a detailed schedule with times and locations here: tinyurl.com/4sxedjej. Organizers ask that pilgrims bring water and snacks and wear comfortable shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather. Registration for specific events is optional, but preferred, to give organizers an estimate on attendance. What are some noteworthy stops as the pilgrimage passes through the Milwaukee area? June 21: A four-mile, two-hour procession along the Waukesha Christmas Parade route, beginning at St. William Catholic Church about 8:45 a.m. June 22: Tours of Kinship Community Food Center, formerly the Riverwest Food Pantry, as well as Mass and a prayer service, beginning at 7 a.m., at Our Lady of Divine Providence - St. Casimir. June 23: Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist downtown, followed by a 6.7-mile Eucharistic procession through Milwaukee's south side and Bay View neighborhoods, with stops at four parishes, ending at the St. Francis de Sales Seminary in St. Francis. Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki holds a monstrance, a vessel which contains a consecrated host, during a Eucharistic procession in 2022. What is the significance of the pilgrimage? A goal of the pilgrimage is to bring more awareness of the Catholic doctrine that Jesus is literally present in the consecrated bread and wine worshippers consume at Mass. "As a result, the consecrated host becomes an object of devotion," the Associated Press reports. Devotees may sing and pray in processions and in prayer services scheduled throughout the pilgrimage. National organizers have said the processions aren't political marches. Margaret Rhody, associate director for parish renewal for the archdiocese and an organizer of the local pilgrimage events, said she hopes the pilgrims' experience echoes Biblical stories of Jesus healing crowds of followers. "It's a little bit like the closest we get to being able to follow him in his earthly ministry if we had been alive" at the same time as Jesus, Rhody said. Rhody hopes the experiences touches both devout Catholics and people seeking a deeper faith. "God is here for them in this procession," she said. "We're just really praying that they would experience God's personal love for them, and that would awaken faith in them." How does this factor into the broader "eucharistic revival" effort? The pilgrimage stems from deliberations in 2021 among U.S. bishops on whether to refuse communion to politicians who support abortion rights, according to the Associated Press. The bishops stopped short of banning politicians such as President Joe Biden from the sacrament, but they expressed concern that too many Catholics don't understand or believe the church's teachings on communion. The pilgrimage, and the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, are the culmination of the second year of work in a three-year-long initiative called the National Eucharistic Revival. The initiative is a time of "praying for God to bring revival to faith across our country, and then growing in our faith and growing in how to share it with others," Rhody said. The effort to evangelize comes as Catholic churches around the country struggle with declining and aging membership. Dioceses in cities such as Baltimore, Buffalo and Chicago, have consolidated and closed parishes recently, and a number of Milwaukee-area parishes have announced mergers as well. It's part of Americans' broader, years-long shift away from regular Sunday worship and organized religion. More: Wisconsin's oldest Methodist congregation closes due to high bills, low turnout. It's a familiar story nationwide. More: Aging orders of Catholic sisters face tough decisions on what to do with property holdings. Now, they're getting help. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage near Milwaukee Thousands of Central California residents could lose their sole source of water. What to know SJV Water is a nonprofit, independent online news publication covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Lois Henry is the CEO/Editor of SJV Water. She can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is www.sjvwater.org. More than 20,000 San Joaquin Valley residents could be left high and dry, literally, by Sacramento politicians intent on using $17.5 million that had paid for water trucked to their homes to help fill Californias gaping two-year $56 billion deficit. A local nonprofit that has been hauling water to those residents sent a letter recently to Governor Gavin Newsom and top leaders in the Legislature begging them to reinstate the money in the ongoing budget negotiations. Cutting funding for such a crucial program would have devastating effects on rural and disadvantaged communities by immediately cutting them off from their sole source of water supply, and doing so with no warning, states the June 11 letter from Self-Help Enterprises, a Visalia-based nonprofit that helps low-income valley residents with housing and water needs. Rebecca Rosales (left) and Savannah Silva, both with Self-Help Enterprises, label pallets of bottled water July 19, 2023. The letter continues that the water tank/hauling program, which has been funded through the California Emergency Relief Fund, provides water to families in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. Self-Helps goal under the program is two pronged provide emergency water and work toward permanent solutions whether thats fixing domestic wells, connecting residents to larger, nearby systems, or some other solution. It has found permanent solutions for 282 households in the past 17 months, the letter states. However: Without interim solutions like the water hauling program, families relying on relief from organizations like SHE wont be able to wait for sustainable, long-term solutions and will be forced into catastrophic decisions such as walking away from their homes. La Abeja, a newsletter written for and by California Latinos Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California. State Senator Melissa Hurtado, (D), who represents a chunk of the valley from Bakersfield to Hanford, said she had been talking with Self-Help and was hoping to find a way to make sure this vital service isnt cut. Obviously, Im not happy about it, she said in an interview with SJV Water. People in Sacramento dont really understand this region. They think since we had all that water last year, the flood water, and thereve been reports about so much recharge, that all this water is available to everyone. But there are still people living in the shadows. They dont have the ability to recharge and they still dont have access to water. Hurtado noted this is one of many cuts being being proposed and Its not a done deal. This potential funding cut comes at a time when numerous groundwater sustainability agencies are seeking out Self-Help to develop domestic well programs to include in their groundwater planning. Groundwater plans in several valley subbasins were deemed inadequate by the state for, among other things, not being protective enough of domestic wells. Those subbasins, including the Kern, Kaweah, Tule, Chowchilla, Tulare Lake (Kings County) and Delta-Mendota (Merced County), are now coming before the state Water Resources Control Board, which will decide if state intervention is needed. The Water Board already put the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation April 16. Probation is the first step toward a possible state takeover of regional pumping. The Tule subbasin comes before the board Sept. 17, then the Kaweah on Nov. 5 and the Kern in January 2025. GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) A North Carolina man was charged with seven counts of vehicular assault after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Greene County Sunday evening. Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) reports a 2009 Honda CRV was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-81 around 6:30 p.m. The Honda CRV then hit a 2022 Honda Civic head-on near mile marker 21, according to THP. THP: 3 injured after tractor-trailer overturns trying to avoid animal on I-81 in Blountville The report stated the Honda CRV became airborne and came to a rest on the hood of a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder that was traveling behind the Honda Civic. A 2010 Ford Mustang then hit the Honda Civic. The driver of the Honda CRV, identified by THP as Mardoqueo Aguilar Diaz, 31, of North Carolina, was charged with the following: Seven counts of vehicular assault DUI Child Endangerment Diaz and seven passengers, including six juveniles, in the Honda CRV were injured in the crash, THP reported. Two of the juveniles were seriously injured. The driver and passenger of the Honda Civic were also reportedly injured in the crash. The driver of the Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Mustang were uninjured. 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. Threats of terrorism in the U.S. are 'more diverse and difficult to counter' A photograph depicts a woman believed to be Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Catonsville, Md., holding a rifle. Earlier this year, she plead guilty in a plot to attack power grids in Baltimore; Brandon Russell awaits trial on the same charge. (U.S. District Court) She wanted a rifle. He needed a soldier for his plan to overthrow the government. Sarah Beth Clendaniel was a radical looking for a target when, authorities say, she plotted with Brandon Russell a white supremacist who belongs to an organization known as Atomwaffen Division to destroy the power grid around Baltimore. Clendaniel dressed in camouflage fatigues. Russell went by the alias "Raccoon" and, according to federal agents, kept a framed picture of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh on his dresser. They communicated through encrypted messages, but the mission was foiled by authorities. Clendaniel pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to damage or destroy electrical stations in Maryland. Russell, who was charged earlier with possessing explosives, is awaiting trial. The case did not attract much attention outside Baltimore, but it was another reminder of the danger of terrorism in an unsettled nation. The U.S. is facing security threats in a presidential election year coming from Islamic militants, far-right extremists, leftist radicals and an array of zealots disgruntled over the nations culture wars and our polarized society. Officials are increasingly worried about the deepening strands of left- and right-wing venom rooted in antiestablishment anger and amplified by social media that are testing the governments ability to track militants like Clendaniel and Russell. Timothy McVeigh's hatred of the federal government led him to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995, killing 186 people and injuring hundreds more. According to federal agents, Brandon Russell, who is accused of plotting to blow up the Baltimore power grid, kept a photo of McVeigh on his dresser. (Associated Press) The threats not more potent than it was around 9/11, but its certainly more diverse and difficult to counter, said Colin P. Clarke, the director of research at the Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consulting firm in New York City. Were dealing with a more aggressive far-right, left-wing and what we call salad bar people, who take a little bit of each ideology and thread them together. Incels. Q-Anon. The range of actors at play now is a lot broader than what were used to. The race between President Biden and Donald Trump underscores the prospects for unrest and violence. GOP senators have asked the Secret Service to keep demonstrators farther from the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Protesters are also expected to arrive en masse at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where in 1968, during an era of intense upheaval around the Vietnam War that some suggest parallels todays political tremors, police beat and tear-gassed hundreds of marchers. On a visit to Chicago this month, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle met with nearly 100 agents who will be protecting both conventions. She told CNN she was concerned about a number of threats, including "the lone gunman." "Youve got folks that are radicalized. Youve got demonstrations that may pop up. And obviously, we hope they remain peaceful here, but they could turn violent, she said. Read more: Editorial: White supremacist extremists are the nations deadliest terror threat Most of the violence and "other threat indicators [are] from groups that lean more conservative, said Amy Cooter, a terrorism expert with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Whats notable, she added, was that the extremist narratives, particularly accelerationist ones like those espoused by Clendaniel that use violence to speed up social collapse can appeal to radicals across the political spectrum. Theres potential for people who have very different underlying political beliefs, said Cooter, to join forces on issues they have common ground on. National militant organizations complicit in the Jan 6. riots, including the Proud Boys, remain a danger, Cooter said, despite arrests of its leaders and loss of a centralized online home since Facebook blocked extremist groups. Before the 2020 election, Trump told the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by." Reuters reported that after Trump was found guilty in May of falsifying business records, a Proud Boys chapter in Ohio promised "war" in a statement that read: Fighting solves everything. Trumps increasingly militant campaign speeches against immigrants and conspiracies about the "deep state" also resonate with other groups in the so-called patriot movement. The former president suggested in veiled language that his followers might rise up if he were sent to prison: Im not sure the public would stand for it, he told Fox News. "You know, at a certain point, theres a breaking point. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told CNN she was concerned about a number of threats to the U.S. (Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press) Not all militia members like Trump. Some think hes too brash, too old, said Cooter, who spent years interviewing and investigating militia groups in Michigan. But they are very responsive to his rhetoric because he appeals to their worries about immigration or about changing culture in other ways. Even if theyre not going to vote for him, their urgency around these issues gets stirred up. Todays turmoil has yet to reach the magnitude of the late 1960s or the 1970s, when far-left domestic terror groups like the Weather Underground and Symbionese Liberation Army orchestrated scores of bombings. Many of the threats these days come from varied agendas, including Payton Gendron, who wrote a 180-page racist screed before killing 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2022, and James Hodgkinson, a left-wing radical who in 2017 shot and wounded at least four people at a softball practice for Republican congressmen in Alexandria, Va. In April, Kyran Caples, who police say was radicalized while at Fresno State and joined an obscure antigovernment group known as the Moorish sovereign citizens, shot and critically wounded two police officers in Florida. Caples was killed by police. In the plot to destroy the Baltimore power grid, the Justice Department quoted Clendaniel, once photographed heavily armed and wearing camouflage fatigues, a headscarf and a skull mask, as saying an attack would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste. Read more: Buffalo shooting that killed 10 investigated as racially motivated violent extremism The country has been shaken by anger and unrest in recent years around the COVID-19 pandemic, mass shootings, George Floyd protests, an insurrection at the Capitol and pro-Palestinian rallies on college campuses. Those domestic ruptures have coincided with a rejuvenated branch of ISIS that is recruiting militants beyond its base in Afghanistan and this year carried out attacks in Russia and Iran that killed at least 220 people. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray recently told cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point that his agency was concerned about a rogues' gallery of foreign organizations calling for violence against Americans. But he suggested that the more pressing danger comes from individuals and small groups in the U.S. who draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home. The agency, he said, has been running down thousands of reported threats. National militant organizations complicit in the Jan 6. riots, including the Proud Boys, remain a danger, according to Amy Cooter, a terrorism expert with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Above, former Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio in September 2020. (Allison Dinner / Associated Press) He added that tensions around the Israel-Hamas war will feed a pipeline of radicalization and mobilization for years to come. In April, Wray, describing what he called a heightened threat environment, told the House Appropriations Committee that the agency's 2024 fiscal year budget was nearly $500 million below what it needed. "This could not come at a worse time," he said. "We need people.... Now is not the time to cut back." That threat landscape radiating through a wide prism of anger and ideologies has shaped Americas discourse and sharpened its divisions. The battles playing out in Congress have run parallel to social and political fervor around antisemitism, Gaza, abortion, immigration and gun rights unfolding on college campuses, state houses, podcasts, rallies and talk shows. Read more: U.S. is bracing for complex, fast-moving foreign threats to elections, FBI director warns The powerful emotions that have been unleashed arent fading, said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and professor at Georgetown University. Terrorism never occurs in a vacuum. It always leverages off of the divisions, contentiousness and controversies that are in the political arena and that will lead to a very small fringe to conclude that violence is the only way to overthrow a corrupt system. The radicalization of the young is rooted in the generation that came of age during the isolation of the pandemic and has since seen governments as either powerless or indifferent to climate change, wealth gaps and stopping wars in Ukraine and Gaza. This seeds a bed of frustration and mistrust, said Hoffman, co-author of "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America." Theyre looking to be entertained and stimulated rather than informed and confident that theyre getting accurate information. TikTok is feeding them what they want. People pay their respects outside the scene of a shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 15, 2022. Payton Gendron wrote a 180-page racist screed before killing 10 Black people at the market. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) When he was testifying testified before the House Appropriations Committee, Wray outlined the threats the U.S. faces from terrorism, cartels trafficking fentanyl, and cyberattacks on business and infrastructure. As I look back over my career in law enforcement, he said, I would be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Three members of a network exposed by Polish intelligence services that had been collecting information and was supposed to arrange sabotage operations on the instructions of Russian intelligence have still not started to serve their sentences despite having been given prison terms. Source: European Pravda citing the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita Details: When the sentences for the three defendants accused of being members of the Russian spy network were handed down, the court revoked the pre-trial restriction (custody). Rzeczpospolita has discovered that the defendants names are Artur M., Yaroslav B. and Maria M. Yaroslav B., a 44-year-old Ukrainian national, has fallen off the Polish services radar: the court issued a warrant for his compulsory detention back in January, and again in April and May, but he has still not begun to serve his sentence. Artur M., who was 16 at the time of his detention, was supposed to serve his sentence in a young offenders institution, while Maria M., a 20-year-old Belarusian woman, applied for parole, but failed to appear at the Warsaw court that was to have made the decision. Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesperson for Poland's Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, told Rzeczpospolita that 12 of the 14 offenders are serving their sentences in prison, and another is due to be brought in next week. "One person from the spy network is indeed at large and is on the wanted list," he added, without specifying who it was. In November 2023, 16 defendants were accused of espionage, including conspiring to blow up trains carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine and conducting reconnaissance of military and critical infrastructure facilities. In December, a court in Lublin, Poland, found 14 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine guilty of conspiring to carry out sabotage operations for Moscow as a part of a spy network and sentenced them to various prison terms. Support UP or become our patron! Three people killed after boat capsized during fishing trip to Banister Lake HALIFAX COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has reported a fishing trip to Banister Lake ended with three people dead when their boat capsized on June 16. DWR says around 8:41 p.m. on Sunday, the Halifax County Sheriffs Office was informed that three people were missing on Banister Lake after a boating accident. Investigators currently believe that 20-year-old Zacharich S. Carter of Virgilina, 30-year-old Dre D. Tucker, of Halifax, and 22-year-old Elijah L. Tucker of Indian Trail, N.C. were fishing in a 14ft aluminum Jon boat when they maneuvered sharply, causing the rear end to drop under the water line. VSP reports Halesford Bridge crash as fatal The boat sank and ejected the three victims into the water. They all died at the scene. DWR says the incident is still ongoing; however, none of the victims were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident. In addition to DWR, numerous agencies responded to the scene and assisted in the search including Halifax County Sheriffs Office, Halifax Volunteer Fire Department, Halifax County Emergency Services, Halifax County Rescue Squad, North Halifax Volunteer Fire and EMS, Mecklenburg Sheriffs Office, Mecklenburg County EMS, Town of Halifax Police Department, South Boston Police Department, Clarksville Volunteer Fire Department, Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire and EMS, Scottsburg Volunteer Fire Department, South Boston Fire Department, Virgilina Volunteer Fire Department, and Virginia State Police Aviation Division and Search and Recovery Team. WFXR News will update you with further information if it becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Republican Senator Tim Scott started his week off by getting brutally fact-checked about just about everything. While Scott passed the Donald Trump loyalty litmus test with flying colors, he was only able to do so because he refused to fully answer a single question he was asked during Sundays episode of This Week With George Stephanopolus on ABC. When asked about the Supreme Courts recent decision to lift a ban on bump stocks, one which was put in place by Trump himself, Scott quickly agreed with the courts decision, before pivoting to criticizing President Joe Biden about something entirely different. Under Joe Biden, weve seen the movement to defund the police, leaving communities like the one I grew up in devastated and ravaged by a wave of violent crime that we have not seen literally in five decades, said Scott. Actually, senator as Ias you probably know, the latest stats on violent crime and on the murder rate, theyre actually down this past year, said ABC co-host Jonathan Karl, before he attempted to go back to his Supreme Court question. Scott, instead, refused to budge from his point that families are trapped in their houses every night because of spiking crime. TIM SCOTT: Under Joe Biden, communities have been devastated and ravaged by a wave of violent crime that we haven't seen in 5 decades JONATHAN KARL: Actually senator, as you probably know, the latest stats on violent crime and on the murder rate show they're actually down this pic.twitter.com/Tz2KrUXxgP Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2024 Just last week, the FBI released its quarterly crime report, which found that violent crime in the United States has dropped by more than 15 percent since the beginning of the year, including a 26.4 percent decrease in murder, in line with a decrease over the past two years. It appeared that the South Carolina Republican would rather defer to Trumps talking points than openly agree with the courts decision to undo his executive order. Karl then asked Scott if he would support congressional action to ban bump stocks. Well, Im strongly in support of the Second Amendment, Scott started. But what were going to do in the party, and President Trump said it on Thursday, were going to focus I asked about the ban on bump stocks, not the Second Amendment, Karl said, cutting Scott off againbut the senator continued undeterred, delivering a short stump speech about violence at the southern border. Scott continued to cement his position, not as a politician, or even a person capable of independent thought, but as a Trumpian record player, going over and over the same old tracks. At every turn, Scott skirted the questions being asked in order to deliver talking points for Trump. Karl then asked Scott how he felt about Trumps proposal for tariffs on imported goods, which the former president raised during a meeting with House Republicans last week. Scott himself had previously criticized Trumps approach to tariffs, butclearly unable to own up to even the smallest defection from his beloved leaderhe again pivoted to something else entirely. I was in the Senate meeting. But what I can tell you he spoke about during his time with the Senate is actually exempting taxation on tips, he said, and went on to talk about that plan, which would likely benefit hotel owners such as Trump and hurt workers in their efforts to raise the minimum wage. Time will play in Ukraine's favor once F-16s and more Western aid arrive, Syrskyi says With the gradual arrival of foreign military aid, including the first batch of F-16 fighter jets, time will favor Ukraine, while Russia's chances of success on the battlefield will decrease, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 17. Ukraine is expected to receive the first F-16 jets in the summer, while the U.S. Congress's approval in April unblocked the flow of the much-needed American military assistance. Knowing that Ukraine will receive more Western equipment to strengthen its air defense capabilities, the Russian military command is now "making every effort to increase the intensity and expand the fighting geographically," according to Syrskyi. Russian troops are pushing on the Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Kupiansk, and Vremivka sectors in the east, trying to break through Ukraine's defenses and capture key areas or settlements crucial for the Ukrainian military's defense, the general said. These efforts aim to "maximize the exhaustion of our troops, disrupt the training of reserves, and prevent the transition to active offensive actions," Syrskyi said. Russia continues to focus on the Pokrovsk sector, concentrating most of its brigades and regiments there, he added. Heavy fighting continues near Hlyboke, Chasiv Yar, and Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast, Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the village of Krynky in Kherson Oblast, and in the islands in the coastal area of the left bank of the Dnipro River, Syrskyi said. Ukraine's military reported on a number of attacks on occupied Crimea in recent days. This may help degrade Russian air defenses in the area before the arrival of the F-16s and decrease the threat to Ukrainian tactical aviation, said Federico Borsari, a Leonardo Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), in a comment for the Kyiv Independent on June 12. Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has noted that Russia is stepping up the intensity of hostilities and working to expand their scope, recognising that the incoming weapons and military equipment from Ukraine's partners will enhance the capabilities of Ukraine's defence forces. Source: Syrskyi on Facebook Quote: "The enemy is well aware that with the gradual receipt of a significant amount of weapons and military equipment from our partners, the arrival of the first F-16s, which will strengthen our air defence, time will play in our favour, and their chances of success will decrease. Therefore, the Russian military command is currently putting all its efforts into increasing the intensity and expanding the scope of hostilities in order to maximise the depletion of our troops, disrupt the training of reserves, and prevent the transition to active offensive actions." Details: Syrskyi pointed out that for almost a week, he has been working on the Eastern front in units of various groups holding defence in the most critical areas on the battlefield. According to Syrskyi, the nature of Russia's actions has not changed significantly. Russian forces are engaged in intense offensive actions of varying intensity on the Kupiansk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Vremivka fronts, seeking to break through Ukrainian defences and capture important areas or settlements that affect the stability of Ukraine's defence forces. The Russians are focusing their primary efforts on the Pokrovsk front, where the vast majority of their attack brigades and regiments are deployed. Fierce fighting continues near the settlements of Hlyboke, Chasiv Yar, Staromaiorske, Robotyne, Krynky and the islands on the coastal part of the Dnipro River's left (eastern) bank. Support UP or become our patron! Francisco Garcia arrives at Kelsey-Seybold clinic in Sugar Land to see his doctor Spencer Berthelsen for annual physical. Sept. 22, 2011 Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune It took one cancer patient 15 years ago to convince Barbara Chapman that the model of mental health treatment needed some serious work. It was 2009, and she was an advanced practice nurse working in a Dallas primary care practice when she met a female patient diagnosed with breast and lung cancer. The same woman had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The woman didnt have health insurance, but Chapman was determined to help her navigate the medical system for both cancer and mental health treatment. After several weeks, Chapman was able to find a place that would treat her physical and mental illnesses. I made a promise to her that I would do everything in my power to make sure nobody had to go through that again, Chapman said. That seminal experience is why Chapman, who now serves as an assistant clinical professor for the family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner programs at the University of Texas at Tyler, has been an advocate for a better, collaborative care model for mental and medical health fields. There is not a diagnosis that doesnt have a mental health component. I am doing everything in my power to promote that message to my students and others because we can work together to solve this crisis we find ourselves in, Chapman said. This means we can be the front line to total treatment. Behavioral health has historically been structured, researched, financed, and regulated differently than general health care, and mental health and substance use disorders are typically treated as a specialty. Even the way people pay for mental health and medical treatment has been vastly different. A lot of people dont have psychiatric services in their health insurance, or if they do, it might only cover three visits or something to that effect, and then the rest of it is out of pocket, Chapman said. While in medical, the way insurance is set up is pretty straightforward. Its one of the obstacles we havent gotten past. Keeping mental health a separate field has contributed to the workforce shortage Americans are now experiencing. Mental health services are not distributed evenly nationwide, as providers cant keep their doors open in most rural or lower-income areas because reimbursement from health insurance plans is so low. In Texas, 98% of the 254 counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas. Texas ranks last in the nation for access to mental health care. In rural Texas, the shortage can be even more problematic because patients earn less than in cities, may not have health insurance, and then theres the added cost of transportation to larger towns and cities that do have therapists or psychiatrists. Experts say the best way to solve this crisis is by early diagnosing mental illness before it reaches a point where medical treatment, hospitalization, or other intensive services are needed. However, studies have found primary care physicians are often the first point of contact when it comes to mental illness, not behavioral health providers. I have had people come into my office for a blood pressure check or routine blood work, and all of a sudden, they break down in tears and start telling me all the other things that are going on with their life, Chapman, who volunteers her time with mobile health services around the state, said. This is why people like Chapman believe the answer to the mental health crisis might be in the medical field, starting with the collaborative care model, where every routine primary care check-up can include a screening for behavioral health issues like depression, anxiety, and substance use, similar to what primary care doctors do for blood sugar and cholesterol levels. This gives the primary care provider the responsibility of early detection before a mental health concern turns into a crisis. Chapman said primary care providers have understandably been slow to adopt this model mainly because some may lack confidence in making a mental health diagnosis and are combating workforce issues of their own. The federal government estimates that the United States will be short some 68,020 primary care physicians by 2036. Yes, theyre already overwhelmed. And so taking on mental health care issues while dealing with an already very busy primary care practice will be a difficult thing to do, Chapman said. But I tell all my students, you have to understand that you are the first line of defense. We are the first to hear about someone being a little depressed or that they are going through a divorce or that a mom died. Dr. Zachary Sartor, a family medicine faculty physician at Waco Family Medicine who treats the underserved residents of McLennan and Bell counties, said the collaborative care model has become an essential part of the medical field. He said his clinic has taken a unique approach to collaborative care by having mental health providers work alongside primary care to ease the burden on both fields. The collaborative model can take a lot of time and can limit our ability to do this, so having those providers working beside us in the clinic makes that time limit feasible. If I see someone for hypertension, they can also see someone for depression, allowing us to see more people without putting an additional burden on the clinician, he said. Sartor believes primary care is well-positioned to impact the mental health crisis in Texas. He said patients usually prefer to meet with their primary care doctor about mental health, which allows them to be treated for everything under one roof, which is key for rural areas of the state. I believe most mental illness can be treated in primary care with the right training, Sartor said. There will always be a need for specialists in mental health, but primary care has a broad scope of practice, and this will allow us to treat most of these effectively. Chapman, at UT-Tyler, believes that if primary care providers are only tasked with handling low-level mental illnesses like ADHD, anxiety, and low-scale depression, then the medical field can help mental health providers without overwhelming themselves in the process. There are things primary care providers cant handle like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and higher level diagnosis like that. But we are in an all-boots-on-the-ground situation. None of us are doing well, she said. A new approach In Austin, Dr. Roshni Koli, is one voice primary care physicians turn to when they need help with a mental health diagnosis for a child. As a psychiatrist and chief medical officer for Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Koli has been answering primary care doctors questions as part of the states Child Psychiatry Access Network, which provides telehealth mental health consultations. The questions she takes range from What kind of diagnosis goes with these symptoms? to What kind of medication is needed for anxiety? to Where should I refer someone with suicidal thoughts? I just got off a call where a primary care physician was asking about a plan for anxiety for one of his patients. They had already figured out the diagnosis but just needed some help with medication. Most people call me with some idea already, Koli said. The Texas Legislature created CPAN in 2019 as part of a larger group of programs designed to improve psychiatric care for young people. These include the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network, which allows reproductive care providers to call a mental health provider for assistance with their patients. Mental health and physical health are inextricably intertwined. Both are essential for good health, but oftentimes, those notes collected by primary care doctors and psychologists are not shared with each other, Koli said. We are starting to see that change. Koli said that ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, she has seen a strong willingness from primary care providers to start getting involved with the program. Since 2019, CPAN has enrolled more than 12,700 providers and nearly 2,500 clinics and completed over 34,000 calls either for consultation with a psychiatrist or for specialized resources and referrals. It kind of just makes sense for primary care to take this on. Physicians are already monitoring if you have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol and do follow-ups based on those reports. We can apply those same principles to mental health, Koli said. The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute released a study in 2020 that suggested if every Texan with major depression had access to the Collaborative Care Model, between 725 and 1,100 lives could be saved every year. Texas Health and Human Services also has its own model called the Healthy Community Collaborative, which promotes partnerships between public and private sectors to integrate services for people experiencing homelessness and mental illness and/or substance use disorders. We have seen once you treat someone's mental illness, their physical health improves as well, Koli said. Chapman said these state-sponsored collaborative care programs show Texas is moving in the right direction. However, she said these programs currently only cater to very specific populations, and the state has a dire need for overall adult mental health services. We need to set up something with the same model for adult care. I think its a good model that needs to be implemented in all other areas, she said. We need this for everyone. Dell and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Just in: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today! TOPEKA (KSNT) Topeka police arrested two people in connection to a recent series of vehicle theft investigations. The Topeka Police Department (TPD) announced in a press release June 17 that officers executed a search warrant on June 14 in connection to numerous ongoing vehicle theft investigations in the 1100 block of SW 31st Street. As a result of the search warrant, officers recovered two stolen vehicles, stolen property along with a gun that was stolen 2019. Additional work by police revealed the use of financial cards. Rosie Nichols with the City of Topeka said officers arrested a 46-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both of Topeka, in connection to the investigations. They were booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the following charges: 46-year-old Possession of stolen property Aggravated burglary Criminal damage to property Theft $25,000 <$100,000 from motor vehicle Criminal use of financial card Criminal possession of a weapon by felony 37-year-old Aggravated burglary Theft $25,000 <$100,000 from motor vehicle Criminal use of financial card Possession of stolen property Topeka man sentenced for Christmas Day crash that left friend dead If you have any information to share with police regarding these investigations, send an email to telltpd@topeka.org or call 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or by clicking here. For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. 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. As Tory Party circles the drain, Europe falls sway to the strongman impulse British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak participated in D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations before scarpering back home to do a TV interview. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Quality Journalism for Critical Times LONDON Immigrants are to blame for potholes. Not a lot of people know that. But Nigel Farage, Britains top Trump fanboy and OG Brexiteer, knows. He likes to accuse those pesky foreigners of causing traffic jams, medical waiting lists, and probably dandruff, too. This guy used to be a member of the Conservative Party, but decided it was too soft on Johnny Foreigner. Better to make up his own parties. Several of them. Farage is running for Parliament as head of the U.K.s xenophobic (and frankly unhinged) Reform Party, a political outfit that began as the U.K. Independence Party, morphed into the Brexit Party, and has now been revivified, like a bug you just cant stomp hard enough, into Reform. Farage swore he wasnt going to stand for election this year, saying he planned to be in America helping Donald Trump. He even claimed Trump was giving him a campaign job. (Wonder if he thought he was going to get paid?) These two are soulmates: racist, misogynist, proudly ignorant, and epically obnoxious no wonder they get along so well. Then Farage had second thoughts: Was it the 34 felonies? In any case, he decided hed quite like to be a Member of Parliament after all. Hes tried and failed to get elected no fewer than seven times, but hey, maybe this is his year! A substantial chunk of the population had hoped Farage would bugger off to the U.S. and leave poor Blighty alone, but no: Hes sticking around to rally white folks who, like him, blame foreigners for hangnails, rain on Saturdays, and the army of slugs eating the summer roses. Cult of Churchill Farage and his crew are an electoral threat not to Labour, which is almost certain to win the election on July 4, but his former Tory colleagues. Polls show Reform is more popular with Conservative voters over 55 than their own party. This despite one of Reforms candidates recently mouthing off about how the British should have accepted Hitlers offer that they be neutral in World War II. Refusing to put down the shovel, this idiot kept digging, declaring the country really needed to exorcise the cult of Churchill. Churchill was a loser: Not a lot of people know that, either. Dissing Winston Churchill doesnt sound like a great vote-getter: Britain, the U.S., Canada, France, and Germany recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day with solemn ceremonies honoring the few remaining veterans. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak found out the hard way that D-Day, Churchill, and the memory of the war dead are not to be trifled with. Instead of standing alongside the king, Joe Biden, and all the other leaders, he ducked out of the ceremonies early, scuttling back to London from Normandy to do a television interview. Hes been apologizing ever since. In the now-notorious interview, he waxed wistful about how his family sacrificed so he could attend one of Englands poshest private schools. They had to go without all sorts of things that I wouldve wanted as a kid. Like the cable channel Sky TV. Nobody can figure out if Sunak has a death wish or if hes just that clueless. Not funny In any case, right-wing British politics have become farcical. Heres whats not funny: right-wing politics on the Continent. Even as European leaders stood together in Normandy to express thanks to those who fought against fascism, too many European voters are once again flirting with it. In the early June European parliamentary elections, centrist and progressive candidates lost in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy to the likes of Alternative fur Deutschland and National Rally, the party headed by Marine le Pen. The whipping was so bad in France that President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the assembly and called a snap election. Right now, the smart moneys on Le Pen and her MAGA-esque army of nationalists winning enough seats to control the government if they can get the more traditional conservatives to form a coalition with them, at least. Center-left chancellor Olaf Scholz watched his electoral share collapse in favor of ultra-rightists, including AfD, now the second largest in Germanys E.U. delegation. AfD attracts people inclined to declare that Germans whose parents or grandparents came from Turkey will never be real Germans, and a former candidate (now expelled from the party) who insists SS officers werent such bad guys. Its not as if these right-wingers are going to immediately break up the European Union or make common cause with Vladimir Putin or ban immigration altogether not yet. But they will be able to push some of the ugly culture war issues were all too familiar with here in the U.S.: attacks on woke, fossilized views of gender and race, homophobia, science denial all the fun stuff that comes from cultivated ignorance and irrational fear. They might also complicate Europes support for Ukraine. The governments of Hungary and Romania have edged toward Russia. Other E.U. nations might not agree to more military aid. Strongman envy Thats seriously scary. So is the European Rights reluctance to do anything about climate change. The E.U. has an ambitious plan to reduce emissions and slow the catastrophic rise in global temperatures. Tens of thousands across Europe die as a result of excessive heat every summer. Despite the obvious results of the developed worlds addiction to oil, Green parties in key nations such as France and Germany lost significant support in the elections. This will give aid and comfort to the likes of Donald Trump, who, when hes not casting himself as a victim, fancies himself a Man of Destiny, leading the world to some kind of bright orange future of more plastics, bigger cars, two gas stoves (and a tradwife) in every kitchen, no gays, no abortion, no diversity, and increasingly no democracy. Authoritarianism has become weirdly attractive to a lot of voters in America and across the Atlantic. Maybe they think its the best way to stop the world from changing. Newsflash: Thats not rational. In the U.K., both the Reform Party and the Conservatives who have pretty much adopted Reforms anti-immigrant craziness promise a return to a white, culturally Christian, never-never nation. The (qualified) good news is that the lunatics arent inevitable or invincible. Our important NATO ally across the pond is likely to elect an imperfect, not-as-progressive-as-they-ought-to-be party led by an uninspiring lawyer. Brexit regret A majority of British voters regret leaving the E.U. , a rational (if belated) response to the madness of 2015. They regret letting the Conservative Party do its damnedest to destroy the environment, the social safety net, the National Health Service, and other cherished institutions. A majority look at the European Union and wonder why the Germans and the French think autocracy and hatred might make a good foundation on which to run a country. They might wonder at us, too. Most are also embarrassed by Reforms blatant racism: Farage said Sunaks D-Day cock-up was because the PM isnt patriotic, and doesnt understand our culture. Sunaks Hindu parents immigrated from East Africa. On the upside, Farage will be glad to hear that if Labour wins in July, theyve pledged to fix a million potholes a year. The post As Tory Party circles the drain, Europe falls sway to the strongman impulse appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Crews knock out vegetation fire in Ocotillo near I-8 SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Firefighters were able to knock out a vegetation fire in Ocotillo Sunday that was threatening a nearby highway over the weekend. Cal Fire reports the Inkopah 5 Fire broke out at 11:15 a.m. Sunday on InKoPah Park Road near I-8 in Ocotillo, close to the border with San Diego and Imperial counties, and just north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Brush fire near 5 Freeway in Gorman forces evacuations The vegetation fire was burning across 30 acres and was 20% contained, according to Cal Fires 4 p.m. update. Cal Fire reports the fire was 100% contained by 8 p.m. Sunday. Inkopah 5 Fire (Photo Courtesy: Cal Fire) The wildfire caused a lane closure on westbound I-8, just east of In-Ko-Pah, for a short time Sunday. All lanes impacted have since been reopened. Cal Fire firefighters and the Imperial County Fire Department, including firefighting air tankers from across the state, and eight fire engines, worked to put out the wildfire. Vegetation fire reported in Campo: Cal Fire There are several wildfires burning across the state currently, with the largest, the Post Fire in Gorman, burning at 12,265 acres with 2% containment as of Sunday afternoon, prompting evacuations in the area. 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. A trial date has been set for a man charged in the kidnapping, killing of a Memphis school teacher FILE - Cleotha Abston walks from the witness stand to his seat in a courtroom during his sentencing hearing for an April rape conviction on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. A judge on Monday, June 17, 2024, set a trial date for a man charged with kidnapping and killing a school teacher who was on an early morning run in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz, File) MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A judge on Monday set a trial date for a man charged in the kidnapping and killing of a school teacher while she was on an early morning run in Memphis, Tennessee. Shelby County Judge Lee Coffee set Cleotha Abston's trial on first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and other charges for Feb. 10, court records showed. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Abston is convicted of first-degree murder. Abston, 40, has pleaded not guilty. Eliza Fletcher was grabbed from a street while she was jogging before dawn near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2, 2022, and forced into an SUV. Her body was found days later near a vacant duplex. We will be ready for trial, Abston's lawyer, Juni Ganguli, said in a text message. Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison May 17 for raping a woman a year before he was charged in Fletcher's death. He was convicted in April of raping the woman while holding her at gunpoint in September 2021. Abston, whose history of criminal charges dates back to the 1990s when he was a juvenile, received 40 years in prison for aggravated rape, 20 years for aggravated kidnapping and another 20 years for being a felon in possession of a weapon. The sentences will run consecutively, or one after the other. Ganguli said Abston is appealing the rape verdict. I do not believe for a second that he raped or kidnapped or had a gun, that he put a gun to that woman, Ganguli told reporters after the sentencing hearing. Abston was not arrested on the rape charges before Fletchers killing because of a long delay in processing the sexual assault kit, authorities have said. After Fletchers death, the Legislature passed a law requiring the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue a quarterly report on sexual assault kit testing times. The killing of Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher and mother of two, shocked the Memphis community and led to a flood of support for her family. Runners in Memphis and several other cities held an early-morning running events in her honor a week after she was abducted. A second run honoring Fletcher was held last year. Abston, who also has gone by the name Cleotha Henderson, was arrested after police detected his DNA on sandals found near the location where Fletcher was last seen, an arrest affidavit said. An autopsy report showed Fletcher died of a gunshot wound to the head. QUESTA, N.M. (KRQE) The trial involving the first person to be charged under Bennies Law is set to start Monday. William Brown is accused of negligently making a firearm available to a minor, resulting in the death of a teen in Questa. KRQE News 13 spoke with the district attorney overseeing the case who says it could set a precedent for future cases. Well, a lot of the pressure comes from the tragic loss of life. I mean a young lady has been taken and its impacted a community of family, said Marcus Montoya, Eighth Judicial District Attorney. Story continues below William Brown, 39, is the first person being tried under Bennies Law for negligently making a firearm available to a minor resulting in death. This new piece of legislation. Not having any guidance, no precedent, no authority, no real blueprint. Having seen it done before, I think thats the most unnerving part, said Montoya. According to State Police, four juveniles were at Browns home listening to music when his 14-year-old son pulled out a gun and shot a teen girl in July 2023. William Brown was then arrested under Bennies Law. Without previous cases, state attorneys are taking precautions and looking to other states for guidance. Many of us are familiar with the case out of Michigan, where the parents were both prosecuted for involuntary manslaughter. Our statute does not read similarly to Michigans you know. So were pulling from other case law from other states where parents have been prosecuted for situations like this, said Montoya. Representative Pamelya Herndon was the lawmaker behind Bennies Law which passed last year. She says the bills main purpose is to keep minors safe. What is important to notice is that this bill is being utilized for the purpose for which it was intended, if indeed there is a situation where a firearm was not stored safely, this piece of legislation will come into play and we want people to remember that there is a possible penalty if you dont store your guns safely, said Representative Pamelya Herndon (D) Bernalillo. Jury selection is set to begin Monday, followed by the state presenting its case. Brown is facing a fourth-degree felony which comes with 18 months of maximum incarceration. We just hope to put on a professional and prepared case, let the facts and law fall as they may and then let this piece of legislation evolve as it should, said Montoya. Browns son, Porfirio Brown, was previously on trial for a second-degree murder charge related to that shooting, but that trial ended in a hung jury in March. Porfirio is also expected to go back to trial in August. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Project Connect originally was to include several transit projects and miles of light rail, but it has been scaled back as cost estimates have risen. Lawyers in the Texas attorney generals office filed an appeal in a Travis County courtroom Monday, halting the trial to determine whether the funding model for Austins planned multibillion-dollar light rail is allowed under state law. Project Connect, which was approved by voters in 2020 with an increase of more than 20% in the citys maintenance and operations property tax rate, originally was to include several transit projects and miles of light rail the centerpiece of the proposition, which supporters lauded as a generational investment in Austins transit infrastructure. Plans for the light rail portion of the project have since been scaled down to under 10 miles, and construction is estimated to cost more, city and Austin Transit Partnership leaders have said. The Austin Transit Partnership is a local government corporation established by the city and Capital Metro to plan and build the light-rail system. The appeal from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office means that rather than the three parties involved in the lawsuit making their cases on whether they believe the financing model is sound under Texas law to Judge Eric Sheppard, the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals is being asked to determine whether the lower court has jurisdiction to hear the case. Here's what to know: Who is involved in the Project Connect lawsuit? Three parties are involved in the Project Connect lawsuit. One is a group of people who sued City Council members and Austin Transit Partnership board members in late 2023, claiming the city misled voters about the multibillion-dollar transportation investment and property tax increase. The lawsuit sought to stop the collection of property tax money for the project and issuance of bonds without voter approval, the American-Statesman previously reported. One of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs the owner of the restaurant Dirty Martin's Place, a former Democratic state senator and others is Bill Aleshire, a former Travis County judge and tax assessor-collector. The city and the Austin Transit Partnership are the second party. They are attempting to protect their current financing model, which, in addition to the lawsuit, has come under attack by Republican state lawmakers who during the 2023 legislative session sought to prohibit the issuing of any future debt for Project Connect without first getting voter approval, the Statesman previously reported. The legislation died during the last week of the session. The city and the transit partnership contend the proposed financing model stands on firm legal footing and have cast the legal and legislative challenges as efforts to undermine the will of Austin voters and undercut plans to expand public transportation options in the city. The third party involved is Paxtons office. In Texas, the issuance of municipal bonds, which is at the core of the debate over Project Connects financing model, requires approval from the states attorney general. This proved to be an obstacle for the city and the transit partnership as Paxton, in a nonbinding legal opinion during the 2023 legislative session, indicated his opposition to the light rail project, saying the financing model was probably illegal under state law and that Austin made misstatements to the voters in 2020, the Statesman previously reported. In February, the city and the transit partnership filed a bond validation lawsuit, a move to skirt the process of approval from the attorney general and instead ask a judge to weigh in on the argument first. The bond validation lawsuit and the lawsuit filed in late 2023, sometimes referred to as the Dirty Martins lawsuit, have been combined into one lawsuit, which was scheduled to be heard Monday. Paxton in pretrial court documents argued that "the City impermissibly attempted to use a tax ratification election under section 26.07 outside the purposes for which it was designed" and that "the ballot language for Proposition A was necessarily defective and misleading." The appeal by Paxton's office Monday morning asks the all-Democratic, Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals to determine whether the court has authority to hear the case at all. Sheppard had been previously asked by Paxton's office to rule on whether the court has jurisdiction to hear the bond validation lawsuit before the trial started. The attorney general's office is arguing that by letting the trial begin at 10 a.m. Monday, Sheppard implicitly denied the attorney general's claims regarding jurisdiction. In court Monday, Sheppard said that despite these claims, he has not "expressly or explicitly ruled for or against" the issue of jurisdiction. "As I've said before that there are certain areas in your pleading that would be enhanced by getting facts at trial, and I've asked that that happen," Sheppard said Monday. But, with the appeal, all further trial proceedings are halted until the appeals court makes a decision on jurisdiction. The city and the transit partnership planned to file an emergency motion to dismiss the appeal Monday, said Greg Canally, executive director of the partnership. He called the appeal from the attorney general a "delay tactic." "We have the full faith that the 3rd Court of Appeals will act quickly," Canally said. Aleshire said he agreed with the attorney general's arguments related to jurisdiction. "It is time for leaders to rethink Project Connect and consider putting a bond election on the November ballot," Aleshire said. What is the Project Connect financing model and what is at stake? In addition to anticipated federal grant money, the transit partnership's issuing of municipal bonds represents a large portion of the light rails current financing plan. The current plan is that the local government corporation would pay back debt it takes on through a transfer of the tax revenue approved in 2020 from the city. According to a city resolution, the tax transfer is to continue indefinitely until money is no longer required for operations, maintenance, or state of good repair, the Statesman previously reported. The reason the legal and legislative attacks have posed such a risk to Project Connect is that they seek to stop, or delay, the transit partnership from issuing the bonds. The transit partnerships current plan to establish the light-rail system relies on the agency's ability to issue bonds. An adverse outcome in the courts would probably send the transit partnership and the city back to the drawing board. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Project Connect trial over funding model halted by Texas AG appeal Trial for US journalist Gershkovich jailed in Russia set to begin later in June Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter who has been jailed in Russia for over a year, will stand trial in Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage in proceedings set to begin on June 26, Russian court officials said on June 17. The trial is planned to occur behind closed doors. Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg in late March 2023 while working on a story about the Wagner mercenary group's recruiting methods, as well as Russian citizens' views on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was jailed without charges for over 14 months as authorities repeatedly extended his pre-trial detention. Russia formally accused Gershkovich of spying for the CIA and finalized his indictment on June 13, announcing that he would finally go to trial. Russian authorities have not publicly released any evidence to support the charges. If convicted, Gershkovich faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years. WSJ publisher Almar Latour and Chief Editor Emma Tucker issued a statement in response dismissing the charges as "false and baseless" and calling for Gershkovich's immediate release. "Russia's latest move toward a sham trial is, while expected, deeply disappointing and still no less outrageous," the statement read. If convicted, Gershkovich faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The WSJ appealed to President Joe Biden to intensify efforts to free Gershkovich. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 14 that he would be open to negotiating the return of jailed U.S. citizens, including Gershkovich, under "mutually acceptable" conditions. The U.S. government is still working to return Gershkovich along with jailed U.S. citizen Paul Whelan, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing following the prosecutor's announcement. "We have been clear form the start that Evan has done nothing wrong," Miller said. "He should never have been arrested in the first place; journalism is not a crime. The charges against him are false, and the Russian government knows that they are false. He should be released immediately." Miller said the U.S. is "constantly pursuing" avenues for Gershkovich's release. Read also: Russias descent into totalitarianism: How it happened Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The trial of a US reporter charged with espionage in Russia is to begin June 26 FILE - Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the First Appeals Court of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, Russia, April 23, 2024. Gershkovich, who has been jailed for over a year in Russia on espionage charges, will stand trial in the city of Yekaterinburg, authorities said Thursday June 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) MOSCOW (AP) The espionage trial in Russia of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will begin on June 26 and will be held behind closed doors, a statement from the court that will hear the case said Monday. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, has been behind bars since his March 2023 arrest and faces 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial is to be held in the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, where he was arrested. Gershkovich has since been held in Moscows Lefortovo prison, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) to the west. The court said trial will be closed to the public, as is usual in espionage cases. Gershkovich, 32, is accused of gathering secret information on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, the Prosecutor Generals office said last week in the first details of the accusations against him. The reporter, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the allegations, and Washington designated him as wrongfully detained. Russias Federal Security Service alleged that Gershkovich was acting on U.S. orders to collect state secrets but provided no evidence to back up the accusations. Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week. The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that theyre false. He should be released immediately. The Biden administration has sought to negotiate Gershkovich's release, but Russias Foreign Ministry said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap only after a trial verdict. Uralvagonzavod, a state tank and railroad car factory in the city of Nizhny Tagil, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Yekaterinburg, became known in 2011-12 as a bedrock of support for President Vladimir Putin. Plant foreman Igor Kholmanskih appeared on Putins annual phone-in program in December 2011 and denounced mass protests occurring in Moscow at the time as a threat to stability, proposing that he and his colleagues travel to the Russian capital to help suppress the unrest. A week later, Putin appointed Kholmanskikh to be his envoy in the region. Putin has said he believes a deal could be reached to free Gershkovich, hinting he would be open to swapping him for a Russian national imprisoned in Germany. That appeared to be Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence for the 2019 killing in Berlin of a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent. Asked by The Associated Press about Gershkovich, Putin said the U.S. is taking energetic steps to secure his release. He told international news agencies at an economic forum in St. Petersburg in early June that any such releases arent decided via mass media but through a discreet, calm and professional approach. And they certainly should be decided only on the basis of reciprocity, he added, in an allusion to a potential prisoner swap. Gershkovich was the first U.S. journalist taken into custody on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 at the height of the Cold War. Gershkovichs arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia, even though the country had enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after sending troops into Ukraine. Alsu Kurmasheva, a reporter for U.S.-funded Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship, has been jailed since October awaiting trial on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about the Russian military. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, Gershkovich is fluent in Russian and moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy, who regularly visited Gershkovich in prison and attended his court hearings, has called the charges against him fiction and said that Russia is using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends. Separately, U.S. soldier Gordon Black is on trial in Vladivostok on charges of theft and threatening murder in a dispute with a Russian woman. Black, who was stationed in South Korea but visiting the Pacific Coast city, on Monday told a court that he denied the allegation of threatening murder but partially admitted to theft, according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti. What troops need to know about the militarys basic pay in 2024 Service members saw their biggest pay raise in 22 years 5.2% this past January. The pay bump in 2025 likely wont be as large for all troops, but some junior personnel could get a windfall if lawmakers follow through on recent promises. Basic pay is determined by a persons rank and length of service, with automatic raises when troops meet certain time and promotion markers. Congress also determines how large of a pay raise all troops should receive each year. The figure is tied by law to the anticipated increase in private-sector pay, but lawmakers in the past have approved bigger raises to help with recruitment and retention, or smaller raises to save money for other military priorities. The most junior enlisted service members make around $24,000 a year in basic pay (not including allowances, special pay and other benefits), while enlisted troops nearing retirement typically earn about $70,000 annually. Officer pay is significantly higher: Junior officers earn close to $40,000 a year, while senior officers nearing 20 years of service can make in excess of $170,000. That means that even a small change in the anticipated pay raise calculations can make a big difference for military families. The annual military pay increase takes effect in January each year. The White House issues its target for the hike each August, either going along with the projected rise in private-sector wages, known as the Employment Cost Index, or offering justification for proposing a different rate. Congress has the final say. In the past, lawmakers have overridden attempts by the White House to submit lower pay raises that would save money for other priorities. But in recent years, the executive and legislative branches have been in sync on the annual pay raise. Targeted pay raises The military pay raise usually applies equally to all troops, though lawmakers made an exception at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide more money for some mid-career service members to help with retention. That could be the case again in 2025. Last year, House lawmakers considered a plan to give additional targeted pay raises to junior enlisted troops, ensuring that even the newest service members would be guaranteed an annual base pay of $31,000. The plan ultimately failed in Congress. But members of the House Armed Services Committee are considering similar language again this year as part of the annual defense authorization bill debate. So far, the White House has not supported those plans. Officials there have pointed to an ongoing military compensation review by Pentagon leaders that is scheduled to be completed in early 2025, and have pushed to delay any major military pay overhauls until then. Troops should know what congressional pay proposals are likely to be at the center of this years Capitol Hill debates by early summer. House and Senate lawmakers are expected to spend most of the summer negotiating that authorization bill, with an eye towards final passage ahead of the November presidential election. Even if lawmakers do adopt major changes to military pay, the decisions are unlikely to take effect until January 2025 at the earliest. 2025 pay boost Since the start of the all-volunteer military force in 1973, Congress has authorized a pay raise of at least 1% for troops every year, even during budget cycles where other civilian wages held steady. Those increases have grown to 2.5% or more since 2018. The 2024 pay increase (which took effect Jan. 1) was 5.2% the largest bump since 2002 and the second-biggest boost in 40 years. That 5.2% pay boost matched the federal formula based on the annual Employment Cost Index calculation, and somewhat offset concerns about covering increased living costs over the last few years. The ECI calculation for 2025 sits at 4.5%, which if approved would mark the third straight year of pay hikes above 4% for military members. For junior enlisted troops, the proposed 2025 raise would mean about $1,600 more in take-home pay next year. For senior enlisted and junior officers, the raise would add about $2,700 more. An O-4 with 12 years of service would see almost $5,000 more over 2024 pay levels. That raise is not guaranteed, but lawmakers have recently shown little interest in trimming back military pay. Congress has not adopted a raise below the ECI calculation since 2015. Lawmakers are expected to debate the pay raise level along with the rest of the defense budget over the spring and summer. Congress typically fails to approve the federal budget until late in the calendar year, after each fiscal year begins Oct. 1. But the new pay raise still goes into effect on Jan. 1 each year. Read more from the 2024 Pay and Benefits Guide here. As a tropical rainstorm aims for part of the western Gulf coast and Mexico this week, AccuWeather hurricane experts warn it is not the only area of concern in the Atlantic basin. The waters off the Atlantic coast of Florida are being monitored from Wednesday through Thursday for a low potential for tropical development. "This appears to be a quick-moving and compact low-pressure area that will be moving westward into northeastern Florida or perhaps as far north as southeastern Georgia on Thursday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said. A stronger storm could bring gusty winds, especially to coastal locations. However, even a less organized storm would bring rough surf and downpours from the northern Bahamas to the Southeast Atlantic coast. The storm's quick movement will limit the potential for strengthening; however, it is not out of the question that a tropical depression or low-end tropical storm could form. Regardless, the feature could result in poor beach weather and renewed downpours along part of the Southeast coast. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Rain may move into areas from Melbourne, Florida, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina during the latter part of the week, generally north of the areas that were drenched with last week's tropical rainstorm in South Florida. There is the potential that the heat dome across the Midwest and Northeast will interfere with the progression of the storm and its downpours, resulting in little to no rain along the Southeast coast. Surf and rip currents are expected to increase along the beaches from Florida to North Carolina through the week, even if a tropical system fails to organize. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The National Hurricane Center is tracking two tropical waves in the Atlantic basin. One of the tropical waves is moving toward Floridas east coast and could develop this week. The NHC said it is expected to form a few hundred miles northeast of the central Bahamas in a day or two. The system could continue to develop as it moves westward. Weather officials said the system is forecast to approach the coast of the southeast United States on Thursday or Friday. It has a 30 percent chance of forming over the next seven days. Another tropical wave in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico could form into a tropical depression or tropical storm by midweek as it moves westward toward the western Gulf Coast. The NHC said the system will bring heavy rainfall to portions of southern Mexico and Central America. These rains are likely to cause life-threatening flooding and flash flooding, the NHC said. The system will not impact Florida. It has a 60% chance of forming over the next two days. 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. DENVER (KDVR) Deputies in Jefferson County are investigating a crash after a car drove through a fence at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office tweeted about the incident at around 9:30 a.m. on Monday. According to deputies, a pickup truck drove through the fence at the airport and hit two unoccupied planes. The driver was subsequently taken to a local hospital, but the status of their injuries is unknown. A pickup truck hit two unoccupied planes at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office) A pickup truck hit two unoccupied planes at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office) A pickup truck hit two unoccupied planes at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office) Deputies said no one else was injured. Plane hit road sign before crashing near I-25 There is no reason to believe there is a threat to the public or anyone at the airport at this time, said the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. The investigation is ongoing. Deputies have not said what factors may have led to the crash. The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is located in Broomfield at 11755 Airport Way and was the third busiest airport in Colorado in 2022 in terms of takeoffs and landings. 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. A former Trump administration Pentagon official went after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday after the chancellor complimented President Biden as Europe looks to the November elections. Scholz told Politico on Saturday that Biden knows exactly what he is doing and is likely to win, complimenting his demeanor and performance on the economy. Former Pentagon Deputy Assistant Secretary Elbridge Colby called the remarks wildly inappropriate. I think staying out of each others elections is better, he wrote on the social media platform X. But either way comments like these what message are Republicans supposed to take about the current Berlin government? Scholz also lauded Bidens backing of NATO, all while Trump has made threats to remove the U.S. from the critical decades-old alliance. He characterized the questions over who will win in November as a bit strange, saying Biden is the likely victor. I question whether [Scholz] really knows what hes talking about in the American context, Colby said. And I *definitely* think its wildly inappropriate to comment on domestic American politics and elections. Colby is among the front-runners to be a potential Trump administration national security adviser. He has personally advocated for the U.S. to be more active in fending off China, while taking a less active role in other conflicts abroad, including Ukraine. Scholzs comments come from the Group of Seven summit in Italy, where President Biden met with the countys closest allies to discuss economics and foreign policy. The group announced a $50 billion loan for Ukraine on Thursday, with funds taken from frozen Russian assets. 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. Donald Trump cant outrun his tactless comment about Milwaukee, so now, hes decided to pretend it never happened in the first place. Last week, in a meeting with House Republicans, Trump called Milwaukee a horrible city, even though he is expected to head there for the Republican National Convention next month. Republicans rushed to provide a smattering of explanations for why the former president would self-sabotage in such spectacular fashion, including Trump, who offered his own excuseand doubled down on his insults, arguing that the city was overrun with crime, even though statistics from the citys police department dont support his claims. Now Trumps given up on excuses, and has decided to deny, deny, deny. During an interview on Newsmax Saturday, Trump insisted that hed never said anything about Milwaukee at all. They make up a story that I said something bad about Milwaukee, and I just ask you this, who would do that? Who would say something bad about a place that you want to win, you want to win over? Trump demanded. Trump: They lie and they make up a story that I said something bad about Milwaukee. And I just ask you this, who would do that? Who would say something bad about a place that you want to win? You want to win over? pic.twitter.com/vMiQCK9uAb Acyn (@Acyn) June 16, 2024 Too bad for Trump, not only had several of his lackeys already backed him up and into a corner, but he himself had already acknowledged the original comment. Hell get an unpleasant reminder of his words once he arrives in Milwaukee for his likely nomination for president. National Democrats have set up 10 billboards around the city plastered with his face and comment. Donald Trump has privately been fuming that GOP lawmakers arent doing enough (in his opinion) in his crusade for political vengeance following his conviction on 34 felony charges, amid his ongoing efforts to weaponize House Republicans. Trump has been urging his close allies within the Republican Party to take up their swords for the embattled former president, who has continued to insist that his conviction is somehow the doing of President Joe Biden, Rolling Stone reported Sunday. I need action, Trump told them, one source repeated to Rolling Stone. A second source recounted to Rolling Stone that the former president had delivered an angry, profanity-laced tirade, complaining that lawmakers werent doing enough to punish the Biden administration for his conviction. Since Trumps guilty verdict, leading Trump fanboy Representative Jim Jordan has begun his own side quest against New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who led the case over Trumps hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Jordan invited Bragg to speak before the Ohio Republicans subcommittee on the supposed weaponization of the federal government, but apparently even thats not enough for his beloved leader. [Trump] doesnt just want Congress to defund Alvin Bragg. He thinks there needs to be a wider net cast, the second source said. Speaker Mike Johnson also reportedly believes the House can have a role in overturning Trumps conviction. House Republicans have set out to devise new legislation that would allow any president or former president to move a trial from a state court to a federal court, which would allow Trump to pardon himself should he be found guilty and wind up in the White House anyway. Trump held several meetings with Republican lawmakers before the verdict even came out, pushing for any legislation to shield him from non-federal prosecutions. While Republicans can slow things down, any GOP-backed, revenge-fueled legislation would have absolutely no shot at passing the Senate. But thats never been the point for do-nothing Republicans, who simply wish to disrupt governance, rather than execute plans. Too bad for them, Trump wants them to actually do something this time. Former President Donald Trump has been holding a series of private meetings with senators, policy experts and other allies to prepare for his debate next week with President Joe Biden. The meetings, described by several of Trumps allies as informal policy discussions, began earlier this month, when the former president sat down with Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a top contender to become his running mate, at the former presidents Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida. The meeting, which centered on the economy, has been followed by similar sit-downs featuring a rotating cast of senators, experts and Republican strategists, according to the allies granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. In a break from convention, Trump is not expected to hold a mock debate to prepare for whats likely to be a blockbuster televised confrontation with Biden, according to one of the people. Instead, Trumps advisers have been arranging the sessions focused on individual topics they expect will likely come up at the debate. For instance, Trump had a recent session on immigration that included Tom Homan, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Trump administration. A session last week included former Trump White House official Stephen Miller. Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has also been involved in Trumps policy conversations. Trump also speaks regularly with Ric Grenell, who was Trumps acting director of national intelligence, about a range of foreign policy and national security issues. Questions about the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict are almost certain to play a major role in the debate. Last week, Trump met with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), another Republican on Trumps vice presidential shortlist, and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) at the Republican National Committee offices in Washington. That meeting with Rubio and the expectation that Trump will not have anyone play Biden in a mock debate were first reported by The New York Times. Some of the meetings are not policy-specific, cover a host of issues and give Trump the opportunity to pick the brains of experts and allies, the people familiar with the meetings said. His team has been squeezing in the sessions between Trumps regular campaign appearances, private meetings, and fundraising and political calls. He campaigned in Michigan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Trump will give a speech in Racine, Wisconsin. He will hold a fundraiser in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, before rallying supporters in Philadelphia on Saturday. President Trump takes on numerous tough interviews every single week and delivers lengthy rally speeches while standing, demonstrating elite stamina. He does not need to be programmed by staff or shot up with chemicals like Joe Biden does, Trump adviser Jason Miller said in a statement. Miller is among the top Trump strategists involved in his debate preparations, as he was in 2016 and 2020. The June 27 debate to be broadcast on CNN and moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash represents a pivotal moment in the campaign. It will be the first time Trump and Biden have gone head-to-head since the 2020 debates. Biden has not yet done a formal debate prep session, though he is slated to head to Camp David on Thursday night, where preparations are expected to begin in earnest. Ron Klain, Bidens longtime adviser and his first White House chief of staff, is involved in the preparations. CNN announced the ground rules for the 90-minute debate over the weekend. According to the network, there will be two commercial breaks, podium positions will be determined by coin flip and a candidates microphone will be muted when the other candidate is speaking. Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report. A megachurch pastor, whom Donald Trump once lauded as a spiritual adviser, has admitted to inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady, following new allegations that hed sexually abused a 12 year-old. Cindy Clemishire shared her account of sexual abuse by Robert Morris, who currently leads Gateway Church in Dallas, on Friday in the Wartburg Watch, a religious watchdog site. In the 1980s, Morris would occasionally stay with Clemishires family when he was a traveling evangelist. In 1982, Morris invited Clemishire to his room, where he allegedly sexually molested her, warning her never to tell anyone. According to Clemishire, the abuse escalated and continued from 1982 to 1987. Morris released a statement Saturday to the Christian Post responding to the claims. When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, said Morris. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area. Morris neglected to mention in his statement that Clemishire was 12 at the time the abuse started. He also does not mention apologizing to her directly. Gateway Church said that Morris underwent a two-year restoration process following a moral failure, in a statement to WFAA. Morris was able to return to Shady Grove Church in 1987, after being forgiven by the victims father, he said. I asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me, said Morris. Clemishire said that although her family forgave him, her father never supported his return to ministry. Morris did return, and in 2003, he founded the Gateway Church, one of the largest megachurches in the country. Gateway boasts a weekly attendance of 100,000 parishioners, according to the churchs website. In 2016, Donald Trump named Morris to his spiritual advisory board, a convenient prop in his ultimately successful efforts to secure the white Evangelical Christian vote. In 2020, Trump visited Gateway Church, which had since expanded into several campuses across the Dallas area, amid the Black Lives Matter protests in response to George Floyds murder. Clemishire told the Dallas Morning News that she was left unconvinced by Morriss statement. I dont think that its repentant when someone calls a 12-year-old a young lady and tries to just dismiss what happened as just some heavy petting, she said. I dont believe thats repentance. Theres no child on earth that any person should ever do that to. Its just unacceptable. Theres zero excuse. Donald Trump is unleashed. Following his historic felony conviction in New York for election interference, the former president has become even more dangerous. As the 2024 election approaches and he feels more pressure from the potential of time in prison for his crimes, Trumps violent and antisocial behavior will only escalate. In the last few days and weeks, Donald Trump has, again, threatened to have President Biden and other leading Democrats put in prison. Trump has also threatened them with execution for treason." During a recent interview with TV personality Dr. Phil, Trump plainly stated that he would have to seek revenge on President Biden and his other so-called enemies.Well, revenge does take time, I will say that.And sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil, I have to be honest. Sometimes it can. Trumps campaign speeches have become filled with even more menace what MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has astutely described as pornographically violent even by his standards. While it is easy to focus on Trumps unhinged behavior as he obsesses about his fear of sharks and the evils of electric trucks, the sinister nature of Trumps speeches and his dark charisma should not be ignored or otherwise overlooked or deemphasized. Trumps MAGA cultists treat his speeches and rallies like a type of religious service where they are worshipping their Dear Leader as a type of prophet and messiah-god-martyr. Trump is continuing to summon and channel Adolf Hitler and the Nazis as he uses eliminationist and other genocidal language to describe non-white migrants and refugees and the other people (Democrats, liberals, and the Left) he views as vermin and human pollution in American society. In a democracy, the news media is supposed to serve as watchdogs who hold the powerful accountable and educate the public so that they can make informed voting and other political decisions. Ideally, the news media should tell the public what is important, how to think about it, and then what to do about it. In a country such as the United States that is experiencing a democracy crisis, those responsibilities are heightened. In the Age of Trump, the American news media has mostly failed in those obligations and responsibilities. To that point, the mainstream news media has continued to mostly ignore Donald Trumps increasingly dangerous language, as seen in his fundraising emails and coordinated campaign propaganda, to radicalize his MAGA people and other followers into committing acts of violence if he is sentenced to prison for his many crimes and/or loses the 2024 election. Here are some of the most incendiary fundraising emails that Donald Trump has recently sent out to his MAGA followers: In this email, Trump is telling his MAGA people they are living under a Biden dictatorship and suffering under tyranny. This is of course a willful lie and act of projection. Donald Trump has promised to be a dictator on day one of his presidency if he wins the 2024 election. President Biden is a staunch defender of American democracy and its institutions. If one accepts the premise of Trumps claim the logical response is violence and war. BIDENS SOVIET TACTICS DONT SCARE ME! Id go to jail AGAIN AND AGAIN if thats what it took to Save America. Because this fight has always been bigger than me, Friend. Its about restoring power where it belongs - TO YOU THE PEOPLE - and ending the tyrannical Biden regimes reign of terror once and for all. So Im asking you to boldly and peacefully rebel against the Deep State radicals whove infiltrated our government by chipping in and declaring: I STAND WITH TRUMP! STAND WITH TRUMP Its no secret why the Marxists and Fascists in power are so desperate to purge our America First movement from existence. They know that Im this nation's last line of defense against the TOTAL DESTRUCTION. And theyll do ANYTHING, even burn our entire country to the ground, just to keep me out of office. STAND WITH TRUMP But mark my words, Friend. I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED, BULLIED, OR JAILED INTO SILENCE. As long as YOU are by my side, I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! Please join me and send these tyrants and villains a message theyll NEVER forget. In the following fundraising email, Trump is even more explicit as he uses language about MAGA being attacked with gunfire and other such lethal violence by President Biden, the Democrats, Woke, and the deep state and other supposed non-existent enemies as part of a witch hunt conspiracy to oppress him and his MAGA cultists and other real Americans (read White Americans). Again, the logical, legitimate, and moral solution to such existential threats is lethal violence and war. THEY OPENED FIRE ON MAGA! NOBODY is safe from the RADICAL LEFT WAR MACHINE. I warned you this would happen after my rigged conviction: #1 FIRST they weaponize the courts to TAKE ME DOWN. #2 NEXT they threaten me with LIFE IN JAIL because I refuse to stay SILENT. #3 And when theyre through with me, THEYRE COMING AFTER Friend! They've turned the beautiful country we built together into a WAR ZONE. But I know that with YOU by my side, NOTHING will stop us from Saving America. So before the end of the day, I'm calling on ONE MILLION FREEDOM-LOVING PATRIOTS to chip in and declare: END THE WITCH HUNT! > END THE WITCH HUNT The future of America rests in your hands! In this third example, Donald Trump threatens President Biden with a day of reckoning." Given Trumps previous public and private comments this means putting President Biden in prison and then executing him for treason." Trump also continues to trigger the death anxieties and other existential fears of his MAGA people, where again, the predictable (and obviously desired) outcome is violence. BIDEN'S DAY OF RECKONING IS COMING He tried to publicly torture and humiliate me ... BUT HE FAILED. He tried to raid my home and take me out with deadly force... BUT HE FAILED. He tried to bury me with so many witch hunts that I'd be forced to quit... BUT HE FAILED. STAND WITH TRUMP 34 RIGGED FELONY CONVICTIONS calls for an unprecedented response. And if our response to his tyrannical regime isn't MASSIVE, Biden will move onto his next target: YOU! So I've set a goal of raising $34 MILLION by the end of the day to make Biden regret EVER coming after us. Chip in today if you STAND WITH TRUMP! STAND WITH TRUMP As we speak right now, America has never been closer to COMPLETE TYRANNY. But please, Friend, do not give up hope. With your support, the REAL verdict will be handed down on November 5th, when we TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY AND EXPEL THE DEEP STATE RADICALS. So please, join my fight and let's send Crooked Joe a message he'll NEVER forget STAND WITH TRUMP Together, YOU AND I WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The reaction by the mainstream news media, pundits, and other such observers (especially the centrists) to Donald Trumps escalating threats and promises of violence will follow a predictable and tired routine. There will be claims that this is all overheated rhetoric," and that Trump is kidding because it is part of his performance. As author Masha Gessen warns, always believe the autocrat and authoritarian, they are not kidding. Moreover, there is little to no substantive evidence to suggest that Trump and his agents are just performing their threats of violence and revenge. In reality, this strategy of normalizing political violence serves the larger right-wing project to end Americas multiracial democracy (see Project 2025, Agenda 47, and the Red Caesar scenario). The most naive will continue to hide behind Americas institutions and national character and how the guardrails and the rule of law will supposedly not allow Trump to engage in the types of violence and authoritarian plans he has publicly outlined and promised against his enemies." The most absurd among such voices will react with Trump could not become a dictator in 2016, so why be afraid now? Such denials and deflections are foolish and the worst sort of toxic wish-casting and hope-peddling. At this point in the Age of Trump anyone with a public platform who says such things should not be taken seriously because they are functioning as useful idiots who are paving the way for the end of the countrys democracy and the ascent of Dictator Trump and his successors dictatorship(s). Some more sober and realistic voices will intervene that yes, Donald Trump is saying increasingly dangerous things, but his MAGA followers are greatly exaggerated in their willingness to fight and die for him and the neofascist cause. In many ways, this is self-soothing talk. A range of experts on political violence, national security, and democracy are continuing to warn that the threat of violence by Trumps MAGA people and other members of the right-wing is very serious and should not be underestimated. More critical voices will suggest that Trump is using the strategy known as stochastic terrorism, where through repetition and coded suggestions political violence takes place but the leaders and other agents can then hide behind a veneer or plausible deniability. That is imprecise. As seen with these fundraising emails and other communications, Donald Trump and his propagandists are now basically commanding, in a clear and direct fashion, the MAGA people and other foot soldiers to engage in acts of violence and terrorism. And there are basic legal questions here as well. Should someone convicted of a felony, like Donald Trump, be allowed to freely make such threats and incitements to violence including attacks on Judge Merchan and other members of law enforcement and the courts? I have been tracking Donald Trumps emails and other communications for more than eight years. In a recent essay, I observed that he has hit a new bottom with his horror politics strategy and its emphasis on serial killers, murder, and other graphic violence. I was incorrect. Following his felony conviction, Donald Trump and his propagandists will only get worse. We will look back at these months before the election and Donald Trumps sentencing in July (especially if he is put in prison) as being relatively good and normal times as compared to what is going to happen next. Trumps war on cities backfires: Attack on Milwaukee may be too far for MAGA Donald Trump went to Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with congressional Republicans. It was his first trip there since the January 6 insurrection. While there, he received plaudits from his now loyal supporters including some who used to be his severe critics. The former president also discussed his policy positions and shared reflections on a variety of subjects, including the likelihood that Taylor Swift will support him. And, according to the New York Times, Trump falsely claimed that former Speaker Nancy Pelosis daughter once told him that he and her mother might have been a good match. Some of those who heard Trumps remarks reported that he made disparaging remarks about the city of Milwaukee, where the Republican Party will have its National Convention in July. He allegedly called the largest city in Wisconsin, a battleground state Trump lost by fewer than 50,000 votes, a horrible place. His attack left Republicans from the Badger State in a tizzy trying to clean up Trumps mess, as ABC News reports: Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who represents western Wisconsin, said Trump was talking about the terrible or horrible crime rate in the city. He was directly referring to crime in Milwaukee, said Van Orden, who told The Associated Press he was sitting just feet from the former president. He said Republicans in the room concurred. Theyre like, yeah, crime is terrible. U.S. Rep, Scott Fitzgerald, also from Wisconsin, told WISN-TV in Milwaukee that Trump was referring to election integrity. Thats where the comment came from, that Milwaukees just terrible," Fitzgerald said. "What he was talking about was the elections in Milwaukee, their concerns about them. But Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, who represents southeast Wisconsin, disputed that Trump made the comment. I was in the room," Steil posted on X. "President Trump did not say this. There is no better place than Wisconsin in July. And Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who represents northern Wisconsin, said he never heard Trump call Milwaukee a horrible city. While his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said that Trumps comments about Milwaukee were falsely characterized, he acknowledged on X that Trump had indeed criticized the city over its terrible crime and voter fraud problems. This insistence that crime is terrible in Milwaukee fits in with the former presidents campaign strategy which emphasizes the crime problem and promises that if Trump is returned to the Oval Office, he will lead a tough on crime administration. Numerous commentators have noted the gap between the claims Trump is making about crime and the facts about Americas crime problem. But it is important to remember that what Trump is saying about crime and horrible places like Milwaukee is part and parcel of his broader effort to create a portrait of American cities as out of control bastions of woke values. He hopes to profit from a deep rural/urban split that characterizes American politics. This effort is key to his divide and conquer approach to the 2024 campaign. Responding to his comments about Milwaukee, Democratic Representative Gwen Moore, whose district includes most of that city, called out the former president for using her city in that way. Once he's settled in with his parole officer, Moore said, I am certain he will discover that Milwaukee is a wonderful, vibrant and welcoming city full of diverse neighborhoods and a thriving business community." Milwaukees mayor Cavalier Johnson joined Moore in responding to Trump. He described Milwaukee as a splendid city. And he got it right when he said Its very clear to me that Donald Trump just does not like cities. He does not like cities. And so, for us, for voters here in Milwaukee, I think the message is pretty clear. You heard it from the man himself. Before saying more about Trumps politically motivated war on urban America, lets look at what he says about the crime problem. As Professor Glenn C. Altschuler notes, At his campaign rallies, Donald Trump often declares that crime is rampant and out of control, like never before. He claims that the nations capital is a nightmare of murder and crime. People from Georgia go down to Washington now and they get shot. In New York City, you go right outside and people are being mugged and killed all day long. If elected president in 2024, Altschuler continues, Trump says he will close the border with Mexico, deport millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., send the National Guard to clean up crime-ridden cities and withhold federal government grants to municipalities that do not adopt tough law enforcement procedures. Trump has also tried to blame President Biden for what he portrays as Americas crime problem. In February he told the Conservative Political Action Conference that President Biden had presided over a spike in bloodshed, chaos, and violent crime. Last month he blamed the president for what he described as the plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of American communities. The facts do not support Trumps claims about crime in America. As NBC News explains, The crime picture Trump paints contrasts sharply with years of police and government data at both the local and national levels. FBI statistics released this year, as NBC News says, suggested a steep drop in crime across the country last year. It's a similar story across major cities, with violent crime down year over year in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. This is also true in Milwaukee where homicides have decreased 39% down to 23 from 38 this time in 2023. Property crime is down 11%. Auto thefts are down 10% down to 1,295 from 1,431 this time in 2023. Despite these facts, Trump knows he is playing to a receptive audience. Earlier this month a Pew poll found that Trump and Biden supporters have starkly different views of the crime problem and how to deal with it. They disagree on how much of a problem crime is in this country, with Trump supporters thinking it is a much more serious problem than Biden supporters. In addition, the former are much more likely to say that the system is not tough enough on criminals. National polls also show that More Americans also trust Trump over Biden on the handling of crime (41%-28%). Exaggerating the urban crime problem has long been part of Trumps political playbook. Doing so is a way of signaling his disdain for cities and the diverse ways of life that one finds there. As The Atlantics David Graham puts it, Trumps disdain for American cities is one of his most consistent personality traits.Pick a major city, and theres a good chance you can find him denigrating it. Graham highlights examples such as what Trump said in 2019: We cant let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing whats happening. That same year he called Baltimore a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. So, it should not be surprising that Milwaukee now finds itself in Trumps crosshairs. The former president knows that he is not going to win in places like Milwaukee, so it costs him little to call it horrible or to blow its crime problem out of proportion. He is channeling what Ohio State University Professor Steven Conn calls a long-standing anti-urban tradition in American life. A century ago, Conn says, Americans were not enthusiastic. about cities filling up with Catholics from Italy and Poland, Jews from Russia and Lithuania, and African-Americans from Mississippi and North Carolina. Many, he says, recoiled in horror at all this heterogeneity. Trump knows that many still do. To borrow from what former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin said in 2008 they believe that small towns are the real America, the hardworking, very patriotic,pro-America areas of this great nation. Trumps comments about Milwaukee are a reminder that he shares Palins view. That is why he has been and remains the candidate of rural America and why his idea of making America great again depends on pitting one part of the country against another. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Less than a week after being derided for using a deceptively edited clip of President Joe Biden to suggest that he wandered off during a G7 economic summit in Italy, right-wing pundits and media outletsincluding Rupert Murdochs New York Postpublished another round of stories featuring a similarly edited clip of the president, this time in an attempt to smear the 81-year-old for freezing up while on stage at a fundraiser. In a statement to The Daily Beast, the White House fumed at the so-called cheap fake, which it contends is a sign of failing journalistic ethics at a number of conservative publications. The practice of deceptively editing and circulating clips of political opponents is increasingly being used in recent weeks by Republican lawmakers and conservative publications, especially to highlight problems relating to Bidens age. Sundays video features Biden and former President Barack Obama on stage at the conclusion of a star-studded fundraiser in Hollywood, taking in the crowds cheers. The president and his predecessor had just sat through an interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for more than a half hour at Los Angeles Peacock Theater. After they wave to the applauding crowd for nearly a minute, Obama reaches out and gently touches Biden on the arm before they walk off stage together. LIES again. Heres the ending of the fundraiser yesterday. pic.twitter.com/jZWV7AiY4Q Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) June 16, 2024 As is often the case with recent cheap fake stories, the Republican National Committee first posted a misleading clip to its RNC Research account on X that cut most of the lead-up to the seemingly innocuous moment. The New York Post then used a similarly clipped video under the headline Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks LA fundraiser. The Daily Mail, Newsweek, Breitbart and a host of other conservative outlets also followed suit, prompting outrage from the likes of Piers Morgan and hundreds of others on social media. Biden freezes before Obama grabs his arm and leads him off stage. Yikes! pic.twitter.com/nCgAGitoQ6 RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2024 In a statement to The Daily Beast, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates suggested that the growing trend was indicative of these publications collapsing journalistic standards. Fresh off being fact checked by at least 6 mainstream outlets for lying about President Biden with cheap fakes, Rupert Murdochs sad little super pac, the New York Post, is back to disrespecting its readers & itself once again, Bates said. Their ethical standards could do with a little unfreezing. By pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong, all theyre really admittingonce againis they cant take on the leadership thats fueling the strongest economic growth in the world, bringing violent crime to a 50-year low, restoring manufacturing jobs from overseas, and strengthening our alliances. The New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast. Last week, the New York Post made its story on Biden wandering off at the G7 conference the cover of its print edition, under the headline MEANDER IN CHIEF. The only problem with its story? The photosand the accompanying video on its online storyleft out an alternate angle which showed that Biden was simply congratulating a skydiver who had just made a landing near a group of world leaders. Today's cover: Biden wanders away at G7 summit before being pulled back by Italian PM https://t.co/7x25op0b2E pic.twitter.com/onVysLvVqv New York Post (@nypost) June 14, 2024 Earlier this month, the same group of publications followed the same script to suggest that Biden had again frozen while on a dance floor at a Juneteenth celebrationwhile conveniently cutting the video to exclude the people standing right next to the president. Just a few days earlier, Trumpworld influencers used a 13-second video to suggest that Biden had pooped his pants at an event in France meant to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing. Many of the same right-wing outlets also covered the claims. But even some in Trumpworld cast doubt on the absurd accusation, with one Republican strategist telling The Daily Beast at the time: I dont know what Biden was doing. It looked weird, but was he shitting his pants? I dont know. The strategist, who requested to speak on the condition of anonymity, added: This is the influencer internet wars of spreading disinformation or semi, half-truths. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Greenville activists who were victims of racist death threats are pushing for hate crime legislation in South Carolina. Christopher Edwin Campbell, 41, of Anderson, targeted Traci Fant and the Rev. U.A. Thompson with a race-fueled rant on Facebook Live, threatening to cut, quarter, and corner them. "I was in shock. You never feel like somebody would mention your name like that. When I first saw the video, my thoughts were this guy is absolutely crazy," said Thompson, pastor of Bride of Christ Baptist Church. Fant, who leads Freedom Fighters of the Upstate, an organization involved in civil rights efforts, agreed and said if it were simple name-calling, it wouldve been brushed off but Campbell making death threats created a sense of danger. Its one thing to call us names but it's another thing to just wholeheartedly threaten our lives and mean it. He said it with so much hatred and vitriol, Fant said. Dr. U.A. Thompson Fant and Thompson said they'll use their platforms to get elected officials to support hate crime legislation. "We're going to push for it to be done and we're not going to give up the fight until it is done," Thompson said. "The fact is you should not discriminate against somebody for whatever reason, people have a right to be individuals." South Carolina and Wyoming are the only two states in the nation without a hate crime law. Several cities and municipalities in South Carolina, including Greenville, have hate crime ordinances. According to warrants out of Anderson County, Campbell also said in the May 31 video that Fant and Thompson needed their head chopped off in the guillotine. In other portions of the video, Campbell mentioned that he had the backing of an Anderson-based motorcycle gang, The Sons of Jericho that he said was affiliated with the Klu Klux Klan and the Proud Boys. Thompson and Fant alerted law enforcement and communicated with the Greenville and Anderson County Sheriffs Offices about the video. The agencies worked together to charge Campbell with two counts of unlawful communication. Anderson County Sheriffs deputies arrested Campbell on June 5. On June 6, he was granted a personal recognizance bond. Campbell will appear in Anderson County Summary Court on June 25 at 9 a.m. His bond requires him not to come in contact with Thompson or Fant. More: BMW Charity Pro-Am tees up to support nonprofits with the help of celebrities and golfers A need for state hate crime laws South Carolina and Wyoming are the only states in the country without a statewide hate crime law to enhance a crime when it's motivated by hate. The city of Greenville has hate crime laws, but if the crime is committed outside the city or in another county like Campbell's in Anderson, there is no applicable law. As with any other law, it becomes a deterrent to would be offenders and if they are facing a harsh enough tone, then they won't be so flippant and free to issue threats via social media, or texting or verbally, Thompson said. Greenville was the second city in the state to enact a hate crime law. Charleston was the first city to sign this law into legislation. Since then, Clemson, Chester, Bluffton, Mount Pleasant, Florence and Myrtle Beach have signed similar ordinances. North Charleston and Summerville signed hate crime laws earlier this year. State Rep. Wendell Jones said that legislation will not only help the state on a social level but also help it when competing to bring in jobs. This is a great opportunity for our state to send a message to every marginalized community and every protected group of people, that South Carolina absolutely believes in equality. It believes in protecting all of its people, said Jones, a Democrat who represents District 25. This is a message that needs to be sent to attract other companies into the state who are concerned about how their people will be treated if they relocate to South Carolina. More: SC Rep. Wendell Jones approaches life and leadership as a teacher and a student The House passed a hate crimes bill, but it died in the state Senate during the last legislative session. Jones said education and pressure on local officials will help pass the bill. We have a dark past in this state when it comes to civil rights and how we've treated certain groups of people. Passing this hate crime deal would be a wonderful opportunity to say that South Carolina is trying to move forward to reconcile with its past, but also lay the groundwork for an inclusive future, Jones said. Upstate law enforcement officers and community leaders and elected officials held an open meeting to talk about understanding each others points of view. The meeting was held at the Mt. Pleasant Community Center in Greenville on March 30, 2023. South Carolina House state Rep. Wendell Jones spoke at the meeting. A response to the video Fant and Thompson said that they havent been able to interact with the community the same since watching the video. Fant and Thompson said they now must be aware of their surroundings due to not knowing if Campbell or any other individuals he is associated with are in their presence. "My anxiety is out of the roof as you can imagine. I have to feel more guarded now when I'm in a community, Fant said. Thompson and Fant published a recording of the video to their individual social media accounts. The posts amassed thousands of views. Fant and Thompson said the idea of publishing the video came from not wanting someone else to receive death threats based on race and not having it lead to any legal repercussions. Thompson said he is concerned about videos like Campbells threatening their lives and people following Campbells commands. You don't know how many people espouse the idea that he's pushing and how many people were converted to that philosophy that he is heralding, Thompson said. When the two heard of organizations mentioned like the Proud Boys and KKK, they said that the state of the country wont improve and will only worsen if hate based on some race, gender, sexual orientation and religion continues. More: South Carolina primary predictions: Turnout and the races expected to draw voters It takes a permanent, mentally bankrupt individual to despise someone because of the color of their skin, Thompson said. Fant said that level of hate took them by surprise. She said she has spoken to Campbell in brief instances but never knew of the vitriol he had for them. I was just thinking, What did I do? I didn't do anything to him," Fant said. "I had in-passing seen him at different events and different things, but other than that, I had absolutely no idea this guy existed. I didn't know the hatred in his heart that he had for us. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Upstate activists vow to push SC hate crime law after racist threats Pushing federal legislation to make more land available for development has historically been a priority for the state's members of Congress from both parties. (Photo of Reno, Travel Nevada) Policy, politics and progressive commentary A federal bill that could have major implications for future development in Washoe County received its first hearing Wednesday, marking a critical step towards becoming law. The Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act commonly referred to as the Washoe County Lands Bill would allow 16,000 acres of public lands in Washoe County to be sold to local governments for development and conservation projects. The current version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Jacky Rosen earlier this year in January. About 80% of Nevadas land is federally owned. Pushing federal legislation to make more land available for development has historically been a priority for the states members of Congress from both parties. In March, Rosen and bill co-sponsor Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto urged the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to hold a legislative hearing as part of a push to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Both Rosen and Cortez Masto have characterized the bill as a solution for land use and affordable housing in the county. Under the bill, 3,467 acres of public land would be awarded to local governments in Washoe County for public use, including parks, water treatment facilities, a shooting range, schools, and roadway expansions. The University of Nevada, Reno would also be awarded one acre of public land for public use, including a campus expansion, according to the bill. Another 30 acres of public land would be reserved for affordable housing. Federal land managers will need to consider if any of the 16,000 acres of public land for sale is suitable for affordable housing before approving the sale. Hardworking Nevadans are being squeezed by the rising costs of housing, making it nearly impossible to afford a mortgage or rent. Thats why Im doing everything I can to increase affordable housing options and help lower costs by making more land available for housing development, Rosen said in a statement. The Washoe County Lands Bill is critical to increasing affordable housing in Washoe County and making more land available for economic development, while also permanently protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands and supporting Tribal communities. Im glad to see it get a hearing and move one step closer to becoming law. The bill would also set aside about 774,000 acres of public land as Wilderness and National Conservation Areas to prevent further development. Nearly 174,000 acres of public land will also be designated as withdrawal areas under the bill, meaning they will be open for recreation, but settlement, sale, or development of the land is prohibited. Earlier drafts of the bill attracted strong opposition from conservation groups, ranchers, Native American communities, and representatives of local governments, according to the Sierra Nevada Ally. However, several conservation groups and tribes have expressed support for the current version of the bill introduced by Rosen, including the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. If passed by Congress, the Washoe County Lands Bill would expand more than 21,000 acres of land held in trust for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Still, other conservation groups said the bill has not significantly changed, and would promote urban sprawl and negatively impact water resources. Kyle Roerink, the executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, opposed a 2020 draft of the bill, and said his organization also opposes the current bill as written. Clark County Lands Bill During Wednesdays hearing, the committee also heard testimony on the proposed Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (SNEDCA), commonly known as the Clark County Lands Bill, which was reintroduced by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto on June 4, 2024. The bill was first introduced by Cortez Masto in 2021, but was stalled after Clark County pulled its support, leaving the bill in limbo. A significant amount of work has gone into this legislation over the last few years, but especially this last year as we have worked to support both environmental protection and responsible development, said Tick Segerblom, Chair of the Clark County Commission in a statement, signaling the countys renewed support. The bill would designate 25,000 new acres of land in Southern Nevada for development. In exchange, nearly 2 million acres of land managed by the federal government would receive an official wilderness designation. The bill would also expand the popular Red Rock Canyon National Conservation and Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area by nearly 66,000 acres During the hearing, the bill was supported by the U.S. Department of the Interiors Bureau of Land Management. Washoe County and federal land managers would jointly identify parcels of land suitable for sale. Parcels considered suitable for sale will have to undergo a review by the BLM or the Forest Service before being sold. The BLM supports the goals of the two Nevada bills on the agenda, which would provide direction for future management of various federal lands in Washoe and Clark counties. Both bills have wilderness and other conservation designations that direct federal land to be taken into trust for the benefit of local tribes, said Karen Kelleher, the deputy director for state operations at the BLMBureau of Land Management. The Clark County Lands Bill has also received significant pushback from conservation groups. Environmentalists argue the legislation would significantly increase impacts from urban sprawl, climate change, water use, air pollution, and wildlife habitat for threatened species. Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said while the center supports the new conservation designations in the reintroduced legislation, he argued they dont offset the harms of creating a whole new city outside of the Las Vegas Valley. Selling off public lands for more Las Vegas sprawl will harm wildlife like our beloved desert tortoise, worsen climate change by increasing pollution, and further stress the already dwindling Colorado River, Donnelly said. Weve been pushing back against this bill for seven years and we remain steadfast in that opposition. While the Clark County Lands Bill has been sold as a solution to the housing crisis in Clark County, the Nevada Housing Coalition has warned that urban sprawl creates other problems, such as the lack of transportation infrastructure, and does little to create affordable housing. The bill does not designate any particular land for affordable housing, but does allow local governments to submit an application to use land for affordable housing purposes, which the federal land managers would prioritize over other pending land use applications. Olivia Tanager, the Sierra Clubs Toiyabe Chapter director in a statement argued that if the Clark County Lands Bill passed as currently written it would cause irreparable damage for communities in Southern Nevada. While we support the conservation measures in the bill, we recognize that urban sprawl, without stronger provisions for affordable housing and accessible transportation, would exacerbate existing problems surrounding housing costs, drought, and extreme heat, she continued. The post U.S. Senate committee hearing considers Clark, Washoe land bills appeared first on Nevada Current. The U.S. Supreme Court says: Machine guns for everyone! olice and rescue personnel gather at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Ave. after a mass shooting at a country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, which killed 58 people. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images It only took a gunman 11 minutes to spray more than 1,000 bullets into a crowd from 490 yards away at a Las Vegas country music festival on Oct. 1, 2017. That was all the time it took to carry out the deadliest single-gunman mass shooting in U.S. history, leaving 60 people dead and more than 800 injured. And the reason for such incomprehensible carnage was the bump stock attached to the shooters gun that results in the rate of fire produced by machine guns. The rampage became the rarest type of gun violence one that actually resulted in political action. As polling showed 80% of Americans supported banning bump stocks, the then-GOP-controlled Congress could have acted. But instead, then-President Donald Trump issued a ban after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that bump stocks do transform semiautomatic rifles into machine guns. Last week, many people were rightfully shocked when the U.S. Supreme Court issued yet another atrocious decision striking down the ban after it was challenged by a Texas gun shop owner. Life in 21st century America means requiring lockdown drills for kindergartners, scanning crowds for anything amiss at joyful events like parades and checking for exit routes in public places. The price of other people enjoying scant barriers to obtaining weapons of war is less freedom for the rest of us, though it's rarely framed that way. Susan J. Demas Who has ever used a bump stock for good? Heather Gooze, a survivor of the Las Vegas shooting, told the BBC. Theres no reason for a civilian to use a mass shooting machine. The tortured reasoning from Justice Clarence Thomas, while taking a break from jet-setting on his billionaire friends dime, was that bump stocks dont turn weapons into machine guns due to an absurd technicality, borrowing images from the rabidly pro-gun Firearms Policy Foundation. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor skewered the majority for legislating from the bench (a charge supposed rule-of-law conservatives have hurled at liberals for years) and concluded the decision eviscerat[ed] Congresss regulation of machineguns. President Joe Biden, whose administration defended the Trump-era ban in court, called on Congress send him legislation banning both bump stocks and assault weapons and vowed, I will sign it immediately. Americans should not have to live in fear of this mass devastation, Biden added. But interestingly, a Trump campaign spokesperson didnt criticize the court for overturning his measure. In fact, she declared that the ruling should be respected and stressed that Trump has been and always will be a fierce defender of Americans Second Amendment rights and he is proud to be endorsed by the NRA. That would seem to lend credence to the theory that Trump, whos usually in lockstep with the gun lobby, had fully expected this result from the far-right court. Taking executive action, instead of pressuring Congress to pass a bill, was essentially a setup. Recall that Trump didnt get any real blowback from Second Amendment groups. When he lumbered on stage at a National Rifle Association convention last year, the crowd rewarded him with minutes-long standing ovation. I promised I would save the Second Amendment, and were going to save it for a long time to come forever, as far as Im concerned, Trump announced. He went even further at the NRAs Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Penn., in February, proclaiming himself as the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House and rewriting history on his bump stock ban. During my four years nothing happened. And there was great pressure on me having to do with guns. We did nothing. We didnt yield, Trump insisted. The fact that the high court has essentially legalized machine guns will almost certainly have very real and chilling implications for us all. There have already been 216 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2024 or more than one per day. As bump stocks will once again be readily available, that terrifyingly increases the odds for even more carnage. Weve already known so much loss in Michigan and across the country. Just on Saturday evening, Oakland County was the home of another mass shooting, with police saying that nine people including 4- and 8-year-old siblings and their mother were shot at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills. Less than three years ago, a student open fired at Oxford High School, injuring eight people and killing four students: Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin. And on the night of Feb. 13, 2023, a gunman critically injured five students at Michigan State University and murdered three of their classmates: Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner. My daughter was a junior at the time. If she had left campus just a few minutes later that night, I shudder to think what could have happened. Although shes long since deleted that ominous text message from MSU to Run, Hide, Fight, neither of us will never forget what it looked like or the hours of terror afterward, waiting to hear back from friends that they were OK. The day after the shooting, students painted the Rock on campus all black, emblazoned with red lettering asking: How Many More? Life in 21st century America means requiring lockdown drills for kindergartners, scanning crowds for anything amiss at joyful events like parades and checking for exit routes in public places. The price of other people enjoying scant barriers to obtaining weapons of war is less freedom for the rest of us, though its rarely framed that way. And with each new ghoulish Supreme Court decision on guns, we know things will get even worse. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post The U.S. Supreme Court says: Machine guns for everyone! appeared first on Michigan Advance. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy wants social media platforms to include a parental advisory warning that using the sites could be harmful to the mental health of adolescents. Such a warning, he said, would remind parents and their children that social media has not been proved safe. Congress would have to sign on before a label could be required. But in an essay published in The New York Times on Monday, Americas top doctor wrote that the mental health crisis among young people is an emergency, and social media has emerged as an important contributor. He wrote that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of summer 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. Murthy likens the call for warning labels to the warnings of harm from smoking or the push for seat belts in vehicles that succeeded because of awareness campaigns. Those saved lives and this could, too, he suggests. Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? he wrote. These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability. In the essay, Murthy warned: There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks as he joins first lady Jill Biden and first lady of Utah Abby Cox during a visit to Hunter High School in West Valley City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A good first step One of the earliest experts to warn of social media risk to the mental well-being of teens and young adults was Jean Twenge, author of the books iGen and Generations. Monday, she heralded the surgeon generals call for labels, though she warned that more is needed. The surgeon general is right that its time to take action. Weve known for at least seven years that social media is a key cause of the adolescent mental health crisis. Dr. Murthys call for a warning label is the latest sign that the tide is turning. Parents and many teens are increasingly aware that its not healthy to spend nearly five hours a day on social media, which is now the average, according to Gallup, she told Deseret News. Still, many people are not aware that heavy social media users are twice as likely to be depressed as nonusers. The surgeon generals idea of a warning label, if adopted by Congress, will go a long way toward raising awareness. We still need to do more. Its still possible for 10-year-olds to open social media accounts without their parents knowing. But its a good step, she said. Last year I called on the government to treat Big Tech like Big Tobacco, Brad Wilcox, senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, told Deseret News on Monday. Therefore, its encouraging to see the new surgeon general taking a page out of the Big Tobacco playbook and challenging the nefarious hold that Big Tech has over our teenage children. Im looking forward to seeing both the federal government and states take more aggressive action to protect our children from the emotional and social negative effects of social media. Both Wilcox and Twenge are experts on social media use and the impact on youths. They also are Deseret News contributors. Warning label wont be enough Murthy acknowledges that a warning label wont make social media safe for teens. For that, he points to recommendations he made in an advisory last year. That, too, calls for congressional action, he wrote. Legislation from Congress should shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds. The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use. The surgeon general also wants companies to share with independent scientists and the public the results of their research on the health effects of social media on young people. And hes calling for independent safety audits, too. Two years ago, Murthy said youth mental health is a national emergency. At the time, it was also being exacerbated by the pandemics isolation, but experts including Murthy said social media also played a role. As Deseret News reported then, no mental health crisis is guaranteed to be a single event, as Dr. Samuel Goldstein, psychologist and adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah, as well as author of Tenacity in Children, said during the peak of the pandemic when adolescents were also struggling mightily with mental health and often relied heavily on social media to stay connected. Mental health issues like anxiety and depression tend to resurface. Once your body kindles that kind of an extreme response, under stress the body regresses to that again. So about 50% to 70% of teens who have a depressive episode before 18 will have another one before 18. And if you have two, then youre in the club. You may not always be in the building, but you have a membership card. Youre going to cycle in and out of depressive episodes, he said. Holding social media platforms accountable Of Mondays announcement, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said, Thank you, Dr. Murthy, for protecting our kids. We hope Congress will follow suit. During the past session of the Utah Legislature, lawmakers overhauled its previous efforts the nations first to hold social media platforms accountable when young people are harmed. The new versions, which take effect in October, are expected to hold up to legal challenges, Cox said in January, calling them still the strongest social media bills in the country right now. The bill said that social media companies must enable the strictest default privacy settings on Utah childrens social media accounts, verify the age of users and provide parents with supervisory tools on their minor childrens accounts. The companies would also have to restrict the ability of Utah minors to send or receive messages from accounts with whom they do not have a direct connection. A second bill created a private right of action for parents and gives social media companies an affirmative defense. Per the Deseret News article after the bills passed, The bill makes it so Utah children and their parents can bring a private right of action forward. The person bringing forward the action would need to demonstrate a child was harmed directly by excessive use of algorithmically curated social media. Social media companies would have a defense if they can show that they limited use of the algorithmically curated content on a childs account to three hours and a parent or guardian consented to the child account holder using the service, among other measures. The alterations were made after the state was sued by a consortium of social media companies under the name NetChoice. Boundaries to protect mental health Murthy and other experts, including Wilcox and Twenge, said that its vital to prevent mental health issues among adolescents when possible and to tackle them quickly when they do appear. Among recommendations from Murthy and others: Get cellphones out of classrooms. Parents should set boundaries on times children do and dont have access to social media. Parents should not give children smartphones before the kids are done with middle school. Health care providers should talk to parents and young people about digital use and its potential pitfalls. Parents should talk to young people about what theyre seeing and feeling as they are on social media. For example, research suggests that mindset matters, when it comes to social media and mental health. A study by Ohio State University experts found that messages on social media can help or hurt those who struggle with anxiety and depression. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Key was whether social media is approached with a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, meaning that mental health can get better with effort or treatment, as opposed to thinking that a mental health condition is set in stone. A mocked-up image showing how the new 'Frankenstein' tank will probably look - Rheinmetall A new Frankenstein air defence tank designed to shoot down Russian drones and missiles is to be supplied to Ukraine by a top German arms firm. Rheinmetall has announced it will mount its state-of-the-art Skyranger anti-aircraft system on Cold War-era Leopard 1 tank hulls, creating a new vehicle to bolster Ukraines defences. Weapons systems that are capable of dealing with short-range threats such as drone swarms and artillery fire are increasingly seen as crucial on the front line in Ukraine, in what has been called the first drone war. There are still many Leopard 1 main battle tanks on whose chassis we could mount the Skyranger turret with the 35 mm calibre automatic cannon, Bjorn Bernhard, head of land systems at Rheinmetall, told Bild, a German newspaper. Ukraines army has already received close to a hundred conventionally-configured Leopard 1 tanks. Ukrainian crews being trained to use Leopard 1 tanks in Germany - Sean Gallup/Getty But Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly called for more support in the form of air defences, in the face of continuous Russian drone attacks that have ravaged the countrys energy sector. Rheinmetall has only recently developed the Skyranger system, which boasts sophisticated sensors with 360-degree vision of the battlefield, capable of dealing with swarms of drones. Mr Bernhard made his comments at a top secret workshop recently opened by Rheinmetall in western Ukraine, where the company is repairing German-made tanks that have been damaged on the front. Back into action By repairing the vehicles in Ukraine, the company hopes to cut the time it takes to get tanks back into action. At first, only Marder armoured vehicles and the older version of the Leopard tank will be repaired at the factory. But the company has said that it wants to repair more modern Leopard 2 tanks inside Ukraine as well. We are planning for the long term in Ukraine, Mr Bernhard. Were not just supplying equipment and then withdrawing were showing that well be there permanently and supporting Ukraine. The arms manufacturers business has been booming since the start of the war in Ukraine. Last week it announced that it was hiring staff from the troubled car parts manufacturer Continental, which has slashed 7,000 jobs worldwide. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Volodymyr Zelenskiy is returning to Kyiv with 50 billion ($53.5 billion) in aid, fresh security guarantees from the US and commitments to help rebuild energy infrastructure for a country battered by more than two years of war. Most Read from Bloomberg But the Ukrainian presidents foray to a Swiss mountaintop, where he gathered more than 100 countries and organizations, fell short in his bid to broaden international support. India, Brazil and South Africa, which sent delegates, opted out of signing the summit document. China had made clear it would have no part in it. The failure to win over nations from the Global South shows that Russia remains far from isolated and that Ukraines best hopes of fending off the Kremlins assault is with Western assistance. Securing their backing essential to ambitions for a broad global alliance and the main thrust of Kyivs diplomatic agenda for almost two years may be moving beyond reach. The Ukrainian leader left his war-battered country this month and criss-crossed the globe in preparation for the meeting. He flew to Singapore to recruit Asian governments to his cause accusing China of undermining the effort with Moscow and made stops in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. A reconstruction conference in Berlin and the Group of Seven summit in Italy cemented support, especially from Western partners. The intense diplomatic shuttling culminated with the meeting at the Buergenstock resort in Lucerne and a nearly 500-word communique that had been narrowed to focus on three issues and to some extent was watered down to win maximum support. Even still, only 83 delegates signed on. One of the holdouts was Saudi Arabia. A last-minute visit by Zelenskiy to the kingdom last week, to court Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans support, had appeared to pay off when Riyadh sent Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. His Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, was seen strolling beside the Saudi top diplomat as delegates entered the Swiss meeting. There was speculation that an expected second summit would take place in Saudi Arabia. But on Sunday, no Saudi signature came and the second meeting went unmentioned in the communique text. During the first plenary session, the kingdoms top diplomat said that Kyiv must be prepared to make difficult compromise to put an end to the conflict. Putins Influence It was a warning that echoed similar views in the Global South. Indias delegate, Pavan Kapoor, a state secretary in the foreign ministry and former ambassador to Russia, said only options that are acceptable to both parties can lead to peace. Zelenskiy called the summit a great success and expressed confidence that some non-signatories would still sign after consultations with their governments. Camille Grand, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said much of the reticence of so-called BRICS nations can be attributed to Russian pressure, with promises of cheap energy, arms and useful votes at the United Nations. Theyve been good at marketing themselves as the heirs of the Soviet Union in their relationship with Latin America, Africa, Asia playing on the non-alignment ideology trope, Grand said. The soft support could add pressure on Zelenskiy to make concessions. Countries outside the West have made clear that no forum designed to create conditions for peace is workable without the participation of Russia. China and Brazil have put forward a plan for peace that involves the participation of both war parties. Outrageous Terms President Vladimir Putin added to anxiety a day before the summit with a fresh set of demands calling on Kyiv forces to withdraw from four Ukrainian regions partially occupied by his military as a condition for talks. Western leaders joined Kyiv in denouncing the ultimatum. No country would accept these outrageous terms, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Zelenskiy had racked up further commitments from Western allies, particular after the G-7 summit. US President Joe Biden hailed the new security pact and the $50 billion in aid as a clear signal to Putin that the US and allies are not backing down. Well be with Ukraine until they prevail in this war, Biden said said after meeting Zelenskiy at the summit in Italy. But the follow-up in Switzerland didnt garner the full focus of Ukraines allies, particularly with many leaders of allied nations facing turmoil at home. Biden skipped the Lucerne meeting, opting for a campaign fundraiser with Hollywood elite in Los Angeles, and sent Vice President Kamala Harris, who left after the first day. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also left early. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had offered Zelenskiy a warm greeting as she hosted the G-7 meeting, was absent for the first plenary session, only arriving early Sunday. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine hits 15 Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea over past 2 months, military says Ukrainian forces struck around 15 air defense systems in Russian-occupied Crimea over the past two months, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) reported on June 17. The Ukrainian military recently hit several S-300, S-350, and S-400 air defense systems, according to the statement. Ukraine also struck more than 15 radar stations and over 10 control centers stationed in Russian-occupied peninsula. The military sites were located in Crimean settlements Chornomorske, Tarkhankut, Yevpatoria, Saky, Donske, Belbek, Sevastopol, Alushta, Dzankoi, Mysove, and near Ai-Petri peak, according to the map published by Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications. Ukraine has carried out several successful attacks against Russian targets in occupied Crimea and its vicinity, heavily degrading the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Air defense losses apparently made Moscow nervous enough to move the latest S-500 systems to the peninsula, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said. Russian officials have not commented on the claim. Read also: Recent string of Crimea strikes can help dismantle Russian air defenses before F-16s arrive, expert says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In Ukraine, horrors of the deadly Russian siege linger in Chernihiv Yana Kachamova demands the release of Ukrainian soldiers of the Azov regiment from Russian captivity with a sign on the sidelines of a rally. (to dpa: The horror of the siege lingers in Chernihiv) Friedemann Kohler/dpa Two years ago, the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine was threatened with annihilation as Russian troops seemed set to reduce it to rubble as they did in Mariupol. Russian forces completely surrounded Chernihiv, a regional capital 200 kilometres north of Kiev, from the outset of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched on February 24, 2022, right up until April 2022. During that 40-day blockade, citizens were stuck in their city lacking electricity, heat and water. They had little to eat and were in constant fear of being bombed. Chernihiv is tranquil and green again and some of the damage has been repaired. But the horror runs deep and people fear those dread-filled days may return. "The Russian army is attacking near Kharkiv, and we're worried," says museum employee Alla Harkusha. The war is coming closer to the city again since Russia opened a new front near Kharkiv in the east, and the same could happen near Chernihiv in the Sumy region. The old church was defenceless against the bombs When the attack began, Harkusha and her colleagues had only a few hours to save the treasures in their museum. "We dismantled the artefacts and hid them. We couldn't get them out of the city," says the head of department at the Old Chernihiv Monument Complex. They watched in horror as the city's unique architectural heritage stood defenceless against the onslaught. It is home to many medieval Orthodox churches and monasteries, some 1,000 years old, perched on the high bank above the River Desna. "The bullets were flying back and forth above us," says Harkusha. The buildings show how important the city was in the great empire of Kiev Rus. The Chernihiv principality extended eastwards to the forests that would one day become the principality of Moscow. The old churches escaped destruction in 2022. "Most of the damage was insignificant," says Harkusha. There are traces of shrapnel on the outer wall of the Holy Trinity Monastery. Harkuscha says it is possible that the Russian troops showed consideration for cultural monuments at the beginning of the war. That changed later, she says, pointing to Odessa's main church, the Transfiguration Cathedral, shot up and reduced to rubble in 2023. The monuments of Chernihiv may have survived largely unscathed but the people fared worse. On March 3, 2022, Russian bombs hit residential buildings on Chernovol Street in the city centre, killing 47 people. Two weeks later, a bomb killed 16 people queuing for bread. Some 700 people lost their lives during the blockade, according to the mayor at the time, Vladyslav Atrozhenko. The population shrank from 285,000 to 95,000 - but all possible routes for escape were potentially deadly. A small bridge served as an exit By the end, the only way out of the city was a pedestrian bridge crossing the Desna. But even there, bullet holes show to this day how risky this route was. Viktor Jerko, current mayor Olexander Lomako and other volunteers distributed food in the encircled town. Jerko, an electrical engineer, has experience in conflicts, having supplied Ukrainian troops in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine since 2014. With permission from the police, he and his wife dragged warm clothes from a department store to soldiers working to create a defensive ring around Chernihiv. "We prepared ourselves for partisan fighting," says Jerko, father of two. He made Molotov cocktails with oil and petrol from a workshop. The Jerkos' dacha on the outskirts of the city remained intact. But nearby, the Ukrainian army blew up the bridge over the River Stryschen to stop the Russians. The destroyed dream of their own sushi restaurant The war shattered the family's dream of opening their own sushi restaurant, as the establishment they bought was hit. Tetiana Jerko now makes Japanese fish rolls at home in her kitchen, and sells them using delivery services. In the first nights of the war, Alla Harkuscha hid in her museum office with her grandson. "My generation had no direct experience of war," she says. Their days were filled with the search for water or food. "I had no eggs. If you wanted some, you had to queue for hours just to buy 10," she recalls. The dark, cold nights were the worst. "A fear creeps in that paralyses you." When the Russian troops stopped their advance towards Kiev and cleared the north of Ukraine, the relief in Chernihiv was palpable. Not that the city was spared serious attacks later on. In August 2023, a Russian Iskander missile killed seven people; in April this year, 18 civilians were killed by cruise missile strikes. Nevertheless, life is back to normal. Damage has been repaired, thanks also to support from abroad. A German agency is financing the construction of a new water pipeline. The road bridge over the Desna, which was destroyed in the air, has been replaced by a new one. The regional administration is putting pressure on the city to compensate people whose homes were destroyed more quickly. City digs new trenches But fearing further attack, Chernihiv dug new defence positions. Mayor Lomako says this was done in consultation with the army, fearing criticism for wasting taxpayers' money. "If it is necessary to defend the city, do we do it with this dirty letter, the report from the National Audit Office?" he says angrily. Jerko meanwhile is concerned about how the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated recently, amid a pause in arms deliveries from the United States and Europe, as well as domestic issues. "We are fighting for our independence. We need to unite, city, country, the leadership," he says. "Otherwise everything will be lost." Solidarity with the Mariupol defenders The city's thoughts are with Mariupol. His nephew Oleksiy served in the Azov regiment and was killed near Mariupol, he says. So Jerko often goes to rallies on Saturdays calling for the release of the Azov fighters, who were forced to surrender in May. Some 900 are still in Russian captivity. Come rain or shine, a few dozen people stand in the centre of Chernihiv carrying posters that say, "Freedom for Azov." Drivers pass, honking their horns in a show of solidarity. So far, their city has suffered less than Mariupol, which is under permanent Russian occupation. But they worry what the future may hold. Shrapnel marks on the outer wall of the Holy Trinity Monastery, which dates back to the 17th century. The churches of Chernihiv survived the siege by Russian troops in spring 2022 with almost no damage. The people of the city fared worse. Friedemann Kohler/dpa Viktor Jerko shows the destruction of the bridge over the River Stryschen. The road bridge was blown up by Ukrainian troops in February 2022 to stop the Russian advance. Friedemann Kohler/dpa The Stalker 5.0 sea drone can be used for reconnaissance and coastal patrols but also carrying supplies Ukraine has unveiled a new high-powered version of its naval sea drones that have been used to devastating effect against Russias Black Sea Fleet. The new version, named Stalker 5.0, features a 60-horsepower speedboat engine and can carry explosive payloads of up to 150 kilograms. Details of the unmanned vessel, which is five metres long and 1.2 metres wide, were first made public by Ukrainian officials at the Black Sea Security Forum. It can travel at speeds of up to 40 knots (46mph) and has an operational range of around 372 miles roughly enough to target the Kerch bridge between occupied Crimea and mainland Russia officials said. The drone is equipped with a Starlink satellite internet terminal that relays a live video feed back to its operator. In addition to an explosive kamikaze mode, the Stalker 5.0 can be used for reconnaissance and coastal patrols, and can also deliver food, water, military and medical supplies to hard-to-reach locations. Its logistical mode could play a particularly important role in helping Ukrainian marines hold the Krynky bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnipro River that has become increasingly hard to resupply using conventional boats. The fast-evolving maritime drones have become one of the main successes of the efforts by Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion. The Stalker 5.0 was first shown to the public at the Black Sea Security Forum The Stalker 5.0 can reach speeds of up to 46mph A combination of different unmanned vessels used by Ukraines SBU security services and its HUR military intelligence agency have forced the Russian navy to flee the Black Sea and allowed Ukraine to reopen a grain shipping corridor vital for the countrys economic survival. But an explosive attack by the SBU on the Kerch Bridge remains one of the standout attacks of the maritime campaign. When the SBU smashed its SeaBaby model into the crossing, it temporarily severed a key military supply route between Crimea and mainland Russia. Since that strike in July 2023, new iterations of the drones have seen versions fitted with mobile grad rocket launchers used to bombard Russian coastal targets. And in response, Russia has continued to build unconventional defences around the Kerch bridge, including floating booms and layers of netting that it hopes will prevent future Ukrainian drone strikes. 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. Ukraines Peace Summit is over what were its highs and lows? Ukraines peace summit wrapped up on June 16 at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland after two days of discussions on three major aspects of Ukraines 10-point peace plan: nuclear safety, food security, and prisoner swaps. Just over 90 countries, a handful of organizations, and one observer took part in the summit Ukraine was hoping would garner further diplomatic support for its peace plan that could lay the foundation for a future peace process with Russia. At the end of the summit, a joint communique was published, stating that Ukraines territorial integrity has to form the basis of any peace agreement. The final communique also called for nuclear safety to be established at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and for Russia to refrain from nuclear threats. It also called for the end to attacks on Ukraines ports to allow for exports, and the complete exchange of civilians and prisoners. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) is welcomed by Switzerland's Ambassador to Ukraine Felix Baumann (L) and Deputy Head of Swiss Protocol Manuel Irman (R) as he arrives at the Zurich airport on June 14, 2024, ahead of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. (Michael Buholzer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Despite the turnout and support for the communique, many wondered if a peace summit without Russia would have any tangible outcomes. To others, like Elena Davlikanova of the Center for European Policy Analysis, this event marks a defeat for Russia on the diplomatic front, as it comes on the heels of the U.S. allowing Ukraine to use some weapons to strike in Russia, the Group of Seven decision to loan Ukraine $50 billion, and a fresh round of sanctions. What did the summit achieve and what areas left room to be desired? The Kyiv Independent has put together a list of the highs and lows of the last two days. The highs More than 90 countries participated. The peace summit included delegations from 92 countries, as well as eight organizations and an observer country. Delegations from every continent were present. While less than the 160 Ukraine invited, its still a broad showing of support for Kyiv. After China refused an invitation largely on the grounds Russia wouldnt be attending, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Beijing of working hard to prevent other countries from joining. The public spats led to fears the roll call at the summit would be shorter than hoped. Saudi Arabia initially signaled it wouldnt be showing up to the peace summit, also over Russias absence, but in the end, sent its Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud. Ukraine detractor Hungary also hinted it wasnt sure it would go, but it too showed up in the end. It also signed the final communique, as did Russia-friendly Serbia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and heads of states and country representatives pose for a family photograph during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, at the luxury Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne, on June 15, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) No alternative peace proposals were discussed. No other proposals were discussed at the summit besides Ukraines 10-point peace plan, three parts of which formed the basis for the weekends discussions at Burgenstock. China was reportedly quietly lobbying for its own alternative peace plan in the days leading up to the summit, according to Reuters, which spoke with 10 unnamed diplomats. Turkey was also reported to have its own version of a plan to end the war. At the summit, however, no alternative peace plans were discussed, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters. And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during the summit, that Group of Seven leaders did not entertain Russian President Vladimir Putins peace proposals. Speaking on the eve of the peace summit, Putin presented his own ideas to end the war that included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts territories Russia partly occupies and Kyiv must abandon any ambition to join NATO. The joint communique called Russias war a war and reflects Ukraines position. "The ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine continues to cause large-scale human suffering and destruction, and to create risks and crises with global repercussions for the world, the communique reads. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Moscow has referred to its war the largest in Europe in decades as a special military operation. Kuleba also said that Ukraines positions were taken into consideration in the final communique. "The text is balanced, all of our principled positions on which Ukraine had insisted have been considered, he said. Shortly before the summit, the Ukrainian media outlet European Pravda reported that a draft communique it saw included language that could have allowed alternative peace plans, even Russias, to be included in a final peace deal. That version was scrapped and the wording taken out of the summits communique draft, European Pravda reported on June 13. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L), Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Chile's President Gabriel Boric and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau address the closing press conference of the Global Peace Summit at the luxury Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (Michael Boholzer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 78 countries signed the joint communique. Seventy-eight countries, including Ukraine, and four European institutions signed the final joint communique of the Switzerland peace summit on June 16. Among those 78, all 27 European member states signed on. The organizations that signed the document are the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council. One celebration-worthy endorsement of the communique is Turkey, which maintained relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the war and sought to act as a mediator between the two. Switzerlands President Viola Amherd commented on the number of signatories, saying that the fact a great majority of participants agreed to the communique, shows what diplomacy can achieve. The lows The communique wasnt unanimously supported, however. The countries notably absent from the list of signatories to the communique include India, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. Brazil, present as an observer in the list of 92 confirmed participant countries shared by the Swiss Foreign Ministry on June 14, did not sign the communique either. Of note, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates are all part of the BRICS economic group, through which they have strong trading ties with Russia. Referring to those who didnt endorse the communique, Zelensky said Unfortunately there are people who are still balancing amid what he called Russias attempts to divide the world, but added the communique is open for accession by everyone who respects the UN charter. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the closing press conference during the Global Peace Summit on Peace in Lucerne, Switzerland on June 16, 2024. (Sedat Suna/Getty Images) China didnt come. Although Chinas absence was expected and confirmed in the weeks leading up to the summit, it announced it wouldnt be attending as its requirements werent met, namely that Russia wasnt going to be a part of the summit. Ukraine was still holding out hope it would, and Zelensky earlier in May urged China to join with the idea it could sway other countries, particularly in the so-called Global South. Beijings snub was also interpreted as move that signaled it was siding with Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden skipped the summit. The U.S. president chose an important campaign fundraising event with Hollywood stars, including George Clooney and Julia Roberts, over the peace summit. Biden, did, however, meet with Zelensky at the G7 summit that happened the same week. This was a letdown for Zelensky, who said before the summit at a press conference in Brussels that he believed that the peace summit needs President Biden, and other leaders need President Biden because they will look at the U.S.s reaction. Zelensky also said Biden skipping the conference would only be met by an applause by Putin a personal, standing applause. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing that even if the U.S. President wasnt going, no other leader has done as much and continues to do as much as President Biden does to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression. Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan represented the U.S. during the summit. Although not Kyivs first pick, Harris reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine at the summit and announced $1.5 billion in new U.S. assistance, including for energy infrastructure. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (C/L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C/R) take part in talks with their respective delegations during the Global Peace Summit at the luxury Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne in central Switzerland, on June 15, 2024. (Dimitar Dilkoff /AFP via Getty Images) Support for Ukraine is still lop-sided. While Ukraine had hoped to garner support among countries of the so-called Global South with their attendance at the summit, none of the Group of 20 countries that are outside of Europe endorsed the communique. Those countries include India, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. This shows that support for Ukraine and Russias war is still largely split between the West and the rest of the world. Whats next? Zelenskys administration said that participants from the summit had agreed to continue working on the three points discussed in Switzerland in special groups. We agreed to start to work in special after-summit groups on specific ideas, proposals, and developments that can restore security in various aspects, he said. Presidential Office Deputy Ihor Zhovka said on Facebook after the summit that France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Norway, Poland, Canada, Qatar, Chile, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the U.K. have all signaled their readiness to participate in the working groups. The president said that once action plans for peace were prepared among the groups, conversations about the second summit would begin. There were hopes the next summits location would be announced at the end of this conference in Burgenstock, but its yet unclear when and where that will take place. Saudi Arabia is rumored to be the next host. Its also unknown if Russia will be invited to the next summit. The only hint about when came from Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis who said a follow-up summit could happen before the U.S. elections in November. This could prove key, as support for Ukraines peace proposal may hinge on the outcome of those elections. Presumptive Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump again took shots at Ukraine aid at a campaign event on June 15. Continued and future support is also dependent on the battlefield situation. Russia recently opened a new front in Kharkiv Oblast and has made gains in Donetsk Oblast. Zelensky sought to reassure the summit, saying The situation is better, it has stabilized and I believe that in the near future, thanks to our partners our warriors will be strengthened. Read also: Time will play in Ukraines favor once F-16s and more Western aid arrive, Syrskyi says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Western experts believe that if Ukraine wins the war with Russia, it will happen in temporarily occupied Crimea. Currently, the Ukrainian defence forces are successfully attacking Russian weapons on the peninsula and the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge to disrupt the logistics of the Russians. Source: Business Insider Details: Frederik Mertens, an analyst at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, believes that by targeting the peninsula, especially Russian ground-based air defence systems, Ukraine is "preparing the ground" for future air attacks after the arrival of F-16 fighters. Quote from Mertens: "Crimea is vulnerable. The Russians have relatively limited manoeuvre space on the peninsula. Putin has a lot to lose both politically and militarily. So, if a limited number of fighters can have a real impact, it is here and above the Black Sea that becomes fully accessible once the GBAD [ground-based air defence] on Crimea is dealt with." Details: Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraines Defence Intelligence Chief, reported that Russia had relocated its most modern S-500 air defence system to the peninsula. At the same time, Maria Snegovaya, a senior researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, said that "Russia cannot afford to lose Crimea" because it will allow Ukraine to use "the threat of the status of Crimea as a bargaining chip in future negotiations". Elina Beketova, a democracy expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis, is convinced that if Ukraine can regain control of the Black Sea and reclaim the peninsula or put enough pressure on these territories to threaten Putin, "it will mark the end of the war". Business Insider recalls that at the beginning of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that the battle for Crimea and the Black Sea would play a central role in the coming months. Olga Khvostunova, a researcher in the Eurasian program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, is convinced that Russia's defeat in Crimea would be "not just a defeat, but a humiliation". Journalists recalled that over the past few weeks, Ukraine has carried out a number of successful attacks on the region, destroying several Russian air defence batteries and striking the Belbek airbase near Sevastopol. Elina Beketova believes the Ukrainian attacks on the peninsula "are proving successful due to thorough preparation and systemic work, better opportunities for defence forces, satellite and aerial intelligence provided to Ukraine by NATO allies". At the same time, Business Insider notes that Ukraine, which lost its traditional navy during the annexation of Crimea, is attacking the Russian Black Sea fleet with great success using naval drones. These attacks allowed Ukraine to resume grain supplies across the Black Sea, which is crucial to its economy and forced the Russian Black Sea fleet to hide its ships away from Sevastopol in Crimea. Business Insider also writes that the destruction of the illegal Crimean Bridge, which connects mainland Russia with the eastern coast of Crimea, would be "both a strategic and symbolic victory for Ukraine and a major blow to Putin". Quote: "Ukraine has already struck the bridge twice since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, but it has thusfar failed to destroy it. Earlier this year, officials from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence told the Guardian that Ukraine would target the bridge for a third time before the year was up. Its destruction is 'inevitable', they said. There are already signs that Russia, too, fears Ukraine may make another attack on the bridge," writes Business Insider. Last week, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia had installed eight barges on the south side of the bridge to reduce "approach angles for Ukrainian unmanned vehicles". In addition, Russia has begun to take measures to reduce its dependence on the Crimean Bridge; in particular, Russians are building a railway from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia to Crimea. Background: Earlier, the Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukrainian forces have been making efforts to weaken Russian air defence systems. If successful, this could allow Ukraine to more effectively utilise manned aircraft in the long term. Support UP or become our patron! Insights from Foreign Affairs and Responsible Statecraft The News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared last weekends inaugural peace summit in Switzerland a success, but several key global powers, including China, India, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, did not sign the agreement reached by a majority of participants that Russias war in Ukraine must end with a just and lasting peace that upholds Kyivs territorial integrity. China refused to attend altogether, citing Moscows exclusion from the talks. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. China may be trying to commandeer negotiations Sources: Reuters, Foreign Affairs Ukraine heralded Chinas involvement in international talks to end the war last year as a significant breakthrough but Beijings refusal to attend this months peace summit shows it has adopted an ambitious-but-risky strategy of sabotaging Western-led peace proposals in a bid to eventually use its leverage over Moscow and take charge of peace negotiations, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center argued in Foreign Affairs. Putins recent comments about Chinas diplomatic sincerity suggest he may have struck a deal with Xi Jinping to come to the negotiating table if called on by Beijing in exchange for its absence from the Swiss summit, but its unlikely that Chinas efforts to spearhead the wars end will materialize. Peace may not be any closer with or without Chinas involvement Source: Responsible Statecraft Swiss organizers described the summit as a conference for peace, not a peace conference. But the event was neither really a summit, nor really about peace, policy analyst Anatol Lieven argued in Responsible Statecraft: Chinas non-attendance reflects a recognition that Kyivs terms for peace are completely non-viable even as initial negotiating positions. Ukraine is unlikely to recover significant portions of the land it has lost to Russia, Lieven wrote, and much of the Global South believes that the US support for Israel in the face of Gazas humanitarian crisis means it has forfeited any credibility to take a stance against Russia. Key developments on June 17: Ukrainian drones attack metallurgical plant, other facilities in 3 Russian regions, source says Ukraine hits 15 Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea over past 2 months, military says Time will play in Ukraine's favor once F-16s and more Western aid arrive, Syrskyi says Azov reports advances in Serebryansky forest At least 12,000 civilians confirmed to have been killed since beginning of full-scale war, Prosecutor General says Ukrainian "kamikaze" drones attacked a metallurgical plant and other facilities used for military purposes in Russia's Belgorod, Voronezh, and Lipetsk oblasts overnight on June 17, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) source told the Kyiv Independent. The confirmation came after Russian governors reported drone attacks on three regions, claiming there were no damage or casualties. One of the targets was the Novolipetsk metallurgical plant and a local tractor plant in Lipetsk Oblast, according to the source. "Both enterprises are used by the aggressor for military purposes. In the area of these facilities, local residents heard the sounds of explosions and air defense systems," the source said. Information about the consequences of the attack is being clarified, the source added. Igor Artamonov, Lipetsk Oblast governor, claimed that debris fell after two drones were intercepted over Lipetsk industrial area. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. At least 70 drones attacked the Morozovsk airfield, located in Russia's Rostov Oblast, overnight on June 14, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Head Kyrylo Budanov said. Budanov said that he was "waiting for information" about the extent of the damage caused at the airfield, which satellite imagery has confirmed hosts Su-34 fighter jets. Read also: Opinion: Ukraine is racing to ramp up domestic defense production Ukraine hits 15 Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea over past 2 months, military says Ukrainian forces struck around 15 air defense systems in Russian-occupied Crimea over the past two months, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) reported on June 17. The Ukrainian military recently hit several S-300, S-350, and S-400 air defense systems, according to the statement. Ukraine also struck more than 15 radar stations and over 10 control centers stationed in Russian-occupied peninsula. The military sites were located in Crimean settlements Chornomorske, Tarkhankut, Yevpatoria, Saky, Donske, Belbek, Sevastopol, Alushta, Dzankoi, Mysove, and near Ai-Petri peak, according to the map published by Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications. Ukraine has carried out several successful attacks against Russian targets in occupied Crimea and its vicinity, heavily degrading the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Air defense losses apparently made Moscow nervous enough to move the latest S-500 systems to the peninsula, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said. Russian officials have not commented on the claim. Read also: Russias Su-57 hype vs. reality Time will play in Ukraine's favor once F-16s and more Western aid arrive, Syrskyi says With the gradual arrival of foreign military aid, including the first batch of F-16 fighter jets, time will favor Ukraine, while Russia's chances of success on the battlefield will decrease, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 17. Ukraine is expected to receive the first F-16 jets in the summer, while the U.S. Congress unblocked the flow of the much-needed American military assistance. Knowing that Ukraine will receive more Western equipment to strengthen its air defense capabilities, the Russian military command is now "making every effort to increase the intensity and expand the fighting geographically," according to Syrskyi. Russian troops are pushing on the Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Kupiansk, and Vremivka sectors in the east, trying to break through Ukraine's defenses and capture key areas or settlements crucial for the Ukrainian military's defense, the general said. These efforts aim to "maximize the exhaustion of our troops, disrupt the training of reserves, and prevent the transition to active offensive actions," Syrskyi said. Russia continues to focus on the Pokrovsk sector, concentrating most of its brigades and regiments there, he added. Heavy fighting continues near Hlyboke, Chasiv Yar, and Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast, Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the village of Krynky in Kherson Oblast, and in the islands in the coastal area of the left bank of the Dnipro River, Syrskyi said. Ukraine's military reported on a number of attacks on occupied Crimea in recent days. This may help degrade Russian air defenses in the area before the arrival of the F-16s and decrease the threat to Ukrainian tactical aviation, said Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), in a comment for the Kyiv Independent on June 12. Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure? Azov reports advances in Serebryansky forest Ukraine's Azov Brigade has pushed Russian troops from positions in the Serebryansky forest in Luhansk Oblast, advancing around a kilometer in total, the unit reported on June 16. Russian forces have spent much of the full-scale war trying to seize control of the Serebryansky forest, viewed as the gateway to the city of Lyman, an important but destroyed train hub. Ukraine liberated Lyman one day after Russia said it is annexing it with four Ukrainian regions on Sept 30, 2022. In a Telegram post on June 16, Azov announced that together with the 1st Operational Brigade "Bureviy" of the National Guard of Ukraine, troops had advanced 1 kilometer, adding the gains were across a 2 kilometer front. In a comment to the Kyiv Independent on June 17, the brigade said further results of the operation, which began on April 21, could not be reported at this time to protect the "safety and success of operations." The reports come a few days after Azov deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, complained in a post on Facebook that earlier media reports of Russian troops leaving their positions in Serebryansky forest failed to credit Azov with forcing them out. Appealing to journalists to "write honestly," Palamar suggested they were deliberately not naming the brigade despite them "knocking out (Russian troops) every day, every hour for months." At least 12,000 civilians confirmed to have been killed, Prosecutor General says At least 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been confirmed as being killed since the beginning of the full-scale war, the President's Office reported on June 17, citing Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin. Russia's war of aggression has taken a staggering toll on Ukraine's civilian population. The U.N. said in April that it had recorded almost 11,000 civilians killed and over 20,500 injured. The actual number is likely higher, as Russia prevents independent monitoring in the occupied areas that suffered the heaviest destruction, like Mariupol. The number of civilian deaths in the almost three-month-long siege of Mariupol alone could have exceeded 25,000, Ukrainian officials said in November 2022. An investigation by the Associated Press in December of the same year found that the true figure could be up to three times higher. Speaking at the global peace summit in Switzerland, Kostin emphasized that the figure of at least 12,000 represented only the confirmed deaths. He added that law enforcement officials have documented almost 130,000 cases of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers, including more than 300 episodes of sexual violence. Earlier in June, Kostin said that over 800 Ukrainian children have been killed since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine This Week: Su-57s, foreign mercenaries, and an internet rumor The Kyiv Independents Anna Belokur explains the top stories from Ukraine this week, from drone strikes on Russian airfields to a disinformation campaign circulating amongst far-right figures. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) is considering any military targets on Russian territory within a radius of 800 km for attack by Magura surface UAVs. Source: Yevhenii Yerin, DIU representative, on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "This is a multifunctional drone, and in theory it can be used on any water surface... At a range of 800 km, we consider any possibilities and any military targets of the enemy to be hit by our drones." Details: Defence Intelligence's Magura's for DIU fundraising campaign for similar drones is ongoing. The stated goal is UAH 10 million (USD 246,000). As the intelligence officers noted, everyone can contribute to making the drone's effectiveness even more impressive. Overall, the Magura V5 drones have already destroyed more than USD 200 million worth of Russian vessels, and the estimated damage caused to the Russian state is more than half a billion dollars. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's new drone boats are armed with heat-seeking missiles to scare off Russian aircraft, commander says Ukraine has modified its naval drones to carry R-73 heat-seeking missiles. It's the latest innovation for the country's formidable fleet of uncrewed systems. The upgraded naval drones will be able to target Russian aircraft patrolling the Black Sea. Ukraine has armed its naval drones with heat-seeking missiles, giving the systems a major upgrade that will allow them to target Russian aircraft patrolling around the Black Sea. An unspecified number of Magura V5 naval drones have been modified to carry R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles, the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence, an arm of the country's defense ministry, confirmed on Monday, marking another noteworthy innovation for Kyiv's fleet of uncrewed systems. These innovative drones were first spotted in early May and have already been used during combat operations in the Black Sea, the HUR said in a statement shared to the Telegram messaging app, adding that the systems have become "a serious factor of fear and risk" for Russian aircraft. "Such developments are effective Russians are very afraid of them," the commander of "Group 13," a special HUR unit dedicated to operating the naval drones, said in a recent interview. A Ukrainian Magura V5 drone is seen on water during an exhibition of military equipment and weapons at an undisclosed location on April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko "When they see them, they are afraid to even fly up. And the uniqueness is that no one has such a thing," the commander said in the interview, which the HUR shared to Telegram. "This weaponry has already been installed, and it will produce results." The R-73, known by NATO as the AA-11 Archer, is a Soviet-era missile that has infrared homing technology and is typically carried by Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets. Outfitting a naval drone with such weaponry is an unusual development, as the speedboat-like systems have historically been rigged with explosives and used to go after Russia's Black Sea Fleet, but the addition is likely to make these combat systems more dynamic during a mission. Moscow, largely unable to stop Ukraine's unrelenting naval drone attacks, has turned to combat aircraft to patrol the waters and protect its warships. Now, the naval drones can use their R-73 missiles to defend themselves from Russian aerial attacks and provide cover for other uncrewed systems, thus reducing their vulnerability to the threats from above. A Ukrainian service member operates next to a Magura V5 drone during an exhibition of military equipment and weapons at an undisclosed location on April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko The R-73 missile upgrade represents another innovation for Ukraine's formidable naval drone program, which has given Kyiv a way to take on the Black Sea Fleet even though it doesn't have a proper navy of its own. Ukraine has also outfitted its Sea Baby drones another type of homemade uncrewed system with Grad rockets to hit targets on land. "Naval drones, primarily the Magura V5, have become such an asymmetric response that the enemy still cannot catch up to," Andrii Yusov, a representative of the HUR, told private Ukrainian television channel ICTV. Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine has sunk, destroyed, or damaged at least 24 Russian vessels in the Black Sea. Kyiv has relied on its fleet of naval drones, as well as long-range missiles, to inflict these losses. Drone warfare has been one of the defining elements of the war in Ukraine. Beyond Kyiv's uncrewed success in the Black Sea, unmanned systems have been used in both surveillance and attack roles in the air and on the ground. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine's energy supplier: Ukrainians may have electricity for 6-7 hours per day in winter Ukrainians may have electricity for 6-7 hours per day in the upcoming winter if the electricity deficit remains at 35%, Serhiy Kovalenko, the CEO of energy supplier Yasno (DTEK), said on June 17 on national television. In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid. As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling blackouts on May 15. Ukrainians will face lengthy, daily interruptions in electricity until the end of July due to scheduled repairs at nuclear power plants, according to Ukrenergo. Kovalenko said that it is difficult to predict the situation in winter as it is unclear what power generation capacity will be available before the beginning of the heating season. There will be an electricity deficit in winter anyway, he added. "We know that the winter peak (of power usage) is quite high. If generation and import capacities remain at the same level, the deficit will reach 35%," Kovalenko said. Kovalenko said this must be discussed in August to evaluate the amount of Ukraine's power import and how much domestic energy capacity could be restored. The CEO of Yasno, a subsidiary of DTEK, called on residential customers and businesses to prepare for a "significant" electricity shortage. Kovalenko advised switching to using various batteries, generators, solar panels, and inverters, among other options. In a "worst-case" scenario in which Ukraine is unable to repair damaged energy facilities and prevent future attacks, Ukrainians could experience up to 20 hours of blackouts a day, Dmytro Sakharuk, executive director of Ukraine's largest privately-owned energy company DTEK, told the Kyiv Independent in an interview on June 9. Speaking at the Ukraine recovery conference on June 11, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian missile and drone attacks have destroyed 9 gigawatts (GW) of Ukraine's total energy capacity. Read also: Energy security and EU accession: What this years Ukraine recovery conference is all about (INTERVIEW) Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Nothing can be ruled out if Russia finds itself on the verge "of a catastrophic defeat," including the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Moscow, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the National Security and Defense Council secretary, said in an interview with The Times published on June 16. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without using its nuclear arsenal. Lytvynenko was asked if there were any circumstances under which Putin could turn to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. "We can't rule out anything, if Russia is on the verge of a catastrophic defeat," he answered, adding that such a defeat could trigger the collapse of Russian front lines, army desertions, and protests in Moscow. At the same time, the official said that Russia's defeat on the battlefield would not automatically lead to the use of nuclear weapons, as Putin could try to convince his people that the ongoing course of events is "a victory." The official said that there is no possibility that Putin will deploy nuclear weapons as long as Russia has the upper hand in the full-scale war against Ukraine. "He wants to live," Lytvynenko added. Russia launched a new campaign in Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, but it has effectively bogged down in just about two weeks, with Ukrainian forces counterattacking near the border town of Vovchansk. The most difficult battlefield situation is reportedly in Donetsk Oblast as Russia is pushing in multiple directions, Ukraine's General Staff said in its June 16 update. The Group of Seven (G7) issued a statement regarding "Russia's irresponsible and threatening nuclear rhetoric" on June 14 as the two-day G7 summit in Italy drew to a close, warning Moscow against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. As Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling continues, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 16 that the alliance's members are in discussions to deploy more nuclear weapons on standby. Read also: Telegraph: NATO in talks to put more nuclear weapons on standby, Stoltenberg says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The fighters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have destroyed 1,006 Russian tanks since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Source: press office of the SSU Details: Reportedly, the largest number of Russian armoured vehicles was destroyed during fierce battles in Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Using heavy armour, the Russians often attempted to break through Ukrainian defenders' positions and provide cover for Russian assault groups. In addition, the Russians regularly deployed tank units to attack fortified areas of the defence forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. To effectively engage Russian armoured vehicles, the SSU conducted successful operational and combat missions jointly with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is stated that the maximum arsenal of anti-tank weapons and unmanned systems was used against Russian tanks. A large number of Russian armoured vehicles were affected even in the initial stages of the advance before they stormed Ukrainian positions. Some of the tanks were successfully destroyed together with their crews, says the SSU. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian drones attack metallurgical plant, other facilities in 3 Russian regions, source says Editor's note: This story is being updated. Ukrainian "kamikaze" drones attacked a metallurgical plant and other facilities used for military purposes in Russia's Belgorod, Voronezh, and Lipetsk oblasts overnight on June 17, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) source told the Kyiv Independent. The confirmation came after Russian governors reported drone attacks on three regions, claiming there were no damage or casualties. One of the targets was the Novolipetsk metallurgical plant and a local tractor plant in Lipetsk Oblast, according to the source. "Both enterprises are used by the aggressor for military purposes. In the area of these facilities, local residents heard the sounds of explosions and air defense systems," the source said. Information about the consequences of the attack is being clarified, the source added. Igor Artamonov, Lipetsk Oblast governor, claimed that debris fell after two drones were intercepted over Lipetsk industrial area. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. At least 70 drones attacked the Morozovsk airfield, located in Russia's Rostov Oblast, overnight on June 14, Ukraine's military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov confirmed. The HUR chief said that he was "waiting for information" about the extent of the damage caused at the airfield, which satellite imagery has confirmed hosts Su-34 fighter jets. Read also: We set a precedent. Ukraine officially presents Unmanned Systems Forces Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Ukrainian soldier belonging to one of the combat brigades of Ukraine's Armed Forces has recently single-handedly captured four Russian troops in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), on Facebook Quote: "Our soldiers are showing resilience, courage, patriotism, and, most importantly, faith in our victory along the entire war zone from Kharkiv to Krynky. In particular, a Ukrainian soldier belonging to one of the combat brigades of the AFU has recently single-handedly captured four Russian occupiers in Donetsk Oblast. I believe this feat is a vivid example of our defenders' bravery and high morale and certainly deserves to be recognised with an appropriate decoration. I thank him and all Ukrainian defenders, who take their duties responsibly, for their dedicated service!" Details: The General Staff of the AFU told Ukrainska Pravda that the soldier in question served with the Ground Forces. The event took place in the area of responsibility of the Donetsk Operational Group of Ukrainian forces. Support UP or become our patron! The News Sudans war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has spawned one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises. The conflict, which broke out in April last year, has forced around 9 million people to flee their homes and left the country on the brink of famine amid a warning by the United Nations that acts of genocide may be unfolding in the country. MSF/Mohamed Zakaria/Handout via Reuters But some fear that the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have diverted the worlds attention away from the situation in the Horn of Africa country. US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a veteran US-Africa diplomat, told Semafor Medias Mixed Signals podcast that the media is ignoring the crisis in Sudan. Heres a partial transcript from her conversation with hosts Ben Smith and Nayeema Raza. Know More Nayeema: When we saw you just a couple of days ago, you launched into a kind of media criticism. You were talking about the medias failure to cover Sudan, something that youve been vociferous about. So, explain your criticism here. Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: When you look at the numbers in Sudan, 25 million people in need of international humanitarian assistance. And thats more than the population of the United States 10 largest cities. I mean, this is a huge, huge crisis, and its affecting millions of people. Theres a war raging now in which there are predictions and reports, that genocide is happening. And yet this does not get the front-page attention of the international press. So thats where my criticism is. Semafor/screen grab Ben: But I think a cynical editor, not that I am one, would push back and say, Hey, look, dont blame us, blame our audience, theyre not reading these stories. Theyre interested in Gaza, theyre not interested in Sudan. Sorry. What do you say to that? Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: What I say is, that the press has influence on what the audience reads. Of course, if youre reporting front page every single day, a single issue, thats what people are going to be looking for. But you can report on these other issues. You can help them determine what they should be reading. And I think thats something that the press has the power to do. And I think what is reflected is your own priorities. You think this is what people want to hear, they want to hear Gaza, it has more political interest. And Im not saying Gaza is not important. It is very important. Ben: One argument that you hear people make, and I just want to sort of be very careful here... is that the reason that people pay attention to Gaza over Sudan, is connected to a kind of anti-Semitism essentially? Is that what you see? I mean, do you think that, thats why Gaza is being elevated? Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: No, I dont think that. I dont think its related to the issue of anti-Semitism, which is an issue. And it is something that is definitely important for you to cover. But I think what is happening in Gaza is, its about a conflict that is taking place in the Middle East, and there tends to be a lot of attention paid to that. Nayeema: And I think also because it is an international conflict that has of course US military aid being provided to Israel. Which of course, invites a greater coverage concern, accountability thats being sought. But youre not constructing a zero-sum argument here, I dont think- Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: No, I am not. It is not a zero-sum game. This is about saving lives wherever they are being lost. Its about valuing life, wherever people are suffering. And the people of Sudan are suffering right now, and they are not getting the attention from the press, or from the world about what is happening there. Two generals with political ambitions, fighting over political spoils, and not caring about the welfare of their own people. Thats what we see happening in Sudan. And it is for that reason that we have to care about what is happening there, focus attention on whats happening there, and report on whats happening there. Ben: To bring it back to where we started. Do you think people die in Sudan, because the media doesnt cover it? I mean, are there real stakes here, or is it just whether people are informed? Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: I think people are forgotten, and when they are forgotten, more people die, because were not paying attention to what is happening to them. And when theyre forgotten, they lose hope. And so if the people of Sudan know, at least the world is aware of what is happening to them, it gives them a better sense of hope. And it forces all of us to pay attention to what is happening. So maybe fewer people do die. Nayeema: Right. Oh, people can also die when there is continuing coverage as well, as weve obviously seen. And I do want to point out, the New York Times had a great A1 story- Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: They did. Nayeema: ... by Declan Walsh and Ivor Prickett, just days ago. Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: I take some credit for that. Nayeema: Oh, do you? Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: I do. And its because I have been pushing this issue. I will have a press interview on Sudan, and the first question I get, is on Gaza? And I said, But this is about Sudan. And the op-ed that I did in the New York Times, I think, made a difference. Nayeema: Ambassador, we know you have a vote to get to, so we dont want to keep you much longer, but thank you for being with us today to talk about Sudan, and to talk about Gaza. Amb. Thomas-Greenfield: Well, thank you for paying attention to Sudan. And again, anywhere theres suffering in the world, we have to pay attention. Theres no competition for crisis reporting, but there is sometimes a neglect of crisis in places in the world. And that particularly happens on the continent of Africa. And Ill leave you with... Take a look at what is happening in DRC as well. UNC System, arts school to pay alums $12.5M for sex abuse claims. You cant know why. A historical marker for the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C. is pictured here at the entrance to the campus on July 19, 2021. University of North Carolina leaders refuse to release details on why the state agreed to pay millions to former students over allegations of decades-long sexual abuse by faculty at the states most prestigious arts campus. Actions by state lawmakers last year ensured theyll never have to. In May, the UNC System and the UNC School of the Arts agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by dozens of alumni accusing administrators of turning a willful blind eye to teachers abusing and exploiting students from the 1960s to the 2010s. The institutions will pay $12.5 million to settle with about 65 former students over the next four years. Resolving the disputes on the terms specific here avoids protracted litigation and achieves a balanced resolution that honors claimants and, in some cases, their memory, the agreement, obtained by The News & Observer through a public records request, says. What neither the university system nor the school are disclosing, however, is why they reached that conclusion. By state law, the state attorney generals office must review any proposed settlement of more than $75,000 and detail why such an amount would be justified. The analyses can reveal key insights into how the state thinks it might fare if a case goes to civil court and which facts and arguments would be most convincing to a jury. Take, for example, the 2015 memo justifying a $2.5 million settlement for the family of an inmate who died of thirst after weeks in solitary confinement in a western North Carolina prison. The document showed the states lawyers believed the repeated, widespread and inflammatory failures on the part of various prison staff made litigation a worst-case scenario, WRAL News reported. Nazneen Ahmed, a spokesperson for Attorney General Josh Stein, acknowledged such a memo exists for the UNCSA settlement. But her office cant share those records because theyre protected by attorney-client privilege, she said. North Carolina public records law exempts communication between public agencies and their lawyers, but it makes clear that those agencies can make such correspondence public. Both the UNC System and the UNC School of the Arts refused to release the attorney general memo after The News & Observer requested the records late last month. As is standard practice with state agencies in North Carolina, the university system does not release documents from the attorney generals office that contain privileged information or legal advice to the university, UNC System spokesman Andy Wallace said in an email. Lawmakers opt for more secrecy Until last year though, attorney-client privilege didnt last forever. For decades, state public records law opened up attorney communication with public agencies after three years. But buried in last years 600-page budget, state lawmakers included language that quietly repealed that three-year limit. That means if agencies want to keep secret records justifying the spending of millions in public money, they can. The News & Observers recently launched investigative series, Power & Secrecy, is documenting how legislators are increasingly placing significant policy changes in the state budget without much or any public debate. The change to attorney-client privilege went largely overlooked amid the legislatures move to effectively exempt themselves from state public records law, said Kym Meyer, the past president of the N.C. Open Government Coalition and litigation director for the Southern Environmental Law Center. Attorney-client privilege does serve a purpose, allowing lawyers to provide candid advice and strategy. But once that process is over, Meyer said, the public should eventually have the ability to see how governments and their attorneys acted in their interest. Such transparency is especially valuable for formal memos written by the states top lawyers, she said. A memo like this this is not a little email communication between an attorney and a client while theyre trying to haggle out details, Meyer said. Multi-million-dollar settlements with the state arent all that uncommon, according to the latest N.C. Department of Justice report to lawmakers. From just September through March 2024, the attorney generals office was involved in more than 200 settlements paid by various state government agencies. The majority of those settlements about 80% were payouts to property owners for land seized for road construction and other N.C. Department of Transportation projects, the DOJ report shows. Agencies also paid out more than $34.3 million in that six-month period to settle more than 40 claims over state worker injuries, accidents and other disputes. This figure does not include the UNC settlement over sex abuse claims. Every one of those cases, by state law, requires a formal legal opinion that the public is no longer entitled to see. Ever. But Meyer said shes more concerned about another aspect of the change. Making attorney-client communications public, even after a three-year waiting period, is a safeguard to ensure the government and its lawyers act on behalf of the public, she said. More secrecy could open the door to improper or unethical behavior for example, situations where state agencies act to protect themselves instead of the people. If you know theres going to be scrutiny, youre going to be straight up, Meyer said. If you can assume no one is going to look at your conversations, who knows what kind of conduct youre going to engage in? Allegations of decades of abuse UNCSA opened in 1965 as the nations first public arts conservatory, housing both high school and university students on a 75-acre campus in Winston-Salem. While students and others complained about abuse over the years, the school did little to protect dance, drama and music students from teachers who had big influence over their access to training and long-term careers. Seven dance alumni first filed the lawsuit in 2021. Over time, more alumni came forward complaining of teachers groping students, attempting to have sex with them and other forms of sexual abuse from the 1960s to the 2010s. Multiple alumni alleged they were raped by teachers or older students. Despite the clear obligation to the boys and girls who chose to attend the school, the Defendant Administrators instead permitted, participated in, encouraged, allowed, perpetuated and/or condoned a culture of sexual abuse and exploitation, the lawsuit said. A 1995 lawsuit accused two teachers of sexually abusing students, resulting in the creation of a special commission created by the UNC Board of Governors. The commission denied a pervasive pattern of improper misconduct, but forbade all relationships between teachers and students. The commissions findings incorrectly said that most of the alleged perpetrators had left the school, a 2021 News & Observer and Charlotte Observer investigation found. Through interviews with former members of the school community along with unpublished documents, reporters revealed that 24 members of the staff were accused of harassing or having relationships with students. A judge dismissed the 1995 lawsuit because the plaintiff was older than 21, which surpassed the states statute for child sex abuse lawsuits. A change in legislation in 2019 paused those limitations for two years, allowing alumni to file child sex abuse lawsuits from January 2020 to December 2021. After the settlement was finalized in May, UNC System President Peter Hans praised school leadership for confronting this difficult chapter with compassion and integrity. Calling it a dark time for the institution, UNCSA Chancellor Brian Cole said he was personally devastated that anyone on campus would suffer abuse and he committed to increasing trust and safety at the school. Though this resolution cannot heal the wounds of the past, it is my deep hope that through it, the survivors who came forward feel our commitment to listening, acknowledging and doing right by them, Cole said. Neither the school nor the UNC System, though, admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement. Defendants in the lawsuit disagree with the allegations and representations made and deny the claims alleged against them, the agreement said. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the page length of the 2023 budget bill. It was more than 600 pages. NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com. Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of June 17, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observers Capitol bureau chief. On this episode, Im joined by my politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean and Danielle Battaglia. Starting off this episode we talk about what could be the big news this week, the House running its own budget adjustment bill instead of following the initial plan of House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger agreeing on a compromise bill before it is revealed to the public. Moving on to higher education, beyond the recent DEI elimination in the UNC System, it is chancellor search season. Dean talks about the new chancellor at N.C. Central University and which other schools are looking for new leaders. Battaglia is our Washington correspondent but was in Raleigh this past week to talk to voters in the 2024 elections. Listen to find out more about what shes working on. Headliner of the Week After the break, we talk more about the UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor search, as well as Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson visiting the Legislative Building, but not to preside over the Senate. Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week. Dean talks about budget cuts at UNC Asheville, Battaglia about former President Donald Trumps visit to the U.S. Capitol and Bajpai about the possible return of the ICE bill and my contribution has to do with my new favorite item at the Legislative Cafeteria. 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. Tim Garvin is president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts. The organization holds its annual community celebration on Monday evening. It was a beautiful early summer day a few weeks ago. We were on the campaign trail the United Way campaign. We had just finished presenting to 70 or 80 employees of a great local company that has supported our United Way and the community for more than 100 years. A few people approached; they had a few questions. Really good questions. The kind of questions we relish receiving, because it gives us the opportunity to deepen our story and connect on a more personal way with possible contributors. One person asked a leading question: Who is your most important donor? They may have been looking for me to answer, MacKenzie Scott. Certainly Ms. Scott was and is important. Her financial support and the awareness and credibility that came with it is a beautiful testament to the value of our work in Central Massachusetts. But my answer was simpler: Every donor is our most important donor. Every donor makes a choice and says yes. Yes to our United Way and yes to our community. Seven thousand donors. The $5 donor, the $52 donor, the $500 donor, the $10,000 donor especially when they give every year, they drive our campaign, they enable us to invest in the community. The second question was equally wonderful: If I give to the United Way, where does the money go? What good does it do? I smiled. I asked if they had an hour. I was excited to share highlights of community investments and community accomplishments of the past year. Mass 2-1-1: The United Way and state-funded health and human services hotline. In 2023, more than 500,000 people across Massachusetts in need of information or support or help called 2-1-1 and had their questions answered. Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund: The Healey-Driscoll created, United Way-led effort to support and assist our local Central and Western Massachusetts farmers after devastating flooding last summer. We distributed more than $3 million to more than 225 farms and farmers, helping them recover from the flooding. After School and Out of School Time: Funding and support for children and families thanks to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. After receiving this grant award, our United Way distributed more than $1.5 million this past summer and school year to more than 150 youth-focused partner agencies. More than 15,000 children and their families benefitted from these programs. The Womens Initiative Dollar $cholars financial literacy program for adolescent girls: Twenty sessions at youth development agencies and local middle schools hosted this program, serving and teaching more than 700 girls. WooServes: The summer tween and teen volunteer service program. Fifteen local nonprofit partner agencies welcomed WooServes, taught the 35 students about their work, and engaged the students in volunteer service this past summer. Days of Caring: Our United Ways signature volunteer effort in September that kicks off the annual fundraising campaign. This past September we held a week of Days of Caring, engaged with more than 70 local businesses and companies, deployed over 1,000 volunteers into the community, and worked toward creating a civil society. RAMP Builds: The AFL-CIO Labor Community Services program that engages with our local firefighters and retired firefighters. Each summer the RAMP program builds between 10 and 13 ramps for children and adults who are mobility-impaired and house bound. This program truly changes lives and gives the joy of outside to each recipient. Stamp Out Hunger: The countrys largest one-day food drive, organized by U.S. Postal Service letter carriers. Our United Way supports this effort by providing "reminder bags" that residents of Central Mass. may fill with nonperishable food. On May 11, more than 285,000 pounds of food was collected and distributed to local food pantries and food banks all to assist with creating food security this summer. YouthConnect: A seven-youth-agency collaborative funded by our United Way that works to create Worcester as a citywide campus of youth opportunity. During the summer YouthConnect runs the 40 nights of summer, providing 400 teens with safe places to go, quality role models, great food, skills development and fun. Community Impact Funding: Our United Ways open and competitive process to select partner agencies offering high-impact programs in youth opportunities, community resiliency, financial security and healthy community. Two great examples from the more than 50 amazing programs include: the summer literacy initiative, creating language-rich environments and reading as fun at summer camps; and Meals on Wheels, providing food security and visual check-ins for our local seniors. Worcester Community Challenge: We invested more than $2 million into innovative programs to improve our community; including: Crocodile River Music, Project Flourish (Family Services), Regional Environmental Council, and Technocopia partnership with Hector Reyes House. As the staff lead of and for the United Way of Central Massachusetts, I take great pride in the programs and the partners that our United Way supports and the life-giving differences that these make in our community. These extraordinary programs and efforts can only happen CAN ONLY HAPPEN due to our "most important donor," all 7,000 of them. Tonight Monday, June 17 we excitedly invite Central Massachusetts to our 104th annual community celebration at South High beginning at 4:30 p.m., with the program of celebration beginning at 5:10. Join us! Tim Garvin is president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: United Way's Tim Garvin: This is our most important donor LIVINGSTON COUNTY Most local schools have already bid their seniors goodbye at graduation. Though bittersweet, the event calls to question the conundrum all seniors must face: Whats next? The answer has grown increasingly diverse. Attending a four-year university continues to be the most popular option for students in Livingston County. Howell Schools Director of Communications Thomas Gould shared that, in a survey of 199 local seniors, 91 indicated they plan on attending a four-year institution. Hartland High School saw a similar proportion of students opting to attend a four-year university, at 279 of an estimated 460 graduates. Most local schools have already bid their seniors goodbye at graduation, and many are looking beyond the traditional four-year university. Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University are popular choices, though a smaller group chooses to attend Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, the University of Michigan and other colleges both in-state and out-of-state. But more and more students are recognizing a four-year university isn't the be-all and end-all. A choice rapidly growing in popularity is community college. Larger percentages of Livingston County students are choosing to pursue associates degrees at community schools, or initially attending them with the objective of later transferring to four-year institutions to obtain their bachelors degree. For these students, it means pursuing a secondary education without the hefty price tag. The number of students attending Washtenaw Community College continues to trend upward," said Rick Todd, superintendent of Pinckney Community Schools. "Which I believe is a direct result of our students being intentional in trying to save as much money as possible, as they are very aware of the significance of college debt." Washtenaw Community College, Lansing Community College and Oakland Community College are all popular choices. Similarly, trade schools have attracted a growing number of students. Hartland High School Principal James Fitzgerald reported an increase in the number of students interested in career tech education, trades, apprenticeships and work-based learning. A survey conducted at Pinckney High School revealed that 17 out of the 130 reporting seniors plan to pursue a trade, including heavy equipment operation, pipefitting, firefighting and electrical work. I would anticipate this number will continue to grow in the future, as there is so much need in these areas," Outlaw said. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage A smaller population of students report different postsecondary plans. The military remains a viable option, with an average of 3-5% of Livingston County graduates going on to serve in the armed forces. Other graduates plan to head directly into the workforce. For Fowlerville High School, that option encompasses 15% of the graduating class of 2024. Why the shift? Changing demands in the workforce and obstacles like COVID-19 have encouraged students to consider a wider variety of options, officials say. I believe more students consider taking a gap year between high school graduation and their first year of college, said Fowlerville Schools Superintendent Matthew Stuard. Additionally, I believe more students are considering community college, trade schools, or colleges closer to home than perhaps they did in the past. Ari Hickman is a sophomore at Brighton High School and a freelancer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Are seniors in Livingston County moving on from four-year universities? The University of Michigan failed to properly investigate dozens of incidents of alleged antisemitic behavior on campus over the past four years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Education. The agency also expressed concern about lax response by the City University of New York to at least three allegations of harassment based on national origin since the Israel-Hamas war began last year. In its report on the University of Michigan, the agencys Office of Civil Rights said, the University appears not to have taken steps to assess whether incidents about which it had notice individually or cumulatively created a hostile environment for students, faculty, or staff, and, if so, to take steps reasonably calculated to end the hostile environment, remedy its effects, and prevent its recurrence. The federal agency reviewed 67 complaints many of which predated the Israel-Hamas conflict and found the University only investigated and made findings in a single complaint. One complaint involved a protest on campus in October 2023 where people were chanting Nazi liberation. The federal report says the universitys civil rights office simply forwarded the reports to public affairs for response. A complaint from January 2023 described people participating in a parade on campus while allegedly chanting for the removal and death of the Jewish people and the state of Israel. The Department of Education report found no evidence the university had taken any action. Instead, it said the matter, as reported, appears to be outside the scope of ECRT, the universitys office which handles civil rights complaints regarding faculty and staff. The office called the chanting protected activity. One student who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest last year reported a person yelled at the student that she was supporting rape and murder, and that she has terrorist friends. The case was closed after the school held restorative circles for staff, faculty, and students. A 2016 diversity study by the University of Michigan found 8% of students and 10% of faculty were Jewish. Less than 3% of faculty and students identified as Muslim. In a voluntary agreement, the University of Michigan committed to investigating complaints more thoroughly, acknowledging it must assess whether each reported incident has created a hostile environment. It will also develop a comprehensive annual training program on discrimination and harassment. In a statement Monday, the University of Michigan said, This agreement reflects the universitys commitment to ensuring it has the tools needed to determine whether an individuals acts or speech creates a hostile environment, and taking the affirmative measures necessary to provide a safe and supportive educational environment for all. In a second resolution announced Monday, the Department of Education announced a similar agreement was reached with the City University of New York in response to multiple complaints of discrimination against both Jewish and Palestinian students on the basis of their actual or perceived national origin/shared ancestry, with some pre-dating October 2023. The report specifically notes three cases of harassment relating to shared Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry and association with these national origins/shared ancestries, since October 2023. The university agreed to provide a refresher for Office of Diversity and Compliance employees along with additional training for campus officers. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Museum hides African mask that must not be seen by women Pitt Rivers Museum has, in recent years, removed many artefacts in the interest of 'cultural safety' - Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford A University of Oxford museum will not display an African mask because the culture which created it forbids women from seeing it. The decision by the Pitt Rivers Museum is part of new policies in the interest of cultural safety. The museum has also removed online photos of the mask made by the Igbo people in Nigeria, which would originally have been used in a male-only ritual. Masks are a central part of Igbo culture, and some masquerade rituals carried out by men wearing the ceremonial objects are entirely male-only and carried out in secret away from female spectators. The new policy, a first for a major British collection, comes as part of a decolonisation process at the Pitt Rivers Museum, which is aiming to address a collection closely tied to British Imperial expansion. Pitt Rivers Museum's collection of archaeological and anthropological artefacts also includes these Inuit dolls - Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford An online trigger warning on the museums collection database states that the Igbo mask may be culturally sensitive and not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. The wooden mask has been given the label must not be seen by women, is not on display, and has no photographs available to view online. A note on the museum website explains that, while photographs exist, curators are unable to show the media publicly. This effort to ensure that women do not see the mask follows a suite of policies aiming to ensure cultural safety with regard to taboos around secret ceremonies, human remains, nudity and gender roles. A set of policies drafted in 2024 state that trigger warnings must be added to the museum database for objects which could be culturally sensitive, and particularly sensitive items should be hidden from view. Other items traditionally intended for men, including a mask from Papua New Guinea, have remained on display, but are marked sensitive and their photos are not shown on the museum website. A warning for the collection overall states: At the Pitt Rivers Museum, we take cultural safety seriously. We aim to keep everyone informed by providing a cultural advice notice. Other warnings apply to individual objects, an isikira, a head ornament and extremely cultural sensitive objects worn by Maasai girls after undergoing circumcision (otherwise known as female genital mutilation). The Pitt Rivers once-popular collection of shrunken heads, or tsantsa, which were taken off display, also have a warning. They are believed to contain the souls of the Shuar and Achuar people of Ecuador that made them. The decision to remove the heads from display was made in 2020 in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests, when the museum operated by the University of Oxford announced a comprehensive programme of work we are doing to deeply engage with the museums colonial legacy. The museum's collection of "tsantsa" shrunken heads were removed from display in 2020 in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests Since that time, the museum pledged to hand over its collection of Benin Bronzes to authorities in Nigeria, and agreed the return of a 15th century statue to India. Other museums have hidden a specific set of artefacts for religious reasons. A number of tablets sacred to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are held in the British Museum, and other collections. But, as the objects are traditionally only viewed by priests, curators keep the artefacts out of sight and they are never studied. A spokesperson for the Pitt Rivers Museum, which contains Oxford Universitys anthropological and archaeological collections, said it was working with groups around the world whose artefacts are represented in its collection, to ensure they are selectively displayed. Other objects could become restricted on the basis of gender in future, but the museum said: These restrictions only refer to a tiny number of objects where we have received specific requests from communities. There is a lot more work to be done and we are keen to work with communities on the care of these objects. Ruth Millington, an art critic and author, whose book Muse tackles the female subject, has raised concerns about the push for synergy creating a dangerous precedent. She said: To deny all women, of all cultures, sight of something because that is a taboo in one particular culture seems an extreme stance, particularly given that this country is a modern, liberal and enlightened society. Surely women should be given the right to decide, after reading about any cultural sensitivities, if they wish to look upon the artefact or not. When it comes to art, we should all have equal rights, regardless of sex, to view what we would like to. Does this position also imply that only male curators in the museum can handle, care for and interpret this object? This stance seems to imply that no woman has ever seen the mask, which I think is highly unlikely. As a feminist art historian, I now want to see it all the more. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. As the Conservative Partys poll ratings have fallen, the list of those held responsible has grown. Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, others. Or, if you prefer, count the tally of reasons: Covid, the Ukraine war and economic shocks, Brexit or, say some, the junking of conservative principles. But the blame game is ultimately unproductive. There are more fundamental forces at work. Lets have a look at them. The Conservatives had over a million members in 1990. That was about one in 40 members of the adult population a formidable distribution mechanism for conservative ideas. Today, the Party wont declare its membership figures at all, presumably because its ashamed that it has fallen to roughly 150,000. One in 400 people or so isnt much of a support base. Over the same period, Tory MPs have been transformed from citizen legislators, who represented the interest of property, to full-time constituency workers, on the model pioneered by the Liberal Democrats. No wonder most top-level barristers, entrepreneurs and financiers have decided that todays Parliament isnt for them. However, the professional classes are boycotting not so much the Commons as the Conservatives. The clergy and teachers went first, at about the same time as academics. For example, the university city of Cambridge was Conservative from 1967 until 1992. Then came the police. And lawyers. Tony Blairs Human Rights Act was less a cause of a leftwards shift in the legal profession than an effect. The flow away from the right has not been consistent. There have been counter-movements: David Cameron was once cheered at a rally by junior doctors. But these havent tended to last long: today, a kind of Corbynism is flourishing among them. In recent years, the campaigning of centre right parties across much of the western world has been emphatically populist. This may be effective at winning elections. But it doesnt guarantee good government. Future Conservative administrations are unlikely to prosper without the support of professionals. The Tories remain vibrant in many places. For example, Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, may within a few weeks be the most senior elected Conservative in the country a reminder that the Tory revival may well begin in local government. Nonetheless, the Conservative Party is gradually hollowing out together with the infrastructure and institutions that support it. Whatever happens in this general election, it may not exist in a generation. Ministers are currently warning us not to go back to square one. But in terms of regrouping and renewal, back to square one is exactly where the Tories, and the right in Britain more broadly, needs to go. What would revival look like? In the wake of the election, some will ask what the Conservatives should do next. However, the key question may be not so much what they should do as how they should do it along with the rest of the right in Britain. This is where Policy Exchange comes in. Im delighted to be joining Britains most prominent think tank in order to lead its project on the future of the Right not, please note, of the Conservatives only. One point is inescapable, whatever happens on July 4. The Right needs to rebuild its networks. Some of these will doubtless be conservative, but with a small c rather than a large one. Think of the work that the Free Schools Network did in the late 2010s, leading the way for Michael Goves education reforms. Others may be, if not exactly conservative, then certainly un-woke. Consider the alliance of interest, ranging from J.K.Rowling to Kemi Badenoch, that champions womens rights above Trans self-ID. Elsewhere, the Right needs to start getting Parliament working properly again by raising the quality of candidates and MPs. The current selection procedures of both main parties hark back to the era of pocket boroughs. Can there be a truly conservative society, in the medium and long term, when so many key professionals are now so hostile to conservatism? What can be done now to tilt the balance back? Policy Exchange will be utilising its network of professionals to explore these key questions. Above all, the Right must overhaul its structures and rewire its networks if Britain isnt to move further Left - whichever party holds office. Paul Goodman is Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange 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. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Policy, politics and progressive commentary The Nevada System of Higher Education lacks an official policy on making naloxone, the medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, readily available on college campuses. University of Nevada Reno public health graduate student Madalyn Larson, who co-chairs the Northern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance, believes there is a need for one. Doing my seven consecutive years at UNR, Ive noticed a lot of drug use, she told lawmakers at on the interim Committee on Health and Human Services last week. Is it not really unusual because college and young adult years are a time for experimentation. What is unusual is the inability to find access to harm reduction tools across the universitys campus to empower drugs to use drugs safely. The request comes as Nevada, like many states, is dealing with an opioid epidemic and increasing deaths related to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. A Southern Nevada Health District published in March reported that between 2020 and 2023 deaths involving concurrent use of fentanyl with methamphetamine or cocaine increased 97% from 73 deaths to 144. Nationwide, deaths involving fentanyl have increased 279% nationally from 2016 to 2021, according to the report. SNHD has warned that overdose deaths for people under 25 has been increasing, in particular in association with counterfeit pills, like Adderall, or substances like cocaine. In those cases, people were unaware the drugs were laced with fentanyl. Though there isnt data on the number of NSHE students who have overdosed, Larson said the 15 to 24 age range is one of the top demographics of opioid poisonings and opioid overdose deaths across our states. SNHD has made naloxone, often known by the brand name Narcan, as well as testing strips and other harm reduction tools more accessible throughout Southern Nevada, including at public health vending machines. UNLVs Student Wellness Center lists on its website the availability of test strips to detect fentanyl and xylazine, a tranquilizer approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use that has been used to cut fentanyl. UNRs Student Health Center doesnt offer test strips. Neither health center currently offers Narcan for free. I dont want one of my fellow college students to die because they or their friends didnt know where to get naloxone or how to use it, said Larson. This type of scenario is unacceptable because of the tools we have access to in our state. Any efforts to bring tools that reduce the number of overdoses would build on previous legislative efforts, she added. In 2021, lawmakers unanimously passed Assembly Bill 205, which authorized school nurses and other trained staff in K-12 schools to administer opioid reversal drugs. Nevada wouldnt be new to developing a policy around overdose prevention on college campuses. Other states, including Connecticut and Washington, have passed similar legislation in recent years requiring their higher education systems to develop plans around making harm reduction tools and overdose reversal medications more accessible to students. The recommendation for policy that aids the availability of naloxone on Nevada college lines up with recommendations by the Attorney Generals Substance Use Response Working Group, or SURG, for reducing opioid overdoses. This report includes recommendations for the use of opioid settlement dollars to fund stable and sustainable sources of overdose reversal medication, Larson said. The post UNR student urges lawmakers to make overdose reversal medication more readily available appeared first on Nevada Current. By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - Nearly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, litigation over abortion has exploded. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in 2022's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that the court's longstanding precedent had "enflamed debate and deepened division." He said it was time to take the abortion issue out of the hands of the court and return it "to the people's elected representatives." But, rather than limit court battles there are a dizzying number of state court cases challenging various aspects of abortion bans or restrictions imposed by more than 20 Republican-led states in the wake of Roe's reversal. Many key issues are unresolved, and one abortion-related case is still before the Supreme Court. Here is a look at the different kinds of lawsuits pending, and where these challenges are brewing. LAWSUITS CHALLENGING BANS OUTRIGHT For decades, abortion rights advocates could challenge abortion restrictions in federal court citing Roe v. Wade. With that shield gone, they have instead shifted to bringing their cases in state courts, arguing that bans or restrictions on abortions infringe women's rights to privacy, liberty or due process guaranteed in state constitutions. In all states where challenges have been fought to a final ruling from the state's highest court - including in Florida, Idaho and Texas - new restrictive abortion laws have been upheld. No new ban has been permanently struck down. Other such challenges, however, remain pending, including in Georgia, Utah and Wyoming. In South Carolina, a ban on abortion after the detection of a fetal "heartbeat" has largely been upheld, but the case remains ongoing as plaintiffs are asking the court to rule that the ban begins at around nine weeks of pregnancy, when the chambers of the fetal heart are formed, and not six when electrical activity is detected. And some cases asserting a fundamental right to abortion challenge not new state bans, but local laws, as in New Mexico, or 19th century laws that have long been unenforced, as in Wisconsin. ABORTION PILLS Medication abortion, which uses the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to induce abortion in early pregnancy, accounted for 63% of U.S. abortions last year, up from 53% in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization. Anti-abortion advocates have sought to restrict mifepristone's availability, concerned that pills can be easily obtained even in states where abortion is banned. The Supreme Court last week rejected an appeal by abortion opponents that would have significantly restricted mifepristone's distribution in all states if successful. However, similar claims by three Republican-led states remain pending in a lower court. At the same time, lawsuits by abortion rights advocates seek to expand or preserve access to the drug in Virginia and Washington state. Another such case filed in North Carolina will likely be appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a judge struck down some restrictions on mifepristone in that state. MEDICAL EMERGENCIES A growing number of cases center on exceptions in abortion bans for women facing medical emergencies. These lawsuits argue that the exceptions, which typically allow an abortion to be performed only to save the mother's life and sometimes to prevent serious injury, violate women's basic rights, or are so unclear that doctors do not know when they apply and are therefore afraid to rely on them. Such lawsuits are currently pending in states, including Indiana, Tennessee, North Dakota and Idaho. The Idaho case is over whether the state's abortion ban conflicts with a federal law requiring emergency rooms to stabilize patients, currently on appeal before the Supreme Court, and could affect care in other states as well. The Texas Supreme Court, meanwhile, recently rejected a challenge seeking to broaden and clarify the state's medical exception. INTERSTATE TRAVEL Several states and counties where abortion is banned have passed measures aimed at making it more difficult for their residents to travel to other states to get the procedure, raising new legal issues about governments' ability to legislate conduct outside of their borders. Lawsuits over such measures are currently pending in Alabama, which criminalizes helping anyone obtain an abortion, and Idaho, which is seeking to revive a state law prohibiting transporting minors across state lines for an abortion without parental consent. In Texas, a man is suing three women for allegedly helping his ex-wife obtain an abortion, an early test of a state law allowing such lawsuits. LEGAL, BUT RESTRICTED Finally, abortion rights groups are challenging some state laws that generally allow abortions, but with restrictions. For example, a North Carolina lawsuit challenges a requirement that certain abortions be performed in hospitals, and a Michigan lawsuit challenges a 24-hour waiting period. In Arizona, a lawsuit challenges a "fetal personhood" law, which advocates say could be used to restrict abortion even though it is legal in the state. (The state's highest court earlier this year revived a 19th-century abortion ban, though the legislature subsequently repealed it.) While such lawsuits once relied on Roe v. Wade, they now allege that such restrictions violate state constitutional rights. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Aurora Ellis) US Army veteran dies in collision after Buncombe sheriff chase; DA not informed of death ASHEVILLE - After a June 6 vehicle pursuit by the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office, an Army veteran died in a single-vehicle crash on Charlotte Highway, an incident that the law enforcement agency failed to report to District Attorney's Office, according to DA Todd Williams. At about 9:50 p.m. June 6, a vehicle was traveling north on Charlotte Highway while fleeing from the Buncombe County Sheriffs Department, according to a collision report from N.C. State Highway Patrol. Around a curve in the highway, the driver identified as Adam Kyle Titpon, 36, of Ellenboro lost control of the vehicle, crossed into the southbound lane and struck a guardrail off the left side of the road near Frenwood Mobile Home Park, the report said. He was traveling at approximately 100 mph, according to 1st Sgt. Barry Burnette with Highway Patrol. Tipton was transferred to Mission Hospital but died four days later from injuries he sustained in the single-vehicle collision, according to the report. A reader asked about curbs on Charlotte Highway and how they seem to trap debris, causing problems. Earlier on the night of the accident, Buncombe County Public Safety Communications Center received multiple calls about a possible impaired driver on Charlotte Highway, according to a statement from the sheriffs office. Deputies responded and conducted a traffic stop, the statement said. The vehicle stopped initially but then fled once the deputy approached. The sheriffs office did not respond to a Citizen Times question on whether the deputy continued pursuing Tiptons car after the initial traffic stop. Highway Patrol is investigating the collision at the request of the sheriffs office but is not looking into whether sheriff deputies followed protocol during the pursuit and whether it contributed to the crash, according to Burnette. As far as our investigation goes, its limited strictly to the crash, Burnette told the Citizen Times. The preceding chase or pursuit, thats the sheriffs departments investigation. In 2020, local law enforcement and the DAs Office signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" on handling potential officer misconduct following a 2017 incident in which Williams said police did not make a timely and full disclosure about a white officer's beating of a Black pedestrian, Johnny Rush. More: 'Unique' officer misconduct agreement: All Buncombe law enforcement agencies sign After incidents that may involve officer misconduct such as an officer-involved shooting or fatality law enforcement has agreed to notify the district attorney for his office to review evidence of potential officer misconduct and determine whether there should be an investigation into the officers actions. In this case, the DA was not notified, Williams said, and that he learned about the pursuit and subsequent death on June 13 from a TV news report. "My office has reached out to the Highway Patrol to confirm what their efforts have been. They have confirmed that they have reviewed a video in possession of the sheriffs office," Williams told the Citizen Times June 13. We are requesting that they share the video with us so that we can review it and make a determination about whether a whole investigation is appropriate. Deputy Chief Hubert Blake with the sheriffs office said the DA is not normally notified by law enforcement agencies for vehicle crashes. Williams said hes unaware if the sheriffs office has conducted an internal investigation into the preceding chase. Tipton, the driver, served two tours in Afghanistan as a former U.S. Army Sergeant, according to his online obituary. He had two daughters, a son and a wife. The Citizen Times attempted to reach his family. The Army veteran was a member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Ellenboro, where the Rutherford County Honor Guard commemorated him by performing military rites at his funeral June 14. DA not informed of in-custody death: Buncombe DA: BCDC cannot be allowed to unload a dead, or dying, man without notification DA reviews evidence for misconduct: DA reviews bodycam of Asheville police pinning Black man by neck; here's what he said Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: US Army veteran dies in collision after Buncombe sheriff vehicle chase Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, meets with Cyprus' Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, Monday, June 17, 2024, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Cyprus-U.S. relations have reached their highest level yet after the two countries embarked on a strategic dialogue on key issues including defense, security, energy, crisis management and the fight against terrorism, officials said Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the development as a powerful evidence of the strengthening, deepening (and) broadening of the relationship between our countries acting together in so many areas. Its a reflection of the fact that Cyprus is an important player in the region, and a partnership for the United States that we deeply value, Blinken said ahead of talks with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos in Washington. Kombos hailed the start of the dialogue as a hallmark for the east Mediterranean island nation's closest-ever ties with the U.S. in a tumultuous region where Cyprus can be relied on as a credible partner. "The message is very simple. Cyprus is part of the solution. Cyprus is part of the answer," Kombos said. The U.S. has embarked on similar strategic dialogues with 30 other countries, 13 of which are European Union member states. To illustrate the added value that Cyprus can bring to such a partnership with the U.S., Cypriot officials have pointed to the Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor from which hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid has been shipped to the Palestinian territory through a U.S.-built pier and causeway. All aid is security screened in Cyprus with Israeli and U.S. oversight. Assisting in the overall security of the initiative is a U.S.-funded center that helps train Cypriot and other personnel from neighboring countries on issues of maritime safety and security. Kombos said Cyprus is no longer just viewed through the political lens of its ethnic division that has remained unresolved since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded in the wake of a Athens junta-engineered coup aimed at union with Greece. Cyprus, an EU member since 2004, has in recent years made a clear strategic policy shift toward the West and in particular the U.S. after decades of close relations with the former Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation. The Cyprus-Russia rift became more clearly defined following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The annual strategic dialogue, that will be held this year in September, will also touch on cultural and education issues as well as investment opportunities. Among the Cypriot government's key priorities through the dialogue is to fully lift a U.S. embargo on military arms sales to Cyprus without the need for annual Congressional approval. It also hopes to expedite the development of a natural gas field off Cyprus' southeastern coast that's licensed to U.S. energy company Chevron. Another priority is to be admitted into the U.S. visa waiver program as Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania remain the only EU member states that aren't included. US envoy in Israel for talks to resolve Lebanon border clashes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) welcomes US Presidential Special Envoy Amos Hochstein ahead of their meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO/dpa A US envoy is in Israel to try to contain the growing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah on Israel's northern border. Diplomat Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Monday for mediation talks, a spokeswoman for the US embassy confirmed. Hochstein has been trying to find a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah for months. According to media reports, he also plans to travel to Lebanon for talks. Hochstein is reportedly due to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant during his visit. Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip more than eight months ago, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, with deaths on both sides. About 150,000 people have been evacuated or have left the combat zone. In the most recent exchanges, Hezbollah responded to the killing of one of its commanders by Israel with dozens of rockets. Since the start of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha on Sunday, however, the attacks have decreased significantly. Hezbollah is allied with the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but is considered to be much more powerful. FILE PHOTO: Corn is unloaded into a chute at the Lincolnway Energy plant in Nevada, Iowa By P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume CHICAGO (Reuters) - South Dakota farmer Eric Kroupa received a flurry of calls from grain dealers and ethanol plants asking to buy the corn locked away in his bins when prices neared 4-1/2-month peaks last month. He sold some, but is waiting for buyers to up their bids to sell more. Prices have since eased and are hovering just above three-year lows posted in February. "There's a lot of corn out there but it's sitting in the farmers' bins and not the end-users' hands," Kroupa said. After stockpiling crops for much of this season due to low prices, many farmers in the world's largest corn-producing nation continue to shun buyers despite few signs that prices will improve. Grain supplies are ample and early ratings of summer crops are the best in years. A larger-than-normal volume of grain remains unsold, according to Reuters interviews with 15 grain farmers across the U.S. Midwest. By September 2025, U.S. corn inventories are expected to reach a six-year high, according to the U.S Agriculture Department. Uncertainty around if and when farmers will liquidate their stocks could make for choppy grain prices, both in cash and futures markets. Farmers risk waiting too long to sell as a flood of newly harvested grain is likely to drag down prices this October and November. Buyers, aware the harvest is coming, still need enough supplies to keep processing plants running and exports flowing this summer. An economic stare-down between growers and grain buyers is taking shape, said Angie Setzer, a partner at Michigan-based Consus Ag. "I've never seen anything like it in my life. No one's engaged, not the farmer and not the consumer," Setzer said. Many growers sold just enough this spring to cover short-term cash-flow needs, Setzer said. Some are counting on adverse weather this summer to trigger price rallies, though nothing is guaranteed. Three farmers told Reuters they convinced seed and chemical suppliers to reduce late fees, allowing them to hang on to their crop. Others, including Kroupa, use the futures market to hedge the risk of further price declines. Meanwhile, commercial buyers are banking on lower prices this summer due to the grain glut, analysts said. USDA will offer an update of how much corn sits on farms in a quarterly stocks report on June 28. U.S. corn supplies stored at the farm level stood at just over 5 billion bushels as of March 1, the second-highest on-farm stocks on record for that date, according to USDA. On-farm stocks represented 60.85% of the entire U.S. corn supply, the largest share since 2005. Some buyers are trying to pry grain away from farmers by offering premiums for immediate supplies to fill near-term needs, but are lowering prices once those orders are filled. Archer-Daniels-Midland on Friday offered farmers a 7-cent-per-bushel premium for corn delivered to its Decatur, Illinois, processing plant by Sunday versus later in the month. At ADM's Cedar Rapids, Iowa, plant, that premium is 15 cents. Such offers of a few extra pennies per bushel can amount to thousands of dollars per grain transaction. Indiana crop and cattle producer Samuel Ebenkamp emptied one corn bin with sales during an early-May rally, but opted to hold the rest. He'll sell more if prices rally again, but he's holding tight to ensure his cattle feed needs are covered until the fall harvest. His neighbors are making similar financial calculations, he said. "There is an insane amount of on-farm storage here," Ebenkamp said. "It doesn't appear anyone's in a rush to sell." Farmers are still holding a larger-than-normal amount of their last harvest while demand for corn has been fairly solid, analysts said. "Ethanol margins are still relatively good. Feed margins are good. So there is demand out there. And as you look at the export sector, it's going to be improving," said Dan Basse, president of Chicago-based consultancy AgResource Co. How they fill that demand this summer is unclear, Basse said. "They are short-bought and the farmer is still long. Who is going to blink first?" (Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rod Nickel) FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Merck & Co. headquarters in Kenilworth, New Jersey (Reuters) -Merck said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its next-generation vaccine to protect adults against the pneumococcal disease. The disease can lead to infections in several parts of the body including the lungs, where they can cause pneumonia. There are around 100 different strains of the bacteria that can cause those infections. Merck's vaccine, branded Capvaxive, helped produce an immune response against all 21 serotypes, or variations of the bacteria, that the shot targeted in a variety of adult populations across studies. The drugmaker said the vaccine has a wholesale acquisition price of $287 per dose, but most individuals will likely have access to it at no out-of-pocket cost if it gets a routine recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisers. The company expects the vaccine to be available by late-summer, subject to CDC advisers' recommendation. The advisers to the CDC are expected to discuss the vaccine in a meeting later this month. Capvaxive is approved for adults 18 years of age and older, according to the FDA's letter. Pneumococcal disease spreads through direct contact with respiratory secretions such as saliva or mucus. Children younger than five-years old and adults 65 years and above are at an increased risk of contracting the disease. Merck currently has two approved pneumococcal shots Vaxneuvance that is given to six weeks or older individuals and Pneumovax 23 for adults 50 years and older as well as two-year olds and above who are at an increased risk of the disease. Merck competes with Pfizer in the U.S. market for pneumococcal vaccines and hopes to gain a majority share with the launch of Capvaxive. Pfizer's shot, Prevnar 20, was approved in 2021 for use in adults aged 18 years or older and protects against 20 serotypes. It is also approved for use in six-weeks old infants to 17-year olds. (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Sneha S K and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Shilpi Majumdar) US FDA puts partial clinical hold on BioNTech's early-stage study of cancer drug (Reuters) - Germany's BioNTech SE said in a regulatory filing on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed a partial clinical hold on an early-stage study of its experimental cancer drug. The drug, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), was being studied in a trial sponsored by China-based MediLink, in patients with types of non-small cell lung cancer or breast cancer who have received prior forms of treatment. ADCs, often described as "guided-missile" cancer drugs, are designed to target only cancer cells, unlike conventional chemotherapy, potentially reducing damage to normal cells. The U.S. health regulator has shared with MediLink concerns that the drug, BNT326/YL202, may, at higher doses, expose humans to unreasonable and significant risk of illness or injuries. The partial hold affects the enrollment of new patients in the trial in the U.S., BioNTech said. BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, on which it partners with U.S. drugmaker Pfizer, was widely used during the pandemic but sales have declined in recent months. The company is now investing money earned during the pandemic in cancer drug development. (Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri) US as many as 15 years behind China on nuclear power, report says By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is as many as 15 years behind China on developing high-tech nuclear power as Beijing's state-backed technology approach and extensive financing give it the edge, a report said on Monday. China has 27 nuclear reactors under construction with average construction timelines of about seven years, far faster than other countries, said the study by Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute. "Chinas rapid deployment of ever-more modern nuclear power plants over time produces significant scale economies and learning-by-doing effects, and this suggests that Chinese enterprises will gain an advantage at incremental innovation in this sector going forward," the report said. The U.S. has the world's largest fleet of nuclear power plants and President Joe Biden's administration considers the virtually emissions-free electricity source to be critical in curbing climate change. But after two large plants in Georgia came online in 2023 and 2024 billions of dollars over budget and delayed by years, no U.S. nuclear reactors are being built. A high-tech plant that had been planned to be built at a U.S. lab was canceled last year. China's state-owned banks can offer loans as low as 1.4%, far lower than available in Western economies. Its nuclear power industry has benefited from sustained state support and localization strategies that has allowed China to dominate sectors like renewable power and EVs. The world's first so-called fourth-generation high-temperature gas cooled reactor at Shidao Bay came online last December. The China Nuclear Energy Association claims that the project involved the development of more than 2,200 sets of "world-first equipment" with a total localization rate of domestically produced materials of 93.4%. Backers of high-tech reactors say they are safer and more efficient than current plants. Critics say some new reactors introduce proliferation and material risks. It has not all been smooth sailing for China. The China Nuclear Energy Association has warned that there was a severe glut in nuclear component production, and "excessive competition" was driving down prices and causing losses. Stephen Ezell, the report's author, said if the U.S. is serious about nuclear it should develop a robust national strategy involving more investment in research and development, identifying and accelerating promising technologies, and supporting development of a skilled workforce. "While America is behind, it can certainly catch up technologically," said Ezell. The U.S. Department of Energy did not comment on the report. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; additional reporting by David Stanway in Singapore; Editing by David Gregorio) By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu HANOI (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Hanoi this week, Vietnamese and Russian state media said on Monday, highlighting Communist-ruled Vietnam's loyalty to Russia and triggering a U.S. rebuke. The visit follows Hanoi avoiding a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland last weekend, while sending its deputy foreign minister to a BRICS meeting in Russia earlier last week. Putin, who was sworn in for a fifth time just over a month ago, is expected to meet Vietnam's new president, To Lam, and other leaders during the two-day visit to Hanoi on Wednesday and Thursday, officials said. The United States, which upgraded relations with Hanoi last year and is Vietnam's top trading partner, reacted harshly. "No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities," a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Hanoi told Reuters when asked about the impact of the visit on ties with the United States. "If he is able to travel freely, it could normalize Russia's blatant violations of international law," the spokesperson added, referring to the invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued in March 2023 an arrest warrant for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Vietnam, Russia and the U.S. are not members of the ICC. The European Union, another key economic partner for Vietnam, did not comment ahead of the visit, but it expressed dissatisfaction last month over Hanoi's decision to delay a meeting with the EU envoy on Russian sanctions - a delay that officials linked to preparations for Putin's visit. From Hanoi's perspective, the visit is meant "to demonstrate that Vietnam pursues a balanced foreign policy that does not favour any of the major powers," said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, after the country hosted Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in recent months. ENERGY, ARMS, TECH In his first state visit to Vietnam since 2017 and his fifth in total, Putin is expected to announce agreements in sectors including trade, investment, technology and education, two officials told Reuters, although that was subject to change. However, discussions with Vietnamese leaders are likely to focus on more sensitive issues, the officials said, declining to be identified as the matter was not public. Those talks would include arms, of which Russia has historically been Vietnam's top supplier; energy, with Russian companies operating in Vietnamese gas and oil fields in areas of the South China Sea claimed by China; and payments, as the two countries have struggled to carry out transactions because of U.S. sanctions on Russian banks, one of the officials said. It is not clear whether announcements on these topics will be made. "The main issues relate to shoring up economic and commercial ties, including arms sales," said Carl Thayer, a senior expert on Vietnam security at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. Putin and Vietnam's leaders will likely agree to work out rouble-dong currency transactions via the banking system to enable payment for goods and services, he said. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Stephen Coates, William Mallard and Michael Perry) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The University of Michigan and the City University of New York have fallen short in addressing recent incidents of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and antisemitic nature, the U.S. Education Department said on Monday. The department also reached resolutions with both universities over complaints of such incidents. The schools agreed to take some steps like re-opening some past complaints, reporting their results to the government, training personnel on how to respond to claims of discrimination and conducting more surveys to assess such discriminatory experiences, the Education Department said in a statement. These marked the first probes to be concluded among the several that were launched by the department since Oct. 7 after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel and Israel began its military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza. Some probes involved incidents from before the war began. The Education Department said the universities did not comply with the requirement to remedy a hostile environment. The incidents that were looked into ranged from threats reported by a Jewish student on social media to pro-Palestinian students reporting they were called "terrorists." The universities confirmed the resolution agreement and said they opposed all kinds of discrimination and harassment. Advocacy groups say that incidents of hate and bias against Jews, Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States, Israel's key ally, have gone up amid the war. Alarming U.S. incidents include the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American child in Illinois, the November shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man in Texas. A former Cornell University student pleaded guilty in April to posting online threats, including of death and violence, against Jewish students on campus. There have also been allegations of alarming rhetoric in some recent college campus protests. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's eight-month-old assault on the Gaza Strip, Gaza health officials say. The war has also displaced nearly the entire 2.3 million population there, caused widespread hunger and led to genocide allegations that Israel denies. Israel's assault followed Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people with 250 others abducted, according to Israeli tallies. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci) US soldier tells Russian court he did not threaten to kill his girlfriend (Reuters) -U.S. soldier Gordon Black pleaded not guilty in a Russian court on Monday to charges of threatening to kill his girlfriend but admitted he was "partially" guilty of stealing from her, Russian state media said. Black, arrested last month in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, is one of at least a dozen Americans currently held in Russia on criminal charges, at a time of acute tension between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine. RIA news agency said the soldier, speaking through an interpreter, "partially" acknowledged his guilt on the charge of stealing 10,000 roubles ($113) from his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk's purse but said that "there was no intent". On the other charge, Black denies the accusation that he grabbed Vashchuk by the neck during a quarrel, causing her to fear for her life. RIA said Vashchuk testified that Black need psychiatric help, not heavy punishment, and that she was not willing to reconcile with him because she had not received compensation. Another state news agency, TASS, quoted Vashchuk as saying that Black had been aggressive to her more than once. The pair had met in South Korea, where Black was stationed. The Pentagon has said that he broke army rules by travelling to Russia without authorisation, having passed through China. Black has a wife and child in Texas. His wife Megan told Reuters last month that he and Vashchuk had a tempestuous relationship and that once, during a video call, she and her daughter saw Vashchuk pull a knife on Black and leave him with a bloodied face. Black's mother, Melody Jones, told Reuters he had followed his girlfriend to Russia even though they "fought like cats and dogs". Regarding the theft charge, TASS quoted Black as saying in court that he had transferred a total of over $500 to Vashchuk via an acquaintance before he was arrested - much more than the amount he was alleged to have stolen. TASS quoted Vashchuk as saying he had also contributed most of the cost of an apartment where they had been staying. Black said he had transferred about 300,000 roubles to her before he arrived in Vladivostok from South Korea. Both sides will present arguments in court at the next session on June 19, where Black will have a chance to make a concluding statement. ($1 = 88.50 roubles) (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Angus MacSwan) By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a bid by Nvidia to scuttle a securities fraud lawsuit accusing the artificial intelligence chipmaker of misleading investors about how much of its sales went to the volatile cryptocurrency industry. The justices took up Nvidia's appeal made after a lower court revived a proposed class action brought by shareholders in California against the company and its CEO Jensen Huang. The suit, led by the Stockholm, Sweden-based investment management firm E. Ohman J:or Fonder AB, seeks unspecified monetary damages. Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia is a high-flying company that has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom, and its market value has surged. In 2018, Nvidia's chips became popular for cryptomining, a process that involves performing complex math equations in order to secure cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. The plaintiffs in a 2018 lawsuit accused Nvidia and top company officials of violating a U.S. law called the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making statements in 2017 and 2018 that falsely downplayed how much of Nvidia's revenue growth came from crypto-related purchases. Those omissions misled investors and analysts who were interested in understanding the impact of cryptomining on Nvidia's business, the plaintiffs said. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. dismissed the lawsuit in 2021 but the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling subsequently revived it. The 9th Circuit found that the plaintiffs had adequately alleged that Huang made "false or misleading statements and did so knowingly or recklessly," allowing their case to proceed. Nvidia urged the justices to take up its appeal, arguing that the 9th Circuit's ruling would open the door to "abusive and speculative litigation." Nvidia in 2022 agreed to pay $5.5 million to U.S. authorities to settle charges that it did not properly disclose the impact of cryptomining on its gaming business. The justices agreed on June 10 to hear a similar bid by Meta's Facebook to dismiss a private securities fraud lawsuit accusing the social media platform of misleading investors in 2017 and 2018 about the misuse of its user data by the company and third parties. Facebook appealed after a lower court allowed a shareholder lawsuit led by Amalgamated Bank to proceed. The Supreme Court will hear the Nvidia and Facebook cases in its next term, which begins in October. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) House keys sitting on an eviction notice received in the mail. (Getty Images) In 2022, Utah had a rate of nearly 11 people experiencing homelessness per 10,000, a 3.7% increase from 2021 and a 22.5% increase from 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Thats below the national average of 18, notes a new report from the University of Utahs Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, but that doesnt mean Utahs homelessness problems arent sharpening. While rates of homelessness in Utah remain lower than the national average, chronic homelessness increased 96% from 2019 to 2023 and 27% in 2023 alone, states the report, up from 512 people in 2019 up to 1,004 in 2023. The institute conducted the research at the request of and with the support from the Utah Impact Partnership, a group of powerful philanthropists working with state and local leaders to improve Utahs homeless system. From 2020 to 2022, Utahs growth rate of individuals experiencing homelessness was up 13.6%, still below the national average of 20%, but higher than Idahos -13.7%, according to the report. Utahs rising housing costs which skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many states in the West saw an influx of homebuying are indeed part of the problem. In 2022, the number of Utahns experiencing homelessness for the first time hit 8,637, an increase of 821 people from 2021, according to the Utah Office of Homeless Services 2023 report. Another report by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released in 2023 estimated housing instability and homelessness threaten at least 40,000 extremely low-income renter households in Utah, with incomes of less than $24,000. Average Utah rental rates in Salt Lake County have steadily increased from $755 in 2010 to $1,623 in 2022, according to that report. A panel discussion hosted by the Kem C. Gardner Institute on Wednesday reviewed these statistics and discussed next steps for Utahs homeless system, with state and local leaders saying they need to focus on outcomes, or strategies that are proven to help move people out of homelessness. Homeless-FS-Jun2024 Evictions When the panel fielded audience questions, they were asked about how to prevent homelessness from occuring in the first place and the impact Utahs evictions laws can have on people who become homeless and stay homeless because of consequences of having evictions on their records, as well as increased costs they can incur because of evictions. One of the panelists, Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, whose father owns the Law Offices of Kirk A. Cullimore, which claims on its website it files more evictions than any other law firm in the state said Utah can always look at its eviction laws and policies and their impacts on homelessness, but he said the state is somewhere in the middle when compared to other states regarding pro-renter or pro-landlord policies. I would say, he said, at the state level, Utah is not the most tenant-friendly state, but were also not the most landlord-friendly state. Were somewhere in the middle. Last year, saying it was impossible to balance his legislative duties with the firm, Cullimore stepped away from his fathers law firm and said hed no longer handle evictions or collections cases, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. According to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utahs rental housing market has one of the lowest eviction rates in the nation. The states eviction rate was just under 1% in 2019 (about 2,700 renters), according to Princetons Eviction Lab. Often the legal process is terminated before an actual eviction occurs, but in terms of filings, Utah ranked 38th of 47 states with a 2.2% rate, or about 6,600 renters, according to the report. In Salt Lake County in 2022, 3,543 evictions were filed in Salt Lake County, according to a January 2023 report by the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. Utahs eviction laws In Utah, if a renter misses paying rent when its due, landlords can give a written notice that the tenant must pay within three business days, or vacate the property. If the tenant does not comply by either paying or moving within that time frame, the landlord can file an eviction. The landlord serves notice of the eviction filing along with a summons that requires the tenant to file an answer within three business days. If the tenant files an answer, then the court schedules a hearing. Utah law requires a renter who does not pay or move within the three-day period to pay treble damages, or triple for each day they remain in the rental unit. The tenant is also responsible for any back rent owed, plus attorneys fees and collection costs incurred during the eviction process. While a person can be evicted with just 3 days notice, an eviction can have lifelong impacts on a persons ability to secure and retain housing making them more likely to experience homelessness for longer time periods, stated the report, which gave an overview of Utah homelessness issues. The coalitions report also urged policymakers to review Utahs eviction laws to address inequitable access to safe and stable housing. When it comes to evictions, Utahs policies are among the least renter-friendly in the nation, a 2022 Utah Bar Foundation report states. Only two other states have a three-day pay or vacate window coupled with treble damages, which may be assessed in addition to any back rent owed, for residential evictions. Its worth noting that in 2022, the Utah Legislature passed HB359, a bill that streamlined the expungement process and allows a former renter to have their eviction case sealed as long as the balance due has been paid and the landlord doesnt object. Many landlords and collections attorneys actively use the expungement option to encourage renters to settle their debt and remove the eviction from their record, the Kem C. Gardner report states. This bill is meant to restore a tenants rental record and allow renters to find housing following a non-payment eviction. Not necessarily a direct factor Cullimore argued Utahs eviction policies are not necessarily a direct factor contributing to Utahs homelessness. People that are in apartment communities that do get evicted, certainly some probably end up homeless, Cullimore. But I wouldnt say that the vast majority of the population that are homeless arent necessarily the result of evictions. He and another panelist, Wayne Niederhauser, a former Utah Senate president who now serves as state homeless coordinator (the point person in Coxs administration orchestrating state actions around homelessness) said homelessness is a complex issue that captures a variety of different people, not just those who fall on hard economic times, but also people suffering from mental illness, substance abuse or other issues that contribute to their situations. Theres certainly policies that we can look at as a state, Cullimore said, but he pushed back on the idea that Utahs landlord-tenant laws are a direct causation of a lot of homelessness. Niederhauser said if someone is facing an eviction, somethings wrong. Its not the core issue, he said, arguing other factors can contribute to someones inability to pay their rent. Homelessness, Niederhauser said, is the catch-all for all of the problems in society. The post Utah homeless rates are increasing. How much are evictions to blame? appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. UVA senior sets a world record at Olympic trials and more Virginia headlines The state Capitol. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) A school board reinstated Confederate names. It split the community again.Washington Post Virginia hasnt backed a Republican for president in two decades. Is it about to flip?Wall Street Journal Court hears lawsuit challenging Fairfax County Public Schools gender-inclusive policies.WJLA Police: Man barricaded himself in bathroom with kids at Suffolk elementary school.WAVY Gretchen Walsh, a senior at Virginia, sets world record at Olympic trials.USA Today The post UVA senior sets a world record at Olympic trials and more Virginia headlines appeared first on Virginia Mercury. The Department of Veterans Affairs has added three rare cancers to its list of illnesses presumed to be caused by exposure to burn pits and other environmental toxins during the Persian Gulf War and post-9/11 combat operations. The VA announced Monday in the Federal Register that it has designated male breast cancer, urethral cancer and cancer of the paraurethral glands as presumptive diseases under the PACT Act, allowing affected veterans to file for expedited disability compensation and health care benefits. The additions follow similar moves in 2021 and 2022, when the VA added three common conditions -- asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis -- and nine rare respiratory cancers to the list of PACT Act-related conditions. Read Next: US Military's Troubled Gaza Aid Pier Mission Would Be Ended Under Proposals in Congress Since 2021, the VA has managed an internal effort to determine which illnesses should be presumed to be related to military service. With the new process, VA staff review available science and data, as well as veterans' claims data, to establish new presumptive conditions. "We are working with urgency to deliver on the promise of the PACT Act to provide health care and benefits to as many toxic-exposed veterans as possible -- we're leaning in wherever we can," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement Friday. "VA is working with one goal in mind: Getting today and tomorrow's veterans and their families the benefits they deserve as fast as possible." VA officials did not say how many veterans may be affected by the policy change. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,300 cases of male breast cancer were diagnosed across the U.S. in 2017, while urethral cancers account for 1% of all urological cancer diagnoses. The National Institutes of Health describes paraurethral gland cancers as "extremely rare." Under the new policy, veterans with the illnesses who deployed anywhere in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, including Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Uzbekistan, could be eligible for expedited benefits. According to the VA, veterans who have the newly added cancers -- or were previously diagnosed during their service or afterward -- will have their disability compensation backdated to Aug. 10, 2022, the date the PACT Act became law. VA officials added that the department will review all claims from veterans or their survivors that were previously filed for the conditions. Male breast cancer has been associated with tainted water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where veterans and family members were exposed to industrial solvents and other cancer-causing chemicals in their drinking water from the late 1950s through 1987. However, male breast cancer is not listed as a presumptive condition for Camp Lejeune claims. Instead, affected veterans or military dependents who develop it are eligible for health care through the VA and may file an individual compensation claim but must prove that their cancer was caused by living or working at the base. According to the VA, the department has approved more than 1 million PACT Act disability claims and awarded $5.7 billion in compensation to veterans or survivors. Related: Veterans, Advocates Want Blood Cancers Added to PACT Act List of Burn Pit-Related Conditions MANHATTAN (KSNT) The City of Manhattan announced several roadwork projects that will result in road and lane closures across the city. On Monday, June 17 the city announced on social media the Wastewater Division would be closing the southern eastbound lane of Anderson Avenue and the southern access to North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for sewer improvements. The closure is expected to last until Tuesday, June 25. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive will be closed to traffic from the north and will only be accessible from side streets to the south. Man found injured in Manhattan from apparent hit-and-run Eastbound traffic on Anderson Avenue will be unable to turn south on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and westbound traffic will be unable to turn south on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to the announcement. Photo provided courtesy of the City of Manhattan The City of Manhattan Street Division is also closing multiple lanes in the 1900 block of Casement Road for concrete panel replacements. Harvey Drive will be closed to traffic and accessible through a detour from Daisy Court to Dix Drive and then back to Harvey Drive. The closure is expected to remain in place through Friday, June 21. Kansas lawmakers law license suspended over conflicts of interest in murder case The city expects other temporary closures and detours along Casement Road while crews do concrete improvements over the summer. The work will require the use of temporary traffic signals, according to the city. Photo provided courtesy of the City of Manhattan. Shilling Construction started mill and overlay work on June 17 on North Manhattan Avenue between Bluemont Avenue and Old Claflin Road. The work is part of the North Manhattan Avenue pedestrian safety project, according to the city. A detour will be provided for North Manhattan Avenue starting at Bluemont Avenue then heading north on 11th Street then west on Claflin Road back to North Manhattan Avenue. The east-central part of the Kansas State University campus can be accessed from 11th Street via Ratone Street then south to Petticoat Lane. Hot and windy Monday, few storms midweek The city says the closure is expected to be in place until Friday, June 21. Photo provided courtesy of the City of Manhattan. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Migrants wait throughout the night Wednesday in a dust storm at Gate 42, on land between the Rio Grande and the border wall, hoping they will be processed by immigration authorities before the expiration of Title 42. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM) Five Venezuelan men being held in immigration detention in southern New Mexico say they were part of a group of asylum seekers put in solitary confinement after staging a hunger strike against the U.S. policy to send them to Mexico, where the men say they will face violence if they return. Immigration attorneys are asking the Department of Homeland Security to release the men and investigate the aftermath of the hunger strike in March at the Otero County Processing Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center run by private company Management and Training Corporation (MTC). Were not being treated as we should be, said Rounald Ricardo Silva Castaneda, a Venezuelan asylum seeker whos been held at Otero for nearly a year. At the end of the day, were humans, and until there is any kind of agreement for people to return to Venezuela, were going to be staying here, and it would be nice to stay in a place thats not treating us like that. In an interview with Source New Mexico, Castaneda said after the demonstration, he was put in a cell, two meters long by three steps wide. There was only a bunk bed and a toilet with a sink, he said. The cells appeared to be designed for one person, the attorneys wrote in a letter to federal officials, but several people were put in one solitary cell. This left Castaneda without any privacy while using the toilet or the phone, which guards had to pass through a small opening in the cell doors. On May 23, attorneys with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center (LAIAC) and ACLU-New Mexico asked federal officials to investigate allegations that ICE officers and Otero MTC guards violated nine separate ICE detention standards when they used solitary confinement in March and April to punish Venezuelan asylum seekers who took part in the hunger strike. The company running the detention center insists that their use of solitary is not abusive and instead is used for what prisons call administrative segregation or disciplinary segregation. Lawyers told DHS in the letter that the detention center put the five men in solitary confinement for participating with a group of Venezuelan asylum seekers who would not agree to be voluntarily removed to Mexico, based on their fear of harm in that country. The letter and attached testimonies detail how the detention center engaged in collective punishment, failed to follow custody classification requirements, failed to ensure decent living conditions, made inappropriate efforts to deter the hunger strike, retaliated against people for exercising their due process rights, discriminated against people based on their nationalities, and failed to respond to their grievances. Castanedas attorney Zoe Bowman said it feels like this use of solitary is intentionally trying to get people to just give up and leave the U.S., because people were sent to solitary almost immediately after they refused to go to Mexico. It seems like the officials who are doing this have to be aware of the impact that this is having on people because theyre the ones that are seeing them and interacting with them every day, Bowman said. 2024.05.23 Request for Investigation - Use of Solitary Confinement at Otero County Processing Facility.pdf Source New Mexico sent ICE a request for comment on the letter via email on June 12. ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa said that day she was seeking answers to our questions about the letter. As of Friday, she had not followed up. In response to our questions, a spokesperson for Management & Training Corporation denied their use of solitary is retaliation. The safety and well-being of the residents at the Otero County Processing Center is our top priority, said MTC spokesperson Emily Lawhead. The special management unit at the detention center is operated in full compliance with detention standards, she said. In their letter, LAIAC and ACLU-NM called on Homeland Security to release their clients and anyone else who faced retaliation, ensure no more retaliation, investigate the alleged abuses, and pursue accountability for any personnel and contractors involved. Leadhead said MTC have not formally responded to the letter but will provide ICE information relevant to the specific allegations as requested by ICE. They did not resist The asylum seekers staged the hunger strike on March 7. One said in a sworn statement that after the group refused to eat breakfast and lunch, he saw a guard physically harm another hunger striker in the yard, pushing him to the ground, beating and kicking him. A guard told the hunger strikers to return to their barracks, and when they didnt immediately comply, they were put in handcuffs and taken to solitary without a hearing or further information, the lawyers wrote. They did not resist, the witness said. One person would not get out of solitary confinement for the next 45 days. Around March 28, ICE officers spoke to a group of Venezuelan men who had already received final orders of removal by immigration judges, including Castaneda. They told them they had the option to sign a form saying they would be returned to Mexico, and if they agreed, they would be released from detention. This was part of ICEs broader effort to deport Venezuelan asylum seekers not to their home country but to places in Mexico that are potentially dangerous for people migrating. The Venezuelans had removal orders but the U.S. couldnt remove them to Venezuela, because of a breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two countries. Three of LAIACs clients refused, saying they were afraid of future harm in Mexico, according to the letter. The ICE officers left, and returned on April 1 with some Otero MTC guards, and together they entered two pods where there were many Venezuelans with removal orders. One by one, officials called asylum seekers names, including Castanedas. LAIACs clients estimate between 18 and 27 people were taken to a hallway, handcuffed, and put in solitary without explanation, the attorneys wrote. One of LAIACs clients was let out of solitary after one day, on April 2. A captain and lieutenant who escorted him back to his room asked him if he had any information about a hunger strike, the attorneys wrote. MTC declined to comment on specific matters involving individual people or specific reasons why anyone may have been placed in solitary. Lawheaad said the company denies anyone was placed in solitary in violation of detention standards or in retaliation for the hunger strike. Under the standards, absent particular safety and security concerns, people in solitary receive the same privileges as those housed in the general population, Lawhead said. MTC denies anyones due process or other constitutional rights were violated, Lawhead said. They also deny the conditions in the unit do not meet the required detention standards. MTC also refutes the allegation in the records that people held in solitary are denied phone and other privileges, Lawhead said. Castaneda said he was kept in the cell for three days, and only let out one time for 30 minutes to get sunlight and fresh air. He said there was food and drinking water in the cell, but the food was served cold, at unusual times. He said the cell was extremely cold, and the thin sheet they gave him was not enough to keep him warm. Castaneda said he thought he was abused and treated inhumanely. He reported what happened to a Department of Homeland Security human rights line. Castaneda said what keeps him motivated is hearing from his five-year-old son and his mother, who have been asking him to return to Venezuela. What makes me keep going is my mom, for her to be aware that Im still alive, and that I will be there someday Castaneda said. And for my son to grow, and maybe one day, when the situation in my country is a little better, I can go back and be with him. The post Venezuelan asylum seekers placed in solitary in retaliation for hunger strike, attorneys say appeared first on Source New Mexico. Very shocking: Victim of VIN cloning scam paid $40,000 for a stolen car A 2019 Toyota 4Runner was supposed to be Maril Bauters retirement ride. It was clean, no accidents, she said. But Maril was hit head-on by a fraudster. The scam is called VIN cloning, and it can cost you cash and your car. Vin cloning is when a scammer steals the vehicle identification number from a legit car and places it on one thats stolen. Then they try to sell it. There was no way for her to know that this was actually a stolen car, said Lt. Jason Hicks, who investigates cloned VIN cases for the Washington State Patrol. Back in December 2021, Maril found the SUV on Facebook Marketplace and contacted the scammer, who was quick to send the VIN. She did her homework and checked both the VIN & the Carfax. It all matched. You know, everything matched up. The title, the VIN number, the name, said Maril. Only then did she fly to Portland to buy the SUV and do a $40,000 cash deal at a branch of her bank. Furthermore, when Maril took her bogus title to a licensing agency in Blaine, no one stopped her from getting the title or the tabs. Christine Anthony is with the Department of Licensing. Yeah, the system didnt work like it was supposed to, she said. Her car was registered for almost three years before she learned it had been stolen. The report says the SUV was stolen from a car dealership in Vancouver, Washington. And the VIN was copied from a vehicle with a similar make and model near Portland. Whoever did this went above and beyond whats normally done in these situations to obtain that fraudulent title, said Lt. Jason Hicks. This year, the car was seized because it was a stolen vehicle. It was very shocking, said Maril. I had bought new tires and new rims, and, I mean, I was making it my forever car, and I just had to walk away. Now, shes worried her insurance company wont pay the claim. I kept going higher and higher in the company, and they just kept telling me, you have no claim. After our sister station in Seattle contacted Farmers Insurance, a spokesperson said they were investigating the case. A few weeks later, Maril said, Farmers finally paid my claim today. After all this, they said no, no, no, they finally came through. Farmers says, After a thorough investigation, we have paid our customer for this loss. The company says it cares deeply about its customers claims. How can you protect yourself? Make sure everything, including the year, matches the Carfax or other vehicle history report. Also get your car inspected before by a mechanic before you buy. There are other spots on the car where the VIN is found. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW RENSSELAER, N.Y. (WTEN) U.S. Army veteran Edward Thomas Ryan died at the age of 85 on June 1 in Albany, New York. In his obituary, the retired colonel revealed a secret that hed kept hidden for decades. I must tell you one more thing, Ryan wrote. I was Gay all my life: thru grade school, thru High School, thru College, thru Life. I was in a loving and caring relationship with Paul Cavagnaro of North Greenbush. He was the love of my life. We had 25 great years together. Paul died in 1994 from a medical Procedure gone wrong. Ill be buried next to Paul. Im sorry for not having the courage to come out as Gay. I was afraid of being ostracized: by Family, Friends, and Co-Workers. Seeing how people like me were treated, I just could not do it. Now that my secret is known, Ill forever Rest in Peace, he continued. Ryan served in Vietnam at a time when being gay in the military was grounds for dishonorable discharge and a forfeit of the right to receive most veterans benefits. It wasnt until 1994, the same year that Ryans longtime partner Paul died, that the U.S. adopted Dont Ask, Dont Tell. In 2011, that policy was repealed, prohibiting discrimination against anyone for their sexual orientation in the armed forces. Lucky to be here: Gordon Ramsay speaks out after really bad cycling accident Thomas Tiernan served in the Rensselaer Fire Department with Ryan for over 10 years. Rensselaer is located just 2 miles away from Albany. Tiernan said the colonel would do anything for anybody. He also said he was surprised by the note in Ryans obituary, but he insisted that it doesnt change the way he thinks about his friend. People have a right to live the way they want to live, Tiernan said. I never judge people. Most of the people that I worked with at the firehouse wouldnt judge either. The two maintained a friendship on Facebook through the years, and Tiernan said their mutual friends on the social media site were happy that Ryan got to share his final message. I think theyre all proud, Tiernan said. Just imagine what it was for him not to be able to say anything. When asked if he thought the brigade of firefighters who worked at the station all those years ago would have been okay with the news, Tiernan replied, Everybody accepted Ed because he was Ed. I think it would have went okay. Thomas understands why Ryan kept his personal life private, hiding his secret in the military. It would have been mind boggling, Thomas said. American tourist found dead on small Greek island; 3 other tourists still missing Rensselaer Mayor Michael Stammel, who is married to Ryans niece, Cathy, reiterated sentiments about the colonels kind heart. He would do anything for his family. All you had to do was pick up the phone. If you needed Ed Thomas, Ed Thomas was there for you, said Stammel. Stammel said that, among family members, there hasnt been much talk of the note. For me, it was not a surprise. You know, most of his nieces and nephew, that I know of anyway, sure had some sort of inkling or knew that. But again, whats private is private, and thats the way it should always be, he explained. Did he ever come out and tell me or did I ever ask him? No. We had so much respect for Eddie Ryan that never would we broach such a discussion, he added. I think thats the way it should always be. Why should it be anybody elses business unless they want to share it? Why is there a Bible in your hotel room? Rensselaer City Fire Department Chief William Brooking had known Ryan and his family for most of his life. He emphasized the importance of acceptance. Im not sure of the exact community from which he felt unsafe, Brooking said. I know our firefighters that are here today, when we show up, were here to help you. Whatever your situation is, were here to mitigate it and be on our way. Were not here to judge or characterize anybody for who they are and what they do. Brooking also remembered Thomas as a dapper guy. Whether it be 2 in the morning or afternoon, his hair was never out of place, he said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Virginias primary elections are Tuesday. Heres what to know before heading to the polls. Primary elections are Tuesday. Races on the ballot in Hampton Roads include a Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat, and Democratic primaries for the 1st Congressional District and 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Virginia law allows residents to vote in only one political party primary election when multiple political party primary elections are held on the same day. Voters must decide which ballot they would like to receive. This decision will not register voters with that party. Here is a rundown of what voters should know before heading to the polls. The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2024 primary election voter guide Who is on the ballot Five Republicans are running in the Senate primary. They are Hung Cao, Edward Eddie Garcia Jr., Jonathan Emord, C.L. Chuck Smith, Jr., and Scott Parkinson. The 1st Congressional District includes portions of suburban Richmond down through York and James City counties, Williamsburg and Poquoson. Leslie Mehta and Herbert Jones Jr. are the Democrats on the ballot. The winner will face Republican Rep. Rob Wittman in November. The 2nd Congressional District spans the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Franklin. Missy Cotter Smasal and Jeremiah Jake Denton IV will vie for the Democratic nomination. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in November. ___ Eligibility May 28 was the deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration. However, voters can still register through Election Day and vote using a provisional ballot. ___ Polling hours and locations Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can cast ballots as long as they are in line by 7 p.m. Voters can check their polling location at vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation. ___ What to bring Voters must provide an acceptable form of identification or sign a statement, subject to felony penalties, asserting they are the registered voter who they claim to be. Voters who do not present acceptable identification or sign this statement must vote with a provisional ballot. Some examples of acceptable identification include a Virginia drivers license, U.S. passport or a U.S. military ID. The full list is available at elections.virginia.gov/media/formswarehouse/voter-id/outreach-materials/documents/Voter-Identification-ChartRevised-08.23.2023.pdf. ___ Voting accessibility options Voters who are 65 or older or voters with a disability can have a ballot brought to their vehicle. This is called curbside voting. To vote curbside, voters should make sure to use a designated parking space at the polling location and follow the instructions on any signage. Voters who require support to read or complete forms can bring an assistant with them or ask an election official for help. Virginia polling places must offer a range of accessibility features, including accessible parking spaces and entry ways, sufficient space for voters in wheelchairs, notepads to communicate in writing and a magnifier for election material and the ballot. Those who believe their rights to accessible voting were violated can submit a voter complaint online or contact the Virginia Department of Elections at 804-335-6445 or email adavoter@elections.virginia.gov. ___ Mail-in and absentee ballots Absentee ballots can be returned to the local registrars office or a drop-off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the registrars office by 12 p.m. on the third day following the election. ___ Problems at the polls If a voter meets the requirements to vote but is being denied, they can ask an election official to contact the voter registrars office before leaving the polling place. Voters can also call the Virginia Department of Elections at 800-552-9745. Voters have the right to cast a provisional ballot if their name does not appear on the voter list, but they believe it should. The department administers a formal grievance process under the Help America Vote Act for voters who believe that their voting rights have been violated. Voters must fill out a complaint form within 10 days of the incident, have it notarized and mail it to the deputy commissioner. ___ Election results The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press will post results online Tuesday evening as they become available. Look for results from the election in Thursdays print editions. Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com (Getty Images) Julia Resil is leaving Virginia. At this stage in her career, the chapter of being a medical resident is naturally coming to a close and she will move on to become an attending physician in Rhode Island. Resil has spent the past three years at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, in Southwest Virginia. Shes excited that shell be closer to her family in Boston and nearer to metropolitan areas, though practicing family medicine in a rural area was attractive to her as a medical resident. Family medicine practice can include obstetrics the delivery of babies and the exodus of doctors like Resil comes at a time where several rural hospitals in Virginia have suspended their obstetrics programs. Within the past year, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital, Sovah Health in Martinsville and LewisGale Hospital-Montgomery in Blacksburg have stopped offering obstetrics. President of Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital Dr. Brian Zwoyer said that there was a 33% decrease in births there over the past five years. In a recent email, he attributed this to changing demographics, aging populations and a national declining birth rate. With hospitals already less accessible in rural areas of the state than urban areas, Resil noted that patients end up traveling further for check-up appointments or to give birth. And as you get closer to your due date, you have more appointments, Resil said. About 15% of people in Virginia dont have a birthing hospital within a 30-minute drive, according to a report from the March of Dimes. Danville-based doula Roshay Richardson works with clients around Virginias South Side and occasionally some from North Carolina. She said that shes seen patients travel to Danville from elsewhere to give birth and wonders how much of a strain that could put on labor and delivery doctors with an uptick in clients. Richardson works with the Virginia Rural Health Association, which advocates to lawmakers about rural healthcare needs. While doulas arent obstetricians, they provide companionship and patient advocacy to their clients. A U.S. Department of Health study noted doulas role in positive health outcomes and theyve been particularly helpful for Black parents. Likewise, Resil described a patient traveling about three hours because they wanted to see a doctor of color. Resil is among a diverse cohort of medical residents in a predominantly white part of the state. They were a little bit scared because they had providers that were white in the past and they felt uncomfortable because they felt like they werent being heard, Resil said of the patient. As a woman of color with family from Haiti, Resil knows this feeling. She shared that anecdotally, she and members of her family have felt this way when theyve gone to the doctor. Then seeing that in some of my patients. Theyve been hopping around from doctor to doctor saying something is wrong but I cant figure it out; but no one is listening to me, Resil said. And then we find out, oh yeah, there is. Lets make sure we get you to the high-risk OB-GYN. OB-GYN care can be deadly at times, with pregnancy-related medical emergencies that can arise suddenly. Such was the case for Wendy Welchs friend. Welch, director of the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium, described how a friend developed eclampsia. The pregnancy-related blood pressure disorder is life threatening and her friend had to be flown to a different hospital across the state line and into an urban area. This saved her life, but also resulted in much higher medical bills. She explained that her friend was unconscious when loaded onto a flight and then woke up about $30,000 in debt. A funding boost Money is both an issue and a solution, Welch explained. Her nonprofit organization works to help cover costs of bringing medical residents into Virginia. Welch said that lower population density and declining birth rates has meant theres not enough people for the hospital system to consider (obstetrics) profitable. But funding positions could help. Most OB-GYN residencies are in other areas of the state, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Though family medicine residents can work with pregnant clients, OB-GYN residents are more specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. (Rural areas) get screwed, Welch said. To catch a unicorn to catch someone whos that valuable and knows theyre that valuable, you need a whole lot of stuff to attract them now. If theyre a kayaker or their mom is in Southwest Virginia, youve got them, but if not, how are you going to get them here? Lawmakers have secured funding in the state budget that they hope can bolster medical residencies. Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery and Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles pressed for one million over the next two years to fund 10 obstetric-gynecological residents. Two positions are specifically earmarked for Johnston Memorial, where Resil has worked in family medicine. The matter is also personal to Obenshain, whose wife had to travel to give birth to their child recently when the LewisGale hospital near them stopped labor and delivery services. He felt lucky that there is a cluster of hospitals in his portion of Southwest Virginia, but he noted how other parts of Southwest Virginia and South Side have less options. Its a much bigger issue when a hospital doesnt provide these services anymore, Obenshain said. Maternal health legislation Virginia legislators in both parties worked on a variety of bills this year to improve maternal health outcomes. Some proposals, like a requirement for health insurance coverage of doulas, were signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Meanwhile, he vetoed a proposal to include unconscious bias and cultural competency training when renewing medical licenses. Black people are more likely to experience negative maternal health outcomes, in part, due to providers racial bias, according to a study. Black women are also more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Women whose skin is darker than my wifes skin have significantly worse outcomes, Sen. Chris Head, R-Botetourt, said during a floor speech while defending the bill in the Senate. Something needs to be examined and done about that. Head had carried the bill with three Democratic lawmakers who are also Black women: Sens. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg; Mamie Locke, D-Hampton; and Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William. Though he ultimately vetoed the bill, Youngkin had first sought amendments that advocates for the bill worried made the training just a checked box. Youngkin signaled interest in working on more maternal health legislation so the bill could come up again next year. In the meantime, new cohorts of medical residents will cycle through Virginia and state agencies are set to use the new budget funding to recruit some with OB-GYN specialties. While Resil has been able to bring her perspective as a practitioner of color to rural Virginia, she has lessons learned from the more hands-on experience that she will take with her when she leaves. I have made countless house calls to people, and I know thats something I would probably not do in Boston, back home, she said. Being able to see how people are living, you can get a better idea of a family. She said she plans to be more inquisitive with her patients going forward as a result. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Virginias state budget will fund OB-GYN medical residencies amid obstetrics closures appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Vladimir Putin to meet Kim Jong-un in first visit to North Korea for 24 years Vladimir Putin met Kim Jong-un outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, Russia, in September last year - VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/AP Vladimir Putin is heading to North Korea on Tuesday for a rare state visit as millions of shells for his war in Ukraine head in the other direction. The Russian leader will arrive in Pyongyang at the head of a large delegation that includes Andrey Belousov, his new defence chief, and Sergey Lavrov, the veteran foreign minister, Russian officials have said. Russian state media reported that a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty may be signed between Putin and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, during the trip. The two autocrats have been deepening relations and trade in weapons since Moscow invaded Ukraine. They are set to discuss security, economy, energy, and transport issues according to the official communique. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines foreign minister, said Putin and Kims growing relationship was a lonely bromance. Satellite imagery from recent weeks shows what looks like preparations being made in the North Korean capital for a large military parade, while the runway at the capitals airport has also been cleared of aircraft, according to the website NKNews. The visit is rattling nerves in South Korea and in the West, with democratic states warning that North Korea has turned into a vital arms supplier to Moscow, as Russia seeks to sustain its draining war of attrition against Ukraine. Undermines peace and stability Ahead of official confirmation of the meeting last week, South Korea said that it had made an emergency call to Washington expressing its concern at the deepening military cooperation that violates UN Security Council resolutions and undermines peace and stability. Western intelligence agencies have made claims, denied by both Pyongyang and Moscow, that North Korea is shipping huge quantities of ammunition across the Sea of Japan to a port in the remote east of Russia. US intelligence have published satellite imagery they says shows containers being shipped from North Korea to the Russian port of Dunay before being taken on a 6,000 mile train trip to near the Ukrainian border. North Korea is believed to be sitting on one of the largest ammunition stores in the world, most of which is compatible with Russian artillery due to the countries historic Cold War military cooperation. UN Security Council resolutions which Russia has signed up to prohibit arms deals with North Korea. Ghost ships shuttling on a 110-mile journey between the two countries coasts have their transmitters turned off, heightening fears that they are engaged in sanctions-busting activity. The defence ministry in Seoul estimates the value of munitions supplied so far by North Korea to be valued at over 4 billion. South Koreas defence minister said last week that North Korea has sent containers to Russia that could hold nearly 5 million artillery shells. Putin made his last state visit to Pyongyang shortly after coming to power in 2000, when he signed a treaty of friendship with Kims father, Kim Jong-il. After years of arms-length relations though, the two countries have been thrown together by Russias invasion of Ukraine which has largely isolated it across the globe. Developing our bilateral relations The potential for developing our bilateral relations is very deep, Dmirty Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said last week, according to Interfax. We believe that our right to develop good relations with our neighbours should not cause concern to anyone and cannot and should not be disputed by anyone. In September, Kim visited the east of Russia on a five-day visit in his iconic armoured train. During the trip he met Putin at a Russian spaceport where the two men are believed to have agreed to intensify military cooperation. While few details of the meeting were made official, Moscow could be supplying Pyongyang with know-how for its satellite programme in return. Putin also gave his reclusive Korean counterpart a luxury Aurus Senat limousine at the beginning of this year. The gift would appear to be in contravention of a UN resolution sanctioning the export of luxury goods to North Korea as punishment for its nuclear testing programme. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A "Vote Here sign," with black lettering on a white background, stands in front of a build. A man in a blue shirt in the background enters. People enter a voting precinct to vote in the Michigan primary election at Trombly School Aug. 7, 2018 in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Voters in parts of Birmingham will choose a Democratic nominee for the Alabama House in a special election Tuesday. Six Democrats are seeking their partys nomination in House District 22. One Republican, Carlos Crum, qualified for the seat. A run-off, if needed, will be held July 16. In separate interviews, candidates focused on education, health care and community safety. The Democratic candidate who wins either with 50% in the primary or in the run-off will face Crum in the general election on Oct. 1. The seat was held by Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, who resigned from the House in March after pleading guilty to charges of wire and mail fraud and obstruction of justice. Rogers, first elected in 1982, was the longest serving representative in the chamber. The seat is likely to favor a Democratic candidate. The last time a Republican ran in the district was in 2014, when Rogers got almost 77% of the vote against Republican nominee Phillip Bahakel, an attorney. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Dedra Campbell Age: 49 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Zoning inspector Education: B.A., Information Management and Technology, Herzing University, 2006; J.D., Miles College, 2017. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee member Campbell said she wants to work to build affordable housing; improve access to health care, particularly reproductive care for women, and improve community safety. From what Ive been seeing when Im out knocking on doors, people want to feel safe, they want to be healthy, and they want to live in safe communities, Campbell said. Campbell said she supported legislative efforts like HB 494, sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, which would provide Medicaid coverage for prenatal care. Campbell said that Alabamas high infant mortality rate, particularly among Black infants, underscores the need for improved health care access. Campbell said she would look for opportunities to work with Republicans, who control both chambers of the Legislature, but said she would oppose harmful legislation. I understand it is the Republican trifecta, she said. That they have a stronghold in almost every area of government in this state, but I dont believe that means you just lie down and take whatever they give. As a mother, Campbell said she feels a personal responsibility to advocate for future generations. We have to create a future for our children. What kind of future are we leaving for them? she asked, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change, economic stability, and access to education. Kelvin Datcher Age: 54 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Deputy Director of Community Development, Birmingham Education: B.A., Political Science, Gettysburg College, 1992. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: First time candidate Datcher said he wants to improve education, expand health care access and improve community development. Education is far and away number one for me, he said. Datcher said he would advocate for increased teacher pay; reduced classroom sizes, and dedicated funding for arts and music programs. He proposed a substantial investment in public schools, suggesting that Alabama should prioritize super schools over super prisons. What weve seen is that we have the ability to find resources when theres a will and a commitment to do it, he said. He also wants Birmingham to keep growing economically. He said that Birmingham is well positioned between four highways and a robust health care and biotech industry, and he would like to keep working with the state to attract large-scale projects to the region. Health care is another priority, he said, with a focus on expanding access to care by using Medicaid expansion dollars to buy private insurance for the uninsured population. A healthy workforce would bring economic benefits, he said, and it would appeal to Republican lawmakers focused on economic development. There are multiple ways to get to the same destination. For me, I believe that expanding health care access is a moral imperative. I think its an obligation that we have to our fellow residents, Datcher said. Eric Major Age: 56 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Owner of Absolute Solutions Education: A.A., Jefferson State Community College; B.A., Political Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2015; J.D., Birmingham School of Law, 2022. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: Alabama House of Representatives, District 55, 1998-2006; candidate, Jefferson County Commission, 2007. Major said he has deep roots in the districts commitment to addressing critical issues such as crime, health care and education. He said crime is an issue, particularly in Birmingham. Major said that he would be open to giving other entities policing power, such as university law enforcement, to keep communities safe. You cant do business, economic development, or education or going in the area, unless you have a safe community, Major said. Major also said that health care and education are concerns. He supports Medicaid expansion, saying people in the district need accessible health care. Major said there is an economic benefit to providing health insurance. It has economic benefits, because the cost of poor health is not just costing a lot, but also theres a business cost, so people are not being able to go to work because of their health care conditions, Major said. On education, Major said there should be targeted program funding to train people for health care work. He also said he was open to providing public funding for homeschooling and private education, adding that the current system is not delivering satisfactory results for some. I think that for people that do alternative ways of education, there needs to be some level of funding available for them as well, he said. LaTonya Millhouse Age: 53 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Community relations manager, Oak Street Health Education: Associate degree, Business Management, Herzing College, 1989; B.A., Political Science, Western Kentucky University, 1998. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: Candidate, Alabama House of Representatives District 52, 2022; Candidate, Birmingham City Council, District 6, 2019. Millhouse, a community activist and former nonprofit leader, said if elected, she would address issues in health care, housing and grandparents rights. I think weve identified the problems over and over again. We need a strong leader that we can trust, thats going to work on solutions on day one, she said in a phone interview. Millhouse also cited the lack of starter home programs and the abundance of dilapidated properties. She proposed working with local churches and nonprofits to rebuild these properties, promote homeownership and economic growth. Now youre clearing off the blight, you create homeownership, which in turn, builds economic wealth. Okay, so my goal is to take back our community, one house at a time, she said. Millhouse said there is an urgent need for Medicaid expansion, which she believes will bring more jobs and stimulate millions of dollars. She said a cousin of hers who had a heart attack had a 45-minute drive to the hospital. Millhouse hopes to build bipartisan support for Medicaid expansion by making health care issues relatable to other lawmakers. The best way to be able to come together on an issue is to figure out how it relates to me every day, she said. Millhouse also said she would advocate for legislation that grants grandparents visitation rights and prioritizes them in custody cases, ensuring children can remain with a grandparent during crises. Eyrika Parker Age: 50 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Jefferson County treasurer Education: B.A., Criminal Justice, Japanese minor, University of South Alabama, 1998; J.D. Louisiana State University, 2002. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: Candidate, Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, 2018; Jefferson County Treasurer, 2020-present. Parker said she wants to galvanize Medicaid, especially after surviving six strokes. She said she supports publicly funded health care for all. I believe Medicaid should be paid for everyone, not just the impoverished, but for everyone, she said. Parker, who serves as the treasurer for Jefferson County, said she comes from a family of politicians and that running for office is a family thing. Like many other candidates, she wants to increase funding for public safety. If you can get more cops or any entity to just do more for the community, do that, Parker said. She said that with a Republican supermajority, she wouldnt talk to Republicans as a whole, but talk to each one individually to get legislation passed. I have no idea what Id say, but I just know when I get there, Id have something to say, she said. Frank Woodson Age: 62 Residence: Birmingham Occupation: Nonprofit executive Education: B.A., Communication Arts and English, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1984. Party: Democratic Previous political experience: First time candidate After working in management at UPS, Woodson started the nonprofit Mission Alabama, aiming to improve the quality of life in underserved communities. Working in the communities, Woodson said he grew frustrated with policies from the state government that adversely affected Alabamians. When I saw that government was not a tool that was being used as well as it could be to improve the lives of the underserved and the low to moderate income families, then I wanted to make a difference, Woodson said. He identified community safety as a priority, saying that when he is campaigning, seniors are afraid to go outside of their homes. They are basically locked in their houses, he said. He said that crime in Birmingham should be a concern for everyone in Alabama, and that it could very well go beyond the cities. Our cities are the mountain peaks of society, and just like when the snow melts, it flows downhill. The problems that are in the cities today will be in the suburbs tomorrow and in the rural areas the day after, he said. He also proposed a rental property inspection program, saying that blighted properties are a concern in his district. Woodson would require some properties to be registered and maintained to standards, funded by an annual inspection fee. He said this could help with heir properties as well as Section 8 properties. We can pass a rental property inspection program that requires properties in which a homestead is not being claimed, to be registered in the local cities, and that those properties be kept up to international property code standards. No boarded windows or anything like that, he said. Carlos Crum Party: Republican Attempts to set up interviews with Carlos Crum were unsuccessful. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post A voters guide to the Alabama House District 52 race appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Voters in Harris County head to the polls again this week in the runoff election to determine who will sit on the county appraisal board. We havent even reached November, and this is already Harris Countys fourth election. This pattern repeats itself across Texas. Counties and cities hold election after election. The effects of this system are clear: Low voter turnout in local elections, more opportunity for manipulation by special interests, greater resources required, and an increased burden on election officials. Its time for Texas to change that by consolidating local and state elections into a true, uniform election date. The effects of numerous elections include low voter turnout and other unfavorable consequences. (Credit: Mikala Compton/American-Statesman) Texans are familiar with typical elections for federal, statewide and county offices that take place in even-numbered years in November. These elections generate the most turnout. But there are far more for city officials, school boards, hospital boards, various utility district boards, bonds, and more. And that doesnt include elections in the event of a vacancy, runoff, or emergency vote. Some of Texas largest counties have administered more than 12 elections between 2022 and today. Each election requires weeks of early and mail voting, forcing overworked counties to turn from election to election without skipping a beat. Interestingly, its lesser-known local elections that most directly impact everyday life. Many are off-cycle elections, when voter turnout is dependably low and fewer votes can swing the pendulum one way or another. Just last month, a Leander City Council runoff was decided by only four votes. Though Leanders population is 87,902, only 4,461 ballots were cast in that election and even fewer4,350were cast in that city council contest which decided who would be entrusted with decisions on city policy, community safety, the tax rate and more. The runoff for two seats on the Harris County Appraisal Districts Board of Directors is currently in progress. Electing officers to this board is new for Texans, and important. But turnout is expected to be low. The election preceding this runoff saw a meager 2.18% voter turnout in an election that could ultimately influence how property taxes are assessed for the county. This is not unusual. Last May, just 9 voters approved issuing $31 million in bonds in a Harris County Municipal Utility District election. Bonds that will ultimately be paid by levying property taxes on the residents of that district. An unfortunate effect of these off-cycle local elections is the greater power they give to special interest groups. Lower turnout also increases the potential for elected officials to be less representative of the preferences held by a majority of their constituents. Local governments should be accountable to whole communities, but these low turnout races help ensure well-funded and organized interest groups have outsized sway. Though often overlooked, repeated elections place an incredible burden on election officials and require significant resources. Elections are expensive and take careful planning. With election official turnover rates above the national average, and endemic national and statewide struggles to find enough poll workers to staff voting locations, the current model is not practical or cost-effective. High turnover can contribute to inexperienced election officials that make serious missteps in election processes. Increased workload and a quick turnaround between multiple elections can result in shortcuts or mistakes. All of this is detrimental to public confidence in our elections. The answer is to move toward a routine calendar for elections, where anything other than a primary or certain special elections is placed on a single November election date. This gives voters more opportunity to vote on issues and candidates that affect their daily lives, lessens the influence of special interests, boosts voter turnout, and lessens the load on election officials. Election season is out of season. Its time we give Texans a better path to representative government. Doyer is the legal policy director for Honest Elections Project Action. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Voter overload in Harris County? Time to make election dates uniform. Convicted killer Wade Wilson emerged last week as an adoptee, a "storyteller", a burglar and bent on destruction. Wilson's biological father of a Fort Myers man convicted in 2019 killings of two Cape Coral women said he initially believed his son was telling him a fictional story when he narrated the slayings during a phone call where he admitted he was a killer. Wilson, 30, recently of Fort Myers, who grew up in Tallahassee before moving to Lee County, was convicted of first-degree murders of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43; the grand theft of Melton's car; battery on Melissa Montanez, 41; burglary of a dwelling belonging to Kent Amlin or Fannie Amlin; and petty theft from Kent Amlin or Fanny Amlin. Wilson has been incarcerated at the Lee County Jail since his Oct. 8, 2019, arrest. His former defense attorney, Young Tindall, died Nov. 12, 2022. A Lee County jury on Wednesday afternoon convicted Wade Wilson, 30, of first-degree murder. The jury reconvenes Thursday to determine whether he will face the death penalty. The second step of the capital murder trial, the penalty phase, is expected to last two days. If at least eight of the 12 jurors vote to recommend capital punishment, Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson may impose the death sentence. Joseph Zieler, 61, is the latest convicted Lee County killer to get the capital punishment following Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning's June 26, 2023, ruling. Defense attorneys Lee Hollander and Kevin Shirley did not call witnesses on Wilson's behalf. Wilson declined to testify after he consulted with his attorneys for about 15 minutes. How did Wade Wilson meet Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton? Melton decided to go to Buddha LIVE, 12701 McGregor Blvd., in Fort Myers, with a friend to listen to live music Oct. 6, 2019. Toward the end of the night, as Melton and Sailors walked to the upstairs bar, Sailors said, Wilson jumped into their path and introduced himself as "JR." Sailors said that after the live-music bar closed down for the night, she, Melton, Wilson and another man they had met that night, Jayson Shepard, 42, drove to Shepard's home, where they spent several hours. Wade Wilson trial: Guilty: Wade Wilson convicted of all counts in 2019 murders of Kristine Melton, Diane Ruiz Melton, Sailors and Wilson left the next morning and went to Melton's home.. Kristine Melton, 35, of Cape Coral, was murdered Oct. 7, 2019, by Wade Wilson, 30. Wilson choked Melton in her sleep after Sailors left and fled in her car. He headed to Fort Myers, where he assaulted Montanez, his ex-girlfriend. Wilson then returned to Cape Coral. As Ruiz walked to work, Wilson stopped and asked her for directions. Diane Ruiz's body was found in a field in Cape Coral on Oct. 10, 2019, four days after she was reported missing. Ruiz got into Wilson's car, where he strangled her before drove over her between 10 and 20 times until she died. An act he gleefully relived describing it to his father. Who was Wade Wilson? Wilson's biological father, Steven Testasecca, 46, of Lakeland, said his level of contact with his son has been "sporadic" over the years. Testasecca said Wilson contacted him when he became of age. He and Wilson's mother were both teenagers when she became pregnant; Wilson was placed for adoption. The testimony did not reveal who raised Wilson or other life details. Wade Wilson narrated the slayings to his biological father Testasecca said he received a call from Wilson on Oct. 7, 2019, while he was at work. According to Testasecca, Wilson asked for help and said he did something he could not take back. "He said, 'I'm a killer,'" Testasecca said, adding he did not believe Wilson initially. Testasecca asked that Wilson call him later in the evening. At least two other calls followed. It was not until a 10 p.m. call that Testasecca began to think what Wilson was saying could be true, he testified. Testasecca said Wilson did not show remorse. "He's a good storyteller," Testasecca said. Testasecca said that during the latter of the calls, which he placed on speaker with his biological mother listening in and relaying the information to law enforcement, Wilson detailed the killings. Testasecca said Wilson confessed to choking Melton after she went to sleep. Testasecca testified Wilson confessed to stopping Ruiz for directions before she got into the car and he choked her while he drove. According to Testasecca's testimony, Wilson said Ruiz was still breathing before he repeatedly ran her over. "He was excited," Testasecca said, adding Wilson said he wanted to make Ruiz "look like spaghetti." "He was wanting me to feel the same way he was feeling." Testasecca said he initially wanted to help Wilson, but his perspective changed when Wilson began delving into detailed recounts of the slayings. "What if that was my mom?" Testasecca asked. "He would've done it again." How did Steven Testasecca lead authorities to Wade Wilson? Trying to get Wilson to cooperate, Testasecca said, he asked him for his location while the call remained on speaker. Testasecca said he told his son he would send an Uber to his location. Home owner who left for Ohio says Wade Wilson was not welcome Fanny Amlin, 80, said she and her husband, Kent Amlin who did not testify had just traded in the Florida sun for the cooler Ohio temperatures when Wilson broke into their home Oct. 7, 2019. Fanny Amlin said the couple locked the house and left everything tidied up. When authorities found Wilson after Testasecca flagged them, Tuesday's testimony uncovered, they found White Claw alcoholic beverages in the home, as well as a belt and other clothing sitting on a table. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Wade Wilson was convicted of killing two women. What we know After a Missouri judge rejected an effort to strike down the states abortion ban on religious freedom grounds, the possibility of overturning the ban could hinge on a statewide vote in November. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser on Friday ruled against a lawsuit brought by more than a dozen progressive faith leaders who argued that state lawmakers imposed their religious beliefs on Missourians when they passed the ban. Fridays ruling came just more than a week before the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, which opened the door for Missouris near-total abortion ban. The Christian, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist leaders had sought a permanent injunction barring the state from enforcing the ban and a declaration that provisions of the law violated the state constitutions separation of church and state. Sengheiser disagreed and sided with the defendants, which included the state of Missouri. While the determination that life begins at conception may run counter to some religious beliefs, it is not itself necessarily a religious belief, Sengheiser wrote in the order. The lawsuit was part of a national trend from progressive religious leaders who are challenging statewide abortion bans on religious freedom grounds. Representatives for the plaintiffs have said that they could appeal Sengheisers decision or ask him to reconsider. However, the ruling emphasized the idea that a statewide vote may be abortion rights supporters best shot at striking down the ban. Missourians should take this decision as a wake-up call about the importance of this ballot measure, Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement. Fridays ruling comes as a coalition of Missouri abortion rights groups is mounting an ambitious campaign to overturn the ban through a statewide vote. The campaign last month turned in more than 380,000 petition signatures to put the measure on the ballot. If election officials verify the coalition has enough, Missourians will vote on the constitutional amendment in November. Despite pointing to the potential statewide vote, Laser added in her statement that the legal fight against the abortion ban isnt done and could also overturn the ban. Laser said that Sengheisers ruling makes clear that he thought the case was a close call and presents an extremely difficult question. But voters could answer all those difficult questions and restore reproductive and religious freedom in Missouri by passing the ballot measure, she said. K.M. Bell, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said that the faith leaders have three options: Ask Sengheiser to reconsider his decision, appeal the ruling with the Missouri Supreme Court or take no action and end the case. Whatever petitioners and the courts do next, if the people of Missouri vote yes on the Missouri Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment in November, that would also put an end to this case by overturning Missouris total abortion ban, Bell said. In a statement shortly after Fridays ruling, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a defendant in the case, championed Sengheisers ruling. He made no mention of the potential statewide vote. Today is a major win for women and their unborn children as a Missouri court sided with our office yet again in our efforts to defend the sanctity of life, said Bailey, a Republican. My office will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the unborn. Our children are worth the fight. The lawsuit, filed last year in St. Louis Circuit Court, argues the abortion ban forces lawmakers religious beliefs on Missourians and violates the separation of church and state. It was filed on behalf of 14 religious leaders from various Christian, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist denominations. The suit highlighted a slew of Missouri lawmakers who made religious comments in favor of enacting the ban in 2019, including Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, a Scott City Republican who was a member of the Missouri House at the time. I do truly understand the many, difficult choices that have been talked about today, but to me, God doesnt give us a choice in this area. He is the creator of life. And I, being made in his image and likeness, dont get to choose to take that away, no matter how that child came to be, Rehder said on the House floor in 2019. To me, life begins at conception, and my God doesnt give that option. In court last year, Kalli Joslin, an attorney for the plaintiffs, pointed to the religious motivations behind the ban. If a laws predominant purpose is to impose religious beliefs, that is clearly unconstitutional, Joslin said. While Missouri has grown staunchly Republican over the past decade, abortion rights remain popular in the state. Some anti-abortion Republicans have acknowledged that a majority of Missourians would likely vote to overturn the ban. A survey of likely Missouri voters released in March by Saint Louis University and British pollster YouGov found that 44% of Missourians supported the proposed ballot question while 37% disagreed. The remaining 19% said they were not sure, a percentage of voters that abortion rights supporters will have to tap into. Raasin McIntosh, the Downtown Austin Alliance's vice president of active urbanism, hugs Senior Vice President Bill Brice while speaking at the Downtown Austin Space Activation program's launch party Thursday. A new initiative from the Downtown Austin Alliance is connecting local creatives with vacant downtown spaces. The program, called Downtown Austin Space Activation, aims to bridge the gap between property owners whose unrented storefronts lie fallow and locals artists, entrepreneurs, dreamers who cant find a place to create. DASA works by linking unused spaces with creatives who have ideas about how to use them. A 'love letter' to Austins creatives Raasin McIntosh, DASAs founder, said the project grew from a desire to give Austin back to the artists who made it. Creatives are going through somewhat of a healing process right now, McIntosh said Thursday at a media opening for the new program. Theyre shut out. Austins tech boom has brought new economic opportunities but also soaring prices. The city is not affordable, McIntosh said. And creatives are leaving. As vice president of active urbanism at the Downtown Austin Alliance, she wanted to solve that pain point. DASA, Mcintosh said, is her love letter to the artists who put Austin on the map as a funked-out creative capital. Her message? We want you back. Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation staff members huddle before the launch party. The foundation has approved $30,000 for a microgrant to help local artists and entrepreneurs with the costs of participating in the program downtown. Not just affordable but very, very affordable DASAs unused storefronts will offer space to local artists and entrepreneurs at affordable rates. And not just affordable, but very, very affordable, McIntosh said. On top of that, DASA is working to get the activators free parking downtown the kind of small expense that makes a big difference over the course of weeks or months. For some, thatll be enough, but others might need more assistance. Thats why McIntosh wrote a microgrant for $30,000 the funding for which has already been approved, she said, by the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, in partnership with local organizations such as the nonprofit Future Front. The money from that grant is set to be available soon, and anybody can apply. Additional funding for DASAs operating costs will come from a combination of grant money, corporate sponsorships and individual contributions, according to the Downtown Austin Alliance. 'Endless possibilities of what we can do' Jenell Moffett, the Downtown Austin Alliance's chief impact officer, talks about the space activation program. In its infancy, McIntosh plans to focus on short-term activations, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Pop-up shops, art exhibitions and interactive performances are just a few of the potential experiences DASA envisions for the program. Theres just endless possibilities of what we can do in underutilized spaces, McIntosh said, beaming. One of the projects first partners local nonprofit DivInc will set up shop in DASAs first space at 506 Congress Ave. this month and continue through October. DASAs first collaboration with DivInc on Wednesday will feature a panel of leaders who specialize in tech, diversity, equity and inclusion. The Juneteenth opening marks a culmination of DivIncs and DASAs shared work to tear down barriers, McIntosh said. DivInc supports exclusively people of color and female entrepreneurs in tech. Since 2016, the nonprofit has assisted more than 110 startups through its accelerator program, co-founder and CEO Preston James said. James said he sees DASAs pilot year as an opportunity to fine-tune the project and as a way to foster Austin artists. I think its important to find that balance between, yes, were a heavy tech community and things are going gangbusters here, James said, but at the same time balance out with amazing creatives. That might sound strange coming from the CEO of a tech-centric organization, but James said the examples of other tech-heavy cities have shown him the importance of preserving Austins character. Creators have left, and there's no place for them, James said. We can learn from that. DASAs Congress Avenue location holds four private studios, which the activation team will use for artist residencies. The residencies will last six to eight weeks, culminating in a showcase. McIntosh imagines that some will center on specific themes and others will give artists free range to finish projects that had previously gone undone because of financial constraints. In addition to the space on Congress Avenue, nearby Central Presbyterian Church, at 200 E. Eighth St. will host experiences in partnership with the new initiative. As of this writing, the artists for DASA's residency program had yet to be chosen. McIntosh urged any and all creatives to apply. For more information, visit DASA online through the Downtown Austin Alliance website. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Downtown Austin Alliance connects creatives with vacant spaces States that receive federal funding are required to report prison and jail deaths to the U.S. Department of Justice (Darrin Klimek/Getty Images). The warden of Jefferson City Correctional Center, where four corrections officers were fired earlier this year following the investigation of a December death of an inmate, has been replaced. An acting warden has taken over for Doris Falkenrath, Karen Pojmann, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections, said in an email to The Independent. Falkenrath is no longer with the department, Pojmann wrote. Im not able to comment on the nature of or reasons for Warden Falkenraths separation from the department, she wrote. Falkenrath worked for the department since 1999 and previously held the position of warden at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center. Her last day was Thursday, Pojmann wrote. Othel Moore was 38 and being held in the Jefferson City Correctional Center when he died on the morning of Dec. 8. Prison activists at the time described a painful death where his pleas for help were ignored after he was placed in administrative confinement. The department launched an internal investigation, with a parallel inquiry conducted by the Cole County Sheriffs Department. The four correctional officers were fired in March because of their conduct at the time of Moores death but the department did not release any details about the terminations. Those investigations have been completed, said Andrew M. Stroth of Action Injury Law Group, one of the attorneys representing Moores family. He has not received all the reports, he said. Under (Falkenraths) command, Othel Moore was unjustifiably killed, Stroth said. We also believe that the officers that were terminated are responsible for the tragic and unjustified death of Otto Moore. According to accounts provided by Stroth and others, Moore was pepper sprayed, his head was covered with a hood and he was placed in restraints. He could be heard screaming that he could not breathe and inmates described seeing blood coming from his mouth and ears as he was removed from the cell. The family has not received the surveillance video it has demanded from the department nor has it received a full autopsy report on his death, Stroth said. The family is grateful that the warden has been terminated, that the officers involved have been terminated and we look forward to advancing their case in the courts, Stroth said. Activists tracking deaths in Missouri prisons have been increasingly trying to raise the alarm as deaths increase at the same time prison populations have declined. From 2012 to 2014, department data shows, there was an average of 31,442 incarcerated people in state prisons. Deaths averaged 89 per year. Over the period 2020 through 2022, with an average of 23,409 incarcerated people in state prisons, deaths averaged 122 per year. The numbers continue to increase, said Lori Curry of Missouri Prison Reform. She said Monday that her figures show 135 deaths in custody during 2023, up from 125 in 2024. Deaths attributed to accidental causes including drug overdoses have been a major factor driving the increase. So far this year, she said, there have been 66 deaths reported in Missouri prisons through May 31, a rate that would result in more than 150 deaths by the end of the year. Im glad there has been some accountability in this situation, Curry said. You know, there were some other employees that were fired that were more directly involved in the situation. However, there are still employees that I believe were involved or should have some accountability. Getting information about individual deaths in custody has been extremely difficult, even for family members of the deceased. Willa Hynes of St. Louis won a case in April where the Western District Court of Appeals found the department violated the Sunshine Law when it asserted that records of the death of her son, Jahi Hynes, in 2021 were inmate medical records protected from disclosure. Jahi Hynes was 27 when he hanged himself with a bedsheet in an isolation cell. We find there was substantial evidence from which the trial court could have found the DOC acted with the intent to achieve some purpose by violating the Sunshine Law, namely, to hinder Hynes from pursuing a potential civil claim against the DOC relating to her sons death, Judge Edward Ardini wrote. Willa Hynes has a wrongful death lawsuit against the department pending in Mississippi County, the location of the Southeast Missouri Correctional Center. Moore, who had been in prison for almost 19 years at the time of his death, was serving a 30-year sentence for second-degree domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. Moores family hasnt filed a lawsuit yet but it is coming, Stroth said. Its three law firms and a whole team of lawyers that are representing the Moore family, to pursue justice for this family, he said. The courts cant be the only way to implement changes in the department, Curry said. The corrections agency needs to take further actions to show it is serious about putting an end to unnatural deaths among people in custody, she said. I dont see accountability across the board in this situation, Curry said. The post Warden of Missouri prison replaced after investigation of inmate death appeared first on Missouri Independent. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Over a year after issuing an advisory on social media and kids mental health, the surgeon general is sounding the alarm once more. This time, it comes in the form of a new New York Times op-ed, in which Dr. Vivek Murthy said social media should come with a warning label literally. More from SheKnows Murthy is calling for a surgeon generals warning label on social media platforms, which would state that the sites are associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents and would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Murthys reasoning is simple: recent data shows that such warning labels work. He cites studies showing that the surgeon generals warning labels on tobacco products can increase awareness and change behavior, as well as a recent survey of Latino parents that found that 76 percent of participants would be more likely to take action with their children, including limiting or monitoring their social media use, with a warning label on social media sites. Murthys article also serves to emphasize that the mental health crisis among kids and teens has reached emergency status. And social media is playing a major role, to the point that he believes these sites should require a warning label like the kind used for tobacco products. On this point, the data is clear: social media use can double the risk of anxiety and depression among teens when used more than three hours a day, per studies, and research also shows that it often has a negative effect on teen body image too. The surgeon generals call to action is a welcome addition to the discussion of kids social media use, says SheKnows Parenting Advisory Council member Ana Homayoun, an educator, academic advisor, and the author of Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World. Im glad that the conversations around the harmful effects of social media are being considered so urgent and important now, Homayoun tells SheKnows. The Surgeon Generals warning can be seen as an effort to inform tween, teens, and their parents/caregivers of the potential harm that some users have experienced. Murthy cant establish a surgeon generals warning label on his own it requires congressional action, he says and he also notes that the label wouldnt make social media safer. He went on to reference last years advisory, which provided specific recommendations that would make social media safer for kids. Those measures would focus on preventing online harassment, abuse, and exploitation of kids and teens online, as well as limiting exposure to violent and sexual content, preventing sensitive data collection from kids, and restricting addictive features like notifications and autoplay. Those measures have yet to be put in place, and anyone familiar with the pace of legislative change knows not to hold their breath on that front. Even threats to the safety of our children are often not enough to spur federal action just look at the gun safety movement for proof. That said, Murthy also spotlights actions that parents can take to protect their kids from the worst parts of social media. For parents, he recommends: Creating phone-free zones around bedtime, meals, and social gatherings to safeguard their kids sleep and real-life connections Waiting until middle school to let kids on social media Establishing shared rules with other families to support each other and to keep kids on equal ground with friends Homayoun also has suggestions for parents looking to foster a healthy relationship between their kids and social media. These include: Know how your kids are spending their time online. Parents and caregivers should be actively aware of how their kids are spending time online, Homayoun says. This includes downloading and learning to use the same apps they use and coming from a place of curiosity, asking them questions about what theyre getting up to online without judging. Teens will be more open about their experiences if parents/caregivers foster an environment of open communication, she explains. Tailor rules and practices to your child. While Murthy encourages parents to establish guidelines with other families, Homayoun points out that what works for one family or one kid within a family may not work for another. Its great to join forces if you can, but if not, pay attention to what will actually work for your child. Some are far more naturally inclined to spend extensive amounts of time online, and it can affect their overall wellbeing, Homayoun explains. So, for parents and caregivers, knowing who their kid is and what time, structure, and support they need to make good decisions is key. Setting some dedicated offline time every day is a good place to start, she adds. Encourage kids to research the platforms they use. Ive long suggested that tweens and teens who want to use a new app or social media platform should have to research about it and write a full page report, Homayoun says. In the report, they can write about why the app was created, how it uses data, whether its had any privacy breaches, and what we know about its effect on mental health. Then, they should take time to think critically about if their use will support their personal and/or intellectual goals, Homayoun explains. Ive actually had students do this, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. For Homayoun, the idea is to help your kids think deeply about where theyre spending their time online, recognizing when it doesnt serve them or their mental health. Its another way to drive home how important this issue is, as is the surgeon generals call for a warning label on social media platforms. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids, Murthy wrote, so theres no excuse not to pull out all the stops, whether its at the level of the federal government or your own family. The surgeon generals warning label would be just one step. It would also, ideally, show parents and leaders just how serious this issue is in order to create real, lasting change on this issue. Before you go, check out our favorite affordable mental health apps: Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) In an op-ed in the New York Times, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for social media companies to set up warning labels on their apps and website, like those you see on cigarette boxes. He wrote their use is associated with significant mental health harms for kids. These harms to kids have got to stop, Julie Scelfo, Mother Against Media Addiction founder, said. Scelfo says this an important step forward. Spending endless hours on screens is not it, Scelfo said. Dr. Murthy said kids who spend more than three hours a day on social media deal with double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. Last summer, average daily use in that age group was just below five hours. If I had known the things I know now, I never would have allowed my children to have access to social media, Scelfo said. However, some critics say the surgeon general should focus on putting parents back in control. Putting warning labels is one step away from government controlled free speech, NetChoice VP Carl Szabo said. Szabo fears these warning labels will be too general. We have difficulty in our society even deciding what books are appropriate for our schools. Now youre going to tell me politicians are going to decide whats content and speech is appropriate on social media websites? Szabo said. The White House called the op-ed powerful. There are risks, making sure that parents are aware, making sure that kids are aware that there is a real risk, White House Press Secretary Karinne Jean-Pierre said. They refused to say whether President Biden supports a warning label. We want to see a bipartisan approach, Jean-Pierre said. The White House urged Congress to take action to protect kids 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC. Surgeon General wants warning labels for social media: We already have 'em for booze and cigarettes. So why not Instagram and TikTok? Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has a New York Times op-ed out today that calls for Congress "to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents." Such a label would serve to "regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe." "Faced with high levels of car-accident-related deaths in the mid- to late 20th century, lawmakers successfully demanded seatbelts, airbags, crash testing and a host of other measures that ultimately made cars safer," Murthy reasons. "This January the [Federal Aviation Administration] grounded about 170 planes when a door plug came off one Boeing 737 Max 9 while the plane was in the air. And the following month, a massive recall of dairy products was conducted because of a listeria contamination that claimed two lives," he notes. "Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food?" This is a flawed line. Of course, a body panel coming off a plane mid-flight, endangering passengers, is much more urgent than a teenager using social media and sometimes experiencing emotional harms from it. Of course, car crashes, which remain the second largest accident-fatality category in the U.S. and claim some 40,000 lives per year, are a more pressing harm worth solving via seatbelts and airbags than preteens feeling bad about themselves after scrolling for too long. "For too long, we have placed the entire burden of managing social media on the shoulders of parents and kids, despite the fact that these platforms are designed by some of the most talented engineers and designers in the world to maximize the amount of time that our kids spend on them," Murthy told CNN last year after he issued a 25-page advisory hitting many of the same notes as today's Times op-ed. He is correct that social media companies devote teams of engineers to optimizing the algorithm to push people to use the service more, but he's incorrect to frame it as a David and Goliath situation in which parents cannot be expected to do the hard work of actual parenting. Of course, some suggestions Murthy has are totally anodyne: schools should get phones out of the classroom, parents should get phones away from the dinner table, and children should probably not be allowed by their parents to get social media accounts until after middle school. But Murthy can't resist exaggerating the harms merely a few lines later. "One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it," writes Murthy. "That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social mediahelpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms." They're not helpless or alone. Proper parenting has always been within reach, if they can summon just a smidge of assertivenessand government has never made a good co-parent. Murthy seems to think that slapping a warning label on the problem will make it go away. But the parents who are most likely to guide their kids to be good stewards of technology didn't need these warning labels in the first place, and the kids and parents most likely to have tech-addiction problems aren't going to be swayed by a health bureaucrat's warning label. Scenes from Austin: Nice to be back home in the land of our stoner king. (Liz Wolfe) QUICK HITS On Friday evening, the House passed a bill that would automatically enroll men between the ages of 18 and 26 for the Selective Service, aka the draft. Related: "Conscription squads" are hunting Ukrainian draft-dodgers. OpenAI just appointed the former National Security Agency head, Paul Nakasone, to its board. "Nakasone is also joining OpenAI's new safety and security committeea group that's supposed to advise the full board on 'critical safety and security decisions' for its projects and operations," reports the Associated Press. But here's the kicker: "The safety group replaced an earlier safety team that was disbanded after several of its leaders quit." So the former NSA chief will be handling safety for one of the most important AI companies in the world, what could possibly go wrong? "The Greek coastguard has caused the deaths of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean over a three-year period, witnesses say, including nine who were deliberately thrown into the water," reports the BBC. Better late than never: This continues a very long pattern of the largest mainstream outlets catching up to thoughtful "heterodox" writers less beholden to kid-gloves takes on certain issues. In this case @NancyRomm beat the Times by a year and a half, but obviously wouldn't have been able to write this https://t.co/RpJDiPyeOo Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) June 16, 2024 The post WARNING: You Won't Like This New Label appeared first on Reason.com. The Washington Post has uncovered that Robert Winnett, the papers own soon-to-be executive editor, has ties to a man who admitted to using illegal tactics to obtain confidential information for another outlet. John Ford, once an aspiring actor, has admitted to using deceptive and unethical means to obtain information for Britains Sunday Times newspaper. When Ford was arrested by London police in 2010, he called Winnett to help him, after working together throughout the years, according to a Monday report in the Post. While in legal trouble, Winnett connected Ford with a lawyer, assuring him that his efforts to obtain confidential information would not be uncovered, Ford wrote in draft book chapters shared with the Post. Winnett, who is currently a deputy editor of the Telegraph, is poised to take over the executive editor role at the Post after the 2024 presidential election in November. He was appointed by CEO Will Lewis, who is also mentioned in Fords draft chapters. Winnett did not respond to the Posts request for comment which included a detailed list of questions about his connection to Ford. In one chapter, Ford details working with Winnett on many stories about business affairs, which was part of a broader arrangement with the Sunday Times. Ford was engaged in uncovering confidential information about the U.K. elite, including tactics like changing their bank passwords and calling government agencies with false personas to gain information. According to the Post, which reviewed Winnetts reporting for the Times, there is an apparent overlap between Fords book chapters and Winnetts work at the outlet. The Post has been embroiled in scandal since Will Lewis announced he would be bringing on Winnett as executive editor. Lewis was accused of using stolen phone records to assign stories as business editor at The Sunday Times. The continued turmoil at The Post came as Lewis works to course-correct recent losses $77 million in a year. The post Washington Post Self-Reports on Its Incoming Top Editors Involvement With Admitted Information Thief appeared first on TheWrap. The Washington Post's leaders are taking heat for journalism in Britain that wouldn't fly in the US FILE - People walk by the One Franklin Square Building, home of The Washington Post newspaper, in downtown Washington, Feb. 21, 2019. New leaders of The Washington Post are being haunted by their past, with ethical questions raised about their actions as journalists in London that illustrate very different press traditions in the United States and England. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) NEW YORK (AP) New leaders of The Washington Post are being haunted by their pasts, with ethical questions raised about their actions as journalists in London that illustrate very different press traditions in the United States and England. An extraordinary trio of stories over the weekend by The New York Times, NPR and the Post itself outline alleged involvement by Post publisher Will Lewis and Robert Winnett, his choice as a new editor, in wrongdoing involving London publications as much as two decades ago. The Post said on Monday that it had brought back its former senior managing editor to oversee the newspaper's coverage of the matter. Lewis took over as publisher earlier this year, with a mandate to turn around the financially-troubled newspaper. He announced a reorganization earlier this month where the Post's executive editor, Sally Buzbee, stepped down rather than accept a demotion. The coverage revealed Lewis' sensitivity about questions involving his role in a phone hacking scandal that rocked the British press while he was working there. Lewis has maintained that he was brought in by Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers to cooperate with authorities to clean up after the scandal. Plaintiffs in a civil case have charged him with destroying evidence, which he has denied. Differences between US and British journalism some of them big The public revelation of phone hacking in 2011 led to the closure of Rupert Murdochs News of the World tabloid and sparked a public inquiry into press practices that curbed some of the worst excesses. The British press has long been considered freewheeling in its pursuit of scoops, willing to tolerate behavior frowned upon by its American counterparts. For example, when Lewis and Winnett worked at The Daily Telegraph in 2009, they cooperated on stories about politicians' extravagant expense-account spending. They paid for data that revealed the spending, a reporting practice that would be considered a substantial ethical breach in the U.S. The Times reported on Saturday that both Lewis and Winnett worked on stories in the 2000s that appeared to be based on fraudulently obtained phone and business records. Both the Times and Post reported on a 2002 story article about British politicians who had sought to buy a Mercedes-Benz vehicle described as the Nazi's favorite limousine, based on information obtained by an actor who had faked a German accent to call a manufacturer who gave it to him. The Post story delved into Winnett's relationship with John Ford, the actor whose clandestine efforts helped uncover stories that included private financial dealings by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was allegedly adept in blagging, in which a person misrepresents themselves to persuade others to reveal confidential information. That's illegal under British law unless it can be shown the actions benefit the public. Headlined Incoming Post editor tied to self-described thief who claimed role in his reporting, it was among the newspaper's most popular stories on Monday. Winnett was chosen by Lewis to take over the Post's main newsroom after the presidential election. It was an unusually harsh story for a news organization to write about its own leadership. In announcing that Cameron Barr, who left his position last year, would supervise the reporting, the Post said that the publisher has no involvement or influence on our reporting. Other editors, including Buzbee's temporary replacement Matt Murray, will also look over stories produced by the media team. NPR's story details several of these issues, along with Winnett's supervision when he worked at the Sunday Times in London of a reporter, Claire Newell, who was hired as a temporary secretary in the U.K. Cabinet office, giving her access to sensitive documents that made their way back to the newspaper. Is this an unrecoverable situation for Post leadership? The Post said Lewis declined comment on the stories. Winnett, a deputy editor at the Telegraph in London, did not comment on the three most recent stories, and a message to the newspaper by The Associated Press was not immediately returned on Monday. Similarly silent: Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Post, who will ultimately decide whether this is a public relations and internal morale storm that he and the institution can weather. Not everyone is sure that he can, or should. The Washington Post is a great, great, great paper, and its greatness pushes the rest of us in the media world to do a better job, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote on X Monday. Yet its leadership is now tainted in ways that are unrecoverable; time won't heal the injury but let it fester. Lewis, a former publisher of The Wall Street Journal who is also vice chairman of the board at The Associated Press, has spent the past week trying to assure Post staff members that he understands and will live up to the ethical standards of American journalism. ___ Associated Press correspondent Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder. Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs held its first community-based grant award ceremony On Friday, June 14, The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) hosted its first Suicide Prevention Community Based Services Grant ceremony in Olympia. The ceremony recognized the Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center, in Chelan County for its work on providing suicide prevention and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) services to service members, veterans, and their families. The Warriors and Horses program uses horses sensitivities to help participants navigate internal processes and gain insights into group dynamics for collaboration, support, and trust. By recreating life experiences such as frustration, high stress, and relationship problems, the program helps foster resilience, WDVA said. The $11,000 grant allows nine service members and their families to complete the program and find solutions to the struggles they may be experiencing. More information on counseling services and wellness programs available to service members, veterans, and their families can be found on the WDVA website. Watch: Deputy jumps out of the way as driver hits patrol car Watch: Deputy jumps out of the way as driver hits patrol car DENVER (KDVR) On Friday, a deputy and a driver jumped out of the way just in time before a speeding driver crashed into the deputys patrol car. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office said Sgt. Cole Britton was helping a driver whose car broke down on Highway 71, about 26 miles south of Limon. Police: 11 taken to hospital after driver crashes into 4 vehicles Parker Road The driver was unable to move his vehicle out of the roadway, so Britton positioned his patrol car behind the disabled vehicle with the emergency lights on and directed traffic around. However, it didnt stop one driver from smashing into the back of the patrol car. Britton observed a motorist approaching rapidly and realized a collision was inevitable, the sheriffs office said in a post on Facebook. Britton and the driver he was assisting ran out of the way just in time before the other driver crashed into the patrol car. On Friday, June 14, 2024, a deputy and a driver jumped out of the way just in time when a speeding driver crashed into the deputys patrol car. (Lincoln County Sheriffs Office) On Friday, June 14, 2024, a deputy and a driver jumped out of the way just in time when a speeding driver crashed into the deputys patrol car. (Lincoln County Sheriffs Office) On Friday, June 14, 2024, a deputy and a driver jumped out of the way just in time when a speeding driver crashed into the deputys patrol car. (Lincoln County Sheriffs Office) The patrol car launched forward after the impact and narrowly missed the deputy and the bystander. Drivers are now required to move over for these cars The driver who it the patrol car was taken to a local hospital, the sheriffs office said, and the crash is being investigated by the Colorado State Patrol. 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. A water war is looming between Mexico and the US. Neither side will win Tensions are rising in a border dispute between the United States and Mexico. But this conflict is not about migration; its about water. Under an 80-year-old treaty, the United States and Mexico share waters from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande, respectively. But in the grip of severe drought and searing temperatures, Mexico has fallen far behind in deliveries, putting the countrys ability to meet its obligations in serious doubt. Some politicians say they cannot give what they do not have. Its a tough argument to swallow for farmers in South Texas, also struggling with a dearth of rain. They say the lack of water from Mexico is propelling them into crisis, leaving the future of farming in the balance. Some Texas leaders have called on the Biden administration to withhold aid from Mexico until it makes good on the shortfall. Both countries are staring down the prospect of another long, hot summer and many are pinning hopes on a storm to swell Mexicos drought-stricken rivers. Yet experts say the pray-for-rain approach is a risky, short-term strategy in the face of a knotty long-term problem. The conflict underscores the immense difficulties of navigating how to share shrinking water resources in a hotter, drier world. A river in decline Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico is required to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the US every five years from the Rio Grande, and the US to send 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River each year. One acre-foot is enough water to flood one acre of land a foot deep. It adds up to an enormous amount of water exchanged between the two countries: around 490 billion gallons from the US annually and 570 billion from Mexico each five year period. Mexico is falling far behind in its obligations, said Maria Elena Giner, the US commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, the bi-national body that oversees the treaty. Weve only gotten about a years worth of water and were already well into our fourth year, she told CNN. The current cycle ends in October 2025. The Rio Grande called the Rio Bravo in Mexico is one of North Americas longest rivers and flows roughly 1,900 miles from Colorados Rocky Mountains, weaving through three US and five Mexican states before ending its journey in the Gulf of Mexico. Years of over-extraction to serve farmers and booming populations, along with climate change-fueled heat and drought, have taken a toll. As heat drives snowpack loss in the mountains, the rivers flows are falling, said Alfonso Cortez Lara, a director at the College of the Northern Border. Roughly 200 miles of the Rio Grande, stretching from Fort Quitmen to Presidio, Texas, is known as the forgotten reach, where the riverbed is often bone-dry through the year. It is brought back to life further downstream by waters from the Rio Conchos in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the Rio Grandes largest tributary. The rivers unpredictability is the reason Mexicos commitments are based on five-year rather than annual cycles, Giner said. Therell be times of deficits and surplus. Shortfalls in one five-year cycle can be rolled over but have to be made up in the next, although the treaty has no enforcement mechanism. During the first few decades of the treaty, all went well. But from the early 1990s, something changed, said Giner. There was less water coming into the river. Just like the Colorado River deal between southwest US states, the Mexico-US treaty calculated water availability based on data from the first half of the 20th century. It foresaw short-term droughts, but not multi-year megadroughts. The dry bed of the Rio Grande in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 13, 2023. - Paul Ratje/Reuters Mexico ended two five-year cycles in deficit, from 1992 to 2002. This is where the first time we really had these heightened political tensions between the two (countries) regarding water, said Vianey Rueda, a researcher at the University of Michigan who specializes in the 1944 water treaty. Now, nearing another five year cycle, Mexico is facing a similar situation. Only this time its more intense, Rueda said. The water delivery system has stayed the same, but the water crisis has worsened. A confluence of factors has fed into this crisis. Demand for water shot up as development along the Rio Grande soared. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect in 1994, led to an explosion of farms and maquiladoras (factories) in Mexico, many growing and making products destined for US and Canadian markets. Both sides of the border urbanized and populations increased. Underlying everything, the steady drumbeat of the climate crisis fuels more frequent and more prolonged heat and drought. You have treaties that were meant for a stable climate, but now are trying to be enforced in a climate that is not stable, Rueda said. Pain in both countries The water from Mexico goes to the Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs which straddle the border and provide water to homes as well and farms. Both reservoirs have slumped to historically low levels in mid-June, Amistad was at less than 26% capacity and Falcon was at only 9.9%. Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas are either out of water or running out of water quickly, said Brian Jones, a farmer who grows irrigated cotton, corn, sorghum and soybeans in Hidalgo County, Texas, and a board member of the Texas Farm Bureau. Low water deliveries from Mexico, combined with a dearth of rain in the region, are threatening the states citrus industry, Jones told CNN, but the situation is even worse for sugar. The sugar industry is lost to Texas and will never return, he said. The states only sugar mill, which employed more than 500 full-time and seasonal workers, shut in February after more than 50 years of operation. The mills owners, the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, blamed Mexico. For over 30 years, farmers in South Texas have been battling with Mexicos failure to comply with the provisions of the 1944 Water Treaty, it said in a news release announcing the closure. Some state leaders have demanded punitive measures. Mexicos lack of timely water deliveries puts all Texas agriculture at risk, Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican, said in February, calling on the Biden administration to hold Mexicos feet to the fire. De La Cruz, who also has the support of Ted Cruz and John Cornyn both Republicans representing Texas in the US Senate added language to the House of Representatives 2025 budget bill that would withhold aid for Mexico until it agrees to deliver on the water treaty. The bill cleared a procedural hurdle on Wednesday, although its uncertain whether it could amass enough votes to pass through Congress. The Falcon Reservoir in Starr County, Texas, on May 15. Water levels in the reservoir are very low. - Carlos Kosienski/Sipa USA/AP The pain of water scarcity is not one way. South of the border, people are also suffering. Mexico is enduring its most expansive and severe drought since 2011, affecting nearly 90% of the country. Water has become an increasingly fraught topic, with fears cities including Mexico City could be barreling toward a day zero, on which water runs dry. The situation is particularly dire in northern Mexico. The impact is reflected in very low levels of many of the dams in northern Mexico and even in the groundwater levels, said Victor Magana Rueda, a climate scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The entire state of Chihuahua has been in drought since February, with data from the end of May showing nearly 40% is in exceptional drought, the most severe designation. Not a single drop of rain has fallen in more than eight months, said Salvador Alcantar, a congressman in Chihuahua. Climate change is here to stay, we have to learn to deal with it. River water and groundwater supplies are fast diminishing and farmers have been suffering for years, he told CNN. Tensions reached a boiling point in 2020 after the Mexican government decided to release water from one of Chihuahuas dams to fulfill its water sharing obligations. Farmers protested in a confrontation that turned deadly when a woman was shot by the National Guard. Again Chihuahua is struggling. If there is no water, what can we realistically be expected to pay with? No-one can be forced to give away what they dont have, Alcantar said. Farmers clash with the Mexican National Guard during a protest against the decision to divert water from La Boquilla dam to the US, in Camargo, Chihuahua state, Mexico, September 8, 2020. - Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters A conflict with no winners The difficulty of reshaping 80-year-old water-sharing agreements is that theyve created reliance. People come to depend on water rights to develop industry, grow agriculture and build towns, said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. And once you have that reliance, it becomes extremely painful to change, she told CNN. A full renegotiation of the treaty is unlikely. Instead, amendments are agreed between the countries through a minute process. Minutes can encompass issues from data-sharing to water delivery changes. Discussions for a new minute aimed at making Mexicos water deliveries more reliable stalled at the end of last year, as Mexico focused on elections. Now that theyre over, with climate scientist Claudia Sheinbaum set to take office in October, negotiations are ramping up again, said Giner. Weve asked Mexico for a plan on how theyre going to meet their deficit right now. Some hopes lie in a tropical storm or active hurricane season. But its hard to predict when and where storms will hit and rain will land. To rely only on storms to reduce water scarcity would make Mexico totally exposed to what nature decides about our water future, UNAMs Magnana Rueda said. In the short term, if theres no water to distribute, theres nothing we can do, Giner said, but she remains positive. She is pushing for tools to build drought resilience and promote water conservation and efficiency. Sheinbaum, the president-elect, has committed to prioritizing water issues. But the US could also have a new president when the current five-year cycle ends in 2025, which could further complicate relations. Ultimately, there needs to be a recognition that water sharing agreements must adapt to a changing climate, Rueda said. Instead of seeing water as a zero-sum game, where one partys gain is contingent on the others loss, both sides should realize they are suffering the same thing because of climate change, she said. Then you start eliminating that zero-sum game, you start saying were both losing essentially. Nobodys actually winning. CNNs Brandon Miller and Jack Guy contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) made history Monday with a mass pardoning of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, a move he said would changes the lives of tens of thousands of Marylanders after the state legalized recreational cannabis last year. We know that legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by the war on drugs, Moore said during a pardoning ceremony at the State House on Monday. Legalization does not erase the fact that nearly half of all drug arrests in Maryland during the early 2000s were for cannabis; it doesnt erase the fact that Black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white Marylanders before legalization; it doesnt erase the fact that having a conviction on your record means a harder time with everything: everything from housing to employment to education. The pardoning, he said, represents a piece of working to address racial injustice in the state, which has led to devastating impacts on families of color. We cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if we do not address the consequences of criminalization, Moore said. Undoing decades of harm cannot happen in a day, but were going to keep up the work, Moore said. Moore shared the story of Shiloh Jordan, a Marylander in the room for the executive action. Jordan was convicted of a minor cannabis offense after he dropped out of college, Moore said. He was fired from a job on his second day after it was learned he had a drug conviction on his record but has since rebuilt his life. He now works with the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore helping others get back on their feet, the governor said. He spends his time now helping other Marylanders find their way, he said, gesturing to Jordan, who stood beaming nearby. Shiloh still has a cannabis conviction on his record. Today, that ends. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) also touted the impact of the mass pardoning and its racial implications. As a nation we have taken far too long to correct the injustices of a system that is supposed to be just for all, Brown said. While the order applies to all who meet its criteria, the impact is a triumphant victory for African Americans and other Marylanders of color who were disproportionately arrested, convicted and sentenced for actions yesterday that are lawful today. Plainly put, the enforcement of cannabis laws has not been colorblind. Its been unequal treatment under the law, he added. Marylands blanket pardon follows a similar one in Massachusetts in March, together representing two of the most sweeping such moves the nation has seen. 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. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) made sure to line up an equal number of lawmakers from each side of the aisle to serve as co-sponsors when they joined forces on a White House ethics bill last month. That careful balance soon fell apart, however, after three Democrats backed out of their previous commitments to support the bill vanishing, Porter said, after the White House reached out to her colleagues. That backing slipped away, she said, on the eve of the bills introduction as she was boarding a flight back to Washington, D.C. I was excited to come to Washington to introduce my bill. And was proud that I had found three senior Democratic co-sponsors. When I landed, I was really disappointed to learn that those co-sponsors had decided not to support the bill and had had conversations with the White House, Porter told The Hill. The White House declined to comment on the accusation, and two of the would-be sponsors denied being contacted by Biden administration associates. But the episode sheds new light on the unraveling of an effort to secure bipartisan backing for a bill that would mark a major legislative achievement for Comer the Republican leading the charge to investigate the Biden family. Lawmakers and other sources who spoke to The Hill said the three Democrats Reps. Ro Khanna (Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.) and Kweisi Mfume (Md.) abandoned their plans to sign on to the bill over concerns about both its content and the way it could be used against the Biden family going into the campaign. Its too partisan a tool to cudgel the president as opposed to a serious effort of bipartisan ethics reform, Khanna told The Hill when asked about his decision to drop off the bill. Khanna said he changed his mind after seeing the content of it and then seeing some of the statements that I thought would be used. I dont think it was bipartisan enough, he said, adding later, but I made the decision independently. No one called me. Mfume said he didnt get the real sense there was going to be enough bipartisan support on the bill. I wanted to see a larger bipartisan effort. I was under the belief that there would be, and when there wasnt, I just said, Let me step off, he told The Hill. But he added he got none absolutely zero pushback on the bill from the White House or allies. Krishnamoorthi declined to comment. The ethics legislation nonetheless got a lukewarm reception last month from the White House, which said it was always willing to consider Comers bright ideas. It otherwise stressed President Bidens existing disclosures and commitment to ethics. The bill from Comer and Porter would impose a series of disclosure requirements on both presidents and vice presidents, including on any foreign income earned either by themselves or their relatives. It would also require those top executives, once elected, to share their tax returns and to disclose any conflicts of interest. While it would represent a step forward for Oval Office transparency, some elements of the bill appear to be inspired by Comers investigation into the Biden family. For instance, it would require detailing any loans made to family members and documenting when immediate relatives join the president on Air Force One, including whether the travel was for business purposes. Both situations were raised by Republicans after Biden, while serving as vice president, loaned money to his brother and had his son accompany him on trips. Comer and Porter have made the rounds as a political odd couple, doing joint interviews on their legislation and promoting what they hope can be a bipartisan vehicle for imposing greater oversight on the White House. Porter said she hoped the tenor of that rollout would help allay the Democratic concerns that the bill is designed to target the Biden family. Mr. Comer and I did extensive publicity about the bill. And [during] all of that publicity both Mr. Comer and I took great pains to make clear that this is not about any future president, it is about having the right set of rules to restore trust in the executive, she said. The truth is, it is about restoring trust in government. Full stop. Comer said little when approached by The Hill about the swift loss of Democratic sponsors on the legislation, throwing his hands up as he said, Im trying to get a bill passed right now. But he said he had organized potential Republican bill sponsors from among the committees subcommittee chairs. I told my Republican members I would get as many co-sponsors as Katie got, because I want this to be truly bipartisan, because if its going to become law, its going to have to be bipartisan, right? So I said, If you get four, Ill get four. If you get none, I wont have any, Comer said. Comer has described the bill as a sincere effort, one that he promised since his very first days taking the reins of the Oversight Committee. Democrats do not view Comer as sincere, but rather as Congresss most prominent champion of the effort to impeach Biden. Its an investigation theyve lambasted from the beginning and have increasingly mocked as Republicans have failed to find a smoking gun to demonstrate Biden took any official action to benefit his family. Comer nonetheless pledged the investigation would lead to legislation to address influence peddling spawning the proposal he introduced with Porter last month. Tensions over the bill bubbled up as soon as it was rolled out. Comer and Porters plans to debut their bill spurred Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, to introduce his own legislation targeting foreign money the evening before their rollout. When I heard that Chairman Comer was putting out his bill, I thought it would be a good time to put out our proposal, he told The Wall Street Journal at the time. Raskins bill takes a different approach to addressing foreign money, bolstering the Emoluments Clause, which requires the president to get permission from Congress before accepting any funding from foreign governments. His legislation would add criminal penalties for those who skirt the constitutional requirement, something he said would address former President Trumps failure to do so while in office. Raskin has criticized Porter and Comers bill, calling it weak and arguing it should apply to candidates as well noting that Trump never released his own taxes. Porter, meanwhile, previously described Raskins bill as punitive. Despite the rocky rollout, some Democrats didnt foreclose the possibility that they could support Comer and Porters bill. The key issue in my mind is that when he was in the White House, Donald Trump crossed a really important line. He collected millions of dollars from foreign governments, and we need to reestablish the wall of separation between American political leaders and foreign government money, Raskin said. The proposal that Katie Porter worked out with Chairman Comer is a disclosure bill, which is OK, but it doesnt go remotely far enough because it doesnt apply to candidates. And if it applied to candidates, thats something that I could look at in conjunction with the emoluments legislation that we so desperately need. Khanna, who has pushed to ban stock trading for members of Congress, also said he could support the bill with proper amendments. Porter meanwhile has remained hopeful some colleagues will join her effort as the bill proceeds. Our job in Congress is to pass legislation that improves our government. This legislation does that. It is not to punish or reward friends or enemies. It is to pass legislation that improves the lives of the American people and improves our democracy, and this legislation meets that test. Thats why Im proud to support it, Porter said. I think thats the question people should be asking themselves. Not, Whos the sponsor? or Who wrote it? but instead, Is this legislation that would make our democracy stronger? And the answer is a clear, unqualified yes. 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 White House and former President Obamas team disputed the characterization that President Biden froze up on stage at a Los Angeles fundraiser and had to be led off the stage by the former president. The New York Post wrote about the video of Biden under the headline Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks LA fundraiser. Biden was in California on Saturday for a fundraiser that reportedly brought in more than $30 million, Mediaite reported. The event was hosted by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. At the end of the event, both Obama and Biden were leaving the stage, waving goodbye to the crowd. Obama grabs Biden by the hand and pats him on the back before they walk away. The Hill has reached out to the Biden-Harris campaign for comment, but senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates denied the New York Posts characterization of what happened. Fresh off being fact checked by at least 6 mainstream news organizations for lying about President Biden with cheap fakes, Rupert Murdochs sad little super pac, the New York Post, is back to disrespecting its readers and itself once again by pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong, Batess statement said. Their ethical standards could deal with a little unfreezing. In a post on the social media platform X, Eric Schultz, Obamas senior adviser, reposted the New York Posts article and said this did not happen. 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 White House on Monday blasted a string of altered videos that purported to show President Biden wandering or standing in a state of confusion, calling the footage bad faith and a sign of desperation from Bidens critics. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the recent spate of videos, which stemmed from Bidens trip to France earlier this month, his visit to Italy last week and his stop at a fundraiser Saturday. Jean-Pierre referenced a Washington Post article that called the footage cheap fake videos and said they were being spread in bad faith by right-wing critics of the president. It tells you everything that we need to know about how desperate Republicans are here, she said. And instead of talking about the presidents performance in office, and what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what hes been able to do for the American people across the country, were seeing these deepfakes, these manipulated videos, she continued. And it is, again, done in bad faith. Polling has long shown voters have concerns about Bidens age and cognitive ability to do the job as he seeks reelection at age 81, and the videos that spread in recent days served to feed into those concerns. The New York Post shared a clip last week that showed Biden with other Group of Seven (G7) leaders in Italy watching a skydiving demonstration. While the full view of the event showed Biden walking away to gesture toward one of the skydivers, the Post version of the video shows a narrower angle where its unclear who Biden is gesturing toward before the Italian prime minister nudges him back toward the group. A community note attached to the post on the social platform X points out the video had been cropped. Another New York Post clip focused on Biden standing on stage at a fundraiser with former President Obama and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The Post wrote about the video under the headline, Biden appears to freeze up, has to be led off stage by Obama at mega-bucks LA fundraiser. At the end of the event, both Obama and Biden were leaving the stage, waving goodbye to the crowd. Obama grabs Biden by the hand and pats him on the back before they walk away. But White House and Obama aides have both pushed back on the Posts characterization of events. In a post on X, Eric Schultz, Obamas senior adviser, reposted the New York Posts article and said this did not happen. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said the Post was pretending the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds is somehow wrong. Their ethical standards could deal with a little unfreezing. 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. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on conflict-related sexual violence during an event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Monday. Photo by Rod Lamkey /UPI June 17 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled new measures aimed at addressing sexual violence in armed military conflicts, including in the Middle East, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. "it is the responsibility of all of us governments, international organizations, civil society, and individual citizens to actively confront conflict-related sexual violence and to work to rid our world of this heinous crime," Harris said during an event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. "And to do what is necessary to hold perpetrators accountable." The initiative also will increase women's leadership through the Women, Peace and Security Incentive Fund, among others. "I especially thank the survivors and advocates that are with us today," Harris said. "You are fearless advocates in the fight for justice, and you remind us of the resilience of survivors." Harris, along with sexual violence survivors and experts on the topic, "condemned" conflict-related sexual violence and called for the international community to join the United States in advancing justice and accountability for this crime," a White House news release stated. Vice President Kamala Harris talks about conflict-related sexual violence during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Monday. Photo by Rod Lamkey /UPI At the event was Amit Soussana, who was abducted by Hamas from her home in Israel on Oct. 7 and released in March. Soussana describes her ordeal in Sheryl Sandberg's documentary film Screams Before Silence. The event included a partial screening of the film. Vice President Kamala Harris talks about sexual violence during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Monday. Photo by Rod Lamkey /UPI Harris said "women's bodies were found naked to the waist down, hands tied behind their back and shot in the head." Harris said that released hostages are revealing the sexual violence they endured in captivity. "These testimonies, I fear, will only increase as more hostages are released," she said. "We cannot look away, and we will not be silent. My heart breaks for all these survivors and their families." At Monday's event, the United States' first female vice president launched the Dignity in Documentation Initiative. The White House says the initiative will focus efforts on investigating and documenting conflict-related sexual violence in line with the Murad Code, which is named for Nobel Laureate and survivor Nadia Murad. Described as a "holistic program," it will be supported by a $10 million investment from the State Department and will "support justice for survivors by promoting accountability for crimes punishable under international law." The United Nations General Assembly on June 19, 2015, proclaimed June 19 of each year the "International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict" to raise awareness of "the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence," and to honor the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the globe, according to the United Nations. This year's International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict will focus on healthcare. The White House cites President Joe Biden's 2022 memorandum on promoting accountability for conflict-related sexual violence, which states that it is U.S. policy "to promote accountability for perpetrators of acts of" conflict-related sexual violence "through relevant existing sanctions authorities, where applicable, and to ensure that these authorities are used to the fullest extent possible to target perpetrators of acts of CRSV and their enablers." Harris outlined a series of administration actions that will be taken consistent with Biden's 2022 memo, including: incorporating gender-based violence prevention into humanitarian responses; supporting survivors of sexual violence in Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine; "expanding atrocity prevention"; increasing women's leadership roles in Sri Lanka and Sudan; supporting other U.N efforts and a series of sanctions on Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Iraq and Syria. A white mob in Ohio denied land to hundreds of former slaves, a lawmaker wants to right that wrong Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, standing next to the canal in New Bremen. (Photo by Nick Evans for Ohio Capital Journal.) During the height of summer in 1846, a mob of white Mercer County residents surrounded a group of nearly 400 Freedpeople whod just taken a boat up the Miami Canal to New Bremen. The former slaves had been traveling for more than a month, making a nearly 300-mile trek across Virginia and the Allegheny mountains on foot, before taking a boat to Cincinnati and following the canal north. The day before, the members of that mob had celebrated Independence Day. Now, they were posting guards around the Freedpeoples impromptu camp and warning them to post a $500 bond each or leave by 10 oclock the following morning. When the Randolph Freedpeople piled onto southbound canalboats, historian Gregory May describes, white men armed with muskets and bayonets followed them down the towpath out of Mercer County. Once across the county line, however, they didnt just disappear. The group settled in nearby counties and many of their descendants still live in Ohio. Now, Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, is calling on the state to right a historical wrong. He argues dispossessing the Freedpeople of their land deprived them of an essential economic foothold and the chance to build generational wealth for their descendants. How the journey began The Randolph Freedpeople get their name from their former owner, John Randolph. Born a few years before the Revolutionary War, he was the scion of Virginia nobility. Randolph spent more than two decades in the U.S. House, and served briefly in the U.S. Senate and as the American minister to Russia. His second cousin, Thomas Jefferson, dabbled in politics and diplomacy, too, not to mention architecture, before becoming the third president of the United States. The familys money came from tobacco, and that meant slaves. While Randolph opposed the idea of slavery, that didnt stop him from perpetuating it. He didnt free his own until his death. The problem is, Randolph wrote multiple wills and had a reputation for eccentricity. Disputes over his estate were tied up in court for more than a decade. Mays book, A Madmans Will, details that case and the Freedpeoples odyssey to Ohio. At the time, Virginia law required Freedpeople to leave the state. So, in addition to freeing his slaves, Randolphs will directed his executor to set aside money to purchase land and supplies for them as well as cover travel. Ohios laws werent very welcoming either. Despite being a free state, Ohio had Black codes requiring two landowners to post a $500 bond to ensure a Freedperson would not be a drain on public funds. As May explains, that was more than the cost of most farms at the time. When Randolphs executor, Virginia Judge William Leigh, came to Ohio scouting land, local leaders assured him those laws were rarely enforced. Leigh settled on Mercer County after hearing about a small but blossoming Black community there called Carthagena. The town was laid out in 1840 and, according to May, the place soon had a wagonmaker, blacksmith, mason, and tanner as well as weavers, shoemakers, barbers and even a hatter. In addition, Carthagena drew the interest of Quakers who set up an agricultural and mechanical trades school called the Emlen Institute nearby. Leigh purchased about 3,000 acres of land on which the Freedpeople were to settle, aiming for 40 acres per family with additional money for housing, tools and other supplies. Even before those purchases were complete, however, there was an inkling of the coming opposition. After hearing rumors about the land sales, state lawmakers passed resolutions to consider banning Black migrants outright. After the mob After being denied their land in Mercer County, the Freedpeople first set up camp on a large farm outside Piqua, Ohio. That city and the Miami County seat of Troy were better established settlements, with bustling commercial and industrial interests. White residents there didnt oppose the Freedpeople as vehemently because they could use the labor. Still, they werent welcomed with open arms. Those that settled in Piqua built homes across the river in an unincorporated settlement called Rossville. And while that boundary was porous and softened over time, Kris Lee said the distinction persisted. I was growing up in the 70s, he explained, but we knew our place. We knew what to say, we knew where we could go and couldnt go. Lee is one of the Randolph descendants and he grew up in Rossville. I lived up on the hill, he said, pointing up the road. With a broad grin, he described how their home had dirt floors and an outhouse, but he grew up happy. Lee is now the mayor of Piqua. Neither of my parents are alive today, but they would have been tickled pink, he said. A kid that was born in Rossville, a descendant of the Randolph slaves, is now mayor of the city of Piqua its a great story. Over the years, the people who settled in Rossville built a community, but they had to start from zero. As May writes, Leigh was eventually able to sell the Mercer County land, but what he was able to get for the Freedpeople was far less than the 40 acres he was aiming for. Instead of starting out in Ohio together, the group was spread out across two counties. And in places like Rossville, the Freedpeople often worked as domestic servants or manual laborers rather than working for themselves on their own land. Lee, a few other descendants and local historians met at the African Jackson Cemetery in Rossville last week. The sloping lawn has a few trees and a historical marker, but there are only a handful of headstones. There are about 130 people interred in the ground, Larry Hamilton explained. Hes a local historian and retired teacher who spent 30 years teaching Black history at Piqua High School. The headstones were vandalized, and people came through and kicked them over and all kinds of things happened, Paisha Thomas explained. Her seventh great-grandfather was Johnson Crowder, one of the Randolph Freedpeople, and she sits on the board of a group working to rehabilitate the cemetery. They recently received a $75,000 grant from Miami County to carry out that work. The restoration will restore the honor dignity of all of them, Thomas said. At least those that we know are buried here, Hamilton added. There may have been some burials that may not have been totally marked. Later, standing in the church she came to as a girl, Thomas explained my hope would be complete restoration, and an opportunity for the descendants of John Randolphs Freedpeople to experience land ownership at its fullest. I understand that this is America, she added, So I get that thats not going to be easy. I think, though, that we have already won because now everyone is aware of an erased story. Back to Mercer County Theres a park now at the New Bremen canal lock where the Freedpeople arrived back in 1846. A sculpture of a boy with a mule sits along the banks on the old towpath, and there are massive timber gates built to match the originals. Speaking on a small footbridge, Rep. Jarrells compared the incident to coming home from a vacation and finding some stranger had taken possession of your home. What if they were given what they rightfully deserved? he asked, How (much) further would they have been as a people? While Jarrells is unequivocal about the repugnance of what happened here, he struggles to wrap his arms around the magnitude of the injustice. The way he himself wrestles with how to respond highlights of the difficulty of the task hes set himself. The first step is acknowledging that it happened, Jarrells argued. He insisted simply putting up a historical marker doesnt cut it and wont relieve the cruelty of what occurred. But after acknowledging the incident, the states path gets complicated. The 3,200 acres Judge Leigh purchased amount to a scattered checkerboard of parcels near Carthagena, about eight miles west of New Bremen. Researchers contend its possible to track them down, but its not clear yet who owns them and what theyre doing with them. All the same, Jarrells argued, there has to be some land there that we own as a state. Could it be handed to a non-profit, he wonders aloud, to build a memorial or a museum? What about transferring title to a foundation that would rent it back to the state? The organization might use those dollars to provide scholarships for descendants or give them seed funding to start a business. Added to the challenge of tracking down land and settling on what to do with it is the question of finding descendants. Hamiltons guess? There are tens of thousands who could trace their heritage to those initial 383 freed people. Some of them might now even know it. Hamilton described the descendants of one Freedman named Henry Clay finding out only after getting their DNA tested. Clay was so light that his freedom papers described him as bright. And he was consequently able to pass, Hamilton explained. He entered the Civil War before Black people were actually able to enlist, and after the war, he didnt come back to Piqua, he went to Iowa. Clays descendants had never known his heritage, and theyd never heard of the Randolph Freedpeople story. Whats more, Jarrells faces the challenge of convincing Ohios conservative supermajority that its a good idea in the first place. In a written statement, Gov. Mike DeWines spokesman Dan Tierney said we have had initial conversations with him about this issue. We look forward to working with the representative on ideas to honor the legacy and history of the Randolph Freedpeople. But while the governors office lands somewhere close to supportive but noncommittal, Republican lawmakers have been less inclined to wrestle with the long tail of slavery. In current session, for instance, theyve have advanced legislation prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and altering curriculum to avoid divisive concepts. Jarrells rejected an argument that could come from critics of his idea, that correcting a historical wrong might look like other efforts to reckon with the impacts of systemic racism: reparations. Its not reparations, right? he insisted, Its about justice, because any other family who went through the same thing, they would have received it. Youre not giving somebody a handout, he went on. Youre giving them what they already had. I think that thats important to make sure we paint (that) in this conversation. This is what was already theirs in the first place. The aftermath Rather than burning off frustrations, the mob standoff in New Bremen only gave white residents license for further racial animus. After chasing off the Randolph Freedpeople, they turned on the Black residents already living in Mercer County. Gregory May describes how in August of 1846 local white leaders met and passed a resolution stating, every African American in the county was settled in violation of the bond requirement in the Black laws and contrary to the wishes of the white population. The assembly called for state laws outright prohibiting Black migrants in Ohio and warned Mercer Countys Black residents to leave by March 1 of the following year. We have fully determined that we will resist the settlement of Blacks and mulattos in this county to the full extent of our means, they wrote, the bayonet not excepted. A contemporary newspaper was quick to dismiss the assemblys concerns over bond as absurd, May noted. The combined value of their property was about $2,000, far less than the value of the land that belonged to the freedmen arriving from Virginia. The Randolph Freedpeoples story was later twisted into an argument for the futility of compensating newly emancipated slaves. In this telling, offered by a Mercer County congressman named William Mungen in 1868, the Randolph Freedpeople got their land. They got cattle, tools, provisions and money, too. They were no longer on the land, Mungen said, because they were too lazy to work it. That version of the story conflates the Randolph Freedpeople with the existing Black community near Carthagena, May writes, while conceal(ing) the white violence against Black settlers. A few miles down the road from New Bremen, a Carthagena graveyard, like Rossville, offers a stark physical reminder of racial divisions. Behind a church sits row upon row of well-kept headstones. A small black fence separates that graveyard from the scattered markers that make up the Carthagena Black Cemetery. Well, Hamilton said, these are the kinds of stark examples of discrimination and exclusionary kinds of behavior or conduct on the part of people who have been privileged, and think that they have been afforded a different station in life. Still, even if its detestable, Hamilton argued, its part of our history. And its important to acknowledge it, and try to document it and move on. And not repeat it, Jarrells added. Looking around the cemetery Paisha Thomas wrestles with what should be done. On the one hand, she believes descendants deserve something for 180-plus years worth of land ownership they lost out on. But on the other, the prospect of someone like her moving here is fraught. When they have to get groceries and do their living, she said, theyre going to be in a world that was intentionally set up for them to stay out. You know, I dont know, she said, surveying the rolling farmland nearby. I wouldnt want to live out here. But I wouldnt turn down the chance if I knew that I had protection. Looking forward Whether Jarrells proposal takes the form of handing over land or adding a line-item in the budget, there will be some who view it as unjust. Even if the Randolph Freedpeople were wronged, it may be argued that asking the current generation to pay for an earlier ones transgressions misplaces culpability. Its a familiar argument. It comes up anytime policymakers try to make good on past misdeeds. But atonement is possible. The federal government, for instance, compensated Japanese families interned during World War II. And while some neighbors might be affronted, Piqua mayor Kris Lees experience suggests others wouldnt. He explained the people of New Bremen have been nothing but receptive to him. Currently Im a part-time police officer in New Bremen, he said with a grin. The only Black officer there. Before becoming mayor of Piqua, Lee spent 22 years on the citys police force. After retiring in 2016, he picked up part-time work with the department in Anna, a few miles north, and wound up following his chief to New Bremen a few years later. Im a Randolph descendant and was denied property there, he chuckled, and here I am patrolling the streets. Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post A white mob in Ohio denied land to hundreds of former slaves, a lawmaker wants to right that wrong appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. This adapted excerpt is from "Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap" by Louise Story and Ebony Reed. Please see endnotes related to this excerpt in the book. More information can be found on the book's website and the book can be purchased here. In March 2011, a sheriff showed up at Michael Renders childhood home in Collier Heights the home where his grandmother had served him biscuits, history, and Black Power. The summons was for a claim that Michael wasnt paying all the child support for his two children. A few months after the summons, Michael filed for bankruptcy. He had $2,550 in assets and $78,008 in debt. In addition to the child support issue, he owed tens of thousands of dollars in income taxes on past earnings. Michael never publicly discussed his bankruptcy in detail, though he would say, I went broke, I failed, I was on my ass. In the song Ju$t on his 2020 album, he rapped, I get broke too many times. The rapper Killer Mikes period of personal financial struggles would inform his views on race and money. He knew what it was like to go bankrupt, to be underbanked, to rely on check-cashing shops, and to work for minimum wage at AutoZone. Many Americans are, in reality, broke. They have negative net worth, meaning their debts are bigger than their assets. I get broke too many times. Its a special kind of broke that leads people into bankruptcy court. Thats the broke that has no hope. Thats the broke that cant see how any amount of earnings will soon pay off those debts. Its a broke felt at times by people of all races, and bankruptcy exists as a rare example of mercy in the American system. But if people of one race have an easier time obtaining that mercy than people of another race, that can contribute to wealth gaps. An unequal bankruptcy system contributes to the Black-white wealth gap simply by being a benefit that is more easily obtained by white people. With the historical and present-day hurdles Black Americans face, one might predict a bankruptcy filing gap, with Black Americans filing more than white Americans. In fact, Black Americans have been represented among bankruptcy filers in roughly the same proportion as they are represented in the U.S. population. The gap appears instead in the outcomes of the cases: Black Americans are less than half as likely as white Americans to have their debts reorganized or relieved. This outcome difference has severe effects on Black wealth over time specifically for the 19% of Black families in 2019 that had negative wealth, versus the 8% of white families. All those families with negative wealth are prospects for bankruptcy... but they enter an unequal relief system. In 2011, Michael Render was among the people with negative wealth. Shortly after the sheriff went looking for him, he filed a bankruptcy case in Fulton County, Ga. For his assets, he listed a $200 pair of Nike sneakers, $300 worth of leather coats, $250 worth of blue jeans, and a $300 shotgun. He had owned a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe truck, but documents in the case noted that it had been repossessed. Michael also had some money in the bank: $1,200 in accounts at Chase Bank. He did not own a home. Michaels debts were substantial. He owed $47,032 to state and federal tax authorities for unpaid taxes on income from 2006 through 2010. He owed $17,716 on his old car note. And he listed the $13,260 he owed in child support. In all, Michael owed $75,458 more than he could pay off. This adapted excerpt is from "Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap" by Louise Story and Ebony Reed. Bankruptcy filings also include income and expense information. Michaels 2011 income was $2,200 a month, paid by his music manager, supplemented by $1,000 per month in unemployment benefits from his wife. Their monthly expenses were $1,648.45, including $860 in rent, $200 for transportation, $329 for food, and $119 for clothing. These figures look orderly on the page, but bankruptcy filings tend to come from complex personal stories. For Michael, the story revolved around child support. Like his own parents, he had become a parent at a young age. The filings and a related case in the local court system make clear that he wanted to be an involved father. In one of the cases in 2004, Michael filed for the right to see his children more often and to share in their custody. The agreement in that case outlined the child support payments he would make, but by 2011, he had fallen behind. Within two months of Michaels filing, the trustee on the case filed an objection to the repayment plan being created. The trustee pointed out that some of Michaels obligations (like child support) were not fully reflected. The trustee raised questions about potential future sources of income like voice-overs, which Michael had not mentioned in his filing; the trustee also said that Michael had failed to make a required court payment. And the trustee said the case should be dismissed because Michael had not included his nicknames Killer Mike and Mike Bigga in the filing. Two months later, the judge dismissed Michaels case, and no debt reorganization or relief was granted. The results of the bankruptcy system echo the experience Michael had Black Americans are less likely to end up with debt relief. While the bankruptcy system helps many Americans of all races, it helps white Americans more. The system is designed to give relief to people who fit a certain profile, Mechele Dickerson, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, has said. The people who benefit the most from the system, she said, are not going to be, in most instances, Black people. The system 'is designed to give relief to people who fit a certain profile.' Research has shown that Chapter 13 filings (more than Chapter 7, which is a faster process but one that does not allow people to keep their house) have a rocky road to success. Chapter 13 cases are dismissed if the judge does not find the information provided to be credible or if the individual filing does not manage to follow all the terms of the repayment plan. In Chapter 13, debt is restructured with some amount of it paid back over time, and the remaining debt is relieved only if the payment plan is completed. When someone drops out of a Chapter 13 payment plan, the original debt is left in place. And legal fees are still owed from the failed bankruptcy. Roughly two-thirds of people who file for Chapter 13 do not end up completing their repayment plans, according to research by Sara S. Greene of Duke University and other scholars. And race is more of a determining factor than the amount of the debt, having a job, or having had prior bankruptcies, the scholars found. Simply put, if a bankruptcy filer is Black, they are less likely to make it through the system and get relief from their debt. Why is this? One factor is the subjectivity in the decisions by bankruptcy judges and the recommendations from trustees. These people must answer questions like: Did this person stop payments for the Chapter 13 payment plan because of setbacks that were out of their control? Was their list of assets or debts incorrect due to a mistake or to fraud? And is this person realistically able to make the payments the court is setting? In Michael Renders case, the trustee raised questions in several areas, like Michaels car and voice-over work. In looking at trustees, scholars at the Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, and MIT compared the race of bankruptcy trustees, the race of filers, and then the outcome of the cases. They found that for Chapter 13 bankruptcies, Black people assigned to white trustees were far more likely to have their cases dismissed. In Michael Renders case, the trustee was white. So was the judge. In Atlanta as of 2023, no Chapter 13 trustees were Black. In 2021, the director of the U.S.Trustee Program, Clifford J. White III, acknowledged the lack of diversity among bankruptcy trustees. I think that all of us who have attended professional bankruptcy conferences can agree that the lack of diversity is apparent, he said. Michael Render likely found Chapter 13 appealing because of his child support woes. Congress has said that child support debt cannot be forgiven in bankruptcy; its too important. That means that in a Chapter 7 process, theres no option to restructure child support debt. A parent simply must pay immediately or face jail time. With Chapter 13, child support arrears can be paid over time in the repayment plan, helping the filer avoid jail or further penalties. Michael Render talked with us about child support when we asked about his bankruptcy case. I dont like the way child support is weaponized against any man ... and especially Black men, he said. When his bankruptcy case was dismissed, that meant there was no restructuring of any of his debts, child support payments included. I dont like the way child support is weaponized against any man ... and especially Black men. To further explore Michael Renders experience, we called up his lawyer from one of his cases, Nathaniel Blackmon, who is also Michaels distant cousin. If you ask a lot of Black men what they fear the most as far as being stopped in the middle of the night by two white cops, theyll say the legal system, Blackmon said. They dont want to face a white judge. ... Youre going to come up on the wrong side of the law. The lack of senior Black professionals in the judicial system is part of the problem, Blackmon said, noting that the courts need officials who can relate to the public they serve. And, he said, when you think about closing the Black-white wealth gap, thats also connected to a lack of Black Americans serving in these lucrative judicial jobs. Beyond representation, Blackmon continued, the inequity pervades the way the tort system establishes the value of a life. Traditionally, wrongful death cases provide damages to survivors families based on calculations around how much money that person would have earned in the future. These calculations are built on historic inequities that have created racial disparities in earnings. Blackmon told us that his family Michael Renders family had experienced being in a victims compensation fund. Primus Blackmon Michaels great-great-grandfather was living in Tuskegee in the 1930s when he was rounded up by the government as a test subject in a study of syphilis. Decades later, the federal government compensated families, but the money was scant. Nathaniel Blackmon showed us the final check his family had received: It was for just $21.11. Blackmon mused on how it might have affected his familys wealth had they been properly compensated. He said he doesnt have much hope that the legal system will change: I dont think this is a system where equality is the torch that we carry. Why the use of 'butch' as an insult rankles some in the LGBTQ+ community The exchange of appearance-based insults between U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jasmine Crockett made waves last month including with some in the LGBTQ+ community who object to butch being used negatively. Greene and Crockett got personal during debate in the House Oversight Committee last month over whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over his refusal to release audio recordings of his interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur about Bidens handling of classified documents. Garland has released transcripts. The matter is part of House Republicans effort to impeach Biden. The Republican-led committee voted to do so, and now the full House must vote. At one point during the discussion, Greene, a Georgia Republican, said to Crockett, a Texas Democrat, I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what youre reading. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, clapped back: Thats beneath even you, Ms. Greene. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, jumped in, saying, How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person. Then Crockett got in her own digs at Greene. If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebodys bleach-blond, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct? she asked Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican. Comers response was A what now? People in the LGBTQ+ and otherwise progressive communities note that theres much to criticize about Greene, who has embraced many wild conspiracy theories and often spewed anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. But some are saying butch shouldnt be used as an insult. Crocketts use of it was derogatory to those lesbians or those communities who identify as butch, activist Tiera M. Craig told The Advocate. Some lesbians and transgender men embrace a butch identity heartily, noted Craig, who describes herself as a masculine-presenting lesbian. She is founder of What in the L?!: All Things Lesbian, an organization based in the Washington, D.C., area that provides workshops, social networking, and community events with the goal of uplifting the voices of lesbians and preventing their erasure. The whole dang conversation was out of control, Craig said. She doesnt agree with Greene on anything, and she doesnt think Crockett meant to offend, but she thinks the Texas congresswoman should apologize. Crockett is in her first term representing Texass 30th Congressional District, which includes parts of Dallas and some of its suburbs, and she has positioned herself as an LGBTQ+ ally. Congresswoman Crockett is determined to file and pass safeguards for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, her congressional website reads. The Advocate emailed Crocketts office seeking comment but did not receive a response. Crockett has since defended her remarks and promoting T-shirts imprinted with them that shes selling to raise money for Democrats. On CNNs State of the Union, she told host Jake Tapper she was merely asking for clarification of what qualified as a personal attack, and Comer didnt hear her. Tapper pointed out, She went after your appearance and you went back at her a thousand-fold. Crockett replied, I did, and in a very lawyerly way. Tapper presses Crockett over her counterattack about Marjorie Taylor Greene's appearance www.youtube.com Greene, meanwhile, responded by defending her body and her exercise regimen. Yes my body is built and strong NOT with nips, tucks, plastic, or silicone, but through a healthy lifestyle, she posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a video of her lifting weights. Soon turning 50 years old, God willing, I will continue to lift, run, swim, play sports, surf, ski, climb and LIVE this life to the fullest and enjoy every single moment! (@) Why Did a Florida Man Randomly Strangle 2 Women Within Span of Hours 'for the Sake of Killing?' Wade Wilson was convicted of the 2019 murders of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton Lee County Sheriff's Office; Facebook (2) Wade Wilson, left, Diane Ruiz, center, and Kristine Melton A Florida man was convicted of two counts of murder after he strangled two women to death within hours of each other in 2019. In October 2019, two women, Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, were found dead, according to reports from WFLA and Fox 4. Melton was found in her home, while Ruiz, a mother of two, was found in an empty lot. Wade Wilson was arrested in connection to the murders that month, according to the outlets. His conviction, which was reported by both outlets along with WBBH, marked the end of a nearly five-year legal saga. This afternoon in the Lee County Courthouse, I sat with the families of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton as the verdict was read: Wade Wilson was found guilty on all counts, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said in a statement on June 12. The families expressed to me their gratitude for the hard work of our team. During the trial, a prosecutor said Wilson killed the two women for the sake of killing, Fox 4 reported. "This case was about killing for the sake of the killing," Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner said during closing arguments, according to the outlet. "Strangulation is the epitome of life slipping through someones hands." Fox 4 also reported that prosecutors referenced a jailhouse interview, during which Wilson allegedly told detectives, I would do it again. The outlet reported that Wilson met Melton at a bar and went home with her before authorities said he strangled her the next day. Hours later, Wilson saw Ruiz walking home from work and asked her for directions. When she got into his car, he strangled her before running her over. 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. Wilsons attorney did not dispute that her client was guilty, WBBH reported, instead arguing that he was under the influence of drugs and that the murders were not premeditated. "Im not arguing insanity, Im arguing the state is claiming premeditation, Im arguing hes whacked out of his mind for any of this," attorney Lee Hollander reportedly told the court. Because of his conviction of first-degree murder charges, Wilson potentially faces the death penalty. WFLA reported that the sentencing phase will begin on June 20. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Wife Tried to Save Husband from Hot Tub Electrocution Before Falling into the Water: Lawsuit A Texas woman who was critically injured while her husband died after allegedly being electrocuted in a hot tub at a resort in Mexico has filed a wrongful death lawsuit GoFundMe Jorge Guillen was fatally electrocuted at a Mexican resort on June 11, 2024 Texas couple Jorge Guillen and Lizette Zambrano were vacationing at a Mexican resort when Guillen was allegedly fatally electrocuted in a hot tub on June 11 A lawsuit filed on behalf of Zambrano alleged the electrical wiring at the resort was "faulty" Zambrano "sprang forward from the pool deck to try and grab Jorges body from the jacuzzi. However, upon touching Jorge and the water, Lizette was electrically shocked," the lawsuit stated A Texas woman who was critically injured while her husband died after allegedly being electrocuted in a hot tub at a resort in Mexico has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which includes chilling details about the incident. According to the complaint, which was obtained by PEOPLE, as "dusk began to set" on June 11, Jorge Guillen and Lizette Zambrano decided to enjoy the hot tub at the Sonoran Sea Resort in Puerto Penasco. However, as soon as he got into the water, "Jorge was exposed to an electrical current" and "keeled over," per the complaint. After seeing her husband collapse, Zambrano "sprang forward from the pool deck to try and grab Jorges body from the jacuzzi. However, upon touching Jorge and the water, Lizette was electrically shocked" as well. While other patrons leapt into action, and were able to get Zambrano out of the water, attempts to save Guillen were less successful. "Patrons attempted to assist, grabbing a shepherds cross and other items...However, the metal from the objects carried the electrical current and began shocking the rescuers," the suit read. Related: College to Hold Moment of Silence for Texas Man Fatally Electrocuted by Jacuzzi: 'He Was Passionate' The complaint alleged that it took 10 minutes before resort staff engaged "the emergency shutoff for the jacuzzi" or attempted "any rescue of either Jorge or Lizette." "It's absolutely terrifying," attorney Tej Paranjpe told the Associated Press in a statement, alleging that there "was not a single staff member that did anything while Jorge was getting continuously shocked again and again underwater." PEOPLE contacted Casago LLC, a vacation rental provider named in the lawsuit, for comment. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The lawsuit further claimed that the electrical wiring of the hot tub was "faulty," which he resort should have had knowledge of. "There is no reason this should have happened. Hotels and resorts have a duty to ensure guest safety," attorney Tej Paranjpe said in a press release about the lawsuit. "At no point did resort staff think to engage an emergency shut-off, not to mention warn guests of a faulty, dangerous amenity. Due to the unsafe manner in which the Defendants operated its Premise, Plaintiff suffered and sustained bodily injuries resulting from the incident, the lawsuit stated. These injuries caused Plaintiff to sustain damages including past and future medical bills, and pain and suffering and mental anguish. Related: Electrocuted Dad, 46, Relied on Family's Love and Laughs Before Groundbreaking Eye and Face Transplant (Exclusive) The suit described Guillen as an industrious, affectionate, loving, compassionate, energetic, cooperative, patient, and attentive father, adding that his death has deprived Lizette of the love and society of her husband, and the right to that affection, solace, comfort, companionship, and assistance. Zambrano is seeking over $1 million for damages, court costs, expenses and penalties. Related: Gentle and Kind Georgia Man, 24, Dies After Presumed Electrocution in Lake Lanier The incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, June 11, at a complex of private condominiums, per a translated Facebook statement by the General Prosecutor's Office of Justice of the State of Sonora. Authorities added at the time that the husband and wife suffered injuries due to a "possible electric discharge." An investigation is underway. A GoFundMe established on behalf of the couple's families has more than $54,000 as of Monday, June 17. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A 3,811-acre wildfire burning on the northwest side of Lake Chelan in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness is spreading within 10 miles of Stehekin a historic Washington town not accessible by road. The Pioneer fire, which ignited near Pioneer Creek on the afternoon of June 8, is growing northwest along Meadow Creek and to the south along Price Creek, firefighters managing the incident said Monday morning. While firefighters have no containment of the fire, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Ryan Rodruck told KOIN 6 News that Stehekin is not threatened by the Pioneer Fire at this time. Stehekin is not threatened by the fire and is not under any level of an evacuation order, Rodruck said. A map of the Pioneer Fire provided on June 16, 20204. Click for more photos of the fire. (Chelan County Emergency Management) The fire seen burning along the steep lakeside terrain on June 14. (Photos of the Pioneer Fire courtesy of InciWeb) pioneer fire chelan Firefighters boating supplies into the area. Suspect dead after being shot by Vancouver officers Evacuation orders have been issued for lakeside areas southwest of Stehekin from the north end of Moore Point to Canoe Creek. Evacuation warnings are also in effect for Flick Creek Campground and the Fourmile Creek Camping Area. Stehekin, a town of 95 permanent residents, is sought out by tourists for its isolation. Although the town has 15 miles of roadway, these roads are not accessible by any outside roads or highways. Stehekin is only reachable by boat, ferry or seaplane. No outside roads lead into Stehekin, the National Park Service states. It is not possible to drive into Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. The old Stehekin School turned 100 in 2021. (Photo by Bryanna Plog with the National Park Service) Without roads, firefighters are relying on boats and helicopters to get crews and equipment to the fire. Firefighters are actively working to build fire lines in the area. According to Monday mornings wildfire report, northwest winds and greenery are slowing the fires spread. [The] Pioneer Fire is burning on steep, rugged slopes with limited access near the north shore of Lake Chelan, the latest Pioneer Fire update provided by the fires incident command team states. Fire personnel are accessing the fire by boat and are working to establish fire lines and hose lays to stop the fires spread. Aerial resources are being used to drop water on the fire and to monitor fire activity and movement. Cool temps, spotty showers linger into Monday but big changes on the way Lake Chelan is a popular tourist destination, drawing more than 20,000 visitors and seasonal residents to the area during the summer months. Firefighters expect to have the fire fully contained by Oct. 31. 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. Crew members spray down hot spots along Orwin Road near Gorman while battling the Post fire in northern Los Angeles County. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) A major wildfire in northern Los Angeles County continued burning Monday evening southeast toward Pyramid Lake, scorching more than 15,000 acres to become the state's largest blaze of the year. The Post fire was 15,611 acres as of 7:34 p.m. Monday and 20% contained. It was burning in steep, hard-to-reach areas and threatening homes as well as infrastructure, including power lines, dams and oil pipelines, officials said in a status update on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's website. Officials cautioned Monday evening that heavy smoke from the Post fire might make it difficult for drivers to see on the 5 Freeway south of Gorman and north of Santa Clarita. Residents in communities including Castaic, Piru and Santa Clarita will likely notice the smoke as well. Firefighters will focus much of their attention on building and reinforcing fire lines around the perimeter while helicopters and air tankers try to slow down the fire's advance and douse hot spots as conditions allow, officials said in their update. L.A. County officials said high temperatures and low humidity were expected Tuesday, a bad combination for firefighters attempting to snuff out flames as the fire chews through vegetation dried out by the heat and lack of moisture in the air. Wind gusts may reach up to 55 mph, further complicating firefighting efforts. If northeast winds intensify, the Post fire might be pushed deeper into the forest and wilderness areas. This could cause the fire to spot up to three-quarters of a mile away meaning small pieces of burning leaves and grass could travel that distance and start small fires farther away from the fire line, fire officials said. "Conditions have continued to support the rapid spread of the wildfire," said Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard. Red flag warnings, which are alerts for dangerous fire conditions, were in effect for the area through at least Tuesday evening as the air was expected to dry out during the day and temperatures were expected to rise. Such severe warnings have also been issued across large swaths of inland California, with the alerts forecasting winds that carry "the potential for rapid fire spread," from the northern Sacramento Valley through the Antelope Valley. Since Saturday, more than 20 fires sparked across California, burning over 20,000 acres, the majority of which were still not fully contained Monday, according to the Cal Fire website. Several triggered evacuations and damaged buildings, including the Post fire. There had been predictions for a subdued start for the state's wildfire season this year, given a series of late-season, moisture-heavy storms, but this new spate of fires heightened concerns. "Its pretty early and this is [a] pretty large fire," Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Craig Little said of the Post fire. "We can always hope, but Im thinking theres going to be more of this in the future for the summer. ... It's very early for a fire of this magnitude." Such early-season fires are fueled by heat-dried grasses, and Southern California's hillsides and mountains are dense with vegetation after two back-to-back wet winters. Because of that, more dangerous fires that engulf larger trees and plants are likely in store for later this year, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA. We could, in fact, see a very active finish to fire season 2024, but we aren't there yet, despite the current activity level, Swain said during a briefing Monday. This is not yet indicative of really active conditions. In particular, the forested, high-elevation areas that have endured some of the states worst wildfires in recent memory are still moist following two strong wet seasons and havent yet started to display much wildfire activity. That could change as conditions get hotter and drier for longer stretches of time, Swain said. Those areas will likely start drying out in July at lower elevations and August at higher elevations, with fire activity possibly lasting longer than usual due to two years of vegetation build-up. Expect September and maybe even October and parts of November in some areas to feature very active fire conditions this season, Swain said, adding that blazes that ignite later in the season could become increasingly intense. The fires that ignited over the past weekend are likely a foreshadowing of what's to come. The Post fire on Saturday forced about 1,200 people to evacuate from the Hungry Valley Park and Pyramid Lake areas, not far from the 5 Freeway, according to firefighters. On Monday, officials also ordered areas south of Pyramid Lake to be evacuated, including the Oak Flats Campground. An evacuation warning was also issued for Paradise Ranch Estates. The fire has destroyed an auto shop and threatened dozens of other buildings. One person has been injured, Little said. The mountainous terrain has forced the firefighting effort to rely more heavily on air crews 24 helicopters and multiple air tankers, as of Monday evening but high winds have made water drops less effective, Little said. Almost 1,700 firefighters and other personnel continued to battle the flames Monday. The Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service were aiding in the effort. The Post fire's cause remains under investigation. Also in Southern California, about 1,100 acres had been burned by the Hesperia fire in San Bernardino County, prompting road closures and an evacuation warning. The fire was 72% contained as of Monday evening, according to Cal Fire and the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The Tuscany fire ignited Monday and burned 350 acres in Palm Springs, according to local officials. As of Monday evening, it was 50% contained, according to Cal Fire. Multiple fires also burned across Northern California. In Sonoma County, the Point fire burned more than 1,200 acres and several structures south of Lake Sonoma. It was 20% contained Monday evening, according to Cal Fire, after starting Sunday afternoon. The Sites fire, burning northwest of Sacramento in Colusa County, started Monday afternoon and erupted to almost 4,500 acres by the evening. Firefighters had been unable to contain it, hampered by hot dry conditions, officials said. And southeast of Sacramento, the Aero fire started Monday afternoon in Calaveras County and had already burned more than 5,000 acres by about 10 p.m. and had no containment, according to Cal Fire. As Swain took stock of the current fires, he noted that the rest of the season could be affected by a number of other factors, including the current transition from the El Nino weather pattern to La Nina. La Nina is associated with drier conditions along the West Coast and in Southern California in particular. La Nina was last in place during the states three driest years on record, 2020 through 2022, which also saw the states biggest wildfire seasons on record. Climate change is also driving warmer global temperatures and a thirstier atmosphere, both of which can extract more water from the landscape and pave the way for hotter and faster fires in the West and other arid areas, Swain said. Whats more, the upcoming Fourth of July holiday is often linked to wildfire ignitions, and there is potential for that pattern to repeat this year, he added. The good news is increasingly in the rearview mirror, Swain said. "As these conditions continue to rapidly warm up, dry out and get windier, the bad news is that I think that the back half of this season is going to be much more active with a lot more concerning level of wildfire activity in a lot of areas than the first half. 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. Conservative media figures celebrated the loss of income and employment for over 60 workers at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the civil rights organization perhaps best known for monitoring and helping dismantle right-wing extremist groups. Your entire organization is trash, and America will be better off when its forced to lay off every single employee, Sean Davis, founder and CEO of The Federalist, wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. Far-left propaganda group SPLC is tanking, tweeted former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. About time! They lost their way years ago. Sat on a big bank account of millions & pretended to be fighting for little guys. They are a hate group that labels others hate group. Jack Posobiec, the major right-wing influencer with over 2.5 million followers on X who the SPLC has described as having an extensive history of bigotry and collaborating with white supremacists, responded to news of the layoffs by tweeting a gif of former President Donald Trump wearing sunglasses and smiling. SPLC workers were informed of the layoffs on Thursday. Margaret Huang, the organizations president and CEO, informed staff that she and the executive board had decided to restructure the organization, and had made difficult decisions to end some longstanding programmatic work, according to a company-wide email reviewed by HuffPost. A handful of major SPLC projects appear to be essentially shuttering, including Learning for Justice, which provides classroom resources for students to learn about racial justice and tolerance; the Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative, which provides pro bono legal representation to detained immigrants at immigrant detention centers in the Deep South; and the Economic Justice Project, which aims to reform policies trapping impoverished Americans, especially in communities of color, in cycles of debt. The Montgomery, Alabama-based organization didnt confirm the exact number of employees being let go but acknowledged to The Associated Press that it is undergoing an organizational restructuring. The SPLC union issued a withering statement denouncing the layoffs. Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center an organization with nearly a billion dollars in reserves, given an F rating by CharityWatch for hoarding donations gutted its staff by a quarter, the union said. The union added that over 60 of its members, including five union stewards and the union chair, had been let go. Make no mistake laying off dozens of employees, many of whom were Union activists, less than a year before we will bargain our second contract was no coincidence, the statement said. This is designed to punish Union activists and intimidate employees just as we saw when Mercedes-Benz fired Union organizers in Vance, Alabama. Managements goals here are clear, but they will not win. Our Union is strong. (Mercedes-Benz denies the allegation, leveled by United Auto Workers, that it targeted union organizers. The National Labor Relations Board has yet to rule on the accusation.) The SPLC union formed in 2019 amid turmoil at the organization. Morris Dees, one of the organizations founders, was fired after being accused of racist and sexist behavior, and was criticized as being more focused on fundraising than SPLCs mission of combating racial and social inequities. Since its founding in 1971, the SPLC has played a big role in fighting white supremacist groups. It has won lawsuits against the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations, a national neo-Nazi group that maintained a compound in Idaho in the 1980s. Its work monitoring such groups has made it a target of violence and threats. In 1983, three Klansmen broke into the SPLCs office, dousing it with gasoline and setting it ablaze. Late last week, modern extremists rejoiced at the SPLCs decision to lay off so many of its employees. The demonic SPLC just laid off 60 people and shuttered multiple departments, gloated Andrew Torba, founder of the social media site Gab, which became a haven for racism and antisemitism, including from the man who shot and killed 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018. Screw your optics, Im going in, the shooter wrote on Gab before walking into the Tree of Life synagogue. The SPLC documented how Torba managed to still raise millions of dollars for Gab after the mass shooting. lol SPLC, but also a BILLION dollars!? tweeted Henrik Palmgren, the Swedish founder of Red Ice, a white supremacist media network. Palmgren was responding, via a quote tweet, to the SPLC union statement about the organizations considerable resources. WTF? Palmgren continued. The organization not only needs to be shut down by force, their reserves need to be confiscated and given to healthy nationalist causes and groups. Especially those they have ruined and sued over the decades. This is beautiful news, thank you @splcenter, tweeted Darren Beattie, the former Trump White House speechwriter who was pushed out after speaking at a white supremacist conference. To the 60 losers who werent valuable enough to keep their jobs... maybe join onlyfans and hope there are enough men with goblin fetish to keep groceries in your fridge. Sad! Andy Ngo the far-right influencer who the SPLC once described as publishing anti-antifa, Islamophobic and transphobic tweets and articles to his sizable Twitter following, along with disseminating the arrest records and personal details of left-wing demonstrators was also delighted by the layoffs. You & your colleagues, both current & former, have caused significant harm & division with your well-funded lies & propaganda, he tweeted. I hope the whole lot of you goes down, & one day in the future people can read about the shameful period of American history you were involved in. The SPLC layoffs come weeks after Media Matters, another liberal organization that monitors right-wing extremist rhetoric, had a round of layoffs. Platformer also reported that the Stanford Internet Laboratory, which monitors extremists abuse of social media platforms, is collapsing amid a series of lawsuits, subpoenas and congressional hearings from Republican officials and other conservative figures. FREDONIA, Wis. (WFRV) A 54-year-old Wisconsin man is dead after crashing his vehicle into a stone retaining wall near a cemetery early Monday morning. According to the Ozaukee County Sheriffs Office, deputies received a report of a single-vehicle crash on County Highway I and Shady Lane shortly before 4:30 a.m. in the town of Fredonia. Increase in gel-blaster gun incidents prompt warning from authorities in Wisconsin A preliminary investigation revealed that the man had been traveling west on Shady Lane at a high rate of speed when he crossed both lanes of County Highway I and hit a stone retaining wall at the Waubeka Union Cemetery, where he came to a final stop. The driver, a 54-year-old Cedarburg man, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Both lanes of County Highway I were closed for around three hours, and the crash remains under investigation. Two people rescued from sinking boat on a lake in Wisconsin The Ozaukee County Sheriffs Office says the individuals name is not being released at this time. Local 5 News will update this should authorities release it. No additional details were provided. 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. A woman who was babysitting twins in Shadyside has been charged with killing a 6-week-old baby and hurting his brother. Police were called around 11:15 p.m. Saturday to the 6000 block of Walnut Street for a report that a baby had fallen from a bassinet. The baby was taken to UPMC Childrens Hospital, where he died a short time later. Police said he had a severe skull fracture and several brain bleeds. A doctor said the injuries were not natural or accidental, according to the complaint. Nicole Virzi, 29, of San Diego, Calif., told police the baby was in a bouncer seat when she left the room to get him a bottle. She said she heard screaming then found him on the floor. Nicole Virzi His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, according to court documents. The babys twin was found to have scratches, bruising and swelling that were sustained when he was in Virzis care, according to court documents. Virzi is also charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. Channel 11 spoke with Virzis defense attorney, David Shrager, whose team got the case on Fathers Day. Shes denying these allegations. Absolutely has indicated there is no way shape or form there was any intentional acts and it was purely accidental, Shrager said. He also told us that Virzi was visiting the couple from California, where she was working on getting her PhD. Virzi is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next week. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Fire burns through building at golf course in Westmoreland County Man on parole for attempted homicide arrested in Rankin after police chase At least 7 people injured after crash in North Versailles VIDEO: 5 buildings damaged in McKeesport fire DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Finger, shoe, and palm prints along with surveillance video helped identify the woman who caused tens of thousands dollars worth of damages to vehicles at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) headquarters, police say. Catherine Leecher, 24, of Annville, Lebanon County, is accused of breaking into the garage at the AACA, located along W Hersheypark Drive, overnight on June 3, according to the charges filed by Derry Township Police. There were smashed rat traps on the sidewalk along with trash that was tossed all over the front and rear patio, police said. Leecher allegedly used a brick to break the lock and handle to the door of the garage to get inside. A 1930 Lincoln Touring was damaged by Leecher who used a fire extinguisher and police said it is estimated that it will cost $60,000 to repair. Leecher also used a brick to cause $25,000 worth of damages to a 2008 Ford F450, and she jumped and walked on top of the truck, according to the complaint. York County child rescued from hot car, mother charged Police noted that the truck may be a complete loss due to not being able to find a garage in the United States that can replace the damaged roof. Multiple prints were collected by police at the scene along with surveillance video footage that allegedly captured Leecher breaking into the garage. Police said she caused an estimated $1,600 worth of damages to the building. On June 12, Leecher came into the Derry Township Police Department and allegedly admitted to the incident, police said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Leecher faces felony charges of burglary and criminal mischief. Leecher has a preliminary arraignment scheduled for June 25. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Woman with hammer bashed in their windows. Heres what city of Tacoma will do to help The Tacoma City Council is working to ease some of the fiscal burden faced by more than a dozen downtown businesses that saw their windows smashed in last month. A 47-year-old woman on May 18 broke around 56 windows with a hammer, affecting some 16 businesses along Antique Row, The News Tribune previously reported. The city took action to help last week. On Tuesday, June 11, the City Council adopted a resolution authorizing $25,000 from the citys contingency funds to bolster window-replacement efforts on Antique Row. Mayor Victoria Woodards noted that more than 90% of the vandalized businesses stand within a half block. These are small local retailers who have had a single location that provides for their primary income, Woodards said. These are the businesses that we want more of in Tacoma more broadly, and we must show our ability to respond with support when a crisis occurs. Woodards noted that the fiscal aid is supplementing Tacomas Broken Windows Replacement Fund, which is supported by American Rescue Plan Act money. Help for the Antique Row stores also is coming from funding raised by the Downtown Tacoma Partnership. Cremello Cafes Anh Le previously told The News Tribune that replacing his businesss seven broken windows could cost up to $20,000. Fifteen Antique Row businesses applied to receive help, city spokesperson Maria Lee said. The price for windows ranges from $500 to $12,000 each, and all applicants who turn in the requisite verification paperwork will benefit from some reimbursement money, she said last week. Lee added that available funds wont cover all of the damage. Applications were opened to affected shop owners during a May 23 community meeting, Lee said. Not every applicant has sent in a cost estimate, so its difficult to gauge the extent of the financial impact. Council member Sarah Rumbaugh said during the June 11 meeting that she was glad the city has contingency funds available for such aims. Its not going to really probably help everyone, but hopefully well be able to help enough businesses that its not going to be detrimental to them staying open, Rumbaugh said. So thats really what were looking for is just to support business in downtown, and especially in this area where there have been other incidents in this general area. Business owners respond to the citys resolution Crystal Nguyen owns Peppermint Tuna, a sustainable clothing store on Broadway. She told The News Tribune on Thursday that two of her windows and a door were destroyed by the vandal. Arriving at work to find broken glass was an unhappy shock, Nguyen said not to mention the uncertainty she felt over how to foot the unexpected expense. Nguyen, who started a GoFundMe after the ordeal, thinks it might cost around $4,500 to fix. She appreciates the citys help, although the situation is less than ideal: Its better than nothing, but it still sucks. Alex Verchereau, who owns Big Dawg Barbershop and the vintage clothing-and-plant store next door, told The News Tribune that seven windows of his 10-window storefront were broken. He said fixing each one could cost roughly $1,200, potentially totaling around $8,400. Verchereau is glad the city is offering some help. If it was just one solo business, I feel as if [we] might have been on our own, he said, but because there was a group pretty much the entire street was affected I think thats why they stepped in. Justin Matias also has broken windows at his vintage store, SYC (Smile Youre on Camera), and joined Big Dawg Barbershop in launching an online fundraiser. Hes thankful for all the help received so far. Were just taking it day by day, honestly, Matias said. A woman may be freed after 43 years for a grisly murder. Was a police officer the real killer? This booking photo provided by the Missouri Department of Corrections shows Sandra Hemme. Judge Ryan Horsman ruled late Friday, June 14, 2024, that Hemme, who has spent 43 years behind bars, had established evidence of actual innocence and must be freed within 30 days unless prosecutors retry her. He said her trial counsel was ineffective and prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that would have helped her. (Missouri Department of Corrections via AP) A Missouri woman has spent 43 years in prison for a grisly 1980 murder that her lawyers say was actually committed by a police officer with ties to the murder scene. Now, Sandra Hemme is waiting to learn if shell regain her freedom, after a judge overturned her conviction last week. He ruled Hemme was in a malleable mental state when investigators questioned her in a psychiatric hospital under heavy medication, and that prosecutors withheld evidence about the discredited officer, who died in 2015. Hemmes legal team at the Innocence Project say this is the longest time a woman has been incarcerated for a wrongful conviction. The family is ecstatic. We just cant wait to get her home, Hemmes sister, Joyce Ann Kays, said Monday. Here are some things to know about the case: What are the key points? Judge Ryan Horsman ruled late Friday that attorneys for Hemme had established evidence of actual innocence and that she must be freed within 30 days unless prosecutors retry her. Hemme was a psychiatric patient when she incriminated herself in the death of 31-year-old library worker Patricia Jeschke. Hemme is now 64 years old and is incarcerated at a women's prison northeast of Kansas City. Hemmes attorneys have filed a motion seeking her immediate release. What happens next? County prosecutors have 30 days to determine whether to dismiss the charges or try her again. The Missouri attorney generals office can also decide to get involved, Karen Pojmann, communications director for the Missouri Department of Corrections, said in an email. In the past, exonerated people have been released if there are no plans to appeal the decision or re-try the case, and the Department of Corrections gets that in writing from all the parties involved, Pojmann said. The Buchanan County prosecutor and a spokesperson for the state attorney generals office didnt immediately return phone and email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. What happened in 1980? It started on Nov. 13 of that year, when Jeschke missed work. Her worried mother climbed through a window at her apartment and discovered her daughters nude body on the floor, surrounded by blood. Her hands were tied behind her back with a telephone cord and a pair of pantyhose wrapped around her throat. A knife was under her head. The brutal killing grabbed headlines, with detectives working 12-hour days to solve it. But Hemme wasnt on their radar until she showed up nearly two weeks later at the home of a nurse who once treated her, carrying a knife and refusing to leave. Police found her in a closet, and took her back to St. Josephs Hospital the latest in a string of hospitalizations that began when she started hearing voices at age 12. She had been discharged from that very hospital the day before Jeschkes body was found, showing up at her parents house later that night after hitchhiking more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) across the state. The timing seemed suspicious to law enforcement. What are the concerns about the interrogation? As the questioning began, Hemme was being treated with antipsychotic drugs that had triggered involuntary muscle spasms. She complained her eyes were rolling back in her head, the petition said. Detectives noted Hemme seemed mentally confused and not fully able to comprehend their questions. She offered what her attorneys described as wildly contradictory statements, at one point blaming the murder on a man who couldn't have been the killer because he was at an alcohol treatment center in another city at the time. Ultimately, she pleaded guilty to capital murder in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table. That plea was later thrown out on appeal. But she was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial in which jurors werent told about what her current attorneys describe as grotesquely coercive interrogations. Who do Hemme's lawyers say is the real killer? Her attorneys argue that evidence was suppressed implicating Michael Holman, a police officer at the time in St. Joseph, a city on a bend in the Missouri River roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Kansas City. About a month after the killing, Holman was arrested for falsely reporting his pickup truck stolen and collecting an insurance payout. The same truck had been spotted near the crime scene, and his alibi that he spent the night with a woman at a nearby motel couldnt be confirmed. Furthermore, he had tried to use Jeschkes credit card at a camera store in Kansas City, Missouri, on the same day her body was found. Holman, who was ultimately fired, said he found the card in a purse in a ditch. During a search of Holmans home, police found a pair of gold horseshoe-shaped earrings in a closet, along with jewelry stolen from another woman during a burglary earlier that year. Jeschkes father said he recognized the earrings as a pair he bought for his daughter. But then the four-day investigation into Holman ended abruptly, and many of these uncovered details were never given to Hemmes attorneys. Why did the judge decide to free Hemme? Horsman found her trial counsel was ineffective and prosecutors failed to disclose crucial evidence that would have aided in her defense, including Holmans criminal conduct. The only evidence tying Hemme to the killing was her unreliable statements, Horsman wrote, and her psychiatric condition was fertile ground for her to also internalize, or come to believe, the apparently false narratives she told. He said her statements were also contradicted by physical evidence and accounts of reliable, independent witnesses. The judge said outside factors like media coverage and police suggestion substantially undermine the prosecutors argument that Ms. Hemmes statements contain details that only the killer could know. There was, however, evidence that "directly ties Holman to this crime and murder scene, he wrote Were other mentally ill patients questioned like this? Lawyers at the Innocence Project say Hemme wasn't the first mentally ill person targeted by detectives in St. Joseph. Melvin Lee Reynolds, who also spent time at St. Josephs State Hospital, falsely confessed to the 1978 killing of a 4-year-old boy following repeated interrogations. He was exonerated and freed in 1983, when a self-proclaimed serial killer, Charles Hatcher, pleaded guilty to the murder. CHICAGO A woman was shot multiple times in the head early Monday in Humboldt Park. The shooting happened at around 2:50 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Ridgeway. CPD said a 26-year-old woman was dropped off at Humboldt Park Health with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. She was stabilized but is listed in critical condition. The woman was transported to Stroger Hospital. 5 shot outside gas station on West Side No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Monday! And a belated happy Fathers Day to all the dads out therewe hope your (new favorite) kid got you a Dispatch subscription! Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories Domestic Concerns Loom Over G7 Meeting European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a photo during a welcome ceremony on the first day of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia in Fasano, Italy, on June 13, 2024. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) As the summer travel season begins, millions of tourists will flock to Italy for vacation, drawn to the rolling hills of the Italian countryside where vineyards and golden fields stretch to the horizon. World leaders are no different. The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies gathered over the weekend for their 50th annual meeting. Their yearly reunion took place in Puglia, Italythe heel of the Italian peninsula bootand unlike the tourists visiting the rugged Adriatic coast to leisurely sip macchiatos in centuries-old piazzas, President Joe Biden and his counterparts gathered to discuss some of the worlds biggest problems. Though maybe thats what you discuss over your macchiatos, too. Leaders walked away with a set of agreements that were as much about those who werent therenamely, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinpingas those who were. But they also signed onto a plan to use seized Russian assets for Ukraine and looked forward to the threats of artificial intelligence (AI), though the current set of G7 chiefsmany of whom are deeply unpopular domesticallymay be out of the hot seat before AI reaches its zenith. For a group of incredibly powerful people, the G7 lunch table is not exactly where the popular kids sit. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are staring down the barrel of elections in July thatbased on current pollingseem likely to go extremely poorly for their respective parties. Like Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was embarrassed in European Union parliamentary elections earlier this month when his Social Democrats put up their worst nationwide showing in a century, despiteor perhaps because of Scholzs vigorous campaigning on behalf of his partys candidates. The North American contingentBiden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeauis also in bad shape: Both mens approval ratings are deeply underwater, and Biden has his own election to worry about. Not to miss out on the fun, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas approval ratings hit a record-low this spring. Unique in the group is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and not just for being the only female leader of the G7. Her party, the right-wing Brothers of Italy, cleaned up in EU parliamentary elections and will be the belle of the ball as parties to her right and left court her European parliamentarians for support. Likewise, she was the kingmaker of the G7 as hostputting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi front-and-center despite his complicated relationships with Trudeau and, to a lesser extent, Biden, and making migration from Africa a key issue in the final communique. But if Meloni is riding high, using her recent boost to lobby for her foreign policy priorities, the other, embattled leaders were likely hoping to exert some control over an area where they have more room to maneuver than they do on complicated domestic questionsand perhaps project some statesmen-like gravitas back home. From [Bidens] perspective, the real work to be done here is work that is going to put the United States in the best possible position to protect our interests and reflect our values, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday as the summit was kicking off. Former President Donald TrumpBidens election opponent whose confrontational style and predilection for tariffs often put G7 leaders on edgeloomed over the proceedings as well, even if he was across an ocean. Every day subsequent to this summit, [Bidens] goal is going to be to do as much as possible to reinforce the idea that the United States is best served if we are closely aligned with our democratic allies and partners, Sullivan added. That we are more likely to accomplish our objectives, more likely to protect the interests of our workers and businesses, more likely to produce security and stability when we are aligned, as opposed to in conflict, with the leading democracies of the world. That pretty sentiment wasnt all-encompassing, though. Italys Meloni reportedly requested that the final communique from the summit not mention abortion or reproductive rightsan ask that perturbed Macron and Biden, who reportedly told staff he would not sign the document withouts its inclusion. In the end, those words were not explicitly included in the final statement, but the leaders did reiterate [their] commitments in the Hiroshima Leaders Communique, which includes addressing access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care. The G7 countries have spent the last two yearssince Russias invasion of Ukraine and the concomitant sanctions they levied against Moscowin lockstep over their condemnation of Putins actions. This year, they expanded their condemnation to include China, which they accused in their final statement of materially support[ing] Russias war machine. The document also suggests the groups leaders are ready to impose sanctions on China to punish the country for sending dual-use technologies to Russia and on Chinese companies for propping up the Russian economy by facilitating sanctions evasion. Despite their unanimity on that score, G7 countries have spent the last two years haggling over what to do with the almost $300 billion in sovereign Russian assets sitting frozen in banks in their countries. This year, they finally reached a decision. As we reported last month, EU leaders were concerned about the precedent created by seizing that cash outright, and opted instead to keep it frozeninaccessible and entirely disconnected from the Russian government and its leaders. Under the EUs recently-brokered deal, Ukraine would not receive that money per se, but rather the profits from those frozen assetsalmost like capital gains or dividends from investments in the stock market. That cash, estimated to be between $3.24 and $5.4 billion every year, would be sent to Kyiv. While annualized gains work just fine for our 401Ks, Ukraine needs money for its war effort now, not later. So G7 leaders made a preliminary agreement to issue a $50 billion loan to Ukrainea loan Ukraine itself will not be on the hook for, but one that will instead be repaid from windfall profits from the frozen Russian assets for at least ten years or until Russia pays reparations, whichever comes first. The funds could be used for a variety of endsincluding non-military purposes, which would allow Japan, constitutionally barred from providing lethal aid, to contribute. As Russia continues to move to a permanent war footing and Ukraine faces a sizable future funding gap, Mr. Putin is betting that he can wait out the [G7] coalition until Ukraine runs out of money and bullets, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote in the New York Times on Friday. Our proposal would send a clear message to Mr. Putin that we are in it for the long haul. Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskywho was doing shuttle diplomacy from his own peace summit in Switzerland to the G7, where he was an invited guestannounced a ten-year, U.S.-Ukraine bilateral security agreement. The deal aims to advance weapons assistance and intelligence sharing between the two countries, and Zelensky suggested the deal could be viewed as a bridge to Ukraines eventual NATO membership, which would require Ukraines military to be interoperable with those of the current NATO allies. Through this agreement, the United States will work with our partners to strengthen Ukraines ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression, the White House said in a statement Friday. By doing so, we will bolster Ukraines security, which is central to European security and to American security. Both proposalsone which frontloads cash to Ukraine and another which has a long time horizonseem to have been crafted with an eye to the possibility that Trump emerges victorious in the November general election. The former president has been inconsistently supportive of Ukraine aid in the past and on Saturday seemed to criticize Zelensky for his repeated requests for funds. Trump could undo the security pact if elected. But foreign threats did not monopolize the conference. The G7 leaders also turned their attention to the future of tech, with perhaps an unlikely messenger for concerns over AI: the 87-year-old pontifex. But Pope Francisthe first pope to address a G7 gatheringknows about that which he speaks. Last year, he was the subject of a viral, AI-generated image showing him donning a white Balenciaga puffer jacket with a bejeweled cross. In addition to his regular duties, His Holiness has become the worlds ethicist around the appropriate use of AI, and dedicated this years New Years message to the use of AI as a peacekeeping force. We cannot doubt that the advent of artificial intelligence represents a true cognitive-industrial revolution, which will contribute to the creation of a new social system characterized by complex epochal transformations, the Pope said to world leaders Friday. Yet at the same time, it could bring with it a greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes. But at least a couple of the world leaders he addressed last week may not be in a position to do anything about global governance on AI, though Biden is surely hoping his buddy Scholzs prediction is correcteven if his track record isnt so great. I think it is very likely, the German chancellor said Saturday, that the current president could win the election. Worth Your Time Is war with China inevitable? Like Germany and Britain before World War I, China and the United States seem to be locked in a downward spiral, one that may end in disaster for both countries and for the world at large, Norwegian historian Odd Arne Westad wrote in Foreign Affairs. Similar to the situation a century ago, profound structural factors fuel the antagonism. Economic competition, geopolitical fears, and deep mistrust work to make conflict more likely. But structure is not destiny. The decisions that leaders make can prevent war and better manage the tensions that invariably rise from great-power competition. As with Germany and Britain, structural forces may push events to a head, but it takes human avarice and ineptitude on a colossal scale for disaster to ensue. Likewise, sound judgment and competence can prevent the worst-case scenarios. For the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Lee Yaron reported on the shocking results of Columbia Universitys antisemitism task force, launched late last year. One professor encountering a Jewish-sounding surname while reading names before an exam asked the student to explain their views on the Israeli governments actions in Gaza, Yaron wrote. Another told their class to avoid reading mainstream media, declaring that it is owned by Jews. A third revealed a students complaint about an offensive comment regarding Jews by publicly displaying their email to fellow students. Several times, professors encouraged students to participate in pro-Palestinian protests or the Gaza Solidarity Encampment for extra credit, or conducted classes at protest sites. Other incidents included students wearing Jewish symbols having them torn from their person. Some were pushed out of student clubs they had been part of because they did not want to participate in group actions and statements against Israels right to exist. Haaretz has interviewed several members of the task force, who say they have documented hundreds of cases of Jewish students feeling discriminated against. Presented Without Comment Former President Donald Trump, on Truth Social: HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE RADICAL LEFT DEGENERATES THAT ARE RAPIDLY BRINGING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTO THIRD WORLD NATION STATUS WITH THEIR MANY ATTEMPTS AT TRYING TO INFLUENCE OUR SACRED COURT SYSTEM INTO BREAKING TO THEIR VERY SICK AND DANGEROUS WILL. WE NEED STRENGTH AND LOYALTY TO OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS WONDERFUL CONSTITUTION. EVERYTHING WILL BE ON FULL DISPLAY COME NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Also Presented Without Comment ESPN: Bryson Dechambeaus Triumph and Rory McIlroys Heartbreak Determined by Inches at the U.S. Open This year, McIlroy has had 496 putts inside 3 feet. He had made all of them. Also Also Presented Without Comment Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis Gets Laughs at Meeting With Big-Name Comedians Jim Gaffigan came to the Vatican with his wife, Jeannie, and 11- and 12-year-old sons, Patrick and Michael, who asked the pope to bless their rosaries. Im going to brag about meeting the pope. Thats so cool, Michael told CNA. And now you have to become a priest! Gaffigan said to Patrick after he had received a pat on the cheek and candy from Pope Francis. In the Zeitgeist The King of Country, George Strait, broke the U.S. record for a ticketed concert on Saturday, playing to 110,905 fans at Texas A&Ms Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. Though the man has been married since 1971, we have to believe that in a crowd that largeand in Texas of all placesthere must have been a handful of his exes in the audience. Toeing the Company Line Let Us Know How did you celebrate Fathers Day this weekend? 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. A picture made available by the Wall Street Journal, shows Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen and WSJ reporter, who was detained by Russia's secret service FSB for alleged espionage. The closed-door trial against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia for alleged espionage is to begin on June 26, the regional court in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural federal district said on Monday. The Wall Street Journal/dpa The closed-door trial against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia for alleged espionage is to begin on June 26, the regional court in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural federal district said on Monday. "The trial will take place in camera," the court said in a statement, according to the Tass agency, meaning that the public will not be allowed to attend. The US journalist has been indicted for allegedly collecting information on the production and repair of defence technology last year on behalf of the CIA, the US intelligence agency. The target of the alleged espionage was the Uralvagonzavod company in the city of Nizhny Tagil in the Urals. Gershkovich, his employer and the US government reject this accusation. The Russian side has not made any evidence public in the proceedings to date. The correspondent was detained in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 during a research trip to the Ural region. He was held in custody in Moscow while on remand. Gershkovich is seen as a bargaining chip that Moscow can use to put pressure on the US government. Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Russian region of Sverdlovsk, is nearly 1,800 kilometres east of Moscow. A visitor to Yellowstone National Park has been sentenced to seven days in jail for trespassing near an active geothermal geyser. Washington man Viktor Pyshniuk, 21, walked off the boardwalk near Steamboat Geyser, the National Park Service and Justice Department said in a news release. He was photographed in the off-limits area by a park employee, who reported the incident to Yellowstone National Park law enforcement. According to the release, he had clearly crossed over the fence and was walking up the hillside within 15-20 feet of Steamboat Geysers steam vent. Pyshniuk told park law enforcement that he left the boardwalk to take photos, the release said. Steamboat Geyser is the worlds tallest active geyser. It has erratic and unpredictable eruptions that can rise anywhere from six to 300 feet high, the park website states. In the last four years, the intervals between eruptions ranged anywhere from three to 89 days. Authorities said the thermal area near Steamboat Geyser is fenced off and clearly designated as off-limits. National Park Service Park authorities noted that signs throughout the area state that it is illegal to leave the boardwalk. Trespassing in closed, thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park is dangerous and harms the natural resource,said Eric Heimann, acting U.S. attorney in the District of Wyoming. In cases like this one where we have strong evidence showing a person has willfully disregarded signs and entered a closed, thermal area, federal prosecutors will seek significant penalties, including jail time. During sentencing earlier this month, Stephanie A. Hambrick, magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court of Wyoming, reportedly told Pyshniuk the sentence was designed to deter him and other members of the public from leaving the boardwalk in the future. In addition to jail time, Pyshniuk was placed on two years of unsupervised release, received a two-year ban from the national park and was fined $1,550. Hundreds of real estate brokers were spilling off the sidewalk and into the street around New York City Hall. There will be more, broker Graig Linn assured me, venti iced Starbucks coffee in hand. Its 9 a.m. Thats tough for brokers. Even that early, all the big real estate agencies were represented. Sothebys brokers were there in matching shirts. Douglas Elliman brokers were there in matching shirts. Bond brokers were there in matching hats. Corcoran brokers were there in matching hats and matching shirts. Everyone in attendance was gathered to object to a New York City Council bill that would save tenants from having to pay fees to real estate brokers who were hired by landlordsi.e., brokers that tenants did not hire. In other words, it was a rally for keeping the fees on the backs of tenants. New York City is one of only two cities in America that allow this practice, and during a time of skyrocketing housing costs, it has become an increasingly loathed, hard-to-explain paymentone that usually falls between 10 to 15 percent of the annual lease amount to the broker who shows the apartment. For example, if you rent a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for $3,800 a month, you can expect to pay a $7,000 fee to someone who maybe only let you in to see the place and then handed you a lease to sign. The New York City Council bill, called Intro 360 and spearheaded by BedfordStuyvesant Councilman Chi Osse, would force landlords, not tenants, to pay the brokers those landlords hire. This has infuriated brokerswho, not incidentally, share a muscled-up lobbying group with landlords. The Real Estate Board of New York and the New York State Association of Realtors issued a call to arms, and the industry folk came in crowds, young and handsome and coiffed, wearing their fair share of gingham. There were lots of high heels for a street protest, and suspiciously few forehead wrinkles. There were signs. This bill will kill my livelihood! read one, the lettering in all caps. Agents are tenants too, read another. They wore threatening apparel: Broker fee bill? Tenants will pay the price, warned one T-shirt, underwritten by the Corcoran logo. They chanted: Hey hey, ho ho, Intro 360 has got to go. They also chanted the word no, a lot. Landlords cannot pay fees. Its not in their budgets and they wont do it, yelled one speaker-broker, sans microphone, to the crowd. No! the crowd yelled back. No! No! A truck honkeddid he know he was honking for broker fees?and everyone cheered. There was much talk of unfairness. Its a spring and summer of protest in New York. And yet brokers and real estate agents are among the last people youd expect to see taking to the streets. Usually they dont need to. Thats what the lobbyists are for. Rents in America hit an all-time record last summer, and they are on the rise again. The cost to buy a house is also at record highs. There are many reasons for this, depending on whom you ask, including lack of supply, lack of regulation, the free market, corporate conspiracy, but also the very formidable real estate industry and its very formidable lobbying groups of landlords, brokers, and real estate agents. Alexander Sammon For now, the Biden administration has identified junk fees as a foremost enemy in its war on rising living costs for consumers across the country. That means brokers, who had been having a pretty good go of it, are feeling the heat. A federal jury recently found the National Association of Realtors to be engaged in collusion to artificially inflate real estate fees, awarding a nearly $2 billion judgment. A settlement announced in March will end the customary 6 percent take for Realtors; it has been the case that agents representing the buyer and the seller split and pocket 6 percent of the total sale price of a house. Thats six times higher than the average in the United Kingdom. In April, the Justice Department got clearance to further investigate the NARs alleged anticompetitive behavior. In New York City, where renters abound, the broker fee bill is just one vote away from a veto-proof majority, according to the New York Times. Without that vote, its possible that Mayor Eric Adamswho was once a real estate agent, spoke at the REBNY lobbys 2024 gala, and has helped himself to a troubling amount of real estate sector donationswill veto the bill. If it passes, it will be hard-won. Intro 360 is far from the citys first attempt to rein in this practice. But the real estate lobbies in New York City are very powerful, and the Real Estate Board of New York, the industrys main lobbying arm, fiercely opposes the bill. The group successfully sued to overturn a 2020 New York Department of State guidance that prohibited brokers hired by landlords from charging tenants, a pre-pandemic flashpoint met with euphoria by many New Yorkers. A 2019 bill to cap broker fees at one month of rent died of lobbying causesor at least of lobbying-induced comorbiditiesin committee. With all their political power, brokers are rarely driven to public demonstration. Its the first time Ive ever come to City Hall and protested anythingwhats up, brother, said Jonathan Tager, a broker for Corcoran, as he fist-bumped a colleague over my shoulder. We cleared our whole days to be here. When I asked him where he got the matching hat and menacing shirt, he told me their office manager was there handing them out. If this passes, we wont be able to afford to live in our own communities, said David Kafko, also from Corcoran. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary of real estate broker/owners in the United States is $276,000. New York is among the top five states for broker pay. And per StreetEasy, the average upfront cost to move into a rental in New York City in 2023 (broker fee included) was $10,454, up nearly a third since 2019. To reiterate: Thats an upfront costthe amount of money that must be handed over before a tenant can even move in to an apartment. Stories of outrageous broker fees in this city proliferate. One recent horror story involved a tenant who was asked to pay a $15,000 broker fee on an $1,100-a-month rent-stabilized apartment. Alexander Sammon This is why some would say that all a broker does is unlock the door, if thatespecially when the demand for apartments is so high. Some would also say that in the internet age, with listings right there on Zillow or StreetEasy, brokers are unnecessary, parasitic, due for a reckoning. That was not the message at City Hall. The protesters contended that getting rid of this particular form of broker fees would merely result in equivalent rent increases. Ive been here fighting for reproductive rights, yelled one broker, but I never thought I would stand here today to demand the City Council stop the highest rent increase in history! No! yelled someone else. I asked multiple attendees if, given the concern for high rents, they had attended or organized any other protests for affordable housing. I was told to reach out to the brokerage firms, or REBNY, the lobbying group, for better and more accurate answers on that particular question. As part of the protest, brokers queued up down the block, waiting to be admitted, six at a time, to City Hall to testify at a hearing about the bill. Rents are going to be higher, Tager told me while he waited near the line. There was some reason to doubt the argument. The trend lines might be muddled by COVID, but when New York state briefly outlawed the payment of broker fees by tenants in February 2020, New York City rents actually went down. That ban was overturned in court by a successful REBNY legal challenge in May 2021, which also happened to be the moment rents started to begin their rapid ascent again, per the city comptrollers data. Perhaps thats why, when I asked for evidence, I was hearing less about data and more about the market: If landlords were forced to pay broker fees, everyone around me kept arguing, those broker fees would just get baked into the rent. Thats economics, they said. The free market works, Kafko quipped. I withdrew to a bench in the shade. I talked to broker Mark Danich of Bond. We dont just open the door. Theres a heck of a lot of work behind it, he said. There are also no-fee rentals in the city, he reminded melots of them. On the other side of City Hall, there were counterprotesters in similar formation, who were there in support of the bill. They were also queueing up down the sidewalk to get into City Hall to testify. Danich was joined by three women, former co-workers. I was surprised, yeah, by how many people there were over there, he said, of the protests on the opposing side. Most of the people there are paid; theyre being paid to be there, one of his colleagues assured me. Just like with congestion pricing. I turned to look over my shoulder to see if I could spot any alleged paid protesters, skeptical that one would have to pay New Yorkers to dislike being charged thousands of dollars for a service they didnt want or need or hire for. I turned back around to see Danich and the three women bringing it in. Lets do it, Danich said, Lets do it. He stretched out his arms, and all four embraced in a group hug. Renowned New York City chef James Kent has died at the age of 43. Saga Hospitality Group, the holding company of Kents two Manhattan restaurants, announced his death in a statement posted to Instagram over the weekend. We are heartbroken to share that James Kent passed away unexpectedly earlier today, the caption of the post, which featured a picture of Kent in his chefs uniform, read. Speaking to The Independent, a representative for Saga Hospitality Group revealed that Kent died of an acute health crisis. However, the cause of death of still not known. The Saga Hospitality Group family is focused on supporting each other and most importantly Kelly, Gavin, and Avery as we grieve James loss, the caption of the companys Instagram post continued, referring to Kents wife and their two children. The post also noted that Kents three establishments Crown Shy, Saga, and Overstory were closed on June 16, while encouraging people to celebrate Fathers Day with [their] loved ones. In the comments, many New York City-based businesses and customers of Kents restaurants expressed how saddened they were by his passing, and sent their condolences to his family. Completely heartbroken and devastated. Chef, thank you for the miles, the guidance, the laughs, for sitting with us at dinner to share stories of your grandmas cooking, for letting us into your kitchen, your home, and your heart, Bandit running store wrote. Well cherish those memories forever. They dont make them like you anymore. So stunned, we were just together a week ago, renowned chef Philip Tessier wrote. At the top of the world, literally and figuratively. Jamal was the absolute best, cant find the words for this. Praying for you and the kids Kelly. Magazine editor Nilou Motamed added: In total shock and broken-hearted. All the goodness rolled into one exceptionally talented human. NYC has lost a legend. We love you, James. Rest in Power. In New York City, Kent owned two Michelin-starred restaurants, Saga and Crown Shy, both of which share the same building in the Financial District of Manhattan. He also owns a cocktail bar, Overstory, also in the same building. He had plans to expand his career, as The New York Times reported in April that he and Saga Hospitality Group leased 3,000 square feet of space from Two Trees Management. The space was on the ground floor of the former Domino Sugar refinery, and Kent was planning to turn it into a bakery and a casual restaurant. Following the news of Kents death, many of his colleagues also took to Instagram to honor him. Harrison Ginsberg, the bar director for Kents three Manhattan spots, shared a photo with the late chef and their friends, alongside a lengthy tribute. Chef, Thank you for all the memories, laughs, meals, and lessons, he wrote in the caption. I was always in awe of how much you supported me, my career, the bar industry. You became a fixture in the Global Bar Community. You didnt have to do this, but you did it for us, because you wanted us to succeed. Harrison went on to express what he admired most about Kent, as well as the gratitude he had for their friendship. Its like you had a sixth sense at times. Youd always look me in the eye and tell me you were there for me, as a friend, as a brother. Thats just who you were. Thats who you were to all of us, he concluded. You didnt have friends. You had family. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your family. I appreciate every moment I had with you. James, Ill forever remember the lessons you taught me. Ill forever hold myself to a higher standard. The Independent has contacted the Saga Hospitality Group for comment. YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A young child was found locked inside a car in Hanover on a hot day over the weekend, and police say the mother is facing charges. Samantha OBrien, 33, of Hanover, is accused of leaving her three-year-old boy alone inside a car that was parked in direct sunlight while she was passed out, Hanover Borough Police said in the charges filed. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Severe Weather Alerts Outside temperatures were between 80 and 85 degrees when the child was found locked inside a black Honda sedan just after 2 p.m. Sunday at a home along W. Hanover Street, according to a criminal complaint. Police said it was reported the boy was in the rear seat of the car with his seatbelt on, and there was no one around. PSP: Under 40 pounds of marijuana found at Dauphin County shipping facility, 2 charged The child was left locked inside the vehicle for about 15 minutes before police arrived, the complaint says. The rear door of the home was open and police announced themselves but there was no answer. Police said due to the circumstances surrounding the child, officers entered the home and found OBrien asleep on the bathroom floor. Adams County SPCA rescues animals being used for bestiality from trailer towed by bus According to the complaint, OBrien displayed signs that she was under the influence of alcohol such as glassy, bloodshot eyes, slow speech and she also smelled heavily of alcohol. She allegedly admitted to drinking but not how much and an evaluation at the hospital found she was just intoxicated, police said. OBrien did not ask about her child until she was told the boy was left alone in the car, police said, and it was discovered that she was the only one responsible for the child for the entire day. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Severe Weather Alerts OBrien faces a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children. OBrien is locked up in York County Prison on bail set at $10,000 and she awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 28. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on 17 June, during which urgent issues were discussed, mainly Ukrainian drone production and deployment. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Quote: "Immediately after coming back to Ukraine, I held [a meeting of] the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I heard reports from Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Anatolii Barhylevych, Chief of the General Staff. We discussed the operational situation on all fronts and near the borders, the dynamics of fulfilment of domestic contracts, and the delivery of aid from the defence packages announced by our partners. I heard reports from the heads of all the units in Ukraines defence forces the Armed Forces, the National Guard, Defence Intelligence, and the State Border Guard Service and a report by the Foreign Intelligence Service." Details: Zelenskyy added that he heard a detailed report by Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces. He reported on the deployment of all types of drones aerial, ground and sea drones and all types of missions: from tactical FPVs and evacuation platforms to Deep Strike drones. The president stressed that the drone industry is rapidly developing, and not only in terms of the number of drones being produced, but also the number being deployed. In his view, Ukraine is leading the technological progress in this sector. Zelenskyy believes that following Ukraines victory in the war against Russia, its experience will be converted into high-tech Ukrainian exports. For reference: Over the weekend, President Zelenskyy took part in the Peace Summit held in Burgenstock, Switzerland the first gathering of world leaders focusing on ways to end Russias war against Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! A bug that was first spotted almost two weeks ago in a recent Windows 11 build is still there, and while Microsoft has acknowledged it, there have been no updates as to when a fix might be released. The issue stems from a feature that should otherwise run in the background and suddenly results in up to 20% CPU usage when idle. Were talking about the Windows Cross Device Service. The service in question helps your Windows PC connect and share files across other devices. For most of us, that means features such as Phone Link, which is Microsofts attempt at replicating Apples seamless ecosystem. It can be used to send texts, download photos, and use apps from your computer without having to pick up the phone. However, with the new bug, you might be better off disabling the Cross Device Service entirely. Reports of issues with CPU usage first appeared on June 4 on the Windows 11 forum, and then again the next day on the Microsoft forum. One user said that they noticed that their CPU fan was running at full speed, but the PC was still producing high idle temperatures. Checking the Task Manager revealed that the processor was running at a constant 7% to 10%, all because of the Microsoft Cross Device Service. At the time of writing, 49 other users reacted to say that they had the same issue, and a couple of them claimed to experience even worse CPU usage, reaching as high as 20%. This bug even made it to the Windows Feedback Hub, where a Microsoft engineer addressed it: Appreciate your patience, weve identified the cause and are working on a fix. However, a week later, theres still no fix in sight. Microsoft The bug appears in the most recent Windows Insider build, and users who are not Insiders are most probably safe for now Im not experiencing any issues on my Windows 11 computer. Phone Link can often be clunky, but it remains a background process without affecting the rest of my PC. If youre running the latest Windows Insider build and experiencing high CPU usage, disabling Cross Device Service can help, although the process often comes back after a reboot. Users on the Microsoft Forum came up with a few suggestions as to how to disable the service while we wait for an official fix. With allusions to the Wright Brothers and the states seminal role in early aviation, North Carolina leaders gathered Monday at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro to celebrate what they hope will be the next evolution in flight. Boom Supersonic, a Colorado startup, cut the ribbon on its first superfactory,, a 179,000-square-foot complex that could eventually produce up to 33 supersonic jets and employ thousands in central North Carolina. Boom announced its arrival in the Tar Heel state in January 2022, entering an incentive agreement to create at least 1,761 jobs at the site. North Carolina landed the project nicknamed Thunderbird by edging out Florida after a long recruitment process. To attract Boom, the state and Guilford County offered incentive packages worth more than $121 million if the company hires at least 1,750 people and invests $500 million in the Greensboro site by the end of the decade. In January 2023, Boom broke ground on its superfactory, where it aims to create a commercial aircraft, called Overture, capable of shuttling passengers at speeds around 1,300 mph over water. This is roughly twice the speed of todays traditional airliners. The jet manufacturer estimates the Overture will be certified to carry passengers by 2029. The supersonic airliners we are building here in Greensboro will be delivered to airlines on six continents, ensuring the future of American leadership in aerospace manufacturing, Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl told attendees Monday. The market is ready, he said, for another option besides the two dominant manufacturers: Boeing and Airbus. Its never been more obvious that the world is not well served by the duopoly that we have in commercial aviation manufacturing, he said. Our customers, like United, have been very vocal that they are looking for an alternative to brand A and brand B. Scholl said each Overture jet will be sold for $200 million. In March, the company performed its first test flight, at a sub-supersonic speed, in California. With its factory structure complete, Boom says it will spend the next six to 12 months installing test equipment at the airport facility. Top Democrats and Republicans spoke at the ribbon-cutting Monday, including Gov. Roy Cooper, who acknowledged the state has backed an unproven manufacturer. Sometimes, we all have to take a little bit of a risk, he said. This risk will pay off for your company, for its employees and their families, and their contractors, for the state of North Carolina, and for the world. Cooper highlighted most of the states incentives to Boom were performance-based, meaning the company will only benefit if it meets hiring and investment goals. He also noted some of the taxpayer-funded improvements to the site, including to the building and surrounding roads, will make the airport grounds more attractive to potential employers regardless of Booms future. Enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly newsletter, and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. James Watt, co-founder of Brewdog, has unveiled plans for a new social media app for reviews - Ed Hill/PA Media Assignments The self-styled punk founder of BrewDog is launching a new app for social media influencers, a month after stepping down from the controversial beer brand. James Watt has unveiled plans for a new social media app designed to help make anyone an influencer. Social Tip said its app will allow people to share opinions and experiences about products to their followers. Users will be paid for posts, with the app calculating value based on views, likes and engagement. The entrepreneur started BrewDog in a garage 17 years ago with his business partner Martin Dickie and grew it into the UKs largest independent craft brewery, spurred on by eye-catching marketing stunts. BrewDog adopted a counter-cultural persona, referring to early crowdfunding investors as equity punks and naming its flagship beer Punk IPA. Mr Watt is still on the companys board and retains a 21pc stake after stepping down as chief executive last month. Social Tip will pay for users to post reviews and calculate value based on views, likes and engagement - Ed Hill/PA Media Assignments Mr Watt said: The most powerful marketing we ever had for BrewDog had nothing to do with us. It wasnt the stunts, and it certainly wasnt advertising. It was everyday people sharing their love for our products. Mr Watt has been dogged by controversy in recent years after he was accused of creating a toxic workplace culture. A BBC documentary in 2022 claimed that staff members felt uncomfortable with how he acted towards women in BrewDog bars. It did not make allegations of criminality. BrewDog was accused of using misleading marketing techniques. Mr Watt has denied the allegations and described the film as a hatchet job. The entrepreneur, a vocal Brexit critic, also came under fire after he was pictured at Nigel Farages 60th birthday party this year. Unveiling plans for Social Tip, Mr Watt said the power of conventional influencer marketing was dwindling. He said: No one believes that celebrities or the biggest TikTokers and YouTubers just happen to be really into a brand. Instead, he said the new app would tap into authentic brand love from people you know, returning to word-of-mouth marketing. Influencer marketing under fire Mr Watt, who has a reported fortune of 260m, is now in a relationship with Georgia Toffolo, a former Made in Chelsea star-turned-social media influencer. Influencer marketing where social media personalities are paid to endorse products to their followers has surged in popularity over the last decade. However, influencer advertising has come under criticism, amid concerns that influencers were failing to properly disclose when they had been paid or received free products, sparking a crackdown by the advertising watchdog. Social Tip said it will use verification software to ensure users had purchased the products themselves, adding that the model was designed to reward people who are already fans. The company has already signed up several brands including Dash water, protein shake maker Huel and PureGym. The app will be available for download this summer. 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. Scientists finally think they know why giraffe necks are so long Scientists finally think they know why giraffe necks are so long Giraffes have the longest necks of any living animal but scientists can't agree on why. Scientists largely agree that males drove the evolution of long necks to compete for mates. But a new study offers clues to the contrary, challenging the leading "necks for sex" theory. Giraffes didn't always look like the elegant giants we recognize ancient giraffes looked more like deer. But something happened over the past millennia that drove giraffes to evolve the longest necks of any living animal. What that driver was, however, has been the subject of a 150-year-long debate among evolutionary biologists. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck suggested that giraffes evolved long necks to help them snatch leaves on trees. A later theory usurped Darwin and Lamarck's, suggesting that male giraffes evolved long necks to fight and compete for female mates. This "necks for sex" idea has been the leading theory since the late '90s. But that may soon change. A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Mammalian Biology offers new clues to the debate that could prove Darwin and Lamarck may have been at least partially right all along. Size doesn't always matter Douglas Cavener has been studying giraffes for years. In the early 2010s, he led a team that sequences the giraffe's genome. Douglas Cavener Male giraffes have longer necks than females. For that reason, biologists have speculated that males drove the evolution of this physical feature. Lead author of the new study, Douglas Cavener, wasn't entirely convinced. Yes, males have longer necks, but everything else on them is larger too, Cavener, who is a professor of biology at Penn State, told BI. "I realized that the important question was, 'Do males have proportionally longer necks compared to the rest of their body?'" Cavener said. So he and his colleagues including his wife and daughter, who are co-authors on the paper started to investigate. They estimated neck length from photos of adult Masai giraffes, a species of giraffe native to Tanzania and southern Kenya in East Africa. Cavener and his colleagues calculated the proportions of male and female adult giraffes and were surprised by what they found. Douglas Cavener They counted pixels in each photo of both captive and wild giraffes to measure various body parts including the neck, legs, and body trunk. When they crunched the numbers, Cavener and his colleagues discovered that the males fell short. "What we found was pretty surprising, which was that females have proportionately longer necks than males, just the opposite of the prediction," Cavener said, adding that "it turns out that females also have longer trunks proportionally." "So that kind of turned things upside down," Cavener said. Why giraffes have long necks Female giraffes give birth about every two years. Gestation takes about 15 months. So, that means they're pregnant or lactating most of their reproductive lives, Cavener said. That requires a lot of energy. But female giraffes are picky eaters, so "they'll telescope their neck into a bush to really get" the best leaves, Cavener said. Cavener said she thinks that because females are consistently in need of more energy and nutrition, this is what drove ancient giraffes to develop such long necks over millennia. Cavener's study questions the leading theory for why giraffes evolved such long necks. It's probably more related to foraging than sex. Art Wolfe/Getty Images "It sort of goes back to Darwin and Lamarck's theory that this was likely driven by competition for food rather than for mating success. But the important twist is it puts the emphasis on females rather than males," Cavener added. Cavener said this may be the first study to suggest that females, not males, are the reason for giraffes' long necks. That's important not only for understanding giraffe evolution but how male and female giraffes behave differently, which could help with conservation efforts. "This study, for me, highlights the importance of understanding the different behavioral strategies used by males and females in their skills for survival," and how those strategies can drive evolution in a species long-term, Zoe Raw a behavioral biologist and giraffe expert who wasn't involved with the research told Business Insider over e-mail. Cavener's study is part of a larger effort to help preserve the species. In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed Masai giraffes as endangered. Illegal poaching and other human interference have decimated the population. Hunting Masai giraffes is illegal in East Africa, but poachers still track them down for bushmeat and the purported health benefits in their bone marrow and brains. While there's typically pushback anytime a new idea enters the conversation, Raw said the new study is convincing enough to challenge the leading "necks for sex" theory. "Nothing can ever 'prove' what causes evolution, but as far as developing a robust and realistic, evidence-based theory, I think this paper has nailed it," Raw said. Read the original article on Business Insider Mini-LED backlight tech is found in some of the best TVs and has seen a popularity spike in 2024. Alongside the usual proprietors of mini-LED such as Hisense, TCL, Samsung and Sony, other brands have started to incorporate the backlight tech in their TVs including LG and Panasonic. Panasonic introduced the W95A as part of its 2024 lineup and it leads as the brands flagship non-OLED 4K TV. LGs QNED series has been around for a while, but it took a front and center place when I saw LGs 2024 TV lineup in person, and the LG QNED91T ended up in my top three most anticipated LG TVs of 2024 list (although when I reviewed it sadly didnt quite live up to expectations). Probably one of the biggest TV surprises of 2024 was Sonys decision to ditch OLED for its flagship 2024 4K TV and opt for mini-LED. The thinking behind the decision was that mini-LED tech, especially Sonys new iteration in the Bravia 9, which uses a new microscopic 22-bit mini-LED driver and its XR Backlight Master Drive processing, will be able to accurately display the brightness of movies mastered using Sonys new mastering monitor, the BVM-HX3110. This monitor can hit a peak brightness of 4,000 nits a number weve yet to see the best OLED TVs come anywhere near. And from what weve seen of Sonys latest backlight tech, its impressive. With all this in mind, I thought Id look at mini-LED TVs more closely. With a bit of good timing and luck, I had two mini-LED sets varying in price available: the Hisense U6N, its entry-level model, and the Sony X95L, its flagship from 2023 and the predecessor of the Bravia 9. Id tested the X95L and seen how it pays to pay more, but it was interesting to compare it to a budget mini-LED alternative. Its worth noting that there is an odd caveat with both these sets. The 65-inch Hisense U6N retails for $799 / 1,299 / AU$1,399, so in the US and Australia, its a pretty good value but pricier in the UK for what youre getting. The Sony X95L retails for 1,699 and its closest counterpart in the US, the X93L, retails for $1,699. But, even with this, were looking at the two ends of the mini-LED price and performance spectrum. Everythings under control Sony X95L and Hisense U6N displaying the batman My idea for the test was to look at these TVs as they would be used in the real world for everyday viewing. That meant selecting the best picture preset for each, in their default settings, and playing the same source on both. For these tests, the Hisense U6N was in Standard mode and the Sony X95L was in Cinema/Movie mode (more on why in a bit). The first port of call was to test darker images, as mini-LEDs due to their increased brightness and reliance on backlight dimming often cant achieve the same black depth as OLED TVs. I chose the 4K Blu-ray of The Batman a disc I often use for testing black levels and shadow detail played on a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player. It was immediately apparent just how good the X95Ls backlight control was. Blacks looked accurate, perfectly capturing the gloomy tone of the movie. It also demonstrated brilliant contrast, particularly in a scene where Batman and Jim Gordon walk up a hallway lit only with small lamps. The X95L struck a perfect balance between the bright lights and dark hallway, cop uniforms, and Batmans suit. The U6N in Standard mode struggled, delivering a much brighter image that washed out the black to a gray tone. However, Standard looked better than the U6Ns Movie and Filmmaker Modes. Viewed in dim and dark conditions, the X95L thrived. Even in brighter conditions, the X95L had the upper hand, though the U6N did a better job handling reflections. Still, it was hard to look past how much more effective the X95L was in displaying darker pictures. Levelling the playing field Sony X95L and Hisense U6N showing ready player one park scene While the U6N struggled with blacks and shadows, it held its own when it came to colors and brighter images. Thats not to say it looked better than the X95L, which demonstrated how contrast adds extra depth and detail to the picture, but the U6N still showed its worth. Watching Ready Player One, a movie based in a virtual reality game world that blends real-world sequences with crisp, detailed and colorful CGI, the U6N did a good job displaying the punchy colors. The main characters game avatar, Parzival, has striking blue eyes and the U6N displayed this with clarity and accuracy. The same was true of the autumnal oranges, yellows and browns of the trees in a park after an intense race, and the bright green of fireworks before it. The X95L maintained the best detail and gave the colors more depth, though its Cinema mode favored a warmer color palette. That meant the U6N actually better suited Ready Player One. Even when switching to the X95Ls Standard picture mode, it still looked warmer than the U6N, so the cooler, blue colors of Ready Player One again shone on the U6N in Standard mode. I also used demonstration footage from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray, including daytime landscape shots for color, dusk and night shots for contrast, and close-up shots of objects such as pocket watches and animals to test for black levels and detail. This again proved what Id seen already the X95Ls more sophisticated processing and higher dimming zone count let it thrive in every aspect with true-to-life and realistic images. The U6N with its budget backlight system, in contrast, mostly managed punchy detail and colors. Final thoughts Sony X95L and Hisense U6N displaying ferris wheel at night The Sony X95L is the superior TV in this comparison. It displayed pictures with greater accuracy and didnt really falter in any area. The U6N struggled with contrast and black levels, though it handled colors and brighter images well enough. You clearly get more when you pay more when it comes to mini-LED TVs, but its essential not to overlook price. In the US, the Hisense U6N and Sony X93L (the X95Ls closest equivalent) have a price difference of around $1,000. That's a huge amount to consider as it could easily cover a sound upgrade from one of the best soundbars. Even in the UK, there is a 400 price difference between the U6N and X95L, and thats after the X95L has had time for price reductions, which the U6N is sure to get in the future. As a bonus, my comparison also demonstrated that budget mini-LED TVs are getting more sophisticated. There were moments where I genuinely found my eye more drawn to the U6N during Ready Player One and although the X95L is the superior TV, the U6N will suit many people just fine. You might also like... Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto opened a Hungarian embassy in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, making Hungary the fourth EU member country operating an embassy in the country. The ministry cited Szijjarto telling the opening event that Hungary and Laos had established diplomatic relations more than sixty years ago but they raised their cooperation to a level of strategic partnership only five years ago. Since then, Laos has had an embassy in Budapest and now Hungary also has one in Laos, he added. Hungary is the fourth EU member state after Germany, France and Luxembourg to open an embassy in Vientiane, Szijjarto said. He said that despite the tens of thousands of kilometre distance between the two countries, he and his Laotian counterpart could develop successful political and economic cooperation thanks to a common appreciation of the importance of mutual respect and dialogue. Building ties is also helped by the fact that both countries have fought a lot for their freedom, he added. Hungarian companies have made investments worth some 200 million dollars in Laos in recent years, mainly in agriculture, water management and the development of public administration, he said. The success of cooperation is also demonstrated by a fifty-fold increase in bilateral trade this year, he added. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! The government issued a decree on Monday, regulating the market for nicotine patches, also known as snus products, website 24 reports. Each package can contain no more than 20 nicotine sachets, and the maximum nicotine content per unit is 17mg. Until now, neither the number of sachets nor the nicotine content were regulated. In the future, cigarette packages must have exactly 20 cigarettes in the box, which is the current practice. The packaging of heated tobacco products has also been specified. The new regulations were mostly already known to tobacco industry players, due to the public consultation with the EU and its member states. ********************************* 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! Real estate agents are expecting a revival in the holiday property market, and buyers are expecting an expanding offer at Lake Balaton, writes business daily Vilaggazdasag [Global Economy], according to data from Duna House. Transactions have tapered off because most owners position their property for sale above market prices. On the southern coast, buyers contract for an average of 4% and 10% less per square meter than the advertised price on the north coast. According to Duna House's Balaton market report, 70% of the demand is for used apartments and houses at a lower price than newly built ones. Real estate prices are 10% higher per square meter on the north coast than on the south. In terms of advertising prices, the north coast wins the price competition at an average of 17% higher, according to this year's transaction data from the real estate brokerage network. ********************************* 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! Tata Nexon Sales And Anniversary Offer: Tata Motors is celebrating 7 lakh unit sales of Nexon, in its 7th year. Launched in 2017, Nexon has been Indias largest-selling SUV for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023. It was also the 1st Indian car that got a 5-star rating from Global NCAP in 2018 and set the benchmark for others. In Feb 2024, the new-gen Nexon received its GNCAP 5-star rating as per the updated 2022 protocol, and recently Nexon.ev got a 5-star rating from Bharat-NCAP, this month. Available in multiple powertrains petrol, diesel, and electric, the Nexons performance is evident in its accelerated sales growth, with over 3 lakh units sold in just the last two years (2022 and 2023). Nexons Journey To 7 Lakh Units -- 1 Lakh: August 2019 (25 months) -- 2 Lakh: May 2021 (20 months) -- 3 Lakh: March 2022 (10 months) -- 4 Lakh: October 2022 (7 months) -- 5 Lakh: April 2023 (6 months) -- 6 Lakh: December 2023 (8 months) -- 7 Lakh: July 2024 (7 months) To celebrate Nexon's 7 Lakh sales and its 7th year, all Tata Motors passenger vehicles dealers and showrooms nationwide, are organising special events and customer meets. Additionally, the company is offering benefits on Nexon up to Rs. 1 lakh, depending on model and variant. Speaking on the occasion, Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said, Since its launch in 2017, the Nexon has set new standards in design, safety, comfort, and driving pleasure. With a wide choice of powertrains and personas, we have ensured that there is an ideal Nexon for every evolving need and discerning choice of our customers. "To celebrate this landmark achievement of 7 lakh sales in 7 years and to express our sincere gratitude to the growing Nexon family, we are passing on exciting price benefits for both existing and new customers, he added. This celebration, also known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Eid Al-Adha, sometimes called "Bakrid," is one of the most revered holidays in the Muslim world. In Islam, this festivalalso known as Eid Al-Adha, or Hari Raya Hajjis held to be of utmost importance. Arafah Day honors the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and falls on the ninth day of Dhu Al Hijjah. Following Arafah Day, Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid Al Adha on the tenth day of Dhu Al Hijjah. It's a time to share meals with the less fortunate, close friends, and family members. Wishes For Eid Al-Adha 2024 1. Eid is the best time of the year because all family and friends celebrate it together. Greetings of Eid al Adha! 2. Eid al Adha is a day to commemorate the trust, faith, love and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim towards Allah. Eid ul Adha Mubarak 2024. 3. Eid is the best festival of year and you can feel the happiness in air. Happy Eid al Adha 2024. 4. I wish you happiness and lots of positivity on this blessed festival of Eid al Adha. Happy Eid 2024. 5. May the divine blessings of Allah bring you hope, faith, and joy on this auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. 6. Eid Mubarak! May the spirit of Bakrid illuminate your heart and soul, filling your life with joy and serenity. 7. Eid-ul-Adha is a time for reflection and gratitude. May your life be filled with both, today and always. 8. Eid Mubarak! May the spirit of sacrifice and devotion guide you towards a life of compassion and understanding. 9. Eid-ul-Adha is a reminder of the power of faith and the importance of sacrifice. May you be blessed with both. 10. Eid Mubarak! May the spirit of this holy festival bring you closer to Allah and enrich your life with peace and joy. AP EDCET 2024: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) will conclude the objection window for the Andhra Pradesh Education Common Entrance Test (AP EdCET 2024) answer key on tomorrow, June 18. Applicants who took the test and are not satisfied with the answers they received can file complaints about the AP EdCET 2024 answer key on the official website at cets.apsche.ap.gov.in. Candidates must use their login information, including registration number, date of birth, and supporting documentation to file objections against the AP EDCET 2024 answer key. The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) will examine the candidates' objections, which will then make available the official answer key for the AP EDCET 2024. It is significant to remember that the council will not consider any more objections after the objection facility for the AP EDCET 2024 answer key closes. AP EDCET 2024: Steps to apply here Step 1: Go to cets.apsche.ap.gov.in, the official website. Step 2: From the homepage, select 'AP EdCET'. Step 3: Download the answer key by navigating to that section. Step 4: Make sure you also download your response sheets. Step 5: Use the attached form to voice any objections, if any. Step 6: Download the completed form and print a copy for your records after submitting it. The AP EdCET preliminary answer key is available to candidates so they can check their answers for accuracy and determine their score. There's a window of time during which candidates can download the preliminary answer key and object to any questions that they believe are incorrect. Only after addressing these concerns will the final answer key be released. The counselling schedule will then be released after the AP EdCET 2024 results are released. Jharkhand: At least four Maoists, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with police in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district on Monday morning, officials said. The incident took place in Tonto and Goilkera area, they said."Four Maoists were killed in the gunfight, while two have been arrested," Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations), Amol V Homkar, told PTI. According to the police, four naxals including one zonal commander, one sub-zonal commander and one area commander killed during an encounter, while two including an area commander arrested in Chaibasa today. Besides, rifles of different calibre have been recovered. Two weeks after the Lok Sabha Election results were announced, the EVM debate is back in the news. Reports claimed that a mobile phone belonging to a data operator at the centre was found in the possession of an aide of Shiv Senas Ravindra Waikar, the winning candidate. This led to allegations of EVM manipulation. Waikar won against Kirtikar by just 48 votes, the narrowest margin in the country. Some reports claimed that the OTP for unlocking the EVM was received on the smartphone. The Mumbai North West Returning Officer Vandana Suryavanshi said the phone only had access to the Election Commissions ENCORE application system. The ENCORE system is a comprehensive application designed for returning officers. It facilitates the digitization of votes polled, the round-wise tabulation of data, and the generation of various statutory reports during the counting process. Now the question is- can EVMs be unlocked using OTP? The answer to this is negative. EVMs are standalone devices and are not connected to any external device like WiFi, Smartphones, any network or computers. Electronic Voting Machines are neither connected to any internet source nor to any computers. What Is EVM? EVM has three components - Ballot units, control units and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPT). Together, these machines make a system which allows voters to vote and verify if their votes have been cast correctly. These units are joined together by a cable. What Is A Ballot Unit? The ballot unit is a device on which political parties/candidates' symbols are pasted beside the button. An elector presses the button adjoining his/her choice of candidates to cast his/her votes. The ballot unit and VVPAT are kept in the voting compartment for the voters to use and verify. What Is A Control Unit? In simple language, it's the control unit that enables the Ballot Unit to accept votes from the voter and stores the votes cast. The control unit also sends a signal to VVPAT to print the symbol for whose button is pressed on the ballot unit. The control unit remains with the presiding officer at the booth. What Is VVPAT? The VVPAT is nothing but just a printer with 4 MB flash memory in which poll symbols are stored in an image format to allow printing of the symbols when a vote is cast. The ECI has informed the court that even the EVM maker doesn't know which button will be assigned to which political party or candidate. Even the machines are randomly selected for sending to different booths. The ECI also told the court that the voting machines run on firmware and the program cannot be changed. After the Lok Sabha election results, all eyes are now set on the election of Lok Sabha speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to propose the name of the speaker in the lower house on June 26. The BJP has decided to keep the post of Lok Sabha speaker with itself and give the post of Deputy Speaker to its allies. On the other hand, the Congress will be getting the Leader of the Opposition after 10 years as it did not secure the 55 seats required for the post in the last two elections. Now, the Congress leaders had passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to take up the LoP post. However, as per Zee News TV report, Rahul is not keen on taking up the post. As per reports, three senior leadersKumari Selja, Gaurav Gogoi, and Manish Tiwariare being considered for the job. Congress party's victory of 99 seats is being credited to Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi is expected to take more responsibility in the Lok Sabha. It's also likely that Rahul Gandhi may take up the Leader of Opposition post while he may get two deputies to assist the INDIA bloc in Parliament during his absence. The Leader of Opposition post is equivalent to Cabinet rank. If he gets the post, it will also help him coordinate better with allies while leading the Congress party's attack against the BJP in the Lok Sabha. During the 17th Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was the Leader of Opposition in the lower house. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will start on June 24 and continue until July 3, as announced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday. He also called on all political parties to engage in constructive debates during the session. The Rajya Sabha session will begin on June 27. Ukraine Peace Summit: India shares its view on the Swiss summit regarding peace in Ukraine on Sunday, affirming its commitment to engage with all parties involved, including both sides of the conflict, to facilitate peace in Ukraine. "India shares the global concern over the situation in Ukraine and supports any collective desire to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We will continue to engage with all stakeholders, as well as the two parties to the conflict, to contribute to all earnest efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine," said Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) Ministry of External Affairs, who represented India at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland at Burgenstock. The Indian delegation attended the opening and closing plenary sessions of the summit, which began on June 15 and concluded on June 16, bringing together representatives from 92 countries and organisations. Russia was not invited to the summit while China decided not to attend it. In a brief address, the senior Indian diplomat said, "Our participation in this summit and continued engagement with all stakeholders is with a view to understanding different perspectives, approaches and options to find a way forward for a sustainable resolution of the conflict." Accordingly, New Delhi will continue to engage with all stakeholders as well as the two parties to the conflict to contribute to all earnest efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, Kapoor said, according to the Ministry of External Affairs press release. "In our view, only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace. In line with this approach, we have decided to avoid association with the Joint Communique or any other document emerging from this summit," Kapoor said. The release also said that India continues to believe that such a resolution requires a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict. "India's participation in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, as well as in the preceding NSA/Political-Director level meetings based on Ukraine's Peace Formula, is in line with our clear and consistent approach that enduring peace can be achieved only through dialogue and diplomacy," said MEA. "We continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict." the MEA added. According to MEA, "We deem it important to join this gathering that seeks to explore the way forward to a negotiated settlement of a very complex and pressing issue." New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that the fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase. He noted that recent incidents indicate how terrorism has been reduced from highly organized acts of violence to a mere proxy war. Shah Conducts High-Level Meeting During a high-level meeting at the North Block here to review the security situation in the Union Territory in the wake of recent terrorist attacks there, he also directed security agencies to implement area domination and zero-terror plans in the Jammu division like they did in Kashmir to achieve success. Chaired a security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir with all the heads of the agencies and Lt. Governor Shri Manoj Sinha Ji. Issued directions to replicate the success achieved in the Kashmir Valley through the Zero Terror and Area Dominance Plans in the Jammu area. Also pic.twitter.com/otjwFwuQtt Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 16, 2024 Preparations For Amarnath Yatra In another subsequent meeting, the home minister reviewed the preparations for the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The Narendra Modi government's priority is to ensure the smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra and that pilgrims do not have to face any difficulties, Shah said. He also instructed the security agencies to be vigilant and ensure sufficient deployment of personnel for yatra -- from June 29 till August 19. At the meeting on the Amarnath Yatra, Shah instructed officials to ensure perfect inter-agency coordination for effective security arrangements, including a well-established standard operating response mechanism. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to ensure a convenient and hassle-free experience for devotees and adopt eco-friendly measures in management of the Amarnath pilgrimage, he said. Last year more than 4.5 lakh devotees visited the cave shrine. Amarnath pilgrims travel through two routes -- Baltal and Pahalgam -- in Jammu and Kashmir. 'Determined To Root Out Terrorism' In the meeting to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Shahasserted that the government is determined to root out terrorism. It was convened in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the Union Territory's Jammu region, officials said. The home minister directed the security agencies to work on a mission mode and ensure quick response in a coordinated manner. He also stressed on seamless coordination among security agencies, identifying vulnerable areas and addressing security concerns in these areas. Zero-Tolerance Police Against Terrorism Reiterating the government's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, he said the government will leave no stone unturned to root out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir. 'Peace' Positive Results In Kashmir The efforts of the government of India have yielded great positive results in the Kashmir Valley with significant reduction in terror-related incidents, he said. Shah noted that the improvement in the law and order situation is reflected in the record flow of tourists in the Kashmir Valley. He directed the agencies to replicate in the Jammu division the successes achieved in the Kashmir Valley through the area domination plan and the zero-terror plan, the officials said. The fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase and the recent incidents show that terrorism has been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war, the minister said. The officials said the home minister was given a thorough briefing on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces are expected to intensify counter-terrorism operations in the coming days. The operations against terrorists will be carried out in line with the prime minister's directive, they said. PM Modi Addressed Recent Attacks In Jammu Shah presided over the high-level meeting, three days after the prime minister held a similar meeting where he directed officials to deploy the "full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities" after a spate of terror incidents, including an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of the Jammu region. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Anish Dayal Singh, BSF Director General Nitin Agarwal, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R R Swain and other top security officials attended both the meeting. Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir within four days last week, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan and leaving seven security personnel and several others injured. Two suspected Pakistani terrorists were also killed in an encounter with security forces in Kathua district. On June 9, terrorists opened fire on a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus, ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others. On June 11, terrorists fired at a joint checkpost of the Rashtriya Rifles and police at Chattergalla in Bhaderwah while a search party in the Gandoh area of Doda district was attacked on June 12, resulting in injuries to seven security personnel, including a policeman. Lok Sabha Elections In J & K The home minister appreciated the security agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir administration for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections, which witnessed record voter turnout in the Union Territory. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made significant changes to its syllabus regarding the Babri Masjid demolition and the Rath Yatra. In addition to these revisions in the Class 12 Political Science syllabus, NCERT has also altered the content in the Class 11 Political Science textbook. The new edition now discusses how vote bank politics in India is associated with 'minority appeasement'. This marks a departure from the previous syllabus, which did not include the concept of 'minority appeasement'. Whats New in the Class 11 Political Science Book? According to The Indian Express, both the new and old versions of the Class 11 Political Science book contain a chapter on secularism, which includes a section titled "Criticism of Indian Secularism." Within this section, there are two paragraphs on vote bank politics. The 2023-24 and 2024-25 versions state, "If secular leaders who seek minority votes actually deliver what they promise, this is a success of the secular project aimed at protecting minority interests." Both versions pose the same question: "But what if the welfare of the concerned group is sought at the expense of the welfare and rights of other groups? What if these secular politicians weaken the interests of the majority? A new injustice is then created." Different Answers in Each Edition While the question remains the same in both versions, the answers differ. The old edition states: "But can you think of such examples? Can you claim that the entire system is biased in favor of minorities? If you think deeply, you will find that there is little evidence of this in India. In short, there is nothing wrong with vote bank politics, but the injustice that arises from it is wrong. The fact that secular parties use vote banks is not troubling. All parties do this with some social groups." Whats in the New Book? The revised edition states: "Can you think of such examples? Theoretically, there may be nothing wrong with vote bank politics, but when it mobilizes a social group to collectively vote for a particular candidate or political party during elections, it distorts electoral politics. Here, the key feature is that the group acts as a monolithic entity during voting. Despite internal diversity, the party or leader engaging in vote bank politics tries to artificially create the belief that the groups interests are unified. In reality, this prioritizes short-term electoral gains over the long-term development and governance needs of society." It further states: "In India, it has been observed that political parties often focus on emotional issues for electoral gain, neglecting the real problems faced by the community. This competitive vote bank politics can exacerbate social divisions by portraying various groups as rivals competing for limited resources. In India, vote bank politics is also linked to minority appeasement. This means political parties disregard the principles of equality for all citizens and prioritize the interests of minority groups. Ironically, this has increased the isolation and marginalization of the minority group. Since vote bank politics fails to acknowledge the diversity within the minority group, raising issues of social reform within these groups has also proven difficult." These changes have sparked discussions about the implications of the revised content on students understanding of Indian politics and secularism. Japan is currently grappling with a new health crisis as a deadly bacterial infection spreads across the nation. Following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, reports indicate that a rare and severe 'flesh-eating bacterium' is causing a significant rise in infections and fatalities. This article provides an in-depth look at the situation, including the rise in cases, symptoms, risks, and preventive measures. Rising Cases of STSS in Japan As of June 2, Japan's health ministry has documented 977 cases of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), a serious bacterial infection with a high mortality rate of 30%. This alarming increase follows a period of relatively low infection rates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to March alone, approximately 77 people have succumbed to this deadly infection, highlighting the urgent need for public awareness and medical intervention. Surpassing Last Years Record The current outbreak in Japan has already surpassed the previous record of 941 initial infections reported last year. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan, there were 97 deaths from STSS last year, marking the second-highest mortality rate in the past six years. This trend underscores the severity of the situation and the need for continued vigilance and response efforts. A Rare but Serious Bacterial Infection Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) is a rare but extremely serious bacterial infection. It occurs when bacteria invade deep tissues and enter the bloodstream, triggering a rapid and severe immune response. Initially, patients may experience common symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and vomiting. However, these symptoms can quickly escalate to life-threatening conditions, including low blood pressure, severe swelling, and multiple organ failure as the body goes into shock. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Even with treatment, STSS can be deadly. About three in 10 people with STSS die from the infection." This statistic highlights the critical need for early detection and prompt medical intervention to improve survival rates. Most Cases Caused by Group A Streptococcus The majority of STSS cases are caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria, which are commonly known to cause mild illnesses like strep throat and skin infections. However, in rare instances, these bacteria can become invasive. When GAS bacteria produce a toxin, they can enter the bloodstream, leading to severe diseases such as toxic shock syndrome. Additionally, Group A Streptococcus can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a severe 'flesh-eating' infection that can result in limb loss and other serious complications. The CDC notes that most patients with necrotizing fasciitis have underlying health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, which compromise their immune systems and make them more susceptible to severe infections. Post-COVID Relaxation and Increased Cases The COVID-19 pandemic brought about widespread public health measures such as masking and social distancing, which inadvertently helped reduce the spread of various infectious diseases, including aggressive Group A Strep infections. However, with the relaxation of these measures, there has been a noticeable increase in STSS cases in several countries, including Japan. Potential for Up to 2,500 Cases Ken Kikuchi, a professor of infectious diseases at Tokyo Womens Medical University, has expressed concerns about the potential for a significant increase in STSS cases. According to Kikuchi, "At the current rate of infection, the number of cases in Japan could reach 2,500 this year, with a 30% mortality rate." This projection underscores the urgent need for preventive measures and public awareness to curb the spread of this deadly infection. Deaths Within 48 Hours The rapid progression of STSS is one of its most alarming characteristics. Kikuchi explained, "Most deaths occur within 48 hours. If a patient notices swelling in their leg in the morning, it can spread to the knee by the afternoon, and they can die within 48 hours." This swift progression highlights the importance of early detection and immediate medical intervention to improve patient outcomes. International Outbreaks Japan is not alone in facing an increase in STSS cases. Other countries have also reported outbreaks of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease. At the end of 2022, at least five European countries reported a surge in iGAS cases, including STSS, to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO noted that the increase in cases coincided with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting a correlation between the relaxation of public health measures and the resurgence of infectious diseases. Warning from Japanese Authorities In response to the rising number of STSS cases, Japanese authorities issued a warning in March. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan released a risk assessment stating that the number of STSS cases caused by iGAS had "increased since July 2023, particularly among people under 50 years of age." This warning aims to raise public awareness and encourage prompt medical attention for individuals exhibiting symptoms of the infection. High Risk for Elderly with Open Wounds Elderly individuals with open wounds or those who have recently undergone surgery are at higher risk of developing STSS. The CDC emphasizes the importance of wound care and hygiene to prevent bacterial infections. However, the exact mechanism by which the bacteria enter the bodies of about half of the people with STSS remains unknown. This uncertainty complicates efforts to prevent and control the spread of the infection. Unclear Cause of Increased Cases Despite extensive research and monitoring, the cause of this year's increase in STSS cases in Japan remains unclear. According to Japans public broadcaster NHK, experts are still investigating potential factors contributing to the rise in infections. Continued research and surveillance are essential to understand the dynamics of STSS transmission and to develop effective strategies for prevention and treatment. Preventive Measures and Public Awareness To combat the spread of STSS, public health officials recommend several preventive measures. These include maintaining good personal hygiene, promptly treating wounds, and seeking immediate medical attention if symptoms of infection develop. Public awareness campaigns are crucial to educate the population about the risks and symptoms of STSS, as well as the importance of early intervention. Conclusion The spread of a deadly bacterial infection in Japan, primarily caused by Group A Streptococcus, poses a significant public health challenge. With a high mortality rate and rapid progression, Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome requires urgent attention and action. Public awareness, preventive measures, and prompt medical intervention are key to controlling the spread of this severe infection and protecting public health. FAQs What is Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS)? Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) is a rare but severe bacterial infection caused by Group A Streptococcus. It occurs when the bacteria invade deep tissues and enter the bloodstream, leading to rapid and severe symptoms. How is STSS transmitted? STSS is typically transmitted through direct contact with infected wounds, respiratory droplets, or contaminated surfaces. In some cases, the exact transmission route remains unclear. What are the early symptoms of STSS? Early symptoms of STSS include fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and low blood pressure. These symptoms can quickly escalate to life-threatening conditions such as severe swelling and multiple organ failure. How can STSS be prevented? Preventive measures for STSS include maintaining good personal hygiene, promptly treating wounds, and seeking immediate medical attention if symptoms of infection develop. Public awareness campaigns also play a crucial role in prevention. Why has there been an increase in STSS cases in Japan? The increase in STSS cases in Japan is believed to be linked to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, which has led to a resurgence of various infectious diseases. However, the exact cause remains unclear. What should you do if you suspect you have STSS? If you suspect you have STSS, seek immediate medical attention. Early detection and prompt treatment are crucial for improving survival rates and preventing severe complications. By - Sana Raees Khan, Founder- SRK Legal Defamation, encompassing both libel and slander, constitutes a critical area of concern in legal practice. As a lawyer, navigating the nuances of these concepts is essential for effectively representing clients and protecting their reputations which are of paramount importance in their careers, entrepreneurs hip & social standing. Defining Defamation Defamation refers to the communication of false statements that harm the reputation of an individual or entity. This harm can manifest in various forms, including loss of business opportunities, damage to personal relationships, or emotional distress. Both libel and slander fall under the umbrella of defamation, but they differ in their form of communication: Libel: This pertains to written or published defamatory statements. Examples include defamatory posts on social media, articles in newspapers, or statements in published books. The permanence of libellous statements exacerbates their potential damage, as they can reach a wide audience and persist over time.Libel, as a written or published form of defamation, carries significant implications due to its permanence and potential to reach a wide audience. In today's digital age, libellous statements can spread rapidly through social media, online forums, and news websites. The enduring nature of written content heightens the potential for lasting damage to an individual's reputation or a business's credibility. As such, addressing libel requires swift and strategic legal action to mitigate harm and restore reputation. Slander: In contrast, slander involves spoken defamatory statements. These may occur during speeches, broadcasts, or casual conversations. Unlike libel, slanderous remarks are transient and not recorded, making them harder to prove in legal proceedings but equally damaging to a person's reputation. Elements of Defamation: For a statement to be legally considered defamatory, several elements must typically be proven: False Statement: The statement in question must be demonstrably false. Truth serves as a complete defence against defamation claims. Publication: The false statement must be communicated to a third party, beyond the subject and speaker, in the case of slander or in written form in the case of libel. Harm: The defamatory statement must result in actual harm to the reputation of the individual or entity. This harm can be economic, social, or emotional in nature. Fault: Depending on whether the plaintiff is a public figure or a private individual, different standards of fault apply. Public figures must generally prove actual malice, knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth while private individuals may not have to pitch their case as high as the public figures, though ofcourse,they have their reputations to guard in the context of their social, professional & other connected settings. Right to Privacy is a Fundamental right under the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court has held that the Right to privacy is integral to freedoms guaranteed across fundamental rights and is an intrinsic aspect of dignity, autonomy and liberty. Celebrities, like any individual, have a Right to privacy under Indian law. This includes protection from unwarranted intrusion into their personal lives, unless there is a legitimate public interest. Defamation laws in India protect individuals from false statements that damage their reputation or standing in the community. My legal representation in Raveena Tandons case emphasizes how important legal action is in shielding people from slander and defamation and the same highlights the legal implications of the libellous Road rage video of Raveena Tandon which was published by a guy claiming to be a journalist on his X account. We have issued a legal notice to the guy claiming to be a journalist in question, firmly asserting the right to protect the privacy and dignity of my client. The notice unequivocally challenges any false or defamatory statements and warns of swift legal action against any further dissemination of misinformation. In the pursuit of justice, we stand committed to safeguarding the integrity of Raveena and upholding the principles of fair and accurate journalism. We refuse to tolerate unfounded allegations or malicious attempts to tarnish her image. This is not merely a legal matter; it is a matter of integrity and justice. Our notice emphasises the gravity of the accusations and seeks to hold those responsible for disseminating false information accountable. Our Notice is a broader protest against the widespread problem of slander and defamation in the media as well as protection of her legitimate rights. The video in question encourages a perception that Bollywood personalities are habituated to alcohol and the same needs to be condemned in no uncertain terms. In the face of baseless allegations and sensationalism, we stand as a bulwark of truth and integrity. While Celebrities may have a reduced expectation of privacy in certain aspects of their lives due to their public profile, allegations of alcoholism should still be handled with caution. Public interest must be balanced against their right to privacy and the potential harm caused by false perceptions. In case of defamatory statements or privacy violations, legal remedies such as civil lawsuits for damages or seeking injunctions and Criminal actions against further publication may be pursued. Its crucial to address the delicate balance between public interest and an Individuals right to privacy, especially for public figures like Bollywood personalities. The foundation of reliable journalism is accurate reporting, which guarantees that the general audience is given news that is impartial and truthful. But as social media has grown, so too has the spread of misleading information, frequently with severe implications for the people it targets. The story of Raveena Tandon serves as an example of how quickly someone's reputation can be damaged by a Random account. In addition casting a slur on her conduct, the edited film exposes her to criticism from the public which could have jeopardised her career and personal relationships. These incidents demonstrate the critical necessity for ethical journalism and strict policies to stop the spread of false information. We hope to create a precedent for other famous figures who may fall prey to similar digital manipulation by strongly pursuing a legally sound case. This step would serve as a reminder that the remedies available under the legal system can and ought to be invoked such that those who indulge in such gimmicks are brought to book and also to shield people from defamatory words. Because of their prominence and impact, public personalities such as Raveena Tandon are frequently the target of unjustified criticism and unfounded accusations. Their professions as well as their mental health may suffer significantly as a result of defamatory content. It is pertinent to emphasise that disseminating such misleading material is an assault on one's dignity and a privacy infringement.Raveena Tandon has set a commendable precedent with this proactive response to the slanderous video. It highlights how important it is for public figures to stand out for their rights and dispel myths. It also emphasises the importance of the legal community in defending the rights of people who have been falsely accused. It is admirable that Raveena Tandon is speaking out against defamation because it emphasises the value of honesty, responsibility, and the unwavering search for the truth in the media. It is a potent reminder that even in the spotlight, public figures always have the right to be treated with dignity. Our notice sends a clear message: we will not bow down to Defamation! Raveena Tandon deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and in that regard, her rights against any future attempt to besmirch her reputation will be vigorously & staunchly defended. Conclusion: Upholding Integrity and Justice In conclusion, the intricate realm of defamation, encompassing libel and slander, underscores the critical importance of safeguarding integrity, protecting reputations, and seeking justice to such aggrieved individualswho need to zealously guard their reputation & privacy rights. The distinction between news and sensationalism frequently becomes hazy in today's fast-paced digital environment, which encourages the circulation of false and unreliable information. In a climate where sensationalism often trumps truth, it is imperative to stand firm against baseless accusations and sensational reporting. The episode surrounding Raveena Tandon and the baseless news around the video serves as a sobering reminder of the obligations associated with press and freedom of expression. The digital era has not only made information sharing more accessible, but it has also made ethical journalism more important & relevant to the changing times. The media needs to make sure that their reporting is not motivated by sensationalism but rather by confirmed facts. (Author is a Supreme Court Lawyer and Founder of SRK Legal. The views expressed here are of the authors and not of the Zee News.) Kolkata-based Indian English poet Sonnet Mondal has been invited to read his poems at the 34th edition of the Medellin International Poetry Festival, to be held in July this year in Medellin, Colombia. Sonnet will be reading at several venues in the festival, including the Carlos Vieco performing arts theater on the ending day of the festival. His poems in Spanish translation will be read alongside the originals in English during the course of the 10-day festival. Sonnet is the author of eight books of poetry, including An Afternoon in My Mind and Karmic Chanting. His collection of poems in Hindi translation, Lautati Dopaharein', was published by Rajkamal Prakashan earlier this year. Another book of his poems in Marathi translation was published by Copper Coin Publishing in association with the Raza Foundation. Sonnet said, I am currently working on my next book of poems, Clamour for a Handful of Rice', which highlights the plight and suffering of people across the world in recent years due to conflicts, wars, and famines. The International Poetry Festival of Medellin is one of the worlds largest and most prestigious poetry festivals. Starting in the year 1991, the festival has a legacy of more than three decades. The festival was founded by Fernando Rendon. Some of the prominent Indian poets who have participated in this festival include Surjit Patar, Sunil Gangopadhyay, K. Satchidanandan, and Ramakanta Rath, among others.Each year, some 80 artists from various countries participate actively in the festival. Up to 200,000 people come to listen to about 100 poetry readings. The theme of this years festival is Love Song of the Planet. The 34th International Poetry Festival of Medellin (34 FIPMed), to be held from July 13 to 20, will have the presence of 80 poets and guests from 40 countries through 60 public activities in Medellin and Antioquia. Ones sexuality is the basis of becoming, thus a society respectful of sexuality brings forth a society of thriving, production, collectivism, activism, and creation. Much to the uprising of the LGBTQ community, the Supreme Court of India, in 2023, rejected the same-sex marriage act, however, the court did claim to grant several other rights to the LGBTQ community, including protection against discrimination, the right to choose a partner, the right to intimate association, and the right to adopt children. Yet, on hearing and reading stories of the queer community we learn these rights are often, continually violated in India. The mental health of the LGBTQ community in India remains legally and emotionally wounded and stretched. Theyre dynamic, young, and constantly under strife due to the immense scrutiny, and scalding offered to them, what theyre permitted, what they arent, how to present themselves at the hands of civic bodies, families, friends workplaces, and what India provides as permissible and what still remains a party to rejection is all an uphill battle fought by them on routine across courts, colleges, and living rooms. But, theres solace in knowing, that books are healers and friends, and give community to whoever you may be, books give courage and a sense of kindness. As a reader, Im always looking for books and concepts that will pull me apart from myself, back into myself, and give me humour, joy and empathy with those, not me. While, as a feminist writer, I may pronoun myself she/ her and engage in monogamous, heterosexual relationships, the understanding of sexuality through movies and books and how it shapes society, people and community has helped me advocate and march for them, and navigate life across countries, rule books and citizenship. So heres my list of top ten LGBTQ books, many have been adapted to movies, for whoever may need them: On Earth, Were Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong I love anything Ocean Vuong writes, hes a fellow poet and his words slip on his skin. This book has been written by the Vietnamese poet in first person, Little Dog, his lovemaking with Trevor, his extension of writing is sometimes hard to grasp yet worth reading every word of the alphabet. He makes homosexuality beautiful and consuming to the reader, not as kitschy, but as naturally as possible, just how he frames every page, the politics of sexuality and countries of residence, his words written to his mother, Rose, and his grandmother, Lan, feel like hes speaking to my Grandma in a letter. Ive been inspired a lot in my writing by Ocean, he remains a favourite across genres of words. Giovannis Room, James Baldwin James Baldwin is one of my favourite writers to read from the Civil Rights Movement, his words are strong, calling, they shake you in your focus, whether they be of the racial strife he fought through or his work on sexuality and labour. Baldwin bravely calls on the human consciousness, refusing to let us sit without looking into ourselves. The story is of David and Giovannis relationship, Davids struggles with himself on what he should be vs what society wants of him, symbolism with paintings of men and women, roses to adorn, how he cant get himself to give to Giovanni what he gives to him, is it society or his own holding. While hes got critiqued for it by friends, for copping out of real issues of black history, as if a white man is sat on his shoulders telling him what to write, this early book is one of his most excellent works. Ill Give You The Sun, Jandy Nelson I love young adult fiction, I'm an honest enthusiast for those melt-in-your-mouth beach reads. I love how Jandy has been brave with her writing and played with how she wrote the story of the twins, Noah and Brian. One was a cool art freak and the other was navigating life in baggy clothes, how to fit in, their closeness, their perspectives through time, them falling apart, their poetic speaks, Noah falling in love with the boy next door, Brian, his neighbour and his years of figuring how to tell of his sexuality and his loneliness in this tight bubble. This book, while may not be a literary monument, it brings to close quarters the story of siblings, home, falling apart with age and how we then sit in reminiscence. Matters of sexuality are closely tied to our familial bonds, thus books speaking through that prism are always wondrous. A Little Life, Hanya Yanigahara I have a few very close friends who Ive been very close friends with since I was little. Our friendship has taken turns, stomps, and downfalls and is made from the best memories from all our years. How friends grow, ideologically, socially, and economically and in terms of where we belong, detours and takes turns and tragedies and ties to bring it back together. This is all felt and seen in Hanya Yanigaharas work of excellent fiction. Its not about gay men or homosexuality but one of the characters has alliances with men, and that through the book contests his sexuality and the impact it has on their evolving friendships. How We Fight For Our Lives, Saeed Jones I love black storytelling, it feels honest, truthful, and revealing. This is Saeed Jones story of self-discovery, coming of age, and growing up black, gay, and young in the South. I love how Saeed traces back the voice of his sexuality to his early years and the sense of isolation and doom that draws on him as he finds his way through a heteronormative world. His growing up in a single-parent family, with a Buddhist mother, and how race, sexuality, and identity play an important role in placing us in this complex, systemically disjointed world. This is great for anyone young finding their way into their sexual preferences. Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde Audre Lorde, another powerful voice, a black lesbian mother poet, and writer, moves me with the strength of every word she waxes on paper. While all her work is drenched in her identity, this work in particular, fifteen essays between the years of 1967 to 1984 explore race, gender, and sexuality and her poetry to illuminate and give power to minority writers and women who sit on the outside, empowering them to move within, with power and grace. She claims herself a sister to them yet an outsider, claiming the erotic as feminine power, moving women of her colour and from the margins to challenge norms set by white feminism, reclaiming power over their bodies and lives, forming bonds with others. Every woman should read Audre Lorde, she is a must despite your sexuality or status. Call Me By Your Name, Andre Aciman I love the movie, the romance, the deep need to be in Italy with this book, and the young innocence of Elio lusting after a writer at their Italian family-run villa. While the movie is beautiful, the writing is even better, how Aciman described the budding romance, the gentle oozing of Elios and the older mans sexuality and senses, the penetration of peach, passion, obsession, and love. It makes heartbreak visceral, you can feel the young boys heart fall to your palms, its what good writing does, it leaves you desperate and wanting to partake. While Elio enjoys women, its his particular fascination with a man that leaves us tongue-tied and wanting Aciman to keep going for as long, it gives homosexuality the freshness, and beauty, we love. Middlesex, Jefferey Eugenides Honestly, as a glance, reader, scroller of everything I wasnt sure what to expect from this book. Through Jeffrey Eugenides, we are introduced to Calliope Stephanides, a girl who discovers that she is intersex. Ive worked with young kids who at a very early age began feeling like they didnt belong in their body and got sex changed, changing their identity and names. It's an interesting book because Callie grows up a girl, with first love, growing into adolescence, then slowly realizing she wasnt Callie or a man, she was somewhere in the middle, thus the name Middlesex, she then transitions surgically and with all else slowly into Cal. A lot of people when finding their sexuality are often confused, unsure if they're rebelling or finding their true selves, unsure if this is where they belong and what they want sexually and romantically. This book is just great for an honest breeze into a young girl finding her physical, and sexual freedom and her journey of self-discovery, as is the theme with many LGBTQ books, towards it. Calypso, David Sedaris If I were a man, Id be David Sedaris. I love his brash, straightforward writing, his cynicism, its almost like hes always gently reprimanding us. I love this book, like all of his books. I wanted to be him, write like him, experience the world like him, be misanthropic, Greek and poke homosexuality like a pie, just like him. I cant write more about this book of essays exploring middle age, mortality, the beauty of observation, except just take a stab at them yourselves and find immense joy we forget, because were not him. The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Emily M Danforth: Last on this list of the many, many books youll find under this genre, this beauty by Emily M Danforth. This is also a fabulous movie. Its a young Cameron Post, coming into her sexuality, living with her Aunt since her parents have died and her aunt trying to fix her. None of this is new, but the beauty of the lomographic photos and descriptives this book is written with or the movie is made with, make you just ponder, theres no agenda to her writing, just a journey telling of a young girl, sent to gay-curing camps where sons of pastors are found along. I love YA fiction because its so real, believable, and mushy. I almost want to be young again and grow up with the characters I read. This book, with all the unsensational rule-breaking, invites you right in! New Delhi: As part of pre-budget consultations, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to meet representatives from industry associations on June 20 evening. The meeting, slated to take place between 4 and 6 pm at North Block, will see industry associations such as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry presenting their budget suggestions and recommendations. This meeting is part of the government's annual pre-budget consultations aimed at garnering feedback and suggestions from key stakeholders to shape the upcoming Union Budget. The budget is anticipated to be tabled in Parliament in the third week of July. Ahead of their meeting with the Finance Minister, industry associations will meet Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra on June 18. The discussions are expected to cover a broad range of topics, including tax reforms, incentives for various industries, measures to boost economic growth, and policies to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This will be the Modi government's first budget after it assumed office for the third successive term. Nirmala Sitharman had presented an interim budget on February 1 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She has so far presented six budgets in a row and will create a record when she presents the full-fledged budget for the new term of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government. New Delhi: Kabir Bedi's granddaughter Alaya F has been basking in the glory of her latest release - Srikanth. A biopic made on the life of Srikanth Bolla, a visually-impaired industrialist and the founder of Bollant Industries earned rave reviews from critics and audience alike. Rajkummar played the titular role while Alaya played his on-screen wife Veera Swathi. Recently, legendary actor Kabir Bedi has some great reviews to share about the movie and his granddaughter. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Kabir Bedi talked about Srikanth and Alaya's performance in it. "Seeing my granddaughter on screen is always thrilling for me," he said. "She's such a talented actress. One of my great joys in life was when I presented her with the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actress for her role in Jawaani Jaaneman. She was brilliant then, and she's brilliant in Srikanth as well. That gives me immense pleasure. But also what gave me immense pleasure was that Srikanth is one of the best films made in India on the subject of the blind and visually challenged. It is such a heartrending story." Reflecting on her journey as the third generation in their family to enter the film industry, he shared, "as a grandfather, I am immensely proud of her. She has done some very important films, from Jawaani Jaaneman to Freddy, U Turn, Srikanth, and the upcoming Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. This variety of roles showcases her versatility and dedication." He continued, "Alaya has a natural talent for acting, which is inborn and god-given. But on top of that, she works incredibly hard. There is not a day when she isn't engaged in some form of training, whether it's a class, a gym routine, working on scenes, or preparing for auditions. The effort she puts in is an example to all young actors of what it takes to be successful today. I have no doubt that she will emerge as one of the most talented and versatile actresses of her generation, which of course makes me very proud." TAIPEI: A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, China's coast guard said, in the latest flare-up of escalating territorial disputes that have sparked alarm. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, part of a territory claimed by several nations. The Philippines says the shoal falls within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidating China's expansive South China Sea claims based on historical grounds. The Chinese coast guard said the Philippine craft ignored China's repeated solemn warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision. The Philippines is entirely responsible for this, the coast guard said in its statement on the social media platform WeChat. Meanwhile, the Philippine military called the Chinese coast guard's report deceptive and misleading, and said it would not discuss operational details on the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our exclusive economic zone. It used the Philippine name for the shoal, where Filipino navy personnel have transported food, medicine and other supplies to a long-grounded warship that has served as Manila's territorial outpost. We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China coast guard, military spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said. The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights. "The continued aggressive actions of the CCG are escalating tensions in the region, Trinidad said. Two speedboats attempting to deliver construction materials and other supplies to a military vessel stationed at the shoal accompanied the supply ship, according to China's Foreign Ministry, which described its coast guard's maneuver as professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful. The Foreign Ministry did not expand on the extent of the damage to the Chinese or Philippine vessels. Several incidents have happened in recent months near the shoal which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from The Philippines coast and where it maintains an outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, which had been encrusted with rust since it was deliberately grounded in 1999 but remains an actively commissioned military vessel, meaning an attack on it could be considered by the Philippines as an act of war. China has increasingly become assertive in pressing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which has led to a rising number of direct conflicts with other countries in the region, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. A new law by China, which took effect Saturday, authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships that illegally enter China's territorial waters and to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law renewed a reference to 2021 legislation that says China's coast guard can fire upon foreign ships if necessary. At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have said they would not recognize the law. The territorial disputes have strained relations and sparked fears the conflict could bring China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, into a military confrontation. Washington lays no territorial claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the South China Sea. Aside from China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are also involved in the long-seething territorial disputes, which are regarded as a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the longstanding U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Indonesia has also confronted Chinese coast guard and fishing fleets in the past in the gas-rich waters off the Natuna islands in the fringes of the South China Sea where it blew Chinese fishing boats it had taken under custody. Its navy also fired warning shots at Chinese vessels straying into what Jakarta regards as its exclusive economic zone. Gold Terra Resource Corp. (CVE:YGT) (OTCMKTS:YGTFF) owns a 100% interest in the Yellowknife City Gold ("YCG") Project, encompassing 790 sq km of contiguous land within 12 kilometers of the city of Yellowknife. The Project is located in the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering 70 kilometers of strike length along the main mineralized break in proximity to the former high-grade Con and Giant gold mines which have produced over 14 million ounces of gold. The YCG Project is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople. On November 4, 2019, Gold Terra announced an Inferred mineral resource of 735,000 ounces of gold for the YCG Project, consisting of a pit constrained Inferred mineral resource of 11.6 million tonnes averaging 1.4 g/t for 523,000 ounces of contained gold and an underground Inferred mineral resource of 1.2 million tonnes averaging 5.7 g/t for 212,000 ounces of contained gold. First-Ever Discovery of Ancient Assyrian Military Camps Includes Biblical Site The earliest aerial photograph of Jerusalem (lower left) with an oval fortification visible on a hill in the upper right. ( Library of Congress) A peer-reviewed paper in the prestigious journal Near Eastern Archaeology reports the first-ever discoveries of ancient Assyrian military camps. Created circa 700 BC during military conquests across the Middle East, they mark the expansion of the Assyrian Empire, which became the prototype for the subsequent Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. The initial discovery came from a scene carved into the stone walls of the Assyrian King Sennacherib's palace commemorating his conquest of Lachish, a city to the south of Jerusalem. Matching the landscape in this image to features of the actual landscape (using early aerial photographs of Lachish prior to modern development) created a virtual map to the site of Sennacherib's camp. This led to ruins similar in size and shape to the camp in Sennacherib's relief. An archaeological survey of the site found no evidence of human habitation for 2600 years, followed by pottery sherds from the exact time of Sennacherib's invasion of Lachish, after which it was again abandoned for centuries. Moreover, the ancient Arabic name for the ruins was Khirbet al Mudawwara, "The Ruins of the Camp of the Invading Ruler." The Survey of Palestine had investigated a very similar ruin to the north of Jerusalem and found it consistent with a military camp. They hypothesized that it had been built by Titus during the later Roman invasion of Jerusalem. However, Roman military camps were always rectangular, whereas this was oval, the characteristic shape of Assyrian camps. The hill it occupied was known in Arabic as Jebel el Mudawwara, "The Mountain of the Camp of the Invading Ruler." This appears to be the site of Sennacherib's camp from the siege of Jerusalem, which was featured in the three books of the Bible, depicted in great works of art by, for example, Peter Paul Rubens and Gustave Dore, and celebrated in verse by Lord Byron. In the Bible story, the Angel of the Lord passed through the camp in the night slaying the Assyrian soldiers. The Babylonian historian Berosus wrote that a plague devastated the Assyrian army. And the Greek historian Herodotus claimed that mice invaded the Assyrian camp in the night and chewed through their bow strings and shield straps, leaving them defenseless in battle the next morning. This hill's earlier history is equally impressive. Isaiah 10:24-32 describes the Assyrian advance toward Jerusalem, culminating with them stopping at Nob and challenging Jerusalem from there. This connects the Assyrian camp at Jerusalem with Nob, the lost priestly city that held the tabernacle, the holiest site in Judaism prior to the construction of the temple. However, according 1 Samuel 21-22, after the priests there aided the hero David, King Saul had every man, woman, child, and animal in Nob killed. Nob was not mentioned again for some 300 years, until the Assyrians occupied it. Stone panels commemorating the conquest of Lachish from the walls of the Assyrian Emperor Sennacherib's palace show his military camp. The twenty-four guard towers in the camp's perimeter wall, each with three windows visible, indicate a substantial fortification. ( S. C. Compton) In the 1930s, taking advantage of its defensibility, the British built an ammunition storage depot on Jebel el Mudawwara and renamed it Ammunition Hill. In 1948, the Jordanian Arab Legion captured the hill and built a network of defensive trenches. In 1967, in one of the fiercest battles of the Six-Day War, Israeli paratroopers fought through the trenches to take the hill. It is now a memorial and museum of that bloody battle. Using what has been learned from these first two siege-camp sites, including the distinctive toponym Mudawwara, additional Assyrian military camps have been identified. In some cases, it has also been possible to use the newly discovered camps to locate the sites of ancient cities that were known to have been besieged by the Assyrians but whose locations were unknown or uncertain. The entire scene from Sennacherib's palace wall as drawn by its excavator, Austen Henry Layard, in 1849. Top: The same landscape as photographed from a plane in 1945, prior to modern alterations to the landscape. Correlating the two indicated a likely location for the ruins of Sennacherib's camp. Created from two public domain images: Austen Henry Layard's 1849 excavation drawings of the Lachish relief and a 1945 aerial photograph taken as part of a mapping effort by the British Mandate government of Palestine. Ruined walls visible today at the site of Sennacherib's Lachish camp. ( S.C. Compton) Two bronze sculptures of the great Chinese philosophers Confucius and Lao Tzu were recently unveiled at Batlle Park in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The artwork, In Search of Wisdom Confucius Asking Lao Tzu About the Tao, consists of two figures standing 7.8 meters tall and weighing 6.6 tons. It is a masterpiece by renowned sculptor Wu Weishan, who is the curator of the National Art Museum of China. Wu's sculptures, standing at 7.8 meters, show Confucius asking Lao Tzu about the Tao. CHEN XI/XINHUA "The sculptures are the tallest and farthest-traveled pieces of all my works abroad," Wu says, emphasizing that the great sages of Chinese history transcend national boundaries, belonging not only to China but also to the world. "I want the world to see more Chinese figures standing tall." The base of the artwork bears inscriptions narrating the story behind the sculptures in both Chinese and Spanish. The sculptures show Confucius asking Lao Tzu about the Tao, a central idea in Taoism. Both men lived more than two millennia ago. The Tao represents the fundamental nature and source of the universe, and encompasses the underlying order and flow of all life. During her visit to China in 2018, then vice-president of Uruguay Lucia Topolansky made a special trip to Wu's studio. Immediately captivated by the sculptures, she told Wu that she hoped his pieces would find a home in Uruguay in the hope of exposing future generations to the historic dialogue between these two momentous figures. Six years later, the sculptures crossed the ocean and were placed among the trees in Batlle Park. When they were slowly lowered from a giant crane and finally touched the ground, Wu, who was watching the proceedings remotely, was extremely excited. "The two sages have left their homeland, but they are not alone. They have kindred spirits all over the world who enjoy hearing them speak about benevolence, the Tao, and virtue," he says. Over the last 2,000 years, the teachings of Confucius have spread to East Asia, Europe, and the Americas, leaving their mark the world over. In the 16th century, Italian missionary Matteo Ricci translated the Confucian classics, known collectively as The Four Books, into Latin, and introduced them to Europe, sparking a wave of "Confucianism fever "and providing intellectual support for the European Enlightenment. Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching is one of the most widely translated Chinese classics. According to American Sinologist Misha Tadd, it has been translated into 97 languages, and appeared in 2,052 versions. "The sculptures tell the story of Confucius and Lao Tzu seeking and sharing wisdom. In reality, this is also the relationship between China and the world," Wu says. The sculptor explains that China first seeks wisdom from the world, saying that he aspires to demonstrate the Chinese people's modesty and curiousness through his work. "At the same time, I hope to make Chinese culture known to the rest of the world, helping it expand and integrate with other cultures. This process itself is also sharing wisdom," Wu says. Montevideo Mayor Mauricio Zunino says the sculptures showcase China's profound cultural heritage, and embody great wisdom and value. The two sages from 2,500 years ago have become a new feature in 300-year-old Montevideo, introducing a new cultural experience to visitors, he says, adding that it will strengthen cultural exchange between China and Uruguay, making the two countries intimate friends. In the 1990s, while touring museums and antique markets in Western countries, Wu noticed that many of the depictions of Chinese people in art were outdated, rigid, and even deliberately caricatured. The stereotypes deeply saddened him. Since then, he has been determined to create sculptures depicting outstanding figures from Chinese history, and to introduce these images to a global audience, showing the indomitable spirit and enterprising energy of the Chinese people. To date, Wu has created over 600 sculptures of prominent figures in the fields of art, culture and science, more than 60 of which have been installed in 30 countries and regions worldwide. His work includes ancient sages like Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai, as well as pioneers of cultural exchange such as the monk Jianzhen, and Zen Master Yinyuan Longqi. "There should be dignified Chinese figures standing tall in the world," says Wu. "These sculptures do not speak, but their images serve as a silent language and are symbols of Chinese culture." In July 2022, Wu's bronze statue of Jianzhen, who is known as Ganjin in Japan, was unveiled at Shinobazu Pond in Tokyo's Ueno Park. The sculpture depicts the monk, who made six journeys to Japan to spread Buddhist teachings and Tang Dynasty culture, and who lost his sight during a stormy voyage. According to Japanese seal carver Myohseki Shimura, the sculpture powerfully conveys the spirit of the blind monk, whose heart sees clearly. "It deeply moves everyone who sees it." Wu voices confidence that sculptures depicting the inner virtues of Chinese culture are appreciated by everyone. "Seeing more of my dignified Chinese sculptures overseas fills me with joy. It's not only recognition of my work but also a testament to China's greatness." Nikos Kazantzakis, the late giant of modern Greek literature who visited China twice, once said that "Confucius and Socrates were two masks that covered the same face of human logic". More than 2,000 years ago, many philosophical and literary giants emerged during the golden age of ancient Greece. Among them was Socrates, who was often seen at the Agora in Athens, then a marketplace at the foot of the Acropolis, debating with thinkers, writers and politicians and communicating his ideas. Roughly at the same time in China, far on the other side of the Eurasian continent, the period of ideological flourishing among the Hundred Schools of Thought most notably Confucianism was underway. Wu's artwork, Divine Encounter Dialogue between Confucius and Socrates, which now stands in the remains of the ancient Agora, has brought the Chinese sage to the Greek philosopher's hometown. The statues of the two great philosophers from the East and the West stand side by side as if they have crossed the boundaries of geography and time and are having an exchange of ideas. "Their intellectual worlds are connected. One emphasized the world of great harmony and advocated the idea that within the four seas, all men are brothers, while the other discussed the ideal form of state and sought to establish a just and orderly society," Wu says. "This 'dialogue' between them symbolizes a new stage and a new model of cultural exchange and integration between the East and the West," he adds. Apart from dialogue between philosophers from different cultures, there is also dialogue between artists. Another artwork of Wu's, depicting Leonardo da Vinci in dialogue with Qi Baishi, is on display in Vinci, the town in the Italian province of Florence, which was the Renaissance master's birthplace. "Mutual understanding among people comes from the dialogue of ideas," Wu says, adding that through dialogue between civilizations, different countries and ethnic groups can communicate thoughts, share emotions, enhance understanding, and seek common development. You are here: Arts A film adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" will be directed by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, according to an announcement on Sunday during the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). A woman visits an exhibition in Shanghai, east China, Feb. 24, 2021. An exhibition of Three-Body, an award-winning sci-fi trilogy by Liu Cixin, is held at Shanghai Tower. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiansong) The announcement was soon confirmed by the copyright holder Three-Body Universe Cultural Development Co., Ltd. The film adaptation will be jointly developed by Three-Body Universe and Beijing Enlight Media Co., Ltd., a Chinese media production company, Wang Changtian, chairman of Beijing Enlight Media, said during a forum held Sunday as part of the SIFF. Chinese author Liu Cixin's sci-fi trilogy "The Three-Body Problem," marking a milestone in Chinese sci-fi literature, has been translated into more than 30 languages, amassing fans from countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Animated, television and radio drama adaptations of "The Three-Body Problem" have already been developed in China. The Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University (AADTHU) opened its 2024 undergraduate exhibition at the university's art museum in Beijing on June 14, featuring works by more than 230 students that showcase their unique perspectives and innovative ideas. The 2024 Undergraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) opens at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing, June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU] The graduates' works demonstrate a deep respect for tradition, a strong focus on current social issues, and an ambitious vision for the future, all seamlessly integrated into the exhibition's unique artistic space. The diverse range of exhibits includes festive "Fu" character designs, folk door gods, Chinese-style furniture, and ink brush painting, as well as community space renovations, disaster relief tool designs, interactive emotional healing projects, and elderly-friendly home designs. The exhibition also features manned lunar rovers, space agriculture systems, brain-computer interfaces, and artificial intelligence-based psychological counseling. At the opening ceremony, Peng Gang, vice president of Tsinghua University, congratulated the students on completing their studies and expressed gratitude to the teachers who had guided them. He emphasized two key terms: "interdisciplinary crossover" and "cutting-edge innovation." Peng noted that as AI technology presents both challenges and opportunities, the vital role and diverse social values of arts and design are becoming increasingly prominent. "With the empowerment of arts and designs, cutting-edge innovation has gained richer connotations and pathways," Peng said, encouraging students to continue to uphold the spirit of Tsinghua's motto of "Self-Discipline and Social Commitment" and to achieve more in serving the country and pursuing excellence in the future. Visitors admire the works on display at the 2024 Undergraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU), which opens at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU] Qin Chuan, Party secretary of the academy, declared the exhibition open and urged undergraduates to "stand tall and keep pace with the times." He encouraged them to bravely navigate the challenges of the era while upholding the spirit of the university motto, thus ensuring that the essence of Tsinghua and the nation is better inherited and promoted. Wang Xiaomo, an associate professor at the Department of Art History at AADTHU, spoke as a representative of the tutors. She urged students to continue applying thoughtful consideration of their disciplines in practice, action, and experience to attain true knowledge in their future development. In their future creations, she encouraged them to integrate "knowledge, thoughts, and emotions," while always maintaining their curiosity, engaging in lifelong learning, and continuously exploring, to realize their own ideals. Men Wanning, an undergraduate from the Department of Sculpture at the academy, spoke as a representative of the undergraduates. She expressed her deep gratitude to her alma mater and tutors and pledged to bravely face the opportunities and challenges of the new era. With a broad vision, deep concern, and active exploration, she stated on behalf of her fellow graduates that they are committed to upholding the Tsinghua traditions of "patriotic dedication and pursuit of excellence." Visitors admire the works on display at the 2024 Undergraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU), which opens at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU] More than 200 guests from within and outside the university attended the opening ceremony, including Peng Gang, Qin Chuan, AADTHU's associate deans Yang Dongjiang and Dong Shubing, the Tsinghua University Art Museum's executive deputy director Du Pengfei, and the museum's deputy director Sun Dapeng. Also present were heads of various AADTHU departments, representatives of tutors and graduates, their friends and families, and members of the media. The undergraduate works from nine majors will be on display at the Tsinghua University Art Museum, the academy's multi-purpose hall, and its art gallery until June 27. Visitors explore the artwork on display at the 2024 Undergraduate Exhibition of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU), which opens at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU] AADTHU offers a diverse range of disciplines across 10departments, including textile and fashion design, ceramic design, visual communication design, environmental art design, industrial design, information art & design, painting, sculpture, arts and crafts, andart history. The academy also features specialized offices for research, international exchanges, and art galleries. With more than 20 undergraduate majors and doctoral degrees in artistic theories, fine arts, and design science, as well as post-doctoral study centers, AADTHU provides a comprehensive education in the arts and design. The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) opened with a dazzling gala on June 15, as hundreds of filmmakers and celebrities graced the red carpet. The festival, which runs until June 23, promises an abundance of events, activities, and films over the coming week. The jurors of the Golden Goblet Awards meet the audience on stage at the opening gala of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival held in Shanghai on June 15, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] "Shanghai, as the birthplace of Chinese cinema, has accumulated rich cinematic and cultural resources and has given birth to the cultural extravaganza that is the Shanghai International Film Festival," said Gong Zheng, the mayor of Shanghai and honorary chairman of the SIFF organizing committee. He emphasized that the SIFF focuses on Asia, pays attention to Chinese-language films, and supports new talent. By gathering the finest films from around the world and bringing together high-quality resources, the festival has become the most influential film event in the Asia-Pacific region, he added. Dancers perform on stage in a segment themed around the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival's opening film "Red Radio Over Shanghai" in Shanghai on June 15, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] Gong said he hopes the festival will enhance cultural exchanges, effectively share Chinese and local Shanghai stories, and showcase global cultures while accelerating innovation, supporting new talent, and boosting the film industry's development. He also expressed a desire for the event to engage the public with exciting cultural activities and build a globally influential Shanghai cultural brand, which would strengthen the city's cultural influence and contribute to China's cultural advancement. The festival features 461 films from around the world and 1,624 showings across Shanghai. Organizers estimate that around 450,000 moviegoers will attend, with 450,000 tickets already sold. The festival began on June 14, with screenings and several events already held. Zheng Dasheng's dance drama film "Red Radio Over Shanghai" was selected as the opening film. Actors Zhuang Dafei and Da Peng pose with a minion from "Despicable Me 4" on the red carpet of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival held in Shanghai on June 15, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] The 26th SIFF's Golden Goblet Awards feature five competition categories: feature-length films, Asian new talent, documentaries, animated films, and short films. In the main competition section, Chinese films "A Man and a Woman" by Guan Hu, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Wei Shujun, "The Hedgehog" by Gu Changwei, and "Starfall" by Zhang Dalei will compete alongside 10 films from 11 other countries. The awards for best film, jury grand prix, best director, and best male and female actors, among others, will be announced at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony on June 22. French director and screenwriter Tran Anh Hung, the jury president of the Golden Goblet Awards' main competition section, along with jury members Rolf de Heer, Matthias Glasner, Tony Leung, Santiago Mitre, Sonthar Gyal, and Zhou Xun, met the press on June 14. Speaking of the upcoming selection process, Tran Anh Hung described it as a "great responsibility" and stated, "Being able to focus on discussing films will be a blessing." The jurors of the Golden Goblet Awards meet the press in Shanghai during the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] Australian producer and director Rolf de Heer said that if there's one phrase to summarize his expectations in the city of film, it's "engagement with film." He added, "Everyone asks, 'What is film?' Film is universal, global, and this is its true meaning." This year's festival received over 3,700 submissions for entries and exhibits from 105 countries and regions across five continents. After a selection process, 50 entries from 29 countries and regions were chosen to compete in the five categories of the Golden Goblet Awards. Among these, there are 38 world premieres, six international premieres, and six Asian premieres, setting a new record for the number of premieres in the festival's history. Director Wuershan (center) and the cast of "Under One Person" pose for a photo on the red carpet of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival held in Shanghai on June 15, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] Various events, including forums, a film market, Belt and Road film week, and sci-fi film week, will also take place during the festival. To mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, a French film week is specially planned. It will feature 38 new French films and over 30 French classic films or co-productions, presented to Chinese cinephiles in various screening sections, including 15 films recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Visitors explore an exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures during the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai on June 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the SIFF Organizing Committee] This file photo taken on June 6, 2024 shows an electric car at a charging station near the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. [Photo/Xinhua] Protectionism is the wrong approach to dealing with the rise of China's electric vehicle (EV) industry, and would be detrimental to European automakers, a German expert in the field has said. European countries will emerge as the losers if the European Union (EU) imposes additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the EU, warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum in a recent interview with Xinhua. In the event of "decoupling," automakers in the EU will "go directly" to invest in China, which has leading technology and innovation, Dudenhoeffer argued. He is convinced that German carmakers, as global players, will continue their "strong cooperation" with China. Dudenhoeffer recently wrapped up a visit to China, and said he was impressed by the dynamism and fast development of the auto industry there. Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, including battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles, surged 37.9 percent year-on-year to about 9.5 million last year, compared with just 75,000 a decade ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The pace of development of the new energy sector in China puts the world in a better position to tackle climate change, according to Dudenhoeffer. The scale of the new energy vehicle market in China has allowed automakers in the country to bring down production costs, a competitive edge European automakers do not currently have, Dudenhoeffer said. As China is in a leading position to drive forward the development of EV industry globally, the expert said that German automakers have been increasing their investments in China, where cost advantages and cutting-edge technologies are available. The EU will also damage their business by imposing additional tariffs on EVs made in China, he said, adding, "It will hurt our cooperation with China. It will hurt ourselves. So it's a tragedy for the German car industry." According to statistics from the European Federation for Transport and Environment, around 20 percent of all-electric cars sold across the EU last year, or 300,000 units, were made in China. More than half of them come from Western carmakers, such as Tesla, Dacia and BMW, which produce them in China for export. With the world currently facing the daunting task of fighting climate change, Dudenhoeffer believes that cooperation and partnership with China is very important. You are here: Business This aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2023 shows robots sorting and conveying parcels at an intelligent logistics center in Deqing County, east China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xinhua] China's express delivery sector registered rapid expansion in both business volume and revenue in May, amid a steady recovery of the Chinese economy and faster consumption growth in particular, data from the State Post Bureau showed on Monday. The sector handled a total of 14.78 billion parcels last month, reaching a historic high for monthly business volume and jumping 23.8% year on year. The growth rate accelerated from the 22.7% increase registered in April. Earlier data showed that the country's courier companies had handled 50 billion parcels as of April 29, a milestone achieved 32 days quicker than in 2023. The combined business revenue of China's express delivery companies reached nearly 116 billion yuan (about 16.3 billion U.S. dollars) last month, higher than the April revenue and marking a year-on-year increase of 15.6%. In the first five months, the sector's business volume hit 65.59 billion parcels, rising 24.4% from the same period a year earlier. It raked in 537.11 billion yuan in business revenue during the period, up 16.6% year on year. The Chinese economy extended an upward recovery trend in May as indicated by the steady expansion of industrial output and a consumption rebound supported by the May Day holiday, the latest statistics showed on Monday. In May, retail sales of consumer goods expanded 3.7% year on year, 1.4 percentage points higher compared to the previous month. The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly recently adopted a China-proposed resolution unanimously, designating June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. This is the latest endeavor by China and the international community to jointly promote inter-civilization dialogue. While underscoring the high value of cultural diversity, the newly adopted Chinese proposal illustrates the core essence of the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), standing out as a testament to the world's acknowledgement of China's dedication to promoting "equal dialogue and mutual respect" among civilizations. China proposed the GCI in March last year, making a sincere appeal to the world for in-depth exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations and the progress of human society. Aligning with the trends and needs of the times, the GCI reflects China's holistic and symbiotic way of thinking in contextualizing how to co-exist with different civilizations in a peaceful and coordinated fashion, breaking free from the specters of the Cold War and zero-sum thinking. It also demonstrates China's firm belief in equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among different civilizations, as well as its calling upon all countries to uphold humanity's common values such as fairness, justice, and freedom. China also advocates that human progress should evolve "along a balanced, positive and upward trajectory," which necessitates that all countries overcome estrangement between civilizations with exchanges, prevent clashes through mutual learning, and overcome a false sense of superiority through coexistence. China's view of civilization stems from its enduring culture of harmony and inclusiveness, said Raed Fahmi, secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party. Harmony, symbiosis and mutual learning are the correct ways for different civilizations to get along with each other, he said. Another defining aspect of Chinese culture is its commitment to respecting differences. It is common sense that civilizations do not follow a single model or path, as history and the situation today remind us. Thus, differences in civilizations should not be seen as a source of global conflict, but rather as a driving force for human civilization to forge ahead. Clear-eyed about the uniqueness of each country and its civilization, China sticks to inclusiveness, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, striving to find more common ground among diverse interests and demands through offering shared international public goods, such as the GCI, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. The world today is moving toward greater multipolarity and cultural diversity, and becoming increasingly information-oriented. Meanwhile, global challenges faced by humanity are getting ever more daunting, in particular climate change, geopolitical conflicts, growing social and economic inequalities, and record levels of xenophobia. Against this backdrop, the urgency of enhanced intercultural understanding and coordinated joint responses from countries worldwide cannot be overstated. The establishment of the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations is aimed at fully leveraging the vital role of intercultural dialogue in eliminating discrimination and prejudice, promoting understanding and trust, and strengthening cooperation and solidarity, seeking to elevate global concerted efforts to address common challenges. Meanwhile, China is also an active practitioner of equal exchanges among civilizations, sparing no effort to build bridges of intercultural exchanges and contributing Chinese wisdom to world peace and prosperity. Over the years, China has been striving to enhance the mechanisms and multilateral cooperation frameworks of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, setting an example for the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations and allowing culture to help build a community with a shared future for humankind. On Monday, the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) highlighted that intercultural dialogue is key to a sustainable future, which "allows us to celebrate and leverage diversity" and is a "tool for peace and inclusion." Calling it "a means to understand each other, to cooperate, and develop trust," Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO assistant director-general for social and human sciences, viewed China's latest proposal as "an opportunity to shine a light on the potential of dialogue to build bridges across differences and equip our societies with the means to solve all the challenges." As a responsible major country, China will stay dedicated to sharing more wisdom and platforms for cooperation and development that aim to bring mutual benefits and win-win outcomes to all sides. Together, through regular intercultural dialogue among civilizations, China is ready to join forces with all its counterparts to boost mutual understanding and trust, and pursue promising prospects for the future. Flash A Palestinian visits a cemetery in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on the first day of Eid al-Adha, on June 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday highlighted the necessity of effective measures to stop the ongoing Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. In a phone call, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the latest developments in Gaza and issues of common interest, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Bagheri Kani pointed to Israel's "brutal crimes" against Palestinians, stressing the need for Muslim states to "use all available tools" to stop the Israeli attacks in Gaza as soon as possible and deliver sufficient aid to its long-suffering people. The UAE foreign minister, for his part, underlined the urgency to send humanitarian aid to Gazans and implement effective measures to stop the Israeli offensive, adding that the UAE was making all-out efforts to those ends. The Israeli army has been conducting a large-scale offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on the Israeli towns adjacent to the strip, killing approximately 1,200 people. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has surpassed 37,000, with more than 85,000 people injured, according to the health authorities in Gaza. Catholic Healthcare International and Episcopal Advisor Cardinal Burke Recommit to a Holy Call Announcing the St. Pio Medical School Planned for Michigan NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic Healthcare International June 17, 2024 ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 17, 2024 /Christian Newswire/ -- With renewed devotion, Jere Palazzolo, the Founder of the Saint Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering, School of Osteopathic Medicine; George Mychaskiw, II, DO, FAAP, FACOP, FASA, the Founding President; and the Board of Trustees, recommit to the holy call to boldly create the worlds most faithful Catholic Medical School. Cardinal Burke, the Episcopal Advisor of the initiative stated, I joined Mr. Palazzolo as a signatory to a formal Collaboration Agreement with the Vatican-owned St. Pio Home for the Relief of Suffering Hospital, at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy - a hospital conceived and built by St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. The purpose of the agreement is to replicate St. Pios model of healthcare in the United States. The proposed St. Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering, School of Osteopathic Medicine is being developed with the same charism as the hospital, but with the mission to supply it and our nation with fully faithful Catholic physicians. The School's vision is to 'Create the nations most faithful Catholic Medical College.' In the United States today, healthcare is in dire need of Padre Pios vision for the relief of suffering. Catholic Healthcare International (CHI) has been singularly blessed with permission to replicate Padre Pios healing charism in the US. As such, CHI is proceeding forward expeditiously with the accreditation process and implementation plans, and it is our intention to locate this premier center of Catholic higher medical education, wholly owned and operated by Catholic Healthcare International, in Howell, Michigan, in the facility it has recently committed to acquire from Trinity Health in the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan. Jere Palazzolo stated, This is the location the Holy Spirit has called us to, and we praise God for His faithfulness in showing us the direction and location He seeks. St. Pios model of healthcare provides, as St. Pio stated, a Cathedral of Love to serve the twice Jesus in the poor and sick, a healing place where patients, doctors, and priests will serve as reserves of love. St. Pios charism of care will bring healing to the body, mind and spirit of the patients served by the St. Pio physicians who will be trained at what will be the Nations most faithful Catholic Medical School. More details will be forthcoming as implementation plans progress. For additional information and details about legacy giving and naming opportunities, contact Ann OReilly at aoreilly@chi-usa.com or visit the website at www.chi-usa.com. SOURCE Catholic Healthcare International CONTACT: Ann O'Reilly, 517-282-5924, aoreilly@chi-usa.com Share Tweet Flash Palestinians visit a cemetery where their relatives are buried in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on the first day of Eid al-Adha, on June 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] At least nine Palestinians were killed by an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Palestinian medical sources said on Sunday. The airstrike targeted two residential houses, killing nine people, including six children, and injuring several others who were then taken to the hospital, said medical sources who require anonymity. As of Sunday, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,337, with 85,299 injuries, the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza said. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement on Sunday that fighting continued in the southern Gaza Strip, including in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah. He also confirmed that the road through which goods pass will be open during daylight hours for the passage of humanitarian aid only. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra, Australia, June 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Canberra on Monday that China is ready to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples. Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Li noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Australia and the establishment of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. Looking back at the development of China-Australia relations over the past decade, the most important experience and inspiration is to uphold mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and seek common ground while shelving differences, he said. Since Prime Minister Albanese's visit to China last November, China and Australia have further restored and developed dialogues and cooperation in various fields, achieving a comprehensive turnaround in bilateral relations, Li said. He said that China is willing to work with Australia to maintain and develop the current hard-won positive momentum of bilateral relations. The essential characteristics of China-Australia relations, said Li, are mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and the development of China and Australia is an opportunity rather than a challenge to each other. China is willing to stick to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia, give full play to the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue and other mechanisms, continuously boost trade, actively expand cooperation in new energy vehicles, renewable energy power generation and other fields, and strengthen sub-national, cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation, he said. Li also expressed the hope that the Australian side can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, and provide more convenience for personnel exchanges between the two sides. China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, oppose bloc confrontation and a "new Cold War" from the perspective of maintaining regional peace and stability, adhere to openness, inclusiveness and common development, and work together to advance regional economic integration and build an open world economy, Li said. CANBERRA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that a greater development for China-Australia ties requires the joint efforts from both sides. Over the past few years, bilateral relations have returned to the right track after twists and turns, Li said when meeting with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines, and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick. He also expressed the hope that the Australian Federal Parliament will actively support practical cooperation between the two countries and provide a sound legal guarantee and political atmosphere for that end. TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Afghanistan have expressed their readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in various areas, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. In a phone call on Sunday, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Afghan caretaker government's Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi discussed bilateral cooperation and the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the ministry. Bagheri Kani underscored Iran's determination to help Afghanistan overcome its challenges and advance its progress, voicing Tehran's readiness to cooperate with Kabul in different areas and continue helping Afghans. Bagheri Kani also called for joint actions by Muslim countries, especially within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to pressure Israel into ceasing its "crimes" against Palestinians. Muttaqi, for his part, hailed "good" relations between Afghanistan and Iran, expressing hope that cooperation between Kabul and Tehran would be further promoted in different areas. RABAT, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan King Mohammed VI has granted clemency to 1,484 prisoners on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic festival celebrated Monday in Morocco. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Justice on Sunday, 1,209 inmates included in the pardon experienced a reduction in their prison sentences, while 275 others benefited from the annulment of either prison terms or fines or even both. The royal pardon is customary in Morocco to mark important anniversaries or religious holidays. TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday condemned a recent statement by France, Britain and Germany on the country's nuclear program as "absurd and invalid." His remarks were in response to a statement released by the E3 group on Saturday, which "condemned Iran's latest steps, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to further expand its nuclear program," according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday. Kanaani refuted the E3's claims as "untrue" and reiterated that Iran's nuclear program had a "completely peaceful nature" and "nuclear weapons have no place in the country's military and defense doctrine." He noted that it was a "bitter irony" that those countries who had adopted a "political and unconstructive" approach and were among the main parties responsible for the current situation regarding the implementation of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers accused Iran of "hollowing out" the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Kanaani reaffirmed Iran's commitment to continuing its "constructive" interaction and technical cooperation with the IAEA, adding the country would continue its "peaceful nuclear activities" in accordance with the country's national plan for the development of its nuclear industry and within the framework of its international rights and obligations. In their statement on Saturday, the governments of France, Germany and Britain claimed that "Iran has taken further steps in hollowing out the JCPOA by operating dozens of additional advanced centrifuges at the Natanz enrichment site as well as announcing it will install thousands more centrifuges at both its Fordow and Natanz sites." They said those steps "will further increase Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and enrichment capacity, which already significantly exceed JCPOA limits." The E3 stressed that presenting such steps as a "reaction to the IAEA Board of Governors' adoption of a resolution (on June 5) calling for Iran's long overdue cooperation on safeguards is not acceptable." Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers, including the United States and the E3, in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018, reinstating sanctions and prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria, but despite multiple rounds of negotiations, no substantial progress has been reported since the last talks in August 2022. Lin Zhanxi, the inventor of Juncao technology, speaks during a seminar on development of Juncao industry in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 16, 2024. Representatives from 19 countries and regions including Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, as well as more than 200 Chinese experts, scholars, and business representatives attended the meeting. Juncao, which in Chinese literally means "mushroom" and "grass", can be used to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, as livestock feed or as a green barrier to control soil erosion and stop desertification. Having taken root in over 100 countries and regions around the globe, Juncao has been hailed by the locals as the "Chinese grass" or "grass of happiness." (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Guests attend a seminar on development of Juncao industry in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 16, 2024. Representatives from 19 countries and regions including Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, as well as more than 200 Chinese experts, scholars, and business representatives attended the meeting. Juncao, which in Chinese literally means "mushroom" and "grass", can be used to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, as livestock feed or as a green barrier to control soil erosion and stop desertification. Having taken root in over 100 countries and regions around the globe, Juncao has been hailed by the locals as the "Chinese grass" or "grass of happiness." (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Guests attend a seminar on development of Juncao industry in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 16, 2024. Representatives from 19 countries and regions including Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, as well as more than 200 Chinese experts, scholars, and business representatives attended the meeting. Juncao, which in Chinese literally means "mushroom" and "grass", can be used to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, as livestock feed or as a green barrier to control soil erosion and stop desertification. Having taken root in over 100 countries and regions around the globe, Juncao has been hailed by the locals as the "Chinese grass" or "grass of happiness." (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Guests attend a seminar on development of Juncao industry in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 16, 2024. Representatives from 19 countries and regions including Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, as well as more than 200 Chinese experts, scholars, and business representatives attended the meeting. Juncao, which in Chinese literally means "mushroom" and "grass", can be used to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, as livestock feed or as a green barrier to control soil erosion and stop desertification. Having taken root in over 100 countries and regions around the globe, Juncao has been hailed by the locals as the "Chinese grass" or "grass of happiness." (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) As Muslims across the globe celebrate this years Islamic festival of Eid el-Adah, also known as Eid-el-Kabir, on Sunday, 16 June, Nigerias Christian and political leaders extended hands of fellowship to Muslims in the country, calling for reconciliation, understanding, and peaceful coexistence. The Eid el-Adah festival is held across the Muslim world annually in honor of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) for his willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah (God). Unlike in the Biblical narrative where God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the Quran speaks about Ishmael. Seeing his readiness to obey, God calls on Abraham to spare his son. Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said while Christians in the country covet a peaceful religious harmony and coexistence, Muslims should also reciprocate by exhibiting a spirit of religious tolerance, mutual respect and understanding. As Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, a festival symbolizing sacrifice, obedience, and faith, I urge all Nigerians to embody these values in our daily lives. Let us set aside our differences and heed the call for unity and peace," Okoh said. Our nation is in dire need of Gods mercy, peace, and unity. Let us unite in love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Let us pray for divine intervention in our security, economic, and political struggles. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up May Gods comfort and strength support the displaced, the bereaved, and the traumatized. Let us work together to build a Nigeria where all citizens can thrive, regardless of religion, tribe, or creed. Our diversity is our strength, and together, we can overcome any obstacle. Let us embrace peace, love, and forgiveness. May God bless Nigeria and grant us peace, unity, and prosperity, the Christian leader concluded. The Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, a Catholic Priest and the Governor of Benue State in Central Nigeria, also urged Muslims to embrace love, sacrifice, tolerance and unity as preached by Muhammad, the Prophet Islam. The governor said while the Government strives hard to fulfil its electoral mandate to the people, expressed optimism that the state and country will surely overcome its current challenges. From southeastern Nigeria, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, called on Muslims to make effective use of the religious festival to pray for peace, progress, unity and the development of the nation. May I on behalf of the Government and people of Ebonyi State wish all our Muslim Brothers and Sisters Barka de Sallah [meaning blessed Eid prayers]. May the blessings of Allah fill your life with happiness and open all the doors of success now and always, Nwifuru said. From southwest Nigeria, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, called on Muslims to persevere in building a culture of good interpersonal relations with Christians and the pursuit of sacrifice, and the overall development of all religious adherents in Nigeria. Obaseki said, I urge everyone to reflect on the peculiar state of our nation and espouse virtues that would promote peace, unity, good neighbourliness and sacrifice.